Espada Mission 1A: The Cave of Distortion

[Kolbertt]

"Out of the blue, the standard Gillians and hollows from a certain Area are turning into incomplete Arrancars. Rumors say, there is strange cave that goes deep into the dessert, and once a hollow enters it, it's body will instantaniously change into that of an Arrancar.

However, this newborn Arrancars suffer from mental disfunctions, and as such, we cannot get any information from them, studies of their bodies only confirm everyone's suspicions. Their Arrancarizacion was NOT a normal evolution. Details still evade us, but there are people who already attribute this strange phenomena to the mysterious dissapearance of the Hougokyou.

The Hougokyou, otherwise known as, "The Orb of Distortion" has been missing since the "Dark Age" - A period of time from where there is no historical records nor witnesses alive.

The most fascinating function of this strange element, as you most probably know, is the abilty to grant a Hollow Shinigami powers, and vice-versa. Yet, for it to work at it's fullest potential, it needs enormous quantities of reiatsu. Our scientist have theorized that the Hougokyou has awakened, and is currently working on the reiatsu found in Hueco Mundo's air combined with the subterranean reiatsu energies - Enough to activate itself if exposed for long periods of time, but not enough to work at it's fullest, hence, creating this failed versions of Arrancar.

It comes as the greatest priority for us to retrieve this object of unmeasurable utility, but we cannot lose track of our main goal for a simple rumor, as strong as it might be, until we can confirm it.

We've already dispatched a group of Arrancars, our "Rastreadores" into the zone, but they failed to report back. We already consider them as Lost. Most probably, the cave is infested with Hollows and Arrancars of unknown power. We've confirmed both Gillians and Hollows, but we cannot discard the possibility of an Adjucha entering the cave, and emerging as a mindless Arrancar.

That's the reason why, you Espada's, have been sent to inspect this misterious cave. In order of importance, your objectives are:


Find what is going on inside that cave. In case of finding the Hougokyou, secure it, retreat, and report it to the higher ups IMMEDIATELLY, taking any other action will be punished severely.
In case of the Hougokyou being a mere rumor, destroy the cave itself and whatever is causing this phenomena. We don't need retarded Arrancars to taint our name.
Your survival is high priority. Don't hesitate to kill whatever might get in your way or anything that might be a slight hindrance to your health. We cannot take the leisure of losing valuable soldiers. Aside from the life of your partner, you are free to claim whatever life you desire.
In case of finding any sign of "Dios de Diablo" himself, leave the area and report as quick as possible. The higher ups will deal with him directly, in case of finding any of his minnions, dispatch of it as quickly as possible.


That is all. At the entrance of the cave, you'll find the last survivor of our team of "Rastreadores". He'll be your guide on the first part of the cave. Other than that, he's not really needed.

I expect pleasant results -
Mircalla Zolmao - Primera Espada

This was the letter the two Espadas had received this morning. Now, they neared their location. Allong the way, they could see the enormous, humanoid monsters created by the Phenomena of this cave. Gargantuan and Grotesque humans that couldn't articulate a single word.

At the distance, the cave appeared, they were nearing their destination.



Espada Mission Rules!

Espadas are free to chose their mission, and expected to deal with them until the very end. WITHOUT help from the higher up Espadas, OR other Espadas (Which should be on other missions themselves ;p)
Everyone is free to "Adopt" any kind of Arrancar. In other words, have them join their Fraccion, but Hollows will only be chosen by the higher ups (Primera-Cuarta Espada) - You never know when possible spies are :flirt -
It's in the best interest of the thread, that all the participants are active. If any participant becomes inactive for an extended period of time, their character will be "Knocked out" by a mod, and remain unconscious until they return.
Remember, you are EXPECTED to complete your missions ;p - Failing them, or going your own way will result in a Point Penalty

That covers everything I think :XD

[KurosakiNaruto]

"Dios de Diablo...?" The woman queried, poking her bottom lip with her finger as her leg swayed back and forth in the tall chair. Altoro stood opposite to Juliane, his hands placed behind his back in a distiguished manner. "You don't need to fret Juliane," Altoro muttered, "I have no intention of making rash judgements. My actions prior to my leaving the Espada meeting were just a test, for now, Dios de Diablo will have to wait."

"That's real smart," The girl responded, "and just what reason would you have for testing a bunch of people who could swat you like a fly in nothing flat if they wanted to?"

Typical Juliane. Where Altoro may think he's one step ahead of everyone else, Julaine is always one step ahead of him and always on time. In fact, Altoro can count on his fingers and toes the number of times Juliane was "right" and he was "way off". It was embarrassing to be upstaged by a woman Altoro often thought, but even he must consider----Juliane was no ordinary woman.

Sadly, in this case Juliane was the one labled "way off". Altoro had his own reasons, and even though he trusted Juliane with his life, the life of another million hollows were not hers to contain.

"It doesn't matter," answered the boy seconds later with a stern face, "This world will savor the sweet nectar of life anew with this era as the genesis of rebirth and all hollows will live in harmony once all hollows are freed from the sordid existence of savagery. Don't you want to see a world like that Julie.........Julie?"

The unresponsive female fraccion had fallen asleep as she always had during one of Altoro's sermons.

"Again?! We've talked aout this!" He exclaimed, coercing the girl to spring from her resting position and hang to the chandelier in excitment. Following her was a sheet of white paper attatched to her behind. Altoro could see the muffled inscriptions from her height. The paper detached from Juliane's backside and glided across the room right into Altoro's arms as though the action was premeditated. "What's this?" Altoro queried, carefully skimming through the paper's contents.

"Oh," said Juliane, "It's your first mission proposal. I saw it on the door before I came in."

"And I'm just recieving it now?"

"Oh I guess I forgot." murmured Juliane as she descended from the ceiling.

"These things you don't forget!" Altoro shouted. He continued skimming through the paper with invigorating attraction.

"Looks interesting. A Mission worthy of my intellect and skill. Well then there's no time to wa-"

"Oh my Altoro-kun's first mission as an Espada! I'm so happy for you!"

Out of the blue, Juliane's breasts came crashing into Altoro's face. Like any male in his position he'd seem utterly aroused by just a mere glance but Juliane always had a motion in which she'd force them upon him. She'd only moved in to hug the life from him but often her boobs would inadvertently suffocate the Adolescent-like 9th Espada.

"I......can't.....bweaf......Judiane....."

"Oh! Sorry!"

"why don't you make yourself useful," Altoro remarked, " and find Patrota. You can't miss him. He's as big as Los Noches."

From his neatly made bed, Altoro grabbed his unsheathed Zanpakutou, sheathed it and proceeded to the Hallway, leaving Juliane in a daze.

With each silent step Altoro's smile grew larger.

"The road paved ahead is crystal clear, and this mission------is the first pillar to a perfect Hueco Mundo."

[Mad_Scientist]

"Well, let's see what I've been assigned."

Alan read the mission orders aloud, so that Curtis would know the details as well. By the time he finished the 2nd paragraph, he was already quite glad he had allied with the tall knight and made him his fraccion. The Hougokyou... Alan had certainly not expected to be dealing with something so powerful and dangerous this soon. Of course, there was no guarantee that the Hougokyou had anything to do with these strange events, but even the slight chance it did was more than enough. Also, Alan couldn't help but remember something ominous from the meeting he had just left not too long ago.

"Why don't you tell them what happened with THAT? Cause I can tell them what happened to the Hou..." The last words of Elexender were still bothering Alan. And yet, when questioned about the whereabouts of the legendary Orb of Distortion, Mircalla had said she knew nothing about it. "The orb of distortion has unfortunately been lost long ago, even I do not know where it has gone." And now, right after all that, Alan was being sent on a mission involving the Orb. It was all somewhat unsettling.

Turning towards Sir Curtis, Alan said, "Looks like I'll be going on this mission with another Espada. I guess I'll meet him outside the dome. If you have anything you need to get ready or do before we leave, you should do so now. I'll head to the meeting spot now and see who we're going to be working with"

With a polite gesture towards Sir Curtis, Alan departed the knight's quarters and entered the halls of Las Noches. "With me being number 10, they probably will want someone strong to go with me. Maybe it will be the twins then." Ninian's voice spoke in Alan's head: "It may not be someone strong, though, perhaps it will even be the one ranked 9th." There was a slightly playful tone to her voice, though.

Alan couldn't help but smile at that thought. "Heh, if they send out the two weakest Espada on a mission involving the Hougokyou, then I'll know for sure that things in Las Noches are on the edge of disaster."

[blackluster]

Though Alan had just left, Curtis had already joined him. He had no need for items or preparation. He considered such things hindrances in the desert anyway. Besides, to join the assemblies of the silent Lords, he would have to rely on only himself.

(OOC: we should probably fast forward to location, since the thread intro places our whole group outside the cave already.)

[Mad_Scientist]

(OOC: True, though it also seems to imply that the Espada are already traveling together. I figure a quick meeting before settting out can't hurt.)

Alan and Curtis promptly arrived outside the dome of Hueco Mundo at the destined meeting place, ready to depart. Now, they had only to wait for their Espada partner to arrive before they'd be set out.

"I wonder who we'll be traveling with?", Alan asked out loud.

[KurosakiNaruto]

Altoro paced himself, only feet away from the exit. The walls seemed emcompassing, for some reason he felt cramped in that great establishment, Los Noches Main hall. "Juliane is late as always," he muttered to himself, " I supposed I will have to leave without her."

"Altoro-sama wait!" A shrill voice from behind approached. Naturally Altoro became excited. Looking back he noticed Juliane's travelling attire. " I knew you'd wait for me Altoro-kun!" She said, grappling his neck with her boney arms.

" You're wearing that?" Altoro remarked.

"Why? What's the matter with it?"

"Nothing," Altoro replied, "it's just.....you look nice."

The woman beamed, flushed and jittery. It was rare for Altoro to compliment her on her clothing choices given she normally dresses in skimpy wear. The truth was always increibly apparent, she'd dressed solely to give Altoro a give impression.

"So, you couldn't find Patrota?" asked Altoro

"Who needs him?" Juliane responded, "He said he was feeling uneasy so I let the big dope be."

The boy pivoted swiftly and proceeded to touch the knob. "Please," he pleaded, "behave and don't call attention to yourself. Speak only if you're spoken to and do not, I reapeat, DO NOT leave my sight." The young woman knodded in compliance of her master's demands. Altoro returned his gaze to the outside compound where he'd meet his expedition companion. At first sight the crimson moon over Hueco Mundo was unusually dull and the sands were still for once. "It's unusually quiet." Altoro proclaimed as he browsed the sandy terrain for the person he were to travel with. In The distance two quaint figures stood immobile. After giving a second look, it wasn't difficult for Altoro to identify Alan Matiaha, The 10th Espada. He'd regognized the tall man as well, he was Alan's fraccion Sir Curtis. Strangly enough the pair look amazingly comfortable with each other. A rare thing to encounter within the Espada ranks. Altoro knew instantly this mission wuld be an interesting one.

"OOH!" Juliane bursted, "The tall one's cute!"

"Just remeber what I said Juliane, keep your distance and stay by my-"

Having realized Juliane's personality wouldn't allow her to reach an understanding, Altoro slapped a hand on his forehead. Julaine had already approached Sir Curtis, pinching what litle can be seen of his cheeks and wrapping her arms around him in complete "fangirlism".

WIth ease Altoro subdued her simply by yanking her ear, a weakness exclusive only to Juliane who sense of retention couldn't grasp it long enough to defend herself from falling prey to predictability.

"I apologize." Altoro stated politely, holding out the one hand he wasn't using to lift Juliane by her ear to Alan. "You must be Alan, pleased to make your aquaintance. I am Altoro Delgado and this creature here is Juliane Morquidas." The boy jested as he yanked Juliane upward.

