...
He was a reasonable hollow, all things considered.
He believed that any action, no matter the consequences, taken for the Greater Good of himself was an action that ultimately was a reasonable one.
When he'd first met the Boss, he'd made as much clear.
All he'd ever wanted, was the freedom to pursue his interests and Josh Groban had given him exactly that.
Of course, as all hollows are taught not to do, it would've been stupid to simply trust him, verbal agreements didn't necessarily pay off in their world.
Which is of course where Groban's insurance came in. Particularly in the form of one Ulquiorra Cifer.
And given the 'Greatest Good' of all was his own personal survival.
Well, it was only sensible really. Deciding to corporate with said insane duo.
The sound of footsteps filled the white filled hallway. The two +Espada idly turning their feet as they reached a corner.
"Tch, looks just like his dam' palace..." Nnoitra grunted, turning a single eye towards Grantz. "Why'd ya let 'im change your realm up anyway?"
Grantz held in the urge to sigh, his gaze locked ahead. Couldn't the idiot figure it out himself? "Boss insisted. He believes my quarters the safest," He remarked, a sneer on his face.
Nnoitra blinked, bemusement colouring his face. "Safest how exactly?"
"...Yes." Grantz allowed the hints of a smile to grace his face at his answer. It was the small things in life that gave one joy, really.
"Oh tha's haha funny, didn't figure ya to know what a joke was," Nnoitra sneered, his pace speeding up to match the higher ranked hollow.
"Speaking of jokes," Nnoitra continued at the lack of any response. "Ya know wha's up with Jaeger?"
Grantz held in the urge to sigh. Relief, however, flooded him as his gaze locked onto the entrance to Groban's newest office.
"Honestly Nnoitra I've got bigger issues then ya boyfriend-" Grantz stopped his legs, the sight of a scythe latching onto the wall just before him. Nnoitra's reiatsu flooding the hallway.
"Those 're fightin' words, Grantz-"
"Right." Grantz rolled his eyes, ducking his head, as he continued on. Nnoitra's twitch disappearing as he unhooked his weapon off the wall. The brief crack instantly repairing itself.
...
Entering the new replica of Groban's usual meeting rooms, for a single moment, Grantz' eyes narrowed at the sight of the two early comers, already at their seats.
One of which having decided to take his.
The room was, admittedly, smaller then Grobans old throne room. The distinct lack of a throne not the only difference. The only thing in sight, Groban deciding to forego everything else in favour of security, been the long narrow white table. As well as the holographic screen running down the length of the table. Showcasing from as many angles as he could manage, the jail cell of Shinigami Captain Aizen Sosuke. And his current 'volunteering interrogator' +Espada Nel Tu.
+Espadas Tier Harribel and Eren Jaegerjaquez' on the other hand had taken up the two seats cutting the table in the middle.
Grantz promptly made his way towards Eren's side.
"You're in my seat." He stated calmly, his gaze idly taking in Harribel's amused expression.
"Huh?" A shit-eating grin made itself pronounced on the Jaguar Hollow, the blue-themed Espada turning his gaze back towards Harribel, away from him. "Don't make me call Aizen-"
Was of course as far as the idiot got, Grantz not wasting a beat as he moved a wrist towards his mouth. The reiatsu-powered device blinking into life. The hollow in his seat blinking rapidly, his tongue having caught something.
"Aizen Sosuke-" "Hold on a second-" Grantz and Eren stated respectively.
"You have a challenger." He finished, his reiatsu flowing through him as he urged the room to transport the rapidly paling +Espada in his seat directly to Aizen's cell.
The holographic screen showcasing Aizen's momentary surprise.
Surprise which quickly turned into indifference as Aizen Sosuke promptly snorted, refused to participate and turned his head away from Eren.
At which point the Jaguar +Espada, believing his honour to have been rightfully besmirched, decided to leap.
"...Cruel." Harribel deadpanned, her gaze turning away from the screen, towards the entrance of the room. Shadows of the rest of his colleagues appearing on the ground. Signs of an incoming teleportation. A personal security measure he'd had installed himself. Grantz shrugged as he sat down. Nnoitra deciding to take as far of a seat as possible after the display.
