One Moment
Chapter 3: Power Games

Characters/Pairings: Starrk, Shunsui, Grimmjow, and Harribel. Cameos by Lilynette, Nel, Ichigo, and Yamamoto. Implied Aizen/Starrk and Grimmjow/Nel. Shunsui/Starrk pre-slash.
Rating: PG-13. Rating up because Grimmjow.
Words: ~5250
Chapter Summary: Starrk, Lilynette, Shunsui, and Harribel search for Nel. Somehow, they find Grimmjow on the way. And Grimmjow ruins everything, like he always does.
Warning: Potentially disturbing implications for Starrk and Aizen's relationship.

"In view of the continued absence of Central 46, the decisions regarding Shinigami-Hollow hybrids have been made through voting by the Captains and Vice-Captains of Seireitei, the ones who are most directly affected by the conflict."

Starrk leaned forward, arms folded over the wooden railing surrounding the so-called 'accused bench'. Lilynette sat beside him, Harribel beside her, flanked – as always – by her fraccion. His other half looked at him, and though he knew he looked like he was dozing off, she didn't kick him. They might not be able to feel each other's emotions in their minds anymore, but they knew each other's body language better than anyone else. Than even their own.

And Starrk knew he was tense. He didn't trust the Shinigami, especially when it came to their lives. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if they decided that all of them were to be executed.

"In view of the final outcome of the battle between the Visored Kurosaki Ichigo," the old man with the long beard and fire in his sword nodded to the young orange-haired boy, "and the traitor Aizen Sousuke…"

Aizen had been nearly obsessed with Kurosaki, for reasons Starrk had never tried to fully figure out. He pried his eyes open further, looking across the room at the boy. Unlike the Arrancar, the boy was seated amongst his friends, practically surrounded by Captains and Vice-Captains. Starrk envied him.

Lilynette shoved an elbow to his ribs. She shook her head – it wasn't time to linger on sad thoughts now – and he turned his attention back to the Captain-Commander. The man was deciding whether or not he was going to die; he really should listen.

"… As well as the efforts made by Coyote Starr to–"

"OI!"

"The efforts made by Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerbuck," the old man stressed her name, giving her a slit-eye look at the interruption which she promptly ignored, "to defeat the aforementioned traitor…"

Harribel was tense beside him. Starrk's hand twitched.

"As well as Tier Harribel and her fraccion's confessions and cooperation during this period of discussion…"

The old man spoke so slowly. Starrk placed an arm around Lilynette's shoulders, trying to calm her fidgeting.

"The Captains and Vice-Captains have decided, on a vote of ten to six, with four abstaining, to allow them to go free."

Starrk tightened his grip. There must be some kind of conditions for that.

"Furthermore, we have decided that all of the law banning Shinigami-Hollow hybrids will be overturned," the old man held up a hand. "All of the aforementioned accused, as well as the Visored who had aided us during the war with the traitor Aizen Sousuke, will be given freedom to live in the Living World or Hueco Mundo if they so wished."

There was no cheering. But Starrk practically felt Harribel's tension snap loose beside him; felt the wind in the air from the small storm of relieved sighs. He slumped slightly, one hand fiddling with the heavy reiatsu-inhibiting bracelets around his wrists.

(Apparently Kyouraku had convinced them to use bracelets instead of a collar in view of Starrk's mask fragment. Starrk had no idea why the man actually made the effort, but it was appreciated: it would be stupid for him to die because of the weight of a collar had broken the ring of teeth.)

Well, that probably meant that he and Lilynette would be wandering the wasteland on their own again. He supposed that was fine. Maybe Harribel and her fraccion would allow the two of them to visit them, wherever they decide to settle down. Starrk knew how to control his spiritual pressure now…

"With the exception of Kurosaki Ichigo, had has already stated his wish to return to the Living World, any hybrid who wish to stay in Soul Society on a permanent basis are welcome to do so if they have sponsors amongst the Captains or Vice-Captains."

Starrk's eyes widened. He exchanged a glance with Lilynette. In that moment, their single thought was:

What?

"I volunteer as sponsor for Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerbuck," a clear voice rang out. Starrk watched, nearly gaping, as Ukitake stepped forward.

