Marvel/Bleach

Loss

Psylocke bares witness to this frightening thing that has taken over Ichigo's body and realizes that this is the presence that she has felt several times! She thinks to herself as she watches this new form attack Byakuya; 'is speech pattern 'as changed as well as his fighting stance. 'E's more wild and reckless; almost like 'e has no care for the wounds 'e will receive! As "Ichigo" closes the distance between he and Kuchiki, the captain of the sixth squad draws his sword for what seems like the very first time. He holds it in front of him with the blade pointing at the ground as he faces his attacker.

Byakuya: 'Bankai.'

He drops the long blade and as Psylocke looks on, the sword passes through the ground, creating a ripple-like effect she would see if she were to drop a stone into a pond. Suddenly, coming out of the ground on both sides of the captain, are multiple blades that cast the area in shadow!

Byakuya: 'Scatter, Senbonzakura.'

Instantly the multitude of large swords burst into millions of tiny blades! As the light glints off of them, they turn pink in color, resembling cherry blossoms. Hollow Ichigo stops his advance and charges his sword.

Hollow Ichigo: 'Getsuga Tenshou!'

This attack, though similar to Ichigo's attack on Thanos, is black in color and much fiercer looking. Byakuya holds up his hand and the many miniscule shards rush forward and form a sword-like shield around the captain, protecting him from the huge blast of energy! He then directs his attack towards the berserker and completely engulfs him in a sphere of flying razors! Psylocke calls out to the proud noble;

Psylocke: 'Judging from your thoughts, I can see you've 'ad dealings with this side of Ichigo before!'

Byakuya: 'You have no right to sift through my thoughts, woman.'

Psylocke: 'I can end this before you kill each other.'

Byakuya: 'A mere human should never lift his blade to strike a captain; I will end him here and now.'

Psylocke: '… men.'

She shakes her head and ignores the black-haired soul reaper as she forcibly enters Ichigo's inner world. In her time with the X-Men, Betsy has visited many people's minds, but she has never seen a world like this. Ichigo's mind is a world full of skyscrapers that are… horizontal! Everything in his mind is turned on its side; from the buildings to the clouds. She touches down on the surface of one of the many buildings that make up this haven and looks over to see an imprisoned Ichigo; trapped in a great cage with a Thanos-like face making up the lock that is on the door. Psylocke is back in her X-Men uniform as she starts to run to free the orange-haired soul reaper. He holds out his hand through the bars with a question in his eyes, and then the look is replaced by one of sheer panic!

Ichigo: 'Look out!'

Psylocke drops down as she elegantly performs a split and narrowly avoids decapitation by a long white sword! Her attacker has his back to her as he casually props his sword on his shoulder. The telepath looks him over from her crouched position. He is tall and lanky with spikey hair; strikingly similar in build to Ichigo. His hair, body and kimono are white and as the presence turns to smirk at the mutant, she realizes it has Ichigo's face with the same black eyes and yellow irises that she seen in the mask! She stands up and her shock is quickly concealed by a smirk of her own.

Psylocke: 'So you're the one who kicked me out earlier. You're not Zangetsu are you?'

The presence tilts his head at the question and smiles wide, flicking his elongated tongue out at the woman.

Hollow Ichigo: 'Zangetsu? No, but I do wield his power, girl. You shouldn't be here; this ain't a friendly place at the moment.'

Psylocke: 'That's funny; I don't think you're supposed to be here either.'

He looks over to the caged orange-haired soul reaper and snickers.

Hollow Ichigo: 'Don't you get it? I'm here cuz he's here.'

The doppelganger swings his zanbakutou violently out to point at his other self.

Hollow Ichigo: 'He holds me back though; I'm sure ya saw that guy out there I was fightin' right? I woulda killed him a while back if the "king" woulda just let me go. Come ta think of it; I could be slicin' him ta bits right now if it wasn't fer you!'

He rushes and slashes at her with the speed and ferocity the likes of which she hasn't seen! Though he is quick and powerful, the mind is part of her domain, and she narrowly avoids each slash of his sword. She creates a mental sledgehammer and smashes him hard in the face, driving him deep into a crater, and destroying a level of the building they're on! The mutant quickly steps back and dons psychic armor as she prepares for another assault. With her mind she creates a suit of samurai armor complete with helmet and facemask. She then forms a psychic katana for each hand and readies herself for the quickly rising hollow. As her opponent gets to his feet, she spots a trickle of black blood seeping down his forehead. He smirks at her observation and jerks his white-haired head over to the prisoner. She glances over at his gesture and notices that a trickle of red blood drips down Ichigo's face as well.

