Disclaimer: Various concepts and characters have been retrieved from Dragonball Z and Bleach for this story; they belong to Akira Toriyama and Tite Kubo. Please note, however, that the plot, which is an original plot, is unrelated to the events that take place in DBZ and Bleach, meaning this is an AU fic. The OC's and plot belong to myself, and KRenee.

V

New Years' Eve, 2011

"So, you got everything sorted out with your brother when you left that one weekend, right? Not sure if I asked." Grimmjow inquired as he and Juritsu strolled through the clubbing district. The night air was frigid but the energized atmosphere was warming in and of itself. Tonight was an exceptionally electrifying night; the last day of the year always had that kind of effect.

The demi-Saiyan smiled at her friend in response to his question. He was always asking her that; it was kind of cute in a way. Even if it came off as casual, his concern still warmed her, almost made her feel giddy. It was a sensation she'd never felt before, and while it was confusing, it left her feeling almost deliriously happy. It wasn't a bad feeling either - in a way, it kind of gave her a yearning to be around him more, just to experience the feeling longer..

Karma was nearly overflowing with energy. It gave her a rush of excitement. Tonight seemed like it would be a good night. As they navigated through the crowd, Grimmjow slid an arm around her waist to keep them from separating. His hand rested on her hip, and her heart fluttered, whether it be from excitement or nervousness, she didn't know. She was certain that her face was flushed, feeling her ears warm up. Thankfully, it was too dark to see.

"Hey," Juritsu spoke up once they settled into an unclaimed section of the bar area, "I'm gonna get some drinks. You want anything specific?"

Grimmjow had a grin on his face that sent shivers down to her fingers and toes, "I think you know me well enough to pick out a good one."

Juritsu chuckled at that, noticing how her voice came out a bit huskier than usual. She'd never had that happen before, and wasn't sure what it meant. "I'll be right back. No pressure or anything."

Grimmjow's laughter reached her ears as she expertly wove through the throngs of students. Her heart was racing, but in a good way. Giddy at this point really couldn't even describe it. All she knew was, she only felt this way around Grimmjow. And, she realized, she didn't mind that at all, didn't mind wanting to always be around him.

It didn't take long for her to grab an open slot at the bar, and patiently waited to be tended to. She saw friends and classmates here and there, probably some too drunk to remember encountering her.

"Well, look at what we have here."

Juritsu blinked. That wasn't a voice she recognized, rough, masculine, and filled to the brim with alpha-male cockiness. She turned around to find herself staring at just that; an alpha-male.

He was shorter than most guys she'd seen, but what he lacked in height he certainly seemed to make up for in bulk. His hair was short, dark and spiked and his taut skin was a rich tan. It kind of reminded her of the guidos she'd seen and heard of on that one really popular show... what'd it been called? New Jersey Shore... or something like that? And he really did remind her of a guido, with the way he popped the collar on his obnoxiously bright-colored polo.

His attitude kind of reminded her of it too, especially with the obvious way he kept looking her up and down, with that stupid, self-assured grin of his, like he thought he actually had a chance with her. But, she decided to start off politely.

"Excuse me?" she asked, portraying slight confusion at his speech, "Were you talking to me?"

This newcomer's grin only widened, and he practically all but pinned her against the bar. "You bet I was. Glad to know you were listening," he pressed against her, "What's a little thing like you doing out here all by yourself?"

Juritsu was very quickly put off by Mr. Guido-Douchebag. Who the hell did he think he was?!

"Would you mind backing off?!" she let her temper flare, glaring at him furiously.

The guy laughed, leaning closer, "Aw, come on, don't be like that! What's your name? You can call me Leo."

Juritsu shoved him backwards, "And you can fuck off, because an asshole like you would have a less-than-0-percent chance with me!"

Leo's smirk darkened. "You say that, but I know what girls like you want," He took a step towards her, reached out to her, "You're all the same; you love being thrown down, and -..."

She grabbed his wrist tightly before he could touch her, and wrenched him close, so she could meet his smug expression with her murderous glare. "Don't touch me. You even so much as think it, and you'll find yourself crying like the little bitch that you really are."

