Chapter 10: Birds of Prey

So yeah, I am really sorry for how long I've been gone form this story. I've been experiencing some pretty annoying writer's block, but thankfully I'm over it now.

After rereading the last chapter several times, I decided to change Alucard's power level during Isshin and Kisuke's discussion. I also edited a few other things here and there so that everything makes more sense.

Aside from that, boy does it feel good to reach my first double-digit chapter!

The last three chapters have been progressively longer than those that came before them, and I am going to try to make nine to ten thousand word chapters a regular thing. Some might only be eight or seven thousand, but I'll try my best to reach my preferred word count.

This chapter will begin to set the stage for a pivotal moment that will heavily impact several characters, and I anxiously await to hear everyone's reactions.

I hope you all enjoy!

AlucardsBro OUT!

Goryu hardly ever felt nervous.

The only time she ever actually did so was when she feared she had incurred her Master's ire. And for good reason; when Tobishiro got upset, she usually ended up being the thing he relieved his stress on. Or into…

Shaking her head to clear her mind of that train of thought, the voluptuous ninja woman attempted to focus once more on her present situation. The previous evening, she had received an anonymous message on her private communicator, instructing her to meet the sender at an abandoned warehouse in Tobioka City's rundown industrial district.

Normally, this wouldn't have been cause for too much concern, but the fact that someone knew the number of the communicator that only her Master had knowledge of was more than a little unsettling.

Sucking in a steadying breath, Goryu approached the predetermined destination. As she entered the warehouse, she took the time to observe the desolate area. It didn't appear as though there was anyone else in the building at the moment, and Goryu prided herself on her ability to detect even the most minute of details regarding her surroundings.

Cautiously, she proceeded even further into the derelict structure. She was admittedly a few minutes early, but she had only been presented with an extremely narrow window of time to leave Tobishiro's compound without her Master noticing. He had placed her in charge of organizing all of his illegal operations, but her job was made much harder due to the fact that he became enraged whenever she attempted to vacate the premises, even when she was simply attending to his business. Her womanhood had been sore for days after the last time she'd been punished…

"You made it. Good," a feminine voice suddenly spoke up.

Her eyes going wide, Goryu whirled around, and was met with the sight of a young woman who appeared to be barely out of her teens. There was only a handful of people on the planet who were able to sneak up on her, and it brought a very unsettling feeling to her chest to know that another strange person had been added to that list.

As for the girl herself, she was dressed in a set of very…noticeable…clothing. She wore a midnight-black tank top, with a white leather long-sleeved jacket covering that. A pair of blue jean shorts barely went down to her mid-thighs, and a white belt with a heart-shaped buckle was wrapped around her slim waist. Luscious dark brown hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back, and a white cap rested comfortably on her head.

"Who are you?" Goryu asked carefully.

The young woman merely waved a hand in dismissal. "Just a friend, here to help."

"Why?"

Walking over to a wooden crate, the girl tested its stability before hopping up and sitting on it. "Well to be completely honest, my superiors are the only ones who really care about your predicament. They are well aware that you and your Master are severely lacking in substantial manpower, and would like to help you out in that department."

Goryu frowned. "That is certainly an interesting proposition, but I am all too aware of the fact that you most likely want something in return. Nothing is done for free in this world…"

The girl grinned condescendingly, causing the ninja woman to internally bristle. "Good to see that you've got a big brain to go with those massive tits. You're right of course; in return for providing you and your Master with competent foot soldiers capable of physical feats unlike anything you have ever seen, my bosses will expect a single itsy-bitsy favor in return."

Goryu's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. "Only one?"

"Yep. I know that you plan on trying to acquire the shipment of Platinum Lily that's coming into the harbor tonight, and we both know that the organization known as Black Label will most likely show up in an attempt to confiscate it for their own reasons."

The well-endowed ninja scowled. Black Label had been a thorn in her personal side for a considerable amount of time. Their continued interference in Tobishiro's operations had led to more than one rage-induced rape for her. "I am aware of this possibility; why do you mention it?"

The brown-haired girl smirked and leaned back on her palms. "If you are willing to cancel any plans to obtain the shipment of Platinum Lily this evening, then a few of my comrades and I will gladly do it for you. We've been meaning to come in contact with a specific member of Black Label for a while now, and this opportunity is the greatest one we've had. The authorities will most likely chalk it up to being nothing but another gang war."

Folding her arms underneath her breasts, Goryu took a moment to process the proposition. It was a surprisingly fair trade, but she was still a bit hesitant to blindly accept a deal from a strange young woman who wouldn't even provide her with a name. "What if I refuse?"

The atmosphere suddenly became very heavy, and the ninja woman was nearly forced to her knees under the pressure. The particles in the air began to gather in the strange girl's hand, until they eventually formed a humming orange sphere of glowing energy. "I would strongly recommend that you don't…"

As soon as the threat was voiced, the pressure in the air was lifted, and Goryu found herself gasping for breath. "Very well…I…I accept your conditions…"

The girl smiled and extinguished the orb of energy in her hand. "Excellent! You're free to return to your Master's compound now; my companions and I will personally see to your business transaction when the time comes."

Nodding, Goryu shakily rose to her feet before moving to exit the building. Once she was gone, the brunette girl reached into one of the pockets of her jacket and withdrew a phone. Dialing in a number, the screen blinked to life in the form of a video chat.

"It has been done, Herr Major," she said.

"Well done, Miss Basterbine! Well done indeed!" the Major chuckled jovially. "I am glad to see that your capabilities weren't exaggerated."

