Hello readers, been a while… four months… and it honestly hurts that I've been away and kept you all hanging for so long. Honestly can't apologize enough for it. Life's been a bit rough these past few months, what with the Covid 19 business and all. My school went to an online only institution this semester, and online stuff simply doesn't work for me, so I had to get a job working at a warehouse. Add in personal and family matters, yeah, time has been short to non-existent for me lately.

But I've managed to squeeze in some writing, a few paragraphs here and there, until I was able to finish this chapter. Again, I'm sorry it took so long, and I hope you find the chapter's contents worth the wait. Of course, before we head into it, a quick review response.

Anzafay21: Thanks for the review, friend, and I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far. Sadly, ever since the Bleach anime 'ended' short, years ago now, fanfictions of the series have 'all' been getting less and less attention than they used to. Not to mention many other good animes that have come out since then. As I mentioned in a previous chapter, the long awaited reveal of Tim's second shikai is coming, SOON. Soon as in 'possibly' the next chapter. If not that one, then the following one for sure.

This goes to everyone: please be patient. Like anza said, I'm not going to rush anything. Rushing only takes from the story, and tends to leave loopholes and contradicting events. 'Trust me', I want, 'so bad', to get to the good points of the story, but there are certain things that have to happen first.

Que 'shut up time'. So, hope you all enjoy the next chapter.

(I DO NOT OWN BLEACH; ITS CHARACTORS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, OR STORY! THAT HONOR BELONGS SOLELY TO TITE KUBO AND HIS TEAM! ONLY THE OC, AND RANDOM NAMES NOT MENTIONED IN THE BOOKS OR ANIME ARE MY OWN!)


Chapter 48

(The Clash Begins)

Las Noches, Palace of the Sexta Espada, Present

Grimmjow grumbled lowly in a snarl as he walked through the empty passages of his Palace, his closed fists stuffed into his pants pockets. He wasn't exactly mad, but he was very highly annoyed. For a few reasons.

The primary reason being that he was forced to sit back and wait while those intruders ran freely through Las Noches. Not about the intruders part, but because he couldn't get involved, forced to miss out on a possible good fight.

Another reason for his irked state, he only just realized, was that his palace suddenly seemed… empty. It didn't bother him, or even dawn on him at first, but now that he had nothing to do but relax in his palace, he realized that something, or some'one', was missing.

Five someone's to be exact.

The Sexta Espada sighed in a low growl as his thoughts drifted to his fallen fracción; Shawlong, Yylfordt, Di Roy, Edrad, and Nakeem. Though he didn't really care much for them, seeing them as nothing more than his servants, he did, to an extent, enjoy their company; though he would never admit it, even to them.

The five men's' bickering and threatening each other broke the monotony of the 'quiet life' that he lived in the palace. Though he very seldomly included himself in their arguments and would call them idiots on a regular basis, he still found contentment in it all.

But, now that they were all gone, he was suddenly finding himself almost missing the five mens' company. All of the sudden, his palace, that was supposed to be his home, felt more like a prison.

The blue-haired Espada scoffed and shook his head, chasing the memories of his fallen fracción away. "Morons. It's their own damn fault they were weak and fell to the soul reapers. Serves em right. Whatever. Gotta find something to do, since Aizen won't let me have any fun." he mumbled.

"I think I can fix that." a recognizable, and very annoying voice called out from behind.

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes with a growl of agitation as he turned around to none other than Gin Ichimaru. "Waddaya want, fox face?" he grumbled.

The trademark grin on the white-haired, former Captain's face grew even wider. "Oh dear, is that any way to speak to your superior? My my. I wonder how Captain Aizen would take that?" he teased.

"Tsk…" the Espada scoffed. "Don't fuck with me, ya bastard. You and I both know you're here just to stir up some trouble for your entertainment. I've got more important things to do than be your plaything, so just cut to the chase and tell me what you want." he said with a dismissive wave.

"Oh? Know me so well, do you? You know, it hurts when you think so poorly of me, Grimmjow." the man 'whined'.

The Espada scoffed again with a roll of the eyes. "Whatever. If ya ain't got nothing important for me, then I'm leaving." he said as he turned to leave.

"Well now, I didn't say 'that'. Actually, I've got something that I think you'll be very… interested in. Buuut… if you're in such a hurry, I suppose it's not that important. Guess I'll just be on my way then." he teased with a shrug of the shoulders, turning to leave as well.

Grimmjow growled loudly as his annoyance turned to growing anger. "Quit fucking with me and just tell me what it is you want, you bastard!" he demanded over his shoulder.

The former Captain stopped walking and his grin grew again. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to be a bother." he said, giving Grimmjow a sly and playful smile.

The Sexta slapped a hand to his face, dragging the hand down with a growl. "Just get on with it, will ya?" he pleaded, trying with all his might to keep from ripping the man's throat open.

Gin sighed, deciding to let the man off easy this time. "Alright." he pouted, his fun over. "I just thought you'd like to know that your chance for a little… rematch… has come."

Grimmjow raised a brow. "What are ya talking about?" he questioned.

Gin turned back around and smiled at him. "Well, you are aware of our intruders, right?" he asked.

The Espada rolled his eyes, his annoyance growing again. "Yeah, no shit, dumbass. I also know that Tim kid is with em. What about em?"

The former Captain's smile grew to much wider proportions. "Well, how would you like a chance to face him again?"

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Last time I checked, none of the Espada were to get involved. What are ya playing at, fox face?" he questioned.

"Actually, if 'I' remember right, Captain Aizen said you could have your rematch against that interesting Lieutenant; you were only told to wait until told you may. Well… I think you've waited long enough, poor Grimmjow. You seem so bored right now, so I thought I would be the nice guy and improve your spirits. So, whaddaya say? Are you up to have a little fun?"

The Espada's suspicion of the man was only growing worse, but at the prospect of facing off against that Tim guy and his flirty zanpakutō again, that suspicion was quickly being overwritten with excitement.

His anger fading, replaced with said excitement, his snarl turned to a wicked grin. "I'm listening."

Palace of the Octava Espada

The sounds of footsteps echoed off the walls of the large, open, 'experimentation field' of the Octava Espada's palace-turned-laboratory. The owner of these footsteps was none other than Aizen as he made his way through the massive hall.

Unlike the other palaces that were generally the same, minus the few alterations the individual Espadas made to them to suit their tastes, the palace of one Szayelaporro Granz was modified well beyond just simple changes in aesthetics.

While most of the middle and upper rooms were left unchanged, all of the living quarters on the lower levels of the building were completely removed, making them into a smaller number of far larger rooms. It could be said that these 'rooms' were more along the lines of vast hallways than actual rooms.

But even these changes were minor, compared to the 'special addition' the Octava Espada had made below the building's foundations. This 'addition' was nearly the same length and width of the building itself, and extended three floors below ground level.

This newly developed area was what housed the Octava Espada's massive laboratory, and was where the former Captain of Squad 5 was currently heading. The man had his usual, content smirk upon his face as he traversed the large hallway.

When he reached the end of the hallway, he was greeted by a pair of massive, stone double-doors that led down to the Espada's laboratory. Reaching out, he grasped the handle for the right door and effortlessly pulled it open enough for him to pass through. Stepping through, he began his walk down the lit stairwell as the large door closed behind him.

It took him only a minute or two before he arrived at the metal door to the laboratory itself. As expected, the door opened immediately when the laboratory's security systems identified who he was; the man did not even need to pause for the door to open for him.

It pleased Aizen when he saw that Szayelaporro was in the room, waiting to greet him. The Espada smiled widely as he bent at the waist and held an arm across his chest in a respectable bow.

"Ah, good evening to you, Lord Aizen." he greeted.

Aizen's smirk grew a bit as he came to a stop and rested his hands in his pants pockets. "Good evening, Szayelaporro. Do you have a moment?" the former Captain asked, returning the greeting.

Szayelaporro raised his head to the man and smiled wider. "For you? Of course, Lord Aizen. What is it that you have to ask of me?" he asked, raising himself straight with both arms behind his back.

"There is something that I would like you to look into. A special bit of research that I'm sure you would be interested in discovering the answer to." Aizen informed.

The smile on the Espada's face grew into one of pure glee. "Of course. I would be more than happy to. What is it that you require, Lord Aizen?" the Espada almost begged.

Aizen's grin grew as well. "You are aware of the mission I had sent Ulquiorra, along with Grimmjow and his fracción, to the world of the living for, correct?" the traitor asked.

