Title: Choosing the Trap
Author: darkling59
Date: 4/20/2019
Disclaimer: Bleach and all related characters, plots, etc. do not belong to me.
Warnings: AU, captivity, endangerment of a child (Lilynette)
Summary: Shunsui ends his battle with the primera in a far more effective, but less permanent way. The shinigami are happy they don't need to worry about him anymore. Starrk and Lilynette are less enthusiastic about it.
Shunsui does not like threatening children. In fact, there is little he likes less. But he's too pragmatic to pass up an opportunity to avert a battle when the lives of his friends and comrades are on the line. He'll happily stain his own soul if it keeps them safe and alive.
"Taicho, let her go." The espada in front of him growls, shifting his weight restlessly and raising his zanpakuto as if to attack.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Shunsui sings out, pulling his hostage closer to his chest and tipping his sword across her neck.
Well, pulling her closer to his stomach, at least.
Lilynette's slight frame barely reaches the middle of his chest and is easily restrained by one of his long arms cinched tight around her torso and arms. She is growling in helpless humiliation and trying to squirm away but can't even loosen his tight grip, let alone escape. At the increasing pressure of his zanpakuto, her growl shifts to a whine and a sliver of genuine fear creeps into the ever-present anger shining from her pink eyes.
Starrk instantly freezes at the change in her tone, a matching whine rising from his throat at the sight of his young companion in danger.
A cold smile touches the corner of Shunsui's mouth. Regret will come later, along with sleepless nights and far too much alcohol, but for now…
"That's it, Primera." He praises lightly. Starrk tenses at the mockery but does not shift his gaze from Lilynette. "Now, drop the sword."
The espada closes his eyes and furrows his brow in a pained expression but relaxes his hand, allowing his zapakuto to fall from his grasp. It gleams in the sunlight as it plummets hundreds of meters to the street below.
"There." He grates out. "Now let her go."
Shunsui lets out a quiet huff of laughter, drawing a scorching glare from his hostage even as his own coiled muscles slowly start to unclench.
A battle won, with no blood spilled.
"I don't think so, Espada-san." His tone is still cheerful and light, insultingly so.
"But-!"
"Stop moving."
Starrk, stepping forward in instinctive protest, freezes with one foot suspended. He is shaking with the desire to rescue Lilynette but knows Shunsui can kill her before he gets her away from him.
"…This isn't like you Taicho-san." He tries, fighting to keep his voice level. "You-you wanted to fight me; you said you couldn't fight with her close to-"
"Ah, well." Shunsui shrugs, resettling his grip around Lilynette until she squeaks in protest at the tightness. "While it's true I dislike pain, and would prefer not to include your young friend in our battle, that's no longer possible."
Starrk snarls, a surprisingly feral sound from such a human-looking creature and the first callback to his hollow heritage so far. Shunsui sharpens his eyes warily, but it is merely a helpless expression of emotion – the primera doesn't so much as twitch out of fear of provoking his opponent.
For a long moment, Shunsui examines the arrancar with an eye for restraint rather than attack.
"Ukitake!" He calls off to the side, never loosening his grip or shifting his gaze. With Starrk's speed and reflexes, a single moment of inattention might lead to a shift in the battle's favor. He's just waiting for the chance to swoop in to rescue Lilynette.
"I'm here." Shunsui's best friend flash-steps up beside him. His reiatsu is boiling with turmoil – this is not the way he would choose to end the battle. He hates this sort of thing and Shunsui feels a touch of regret at pulling him into it. But only a touch. Jushiro knows why it is necessary and will back him up one hundred percent, no matter how it turns out.
Shunsui nods in acknowledgment before calling out to Starrk:
"Espada-san, my friend here is going to help us out. I'd appreciate it if you would put your hands behind your back. Please."
For a moment, the Primera looks confused and torn. Understanding dawns when Jushiro produces the restraints specially made by Urahara for just this purpose. They look like a series of long black loops and lines made of metal panels held together with flexible and tough reiatsu-proofed leather. The entire set is inlaid with glittering jewels and sekkiseki stone studs – surprisingly understated for the massive amount of power they are designed to suppress.
