The growl came unbidden from my throat. Through the orange, cracked shield summoned by Orihime, I spied the powerful newcomers striding forward.

The male cocked his head at me, delight written in those wide, golden eyes and pulled back lips. His skeletal, black-and-white face would give anyone the chills. Hovering by his side, ever faithful, was a woman with long black hair in a plait, a red choker on her neck.

Winner, winner, guess who had the worst luck in the world.

I should have made the assumption he would be close behind his squad members when they announced their company number, should have known something unintentionally suicidal had been prepared for us.

Captain of Squad Twelve, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi.

You didn't wander and reside in the soul society without knowing the infamous captain, for all the wrong reasons.

Orihime's shield shattered and I shifted into fighting stance. Their spiritual pressure attempted to force me to my knees, testing my boundaries. I calmed my panicked heart and thoughts and let their energy wash over me like they were nothing more than a winter's gentle breeze, which was must harder than it sounded. Sweat tricked down the back of my neck from the effort. Uryu's and Orihime's conversation drifted around me, hushed whispers as they checked on each other.

"Hah! What a fascinating move!" said Mayuri, nasally voice sending a shiver down my spine. "The shield... is the girl behind you making it?"

Uryu came to stand by my shoulder. "I'm not in the mood for conversation."

"None of us are so I suggest you move along," I added.

Mayuri's eyes sparkled with sadistic joy. "Oh my, so it really is you. Kera Sebonsai, disgraced member of Squad Eleven." My spine stiffened. "But no matter. You're a failure as a soul reaper so you'll be of no use to me. But the girl, I've never seen such a thing. Marvelous! You, girl, how would you like to be my research subject?"

I took a step forward, drawing Mayuri's eyes from Orihime behind me. He studied me with disinterest. "Sorry to disappoint but we're not here to make any deals," I said. "You guys need to get out of here," I addressed my friends.

It would be great if Chiya was here to lend me her sword and powers; yet until she gathered her strength again, I was on my own.

"You can't seriously be thinking of taking me on by yourself. I'm a Captain!" crowed Mayuri.

"Yeah, and I'm fourth seat of Squad Eleven. Just because you're stronger than me doesn't mean I'm going to run." I looked to my friends and my old company member. "And when my friends and squad mates are involved, I'll stand here and fight until my enemy's face down in the dirt."

A hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me round. Uryu's furious eyes bored into mine. "You don't even have a sword, Kera!" he shouted, shaking me at the same time.

I slapped his hand away, putting distance between us. I made sure Uryu wasn't in Mayuri's line of fire and my back wasn't completely turned to two of them. They seemed content to stand back for now but with a Captain, anything could happen.

Then, even though I was trembling in my boots, I gave Uryu a smirk, channelling my fear for my safety and theirs into adrenaline. "Like I said, I'm fourth seat of Squad 11. I'll fight bare handed." My grin kept my teeth from chattering.

"Honestly! But I guess this is how you stupid, emotional creatures do things," Mayuri scoffed. "Once I'm finished with you, that girl is next. Unless she wishes to accept my deal. I'll offer you the best possible terms!"

"You can't handle a Captain, Kera. Not alone," Uryu said. A tinge of concern laced his voice.

"Then I guess I'll just have to buy you some time." I shrugged off his hand and put my back to him. "Ichigo's counting on you guys to help him save Rukia."

"But you're her friend too, Kera!" Orihime protested.

"Yeah but I had my own motives for coming here. Not all of them were for saving her."

"Are you serious right now?"

I gave Uryu the side eye. "Dead serious."

"You will be dead. That's the problem here! I'll fight the Captain while you and Orihime escape," he argued.

"Uryu, you fight with a damn bow! That doesn't scream close combat skills which puts you at a severe disadvantage against a Soul Reaper Captain. And you're a Quincy. Haven't you ever wondered why your kind's practically extinct?"

Provoke and be bitten as they say.

There was a flash of blue in my periphery; searing pain in my thigh. I could barely yelp, eyes bulging. Instinct had me stumbling forward, but my left leg failed to hold my weight anymore. I crashed to the ground. Blood stained the dirt.

HE. FUCKING. SHOT. ME.

Uryu stepped over my crippled body. The nerve of this asshole! I reached for his leg but pain had made me slow and I missed his ankle by a fraction. My hand fell into the dirt, nails in the hard ground.

"I'll... kill you for this... Uryu," I seethed as Orihime and my old squad mate rushed to my sides.

They helped drag me upright. Blood ran waterfalls through the wound, front and back. Hollow bone tried desperately to stitch the skin back together but it was slow and agonising. Wounds dealt by a Quincy must heal with great difficulty. I cast imaginary daggers at the back of Uryu's head.

