Author's Note: Sorry for being so late with this. I'll get some type of schedule sooner or later. I'm thinking about cutting down my word count per chapter, not too short, but trying to stay between 2500 and 3500. Doing so would help me with editing time, I really don't like posting anything that feels half-baked 'cause it's reflected back on me as a writer. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter.
Ulquiorra straightened his posture as he sat on the floor in the empty corner of the room. "Here you go," said the man named Tessai, who offered him a cream-colored ceramic mug. The Espada acknowledged him with a simple nod taking the warm cup, staring at the dark liquid inside.
Ulquiorra's brow furrowed, watching the robust man hand out the rest of the cups to the room's other occupants. Doesn't it strike Tessai as odd that another boy like Ichigo appeared out of nowhere? Or it does, and he's going to let Kisuke Urahara interrogate him whenever he makes his appearance.
After receiving their tea, Ichigo and Uryu picked up where they left off. At this point, Ulquiorra deduced that they argued for the sake of arguing. When one of them said something, the other had to chime in with another remark. If only they used that energy to find resolutions for their problems instead. They'd be less irritating that way.
His eyes drifted from them and rested on the woman conversing with the dark-skinned Soul Reaper, who more than towered over her. "Oh, thank you so much, Mr. Tessai." She smiled at him, clasping her hands together.
"Of course," Tessai replied and slid open the door before gesturing for her to follow him out of the room. Ulquiorra blinked. Where is she going that excited her so much? Hmm… it might've had something to do with those sweets she was singing about as they ventured here—
Squeak, squeak.
The grating sound pulled the Espada from his thoughts. He peered at the ground watching as his Mod-Soul waddled over to him. He plopped down at his side, and another annoying squeak echoed through the room. Why do humans like making objects emit annoying sounds? Doesn't it bother them at all? "Orihime is really nice, and I like her a lot, but I didn't like the part where she strangled me. I couldn't breathe!"
Ulquiorra stared at him. He didn't care about his thoughts or opinions regarding the woman. "Why are you telling me this?"
The toy puffed his cheeks as he flailed his arms in fury. "I wanted to have a friendly conversation! Is that so much to ask?"
Ulquiorra closed his eyes. "Yes."
Sobs erupted next to him, gaining the attention of Chad, Uryu, and Ichigo. "Why is master so mean to me? I like Orihime better!" He bellowed before waddling away as fast as he could, arms still flapping like a bird.
"You know penguins can't fly, right?" Ichigo started, snagging the toy by his foot. "So, flapping like that isn't gonna get you anywhere."
"I'm positive stuffed animals can't fly either, Ichigo," Uryu commented, pushing up his glasses. His attention turned to Ulquiorra, ignoring Ichigo's glower and pointless comments. "What'd you do to him anyway?" The Espada stared at him, sipping his tea. Uryu raised a brow as he spoke, "You're not much of a talker, are you?" the Quincy shrugged, tapping his mug with his finger, his brow knitted together in thought.
Ichigo snorted, tossing the Soul at the wall behind him. "Maybe he just doesn't like you. I mean, you did start interrogating him like a cop."
The Quincy's eyes widened as he smacked his hand on the table. "I didn't expect Orihime's friend to be a Soul Reaper of all things! So, of course, I'd ask questions. And If I recall correctly, most of your conversation with Ulquiorra was little more than a scolding on how reckless you were being!"
Chad stood up with his mug in hand. "Huh? Chad, where are you going?" asked Ichigo, staring up at his friend. The dark-skinned boy ignored his question, making his way to the empty corner adjacent to Ulquiorra. He relaxed his posture as he sat down, setting his cup in front of him. "Chad?" Ichigo said again.
"It's quiet…on this side."
Ulquiorra closed his eyes. "Unfortunately, not by much." Chad nodded at him, clasping his hands in his lap. His friends' bickering must be getting to him as well.
"Wha? You'll talk to Chad but not us—"
"The two of you annoy me." Ulquiorra brought his cup to his mouth again and side-glanced at Chad. His lips quirked up into a small smile as a soft rumble came from his throat. Of everyone he'd met so far, Chad had been the least irritating.