"You bastard!" Lilynette manages to gasp out past the arm compressing her chest as Jushiro steps past. "I thought you were nice!"
Shunsui grimaces, tightening his arm further until she cannot speak at all, but the damage is done. Jushiro's expression twists and his whole body flinches at the child's words. But he does not turn to look at her or respond, just keeps advancing with grim purpose.
He slows when he realizes Starrk has not obeyed Shunsui's tacit command. His hands are still balled up at his sides – as dangerous as the ceros they can produce on a whim, even without his zanpakuto.
"Espada-san…" He reproves quietly, grip tightening on the restraints in his hands.
Starrk's eyes flick to him and for a moment the tableau remains frozen. At this proximity, it would be simple for him to sonido forward and snatch Jushiro as a hostage, just like Shunsui grabbed Lilynette. After all, turnabout is fair play.
But to do that will mean putting her in danger. It will mean assuming the bond between the two shinigami is as strong as his with his fraccion …and that Kyoraku is equally unwilling to put his friend in danger. It also assumes the captain will believe his threat.
Looking to the behatted captain, to the darkness in his eyes barely hidden behind a half-smile, Starrk knows it won't work. The shinigami will instantly call his bluff and Starrk can't be sure he won't kill Lilynette as punishment for putting the white-haired captain in danger.
Abruptly, Starrk wilts, surrendering to the increasing pressure from his opponents – all of his options put Lilynette in danger except for one, and loyalty to Aizen isn't worth that. His shoulders slump and he averts his eyes from both captains, obediently putting his hands behind his back.
Feeling the suffocating weight of his resignation through their connection, Lilynette whines quietly in the back of her throat, the only sound that can make it past the tight constriction of her captor's arm. A part of her wants to rant and scream at her counterpart for giving up so easily but a bigger part wants to run to his side, grab onto him, and never let go.
Except she still can't move.
For their parts, the shinigami relax slightly at Starrk's clear submission. Jushiro continues confidently across the empty space between them, wary but no longer expecting trouble. He keeps his eyes on Starrk's face but the arrancar averts his gaze, not even looking at Ukitake when he comes up beside him within easy touching distance…or when he slips behind to wrap heavily reinforced loops of leather and metal around his wrists, tightening them until they are flush against his skin and his arms are locked firmly in place.
Jushiro feels the arrancar flinch as his reiatsu is forcibly sealed away. His wrists strain instinctively - and uselessly - against their cuffs a couple times before he catches himself and goes still in Ukitake's grasp.
"That's right…" Jushiro tries to be comforting, putting one hand on his captive's shoulder and speaking quietly, but Starrk tenses under his touch and Lilynette lets out a squeaky snarl from a few meters away.
"Easy, kid." Shunsui chuckles as the young arrancar attempts to thrash in his grip, but his attention is focused on the primera. Starrk's eyes are drawn to them, watching silently and fully aware of his own helplessness. His gaze locks with the pink-clad captain, raging and miserable.
"It's not as bad all as that, Espada-san." Shunsui protests the dire expectations inherent in that steel-blue glare but seconds later, Jushiro places a hand on the back of Starrk's neck and he flinches again.
"Easy." Jushiro murmurs, fiddling with the restraints left in his hands. "Next is the collar."
"Is that necessary? You already have me." Starrk huffs, not quite a growl but close, and twists his bound hands as an example.
"I'm afraid so. You are very powerful, Espada-san." Slowly, Jushiro moves his hand up into Starrk's hair, pushing lightly against the back of his skull to encourage him to tilt his head forward.
"Thanks, I think." The primera grumbles, but complies easily enough, dipping his head and allowing Jushiro to slip another length of power-sealing leather and metal around his neck, securing it against his spine. Once locked together, the two ends merge seamlessly, leaving a single unbroken black loop resting above the hinges of his mask. "Is that it then?"
"Just one more."
