So you may notice my scene breaks changed, and thats because the Fanfiction app doesnt like only having symbols. It takes letters just fine, but not my standard '--' or anything fun I could think of. Also I can't add more spacing on the mobile app. It's not exactly a problem, but if it annoys me enough I'll see what I can do just uploading new chapters to the main site on my PC or something.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this, sorry (as always) that it took so long. On that note, I actually do have the next chapter mostly fleshed out already, so that should be up a lot sooner than the past couple.

And lastly, I do want to thank people who leave a quick review, whether you just say you like what I'm doing here or if you had a thought about something specific, good or bad. Reading them is always great for me, and sometimes it even kicks my lazy ass into gear when I'm in a bit of a slump. So really, thank you.

And with that, until next time.

Chapter 10

Hollows of various sizes and shapes all parted hastily as the eighth Espada waded through their ranks, gigantic crescent halberd swinging in one clenched fist. He snarled at one larger creature as it moved slower than the rest, resisting the urge to simply kill the beast.

With the obstacle cleared, Nnoitra kept stalking down the hall, ignoring the cautious and even hostile looks he was receiving.

Damn him…fuckin' lying bastard…

He fumed, turning a corner aimlessly with no destination in mind, unconsciously seeking some sort of outlet. The plans he had so painstakingly worked out had all but fallen apart with Szayelaporro's refusal to participate, and he was left with only an assurance that Nelliel's two fracción wouldn't be around for a time. His onetime accomplice had repeatedly told him that they were not to be trifled with, no matter their outward appearance; doubly so if they fought together.

Nnoitra's teeth ground together the more he imagined it all. He wasn't much of a thinker, had never been. He just powered his way through every obstacle, every problem in his way.

Until her.

Ever since their first meeting - and subsequent battle - he had always been one step behind. In power, in the ranks of the Espada, in everything. He had always sought to outstrip her, to surpass his own limits...but it had never worked. She'd beaten him every time without fail, without even breaking a sweat.

In the end, she wouldn't even deign to kill him. And when asked why?

"Because you are weaker than me."

The words had haunted him, drove him to seek out stronger battles, to improve. All for nothing. In the end it had driven him to make a deal to eliminate her, only for that to be dashed as well; and all because of some scrawny, carrot-topped little shit.

One hand clenched reflexively, the metal haft of his weapon creaking under the strain. With the exertion his arm twitched painfully, a deep ache still lingering.

The last Cero that Shin had fired off in their previous fight had given him pause; the gap between Vasto Lordes and Arrancar wasn't as great as some imagined, and the sheer potency of the single attack that Nel had redirected towards him had been enough to take him out of the fight. As Nnoitra had laid sprawled out across a dune nearly a mile out from the walls of Las Noches, scorched and burned enough to render him nearly unconscious, he realized the attack hadn't included almost any of the other Espada's power.

He'd been hit with enough of her techniques in the past to know.

The last subtle traces of pain faded as his anger flared at the thought, and he vaguely noticed any surrounding Hollows giving him a wider berth as he turned another corner – to see Nelliel leaning against a distant wall, gazing out a window.

Nnoitra froze. A quick glance around, a subsequent scan with his senses – the runt wasn't anywhere nearby, and from what faint signals he could pick up, he wasn't even conscious.

He looked back to Nel; she was distracted, focused inwards, eyes vacant.

This is it.

Nnoitra took one step forwards. He'd never had a chance like this. The two idiots, gone. The other Espada wouldn't care, not enough to intervene.

Other Hollows nearby started to notice what was happening, some rushing for cover, a few glancing at Nelliel with something faintly resembling worry. He knew her reputation in Las Noches was better than most; she had a certain kindness not common among their race.

A glare from him sent them scuttling away, more concerned about their own survival. The last obstacle cleared, he stalked forward, boots clicking on the stone floor. Nel was still staring outside, lost in thought.

Closer.

It took every ounce of restraint not to just rush at her and be done with it – that had never worked before.

Almost…

Massive weapon held to the side, he crept closer, every nerve in his body tensed. He froze as she let out a long sigh, closing her eyes in apparent weariness.

