Ulquiorra flinched as yet another large drop of water hit him on the tip of the nose and made its way down his face to try and sneak its way into his uniform. Not that it would make any difference, as he was already soaked to the bone. The drenching rain had stopped almost an hour ago, but apparently that made no difference to the amount of water still hanging about in the canopy of the trees above his head. He had long since decided that he was completely lost, he had also made a note of the fact that Grimmjow had not long ago returned to Las Noches. He presumed that this was because Aizen had something to entice his run away slave back home. This made him very pleased, because it most likely meant that Keigo was alive and safely locked up. A crash of thunder interrupted his thoughts, bringing with it another torrential downpour. It was at this moment that Ulquiorra decided that the heat of the desert and the cold of Scotland wee nothing compared to the wet of wherever he was. That and he really wished Keigo was with him. Even if the human was loud and obnoxious, at least he was company.
Meanwhile, in Aizen's throne room a terrified and filthy Nnoitra was facing his lord's judgement. He sat unhappily on the floor in front of a mountain of stairs with the eight remaining Espada standing in two rows behind. More than likely they had just shown up for the show. The high-and-mighty Aizen sat lordingly in his throne with Tosen and the ever smiling Gin on either side. Aizen sighed heavily and clasped his hands in front of his face, prompting Nnoitra's sudden and overwhelming desire to be anywhere but here on the floor.
"So, let me get this straight."
Nnoitra flinched at the slow cool words as they flowed from his leader's mouth. He knew instinctively that this was not going to end well.
"You were somehow overpowered by a young, and very human, boy who then proceeded to use you as a digging implement with which to make his escape. And yet it has only been a day since he arrived here?"
Nnoitra nodded. "Yes Aizen-sama."
From behind him Nnoitra could hear Grimmjow snigger and next to Aizen, one couldn't help but notice that Gin's grin seemed to be growing by the second. Aizen sighed again.
"I'm sure I don't have to tell you that you will be severely punished for this." He continued. Nnoitra nodded again, resigned to his fate. If he was lucky he would get demoted, though the look on Tousen's face made him worry that he might be facing the loss of a limb or two. A frown flitted across his face; he was not going to be pleased if he was demoted as Grimmjow would undoubtedly be the first to jump on the chance to gloat at him.
"You will leave Las Noches and not return without the boy."
It took a moment for the implications of this to sink in. Nnoitra was momentarily shocked that he was being let off so lightly but then realised what the Great Lord Aizen-sama was really saying.
'You will go on a long and boring search to find a human boy who will be almost impossible to find due to his miniscule reitsu added to this, if you fail to find him don't expect to be allowed to come home.'
It was practically banishment.
Behind Nnoitra, Grimmjow stood grinning broadly at the spoon's punishment. Sure the severity of the situation was lessened considerably by the fact that the entire room was a blinding pink, but at that moment, Grimmjow felt that not even Szayel's horrendous colour scheme could bring his mood down.
"Naturally, Grimmjow will be accompanying you."
Grimmjow's grin fled his face.
"WHAT!" He cried incredulously.
All around him the Espada burst into raucous laughter, even Stark woke up enough to offer a chuckle.
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS?"
When Grimmjow's pleas fell on deaf ears his scowl deepened.
"Oi! Listen to me you cretinous, malfunctioning, heartless, butt-faced bastard-!"
"Naw, Grimmy~ Tha's no way ter be talkin to Aizen-sama! Mind yer tongue or we might havta remove it, ay Tosen?"
Tosen nodded gravely in response to Gin's brazen outburst. Grimmjow settled into sulky silence and Aizen remained sitting serenely on his throne with a sly smile plastered across his face.
"You are free to leave immediately."
And so Nnoitra and Grimmjow left immediately. When he felt he was far enough away to not be heard by Aizen, Grimmjow burst into a flurry of curses.
Nnoitra scowled.
"Shut up Grimmjow." He snapped.
"Me shut up? Me? Shut up? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!"
"I AM YOUR SUPERIOR! SHUT THE HELL UP!"
"OH! UP ON YOUR HIGH HORSE NOW I SEE! Well, Spoony. If you weren't so stupid as to let some human escape then WE WOULDN'T BE HERE RIGHT NOW!"
Grimmjow was understandably furious. Nnoitra growled and leapt at Grimmjow, hoping to be able to strangle the obstinate cat to death. Grimmjow responded in kind and soon the both of them were bloody and covered in white sand. From a high window in the castle that is Las Noches Gin looked out at the violent pair with his perpetual smile etched on his face.
"Naw, look at em go~ An' they only been gone a minute." He chuckled to himself, earning a concerned glance from a passing lower levelled arrancar.
By now I'm sure the question has arisen in your mind about the whereabouts of one Keigo Asano, but as not even he knows where he is, I will have to leave him alone for now.
Ulquiorra on the other hand was in quite a predicament. He had been less than impressed when out of the blue a large spider decided he needed some company. His mood had then steadily plummeted as he picked up more and more creepy crawlies. From where he stood now he didn't know how it could get any worse. The rather large tiger eyed him hungrily from its vantage point in the clearing. It knew that the strange looking thing would have to cross the clearing at some point, and when he did it would finally get some lunch. However the tiger had not realised that its intended prey was already dead, and not about to allow himself to be eaten by a mere creature.
