“Byakuya!” The redhead called to the noble as Byakuya popped a soul pill in his mouth. The noble popped out of his artificial body and unsheathed his sword, glaring at the offending couple who bust their way through not only the barrier but the door as well.

“Ah, look at that.” The scientist said appreciatively. “You made sure my specimen was well taken care of. I can’t experiment on it if it’s not well. I thank you for that.”

“Kurotsuchi-taichou…” Byakuya hissed threateningly, glaring.

“Nemu, grab the arrancar and kill the others.” Mayuri ordered, not taking his eyes off of the noble.

“Hai, Mayuri-sama.” Nemu replied and surged towards the noble with her arm forming into her drilling motion. Byakuya flash stepped away a few feet away making her miss. Her head turned, eyes narrowing and increased her speed as she surged again.

“Protect Nel!” Byakuya called to Renji, as he dodged again. He kept flash stepping, trying to confuse the woman.

Renji nodded as he transferred to his Shinigami form. He flash stepped towards Nel and held her close.  She sniffled softly and looked up at the red-haired Shinigami with wide scared hazel orbs. “Wenji…”

Renji looked down and smiled at her sadly. “It’s going to be okay.” He assured her.

Rukia and Mana had already switched to their spirit forms ready to attack as they stood in front of the redhead and crying arrancar. The taichou of the twelfth narrowed his eyes at the three. “It would be wise for you just hand the girl over.”

“No.” Renji yelled firmly, his zanpakuto held out in front of him, pointing towards the other.

“No?” The scientist asked, raising a brow. He shifted his eyes between each of the trio then shrugged slightly. “So you all want to come with me and run some tests on you? I can do that.”  He pulled his zanpakuto out of its sheath and tilted his head to the side as he began to call out to it. But the noble interrupted him by pushing his own blade into his back.

Renji’s eyes widened as saucers. “B-byakuya!” He held Nel tighter against him as he stared at the two taichous. He wasn’t sure what to do but stare at them along with the two women.

“No one is going with you.” Byakuya panted, his eyes flaring and reiatsu rising. “You may think we will give up easily and go back to the Seireitei but you are wrong. Some of the ways of Soul Society are wrong. I see that now.”

Kurotsuchi looked down at the blade that invaded his body, glaring at the offending piece of steel. Then he shifted his head to where the noble stood behind him with large golden eyes. “W-where did you come from?” He hissed.

“Mayuri-sama,” Nemu gasped from a nearby wall behind the pair where she was sitting against, unable to move.

“Foolish slut, get over here!” The scientist demanded as he glance further back to his daughter. He pulled himself slowly from Senbonzakura until he was half way to the end of the blade.

“My apologies Mayuri-sama, I cannot move.”

“Dammit,” He cursed and looked away from the woman and settled his eyes on the blade again.

“N-Nii-sama,” Rukia stammered and started running over to the two men until Mana put a hand on her shoulder. “M-mana-san!”

Mana shook her head.

Byakuya’s breath hitched as he felt pain in his midsection. He looked down and his eyes widened. When…?

“You should p-pay attention to your enemy’s whole self, Kuchiki-taichou.” Mayuri grunted, pushing his blade further into the stunned noble with his hand behind him. He was unable to move otherwise since Byakuya had a tight hold on Senbonzakura.

There was suddenly a blast in one of the nearby walls in the dining room. Yoruichi flash stepped in and kicked Mayuri away from Byakuya as the noble fell to the floor on his knees with the blade still in his gut.

“Byakuya!” Renji cried and ran over to his lover with Nel still in his arm. He watched silently as Byakuya took the blade out of his abdomen, panting.

Renji still held Nel close to him put reached out with his other hand to send healing reiatsu into his wounded lover and taichou in front of him. “You’re gonna be okay.” He told him.

The noble nodded and let his blade fall from his hands. “Of course I am.” He whispered and closed his eyes. He focused on his breathing as he was healed. He was vaguely aware someone was moving behind him. His eyes opened and turned his head to find his sister staring at him with a worried gaze. Her violet hues glistened from the unshed tears.

“N-nii-sama…?” She asked.

“I’ll be fine Rukia.” He said softly and shifted his eyes to his cousin’s who had a worried expression. “What is the matter?”

“You’re lucky to be still awake.” Yoruichi told him and walked over to the seemingly unconscious scientist. “With that blow you could have been killed. But lucky for you Mayuri missed all your vital organs.” She moved to pick the twelfth division taichou up but was shocked when he flash stepped past her and behind Mana and grabbed her and opened the way to Hueco Mundo.

“Mana!” Rukia called and ran through the garganta after them.

“No, Rukia!” Renji yelled. But it was too late; the garganta closed and left the three surprised shinigamis staring after them. “Shit!” He yelled but continued his healing touches for his taichou and holding the teary arrancar child. He looked at the noble’s turned head that still faced where Kurotsuchi, his cousin, and sister, had disappeared into the garganta. “We’ll get them back, Taichou.”

Byakuya didn’t answer he only continued to stare at the space where they had gone. His dark grey eyes shifted to the woman against the wall. “Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou, where did they go?” He asked in a alarmingly calm voice that also spoke that if she didn’t give him the right answer that she was surely going to die.

“I cannot—“

Yoruichi flash stepped to her and glared at her before she could finish her sentence. “Tell us where they went!” She demanded.

“Las Noches.” The girl answered.