The weekend had arrived, and both Zero and Ryuunosuke had been so preoccupied with their own affairs regarding the shop and schoolwork that they'd hardly seen each other at home throughout the week. Some bonding time was well in order, especially if Ryuunosuke was still planning on watching Zero and his machinations. He, too, was looking forward to spending some time with Ryuu again. He just hadn't planned on how.

"What kind of event, now?"

"It's a party at Mendou's," Ryuu explained. "Real fancy food, no doubt. I wouldn't be going otherwise."

"You know I could get us any food in the world, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. But you don't," she retorted.

"Fair point. I wouldn't mind some classy hors d'oeuvres for a change, especially if I don't have to track them down myself. What kind of party is it, exactly?"

"Bah, you never know with him. If it's something his sister cooked up, no doubt it'll be something crazy."

"His sister, you say? That's… Ryoko, right?"

"Dunno."

"I've got a profile on that girl," said Zero, judgingly. "I'm inclined to be wary around her."

"You've always gotta be wary around rich folk."

Fancy dress. Pristine décor. Classical music. All signs pointed to a standard rich folk party… too standard, in fact. The only deviation was, no hors d'oeuvres.

Despite both Zero and Ryuunosuke being known around the school by now for their lack of attire, the two were dressed for the occasion, if only for today. Zero sported a form-fitting dress jacket and pants, while Ryuunosuke wore a long, sleek black dress. Even though she had come to appreciate Zero's gender-downplay philosophy, she still couldn't help but feel all bubbly anytime she was able to dress up like a real lady. That alone made coming tonight worth it.

That said, there wasn't a lot to do at this party besides mingle with friends. Ataru, Lum, Shinobu, Megane's gang… all the usuals were present. Mendou himself had yet to make an appearance, nor had his sister, Ryoko. Ryuunosuke was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please!"

And there it was. The female voice on the speaker system brought Ryuu's level of caution right back up to red again.

"As some of you may have heard, the event tonight is a Gourmet Party! We have for each of you a brand new, experimental dish straight from our chefs for you to try. Please give us your honest opinions on each dish served."

As the voice spoke, several kuroko servants began fanning the room, presenting covered silver trays to each of the guests. It looked from the way they were moving about that each tray was designated for a particular guest—and the fact that they were all covered raised some flags.

Ataru was presented his tray quickly, and wasted no time opening it up, as it was a gift from Ryoko. His dish was a bowl of soup, and one taste made it obvious that it was almost nothing but salt… not that he minded, since it was a gift from Ryoko.

Megane and company all opened their trays to be met with bursts of powder, like miniature smoke bombs. All of them started on coughing fits.

"Is that… ack… powder sugar?" Megane choked.

"I think mine's… curry powder…" Chibi struggled to say.

Lum, meanwhile, was merely disappointed that her dish was so bland.

Ryuunosuke got sushi. Probably pufferfish, or something, she thought to herself. Deciding not to chance it right away, she went over to Zero to see what he'd been given.

Zero had been wary to open the tray at all, but after apt preparation, took the plunge. Pulling off the tray's top seemed to activate a device that set the dish on fire—it looked to be nothing but a potato set ablaze in the middle of the tray.

What is this, a pun? he thought. Hot potato? Too hot to eat?

Zero stared at the curious scene a moment, with Ryuu onlooking as well, before…

BOOM!

An explosion rang through the hall floor, catching everyone's attention. Ryuunosuke was sent to the floor, scuffed and blackened by the explosion, but otherwise no worse for wear. Zero, however…

"AAAIIIEEE!"

A piercing shriek followed the explosion as the scene became apparent to everyone. On the floor was Zero's lower half, and around the rest of the room, his top half was splattered in various quantities. The party guests were aghast at the gruesome display, and when Ryuunosuke finally came back to her senses, she had some trouble grasping what had transpired. That is, until a gleeful Ryoko came running out to the scene.