A moment later, a brief flash of blue light appeared over Eren's usually seat, the +Espada's battered form dropping in, smoking of something.
Nnoitra promptly let loose of any hints of control and started laughing.
"That was quick." Harribel added nothing to the conversation, the shark empress idly leaning her head onto an arm.
"Grantz," Eren started, a wince on his face, one arm raised up to fix his dislocated jaw. "You're an ass-"
"Round two," Grantz interrupted him, the wrist mounted device blaring to life once again as Eren disappeared.
"Someone's in a bad mood," Once again, Harribel added absolutely nothing to the conversation.
"There is a Shinigami that beat you, The Boss, the secret weapon and Ulquiorra into the ground, in my realm. Mind you, the same one we are all currently in. Of course I am in a bad mood!"
"... Yes, that does indeed sound like something to worry about," Harribel stated passively, her eyes closing, the peaceful expression on her face pissing him off all the more.
Grantz' eyebrow twitched. "Thank you for the input."
"You're welcome."
He proceeded to the ancient art of banging ones head on a table, repeatedly.
Eren reappeared a few feet in the air, akin to a smoking fireball, crashing onto his seat with a thud.
"You really should stop instigating him," Harribel idly commented referring to their prisoner, her gaze turned towards the jaguar hollow.
"No... Shit... Sherlock..." Jaegerjaquez rasped.
Nnoitra's incessant laughter continued on, evidently with no end in sight.
Grantz, quite frankly, was starting to see Nel's side of things. Even if the hollow had more then likely only volunteered to keep an eye out if only to avoid the shit-fest this meeting was likely to be.
Really and truly, there was only one reasonable solution to dealing with Aizen Sosuke. And it certainly didn't need a bloody meeting to figure out.
Honestly, their best bet was to get as much distance between them and him as possible.
And as if they'd heard his damn thoughts. Josh Groban, Ulquiorra at his side, followed by the rest of the +Espada flashed into the existence outside the entrance. The highest authority in Huaco Mundo filtering into the room, taking their usual spaces. The only stand out been Ulquiorra, who occupied one of the seats at the end of the long narrow table. Groban on the other side.
The 'Boss'' words echoed throughout the room, though they never reached Grantz ears. His focus set on the leading hollow's expression.
An expression he'd seen thousands of times before. One that promised him a problem in the form of Aizen Sosuke.
One that threatened his Greatest Good.
"Before we get on with my plan, on the off chance any of you have something meaningful to contribute," Groban's voice continued on, Grantz' focus shifting. "Does anyone have any suggestions?-"
The incredulity in the Hollow's voice grated on his skin.
"Send him back to Sereitei, before he pokes another eye out." Grantz shrugged, ignoring the sudden brief surge of killing intent from the other hollow.
"Thank you for your input," Groban stated tersely, about to turn towards the screen-
"You're welcome," He finished, admittedly understanding why Harribel insisted on such an attitude, flashing Groban a grin in the process.
Honestly, were the female +Espada the only ones smart enough to see the situation for what it was?
He'd certainly never thought to see the day hollow kind was threatened by a metaphorical dick-measuring contest.
...
"Does anyone else have something they wish to contribute," Groban stated, a dull tone to his voice, not really expecting an actual response, as he leaned on a single arm. His gaze sweeping across each conscious +Espada.
Grantz rolled his eyes the moment he heard Aaroniero Arruruerie speak up. His thoughts stalling as he straightened his posture. His fellow +(the plus)Espada probably already pinning him with a glare, hidden underneath his dotted narrow false-mask, even as he directed the question to Josh Groban.
"Is it truly wise to leave Nel with Aizen Sosuke? Given her questionable-" The pressure in the room slowly started to rise, Ulquiorra's reiatsu leaking out uncontrollably as the +Espada turned his gaze towards the steel cucumber in the room. Eren Jaegerjaquez immediately straightening in the process, his previous pain forgotten.
