Lethal Devotion.
Author: Jemma-Louise
Genre: Drama, Angst, Romance & Crime (they don't all fit in my story summary.) This is an AU too, based in a crime-ridden Karakura. I know the idea has been used A LOT.. But it's a good one to use and I'll make this different from the rest!
Warnings for the whole story: -THIS IS A YAOI FIC- Profanity, Violence, rape & general mind fuckery (Courtesy of Aizen-sama himself.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. All characters within distressing/sexual situations are over the age of 18 within this fiction.
[A/N - Huh.. A new story? Oops.. I should be building on "Imminent Manipulation" and "Ones tender embrace" but it seems my mind has other ideas. I was finishing off chapter eight for my Ichishi fiction when my sub-conscious brought up the fact that I've been dying to write an AizIchi AU for a while.. and then was the time to do it, since I was in a pretty angsty mood. So opening a new tab, I started writing.. and a couple hours later found myself with a pretty presentable story.. So a month or so later, I've decided to post it online to see what people thought of my 'spur of the moment' creative writing. Hope you like it and please give me a review to tell me what you think.]
Guilt. I feel guilt seeping through every bone in my weak, abused body. The taste of blood is rich and tangy on the seam of my lips and tip of my tongue, as a steady stream of the thick substance leaks from a laceration above my right eye. My injured legs fail to support me and I slide slowly down a white, sterile wall and to the floor, which is coloured with spots of crimson.
I stretch out my legs in front of myself slowly, smearing the small crimson pools along the floor. My arms feel like lead as I lift them to grasp my aching skull. The chains around my wrists clink dully against the wall while my fingers work slow circles on my temples in a soothing motion. The room I'm in is depressingly void of anything interesting.. Four white walls stare back at me as I fight to keep my consciousness. I'm trying to remember how I got here.. Trying to remember how I got myself into this mess.
I'm feeling heavy guilt.. It's pressing down on my weakened chest.. I'm feeling guilt because I've been captured.. defeated. I've failed to protect.. I've failed.. This is my punishment. Being locked up in this cell is what I deserve, for letting down everyone who had relied on me. Are they safe? Or because of me, are they lying injured and alone?
"Nhhggrrhh!" I growl incoherently in a fit of anger, gripping my orange locks with two, white knuckled fists. My whole body is trembling in pain and rage as I let my mind wander over the consequences of my stupidity and weakness.
I suddenly have the urge to sleep, to numb the pain radiating throughout my limbs. The thought gets more appealing by the second and I let go of my tousled hair to let my arms fall lifelessly to the floor with a low thud.
Phantom images of my friends attack my weary mind. Their features distorted in pain.. their eyes wide and pleading.. their screams high pitched and strangled..
My eyelids begin to grow heavy and slowly start to slide down, gradually obscuring my vision. My mind is drifting and I can feel an oncoming dream on the periphery my senses. A beautiful young woman is smiling at me sadly, her hair matted with thick blood and her pale body covered in deep lacerations. A small 'sorry' falls from her bloodied lips as her legs fail to support her weight. I try to reach her as she falls.. Her lithe form falls from my grasp, on to the hard floor and from my line of sight. I grope desperately in the thick darkness for her hand as I hear her distressed cry sound just beyond my straining reach.
A loud, echoing bang snaps me out of my sleepy state and I barely restrain a gasp of shock at being jolted suddenly into consciousness. Piercing light poors into the once dim room, stinging my sensitive eyes. I squint against the light, able to see a figure standing in the now open door way, but I am unable to identify who the figure is.
"Kurosaki Ichigo. Aizen-sama has sent me to escort you to his quarters. You are to stand so I may remove your chains." echoes a stoic sounding voice.
Ulquiorra. I know that voice anywhere. I angle my chin up slightly in an unspoken challenge, letting the bastard know that I wont make things easy for him. His darkened figure starts walking toward me until he is standing barely a metre away, staring down at me with dull emerald eyes that would almost certainly be stunning if not constantly glazed with a look of boredom.
