Woah! Reviews! A lot of them! (At least on ffn.) I was kinda worried people would forget about this, but no we even have newcomers. Please enjoy my ramblings!
Part I
It took Grimmjow an entire day to find out what had happened in Aizen's meeting with the Privaron. The fact that his investigative methods began and ended with threatening people probably didn't help, but it was working out pretty well right now.
"Talk," he said with a grin. The pigtailed Arrancar he currently had by the neck let out a whimper.
"J-just let her go!" her blonde companion cried.
(Oh, he'd seen these two around, could probably even remember their names if he tried hard enough. They were a part of Circucci's court, back when the has-been was in Aizen's good graces. Now they worked as his maids or some shit. He didn't really know or care.)
"Come one," he growled out. "That old master of yours was there, so spill. I don't wanna have to do this the hard way."
His captive's eyes widened, only to widen further as Grimmjow's hand begun to sizzle with gathered energy.
The blonde one rushed out, "I-it was something about organized matches against that human bi- I mean, girl. That's all we know. I swear!"
Grimmjow dropped her friend, rolling out his wrist with a smile. "Much obliged, ladies." They didn't hear. They were already at the other end of the hall and turning a corner. With a smirk he went the other way.
Matches against the human, huh? Now that he was interested in, especially since the big guy didn't want him to be.
If only there was someone with enough authority to get him in, that was also willing to undermine Aizen in petty stupid ways at a moment's notice?
Feeling sweat bead at his forehead, he wondered if Gin would be in a good mood today…
Now, the Shinigami of Hueco Mundo were general difficult people to find at a moment's notice, and this was by design. Sure, Aizen was always skulking around his offices, and breaking a rule would make Tōsen manifest out of thin air, but Gin really only showed himself every once in a blue moon, either at Aizen's request or to draw Aizen's ire.
This is why Grimmjow felt a few red flags go up when he found the man staring out an open window at the expansive desert, a cup of tea in hand within a few minutes of walking.
"Why do I already know what you're going to ask me?" the Shinigami said with that snake-like grin.
"I dunno, what else is going on in this shit hole?" Grimmjow asked, sounding much more confident than he felt.
"I've already brought it up to Lord Aizen," Gin brushed off. "He didn't seem very enthused."
"…And?" Grimmjow pressed. Gin let out a full bellied laugh.
"You're third in line." He punctuated the statement with a sip of tea, as if that wasn't an incredibly important piece of news. Grimmjow almost felt frustrated. "I insisted. I believed it would be entertaining. All I ask is that you don't disappoint me."
"Oh, I won't." Grimmjow felt his chest swell, and he turned to leave.
"One more thing!" Gin interjected. Grimmjow stopped. "Winner gets their rank back."
That was even better. Grimmjow hurried off.
Gin turned back to his window and his tea, smiling still.
Part II
When after a whole day of peaceful meditation, Rukia's door suddenly and violently slammed open she (almost) shrieked.
She really shouldn't have been surprised to see Jaegerjaquez marching through like he owned the place.
"Seriously? Meditating?" the Arrancar scoffed.
"It's not like I have anything better to do," she snapped back.
He waved dismissively. "Yeah, whatever. I didn't come here to shoot the shit with the prisoner." Then he grinned, wide and toothy. "I came here to tell you that your days are numbered."
For a moment, that sent a spike of panic through the girl. "W-what do you mean by that?" She cursed herself when her voice quivered.
"Aizen's ordered all Privaron Espada to challenge you to a fight, including me," he said excitedly.
That… was bad, definitely bad. She was nowhere near prepared for a fight, much less one against an Espada, Pri-whatever or otherwise.
"I may be third in line but make no mistake. I'll be the one to kill you and get my title back. The other Privaron are weaklings, so you won't lose to them… or else."
Rukia opened her mouth to respond, and then audibly closed it. Was Jaegerjaquez… encouraging her in a weird threatening sort of way? She tried not to think about it.
If anything, she was much more fixated on how the murderous former Espada was going to wait patiently in line to kill her. Did Aizen really have that much of a stranglehold over the Arrancar?
"How did he manage it?" she asked aloud.
"Huh?"
"It's… just…" she shifted uncomfortably. "I thought you guys hated the Shinigami. You're really willing to follow one's orders… just like that?"
