Title: A desperate measure

Rating: Action

Pairing / Characters: Hitsugaya, Shunsui, Rukia, Byakuya, Inoue, Yamamoto, Ise Nanao

Word Count: 946 words

Warnings: Nothing

Summary: Hitsugaya takes on a Menos, Rukia asks for backup and Yamamoto aids his former student

A/N: More of those fight scenes I love so much…

Stunned into immobility, the captains could do nothing but exchange horrified glances at the sight of hollows and Menos Grandes dropping into the living world and spreading out across Karakura.

Kisuke stared first at the puppeteer and then at the hollows, feeling sick.

A single act, a single project, and thousands of humans had been put at risk, and none of them, not a single captain had the authority to use bankai because of the disruption it would cause…

Hitsugaya was the only one of them who didn't remain where he was. As the puppeteer called down the hollows, he was already moving through the air, Hyourinmaru in hand. Bringing his zanpakutou up, he held the blade before his face, the heavens already darkening around him as three streams of ice swirled around the blade and flowed upward; the chain with its icy crescent moon dangling from the hilt.

'Soten ni zase, Hyourinmaru!' he roared, and the manifestation of his shikai, a white ice dragon, soared in the sky.

Flicking the tip of his zanpakutou forward, Hitsugaya silently commanded the dragon forward, cobalt eyes reflecting the dragon's strength as it flew towards the Menos, icy teeth cracking, but not shattering the mask.

The Menos let out a cry of rage, trying to grab the dragon in its bare hands, and Hitsugaya grinned bleakly.

'Idiot,' he muttered, as the dragon curled around the body of the Menos, freezing the grand hollow where it stood. It tilted its head backward, opening its mouth as a red glow emanated from its jaws.

Hitsugaya never gave the ceros a chance to fully form. He shot forward, snapping the chain around and tangling it around the Menos' throat. Thick white ice encased the Menos' face, and Hitsugaya shook the chain free, bringing his zanpakutou down and dragging it through the mask.

With a cry muffled by the ice, the Menos disintegrated, and Hitsugaya landed neatly on the floor.

By the time he had disposed of a second hollow and moved on to the third, his fellow captains had come out of their stupor, and were moving into action.

'Rukia! Byakuya shouted. Go back to Soul Society and request backup!'

Rukia darted back into the ruined shop and Inoue pushed past Ishida, already commanding the Shunshun rikka.

'Tsubaki!' she shouted, but the spirit was already flying towards a hollow, cutting it in half as easily as breathing.

Ishida could only stare at the hollows, unable to fight them, unable to do anything to defend himself or help his friends. Cursing his lack of power, Ishida could only watch as the hollow sensed the presence of a helpless soul, and lunged toward him – only to dematerialize as an oversized black and grey cleaver carved the hollow in two.

Ichigo yanked him backwards, an irritable expression on his face.

'What the hell is going on here?' he demanded.

A blue light flared behind him, and Chad lowered his arm.

'There's no time to explain – behind you, Kurosaki! Behind you!'

Ichigo turned, a shout on his lips. 'Getsuga Tenshou!'

Yamamoto looked up from the book he was studying. 'What is it now?'

'Kuchiki Rukia is requesting an urgent audience with you,' his fukutaichou replied. 'She mentioned that it had something to do with her brother's assignment.'

Yamamoto sighed. 'Send her in.'

Rukia crossed the floor hastily and bowed. 'Yamamoto-soutaichou, my deepest apologies for the disturbance, but I've been requested to ask Soul Society for assistance concerning the matters in the living world – at least a thousand hollows and Menos Grandes are currently being summoned into Karakura as we speak. It's a matter of urgency…'

Yamamoto sat up. 'A thousand of them?'

'At least,' Rukia replied.

Yamamoto called for his fukutaichou, and began giving rapid orders. 'Send word that the power limit is to be lifted on the captains currently in the living world. Send all free captains into the living world as well as their lieutenants. Kuchiki, you find Abarai, Matsumoto, Ise, and Kotsubaki and Kotetsu. Take them with you.'

Yamamoto got to his feet, reaching for his cane. 'In the meantime, I'll go down to the living world myself. If things are as you say, they're going to need all the help they can get.'

'Sir.' Rukia bowed, and fled towards the sixth division.

Swearing under his breath, Shunsui ducked beneath a massive fist, his captain's haori soaked in blood. Despite his speed he had only just managed to avoid a death blow from the hollow he was facing, but as it was the hollow had taken a large chunk from his shoulder.

Releasing shikai, he employed a swift shunpo and once he was level with the hollow, slashed his zanpakutou through the hollow's mask. As the hollow dematerialized, Shunsui dropped to the ground, landing hard.

'This is ridiculous,' he growled.

Jinta swung his baseball bat hard, connecting with another hollow's skull, sending it flying towards Tessai, who slammed a fist into the mask.

No matter how fast they disposed of the hollows, more reappeared to replace them at an alarming rate.

'Byakuya!' Shunsui shouted. 'Where the hell is Rukia?'

'On her way,' a new voice answered calmly. 'Are you all right, Shunsui?'

Shunsui blinked. 'Yama-jii… '

The ancient shinigami moved to stand between his former student and another hollow, as strong, slender hands pulled him to his feet. Only then did Shunsui notice that they weren't alone – he could sense the individual reiatsu of several other captains and lieutenants, including his own Nanao-chan.

'Kyouraku-taichou, you're injured,' Nanao said worriedly.

Shunsui grimaced. 'Yes, I know. Move!'

Seconds later, acid was pooling on the ground where the two of them had been standing.