Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters associated with it. All rights belong to the creator Tite Kubo.

This is an AU story with some OOC.

And with nothing else please read, enjoy and review.

Chapter 10: The Werecat and Silent Bat

-X-

-Three months later-

Captain Kyōraku slowly headed towards the 13th Division to see his old friend, Jūshirō. He doesn't know why he wanted to talk to him. It was such a sudden call. As he got closer to Ukitake's office he raised one of his eyebrows when he noticed the lack of the dual 3rd seats; Kotetsu Kiyone and Kotsubaki Sentarō. Usually, those two were always near Ukitake's office, ready to do any kinds of errands. Just when he was about to knock, the door opened and a small petite girl with light skin, purple eyes, black hair, and with several strands of hair always hanging between her eyes.

"Ah! Hello, Captain Kyōraku." Kuchiki Rukia bowed the moment her eyes spotted the 8th Division captain.

Shunsui sent Rukia a small smile. "Now, now, Rukia-chan. No need to be so formal with me." Shunsui's eyes focus on the bandages that wrap around her left arm. A minor injury compared to the lives lost four months ago.

Seeing where his eyes went, the raven-haired girl returned the captain's smile. "It's nothing to worry about, Captain Kyōraku... nothing to compare to what happened to Nii-sama." Her smile almost dropped to a frown. No need to remember what her brother looked like when he returned from the Human World.

"Is that you, Shunsui?" Jūshirō said from inside his office.

Giving the girl a few words of comfort, Kyōraku walks into his friend's office and notices the serious look on his face. "Everything okay, Jūshirō?" Not getting anything back, the 8th Division Captain raises an eyebrow when his friend walks to the door and casts a Kidō.

"Privacy. Kiyone and Sentarō might hear something they're not meant to." Jūshirō said, already answering his friend's unasked question.

"So what is this about?" Shunsui watched his friend sit back.

Jūshirō said nothing. How is he supposed to tell his friend about an idea that might label them as suspicious captains? Releasing a sigh, he looked back to his friend before saying, "Has Yamamoto-sensei told you when your cycle to Karakura Town might be?"

Giving his friend a weird look, Captain Kyōraku says, "No he hasn't. Why?"

Having an inner battle within himself, Ukitake closed his eyes and spoke with a soft voice. "I wish for one of us to have a peaceful meeting with them."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I'm sorry but, by them, you mean the Hollows. Right?" Replied a puzzled Shunsui.

"I am. Yes." Ukitake said, eyes still closed.

"Why?"

Opening his eyes again, the 13th Captain noticed the lack of emotions on his friend's face. Taking it as a hint that he should elaborate on his words, he says. "How much do you remember about Tōshirō's report?"

Giving him a deadpan look, the 8th Captain said. "Oh, not much, besides how big of a threat these Hollows could be."

"Besides that."

"Sheesh, that meeting was like 4 months ago."

"Yes, it was." Ukitake's face took a serious turn. "Shunsui, do you know what this might mean?" Getting a 'no' back, he says, "Think about it. We just found Hollows with actual human features, not just physically but mentally also!"

"Mentally? I'm sorry, but were you not in the same meeting as me? Zangetsu left two of our captains in a mess." Kyōraku said. No point in not using the Hollow's name. EVERYONE in Gotei 13 already knew. They gave all the members descriptions of the Humanoid-Hollows. In case if anyone saw them, then they were to report to one of the three Captains immediately.

"I know that, BUT, they first came to save another Hollow when Byakuya attacked the girl and Zangetsu took action." The white-haired man said.

"But why talk to them?"

Looking back to his friend with a calm look, the 13th Captain said. "Think about. What IF we could make peace with these Hollows? We may create peace with them!"

"That would break the balance that we Shinigami have been keeping in check for over thousands of years." Shunsui answered back.

Releasing a sigh, Ukitake looked back to his friend with a somber look. "I know that. I was just hoping that maybe we could try to lose fewer people on our side." Looking up at the ceiling with the same expression, the white-haired man said, "Maybe my idea is foolish. You're right about how these Hollows are dangerous. We know nothing about them."

"Well, I can tell you right now that there's someone who probably knows."

Looking back to his friend, Jūshirō noticed the somber look on Kyōraku's face. "What do you mean by that?"

Now it was Shunsui's turn to look at the ceiling. "I think Yama-jiji might have hidden something from us."

"What do you mean?"

Looking back at him, Captain Kyōraku says, "I don't know if what I might say could be right, but I was sure the old man hesitated back then, at the meeting when he wanted to name those Hollows. Humanoid-Hollows wasn't what he wanted to call them." Kyōraku's face turns serious; this has been something that has been bugging him for some time now. "We were once students for Yama-jiji for a very long time, and through that time I learned some of his moods. Don't you think it was odd with how calmly he took Tōshirō's report, or any of the other two?"

The 13th Captain understood now where Shunsui was going with this. "You're right. If we would have done something like that, then Yamamoto-sensei would have roasted us."

"Exactly." A grimace expression washed over Shunsui's face. "The old man is hiding something from us."

"But holding information would be idiotic. Sensei would never do that." Ukitake argued.

After a while of silence, Shuinsui says, "Looks like I need to go talk with Byakuya-san."

"Why?" Jūshirō raised an eyebrow.

"Yama-jiji won't tell us. But it could be possible that we could find some answers in the Kuchiki Library."

"That's right, they're charged with compiling and protecting the history of Soul Society. So maybe there's something there?"

Shrugging, Shunsui says, "Won't hurt to try." Before he could leave, he heard his friend say.

"We should still try talking to them."

