Bleach fic: Storm Front
Title: Storm Front
Author: aviss
Pairing: Grimmjow/Ichigo
Rating: PG-13 this part
Genre: Action, Adventure
Warning: Violence
Disclaimer: Bleach and its characters belong to Kubo Tite, as everyone already knows.
Summary: While investigating the disappearance of a group of shinigami Ichigo discovers not everything they told him about the end of the war is true.
Word Count: ~2.800
Notes: I haven't forgotten or stopped working in the other story, I'm just dealing with a bit of a block there and I tried to write myself out of it… with this. Not the smartest thing to do start another multi-chapter, but well…
Storm Front
Prologue - A Storm is Brewing
Grimmjow looks back at the shinigami chasing him, his breath coming in short pants and his movements beginning to slow down. He's getting tired of this game of cat and mouse. He doesn’t like the feeling of being the mouse; he has more in common with the cat.
Behind him another two figures in black join the one already on his heels and Grimmjow curses, stopping for a second to shoot a cero. He's tired, he shouldn't be overdoing it.
But those bastards keep coming.
Under them, on the street, people walk unconcerned, getting on with their own lives completely oblivious of what's going on in the sky over them. It annoys the fuck out of Grimmjow.
"Stop there Espada," one of the shinigami shouts, "we don't want to kill you, don't make us."
Grimmjow barks a laugh. "As if you could."
He jumps forward surprising the shinigami with his sudden attack, and unsheathes his sword in the same movement cutting the annoying bastard almost in half. Good, one less pest to worry about.
But the situation is still dire, he's wounded and tired and those fuckers keep coming.
Grimmjow looks wildly around, his instinct is telling him to get away from there though he'd much rather stay and kill them all.
"Bastard!" One of the remaining shinigami shouts releasing his sword. "You're dead you fucking bastard!"
Grimmjow laughs and sheathes his sword again, pressing his palm against the sharp edge and nicking it in the same movement, a few drops of blood swelling in his hand. He has one chance and only one; he is going to take it. He waits till the two shinigami attack at once to lift his hand, relishing in their shocked expression. "Gran Rey Cero." He doesn’t stop to see the result, before the flash is out Grimmjow has already turned and left the place.
There is no way those weaklings would survive the blast anyway.
He follows the trail of a known reiatsu until he reaches an apartment block, the small houses cramped with people living their pathetically short lives.
He's barely conscious by the time he gets to his destination, blood dripping from a wound on his side and his head feeling too light. He's lost a lot of blood but luckily he knows how to fix it.
"Woman I need you to heal me," he says entering the small apartment through the window and ignoring her shocked face and blatant fear.
"Grimmjow!" Orihime gasps the colour draining from her face. She looks exactly the way he remembers her: scared and frail, eyes darting around to see if salvation will come in the way of a knight in shinning armour. "What--"
"Don't ask, just do as you're told," Grimmjow demands impatiently motioning to his wounded side. "You owe me."
She is still reluctant, he can tell. It's not just the shock of seeing him there, alive, but the fact that he's gone to ask for her help. He wouldn't if he had another choice and he's sure she knows that.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were dead, I thought all of you were dead," she finally manages to say, her voice low and almost trembling. Grimmjow is surprised at the disgust he feels hearing her. He can't stand weakness and this woman, in spite of her power, is weak.
But he needs her now.
"I said don't ask."
She's still frozen, staring at him with those wide and frightened eyes. "No," she shakes her head.
Grimmjow is on her in an instant, grabbing her scrawny neck and lifting her from the floor. He barely has the strength left in him for that, he needs to be healed quickly.
"Do it or I snap your neck like a twig, woman," he snarls in her face. And still she shakes her head.
"No. If I heal you, you'll look for Kurosaki-kun, I know you will," she says, still doing the same song and dance as before. Grimmjow almost rolls his eyes.
"I have no interest in your shinigami friend," he lies.
She's still looking at him with the same stubborn expression, frightened of him but determined to deny him help.
"Promise me," she finally says.
"I won't look for your friend," he says through gritted teeth, the pain and annoyance he's feeling almost making him choke on the words.
