disclaimer: me don't own bleach or lost. Go figure.

Chapter 2: break the limit

Four days after Grimmjow's punishment, during Ichigo's training with the Vaizards, Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were summoned to the throne room. The two had managed to avoid each other since the Tousen-incident, yet they had subconsciously gotten a lot closer now that they were officially both considered rebellious.

Grimmjow had lost quite a bit of his bravura in his struggle to keep his emotions at bay ànd regrow his arm. He had miraculously succeeded in doing both, as Tousen still roamed the halls alive and Grimm's new arm functioned perfectly. Yet, he was still very much aware of Aizen's spirit pressure looming over him.

In the beginning, Grimmjow had doubtlessly been Aizen's most favourite Arrancar.: he was vivid, impulsive; strong and skilled and most certainly not dumb. And the best thing was that he knew it damn well. It amused Aizen to no end to hear him loudmouth and insult his brethren with confidence.

But since he had crossed Aizen's limit by ignoring Aizen's order to leave the matter strawberry in Ulquiorra's hands, Aizen had become a bit annoyed at his I-do-what-I-want attitude.

Ulquiorra had always been the one to think of himself in the first place, and the silent one. Slight disagreements with his master usually resulted in a clear, yet subtle defiance of his commands. As a result of this behaviour, Aizen had to resort to using direct control more often than he liked to avoid the pale Arrancar from arousing a whole league of rebels.

Now, Aizen had reached a point where he could no longer postpone his decision. When Grimmjow and Ulquiorra stood before his throne in total silence (which, for Grimm, was exceptional), he revealed his plans for them:

"I will send you two away for the next few weeks. You can understand that I cannot risk having you do foolish things in this crucial phase or my-…our plan." Both Arrancar cast their leader a surprised look.

"You will go to the human world, to a deserted place where you can stay without coming into contact with humans or Shinigamis, an island void of souls."

Grimmjow didn't know whether to laugh at the 'plan or be pleased with Aizen's dumbness…if he wanted to, he could easily escape from any island by ripping through space. He could go back to Hueco Mundo (though he suspected that the way in would be blocked for them), and if that didn't work, he could freely roam the human world with his supernatural speed and powers at his disposal. Like hell he was going to stay on an island…

If Aizen sent them away, he would never be able to make them stay unless...he had more tricks up his sleeve. A glace at Ulquiorra taught Grimmjow that his 'brother' had reached the same conclusion.

Grimm was about to ask if there was a catch when Aizen abruptly dismissed him.

"Grimmjow, you can go now. I see Ulquiorra wants to discuss something with me…"

Ulquiorra's reaction was double-sided: he looked as if he indeed needed to have a serious chat, but on the other hand he backed away a little, like a child caught thinking bad things about his parents. His bloodless lips were squeezed tightly together, and beads of nervous sweat formed on his temples.

Reluctantly, Grimmjow left him alone with Aizen. When he leaned himself against the wall of the throne room, he wondered when exactly he had started worrying so much about his, and Ulquiorra's, life. He had never before felt this directly threatened.

In the throne room, Ulquiorra strengthened his resolve. He knew the moment to regain possession over his own life would come, but this was a bit too early for comfort. He felt like he didn't know the extent of Aizen's control yet. But this was the time to confront his creator with the fact that the creation wished to become independent.

Concerning power alone, Aizen wasn't much above trash to him, but even a tiger can't defeat a rat when the rat had the key to the tiger's mind and body. Either Aizen would leave Ulquiorra to his own devices if he could prove he was more trouble to him than he could handle, or the Arrancar would die trying to get out of his grasp.

For Ulquiorra, that last one was not an option. He wouldn't take the risk of making Aizen his mortal enemy, but if Aizen did decide to kill him, he'd make sure he brought a part if him down with him. He was pretty sure that he could exhaust Aizen's mind enough to render him without control over the other Arrancars, and Ulquiorra knew that at least Grimmjow would take his chance to get his revenge…on Tousen.

Strange that someone as aggressive an careless as Grimm could actually behave like a kicked hound dog. A dog that could bring his master down once unleashed from its chains. He'd fight anyone, anything if he felt like it, but right now, his survival instincts told him to be a good boy, or else…

Yep, he was pretty scared of Aizen now. Pissed off, but scared.

XIxIxIiX

Ulquiorra was tense, his senses on edge as he wondered what Aizen was up to. As if Aizen had read his mind, he made himself comfortable in his throne and asked

"You understand the 'why', but you want to know the exact 'what', right?"

Ulquiorra glared at him from under his helmet and dark hair, or at least, looked as angry as he could with his eternally emotionless face. It came out like a sad scowl.