"I, too, volunteer as sponsor for Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerbuck," Kyouraku stepped forward, smirk clearly visible beneath his usual straw hat.

"Eh?" Lilynette blurted. "Why?"

The old man ignored her, turning his narrow gaze to the two Captains in front of him. "Perhaps I should clarify," he said, tone as frosty as the kid-Captain's bankai. "One sponsor for each hybrid."

"But Yama-jii," Kyouraku drawled. "They are technically one being, so there are two sponsors for one."

Ukitake winked at them. Starrk tried not to twitch. Or even think about the two separate swords that were now in the custody of the man who was now lying, bald-faced, to his superior.

"Between my illness and Kyouraku's… eccentricities, I'm sure that we will need both of us for the two of them."

The old man's eyes, already slits, narrowed even further. His two Captains met his stare evenly, one with a bright and guileless smile, the other with a wide grin.

"Fine."

"Looks like you two managed to find some champions," Harribel murmured, sounding slightly amused. Starrk glanced over to her, raising his eyebrows.

Harribel wasn't nearly as silent as she seemed to be. She just had a tendency to speak really softly unless she wanted to be heard, or if she was on the battlefield. Starrk had caught her mumbling once or twice during meetings before, usually about something she found amusing or idiotic. Usually, it involved Grimmjow or Nnoitra.

Now he only looked at her before sighing, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

"I guess so," he said.

"If there are no other matters, you are all dismissed."

"There is one more," Harribel said, suddenly raising her voice. She stood from the bench – and Starrk noted the small woman Captain and the kid-Captain's hands immediately going to their swords – before leaning against the railing that separated them from the rest as well.

"Firstly, do the laws apply to all of the Arrancar?"

The old man turned towards her, fixing his age-old eyes on her. "Who is it that you ask about?"

"The former Tercera Espada, Neliel Tu Oderschwanck," Harribel replied promptly. "She—"

"Nel?!" the Kurosaki kid interrupted. "You knew Nel?!"

Harribel looked at him for a long moment before she nodded. "Yes. She was Tercera during my time as Segunda."

… Before Starrk's arrival to Las Noches, then. He slumped back on his seat, eyes half-lidding. The following discussion had nothing to do with him, but he noted that Kurosaki had some kind of invested interest in this Arrancar whom he had never met, and so did Inoue Orihime. He couldn't imagine why, really, and though part of him was curious, it seemed that this particular story would take too much effort to figure out.

He wasn't going to bother…

"Lilynette Gingerbuck."

Next to him, Lilynette practically fell off her seat in shock at being directly addressed. She stared at the old man blankly before Starrk knocked the side of her head.

"… Yes?"

"I was told by Kyouraku that your reiatsu-sensing ability is rather exceptional."

Lilynette blinked. "Uh… I guess so?"

"You, and Coyote Starrk, are now tasked to go to Hueco Mundo and retrieve Neliel Tu Oderschwanck, as well as any Arrancar who might remain. If Kurosaki Ichigo's words are correct, 'Nel' would be in the form of a young child due to an injury. Bring her here for medical treatment."

… What the hell had he missed by tuning out? Starrk looked between the old man and Lilynette for a long moment.

"Is there a problem with the order?"

There was a rebellious crease between Lilynette's brows. Starrk immediately shoved her head down, half-bowing as well.

"No sir. We will do so."

Even though he seemed to have missed a great chunk of information, Starrk wasn't stupid; he knew what the old man was planning.

"Kyouraku will accompany the two of you. You will leave tomorrow, accompanied with Tier Harribel and her fraccion."

"Yes, sir."

This wasn't just a search-and-retrieve mission; this was a test disguised as one. Starrk should've known that trust wouldn't be easily earned between the Shinigami and the Hollow, and now they wanted to know if he would obey. If his loyalties to the people who were willing to take them in were greater than to ones he had to his race; if their use for him could outweigh the potential threat.

That was fine. He was used to tests of obedience. Aizen had been terribly good with them, after all.

"Dismissed."

As he walked out of the courtroom, Starrk rubbed his tongue over the fang. The skin split, and the taste of iron covered his tongue.

It was preferable to the bitter disappointment.

For once, he wished that someone could see him and Lilynette as more than their potential usefulness as tools.

