Grimmjow led the way as soon as he found a large tree hidden in the darkness, even in daylight. His paws pounded into the snow as he dashed past Ichigo leaping elegantly, and smoothly without fault up top on a large branch. Ichigo found a branch directly opposite Grimmjow and landed with grace the best he could, considering he could barley climb trees as a Werewolf.

Ichigo glared at him, he knew something was up. "What's going on? I don't like how that Panther was staring at us." Grimmjow stared at him almost with no emotion and let out a sigh.

"That's because he and his whole pride are going to try and kill us both." It pained him to say, despite how long he'd spent with them they would just slaughter them both if they wanted to.

"How do you know this?" Ichigo inquired, staring at him curiously with big chocolate brown eyes.

"He's part of my pride. They won't stop until they kill both of us. They know I've abandoned them and their ways as soon as he saw me with a Werewolf, someone outside the pride." Letting all this out felt almost like a weight lifting off of his body, that was permanently glued to him. But the rage only built up inside him, for what he knew they would do.

"Why did you leave?" The Werewolf before him was still throwing questions at him like it was nothing, but he could see in those eyes that it wasn't like that. He knew it was hard for him to say, but how far could he go?

"They're stupid, ignorant fucks. The lot of them are completely hooked on the idea that only they should be together. If anyone goes against even one rule, no matter how flawed it is, they die. Go against any of them you die. If you are even seen with someone outside of the pride you die. That's why I left. As soon as I found you I decided I wasn't going to fake being something I'm not." He felt free, Grimmjow was finally free. He knew it must be what a small bird would feel when they're finally freed from a cage. Instead of being locked away forever they finally feel the wind through their feathers and feel alive again. They would feel as though life would be worth living, and they could do anything and overcome whatever life throws at them. They would chirp and sing just loving everything that would be in store for them. Being able to be with others of their own kind, and live the way they want to. Freedom would mean everything.

"Why didn't that guy go after you? You say you die if you're seen with an outsider, so why didn't he kill you as soon as he saw you?" Ichigo's eyes wondered out past through the darkness of the trees to see various animals huddling into hollowed trees and nests, getting ready for the cool winter night to come. It was getting dark and the snow become less bright as the redness of the horizon turned darker and darker.

"I'm their pride's leader, that's why. Even as leader I can't change what they all want, they'll just gang up against me because they know I'm too strong to face alone. They're going to play nasty. It wouldn't surprise me if the whole pride chases us down." Ichigo sounded irrated by his reply. Why him? Why did he have to be dragged into this? But he knew it wasn't Grimmjow's fault, it was that thing inside him. It was the reason he was even in this mess.

"So I'm just being pulled along, I have no say. I can't even stick up for myself against them."

"With them, it's either kill or be killed. So if you want say something go ahead, but you'll die in the process. They won't listen to reason." Grimmjow's eyes glided over to Ichigo just looking at each other for a moment as though he felt sorry for the boy. He felt sympathy. But Ichigo didn't know why and planned to find out why.

"No wonder you left the bastards, but why do you want to help me?"

"You'll be dead before you know it with that thing inside you killing all those people. I know what it's like being in the situation you're in. Quite often when I first turned into a WerePanther I blacked out only to be surrounded by dead bodies, I couldn't stop it. I knew I was in control, but I just couldn't stop. I don't want others to suffer that fate. You're going through something similar but you're different, you have some whacked out shit happening to you, that's far different than any Were creature has faced before and I'll help you, no matter what it takes." All of Ichigo's questions were being answered, but it felt unsettling. He was on the verge of killing him, possibly choking him to death. Yet why was he being so empathetic?

"Why, are you telling me all this?" He asked, sounding confused.

"You deserve a little explanation at least after what happened back there. You told me stuff that actually hurt to say. Just think of it as being equal for now. I'm not sure I'll ever tell anybody the whole story of my past." Just by remembering the images of his past, made his heart burn in agony. The thought of his mother screaming and screaming when being burnt alive, all those dead bodies absolutely ripped apart as though it took nothing. All the blood soaked snow. It hurt more than Ichigo knew.

"Okay, thanks, I guess." The wolf replied lazily, still a little off in his own world wondering if he would ever be able to get rid of the thing inside him or if he would just be a monster forever.

"Get some sleep. Those sick fucks are going to be on our ass tomorrow, and I don't want to be half asleep while in a life or death situation." Grimmjow said this aggressively, he really did hate his own pride with a passion. It didn't surprise Ichigo after all he told him, and he felt a little safer with him anyways. But then a thought set adrift within his mind.

"You never told me your name. What is it?"

This made the panther smile deviously at his question and replied before turning away to get rest for the next day. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

Once Ulquiorra got the news from Szayel Aporro-Granz he was inwardly jumping for joy. He seethed Grimmjow with every fibre of his body, and he finally had the chance to become leader and kill him once and for all.

"I'm taking charge. Szayel, if anyone objects to this tell me. I will settle it normally with a fight to the death. Spread the word; report back to me once you have done so. Everyone will meet in our circle in the middle of the territory. " He said this giving orders like a military commander, having the belief he was in charge and no one could do anything about it.

"Yes sir, I'll gladly do so. Maybe I'll get to dissect Grimmy's brain once we've succeeded as well." The Panther replied all too happily.

"I don't care what you do with that piece of trash, just go and inform the pride."

With a nod the pink streaked panther left to tell the rest of his exciting news. Not many of them liked Grimmjow to begin with, but they knew he was too powerful to go against one on one, and so they knew they'd attack him together.

Several minutes later, no objections were made and Ulquiorra was quite pleased. Sitting atop their cave, he spoke in a monotone voice setting out the plan for his fellow WerePanthers.

"Tomorrow at dawn we will set out and kill Grimmjow, as you all should've heard, he has betrayed us. He abandoned us for some Werewolf, and we will destroy the both of them. We won't be able to defeat him in a one on one battle, that's why I will be sending you all out in groups of two or more. Aaroniero Arruruerie, and Nnoitra Gilga will leave as soon as dawn hits, next Starrk Coyote, Lillinette, and Barragan Louisenbairn you will make sure nothing has happened to the first group and if something has you will then be the ones to kill Grimmjow and the Werewolf. Next will be Zommari and Harribel, you will do the same this is just as a precaution. Szayel Aporro-Granz hopefully if all goes to plan; you will be the one to collect the bodies. I won't be far behind the whole group, if anything goes wrong someone must report to me instantly. If we fail to kill these two it will only disgrace us. Our law must not be challenged by trash such as Grimmjow." And with that he pounced off the cave and walked inside followed by the pride. They all respected him, they all knew he was powerful, and they all knew they would win. There was no stopping Ulquiorra.

Here's the next chapter! I decide to update earlier than usual but I hope you enjoy, and sorry if Ulquiorra sound too robotic towards the end. I couldn't figure out how to word that other than what I've done to explain what was going to happen for their strategy.