A Frozen Requiem Chapter 7: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, a bleach fanfic

A/N: Hey, readers! It's been…a while. o~o" Sorry about that.

Anyway, this chapter will introduce more of Miyuki's Hollow and will have slightly more interaction between Ulquiorra and Miyuki. I've received a review wondering if Miyuki is supposed to be in a love triangle with Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. Yes, this is going to be a love triangle eventually. Doesn't the girl usually have individual moments with one guy at one point and then the other guy at another point? o-O Am I doing it right? Please tell me.

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo-sama. This has been established.

Chapter Seven:

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

"Get up," Grimmjow growled, scowling down at her fallen form.

Miyuki glared at him as she pushed herself up. She wiped away the beads of sweat accumulating on her forehead and tightened her grip on her sword. "Once more," she said, astonished to find her voice steady.

Her master swung his zanpakuto at her side, though she was able to easily block it. Scowling, she grumbled, "You're not even trying!"

He made a face. "I haven't been tryin' this entire time," he pointed out, taking another swing at her. She sidestepped the attack and decided to slash at his head. He leaned away, watching the blade pass him with a bored expression.

"Ya keep hesitatin'…. Ya gotta come at me like ya mean it."

She glared at him. "Then you fight like you mean it," she countered, taking a step back.

He wrinkled his nose and stood up straight. "Ya know I can't do that. I really don't feel like gettin' punished for accidentally hurtin' ya just 'cause ya couldn't block or dodge in time."

Miyuki raised an eyebrow. "Aw…is my master scared?" she crooned, making his eye twitch.

"Hell no. Why the hell would I be scared 'f you? Yer just tryin' ta goad me inta it now," he commented, looking disgusted.

She frowned and looked away. "Well, how am I supposed to get stronger if you don't push me a little more? You and I are going to be stuck at this pathetic level if you don't try."

He gave her a dubious once-over but decided she was right. If she followed all the basics he taught her, he supposed she should be fine. "Whatever. But I fuckin' swear, if ya fuckin' get one little bruise or cut—"

"I won't," she cut in, so resolutely he wasn't sure if he should laugh or be annoyed.

He sighed and used Sonído to get to the other side of the room, staring at her so intensely that it made her stiffen. She took a deep breath and focused on raising her reiatsu.

He hefted his sword up and asked, "Ya ready?"

She bit her lip as anxiety welled up within her. Doubtful thoughts crept into her mind, whispering around her like snakes. Her hold on her sword tightened so much that the whites of her bones were visible through her knuckles.

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. "Yer nervous."

Miyuki's eyes widened and she sucked in a breath. "No…I'm not!" she protested, mentally cursing herself when her voice came out an octave higher than normal. She shut her eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to calm down. Panicking just because her master was going to take fighting against her up a notch? How disgraceful. It wasn't as if he was going to really fight against her. It was merely training after all.

Her eyes snapped open. The disinterested expression on his face reassured her further. "…Alright."

Her master took a stance and narrowed his eyes. She held her ground, shifting her sword slightly in her hands.

Suddenly, he launched himself at her using Sonído, something she hadn't expected. In an instant, she brought up her sword as a block, though she forgot to raise her reiatsu, and was thrown backwards from the sheer force of the blow. She skidded back, digging her heels into the sand to stop herself from crashing into the wall behind her.

The sand piled behind her feet and, once she stopped, found that he had rushed towards her again. She focused on hastily raising her reiatsu and just barely parried the blow. Grimmjow swept to the side and slashed at her from below. She stumbled back, her forehead beaded with cold sweat.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, she noticed that her master still looked just as bored as earlier. A wave of anger washed over her. How dare he act so nonchalant about my training! she thought and changed her stance to the offensive.

She feinted as if she were about to Sonído right, and, when her master moved to stop her there, swung at his left side. He glanced at her, his eyes widening a slight fraction, but quickly adjusted himself so that he would dodge it. Miyuki, putting all her weight on the blow, lost balance. Her master took advantage of this and parried her zanpakuto out of her hands.

Fear coursed through her as she wobbled in place, quickly trying to right herself. Right as she did so, however, Grimmjow slashed towards her neck. Sheer panic overcame her and she threw up her hands to defend herself….

A thick wall of ice stopped his zanpakuto mid-swing. The impact jarred his arm, sending a small wave of pain shooting through it. He scowled and jerked his sword back, rolling his shoulder to get rid of the stiff feeling. He sheathed his sword and sauntered around the wall, anticipating another weak attack. What he saw instead made him raise an eyebrow.

