Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Negative Space ❯ The Minions ( Chapter 19 )

Approaching Grimmjow's tower while knowing he wasn't there gave me an ominous sort of sensation in my gut. I really didn't want to come back here already. It wasn't because he wasn't there, the way I was feeling lately that was something I would rejoice, but because I was going to have to deal with his unruly children. I was not looking forward to being left alone with Luien or Loly. At least Rudbornn was bound to Grimmjow, but that didn't really mean much. If they decided to pick a fight, it wouldn't go so well. I wasn't sure if it was for them or for me, but it would get messy.

"Who should I expect to have to deal with?" I asked Raacharg as I touched down on the wall just before the large door that led inside. I slowed down a lot faster than I had initially intended when I saw several of the Exequias standing guard at the door. My feet skidded on top of the wall, the soles of my shoes heating up like a small fire was under my feet. Raacharg's claws had flexed into my shoulders with the movement, breaking through the fabric of my jacket and piercing my shoulders.

"Well," Raacharg said as he withdrew his claws. "For starters, Rudbornn's Exequias are patrolling Los Noches now, so you're going to see them all over but especially in his territory."

I released Raacharg's back legs and he jumped off my back. Pushing a bit of power through my body I healed the punctures, hopefully before they could bleed too much, and eyed Rudbornn's Arrancar-like spawn. "Are they going to stop us from entering?"

"No," he answered as he walked around to be in front of me and started toward the massive door. "You belong to Grimmjow, and I belong to you. Just think of them as guards who open doors and stuff."

I stared at his wagging tail for a moment before shaking my head and following him. The Exequias seemed to react to us as we moved closer. Their Human skull masks all turned to us and like they recognized us, they moved. Two went to the door and took hold of some door handles that I hadn't bothered seeing before. The other three stepped aside as the two pulled the door open and, just like that, we had a clear path inside the tower.

Awesome.

"I didn't expect you to be so literal," I mumbled to him as I passed by them and into the darkened interior of Grimmjow's tower. My eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness, but I still had to blink a few times to ease the ache. Going into my rock wasn't such an immediate sort of darkness. The stairs were lit with the natural light most of the way down. I had cut subtle slats into the rock that went all the way to the surface to light the interior as well, so it always had at least a moonlit sort of glow in the room. When we had designed these towers we had intended for them to be lit with the magic shit the Soul Reapers used rather than the exterior light. Now that this place was ran completely by Hollows, I was a bit surprised that Grimmjow hadn't had his people make more windows or something.

"They're all an extension of Rudbornn," Raacharg continued speaking as we walked. "Just keep that in mind when they are around, because whatever they hear, he hears. Whatever they see, he sees. It makes for a great intelligence system, but that could be a double edged sword."

"I can deal with that, but who is actually here to deal with?" I asked. I hadn't seen much of the interior aside from Grimmjow's rooms, but I was pretty sure we were in that same hallway that lead to the secret door.

He glanced back at me, watching my face as he said, "everyone but Rudbornn is here."

Lovely. The one person bound to Grimmjow other than myself wasn't here. No offense to the guy, but I didn't trust his spawn to be much good in a fight with me- if it came down to that.

"I wouldn't worry too much," Raacharg said, easily reading my expression.

"And why's that?"

His jowls pulled back into a very doggy smile. "Grimmjow was busy while you were healing. I think you'll find his people a little less hostile than you think they are."

"I stole one's bed and humiliated another. How do you think they will be any less hostile?"

"Well for one-" Raacharg stopped and turned at a seemingly random spot in the hallway. His boney nose pressed to a spot on the wall and I felt a spark of something shoot through my bond with him and my bond with Grimmjow just before a crack broke in the wall and that hidden door separated from the wall. "You're not going to have to actually deal with them. They don't have access to Grimmjow's rooms like you and I do."

Raacharg looked back to me as he started moving through the opening doorway, but stopped when I didn't move to follow him. He took a few steps back and sat, his head tilting to the side as he watched me with curiosity. "What's wrong?"

"You think they really won't be hostile?" I asked, an idea brewing in my head. Me and thinking were usually a dangerous combination.

"Well, Luien still doesn't like you, but he won't take action against you. Especially not here in Grimmjow's house."