Now.

He lunged, glimpsing the corner of one bright green iris as she turned in surprise - too late.

A flash of steel…a burst of crimson.

--O--O--O--

Shin lurched upright, blankets sent flying as he gasped in pain, muscles clenching in protest from laying still so long. Blinking blearily, he attempted to look out a nearby window to gauge the time.

That doesn't work here.

The whisper emanated deep from his mind, clear enough to hear, but quiet and sudden enough to startle him fully awake. Shin opened and closed one hand repeatedly, staring at the simple silver bands still affixed at his wrists.

I can still hear them…

His last psychotic break had shaken more than just his sanity; it had let loose memories and feelings from however many Hollows and other souls that now comprised his spiritual being. With his loss of control in the human world, they had been forced to the top; the cacophony of voices speaking and screaming along with flashes of memory that were not his own had nearly driven him insane. Even now as he rose from the bed, he could see faint scenes overlaying his own vision as he looked around the room…

A glance back to the bed showed a nightmarish scene, a reclined woman wailing to the sky, thighs and sheets drenched in red...

At the table, a family of three in unfamiliar clothes spoke quietly, pale mirages of their forms in life as they held hands, tears streaming down as they were swept away in an instant...

A horribly sickly man collapsed against a wall nearby, vomiting blood. He hacked painfully before looking up with distant eyes, a haggard grin gracing torn lips…

Another woman strode past, smiling, her tinkling laughter the barest of echoes as she danced out a door into dazzling sunlight, one hand reaching back, gesturing to him...

Shin closed his eyes with a shudder, reopening them to see the door fade away, the warm glow replaced with a trickle of moonlight streaming through a window high in the ceiling.

"It's not real." He gasped, cold drops of sweat making his palms slick. "I'm alive…"

Not even close.

"I'm fine…"

Keep dreaming, boy.

SHUT. UP.

Silence.

Shin heaved a long breath, feeling his own mind settle back to normal - or whatever counted as normal for him at this point. It took him another several minutes to marshal his thoughts together, looking around.

Where's Nel?

Stumbling around the rooms, he realized Pesche and Dondochakka were also gone, and he couldn't sense anyone nearby with his…he went blank for a moment, trying to remember the odd word-

Pesquisa.

He ignored the source of the information, simply taking it for what it was. Annoyingly, something more kept nagging at the back of his mind as he went on searching. Several minutes with no results had him frowning behind the mask, digging into what remained of his memory.

I'm missing something…how long was I out?

He felt the room shudder, dust raining down from the ceiling at some distant impact. His spine went cold as he recognized the spiritual signatures, breaking into a run the next moment.

Not again. Never again.

He wasn't powerless this time.

--O--O--O--

Nel winced at another clanging impact, the jarring sensation sending a wave of agony through her head. Shaking away the pain, she put her full weight into her Gamuza and shoved back, sending the attacker skidding away.

Nnoitra righted himself, the ever-present smirk nowhere to be found, leaving a disturbingly blank expression. Gone were the taunts and snide remarks she had always been subject to. Only a cold killing intent remained.

The initial strike had caught her by surprise – she had been feeling the weight of current events heavier than normal, and had allowed herself to let her guard down. Never a wise decision in Hueco Mundo, and she was paying the price. The wound had carved a gash in her forehead, splintering part of her mask and laying her skull open to the bone. Her vision was impaired, both from the blood clouding her eyes and the crippling pain itself.

She was losing.

Anytime she moved to evade or overpower him, the strain provoked another wash of agony and another vicious strike from Nnoitra's weapon while she struggled to recover. He was taking perfect advantage of every weakness, not swaggering around, flaunting his strength…just as she had tried to teach him in the past. In an ironic twist of fate, he was finally following her lessons.

A tiny smile threatened to cross her lips at the thought as she watched him stalk closer.

An instant later she tumbled away as that huge crescent swept in from the side, opening a gaping crater in the corridor wall. Nel scrambled to her feet. She had no illusions about what was going to happen here; she was weak from the blood loss, and more than that she could feel herself growing cold, like she was losing reiatsu at the same time. She wasn't resigned to simply rolling over and dying, but neither would she run from this.