His eye twitched when he noticed Miyuki crumpled on the ground, her sword scattered a few inches from her. He rolled his eyes and muttered, "Goddammit, not again…."

As if he were used to this by now, he wandered over and scooped her up, tossing her over his shoulder like a bag of flour. She grunted in pain as her head smacked onto his shoulder, indignantly rubbing her now sore cheek. She craned her head to glare at him. He just faced forward and ignored her.

He plopped her down against the wall, not minding her swearing under her breath. She shut her eyes and laid her head against the wall, crossing her arms and sighing in frustration. Grimmjow wordlessly sat himself beside her, resting his arm on his knees.

After a few seconds of resting, she snapped open her eyes and said, "Damn."

"Yer fuckin' stupid."

Miyuki turned to glower at him. "Well, you already knocked my zanpakuto out of my hands. There was no need to try and decapitate me afterwards…."

He grimaced. "Ya think the enemy's gonna stop just 'cause ya dropped yer sword? What the hell do ya think we're doin' this all for? We're in a fuckin' war. Ain't nobody gonna pity yer ass in a war." He rolled his eyes at her, like she was the stupidest person he knew.

Rather than give some smart-aleck-type remark, her eyes fell to where his left arm used to be. Miyuki had stared at it one too many times during training, so, annoyed with her constant staring, he got a new jacket and tied the left sleeve in a knot over it. Sometimes, when he moved his shoulder the wrong way, he would wince a little since the cloth irritated his wound, but soon covered it with a deep scowl. It was after those moments that he would get more frustrated when she messed up by being unusually quiet. Other than the occasional "Tch, that's not how ya do it…." or "No, more force in that swing! Ya wanna cut him in half, not leave him with a lil' nick", there wasn't any attempt at conversation.

She narrowed her eyes and thought, No pity in war, hm?

He glanced over at her and made a face. "Stop fuckin' starin'. Yer pissing me off. God…."

The Fracción smiled weakly but turned away as he asked. Her ears pricked up when she caught him go, "Tch!" under his breath, but she pretended she hadn't heard him.

An awkward silence filled the training room, and, despite the freezing air her wall of ice was exuding, she felt herself begin to sweat. Grimmjow hadn't asked her about her past since that strange time a few days ago, but she always anticipated such questions whenever it seemed the moment would present itself to her.

"…Yer stance sucks."

Ah. Her favorite part of the training sessions. Harsh criticism from Grimmjow. It was always such a pleasant experience.

"It was already pretty shaky in the beginnin', but I let it go 'cause ya were nervous. But then it got worse when I pressed ya a bit. Ya gotta work on that shit. If ya don't get a good stance to begin with, it don't matter if you attack first or yer enemy, yer gonna be knocked on yer ass 'fore ya know it."

She pressed her lips together but nodded. Miyuki had heard this bit of advice every training session, and frankly, she was tired of hearing it already. Before he could critique another aspect he found wrong, she interjected, "I try different stances every time. If they keep failing, then that means I don't know how to have a proper stance. As my tutor, you should've figured this out by now."

Her master faltered then scowled. "Bitch, I hardly know ya. How the hell am I supposed to know what the hell you need ta work on 'f ya don't tell me? I can't figure this shit out on my own. A…tutor needs ta know what his…student needs help with. Jesus, girl. Don't pull that girly shit where you expect a guy to know what the hell is on yer mind."

She pursed her lips but didn't retort. She knew it was unfair of her to expect him to figure things out all on his own, but she was much too proud to admit that she really needed his help. It was especially daunting when she knew that Grimmjow would taunt her or scold her for not knowing what she was doing, even if that was the whole point of training.

"Dammit, what the fuck did I just say, bitch?" he wondered, glaring over at her in exasperation.

Miyuki started in surprise then frowned. "What? I had nothing to say!" she shouted, now equally exasperated with him.

His eye twitched, and the air was thick with tension as they wordlessly glared at each other. After about a minute or so, he snorted and began snickering to himself. She blinked, taken aback, and stuttered, "Wh-Wha…Why are you laughing?"

He shook his head and glanced at her with an amused smile. "We're both fuckin' idiots…."

She blinked and looked away, not comprehending. "Grimmjow, you're complaining that you cannot read my mind, but I cannot read yours either. Pray tell, why on earth do you feel the need to call the both of us idiots?"

He wrinkled his nose. "'Pray tell'? Who the fuck even says that anymore? What, did you die like a hundred years ago or something?" he wondered.

Miyuki looked taken aback. "I am not that old!" she yelled. The sharp sound echoed around the training hall and she covered her mouth, embarrassed.