Bambietta bit back the bile that threatened to rise from her throat at the sight of the maniac on her screen. "Thank you, Major. They have agreed to our terms, and we will be given full authority over the drug exchange this evening. And, if the information I have gathered is correct, our target will undoubtedly show up."

"How wonderful!" another voice exclaimed, and soon enough the Doktor joined the Major on the screen. "It is utterly fascinating that Sayo Hitsugi has been able to survive for as long as she has with the amount of D99 in her system. Her genetic material should prove most useful in stabilizing my experiments."

Bambietta rolled her eyes. "Remind me again why we couldn't just do this ourselves? I can't understand the reasoning behind partnering up with a little troll like Tobishiro…"

The Major shook his head in a condescending fashion. "Because, my dear Fräulein, we cannot risk revealing ourselves to the general public just yet. It would be most inconvenient if the Hellsing Organization and Iscariot were to realize that our plans go much farther than simply creating artificial vampires. Therefore, we must act as if we are simply gutter thugs completing a drug exchange."

"What do you want me to do now?" the brown-eyed young woman questioned.

"For the time being, I wish for you to simply continue with your observations. Alhambra is preparing to engage Alucard and his fledgling in Brazil, and our spies in the Vatican are keeping close eyes on Alexander Anderson. Although Ichigo Kurosaki is no longer considered to be one of our current three Special War Potentials, we have considerable reason to believe that he will find a way to join the grand battle once the time comes."

Bambietta nodded, and the transmission went dark. Letting out a sigh, she put away her communicator and leaned back to gaze up at the crumbling ceiling of the warehouse.

She hated the Major.

She hated the Doktor.

They were both insane, and were completely willing to shed blood and start war just for the sake of it. She herself enjoyed a good bout of violence every now and then, but she didn't completely relish in it like her temporary superiors did.

However, in exchange for her cooperation, she had been assured that her wish would be granted much sooner than originally intended. And, if she was able to get so much closer to her ultimate goal, then she would reluctantly follow Millennium until told otherwise.

"What a fucking lunatic," a feminine voice sneered from the shadows.

Looking up from the floor, Bambietta smirked slightly as her two subordinates stepped into the light. They were certainly no Soldat, but they still got their jobs done with admirable effectiveness. The ninja woman hadn't even realized they'd been less than thirty feet from her…

"I agree," the brunette snorted, "but, he's a lunatic with the power to wipe us off the map if we step out of line. We'll just have to suck it up and power through."

Her female companion scoffed, while the only male in the room flexed his biceps. "Crazy as they may be, you can't argue with the results of those vampire experiments. I feel like I could tackle a fuckin' train!"

Once again, Bambietta let out a light chuckle. Out of all of the current members of Millennium who weren't part of her original team, Senji Kiyomasa and Minatsuki Takami were honestly the closest people she would ever come to calling friends. Sure, they could be irritating and loud at times, but they were both far better than the silent weirdo and the scythe-swinging bitch.

Shaking her head, the wielder of 'The Explode' dusted off her outfit and walked towards the warehouse's exit, with her two companions dutifully following along behind her. It was time to prepare for their mission.

For a supposed drug exchange point, the harbor was eerily quiet.

Sayo and Yuuko walked side by side through a narrow gap between large stacks of shipping containers, and although the ship that was allegedly carrying the Platinum Lily had just arrived, neither women had seen hide nor hair of any possible recipients.

Clenching her gauntlet-covered fist, Hitsugi gently shook her head, attempting to disperse the doubt and concern still gnawing at the back recesses of her mind. She had already accepted that Ichigo simply needed time to heal, but she still couldn't help but worry about him. Seeing him after such a long time had surprisingly stirred deep-rooted feelings that she had thought were long-since forgotten.

He had certainly become quite handsome…

A hand on her shoulder brought her out of her stupor, and she turned slightly to see her superior giving her a knowing look.

"He'll be fine Sayo," Yuuko assured her. "I need you to focus on the mission now."

"Heh, right," the busty nurse giggled a bit sheepishly. "Hey, did you see the size of that ship? When we're done destroying the Platinum Lily, we should go check for treasure."

Smiling at her friend's attempt to lighten the mood, Yuuko shook her head good-naturedly and looked forward once more. "Sorry, but are orders are to send it to the ocean floor."

A sudden bout of static buzzed in both women's ears, and they each brought a hand up to their communicators. "Go ahead Miki."

"Somethings not right here…" the team's sniper mused over the com-link, her voice sounding worried. "I won't be able to get a clear shot in with all of these containers, so be careful you two."

"Aye aye," Sayo grinned, shrugging off the warning. As silence took hold once more, the bluenette's thoughts once again began to drift to the wellbeing of her childhood friend. What would she even say to him once he woke up?! 'Oh hey Ichigo, it's been ages; sorry for nearly killing you!' Somehow, that didn't really seem very appropriate…

So caught up in their thoughts were both of the Black Label agents, that they were never even aware that they were being watched…

High on the rooftop of a nearby building overlooking the harbor, three figures stood illuminated by the moonlight.

"That's her," Bambietta confirmed, looking away from her phone at the distant form of Hitsugi. The Daten that they possessed on their target was remarkably extensive, especially considering that she was someone who tried her best to keep her double life as an assassin hidden. If the Doktor's assumptions were to be believed, then Sayo Hitsugi was capable of engaging a low-level vampire in a contest of pure strength and potentially coming out on top.

It was a good thing that her subordinates were well trained to handle targets more physically capable than they were.

Turning to face her aforementioned companions, Bambietta adopted a slightly stern disposition. "Remember, we don't want to actually kill her; that would cause too much of a scene. No low-level thug in this city would be capable of taking either of those women out, so the authorities would undoubtedly ask questions if both of them wound up dead."

