Rukia woke up groggy, and dizzy. Her entire body ached so much that it was only when she realized that she had no idea where she was that she found the will to get up.

She inferred that she was in some kind of a storeroom judging from all the shelves filled with storage boxes. A curious theory occured to her that maybe she had been kidnapped by a serial killer who was planning to desmember her body and put it on one of these shelves to join his other victims. It was as good a guess as any at that point.

"AHHH!" She shrieked. Forcing herself to get up, she raced to the door and pounded it with all her might.

"Let me out! Let me out!"

"It's open!" Called a friendly, muffled voice from outside. Rukia blushed with embarrassment, but decided to be careful anyways if it was a trap. As she grabbed the doorhandle and exited, she realized that she was in some kind of a boiler room. Was her kidnapper a store-owner by profession? Was he going to keep her locked up in the shop so that nobody would here her when she screamed for help. Not one to take chances, Rukia raced towards the door and punded on it for all she was worth.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" She yelled. Her lungs screamed in protest due to all the pressure she was putting on them after her beating, but she didn't care. If she didn't get out of here soon, she might never be able to breathe again.

Suddenly the light turned on and Rukia heard someone behind her.

"If you think I'm going to lie on my belly and willingly let you hack me to pieces, you've got another thing coming!" She found herself yelling, to a blond haired man in sandals and a green-and-white hat. Rukia prepared herself to fight him by reaching for her sword-only to realize that she had no idea where it was.

"Sode no Shirayuki is fine" Said the man patiently.

"How-how did you know what my sword- Who are you?"

"I am but a mere teacher" He said, theatrically

Rukia gasped.

She remembered who the man was! She couldn't believe how dull she had been to not recognize him-he was her homeroom teacher! Mr. Urahara! He must have found her unconscious and dragged her off! How many girls had he done this with? What a pervert! He wasn't even the slightest bit original!

"Your outfit's in the laundry" Added Urahara, interrupting her mental detective work.

"I'm pretty sure it would have been a sanitary violation if I left it on you while treating your wounds. Counter-intuitive to healing"

Rukia cocked her eyebrow. If this man had washed Grimmjow, then-

"Gah!" She squawked as she realized that she was in her bare undergarments.

"You undressed me?" She shrieked.

Urahara shook out a hand-fan and brought it to his face.

"Maaaybe" He purred, cheekily.

"You perverted freak! I'll get you for that!"

Rukia raced towards the man, planning to kick him between the legs. But the moment she was within one foot of him, he gracefully jumped behind her and before Rukia even had time to process this, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder.

"What did you do to me!?" She cried.

"Relax" Urahara held up a scarlet syringe. It was filled with her blood. Rukia watched in bewilderment as he walked over to the register and produced a white bundle and unfolded it. Grimmjow!

"Observe" Instructed Urahara. He held the syringe to the outfit and ejected the blood all over it. Grimmjow began pulsing with a bright blue light and when it subsided he looked like he had when Rukia wore him in the Rukon.

"Yes that's it...give me more... more... MORE!" He howled joyfully. Seeing Grimmjow sentient again, reminded Rukia of the reason why she felt like she had been shoved into a wood chipper and woke up naked in a possible sex- offender's storage room. She marched over to him and rammed her fists into him.

"What the hell, Rukia?" He yammered indignantly.

"Where were you today when I needed you?" She demanded.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about" he snapped in return.

"Don't play dumb with me! I'm not an idiot!"

"How sweet!" Sighed Urahara.

"You two are like an old married couple"

Reminded that there was a grown man in the vicinity and that she was naked, Rukia forgot all about her reproaching and jammed on her outfit.

"Now that I'm clothed" She said.

"I demand an explanation as to what the heck is going on!"

"I would think it pretty obvious." Reasoned Urahara.

"In order to wake up your espada, you must feed it blood"

"E-espada? I have no idea what you're talking about. Do you mean, Grimmjow?"

Urahara stuck his fan at her and waved it.

"That's correct!" He sounded like a game show host. But although there was a joking glint in his eyes, he took on a much more serious expression.

"Your espada was designed and created by your late sister, Hisana"

Rukia's jaw dropped.

"You knew her?"

"Yes. And whoever who masters her invention will find themselves as the person who...is worthy of...challenging Byakuya Kuchiki!" His enthusiasm made Rukia roll her eyes.

"Ok, that's all well and good, but do you wanna tell me what the heck is going on with this school? It has something to do with Hisana's death and I'm pretty sure you know how. And why are you telling me all this anyways? You sound like you want me to challenge Byakuya? Since you work in the school, shouldn't you be all about kissing the ground he walks on?"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Chided Urahara, skaing his finger at her like a father to his mischievous child.

"First you've got to prove to me that you deserve to know!"

Rukia crossed her arms.

"And just how would I do that?"

Urahara's mouth stretched into a childlike grin.

"Defeat the tennis captain, Loly Aivirrne. There's no way you could beat Byakuya if you can't even do something as easy as that!" He made it sound so obvious.

A loud, beeping noice pierced the air.

"There's the second bell. I can overlook your first period absence, but I would get to your next class, pronto" Said Urahara as he got up and handed her, her backpack and Sode no Shirayuki.

"Oh, and take this" He tossed her what looked like a flimsy, hand-guard.

"It's called Panthera. Say the activating word, 'grind', and you'll be able to draw blood from a scratch like your skin's made of butter. And there's a healing salve in it that'll close your wound pronto"