(OOC:Sorry guys for the delay. This should be the last meeting before we set off on our trail. Also, thank you Mad for helping me correct a big faux pas I made.)

[Mad_Scientist]

Alan looked at the two figures that just exited Las Noches. One, Alan thought he recognized as a young Espada he had seen at the meeting. The other was a girl he assumed was a fraccion.

"Which Espada is that? The one who talked about dreams and whined about a tatoo?," Alan thought. "No," came Ninian's prompt reply. "It's the one who screamed about Elexender being a grotesque creature before punching him in the face. The one who later left the meeting early, without even being dismissed yet. He's a bit impulsive, in other words."

Alan had arrived at the Espada meeting late, and therefore he had missed most of the introductions. But when finding out about the location of Curtis's quarters, he had also made sure he learned the names, ranks, and basic appearances of all the Espada. This one had to be either the 8th Espada, Durante Dormire, or the 9th Espada, Altoro Delgado. The descriptions Alan had gotten were vague enough where he couldn't be certain, but... "Must be Durante. Despite Ninian's joke, they wouldn't actually send the 9th and 10th on a mission this important. I'm kind of surprised they aren't sending someone ranked higher than 8 even."

Suddenly the female fraccion burst out with a comment about "the tall one" being cute. Was she speaking about Curtis? Cute was hardly what most people would consider that knight. The man who must be Durante started to say something to her, but then he stopped and slapped himself in the face, while his fraccion tugged on Curtis's cheeks and hugged the tall knight. Alan sincerely hoped that there wasn't any blood left on the skull in Curtis's chest.

As the youthful Espada pulled her away by the her ear, he introduced both himself and her. Altoro Delgado and Juliane Morquidas were their names. The Espada Alan was partnered with was not Durante, it was Altoro: the 9th Espada. Ninian was laughing inside of Alan's head, though it was a rather mirthless laugh.

Alan responded to the polite introduction in kind. "Yes, I am Alan Matiaha, the 10th Espada, and this is Sir Curtis Turmoil Franker." And with that, they departed for the cave. It was important that they arrive there soon, in order to ensure that no one else might be able to retreive the Orb of Distortion before them, if that indeed was what was causing the disturbances. The trip was mostly uneventful, aside from the occasional bout of odd behavior by Juliane. Alan expected there would soon be a permanent mark on Altoro's forehead.

As they neared the cave, Alan realized he didn't have as much to worry about as he thought. The only confirmed creatures in the cave were regular Hollows and Gillian class menos. There might be an adjuchas, but Alan himself was an adjuchas-class arrancar, and actually an above average one at that. Chances are that even if there was an adjuchas-class arrancar in there, it would be very weak due to its poor transformation. And if all the beasts in there were crazed and insane, they wouldn't be fighting together in any organized fashion either.

As for Dios de Diablo, unless he had any more suicidal arrancars in his command, he would have trouble sending agents there. After all, they would almost certainly be "pure" Hollows, and therefore would be unable to safely enter the cave. The last thing Diablo would want would be to turn good minions into "impure" and insane arrancar.

Just as Alan's started to grow confident, Ninian's voice popped up in his head again. "But what about the 'arcanos' Elexender mentioned that we forgot to ask about? What are they? And what if a Shinigami were to enter the cave, what would happen to it?"

These uncomfortable thoughts drained Alan's confidence back down a bit. Well, he might know the answers to those questions soon. They were in sight of the cave entrance now, and any moment they should be able to see the figure of the "Rastreadore" that they were supposed to meet.

[Kolbertt]

"I suppose you are the ones I'm waiting for... Espadas" From inside the cave, an average looking Arrancar emerged.

"My name is Manny Calavera, the last "Rastreador" dispatched to this area... This cave holds has claimed countless lifes and minds. So I'd like to get out of here as fast as possible..."

Having said that, he unsheathed his Zanpakuto, a Rapier with a Spiral design. And pointed at the cave.

"I'd ready your weapons, this cave is like a living trap"

[KurosakiNaruto]

The greeting between Espada and Fraccion had now lapsed, the time to depart to the cave od distortion was now at hand. During the genesis of their venture Juliane was quite calm, however her vague attraction to Sir Curtis became disturbing and provocative, her clinging and baby talk---although Altoro would never admit he was more jealous than angry. Still, what could she possibly see in him? 'Perhaps it's just an act.' He thought. 'Why should I care? Securing this mission is top priority, nonetheless, I cannot wrap myself in private affairs. It would have been easier had Patrota come along.'

Carefully they approached the cave. Altoro knew to take caution, even though the menos and Hollows that appeared to be its sole inhabitants were dreadfully weak and distorted. Altoro stood beside Alan, now and then trying to get a closer look at the man. His face bore greater uncertainty than his, and at times he appeared to disappear into mental dismissal. Altoro never had to question the sanity of another man, usually he could tell by first glance if that person's mind is stable or no, however, in Alan's case he was left to wonder.

In spite of righteous cause, the boy was rather reluctant to carry on. He'd only assumed by the mission details that the ominous power of the Hougyouku was at work but could there be another force of power pulling the strings? Gazing over at the silent 10th Espada, Altoro never doubted that the even Alan was thinking quite similar, contrary to his composure.

Suddenly amidst the darkness, a figure emerged from the mouth of the cave. Altoro peered ahead as the shadow slowly made its way into the light of the moon.

"I suppose you are the ones I'm waiting for... Espadas" The being uttered and as its image reached the light to reveal it was an Arrancar, Altoro could instantly suggest that this one was the Rastreador the higher-ups dispatched prior to the arrival of the Espada.

The Arrancar went on to introduce himself briefly and by his demeanor it became apparent that even he felt the eerie vibes illuminating from the cave. The man continued with a warning, but not before unsheathing his blade and encouraging the mission squad to do the same.

Altoro complied; obviously this arrancar knew what he was geting into and the Espada had been Forewarned. He must have known what he was getting into, Altoro didn't change his words.

"Can you tell us anything at all you've encountered of any relevance?"

[Kolbertt]

"So far, we've gone into a depth of 50 metres, the cave is prone to earthquakes and sand drifts, that make every road different each time. That's how my team got separated and each one of them died...

Pretty much, to move around this cave, you need an enormous amount of luck. Which makes it even stranger why those failed Arrancars can move in and out with limited inteligence.

Other than that, the cave is rather average so far"

Having said that, he took out a bottle filled with different things which looked like fireflies, and got out from it three of them.

"One of my Team Mates had this innate ability of creating "Will-o-Wisps". Rather useless in battle, but priceless in a dark cave. They'll float around your hand if you concentrate your reiatsu on them and will enlighten your way"

[Mad_Scientist]

Interesting. It seemed that there was a definite reason Alan had been selected to go on this mission. He was somewhat uncomfortable about having to reveal and explain the nature of his release and powers to Altoro, an uncertain ally. But those powers would provide an obvious benefit to the mission right from the start, and the higher ups knew a good deal about his abilities already. Having to explain why he didn't use them to benefit the mission the most would make for an unpleasant debriefing when he got back.

"Excuse me, Manny was it? Those 'Will-o-Wisps' sound very useful, but given that your team ended up getting split up against their wishes, wouldn't it be best for each of us to have one? Thus, assuming we all go in", and at this Alan glanced at Juliane, who's combat abilities were unknown to him, and Manny, who was only supposed to be their guide for the early parts according to the orders, "we'll be needing 6 of them, not 3."

Alan guessed his companions were probably wondering if they had just gotten saddled with a fool who couldn't do simple things like counting the number of people in a group. But they'd understand soon. Pulling out his sword, Alan spoke the command, "Manifest, Ninian."

Suddenly Alan began to change. The blade he held in his right hand started glowing with a faint light, and the handle disappeared. The blade then seemed to simply hover near Alan's arm afterwards. Alan himself changed a fair amount; his face contorted into a more jagged shape, his skin took on an unpleasant pallor, and his hands became clawlike, His body retained a mostly human shape, though.

The biggest change actually occured next to Alan. Seemingly appearing from nowhere, a beautiful figure began to form, standing next to Alan. She possessed long black hair and green eyes, and was clad in a very pecular shimmering dress.

Alan gestured towards the figure and spoke to his companions. "This is the core of my power. This is 'Ninian'. Before we go into those caves, there is something we should tell you." At this point Ninian suddenly spoke, "It is about the two parts of us, 'Alan' and 'Ninian.'" Both of them then spoke the following sentence in perfect unison: "We can share our thoughts and will."

Alan and Ninian then walked in opposite directions, until they were 10 meters apart. Then, there appeared next to each of them a large, flat, shimmering, and oval-shaped... something. With a carefully coordinated movement, Alan and Ninian each walked into the oval near them, one a bit after the other, and emerged from the oval farther from them, almost instantly switching places as a result.

"I think all of you can understand why these portals may be useful. They can be used to transport any of you guys as well as us." Alan paused briefly, then continued onward. "I suggest that when we go in there, we form 2 teams to search the place, and do our best to keep each individual team intact. With one team will go myself, the part of me that is 'Alan'. With the other team will go Ninian.

Thus, both teams we be able to easily communicate with each other using our shared thoughts. They will be able to coordinate their search as best as possible. In addition, if one team encountered something too strong to handle by itself, the other team would be able to instantly teleport to its location to help.

Of course, there is a limit to how far the Ninian and I can move away from each other. We are technically the same being. But I don't believe we will reach that limit in the caves. If we do, we can simply teleport one team to the other at that time, choosing whichever location looks most promising."

Alan and Ninian then looked at Altoro, Curtis, and Manny each in turn. This time is was "Ninian" who spoke. "Any objections to this plan? Or perhaps some of you have suggestions on a better way to utilize our powers for the search?"

(OCC: The part about suggestions is quite serious. If any of you think you know a better way for Alan/Ninian's thought sharing and teleportation to be used, please mention it before we go in. Also Kolbertt, if for some reason you have any objections to my idea of using their powers in a fashion like this, let me know.)

[blackluster]

Though the trip to the cave was uneventful, Curtis found it taxing none-the-less. The affections of his opposite fraccion had enraged Turmoil. Curtis strained to keep it from biting their ally in half. Their arrival at the cave had certainly been timeous. He regarded the entrance. It seemed a bit tight for his size, though hopefully it became larger inside. The danger of collapse simply concerned Curtis in that his progress through the cave might actually set one off. In his sealed form, he was not particularly dexterous or agile.

Alan's release interested Curtis, though despite the explanation of of its ability, he did not fully understand it. He drew his immense sword in a slow motion. It made a grating sound as it left its bony sheath, seeming to draw out dust as well. The blade itself appeared to be continually crumbling, as bits of dust and debris dropped off it. Closer inspection though, would reveal that the form of dust falling off was simply the form that the excess reiatsu took on as it leaked from the blade.

A deep hollow breath through Curtis' bony helmet mask was all that preceded an echoing voice. "We will go....... where Alan goes......."

[Kolbertt]

Dazzled by the amount of reiatsu, Manny took some time to speak again - "So THIS is the power of an Espada release!?"

"Actually, there's a reason for not using the whole bottle, Espada-Sama" Manny said. "This things give away your location. So carrying one of this, is asked to be attacked. The three Will-o-Wisps are are for you, the other Espada, and Fraccion-sama." He said as he pointed to Curtis. "It'd be futile for me to carry one of this, and I do not think you want to expose your Fraccion to the dangers of this cave. But if that's the Espada will, then be my guest"

"I'm on with this team thing, but I'd like to go with the strongest one present"

(OOC: Excuse my mental retardness, but so far; I've counted 5 people, not 6 :s - Manny, Altoro, Sir Curtis, Alan and Juliane :-_-)

[KurosakiNaruto]

Altoro was quite impressed by Alan's released abilities. Only one with control of time and space could join the ranks of the Espada which commenced Altoro to doubt his own abilities. Still, the boy had only Juliane's health in mind; partners or not, Juliane was precious to him and he trusted no one to be left alone with her, especially with knowing Juliane's contemptable habits.

