A new chapter so soon? Yes, since all my animes ended last week - Another, Bleach, Bakuman and Guilty Crown - I had to take my mind from those awesome and brilliant projects and what better to cure my anime-depression than writing a new chapter?

And I'm apologizing beforehand, because I just learned how hard it is to write a fighting scene, at least for me, and if it is not that great it's all my imagination's fault, or lack of, better saying.

In the last chapter before turning back the pendulum…

With the addition of Grimmjow to their mission squad, Ichigo, Renji and Toshiro went to take care of some hollows that are bringing problems to Soul Society, while Orihime, who Ichigo thought would stay with Rukia in Seireitei, goes with the raven haired shinigami to help her in her duties. With the feeling of a doom falling over the two groups will everything be alright?

Chapter 11 – Flight and Fight

Chapter's music – Duck and Run by 3 Doors Down

"Where the hell are those freaking hollows?" Ichigo grumbled in Renji's direction. They were at those mountains the entire day, waiting for a fight that with each passing hour looked less and less probable to happen.

"Do I look like a hollow detector? We are here to protect the village and that's what we are doing!" Renji replied with pride. Hitsugaya was sculpting a little ice dragon and Grimmjow was greeting his teeth which made Ichigo even more grumpy.

The river that ran near them filled the uncomfortable silence that fell over the combatants. The sun was almost setting, and the wind was picking up. Two of the four were dying to cut something, since couldn't do that to each other. The mountains surrounding them made the men feel a little claustrophobic, if there was a fight, that environment wasn´t the best to move quickly and release all their power; they were afraid the rocks over them could fall and bury them under meters of grey stone.

Ichigo opened his mouth to curse again, when a sound called his attention and he looked behind, towards the shadowy forest.

And then, from nowhere, a dark aura surrounded them, like a veil was lifted and let them feel the power surrounding them. It felt like dozens of spirits were hiding behind the trees and looking to each other confused, the shinigamis and the arrancar took their swords.

"Where did they come from?" Hitsugaya muttered, seeing the hollows appear. The other ones didn't know, so just kept in silent and adopted their fighting stances.

The hollows looked exactly the same, making their counting a little confusing, so the warriors just jumped forward and started their fight. The monsters were quick; they jumped to the rocks above them and made them fall over their heads, confirming their fears and making their attackers run from the rain of stones. Jumping as well, always looking around to see if there was any attacker behind them, they could escape to an upper level, following the hollows' path. When they finally found a plane place, the fight started again, with the clash of blades against hollows' masks.

"What the hell?" Ichigo asked, when the hollow he just cut rearranged itself, like nothing had happened. Around him, his companions were facing the same problem, cutting and slicing without any effect. Grimmjow was cursing out loud, punching and cutting with all his might; Renji was whipping his Zabimaru, seeing his Bankai being useless against those regenerating monsters and Hitsugaya kept freezing their forces to stop their advance over them.

"Run!" Hitsugaya ordered, in a contradictory tone. His heart whispered for him to stay and fight, even if that meant his death, but his brain was rational and could see how that fight would kill not only him, but his fellow companions as well. He was the chief in command, he had the power to take decisions, but never before he wanted so much to be a simple shinigami. Run from a fight wasn't in his personality… Since he was a child he had to suppress his feelings of ineffectiveness and stand his ground to show that he was no useless being, he was the prodigy; the boy made man, the one that only appeared every century… And in that moment, Gin's face appeared in his mind using the same expression as when he said those words, and then Matsumoto's, Hinamori's, his grandmother's, Orihime's…and those words fell from his lips again.

"Run to the river!" he screamed and the other three looked at him with doubtful expressions.

"We have to create a strategy!" he explained and the others looking to the massive force of hollows and then to the white-haired boy, cursed and followed his orders.

Jumping over the river and running to a cave, hidden behind a waterfall, the four men fell over their backs, breathing deeply.

"What the fuck was that?" Grimmjow yelled, pointing to the direction they came from.

"I don't know! But lower your reiatsu or else they will find us before we have a plan!" Hitsugaya replied in a tense tone. He started pacing around, with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I've never seen anything like that… a hollow that can multiple itself numerous times… I bet the only way we can kill it is destroying the original… but how can we find it?" Hitsugaya kept rumbling under his breath, while Renji and Grimmjow follow his path like they were watching a game of tennis. Ichigo, however, was looking into the wall with an absent expression. He remembered that hollow from somewhere, he knew that, but his awful memory didn't let him reach that truth…

"You know, Rukia told me that while she was at the Human World, Sado and her fought a hollow similar to this one, but instead it had little helpers bomb-like that exploded to injure the hollow's enemies…" Renji said. "Unfortunately we have those freaking multiple clones or twins or what the hell you want to call it…"

"Twins…" Ichigo repeated more to himself than the others, but his voice grabbed their attention nonetheless. And then, like a flash, Orihime's face came into his mind… Not her present face… her eighteen years old face, right after she was grabbed by a scorpion like hollow that made her arms bleed…

"I know that hollow!" Ichigo announced to total surprise of his companions. "Years ago, Orihime and I fought it, but at that time it had a twin with him, when he looked at me, after I performed kenso, it was like he was trying to burn my face into his mind…" Ichigo said, remembering how it felt oppressive to be observed like that.

