Illegal

Thank you for all the great reviews. I really love reading all of them and hearing what you think. Anyways, enjoy the new chapter!

P.S. I've been thinking of changing the title of the story. I'm not really sure if I will, but it is a thought. Just wanted you all to know so there will not be any confusion if it does magically change.

PhoenixBlade: Orihime, in a way, is supposed to stand out. I kind of wanted her to seem a little odd in a group of mercenary like people. I wanted her to be like a breath of fresh air in the doom and gloom of killing. Don't worry she won't be defenseless; Tatsuki did tell Orihime, in the manga, that she was black belt level ;D As for the mission, you're way ahead of me. I guess you and I are on the same wave length xD You'll see Orihime in action, though keep in mind she's supposed to be Himeko who is known for disguising and spying. The other Espada are kind of like backup dancers, they're just there. Sorry to disappoint, but a few will have a important roles later on, though I can't tell you who or what ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach


Orihime woke to a cloudy, gray day. Today felt like one of those days that she just knew nothing would go right. Sighing, she slipped out of bed and shivered as her feet touched the cold floor. The only thing on her mind right now was to see if Ulquiorra had really returned from his mission.

Getting dressed quickly, she made her way down the hall and to the kitchen. To her delighted surprise, Ulquiorra was sitting down reading a newspaper while sipping coffee. Orihime felt relieved that he looked fine. That was until she saw the bandages on his arm when he moved.

"Ulquiorra, what happened to your arm?! Did you get hurt?" Orihime reached out to touch him, but he jerked away. Calmly folding his newspaper he stood up and walked pass her to the sink. He dumped his coffee in the sink, washed it out and left without a word.

Orihime stared at the closed door. "W-what just happened…"

She slowly made her way around the kitchen and prepared some toast. She wasn't very hungry at the moment. She absentmindedly ate her bread while think about Ulquiorra. He was acting just like the first day she came. Perhaps he was angry at her for something? Did she do something to annoy him? What could it be?

Orihime sighed. "Something wrong, Hime?" Nel asked concern written on her face. She had watched her stare at her plate while nibbling a plain piece of toast. It wasn't like the orange haired woman to have a "normal" meal.

"Oh, uh, nothing. I-I'm just worrying about something silly." Orihime waved off. She tried to smile brightly, but it seemed forced. Nel frowned and shook her head.

"Okay, but if something is bothering, you can tell me. I have to go out for a bit today, so I can't come with you on an outing. Could you tell Grimmjow that I'll be back by tomorrow?" she requested.

"Of course," Orihime agreed. Nel gave her one last smile before leaving the kitchen. Orihime cleaned up and wondered if she should try asking Ulquiorra what was wrong. She marched determinedly toward the library, but paused once she got there.

"You can do it, Orihime. Just go in and ask," she mumbled to herself. Pushing open the doors, she looked around for the dark haired man. The library was empty. Orihime huffed and frowned in annoyance. Ulquiorra was usually in the library most days.

She turned on her heel and walked through the halls. She tried his room, but no one answered. She checked the kitchen twice, the library three times, his room four, and random rooms that she never been near at least once. Ulquiorra was nowhere to be found.

"Is he out? Did he leave without telling me?" she asked herself. Orihime was currently sitting on the floor outside her room. She wanted to know what was bothering him and maybe help him feel better. This was something she would've done for any of her friends.

"Oi, Barabasa!" a voice called her. Orihime looked up to see Grimmjow hovering over her. She gave a weak smile.

"Y-yes?"

Grimmjow rubbed his neck. "Have you seen Nel? I haven't seen her all day."

Orihime's eyes widened as she remembered what she was supposed to tell him. "Oh, she left for the day. She wanted me to tell you that she will be back by tomorrow."

Grimmjow didn't look happy with this news. "Tch, Aizen and his stupid missions." He groaned inwardly and stormed off. Orihime quickly got to her feet and ran after him.

"Ah Grimmjow, do you know where Ulquiorra is?" she inquired. The muscular man stopped mid-stride. He looked back at her with a strange look on his face, but shook his head and scowled.

"I don't know where the annoying robot went. Fuck, I can't believe that someone besides Nel actually cares about him. How can you stand his monotone voice and never changing face? I rather have a conversation with Szayel," he ranted.

Orihime put her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "He's not that bad. Ulquiorra may not talk that much, but that's because he likes to listen. He only talks when it's necessary."

The scowl morphed into a toothy grin. "Heh, you're actually defending him. I guess even emotionless people like him need someone. Whatever, I saw him leave this morning. Probably went to have some quiet."

With that he walked off leaving Orihime to stare at his retreating figure. She slumped down defeated. Ulquiorra really had left without telling her. Orihime made her way back to her room. She decided she needed a nap after running around looking for him. Maybe when she woke up, Ulquiorra will have returned and then she could talk to him.

