Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, did not become the owner of these franchises.

A/N: Geez this took forever. I'm sorry abt the wait. School decided to be school, I got roped into Among Us, life got in the way, I was working on way too many fics, and I had to research for this chapter. God it was so much research.

But hey!

That's over with now, and I hope y'all enjoy.


Chapter 20: Ticking Clocks

Vlad leaned against the wall, away from the group of Bounts. He hadn't been particularly thrilled about the idea of a team meeting for good reason.

He could feel the Bounts eyes on him, judging him from their leisurely seats. It was quite apparent that he was merely tolerated; a necessary nuisance. Vlad sighed, quietly praying that the meeting would be swift.

'It wouldn't be too surprising if it ended fairly soon' he thought. 'Jin tends to be concise, anyway.'

"My fellow Bounts!" Jin greeted. "Our time is at hand! All of the necessary pieces are moving as planned."

"Are we finally advancing to Phase 2, Kariya-sama?" asked a burly Bount. Koga? At least, Vlad thought that was his name.

"Yes, we will begin today!"

"That's cool and all," drawled a female Bount, "but why do we need the ghost?"

Vlad scowled openly at the offending Bount. He normally would have thought better of offsetting a potential pawn, but he was up to his wits end with the Bount's taunts. The past handful of days had been filled the blasted jeers.

Jin sighed as if sensing the brewing animosity. Vlad had no doubt the man did. He was quite perceptive, after all. "Your animosity is understood but unnecessary. He is not our enemy, Yoshi-san. Vladimir-san is just like us, after all. Shunned by society and loathed by both of his worlds. We're all fighting for the same goal: to be recognized by the world as we are."

Jin stepped forward with his arms spread wide. "And we will obtain that goal. We no longer will be forced to hide. We will take our deserved place amongst the humans. We will start this all in our 2nd Phase."

Vlad cracked a small half-smile. If nothing else, the man was charismatic. A fellow trait he could appreciate. Even if it could cause problems down the line.


"What do you mean Uryu's in trouble?"

"Kariya wants his power."

Danny paused at that. "But he doesn't have any powers anymore."

He felt a twinge of guilt when he saw Uryu wince in his peripherals.

"That may be true, but his soul is still intact."

"What do you mean?"

Yoshino sighed, her face steeling. "This is something I wished to avoid, but it seems he has forced my hand. May I sit?"

We made space for her as my sister, my parents, and Dani entered along with her. Danny couldn't help grumbling as Ichigo's elbow began digging into his side and squishing him into Uryu's shoulder.

"So, what's he planning with Uryu?" asked Ichigo.

Danny glared at him indignantly, but Ichigo didn't pay any mind to his suffering.

"Kariya wants to save the Bounts and bring them out of hiding. Or at least he used to. Actually, I'm not sure if he ever did at all."

Danny watched the Bount with uncertainty. He may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but he could see pent up emotion when it was there. There was definitely a lot to unpack there. Jazz was probably trying to psychoanalyze her as the Bount spoke.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, drawing Danny's attention back to the conversation.

"We Bounts survive off of souls. We made a code to only take Plus souls because taking a living soul would result in death. Kariya broke this code. He's a manipulative liar who's hungry for power. I only wish that I'd seen it sooner."

"Why tell us?"

"Like I said, these circumstances are hardly ideal. I would much rather fight him on my own, but I realized that he was beyond me. The others might be to devoted to him or afraid to retaliate. I can't honestly say which."

"Well, where are they?! We've gotta stop them!"

"They live in the mansion near the outskirts of Karakura Town."

Ichigo shot up, grasping his shinigami badge like a lifeline. "Alright, I say we go talk to 'em."

"Woah, woah, hold it, Ichigo," called Urahara. "Don't you think we should think this through? The simulation I had you guys do wasn't just for fun, y'know."

Ichigo looked like he wanted to say something, but he was abruptly dragged back down by an irate Renji. "Oh sit down, you idiot!"

"Ow!" Danny cried. "Dude, watch it! You can't just go yanking people everywhere!"

"Guys, can you focus?"

Danny felt himself shut up, immediately, as did Ichigo and Renji. Yoruichi could be pretty damn intimidating when she wanted to be.

"Do they have any defenses?" Uryu asked. "How strong are they?"

