Karakura Town

Hiroshi was having a nice nap on his couch. Captain or not, everyone needs a nice nap once in a while. He could hear foot steps running back and forth outside. Annoyed, he finally sat up and sighed. Never a day of peace in soul society. They were all either calling for meetings, or news about hollows showing up in the real world. He grabbed his Zanpakuto and slung it over his shoulders. He stepped outside and nodded lazily over at the other shinigami's giving him a respectful greeting. Hiroshi took a look at the sky and jumped up into the roof. In such a nice weather, it was best to sit on the roofs and enjoy the time he had.

Karakura Town - 9:45 A.M.



A lone on looker stood atop a single skyscraper, intently he watched as the commotion occurred below. Never did it cross his mind to step in however, his body and blade were still the entire time. A group of three Shinigami were doing battle with a titanic Hollow called a Menos.

Shinigami and Hollow, they are two forces that, as cliche` as it may sound, are destined to conflict with one another. Just as good is destined to battle evil and the color white is destined to opposite black, Shinigami and Hollow are two sides that he believed would never be able to co-exist.

He sighed deeply as one of the fighters landed a fatal wound on the beast.

"Indeed, Shinigami and Hollows are enemies....but," The dread-locked man brought his hands eye level, staring at them for a moment, contemplating something. "Somehow, there are those who've transcended the battle lines..." His countenance was blank for a long while, but then as if something went of in his mind, he clinched his fists and smirked with a new fire.

However, within the collision of black and white, one cannot deny that there is bound to be hints of gray created. This holds true Shinigami and Hollow as well. Hollow who have ascended to a form similar to Shinigami, and even wield blades reminiscent of the Shinigami Zanpakuto; and Shinigami who by some occurrence don masks nearly identical to the Hollow that they are sword to defeat. Indeed, there are shades of gray in this seemingly eternal war.

With a final decapitating slice to the Menos, the trio annihilated the beast. The brown skinned spectator grinned, satisfied.

"Nice job Katsumi-chan. Well, looks like I wasn't needed after all. Better head back and make sure Kinta didn't burn the agency down."

Demetori Maverikku: one of the very souls who lies within those shades of gray.

He looked up at Katsumi and nodded, "Morning Captain..." he stopped and shook his head. "Looks like I'm still not used to just calling you Katsumi... huh." he muttered. "And by the way, you dont have to call me Captain Hiroshi, just Hiroshi is always fine with me." he imformed her, watching the others run around. Hiroshi sighed, "I knew it.." he muttered chewing on his lips. "They're probably going to send some of us to the real world.. and guess who the unlucky one to go will be.... me." he said answering his own question. Just then a black butterfly flew by them. Without a word, he got up and headed to the meeting room. Sure enough, they were talking about the great increase of hollows appearing. And as Hiroshi already had guessed, he and a few others were to go to the real world. He walked out of the meeting room scratching his head. "Someone tell me what I did wrong in my life to always get the bad luck.." he mumbled.

Much later that day...

"Ugh...so much paperwork." He sat there, face smack down in the middle of one of the several multi-foot stacks of paper on his desk. Pen still clinched tight in his hands, dreadlocks lying messily across his head.
His office was small and cramped, run down, nothing spectacular except for the abnormal amount of paperwork on the floor and desk. The only light in the room came from the tiny desklamp and that was flickering on and off. A single window on the western wall was rolled up, allowing a gentle breeze to float through the room. Across the creaky wooden floor a trail of ants scurried around, desperately trying to locate the remains of man's last meal.

All was still for a long while, and then, there was a knock on the other side of the door.


