Title: Already Over
Author: Eloni
Series: Bleach
Pairing: Grimmjow/Neliel
Rating: T
Summary: GrimmNel two-shot.
Note: The GrimmNel FC Bleach Asylum (see link on my profile) is holding a GrimmNel festival and is looking for any and every kind of fanwork regarding the pairing. The entries can be posted till 6th March. This two-shot is for this festival.
Disclaimer: I don´t own a thing.
She looks up from her book as the large folding door creaks on its hinges and opens with a tired groan. The dim light of the corridor pours into the throne room in a thick ray, illuminating the path to the foot of the throne.
Six shadows enter, soon followed by their owners. She can easily make out five large silhouettes but the sixth one is almost unnoticeable among the larger bodies of its companions.
The figures move slowly, almost hesitantly toward the throne where the self proclaimed God awaited them with a pleased smile on his face. He remains seated, a safe distance away from the six Adjuchas. They are not a threat to him but they didn´t need to know that; let them keep the feeling of equality for a little longer.
The God greets them with kind words and refined manners, only to receive harsh insults from the smallest one of the hollows. Even though they keep their reiatsu in check, just by looking at their size, it´s easily notable that the panther-like hollow is a lot stronger than his companions. He, apparently, undertook leading their small group for that reason.
Aizen-sama doesn´t lose his patience. He explains everything with a small smirk on his face; why they were called there - "You forced us with that damned sword of yours!" the panther interrupts angrily -, why he wants them to serve him, how he will grant them power, glory and invincibility.
That last part seems to catch their leader´s attention but he is still wary, distrustful. Aizen-sama stands up from his throne and walks down to them at a comfortable pace, his words sounding clearly and strongly in the room.
What he says seems to shatter whatever resolve is left in any of them to not bend to his will. They exchange glances, the silence suddenly heavy, almost deadly in the air.
"Fine." Comes the curt answer to Aizen-sama´s question - no, it wasn´t a question, it was an order from the very beginning -, the hollow voice of the feline tinted with malice and barely noticeable resignation. He steps forward but one of his companions, a skinny figure with fingers like scissors, stops him.
Nel feels something akin to fleeting gladness and approval as the weaker Adjuchas expresses worry for their leader. What if something is up with that self-proclaimed God´s offer? What if something goes wrong during his transformation? Aizen-sama did state that they would be the very first ones who the Hogyoku is used on. It has never been tested before and they can´t afford to lose their leader.
The panther resists the other´s wise words, saying he is not a coward. However, he is rendered silent after a seemingly repeat performance of a speech about him being their king and how he is needed for their group.
"Do whatever you want." He growls and turns away; slowly walking toward where she is sitting in the dark.
The light of the transformation shines up in the background and it envelops the large frame of the Adjuchas. The panther doesn´t even spare it a glance. He walks up to her and lies on the hard ground close to her legs, ignoring her completely.
She watches him for a few more minutes before turning her gaze back to her book. He will be a strong one, maybe not Espada level but definitely strong, bearing the power, grace and arrogance of the king he claims to be. He can´t be all that bad of a leader either, if the unusually large number of followers was any indication. One with an unbearable personality could only manage to keep one or so people around them, one who is able to tolerate what most people can´t. She can easily see that he doesn´t consider them friends either; their conversation was not that of friends but that of a leader and followers.
She can also foresee that he will have to learn the hard way how to obey Aizen-sama ... if he will ever learn it, that is. She chuckles at that; he hasn´t been here for ten minutes yet he has already disobeyed and opposed Aizen-sama.
"What´s so funny?" comes the growl from somewhere around her feet and she peers over the edge of her book to look at the hollow.
"You are not exactly a tame one, are you?"
The Adjuchas snorts and turns his head away from her.
"I´m just not like those fools who willingly bow to bastards like him."
The previous mirth slowly faints from Nel´s eyes, her tone becoming more serious.
"Aizen-sama has worked hard to transform this animal kingdom into something more civilised."
"And how did that help us? He collected a bunch of hollows to the same place and put them in human clothes so now we can kill shinigami and each other in a more civilised way."
Her brows furrow and she puts her book down, the mood to continue reading completely lost.
"The point of `civilised´ is to not fight and kill each other without a reason."
The hollow snorts again, his piercing blue eyes meeting her own cold gaze.
"It´s the natural order of things. They are shinigami and we are hollows. We´ve been fighting each other for thousands of years. You don´t need any other reason to fight. Same goes for us hollows. We kill each other to evolve and get to the top of the food chain. It´s only natural."
The Tercera´s expression changes to that of distaste and she turns her head away.
"This is why I follow Aizen-sama. He can change that instinctual conception."
The panther lets out an acrimonious chuckle.
"Sure, keep telling that to yourself. You are just chasing a utopia. That man is not God, no matter what he thinks, and he can´t change the world."
Before she could retort, the hollow gets up and walks toward the throne. The transformation of the first Adjuchas is apparently finished and went without any trouble. The panther spares only one glance to his now human-shaped comrade before stepping in his place.
Nel´s eyes narrow as light engulfs the feline´s body. On one hand she feels pity for him for thinking that way; on the other hand she hopes after he is transformed, his human emotions will override his instincts. That is the only thing keeping her in the throne room - to see if he changes his mind after he regains more of his human consciousness.
When the light finally disappears after what seemed an eternity, she feels her hopes slowly slip away.
Despite his now human body, he still manages to maintain a feral look. In fact, he almost looks more brutish this way. She doesn´t even spare a glance to the rippling muscles or the way his tan skin glistens wetly in the dim light - that´s something the lowlier of the female Arrancar would revel in -; her attention is automatically drawn to his face. It may be his sadistic grin, the sharp mask attached to his jaw that seems to snarl and grin along with its owner, or the crazed glint in his eyes... either way, she knows that this man is not someone who she could reason with. She sighs and closes her book, getting up from her seat. She better just look for her fracción than waste time here.
"Hey, woman."
She stops and looks back at him, waiting patiently till a servant Arrancar helps a simple white yukata on the otherwise still naked man. "My name is Neliel and I expect you to use it in the future." she says in a monotone tone.
The teal haired man is grinning at her while he is fastening the sash around his waist.
"I don´t feel any different.," he says once he is done, spreading his arms, the satisfied grin still plastered on his face.
She knows exactly what he means; no human emotions have returned to him and he thinks it proves his earlier argument right.
She closes her eyes and turns away, walking toward the exit.
"But you still have the chance, Doceavo Arrancar."
As she leaves the hall, she can hear his grin turning into a snarl and his teeth grinding together.
***
He rarely sees her anymore; though it´s true he doesn´t actually look for her. She is an Espada with her own quarters while he mostly resides in the complex designed for the Numeros. Sometimes he sees her from afar, walking under an archway or stepping out of the corridor that leads to the meeting hall.
He soon forgets about her existence though as more and more hollows are transformed into Arrancar and more and more Numeros arrive. There are people who he can finally fight against, not just his weak companions who he has beaten many times before. Soon enough, his hollow instincts take over and he is fighting to get to the top of the food chain again. He is aiming to become an Espada.
The news that one of the current Espada mysteriously disappeared only makes him grin victoriously. He sees a chance and doesn´t question the details.
A/N: Doceavo Arrancar is supposed to mean 12th Arrancar. I hope I didn´t screw up the translation.
Second part of the two-shot will be uploaded... when I'm done with Hopefully before 6th March.