True to his violent nature, when Grimmjow woke in the hospital bed, he did so with a loud yell and jerked fully into the sitting position before the reality of the pain hit him, knocking down instruments and yanking out IVs and EKG pads in the process.
"Shit." he groaned, feeling the full weight of his injuries. The room was spinning, he felt the bile coming and just managed to flop his battered body half over the plastic railing before heaving his guts onto the floor. It was an incredibly painful process, every heave straining the most tender part of his body: the deep gash and burn under his ribs.
Some people were there but he couldn't really see them, he was just clinging desperately to that plastic rail until the heaving ended. Then, when it stopped, his head sunk and he felt himself slipping again. Someone put a cold hand on his back and guided him into a more comfortable position. He thought he got a glimpse of orange before everything turned black.
"You going to puke again?"
Grimmjow's eyes had opened but he was still waiting for all the other senses to kick in. Hearing was among the last.
"Wh-what?" he tried to ask, but his throat was raw and his voice hoarse. He rolled his head to the side, feeling pain with even this movement, and locked eyes with the boy who was once his mortal enemy. Ichigo pushed a button and Grimmjow felt himself raising up, the bed folding on itself until he was closer to a sitting position and he could better drink the water handed to him.
He hadn't realized being human could hurt this much– and since he was trapped in his gigai, he pretty much was human. Ichigo watched him drink the water then took it back. Grimmjow dropped his arm beside him again and closed his eyes.
"Grimmjow?"
"Mmhmm?"
"I...I don't even know where to start."
"I don't know."
"What?"
"Whatever question you were going to ask, I don't know. I haven't been to Hecuo Mundo in five years, haven't taken one single order from Aizen. Hell, I was even naive enough to think I'd actually escaped that Son of a Bitch. So whatever it is, I don't know."
Ichigo was still stunned, but eventually he found his words. "I thought you were dead."
"Disappointed huh?" Grimmjow's eyes were still closed but a small smile touched his bruised lips.
"Relieved."
At this Grimmjow did open his eyes. "What?"
"I thought you died after our fight in Hecuo Mundo. Either from your wounds or Aizen had you killed. In any case, it would have been my fault."
Grimmjow couldn't manage to come up with a response to this so he didn't try.
"So you ran away?" Ichigo continued after a moment. "And went to university?"
"Yep, pretty much sums it up."
"I don't get it."
"I hated Aizen, I needed to learn about your world to live in it. Simple."
"Except now three espada are after you."
"Yeah, you don't happen to be packing a few soul candies do you?"
"Like I'd set you lose on the world."
"I have been, for five years, have you seen any news stories about a blue haired psycho?"
Ichigo had no answer.
"Exactly. You've got nothing to worry about, it's those bastards who are going to pay." he tried to sit up but Ichigo's hand pressed him back and even if he hadn't, the pain was too great. It took a him a few minutes to recover, but when he did it was his turn to question Ichigo.
"What are you doing here? I was sure you'd go to university at Karakura."
"I do, but I play soccer and my team was playing yours this weekend. We just bused in today."
"Oh."
"I can't believe you've been in the world of the living all this time."
"I can't believe I didn't learn English and move off this rock." He rolled his head away from Ichigo but the boy could still see his reflection in the window. Most of his expression was hidden behind the swelling, cuts and bruises on his face but he was sure he read a deeper pain there.
"What did they want from you?"
"I don't know." the other's voice was uncharacteristically quiet and thoughtful. "They said they wanted my espada number...whatever the hell that means. They beat me half to death but then..."
"That bus. I saw Ulquiorra stop it to save you. They need you alive."
"I can't imagine why unless Aizen wants to kill me himself." His fist clenched and then his hand reached up to the bundle of cathodes and yanked them off. The machine they were attached to began beeping in alarm but Grimmjow ignored it and the pain as he sat up.
"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked, shutting off the alarm.
"You know they'll be back. Give me a soul candy and get outta here."
"Wait, Grimmjow!" Grimmjow swung his legs over the bed but he was forced to stop there and wait for the pain to pass, or at least lessen some. Ichigo watched him breathing hard, the pants mixed with the occasional sharp intake of pain the espada couldn't suppress.
"Shit." he breathed finally. He was wearing the white hospital t-shirt and scrub pants and soon sweat was seeping through. He put one bare foot against the cool tile but Ichigo intervened.
"You can't."
"I told you, they'll find me."
"You have no spiritual pressure right now."
"Ulqiorra's not stupid, he'll figure out where they brought me. Why did you bring me here anyway?"
"I didn't, some girl called the police and the ambulance picked you up. She came to see you by the way."
"Oh."
"Is she your friend?"