My gaze drifted away from him as I lost myself in thought. Now was the only time that Grimmjow's people would actually believe that I could be defeated. I was weakened, vulnerable. If they were ever going to go against Grimmjow's orders to try and get rid of me, it would be now.

"Close the door," I said, my voice still sounding distant as my thoughts continued.

"Isa?" he asked hesitantly.

"I don't remember how this tower was designed, but there must be some sort of common room that his people use."

"There is," he answered, his voice still slow with hesitation.

"Take me there."

"What? Why?"

He clearly didn't agree. I flashed him a purely devious grin.

"I'm going to test them."

It took only took a minute for Raacharg to close the door and lead me to the common area that Grimmjow's Numeros frequented. It had been on the same level as Grimmjow's rooms, which at first didn't make any sense. Grimmjow's rooms had taken up the entire space, or they appeared to. Apparently I just hadn't gauged how big the tower was because the floor was actually broken into three sections. Two of those sections made up the two rooms that Grimmjow had claimed as his own, but the third section was the common room. It looked a lot like the lobby of a hotel with it's spaced out seating areas and multiple levels of balconies all connected by several staircases. Windows had been cut out of the exterior walls and bars had been put in their openings to allow for the light to pass through but little else. It was well furnished with heavy wooden furniture, rugs that ran the length of each area and various decorations that managed to make the space seem less bland and more homey.

Overall it was a well maintained area even though it looked like it was rather heavily used. It was a bit surprising, especially when I tried to imagine Loly running around with a broom and duster. Or Luien… Pfft.

"What are you planning, Isa?"

I wiggled my eyebrows at Raacharg. "I'm going to test them."

"Test them?" He asked, a slight note of panic in his voice.

"Yes, Raacharg. I'm going to test them," I could hear the smile in my own voice as my gaze trailed across the room. One particular seating area was against one of the walls and based off the slight discoloration in one of the paths that ran beside it, it was a heavily trafficked area. Just what I wanted.

"Should you really be doing that now?" he almost whined.

"Yes, Raacharg. This is the best time."

Moving across the large room I unzipped my jacket and slid it off my shoulders. It left my number exposed, but also my zanpakuto's sheath. Neither of them were something I was trying to show off, so I looped the collar of my jacket over left shoulder. Finding the couch that was backed up against the wall I sat on it and drew my zanpakuto. The weight of the metal felt good in my hand as I flipped it over so the blade was facing down.

"What are you doing?" Raacharg asked as I pressed my toe to my heel and slowly slid my shoe off. I did the same with the other one and pushed my shoes off to one side.

"I'm making myself look vulnerable," I said as I kicked my feet up and laid down on my side. I snuggled back into the couch cushions, pressing my back firmly against it despite the sharp protest from my spine. It had been getting more sensitive as the day went on, which made sense. I healed best when I was sleeping, and I had been pushing myself quite a bit since last night. All that running around, carrying Raacharg, using my sonido… I probably shouldn't have been bustling around like I was, but I had needed space. I didn't feel like I had gotten enough of it yet, but here I was anyway.

Thanks, Grimmjow.

"You want to see if they'll actually heed Grimmjow's orders," Raacharg said suddenly.

"Yes, I do." I flashed him a quick grin before I tugged my jacket closer and draped it over my front to hide my zanpakuto.

"You can't possibly have thought this through," Raacharg protested. "What happens if they do decide to take advantage of your weakness?"

"If they do, then you can call me a fool after I've healed," I said smuggly.

"Isa."

Sometimes, his whining amused me.

"Raacharg," I whined back, dragging out his name.

"This isn't funny."

"Yes it is," I said with a one shoulder shrug. "Now, either you curl up and wait with me, or go find somewhere out of the way."

I closed my eyes then and let my entire body relax. The couch wasn't the most comfortable one in the world, but it was just soft enough that it was bareable. I would have taken Grimmjow's couch over this one, but I didn't want to be in there. Sure, I was enacting my little plot, but there was more to it than that. I didn't want to be in there, swathed in his scent and his space like a suffocating blanket. This place was free from his tempting scent and uncomfortably foreign enough to keep me from being so relaxed that I would let my guard down.

