A/N: WARNING! Violence and language! We got angry Betas in this chapter, need any more explanation than that?

Chapter 8 - Storming Los Noches

The wall to the laboratory went down easily under the combined force of Getsuga Tensho, three Ceros and Yoruichi's shunko. When the debris cleared, the members of the Twelfth that had followed Mayuri into the desert didn't stand a chance. The Beta group dove into the throng, and worked like a well-oiled machine. Ichigo, Lisa, Hyori and Mashiro sped around the room grabbing stunned Shinigami before they could react. Yoruichi, having been captain of the Onmitsukido, locked them all away in reiatsu-eating kido bindings to be taken to the Soul Society upon returning to the Living World. It took until the entire area was entirely clear of unseated assistants before Akon appeared, sporting a bandage around his head and a glare.

"Ryoka, I don't want to do this. Kurotsuchi-Taicho would much rather you and your friends surrender peacefully to experimentation than to have you damaged in your attempts to defeat us." He sounded genuinely remorseful, but Ichigo glared at him from behind his mask.

"Fuck you."

Hyori, Lisa and Mashiro launched themselves at the third seat, roaring. This was one of the ones who'd attacked their Alphas! Zanpakutou were discarded in favor of physically getting their hands on him. Mashiro landed on his head, and wrapped her legs around his neck, as Hyori caught him in the gut with her head, and Lisa slid his legs out from under him. The mash-up flew into the wall behind them, unfortunately knocking the wind out of the green-haired Visored. Akon scrambled out of the headlock, attempting to get back on his feet so he could draw his Zanpakutou, but Hyori was faster, grabbing his arm and sinking her teeth into it through her mask. Lisa took his other arm and broke it without blinking.

The scientist Shinigami howled, tears now running down his face. Lisa was about to move on to his leg when Ichigo put a hand on her shoulder. The two exchanged a look, and Yoruichi was allowed to splint Akon's arm and bind him. Ultimately it wasn't his fault, and they needed to remember that.

Stalking through the corridors of Los Noches, Ichigo kept all of his senses alert. Half of his team had returned to the Living World to ensure the prisoners wouldn't escape. Lisa, Mashiro and Halibel stuck with him, looking for the missing Alphas, because they felt the pain of being separated more than any of the others. As it was they were still caught by surprise when Nemu, having fixed her kimono, sideswiped Halibel through the wall and into one of the adjacent empty storage rooms. The Arrancar rolled into the attack, and in spite of only having one arm managed to spring out of the vice-captain's grip.

"Where is my Alpha?" The Tercera glared. She wasn't carrying this season, but she did feel a certain loyalty to him and his child-like other half.

Nemu responded by flipping onto her feet and catching Halibel under the chin. This was how she'd broken the blonde's jaw before, and anticipating a certain amount of repetition in her fighting style, the shark-woman dodged to the side so that the dainty foot aimed to snap her mandible slid along her jawline under her ear. This let her grab the pale ankle and twist the vice-captain around and into the wall behind her. Nemu's eyes flashed and she launched herself off the wall into Halibel's face with both hands spinning like drills. Having only one hand the Tercera could only deflect one of the drills, meaning that the other sliced along her cheek. The momentum carried the two onto the floor, Nemu's hand slamming into the stone, but Halibel brought her knees up to flip the brunette over her, effectively snapping the hand drilling into the floor next to her head.

The pain didn't faze the vice-captain, who was back on her feet faster than the Tercera could. Green eyes widened as that second drill came for her face again, and she barely rolled out of the way, the tails of her resurrection streaming behind her. What she wouldn't give to have Tiburon's wave abilities at this moment. The blonde jumped to her feet in time to dodge the drill a third time, but found her back against the wall. Nemu lunged a fourth time, but pulled her drill back in a feint to land her heel in Halibel's stomach. The Tercera collapsed around her foot, grabbing the ankle again, this time she threw her weight onto the vice-captain's shin, attempting the break the bone, but without the strength of her Zanpakutou she just didn't have the endurance she needed. The tumbled mess that was created from the failed attempt was just enough confusion for Lisa to step in and collar Nemu with a reiatsu draining band similar to the one used on Rukia so many years ago.

