Chapter Three

Battle Preparations

Two Weeks Later...

Katie was in her eighth month, now. Soon, she would have the twin girls that would make Nick have something more to protect when fighting Hollows and the sort. Tabitha had said that they would probably come around two weeks before she was due, but there wasn't much of a chance it would happen like that. At the moment, Katie was just sitting on the bed her and Nick shared down in the basement reading a book.

Katie heard the door open. "Who is it?" She called.

"It's only me." Came the feminine reply.

"Oh, hey Sakura. Are you bored already?"

"No, I just didn't want to be upstairs anymore. Mom was tired."

"Really? Well then, come on. We'll watch a movie. Any movie in particular?"

"How about Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor?"

"Why not, right? I'll go get it from upstairs."

"No, I'll get it. You should stay in bed."

Katie smiled at the small pink-haired child. "Okay. Thank you, Sakura."

"No problem. I'll be right back."

"Take your time." Katie smiled as Sakura rushed back up the stairs.

San Mateo High School...

Nick was relieved. School had just ended, and he wanted to get home as fast as he could. Seeing as how he wasn't able to adeptly use Flash Step, he decided to just run home. When he got into the house, he only saw his mother and father. "Hi, mom. Hey, dad. Where're Katie and Sakura?"

Tabitha turned to face him. "Hey, Nick. They're in your room, watching a movie. Or at least, I think they're still watching a movie. Also, I got a message saying that Lora's coming back later on."

"Really? Awesome. I'll talk to you later." Nick said, opening the door to the basement and started to walk down the stairs.

Abandoned Warehouse, San Mateo Projects...

A man with reddish-brown hair and what looked like headphones around his neck looked around at the gathering of Bounts. This man, Go Koga, was the last remaining Bount from the failed attempt to take their revenge on the Japanese Soul Society. Now, he wanted to go to the American Soul Society in order to see if their revenge could be reached easier here than in Japan. Looking in his hand, he tightened his grip on the large metal orb he had been holding.

He spoke up then. "My fellow Bounts," he addressed the assembled group. "We may very well be the last Bounts on this Earth, so this may be our last chance to gain our revenge on the very people that forced us to scatter over the globe. Now, we have that chance. Sources indicate that there are a couple of Quincy around here, watching over the house of a family of Soul Reapers. We must go there and take them both, in order to make sure we have the best chance to get back to the Soul Society. Only two of you will go. Terrani and Aquastin will go. Bring back those Quincy."

"Yes, Lord Koga." Terrani said, her voice enriched with enthusiasm.

"We will bring them back quickly." Said the other Bount going, Aquastin, and the duo left the warehouse.

Nick's House, An Hour Later...

Nick, Jasmine, Tabitha, Elias, Sakura, Katie and the Ishida children, Takumi and Sayuri were all sitting outside in the backyard, waiting for Lora to return. Tabitha saw a shimmer in the sky. "There's the portal." She pointed up towards it.

Everyone else looked up at the same time and saw Lora appear out of nowhere and land on the grass in front of them. "Hey, everyone. Miss me?" She asked as she walked over.

"Yeah, Lora's back," Nick said, "Now we can train some more."

"Nick, calm down," Katie said. "No training tonight. I feel something coming. Something bad. Can anyone else feel it?" She asked the assembled family.

A voice sounded from the fence. "I feel it, Katie. Who's ready for a Bount attack?" Gin Ichimaru said, grinning his feline grin and jumping down onto the grass. "They're here for the Quincy pair."

Sayuri and Takumi gasped. "Wait..." Sayuri said, thinking. "Does that mean that they plan on going back to the Soul Society?"

Gin nodded. "Yeah. I'm surprised that they didn't feel me there at the meeting they had over in the projects. I eavesdropped on the whole conversation."

"How did you know they were Bounts?" Tabitha asked.

"Well, I felt the Spiritual Pressure of a Bount, followed it, and it led me to a whole meeting. They're sending two here to take the Ishida kids. I'm here to help, as well. Knowing Bounts, you'll need all the help you can get."

"Thank you, Gin. Well, everyone, let's get ready. Lora is already prepared, since she hasn't gotten into her Gigai yet, but everyone else has to get out of body. Sayuri, you have both a Quincy bow and a Zanpaku-to, so you'll be safer, but Takumi will have to hide in the basement for now. It's a part of the house that shields Spiritual Pressure."

Takumi nodded and went into the house. Nick took out the Soul Candy container and popped the pill into his mouth. Once out of body, he turned to the Mod Soul now in his body. "Nico, take Katie into the basement. Keep her there," Nico nodded. "Katie, don't worry. I'll be fine."

Katie nodded. "I know you will." She said and followed Nico back into the house.

Jasmine came out of her body and took out her Zanpaku-to. "Roar, Evathon'Dala!" The katana turned into it's released form.

Nick followed suit. "Blaze, Kyubi!" His cleaver-like Zanpaku-to appeared and he slung it over his shoulder.

Gin was next. "Shoot to kill, Shinso!" His Zanpaku-to appeared in it's Shikai form as a Japanese short sword with the S-shaped guard.

Tabitha followed afterwards. "Show, Falcon!" Her Zanpaku-to became it's released state.

Sayuri went next. "Obliterate, Chidori!" (I know it's sort of a reference to Naruto, but there has to be a Zanpaku-to that has the name that just hasn't been shown or mentioned, right?) Her katana turned into what looked like a medieval sword, but the blade was shaped like a lightning bolt.

Lastly, Elias went. "Flood, Tsunami!" His Zanpaku-to looked like a bladed pole arm, but with a blade at each end. It was also a deep shade of blue.

"That is such a sight for sore eyes." Tabitha said, smiling at her husband.

"Yeah, I know. Just like your Falcon. Now, let's go meet those Bounts," He looked at Sayuri for a moment. "Sayuri, take off the glove for now. We don't want them thinking that you're one of the Quincy that they're looking for."

Sayuri nodded. "Okay. I understand." She slipped the Quincy glove off her arm and put it in her pocket.

"Let's go." Lora said, her Zanpaku-to Waterfall already in her hand.

Everyone nodded and jumped on top of the roof in order to stop the attack by the Bounts.

A/N: Okay, no action, but next chapter will have some action. Can anyone guess what elements the Dolls for the Bounts that are coming represent? If not, look closely at their names.

Next Time: The Bounts attack. What else is there to say?