Chapter Forty Nine:
Byakuya stood in silence on the balcony leading out from Grimmjow's private quarters, he had been returned there once the battle on the roof had concluded. Stolen away without getting answers beyond the blood chilling sight of a Gothic zero on the side of Shiro's neck. A burning reality he couldn't ignore, no matter how much he wanted to. Shiro was an Espada. The strongest Espada.
It all made sense... At least in some sick and twisted way. Aizen craved power, he had always craved power. And Ichigo had always been an unquenchable well of strength that had never added up, had never been possible. A Human living as a Shinigami with a psychopathic Hollow embedded in his mind. Of course Aizen had been unwilling to let go, of course Aizen had been unwilling to kill him... Why would he kill his most powerful weapon?
Letting out a shaky breath, the noble dropped his head into his hand, heart heavy. There had been a moment, in between the horror of realising what had been done to Ichigo by the Cuatro Espada and seeing Shiro defeat said Espada... Where he had believed everything would be alright. A silent belief that Shiro would win the fight, defeat the enemy and then... Revert to reveal blinding locks of orange hair, and warm chestnut eyes. A tiny hope that they would escape Hueco Mundo with their friends... And call the rescue mission a success.
It had been a ludicrous belief. The sight of the monochromatic Hollow prostrating himself before Aizen had shattered every hope in his mind. The sight of that... Brand, that Gothic zero... He felt like a fool. He was a fool.
"Aizen always meant more to him than anything else. He said as much... Why didn't I listen?" He muttered, digging his nails into his hairline to try and cut off the aching sensation in his chest, the fear that he would never again see the vibrant hues of Ichigo's personality.
"I take it you've met the Cero before then?" Grimmjow's voice was loud behind him.
Byakuya glanced around sharply, startled, he hadn't sensed or heard his arrival. He blinked upon seeing not only Grimmjow, but Starrk; Barragan; Harribel; Nnoitra; Zommari and Szayel as well, all sitting in various positions around the Sexta's living room. They were all looking at him. All wanting answers.
Heaving a sigh, he forced himself up and stood in the balcony doorway, trying not to appear intimidated by the powerful people around him, "We've met a few times, yes. He is... Ichigo's alter ego, of a sort. A Hollow... Trapped inside his Soul by an experiment Aizen performed on him, over twenty years ago."
"We know of the experiment," Szayel stated, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall, "The Hōgyoku was used on us all at one time or another, it is necessity in order to create Espada. But we do not have alter egos... We are just us."
"You were already Hollows when the Hōgyoku was used on you. Ichigo wasn't," he wetted his lips restlessly, "He was Human."
"A Human?" Harribel repeated in surprise, "I had no idea... How is that even possible?"
"His father was a Shinigami, a strong one at that... A former Taichou. Even as a child Ichigo was strong, when he threw himself in front of his parents to protect them from the Hōgyoku he took the full blast. It created this... Split personality. The Human side, Ichigo. The Hollow side, Shiro. Ichigo had no idea he even existed until a few months ago."
"You said you'd met a few times... When was the first?" Starrk questioned, rubbing his eyes sleepily.
"I... That's hard for me to say really. There were two occasions in which I met him, under different circumstances." He perched on the edge of the coffee table and swallowed hard, "The first time was when I revealed to Ichigo that Aizen had experimented on him, the realisation shattered something and... His Hollow form came to the forefront, similar to how it did on Sôkyoku Hill... I'm sure you recall, Grimmjow."
The blue haired Arrancar nodded once, "Yeah, I remember. He was fuckin' strong even back then but... He was just a fledgling, I was able to overpower him. It was nothin' like what we saw out there today..."
"What you saw on Sôkyoku Hill wasn't the real Shiro." The nobleman stated simply, "It was a broken amalgamation of both Ichigo and the Hollow. Today... Today was the real thing."
"What of the second meeting?" It was Szayel who spoke again, his need for knowledge clear from his tone.