Starrk sighs but remains in place until Jushiro clips a length of cord between his wrists and collar and then another leading off the collar to rest in his captor's hands.
"Technically, that's two more, Taicho-san." He observes; voice tired.
"Ah, I suppose so. I apologize for the mistake." Jushiro gives a final testing tug to the leash where it joins to the collar and then steps back, the end of it held in his hand.
"Hn." When the captain's hands leave him and he moves away, Starrk cautiously raises his head and tests his bindings under the watchful gazes of his captors. He twists his wrists, flexes his arms, and swivels his head from side to side, feeling the collar digging into his neck and the joints where his mask meets his skin. The line between the collar and his wrists lays flat against his spine, keeping him from fully relaxing his arms and further restricting his movements.
He wants to analyze the restraints with his reiatsu, reach out with pesquisa through the gaps between the sekkiseki studs to see if he can rip them apart from the inside out, but he doesn't dare attempt it with the captains watching him so closely and holding Lilynette away from him. Let them think he is more helpless than he actually is.
Finally, he lets out a disgusted grunt and stops struggling, letting his muscles go slack as he looks up at Kyoraku, ignoring the captain next to him holding the leash. "Well? You've won. Let her go."
"Gladly." Shunsui loosens his grip but before Lilynette can shake him free, he grabs her wrists and yanks them against the small of her back, holding them in place with one hand. With the other, he sheaths his sword and fishes a familiar length of black cord out of his haori. He wraps it around her wrists, then loops another one around her neck. All before Starrk can realize what is going on and protest.
"Hey!" Lilynette yelps, struggling against her restraints. "You…you…colorblind old man! Stop it!"
"Colorblind?" Shunsui squawks in protest as he clips a leash to her collar, identical to the one on Starrk.
"You heard me!" She snarls and lunges against the end of the leash, tugging as hard as she can and thrashing in anger. "Let me go!
Shunsui sighs and rolls his eyes. Despite Lilynette's best efforts, all of her tugging and yanking fails to even knock him off balance, let alone pull the leash from his grasp.
"Come on, Arrancar-chan." He cajoles. When all he gets is an enraged snarl in return, he tightens the leash and turns away, towing her along behind him as he approaches Jushiro. She fights him the whole way but he ignores her weak attempts to escape.
Starrk calms down as they approach, more relaxed now that Lilynette no longer has a zanpakuto at her throat and the immediate danger seems to be past. He scowls at Kyoraku as he walks up but does not fight the leash like Lilynette.
"Very good, Espada-san." Shunsui praises, a little bit mocking but mostly genuine.
Starrk grunts at him before speaking to Lilynette. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" She yowls, stewing in helpless fury. "Why did you give up so easy?! You could take these guys in your sleep! Coward!"
"That's uncalled for." Jushiro reproves before Starrk can reply, though the words don't faze the primera. "He was merely protecting you. I, for one, think he made the right decision."
"Sh-Shut up!"
Shunsui chuckles. He takes a moment to look over his captives; two white-clad arrancar, one with frightening power, the other barely as strong as a lieutenant. The younger is watching him with fear badly hidden behind a curtain of anger and the older is watching with guarded but tired wariness. Both are waiting to find out what he has in store for them.
Unfortunately, they'll be forced to continue waiting for an answer. Instead of addressing them, Shunsui turns to Jushiro.
"Can you handle them, Ukitake? It looks like Soifon is having some trouble with her espada."
As one, the four of them turn to look into the near distance where the captain of the second division is desperately fighting Barragan. Harribel is already down, fighting furiously against her own restraints where they are being held by Hitsugaya and a small army of lieutenants. Barragan, on the other hand, has a loop dangling from one wrist and is otherwise free.
It won't last long; Shunsui isn't the only captain moving to help Soifon. Even the soutaicho is starting to move in that direction, power slowly rising.
"Yes, I think so." Jushiro confirms, holding his free hand out for Shunsui to transfer Lilynette's leash. As soon as he has both of them, he snaps them together with a hidden clasp and, like the collars, they blend together seamlessly so that he winds up holding one leash that leads to two arrancar.