Szayelaporro closed his eyes with a pleasing sigh and nodded. "Ah, yes. I am still going through all the information that I was able to gather from my comrades' little visit. I have almost completely analyzed everything about those they had faced. But, of course, all of this is still based, and limited by, the fact that all the information given is by second parties, rather than personal observation. Had I been present for the endeavor, I can assure you that my research would be far more in depth, Lord Aizen." he answered, a bit apologetically.

The former Captain chuckled once and lowered his head a bit with closed eyes. "It is quite alright, Szayelaporro. I realize that certain answers in research can be quite difficult to obtain without the researcher being present. With that being said, I understand that the task I have for you will be just as difficult."

This perked Szayelaporro's interest. "Oh? Do tell, Lord Aizen." he urged.

Pulling his left hand out from his pocket, Aizen opened it and presented the same device he had given Grimmjow to use on Timothy. "During their mission in the world of the living, I had tasked Grimmjow with giving your invention a test during combat." he said. His smile then fell from his face, worrying the Espada. "However, he claims that it did not work, that it had no effect on his opponent."

The Espada's eyes widened in shock. "My Lord Aizen, that cannot be. The device in your hand is an exact copy of the first prototype; the one that had been used to neutralize former Espada Nelliel's powers. The only difference is that the one you hold has been calibrated for use against soul reapers, rather than Arrancars. It should have worked." he stated quickly in fear, and annoyance of his own creation failing.

It surprised the Espada when Aizen chuckled in humor. "You do not need to fear, Szayelaporro. This is not a failure of the device itself. After Grimmjow and Ulquiorra's return, I had tested it myself. Though it could use some improvements, it does, indeed, function. This leads me to believe one of two possibilities. Either Grimmjow has lied and did not use it as instructed, or his target is somehow immune to the device's effects."

Szayelaporro raised a hand up. "If I may be so bold, Lord Aizen; I do not believe that Grimmjow would be so foolish to deceive you in that manner."

Aizen nodded once. "I agree. So, that means that the person he fought against is somehow immune to it. I do have my suspicions as to how it is possible, but I would like you to do your own research on this matter."

The Espada's gleeful smile returned with a nod. "Of course, Lord Aizen. If I may ask, who was it that Grimmjow had fought against in the world of the living?" he inquired.

Now the former Captain's smile returned. "Ah, yes. The one who Grimmjow was fighting, was none other than Timothy Durn, the Lieutenant of Squad 7."

A wicked grin came to Szayelaporro's face. "Do you mean that soul reaper with the zanpakutō that was fighting alongside him?" he asked, where Aizen nodded.

"I do. In fact, while we are on the topic of him, I would also like for you to do as much research as you can about him, without interfering with him or his companions in any way." he stated firmly in warning.

Szayelaporro sighed and shook his head slowly as he accepted the device from Aizen. "You do enjoy giving a scientist like me tasks that are nigh impossible, Lord Aizen. But, I suppose that is what makes researching matters like these the funnest. I will look into this immediately, Lord Aizen." he promised, accepting the device.

Aizen smiled more and nodded. "Thank you, Szayelaporro. But there is no need to rush. There is still plenty of time before my plans can move to the next step. Do what you must."

"Shall I assume that you wish for me to, once I have discovered the cause, of course, to adapt my device to counter this 'Timothy Durn's' immunity to it?" the Espada asked.

The soul reaper closed his eyes and thought the question over. "No." he answered after a moment. "That will not be necessary." He opened his eyes back to the Espada and 'smiled' "His immunity to your invention does not interfere with my plans. In fact, I wish to see what else he may be capable of, and ridding him of his immunity to the device will only prevent that. Discover the cause of his immunity, but do not make any adjustments to counter it."

Szayelaporro bowed again and raised quickly. "As you desire, Lord Aizen. Is there anything else you require of me?"

"No. That will be all. I will leave you to your research. Thank you, Szayelaporro." Aizen answered, turning and walking back to the dorr as the Espada bowed once more. But after a few steps, the man suddenly stopped. "Ah, yes… there was one more thing, Szayelaporro." he said before turning back around. "Were you able to complete your examination of our newest comrade?"

The question actually caused the Espada to start sweating. "Ah… well…" he breathed out. He then bowed again and held it, causing Aizen to raise a curious brow. "I ask for your forgiveness, Lord Aizen, but I was unable to perform 'any' form of an examination on our new comrade."

That surprised Aizen. "I see. And why is that?" he questioned, his voice gaining a darkish tone to it.

Szayelaporro flinched under the intensity of the man's voice. "Well… you see, Lord Aizen… our newest comrade was not exactly… compliant."

"How so?" Aizen questioned further.

"Our comrade stated that no one would examine him but you, Lord Aizen. He made that obvious when he threatened to destroy my laboratory. Seeing as how a lot of the research I am currently conducting is per your request, I concluded that it was best not to proceed. Forgive me, Lord Aizen."

Aizen closed his eyes with an amused smile as he pictured their newest comrade making the said threats against the scientist. He managed to suppress a full laugh into a low chuckle.

"It is alright, Szayelaporro. "To be honest, I almost expected something like this. Indeed, our new comrade is quite… reserved. You may disregard the examination, and I commend you for making the correct decision. I will examine our new comrade myself. Thank you, Szayelaporro." he concluded, turning and leaving the room.

The instant the door closed behind him, Szayelaporro raised himself and released a relaxing breath. "Oh dear. Well, 'that' was quite a bit of excitement for one day." he commented to himself before raising his hand to his face and glancing at the device. A wide and sinister grin formed on the Espada's face. "Now then, let's see if we can discover our friend's little secret behind his immunity to you."

Palace of the Tres Espada

"Girls, please, this is not going to solve your problems." Sung-Sun said, trying, yet again, to stop her two comrades' arguing.

Mila Rose and Apacci turned to her in respective snarls. "Be quiet, Sung-Sun!" they yelled in unison.

The fracción sighed and shook her head slowly, giving up on the matter. 'They never learn.' she mentally concluded, turning away from her companions.

She was standing on the balcony overlooking the open expanse of Las Noches, looking up at the face, blue, cloudy sky lining the dome's interior. Mila Rose was next to her, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Apacci was sitting upside down on the couch, her back on the seat with her head hanging off the front, and her legs up the back with her calves draped over the top.

The short-haired woman returned her glare to Mila Rose and snarled toothely. "Going back to you, what the hell do you care if I talk in my sleep? Least I'm not a snoring beast, like you!"

"What was that?!" Mila Rose snarled.

Apacci grinned widely. "What? Your snoring make you deaf or something?" she taunted.

Mila Rose got up from the wall, holding up a fist to Apacci. "You want to settle this like a real woman, you bitch?!" she challenged.

The short-haired woman chuckled darkly. "Like you could even lay a scratch on me, hippo."

"Bring it, bambi!"

Apacci's grin fell as a confused brow raised. "Bambi?" she wondered aloud.

Sung-Sun glanced over her shoulder at the confused woman. "I believe she is referring to a human world cartoon character that is also a deer, Apacci." she informed.

The woman's confused look turned to one of fury instantly. "You calling me a fucking deer, you fat bitch?!" she raged, righting herself on the couch.

"What if I am?! What are you gonna do about it?!" Mila Rose returned, taking a step closer.

Apacci snapped to her feet, stomping over to butt her head against Mila Rose's. "I'm gonna rip your fucking head off, 'that's' what I'm gonna do! You ugly cow!"

Both women were snarling in each others' faces, their own faces starting to turn shades of red in fury, while Sung-Sun watched the confrontation with a heavy shake of her head.

"Yoo hoooo. Hello ladies." a voice spoke.

The color from Mila Rose and Apacci's faces drained instantly as they visibly paled. "Oh no… not him." they moaned in unison before turning to the door.

The three of them watched as Gin strode into the room without a care. Am I interrupting something?" he asked in a fake tone of obliviousness.

Both of the arguing women moaned in annoyance. "What do you want?" Apacci snapped.

Gin actually frowned. "Why do I get the impression that everyone dislikes me?" he whined.

All three women sweatdropped at that. "Probably cause no one does." they mumbled together.

The man 'pouted'. "So cruel. And here I was going to give you some good news, too."

Mila Rose growled lowly. "Good news from you is usually 'bad' news for us." she accused.

Gin unsleeved a hand and held it to his heart. "That hurts. Don't you care about little ol me?"

"Not really…" the three, again, mumbled together.