Harribel sent her fraccion off to find a new den the very moment that they stepped into Hueco Mundo. All three of them looked like they would protest, but she shook her head, and they left the remaining four of them alone.

With the range and accuracy of Lilynette's pesquisa, it didn't take very long before they found traces of Nel's reiatsu. It was pretty weak, and accompanied by another, slightly stronger, reiatsu. Kyouraku had theorised that it was Nel's 'brothers' that Kurosaki had talked about, but Starrk wasn't sure.

He might not be able to read Lilynette's mind anymore, but her slight frown when she reported the second reiatsu, as well as the little glances she kept sneaking at Kyouraku, were telling enough.

Sure enough, it wasn't.

Starrk stepped forward, neatly shoving Lilynette – who was taking point – out of the way. He wasn't allowed a sword, but the claws coming towards him were completely mindless, and he grabbed hold of the bone-covered wrists and pinned the other Arrancar down on the sand almost immediately. The heavy stone of his bracelets – one now engraved with a bird of paradise flower, the other with a snowdrop – smacked loudly against the bone.

"Grimmjow," he said. "It's me."

The snarling face grew even closer to him. Starrk sighed, and he slammed Grimmjow down into the sands, straddling the other man. Shifting his grip until he's holding both wrists in one hand, he pressed it hard against the ground before he gripped onto long blue hair and pulled it back until the throat was exposed.

"Grimmjow."

All he got in response was a growl and teeth being snapped at his face. Starrk reared back slightly, but didn't let go.

Harribel walked over to his side. Without a word, she dropped down next to him, pressing her hand over Grimmjow's throat. Unlike Starrk, her restraints had been removed the moment she had left Soul Society.

Even through the dampening bracelets, Starrk could feel the heavy pulse of reiatsu that she used to cut off Grimmjow's air.

"Give up already," Starrk said impatiently. "You're making me tired."

He watched those blue eyes carefully. Slowly, they focused again, staring at the two of them. Harribel removed her hand.

"Starrk? Harribel?" Grimmjow's voice was hoarse, as if unused to forming words. "What the hell are you two bastards doing here?"

Starrk's hand tightened on the long blue hair, jerking Grimmjow's head down until their eyes met.

"I'm not going to let you go until I know that you have your mind back," he stated.

Grimmjow stared at him. Then he pulled his lips back and snarled at Starrk, fangs gleaming underneath the cold twilight moon above. Out of the corner of his eyes, Starrk saw Kyouraku put his hands on his swords. He shook his head.

"I think I've figured out what you're doing here," Grimmjow said, mockery dripping from his words. "The Shinigami sent you to fetch me back and you obeyed, like some puppy playing fetch." He shook his head.

"You're a fucking waste of the power you've got."

"He has his mind back," Harribel commented dryly. "The same insults, as always."

Starrk sighed, leaning back and letting go. The moment he did, Grimmjow was covered in smoke as he reverted back to his sealed form, sword appearing by his side. He was covered in sweat and barely-healed wounds that were starting to bleed again. Starrk winced at the sight.

"We're not here for you," Harribel said quietly. "We're here for Neliel."

Grimmjow sat up immediately, lips drawing back into a snarl. He didn't get halfway there before Harribel's hand pressed over his face and shoved him back to the ground.

"Learn to listen before you act," she said, her voice turning into a low growl. "You can't beat either of us right now."

"Harribel," Starrk said tiredly. "Don't make him go feral again."

Harribel's eyes flickered towards him for a moment before she nodded, loosening her grip on Grimmjow's face, giving him room to breathe. When he didn't immediately struggle, she let go completely. He sat up immediately, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

"Talk," he demanded, looking from Starrk to Harribel and back again. Starrk shrugged, unfolding his legs and sitting on the sand before he allowed Harribel to take over the explanations.

"We're here to find Neliel. I felt the full weight of her reiatsu sometime before we left for battle, and I know that she is alive. We're going to bring her to Soul Society, where the Shinigami would try to heal her injuries and restore her back to her original form."

"Why the hell would the Shinigami want to do that?" Grimmjow growled.

