Chapter 7

"Let the poor girl go, Nnoitra."

My feet can no longer reach the floor by that time that voice cuts in. Instead, I'm dangling a good distance from the floor, eye-level with Nnoitra as he stares me down. I have half a second to fear Nnoitra won't listen before I realize that him obeying might be worse. Especially when the ground suddenly comes rushing at me.

Nnoitra doesn't drop me so much as he tosses me to the ground at the order. Defiant even as he complies, he throws me away from him, sending me skidding to the feet of my savior and bumping into anything that's in the way, toppling them over. There's nothing gentle in the way he throws me either. It's harsh and fast and has me ricocheting off the tile floor more than once.

There's pain and a lot of it by the time I come to a stop.

The world spins horribly the first time I try to open my eyes. It also tilts, making it impossible to find my bearings as I struggle to get up. Despite my multiple attempts, the ground rushes up more than once, sending me sprawling again as I ache everywhere.

My head isn't the only thing that's hurting anymore.

I've bitten my tongue sometime during all that bouncing so the blood sits thick and salty in my mouth. It feels my senses with iron, metallic and disgusting even as I let it fall out onto the white floor. It comes out in a thick glop, splattering and painting everything red.

"Oh look, there's finally some color in this stupid castle," I say. Or try to at least. With my bitten tongue it comes out as a mumbled jumble of words that sounds more like: "Oh puk, der finalee thome culu en thith thupid cathle."

I can only imagine the looks that gets me. Not that I can see them with the stars still dancing in front of my eyes and the way the pain clouds my thoughts. With attempts to get up aborted, I end up sprawled there, watching as the blood slowly continues to drip onto the floor.

"Tsk," Nnoitra snorts, disgust dripping from every inch of that noise when I make no attempt to wipe the blood slowly dribbling down my chin. "Disgusting. She's all yours, Starrk."

That last part is said in a snarl. Smearing his name even though Starrk is the leader.

The top dog.

Captain of this derange crew.

Numero Uno.

Thee man—okay, I think they get it.

Nnoitra's gone before I can find my senses enough to look up. Though, once I do, it's to spot Starrk looking at me, bemused and yet in no hurry to help me up. He lets me lay there until I get my bearings enough to push myself up to my hands and knees.

And then he watches me crawl, slowly and awkwardly, to the closest furniture so I can hoist myself up. With the way the world continues to shift every so often, getting up on my own is impossible. So I cling to what I think is a table as I stagger to my feet.

"Man, you look like sh—"

"Lilynette," Starrk cuts her off but does nothing to hold her back as the girl heads my way. When the world begins to tilt again, I sit heavily on the table. Though it's more falling on it than actually choosing to sit, if I'm being honest. Especially as the toes on my right foot protest any weight so soon after cracking.

"You got a little something," Lilynette says as she appears in front of me. She's a tiny little thing when she stands next to Starrk, coming up just past his waist, but when she stands in front of me, she's stands at just under my chin. Definitely taller than I expected even though I'm only just reaching five feet myself. She points at her chin, at where the blood still stains my own chin. In response I just let my mouth fall open, releasing any gathering blood down my chin in a torrent of red. It gushes forward almost comically, surprising her. "Never mind."

It's everywhere now. Staining the front of my crisp white top and bra in the processes. Sticky and warm, I regret the action immediately but it's not like keeping the blood in my mouth was going to do anything other than make me nauseous.

"I think I bit my tongue off," I try to say, that it comes out in a jumble again is ignored as Starrk nods like he understands. Gathering as much of the blood in the front of my mouth as I can, I take a quick second to spit it out. If only to clear my mouth enough to actually talk. "Do you think I should go to a healer or something."

"Probably better to avoid it," Starrk says, finally understanding my words enough to reply. I nod at his words, understanding without needing an explanation. "We don't need you to get eaten on top of everything else."

This place is dangerous, after all.