"I'll heal you then," she says and Grimmjow releases the woman to allow her to work.
He's not too worried about the promise, if he wants to fight Kurosaki he doesn’t need to look for him. Somehow he knows the shinigami will find him when the time is right.
…
Part I - The Calm Before The Storm
The sword is coming down at him at an amazing speed, the white glint of its steel all the more dangerous because of its beauty. Ichigo dodges at the last second, barely managing to stay upright in the slippery ice. He curses under his breath. On his other side the heavy blow from the big sword hits him at full power, pain exploding in his chest and the first drops of blood soaking through his shihakushou.
He finally loses his balance at the force of the blow and goes sprawling on top of the ice, panting.
"Damn it!" He curses at the first laughs, glaring hotly. "No ganging up on me you bastards, this was supposed to be just me and Rukia."
Renji sheathes his sword again, taking a spot on a boulder above the place where they are sparring, his mouth curved in a smirk. "Sorry Ichigo you looked like you wanted to fall; I just helped you a bit."
Bastard.
"Are you going to get serious, Ichigo? You haven't even released your Bankai," Rukia complains her brow furrowed in annoyance.
Ichigo stands up and shakes his head, a few drops of water and tiny ice crystals flying every which way. "I don't need to release Bankai for a sparring session, you dummy," he says, not unkindly. It's so good to have his friends with him there he can't be angry with them.
Even if they deserve it for stunts like that.
She pouts and Renji laughs again. "He's right Rukia it's not his power what needs to improve, is his swordsmanship." Renji jumps down again from his place, landing gently between them. "Ichigo never learned sword techniques; he just got that meat cleaver he calls a zanpakutou and began to swing it wildly. If he's still alive with no Kidou and no techniques is only thanks to that monstrous reiatsu of his and that psychotic hollow inside him. And because we like saving his arse." This last one is delivered with a smirk aimed at Ichigo and he glares in response.
"It's not as if I had time to train before, what with saving damsels in distress and killing egomaniac ex-shinigami to win a war," Ichigo protests, though he knows Renji is right. It's a miracle he has not been killed yet considering he has no proper training. It's more of a miracle he has been able to keep his hollow on a leash again after relying so much on his power during the war. "And I remember saving your arse more than once as well."
He charges at Renji before the last words are even spoken, a smirk on his face at the surprise reflected in his friend's eyes. Rukia circles them, shouting quick instructions at Ichigo as they parry and deliver blow after blow, intervening occasionally to give Ichigo a quick smack with her sword when he curses at her.
Ichigo can't remember having this much fun in a long time, the war and the reconstruction were not things he enjoyed. Now he has his friends around and time to spend with them with no pressure and no sense of impeding doom.
If there is something he misses he doesn't think about it.
"Hey, I have to take a quick shower and leave," Rukia says after some time, Renji and Ichigo sprawled on he ground panting with exertion. "I have a date tonight."
Ichigo opens an eye and looks at her, "Who's the poor unfortunate soul?" he asks smirking. Rukia smacks him over the head again.
"I'm not telling you!"
Renji laughs and pushes himself up on his elbows, "I'll look for the one who's black and blue tomorrow," he says and Rukia glares at him, delivering a sharp kick to his ribs. Ichigo barks a laugh and receives the same treatment before she jumps away from them and out of Urahara's basement. "Poor bastard, dating such a violent girl," Renji finishes staring after her, and they share a look before he collapses on the ground again, laughing.
"What about you, Renji?" Ichigo says closing his eyes and leaning back, enjoying the feeling of the warm water lapping at his body. This is also another favourite of his, Urahara's healing hot spring. Is good not having to hold back during the training with something like that around.
"What about me?" Renji sounds as relaxed as Ichigo feels, his voice floating lazily between them.
"When are you going to confess to your Taichou?"
Renji splutters and Ichigo opens his eyes to find him staring with a shocked expression. He hit the jackpot with that one, not that it was a difficult guess.
"What are you talking about, idiot?" Renji protests but Ichigo can see the colour rising to his face.
"I've seen how you look at Byakuya and the way you follow him like a trained puppy."