Looking back at him with a smile, Shuinsui says. "All right then." Before he could take another step, he looked back to Ukitake. "Let's keep all this between you and me. We can't tell anyone." He left with his mind wondering what sort of bargain could he use on Byakuya. 'Maybe a bottle of sake would do?'

- Urahara's Shop-

"He'll kill us." Ichigo said, wearing a heavy black sweater, white pants, his gray scarf and the same goggles on his head.

"No, he isn't." Lily replied. Her shorts and vest are gone since winter came. The limenette was now wearing light gray jeans, a burned orange fur-jacket, but kept the arm-warmers and boots.

Ichigo looked back to Lily, who was holding a bucket of snow. "Really? He's not gonna kill us by filling his Hollow hole with snow?"

Rolling her eyes, Lily says. "Remember when we filled his hole with sand before?"

"I do." With a deadpan, he says. "Back then he didn't have a gunblade with him."

"Damn it Ichigo, lets just—"

"Now what are you two planning?" A woman's voice spoke.

Both children turned around to see Shihōin Yoruichi. A slender and well-endowed, dark-skinned woman with golden irises and purple hair. She's wearing a black, backless, sleeveless undershirt, an orange over-shirt with two white straps on each shoulder, a large beige sash around her waist, and black stretch pants with a pair of lightweight brown shoes.

First of the two to recover, Ichigo says. "Yoruichi-san. I thought you were patrolling the town?"

"Ugghhh, don't tell me we're going back to train! We have been training for 5 days straight already." Lily groaned.

Rolling her eyes, the dark-skinned beauty says. "First things first little strawberry, by now know that a brief run around this town is nothing for me, and no. You guys can have the day off." As she finishes, the curves of her lips have risen to a playful smirk. "But you guys have to tell me what you're planning on doing with that half-bucket of water."

Hearing water, both children look down at the bucket only to see that she's right; the snow has melted to water.

"Great." Lily sighed. "There goes that prank."

Hearing those words, Yoruichi perked up. "Prank you say?"

Given the woman a mischievous smile, Lily said. "Yeah, we were planning on pranking Starrk. IF ONLY SOMEONE DIDN'T HESITATE." She said that last part while sending Ichigo a mocked glare.

"AND SOMEONE SHOULDN'T BOTHER PRANKING SOMEONE WITH A DANGEROUS WEAPON!" Ichigo said while returning the glare.

"And both of you should know that it's not healthy for couples to fight."

Both children have turned and pointed a finger at one another. "We're not a couple!"

"So why was it you guys had a bucket of snow, anyway?" Yoruichi ignores their comments.

Calming down first, Lily said, "Well, the ice was meant to put it inside Starrk's Hollow hole." Getting only a raised eyebrow from the woman, she yells, "It sounded more fun in my head, okay!"

"Fun and dumb." Ichigo replied with a blank tone.

Before Lily could say anything back to the boy, Yoruichi interrupted them. "While I wouldn't mind seeing couples fight," "WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" "I think you should leave the pranking to me."

"Who said anything about letting you prank Starrk." Lily narrowed her eyes. It's not like she didn't like the woman. She just didn't like how hard she makes them work. Hell, it was Ichigo who asked for help, not her. She watches as the purple-haired woman walks around them while heading inside Starrk's room. Before closing the door, Lily watched as Yoruichi started removing her shirt.

"Trust me, I'll get him good."

Both children kept staring at the close door for a minute before Ichigo finally said something.

"Kind of weird that she can turn into a cat." He saw her nod.

They were both sweeping the front store one day when she appeared in her cat-form. Back then they didn't know about Yoruichi, so when Urahara came out to pick up the cat and dancing with it like a crazy person, they both called him a 'poor loser with no friend's' but then all that change when the cat started talking and from there on, Yoruichi has been hanging around the group. Unlike the Visoreds, who came to train Starrk, she wasn't so tense around them. The Visoreds were very cautious around them. Most likely had to do with the fact that they're Hollows.

He frowns upon remembering what the Visoreds can do. When he saw the one called Shinji train with Starrk about a month ago, the boy saw how the bob-cut blonde donned a mask, a Hollow mask. He then questioned the man about it. However, that has proven to be a pointless case since Shinji was a Shinigami with Hollow powers and not the other way around he had hoped it to be.

The only reason he asked about it was because he remembered the drawings on the pillar. The Hollows, the moon, and the Humanoid-Hollows or Arrancars. It still wouldn't make sense to say they were Arrancars. The drawings showed humanoids with complete masks and, unlike everyone in their little group that was an Arrancar, they either have some fragments left or in his case, none. Also, the drawings didn't have a Hollow hole in them while they still do.

'What do you think the Visoreds are, Zangetsu?'

'Nothing but fakes.'

Ichigo lifts one of his eyebrows when he notices the tone in Zangetsu's voice; it sounded soft and dispirited. 'Aren't you gonna say how you hate them or something?' Feeling like he could see Zangetsu raise one of his eyebrows, the boy said, 'I mean, they're Shinigami. Don't you hate them or something?'

Releasing a sigh, the man said, 'I know what you meant, kid. But we're both sort of the same race. They're Shinigami with Hollow powers, and we're Hollows with Shinigami powers.'

Sleeping shirtless, Starrk felt like he's in Heaven, sure he used to sleep a lot, but that was because he did nothing to really make him feel exhausted, so sleeping back then was because of boredom. Now, however, after training and wasting energy with the Visoreds, sleeping has become a beautiful moment when it comes.

Only yawning and shuffling to a more comfortable sleeping position, Starrk went back to relaxing, enjoying the break the Visoreds had given him. He was also glad that he could now sleep without having those memories coming back to him.