"Get up." Schiffer orders quietly as he watches me scowl up at him, fatigue probably evident in my features. He's looking right through me. I swear this guy has to be emotionally retarded..
Suddenly the bastard grips me under my arms and pulls me into a slumped standing position against the wall. The little prick is stronger than he looks. I grunt in pain at the sudden movement as I feel the lacerations scattered around my body tear open.
His glassy eyes give me the once over before he begins to unlock the shackles on my wrists. He lets the heavy metal fall to the floor with a low thud, then turns his back on me. The cheeky bastard.. he really feels he can let his guard down around me? My mind starts to calculate an attack on the stoic man, my reasoning being that if I attack him unknowingly then I might be able to escape..
I start to edge toward him, my fists raised to my sides and my posture as steady as I can make it when he whistles loudly. Two men march into the cell, their heads bowed and their hands tucked behind their backs. Ulquiorra inclines his head slightly and in the blink of an eye the two burly men charge toward me. I grapple with the fuckers for a while, slipping away every time they grasp my tender limbs. But before long I'm turned and slammed face first into the solid wall. The men grasp my arms and twist them behind my back
"Fuck" I murmur when I feel warm blood start to run from my nose and down my face. I groan loudly when I realise I can barely stand; the pricks behind me and the wall in my face are the only things keeping me upright. I have no other option but to comply with my captors.
In that instant the two men pull me away from the wall and spin me around. Schiffer has turned to face the rooms occupants and is regarding me silently. I suddenly realise he has a gun tucked in a holster hanging around his thin waist.
That gun looks familiar.
I tilt my bloodied head in confusion and he follows my line of sight.
"Hn… recognise this, Kurosaki?" I can hear the sneer in his voice, however slight. I watch him as he pulls the silver gun out and holds it flat in his palm for me to observe. I stare at it, my eyes widening as an unbidden memory tumbles into my weary mind.
XXXXX
A huge manor house looms ominously amidst a thick sprawl of woodland. Taking one look at the place sends a shiver down my spine, yet I keep on walking towards it. I turn around briefly to do a quick head count. You can never be to careful when walking through this kind of territory.
Renji Abarai is directly behind me, quietly loading his gun, a sharp blade placed precariously between his teeth. I roll my eyes at shit for brains and he looks up to give me a quick grin. Idiot…
Behind Abarai, Uryuu Ishida is walking tentatively, his eyes never lingering on the same spot for more than a second, analysing and searching the area, probably planning our escape route later or looking out for anyone suspicious…
Rukia Kuchiki brings up the rear, her features are twisted into a silent rage as she drags a dangerously sharp machete along the leafy forest floor behind her. She meets my hard gaze and nods sharply. She's still dangerously angry, no surprise there…
I turn my gaze back to the oppressive house directly in front of me. I start to look about for the secretive trap-door Urahara mentioned earlier that day. Apparently not even the house's occupants know about this secret entrance. But before I can open my mouth to address the gang, a thud followed by a muffled squeak cuts me off. Me, Abarai and Ishida spin around to see Rukia with her machete pressed to someone's throat. A young woman's throat.
I advance on the two and almost trip over myself in shock when I realise Rukia is pinning a petrified Orihime Inoue to the trunk of a large tree.
"Rukia! That's Orihime you idiot!" Renji whispers loudly, grasping Rukia's small shoulders and pulling her away from Orihime, who is clutching the area over her heart with two petite hands, her breathing hitched and her frame quivering.
"You can never be too carefull, Renji! She could've been an imposter!" Rukia snapped at the red-head, giving Orihime the once over with her deep blue eyes.
"..Orihime.. Why are you here..?" I murmur to the strawberry blonde who's started to walk away from the large tree towards me. She's wringing her small hands together nervously as she comes to a stop in front of me, looking up with worried eyes.
"I thought I could be of help to you guys.. Help you get out again if your injured.." Orihime finished solemnly, her eyes pleading with me, wanting me to understand. I sigh quietly and realise she only ever has good intentions.
