Memory.

"…not waking up…"

Hazy, a cloudy fog. Voices. Sounds.

Pain.

Crying.

"She going into…"

"…take… away from here…"

No.

No, not again.

"PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!"

Jolting awake with a sharp gasp, Tia opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar place. Her head was aching, sunlight sneaking through the blinds of a nearby window not doing much to help her tired eyes. The ceiling above her was bare and white, aside from a small poster of a cartoon feline hanging from a branch with the words "Hang in There!" printed in bold lettering below it.

Humans and their odd sense of humor.

Remembering the fatal wound she had received, her hand went to her chest to check for damage. The tentacle that had pierced her was gone, with no trace of a scar at all. Whomever had healed her must have an extraordinary ability for it.

Tia sat up in the hospital bed slowly to not strain herself. Looking over herself, she saw she was in human clothing: a white tank top and blue jeans. She was occupying an empty physical body, a Gigai. Her rescuer must had transferred her into one somehow. If her coordinates were correct, she had landed outside the shop of Kisuke Urahara. There was not a being in this world who could outsmart that man, so of course he had a way to quickly prepare a spare Gigai on such short notice.

She could hear chirping sounds right out her window, the leaves of trees rustling in the wind adding to the peaceful atmosphere. Nel had visited the World of the Living a few times to see Urahara and her other allies, and always tried to get her to go along. To show her the side of the world she had missed when she waged war here alongside Aizen.

Right now, Tia wished she had said yes.

Had Grimmjow gotten Nel to safety? Had BG9 captured them? Too many possibilities, none of them good.

"You're really pretty."

The sudden young voice shocked Tia; she could have sworn she was alone. Looking beside her, she met eyes with a small boy, no more than seven years old by human standards. His eyes were big and orange, matching his messy hair that looked oddly familiar to the Espada.

Children were one of the few beings that Tia felt like a different being around, and in an oddly pleasing way. She had a special connection with the juvenile Picaro Arrancar group in Hueco Mundo, often bringing them food and spending time with them to ensure their safety. Her own Tres Bestias felt like rebellious offspring at times; one of the reasons she felt a certain responsibility to watch over them like her own.

This boy was no different. Youthful and innocent. Probably a trouble maker though, like all kids. Not wanting to upset him by letting her worries be verbal, she gave him a small smile. "…Thank you. Where exactly am I, little one?"

"You're at my house!" he replied with a big grin, "My dad's friend Mr. Urahara brought you here real late last night. I wanted to see you, but my mom told me to go back to bed."

"Who are your parents, exactly?"

"Kazui!" a woman's familiar voice called out, "Where are you?"

The boy's mother walked into the room, her long orange hair tied into a ponytail. She was wearing an apron splattered with red sauce, and still held a stirring stick in her hand. Tia and her met eyes, and the Espada instantly recognized her.

"Oh! You're finally awake!" Orihime Inoue smiled cheerfully, rushing over to the bed. She grabbed Tia by the hands, shaking them lightly. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Inoue?" Halibel was both perplexed and shocked. She had not seen the girl since she had healed and brought her back from near death after the battle in Fake Karakura Town. Since then, she had always held much gratitude towards the girl for giving her another chance at life. "You're the one who healed me?"

"Yup! You were hurt pretty bad, but nothing I couldn't handle! It's been a long time since I've seen you."

"Likewise," Tia shifted her attention back to Kazui, who stood beside his mother, "And this must be your child, then."

"Yes, this is my little Kazui," Orihime gave her son a motherly glare, "The one I told not to come in this room and disturb our guest."

The boy shook his head in denial. "I didn't bug her mom, honest! The door just creaked open by itself and I was gonna close it and then I-

Orihime wagged a finger. "Uh-uh-uh, no excuses. Now go wash your hands, your lunch is ready."

With a huff, the boy ran off to obey his mother's wishes. Tia was now sitting on the side of the bed. "I never expected you to be the stern motherly type."

"Having a rascal like him changes you, that's for sure," Inoue sat down beside her, and put a hand on the Espada's shoulder, "I hate to bring it up with you just waking up and all, but what happened to you? What's going on in Hueco Mundo?"

Sighing, Tia rested her head in her hand. "It is bad. Very bad. I don't know how much time will be left before things spiral out of control. I don't… It worries me."

She stopped herself there. She wasn't ready to admit that yet..

Inoue put her arm around Tia's shoulder and pulled her in closer. "Everything will be alright, Halibel. We'll figure this out. All of us."

"All of us?"

"You didn't think you were going to deal with this alone, did you?" Orihime said. Almost as if on cue, Tia could hear a door opening from somewhere in the house and multiple people coming inside.

"Hey, Orihime! We're back! Where you at?"

