Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Negative Space ❯ Show Time ( Chapter 6 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Note from the Author: If you've read the last chapter, you know they are going to see a movie. You'll see which one, and I can promise that I haven't even seen it yet so there's no spoilers. I just like the trailers and music, and thought it would make a great distraction for our main character.

Negative Space

Show Time

The movie theater was awfully crowded when I walked through the main door. I didn't really have a sense for the calendar that the living used, but if I had to guess it was a day of rest tomorrow. Normally the living weren't out in such force, and it made walking around without running into people difficult. Raacharg was having an even harder time avoiding people, causing some unfortunate individuals to trip over what appeared to be nothing when they bumped him. We may have been made of reishi, but in concentrated masses like us we were just as solid as they were.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked Raacharg as I danced around the crowds that couldn't see us toward the counter that was between us and the snacks. I sure did like the food that the living made, even if eating it wasn't beneficial to me in any way, shape or form.

"One that's empty, just to avoid anyone that can see or hear us," Raacharg said as his gaze flicked around.

"Makes sense," I agreed as we finally got to the counter and found a register that wasn't occupied by an employee. I turned to glance around then down to Raacharg. "Can you go find a theater while I acquire some snacks?"

"Sure thing," he answered he started to turn away, but stopped and glanced back at me. "Do you have a preference?"

I pursed my lips for a moment then shrugged. "He's destruction, so let's avoid anything violent. I don't know how volatile he can be, but provoking him with explosions and death is not in our best interest."

"You got it," he said with a nod before he slipped through a group of the living and disappeared from sight.

Nodding more to myself than his already missing form, I volleyed over the counter and landed on the other side. Once I was sure I hadn't drawn the attention of some member of the living, I dipped through a walkway that led into a small kitchen the living used to prepare burgers and other dinner-like items and stopped once I knew someone wouldn't accidentally run into me. Closing my eyes, I sought out the spiritual pressures of the truly dangerous people that I knew were in the building. I wanted to know where they were, just so I knew what direction not to run in if a fight broke out.

Raacharg's idea to stay close to them was brilliant, but of course risky. We were in such a densely populated area that I didn't think they would start something, but I wasn't always the smartest when it came to things like this. I learned best from experience, including my failures.

Finally expanding my senses enough I set a mental map in my head of the theater. The demon child and his family weren't far away, most likely in one of the main theaters to see whatever was newly playing. Raacharg had gone down the other side of the theater from them, a smart move I was sure. We would be close enough to them to ensure that no one would start something -if they were smart, but far enough away to not be intrusive.

Tickling the edge of my senses was Grimmjow and his glaring spiritual pressure. Whatever he was doing to Luien sure was taking longer than it should have. Raacharg was right about them. They weren't bonded, not even a little. I had raised only a few hollows to the level of Arrancar, but every one of them had requested release to become their own master. I wasn't fond of forcing someone to stay bonded to me when I couldn't do much for them in return, so I had let them go. Raacharg hadn't learned about this possibility yet, but if that was the case then it would make sense as to why they didn't feel the same. However, Grimmjow was calling these people his Fracciones. They should have been bonded to him with a designation like that, or like with Gantenbainne they would have become just another Arrancar.

Letting out a huff I shut down my senses and turned to the food around me. It all smelt so good, but I only had two hands and would have to dance around the living, some of whom would clearly see food floating around without anyone holding it.

I smiled to myself at the thought of my impending task and set myself to it.

It only took me a few minutes to gather up all sorts of lovely goodies for Raacharg and I to share. Apparently they had trays that allowed people to carry multiple items and I took full advantage of them, grabbing nachos, popcorn, candy and two drinks. To avoid the living seeing me wandering around as a floating tray of food I used my sonido to move over the crowd, stepping on the reishi in the air all the way to the theater that Raacharg had decided on.

I found his furry butt perched in the middle of a mostly empty theater, his gaze fixed on the big screen at the front of the room. His tongue was lolling out the side of his mouth, making his doggy muzzle look like he was smiling. The look of him made me shake my head as I suppressed a laugh and moved up the steps to join him.

Getting settled with a seat between us, I placed one of the cups filled with some clear fizzy drink in the holder beside him while the other went beside me. Thankfully the seats weren't those dumb flipping ones, allowing me to place the tray of snacks between us. I leaned back, testing the springy recliner before I kicked my feet up onto the back of the seat in front of me.