Her master snorted and asked, "When did ya die then?"

She blinked at the question. It was not so odd, she supposed, since she wasn't alive, but to hear someone ask such a thing rather than ask how old she was still felt…odd. She absently hovered a hand over her abdomen, where her Hollow hole was. "I am not sure, but I do believe it was a few years ago. So…judging by my appearance…I would say I am around…twenty, maybe slightly older."

"Ya don't remember how old ya were when ya died?" he wondered, raising an eyebrow.

She glanced at him. "Do you?"

Grimmjow stared at her, wondering how to answer that question. He didn't, but she didn't have to know that. He could lie, but what if he gave her a bullshit age and later remembered that he was actually older or younger than that? Or what if she was older than him?

His ears pricked up when he heard something crumbling, and the two of them looked over at the source of the noise. Her wall of ice had finally fallen, and began melting at an extremely rapid pace. His eyebrows shot up, then he glanced at her. "Ya ready ta try again?" he offered, standing up.

She furrowed her eyebrows, slowly getting up from where she was sitting. She dusted herself off a little and found that she was indeed ready to proceed. "Yes…."

He glanced at her zanpakuto and jerked his chin at it. "Put that away," he ordered. At her confused stare, he repeated the command, a little irritated.

The Fracción continued to give him that same puzzled look, but pulled the sheathed sword out of her sash and carefully leaned it against the wall. "What are we doing? Aren't we going to continue training?"

"Well, yeah. But we're gonna try somethin' different this time." He swung his arm forward and said, "Hand-to-hand combat ain't really a great way ta fight when yer enemy's got a fuckin' sword at yer ball—" He paused and she tilted her head in confusion. "Er, whatever. But it's still a useful thing ta know, just 'n case. And 'f yer enemy's weak enough, ya don't even need ta pull yer zanpakuto out; ya can just beat 'm to a fuckin' bloody pulp."

She wrinkled her nose at the unappealing prospect but said nothing about it.

"Alright. Gimme yer best shot." Her master gestured for her to come closer, as if challenging her.

She stared at him uncertainly. "I don't understand. Do you want me to hit you or…?"

He rolled his eyes. "I don't fuckin' care. Now ya gonna fight me 'r what?" he demanded.

Miyuki took a stance and rose her fists hesitantly. An idea of how to possibly fight her master surfaced in her mind. It wasn't ideal, especially if it may anger him, but, then again, he had allowed her to strike him without consequence.

She rose her reiatsu then rushed at him using Sonido, aiming her fist at his jaw.

Grimmjow suddenly appeared next to her and grabbed her extended arm. Her eyes widened as she was brought to an abrupt stop. She opened her mouth to protest her defeat when he curved his hand around her waist. She felt her face heat up immediately. She wasn't used to being touched so intimately, even if it was just her hip.

She dared meet his eyes and, much to her surprise, he didn't seem affected by this at all. He rose an eyebrow and inquired, "The hell's yer face all red for?"

She managed to get out, "Y-Y-You…You…." The Fracción gulped and whispered, "…This…too close…."

"Are you even fuckin' speakin' Japanese? The hell…" he grumbled and his hand returned to his side. "'m only showin' ya that if ya attacked someone like that, they'd fuckin' stab ya with a hand and drag yer damn guts through the street. Yer too goddamn predictable and slow as fuck."

Miyuki's eyes widened. "Huh…?"

"Tch, yer not only slow in battle, yer fuckin' slow in the head too…" he grumbled as he tapped a finger against his temple. They scowled at each other, and he anticipated some self-righteous speech about how much better she was than him. Ugh, this bitch was a pain in the ass….

Instead, she sighed and looked away. "I apologize. It's just…I did not expect you to…to hold me like that…." When he made a face at this, she protested, "I know you explained yourself already. It merely…startled me, is all."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh my God. Yer fuckin' overreactin' ta that?! I barely touched ya."

Miyuki hugged herself and grumbled, "Let us go back to training…. I don't want to dwell on this…."

"Che, whatever." He took a stance and ordered, "Let's go again, then."

The two of them were exhausted after another hour of training, Grimmjow more mentally so. Her skills had improved a little, but, with the pace she was going, it was going to take forever for her to even consider being in an actual battle. The order not to harm her made it all the more difficult. How could he teach her to fight if he couldn't do it his way? Sure, he would've probably ended up breaking some of her bones or something, but at least she would understand how to fight better.

"Grimmjow," she piped up, bringing him out of his reverie.