For so long he had believed he was having dreams or nightmares, but it wasn't long before another possibility came to him. He was receiving back memories, his memories of when he was a Hollow.

Shuffling again, Starrk lay on his back while putting an arm across his eyes, trying to forget all the memories. Just when he was about to return to dreamland, he felt something soft pressing on his chest. Moving his arm and opening his eyes, the Arrancar noticed a bare chest Yoruichi who was lying on top of him. Her chest pressed on his chest while her head was resting on the crooked right side of his neck. He kept staring at Yoruichi, a blissful look on her face. Noticing how she was ever so slowly opening one of her eyes, they both made eye-contact.

They both kept staring at each other before Yoruichi said something first.

"Hey~." She closes her eyes again, moving her head to a more comfortable position.

Starrk kept staring at the woman, face completely lacking emotions. "What are you doing in my room, on my bed, half-naked?"

Opening her eyes again, the dark-skinned beauty said, "Why, you invited me here, Coyote-kun~."

A twitch came to his right eye. She really enjoys calling him that. Maybe because it's one of the few things that actually annoys him. "No, I did not. I'm sure that I would never invite you here." Looking around the room Urahara has given him, he notices how everything was a mess. She scattered his shirt and jacket across the room, his Zanpakutō on the floor and not on the counter he left it on, some bottles of alcohol on the floor, and the little furniture that decorated the room was out of place. "Why did you turn my room into a mess?" How did she do it without him hearing anything?

Pressing herself harder on his chest, Yoruichi said. "It takes only 2 people to make this kind of mess, Coyote-kun~."

A blush slowly reached his cheeks. "What are you talking about?"

"You can't tell me you could forget a night like that, I sure wouldn't." She said while lingering her chest left to right.

"W-what? NOTHING happened. I didn't invite you here. I came here alone." The red color on Starrk's cheeks kept slowly growing.

"Alcohol can do that to you, to make you forget things."

"I don't drink."

"C'mon now," Yoruichi creeps up to his right ear, before whispering in a seductive and husky voice, "Can you really forget the night where you made me feel like a real woman, Coyote-kun~?"

The purple-haired woman held in her laughter as the brunette pushed her off and went straight to the restroom to take a cold shower. Please, with her way of doing a prank, Yoruichi walks out of the room and looks at both children who were waiting just outside, she also notices the red color that was rapidly spreading across their faces too. Before she could say anything, Lily yells at her.

"W-why aren't you wearing your shirt!" Turning around, she notices Ichigo's eyes glue on the woman's breast. "CLOSE YOUR EYES ICHIGO!"

Ichigo shut his eyes tight. 'What did Yoruichi-san do to Starrk!'

'Sheesh, I wish I knew. Starrk is one lucky guy. Hey Ichigo, take another peek.'

'WHAT!? Why would I do that!'

'Just so I can have more memories of Yoruichi's breast.' Zangetsu replied with an obvious tone of voice.

'Damn it, Zangetsu!'

Seeing how fast Ichigo listened to Lily, Yoruichi decided that she should keep her fun going. "Your girlfriend sure has you whip, eh, Ichigo?"

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Lily instantly replied. Turning to make sure Ichigo's eyes were still closed, she looked back at the werecat. "Put on a shirt, damn it!"

Sending the girl a playful grin, Yoruichi crosses her arms under her bust. "What's the matter, Little Lily? Mad that your boyfriend wanna see these bad boys?" She uses her arms to push up her breast.

Hearing her words, Lily turns around to see a glimpse of Ichigo's amber-eyed, trying to take a quick peek at the woman's breast. With a tick-mark appearing on her left eye, Lily raised a fist. "Damn it! Ichigo if you take a peek I'm going to punch you square in the face!"

With that threat, the boy closes his eyes and for better effect; he turns his back to Yoruichi. 'See what happens when I listen to you!'

'Man, Yoruichi is right. She got you whip. Shame, shame, shame, and you're only what? 13? Shame.' Zangetsu shook his head.

Laughing at the duo, Yoruichi exploded into a cloud of smoke and returned to her cat form. "I'll see you two tomorrow."

Both now alone, Lily looks back at Ichigo. "You can look now." Hearing her stomach demanding food, she grabbed his hand. "C'mon, let's go ask Szayel if he has more of those pills to eat."

"Kind of weird seeing Szayel now. You know." The raven-haired boy replied.

Understanding what he was talking about, Lily said. "True, but, hey. At least we're all the same now." Remembering how maybe a certain Visoreds might come later on today, she allows a smile to reach her face. "I hope Mashiro-neesan comes today."

Back with Starrk, the man was taking a shower; a freezing shower. Trying to wash away the... urge that he felt. This foreign feeling was far too new for him. Releasing a sigh and letting the cold water run through his Gigai, Starrk remembered the first time Yoruichi had surprised him like that before.

- Flashback, 2 months ago-

After a month since Starrk had become a true Arrancar, he has been training with the Visoreds non-stop. The first few months weren't so easy, with only two of the Visoreds bothering to train him. Those two have been Shinji and Ushōda Hachigen or Hacchi. The former only returned because he would be the first one to take a turn with him, and the latter was only just curious. As time went by, more Visoreds came down to Urahara Shop to see who or, better yet, what Starrk was. The Arrancar guess that most of the Visored only bother to train him just because they rather not have to deal with Urahara calling them in a... complicated time, as the shaggy blonde said before.

"All right, that's enough for today, Starrk-san." Aikawa Rabu or Love said. He's a man with a thick black spiked afro, wearing a green jogging suit and mirrored sunglasses. He rubs his right forearm before letting it hang loosely. "You need to work with how much power you're putting behind your swings. Any Shinigami with enough experience can use your own strength against you."