"You made sure they aren't sensitive to us, right?" I asked as I wiggled into my seat, searching for the most comfortable position.

When he didn't reply right away I glanced over to him. His eyes were fixed on the cup at his side, telling me he wanted something. I watched him, hiding my amusement as he glanced up at me, then back down to the cup. I made him do it a few more times, enjoying the pathetic and damn near begging look he was giving me.

"Isa," he finally whined. I laughed out loud at the sound before I grabbed the straws I had hidden in the tray and slid one into the top of his drink. His face lit up with glee before he closed his mouth over the straw and took a big gulp. Some of it dripped from his jowls because he was unable to completely seal his mouth shut, but it only made me laugh more. He would be trying to clean his fur for a week if he spilt too much.

Once he was satisfied he sat up, a happy pant coming from him. "Of course they can't see us."

"Good," I said, my voice light with laughter. "So long as my spiritual pressure is not too loud, no one should bother us."

"You're not worried about Kazui or his family?"

"Not really," I said with a casual shrug as I eased my spiritual pressure up just a notch. Okay, half a notch. I just needed to be loud enough to let Grimmjow know where I was and nothing more. "He didn't try to kill me at the river, so I don't think we have to worry about them today so long as we don't start any more fights."

I still didn't quite understand why Kazui had let me walk away without some sort of warning. I had used a gran rey cero in the middle of his town. It was almost a damn miracle that I hadn't killed anyone, let alone taken down several buildings. I hated to think that Grimmjow might have said something to him when he had taken the liberty to explain my 'altercation' with Luien.

"That makes sense," he said more to himself than me.

I ignored him and turned my attention to the big screen, watching the preview for another movie as explosions shook the seat. Well, the sound of them anyway. I had never quite gotten used to seeing a movie in this format. I often found that I would get sucked in, lost in the dream that was so big it took up my entire field of vision. The first time we had ventured into one of these showings I had actually called on my true form, thinking that the violence was real and I was going to have to defend myself. At some point in time, Raacharg would make sure to remind me of that time.

There were so very few things that he could use to pick on me, so he made sure to remind me of the ones that he could.

"Do you want me to step away when he shows?" Raacharg asked, talking over some woman on screen.

I thought about his question for a moment, then nodded. "Your ears are better than mine, and probably his as well. Just give him the illusion of privacy so he feels free to talk openly."

"You got it," he said lightly.

Silence fell between us as we focused on the big screen, watching the scenes that unfolded. Raacharg watched it like he was just any member of the living, finding amusement in their words and sitting calmly. For as old as I was, anyone would have thought I would have been completely desensitized to this sort of non-sense. Unfortunately, the opposite was true.

Before Raacharg, I had been a damn near heartless being. The feelings I had were mostly born from anger, lust that was driven by the very human body I possessed, and the hubris that was derived from the pride of being an Espada. I had felt other things before, but it had been almost a thousand years since other emotions had found a harbour within me. The joy and sense of trust that Raacharg had brought to me were still hard to process sometimes.

I had forced myself to open up for Raacharg, and as a result I was becoming more of a person and less of a god. Laughter easily bubbled up, jokes came smoothly from my mouth without sounding like insults- sometimes, and I was actually able to admit how strong my attachment was to the Adjucha. It often came out sounding possessive rather than caring, but I was still working on that. Love was something I hadn't been able to feel since the God Maker had passed on, and I had no hope of ever retrieving such an emotion. Only he had ever been able to influence me into feeling things that were beyond my capabilities. No matter how hard I tried to not be Amechania, that persona was what I was derived from, it was still a part of me.

My thoughts trailed away from the past as I was sucked into the beginning of the movie. Music greeted my ears and a shudder passed through me as the beat vibrated the seat. My mouth gaped open just a bit, but I didn't bother closing it. With the knowledge that Raacharg would be the only one to see me I let myself be swept away by the magic of the movie, losing myself in the imagery as the thrill and excitement washed through me.

'Don't fight it, it's coming for ya, running at ya.'

"He's here," Raacharg murmured just as flames exploded across the screen and imaginary heat washed over my skin. From the corner of my eye I saw Raacharg drop off the seat and onto the floor. I pulled my eyes away from the screen for a just a second to glance at his retreating form before I turned and my gaze found the man standing at the entrance to the theater.

'This is the greatest show!'