I might be stupid but at least I had the audacity not to injure my teammates just to keep them out of the way. Uryu was to be the backup for a reason – when Mayuri got past me, Uryu's long ranged weapon would be ample enough to stave the Captain off for some time should he come after them.

Uryu levelled his bow at Mayuri. He'd crossed the distance between us in a step. Mayuri's eyes turned, calculating, on Uryu. There was interest in them and that frightened me more than his disinterest. Uryu was in real danger.

He should have just let me handle it.

"Hmm, so he's a Quincy. A rare species. It's been years since I last saw one. But, I'm sorry, I've already completed my research on your kind. I'm not interested in Quincies anymore. Now step aside."

"Completed your research? Not interested? What do you mean? Who are you?!"

Uryu, stop goading him!

"Kera, can you stand on it?" Orihime asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

I sent her a withering glare before I could stop myself and she recoiled.

"You should have listened to Kera, Quincy. Do Ryoka charge into enemy territory without studying the enemy first? How foolish."

I saw the clench of Uryu's jaw but he did not back down, only proceeded to draw the bowstring back further.

"I would think at least you know the top 13 soul reapers!"

Mayuri's spiritual pressure surged forward like an uncaged beast. A tug in my chest answered, the slow slither of scales ringing in my ears as Chiya unfurled herself. My vision split to one eye only and I felt her watching carefully to what was happening.

'We need to do something!' I called out to her but my thoughts did not reach her.

I wrestled against their hands but they squeezed, holding me back. "Uryu, you need to get out of there!"

"I am Captain of the 12th company and Chief of Research and Development. Mayuri Kurotsuchi. But you can forget that. Because in a moment, you won't know anything!"

"Run! Now!" Uryu commanded. "You from Eleventh company! Get them out of here!"

"Don't you dare," I growled to my old squad mate.

"Unless you want to die, take the girls and run!"

"Take Orihime and go but leave me here or I'll kill you first!" I struggled but the damn man held on tighter, his head whipping between Uryu and I.

"Force them if you have to! If you don't, I'll shoot you like I shot Kera."

I heard 11th company's swallow then he swept both my legs out from underneath me and threw me over one shoulder. He was running before I'd even settled on his shoulder; Orihime was dragged by the wrist after us.

"Did I say you could go?"

A squelch and Mayuri's arm dissected into a grappling hand, tendon and fibres extending his hand towards us. A raging urge overtook me and I threw all my weight over the side of 11th company's shoulder.

My good leg hit the ground first and I bounced up, blue flames crackling over my fingertips. The world spun and went faint, my pain leached away. Mayuri's hand was close. My arm drew back but it wasn't me.

Chiya slashed down with a roar on the hand, elongated nails shredding the skin and Mayuri's grotesque enhancement burst into flame. The chain fell limp, twitching and spluttering with feeble life.

She paused for half a second, enough for a lungful of air and a hard look at Uryu. Then she turned tail and fled after the other two.

Her powers were cold water in my veins that staved off the weariness in my bones and muscles but also held me fast. I struggled to reach for control. She held fast, only allowing enough wriggle room to look out through my eyes.

I sent a jab towards her mind and I felt a headache blossoming. It had the effect I needed though for she stumbled and winced. The 11th company man hooked his arm through mine and hefted me up.

'How long have you had that much strength in reserve?!' I demanded.

She growled in response, a deep guttural sound that shook me. She gathered her feet underneath her again, dragging the man with us now. Chiya threw him forwards so that he stumbled into Orihime, who was slowing down, looking back towards Uyru. The dragon wouldn't even allow me the chance to at least know he wasn't dead yet.

You won't defeat a Captain, Kera, not in this pitiful state. How many times do I have to tell you?

'Tell me!'

Orihime struggled as the 11th company man picked her up around the waist. She screamed and screamed before landing a solid bit onto his shoulder. He yelped but Chiya swooped in, clipping Orihime over the back of the head hard enough to knock her out cold. The man's eyes widened.

"Keep moving!" Chiya roared and he quickly kicked it into high gear. To me, she said, 'Since Dorangohato disappeared.'

I spluttered. Since I lost the damn sword? All that time, she could have helped out and she curled up inside her burrow and hidden like a frightened mouse.

I'm no mouse! My priorities are set to keeping you alive. Dorangohato uses immense energy, energy you don't have in the first place. And because I'm stuck inside your pitiful form, I have half of what I need.

"That's no excuse! With this strength, I could have kept them safer. My friends are in danger now and you'd turn your back on them. You'd let them die?'

If it means I get to live, then yes. Resolutely, she blocked me from the rest of her thoughts and kept running. Not once did she look back. Not once did a hint of concern for Uryu even sway her continuous cadence.