A vicious look crept into Aizen's face as he smiled amusedly at his subordinate. "You'll see soon enough...or rather, feel it."

"Tell me." Ulquiorra demanded with a low hiss.

…Outside the room, Grimmjow felt the spiritual tension rise inside. The grey-bluish hairs in his neck stood on end while he listened. Apparently, Ulquiorra had gathered enough courage to confront Aizen. Grimm pushed his right ear against the wall, but the Shinigami spoke so quietly that he couldn't hear a word.

His outer jaw crunched against the black stone as he clenched his teeth in anticipation and frustration, but he stopped moving altogether when Ulquiorra's spirit pressure suddenly surged. A violent argument followed.

Or rather, Ulquiorra's soul desperately lashed out while Aizen's aura slowly grew and tried to sneakily corner the Arrancar, like a snake lifting its body, intent on killing.

Grimmjow felt the danger when Ulquiorra's spirit pressure started disappearing. Also, his vision became blurry in the corners of his eyes. It looked as if the world was fleeing from his grasp, and his limbs grew heavier as the moments passed. His sixth sense became weaker, and the visualisations of the two spirits in the throne room slid from his mind.
Fear crept into his heart as he felt his powers slipping away from his body and spirit.

Grimmjow agitatedly slammed the large doors open with a tremendous effort to see what was going on, and he saw Aizen standing face-to-face with Ulquiorra in the middle of the black void of the room.

The white-skinned Arrancar was turning a bit deathly grey, as if he was nauseous with fear. The thin, inky lines that trailed down his cheeks like tears had become a shade lighter when the blood had drained from his face, and his green irises had shrunk to an impossibly small size as he stared at Aizen wide-eyed like a deer caught in the headlights.

Aizen took a step in his direction, and Ulquiorra backed away. This little game continued for a few slow endearing steps, until Aizen rushed forward and placed his index finger under Ulquiorra's chin. While he slowly drained the two Arrancars from their powers, the ex-captain tentatively moved his finger down Ulquiorra's throat and came to a halt above the hole between his collarbones.

Ulquiorra's body tensed in a tortured shudder as Aizen touched the white skin on the inside of the hole. It was almost a caress, it looked as if it tickled, but it caused the Arrancar a great deal of pain. He was 'lucky' that he was slowly losing his hollow identity, because what Aizen did harmed only his hollow side.

Nobody had ever dared to touch Ulquiorra in that place before, and as a result he had never known what could happen if someone with a higher spiritual pressure than him would 'fill' the hole, the void it symbolized. If he hadn't been drained, his spirit pressure would have pushed Aizen out, but now, he was pretty much defenceless. He felt his knees turn wobbly, and when Aizen released his grip on the trembling Arrancar, Ulquiorra's legs gave away and he fell on his bum.

But Aizen wasn't done yet. He gracefully knelt down and whispered something in his creation's ear while grabbing the horn on his half-helmet.

"You've been a very naughty Arrancar, You know. I can't have that, and I'll make sure it never happens again."

He smiled gently, the smile that had stolen so many people's hearts, like the heart and soul of that young girl, Hinamori. But Ulquiorra could see the hidden cruel intentions, even if he now lacked the sense that allowed him to feel his master's emotions.

"How about you show me what's going on in your mind, hmm?"

For a moment, Ulquiorra didn't understand what his master wanted,. When realisation dawned, he forced his body to stand; the floor felt like a mattress, and he had trouble finding his balance as he took some distance from Aizen again. The hollow world was already rejecting his now almost mortal body.

If he'd let his emotions get the best of him now, he'd either die trying to kill Aizen, or run and be chased until Aizen could kill him. Time for some damage control…he had to get Aizen's goodwill again, even if it meant damaging his own body. He'd rather be maimed than dead. Ulquiorra struggled to keep his breath and posture steady as he complied to Aizen's indirect order.

When the Shinigami saw that the Arrancar was indeed going to obey, he smiled evilly. "Good boy…" he said. "But if you think I'll stop now, you're wrong. You defied me more that once, and you won't listen,...who won't listen will have to feel the consequences of his actions.
Please, this hurts me as much as it will hurt you…"

Ulquiorra growled silently. 'Show me your mind' was the order. This usually involved removing his left eye from its socket. The wound always closed quickly thanks to his hollow powers, but in these conditions…

Ulquiorra knew perfectly well what Aizen had done to prevent them escaping from their temporary prison. The man had told him when he asked, and it had been the cause of Ulquiorra's panicky reaction. The ex-captain had stripped both him and Grimmjow of their hollow and Shinigami powers. They could already feel the strain of the thousands of spiritual pressures throughout Hueco Mundo on their now mortal bodies.