Hollow Ichigo: 'See? If I get hurt, he gets hurt; if I bleed, he bleeds.'

Psylocke: 'Oh; that's going to be a problem.'

Back on the physical plane of soul society, an enraged Hulk has taken out the third and fifth seats of the eleventh squad, the lieutenants of both the second and third squads and twenty hollow who were engaged in battles with the aforementioned soul reapers. Thor looks around and sees that Hulk has also managed to take out the large fox captain as well! He frowns as he throws his enchanted weapon at the beast. The speeding hammer catches the green behemoth dead in the chest and sends him crashing into a large tree, turning it into splinters in the process! Mjllonir magically returns to the outstretched hand of its master, Thor.

Thor: 'That be far enough, Hulk.'

The captain of squad ten touches down next to his larger ally and looks at the stirring creature.

Toshiro: 'I take it you've had to fight this one before.'

Thor: 'Eye; lady fortune doth not smile on either of us this day.'

Toshiro: 'I've known Zaraki for a few years and I can tell that Hulk is strong just by his interaction with him.'

Thor: 'This creature be one of the strongest I have battled in all reality. If we can not subdue the beast, then mine fear be that Thanos hath already won.'

As the god of thunder finishes speaking they hear a chilling roar from Hulk and then suddenly, the rest of the tree is uprooted and hurled at his two opponents! Toshiro swings his sword at the flying trunk and an ice dragon hits the tree, freezing it instantly. Thor brings his hammer down hard and destroys the projectile, turning it into a thousand shards! Hulk leaps at Thor who mirrors the act and the two collide with each other with enough force to send shockwaves out in a ten foot radius! Hulk swings wildly at the thunder god's head and misses while Odin's Son smashes out the knee of his larger adversary with his great hammer! Hulk grunts in pain and drops to the other knee and comes back with an uppercut that connects with Thor's jaw and sends the caped man flying into the air. Not waiting for the blonde to fall back to earth, Hulk jumps into the air and makes contact again; this time with an enormous double-fisted overhand strike that sends the reeling god hurtling back towards the ground at five times the speed at which he normally would have! Hitsugaya has to lift off of the ground to not be caught in the wave of earth that is upended in the wake of Thor's impact. The jade giant falls back to solid ground with an echoing thud and looks angrily at the small boy. Hulk opens his salivating mouth and snarls at the white-haired captain who clenches his zanbakutou tighter and grits his teeth. Hulk charges the captain with speed and fluidity that the soul reaper didn't expect from one so large. Toshiro flash steps out of the path of the gigantic fist that smashes into the ground where he was just standing! Even though it is still raining, the effect that his spiritual pressure had on the hollow earlier seems to have no effect on the gamma-fueled beast. Hitsugaya slashes at Hulk's redwood-sized thighs and freezes his foe, much like he did when practicing against Thanos. Hulk looks down and roars again as he barely notices the cold, but realizes he can't move. He punches the ground and picks up a huge boulder and hurls it at the captain who deftly dodges the attack! Hulk then brings his fists down hard against the thick ice and shatters it. Hitsugaya uses the long chain with the crescent blade attached to his zanbakutou as a ranged attack by hurling it towards the monster! Hulk lets the little thing hit him in the chest and as it embeds in his thick skin, the area around the blade is engulfed in ice! He looks down at the thing and slowly looks back up at his attacker. He huffs angrily and grabs the chain; as he does, his hands too, are encased in thick, shimmering ice. The green goliath pays no attention to this as he pulls Toshiro and his sword directly towards him with tremendous velocity! Hitsugaya, still stunned by how little his attacks have effected Hulk, barely has time to get up his forearm to block the massive green fist that connects with devastating force to the left side of the captain's head! The force of the blow sounds like thunder and momentarily stops the surrounding battles. Matsumoto, who had just finished off four hollow with the help of a now healed Wolverine, looks up in time to see a dazed Hitsugaya fly over her head and land in a cloud of dust ten feet away!

Rangiku: 'Captain!'

Wolverine: 'I can still hear his heartbeat, darlin'; the kid'll be fine. Worry 'bout yer own battle, it'll honor him more.'