The man's smile returned, where he shrugged and returned his hand to his sleeve. "Oh well. I suppose you can't win em all." he teased, his grin growing. "Aannnyyywaayy… I figured that the three of you must be rather bored… sitting around here… nothing to do… nowhere to go… nothing to…

"Just get on with it!" all three, including Sung-Sun, roared in anger.

His inner amusement was starting to reach an all-time high. Most of the Espada were fun to mess with, but as they grew more accustomed to his antics, it was getting harder and harder for him to be entertained. He could poke fun at Aizen, and that was mildly entertaining, but also very risky.

But these three? No matter how many times, or what manner he used, it was always easy to get under their skin. That was why they, unknowingly, became his favorite 'victims'.

But, if he wanted to get to the 'good' entertainment, he would have to relent… for now.

"Weellll… since you three seemed rather bored, I thought I would offer you something to keep you busy for a while." he finally said.

Mila Rose raised a suspicious brow. "Busy doing what?" she questioned, folding her arms.

He smiled more. "Why, keeping our new guests entertained, of course."

Sung-Sun narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you referring to those intruders Lord Aizen told us about?"

The man nodded once. "Indeed I am." he confirmed.

Mila Rose narrowed her eyes as well. "The same intruders Lord Aizen said we were not to interfere with?"

He nodded again. "The very same ones."

Apacci tilted her head. "So… you want us to ignore Lord Aizen's orders… and attack them anyway?" she asked skeptically.

Another nod. "I wouldn't say 'ignore' them, just think of it as a slight change of orders. Captain Aizen's allowed me to have some fun with them, and since I knew you three ladies have been quite bored lately, I thought you might enjoy being a part of the fun. Wouldn't you like that?" he asked playfully.

Mila rose huffed. "So, what is it exactly you want us to do?"

"Oh, nothing much. Have a little fun with them, ruff 'em up a little if you'd like, just so long as you don't kill them." he offered.

Apacci snorted and rolled her eyes. "Let me get this straight… you want us to fight em, but we can't 'kill' them? What kind of stupid shit is that?"

"Yeah." Mila Rose agreed. "What are we supposed to do once we beat them? Just walk away while they're still alive? Stupid's a very good word for that."

The man's face fell a bit with a defeated sigh. "Oh well then. If you're not interested, I suppose I could go speak with someone else. Enjoy the rest of your eventless day, ladies." he said with a wave, turning to leave the room.

The women watched him move to the door, and just as he was about to leave the room, Sung-Sun spoke up. "Wait."

He stopped and turned his head around to her. "Yeess?"

Mila Rose and Apacci turned to their comrade, who had a deep thinking expression on her face. "Would you mind giving us a moment? I need to speak with these two privately."

Gin nodded once. "Of course. Anything for you ladies." he teased, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

"What is it, Sung-Sun?" Mila Rose asked the second the door closed.

The green-haired fracción turned to her tallest companion. "I think we should do it." he stated.

Mila Rose raised a brow. "And why's that?"

Sung-Sun narrowed her eyes at her. "Because, to be quite frank, I am getting beyond tired of listening to the two of you arguing with each other. I think you need to vent your frustrations out on something, and a good fight might just do that."

Apacci thrusted a finger towards the door. "But did you hear what that clown said? We can't kill em! So what's the damn point of fighting them if we can't finish it? It's stupid."

Sung-Sun rolled her eyes to the horned Arrancar. "I take it that you'd rather sit in here and do nothing?" she questioned.

"Fuck no! I'm sick of all this sitting around! We're not even allowed to spar anymore for some stupid reason; otherwise, I'd go and pick a fight with one of Baraggan's fraccion!, just to have 'something' to do!"

"Then why are you complaining? You're being offered a fight, a 'real' fight, and here you are, upset because you cannot kill your opponent. I, for one, intend to go." Sung-Sun declared with a firm stare.

Mila Rose raised a questioning brow. "And what about Lady Harribel? You think she'd approve of this?"

"Likely not. But, then again, we can always just pin the blame on him." she said, pointing a sleeve towards the door. "Afterall, he did say that orders have changed, and it's not like Lady Harribel herself told us we could not get involved, correct?"

The taller woman sighed and shook her head. "I don't know, Sung-Sun. You've got a point, but I know that she wouldn't be happy about this. What do you think, Apacci?" she asked, turning to the last member of the group.

The short-haired woman shrugged. "Sucks we can't kill the bastards, but I'm good for going along with it. Like Sung-Sun said, if Lady Harribel asks, we just blame it on the clown." she said, jutting a thumb towards the door with a smirk.

Sung-Sun nodded and turned back to Mila Rose. "Well? Are you joining us?" she asked.

Mila Rose thought the matter over for a moment before sighing. "I don't like it. But I can't let you two go all alone. So yeah, I'm in." she relented.

"Tsk, just beat em to an inch of their lives and leave. I just hope they're strong enough to make the effort worthwhile." Apacci mumbled in annoyance.

Sung-Sun nodded and turned to the door. "You may come in now." she called out.

The door opened and Gin poked his head in. "Sooo… did you make a decision?" he asked with his usual grin.

Mila Rose sighed and nodded. "Yeah, we'll do it. So where are they now?"

His smile widening, he stepped back into the room and sleeved his arms. "Our guests have split up into three groups. Two of them are already being… entertained… at the moment, so you'll be having fun with the last one. They are at Ulquiorra's place and should be quite easy to find."

Sung-Sun raised a curious brow. "You say that they have split up? Well, how will we know which group is the one we are to fight with?"

Gin removed a hand and held it to his chest. "Oh my, how could I have forgotten such a key detail. How careless oh meee." he 'fretted', causing tick marks to appear on all three of the womens' heads.

"Can I 'please' kill him now?" Apacci seethed.

"Ditto." Mila Rose added.

"I fear that would not be in the best interest of our health, ladies. Commander Ichimaru… would you so 'kindly' tell us exactly 'who' it is that we are looking for?" she pleaded, her own anger rising as her patience for the man came close to running out.

The man chuckled to himself. "Of course."

Palace of the Quatro Espada, With Rukia's Team

"Damn it! There's no end to them!" Rukia cursed, deflecting another strike aimed for her legs.

Easily able to block her opponent's attack, she pressed back against him, pushing him back enough for her to raise her foot and give the Arrancar a swift kick to its stomach. The force used sent the transformed hollow back a good distance, but he was able to stay on his feet.

She was given no reprieve, as she was quickly attacked from behind by another Arrancar, a much larger one. This was one of the times that Rukia was grateful for her small stature, as theArrancar misjudged her height when he attacked. All the woman had to do was tuck her head in a bit and the Arrancar's blade flew right over her head.

Once the attack was dodged, she twisted her body around and ran her blade into the large Arrancar's midsection. It yelled out in pain before using its clawed, free hand to try and slash her.

This Arrancar was obviously not used to fighting someone easily less than half his height, as shown when he completely missed her; no dodging necessary. Instead, since her zanpakutō was already in its released state, she used her zanpakutō's ability to freeze the Arrancar, starting from where she stabbed it and quickly spreading across its entire body.

When the Arrancar's entire body was frozen solid, she twisted her blade and slashed out. The Arrancar's body split into two blocks of ice, shattering into thousands of tiny pieces when the two halves fell to the ground.

Again, she barely even got a second to breath before the first Arrancar was back on her. Turning back around, she blocked another attack, gritting her teeth when the Arrancar put much more force into the attack.

Her blade locked with his, she chanced a glance over to Chad. Like her, the large human was having a difficult time with his own fight. Not because their foes were too strong for them, as they were pretty much like the others, weaklings, but because his opponents were relentless in their attacks against the teen.

It was more of a nuisance than a struggle, really.

She watched Chad give one of the Arrancars a hefty punch to its face, sending it to the ground, before turning back to her own opponent.

"You'll die here, soul reaper. It was stupid of you to come here, to our house, and pick a fight." the Arrancar, a female, hissed at her.

She scoffed as she doubled her efforts to push back with her blade. "We didn't come here to fight you, Arrancar. We came here to save our friend." she corrected.

The Arrancar grinned evilly. "Is that so? I heard that we had some sort of guest with us. Didn't think it was a friend of the soul reapers. Guess that means I'll have to find and kill em. Can't have someone with ties to the Soul Society just waltzing around now, can we?" she sneered.

Rukia narrowed her eyes at the transformed hollow. "You talk like you'll live through this."

Her opponent chuckled. "And you talk like you can win, soul reaper."