He glanced at her wearily. "The hell do ya want?"

She pursed her lips at his attitude but said, "I'll be heading back now. I just wanted to tell you that…."

"Mm…" he grunted, lost in thought about something. He put his hand to his hip and stared down at the sand.

Miyuki threw him a puzzled look before she walked out of the training hall. Grimmjow seems frustrated…. It's not a mystery on why, but…. She sighed. I must get stronger. At this rate, I'll end up being one of the first to die in this war….

She sensed a familiar reiatsu not far off as she walked out into the main hallway. She furrowed her eyebrows then closed her eyes, trying to identify who it may be. A faint silouhette flashed under her eyelids and she inhaled sharply when she realized who it was. She snapped her eyes open and marched over to meet him.

The Fracción strolled dutifully forward in the dark tunnel, wondering why she was so concerned with this. Well, she supposed she could think of one reason, but it couldn't be sufficient enough to be doing something so strange. Still, she didn't want to turn around.

She could see light at the end of the tunnel and quickened her pace.

Ulquiorra sensed someone approaching and paused his training. He wondered briefly why she would want to disturb him, and found that he was more intrigued than annoyed with the prospect.

She emerged from the tunnel and saw that his back was facing her. She bit her lip, trying to think of something to say. How did one go about doing this anyway? It's not as if she ever really did this sort of thing when she were alive….

Luckily for her, Miyuki found she didn't have to start the conversation.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, making her flinch.

"I…I sensed you training and thought I would say hello to you." The silence that followed unnerved her. Was she being a nuisance? Perhaps she was…. Maybe it would be best to just leave….

After a minute or so, Ulquiorra sheathed his sword. "Why?"

She blinked. "Oh…because…well, I suppose I haven't had much chance to…to speak with you…." Miyuki shifted nervously in place.

He half-turned his head to look at her. "We are not friends, woman."

She shrugged. "I know. Perhaps, though…we could be…if you want…."

He stared at her for so long that whatever previous confidence that drove her to do this was nearly extinguished. She clasped her hands together and her gaze dropped to the floor. "Ah…actually…." Miyuki glanced up at him shyly. "My training with Grimmjow is not going so well, you see. I know he must be tired of it all now, seeing as how he cannot train me to my full potential without harming me in some way, yet his punishment prevents that. So we're hardly making any kind of progress. If you could—"

"I will not train you, woman," he cut in and faced the other way.

She blinked. "No, no, I did not expect you to." She waved in front of her frantically. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea. Besides, her master would be furious if he ever found out she had gone behind his back to train with another Espada.

"I mean to watch you—study your movements…if you'll let me." The Fracción stared at him with wide, desperate eyes.

There was a short pause before he muttered, "Why not ask your master to demonstrate his fighting to you? I'm sure he would oblige, if you ask him the right way."

Miyuki sighed. "If only I knew what that 'right way' was…. It is…difficult to speak to him at times, as I'm sure you're fully aware of."

He half-glanced back at her. "And you find it…less difficult to speak with me?" he wondered.

"You are much more tolerable than Grimmjow can be sometimes. And I do not know anyone else here," she replied bluntly.

After about a minute or so of silence, she bowed and said, "I promise I will not be in your way. You will not even notice my presence."

Ulquiorra turned around again, drawing his sword out of its sheath. He swiped forward once then changed his stance and pretended to block an attack with his palm. He did not acknowledge her again, so she assumed that this meant she could watch.

She took note of his stance, his heels digging into the ground, as if rooted there, his arms poised, at the ready. The way the sword seemed to move like a part of his arm fascinated her. Would she ever be able to wield her sword with such skill? Such grace?

It was then she realized…fighting was close to dancing, in a way. The fluid way the body moved and the rigidness of the stance was akin to a clear-cut tango. A deceptive dance of death….

She could see now why her master would find fighting so exciting. The rhythm of blades clashing, warriors' hearts pounding in tune, the pure energy practically screaming from every pore in your body to win….

How enticing. How horribly tantalizing….

How perfectly barbaric.

And then it was over. He lowered his sword and straightened, sheathing his zanpakuto in one swift motion. Her trance broke and she was shot back to reality. It was so jarring that Miyuki took a step back, her eyes widening.

Her body broke out in a cold sweat. It was odd that, for at least a moment, she felt exhilarated about the mere thought of battle. She had been so repulsed at the idea before, of liking bloodshed, and her encounters with the Espadas only encouraged this thought. Still, watching how controlled Ulquiorra's form was…. It stirred an interest within her. Battle was not merely death and destruction. It was a struggle. A beautiful, chaotic struggle between opposing forces that danced to a savage tune.

