Title: temporarily unnamed series, Chapter 2- Complications
Pairing/Characters: Ulquiorra/Orihime, hints at Yoruichi/Soi Fong, other suprise characters...
Rating: PG-13 for this chapter
Warnings: AU, brief mentions of drugs and illegal activities, no spoilers, but it obviously helps if you know who the Espada are
Summary: Aizen, overlord of a major crime syndicate, orders his most faithful servant, Ulquiorra, to guard his daughter, Orihime...

A/N: Still need a title for the series. Any suggestions? Also, un-beta'd again, I apologize. I found someone kind enough to volunteer, but I'm snowed in today and incredibly bored, and I got sick of looking at this and just wanted to put it up and be done with it. Any mistakes are completely my own.
Once again, this is not meant to reflect any real crime syndicate. Don't do drugs, stay in school, etc.

Comments/criticism will earn you internet hugs and eternal gratitude.




Ulquiorra dozed lightly on the couch that night. The past few years had taught him to remain always alert, even in his sleep. Orihime had tried to offer him some plush blankets and pillows, concerned for his comfort, but comfort was of little importance to Ulquiorra. He rose after only a few hours of rest, early the next morning.

He quietly went to Orihime’s room and took a quick look inside to make sure all was as it should be. Sure enough, she was still asleep, face placid and chest rising and falling slowly. Before he could help himself, Ulquiorra noticed how delicate she looked with her long strands of hair fallen haphazardly across her cheeks. He quickly checked himself and left the room.

In the kitchen he put on a pot of water for tea and sat at the table. He decided to use this free time to plan out the things he had to accomplish in the coming days. Even though he had been put on this new assignment he could not slack off in his other duties within the syndicate. About a year ago he had been put in charge of overseeing a major syndicate “investment” in an underground gambling ring. It was his job to meet with its proprietors, review the income records, and deal with anyone who may become a problem.

While he pondered how to get these things done without Orihime’s presence, the girl in question appeared before him, rubbing her eyes and smoothing down her hair.

“Good morning, Ulquiorra-san, did you get some sleep?”

He nodded politely back at her as she yawned and stretched her arms above her head.

“Yes, thank you, Orihime-san.”

Orihime noticed the fresh pot of tea and sat down to join him. As he reached to pour it for her, there was a loud knock at the front door. Orihime jumped up in surprise.

“Who could be stopping by this early?” she wondered out loud.

Ulquiorra wondered the same thing. Cautiously he strode to the front door, careful to keep Orihime behind him. When he looked through the peep hole all he saw was a patch of bright teal. He nearly groaned aloud; it could only be one person, and not someone he was keen on seeing.

He opened the door and frowned at the man on the other side. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques stood with his hands shoved in his pockets, a scowl of annoyance on his f ace. He was slightly older than Ulquiorra, and half a foot taller. He was also broader, and more obviously muscular. His most notable characteristic was his bright teal hair, which matched his icy eyes. Ulquiorra thought it made him look like a stupid teenage punk, but the younger members of the syndicate admired it. Grimmjow had been in the syndicate nearly as long as Ulquiorra, and had also risen in the ranks quickly. Still, he was discontent with his position, and made it known openly that he aimed to take Ulquiorra’s place as Aizen’s favorite. The two seldom saw each other, but when they did the tension was palpable.

The two men stared at each other defiantly for a moment before Orihime broke in. Stepping out from behind Ulquiorra, she smiled nervously and addressed the stranger politely.

“Um, good morning…do you…need something?”
She recognized his black suit as a mark of the syndicate, but she had never met him before, and it was highly unusual for a stranger to show up at her apartment unannounced.

Grimmjow’s eyes drifted from Ulquiorra to Orihime. He looked her over from head to toe unguardedly. Orihime was still in her night gown, though she had thrown a discreet robe on top. Even still, the outline of her curvaceous form was still visible. Grimmjow’s face took on a manner of fake charm, but his eyes betrayed his less-than-chivalrous thoughts. Orihime shrank back from the look, shielding herself behind Ulquiorra once again.

Grimmjow addressed himself to Orihime first, making sure to flash her his best attempt at a charming grin.

“Good morning. Your father sent me to speak to Ulquiorra. I hope I am not disturbing you…”
He gave her a bow, his eyes sweeping over her body yet again.