The shorter woman smirked with an amused huff. "That's because I already have, Arrancar."

With a burst of strength, Rukia pushed the Arrancar's blade back and high. Twisting her wrist, she twirled her zanpakutō around in front of her, ending with the blade pointing to the ground.

"Some no mai…" she called before swiftly turning around in a circle, slicing the air around her. "Tsukishiro." she finished, quickly jumping back several feet as the ground below them began to glow with a white hue.

"What the…" the Arrancar spoke, but was unable to finish before a beam of light shot to the ceiling.

Rukia watched as the beam of light became a solid pillar of ice, trapping the female Arrancar inside with a shocked expression on its face. The soul reaper huffed lightly and turned from her frozen opponent.

"You were too quick to engage me that you never noticed the vast distinction between our powers. If you did, you would have realized that you had no chance against me." she commented.

She turned around just in time to see Chan swing his second opponent around by the leg. Using the poor Arrancar like a bat, he slung the being into the wall. The Arrancar's body hit the wall with enough force to crack the surface and create a small indent in the shape of its body.

The hollow's head hit the stone surface with enough force to render him unconscious, his body going limp as he fell to the floor in a heap. Chad released the Arrancar's leg as Rukia stepped up to him.

"I'm impressed, Chad. You didn't even have to use your powers to fight them." she complemented.

The teen nodded once at her and turned to her two fallen opponents. "You killed them?" he asked in his monotone voice.

The woman raised a brow at his question. "Is that a problem?" she asked back.

He turned his calm gaze to her, with what appeared to be sadness in his eyes. "I'd prefer if we didn't have to take any lives while we are here. Killing is wrong."

Rukia sighed with a dropped head and nodded. "I know that. But sometimes, it can't be helped. This is a warzone, Chad. Casualties in battle are inevitable, as is killing."

He nodded once. "That's true. But that doesn't mean we should do so when it can be avoided."

She sighed again with another nod. "I know, Chad. I know. What about you? You okay?" she asked.

The teen gave a last nod with a thumbs up, making Rukia sweatdrop. 'Seriously… what is it with him and those 'thumbs ups'? It's just… freaky.'

Letting the matter go, she sighed and shook her head. "Alright. We need to get moving again. We still have so much ground to cover, and it's clear we've lost our element of surprise now."

Chad nodded with a hum. "Do you think the others have run into trouble as well?" he inquired.

The woman shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea. If they haven't yet, they will soon."

"I agree. Alright. Let's go." the teen said, turning to leave with Rukia in tow.

"Hey! You two!" a voice shouted, making them both stop in place as Rukia sighed in exasperation.

"It's like these guys are literally pouring from the walls." she mumbled before the two of them turned to see three more Arrancars running towards them.

Two of the Arrancars had insect-like masks, while the third had one's looked like a visor of sorts. If she was being honest, it almost looked like something those 'cyburgs', as Ichigo called them, would wear.

"Which ones do you want, Chad?" she asked her tall friend.

The teen was silent for a moment, until he raised a hand up and pointed at the Arrancar with the visor. "Judging by their spiritual pressures, that guy with the funny glasses seems to be the leader. I'll deal with him, while you handle the others." he proposed.

Rukia shrugged. "Sounds good to me." she responded, entering a defensive stance while Chad raised his fists in a boxing stance.

"There they are!" another voice shouted, this time from behind.

The pair turned their heads around to see two more Arrancars coming up from behind. Rukia groaned in annoyance. "Seriously? Just how many of these guys are there?" she fussed aloud.

Chad looked between the two groups of enemies for a moment. "Rukia…" he opened, getting her attention. "I think I can handle those three; will you be good with those two behind us?" he asked.

Rukia scoffed with a roll of the eyes and grinned at him. "Please… as if those two could defeat a member of the Kuchiki clan. Just watch. I'll have those two down in a matter of minutes."

He nodded with a low hum. "Alright. Be careful."

She nodded back and turned to her opponents with a serious glare. "Yeah, you too."

"Get em!" the Arrancar with the visor shouted, drawing his weapon while the others followed suit.

Las Noches Security Room, Main Building

"Oooohhhh, now that was a good one." Gin Ichimaru cooed as he watched one of the large video screens in the room, a wide, fox-like grin on his face. "A bit on the dull side, buuut, I suppose it's still a tad early in the game still." he added, tilting his head and folding his hands into his sleeves.

On the screen before him was the footage of one of the many cameras located within the confines of Las Noches. This camera was located on one of the middle floors of the Quatro Espada's palace, and was showing the fight between the Quincy, the red-headed Lieutenant, and some of the lower Arrancar guarding it.

The intruders had just defeated their opponents, the fight barely lasting more than a few minutes, and it left the former Squad 3 Captain a bit disappointed. If he was being honest, he had hoped the fight would last at least a little bit longer.

With a saddened sigh, the man shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well. I wonder how our other guests are doing." he mumbled, reaching forward and pressing one of the hundreds of buttons on the command console.

The view instantly switched, and Gin smiled when he saw Rukia and Chad walking briskly through the hallways a few floors above the previous team. He raised a brow when he quickly noticed that the pair looked a little relaxed, though still maintaining a high guard.

"Well now, it seems these two are a bit lonely. Why don't we fix that?" he said as he prepared to press a few more buttons.

"What are you up to, Commander Ichimaru?" a cold voice asked from behind.

The silver-haired man stopped and turned to see Ulquiorra standing in the doorway to the room, watching him closely.

The former Captain smiled his trademark 'smile' and refolded his arms into their sleeves. "Oh, Ulquiorra, how lovely to see you this evening." he greeted in a cheerful voice.

The Espada nodded once in response. "I had asked you a question, Commander Ichimaru, and if you will, I would like to know your answer. What are you doing?" he asked again.

Pulling a hand from his sleeve, Gin pointed a finger at himself with a look of mock surprise. "Me? Why, I'm just having a bit of fun. Won't you join me, Ulquiorra?"

His expression unchanging as he looked at the man with annoyance at his antics, the Quatro stepped into the room fully and joined the man at the console. Observing the screen, he instantly recognized the woman as Rukia Kuchiki, while the large, brown-skinned human looked like his human captive's friend.

"Why are you interfering with the intruders, Commander Ichimaru? Was it not Lord Aizen's instructions that we were not to interfere with the intruders in any way?" Ulquiorra questioned, glancing at the man.

The former Captain sighed with slumped shoulders. "Oh, come now, Ulquiorra… it's been so boorrring, and dull, here lately. Can you honestly blame me for wanting to… liven things up a bit?" he whined.

Ulquiorra was unamused. "That does not excuse you for disobeying Lord Aizen's wishes, Commander Ichimaru. You know this." he warned.

A sly grin came to Gin's face. "Now, who 'ever' said that I was 'disobeying' Captain Aizen's wishes, Ulquiorra?" he teased.

The Espada actually narrowed his eyes a bit, barely noticeable, at the man in suspicion. "What do you mean?" he questioned carefully.

That grin of Gin's only grew wider. "Why, I mean that Captain Aizen allowed me to… shall we say, have a bit of fun with our guests. Afterall, we would be very poor hosts if we didn't give our guests at least some sort of 'greeting'. Actually…" His grin turned to a full blown smile. "I believe our dear friend, Grimmjow, might soon be a part of the welcoming committee. Oh, now that will be 'very' interesting to see. It would be even better if 'you' were allowed to greet them as well. Wouldn't you agree? I mean, it is 'your' home they are in, afterall." he asked.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and turned back to the screen. "It does not matter. Lord Aizen has instructed that I remain unincluded in this matter, and so that is what I will do." he concluded, reopening his eyes to the pair on the screen to see them now fighting against a pair of Arrancars.

He watched as the short woman effortlessly slayed one of his comrades, and Gin rose a brow when the Espada had shown absolutely no emotion in response to the Arrancar's demise.

"Aren't you the least bit concerned for your friends, Ulquiorra? That woman, Rukia, just killed one of your own. Don't you feel the least bit sorry for him?" he asked with his usual grin.

The Espada turned his eyes to the man. "I have no need, nor any desire, to pity those who are defeated by someone like her so easily. To me, beings like those are little more than common trash. If you are so easily defeated in such a manner, then you have no need to exist in the first place. That woman, Rukia Kuchiki, is merely performing an action that should have been done in the first place." he responded, turning back to the screen to see that the human male had already defeated the second Arrancar.

"Oh poo, done already? That wasn't even the least bit entertaining. Well then, why don't I fix that."