Minatsuki scoffed. "Can we at least rough them up a little?"

The older brunette simply shrugged in response. "As long as you get the blood samples we need and the case of Platinum Lily for that disgusting little troll, then you can beat them black and blue for all I care."

The younger girl grinned excitedly, but Senji frowned uncomfortably. "It wouldn't be very cool of a man to beat up a woman, even if she can kick ass just as well as he can."

Bambietta sighed. "Then don't beat her up. I just need you to keep Sagiri distracted long enough for Minatsuki to do her job; can you handle that?"

The former police officer saluted and offered his superior a confident grin. "Yes Ma'am!"

Nodding in satisfaction, 'The Explode' turned back around to gaze down at their unsuspecting victims. "Alright, let's move in and get the job done…"

The metallic clanging of swords clashing echoed once again throughout Ichigo's Inner World.

It felt as though he and Zangetsu had been kicking the crap out of each other for the better part of an hour. During that time, the former Substitute had slowly begun to realize something rather peculiar.

His Zanpakuto Spirit's strikes were uncharacteristically sluggish…

Either the golden-eyed bastard was just toying with him, or there was something else going on entirely.

"So, are you gonna tell me where the Old Man is?" the orange-head sneered, deflecting yet another strike meant to cleave him in two.

His Hollow smirked. "Changing the subject ain't gonna improve my mood, Kingy. Being sealed away for over three years, forced to watch as you bumble through life without even the slightest clue as to when a smokin' babe is obviously laying down the signs? It's enough to make even someone like me go crazy!"

Scowling, Ichigo leapt over a horizontal slash and used the flat of Zangetsu's blade to vault himself over the Hollow's head. While in midair, he raised Manus before bringing the silver encrusted sword screaming in a downward arc aimed directly for the Spirit's shoulder.

Zangetsu disappeared at the last second in a buzz of Sonido, forcing the orange-head to recover from his attack and raise his guard once more. The Hollow's mocking laughter seemed to echo all around him; seeping through the crevices of the decrepit skyscrapers, from the desolate streets below, and ever from the expansive skies above.

"Avoiding the issue is only gonna make it worse, ya know!"

"I don't have any issues!" Ichigo shouted back at thin air.

"Oh really? Well then, riddle me this asshole…what do you call a man who starts to get fresh with his new coworker, only to reunite with his childhood sweetheart?"

The sound of whistling steel caught the former Substitute's attention, and he whirled around just in time to block a devastating swing of his Hollow's sword. The force of their momentum was enough to send both man and spirit careening across the surface of the building, and Ichigo's heels dug into the glass and concrete, sending debris flying into the air. All the while, Zangetsu continued to grin like an absolute lunatic, but there was an undertone of irritation behind his eyes.

"Hell if I know the answer; I'm just gonna stick with calling you a fucking moron!" the spirit cackled.

Ichigo scowled. Sure, he could admit to feeling an…attraction…to Seras, but he wasn't even sure if she was interested! She had a lot of shit to deal with, what with being a fledgling vampire and having that undead asshole for a Master. She had needed a friend when he'd first met her, and at the time he'd been the best suited to fill that position.

And then there was Sayo…his first crush, and the girl who'd helped him move past the guilt he felt over the death of his mother. He hadn't even been able to get a proper look at her since he and Pip had arrived in Tobioka City; their fight didn't count since he'd been far more focused on staying alive. Apparently though, according to what Zangetsu had said earlier, his childhood friend had grown into quite the attractive young woman.

"Why is something like this such a big deal to you?" he growled.

Zangetsu scoffed and pushed away, landing a few dozen feet away. "Because, idiot, I'm your instincts! And whether you like it or not, your instincts are screaming at you to make at least some kind of a move."

"Sayo and I haven't even talked since I got here!" the orange-head argued. "How am I supposed to take her feelings into account if I don't even know what they are?!"

The Hollow scoffed and stabbed his blade into the side of the building, before lazily leaning against it. "You may not remember it since you were delirious, but that chick never left your side the entire ride to the hospital or after the hot doctor brought you out of surgery. I don't think I've ever seen a grown woman cry as much as that…"

Ichigo's stance relaxed slightly. It seemed as though Zangetsu was content with simply talking for the moment, and as odd as that behavior was, he was certainly grateful for the Spirit's change in attitude.

"Still though, it ain't my place to tell you all this shit and help you through it. You've gotta do that all on your own."

"Why do you even care about something like this?" the former Substitute asked cautiously.

"Why the fuck do you think?" Zangetsu snorted. "I'm a reflection of your innermost instincts and desires, so guess what that means buddy boy? Deep down, in the farthest reaches of your subconscious, you care about this too."

Ichigo frowned and opened his mouth to retort, but no words managed to form.

The Hollow let out an annoyed sigh and rolled his golden eyes. "Look, this ain't somethin' that you've gotta decide right now, but I'd highly recommend making a choice sooner rather than later. Chicks are weird like that; if you don't respond to their signals soon enough, then they'll just move on."

"How the hell do you know all of this?" the orange-head asked incredulously.

"Like I said, I'm your instincts. Millions of years ago, when humans were still climbing in trees and throwing their shit at each other, a male had to act fast if he wanted to land a receptive female. People have evolved since then, but the same basic elements are still there. I may be nothing but a reflection of your soul, but even I want to help my homeboy get laid before you reach your fifties."

Ichigo turned a light shade of red, prompting Zangetsu to let out a howling cackle. "Holy fuck, you're such a virgin!"

"Wouldn't that make you one too?" the former Substitute snapped back.