"Demetori-San's been in his office for sometime now," The boy grimmaced, "I bet he's sleeping on the job again...Demetori-San!" He knocked harder and harder on the wooden door, finally, he had it and swiftly kickde the door down. To his amazement the former Captain was still snoring away nestled against one of the smaller paper mountains. With a frown on his face the blue haired boy reached deep in his pants pocket, what he pulled out was a curious little capsule. "This should do the trick." He hurled it towards the desk, eyes shut tight in fear of the guaranteed explosion, but when a minute passed without any sound, he gingerly opened one eye, flabbergasted he saw Demetri still sleep, this time though, with the capsule in hand. "WHAT?! I knew he was good but this makes no sense...and he's still sleep! Dammit! Demetori-San WAKE U--"

Suddenly there was a yawn reminiscent of a grizzly. "Kinta? Hm...what was I doin'?" Demetri looked around, dazed.

"Demetori-San...you.." Kinta was in awe. 'I find it hard to believe he was really a captain...geez.

"That's right...the Mayuri file..." He leaned back in his chair, looking up to the ceiling with glazed golden eyes.

"The Mayuri file sir?" Kinta walked over to observe some of the files on the desk.

"That's right it's----" Demetri's eyes widened as he sensed a multitude of familiar reiatsu...and a share of Hollow.

"Did you feel that?" The boy pushed his glasses up, shaken a bit by the sudden flow of intense reiatsu.

"Ah. Doesn't that beat all. He's here too?" A fire was in his eyes. "Kinta, watch the agency, I'm expecting a visitor later. But something's come up that requires my attention." Demetri reached for his sheated Zanpakuto, which leaned against the wall inches behind him, and stood up, patted Kinta on the back, and headed out the door, without hearing the boy's acceptance of the offer.

"Ugh...again?" Kinta sighed.

I'll keep my reiatsu masked for now. It's Hiroshi, he shouldn't have any problems. But why am I worried?

Demetri secured his weapon in his back belt loop, without wasting anytime he made his way by rooftop to locate the source of intense reiatsu.

((long post, sorry))

Hiroshi stretched as he made it out to the real world. He looked down from the sky watching the people walk by. "Looks perfectly fine to me.." he mumbled. He looked over to the east as he felt a great amount of reiatsu coming from there. "Hollows huh? Hmm looks like there's about... 5." he talked to himself as he appeared over at a park where the hollows were. As soon as he got there, the hollows looked at him and raced over, roaring.

In a flash, one of the hollow's face was cut in half, and disappeared. In less than 3 minutes, all the hollows were gone. "Well that was... a nice warm up." he said landing on the ground. Hiroshi was now in his gigai form walking around, trying to act normal. It really wasnt that hard since nobody talked to him or anything like that. He put his hands behind his head, hoping he can relax here for a while before having to go attack hollows again.

Gigais were stupid. Katsumi knew that it was an advantage to have one but she had never bothered to get one. She crouched on a telephone pole as she searched for one of her comrads. She found them quickly but didn't take to finding them now. She blinked and her eyes returned to normal. There was someone she wanted to visit; someone who she thought might have a clue of what was going on; someone who appeared to be missing from the face of the earth. Of course she would never give up his location; vizards never rotted each other out in her opinion. For a split second she pulled her bracelet off to send out an enormous amount of power. Would he respond or would she have to hunt him down?

Demetori was flash stepping up a storm, he couldn't believe how fast he could move these days. The atmosphere of Karakura town seemed to invigorate him, it was so much more...free? He wasn't sure how to word it exactly he just felt like he could roam without limits here, unlike in the Soul Society where you couldn't even unsheathe your blade without being punished.


As he homed in on Hiroshi's squad the hostile reiatsu quickly disappeared, "Damn Hiroshi, I knew you worked fast but sheesh. Well then," His phone vibrated in his shirt pocket. "Hrm? What now, Kinta?" It was a text, but before he could check it he felt yet another powerful burst of familiar reiatsu, the minute it went off, he knew who it was. He smirked, intrigued.

"That's interesting, you never let your reiatsu out like that Katsumi...must be important." Quickly he got a lock on her location, too close to the agency for comfort, but he'd let it slide, besides, it meant he could kill two birds with one stone. According to the message Kinta sent him, his guest had arrived at the agency. And so, with a smooth spin on his heel, he made his way to his old friend's location, checking his silver pocket watch intently as he flash stepped along.

