The Noveno Espada: Szayel Apporo Grantz - Chapter 1

Kadis sighed as she knocked on his door. "Master Szayel," she said. "If you don't get up and attend the meeting, Lord Aizen will be upset." When he didn't reply, she pushed open the door and stood above him as he laid in his bed. "Master Szayel!"

The pink-haired man groaned. "What is it?" he muttered, curling up under the covers.

"Get up. The meeting, remember?" She placed her hands on her hips.

In a flash he was up. "Shit! Damn girl, why didn't you remind me earlier?!" he yelled as he pulled on his pants.

"I tried! You wouldn't listen." She sat down on his bed and watched as he rushed around the room, getting ready. She giggled just a little.

"What's so funny?" he growled, looking around frantically. "Damn it, where's my shirt?"

The healer and maid of Las Noches smiled as she picked up his shirt from the floor and handed it to him. "Nothing, Master Szayel. Forgive me."

"Yeah, sure..." He put on and picked up his glasses before settling them on his face. He turned to her. "I look a bit of a mess, don't I, girl?"

She nodded, staring into his golden eyes. "A bit yes. Let me fix your hair a bit." She stood and, as he grumbled, smoothed his hair back into how it's supposed to be. "There, much better. Now hurry, Master Szayel, or Lord Aizen will be really mad."

The pink-haired man nodded and took her hand. "If I remember, you're supposed to come to, girl. Come." He dragged her down the hall to the main meeting room of Las Noches. He pushed open the doors and looked around. He sighed. "The last one, huh?" he muttered to himself as he let go of the lesser arrancar's hand and took his seat. "I'm late...sorry, Lord Aizen..."

Kadis went off to the side and watched as the meeting took place from her spot on the wall. The meeting carried on as usual. Lord Aizen speaking about his plan, Grimmjow making a fuss, Tousen threatening to harm the Sexta Espada, Lord Aizen declining, Grimmjow leaving, while everyone just sat and watched. It was the same as every meeting they'd had since her arrival. She wondered if they ever got tired of the same thing over and over again.

After the ritual-like events finished, Lord Aizen looked over at her and waved her over. She blinked but complied, making her way towards the former Soul Reaper. "Y-yes, Lord Aizen?" she asked, a bit timidly.

He smiled and pat her head. "Don't be scared, my dear," he said. "I'm just giving you your tasks for the day." he looked towards the rest of them and dismissed them with a wave of his hand. They all got the message and left quietly. "Now, my dear...your task today is quite simple..."

"Yes, what is it? I'm here to serve you..."

He smiled. "Today your job is to clean up all of the Espada's rooms. I've noticed they've become quite...disheveled as of late. Be finished in time to make dinner." He waved his hand. "Dismissed."

She curtsied and hurried quickly from the room. She shut the doors behind her and slid to the floor, sighing a little. "His spiritual pressure is so overpowering..." she muttered.

A shadow loomed over her and said, "That wasn't even half of it..." a familiar voice said. She looked up to see the Sexta Espada above her, his blue hair tousled and his usual scowl on his face.

"M-Master Grimmjow," she said, standing up quickly and dusting off her skirt. "I didn't notice you there, I-I'm sorry." She was nervous around him, mainly because she knew of his temper and how easily he could be set off.

"Tch...stupid girl." He grabbed her by her hair. She let out a cry. "Do you think you're better than us just because Lord Aizen loves you? Because he treats you better than us?! Huh?!"

"N-no...Master Grimmjow..." She winced as he pulled her hair. "P-please, stop...it hurts..."

"Shut up, you stupid little bitch!" he snapped. "You're no better than any of us! You're just a weak little nothing, hired to clean and heal us!" He slammed her into the wall. "Try to heal that!" He laughed and shoved her into the wall again.

Kadis coughed and spit up just a little blood. "P-please..." she gasped hoarsely.

"Grimmjow, what are you doing?" asked a cold, emotionless voice.

The Sexta Espada froze and turned slowly. Ulquiorra stood there, his hands in his pockets, watching him. "U-Ulquiorra..."

The pale Espada held up a hand to silence Grimmjow. "You realize how upset Lord Aizen will be when he realizes what you've done...I'll have to report it to him, you know."

"B-but..." He tried to protest but Ulquiorra silenced him again.

"Drop her. And meet me in my room in five minutes. If you obey, I won't tell Lord Aizen about this...incident..." He glanced over at the lesser arrancar trying to catch her breath. "Save my room for last, girl...Grimmjow and I will be...busy...for a while..." He turned and walked away, not waiting for her to reply.

"Tch...you got lucky..." Grimmjow muttered before heading towards his own room, hastily.

Kadis coughed up a bit more blood before swiping her hands over herself a few times. They glowed a bluish color as the wounds healed, both internal and external. "G-geez..." she said. "He didn't have to be so rough..." She stood and headed towards the first room, Aaroniero's. She knocked on his door and glanced around when he opened it. It was dark on the inside. She knew the reason. Aaroniero liked the dark, but that wasn't the entire case. When he was touched by light, his true form was revealed. And she didn't like his real form too much. "Master Aaroniero?" she said when she entered his room.

The door shut behind her. She turned and saw him hiding behind the door. "You're here to clean up, right?" he asked. He removed his mask to show the face of a Soul Reaper that had been killed years ago. He'd taken on the form of that Soul Reaper after he devoured the Hollow that had killed him. "Get to work then," he said, laying down on the bed.

"Yes...Master Aaroniero." She glanced around the messy room and got to work, picking up dirty clothes and dusting off surfaces, making space for other things. She put everything back in it's place.

After an hour, she was done. The ninth Espada looked around and nodded. "Alright, alright. It's satisfactory. You can go. He placed his mask back on quickly before waving her away. She nodded and left.

The same process continued through Yammy's, Zommari's, Halibel's, Nnoitora's, Grimmjow's, Stark's, and Barragan's rooms. She sighed and finally made her way back towards Szayel's room, knocking on the door. "Coming in," he said. She pushed open the door and looked around. It looked different from this morning. There was no mess and things were in place. She glanced at him, sat over at his desk, in disbelief.

"Master Szayel, your room..." she said.

The pink-hair Espada turned to face her. "I figured that you' be tired after cleaning everyone else's mess of a room. Consider it payment for waking me up this morning." He shrugged and pointed at the bed. "Lay down for a bit. Take a break."

"B-but Master Szayel..."

"Just do it. You need a break every now and again too. Besides, you look tired. I'll wake you up in an hour."

She hesitated still, but only for a moment before she laid down on his bed and closed her eyes.