"I feel at liberty to share my thoughts with you all. I'm going to be blunt and straight forward. I don't trust any of you, but as my associates I am obligated to cooperate." Altoro commented as he kept his hands perfectly folded behind his back.

"Altoro-sama!" Juliane Blurted.

"Now I would rather not put Juliane in the care of either of you but I would much rather stay close to the Rasteadore. Since we plan to move in teams of 3 I feel the only logical solution would be for Juliane to.... "

Having spoken, Altoro could sense the other arrancar only thought he was contradicting his logic, howevr they couldn't be any father from the truth. Where Alan had displayed an incredibly useul ability in his ressureccion form, Altoro only needed his zanpakutou to prove his point. The boy carefully unsheathed his sword then snapped it apart by the engravement of the black cross in the very middle of the blade. Slowly the severed upper peice of the sword began to spawn its own lower section and hilt whereas the lower peice he originally broke the sword from had formed its own upper section.

Altoro paced over to Juliane whom he gracefully gave the second sword. "This is the second essence of Bestia de meloncholica, Seraphim, The sword of redemption. Seraphim will protect its weilderand at the same time allow me to keep surveilance on Juliane through Cherubis, The sinner."

"Altoro-sama, you don't have to-"

"Juliane," interrupted the boy, "behave yourself, Seraphim does not protect the foolish so your survival is only 13% certain."

Altoro turned to face Manny, all while speaking to Alan and Ninian altogether, "Guess this means this team will be comprised of Manny, Ninian, and myself?"

[Mad_Scientist]

"We did just meet each other today, Delgado, so of course I take no offense to your lack of trust. But, if you are too concerned about Juliane, she could stay outside the cave, as Manny suggested. Though that may not be the safest either, as we have no idea when other groups might arrive." Alan was fairly certain Altoro wouldn't want to leave Juliane alone outside for that reason, though regardless of what he did, she would be in some danger.

Alan pondered briefly. It looked like it was going to be Altoro and Ninian for one group, and Alan, Curtis, and Juliane for the other. Manny wouldn't stay beyond the start, so he couldn't really be counted when considering the strength of the groups . Without truly knowing the relative strengths of his companions, Alan couldn't be certain whether the groups they were using would be for the best or not. Well, at least if adjustments needed to be made after entering, that should be possible.

Alan reached out his left arm towards one of the "Will-o-Wisps", and tried focusing his reiatsu. It worked just like Manny said. If these could attract enemies, though, perhaps they should only bring two in, one for each group. No, there might be unexpected circumstances that would force them to split into further groups once inside. Better to have at least on spare then.

A tiny pair of portals opened up, and suddenly the Will-o-Wisp had left Alan and was now floating near Ninian's hand. Seemed there would be no need for both Alan and Ninian to have their own individual Will-o-Wisp afterall, as a single one could provide light to each of them in turn, as needed.

Alan and Ninian once again spoke in unison. "Well, I believe we are all ready. Lead on, Manny Calavera. Though we have two final questions. First, were you able to confirm the existance of an adjuchas-class menos here? And second, have you seen any signs pointing to the presence of agents from our enemies, such as Dios de Diablo?"

[Kolbertt]

"Yes, Espada-Sama. We've confirmed the presence of at least one Adjucha class Menos entering the cave. However, I haven't seen it come out...

But you must excuse my ignorance, as I've never heard of Dios de Diablo. Not once do I think I've ever heard that name before. Now, if you excuse me, it'd be best if we get going. I'll leave the Will-o-Wisp bottle here by the entrance, feel free to take one if you must."

He turned on his back, and started walking into the cave.

0======0

"See? I told ya he would be of use to us!"

"Fine, fine, he's brought more Arrancars to our little game... I'll give you that. Still, I don't see why we should keep him around after this"

"Heh... You are a mean one, you know? He's been a lot useful to us... Maybe we could give him some sorta reward?"

"Maybe..."

"Kufufufu -"

[Mad_Scientist]

Alan paused. This made no sense. True, he himself had only recently become aware of Dios de Diablo. But also, until a little while ago, he had been an insane depraved beast. He had trouble remembering names he had learned while a Hollow, so even if he had heard it then he might not know. And since becoming an arrancar, he had spent most of his time in Las Noches.

But his orders for this mission had specifically warned him about Diablo, and he found it unlikely that merely the name would have been considered too big a secret for the Rastreadores to know. Why did Manny claim he had never heard it?

"You never heard it even once? Curious. Imagine the higher ups sending you out on a mission without warning you about what you might face. Very curious. You have any ideas about that matter?

And even if you don't know the name, you never answered my question about whether you had seen any signs of the agents of our enemies."

[Kolbertt]

Manny got scared... there was something on the tone of that Espada that made him terribly uneasy... A second glance at the Espada made him have the weirdest of feelings...

"That look... It's as he can read every single thing going on my mind"

However, he had learned that showing emotions was a bad thing. Even if reading minds was absurd, there were LOTS of people that could read emotions.

"No. The higher ups sent us here expecting us to do our job. We are not worthy of being warned. We are disposable at most.

If I survived here, it's because of my natural ability. Nothing else, nothing more. You know those people who have dissapeared? They were my friends. I refuse to acknowledge their death. This Will-o-Wisps should have dissapeared otherwise.

We all came here to aid you, we had no idea of the dangers in this cave and still faced it. For the sake of a better future, we risked our lives so that you could have an easier job...

We, Arrancars, trust our fates in your hands Espadas... And seeing my friends die just to have you doubt me, is rather unnerving."

Had Manny crossed the limits? Maybe, he had faced an Espada directly... But that was the best he could do, instead of letting his emotions flow out.

"Now, I hate to repeat myself, but I think it'll be better if we get finished with this mystery"

[Mad_Scientist]

At first, Manny's words did well to assuage Alan's doubts. But that lasted for only a second. As he considered what Manny said, there arose too many issues. Manny contradicted himself, first saying that he refused to believe his friends were dead, then saying that he saw them die. But he had a very good point about the Will-o-Wisps still being there. If his companions had been killed, would they still exist?

And... he still had not directly answered the question about whether he had seen any agents of their enemies or not.

"What was it you were wondering earlier?", Niniain's voice spoke in Alan's head. "How would Dios de Diablo, savior of 'pure' Hollows, deal with a cave that can transform Hollows into 'impure' arrancars? Perhaps by somehow enslaving those already 'impure' and making them enter the cave for him. Elexender showed that Diablo at the very least has no problem using arrancars as pawns."

Perhaps this was just Alan's paranoia getting the best of him, but he couldn't afford to take that chance. What he was about to do was a bit cruel, but necessary.

With a quick burst of sonido, Ninian appeared between Manny and the cave entrance. Summoning her offensive ability, "matter breakdown", a shimmering, hissing red sword appeared near her right hand. "I don't think you want to try and go into that cave just yet, Manny," she said in a sweet but terrible voice. Incidentally, she had now abandoned the Will-o-Wisp that she once had, not trusting even its supposed purpose and therefore not wanting it close to her body.

Alan then started slowly walking towards Manny, focusing his reiatsu in order to make it as terrifying as possible. This would be one case where the fact that Alan was a barely contained sadistic psychopath would be useful. Manny would be able to sense the truth in everything Alan was about to say.

"I do not mean to offend or insult you, but you spoke some very true words just a little bit ago. You are expendible. Our orders made that clear. It does not matter a bit what we do to you, no one will care.

You were unnerved because I did not trust you? You should be. I have no problem torturing you to get information out of you. In fact, I would enjoy it. But, perhaps to save both time and a lot of tedious screaming, you should simply finally answer my question. Have you encountered anything that appears to be the work of agents hostile to the Espada?!

Or should I take the fact that you have avoided this question twice now as proof that the answer is yes, and simply jump to asking you why you hid that fact from us?"

Though he didn't give any outside indication of it, Alan was actually very nervous. Ninian too, for if their theory was correct, it meant it was very likely that a powerful agent of Diablo, or perhaps even Diablo himself, was nearby. If that was the case, Alan and his companions might soon find themselves forced to flee into the cave for safety, relying on its odd properties to keep the "pure" Hollows at bay.

(OOC: Most likely my last post for now, in order to give blackluster and KurosakiNaruto time to respond to these events. My apologies for delaying entry into the cave like this, but Alan's personality contains mixtures of intelligence, caution, and outright paranoia, and it would be out of character for him to let these obvious oddities in Manny's behavior and words slide.)

[KurosakiNaruto]

In spite of Alan's actions towards Manny, Altoro could not help but think mutually. The scavengers were still just bearely at the neck of the cave and with no current signs of unrest it was almost exactly like walking into the mouth of a giant snake. 'Having lost his companions it would seem as though Manny would have encountered something stranger than what he was revealing, but if he believed his companions yet live it's also likely they would have been lost in the cave's shifting tunnels. So which was it?'He thought

"I don't think torture will be necessary Alan-dono." Altoro commented as he carefully strolled over towards the man, eye steadily planted. " I had sensed something odd since we entered the cave. I assumed it was a trick and a very poorly done one at that, but it appears we were being watched this entire time."

Having said that, Altoro proceeded to place his hand on Ninian's blade, coercing the symbiotic duo to listen.

"Besides, violence towards weaker beings is not the way we should present ourselves as Espada, and with you and I in the same boat we can't afford to make shameless sacrifices. We'd be verbally demolished." Altoro could sense the hysteria in Ninian's eyes, as though certain something did lurk within the shadows, and naturally Alan would feel the same. Even Juliane would tremble in fear, excited by merely The words that were spoken much less the menacing zanpakutou.

The girl had pressed herself against the wall, grabbing her shoulders with her arms, but now that Altoro had stepped in she had experienced a feeling somewhat of relief. She knew full well that Altoro was no capable of harming even a fly and wouldn't stand by idlely to watch a fly die. Then there are times when Altoro would erupt in his self-proclaimed "justice" and at in the name of god.

Whatever the case it was all for the best interest of the world. Nonetheless, no one could ever tell what he was thinking or the reasons why he acted, all Juliane cared about was that he was happy, which is why she supported him no matter the cause.

"Now," said Altoro as he raised his head to the ceiling, "to be perfectly sure this isn't a coup, I recommend I proceed alone. If i'm not back within a short while.....you are free to do as you please."

(OCC: Sorry about being late guys. I have school and school work to do. I'll try to post at most 3 times a day if possible. Thanks for your consideration Mad, I appreciate it.)

[Kolbertt]

"Do as you wish, Espada-sama" Manny was losing his grip already- Never in his whole life, had he heard the Espada were such a bunch of Paranoids - "I've said already that I don't know what this "Dios de Diablo" is or looks like. Hence, it's only natural that I do not know how his minions will look like... As to answer your question in a more formal tone, and in a more direct way. No, I've not seen any kind of group, organization, or any other kind of association plotting against the Espada. All living things I've seen lately, are Hollows, Gillians, A single Adjucha, and those failed Arrancars you can see at the distance... If you have any other inquiry, please let me know" - Manny breathed deep, it was hard enough to mantain his mood while being questioned by the Espada.

"Then again, this cave is like a maze... But sure, if you are confident enough to enter on your own, I won't, nor will try to stop you, Espada-Sama. And I wouldn't worry about us being watched. Everything in that cave is pitch-black, and the shifting sands and rocks won't leave any kind of surveilance system working.