* * *

Kinta sat awkwardly on the chair directly across the table from a pretty black haired woman. She had a solemn face on and seemed to look right through the young man. He gulped, struggling to form a sentence he gradually began,

"Uhm, so...you're the one my boss sent for?"

"Yes." She gave a snarky response.

"Oh...really? I see..." He scratched the back on his head and pushed up on his glasses.

"Where is Mister. Maverikku?"

"He....should be here momentarilly Ms...?"

"Kurosaki."

***

Demetori appeared in a flash on the ground just below a certain telephone pole. He dusted off his pants and made sure his hair and shirt were good, taking care to check his tie as well. And then he put on his trade marked grin, he began smoothly with a check of his pocket watch.

"Ms....as much as I would love to catch up here, why don't we head into my place of residence?" He grinned and stepped into the agency, waving his hand towards her as he did. "I'll put us on some coffee!" He laughed. He was sure she wanted information on the recent spike in Hollow, and information was exactly what he had, but he wasn't trying to give away his position to the Soul Society in the process.

"You were always one to be laid back in a time of need," Katsumi said as she gracefully landed beside him. She straightened up and looked in the direction of his residence. "Fine, but you have someone waiting there for you. Familiar presence actually." Her hand smoothed over her spikey dark brown hair. He was just as she remembered. In a flash she was gone, quickly making her way to his place. She masked her reiatsu quickly so Soul Society couldn't pinpoint her movements.

((*listens to the 1st Arc theme song* we should think of themes & arc names as we go in the story, that'd be bad ass))

"You were always one to be laid back in a time of need." She said to him. He laughed, amused.

"But that's my charm, you love it." He teased, as she headed into the agency. He sighed deeply. "It's my place...you should let me escort you, sheesh." He shrugged, taking a look at the sky before he entered. There wasn't a cloud in the amber sky, his eyes narrowed as his mind moved to a disturbing thought. "The three of us here like this...something tells me a storm's brewing." He pushed open the door to the agency, and entered on in.

Inside, he saw all three of them and smiled invitingly, except for when he laid eyes on an awkward looking Kinta.

"What the hell are you sitting around for? Throw this ladies on some tea!" Kinta jumped up flustered and frantic.

"Y-yes sir!" His glasses almost fell off, and he ran from the main room were they were all currently seated, into the kitchen which was down a side hallway. Four seats, two couches, and two chairs sat around a single average sized coffee table.

"That kid...he's got a long way to go." He removed his Zanpaktou from his back belt loop and took a seat, motioning for a standing Katsumi to do the same. He sat at the couch directly at the head of the table. "Ms. Karin, welcome to the Pheonix Detective Agency.Sorry to call you away from your duties like this..." His eyes widened. "Oh yeah, Katsumi, you know Karin Kurosaki right? She's working as the Shinigami protecting Karakura town." He leaned back in the seat rested his right leg on top of his left.

"Now. Down to business. You all know what we're here for right? The Hollow are on the march." And just as he began, golden eyes full of fire, Kinta came stumbling into the room, tripping over a lose floor board the plate carrying three cups of steaming hot coffee came flying towards the trio.

~Imura~

When her eyes changed colors, a shiver went down his spine. When she took off Imura made his way to the meeting hall to see if it was still going on. He got there to find out the the meeting was over and Hiroshi was long gone. Going to the main building he found out that he already made his way to the living world. Sighing heavily to him self, Great, He made his way back to the barracks. Gathering up a small team he had a gate opened and made his way to the spirit world.

The arrived in the middle of a park. "Spread out and search the area. He most likely got them all but still want a check." They nodded and took off. Sighing again Imura took of on his own search. He flash stepped until he was on a building roof. He scanned the area. He suddenly felt a huge reiatsu the vanish as sudden as it came, It was that womens. He wasn't looking for Her, He was looking for his captain.