"Oh, looks like you got the hand grenade flambé! We also call it the Chef's Surprise… surprise!" she laughed, completely unaffected by the gory chunks all over the room. Ryuunosuke was devastated. She could barely restrain herself from beating the sadistic Ryoko to a bloody pulp, then and there. In fact, she was pretty sure she couldn't restrain herself.

Only seconds before it came to that, the guests were made to watch as the pieces of Zero all over the room began to wiggle and move, gathering themselves once again to the rest of his body and forming a complete whole once more. The whole process was somewhat unsettling to watch, and didn't restore Zero's suit… but, it was enough to bring him back to the world of the living with a gasping breath.

Zero stood up, now dressed only in scorched pants, took another deep breath to establish some composure, and then looked Ryoko in the eye. Deeply… sternly.

"You're quite something, aren't you?" she said, never letting her entertained smile leave her face. "I had heard you were a god, but to think you could do a thing like that… you're going to be fun!"

Zero did not respond. Ryuunosuke wanted to, but… instead, her eyes were on Zero. She had never seen him look as serious as he did now. She wanted to say something to defend him… but before she could, Zero spoke first.

"I'm leaving."

Without another word, he began walking out of the party. The confused Ryuunosuke joined him. She couldn't believe it. To her eyes… Zero had just died. God or not, she thought for sure he would explode on Ryoko, or at least express something… disappointment? Disdain? The fact that he said nothing, though… it had to belie something deeper. This was the most serious expression she had ever seen on Zero's face.

"Ryuunosuke?" he asked. She pulled herself out of her daydream and listened as they walked. "Are you certain you want to see everything I do as a god?"

"Well… yeah, I mean, I still wanna help out if I can. You've done so much for me, an' all…"

"All right, then. We'll have some work to do tomorrow."

Hard… too hard. The bed wasn't always this hard, was it? And why is the room so dark? Am I…?

Ryoko turned and tossed around, trying for a moment to feel out why it was that everything suddenly felt so strange to her this morning. The sunlight hadn't even made it into the east side window like it was designed to do every morning, yet. In fact, everything was pitch black.

Her eyes opened wide as she came to the realization that she was not in her bedroom. Not only that, but she was completely naked, wherever she was. She sat up abruptly.

"Hello?" she called out. No response.

That's it, then. This is a dream, she told herself. In fact… I'm fairly sure I've had this one before. How mundane.

Shortly after her call went out, a light appeared from above her, accompanied by the sound of a door opening. Some footsteps were heard, and shortly after, the light vanished as the door shut once again. The footsteps continued, growing closer. Someone was walking down to her.

"Who's there?"

"You're awake, then," the voice replied. It was a deep, male voice. "I suppose our last meeting wasn't very memorable to you, was it?"

The voice had gotten closer. Out of nowhere, a light was switched on, only illuminating the room dimly enough for Ryoko to just make out the face of her speaker.

"You, you're… Zero?"

Ryoko was mildly surprised. Not overwhelmingly surprised—even if this wasn't a dream, she had anticipated the possibility of some kind of petty revenge. Whatever was going on here, though… it certainly wasn't what she had been expecting.

"Oh, good. You do remember me," he said. "Perhaps, then, you know why it is you're here."

Another dimly-lit figure stood behind Zero. Ryoko couldn't quite make the person out, but given their established relationship, she felt safe in assuming that the other figure was probably Ryuunosuke.

"This is part of some silly revenge plot, isn't it?" Ryoko asked, unimpressed. "You pervert."

"This has nothing to do with revenge," he clarified. "This is a matter of justice. But then, the concept of a superego may be too much for you to grasp."

"You sound like my brother. You men are so full of yourselves," she argued. "When will-"

A hand brushed against Ryoko's face, and before she could finish her sentence, she realized that her voice was no longer working. She tried and tried, but no matter what she did, she was unable to get any sound to escape her lips. She was mute.

