The War of Four: Dark Revelations

The Foreboding Journery, Imminent Danger Beyond the Horizon!
When meeting up with the convoy, Daisuke began to get a real sense of why a lot of the Soul Reapers unaffiliated with the Gotei 13 dreaded being assigned to guard the prisoners. There is such a...dark presence hanging around them. Not just around the ones who are known bloodthirsty psychopaths or known criminals, it was also the ones who stared at the wall with a blank empty expression. Most of these prisoners weren't fit to be in the Maggot's nest because of their murderous brutality or their unusually high intelligence, some cases a little bit of both added with mental instability.

Most of the prisoners were kept on large carriages with thick Sekisekki armor plating around the hull, with a good majority of the inmates bound tightly in straightjackets with the same Spirit binding mineral chains wrapped around their ankles and segmented into the interior of the carriage. However, with the rarity of the said mineral, only half of the more actively hostile inmates were kept in the more secure ones while the more docile were kept in reinforced carriages with simple chains and bindings. One of them, held Shidai Kagai, though strangely enough...the name held no real meaning to the Warden who was in charge of the transportation.

"Strange," Daisuke said as he trotted alongside the carriage that moved itself with steam power, having a slow yet steady speed as it moved through the forest lands towards the Land of Yūrei, "why doesn't anyone seem to know the name Shidai Kagai? If a mastermind criminal could know of the entire release and exchange of so many prisoners, how come we don't even know who the man is?" He looked over to his Captain in query as he spoke his thoughts.

"It's just how close criminals can connect to one another, Daisuke..."

Hachiro took in a deep breath through the nose, breathing in the smell of the air and looking up at the sky. Above their heads and dominating the sky was a number of five Dragonbirds, each of them operated by a lone pilot. The straight flight path that they took as well as their hovering directly over the convoy presented a rather eerie and intimidating visage. It would certainly make any enemy force think twice before assuming this particular convoy to be an easy defense. This, as well as the mass group of foot mobiles from the 9th Division, would make it seem as if they were a force going to war instead of simply defending a convoy.

"We and they are on different sides of the coin..." He continued to say, switching his gaze over to Daisuke. "Enemies are unable to connect with one another outside of aggression, hatred, and violence. They do their best to distance themselves from each other, even though they insist on finding new ways to destroy one another. Birds of a feather, however, are bound to know each other more closely... even if it is by something so simple as a name."

"Do you think the Inner Circle posed the invitation to the masses?" Ryōken asked Hachiro out of curiosity, walking alongside him as he crossed his arms in posture, "it would make sense to use a lot of second rates to slow or weather us down before they initiate their own forces...the promise of a fortune could drive a lot of desperate fools to attempt to take on the convoy, no matter how prepared or equipped we are."

"They may, they may have not..." Hachiro agreed. "But to tell the truth, I don't think who initiated the message matters more than the actual tactic itself. In all cases, we need to conserve ourselves while in this and be mindful of our resources. Otherwise, we'll end up expending ourselves in that situation and leave ourselves vulnerable to the real attack."

"That means we'll have to take them out fast and hard, not waste too much time on the lackeys, huh?" Daisuke translated in a blunt verbage but kept a calm disposition about his own features, pocketing his hands in his special black high collared overcoat.

"More or less," Ryōken shrugged, faintly tapping his Zanpakuto's hilt as he continued walking, "though if any of these second rates are using firearms, that's probably going to be putting us in a bad position to keep the convoy both secure and protected."

An amused grin came across Hachiro's face. "What's the matter, Ryō?" He teased, chuckling a little. "Can't handle a little gunfire?"

"After what that V-14 group did to the 10th Division? I'd rather not risk being blown to bits without a few barriers around a moving convoy, but that's not going to happen, is it?!" Ryōken said a little exasperatedly, remembering himself having to explain the damage and carnage that the acclaimed mercenary organization inflicted on Captain Takuji's men and on the realestate of the Southeastern Rukonagi District.

"Who knows?"

After those haunting words, Hachiro let out a nonchalant laugh and switched his gaze to the surroundings, gazing at the several separate squads serving as sentries for each vehicle holding the prisoners in check. "As I've stated before, my men are always well-prepared for the unexpected. What happened to the 10th Division is nothing that my men can't adjust to. I can assure you that they can be just as reliable as any barrier that the Kidō Corps can conjure up. And besides..." He jerked a thumb towards the vehicle that they were walking beside. "We have a trump card on our side, remember?"

What he was pointing to was none other than Sakura, who had chosen to sit on the top of the carriage. One leg was shifted over the other, her hands placed in a relaxed manner on the roof. All in all, she was acting like this was nothing more than a normal trip from one location to another, with even a casually innocent expression on her face to boot.

Ryōken stroked his chin, smiling lightly as he pondered, "Well, when you put it that way...the only reason we'd be in any trouble is if she wanted to watch the battle instead of participating in it...but she does love to participate!"

"She probably is seeing this as a vacation, that Sakura-chan," Daisuke joked, chuckling at the look she was giving off, treating this as nothing more than a stroll through the proverbial park.

"Considering her status? She's probably seen this a million times over..." Hachiro said. "In fact, I'd bet she'd be able to take on the bunch of 'em by herself if she could. So it's a very good thing she happens to be Daisuke's girl, eh?"

"You're making it sound like I'm pulling her strings or something," Daisuke frowned at Hachiro, a vein protruded from his forehead as he glared at his Captain, "for the record, we have something special, not an arrangement where I can call her to vaporize whomever we need to defeat. She's coming along cause she wants to, that should be good enough for everyone, least of all you people..."

"Hey now, kiddo," Ryōken held up his hands defensively on behalf of both himself and Hachiro, "Hachiro-san's got a point. Since she decided to come along, she might as well take point instead of enjoying the scenery, just saying. She did say she was already involved and didn't mind getting any deeper..."

"That's what concerns me," Daisuke said as he looked at her briefly before looking ahead in a pondering stare, "she deflects with blunt, casual conversation or crass behavior when something's bothering or disturbing her. Before all this happened, it looked like she was seeing ghosts in her mind or something. I dunno...maybe since she's a Hankami, she has some sort've precognition of what's going to happen..."

"You think she would tell us if that were the case?" Hachiro inquired, raising a slight eyebrow.

