Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Warning: Heavy manga spoilers.
Zaraki, Yachiru, Nemu: Interlude
"Now what, Ken-chan?"
"Whattaya think, brat?"
Zaraki turned on his heel, knowing Yachiru would leap to his shoulder, and began stalking towards the main building, gaining speed until he was flash-stepping. He didn't really have a plan - not that he ever did - but he had a vague notion of finding Kuchiki-hime and the freak and finding a way out to the real fight.
"And Braid-taichou, too," Yachiru reminded him in between giggles as she clutched his captain's cloak for dear life.
"She's probably left already. Woman can smell when blood's about to be spilled," he replied, skidding to a halt on a marble rooftop. The place was moderately destroyed, and he sniffed. There was someone -
"Zaraki-taichou." Nemu was standing behind him, emotionless.
Zaraki grunted a reply and sheathed his zanpakutou. Stupid girl had messed-up reiatsu; more foe than friend. He wondered if the freak had engineered her specifically that way. She was still staring; Yachiru had scampered off somewhere, and he couldn't feel any other reiatsu around.
"What is it, fukutaichou?"
"It seems we are trapped here, Zaraki-taichou," the lieutenant said coolly. "Mayuri-sama is already working on a portal to get us out, with the assistance of Kuchiki-taichou. They are over on the north side of Las Noches, should you want to assist them."
"Che," Zaraki said. He had opinions on technology. "Couldn't catch me dead working with those stuck-up asses." On the other hand, that probably explained where Yachiru had disappeared to. She seemed to have a built-in sensor for pissing off Byakuya, and Zaraki really didn't mind that.
"Very well. I bring your message back to Mayuri-sama." Nemu executed a short bow and turned to go, but stopped at Zaraki's voice.
"Why do you call him that?" The captain of the eleventh was looking at Nemu with a distinctly unimpressed gaze.
"Because he is my master," Nemu said simply.
"Oh yeah?"
"He made me, Zaraki-taichou. He could unmake me just as simply. Please. I must go."
"So you're scared of him?"
"No." Nemu was still politely distant, as if merely discussing the weather.
"Then what?" Zaraki growled, irritated.
"I respect Mayuri-sama as my creator. He has given me life, and he has saved me from death several times now. I am indebted to him."
"You're a fool and a coward," Zaraki said, looking away over the city. "Just 'cause he made you doesn't mean you asked for a lifetime of servitude, woman."
Nemu said nothing. A hole opened up in the sky; an assembly of shinigami and arrancar stood over a tiny town, and Yachiru collided with Zaraki with enough force to knock over a pair of oxen.
"Kenchankenchankenchaaan! Time to go!" She squealed, and climbed up his back to perch on his shoulder.
"Think about it," Zaraki told Nemu, and then flash-stepped away.