Leo didn't look too pleased with that threat, and she couldn't tell if he was taking her seriously, but she really didn't care. She threw his wrist back at him, turned and grabbed the drinks, and shoved past him without a second thought.

It was about that moment that a sudden shift in Grimmjow's energies reached her senses, the sudden change causing her to pause briefly in her steps. It was warping in such a way, it gave her a sense of desperation, like he was trying to fight it. And the way it was shifting was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Was he being attacked?

She began working her way through the crowd, trying to move faster. "Grimmjow?!" she called out, hoping for some kind of response.

...

He couldn't look away.

Even though Grimmjow wanted nothing more than to divert his gaze to something else, to anything else, he couldn't. And, after a moment, even that desire began to fade. The noise of the club in the background faded away as a chilling heat filled his chest. His reiatsu felt like it was being held in a vice grip, and the sensation made his head begin to ache.

Lily's eyes were a stunning shade of blue, glowing brightly against the dim lights on the dance floor. His mouth was dry, thirsty for her taste as she moved forward, their gazes locked. His hands moved up, settling on his hips as she leaned forward, intending to lock their lips together and seal his fate.

He barely felt the hand touch his shoulder, a shock of NO bursting from within. His first thoughts were a nearly panicked where did Juritsu go? His hands were falling away from Lily's hips, his head was spinning and a lingering taste of familiar reiatsu was sticking to his tongue. Ulquiorra?

Lily's hands were gripping his shoulders, pulling him back towards her, "No," she growled lowly, her voice holding a dangerous undertone, "Look at me, Grimmjow…"

"Fuck off, psycho-bitch!" He wrenched out of her grip, refusing to glance in her direction. His instincts were something he trusted immensely, and even if it was strange, his gut was telling him to get the hell away from Lily, because there was something more than very wrong going on. You have to find Juritsu and run.

As he glanced towards the crowd by the bar to search, he felt a spike of her reiatsu signature. She probably felt whatever the hell just happened. And just a second later, she emerged through the crowd, a slightly panicked look in her eyes. Of course, that was before her eyes fell upon Lily and himself. No, then her face contorted to something like rage.

Juritsu was pissed.

He couldn't blame her, considering everything that involved Lily seemed to be bad news. But at the moment, apologizing and trying to explain would have to wait. For now, the only thing that mattered was getting Juritsu and getting away from here.

As the brunette was opening her mouth, he grabbed her wrist, nearly yanking her off her feet. The drinks she was carrying fell to the ground, but he didn't care.

"We have to go," he gave her a look as he said this, doing what he could to silently convey his message: We're in danger we have to get away from here something bad is gonna happen come with me please.

Her anger faltered, he could see, and worry crept into her expression. He didn't give it a second thought before he started off towards the door, leading her along as he roughly pushed past throng after throng of drunk students.

The air outside had never felt so crisp and rejuvenating. Grimmjow took only a moment before he turned in the direction of his apartment. They'd be safe there.

"Grimmjow...?" he heard Juritsu's voice, slightly uncertain and definitely confused, "What's going on?"

"I knew she was a psycho-bitch, but she takes that to a whole new level," he growled, slightly tightening his grip on Juritsu's hand. He couldn't explain it himself, but his instincts were telling him to get away, and don't lose Juritsu.

At that very moment, as Juritsu was opening her mouth to say something, a sensation akin to being stabbed erupted in the back of his skull. Darkness the color of blood pooled into his vision, and Grimmjow was sudden overcome by vertigo, knees buckling and hitting the ground. He could feel Juritsu's hands on him, voice calling from far, far away, but he couldn't really process it past the roaring in his head. His ears were ringing and his body was wracked with chills, the taste of bile staining his mouth as he writhed in pain as his muscles spasmed well out of his control.

DON'T INTERFERE, WORTHLESS SCUM! That voice was shrieking in his head, STAY OUT OF THE WAY! WE WILL FORCE YOU TO YOUR KNEES AND BREAK YOUR SKULL AGAINST THE PAVEMENT! STAY OUT OF THE WAY!