"He's my Taichou for fuck's sake, of course I follow him! I respect him!"
Ichigo laughs shaking his head. What he saw it's not mere respect, no matter how much Renji protests. Not after he saw how worried Renji was when Byakuya almost died during the war; the guy has been obsessed with his taichou since forever but it seems he's not ready to admit it yet.
"Whatever you say," he shrugs letting the subject fall and closes his eyes.
The silence is comfortable for a while, just the soft murmur of the water lapping at their bodies and their regular breaths filling the air.
"And you Ichigo? It's been months since the end of the war, aren't you going to find someone?" Renji asks after a while.
Ichigo opens his eyes slowly to look at his friend. "Nah, there isn't any girl I fancy," he says, and it's the truth. Renji's arched brow tells him he's not buying it.
"I never asked about a girl," Renji says, confirming Ichigo's suspicion. "There must be someone you like," he insists.
"Nope, nobody comes to mind," Ichigo says closing his eyes again and relaxing back. It's true, there is nobody he likes right now, or at least nobody alive. And he's definitely not thinking about that. Not now.
"I think Shuuhei was giving you the eye last time he was here," Renji says, stubborn like a dog with a bone, Ichigo is sure he's not going to leave the subject rest until he's satisfied with his answer.
"Shuuhei? Not my type."
"What about Shinji?"
"Urg!"
"Urahara?"
"Don't be disgusting Renji, those guys are at least a couple of centuries older than I am. And Urahara is a lecherous bastard," Ichigo cries indignant only to be faced with Renji's smirking face. "You're pulling my leg, you fucker."
"Turnabout is fair play."
He feels like punching Renji's smug face but he has something better, "But maybe your pretty Taichou--" he begins and Renji splutters again, his eyes narrowing sharply. Ichigo has to choke back a laugh. "Since you are clearly not interested, and Byakuya is very attractive."
"And very straight, he was married," Renji says, almost a whisper. So that's the problem!
"Not so straight as you might think my friend, trust me on this one."
Renji looks at him with open disbelief on his face and sighs. "Anyway, I don't think he's your type. He's strong, but he's not bloodthirsty or homicidal enough for you." There is something in Renji's tone, something that tells Ichigo he might be more observant than he gave him credit for. But whatever it is Renji knows it doesn’t matter, not anymore. "Your type is more like Kenpachi, rough, rude and completely psychopathic. Add a bit of blue and a tattoo and you have the perfect guy for you," Renji finishes with a smirk.
Ichigo stares at him seriously, the amusement completely gone. "He's dead Renji, you know that."
Renji startles at that, his face turning serious as well. "Oh fuck, I was kidding but--"
They're interrupted by the loud beeping of Renji's phone and he scrambles out of the hot spring to answer it, completely uncaring of his nudity. Ichigo tilts his head up and stares blindly at the ceiling, suddenly feeling very tired. He knows Renji was just fucking with him in retaliation for asking about Byakuya, and he had apparently stumbled upon the truth just by accident.
He would have not said something like that if he knew.
It still bothers Ichigo.
"Damn!" Renji's loud voice takes Ichigo back to the present.
"What's wrong?"
"Some guys from the 12th Division have gone missing here, in Karakura," Renji says while he puts on his clothes and Ichigo takes it as his cue to get out of the water and start getting dressed as well.
"The 12th?" Ichigo doesn't try to disguise the disgust and hatred in his voice. He can't understand the way the Gotei-13 works but Kurotsuchi's Division holds a special place in his regard.
He would gladly destroy it with his own hands, especially since the war. And he's not thinking about that, not now not ever.
"Yes, they were investigating something under Kurotsuchi-taichou's orders. The five of them failed to report back and Soul Society is unable to reach them."
Ichigo frowns, thinking. The 12th Division is not known for making trips outside Seiretei: they help in emergencies and are trained like the rest, but that Division is more concerned with research and developing new things. It's strange that they were in Karakura, and even stranger that they have gone all missing.
"What were they investigating?" Ichigo asks, curious.
