Oh, wow, who knew life could swallow you whole?
"At least you got back somehow!" Memuro grinned.
"Took you long enough..." Rakuen put in. "I'd almost thought you'd died or something."
No, I'm not dead...Well, only on the inside.
Blue stared harshly into blue as the shinigami and arrancar continued their awkward staring contest. Memuro was finally beginning to feel uncomfortable. "What are you even doing her anyway?" The question seemed a bit more defensive than she'd meant it, but, quite honestly, she didn't care.
Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "What? I'm not allowed to go lookin' for a good fight in my spare time?" The cocky grin returned to his features as he stared down at her. "Too bad I got stuck fightin' you."
"Hey!" She shouted, standing up to face him, and resting her weight on her good leg, despite the sharp pain shooting up her other leg. "If I didn't have this damn power restraint I could kick your ass halfway to Sunday! It's not my fault Seireitei ordered these stupid things."
"Yeah right! You couldn't beat me with or without the restraint..." He stood close enough that she could practically feel the heat and reiatsu rolling off of his body. "You'll never defeat me..."
A defiant look spread across her features as she stared up at him. "So you say..." The rest of her retort was cut off as Grimmjow jumped back, just in time to avoid Hyōrinmaru's icy shikai attack.
"Are you alright, Memuro-chan?" Rangiku asked, placing her hand on Memuro's shoulder. The artificial soul appeared on her other side, grabbing her arm carefully. "Memuro-chan?"
"...I guess we'll never know." She finished, eyes locking with Grimmjow. Looking back at the two hands grabbing for her attention, she smiled reassuringly at the buxom blond. "I'm fine, Rangiku-fukutaichō...don't worry about me."
Tōshirō stood between the two shinigami and artificial soul and the blue haired arrancar. "Coming here alone doesn't seem very intelligent. What is Aizen planning..." He mumbled to himself. "Arrancar, if you wish for a fight, then face me."
Grimmjow glared at the short captain. "You know it's rude to interrupt people.." Turning his attention back to the third seat, he watched as Rangiku and the artificial soul began pulling her away from the park. Her eyes connected with his once again, as she glanced back over her shoulder, shooting him a smirk. "...I guess I have no reason to stay, then." As the garganta opened up in the sky to allow the sexta's passage back to Hueco Mundo, he watched Memuro pull out of her friend's grips to face him again. "I will be back." He stated, grinning cockily at her.
She wasn't quite sure what was running through her head, but the next thing she knew she was chasing after the blue haired arrancar attempting to jump into the garganta herself. Though, right before she was almost there, the third seat felt two sets of firm hands holding her back. "Stop, Chiyote." Tōshirō commanded, sheathing his sword. "We were sent to the real world to protect them from arrancar, he's gone now, our job is done for the moment. There's no need to chase after him."
The lieutenant released her also. "Yeah, you don't need to worry about that espada for the moment."
"Sorry, taichō, fukutaichō..." Memuro sighed, taking a seat on a bench on the non-incinerated half of the park. "It just...Grimmjow keeps coming, and I thought...well, I could do something about it."
Rangiku took a seat next to her, pulling her into a tight embrace, not to mention smothering the poor third seat with her large chest. "Don't worry about it, Memuro-chan! We just don't want you to get hurt! Right, taichō?"
The white haired captain scanned over her body, taking note of the blood dripping from her head and her obviously broken leg. "It's a bit late for that. Your leg is broken, and your head is bleeding."
As the bosomy woman released her, Memuro lifted her hand up to wipe some of the blood off of her forehead. "What do you know, it is bleeding."
"Oh, we should get Orihime-chan to help you!" Rangiku suggested, standing up to help her injured subordinate. "C'mon, she should be home from school by now, and she'll definitely be more than happy to help you out." Standing with help from her lieutenant, she began hobbling along to Orihime's apartment.
"Dammit, I wanted to frickin' follow him!" Memuro grumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest and pouting like a child.
