Grimmjow threw his book bag over one shoulder and headed out of the library. He looked up at the stars and felt a small chill as the wind swept against his chest, unprotected by the only half buttoned white shirt. He still couldn't quite escape the style of his espada days. He unconsciously rubbed the spot on his back, where, underneath his gigai, the number six was still etched into his flesh.

Five years, he sighed, five long years in the world of the living since he'd defected from Aizen's army. He didn't regret the decision, he hated Aizen and he hated the other espada, but life hadn't been easy, at least not at first. He'd run far away from Karakura town, travelled all around the word in fact, but not for long. He soon learned that no one can exist in purely spiritual form in a physical world for any real length of time.

So he'd come back to Japan, but once the mysterious old shop keeper had set him up with a gigai and some soul candies, he'd set off again, to the far end of the island country. At least in this country, people spoke his language, but that was as far as his similarities with these humans went. He'd had to learn a lot about the ways they lived, and he'd discovered the best way to do that was with money and knowledge.

A few robberies and hustles had earned him enough to acquire all the necessary documentation to make it look like he'd been born and raised in Japan, and a few more trespasses had paid for his tuition at the closest university. He'd had no intentions of actually caring about marks and stuff, he'd just wanted to learn about human society so he could live in it, but his competitive nature wouldn't allow him to let all those weakling humans show him up, especially after he'd gotten an A on his first paper.

Now, four years after enrolling, here he was staying up late at the library trying to get his research done for a paper due that Friday. It was absurd, he thought, but at the same time, he couldn't stop himself. This was his life now, and he couldn't help admitting that at times, he didn't miss the violence. Perhaps removing himself from the darkness of Heuco Mundo had in some way, removed part of that anger and hate out of him. Or maybe he'd just gone soft.

Grimmjow shrugged off the thoughts as he made his way across campus. There weren't many others around at this hour. Another gust of wind ripped past him and he turned his shoulder into it to block its force. It was strangely powerful, almost unnatural. His instincts were beginning to kick in.

"Better to be safe." he muttered, reaching into his pocket for the soul candy dispenser.

"Oh, you won't be needing those, not right now, anyway." the chilling voice was in his ear at the same instant that the cold, strong hand was wrapped around his wrist. He hadn't even felt the Garganta open.

"This gigai must really dull your senses, you've been in it far too long."

"Then let me get out of it and we'll see who's senses have dulled, Ulquiorra." Grimmjow tried to spin to face him but the other had a painfully tight grip on his wrist and soon his arm was forced up his back and the white pills ripped from his fingers. Two others walked around to face him. "Nnoitra, Yammy, so you got tired of Aizen and decided to join me?"

Grimmjow tried not to sound hopeful or naive but some part of him was clinging to the thought because otherwise, he was pretty much screwed.

"Oh no, Grimmjow, we aren't cowards like you." the Fourth hissed.

"Oh, then I guess you're just idiots if you're still following Aizen's orders after all these years."

Yammy growled and grabbed his chin in one fat hand. His giant lips came close to Grimmjow's face, his spit and hot breath wetting his cheeks.

"Be careful what you say about your lord and master."

Grimmjow actually laughed. "He's not my master anymore."

In his gigai, the blow from Yammy was stunning and painful. After only one hit he tasted blood and lose teeth and sagged against Ulquiorra. The second hit to his gut had him coughing up blood.

"Enough, Yammy." Ulquiorra said slowly enough that the other was able to land a third strike before the order was given. Grimmjow was on his knees, his arm still wrenched behind his back.

"Why are you here?" he panted. "What do you want with me after all this time?"

"We want your number six." Nnoitra smiled menacingly before a look from Ulquiorra silenced him.

"What do you mean?" but he got no answer. Instead he was dealt a hard backhand by Yammy and released by Uluquiorra so he face planted on the ground. He lay there temporarily stunned and unable to move while the others opened the cracks.

"Gr-grimmjow!" A shrill voice carried up the hill and he lifted his head enough to see a girl standing there, long brown hair to her midrift, he recognized her from class.

"RUN!"

Uluquiorra already had his hand raised, a cero forming. Grimmjow found some last reserve and pushed himself up. Fortunately gravity was on his side as he stumbled down the hill after the girl. He heard the cero released and threw himself on her.

He was a second too late. Hot pain burned through his shirt and into the flesh of his side. He felt blood pouring out the open wound just under his ribs, but he and the girl were rolling uncontrolled down the hill. They hit the asphalt path at the end the hill painfully hard but Girmmjow didn't wait, he yanked the girl to her feet and drug her into the nearest building.

It was dark and he tugged her down corridor after corridor until he came to a classroom that was open.

"Hide here."

"Who were those people?"

"You could see them?"

"Of course, why shouldn't I?"

He looked at her harder. "Becky, right? You sat beside me all year in anthropology?"

"Yes..."

"Of course, too much exposure to my spiritual pressure allowed you to see them."

"What?"

"Never mind, stay here and don't move, they should leave you alone, its not you they're after."

He stood and headed for the door.

"But wait!"

"Shut up and stay hidden!" he ran out the door and not a second later she felt a rumble and then the hallway burst apart. She cringed beneath her desks but the three strange men indeed ignored her hiding place and pursued the blue haired student down the hall.

Chunks of plaster and brick flew everywhere, some striking Grimmjow in the back. He fled out of the building, using the dust of the ruble for cover. As he ran he pulled all his spiritual pressure into him, leaving no trace for the others to find. If they were going to find him now, it would be through a physical search and he had the advantage of knowing the territory. One thing, however, disrupted his intense concentration.

Just at the bottom of campus, a duffle swung over his shoulder, was an orange haired boy. He looked up at saw the bloodied and bruised Grimmjow running down the hill toward him and stopped dead. Grimmjow recognized him, opened his mouth in shock, and at the same moment let a little bit of spirit release. He collected himself the next instant and cursed and, as he flew past the boy, he did the only thing he could think to do: he shoved him head long into the bushes, out of sight. He wasn't a moment too soon for the espada were on him once again.

The next few minutes were a blur for Grimmjow. He knew they landed a few more blows, and that everything had gotten hazy, but he'd made it to the road and jumped into the traffic. He remembered seeing a bus barrelling toward him and he'd fallen to his knee and couldn't move fast enough.

For a second, he knew he was dead, but then the bus was stopped, bent around a slender figure and he realized Ulquiorra had saved him.

Completely confused, he got to his feet and kept running, using the cars and the accident to give the others the slip in the network of alley ways and narrow streets that made up the down town. He ran for a long time, until the university was just a set of lights on the hill, but at some point, his wounds and exhaustion won out over the adrenaline and he came to a stop in a particularly dark alley, panting and heaving in pain. He slid down the brick wall and was unconscious before he even struck the pavement.

...

So, I wasn't planning on doing another story but here it is...promise of Toshiro and Rangiku to come, but Grimmjow is the star of this one and Ichigo will be around lots, just haven't exactly decided which direction to take him yet. More details on what happened five years to be revealed as the story unfolds. Reviews welcome, and feel free to let me know what directions you would like to see the story go, not promises, I already have some done, but suggestions are always welcome. Thanks,

Riza.