The vice-captain stopped moving, and watching the Betas around her with apathetic eyes. "What will you do with me?" Her voice was soft, but though there may have been some fear in the question, none showed on her face.

"It depends. You're a traitor. Your sentence will be determined by the Central 46." The dark-haired Visored bound Nemu's hands behind her, careful of her broken wrist.

Halibel was about to open a Garganta to take the vice-captain back when Ichigo stopped her, "We don't have the fire power to leave one of you behind." He moved off leaving the girls to sort themselves out.

"Ooh. Berry-tan's got his serious face on." Mashiro cooed, leaning on Nemu's head.

They joined him in the hallway, Halibel hauling Nemu by a rope around her neck. She kept her position as anchor, behind Ichigo as point, and flanked by Lisa and Mashiro. The air was tense. Memories of dashing through this forsaken castle to rescue Orihime flashed through the strawberry's mind. He walked on the balls of his feet and constantly shifted his gaze from side to side, certain that the scientist Shinigami would have traps and pitfalls set up to protect himself. Sweat beaded the back of his neck, and he tightened his grip on Tensa Zangetsu. A few more feet and they would be in the collapsed throne room, the very center of the fortress. From there it would just be a matter of picking a direction and searching every room until the blasted traitor was found. They approached the double white doors, and Ichigo slammed them open with both hands.

In the middle of the room, in front of the collapsed rubble that had once been the tall, ivory throne Aizen used to lord over the inhabitants of the desert, Grimmjow, Nnoitra, Kensei, Love, Rose, and Starrk were strung up by their wrists like so much meat to be dressed for cooking. The light of the artificial sun streamed through the roof, highlighting the victimized Alphas. All six were unconscious, in varying states of reiatsu depletion and abuse.

Mashiro leapt forward, "Kensei!" But Ichigo grabbed her scarf.

"Wait! I want my Alpha as badly as you do, but I'm sure it's a trap." He scowled behind his mask, eyes searching the floor, the walls, what was left of the ceiling, for trip wires, buttons, holes, or anything else that could constitute a trigger. He took a step into the room, then another, and another. All the while certain he was being watched. When nothing happened he waved the girls in behind him.

As soon as all four Betas, plus Nemu, were in the room, the doors shut behind them. "Shit!" Ichigo pelted back toward the doors, but pulling on them, found them locked in some way. He frantically turned to Halibel for answers. Then Mashiro screamed. Whipping his head back around revealed that the three Visoreds' masks were peeling off, bit by tiny bit; evaporating into the air as though they'd been wearing them for too long. It was like watching a train crash in slow motion, both Lisa and Mashiro fell the ground in agony as their masks burned off of their faces.

'Shiro, why aren't we burning?' Ichigo yelled into his mindscape.

A scream tore through his mind, 'WE ARE!' The Hollow writhed on the glass, but Ichigo felt none of the effects of whatever it was that was torturing his allies. Halibel and Nemu were likewise unaffected, looking at the Visoreds with concern on the former and apathy on the latter.

"Halibel, get them out of here. I'll get the Alphas." He ordered, stalking straight towards the victims.

The Tercera tried to open a Garganta but it failed. "It appears that the Shinigami has found Szayel's toys. The lack of Tiburon keeps me immune from the poison in the air, but I am unable to use any of my powers either. We must destroy the source in order to escape this place." Her oceanic voice was soothing.

Ichigo nodded. Taking a deep breath he pushed forward, Shiro's suffering was beginning to leak through. Much more and he wouldn't be able to hold onto his own mask. Gathering his reiatsu, he attempted to cut the Alphas' bonds, but his attack was deflected by a flying gold kursarigama.

"Yare, yare." A voice cackled. "You are most determined, Ku-ro-sa-ki Ich-i-go." Each syllable of his name was drawn out as the traitorous former captain of the Twelfth stepped out of from against the wall, his Nisehada flaking away like dried paint. "I would thank you for bringing me my worthless daughter, but she's only going to be taken apart. So there's no reason for her to be saved." He smiled, and threw the kursarigama to catch the brunette vice-captain through the throat. She slumped over, bleeding out as he retracted the weapon from his ear ornament.

