Chapter Three
As the hell butterfly departed from the open window, Grimmjow started after it in shock, before turning to Ulquiorra.
"Did that thing just tell us what I think it did?"
Ulquiorra stirred in annoyance at the question, before confirming this with a simple, "Yes."
"They have Stark?"
"Yes."
"We're all being made lieutenants?"
"Yes."
"They're not going to kill us?"
"Yes."
"And they'll return our zanpakto?"
This is getting ridiculous.
"No, Grimmjow. They plan on sending us out to fight hollows armed only with bed sheets. Apparently it builds character."
"Okay, but – Wait, what?"
Thank God we're getting out of here. There's only so much of this I can take.
"Yes, we're getting our zanpakto back. Yes, you're being sent to the Second Division. Yes, Stark is in the Sixth. Yes, I'm in the Seventh. If you have any further questions I cannot answer them, as these answers cover the entirety of the information just imparted to us. Anything else weighing on what I hesitate to call 'your mind'?"
I need decent conversation. Or conversation other than his - that would also be acceptable.
"Shit, no need to get bitchy on me. I'm just surprised, is all. Happened just like you thought it would. Sure you're not a fuckin' psychic?"
"No, just capable of basic deductions." Rising from the table, the pale arrancar sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look Grimmjow, it's late, and apparently we have somewhere to be tomorrow. I'm going to sleep. Try not to be so noisy."
As he made his way down the hall, Ulquiorra let his mind drift back to the announcement.
Assigned to her division. First Grimmjow, and now this. I realise that to have become a hollow in the first place I can't have been perfect, but surely I don't deserve all these… annoyances.
Feelings were not something he did well. They never had been, and he was pretty damn sure they never would be. Usually he preferred to do without them as much as possible – they only interfered with his work. Since leaving the Espada, however, he'd found that he was more receptive to such things. It was more than the usual disgruntled irritation that accompanied spending a prolonged period of time with Grimmjow. This feeling was strange, and seemed to centre on the arrancar who was, apparently, now his captain. While one could certainly argue that this contact meant he could explore what was happening to him, Ulquiorra was not interested in this.
I want nothing to do with it. I was created to fight, I am here to serve and this…aberration will not distract me from my task. I have been unoccupied here, and this has lead me to dwell on certain people, almost enhance them in my mind. I will face her tomorrow and she will be nothing but a shadow of what I have envisioned. It will end there – she will be naught but the captain I serve.He sighed again and ignored the nagging feeling that he was missing something, as he settled down to sleep. At least now he had a name to attach to the face.
Neliel…Tomorrow will be interesting.
xXx
She's late.
It had been two hours since he had been before the Captain-Commander, swearing an oath of loyalty, being given a new uniform and having his zanpakto returned. It was a comfort to have Murcielago at his side again, he would admit, and it was worth sitting through the hour-long lecture about what they would and wouldn't be allowed now that they were a part of the Gotei 13. It was there that he had been lead out by the startled looking young woman who informed him that she was the fifth seat of Ulquiorra's division, and brought here, left with the message that "The Captain will see you as soon as she can." This was all well and good, but that had been over half an hour ago, and she showed no sign of coming to join him any time soon.
That was when he decided to have a look around. Curiosity wasn't a particular trait of his; it was more Grimmjow's domain, Ulquiorra thought with a smirk, recalling his companion's release form. All the same, anything was better than waiting around for some infuriating creature who had clearly decided she had better things to do. Her office was nice, he had to admit - open and airy with vases of bright flowers on whatever stable flat surfaces were available. These were apparently few and far between, as stacks of paperwork took up most of the room, all of it clearly incomplete.
Ulquiorra frowned. He thought back to what little conversation he had with the Fifth Seat, who had informed the arrancar that until his arrival, aside from the Captain herself, she had been the next in rank. This made no sense on a variety of levels, most of them numerical, but when tallied with the half empty barracks he had passed on his way in and the spread of neglected paperwork before him it gave a pretty clear idea of how this division had emerged from the war.
It's a miracle that they even considered having an arrancar as their captain. I know nothing of her origins, but she clearly didn't play the sort of part in the war that I did. They will not care for my presence here and yet they obviously need my help.
He looked over her desk, or at least what wasn't covered in paperwork, and spotted a booklet that seemed to provide instruction on how to complete the myriad of forms that being a shinigami seemed to generate.
Of course, she's new to this as well. In any case, it cannot hurt to at least sort through what must be done…
xXx
The last thing Nel had expected to be greeted with when she returned to her office was the sight of her new lieutenant sorting through the paperwork that littered her floor, a thoughtful frown on his face and the guide to filing in his free hand.
Clearing her throat, she saw him briefly tense up, only to relax so smoothly as he turned to face her that she wasn't sure if she'd even seen him tense in the first place.
Now that's control. And… shit.
On the battlefield when she had first seen him, he'd been ludicrously good looking. Here, in her office, cleaned up and dressed entirely in black, he was breathtaking. Tall and slender, while still maintaining an aura of strength, his skin was so pale it seemed to be pure white, contrasting with his slightly tousled pitch black hair and incredibly vivid green eyes. This vision was only enhanced by the fact that it looked like he intended to do her paperwork.
