Chapter 3: Sting

A sharp gasp escaped Tora's paling lips, only a haggard scream escaped her as something cracked under the weight that Grimmjow was putting into his foot. Cursing him mentally, she continued to gasp as the rib that broke under the pressure felt like it was stabbing her from the inside. She wondered when the pain would stop so she could rest and be ready to fight another day. It looked like that would never happen with the way things are looking now.

With a smile on his face as he brought it down to hers, with it growing longer. Seeing the pain and fear reflecting in the verde eyes told him that he finally broke her. It didn't satisfy that thirst though. He wanted to hear it from her. Reaching down, his hand roughly grasped her throat, cutting some of her oxygen. "Have you given up yet Chibi?"

"Fly Usagi!" A woman's voice yelled out of nowhere.

The sexta espada dodged quickly as his eyes looked at what was behind him. Seeing the air – where he was seconds before – being cut by the scythe that belonged to the defected shinigami with Tora falling back down to the ground with a thud. Glaring at the shikai release form of the weapon, he hissed. She was always trouble.

The shikai release of Madoka's katana was a gothic scythe that had a key chain of a small rabbit hanging at the end. He didn't want to find out if she had obtained her bankai release if it was like that.

Moving his hand down to his zanpaku-to, a growl escaped his exposed chest as he lowered himself. It was almost like he had become an adjucha again, the smallest one in the group that thought he was going to be king.

"If you draw your own weapon, you know I have the right to kill you. I know as well as you do that Aizen-sempai doesn't want that to happen." Madoka warned, her voice taking an ominous tone compared to the tone that she usually used.

Tora could see Madoka's feet and tried to look behind her to see if Grimmjow would actually draw her sword. As she continued to look at her superior's feet, the words that were being exchanged were muffled until she heard only silence. As more blood fell out of her body from the various wounds that she had on her body, her eyesight was fading into black and white. Finally it faded into nothing.

The only thing she remembered before passing out was the shinigami she would give her life for carrying her away from the sixth espada. The espada that would have killed her if it wasn't for Madoka showing up when she did. That urge to smile didn't come to the verde eyed woman as she felt her head being pressed against the ex soul reaper's bosom.

Looking down at the arrancar that was beaten more than she should, Madoka shook her head. It wasn't called for. Tora shouldn't be treated like that. Feeling the presence of the sexta espada lingering in the spot where they left him, she tried to smile when the side of her wanted to see him dead at her feet. "Everything will be okay Tora. Trust me."

Even though the female arrancar was unconscious, she had a feeling that she heard every word. It seemed like Tora could hear anything when it didn't concern her. Kicking open a door that led to a bedroom, she rushed over and set her friend down on the bed. "Kitsune-kun!"

Waiting for that hum of the intercom, she sat down next to her dying friend.

"She's on the way Rabbit-hime." Gin replied and let the intercom fall silent.

Madoka nodded once and turned her attention to her arrancar friend. If she lost the woman that she had a bond with, then the white-haired woman would go after the cause. Closing her eyes, hearing the door open and close and the weight on the bed change, Madoka tried to ignore everything. She had to figure out how to handle this problem with the least amount of blood spilled.

Her dark blue eyes opened to see the healing arrancar kneeling to her, she nodded. Looking back at the still breathing arrancar, she smiled a little. At least Tora was out of danger for now. That was all that matter to her.

As the arrancar exited the room, the door opened to show the man that had everything planned out. "I heard you wanted to speak with me." His voice was calm, his gaze falling on the slumbering arrancar that he heard was near death because of an espada's actions.

Bowing, Madoka kept her head bowed to show that he had authority over her, her tone was still harsh and serious. "Aizen-sempai this is the tenth time in the past two weeks that my subordinate has been attacked by Jaegerjaques. I will not allow Tora to be attacked by that man any longer if he is getting this way. He almost killed her today, that's the closest he's put her to death out of all of it. I ask you for permission that you can only grant to handle the problem that is in front of us."

The room fell silent once more, the only soft noise being that of Tora's even breathing. A smile crossed Aizen's face, seeing the killer intent that hung in the dark blue eyes. It was the other side of the woman that he heard so much about while he was still understanding why Gin would want her to tag along.

"Do what you see fit Madoka-chan. The only thing that I ask of though, don't kill anyone yet. They're all very useful when it comes to the plans I have." The brunette said, causing a sly smile to overtake her lips. Seeing it, he turned and started to leave the room.

"Thank you Aizen-sempai!" She said, bowing once more as he left the room. Looking up, seeing that the man that had all the superiority leave, Gin walked in. Feeling the embrace of his arms around her waist, made her smile more compared to the last few hours of how she was feeling.

"What do you have planned Rabbit-hime? That mind of yours can create something devilish and it has me curious as to what you have up your extra long sleeves." Gin chuckled with his lips pressed close to her ear in a way a lover would.

Her gaze trailed up from where it was to see him. Her eyes went wide to show that she needed a favor of the man that was so close to her. "Simple Kitsune-kun. First things first, the supplies. Could you get me something from storage?"

Another chuckle rumbled out of Gin's body as he pressed his lips to her forehead quickly. Walking away, he turned to look at the woman that was still standing there, he asked, "What do ya need?"

I'm not sure if I got Gin's personality down. I was still kinda freaked out when I looked at the cover for Volume 20 and saw that his eyes were open. I was kinda spazzing out over it since I just noticed it. *pokes the drawn face of the man* Please review.