Suddenly, she felt her chest constrict and the air felt thin around her. She let out a strangled gasp and Ulquiorra turned around curiously.

Miyuki felt a chill blooming from the center of her being and spreading throughout her entire body. She brought up a quivering hand and was horrified to see tiny ice crystals sprouting from her palm.

"Woman…your reiatsu is—"

"I'm sorry…. I must go…" she breathed out, feeling lightheaded. Something seemed to push itself against her skull and she winced. What…was this?

She turned and stumbled down the dark passageway, all the while getting colder and colder. There was a faint ringing in her ears that almost sounded like words. Was she losing her mind? What was happening to her?

When she emerged from the tunnel, she sensed a familiar reiatsu flare next to her, as if to alert her to this person's presence.

"Why…it seems as if you are alone, Grimmjow's Fracción…. Tell me, why is your reiatsu fluctuating so?" Szayel Aporro questioned her, leaning against the wall casually. "I would like to study this phenomenon."

She narrowed her eyes at him. He snickered at her expression. "Oh, alright. I'll be honest with you. I want to understand how your regenerative powers work. The Quarto refused to let me use him for my research. Such a pity…."

"Do not…speak to me…." she breathed out. She shuffled past him as fast she could but he only reappeared again in front of her.

"My, how insubordinate of you." He smirked. "Why, I should punish you for your behavior." He put a hand to his temple and shook his head dramatically. "But it can't be helped. Your master's insolence must have rubbed off on you." He took a step towards her, sweeping his hand out. Miyuki tensed and shrunk away from him. The Espada paused, his eyes narrowing a slight bit.

"What is it, girl? Are you afraid?" he asked, his smirk growing.

She hugged herself and tried once again to move past him. This time, he merely side-stepped in front of her. "Oh, it seems as if you are." The musical lilt in his voice irritated her, but there was also something about the way he spoke that made her feel uneasy. What was he planning?

"Well, you're not as imbecilic as your master, I'll give you that. Still…." He snapped his fingers and the hall echoed with the sharp sound.

She stiffened when she sensed a mighty reiatsu behind her. Before she even had time to turn around, someone grabbed her with its massive hand and slammed her against the wall. Miyuki let out a gurgled cry and her entire body pulsed in agony. Her head lolled back and she met eyes with her attacker.

An Arrancar twice her size gazed steadily back at her. Its Hollow mask covered the top half of his head, its blank yellow eyes showing no sign of pity. "Bring her to Lab B, Blanco," Szayel Aporro ordered and turned away, satisfied that this tedious manner of retrieving a new test subject was finally taken care of.

No…. Let me go, she wanted to say, but choked on her own blood. She wanted to curse, to scream, to kick out and fight, but she couldn't even tell which way was up and which was down. Her head swum, only interrupted every now and then by a wave of pain coursing through her whole being.

She thought she could make out someone's voice. It was enraged and…familiar…. But it was too garbled. She couldn't understand what it was saying.

Who's there? she thought before her eyes shut and she slipped into darkness.

The first thing she noticed was a metallic scent in the air. She inhaled deeply, trying to recognize what it was…until she realized….

Blood.

Miyuki's eyes shot open and she pushed herself up, looking around wildly. Her vision hazed between clarity and fog, and she shook her head in an attempt to focus. A hulking dark mass lay several feet ahead of her. She blinked to clear the dark circles swimming in her eyes….

And screamed.

She began to scramble away, only to slip on some liquid pooling on the floor near her. She hit her head against the stone ground with a pained gasp. The warm liquid seeped into the bottom of her hakama, making her shiver. Lying there, out of breath, Miyuki knew it was only a matter of time before whatever it was that murdered that Arrancar would come back for her. Perhaps it was hiding in the shadows now, and it was waiting for the perfect moment to rip her apart. In her opinion, this would be it. She was vulnerable, exposed. It wouldn't be too difficult either.

She couldn't sense anything, however, and nothing but her labored breaths could be heard. Was…no one there? But…why leave her alive when they had so brutally killed that other Arrancar? Wait…this Arrancar…. He was—

Her eyes widened. He was that Fracción from earlier! But…what happened to him? Where was his master now?

She shifted her elbows under her and pushed herself up. A fierce pain in her head caused her to double over and she brought a hand up to press on her temple.

It was then she noticed that her hands were covered in red. Her breath hitched at the sight and she began to tremble. She looked down at herself and saw that she was drenched in blood. The trail of carnage led from her to the corpse of the Arrancar a few feet away.

