Thanks, as always, to Q for pre-reading everything. And thanks to you, for reading!
Ichigo wasn't bothered by the Espada for almost three days following their destructive rampage through Las Noches. He wasn't sure if Grimmjow was being punished, or if Aizen's warnings were enough to subdue him—Ichigo doubted they would be. But the Espada didn't confront him, and Ichigo enjoyed the relative calm that followed; his wounds were able to heal until he only noticed them when he exerted himself.
He had Nel to thank for that. She'd returned after scouring the desert for hollows, and upon seeing his condition, immediately gave him some sort of medicinal reishi that speeded his recovery. Ichigo would have been cautious to take such a treatment from anyone else, but Nel was as close as he had to a friend in this place. He couldn't help trusting her.
Ichigo spent his days walking through Las Noches, or what remained of it. He'd never grown familiar with the endless hallways during their invasion; everything looked the same. He had time to acquaint himself with it now, and knew that learning its layout would prove useful in the long run. Ichigo couldn't stop thinking of ways to escape from this place; he knew it was vital that he did. He couldn't forget his friends in the real world, in Soul Society or Karakura; he knew they were all falling quickly into a deep trap laid by Aizen.
Ichigo still refused to believe Yamamoto would order the destruction of Karakura, but the old man had surprised him before, and apparently Seireitei valued their secrecy more highly than he'd realized. Ichigo knew that of all people, Urahara would've been the first he would've consulted; the former-shinigami was exiled for a reason, and still hadn't explained why.
Even if Karakura existed forever in a shadow dimension and its inhabitants never awoke, Ichigo would be satisfied with that. They could defeat Aizen on their own time, and then deal with the city. Ichigo prayed Soul Society wouldn't rush into things quickly, and knowing that their governing Central 46 was still being reformed assured him that he at least had some time before anything decisive happened.
Ichigo was sitting on the sill to one of the windows which opened onto the desert. There was a window in his own room, but it faced the false skyline that Aizen had created—not much comfort there. It worried Ichigo how inviting the open expanse of dessert looked: he could jump down from the window he was perched on and fall the several stories to the ground (Ichigo knew how to fall and roll and recover, and get back up on his feet again and go), but he never did. It was alluring, not knowing what was out there. Grimmjow had told him it was impossible to escape, and Ichigo knew the desert was crawling with hollows, but there had to be a way into the real world, somewhere.
He stared out at the white emptiness aimlessly, and was broken from his thoughts by the presence of another behind him—Ichigo turned quickly to see Grimmjow lounging against the wall. He tensed immediately and the arrancar chuckled at his reaction.
"I been here for almost half an hour just waiting to see when you'd notice," Grimmjow said. "You're pathetically naïve."
"What d'you want?" Ichigo could feel his stomach clench. He fully expected Grimmjow to lunge at him and start off another fight—or a chase that would lead up to that. Ichigo hated to admit it, but he wasn't a match for the arrancar. Especially not without his sword; Aizen had said in his ambiguous terms that he had no interest in Ichigo until he bested Grimmjow, but where was the possibility of that when they were no longer equal?
"Che, who says I want something?" Grimmjow pushed off from where he was leaning. "Maybe I'm just here for the pleasure of your company, ever think of that?"
"So you're bored, is that it?"
"You're lying if you say you're not."
Ichigo snorted derisively and turned away. Grimmjow walked until he stood beside him, and while Ichigo didn't grant the other man attention, he didn't let his guard down. It'd be just like Grimmjow to lull him into a sense of safety before pouncing.
Grimmjow's hands were on his hips, arrogant and proud. "What're you up to, eh? Felt you prowling around this entire place the last few days. You ain't getting out, so stop trying."
"So sure of that, huh?"
"Yeah," Grimmjow answered him with a flash of white teeth. "And not just cause I'd stop you. Aizen sealed all of Hueco Mundo off; not even us Espada could open a garganta if we wanted."
