Hey guys! This is my first fanfic centered around Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, so I'm just going to go for it and see what happens.
As always, I would love your feedback. Please read and review! It'll help keep me inspired, and constructive criticism is always welcomed!
Title: The Classicist
Rating: M (Language, later sexual content, violence)
Pairings: GrimmjowXOC (It'll be rather slow.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or any of its characters. They all are a credit to the genius of Tite Kubo.
Chapter 1: The Odyssey
"Wake up… and see with your own eyes something that you have been wanting this long time past.
~ Homer
Grimmjow ran. The white sands of Hueco Mundo blurred beneath him as he flew over the desolate, colorless terrain. He had been running for hours; his sonido had given out a while beforehand, so he was reduced to using to pure, physical strength. His breath was coming in gasps; his lungs were burning – but through the strain, he grinned. Wild, vibrant blue eyes shone with the light of triumph, and his smile exposed sharp incisors. Although he didn't know exactly why he had chosen that moment, that day to betray Sosuke Aizen, he had.
Grimmjow ran. He didn't even know exactly why he had betrayed Aizen in the first place. Maybe it was because he deserved to be king, not Aizen. Maybe it was because the lord of the arrancars was preoccupied with his new pet – that human girl who had healed his arm. Maybe it was because Grimmjow hated being ordered around, and hated Aizen for being stronger than him. Maybe it was because Grimmjow was just one nasty son of a bitch. Whatever it was, it had prompted him to commit high treason, and betray the man who had created him.
The sexta espada listened to the wind whistle past his ears, and felt it blow the light blue pieces of hair that fell onto his forehead back. He glanced down at the book clutched tightly in his right hand. The tome was old, ancient if he would venture a guess. Not that he cared. The pages were yellowed, and the binding looked fragile. He knew it wouldn't fall apart though; Aizen had reinforced it with kido. Grimmjow wasn't even exactly sure what it was. He knew that it was valuable though, and that Aizen would be furious. He allowed himself another savage grin. Gods, it felt good to be free and to be the victor. He had stolen from the king. And it felt incredible.
He didn't know what he was going to do now. After all, there was nowhere safe from him in Hueco Mundo anymore. He knew that soon almost all of the other espada would be chasing him, if they weren't already. Certainly Ulquiorra would be. Grimmjow curled his lips back, baring his teeth. Pale little freak. He hated him.
He knew that he would have to leave that world of constant night and darkness, and venture somewhere else. The Soul Society was obviously out of the question, so it looked like the world of the living was his only option. The sexta espada laughed. Maybe he would even run into that Ichigo Kurosaki and finally kill him once and for all. With his mind filled with thoughts of blood and violence, victory and dominance, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez ran.
xxxxxxxXXXXXxxxxxxx
Nozomi Fukuyama sat on a rooftop and stared at the sunset. She glanced down at her zanpakuto, and spoke to it out loud.
"Well Hyakukaben, we finally did it." She looked at the city around her. "We finally got assigned to the world of the living." She smiled to herself, and stood up. The setting sun lit her face and touched her light brown hair, which was pulled back into a pair of long pigtails that fell down her back. She watched it set with big, deep brown eyes that sparkled in excitement. She had been training so long for a position in the living world, and she had finally been assigned one! It was her second week on the job and so far, things had run smoothly. Nozomi had been able to easily dispatch any hollows that had arisen.
The girl settled back against the roof and closed her eyes for a moment, relishing the beauty of the living world. She loved it here, and was proud of her accomplishment. If she was lucky and continued to do her job well, perhaps Captain Komamura would allow her to try for an officer's seat. As Nozomi's brown eyes closed, the beeping of her soul pager instantly brought her on the alert.
Nozomi's eyes widened, as she stared at the huge dot on the screen. This wasn't just any regular hollow… it had to be a menos, at the very least. Unless it was… "Arrancar…" Nozomi breathed. Placing her hand on the hilt of Hyakukaben, she quickly dialed the Soul Society and made her report. The soul reaper she spoke to assured her that help would be arriving swiftly – and in the form of a captain no less! She was ordered to merely observe the arrancar, and by no means engage it in battle.
"Understood," Nozomi responded, and shut her soul pager with a snap. Hiding her reiatsu, she silently vaulted over the rooftops, heading for the location the garganta appeared. Nearing the place, she slowed down and hid behind a rooftop, peering cautiously over the edge. Her eyes widened at what she saw.