If you go on your own, It'd be wise to take a Will-o-Wisp to enlighten your way... I'm willing to go with you and lead the way, that is, if you trust me and my skills"

[KurosakiNaruto]

"I already stated from the beginning," said Altoro, "I don't trust anyone. Seeing you grovel like this almost makes me wonder if I can ever bring myself to do so. I said I'm only obligated to cooperate and since this mission is top priority I am willing to do what is necessary to secure it but mind you, I will not gamble Juliane's life on a simple hunch. I must be absolutely cetain so you don't need to worry about me. I AM an Espada, perhaps as expendable as the next but an Espada nonetheless. You best be more concerned about your own head," he stopped to look at Ninian, "or what's going to be left of it if our friend here decides to do you in."

Altoro then reached his hand out to clench the Will-o-Wisps within his hands after having spoken. The speeches he gave always brought the worst out of Altoro, perhaps it was his poor judgement or lack of respect for those around him. Who could blame him, he was a child as seen in the eyes of god and perhaps even his peers after an exhibition of foolish sacrifice. Altoro was willing to face uncertain entities within just moments, all without a second thought. Truly those around him, namely Alan had thought of him as childish and stupid, hardly worth the 9th espada seat---and what did he have to prove them wrong?

Juliane, as always, was not worried. This sort of thing is what attracted her to Altoro; the very reason she decided she wanted to spend the remainder of her life following him around. Most of all, she trusted him and in spite of her innocent facade she knew what Altoro expected of her. Watching as Altoro slowly walked into the unknown contents of the cave, Juliane wanted so badly to be his shadow. Walking behind him always as he led the way, but she knew as long as she had his sword---she was in good hands.

[Mad_Scientist]

"No no no, this isn't going like I intended!" Alan had been certain that Manny was about to break down and reveal everything, if indeed he had things to be revealed, but then Altoro Delgado had to interupt. It seemed like the other Espada's personality was in many ways the complete opposite of Alan, and Ninian too. Hearing Ninian say, "I told you he was impulsive" did little to comfort Alan. She had developed something of a dark sense of humor since her death, so she probably found the whole thing at least a little amusing.

But there was no way they could just let Altoro stride into the cave alone. Alan almost admired him for his fearlessness, going into the cave by himself like that despite agreeing with Alan that Manny seemed to be hiding something. But mostly, Alan just thought him a bit of a fool. There was a favorite saying of Alan's, one he couldn't remember whether he had heard from somewhere or invented himself, but it went like this: "Too many people mistake stupidity for courage, and intelligence for cowardice." He wasn't about to tell that saying to Altoro, though. "Let me handle him," Ninian thought.

With a quick burst of sonido, she caught up to Altoro before he disappeared completely. Motioning for him to wait, she said, "One moment, Delgado. I should go with you. Afterall, the two of us were going to be a team anyways. And this way, Alan will know everything that is happening inside the cave. Plus, if things inside turn bad, my portals can be used to bring in the others to help out, or bring us to them to escape. And if you are concerned for my safety, do not worry. My 'death' would not permanently harm Alan, or even myself."

As the two of them slowly disappeared into the darkness, Ninian could be heard saying, "For future reference, please be careful around my 'sword'. Even I don't touch it directly." Of note was the fact that Ninian didn't take a Will-o-Wisp, instead relying on the light from Altoro's. Clearly she still did not trust Manny much.

With Altoro and Ninian entering the cave, those outside were now limited to Alan, Curtis, Manny, and Juliane. Alan was still hovering near Manny in a somewhat menacing fashion; he was still annoyed that his interrogation had been interupted, but there was little he could do about it now. His mission orders had simply given him a partner, but not established a team leader. And Altoro was higher ranked then him. There was no way that Alan could simply do as he pleased, against Altoro's objections.

What was also frustrating was that Altoro was only one spot above Alan, which meant that if the mission failed, it was unlikely that Alan would be able to simply put all the blame on the other Espada. He'd share plenty of responsibility for the failure himself. Assuming he lived through it, that is.

Alan noticed that Altoro's fraccion, Juliane, seemed a bit nervous. He supposed she had been frightened a bit by his and Ninian's performance a little while ago. She also must be concerned for her master. What was important to Alan, though, was that she was still holding the sword that Altoro had given her. A sword which apparently let the two of them sense each other in some fashion. This meant Alan had to be careful how he treated Manny, as even though Altoro himself wasn't there, there was a good chance he was still somewhat aware of what was happening. Alan couldn't afford to antagonize the other Espada too much, so Manny lucked out.

Still, Alan had more questions to ask, and he made sure he kept a pointed tone in his voice as he asked them. But if Manny was just an unfortunate and innocent victim, he should be actually be happy to answer these next questions. "Manny, you seemed to think that there was a chance that at least some of your companions were alive. Our mission here is simply to discover what is causing the disturbances and retrieve it, not to rescue any lost arrancar. But there is nothing to say we can't do that as well, if the chance presents itself. Adding their power to our own, however little it might be, could be useful.

So, since you seem to care for your friends so much, you should have no problem answering the following. Tell us the names, appearances, and known powers of each of your companions. Also tell us precisely what happened to each one of them, so we know who is definitely dead, and who might still be trapped alive in there. This way, we may be able to help some of them."

Alan really wanted to know this so that they'd have an easier time killing the other arrancar, if they had indeed betrayed the Espada like Alan suspected. Of course, Manny might lie. If Alan's suspicions were correct, he'd have to lie about some of it at least, but would he be able to come up with a credible story?

[Kolbertt]

(LOLz - You took the "I'll deal with whatever you throw at me" Rather literal :zomg!!)

"Sure, you can find every single thing you want to know in this files" Manny said as he handed out a thin folder. "Aside from Resurreccion powers, everything, from name, to past services is listed in there. As you can see, I've been a Fraccion before being demoted to Rastreador, since my Espada died a rather strange death...

From everyone in that list, the only one I care about is Ling-Ling. She used to be my partner, and is the only one I've known from before.

Her powers consisted of manipulating light into different shapes, and could create both darkness and light. As you might have probably guessed, the Will-o-Wisps are her work, and the only proof that she is still alive somewhere, or so I'd like to think..."

Manny breathed deeply... The idea of Ling-Ling's death was like a cold shower to him.

"As for the other Rastreadores, I couldn't care less what happens to them. They knew what awaited them and were ready to sacrifice for the cause- However, you can always identify a Rastreador by the mark they carry on their hand"

Manny showed the back of his hand, a skull with crossed swords, not different from the one of pirates, marked his status as a Rastreador.

0======0

The cave saw the entrance of two figures. One was an Arrancar of high level, while the other one seemed to be a ghost. The only source of light they had was a strange ball of light, which danced and moved around the hand of the Arrancar.

"Do we get them now?!"

"Not yet... They are far to close to the entrance and each other..."

"What do you suggest?"

"Wait for the moment"

"That's boring..."

[blackluster]

Curtis watched the unfolding events in silence, and with growing dis-interest. Off in the distance, some mindless arrankar bumped into one another and fell over.

Pitiful fools....

Turmoil's head sprang forth from the darkenss of Curtis's cloak, heading straight for one of the mindless arrankar. The horse skull flew out, connected to the empty black in Curtis's chest from whence it came, only by an ever extending spinal column. The hapless arrankar had no idea what hit it. Turmoil struck the arrankar with tremendous force, locking its jaw on the arrankar's head. As quickly as Turmoil leapt out, it receeded into Curtis's chest, dragging the arrankar back in it's mouth like some kind of horrific fishing scene. Turmoil's head, along with the relatively large arrankar disappeared within the region of darkness, followed by a series of screeching, screaming and cracking noises.

Curtis turned to Alan. "We should make haste and complete our mission master Alan. If this one attempts to distract, hinder or betray us....." Curtis paused and turned slowly to look upon Manny. "We shall destroy him ourselves...."

[KurosakiNaruto]

The youthful Arrancar was at unrest. He had certainly not counted on Ninian or anyone else or that matter to accompany him, nor did he require their help. The choice he made to carry on alone was simply for his own input, of course he'd never admit that to even his teammates who seemed to take his decision as reckless endangerment.

Altoro shifted his head smoothly towards Ninian, who seemed to have no interest in conversation, but Altoro loathed dull walks. The boy was rather charismatic so even the slightest hint or "boring" would send him flying off track. Nevertheless, he had initiative---a trait in which most would consider uncommon in youth.

"Thank you for accompanying me, I don't see why you must be so unloosed. Release your inhibitions and act as you would with Alan. You are essentially a part of him after all." Said Altoro as he dragged his blade against the dusty, cavern walls.

[Mad_Scientist]

Inside the cave, Ninian/Altoro group:

Ninian actually laughed a little at Altoro's remark. "I am acting like I would around Alan, it's just that neither of us tend to show much of our thoughts on the outside; we both tend to be a bit subdued. Except for in specific circumstances, such as the incident you just witnessed." At this, Ninian grinned slightly. "Alan has always been introverted, even as a human, and I... well, my history is rather long and unique. The very fact that I exist in the state I do now should give you an idea how complicated my past is. It's a bit personal though, so forgive me if I don't say too much at the moment.

You, though, you are quite curious. Your behavior, you motivations, they both seem a bit different from most arrancar I've encountered. You intrigue me a bit."

It was kind of an odd feeling to be chatting with an Espada in such a seemingly light fashion. But, even from a purely practical perspective, it had its uses. Altoro Delgado was still very much an unkown at this stage, with only the surface of his personality and motives revealed to Alan and Ninian so far. If Ninian, and therefore Alan, could learn more about him through friendly talking, it might be useful. Unlike Alan, Ninian could actually present quite a friendly face when she wanted to. Of course, the fact that she only appeared in a form capable of directly speaking with others when Alan released meant she seldom had a chance to use it.

Despite her calm outside appearance, though, Ninian was not at all relaxed, even now. As she and Altoro ventured deeper into the cave, she attempted to sense any traces of reiatsu inside. All she could sense in the cave were a large number of erratic reiatsu sources, of widely varying degrees of power, seemingly from the badly tranformed arrancar. She couldn't sense anything more stable, or tell if any of the Rastreadores were still alive. But that meant little, because the constant fluctuations inside the cave would make it very hard to sense someone who was weak or deliberately hiding his/her presence.

What was annoying was that as long as Alan remained released, perfectly surpressing their reiatsu would be impossible. Of course, if he wasn't released, then Ninian wouldn't be able to walk around at all, so it was a necessary loss. If Manny was indeed a traitor, their presence would likely be known already anyways.

Ninian suddenly stopped her previous conversation with Altoro, and told him, "Alan has learned some stuff about the Rastreadores that may be useful. He's looking at the files now. The most likely to be alive is Ling-Ling, she has the ability to..." As they continued onward into the cave, Ninian told Altoro everything Alan had learned.

Outside the cave, Alan/Curtis/Juliane/Manny group:

"Yes, Curtis, you are right. I know Delgado desired to check out the cave first, but with the inside like Manny described, a single team could search a long time and find nothing. And we do not have time to waste. Even if it turns out to be a trap, we cannot simply turn around and run, not unless Dios de Diablo himself is here, so we might as well enter the cave now." Nodding in Juliane's direction, Alan continued. "You of course are free to stay outside if you so desire. Though so far at least, Delgado and Ninian have encountered nothing but darkness."

Alan now had to make an important choice. With how dark it was in the cave, a Will-o-Wisp would indeed be very useful. And while he still didn't trust Manny fully, his behavior had seemed much less suspicious lately. Had Alan's paranoia simply gotten the better of him for a bit, infecting Ninian for the time as well? Or had Manny simply gotten better at deception?