"Thank you.. But let us know next time… all right? Rukia almost killed you back there…" I briefly place my hand on her shoulder and squeeze in a comforting manor. She nods in agreement and offers me a small, nervous smile. I offer one back the pivot on the spot.
"Ok, we need to keep going. Move out."
Orihime falls into step behind me as we eventually approach a crumbling brick wall. The manors security seems strangely scarce, the wall only reaching just above my head. On the other hand, we are the first to know of its location, the place has been well hidden for the past decade. I make my way to the wall and stand on my tip-toes to view the other side. No apparent guards, security cameras or barbed fences in sight. How odd. I walk back to the others and give them a small nod.
All five of us expertly take a run at the wall and jump simultaneously, gripping the top of the wall and pulling our selves up. We're quick to settle atop the wall then drop down into some tall bushes, crouching low. I turn my head to the left when I hear Ishida land next to me and clear his throat.
"We are currently closest to the left wing of the building. I've memorised the safest route through the manor and to the prison area. But It wont be entirely safe and we all need to be as inconspicuous as possible, even if Urahara has assigned us this job on a day where most of Aizen's men aren't in the area-"
"I'm really sorry to interrupt Uryuu-kun but may I ask why Rukia's Nii-san has been seized by Aizen? I was never told.." Orihime piped up quietly, looking hopefully around the group. People never seem to trust Orihime with vital information. Uryuu, usually irate with anyone interrupting him was abnormally calm with Orihime and addressed her politely.. Thank god.
"Inoue-san.. Byakuya Kuchiki comes from a very prestigious family. Holding him hostage puts us in a very awkward situation. If such an important man who associates with us is killed the police will be all over our family in an instant."
"I can't fucking believe they've mangaed to kidnap my Nii-sama! Those bastards will never see the light of day once I'm finished with them!" Rukia raged, starting to rise from behind the bushes. I'm about to tell her to pull her self together and calm down when Abarai grips the back of her jacket and pulls her back to the floor.
"Rukia.. Control your self! Save your anger for the people who deserve it later.. Patience!" Renji utters into Rukia's ear, placing a comforting arm around her quivering form. She huffs audibly but turns back to Uryuu, who's been waiting to speak again since the multiple interruptions.
"Right, So here's the plan….."
XXXXX
After splitting up and following individual paths to the holding areas of the manor, the five of us met up again in plenty of time and exactly where Uryuu told us we would end up. There'd been no hiccups so far and we'd managed to stay inconspicuous. This is why we need Ishida.. He always brings things together nicely.
We all gather around a large, iron enforced door. We all get to work instantly, checking the door for weak points. The door seems to be reinforced solidly. I step back and sigh loudly as my gang potters around the door-way, looking for a quiet way to break in.
"Um.. Guys.. Can I have ago?" Orihime murmurs, who up until now has been standing by. The others step back from the door as she begins to rummage around in her pockets. She pulls out some small, spindly metal tools and kneels down so she's level with the keyhole on the door. Her hands begin to work briskly, the tools getting inserted into the keyhole at different angles simultaneously. I feel my mouth open slightly in shock when the door gives a soft click. She pushes it slightly with her hand and it glides open, the hinges creaking with the motion.
"Wow.." Me and Renji whisper at the same time, while Rukia gives her a small pat on the back and a nod of approval as she stands up again.
"Well-done Orihime-san" Uryuu congratulates her quietly as we all begin to make our way into the darkened room. As we enter, the lights automatically flicker on. The room consists of a long, white corridor with more iron doors lining the walls.
"If Urahara's predictions are correct, Kuchiki-san should be contained within cell six." Uryuu informs he others. We hasten towards the heavy-set door with a small, a black '6' engraved on its front. Orihime once again leans down and begins probing the lock with her specialised tools. The door refuses to budge, stubbornly clicking and creaking at every attempt of forced entrance.
