Coming here is an extremely reckless and frankly rash decision, but there is nothing else he can think to do to ease his troubled mind.
Cobrynx studies the darkened building laid out in front of him, gnawing on his bottom lip.
Well, it is too late to just turn back now.
He glides smoothly up into the cool night air and peers into one of the darkened windows.
It doesn't take Cobrynx long to spot his prey for tonight, with his back to him, laid on a single bed.
The Kurosaki boy is covered from head to toe in white bandages, and wearing nothing but a pair of loose shorts, his breathing slow and heavy, so Cobrynx assumes he is sound asleep.
Cobrynx gently nudges the window open, thankful when it doesn't let out a loud creak, creeping into the quiet room.
Hmm, so this is how humans live?
He strides around the single bed and skims his fingers across the metallic desk, enjoying the coolness soaking into his fingertips.
And what is this machine placed on the desk?
He taps at some square buttons located on a board also placed on the desk, but nothing comes onto the black screen in front of him.
So very strange.
SMACK
Something rather soft hits him in the side of the face, and he blinks, but reacts quickly enough to catch hold of what dared strike him, holding it out in front of him in the air.
The yellow creature wriggles in his grip, as he prods at it's stomach, which is rather squishy.
"You think you can just waltz into Ichigo's room huh! I'll show you!"
It tries to kick out at him with a soft paw, but Cobrynx grabs it's leg before it makes contact.
"Stop that, before I pull one of your limbs off."
The creature merely huffs at him, and continues to struggle furiously in his grip.
"YOU!"
Ah, Kurosaki is awake now then.
Cobrynx turns towards the bed, seeing Ichigo gritting his teeth in an effort to drag himself up off the bed.
Such a fool, he will only aggravate his injuries from Yammy further.
"Why are you trying to get up? You are far too injured right now."
The boy grunts, sweat shining on his forehead.
"Why? Maybe because there's a freakin arrancar in my room! Why haven't you killed me already?"
Cobrynx frowns deeply, and tosses the still squirming creature in his hold over to the other side of the room.
"Kill you? I am not here to kill you."
Kurosaki stills his movements instantly, staring up at him with those wide chocolate eyes.
"Wait, you're not? Then...why are you here?"
Cobrynx picks up the long board with all the buttons on, examining it curiously.
"What is the use of this?"
Kurosaki blinks up at him as if Cobrynx has suddenly sprouted two heads.
"That's...a keyboard, it's to type stuff into my computer..."
Cobrynx hums in acknowledgement and places it back down on the desk.
"I see, human technology has really advanced as of late."
"Dude, you're seriously weird."
Kurosaki seems to now relax a little, leaning back on the wall behind his bed.
"I am weird for being curious?"
"Well...don't arrancar just want to kill and maim people, you are hollows still, right?"
Oh, Cobrynx understands now.
"Most of them yes, although I seem to be an exception. Unnecessary conflict rather bores me, I would much prefer to fill my time with knowledge, especially about this world."
"Oh...so that's why you're here? I don't really get why you came to me though..."
Cobrynx tugs the chair out from underneath the desk and sits down on it, folding his arms across his chest and crossing his legs.
"I have had no interactions with the humans of this world, apart from you and that girl I saved, so why not you?"
Kurosaki huffs, scratching at the bandages wrapped tightly around his chest.
"You came to attack my friends with those other arrancar."
"Yes, I am still an arrancar under Aizen's command, after all."
"Then how about we make a deal?"
Now this has his interest piqued.
"What sort of deal do you have in mind, Kurosaki?"
"Well, I'll help you learn more about this world and humanity in general, as long as you tell me things about Las Noches in return."
Oh, clever boy.
Cobrynx chuckles heartily, pushing a stray strand of hair from his eyes.
"You think I will put my thirst for knowledge over the arrancar and Aizen?"
Kurosaki nibbles on his bottom lip, then gives him a small shrug, wincing from the movement.
"Because you would be right."
Kurosaki visibly blanches, obviously taken a back by his words.
"What? You're joking, right?"
"No, I am not. I cannot stand the other arrancar and their ways, and as for Aizen..."
Cobrynx trails off, but his intentions are clear.
"Well, shit."
"So, tell me more about this computer, what exactly is its function?"
"I can tell this is gonna be a long night."
Cobrynx finds it quite humorous that the Kurosaki boy managed to fall right asleep in the middle of explaining how this thing called the internet works.
Prying his eyes away from the snoozing figure drooped over the edge of the bed, which is now snoring lightly, Cobrynx notices that it is beginning to come light again outside.
Although the boy managed to pry some small bits of information out of Cobrynx about the other espada, he chose to change the subject when he probed towards Aizen.
He is guessing the boy was far to tired to object fully, as he only grunted and continued on with his own stories.
That peculiar squishy creature is still staring at him from the corner of the room, but it hasn't moved or spoken since he threw it there.
Well, he might as well take his leave, he can't learn anything from the boy if he's asleep, now can he?
Cobrynx gets off the chair and quietly heads back out through the ajar window, getting himself into the nearest deserted dark alleyway and opening a garganta back to Las Noches.
Exhausted now himself, Cobrynx flops down on his bed on his stomach, his heavy eyelids drooping closed.
Knock Knock
He groans, pushing himself to sit back up.
"Who is it?"
"Lord Aizen."
Swallowing thickly, he unseals the door.
Aizen strides in, but Cobrynx is surprised to see he is alone. Usually one of his captains is glued to his side, so this is very peculiar indeed.
It sends unwelcome shivers down Cobrynx's spine.
Arms behind his back, Aizen looms over the anxious Cobra.
"Only just getting back to your quarters, Cobrynx?"