"-actions?" Arruruerie continued unimpeded, his expression hidden.
Still, Grantz could blatantly see where it was going. The irritating bastard had a habit of going after him.
Josh Groban idly hummed, levelling a single look towards Ulquiorra, the look managing to cleanse the air, the pressure disappearing as fast as it came.
"Zommari, if you will." he waved a hand towards the second +Espada currently hiding under a glorified costume device. The first of course been Aaroniero himself. He didn't care how the damn thing worked, as far as he was concerned, it was akin to wearing a costume. Even if that costume was their pre-resurrection forms.
Honestly, what self-respecting hollow had vanity issues? Grantz minutely shook his head, for a moment garnering Groban's attention.
Eternal life was quite frankly losing it's lustre. What was the point in being able to live forever if one had to spend every waking moment of eternity surrounded by idiots.
Every augmentation he'd made to himself, from his body to his mind, had only strengthened his distorted view of the... Grantz shook his head again, his mind once again wondering where it ought not to.
He had the rest of eternity to worry about his sanity.
He watched as Zommari, a similar, rather insufferable expression on his own face. Though for vastly different reasons. Zommari's been the fact he was using his 'powers.'
"Nel's reading will say as it always has, loyalty to Ulquiorra, therefore I wish to clarify that I am against this abuse of my capabilities. I am, after all, one of the +Espada-"
"Get on with it!" Eren Jaegerj' groaned, earning a dismissive look from the interrupted hollow.
The +Espada slowly closed his eyes, a third opening just above his neo-eyebrows. The rest of his body lifting off the ground into a meditative pose as the mind eye locked onto the hollow in the screen. Grantz's own irritation filling him as he forced more reiatsu into the holograph inducing machines hidden inside the table, if only to avoid Zommari accidentally overcharging it and blowing it up in the process.
It wasn't exactly easy having every thing set up.
"Nel Tu is-" The dark-skinned +Espada's main eyes suddenly reopened, shock showing through as he blinked. "-Loyal to her friends?"
Grantz, admittedly enough, had been too engrossed in the surprise reading to have noticed Ulquiorra facepalming himself.
"So, nothing new," Harribel suddenly remarked, once again however, not adding anything to the conversation. The Shark Empress was smarter then that, a genius in her own right. He knew as much. Yet she refused to show any of it.
Grantz turned his gaze towards the front of the table, watching as Josh Groban held the bridge of his nose. His lone eye closed.
"...Nel wouldn't betray me," Ulquiorra suddenly stated, and really that was that. Given the expression on his face, he doubted even Groban was willing to poke him with a metaphorical stick.
As with any society that surrounded the whole Might is Right philosophy, there were certain moods from their walking mass of weaponised destruction that everyone collectively avoided antagonising.
The crazies included.
Grantz liked to think he wasn't part of that particular group.
"A moment if you will," Aaroniero quickly took control of the conversation, one hand on the nearby levitating Espada's shoulder, halting him from deactivating his ability. The irritated expression on Zommari's face turning for the worse. Aaroniero once again however ignored it as he turned his gaze towards Josh Groban.
Grantz held in the urge to roll his eyes.
"I believe there is another whose reading I encourage," Aaroniero turned his metal casket of a head towards him. Grantz forcing the smile on his face. Even as Josh Groban's face took an amused expression.
Zommari on the other hand stayed silent, simply waiting on an order from Groban, not that it was to be long one. The gunslinging hollow idly waving the go ahead.
Grantz watched on, the smile on his face not budging, even as Zommari's expression twisted. Anger, confusion and above all, fear filling up his face.
"Grantz is loyal to himself-" Nothing new, Grantz could've and has told them so himself. "Betrayal clouds his mind-" Zommari's eyes reopened again, quickly narrowing as they locked onto him. His ability to read his fellow +Espada enhanced and borrowed from Ulquiorra himself.
Having acquired said ability from Huaco Mundo's bat during his hunger days. Which, to no one's surprise, hadn't taken much convincing to achieve.