There was a man standing there, hovering in the air above the town. His hair was light blue, the color of the sky. Nozomi's eyes followed the planes of his face down his neck, to his extremely well muscled chest and the hollow hole in his abdomen. She couldn't help but gasp at how handsome he was. Although… handsome, probably wasn't the best word to describe someone that radiated so much danger. The look on his face made her shudder, just like the scars on his chest, and the wounds that were on his back and shoulders. The arrancar's white uniform was stained with blood, and he was panting – his chest heaving, dripping sweat. He looked like some sort of fallen god.
Nozomi knew that she was supposed to wait until her reinforcements arrived, but the arrancar looked like he was about to leave. As he turned, ready to speed away from that place, Nozomi took a deep breath, drew Hyakukaben, and stepped forward.
"Halt!" She was proud of how her voice didn't tremble, as she ordered the arrancar to stop. It wasn't until he froze, that she noticed the tattoo on his back, and her blood turned to ice. 6… "Oh gods," she thought, "He's an espada."
Grimmjow turned around slowly, the light of one crazed, blue eye catching the girl. He saw her standing there trembling, holding onto her sword like it was some kind of security blanket. He grinned, his face splitting into a smile that made the girl start to shake. Turning around completely, Grimmjow surveyed her.
"Halt?" he asked her, his voice viciously soft. "I don't think so, little girl." He raised his palm, and a cero began to charge, its red light swirling and pulsing in front of his tanned skin. "Who the fuck do you think you are, to order around someone like me?"
The girl's eyes widened, and she raised her zanpakuto futilely as the cero raced towards her. She never had a chance. The blast obliterated her completely, blowing her away in an instant. The last thing Grimmjow saw were her huge eyes, the red light of his cero reflected in them. The sexta espada turned around, refusing to wince from the pain that shot through his injured back. "Damn Noitra…" he thought to himself. He had barely escaped the 5th espada with his spine intact. Still, killing the little soul reaper had made him feel a little better. He turned around, reading to run and find somewhere to hide and let his wounds heal. He was met with icy teal eyes, and a small form.
"Tch," Grimmjow spat. "And who the fuck're you?"
"Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of Squad 10." The small captain drew his zanpakuto, and faced Grimmjow. His eyes narrowed, sending the man an icy glare. "I'm going to capture you, espada."
Grimmjow threw back his head and laughed, the sound echoing off the buildings where humans lived, blissfully unaware of the powers hovering right outside their windows.
"You sure are cocky for a little shit, aren't you?" the sexta espada asked the soul reaper. Grimmjow changed his stance, ignoring the searing pain that shot down his spine. He would have to finish the fight quickly, if he wanted to escape the pursuers he knew weren't far behind him. "Doesn't matter." Grimmjow charged and screamed, "I'll kill you where you stand!"
Toshiro drew his zanpakuto. "Rain over the frosted heavens… Hyorinmaru!" With a roar, the giant ice dragon leapt from the blade of his sword and clashed with the espada. Grimmjow caught the dragon's teeth as they began to close on his arm, and pried its mouth open. Maneuvering a hand forward, he charged a cero and sent it straight into Hyorinmaru's mouth. Blue eyes gleamed maniacally as the espada blasted the ice dragon apart. Grimmjow lived for fighting; he breathed it. He relished his own strength, and watching his enemies cower before him. He was like a savage animal – and he loved it.
"Damn it…" Toshiro swore. Gentei Kaijo had already been authorized, but his shikai still wasn't enough to bring down the injured espada. He hadn't wanted to use bankai, but… it looked like he didn't have a choice in the matter.
"Bankai." The white-haired captain snapped, and Grimmjow watched the boy form wings of ice and become part dragon. As the soul reaper charged, Grimmjow reached for his own sword. Drawing it, he began the release command.
"Grind, Pan-" midway through the command, Grimmjow froze and choked. Pain split through his spine, and he felt his arms and legs go numb. Looking up, he saw the captain's zanpakuto swing towards him. He couldn't dodge, the pain was crippling.
Toshiro's sword swung forward in a glittering arc, and he watched as the espada in front of him was incased in a pillar of ice. Feeling a grim sense of triumph, the captain lowered his sword and released his bankai. Pulling out a soul phone, he contacted the Soul Society.
"I've subdued and captured the enemy," he spoke into the receiver. "Please send a team immediately to retrieve him." Toshiro listened to the response.