"If I didn't know you used to be a god, I'd be irritated with how stubborn you can be."

I snorted, but otherwise didn't react to his words. As the sound of his clacking claws gave way to the sound of moving fabric, I knew he had jumped up to the couch that sat kitty corner to the one I was lying on. It took him a few moments to settle, but once he did I let my thoughts drift with the sound of his easy breathing.

I don't know exactly how long it was before someone's footsteps caught my attention. I might have actually fallen asleep for a little while there, but I wasn't entirely sure.

"... hate doing this guard duty shit. I mean, what's the point? It's been days since they were in Los Noches and we haven't seen even a hint that they've been back since." It was Loly's voice that finally hit my ears.

"I'm sure Grimmjow has his reasons," a female voice I hadn't heard before replied.

"Yeah, well whatever they are I'll bet they're stupid. He's probably just trying to throw his power around."

"Even if he is, it's not like we have anything better to do," the new woman said. It sounded like their voices were coming from above me, but I wasn't sure. I hadn't been in this room enough to tell what the acoustics were like.

"That's true enough. It's boring as hell here lately." Loly let out a long sigh.

"Boring? In the last two weeks there's been more happening than in the last two years. Arnau's declared war, one of the Privaron Espada stole your bed after they kicked the shit out of Grimmjow, Luien got his ass handed to him by a Human and Grimmjow has brought a new Arrancar home. You can't honestly tell me you've been bored after all of that, especially when you've spent all your free time with that Adjuchas."

Oh? Just what had Raacharg been up to while I was unconscious? I knew he had been with her the night I woke, but before that too?

"I did not spend all my time with him," Loly objected. Their footsteps became louder and more paced out, like they were walking down the stairs together.

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure that everytime I found you, you were with him."

"Grimmjow made me responsible for him," she continued to argue.

"No, he put Rudbornn in charge of him. You're the one who decided that Rudbornn wasn't good enough."

"He was distracted. It's been years since he's had his full power. Of course he'd want to go see what we was capable of doing, and he couldn't do that while watching after that thief's Adjuchas."

"Wait-" their footsteps stopped, though I was pretty sure they were still on the stairs. "The Privaron Espada and the woman Grimmjow brought home are the same person?"

"Unfortunately," Loly grumbled. "I forget you've been off with Dondochaka and Pesche for the last few weeks. Isa Vaccio is her name. She's the one who's been causing such a ruckus around here."

"Seriously?"

Geez, these two sounded like gossiping teenagers.

"Yeah, she's the same one that kicked Luien's ass."

"Well shit. I thought it had to be one of Kazui's friends. When do I get to meet this new girl?"

"I dunno," their footsteps started again, but it was only a few steps before their steps shuffled and they were walking on flat ground again. "She took off with her Adjuchas last night- Oh, Raacharg!"

Loly sounded surprised, but it was a happy sort of surprised. Interesting.

"Hello Loly," Raacharg answered, his voice low like he was trying to keep from waking me.

"Oh, shit," Loly answered in an equally soft voice. She must have just seen me too.

"Is that her?" The other woman said in a loud whisper. Oh yeah, they'd spotted me.

"Yeah, what the hell are you two doing here?"

"Grimmjow ordered us to wait for him, so we are," Raacharg answered.

"I suppose you don't really have a choice then, do you?"

"No, not really," Raacharg said. I could hear in his voice that he was shaking his head.

"Why wouldn't they have a choice?" the other woman asked.

"You've missed a lot in the last few weeks." The sound of shifting fabric was all that I could hear for a moment. I had a feeling there was more that just silence going on, but I wasn't willing to open my eyes to find out. "Raacharg, this is Menoly Mallia. She and I were made into Arrancar by Aizen at the same time."

"Ah, Loly spoke about you. As she said, I am Raacharg, Isa's Adjuchas."

"Her Adjuchas? That's such an odd thing to call yourself." Menoly said curiously. "If you're hers, why don't you just call yourself her Fracciones?"

"You fake- er, new Espada use the term incorrectly, according to Isa."

"She's supposedly the oldest Arrancar alive, so she's a bit old fashioned."

Raacharg let out a small laugh. "Don't let her hear you say that."

