Evening in Las Noches

[Kamiyama Mito]

Although Haydn was not that deterred by the amount of reiatsu the man flared, he was quite impressed. It seemed as if the arrancar was not only wise, but powerful as well, which only suits a leader in this bleak world. The Hollows would easily oblige to his wishes and him being an arrancar was an added plus. It was like having someone like Aizen again, but instead of being a shinigami they have one who's the same as them. As soon as the new King's reitasu dissipated, an eerie calm washed over the entire area, like the silence that follows a storm leaving those who were caught in it in utter awe of its devastation. He was about to speak when his fraccions beat him to the punch.

"That Vizard has been pestering Haydn-sama for a few weeks now!" his fraccion suddenly muttered in indignation, speaking out of turn.

A second later, his second fraccion said something as if to continue their whining. "Yeah! And he breaks a lot of stuff in the labs and calls Haydn-sama a Gardenia!" The arrancar's squeaky voice was a bit annoying to those who have heard it for the first time. They were about to say something again but stopped as if something made them.

Haydn glared at the two, which surprised them since he hardly makes any facial expressions. "Forgive my subordinates. As they were created by my own means, they do not have the same capabilities as those created by the Hougyoku. Their mental development is rather... slow," he explained to the King, bowing in apology a bit. It's true though. After the Hougyoku was lost sometime ago, Haydn had to think of a way to create arrancar as his fraccions using an alternate method. So far, he has created most of the current artificial arrancar in Hueco Mundo. Although they still possess more power than that of their Hollow forms, they are considerably weaker than those who were created using the Hougyoku. But even so, they are stronger than naturally evolved ones. "I have ordered a few of my followers to clean up the throne room. I am also in charge of Las Noches' maintenance, as well as surveillance and security. If your ever need anything, please just tell me," and if one cue, a giant Hollow hand moved towards the hole he created earlier and as it passed, the entire wall recreated itself, repairing the hole. Haydn was sure this man would be the perfect one to lead them. As such, he will devote himself to him as his most loyal follower. After his few words, he added it in, a sign of his loyalty and respect, "Rangis-ousama."

[Sakata Saburo]

Gabriel had to admit, that reiatsu was definitely impressive. The man was an excellent choice for leader of the Arrancar; Smart, powerful and, as Haydn thought too, the same as them. With Aizen, even though he was inspirational to the Arrancar, he had still been a Shinigami. But with this man, he was able to relate to him easily.

He listened as suddenly, and a bit unexpectedly, Haydn's Fraccíon spoke up their thoughts on the Vizard that they had just been speaking with a moment ago. He frowned slightly. Speaking up like that was rude, especially if they had not even spoken in turn. Yes, he mused, sometimes Fraccíon weren't up to standards. As Haydn spoke up, he listened as he apologized for his subordinate's behavior. A much more respectable man, in his opinion.

Once he was done speaking, it was Gabriel's turn to speak. "What is your first order, Rangis-Ousama?". It was a mere question, but it spoke volumes. One could tell that Gabriel was dedicated. He would be undyingly loyal towards this King of Hueco Mundo. That was his attitude.

[Rangis Mukondo]

Rangis liked what he saw. "Well, first, if you have any strong friends, or former Espada, bring them here. Do not worry how reluctant they are. There are methods that may be used to persuade..." He smirked. "Also, I'm afraid I'll have to involve a Shinigami, my friends. I realize that this may be the last thing you which to here, but trust me, his soul is as black as ours would be...if we had any..." He chuckled. "He can be trusted, and he is essential to my grand scheme. I will give him the illusion that he has power. However, he is below you top Espada. Think of him as...Espada 5.5..."

He sighed. He knew the Arrancar would not like the involvement of a Shinigami, but this was what he needed. The man's Shikai would be incredibly important to his rule, and he was not unskilled in combat, himself...