"No, I'm afraid I wasn't in time to save the soul reaper in charge of this area." Listening again, he nodded curtly. "I understand."
The white-haired captain flipped the phone shut, and looked at the espada in front of him. He couldn't suppress a shudder at the look of pure hatred and pain that twisted the face of the beast in front of him. Even in the throes of agony, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez hated his enemies.
xxxxxxxXXXXXxxxxxxx
The 10 remaining captains of the 13 Court Guard Squads stood in two lines, with Head-Captain Yamamoto at the front. The Head-Captain had just called the meeting to order – and what an interesting meeting it would turn out to be.
"As you have heard," the old man began, his rough voice even, "the reports about Captain Hitsugaya defeating and capturing the sixth espada of Sosuke Aizen's army are true. The espada known as 'Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez' is currently being held in a maximum-security cell, with a reiatsu-blocking collar being used to restrain him. He had suffered extensive and serious wounds from a battle previous to his encounter with Captain Hitsugaya, and Squad 4 has been working to heal him completely. However, he has yet to regain consciousness."
Yamamoto noticed the Captain of Squad 13, Juushiro Ukitake's eyebrows rise at this news, and turned to the frail-looking captain.
"Is there something you wish to comment upon, Captain Ukitake?" Yamamoto asked him gruffly.
Ukitake nodded slightly. "You said 'extensive wounds' from a previous battle; do we know where the wounds came from, or why?"
"Ah, an interesting question." Yamamoto folded his hands on top of his staff. "We believe that it may have something to do with the object that was in the espada's possession when he was captured."
"Item?" Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi seemed mildly interested. "What sort of… item?"
"A book," Yamamoto answered. "A very old book, dating back to almost the beginning of the Soul Society itself, I believe."
Kurotsuchi's eyes gleamed. "Historical records? Or something of a more… useful nature?"
"We have no way of knowing its contents." The Head-Captain frowned slightly. "The book is in a language that is nothing like I have ever encountered before, either in the Soul Society or in the world of the living. However, I was able to make out one thing from the cover – the name Tenjin Mochizuki."
Captain Shunsui Kyoraku felt Ukitake stir beside him, and glanced over to his old friend. "You know something about that, Ukitake?" he asked mildly.
"The name seems familiar…" Ukitake coughed slightly. The sound was rasping and painful. "If I'm correct, I think that I ran across it in the archives many years ago when I was still in the academy."
Kyoraku laughed. "That probably means it's in one of the restricted sections."
Ukitake had the good graces to keep silent.
Surprisingly, it was Retsu Unohana, Captain of the 4th division who spoke. "Tenjin Mochizuki was one of the first kido experts of the Soul Society." Her face remained serene as she spoke. "He did ground-breaking research in healing kido, as well as bakudo and hado. However…" she paused delicately. "I believe that his research extended into some less acceptable realms, and he was sentenced to death. Much of his work disappeared."
Yamamoto looked rather surprised. "And how do you know this, Captain Unohana?"
The woman smiled modestly. "I stumbled across some of his research while looking for a cure for Captain Ukitake's condition. I'm afraid I found him to be rather interesting, and did some investigating. However, I couldn't find much. As I said, most of his work was destroyed."
"I see…" Yamamoto sighed. "If this book was in the possession of Aizen, it is most likely safe to assume that it contains information which would be dangerous to the Soul Society. Ukitake, Kyoraku."
"Yes, sir," both captains responded.
"I am placing you in charge of finding more information about this Tenjin Mochizuki. Report what you discover to me directly." The head captain stepped forward.
"Captain Kurotsuchi, you will be in charge of trying to translate the material that is in this book. You will submit frequent, detailed reports updating me on your progress."
The 12th division captain looked like he had just heard Christmas was coming early. A huge grin spread across his face, making his already unnatural appearance even more grotesque and unsettling. "Yes sir. And Head Captain…"
"What is it?" Yamamoto was suspicious.
Kurotsuchi couldn't help but wiggle his fingers in anticipation. "After the espada is healed… perhaps I could do some tests on him? Perhaps, perform some experiments? We might gain valuable information from such ventures." He hissed slightly, letting his excitement slip through.
Yamamoto paused. Captain Kurotsuchi was known for his… unconventional methods. Although he was frequently allowed free rein due to his genius, it was possible that he might kill the espada with some twisted experiment.
"I will consider your request," he answered finally. "After he has been properly healed."