"Three reasons, really," Kyouraku suddenly chimed in. He walked over and dropped down to meet Grimmjow's eyes from underneath his straw hat. "One, we are learning that it is better to have potential allies than to get rid of potential enemies," he started ticking off his fingers. "Two, the enemy of the enemy is our friend, and we have realised that Aizen has made enemies of quite a few within his own army.

"And three, Kurosaki Ichigo-kun made quite an impassioned speech in defence of her. 'She has never been my enemy,' he said. It was rather inspiring."

Grimmjow seemed to have stopped listening at 'Kurosaki'. He was trying to leap forward again, human-like hands curved into claws. Starrk grabbed his wrists and pulled him back down.

God, he hated dealing with Grimmjow. It was so damned tiring.

"You'll be taking a gamble," he said quietly. "If you win, Neliel will be healed and restored; if you lose… well, I'll still be in Soul Society. I'll probably be able to get her out." He cocked his head. "And so will you, right?"

That wasn't a difficult conclusion to come to. Grimmjow's eyes narrowed at him.

"Yeah," he growled. "If she goes, then so do I. I'm not letting her out of my sight."

"What about her fraccion?" Harribel asked.

"They're dead," Grimmjow stated flatly. "I found her completely alone. They were probably killed when all the weak assholes started running out of Las Noches when it's clear that Aizen wasn't coming back."

He shoved at Starrk before he jumped to his feet. Grabbing Pantera from the ground, he slipped it into the barely-there belt holding his ragged pants up.

"I'll bring you to the den," he said. His eyes narrowed at Kyouraku. "You stay far back, Shinigami. I don't trust you."

"Sure thing," Kyouraku chirped cheerfully, falling back. Lilynette, silent all this while, stepped next to him. Starrk sighed as he followed her.

They were walking for a few minutes before Kyouraku finally stopped being able to contain his curiosity. Starrk was surprised by his restraint.

"Say, Starrk-san," Kyouraku started, eyes shining with unbearable curiosity. "Why didn't you ask why he was with her?"

Lilynette snorted. "That's a stupid question," she said, digging her nose. She flicked a booger to the side, continuing, "It's like asking where the light is coming from when the window is right there."

Kyouraku's expression did not change. Starrk sighed, placing a hand on Lilynette's helmet.

"He was feral," he said quietly. "When an Adjuchas goes feral, they give up their conscious mind and a lot of their reiatsu to become more powerful than they usually are. This only happens when a Hollow is weakened and sensed a threat to their survival, and many rarely do it because it might lead to regression."

Not just their own survival, but to their mate's or child's as well; but Starrk wasn't going to say that. He didn't trust Kyouraku to not tell Soul Society that higher-level Hollows had just as many potential 'weaknesses' as any Shinigami.

Let him think that Grimmjow was a special exception.

"His power levels were barely even a third of his usual," he continued, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Even with the restraints, I'm far more powerful than he is. He could feel that. Usually, in a feral state, he would run immediately, pride be damned. Instead, he attacked without holding anything back, tearing open his wounds open in the process. He's not fighting for his own survival."

Kyouraku made a thoughtful noise. His eyes – far too perceptive – were fixed upon Starrk… and widened suddenly as Lilynette kicked him.

"What don't you get? Grimmjow was obviously trying to protect Neliel, whoever she is." She elbowed Starrk in the ribs for what she clearly saw as his slow, meandering explanation. "Which means she is important. Which means we're bringing him back with her. Is that clear enough?"

She huffed.

"Yes, yes," Kyouraku said, sounding amused and completely unfazed by Lilynette's show of casual violence. Starrk wondered who it was exactly that had gotten him used to it.

Grimmjow brought them to a cave. Starrk blinked at it, reaching out to touch the stone of the mouth. Even with his senses dulled by the bracelets, he could tell that the stone muted reiatsu; anyone else with less skill than Lilynette wouldn't be able to find Grimmjow or Neliel within it, especially with how weak the pulses were.

It seemed that Grimmjow was far more serious about Neliel than anyone else thought he was. Finding a cave like that surely had taken him a lot of effort, especially with those injuries and how little time had passed since the last battle.

Had it really been only two weeks? It didn't feel like it.

"Stay here," Grimmjow said, levelling a glare at all four of them. Starrk returned the gaze with hooded eyes. "I'll ask her if she wants to come out."

