Grimmjow lay in his room, on his bed, and tried to tune out the dull roar of his pain. Every breath caused him agony, every twitch sent bolts of fire into his soul, and every thought of Ichigo hurt a thousand times more than all of it combined. He stared at the ceiling, fading in and out of conscious, trying to figure out if the picture of Ichigo was real. Any other time he would have doubted it; but the fierce and angry spirit pressure drifted among the marble walls. Grimmjow's eyes flickered to the other end of his room, where his sword lay. They hadn't bothered to remove it given the current state of its owner. Grimmjow snarled and focused on curling his hand into a fist.

Ichigo raced through the halls, knocking down Arrancar left right and center, Hichigo finishing them off behind him. A streak of orange and white was all that could be seen before twin blades of death took their enemies.

Aizen watched their progression with a small smirk, "Bring me Grimmjow, Stark, Aaroniero, Ulquiorra, and Nnoitra."

Gin sighed and walked off, tripping a random Arrancar who tried to get out of his way and bow at the same time. He breezed down the corridor and barged into a room with the number one on it, "STAAARRRRKKK!" he sang.

"….mph…" came the response.

"Upsydaisy!" Gin thrilled, aiming a kick at the mound of pillows.

The pillows gave a rather rude sounding snort and then a sleepy brown head with tired silver gray eyes peered out, "…hmn?"

"Time to go!" Gin chirped, "Get Grimmjow and Aaroniero for me, nya?" He skipped out.

Stark watched him go, his eyes focusing slightly, "He's gone."

Grimmjow kicked a pillow across the room, "Fucking hell I nearly suffocated!" He growled, before doubling over and hacking up blood, his entire body shaking violently.

Stark stood and helped Grimmjow up, "Let's go."

The blue haired Espada didn't even both to respond and let himself be led out of the room.

Gin charged down another door, this one numbered 4, "ULLLQQQUUIIOOORRRAAAA!"

A pale, rather bored looking face glanced at him from over a book, "Yes, Gin-sama?"

"Time to gooooo!"

"Very well."

BAM! Down went door number five, "NNOITRA!"

"What the hell do you want!" Nnoitra snarled, whipping around.

"TIME TO GO!"

Nnoitra sneered and shoved past the purple haired man, stomping towards the throne room.

Gin flounced happily after them, his smile never leaving his face.

When Ichigo reached the throne room he paused confusedly, whipping blood and sweat from his brow, "I thought this was to the Espada corridor?"

"Well I'm afraid you where lied to, my dear child." Came a chilling voice from above him.

Ichigo looked up so fast his neck cracked, making him wince, "Y-you!"

Aizen smiled down at him with the warmth of a glacier, "Welcome back." His eyes where amused rather than angry, like humoring a small child.

Ichigo snarled and glanced behind him, realizing that he was alone, "Where's Hichigo?"

Aizen's eyes narrowed coolly, a small smirk forming, "You mean the hollow whom looks like you?"

"Yes." Ichigo said warily.

"I haven't seen him before in my life." Aizen stated simply, folding his hands together on his lap, "Now, onto business."

Ichigo felt a boiling fury erupt inside him, "Where-is-Grimmjow."

Gin stepped out from behind the throne, "Eeeh? You really can't tell?"

Ichigo froze, he closed his eyes and strained to feel the familiar warm embrace of the blue haired man's spiritual pressure…and he felt something. His eyes flew open and he tried to focus, it was defiantly Grimmjow but…something was off about it…

Gin smiled like a demon as two figures stepped out from behind him, Ulquiorra and Stark.

Stark surveyed the Shinigami with a bored sort of conclusion, as if he had found a missing piece to a puzzle he really didn't care about.

Ulquiorra observed the scene with his usual bounty of emotion.

Nnoitra slouched on the side wall, sneering at nothing in particular.

Aizen smiled and stood, "As for my Sexta Espada…"

Stark walked back around the throne and then appeared again, supporting a barely conscious Grimmjow.

"NO!" Ichigo shouted, stumbling forward slightly.

New wounds had been opened along his chest and shoulders, more on his back most likely; he leaned heavily on Stark and his beautiful blue eyes where now dull and listless. His hair and body were filthy, matted with dirt and blood.

"No…Grimmjow!" Ichigo cried, his voice echoing dimly throughout the marble palace.

Aizen smiled serenely, "It is so easy to break a person…just place them in a dark room, torture them mentally and physically, and soon their will to live dies."

"W-What do you mean?" Ichigo trembled, his eyes never leaving Grimmjow's broken form.

"I mean," Aizen said, slightly annoyed, "that if you locked them in a room, and whisper things to them, while they've been tortured throughout the process, then they no longer have the will to live. It was quite easy now that we know his weakness."

"Weakness?" Ichigo echoed, dumbfounded.

Gin smiled sharply, "You."

"Me." Ichigo repeated.

Aizen smirked and trailed a nail down Grimmjow's face, opening a small cut.

"Stop it!" Ichigo shouted, "I didn't do this; YOU did!"

Gin shook his head while Aizen grinned dangerously, "No, you broke him Ichigo. You tore his soul from him. We simply added salt to the wound." He paused for effect, "You do recall when he told you his feelings for you?" he sneered, "And how you failed to answer them? So clear…you don't love him." His eyes glinted hungrily at the wounded and outraged look on the young man's face, "We simply told him that you gave up on him…and when he didn't believe us we showed him you and you're hollow. Hugging."

"That—I—no!" Ichigo sputtered, shocked, his mind going temporarily blank, "He was helping me get to Grimmjow!"

Gin sighed drastically, "More lies. Doncha' think ya've hurt him enough?"

"No! It's not true! Grimmjow! GRIMMJOW!"