"Thank you, sir." Kurotsuchi's smile stretched even wider.
Looking across from him, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11 almost swore he could see him drooling with eagerness. 'Crazy bastard…' he thought to himself. All this talk of research and books and ancient scientists was boring as hell. Either there would be a battle, or there wouldn't. He didn't give a shit about much else.
Yamamoto gave some closing remarks, and then dismissed the captains. They all headed towards their separate divisions, each with their own thoughts about the new events taking place. It wasn't long before all the divisions were buzzing with the news – the sexta espada had been caught carrying a book that had belonged to Sosuke Aizen.
Before long the rumors spiraled upwards, becoming larger and larger, until it was said that the book Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez was carrying contained magic spells and secrets of life and death. This was the rumor Rukia Kuchiki heard from an extremely enthusiastic Renji Abarai. Shutting her soul phone, she hopped off Ichigo Kurosaki's bed, and faced the orange-haired soul reaper.
"So? What was all that about?" Ichigo leaned back in his desk chair and crossed his arms behind his head. "I could hear that idiot yelling all the way over here."
Rukia frowned slightly before she answered Ichigo's question. The name 'Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez' brought back memories of a time when she had been seriously injured by the blue haired espada, and Ichigo had almost been killed.
"You remember Grimmjow?" she knew it was a stupid question when she asked it. He wouldn't forget someone like that.
"Yeah." Ichigo's voice was cautious. "Why?"
"Captain Hitsugaya captured him a few days ago. He's in custody in the Soul Society. They found him carrying some book that's full of secrets about Aizen's power. Renji said it was a spell book or something. Apparently, it's in some unknown language." The short girl watched Ichigo's face for any expression.
"He's been… captured?" Ichigo looked a little disturbed by the news. Although Grimmjow terrified him and had sworn to kill him, had almost killed Rukia, and was a member of Aizen's army, he just couldn't fathom Grimmjow being a prisoner. He seemed too… wild. "Hmm…" Ichigo leaned forward over his desk again. "Did he have any news about Orihime?" He kept his eyes down as he asked the question.
Rukia knew the pain he was feeling. It had been a week since the girl had disappeared. She had been branded a traitor by the Soul Society, and was regarded as nothing more than trash. The only reason Ichigo hadn't gone bursting into Hueco Mundo after her, was Urahara's promise that she would be safe. The shopkeeper had assured them that if Aizen had taken her for a reason, she would be kept safe from harm until she served her purpose. It had been hard for Ichigo to accept, but…he had agreed. He would wait a while before he made any rash decisions. It still hurt though. He couldn't protect her.
"No." Rukia's voice was soft. "You know that she's going to be okay though, Ichigo." She turned deep cobalt eyes to him. "And if she's been gone too long… we'll go rescue her. Together." She smiled.
Ichigo felt the warmth in the smile, and relaxed a little. He had faith in his friends. And he knew he could trust Rukia.
"So… You're saying he had some spell book in some weird language that belonged to Aizen?" The substitute soul reaper blinked. "Why the hell would he have that?"
Rukia shrugged. "No idea. Renji's going to keep me updated. I guess we'll just have to wait and find out."
xxxxx One Week Later xxxxx
Grimmjow snarled at the man standing in front of him. He fucking hated the freak, with his golden eyes and white skin. He hated that he was a captive, he hated that he was being forced to endure that bastard's tests and experiments, and he fucking hated the truth serum he was being injected with. When he got loose… he was going to kill him.
Kurotsuchi made a note on a clipboard and looked at the espada. After one week, he had finally developed a strain of truth serum that would work on him. He had been making steady progress in that department… but he couldn't make anything out of that blasted book. No matter how many programs he ran it through, it came out gibberish. Kurotsuchi was getting frustrated. And he was going to take it out on the subject in front of him.
"Now…" he said smoothly, "Where were we? Oh yes, you were going to tell me how you got a hold of that book."
"Fuck… you…" Grimmjow's eyes blazed.
"Now, now, no need to be rude." Kurotsuchi stepped forward and pressed a button beside him, which sent more green fluid down a tube into an IV that had been thrust into Grimmjow's arm. He watched the espada's face twist in pain. "Answer the question."
"I stole it… from Aizen…" Grimmjow was fighting to keep from answering. He was furious and in so much pain. But he couldn't help but respond. 'Damn… soul reaper…'
"Very good." Kurotsuchi made another note "Now, what are its contents?"