The next blow sent her own blade flying out of her hands, the hilt slick with blood. With the same movement Nnoitra spun his polearm, catching her in the side with the haft and sending her to the ground in a explosive cloud of rubble. Nel gasped in pain, pushing herself up against a wall slowly. The smoke cleared, Nnoitra standing above her, raised weapon glinting through the haze. Their eyes met. Nnoitra went to say something, only to start in surprise as Nel cut him off.

"Spare me the dramatic speech, please."

The man paused, the ghost of a sneer tracing his features, no trace of amusement left.

"…Fine, then."

Before he could move another inch a white and orange blur appeared in between the two, and with a loud enough thud that Nel could feel the impact in her bones Nnoitra was sent flying through the opposite wall of the corridor.

She watched in a sort of blood loss-induced stupor as Shin landed, giving her a quick once-over. His eyes narrowed and a guttural growl slipped out. Without a word, he stalked after Nnoitra.

Nel almost tried to stop him. She had a hand extended, lips parted to call him back – but she couldn't. She had failed to bring this situation to a halt before, she had no more say in this. And even beyond that, something made her look closer. Shin had changed, she could see it as he swept through the lingering haze. He no longer held himself like an animal, acting only on instinct, taut as a drawn bowstring at all times. He now stood straight with his head raised, confident in his movements. For once, he appeared comfortable in his own body.

And suddenly, she wasn't worried anymore.

--O--O--O--

"What the hell…"

Nnoitra grit his teeth, the spot he'd been struck aching from the force of the blow he'd received. He stood fully, casting a glance around the large chamber he found himself in – three hallways over.

His thoughts swirled around in a near panic. He hadn't expected anyone to dare stop him, and the only ones that could were the other Espada…or their leader, but he wasn't back yet.

Then who? Who had the power or the balls to-

Shin stepped through the hole leading back to Nelliel, fixing him with a cold glare.

"Hah!" Nnoitra couldn't help it – he laughed. It went on for nearly ten seconds, Shin not moving an inch.

"Of course it's you. Why wouldn't it be?" Nnoitra put on his trademark sneer, twirling his Zanpakuto almost in glee. "Fine! I don't give a damn anymore! I'm gonna kill your scrawny ass first!"

With that proclamation he leapt forwards, weapon darting towards Shin quick as a flash.

CLANG

The blade stopped, the suddenness jerking him to a halt, eyes widening. Shin had one pincer-like end grasped in each hand, body braced against the force – his eyes flared like the sun an instant later. With a blindingly fast movement, he snapped off one tip of the blade with a disturbing lack off effort and sent it spinning towards Nnoitra's face.

With a curse the Espada dodged back, the fragment of the weapon slicing a furrow into his cheek with a painful sting as it passed.

The hell?!

He'd realized with a start Shin wasn't in front of him just as a clenched fist impacted his jaw with tremendous force, sending him staggering. As he recovered he lashed out with his free hand, using every ounce of strength as he swept his blade in a wide path, knowing Shin couldn't move out of the way in time.

To his amazement, the smaller man simply reached out, one had almost caressing the haft of the weapon as he slid past in a breathtaking maneuver, leaving Nnoitra off balance from the failed strike. His one eye widened again as the other hand charged a brilliant red cero in the same movement.

Several seconds later he was tumbling across the floor, clothes charred and fraying as he hopped back to his feet.

He didn't get it.

As Shin closed the gap and they began to trade blows again, his mind struggled to understand what had changed. The man standing before him wasn't the same one he'd wiped the floor with months ago, it couldn't be. The difference was too large, no matter what training Nel had drilled into that horned head of his, no matter what tricks he might have picked up from that shark chick. He watched as Shin leapt over a quick jab, twisting in the air and using the momentum in a piston-like kick – Nnoitra managed to block with his other arm, but the sheer force sent him skidding back.

The runt I fought before didn't move like this!

Shin darted under another sweep, delivering a barrage of painful strikes to his exposed side. He growled an expletive and tried to grab the annoying little bastard – by the time his fingers reached that spot, another explosive cero swept over him from the other side.