This time, when Lilynette throws herself against the end of her leash in a fit of anger, it's Starrk that is thrown off balance and he staggers a step in reaction.
Shunsui chuckles and clasps Starrk on the arm as he passes, as if they are the best of friends. "Thank you for your cooperation, Espada-san! Be good for Ukitake, okay?"
Starrk just grumbles and watches him go.
A gentle tug on the leash catches his attention and he turns to the white-haired captain with a raised eyebrow.
"This way, please." He directs cordially, taking a step away from the battlefield.
"Why should we, jerk?!" Lilynette yells, all but hopping up and down in rage. If she had the balance with her hands tied behind her back, she would kick him. Instead, when she tries, she overbalances and topples into Starrk.
Jushiro holds his hands up with a smile but before he can speak, Starrk cuts him off.
"Can we just get this over with?"
"Ah…yes, we should." The captain of the thirteenth replies more seriously. He wraps the leash around his hand tightly and sets off for the border of the shield around Fake Karakura with greater speed and purpose. It is a heavily shielded spot, so far unnoticed by Aizen and his army.
Starrk follows a couple paces behind, just close enough to avoid being pulled by the leash. Lilynette tries to resist but it's no more use than a puppy fighting a full-grown wolf – Starrk bears her abuse stoically and maintains his position behind Jushiro without comment.
The journey is short and a minute later the three of them are standing in front of a line of metal boxes wrapped with so much kido that they have to squint to see them through the haze. About half are open in front while the others are obscured by thick sheets of yellow and orange wards. Three of the closed ones are more heavily warded than the others and Starrk senses the reiatsu signatures of Mila Rose, Apacci, and Sung Sun inside. There are two closed but less-heavily warded boxes and Starrk assumes they contain two of Barragan's fraccion, though their reiatsu is so low he can't tell who they are. Or if they are alive.
Jushiro directs him towards an open box and he follows reluctantly.
"Thank you for being so agreeable, Espada-san." The shinigami addresses him conversationally. "The less life lost, the better."
"Not much choice, Taicho-san." Starrk sighs again and lets himself be ushered into the box, the cage, stooping so his head does not smack into its too-low ceiling. Lilynette sticks herself to his side, wary of being pulled away, but Ukitake does not try.
"I suppose not." He allows, voice calm. "But you could have resisted more strongly, and fought with more deadly force."
"Yeah, well…"
Jushiro gives him a long moment to continue but when Starrk peters off and shows no interest in finishing his thought, the shinigami finally shrugs and drops the leash, stepping backwards and holding up a hand to seal the kido. It takes several minutes of quiet words, both incantations and commands, before the wall of energy brightens to far outshine the other sealed boxes.
Starrk and Lilynette stand at the back of the cage, leaning against each other and watching silently as the shinigami's form grows more and more indistinct through the thickening kido barrier. Lilynette's hands are still bound behind her back but she manages to catch a fold of Starrk's sleeve and holds on to it so tightly her knuckles turn white.
"I will see you later, Espada-san, Arrancar-chan." The voice filters through their prison, and then they're alone, locked in a tiny box with only each other for company.
"That jerk." Lilynette mutters, a thread of unease betraying her true feelings.
Starrk sighs, sliding down the back wall until he is sitting on the cold floor of the cage, hands sandwiched uncomfortably between his back and the wall and legs sprawling out in front of him. Lilynette follows, huddling against his side and nearly on his lap, fear driving her to seek his comfort.
"Yeah." Starrk replies and tips his head sideways until it leans against her helmet, giving as much comfort as he can and letting himself be reassured by her presence in turn.
Author's Notes:
Whoof, it's been awhile. But when inspiration strikes, it strikes hard. For now, this is a standalone one-shot but it might grow another chapter at some point - there are lost of ways this 'verse might diverge from canon further.
I hope you enjoy this little callback to Starrk's battle.
Happy Easter!