Grimmjow's eyes were glowing ever so faintly in the darkness, and as I met them the heavy thud of the music ushered my heartbeat to become heavier and more intense in my chest. Gods, he had horrible timing.

'It's everything you ever want.'

That predatory gaze of his was all for me, flicking away for only a second to take in the room before he started up the steps, one defined step at a time. Jesus cheeseballs, he was stalking closer and the music wasn't helping to keep myself calm. Those stupid words that the guy on screen was saying so passionately were not helping me think any clearer.

'It's everything you ever need.'

My gaze stayed on him as he moved up the steps until he reached the row of seats that I was in the middle of. My heart was thudding in my chest, making my body grow warm with my thudding pulse. I couldn't seem to do anything to stop myself from getting carried away in the music and it bothered me to no end. Why in the hell had Raacharg picked a movie like this?

'And it's here right in front of you. This is where you want to be.'

Those stupid words repeated as Grimmjow moved toward me, stopping so his body was blocking part of the screen and he was gazing down at me. He was dressed just like he had been during our previous encounters, like he either hadn't changed clothes or it was all his wardrobe contained. I was hoping it was the later. Black boots, black pants, black shirt, white jacket, overly exposed chest and abdomen. He hadn't changed at all. Especially those stupid eyes of his.

Other than turning my head up so I could keep my eyes on him, I didn't move. When he just stood there doing nothing but looking down at me, I decided to prompt him to do something and dropped my spiritual pressure to almost suppress myself. The corner of his mouth started to rise, and I looked away to train my eyes on the screen behind him. Clearly, I had amused him somehow.

A moment passed before he turned. I watched him without turning my head as he took in the big screen and what was playing on it. It gave me a good look at his backside, something I made sure I didn't fixate on, before he moved to sit. He had decided to take the seat that was directly beside me, and I leaned subtly away. The last thing I wanted to do after he had trapped me earlier was touch him, but I tried to not make it so obvious as I leaned away and surrendered the arm rest to him.

His spiritual pressure was dulled, but even still I could feel him like a radiating presence beside me. Feeling him while I was so worked up was not helping me think clearly. I was tense, wound up by the explosions and music that were only now starting to calm on screen.

"I didn't think you'd stay in the world of the living," he commented like we were about to have a pleasant conversation.

Ha, fat chance of that.

"It was either here, my rock or your tower. I chose the one place we hadn't tried to kill each other." I shrugged and crossed my ankles where they still rested on the back of the seat in front of me.

"You would have been safe in Las Noches." He said like it was a fact.

"One of your Fracciones just tried to fry me. What in the hell makes you think that Las Noches is actually a good place for me?" I pointed out, trying not to sound as angry as I was feeling, and failing.

"I would be there. You'd be safe."

There was that ego again. Ugh.

"I don't need protection. I need you to uphold your end of our agreement - something that I thought you would have been perfectly capable of doing - until now."

"If I didn't want to, you couldn't stop me."

My gaze slid slowly to him until I was glaring daggers in his general direction. A grin slowly turned the corner of his mouth. I couldn't tell if he was trying to tell a bad joke or threaten me, but either way I didn't like it.

"You are a child in your arrogance," I said softly.

"From my understanding, everyone is a child when compared to you."

My chest tightened with anger, but I held myself still and decided retaliation was in order.

"You're right, but which one is worse? An ancient's mind packaged inside of a young woman's body, or a babe that looks like man?"

"An ancient, huh?"

I think his words were meant to be teasing, but I didn't smile. "I am well over two thousand years old."

That gave him pause for a moment, but despite the surprise of my words he asked, "why the hell don't you look older?"

"Do you think that we will all end up like old people?" I asked, trying to act like his question would surprise me. "We are Hollows, not Soul Reapers. We will always look like we did when we died. Colors change, so do some of our physical traits, but we all are as we were. We don't age, we just are."

"You actually know what you looked like when you died?" he asked.

"No, but I've seen the trapped souls in the world of the living, watched after them as they turned and allowed them to be claimed as another's Fracciones." I shrugged like it was a casual topic, knowing he wouldn't believe me. "When she became an Arrancar, she was very similar to the Human version of herself. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but in my experience very few things are truly a coincidence. I can only believe that I was similar in appearance upon my death, despite the darkness that I was as a Vasto Lorde."