Duplicating a technique he had once seen, Alan started to form a cero with his left hand, but he did not finish it, nor did he apply much power to it. He was left holding a ball of shimmering red light. The person Alan had witnessed had done this in order to appear menacing, but Alan had an entirely different reason. It would not be as effective as a Will-o-Wisp, but it would provide some light. Curtis, Juliane, and Manny himself would be free to take Will-o-Wisps if they desired, but Alan would do differently.

"Lead on," he told Manny. As they started to approach the cave, he asked, "So, you said an Espada you served die in an odd fashion. Well, I'm rather new, so I'm not familiar with any previous Espada or the manner of their deaths. Tell me more."

(OOC: Sorry Kolbertt. But hey, you did say ANYTHING. :p )

[Kolbertt]

"As you wish, Espada-Sama..."

Manny was confused. He was aware of the fact he was not the brightest mind in the world, and maybe that was the reason for not understanding the purpose in separating into two uneven groups, not only that, but one of them was only guided by a potentially dangerous reiatsu concentration. Will-o-Wisps would attract annoying bystanders because of their glimmering light, but an unshot Cero would attract them because of the strong Reiatsu it emmited... not to mention it's light was kinda dull. But he'd have to enjoy the taste of this thoughts, as he had his own agenda to play...

"Come, as I've said, this cave is like a living maze. Through a method of trial and error, we've discovered the pattern of movement of the first 50 metres, so we'll be able to come and go as we please..."

0======0

"However, I'd like to see the others deal with that same path..."

"Kufufu... Don't you know the meaning of "Privacy"?"

"Maybe we should ask THEM if they know..."

"Oh, you know they can be useful to us after all... One can never have too many Test Subjects after all"

"Yeah, but their power levels are far to high..."

"Blah, blah, blah. High power levels means shit, you of all people should know that"

"I hate to interrupt your lovers spat, but souldn't be deal with them?"

"I'm already working on that as we speak"

0======0

The Ninian Altoro group was facing dificulties. As they walked further and further into the cave, they felt the cave's shifting sands and moving rocks. Moving debris had blocked their path once or twice, forcing them to go through long corridors and narrow passages. So far, everything had been as Manny had predicted, except for the fact that there were no Hollows or Arrancars in sight... Well, what could be seen from Altoro's Will-o-Wisp.

They had walked around 30 metres so far, but their trip was suddenly interrupted by a quicksand. Ninian managed to jump out, but Altoro lost his standing and found himself trapped and slowly being swallowed...

[KurosakiNaruto]

Altoro remained still, aware the ground was attempting to guzzle him down. One thing the boy learned in situations of great controversy was to remain calm at all times. Struggling against the forceful pull proved uneventful nonetheless.

'What now?' Altoro thought. 'I'm quite certain a thrust via Cero could release me while I'm only knee deep however that action could cause a stir up and the wall of the cave could collapse and I don't want that.'

The boy shifted his head towards Ninian who gave him an oddly blank stare. "Ninian, if i am unable to free myself, please don't wait up for me. The mission is top priority. Proceed into the cave if anything occurs."

The more he sank the more Altoro thought. 'Something is very wrong. I know I'm not very agile but I should have avoided getting caught. Perhaps Ninian was already aware, still, would she not inform me about the sinking ground? I fail to believe that. This happened all too suddenly which means---it was a premeditated act.'

[Kolbertt]

Altoro felt into the sand, however, that feeling soon changed into that of normal falling... He still carried the Will-o-Wisp, so he could see how above him, a metalic device closed to stop the flowing sand.

In the dark, glowing red lights stared at him and his movements...

[Mad_Scientist]

(OOC: lol, I knew I should have posted something last night, but I was tired and didn't feel up to it. Too late now. Poor Altoro is all alone now. )

Ninian:

Just as Ninian was starting to wonder why they had encountered no arrancar or any signs of resistance, the ground underneath her started shifting oddly. With a quick movement she managed to jump to the side and reach more stable ground, though it was a very close call. Looking back where she had been standing, she saw a large circular area of what seemed to be quicksand. And stuck in the middle of it was Altoro. Perhaps he had been unable to escape because he hadn't been as close to the edge of the sand as Ninian.

"Delgado!" Ninian yelled. The quicksand's radius was too large, there was no way for Ninian to reach him without putting herself in the sand as well. She quickly looked around the room for anything that she could extend out for Altoro to grab a hold of, but there was nothing. As he sank further into the sand, he told her, "Ninian, if I am unable to free myself, please don't wait up for me. The mission is top priority. Proceed into the cave if anything occurs."

Of course, considering that he took the Will-o-Wisp with him when he vanished, that would be difficult. Ninian was now stuck in complete darkness. Worse, she couldn't even use Cero, so she would be unable to use Alan's trick to provide even a poor light.

Alan:

Manny didn't seem too impressed with Alan's Cero trick. Well, it wasn't the best solution, even Alan thought that. But hopefully Curtis and Juliane would take Will-o-Wisps with them. That way, the group would have good light, but if the Will-o-Wisps were a trap, Alan wouldn't be the one suffering the worst damage when it was sprung. Alan was fairly certain he shouldn't speak those thoughts out loud, though.

Before Alan's group could make any progress into the cave, he suddenly got a urgent thought from Ninian. "Damn it!" Alan yelled as he suddenly used a burst of sonido to head over to the jar where the Will-o-Wisps were kept. There was simply way to avoid it now. Reaching out towards on of the Wisps, he let Ninian know it was ready, and a small shimmering portal showed up near him to swallow the floating light.

Ninian:

Ninian now had light, at least, though she was unhappy about the fact. Holding the Will-o-Wisp before her, she confirmed what she had already suspected: the quicksand had stopped. The way the sand had suddenly started, perfectly positioned to trap Altoro, and then stopped the moment he disappeared, was all too precise. It seemed very unlikely that it was simply a natural movement.

"Delgado! Can you hear me?! Are you near?" Ninian shouted at the ground. He was probably too far down to hear her though. Perhaps she should have jumped into the sand with him when it became clear he would not be able to free himself. Then she could have potentially teleported them both out of wherever they ended up. It was too late now, though. Things had been going wrong ever since the moment she and Alan had first reached the cave, but now was not the time to spend on regretting how things had been done. The mission could still be salvaged, it would just require some extra care.

Alan:

"Ninian and Delgado got separated by some sand movements. It seemed like it was a deliberate trap rather than natural movements, though I suppose I can't say that for certain." Alan paused as he looked at his companions. The next move was going to be crucial. "Separating into two groups before we had even reached a fork in the cave was a probably a mistake, but..." Alan didn't finish his sentence, he didn't want to say something bad about Altoro while in front of Juliane. "Delgado said not to worry about him, and carry on with the mission. We should reform as a single group now, and proceed into the cave. We can try and find Delgado while searching, but I am sure he is capable of handling himself."

Alan nodded in the direction of Juliane. "Plus, you should know if he is in immediate peril." A large portal opened up near Alan, big enough for someone to walk through. "We could either teleport in, or have Ninian teleport out, but I think it's best if we do the latter. That way, all of us will see the early parts of the cave, and have an easier time when we need to get back out." Alan didn't really have to explain himself, as he was the highest ranked one there now and the person in charge considering what had happened to Delgado, but he felt better saying his thoughts aloud in this case.

A moment later, Ninian stepped out of the portal. "I've familarized myself with the area Delgado disappeared into, so I'll know it when we get back there. Do not worry Juliane, he simply sunk into some sand. He looked perfectly calm the whole time though."

Funnily enough, while it seemed that Ninian had resigned herself to the fact that she had to carry a Will-o-Wisp, she had on her left arm, and held it as far away from her body as possible. It seemed paranoia wasn't something easily delt with.

"Well now," Alan and Ninian spoke together, "let's all go into the cave. We've wasted way too much time and energy already."

[KurosakiNaruto]

"I'm not worried Alan-sama," Said Juliane, clenching the sword of redemption firmly in her hands, "even though I trust Altoro-kun, I know first hand that he can be pig-headed.....but..." The girl paused. She stroked her raven wing bangs gently, her eyes narrowed to the floor as she beamed innocently. Only in response to Alan's orders did Juliane budge, given he was their superior in Altoro's absence.

Altoro drifted deeper into the puddle of sand as it rapidly devoured him to his neck. Advancing into darkness the final objects that caught his eyes were the piercing red eyes of something sinister than clung to the roof of the cave of Distortion. Altoro eyes widened. In any case he was more concerned for Ninian who seemed oblivious at the moment. Before he could open his mouth to warn her of the presence of evil the sand had swallowed him instantly. Nevertheless, he could still hear the faint cries of Ninian going "Delgado, Delgado! Can you hear me? Are you near?" Sadly he couldn't maintain a stable foundation, the force of the pull was undoubtedly stronger than he was at the current moment.

'Just as I had predicted,' the boy thought, 'the cave in, the absence of arrancar, the quicksand, it was all an elaborate scheme. And since I'm the strongest of the group the culprits separated me from the others which means they see the present Espada, i.e. Alan and Myself as a threat. Only one more element will confirm my theory, but whatever the cause, I'm willing to bet the culprits aren't going to leave me alone if I'm that crucial of a threat. I may be encountering the source of this entire dilemma sooner than expected.'

[Kolbertt]

"Indeed, let us continue with our mission"

Manny lead the way. Once or twice, he asked for someone to get the Will-o-Wisps near the walls. He passed his hand over the stone as he explained:

"We, Rastreadores, have developed an unique language. With simple, almost invisible slashes on the stone, we can transmit great amounts of information. We call this "Prosa"... Follow me, this is the way"

Manny lead the way, warning the group of possible hazards as quicksands or moving stones. He even prevented a stone from crushing Julianne, or Alan from being swallowed by quicksand - "The "Prosa" on this walls were left as warnings. This cave, as random as it might seem at first sight, has fixed patterns of movement... I've yet to find an explanation to this kind of phenomena, but it could very well be associated with the phenomena going around. But I must confess, I find this, and the lack of Arrancars... unerving..."

Manny stopped. They had reached the end of the secure line. "The "Prosa" messages from this point are made with incomplete information and ocassional sightings. They may or not be completelly reliable, and the further we go in, the less there will be. Espada-Sama, may you enlighten this stone over here?"

"In front of us lies a threeway:
We can either go through a slide without immediate comeback -
An abyss we've yet to discover the bottom of it -
A third road which was left uncovered because of Arrancar activity -

Which road shall we take, Espada-Sama?"

0=====0

The red-eyes moved around the cave with skill. Until the light from Altoro's Will-o-Wisp enlightened it.

The best way to describe this "Thing" was: A Gecko-Crocodile crossover. The jaws filled with sharp fangs stayed open and drool falled freelly from it. The missing half of the top-right part of the mask, left a completelly white eye exposed. This was, indeed, an imperfect Arrancar.

"It'sss aaaa traaaapppppp"

The monster got on it's four legs once more, and crawled towards Altoro at full speed

0======0

"Mind if I ask you why did you pit that Arrancar against our SOLE Adjucha subject!?"

"Cause we'll get another one soon. It's a mere matter of time... That, and I'm curious as to how that Arrancar will react now that he has divided his powers in half"

"Well, but wouldn't it be OVERDOING it a little bit?!"

"Maybe... Kufufufu"

""Kufufufu" My ass - We've got other problems, the one you spared is playing against us"

"Oh, Manny? He's doing his part perfectly, mind you"

"He's dodging ALL our traps!? How can that be perfect?"

"You'll see... By the way, have you thought of his reward already? Cause letting him alive is waaaaay to cliché for my taste"

[Mad_Scientist]

So far, Manny seemed to be doing his part perfectly. Perhaps he was in fact truly innocent. Or maybe he was just too scared to try something now, or the real trap was actually something beyond these early hazards. Regardless of the answer, this trip into the cave was already going much smoother than the ill-fated journey of Altoro and Ninian.