Ulquiorra watched as the former Captain started entering commands into the console. After a few entries, he stood back straight and folded his arms again. "There, that should make things a little more interesting."

After watching the man, Ulquiorra could tell that he had activated the silent alarm system within the palace, alerting any and all Arrancars inside the building. He knew that, within a matter of minutes, his uninvited guests would be swarmed by multiple Arrancars.

With a silent sigh, Ulquiorra turned and began to leave the room, where Gin's gaze followed him with a raised brow. "Are you not going to watch, Ulquiorra? Things are just about to get interesting." he asked.

"I have no interest in associating myself with your borderline actions of insubordination. Just be sure that you do not cause irreparable damage to my home with your… actions, Commander Ichimaru." Ulquiorra warned as he left the room.

The playful man sighed in defeat. "And here I was hoping he would join me. Oh well. Guess I should pay attention to the T.V.; I'd hate to miss anything." he commented to himself, turning back to the screen and sitting down in the chair next to him to relax. "Now… those three should be arriving any moment now… if only I had some popcorn..."

With Renji's Team

A gurgled scream of pain came from an Arrancar as he fell to the floor; dead, with a bright, blue arrow of energy in its chest. A few yards away, Uryū lowered his energy bow and adjusted his glasses with his free hand.

"Just like the others: weak." the Quincy commented after making, yet another, easy kill. "It's like Aizen is mass producing these Arrancars, using regular hollows. They're almost as weak as traditional hollows." he concluded.

Turning his gaze to his partner, Renji, he saw the Squad 6 Lieutenant just as easily slay his own opponent, not even releasing his shikai. The redheaded man recovered from his attack and rested his blade on his shoulder before turning to the young human.

"This is ridiculous. I'm starting to wonder if we're actually in Hueco Mundo, or some random place that looks like it. These two were a joke." he stated with an annoyed expression.

The quincy nodded with a hum. "I get what you're saying. They have to know that we are here by now, yet, they keep sending weaklings to try and deal with us. To be honest, I'm starting to suspect even more now that we're being led into a trap." he fretted.

Renji hummed in thought for a moment. "Yeah, I gotta agree with you on that. Things are starting to get a little more fishy the further we go. This last group we just ran into makes the fourth one, and if you add in the possible groups the others may have come across, there's no way that they don't know we're here." he added.

"You've got a point. They should have sent someone with a decent amount of strength by now. I think it may be a good idea to regroup and come up with a new plan." the quincy advised.

The Lieutenant sighed and shook his head. "Actually, that might not be a good idea, Uryū. Say that they 'do' know we're here, don't you think it would be bad if they caught us while we're all together? I don't wanna think bad thoughts or anything, but if some of us are either gonna be caught or killed, I'd rather it be just a couple of us, rather than the whole group. I ain't afraid to die, but that don't mean I want my death to be pointless. If you want my opinion, I think we should scratch the whole 'meet back up every few hours' thing." he advised.

Dissipating his energy bow, Uryū rested his chin in hand as he thought the Lieutenant's words over. "It would prevent us all from being found in one place at the same time, but at the same time, it also means that our ability to coordinate with each other would be effectively reduced to nothing. And with a mission like this, communication is paramount. All we would be left with is observing the other teams' actions and reacting accordingly."

The teen then looked up at the soul reaper and narrowed his eyes. "But then again, this 'is' Aizen we're talking about. It's possible that the reason all we've faced so far is weaklings is because he has 'intended' for that to happen, hoping we would think this way and choose to remain divided. A trap within a trap."

Renji sighed again and started to rub the back of his head with his free hand. "Yeah, that's true. With Aizen, any damn thing is possible." he admitted.

Uryū nodded once and turned down the hallway. "We'll still meet up in a couple of hours, as was planned. Ichigo and the others don't know about our intentions to abandon the meetings, and if we don't show up, they may fear the worst. Not to mention that they would continue to meet up afterwards." he pointed out, glancing back at the Lieutenant.

"I don't like it, but this crap's only gonna get harder and harder from here on out."

The Quincy narrowed his eyes for a moment with a hum in thought. "Yes, I agree. The situation is made even more difficult with our hampered senses."

Renji canted his head in puzzlement. "Whaddaya mean?" he asked.

The teen turned back to him. "Haven't you noticed? Now that we are out of those tunnels, we 'should' be able to detect the others to some extent, especially Ichigo." he stated firmly.

The soul reaper shrugged his shoulders. "Could be that we're too far away. That, or they're all suppressing their spiritual pressures." he pointed out.

But the Quincy shook his head. "With how much spirit energy the idiot leaks out just by breathing, it's almost impossible not to detect him, even if he is somehow suppressing it. Yet, even with my superior senses, I can't." he assured, turning to face one of the walls. "Also, didn't you notice how, when those groups of Arrancars found us, they all seemed surprised to find us? As if they were not expecting us at all?"

Renji raised a brow. "Isn't that a good thing? I thought the purpose of sneaking in was for them to 'not' know we're here, right?"

Uryū nodded once. "Yes. However, even if we suppressed our spiritual pressures, with how close they were before spotting us, they 'should' have realized that someone was here that shouldn't be. But they didn't." He continued to stare curiously at the wall for a moment, when it finally clicked. "And I think I know why." he stated, stepping forward.

Coming to a stop at the wall, he ran his hand along it, stopping at a spot and using a nail to pick a tiny piece the size of a pinhead and observing it closely.

"As I thought." he mumbled lowly.

His interest peaked, Renji stepped forward to peer over the teen's shoulder. "What's up? Find something?" he asked.

Turning, Uryū held the piece up to give Renji a closer look at it. "It's very faint, almost nonexistent, but the palace walls have trace amounts of that energy-reflecting stone that made up the walls of the tunnels. It's not concentrated enough to prevent damage caused by spirit energy, but it is enough to mess with our detection abilities."

Renji leaned back and cupped his chin. "So, it's the walls that are keeping us from picking up Ichigo and the others?"

The teen nodded again. "It's also why those Arrancars were unaware of our presence, regardless of how close they were. That's good, because even if they do know we are here by now, they won't be able to tell where exactly. However..."

"But on the downside, we won't be able to tell where our friends are either." Renji finished, earning a nod.

"Both a boon, and a curse." he confirmed, dropping the piece of wall and brushing his hands off. "Unless their spiritual pressures reach very high levels, we won't have any idea where they are, or if they've run into trouble. The same goes for us. If we run into a tight spot, it would be foolish to expect them to come help us. Which means we're effectively on our own."

"Okay, so… say we're the ones that find Orihime… how the hell we gonna find the others to get a ride back home from Nel? Also, what if 'they' are the ones that find her? How are they gonna find 'us'?" the Lieutenant asked in worry.

"That's a problem we'll have to worry about later. For now, we need to get back on task of finding her."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that." a foreign voice stated.

Soul reaper and Quincy snapped their heads around to the voice, reading their weapons as they did. Standing before them, a few yards down the hallway, was a lone Arrancar. He stood in the center of the walkway, his arms held behind his back with a calm and prideful stance.

The pair quickly noticed that, unlike the other Arrancars that had at least some of their facial features exposed, this one had a mask that encased his entire head. The mask's shape looked very similar to a bull's skull.

The man's clothes, that covered every inch of his body, were a solid white; the only exception to this being the black sash around his waist and black gloves. The Arrancar's zanpakutō could be clearly seen on his left hip.

Uryū narrowed his eyes at the man, but made no further hostile gestures. "And who might you be?" he asked.

The man huffed once lowly. "Forgive me, it was not my intention to be rude. I am Rudbornn Chelute, the leader of the Exequias."

The Quincy raised a curious brow. "'Executioners'?" he mumbled.

The man heard him, as shown when he nodded. "A crude translation into your native language, but yes. However, it is not only 'executions' that I am responsible for. I am also what you may call the head of security of Las Noches. Anything that concerns the safety and security of this fortress is my responsibility." he informed them.

Renji tilted his head a bit in wonder. "You don't seem so surprised to find us. I thought you said that they wouldn't be able to detect us, Uryū?" he questioned.

Rudbornn chuckled as if in humor. "I do not need to detect you through your spiritual pressures. I have eyes and ears throughout Las Noches. Unless Lord Aizen prevents it, there is nothing within its confines that I do not know about. I was aware of your presence the moment you stepped foot outside of those long-forgotten tunnels."

Uryū gave him a questioning look. "If that is the case, then why is it only now that you have come to face us? We left those tunnels several hours ago, and this place is not exactly that big, so what kept you?" he asked.