He was quiet for a moment, and I took that change to try and calm my body once more. The movie had shifted into calmer scenes, and the overwhelming sound was softer, more delicate. It made it easier to calm my heart. Sorta.

"Luien was acting on his own," he said after a moment had passed. His hand lowered to the arm rest and his fingers thrummed on the rim of the cup holder.

"That means nothing to me," I answered as my attention was drawn to his fingers as they rapped against the plastic. Thump, thump, thump, thump... "He is yours, and you gave me your word."

"Something that you haggled to get," he answered. I frowned for a moment, but let it slip away as the scene before us shifted into another.

"If you were abiding by the old way, a promise like that shouldn't have been any trouble to keep," I replied sharply.

"Luien won't go against my orders again," he said confidently. "I made sure that he understood my intentions before I let him slink off back to Hueco Mundo."

"Lemme guess," I said in a sarcastic tone. "You beat the snot out of him and threatened to dismember him if he went against your orders again, or some other ineffective nonsense."

His fingers paused in their strumming and I could almost feel his gaze burning a hole through the side of my face. I didn't acknowledge it. If he didn't like my tone, he could damn well deal with it.

"Tell me, do your people normally obey your orders?"

I was a fan of loaded questions.

"They know the consequences," was his answer. His fingers started up again, striking the plastic in quick succession. The sound of the movie had picked up so I couldn't hear his fingers, but I could feel the tapping through my seat. Annoying...

"There shouldn't need to be consequences," I grumbled more to myself than him. "I know the Privaron Espada were around for some time before they were all killed. Did they not pass on anything to you and your kind?"

"Like what?" He asked, sounding almost disgusted that I had even suggested such a thing.

"Knowledge," I said in exasperation. "Our history, our heritage, the things that made us what we are before Aizen ever brought his toy to Hueco Mundo."

"They were hasbeens. Why would I bother talking to them?"

I frowned. "I'm a hasbeen as well, and here you are trying to recruit me."

He was quiet for a moment, and I turned my gaze back to his fingers as they continued to thrum on the arm rest. That was getting really annoying…

"I was young and arrogant," he finally said. "And most of your kind were pretty pissed with those of us who replaced them."

"And Gantenbainne? Luien said he was still alive. If that's the case why haven't any of you bothered to talk to him?"

"What exactly is it that you're trying to get at?" He snapped.

The sharpness of his words drew my gaze up until I met his. I realized then that I was struggling to get at what I actually wanted to yell at him for. Maybe Raacharg should have stayed at my side. I wasn't good with conversation like this. In the heat of battle I didn't have a chance to think over what I was saying, but here I did. Here, all I wanted to do was to think over my words, to try and force him to understand me. It clearly wasn't helping.

"If you fakes were doing things as they were intended to be done, your people wouldn't be capable of disobeying you unless they were strong enough to earn the right to some sort of free will. I was operating under the assumption that you were at least adhering to the old ways, even if you were made by a Soul Reaper's tool."

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

My gaze dropped until I was focusing on his fingers again, but my mental attention went to Raacharg. How could I explain this in a way he would understand? Raacharg would have known how to talk to this meathead.

Coming up with an idea that even he had to understand, I turned in my seat so I could look at him without straining. "What makes your Fracciones yours?"

The look he gave me wasn't exactly friendly. "Why?"

"Just answer the question." I tried to keep myself sounding patient, but it was hard when the mental image of repeatedly smacking his stupid fingers with a rolled up newspaper was playing through my head.

"They were mine before Aizen ever came to Hueco Mundo," he answered after a moment's pause. The unfriendly look on his face darkened as his gaze shifted away.

"You're talking about your first Fracciones, aren't you?" I asked, recalling our conversation from my time in his tower.

"Yes, they were truly mine. These idiots are nothing more than leftovers."

"Even so, you call them your Fraccion. That name alone means something."

"It's only three," he said, like it should matter. "They were their Espada's right hands and at least trustworthy enough to be my Fraccion."

"That's nice, but what actually makes them yours?" I asked, quirking a brow.

"Why are you asking such questions?" He asked. He must not have liked where I was going with my questions.

"Raacharg is mine in the way that your Fracciones are supposed to be yours. He is bound to me by more than loyalties. He is bound to me by power. Literally. I'm assuming your senses are better than mine, so you have to feel how we are similar."

"It's actually obvious," he remarked, his tone sounding almost curious.

"Why do you think that is?" I asked, not letting my irritation show in my voice.

