[A/N: I'm seriously thinking about going back and editing so much stuff. But it's 50+ chapters. I'm gonna cry.]

The day of Resurrection came and Agito stayed in the shadows as one by one, her Espada ... changed. It was so very slight but it was there. Whereas before, this gathering of hollows were pale like corpses, there was an unreal quality to them as if they weren't really themselves or even alive. But with the power of the Hougyoku, something changed. It was like they became more real, alive.

Their reiatsu deepened in flavor. The actions and even some of their behavior was changed to be more human like, more like the Shinigami they try to take from. Agito should be displeased with this outcome. Officially, she should be displeased because Aizen's army was gaining power and would serve as a very formidable force against Soul Society and all its Shinigamis but there was this tiny thing inside her that was pleased at the growth of her subordinates.

By the time everyone was irrevocably changed, Agito was smiling with glittering pleasure in her eyes.

"That hurt!" complained one of Aaroniero's two skulls.

"Ah," she said, letting her pleasure purring in her throat, "You're complaining now."

"Agito-sama," Starrk greeted and for him she gave a single nod of acknowledgment.

"Well then," she said while looking around at her Espada, all in some form of disturbance from the power up, "Who's ready for training?"

"Agito-sama," called Szayel, "I request that I may be excused from your training."

"Why?" she asked.

"I believe I am better suited to train in my lab where-" Before he could finish his sentence, Agito drew her blade and let the tip kiss his open eyeball.

"You say shit like 'I believe'," she said, "I don't care what you believe. Tell me what you know. Tell me: Why do you not need my tutelage? My command? Why are you running away from me?"

"I do not-I didn't mean to-"

"Answer me, Octa," Agito demanded. Her reiatsu was furling out in little heart beats. To everyone else witnessing this, it was like watching a wildfire start. Her reiatsu was choking Szayel.

"I-I ca-I can't-" Agito released him and he dropped to the floor, shaking from nerves.

"That's right," she said while smiling such a sickly sweet indulgent smile, "You can't answer me. There is no answer to give. You will train under me, little hollow, and when I'm through with you, you'ma be my bitch."

And that's how training began.

She began by giving training one on one, with all their peers around to witness their weaknesses, their struggles, and their power. She tried her absolute best to murder each one but as time went on, they grew stronger and faster. They grew used to how their Reina fought and she would smile and dismiss them if they managed to surprise her.

Very few of her Espada were in need of special attention, attention she promised to give at a later date. By the time she was done with all ten, five days have passed and she was exhausted.

She went back to her room, ready for a few hours of rest. She was surprised to see Gin Ichimaru lounging in her room grinning at her entrance.

"I haven't seen you in awhile," she greeted, taking off her jewelry.

"Mah," he said, "You didn't return to me." Agito gave an inelegant snort of amusement before picking up a comb and brushing through her long hair. She made her way to her soft bed and sat at the edge, giving Gin nothing but her back.

"Hmmm," he mused, "What a treat. I wonder if you would let me comb your hair."

She paused and gave Gin a rather curious look before handing over the comb. He took it and softly began to brush through the disarray.

"How was work, sweetheart?" he teased. She actually chuckled.

"Don't act like this isn't your worst nightmare, Gin."

"Is it?" Agito didn't turn around. Gin didn't stop. It was a rare bit of quiet peacefulness that they rarely experience with each other.

"Why are you here, Gin?" she asked because of course she had to ruin it.

"Can't I not miss you?" he asked.

"You're you," she said, "You don't give people enough consideration to miss them."

"Ouch," Gin said, "You think me so cruel. You sure you're not thinking of a mirror."

"At least I have a heart," Agito said, "A heart to even give consideration to."

"I have a heart," Gin said.

"Do you really?"

"You know I do." This time she did turn around to look him in the eye. This was a rather vulnerable discussion to start but here they were having it.

"Rangiku," Agito said for confirmation and he tightly nodded.

"She was a friend," he admitted, "But now ... not so much."

"Do you not believe your friend still loves you after this?"

"Don't you?" It was a vicious stab but one that Agito was expecting. It reminded her of Byakuya and how he probably hated her. How he would want to personally kill her. It would be poetic even. She would die the villain, he would be the hero and no one would ever question their roles in history.

"I'm sorry," Gin said, a grin upon his face. "That was rather depressing. Tell me, my dear, how was training the toy soldiers?"

"You tell me," she said, throwing the interrogation around, "Would I make a good Queen?"

Gin was shocked into silence. Agito used that moment to get off the bed and to move towards her wardrobe slowly unbuttoning the buttons at her wrist in thought. Gin stood up as well and followed after her to stand close.

"The hell this come from?" She gave a shrug.