Stark watched the agony and horror warp the Shinigami's face as the limp body in the sleepy Espada's arms remained unresponsive. He felt the Sexta tense unhappily in his arms and breathed a silent, "Wait…"

Aizen motioned Ulquiorra forward and another person entered the room, his face pulled upwards in arrogance, and his eyes gleaming harshly, "I'm here, Aizen-sama."

"Aaroniero Aururerre. Welcome." Aizen purred maliciously, "Please assist the Quatro in ridding these halls of the Shinigami."

Aaroniero sneered, his false face twisting harshly in the dim light, "A pleasure."

Ulquiorra daintily jumped down from the throne platform and approached the stupefied teen.

Ichigo's eyes stared hard at the limp form of Grimmjow, "No…please…"

Nnoitra made a face a looked away, towards Stark.

Stark shook his head slightly, indicating to Aizen, standing close by.

Ichigo glowered suddenly, and drew his sword, "Give him back to me. Both of them."

Gin titled his head like a curious cat, "Yer boy-toys, ya mean?"

"RRAAAHHHH!" Ichigo snapped into action, slashing at Aaroniero savagely as his rage and desperation flowed out in one sword movement.

Aaroniero swore profusely as the monstrous blade ripped the skin on his chest, blood flowing like a stream from the gash, "You insolent—!"

Ulquiorra watched with his usual melancholy expression as Aaroniero pared desperately, his cockiness turning to shock as Ichigo slashed and gorged into his false skin, his eyes murderous.

Aaroniero leaped back, holding his sword out as he started to change; "Now I will have my vengeance! I will absorb you power and—!"

Exactly what he was going to do with that power he never got to say; just then a white and black blade suddenly pierced the side of his neck and sawed it off in one fluid motion.

Ichigo blinked in shock, as did everyone else in the room except one smirking, pale, blood covered person.

"Nice of you to notice I was gone, King."

"Hichigo!" Ichigo gasped, relieved, "You're ok!"

The hollow snorted, "Ok?" He turned and pointed to a long and ragged looking slash down his back, "Does this look 'ok' to you, King?"

"It looks infected." Came a cheerful reply from above.

Hichigo looked at Gin, "Fuck yeah it is."

Stark glanced quickly at where Nnoitra had stood and found the spot vacant. He slowly stepped on Grimmjow's foot lightly.

Blue eyes flickered and focused on the scene before him, waiting…

Ulquiorra glided forward faster than a shadow, his sword slashing down on Ichigo's unprotected neck.

CLANG!

Ichigo whipped around and stared in shock, Ulquiorra's blade should have passed cleanly through his neck but instead it was blocked by a monstrous sword with double half circles on either end.

"Yo." Nnoitra sneered, his violet eye gleaming with malice.

Ulquiorra's eyes surveyed the scene, "What is the meaning of this?"

Nnoitra snickered, "I've always wanted to be tha' one ta' kill ya." He swung the giant weapon, smashing a crater where the pale Espada once stood.

Ulquiorra sniffed with annoyance, "Permission to kill the trash, Aizen-sama?"

"Granted." Aizen said silkily, too absorbed in the battle to notice that Stark and Grimmjow had disappeared.

Ulquiorra brought his sword down swiftly, his eyes drifting slightly to the left as his attention wandered. He whipped his blade down and around to where Nnoitra's ribs where, his green eyes dull and vapid.

Nnoitra countered easily and swung his sword around, jabbing at the small pale neck before him.

Ichigo was entranced with the battle until an impatient tap came on his shoulder, "Huh?"

Hichigo sneered at him, "Didncha' have someone ta save?"

Ichigo whirled around and his eyes scanned the place where Grimmjow had stood. "Where…?"

Aizen smiled down and gently held a single finger up, blocking a blade that was swinging to his throat, "I really did think better of you, Stark."

Stark drew his blade back and stepped into view, his usual lazy look wary, "And I of you, Aizen."

Gin sighed and rested his chin on his palm, "So now everybody's rebellin' huh?"

Aizen slowly stood, a small smile playing around his features, "Do you really think you can stop me?"

"No." Stark sighed, "But I can slow you down." He swung again, his cool eyes narrowed in concentration.

Aizen smiled chillingly and blocked the swing easily with his hand, and then shot demon magic at the traitorous Espada.

Ulquiorra frowned slightly as the attacks increased in strength and magnitude; he twirled out of the death sickle and slashed at the unprotected side.

Nnoitra roared in pain as the blade grazed his ribs and attacked again with new vigor.

Hichigo's eyes scanned the room before leaping next to Nnoitra's side and stabbing viscously at Ulquiorra, opening a wound on his shoulder.

Nnoitra's face split into a jagged sneering smile, "Hey hollow."

Hichigo grinned like a lunatic, "Hey slave."

Ulquiorra's face contorted into a tiny sneer, "You two are no match for my strength."

"We'll see about that." Hichigo mused, his eyes shining with bloodlust.

Stark's shoulder was badly burned and his left thigh was in agony, but his pace with the sword only increased.

Aizen was growing irritated, he stepped inside one of the blows and slammed his hand into the Espada's chest, sending him crashing into the marble wall, "I will not tolerate traitors."

"Neh?" Gin chimed in, "But yer a traitor Aizen-chan!"

"Gin. Shut. Up." Aizen growled, his anger beginning to show through his careful composure.

Stark coughed and shot to his feet, spitting out blood.

Aizen sneered and formed a black ball of magic at his palm, "I've had quite enough of this." And he shot the Hado at the Espada, engulfing him in a black magic coffin.

Ichigo froze in his search for Grimmjow to watch the black energy swallow the rebellious Espada up, the exact same way it had swallowed Captain Sajin not too long ago.

The black Hado faded leaving the bloody and lifeless form of the Primera Espada, Coyote Stark.