"We have some Reiatsu-seeking bugs for defense but not much else. As for how strong we are, it's hard to say. There are eight of us, not including myself and Jin. Some of their strength is circumstantial, like the twins Ban and Hō. We all have one weakness in common, though: we're powerless without our dolls. There's also a shinigami named Maki Ichinose. Does that name sound familiar to you all?"

"Can't say it does," murmured Yoruichi. Danny saw his parents nod in agreement.

"Same here, but what exactly is a Soul Reaper doing working with Bounts?" Urahara inquired, his bored gaze locked on Yoshino.

Yoshino smiled softly. "Kariya has that affect on people."

"So, what now?" asked Danny. This whole Bount thing was starting to be a pain in the ass.

"We'll need to scout them out," Yoruichi responded. "As genuine as Yoshino sounds, she could be lying. Danny, Dani, and I will go while the rest of you stay here."


"Yoshino should be telling them our plan as we speak. They may just send someone after us, so we'll need a distraction."

"Kariya-sama, I would be honored to provide the distraction."

Vlad snorted derisively at the Bounts. 'So crude and so bloodthirsty. I can't imagine why Jin keeps her around.'

Jin merely smiled and waved a hand. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but there is no need. Ban-san and Hō-san will suffice, especially with how the weather seems to be changing. Jin turned to the twins. "Go out and attack them. Hold them off for as long as you can. And if you get the opportunity, you may kill them."

"Yes, Master," chorused the twins. Before long, they were off.

"You haven't told us much about Phase Two," purred Utagawa. "What will the rest of us be doing?"

There was an undercurrent of betrayal in the man's words, despite their fooling simplicity. Jin had apparently picked up on it as well.

"In due time, Utagawa-san. Vladimir-san and I will take our leave. You will lead our defenses in our absence."

"Where will you be going?" asked the shinigami (Maki, perhaps?), his eyes searching for any clues from his Master. They suddenly widened and his eyes brightened. "Have you found a doorway to Hueco Mundo?"

Jin gave a secretive little half-smile as he walked away. "You could say that. Come Vlad, we don't have much time to waste."

Vlad nodded, easily teleporting to the Bount's side. He placed a hand on the Bount's shoulder and teleported.


Jazz watched Yoshino indirectly from her spot next to her. She seemed tired, if her slight slump and haggard eyes were any indication. She looked like Danny had many times, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. The burden of constantly helping despite how inconvenient it may be.

She really wanted to talk to her, but she restrained herself. Barely.

'I could talk to her now, but maybe she won't be willing to open up with so many people around. . .'

Jazz glanced about her. Mostly everyone was off doing something else. The only people really paying attention to Yoshino were her parents and Uryu. It seemed the golden opportunity was there.

"How did you meet Jin?" blurted Jazz. "If you don't mind me asking."

Yoshino blinked in surprise. "I met him at my lowest. I was willing to die. Everyone around me hated me, and I hated myself. That was until Jin showed up. He seemed so. . . right. He was like me. I suppose now it seems like a rather naive reason to trust someone, but, for moment, I wasn't alone."

Jazz was thrown for a bit of a loop. She truly hadn't truthfully expected such a vulnerable answer.

Not one to be floored for long, Jazz asked another question with a bit more confidence. "What's it like? Living forever, I mean?"

Yoshino regarded her, carefully. It wasn't exactly guarded. There was more fear? It was almost like cautious optimism. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious. It seems like it would be. . ."

"Boring?"

"That wasn't exactly what I was trying to say. I just figured it'd be a little lonely."

Yoshino laughed sadly. "You're right. As Bounts, we usually strike out on our own."

"Why?"

"It's just the way we've lived, I suppose. Until Kariya brought us all together. Even besides that living amongst the humans is. . . infuriating to say the least."

"Infuriating?"

Jazz glanced at the Quincy with surprise. She didn't think he would say anything."

"Some of us Bounts think you humans are the most amusing things. Worried about death, deadlines, and other menial things. It's funny, though. I think we have a certain jealousy of you all."

"Why is that?"

"We're immortal. Time passes us by while we stay stagnant in its flow. Humans are born and they die. Their lives have meaning. We live only because we're too afraid to die. When we die, there's nothing left for us. We simply cease to exist."

Jazz frowned.

"That isn't true."

It was her mother who had spoken this time.

Yoshino's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You've given your life meaning by vowing to defeat Kariya. You've gone beyond yourself for a noble goal like that."

"I suppose but what would come after that?"

