Stuff is finally starting to happen, and the universe is starting to alternate...or something like that.

Anyways, we all know how the fights went down between certain folks. And I'm sure no one liked the Exequias killing off survivors just to put them in Szayel's freezer. Why else would Kubo have made the zombie chapters? Don't worry, I fixed that up.

As for pairings (in case anyone was wondering), Roder won't be 'paired' per say with anyone really. He'll have some relationships, just not those kind of loving relationships. As for the non-oc's, I'm going to just forego the issue entirely and not bother with any full-blown pairings. Sorry folks. They may be crushes here and there and one or two humorous scenes dealing with it, but I don't trust myself to write a loving relationship type of thing.

The briefing had been rather…brief. Not much information had been shared that Roder didn't already know, except that they had apparently run into two more Shinigami and taken down Runuganga and were close to breaking into Los Noches. Aizen told them not to worry but also not to underestimate them, but it seemed like several already were doing so. The first four Espada he could understand. They could probably smash them like bugs if they wanted. The ones that were actually displaying it though were most of them beneath him. Nnoitra he could understand, but even Zommari acted as though they would fall before them like rotted trees in a hurricane. Roder knew to keep his eyes open and on his fellows.

After they had ended the meeting, Ulquiorra approached him from the side. "I must ask you about the coming and goings of your Fracciones."

"Certainly. Let us walk then." The two walked away from the meeting room. Roder waited until he could feel for certain that the others were nowhere close enough to hear even a little bit of what they would say. "What's this about then?"

"Not only has your Fraccion, Yggdra, been visiting the human woman very often, but the others have gone on excursions throughout Hueco Mundo for unknown reasons. I would have those reasons known."

"Is that all?" Roder just nodded. "Guess I can't keep it secret from you then. See, I've been having them going out and searching for Vasto Lorde."

"To make into Arrancar?"

"Precisely. While most Espada here either clutch to their positions or scurry for power to try and rise above, I prefer to curry favor with our Lord Aizen by bringing in new allies."

"Is that why you've sent a blind Arrancar to search?"

"Nessiah cannot see, but his Pesquisa is one of the strongest there is. He is more useful when it comes to locating reiatsu than anything Szayel can create."

"Why is it I feel like you are hiding something?"

"Because I am. I won't tell you what I've found, only Aizen. And I'm going to wait until after this debacle with the trespassers is over. I want his full attention when I present him with my findings."

"Very well. However, if I suspect you of treachery, you will not live long enough to present anything."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, my friend. Good luck in your endeavors."

Ulquiorra watched him walk away, towards his lodgings. He was still suspicious, but there was nothing concrete to prove that the other Arrancar was a traitor. In fact, he wasn't so sure Roder was being a traitor. He never tried to cover them or deny the accusations. There was still one thing however.

"What of Yggdra and the human woman?"

"Ah, that." He scratched his head. "Don't frankly know. Yggdra's always been the one to extend a hand. Sometimes, I wonder if that girl is even a Hollow. Don't worry about her too much. Just let me know if she does something you feel is out of line."

Perhaps Ulquiorra had just mistaken his incompetence with treachery. He wouldn't be the first Espada unworthy of his position. He nodded and Roder went along his way. He would still keep his eye on him.

It hadn't been long before casualties started. The Exequias were quick, but Emelia was quicker. Roder now had the beaten down form of one Cirucci Sanderwicci and the heavily injured Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio. Rudbornn would not be pleased, but Roder had made it clear that had would bash in Rudbornn's face if he even tried to take them out of his home. Nessiah had applied healing magic to them, but it would take a while before they fully recovered.

"Hey Roder," Emelia called out. "Gantenbainne just fell, and then Nnoitra beat the human that beat him. Both are down but alive, should I get them?"

"Yes. We'll have to restrain the human, in case. Get them both, before the Exequias do."

"Ha, they won't even be halfway there by the time I lug those two back." With that, she was gone.

"People will wonder, yaknow," Inu said.

"I am simply rescuing our allies and capturing our enemies in the human's case. If anything, the rest should be ashamed that they aren't the ones to do this."

"You know why they aren't."

"And it's a very faulty reason. The Priveron may be considered bottom ring trash because they fell from being Espada, but to me, that doesn't matter. The point is that they once were Espada. Others simply grew more powerful than them and pushed them down. They're still more powerful than most Numeros, so to me, they are worth more."

"All right, whatever. Still, the chick got her powers sealed away. She can't be useful now, even if she once was like you said."

"I'm looking into repairing that, don't you worry."

"Why capture the human though? He'll bleed out eventually, right?"

"Yes, but he is a possible friend of Orihime's. Now, how thankful do you think she'll be when I present her friends, injured but alive, to her?"

Inu smiled. "You sneaky bastard."

"I try."

Elsewhere, Orihime had felt Sado's reiatsu seemingly disappear. Ulquiorra was leaving her room as Yggdra came in. She bowed respectfully and went on past him, being watched for a moment before the Cuatro went on.

"Orihime-san, don't cry," the woman tried to comfort her. "It'll be fine."

"It won't. My friends are all going to die, and it's all my fault. Sado-kun's already dead."

Yggdra thought back. "Would he be a tall, muscular, brown-skinned man?"

Orihime looked at Yggdra with wide eyes. Had she-

"He's down, but not dead. Tyranus-sama is overseeing the capture and reclamation of everyone being caught in the battles. Rudbornn-sama isn't happy with him seemingly taking over his job, but Roder has made clear he doesn't trust the lives of fellow Arrancar in anyone else's hands. Your friend was just picked up by Emelia-chan. They'll have him safely locked away, but healing."