"FUCK!" He screamed in pain and fury, his yellow reiatsu bursting out and pulverizing the immediate area. To his great displeasure he saw Shin skid to a halt safely out of the range, assuming a casual stance. His anger boiling up, he instead turned it into scorn, sneering cockily.

"Impressive, runt. You picked up some moves to go along with all that running around." He snickered, readjusting his grip on his massive Zanpakuto. "Too bad you still can't do shit to hurt me!"

With a cackle, he jumped forwards.

--O--O--O--

Shin frowned under his mask as he dodged a predictable stab. He swept to the side along another, claws extended in a slash along the taller man's ankles. It didn't do more than tear the cloth there and leave a tiny scuff on the man's exceptionally strong Hierro, and he leapt away before the Espada could react.

In another corner of his mind, he reveled at the ease at which the movements came – as much as he didn't like where they came from. It seemed the memories dredged up from the other souls had come with some unexpected perks. He knew the best way to move instinctively, as if he had fought a thousand battles, and his body felt more than accustomed to the sensation. Even better, he knew how to avoid the slower attacks of the more powerful man he now faced, and strike where he was most vulnerable.

Not that it was helping too much, as Nnoitra had pointed out.

When the fight had first started, he'd tried to ignore the whispers and nudges from memories not his own until he fell into a sort of trance, letting his body take action before his mind fully registered what to do. And as satisfying it was to vent any lingering frustration at his situation on Nnoitra, he wasn't looking for just a brawl.

If only I had a Zanpakuto…

The fact was, his claws wouldn't make it through that Hierro without several hours to just wail away at a single spot, and he doubted the volatile man would sit still long enough.

Shin hopped over another low sweep, focusing as Nnoitra sent a flurry of jabs his direction, finally spinning away to reposition. He recalled Nel's lessons when she had explained the basics of the strange weapons.

"Each Zanpakuto is unique to the possessor; as such, they can appear in a number of different shapes or styles depending on the individual. They are essentially the core of a spiritual beings power. Without them, the person in question will not be able to access the limits of their strength, and accordingly will not typically be able to achieve any drastic changes in power or ability without it. Shinigami can perform Shikai and Bankai, or initial and final release, of theirs. For us Arrancar, we have our Resurrección."

"So what you're saying is that if you separate someone from their Zanpakuto…"

She shot him a look. "It would be a massive advantage, yes." After she had smiled at his helpless shrug, she had continued on to say, "The point is that a Zanpakuto serves as a focus. It narrows down the large amount of spiritual energy a being might possess into a focused form. Like…think of….water."

"Like an ocean? Ow."

She'd smacked him in exasperation.

"Just water in general. Like out of a hose. If it's just coming out of that like normal, it's no threat. But if you squeeze that hose, it's going to start coming out a hell of a lot faster. A focused stream of water can cut through steel. In fact, I believe one of Baraggan's Fracción specializes in just that."

"So what, a Zanpakuto just takes all that power and…pressurizes that?"

"That's right. It's also the reason we don't all swing around weapons the size of buildings."

"A sword that size would do a lot of damage though."

The conversation from there had devolved into her lecturing him further – unfortunately with her own normally proportioned blade much to the amusement of Pesche, who had tagged along for once – but the point had stuck.

Coming back from his thoughts, Shin used the incoming weight of Nnoitra's weapon to swing around to the opposite side, landing a satisfying kick to the Espada's jaw.

So if you don't have a Zanpakuto, what else could you use?

The thought popped up from that dark corner of his mind, and he frowned again. What else did he even have? The Cero was his strongest attack, and even that at its most potent had only singed the Espada.

He cartwheeled over the haft of Nnoitra's blade, focusing on evasion as the thought kept nagging at him.

Like water.

He blinked several times. It couldn't be that simple.

Could it?

--O--O--O--

Nnoitra kept his temper under control as much as he could, resting easy in the mindset that if he could land one solid hit the fight would be over and he would finally be able to get on with his business. He wasn't tired in the slightest and the runts attacks weren't doing more than trivial amounts of damage. He was almost getting annoyed at this point – the orange-haired annoyance dashed back to the opposite side of the room.