"She's like an ocean of emotions," Daisuke shrugged as he answered cryptically, "sometimes its plain as day to see what she's thinking or feeling at a moment, like the calm tide washing on a beach. But other times, she has seven dozen masks intricately layered with every kind've emotion or feeling you can think of to keep herself secret and safe. For all I know, she probably wants to go cause it has to do something with her brothers..."

"I really hope its not the one who defeated the Monitor," Ryōken scratched the back of his neck uneasily remembering the collosal clash between the two Hankami sibblings in the post-apocalyptic world the Plinian Eruption temporarily created, "I think we can all do without something that overkilling dramatic."

"Agreed..." Even Hachiro winced a little at the mention of the clash. He had been told about it courtesy of Daisuke, and to be honest, every little detail something he was sure to give nightmares had it been anyone else that had been told the story. It was certainly not enjoyable to hear that he had been literally assimilated into the force of the landscape itself...

"We really don't need to-" Daisuke began to say, when all of a sudden a distant pulse of presences broke the airspace above them. Locking his eyes upwards, he then saw what looked like a large compilation of a number of bat-like creatures heading downwards. Except, that when he focused his vision, they appeared to be humanoid...and veering off in non-like bird patterns, and opening fire on the Dragonbirds while a spearhead detachment headed for the center of the platoon, opening fire a number of Kidō bolts towards the company of armed Soul Reapers, "crap!"

"Incoming!" Ryōken shouted out as he used Flash Step to avoid a stray bolt, reappearing ontop of one of the carriages, drawing his Zanpakuto and deflecting a few of the stray shots from the non-Sekisekki armored transport.

It was the first attack that made the first casualty.

The projectiles that had been fired tore straight through the wing of their target. The animal in turn let out a screaming cry, flapping its lone wing helplessly as it descended towards the ground. The pilot panicked, grasping onto the feathers and bracing himself against the body of the fallen beast. His mouth yelled into the radio earpiece for all to hear. "MAYDAY, MAYDAY, DELTA 5 LOSING ALTITUDE!! I'M GOING DOWN--!!"

That was all that he could get out before the Dragonbird crashed into the earth with a shockwave, nearly sweeping the foot-mobiles nearby off of their feet. Somehow, even against the pressure, they managed to keep their balance just in time to see the birds attack them. Quickly, they unsheathed their blades and barely deflected the projectiles that approached them until they swept over their heads.

"AMBUSH! TWELVE O' CLOCK! SKY HIGH!" One of them shouted, pointing a finger up towards the sky to emphasis the statement.

"No shit, genius!!!" Another one snarled back. "Any more new news you wanna share with us?!"

"Men!!!"

Hachiro's voice rang loud and clear over the battlefield as he turned to face the subordinates nearest to him. He swung his arms out, and between his gloved fingers spawned several Kiriken swords. He held them between the crevaces like claws, brandishing them in a dangerous and threatening fashion. His stance, the way he seemed to tower over the other soldiers, and his voice was enough to get the attention of nearly every troop within the area - even as they were fighting.

"These scoundrels have allowed themselves to cross the 9th Division in the hopes to release the plague we have contained!!" He declared, a feral smile dawning his face as he crossed his arms in an X-formation. "They dared to think that they could be the ones to bring us down to our knees!! To that end, I give you these orders!! Do not let them through our defenses!! Show them no mercy!! Show them what the power of the Soul Society is truly capable of in the face of its enemies!!"

Upon emphasis of the statement, he hurled one handful and then the other.

Both of the blade groups hit several of the targets, the energy spilling blood over the battlefield. In turn, the corpses that lost their life also lost their altitude and fell. They crashed into the ground, uprooting the very earth in a geyser with the power of the descent.

"ATTACK!!"

That display was enough to spur them all on.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!!!!!!"

Letting out a battle cry, the 9th Division soldiers charged and leaped, using their Flash Steps to leap into the fray against the bat-like attackers. The result was nothing short of chaotic violence. Heads flew, and so did arms and limbs as the two sides collided. However, it was becoming clear that despite their large numbers, it was not enough to handle their experience.

On the carriage, Sakura had not allowed herself to move. A slow grin came across her face as she looked over to Daisuke. "You really need lessons from your Captain when it comes to charming women like me, Daisuke-kun..." She said in amusement, allowing herself to stand up on the carriage. Her stance practically exuded anticipation and excitement, her hand grasping and unsheathing her own personal blade in a slow and deliberate manner.

The bat-garbed attackers screamed and yelled in confusion and outrage as their numbers were over a course of a few minutes cut down to half. Their bolts hardly striking the Soul Reapers swift movements, as their Flash Steps overwhelmed their constructed aerial design, barely able to fixate their bayonettes to ward off some of the aerial driven Reapers away from their wings and their persons.

A particular wing of nearly a dozen dipped out of the tree line, aiming to attack the carriage Sakura stood on, firing in a clear-sounding rap-a-tap cracking sound of auto-firearms, exuding a number of projectiles with enough power to cut flesh but not steel itself. Low-grade penetration and power in exchange for spray fire, a tactic used by lesser organized groups.

However...

Shft!

Daisuke appeared behind Sakura before he allowed her to engage or be caught in the stray bolts aiming to catch her and the carriage. His eyes blazed as his Zanpakuto became engulfed in sparks as he spoke aloud the release call, with a fiery passion that thirsted for the death of enemies daring to attack his comrades.

"Blaze Eternally!"

Swing-SPRACK!

"Kyōi Abāta!" With a powered swing, he sent a unspoken form of Jigoku Dangan, the highly pressurized pyrotechnic warhead flew towards the lead man, moving at such unparalleled speeds he couldn't veer course when it made impact.

BRACK-BOOOOOOOOM!

Following up with a violently earthshaking explosion of flames that caused all of their cries to be silenced by the magnanomiously explosive display of power, creating a buffeting shockwave and wind that seemed to cause a few of the bat-garbed criminals to veer off course and crash or land in the midst of very pissed 9th Division members, sealing their doom with a series of sword strikes and blood spurts into the air.

Ryōken fought as well, using a series of swift Flash Step movements to appear at a anticipated area where a bat-soldier would appear, swiftly cutting them down through their torsos, limbs, or even the wing, sending them sprawling at high speeds to the point where they'd be incapacitated or killed upon impact. At a group of incoming attackers firing at him, he showed a cold, dispassionate look as he expertly flourished his blade with one hand to parry the shots while keeping his body still.