The sight of the blue-haired Arrancar – seriously, blue? – hovering around as Retsu-senpai ran a series of kido scans over the little green-haired girl was almost hilarious enough to make Shunsui laugh. But he swallowed it back, leaving the man alone and walking back to the waiting room, hands tucked in his sleeves.

Harribel had left immediately once Grimmjow had brought Neliel – or Nel, as she preferred to be called now – out. She took one look at the little girl, then at Grimmjow, and an entire conversation happened in a single gaze. Shunsui still wasn't quite sure what had happened – Harribel had looked sceptical, Grimmjow defiant, but eventually, Harribel nodded and zipped off in sonido without even a single 'goodbye'.

How curious. For all the effort that Harribel seemed to have put in to call for a search for Neliel, she didn't seem to expend much effort to make sure that the girl was safe.

Shunsui had meant to ask Starrk about it – since the ex-Primera seemed to be the one most likely to explain – but the other man had immediately claimed a chair in the waiting room and went right to sleep. Lilynette had tried to kick him awake for a while before getting bored and going off to explore, leaving Shunsui alone with no answers.

Of course, Shunsui could have stopped her from leaving, or even dragged her back. But he decided that he really wouldn't like to alienate one of the newest members of Sereitei just yet. Besides, he had always been rather patient when it came to getting answers.

"Oy, Shinigami."

He lifted his head. Grimmjow was standing at the door of the waiting room, armed crossed and glaring at him.

"Arrancar-san," he greeted mildly. "I'm surprised you left your charge's side."

Grimmjow grunted. He walked over to Starrk's sleeping form, kicking him with a toe. Starrk didn't even stir – Shunsui admired his dedication to sleeping as an art form – and the other Arrancar immediately lost interest.

"The woman with the stupid-looking braid kicked me out," he said, sounding annoyed.

Shunsui stifled a laugh, unsurprised. If Retsu-senpai was able to tame the wildest members of the Eleventh Division – and had done so for over a thousand years – he supposed that one of the Espada was really no trouble for her.

"You should get your wounds healed as well," he said.

"Eh?" Grimmjow blinked before looking down at his own body. Then he shrugged. "Nah, I'm not going to bother. But look, I've got to ask you something."

"What is it?" Shunsui cocked his head to the side.

The man shifted. Shunsui watched, curious, as Grimmjow practically prowled over to him. He remembered the way Grimmjow looked in his unsealed form – like some kind of large cat – and could not help the small upward curl of his lips.

"Why the hell are you all helping us?" Grimmjow demanded. "Offering to heal Neliel… having Starrk here… letting Harribel go… hell, even letting the annoying little shit run around without supervision… what the fuck are you Shinigami planning, huh?"

No patience or tact at all, Shunsui mused. Of all the Arrancar currently and previously in Seireitei, Grimmjow had the least right to ask questions. Yet now the man had his face practically in Shunsui's own, his lips drawn back into a snarl. Shunsui's hand twitched by his side; he was so tempted to shove it right at Grimmjow's face and push it away, but he knew immediately that it would be a bad idea.

His instincts told him that what Starrk and Harribel had done was only permissible by Grimmjow because of a whole series of ranks and rules that Shunsui was completely unaware of. If he tried to do the same, he would probably get a hand on his throat.

"I'll answer that if you'd answer some of my questions, Arrancar-san," he said instead.

"Keh," he said. "Why should I?"

"An exchange of information," Shunsui offered. "It's only fair, isn't it?"

Grimmjow looked at him for a moment before he shrugged, dropping down and sitting cross-legged on a chair near Shunsui. His eyes flickered towards Starrk for a moment before he looked at the man.

"So talk," he demanded.

Shunsui didn't acquiesce immediately. He tipped his hat backwards, staring up at the white ceiling of the Fourth Division for a long moment, calculating his words.

"We're tired of war, Arrancar-san," he said finally. "We had one two hundred years ago, and one before. Before of them had hurt our hearts badly to fight. War made both sides evil, and we are tired of being made evil by war."

"That didn't answer my question," Grimmjow growled. "How the hell would you become evil by killing Hollows, eh? I thought that was your job."

