Chapter 14: No Control
"Aizen!" Grimmjow growled his name like there was venom to it, the snake in the grass finally showing his face. But he wasn't alone, Ichigo, with his eyes as sharp as Renji's, they could see that there were others with him, revelation was what showed in their eyes when they saw the other surviving Arrancars, not just Ulquiorra, but Harribel, Coyote Starrk, and a few others crowded around the demented Shinigami. Their faces just as calm as everyone standing along side each other. It didn't make any sense to Ichigo though, he remembered Aizen killing off most of his own created arrancar for the soul purpose to gain their reishi. Like a hollow getting stronger by eating another hollow.
Aizen was truly twisted, sick in the head which only angered Grimmjow more, seeing the bastards face and the few others he recognized and them finding their control on Ren. Indoctrinating her. He knew better though, Urahara was some how in on this than the man cared to say, and for that, the Sexta had noted to himself to kick the old man's ass later, "Change her back now! Before I kill you all one by one to get what I want." He demanded his teeth clenching when, Ren's attacks suddenly aimed right for the blue haired Espada. Of course Grimmjow may have been wounded but he was no weakling, he blocked her attacks to the best of his ability for the mean time.
All while this was happening, Aizen was watching the two from side lines, chuckling with leisure, "Now why would I do that? I've waited so long to get my hands on the biggest master piece since the gigai was invented. Even the Royal Guards couldn't hide this from me. My daughter was the one to reign over Soul Society, to become its destruction for a new world."
"You're insane. You've must've lost you head ages ago Sousuke." Ichigo pulled out his Zanpakuto, Renji including when the saw the other pulling out their own Zanpakuto for battle.
But it never came, something didn't seem right when the other Arrancars didn't attack, Ichigo's been there to kiss your ass before and we can do it again beat you again, now let Ren go or we'll take her back by force!" Renji was gritting his teeth with his face so sour it look like he was about to spit.
Grimmjow turned to them, hand being thrown to the side, "Stay out of this, red!" He yelled over the two's words hoping to get around Ren in an attempt to get to Aizen, but as much as it should've been a piece of cake for the Espada to get around, she was difficult in the extreme state Ren was in, "Touching, but I got an agenda to stick by. Time waits for no man they say." In the blink of an eye, Ren went from full on fist fight, to strike to kill within seconds pulling out the stars from her hips and threw one after another in his direction. Grimmjow jumped and flipped over a couple falling back a few feet to keep his distance.
That was his biggest mistake, "You fool. Still as ignorant as ever, and impulsive. Short tempered hot head. It's things like you that make Ren even greater." Aizen murmured the words under his breath, just above a whisper that nearly made the others felt like his voice slithered into their soul. His words were always too calm and too soft for his own good.
And Grimmjow was so caught up in the stars he never realized Ren had leaped towards him at the same time she threw the weapons. Now, it was either block Ren or the stars, and unfortunately he had to pick the greater of the two evils.
His hands balled till his until went white, his eyes focused only on the lavender haired woman before him, the woman who was attempting to blow a Cero in Grimmjow's direction, "God damn it Ren! Snap out of it, this isn't you! You're not a killer! Don't let the others fool you, you're not just machine, just some-, toy! You're more than that and I don't get why you don't see your own potentials! You show it all the freaking time! I know you can hear me, and I know you're fighting it, but let me hear your voice. Let me know that you're still with me! Fight it, Ren! Talk to me!" Deep within the girl's body, her subconscious was truly doing as he said.
She was fighting the urges she was feeling, the sensation of anger coursing through her veins. She hated the feeling, her soul was fighting it off with all her might. In her eyes, it gleamed back and forth before dark and light trying to pull her self out of the trans, but since the last ball of dark reishi was coursing through her like salts, it was making it harder and harder for the girl to come back to reality.
Although the attempts were gradually working in Grimmjow's favor, getting him to notice the change and struggle she was having on her body. It was starting to shake, almost like she was trying to pull herself together, "G-G-Grimm…Grimmjow…" Her voice whispered meekly under chattering teeth, "Ren!" Grimmjow called out to her, about make his move to make a grab for her, but Aizen's eyes darkened as put out his hand with a small white light releasing from his Zanpakuto, "Nightly." In a bolt of lightening, the electricity entered the woman's form, causing her body to fall even further into a frenzy.
