When Ichigo found out about the change in the pack rankings he was mildly upset. And he definitely had some questions.

"What does this mean for me and Masahiko?" He asked with more than a bit of concern and Grimmjow grimaced. That was a good question.

"With Vandular? Nothing really, except that pequino rey here will be our only little one for a while." He said frankly as Ichigo frowned. "We'd have to get Van's permission to breed again and he won't give it with two little ones in the nest." Grimmjow would be a bit surprised if Vandular gave his permission even after that. This was a good time to breed, when the three worlds had a need of vasto lorde. He would want to fill his mate with more cubs, it was an instinct. "If it were some other alpha, Masahiko could be killed." Grimmjow admitted and Ichigo's scowl was impressive as he cuddled his pup close. Masahiko was sleeping, sucking on his thumb. "But he won't do that. The family bonds help." Vandular was a rather mild, gentle sort for a vasto lorde and having a grandchild clearly meant a lot to him. Grimmjow had never heard of a pack forming with related hollows, but it clearly made a difference.

"I can't picture Rin or Van hurting Masahiko. But Grimm… why am I the beta? I'm not saying I'm stronger than you." Ichigo said hastily as Grimmjow stiffened slightly. "But it never even seemed to occur to me to try. Is that normal?" He sounded worried about himself and Grimmjow laughed softly, sitting down beside him and putting an arm around his shoulders.

"It's normal for you." He said and Ichigo frowned. "It's mostly a personality thing, partly a phase of life thing. You prefer to be a submissive. Rocca's like that too, it's nothing to be ashamed of. And submissive doesn't mean weak. A beta defending his or her cubs is scary as hell!" Grimmjow shuddered theatrically as Ichigo managed a smile. "Honestly, it has a lot to do with personalities and how people click. Rin is beta to Van, but that doesn't mean she would be beta to anyone else." Rin was deeply in love with her mate. If he somehow died, she might not take the role of beta again. Ichigo nodded, a bit more naturally this time.

"Okay, that makes sense. I don't think I would want to submit to anyone but you." He said and Grimmjow nuzzled him affectionately. "This is a really good nest, isn't it?" Ichigo said, moving the topic on to something lighter. Grimm glanced around and nodded.

"Yeah, I love the artwork." He had no talent in that area but he could appreciate it and Vandular had spent a long, long time working on the walls of his cave. He'd also excavated a secondary den meant for adult playtime. Now they were putting in another, which had meant ruining a bunch of carvings but Van had just shrugged it away. The new room meant he would have a spot for new art. And his work was actually better than Rocca's, in a lot of ways. It was definitely more tasteful.

"Grimm, what is going on between Nel and Rocca?" Ichigo suddenly asked and he winced a bit, trying to think of what to say. "They almost smell like… but it's ridiculous. Rocca wouldn't do something like that." He said firmly and Grimmjow hesitated.

"She's not a little girl, you know." He said and Ichigo turned a horrified look on him. "You need to stop thinking of her as a cub, shinigami. She knows what she's doing."

"What! They are?!" Ichigo looked ready to storm out and do something horrible to Rocca but Grimmjow put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. "Grimm! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I thought you would freak." He growled. Clearly he'd been dead right about that. "Seriously, she's not a baby. They've been mating in her adult form." He'd accidentally gotten a glimpse so he knew that was true, not that he'd ever believe Rocca was into little kids. Ichigo looked at him, clearly deeply troubled.

"It just seems wrong." He finally said and Grimmjow sighed. He wasn't surprised that Ichigo didn't understand. It was a bit odd, even for hollows. But…

"Nel wants someone to love her and so does Rocca. Don't take that away from them." He said softly and saw Ichigo bite his lip. The shinigami finally nodded, reluctantly. "She's missing her brothers, too." Nel wanted something permanent, something she could count on. Rocca seemed to be it and Grimmjow thought he was a very good bet. They honestly suited each other.

"Oyahah!" Masahiko said, or at least that was what it sounded like to Grimm. He looked down with a grin and the baby gave him a toothless grin right back. "Mahhh!"

"Oh yeah? Tell me more." Grimmjow said and the little one was glad to comply. Ichigo laughed, cuddling the baby in his arms. "OooOoo? Not sure I understand. Is that something good?" He said playfully, letting Masahiko have a finger to hold. The baby brought it to his mouth and gummed it. "Ah, drool! Drool!"

"Oh, come on, we lick each other off all the time. He's just trying to clean you, isn't he?" Ichigo smiled at his offspring and laughed as he started to chew. "Or maybe he's trying to eat you."

"Oi, going to eat your sire? That's rude." Grimmjow told Masahiko and he let go with a pop before babbling again. "Can I hold him?"

"Of course." Ichigo gave him the baby and Grimmjow tucked him into his arms with the ease of practice. He was getting very accustomed to caring for his pequino rey. The only blot on his happiness was the shinigami. He was sure they would be back.