His left hand glowed a bright blue as he prepped a spell, his eyes flashed widely as the soldiers passed over him. Outstretching his hand at the passing over enemies, he then called out, "Sokatsui!"

SPRACK-BRRRRACK!

A discharge of a wide blast of incinerative blue-tinted spiritual energy caught them all in the backs, causing their packs to explode as well as burn them alive within the air, causing them all to be caught in a series of their own individually instaneous expirations of their lives.

The Dragonbirds, having pulled out of evasive maneuvers and were now sweeping back in a coordinated attack pattern, was certainly not showing less mercy.

When the four remaining birds swooped in, they unleashed their own burning blaze via the fires that erupted from their mouths. This, combined with Ryōken's Sokatsui spell, made for a literal hell for the opposing force as they were caught in the intense heat. The screams of agony from the victims were outclassed by the screams of battle fury from the 9th Division members as they fought off the enemy assault.

And speaking of Hell...

With a Voom of the Haya movement, Sakura vanished from her spot on the carriage and leapt into the fray. Her face was livid, her eyes widened and her pupils dilated. The twisted smile that she had always carried into battle was now plastered onto her face, her sword flashing as it moved towards its targets. Her speed was untraceable, and her strikes hit with terrifying accuracy. With each and every passing second, she was cutting down squadrons of enemies... and she wasn't even exhausting herself.

"YOU DARE TO STRIKE DOWN THE QUEEN OF HELL?!" She snarled out. "PREPARE TO RECIEVE YOUR RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT, YOU FOOLISH MORTALS!!!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!!!!"

Hachiro let out a ferocious yell, already doing the same. Although obviously slower than Sakura, it was clear that he was crushing their forces with just as much ease as she was. His two Zanpakutō blades cut cleanly through spines, torsos, heads, limbs and wings alike. The glow from his reflected glasses as well as the faux slasher's smile on his face was enough to produce an intimidating aura that rivaled Sakura's, despite the the obvious power differences. Out of the defense group, they were proving to be the straight-up monsters of carnage.

And, within minutes of its conception, the battle was over.

Pock marks of stray projectile and shrapnel fire lined everywhere. Flames from explosions, Kidō, and Daisuke's Zanpakuto, with the occasional corpse that was left intact only because a fatal fall or a swift death by Ryōken's clean lethal strikes of his own.

Daisuke vaulted over a carriage, looking to the highest seated officer whom began checking the carriages and their own numbers, "Report, I want to know the state of the carriages' containment and our casualties."

"Lieutenant, we have no fatalities within the 9th Division, but we do have a handful of wounded, some are incapacitated to the point where they can't fight at full capacity. We're keeping them in the emergency carriage we keep for supplies and Medevac until further notice. One of the first casualties for the Dragonbird squad was officially declared KIA, he was dead along with his steed when they hit the ground. The rest of the Dragonbird squad is officially within capability of continuing their aerial support," he then looked over at the carriages with a relieved look, "and the carriages remained intact, thanks to the Captains' swift reprise and the woman who's escorting with us."

"Good work, 13th Seat Kagura," Daisuke said with a pleased smile, clasping him on the shoulder before pointing to the rest of the compilation of the 9th Division members, "why don't you get some rest before we continue. We're scouting out the new terrain for possible ambushes and ways to skirt the enemy in the meantime."

"Thank you sir!" Kagura bowed before taking off to join some of the men, laughing and joking as they huddled together around the armored carriages they've been ordered to keep posted nearby.

"Ah, that felt great!!"

Slinging the blood off of her blade, Sakura let her body shiver in ectasy briefly before sheathing it. Although the slasher's smile had lessened considerably now that the battle was over, it was still prominent. She placed a hand on her hip, letting her other arm hang by her side as she approached Daisuke. "I gotta admit, I don't think it's been a while since I got to cut loose like that. Hope another batch shows up soon, because my fingers are already starting to itch..."

"Certainly far from the lady of war, aren't you?" Hachiro remarked, putting on a smile of amusement as he approached the two. It earned a chuckle from Sakura.

"Sorry, old timer. Try being a lady where the fires burn at their hottest. I guarantee any of the earthly women here would fall just as hard as me."

"Still the reveler in the blood gushing, eh, Sakura-chan?" Daisuke asked with a knowing smile, walking up beside her as he wrapped an arm around her and whispered, "keep going on like this and you'll end up taking away our Captains' dignity with all the kills and carnage you create."

"Dignity?" Sakura whispered back, leaning to him in order to increase the effectiveness of her whispering. "Did you see the way he was acting out there? I might as well have been following his lead! Besides..." Her smirk turned a little devious. "You didn't seem to be too much better than I was. I could feel you getting hot under the collar a mile away."

Daisuke felt himself blush. Not at the notion of her teasing tone, but at the fact his Captain and his peer were watching with innate amusement, with a definite for the latter and presumption for the prior. "Y-Yeah, well, my comrades' lives were on the line as well as the mission. Holding back isn't my forte, after all...blame my Zanpakuto!"

"Hey love birds!" Ryōken spoke aloud with immense, teasing pleasure, "why don't you share what your topic of choice is? I know Hachiro-san and I would love to know your dirty gossip, don't we?!" He nodded and winked over to Hachiro as he crossed his arms and raised a brow at the two, further causing Daisuke to simmer and hotten under the embarassing corner he dug himself into.

Unfortunately, Sakura was not so embarrassed.

"Oh..." She drawled, grinning coyly as she hugged Daisuke tighter to her. "We were just talking about how naughty Daisuke-kun was being... I'd go into details, but..." She closed one eye in a wink. "I don't think he would like me bragging..." All of this was enough to make Hachiro chuckle a little at the double-meaning, clearly finding as much funniness in it as Ryōken did.

"..." Daisuke could remain silent as the ridicule caused him to blush a hot red coloration across his neck and face, rolling his high collar high enough to hide his face as he began walking away, muttering under his breath about girlfriends and Captains siding against him.

Ryōken stopped laughing enough to arch a brow as he felt...a sudden presence from afar. More like a bad feeling in the back of his mind and in his gut. Turning around, he looked up a cliffside overlooking the forestlands and the path the convoy currently is taking. Narrowing his eyes at the far off peak, he almost swore he saw...something, watching them. He shook his head before seeing Daisuke walk off, calling after him with his left gloved hand halfway cupped near his mouth, "Where you going, Lieutenant?! Running away from your duty?! HAHAHAHA!!"