Unfortunately for her, Orihime couldn't sleep. She kept tossing and turning in bed. After an hour she sat up. This wasn't working for her. Getting out of bed, her stomach growled for food. Orihime made her way to the kitchen and made herself a sandwich. She was heading back to her room with her lunch when she heard voices coming in her direction.

"This place is boring as fuck! I can't find any more whisky!" Nnoitra whined to his companion.

"No one to fight either. Ulquiorra's gone and so is Nel," Yammy grunted.

Nnoitra seemed to be mumbling something and snapped his fingers. "Let's find that orange haired chick. Maybe she can fight. Even if she can't, she has a nice body."

Orihime's breath hitched and she dashed in the opposite direction. Taking the closest door to her, she scrambled inside and closed it. She leaned against the door and listened to the muffled voices pass.

"Where'd you think she is?" Yammy asked.

"How'd I know?! Probably doing some womanly shit," the taller man mumbled.

"Hey, someone left a sandwich!" Yammy sounded happy. Orihime let out a sigh as they passed.

She realized that the room she had gone in was very warm and dark. There was strange, but familiar smell emitting around the room as well. Orihime stepped forward and touched the wall for a switch. Flicking on the light switch, large copper pots lined the walls in a row. They all had covers on them, but they were steaming. She bent down and looked at one of the pots. It had three legs and a few gauges with the needles in the middle. She noted that there was a long black lever and what looked like a funnel under the pot. A latch kept the lid closed.

"It's whisky!" she exclaimed.

She walked through the rows of pots looking at each of them in fascination. She paused when she noticed the winding staircase that led down. Looking around, she quickly tiptoed down the marble stairs. The air became musty and stuffy. The light from above disappeared as she made her way down. Once on the last step, she paused. It was very dark and she was afraid to take another step.

"Well hello," a masked person said. They appeared abruptly in front of her with a gas mask on. Orihime let out a scream and fell on the steps. The person waved their hands and pressed their finger in a quiet gesture. They pulled off the mask.

"Ah, I didn't mean to scare you, Ms. Barabasa," Szayel apologized with a smile. He pulled out his white frames from the pocket of his apron. Reaching above him, he pulled a chain that turned on the single, dangling light bulb. Orihime held her hand over her heart. She slowly stood up and gave a small, uncertain smile.

"I-I did not mean to intrude," she said. Szayel waved her off and placed his mask on a nearby table.

Szayel walked over to the large table in the middle and picked up some plastic bags. "It is fine. I was wondering when you would come to look. Everyone becomes curious and comes down at least once. The 'Do Not Enter' sign is just there for decoration. What can I do for you?"

"O-oh, I was just, um, hiding from Yammy and Nnoitra," she confessed sheepishly. The pink haired man chuckled as he started to scribble some notes down.

"Those two are always causing trouble. They have the brains the size of walnuts," he remarked in disgust. Orihime nodded nervously and looked around. There were an assortment of plants, a shelf containing books, instruments she didn't know what they were for and a white bunny in a cage.

The bunny was set on a table in the far corner under the window where it would get the most sun. It seemed content with just sitting in its nesting and watching what was going on. Szayel seemed to have forgotten she was there as he was mumbling to himself.

"Uh, what a cute bunny," she commented. The man looked up and glanced at the animal. A small smile formed on his face and disappeared. He shook his head and placed a few tools back on the shelf.

"Thank you. She's very well behaved."

Orihime walked over and allowed the animal to sniff her hand. "Does she have a name?"

The scientist was silent for a bit. Finally he answered. "Nemu." Orihime thought it was a strange name to give a bunny, but made no comment. Nel had mentioned that she had seen Szayel bring in animals into his lab and they never left.

"If you're wondering what happened to the other animals, I let them go after a few months," he answered her unasked question. He was pouring a few dried leaves in a stone bowl. She watched as he took a stone masher and started to grind the leaves.

"What are you making, Mr. Szayel?" she asked. The man kept grinding the leaves. After a few minutes, all there was a left was a fine blue powder. He pushed up his glasses and smiled in satisfaction. He poured the powder in a tube and placed the bowl to the side. He was tapping his fingers on the table when he looked up at her.

"I use to own an apothecary shop, you know. People would come in for medicine for their aches and pains. Others wanted a drug that would make them feel "good" or even poison. Of course I sold everything they could want. I even made my own poisons," he said suddenly.

"P-poison?" Orihime squeaked. Szayel let out a cold laugh.

"Yes, I know selling poison was illegal, but there were people who really wanted the stuff and willing to pay the money. I loved creating new poisons; it was a hobby. Be it powders, liquids, or pills, I made them. Of course I had an antidote for most of them. Making poison takes a great mind and an understanding in the sciences. Of course you have to be willing to test them out on people.

