Chapter Four: What Happens in the Company Stays in the Company
Grimmjow plopped down at his desk with a huff of irritation, slinging his bag onto the ground without giving the slightest damn what was in there. God damn it he was angry. That b*****d always had to be so ******** smug. It sickened Grimmjow to the core how egotistical and arrogant Sosuke Aizen was. The man radiated self confidence and malicious intent towards anyone he meets. That only served to irritate the blonde even more. His eyes narrowed as he took out his previous sketch and set it in front of him as a reference. He took out clean paper and a pencil and began drawing a design for the sketch he had ******** up yet again in Aizen’s eyes. He would never be good enough for that son of a b***h’s standards.
Nnoitora poked his head over the top of his cubicle in front of Grimmjow’s. He had been curious to see how the meeting ended, and could tell by the displeased look on Grimmjow face of what Aizen had said. “Oi, he turn ‘em down again”, he asked quietly, tipping his head to the side. It made him almost upset that their b*****d of a boss was too much of a stuck up a*****e to be nice to people, especially Grimmjow. Halibel always told him that he just pretended to hate Grimmjow’s drawings; that it was a game to see how long it would be before the blonde cracked. Leave it to Aizen to be that much of an a**.
Grimmjow glared up at Nnoitora in irritation, not in the mood for people to be bothering him. He saw the almost sympathy in the black haired man’s eyes and it only angered him more so than he already was. “What the ******** do YOU think, b*****d,” he snapped at the black haired man. He looked down once again and resumed his drawing. His shoulders were tense and drawn up as he worked, his posture completely stiff and rigid.
Nnoitora frowned down at the blonde and rested his chin on top of the cubicle divider. “I’ll take that as an ‘I’m not happy, so ******** off’,” he commented dryly as an attempt to cheer up the unhappy blonde, “Don’t listen to that ******** untalented p***k, though... He doesn’t know jack s**t when it comes to art. Halibel swears up and down that he secretly likes them too.”
A snort was met in reply. “I highly doubt that,” Grimmjow said through gritted teeth, concentrating on his drawing, “Now will you ******** off? I’m busy, dammit.”
“Fine. Jeez.” Nnoitora ducked back down in his cubicle and continued his own work. He would be nice for now and not push the blonde’s buttons. He’d been through enough hell today, so he’d willingly give it a rest... just this once.
Szayel poked his own head above his own cubicle divider on the other side of Nnoitora. He smiled apologetically down at Grimmjow. “I apologize for angering you earlier,” he said quietly in his own attempt at cheering up the down trodden blonde, “I was out of place to make such comments.”
Grimmjow snorted and paused in his drawing to look up at the brunette. “It’s fine,” he said after a moment with a sigh, “I just get... touchy about the money subject...” He frowned lightly at this, reflecting for a moment back on his childhood. “Never had much as a kid,” he said quietly looking down at his drawing, but not seeing it was he spoke, memories rushing through his mind. “Mom died when I was young... Lived with my stepdad and my half sister until I graduated... It was just us... We had few belongings and made well with hand me downs.”
Szayel nodded lightly. “You never told us this before,” he said softly, lightly surprised the blonde had mentioned this at all. He had never been the type to share his feelings or his past. The blonde was always so reserved and quiet that it was surprising to hear more than a ‘******** you’ or ‘Piss off’. “I don’t even believe you mentioned your sister before now... Wait, take that back. You have mentioned her a few times, now that I think about it. I just never cared to pay attention.” He gave a light shrug of his shoulders at this. “What is she like?” His tone was respectfully courteous as he asked about the blonde’s sister.
“Loud, annoying, talks constantly, has to butt into everyone’s life, and childish to the max,” Grimmjow recited without the slightest bit of hesitation, causing a bead of sweat to roll down the back of Szayel’s head, and Nnoitora’s as he popped his head over his own cubicle to listen. “She’s got... damn, I don’t even know what color hair she has since she dyes it so often... Last time it was brownish blond. She’s got grey eyes, a pink scarring across her nose and a jagged scar down the middle of her forehead, between her eyes. You’d know her right away if you ever saw her. She’s in college now as well.”
Nnoitora snorted lightly in amusement at the blonde’s not so subtle description of his sister. “What’s she studying in college?” He wasn’t really that curious, he just wanted to make the conversation flow a bit smoother. His colleagues were both socially awkward so normally he had to be the one to start conversation or keep it going.
“Law,” Grimmjow answered with a frown, “God knows why... I fear for the judges she’ll work with.” He rolled his eyes as he thought of his idiot sister as a lawyer. The thought did not stick in his mind no matter how long he thought about it. His sister wasn’t the type of person he thought of when he thought about lawyers.