Releasing a sigh, Starrk rested his Zanpakutō on his shoulder. "So what should I do then?"

"With some basic Kendo training, you should be able to control your strength." Love replies. The Visored watch as the Arrancar look over at Ichigo, who was training with his Cero again. After a few seconds of silence, he says. "So, like, do you really care about them?" Seeing how he turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow, the afro-star man says, "The kids and the Hollow. Like, are you actually trying to protect them? From a Hollow King, Aizen AND Gotei 13?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

Laughing at his reply, Love says. "Ha! Now that's a surprise. I always thought the Hollows didn't have a heart or feelings, let alone wanting to protect anyone..."

"You shouldn't judge people so easily now, Love." Said a purple-eyed man with long, wavy, blond hair, a perpetually bored expression and wearing a black suit with a thigh-length black jacket.

Turning around, Love gave the blonde man a deadpan look. "Really Rose? You're going to tell me that? You were the one who was skeptical about it when Shinji told us!"

Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō or Rose returns Love's expression with one of his own. "If I remember right, you were also skeptical."

"Yeah, well, it's not like every day we are told to train a HOLLOW for a year."

Ignoring the two arguing Visoreds, Starrk walks towards Ichigo, who was outside his Gigai, with his eyes closed with a look of concentration on his face.

As he left both men, he heard their argument for a bit longer.

"Strange is it not?" Rose said.

"What is? The fact that we're training a Hollow to fight off all his enemies because he wants to protect some kids and a Hollow?" Love asked.

"Yes... that."

Both Visoreds listened to Starrk giving Ichigo tips for his Cero. They have seen Lily go off to Urahara's lab to probably bother the other Hollow.

Rose's eyes went towards the arm that was hanging loose by Love's side. "Is your arm okay?"

Frowning from Rose's concern, Love said. "It's fine!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"But I think Starrk may have cracked my bone or something."

Shaking his head, Rose looks back to the brunette, showing the boy how to shoot a Cero. After the man forms and fires a Cero, both Visoreds stare quietly at the hole the Cero made through a very thick small mountain. "Could you imagine if Aizen had someone like him?" Rose asks after a moment of silence.

"What? You're making it sound like we couldn't handle someone like Starrk."

Both men watched as Starrk fired yet another Cero, but stronger, this time destroying the mountain.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"We could still take him on." Love says, trying to ignore how easily the brunette destroyed a mountain with little to no effort.

"Too much bravado is bad for you, Love." The blonde man already had his turn to train Starrk, so there wasn't much for them to do. "We're leaving now, Starrk-san." Only getting a lazy wave back, the blonde Visored was ready to leave when he remembered something important that Shinji wanted them to pass down to the Arrancar. "That's right! Starrk-san, next time Shinji-san comes, he said about wanting to speak with you on a private matter. Know little about what it could be about. Shinji-san just wanted me to tell you just that." With that last comment, both Visoreds left.

Watching the two men leave, Starrk turns around to Ichigo and goes back into teaching the boy. "All right, just like last time. Spread your Reiatsu, search for where the most get concentrated and fire." Watching as the redhead did as he instructed, Starrk noticed that just for a quick second, Ichigo's dark-red Reiatsu changed to a white coloration.

Raising his right arm, Ichigo fires another one of his white Cero that hits the side of a boulder and frowns upon seeing no actual damage done to it. It's not like he didn't leave a mark. The side where the white Cero hit had fallen off. But that's about it. It didn't obliterate it the same way Starrk destroyed the mountain.

"Damn it! What am I doing wrong!" Ichigo almost stomps his foot like an irritated child.

"Don't worry about it kid." Starrk walked towards a clearing, turning around he says. "All right, let's try this instead. I want you to fire your Cero at me now." Before the redhead could say anything, the man brought up his hand. "Don't worry about me. You know that I can take it." With that said, the boy started concentrating again. Starrk watched as the redhead started concentrating; he noticed something very particular. The Cero started off white before changing to a dark-red color before going back to white. Taking a note about it. Starrk prepares himself as Ichigo fires the white Cero and with his quick reflexes, he blocks the attack with his sword.

Looking down at his right arm that he used to block the attack, he notices the small burn mark it left. It wasn't even a lethal blow, but something felt off. Looking back again at Ichigo, Starrk asked the boy to do the same thing again and as the Cero came towards him, he again blocked the attack and dispersed it. Once again his arm had a few burned marks, and it felt... heavy. Like there was some weight in his arms. "Again."

As the man kept blocking all the Cero, he noticed how the weight seemed to keep increasing. As he stopped Ichigo at his 5th Cero, Starrk finally took notice of the different weight. He felt sluggish bringing up his blade. Before he could say anything about it, Kisuke Urahara, with the company of Szayel, made himself known.

"Well, that's quite an interesting ability." The shopkeeper said.

Nodding, Szayel says. "Indeed."

"And just what are you two talking about?" Starrk asks, as both he and Ichigo walk towards the duo scientist.

"Why, we're talking about Ichigo-kun's Cero."

"Is there something wrong with my Cero?" Ichigo asked.

"Actually, it's the complete opposite." Urahara started with a cheerful attitude. "It could be possible that the reason you can't fire a normal Cero is because of your lack of control over your Reiatsu, you're adding far too much Reiatsu into forming them. This should lead the Cero to break down and have it blown up in your face, BUT instead of that, the Cero seems to go into a different direction, almost like a subspecies of Cero or a different variation."