"After the events of Sôkyoku Hill Ichigo fell into a coma while recovering from his injuries. His Soul began to fail and it became imperative to wake him, I ventured into his Inner World to bring him back and... Shiro appeared to me once I witnessed the true events of the night Aizen used the Hōgyoku on him. Shiro was... Very different then... He was remorseful and saddened but he acted as my guide to Ichigo." Byakuya paused for a long moment, "He confided in me that... He was in love with Aizen, and physically couldn't refuse him, couldn't disobey his orders."
"It is a rare enough occurrence for a regular Hollow to feel emotions such as love," Szayel scoffed as he took notes in a journal of sorts, "But an Inner Hollow? That seems irrational... Did it effect Kurosaki?"
"Yes," he muttered, "They share a consciousness, Shiro's feelings towards Aizen coloured Ichigo's feelings towards him. But it works both ways. Ichigo's feelings towards me... Effected Shiro's feelings too."
"Interesting... Very interesting. I've never heard of this before..."
Silence fell for a long moment, but Grimmjow broke it with an almost melancholic revere, "He's a monster. The entire time he was gettin' beaten up by Ulquiorra he was... He what? Playin' around? Pretendin'?"
Byakuya shuddered at the memory, the sight of Shiro's body being blown apart by Ulquiorra's powers sent a chill through him, he hugged himself as he forced back his emotions, "He is instinct incarnate... Every burning little natural desire bundled into one body and let loose. He... Craves the violence, the bloodshed, the pain. It excites him."
"We can't have someone that deranged as the Cero." Starrk's voice was quiet, his eyes closed, "He is... Irrational. Insane. Unstable. Violent without hesitation. I'm damn sure the only person he feels any loyalty towards is Aizen. He'd kill us all if he was asked to."
"I fear you are correct in your assessment." The raven haired Shinigami nodded again, "He'd kill anyone if he was asked to by Aizen. Though... I truly fear he would kill anyone he wished with or without orders. And Aizen would likely be the only person capable of stopping him."
"He'd even kill you?" Grimmjow frowned, "We all saw how he rushed to save you when Ulquiorra grabbed you."
Byakuya touched his throat, remembering the tightness of the Cuatro's tail, the relief he'd felt when Shiro had cut him free, he clicked his tongue against his teeth, "The only thing that has kept me safe has been Ichigo's control over him. I fear his rescue was only as a result of the last embers of Ichigo's consciousness reaching out to him."
"So, as long as the Hollow is the dominant one, we're all fucked." Nnoitra crossed his long legs and reclined back in the sofa, his usual grin upside down, "Not that I don't like a good fight but... I don't wanna end up like Ulquiorra. There's no coming back from having yer mask removed."
"What... Happens?" He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know, but the tension around the room made him ask.
Harribel stood up slowly, walking forwards she rested her hands on his shoulders, "It varies from Hollow to Hollow. Most Gillian class Arrancar would survive with their mentality intact, they would change very little besides becoming weaker than before, easy fodder for hungry predators... But the higher you go up the power levels the worse the effects..."
"For someone like Ulquiorra," Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair, "In terms you'll understand, Kuchiki... It's like having the Soul of your Zanpakutō torn out of your body and destroyed. You lose your Bankai, your Shikai... Your reiatsu levels plummet... You experience agonising pain and eventually..."
"You become like a vegetable." Szayel stood straighter and approached the noble, stopping just in front of him as he swept his fingers through the Shinigami's hair, "In time, he will likely lose the ability to speak... He will be capable of fulfilling only the simplest of orders, all while remembering exactly what he used to be. It is... A cruel fate."
"He got what he deserved." Byakuya and Grimmjow spoke in unison, surprising the nobleman.
"A fair assessment." The Octavo agreed and took a seat beside Starrk.
Grimmjow folded his arms and huffed moodily, "Well, whatever he's done we can't just leave things as they are. I ain't willin' to live my life in fear that I'll get cut down for pullin' the wrong facial expression."
"Agreed." Starrk lifted his head slowly, staring across the room blindly, "We have to come up with some plan to get the kid to take control again."
