Title: Tangled Bindings - Chapter 4
Fandom: Bleach
Pairings/Characters: Apache x Grimmjow (main) Ulquiorra x Orihime, Szayel x Apache, Sun Sun, Mira Rose, and Halibel also appear.
Rating: M
Notes: Finally got around to putting the finishing touches on this chapter. Here I attempt to explain arrancar siblings. My explanation is imperfect, I am not Kubo and I don't know what he intends with that (if anything at all.) I did my best! Thank you to all the commenters and reviewers, please keep it up. It's very much appreciated, please keep it up.

Special thanks to my beta, lj's kasenshiki!

The emotionless mask broke, and Ulquiorra's hand went to his sword. He had half drawn it from its sheath, when Szayel had quick as a flash slapped down on a small, black button Apache had not noticed before. Something that looked like electricity surged through the Quatros espada, and he fell to his knees.

"This is my lab. Ulquiorra-san..." The san was added on almost sarcastically. "Aizen-sama gave me full permission to make it difficult for unwanted intruders to get in." He smirked as he stepped over to the fallen Espada, hoisting him up under his arm.

"...Apache, help me get him on to the examining table."

Apache was currently in a daze. Sister? What the fuck had he been talking about? Pull her clothes back on, she made her way over and wrapped an arm around the green eyed arrancar. Together she and with Szayel pulled him on the table. Ulquiorra's eyes fell on Apache.

"Apache. You need to get out." He said firmly, although his voice wavered.

"I don't understand, what is going on-"

"Now now," said Szayel, as he placed the paralyzed arrancar on to the table, and unzippered his jacket down so that the hollow hole on his neck was exposed. "Don't go telling the girl that, I'm doing her a huge favor. Which is more than I can say you did.." Much as he had done the other day, he started to scrape and prod at the hole.

Apache was not the type to sit around while strange shit was happening all around her. "Fucking hell, Szayel, I just let you screw me and humiliate me, at least fucking tell me what kind of freak show experiment I'm part of."

Szayel laughed slightly, examining the contents of his latest petri dish. He looked her in the eye, before draping an arm over her shoulder and leading her to a microscope.

"...You're a feisty one, Apache, but you don't understand what I'm doing. Look here..." He motioned for her to look in the microscope. "Those are your 'chain of life' cells. The chain of life is what keeps a human's soul in its body. When it breaks, they are dead. When it is pulled out, they become a hollow. When a hollow devours another hollow...all the remnants of their chains of life merge into a single hollow hole." The slide was changed, and he had her look at the next one. "When an arrancar splits into two, the two are considered siblings, and the proof..." He motioned to the microscope, "Is right here."

"You're not saying that the Quatros is my brother, are you?" Her eyes fell on Ulquiorra.

"I am. And he's known it, but never bothered to tell you." Szayel smirked. "Thanks to science, I was able to bring it to light." His hands rested on Apache's shoulders. "...And now, thanks to you, my research can continue from where it left off when Il Forte got himself killed..." He smirked at her, before glancing towards the door, the sounds of heavy foot steps approaching it.

Grimmjow came running through the door, with Orihime right behind him. His sword was already drawn, and he pointed it straight at Szayel's head. "...Ya know, Grantz, I never thought you'd be stupid enough ta touch my girl. But since you are..." Szayel's hands ran from Apache's shoulders down to her hips.

"I don't believe she's your girl. For the past week, she's been mine."

"I'm not a piece of meat!" Apache shivered, pulling herself away, before stepping over to Ulquiorra. She stared down at his face, a face that bore traces of a very slight resemblance. But siblings...? "You knew this?" she asked. He nodded in reply, his muscles were still not moving very well.

"I still have my memories of when we first were...born. I did not want to take on responsibility for anyone but myself. Once we were both arrancar...that did not change. But you were well taken care of. I was one the ones who first pointed you out to Halibel. You're from the same blood as me...I knew you'd be strong. And be able to take care of yourself."