I remember the first poison I made without an antidote. I gave it to my brother. Of course not all at once. Just a bit by bit. I monitored his health and the symptoms he got. Eventually he died, which was quite sad for I wasn't done with my research." His calm facial expression changed to rage.

"Then, the police found out. They came to my shop and started to ransack it. I managed to escape and run home. I took all my notes, some of my creations and money before running off. I made it to Karakura Town and settled down in the least pleasant area. Starting off new was hard. All my hard work was gone. Destroyed," he growled.

His fist clenched and unclenched. "I met a woman. She had the most amazing mind I have ever seen in my years of living. Quiet, smart, attentive, and beautiful. She was like something made for me. Of course her father didn't like me very much. We, ah, had different views on science."

"He called my experiments inferior to his! How dare he judge my creations. He had no idea who he was messing with. I thought he would be a nice guinea pig for my latest experiment. I tested it on rats, but they died in a day. Too quickly for me to observe. So, he became my new test subject," Szayel remincised.

A far off look came to his face. "He got weaker by the day. Nemu started to visit me more often. Her father seemed to want to be alone. I wasn't going to complain. She didn't know about my hobby or that her father was a test subject. Then, one day the poison changed course. Nemu told me her father started to see hallucinations. He would yell at her and hit her more violently than he use to. I realized I needed to give him the antidote before he killed her in his rage."

A look of cold detachment formed on his face. Orihime swallowed the lump forming in her throat. He looked like he was reliving a nightmare that he didn't know if he liked or not. He unconsciously reached for the scalpel on the side of the table. She watched as he dug it into the wood.

"She died by her father's hand. The reports said that he went berserk and started to scream about monsters wanting to steal his research. She tried to calm him down and was hit in the head with a chair. He beat her to death and then decided the only thing that could keep his research safe was to burn everything. I came to see her and give her father to antidote. All there was left was ash and smoke."

Orihime covered her mouth to muffle the gasp of horror. Szayel was gripping the scalpel so hard his fingers started to bleed. He blinked and seemed to snap out of his daze. He looked at her as if studying her.

"Aizen found me a few days later. Here I am in my new lab with my Nemu. Isn't the world just wonderful?" He started to laugh. The laughter turned into cackles that got louder and more maddening. Orihime started to shake as he came toward her. He grabbed her shoulders painfully, getting blood on her dress, and shook her.

"Life is such a great thing! The one who can bring the dead back to life would be God, yes?! I have her ashes, you know. Maybe, just maybe I can bring her back. A lot of people think I'm crazy. Maybe I am. I don't know," he cried.

Orihime whimpered as he squeezed her shoulders harder. He released her when there was an audible click. Her eyes widened to see Ulquiorra pointing his gun at Szayel's head. His eyes seemed to glow in the dim lighting. Szayel just laughed and held his hands up in a defenseless position.

"Ulquiorra, playing the knight in shining armor?" Szayel crooned.

"Step away from the woman," Ulquiorra ordered, his voice like steel. Szayel chuckled and took a step away from Orihime. Ulquiorra grabbed her arm and started to drag her across the room. Szayel was still laughing to himself.

"Come visit Nemu and I whenever you want," he called after them. Orihime stumbled her way up the stairs. She was blinded by the light from the hall once they were out of the lab room. Ulquiorra immediately released her arm and kept his back to her.

"I-thank you for-"

"Can you not stay out of trouble, woman? Why must I always have to save you? You make my job harder than it should be. Stay away from anyone who is not Nel, Grimmjow, Tier, or myself. Understand." he said roughly. Orihime nodded, but realized he couldn't see her with his back to her.

"Y-yes, Ulquiorra," she answered. He started to walk off, but Orihime took a hold of his arm.

"Wait! W-what did I do? Why are you angry with me, Ulquiorra? Whatever I did, please tell me so I can fix it," she pleaded. The man before her stiffened and then sighed. He rubbed his face with his other hand and pulled away from her.

"Nothing. You did nothing," he said and kept going. Orihime watched him leave and sighed.

"Hey, Barabasa. I've been looking for ya. Aizen wants to see me and you in his office," Grimmjow called from behind her. Orihime tensed at the mention of Aizen. She had been fortunate not to be called by him since she came here. She stiffly followed Grimmjow all the while worrying.

What could he want?


Okay, hope you liked the early update because you weren't supposed to get this until September. I decided to publish it sooner because once I start school, I won't have as much free time. I hope you liked the chapter even though there wasn't much UlquiHime. I kind of like Szayel so I thought he deserved on chapter.

Someone forgot to take their medication this morning.

Kitkat d(^.^)b