"The hell is he doing now?" Nnoitra muttered, resting his weapon on one shoulder carelessly. He saw the kids hands rise up, and a small red orb began to form in between, slowly growing larger.

Pathetic.

"Really?" He barked out a laugh, gathering his own Cero in one hand, humming with golden energy. Pointing it Shins way, he let it grow to a huge size, more than enough to wipe the brat out. "If you want a pissing contest, let's do it! You know this crap won't work on me."

Shin cocked his head to one side as he held out his own, the Cero swirling into an equal size – when suddenly it shrank. Nnoitra blinked in confusion as the red energy shuddered, pulsing from a baseball-like orb to appearing larger than his own. Finally it stabilized into the rough size of his fist, though strands of energy were still streaming into it, slowly rotating around the sphere, and it began to shine ominously.

The fuck is he trying to do with it?

Not bothering to give it any more thought, he unleashed his own Cero, sending the radiant energy blasting forwards.

An instant later, he vanished in a torrent of crimson.

--O--O--O--

To any spectators to the fight, it appeared as though the Espada's own technique had simply been consumed by the tidal wave of red that was the Cero that Shin had released. It thundered through the palace, and indeed it was a lucky turn of fortune that the blast was directed towards the outside of Las Noches and not inwards – the overall structure may not have survived the damage otherwise.

It carved a perfectly circular hole through the building and erupted out the surrounding wall soon after, the diameter of the exit wound nearly large enough for a Menos to step through, and disappeared into the night sky.

Shin moved towards the edge of the crater, seeing Nnoitra picking himself up off of the ground just before the wall dropped out to the desert below, black scorch marks all over his torso.

"That didn't work exactly how I wanted it to…"

He'd been trying to focus the Cero enough so that it would simply release all that energy from a focused point, but…he'd fumbled his control at the last second.

Nel isn't going to be happy with me.

He went to step towards the Espada when another form appeared in between the two and he froze.

The newcomer wore the standard white jacket, which his hands were tucked into, and the white hakama of most humanoid Hollows, the collar slightly higher than some and neatly done up to his neck. He had short, rather messy black hair down to the base of his head, covered on the left side by a half-helmet of ridged bone, a single curved horn pointing backwards. The coattails of the jacket were long enough to swing gently as the man turned to give Shin a dispassionate stare with deep green eyes; he noticed with a start that the man possessed cat-like slit pupils. Two thin green lines ran from the bottom of his eyes to his jawline.

By now Nnoitra had managed to stand fully upright, but had also paused in surprise at the sight of the other man.

"Ulquiorra…"

Shin tensed at the name, remembering Nels advice to be careful around this particular man, the Fifth Espada. Known for his rigid adherence to the orders of the ruler of Las Noches, he upheld the peace – such as it was – and was part of the reason many Hollows kept themselves in line at all.

At the mention of his name he turned slightly towards Nnoitra, fixing him with an equally emotionless gaze.

"Nnoitra Gilga," he began, voice calm and almost as bored as he appeared, "You know the Espada were instructed not to release anything that could severely damage Las Noches within these walls."

"Wha-that wasn't even me!"

At that, Ulquiorra's eyebrows rose very slightly, causing Nnoitra to sputter, becoming more agitated. "It was that little shit, but even then, mind your own damn business!"

Nnoitra held his ground under the other Espada's silent scrutiny, though Shin could see the lanky man sweating slightly – he was outclassed here. Suddenly Ulquiorra turned away, walking up to Shin, who had to fight the urge to back away. He stopped a few feet away.

"You."

Shin blinked and had the brief impulse to salute.

"You understand I will not tolerate another blast like that within Las Noches."

You and Nel both.

"Uh…yes. Sir."

Without another word the man walked past, and was about to disappear into another hall leading away when Nnoitra overcame his apprehension, shouting: "Hey! What are you doing?!"

There was a long pause.

"Nothing at all."