He was right, I would have corrected them if I wasn't pretending to sleep.

"So, what's up with her?" Loly asked. "Last I saw, she was in Grimmjow's chambers."

"Grimmjow pissed her off so she decided to piss him off in return," Raacharg answered. He wasn't exactly lying. "She isn't fully recovered yet even after sleeping for days, so she needed to crash and refused to do it in his presence."

"He's not here right now, and you have access into Grimmjow's rooms, so why are you both out here?"

The way she was talking made it sound like she was almost concerned. Just what sort of magic had Raacharg worked on her? I'd have to figure that out later. Clearly, I didn't need to worry about Loly.

"Oh come on Loly," Menoly spoke up. "If you were stuck in a room with Grimmjow for a few hours you'd be clawing at the door to get out. If she's been in there for days, can you blame her?"

"I get that, but out here isn't exactly the best place."

"Raacharg," I murmured without opening my eyes. I knew I had his attention even though he didn't say anything in reply. "I need to sleep, not listen to people gabbing. Go with them and leave me be."

"Are you sure you want me to leave you when you're like this?" He asked. I couldn't tell without looking at him if he was feigning concern, but it didn't matter.

"I'm old, not stupid. I'll be fine."

"I dunno, laying around out here is pretty stupid," Loly mumbled under her breath. I was pretty sure I wasn't meant of have heard that, so I ignored her.

"I'll keep my end of the bond open, Isa," he said softly just before I heard his nails clack on the floor as he jumped off the couch he'd been on.

"The bond? What's that, slang term for a phone or something?" Menoly asked as their footsteps started again, taking them away from me.

"Like I said," Loly sighed. "You've missed a lot while you were gone."

I listened to their conversation until they were out of earshot. Apparently, Raacharg had explained a lot about the bond and how it worked to Loly. From the way she explained it to her companion, she rather liked the idea even though she didn't fancy being bound to Grimmjow. Apparently, she borderline hated him. I was sure there was a story there somewhere that I'd get to hear one day. Raacharg would get it out of her if it was important. He had a silver tongue like you wouldn't believe.

Once they were gone I let my mind slip back into a sort of meditative state and waited for someone else to walk by. I tried not to let my thoughts wander, but it was hard when you were trying to stay aware while also pretending to stay asleep.

It wasn't long before I heard the soft patter of feet, shortly followed by the heavier steps of someone more Human in size and stride. It was a curious sound, those little feet. It sounded almost like Raacharg with the rhythm to the steps and the very, very soft sound of nails connecting with stone, but it sure as shit wasn't him. This sounded much smaller, but I wasn't entirely sure why. What the hell was it?

Something cold abruptly pressed to my cheek. I actually jumped because of the suddenness and my eyes cracked open to see a small black nose poking out from under a cute little mask. It was another dog like Hollow, though this one was small like a beagle, and cute like one too. Its fur was all a light shade a brown, and its mask covered far less of its face than Raacharg's did. Beady black eyes were very happy to see me as the Hollow panted in an excited way. It barked suddenly, making my ears almost ring with its volume.

"What is it Kakupuro?" Tesra's voice called out in the large room. I closed my eyes as soon as I heard him, but the dog barked again before I felt its presence pull away.

"What are you barking at?" He asked again as the dog let out a happy whining sound. Yeah, I knew it was a happy sound. Raacharg made a similar noise sometimes when he was distracted, though comparing the two was like comparing a cute cuddly puppy to a rottweiler.

"Oh, well yes she smells like Raacharg, but that isn't someone you should mess with."

The dog whined again, and Tesra clucked his tongue at him. "No, leave her be."

Were they really having a conversation?

"She's Grimmjow's, like I'm his and you're mine. Leave her be."

Yep, they were having a conversation in words and whines. I would have rolled my eyes, but sometimes Raacharg and I did the same thing. I couldn't really make fun of them when I did it too.

Wait… he was Grimmjow's like I was Grimmjow's? Raacharg had said that he'd been busy while I was unconscious, but was it really that sort of busy?

Curiously I sent myself searching down my bond with Grimmjow. It was easier to grasp than it had been before, but I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Being back in Los Noches, I was able to feel Grimmjow just fine, but instead of lingering on his presence I went beyond him to explore what other bonds were tied to him. Right away I felt several tunnels had opened to me, each one a bond he had made with someone else. He had indeed been busy.