Zommari had used the fact he possessed multiple eyes as proof that the ability was practically made for him. And Ulquiorra, being who he was, shrugged and gave him what he'd wanted.
Not that any could really blame the lower +Espada.
The ability to discern ally from enemy was, after all, invaluable to any hollow.
"Oh?" Aaroniero's smug voice, even if it didn't sound remotely different, was starting to grate on him. "Curious is it not, Lord Groban? Perhaps Aizen Sosuke hadn't after all accidentally stumbled upon your private quarters." Said shinigami was still, as he'd been doing for the past few hours, ignorantly watching one of Nel's requested series with her. Entirely indifferent to his circumstances from what he could make out of the screen before him.
Grantz figured that was as good time as any to cut in. With a geniune smile on his face, the eccentric Espada promptly started clapping his hands.
"Congratulations," He stated, in an utterly dull tone. Before to the surprise of the camouflaged +Espada before him, he promptly deactivated the device disguising him.
The bastard had forgotten he was in his realm. Aaroniero's true resseructed form quickly showed itself, towering above every hollow in the room, the malevolent eye'd glob of stupidity snarling at him. Even as he raised his gaze up, Grantz had never felt calmer.
He promptly stood up, one foot on the table before him.
"Tell you what, if and when I do decide to mutiny," Grantz narrowed his eyes, his own reiatsu flooding the room, the majority of it focused on the glaring purple sludge of a hollow before him.
"I'll start with you," He pointed a finger, a sinister smile taking over his face. "I'll cut you down into two pieces and make a damn sock puppet out of each head!" He stretched his hands to the side, a manic look overtaking his eyes. "That sound good to you!?" And, as if someone had turned a switch on in his head, Grantz's manic expression disappeared, his passive look returning, his hands pocketed. His body falling back into his seat with a soft thud.
"... Ulquiorra, if Grantz defiles Aaroniero's body-" Groban remarked after a moment of silence, figuring his rant to be over. Said +Espada in question, despite the fury on his face, promptly reactivated his camouflage device. "-restrain him," Groban finished, amusement radiating out of his face as he stared directly at him.
Ulquiorra's rapid nod, if not for his masterful control over his emotions, would've likely resulted in another rant-
A tired sigh echoed out from in front of him, Harribel's steel gaze a complete contrast to the action.
"I hardly think it's wise to push Grantz towards a mutiny," Harribel's steel gaze turned towards Groban. The gunslinging hollow's back straightening the slightest, a wary expression filling his face. "Unless you," Harribel locked gazes with 'The Boss.' The eye-patched hollow's teeth grinding the slightest at the coming insult. Harribel, with a fake cough, corrected herself and continued.
"Any of you at that, wish to fight Aizen Sosuke and the shinigami's eventual reinforcements without his, for lack of a better term, Immortality curse..." The shark empress paused, letting the others process the words before continuing.
"Given our current track record... If that were to happen, some of us are rather more liable to end up in the same place as Barragan." Harribel finished, an indifferent expression on her own face.
The uncomfortable silence that filled the room at the words only served to make Groban's barely hidden displeasure all the more visible.
Even as half-true as they were. It wasn't true immortality after all. His input had only made sure that, so long as a single hollow remained in their inner realm- The same kind he'd thrown against Urahara Kisuke, they wouldn't die.
Without his ability, without him.
They, the +Espada of Huaco Mundo let alone the rest, would have all have died thousands of times over by now.
Ulquiorra's presence alone would've wiped out colonies of arrancar.
"We are getting rather side-tracked as it were," Groban eventually settled on. Zommari's levitating body slowly lowered itself back to the ground. Aaroniero's wardrobe malfunctioned back under a control, though the +Espada barely managed to conceal his anger at been... Well, humiliated.
Grantz as a response, snorted, his gaze rising to meet Groban's, a shit-eating grin on his face.
"Oh? And here I thought we were just having a social call," Grantz supported the back of his head with both hands. "My my, such high expectations of us, Boss-sama."
...
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