Ulquiorra caught Grimmjow’s lascivious looks and felt anger rise in his chest. Grimmjow knew better than to disrespect Aizen’s daughter so brazenly. He turned and looked pointedly at Orihime.

“We have business to discuss. Please wait in the kitchen.”

Orihime moved away gratefully and disappeared. Ulquiorra looked back at Grimmjow fiercely, as the older man’s eyes continued to follow the girl as she left.

“Well, what it is?” Ulquiorra demanded tersely through clenched teeth. Grimmjow looked back at him smugly.

“Nice assignment you got here. Too bad a little bastard like you wouldn’t have the guts to take advantage of such an…opportunity.”

Ulquiorra restrained himself, though he longed to teach the punk a lesson in respect. He chose to ignore the insult for the moment, lest things should become heated and Orihime overhear them. Instead, he once again demanded to hear Grimmjow’s message.

“Aizen-sama wants to see you at headquarters for a meeting this morning. He said it’s important, but won’t take long. Bring the chick with you.”

He flashed Ulquiorra one last menacing look, turned abruptly, and was gone. Ulquiorra closed and locked the door behind him, only too glad to be rid of Grimmjow’s infuriating presence.

Ulquiorra returned to the kitchen and found Orihime at the table with her cup of tea. She looked relieved to see him alone, but also anxious.

“We have to go see Aizen-sama today. Get dressed.” He addressed her in a quiet, commanding voice, and left the room silently.

*************************************

Ulquiorra and Orihime arrived at syndicate headquarters a short while later. The building was large, but discreet; from the outside it looked like any other abandoned warehouse. The only clue to its real identity was the groups of black-clad men standing guard around the perimeter.

Ulquiorra led Orihime in by a side door that led directly to Aizen’s private chambers. A guard admitted them, bowing to them both. Inside, this section of the building was decorated in a minimally ornate style, which indicated power and wealth without being gaudy. Ulquiorra led the way through several winding hallways, until they found themselves outside the great oak doors of Aizen’s office. Here, Ulquiorra was admitted quietly, and Orihime was instructed to wait outside with a guard.

Ulquiorra stepped into the office and the doors shut behind him. Aizen sat behind his desk, his face composed in a studied calm, though his nerves were belied by a slight furrowing of his brows. To his right stood two women, both exuding elegance and strength in their black tailored suits. Ulquiorra had not met these women often; in fact, they only seemed to appear when there was a matter of great importance at hand.

These women, Shihouin Yoruichi and Soi Fong, were Aizen’s top infiltration agents. They were often sent on missions to spy on other syndicates. Masters of disguise, martial arts, and deception, they used whatever means necessary to get information. They had never failed a mission, which is why Aizen prized them, despite their being the only high-ranking women in the syndicate. Both women were slender and beautiful, though the men tended to leave them alone. As the rumors went, the two women were lovers.

“Ah, Ulquiorra, I’m glad you received my message. I’m pleased to hear everything is going well. You remember Yoruichi and Soi Fong, yes? They have just informed me of some very grave news.”

Aizen turned to Yoruichi, indicating for her to relate her news to Ulquiorra. She did so, fixing him with a steady glance.

“For the past month Soi Fong and I have been working to infiltrate the Yamamoto syndicate’s laboratories. We had heard rumors that they were developing a powerful new street drug.”

Here she stopped, and Soi Fong took up her narrative seamlessly.

“You have doubtless heard of Kurotshuchi Mayuri, Yamamoto’s top scientist and developer. Just recently he finished the prototype of this new drug. It is a hallucinogenic more powerful than anything on the streets now. We don’t know its exact properties yet, but our top scientists are analyzing it as we speak.” She finished with a small satisfied grin, which mirrored Yoruichi’s.

“Doubtless, Yamamoto has already learned of the drug’s disappearance,” Aizen continued, his voice calm as usual.
“Our disagreement will certainly escalate now. I know you are not involved in this division of our affairs, but this affects your new assignment. I want security higher than ever. Any resources or manpower you require will be at your disposal immediately.”

Ulquiorra considered for a moment. This would very likely increase the risk to Orihime; Yamamoto would stop at nothing to retrieve such a valuable item. Still, unless a specific threat appeared, it would remain safer to keep the guard to a small, trusted group.

“Thank you for the warning, Aizen-sama. I will think this over and make all the necessary arrangements.” He gave a small bow, and Aizen nodded approvingly.

“Very good. Now, I would prefer if you took Orihime home as soon as possible. I do not like her to spend too much time here.” With this, Ulquiorra was dismissed.

