Chapter Forty-One
Aizen's POV
I walked into the area of the Eleventh Division to look for Heather. Why that woman would stay in a place like this is beyond me. It does seem like the perfect cover for her, to make herself look to be a dumb brute. Yamashishiza deserved more recognition that to be dismissed as a mere pendulum. She was crafty enough to even rival Gin which makes her too dangerous to keep running around on her own. I followed her spirit energy and made note that she was repressing it to make it feel like an average Fourth Seat's. She had grown a great deal since I offered myself to her. Once finding her in a secluded area, I watched her training with her superior, Madarame. It seems that the only thing that separated her from him was that she held more experience in handling her Shikai that was clashing with his spear putting every part of her body to use. I always wondered why she chose to wear jika tabi but I never thought that she would use them to perch herself on the pole arm of her weapon and wait for the opportunity to counter.
I noticed that they were both suppressing themselves, both energies are Bankai worthy, I realized that I should have expected this. She must have mastered Bankai, or at least obtained it. It only made sense, she had been surrounded by many captain-classed people from day one. Her body must have manufactured their energies into her own most of her time here. I trained her to her point of success, she became my property in a way. Did her husband train her or did she find it on her own, I wonder. "Captain Aizen, Sir!" Madarame stopped in the middle of the training to bow. Heather stopped what she was doing and leaned her head forward in a nod of recognition. "Good afternoon." I greeted the two before requesting, "Heather, I was meaning to speak with you." The woman looked annoyed and turned to her newly appointed superior. "If I may, Sir?" she asked out of politeness. He seemed to still be taken aback by the switch and replied, "Yeah, go ahead, I'll just go mess with Iba." Heather walked up to me while Ikkaku left us alone.
"What do you want, Aizen?" she asked in a hostile manner as soon as she was sure that we were out of earshot. "I find it amusing what you're doing, Heather." I stated and continued with an explanation, "You put your punching bag on a pedestal higher than you as cover for your own power. You never fail to disappoint me." "I'm happy to be your pride and joy." Heather spat, "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't gain your approval. However, I don't think you came all this way just to tell me that." "I'm sure you already know what I am after." I spoke keeping a cool composure. She nodded and retorted, "Yeah, and you already know my answer."
I tilted my head to the side in mock confusion and asked, "You do not care for the life you have, do you? Your daughter has grown quite beautifully throughout the years, it would be a shame if something unfortunate would befall her in your place." Heather stiffened and her fists clenched as she snarled, "You leave her out of this! She's done nothing to you." I smirked, was she playing ignorant or did she really think that such a minor detail was going to detain me? "Fair enough, I suppose since I got rid of Ōtoribashi the way I had, what makes you think I would not smother your husband in his sick bed? Or bring something more powerful than your 'little brother' and set it loose in his house?" I prodded, by now I must have been smiling like an idiot but I was not going to pass up the opportunity to point out her flaw, "He won't care as long as his wife is safe and in her condition, that cannot be guaranteed. You gave me more opportunities for you to lose." She looked at me wide-eyed, her jaw dropped slightly. Her shoulders sagged and she unclenched her fist before sighing in defeat. "What do you want me to do?" she questioned softly. I got her. I smiled and rest my hand on her shoulder before replying, "I want you to come with me." My protégée nodded sadly. "Now, now. You stay with me, they will all be kept from harm but I refuse to halt my cause if one of your family or friends gets in the way." I assured, feeding her the most basic truth. I would not hesitate to kill any one that got in my path. I did not want to but I was not about to let her throw anyone in as a monkey wrench. The power of Yamashishiza was now at my control. All of her sonic power was going to make quite the show. "Now just play along with the fact that nothing happened until I say otherwise." I told her softly and she nodded before replying, "I don't recall anything happening, Captain Aizen."
I smiled as I opened the Garganta. "Well then, shall we?" I offered giving her leeway to go first. Heather frowned but had walked forward. I followed, sending both of us into the lab of SzayelAporro. She stopped and looked around somewhat wide-eyed. "Why are we here?" she questioned. I passed her and walked over to Grantz. "You are to work with Kaname on Hollow management and if necessary, disciplinary measures." I explained, leaving the rest for him to teach. "What's the status on your new assignment?" I questioned looking to Gin and Kaname over to the viewing area of the lab. Heather walked over to the two men and looked in. "It's just about finished, Lord Aizen." Szayel reported looking at the woman curiously, "If I may, My Lord; what's the matter with her? She looks like she had seen a ghost." That had piqued my curiosity as well as he followed my lead to view what had gotten her so frazzled. "What's wrong?" Kaname questioned in concern sensing that his new partner was out-of sorts. "Grand Fisher." she muttered in realization egging me to find out more about this 'Grand Fisher'. I looked down into the viewing arena and saw the hollow Szayel had been working on. It did not look like much, more like a giant guinea pig wearing a hollow mask than an actual hollow it turned it's head and I noticed a lure-like attachment stuck on the hollow's forehead much like an angler fish's lure. The description brought the name into full circle. The fact that she had remembered startled me, I had thought that she had been forgetting things but she had proved me wrong. She was truly worth my time in perusing. I leaned in close to her ear and spoke slowly, "Besides killing it, what do you suggest I do?"