Ichigo's eyes widened. "Well, you aren't exactly a ray of sunshine either!" he declared as he began the second part of his tangent.
Ulquiorra's brow twitched, tuning out everything the orange-haired boy spouted. Where's the woman? He peered at the door she'd disappeared through, considering exiting as well. At least most Arrancar—apart from Yammy—left him alone because he's described as boring or uptight. Yet, humans didn't seem to care what kind of mood or signals he emitted. They still bothered him.
"Master's not a very sociable person," the toy added, recoiling when Ichigo's narrow eyes targeted him. "H-He didn't want to talk to me either!" He sobbed, violently wiping the black beads on his face.
"Can it, penguin! I still have a bone to pick with you," Ichigo growled as he pointed at the smudged red splotches all over his face. "I still can't get rid of your art!" The toy thrashed around as Ichigo snatched him up for the second time. "And if it doesn't come off by Monday, you're gonna be toast!"
"MASTER, HELP ME! HEELP!"
Ulquiorra peered at the toy. "Do what you will with him," he told Ichigo, who in turn sneered at the penguin. It doesn't matter what happened to the toy's body, so long as the pill portion remained intact. He annoyed the Espada a great deal less when in that form in the first place.
"Heh, looks like Master's left your fate up to me!" The toy screamed, thrashing in his grasp. At one point, his limbs were little more than arced blurs. With that amount of force, he will start flying.
"What's going on?" Ulquiorra turned his head to the open door where the woman stood with a raised brow. "Oh no, Peng!" she cried and tossed the box before snatching the toy from Ichigo's threatening grasp. "Ichigo, you need to be nice if you want to make friends," she scolded as her arms enveloped the toy's quivering body.
Ulquiorra blinked, Peng? So, she's decided to name him.
"Who said I wanted to be friends with him—" he pointed to the toy— "He not only embarrassed me in public, he drew on my face!"
With a smile, she reached inside the box, pulling out both a cloth and a closed container filled with liquid. "This should get the marks off, Ichigo." The boy murmured a soft thank you before he soaked the cloth and vigorously scrubbed his face. She glanced down at the toy in her free arm. "Alright, I have to put you down now, okay." The toy's sobs continued as she placed him back on the floor.
The woman scooted the box closer to Ulquiorra before kneeling beside him. "What do you have in there, Orihime?" Uryu asked.
"Well, since Ulquiorra won't let me heal him, I asked Tessai if I could have some medical stuff to keep his injuries from getting infected." She pulled a small pair of tweezers from the box and gently grabbed one of the Espada's arms.
Ulquiorra's eyes widened, immediately recoiling away from her. "If I didn't want you to negate my injuries earlier, what makes you think I want you prodding at them now?" Orihime's eyes widened as she bit her lip. "I believe I made myself clear that I don't require your help."
The woman's lips trembled as her eyes glossed over with tears pooling in the corners. She inched away, hiding her reddening face as she rose back to her feet. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered, tossing the tweezers back in the box as several stray tears leaked down her cheeks. Ulquiorra blinked. The woman is crying because he doesn't want her help? Why? There's no point in fussing over his injuries as they do not involve her at all.
The woman stepped towards the table, sitting between Ichigo and Uryu, who scowled at him. He found nothing wrong with declining her help. He didn't need or want it. "Shush, it's okay," the toy—Peng, as she called him prior—whispered as he crawled onto her lap. The woman smiled at him and wiped her reddened eyes dry.
"What's your problem? She was trying to be nice," Ichigo spat, slamming his fist on the table.
Ulquiorra set his mug next to him. "I find no issue in my words or actions. I simply don't require her help; I'm more than capable of caring for myself." He reached for the tweezers she'd tossed in the box before examining one arm, plucking out bits of debris. "What benefit would she receive by helping me in the first place?" he questioned, pulling a piece of glass from a wound.
"Why would I expect anything?" Orihime asked, her voice soft to his ears. "I don't like seeing my friends hurting or in pain."