"Is there a reason for it?" He countered, his fingers maintaining that steady tapping on the cup holder.

"That's a stupid question," I scoffed. "Of course there's a reason."

Gods, we sounded like bickering children. I let out a sigh and turned my gaze to what I could see of Raacharg on the other side of the theater. Only his head was visible, and even though he appeared to be absorbed in the movie I knew he was listening to every word we said. He knew about the bond, hell, he'd asked me to be his Espada and eagerly accepted me as his master.

"All Arrancar should know how the bond works," I said, a bit out of context and not caring if it made a lot of sense. "The bond is what makes us and allows us to bring others to our level. Its the cure to the lonely existence we are all destined to face, and the true power behind the old gods."

I drew my gaze back to the screen so Grimmjow could see my profile. I watched the scenes before me without actually seeing them as I continued to explain the reason behind our existence.

"The God Maker was the first Arrancar, and through him we were all made. All the old gods, that is. Through a bond, he shared his power with those weaker than himself. He gave us the spark that we needed to ignite the drive and the power that allowed us to remove our masks without dying. He is what I am trying to be for Raacharg, and what I was to Gantenbainne and many before him. This role is what you and the other fakes are missing. A maker to teach you our ways, a teacher, a mother."

"You were the one who made Gantenbainne?" He asked incredulously, steering our conversation in another direction. It was annoying, but I answered him anyway because I was an idiot.

"I gave him the power go become an Arrancar, yes. Him and all the other Privaron Espada you claimed to have known were created this way. Except tank head. He consumed a Soul Reaper so thoroughly that it was enough to push him to a high enough level where he was capable of becoming an Arrancar," I frowned at that thought and quickly corrected myself. "Actually, I personally don't think he ever surpassed the level of a Vasto Lorde, but that is my opinion. He was damned ugly looking."

"He was the Ninth Espada."

"Yeah, meaning he was weak as snot." I couldn't help but scoff. "I wanted to kill him. He wasn't meant to be one of us. We were hauntingly beautiful in our own ways while all he could do was mimic others. It was distasteful. But, the others didn't agree with me so I stayed my blade."

"Why?" He asked.

I started to answer him, but caught myself before my words came out. This frog turd was manipulating the conversation, and I was falling for it! He was clearly better at conversation than I was, but that I hadn't noticed it until now was damned retarded. My eye twitched and out of spite I slapped my hand down over his, effectively stopping his fingers from tapping anymore.

"Because I felt like it," I said to avoid answering him. "You are the one who wanted to talk. Did you say what you came to say? Can you go now?"

I could literally hear the grin in his voice as he said, "no, I haven't."

"Then fucking say it and be on your goddamned way." My voice was a vicious growl, but I refused to look at him to make it more effective.

I saw him move, but I refused to react as his other hand clasped over mine. He didn't try to trap my hand, but he made it clear that whatever he was doing was meant to be some sort of intimidation tactic. Leaning in, he rested most of his weight on the arm rest that separated us, effectively shrinking the space between us down to only a few inches.

"Why didn't you kill me?" He asked in a low voice. He must have known Raacharg was listening, because his words were so soft that my Adjuchas wouldn't be able to hear him.

I turned my head slowly until I was looking at him from only inches away. "Killing you could have brought the wrath of the other fakes down on Raacharg and I. I wasn't going to put us at risk like that."

"I don't think that's it. Part of it, maybe, but not your main reason why."

"Then what do you think my reason was?" I asked. I meant it to be a conversation stopper, but he didn't hesitate in the slightest.

"You were a god, and you want to be one again."

My eyes widened, a reaction that I couldn't seem to stop. How could he be so wrong? Me, wanting to be a god again. An Espada, again?

Yeah right...

"Not even close," I answered him and waved my free hand as if to dismiss the thought before I turned my attention back to the movie.

"Then why?" He asked insistently.

"Because I felt like it." Yes, it was obvious that I was trying to avoid answering his stupid question. Why wouldn't he just drop it?

"Why?"

"Holy snot balls Batman, would you give it up already?" I snapped as I yanked my hand out from between his and shifted my entire body away from him to lean on the other arm rest. "You sound like a damn four year old."

I just knew he was grinning, but he didn't say anything and I felt his presence pull away. He had probably sat back in his seat, putting the foot or two of distance between us. It was just enough room for me to ease out of my tense position, but I didn't relax. How could I when I was sitting next to the proverbial predator?