The Hollow's laughter immediately stopped, and he sent Ichigo a harsh glare. "Low blow man, low blow…"

Rolling his eyes, the orange-head turned to scan the visible expanse of his Inner World. "So…where is the Old Man?"

His alabaster copy scoffed. "Still sleeping; that part of your soul hasn't gained back enough power to be able to communicate with you yet."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember when Alucard juiced you up with his own Spirit Energy?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Well there you go," Zangetsu smirked. "Since the energy that invaded your body was so dark, it was converted into Hollow Reiatsu. That's the only reason why I can talk to you now, and the old fucker can't."

"I thought you two were just two halves of my soul…" the orange-head frowned.

"True, but our power comes from vastly different sources. I'm your primal instincts; dark, negative, and voracious. The Old Man, on the other hand, represents your skill, fortitude, honor, and all of that other goody-goody bullshit."

Ichigo fixed his inner Spirit with a deadpan expression. "You're being weirdly insightful today…"

"Shut the fuck up!" Zangetsu snarled, baring his teeth. "It ain't my fault that the Old Man isn't here to tell you all this shit! I can be just as smart as he is when I want, ya know!"

"Whatever you say…"

The Hollow scoffed and hacked up a glop of spit off to the side. "Anyway, you'll probably be waking up any minute now; I just wanted to hammer all of that info into that tiny brain of yours. Blonde or blue? Who's it gonna be?"

The orange-head frowned and lowered his gaze, only to see that his body was beginning to dissolve into particles of Spirit Energy. "Before I go…I have a few more questions."

"Well then, spit 'em out. I ain't got all fucking day, ya know!"

Ignoring Zangetsu's attitude, Ichigo voiced his first concern. "You implied that my powers are coming back, even if only slowly. If so, how strong am I now, and when will they fully return?"

The Spirit's brow furrowed in a moment of thought, and he gave his wielder a once-over to gauge his current standpoint in power. "You'd probably get your ass kicked by even a low-level Soul Reaper fresh out of the Academy, but for now you're still stronger than the average human. Faster too, and your Hierro will probably start up in the next few days. As for when you'll get your full strength back…the best I could guess would be at least a year or two from now."

Ichigo's jaw dropped in disbelief. He'd certainly been expecting it to be a while, but that was still so long! He wanted to actually start being useful in fights, and fight side-by-side on the level of Seras and Alucard.

"Don't give me that damn look, I can't help it if you're not happy with the answer!" Zangetsu snapped, clearly irritated. "You had a lot of power Kingy, and it's gonna take a while to all come back. The only reason it won't take even longer than that is thanks to the jump start you got from Alucard."

The orange-head sighed in reluctant acceptance. He had plenty more questions that he wanted answered, but his body had almost completely vanished by this point.

The Hollow's expression inexplicably relaxed, and he offered the former Substitute a smirk. "One last piece of advice though Kingy? Just follow your instincts, and you'll know what the right answer will be when the time comes."

Surprised at the usually crass and vulgar Spirit's helpful advice, Ichigo returned Zangetsu's smirk with his own just before he faded away completely from his Inner World. Left alone once again, the Hollow laughed and raised his gaze to the never-ending skyline.

"That damn idiot…I wonder if I should have told him about the cat lady too…"

Ever since Ichigo's arrival in Tobioka City, Yuuko would admit that things had certainly become more…exciting.

Dodging another wooden crate than was thrown her way, the white-haired beauty dashed forward and attempted to land a strike on her opponent. All of her previous attempts had thus far been unsuccessful, and the absolutely inhuman speed that her adversary apparently possessed was beginning to become beyond infuriating.

The eyepatch-wearing man bent low and bunched up the muscles in his legs, before leaping backwards at least twenty or so feet, putting more than enough space between himself and Yuuko to avoid the doctor's sword.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, the leader of Ampoule One used the temporary lull in violence to analyze her opponent.

Neither she, Sayo, or Miki had ever even registered their sudden assailants' presence until it was already far too late. Her blue-haired friend was currently engaged in combat with what appeared to be a young girl across the harbor, and Miki had gone eerily silent over their comms.

Her own opponent, on the other hand, was someone that she easily recognized from a police bulletin originating in Tokyo.

"Senji Kiyomasa, former officer of the Tokyo Police Department," Yuuko scoffed. "Convicted for the brutal murders of your entire squadron, you were reported to have escaped from prison nearly a year and a half ago…how coincidental it is that I find you here of all places. What interest have you in Platinum Lily?"

"So you know me huh? I'm flattered," Senji frowned. "But you got part of the story wrong; I didn't kill my team, they were like brothers to me. I was framed."

Yuuko's gaze narrowed. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't believe you; I've heard one too many criminals plead their false innocence."

The spiky-haired man shrugged. "Eh, it's not like I expected any different. But my new bosses believed me, and that's why they busted me out of prison and gave me a few special gifts. Don't worry though, I'm not supposed to kill you, so you'll get to go home after this is all said and done."

The well-endowed doctor crouched into a combat ready stance. "You are certainly welcome to try and harm me, but I assure you that it will be a far more difficult task than you might imagine."

Senji's face spontaneously illuminated in a brilliant blush, and he averted his gaze away from his opponent. "C-Could you not crouch like that? It…pushes you boobs forward…"

Yuuko's stoic expression crumbled into an incredulous look of disbelief. "Y-You're worried about something like that in the middle of a battle?"

"Well don't blame me! It's not my fault that they're unreasonably big!"

"Unreasonably? I'll have you know that I am completely natural! How dare you insinuate that I would have the need to augment my body in any fashion. Am I not beautiful enough to you?"

"W-What?! No, of course not! You're hot as hell! Well…that is to say…hey watch it!" Senji yelped as he barely managed to dodge a swing that would have separated his head from his shoulders. "You bitch; you were playing me?!"

