The end is near...(Tangled Bindings 5)
Title: Tangled Bindings - Chapter 5
Fandom: Bleach
Pairings/Characters: Apache x Grimmjow (main) Ulquiorra x Orihime, Szayel x Apache, Sun Sun, Mira Rose, and Halibel also appear.
Rating: R.
Notes: Last true chapter of the story.
Special Thanks: To my beta,kasenshiki <3!!!
Before the sexta could move much further, an extremely strong fist slammed into the back of his head. To add to that, a bala with just enough potency to knock the wind out of him went into his back at point blank range, before Grimmjow could even turn around and see the one who attacked him. Halibel wasn't one to waste time with anything. She picked up the two limp forms and carried them up the rope ladder.
Orihime cried out as she saw Apache's body and Grimmjow's weak form over Halibel's shoulders. Seeing her struggle to get them up the last few notches, Ulquiorra immediately pulled Apache from Halibel's grip. In the mean time, Grimmjow lifted his head, just starting to come to as Halibel dropped him to the floor.. He was rather wordless as .he looked over at Apache. Instead of going for Halibel, he turned right to Szayel.
"...the fuck did you do to me down there?" The pink haired man just smiled.
"..It's a fun pit, isn't it? The chemicals I use only work on males, but it makes them absolutely homicidal. Isn't that delightful?" Grimmjow growled and reeled as if to strike, but Szayel held up a hand. "Go ahead and kill me, but your former fuck toy will just have to stay dead."
Orihime and Halibel were over Apache's form, and Orihime was creating the familiar yellow force field around the dead form.
"...I should be able to revive her..." The young human's face was very determined, but her hands began to tremble. Halibel pulled herself back, observing with concern in her eyes.
"Orihime...Aizen had you exercising your powers all day...you need rest before you can do something as serious as this." Ulquiorra's words fell on Orihime's ears, but it took her falling over frustrated for the message to actually sink in. The Quatros could only watch and stare at his sister's dead face. Szayel stepped forward.
"I am almost certain I can fix her...with a little assistance from Ulquiorra." The pale espada stared at him for a moment, skeptically. "Why exactly do you think I've been doing all of this to begin with? It's actually partly by Aizen's request. There is truly not a blessed thing you can do except cooperate."
"What do you need me to do?"
"Step into my lab, and bring her with you. The rest of you will have to back off, if you want to see her alive again.
Grimmjow, much like Halibel, had been silently watching the ordeal unfold in front of him. His eyes did not leave the doors as they closed. And every so often, they glanced back at them, as he paced up and down this outer room. At one point, he kicked over a pile of important looking equipment. Halibel squinted her eyes at him.
"It's not going to change the situation, you know," she said, sitting down next to a nervous looking Orihime.
"I know it's fucking not, but I can't help it, that fucking bastard set us up so that I'd kill her. And unless his shit works, she's gone. By my hand." He had his back turned to Halibel, before glancing over his shoulder, so that like her, his eyes were the only part of his face visible. "She was never really mine to lose though, now was she?"
"...It depends on how you look at things. I...had suspected for a time Apache had been seeing someone. I should have guessed it was an Espada when she didn't openly brag about it."
"...Yeah. The girl didn't want you to know. Didn't want to piss you off. I don't really want to, either." Halibel just shook her head.
"...It's not exactly what I would have chosen for her. But Apache's so independent there's really no holding her back. What she does when I do not need her services does not concern me, so long as she's not causing harm to herself or to me."
"...Heh. I'm not exactly mister harmless."
"Well, you did just kill her. But....you were here to help her before I was." The two Espada's eye's met. "You have a soft spot for her."
"Dunno if I'd call it soft. It's usually pretty damn hard." He smirked.
"...Of course." She said dryly. "I suppose, Grimmjow, the best I can tell you to do is keep her satisfied. She so rarely is." Grimmjow didn't respond, but instead flopped down against the wall and seemed to fall asleep. Halibel knew that he was watching the door.