The response had Shin swiveling to look as well. Ulquiorra had stopped with one foot around the corner, and the expression on his pale features could probably be described as annoyed if you looked closely enough.

"This is your mess. I suggest you clean it up."

And with that, he was gone.

--O--O--O--

Nnoitra spat out a curse as a column of vivid red seared past his shoulder, exploding a short distance away as it impacted in the dunes, kicking up sand in the aftermath. Shin didn't give him any time to recover, appearing with a blur on his opposite side, another condensed Cero vibrating in his palm.

The Espada slammed into the desert in a cloud of smoke and sand the next instant.

Shin landed nearby, panting. Since Ulquiorra's appearance, the fight had taken it's natural course outside the main structure, and had gotten much more violent. Shin had managed to refine his Ceros enough to cause severe burns and scarring across Nnoitra's torso, and in turn Nnoitra had lost his veneer of calm, his anger turning dark from the pain.

They clashed again, the impact sending a shockwave into the surroundings, Shin still managing to dodge or deflect most of the taller mans attacks, though he did bear scuffs and the occasional gash from the battle.

Nnoitra's rage was reaching a peak as they traded blows, and finally he managed to catch Shin with the pole of his weapon, throwing him away violently.

"I'm fucking done with this shit!" he roared, sweeping the crescent blade straight up towards the sky with one hand, assuming a telltale stance.

Shin landed and immediately blurred into a Sonido, recalling Nel's words on Zanpakuto, and the one weakness all possessors of such weapons usually had when they went to invoke it: they left themselves open.

"Pray…"

Shin appeared in the air above, a Cero glowing in each hand, and with a savage roar slammed them together – with Nnoitra's hand and the haft of his Zanpakuto in between.

The two vanished in the resulting detonation, a massive red-tinted cloud of smoke and sand washing over the area like a hurricane. A minute later it began to settle, revealing the aftermath.

Shin heaved for breath, his clawed fingers scorched and burned, smoke still rising from the digits. Part of him hoped that was all it took, but as he scanned through the haze…

Nnoitra still stood.

The tall Espada stepped through the smoke, staggering. His right arm from the elbow down was a charred stump, and his weapon was nowhere to be seen.

"Letting the enemy power themselves up is just stupid."

Nel had told him that, the same day as her previous advice. Take the initiative. Strike when the enemy is vulnerable. If they have to stand still, all the better for you.

As Nnoitra limped closer, Shin realized with an unpleasant jolt that the mans eyepatch had been blown away, revealing an empty cavity where his other eye socket should be, surrounded by a macabre caricature of teeth and bone – his Hollow hole.

He finally spotted Shin watching him, stopping with apparent effort and glaring with his one remaining eye. "What…you done already, runt?"

Shin glared right back. There was no love lost between them, he knew that. Still, the abrasive attitude managed to make even this feel bitter. It seemed the Espada was going to make him fight until the end. Shin glanced around, the smoke clearing enough that Las Noches, only a few hundred feet away, was coming into view, and he realized that they had an audience.

Along the hole his Cero had carved into the side of the palace were arranged an assortment of Hollows of various sizes, some larger bestial shapes, and others the smaller and much more rare silhouettes of Vasto Lordes…and Arrancar. There stood Dordoni, an unusually serious expression on his tanned features. Nearby Szayelaporro was leaning against a wall with a passive expression; as he saw Shin looking his way a wry smile raised the corners of his mouth. The real surprise was Baraggan sitting in his ornate throne, arms crossed moodily and surrounded by his usual entourage. He spotted others he recognized from various spots around Las Noches, Harribel heading up the usual group from their usual spars at the front of the crowd.

He heard a coughing laugh, turning back to look at Nnoitra, who began to speak in strained tones. "Ain't everyday you see a scrap like this one…heh…bastards. So much for comrades-in-arms."

Shin tilted his head curiously. "Did you ever think of them like that?"

Nnoitra straightened slightly, almost taken back by the question. "…Nah. That's what we were supposed to be, but the boss knew it wasn't like that for most. It's still Hueco Mundo, shit like that doesn't change."

Shin shrugged. "Maybe."

