Aizen watched with a blank face as Ulquiorra, his most trusted espada, made his way to the substitute shinigami.

"Aizen-sama, is it really wise to allow Ulquiorra to kill the boy?"

"Gin, this is just a, how would you say, game. And the difference between them it the fact that one is expendable.", Aizen looked to his left, to the Hogyoku.

He lifted it above his head, "nothing but a game."

Gin turned to leave, he stopped at the door to say, "Scary.", and then he left.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

With the medical arrancar in the basement was an eerie silence.

Cough….. "Uh…ahh" faints

"Well, it looks like the operation was a success. Can you tell me who you are?", he slaps the recovering arrancar.

"Damn. She still can't talk.", the medical arrancar turned back to his other work.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Ha ha, this is all you are? Pathetic!", Grimmjow tossed Ichigo to the side.

"I expected," he looks over Ichigo's bloody body, "well….more."

As Grimmjow charged another cero his mind was occupied on a familiar reiatsu to his right. Before Grimmjow could fire he was on his back, arm still were it was a minute ago.

"Gah…Ulquiorra! What the hell!", Grimmjow said through grinding teeth.

"The woman insists that this boy will save her. So he must remain alive till he reaches her."

Sitting up and holding his gory wound, "why?"

"I will kill him in front of her."

"Again Ulquiorra, why?", Grimmjow said taking his arm from Ulquiorra.

"She is….is strong. I need to break her.", Ulquiorra said, surprised at himself for hesitating.

"Strong?, Hahahahahaha. Ulquiorra you think a human is strong? Hahahahahahahaha"

Ulquiorra glared at Grimmjow, "he is not to die", he walked away.

Grimmjow cupping his hands around his mouth, "sure I'll let him live…..FOR NOW!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ulquiorra walked down the familiar hall. His mind set on her. She confuses me. How can she put so much faith in...Heart. It isn't possible. He say her room. There she is. I will tell her that her friends will come for her, however I will kill them in front of her…..she will cry. Ulquiorra felt a slight burning around his hollow hole. He absentmindedly brought his hand up to his hole. He ran his finger around it once, twice, thrice times. He stopped in front of her door. He stared at it for ten minutes before pushing it open, revealing Orihime. What was left of Orihime.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened. He took an involuntary step back. Her room was messed up. And she was in the far corner lying on her side. At the sound of his entrance she had pulled her knees to her chest. As he got closer it was apparent that she had her eyes closed and was shaking.

When his finger brushed her shoulder the shaking became so violent that they were almost convulsions.

"Wo-woman?", her eyes were open and wide in an instant.

Ulquiorra looked her over. Her arrancar outfit was in tatters, the entire bottom was gone. His eyes widened even further. However before he could ask her what had happened he was on his back with her crushing him in a hug.

His arms trembled by her sides for he didn't know what to do. He did what he had seen people do in the human world. He slowly ran his arm up and down her back. This only seemed to make her tremble more. Still unsure of what to do, he simply returned the embrace.

After 10 minutes he picked her up and started to take her to her bed. However the closer they got the worse she got. In an attempt to calm her he placed his hand on the back of her head, crushing it to his chest. He swept her legs up into his arms and started down the hall to a place he believed she might feel safe. Safe? Why am I doing this? Then his room came into view. He opened the doors and immediately took her to his bed. When he was pulling the covers over her he noticed that she had already fallen asleep.

Ulquiorra walked out of his room. Before his door closed he turned to get one last look at the woman. He started down the hall his eyes ablaze with hate. Only one word escaped his tensed lips.

"Nnoitra."