"Kid, we don't have time for chitchat, give me a friggin' soul candy now!"
"I can't."
"Look, I know you have no reason to believe me, but I don't care about what happened five years ago and I'm not going to go killing people. I just lost mine so I need yours."
"No, Grimmjow, I can't because I don't have any."
"Okay, whatever, use your badge thing on me then."
"No I can't do that either?"
"Why the hell not?"
"I can never become a Soul Reaper again." Grimmjow stared at him for a moment before sitting back on the bed a little bit.
"What do you mean?"
"After the battle with Aizen, my inner hollow got out of control. I don't even remember driving Aizen back into Heuco Mundo, I lost nearly a whole month of my life, I just couldn't get back from the hollow state. Even when my body transformed back, the hollow was fighting me inside. When I woke up, that first battle was over, I thought you were dead, and I had missed most of first semester at school. The Head Captain told me I can never go back into soul form because I will most likely become a hollow again. A lot of people got hurt because of me, I can't take that risk again."
"Shit. So we're the only ones on this side of the country, with three espada on our assess and no powers to speak of. We are so screwed."
"When did this become 'we'?"
"You're right." Grimmjow shoved himself to his feet and though a tremor of pain shot up his body he managed to stay upright.
"Grimmjow."
"Get outta here kid, that's what I plan to do." He took a few cautious steps but couldn't quite let got of the plastic rail along the bed.
"Grimmjow."
"I said–"
"I'm not going to just leave you. But I just have to know you've changed."
"I haven't changed, Ichigo. I'm just not interested in that life anymore. And I have no interest in hurting your precious humans."
"Grimmjow, if that's not change I don't know what is."
He just sighed but as he took his next step his knee buckled and Ichigo caught him under the arms.
"Lay back down would ya?" Grimmjow grabbed the side of the bed and when he knew he couldn't stand on his own any longer he complied and rolled back onto the sheets, breathing hard.
"I'll get a wheel chair and we'll sneak out. Just wait here."
"Mhmmm." Grimmjow was still swallowing the pain. Ichigo only got a couple of feet however, when the ceiling directly above Grimmjow's bed began to crack. He only noticed when dry dust rained down on him. A second later the ceiling erupted, chunks of plaster and concrete hailed down but something much heavier landed on his bed.
Ichigo watched in horror as the massive form of Yammy appeared, straddling the bed, one giant foot on each of the plastic railings. The metal legs collapse but everything disappeared as the added weight and spiritual pressure became too much for the floor and Grimmjow, the bed and Yammy all vanished as the tiles shattered and they fell through to the next story. Ichigo felt the trembling of the building and knew that they wouldn't stop until they hit the bottom. He ran as fast as he could to the nearest stairwell.
Grimmjow only realized just what had happened when they hit the ground floor. He was still in his bed, unharmed except for the dirt that covered him, but the bed was now only an inch off the ground and looming above him was the massive form of Yammy. From what little he could see beyond the first espada, he could also see that they were in the lobby and that Ulquiorra and Nnoitra were calmly waiting for them.
Grimmjow couldn't even find words to express first his shock at what had just happened, and then his rage at the three.
"That kid, Kurosaki was with him." Yammy said to his partners, reaching down for the man trapped beneath him. Grimmjow couldn't help flinch and try to roll away from the fat fist but there was no where to go and he was pulled to his feet. After his hands had been bound, Yammy let him go, and he promptly fell to his knees.
"He can't walk, Yammy, that's why he was in a bed. And what about Ichigo Kurosaki?" Ulquiorra began moving toward the slumped Grimmjow when a human interfered. Grimmjow had only been mildly aware of their hysteria but it seemed one or two had come to their senses.
Ulquiorra had been restraining his and the other's riatsu but now an annoyed flair escaped and the human near him gasped. Once Ulquiorra had contained himself again, the man went straight to Grimmjow's side and two others dressed similarly joined him.
"Sir, are you alright?" The man looked down in utter confusion at the bonds around Grimmjow's wrists.
Grimmjow glanced hastily between the humans and the espada.
"Just get out of here." he growled.
"Sir, please stay calm, did you sustain any injuries in the fall?"
"I told you to get back!" But it was too late. Nnoitra lashed out with his crescent blade and the man before Grimmjow doubled over, blood spewing from his middle. The other two humans screamed in horror and the spectators ran from the invisible threat.
One of the two, a doctor, made to help Grimmjow stand. Yammy was aiming a deadly punch right at her, one she couldn't see. Instinctively, Grimmjow pushed her down with his shoulder. Unfortunately for the nurse who had been hesitating behind them, he received the blow instead and was sent flying, probably dead or brain damaged.