Yuuko smirked and lowered herself into another ready stance. "Like a fiddle."

The Millennium agent scowled and raised his hands to his opposite elbows. The rings on his thumbs popped open, revealing small blades, which he slashed along the lengths of his arms. Blood flowed from the open wounds, but instead of spattering to the floor, the red liquid contorted and reshaped itself in mid-air.

Within the matter of a second, five-foot blades made of blood formed from Senji's forearms.

The white-haired swordswoman's eyes widened in disbelief. "What in God's name…?"

"Pretty cool, huh?" the former police officer smirked. "Only advanced-level vampires are capable of blood manipulation."

"You must be joking…" the busty doctor whispered.

Senji's lips pulled back into a positively feral smile, revealing a mouthful of incredibly sharp fangs that glistened in the moonlight. "Oh I assure you, I'm not."

Letting out an animalistic war cry, the artificial vampire charged forward with enough power to shatter the concrete where he'd been standing.

Steeling her nerves, Yuuko raised her weapon and prepared for what promised to be the most challenging fight of her entire life.

Sayo was not faring any better than her superior.

In fact, if she had to say, she had drawn the short end of the stick due to the fact that her opponent was batshit fucking crazy. She couldn't even get close enough to the damn brat to land an effective hit due to the razor-sharp tendrils of blood the kid was waving around.

Barely even three seconds after their altercation had begun, the young girl had reached up and ripped out her earrings, and this action had apparently been the catalyst for her absolutely disgusting ability.

It was unlike anything Sayo had ever seen before, and although she hadn't previously considered herself a staunch believer in the supernatural, she would admit that there was something unnatural going on here.

"Hey, old lady!" the girl sneered, swinging one of her blood whips in the direction of Hitsugi's midsection. "Can you do me a favor and stop running so I can cut you? That would be really fucking great."

"Old Lady?! I'm only twenty-four!" the bluenette snarled angrily.

"Oh I'm sorry, do you want me to go draw you a hot bath?" the little brat cooed mockingly.

Gritting her teeth, Sayo dug her gauntlet-covered fingers into the side of a shipping container. Focusing all of her strength into right arm, she lifted the entire metal object into the air, before hurling it directly at the brunette little bitch. "At least I'm not as flat as a fucking ironing board!"

Just before the container squashed the girl into paste, she once again swung one of her bloody whips. The metal container was sliced cleanly in two, and fell harmlessly to the ground with a resounding crash. "Shut the fuck up! I have boobs, t-they're just not big yet…"

The blue-haired nurse smirked condescendingly. "Aw, it little Minatsuki self-conscious about her itty-bitty titties?" She took no small amount of pleasure in the look of shock and mortification that overtook her opponent's face. "Yeah, I know damn well who you are runt. Wanted for the murder of both of your parents, and the torture of your older brother Yō Takami. Classified as a certified mental case, the reward on your head is impressively large for someone so young."

Minatsuki's expression darkened. "You don't know a damn thing about me…don't talk like you know who I am!"

Letting out a furious cry, the unstable brunette whipped her bloody tendrils around once again. Sayo grimaced and leaped to the side in an effort to dodge, but one of the razor-sharp whips still managed to land a shallow laceration across her left shoulder. This whole cat and mouse bullshit was getting more than a little annoying; she needed to find an opening and take the brat out before she ended up falling unconscious from blood loss.

Fortunately, she knew one of the best ways to make someone lose their cool in the middle of a fight…

"What on earth could compel a little girl to slaughter both her mother and father?" she mused aloud, and smirked upon seeing Minatsuki's resolve slip slightly. Blasting forward, Sayo slipped through her opponent's guard and delivered an absolutely devastating punch to the girl's stomach.

The force of the blow bent the brunette over the older woman's first, and she vomited up a generous amount of blood.

"Sorry kid, it ain't anything personal…" Hitsugi said softly.

"Right back at you…bitch."

Sayo's eyes widened, and she was unable to move back in time to avoid the fury of slashes that were delivered all across her body. A small fist planted itself above her kidney, and the Black Label agent was launched across the concrete as if she'd been hit by an eighteen-wheeler.

Raising her head, Minatsuki smirked and licked away the excess blood still staining her lips. "Wanna know the funny thing about vampires? Gotta love our healing factor."

Shakily picking herself up, the well-endowed nurse scoffed and hacked up a glob of blood. "Vampires? You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

The younger girl simply grinned savagely and reached into her dress, withdrawing a syringe. "Nope. Now then be a good little bimbo and hold still; this will only hurt a lot."

Bringing up her fists, Sayo prepared for the worst. Before she could even blink, Minatsuki dashed forward in a display of absolutely insane speed. The brunette brutally lodged her fist in the bluenette's stomach.

Before the older woman could even open her mouth to release a cry of pain, the vampire delivered a series of furious blows and punches to Hitsugi's torso that undoubtedly ruptured several internal organs and broke more than a few bones.

Spinning in place, the red-eyed girl landed a kick to her opponent's side. An audible crack echoed through the area, and Sayo screamed in unparalleled agony. Collapsing like a sack of rocks, the bluenette's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell to the concrete in a bloody and broken heap.

Smiling sadistically, Minatsuki raised one of her blood whips and prepared to deliver the finishing strike. However, a firm grip on her shoulder broke her from her bloodlust, and she turned around to be greeted by the sight of a grim Bambietta.

"B-Boss!"

"What the fuck did I tell you?" the older brunette snarled, tightening her grip enough for the young vampire to actually wince. "Get what we came for, and then get out. Nobody needed to die!"