Tia knew that voice in an instant.

The new arrivals soon walked into the room. Urahara was one of them, carrying a brown leather bag on his back; beside him was a dark-skinned woman with purple hair Tia had not met before. The last one, with his short orange hair, was the savior of the three worlds himself.

"Ichigo Kurosaki!"

Halibel had, surprisingly, never met Ichigo face to face before. He looked much older than when she had seen video footage of him in Hueco Mundo years ago. Kurosaki wasn't just some punk teenager with a giant sword anymore.

"Yo," Ichigo said with a nod, "So you're the one Nel likes to talk about, huh? Tia Halibel?"

"Yes. That would be me."

Kurosaki extended his hand for a handshake. "Well, a friend of Nel's is a friend of ours. Unless you're like Grimmjow, that is."

"Thankfully not."

Before Tia could accept his greeting, Urahara inserted himself between the two. "Hey now! You haven't forgotten about yours truly have you? I'm the one who brought you here, after all."

"So I've heard," Tia replied, pushing the shop keep's face back with a finger, "The Mr. Urahara Nel told me so much about. Why did you bring me here instead of your little shop?"

Urahara adjusted his striped hat to hang over his eyes. "I was going to house you at my place, but my lady friend over there was a bit jealous about having another woman sharing the same space with us," he said, jerking a thumb back at the purple haired lady he had just pissed off. She slapped him across the back of the head in return.

"His lady friend's name is Yoruichi Shihouin," the woman scolded Kisuke, introducing herself, "And the reason you are here certainly isn't the one this knucklehead just told you."

"With how bad your wound was this was the only place he knew could definitely keep you from dying on such short notice," Ichigo said, Orihime now standing beside him, "He put you in that Gigai so you can fully recover fro the time being.."

"I am grateful to all of you," Tia said, bowing her head, "I am in your debt."

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo assured, "How about we take some time to eat before we figure out how to go ahead with this? I could go for some food right now."

Half an hour passed by, and Tia had joined the group in the Kurosaki household's living room. She sat and listened to Ichigo and Orihime's conversation while Urahara was busy fiddling with something from his bag in another room. The married couple were discussing Ichigo's sisters, and how their trip out of town to see their father for the weekend with something called a Kon was supposed to give them some time for themselves. Apparently her sudden arrival in the World of the Living had disrupted their plans, and she felt some slight guilt. Yoruichi told her not to worry about it, as it meant she wouldn't have to babysit Kazui and chase him around the town for hours on end.

Once Orihime sent Kazui to his room and everyone had gathered (aside from Urahara, still busy working), Tia explained to the group what had happened in Hueco Mundo in great detail. The betrayal of Rudbornn, BG9's sudden appearance, the theft of her and Nel's Resurrección. Ichigo especially was concerned about the sudden reappearance of a Sternritter. The powers of the robot Tia described to him were almost unbelievable, but Ichigo assured her nothing was truly unstoppable.

"Can't say I've fought a robot before, though," Ichigo said, taking a spoonful of beans into his mouth, "Feels like something from a sci-fi movie."

Tia sat with arms folded, sighing. "I appreciate your help, but I do not need you to help me defeat him. I won't contact the Soul Society either. BG9 invaded my home, not yours. I must be the one to put him down."

"He sounds really powerful, Halibel," Orihime chimed in with a worried look, "I don't know if taking him on by yourself again is the best strategy."

"I have my reasons, Inoue. If I must sacrifice myself in defending Hueco Mundo, then so be it. What else do I have to lose?"

"That's dark," Yoruichi replied with a mouthful of food, "Honorable but dark. Makes sense for an Espada like you to say. But you surely don't want to die, right?"

Tia stayed quiet for just a bit too long. The silence said enough.

"Hey," Ichigo said, "Nel is counting on you. So are those three other pals of yours with the big monster. Probably Grimmjow too, as much as he'd hate to admit it. Cut the sacrificial crap and stop putting yourself down."

"…Did you know each of the Espada represent an aspect of death?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Just as I said it. It affects our personalities greatly. Grimmjow's aspect is destruction, and Nelliel's is lamentation. Ulquiorra's was nihilism. I'm sure you were familiar with him to recognize that as true."

Orihime fidgeted in her seat, and Ichigo put his hand on hers in comfort. It had been a while since their fights against Cifer, but it still affected the both of them deeply. "So yours is sacrifice, then?"

Halibel nodded. "Sacrifice is one of the few aspects with a sense of positivity to it. One can give their life for the sake of others, or have it taken to appease another. I feel compelled to put myself in the way of any who try to harm something I consider valuable or sentimental, just as Grimmjow feels compelled to destroy all who stand before him. This has happened multiple times, and I am lucky to have survived each time. It isn't always out of free will, but nonetheless it is instinct. I know one day I won't be so lucky. If this happens to be my time, then so be it."

