"Don't worry, I'll handle her."

Mio stepped forward, the thin, emerald hilt of her zanpukto gripped with both hands. Hisagi looked at her, he was exhausted from battle already, blood leaked from his left eye across his marked '69' and down, dripping from his jaw. His eyes widened as she stanced herself. Was she really going to do this? She snapped an impatient look at him.

"GO!"

The Shinigami looked at her, his eyes flashed with adoration and worry before he leapt away, after the Fraccion, who laughed outrageously as he skipped away from his apponant. Now that he was gone, Mio focused her attention on the woman in front of her.

She stood casually, a hand placed on her boney hip, her fingertips brushing the edge of the hole that tunneled through her side. Her delicate mouth opened lazily as if she was yawning.

"My, my! Aren't we the heroic one." Her words rang sharply in Mio's ears. Her grip tightened.

"This ends, Aiko." She said, her teeth gritted.

"Maybe for you." The arrancar replied coldly. She took a more aggressive stance, bending her arm up to reach for her sword.

"Tch." Mio spread her feet apart, readying her attack.

"Honestly, my dear sister, whatever made you choose Hisagi-san? He's very weak." Her words smudged with boredom as she lazily withdrew the length of her blade.

Mio was already enraged by the very sight at Aiko, her hands trembled as she maintained her position.

"Ah well, I guess it doesn't matter so much when you're going to die anyway."

Aiko lunged forward, her sword rose strongly as it cut down, clashing angrily with Mio's. The two struggled against each other for a moment. Aiko leered at her through the crossblade. Mio struggled and broke free. She used her shun po to maover behind the arrancar. Her blade swung to attack her neck. Aiko swiftly evaded and let out a playful chuckle as her sword crashed against the other...

"HANAE?!" The frantic brunette burst through the front door of the apartment. Only to be met by lonesome darkness. She crossed the open living area to the bedroom, swinging open the door. Upon finding nothing and turned and looked for a sign that she might be in the bathroom. "Hanae?! Are you here?" She yelled out against, beating her fist against the door of the bathroom. There was not a reply.

"She's not here."

Kyoko spun round urgently to the owner of the voice. Hisagi stood in the doorway, his taller, frightening shadow leered over the room at her. She let out a gasp.

"Why did you follow me?" She said at last, shakily.

The Shinigami walked cauiously into the apartment, his eyes set on her, although he wouldn't allow them to meet her own.

"Your sister isn't here, Mio-- Kyoko." He glanced at the floor.

"She's probably just not home yet." She shot at him, not really believing herself.

Hisagi crossed to the bedroom, he glanced through the doorway. "I don't think she's even come home.." He observed.

Kyoko frowned, frustated. She turned to the window for answers but only saw the dark street below, a dim streetlamp flickered. Hisagi made a noise behind her as if waiting. She turned her head to glance at him.

"..What do you want?" She asked him, memories rewinding slowly to a similar moment. Somewhere..

"..I've come to take you back to Soul Society." He said, formally.

"I don't want to go to Soul Society!" She whined at him, exhausted.

Hisagi stood akwardily, Kyoko glanced away from him. She could really understand why he was persisting so much but something tugged at her. Her instincts drew her to him curiously.

"Alright, what if.. What if I do go with you?"

He looked at her, not fully understanding her question. She sighed heavily, trying to find a better way to explain.

"If I left, and came to Soul Society with you. What would happened to me?"

The Shinigami thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"You would find the missing truth in your life." He said at last, his voice quiet but tense. Kyoko's eyes widened at him, as if something awoke in side her, screaming that he was right. "You've lived your life in this world for 18 years now but you have never felt as if you belonged, always watching people, never joining them. No matter where you have gone or what you've acheived, you've always had something missing."

Kyoko found her knees giving way easily as she plonked down onto a chair. There it was, laid out for her, the things she had never been able to tell herself. Hisagi watched her, his arms folding against his chest. He tried to be patient.

"..Truth that I have been missing.." She spoke absent-mindedly to herself. Finally, she looked up at him."What if I'm scared of the truth?"

"Then I will help you." He spoke gently.

Kyoko considered this before she got to her feet again.

"What about Hanae?" She asked boldly.

Hisagi glanced away for a breif moment, his eyes dulling. "I do not know.." He lied.

The brunette nodded firmly.

"Alright, I'll go with you. But I will come back to find my sister."

Hisagi's lips traced a smile and he turned, opening the Senkaimon. He glanced as the small black object fluttered past his face before the room was filled with light and the doors through to the other side appeared. As the finer detailed set, the Shinigami looked down at Kyoko who had taken position at his side. Her eyes set ahead.

Do not run.. Do not run..

Hisagi turned back as the doors slid open quietly, a cue for them to step through. As they did so, Kyoko took a glance around at the empty apartment before the doors closed abruptly and the Senakimon disappeared. Leaving darkness to reign the room once again.

"I.. don't remember." She glanced away from his intense glare. "I just.. knew your name."

Grimmjow turned to face her, irritated.

"Look, I'm not about to start helpin' you to remember, alright? You have to do that on your own."

Hanae frowned angrily at his response. "Why did you bring me here?! I don't know anything about this Aiko girl!"

He scowled, teeth gritted. God, she was a clueless idiot. "Why don't you just sit down and shut up eh?!" He snapped.

Her first instinct was of course to imply with the agreesive tone of his voice, however, Hanae found herself frozen and unable to move even a finger as her senses dulled - as if her very lifeforce was being drained away. Grimmjow must've noticed something because he turned angrily as the door swung open. A tall, slender finger sauntered into the room, a boney arm snacking around Hanae's shoulders. She managed a gasp as his face lowered, a toothy grin appearing in the corner of her eye.

"Well well, if it isn't Aiko-chan!" He said happily, his voice crept through her like a cold chill.

"Whadda' want, Nnoitra?" Grimmjow turned on him, angry at the intrusion.

"I jus' came to see my ol' friend is all!" The other defended.

Hanae was gripped by fear. She was unable to tell why this man frightened her so much. Frantically, her memories blurred together, flashes of scenes once played. A cruel laughter and unbearable pain..

She flinched and backed up against the wall like a scared child. Nnoitra set another sadistic grin.

"Aww, ya' afraid of me, pet?" He coo'd. She recoiled, unable to even speak.

The 6th growled, irritated by Nnoitra's presence. He took a step forward, his hand coiling around the open collar of the taller man's uniform and sneered. "Get out." He gritted.

A boney, cold hand enclosed around Grimmjow's, Nnoitra's visable eye narrowed. "Ya' gunna' make me, eh?" He challenged.

"Looks like it." Grimmjow responded, quietly, rage boiling over.

"Well ya' better hurry up, I need to go after Pet." His eyes moved to the empty wall where Hanae last was. Grimmjow followed his gesture and scowled.

"You fucking fool!" He released his grip, forcefully shoving the 5th back. He steared past him, out of the room.

"Honestly.." Nnoitra said to himself, adjusting his collar back to it's original placement. "Some people are so touchie.."