"But why does it matter?" the short-haired girl argued. "She's just some dumb human! Humans hurt me and Senji! What does it matter if we hurt them in return?!"

Bambietta's expression softened, and she gently pulled her younger subordinate into a soothing embrace. "I know they hurt you, but the world doesn't work like that. You can't punish somebody for sins that they didn't personally commit."

Minatsuki let out a shuddering sob, and bloody tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. "I-I'm sorry…"

'The Explode' sighed and released the unstable girl, taking the syringe from her hands and approaching Sayo's unconscious body. Kneeling next to the battered bluenette, she stuck the needle into her neck and extracted a sufficient amount of blood. "I suppose I can't really blame you too much…you haven't been taught how to properly channel your emotions. We'll be working on that once we return home, do you understand?"

"Y-Yes Ma'am…"

Nodding in satisfaction, the brown-haired Sternritter rose to her feet and faced her subordinate once more. "Come on, let's go get Senji and go home. I already managed to snag the Platinum Lily."

"Yeah, I doubt you'll be going anywhere…"

Both young women whirled around at the new masculine voice. Looking up at the top of a stack of nearby shipping containers, their eyes widened upon seeing a dark-haired man and brown-skinned woman standing there.

"How in the…I didn't even sense their Spirit Energy!" Bambietta muttered incredulously.

Seemingly content with ignoring the two brunettes for a brief moment, the man, who was wielding a ridiculously large sword, turned to his companion and cocked a brow. "So, do you want to handle this, or should I?"

The ebony woman sighed and shook her head. "Nah, I got this. Been a while since I've actually gotten my boots dirty…"

Leaping from her perch, the woman was engulfed in a pillar of emerald Spirit Energy, causing Bambietta and Minatsuki to shield their eyes. When the light died down, she was revealed to have gone through quite the wardrobe change.

A black cap adorned her head, with a transparent veil flowing from the edges. A form-fitting black top covered her torso, and white gauntlets concealed her forearms. White pants covered her lower half, and a pair of thigh-high black boots attached to leather garters adorned her legs. A white scarf was wrapped around her neck, and it billowed slightly in the wind.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Minatsuki snarled, baring her fangs.

The dark-skinned woman looked less than impressed at the display. "Watch your fuckin' mouth, brat. Call me Jackie." Looking down at the bloodstained pavement, Jackie closed her eyes and let out a resigned sigh. "Would you look at that? All of this blood that you've spilled has already gotten my boots filthy…"

"I don't give a fuck about your-"

The young vampire's response was cut off when Bambietta tackled her to the side just in time to avoid the tidal wave of green Spirit Energy that the ebony woman kicked in their direction. The unyielding torrent of power continued its path through the entirety of the harbor, until it finally dissipated out at sea.

Eyes widening in shock, the brown-haired Quincy turned back to their new adversary. "What the hell was that?"

"Like I said," Jackie replied impassively, "you got my boots dirty. That's always a poor idea."

Glancing in the direction where they'd left Sayo's body, Bambietta noted that the man was already gathering the unconscious woman up in his arms. "Are you friends of hers?"

"More like we're acquaintances of a friend of hers," the dark-skinned woman responded. "And he would be royally pissed if he knew we let anything bad happen to her."

Bambietta grimaced in understanding; Ichigo Kurosaki had certainly made a multitude of friends who had the potential to make her job infinitely more difficult than it needed to be. Glancing down at her subordinate, the brunette noticed that Minatsuki had been rendered unconscious by the force of Jackie's attack. Even with their incredible healing abilities, vampires were still just as prone to head trauma as ordinary humans.

She couldn't afford to drag this confrontation out any longer…

Raising her palm, 'The Explode' conjured a glowing orange orb of Spirit Energy. "This has been fun and all, but my friends and I really need to get going. Don't try and get in our way again, because I promise that the consequences will be far from worth it."

Jackie's eyes widened, and both she and her male companion leaped backward just as Bambietta hurled the sphere at the ground. The world fell eerily silent just before it impacted the concrete.

An absolutely earth-shattering explosion followed, raining fire and smoke on the entirety of the harbor.

The Fullbringers, with the addition of a still unconscious Sayo, took cover behind a decrepit warehouse. Once the heat finally died down, they emerged to scan their surroundings. Almost all of the metal shipping containers in the area had been melted down into an unrecognizable blob, and a pillar of smoke continued to rise into the air as fires dotted the landscape.

"They're gone," Kugo observed.

"Sure seems that way," Jackie sighed, releasing her Fullbring. "What about the other chick with the white hair?"

"I assume that you're talking about me…"

Both Fullbringers turned in the direction of the new voice, and looked on as Yuuko Sagri emerged from the smoke. There were several large slashes decorating her arms, legs, and midsection, but overall, she seemed to be in far better health than her blue-haired comrade. Unfortunately, the same couldn't necessarily be said for her clothing.

Kugo had the decency to look away uncomfortably.

"What happened? Who are you people?" the well-endowed doctor asked cautiously, gesturing to Sayo in Kugo's arms.

"Let's just say that we're here to help," Jackie replied. "I'm Jackie, and this idiot is Kugo; we're acquaintances of Ichigo Kurosaki."

Nodding hesitantly, Yuuko approached and gave her blue-haired friend a once-over. "She needs immediate medical attention…do you think you can help me transport her to Mochizuki General?"

"As long as you put on some damn clothes, I'll do whatever you say," Kugo grumbled.

Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, the white-haired swordswoman brought a hand up to the miraculously still-functioning communicator in her ear. "Miki, are you there?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm here. What the hell is going on down there? The last thing I remember is getting blindsided by some brunette wearing short shorts…"

Yuuko sighed in relief. "I'll fill you in on the way back to headquarters, just know that we'll be having some additional company. Inform Doctor Mochizuki to prepare a room for an emergency operation…its Sayo."