The two reengage more hollow as the others do the same. Dr. Strange drops to the ground from where he was watching the entire battle take place. He hovers to within fifty feet of the massive Hulk who is heaving violently due to all of the rage that has been turned on by Thanos's mental assault. Strange stretches out his hand towards Hulk's forehead and places his other hand on his own. He closes his eyes and speaks to the beast;

Dr. Strange: 'Hulk I need you to let me into your mind. You do not want to let Thanos control you. You can beat him; you are stronger than he is!'

Hulk: '…Hulk not controlled… Hulk… ANGRY!

The mental shock from Hulk's words is enough to stagger the sorcerer. He recovers just in time to see the jade giant charging towards him with tremendous momentum! Stephen puts up his hands in an archaic gesture and calls out;

Dr. Strange: 'Cyttorak; hear my call, bind this beast so that he may fall!'

Glowing red bands shoot fourth from the amulet that he wears around his neck and entangles the behemoth's lower legs and feet, tripping him in the process and stopping his charge! Hulk still manages to grab the mystic's leg and before Strange can react, the vice-like grip of his opponent crushes the knee and shin of his left leg! Dr. Strange cries out in pain as Hulk tosses him like a ragdoll. With the sorcerer incapacitated, Hulk's bindings disappear and he starts to stand up. His bloodshot eyes lock onto the head captain, who is standing as a witness to the carnage that is all around him, and takes a step forward. Before anything else can happen, Yamamoto has to shield his eyes from the intensity of the bolt of lightning that crashes down from the heavens and strikes the raging Hulk at the top of his massive shoulder blades! The electricity travels through his body and out of every appendage as the green goliath screams out in pain and anger!

Thor: 'Yon reign of terror ends now!'

As Hulk braces his weight on his hands and knees, his ears and nose drip green blood and he breaths out heavily, exhaling smoke. He gets to one knee as he hears an icy, determined voice above him.

Toshiro: 'Bankai.'

The air instantly drops to below freezing, and a film of frost starts to build on the Hulk's green skin. He looks up to see the white-haired boy captain, standing in mid-air, fifty feet above him. His left temple is bleeding, and behind his teal eyes, a storm rages. When Hulk breaths out again, the smoke is replaced by condensation and his hair starts to freeze as well.

Toshiro: 'Daiguren Hyourinmaru!'

The skies seem to get even darker as the rain that Thor had summoned is now turned into sleet and hale. Giant wings of solid ice form around the captain's shoulders and spread out to give him a ten foot wingspan. Along his spine, a tail of pure ice appears, lashing out violently. A gauntlet of ice forms around his right hand, encasing Hyourinmaru's hilt in the shape of a dragon's head. Hitsugaya's legs also become sheathed in pure blue ice with large talons forming at his feet. Behind him and floating in mid-air, are twelve large purple, petal-like extensions of the tenth captain's power. He raises his sword high above his head and speaks;

Toshiro: 'Guncho Tsurara!'

He swings his sword down hard and a hundred ice "knives" fly out of his sword and stabs the creature all over his large frame! Hulk roars as he doubles his stature and expels the ice that has punctured his green hide! He bends his massive legs and rockets into the air to meet Hitsugaya head on. Taken completely by surprised, Toshiro's eyes go blank as Hulk smashes his huge fist straight through the captain! Ice and cloth litter the area as the green goliath lands in a crouch and locks eyes with the unharmed white-haired soul reaper. At this Hulk pauses momentarily and looks at the now melting "cloth" and ice shards.

Toshiro: 'I'm sorry I underestimated your speed, Hulk; I did not want to use that technique if I could have helped it. Right before you made contact with me, I created an ice clone. It takes a lot of concentration and I can use it only once per transformation.'

Hulk: '… Silly tricks… make you… laugh at Hulk. HULK STRONGEST ONE THERE IS!'

He again rushes his smaller foe and just before he gets to him Hulk is struck hard in the temple with Mjllonir! The force of the blow spins him around and he staggers and falls to one knee, shaking his head. The hammer once again returns to its owner and Thor touches down next to his small ally.

Toshiro: 'No matter what we do, he won't stop attacking! Thanos knew this and that's why he left us to battle our allies.'

Thor: 'Thanos tis vile indeed. Hulk doth possess great fortitude and it be only our greatest attacks that will win the day.'

Hulk gets back up as he convulses with anger and stalks his two foes.

Toshiro: 'I may have an idea that will stop him long enough for us to figure out what to do next.'