Hopefully, they would be ready.

"Hm?" Mayuri was examining his new equipment with a frown. "Of all the… they've left that infernal desert!" He sounded almost affronted and Zaraki laughed as Shunsui smiled. He was glad that they wouldn't have to go back there. Byakuya frowned.

"Why would they come back to the mountains?" He asked and Kyoraku frowned thoughtfully. That was definitely an interesting question. That hot desert had been insanely difficult for them to search and, presumably, the Espada did not want to be found. So why had he moved?

"Perhaps Ichigo got away from him?" He hazarded. "Or the Espada got away from Ichigo?" They still weren't quite sure who had captured whom. Ichigo's hollow had to be in control so he might actually be the aggressor.

"Does it matter? Let's go get him." Zaraki said which was practical enough. They started out, Mayuri tracking Ichigo easily with his scanner.

Soon, they would bring their wandering boy home.

"Shit!" Grimmjow swore as he felt the familiar energies homing in on them. The shinigami were hiding themselves well but he had cut his teeth on the hollows of Hueco Mundo. And, well, one of the shinigami was clearly a piker at concealing his reiatsu. It was painfully obvious.

"Oh, why did Van go hunting right now?" Rin sounded distraught and Grimmjow nodded grimly. Vandular had left an hour or so ago. He'd no doubt feel it when they started to fight but then he'd have to get back. As fast as the vasto lorde moved, he might make it before the battle was over. He might not, too. Grimmjow didn't like that one little bit.

"Rin, stay here with Masahiko." He quickly decided. With Vandular out of the nest the responsibility fell on him as the second strongest. She looked ready to protest but he gave her a hard stare. "If anything happens to your cub Vandular will skin us." And rightly so. "And if anything happens to us, take care of our pequino rey." He wanted Ichigo by his side for this. The shinigami nodded, handing over the white little baby. He was fussing, sensing the tension in the air.

"I'mma comin' too!" Nel said, gripping Rocca's shoulder. He rested a hand on her back before murmuring something to her, but she shook her head obstinately. "No! Not going to let you get hurt." She said firmly and Rocca gently patted her on the head.

"Let her come." Grimmjow said firmly, giving Rocca a hard stare. He understood the urge to protect his mate, but now was the time to use the power Nel had been storing. He glanced at Ichigo who looked back at him with a very familiar, determined gleam in his eyes. "Let's get moving." He had an idea for where to ambush the shinigami.

And it was an ambush. They clearly had some sort of tracker, but Grimm and Rocca were experienced hunters. He'd been training Ichigo and when Nel was trying to hide, she was damned near undetectable. So they managed to get the drop of the shinigami and Grimmjow grinned as he launched his attack. He was taking on the shinigami with the funny kimono and the hat. Rocca was taking on the guy with the spiky hair, who really seemed to be enjoying it, and Nel's power erupted in a burst before she drew her sword and took on the shinigami with the paper clips in his hair. That left Ichigo to face the guy with the weird makeup.

Then something unexpected happened. The shinigami with the face paint was ready for the hybrid and there was a loud pop and a cloud of some kind of smoke. Grimmjow couldn't spare that much attention, heavily engaged with the shinigami. He was very strong… Grimmjow's eyes narrowed as he gripped his sword.

"Grind, Pantera!" He called on his first release then just as quickly… "Segunda Etapa!" He was going to need that power to defeat this man. Then his eyes widened as he saw his enemy had two swords now? Two wickedly sharp scimitars, but he wasn't going to let that deter him.

Things started to go bad at that point. Grimmjow was ignorant of Kyoraku's 'games' and had to learn the hard way, just as Starrk had done. The wind attack was annoying and difficult to break free from, but the attack from the shadows was really bad. Grimmjow was stabbed, very badly, before he realized what the shinigami had done. Snarling in rage he let his reiatsu flow and attacked full force, driving the other man back. He hoped Vandular would get here soon. They desperately needed his power!

Then Grimmjow was distracted as he saw Ichigo collapse. Something had been off since that gas cloud had surrounded him but the Espada had been too concentrated on staying alive to pay attention to it. Now he knew the situation was dire and he tried to help, but that was a mistake. He simply couldn't take his eyes off Kyoraku but he did it anyway, firing off a cero at Mayuri. Grimmjow paid for it a moment later as a black blade crunched into his side, just barely missing something vital. It did catch his lung, though, and he gagged on blood as he jerked away and whirled. He had to keep fighting. He had to!