"Easier said than done," whiskey eyes rolled dramatically as Szayel tapped the arm of the couch, "If all this information is accurate and Kurosaki spent that many years suppressing his Hollow... You can be damn sure Shiro isn't going to give up control easily. Even if they are comrades, Hollows are naturally greedy."
"We need a foothold, somethin' to snap the kid to his senses." The Sexta agreed.
Standing slowly, Byakuya reached up to adjust one of his kenseikan, a restless action, "Well, on that account we have at least some advantages at the present moment."
"What are they, Byakuya-san?" Harribel asked.
"Firstly, Ichigo's closest friends are being held captive here in Las Noches. Secondly, I am also being held prisoner here. Thirdly, I would be willing to stake my life on the fact that Zangetsu won't want Shiro to remain in control, so we technically have an ally inside Ichigo's Inner World. And finally... As I said before, I believe Shiro rescued me from Ulquiorra because of Ichigo's fading control," very slowly, the noble lifted his working arm and nudged the sleeve of his shihakusho out of the way, "While he was doing that he also removed the reiatsu suppressing bangles you fitted me with."
"He freed you?!" Starrk was on his feet, checking him over, acknowledging that both were indeed missing, "How did we not notice?"
"Shiro did not free me, I am confident it was Ichigo. I know it sounds far fetched but... There was a second where his eyes weren't quite right, they were clouded over, like he wasn't seeing properly. And then it was over and he threw me back to you." He held his head a little higher, "And you didn't realise because I am highly adept at concealing my reiatsu. I was trained to do so from a young age."
"What good does it do, knowing that he removed your shackles?" Zommari spoke for the first time during the discussion.
The Kuchiki heir met his gaze evenly, "It may seem insignificant, but it speaks volumes! It shows that, at least somewhere deep inside, Ichigo's spirit is still burning. He is still in there somewhere, he just needs guidance to find his freedom again."
"It sounds to me," Grimmjow looked at him, "Like you have a plan, Kuchiki."
"As it happens," he glanced at the blue haired Arrancar with a faint smirk, "I believe I do. But it will take time to set up, and we will have to coordinate with your other prisoners. Who is in charge of monitoring them?"
"Ulquiorra was the prison master," Harribel stated, folding her arms under her bosom, "But I can take over that duty now. If you have anything that needs relaying to them, you can trust me to do it."
"You have my gratitude." He nodded to her, "For a start, I need to know what sort of state Renji is in, if possible allow the Human woman to heal him. Her powers are incredibly strong, even if he is near death I have no doubt she will be able to save him."
"Of course."
"If her powers are that good... Why haven't you asked her to heal your arm?" Szayel asked, leaning forwards as he tapped his pen against the bandages protecting the noble's useless left limb.
Blinking, Byakuya stared into whiskey coloured eyes a little blankly, he felt a pang of discomfort rising as he was forced to answer, "Truth be told I... Never considered that she would be able to repair something that had occurred within Ichigo's Inner World."
"Perhaps we should give it a try?" Pink eyebrows wiggled suggestively, "If you're planning to lead this little mutiny, you will need to be at full strength."
He was saved the trouble of answering when Nnoitra released a groan, "Man, Aizen-sama is gonna kill us all for this..."
"Somehow I don't think he will." Byakuya murmured, turning his back on the Espada as he glared out at the sands, "He knows Shiro is strong, he knows he is the Cero Espada but this isn't want he planned. He always planned to have Ichigo be the dominant being. Perhaps he intended to use the Hōgyoku on Ichigo after he'd gone through the battle for control with Shiro, to create the perfect Cero Espada... Either way, he is likely trying to come up with his own idea of how to free Ichigo."
"We should bring the Boss in on it then." Barragan rumbled.
"Absolutely not." The noble snapped, shooting a venomous glare at the elderly looking Espada, "I don't trust him not to make things ten times worse... We will sort this out ourselves. If you so much as breathe a word to him... I will kill you."
"Bold words from a caged ant." The Segunda growled.
"A promise, from someone who has never feared their chains." He spat back, clenching a fist, "Ichigo came here to rescue me. That makes him my responsibility. And I will get him out of this, I swear it."