Orihime sits back on her haunches and looks irritated at her failure. She stares back at me solemnly, her large hazel eyes asking me for a solution. I sigh deeply and scratch the top of my head absently. I wish we'd thought this far…
"Must be reinforced with an electrical lock?" Renji suggests, pointing towards small box at the top left of the door. Uryuu peers at the thing curiously, then turns to look at the gang. I vaguely hear him say that the small box will be awkward to take apart and reset, but I'm lost in my own thoughts. Lingering here like this makes us even more vulnerable than ever. If we let our concentration wander we could be ambushed. Quick, forcefull action is needed in these situations.
I reach for my revolver that up until now had been tucked under my belt. I aim the barrel at the automated lock, and squint my eye to get a precise shot. Like in the scene from an old western, I spin the gun around my forefinger then flick it back into position and fire it, the bullet crashing into it's target a split second later. The box explodes, the debris scattering around our feet.
Not surprisingly, everyone in the vicinity turns back to stare at me curiously, their eyes widened and alert. Despite just having used a gun so close to my gang, they all keep their positions, rigidly alert. We're all too used of close contact with dangerous weaponry.
"Orihime, work your magic." She instantly kneels down again on my word, getting back to work unlocking the manual lock.
"An' you call me a show off!" Renji mutters to me, grinning stupidly.
"Oh come on, you and I both know hangin' around here to take that thing apart would put us at a greater risk!" I exclaim to Abarai. We both turn when we hear the door being pushed open. The heavy metal groans in protest when Rukia hits the door out of the way to race inside.
"NII-SAMA!" Rukia screams, and we all blanch. The scream echoes louder than my gun shot had. We all begin to move into the room quickly, to see Rukia hugging an un-characteristically shocked Byakuya Kuchiki around the waist.
"I.. what.. Kurosaki? Abarai… Ishida? Inoue?" Byakuya stumbled over his usually graceful speech and forgets his practiced mannerisms at the sight of the five of us.
"No time Kuchiki-sama, we need to get you out!" Renji whispers sharply to his superior. Byakuya seems to reign himself in and gives Abarai a curt nod, hastening forward, his adoptive sister getting dragged along with his stride. Kuchiki looks unscathed, dressed in a clean, white yakuta with the unusual head piece he always adorned missing. His midnight coloured tresses cascaded haphazardly over his face and shoulders as he rushes out of the room behind us.
I do another quick head-count, before we all break into a small run down the hall and towards the exit.
"I think we're actually gonna make it! Fuck yeah!" Abarai says triumphantly as I wrench open the door.
I stop dead in my tracks.
I'm staring down the barrel of a silver gun, pressed softly between my eyes.
I hear the others come to a skidding halt behind me, a few of them letting out small gasps of shock, others cursing loudly.
"Don't speak too soon.." Ulquiorra Schiffer murmurs in his typical monotone, pressing the gun firmly to my forehead. The man looks down at me blankly, his aura condescending. The tension in the room is thick enough to slice a knife through as he grips my shoulder and I'm spun around, the gun is repositioned at the back of my head, forcing me to gaze at my friends stricken faces. My hands dangle uselessly at my sides as I feel someone push past me into the room.
I crane my neck up at the man who has just entered and grimace deeply. A huge man scowls down at the room's occupants, his 7ft frame close to bursting with huge, unnatural-looking muscles. He shifts his weight to his other leg and cracks
his knuckles menacingly. He glares pointedly at my gang.
"Do the honours, Yammy." Schiffer whispers. I can feel his warm, sickly breath at the back of my neck. I shiver involuntarily out of disgust. He has a hand pressed to the small of my back, pushing me further into the room.. His hand is deathly cold, I can feel it through my t-shirt.
My clench my hands into white-knuckled fists and I grit my teeth, my mind empty of any solutions as the giant of a man snorts loudly and shakes his head at his supposed enemies.
"Tch.. Piece of fuckin' cake. It'll be a shame to put this one six feet under.. She could be put to good use." Yammy grumbles, turning to look at Ulquiorra over his shoulder and indicating to Orihime with his thumb. I meet her eyes and they widen, fear crawling over her features.