Thor: 'Let us hope that it works, Captain Hitsugaya.'

Before the Hulk can get any closer the white-haired soul reaper points his zanbakutou at Hulk and calls out;

Toshiro: 'Sennen Hyourou!'

A multitude of thick ice pillars form from the moisture in the air around their temporary adversary, freezing Hulk inside the prison of solid ice! Silence falls around the two warriors as Hulk's frame is frozen and his facial features are contorted into a mask of rage and anger. Thor nods at the captain who lets out a sigh of relief and they turn to help clean up the remaining hollow and to assist in taking care of the wounded.

Back in Ichigo's inner world, Psylocke has her hands full with a fully powered hollow Ichigo. She manages to block most of his fast, furious strikes with her telekinesis but her astral body is starting to get tired!

Hollow Ichigo: 'What's the matter? You're not quittin' on me are ya?'

He lets out a chilling laugh as he presses his advantage. Ichigo's dark side takes a swing with Tensa Zangetsu, aiming for the female's head, as the mutant barely dodges his strike! The razor sharp blade does, however, manage to slice half of her helm! Her purple locks flow outward as her head piece disintegrates as it leaves her mental body. The crazed boy points the tip of his sword at her and licks his lips.

Hollow Ichigo: 'What happens ta that pretty little face on the outside if I cut it up in here?' I'm dyin' ta find out!'

Ichigo: 'Stop it! She doesn't have anything to do with this!'

Hollow Ichigo: 'You stay in yer little cage, "king", while I finish her off. Then we'll fight and I'll take my place as Zangetsu's true master!' He holds the white blade down by his side and black energy begins to swirl around it. The hollow swings the sword forward while screaming;

Hollow Ichigo: 'Getsuga Tenshou!'

Psylocke's eyes widen as a large spiraling, crescent-shaped wave of energy speeds towards her! Using both hands, she brings up a thick telekinetic wall in front of her to block the blast. Getsuga Tenshou slams into the barrier with enough force to instantly crack her defenses! The mutant steps back as the force rocks into her shield. Suddenly from above her, she hears Ichigo's other self laugh and whisper;

Hollow Ichigo: 'Getsuga Tenshou.'

The purple-haired ninja manages to erect a weak barrier, protecting her from the majority of the massive attack. The other energy she was initially holding back breaks through her defenses and slams into her simultaneously as the other attack he just unleashed breaks through! A well of black energy rises violently into the air as Psylocke's form is completely engulfed! From his cage, Ichigo screams;

Ichigo: 'NO!'

Hollow Ichigo: 'What's the matter "King", loose somethin?'

The energy dissipates and Betsy's prone body is revealed; all traces of her psychic armor gone. The dark side of the soul reaper casually walks over to the unconscious mutant and raises his sword for the killing blow. Before he can bring his sword down, Ichigo screams and destroys the prison with his spiritual pressure! The hollow ignores the act and swings his sword anyway. The sharp blade never finds its mark, however, as Ichigo grabs the white blade and glares at his mirrored self.

Ichigo: 'This is my world, and you will do what I say!'

Ichigo forces the white Tensa Zangetsu back into his shadow's stomach, using the hilt of the sword as a battering ram! The hollow coughs and staggers backward as the orange-haired soul reaper frowns at him. The yellow-eyed Ichigo snickers and goes to ready himself but is surprised to find that the zanbakutou he was just holding no longer resides in his possession! He stares wildly at his master as he looks down to see the black shiny blade of Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu in his tightly clenched hand. The hollow steps back a few feet and smirks while speaking;

Hollow Ichigo: 'So ya freed yourself from that other guy's prison huh? Ya just can't let me have my fun can you? Just so we're clear; I won't need any help when the time comes for me ta really take over this place. Use your time well, "king", I'll be watching…'

Before Ichigo can press his attack, his other self dissipates into nothing. Psylocke stirs and gets to one knee, shaking her head. She looks up at the boy who just broke his bonds to save her life and smiles.

Psylocke: 'Thank you Ichigo Kurosaki.'

Ichigo: 'Are you alright, Psylocke?'

Psylocke: 'In the mind, a person can withstand a lot more punishment than they would be able to take on the physical plane. 'Those attacks hurt, but they would 'ave been a lot worse if I received them while in my real body.'

She takes his out stretched hand as she gets up.

Psylocke: 'I felt that presence when we first met. E's terrifyingly evil. What did it mean when it said 'e was you?'