"They call me Reina," she said, "Calling me Comandante was like pulling teeth with them but Reina ... they say it so easily. To Aizen this is a power move but to them it's more than that. It's ..."

"Are you saying that those hollow beasts see you as their Queen?"

"I'm making no sense," Agito said with a sigh, shaking her head to get rid of these thoughts that were no doubt a delusion.

"Come now, Agito," Gin said trying to tease out some humor in all of this. It must be a joke! "You're a Shinigami like us and they hate us. They hate us outsiders. If we were to disappear they would rejoice and flip us the bird."

"You're right," she admitted, rubbing her eyes because her exhaustion was getting to her. Gin was already at her back so with with his skilled fingers he undid the back of her gown, whistling at the sight.

"Well! Dress is ruined, and you looked so good in it too!"

"It's impractical," she said, "Someday soon Imma go down to Arachnid's loom and get a new uniform.

"Aizen-sama, isn't gonna like that."

"When the fuck did I ever care about his opinions of me," she said rhetorically. Agito stripped of her ruined dress and slipped into a simple white yukata. With a snap to her fingers, the dress burst into flames and turned the fabric to ash.

"You know, I never could see you in a dress," Gin admitted, "Much too feminine for you. Too medieval."

"What wouldn't I give for a pair of pants with pockets."

"Would you give your heart to Aizen for pants?" he asked with such an odd tone of voice that Agito decided to ignore it for later reflection.

"Ha!" she laughed, "Those pants better come with-" She gasped in realization. She grabbed Gin by his shoulders and exclaimed, "Gin! You're a genius!"

"Nice of you to notice," Gin said with his signature grin, "What did I do?"

"Nope!" she shouted in excitement, "Get! Get! I want privacy!"

"You're so cold to me!" With a little bit of pushing, Agito managed to kick Gin out of her rooms. She really did have an idea for her next uniform but before she could return to her sketchbook to draw her idea out she turned to look at her bookcase, were the shadows lingered and stretched a little longer within the room than anything else.

Out of the shadows came out her favorite Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer.

She didn't say a thing. He nodded his head in a tiny, singular motion. She took a deep breath before nodding her own head in acknowledgment, when he left she sat down at her sitting table and began to sketch out her uniform.

There was no point in a scheme if you didn't appear to be innocent.

...

"What news do you have of me," Sosuke Aizen said, "Gin."

He was in the war room overlooking maps on maps of strategic battle placements. On one side of the room, screens filled the entire wall full of live camera recordings of sleepy Karakura Town. There was most more information to be gained before Aizen could plan out an acceptable battle strategy but for now, this was enough to get a read of the land.

Gin stood at the recently closed entrance. After his spying with Agito he had immediately reported to Aizen's side with his findings. Agito was a very closed and guarded individual but it would seem that five days of exhaustion loosened her tongue for some interesting news.

"She rambled about something pretty interesting," he admitted, "A bit crazy but I think her subconscious noticed something her waking mind didn't."

"You report back to me of delusions?" Aizen asked, "Come now, Gin. You can do better than that."

"She thinks that the Espada, no, maybe even Arrancars, loyalty might not be solely on you or their own motives."

"Oh?" He had to stop what he was doing because this half-assed theory might be a bit interesting.

"She thinks they might be tied to her also." Aizen wasn't smiling. His eyes turned ten degrees colder, the lines on his face reading contempt.

"How special of her," Aizen said, "The Espada favoring her. How ... unoriginal."

"Aizen-sama?"

"Hollows are nothing but power hungry animals," he spat, "They'll follow after the strongest. Agito can dream up her little fantasy world but the truth of the matter is, the Espada are my dogs and they will turn on her if I give the order."

And for a second, Gin had the most treacherous thought. He didn't speak it. He didn't dare think about it for too long in Aizen's presence.

What if Agito Diabolos was stronger than Aizen?

It was a delicious thought. Agito was brought into the fold not because she was a weaker Shinigami craving to follower a stronger one. She was forced into submission using unethical means. Agito and Aizen fought in a serious fight. Gin began to wonder.

"Tell me Gin," Aizen said, "Did you touch her?"

He allowed a second to pass before answering, "No." Because lying was his gift. It didn't matter if the sensation of Agito's soft, silky hair still lingered on his fingertips, he lied.

"Hm," Aizen said, "That would be all."

Gin bowed his head before leaving from his dismissal. When the door closed after him, he dared not to sigh in relief. The walls had eyes and ears. As he walked back to his own rooms to rest, he had a stray thought pop into his head.

Shouldn't he regret spying on Agito for Aizen?

The answer was so simple, he didn't even even feel a shred of worry for a single moment.

No, he shouldn't. The world is a cruel place full of cruel people that do cruel things. Agito would be fine if one more person betrays her secrets.

~~~

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