"Do what you like but be quick about it. We need any disturbances dispersed before Aizen-sama gets back." The stoic man states quietly, his tone portraying how boring the situation is too him. The gun is still pressed painfully at the back of my head, I can feel the cold metal digging into my scalp. I curse under my breath when I register how fucked we really are..
The gang move to stand protectively around a terrified looking Orihime and a thoroughly irate-looking Byakuya, all three of them pulling out their weapons and sliding into a defensive stance.
"Fucking bring it, you ugly piece of shit!" Renji suddenly burst out, looking furious as he fingers the gun in his pocket and extends a large knife towards Yammy, brandishing it as he trembles angrily. His burgundy eyes flick to mine. Something unidentifiable is shining there, under the fury and fear.. Something deeper..
I don't have time to analyze that look before he rips his eyes away from me and charges forward, bringing his knife down in a wide arc. The knife makes contact with Yammy's stomach, his white wife-beater simultaneously getting coloured by a growing slash of crimson.
Renji's face is splattered with the warm substance and he jumps back, gawping and spluttering at the oaf of a man as he merely looks down at the spreading stain and grumbles.
"Another fucking shirt.. Ruined. Lets get this over with…" I watch in horror as the giant stomps toward Renji, and with a swing of his huge fist that connects harshly with the smaller mans stomach, sends the red-head into one of the iron-wrought doors. Everyone watches as Abarai crumples to the floor in a heap, panting heavily as he reaches to clutch his middle section.
All hell breaks loose.
There's a confusion of limbs, clangs of metal and gun shots as the room holds witness to a huge brawl. I watch in horror as my friends get knocked back to the floor time and time again, their cuts and non-fatal gun shots hardly affecting the brute of a man. Amidst the confusion, I spot the head of the Kuchiki clan staring at me, his eyes portraying the need for me to understand his next motive.
I tilt my head slightly in confusion. I observe as he hastens forward into the fighting, quickly approaching Rukia who's currently picking her self up off the floor. He grips under her arm and pulls her upright. Simultaneously, he plucks her gun from her holster. As quickly as he pulls the gun away from the holster, I see him glance behind me briefly. He catches my gaze once more as he starts to back away from the mess of limbs and sharp weaponry.
I just barely catch Byakuya flick the gun up to point it in my direction. His finger hit's the trigger.
I feel the strength of the small blast as the bullet crashes into the wall behind me. Ulquiorra jerks in obvious shock and the gun at the back of my head slips from his grasp.
I take my chance.
Throwing my head backwards, I feel it connect with Schiffer's face. I pivot quickly and ram the smaller man into the wall behind us, my forearm pressed against his throat. The look of pure shock is replaced with a forced look of indifference as he shifts uncomfortably against my weight. Ulquiorra stares up at me nonchalantly, but I start to see him strain against the pressure of my arm against his windpipe.
"How fuckin' dare y-"
Searing white pain streaks through the right side of my head as something solid collides with it. My neck snaps painfully to the side and I loose my grip on Schiffer and stumble to the wall at my side.
My vision is flashing with the force of the impact to my sensitive temple, I grasp my head as I begin to feel myself slide down the wall. I feel my consciousness slipping from my senses, but make one last attempt at awareness.
I turn to see Yammy holding his fist aloft and towering over my crumpling form. I attempt to reach the gun in the front of my trousers to defend myself, fumbling as the world spins around me. I must keep my consciousness..
The man spots my attempt and reaches down to pin my weakened form against the hard wall. He crushes a solid hand around my throat, keeping my body dangling a few inches from the ground. The quick role reversal only serves to heighten my cloudy anger.
Everything happens at once. It's as if time has slowed down and I'm witness to something I'm not a part of.
I hear a single, resounding gun shot. A very feminine, piercing scream follows. I look over Yammy's shoulder to see Orihime wide-eyed and still, gazing down at something that is far out of my line of sight. Suddenly, Yammy's vicious smile is the only signifier I have before he throws another solid fist directly at me, this time aimed straight at my stomach. I cough violently and gasp for air to soothe the ache blossoming in my middle. As if in answer to my wishes, Yammy's grin disappears of his ugly face and he crumples dramatically.