"You could find something new? We would be glad to have you as an ally against Aizen."

Yoshino smiled softly. "I'm sorry. My question was foolish."

"It isn't fool-"

"Rain?"

Jazz glanced up at the roof as she heard the tapping, rhythm of the rain. How she'd missed it, she had no idea.

"Yeah, it was in the forecast, y'know," muttered Ichigo, briefly flipping through a manga.

"You watch the weather?!" Renji asked incredulously.

"No, my sister Yuzu does. She thinks it's important to know about those types of things."

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"There it is again!"

This time, Jazz heard it. It was a deep rumbling sound that seemed to be getting louder and louder by the second.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Yoshino shot up, her eyes alert. "Hō and Ban!"

Two boys, identical in appearance, strode up to the entrance with a mass of water behind them. They both shared maniacal grins, their eyes burning with malice directed at the female Bount.

"Yes, it's us, traitor," spoke a twin.

"Give us the Quincy and Master may be merciful!" said another.

"You'll have to go through us!" said Ichigo, his sword raised.

"Oi, oi!" Urahara cried. "Can we take this fight outside? I don't want my shop destroyed."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, but the twins surprisingly obliged. The three combatants stood in the stone yard, each ready to fight.

Jazz watched uncertainly from the building along with everyone else.

"Alright, show me what you got!" called Ichigo.

"We'll show you, alright! Witness the power of the Bounts!"


Danny shifted impatiently, his fingers drumming against his thigh. He wanted to jump in there and take them down, but he knew Yoruichi would tear his head off before he could even take a step.

"What do we do now, Yoruichi?" he asked, glaring at the castle from their hiding spot in the woods.

"We wait for your clone."

"Who knows how long that's gonna take? Can't we just-"

"Danny," snapped Dani. "Chill. I can feel every bit of your impatience right now, and it's annoying."

Danny was about to retort when he flinched as the clone's knowledge flooded into his mind. He scowled at his inattentiveness. He typically was able to ease the information into his mind whenever a clone was dispelled. It was a useful skill for avoiding his head pounding like his brain was trying to jump out his skull.

Unfortunately, he'd gotten distracted.

"Something happen, Danny?" asked Yoruichi.

Danny rubbed his head, sending a withering glare her way. "Thanks for the concern. My clone just got dispelled. They have ghost weapons, and there are six Bounts and one Shinigami. I don't think Jin was there, though."

"You don't think?"

Danny shrugged. "They wouldn't give me a straight answer."

"Ah well. It looks like everything supports Yoshino's story so far. Except for the number of Bounts. How was your clone defeated?"

"One of them snuck up on me and shot me in the back. I think it was an ectoranium bullet. It definitely felt like one."

"We'll have to be careful then. We'll do a frontal assault but make sure to stay together, whether invisible or not. Danny and Dani, I want you both to create a ghost sphere around their Dolls. We keep those separated from their masters, and the Bounts will be sitting ducks. Understood?"

Danny and Dani nodded in unison.

"OK, Danny," muttered Yoruichi. "Get us in there!"


The water that had accumulated on the ground began to swirl around the twins, shaping into something like two writhing, faceless snakes with coins inside. "I hope you're ready to die!"

"Like hell!"

Ichigo leaped toward one of the water demons and sliced it clean in half. He gasped in horror as it reformed and launched itself at him. He barely had enough time to raise his sword against the torrent of water. Even so, he was forced back down to ground by the force.

"Gah! What the heck is this?!"

"What do you think?" teased Ban or Hō. He couldn't tell which, and, frankly, he didn't care.

"No matter how many times you cut it, it'll just reform. Give up, shinigami, we aren't here for you."

Ichigo could already feel his arms beginning to ache from holding off the rushing water. It strained and writhe d against his blade. It was like it was toying with him.

'This wouldn't be happening if I had my stupid bankai!'

"Damn you!" spat Ichigo.

"Go, Zabimaru!"

The only warning Ichigo received was the wind rustling his hair as Renji launched his sword at one of the twins, causing him to duck away. "What the hell, Renji?! Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Oh stop whining! I saved you didn't I?"

"Saved?!"

"Kurosaki-kun, watch out!"

Ichigo's head snapped back in time to get a face full of water. The weird thing was the water didn't just knock him over; it clung to his face like glue. He felt himself gasp in surprise, only to gag on water. His eyes and nostrils burned from the water forcing its way into him. He was barely conscious of the cries around him, and the Bounts' laughter.