Ichigo was horrified. First the state of the Alphas, then the poison in the air torturing the Visoreds' Hollows, and now, the bastard didn't even care about his own offspring?! The orangette roared and launched himself at the former captain.

The blue haired freak laughed, drawing his Zanpakutou to counter the ebony blade. The force of the impact drove them against the wall, raining debris and cracking one of the supports to what remained of the ceiling.

"Careful now, boy, wouldn't want the ceiling to come crashing down on your precious friends now." Mayuri taunted. "Why don't you give up this fruitless fight and agree to let me study you? I'll give you the deal your female friend was too stupid to take." His amber eyes lit up in hope.

"Never!" Ichigo spat, shoving Tensa Zangetsu closer to the scientist's neck.

The former captain was much for hand-to-hand swordplay, but he wasn't a pushover either. He just needed to buy his time before the boy's Hollow was in too much pain to maintain the mask. He was rewarded for his patience a moment later when Ichigo reared back, his sword angled out and away from their bodies, and his off-hand flying to his forehead where the mask there had cracked loudly.

'SHIRO!' The orangette cried internally.

'M tryin', King! KAMI IT HURTS!' The Hollow writhed again. 'KILL THAT FUCKER!'

With a roar Ichigo was back up in Mayuri's face, sword clashing, and reiatsu flaring. His shihakusho blew out behind him, pulling taut across his front from the power of their latest clash. This meant the black fabric framed the small bump on his midsection where the scientist could see it. With a dangerous light in the former captain's eyes, he drew a knee up towards that precious belly bump, aiming to drive the joint into his attacker. The hybrid saw what he was doing and dodged, catching the assault on his arm and shoulder with a growl.

"Oh ho! Fascinating!"

"What?!" Ichigo snarled.

"I had discovered that Hollow males could carry young, but I never expected to have one where I could get my hands on him." The scientist cackled again, using the new position to shove the orangette back far enough that he could swing Ashisogi Jizo around. "Kakimushire!"

The blade split in three to form a gold twisted trident with the face of a baby at the hilt. He brought the weapon around slashing at Ichigo's sword arm. He missed, just barely, catching the fabric, but the momentum took him through the strawberry's other arm. Blood splashed the walls, the hybrid cried out, and his off-hand went dead.

Frantic gold-on-black eyes behind the red and white mask shifted from his limp arm and the gold blade. "What did you do!?"

"My shikai's special ability. It'll paralyze anything it cuts, but you'll still feel every agonizing slice and injury, because while Ashisogi Jizo removes your ability to move your arm, it doesn't actually sever the nerves." Mayuri was laughing again, confident that he'd found the trick to beating the hybrid.

'Shiro, can you still manage?' Ichigo asked mentally.

'Lemme at 'im, King!' The white copy was snarling and had the pain under control finally. No poison could affect them for long, thanks to the hybridization that the three pieces had gone through in the process of both losing and regaining their powers.

Before his very eyes, the sleeve of Ichigo's left arm exploded in bits of black fabric all the way up to his shoulder. The newly revealed flesh bleached white, and grew long matching claws. A red cuff exploded out of his wrist and across his shoulder Mayuri could see several black lines curving across the white flesh. Strangely enough, that side of Ichigo's hair grew longer as well, and the left half of his mask changed to have a single vertical stripe with the addition of a large, forward sweeping horn.

His voice was even more distorted than before. "You really think that will stop us?"

Now the scientist was beginning to get angry. The experiment was not behaving. At this point the boy should have broken down and started begging for his life, but all he seemed to be doing was getting stronger. Three more barely dodged slashes of Ashisogi Jizo's Shikai had Ichigo's hakama torn to shreds, and his kosode completely gone. His ankles and right wrist matched his left, the skin of his body white and from the center of his chest ran six symmetrical black lines from where a hole would be if he was not in mental control. His hair reached his waist and his mask was that of his Vasto Lorde form, with towering horns and two vertical red stripes over his eyes.

At the moment he held Mayuri by the throat, the scientist's Shikai thrown off to the side. He hadn't given the freak a chance to call his Bankai, knowing that whatever it was, it would bring down the roof of the throne room. Already, as a result of their flying around the space, there were large cracks in both supporting walls. He gathered his reiatsu at the tips of his horns.