Ichigo: 'I'm not completely sure, but I know he came around when I got my soul reaper powers back. If you see Urahara, ask him; he seems to have all the answers.'

Psylocke: 'I may do that; ready to go back and see how the others are doing?'

Ichigo: 'I don't really know how I got here. I think that Thanos guy put me in that cage.'

Psylocke: 'Don't worry; I can get us both out of here.'

The mutant telepath holds out her hand and Ichigo takes it and as they walk a few steps, a bright light begins to form and the two of them are engulfed by its brilliance!

Meanwhile, back in soul society, many of the hollow have been dealt with minimal injury. However, there are several still alive and fighting for their departed master. Soi Fon has unleashed Suzumebachi and is making short work of fifteen Thanos-evolved opponents, stabbing and disappearing, then striking again! The ice that Toshiro had used to slow Wolverine's blood loss has melted and Logan's wound has healed as he continues to slice away at his own group of hollow. Thor has joined Shunsui and Jushiro to aid them in their battle with a gang of thirty augmented foes. The captain of squad ten rejoins his relieved lieutenant as they help Renji tend to their fallen comrades. Yoruichi is dancing around a few hollow, smiling and taking her time destroying each one with ease. Just when the battle seems to be won, the very ground starts to shake and a cracking sound can be heard that seems to slow down everyone as they take notice. Wolverine slices off an opponent's head and turns to look in the direction of the sound.

Wolverine: 'Ya gotta be kiddin' me.'

In the great pillar of ice, an insanely enraged Hulk begins to stir! His face starts to twitch as the muscles in his jaw break the ice around his head. He flexes his fingers and makes the ice surrounding his arms splinter and crack. With every jerk and twist of his massive frame, he breaks more and more of the thick, cold prison encasing him. Finally with one huge roar the rest of his prison shatters and he lands on the ground in a cloud of dust and water! His body emits steam as the remnants of the impossibly cold ice that still clings to his form is heated and turned to water. He looks up with an unrecognizable gaze in his rage fueled green eyes and once again stares down the undefended head captain.

Hulk: '… YOU… HULK SMASH OLD MAN!'

He stands to his full height and with all the rage and anger that Thanos had unleashed within the beast, he is now well over ten feet tall and insanely muscled! He lets out a deafening roar and bends his knees to leap at his scarred target. Just before he attacks, Yamamoto takes his walking stick and holds it horizontally in front of him. The thick wood instantly dissolves, revealing a long katana with deep purple wrappings on the hilt and a round tsuba. This halts Hulk's advance for a moment as he watches the tiny man that is thirty yards away.

Yamamoto: 'You should have never let Thanos control you. You are nothing more than a rabid animal and I will put you down! Reduce all creation to ash, Ryuujin Jakka!'

His sheath bursts into flames as a large aura of heat engulfs the head captain and an insanely hot fire consumes the area! The intense heat that washes over the jade giant doesn't faze him, but it does evaporate the remaining moisture on his skin and turns the dirt and sand under his feet to glass!

Yamamoto: 'Joukaku Enjou!'

His zanbakutou burns bright and before Hulk can attack, he is surrounded by a huge dome of intense flame! The remaining hollow have been defeated and the gathered forces have stopped to watch the new battle. The sheer heat and brightness of the flames make Logan squint his eyes and put up a hand to shield his eyes. Thor notices that Kuchiki has his back towards the battle and is otherwise still occupied with his fight with the possessed Ichigo. They all hear a roar like they have not heard yet out of their enraged teammate and Kyoraku whistles low while commenting.

Shunsui: 'We haven't seen Yama-Jii cut loose in a while. Hulk's got his hands full with the head captain. I can imagine the pain he's feeling as he's burned alive.'

Wolverine: 'Ya think that scream is one o' pain? No way; if I know Hulk, he's probably yellin' at the flames ta go out.'

Ukitake: 'Does he really think that his roar will quell Ryuujin Jakka?'

Wolverine: 'I don't know bub, but I know that it's gonna take a lot more heat to beat that guy.'

The others have now gathered around to also watch the cage of flame and the old captain floating above it. Soi Fon and Yoruichi look over to the eighth and thirteenth captains and share a concerned look. Toshiro is the furthest one back and Thor touches down next to him.

Thor: 'Why art thou so far back Captain Hitsugaya?'