"...So then, why the drop in now?"

"...I told Orihime, and she didn't think Szayel should be the one to tell you, especially not in this way. She thought I should step in...and she was right..." The human girl smiled and darted to his side, helping him sit up.

"I'll heal you up fast..."

In the mean time, Grimmjow had taken this opportunity to tackle Szayel and pin him to the ground, knocking over some nasty looking viles in the process. Szayel was smaller than Grimmjow, and was obviously at a disadvantage, but that didn't mean he couldn't fight back. He shoved Grimmjow into the mixture of shattered glass and green liquid, which caused him to hiss in pain, as he tried to pull the bare skin of his back away immediately. While he was distracted, Szayel gave him a good hard kick, and pulled himself away. Another button was hastily pushed, and a trap door opened, Grimmjow falling straight down into it.

Apache, Ulquiorra, and Orihime all turned to stare.

"That should keep him busy for a while. He said with a smirk.

"The fuck are you doing this for?!" Apache cried as she darted over to the trap door.

"...For research. Since my brother died, I've needed a new set of siblings to study, and the two of you are some of the most powerful ones I could find. An Espada...and a fraccion who wants to be an Espada. Intriguing, isn't it? I needed to get both of you in one place, and, well...I've accomplished that." Ulquiorra stepped towards him, his limbs working once more thanks to Orihime.

"Congratulations. You have managed to anger two Espada ranked higher than you, possibly three, when Halibel finds out what you've been doing to her fraccion. What makes you think we'll let you live?"

"Well, for one thing, there's the fact that when Aizen knows what I've discovered, he'll be very pleased. For another, if you kill me...Grimmjow is as good as dead, and I'm not so sure Apache here would be so pleased with that." At that, a low growl that didn't sound human escaped Apache's throat. While she had seldom released her true form in the past, she could feel herself wanting to now - anything to give herself an edge to kick Szayel's ass, as though it actually would.

"...Leave him fucking out of this!" She shouted. Szayel stepped over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"...We're almost done, girl. We're almost done. I will let you go home free, but there's one last thing I need you to do."

"I'm not gonna do shit to hel-" He put a finger on her lips.

"It's very simple. I just want you to go down and retrieve Grimmjow from the pit."

"Why?" Apache narrowed her eyes as him suspiciously.

"...I'll go." Ulquiorra quickly volunteered.

"No. It has to be Apache...She is the only one who can. Unless of course, you'd rather leave him to die."

Apache glanced to the pit. This couldn't be safe...but Grimmjow was down there. And she had faith that he could handle almost anything, no matter how hurt he was.

"I'll go. It'll be fine. " She spoke as she stepped towards the pit, clenching a fist.

"There's a rope ladder connected to the wall over there." He instructed with a nod. "It's rather deep, you wouldn't want to fall as Grimmjow did." There was a sneer on his face, and Apache could only grab the white rope, lower it into the pit, and descend into the darkness.

The light slowly faded to dim as she climbed lower and lower. When she reached the bottom, she glanced around. The ground was very slimy and wet.

"Grimmjow...?" She called out. And then she spotted him. He seemed uninjured, standing with his back to her, facing a large, black wall. "...I'm glad you're still alive...look...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone to Szayel." He remained silent and motionless, his back still to her.

"I saw you with another girl, and I thought you were finished with me." Still, there was no response. "Szayel had a secret and I had to find out what it was...and I was stupid about it. You shouldn't have come here to save my sorry ass, but I'm glad you did. Now, why don't we get the hell out of here?"

As she spoke, she drew closer to him. She stopped right as she was in arm's length of him. Only then did he spin around, his hand grabbing her by the throat, lifting her up in the air.

"Grimm..." She choked out, barely able to speak. He continued to squeeze and shake her body, until she went limp as a rag doll. To seal the deal, a cero blast pierced her chest, leaving Apache dead in his grip. The Sexta Espada dropped her limp form, watching it fall to the ground.