Applause erupted from the speakers, drawing my attention back to the movie. Red curtains rose, exposing a woman dressed in white on a large stage. Music wafted through the air as the woman was centered on the screen. A song flowed from her mouth and the sound of those carefully chosen words made my skin rise with goose bumps.

''Cause darling without you…'

Like her words pulled at a string within me, a memory rose so strongly that I was lost in flood of sensations.

I was struggling forward, my hands struggling to maintain a grip on my zanpakuto as I used it to keep me on my feet. The crystallized ground underfoot was rough and I stumbled several times as I tried to get to him. My hands were bloody; my chest and side a mess of ruined flesh and my leg crippled as I tried to heal and move.

'Never enough.'

I could feel it draining away from my body, the power that was his, that bound us together so tightly. I wanted to tell myself it was just because he was healing, but I knew that wasn't it. I just couldn't admit it to myself.

'Never be enough for me.'

I collapsed beside his fallen form, my zanpakuto clattering as I lost my grip on the metal and it rolled away. I reached out to touch him just as the last spark of his power left me. The last spark of my humanity.

'All the stars we steal from the night sky…'

His skin was still warm, but death had unfocused his eyes. I couldn't even remember what color they had been, but the sight of such a lifeless face would haunt my memories for the rest of eternity.

'These hands could hold the world but it'll never be enough…'

I tried to push my power into him, desperate to chase away the death that I knew had consumed him. But I was weak. I couldn't even heal my own wounds let alone his. Even if I had all the power in the world, I couldn't have healed a wound made by a Soul Reaper's blade. Sense had left me though, chased away by the fear of losing him. I couldn't be alone again. He was the one who had made me, the one who had taught me how to be alive, and above all loved me…

'For me…'

Applause erupted and I tore myself from the memory. What was wrong with me? I had stuffed that time so far back into my head that I shouldn't have just thought of it so easily. Why the hell had Raacharg picked this damn movie?

"You alright?"

It took me a moment to realize it was Grimmjow who had spoken and not someone in the movie. It startled me so badly that I turned the turbulent feelings that had risen from my memories on him. I jumped to my feet, causing the seat to slam up with a soft bang that had to have drawn the attention of the living in the theater. I didn't bother worrying about them as I started down the aisle.

I stopped a few seats down and turned to Grimmjow, setting a hardened glare on him.

"I may look like a good idea, being all white and gold and beautiful, but it's only a facade to hide the darkness within. I am loss, I am weakness, I am what makes man and god equal. I steal away anything that makes us more than just walking meat bags. I am not someone you want on your side because I get people killed, and I will get you killed. It would be best for you if you just forgot about me and went back to your shining white tower."

I vanished then, darting down the aisle and out of the emergency exit in a sonido that made a gust of wind bellow after me. I ended up in the back alley of the theater which was exactly what I needed in that moment. The cool air of night washed over me and I stopped. The wind that had been generated by my speed continued past me, pulling my hair over my shoulders and exposing the back of my neck. My hand automatically went to my exposed spine and covered the white bone like I had to hide it from view. I didn't need to hide it, but the warmth of my hand over smoothness was a welcome sensation.

Why was I getting so worked up? I was acting strange and I knew it, but I couldn't explain it. It wasn't like I could blame my strange actions on hormones or something. I was just getting lost in the past when I had gone so long without even thinking about it. Well, so long without having an incident like that. I had a solid twenty years of nothing to do but think about the past, reliving it in my head over and over.

Why was he dredging up my memories when he shouldn't have had anything to do with them? Maybe it was a side effect of the emotions that I had been trying to manifest for Raacharg? Or maybe it was that stupid movie? Or both? No, that had been more of a case of dementia. I knew I was old, but to be caught in a flashback in front of someone was damned embarrassing.

Fuck it.

It wasn't like I had to explain myself to him.

I heard the door to the theater open and my senses went on high alert until I realized it was just Raacharg. I remained where I was, but I subtly slid my hair back into place to hide my spine. I had some ticks that may have seemed strange to him, but he never mentioned it. I knew he had noticed through his early questioning of my jackets and the way he gave me a sideways glance when I did odd things, but once he understood it was just how I was he had stopped asking questions. His easy acceptance of my made it so that around him anything was acceptable. Even slipping into a memory.

"We should go back," I said before he could ask any questions.

