Hey everyone, sorry for the wait. I've just started my new job and it had me exhausted every day so I haven't really had the energy to write a lot. Please bare with my slower updating while I get use to it all. Anyway, let's get to Aizen. Enjoy.
Winter slashed upwards at the large deer looking grimm that had charged her, her blade managed to sink a few inches into it's hide. The beast let out an angry roar and swung it razor sharp antlers at her managing to strike her shoulder sending her to the ground. The grimm jumped up into the air and came down with intent to slam his hooves down onto her. Rolling forward she held her blade straight up impaling the monster as it came down, she was however still forced to the ground underneath the weight of the grimm.
With a great amount of effort she managed to push the dissolving monsters corpse off of her. Panting heavily she stood to her feet and looked out over the snow covered field where nearly dozen more of the beasts stood watching, she'd already killed five of them and was nearly exhausted. "Alright, I think that's enough for today." Aizen spoke up from nearby as he stepped up next to the girl. Holding up his hand with his index and middle fingers pointing at the remaining creatures who appeared to be preparing to attack he spoke again. "Hado twenty six, Sunosupia." In an instant spears of ice an snow shot up the below each grimm completely impaling each before they could get within ten meters of the two.
"I could've kept going Mr. Aizen." She said still panting.
Aizen chuckled. "Indeed you could have, I'd say you would have been able to kill two more before they overwhelmed you." He told the girl with a wide smile. "Come now, let us return." He said holding out his hand to the girl. Nodding she took hold of the offered hand, then everything became a blur for several seconds until they reappeared on the front lawn of the Schnee estate.
Letting go Winter held her stomach causing Aizen to chuckle a bit. "I really hate that technique."
"It's only that bad when someone else uses it, if you were to learn it it would be far different as you would be the one in control." He told her as they began walking towards the main entrance to the estate.
As they neared the door they quickly began to open inwards and a pair of maids walked to either side of them while the head butler stood before them. "Welcome back Mistress Winter, and you as well Master Sosuke." He bowed as the maids took the pairs coats and the head butler escorted them into the manor. "I hope you had a productive trip into the mountains, the weather has been particularly awful as of late."
"Indeed we did, Winter is improving by leaps and bounds. She managed to slay several Razorantlers on her own today, at this rate she'll be a splendid Huntress or Specialist before she even hits twenty." Aizen said placing his hand on the girls head with a smile, her face glowing a crimson red color at his words.
"I'm still leagues away from you though, you killed the rest of the heard all at once with just a flick of your fingers." She responded earning a laugh from the former soul reaper.
"I'm certain that in a decade or so you will surpass me by a great deal, now go prepare for dinner child." It was a lie of course, but it was a lie he could tell without guilt as he watched the girl beam with pride. He gesture for her to go.
After she began walking away the head butler turned to him. "Sir, Master Jacques had to take a flight out to Vacuo for business. Will you be joining the children and lady of the house for dinner this evening?"
Aizen shook his head. "I'm afraid I cannot tonight. I have to send off the final chapter of my next book to my editor. If you would let Winter know I want her to read over the next three sections of her Advanced Tactics and Maneuvers textbook before bed I would be grateful." He responded to the butler who nodded.
"Of course Master Sosuke." The man bowed once more before Aizen turned to leave.
It had been six weeks since his arrival in Atlas and quickly after his first sparring session with Winter her father hired him on as her weekend tutor. He was paid exorbitantly and was provided with an apartment within the city to stay in. None of that truly interested him though, he found himself truly enjoying teaching the girl, her smile every time he gave her even the slightest praise made him smile genuinely. He felt the same way back in Menagerie when he taught the children there, he always knew he enjoyed teaching but he never truly allowed himself to feel any happiness when he was back in Soul Society. Back then it had all been just another mask, the kind teacher, just a role he played to reach his goal.
Disappearing in a blur he quickly reappeared in the city several miles away, specifically in an alley way near his apartment building. It was actually a hotel owned by the SDC that Jacques reserved a room for him in. It was a suite in the five star hotel on the twenty first floor, everything was of the highest quality. Entering through the front he nodded at the doorman who greeted him with a smile and opened the door. Quickly passing through the lobby he made his way to the elevator and again nodded to the uniformed man who pressed his floor number for him.
As the elevator rose a small frown began to grow on his face, once they reached his floor and he stepped off he was frowning more clearly. Someone was in his room, someone he didn't recognized, two someones in fact. Normally he would've been able to tell this for a mile away, but there were nearly two thousand people in the building and he hadn't completely memorized the lay out of it yet, he'd had no reason to. With so many people in such a relatively small area and rooms that were each separated by just under a foot of wall, it was easy for anyone to mistake one room for the one next to it, but as he reached his floor he was absolutely certain.