"Sorry, but you'll just have to listen for a while," said Zero, pacing in front of her deviously. Ryoko, of course, was not happy with having her voice taken, and immediately lashed out at her captor.

Another brush on the body, and her limbs collapsed beneath her, leaving her body as limp as a ragdoll. What was he doing? What did he plan on doing with her?

"I'm sure your mind must be racing right now," said Zero. "In fact, I know it is." Because I'm right here inside it.

This last part was communicated telepathically. Not even Ryoko's thoughts were her own.

"You've taken for granted the many blessings in your life," said Zero. "Not only that, but you've taken it upon yourself to use those blessings to harm those less fortunate than you."

I use them on my brother, and he's exactly as fortunate as me! she wanted to say. Not that it mattered right now what she wanted to say. She couldn't say anything.

"It would seem that the people in this world are made of sterner stuff than the people of my world," he explained, citing the hand grenade incident with Ryuunosuke. "Even so, causing pain for your own amusement is undoubtedly the lowest, most petty form of evil there is."

Evil? That seems like a bit much, she thought.

"In most circumstances, evil like that is something that I make a point to eliminate with extreme prejudice. You understand, of course, that not all sinners can be saved. In the time it takes to reform one, a hundred more will appear. But you…" He leaned in uncomfortably close. Not that Ryoko could do anything about it. "I've decided to make an exception for you. Aren't you fortunate?"

Ryuunosuke was more than slightly uncomfortable with this conversation. She herself didn't have any strong opinions either way. Though there was a certain satisfaction in seeing a spoiled rich person getting a taste of powerlessness, she couldn't help but wonder if this was too much.

"Cooperate, and you'll be able to return to your home again," Zero explained. "But before that, you'll need to understand three things. No more, no less."

Ryoko appeared worried.

"First, I'm going to help you realize all of the things you've taken for granted in your life." Zero stood up again. "Second, you'll be learning some humility. If it comes to it, I will break you and rebuild you from scratch… so speak with grace and tact, dear." Ryoko was sweating now. "Finally, you'll come to understand the pain that you've been causing others… one way or another. Understand?"

Ryoko, of course, did not respond.

"From this point on, your thoughts are not your own. Your faculties are not your own. Your body is not your own." He telekinetically raised her up to eye level. "Make no mistake. You are not my disciple. You are my prisoner. My pet. My project. Your continued existence depends on your success here."

Zero again brushed her face, restoring her speech to her.

"You're a monster! How dare you do this to me! When my armies-"

Another brush, and silence.

"Your armies, you say. And who is it who will be sending them?" Zero asked. "Your family? Surely they'll be missing you… right? They might notice your absence from the weekly family get-together… if you hadn't been skipping those already, that is. You're about as close-knit as… as…" He turned to Ryuunosuke. "What's something poorly-knit?"

"Uh… the patches on my pop's underwear?"

"Sure, that," he affirmed. He then turned his attention back to Ryoko. "No one is coming to free you. There is no army in this world that can stand up to a god. Your only hope is to complete my course. I'll leave you to mull that over for a while."

Zero and Ryuunosuke made their exit from the small basement, leaving Ryoko there with all her faculties restored… for now.

"Zero… is all that… okay?" Ryuunosuke asked, hesitantly. She didn't want to question him, but… "Can you really say that what you're doing is right?"

Zero contemplated. "I realize it's extreme. Incredibly so. But that girl… she's a special case. If her sadistic tendencies remain unchecked, with her money and influence, someday, she'll be an honest to goodness threat to mankind. Honestly, the most efficient way to handle things would be to kill her… but I know how you feel about that." Ryuunosuke winced. "And besides, I don't like to admit it, but… you know me. As awful as she is, I have a weakness for young ladies." Now Ryuu rolled her eyes.

"I don't think she's completely a lost cause," Zero continued, "but she's close. She's as self-centered as she is sadistic. The only way I see any progress being made with her is to first shatter her godlike self-image."

