"Esh." Ikkaku grouched as he walked into the third company house to find Nelliel and Yylfordt playing cards on the small table. "Why did you just up an disappear today? I was going to ask you to come hunting with me and Hanngan again…so that's why I had to come all the way over here."

Yylfordt looked up and grinned. "Are you sure? I mean, you could go yourself and-"

"Listen here, hollow." Ikkaku growled, bending down to be face to face with this strange anomaly. "You are an Numeros, right?"

"Uh…" Yylfordt wasn't sure if he liked being stared at so closely. "Yeah… why?"

"You can order other hollows around, right?"

"Uh…Yeah?"

"Then come along." Ikkaku grouched, not knowing why Yylfordt didn't see what he saw. "'Cause you can order them to stop fighting us and surrender. Do you think I like chopping things up?"

"Uh…" Yyfordt pretended to think. "Yeah. Because you are in the Eleventh Company. It's the chopping machine that gives things to the Twelfth Company to mutilate farther… damn… why does that sounds so… familiar? Hey….Ikakku… between me and you… I have a question."

"And what's that? And I also just wanted you to come along 'cause its nice to talk."

"Fine, fine…" Yylfordt gave in, "I'll come. And just curiously: are Mayrui and Kenpachi going out?"

Ikakku's jaw fell to the floor. "…What?"

"I was just wondering if-"

"I know what you said!" The Soul Reaper cried over Nelliel's laugher. "And no! Dear… what ever is up there! No, no no! And why the hell did you ask such a strange question?! Now I-ew! AHHHH! The idea burns!"

"Ah…I'll take that as a…no?" Yylfordt watched his friend dance around the room screaming, hands over his eyes. "I'm sorry?"

"Ew…." Ikkaku muttered as he walked through the plaines of Oklahoma, one of the states of The United States of America. "This place is so… boring."

"And flat." Hanngan grimaced as he gazed at the flat plaines of prairie grass he was wading through as they headed for the town. "I have to say this is a perfect place to hide as a Hollow… So boring, no one will ever come looking for you."

"Hey," Yylfordt pretended to be offended while he hacked through some more tall grass with his lender and very dull, plain sword. He was so bored out of his mind, even a conversation with Szayel was starting to sound like fun. "We have taste…or not."

"Glad you agree." Ikkaku was on the hunt! Why was this boring landscape almost putting him to sleep?! "Does anyone have any mints or candy or… something?! I am so close to…"

He yawned.

Yylfordt yawned and so did Hanngen.

"This is so boring, guys…"

"We know!" Ikkaku's two companions cried, "And…WOWIE!"

"Wowie, what?!" The Leader of the group looked around to find- "A Car Station!"

"Candy!" Hanngan cried and took off towards the small and rundown gas station in the distance.

"Souls!" Yylfordt cried, only to be grabbed by the back of the collar. "Hey, I was just kidding, Ikkaku! Can't you take a joke?!"

The Soul Reaper thought for a moment. "Um…"

Yylfordt rolled his eyes and sighed. "Ikkaku, come on. Lighten up for once!"

"…Fine…Go on…" Ikkaku let the hollow go and he ran off to catch up with Hanngen who was already halfway to the car station. "Have fun…yeah…wait up!" He caught up to Yylfordt and Hanngen just as they were opening the door into the connivence store. "What kind of officers are you?! Abandoning your leader?!"

Hanngan and Yylfordt shared a grin. "Hungry ones. Let us go in."

"Wait a sec." Ikkaku grabbed both of their collars just in time. "We can't go in."

"W…why?" Hanngen was hungry and there was no way that anyone was getting in the way of his next meal. "Sir."

"Because," Ikkaku was hungry too, but he wasn't going start complaining and as for Yylfordt, he was always hungry. Naturally. "We don't have Gigais and it would scare the hell out of people if we just walked in there and started to eat."

"True." Yylfordt sighed, just wanting a nice soda or something not disgusting for once. Soul Society was a nice place, they just didn't understand the whole: 'I Hate Sushi' thing. "But no one will notice a small cand-Oh!"