Rakuen pat her on the shoulder. "Yeah, we know."
Eh, don't be a baby...you'll get more Grimmjow later.
"I'm not a baby! This is my story anyway!" Memuro said, smacking the Narrator on her head.
"Chiyote-san!" Orihime gasped upon seeing the third seat in her current condition. Rushing her inside, they had her sit on the couch so she would be comfortable. "Are you alright, Chiyote-san?"
Memuro sighed as she sat down on the couch. "Well, aside from the broken leg, I'm just peachy."
Rangiku sat down next to her underling, patting her shoulder in a reassuring manner. "Can you please use your powers to help her, Orihime-chan?"
The orange haired girl nodded. "Ayame, Shun'ō, Souten Kisshun, I reject!"
An odd, tingling sensation ran through her leg as the bone and flesh began to heal. It always felt so weird to be healed by her Shun Shun Rikka, but it didn't really bother Memuro all that much. She was far too busy thinking about Grimmjow to even be the slightest bit concerned about her own well being. "What was he doing coming back here? And what happened to his arm?" She mused to herself. "And why didn't he go after Ichigo first? All these questions..."
"Well, he did say that he would be coming back." Orochimaru's voice hissed in her head.
"Yeah, I know that." Memuro shot back. "I was just about to say I'd ask him when he comes back, whenever that may be..."
The spirit snorted a bit. "Maybe then you'll finally be able to get through the garganta to Hueco Mundo, and you can die a horrible, painful death there."
"Shut up! I don't know what I'm supposed to do there, but something is drawing me to it! Whenever I watch him disappear behind the garganta, I just feel the need to follow him through it."
"Maybe you love him!" Orochimaru laughed at Memuro as she became more embarrassed.
"Shut up!!" She shouted back. "I'm not talking to you anymore..."
"You're no fun..."
A hand shaking her shoulder brought the purple haired girl out of her thoughts. "Chiyote-san? How do you feel?" Orihime asked.
Looking down at her no longer broken leg, Memuro smiled. "I feel great! Thank you so much, Inoue-chan!" She reached up to her head and didn't feel any blood on it. "And you even healed my head injury! Thank you again!"
"It's no problem, Chiyote-san." The bosomy teen smiled tentatively back.
"Now that everyone's all better, how 'bout we go get something to eat?" Rangiku suggested, placing her hands on her hips.
Standing up to stretch her leg, the third seat smiled. "Sounds good to me!"
"I-I don't think I can..." Orihime mumbled, waving her hands in front of her. "I-I-I've got this...study class! Yeah, that's it! A study class, and I'm late for it! Late, late late!" She laughed, trying to seem convincing.
But before she could move an inch, Rangiku was already dragging her to the door. "You're coming with us, whether you like it or not..."
"Don't be too mean to the girl!" Memuro called, moving to get into her gigai so they could go.
"Chiyote." Tōshirō called, walking into the room.
"What is it, Hitsugaya-chan-taichō? I'm about to go out with Rangiku-fukutaichō and Inoue-chan." She said, brushing out some of the creases in the clothes of her gigai. "Did you want to come?"
He shook his head. "I just wanted to talk to you about the arrancar."
Stopping what she was doing, she looked at her captain. "What about Grimmjow?"
His ever serious expression seemed even more so than usual. "If that arrancar attacks again, I do not want you fighting him. Leave that to me, or even Kurosaki...Is that clear?"
"But, taichō!"
He protests were silenced by his glare. "That is an order. Am I clear?"
"...Yes, taichō..." She mumbled, head hung down in defeat.
"Alright, dismissed." The captain said, watching as she stormed out of the apartment.
"Not fair!!" Memuro complained. "Why can't I fight Grimmjow?!"
'Cause your captain told you not to. And because the plot would be too simple if you were allowed.
"Too true, you gotta have some twists and turns!" Rakuen grinned.
Yeah, just wait and see what actually ends up happening anyway...