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.
Alexei was in his cell. He had been locked up since Szayel had ran his tests on him. Xuan had cleaned the blood of the walls but it still smelled of blood and violence. A small grumble in his stomach only further reminded him of how he hadn't been given any food for a while. Sitting down, he felt himself get more and more miserable. Shaking his head, he exhaled slowly and wrapped his arms around his knees.
"Szayel-sama, if you can hear me, do you think I could have some food? Even some bread and water would be vastly appreciated. I'd gladly do anything you need me to."
He pushed himself up the wall and just closed his eyes. Taking deep breaths, he could barely contain his dread. He figured Szayel-sama was probably busy and had simply forgotten to send him food. Yes, the Arrancar was an extremely busy man who had many things to juggle. He just didn't have the time.
Sure enough, Szayel did hear the vizard, and knew that he was sitting miserably in his cell. Perhaps the boy was not aware of how his hollow behaved, and didn't remember being told he would receive little food or water. Perhaps he could throw the boy a bone and let him eat, or perhaps he could explain to the boy that he'd done nothing to deserve food. But the latter option seemed to be a hassle.
Faintly, he recalled that Xuan had left the castle just a small time prior to conduct some research of his own on the hollows outside of Las Noches; and Szayel was almost finished reconstructing Lumina and Verona. Almost. It would take a little longer for the cells to finish growing. He scowled, pulling a microphone from in front of his computer and slipping it into his ear.
"Bread and water, is it? Starch has little nutritional value and water will eventually dilute your electrolytes," he said, falsely cordial. He supposed he could entertain himself by toying with the vizard while he finished looking over the boy's samples. They were quite similar to Kaki's, but less stable. "And what makes you think I have the time to make my way to your cell to deliver your meal? Are you so eager to begin the next round of testing?"
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
"Bread and water, is it? Starch has little nutritional value and water will eventually dilute your electrolytes,"
Alexei heard the Arrancar's voice from nowhere and looked around curiously. He didn't know how this was working. He supposed Szayel could hear everything within his domain and could communicate with every part of his domain. The young Russian decided that he could simply respond and Szayel could hear him.
"I'm sorry for my ignorance on nutrition Szayel-sama."
"And what makes you think I have the time to make my way to your cell to deliver your meal? Are you so eager to begin the next round of testing?"
"Again I'm sorry Szayel-sama. I figured you had an underling who could do it for it. Or maybe some kind of food delivery system."
He sighed and closed his eyes again. He couldn't apologize to Szayel anymore. However, he could always ask him a question.
"How is your research going Szayel-sama? Do you need more samples?"
The vizard began to look around - typical. But Szayel merely smirked to himself. The boy apologized twice, explaining that he figured that Szayel could transport food to him with other means. Currently, Szayel was down to one fraccion, and in the meantime that one fraccion was on a brief leave. While Szayel could also just as easily transport food to the vizard, he simply didn't want to.
He frowned - the boy had yet to experience hunger anyways.
When the boy asked if Szayel needed more samples, Szayel couldn't help but cackle. "Ahahahahaha! No, Vizard-kun, I don't need more samples," he laughed, resting his forehead in the palm of his hand. Perhaps he would feed the boy - but only after he toyed with him a little more.
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
"Ahahahahaha! No, Vizard-kun, I don't need more samples,"
Alexei shrugged and sat back down. He wasn't upset or anything. The young Russian was simply being himself. Maybe he would take a nap. Either way, he felt the urge to apologize to Szayel. He felt bad about simply taking up space and not being of any use to this busy Arrancar.
"Szayel-sama, I'm sorry that I can't be of more use to you. If there's anything you need done just let me know."
With that, the Vizard closed his eyes and rocked forward slightly. He didn't know what else to do. There really wasn't anything else to do. His head hit the wall and he just looked up. He looked at the white ceiling. Everything was white. Even his skin was almost ivory. He looked down at his pants and saw the contrast in the blackness of them. He needed to get some white clothes like Xuan and Szayel had. He should ask Szayel for some.
Once again, the boy apologized, and once again, Szayel chuckled to himself. He raised his head and then rested his chin in his hand, staring at the screen as a series of flashing lights and beeps began to flash and sound. Xuan had returned - good. That meant that they could begin. He would feed Alexei after the next experiment, he decided.
