Sui-Feng and her Lieutenant Omaeda Marechiyo approached the bars of the holding cell.
During the fallout known as the winter war, she had knocked an Arrancar unconsious. She didn't kill him, but the Head Captain had ordered that he be taken prisoner. And I'm the unlucky sap who gets to be his baby-sitter. I have more important things to be doing.
Sui-Feng tried her hardest to keep a straight face as she peered into the cell. At least a third of the space was engulfed in a shadow as black as night. She gave a firm nod to Omaeda who slammed his fist against the bars, rattling them with ease. "Oi? Wake up!"
The Captain felt a shifting presence from the darkness. A pair of golden eyes appeared, gleaming like a raging fire. "What do you want?" Honestly, Sui-Feng thought holding him hostage was pointless. After all, most of Aizen's army were dead, so what difference would another casualty make?
"I've decided to be nice today," Sui-Feng chimed, a smirk pulling at her face muscles, "Are you hungry?"
"No," the deep voice replied briskly, "I want to go back to sleep."
"Too bad," Omaeda snarled. Sui-Feng grit her teeth and jammed her elbow into his ribs. "Ow...!"
"Silence," she ordered, then focused back on the abyss. "Arrancar, perhaps you are thirsty?"
"No," he barked back. The eyes flicked into a high position. The Arrancar was most likely standing up now. "I just want to sleep. I'm tired."
Omaeda mumbled something under his breath and glanced nervously on the Special Forces guard standing completely still nearby.
Sui-Feng shrugged. "Suit yourself. I just came to check up on you." She turned abruptly, "Let's go, Omaeda." The Lieutenant sneered to the Arrancar before following his Captain to the door.
"Wait!" The Arrancar called. Sui-Feng paused. After a brief second the Arrancar continued, "You wanted to tell me something important, didn't you? I saw it in your eyes. Tell me the news."
Sui-Feng grinned faintly and strode back over to the cell. "I want to speak with our prisoner alone for a moment. Omaeda, Guard, show yourselves out."
The Guard bowed to her stiffly, obviously just as uncomfortable with the situation as Omaeda was, and slipped out the door. Omaeda bit his lower lip nervously. "But Cap'n..."
"Now!"
"Hai!" He yelped and was out the door faster than the Taiichou knew possible. She waited for the door to close before speaking to the prisoner.
"Ggio Vega, ex-Fraccion of Baraggan Luisenbarn the second Espada, am I wrong?"
Ggio Vega stepped from the shadows and crept over to the bars, getting close enough to almost press into them. "You're correct. But I am still his majesty's Fraccion."
"You can't serve under someone who's dead."
Ggio clentched on the bars, hard. "Because you killed him!"
"You Arrancar are smarter than you look," Sui-Feng chidded. Ggio lashed his arm at her but she was just out of range of his reach. She wagged her head. "And very tempermental."
"Bitch..." Ggio muttered, withdrawing back into the shadows of his cell. He couldn't do anything - inside the cell his spirit energy was reduced to almost nothing and his Zanpakuto was across the room - not in the cell, obviously.
Sui-Feng went over to the bars and pressed her face against the slick metal. "I know you want out, Arrancar, but you can't. Trust me, I find the meaning of you being trapped here utterly pointless."
"That makes two of us," Ggio shot back, sprawling out on his bed. He folded his arms over his stomach and settled.
The Captain frowned. "You know something? I like your abilities."
"Hm?" Ggio flicked his glare onto her. Confusion crossed his features. "What does that have to with anything...?"
"I can use you. Which reminds me, that's why I came here. Ggio Vega, I want you to join the Special Forces."
Ggio sat up almost instantly. "With you? As if! I would rather kill myself than become a Shinigami."
Sui-Feng forced a smile. "I knew you would say something around that. I'll make you a deal... join the Special Forces and get your freedom back."
"Freedom?" Ggio retorted and got up, storming over to her. She cautiously backed away as he neared. "As free as a mutt on a damned leash! You won't let me go that easily! I'm going to be part of your petty squad and get freedom? Yeah right."
"I'm afraid you're correct on this one - you can't leave. You're going to be nothing more than an outcast, but I'm not complaining."
"I am."
"I believe you have some remarkable skills that can come in handy for the 2nd Division. I think I can use you. But there's a catch."
"You say it like I care."
She ignored his brash remark. "You won't go anywhere without me, you won't have a seated position - but I'll make you of higher regard than my lieutenant, don't tell him I told you this - nor will you have the same clothes; I'll try so you can stand out. In order to actually be accepted you must pass a series of tests that I will design myself. Once you become one of us... No, I don't wish to do that to you. You can still be referred to as Arrancar."
"I wouldn't want it any other way."
"But know this now: if you try anything my - and every other Shinigami's - next move will be to hang your head on a mantel piece. Am I clear?"
"Hai, oh and one more thing, did that Old Taiichou aprove of this?"
"He doesn't know... yet."
Ggio arched an eyebrow. "What if I deny you?"
She shrugged, "It's up to you. Join us or stay in this cell for the rest of eternity. Your call. I'll give you some time to think about this. I'll return tomorrow, and you had better have an answer." With that she twisted around. "Have a nice 24 hours thinking, Ggio Vega."
"Sui-Feng," He dead-panned to her back and watched her leave.
A pang of bitter resentment twisted his gut. This wasn't going to be fun.
Rewritten ch1 of the original Never Meant to Belong story I did years back. Enjoy :)
