With the Captains suffering casualties and heavy injuries on their side, all hope seemed to be lost... until Shinji Hirako appeared, along with the rest of the former Shinigami. Though the aid of the Vizards certainly helped to draw the battle in their favor, it seemed Aizen's power alone proved too much for them.
Sablya Tigra felt Xuan hit him in the chest...hard. He actually skidded back a good deal and looked at the Arrancar bitterly. The Vizard shot at Xuan again. This time he aimed a punch right at his face. There wasn't an awful lot more he could really do. He outstretched his right arm and it neared Xuan's pale face.
As time seemed to slow down in the split-second before what he thought would be contact. The hollow felt a crack form on the mask. Shit, Alexei was fighting back. He shook his head in anger as he tried his best not to let his host resume control of the body.
Damn you Alexei, let me handle this.[/i]
No Sablya! It's my body and I deserve control of it."[/i]
Xuan moved his head to the side to avoid the punch, but snarled as it grazed his cheek. He could feel it past his hierro, and a small red mark appeared, evidencing the miniscule damage. The white-haired boy reached forward to grab at the hollow's neck when the mask cracked.
"No," he hissed, "Hold it longer or I'll--"
The hollow shook his head. Xuan's eyes narrowed.
That was when the door opened, Szayel stepping in with a hand on his sword. He was quite ready to retaliate should it be required, although that was Xuan's job. Besides--no need to let the hollow scuffle his clean clothes, now was there? He smirked coyly. "I can't wait to study these results, Hollow-kun. Are you truly in control? Do you feel in this state? The last one seemed not to, but it was only the girl, not her hollow."
He couldn't resist asking questions! So much to do, and all the time in the world. Ah, but the sooner he finished, the sooner he could start new experiments. "Xuan-kun, restrain him if he continues to attack."
"Hai," Xuan murmured, glaring at the boy and readying his whip again. He'd tie the boy with that. That would teach him.
Sablya Tigra was angry as his punch missed. The crack had stopped forming. He was currently suppressing Alexei with all his might. He couldn't react when Xuan grabbed his neck. He bared his teeth. More of the mask began to form; now three quarters of Alexei's face was hollow-mask. He spat on the floor beside him. He knew how this was going to work.
Then, Szayel came in. He had a hand on his sword. What the hell was that for? Did he not trust his goddamn underling to do the damn job? What an arrogant piece of work this man was. It was really hard to look him in the eyes. Truly, truly hard to look at that bastard.
Are you truly in control? Do you feel in this state?
"FUCK YOU, YOU PINK-HAIRED FUCK. Oh, I'm sorry. Does that answer your question. Because I really hope it does. If I don't cater to your every rim my host will get very mad at me. Wait, I don't give two shits."
Then Xuan further restrained him. That probably wasn't necessary. But, oh well it didn't matter. The pain of the blades wasn't all that bad. After all, it was Alexei's body.
"Oh goodie. Are you going to take my blood and fluids so you can piss yourself with content? You make me sick."
Szayel watched in a sort of awe as the hollow lashed out. Vulgar language, coupled with sarcasm, he had little regard for his safety. Perhaps the hollow expected that Szayel wouldn't let his host die, and simply didn't care.
"Poor thing," Szayel crooned, pursing his lips in a clearly mocking gesture. "You'll learn your role eventually - fortunately for you, it doesn't take much intelligence to learn your part. This is my castle. What you think holds little improtance."
As Xuan tightened the chains around Alexei's wrists, he smirked. It was quiet, nearly inaudible to anyone except Alexei--or in this case Sablya--when he said, "My, what a change in pace. Heheh."
"Oh goodie. Are you going to take my blood and fluids so you can piss yourself with content? You make me sick," he spat. Like an angry cat.
Szayel smiled at him, and, very calmly, brought his hand up to Alexei's cheek. For a moment, his gloved hand remained, and Xuan was very confused. It remained, and the two arrancar were quiet, Xuan with a sort of paralyzed awe and Szayel with a soft smile coupled with a hard gaze.
Then Szayel slapped the vizard, despite the mask. He brought his hand back to his hip and tilted his head so that his bangs hung over his eyes. When Szayel spoke, it was sternly and slowly, as though he were speaking to a disobediant child.
"Address me properly or not at all, Hollow-kun. Do you know my name?"
