Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach-universe.

Claimer: I own whatever character you've never read about or seen in the manga/anime.

Enjoy! ^^

Chapter 12: Hollowfication

Lucia woke late that night by the sound of the alarm calling in all the Taichous. She frowned.

"What's going on, Shirubaa?" she asked into the air.

I do not know, shikashi I can no longer feel the reiatsu of Muguruma Kensei or Kuna Mashiro.
Nani?
I will try to figure out more. Stay awake, though. I want it to be easy to get to you.
I will. Demo Shinji daijoubu?
Heh, you really have fallen for that guy. Well, I cannot say he is worthy of you, shikashi that is not for me to decide, is it?
Iie. Demo you didn't answer my question.
He is fine.
Good.

Lucia walked into the kitchen and couldn't find Sousuke. She frowned and ran into Gin's room. He wasn't there either. "Where are you?" she whispered. She didn't dare leave the house, afraid she might get caught and lose everybody's trust. Well, except Yamamoto, Shunsui, Juushirou and hopefully Shinji.

She sat the kettle on and sat down by the table, waiting. She had a bad feeling. The meeting with the Taichou's should be finished by now. Lucia decided that when the tea was done, she'd leave straight to the Taichou's barracks, making sure some guards would see her.

Three minutes passed, and the water was still still. She checked the clock over and over and in the end she rose exasperated and took the kettle off. She walked out the door and ran down the streets directly to a place she knew there were some guards.

"Lucia?" a voice said behind her, and Aoi was standing there.

"Aoi? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Nothing. I couldn't sleep. I've met everyone in our squad and no one is sleeping. Well, I haven't seen Ichimaru-san," Aoi added.

"He's home. Sleeping. Maybe he doesn't have the gut-feeling, yah know," Lucia said with a smile, not knowing why she was lying.

"And maybe he's too young," Aoi said with a smile.

"Demo have you seen Sousuke?" she asked, curious.

"Hai. He was up in the barracks not two minutes ago," he said.

"Arigato. I have to speak with him, so sumimasen (excuse me)," she said, and Aoi nodded.

"Of course," he said.

Lucia smiled to him and ran past him. She used Shunpo up to the barracks, but she couldn't find Sousuke anywhere. She walked over to the Taichou's office.

"Taichou?" Lucia asked and knocked on the door.

No one answered.

"Taichou? I'm coming in," Lucia then said and as she got no other response, she slowly opened the doors and peeked inside.

No one was there. She walked inside and closed the doors.

"Taichou?" she asked again.

She frowned and walked over to the other door in the room. The door to his personal room. She knocked on it, but no answer there either.

"Taichou?"

Her voice sounded in the room. She expected the door to be locked, so she figured it wouldn't be rude to try, but the door wasn't locked, and being opened, Lucia couldn't help but walk into the room. It was rather clean for the person. She was halfway expecting the room to be a mess, but no.

The bed was made, the books were standing in alphabetic order and everything was just clean. The only thing was that the room smelled so much like him. Her heart slowed down and her entire body just relaxed for once.

Shinji was standing in the middle of the forest, something white spreading all over his face, just like everyone else lying on the ground behind him. Aizen was standing in front of him, along with Tousen and Ichimaru.

"You made wonderful experiments, shikashi this is the end," Aizen said and drew his katana.

Then something distracted him and he looked to his left. Urahara Kisuke came towards Aizen in top speed. Aizen didn't manage to block the attack, but Urahara only cut off his sign of being a Fukutaichou.

"I see," he said, "We have even more interesting guests. How may I help you, Urahara Taichou, Tsukabishi Taichou?"

"Uh-oh, they found us," Ichimaru said with the same goofy grin.

Tousen started drawing his sword and said: "I'll kill them."

"No, there's no need," Aizen said calmly.

"Shikashi-"

"Kaname, I said there is no need," Aizen interrupted with a dangerous voice filled with authority.

Tousen immediately fell to his knee. "Yes, sir! Please forgive my impudence," he said.

