Still With You (Colin)

HAN:14 REI:21 HAK:22 SEI:22 BUK:21 HOH:26

Colin had known that if he wanted greater power, he would need to hunt in the Menos Forest. Here, there were Gillians and Adjuchas enough to sate his hunger. And he had fed like a madman the first week. Every Hollow he had stumbled across had been challenged, summarily trounced, and consumed. Hundreds of Hollows consumed within a matter of days. They had just flocked to him at first, fighting him either singly or in groups. After a few days, though, the numbers had thinned and they’d fled. And then he’d had to get creative about his hunting – luring them into traps, making himself appear weakened and wounded, setting them upon each other. It had been just like old times, when he’d still been a Gillian and had only just begun to regain his sense of self.

But it hadn’t been enough. He had felt slightly stronger, sure, but it was nowhere near the kinds of leaps and bounds he’d made before ripping off his mask. If he wanted to attain greater strength, he needed to find stronger meals. He needed to find a Vasto Lorde or an Arrancar. He had gone into full stealth mode after that. No one suspected he was capable of just disappearing. After all, before he’d joined Angelis he had taken great delight in strutting around Hueco Mundo completely naked. But you didn’t become a skilled manipulator if you were always in the thick of things. You learned the necessary skills from the shadows. It was only once you mastered them that you could emerge into the light and make a spectacle of yourself.

He had been a ghost amongst the trees – visible for less than a split second, leaving behind a creeping feeling of dread in those who were (un)fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of him. He had searched far and wide within the forest, growing more and more frustrated as time passed without a single Vasto Lorde or Arrancar stumbling across his path. He had constantly reminded himself to be patient. Yes, time was of the essence if he wanted to pull the crumbling armies of his Queen under his own banner. But power was not something one obtained overnight. He simply needed to wait it out – he would find them eventually.

It was nearly a month into his hunting that he finally found a Vasto Lorde. She was a willowy, beautiful thing that was practically human in form and considerably shorter than him. He had licked his lips and stepped into her path, looking directly at her. His clothes had long since been ripped to shreds and discarded by this point. And he had ceased walking around in his Arrancar form, perpetually in Resurrección. She had immediately been intrigued by him, if a little wary. With a little Plata Lengua, a little chivalrous attitude and a little luck, he had her following him around like a little puppy – head-over-heels obsessed with him. She was happy and not alone for the first time in ages. He had shivered with power and delight as he’d ripped open her throat with his teeth while he had fucked her against a tree, swallowing down her gurgling and blood. He had stripped the flesh from her bones in a matter of hours before consuming the organs and bones as well. He’d been right. He needed to seek something that was above himself in some way if he wanted to become stronger.

After that, he had come across a natural Arrancar. The beefy humanoid thing towered over him, making him think it had probably been an impatient Gillian. He had cut deeply into one of his legs moments after discovering the Arrancar – purposely weakening himself to lure it into attacking him. The plan had worked brilliantly and after a fairly brief battle he had feasted upon the Arrancar’s carcass just like he had the Vasto Lorde before it. The surge of power was pathetic in comparison, but it was a start. As soon as he had finished, he’d gone searching once more. After finding the first two, it was suddenly much easier to find more of what he wanted – more Arrancar, at least. They ranged from Gillians to Adjuchas generally, but that was alright for now. He knew he would come across the ultimate prize soon enough. It was out here; he knew it.

For weeks, he searched for it. He consumed Arrancar after Arrancar, losing count as he went. The number didn’t really matter. He wouldn’t reach the heights he sought with their carcasses. They merely served as stepping stones for the true conquest. He was patient. He was methodical. And eventually, he found it – a Vasto Lorde Arrancar. He had been trembling as he stepped into its path. This one was so powerful, so far beyond him. And it had been an Adonis of a male – nearly as tall as Colin, well-built, gorgeous hair the color of burnished bronze, and piercing blue eyes the color of summer skies in Scotland. Its mask fragment covered its mouth and was shaped like an eagle’s beak. He had immediately grinned as he looked into Adonis’ azure eyes.

“I’m going to kill you,” he had said softly. Adonis had smirked and laughed before mocking Colin. What had followed was the most intense and devastating battle in Colin’s six centuries as a Hollow. They had torn apart the surrounding land for at least half a mile in every direction. Trees had been reduced to splinters or ashes. Long furrows had been dug in the earth. It had been exhilarating and glorious and utterly satisfying. And at the very end they had stood face-to-face, panting and shaking with fatigue and pain – both covered in cuts and bruises, with at least a few broken bones between them. There was enough energy in each for one last strike. It was just a question of which could bring himself to do it first.

At last, Colin had dropped to his knees – seemingly defeated. And Adonis had struck without thought. As Adonis had leapt at him, Colin had smeared blood in one palm and pulled together the last dregs of his reiatsu for one final cero. He had thrust his hand forward and fired off a Gran Rey Cero through Adonis’ gut at point-blank range. He had laughed hoarsely as the Arrancar collapsed beside him. He had coughed up a little bit of blood, watching Adonis tremble in his death throes. “Told you I’d kill you,” he whispered. “And now I’m going to eat you like the prize you are.”