To her friends though, it seemed more like pain when she screamed out, "REN!"
"Kill him. I'm tired of you slacking off Ren. Do as I say. Kill Grimmjow Jeagerjaques." In a blink of an eye her eyes widened and her pupils shrunk so small they were almost unnoticeable. Her entire left arm morphed into a large familiar look-a-like of a Zanpakuto. The size was large in length and wide, sharp and glossed as if it was made of the glassiest element, yet the strongest metal known to any species. It was a marvel of craftsmen ship, the sash wrapped around the had was the color of blood and attacked to the tip of the handle were two tiny bells.
A loud gasp released from Grimmjow when he attempted to block it with his arms, but little did he realize she was going to take him out with a sneak attack, flash stepping herself from behind him slicing straight into his back and through the other side. The beads of blood splashed into the air, his body coughed up the rest as his eyes widened at the wound she had inflicted on him. His hands trying to reach up to grab for the blade, but it was little use to the extraordinary sharp and dull pain consuming him. He clenched his teeth, holding in the yelp he wanted to bark out. Then, he began to feel numbness in his face and his legs. He was getting weak fast.
Ren seemed to have pause in mid-air, staring into the eyes of her companion as she felt tears begin to grow, falling down her face. One by one they fell as if her conscious was crying out for him. It seemed the crystal had lost its spark to control the girl. Her visor that once hid her eyes, released into the air, revealing her light eyes, their color returning to their originality, "Grimmjow…" Her voice gasped seeing the actions she had made with that monstrous arm of hers, his blood spilling onto her skin, beautiful and gory all at the same time, "Damn…I lost that one didn't I? " She could still feel herself in his chest, her eyes opening wide in horror, "Grimmjow!" Her voice filled with despair, fear, and all kinds of waves of emotion. She quickly watched her arm go back to its original state and pulled it out from her mate's chest hearing him roar in pain before he fell back into Ren's embrace, "No! No, no, no, no, no, no! No, Grimmjow! Grimmjow! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Oh god, what I've done!" She sobbed into him her clean hand finding the side of his face and hair while she held him close in her arms, dropping them both from the sky and onto the ground. Ren fell to her knees close to where Ichigo and Renji were.
She sobbed trying to breath as her body shook with adrenaline, her voice filled with fear as she called his name over and over again, rocking him back and forth like she would coddle a child. More blood leaked from his lips, but even through the excruciating pain he managed to raise a hand to her red stained hand to get her attention.
She breath hitched, her face pulling away from the close contact to see the panther's eyes rise to her teary ones, and with that oh so confident smirk taking his lips, "Please stop shouting, babe. It doesn't seem to be helping the pain." She could only quiver sigh in relief to see him alive, but again his eyes fell closed and his entire body fell limp either dead or unconscious, which scared Ren to think the worse as she shook him a little. Unfortunately he didn't wake up after that, and Ren began to cry loudly as put her head to his cheek, "Grimmjow!" Then she leaned her forehead to his, rubbing her face against his like a mother lion would to their cubs. She held him close again, so close it would've caused him to choke if he was conscious.
He was her only mate, the only mate she ever cared so deeply for. He was the only that ever saw her, who saw nothing but the Ren Shiju she knew she was. He believed in her. Accepted her. It hurt like someone twisted a knife through her heart and began to open her chest more, digging deeper and deeper into her muscle. It hurt. And this pain was indescribable, "You bastard…" She growled, saying it more to Aizen than anyone else.
Aizen watched intrigued, studying the girl as she slowly laid the wounded arrancar down, letting her body slowly move up from the ground as she turned to the one responsible for all of this. She didn't want anyone else, the ringleader was all she needed to satisfy her revenge.
In an instant, Ren lifted her eyes to Sousuke Aizen and hurdled up towards the man, pulling out one of her daggers from her boots, grinding her teeth as she felt a new urge to kill, one that this man would regret unleashing inside the girl, She believe her wrath to be his down fall, "I'll kill you for what you did to me!…I'll make sure you don't leave here alive!" A large force pummeled the ground beneath her from the rietsu she created, yet Aizen still remained calm smiling ever so slyly. She hated that smile. She would rip it from his face with her bare hands, " Then show me child." He answered his own death wish, giving the girl all the more will to take off in his direction.