Imura has been Squad 10's lieutenant for a short time. That whole time he wounder how some one so lazy and irresponsible became a captain... and why was he his lieutenant. I'm being punished for something. After 10 minutes he sighed, He's in a gigai. Landing on the street, he made his way to the next area and hoped he got lucky.

~Etto~

"Just wondering," He smirked under his scarf and followed her into the meeting room. Lets hope this goes quickly. He sat at his chair and scanned those at the table.

Katsumi clearly wasn't impressed. "Yeah, I know Karin. Your brother was like me, minus the human part." She gazed at the girl with lack of interest. Her face was impassive and soon enough her attention was turned back to him. "We didn't come here to hear that, we already know that the Hollow are up to something. All of Hueco Mundo is restless. I can feel it." For a split second she looked out the window, half of her mask on her face as she felt a larger creature forming, but it disappeared when she felt the other squad members take it down. "The reason we are here is to know why. So, why?" She scented Imura's blood. What the hell? Where they sending all the captains?

The coffee seemed to be flying through the air in movie-esque slow motion. His first impulse was to drop-kick an already downed Kinta, but better judgement stilled him and he leapt up like lightening, gathering the tray, cups, and pot in that order and returned to his seat with the tray on the table, and a mug in his hand, all very stylishly done within two blinks of the eye.

"Phew...well then." He wiped beads of sweat from his brow glared at Kinta, and regained his composure. Both women looked bothered.

"Yeah, I know Karin. Your brother was like me, minus the human part." Katsumi replied to his earlier question.

"We didn't come here to hear that, we already know that the Hollow are up to something. All of Hueco Mundo is restless. I can feel it." For a split second she looked out the window, half of her mask on her face as she felt a larger creature forming, but it disappeared when she felt the other squad members take it down. "The reason we are here is to know why. So, why?

"Looks like the Soul Society is really taking interest in all of this." He spoke feeling a lieutenant-level reiatsu. He stroked his chin hairs thinking for a moment.

"Ah, anyways...like you said. You're here to know why." He stood up. "No doubt you feel it Katsumi, just like I did, and that is because of both of our...." He glanced at Kinta--the boy knew nothing of Demetri's Hollowfication ability, he wanted to keep it that way, Kinta was afraid of Hollows. "Situations. I first felt it about a year ago, when I first drifted into this town. It's still very subtle, but have you noticed the spike in strength of the average Hollow?" He posed the question to both of the women.

"Not to mention their odd magnetic attraction to this very town. Sure, the town has a unique Spiritual make-up...but if anything, that should repel them, not invite them. It's as if their searching for something in Karakura town. " His golden orbs flickered.

"As if someone is ordering them to search for something." His face was curious. "Sound familiar to anyone? The ordering part."

Hiroshi walked around aimlessly and passed by a school. He stopped and watched as a group of kids were playing a game of soccer. One of the kids miss kicked it, and hit him on the side of the head. This always happened to him. Some of the laughed while one came up to him, "I'm sorry." he said nervously. Hiroshi waved him off. It wasnt like he could do anything to the little kid. For a minute, he stared at the soccer ball and kicked it. The ball hit one of the boys who couldnt stop laughing, on the head and went into the goal. The kid stopped laughing and look around wondering what just happened.

Yawning, he moved on, putting his hands in his pocket. Bored, bored, bored, bored... he thought to himself as he looked here and there. Fighting a bunch of hollows were pretty boring too. They didnt make much of a fight. Just then a hollow appeared, crashing the ground it stepped on. "Right when I was having my break.. huh?" he mumbled before jumping into the air. He kicked the hollow across the face, hard enough to crack it. Hiroshi landed behind the monster and walked off, as this one disappeared as well.

~Etto~

He sat there and listened Marcus, he didn't even touch his tea. "Well it was quick but still pointless. He could have sent a messenger." He murmured to himself. He was a little happy that he actually was going to do something. He followed Jaden out of meeting room, When they entered a large Hall way, "Well, I'm ready. shall we." He lifted his hand and a rip in Space opened. Walking into it, Etto turned and waited for her.