A punch would now hurt them like it did to any other human being, they'd need food and water, and they'd be completely visible to mankind. Hence the deserted island…Even if their bodies were heavily trained, able to stretch the human abilities to their limits, they'd never be able to swim away from an island…and even if they could, people would immediately notice that they weren't human. They'd be too weak to defend themselves.

And Ulquiorra hated being weak. And he hated the fact that Aizen could do this. His compliments to the Shinigami for conveniently 'forgetting' to mention that little detail before they were created. Anyway, he'd have to suffer for now in order to survive.

Grimmjow had also fallen to his knees when he was turning 'human'. His blue eyes darted from Aizen to Ulquiorra and back, and when he saw Ulquiorra reach for his face with a trembling hand he yelled.

"Heeey! What's going on! What the hell are you doing!"

The pale Arrancar glanced at his with an incredibly haunted look, sadder and more depressed than Grimmjow had ever seen him. Ulquiorra was desperate to survive and fight his instincts as he willed his body to maim itself.

Aizen grew impatient. "And? …I'll help you if you can't even force yourself that far…"

That was the limit. Ulquiorra placed his fragile long finger around his eyeball, and pulled it out of its socket.

Pain exploded in his head when the veins and nerves ripped, but unlike every other time, it didn't subside immediately. Instead, the pain drilled through his skull and numbed his senses other that the feeling of sheer agony. The Arrancar's inner system was thrown out of balance as adrenalin and morphine rushed trough his body, and he nearly fell from the wave of nausea that followed.

His skull was ready to burst, but he managed to keep Aizen in his blurring, now depthless vision..

Grimmjow felt like throwing of when he saw Ulquiorra extend a violently shaking hand to give Aizen his bloody eyeball. Aizen took it between his index finger and thumb, examining it mildly interested.

"What kind of a sick …!" Grimmjow shouted, but he fell silent when he saw Aizen casting him a maniacal, empty look. Blood was streaming down Ulquiorra's face, but he pushed his conscience through the veil of pain. Aizen saw this and was satisfied by it.

He had shown his superiority, caused pain, and his creation had regained its lower position. Now he only had to show Grimmjow who's in charge. Aizen turned his attention to him, only to find an already subdued individual.

Grimmjow, the one who had never had any reason to push away his anger and contempt, was now visibly shaking, his fists crunching in an effort to keep his emotions at bay. He was scared about what would happen if he didn't. Especially if he considered that he hadn't really been 'him' that long…'he' was too young to die already, and death had never been so close, not even when he had taken a direct hit from Zangetsu. No, this was way more dangerous. Ichigo had never been a real threat.

Aizen felt that Grimmjow would undertake no further actions of rebellion against him anytime soon. He couldn't guarantee that the Arrancar wouldn't attack Tousen or vent his anger on the other Arrancars, or even on Gin. Aizen grinned inwardly about the mental images that flashed before his eyes when he imagined what a clash that would be…Ichimaru against Jyagajaq…fox face versus grim jaw.

But he'd have to find out what would happen later…right now, he couldn't afford having troublesome subordinates around. With a last look at the bleeding Ulquiorra, whose spirit pressure was now reduced to the fragile aura of a human, Aizen dismissed him and Grimmjow in an almost friendly manner.

Grimmjow immediately turned to the door, but when he saw that Ulquiorra was having major trouble staying on his feet, he felt guilty…if he hadn't been so stubborn to take those Gillian Arrancar to the human world, Aizen might have never thought them to be dangerous to his plans. If he had obeyed, it wouldn't have had to come to this.

For a moment, Grimmjow hesitated, casting the exit to safety a doubting look, but eventually he turned around to fetch Ulquiorra. When sweat trickled down his brow as he noticed that doing so required getting closer to Sousuke, he started seriously questioning his almost non-existent sanity.

'I can't believe I'm doing this…' he thought as he lent Ulquiorra his shoulder to lean on. Not that he could help out much…he was swaying to and fro himself because of the effects the power drain had on him.

Aizen watched them turn their backs to him in silence, and then called out to them once more.
"Tousen will take you to the island in a few minutes. Meet him at Gin's quarters."

Then he turned away, and disappeared in the dark hazes that seemed to drift everywhere in front of Grimm's eyes. The captain's spirit pressure diminished, and the two Arrancars straightened up a bit. Ulquiorra didn't make a sound when Grimmjow pulled him forward, wishing nothing else than to get out of that room for now.

TBC

Phew, this has gotten longer than I thought. I decided to split this chapter in two...they'll end up on the island by the end on next chappie, I hope. I'm thinking about keeping this a long prologue and never even really doing a crossover...or I'll post the crossover as a more or less seperate humor bit. XD

andumm..R&R please? I know the first chapter was too short x(