"Because of the increased amount of Reiatsu in your Cero, instead of the regular Cero that would usually blow things off, you instead create a Cero with far heavier Reishi." Looking at Starrk, the black mask Hollows asks. "Your arm feels heavier, doesn't Starrk-san?" Getting a nod back, the Hollow says, "That's because when the Cero disperses, it leeches on to what it hit and increases the gravity of the target. Sure, there's some damage like burn marks, but the actual effects are the weight increase."

Kind of getting a grasp of what Szayel said, Starrk repeated back the Hollow's words. "So Ichigo is forming normal Ceros but since he puts too much Reiatsu, that leads to the Reishi getting heavier and because of that, his Cero becomes some sort of subspecies?"

"That's about right, Starrk-san." Urahara said.

"So how can I fix that?" Ichigo frowns, while discovering a new Cero was amazing for the boy, he rather used a Cero that's meant more for actual damage.

"You've got to make sure that you're not concentrating TOO much Reiatsu. There has to be a line between your Cero and Cero Gravedad." Szayel told the boy, feeling proud of the name.

Ichigo cock one of his eyebrows when he heard the name of his Cero variation. 'Cero Gravedad?'

'Has a nice ring to it. But we could probably think of a better name.' Zangetsu said.

Looking down at his arm, Starrk looks back to Urahara and asks how long he'll feel the effects of Ichigo's special Cero.

Closing his eyes and taking a guess, the shaggy blonde says. "Well, it's kind of hard to figure out but maybe 1 hour should do?" He shrugged. "Never seen this before, so there's that."

"He could use the healing hot springs." A voice behind Starrk said.

Turning around, the group spotted the black feline, Yoruichi.

Tapping his chin with his fan, Urahara said. "I guess the hot spring could work."

"A hot spring?" Starrk asked. "How can a hot spring help?"

"I made those hot springs specially to heal people. Although, they're nothing compared to the original. But the effects are about the same." Urahara said.

Asking where he could find the hot spring, Starrk started heading towards it. Ichigo, deciding that he has done enough for today, starts heading back to his Gigai and goes to look for Lily up in the store. Szayel headed towards the lab, continuing a side project that he and Urahara had been working on. As the Hollows left, the shaggy blonde turned towards the black cat.

"So the hot spring, huh? Got something planned for Starrk-san?" Urahara asked while hiding a goofy smile behind his fan.

Slowly walking towards the springs, Yoruichi says. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Once getting there, Starrk looks around the hot spring. Surprised by how simple the hot spring looks; he was expecting someone like Urahara to exaggerate them. As he removes his clothes and steps into the water, the brunette allows his body to relax. Almost instantly, he started feeling the effects of the water on him.

"I see that you're enjoying the spring."

Slowly turning towards the voice, Starrk spotted the black cat. "You can say that again." He responds while going back to relaxing, missing the mischief glint in the feline's eyes.

"You won't mind if I join you, Coyote-kun?"

Starrk looked at the black cat as it slowly started walking towards the other end of the hot spring. Two things that Yoruichi said he did not like. The first was the way the cat had called him. He was sure no one had ever called him Coyote before. And then there was the other thing it said. "Why would you come inside a healing hot spring when you have no injuries?"

"Well, I may not have any injuries but I am quite exhausted." The cat replied, reaching the other side of the hot spring.

Starrk kept staring at the cat's eyes. There was something about Yoruichi's eyes that reminded him of when Lily finds ways of annoying him with her mischievous attitude. Seeing that the cat was waiting for his answer, he shrugged. "Sure, go for it."

As soon as those words left his mouth, smoke engulfed the cat. Starrk stood up fast, ready to grab his gunblade when he heard a feminine voice coming from inside the smoke.

"Don't be in such haste now."

Turning towards the voice. Starrk spotted a beautiful dark-skinned woman with purple hair and golden-colored irises. As the smoke slowly started clearing out, the Arrancar took notice that the woman was pretty much naked. Well, at least the smoke was able to hide her most private areas. Still, it didn't help with the way he was staring at her, not like Yoruichi was complaining about how he was looking at her. Just for kicks she said something first.

"Is my true form too much for you to handle, Coyote-kun~?" Yoruichi said while slowly and sexually moving into the water. She slowly kept moving towards the still-gaping Starrk.

Coming out from his shock, Starrk pointed a finger at Yoruichi. "What the hell!? I thought you were nothing but a cat!"

"I am more than just a little pussycat." Yoruichi finished her comment while sending the Arrancar a wink; she was only inches away from Starrk now. Still going along to experiment with the man, the purple-haired woman turns around and moves her hair, showing Starrk her smooth back. "You don't mind helping me wash my back, Coyote-kun?" For more effect on the man, Yoruichi creeps her hips from left to right.

Still gaping at the woman like a fish, Starrk's cheeks gain a red hue before doing the most rational thing to do. And that's grabbing his clothes and using the fastest Sonido to get away from the laughing woman.

- End of Flashback-

Since then, Yoruichi has been doing two things. 1st is the way she would find some of the most random moments to tease him with, some… creative ways, and the 2nd would be how she was teaching him Shunpo. Well, not Shunpo itself. Urahara once said that Sonido is the equivalent of the Shinigami's Shunpo, and once known as "The Flash Goddess,", well, who better to help him train besides the best?

Hearing someone knock on his door, Starrk got out of the shower and put on new clothes. Opening the door and spotting Ichigo alone, he raised one of his eyebrows. "Where's Lily at?" Common courtesy for these two to never leave each other sights, they even sleep in the same room.

"Mashiro came." Was the only reply from the raven-haired boy.

"She's here again?" Starrk asked.

"Yup."

"So you came knocking at my door because..."