It occurred to her (a second too late) that those orders were the only thing keeping her safe from the "Murderous Former Espada" staring down at her right now. Then that Espada began to walk closer, looming, power hanging heavy in the air.
"You," he practically hissed the word, "don't know a fucking thing. Now hold that tongue of yours before I rip it out."
Rukia stayed frozen on the bed, stiff as a board. She didn't even unfreeze when the Arrancar left, or when his footsteps no longer echoed down the hall. Only when her heart rate was back under control did she try and force her hands from the death grip it had on her bedsheets.
They were stuck. She hung her head and sighed.
With a grimace, she tugged, ignoring the burning sensation, and trying to shake off the numbness that came with. She hoped the lingering ice didn't leave a puddle. She still had to sleep there tonight.
She'd admit, her control needed some work, more so now that she knew Jaegerjaquez and at least two others were gunning for her.
Still, that reaction. It was far more extreme than she'd been expecting. Somehow, though, and maybe this was a stretch, she thought that she wasn't the only one he was angry at.
She wondered how loyal one could be after being demoted from General all the way to mistreated nobody, having his wounds ignored, and being forced to wait in line for just one chance to get it all back.
She begun to think that maybe she had a plan brewing after all.
Part III
Any cheer that Grimmjow had been feeling was long gone. If it were the old days, he would have called up his Fracción for a little "hunting party" and blown off some steam terrorizing weaklings in the desert.
Now, he had no hunting party, and if he left on his own Aizen would probably kill him on sight before he ever managed to step foot back into this miserable little palace.
All he really had left to do nowadays was pace the halls, looking for trouble, like he was Nnoitra or some shit, and wasn't that depressing.
His shoulders stiffened as he brushed by a certain pasty-ass Espada, carrying a stack of paperwork. For a moment he considered slapping it out of his hands, just to see if he could get a rise out of the bastard.
(He knew better, of course. Nothing ever gets a reaction from Ulquiorra.)
The Fourth didn't even spare him a glance as he walked past. The next Espada wasn't so wise. Luppi turned the corner, looking worse for wear. He noticed Grimmjow's skulking form immediately, took one look at him and smirked.
Little shit still had bandages peaking out of that weird cutout outfit of his and he had the audacity to do that, huh? (This was just what Grimmjow was waiting for.)
Timing was everything in matters such as these, Grimmjow knew, so just as the replacement passed him, eyes tearing away Grimmjow spoke.
"Your days are numbered too, you know."
Luppi paused, snorted, and turned back. "So, it does speak." His smile took on a cruel edge.
"You've probably heard by now," Grimmjow continued unperturbed. "Aizen's giving back the numbers to whichever Privaron can beat the human wench, and I'm not gonna be satisfied with just any old number. I want mine, got it?"
The brat raised an eyebrow, hand going down to casually flaunt the number on his stomach. "Really? I'd say I'm surprised that you fell for something like that… but this is you we're talking about."
"…What?" Grimmjow felt his fist clench.
"Oh, don't get me wrong," he placated. "The fights are happening. We were all invited to attend and everything, but if you think Lord Aizen expects you to do anything more than roll over and die… then you're wrong."
Before Grimmjow even had the time to think about it his hand was already wrapped around that little shit's neck, grip just shy of choking. He slammed his body into the wall, Luppi letting out an aborted cry.
"Y-you're pathetic!" the Espada choked out. "Aizen kicked you to the curb. Do you really think he'd have you back so easily?"
Grimmjow's hand tightened further. He could feel his palm burning with the start of a cero, but still, the brat's smug ass smile didn't waver.
"…A-and y-you really think… this is the way to… do it?" he whispered hoarsely. "L-let me go and m-maybe… I'll kill you qui–"
Luppi never finished, he couldn't, not when he no longer had a head. Grimmjow dropped the body, watching dispassionately as it fell and dissolved into nothing. All that was left of the incident was a scorch mark in the wall.
A sigh sounded behind the Arrancar, and he turned to see Ulquiorra, his stack of papers somehow taller.
"Got a problem?" Grimmjow growled.
"Aizen won't be pleased," Ulquiorra said plainly.
"What else is new? He said I could have my spot back. I was just making room."
Ulquiorra let out another sigh before continuing in his walk, and Grimmjow, left alone, stared down at his still buzzing fingers. He felt better.
Part IV
It was only a matter of time before Rukia was brought in to fight. She knew that. So, why did she still find herself taken off guard when Jaegerjaquez was dragging her off by evening.