"If that's not the pot calling the kettle black," Ryuunosuke teased.

"I'm a benevolent god," Zero retorted. "She behaves more like a ritual sacrifice god."

Some time later…

The muffled cries that had been seeping out from the basement for the first couple of hours had ceased. Ryuunosuke's abode was now filled with… relative peace. The tense atmosphere between herself and Zero had not completely dissipated. Even if everything he had said to her was accurate, and their prisoner could become a threat to the world if left unchecked, something about all this still didn't sit well with Ryuu. Not that she could physically do anything to stop Zero… she'd have to talk him out of his plan, if anything, and she still wasn't sure enough about her own thoughts on the situation to form a cohesive argument.

"She's quieted down," Ryuu commented idly.

Zero stood up. "I'm not going to be too harsh on her the very first day," he insisted, starting towards the basement door.

Below, Ryoko shifted on the floor as she saw the crack of light from above. A figure started down the stairs, locking the door behind him.

"You've calmed down, I see," he stated.

"They'll find me," Ryoko said sternly. "My whole family is equipped with tracker chips. As soon as they pinpoint-"

"This room was designed with metal plating in the walls," Zero explained. "No radio signal will reach down here, so I'm afraid you're out of luck."

Ryoko looked despondent.

"What are you going to do to me?" she finally asked. "Have your way with me? Torture me? Keep me for your amusement?"

"Gracious, no. I'm not a monster," he said. "I've told you already—all this is for your own good, and the good of those around you. I don't enjoy seeing anyone suffer. That's what sets us apart, you see."

Silence fell between them. It seemed, for a while, that was all Ryoko had to say for the time being. However, just as Zero turned to leave…

"At least…" she began. "At least give me something to pass the time with. I'm so bored, I could die."

"Two thousand yen."

"What?"

"Two thousand yen," he repeated. "Name anything in that budget, and it's yours."

"That's half an appetizer! Not even pocket change!" she protested. "You can't expect me to entertain myself with-"

His eyes weren't joking. Twenty USD was her limit. Ryoko glared at him.

"I get it. You're trying to teach me how to be a poor person, is that it?" she asked, upset. "What a joke. If that's the case, I'd rather…"

Zero waited, but when she did not finish, he started turning to leave once more.

"W…wait!" she begged. He stopped once again. "A… book," she finally requested. "Something classic that will occupy me for a while. And… something to read by."

Zero nodded solemnly. "I'll be back shortly."

"What's that?" asked Ryuunosuke.

"Reading material. Shakespeare," Zero replied.

"Western stuff? What for?"

"This collection is in Japanese. Take a look."

Ryuunosuke obliged.

"Othello… Hamlet… A Midsummer Night's Dream… The Taming of the Shrew…" Ryuunosuke read aloud. "Hold on, that one sounds familiar."

"Does it, now?"

"I remember some of these from Onsen's English class… that last one, he assigned to me personally."

"Really? What a thing to do." Zero sounded very surprised.

"Why, what's the matter?"

"It's considered to be rather misogynistic. The story is about a man abusing an obstinate woman into behaving in a way he deems desirable."

"And you're givin' that to Ryoko?" she gawked.

"It was a Shakespeare collection, I didn't pay any mind to which plays were included, specifically. Besides, if the comparison were to apply to anyone here…"

He stopped.

"Go on," Ryuu insisted, squinting at Zero suspiciously. He hesitated to continue.

"…well, in any case, the story has more to do with gender roles. It's no comparison to reforming a criminal," Zero defended. With that, he took the collection back under his arm and resumed en route to the basement.

"How's this?" he asked Ryoko, presenting her with the collection.

"Hm… Shakespeare, is it? I've read about half of these… but not in some time, I suppose," she acquiesced. "What else have you got there?"

He revealed some candles and matches he had also been carrying, placing them on the one object in the room: a mid-sized wooden crate.

"You couldn't have gotten a lantern?" she chided.