"I don't know; Kurotsuchi-taichou doesn't share information with the rest of the Gotei-13. But they are presumed dead and they have asked me and Rukia to investigate with you," Renji doesn’t appear to be more pleased with that development than Ichigo is.
"Damn! I knew sooner or later Soul Society would get me involved in their shit again." And if there is a Division he really doesn't want to be involved with is the 12th.
Renji laughs at that, "Story of your life, my friend. Now let's go, Rukia is on her way there and she won't be too happy to have her date cancelled."
Ichigo rolls his eyes and moves to the exit, Renji hard on his heels. "Tell me about it, and now she's going to be more violent than before."
"Is that even possible?"
"We're going to find out, aren't we?"
…
"What's taking you so long to heal, woman?"
Grimmjow is beginning to feel impatient and restless. She's taking too long to fix him and he doesn’t have much time to spare: those shinigami he killed before were just the beginning, there have to be more already looking for him.
"Here," she says, her finger touching a spot at the back of his neck. Grimmjow feels a small jolt course his spine at the touch, a feeling of wrongness engulfing his body, "is something I can't reject."
He takes a sudden step forward getting away from her and her fingers. "Enough!" Grimmjow snaps, turning around suddenly to look at her. She's startled and takes a step back, putting more distance between the two of them.
She lowers her hands and the field hanging between them disappears, her hairpins returning to their rightful place. "That's been there for some time," she says looking at her hands, "and there is a strong reiatsu embedded in it I can't reject."
"Never mind that," Grimmjow says. He has an inkling on what it might be and it just makes it more urgent that he leaves that place. He might not like the woman very much but she's more useful to him alive than dead, and chances are she won't stay that way much longer if Grimmjow stays at her apartment.
"I've seen that symbol before, that flower--"
Grimmjow shakes his head. "Forget about that, I'm leaving."
She looks relieved to see him gone. "Remember your promise," she says, almost a whisper.
Grimmjow resists the urge to roll his eyes. That woman is so predictable. "I will," he says and leaves the same way he arrived, moving quickly from rooftop to rooftop and opening a Garganta to Hueco Mundo.
…
Part II - Storm Clouds
Author: aviss
Pairing: Grimmjow/Ichigo
Rating: PG-13 this part
Genre: Action, Adventure
Warning: Violence
Disclaimer: Bleach and its characters belong to Kubo Tite, as everyone already knows.
Summary: While investigating the disappearance of a group of shinigami Ichigo discovers not everything they told him about the end of the war is true.
Word Count: ~2.800
Notes: I haven't forgotten or stopped working in the other story, I'm just dealing with a bit of a block there and I tried to write myself out of it… with this. Not the smartest thing to do start another multi-chapter, but well…
Storm Front
Prologue - A Storm is Brewing
Grimmjow looks back at the shinigami chasing him, his breath coming in short pants and his movements beginning to slow down. He's getting tired of this game of cat and mouse. He doesn’t like the feeling of being the mouse; he has more in common with the cat.
Behind him another two figures in black join the one already on his heels and Grimmjow curses, stopping for a second to shoot a cero. He's tired, he shouldn't be overdoing it.
But those bastards keep coming.
Under them, on the street, people walk unconcerned, getting on with their own lives completely oblivious of what's going on in the sky over them. It annoys the fuck out of Grimmjow.
"Stop there Espada," one of the shinigami shouts, "we don't want to kill you, don't make us."
Grimmjow barks a laugh. "As if you could."
He jumps forward surprising the shinigami with his sudden attack, and unsheathes his sword in the same movement cutting the annoying bastard almost in half. Good, one less pest to worry about.
But the situation is still dire, he's wounded and tired and those fuckers keep coming.
Grimmjow looks wildly around, his instinct is telling him to get away from there though he'd much rather stay and kill them all.
"Bastard!" One of the remaining shinigami shouts releasing his sword. "You're dead you fucking bastard!"
Grimmjow laughs and sheathes his sword again, pressing his palm against the sharp edge and nicking it in the same movement, a few drops of blood swelling in his hand. He has one chance and only one; he is going to take it. He waits till the two shinigami attack at once to lift his hand, relishing in their shocked expression. "Gran Rey Cero." He doesn’t stop to see the result, before the flash is out Grimmjow has already turned and left the place.