It felt as though a great weight had been lifted off of her. Orihime sighed and sat on the edge of her bed. "I can't believe it. I almost collapsed when I thought they would die."

"I won't lie to you; one or two still might. Just pray that they are beaten down by one of the Arrancar who won't bother to finish them off."

"Still…I hope they do rescue me."

Yggdra shook her head. "It doesn't hurt to hope, but I can already tell you how this will go down. All but their strongest I could defeat on my own. And even that one will be unable to do anything against the likes of Ulquiorra-sama, much less the top Espada. If you need to hope, hope that they survive. Asking for more than that will just be too much."

Orihime looked a little downcast, but smiled just a bit. "Then I hope, with all my heart, that they survive, and we all meet again."

Yggdra smiled. It felt good, helping someone get over their feelings of despair.

Roder, stopped mid-step. He felt it, just like all the others. "Damn," he muttered. "Aaroniero, you weren't supposed to die. Not yet."

He walked out of his palace and looked to where he last felt Aaroniero Arruruerie's presence. He began to sonido his way there, trying hard not to break into a speed that would rupture Los Noches. When he arrived, he was greeted by a scene of two bodies and two tiny ball-like heads, one of which was split in half. He picked them both up and looked at them.

"Waste not." He struggled for a moment, and then his mask opened, revealing his open mouth just behind it. He put both the head/balls in and swallowed them whole. He sighed, his mask back in its shut position. "It's been a while since I've eaten another Hollow." He looked to the messy body that seemed to be decaying. "Forgot how good we taste." His mask/mouth opened again, this time noticeably easier and the things that were once Aaroniero Arruruerie's body began flying towards him, shrinking, and going into his mouth. When all was consumed, he shut his mouth again, and looked to his side. A Shinigami woman was there. One he recognized from his base Hollow days.

"Full circle," he muttered, just before flicking the ice around her with two fingers, causing it to shatter. He lifted her up and began to walk away when someone appeared. He stopped and looked, seeing Zommari Rureaux.

Orihime and Yggdra were talking like girls do, when the door was blasted down, revealing Loly and Menoly.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yggdra yelled while pulling out her massive sword. Orihime randomly pictured a female Ichigo in medieval Europe.

"We're just here to teach a certain bitch a few lessons while Ulquiorra's out," Loly stated as though it was the most obvious thing.

"Foolishness. I will not stand for such."

Menoly sonidoed around her, but she easily blocked. Pain shot up her back as she realized she had left herself exposed.

"We're not talking about you, by the way. Enjoy bleeding out."

Yggdra dropped to one knee. Loly began taunting and beating on Orihime as Menoly held her knife at Yggdra's throat to keep her from interfering. She was trying to come up with a plan, but the only thing that seemed feasible was cutting down Menoly and then taking out the other while they were disarmed. It wasn't likely that they'd survive, but that was a sacrifice she'd have to make in order to save Orihime. Menoly looked over and tried to tell Loly not to go too hard on her or she might die. Yggdra almost took that into consideration as her sword spun and cleaved through the woman's midsection, cutting her in half. She collapsed in two, and Loly's face turned into one of pure horror.

"Menoly!"

Yggdra stood up and held her sword at the ready. The dagger was still in her back, but that also meant Loly was without a weapon. She couldn't even hope to grab Menoly's with Yggdra prepared to strike.

"You made…a very big mistake. Join the-"

Before she could call on her Resurreccion, another wall was burst in and in walked a man with blue, spiky hair.

"Grimmjow!" both Arrancar women exclaimed.

He looked over the situation for a moment. Yggdra weakened and bleeding, Orihime battered, Menoly lying in half, and Loly standing unharmed but with her weapon lodged in Yggdra's back. He snarled and grabbed the unarmed woman before throwing her into a wall, cracking it all along her body. She fell down and was immediately kicked in the gut by the Priveron Espada. Another kick hit her face and she was on her side in a corner. The Priveron Espada looked over at Orihime.

"There, I repaid my debt to you. Now, I gotta ask you for another favor." He yanked the dagger out of Yggdra's back and tossed it aside. "Go ahead and heal your friend and yourself."

Yggdra felt Orihime's powers go over her and fix the stab wound. It happened rather quickly. When it was done, Yggdra felt as though she had never been stabbed at all, memory aside. The younger girl looked at the two halves of Menoly.

"Hurry up and heal yourself."

"Wait, just for a moment." Suddenly Yggdra saw an orange glow around Menoly's corpse.

'No way. She couldn't be.'

Menoly's body was put back together, the blood that pooled now gone. Loly looked even more surprised than Yggdra.

"Why?" she muttered. "Why?"

Then the orange glow surrounded her. This was a level of forgiveness Yggdra could've never imagined. Even alive and at her purest, Yggdra didn't think she could have forgiven anyone the way Orihime was doing right now, not after what they had done and tried to do. Loly seemed even more confused, unable to speak or move, even after being fully restored.

"You done yet?" Grimmjow growled. "Fix yourself up or I'll drag you out there by your hair."

Yggdra sighed. She didn't know what Grimmjow was planning, but she needed to put up with it. He was powerful, and she had to keep an eye on Orihime.

So, will the Exequias have a point? Will the captain's show up?

Yes and barely. The captains showing up were a complete Deus ex Machina to me. I would've preferred Ichigo's Hollow doing another hostile takeover and Uryuu pulling off some reiatsu self-destructing arrow thing rather than having people THEY DEFEATED BEFORE come up and defeat the ones who DEFEATED THEM. Mayuri saving Uryuu from the flamboyant scientist wasn't irony, it was dumb.