The brunette gave a light snort of amusement. “You’re such a nice brother to your poor sister,” Szayel remarked dryly.
“I know, ain’t I?” Grimmjow once again focused on redoing his drawing. That is, until someone stepped out of their cubicle and told him that he had a phone call. The blonde’s eyes furrowed in confusion before he reluctantly picked up his phone, tapping the correct button to connect the call. He didn’t know of anyone knowing how to reach him at the company. Then again, he thought dryly, it was most likely some of his co-workers playing a practical joke. “Hello?”
“GRIMMY!”
Grimmjow jerked the phone away from his ear at the sharp, piercing, high pitched voice of the woman he knew too well on the other side. Said woman he’d just been talking about a few moments before with Szayel and Nnoitora. His furrowed brows, closed eyes, and distasteful expression clearly portrayed his irritation. How the hell had she gotten his work number anyways? “Nel, don’t scream into the phone, dammit.”
“I’m sorry, I’m just so excited you answered~!” The voice of the exuberant girl on the other end of the phone line was content and quite happy, as you could tell through her voice.
“How the hell did you get this number?”
“Through the manager of the apartment complex you live in. He told me the number last time I was there!”
“So, why the hell are you calling? I’m ******** working here!” God, why NOW of all times did his idiot half sister have to make his life miserable? Didn’t she have college to be worrying about? Or perhaps actually finding someone that WANTED to put up with her? Call him an a** all you want, but the blonde couldn’t help but get irritated by the childishness of his half sister.
“Oh, how rude~! I’m checking up on you silly!” Of course she was, but what was the catch? “AND, it’s due time for me to visit you. I’ll be coming over tomorrow evening to stay for a while!” And there it was.
Grimmjow was silent for a moment before registering her words in his mind fully. “YOU’RE WHAT,” he screeched loudly as he stood up from his chair, causing it to topple over. The loud cry caused most heads on the floor, whether in cubicles or just standing around, to jerk in his direction at the loud cry. Most dully wondered what someone had done to piss off the blonde now.
Laughter was his reply on the other end of the phone. “I won’t take no for an answer Grimmy,” the girl said with flitting tone, “Tomorrow evening, then! See you then, Big Brother~!”
Grimmjow gaped at the phone, mouth hanging open as a dial tone met his ears now. That did not seriously just happen. His teeth grit after a moment and he slammed the phone down, seething with silent anger. As pointed glances found him, he glared at the curious and confused faces. “What’re you all looking at?!” People quickly adverted their eyes or scrambled off to avoid provoking the blonde’s deadly wrath, which all knew wasn’t smart. Grimmjow righted his chair and plopped down in it, slamming his head down on his desk in frustration.
Szayel looked down at the blonde with an apprehensive look. “Erm, let me guess, your sister,” he asked slowly not wanting to piss off the man any more than he seemed to be already. He watched silently as the blonde fumed, face down against his desk.
Grimmjow was silent for a moment. “Yes.” His tone was sharp and biting.
Nnoitora blinked a few times. “So what’s she up to now?” She had to have done something to irritate the blond man like this. He normally didn’t get upset for no apparent reason, so there HAD to be something amiss.
“She’ll be arriving tomorrow evening to stay with me for god knows HOW long.” The blonde straightened himself and glared over at the other two. Oh how he hated when his sister pulled random trips like this out of no where on him and thrust him into things last minute. He despised it deeply and had told her multiple times to quit doing it. Did she ever listen? No.
“Then I’m guessing the reason you’re angry is because she planned this spontaneously?” At the glare sent at him, Szayel’s question was confirmed and he ducked behind his cubicle before he said anything else to set off ‘Pantera’. Pantera had become Grimmjow’s nickname long ago, back when he started working for the company. He and Nnoitora had gotten into an argument and started fighting in the office. Everyone had described the blonde’s movements as quick and graceful, like a panther. Since their boss also had a knack for using Spanish names and references as part of their company, Panther had been translated to Pantera. Since then, the name had stuck to the blonde like glue.
“Ya know, Grimm, ya have really shitty luck,” Nnoitora drawled boredly as he laid his chin on tops of his folded arms, “’Specially t’day. What else could go wrong?”
“I swear to god, if you jinx me, I’ll kill you,” Grimmjow hissed in irritation, glaring at the black haired man with a fire in his eyes. Nnoitora ducked back down into his own cubicle and Grimmjow huffed before going back to drawing.