Before I could gauge who he had bound to himself, I felt his awareness turn to me like sensing someone else's eyes on you in the darkness. He felt my exploration, which was good but also so strange because he was learning so quickly. I was good at manipulating the bond. Even if I wasn't trying to be sneaky, he shouldn't have noticed me so soon. I should have been like a shadow, slipping around without being noticed.

Soft footsteps met my ear, rousing my attention and my senses as I pulled back from the bond. After kicking the shit out the flaming douche I'd remember the feeling of his spiritual pressure. Luien was approaching. He was the one that I wanted to test the most. I was pretty sure he hated me, or at the very least didn't like me one little bit. If one of Grimmjow's people was going to take advantage of this moment, it would be him. I just wished I had taken the time to figure out if he was bound to Grimmjow or not.

Was it bad that I was a little excited? Probably, yes. Ideally, I shouldn't have been worried about any of his people. Grimmjow had even assured me that they wouldn't take action against me or Raacharg, but I had a feeling he was wrong. Just call it a hunch, but my instincts were usually right. Why else would Grimmjow have kept me in his quarters while I was healing?

Well, that was a stupid thought. I'd asked him to stay with me, and the easiest way to do that was to keep me close.

The sensation of Luien's spiritual pressure abruptly vanished, and with it his footsteps went silent. That was awesome. He'd stopped walking, and without his spiritual pressure, I couldn't tell where he was. He had to of seen me. Why else would he suppress himself?

The silence of the room seemed to roar in my ears as I fought to listen for any movement. My heart wanted to race with the adrenaline that was making my chest almost ache, but I fought with myself to stay calm. If his hearing was anything like Grimmjow's, he'd probably be able to hear my heart beat if he got too close. Then again, Grimmjow was a type of predator. I doubted that Luien was gifted both with such heightened senses and his ability to manipulate flames.

Then again, he was one of the fakes. They were far more perfect beings than anyone I had known before them.

The air around me seemed to shift just before fingers ghosted over my chin. It was hard to not jump at the sensation, but I kept myself still and my breathing even. Gods, he was close. I wanted to jump up and stab him, but he wasn't actually do anything threatening yet. Even as that thought ran through my head his fingers trailed down and caught the collar of my jacket. He pulled my jacket down just a few inches in a movement that was so slow, I might not have noticed it if I had actually been sleeping. He stopped his movement once my neck was exposed to the cooler air of the room. Just the small opening made me feel vulnerable, but he really hadn't done anything wrong yet. He was being a damn creeper, but that was all I could accuse him of so far. That was, until I felt his fingers brush my throat.

I couldn't help myself as my body tensed, but I knew I had to hide the reaction and shifted away as I fought to make my body relax again.

"Stop it, Raacharg," I grumbled as I shifted to roll a bit further onto my back to disguise my relaxing body. My zanpakuto was still covered by my jacket despite my movement, but I had let one arm flop out to the side as if to show I didn't have any weapon on me. I heard him shuffle when my arm flopped out, like he had been standing right where my hand had gone and had jumped back to avoid my touching him. I'd surprised him a bit. Good.

Silence filled the air around me like an ominous blanket that was charged with the knowledge that he was there, watching me. I was doing my damndest to look asleep, but without his movement to gauge my own acting by, I had no idea if I was doing to give myself away. He was so freaking quiet that it was like he'd turned into a statue.

Then I heard it, the soft whisper to metal sliding on metal as he slowly drew his zanpakuto.

Was he really going to do it? Gods, I wanted him too. I could still remember the feeling of his mask under my fingers, the pressure of it as the edges resisted my pull. I wanted to feel his mask peel from his flesh like I was opening a damn oyster, and with that thought I shifted in a sleepy sort of manner to disguise my other movement. Under my jacket I turned my zanpakuto, maneuvering the blade to point toward him. When he decided to strike, my zanpakuto would be in the perfect position to strike him when I extended it.

