Traversing the Jaws of Death [Catherine, Safira]

A low guttural sputter scraped through desolate streets, the slow roll of a motorbike with an empty trailer attachment dragging behind with a secured pile of scrap and sealed jars of varying sizes gently rattling against each other with the shudder of movement. Her eyes were on the device attached to the handlebars and the occasional reach of Signal to monitor her surroundings, just to make sure she didn't run into any Gotei or Vandenreich goons; wasn't like the device picked up anything other than hollows. Even if they got pushed further out, it wasn't an impossibility to hit a patrol.

...Ugh, she really needed a new bike, but she always felt hesitant about spending money. The noise level of the exhaust made going fast difficult here, it was just asking for attention to come her way; at least with going slow and her spiritual energy, it could be mistaken for a rabid hollow or something for anyone quickly scoping out to know to avoid her. The bird-like hollow mask-adorned helmet definitely helped the appearance, or maybe it made her look crazy enough to not be approached.

This section of the city seemed pretty clean, at least of accessible bits. Entirely possible some eletronics store or a decked out bunker got smothered by rubble, but she wasn't going to bother doing something so noisy unless she was totally sure there wasn't anything left to find. Soon, her journey brought her to a spot she hadn't checked, someplace closer to the hole - a place where idiots definitely went to and got killed. But she wasn't idiots, and that meant more things to nick for her.

But... Huh? That can't be right, normally the things she sensed out here had a pretty considerable amount of spiritual presence, but unless her senses and the radar were lying to her, there was a smudge's worth of something here. A trap? Nah, the hollows were either too stupid or under some sort of influence to be that smart. Her wheels crawled along, quiet and easy as she cautiously went to investigate...

She definitely didn't expect to see a girl, especially one so little out here, looking worse for wear at that. Her disbelief was apparent in how still she stood away, visible yet not appearing too eager to get closer. Still considering the possibility of a trap, something was off.

"Hey," Volume at a cautious level and spoken with a manner of haste, as she hopped off the bike and slowly approached, a hand lowered toward the hidden bone knife on her back, "You alive?"

Crawling up that accursed hole was an ordeal and a half, if her spiritual power hadn't been so low from the fight and fission then it was likely that she would've drawn some unwanted attention. The ragged looking woman sneered at the environment that she'd been skulking around with the intent of getting away from this place so that she could plot a scheme that brought a punishment to the mongrel of a hollow.

When she heard the voice of a human, she turned her serpentine eyes towards the other woman. There was a dash of hollow about her she felt from a glance.

"What kind of a question is that?"

Safira asked the other girl. It was a foolish question so she gave it a deserving answer, what was a human doing out here so close to danger? She didn't look like a shinigami and the girl looked a little too shady to be from the Vandenreich either. Why was she running around then, and why was this girl expressing concern or interest in her?

"Aren't you a little close to a warzone for a well-meaning Samaritan?"

This girl definitely was an Arrancar, if it weren't her senses the radar definitely confirmed as such, though she was definitely the smallest Arrancar she'd ever laid eyes on, her instincts told her to remain vigilant - just because she looked like a kid it didn't mean that extended to her mental. A low huff could be heard from behind the expressionless bony helmet that hid most defining features, bar only her long orange locks; that answered her question plenty, and moreso. Had wits about, didn't immediately attack or start raving about some 'Asher' with any variety of grandiose title. Unless she was remarkably good at pretending to be tiny and weakened to the point of fooling her senses, engaging this checked most safety boxes.

"Aren't you a little close to a warzone for a little girl?" Wordlessly deciding to treat her as she appeared, at least to give an impression any trickery meant to disarm her worked, her tone quiet and near whispering with having gotten so close to her, though there was an edge of sharpness, "Your spiritual pressure's so low that tone of your's is more likely to grab attention. Keep it down if you want to get out of here."

Briefly taking a moment to send a pulse of Signal to check the area, she did detect a nasty one not terribly far from them, her loose figure stiffening in a slight flinching reaction. Fuck.

"Behave, and I get you out of here. Save questions for safer ground," Spoken with a pointed finger, she hoped the girl didn't make this difficult, she'd really rather not have to make a huge commotion getting out of here because they got caught.

Safira looked herself over at the other woman's assessment. A little girl? She might've said petite but the gesture was emphasised for the provoking question that drew attention to the obvious.

'Hoh? What's wrong with being a little on the smaller side? You're not much yourself."

With a sneer to her impish features she sassed like she was preying on any insecurities of the do-gooder but if she was insistent on providing a helping hand then who was she to decline taking advantage of someone else like this?

"If you say so."

The arrancar sang with a switch of demeanour to sound more innocent and sweet, putting her sinister wiles under the guise of an delicate flower.