"...?"

This wasn't lost to Hachiro and Sakura, either.

Both of them turned their heads towards the location in where Ryōken had looked. Sakura allowed herself to walk to stand beside the senior Captain and frown, her eyebrows furrowing. "You sense it too, don't you...?" She asked quietly. "There's something more that's going to be coming our way very soon, and it's going to be more than simple goons swinging their clubs around like Neanderthals..."

"Nervous?" Hachiro inquired, smirking a little when Sakura snorted at his question.

"Don't be ridiculous, old man. Or did you already forget who I am?"

A deep chuckle escaped the Captain's lips. "Good to hear, good to hear..." Folding his arms behind his back, he allowed himself to turn away from Sakura. "It's nice to know that even from the depths of Hell lies undominable spirit." With that being said, he walked off to leave her alone, presumably so that he could direct his subordinates and assert control over the situation at hand. After all, he was a man of morale...

As he walked away, Sakura closed her eyes, lowered her head, and folded her arms across her chest. "...is this how you want to play the game...?" She muttered. "Playing snake in the grass when it comes to the likes of me? You should know better than that, you cowards..." She raised her head up towards the spot once again, a dangerous glare in her eyes and a sneer on her face. "But fine. I'm a very patient woman when it comes to my prey. I'll be glad when you step forward... so I can send you straight to Hell. Don't disappoint me..."

With that being said, she turned on her heel and walked off, as if she was aware that there was someone watching...

The Sounds of Rolling Thunder...
"It seems that the initial assault from their side failed..."

Angelika calmly stepped away from her perch on the cliff-side, lowering her sniper rifle to a holstered position in her arms as she approached the encampment. A lit cigarillo was in her mouth, and her trademark business-like expression was on her face. She, serving as one of the scouts, had a front row seat of what had happened while the rest of the strike team had taken to hiding. The secondary scout, Yusuke, would be infiltrating the area more directly.

"Their defense is quite tightened." She continued to explain. "The forces' offensive seemed to be made up of amateurs more than anyone else. So it's no wonder that they allowed themselves to get torn apart so easily as they did. It makes it very clear that we're not dealing with simple cannon fodder here, especially with the presence of two Captains and a Lieutenant backing them up..."

"They're a migrating force of scavengers who take on any job, no matter the risk or their own prepared state," Shinshin spoke as he leaned against a tall boulder a few meters away from where she scoped out the convoy, speaking from experience, "they are -or were in this case- called the Demon Bats. Originally they were known far and wide from Aether to Tendan as some of the most experienced and dangerous sabateours, arsonists, and freelance mercenaries. Now...with the state of the common criminals these days, they were reduced into nothing more than a band of desperate thieves and fools. They must've sent a good portion of ill equipped and untrained recruits from their ranks in a scheme to get rid of them as well as possibly strike it rich. Obviously, they weren't expecting Captains and Lieutenants to be guarding the convoy."

"Considering the information that got spreaded was also a trap for a good portion of the amateurs, they deserved to get their asses roasted, chopped and who knows what beaten down," Hyōryū smoked her own cigarette, as she squatted near a heavy armored case where she kept a great deal of her weaponry and kits for the other armsmen to deal out to, "glad we have one less competitor now..."

"And there's only more to come..." Anton added, sitting right beside Hyōryu with his arms folded across his chest and a rather laid-back look on his face. "Who knows what other mercenaries other than us that have been attracted to such a generous offer?" A slight frown came over his face, and he let out a heavy sigh. "And considering that, I can make a pretty good guess on who's going to be coming up next..."

Woosh!

In a flash, Yusuke had appeared in a crouched position on the ground right beside Angelika, almost as if he was kneeling. But all the German woman did was turn her head in order to look at him. "How's the inside of it look, Yusuke?" She asked coolly, sheathing her sniper rifle and placing her hands within her coat pockets.

Yusuke let out an exasperated sigh. "I gotta tell you, boss lady. Sneaking through a crowd like that is a doozy!" He complained, rising up to his feet and using hand gestures to emphasize his words. "They've got real good security down there. But they also've got a handful of guys who got real messed up in the fighting. I guess the bat things weren't too bad if they a least manage to incapacitate a lot 'em..."

"Kidō firearms can do that," Hyōryū said nonchalantly, breathing out a breath of smoke into the air, holding the cig away from her mouth as she did so, pondering aloud, "even the most hardened, trained swordsmen can fall under the immense firepower they hold, if gathered in great enough numbers anyways. Reason why we were able to take out so many Soul Reapers when the 10th ambushed us is cause the destructive protential they hold. Those guys are better instructed though," she said as she sucked on her cigarette, closing her eyes as she concluded, "it'll take some well aimed shooting instead of spit-firing like we can get away with sometimes, right Oliver?"

It was here that the blonde gunman could finally be noted.

He sat, leaned up against a large ammunition reserve construct strapped to his back. It was about twice his size and seemingly many more times his weight. Beside it sat a lesser, but considerably massive anti-tank rifle with what looked like a scope attached to it. The two constructs were connected via a flexible munitions belt made to transfer the rounds from the reserve to the weapon itself. This provided the user with the freedom of not having to keep reloading when dealing with standard cannons such as what Oliver had. In his holsters were two brand new pistols sheathed in his waist holsters.

But he didn't even acknowledge Hyōryū. His eyes were overshadowed by his bangs, his arms folded across his chest. A cigarette of his own was lit, and he was moving it around in his mouth from time to time. But throughout the entire trip, he had remained stoically silent - a sharp contrast to his usual attitude when in the face of missions. It was only now that it could be acknowledged by his teammates.

And...to tell the truth, it was unnerving Anton greatly, although he wasn't showing it on the outside.

"Uhhhh," Oliver's feminine counterpart looked equally unnerved, as she leaned over to Anton and whispered, "he's not still bummed about losing his guns, is he? I don't know why he gave me back my Jackal when I offered it as a present...he should've known he couldn't shoot at something like that without expecting the a backlash, right?"

Anton shook his head sagely, looking over at the man. "I don't think it's more than something so simple as guns..." He answered readily. "After all, weapons that are broken can be easily be replaced. For someone like Oliver, if he has his fists, his legs, or even his teeth, he wouldn't care if even his best weapon was broken. But you do remember what happened, don't you?"