He finished drawing his zanpakuto and in two small shifting sounds I felt the metal brush my exposed neck. Gods, I so wanted to smile. He was going to try and take my head off. This wouldn't be the first time someone tried to decapitate me. He would raise his blade, needing to get enough force to take my head off in one blow, then swing down in one powerful movement. I could heal from his attack pretty quickly if he didn't sever my spine. Trust me, I knew. He just needed to strike...

I felt Luien jump through the pressure of his blade on my skin and felt the sharp edge break my skin. My hand clenched my zanpakuto as I reacted, but he stepped back and removed his blade in the process. I heard the click of the hilt hitting the sheath just before a gust ruffled my hair and the edges of my jacket, then just like that the tension in the air was gone. I knew without opening my eyes that he had slipped away in his sonido. Chicken shit… Allowing myself to let out a small growl I turned my zanpakuto back into a position that was comfortable and snuggled back under my jacket. Maybe if I waited long enough, he'd come back to finish what he'd started?

"Why the hell are you out here," the words were muttered under Grimmjow's breath. I kept myself from jumping even as my heart leapt into a racing beat. Gods, I hadn't felt nor heard him like he was a freaking ninja. Stupid, stupid man.

I didn't reply to him as I silently hoped he would just leave me alone. It made sense now as to why Luien had left. He'd somehow sensed Grimmjow well before he'd arrived, and fled. Freaking ruined my fun.

I felt the heat of his skin just before Grimmjow's fingers brushed over my brow and down my temple. Did he really think I was still asleep? Surely he could hear my heart racing my chest. He was probably just messing with me, but even as I thought it his other hand was sliding under my knees. Was he really meaning to pick me up? Oh hell no!

"I'm out here because I felt like," I grumbled as I shied away from his touch and turned my face more into the cushions.

"Hm, so you are awake." Fabric shifted and his hand under my knees fell away, though I could still feel the heat of his skin on mine like his hand was hovering close.

"And I'd like very much to go back to sleep. K, thanks, good-bye." I started to roll over then, shifting in place so I wouldn't fall off the couch as I rolled. It was just as my back was flat on the couch that he touched me again. It wasn't such a light touch as it had been before, but rather more like he was grabbing me as one arm caught my legs and his other forcefully slid under my body and curled around me. My eyes flew open and I started to shove away from him, but when I turned my angered expression up to glare at him I was met with cold, hard azure eyes. I hadn't quiet seen that expression on him before. I had seen his version of angry, amused, smug, hell- I'd even seen his sleepy face. This was something new.

Great.

I decided then that fighting him was probably a bad idea and forced my body still when he lifted me from the couch. My jacket slipped from my body with the movement and I had to move quickly to catch it. A low growl vibrated in his chest as I pulled my jacket to my abdomen. I just happened to look back up at him to see his gaze on my zanpakuto that I still had clasped in my other hand. Whatever he was thinking, it wasn't good.

He didn't say anything as he turned and started walking across the room, most likely heading for the door that led into his rooms. Gods, why was I allowing him to do this again? Sure, he had most likely carried me back from the world of the living, but I had been utterly unconscious at the time and unable to protest. I should have been throwing a fit now, but here I was, stiffly silent in his arms.

"I can walk you know," I grumped. That was all I did though. His grip around me was so painfully tight that I knew I'd be healing away bruises later. Even the corded muscles of his arms and chest were so flexed that it felt like I was cradled against warm metal. He was pissed, and I was in no shape to really fight with him. A verbal battle I could do, but I was getting the impression that he wasn't really up for many words. I didn't think I had pissed him off this badly, but I'd been wrong before. He was destruction, and I should have known messing with him wasn't like playing with fire. It was like playing with a box of explosives.

Grimmjow carried me in silence all the way back to his rooms. Even when he kicked open the door he was wordless while his powerful movements said everything he wasn't. It wasn't until he passed into his massive bedroom that I felt him relax even a little. It wasn't much, like going from being pressed to metal to wood that had just a fraction more give to it.

Moving to the massive lounger he was so fond of, he knelt and set me down on it's edge. It took him a moment to actually ease his grip from around me, like he had been flexing so hard that his muscles protested the change. When he did finally manage to release me I scooted a bit away from him and eagerly moved to slip my jacket back on to cover my number and spine. He caught the collar just as I slid one arm into a sleeve, stopping me mid movement.