"You've known me for only a few days; I don't understand why you see me as your friend." He pulled another piece of glass from his arm, narrowing his eyes. This is beyond annoying. He'd seen Arrancar dress wounds before, and most were more severe than this. Until now, Ulquiorra never understood how tedious the task can be. "Furthermore, the amount that word is used renders it nearly—if not entirely—devoid of meaning."
Ulquiorra ignored Uryu and Ichigo's comments, targeting another piece of glass instead. However, his tweezers disappeared from his hand before he grabbed it. The sudden action pushed the glass deeper into his skin, making blood dot along the wound again. His eyes narrowed at the woman as she kneeled beside him for a second time. Foolish human girl. With a quick—less than gentle—motion, his arm lay in her lap again. He winced; lingering pain is something he's not accustomed to. Most often, it vanished in seconds as if it never happened. "Is your hearing impaired, woman? I said—"
"Stop it," she murmured as she locked one hand around his wrist, keeping it flat across her lap. "You're only making this worse on yourself." Her brown eyes flickered from his wounds to his face, both composed and firm. He exhaled, staring up to the ceiling above, finally ignoring the gentle probing on his arm. This girl wished to test the absolute limits of his already-wearing patience.
A choked snort from the other side of the room caught Ulquiorra's attention. His lips pursed, seeing Ichigo cover his mouth in a miserable attempt to contain his laughter. All while the Quincy continued glaring at him. "Ha, finally caved, did you?" Ichigo stretched his arms and yawned. Ulquiorra glowered at him, refusing to indulge the boy with a response.
The door opened again, revealing a new face. One Ulquiorra deemed none other than the creator of the Hogyoku himself. "Why, hello everyone, it's been a while since we've all gathered in my shop like this," he greeted, taking several steps inside with Tessai not far behind him. The blond glanced around the room before his curious gaze rested on Ulquiorra and his lips tugged upwards. "Oh, looks like we have a new addition too." He placed his hands in his sleeves. "I'm Kisuke Urahara, and you?"
The Espada stared at him, his brows returning to their normal analytical state across the tops of his eyes. "Ulquiorra Schiffer."
"Welcome, Ulquiorra, to my humble shop! Here I cater to all Soul Reaper needs and wants and at a decent bargain if I do say so myself." He made a gesture around him, grin still intact. "And feel free to—"
"Would you quit advertising yourself already!" Ichigo spat as he placed his hands in his lap. "We have real problems to discuss."
The ex-captain closed his eyes, the chipper air around him thinning. "I see you're still as impatient as ever, Ichigo." He made his way to the table, picking a spot where Ulquiorra remained in his exact line of sight. "We'll get to the Hollows you fought earlier, but first—" he smiled at the Espada— "I wanna pick your new friend's brain."
A slew of complaints spilled from the orange-haired boy's mouth, most questioning Urahara's motives. Ulquiorra blinked, so he was watching. Considering what he already knew about Urahara, the act didn't surprise him. His lurking concerns Ulquiorra recalling how Adan cowered away from him. His brow furrowed; this detail wouldn't have gone unnoticed. Apart from that, he'd hidden himself so well that Ulquiorra didn't notice his spiritual pressure at all. He cannot ignore this problem.
"You have a good handle on your spiritual pressure, I see. Almost missed your presence entirely when everyone arrived. Pretty good for someone your age." Ulquiorra nodded at the compliment, wondering how old he thought he was. "So, how much do you know?"
How vague, Ulquiorra thought, his cold stare unwavering. How much can he say without bringing about more suspicion? He's walking a fine line. No matter what way he falls, he risks exposing his true motives. "Regarding the Soul Society or the evolving Hollows?" He asked as the woman pulled his other arm into her lap, twisting his body in an unnatural position. His eyes narrowed at her but remained still as she continued her work.
"Start with the Soul Society, "Urahara said as he took a sip of tea his taller counterpart gave him seconds prior.