Great, she thought instantly, and I've barely made any progress with Sode, either.
Also, did that Arrancar know any way to bring someone somewhere that didn't involve bruises? He was currently transporting her via death grip to the arm. She had half a mind to tell him off for that, but she was too busy struggling to keep pace while not bumping right into him. She doubted he would take that very well.
He "guided" her into a narrow passage just off the side of Szayel's lab (one of many as she'd learned), and when they stopped at a dead end there was a moment in which Rukia panicked.
"You're not supposed to just kill me!" she protested. "Won't you get in trouble with Aizen, or–" A hand slammed on the wall right beside her. She flinched hard.
"Listen here you little shit," Jaegerjaquez menaced. "You're going to win this one, human." Then, he leaned in closer. She could feel his breath. "And if you don't, I'm getting my revenge right then and there, screw the fucking consequences. Understand?"
Rukia nodded dumbly.
"Good." He drew back, a toothy smile on his face. Then he put his hand on her shoulder and pushed.
Rukia fell back into open air, landing heavily with an oomph. She came to her senses just in time to see Grimmjow wave his hand and the wall close in front of him. Then she realized she was being watched. Rukia scrambled to her feet.
Murmurs rang through her ears, coming down to what she realized was a large arena, packed with sand. Shadows hung heavy over nearly all the spectator seats, only Aizen being illuminated along with the other two Shinigami. They were sat leisurely in something resembling an opera box.
With a start, Rukia realized that for the first time in a while a fight had her nervous. She knew nothing about her opponent aside from them being a former Espada, something that she had to pick up through context alone.
She wasn't dumb enough to think that would make this any easier, though. She was in for a difficult fight, maybe even an impossible one, and there was really only one way out of it alive, this time around. She needed to win. That was the mantra she stepped forward with. She needed to win. There was no other option.
Aizen raised a single hand, silencing the chatter. He smiled affably. "Let the match begin."
He lowered his hand, and with it a cloud of dust kicked up over the arena. Rukia was forced to throw a hand over her mouth, ignoring her watering eyes. She needed to stay alert. She stepped back and around, eyes searching for anything, a sneak attack, a trap, a gaseous poison because maybe Aizen really just wanted her dead all along–
Someone let out a hacking cough, someone that wasn't her, and her thoughts stalled.
The dust settled quickly, and with a few rubs at her eyes Rukia's vision cleared. She could see the silhouette of a figure, hunched over and still hacking out a lung, but he recovered soon enough, straightening up and giving his best pose.
"Tadaaaa!" he cheered.
That was… an entrance, Rukia thought. Maybe she'd been overthinking this one.
"Hey! Hey!" he cried. "What's with that reaction!"
The man was strange looking, to put it politely, but at this point that was just par for the course. He had a goatee that came straight from the face of a Saturday morning cartoon villain, hair that he'd gelled into devil horns, and tasseled sleeves that had to get in the way during fights. His sense of style honestly made Jaegerjaquez look subtle.
"You! You're giving me that look again!"
"You're just not what I was expecting," Rukia tried with a half-smile. Then, she nearly slapped herself. What was she doing trying to save his feelings? They were supposed to be fighting!
"No matter!" he exclaimed. He cleared his throat dramatically. "Human! Prepare yourself, for I, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, will be your doom!"
Yeah, she was taking him less seriously by the second. Maybe Jaegerjaquez had a point when he called these guys weaklings. "O-Okay…" she still said. She took a deep breath. "I'm Rukia Orikasa, and… I'm not going to die here."
He smiled in a way that almost looked warm.
Then he blurred out of sight. In the next moment she felt a burning pain along her arm. She didn't even have to look to know that blood had been spilt, and sucking in a breath she darted back, suddenly very glad that Mashiro had insisted she practice Hohō in her human body.
"Niña, you're going to have to do better than that." She heard it right behind her, turning just a second to late. Suddenly she was being slammed into the nearest wall, and she swore she heard something crack.
She allowed herself no time to recover, peeling herself off and flashing away once again, leaping onto the top edge of the wall. She dashed along, trying to get a visual on the man.
He was the one who found her first, landing right in her path and halting her in tracks. He started to say something, but she cut him off, landing a kick right in his jaw and bolting in the other direction. For a moment he actually looked surprised, eyebrow twitching with his palm brushed against the frozen edge of his moustache.