"But, if you fought it, then the spirit must have brought his hatred for you to this life and then, probably consumed by it started evolving into a hollow once again…" Hitsugaya suggested, in a reflective tone.

"But, that way shouldn't he went to hell?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"If his sins were committed during his hollow time, when you cut him, they were forgiven; unless he was a killer as a human his spirit would have a second chance here… but apparently, he used his second chance in the wrong way…"

"Wait, you said it had a twin, right? So, we have to find and kill the two originals and not just one? Or do you think only one evolved into a hollow?" Renji interrupted, in a hopeful tone. Maybe they just had to kill one, and then it would all be gone. But for Hitsugaya's expression, his hopes were quickly crushed into tiny pieces.

"If they were sent to Soul Society at the same time, probably they ended with a ticket to the same place in Rukongai, and ended up finding each other." Hitsugaya explained. "But, right now, we have to think how to kill them and not let ourselves be diverted by possibilities."

"Well, we know the clones' reiatsu, so probably the ones that gave them life have the same one, but a lot stronger. The only problem is if we find their minions and not the originals… But, probably they have to be close and that way we just have to locate it and then crush it!" Grimmjow said, making the other ones look at him with surprise in their faces. "What, can't a guy help around here?" he growled back.

"No, no, be our guest…" Ichigo said in a sarcastic tone that made Hitsugaya sigh and interrupt their bicker before it turned into a fight.

"Actually, Grimmjow's idea is good; the other problem is if the hollows are surrounded by their clones we will tire before we can get them…"

"But that's easy, three of us take care of the clones and the other one kills the hollows. They won't be at their maximum force, because they have their clones to look after…" Ichigo retorted, in a tone that clearly stated he was the one to go after the originals.

The others understood his subtle message and raised their eyebrows, in a wondering expression.

"What? I must be the one he is behind since I sent him here, so I must be the one to kill him!" Ichigo replied, in a heated voice. "Besides, Orihime was also there... I have to do this to protect her as well!" he said with finality.

"Alright, you can go, but bear in mind that our lives are in your hands, so don't act like a reckless child, are we clear?" Hitsugaya said, observing Ichigo's expression turn into an insulted one.

"I never act like a child when people put their lives in danger for me!" he whispered furiously.

"Good, now, what we have to do is slice the most we can and keep them from regroup, this way we are able of opening a path to Ichigo. The problem is we have to wait for them to show their position to know who the originals are, but since they can't be too far from their followers, I expect it won't be a huge problem to surpass…" Hitsugaya said in a tone that made it clear he didn't like all the gaps in their information. But since there was no other way, he had to bear with what he had and fight.

Following his gesture, the other ones exited their refuge, and using shunpo and sonido closed the distance between them and their previous position.

Once again their enemies' presence couldn't be felt. They really were masters of conceal and that made Hitsugaya uneasy; how could a hollow learn that and was it normal for them to be able of create clones of themselves? For Renji's words, Rukia and Sado fought something that had a similar ability, but he couldn't stop thinking that those bomb-likes things couldn't be compared to their present enemies… something in his subconscious whispered to him words of careful and suspicion.

It took them a few minutes to find the hollows' reiatsu. This time they weren't hiding it; actually, it looked like they were purposely waiting for their enemies to find them. The four stopped in their tracks and trading a look between them, jumped forward and started their descending over the hollows.

"You bastard, take that you useless piece of shit!" Grimmjow screamed, slashing his sword like crazy.

"Be careful you damn lunatic!" Hitsugaya replied, when the hollow he was fighting disappeared in front of him after a move from the arrancar.

"You're welcome!" Grimmjow said, turning around to cut the regrouped being that was appearing behind him.

"You're just like Kurosaki!" Toshiro yelled, cutting two at the same time. Hyōrinmaru sliced and three turned into ice. His master looked around, but only a few seconds later another hollow broke the ice and his brothers started to ascend again.

Zabimaru screeched against another hollow, while Renji tried to kick other with his left foot. He could feel a really strong reiatsu behind the massive wall of opponents and breathed in relieve for two reasons: there was only one presence and it wasn't hidden, so Ichigo would easily go get it. And in a millisecond he felt his friend pass behind him at high speed, ready to end that tiring and frustrating mission.

"Oh oh oh! There you are!" the hollow said in a sing song voice, when Ichigo stopped in front of him.

"Don't have time to talk!" he replied, moving forward, with his zanpakutou pointing to the spirit's mask.

"You know, this is not the place where you should be…" the hollow said, cryptically, moving so quick that he escaped Ichigo's attack.

"This is exactly where I should be! Now prepare to regret for your sins!" Ichigo advised, calling a massive force of reiatsu to his sword. The hollow disappeared from his position, and reappeared behind Ichigo, kicking him in the back and making him jump a few steps until he stopped himself and turned around.