[Kamiyama Mito]

(OOC - Sorry I couldn't respond sooner... I'm a little depressed right now... And oh, Rangis-san! Do anything you want with the Hougyoku plot! ^_^)

Haydn merely nodded in respect, choosing to conserve his energy rather than waste it in words. Truth is, he didn't like working with shinigami, but that doesn't mean he hated them. He merely chooses to align himself closer to his own kind. He knew shinigami's weren't inferior to arrancar and some of them may even be more capable, but it still doesn't change the very visible line that separates both races. He only accepted the fact that a shinigami will be working with them due to him being trusted by the King. And as such, he will have to put his trust on one of their enemy. He only wondered what Gabriel would say, however, but he somehow knew he will probably accept it. It being the king's order and all. But he can't say that all the other Espada will be happy to hear it. He'll just have to make sure they 'oblige' to Rangis' wishes even if it meant that there will be some vacancies in the Espada ranks.

"If that is your will, then I will abide," he muttered, his voice still monotonous and robotic. He wondered if he was being overly talkative and wasting a lot of his conserve energy. But there was still something that needed to be said, so he'll have to use up some more of his energy. Not wasting of course since this was something important. "Rangis-sama, our forces are still considerably small compared to the shinigami. Of over thousands of Hollows I have tried to convert, only a hundred and sixty-two were successful. My machine only has a five percent success rate of transforming Hollows into arrancar. That leaves ninety-percent of failure leading to death and a five percent probability of reverting the Hollow into a normal soul, which then subsequently dies afterwards. The chosen Hollows also have to be powerful enough to go through the process, mostly Gillian and a few Adjuchas. I have sent my forces out trying to find the Hougyoku, but alas it seems as if it was lost and could not be found." Truth is, he was hoping Rangis would know where the Hougyoku is, or more better if he has gained possession of it. The man was confident about his plan and he there was a great chance that he has links to Aizen's treasure. Having scanned and reread all of Szayel's research he knew only a small amount of the item. That and Aizen and Urahara's notes were not very informative, as if they were trying to keep the secrets to themselves.

"I control a vast portion of the Menos Forest, my Lord. I am sure I will be able to find an ample amount of Hollows, preferably a few Adjuchas Menos and Gillians. So far, I have not come across any other Vasto Lorde, with the exception of the three of us as well as the Primero and Cuarto." He had found out pretty easily that the other two arrancar were Vasto Lorde before they became what they are now. His Pesquisa can easily distinguish reiatsu which made it easier for him to track down and force powerful Hollows to become arrancar. His fraccions even, were made up lots of Adjuchas and Gillians who have reached a considerable amount of power. And something else also caught his attention, and he needed to ask. "Rangis-sama, is the shinigami going to be joining us here, in Hueco Mundo? The arrancar will tear him to shreds when they get a chance. With all due respect, even someone with your stature will not be able to guarantee a clean bill of health for him." It was true. The current arrancar and most Hollows would easily jump at a chance of devouring a shingami, given that most of them found that shinigami tasted awfully wonderful.

"And also, what of the shinigami that Vizard was talking about, Rangis-sama? Will we welcome a Vizard's pet?" he asked. One shinigami was enough, but having another one who even the king has no knowledge about was not going to stand for him. He hated that Vizard and anything hat has to do with him. But he also knew that as long as Rangis declared him as an ally, he would have no other choice but to follow his orders. But somehow, some time later, when that Vizard does decide to stab them in the back, he will be waiting for him and stab him first. But for now, he will just have to be satisfied of just watching him. As long as Rangis ordered it, he will follow, without question. "Whatever your will is, Rangis-sama, I will follow"

[Sakata Saburo]

A Shinigami. So that's what it has come to. Working with a Shinigami as well as the Vizard. Very well then. Gabriel would work alongside the Shinigami. Although, if he ever betrayed the Arrancar side, he would kill him personally. As an Arrancar, loyalty was everything. To him, those who were traitors deserved the ultimate punishment, which he would hand them. Seeing a nod from Haydn, it seemed that Haydn was with Rangis-Ousama on this. That was enough for him.

"If that is your will, then I will follow it. I will work with this Shinigami" he replied, answering the King. As Haydn spoke again, he listened and took in everything that was said. Yes the Hougyoku... A very valuable item. And very important to them. With it, they could make fully-developed Arrancar for their cause using Gillians, Adjuchas and maybe even a Vasto Lorde or two. As they finishedf speaking however, he could hear a strange noise echo throughout the corridors. Listening, he could soon make out something until soon, it became clear as day.

"NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!" came the feminine yell. Turning around, he looked to see a young woman standing at the end of the corridor with long, dark hair and tanned skin with a modified Arrancar uniform consisting of a white mini-skirt and a white tank top. She was taking a few deep breaths after running for so long but soon she straightened up and spoke. "Nii-san! Why didn't you wake me! I told you I wanted to be woken up today!" she complained. Suddenly however, she noticed the two others in the corridor and her eyes widened. She recognized one as Haydn-Sama but the other was a mystery to her.

"Who... Who are you?!" she asked, pointing to Rangis.

[Rangis Mukondo]

Rangis chuckled. "My name is Rangis...I would say I've at your service, but it would not be truth." He laughed again. This arrancar seemed to him quite amusing. "I am assuming you are Gabriel's sister? That is nice. If you must know why I am here...I am to be the new King of Hueco Mundo..." He noticed her reaction as one of surprise. "And your brother is to be one of my top Espada..."

Suddenly, a Shinigami appeared behind Rangis. Haydn and Gabriel both seemed ready to attack. "Stop." Rangis said, calmly. "This is my associate. Merk. He is the Shinigami that shall aid us." The Shinigami looked no older than 14. He had short black hair and green eyes. Rangis continued. "he has been in my service for a very long time. Thus, his life is very important to me. I hope you make it clear that he is not to be harmed..."

The boy smiled, walked next to Rangis, and spoke. "Hello there! The name's Merk! It's a pleasure to meet you two, sirs!" He took a quick bow, and stepped back. "Merk, how was your trip?" Rangis inquired. "Nothing much. I ran into a few Hollows, some Adjuchas. Took care of them right quick..." Merk was still smiling, as he fingered the hilt of his sword absent mindedly...

[Kamiyama Mito]

The screech actually seemed to halt all of Haydn's mental processes. He could recognize that voice from miles away and he groaned a bit just hearing it coming closer to them. The shrilling voice, as he believes it is a shrill, came to a stop as the female arrancar reared around the corner, breathing heavily. He only hoped Gabriel would at least tell his own sister to watch where she was getting herself into before screaming her lungs out. He decided however, that he did not need to waste his words on the woman and preferred to just keep silent as she rudely pointed her finger towards the new King. Rangis seemed to find the woman amusing, which he could not fathom how, as he chuckled a bit and introduced himself. And then suddenly as the woman appeared, the reiatsu he has failed to notice because of the woman's interference appeared before them. His fraccions reared themselves for a fight but he held them off, and true to what he suspected, it was the shinigami Rangis had told them about. He listened as the boy confidently recounted his tale of how he came to be there. Was it overconfidence? Or was he more skilled than he had originally anticipated? he thought, analyzing the new arrival with a critical eye. He seems to have no apparent scratches or small wounds on him, which already tells much of the boy's skills. He would have to take that in consideration in a later date. There were still a lot more pressing matters.

"Surprising..." was all he said as his eyes laid on the shinigami before he moved them to the King. "What of the Hougyoku, Rangis-sama?" he asked, eager to hear the Kings plan. They would need all the firepower they could possibly harness if they were to win this war, that is if they approach the problem head on. But then again, there are subtler ways to win a war, as he have read through all the data he acquired in the human world. For a race the arrancar deemed inferior, their war tactics were absolutely fascinating to read. He wondered if he should get more books from the humans. Most of them were very much informative, but he knew the possibility of using those tactics were close to null, them being already dead and all. But before his questions were answered, his fraccion chose the time to interrupt.

"Haydn-sama, Project 772 is completed. Shall we run it through the first phase?" He wondered why the arrancar would have the need of saying that out loud when he could have just sent a message straight into his head. He guessed that these arrancar were mentally weaker that their predecessors. It seems that his machine was a lot more obsolete compared to Urahara's Hougyoku. He could probably increase the necessary input, that is the amount of spiritual energy used as well as a more powerful specimen. But then again, that has a high probability of causing a catastrophe,a meltdown which he has prevented from happening for the past couple of decades, although barely. It seems the importance of the Hougyoku is extremely prevalent in all of his undertakings in trying to create a suitable amount of arrancar to defend Las Noches. Project 772 is also one of his newest experiments, wherein he tries to find a way to force the reiryoku or spirit particles to bend into a more 'aesthetic' from. Actually, he wanted to grow flowers in Hueco Mundo, not that they'd know that. After all, Project 772 didn't have the word, 'flowers' on it. Seeing as he was quite busy at the moment, he ordered his fraccion through their heads to go to it, threatening that if something goes wrong, they'll take responsibility. Nodding at him the two arrancar bowed at Rangis and Gabriel and slowly disappeared back to where they came from.