Shaking his head, Shunsui sighed. "The primary duty of the Shinigami is to help keep the three worlds in balance. We are to purify Hollows, to send them to a better place. Somehow, throughout the years, we had forgotten all about that and started seeing Hollows as monsters to be killed.

"Recently, we have been taught otherwise." His eyes flickered over to where Starrk was still napping. He wondered if the former Espada was really sleeping through the entire conversation, or if he was only pretending to.

Grimmjow barked a laugh. "So you think of us as more than just animals and monsters now, huh? So what changed your fucking mind?"

"Well," Shunsui said, voice deceptively light. "It's all due to Starrk-san here, of course. He fought against Aizen during the final battle even after I cut him down."

A series of expressions crossed over Grimmjow's face in that one moment. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, so wide that Shunsui was worried he would catch flies. His eyes darted towards Starrk for a moment before he barked a loud, incredulous laugh.

"Starrk fought that bastard?" Grimmjow asked, leaning forward. "You're lying your ass off, aren't you?"

Shunsui wondered if Grimmjow realised that he had just given his feelings towards Aizen away from the name he used for him; if he had calculated those words. Likely not; he pulled down his straw hat until its shadow covered his eyes.

"I assure you, Arrancar-san, I wouldn't lie about such a thing."

"Hah," Grimmjow said, chuckling under his breath. "Fucking unbelievable."

Curiosity tugged Shunsui forward. "Why?"

"Because he's the only bastard dumb enough to like Aizen," Grimmjow said, distaste clear in his face and voice.

Shunsui blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Look, all of us, we joined Aizen for our own reasons," Grimmjow shrugging. He crossed his arms behind his head, leaning back. "Most of us are fucking selfish and we all just want power. Power's important: if you don't have enough, you end up as someone's meal, you lose everything, or both. Just look at Barragan."

He waved a hand. "In Las Noches, I've got them all figured out. All of them, except Starrk."

Grimmjow glanced at the sleeping man before snorting under his breath. "I saw him coming in, him and Lilynette. Walking behind Aizen, docile as fucking puppies, with their damned masks already broken. Bunch of the weak-ass Numeros started screaming and dying the moment he walked in. He was ripping them apart without doing anything."

He shook his head. "Starrk didn't need power. He's got too fucking much of it already. So why the hell did he follow Aizen, huh? I never figured it out, especially with..." he trailed off.

Shunsui blinked. He cocked his head. "Especially…?"

The blue-haired Arrancar glanced again to the side before he shrugged. "It's fucking boring in Las Noches, even for a bastard like Aizen. So he likes to entertain himself with us. We're his tools." He snorted, lips curving up into a smirk. "And Starrk was his favourite toy."

"Grimmjow."

Starrk was awake. He was sitting up, slumped over with elbows on his knees as his eyes half-lidded. Grey-blue slashes fixed upon Grimmjow's face for a moment before Starrk sighed.

"Why did you start running your damned mouth off?" he said, words half-slurred.

Grimmjow started to grin, wide and full of teeth. "He said he'll give me information," he said, jerking his thumb towards Shunsui, nearly jabbing in the eye. "And see, he seems pretty interested in you."

There was an insinuation within the last word that Shunsui didn't understand.

Shunsui watched, fascinated, as Starrk's eyes narrowed, the light beneath them focusing until they were a dark, stormy grey. "Fuck off," he said, voice tight. "I'm not interested in your power games."

"No?" Grimmjow barked another laugh, the sound harsh. "Maybe you shouldn't have pinned me to the damned sand, eh? Maybe you shouldn't have intruded into my territory in the damned place, huh?"

Starrk hisses out a breath. But when he spoke, his voice is still calm, almost dull. "You would rather Neliel stay the way she is, never remembering you, just for the sake of your pride?"

Immediately, Grimmjow shot up from his seat. He slammed a hand against Starrk's throat, pinning him against the wall. Shunsui stood immediately, but Starrk didn't even move, merely looking at Grimmjow from underneath half-lidded eyes.

"It's okay, taichou-san," he murmured. "Don't get up."

"I'm going to fucking kill you," Grimmjow growled, his grip tightening. "I'll tear through that damned hierro of yours and snap your fucking neck. You don't even know anything about Neliel."

"I don't," Starrk said quietly. "But I recognise a stupid bastard when I see one."