"What is it?!" Ikkaku gasped, seeing the blonde hollow suddenly looking around in all directions.

"I sense the sucker!" Yylfordt whispered, as not to alarm the hollow a good six kilometers away.

"You mean-"

"Yeah, Hanngan. I sense that hollow we are looking for and… oh… dinner… yum…. Okay, never mind!" He cried, seeing both of the Soul Reapers scowl. "But anyway… he's a good six kilometers east of here…"

"WHAT?!" Ikkaku cried, standing up from the odd huddle the three where in. "You can sense a hollow from six kilometers miles away?!"

"Yeah…" Yylfordt scratched his head, his hand brushing the remainder of his horned mask. "I know I stink at Pesque."

"Stink?!" Ikkaku placed his hands on the Hollow's shoulders and shook him. "You just found a…that far away?!"

Yylfordt didn't see what the big deal was. He found another of his kind. "I did… now stop shaking me, you are messing up my hair. Anyhow, I am honestly not that good. Even my stupid bro can find someone a good hundred and fifty kilometers away."

"That's amazing! I mean-"

"Don't bother Ikkaku." Yylfordt almost laughed at his attempt to save the statement. "But I know he is better than I am. Always was and always will be."

"That's not true." Ikkaku shook his head, "you seem to have more of a heart from what I hear. Besides, you two…things? Um… what the word is that is NOT hollows, are surely very different. Granted, I've never met your brother. Anyhow, I am sure you are far more…better, nicer all around."

"That was a weird statement…" Yylofrdt muttered, accepting the compliment. "And now, can we just get hollow hunting?"

"Yeah…" Hanngan agreed, knowing the conversation was skittering on thin ice. Considering the last time the subject of Yylfordt's brother was brought up. It ended up with the hollow screaming at the two of them. "Let's do that…and you are really nice, by the way."

Yylfordt raised an eyebrow. "Thanks?"

"Welcome." Hanngan flashed a grin. "Now where is the hollow?"

Yylfordt pointed to the left. "There." And the Soul Reapers were gone before he could blink. "Aw… come on! Wait up, will you?!"

He glanced around the empty car station lot and the prairies beyond; Hanngen and Ikkaku were nowhere in sight.

"I… Guess not." Yylfordt sighed and took a step forwards and he was soon found himself with his group who were staring up at a- "Vasto Lorde?!" He spun on his heels and-

"You aren't going anywhere!" Hanngan ordered, his hand wrapping around the arrancar's arm. "We need to get rid of this hollow and you are-"

"Are you guys crazy?!" Yylfordt cried, knowing they were in way over their heads. "That's a frickin' Vasto Lorde! Masked, but none the less, a Vasto Lorde!"

"We know what a Vasto Lorde is." Ikkaku was so happy. This was going to be a great fight. "And I can't wait to slay this-"

"Excuse me." The Vasto Lorde with green skin and black hair. He was clearly a walking frog as his hands and feet were webbed. Not to mention, his tongue was clearly too long for his mouth and the white mask on his face seemed to create an illusion of a frog like smile. "Can we just talk, Soul Reapers?"

Hanngan laughed, drawing his sword. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I like that idea!" Yylfordt cried, still feeling the urge to run away. It didn't matter that he was a large bull and this thing was a tiny frog! "I like that idea very much, in fact! Didn't your mom tell you not to poke frogs?!"

Ikkaku gave him a look. "Yeah. She did. I ignored. And no, we are not going to sit and talk to froggy here."

"But," Yylfordt really wanted to sit these two down and explain a whole slew of things about the difference in power, but he didn't have time. "Why don't you let me talk with him and then maybe I can get him to surrender or something! It's that what you brought me along for?!"

"Nah." Hanngan muttered something and his sword grew into a javelin. "We just wanted company, you know."

"Guys!" Yylfordt screamed, causing both of them to freeze. "Don't make me scream at you!"

"Ow…" the Vasto Lorde muttered, putting his hands to his ears. "Listen to the screamer, will you? I haven't heard someone scream so loud since Fornicaras came blazing into my town ages ago."