So maybe we shouldn't take the injured human to the bloodthirsty Arrancars if we can avoid it. Healers or not, that would be like serving myself up on a silver platter. Especially, with the amount of blood I'm currently covered in.

Sucking on my tongue then, I try to assess the amount of damage done to it without the help of a mirror. Though I'm not too concerned over it if I'm being honest. The tongue is a vascular organ. Full of blood vessels and, well blood, it's honestly a very dramatic muscle with a lot of blood to shed for even the barest of cuts.

Though I'd hardly die of blood loss from biting the tip of my tongue off.

"We need to go," Starrk says suddenly, already walking before he's checked to see if I even can follow. He's at the doorway by the time I stumble after him. "The meeting is going to start soon. Lilynette."

"On it!"

Every step hurts, my knees buckle as much as my hips and my toes ache horribly but I follow after them, pace as quick as I can go so I won't be left behind. I don't need to find out if Nnoitra's lurking around some corner just waiting for me to be left alone again. They don't keep their pace slow, though.

Starrk's long legs carry him away fast, strides wide even as Lilynette hangs back, short legs not even bothering to match his. She's still a hell of a lot faster than me, though. A few steps ahead of me, she continuously looks around, alert even as Starrk leads the way with single-minded ease.

Is she keeping watch?

My question is never answered. As we approach a set of wide double doors, taller than they have any right to being, I know we've arrived at the meeting. That we didn't have to travel all that far is surprising until I remember that I probably spent more than a few hours wandering about.

When we enter the room, most of the other Espadas are already there. They're standing, gathered around a pillar that towers over them. Though most eyes turn our ways as Starrk swings the door open, rather dramatically if you ask me.

I don't know if the eyes linger on us because I'm covered in blood, or because I enter with Starrk, or even just because I'm still somehow alive. Still, I know I must make quite the sight, mouth, chin, and chest covered in blood I haven't even tried to wipe off. I probably look like I ate someone if I'm being honest.

Meeting their gazes head-on, I have to pretend I don't see the hunger in their eyes as we make our way towards the group. Though I make sure not too stray from Starrk's side, I also keep my distance from them all. The last thing I need is someone taking another swipe at me. So, I stay back even as I spot Wonderweiss in their midst. Edging away from the group as much as I can without completely singling myself out, I hope my blood won't draw too much unwanted attention.

Does human blood smell good to them?

The doors to the throne room opening again finally draws their gaze away from me. They all over as one as Ulquiorra leads Orihime into the room. Though their gazes don't linger on her. They all turn away immediately, gaze going back towards the pillar as the meeting finally starts.

"Welcome," Aizen begins from his throne. High up on a pillar he's hard to make out even as his words reach us easily. With no echo, the words drift down without him even needing to yell. "To our Castle of 'Las Noches'."

She stands in front of him, shaking but no less determined. Dress in her school uniform I can't but think she's got some guts. You have to, to come into enemy territory in a skirt. Not that she has any armor, of course, but I would have at least thought pants would be a priority when turning yourself over as hostage.

Comfortability is a must, after all.

"You are Inoue Orihime, correct?" Aizen asks even though he already knows the answer. You can't have someone kidnapped if you don't know what they look like. Still, it must be some kind of formality or something because no one gives him funny looks at the question.

"Yes, sir."

"Sorry to be so forward, Orihime," Aizen says even as he looks anything but sorry. Lounging on his throne, he looks like the picture-perfect image of 'uncaring' as he stares down at us. Like this show isn't interesting enough to gather even his sympathy for the girl he just had abducted. "But would you show us your power?"

"Yes…sir."

"It seems as though there are some who are not happy with your being brought here," Aizen continues, ignoring Orihime's almost reluctant reply. He doesn't really care if she's reluctant or not. So long as the job gets done, he doesn't need her undivided loyalty "Isn't that right, Luppi?"

"Of course, it is," Luppi begins, wary as Aizen's gaze goes to him. There's a challenge in Aizen's words. A question of whether Luppi really will question his orders. Which, of course, the idiot does. "Our entire fight was just a smokescreen designed to lure out this one girl. Who would be happy with that?"