"What?" I said, snapping at him a bit. I didn't look at him, but my eyes were drawn to his movement as he brought his hand to my face. I had expected him to be harsh, to take hold of my jaw in that large hand of his and force me to look at him, but he didn't. His fingers brushed my chin and I forced myself to shy away from his touch even though my body really didn't want to. Unfortunately, my reaction didn't deter him. The tips of his fingers dragged down my neck, caressing the tender skin under my jaw until I felt the sharp sting of the cut Luien's blade had made high on my neck when his fingers traced over it. Damn it, I had forgotten about it. Was that why he was so pissed?

"Who did this?" He asked as he held up his hand, showing me the blood on his fingers. His voice was deceptively soft, but I just knew he was still feeling whatever emotion it was that had turned his eyes so cold before. Yep, that was why he was pissed.

I stared at his fingertips for a long, silent moment. I wasn't so sure I wanted to answer him. He had said that if Luien did something again, he would kill him. I hadn't really thought about that before when I had been so eager to make myself bait. I didn't want Grimmjow to have to follow through on his word. I wanted to weed out the bad eggs, but I didn't want to force Grimmjow to take action against one of his children and weaken the Espada's forces. I probably should have thought through what I was doing a bit better before I had decided to do it.

"What is Halibel to you?" I asked as I turned my gaze away from his bloody finger tips to stare at the scars on his exposed chest. It was hard to find something else to stare at without making it completely obvious that I was avoiding his gaze.

I thought for a moment that he wasn't going to answer me, but the small silence that passed between us didn't linger long. "She's a rival of sorts."

"But she rules Hueco Mundo," I protested in my own small way. "You are the king. You've told me this many times, so I don't understand how she isn't your queen."

"This isn't a thousand years ago, Isa." The way he said my name was almost chiding, but still managed to be gentle.

Ha, that was a word I didn't think I'd ever seriously use to describe his voice.

"Time doesn't matter when it comes to rank," I said, shaking my head.

He left out a small sigh and dropped his hand to his pants where he wiped my blood onto the blackness of them. "You're not going to tell me who did this, are you?"

I shook my head slowly. "If you are constantly defending my honor for me, I'll never earn the respect of your people. If I am to be what you want me to, then I need to be a power on my own and not in your shadow. I'll deal with them once I am back to full strength, and set any wondering minds straight."

I could feel his eyes burning a hole into my forehead. He didn't like that I wasn't going to answer him, but even I could tell he was going to me get away with my small act of defiance. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have stopped talking to glare at me.

He let out a heavy sigh, signaling that I had been right. In one seemingly tired movement he push up from his kneeling position and stood. I expected him to walk away from me to go cool off or something, but instead he stepped up on the lounger and brushed past me. I blinked a few times before I turned to watch as he went to the same spot he'd sat in before and flopped down, assuming almost the same position with his arms drawn out across the pillowed edges and his legs stretched out before him.

"She's the strongest of the three of us, therefore she is ruler," he said as he ran a hand through his hair and stopped, keeping the few strands of hair that usually fell over his forehead pulled back. "Nelliel is about the same level as her, but she has no interest in ruling. I am the King only in name, and its mostly because I do the dirty work. Where she is a power, she doesn't look it. Unless you actually look into her eyes or see her mask, she just looks like a pretty figurehead. I, on the other hand, have a name here in Hueco Mundo. As an Adjuchas I always showed the potential to become more. I killed everything that came across me and mine, and that sort of murderous streak really sticks in the simple minds of lesser Hollows. They fear me more than anyone, so when issues arise I deal with them."

The entire time he spoke, I watched him from where I was still sitting several feet away on the very edge of the lounger. I knew it wasn't the first time he'd explained something to me, but it sure felt like it. I was always lecturing him, not the other way around.

"So, she's a politician while you're a Barragan," I prompted.

"Barragan?" He asked.

"Mr. Rot. He was the figurehead of power for the Espada before Aizen ever showed up, even though he was just a Vasto Lordes. He scared the shit out of most Hollows, so we let him lead while we, the Espada, ruled in the shadows. After one of our own decided raiding the Soul Society was a good idea and failed, we decided to make the Soul Society think we didn't exist. Most of them didn't remember the Soul King and what he did in retribution a thousand years ago when one of the God Maker's children went hunting in their small cities, but there were enough rumors and stories that I convinced them to rule in secret."