In that moment, Yylfordt was hit by a sudden idea.

He turned to Vasto Lorde and pasted a large smirk on his face and put his hand on his hip."Haha. I can see you are having such crappy day already, I hate to add this fact to your list: I scream louder than my little bro."

"I highly doubt that-" The Vasto Lorde froze. A string of sleepless and very loud nights danced into his head."Wh…what?! Little…you're…"

"Yeah. You got that right I'm Fornicaras' older and much louder brother. So, if you three don't sit down, talk things out or whatever, I'm going to scream."

Hanngan glanced to his left at Ikkaku who was laughing at the world's most stupid threat.

"Re…really?' the Soul Reaper gasped for air. You're threatening to scream at us? I know you can be loud, but… this is too…too…"

Yylfordt turned his attention to the Vasto Lorde who was begging him not to scream. "Cover your ears, okay?"

After the Frog did this, Yylfordt turned to Ikkaku and Hanngan. "Geez. You don't think I'm serious, do you?"

"Uh…" Hanngan snickered, "Not really. I heard you screech before, but…"

"And… and I don't really think that playing the screaming card is going to get you anywhere." Ikkaku told him, leaning on his sword so he would not fall over from laugher.

"Oh." Yylfordt frowned, making the Vasto Lorde back away. "Really? Is that what you think… fine. It's your ears… Here it goes: You two had better sit down right this minute and listen to froggy over there! We do not want to eat frog legs anyway because they taste like shit! So let's all sit and listen to froggy here who seems distressed! Is that clear?! Okay! Good! Now shut the hell up until froggy is done talking!"

Yylfordt opened his eyes to see Hanngan with his hands over his ears, his sword on the ground. Ikakku on the other hand was staring at him with wide eyes, like his brain had been blown out of his head or something. "And there. I screamed. And I wasn't honestly mad. Don't make me mad. Get the picture?"

"Ah…" Hanngan cautiously took his hands off his ears and picked up his sword to put it away. "Let's listen to Froggy… Okay? Don't scream anymore…"

Yylfordt smiled. Maybe screaming DID get things done. "Good deal. Now, Vasto Lorde, please introduce yourself."

"Of… of course." The frog muttered before nodding sightly. "I am Azzeno Jhasion. I have come from the central zone of the Forest of Menos. I have come to the human world with my fellow hollows-"

"See?" Ikkaku said. "He said Hollow."

"But," Yylfordt pointed out, "He still has his mask. I don't. I actually rank higher than he does, so he has to listen."

"You said he's a Vasto Lorde, though." Hanngan whispered.

"Yeah, he is." Yylfordt said back, "But Arrancars always rank higher than the masked and the rankings among us are different! You don't have to same problem in Soul Society as we do in Hueco Mundo! I even have to call Telsa, Telsa-sama. Even though he's the fiftieth Numeros and I'm the sixteenth!"

"Why?" Hanngan wanted to know more.

"Because, he's Nnoitra Gilga's Fraccion and my own master, Grimmjow ranks below Nnoitra! It's really complicated! Even Ulquiorra has to address Harribel's Fraccion formally! And damn, do I hate addressing my bro's creepy science projects as -sama. That really sucks, you know."

"But wait!" Ikakku muttered back, ignoring Azzeno who waiting to be talked to again. "Ichigo had the crap beaten out of him by Grimmjow! And Ichigo is Ichigo! One of the strongest soul reapers of all time! He and Kenpachi-sama came to a draw when they fought! Even Byakuya was beaten up!"

"Yeah." Yylfordt had no clue who they would talking about. "Ichigo did get beat up by Grimmjow. And Nnoitra is stronger than Grimmjow, so what is the big deal? Damn, I would love to see Telsa beat up Ichigo… Bet he could do it too. Haha.. My bro might be able to beat up ichigo now that I think of it. Nnoitra seems to force him to participate in his and Telsa-sama's morning exercises. Heh."