"My apologies," Aizen almost sneers, a smirk on his face as he stares down at Luppi. A wiser man would have probably have kept quiet or begged for forgiveness at this point. But Luppi isn't wise, far from it actually, so he rises to the bait. "I did not expect you to get so severely beaten."

That burn.

The hiss makes it out of my mouth despite my injured tongue. It pulls a few gazes again, even Aizen's, but I'm quickly ignored as all attention goes back to the show in front of us. I would kill for popcorn right about now. Wait, no, never mind. With the state of my mouth, I probably wouldn't even be able to eat it.

And it would all taste like blood anyway.

"Now then," Aizen begins again shifting his gaze back to Orihime as he does. Just like that, I'm forgotten again. At least I think I am, until my gaze goes to Ulquiorra and I find his eyes locked on me. "That's right. Orihime, in order to directly demonstrate your power, please heal Grimmjow's left arm."

You could cut the tension with a knife. Everything goes deathly still, breaths caught in quiet gasps, no noise breaks the silence. Caught in Ulquiorra's gaze, I can't help the way my hand comes up, intent on finally wiping the blood away. In the sudden quiet, everything fades away except for those deep green eyes, at least until it all comes rushing back.

"Ridiculous!"

My hand never makes it to the blood. It's stopped by Luppi's shouts as he pulls my gaze from Ulquiorra. Instead, my hand ends up covering my ear, sheltering it from Luppi's increasing louder screams as he berates Orihime.

"That's impossible, Lord Aizen," he shouts, hysterical and angry even as Orihime moves to do just that. Her steps are cautious when she approaches a stunned Grimmjow, wary even as he stands still. "How can you heal something that's been erased? She is not a God."

"Sōten…," Orihime starts, ignoring the shouting around her. The words come out low, almost a whisper. The reason we even hear it at all is that Luppi falls quiet when he sees her start to work. Yet her words are steady, strong as she brings her hands up, the shield forming in front of them in a show of soft, orange light. "…Kisshun."

"Hey!" Luppi screams start up again, hysteria in them growing the longer Orihime works. "Are you listening girl? If this is some show to save your ass, you'd better knock it off! If you can't do it, I'll kill you! If that power of yours is fake, then there'll be no reason to…keep you…alive?"

It starts at the bone. Rebuilding the arm from the inside out, the bone is the first to form. Even then, it forms in section, growing down from the leftover stump of Grimmjow's arm. Then comes the muscles, steady and firm even after being gone for so long. Then tendons and ligaments, knitting the muscles to the bone. They're followed by veins and with it comes a fresh supply of blood. And, finally, it's the skin, tan and unblemished as it stretches down over long, tan fingers.

"What…?"

Luppi's confusion is echoed in the resulting silence. There are varying degrees of confusion on most of the Espada's faces. Those that can find it in themselves to care that is. Those that don't, like Ulquiorra, simply continue to watch as Luppi continues his hysterical rant.

Except Ulquiorra isn't watching the spectacle anymore. His eyes are once again glued to me and this time I do end up swiping at the blood on my mouth. Though the blood ends up flaking off more than smearing as I do. It's dry now, itchy, and the more I notice it, the itchier it gets. Especially the blood that has dried all over my chest.

"Do you not understand?" Aizen suddenly cuts Luppi off. He sits up from his slouch then, interest finally piqued in the face of Orihime's power. "Ulquiorra, you saw this as 'Temporal Regression' or 'Spatial Regression'."

"Yes sir," Ulquiorra says, gaze sweeping off me to go back towards Aizen. I miss it the second it's gone, even though I know I probably look like a hot mess.

"No way," Luppi says, something like fear in his words as he starts to accept the possibility that he's so very, very wrong. "No human could possess such an ability. It can't be…"

"Correct, but this is neither of those," Aizen says, no doubt enjoying Luppi's increasing confusion as his world is turned on its head. "This is 'The Rejection of Events'."