It was hard to say how much time had actually passed. Grimmjow sure as fuck didn't know. But his head perked up as soon as he heard the door creak open. Ulquiorra came first, holding the door open, as Szayel lead the smaller arrancar by the hand.. Apache squinted her eyes, first letting them fall on Halibel.
"Halibel-sama..." She said, without moving.
"Apache." She said with a firm nod. "..I'm very pleased to see that Szayel was able to revive you."
"Halibel-sama, I...." She stepped forward, but the Espada just shook her head.
"..There's no need to go in to it now. Apache, the company you keep doesn't really trouble me...as long as you serve under me as always have. Although...I really think you can do better than Szayel."
The pink haired man feigned a hurt look.
"....You're rather harsh, Halibel-san. I did just save the girl's life...and made her a part of something that is going to please Aizen-sama immensely."
Apache just gawked at him. She started to walk forward, when she stumbled over a leg and fell right to the floor. Grimmjow smirked and watched her pull herself up into a sit.
"Hey, Apa." He said in a low tone. Their eyes met, and it was an awkward moment, before Orihime started buzzing, practically tackle hugging Apache from behind.
"I'm so glad that you're all right! If you're Ulquiorra's sister, and Ulquiorra is...well..." She turned visibly red in the face. "But if we're... then that means you're...." She scratched her head. Apache took the opportunity to breathe. Ulquiorra stepped up and took Orihime by the hand.
"The girl has had a long day. There'll be plenty of time to figure things out later, but for now...we should all leave this place. I'm sure Szayel has plenty of cleaning up to do." Grimmjow could only smirk, watching the pink haired man fuss over the rack of test tubes he had knocked over.
Apache stood up, glancing to Halibel, and then to Grimmjow.
"...Apache, I'll let the girls know you won't be home tonight." Halibel said before she could speak. Apache could only smile.
"...Thank you, Halibel-sama..."
Arm in arm, Grimmjow and Apache made their way from the room.
Fandom: Bleach
Pairings/Characters: Apache x Grimmjow (main) Ulquiorra x Orihime, Szayel x Apache, Sun Sun, Mira Rose, and Halibel also appear.
Rating: R.
Notes: Last true chapter of the story.
Special Thanks: To my beta,kasenshiki <3!!!
Before the sexta could move much further, an extremely strong fist slammed into the back of his head. To add to that, a bala with just enough potency to knock the wind out of him went into his back at point blank range, before Grimmjow could even turn around and see the one who attacked him. Halibel wasn't one to waste time with anything. She picked up the two limp forms and carried them up the rope ladder.
Orihime cried out as she saw Apache's body and Grimmjow's weak form over Halibel's shoulders. Seeing her struggle to get them up the last few notches, Ulquiorra immediately pulled Apache from Halibel's grip. In the mean time, Grimmjow lifted his head, just starting to come to as Halibel dropped him to the floor.. He was rather wordless as .he looked over at Apache. Instead of going for Halibel, he turned right to Szayel.
"...the fuck did you do to me down there?" The pink haired man just smiled.
"..It's a fun pit, isn't it? The chemicals I use only work on males, but it makes them absolutely homicidal. Isn't that delightful?" Grimmjow growled and reeled as if to strike, but Szayel held up a hand. "Go ahead and kill me, but your former fuck toy will just have to stay dead."
Orihime and Halibel were over Apache's form, and Orihime was creating the familiar yellow force field around the dead form.
"...I should be able to revive her..." The young human's face was very determined, but her hands began to tremble. Halibel pulled herself back, observing with concern in her eyes.
"Orihime...Aizen had you exercising your powers all day...you need rest before you can do something as serious as this." Ulquiorra's words fell on Orihime's ears, but it took her falling over frustrated for the message to actually sink in. The Quatros could only watch and stare at his sister's dead face. Szayel stepped forward.