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
Sablya got smacked. Right in the fucking face. He let out a vehement snarl in the direction of Szayel. He really didn't appreciate getting hit. And by such a little bitch like that pink-haired fuck? No! He was not standing for that. Not now. Not ever. In retaliation he began to thrash about within his little prison of Xuan's whip. He was pissed and didn't notice the blades digging deeper within his skin. Szayel then had the audacity to ask if he knew his name.
"Yes, I am aware of your rather idiotic name. Your mother didn't love you much, did she? I mean, shit, to give you a name like "Szayel". Lord. Did she at least kiss you first? You know, before fucking you over like that."
With that he settled down back into his little prison and looked around with pure boredom.
"Hurry up and run your damn tests...I haven't got all days."
The hollow started to thrash furiously, trying to wrench his arms apart. Xuan smirked a bit as he simply pulled back a little to keep the vizard in the same place.
"Yes, I am aware of your rather idiotic name. Your mother didn't love you much, did she?" Szayel allowed him to continue, deciding that he would tire himself out. "I mean, shit, to give you a name like "Szayel." Lord. Did she at least kiss you first? You know, before fucking you over like that."
The hollow settled down, and the pink-haired arrancar calmly asked, "Are you quite finished?"
"Hurry up and run your damn tests," the hollow conceded, "I haven't got all day."
"Did you think I was waiting for your permission?" Szayel laughed. He refused to let the hollow run things on his terms - he would not postpone his tests, but he would certainly berate the hollow. "There are formalities to be observed, Hollow-kun. I don't even know your name. How am I to label my samples?"
He stood, and started walking towards the open door, the laboratory. He didn't care if he was turning his back to the hollow; he was harmless as it stood. The laboratory was a short walk, and he was there in moments.
Xuan attempted to follow as well, though roughly shoved at the hollow with the handle of his whip. "Keep walking."
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
Sablya blinked hard and looked at him. Oh, so Mr. Pink Hair was getting mouthy now was he? What the fuck was this guy's problem? Call the lights, cue the sarcasm, the star was about to appear.
"Oh no, I've still got quite a bit more left in me you scrawny little fuck. Wait...no...I'm receiving word from my on-location correspondent that I'm quite finished."
"There are formalities to be observed, Hollow-kun. I don't even know your name. How am I to label my samples?"
"My name is Sablya "S-A-B-L-Fuckyou-Y-A" Tigra "T-I-G-R-A." There, label it with that."
After that, the scrawny guy walked away. Which was good; he didn't like him anyway. However, the prick with the whip started pushing on him. How rude? He had to keep walking; there wasn't a way out to be seen. Sablya Tigra looked back at Xuan and hissed as they walked. He wanted it to be clear there was animosity between them. It appeared they were going back to the lab. Oh goodie, more tests.
The hollow predictably responded rudely, cursing every now and again as he did. His name, Sablya, was of little consequence. But Szayel didn't care - the hollow was complying even if he was rude about it. That was a step in the right direction.
As they entered the lab, Szayel gestured to the table. Xuan lead Sablya to it and shoved at him again. "Get down."
"On your stomach," Szayel clarified, turning his back to the hollow. As he prepared his other syringes, he looked to Xuan. "And untie him so I can adjust his restraints."
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
Sablya felt Xuan push him onto a table. He really couldn't shove him up on it with the whip around him. Feeling like a smartass, Sablya Tigra turned his head slightly to look at Xuan. You could still see part of Alexei's mouth under the incomplete mask. A smile spread across it.
"If you want me on a table, you'll have to be me a drink first."
However, he complied. It was easier than having to fight Xuan and Alexei at the same time. Alexei was fighting back a lot. No new cracks had formed on the mask; but, Sablya didn't know how much longer he was holding out. If he cracked before the samples were obtained he would have to go through this again. And dammit, this was just boring. He laid on his stomach and became listless.
"If you want me on a table, you'll have to buy me a drink first," the hollow said with a smile. Xuan was about to strike him out of sheer disgust, but the boy got down before he could. Once again the table formed shackles around the captive's ankles.
"This is boring."
"Lucky you," Xuan hissed with a small snicker. He started to roll his whip around the vizard's wrist - but he did it the opposite direction that he had in the first place, until the vizard's hands were free. As soon as he finished, he reached forward to grab the vizard's hands so he could pull them in front of the captive hollow.
Szayel turned around.
"You seemed to have calmed down," he noted with a smirk. "Now, let me ask again: do you feel pain?"
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.