"Bakudō 61: Rikujōkōrō!"

There was a gasp, and he felt the water loosen. He took in a grateful gulp of air as he rolled onto his side.

He blinked in surprise. One of the twins was trapped inside a pentagram of light while his brother was barely fending off a combined onslaught from Urahara, Renji, and Ururu with a bazooka.

Wait what?

BOOM!

"Hey, I think we got him!" Jinta cheered. "Hit 'em again, Ururu!"

"Who the hell's idea was it to give kids a bazooka?!" shouted Ichigo.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you alright?" asked Orihime.

Ichigo huffed before turning his eyes away from the blatant display of irresponsibility. "Yeah, I'm fine."

'I can't believe I got beat by some stupid water.' mused Ichigo, wiping the water from his face.

"Wow, that sure was quick!" Orihime gaped.

"I don't see why he didn't help us in the Soul Society," Uryu grumbled.

Ichigo turned and sure enough, both Ban and Hō were restrained. Urahara was standing over one of the twins with his imposing height. He couldn't see the man's face, but Ichigo could feel the deadly Reiatsu drifting from the shinigami.

"What is your purpose here? Why did Kariya send you?"

The twins glared past Urahara to look at Yoshino. "So, you truly did sell us out!"

The other twin laughed. "No matter. You played right into Kariya's hands!"


"I thought you said we were attacking?"

"We are," affirmed Yoruichi, gazing down at the Bounts from the ceiling rafters. "We're just not barging in recklessly."

"Yeah, but we are standing around doing nothing."

"You may be doing nothing, but I'm observing the enemy."

"Didn't you send me here to do the whole scouting thing?"

"Yes, but you aren't exactly thorough."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Yoruichi sighed and looked over her shoulder as if dealing with a petulant child. Danny struggled to avoid looking too indignant. "You didn't give me any intel on their abilities, fighting competence, or tendencies. Unless, you were just holding back for suspense?"

Danny just grumbled and scowled at the ground, ignoring Dani's teasing giggles.

"Danny."

The aforementioned halfa raised his head curiously. Yoruichi seemed entirely different. She sat up straighter, her eyes were sharper with a deadly focus shining within. "Yeah?"

"You get your wish. You and Dani engage the Bounts. First, ask them of their goals. If they don't comply, take one of them."

Danny glanced back at her questioningly. "Hold on. What are you gonna do? Did you see something? How come you changed your mind?"

"You'll see, now go!"

Danny rolled his eyes before hovering down with Dani not too far behind.


"This is the portal."

"Don't be too impressed," drawled Vlad. "It's still quite archaic. I never had the time to renovate it."

Jin gave a light smile. "Seeing as you are a busy man, such a thing is understandable."

Vlad just gave a slight noncommittal hum, peering slightly at the man in front of him. He was still unable to put a description on the man. He didn't think he was nearly as noble as he claimed to be, but he didn't seem to be overtly malignant either. He was another gray area. That in and of itself wouldn't be all that surprising, if it wasn't for the nasty fact that the halfa had little clue what the Bount was planning.

"I'm curious as to what you hope to find within the Zone. There isn't much else besides ghosts."

That was a lie. A major lie, but maybe he would catch Jin if he slipped up.

Jin shrugged lightly as he put a hand on the frame of the portal. "I was hoping you could tell me, Vladimir-san. You're far more informed than I about intricacies of the Zone."

Vlad inwardly scowled. "That is true, but it would be hard to find what you require without a point of reference."

Jin nodded with a small smile. "That is correct. What do you know about the Infi-Map?"

Vlad raised a brow. He'd expected as such but he'd been expecting more than just the map. He was almost certain that wasn't all he was after. "Well, if my suspicions are correct, it lies in the hands of Frostbite's clan in Far Frozen. You'd be hard pressed to take it from them, in their own territory no less."

Jin chuckled as he stepped back from the portal. "It'll be no issue, Vladimir-san. I can assure you of that."

"If you're certain, let us be off."


"What are you talking about?!" demanded Ichigo, making his way towards the twins. "C'mon, spit it out!"

The twins merely smirked. "Like we'd tell you anything!"

Ichigo's eye twitched. "Look, you stup-"

"You'd better."

Ichigo turned back in surprise. He had yet to get used to the Urahara's more deadly tone. He'd always been so insufferably happy-go-lucky that it was easy to forget he was not someone to be trifled with.