A frown came over his face. "That thing was able to reach into our minds and pluck out our secrets as easily as carving through butter. I didn't pay too much attention, since he didn't go into detail with me... but I can guarantee that's one thing Oliver's not too happy about. Can you blame him, having your own sins poured out for everyone to see?"

"Its not the fact that sins that are put on display like a mockery for some child's joke," Shadō said in a chiding, yet collected tone as he wasn't too far away, with his hat off and his cloak folded neatly to one side with the said article of clothing sitting atop of it with his Zanpakuto resting sheathed by his other side. His long hair cascaded down his neck and back as he held a meditating pose, his eyes closed and his body radiated a soothing aura in contrast to his sometimes menacing tones perspirated int battle, "there a some people who are simply angered by the revelations to those around them of their vices, shortcomings, failures and their lost goals. Others are callously indifferent, choosing to accept the cold hard truth that there is an inevitable day when your secrets will be shown from behind the dark veil we wish to keep covered. For others, like Oliver-san, unfortunately have a heavy ladened guilt over his own past sins and shortcomings, much moreso than most men can't or ever should endure..."

Hyōryū looked at her usually dark, withdrawn companion with a new light. Despite all the countless times Oliver spat at, ridiculed, and often jeered openly at the man, Shadō never seemed to take it seriously or personally, for very long. She never knew herself to be empathetic, but after the...that day...her eyes have been opened to people in a new way she couldn't ever describe, not even to herself.

"Have you always known about him, Shadō," Hyōryū asked in a curious yet cautionary low tone, with a serious look in her eyes, "or is it that you feel like you share a similar pain that you can feel what he's lost?"

"That is not for me to decide," Shadō said without gesture or hesitation, breathing in and out before opening his eyes half-liddedly at both Anton and Hyōryū, "I may be akin to a Demon, but I'm not heartless. Whatever secrets Oliver has bound within his soul and heart, are his and his alone to bear its own burdens. It takes a real man to acknowledge his own weakness...but it also takes a stronger one to ask for help. Oliver, I'm afraid, is not ready for help yet."

Anton's expression changed to one of solemnity as he regarded Shadō thoughtfully. "Knowing it's Oliver... I doubt he knows what asking for help even means..." He said, passing a glance over towards the blonde. "The guy's always been too prideful and too stubborn when it comes to people assisting him with his own problems. He'd probably take what's troubling him straight to the grave rather than actually telling us about it."

During the exchange, Angelika allowed herself to remain silent out, her own serious expression present on her face. As much as what they were saying were true, there were other matters at hand. Conversation and consolation could wait until later. Oliver had insisted that he was fine enough to complete the mission. Why was it necessary to worry about how he was acting, if that was the case? She cleared her throat in order to get their attention.

"As happy as this conversation is, I'm afraid I'll have to interrupt." She said firmly. "There's no telling when the next wave will come, and I'm not interested in risking one of them getting to the target first." She took in a breath, pausing before continuing to explain the situation. "Oliver and I will provide ground-to-air as well as artillery support from this location. The rest of you will move up and move from position to position. Any targets you see are to be eliminated upon sight. Understood?"

"Yes boss, whatever you say..."

"I'll leave at your command..."

"Pardon me," Shinshin raised a hand towards his sister disciple, his calm composed gaze was riddled with seriousness, "what if the Inner Circle comes? How are we to proceed should they make this difficult?"

At this, Angelika put on a small smirk as if amused by the question. "A squad of Daitenshi led by Shou and Genesis have decided to lend their assistance to us." She said coolly. "He's been keeping close surveillance himself in case they decide to interfere." That made Anton blink in surprise at her.

"Wait... the Daitenshi decided to help us?"

"Shou presented us with another loop-hole. Since the Inner Circle has openly involved themselves with "demonic" forces, the Daitenshi are clear to treat them as prominent targets for termination. He's made it quite clear that he appreciates being with us again..."

"That's certainly a wide loophole," Shinshin crossed his arms, his eyes looked over in the horizon towards the convoy, "but that doesn't really explain what we are supposed to do with the additional participant in the convoy's defense..."

"What do you mean, black beauty?!" Hyōryū exclaimed as she hobbled to her feet, walking over to stand just to his right side as he had faced Angelika, "you mean that red haired samurai lady?! She's obviously-"

"Not a Soul Reaper," Shinshin corrected her, as he relocated his gaze to Angelika, faintly seeing a somber looking Mōka, muttering something into the palms of her hands as she shook slightly against a nearby lone dead tree that rested against the soil of the cliff, "its a daughter of Izanami, more specifically, Shou's superior, the Queen of Hell."

It was enough to make Anton's eyes widen in surprise. "You mean..." He said, abruptly leaping up to his feet at the revelation. "Not only do they have Captains and a Lieutenant down there, but also a deity of the Red Sun?!" After a moment of silence, he slapped a palm to his face. "Great. One god-like wasn't enough. They had to import another in our way!"

Yusuke gave a shrug. "Does anyone happen to know any prayer verses or something that we can quote? Maybe she'll let us go if we bow to her and tell her we're here to kill all the heathens on some religious mission." His tone made it incredibly difficult to tell if he was being sarcastic, or not. The words prompted the Russian to stare at him weirdly, but remained silent.

"Wait! Don't we have a-"

"I'll take care of her for you," Mōka said from her spot, her hands came off her face to reveal a deadly look in her eyes, as her own immense aura exuded within the small space she restricted herself to keep from being detected, "I'm the only one who can, and I've purposely made sure she's not aware of my presence yet."

"Even though she's your own mother?" Shinshin asked, it was a tone of obviousness that his own bond with family was greater than his depraved lust for vengeance, but his duty to the mission was clear enough to evoke an answer from the Dominator.

"You could say this has been...a long time coming," Mōka stood up, taking her knuckles into her left palm, cracking them audibly as a rare menacing smile stretched upon her visage, "this girl is going to be taking care of some family matters through old fashioned domestic violence. Please make sure not to get bothered by the scorched landscape in our wake...its a natural hazard when two daughters of Izanami duke it out."

It was here that Oliver raised an eye towards Mōka. But he continued to remain silent, even as he hefted himself up from his sitting position. He grasped the anti-tank rifle, unholstering it off of the reserve munitions box and holding it within his arms. Despite the heavy weight of both objects, it did not seem as if he was affected by any of it. He made his way past his teammates, prompting Angelika to speak again.