It took several moments for Xuan to find the proper door, and he knocked. Szayel waited a moment, trying to see if Xuan would ask permission, but it seemed a knock was all the white-haired boy would offer without prompting. Not a problem, necessarily. Just irritating. He covered the microphone with his hand - unnecessary - and said, "Hello, Xuan-kun."
"It was a failure, Szayel-sama. The hollows I tested died before I finished," Xuan explained quietly, staring at the screen.
"Perhaps you should find more efficient means of incapacitating your subjects," Szayel said with a smirk. He rarely had a problem when subduing unwilling subjects, but Xuan was not to use Szayel's resources. Besides, that boy was too proud to ask for the use of Szayel's facilities. The most he would do is take a scalpel. "In any case, our friend is very eager to continue being tested. Go get the wabine serum from the laboratory and wait outside of his room for me to let you inside."
Xuan left without another word. Of course, the "wabine" serum was the drug he had tested on those vizard in the human world, and it was very dilute compared to the one he gave Ningai. It would not last long, as it was only really a trial, and Szayel would have to adjust the serum more. He took his hand off of his microphone, allowing the boy to hear him speak again.
"It would appear Xuan-kun is back! He'll be at your cell shortly."
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
Alexei stood up and looked up at the ceiling. He wondered what he would have to do for the next stage of experimentation. What would Szayel have him do next? He had already taken samples from him. Next would probably be...wait. Alexei had no idea what would be next step in experimentation. The young Russian did not know that the next step was about to begin.
"It would appear Xuan-kun is back! He'll be at your cell shortly."
"Thank you Szayel-sama. It'll be nice to see him again."
Alexei did not register the bitterness Xuan had felt towards him. He honestly believed that the Arrancar was kind towards him and harbored no ill will. The Vizard was wrong and had no idea of what was about to unfold.
Szayel couldn't help but smirk. Perhaps the boy was masochistic - or just hopelessly naive. Xuan clearly hated the boy, and would likely be rough. Szayel didn't mind - he would watch from the comfort of his desk and step in only if it was absolutely necessary.
"Oh? I wasn't aware that you were fond of Xuan-kun."
A statement which could be easily misinterpreted. Perhaps the boy thought Xuan was bringing him a meal? Wishful thinking - as Xuan approached the door, Szayel opened it.
The white-haired arrancar stood outside the door, his whip draped over his shoulders rather than tied around his waist. He had blood on his uniform, as well as on his face and in his hair. His whip no longer dripped, but gleamed red in some places. "Get up and hold out your arm, Vizard."
Xuan couldn't help but smirk - he would be beating that hollow into submission. As he stepped inside, the door closed behind him, leaving the pair alone in the white room.
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
"Oh? I wasn't aware that you were fond of Xuan-kun."
"I'm fond of everyone Szayel-sama. Xuan-san is included in that."
He turned his head as the door opened. He gave a small smile as Xuan entered. The white-haired Arrancar seemed to be covered in blood. Had he been off killing things? Humans? Hollows? He would have to ask him. The Russian gave a small bow to the smaller Arrancar and widened his smile.
"Privet Xuan-san. Nice to see you again. Who pissed you off?" With that he chuckled to himself. It was quite obvious that whoever pissed out his good friend Xuan was going to get hurt. The Russian obviously did not know that he himself easily pissed off Xuan and was thus about to get hurt. The scar on his chest was proof of that. He, however, didn't register this. Alexei wasn't the smartest.
"Get up and hold out your arm, Vizard."
Alexei happily complied and held out his arm to Xuan. He didn't know what he was about to be injected with. Sablya Tigra was about to take hold as soon as this serum was injected.
"Oh?" Szayel laughed as the vizard claimed to be fond of everyone. So the boy was naive then. In time, that would likely change. Not that Szayel was in any rush, it was a pleasant change of pace to have such a willing test subject. And unlike Xuan, he didn't particularly want a struggle.
"Privet, Xuan-san. Nice to see you again. who pissed you off?"
"Well, you see, lots of creatures piss me off," the white-haired arrancar said, sticking the needle into a vein on the vizard's arm. He grabbed onto the vizard's wrist with his free hand and twisted just a little further than what was necessary. "Weaklings, women...you."
He removed the plunger and stepped back, carefully removing the whip from his shoulders. "Try not to struggle too much. If you die, Szayel-sama won't be happy."
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.