"I am almost certain I can fix her...with a little assistance from Ulquiorra." The pale espada stared at him for a moment, skeptically. "Why exactly do you think I've been doing all of this to begin with? It's actually partly by Aizen's request. There is truly not a blessed thing you can do except cooperate."
"What do you need me to do?"
"Step into my lab, and bring her with you. The rest of you will have to back off, if you want to see her alive again.
Grimmjow, much like Halibel, had been silently watching the ordeal unfold in front of him. His eyes did not leave the doors as they closed. And every so often, they glanced back at them, as he paced up and down this outer room. At one point, he kicked over a pile of important looking equipment. Halibel squinted her eyes at him.
"It's not going to change the situation, you know," she said, sitting down next to a nervous looking Orihime.
"I know it's fucking not, but I can't help it, that fucking bastard set us up so that I'd kill her. And unless his shit works, she's gone. By my hand." He had his back turned to Halibel, before glancing over his shoulder, so that like her, his eyes were the only part of his face visible. "She was never really mine to lose though, now was she?"
"...It depends on how you look at things. I...had suspected for a time Apache had been seeing someone. I should have guessed it was an Espada when she didn't openly brag about it."
"...Yeah. The girl didn't want you to know. Didn't want to piss you off. I don't really want to, either." Halibel just shook her head.
"...It's not exactly what I would have chosen for her. But Apache's so independent there's really no holding her back. What she does when I do not need her services does not concern me, so long as she's not causing harm to herself or to me."
"...Heh. I'm not exactly mister harmless."
"Well, you did just kill her. But....you were here to help her before I was." The two Espada's eye's met. "You have a soft spot for her."
"Dunno if I'd call it soft. It's usually pretty damn hard." He smirked.
"...Of course." She said dryly. "I suppose, Grimmjow, the best I can tell you to do is keep her satisfied. She so rarely is." Grimmjow didn't respond, but instead flopped down against the wall and seemed to fall asleep. Halibel knew that he was watching the door.
It was hard to say how much time had actually passed. Grimmjow sure as fuck didn't know. But his head perked up as soon as he heard the door creak open. Ulquiorra came first, holding the door open, as Szayel lead the smaller arrancar by the hand.. Apache squinted her eyes, first letting them fall on Halibel.
"Halibel-sama..." She said, without moving.
"Apache." She said with a firm nod. "..I'm very pleased to see that Szayel was able to revive you."
"Halibel-sama, I...." She stepped forward, but the Espada just shook her head.
"..There's no need to go in to it now. Apache, the company you keep doesn't really trouble me...as long as you serve under me as always have. Although...I really think you can do better than Szayel."
The pink haired man feigned a hurt look.
"....You're rather harsh, Halibel-san. I did just save the girl's life...and made her a part of something that is going to please Aizen-sama immensely."
Apache just gawked at him. She started to walk forward, when she stumbled over a leg and fell right to the floor. Grimmjow smirked and watched her pull herself up into a sit.
"Hey, Apa." He said in a low tone. Their eyes met, and it was an awkward moment, before Orihime started buzzing, practically tackle hugging Apache from behind.
"I'm so glad that you're all right! If you're Ulquiorra's sister, and Ulquiorra is...well..." She turned visibly red in the face. "But if we're... then that means you're...." She scratched her head. Apache took the opportunity to breathe. Ulquiorra stepped up and took Orihime by the hand.
"The girl has had a long day. There'll be plenty of time to figure things out later, but for now...we should all leave this place. I'm sure Szayel has plenty of cleaning up to do." Grimmjow could only smirk, watching the pink haired man fuss over the rack of test tubes he had knocked over.
Apache stood up, glancing to Halibel, and then to Grimmjow.
"...Apache, I'll let the girls know you won't be home tonight." Halibel said before she could speak. Apache could only smile.
"...Thank you, Halibel-sama..."
Arm in arm, Grimmjow and Apache made their way from the room.