"Or what?"

"You're wanted men. We could turn you into the Soul Society. I think the torture chambers are yearning for some new captives. I've seen them make souls wish for permanent death over trivial things. It's probably because they're always so passionate about their torture. Imagine what they'd do to you two."

It would've been funny how fast their faces blanched if Ichigo hadn't been feeling a bit uneasy himself.

"You rotten shinigami!"

Urahara shrugged. "Doesn't matter what I am, only what happens to you. It's your choice."

The twins glared up at Urahara from their bounded position. Safe to say, their attempt to save face fell more than a little bit flat.

"Alright," sighed Urahara. "Soul Society it is!"

"No! Wait!"

As disturbing as Urahara seemed, Ichigo couldn't help but grumble at the man's superior intimidation tactics.

"So," drawled the man, "What's Kariya's real plan?"


"You ready, Dani?" asked Danny.

"Definitely. Let's get this over with."

"Ah, the famed ghost boy!" cried a nicely dressed man.

Danny raised a brow as he took in the hissing snake draped around his shoulders. 'Great. Another crazy.'

"Geez, what am I chopped liver?"

The man's eyes barely flickered over to the clone before locking back on Danny. "My apologies, Danielle. It is a pleasure to meet you again."

"You're an asshole!"

The man's smile didn't waver in the slightest.

"So, who's the creep?" asked Danny, not daring to take his eyes off of the snake dude or the other Bounts. All of them were armed with ecto-guns, after all.

"Utagawa, apparently. Anything he hits with that snake whip turns into a snake."

"Figures."

"If you two or done talking, how about we fight?" asked a woman. Danny winced as soon as locked eyes with her. She had the same bloodlust Kenpachi had in his eyes, someone he never wanted to fight again. He could only hope she wouldn't be as dangerous.

"A two on eight?" asked Danny. "That hardly seems fair."

The Bounts laughed and Danny couldn't help feeling slightly disrespected. "What?!"

"Do you think us that unmannerly, boy?" scoffed Utagawa. "We Bounts fight our battles one-on-one."

"Either way, we're not here to fight."

"Coulda fooled me," muttered Crazy Lady.

"We're here to figure out your goals."

"Such a menial thing? It isn't of any of your concern, is it?"

Dani groaned, dramatically. "Why do the creepy ones always love playing mind games."

Danny's lips twitched slightly at that. "It became our concern once you guys started involving our friends!"

Urahara chuckled disparagingly. "Of course, you would say such a thing shinigami. Using baseless accusations to get your way."

"Look, can you just leave us alone or something. We've got other things to take care of."

Utagawa grinned, slightly turning his head towards his comrades. "It would seem the mighty shinigami is too good for us!" A few Bounts began to grin with delight. "What a shame! We'll have to show him our worth."

"Don't say we never warned you," muttered Danny as he raised his double-scythe.

His eyes flickered over to the shinigami off in the corner. 'What's that guy's deal?'

Before Danny could voice any of it, Utagawa's voice rang out. "Time to battle!"


"Far Frozen isn't too far from here, is it?"

"Are you getting a bit impatient there, Jin?"

"Hardly. Being carried along is a tad out of my comfort zone."

"Understandable. We haven't got much farther. Maybe two miles or so."

"Two miles."

"This is hardly anything to get into a fuss about. With my speed, we'll be there in a few more seconds."

True to his word, the icy wonderland came into view. Vlad scowled at the landmass. He'd been defeated there earlier. He had been cocky, but they wouldn't be lucky enough to catch him in that state again. He would make them squirm.

"Something on your mind, Vladimir-san?"

Vlad glanced over to the man who being carried on his clone's back. "Nothing of any meaning. It will be rectified soon enough. I trust you've brought the weapons?"

"Yes, the blood blossoms are right here," Jin assured, tapping his pocket.

Vlad watched Jin warily as he landed and dropped out of ghost form. He didn't get spooked often, but watching Jin in the ghostly light of the Zone was a bit unnerving.

"Don't worry, Vladimir-san, you're in good company. I won't harm you. It is us against the world, isn't it."

Vlad's mouth twitched slightly before he turned away, looking straight ahead. "I suppose so."


A.N: Be sure to review. Whether it's criticism, a what's up, or just telling me you like the story. Anything helps lol. Have a good one y'all!