"Man, you are so dead! I was going easy on you, but now…" Ichigo said, smiling in a threatening way. No one ever attacks Kurosaki Ichigo in the back!

"I'm not the one you should worry about…" the hollow kept saying, while a Getsuga Tensho, cut the distance between it and Ichigo and erased it's entire presence. Ichigo observed while the others hollows started to melt away and his companions dropped their arms a little. Still looking around, waiting for another attack, they wouldn't let their guard totally down; they would just rest in a manner that could easily turn into a fight stance again.

"There was only one…" Renji said, in a doubtful, yet hopeful tone. The other ones nodded, but couldn't shake the feeling that it was too easy.

"We should send a hell butterfly and call some shinigamis to patrol this region. If there is another one, it could be close…" Hitsugaya suggested and ruffling with his shihakusho took out a black object that spreading its wings showed the true nature of its form. The butterfly flew to Toshiro's index finger and he whispered his message to it. The messenger took flight, heading to Seireitei, and the four men followed its path with their eyes, until it disappeared in the dark sky.

"What should we do now?" Renji asked, looking from one face to another. "Do you want to take a look around?"

"At least, that way we can be useful." Ichigo replied, turning around and walking towards the shadows, without waiting for any more words.

"Drop your reiatsu!" Hitsugaya ordered, in a tired tone. Kurosaki was really starting to get on his nerves. The man never listened to him, always getting into situations head on, never respecting his place as a Captain… If he wasn't so damn tall he would just hit the back of his head!

Ichigo nodded and waved, without looking behind, always keeping his path towards the trees. Renji mimicked his movements, and walking into an opposite direction, started his own investigation. Grimmjow just fell over a rock and closed his eyes, like he was ready to take a nap. Toshiro felt tempted to kick his head, but breathing deeply, controlled that violent thought and followed his companions' actions.

After two hours, the hell butterfly came back, hovering over Hitsugaya's head until he extended his index finger and let it land. As soon as he heard the message, he knew something was not right. That was not an answer to his own message; actually, it disregarded that entirely. And it wasn't Matsumoto's voice that he heard, coming from the butterfly, like he was expecting. It was Unohana's and for her tone, something bad happened.

"Please, come back! Something terrible happened. Bring Ichigo-san directly to Abarai Household. Don't let him know that something is wrong. It was Orihime-san…We need you here."

Hitsugaya knew that something happened, something bad, something that involved the woman he learnt to love over the years like a clumsy and naïve older sister. He felt his heart rate speed up, his breath started to come into raspy puffs of smoke under the chilly air and for some moments he had to stop himself from losing control and run back to Seireitei. He closed his eyes, called Orihime's image from earlier to the front of his mind, hugging him in a familiar-invading personal space kind of way and let the calm fell over his body. She was alright, she was going to be alright, he knew that; it was probably a fall or a tricky hollow, but she was strong, she could beat anything; he had to believe in that to do what he had to do. He had a facade to preform, he was the Captain, the reason in that group, he couldn't let his emotions rule over him, even if he felt like his insides were being torn by an iron hand. Walking towards their meeting place, Toshiro rehearsed what he was going to say, hoping that his eyes wouldn't betray his state of mind.

"We can go back. They say they already sent some shinigamis and they are already getting here." the captain said, in an icy tone.

"Shouldn't we wait for them?" Renji replied and Hitsugaya's eyes fell over him.

"No! They said it wouldn't be necessary. Since they already know what to expect we must go back!" he hoped the urgency in his voice would pass as being annoyed by the fight, but he wasn't that lucky.

"Something happened?" Ichigo asked, immediately. For half an hour or so, he felt like his heart wanted to jump out of his chest and he just couldn't understand why. There was no danger or enemy in sight, he wasn't in the middle of a fight… probably it was the lack of action and the absence of Orihime's calming reiatsu that made him act that way. He had to get a grip on himself and stop being always worried about her. That way he would die of a cardiac attack before he turned thirty.

"No." Hitsugaya denied, in a faked bored tone. "I just want to go back and see if Matsumoto ended those reports…"

Renji got up from the ground and dusting off his clothes, put Zabimaru in its resting place. Grimmjow also got up from his rock and started walking towards the road.

Hitsugaya wanted to run to Seireitei, but that way Ichigo would know something was not right and Unohana told him precisely to kept that information to himself. Seeing the orange haired man flash step in front of him in a higher speed than it was normally used, more like he was in a race, made the captain think if, in the back of his mind, he knew something bad happened… Toshiro just hoped that bad meant the need of a good night sleep and some grumble from Ichigo about Orihime's naivety. And without realizing it, Hitsugaya Toshiro prayed in his mind for the first time since he left Hinamori Momo in the 4th Squad barrack to be treated by a wound he perpetrated, ten years ago.

Yes, I know, I'm such a mean author... Sorry for the cliffanger, but it really had to end here... ;)

Let me know your thoughts about the fighting scenes and what you think will happen in the next chapter...