I'm sorry. I think it's been two weeks since I last published. My brain just isn't working. I think it's in a permanent state of panic what with the world ending and all. I'm down to working part time so you'd think that'd help, but with the country in the middle of an existential crisis it doesn't seem to matter either way. I hope that if anyone reads this in a few years they have no idea what I'm talking about, but for those of you who may be reading this atm I hope you can understand why I'm having such a struggle writing

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It wasn't surprising there were more than a few Arrancar waiting outside the door. They were doing a nice job acting as an honor guard, really very nice. Gin was impressed. Most hollows had too much trouble repressing that killing instinct to do anything but radiate hostility—or maybe he just brought it out in them. He did tend to make people want to kill him. It was a gift.

But they all bowed very nicely and asked him, 'Gin-sama', what they could do to serve him--and not even sarcastic like the Espada always did. Very nice.

"I thought I'd go see what's keeping the food. Do you happen to know where Bella is?"

"She's waiting—" a funny-looking fellow with hair that was very obviously porcupine quills began to answer, but a much tougher-looking one cut him off.

"Food will be brought very soon, Gin-sama," said the bigger, broader Arrancar, who was a good bit taller than Gin, so unusually tall, and probably the leader of the little group. "It is not easy for us to obtain food fit for a shinigami, but we—"

"Oh, I know and I sympathize, but Ran-chan doesn't. And if she's going to complain at me I'm going to complain at Bella. It's only fair."

"You want to complain?" The leader asked, turning a shade gray.

"Yep--don't worry. I'll make sure Bella knows you didn't have a choice. Let's go see her."

"We don't have a choice?"

"Nope," Gin assured him with a grin. "You can take me or I'll find her myself. It's up to you, but I'm pretty sure you'll prefer the option where we all live happily ever after."

There was an almost infinitesimal pause before, "We'll be very happy to bring you directly to Arabelleria-sama."

"Oh, good. Then we can all be friends. How nice."

Another pause and an uneasy look at the door behind him. "What about your lady? Is she coming?"

Gin's smile grew. His lady? He was enjoying being possessive of Rangiku a lot more than he should. He knew if he kept it up in Soul Society--assuming they didn't just throw him in prison which he still thought was the most likely outcome--but if he was free, being possessive was likely to get him slapped. In fact, it would probably be a good idea to put as much space between himself and Rangiku as possible. Going back after all of this was going to be hard enough for Rangiku. She didn't need the entire Gotei pairing her with their least favorite ex-captain. But here she was his and that was nice.

"Oh, Ran-chan's prejudiced against anything hollow so she's going to stay in there where she doesn't have to look at you--I'm going to have to talk to Bella about making somewhere nice for her to stay. It's the least I can do after she saved my life and sacrificed everything that gave hers meaning, don't you think?"

The guards stared at him, clearly lost on how to respond.

"Well, two of you should stay in case she gets bored enough to come out, and the other two can take me to Bella--come on."

Rangiku stared at the closed door. An hour, she was supposed to give him an hour to find the gate. That had been the plan even before they had watched it being taken away after the grand departure of the band of Otros. They had not expected to know where it was, but Gin had been sure, wherever they ended up, he would be able to find it.

And then came her turn, the bit Gin was against almost as much as he was against her being here in the first place.

As she stared at the door, she wondered about the chances of Gin setting off the signal before she'd had a chance to do anything. As soon as she noticed the signal, Bella would probably summon every one of the Arrancar and Otros in the fortress. After all, her best chance at survival would be to put as many other people between herself and Gin as possible, and Gin would probably like that option because it would take pretty much all the attention off Rangiku.

But Gin's best chance was to let Rangiku do her part first. After he set off the signal he would have to hold out until the Gotei arrived and that would be at least a few minutes. Considering he was still nowhere near at a hundred percent yet, was only adequate with kido, and had a duel-type zanpakuto, she was just as worried about him as he was about her. Sure he could slice through a crowd of mid-level hollows with a single swing, but Arrancar? Even weak ones could parry, and if he was fighting them on every side--

She thought their missions should be switched, but she didn't try to argue. He was the captain. He got the more dangerous job, and Rangiku knew from plenty of experience with her own captain that, even more than the average male, captains do not like being protected.

When Rangiku threw open the door, she already had Haineko drawn. She lashed out and the poor porcupine Arrancar lost his left arm before he'd even turned. The other jumped back and drew a wide bladed scimitar while the porcupine shrieked and swung at her with his remaining clawed hand.

"Sorry," Rangiku said as she parried the claws. "You don't seem too bad for hollows, but I have something I have to do. Gin might be happy to play games with Bella, but I'm not taking any chances. All of his enemies are dying today."

She swung again, this time taking off the Arrancar's other hand before Haineko passed through his chest.

She paused for a moment to watch the hollow burst as he hit the ground. And then she smiled. She could hear the other one running away. He would raise the alarm, and Bella would have no choice but to send some of her strongest Arrancar after Rangiku, otherwise Rangiku was going to sneak this nightmarish warren of tunnels, killing off her servants one at a time.

For now, she'd do just that. She paused for a moment trying to locate the nearest strong reiatsu, but they seemed to be all around her, some near and some far but in no particular direction. This fortress of the hollows was like nothing so much as an anthill. There were tunnels everywhere and no way to know where they led. The only way she wouldn't get completely lost was to follow the same path they had taken in. She'd go for the gate--take out the lion Arrancar. That would be one strong one down at least--and any others she happened to meet. That should be enough to cause a little chaos.