After a little bit of traveling, a fork in the road was been reached. There were three different paths to choose. Had things been going as Alan originally planned, Altoro would still be with them, and at this point the company would split up into two different groups. But with Altoro already separated and beyond reach, it would be stupid to split up their remaining power any further.

"Damn it!" Alan thought, rather angrily. Ninian's voice popped into his head a second later, saying "It's probably at least partially our own fault. We knew something of Altoro's personality. Perhaps if we had been a bit more... subdued... in our treatment of Manny, things would have turned out differently, and we would have all gone in together."

There still had been no sign of the "crazed arrancar" the cave was supposed to hold, something even Manny had commented on. Given their absence, that might make the third path the safest. On the other hand, it sounded as though that path was the one that had been least explored. But at this point, they would be entering completely unknown territory sooner or later, there was no avoiding that fact. Perhaps the third path would give them some clues as to why the cave's inhabitants had been out of sight so far.

"We'll choose the third path."

[KurosakiNaruto]

The moment came where Altoro would need to breathe as the consuming quicksands commenced to asphyxiate the youth if not he were able to reach the surface. In spite of his truffles with air, his mind was still set on Ninian's welfare. What would become of her if the creature that hung from the walls attacked and proved to be a troublesome adversary.

'Dammit!' Altoro thought to himself, 'I should never have allowed Ninian to follow me! What was I thinking?' The hapless blight with booby traps within the cave of distortion was one thing, but the imminent trouble that lay ahead was the true object of his concern. Perhaps if he were to release then escaping would be a mere trifle, however Altoro's self-induced morals were strictly enforced. There was just no need to release at the present moment---so what?

Suddenly an eerie sensation sent quivers down the boy's spine; like A stroking sensation, as that of a tail or a tentacle slowly touching his shoulders. Altoro knew instantly, he wasn't in the clear just yet. The youth continued to swim, just barely touching the surface. It seemed fate had sided with Altoro all along but victory was but a far reach atop the invigorating ordeal.

The quicksand's strength was compelling, almost like fighting off a hollow with twice the power he held. Altoro soon discovered the silver, plated cross he wore on his belt rejected his pull---but he still fought. In time his efforts proved useful as Altoro burst through the quicksand with increible force and relief. The boy could barely grasp a chance to inhale his first taste of air as a reptilian like anthropoid rushed towards him, bearing those exact same, creeping--red eyes.

From what he could gather, the monster seemed imperfect. Those eyes he once grasped as contemptible and unjust were now the eyes of pain, crying out to be freed from a loathed half existence. Altoro quickly made a reach for his sword as the thing that could not be called an arrancar nor a hollow, attacked with a beastly ambition to kill.

"You poor creature," Altoro said softly, resenting the tear that uncontrollably forced its way out, "let me ease your pain, and may you find everlasting peace."

Having said that, Altoro released one final attack on the beast in an intention of instantaneously obliterating what little was left of that living creature.

[Kolbertt]

"As you wish, Espada-Sama"

Manny lead the way. As he had predicted, the road forked in three different ways. Going through the one on the left, the group went down and down... The structure of the cave changed as they moved. From looking like a normal dessert cave, stalactites and stalagmites suddenly blocked their way.

There was absolutelly no sense as why there were stalactites and stalagmites in such a place. First of all, this kind of formation needed water. And second, they required abnormal amounts of time. Manny knew this, but remained silent about this strange facts.

The movements of the cave became more erratic... It was now a matter of reflex and alert, Manny himself had been caught once in a sandpit, and only came out by grabbing on Julianne's hair... At the same time, a wall felt out of the blue and separated Manny, who still held Julianne's hair tight, Ninian. On the other side, Sir Curtis and Alan had been trapped...

This particular wall, was not something easy to deal with. It was made with the purest and hardest Deathstone. The only choice for their team would be to move forward with the light they carried

0======0

The gecko Arrancar took the attack head on. Being too simple minded to even feel pain, it didn't matter when half his torso was blown appart. To it, the only thing that mattered was that it couldn't move forward anymore... To which, it replied by spitting a strange liquid at it's meal.

[Mad_Scientist]

Alan:
The moment the wall slid inbetween him and Ninian, Alan felt that something was odd. The comforting sensation of Ninian's presence that was always within the back of his mind was suddenly cut off. He felt an absence he had never experienced since becoming an arrancar. Even Ninian being "killed" would not cause something like this. For a brief moment, Alan lost it completely and screamed outloud, in an obvious terror and panic.

But he was mistaken, and overreacting a bit. Ninian was still there, she was just fainter than normal. "Alan! Can you still hear me?" Ninian's thought still reached Alan, though it was a bit distorted. He stopped his shouting, and managed to calm down at least a little bit. "Yes. Can you create a portal and let us join you?" He was eager to end this unpleasant state of being as soon as possible, but when Ninian tried, the portal that should have appeared near Alan merely fizzled and died.

In addition to dulling their connection, the presence of Deathstone between them was causing Alan and Ninian's reiatsu to fluctuate oddly. And despite appearing much calmer then he initially was, Alan had still not recovered from the shock of Ninian's diminished presence. Also bad was that Alan now had no light: Ninian had their Will-o-Wisp, and Curtis had not brought one. Alan didn't care about the dark normally, but in this case being unable to see anything only increased the sense of isolation he had.

Had he been thinking clearly, he would have realized that he needed to first calm down completely and try to find a way to stabilize his reiatsu before he attempted anything dangerous like his cero-light trick. But he wasn't thinking cleary. The glowing red light that appeared near Alan's palm half-exploded and half-fired almost the moment it showed up.

Actually, half-fired isn't accurate. It was more 95% firing and 5% explosion. The bright side of this was that Alan wasn't badly hurt; his clothes were merely singed a bit. The bad side of this was that he had just launched a nearly full-power cero into the side of a cave that was already known for its unstable movements. After the cero hit, Alan once again found himself in complete darkness, but this time he had the lovely sounds of the cave partially collapsing to keep him and Curtis company, and show him that he had indeed hit something vital to the stability of the chamber.

Fortunately, at this time Alan's mind started working again, at least mostly. He quickly started firing bala into the Deathstone wall. Since he was using a normal and relatively simple attack this time, rather than a complex trick, the bala worked like intended. And since the wall he was hitting was Deathstone, it absorbed the blasts, and there was no danger of weakening the cave further. Each bala lasted for only a moment, but in the brief flashes of light Alan and Curtis could see an escape route.

"This way!" Alan yelled as he moved as fast as he could. Several small chunks of rocks hit him as he fled, and he bumped into a couple stalactites and stalagmites, but he somehow made it to safety without doing himself serious harm. The cave quieted, and Alan could sense the presence of Curtis next to him, indicating that the tall knight had also made it to safety. He wasn't certain how much damage he had done to the chamber, but he wasn't about to try and make another light to find out just yet. Alan sat down, and focused on calming his mind, strengthening his link with Ninian, and smoothing out the bumps in his reiatsu.

Ninian:
It was a rather interesting combination of sensations that Ninian felt. Mostly, it felt like her soul, or whatever it was she had, was being ripped apart. But Ninian also felt several other feelings, mixed in with that, some of them very difficult to describe. She felt as though her entire being was being pulled in one direction, and that was similar to what she had felt when she had explored the limits of how far she could move away from Alan in the past. To say the current situation was not to her liking would have been an understatement.

But Alan seemed to be taking things even worse then her, judging from his panicked screams. Ninian wasn't certain whether the sound itself somehow carried through the Deathstone wall, or if she could only hear it because of her link with Alan. Fortunately, she found she could still send thoughts to him, and he stopped screaming and calmed down a bit. Unfortunately, she was unable to teleport him and Curtis to her.

Manny and Juliane might have been curious as to why the cave rumbled and shook a bit shortly after that, but Ninian didn't volunteer an explanation. That Alan, and therefore herself as well in a fashion, were both bordering on a mental breakdown wasn't something she was going to say to her companions. If they watched her face closely, though, they might have noticed a bit of concern that appeared when the rumbling started and disappeared when it ended.

As Alan sat and mediated, Ninian did so as well, and she felt her connection with him strengthen a bit. But she was still unable to create a portal near him. If she and Alan could manage to reposition themselves so that the Deathstone was no longer directly between them, then the connection should return to its normal power and allow them to teleport again. But that was assuming that more Deathstone wasn't positioned to stop that. Even relatively small pieces, if positioned properly, might prevent her from creating a connecting portal of large enough size to transport her or Alan over the distances needed.

Ninian tested her abilities, and found that she could still create portals near herself, as well as use Matter Breakdown, though both abilities were somewhat unstable due to the reiatsu fluctuations that seemed impossible to silence completely. She should still be able to fight pretty well though.

Ninian stood up and addressed Manny, "Well, your instructions were only to guide us through the early parts of the cave. But it seems you won't be leaving anytime soon, unless you know a way to go through Deathstone. At the moment, I cannot teleport Alan and Curtis to us, or us to them, but that may change if we proceed further into the cave and our positions in relation to the Deathstone changes. So I see us with no choice but to go onward."

Everything she said was technically true, though she kept back a few details that she felt didn't need to be stated.

[KurosakiNaruto]

Altoro was stunned. The attack had hit the beast directly, however the lack of a lower body was merely a trifle to the reptilian atrocity as it pressed forward to attack. The Will-o-Wisps Altoro clenched slowly began to dim. This was bizarre; in spite of undergoing a trialling near death experience, the young man's reiatsu had not be depleted so to speak. Still, the uneasy chill of a sinister force was at work and this hindered his senses of which without, Altoro could not concentrate. On top of that, Cheribis' vibrant glow was an immediate sign of danger elsewhere. "Juliane!" Altoro yelled.

There wasn't time to think, the enemy bolted onward, peering Altoro dead in the face with eyes of sorrow. Suddenly, the would-be arrancar spat a hellish green liquid from its mouth, right to Altoro. The youth could see the attack coming a mile away and attempted to spring out of harm's way, unortunately his feet were caught once again by the demonic sands of consummation. Altoro once again found himself trapped between a rock and a very hard place.

[Kolbertt]

"This is... Deathstone"

Manny said as he touched the shaking wall... The Reiatsu drain, the particular texture, everything pointed at it.

"Guess I do have no choice really... kaisaku Taladro"

The spiral rapier in Manny's hand dissappeared as a cloud of smoke raised. Where Manny once stood, a creature with three drills had appeared. One on each hand, and one on it's face, completelly covered in Hollow Armor.

"Move aside please, Espada-Sama"

Manny's drills started rotating. His drills rotated because of a constant flow of reiatsu in the lower part of his arms and neck. The drill movement was a merelly physical one, and the distance made the reiatsu draining slower...

"It will take some time... but please, bear with me"

0======0

Altoro took the attack head on. It was not acid, but a mere paralyzing gel that kept Altoro quiet. The Gecko Arrancar rejoiced and attempted to move forward... Only to notice that it was missing to much of it's body to move. The damage had made itself present and it lost conciousness due to massive blood lose...

"Kufufufu... Who would have said you would deal with our Adjucha so easily?"

A side of the cave opened up, and contrasting against a bright light, a shadowed figure watched the paralyzed Altoro.

"Bravo, Arrancar! Bravo! How shall I reward you now?... I know!"

Ban - Kai

0======0

After some time, Manny had finally made a crack high enough to let some people pass... However, what appeared on the other side of the wall was not the Hallway on which they'd left Alan and Curtis. Instead, a door awaited them.

Manny moved forward, the reiatsu drain had been too much... He reverted back to his human form, and opened the door before colapsing...