"I'm sorry for that little interruption," he muttered, bowing a bit at Rangis, before speaking again in a robotic manner. "What shall we do with Vizard and his pet, Rangis-sama?" He didn't really want to press the question, but seeing as the Vizard, who is the subject of his deep loathing, was going to be an ally, he can't help but be suspicious of their own agendas. That Vizard had also requested he do something for him, but he believed that it was still nothing of importance to tell the King about. The man was a lunatic, but it still didn't escape his mind that he was merely trying to put on an act. But then again, a spirit converter wasn't really much of a weapon. What kind of sick ideas ran through that man's mind when he thought of something like that? he asked himself. There were still a lot of things that needed to be done and said, but right now, he'll have to wait for the King's orders. Then he can see what he can possibly do with the current situation.

[Sakata Saburo]

Aurora, for lack of a better term, was suprised beyond belief when he spoke. A king? Of Hueco Mundo? There had not been a King of Hueco Mundo for decades. No, there hadn't even been one for centuries. "Yes, I am Gabriel's sister. Aurora Zapatero. If my brother is going to be one of your Espada, then I'll join as well. I'm not Espada level, but I'm still a powerful Arrancar" she replied. She was devoted to her brother. If he joined something, she'd join too.

Soon enough, a Shinigami appeared before them and Aurora jumped in surprise again before drawing her blade. However, before it could get far out of her scabbard, Gabriel put a hand over hrs to prevent her from pulling it out. "Relax, this Shinigami is with us. There is no need to attack him" Gabriel told her before he started listening to Haydn and Rangis speak. Yes, he really wanted to know what to do about the Vizard and his subordinate. He didn't necessarily trust him.

[Rangis Mukondo]

Roren sighed. "Very well, I shall give you your answers..." He leaned against the wall, folding his arms. "For the Hougyoku, no, I do not know where it is. However, I am going to pour considerable manpower into looking for it. Trust me when it comes to that, I know what I am doing." Merk walked next to him, and grinned at the two Espada. "As for the Vizard...and his pet...we shall welcome them..." He stood up, tall. "That is, until they are no longer useful. The Vizard appears to be a lunatic, and his pet is probably a high ranked official, the way he was talking. And if that is the case, I doubt he has no connection to any Shinigami. Therefore, his resolve will be weak. Too weak for my desires..."

He walked over to a window, peering out. "Also, I have a strong feeling the Vizard does not like me. Not because he dislikes Arrancar...but because I am strong. He seemed to try and laugh off my resolve. This is obviously an attempt to degrade me and my ideals. Unfortunatley, he has only succeeded in making himself less tolerable than he previously was..."

[Kamiyama Mito]

Haydn was pleased with their King's answers and it only served to strengthen his trust and respect for the man. The Vizard will only be a tool for a much more greater cause, and that, once the time is right and he is no longer needed, is to be discarded. He relished in the prospect of killing the sole individual who humiliated him over a millennium ago. He would make sure that he will suffer and feel the same sort of helplessness he endured during those times. As for the Vizard's pet, he could really care less of that person, whoever it was. He might just be the same as him, caught in Kamiyama's web. For now though, he will just have to wait for that time and obey their new King's orders until that order is to destroy the object of his loathing.