The Espada made a rude noise. "Fuck, don't give me that sappy shit now. Finish this while I'm still on my damn feet."

He was about to move when Nnoitra abruptly lurched forwards, tattooed tongue sticking out, a golden Cero firing within the blink of an eye. It went on for several moments before it began to shrink, and Nnoitra watched with something resembling incredulity as Shin swallowed the last of the energy, jaws of his mask clicking shut as he finished.

"Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding m-"

His own Cero erased the rest of his words, another explosion scarring the desert. After another minute Shin finally grew tired of the haze, releasing a burst of reiatsu to clear the air.

Nnoitra still stood. Scorched until he was practically unrecognizable, but miraculously he was still upright.

Nel did say he wanted to die on his feet…

As he stepped closer, Shin knew he should probably feel something more than the simple weariness from the fight itself, but simple logic explained that well enough. Nnoitra was a man that sought out conflict, reveled in carnage. There was no sorrow to be found in the downfall of such a being.

He stopped several feet away. Nnoitra weakly swung his remaining arm in an attempt to fight back – Shin caught the mans wrist with his own left, pulling him off balance.

With his right hand he gathered the strength for another Cero, fingers curled into a claw with the strain as he kept it as tiny as a marble, swirling with power…and placed his palm over the Espada's Hollow hole.

And Nnoitra Gilga fell.

--O--O--O--

With the battle over, Shin had remembered Nel's dire condition, sprinting back to Las Noches only to be stopped by Szayelaporro, who reassured him that she was stable. The crowd began to disperse, but he received both positive or negative reactions from many there. Baraggan in particular gave him an approving grunt before stomping off, while Harribel and company stepped forwards just after.

"If a fight was all you wanted, I am still available," she said, still as calmly spoken as always, but the visible skin around her eyes raised slightly and Shin got the distinct impression she was smiling behind the mask.

He shook his head tiredly. "It was a bit more than that…"

"I know."

Shin blinked at the quick response, and he suddenly had the feeling that she knew much more about the ongoings of Las Noches than he'd thought. He cast a quick glance to the side and caught a sly wink from Sung-Sun in the background, the bangles on the sides of her mask swinging gently.

"Right. I'll let you know next time."

With a nod she strode away, and he received both that unusual smile from Sung-Sun and several uncertain looks from the other two Adjucha following along behind as they left.

The rest had left by now and he immediately turned to the Seventh Espada, who sighed dramatically and adjusted his glasses with one hand.

"Come on, then."

--O--O--O--

Shin had been expecting a lecture; don't cause any trouble, why did you think firing off a blast like that inside Las Noches was ever a good idea, things like that. Essentially, he was walking into the lab with the unmistakable sensation of a child who had just broken a window.

Instead he found her in the sort of mood that most men, human or otherwise, tended to run from.

When he walked in she was seething in some sort of medical chair, machines whirring about her bloodied head as they worked, and he would swear to whatever gods that were listening that he could see fire in her eyes. It lessened somewhat once she saw him, and he could tell that she wanted to get up and interrogate him – then he saw the straps holding her to the chair.

"She wouldn't sit still," Szayelaporro explained, walking past carelessly – she gave him a look that would have curdled milk. Shin smiled to himself as he approached, and he could see her scanning him for injuries. Pointless due to his recovery time, but he didn't feel like mentioning that to her at the moment.

"So…Nnoitra?" she asked after an awkward moment. "The walls in this place make it isolated, and I can't sense anything that happened…"

"He's dead."

Nel sat back, and he could see a mix of regret and resignation passing over her for several minutes. He shuffled uncomfortably. Finally, she heaved a long sigh, wincing slightly as one machine above her probed the wound, removing a tiny sliver of bone from her shattered mask. "Well, I suppose I don't have to worry that you can take care of yourself anymore."

He snorted at the thought, and she brightened somewhat.

"Anyways," she said, suddenly cheerful. "I'll handle the fallout once I get out of this stupid chair. You've got a patrol to do."

He blinked owlishly. "Right now?"

"Yep."

"It doesn't exactly feel like a good time."