***************************************

Meanwhile, Orihime had been left in a small, bare waiting room with one guard, who seemed to have forgotten she was even there. He was carrying on a jovial conversation on his walkie-talkie, completely oblivious to everything else. As the minutes ticked by Orihime grew bored and restless. She decided to sneak out, just to get a glass of water, and be back before the guard noticed. She quietly got up and exited the room, without even a glance from the guard.

Once in the hallway, she found she had no idea where she was going. The hallway was long and winding, and each turn looked identical to the next. There were unlabeled doors here and there, but she didn’t dare enter.

Finally, she emerged from the last hallway into a large, open room which was part of the main section of the warehouse. It was partially filled with random piles of equipment and boxes, stacked haphazardly here and there. It was mostly quiet and deserted, but Orihime noticed a few men milling about in the distance. Orihime knew she wasn’t supposed to associate with the men, and decided to turn back before they noticed her presence.

Just as she turned back into the hallway, a young man was coming out of it, and the two nearly collided. As Orihime stumbled backwards he quickly grabbed her arm to steady her. She was grateful, but when she looked up at him she felt a blush spread across her cheeks. The young man holding onto her was undeniably handsome. He was tall, angular, and lean, but Orihime could feel his strength in his grip. He wore the simple black shirt and armband of a low level recruit, and looked to be about her own age. But it was his face which captured her attention. His face was lean and angular, like the rest of him, set with deep amber eyes. His hair was a messy shock of bright orange, similar to Orihime’s own. He looked down at her with both surprise and concern.

“I-I’m sorry,” he apologized quickly, releasing her arm.

“Oh no, it was my fault, I didn’t look where I was going.” She blushed even deeper and looked away from his searching eyes.

He looked her over for a moment. She was not wearing a uniform, not to mention that women were rarely allowed within headquarters. She obviously didn’t belong here, yet she looked far from suspicious.

“Um, are you…lost, or something?” He asked hesitantly, and rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit.

“Actually, yes. I was supposed to wait for someone, but I got bored, and this place is so big…” she admitted, hoping he would not ask for details.

The young man visibly relaxed.
“Well, that’s no problem, I can help you out. My name is Ichigo.” He held out his hand to her.

Orihime was not used to such informality. She called very few people by their first names, especially strangers, and she was more used to bows than handshakes. He obviously didn’t know who she was, but she found she preferred it that way. His informality was comfortable and refreshing. She took his hand and shook it warmly.

“I’m Orihime.”

***********************************

It was about this time that Ulquiorra came out of his meeting. He returned to the waiting room to retrieve Orihime, but found only the guard, still chatting away obliviously. Ulquiorra’s heart raced. He strode over and knocked the walkie-talkie from the guard’s hand violently. His mind was spinning in a mix of panic and rage. The guard looked up and paled when he saw who stood before him.

“Where…is the girl?” Ulquiorra demanded through gritted teeth. The guard continued to look at him dumbly.

“Um, she was here…a minute ago…I think.”

Ulquiorra had no time to deal with this. There would be punishment, but it had to wait. First, he had to find Orihime as quickly as possible. Racing down the hallways, he hoped she had merely wandered off, instead of any of the other unpleasant alternatives. If anything had happened to her, the consequences would be grave. He pushed those thoughts from his mind, and continued to stalk down hallway after hallway.

Finally he heard voices in the distance, and headed towards them. As he came out of the hallway he caught sight of Orihime’s bright hair, and then the man standing beside her. The two were chatting casually, and even from this distance Ulquiorra could hear Orihime’s laughter and see the smiles on both of their faces. Well, she was unharmed, but that only lessened his anger somewhat. This was unacceptable, for Orihime to be fraternizing with a member. Especially such a lowly member, he noted, looking the man over. He didn’t know who he was, but made a mental note to find out. He stopped a short distance away, not trusting himself to keep his temper under control if he were face to face with the stranger.

“Orihime,” he called sharply.

She turned quickly, with a guilty look on her face. She made a quick apology and farewell to Ichigo before turning away and walking over to Ulquiorra. Ichigo continued to watch her as she left, and Ulquiorra gave him a piercing glare before turning away. He strode down the hallway silently, with Orihime in his wake.

He did not notice as Orihime turned back to give a small wave and let out a wistful sigh at the retreating form of Kurosaki Ichigo.

-End chapter 2-