...

"Grimmjow?!" Her friend was unresponsive, save for a pained groan, "Hey, hang in there!"

Juritsu cradled him in her arms, frantically searching for any kind of wound, bruise, something, anything. Just what was going on?! What was wrong with him?! Could she help? She didn't know what to do what if Grimmjow was dying how to help how to help he needs help please be okay.

"Grimmjow, can you hear me?" she continued to try and reach him, checking his pulse, checking for a fever. If there ever was a time that she wanted a pouch of senzu beans, now was most certainly that time. But would they even help? First it was his changing energy signature, now this. Something, somehow, was attacking him, and she had absolutely no idea how or what, if anything, she could even do.

"I'm gonna take care of you, okay? Come on, just hang in there," her voice cracked just a bit as fear for her friend threatened to nearly choke her. She hadn't felt this helpless in a long time. She usually could help using her own powers. This was way out of her scope though; honesty she couldn't remember ever fighting a battle against an opponent who could mentally attack her. There had to be something, someone, who could…-

"Juritsu!" The voice was familiar, and the half-Saiyan glanced up to find Ralph, Grimmjow's roommate, running towards them. Where had he come from? Literally out of the blue - she'd never seen him in the clubbing district. And granted it was New Years, but was he even the partying type?

"What happened?" he asked as he dropped to a crouch next to Juritsu, going over and checking Grimmjow's condition.

"I... I don't know," she explained, trying to do so without exposing her abilities, "He was fine for a minute, and then the next thing I know, he's like this."

There was a pause, a silence that fell over them once Juritsu had finished speaking. In the background, a countdown was beginning. Ten seconds to midnight and, with it, the new year. But the chaos and noise behind them faded.

There was an almost peculiar look on Ralph's face; he was biting his lip, eyebrows furrowed, but this expression wasn't so much concentration as it was contemplation.

"Something's... being set in motion," he spoke slowly, "You need to be hyper-vigilant, for both your sake and Grimmjow's."

Juritsu couldn't have been more bewildered. "Wh... what are you talking about? What's being set in motion?"

Ralph gave her an apologetic smile, just as the cheers and celebratory fireworks erupted behind them. "Let's get Grimmjow back to my place. I'll take care of him."

…

Grimmjow didn't remember much after blacking out. Occasionally he'd hear a voice - sometimes Juritsu, sometimes Ralph - calling out to him. That made him feel a little better, safer. As long as either of them were with him, he'd be okay. Everything would be okay.

As he floated back to consciousness, he found that his headache was gone, though his head and body felt heavy, weighed down. But as he slowly opened his eyes, waiting for his blurry vision to clear, he came to the realization that someone was in the room with him.

"Who...?" his voice felt thick, throat hoarse as he came to.

"Hello, Grimmjow," the familiar, monotonous voice of Ulquiorra spoke up from the foot of his bed, "I'm surprised to see you awake this soon."

If Grimmjow hadn't been physically and mentally drained, he probably would've jumped in surprise or launched an attack. Instead, he could only glare at Espada Cuarta, who was leisurely reading a book. "If you think I'm in the mood for any of your bullshit, you're sorely mistaken," he half-heartedly snapped.

"I don't believe that you actually consider me the bullshitting type, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra flipped the page of the book - which Grimmjow suddenly recognized as his anatomy textbook - and tilted his head slightly as he read on about the ventricles of the heart.

Why the Espada was reading an anatomy textbook, he'd never know. And as he thought about it, Grimmjow decided he didn't want to know either. Either way, this was Ulquiorra, who hated his existence. And yet, here he was, sitting at the foot of his bed.

Begrudgingly, he sighed. "What do you want?"

Ulquiorra snapped the book shut, replacing it on the table he had gotten it from and turned towards Grimmjow, his green eyes holding an unrecognizable emotion. Of course, the idea of emotion in those eyes was a feat all by itself - Grimmjow could've sworn the guy was stuffed full of cotton.

