He wouldn't show it, but Barragan was pleased. No, pleased does not do it justice, the former and soon to be King of Hueco Mundo thought. He was down right ecstatic as he watched the old shinigami trash throw Aizen into a fiery cage.
A suitable trash disposable for the insect that treated him like a puppet.
"I will be taking charge while the boss, is indisposed. Are there any objections?" How he hated that term. The boss. As if that thief would ever deserve a place in the world aside from under his skeletal boot heel.
Harribel gave her usual stoic silliness, while Starkk shrugged in indifference. Their lack of respect to their betters would be their undoing.
"Then I shall dispose of the ants myself, for I see no reason to waste my time." The Espada perked up at that. Harribel sonido'd and few meters away so as to not be caught up in Barragan's release. Starkk was close behind her, one hand on the annoying little worm that acted as his fraccion to keep her from doing anything rash.
Even Harribel's pathetic groupies had the sense to join her to observe at a safe distance. Shame.
He was tempted to thank them for their generosity of placing themselves so close together. They probably felt safe with his fraccions. He ignored their protests and plea's to fight the enemy themselves, saving him the trouble.
One sharp look was enough to shut them up. They were so well trained. Almost a pity. Good help is hard to find, but it was a price he was willing to pay.
The rest of the Shinigami seemed to be sizing him up, and he could have sworn he heard a rumbling bout what "one crusty old man could do".
He'd be happy to show them. "Rot, Arrogante."
Barragan relished in his released form. It was him, in his all powerful glory, no longer constricted to a lesser, imperfect form. He'd have enjoyed the chance to let his reiatsu run wild, slaughering some of the trash where they stand from his sheer might alone, but he had more important things to worry bout than a bit of sport.
Oh the hardships of being a god.
He watched as the ants drew their swords, but he could care less. Numbers were meaningless against him. Strength was meaningless against him. He was absolute. So he just watched with a smugness etched into his gilded bone figure as he began to charge up his personal Cero.
It was by no means his favourite attack, usually far too much effort to be wasted on the insects that challenged him, but he had endured years of torment by this point. A little bit of effort was justified.
From Starkk, the layabout, his supposed superior. Well, in a bout of mercy, Barragan was going to give him the rest off his life off from work.
And Harribel. The traitor as she watched his torment with quiet amusement, seeing him brought so low. How many times had he spared her to this point? He could hardly remember, but even his forgiveness had limits and joining Aizen was the final straw.
Funnily enough, Starkk and Harribel figured out his plan as he sonido'd to their side, some of the fraccions already falling to his passive strength. Of course it was not even a second before they met their doom, but he'd give them credit where credit was due. They'd almost gotten away, one short sonido was all it would have taken to escape their fate.
A real tragedy that speed was meaningless in his presence as well as the grasps of Senescenia as he pronounced their execution.
"Cero de Dios."
A flash of midnight black and his former colleagues had been reduced to dust. As had a sizeable portion of the human city behind them, but Barragan hardly cared.
He was too caught up in the moment. The sheer tragedy of his actions, what he'd been forced to do.
Barragan couldn't remember a time he'd laughed harder. For the first time in centuries, he felt genuine pain as he struggled for breath. He took a moment to collect himself. Then took another as Starkks shocked face came to mind again.
Once he had himself limited to a gleeful chuckle he got onto part two, pointedly ignoring the dropped jaws of the shinigami worms as he appeared in front of Aizen's prison.
No words were exchanged between them. Aizen because he was too arrogant to think himself fallible or too pathetic to go out with a quip and Barragan because Aizen wasn't worth the air the bastard breathed much less a post-humour eulogy.
"Respira." His most trusted weapon.
Barragan drew it into a sphere, surrounding the flame prison before shrinking it. He didn't draw it out. He had no need for Aizen's screams.
No. Barragan simply wanted this to be over and didn't bother watching as Aizen, Gin, Tousen and the blasted Hogyuko that had started all this trouble were turned to ash, swept away by the wind.
With that done, Barragan turned to his captive audience. A group that was equal parts relieved and nervous.
"Stay out of my kingdom." He flipped them the bird with both hands and stepped into a Descorrer back to his beloved Los Noches. He had a monstrosity of white stone to tear down.
AN: Alternative titles include 'Barragan's Mic Drop' or 'The definition of Diecide. Actually killing the damn villain instead of keeping him alive as a cheap way of milking dramatic tension in the event of a round two against the hero once all the spirit nazis are cleaned up.'
Yes, I went there. Cause you sure as hell know that Aizen is coming back for round two or is going to pull some bullshit face-heel turn and be forgiven of his crimes.
I like bleach, really I do. Or I wouldn't constantly be throwing these stupid Barragan tics into the wind when I could be writing something people actually read. My issue is that we keep loosing characters in one of two ways.
Increasingly Dues ex Machina ways before they are allowed a chance to affect the plot or other characters in any meaningful way aside from filling a spot (my heart goes out to you Starkk and Barragan) or they are used entirely as set pieces to again fill a roll in the worst way possibly ( Oh hi Harribel, almost didn't see you there, you never do seem to get a fight we either see or have a satisfying lose to)
Instead we get Grimmjaw... I wonder if I got a sad kazoo somewhere, that'd be fitting.
But enough about me being a hater not a lover. Hope you enjoyed the piece, and if you did be sure to show Barragan some love cause at this rate I'll have taken over his category and neither of us want that.
Ah well. Till next time. Hope you have good day :)