"I'd listen to him." Grimmjow's hand came to rest on the noble's shoulder, a surprising gesture, "This one is probably the scariest Shinigami in Soul Society. When he makes a promise, he keeps it."
Despite the bite mark still aching on his shoulder from their spat in the laboratory, Byakuya unwillingly found himself appreciating Grimmjow more and more. He had realised things were amiss with Ulquiorra, he had gone with him to see Aizen and had spoken up to make the lord of Las Noches listen to them. The man was feral and unpredictable... But there seemed to be more to him than that. A moral code beneath the brashness, a determination not too dissimilar from Ichigo's.
For the first time, Byakuya found himself wondering exactly why Grimmjow was following Aizen. For that matter... Why were any of the Espada following him?
Casting a quick glance around the room, he couldn't figure it out just by taking in what little he knew about each of them. What reason did they have, aside from the repayment of their Arrancar appearance and powers, to follow a Shinigami overlord who seemed to discard them as easily as he made them?
A sharp thought suddenly speared his consciousness like one of Ulquiorra's javelins and he glanced around again, there was something to be said from the overwhelming presences in the room. A strange integration of personalities, characteristics that were unrelated to their status. An aura each Espada gave off.
"There's more to your ranks than mere power, isn't there?" He asked.
"How do you mean?" Grimmjow frowned.
"It's hard to explain... There's... Something about you, each of you that..." He took a breath, "Like an added feature to your being that makes you more than you seem."
"Very perceptive." Szayel snorted, "I hadn't expected a Shinigami to sense such things about us, especially so quickly."
"So, I'm right?" He asked.
The scientist gestured around the room as he spoke, "You are correct about us. Solitude, Ageing, Sacrifice, Emptiness, Despair, Destruction, Intoxication, Madness, Greed and Rage. We represent aspects of death. That is the only thing I can imagine you are sensing."
As he looked around the room, he was sure he could pinpoint at least some of the aspects and their... Owners? Szayel was undoubtedly Madness, Grimmjow couldn't be anything other than Destruction and Nnoitra's reiatsu reeked of Despair. It seemed logical that Aaroniero would have been Greed, and perhaps Yammy had been Rage. Barragan was clearly Ageing if his appearance was anything to go by.
"I can't place Solitude, Sacrifice and Emptiness." He said quietly.
"Emptiness was Ulquiorra's penchant." Grimmjow muttered, "Not that you'd know it from how he was actin' towards the end."
"I am Sacrifice." Harribel stated softly.
"And I am Solitude." Starrk yawned, waving a lazy hand.
"I see. Thank you for your clarity." His shoulders began to sag from tiredness, the events of the day beginning to catch up with him, "If you do not mind... I will retire for the evening. It has been a long... Stressful day. And if we are to act on our plans, I will need my energy."
"Take the bed," Grimmjow said gruffly as he nudged the bedroom door open with his hip, "I ain't gonna be sleepin' while these assholes are in my room." Most of the Sexta's ire seemed directed towards Nnoitra and Szayel.
"You have my thanks," the noble slipped passed his blue haired host and paused, glancing back into the room of Espada, "I know you are acting because of self preservation, and a desire not to serve under Shiro's lunacy but... Nevertheless, your willingness to hear me out and your desire to assist me is appreciated beyond measure. I thank you all. And I wish you a goodnight."
"Goodnight, Byakuya-san." If the crease at the corners of Harribel's eyes were to be believed then she was offering him a smile.
"Night." Starrk offered a small nod.
Grimmjow began to pull the door shut, but seemed to hesitate for a moment, making eye contact with the Shinigami, "If you need anythin' during the night... No matter what it is... Come and get me. I'll be in here."
Byakuya was taken aback by the quietness of his voice and the depth of concern in his eyes. Not for the first time, the Kuchiki heir found himself realising that there was more to the Sexta Espada than he usually showed. Maybe the same could be said of all the Espada. Given the right environment, given the right treatment... Did these sentient Hollows have to be the enemy?
Watching as the door shut with a small click, the noble perched on the edge of the bed, "Thank you Grimmjow." He said almost silently.