"Yes, Lord Aizen."
Something is extremely out of place here.
"Oh? Ulquiorra has told me all about your more frequent visits to the real world."
Cobrynx grits his teeth to stop himself lashing out. Why can't Ulquiorra just keep some things to himself?
"Why do you chose to visit there so much?"
Cobrynx tugs on the ends of his long sleeves, most likely a nervous action, shuffling back slightly on the bed.
"I merely enjoy watching and exploring the human world, that is all."
"So, why is it that you spent last night in Ichigo Kurosaki's home?"
Cobrynx's mouth gapes open before he can stop it.
How could Aizen possibly know...
"I had Ulquiorra follow you. I made sure that his reiatsu was suppressed, as to not alert you of his presence, just as you make sure to suppress yours on your little visits."
Cobrynx's blood starts to simmer in his veins.
Of course Ulquiorra would only be all to willing to betray him to the likes of Aizen, he should have known better.
Sighing heavily, Cobrynx lets his head fall forward into his hands, because he knows exactly what is coming next.
"Tell me, are you willing to accept your punishment, Cobrynx?"
"Yes."
Fear coils inside of Cobrynx's stomach as he hear's Aizen lean in closer to him, but he will be damned if he allows the 'Lord' the satisfaction of hearing his screams.
Shaking, whether it is from blood loss or shock, or possibly a combination of both, he is not sure, Cobrynx secure's the newly stitched black patch over his left eye, finishing cleaning the crusted blood from his face.
It's time like these he's glad he does not keep a mirror in his quarters, he does not wish to see the damage.
Running a slender finger gently down the patch, he hiss's low in his throat, grinding his teeth together.
He is not sure if his eye will heal itself over time, it might be far to damaged for that. His sight has almost completely gone dark in it, rendering it rather useless to him now.
Discarding the now dirty wash cloth, his fist suddenly connects with the white washed wall, flakes of the wall scattering to the floor.
He gasps, surprised at his lack of control over his own rage, and watches as black blood starts to seep down his knuckles.
The wall itself is cracked, but from the moment he arrived he has poured his own reiatsu into them, hardening them up immensely. He did not want any of the arrancar brutes to come barging their way into his territory.
Retracting his stinging hand, he cradles it against his chest.
It's time he had a word with an old friend.
But before he does, he fumbles around in the drawer and retrieves his one and only keepsake, shoving it into the coat of his now rather blood stained uniform.
He also quickly retrieves some spare bandages and secures them around his damaged knuckles, he doesn't want to get even more blood everywhere, does he?
Well, not his own at least.
Just as he thought, his friend is here, relaxing in his own quarters with that wretched brute once again.
His reaistu is sealing the door, but Cobrynx's is far superior, whether he is injured or not, and he break's the tall door down with a swift boot to it.
His now bandaged fist is shoved into his pocket, as he enters the brightly lit room.
Yammy is staring down at him wide eyed, leaning back on one of the white washed walls, whereas Ulquiorra wears the same void look as he always does.
But Cobrynx knows.
He knows that Ulquiorra expected him to come searching for him.
Cobrynx nods curtly back towards the now messed up doorway to the room.
"Get out."
Yammy knows the venom laced words are aimed at him, but he merely shakes a beefy fist at him.
"WHY YOU-"
"I will speak with you later, Yammy."
Yammy seems beyond furious, but he obeys and leaves them both, making sure to mutter some underhand curses at Cobrynx on the way past.
He doesn't even spare the brute a backwards glance, striding towards a silent Ulquiorra and deliberately invading his personal space, towering over the smaller arrancar.
"How could you do this to me?"
His emerald eyes take in the patch secured across Cobrynx's left eye.
"You did it to yourself, Cobrynx."
"WHAT!"
Before he realizes what he is doing, Cobrynx takes a firm grasp of Ulquiorra's collar, pulling his face inches closer to his own, his teeth barred.
"You did not have to tell Aizen anything, you did not have to betray me like this. Look at my eye!"
With his other hand, Cobrynx tears off the patch.
"LOOK AT IT! AFTER ALL I DID TO PROTECT YOU BACK THEN, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?"
Ulquiorra's cold eyes bore into Cobrynx's, but even now, not even a hint of any real emotion, any guilt or remorse for running his mouth to Aizen.
With a loud scoff, Cobrynx releases his grip and begins fastening the eye patch back on.
"I suppose I should not be surprised. All that time meant nothing to you, did it?"
Ulquiorra sighs, closing his eyes.
"Cobrynx, I only did-"
"No."
Ulquiorra opens his eyes again as Cobrynx turns his back to him, shoving both of his hands into his pockets.
"This conversation is over. If I were you, I would steer clear of me from now on."
Cobrynx manoeuvres his way over the loose rubble that is left of Ulquiorra's door, not even bothering to wait for a response.
WatchTheSkyBleed: Well, damn. Guess that's one friendship over then.
Cobrynx: Friendship? I hardly think so.
WatchSkyTheBleed: Shush you, I say it was friendship, and I make the rules here.
Cobrynx: I despise you.
WatchTheSkyBleed: I'll give you one chance to take that back.
Cobrynx: No.
-I quickly start to scribble down some notes.-
Cobrynx: ...What are you doing?
-Grimmjow suddenly barges into the room, now in release form, and grabs Cobrynx into a tight headlock, before starting to noogie him mercilessly.-
Cobrynx: AH STOP THAT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME!
Grimmjow: This is what you get for upsetting the writer, Cobra, now take ya punishment!"
Cobrynx: MAKE HIM STOP!
WatchTheSkyBleed: Nah, I don't think I will right now. Anyway guys, thanks for reading, I'll get a new chapter up as soon as I can!