"So, you do have some tricks," he said, pleased. He gave chase.
Rukia realized quickly that she was screwed. Forget landing any real damage, she was completely empty handed, and he was faster than her, anyway. She had only worked up to making her fingers mildly frosty on demand, and even that ability was spotty sometimes.
She was desperate, though, and she'd done stranger when desperate. She couldn't give up hope, yet. With determination she summoned the best frost she could.
Just as it started manifesting, she was barreled into from the side, the Reiryoku dissipating in an instant. She was slammed against the wall right below Aizen's seat, and this time she was sure she heard something crack. Holding back a noise of pain she slid down, slapping a hand over her shoulder, the cold doing little good to ease the pain.
It might have done some good if she had a full ten minutes to apply instead of dear god she needed to move!
Flashing away and barely dodging what she could, Rukia felt nostalgic, in an odd, desperate, sort of way. She was sure she'd been in a situation like this before. How had she gotten out of it that time?
She was intercepted from the front once more, a hand at her stomach, and with a pulse of energy she was twisted through the air and slammed onto her back, wheezing.
A sword would be real nice right now, Sode.
Her Hollow answered, instead, staring down with disgust over Dordoni's shoulder. "Got it backwards, genius," she said flatly. "Stop wishing! Work with what you have, goddammit!"
Rukia really wanted to say something disparaging back but didn't have the breath to do so. Flinging a bit of gathered energy at the mirage sure made her feel better, though.
The Privaron ducked, moving back, cautiously, and with wonder Rukia realized she'd thrown something at him.
This… could work. She crafted another… icicle, apparently, and ran in for a strike.
Dordoni had no trouble dodging, but for a moment she basked in the feeling of forcing him to evade. Still, the weapon was limited, she realized. It was already melting, and its short range wasn't at all what she was used to.
He weaved away like a seasoned boxer, back, left, and right, before going in for another open palmed strike to her stomach. Rukia was sent careening back, but this time she refused to just be slammed onto the nearest wall. She dug the icicle as hard as she could into the ground, rolling when it snapped in half from the force. Still, she didn't hit anything.
With a heaving chest she moved up, noticing what did happen. A path of ice was carved into the ground, just shy of a perfect semi-circle. Now this she could work with.
(She ignored the burning frost at her fingers.)
"Niña!" Dordoni proclaimed. "Though it has been an honor to do battle with you, I believe this match is coming to a close. Do not fear, for I will send you off with great pomp!"
The realization couldn't have come any sooner, she gulped. She had a bad feeling.
"Whirl, Giralda!"
Oh, shit.
More dust than ever before was kicked up, swirling about and surrounding the man, going so high it brushed against the ceiling Rukia didn't realize this arena had. Like magic it parted way, splitting into two snake-like creatures, hissing gusts and hovering beside him, holding him in the air. Dordoni's expression remained cheerful.
The snake to his left struck, ramming into Rukia, sending her through the far wall. World spinning, she could barely make out the second one rearing up to finish the job. She darted away at the last moment, forcing herself not to look as it destroyed the stone further, crushing it to dust.
It was now or never.
She ran clear to the other side of the arena, crouching down, and realizing a minute too late that her icicle was lost at some point she said, "screw it."
Using her hand, she formed the motions as best she could, ignoring the spreading numbness. A pillar of ice went up, and just as the two golems barreled down, she swung behind it, bracing herself as it shook under the force. It remained standing, though, and that was all she needed.
The moment the shaking stopped she launched herself to the top and leapt forward, aiming for the unguarded Arrancar.
Her palm landed right in his middle, his skin freezing on impact, and with just a little extra juice the frost spread fast. By the time she fell to the ground he was fully encased.
The wind died down. The crowd was silent. All that was left was her, barely conscious and on her shaking hands and knees. She couldn't even feel the left one.
"You…" she panted out, "shouldn't have… underestimated me."
She fell.
Friendly reminder that I really love concrit because it means I have an audience that cares enough to read this critically at all, and I keep all reviews saved in my phone until the next chapter drops.
Also: Future HipsterL, here. For those of you who want longer chapters. Don't worry. That's coming. If any of you want to yell at me, chat with me about weeb stuff, or simply have a panic attack over the new season of Bleach that's supposedly coming out, feel free to leave a comment, they give me life.