"What's the big deal?!" the Soul Reapers yelled in his ears. "Is that Ichigo who beat up a whole slew of soul society captains was beat up by Grimmjow who is not even the highest ranking Espada!" Ikakku finished for Hanngan who couldn't have explained the horrifying realization better. "So, from what you seem to be telling us, the Espada are ten times more powerful than the soul reapers!"

"And that is…Bad?"

"Yeah!" Hanngan cried, "It is! Hollows shouldn't be this powerful!"

"And Soul Reapers should be?"

"Yes, Yylfordt! They should be as we keep things in order and balance."

"Um…" He could see what Hanngan was saying, but it didn't make much sense. "So, Hollows should not be a powerful as Soul Reapers who try to make balance? But wouldn't balance make things on both sides equal? Maybe you Soul Reapers should get off your sake drinking butts and start training!"

Ikkaku and Hanngan gasped.

"What?! How dare you accuse us of laziness!"

"What right do you have anyway?!"

"Um…" Yylfordt hated to point it out, but did so anyway. "I do have all the right. You Soul Reapers are just there, born or whatever and while you all sit in Kido school, we hollows have to constantly fight to survive. It's a savage and brutal world that many do not enjoy and most give in after a year. Almost did that myself, but then I ended up running into my old master, what ever his name was…and I met Di Roy and all those nice guys. And the other people I know all had reasons to continue fighting. Messed up or not. So yeah, I have the right to call you lazy."

"Hear, hear!" The Vasto Lorde grinned under his mask. "It is so nice to put things in perspective. Now, if you wouldn't mind listening Yylfordt, it would be greatly appreciated."

The blonde Arrancar sat down in the tall grass, ignoring Ikkaku's latest question. "Sure. Wouldn't mind at all. And how did you know my name?"

"Good. I ran into you ages ago and I don't forget names." Azzeno sat down as well and put his hands in his lap. "I came here with my fellow hollows from the forest as Harribel has been constantly incinerating all of the representatives and leaders we have sent to protest her rule."

'And why are you doing something stupid like that?" Yylfordt asked, grabbing his friends by the robes and making them sit down next to him.

"It is hardly stupid." Azzeno said. "I will not be ruled over by a woman. And Harribel is not who I would have chose if I were forced to pick one."

"And… who WOULD that be?"

"Well, she's gone now, but I might as well say Nelliel Tu would make a much better ruler. She would listen to her king and do as he asked."

"And…" Yylfordt really didn't understand this whole, 'don't want women thing' that seemed to be at the core of Heuco Mundo Culture. All the women he knew were too scary to be argued with and would make far better rulers than their fellow males. "Are you trying to say that Harribel needs to settle down and get a king?"

"Of course I am! And I don't want her on the throne any longer. We had Barraggan and he was a wonderful ruler. Left us alone to do as we wished. Aizen and none of us could stand him for he brought order and rules to our world. Now, Harribel is insisting on keeping the structure set by Aizen and from what I hear, she is planning to add to the Espada. Now all of this is top secret mind you and rather expensive inf-"

"Who told you?" Yylfordt always hated a snitch.

"Why should I tell you, Adjches?"

"Because I outrank you."

Azzeno laughed and shook his head. "Rank has no meaning in the human world, fool!"

"Okay." Yylfordt could roll with that. Onto the next plan! "Let's put it this way…You tell or I am going to have two soul reapers beat you up and I am going to send you in a large box to my brother."

"Right… I am not actually scared. Your brother is a sad weakling. I was only concerned about the screaming… that nasty soun-"

"I'll send you to Nnoitra. With a bow around your neck with the words, 'New Punching Bag, Have fun.'"

"Who the hell is Nnoitra?" Azzero wasn't going to be intimidated by these silly threats.

"Who's…" Yylfordt paused, "Nnoitra? Have you been living in the…. Oh, you have been in the dark. So, to make my point more clear, does the name: Santa Teresa, ring a bell?"

"A gong! I hear you! Okay!"

"So you'll tell?!"

Azzero shook his head. "No way and I am getting out of-"

Ikkaku tackled him to the ground.

Yylfordt grinned.