And that was exactly what he had done. He had ripped Adonis’ throat out and begun devouring his kill. He took his time with it, savoring every drop of blood and morsel. The strength that coursed through him with every bite he took was almost overwhelming. This was exactly what he had been hunting for his entire life – this power that coiled in his belly like an impending orgasm. He had moaned with delight as he worked his way through the corpse. It took him nearly a day to actually eat his beautiful Adonis, but by the time he finished he was healing nicely and was on the cusp of another evolution.

Colin sighed deeply as he lifted his head up and surveyed the area around him at last. He was somewhere deep in the Menos Forest – far from the sands and even farther from Las Noches. But he was also thoroughly satisfied. He lay back on the ground and stared up at the dark sky above him, tucking his hands beneath his head as a makeshift pillow. He just let the power course through him for a bit, knowing it would explode at any moment. When it did, he would finally be ready to return to Las Noches and claim his Queen’s title for himself.

A few days later:
Colin yawned as he strode up to Las Noches and through the gates. As he had expected, the place was quite chaotic. Arrancar were bickering amongst each other – Espada included – and there were signs of battle everywhere. The buildings and earth were damaged, but that was all fixable. He sonido’d in closer to the largest group of Arrancar and unceremoniously laid them all on their asses as he let his reiatsu overflow. After a few moments of that, he relented and turned to the nearest Arrancar. “Where is Aristide?”

It had taken the Arrancar a while to answer, but Colin was patient. If Aristide was here, he probably wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. So the Primera let the Arrancar catch its breath and was rewarded with a trembling finger pointed towards his Queen’s old quarters. Colin nodded and sonido’d towards her empty home, located Aristide’s reiatsu within its walls and made his way towards a place he had never dreamed he would set foot – the bedroom of Zelena Angelis, Demon Queen. He paused outside the closed door, in awe of where he was about to go. He took a moment to collect himself before he unceremoniously kicked the door off its hinges and stepped into the bedroom. “What the hell are you doing, Aristide?” he asked calmly as he looked to where the second-in-command was sprawled on their Queen’s bed.

HAN:14 REI:21 HAK:22 SEI:22 BUK:21 HOH:25

HAN:14 REI:21 HAK:22 SEI:22 BUK:21 HOH:26

Colin waited patiently for Julius to get his ass up off the bed. He had plenty of time to spare right now. The army was still mostly all here and wouldn’t be fleeing Las Noches any time soon. There were gaps in the Espada ranks to fill, but it wasn’t of paramount importance to take care of that. What mattered was getting Julius’ head out of his ass – a difficult task, considering the Arrancar’s unhealthy attachment to their deceased Queen. But he was going to need Julius’ help if he wanted to swiftly pull the army back together. He had the strength to do the task slowly, but not the patience. Julius was the swiftest and easiest path to a proper transition of power, he was certain of it. And if the Arrancar decided to be difficult, Colin could always search for another second-in-command if he really needed to. He preferred avoiding that route if at all possible. Julius was a good fighter and intelligent, despite his comparative youth. Angelis had made him second-in-command for a reason. Colin could appreciate that. So it was a comfort when the Arrancar finally stood up and faced him.

“It’s none of your concern. Please leave.”

The curt reply was exactly what Colin was expecting. That didn’t stop him from sighing in exasperation. Yes, he was impressed by Julius’ ability to maintain composure in the face of Colin’s blatant invasion of Angelis’ domain. The clenched, trembling right fist was the only indication of what he could only assume was absolute rage magnified by unspeakable grief. But Colin had no intention of leaving or backing down. There was work to be done and Julius was a readily available resource – someone the other Arrancar were familiar with. He stepped further into the bedroom. He would make Julius listen to him, one way or another. “I’m afraid it is my concern, Aristide. There is an army in need of a leader and you are not stepping up to the task. Quite frankly, it’s pathetic and an insult to our Queen’s memory.” He spread his arms wide. “Someone has to take charge. I always figured it would be you. That is one purpose of a second-in-command, is it not?” He waved a hand at Julius as the other settled lightly on Estampido Supersónico. “Yet here you are, wallowing in your grief like some moronic wretch. Disgraceful.”

He moved over to a beautifully carved chair and placed his free hand on it. Angelis had sat in this chair, once upon a time. It was also closer to him than the bed. The distance, however slight, would allow Colin more time to act should Julius decide to rush him. Plus, the chair would work nicely for what he had in mind. “I can’t allow you to ruin the last vestiges of our Queen’s efforts with your disgusting angst.” With that, he smoothly and effortlessly picked the chair up with one hand and flung it against a wall. It easily broke from the force of impact, despite how nonchalantly he had thrown it. But before it had even traveled halfway to the wall, Colin had already moved to a small table and given it similar treatment. As the table went flying, Colin charged up a cero and blasted a hole in the exterior wall. He swiftly leapt through it and stopped midair, turning to face the hole he’d created. He was certain Julius would follow. He knew that the only way to gain control over the army was to defeat Julius. So he was going to give the Arrancar a reason to fight. It was a dick move to pull, but there was no other way – though admittedly, he would have preferred to destroy Angelis’ bed as a means to piss Julius off. Well, he couldn’t have everything.

HAN:14 REI:21 HAK:22 SEI:22 BUK:21 HOH:25