Grimmjow nodded slowly like he was in deep thought. His hand slowly finished the movement he'd started and slid the rest of the way through his hair, allowing the free strands to fall back in place over his forehead. "I suppose then yes, but we aren't hiding. The Soul Society knows we are here, and we couldn't give less of a shit."

"What?" I asked, my voice a lot louder than I had expected.

He huffed like it was a laugh. His gaze had been distant while he had been talking, but abruptly he focused on me and I felt like a rabbit caught in headlights as I was caught my his azure gaze. It took me a moment to shake off my surprise before I managed to start thinking again and broke away from his intense stare. I started pulling my jacket on again more out of habit than anything.

"Why are you putting that thing back on?" He asked, making me pause just as I was starting to slip my other arm into its sleeve.

"Because I feel like it," I answered stubbornly.

"You're hiding," he said in soft accusation.

"Its kinda hard to hide from someone when you're alone with them in a stupid big room like this."

"Exactly, so why are you?"

Sometimes, he made me want to grind my teeth together in frustration.

"I like my jacket," I said stubbornly as I finished pushing my hand down the sleeve and pulled the jacket around me.

"You're hiding your number. Why?"

"I'm not hiding it. I-I'm trying not to get a sunburn," I said a little nervously. I was already tanned from living here, though I'd never get the golden bronze like some people could. It was a bad lie, and I had known it even before the words left my mouth.

"You wear tight clothing so your armor won't destroy it when you call on your true form, that I get. Your shoes are either thin and light or your boots tied tight, all so your greaves rest right against your skin. That too I get. But the jacket? There's no other excuse than you're using it to hide something. You can hide your spine with your hair, but your number? You can't hide that without clothing."

"It's humiliating," I said, my expression darkening to a scowl. He had read me so well that is was damn frustrating. Was I really that easy to read?

"It's a sign of power. You shouldn't be embarrassed to show it," he disagreed.

I narrowed my glare at him and shifted, turning my body to face him. "I don't need a label. I was a god once, and didn't need a stamp on my forehead to say it. My power, my presence spoke for itself."

"That was a thousand years ago. You need to get your head out of your ass and realize-"

"It wasn't a thousand years ago. I was a god until I was stuck in that fucking dungeon. It took everything out of me to survive for so long. Even now, a decade later, I am still not back to where I was and probably never will be. All I have to show for it is a few tattooed digits on my shoulder."

He snorted and slowly drew his body up from the cushions. He leaned forward, the muscles of his abdomen bunching as he lifted his leg so he could rest his arm on his knee. His eyes were dancing on the edge of predatory as he said, "you don't even realize that if we were to reform the Espada that you would most likely be Espada Number 4, do you?"

He said it like it was supposed to be a good thing.

"I don't want another number. These numbers are just a sign that we were conquered by a Soul Reaper. If I could take this fucking number off, I would. Before Aizen we didn't have numbers, we just knew where we stood with one another. I wouldn't expect you to understand. You were brought into power by him and his toy."

"And you were imprisoned by him for it. I get it, shit fucking sucks sometimes-"

"I don't think you do," I interrupted him as I pulled my legs under me and rose so I was kneeling. "I don't even think you can understand it, but I'm gonna try and make you."

Grimmjow had plenty of time to react to me as I shuffled toward him, my hips swaying with ease rise and fall of my knees as I stalked across the lounger. For whatever reason, he didn't seem worried about my coming closer. He just sat there, his head turning to follow my progress until I stopped beside his outstretched leg.

"Did Isabellia teach you how to resist being taken into a memory?" I asked.

Grimmjow eyes gave away his sudden understanding of what I was saying. I was certain he was going to pull away from my reach the moment he started to uncurl himself from his position, so I decided that I wouldn't give him the chance. My hand whipped out, catching his arm in a vice like grip. I felt for the bond, finding the one that belonged to him on the first try. I could feel his surprise like it was my own, but it only made me smile as I thrust myself through the bond and dragged him with me into a memory.