He shoved Ichigo's shoulder with his own playfully. "So stop dogging around Nel hoping she'll take pity on you. She wouldn't even if she could, and she can't."
Ichigo stiffened; he didn't like Grimmjow acting like they were friends. They weren't.
Grimmjow's words worried him, though. Ichigo hadn't hoped that Nel would aid in his escape, but from what the other man had said, it sounded like there was nothing to hope for it. At least not in this place—but that left the whole of Hueco Mundo to potentially hold a portal to the outside world. Ichigo couldn't believe Aizen was capable of sealing off an entire dimension; the former captain was powerful, but that was beyond imagining.
Grimmjow shifted beside him. "What, are you pissed at me or something?"
"Why shouldn't I be, dickhead? You nearly took my fucking head off earlier!" Ichigo glanced at the other man for the first time. "As long as you keep me captive I'll hate you for it."
"Good," Grimmjow said. "That's the way it should be, yeah?"
Ichigo returned his scowling eyes to the window. Of course Grimmjow was just screwing him around. "Did Aizen give you a lecture?" His voice sounded tight and angry, even to himself.
"Che, what's it matter? I had fun, and I ain't apologizing for it. I don't care if that prick's pissed 'cause of it."
Ichigo turned; Grimmjow looked petulant and chastised, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. His blue gaze narrowed at Ichigo, as though he was expecting a challenge.
"Give me back my sword, Grimmjow. I'll give you a good fight then, I won't run."
"Ooh, is that a promise? You sweet-talker." The arrancar sniggered. "You know just what I like to hear."
"It's not for you." Ichigo narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "I can fight as well as I ever have, but I can't do it without Zangetsu."
"Cripple."
"Only because you've made me one," Ichigo countered.
"I didn't take your sword away—it was the only way Aizen let me keep you. Believe it or not, but you can't go blaming everything on me."
"I bet I could." But Grimmjow's statement was revealing. "Aizen won't let you the fight they way you want, Grimmjow. He stopped you before. You said it yourself; I'm not a match for you without my powers. How can you enjoy it this way?"
"I take what I can get," Grimmjow snapped. "I'm not such a dumbass to bite the hand that feeds, you prick. And you're sorely mistaken if you think a zanpakutou would get you any closer to beating me."
Ichigo snorted and turned away. So Aizen knew he would put up more of a struggle if he had his sword; the former captain probably would say it was to preserve what was left of Las Noches from the destructive fight that was sure to follow.
Ichigo knew it was a lie. It made him think even lesser of Grimmjow that the arrancar would face him when Ichigo was artificially weakened.
"You're only fooling yourself," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "What're you afraid of? I thought you wanted a good fight, not just—not simply to win when it's easy."
"I love a good fight, Kurosaki, that ain't a lie. But you are lying if you think you could give me one, zanpakutou or not," Grimmjow smirked, full of repulsive self-confidence.
They said nothing for a long time, and Ichigo didn't rush to break the quiet. He had nothing to say to Grimmjow, and the fact that the arrancar remained was annoying.
Ichigo needed time to formulate a plan out of here, and it seemed as though Grimmjow wouldn't snap at the bait he'd laid out. That surprised him—Ichigo knew the other man wanted nothing more than battle, and taking an easy victory was suspicious. Maybe Grimmjow was simply too pleased with himself at the moment to want anything more—and why shouldn't he be? He had Ichigo, his named opponent, subservient and broken before him—and an improved rank. Were there positions reversed, Ichigo would feel quite confident in himself.
Grimmjow shifted beside him, bored. As though their conversation had come to an uncomfortable silence, but what were they going to talk about anyway? Ichigo had nothing to say to the other man, and the distance between them now was strange and awkward. Like he was being petty by ignoring Grimmjow.
"Fuck, you're boring," Grimmjow muttered. "Do something. Let's fight."
"I'm not here for your amusement."
"Actually, yeah, you are," Grimmjow said, his glare hot on Ichigo's skin. "Why else would I've kept you, eh?"