When Ichigo finally awakened, he became almost instantly aware that he was no longer wearing the clothes he'd had on during his fight with Yuuko and Sayo.

"Who the hell undressed me…?" he growled, before wincing as a flash of pain spiked through his head. He felt beyond sore; it was as if he'd fought Kenpachi for six hours straight…

Reaching up to run a hand through his hair, the orange-head glanced up from the sheets when the door to his room clicked open. A silver-haired girl with amber eyes entered, but she froze upon seeing the former Substitute staring back at her.

"Y-You're awake?" she gasped.

Ichigo looked down at himself and nodded. "It sure seems that way."

The girl crossed the distance between them surprisingly quickly, and pressed a hand against the orange-head's chest over his heart. "How the hell are you awake?! You went up against Doctor Yuuko and Big Sis! Your injuries were extensive enough to merit at least a month of recovery time!"

Blushing at her obliviousness to their proximity, Ichigo coughed and glanced off to the side. "I've always been a fast healer."

In truth, Zangetsu had most likely been focusing what Spirit Energy he currently possessed into his healing process. Thank God for that…he wouldn't have been too keen on laying in a bed for weeks on end.

Shaking her head incredulously, the girl pulled away and fixed him with an unreadable expression. "Well, anyway, I'm Mikoto. Sis will be glad to hear that you're up once she gets back."

"You're Sayo's sister?"

"No, not really. She just insisted that I call her that." Frowning suddenly as if remembering something important, Mikoto reached forward and flicked Ichigo right between the eyes.

"Hey! What was that for?" the orange-head complained half-heartedly.

"Your bastard of a partner put mine in the intensive care ward," she replied heatedly. "And if I can't kick that French bastard's ass, then I'll settle for punishing you in his place."

Oh, so she was one of the targets that Pip had been assigned during their mission huh? That meant she was also a member of Black Label.

"I'm sorry about your friend," Ichigo apologized honestly. "It wasn't anything personal, we were just carrying out our mission."

Mikoto glared at him for a bit longer, before her expression eventually softened. "Yeah, I can understand that. You just better hope that Arashi wakes up soon."

The sudden sound of a commotion outside caught both teenagers' attention.

"What's going on?" the orange-head questioned.

"I don't know…" Mikoto frowned, standing up to go and check.

However, before the silver-haired girl could even make it a couple of feet, and older woman with violet hair burst into the room. Her eyes were wide, and she looked to be in an extreme amount of distress.

"M-Miki?" Mikoto stammered. "What's wrong?!"

"Its Sayo…" the older woman answered grimly. "She was hurt pretty badly; Yuuko is preparing to operate on her right now."

Ichigo felt his heart stop…

"Is she going to be okay?!" the amber-eyed girl asked frantically.

"I…" Miki let out sigh. "I honestly don't know."

The former Substitute let out a pained grunt as he attempted to rise from the bed. It may have been years since they'd seen one another, and she may have been part of the reason he'd been put in the hospital, but he would be damned if he let his childhood friend die. "Where is she?"

The violet-haired doctor frowned and walked forward to gently push Ichigo back down onto the bed. "Don't be an idiot kid," Miki sighed. "I know that you and Sayo were supposed to be childhood sweethearts, but it won't do either of you any good if you end up straining yourself too much. You're still recovering from surgery too, after all."

"I don't care!" Ichigo snapped. "I need to see her!"

"No, what you need to do is calm down."

Everyone in the room froze, and collectively turned to face the doorway, where a long-haired man in a wheelchair was fixing the orange-head with a disapproving look. "I assure you young man, Miss Hitsugi will pull through this in the end."

"Doctor Mochizuki? What are you doing all the way up here?" Mikoto asked in surprise.

"I had the sudden urge to check in on our newest friend here," the elderly man replied, wheeling himself into the room. "It seems as though I was right to follow my instincts."

Reluctantly, Ichigo ceased his struggling, and Miki finally released her hold on him.

"As I was saying," Mochizuki spoke up again, addressing the former Substitute directly. "There is no need for you to concern yourselves with Sayo's wellbeing. She is truly a remarkable woman."

"You think I don't already know that?" the orange-head scoffed.

The doctor smirked and folded his hands across his lap. "That may be so, but I sincerely doubt you fully comprehend just how special she really is; allow me to fill you in. When I was a young man, I was a medical officer for a mercenary group stationed in the Middle East. One day, my colleagues and I happened upon a village, where the people welcomed us with open arms."

Ichigo frowned at the randomly odd story, but listened silently anyway.

"One of the members in my party had recently suffered an all but fatal gunshot wound to the stomach; I had been keeping him alive to the best of my ability until we could reach proper civilization, but his time was running increasingly short. However, the villagers took pity on us, and decided to share with us their most treasured secret."

"What was it?" the former Substitute asked.

"It was a red liquid that they called dama alshaytan, which roughly translates to 'The Blood of the Devil.' Whatever it might have truly been, when we injected our friend with the liquid, his mortal injury healed itself within a matter of hours. However, the villagers warned us that very few were deigned worthy enough to fully recover. We didn't know what they meant until the sun went down the next day…"

Miki, Mikoto, and Ichigo all continued to listen with bated breath.

"Apparently," Mochizuki continued, "there are very few people aside from the inhabitants of that village who are capable of withstanding the full effects of the liquid, which I later determined contained a type of virus. Our comrade lost all rational thought, and eventually became nothing more than a wild animal. I personally was forced to put him down. After returning to Japan with a sample of the liquid that I managed to obtain, I designated it as D99 and began thorough examination of its makeup. According to my research, the D99 virus almost always causes eventual cellular breakdown and mental collapse. Therefore, I regrettably decided it was unsafe for use in the mainstream medical field."