The room falls silent again.

"Her ability is to limit, reject, and negate any kind of event that has happened to her target. It is an ability that can return a target to a former state no matter what has happened to them. That is even better than 'Temporal Regression' or 'Spatial Regression'," Aizen says explaining it to the masses. "It easily tramples the horizon of events that God has decided. It is a power that trespasses into God's Territory."

The silence that falls then is just as tense as every one before it. Stunned into silence, all Luppi can do is watch, confused as Grimmjow waves Orihime back to him.

"Hey girl," he calls, getting her attention and breaking the silence all at once. Once he has her attention, he motions to his back, to the nasty, barely healed scarred where his number has been seared off. "Fix up one more spot."

"What are you planning, Grimmjow," Luppi snarls, angry and wary all at once as the scar slowly disappears to reveal deep, black tattoo.

Grimmjow doesn't give him an answer. In a flash too fast to follow, he reappears in front of Luppi, restored arm piercing through Luppi before he's even stopped moving. The squishing and cracking of bones breaking, and flesh-tearing is the only answer Luppi gets. That he still manages to find the breath to gasp a curse is surprising and almost physically impossible.

"That's how it goes," Grimmjow tells him, sneering and smug as a red cero begins to build in the arm not currently speared through Luppi. "Later, former Number Six."

In a bright show of heat, the upper half of Luppi is engulfed in the Cero. Leaving behind only his lower half, the Cero disappears as what remains of Luppi's body clatters to the ground with a 'slop' of blood and dead flesh and bone.

There's no ignoring Grimmjow's cry of victory as he takes back his position of Sexta. With Luppi dead, his arm back, and his tattoo restored, there's no keeping him from claiming his right to it. So, they all just watch as he claims his number with varying degrees of unease.

All except Ulquiorra, who simply bows his head, eyes closed, in something like reluctant acceptance. My gaze is stuck on him again, watching and soaking in the almost regal-ness of his movements. Graceful and dignified in a way no man should be. Much less a blood-thirsty, murdering, Espada.

His eyes snap open then, eyes locking on me instantly. I flinch back in surprise at the coldness in his gaze—sharp and dangerous—and end up crashing into the chest of someone who certainly wasn't there two seconds ago. Looking up, I catch sight of a tuff of teal blue just before I'm shoved forward.

"Watch it, human."

The world tilts all too familiarly by this point. Sticking my arms out, I catch myself on them just before I can truly reacquaint myself with the floor one more time. My palms and knees sting as I do, the bruises from Nnoitra's early toss flaring up painfully enough that I almost wish I didn't catch myself.

Is this why Aizen let me live?

So that I can be a punching bag for his stupid Espadas?

I'm dragged to my feet before I can think about that anymore. Thankfully it's not by my hair this time. But the grip on my arm, tight, firm, and cold, is no better. Especially when I'm nowhere near ready enough to stand on my twice bruised knees. They buckle before I'm even forced to put my full weight on them.

So that I end up a limp mess that dangles somewhere between the floor and the person holding me. That that person turns out to be Ulquiorra is unsurprising. I have been left in his care, after all. He gives me a second to hang there, knees brushing the cold tile floor as they refuse to hold me up before he pulls me up again.

Oh yeah, definitely just here for their sadistic amusement.

My shoulder cracks in its socket, protesting the treatment enough that this time I actually find it in me to keep my knees from giving out. That they continue to shake and threaten to buckle is a given. So much so that the grip on my arm doesn't loosen even as I stand on my own two feet.

It stays there, firm and bruising. A warning to stay standing in the face of his great Lord. Anything else is a complete show of disrespect. So, he manhandles me up even when my own legs refuse to hold me.

Even then, I don't cry out. I haven't. Not even when I was shoved to the floor or my shoulder cracked loud enough to echo around the room. I keep my yells and groans and whimpers in by the sheer force of will that has nothing to do with pain tolerance levels and everything to do with pride.