Toshiro: 'I hate the heat; Ryuujin Jakka is the strongest zanbakutou in all of soul society and it sucks all the moisture out of the air. Hyourinmaru is weakened by the release somewhat.'

Thor: 'Tis true; Odin's Son can feel the very atmosphere change. This fire hath scorched the heavens themselves!

Hulk stands on the molten ground and looks all around the burning inferno. Large drops of sweat form on his green skin and they quickly evaporate due to the heated air. His skin begins to dry out and crack as his green hue is slowly turning purple due to the temperature. Before the skin blisters and breaks, his healing factor heals the burns and Hulk huffs. He braces himself and outstretches his large arms. Back outside of the large furnace, Yamamoto turns to walk away from the caged beast. Suddenly he hears a deafening thunderclap and his enclosure of flame blows by him, rustling his long tied beard! The others let out surprised gasps and are shocked to see Hulk standing nearly unscathed; with his hands clasped together smoking. The green goliath frowns at the man that has confined him and leaps at him! Genryusai quickly turns around and swings his blazing sword at the advancing behemoth!

Yamamoto: 'Know your place!'

A phoenix-like flame rushes out of the sword and engulfs Hulk's body. The heat of the flames instantly sears the thick green skin and he starts to cook alive! Hulk screams out in pain and defiance. The flames continue to wash over him and his skin keeps frying, healing, and frying again! The smell of burnt flesh permeates the air and Logan puts his hand over his nose to try to block out the stench! The scene is almost too much to watch and even Soi Fon looks away into Yoruichi's shoulder. Thor goes to stop the slaughter but Shunsui and Toshiro both caution him.

Shunsui: 'I wouldn't if I were you, friend.'

Toshiro: 'This is a battle of pride for the head captain.'

Shunsui: 'If you try and stop Yama-Jii when he's like this, he may consider you a traitor and fight you instead.'

The god of thunder grits his teeth and steps back while gipping his hammer tightly. The flames have driven the monstrous Hulk back to the ground and slowly dissipate. His body is a charred mass of melted dripping flesh and smoke. His great musculature is exposed and it too is burnt and cooked. He breathes in and out heavy black smoke as green blood flows freely from his lidless, burnt eyes; he looks up at the frowning soul reaper. He gets to one healing knee and coughs. He slowly stands up and brushes off a layer of dead, crispy skin; revealing fresh bright green skin underneath. The onlookers are amazed at how fast he has healed, let alone that he's even alive!

Ukitake: 'Impossible! What kind of power does Hulk possess to withstand a direct attack from Yamamoto-san's Shikai?'

Thor: 'Hulk hath laid waste to mine Asgard and conquered Olympus. Me thinks there be nothing he can not do.'

The flames have burned the remnants of his pants completely off of his body and he stands before his opponent completely naked! Logan shakes his head at the site and Matsumoto can be seen blushing slightly. He roars once more and stomps the ground; breaking a huge chunk of cooled molten earth off and hurling it at the head captain! Genryusai flash steps and easily dodges the missile-like object. He touches the ground, still facing the newly healed but naked Hulk. The jade giant runs towards his grounded adversary and throws out a massive green fist with enough force to take off the captain's head! The attack is stopped by an eye patch-less Kenpachi who has just made it to the scene! The wind of the attack rushes by the two captains, making Zaraki's bells jingle and Yamamoto's beard sway.

Zaraki: 'Sorry I'm late gramps; I got lost. Ya mind if I teach this guy a lesson fer ya?'

Yamamoto: 'Mmm.'

Zaraki: 'Thanks!'

With one quick motion, the eleventh squad captain grabs Hulk's huge wrist and throws him over his shoulder and away from the surrounding area! He quickly runs off in the direction where he threw the green goliath. Yamamoto powers down and his sheath materializes to house his zanbakutou.

As the chaotic battle moves away from the rest of the gathered heroes and soul reapers, Captain Kuchiki is still restraining Ichigo in his sphere of Senbonzakura. Suddenly he senses a change inside the millions of tiny razors and nearly at the same time he hears the female telepath's voice in his head again. You can stand down now proud captain; the boy is back to normal. Byakuya cracks the tiniest smile and closes his eyes. His Bankai spreads out, revealing a kneeling Ichigo, sans mask. The captain of the sixth squad spins on his heel and sheaths his sword.

Byakuya: 'You need to learn more control over your other self, Ichigo Kurosaki.'

