RVB Arrancars Chorus

The Thin Fed Line!

Fade in, outside the Armonia Hospital, at which five medical officers comprising of the New Republic and the Federal Army, seem to be talking to one another as the Intercom comes over.

Intercom: Paging Doctor Wooten. Doctor Wooten? ...Doctor Wooten?

Cut to Nelliel and Charlotte inside the hospital, whereas Charlotte is talking to Szayel about their experiences since Szayel has been missing.

ARMONIA HOSPITAL

Charlotte: And then it turned out Grimmjow was evil, so we exposed the truth, stopped the civil war, and now we're fighting to send a distress call to Earth!

Cut to szayel facing them.

Szayel: And at no point, during any of this, did you realize I was missing?

Charlotte and Nelliel glance at each other then look back to Szayel.

Charlotte: ...Apparently not!

Szayel: (in O'Malley's voice) ARGH, I will destroy you all for your insufferable ignorance!

Nelliel: Ooh! This is certainly the most vocal split personality I've ever seen. But I suppose an eternity in isolation will do that for you. (turns back to Szayel) Tell me, Mr. O'Malley, when you say you wish to "destroy us all", what exactly do you think you mean by that?

Szayel: (in O'Malley's voice) I mean you will cease to exist! You will all die by my hand! Hahahaha! Really, it's quite self-explanatory.

Nelliel: Well, I think there is some serious issues here we're just starting to get a hold of! Nothing a little electro-shock therapy couldn't fix...

Szayel: (in O'Malley's voice) HA - I beg your pardon?

Nelliel walks up to Szayel with her medical scanner glowing.

Nelliel: (seductively) After you, handsome.

Szayel: (normal voice) Wa-wait! Can't we talk about this?

Charlotte: We're gonna fix you right up, Doc! Where should I stick the thermometer?

Szayel: Uh... I think I need to get second opinion!

Nelliel: We got a runner!

Szayel sprints away from Nelliel and Charlotte. Nelliel and Charlotte start chasing after him. Carolina is seen from the corner of the room, watching them. Epsilon appears next to Carolina.

Epsilon: Finally! Some freakin' quiet... Hey, wanna see if she left her prescription pad?

Carolina: We need to talk.

Epsilon: (disappointed) Oh. Yeah... can we at least do it when your on heavy sedatives?

Cut to the streets of Armonia, with one Federal Army soldier facing Pesche. Next to them is Rey, Baraggan, Findor, Di-Roy, and Nirgge.

Findor: Alright, let's try this again. First, we start with a friendly handshake.

The two face each other. Pesceh makes a strange spitting sound at the soldier.

Pesche: Devil man.

Federal Army Soldier: Did you just spit inside your helmet?

Pesche: Take yourself, and fuck yourself... with yourself.

Federal Army Soldier: ...What?

Pesche: Exactly!

Rey: God damn it, Pesche.

Findor: Well, it's a step-up from assault and battery.

Pesche: He provoked me!

Federal Army Soldier: You Rebels are all fucking nuts.

Pesche: That's impossible! Nuts don't have orifices! Go back to school!

Federal Army Soldier: What about doughnuts?

Pesche: Now you're just speaking in riddles and you know it!

Nirgge and Baraggan glance at each other, then Baraggan looks at them.

Baraggan: ...I'm having a hard time following this conversation.

Rey: Ugh, forget it. You guys can go.

Federal Army Soldier: Fine. (walks off)

Pesche: (turns to Rey) How'd I do?

Rey: You are a constant source of disappointment.

Pesche: Alright! (walks off)

Di-Roy: Hey... I thought I was a constant source of disappointment. Well I will just have to try harder! SOMEONE GIVE ME A SCREWDRIVER!

Rey: Ugh! Why is this happening now!? We're in the middle of a fucking war and these guys won't do anything but hate on each other!

Nirgge: The problem isn't with them. It's just with your approach.

Baraggan: What the heck's that supposed to mean?

Nirgge: You can't force people into liking each other. You just gotta lie to them until they think they like each other.

Findor: That sounds like a terrible idea.

Rey: No, he's right. I used the same tactic on women a million times!

Nirgge: This is basic shit. First, we tell Patros Harribel wants to apologize and meet him for dinner. Then, we tell Harribel that Patros wants to apologize then invite her to the same restaurant.

Findor: Oh, come on, there's no way that'll work! That's a plot point used in old sitcoms!

Nirgge: And one of those sitcoms was called "Friends", which is exactly what we want them to be! Case closed!

Baraggan: Face it moron, we just ain't cut out for this kinda job. What we need is someone with a more delicate touch. Someone that can act as a neutral force. Someone that's neither red nor blue, but some sort of disgusting middle ground, like a... dark fuchsia.

At that moment, Szayel runs past the five, and trailing behind isNelliel and Charlotte, while Di-Roy looks in their direction.

Szayel: You'll never take me alive! I ran track in high school!

Nelliel: Running only makes me want you more!

Silence for a few moments, then Baraggan turns to the crew.

Baraggan: If only we knew someone that-

Findor: Oh just stop.