"As a centuries-old being, I think it's a good exercise to practice the old ways," he told her. "Besides, as I understand, you decorate with these quite often."

Ryoko scowled. She still didn't appreciate someone else probing about inside her mind.

"Well, fine," she scoffed. "When is supper?"

"Breakfast is tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? And what 'til then?" she asked haughtily.

"Hunger. If it's the first time you've felt it, it should be quite the learning experience."

"What? You're joking!"

Zero began to leave once again.

"What… what about a bathroom?!" she asked. No response. Just a click, a lock, and then silence. She was on her own again.

Ryoko lay still—uncomfortable, but still—on the cold, hard floor, just where she had slept. In the corner of the stone floor was a small puddle of urine. In the other, a crate with a series of wax splotches covering it, the only remains of what once were candles. Zero stepped down from the stairs above.

"Good morning, sunshine," he said ironically. Ryoko did not stir. Stepping closer, he leaned down and placed her hand between her legs, where a small patch of brown hair formed. Running his hand gently around the area caused an unpleasant shudder in Ryoko, until finally, she sprang up with an audible yelp, pulling away from her captor.

"What are you doing?!" she cried.

"Oh, good, you're awake. No sleeping in," he told her. "You know, most folks don't have helicopters they can take to school—they have to get up extra early to walk or catch a train."

"Don't lecture me," she told him. "What… what is that?" she then asked, turning her attention to the small tray he had placed between them.

"Rice and miso soup," he answered. "The traditional Japanese breakfast."

"Where's the meat?" she demanded. "Fish, tofu, toast and jam…?"

Zero stared at her. "You drive a hard bargain," he said, shaking something in his hand. "Two pickles." He placed them on the tray to accompany the meager meal. It looked as if that was really all she was getting, even after going the whole previous day without food.

Ryoko relented. It wasn't much, but it was better than the alternative… and for all she knew, this might be all she was given the entire day. She ate the meal peaceably, but made sure that Zero was aware that she was not happy with it. When she was finished, she placed the dishes back on the tray again.

"I'll even take care of the dishes for you," Zero stated. "You're lucky—most people have to do that themselves."

Lucky, he says, she thought to herself. She rolled her eyes at the sentiment.

Zero scanned the room. "I see you've made use of the corner."

"Don't… don't look over there!" she protested.

"Yet you haven't answered the other call at all, I see. That's not healthy, you know."

He wouldn't. He couldn't expect her to.

Zero produced a small pad from behind him, spreading it on the floor before her. She knew exactly what he was planning.

"Put that away!" she shouted. "I'm no animal!"

"You are human," he clarified, "and humans are animals. Animals have needs."

"You…!"

"Your gracious host is providing you a service, but this will be the only time today," he explained flatly. "Even if you refuse, you'll eventually have to use the corner, and I'm eventually going to see it. Not only that, but the whole room will smell."

This was too much. Ryoko fought tears.

I am not an animal, she told herself. I have pride.

But pride was worth nothing here. Zero had all the cards—every single one. A full day had passed, and there had been no sign at all of her family or servants. No one was coming to save her. For the first time in her life, Ryoko was utterly powerless. She felt powerless.

She bit her lip, wanting desperately to fight the inevitable… but she was unable to counter the reality of the situation. He had her cornered. He was her only source of food, of drink, and of access to the outside world. It hit her then—if it were up to him, it really was possible that she could die here. She had fallen from having everything, to having nothing… not even her status as a human being.

In the end, the survival instinct won out, and with bitter, almost tangible reluctance, she succumbed to Zero's instruction, lowering herself both physically and spiritually to conducting her business right in front of him. He watched the entire process—beginning, middle, and end. Ryoko had finally been broken.

Zero emerged from the basement with no pad, but a small garbage bag in tow, ready to be thrown out.

"What's that?" asked Ryuunosuke.

"Nothing of value. Just some pride, is all."