Shinji rose to his feet. "K-Kisuke," he said, and said person looked at him, "Why… are you here? Ahoga (moron)!"

"What's with that horrific mask?" Kisuke asked in a humorous voice.

"Tell me about it," Shinji said with a grin only shown on one side.

Kisuke smiled, but turned serious and looked back at Aizen. "Aizen… Fukutaichou!" he said.

"Hai?" Aizen said.

"What are you doing here?" Kisuke asked.

"Why, nothing," Aizen said, "As you can see, I just so happened to have stumbled upon the investigation teams, which were apparently injured in battle. I was going to try to heal their wounds."

"You two-faced sack of shit-" Shinji started, but the Hollowfication didn't let him finish and he started taking deep breaths.

"Why are you lying to me?" Kisuke asked.

"Lying?" Aizen asked, "Is there something wrong with a Fukutaichou attempting help save his Taichou's life?"

"Iie, that's not what I meant," Kisuke said, "They were injured in battle? You call that injured? There's no lying your way out of this. They've been Hollowfied."

This statement led Tessai and Shinji both to make a sound of surprise. Aizen stood quite still.

"The case of the vanishing souls… Several of our subordinates vanished one after the next, all leading up to this. The only possible cause of this is Hollowfication research," Kisuke said, and continued:

"Someone was conducting experiments. Demo considering our current situation, there's no longer any doubt as to who that someone was."

"Narufodo (I see)," Aizen said, "You truly are … the type of man I believed you to be."

Aizen sheeted his sword and said:

"I'm happy that you came by here this evening. Gin, Kaname, we've accomplished enough for now. Let's go."

Aizen walked past his two associates who followed, Gin with a smile.

"Matte (wait), Aizen!" Kisuke yelled, "I'm not done yet!"

"Please move, Urahara-dono!" Tessai yelled behind him.

Kisuke looked shocked behind him.

Tessai took two hands forward and said:

"Way of Destruction nr. 88: Flying Dragon Strike, Heavenly Shaking Lightning Cannon!"

Kisuke jumped away just as a blue light flew out of Tessai's hands and flew directly at Aizen.

"Way of Destruction nr. 81: Severing Void," Aizen said.

Flames hit the ground from the sky, blowing into the forest and stopping the attack. The power was immense and the ground split everywhere. Dust filled everywhere.

"Impossible!" Tessai said, "A Fukutaichou … skipped the incantation for Splitting Void and still stopped my kidou?"

The wall splintered and the three persons had disappeared.

"My greatest apologies, shikashi it would appear he got away," Tessai said.

Kisuke rose and said: "Tessai-san, what on earth is he…?"

Shinji felt a searing pain as the Hollowfication took control over his body.

Kisuke and Tessai ran over to him.

"Hirako-san!" Kisuke said.

"We'll deal with Aizen later!" Tessai said, "Urahara-dono, onegai help Hirako-dono and the others!"

"It's no good, the Hollowfication process has advanced too far for me to help them here!" Kisuke said helplessly.

"Urahara-dono, it seems that you understand what's going on here. I haven't so much as heard of Hollowfication, yet you seem to know all about it. As such, you must know how to reverse the process. Am I correct in making that assumption?" Tessai asked.

Kisuke was silent for a moment. "I know a way," he said, "But it's a gamble."

"I understand," Tessai said, "At least it's better than nothing."

Tessai rose.

"I'm gonna carry them just as they are to the 12th squads barracks. We'll save them with whatever equipment you have there."

"Just as they are?" Kisuke asked astounded, "How can do you that?"

"I'll have to freeze time and teleport us," Tessai said.

"Nani?"

"Both of these are forbidden techniques. Those who use them are severely punished. I insist that you close your eyes and plug your ears!" Tessai said and clasped his hands together.

As he stretched them in a vertical line, a green, shining, long box was there. Suddenly all the bodies had a green glow around them, glancing like crazy. Kisuke was too surprised to follow Tessai's request. Suddenly the light was blinding. Then it sort of exploded and the light vanished. As did they.

Another chapter is on the way ^^

You know you love me
XOXO

-Gaaras Devil