A wave of nausea overcame her and she slapped a hand over her mouth, willing the feeling to pass. She shut her eyes tightly. Why did this happen? How did this happen? Who could…. The truth of the matter hit her all at once.

I killed him.

She looked down at her blood-stained hands then back up at the large mass in front of her. How did she have the strength to rip that Arrancar to pieces? Why couldn't she…remember?

A familiar reiatsu appeared behind her suddenly and she tensed. His shuffling footsteps echoed in the silent hall and he paused next to her. Before she even had time to look back, he muttered in disbelief, "Holy shit…."

Grimmjow glanced down at her. "What the hell did ya do?"

She stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Tch, ya don't even fuckin' know what happened, do ya?" he growled and grabbed her by the back of her collar. She hung limply in his grasp, staring as blood streamed down her body and pooled under her. The sight of so much red sickened her.

How could I? How could I? HowcouldIhowcouldIhowcouldIhow-

He shook her violently and she gasped. Miyuki jerked her head up and looked her master in the eye. His profile was blurred by the tears in her eyes.

He sneered. "Jesus fuckin' Christ, girl. Ya kill one worthless piece of shit and then ya cry over it? Yer so damn pathetic." He thrust her away in disgust. Miyuki stumbled and her back hit the wall. Her knees shook too much and, eventually, she slid down the wall and put her face in her hands. She couldn't stop trembling. Every now and then, she would let out a muffled sob.

"God, get the fuck up. Ya killed this bastard, ya gotta own it. Stop yer damn snivelin' already," he ordered.

She mumbled something indistinct. He narrowed his eyes at her. "What?"

"I-I…don't…remember. I…." She choked on a sob and hugged herself, squeezing her eyes shut.

Her master's eyes lidded slightly, but his expression wasn't one of sympathy. He regarded her with a mild disdain as he crouched in front of her. "Ya let yer goddamn Resurrección take over again, didn't ya?" he wondered. He searched her face then sighed. Grimmjow then reached over and smoothed her hair out of her face.

Her eyes widened at the comforting gesture. Was he…. Did he mean to—

He pulled his hand back to look at it. "Damn, ya even got this shit in yer hair…. Did ya fuckin' roll around in his blood after killin' him 'r somethin'?"

He shook his head as he stood up again. "Yer Resurrección is a fuckin' piece of work. It didn't even finish killin' the poor bastard before tryin' ta take off, or whatever the hell it was gonna do. Goddammit…."

Miyuki tensed. "He…He's not…?"

She was cut off by a snort. "Che…'course he's not. 'f he was, his body woulda dissolved into reishi already. 'Sides, ya can still sense his weak-as-hell reiatsu, 'f ya paid attention…."

One of the Arrancar's fingers twitched. Grimmjow grinned at this. "What'd I fuckin' tell ya? Damn bastard's just playin' dead so I don't eat 'm."

A panicked gurgle sounded from the Arrancar's throat and it flopped in place, trying desperately to escape. His blood splashed up around him, staining the walls.

Her eyes widened. "No…Grimmjow, please."

His cruel laugh echoed in the large hallway. "Damn…. Ya did a fuckin' number on 'm. Gotta say, this is fuckin' impressive fer someone of yer size."

He took a step towards the dying Arrancar and it flailed even more. Its gurgled cries grew louder. Miyuki shut her eyes and turned away. Based on her master's expression, she already knew what was going to happen next.

"Die with some dignity, will ya?" he told it as he strolled over with an amused grin.

Even her hands over her ears couldn't fully block out the horrible screams Grimmjow elicited from the wretched beast.

It seemed like an eternity before Grimmjow finally walked back to her. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, which was futile considering he was already coated in blood.

"Ya gonna get up 'r what?" he asked, much too casually for someone who just committed murder.

She stared ahead of her blankly. He scowled and grabbed her arm, jerking her up to her feet. She didn't have the strength to stand, so he held her up by the arm to glare at her. "Get the hell up, ya fuckin' idiot. I don't give a damn 'f yer scared as hell right now."

He released her and she staggered back a bit. When she didn't respond, he slammed his hand against the wall and leaned closer to her face. She looked up, alarmed. Much to his irritation, she was still crying.

He exhaled sharply, annoyed by all of this. He needed to try a different approach, especially since she was acting even stupider than usual.

"What's the last thing ya remember?"

She blinked, frowning in confusion. Trying to control his temper, he repeated the question.

Miyuki glanced over at the area where the Arrancar used to be. "I was…." She paused.