"Not much you can do against instinct," Yoruichi said, "But at least you have the desire to protect your friends. Not many Hollows can say that about themselves."

"They aren't friends."

"Sounds like they are to me, sister. What else would you call them?"

"I don't know. I can't describe it."

"Whatever you say," the cat lady took a sip from her beer can and smirked, "You Arrancar just like to be difficult."

Ichigo shrugged. "If that's how you want things to be, then fine. I'll leave BG9 to you. But I'm going to help Nel. "

"Kurosaki, did I not just say I-

"I heard you, Halibel. And I respect your wishes. But Nel is my friend. You can have BG9 and I'll help get Nel back to her adult form. You can't do two things at once. Besides, I haven't seem Grimmjow for a long time, either. Might as well drop in and kick his butt afterwards too, for fun."

He was right. Giving in, Tia found pleasure in imagining Ichigo beat up the Sexta before changing the subject. "We still haven't addressed the root of the problem yet. BG9 stole Nelliel and I's Resurreccións. Without mine I am much too underpowered to stand a chance, even more so if he is capable of using two releases at once."

"Not to mention the possibility he could take Ichigo's Bankai," Yoruichi added, "The Sternritter couldn't do it before because it wasn't complete. But now that his is, it might just work in BG9's favor."

Halibel remembered something that the robot had sad to her, specifically how he worded it. "Each time BG9 talked about knowing our powers, it always said it had learned about them beforehand. I think it may not be able to steal a Bankai or Resurrección if it does not know about its full capabilities prior, or if it is not in the process of being activated or already has been. Is there any way that it could possibly know about your Bankai's power, Ichigo?"

"That's hard to say," Ichigo said, "After honing my Bankai in the Soul Society a few years back, I know Captain Kurotsuchi wanted to catalogue it in his Kurotsuchi Compendium Collection, or whatever he called his data base. Unless BG9 can somehow successfully outsmart that crazy bastard and bypass his security measures I think we should be in the clear."

"BG9 was hiding in the depths of Las Noches for years without anyone knowing. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it did find a way to beat Kurotsuchi."

"This thing sure sounds scary," Orihime commented, "I can't believe it wasn't this big of a problem during the war."

"It must have a weak point," Yoruichi said, "Everything does. Even Ywhach and Aizen weren't invincible. We just have to figure out what it is."

"And I will figure that out!"

Kisuke burst into the room, bag on his back and BG9's severed tentacle in hand. He tossed it onto the coffee table, knocking over a few cups.

"Hey!" Ichigo snapped, "That was my soda you spilled!"

"And its loss will forever be remembered."

"What were you doing with this?" Tia asked, pushing the techno-organic limb away.

"I took samples of it, and analyzed the composition. Roughly 70% Hollow with at least 47 differing identifiable strains of reiatsu and 30% Quincy from one identifiable source. That single source is identical to the data I extracted from the Quincy medallions from the war, so we finally have our culprit behind their creation. One heck of a hybrid being, if you ask me. The reishi is unusually unstable too; easily malleable. I made it transform into 7 different shapes with just one tiny injection of my new reishi enhancement serum. I see no reason to doubt BG9 can replicate any power stolen with his body."

Great, Halibel thought. There was no limit to BG9's potential, meaning he could possibly hold an indefinite amount of stolen powers at once. The odds were slowly increasing against them by the minute.

"Any weaknesses at all?" Yoruichi questioned.

"That is hard to determine from just one loose limb. I could cook up many possible counters, but these Sternritter are not easy to prepare for. One of them drove me to my very limit. Based on that last experience alone, I'd need to see him in action to be able to prepare any sort of definite counter. And even then, he could end up stealing another power on the whim to counter it. What we would need is a technique he somehow couldn't copy, and I only know of one that would definitely work. But it's an incredibly risky one."

"What is it?" Halibel inquired.

Urahara gave her a stone-faced look, his demeanor switching on a dime. "It involves some old research of mine I honestly would rather not work with again. It will definitely be enough to let you defeat BG9. But… it could kill you as well, Miss Halibel. A very high chance of doing so, actually."

Again, silence. When Kisuke spoke like this, he wasn't kidding.

"I heard you speaking about your aspect of death from the other room, Miss Halibel. I know it is something you would be willing to undertake, but I refuse to do it unless I have more information on BG9 to be sure this will work. Right now, I hypothesize that there is a highly likely chance it will, but unless I know with 100% certainty it will, I will not risk killing you. Do you understand?"

Tia nodded. "I do. What do I need to do to have you proceed with it?"