"Then, would I allow me... to get rid of him when the time comes, Rangis-sama?" he asked, his robotic tone disappearing and changing into a more sadistic one. He could care less if he used his extra energy for that question as long as the incoming answer will give him more satisfaction than anything in this world. When that time comes, he will no longer have to conserve energy, after all, the only reason to why he does this was so he could use everything he has to kill the Vizard when the time comes and he would be absolutely thrilled in ripping off the man's arms off using all the strength he could muster. That thought along was making his head go haywire with hundreds of ideas in inflicting the worst pain possible and his hunger was starting to grow. This always happened when he was way over his head. The thoughts of eating flesh was starting to cloud his mind, the old hunger starting to overrun his thoughts. This was not a good thing, and with people here, it was the worse side of him he could possibly show. He needed flesh and he needed it fast. The only meat in Hueco Mundo is stored in his palace and he really needed to go there. He clutched his stomach as a low growl escaped his lips. The shinigami in front of him was not helping at all. Shinigami flesh was the closest thing to humans but the man was a very important tool to the King. It would not be wise to devour him out of hunger. He'll just have to leave as fast as possible.

"Forgive me...," he began as his breathing started to become erratic, his tone a bit bestial and very demonic in nature. It was already starting, his gluttonous state. The part of his past which was supposedly lost comes back to give him the pain and longing of flesh and blood. He needed to get away from them. Such an embarrassing part of him that not even the Espada know anything about. He doesn't want them to know. "I... I have to attend to something urgent... I bid my leave, Rangis-sama, Gabriel..." he finished his right hand clutching his head and trying to hide his salivating mouth as he bowed at the King. His breathing hitched and he immediately disappeared via a string of Sonido, intent of getting away from their view. The only cure for this was to eat a lot of human flesh, which he has in abundance in his palace. He just hopes he won't run into an arrancar along the way or he might not be able to control himself.

(OOC - I'm out of the thread... Sorry, I'm a bit busy lately and with a splitting headache, I don't think I can reply that fast... ^_^)

[Sakata Saburo]

Gabriel and Aurora listened closely as he told them his plans, for the Hougyoku and the Vaizard. Yes, this man was definitely worth being called the King of Hueco Mundo. They would rise above all other powers, from Shinigami to Vaizard, and take the top for themselves. However, Gabriel was pulled from his thoughts as Haydn began to speak in a much less robotic tone. This was alarming. Something was changing in Haydn. And from the look in his eyes, Gabriel was pretty sure he knew what it was. Bloodlust.

He watched as Haydn ran down the halls of Las Noches to get his nourishment before turning back to Rangis. "Rangis-Ousama... I too shall leave for now. Unless you have an order for me other than the one already issued, to recruit more members, I shall be going immediately" Gabriel spoke. With a nod, he turned and left, walking down the corridor in the opposite direction to Haydn. Now, it was only Aurora, Rangis and Merk left.

Aurora watched as her brother left before turning to face the two. She stared at them for what seemed like a minute before smirking and, after winking suggestively in Rangis' direction, she turned and began to walk away, walking in the same direction as her brother, her business pretty much done here. Not that she really had any business.

[Rangis Mukondo]

Rangis chuckled a bit at Aurora's antics, before turning and sighing. He glanced at Merk, who said, "So, Mr. Mukondo, I'm assuming everything is going according to plan?" Rangis snickered. "Of course, when does it not?"

He walked over to a window. "Sometimes things seem too easy. For Espada, they were easy to convince. I didn't expect such desperation. Granted, I am charismatic, but I had anticipated SOME resistance." Merk laughed. "I know, sir, I was looking forward to it!" Merk sat on the ground, waiting patiently.

Rangis conjured up some cero in his hand, absent-minded. "Power such as this is something I take for granted. I was hoping to prove it to someone..." Merk stood up. "There's no need, Rangis-sama. We all know you're the best of the best. Especially that lady. She seemed stupefied by your mere presence. Do you always have that effect on women?" Rangis laughed heartily. "No, I generally avoid women, as most are mere pleasantries. Well, Merk, I suppose we should be getting to my new throne..." He began walking, but turned around. "By the way, Merk, what were you REALLY doing before you came here?" Merk grinned. "I knew I couldn't hide anything from you, king. To be honest, I was scoping out this castle the entire time. They never saw me coming." Rangis thought for a moment. "You've become good at hiding your reiatsu, though I'm happy you let them sense you before surprising them. Otherwise, a fight might have broken out..." He knew Merk was a great liar, and amazing at getting around unseen.

"Well, then, let's go onwards...to victory..." He walked away, and Merk lingered for a moment. "To victory..." He repeated, before looking up, and following his master without a second thought...

End Thread