"You're lucky that I stepped in when I did," the Espada stated, his voice betraying a hint of what might've been either hurt or irritation. The latter seemed more likely, but with the ever-depressing Ulquiorra, it was hard to tell sometimes. "If I hadn't, you would've been nothing more than a soulless slave to that succubus."

So it really had been Ulquiorra that Grimmjow had briefly sensed at the club. That was before he processed what the Cuarta had actually said. "Wait, you saved me? And Lily... she is what I think she is, right?"

At the implication that Grimmjow had just blurted at him, Ulquiorra pursed his lips and averted his gaze, as if he had realized that he'd said something he hadn't wanted to say. As if he was embarrassed. Who the hell was this, and what had they done with Ulquiorra!?

"Lily is only the name she's taken on for this world. Her real name is Lilith." As he said that, the Cuarta Espada flinched visibly, lifting a skeletal hand to rub at his head. That was around the moment when Grimmjow realized that Ulquiorra, though known for looking pale, sickly, and scrawny, had the appearance of someone with a severe bout of pneumonia. His usually white face was more ashen, and his hands looked positively bony.

"You need to either keep a better eye on yourself," he muttered, his voice soft and strained, "Or stay away from Juritsu. I can't keep coming to your rescue whenever you get in trouble."

Grimmjow's heart plummeted. "You... Ulquiorra... what are they doing to you?" He pulled himself into a sitting position, inwardly grimacing at the level of effort it took to do such a trivial task. Whatever that whole assault entailed, it took a hell of a lot out of him; that was for sure. But aside from recovering from that, inwardly, Grimmjow's mind was racing with thoughts and questions without answers to anything. He knew who Lilith was. He just didn't know why she was here, and why she kept targeting him. And if she was involved, did that explain Ulquiorra's deteriorating condition? And Juritsu…

This was the first he'd heard any mention of her in whatever this scheme was. And, now that he thought about it, it wasn't too long after meeting her that strange things began to happen, even by his standard. Was she aware of whatever this was? Or was she just a target; was she in danger?

Ulquiorra's jaw was tight with tension, and he wouldn't even look at Grimmjow. He stood up from his seat, and Grimmjow could practically see the blood rushing to his head as he stood there for a second, swaying precariously.

He was already gathering his reiatsu to leave, apparently not intending to answer the question at all, "I... can't stay here any longer. I need to go." He looked like he was about to be sick, his hand finding a table for him to brace against. "I'm sorry that this has come to involve you so directly, Grimmjow. I know you wanted to come here and live obscurely. Just... prepare yourself for the future."

"Wait," Grimmjow nearly hit the floor as he scrambled out of bed, "Look, I know about the day; we all do." His words came out in a frantic rush, desperate for answers, direction, something, "What does Juritsu have to do with any of this? And what the hell am I supposed to do? I'm grasping at loose strings here, Ulquiorra. I can better protect myself if I know something. Please just... anything will do."

Ulquiorra paused in his movements, his back hunched forward slightly as he cradled his forehead in his spare hand. The hand supporting his weight against the table clenched into a fist, and some part of Grimmjow wanted to grab his shoulder and forcefully turn him around and... he didn't know. Hug him? Punch him?

"I have to go," was the quiet, almost forced reply.

With that, a breeze of energy blew around the room, and Ulquiorra was gone. Where his hand had been against the table, there was a dark spot on the wood, almost like a scorch mark.

Grimmjow was leaning against his bed post, stunned from any number of things. He clenched one hand into a fist, while the other squeezed his forehead tightly to quell his anger. Ulquiorra had given him everything and nothing at the same time, and he still had absolutely no idea what to do.

"Damn it..." The only thing that had been growing steadily clearer was his instinct. But even that could only do so much without any information to make countermeasures with. As far as he could tell, they were practically sitting ducks!

Something's going to happen. Don't let Juritsu go.

…

January, 2012

Grimmjow's pocket vibrated just as he was sitting down in class. Fishing his phone out of his pocket – he still had five minutes before the lecture started – he checked the message. What the…

I hope you are feeling better, Sexta.