"Ah! That's right! We don't have any more of Szayel's food pills and he asked me if you could go into Hueco Mundo for a Hollow." Seeing that the man was about to open a Garganta right there, Ichigo said. "Wait! He said that he wants to see you at the lab, said he has some weird gadget that he wants you to test for him."

Stopping from making a Garganta, the brunette grabs his Zanpakutō and starts heading towards the basement with Ichigo. Soon as he touches the ground, Starrk spots Lily talking with Kuna Mashiro, a young woman with hazel eyes who is wearing a white bodysuit with orange gloves, boots, and scarf, along with a set of goggles atop her lime green hair. While Lily's hair was more of faded lime green, Mashiro was bright lime green.

Starrk watched the lime duo talk with each other, it felt like Mashiro was some sort of model for Lily, which doesn't help with how Lily calls her 'Big Sister'. Looking down at the boy, he sighs. The boy was glaring at the bigger lime-haired woman. Just shaking his head, Starrk finally arrives at Urahara's lab when he spots a tall and thin man with messy pink hair.

"Hey Szayel, you needed me for something?" Starrk asks.

Turning around, Szayel looks back towards Starrk, the remains of his Hollow mask taking the form of black, rectangular-framed glasses, giving him a scholarly appearance. "You got here fast, Starrk-san." Szayel was now wearing a long, white shirt that covered his entire torso up to the top of his neck. Three lines on his uniform dropped to his right hip. Regular white pants like Starrk, with a slight length taken away and even wear white gloves now.

"Guess I did." Starrk said, finally gotten used to seeing Szayel like everyone else.

After his transformation into a true Arrancar, the black mask Hollow has been working on a way to reach the same evolution as everyone else. But Urahara had dropped the news on Szayel that not every Hollow could become an Arrancar by evolving. If that was true, like Urahara once said, then hundreds of Vasto Lordes and Arrancar should be all over Hueco Mundo, but that didn't stop Urahara from helping the Hollow. After some time, Urahara used the Hōgyoku on the Hollow and turned him into an Arrancar. It was a risky thing to do, but it paid off. The now transformed Arrancar was creating and making gadgets.

Turning around, the pink-haired man started looking around the work area that Urahara had made for him. "We seem to have run out of the consumable pills. So if you don't mind going into Hueco Mundo for just one specimen, I could make more pills that should last us for another 4 months." Finally, finding what he wanted, Szayel turns around and shows Starrk a cloak. "The reason I asked for you to come here is because I need you to test a new device for me. I believe I was able to recreate Ichigo-kun's cloaking ability." Shoving the cloak into Starrk's hand, he says. "While Urahara-san's cloaks work good, I am sure that I could make something even better."

Nodding towards him, Starrk turns his head towards the sword on Szayel's table. "When are you going to start your training?" He questions, not even looking at his fellow Arrancar.

Turning towards the Zanpakutō at the table, Szayel says. "I don't know if I should bother training Starrk-san." Looking back at the brunette, he says. "I'm not a fighter."

Pushing himself out from his Gigai, Starrk turns around and taps the air, opening a Garganta to Hueco Mundo. Before leaving, however, he turns around, spotting Ichigo looking over at some of Szayel's inventions, he whispers towards Szayel. "You may not be a fighter, but eventually you will be forced to do so. You'd rather be really for it, Szayel."

With that last comment, the brunette closes the Garganta. Leaving behind a quiet and crestfallen Szayel…

Starrk's right. Eventually he will be forced into a fight and if he doesn't know what to do, then he will be a goner. Turning around towards the boy and watching him. Szayel quietly whispers to himself. "It'll be sooner, won't it, Starrk-san? You will soon face Baraggan."

- Hueco Mundo -

As Starrk stepped out from the Garganta, he put on the cloak and took in his surroundings. Just like every time he came to Hueco Mundo for Hollows, he appeared down at Menos Park first before going up into the white sands of Hueco Mundo. Tapping his back, Starrk releases a sigh when he feels his Zanpakutō on the back of him. He doesn't want to come unprepared when coming here.

Removing his sword and pointing up to the sands, Starrk pulls the trigger to his gunblade, and a Bala forms at the tip before shooting incredibly fast towards the ceiling. One thing that he has learned about the sword that came with his evolution is that he can fire different variations and faster Ceros through it. The one that he just used, Bala, wasn't nearly as powerful as compared to a Cero, but it was 20 times faster, and even though they aren't a powerful attack, his Bala still pack-a-punch like one of his regular Cero.

Once he was sure that a hole form, Starrk shot towards the hole and up to the white sands of Hueco Mundo. Standing still, he used Pesquisa, an interesting ability that he learned that could measure and locate Reiatsu. Finding Baraggan's Reiatsu, the Arrancar started heading towards the entire opposite direction. He is still a few months too short to do anything against the King of Hueco Mundo.

Soon as Starrk finds himself in a nice isolated area near some ruins, he removes his cloak and flares his Reiatsu.

And now comes the waiting game.

Looking around the ruins, Starrk started looking for the drawings Ichigo had once talked about. The Arrancar could still remember when Shinji pushed his training by having the Visoreds use their Hollow masks. It was a shocker at first for him, but nothing compared to when the redhead spotted Shinji with a mask. Apparently, around the time when Szayel had joined, both children were inspecting some ruins, and that's when they found the drawings.

The drawings of Hollows, the moon, and Humanoid-Hollows. And as he searches through the ruins, that's exactly what he found. Hollows, moon, and Humanoid-Hollows. However, looking more closely at these ruins, he could see that the top part of it seemed to be scorched.

As he uses Pesquisa again, the brunette pickup that ONE familiar Reiatsu. Looking up, Starrk spotted a white bat-like Hollow with black wings. The Hollow was just staring at him. Starrk had tried to speak with the Hollow before, but he noticed how it didn't have a mouth for it to respond.