Despite appearances, she wasn't helping out of the kindness of her heart; that kind of blind altruism was the result of a soft heart, and having such a heart got you picked dry, or killed. That was what she held as a truth of the world, and she saw nothing more than an opportunity, even out of someone who presented as so unassuming; she had working legs, arms, and a mouth that could talk, there had to be something she could cough up. Seemingly both unamused and unwilling to entertain this any further with something approaching, she'd grab her by the arm and quickly made way back to her bike, adjusting a strap with her free hand to pull the bone knife hidden on her back towards the front of her.

If it weren't for the fact she already filled it with loot, she would've made her sit in the trailer and strap her down. A quiet, resigned sigh compelled her to put the little damsel in position right behind her. Starting the engine, she'd speak one warning as her eyes kept watch of the radar, "Hold onto me. Try anything, and I throw you off."

The bike's travel was slow and steady, the grumble of the engine at it's lowest with the present stress she put on the machine, eyes kept firm on the radar as she carefully made route to avoid whatever it was picking up, but felt her stomach knot when that little pip started wandering just a bit too close. She heard heavy footsteps, definitely another monster. It only became a problem when it's path met along with the only way further out, having to stop herself from leaving the alleyway and hastily backing back in. If they came out, they'd be seen, and with how cluttered this place was going at top speed just wasn't possible, there wasn't even any suitable ramps around.

"Shit," She muttered; not with irritation toward the situation, but rather toward something else as she reached for one of the saddlebag's contents - a capsule filled with a crimson red fluid, seeming reluctant to use it, but that was that. On her smartphone posted on the other end, she'd scroll through a map briefly, comparing their area carefully, then leaving the bike to prop up with a motion for her company to stay where she was, as Catherine herself went to the edge of the alleyway.

Fingers tight on the strange capsule, she'd barely peek out from the bounds of the alleyway, a readied arm high as she'd pull it back, a swirl of Bringer Light surrounding her arm as she would then suddenly throw the capsule, far further than a normal human would be capable of, soaring over the body of the approaching hollow and shattering open with a resounding CLACK!

She'd rush back to the bike as soon as the hollow let out a roar in alert, exiting just as the beast went to go after a meal that didn't exist, starting the bike and making as quick yet steady a break for a path out as she could. The tightness in her gut subsided as the amount of pips gradually vanished away with their departure from that hot zone.

"We're far enough to talk," Not even a turn of the head or a reassuring tone, "I've got a cache set up a ways out. Give me a good reason to take you there instead of just dumping you here; Two minutes, start talking if you have something useful to share."

She was certainly not a local if she was getting directions for herself. The weakened arrancar obliged but out of self-interest and some petty reprisal towards the young woman, she made no effort to conceal her reiryoku as they rode.

If she pleaded ignorant about it then who was this fullbringer to question the "poor lost little arrancar"? This is what someone got for making presumptions and Safira was curious to see just what kind of powers this one had.

It was always interesting to see how these hollow humans developed.

"You've already gone this far. What's a little farther."

Safira didn't have much to say to the woman's demanding some kind of reason, what was there to say after all? This place was nowhere and that's where they had come from. For what purpose would this girl just displace her like this?

A response of 'absolutely nothing useful' got her to lay off the gas and to gently start squeezing the brakes to stop the bike. Thinks she's smart and can get a ride to total safety for free, huh? And she was so generous as to put aside the clanging of warning bells she set off...

"Yeah? Think you're clever? Think I didn't pick up on your smarmy ass?" Her tone was on the side of indifference, yet rather strong tongued, "Think I wouldn't find it curious of how such a tiny weak Arrancar ended up so close to the hole? How about we start there before I kick you to the wastes and let one of the... One-two-three... Oh would ya look at that, six hollows nearby, make a snack out of you. I'm sure you'd enjoy being digested with that attitude you've been giving me, probably quite appetizing to them. Watching them chow down on your stringy corpse would make up for the gas you made me burn."

Turning her head back, all that was visible was that white hollow mask adorning her helmet, and empty dark sockets, "Start talking, since you're so dry on coming up with something."

"Is that really how you ask someone for information? How do you know it'd be sincere and honest anyway? I could just lie to you and you'd believe me or I could tell you the truth and you'd still discard me. Right?"

She reasoned to the woman with a lack of patience and manners. Where on earth did this entitled little human think she got away with making demands? They were capable of talking it out, so there was no need for all these threats of death.

"What can I say? People get real chatty when presented with an ultimatum." Spoken dismissively, there was a level of uncertainty in if she were considering the smaller woman's words at all, a standing silence as Catherine herself contemplated on this. She did raise a good point, even with their lives threatened some people were up to lie about whatever they knew. That was the gamble with her exchanges, but it wasn't as if she let proven liars go unpunished and peaceful about their lives.

"Besides, how could I know if you're being honest about your self? You could be planning to blast a hole in me as soon as I get close to safety."

"Oh, if I was going to do that I would've done that when you used that vial back there. Then I would've left you for dead while I made an escape."

She nonchalantly explained to the impudent little child like that was supposed to alleviate those concerns that she had. Surely it would make her content to know that the time of betrayal had passed now?

"I assume you're looking to make a profit? I can't imagine any other reason why a foreign human would be here scavenging."