Arc 2 Ch6 The Ulquiorra Chapter Part 1

...

He idly fixed the hat on top of his head, the annoyed expression on his face hidden away from the green-haired +Espada's view.

He wasn't sure why she insisted he wear the god-awful excuse of an unnecessary birthday gift. Or why she insisted on gift-giving in the first place...

"Nel." Ulquiorra called out seriously, not remotely earning the hollows attention, her gaze fixated on the tv screen she'd stolen.

"Hmm?" She questioned distractedly as she watched the strange human's body expand through Black-Magic.

Another term he'd learnt from her.

"No more birthdays. It's getting ridiculous."

"Uhha," She nodded her head, clearly paying attention as she scooped another handful of the savoury snack into her mouth.

"As long as we understand each other," Ulquiorra sighed as he turned to face the screen, mimicking the others actions.

He watched idly as the new character on screen quickly transformed into fire.

"So cool!" Nel remarked with glee as she watched, literal stars in her eyes as she watched the new character make his introduction.

Ulquiorra promptly moved a hand towards his eye, intent on peeking into the future-

Nel snapped her hand onto his, her vice-like grip cracking a bone as she turned a steely gaze onto him.

"Don't even think about spoiling this one." She glared.

Ulquiorra blinked, slowly lowering his arm before he responded.

"Fine. But if this character dies, I am not consoling you."

Nel blinked back, her nose twitching the slightest as she considered his words before turning her eyes back towards the screen and then to him.

"... Fine," She agreed with a solemn look. "A fair compromi-"

"You're lying, again."

Nel nodded and promptly turned back towards the screen.

Ulquiorra sighed before turning his gaze back towards the screen. Only an hour to go before he could finally get back to watching Grantz's little experiment, without Nel getting upset.

Again.

Of course that was the moment his birthday was thankfully interrupted as a third presence suddenly filled the room. Ulquiorra's mind somewhat hopeful it was Lord Groban with a new mission as he slowly turned around towards the source of the reiatsu burst. Nel's head less then a second slower as it copied him, herself expecting Harribel to finally show up, albeit fifty minutes earlier than usual compared to the previous events she'd invited her to.

"...What the fuck did I just walk into?"

Ulquiorra blinked at the sight of the shinigami he'd stabbed in the chest, his brow furrowing immediately as his eyes widened.

Nel on the other hand, proved to surprise even him as she didn't immediately start asking the stranger questions, for he was without a doubt a stranger. Instead, for the first time in centuries, freezing up, a startled expression appearing on her face as she opened up her mouth. "Eep! Aiz-" Only to abruptly stop, her head tilting the slightest towards him.

He certainly didn't need to be told twice. He immediately got onto his feet, his hand ontop of his zanpakuto as his body got into a ready stance.

"How did you get into my private chambers?" Ulquiorra questioned calmly, his eyes narrowing as Nel slowly edged backwards behind him, a strained smile on her face.

Aizen Sosuke tilted his head the slightest at his question.

"I got lost..?" He questioned, one hand rubbing the back of his head as he eyed the decorations, all naturally given to him by Nel, before snapping back towards them. The look in the dangerous beings eyes causing him to tense. Ulquiorra could, for some unknown reason, feel his hand minutely shake as he stared at the shinigami. Unsure of what to do or say... For if one could so easily make it through to him... Even Grantz couldn't do that without permission...

"Any of you seen a cat?- Nel! You're an adult!" The yell caught the two Espada's flatfooted, Nel even more so by the far more startled reaction.

Ulquiorra was pretty sure he'd never seen her freeze up before...

"What? Grantz didn't try to kill you this time?" Aizen suddenly remarked, a hand on his chin as he tilted his head again.

"Grantz tried to kill you?" He turned towards her, eyes narrowed as his reiatsu suddenly filled the sealed room, the temperature turning ice-cold. "When?"

Nel snapped her head between the two, her hands raised just before her as a sweat drop formed on her head. "Um... yes? Sort of? But it was a really long time ago-"

Ulquiorra didn't waste so much as a second as he disappeared, the brief bloodlust that leaked from him practically knocking the breath out of both of them.

...

I stared at the Espada. One hand idly rubbing the clearly still working prison link that connected me to Yoruichi... Which meant Neko-gami was currently fine... Ish. I'd, against Shunsui's better wishes, unlocked the seal enough to allow the woman to use her reiatsu, on the off-chance shit went sideways... As it clearly has.

Not to mention Yoruichi's face at the time had been priceless.

I idly wondered if Shunsui regretted deciding to come with me on my scouting mission...

"So... You clearly know who I am." I remarked, eyeing the Espada, idly noting she was in her humanoid form.

Nel blinked twice as she considered the question.

"Yes..?"

I nodded before walking further into the room, idly taking Ulquiorra's previous position and promptly sitting down.

Nel stared at me for a second, before slowly taking a seat beside me.

"Is this Ulquiorra's room?"

Nel nodded uneasily as I hummed in response, it certainly explained why I couldn't hear Aizen's voice anymore, I could still feel the Espada's lingering reiatsu, even in his absence, my gaze taking in the paintings that made up-

The moment my eyes landed on the screen, my jaw unceremoniously dropped.

They were watching One Piece.

"... You know he-" I started the moment I noticed which character was on screen.

Nel slapped me, before immediately covering her mouth, her eyes widening in horror at the action. "Ohmhgahd! Idintmentod-"

I blinked at the surge of words, not understanding a single thing.

When the clear reaction she expected out of me didn't come, the Espada slowly lowered her hand from her mouth.

"Sorry!" She remarked, much more clearly this time. "Force of habit! Ulquiorra spoils everything."

"You... You realise I am not your Aizen right?" I remarked with a hint of amusement, completely missing the second point, as I leaned the slightest on one arm.

Nel spent a second to think over the words before she shrugged, though her shoulders certainly dropped, her stance no longer radiating discomfort as she seemed to actually relax.

"No ones anyone's anyone anymore... " She remarked, a brief look of pain filtering through her expression.

"Deep." I remarked, missing her expression's shift entirely.

Nel seemed to take the word in stride as she nodded.

"So how did you get here? If you don't mind me asking. Even... The Aizen I knew would've had trouble getting here.." She remarked vaguely, her hands gesturing towards the room.

"... I literally got lost on my way to Huaco Mundo..." I answered honestly.

I am not sure how long it was until Ulquiorra came back, not like I knew how to leave this space, but for those few minutes, the two of us simply continued to stare at each other, both of us completely out of our depths, both of us waiting for the inevitable craziness that filtered our new worlds to catch up.

...

Hope you enjoyed! Don't forget feedback!

And to those looking forward to Ichibe's chapter... It'll be a double interlude with him and Yamamoto. Likely after chapter 7.