"I'm afraid I am not at liberty to answer that." the Arrancar answered with a shake of his head. "But I do not see how that matters at the moment. You two are intruders to Las Noches, and as her guardian, it is my duty to remove you." The man lowered one arm while drawing his zanpakutō with the other. Renji and Uryū lowered themselves into defensive stances as Rudbornn entered an aggressive one. "Though you may be enemies, I will be sure to see that your end will be as quick, painless, and honorable as is possible."

Uryū narrowed his gaze at the man. "I have a question for you."

Rudbornn nodded once. "You may ask it."

"If you were aware of 'us' being here, then you are also aware of our comrades."

The Arrancar nodded again. "I am. The small woman and large man are a few floors below us, while the two male soul reapers and the former Quinto Espada are above us. So what is your question?"

Uryū's gaze intensified. "If you were aware of all of us, and that we had split up, why did you not inform your masters? Or… did you do so and our friends are currently being engaged?"

Rudbornn again shook his head. "My apologies, but that is yet another question that I am not permitted to answer. If by some miracle you are able to defeat me, then perhaps you may discover the answer for yourselves. Now, regretfully, our time for talking is over. Now it is time I remove you from our home, intruders."

The man suddenly vanished in a buzz of sonído, reappearing less than a couple feet from Renji. The move was so fast that the Lieutenant barely had time to bring his blade up to block the Arrancar's upwards, diagonal slash to his chest. Renji grunted as he fought to hold the attack back, the force of the attack pushing him back a few feet.

Reacting quickly, Uryū twisted his body and hopped back as he fired a volley of arrows at the attacker. His eyes widened a bit in surprise when the arrows hit, not Rudbornn, but a pair of Arrancars that had appeared between them.

Landing back on his feet, the teen watched as the two newcomers fell to the floor, dead. Taking a second, the Quincy noticed that the two slain Arrancars were identical to each other, and besides the 'human'-shaped skull masks, looked very similar to Rudbornn.

But his reprieve was short lived, as even more of these new Arrancars appeared and began assaulting him. 'So, he brought friends with him.' he thought to himself, using hirenkyaku to get some distance from the new arrivals.

Reappearing, he readied his bow at the Arrancars, before his eyes went wide when he detected three more of the Arrancars right behind him. Vanishing in hirenkyaku again, he reappeared a few yards away to see that he now had five of these mirrored-image Arrancars attacking him.

'Who are these guys? Are they part of that 'exequias' as well, with that Rudbornn as their leader?' he pondered to himself. His senses then flared and he nearly gasped as he snapped his head around to see yet two more of these Arrancars behind him. 'There's more?!' he fretted before vanishing.

It was only a split second later that the two Arrancars grunted in pain as a hailstorm of arrows pelted them, fired by Uryū the instant he reappeared a few yards away. Like the ones before them, they fell to the floor in lifeless heaps as the Quincy adjusted his aim to attack the other five.

But again, he was forced to move as another three Arrancars made their presence known, making it an eight-to-one fight against the teen. The area was flooded with the sounds of whisps and buzzes as the human and Arrancars danced and weaved around each other.

Another yell of pain sounded out as the fifth Arrancar was pierced by a series of energy arrows, but the Quincy was given no time to celebrate, as yet even more of them appeared to attack his exposed back, now 'ten'-to-one.

'There's so many of them! Where the hell are they all coming from?!' the teen wondered, firing another volley of arrows and killing his sixth opponent. He turned to follow through on his seventh, but was forced back again by more of the Arrancars appearing.

When he landed, he was forced to turn around and draw one of his seele schneider and use it to block an attack from behind. Dissipating his bow, he reached behind him and grabbed a second one and used it to slash at the Arrancar's midsection; his seventh kill.

Turning back around, he returned his left weapon to its sheath while sleeving the right and rematerializing his bow. Firing another volley, he grunted in annoyance when the three Arrancars swiftly dodged them, only managing to nick one in the arm.

'They're learning.' he observed, hopping back from the trio's coordinated attack.

After recovering, he quickly noticed that, as the fight progressed, he was being pushed farther and farther from his teammate, several yards now dividing them. 'They're splitting us up.' he observed further, readying another arrow and firing it, killing the eighth Arrancar. 'These guys are easy to defeat, but there are so many of them that it counteracts that fact. This is obviously a battle of attrition. If we were in an open area, such as outside, that wouldn't be a problem, since I can keep them at a distance. But since we are indoors, I'm forced to fight at close range. If it were only a few of them, that wouldn't be much of a problem either; but since there are so many, one misstep and it's over.'

WIth another step of hirenkyaku, he appeared behind th assaulting Arrancar and fired another volley, killing two. Expecting a counterattack, he 'stepped' away again just as three more of the Arrancars appeared to attack.

But the second he reappeared, two more were waiting for him, making the fight a thirteen-to-one. Turing, he brought his right arm around, dematerializing his bow and slipping his sleeved seele schneider out to block.

'There's literally no end to them. Those last two makes it ten kills, but there's still so many of them here. If I kill one, two more seem to take its place. The only upside is that they seem to be focusing on me and ignoring Renji. That's good, cause if he can defeat the leader, then the rest just might flee.' he deducted, slashing at his opponent's legs and forcing him to the ground.

Finishing the masked man off with an uppercut of his energy weapon, he turned and blocked a second attack. 'So that means I just have to keep these guys busy until Renji defeats Rudbornn.'

Forcing his opponent's blade back, he vanished through hirenkyaku to reappear behind the man, cutting him down, then another Arrancar in quick succession; twelve kills. Sleeving his weapon again, he readied his bow and fired a volley at two more, killing one. But where that one fell, three more took its place.

Uryū's place contorted in annoyance. 'Tsk… easier said than done. At the rate these guys are multiplying, Renji better finish his fight quickly, or I might be in some trouble.' he thought, firing another volley.

While the Quincy was having difficulties fighting off the endless hoard, Renji was having his own issues against the single, but obviously more powerful, Rudbornn. While the numerous lookalikes had very little in means of combat abilities and skills, their numbers nullified that advantage; where in the case of Rudbornn, who fought Renji alone, the man clearly had plenty of experience.

While the Lieutenant had noticed the seemingly limitless numbers of Arrancars his friend was fighting, he had no time to ponder the reason behind it. From the moment he and Rudbornn first crossed blades, the bull-skull masked man was relentless in his attacks against the soul reaper.

The redhead grunted as he was pushed back again from another forceful hit against his blade, the Arrancar charging after him with his blade poised to stab. "Is this the best that you possess, Lieutenant Abarai?"

Recovering, Renji turned his released Zabimaru, using the much broader blade to block the stab attack. With a twist of his body, Renji allowed Rudbornn to pass him as he turned a full three-sixty to bring his segmented blade down against the Arrancar's back.

But Rudbornn was fast, turning his own body and swinging up to block the Lieutenant's blade. "I don't recall giving you my name." the redhead said, holding the block.

"There was no need. Lord Aizen had given me plenty of information regarding you and your allies. The one who is with you now I know to be Uryū Ishida, one of the last remaining Quincies." Rudbornn informed him, breaking the clash and pushing Renji back.

The Lieutenant fell back against the wall with a grunt from the impact. Raising his head back up, his eyes widened a bit before using shunpo to avoid the Arrancar's next attack. The masked man's blade struck the wall, the blade cutting into the stoneworks a few inches.

Turning his head, the man's face was greeted by the redhead's fist in the cheek portion of the mask. Rudbornn's blade came free from the wall as he was sent back a few feet from the unexpected punch.

Immediately after coming to a stop, he was forced to block a downward slash from Renji, locking them together again. The Arrancar chuckled once at him. "How odd. I had figured that a Lieutenant, the second strongest in one of your 'squads', would be more powerful. I felt nothing from your brutish attack." he mocked.

"You're not all that powerful yourself, Arrancar." the Lieutenant mocked back.

Rudbornn chuckled again. "Empty words, soul reaper." he returned, turning and kicking Renji in the stomach.

The attack sent Renji into the opposing wall, where he fought to hold back a scream of pain as he was pinned to the wall by Rudbornn's blade through his shoulder. He gnashed his teeth together to fight the pain as the Arrancar brought its face close to his.

"Surely you have noticed that I am not as weak as those you had faced up to this point." he said, putting more pressure on the blade and watching in mild glee as the Lieutenant continued to fight the pain.