With a sigh he walked up to his door and pulled out his keycard and swiped it to open the door. "Good evening gentlemen." He said loud enough for anyone in the room to hear him as he entered. Entering the room he saw a pair of men sipping tea, one sat on a chair, the other on the sofa. The one on the sofa was a very large man wearing a green coat. He had dark skin and a beard. The other man was older than the first wearing a black suit. He also had dark skin and a large mustache. "How may I help you?" Aizen asked as calmly as ever.
Neither man reacted as he moved over towards the love seat across from the sofa. Grabbing the still steaming tea kettle he poured himself a cup. With a forced but extremely convincing smile he took a sip of the tea already knowing it wasn't poisoned, who would expected him to take tea even if offered from strangers who had broken into his room.
The two men looked at each other and him and back several times until the older of the two cleared his throat. "Uh, would I be correct in assuming you are Sosuke Aizen?"
Aizen didn't even look at the man as he sipped the steaming tea. "Please sir, don't waste my time with questions you already know the answer to. A pair of hunters as powerful as you wouldn't break into my home without being sure it was the correct one. Now, tell me why you're here." He said dropping his smile and narrowing his eye at the man who'd spoken.
Said man had visible sweat now forming on his forehead. "Uh, indeed, my apologies. My name is Author and this is Hazel, we were instructed to find and speak with you by our... employer."
"Do you by any chance work with General Ironwood?" Aizen asked before shaking his head. "No, I can tell by your body language you don't but you do know about him, possibly consider him a threat. Am I correct?" Once again he didn't wait for an answer. "So I am, then I can safely assume that your 'employer' is in direct or indirect opposition to the same person the General works with. You likely have a spy inside their group, most definitely high up in the ranks if they were told of me, and after hearing of a powerful new player in the game your 'employer' decided it would be best to send you to determine whether or not I am a threat to you. Should you reach the conclusion I am you are to attempt to eliminate me which is why they not only sent a man who is clearly far more comfortable in battle than a conversation as your partner." Aizen took another sip of tea. "How far off am I?"
The three men simply sat in silence for nearly a minute before the older man spoke again, clearly still attempting to process everything. "You're actually right on the nose, and remarkably calm for someone in a room with two people who may wish to do you harm might I add. But that aside I guess it would be quicker to simply get to the point then. Would you consider yourself a threat to us and our our ambitions?"
"Yes, a threat beyond any you can handle, but only if you wish it." Aizen set his tea cup down on the table. "I am more than content to simply remain completely uninvolved in whatever conflict your two groups are in, to put it bluntly, you don't interest me in the least. That being said, if you insist on attempting to force me to get involved, I can assure you it will not end well for any party involved. Am I making myself clear gentlemen?" The two men nodded, both aware of the danger this man posed. They could feel it on an instinctual level. "Excellent, then if you could please see yourselves out of my room I would truly appreciate it."
Elsewhere
Salem sat with her eyes closed and her head leaned on her hand as she thought over the report she just received from Watts, to hear that not only was this man who'd seemingly appeared out of nowhere not only was incredibly powerful but was also able to deduce that they did in fact have a double agent inside Ozpin's inner circle made it all the more in infuriating that both he and Hazel had decided that eliminating him was not an option.
Both men had insisted that they were both absolutely certain that had they attempted engage him in combat, even together, they would be swiftly and thoroughly be defeated. She had considered ordering them to do so anyway or even instructing Tyrion to assassinate him but restrained herself. Losing one of them would be a significant loss, two would be a crippling, losing all three would be completely disastrous.
She reopened her eyes and looked down at the photo of the man as well as a copy of the book he'd written. "Cinder." She spoke in a barely raised voice.
Several moments later she entered the room, her amulet missing from around her neck. "You called my lady?"
Holding up the book towards the girl Salem nodded. "Yes, read through this. It was written by the man that Leonardo informed you about, see if you can learn anything from it."
Taking the book Cinder exited the room and reached into the pouch at her hip and withdrew her amulet, she never wore it in the presence of Salem, in fact she had never allowed Salem to even see it. She knew if the witch were to ever learn of it she'd attempt to take it for herself, Cinder would never let that happen. The gem inside it was hers and hers alone, it would be the key to gaining was she truly desired.
Placing it back into her pouch she opened the book to the first page and began reading.
Sorry if this chapter was a bit short but I'm exhausted from work. Leave me a review and tell me what you all think. LATER.