Ichigo: 'What? I didn't bring it out! It was—'

The captain flash steps away, leaving the orange-haired substitute alone with his explanation. Betsy slowly opens her eyes and she sees a soul reaper standing protectively over her as two final hollow disintegrate. She gets to her feet and she sees that Shuuhei is topless and missing his explosive bands that he wears around his arms and neck. He still has Kazeshini at the ready but is barely standing as he is bleeding from several wounds adorning his lean, muscular body. She places her soft hand on his shoulder, turning him around so she can see his face. Above his left eye is cut and his lip is bleeding but he looks at her and smiles.

Shuuhei: 'You're back; I was worried that - mmmph!'

He is cut off by the female's sudden and impassioned embrace! She wraps her arms around his frame and pulls him in close to deepen the kiss. He drops his zanbakutou which reverts back to a single blade and sticks into the ground. After a few minutes, the soul reaper and mutant separate and Psylocke smiles warmly at her protector.

Psylocke: 'You used your own body to shield me while I went into Ichigo's mind.'

Shuuhei: 'When you finished off your hollow, and Ichigo Kurosaki was attacked by Thanos, I saw you kneel down and close your eyes. I know you of all people don't need your sight to see, but when a hollow went to attack you and you didn't stop it, I knew something was wrong.'

Psylocke: 'I'm so sorry that I put that burden on you, Shuuhei.'

Shuuhei: 'It was nothing; I- you are someone I want- to protect.'

She looks into his conflicted eyes and closes the distance between them once more as she places her hand on his bruised cheek. Betsy gently kisses his cheek and whispers in his ear;

Psylocke: 'I will clean your wounds tonight, and next time I'll protect you.'

He looks at her with heat flaring up into his face and she looks back at him with seduction in her eyes. Psylocke bends down and picks up his sword; and without taking her eyes off him, pulls at his sash and slowly places the sheath securely onto his waist. He gulps audibly as she turns and saunters off towards the others who have just witnessed a great battle. Retsu Unohana and some of her squad four subordinates have arrived to assist in dealing with the injured. A new female soul reaper stands near her captain as she kneels next to the shattered leg of Dr. Strange. She is tall with short silver hair that has a few strands braided on the right side. Her large, caring eyes are grey in color and she wears her lieutenant's badge around her left arm. As she looks over her captain's shoulder, Unohana speaks softly to her.

Retsu: 'Isane-san; please go and summon Orihime Inoue for me.'

Isane: 'Of course captain!'

The silver-haired lieutenant bows and vanishes as the captain of the fourth squad speaks to Dr. Strange.

Retsu: 'Your leg is severely damaged, Stephen-san. I can numb the pain temporarily, but it will take several hours to heal you with kidou. My lieutenant, Isane Kotestu, is going to bring someone here who has a unique gift as well. Please wait a little longer.'

Dr. Strange: 'Ungh, it is quite alright. If Kenpachi can hngh, calm Hulk down, I am going to have to have a talk with him.'

Wolverine: 'The damage can't be that bad if the doc is makin' jokes.'

Psylocke: 'I'm going to telepathically turn off your pain receptors, Stephen; that should 'elp with the pain.'

The area is soon engulfed in a green glow as the members of the fourth squad begin to administer healing kidou on the injured soul reapers. Captain Yamamoto walks over to the gathered heroes and looks down at Dr. Strange.

Yamamoto: 'That Hulk is a raging beast. I've never seen anyone outside of soul society endure Ryuujin Jakka the way he did. If you all weren't so close, I would have unleashed my Bankai.'

Shunsui and Jushiro looked shocked at the eldest soul reaper and even Unohana halts her work on the mystic as he says this.

Yamamoto: 'I would not have believed there was someone so strong in any universe if I hadn't seen him with my own eyes.'

A few minutes of silence pass as Logan looks around at the others. Finally he sighs and throws up his hands.

Wolverine: 'Alright, look, I know I ain't the only one thinkin' this; how in the hell did Thanos get that extra power? Kyoraku and Ukitake said it was "sonido"; well I know it's Spanish for sound and I heard the noise when he moved, but how'd he learn it? I mean the guy's only been here for what, two, three days tops?'

The soul reapers all look at the feral mutant and then look down or away.

Wolverine: 'What? Am I wrong?'

Yoruichi: 'Kisuke and I have known about him for five days.'

Soi Fon: 'My patrol corps had first spotted him seven days ago.'