She came up from behind him, only to watch him looking back at her before he disappeared, "You son of a-," She jumped behind herself only to find him still getting the jump on her, a mere hand to her face.
She could've sworn she heard the snap of someone's fingers and in seconds, Ren was down for the count, her eyes growing dark before she fell right into Aizen's grasp, a mere lift of his arm holding the girl by her waist, "No! Ren! Damit Aizen you're going to pay for this!" Ichigo was the next to approach, ready for another battle to proceed, but the visible opening to Hueco Muendo.
Aizen had lead the other espadas into the other world and closed the opening without a hitch, "They said the same thing boy, and look where your friend ended up. Tell Urahara if he wants his little girl back he'll have to kill her first, once I have what I need, she'll no longer be the Ren you all love so dearly. Or is it hate? I'm not sure which one considering the way you insects have been treating her." He mocked obviously knowing of the previous confrontations a few had with the girl, but it only left the others annoyed thinking he could use that kind of excuse for his reasoning.
But this man was just sick, "You don't know a damn thing! Now stop talking, get your ass back here and fight!" Renji was nearly yelling it, feeling the tinge of the guilt that Aizen was trying to bestow upon them.
Ichigo was made too, but it seemed that the red head was much of angry about it than anyone, taking it quite personally; yet he left it alone for now. It wasn't the time, "I'm tired of waiting. The King of Soul Society will finally perish. All the while I will have a clean slate, all thanks to Ren, and Urahara, who without their help this could not be possible. After all, we did create such a beautiful gem."
"Stop making it sound like she's a thing!" Renji was getting angry, and getting an urge to rip the bastard with his Zabimaru, "She's not just a machine, you asshole! She's a human being! Mixed species are not she's one of us!"
"Such admirable words Ichigo Kurosaki, but is mine. And that's that. I suggest you all stay out of our way other wise I won't be so forgiving next time." With those words, the sky closed with the sound of a zip, the man's his echoing through the air as they all stood in awe, "Damn it, we got to get back to Urahara!" Ichigo was pissed, feeling helpless unable to get their friend at the moment, but there was nothing else they could do, and with one man down, there's was no way they were going after Aizen with pride in shreds.
There was no time to be wasted, they hurried to get Grimmjow, having Ichigo basically carry him by arm and hip with Orihime at Renji's side as he carried her along, "I hope he's still breathing." Renji growled from a far trying to slow down for Ichigo's sake, "He'll be fine. He's a tough bastard, a wound like this may have rendered him unconscious, but he certainly isn't going to die. Orihime, when we get back to Urahara's I need you to seal the wound the best you can, it looks pretty bad from her, "Got it!"
By the time they hit the ground they were all sprinting into the house, Urahara was literally startled by their burst of entrance his eyes looking from his tea to the door.
The crew piled in unannounced, "How rude, and not even a hello Ichigo-Chan?" He joked only to see that Grimmjow had been badly injured and Ren still MIA, "Oh boy, Orihime tend to his wounds."
"Yes sir."
"Ichigo, Where's Ren?" Everyone's faces fell, frowns upon both of the boys faces. Ichigo told him about Ren and how she was captured after nearly killing Grimmjow. He even mentioned about her morphing her had into a Zanpakuto. Her Zanpakuto, "Interesting, then again I'm not surprised."
"You never are.." Ichigo retorted, "I'm assuming that wasn't just her Zanpakuto though, huh? It's her Bankai isn't it?"
Urahara nodded, suddenly turning his attention to the girl healing the Sexta, "So, how's Grimmjow, Orihime?"
"He should be okay, the wound is deep, and it went all they way through, but it's nothing I haven't handled before. He should be back up to speed in a couple hours. In laymen's terms, he'll live."
"Good. I'd hate to see Ren come back to a still unconscious boyfriend. She's probably still think he's dead." Ichigo could only smile at the man I the striped green get up, his lips widening in relief than anything. Relief for the sake of the woman who was currently not present.