Releasing a sigh, the Arrancar ignored the bat-Hollow.

After coming back to Hueco Mundo since his last time, this Hollow has found him every time he comes back. Something tells him that every time he flares his Reiatsu, the bat-Hollow looks for him, from wherever this Hollow hides, but the Hollow doesn't do much. It just watches from a distance. Looking at the bat-Hollow, he flares his Reiatsu again and notices how it doesn't affect him. He tried to use his Reiatsu on the Hollow before to see if it would die, but with no luck, he left the Hollow alone.

Putting back his cloak, the Arrancar started feeling the ground shake, Starrk raised his sword and waited for the Hollow to appear. As sand shot-up, Starrk saw the biggest Hollows ever. The thing was twice the size of a Gillian.

Its lower body had eight large elephant-like legs, its legs connected to its body by white carapace-covered joints, leading up to the base of a bony tail club. The torso of the Hollow was normal, besides the white carapace-like shells around it and strange black rods on its arms. The brunette could see how the Hollow's mask had strange skull ridges, purple horns extending towards his back and kept going towards the club tail, had a white mask with red lines under its eyes.

Starrk kept staring at the Hollow with a bit of curiosity. This Hollow wasn't dead at all. But then another thought came to mind, with a Hollow this big, it could feed off everyone for years. Before he could say anything to the Hollow, he saw as the Hollow looked down on him and grinned.

"Suerte!" The Hollow yelled, "I was looking all over for you, Fantasma!" Done talking, the Hollow raises its fist and slams it down on Starrk, who blocks the punch with his sword.

Starrk had to put a bit of strength to his block. 'Man, this Hollow sure packs a punch.'

Looking at the Hollow left Starrk a bit puzzled, this Hollow was definitely not a Vasto Lorde, looking up to the bat-Hollow, he was sure THAT Hollow was definitely a Vasto Lorde. But what about this one? It was strong, but he was sure it wasn't of a higher evolution stage. Maybe a high-level Adjuchas?

Using a Sonido to dodge the other fist, Starrk landed on the Hollow's right shoulder. "Oi, what are you?" As he finishes, he dodges again as the Hollow tries to squash him like a mosquito.

"Stop moving so much, you little shit!"

"If I do that, then you could hurt me." Starrk said as he reappears again. Looking up to the sky, he notices how the bat-Hollow hasn't bothered doing anything else besides watch. "So you know my name." 'Or at least what they call me.' "But I don't know your name."

"Yammy Llargo!" The now name Yammy said as he started creating a Cero.

Starrk's only response was to point his Zanpakutō towards the Hollow and fire a Bala. Stopping Yammy's attack. As the smoke cleared, Starrk noticed the lack of damage on the Hollow. 'Tough skin, I see.'

"Ha! What the fuck was that supposed to do! Couldn't even feel that shit!" Yammy said as he turned to hit Starrk with his club tail.

Once again dodging, the brunette landed at one of the Hollow's elephant-like feet. "You got to be a little faster than that, buddy." As he finished, the brunette Sonido. He scowls at himself for fooling around with the Hollow the same way Yoruichi would do to him. A quick memory of Yoruichi lying on him came to his head which caused a blush coming to his face, distracting him from Yammy's upcoming swing.

As Starrk got sent towards a ruin, Yammy concentrated on a Cero before someone shot him with a green Cero. Turning around, he screams. "WHO THE FUCK DID THAT!" As he rages, Yammy's Reiatsu starts flaring up. Looking for the idiot who hit him, the Hollow spotted the only other soul around, which was the bat-like Hollow. "Stupid trash!" Trying to fire another Cero and just like last time, someone hit him from the back of his head, this time by a blue Bala. "Fucking stop that annoying shit!"

Ignoring the outburst and increase of Yammy's Reiatsu, Starrk looks up towards the bat-Hollow, unharmed from the punch. "No need to help me. I can take care of things by myself. Ya know."

Nodding, the bat Hollow landed next to Starrk and did nothing more.

Ignoring the Hollow's presence, Starrk started stretching his arm while walking towards Yammy. "All right, I need to stop playing around now. Time to finish this."

"Ha! Talking big when you can't even leave a scratch on me!" Yammy started stampeding towards both Hollows, squishing them both. As he finishes running down the area, Yammy turns around and laughs. "HAHAHA! Bet that finally got you, huh!?" Yammy said, voice full of arrogance. As the dust cleared, and he spotted none of the Hollows, the gigantic Hollow started looking around with a mystified look. "Where the hell did they go?" Finishing his comment, Yammy let out an agonizing scream when his entire left arm fell off; cut clean off.

"Guess your skin is not so tough if I put a bit of power behind it." Starrk said as he reappeared on top of the Hollow's severed arm. The other Hollow was up in the sky.

"Little shits!" Yammy opens up his mouth and concentrates on making the biggest Cero ever.

Pointing his blade again, Starrk fired a Cero this time. As he let loose of his attack, he watched as Yammy's entire head got engulfed by smoke. After a few seconds, the gigantic Hollow fell to its side. Not even feeling exhausted, Starrk landed on top of Yammy's head. He blinks a few times when he only sees some minor damage in the Hollow. Releasing a low whistle, he says. "Man, you're a tough one." Feeling a presence behind him, he turns around to see the Vasto Lorde land some distance behind him.

Gray-blue and green eyes stare at each other. Starrk didn't know what to do with the Hollow. Well, it's not like it was a threat. From what he saw, it gave some help. Just ignoring the Hollow for the moment, Starrk looks back down to Yammy. How should he do this? Cut some parts of him to little pieces?