There is no way those weaklings would survive the blast anyway.
He follows the trail of a known reiatsu until he reaches an apartment block, the small houses cramped with people living their pathetically short lives.
He's barely conscious by the time he gets to his destination, blood dripping from a wound on his side and his head feeling too light. He's lost a lot of blood but luckily he knows how to fix it.
"Woman I need you to heal me," he says entering the small apartment through the window and ignoring her shocked face and blatant fear.
"Grimmjow!" Orihime gasps the colour draining from her face. She looks exactly the way he remembers her: scared and frail, eyes darting around to see if salvation will come in the way of a knight in shinning armour. "What--"
"Don't ask, just do as you're told," Grimmjow demands impatiently motioning to his wounded side. "You owe me."
She is still reluctant, he can tell. It's not just the shock of seeing him there, alive, but the fact that he's gone to ask for her help. He wouldn't if he had another choice and he's sure she knows that.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were dead, I thought all of you were dead," she finally manages to say, her voice low and almost trembling. Grimmjow is surprised at the disgust he feels hearing her. He can't stand weakness and this woman, in spite of her power, is weak.
But he needs her now.
"I said don't ask."
She's still frozen, staring at him with those wide and frightened eyes. "No," she shakes her head.
Grimmjow is on her in an instant, grabbing her scrawny neck and lifting her from the floor. He barely has the strength left in him for that, he needs to be healed quickly.
"Do it or I snap your neck like a twig, woman," he snarls in her face. And still she shakes her head.
"No. If I heal you, you'll look for Kurosaki-kun, I know you will," she says, still doing the same song and dance as before. Grimmjow almost rolls his eyes.
"I have no interest in your shinigami friend," he lies.
She's still looking at him with the same stubborn expression, frightened of him but determined to deny him help.
"Promise me," she finally says.
"I won't look for your friend," he says through gritted teeth, the pain and annoyance he's feeling almost making him choke on the words.
"I'll heal you then," she says and Grimmjow releases the woman to allow her to work.
He's not too worried about the promise, if he wants to fight Kurosaki he doesn’t need to look for him. Somehow he knows the shinigami will find him when the time is right.
…
Part I - The Calm Before The Storm
The sword is coming down at him at an amazing speed, the white glint of its steel all the more dangerous because of its beauty. Ichigo dodges at the last second, barely managing to stay upright in the slippery ice. He curses under his breath. On his other side the heavy blow from the big sword hits him at full power, pain exploding in his chest and the first drops of blood soaking through his shihakushou.
He finally loses his balance at the force of the blow and goes sprawling on top of the ice, panting.
"Damn it!" He curses at the first laughs, glaring hotly. "No ganging up on me you bastards, this was supposed to be just me and Rukia."
Renji sheathes his sword again, taking a spot on a boulder above the place where they are sparring, his mouth curved in a smirk. "Sorry Ichigo you looked like you wanted to fall; I just helped you a bit."
Bastard.
"Are you going to get serious, Ichigo? You haven't even released your Bankai," Rukia complains her brow furrowed in annoyance.
Ichigo stands up and shakes his head, a few drops of water and tiny ice crystals flying every which way. "I don't need to release Bankai for a sparring session, you dummy," he says, not unkindly. It's so good to have his friends with him there he can't be angry with them.
Even if they deserve it for stunts like that.
She pouts and Renji laughs again. "He's right Rukia it's not his power what needs to improve, is his swordsmanship." Renji jumps down again from his place, landing gently between them. "Ichigo never learned sword techniques; he just got that meat cleaver he calls a zanpakutou and began to swing it wildly. If he's still alive with no Kidou and no techniques is only thanks to that monstrous reiatsu of his and that psychotic hollow inside him. And because we like saving his arse." This last one is delivered with a smirk aimed at Ichigo and he glares in response.