The rip opened over the town. Etto stepped out into thin air like it was a solid ground, the rip closed behind him. He felt uncomfortable, the spirit partials were low quality. He cracked his neck, "Well, how do you want to do this?" He turned Jaden.

~Imura~

He was wandering around town, most people could see him, While some could feel him and other could faintly see him. As he made his way he felt a low level hollow a couple blocks from him and then it was gone. Into the ear communicator, "Did any one take out a hollow near me?" He got multiple noes. He took off in that direction, After arriving He thought he felt something he looked down road, "Finally." He took off towards Hiroshi, "Captain!"

"I noticed it when I was out here around a year ago as well. Since then every time a hollow shows up I can fell my inner hollow trying to get out, even though I've suppressed it." Katsumi rubbed her eyes, which were sore from the constant change of color. She gingerly reached out an elegant hand and took a cup of coffee. Oddly enough she liked it black; sugar was just too sweet. After a swift sip she placed it aside and looked out the window once more. "It has been a while since someone like Aizen re-appeared. Zenpachi told me about him once, actually." She was fiddling with her bracelet as she felt the odd disturbances from Hueco Mundo. Then her gaze flashed and she went rigid. "Did you sense that?"

Jaden stood beside Etto. She shifted her head, popping her neck and shoulders. She smirked as she looked around, "Why dont we let them know we're here? After all, it would be terribly rude." You could literaly hear the sarcasm in Jaden's voice. She released a small amount of her Reiatsu. "This is gonna be fun. I haven't done anything in that hell hole in a few weeks. It feel good to get out." She said quietly. She slowly decended to the street. She looked around as soon as her feet where on the ground. "This place is a total dump! Who'd wanna live here?" She asked no one inparticular.

Without warning Katsumi was gone from her spot, only a faint tinkle of her bracelet a remenant of her presense. She was crouched on the top of a telephone pole once more, this time observing two Hollow come from a rift in the sky. Judging by their reiatsu they were Espada. She tilted her head, not interested in the slightest.
"This place is a total dump! Who'd wanna live here?"
"I personally like this town," she called from her perch with a frown. "I don't think it's a dump." For now she conceiled her power level, wondering if she'd progress the fight or not. Katsumi's head cocked to the side as her eyes flashed.

Jaden looked up at the telephone pole. "Well, well, well Etto. Look what we got here. And just who are you?" Jaden smirked at the girl on the pole. She jumped up and stood next to Etto, in the air. She watched the girl. "Are you a Soul Reaper? Or are you something else? Your Reiatsu isn't like a Soul Reapers, so what are you?" She questioned.

"Oh me, I'm not that interesting, believe me. But if you really must know, I'll tell you." Katsumi looked up at the two before standing to be eye level, though she was shorter than they; she had always been shorter than most people. "I am EX. Eleventh Captain Katsumi." She wondered if they had heard about the shear power of the Eleventh Squad. Her gaze flickered over them as she tapped the hilt of her sword. "And that is al you need to know, for now at least. Now it is my turn; who are you and what is your buisness?"

~Etto~

He joined her on the ground and looked around, " It is a peaceful place" He replied to Jaden, Suddenly there was a new presence. he looked up at a women on the top of the pole. Etto cocked his head back at her, "You don't seem like Shinigami...well maybe a little." He chuckled a little to himself. If his scarf didn't hide his mouth there would have been a smile, A very toothy pointed smile.

"Us? since were being truth full, were her to check up on you Shinigami." He shrugged at his words

Katsumi was gone in a flash, apparently she had felt the same thing they all had sensed. Arrancar. He bit his lip in frustration.

"Can't she ever wait for someone?" He grabbed his weapon from the ground directly beside the chair. "Kinta watch---"

"I'm coming." He said firmly, a fierce fire in his cerulean eyes. Demetori laughed. "Demetori-san...that reiatsu...it's so.."