"That's your problem, shithead. Not mine. Believe it or not, I have other things to worry about than beating you."
That made Grimmjow laugh, a predictable loud cackle, "Now that's a goddamn lie if I ever heard one, and you know it."
"You're wrong," Ichigo responded and could feel his shoulders hunch defensively. He did enjoy fighting Grimmjow—when they were evenly matched; it'd taken him to their decisive battle for him to realize it. Ichigo did want to fight him; in part, it was why he came to Hueco Mundo.
Ichigo had won then, and maybe the fact that Grimmjow wouldn't admit it still bothered him. The arrancar acted like Ichigo was weak, when it'd been Ichigo who had bested him earlier. Ichigo knew his pride was getting in the way, and hated it.
Grimmjow brought him back from his thoughts, "Che, who're you trying to convince, eh? I know you loved it. I saw it in your eyes."
"Then why do you keep me so humiliated, Grimmjow?" Ichigo turned to scowl at the arrancar. "If you love a good fight why make it impossible for me? I'll take you on anytime, but not if I know I'm going to lose."
"Pussy," Grimmjow sneered. "I'd fight even if it meant I'd lose. Maybe you gotta learn that to win, eh?"
Maybe Grimmjow didn't know what he was saying, entirely. Ichigo didn't doubt the arrancar required only blood and battle to survive. But it made Ichigo think—if he couldn't win in sheer strength, he had to try other means. He wasn't the cunning strategist that Rukia or Ishida were; Ichigo realized now that he depended on them to make those decisions. Ichigo knew he could learn to be if he needed to—and he did now. His enemies weren't abstract, like the mindless hollows Rukia had trained him against, and he had no allies to hope for.
He would have to adapt in order to defeat Aizen and escape. Grimmjow was simply the largest obstacle between himself and that goal. Or his biggest advantage: Ichigo wondered if the arrancar realized it; Grimmjow saw him only as an opponent, captured and subdued but one that promised an eternal struggle. Ichigo could give it to him, over and over again. Eventually he would win; Ichigo was confident in it. He would continue to grow while Grimmjow stagnated in the surety in his victory but Ichigo would never stop trying.
Through the unending fight between them he could escape, if he gave Grimmjow enough motivation to help him—if only to get his sword, Ichigo imagined; he could lure the arrancar with the promise of a decent fight until Grimmjow gave in and returned Zangetsu to him, and then Ichigo would use it against them all.
"Goddammit, do something," Grimmjow said it as if he was brooding aloud. "I'm gonna go take a nap. You better be more interesting when I wake up, fuckhead."
Ichigo bit his tongue on a retort; Grimmjow would take it as an invitation for the fight he'd been asking for. Ichigo watched the other man go, as Grimmjow turned with an annoyed throw of his shoulders and stalked out of the room.
Ichigo felt strangely alone, again; he hadn't exactly enjoyed Grimmjow's company—anticipating that it would spark off a fight—but it was nice to simply talk to another person. Ichigo wasn't sure if he was comfortable with Grimmjow being an annoying antagonist instead of a simple bully that started and won fights unfairly.
He certainly didn't like the other man. Ichigo didn't like the doubt the conversation put in his mind over how to consider Grimmjow—he was neither enemy nor friend, entirely.
Unlike Nel, whose loyalty to Aizen was unquestionable, Grimmjow was Ichigo's opponent first, Aizen be damned. If the former shinigami captain were out of the equation, Ichigo would have his fight and his victory. He and Grimmjow would still be evenly matched.
Ichigo would take responsibility for handing himself over to the Espada; he'd known what was in store when he surrendered: he was simply a toy to fend off boredom. Ichigo had little intention of letting things remain that way. He liked to think he had a purpose while in Hueco Mundo, if only if it meant simply showing Grimmjow how wrong he was. And if he could undermine Aizen at the same time, more was the better; Ichigo would show them both how wrong they were in underestimating him.