Wolverine: 'What're they sayin' doc; ya knew about this days before ya sent us in?'

Dr. Strange: 'Not at all Logan; as soon as I was aware of the scheme, I took steps to bring you all here immediately. I found this dimension first, contacted Urahara, and he said he knew of what I spoke of and he gave me what I needed to get us here.'

Logan runs his fingers through his wild mane before growling.

Wolverine: 'That still doesn't explain the time difference!'

Ukitake: 'To get here, you used an illegal Senkaimon correct? Which made you pass through the Dangai?'

Wolverine: 'Yeah, so?'

Mayuri: 'My, my, my, you are slow aren't you?'

The group looks up to see the captain of squad twelve casually stroll in with his lieutenant walking behind him. He smiles wide as he gets closer to them.

Mayuri: 'The precipice world is a time rift, and as such, can send you back in time or forward in time. You were lucky to only be shot forward three days. Some have slipped hundreds of years and have come out as dust!'

Yoruichi: 'Thanos has learned to use sonido and he has the power to open up a Garganta. How do you explain him using arrancar abilities?'

Mayuri: 'You poor cat; he clearly has a mind to be reckoned with. I've been monitoring that short one's body and he has already shown signs that he can learn our flash step. What's from keeping this Thanos from gathering powerful arrancar, subjugating them and having them teach him their techniques? He will be a very valuable specimen indeed.'

Soi Fon: 'Head captain; if he manages to locate Aizen , Gin and Tousen, it could be the end of us!'

Dr. Strange: 'Thanos is not the type to work freely with others. If he does meet up with your adversaries, he will most likely try to kill them or make them his pawns.'

Yamamoto: 'Time is of the essence if we are to defeat this villain and bring soul society back to peace. Let us head back and discuss our next plan of attack.'

Just then Lieutenant Kotestu approaches with the orange-haired girl in tow. She spots Ichigo and cries out;

Orihime: 'Ichigo! You're not hurt are you?'

Ichigo: 'Not too bad, but our friend Dr. Strange is hurt pretty bad. Do you think you can heal him?'

Orihime: 'I think so.'

The high school girl kneels down next to the sorcerer's shattered leg and touches her temples.

Orihime: 'Souten Kisshun, I reject.'

Bright orange light flashes out from her hair pins as she moves her hand to the damaged limb. As she does this, a dome of solid orange energy surrounds the magician's leg and starts to instantly heal the bones! Logan hears what she says and thinks to himself; "twin heavenly returning shield"? OK, well whatever it is, it looks like its workin'. Betsy catches his stray thought and asks; what was that Logan? He answers her dismissively; ah nothin' darlin', just me "thinkin' out loud". In his mind she sees him using his fingers as quotation gestures and she mentally smiles at her teammate. With in a few minutes Stephen's leg is completely healed and the girl removes her shield. He stands up and tests the leg by putting weight on it.

Dr. Strange: 'That is an amazing gift you have Ms. Inoue. Thank you my dear.'

Orihime: 'Oh, ha, ha; it was nothing really!'

She waves the mystic off playfully, not wanting to take the credit for her good job. As the group starts to head out, they hear disturbing laughter coming from the nearby forest. Everyone turns to see two silhouettes emerging from the tree line. As the sun dispels the shadow, they come to see that it is a bruised and bleeding Kenpachi and a back-to-normal, smiling Hulk! Around his muscled waist is the captain's ripped haori, covering his naked form. Zaraki is nearly naked himself with his kimono non existent and pants ripped badly. He carries his long, badly worn sword on his bruised shoulder. They join the weary group shortly and stop a few feet from the group. Zaraki looks over to where Ikkaku and Yumichika are; they both sport cuts and bruises from the beating they received from the enraged Hulk. The captain scoffs and speaks to the jade giant.

Kenpachi: 'Ya really did a number on those two didn't ya?'

Hulk: 'I can't remember. Thanos hit me with something I've never felt before.'

Wolverine: 'Well ya sure went nuts on us bub; ya shattered the doc's leg.'

Hulk frowns and looks away as Dr. Strange cautiously puts a gloved hand on his teammate's large shoulder.

Dr. Strange: 'Let us not dwell on what Thanos has done. Instead, we should piece together what we know, and come up with a way to stop him.'

Having experienced their first defeat at the hands of the titan, the heroes and soul reapers slowly walk back to Sei Rei Tei where they will recuperate and discuss what can be done next.