"I'll handle it. Besides, I've got Katsumi with me as well, she's as powerful as she is beautiful." he smirked, the turned towards the other lady in the agency. "Ah, Ms. Kurosaki, I'm sorry to call you here and run like this, can I ask you to stay with Kinta? If anything should happen here in my absence..." The woman nodded.

"It's fine, go ahead." Demetori grinned at her reply.


"Much obliged ma'am." He nodded his head slightly.

"Demetori-San..." Kinta looked down, unable to speak.

"Calm down Kinta, hey, you get to hang around here, alone, with a beautiful girl. Hint, hint, take the chance." He grinned, , and disappeared from the area, heading straight for the Arrancar

"Well, well, well Etto. Look what we got here. And just who are you?" The blue haired one said tauntingly.

"Oh me, I'm not that interesting, believe me. But if you really must know, I'll tell you." Katsumi leapt up on their level, brandishing her blade.

"I am EX. Eleventh Captain Katsumi."

"And that is al you need to know, for now at least. Now it is my turn; who are you and what is your buisness?"


"Damn Katsumi. Want to give em your whole biography too?"

Demetori appeared with a loud ripping sound as he burst through the air, his trademark grin was in full effect as he stood a few feet away from the two Arrancar, tapping his shoulder with his sheathed Zanpaktuo, impishly and relaxed.



"You know...I love how all of you just come to my town unannouced. Hollow, Shinigami, Arrancar not my kind of crowd."

The bored look on Katsumi's face continued as Demetori appeared. "Took you long enough," she murmured but grinned slightly. Her gaze returned to the two Hollow. "You two better run. You've got two Ex. Shinigami who are about to kick your asses back to Hueco Mundo." She didn't appear to be disturbed by them, nor by the third presence she could faintly sense. Instead she mearly stood there in her graceful yet stiff way.

Jaden smirked at the new persons arrival. "You flatter us, Soul Reaper. We thought we would come here and see the sights." She looked at the Ex Captain, "As for us, I'm Jaden. Jaden Jeagerjaques, the 6th Espada." She motioned to Etto with her head, "This is Etto. The 5th Espada." Jadne's eyes narrowed, watching the Soul Reaper. She smirked, "You both aren't Soul Reapers. Your Reiatsu is to different from theirs." She unsheathed her Zanpakuto and rested it on her right shoulder, "But if it's a fight ya want. It's a fight you're gonna get." She stared at them seriously, that smirk still on her face. It was just like her brothers, exactly like. So much so, that it was almost creepy.

"It would appear that you are the one who is wanting the fight," Katsumi said rather truthfully. "I havn't drawn my Zanpakuto or even touched my bracelet. You should be flattered we've let you live this long." Her eyes were narrowed as a slight breeze sturred through the air. She put a hand on her hip. "Now why don't you just go back to Hueco Mundo like good little Hollows?"

"You two better run. You've got two Ex. Shinigami who are about to kick your asses back to Hueco Mundo."



Demetri winced, "Ow, way to blow my air of mystery Katsumi." He shrugged, "But she's right ya know, if you can't feel it now..." The ex. Captain's irises began to glow with a furious bright gold, "We're pretty powerful."

"You flatter us, Soul Reaper. We thought we would come here and see the sights." She looked at the Ex Captain, "As for us, I'm Jaden. Jaden Jeagerjaques, the 6th Espada." She motioned to Etto with her head, "This is Etto. The 5th Espada."

"What is this? An AA meeting? We didn't ask for your names. Besides. I'm defenitly not a Soul reaper. I'm just a detective. "But," He smirked, watching the Espada unsheathe her weapon. What the hell are Espada doing here? This is all looking too suspicious... He thought gingerly to his self. Demetri jerked his Zanpakuto the side, sending the sheathe flying off into the distance where it dissolved into tiny gold dust.


"If it's a fight you want, a fight you'll get. On one condition,"