"It's not as if I had time to train before, what with saving damsels in distress and killing egomaniac ex-shinigami to win a war," Ichigo protests, though he knows Renji is right. It's a miracle he has not been killed yet considering he has no proper training. It's more of a miracle he has been able to keep his hollow on a leash again after relying so much on his power during the war. "And I remember saving your arse more than once as well."
He charges at Renji before the last words are even spoken, a smirk on his face at the surprise reflected in his friend's eyes. Rukia circles them, shouting quick instructions at Ichigo as they parry and deliver blow after blow, intervening occasionally to give Ichigo a quick smack with her sword when he curses at her.
Ichigo can't remember having this much fun in a long time, the war and the reconstruction were not things he enjoyed. Now he has his friends around and time to spend with them with no pressure and no sense of impeding doom.
If there is something he misses he doesn't think about it.
"Hey, I have to take a quick shower and leave," Rukia says after some time, Renji and Ichigo sprawled on he ground panting with exertion. "I have a date tonight."
Ichigo opens an eye and looks at her, "Who's the poor unfortunate soul?" he asks smirking. Rukia smacks him over the head again.
"I'm not telling you!"
Renji laughs and pushes himself up on his elbows, "I'll look for the one who's black and blue tomorrow," he says and Rukia glares at him, delivering a sharp kick to his ribs. Ichigo barks a laugh and receives the same treatment before she jumps away from them and out of Urahara's basement. "Poor bastard, dating such a violent girl," Renji finishes staring after her, and they share a look before he collapses on the ground again, laughing.
"What about you, Renji?" Ichigo says closing his eyes and leaning back, enjoying the feeling of the warm water lapping at his body. This is also another favourite of his, Urahara's healing hot spring. Is good not having to hold back during the training with something like that around.
"What about me?" Renji sounds as relaxed as Ichigo feels, his voice floating lazily between them.
"When are you going to confess to your Taichou?"
Renji splutters and Ichigo opens his eyes to find him staring with a shocked expression. He hit the jackpot with that one, not that it was a difficult guess.
"What are you talking about, idiot?" Renji protests but Ichigo can see the colour rising to his face.
"I've seen how you look at Byakuya and the way you follow him like a trained puppy."
"He's my Taichou for fuck's sake, of course I follow him! I respect him!"
Ichigo laughs shaking his head. What he saw it's not mere respect, no matter how much Renji protests. Not after he saw how worried Renji was when Byakuya almost died during the war; the guy has been obsessed with his taichou since forever but it seems he's not ready to admit it yet.
"Whatever you say," he shrugs letting the subject fall and closes his eyes.
The silence is comfortable for a while, just the soft murmur of the water lapping at their bodies and their regular breaths filling the air.
"And you Ichigo? It's been months since the end of the war, aren't you going to find someone?" Renji asks after a while.
Ichigo opens his eyes slowly to look at his friend. "Nah, there isn't any girl I fancy," he says, and it's the truth. Renji's arched brow tells him he's not buying it.
"I never asked about a girl," Renji says, confirming Ichigo's suspicion. "There must be someone you like," he insists.
"Nope, nobody comes to mind," Ichigo says closing his eyes again and relaxing back. It's true, there is nobody he likes right now, or at least nobody alive. And he's definitely not thinking about that. Not now.
"I think Shuuhei was giving you the eye last time he was here," Renji says, stubborn like a dog with a bone, Ichigo is sure he's not going to leave the subject rest until he's satisfied with his answer.
"Shuuhei? Not my type."
"What about Shinji?"
"Urg!"
"Urahara?"
"Don't be disgusting Renji, those guys are at least a couple of centuries older than I am. And Urahara is a lecherous bastard," Ichigo cries indignant only to be faced with Renji's smirking face. "You're pulling my leg, you fucker."
"Turnabout is fair play."
He feels like punching Renji's smug face but he has something better, "But maybe your pretty Taichou--" he begins and Renji splutters again, his eyes narrowing sharply. Ichigo has to choke back a laugh. "Since you are clearly not interested, and Byakuya is very attractive."
"And very straight, he was married," Renji says, almost a whisper. So that's the problem!
"Not so straight as you might think my friend, trust me on this one."