"Time waits for no man. Remember, you were out for nearly a week."

She smirked at his surprise. "Go on, I'll be-" She was interrupted by the hiss of a pressurized needle at the nape of her neck. "-ow. I'll be fine."

--O--O--O--

Nel watched him trot out of the room just as Szayelaporro reappeared, tapping away at a small tablet. Her smile slowly faded.

"The next patrol was scheduled for several days from now."

He didn't even look up at her suspicious tone. "I am aware."

The man endured her eyes boring into his skull for nearly a full minute before rolling his eyes and caving. "I received the orders to have him deploy to a specific area just a few hours ago."

Orders? But who would-

Her eyes widened in shock.

"The situation seemed dire enough that I had been sending reports and my data for several months. I finally received a response, with coordinates and a time. That is all I know," he said slowly, giving her a meaningful look.

"So then…"

"It appears our Captain is moving things along."

--Soul Society, the Seireitei--

The warm atmosphere in the Seireitei experienced a sudden chill around the training grounds, a slim figure in black going through her forms as she twisted and turned. A pristine white sword, practically glowing in the afternoon light, danced in her hands. A long white ribbon fixed to the pommel traced the sweeping movements in elegant swirls, mist trailing in her wake.

The woman, tiny in stature, sent the blade flashing forwards, reversing her hold and almost seeming to float back as she hopped slightly, sword flashing in a complex net of steel in the air around her. She landed, exhaling slowly, calmly, her breath showing in the cool aura.

"Pardon my interruption, but that was a beautiful sight even for me, Lieutenant Kuchiki."

Rukia let out quiet 'eep', turning to see another Soul Reaper wearing a white Haori standing to the side. She brushed a stray lock of black hair away from her face, startled.

"Captain Tousen, I'm so sorry I didn't see you there!"

The dark-skinned man gave her a small smile, milky white eyes inscrutable under his typical visor, though of course he couldn't actually see her in the traditional sense. His own Zanpakuto, Suzumushi, sat in it's place at his hip.

She nodded respectfully towards it. "Did you come to train as well?"

"Yes. The rumors of this strange Hollow have me concerned," he murmured, stepping into the stone-tiled ring. "And as much as I may not wish to, my own capability for war may be needed."

Rukia frowned despite herself. She didn't want to doubt the word of the more experienced fighter, but…

"Could a single Hollow really prove to be that much of a problem, sir? I know of Menos Grande causing trouble simply due to their size, but they're practically animals. I didn't understand the reason for the orders the Captain Commander gave for us to carry arms at all times…" She remembered her own Sode no Shirayuki, letting it return to it's unreleased state and sheathing it a moment later.

The Captain's expression tightened at the question in a rare display of negative emotion. "It does not surprise me you know nothing about them, the last encounter with their kind was long before you joined the Thirteenth Squad…"

He paused, tilting his head up towards the sun shining in the sky. "I believe you have a patrol soon, correct?"

"Oh! Yes sir."

I almost forgot.

Tousen seemed to sense her chagrin, again smiling gently, his ponytailed dreadlocks swinging. "A quick lesson then, and you should be off. The name Menos, as you mentioned, is the common term for the Menos Grande, but is actually the colloquial term for three classes of Hollow…"

--O--O--O--

Rukia was soon dashing over the rooftops of the Seireitei, making her way to the meeting point, head swimming with new information.

Vasto Lordes…literally translated, Vast Lords.

The title alone gave her pause. In her mind, Hollows had never amounted to much more than mindless beings, following their baser instincts. To know now that there could be creatures out there just as intelligent and as strong as their own Captains was…unsettling. A sentiment apparently shared by Captain Tousen, who had expressed as much before she had left the training grounds.

"What would it take to have Hollows bow down to another of their kind?" she wondered aloud, touching down and greeting several small groups of others from her own squad, all combat ready.

As they prepared to leave, Rukia watched the glowing gate of the Senkaimon slide open, hell butterflies flitting over each squad members shoulders, but in her mind she already knew the answer – even if she didn't particularly want to think about the possibilities.

The only thing Hollows ever bow to is overwhelming power…