AN: Rape, torture warning…

Thank you everyone for following my story!

Chapter 7

Rukia huddled in the corner as she heard the door open.

"Ruuuukiaaaaa, have you been a good girl?" He asked as he started to walk down the stairs. He pulled the string, pouring light into the dark basement. Rukia cringed at the light and shielded her eyes.

Zanko picked her up and brought her back upstairs. He walked into the bathroom that was connected to her original room and took her clothes off. Rukia said nothing and barely moved, allowing him to do as he wished.

The room was big for a bathroom. It contained one broken toilet a dirty and chipped ceramic sink and a bathtub with a broken shower head. The walls were decorated in faded green tiles that were chipped, cracked or missing in several places. The floor tile was dirty and faded.

"Yes, I think you're finally starting to understand your position," he said as he picked her up and placed her into the tub of hot water. He took some soap and washed her hair. Rukia focused on the black line edging the tub. Mold and mildew surrounded the tiles that normally got wet during a bath or shower. She looked at the water as it quickly became red from the blood of her comrades.

"Did you have a good week?" He asked as he lathered her hair.

She said nothing. He pulled a small fistful of her hair.

"Did you have a good week?" he asked again.

"No," she whispered.

Zanko smiled and threw her head back, pushing her head into the water. He let go and watched as she listed her head and gasped for air.

"Look at me," he commanded. Her sunken violet orbs met his crystal ice blues. "Who do you belong to?"

Rukia looked at him. She looked at the piece of bone that lined his jaw. He was an Espada, sworn enemy to all Shinigami. Right?

Yet, she had wronged him. She had killed his brother. She owed him, had to atone…

You're rationalizing. Pathetic. No wonder everyone thinks you're weak.

"I am…"

"Who do you belong to?" he asked again, his patience clearly getting short.

"I am Kuchiki Rukia! I belong to the Thirteenth Division of the – "

He pushed her back into the water. He smiled as she struggled. He picked her up and dunked her again.

"Do you need to go back to the basement? Do I need to show you the others? Your brother, maybe?"

Rukia gasped. There was no way he had her brother. He let her go so she could catch her breath.

"Who do you belong to?"

"No one," she said stubbornly. His eyes narrowed.

"Is your pride so big that you would let others get hurt by it?" He stood up and walked out of the room. Rukia looked around the room for something to cover herself with. The room was empty, not even a shower curtain was there.

Her eyes grew as Zanko stood in the doorway. He had someone in a choke hold although they were already unconscious. Their arms were bound together. As Zanko shifted, he lifted up on the head he was holding.

It took Rukia a few minutes to place who he was holding as they were dressed in a simple white shirt and black slacks. She screamed as she saw his face.

Byakuya Kuchiki.

Zanko took a knife and put it to the side of her brother's neck.

"No!" Rukia said as she tried to stand. The bloody water was slick; her ankle was still sprained and made it difficult for her to stand. She managed to get to her knees and bent over the tub so she could fall out of it onto the floor. She landed with a wet "plop" and looked at Zanko, horrified.

"You're just not a good girl, are you?" He said as he dug the knife in. Blood spurted out. Rukia screamed and lunged her naked body across the bathroom floor. She held her hands out, trying to reach her brother. She managed to grab onto his sleeve as his body fell. She moved to his neck, wanting to prevent him from losing more blood.

Rukia froze before starting to shake.

"I think you'll be needing this, ne?" Zanko asked as he dropped the head he was still holding. It landed on top of Byakuya's chest, in front of Rukia.

Rukia heard awful screaming, it was loud and full of fear. Her eyes felt heavy. It wasn't until she slowly closed them that she realized it was she who was screaming. As unconsciousness took her, she was relieved to not have to see her brother's eyes on her anymore.

Rukia opened her eyes. She was in the same room she was in before. She blinked a few times. It was sometime during the day as the sun was up. It's meager light illuminating the room. She looked down to find she was clean and dressed. She wore a simple violet dress. Her legs were chained to the bed. She looked over and found her wrists were as well. The left one was still bandaged.

She blinked a few times.

Was it all a dream?

She heard footsteps outside the door. Her breath quickened.

"Kuuuchiiiikiiiiiii…" She heard Zanko on the other side of the door.

Not a dream.

The door opened. Zanko came in carrying a tray of food. He set it down on the nightstand and looked at her.

"I've missed you," he said with kindness in his voice. Rukia looked at him. "I was lonely up here in the week that was your punishment only to have you pass out on me for another." He picked up a bowl of miso soup and a spoon. He offered her the warm liquid. "Eat."

Rukia found her body betraying her as she moved her head towards Zanko. She didn't know what was harder to believe, that he was sitting there feeding her or that she was letting him.

"That's a good girl. See? I can be nice," he said as he gave her another spoonful.

She studied his hand that held the spoon. As she ate, she remembered her brother's head as it fell from Zanko's hands. That very hand.

Her throat closed up and she choked.

Zanko didn't seem to mind as he set the bowl down and patted her back.

"Tell me, Kuchiki Rukia…" He said as he lifted her dress above her waist. "Tell me what I want to hear."

She looked at him yet couldn't get her mouth to move.

He put his weight on her as he fondled her breast through her dress. "Just say it once. It's the least you can do considering everything you've put me through. But then again," he said as he started to finger her, "You're used to fucking up people's lives aren't you?"

Rukia gasped and turned her head away. Zanko wouldn't have it and pulled her head back. "Open your eyes or I will kill another one of your friends."

"W-why? Why are you doing this?" She asked, trying to cover her sob.

Zanko removed his hand and looked at her.

"Didn't we go over this already? You killed my brother!"

"That…thing ate him! He was no longer your brother! No more than Kaien-dono was still Kaien-dono," she managed as tears started to fall.

"I told you I could still hear him! He was still in there and I could have saved him if you hadn't come along and killed him!" The anger in Zanko's voice grew. He put both hands on her shoulders and let his thumbs caress her neck. "Is that what keeps you going, Shinigami? Is that what eases your mind at night? Telling yourself that your precious Kaien wasn't himself once he was eaten?" He laughed as he pressed his thumbs down into the hollow of her throat. "Let me tell you…That's NOT the case!"

Rukia's eyes bulged as she struggled against her restraints. She pulled and twisted her limbs, trying to free one of them so she could get this monster off of her. It was when she made a gurgling sound Zanko let up.

"YOU killed him! YOU severed my connection with him!" He said as he slapped her, splitting the skin across her cheek. "And it is YOU who will repay me." Rukia gasped and choked as she tried to get air back into her lungs. She didn't have time to prepare as more pain seared through her as Zanko rammed himself deep inside of her.

Zanko finished dressing and looked at his bloody captive. Her face was swollen, her eyes vacant. He smiled.

"That's how I like to see you. Broken like a child's toy that's been used up. There is no one left to save you, you know. I have taken them all."

Rukia looked at him.

"Oh yes, all of them. I will tell you one last time. If you do not submit to me, I will kill the rest."

Rukia thought of Renji's mutilated body, the others in the basement, and of her brother. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get the mental image out of her head.

"Who do you belong to, Kuchiki?"

Rukia sobbed in defeat.

"You," she whispered.