"Damned if I know." Even when exhausted, Grimmjow could still smirk. He raised his head up tiredly from where he was strapped down to the table. He could feel the sweat and dirt caked into his hair, and the trickles of blood down his arms from all the needles that had been inserted into his veins. "I just stole it 'cause I could. I don't even think Aizen knows what's in it."
Kurotsuchi's head came up. "That's very interesting…" he murmured to himself. "So does this mean that you defected from Aizen's army?"
"Damn straight…" Grimmjow muttered. His strength was failing. The sedatives were kicking back in, and his vision was going hazy. Gods, he ached everywhere. "Got nowhere to go…"
The captain of Squad 12 gave a deviant smile. The espada was very interesting indeed. Yamamoto had ordered that he be kept alive, and Kurotsuchi was going to follow that order. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to get as much from the espada as he could. Turning around he left the room, shut the heavy door, and bolted it behind him. Inside the lights went out, leaving Grimmjow in darkness.
Through the numbness, Grimmjow felt hate. But also pain. And something like… loneliness. He was all alone again, in the dark.
xxxXXXxxx
Kurotsuchi finished his report and sent it to the Head Captain. Returning to his computer, he began working on the book again. He was going to crack the damn thing if it killed him. There was nothing that science couldn't solve, nothing. He just couldn't understand why the answer was eluding him…
xxxxxxxXXXXXxxxxxxx
"Still no luck with the translation," Rukia sighed as she shut her soul phone. Talking to Renji hadn't been very encouraging. It was believed (after extensive research by Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku) that the book was a lost publication by Mochizuki, containing descriptions and incantations of extremely high level, probably forbidden kido. There was hope that it would be useful, maybe even their ace in the hole, when it came to defeating Aizen. However… things weren't going smoothly.
"Why can't they give it to Urahara?" Ichigo asked, with a spoonful of cereal suspended between the bowl and his mouth. "The guy's a genius, right?"
"Yeah, but according to Renji, Captain Kurotsuchi can't crack it using any formulas or equations. That probably means Urahara can't either." She propped her chin on her hand. "This book could be the key to defeating Aizen and his espada."
"How do you figure out a new language anyways?" Ichigo muttered, staring darkly at his spoon. 2 weeks since Orihime's kidnapping… He wanted to get her back and if that book would help… he wanted it to be readable. Now.
"You hire a translator or linguist, of course!" Yuzu's sweet voice piped up, breaking into their conversation.
"Huh…?" Ichigo looked confused.
"You asked how you figure out a new language! You hire someone who knows languages!" Yuzu laughed. "Silly Ichi, don't you know that?"
Rukia looked thoughtful. "You know… that might actually work. I wonder if we know any…"
"I do!" Yuzu laughed again. "And I know the best."
"Yuzu…" Ichigo was tired. "Now really isn't the time to-"
"Shut up, Ichigo." Karin walked into the room behind her twin. "If you paid attention to what's going on around you more, you'd know that we really do know a translator."
"Who? And how?" Rukia was curious.
"We had a speaker at school last week. Some kid in our class is obsessed with Greek mythology (he's really strange) and wrote a letter to the foremost classicist in the world. She's pretty young; apparently she's a prodigy. She travels around giving lectures and teaching and stuff. Anyways, he asked her to come speak to us, and she wrote back saying that she'd love to." Karin shrugged. "She showed up last week. Spoke fluent Japanese and everything. The teacher said she's a language genius, she can learn anything really fast. She's fluent in about 6 or 7, I think."
Cobalt eyes sparkled. "You know… that might work."
"What? Hire just some regular person to translate… Are you out of your mind?" Ichigo was staring at his short companion.
"Karin, what's her name? Do you know some way we can contact her?" Rukia leaned forward.
"Sure!" Yuzu disappeared around the corner for a moment and came back. "I have her card! She and I really hit it off, she left me her number and address and said I should stop by if I ever need help with schoolwork or anything. You should meet her, she's really amazing."
Rukia and Ichigo both looked at the small business card Yuzu laid on the table. "Weird…" Ichigo muttered. "She's Irish."
"Irish?" Rukia asked.
"Yeah. Check out her name." He pointed to the card, and they read it out loud together. "Erin Gallagher."
To Be Continued…
Yay! There's the end of Chapter 1. I hope you liked it! Please please please R&R. I'll give you COOKIES. (In spirit.)
Next chapter will be up soon!
-Aeilyn Montgomery