Should she tell him she had been talking with Ulquiorra? No, that wouldn't be wise. She had no idea why, but her master and Ulquiorra despised each other, and mentioning the other would only aggravate him. Perhaps it was their conflicting dispositions that they so loathed.

"I was going back to my room when the Espada with the pink hair and glasses approached me." She ducked her head when he started to scowl at her. "I-I thought he would only taunt me and nothing more…. I was still wary of him, however, and was trying to get back to you, but…."

She stiffened when she sensed a strong reiatsu behind her. Before she even had time to fully turn around, someone grabbed her with its massive hand and slammed her against the wall.

She narrowed her eyes at the memory. "His Fracción…. He came out of nowhere…thrust me against the wall…. And then…I woke up like this." She gestured at herself.

He raised an eyebrow. "The hell? Ya musta broken some ribs 'r got some organs crushed 'r somethin'. I only left ya alone fer, like, four hours. Even 'f ya got some sorta special healin' powers, that's still too damn fast for wounds like that."

She looked down at her hands. The blood was beginning to crust over and she slowly brought her fingers to her palms. "I…I think I'd better wash this off. I…." She closed her eyes and tried to focus on something other than the metallic taste in her mouth. This proved to be worse. If she closed her eyes, she could see the Arrancar's mangled body, its limbs strewn about, the gaping hole in its abdomen, its throat slit—

The image proved too much for her and she slumped over. No…. Why…. Why did my Hollow have to do this? I…I won't….

I won't give in.

Her master reached his arm out to catch her. "Oi, the fuck 'r ya—"

"Grimmjow…" she breathed his name out and he stiffened. She stood up straight. "Please…." She bowed her head. "Teach me how to control the Hollow within me."

"What?"

She dared to look him in the eye. "My Hollow side is much too reckless for my tastes. If I can't learn to control it—"

He leaned away from her, his arm returning to his side. "It ain't a matter of control. Ya gotta learn, both 'f ya, that ya can't fight for dominance. Ya have to agree to work together, 'r yer both gonna be stuck at the levels yer at, which, right now, are still fuckin' weak as hell."

The Fracción blinked at this. "But…my Resurreción seemed to make short work of that Arrancar, did she not?"

"She didn't kill 'm. And she was sloppy. Hey, 'm not one to judge 'bout shit like that, but for one Arrancar? She went fuckin' overboard, even if he did try ta kill ya. He ain't nearly so strong ta deserve a death like that. I had ta clean up the rest too. Fuckin' pain in the ass…" he grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

Miyuki looked down at herself and grimaced. Her Hollow side really was a nuisance. How was she ever going to get rid of all this blood on her?

The sound of her master sighing made her look up. "We'll start that shit tomorrow. I mean…." He waved his arm out at her. "It's gonna take at least the rest of the fuckin' day for all that crap ta wash off…."

She pulled at her jacket sleeve, which made a disturbing ripping noise as she brought it up a little. "Is there…somewhere I can get a change of clothes first?"

He made a face at her as he gave her a once-over. "Uh…yeah. I can take ya there. 'm gonna need some new ones too…."

"Well…." She swept her arm out. "Lead the way."

Szayel Aporro Granz sat in his room, staring at the various monitors he had in his lab. He absently twirled a strand of hair in his fingers as he watched the footage he collected from his earlier excursion.

A smile broke out on his face when the footage finally got to the part where Grimmjow's Fracción's reiatsu rose exponentially. It was fascinating, really. One minute, Blanco was carrying her, the next, his arm had been torn off by the very person he had been transporting.

He muted the video then. It's not that the screaming put him off. He loved to hear the screams of things in pain, but, as it was, Blanco's were unappealing to his ears. Blanco had been wailing, "Granz-sama! HELP ME!" But by then, he had left his Fracción to the mercy of that girl.

Miyuki was standing just a ways off to the side. She twitched and threw her head back, crying out in pain. It was then Szayel Aporro unmuted the footage, hoping to catch that short moment of bliss. His ears pricked up when he heard a distinct sound of something cracking.

He narrowed his eyes and zoomed in. The girl's ribcage should have been crushed, and yet…. His eyes widened. The bones were snapping back in place and mending themselves together. He put a hand to his chin and muttered, "So she does have instant regeneration capabilities…. But the rate at which she is healing is much too rapid to be possible…." He grinned. "Oh, how I long to know how that power of hers really works…. If only I could dissect such a beautiful specimen…."