Then there was a loud pop and Grimmjow felt a moment of despair as he realized that Nel had exhausted her energy. The shinigami she was facing had to abort his strike, realizing he now faced a little girl. She tried to grab his leg, crying, but it was pointless. He shunpo'd away easily and Grimmjow suddenly found himself facing two taichou. The young vasto lorde's situation went from bad to hopeless as he struggled to keep up with Byakuya's shikai as well as Kyoraku's. He lost the battle and went down in a spray of blood. As he fell, he heard Rocca's scream of pain and Nel's crying. Focusing all his energy on just staying alive, he let his resurrection fade along with his consciousness.

There was nothing more he could do.

"That was a good fight." Kenpachi grinned as he poked the fallen vasto lorde with the tip of his sword. Kyoraku frowned as he looked over the creature. It had curled up into a tight ball, for all the world like a pill bug. There was a puddle of red blood spreading beneath it and he honestly wasn't sure if it was fatally wounded or not. It was still alive at the moment.

All of their enemies were still alive at the moment although the Espada was in extremely poor shape. Shunsui was glad of Byakuya's intervention. He'd been winning but the creature had definitely been giving him a hard time. And speaking of which…

"The Espada is under a sentence of death for his crimes against Soul Society." He stated and winced slightly as the little hollow child cried and began to beg them to spare her 'Grimm-papi'. "But what should we do with these two?" He gestured to the toddler and the fallen vasto lorde. Mayuri grinned, clapping his hands together.

"They would be excellent test subjects! Particularly the vasto lorde. I have several arrancar but it would be fascinating to compare them to an unbroken example of the highest level of their kind." He said cheerfully and Shunsui glanced around. Zaraki just shrugged as Byakuya looked indifferent. It was only a hollow, so he didn't particularly care either. Mayuri could have it if he wanted.

"And the child as well?" He gazed down at the little thing, who looked up at him with big, teary eyes. "Although… you would be Nel?" He asked her and she sniffled before nodding. "You can't experiment on her, Mayuri. We should probably take her though… she wouldn't survive here." Ichigo and the others must have been protecting her. He gently scooped her up and gave her a warm, reassuring smile. "You'll be safe with us, child."

"B-But Grimm-papi! Rocca!" Tears were building in her eyes again and Kyoraku tried to comfort her. He understood the pain she was feeling but… life was hard, sometimes. And they had their orders. He glanced at Byakuya who easily got the message and stepped over to the prone Espada. He had reverted back to his human form, still alive despite being badly battered and covered in his own blood. Byakuya lifted his sword and –

Kyoraku and Kenpachi were both shocked as blood exploded from their fellow taichou's chest. Byakuya collapsed as Shunsui dropped the child arrancar, drawing his sword again. He had no time to release it as something white and deadly charged him with murderous intent. He barely blocked the lightning fast claws and then the creature whirled, catching Kenpachi's sword in its hands and holding it off with strength alone. Then it roared into Zaraki's face, sending his hair back and causing stones to rumble and fall in the far off mountains. Shunsui had never seen such a taken-aback expression on Zaraki's face before.

"Flower Wind Rage and Flower God Roar, Heavenly Wind Rage and Heavenly Demon Sneer!" He released his sword again as quickly as possible as a crackle of lightning was directed at Mayuri. His fellow taichou parried the blast but it sent him back several feet. Shunsui cast his wind attack at the stranger before leaping in the air, intending to take advantage of his shikai's games.

He couldn't know that attacking Vandular with wind was a bit like trying to drown a fish by pouring water on it. The circle of winds surrounding the vasto lorde abruptly turned black as he overwhelmed the zanpakuto's reiatsu with his own. Then with a throwing gesture he tossed the winds back at Kyoraku. They crackled with electricity and he was forced to abandon the high ground, giving up the advantage of his shikai.

The hollow they were facing was like a whirlwind, a dervish of claws and power. Mayuri called up his shikai but couldn't land a single blow, not letting him use its venom. Zaraki and Kyoraku were only scratching the creature and he seemed to quickly grasp the nature of Shunsui's shikai.

"You like to play with shadows, shinigami?" A warm, surprisingly pleasant voice said. Black and gold eyes met grey before the hollow's reiatsu rose to an almost painful level. "Then there will be no shadows." Then he cast a ball of pure black reiatsu towards the heavens. It spread across the sky like a blot of inky darkness, removing any illumination from the moon and stars. It did remove the shadows, by plunging them into darkness. Then clouds began to boil up and the wind began to rise. Shunsui had a very bad feeling about where this might be going.

He was not disappointed. Zaraki had to dodge as a lightning bolt lanced down from the sky, sending bits and pieces of stone flying and leaving after images in Kyoraku's eyes. There was the cry of a demented baby as Mayuri summoned his bankai, but it was no more effective than their other attacks. Vandular countered the cloud of poison easily, sending a screaming wind back at the scientist and his bankai. Mayuri got out of harms' way but Ashisogi Jizo ended up caught in a cyclone, crying as it was sent through the air. Vandular launched himself into the sky with a few powerful wingbeats and grasped the lightning's, causing the cyclone to erupt in brilliant light.