I won't give you the satisfaction.

Another cold hand snatches my chin, lifting it up. My mouth is forced open far too easily. His grip is equal parts bruising and firm as he pries my jaw open enough to see the mess I've made out of my tongue. If I had to put an emotion to the 'tsk' he lets out at the sight, I'd be hard-pressed to call it more disgusted than annoyed.

Assessment done; he drops my chin just as quickly, almost flicking it away. My head whips to the side, taking my body with it dangerously, but I catch myself before I fall. I keep my gaze on the floor as I wait for the worst of my pains to fade long enough to concentrate.

When I finally look up, I find Aizen watching us with unconcealed amusement. Black, blue, and red all over, I'm sure I must make some kind of sight as I stand there, shaking and trembling all over. But not from fear. No, all my trembling is due to muscles too abused to keep from throbbing.

"My," Aizen starts, amusement dripping from every word as he looks my over. His eyes linger on the blood still caked to the top. "You look a bit worse for wear."

"No shi—"

My reply is caught off by a sharp pull from the hand holding me. One hard enough that it sends my knees buckling all over again. I catch myself at the last second. I really don't need my knees to hit the floor again. So even as they buckle, I force them to straighten again through the throbbing pain.

Aizen doesn't seem offended by my cut off curse. Instead, he smiles, a crooked thing that looks more amused than kind as he waves Orihime in my direction. If there's any annoyance, he hides it.

"Could you please heal that…thing?"

Orihime is as wary as when she walked into the room when she turns to face me. Though if it's because of the sight of me, battered and bruised, or of Ulquiorra, I don't know. She watches us both with caution in her eyes as she makes her way slowly towards us. So, of course, fed up with how long she's taking, Ulquiorra drags me forward.

She flinches back, scared as Ulquiorra holds me out to her. More than willing to be done with all this, he stares Orihime down until she finally releases her shield. It covers me from head to toe, warm and inviting as her Shun Shun Rikka swirl around me.

"Sōten Kisshun."

This close up I can make out the small forms Ayame and Shun'o as the float over my head. They spin and twirl, dancing as my bruises and wounds heal, taking with it my aches and pains. Graceful and beautiful, I watch them as my tongue heals, wound knitting close and swelling reducing until it's no longer just a painful weight in my mouth.

It isn't until all the pain is gone that I realize just how much pain I was in. As it all melts away my vision clears, brightening as the haze in my mind lifts. The more my pain clears, the better I can make out Ayame and Shun'o. They're fascinating, enchanting, and I want nothing more than to reach up and crush them…

Wait? What!

As if by my thoughts alone, the shield splinters and shatters. Ayame and Shun'o retreat to Orihime instantly, fleeing. Orihime's eyes are as wide as mine when I look at her and equally confused. Though, worry quickly fills them.

Please tell me no one noticed that.

"There! All done," I say when a quick look around the room shows no has realized that Orihime's shields shattering like that is actually far from normal. Glancing back to her, I hope she can understand not to mention it either. "Thank you."

"Yes, thank you," Aizen tells her. I'm not sure if there's sarcasm in his words when he does. If there is, it's undetectable. "Ulquiorra, please show Orihime to her room. And leave…that behind when you do," he orders, amusement growing when he sees my bristling in annoyance. "We hope you enjoy your stay here in Las Noches."

Well fuck.

A/N: So I'm not sure how many people still remember this story from back in 2011 when I was still a fairly new writer. Or if anyone has even stuck around from when I decided to completely revise this story, but if anyone is still here from back then I have some news!

After a quick trip down memory lane with my best friend, she convinced me that the first version of this story actually had some good qualities and that some readers might be missing the original story (like she currently is) because this version is drastically different. I don't know if its true or not but! in case it is, I've decided to release the first draft for anyone who might want to read it.

So, if you would like to read it, the link to it is up on my profile (all the way at the bottom).