Ichigo frowned. "From the sound of things, I'm guessing Sayo has this stuff inside her too?"

"Indeed, she does," the elderly doctor confirmed. "However, she possesses some form of genetic abnormality that I have yet to identify which prevents her from succumbing to the negative side effects of the virus. In fact, this abnormality is so powerful that Hitsugi is able to survive with triple the recommended amount of D99 in her system. It is truly incredible…"

"But doctor, Big Sis says that she lived in Japan all of her life," Mikoto spoke up. "How did this D99 junk manage to get inside her?"

Mochizuki sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. "One of my fellow soldiers seemingly decided that the virus could be sold for a fortune on the black market. So, after going back and obtaining enough to serve his purposes, he slaughtered everyone in the village before burning it to the ground."

Miki and MIkoto gasped, while Ichigo merely clenched his fists.

"I agree," the white-haired man said grimly. "His actions were most regrettable. Fortunately, though, I managed to find him and kill him before he could release the majority of the D99 into the criminal underworld, and I destroyed all of the samples he had collected. However, it seemed as though he had already managed to sell some to Nurse Hitsugi's father, who himself conducted experiments with a high mortality rate on children he managed to kidnap off of the streets. He even tested the virus on his only daughter…"

The orange-head snarled. "At least tell me that bastard is in prison."

Mochizuki smirked. "Even better, he's dead; killed by his own daughter during a fit of berserker rage."

"Good," Miki snorted. Mikoto nodded in agreement.

Although he normally didn't take pleasure in learning about the deaths of others, Ichigo doubted anyone would miss a man who was cruel enough to carelessly condemn his daughter to a possible death.

"Well then, now you know why I am not terribly concerned for Hitsugi's wellbeing," the elderly doctor said. "Even the normal dose of D99 is enough to heal a fatal gunshot wound within a day, and she has three times that amount flowing though her system. Granted, her injuries were rather extensive, so it might take a bit longer for her to fully recover, but I am still confident that we'll be seeing her walking around again soon enough."

The women in the room let out sighs of relief, while Ichigo merely turned his gaze to his bedsheets. It had been so long since he'd seen his childhood friend, and he felt guilty about forgetting the wonderful times they'd had together.

He could only hope that she would forgive him if he'd been unable to keep his promise…

Hours later, the sun was beginning to finally rise above the horizon.

However, deep within the underground recesses of Mochizuki General Hospital that Black Label called their base, a certain individual roused herself from a restless night of endless nightmares.

Clad in nothing but an open hospital gown, Sayo stumbled out of her bed and let out a series of ragged breaths, before snarling and flipping the bed though the nearest wall in a display of uncharacteristic violence. Her head rapidly darted in all directions, before her eyes finally landed on the object she was looking for.

Staggering over to the table against the wall, she picked up her devil mask and reached up to snuggly fit it over her face.

Letting out a sigh of relief, the bluenette turned her gaze to the ceiling and closed her eyes.

So much pain…

So much hate…

Yet, why was she unable to remember the cause of it all?

Her eyes snapped open once more, and Sayo Hitsugi unleashed an absolutely inhuman wail of rage and agony.

For those of you who have actually watched of read Triage X, you can probably guess what's about to happen next time.

That aside, you've been asking when the introduction of the Quincies will occur, and I have finally provided you with an answer. And don't worry, Bambietta's inclusion was not something that I randomly decided to include to appease my more impatient readers. Her involvement has been planned since I originally conceived the idea for this story.

But why, you may ask, is a Sternritter working for a organization of Nazis? Will any more of our favorite Quincies make an appearance? Well, you'll just have to wait and see!

Now then, allow me to explain why I took so long to update…

Like I said in the beginning Author's Notes, I have been experiencing some extreme writer's block concerning the fight scene between Senji, Yuuko, Sayo, and Minatsuki. In the actual Triage X storyline, our favorite nurse and doctor fought against some antagonists that would have never appeared in my story again, so I decide to replace them with some characters that could actually be relevant to the story later on after their initial introduction.

And yes, Senji and Minatsuki are from Deadman Wonderland, but their powers could easily be explained as vampiric in nature if you tried hard enough.

Some of you might be concerned that I am introducing far too many characters to handle effectively, but I can assure you that I have already put a good amount of thought in each character's place in the story. I don't come up with the content of each new chapter as I write them; I have a preexisting outline that I simply flesh out when I reach certain points in the story.

Also, I realize that some people might be put off by the way I chose to portray the return of Ichigo's powers, but keep in mind that Old Man Zangetsu was able to actively suppress his Inner Hollow for a considerable amount of time. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to suggest that one aspect of his Zanpakuto is capable of functioning without the other.

Let's look at the pairing poll, shall we?

Seras Victoria (Crimson Soul): 36 votes

Integra Hellsing (Scowl TM): 24 votes

Sayo Hitsugi (Friends to Lovers): 20 votes

Yuuko Sagiri (Sexual Healing): 18 votes

Zorin Blitz (Blood Orange): 13 votes

Konomi Suzue: 12 votes

Kalawarner: 10 votes

Raynare: 10 votes

Yuebelluna: 9 votes

Rias Gremory: 8 votes

Akeno Himejima: 8 votes

Katerea Leviathan: 8 votes

Tiamat: 7 votes

Rip Van Winkle: 5 votes

Yumiko Takagi: 5 votes

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even if it was a bit late.

AlucardsBro OUT!