The Espada put a hand to his head and chuckled. "Oh, but what if she heals before I can properly examine her? Ah, that would be so troublesome…." A bout of laughter escaped his mouth. "But so much fun…. To think, if she heals, I get to slice her open, again and again. To be able to dissect her, cut her open, as many times as I please…. She is the perfect test subject."

Pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, he continued to watch. Miyuki then strolled over to Blanco calmly, her entire being glowing with white reishi. She paused a few feet away from him and looked up.

He knew Blanco to be a coward, and this instance did not prove him wrong. His Fracción shrieked and spewed out meaningless threats against her. He would smash her if she came any closer. He would tell his master of her doing this—that she would pay. Aizen-sama would kill her, blah blah blah. What a fool he was.

These threats only seemed to amuse her, and she let out a cackle that cut him short. "Oh my, you're very annoying…. Trying to hide the fact that you are a coward is the most cowardly thing of all…." She spoke in a voice that was both her own and someone else's. Her inner Hollow's perhaps? She then lifted her arm and smiled at him. Ice began to form on the ground, rising up in dangerous spikes. "You don't deserve such a magnificent death, but then again, you've angered me. What on earth made you think you had the right to try to kill me?"

Blanco squealed and tried to get up. "Ah, ah, ah!" she scolded and brought her hand up. The thin ice wall creeping closer to the Arrancar suddenly rushed forth at a blinding speed. Another shrill wail broke through the hallway as the ice sliced off his other arm.

"I didn't mean to! My master ordered me to! He ordered me to!" he insisted with tears streaming down his face.

She laughed then, a delighted, musical sound. "Do you think I care about that? Once I'm done with you, I will go after that pathetic bastard who left you to die."

Szayel Aporro frowned at that. Powerful as she may be at this time, did she really believe she could take on a full-fledged Espada? Wishful thinking…. Still, he felt a twinge of uneasiness about the threat. He scowled and decided to shake it off. She's nothing compared to me…. Nothing….

A ball of dark blue energy built up in front of her palm as she aimed it at Blanco's stomach. The Espada's eyes widened. Is that….a Cero?!

"Farewell, coward," she said, and Blanco screamed. The cameras flashed for a second, not able to process the amount of light. Some cameras disintegrated from the pressure.

Just like that, it was over. A huge hole cut through his abdomen. The large Arrancar sunk to his knees then fell to the floor. A torrent of blood splashed out from the wound, and it began to gather around Miyuki's feet. She smiled at this and began to walk off, quite certain in her triumph.

It was only a minute later when Blanco got up again and tried to rush at her desperately. She barely had time to turn around again, and waved up her hand to direct more ice to slit his throat. His blood sprayed down on her, drenching her in it. He fell once more and this time, he made no move to get up again.

She put a hand to her head and mumbled, "Dammit…. So the bastard still was able to move? My senses are not what they used to be…." She limped forward a few steps, trailing her blood-soaked hand along the wall. "Exerted…too much…energy…"she mumbled, then she too collapsed.

Szayel Aporro furrowed his eyebrows then forwarded through the rest of the footage. The girl came to her senses about a half hour later and shrieked at the sight before her, as if she didn't recognize her own handiwork. Ah…so that was her Resurreción then…he deduced.

Grimmjow appeared soon after and, after getting through a rather dull exchange, he saw the brute end what was left of Blanco. He decided to stop there, uninterested in what happened after.

"My, my…. What an interesting girl…" he muttered to himself and zoomed the cameras in on her face on each monitor. "She's much more dangerous than many here seem to give her credit for…. What utter fools." He sighed contently. "I want to unlock her full potential. To research the extent of such extraordinary healing powers would amuse me for as long as I live. Of course…." He traced a finger around her face. "…There are…other ways to amuse me than that…."

He licked his lips. "Such a pretty face hides such frightening power. A wolf in sheep's clothing is what she is…. A beautiful monster."

He sighed and leaned back in his seat to stare up at his ceiling. "She must be my test subject. I want to examine her. I want to test the limits of this beautiful, beautiful woman until her will is broken, and even then, I will still want her. My beautiful, broken doll to play with always…."

The Espada cackled to himself, covering his eyes with a hand. "And now…." He hunched over to stare at the monitors once more. "To set up Act One…."

A/N: WOW. That took way too long for a chapter of this size. X( I apologize for the long wait. I know I lost some people, and I do hope you can forgive me….

Anyway, I had lots of fun writing this chapter. It was crazy and brutal, and yet, I find those scenes are one of the most fun to write. I'm kind of weird, I know. XP

To those who read all the way through, thank you so much! I hope that I won't take as long as a year to update again! xAx