Ichigo always thought Grimmjow was bad, but after Hueco Muendo, and after years of being gone, and then him meeting Ren. Within time he wasn't becoming all that bad; at least when he didn't feel like wanting to kill everyone, "Ain't that the truth. So, what do we do until then? We're still planning on getting her right?"
"Of course. We wouldn't let Soul Society burn to the ground, that's just…"
"A very big massacre?" Renji added looking to Kisuke from Grimmjow's unconscious body.
"Yes. I will contact Yoruichi, to give us some time in preparation for Aizen's arrival. I will also have Hitsugaya Captain Yamamoto from 1st Division, and Ichigo? You'll be the first to head out once you all have made yourselves well prepared. We don't have much time. Neither does Ren, you all better be at 100%. Got it?"
"Right, but what are you going to do? She's a part of your life Kisuke, she's your daughter."
"Me? Well, I only have one invention that was specially made for something like this." Renji and Ichigo both cocked an eyebrow to the strange man, then at each other as the blonde rummaged through an old looking chest stuffed in the small closet in the living area, "What are you looking for?"
"Back when I was a Captain myself, and I also had a hand in creating Ren-Chan. I didn't make mention of this before, because I wanted to explain it myself to you when the right time came." He turned having a smaller chest in his hands, he carried it like he would a delicate object, "Aizen had been creating the girl from scratch, even before I met him. He took the research I had made, a formula that made up Ren's DNA. In a way that made responsible for making her. I guess that's why when I found her, and treated her of wounds, and giving her the vaccines, I was drawn to her. She was the prodigy of my life's work. I didn't realize it until after Aizen's first attempt to make her unstable. He was trying to kill her, get her executed before I found out what was really going on. He had already turned Shinji and the others into Vizards, and there was no way in hell I was going to have them take Ren away from me. Now, I think he's deciding that if he couldn't kill her he'd use her to gain control of Soul Society." He placed the small black box on the table, it's art work made from older paintings of a Pegasus. It was in plain view for everyone to see that the Pegasus was also had a keyhole over it's chest.
Kisuke pulled out a tiny key from his sleeve, and unlocked it, "Uh, what is it?" Renji asked first.
"It's a special gigai I made for her. I didn't think she would loosing control so quickly but after knowing about Aizen's desperation for power, I see the man hasn't changed. Whatever he's going to Hueco Mundo for you need to investigate it. The place is in ruins now, but he obviously had unfinished business there." Everyone was quiet. It was the only chance they had at saving Ren, what else could they do, and they sure as hell weren't going to stand by and let Aizen reek havoc again, " We would never want to Ren in that sort of danger. She's family, a friend, she's been around long enough for me to see that she's a good person. I don't care what anyone says about her, I'm getting my friend back. Even if you jerks decide to say behind." Ichigo stated a fact that even everyone in the room could agree to, but Renji wish he could've been the one to say so. He lowered his head a little ashamed that he could've saved her. Instead of standing there like the idiot he felt like, maybe if he would've stepped in, none of this would've happened. He never was good at preventing circumstances such as that. He was always the one to blow, or so it felt like. Maybe…It's not too late though. We can fix this. He thought to himself long and hard about what had to be done, and after he had found his center, Renji stood up, already tired of just sitting around, "We need to get to work…I just stand around while Ren's waiting for us. And I'm not letting her down again"
"Yeah. To tell you the truth, I wish-,"
"REN!" Out dead sleep Grimmjow abruptly sprung up from the floor and head butt himself right into Orihime's forehead, throwing her back into the floor in a loud groan of pain, "O…My head…" She meekly whined a little to, wincing with small drops seeping from the corners of her eyes.
"Owe! God damn, son of a- stupid girl!," Grimmjow growled back laying back down as he rubbed the part of his face that hurt the most. His jaw. "Hey Grimmy Grim! you're awake!"
"Shut….The…F.." The Arrancar stopped in mid sentence realizing that he was back at the house, Ren gone, and his wound soon to be the reminder of what happened to him, And the outcome of where Ren was, "Where's Ren? Where is she, damn it!"
