Hey! Sorry it's late, I had an insane amount of work to do and I just didn't have any time to write. Oh well, it's here now so enjoy!

Just want to say thanks to those that have fav/followed this story, I hope it's coming along nicely for you. Enjoy!

"YOU BEST HAVE A VERY GOOD REASON FOR RELEASING YOUR ZANPAKUTO WITHOUT PERMISSION CAPTAIN" Head-Captain Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto's voice rang out, the normally calm tone replace by one with barely concealed rage. "YOU COULD HAVE DEFEATED YOUR OPPONENT WITHOUT THE USE OF YOUR SHIKAI SO WHY DID YOU USE YOUR POWER!" Alex didn't look fearful, he just returned the furious gaze with a cool, calm look on his face. He was stood in the meeting hall with Momo by his side, she glanced nervously at her captain and the leader of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Never had she seen the Head-Captain this angry.

The Captain-Commander's spiritual pressure began to rise dangerously, its level increasing at an amazing rate, it became hard to breath like the air itself was becoming syrup. Momo's throat began to dry out, she found herself sweating.

"I suggest, Head-Captain that you rein in your reiatsu. Otherwise I might take it upon myself to make you, I'm not the only one in here and if you put my lieutenant through anymore..." His voice was cool. 'What! Is he threatening the Head-Captain? Who in their right mind would do that?!" Momo looked at the calm expression her captain wore and how his eyes were hard with no sign of fear.

"I'm fine captain" Alex turned and flashed a small smile at his lieutenant

"Still, I can see that it's affecting you and I won't allow anything to hurt you" he turned back to his higher-up and raised his reiatsu to match it. Momo felt a sense of relief, with a shock she realised that Alex was shielding her with his own spiritual pressure, could it really rival the Head-Captains?

"Look, we could both do this all day, the fact is I used my Shikai because I wanted to end it in that instant and using my Shikai was the easiest was to do it." His looked almost dared the Head-Captain to disagree "Anyway, you know that my squad and everyone else needs to be acclimatised to my spiritual pressure so really it was killing two birds with one stone" he paused slightly "No pun intended" he added with a smile. Momo shook her head, who jokes at a time like this?

Yamamoto's eyes narrowed "Very well captain, I will accept your reasoning and your explanation" Momo felt both of the captain's spiritual pressure retract and breathed a sigh of relief. She heard Alex sigh too and turned to face him, what she saw surprised her, he looked pained and thoughtful. 'I wonder why' she thought, that was the look of someone that didn't like what they were thinking, like they were painful memories.

"You know what this means don't you Yamamoto?" his voice was now barely a whisper. He clenched his fists tightly until his arms started shaking "They've found a way back to this world and probably the material world as well, the consequences are going to be huge" Momo looked at her captain, confused by what he'd said.

"Erm, captain… who's are they? And why are the consequences going to be huge?" she felt awkward speaking out in front of the Head-Captain, Alex turned to face his small lieutenant and gave her a small, strained smile.

"I'll tell you later, with all the rest of the captains and lieutenants. Its better is we do it that way." He turned back to his superior officer "We need a general meeting, everyone's going to want answers to their questions and they deserve them" The Head-Captain nodded slowly.

"Yes, this course of events is very unfortunate indeed, now! Go back to your squad and await for further orders Captain Gabriel." Alex nodded, indicated for Momo to follow him and flash-stepped out of the room leaving Momo startled. 'How is he that fast?' she wondered, thinking of the person she'd thought he was. Useless. Incapable. She shook her head and followed, it was to get an explanation from him.

Squad 9 Barracks Captain's Office- 19:00

Ichigo lent over his desk just looking at the pile of paperwork that had gathered, he hadn't had time to do any in the morning, what with trying not to be killed by assassins and all. 'Maybe I'll be let off with not doing it because of the circumstances' he thought hopefully but then shook his head. He sat down and grabbed a pen, he didn't use all the traditional writing instruments, just a good old biro from the material world.

There was a knock on the door, he glanced up wirily. 'Probably Shuhei with more paper to sign and write on' he sighed to himself "Come in" he called, resigning himself to a long night of writing and reports. The one that walked through into the office wasn't the person he was expecting, for a start it wasn't a male. She was short and petite with raven black hair that framed her face. Ichigo's normally scowl filled face broke into a small smile as he recognised Rukia.

"What's up midget?" Rukia flash-stepped to him and punched him in the arm. Hard.

"Don't call me midget Strawberry!" she smiled evilly, obviously proud of herself. She looked around the office and saw how plain and impersonal it was. Ichigo hadn't bothered to personalise it at all, not even a photo of the family and family and friends that he'd left in the world of the living. "Why haven't you personalised this place Strawberry? It's so boring I think I might just die from boredom just standing in this place!" Ichigo was still rubbing his arm and glared at her.

"I just haven't midget" he put emphasis on her nickname earning himself another punch. He sighed and slumped into his chair, Rukia noticed this and smiled sweetly at him then pulled up a chair and took half of the pile of paper that was stacked in front of the captain of squad nine.

"I came to check up on you Strawberry, I heard that you were one of the ones that were attacked but I can see that you've got an even bigger problem right now" Ichigo ran his hand through his hair and fixed his amber eyes on the small lieutenant.

"Thanks Rukia" she merely nodded, already engrossed in the paperwork that needed to be done.

22:00

Ichigo and Rukia had been working for hours now in a companionable silence, both of them were working as fast as they could in order to get rid of the mountain. Ichigo was surprisingly fast, even though he didn't like paperwork or any written work for that matter but when he went to school in the world of the living he always came high in the class scoring and exams.

There was a flash and suddenly there was a messenger on one knee to the side of where the captain and lieutenant were sat. Ichigo looked up and nodded to him, indicating that he should say the message that he had been dispatched to deliver.