No way. Absolutely no freakin' way. Grimmjow hastily sent a response – What the hell Ulquiorra, how did you get my number? - before settling and getting his things out of his bag. Aside from the question of how the Fourth Espada had his number, let alone how he got his hands on a cell phone, why in the world was he texting him? It was a slight relief; it had been a couple of weeks since he'd heard from the pale Arrancar.

She's sitting next to the Anti-Christ.

… What?

Eyes wide, he stared at the message for a very long moment. She's… Anti-Christ… She's… Anti-Christ.

Juritsu was sitting next to the Anti-Christ.

And currently, they were chatting nonchalantly, Juritsu laughing at some joke the young man (or perhaps, demon) had quipped, and Grimmjow's grip on his phone tightened. Whether that was from the sudden, unexpected jealously that welled up inside of him, or the concern for her safety, he couldn't quite tell. Maybe it was from both.

But still, it explained why Chris came off as perfect in every way. Too good to be true; a fake Jesus Christ, and by the time people realized it, it was always far too late. As powerful as she seemed to be, he knew that even Juritsu wouldn't be able to see it either. Hell, if he hadn't been from Hueco Mundo, it was likely that his instincts wouldn't have raised red flags like they did.

So the Anti-Christ wants to be a heart surgeon, was his dry retort as he discreetly send the text to his fellow Espada.

He's more interested in feeding her to the Devil.

The obvious joke likely went right over Ulquiorra's head. At least those more fundamental bases of his personality were intact, despite whatever he was going through.

Why Juritsu though? Obviously she's strong, but so are plenty of people.

Ulquiorra had managed to reply in about thirty seconds flat after every text that Grimmjow sent him. It seemed he was pretty adept at the cell phone that he must've just acquired. But after two and half minutes, there was no reply from the Cuarta Espada and Grimmjow just knew that something must've happened. If it wasn't for the fact that he was prioritizing Juritsu's safety, he might've abandoned today's lecture and gone to find Ulquiorra, just to see if he was alright.

Ulquiorra was always hard to read, but since divulging the news of their lost peers in Hueco Mundo, he'd changed. Grimmjow hadn't realized that Ulquiorra cared about anything aside from being loyal, but… this sudden and drastic change in his attitude towards his least-favorite of the Espada was almost disturbing. Even the most apathetic could be changed in the face of… whatever it was that had happened. And he could only imagine how bad it was, for it to have changed the Fourth so much

"… So, 4 o'clock sound good?" Chris' spoke – speak of the devil – drifted to Grimmjow's consciousness, and it took him a second to realize that he was still chatting with Juritsu. Shit.

Hastily, he scribbled a note – Hey, what are you up to later? – and slid the notebook over towards Juritsu just as the professor began to make it clear he wanted to start the lecture.

"Sounds good! I'll text you," Juritsu's voice quieted to a murmur. She turned to face the front of the room and perked at Grimmjow's notebook, and wrote a response before passing it back to him.

Hey, sorry! I'm meeting with Chris for a movie night. He's got some friends over, but he promised he wouldn't bring Lily (thank god). You wanna come?

I'd rather rot, was what came to mind, but he decided against it, mentally cursing all the same. The chances that this wasn't some kind of trap were slim to none.

Nah, I'm good. If you get bored with that though, hit me up.

Haha, sounds good.

Yea, sounded good alright, Grimmjow raged in his head. She was practically presenting herself to Lucifer, gift-wrapped with a ribbon on top. He glanced over towards Chris. The bastard had a smug grin on his face, but as he met his eyes, the grin became a scowl. Grimmjow matched it with his own murderous glare.

Don't interfere, Hollow.

Fuck off, demon. You lay a hand on her and I'll tear you to shreds myself.

Juritsu was completely oblivious of this, having already turned her attention to the presentation on the screen.

A/N: Well editing took a bit longer than expected. Actually, the one thing I was sitting on was a scene that we decided to emit in the end anyway. But nevertheless, here is the next chapter!

I've got a lot of studying and packing and things to do the next couple of days, so I won't be looking at posting the chapters until the weekend, most likely. Otherwise, enjoy!

- G