Ulquiorra entered the clearing and said one word.
"Trash."
Ulquiorra left the clearing free of all life forms and in a much better mood. It was time to rescue Keigo.
Deep within the sterile halls of the 12th Division barracks Captain Kurotsuchi was sitting enthralled at his computer. His current research had started only a few weeks ago when he discovered a spot of powerful reitsu travelling in the vicinity of Karakura Town. He had then proceeded to keep track of it. He was amazed at its well-travelled-ness as he traced its effortless traversing of entire continents. At one point he noticed that there was a second reitsu following the first. This one interested him more than the first, as it would occasionally disappear and several times he had recorded the faint reitsu of Aizen as it came in contact with the second being. And now…
"Nemu!"
"Yes Sir?"
"Go and tell the Captains that I have found something."
Nemu bowed. "Right away Mayuri-sama."
Byakuya strode down the hall towards the designated meeting place. Yamamoto's request was an unusual one. Surely Aizen could not have made a move yet? He would never usually question orders, but with the Gotei 13 in turmoil after Aizen's betrayal, all things unusual began to seem suspicious.
"Captain Kuchiki!"
Byakuya paused and allowed his fellow captain to catch up.
"Captain Ukitake, I see you're doing well."
Ukitake nodded. "Well, I've not been doing too much, I suppose." He glanced conspiratorially around the empty halls. "Have you heard that this meeting was called at Captain Kurotsuchi's request?"
Byakuya hadn't.
"What for?"
Ukitake shrugged. "Beats me. Ah! Hi there Shunsui~!"
The pink-coated captain grinned lazily.
"Hello Ukitake, Kuchiki."
Byakuya nodded in acknowledgement of the greeting. Mere moments later, they were joined by Komamura who was greeted jovially by the slightly drunk Captains accompanying Byakuya.
"Humph…" Yamamoto greeted from his seat in the meeting hall.
Byakuya surveyed the hall. Most of the other Captains were already there. He counted them off as he saw them. Soi Fon, Unohana, Hitsugaya, and of course himself, Komamura, Shunsui and Ukitake. It seemed that Kenpachi had yet to arrive. Mayuri stood at the front of the hall with a pointer, projector and a creepy grin. He had also somehow managed to convince the other Captains to sit on the floor at his feet like school children.
"Thank you for attending! I have very important and fascinating information for you all!" Mayuri began, waving his pointer around with terrifying precision. "Please, take a seat!"
Just before Byakuya submitted to the childish floor-sitting trend, a loud crashing from outside alerted them to the 11th Division's Captain's arrival.
"Am I late?"
"Not at all Zaraki, so glad you could join us."
"Ken-Chan got lost on the way again!" Yachiru piped in from over Kenpachi's shoulder. Kenpachi frowned at her.
"This is a captain's meeting Yachiru. Go play with Ikkaku."
Yachiru pouted, but went anyway, slamming the doors behind her. Almost immediately after the young girl's departure, Mayuri dimmed the lights and began his presentation.
"As I am sure some of you are aware, we have been tracing the path of a suspected arrancar as it moves through the human world. As you notice here, here and here," he tapped the board at spots of strangely coloured reitsu, "There is one other who seems to have come in regular contact with a certain traitor. Now while these few things are cause for some minor concern, the most interesting thing of all has only occurred within the last few days." He clicked over to a new slide and waved his stick illustratively at the picture before them.
"This screen is a live view of the current activities in the real world. As you can see here, here and here something has gone amiss."
Byakuya stared in mystified fascination at the screen in front of him. It was so pretty. The swirly bubbles were running around and around and making patterns of great aesthetic pleasement. He felt like the world was spinning… So mesmerising… must not look away…
From his vantage point at the head of the room Yamamoto watched his captains one by one fall to the hypnotising nature of the reitsu on Kurotsuchi's screen. He sighed heavily.
"Turn it off Mayuri."
The sadistic scientist pouted. How dare Yamamoto ruin his experiment! He glanced around the room once noting with satisfaction that all the captains save Kenpachi had fallen into a trance. Kenpachi gazed at the screen in plain disinterest and wondered what on earth those silly blobs were supposed to mean.
Hallibel was scowling. Starrk was beginning to worry that she wouldn't ever stop scowling, seeing as she had started back when Aizen had announced his grand new plan to restore order to his home.
"Aaroniero, Zommari, Szayel." The three lower levelled Espada snapped to attention quickly.
"You will locate the stray human before the 5th and 6th do." Gin's smiled broadened as he realised where Aizen's plan was headed.
"Yammy, Starrk, Hallibel, Barrigan. You will locate and bring my rebellious little emo child back to me." He glared around the room.
"Any questions?"
Unsurprisingly, there were none.
"Leave." Aizen commanded regally. And they did, Hallibel scowling all the way.
Ulquiorra stood in front of a very large door. It was a very pretty door, but still quite large. He was unsure of what to do with said door. Would it help him find his Keigo? Would it be a trap designed by the horrible insidious Captain Aizen? If only he knew…
"Ah? Can I help you?" The shop attendant from the door shop peered at the strange looking customer uncertainly.
Ulquiorra shook his head slowly and left the shop in a state of despair. Where, O, where could his Keigo be?
Well, well what happens next ayy? Sorry all for being terrible at updating regularly. I promise to try harder next time :) Hope you enjoyed~