"They were what one could call 'failures'; Arrancars whose transformation by the hōgyoku did not yield favorable results to Lord Aizen. He has deemed it fitting to call them the 'Caída', the fallen. While their appearances may have changed, they are truly no more powerful than the hollows you are likely used to fighting. Myself, however…"

With a twist of his sword, Rudbornn pried the blade from Renji's shoulder, eliciting another low grunt of pain before kicking again; this time, to his head. Renji's body was thrown to the side and down to the ground as Rudbornn turned to face him.

The Arrancar slashed his blade in front of him, holding it at his side. "I am by far superior to those weaklings. Had Lord Aizen not seen it more fitting for me to be the leader of the Exequias, it is highly likely I would be a member of the Espada." he stated proudly.

Picking himself up from the floor while clutching his shoulder, Renji raised his head to him with a worried expression on his face. 'An Espada? Him? Shit… if he's really as strong as an Espada, I'm in some deep shit.' Standing straight, he released his shoulder and wiped the bit of blood from his lips with the back of his hand. "An Espada, huh? Gotta tell ya, I've seen an Espada fight before, and your power is nowhere near what I saw. So, sorry if I don't believe ya." he taunted with a sly grin.

Rudbornn scoffed, unamused. "Is that so? From what I have been told, the only ones who have been outside of Hueco Mundo as of late are Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, and Yammy. Yammy had reported that the only soul reaper he had come into contact with was the one with the odd teleporting abilities, and Ulquiorra has only ever fought against the one known as Kisuke Urahara. That leaves only Grimmjow. Sadly, he has a very poor habit of retelling any interesting fights he has had, most especially the ones that include his Resurrección. Seeing as how he has made no mention of releasing it as of late, it is doubtful that you had witnessed it. Therefore, you truly have no understanding of the true power of an Espada, such as what I have."

The Arrancar lowered his head just a fraction, his mask hiding the slight grin he had on his true face. "Perhaps I should show it to you? 'My' Resurrección, that is. Even though it is unwarranted to fight someone of your power."

Renji gritted his teeth in annoyance with a scoff. "You talk like you think you've seen the best that 'I' can do. Hate to tell ya buddy, but you ain't seen me at my best just yet."

Rudbornn chuckled lowly. "If that is the case, then that means you are holding back. Are you sure that is wise, considering your current situation?" he inquired.

The Lieutenant scoffed again. "It's not like I want to, you know. I can't exactly fight at full power in such a closed area like this." he grumbled.

The Arrancar watched him for a moment, before humming to himself in thought. "I see. Well then, why don't we correct that problem."

Renji narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What are you talking about?" he questioned lowly.

Rudbornn then silently raised a hand up. Almost immediately, the now more than twenty skull-faced soldiers fighting against Uryū vanished, reappearing behind Rudbornn in matching stances, swords at their sides.

Realizing the sudden change in situation, Uryū quickly used hirenkyaku to appear next to Renji, his bow still at the ready. Renji took a second to observe his human friend and see a few small cuts and nicks on his exposed skin in random places as proof of the few close calls the Quincy had.

"You doing alright, Uryū?" he asked lowly.

"Never better." the teen responded without dropping his gaze from Rudbornn. "Though it doesn't look like the same could be said about you." he added with a smirk.

Renji scoffed at him. "No wonder Ichigo barely tolerates you." he grumbled.

"Now's not the time for this. Why do you think he called his minions off?" the Quincy asked.

"I am interested to see this power you claim to have, Lieutenant Abarai. As well as that of your friend, the Quincy. This location must be a hamper to his own abilities as well." Rudbornn said.

Uryū narrowed his eyes at the man. "You talk as if you know about us."

Rudbornn shook his head once. "I have never come across one before now, but I am versed enough about the Quincy race to know that this type of environment is not suited to their styles of fighting. Your race prefers open areas to make effective use of your long-range attacks, not confined spaces such as this."

"What are you getting at?" the teen questioned.

"I offer a change of venue, to one where I may see the full extent of your abilities. Regardless of what you humans and soul reapers may think of us, we Arrancars 'do' have our honor, and as such, I do not wish to outright kill one who still has the ability to fight at a higher level. I will defeat you, but I wish to do so while you are fighting at your finest. Therefore, we will take this confrontation to a more accommodating location."

With that, the soldiers behind Rudbornn vanished in a simultaneous, loud buzz of sonído as he sheathed his zanpakutō, before placing his arms behind his back again.

"Come with me. Know though, should you try to flee, I will view that as your disregard of honor, and will return the gesture by discarding my own to kill you without restraint." he warned, vanishing with a buzz immediately afterward.

Remaining behind, Renji turned to his friend with a raised brow. "Think it's a trap?" he inquired.

Uryū hummed in thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No. He and his men had the advantage against us here, and could have possibly killed the both of us. He knows this, so a trap would be pointless. But I will admit that choosing to move to a location less advantageous to him is quite suspicious."

I don't think suspicious is the word I would use. Still though, trap or not, we can't fight him in this small area. I say we follow him." the Lieutenant voted.

THe teen nodded once. "I agree. Let's go." he confirmed, the two of them vanishing immediately afterward.

With Rukia's Team

Rukia took a deep, calming breath after just subduing yet another Arrancar guard. Sheathing her zanpakutō, she turned to see Chad setting the unconscious body of one of his opponents down on the floor, leaning him against the wall gently.

You doing okay, Chad?" she asked.

The dark-skinned teen, still in a crouch, turned his head to her and offered a thumbs up. "Hm." he breathed out in acknowledgement with a nod.

The woman sweat dropped again at his wordless motion. "Uh… okay… Anyway, we should get moving again. Judging by how quickly that last group found us, they must know we're here now. We can't afford to take our time anymore."

Chad stood back up and nodded again. "Do you think they know where we are?" he inquired.

Rukia hummed in thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think so. I'm sure they know we're in this palace, but I doubt they know exactly where inside it. Otherwise, we would've had a lot more company by now." she pointed out.

The teen hummed, then nodded. "I think you're right. Are we going to the next floor?"

Rukia had to think on her answer intently. With their current floor searched, there was still some time before they had to meet up with the others, so it was possible that the pair could squeeze in a couple more floors.

There was also the matter of the meeting back up. Like Renji and Uryū, she no longer thought it to be a good idea to meet up on a regular basis. It would draw too much attention, something that could cost them dearly if things went south. In fact, she had been pondering for the past hour now on whether or not her and Chad should meet up with them.

But she would have to worry about that later; right now, they needed to move. Taking another breath, the woman nodded. "Yeah. Let's keep going, before more of these guys show up." she said, turning to move on.

"You ain't going anywhere." a feminine voice declared firmly.

Rukia and Chad turned their heads to see three Arrancars, three females, standing side-by-side in their path. The one on the left stood a hair over five foot in height; sported chin-length black hair; different colored eyes, the left an amber color and the right a bright blue; and a mask that gave the appearance of a horn from her forehead.

The center woman was over a half foot taller than the other two, and had a much more broader… and bustier… figure as well. Her brownish hair ran down to her lower back in thick waves; her green eyes had a calm, but very serious look in them; and her mask looked less like a hollow's mask, and more like a crown or sorts.

And finally, the one on the right was nearly as tall as the first, standing only a hair shorter. Her hair, greenish in color, was much longer, extending down to her upper thighs; her eyes were a bright lavender; and her mask, like the taller woman's, was not so much a mask, but rather an adornment, looking like a hairpin on her right side.

All three women stood in varying poses as they stared down Rukia and Chad in contempt. The left stood with her hands on her hips, head slightly raised in a superior like personality; the center with crossed arms, her gaze one of strength; and right simply held a sleeve up, covering most of her face with an observant look to her.

Rukia narrowed her eyes as she turned to face them fully. "Who are you?" she questioned.

The one on the left scoffed with a sneer. "We should be asking 'you' that, bitch. You're the one invading our home. So, who the hell are 'you'?" she demanded.

The soul reaper growled to herself in annoyance. "I'm Rukia Kuchiki, fourth seat of Squad 13. And this is Yasutora Sado, a friend of mine. And you are?" she returned.

The middle woman huffed once. "I'm Franceska Mila Rose…" she introduced, then pointed a thumb at her short-haired companion. "This is Emilou Apacci…" she added, then switched to thumb the last woman. "And that's Cyan Sung-Sun." she finished, lowering her hand and crossing arms again. "And we're the fracción of Lady Harribel, the Tres Espada."