Everyone's eyes locked on Ulquiorra, eager for his reply, apart from Uryu, that is. He, more-or-less, watched him with scrutinizing eyes that flashed to the woman every now and again. The muscles in his body stiffened. "I've gathered that a man by the name of Sosuke Aizen recently betrayed the Soul Society and since fled to Hueco Mundo. Furthermore, I've deduced that he's allying himself with Hollows as well. Based on today's prior battle, I have confirmed that piece of infroma—" the small wounds stung now. His eyes latched on the woman's focused face as she rubbed a pungent-smelling fabric along his arm. The vapor wafting about made his eyes water a bit.
"Sorry, Ulquiorra, this'll burn a little," she half-whispered, her brow furrowing as she smiled. "Could you hold out your arm?" With a soft, near inaudible sigh, he obliged as resisting her aid only proved useless thus far. "Thank you." With smooth, fluid movements, she dressed his arm in white strips of cloth.
The blond nodded. "Yep, that's pretty much it. I'll spare you the minute details of what took place exactly." Urahara responded. His lips raised as he set his cup down with a soft clack. "Now then, let's hear more about your theory about how Hollows are evolving and in what ways."
Ulquiorra blinked. "Recalling our battle earlier—" he glanced to Ichigo, who seemed entirely focused on his words— "the two Hollows we encountered possess both a broken mask and a form of weaponry which in itself, is unusual. Apart from that, their spiritual pressures were… convoluted, to say the least." Ulquiorra repositioned himself, giving the woman better access to his other arm.
Urahara's smile widened. "Aren't you a sharp one," he commented, adjusting his hat with one hand. "You're correct. These Hollows have evolved into what we call Arrancar. They've managed to remove their masks and obtain Soul Reaper-like powers. Though most often, they're no trouble for an experienced Soul Reaper to handle. But, if the Hollow is a Menos or above, things start getting messy."
The atmosphere froze as a thick silence flooded the room. So quiet, in fact, the Espada suspected that everyone stopped breathing in unison. Ulquiorra peered at the woman next to him whose trembling hands almost dropped the bandages. Her wide eyes focused on the blond across the room as if silently pleading for him to retract his statement. "There's Hollows stronger than a Menos Grande?" Ichigo gasped, his hands falling into his lap unmoving. "I couldn't even exercise that thing, and now you're saying there's worse still?!"
Ulquiorra turned away as the woman slipped back into bandaging him. It's only the natural order of things, weak creatures fearing the stronger ones. If they didn't, it would be utter foolishness on their part.
The shopkeeper nodded. "Yes, that's right. To further explain, there are three total classes of Menos…"
Ulquiorra's unimpressed gaze fell to his lap, tuning out most of Urahara's explanation. It wasn't like he needed a menial lesson on Menos. In truth, he could answer any question revolving around Menos with little difficulty. Even the most obscure questions the ex-Captain most likely didn't know the answers to. It only made sense, though, considering he's a Hollow himself—
The Espada's face tensed when the abhorrent cloth the woman used on his arms rubbed against his cheek. He blinked several times, trying to lessen the vapor-induced tears that welled in his eyes. Little it helped, though, as his sight continued to blur. Enough. He snagged the woman's wrists, coaxing a small gasp from her. "I will tolerate no more of your prodding, woman." She stared at him as the repugnant rag fell from her grasp onto the floor before her lips quirked up.
"All that's left is to bandage your cheek, and I'm done." Ulquiorra's grip on her wrists tightened. "Last thing and I'll stop annoying you, I promise." her grin faltered somewhat, followed by a nervous laugh. His brow twitched. She should be thankful that Aizen instructed him to only observe the Ryoka. Had she been any other human, he'd have already killed her for her constant pestering.
Ulquiorra dropped her wrists and stared at the wall in front of him, letting the woman tack a bandage on his face. "All done," she proclaimed before she bolted back to the table.
"…since you observed our battle from earlier, what would you classify those Arrancar as?" Ichigo asked, scooting several inches over to give the woman ample room to sit.