"Oh dear." Mayuri regarded his broken sword with mild vexation. "That will take so long to fix." A broken bankai could not actually be repaired but it could be remodeled, by someone of his abilities. However, it would take him some time. "Hmm." He considered the ongoing fight, rubbing his chin. Then he glanced up at the sky. "Such power." If he was going to compare it to anything, he would have to compare it to Aizen Sosuke's before he absorbed the Hogyoku. Or, perhaps, Soutaichou Yamamoto.

But why would such a monster be fighting on behalf of the Espada and his companions? Mayuri didn't know but he could see they were actually on the brink of losing. Kyoraku was being pressured hard and Zaraki was enjoying himself to an unwholesome extent. While that was no doubt stimulating the man's tiny brain, Mayuri didn't think that Kenpachi's lust for battle was a good reason to continue this conflict. A way to end it easily occurred to him and he smiled to himself. If he was wrong about the vasto lorde, the creature would likely just ignore him. But if he was right…

"You are… fucking tough!" Kenpachi said with a grin as the dragon hollow lashed out at him with lightnings. There was no reply, only a kick from a clawed foot that might have disembowled him, if it had landed. It ripped through his uniform and Zaraki laughed. He'd removed his eyepatch to fight with the first vasto lorde, so he was already going all out on this one.

"Black!" Kyoraku called, trying to use his shikai again. But there was a wave of black and gold reiatsu, and it overwhelmed Katen Kyokotsu's spiritual pressure. That was the brute force method of escaping Shunsui's shikai and the monster used his bony arms to clash with his swords. There was a burst of electricity and Shunsui was momentarily blinded. A movement almost too quick to follow had him on his back and –

Kyoraku blinked as the hollow above him suddenly stopped, sharp claws pressing against his throat. That bone covered head was turned to the side, looking at something and Shunsui carefully turned his head to follow the gaze. His breath caught as he saw what was going on.

"Mayuri! What the fuck?" Kenpachi had spotted it too and was scowling, his sword down. The scientist just grinned. He had an unconscious Ichigo in front of him, his broken sword pressed firmly against his throat. Even as they watched a few small drops of blood welled up from the pressure.

"Now, hollow. I have no idea why you're fighting for this trash, and I don't care." Mayuri said pleasantly as black and gold eyes narrowed. "But I presume Kurosaki means something to you. Let us leave with him, or I'll kill him." For a very brief moment the pressure on Shunsui's throat increased and he wondered if Mayuri had miscalculated. But then the hollow slowly withdrew his claws, stepping back. The wind around them died down as he banked his reiatsu.

"You threaten the life of your friend?" He asked and Shunsui winced at the cold anger in that otherwise pleasant voice. He couldn't even blame the vasto lorde. This was unacceptable… although he wasn't going to contradict Mayuri in front of their enemy. Kenpachi had no such qualms.

"Yeah, what the fuck? If you kill him I'll rip your goddamn head off!" Zaraki said and Mayuri looked slightly annoyed before pressing the blade a bit harder. The hollow took an involuntary step forward as more blood flowed.

"I am unmoved by your threats, Zaraki. And this brat isn't my friend. He's their friend, not mine. I won't hesitate to kill him." He said and the scientist sounded very sincere. Kyoraku silently prayed the hollow wouldn't call his bluff. He didn't think Kurotsuchi ever bluffed, not really. He was always willing to follow through. Fortunately, though, the vasto lorde seemed to come to the same conclusion. He stepped back and his reiatsu dropped to a level similar to the vanquished vasto lorde or the Espada. "Stop just standing there and get Byakuya." Mayuri ordered and Kenpachi scowled before slinging his sword over his shoulder and going for his fellow taichou. He was still alive, although just barely. "Leave the others." While the battle had been going on, Nel had puked all over Grimmjow. Now she was at the other vasto lorde's side, begging him to uncurl so she could throw up on him as well. Kyoraku nodded, pushing himself to his feet as he kept an eye on the vasto lorde. He was standing utterly still, watching them with a homicidal glint in those black and gold eyes.

But he did nothing as Mayuri reopened the garganta, most likely because the scientist kept his weapon snug against Ichigo's unconscious body. Kenpachi was clearly very pissed off at the tactic and Shunsui honestly wasn't happy either… but he was glad to be alive. That hollow had been very close to ending his life. If this was how they would survive and get away with their lost boy, then so be it.

The garganta was already closing when Vandular spoke, uttering words that would have sent a chill up Kyoraku's spine. But the shinigami were gone, which was exactly how Vandular wanted it. He would not give them warning of his plans.

"This isn't over." He said softly to the empty air, his voice a deadly promise. Then he went to Rocca's side, gently infusing the other hollow with his reiatsu and encouraging him to uncurl for Nel.

He would tend to everyone's wounds before taking action.