"So it's settled..." She summarized. "Move into position. When Oliver fires the first shot, that is when you engage."

"Right!" Everyone nearly said unanimously, with Mōka still holding that dangerous glint in her eyes and that rare sinister smile. This look completely seperated the hesitant and unwilling woman she was in front of her teammates and her father. This was the look of pure determination, to unfold her inner power for the world.

"Understood..." With a nod, Anton turned towards his compatriots. "All right, there's a path that leads down to a good spot to start off. Follow me!" With that being said, he took point and ran, with the rest of them following close behind. It didn't take long for them to disappear out of the sight of Angelika and Oliver, leaving the two alone to initiate the attack.

The German woman made her way beside the American as he took a position. "...are you really all right?" She asked quietly.

"...no." Was the solemn reply. "In fact, I don't think I ever was." He settled his weapon down, reaching behind him to flip several thumb locks in order to loosen the zip-line restraints. "But right now, that doesn't matter. This may not be a permanent remedy, but it's the perfect drug. After this, I know I'll just crash and burn later. But I'll deal with that when the time comes for it..." There was an eerily calm tone within his words - something that sent a slight shiver down Angelika's spine. To hear the normally eccentric man speak like a collected, cold warrior made the atmosphere feel ten times colder than it was.

Oliver settled down onto a prone position on his stomach, the box standing tall at his feet. He aimed the anti-tank rifle at the Soul Reaper encampment, first targeting the "emergency" carriage. "Now, I'm concerned on only one thing and one thing only. That's the death of every Shinigami that's stepping foot down there. You and the rest of them can have the bounty... but everyone else..."

His finger tightened on the trigger.

"...are mine."

He took the shot.

BOOM!

Two Sides of the Same Coin, Clash of Justice and Criminality!
Daisuke's and Ryōken's eyes widen as they heard the synonymous sound of a thunderous crack of a weapon being fired. Not just any weapon, but one of the highest grade Kidō rifles up to date, rated up to Anti-Armor class, just a grade below the infamous weapon that tore apart the 10th Division with ease.

The projectile burned orange and fiery, as it raced towards its intended target. The Emergency Carriage.

"NO!" Daisuke shouted out, his body moved as fast as it could, shimmering out of view before reappearing atop of the carriage as he released his Zanpakuto silently and as fast as he could. He knew if the target hit...and these injured died, then he would have more innocent lives on his conscience!

"Jigoku," he uttered, lowly as flames danced around the edge of his blade as the energy bolt was merely seconds away, slashing the air in front of him as he released his own high-powered Shikai attack, "DANGAN!"

With perfect precision and aim, the pyrotechnically condensed sphere rammed into the Kidō rifle round in mid-air, causing an immensely bright and concussive blast midway between the carriage and the road itself. The explosion rang in Daisuke's ears, and he could feel himself slam back onto the roof of the carriage as the shockwave pushed it several meters away, sending it tumbling head over heels, forcing Daisuke to deftly roll in mid air to avoid being crushed by it and the hapless inhabitants within.

"GAH!" Daisuke breathed out, feeling everything in his head spin and his body spasm slightly from the shock of being caught so close to the blast. Had it been purely fire it would only knock the wind out of him, as the flames itself would do him no arm while his Zanpakuto is active. But the Kidō slug had more potency and the knockback from it would take him a few more seconds to recover from. Time, he knew he didn't want to waste!

It was time that the source would not give him.

'''BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!'''

Hachiro's and Sakura's eyes widened in shock and surprise respectively as they saw the shots race towards their direction. The Captain only had time to scream out to the ones around him a word of advice. "ARTILLERY!! TAKE COVER--!!"

When the shots hit, everything turned to complete chaos.

All three shots had made blood splatter and bodies fly everywhere. The screams of the alive and dying could be heard clear as day, causing a smile to cross Oliver's face. He continued to lay down suppressing fire, unleashing volley upon volley on the area. However, he was careful to aim his shots; he didn't want to catch his allies in the crossfire, after all.

WOOSH!

''BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!''

Hachiro appeared in the air, a shocked expression coming onto his face as he heard the squawks of the Dragonbirds above his level. When he turned his head, he saw each and every one of them descending towards the ground. Blood spurted freely from their heads, indicated clear head-shots. "There's no doubt about it..." He whispered to himself, watching as the birds fell from grace and out of the sky. "The true challenge is just starting!!"

SHFT!

WHOOOSH!

Shinshin leaped upon them first as he was the swiftest, securing his destination via Flash Step. His body moved with a dance of impassive, disconnection as he unsheathed his sword and began parrying with the hardened warriors of the 9th Division. However, as soon as he saw their initial strikes, he could read them all like picture books. Side stepping, spinning and vaulting, he began to cut them down one by one. It was only when he killed his seventeenth that he pulled the sword out of a young man's back and pointed it at the Captain when he landed, "I'm assuming you're Hachiro Horikawa, the Captain of the Ninth Division. I'll be taking your life," his body soon exuded a dark, cold vibration throughout the air that depicted nothing but pure bloodlust, crackling and shaking the ground, air, and soil around him as violently as the strongest Spiritual Pressure would but with emotion behind it, "unless you can stop me."

Hyōryū overlooked the area, taking out a Kidō rifle and began to shoot purely for covering fire. Occasionally, she looked over to see Oliver's twisted grin and satisfaction in making the kills. She felt sorry for the poor Soul Reapers, as he was taking a prescription of violence and bloodlust to soothe his inner demons. She'd hate to be his shrink....

FLIK-TRIK-SLIP-CRK!

"HAAAA!" Ryōken roared out, as he manifested a silent, unknown barrier over the more important carriages as well as draw cover fire for his men for a few men from the snipers and high grade weaponry being used against them, "I hate damned firearms! Better off we stay in the stone age if it means that our deaths are so meaningless when brutes and thugs can get the upperhand against disciplined warriors!"

"These aren't simple brutes and thugs, Ryō!!" Hachiro called back to him, gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes at the one who had finished killing the young boy and was now pointing his blade at him. "These are the ones that have managed to defeat the 10th Division, the very same ones who wrenched their way out of Captain Takuji's vice-grip. The ones who dare to kill the ones under my command are none other than the V-14!!"