"Based on the spiritual pressure the big guy exerted, I wouldn't put him any higher than a Gillian. But the girl, she is at least Adjuchas level." A correct deduction, Ulquiorra thought, focusing more on the conversation. "She would've been a tough opponent for you, Ichigo, good thing you didn't engage with her. It might've gone sour pretty quickly."
"Why does everyone think I would have lost?" The orange-haired boy crossed his arms in a huff. "It doesn't matter how tough she may have been. Everything would have been fine. Actually—" His narrow eyes locked on the Espada across the room— "we'd have one less enemy right now if I had fought her."
Ulquiorra closed his eyes. "No, as I said before, you'd be dead—"
"You're wrong!" Ichigo smacked his hands on the wooden table as he faced turned towards the Espada. What a worthwhile intimidation tactic. "I would have won no matter what!"
"Your delusions annoy me." He said himself that he couldn't destroy a mere Gillian, and it was only a Hollow. That girl, however, is not only of the Adjuchas class; she's also an Arrancar. Ulquiorra closed his eyes, resisting the urge to rub his aching temples. How foolish can one person be to think that they'll always win, no matter the circumstances?
"Come on, let's not fight anymore, please," Orihime said with a nervous smile as she clasped her hands in front of her. "It's not getting you anywhere." Ichigo huffed, turning away from Ulquiorra, muttering an incoherent slew of sounds. The woman looked back at the shopkeeper, her voice both quiet and tentative. "These Arrancar are strong, aren't they." He nodded. She peered to her fidgeting fingers resting in her lap.
"Don't worry, Orihime," Uryu assured, smiling at the woman. "We'll all get strong enough to keep you and everyone else safe." Following the Quincy's statement was a soft yet lively grunt from Chad. Ichigo's lips quirked up into a cockeyed grin as he reiterated Uryu's reassuring words.
"I know you will; I believe in all of you." The corners of her lips tugged upwards into a small, forced smile as her fingers raked through her hair. With that, her friends focused back on the shopkeeper, resuming their Arrancar discussion. The woman closed her eyes with a sigh, that smile melting away as her fingers now twiddled in her lap.
Ulquiorra's brow furrowed, a lie? Did she understand the grim reality that, in this war, her friends will perish? He straightened his posture after collecting his lukewarm mug. If that is the case, why wouldn't she tell them that their efforts are futile? He closed his eyes and brushed aside his questions. Later, he'll ask her himself…
Ulquiorra stood, feeling an uncomfortable tingling shoot down one leg as he stretched. How long has he been stuck in the same spot? He exhaled and peered at the open door his targets ambled towards.
After Urahara's initial briefing about the Arrancar, the topic derailed into ambiguous human subjects. Ulquiorra surprised himself in remaining at least half-conscious. He blinked his lidded eyes, recalling how extensive Aizen's meetings with the Espada could be. Though, everything discussed still revolved around the central topic, much to his appreciation.
The fourth shoved his hands in his pockets, heading towards the open door. "Ulquiorra." He turned his head to Urahara. "You're new to Kido, aren't you," he stated as his cup made a small clank on the table.
"Yes."
The ex-captain nodded, peering over his shoulder at him with a smile. "It's pretty difficult at first, especially if you're teaching yourself. I know you don't like help, but if you hit a bump, feel free to stop by, and we can iron it out." His voice was clear of malice. In truth, it seemed like a completely genuine offer. Still, there's always an underlying motive to his actions, being that it's Kisuke Urahara.
The Espada looked away from him. "It most likely won't come to that, but I'll keep your offer in mind." His fists clenched in his pockets; never would he accept help from a Soul Reaper.
Urahara nodded, facing forwards again. "Alright, don't be a stranger now," he said with a wave. Ulquiorra nodded before he left, his mind pondering the Soul Reaper's motives. Only one conclusion fit, observation. Urahara needed to know his full capabilities to determine how much of a threat he was.
The fourth closed his eyes, stepping out into the brisk night air. From this point on, he must assume he's under surveillance. This creates a detrimental problem, how is he to enter Hueco Mundo undetected?