"Man, you sure took him down fast, eh? Arrancar-san."

Turning to the voice, Starrk spotted a silver-haired man, no, a Shinigami Captain.

The brunette kept staring at the newcomer with no emotions; however, inside his head, things were going differently. 'He just called me an Arrancar... How does he know that?' How was it that this Shinigami knew what to call him. He thought that Urahara just made-up the term. It took a second for something else to come to his head. "How did you find me?"

Sending the man a foxy grin, Gin said. "Well, it's not like I found you right away." Pointing towards the cloak that Starrk was wearing, he said. "Once that little cloak of yours took some damage, I was able to find you."

Looking down at his cloak, Starrk notices how it got torn; probably when Yammy punched him. 'Significant work you did, Szayel.'

"So you found me..." Starrk said while looking back towards the man.

"Oh, why, where are my manners? The name is Ichimaru Gin." The silver-haired man said while giving Starrk a bow, leaving himself open. But Starrk did nothing. Not stupid enough to do anything reckless on fighting a Shinigami Captain.

Gin looks back at the man. "Not gonna introduce yerself?"

"Starrk."

"Well, Starrk-san, if you could just give me a moment of your time."

"For?"

"Well, let's just say that someone wishes to meet you."

"And who would that be?" Starrk asks, having an idea about just WHO this person would be.

"Why, he's Captain Aizen." Gin noticed the frown on the brunette's face when he mentioned Aizen. "Why, with that look on yer face, somethin' tells me ya already heard of him, eh?" He tilted his head.

'Damn it, Starrk! You idiot.' Scowling at himself, the Arrancar points his blade towards Gin. "Cero Metralleta." Starrk charges multiple Cero around his Zanpakutō's barrel simultaneously before firing a barrage of them.

Watching the attack, Gin's eyes shot open upon seeing the amount of Ceros fired at him. Mustering all his strength, Gin tried to dodge every single one of them. As he finishes dodging all the Ceros, he is hit by an unexpected Bala.

As the Captain stands back up, with a ruined Haori now, Gin looks around only to see that it was only just him and the still alive giant Hollow. He could still feel Starrk's Reiatsu. He could try to follow Starrk, but something told Gin that he just got hit by a warning shot. "Well, better tell Captain Aizen the bad news, eh Tosen-san?"

The dark-skin man came out from his hiding spot to scowl at the still smiling Captain. "Aizen-sama will not like this, next time you leave the talking to me."

Waving off the 9th Captain's comment, Gin pointed towards the still unconscious Yammy. "Can we just go before this big guy here wakes up and sees us?"

Starrk lets a sigh leave his lips when he notices how both Captain left Hueco Mundo. He frowns towards the cloak. Why is it that he couldn't sense them? Did Szayel recreate Ichigo's cloaking ability? The brunette looks around the area that he ended up in and all he can see is the white sands of Hueco Mundo now.

'Now what.' Maybe he should do what he needed to do here, and that's getting just one Hollow for both Ichigo and Lily to eat. Just when he was about to look for a Hollow, one fell from above, looking up and spotting the bat-Hollow still around he waves at it. "Thanks."

The Arrancar won't wonder how the Hollow knew what he wanted to do. Tapping the air to open a Garganta, Starrk picks up the body. Ready to leave, he felt someone gripping his arm. He turns around to see the bat close. Starrk raises one of his eyebrows. The Hollow wasn't hurting him, but still it felt like it was stopping him from leaving.

"Sorry, but I got to go." Starrk said as he pulled himself away. Walking towards the Garganta, the brunette saw from the corner of his eyes how the Hollow was following him. "Wow there. You can't come either."

The bat-Hollow just tilted his head. Starrk could almost hear what it was asking. "Because..." The brunette had to think why the Hollow couldn't come. It's not like this Hollow was working for Baraggan. Or maybe it was?

"Do you know who Baraggan is?"

The only reply that he got was a tilted head. Guess that's a no.

Running a hand through his face, Starrk waves the Hollow to follow him. "Guess you can come."

Both Hollows walked through the Garganta and left.

- Urahara's Basement-

Soon as Starrk opened the Garganta, everyone down at the basement was there the moment they felt a second Reiatsu.

Lily pointed a finger at the Hollow. "Umm, Starrk, this one is still alive."

Looking back to the bat-Hollow and then back at the younger limenette. Starrk said, "Yeah, well. He's a friend."

- Soul Society, 12th Division-

Mayuri was looking at the data again from the events in the Human World 4 months ago. The paint-wearing Captain frowns. "You're a bit more Quincy that I expected, Zangetsu." Looking around his lab, the 12th Captain said, "Guess it's a good thing that you're not one of my specimens right now. Things may have ended badly for me."

-X-

And that's a wrap. Wow sorry, this took so long. Work has taken a lot of my hours. But let's just ignore that for now. As long it doesn't mix my schedule everything is fine.

So what to say about this Chapter? Well, nothing much, we introduce Yoruichi, Yammy, and now we have Ulquiorra in the pack!

Ukitake and Shunsui wish to meet Starrk and talk with him. Mayuri seems to find another of Ichigo's transformation secrets.

I guess this would be ask, but, Am I gonna do a thing for YoruichixStarrk? I don't know. I mean. Starrk doesn't really get much love lol, so it's undecided about that right now. To be fair there are 3 different women who could work for him. Yoruichi, Tia, and Nel. But idk. You guys should decide for me :D

Also is it only me who could possibly see Mashiro be a big sister to Lily? Lol

On another note. The reason why I didn't kill Yammy is because I have plans for him. Most Fanfic that I read always killed him off. Wonder why?