Renji looks at him with open disbelief on his face and sighs. "Anyway, I don't think he's your type. He's strong, but he's not bloodthirsty or homicidal enough for you." There is something in Renji's tone, something that tells Ichigo he might be more observant than he gave him credit for. But whatever it is Renji knows it doesn’t matter, not anymore. "Your type is more like Kenpachi, rough, rude and completely psychopathic. Add a bit of blue and a tattoo and you have the perfect guy for you," Renji finishes with a smirk.
Ichigo stares at him seriously, the amusement completely gone. "He's dead Renji, you know that."
Renji startles at that, his face turning serious as well. "Oh fuck, I was kidding but--"
They're interrupted by the loud beeping of Renji's phone and he scrambles out of the hot spring to answer it, completely uncaring of his nudity. Ichigo tilts his head up and stares blindly at the ceiling, suddenly feeling very tired. He knows Renji was just fucking with him in retaliation for asking about Byakuya, and he had apparently stumbled upon the truth just by accident.
He would have not said something like that if he knew.
It still bothers Ichigo.
"Damn!" Renji's loud voice takes Ichigo back to the present.
"What's wrong?"
"Some guys from the 12th Division have gone missing here, in Karakura," Renji says while he puts on his clothes and Ichigo takes it as his cue to get out of the water and start getting dressed as well.
"The 12th?" Ichigo doesn't try to disguise the disgust and hatred in his voice. He can't understand the way the Gotei-13 works but Kurotsuchi's Division holds a special place in his regard.
He would gladly destroy it with his own hands, especially since the war. And he's not thinking about that, not now not ever.
"Yes, they were investigating something under Kurotsuchi-taichou's orders. The five of them failed to report back and Soul Society is unable to reach them."
Ichigo frowns, thinking. The 12th Division is not known for making trips outside Seiretei: they help in emergencies and are trained like the rest, but that Division is more concerned with research and developing new things. It's strange that they were in Karakura, and even stranger that they have gone all missing.
"What were they investigating?" Ichigo asks, curious.
"I don't know; Kurotsuchi-taichou doesn't share information with the rest of the Gotei-13. But they are presumed dead and they have asked me and Rukia to investigate with you," Renji doesn’t appear to be more pleased with that development than Ichigo is.
"Damn! I knew sooner or later Soul Society would get me involved in their shit again." And if there is a Division he really doesn't want to be involved with is the 12th.
Renji laughs at that, "Story of your life, my friend. Now let's go, Rukia is on her way there and she won't be too happy to have her date cancelled."
Ichigo rolls his eyes and moves to the exit, Renji hard on his heels. "Tell me about it, and now she's going to be more violent than before."
"Is that even possible?"
"We're going to find out, aren't we?"
…
"What's taking you so long to heal, woman?"
Grimmjow is beginning to feel impatient and restless. She's taking too long to fix him and he doesn’t have much time to spare: those shinigami he killed before were just the beginning, there have to be more already looking for him.
"Here," she says, her finger touching a spot at the back of his neck. Grimmjow feels a small jolt course his spine at the touch, a feeling of wrongness engulfing his body, "is something I can't reject."
He takes a sudden step forward getting away from her and her fingers. "Enough!" Grimmjow snaps, turning around suddenly to look at her. She's startled and takes a step back, putting more distance between the two of them.
She lowers her hands and the field hanging between them disappears, her hairpins returning to their rightful place. "That's been there for some time," she says looking at her hands, "and there is a strong reiatsu embedded in it I can't reject."
"Never mind that," Grimmjow says. He has an inkling on what it might be and it just makes it more urgent that he leaves that place. He might not like the woman very much but she's more useful to him alive than dead, and chances are she won't stay that way much longer if Grimmjow stays at her apartment.
"I've seen that symbol before, that flower--"
Grimmjow shakes his head. "Forget about that, I'm leaving."
She looks relieved to see him gone. "Remember your promise," she says, almost a whisper.
Grimmjow resists the urge to roll his eyes. That woman is so predictable. "I will," he says and leaves the same way he arrived, moving quickly from rooftop to rooftop and opening a Garganta to Hueco Mundo.
…
Part II - Storm Clouds