"This whole hallway... is covered in Deathstone..."

And indeed, hidden behind the sand, there was a thin cover of deathstone. Not as strong as the curtain, but strong enough to be felt...

0======0

Altoro suddenly woke up. He was no longer in the room where he had been left. Instead, he was in what seemed to be a mixture in between a torture chamber and a research room. Hanging from the walls, corpses with uncountable ammounts of tubes and machines connected to them decorated the room.

Altoro tried to move, his movements were limited by a tight, elastic cloth that seemed to drain his reiatsu. He could still free himself, but a different sound stopped him from doing it...

"Do this, do that... Who the hell does he think I am?! I'm no FUCKING SLAVE!"

A man with unruly hair entered the room, he had his hands busy with boxes. He was far too busy to notice that Altoro had woken up.

"That bastard Shishio... Who the hell does he think he is?!"

[Mad_Scientist]

Ninian:
When Manny released his powers, it came as a surprise to Ninian. What was the point of doing so now? There was no way he could actually be trying to go through the Deathstone wall. But sure enough, he was trying just that: and succeeding!

"When I asked if you could go through Deathstone, I meant it as a rhetorical question. I never actually expected you to be able to do so. That's quite an impressive ability, Manny Calavera. Even among arrancar that are far, far stronger than you, that ability stands out as something unique."

Ninian paused briefly. She could feel Alan still meditating in the other chamber, and feel his surprise at Manny's ability as well. They conferred together briefly, and then Ninian spoke once more, saying, "A power like that is something that should be carefully guarded and preserved. It shouldn't be risked on dangerous missions without good reason. And it is also a power that is of particular interest to Alan and I. Given that not that long ago we were talking about torturing you, this may come as a surprise, but... you wouldn't be interested in becoming a fraccion again would you? Not that we trust you fully just yet, but assuming we all get out of this alive, depending on what we learn, we might be interested in making you an offer."

While still certain that Manny had been hiding something, Alan and Ninian no longer believed he had betrayed the Espada completely. They had developed one hypothesis in particular that they considered now. "Ling-Ling" had been the name of an arrancar Manny cared for, an arrancar that had apparently been lost in the cave, but was seemingly still alive, as evidenced by the fact that the Will-o-Wisps had not disappeared. Was she perhaps being held as a hostage against Manny?

Of course, that was just speculation, but it was something to keep in mind. And until they could somehow learn a way to strengthen their link so that it was not affected by Deathstone, having someone who could carve through it would be useful. And thus, Ninian and Alan now had another secondary goal for this mission: acquiring Manny. Assuming of course that he wasn't a complete traiter afterall.

After drilling for some time, Manny finally broke through the Deathstone and reverted to his sealed form, only to reveal... a door? Opening it, he had time to say something about the hallway beyond being lined with Deathstone before he collapsed. Ninian quickly reached foward and grabbed him before he hit the floor. It seemed likely that he'd have trouble releasing again anytime soon, which was unfortunate.

But what in the world was this hallway doing there? She had been expecting a slightly crumbled version of the chamber Alan and Curtis had just left, but it was clear that the rooms had somehow shifted places.

Alan:
Alan could no longer afford to simply sit in the dark anymore. Fortunately, his mind was mostly calm now, and so was his reiatsu, though the occasional flicker still occured. At least he was now competent enough to attempt his cero trick again, though he had to be especially careful to maintain it properly. Using it's pale red light, he turned back towards direction he had fled from just a little bit earlier.

Crumbled bits of the cave and shattered pieces of stalactites and stalagmites were scattered about, but surprisingly the cave remained mostly intact. But the hallway ended rather abruptly. Where he should have seen a Deathstone wall was instead just a normal cave wall and a dead end. It seemed that some of the earlier shaking had not been entirely the result of his cero. It was not clear how Alan could hope to reach Ninian's current location now.

There was only one direction to go. Neither Alan nor Curtis were tunnellers, so as long as an open passage of some sort existed, it was the best bet. Alan turned around and headed back along the one open pathway. The direction he was going should lead him toward 3-path fork in the road they had passed earlier. At least it should if the cave didn't move any more.

Ninian:
Ninian walked through the door and into the new hallway, still carrying Manny. The Deathstone lining it was apparently very thin, as it did not affect her link with Alan as much as expected. It was still enough to prevent portals connecting them, though. Ninian pondered whether or not she should really go further into this place. She could turn around and simply proceed further into the cave along the normal path behind her, and hope to be able to rejoin Alan. Or she could go into this strange hallway, and perhaps sooner reach the heart of whatever or whoever was responsible for this cave.

Feeling unusually daring, Ninian ventured further into the hallway.

[KurosakiNaruto]

"Again?" Altoro fearfully asked himself. The sandpit did its part by binding the boy as the liquid spat from the creature's mouth engorged him---Altoro was instantly paralyzed. The monster continued to dash towards the ill-fated youth, only moments from becoming aware that it was missing half a body before it collapsed in its own pool of blood. Altoro had not felt the slightest hint of relief; the situation as he understood shifted from a race against time to a trial of endurance. 'What now?' he thought. Just then, an echoing from nowhere bounced from the walls of the cave. Altoro's eyes desperately browsed in darkness, fearing that even he, an Espada, would soon be swallowed alive by the encompassing cavern walls. Suddenly from the echoes arose a voice, a patronizing, antagonistic voice that followed to say, "Kufufufu... Who would have said you would deal with our Adjucha so easily?"

Having heard this, Altoro followed to noticed a panel of the walls of the cave began shifting apart like an entrance to someplace isolated and unknown. The sudden drop in his reiatsu nearly blurred his vision but he noticed a figure walk through the open tunnel, though the image was difficult to decipher. "Bravo Arrancar, Bravo!" The figure continued to say, "How shall I reward you now?... I know!" Before the boy could hear the figure's testimony, he blacked out as a result of a heavy break in reiatsu.

Hours Later he awoke, finding himself in a daze, weak and uncomfortable. He tried moving to get a better view but his actions were restricted by a cloth-like elastic material that appeared to hinder his movements and dwindle his reiatsu all the same. "Wh-what is the meaning of this?" Altoro faintly queried. Disoriented as his vision was, Altoro couldn't help but notice the numerous beakers and tubes that secluded room contained. The tormented bodies that hung from the walls and ceiling came as great shock. The boy became reluctantly nostalgic---he'd known this image all too well. Nevertheless, unwanted emotions bubbled up from with the bowels of his heart; emotions that once threatened to eat away at his very soul. Death and dismemberment, what manner of being would find pleasure in tearing apart a living creature? That's what he thought as his face bore terror and disbelief.

"This.....is.....the devil's.....lair." Altoro whimpered. The youth acted quickly, keeping silent and watching carefully as someone entered. A Strange fellow whose image could not be entirely made out by Altoro's weary eyes walked by with several boxes in hand. Altoro could hear him bickering to himself but not once did this person look over to notice him. He didn't even peek at the boy who glared at him with disgust.

'I mustn't lose my head though I'm not sure if I should be rejoicing or not. I'm in the enemy's domain so I shouldn't be rash. I'll first need to concentrate on getting loose from bondage, then I'll let Alan and the others know exactly where I am. Before I do any of that, I'll learn as much as I can about his enemy---and the cave of distortion.'

[Kolbertt]

"Test subject 1423 - Let's see..."

The person in the room was ordinary looking. His face showed signs of not having seen the light in an abnormal amount of time. His clothes consisted simply of a bloody laboratory gown, and a pair of dark, bloody, leather boots. He got near one of the bodies on the wall, and removed a device in the chest of the body.

Immediatelly, the room was filled with shrieks of pain as the body opened it's eyes - Blood flowed through the machines, and bursted open the numerous wounds on the body. In the middle of all the shrieks, the man said "Subject 1423, alive" - And insterted the same device he had taken before. Almost immediatelly, the screaming stopped.

"Good god, I hate inventory work... It's so damn noisy"

This show repeated itself. Sometimes, the bodies would scream for a second or two, if not, the only thing that would be heard would be "Subject X; deceased at XXXX hours"

The voice got closer and closer, until eventually, it was directly next to Altoro.

"So... This is the new subject? Let's see... You are number... 3701"

The man looked around, he was like a child about to do a dirty prank.

"Shiro-chan told me to do inventory... But I guess adding you into the inventory is also part of the job... Don't you think? Subject 3701"

He bent directly above Altoro, and one by one released the clothes holding him tight.

0========0

This new room was obviously man-made. There was furniture made from stone and quartz, sofas with cushions and even abstract paintings...

And directly in front of them, yet another door. Given there was nowhere else to go, the group opened the door. If the sudden appearance of the room had been bizarre, the appearance of a man in a weelchair came as a horrible surprise.

"You. Come with me"

Having said this, he moved to an adjacent room. This new place explained the pressence of water in the cave, as there was a whole lake in it. The weelchaired-man now stood on the other edge of the lake, about 200 metres away from the door he had just passed... And in the distance, it was impossible to say whatever he was mumbling

[Mad_Scientist]

Ninian:

The room around her certainly looked rather comfortable, considering it was part of a cave that was supposed to be inhabited by a bunch of insane half-transformed arrancar. Of course, it had become apparent some time ago that this place was hardly a natural cave, but even so, Ninian had not been expecting to find herself looking at pieces of abstract art. The room she was in seemed to be empty of life, but another door stood at the end, and so she opened it, and there encountered the first sign of the cave's true inhabitants.

It was a man in a wheelchair, another surprise. "You. Come with me," he said rather tersely the moment the door opened, and before Ninian could respond he was already rolling off to another chamber. Ninian hardly felt like following the commands of someone who was likely at least partially responsible for what had been happening in the cave, but she didn't intend to just let him go without asking a few questions. She followed him, cautiously of course, and found that the room he had moved to was dominated by a lake of some sort.

"Water in Hueco Mundo... that's pretty rare." The wheelchair man was mumbling something, but it was hard to tell what with how far away he was. He had reached the edge of the water rather quickly, considering his apparently crippled status. He definitely should not be dismissed as weak or harmless, regardless of his appearance. Ninian began to approach him, carefully keeping an eye out for traps, also searching the room for any signs of other people.

"I have many things to ask of you. First, I would like your name, so that I don't have to refer to you as "you". After that, you can start telling me what this cave is, who you are, and what is happening here."

Alan:

Alan carefully noted all that was going on with Ninian, but he had to concentrate on his own surroundings as well. He had paid enough attention when going into the cave to have a fairly decent idea of the location of all the various traps, but it was a lot harder moving in the poor light of a half-formed cero. Progress had been slow, but Alan and Curtis had made some headway at least. If things went well, they should be reaching the 3-way fork soon. From there, Alan would have to decide about his next move.

[KurosakiNaruto]

The stranger was on the move, surveying and studying what Altoro assumed to be living experimentations and by this man's appearance;a white lab coat and blood stained leather boots, there was no doubt in the boy's mind---the culprit was before him. With abject disinterest the figure took a minute survey Altoro's features while he was aware. The man even taunted him a bit but Altoro kept a stern face.

"Shiro-chan told me to do inventory... But I guess adding you into the inventory is also part of the job... Don't you think? Subject 3701"muttered the creature to Altoro. Just then the boy felt himself descending, his weariness at a stand-by and his vision slowly coming back to him.

"Are you responsible for this abomination...th-this....act against god?" Scoffed the disgruntled youth. Altoro then collapsed to his knees. He had taken the unbearable drain with little recourse and even something as trivial as emotion, such as his urgent alertness at Juliane's dilemma--currently unknown to him, could dwindle the powers of an Arrancar of his level. If he were required to fight at some point, he'd prove even more useless than his female accomplice. Nevertheless, Altoro thought it necessary not to show weakness even in pain when the enemy is staring you dead in the face.