He swung his blades to form a defensive stance, his feet spreading apart. "If you want my life, boy..." He growled, exhibiting his own immense spiritual power. "Then I dare you. Come at me, and feel the teeth of my swords as they cut you into pieces!!"

'''BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!'''

There was a handful of 9th Division members who had taken cover behind the protected carriages. "Damn it!!" One of them yelled out, his expression conveying nothing but panic. "That artillery fire's tearing us to shreds!! Their snipers have our positions zeroed in!!! We're pinned down here!!"

"I..." A woman that had peeked behind the corner had to jump back under cover when a sniper shot merely missed her head. "I don't know where the source is coming from!! There's too much artillery rounds pounding the area!!"

SHFT!

"As you wish," Shinshin spoke as he began to usher a flourish of expert sword strikes, moving with eloquent grace and dispassionate expert footwork and experience, matching the experienced and incredibly gifted Captain's own sword work with his own unique and artistic style.

"Rise from the Deep," the 5th Division Captain said in a somber, steadfast position as he decided to get serious with his enemies. Stabbing his blade into the earth, a surge of dark tinted water gushed out, as he pulled out a trident in its place, "Kodai Hadō!"

Leaping towards his enemies, he spun his Shikai in rapid circles, vibrating it to increase its density as he began to use his Flash Step to attract the enemy fire, batting away the gun fire while diverting away a good portion of the Anti-Armor grade projectiles with deft useage of Kidō and his own Zanpakuto's innate water manipulation and generation. He wouldn't let these men and women down just because he was intimidated by a little gunfire!

"Jigoku..."

A voice penetrated the silence, as Daisuke stood up and aimed his Zanpakuto at the cliffside, as a pyrotechnic condensed power of high proportions charged up...before being released all at once in a startling flaming spearhead of explosive death.

"HASHIRA!!!!"

The flaming stormhead surged towards Oliver's position, causing even his female partner to open her eyes wide with fear and anxiety, as she tried to back off from the cliff face, even though it would be inevitably futile.

BOOM!

The explosion was intense, but something stood in the way to lessen the extent of the damage. From out of the shadows, Shadō's form held up his hands, the energy within the fabric of the flames poured into his being, reducing a good half of its damage output. However, Shadō took a good majoriy of burns on his front, causing him to crouch down and clench his mouth down in pain, "Was a little too slow...sorry...everyone..."

"I guess that's it for the artillery support, now that they've spotted us out..." Oliver did not even flinch, even as the heat of the flames licked at his face. He allowed himself to stand up from his prone position, releasing the anti-tank cannon to completely undo his restraints. Without hesitation, his hands went for his two pistols at his side, whipping them out with the barrels pointed in the air."

"Shadō, are you still able to fight?" Angelika questioned, tossing away her sniper rifle with a frown on her face. "They'll be attempting to rush the--"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

"...area..." Angelika finished, a slightly deadpan look on her face as she heard the sound of a squad of 9th Division members war crying and moving rapidly towards the spot where Daisuke had fired the blast. She quickly snapped out of it, grabbing her own HCA-50 Pistol. "All of you, get ready to engage close-quarters. It's our turn to get zeroed in..."

"I think not!"

SLICE!

Multiple paper-thin and razor-sharp wires made of spiritual energy moved to intercept the platoon. The edges sliced through, turning that particular group into nothing more than a mess of body parts. Their murderer had a cheery smile on his face as he worked his fingers, the wire moving like puppet strings. "I got your back, boss lady!" He informed her. "Anton's already moving in with Shinshin to help him out!"

Speaking of Anton...

Ryōken managed to reach the rear of the convoy where Daisuke and the other 9th Division squad were being intercepted by a young boy with a sickeningly innocent smile on his face as he butched them with nearly invisible blade wires. Before he decided to interfere, he saw a young man rushing at high speeds towards where he knew Hachiro was engaging the samurai-looking assassin.

"Oh no you don't," Ryōken muttered under his breath as he spun his trident around, gathering water around the edge of his trident's blades before forming a large sphere of condensed, coiling water about half the size of a man. Using Flash Step, the Captain reappeared about ten meters in front of the Russian's approximated line of passing, before thrusting his Zanpakuto out, discharging the sphere of condensed water towards his opponent, with enough force to send him crashing into the cliffs had he been an ordinary man and cause a concussive shockwave upon impact, "Fuka Bakufū!"

"Give me but a few moments to collect myself," Shadō spoke, as his body became coated in a thick aura of the energy he consumed but a minute ago, his skin and body began to regenerate new tissue over the scarred ones, and his body soon became reacclamated enough to stand back to his feet, "had it been Kidō, I would have been able to divert the blast away better, but its fierce flames could not be satisfied until it met its quarry...-"

"Owwwwww," Hyōryū moaned, as her body instinctively had propelled itself away, and now lied upside down with her butt and legs hanging in front with her head and arms underneath, "who...is freaking...winning...here? Please help me...up!"

"Please help her," Shadō said as he unsheathed his own Zanpakutō, his eyes glowed an eery yellow as he then descended into the blackness within the Angelika's shadows, "I'll sieze my opportunity to strike soon..."

"Show them no mercy!" Daisuke yelled out, his body ignited into a fiery aura of Spiritual Pressure as he charged towards the child with wires, seeing them better than his lower ranked, lesser experienced comrades. His blade ignited brightly with flames as he then thrusted it forward, sending a stream of flames as he yelled out towards the kid, "Kasai Kushiyaki!"

It seemed as if the opponents had been picked right away.

For Yusuke, his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the flames rushing towards him. The voice of his enemy made his ears perk up in recognition. However, a smile worked on its way onto his face as soon as it registered to him who exactly he was facing. With a swing of his hands, he sent the razor-wires towards the flames. The wind generated from the speed he swung them scattered them and disrupted their path, missing him while setting fire to the environment around them.

Of course, it was just a little heat as far as the V-14 member was concerned.

"Yo, Vice-Captain Daisuke!" He called out, his voice pleasant and mirthful even as he called the deadly strings back to himself. They swirled all around him menacingly, deeply contrasting the rather casual aura he was giving off. "It's been a while..."

On the cliffside, Oliver almost allowed himself to snicker at the sight of Hyōryū. "Nice coordination..." He said sarcastically, walking over towards her form. "No, really, it takes a lot to end up like that. I'm impressed!" Lifting his foot up and pressing it against the side of her thigh, he applied just enough force to push her on her side. "And just for your information, the fight's just started. No one's won... yet..."