Cut to Epsilon and Carolina facing each other on a rocky outpass outside of the Armonia grounds, essentially the boundaries.

ARMONIA CITY LIMITS

Carolina: What happened to you? You were with me one minute then the next you were gone.

Epsilon: Alright, I know what you're tryin' to talk about here. Look, sometimes guys my age have performance issues, it's completely natural!

Carolina: Epsilon, I'm serious.

Epsilon: Hey, me too! This shit's embarrassing and now I gotta talk to Dr. Odelschwanck about getting some pills-

Carolina: Stop dodging me on this!

Epsilon: (sighs) Look, I'm not failing if that's what you're worked up about, but... I have my limits.

Carolina: What do you mean?

Epsilon: I mean you can't expect me to run all of your armor equipment at the drop of a hat! I'm not a young, brand new A.I.! I'm just one of the fragments.

Carolina: ...Look, I'm sorry if I pushed you too far. But we can't use that as an excuse. We're going to need every advantage we can get!

Epsilon: (sarcastically) Ohh, your right! Would you like some holographic projections too? How about a time distortion while you fight? Or, ooh, we could get you a seat warmer! How about that?

Carolina: You know what we're up against!

Epsilon: And you know what happened to the Meta!

Carolina: ...What did you just say?

Epsilon: He kept fighting for more and more power too, and in the end it got him killed.

Carolina: Don't you ever talk about Maine like you knew him!

Epsilon: I'm just trying to show you how close you're getting to crossing a very dangerous line. You're Agent Carolina! You don't need all this fancy stuff to win! You're already the best!

Carolina: I appreciate the thought, Skullak. I really do.

Epsilon: Good, 'cause I am really not all about this sincerity stuff.

Carolina: But the only reason we survived the radio jammer is because Locus is insane! He could've killed Wash, and they both could've done a lot more!

Epsilon: But they didn't! So what does it have to do with anything anyway!?

Carolina: I told you when I went through the gateway that I saw the Freelancers... I had to watch them die.

Epsilon: ...Oh...

Carolina: And after they were gone, I saw all of you. ...Wash, Rey, the Reds and... Skullak, I can't lose another family.

Cut to Patros standing with two soldiers behind him, revealing to have heard their conversation.

Patros: You're scared. (Carolina and Epsilon turn to him) Er, forgive me. But I'm all too familiar with the feeling.

Carolina: What are you doing here?

Patros walks up to them.

Patros: It's my favorite part of the Capital. Just far enough away from everything. I come here whenever I need a moment. It looks as though you had a similar idea?

Epsilon: Shouldn't you be in the center of town, behind seventy-eight inches of bulletproof everything!?

Patros: Oh, there's all sorts of things we should be doing. We should be prepping our next move against the enemy. But instead we're here, standing around, talking.

Epsilon: Yeah. You get used to it.

Patros: You know, I believe it was the great William Shakespeare who said: "Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting in spite of it." I don't believe those words have ever been more relevant.

Epsilon: ...I don't think that was Shakespeare.

Patros: What?

Epsilon: That quote. I don't think he said that.

Patros: ...Really?

Epsilon: Yeah, pretty sure.

Carolina: Uh, yeah.

Patros: ...Oh.

Slowly pans out from the three.

Carolina: Still. It's a good quote.

Patros: Thank you.

Epsilon: Well, here's to hoping the mercs are just as frustrated as the rest of us.

Cut to the mercs' base, where Grimmjow is angrily banging the useless key on a table whilst Locus and Edrad watch from afar.

Grimmjow: I... AM EXTREMELY... FRUSTRATED!

Edrad: Get a grip.

Grimmjow: How?! How do you forget to mention something as important as that?!

Edrad: We were in a hurry.

Grimmjow puts away the key, then pulls out his rifle.

Grimmjow: (darkly sarcastic) Oh, you were in a hurry? Hey, Locus, you know I was really thinking about letting Sharkface live, but since we're in a hurry, how about we just fucking kill him?!

Edrad: I'd like to see you try.

Grimmjow: Done. (raises his rifle at Edrad)

Locus: No violence between partners.

Grimmjow: (lowers rifle) He's not a partner, he's an idiot! And thanks to him, we've got a key that does NOTHING until the General is dead!

Edrad: Then we kill the General.

Grimmjow: The grown-ups are talking, fishstick.

Locus: Quiet! We have the advantage and we have a plan. So quit moaning, and do your job. (turns to Edrad) Both of you.

Edrad: You're the boss. (Edrad heads off, and Locus turns to Grimmjow)

Locus: I'll sync with the Tartarus. You need to get your head together.

Grimmjow: (scoffs then speaks under his breath) Said the raving lunatic. (walks off)

Locus approaches a screen and switches it on. The Counselor appears on it.

Counselor: Locus. The Tartarus is maintaining orbit around the planet as discussed.

Locus: Good.

Counselor: Shall I inform Carmichael that you wish to speak with him?

Locus: That won't be necessary. I'd like to ask you a few questions.

Counselor: How can I be of assistance?

Locus: I want to know more about the Meta.