"To the theater?" He asked, surprised.

"No, back home," I said with a shake of my head.

"What happened?" He asked, concerned laced through his voice.

"Nothing," I grumbled as I turned and waved and hand at the end of the alley. A Garganta began to open with the motion, consuming the space between the walls in the darkness of the space between worlds. "I just… I just got too carried away."

"Are you alright?" He asked, the sound of his voice closer than it was before.

"Yeah." I turned around to find him a few paces behind me. "I must have not healed right after hotshot earlier lit me on fire. I just need to relax for a bit and let my body settle."

It was a lie, and he knew it. His boney ears dropped for only a moment before they perked back up and turned like satellite dishes to the theater door as it swung open to slam against the outer wall. A few startled shouts from the living inside the theater rang down the alley as Grimmjow emerged, his gaze intent on us.

"That's a lie if I ever heard one," he said as the door slammed shut behind him.

I blinked at him, mystified by how he had heard us.

"If you are really as old as you claim, then they just couldn't survive the shit that you lived through," he continued to say. He stalked towards us and I quickly stepped around Raacharg, putting myself between the two. I didn't think I needed to, but I just did it automatically so when he stopped I was the only thing he was looking at. I glared up at him in challenge, but he didn't seem to acknowledge it as he loomed over me. That confident look in his eye was unnerving, and I had to scramble to remember exactly what I had said to him.

"You know nothing of my past," I snarled, baring my teeth a bit in threat.

"I may not be as old as you, but I've lost people too. Blaming yourself for that shit is just fucking stupid."

My hands balled into fists and I struggled to hold myself back as the urge to dive into physical violence hit me. "There is a difference between blame and being the cause. If I fight, those who fight with me die. It's just what Amechania does to those around me. I steal away the power of others, making them helpless and-"

"They were too weak," he said loud enough to interrupt me.

"They were not!" I half shouted back. "They were mine! They were my people and fighting beside me got them killed."

"Is that really what happened?" He asked, his voice rising to the same level as my own. "Or were they just too weak to fight at your side?"

I opened my mouth to argue back, but for just a second my thoughts winked back the one person that hadn't died within my Negative Space. His face was blurry, the eyes something I had imagined rather than being what they had actually looked like, but it was him. He hadn't died as a result of my power. He had died at the hands of the Soul King, and I hadn't been strong enough to keep him alive.

Understanding what he was getting at, I rocked back into a neutral stance and crossed my arms over my chest. "If you aren't strong enough, then I will end up getting you killed too."

"Did you tell that to everyone before you were imprisoned, or just afterwards?"

That made me hesitate. I did remember mentioning what had happened when Aizen had returned from the Soul Society, but I hadn't gone into any real details. Either he was a damned good listener, or he knew more than I thought be did.

"It doesn't matter," I answered dismissively. "It's a fact, no matter if it was before or after that time."

"And what about your Adjuchas? If your statement was true, he would have been dead long ago."

"We work well together, and he knows to get away from me when dangerous situations come up."

I knew what he was getting at, and as silence fell between us he understood that too. He was just implying that with my logic, Raacharg was going to get killed any time now. I was careful with him, but now that he was showing combative potential, it was just a matter of time. One day he would try to save me from some perceived danger, or would want to fight beside me and I would let him. They all did the same thing, but only the very few survived…

"I still want you to be mine, Isa," he said in subtle tone that was so different from the shouting we had just been doing that it made my attention zero in on him. "I won't force you, but I won't leave you alone until you give in."

"It's not going to happen," I said as I dropped my gaze to the ground and started to turn away.

His hand caught my arm, stopping me from going anywhere. I went for my zanpakuto but he was too close and caught my hand at my belt just before I could grasp the hilt. I didn't bother struggling against him, knowing that as we were, I couldn't overpower him. I had already experienced the outcome of trying to fight him without my resurreccion running. For some inexplicable reason I wasn't worried about what he would do to me, but rather whatever else he had to say.

"I'm not going to give up," he cooed as I felt him step closer. "One day you'll give in to my demands. I have all the time in the world to wait for you."

"It won't happen."

"We'll see," I felt his breath move my hair with his words. "If I'm not already there, come find me when you change your mind."

He released me and I turned only to be blasted by wind as he vanished with his sonido. I blinked at the empty alley, my thoughts muddled as I tried to think over what he had said. Freaking jerk…