I've walked into a dream. It even looks like he worked out what form 12-36B does.
"Hello Captain Tu Oderschvank."
Right. Speaking. I remember how to do that.
"Just Nel, please. I insist." She replied, with what she hoped was a winning smile.
"That can hardly be considered respectful. "
"Trust me, if your surname was anything like mine, you'd go out of your way to avoid hearing it too. If Nel is good enough for the Captain-Commander, it's good enough for everyone. Consider yourself to be respectfully bowing to my wishes."
"How about a compromise? I refuse to refer to my superior officer by a nickname so… Neliel, is it?"
This wasn't quite going how she had planned. "Everyone else is fine with Nel."
He raised an eyebrow and replied, "Well then, I'm not everyone else, am I?"
Sensing this was not a battle she'd win, Nel decided to change tactics.
"Suit yourself. So, did you decide to get started on the paperwork already?"
He shrugged. "It seemed necessary, and…" He paused there, before continuing, "Just how badly did this division do during the war?"
Oh boy, where to start. "How much did you know about Kaname Tousen?"
"Next to nothing. I avoided him when I could. Grimmjow knows him from an incident with a severed arm."
"Charming. Well, Captain Komamura, the previous captain was a close friend of his back when he was Captain Tousen. He even looked up to him a little. After the betrayal, he was determined to bring Tousen back to where he belonged, to make him see sense. They met in battle a few times, and each time it became more and more obvious that Tousen would not be swayed, until finally the captain gave up and started trying to kill him instead. In the final battle he lead most of the division in what was essentially a suicide mission. He didn't kill Tousen, but he did weaken him so that someone else could, and he gave us an advantage when we desperately needed it. Unfortunately, we lost him, his lieutenant and about half of the seated and unseated officers. The General had done what he can to give us more than our share of recruits, but we were not the only division who were decimated by the war."
She sighed, and leaned back against her desk gingerly, trying not to disturb the paperwork. Ulquiorra pondered what she'd said, and asked, "But you're an arrancar. Surely they would have fought against your captaincy, unless they felt that you were acceptable since you had not been created by Aizen."
She smiled wryly. "Ah, but I was."
"What? Surely I would have seen you before this."
"Depends. When was Halibel made Third Espada?"
"Before I was created. Are you trying to tell me that you were once the Third Espada?"
"I'm saying I have a giant number three tattooed on my back for a reason. But I was out before the war began. An… Incident with Nnoitra. Ichigo found me. My mask was damaged, and I was in child form until I saw a healer. I've fought for the Soul Society since."
"I see."
The silence stretched between them fairly comfortably until he broke it, looking thoughtful.
"As your lieutenant, what exactly do my duties entail? They've been awfully clear on what I can and cannot do, but less clear on what it is I actually should be doing."
"Oh." The sudden topic change caught her off-guard. "Well, the paperwork is one thing. Working on the budget would also fall into that category. At this point in time all of our officers need training before we can even think about assigning seats. All the divisions have their share of living world missions and guard duties to roster and complete as well, and that also falls to us. Other than that, there are also weekly lieutenant meetings to attend, just to stay informed. Most of it's been getting done, but the paperwork…" she waved her hand toward the many piles. "Something had to give, and I wasn't about to make it my sanity."
His lips twitched almost imperceptibly into a smile that vanished instantly. "Of course Neliel. In any case, that makes things easier. Might I suggest that I spend the first week or two working with the administrative matters? Just so the division may become used to me. They may be able to handle having one arrancar in charge, but I suspect they'll need to be eased into two."
He was good looking, intelligent, perceptive and he wanted to do her paperwork. This had to be a dream.
"Sounds fine to me. I will eventually need you to work with the squad, but for now I think your idea should hold. I'll continue training them, and patrolling with them, and I'll join you to work on the roster and budget. Now, have they shown you to your quarters yet?"
"Not yet Neliel."
"I still think you should call me Nel."
"And you are welcome to think that. I however - "
The sudden flaring of two powerful reiatsus drew their attention. Nel frowned.
"That's Ichigo. And whoever's with him - "
"It's Grimmjow."
"Should we be worried? His reiatsu seems, well, bloodthirsty."
"It's normally like that. Neither of them feel upset so, as strange as it is, I think this is their way of saying hello."
Nel turned to him in disbelief. "You're kidding."
"I wish I was. But I think it's safe to leave them to their own devices."
Suddenly, the two war cries members of the Seireitei prayed not to hear rang out, one a brutal bellow, and the other a sweet child's voice - "YAY! Ken-Chan's found a new friend!" A third reiatsu flared with Ichigo and Grimmjow.
Neliel was looking very pale, Ulquiorra decided.
"Ulquiorra, what do you know about Kenpachi Zaraki?"
Oh dear. "Enough. That's him, I take it?"
"Yep."
The two former Espada looked at one another, and said what every member of the Gotei 13 was thinking at that point.
"Oh shit."