"Captain Kurosaki, Lieutenant Kuchiki, your presence is required in the Squad One Meeting Hall at 22:10 for a general meeting" Rukia met Ichigo's eyes, it had to be about the attacks that had occurred earlier that day. Ichigo nodded once again at the messenger

"Thank you, you are relieved" with that the man disappeared.

Squad One Meeting Hall- 22:10

All the captains and lieutenants were gathered and in their relative positions, there was an air of expectation buzzing around. It looked like most of the captains had something to ask and they believed that they were going to going to answered now.

Yamamoto stood and took in the soul reapers that were in two neat lines before him, these were the best of the best, the ones that had proved themselves time and time again, the ones that he would put all of his faith into but he had a sinking feeling in the bottom of his stomach. The news that they were about to receive is a secret that had been held for a long, long time. And it's not exactly the nicest secret.

"Captains and lieutenants!" his powerful voice rang out "I do believe that you all have questions, but first I shall tell you something that should answer the main one, something that has been hidden away for 4000 years!" This got everyone's attention, strangely the three oldest captains and Alex didn't react, this seemed like old news to them, then again the tree senior captains had to be at least that old some of the captains reasoned but why didn't Alex react?

"As I said, this is a story from long ago, in a time that was harsh and life itself was a fight. The Thirteen Court Guard Squads was just an idea in the heads of a few and fighting was rife, soul reapers fought each other and killed one another." He paused to let that sink in, many of those present shifted uncomfortably because they should have been told all this, it was the history of the Gotei 13 after all and as captains they should have full and complete knowledge of what challenges had faced them in the past. Murmurings spread across the assorted officers.

"SILENCE!" Yamamoto's staff thudded against the ground "This information has been kept from you for a very good reason!" all the whispers around the room ceased "Now, if I can continue without interruptions." He swept his gaze over every single person in the room "As I was saying, that time was very different to the one we live in now, but there is one main difference. A difference so large that you may not even believe it. There was two other spirit worlds and one which was a world of Shinigami just like ours." Heads snapped up and gasps were taken. Another soul reaper world! This was amazing!

"Head-Captain! Surely that would be a good thing, another world that could share our duties" Captain of 10 Toshiro Hitsugaya stepped forwards

"No Captain Hitsugaya, it was not. As I said, the Gotei 13 was only an idea, this world already had a fully functional military force of tremendous power. One day their King and General of forces decided that they would like to rule all the worlds, the material one, the soul society and the other world that I have mentioned. Before the Gotei 13 was formed there was another force that I and the other first captains formed: the Hogo-sha*." Once again he paused, allowing the information that he was telling them to sink in.

"We fought for one thousand and five hundred years in a bloody and costing war against forces that were ultimately more powerful than us!" shock rippled throughout the room, the first captains were strongly considered as the most powerful and brutal of the entire era of other captains, for a force to be more powerful than them… it didn't bare thinking about. "We did not lose, we believed that the bridge from ours and the material world to the two lost worlds were permanently broken, it seems that we were wrong." There was a soft sigh from the squad five captain. "The ones that attacked today, they were from this world, they haven't changed their uniform much since then. They have re-established the link to this world and maybe to the world of the living" Yamamoto looked at Alex and nodded, he stepped forward and looked around all of the captains and lieutenants and took in the confused looks.

"Captains and lieutenants, the ones that you may have fought today were from their version of the stealth force and they will know that they have now failed. Currently I can't accurately assess their ranks but I'm going to guess that they're the lower end of the ladder, from what has been reported I believe that they were targeting the senior ranks in order to destabilise us in order to launch a full scale attack." There were thoughtful looks on the faces of all those present except Kenpachi's, on his there was a huge smile

"Finally! A new challenge!" he called out, laughing maniacally. Alex looked at him balefully while shaking his head slowly.

"No, not a challenge. They're going to be on a conquest on annihilation. It's not only our lives were fighting for but everyone's in this world and the material world." Alex clenched his fists hard. It was going to be a hard and brutal war.

"Thank you Captain Gabriel." The Head-Captain nodded once again and Alex retook his place next to Momo, he threw her a tired and sad smile then returned his attention to the meeting.

"By my order all captains and lieutenants have authority to use their zanpakuto to its full ability and power and are authorised to carry them in any area." Everyone nodded "Also, Captain Kurosaki, I want you to go to the world of the living with Captain Hitsugaya and his lieutenant, retrieve your family and return with them, they are no longer safe in the Material world." Ichigo's face was stern and his ever present scowl deepened. He's going to have a lot of work to do as Squad Nine was one of the Protection Squads.

"Finally, Captain Kurotsuchi, you need to find and establish a link with the forgotten worlds, you will receive the support of Kisuke Urahara when Captain Hitsugaya returns with him, is that understood?" There was a chorus of 'Yes Head-Captain'. With all he needed to say said Yamamoto slammed his staff into the ground.

"Very well, you all will be sent orders later this evening, dismissed!"

Everyone filed out of the room and almost immediately disappeared away in order to get their heads around what they'd been told. Alex wondered out of the door

"I'm guessing you heard all that?" he asked without even looking around. Lieutenant Tessarosa Sasori fell into step with him and Momo

"Yes, I did captain" Alex winced slightly at her use of his rank, he really needed to talk to her alone sometime so he could sort out everything between them.

"Good, get the Karitoriki ready to mobilise" he didn't even receive a reply, Tess just disappeared into the night. Alex sighed and turned to his other lieutenant "Well then, let's get back" They both flash-stepped away.

War was coming.

So, now you know the main thing that this is going to be about, I know that this may change the past of bleach but it works for this story so I hope its okay for all you guys.

Please review and stuff. I hope to get back on track with the upload of the next chapter!