I'm dropped from the wall as he crashes to the floor. I barely catch myself as I land on the floor and flick my clouded vision downwards to see a machete sticking out from his lower back. The warm blood spilling from his wound runs onto the floor and pools around my feet.
I look up to see everyone in the room stilled.
Ulquiorra has his gun raised at the rooms occupants, but the occupants are busy looking else where. I turn to spot Orihime, who's fingers are clutched around her stomach, the blood running through her fingers and down her pink t-shirt. She's already injured, deep cuts and bruises littering her frame.
"Orihime… ORIHIME!" I scream erratically and stumble over to the young girl as fast as my shaking legs will carry me. She smiles at me sadly. Her lips are cracked and blooded as she whispers to me softly.
"Sorry."
She falls before I can catch her, her legs betraying her will to remain upright. I can suddenly hear a tirade of footsteps from behind, my friends gasping and cursing at the newest enemies. But I don't even turn around to acknowledge the presence.
I make it over to the collapsed Orihime and begin to reach down, my mind set on carrying her out to safety. I set my dizzy sights on her bedraggled form as I reach for her.
Next, all I can register is nothing but explosive pain at the side of my head. I curse at the very back of my mind for not keeping up my defence. I forget the need to help my injured friend and stumble to the side. I clutch my twice injured head once again before I collapse to the floor. Darkness over takes my vision, my conscious all but taken from me.
XXXXX
The sour memory all but replanted into my mind, I begin to fit my situation together. I begin to remember exactly how I'd got here and why. The blows to the head obviously have provided me with temporary memory loss. I've been sitting in this cell for hours, frustrated with my inability to remember more than the facts that my friends where injured and that I'd been captured.
I also acknowledge that I've got far more injuries than what I lost consciousness with. My captors have obviously roughed me up while unconscious.. Weakening me.
It's quite a time before I realise I've long left the holding area and am being half-dragged through a dimly lit hallway, having been lost in thought. The two men still have my arms restrained and are walking my weak form up the hallway, as Ulquiorra leads the party. Portraits line the walls, the pictures occupant's eyes appearing to follow us as we walk. I shiver involuntarily at the oppressive atmosphere.
Fatigue is catching up on me once again and I feel myself slow down and sag, the two men at my back holding me upright. My chest is tight with worry and grief but I hold my self together with the last scraps of my control. I refuse to break down in the presence of these fuckers...
The men take no heed of me and promptly drag me along, my feet no longer needing to move as I am pulled toward a heavy-set, pair of large oaken doors.
I raise my spinning head to see Ulquiorra knock the door demurely, then step back to await entrance.
A muffled 'enter' sounds beyond the doors and Ulquiorra turns to the bastards holding me. He inclines his head and steps forward to open one of the doors. The men grunt in response and hasten forward, dragging me along with there quick stride.
Once we reach the threshold, they pause briefly. But before I get even a slight chance at looking into the room, I'm tossed forward roughly.
I curse loudly as I fall heavily onto a carpeted floor. Every muscle screams it's protest and I feel the lacerations on my body throb with the impact. The door is shut quickly behind me with a tight snap. Breathing shallow and hitched, I pull my self onto one of my elbows and gaze up into the room through my dizzy, clouded vision.
A tall man towers above my collapsed form. Well built, with chiselled features and brown locks slicked back from this face. He's smiling down at me. But the smile is far from pleasant.
Sosuke Aizen.
"Kurosaki Ichigo. How nice of you to join me"
[A/N - Well.. I can't tell you how nervous I am about this. It's so 'spur of the moment' and I haven't really checked over it for grammer faults and spelling mistakes.. But I'll upload it for now and edit it later.. It's awefully late and I want to see what yah all think? Be a lil-soft, I hate flames! Lol. Let me know if this is a keeper?]