"Took you long enough." Ulquiorra glanced in Ichigo's direction, noting his signature scowl etched in his skin. He pushed away from the wall he leaned against. "Mr. Hat-and-Clogs interrogating you?"
"No," Ulquiorra answered, peering around for his recently named Mod-Soul, Peng. As expected, he found him snuggled in the woman's arms as she swayed back and forth in rhythm with a tune she hummed. How pathetic.
He stared at the toy as an important question surfaced in his mind. How much does he know? The Soul becomes a major liability if he's aware of any information involving this mission. He'll need to have a word with Szayelaporro when he returns.
"Umm… are you okay? You've been staring at me for a couple minutes?" The woman questioned, taking several small steps towards him. "Oh." Her cheeks reddened as her eyes locked with the dirt. "You're still upset with me, aren't you?"
"I-"
"While I like loitering around Urahara's as much as the next guy, it's getting late," Uryu interrupted. The fourth stared at him as the Quincy pushed his glasses up, his scrutinizing gaze lingering on him.
"Wow, it really is," she started, gazing up to the blackened sky. "Okay, Uryu, we'll see you on Monday then."
Uryu smiled at her as he turned from the group. "See you then, Orihime, be safe getting home."
The woman nodded. "Will do." She waved at him as he turned the corner.
"Finally, he's gone. Uryu was really getting under my skin today. He just wouldn't shut up," Ichigo mumbled as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. "I guess we should be heading home too." Ichigo turned around, walking in the opposite direction the Quincy had gone. Ulquiorra followed suit, keeping a generous distance away from the Soul Reaper. Ichigo peered behind him, his brow raised. "You gonna follow me all the way home?"
"My residence is in this direction," Ulquiorra explained, further distancing himself from Ichigo.
"Yep. He lives in that old building on the edge of Mashiba," Orihime added from behind. Ulquiorra peered at her. "Actually, you don't live very far from any of us—except Uryu. It's about a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk from my house to yours." She clasped her hands together as the smile on her face spread.
Ichigo turned around, continuing to walk but backward. "You live there? Looking at you, I would've guessed you lived somewhere nicer and with less crime, like where Uryu lives."
"I'm more than capable of fending for myself," Ulquiorra responded as Ichigo turned back forwards.
"Yeah, I know that based on our fight earlier." He peered over his shoulder with a twisted grin plastered into his face. "You and I should spar sometime. See who's better."
The Espada blinked as the cogs in his mind turned. Sparring with Ichigo would create opportunities to further understand his odd powers. The way his spiritual pressure fluctuated from a low to high was strange, and its consistency was a mess too.
"Careful. If you think too much, you might fry your brain."
Ulquiorra met his eyes. "Sparring, you say? I find that it would be beneficial to both of us," he stated.
Ichigo smirked. "Just you wait—" he spun around. His outstretched finger centimeters away from Ulquiorra's nose— "I'll mop the floor with you!"
The fourth closed his eyes, shooing the annoying appendage away. "Is it wise to automatically assume your victory over me?"
The substitute Soul Reaper snorted as he continued walking down the sidewalk. "I fight to win, and that's what I'll do." Such an arrogant boy.
Ulquiorra sighed, hardly listening to the idle chatter between the Ryoka. Instead, he watched the trees' thin limbs sway around in the night breeze. Usually, he'd have no doubt in his mind that he'd win a battle. But in his current state, he could very well have difficulties facing Ichigo. Then again, the boy struggled in his battle with Adan. While Ulquiorra had little issue with him. Had Celosia not interfered, Adan would be no more
Ulquiorra's blank stare focused on Ichigo. He knew that there was more to him than what he witnessed today. Otherwise, Aizen wouldn't have sent him here to observe the orange-haired boy and his friends. What are his true capabilities? Perhaps he'll find out more when their battle takes place.
Author's Note: Writing for Kisuke was so difficult for me! He's a real pain. I do hope everyone remained pretty in character, as I want it to stay consistent. Hopefully, this chapter wasn't too boring, in the future, I want to edit it a bit more. Anyway's, I hope everyone has a great day/night and see you next time.