Grimmjow waited a little while before paying Ichigo a second visit, but it wasn't for his previous reasons. Before, it was a training exersize. To gauge his own abilities. Ichigo was the best for the job.

When Ichigo approached his apartment block, aching from a day at his desk and his briefcase slung over his shoulder, he happened the catch the thread of a presence. It wasn't until he entered the parking lot that he knew who it was, and he cursed the quickening of his pulse. He scanned the parameter, apparently not feeling the need to take on his soul reaper form, and looked up at his window to see the one frame was wide open.

"Sneaky feline bastard," Ichigo cursed, and entered the building through the main entrance.

The whole elevator journey, which seemed to go on for ages, was filled with his irked suspicious. I bet he's making himself comfortable, if he's on by bed I'll murder him.

When he did open the door to his living room, readying to ambush a snoozing blue haired piece of shit dirtying his bedsheets, he was startled to find the man standing next to his coffee table, arms folded and expression calm.

"Took your time," he said, voice low and irritated. Ichigo stared at him for a second, before taking a calming breath. The energy wasn't like that night, and that didn't sit right with him. After several false starts Ichigo finally said, "The beauty of living alone is not having anyone giving you shit for getting back late. Where do you get off breaking in private property?"

"It's yours, so I couldn't give a shit," Grimmjow retorted carelessly. It was the longest they'd gone with Grimmjow not smiling. Ichigo noticed this fairly quickly. "I take you have a rare purpose for being in my space?"

"You catch on faster than before, gained a few brainc-"

"Just cut to it, huh? I'm tire-... I mean it's been a long day."

Now Grimmjow smiled, and his incisors pressed into his lower lip. That smile did weird thing's to Ichigo's state of mind. "Aww, poor little old man wanna sleep? Shall I come back later with your slippers?"

Ichigo, his face red, matched that grin 10-fold. "Just get on with it, or shall I remind you how I beat Ulquiorra?"

Somehow, they were in each other's faces again, and it was Ichigo who cleared his throat and stepped back. "Just get on with it. The Soul Society will notice."

"You getting protective?" Grimmjow said then, taking a step closer. Ichigo's pulse quickened again. "No, I just don't want this place being trashed while they capture you. I've just fixed the wall from last time." Shit I referenced that night and holy fuck is he blushing?!

"Fine," he said, visibly uncomfortable. "I'll tell you but they need to know as well. Call it a favour for favour, so you owe me one."

"Go on."

Grimmjow sighed, and leaned against the window cill. "Remember when they Hell Gate opened?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Something got out. It's taken up shop in Las Noches."

Ichigo's skin prickled. "But the Soul Soci-"

"I don't know how it did it, but after they checked Hueco Mundo it appeared. I don't know what it is, and I'll be honest, I've never come across anything with the kind of spiritual pressure it has."

"What do you mean?"

Grimmjow thought, before saying, "I don't know. I haven't put my finger on it yet."

Ichigo sighed, and nodded. "This isn't a trap, is it?"

Grimm scoffed. "A trap for what? I don't need traps."

Ichigo nodded again, certain of his honesty. "I'll call Rukia. You'd better go."

"Why?"

Ichigo raised his eyebrows. "Because you're a hollow and they'll kill or capture you?"

Grimm scoffed again. "So much for helping... Wait, Rukia...is she that little-" He said, his hand held midair to what was probably the correct approximation for her height. Ichigo interjected, "Yes it's the short captain and she'd probably kill or capture specifically you, now go."

Grimm laughed at the description and hopped lithely on the window frame. "See you round, Strawberry."

Ichigo watched him vanish in a second, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. He distracted himself by pulling his phone from his pocket and finding Rukia's number, before catching himself. How will I explain how I got this information? I can't say from Grimmjow because then they'll know he's been here, and that guy's had a number on his head the moment Renji and Byakuya caught wind that he was the one who nearly killed Rukia. Really, I should be more pissed at him.

Ichigo sat down on his couch, thinking himself into a frenzy about how to convey the information while keeping Grimmjow's presence in the human world unknown. Finally, only one solution opened itself up to him.

...

"Welcome young Ichigo!" Tessai greeted, his deep voice and huge stature never being so out of place with his stellar customer service skills. "How can we help you this fine evening?"

I feel like he's being a little overboard recently, Ichigo thought, before asking for the boss. Urahara appeared from behind the wall as though he wanted the guy to believe he was a magician, impressed with his own speed. "It's been a while, Ichigo. How may I assist?"

"I need you to check out Hueco Mundo for me. Can you do that?"

Urahara pulled a thoughtful expression. "And why would I want to do that?"

"Because...because I have a hunch."

Urahara concealed his mouth with his fan but very obviously said to Tessai, "Our boy has hunches now! They grow up so fast!"

Ichigo was irked more than ever with this man. "I just want you to check it out, see if anything is hiding. Anything bad."

"Ichigo, it's Hueco Mundo. Only bad exists there. If there is anything, it's right at home. Besides, there's so many bars on the Garganta only those with special access can come and go, so where is the issue?"

"Just look, please?"

Tessai and the boss exchanged a look, before Urahara shrugged and vanished for a few minutes. Tessai led Ichigo to the tea room and prepared a pot.

Ichigo didn't have to wait long before hearing Urahara's voice. "Ichigo!"

Ichigo rose and located him in the back room facing an old fashioned computer screen. Oddly enough, this was him being modern. Even with the lines bouncing across the picture.

"What am I looking at?"

Urahara placed a figure on the fuzzy screen, and Ichigo squinted until it became a little more clear. "Your hunch."

After a few moments, Ichigo finally realised what he was seeing. He was looking at Las Noches from a security camera. The picture was shocking, but the building was striking enough to know exactly what it was. But even with the poor quality, he could see how dilapidated it was. Walls were collapsed, floors and ceilings no longer suspended. This angle was chosen because the disrepair gave view to the innermost recessed of the palace, and there, right in the centre, was the throne. Several stories below where it was originally, but magically propped up.

But it wasn't empty.

"What is that?" Urahara whispered. Ichigo stared at the pitch-black shape that appeared to be sitting where Aizen once sat.