"Give us one good reason not to kill you right here and now, Mayuri Kurotsuchi!" He roared.

"Ichigo!" Lisa called and the orange-haired hybrid whipped around, dispelling the budding Cero. With their masks dismissed the Visoreds were no longer crippled by the burning of their inner Hollows. The brunette had Rose leaning on her shoulder. Love was already against the door, slumped against Nemu, who had Nnoitra splayed out on her other side, and Halibel was supporting Starrk.

"Mashiro has Kensei!" The green-haired Visored called, running as fast as she could towards the door. The only one left hanging was Grimmjow.

He growled, holding Shiro back. "Everyone duck!" He called, re-charging the Cero, and blasted a hole in the wall leading out to the artificial daylight. "Get out of here."

The others made no hesitation in getting out of the room. Having more of the sunlight, and a draft of clean air, removed the effects of the poison so that the Visored Betas could once again don their masks and sonido the Alphas and Nemu down to the sand.

Ichigo turned back to Mayuri. He shoved the scientist further into the wall, ignoring the ominous groan of the stone. "Stay there, bastard, or so help me Shiro will teach you the real meaning of pain." Then he let the former captain go, barely able to make his Hollow half release the Shinigami.

He crossed to where his Alpha still hung by his wrists, reaching up with his daito-shaped blade he sliced through the chains. The blunette, still unconscious, slumped onto him. As he was regaining his balance he felt a sharp prick, like the sting of a wasp, in his shoulder. Looking down he saw the feathers of a dart embedded in his skin. He roared again, letting Grimmjow slump at his feet. In a flash he grabbed Mayuri and tossed him by the throat into the opposing wall.

The scientist's body crashed into the stone, and both he and the wall exploded into millions of pieces. As the stones of the ceiling rained into the room in a cloud of dust and smoke too thick to see though the pale green liquid of the former captain's nikushibuki state fell to the sand in mimicry of the stone. Lisa, having leaned her Alphas against one another in preparation to return to Ichigo's side, flash stepped around the column to catch most of Mayuri's liquid in a kido-box she'd kifed from Kisuke's storage room. What she couldn't catch as it poured down on her, sank into the sand, too little to make much difference; though it appeared that in spite of his last ditch attempt at taking Ichigo down, Mayuri had somehow fallen unconscious in his liquid form, as there was no sound from the gelatinous former captain.

The smoke cleared slowly revealing a tent of fallen stones around the center of the room. The rubble heaved. Once. Twice. Three times before the figure braced underneath was able to throw the heavy rocks off. He panted heavily, and bent down to the collapsed form of his mate. Gathering him into his arms, he picked his way across the broken room to the hole in the wall. With a deft leap he landed in the sands next to Halibel, Lisa and Mashiro, who all gasped.

His tail lashed and his ears flicked. "Nobody fucks with m'Beta." He growled and ripped open a Garganta.

Above them in the collapsed throne room, a figure still lay prone on the damaged floor. In the darkness of the shadows around the room, silent paws stepped up to the unconscious man. A black striped white tail waved in curiosity. Things had changed suddenly for the panther. The collar on her neck had shattered, giving her back her mentality, but something was missing. She could feel it, and she could tell that it was all this man's fault. Inexplicably she was drawn to the pale, white-haired creature that was splayed out in the middle of the fallen ceiling. Sunlight streamed in brilliant shafts, regardless of its artificial nature. She inched closer, whiskers twitching, and hunched over, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. Leaning down to sniff the white locks of his hair, she was taken off guard when a black-nailed hand shot out and grabbed her throat.

"Hey there, pretty kitty. We've got unfinished biz'ness, t'gether."

Glossary:
Kursarigama - the strange gold blade that Mayuri has for an ear. o.x?
Nisehada - Mayuri's ability to camouflage himself against any surface, as seen just before the fight with Ishida during the Soul Society Arc
Kakimushire - Mayuri's Shikai release command
Kifed - slang, meaning stolen, or nabbed

Belly Report:
Ichigo – 10 weeks
Orihime – 29 weeks
Nel – 5 weeks
Tesla – 4 weeks