"So," Altoro spoke softly, "you are responsible for the cave's odd mannerisms. Of course, I can also assume this was a dual act, or perhaps an even greater force is at work." Altoro glared with interest, assuming the man would spill his words. The boy had not originally intended to ask what he did but he saw it prudent to wait to ask his true questions, at least until he knew exactly what forces were at play and how hazardous it was to proceed.

-----------------------

Juliane's heart threatened to beat out of her chest. The girl had long since separated from the appointed group which raised her concerns. The thought of being alone was without a doubt painful but so long as she held Seraphim, the healing and protecting sword of her master, she felt a somewhat comforting side of relief. Still, she lacked the intuition a woman is naturally born with and with no light to guide her she was basically walking blind.

"Manny?!" She cried, "Alan-sama........Cuddly Curtis?" The girl hollered to the top of her lungs but to no avail. She then realized the depth of her situation and eventually began to frighten herself. Juliane pressed herself against the cavern walls, knelt to grap her knees and commenced quivering like a lost child in the barren woods. "Altoro-sama....I'm so scared." She whimpered. Juliane's sobbing was likely sign enough but in some ways Altoro could sense her pain. Seraphim's glow was proof enough of Altoro's awareness, however Juliane's luck seemed in her best interest.

"Oh. The glow from Altoro's sword? He must be in some kind of trouble! If I hurry I might be able to locate Altoro-sama with Seraphim. I'm coming Altoro-kuuun!"

(OOC: Alan, forgive me but Juliane has a mind of her own when it comes to nicknames ^^)

[Mad_Scientist]

Before Ninian could hear any answers to her questions from the wheelchair man, she was struck by the following thought: "Where the heck is Juliane?!" Ninian had thought Juliane was still with her when she and Manny first entered the hallway with the abstract art, but... now that she thought about it more, she wasn't certain. Juliane had definitely been on Ninian's side of the Deathstone wall that had fallen, but somehow had fallen behind since then. Exactly when or how, Ninian couldn't say. She hoped Juliane hadn't been caught up in one of the cave's many traps.

Unfortunately, Ninian couldn't really afford to divert her attention from the wheelchair man and go look for her at the moment.

[Kolbertt]

The crippled man continued Mumbling, however, his last words were clearly audible.

"Bakudo n.61 - Six Rods Prison of Light"

Six beams of light appeared out of nothing and pierced Ninian and Manny, not damaging, but severelly restricting her movements.

"Hado n.54 - Abolishing Flames"

From the damaged hand of the man, a blue fireball pierced the cave and neared Manny and Ninian at a dangerous speed... Manny was still unconcious, and Ninian carried still carried him when the six rods of light appeared.

Not wasting any more time, the crippled man started mumbling again...

0=====0

"Oh! So you are awake?! That bastard Luca forgot to mention that! Not that it affects, but what an unpleasant surprise this is"

The Lab-Man was shocked. One thing was dealing with the screaming subjects on the wall, but other was dealing with a concient and speaking subject... No, Shocked was not the correct word. Thrilled was the way to describe it.

"So, I wonder if Luca anesthetized you or simply got you paralized... Guess I'll have to find out"

The Lab-Man pulled out from a nearby desk, a glowing scalpel...

"You know what? This little thing vibrates with an amazing speed. If feed reiatsu, it's a wonderful way of dealing with your problematic "Hierro" - As you can see, it has worked with every Arrancar on this room, and I wonder if you'll be the exception, you are supposed to be extra strong and all..."

The excitement on his face was obvious, and the glowing scalpel got closer and closer to Altoro's abdomen... But there was one thing he didn't know. Altoro was NOT paralyzed.

0========0

Julianne had been walking around, guided by the dim light of a sword in her hand, when the wall next to her opened up, and a hooded figure appeared.

"Hey, little girl... Are you looking for that sword's sister? Come with me then... Kufufufu..."

0======0

Alan and Curtis had been walking for a while now. They had tracked all the way down, but instead of reaching the threesome, they found a black door.

This room was something bizarre. It looked like an vigilance room of sorts. Televisions covered one whole wall, but there was one particular monitor that called the attention of them both. One monitor labelled "Manny Calavera". It was completelly black at the moment- In another monitor, labelled "Water Supply Room" the shinning light emmited by a blue fireball iluminated the room.

There were two other doors leading out...

[Mad_Scientist]

Ninian:
"Speak louder, I can't hear what you're say-" Ninian was interupted when the man spoke quite clearly this time, shouting "Bakudo n.61 - Six Rods Prison of Light!"

Unfortunately, Ninian was caught by the spell. She should have been more on her guard, as all the nearby Deathstone and the weird reiatsu signatures in the caves made it tough to sense whether something was Hollow or arrancar or what. But despite that fact, she had not been expecting a Shinigami. She had suspected she might be attacked, but had not been prepared for kido.

Before Ninian could manage to free herself or Manny from the binding spell, the man had already launched another kido, this one a blue fireball that flew towards the two at a high speed. Dodging it would be impossible with the Six Rods still restraining her. Fortunately, Ninian had an ability that meant she didn't have to dodge.

Before the fireball could reach her, a large shimmering silver oval appeared to protect Ninian, and Manny. This was Ninian's special "Shield" ability: a portal in which the entrance and exit were alligned in such a way that anything that entered it immediately reappeared at the same place, but facing the opposite direction. It was the quickest and easiest type of portal to create, but could still serve well as an invincible and perfect shield. Well, perfect aside from the fact that it could only protect one area, could only be so large, took reiyaku to maintain, and was cumbersome to reposition quickly in battle.

But it was plenty for this attack at least. Hado #54 flew into the shield and essentially hit itself, completely nullifying the spell. As this happened, Ninian realized that Alan was observing her not just through their link, but through a monitor. She had little time to consider the meaning of that or the screen labeled "Manny Calavera," though, as her enemy was still mumbling chants.

While working on destroying the Six Rods, Ninian started screaming out chants of her own, but nonsense ones. "The way of the rabbit, the crashing waves of Antarctica! Five old gerbils see a blind man! The Hollow eats and learns! Shattered masks and twisted psyches! Hado number 723, Dark Death!"

She hoped to disrupt the man's rhythm, or at the very least confuse him a bit. She wasn't certain whether she was successful or not, but at least she was able to shatter the Rods before her enemy finished his next spell. She sensed he was about to finish it now, though, so maybe it was just coincidence. But she decided to continue chanting nonsense just in case.

She threw Manny with all her might towards the doorway that led out of the lake chamber. He might be a bit bruised, but he should be ok. She used sonido to move quickly to the side before even waiting to see what was coming towards her, ready to try and reposition her "shield" in order to block another attack. She also needed to find a way to get close to the guy, and launch a counter attack.

Alan:
Alan's looked over the screens in front of him. The one labeled Manny, and the fact that it was blank now, suggested to Alan that the people here might somehow have a way of seeing out of Manny's eyes. It wasn't that unexpected, but was unpleasant nonetheless.

The fact that it was possible to observe the room Ninian was in was also highly interesting, as it meant that some sort of connection or signal was being sent between the two places at that very moment. Interesting, the link between Alan and Ninian did feel a bit stronger then.

But even so, it was n't completely normal, and it was unlikely that Ninian would be able to teleport him to her while trying to fight, if at all. Alan's most pressing concern for the moment was why the monitoring room was unoccupied. As he glanced towards the two other doors that led out of the room, he had a feeling that wouldn't be the case for long.

[KurosakiNaruto]

Altoro quickly clenched the arm of which the stranger held the scalpel. The boy was furious, his face scorching with the redness of rage. "Answer my question!" Altoro scoffed. He then brashly slammed the man against a wall, making a fist that clenched the being's clothes. Perhaps Altoro caught the man by surprise, he'd no way o being perfectly sure but even a self-proclaimed saint such as he would eventually have to resort to tactical coercion if it meant securing the mission and more importantly---Juliane's welfare. He'd have to remember to apologize to Alan later on for not understanding his methods.

Angrily Altoro grasped the stranger's hand tight. Doing so brought him to new light; he had far too much reiatsu drained from his dilemma so his strength was only less than 50% and in addition to that, the eerie vibes which filled the air disturbed his senses.The boy figured he'd either have to bluff his way to security or stay and fight if need be. He was vulnerable either way, but there was no reason the enemy should know, or so he thought.
-------------

Juliane wandered the cave for hours. Non-stop she strolled down the blind valley of Deathstone and wet walls. She began to think if she'd ever find her beloved Altoro, but she was led by the light of his sword so her worries were only a product of fear. Suddenly the cavern walls began to split apart. A Dark opening was created, perhaps purposely or so the girl assumed. Seconds later a hooded figure appeared from across the threshold, inviting Juliane to join her as she stared in awe and a somewhat fear.

Juliane was unsure what she had witnessed, but she had always been trusting. Perhaps too trusting for her own good. She was desperate nonetheless, even the slightest beacon of hope, be it good or bad was sufficient in the case of fulfilling Altoro's wishes. Willingly she followed the shadow into what was possibly certain doom. The ambitous young woman had no idea what lied ahead nor was she prepared, but-----she'd have to try.

[Kolbertt]

(OOC: Je me excuse par l'absence. Internet died last moment on me and I couldn't post here ;p)

The Lab-Man was horrified. He had almost lost his hand from the sheer strength of the Arrancar in front of him. "What's the meaning of this!? How in hell's name did you get over the effects of the paralyzer? STAND BACK! STAND BACK I SAY!"

From his clothes, he took a zanpakuto and pointed it at the Arrancar as he attempted to open the door... It was futile, someone had locked them in.

He tried to regain his composure... This wouldn't be his end.

"I don't know how you've managed to regain your movement, but it won't make you much... Bakudo n.9- Strike!"

A red light covered Altoro -

0======0

Julianne walked through narrow dark corridors... The figure that had called her had already dissapeared in the middle of... Somewhere... However, with every step she gave, the glow of her sword became brighter and brighter.

Sometime later, she hit head on a wall. It was a regular wall, but after closelly inspecting it, she realized she could open it up...

0======0

Curtis and Altoro were hesitant to move out of the room... It looked like all the shifting and moving had confused them enough. However, it seemed someone had already predicted their thoughts, since laying on the table, shining with a Will-o-Wisp, and written in an elegant handwritting, layed a card specially for them. Once they opened it, a roughly made map felt from the envelope

My dear Espada:
- It looks like you've finally made it into the Surveillance Room. My congratulations to you! As a reward, I've messed up the whole maze system. This should make your travelling through the place easier. To make sure you find your way, I've also attached a rough map. Excuse the quality, but my artistic qualities are a bit... Lacking to say it nicelly. Though I think you'll find it rather useful. By the way, in case you haven't noticed, most of the monitors in this room are labelled.

In case you wonder, there are around 5 more people in here who'll definitelly oppose you. As for me, I've already gotten what I wanted here, hence, I see little to no reason to allow this failed experiment to continue.

I hope to meet you personally soon, Dear Espada -

0========0

The crippled man saw the "Subject" nearing, but he had already predicted her movements. Not distracted by the nonsensical (OOC: AND HILARIOUS) comments of her, he shouted his incanations.

"Bakudo n.1 - Restrain
Bakudo n.4 - Crawling rope"

This particular combination of weak Kido had a single purpose, to lock her hands on her back for a second or two...

"NOW, KAGERO! JUN! DO IT!"

From the water, a massive machines raised. It looked like a ray gun of sorts mounted on a mechanical arm.

"Aye, Aye, Nozomu-Sama!" The young man mounting the device answered back. Almost instantly, the screams of a Female Arrancar connected to the machine called everyone's attention.

From the tip of the device, Will-o-W