"Run." Grimmjow urged the girl but Yammy wasn't about to give them the chance. He aimed another punch at them, one that just barely missed the doctor as Grimmjow shoved her out of the way. In frustration, Yammy swatted at the two as they struggled to their feet and hit Grimmjow with a stunning backhand. The girl fell too, knocked over by the man who was trying to save her. Yammy grinned and aimed his final blow.
Ulquiorra yelled something but all was lost in a cloud of white, cold, fumes. Yammy reeled back from the unexpected attack, even Nnoitra flinched, but Uluqiorra just stood and watched. He wasn't sure what kind of device this was, but it was not spiritual. Anything the humans could throw at them could hardly be a threat.
"Nnoitra." he ordered. The tall arrancar walked into the mist but there was a dull thud and a holler of alarm and he stumbled back a second later. The fumes dissipated and an orange haired young man stood facing them, the empty fire extinguisher now his only weapon.
"So, the human soul reaper is still alive? We were wondering what happened to you, we'd heard you'd turned hollow." Nnoitra sneered and before Ichigo could react he had sodinoed behind him. "Did you really think your little human tricks would be enough?"
"No, but I couldn't just stand here and do nothing."
"You can't seriously be concerned about him?" They both turned their attention to Grimmjow who was spitting blood and struggling to stay conscious. Ichigo didn't know the answer to the question so he said nothing. Thin fingers wrapped around in front of him and came to rest on his neck.
"Wait, Nnoitra, Aizen expressed interest in him. I believe it would please our master if he was captured alive."
Ichigo heard a hiss of annoyance but the hand snaked away.
"Take him. Yammy, get Grimmjow." Ulquiorra turned to open the Garganta as Yammy picked up Grimmjow who weakly struggled back but was held firmly in place by two thick arms and a massive body at his back. His eyes briefly found Ichigo who was now being restrained and pushed forward by Nnoitra, but then Grimmjow's head lolled to the side to eye the slow forming cracks in space.
"Get them through." Ulquiorra stepped back but then his normally passive eyes widened in clear shock. "Nnoitra!" The name barely escaped his lips before Ichigo was flying through space feeling searing heat at his back. When he landed, he looked back to see nothing but the ashen stumps of the espada's feet and a wall of flames. From their midst stepped the white haired, ancient master of the Soul Reapers.
"Head Captain Yamamoto!" Ichigo cried in relief though his back still throbbed from a very close encounter with his bankai.
"You bastard!" Yammy cried, hurling Grimmjow to the ground next to Ichigo.
"There will be no escape for you two." Yamamoto declared. Ichigo saw that the Garganta had closed and it seemed Ulquiorra was perturbed by this fact. Evidently it had not been him who had closed it.
"I have learned how to close off the walls of this universe, just as your master tried to trap us in Heuco Mundo five years ago. You will not escape my flames! Stay down, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Ichigo did what he said, leaning over a now unconscious Grimmjow.
The commander lashed out at the two espada. Yammy's incredible spiritual pressure hammered down on them and protected him from the flames. Ulquiorra was protected also in their wake, but did not look like he intended on fighting.
"This is a battle we cannot win." Ichigo heard him say to Yammy who was feeling the uncomfortable heat of the flames increasing with every second.
"What does he mean the walls are closed? We can get back right?"
Ulquiorra waved a hand through the air but shook his head. "No, he has indeed trapped us."
"Then what do we do?"
"There is a simple way out, though cowardly. I have not had to resort to this since I was a mere hollow."
"Oh, that." Yammy sighed and glanced at the two on the ground. Ichigo realized what was about to happen but was unable to move for fear of getting caught in the blaze.
"Head Cap–" His call was cut short as he was slammed into at brutal speed by Ulquiorra. The espada had Sodinoed right into him, not to kill him, but to grab him as fast as he could to dodge the flames. One instant they saw the Head Captian, the next they were in darkness.
"I thought the walls were closed." he managed to gasp when the shock had worn off.
"We are only in a sub dimension of the world of the living. Hollows use them all the time to move about unseen, while still able to look into the rest of the dimension. I'm sure you have encountered this trick before."
Ichigo had not, but he had heard of the hollow Captain Hitsugaya and Rangiku had fought. It had caused a lot of trouble.
"What do we do now?" Yammy asked.
"Get far away and cover our riatsu. With nothing to trace, it will take them a long time to find us."
"But they will eventually."
"No. If they could permanently close the walls to this world, they would have. It must only be temporary. We'll just have to wait it out for now." He spoke no more and sped off into the endless darkness, Ichigo drug along beside him.
Sorry it took so long to update but I had no internet for over a week!