"Now Grimmjow calm down, you'll only stress yourself. We're going to get her back. Aizen's got her held up in-," Grimmjow was so stubborn he lifted himself up off the floor and began walking to door ignoring what Ichigo was saying. He even tried to ignore his half healed wounds, "Hey! I wasn't finish! Get back here! Your wound hasn't even been bandaged! YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!" Ichigo constantly was yelling at him half way down the hall, and everyone followed behind not saying a word, smirks and smiles only confirming that nothing was going to stop the Espada.
Somehow they were okay with that, and they headed out to Hueco Mundo immediately as of now! Grimmjow was pissed that Aizen had taken something that not only belonged to him, but to his heart. He shared a deep intimacy with her through body, mind, and soul.
As if they had met somewhere in another life, and in a way he hoped he had. In a way he hated it, because it was changing him, but at the same time he loved. Every single minute of it because she never tried in any way to change him. She was his to hold, his to keep. He suddenly wondered if he went on a killing spree if she'd come to him, or if she returned to normal, forgive him for his actions, for going out of his mind when she was so apart from him.
To himself, he only laughed and began racing off to catch up to Aizen, and to find Ren even if he had to chase her through hell itself. Ren…
Slowly but surely Ren's body moved slightly from the chains that wrapped around her wrist and waist, her arms and legs. It was as if she could slightly sense something within her trans state, "Grimmjow…" The name she murmured was just above a whisper but loud enough for Aizen who was sitting on the rubble that use to be his throne, to hear her voice faintly from behind him, "Hmm? Did you say something Ren, dear?" It was silent, leaving the brunette to ponder if she actually did say something, if so the Shinigami knew he had to act fast before the others were to arrive, or before Ren decided to find a way to break herself of this spell of his, "The time is almost upon us. Ulquiorra, if you'd be so kind as to lead Ren to the center of the pentagram. She needs to be fully equipped for battle."
"Yes, Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra gripped Ren's wrist relying on the woman to move along with him. She did, somewhat reluctant considering her body was starting to slightly shake, her pupils fluctuating back and forth between conscious and unconscious once again, Damn it! Wake up! She told herself Wake up, stupid dumb ass! Why! Won't! You! Wake! Up! Kisuke! Ichigo! Renji!…Grimmjow!…Grimmjow…Please, somebody Ren's subconscious tugged at her own soul trying to fight against the hollow she could tell that was antagonizing her with it's constant echoing laugh, but it seemed her body just kept on moving towards the mark up on a small glass stair case leading to a small enough center for Ren to sit in. "What a beautiful creature she is, isn't she?" Aizen was close behind and waiting for his loyal Espada to place the girl in the center of the pentagram. This wasn't any ordinary pentagram either, it was more deluxe more complicating them any other circle made by a Shinigami, or of any hands by that matter.
Aizen couldn't help but admire the beauty of the perfect being and ran a few fingers from her lips down her neck and across her collar bone, admiring her abnormal lavishly colored lavender hair, "Exquisite. I can see why Jeagerjaques so infatuated with you my love…Your beauty could only go as far as to show how valuable you really are. What a gorgeous sight you are to behold. You will be queen of the new Era. Your wrath being the stability of a new foundation. It will be beautiful." With that he pulled away, within the process sliding his fingers across the bridge of the girl's brows just above her mask that covered her eyes. The touch made the girl some what gasp from the sensitive feeling of something being that close to her eyes especially her masked area when it was revealed, "Now, my dear, it is time." He put his fist into her chest, making her mouth open as she arched back in mute.
Blood began to squirt from the pours of Ren's body, exploding from her and resembling droplets of fire and ice. It might as well have been from the way it was scorching her from the inside out. It hurt to no end. All Ren could hope was for the pain to stop soon, that this nightmare would end either by slumber or by death. Her eyes shed tears of blood he and her mouth filling with the taste of copper. She felt like she was being ripped apart from the waist down her legs. That was Aizen intent the whole time. Kisuke had his facts about his way of destruction for Soul Society, but he never would expect Aizen to upgrade his advances like this.
Next- Chapter 15: Right Behind You
R&R 3 Hope you all enjoyed!