After slightly shaking her head at the display of antics, Angelika looked over the cliffside again. the Lieutenant seemed to be facing Daisuke, while Shinshin was currently exchanging blows with another. As for Anton, he had been cut off from reinforcing Shinshin by Ryōken. A scowl came over her face, her eye narrowing. "I hope Shadō can get to the car holding Shidai..." She muttered. "At this rate, this will end up exhausting more energy than necessary..."

On Anton's side, he had been taken by surprise.

"Oh, chyort voz'mi!" He growled, holding his forearms in front of his face and bracing himself. The water slammed into him full-force. But of course, he was far from an ordinary person. He had to dig in his feet slightly, and a sharp pain rang throughout both arms when it connected. But there was no visible injury, and the pain itself was nothing that couldn't be shrugged off.

Slowly he lowered his arms, fixing a stare at his new opponent. "Just how many more Captains am I going to have to fight on my own before this is over and done with...?" He muttered disdainfully, before extending his arms out. A pair of Kiriken swords spawned from his palms, and he grasped the hilts to swing his swords in a defensive position.

"So you're the one who gave Shindō a run for his money?" Ryōken gauged as he felt the Spiritual Pressure leaking form him despite his best to conceal it, stabbing the pommel of his trident Zanpakutōinto the ground as he cupped his chin in analysis, "and those are Kiriken blades, if I'm correct. They're constructs of cutting power, made by the Kidō Corps Hunter Ops to compensate their less use in Zanpakutō and more on their versatility in manipulating energy. Tell me," Ryōken raised his weapon out of the ground and held it ready in his right hand while keeping his eyes narrowed at him, "how did you learn such a high class technique? Were you trained or did you learn it somehow yourself?"

Shinshin on the other hand was talking more with his blade than his lips. So far he had managed to evenly match the berserk and unpredictable style of his adversary with his own versatile style of switching tactics and keeping his opponent guessing. One moment he would be fighting with both hands in a style similar to Kendo, then he would switch to a inverted grip on his left hand while using his right hand for grappling and swift bridge hand strikes that would equal in cutting power to his blade. Currently he now relied on a acrobatic, vaulting and leg defense style against his opponent.

"You're good," he managed to speak as he landed a good few meters away, returning his hands to a two handed grip but switched hand positions to have a different affect, subsequently a new style and art as well, "its taking all of my focus to keep that berserk nature of yours off balance by switching to a handful of styles I know by instinct and without stances involved. Whoever has trained you must have been quite the master swordsman."

"...?!" Daisuke's eyes widened and his brows twitched as his mind replayed the boy's face but with a different appearance altogether.

''He remembered a kind hearted, gentle officer within the 4th Division whom had always prided laughter, joy, and fun over work and battle. One day that boy he used to drop by to get his training wounds healed from his rigorous Zanpakuto training to achieve his Bankai disappeared, fled the Division in the night. The Stealth Force didn't even label him as a priority, as his stats in comparison to the more ruthless and cunning renegades and soul society criminals were paling him in difference, so he'd be incarcerated upon return for a full six months plus any additional community service in the Rukon Districts that his Captain would see fit. ''

But after what he just witnessed...he knew this boy was no longer the kind child he percieved him to be. That same smile, that same laughter and bewitchingly effeminite appearance that would make even men of compassionate hearts, like Daisuke, look twice at him, has now began to bathe callously in the blood his former comrades.

"Yusuke," Daisuke began to say, as his gaze shifted from shock to an angry, vehemnt look of condemnation and outrage, "what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Glad to see you're not glum anymore," Hyōryū grumbled as she glared back at him, but betrayed by a sly grin on her face, "if you keep up those comments, I might be nice to you later and treat you out to the bar of your choice, idiot!" Cocking her Jackals, she stumbled to her feet before noticing her whole top and jean shorts had been fried along with some of her combat vest, "geeze! Talk about out of the frying pan...I liked this shirt!"

"Don't get too used to it..."

Oliver allowed herself to step back, turning his attention towards the cliffside. "Right now, I've still got plenty of a fever..." He said plainly, tilting his cigarette to point upwards the sky. The smoke trailed upward to the sky. "And it's not going to go down until every one of these rats are dead. You with me..." His hazel eyes slowly drifted back to Hyōryū. "...sis?"

"!!!"

Yusuke's expression faltered into shock at Daisuke's tone, and he froze within his tracks. Suddenly, the mirth was washed away and replace by an unexplained self-conscience. The look that the Lieutenant gave him did not help matters. It was as if he was being judged by his current superior. He had anticipated more of a shocked tone than anything else in the hopes that Daisuke would carry no grudges against him.

Apparently, he was wrong.

He met his Lieutenant's gaze, his eyes wavering. It was there that his stance conveyed that of a guilty child about to be punished. "...I'm really sorry, sir..." He said quietly. "I really am. I should've just acted like I was brainwashed and forced against to fight against you and the 9th Division for the "criminal jerks that are V-14"..." His tone emphasized the quotes. "Maybe then it would've satisfied you. But, if I have to tell the truth, I stand here of my own volition, under the lead my new boss. I killed these men and women out of my free will, even if it was to defend my comrades. I betrayed the Gotei 13 and the 4th Division Captain of my own choosing and no one else's..."

A tear fell from his eyes.

"So I ask for no forgiveness from you. Your hate is my punishment and burden to bear..." He raised a hand up, the fingers pointing upward and visually dividing his face. The wires swirled and whipped around him in a defensive and offensive manner. "But rest assured, I mean no ill will towards you by doing this. I'm just doing my job."

On Hachiro's side, he skidded back from another parry, his face gritted in a concentrating scowl. Behind his tinted glasses, his eyes were narrowed. "I should be telling you that..." He remarked, raising his swords up again in a defensive manner. "Who've you been learning from that you've been able to match a veteran of seniority, hm?" His tone wasn't hostile more than it was conversational. Unlike Daisuke, he never showed contempt within his words. Any aggression made towards his opponent was always in the form of physical combat, nothing more. After all, holding grudges to him just wasn't his thing...

On Anton's side, a small smirk crawled onto his face. "I'm the one, all right..." He admitted, cracking his neck from side to side. "But if I just told you that, I'd be giving info about myself to the enemy. And I've gotta tell you... too many people already know too much about me as it is..."