"Hah!" Grimmjow sneered. "Better a bastard than a bastard's willing whore."

Shunsui couldn't even see the punch coming. Grimmjow's head snapped backwards, his hand loosening on Starrk's neck. Starrk immediately kneed him in the ribs- and that was as far as got, because Shunsui had one sword against his neck, and the other over Grimmjow's.

"I think that's more than enough," he said. Long experience kept his voice level and calm despite the way his head was buzzing from Grimmjow's revelations.

"Arrancar-san," he started. Grimmjow growled, and Shunsui changed tactics immediately. "Grimmjow-san, why don't you go check on Nel-chan? The tests should be completed by now."

Grimmjow stared at him, then down to the naked blade held against his throat. A calculating look came into his eyes as he looked between Shunsui and Starrk.

"Fine," he said, jerking his head away. Slowly, Shunsui lowered the blade.

He turned to look at Starrk, who was staring at the wall.

"Starrk-san?" he prompted.

"I won't attack him again," he said, sighing under his breath. His eyes flickered over to Shunsui, and Shunsui breathed in sharply through his teeth when he saw the utter emptiness there.

We owe him a debt, Lilynette had said. Perhaps that was Lilynette's reason, but what of Starrk's? What the hell had Aizen done to him?

Slowly, Shunsui dropped his swords back to his side. He kept them unsheathed, however, keeping his eyes on the two Arrancar in the room.

"Keh," Grimmjow said, rubbing at his neck slightly. His gaze, when meeting Shunsui's, was full of malevolence. Stepping forward, he leaned in close enough that his cold breath ghosted over Shunsui's skin.

"He has a thing for Shinigami, you know," he drawled, voice definitely loud enough to be overheard. "If you want him to spread his legs for you that badly, you just need to ask. No need for effort."

Shunsui blinked at him. Even before he could ask what the hell Grimmjow was on about, the blue-haired Arrancar had already left the room.

He turned around, looking at Starrk. The other man was still seated, his shoulders slumped, and Shunsui took a step closer.

The sound of his footfall on the wooden floorboards had Starrk's head snapping up immediately. He looked at Shunsui for a moment before he stood up, walking to the door.

"I'm going to find Lilynette, taichou-san," Starrk announced.

"Will you come back here?" he asked, blinking at the complete lack of emotion in Starrk's voice.

"I don't know the way to your division's barracks from here," he said quietly. "Will you wait? I won't take long."

"Of course," Shunsui reassured immediately. "Take as long as you like."

"Sorry."

Before Shunsui could ask him what he was apologising for, Starrk was already walking down the hall. He considered chasing the other man down for two seconds before giving up the idea and sheathing both blades. Starrk would need some time alone, and if there was anyone who could make him feel better, it would be Lilynette.

He slumped back on the chair, pulling his hat down over his eyes.

Briefly, he remembered comparing Starrk's – well, Starrk's and Lilynette's – original form to Hinamori. Immediately, he winced.

Sometimes he really, really hated that instinctive perceptiveness of his. But what he despised more was when he didn't realise that he was right.

Notes: Oh, look, I'm actually getting somewhere with this. It only took 15k words.

Basically, my entire idea of Aizen and Starrk's relationship comes out of this: if you take it for granted that Starrk doesn't remember much before splitting from Lilynette, and that everyone who got close to them afterwards died before he knew everything about them, then Aizen is the first non-Lilynette person he has ever met.

Then consider: 1) Aizen's manipulative psychopathy, 2) the fun Aizen would have with someone who is both incredibly powerful and very malleable, 3) the fact that Starrk is fucked up enough to think of the Espada as his companions and friends, and 4) the disjunction between Starrk's extreme loneliness and his constant laziness and lack of sociability.

The equation I came up with is disturbs me to the extreme. Which means that I have to write it.

Oh, also, I spell Nel's full name as 'Neliel' instead of 'Nelliel' because in Spanish, 'Nelliel' would be pronounced 'Ne-ji-el', like in 'Cero Metralleta'. It makes more sense for me this way.

Thank you so much to all of my reviewers! I hope that you like this chapter. Chapter 4 is in the works, and I think my updates will slow since I'm starting work again next week.