Apacci grinned evilly. "Yeah. In short, you're screwed. You've got no chance at beating us, even one-on-one, bitch."

Sung-Sun rolled her eyes to her mouthy partner. "Such language. Is it really necessary?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Mila Rose scoffed. "You've been saying that for years, and nothing's changed, Sung-Sun. Why even bother anymore? She's a lost cause."

Apacci snapped her gaze to Mila Rose. "The fuck did you say, you cow?!" she roared.

"What'd you call me?!" Mila Rose snapped back, glaring at her shorter comrade.

"You heard me! With those massive udders of yours, you look just like a damn cow, 'cow'!" she snarled, jabbing a finger at the tall woman's breasts.

"Least I don't look like a damned unicorn, with that horn of yours!" Mila Rose returned, grabbing Apacci's mask horn and giving it a slight tug for emphasis.

"Ow, you bitch! That hurts! Let fucking go of me!" the shorter woman yelled.

"Ladies, please, don't you think we have more pressing matters to worry about? Like how we have a soul reaper and… her 'friend' before us? Honestly, it's like I am watching two immature children most times." Sung-Sun said in a sigh.

"Shut up, Sung-Sun!" Mila Rose and Apacci yelled, snapping their gazes to her in unison.

Throughout the 'conversation', Rukia and Chad both had disbelieving looks on their faces as sweat rolled down their foreheads. "Uh… if this is going to take a while… then… we'll just be going." she mumbled, Chad nodding in agreement.

Apacci turned to the woman in a snarl. "You ain't going nowhere, bitch. So just shut up and wait!"

Mila Rose sighed heavily and nodded. "Sung-Sun's right; now's not the time for us to start bickering again. As for you…" She paused to look back at Rukia. "The only way you're leaving here is if you 'somehow' defeat us. Seeing as how it's three against two, not to mention who it is you're facing, I doubt that's even possible. Face it, you two chose the wrong house to break into."

Rukia huffed at her. "It's not like we wanted to come here. We just came to rescue our friend, then we'll leave. Personally, I'd rather not fight anyone at all." she responded.

Sung-Sun raised a brow in curiousness. "You're talking about that young, human girl that Lord Ulquiorra brought back from the world of the living, right?" she inquired.

Chad nodded with a hum. "Her name's Orihime. She was kidnapped by Aizen. We just want her back. We didn't come here to fight." he confirmed in his low, monotone voice.

"I see. I've had the opportunity to speak with her a bit, and I must admit that I was a bit intrigued by her. If it were up to me, she would be released back to you. But alas, it is not. Lord Aizen, for reasons that I do not know, is interested in her, and wishes for her to remain here. So, sadly, remain here she must."

Mila Rose rolled her eyes to the woman in a glare. "Sung-Sun be quiet." she warned.

Rukia, surprised by Sung-Sun's words, raised a brow as well. "Do you know where she is?" she tried.

Sung-Sun's brow dropped, and to Rukia's surprise, had a look of concern on her face. "Sadly, even 'if' I was permitted to tell you, I couldn't. I had not seen, nor heard of her in the past few days. So I truly do not know where she is." she answered in a low voice.

That concerned Rukia. According to Nel's friend, the Primera Espada's fracción, Orihime was supposed to be here in the Quatro's palace. But now the fracción of another Espada, who should be privy to the same information, say she doesn't know where she is?

It came down to two possibilities: either Nel's friend was lying, and this was all just a trap; or, something has happened since then that the three women before her were not told about… possibly that Orihime was moved to somewhere else. If that were the case, this mission just became several times harder.

"You haven't heard anything?" she asked.

Sung-Sun shook her head. "No, I have not. None of us have. I don't think even the Espada are aware of where she is. But it doesn't matter. Even if I did know, and even if I did tell you where she was, you would not be able to help her. We came here to stop you, by either detaining you, or killing you. So, I ask that you please surrender. Personally, I prefer not to fight, but that doesn't mean I will refrain from it."

Apacci chuckled darkly. "If you ask me, I'd rather you fight, so that 'I' can kill you."

Mila Rose shrugged. "I couldn't care less either way. Regardless, you're not leaving here."

Rukia shifted herself into a more combat-ready pose. "I'm not sure we can take them, Chad. At least not with these odds." she whispered to him.

The teen nodded, entering a boxing stance as his right arm was encased with the black form of his powers. "I doubt we can outrun them. I didn't even know they were there until the rude one spoke. These guys are much more powerful than the ones we've faced so far."

Rukia nodded back. "I agree."

"Rukia…" Chad called, getting her attention.

"Yeah?"

"When I see an opportunity, I'll try to keep all three of them busy. When I do, I want you to run." he said, shocking her.

"Don't be stupid. Even if you could keep them busy long enough, I'm not going to leave you alone with them. Besides, if anyone should go, it's you." she returned.

He shook his head slightly. "I can't use flash step, I only have my natural speed. And that is not enough to stand a chance of getting away. You're the only one who has that chance, Rukia. And I want you to take it. Find Orihime, and get her home."

The woman scoffed. "Sorry, Chad, but that's not happening. Either we both leave, or neither of us leaves. So, it looks like we're gonna have to beat them if we want to continue looking for Orihime. I'll take the two on the sides, you get the big girl in the center."

"Are you sure you can handle them?" he asked in concern.

Rukia blew air between her lips and smirked at him. "Please… I'm a member of the Kuchiki Clan. If you think I'll fall that easily, then think again. Think you can handle the big one?" she teased.

He nodded with a hum. "No problem."

"Good. Then let's get this over with." she said, turning back to the three women before them. Let's take this somewhere else, so we're not in each other's way." she offered.

Apacci scoffed with a roll of the eyes while Sung-Sun nodded. "Whatever." the short-haired woman mumbled.

"Sounds reasonable." Sung-Sun agreed.

Rukia nodded back before she and the two others vanished with two buzzes and a whisp, leaving Chad and Mila Rose alone. The two broad beings stared at each other closely, studying the other.

"To be honest, I'd rather not fight. My abuelo always taught me that fighting is not the answer to problems. But I know that it can't always be avoided." he commented.

Mila Rose huffed lowly. "This abuelo of yours sounds like a smart man. Seems like you're no idiot yourself, realizing that sometimes you gotta fight for what you want. Can't say I agree with your view on not wanting to fight though. I'm a warrior, and an Arrancar, fighting is my life. It's how those like me survive."

Chad hummed, thinking on her words. "There are other ways for people like you to survive, Mila Rose. Just because you are a warrior, it doesn't mean that fighting is the only answer."

The woman closed her eyes and nodded. "That's true, but it's the answer I've chosen, Yasutora Sado."

"Chad." he corrected.

She opened an eye to him. "Huh?" she asked, confused.

"Ichigo and the others, they all call me Chad. It's the name I go by most times." he clarified.

She opened her other eye and raised a brow. "Chad, huh? I'll admit, not a bad name there. But we're getting off topic. I'll give you that you don't seem like a bad kid, 'Chad'. I get that you only came here to save your friend, and I can respect that, but let's face it; you shouldn't have come here." she said, drawing her zanpakutō that looked more like a traditional broadsword than a katana.

Chad hummed with a tone of sadness. "I see. In that case, I can only hope you won't hold it against me if I hurt you."

"I'm not really one to hold grudges, so you don't have to worry about that. But if you think that you will be able to defeat me easily, then you're wrong, kid." she assured him.

He nodded once and re-entered his boxing stance. "I can tell by your spiritual pressure that you're strong, Mila Rose. I know that defeating you won't be easy, but if I want to help Rukia and save Orihime, then I 'must' defeat you… or die trying."

Mila Rose smirked at him in amusement. "Die trying, huh? Seems like our fighting spirits match when it comes to determination. But I want to see that determination in battle. You ready, Chad?" she asked, entering her own stance.

The teen nodded once. "I am."

She nodded back, keeping her smirk. "Good." she said, then with a loud roar, charged at the teen.


And that ends this chapter, readers. So, we know the Tres Bestias have gone after Rukia and Chad, while Rudbornn confronted Renji and Uryū. So, I'm sure you can all guess who Tim, Ichigo, and Nel will come across, lol. But, not gonna give any spoilers for the next chapter, so you'll all have to wait on that. Sorry.

Like I said up top, sorry for the long wait, but life got in the way. I'm gonna try my hardest to get the next chapter out to you all as soon as I can and hope you will all be patient with me. The general inquiry poll is still up, no votes yet though. Time for me to sign off for now, and I hope to see you all again soon. Laters.