"That's the easy part. There are some lovely ladies living in Karakura we need to visit that knew BG9 who can tell us more about him."

"Wait a minute. You're not suggesting what I think you are, right?"

"The best way to learn about a Quincy," Kisuke smirked, "Is to ask a Quincy. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Ah, what a day."

Hanging up his straw hat, Shunsui Kyoraku flopped back onto a large pile of bean bags and closed his eyes. It had been a long day consisting of a meeting with the heads of the Noble Houses, having to listen to the aristocrats bicker and banter about wanting more authority. Same old, same old. If there was one thing he and Old Man Yama (rest his soul) differed in, it was with how they acted during stuffy business meetings. It was a good thing he took Nanao with him; Kyorkau had gotten quite good at tipping his hat and taking quick power naps without anyone noticing, with his sweet Nanao transcribing the conversations for later. Why couldn't Okikiba be as helpful as her instead of waking him up?

But now, that was the least of his worries. It was nearly 9 PM, and he wanted some sake.

Just as he reached for his cup and bottle, he heard arguing outside his door: What perfect timing.

"Head Captain!" shouted Mayuri Kurotsuchi, bursting into the room, "You must surely discipline Lieutenant Ise to not refuse a Captain entry into your quarters under emergency circumstances!"

"I'm sorry, Captian!" Nanao yelled right after, "I informed Captain Kurotsuchi it was your private time to not be disturbed, but he refused to listen to a Head Captain's request!"

"My, girl!" Mayuri turned to the Lieutenant, "I don't remember you being so brave as to defy a Captain like that!"

"I helped kill a God. You don't scare me."

"Well, I guess that makes us equals, then!"

"Hey now," Kyoraku eased, trying to calm the two down, "It's all right. I'm not mad. Just tired. Nanao, you're dismissed. Go take some time off."

The spectacled woman bowed. "Thank you, sir."

Once his assistant was gone, Shunsui smiled at the scientist. "What's gone wrong this time, Mayuri?"

The scientist handed him a tablet with hundreds of numbers filling its screen. "Do you see this? This is an outrage!"

"I see it," Shunsui turned the device on its side and upside down, "But I don't really know what I'm reading."

"This is a database hacking, Head Captain. A form I have never, in my life, encountered before. It was injected into our shared systems with Hueco Mundo twenty minutes ago, and accessed my personal records."

"So, what does it know? Your birthday?"

"That's what worries me. I have a few ideas of where it tried to access, but it is impossible to trace exactly where it went. What I am showing you right now is just the data behind one attack. All of these numbers here show a path it traveled within my system to find what it was looking for. However, it did not attack just once. No, it attacked 191,263 individual times per second for a total of ten minutes. My security system is strong, but not strong enough for that. It even bypassed the automatic shutdown in case of a hacking and rebooted my systems."

"That seems impossible if you ask me."

"This proves otherwise. But the problem isn't me being unable to trace it. I could surely do that with one hand tied behind my back. The issue is that it deleted it's very self from existence. What is on that tablet is a screenshot of its actions. I cannot access any other evidence of it."

"How can a virus do that, exactly?"

"The one who developed it was certainly not organic. At least, not completely. I could not think of any super computers in any world capable of such a fast paced attack, either. The circumstances behind this are an enigma."

"So, what are you suggesting, Captain?"

"We need to send a team to Hueco Mundo to-

"Sorry," Shunsui handed the tablet back, "But that's something I can't do."

"What? With all due respect, someone in that world directly attacked a branch of the Gotei 13! It could be related to the Quincy resurgence. We must find out what they want of us!"

"I understand your frustration, Mayuri," Kyoraku said, pouring himself some sake, "But Tia Halibel was stern in saying that they will take care of any threat in Hueco Mundo. As part of our truce, and on my word, I will allow them to deal with this how they see fit."

Mayuri glared at the Head Captain. "If you are doing this solely to keep the peace, I understand. But this could be a very selfish, dangerous risk to take. We both know that Hueco Mundo does not have the same strength in forces like we have. It could end up like last time with another takeover."

"I wouldn't call it selfish, Mayuri. You have pride in yourself, right?"

He paused, waiting for Mayuri to respond. The scientist nodded slightly. "Your point?"

"If you were looking at Halibel's eyes when she spoke to me, you'd see she has a great deal of it. And a lot of it was damaged. I won't go into detail, but I can figure out what she is fighting for. I'm sure you can as well. I say it's fair we give her this mountain to conquer. If worse comes to worse, and things really do get out of hand, I'll take personal responsibility and fix it myself. How's that sound?"

Mayuri groaned in defeat. "I disagree entirely, but I doubt I could convince you otherwise. So I concede."

"Wonderful! Now, how about a drink? "