---
“Oi, have some s**t fer ya’ t’ take t’ Aizen,” Grimmjow’s rough voice said in irritation. He was finally finished with the new sketches and needed for them to be taken to Aizen for approval. Pft, he thought, like that’ll ever ******** happen. Regardless, it had to be done and it was; which was why he was currently on the phone with Ilforte and D-Roy who seemed too swamped to do anything. Edorad was on short leave of absence for a bad car accident, Shawlong couldn’t because he had to watch his niece that evening, and Nakeem was helping Halibel with her errands since her Fraccion were gone. Finally, Grimmjow grit his teeth and hung up on the two morons he called his Fraccion. “Fine”, he barked quietly in irritation, “I’ll take it myself.” With that, Grimmjow grabbed up is things and stalked out of his work building.
Fifteen minutes later, Grimmjow stood outside the factory building that he needed to be in to deliver the sketches. He slipped open the door and headed inside quietly and cautiously. The factory, no matter how many lights were turned on, still crept him out at night. He slowly ascended the stairs, leading up to the normal level of the factory. He called out a swift “Hello”, receiving no answer in return. He went deeper into the factory and hid behind a few things when he noticed a room full of computers and a few people. He could see images on the screen he didn’t understand. They were maps of the human body, though it wasn’t a normal human body. He could hear the conversations of the men inside. One scientist stood up in front, pointing at the screens. Grimmjow heard the words hollowfy and death and his eyes widened. He back tracked and cussed as he knocked something over, causing multiple heads to turn his way. He took off through the factory at light speed, hearing the footsteps of the people in the room coming towards him.
Ulquiorra’s eyes narrowed as a familiar head of blond hair disappeared. He was paused at the doorway. “He’s here, Gin-sama”, he said calmly, “Shall we start the process?”
“Yes”, Gin replied leisurely as he sauntered over to the pale, black haired man, “Sosuke wants him dead and ready for the hollowfication process. You know what to do. Ulquiorra. Kaname. Kill him.” He snapped his fingers at the last bit.
Ulquiorra along with another dark skinned man nodded their heads in recognition to the command. The dark skinned man had slightly long black hair in dred locks. A visor was placed over his eyes as the man in question could not see anything at all. Both he and Ulquiorra wore nicely pressed white suits with black accents. The black man pulled a gun out of one of his pockets and took off the safety; Ulquiorra did the same. The two headed off quickly through the factory to stop the blonde before he got too far ahead and escaped.
Grimmjow was leaned over, hands on his knees as he gasped quietly for air. He was trying to get to the exit, but couldn’t find his way back out. All the machines looked the same and he couldn’t figure out which route he had taken in. He pressed into one of the machines as he heard footfalls. He stopped breathing as they neared his hiding place. His eyes widened as one voice called, a voice he recognized from the office.
“Who’s there? Speak up; we won’t shoot.”
“Ulquiorra, you ******** idiot, it’s ME”, Grimmjow hissed out, not moving from his spot, “Grimmjow!”
Ulquiorra frowned lightly. “Why are you hiding behind that machine”, he asked in his customary monotone voice, raising his gun to shoot if the blond came out.
“Because one, you idiots were ******** chasing me. Two, you’re pointing a ******** gun at me right now, ********. I may act like an idiot part of the time, but I’m not a half wit nor am I ******** stupid.” He knew Ulquiorra was on the other side of the machine, and he KNEW the ******** kept a gun. He could hear earlier when he cocked it, so he knew it was loaded and he very well knew it was probably pointed at him. “Now look, all I’m here for is to give Aizen my sketches. That’s IT. I don’t care what the hell you guys are doing here, and I ain’t gonna’ blab about it either. Once I leave here, my lips are forever sealed. Now quit pointing that stupid gun at me and let me give these sketches to Aizen and get the ******** out of here.”
Ulquiorra and Kaname both looked over at each other and nodded, lowering their guns in fake compliance. “All right”, Ulquiorra state in a monotone, “You can come out now.”
Grimmjow sighed in relief and moved to step out, only to duck behind the machine again as shots were fired. He swore and took off running through the factory again at light speed, not stopping, even as he dropped the sketches. Ulquiorra swore quietly as he and Kaname ran after him. When Grimmjow reached a tunnel area with pipes that led outside the factory, he quickly ducked inside them, scurrying through them to try and find a way out, knowing there was an end somewhere. Ulquiorra, having seen the blond duck inside, flipped the switch on the pipes to flush them out. Grimmjow stopped at the end of the pipes, realizing there was no way he could survive the thirty feet drop to the ocean below. His eyes widened as he heard the sound that filled his being with dread. He barely had enough time to turn before he was hurled with a force out of the pipes by water and sewer, crashing down thirty feet below.
Ulquiorra nodded over at Kaname, though afterwards he found himself feeling a bit stupid as the blind man could not see it. “It is done”, he said in his usual monotone as he stared at the piping that led outside the factory, “Grimmjow Jeagerjaques is dead.”
