Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
"Nemu-san, just tell me where Urahara is."
"I'm sorry, Kuchiki-sama. I cannot do that. I have been instructed to kill you instead." Nemu regained a battle stance, but the pose was momentary. She charged and jumped, aiming a flying kick to Rukia's head. Rukia deftly evaded and tried to counter-punch, but Nemu deflected it with an elbow and planted her knee in Rukia's gut. With momentary advantage, Nemu punched downwards into the back of Rukia's neck, slamming her into the floor. Nemu quickly kneeled down over Rukia's back, pinning her facedown by the shoulders. Grabbing Rukia's thick black hair, Nemu began raising Rukia's head to smash it into the rocky floor.
Before Rukia could suffer a broken face, she threw her foot up as hard as she could to surprise Nemu with a scorpion kick to the back of the head. Nemu was knocked forward, freeing Rukia from the floor; and she scampered to her feet and cast a quick kido healing spell to stop her nosebleed.
Nemu was quick to strike again, worried that if she didn't move quickly, she would give Rukia time to cast another close-range kido spell. A throat kick was deflected, but Nemu used the deflection to change her momentum and send her other foot into the small of Rukia's back. Rukia grunted but took it like someone who was built twice her size, and surprised Nemu with a left hook to the ear, sending stars to the 12th division lieutenant's vision.
Backing up in an attempt to put space between them, Rukia needed to be extra careful. Nemu had a much longer reach, and was clearly much more adept at hand-to-hand then Rukia was. Nemu used the extra space to throw snap kicks at Rukia, which were easily blocked but kept Rukia from gaining time to recover.
Rukia's adrenaline was on full throttle. Wait for it... wait for it... Now.
Nemu's forward snap kick arched forward, and with perfect precision, Rukia leaped into the air; planting the toes of her right foot on Nemu's shin mid-kick. Rukia's knee was bent like a coiled spring; and using it as a powerful springboard off of Nemu's shin, she rotated quickly; swinging her entire left leg around into a mighty, mighty roundhouse. The airborn kick had all the power of Rukia's 360-degree jump combined with the added force of Nemu's own snap kick. It would have been impossible for Nemu to anticipate such a thing, and as such she had been left wide open. The centrifugal force of Rukia's heel was so crushingly powerful that when it connected with Nemu's face, Akon shivered at the sound of snapping neck bones that echoed thunderously through the cavern.
Rukia landed, feet spread wide and one hand on the ground, other arm trailing behind her back for balance. Panting and slightly out of breath, she went over to survey what had happened to Nemu, but the door creaked and she turned to see Akon trying to escape. "Bakudo #61: Six Rods of Light Prison," she cast, pointing her finger at him; and he was instantly frozen in place as the barrier locked down on him, completely immobilizing him. He couldn't even sneeze if he wanted to. Ah, I love that spell, she thought. Now I know why Nii-sama likes it so much.
Akon's eyes shook in fear. If she could cast a level 60 bakudo spell in the mines, he didn't want to think about what else she could do to him.
Rukia ignored Akon for the moment and refocused her attention on the paralyzed Nemu, who had been built to survive a broken neck but could otherwise not move. "It's over, Nemu-san. Where's Urahara? Tell me what I need to do to get Ichigo and Yoruichi-san back to normal!"
To her complete surprise, tears started forming in Nemu's eyes. "I can't tell you."
Rukia grabbed her by the collar, shaking her. "What the hell do you mean? Tell me before you make me kill you!"
There was no defiance in Nemu's eyes - just a deep, dark sadness; a suffering that seemed inhuman. "No, Rukia-sama. You don't understand. I can't tell you."
"What, you don't know where he is? You have to know!"
"Of course I know where Urahara-dono is, Rukia-sama. But Mayuri-sama instructed me not to tell," Nemu answered, but then her voice cracked and the tears began to stream. "...And you assume that my father created me with free will."
Rukia wasn't sure whether should be astounded, dismayed, horrified, or all of the above; since she didn't put anything past Kurotsuchi Mayuri. She couldn't believe it had come to this. To live without being able to make your own decisions? Rukia could barely understand how horrific such a thing must be.
"Rukia-sama, I can't tell you, no matter how much I want to. Please, just kill me."
"No, Nemu-san, I can't do that," she sighed, letting go of the lieutenant's collar with a sigh.
"No!" she yelled. "You don't understand! I want to die. Rukia-sama, I want you to kill me right now."
Rukia was confused. "How could you say such a thing?"
"Because Mayuri-sama will not let me kill myself," she began. "I have wanted to die for a long time, Rukia-sama. I know logically that if I had free will, I would hate my father. He does not see me as a shinigami - he sees me as a tool. He uses me as a weapon that he can throw away. He makes me participate in cruel experiments. He made my mind enjoy it when he rapes me. Yet I love him - but only because he told me I must," she cried. "But he doesn't care if I die. He never has - he just complains that he'll have to fix me. I love my father but I do not want to, Rukia-sama. And because I cannot change my fate, you need to change it for me. Save me, Kuchiki Rukia. Save me from this awful life. Make sure Mayuri-sama never fixes me again."
Rukia was overwhelmed. Nemu was barely human enough to have emotions at all. Nanao had once told her that Nemu had fun on some of the wilder escapades in the Shinigami Women's Association, and that Nemu always blushed at Yachiru's approval; so Rukia knew Nemu wasn't completely emotionless. Despite that, Rukia never thought she would see the day when Nemu would cry. The poor woman hadn't even cried when the 8th Espada consumed her body from the inside out. Rukia couldn't imagine Nemu in tears; it was inconceivable - but here, at her feet, Nemu was crying. It broke Rukia's spirit - she didn't even think Nemu could cry even if she wanted to. Perhaps that feeling - knowing that Nemu couldn't do anything she really wanted to - that was what wrenched Rukia's heart.
Nemu could read the confusion on Rukia's face, but pressed her case in her normal, melancholy voice. "Rukia-sama, you need to injure my brain and heart to kill me properly." Tears flowed uncharacteristically from her face. "Please, Rukia-sama."
"Nemu... I-"
"Rukia-sama, please. For my own dignity as a shinigami. Do not deny me the only dignity I have left." she commanded, her last words forced through a fierceness that portrayed her conviction.
Rukia did not know he she would be able to live with herself; but through her burning, salty eyes, she realized what she must do. Unforgivable, she thought. She had heard the awful details from Ishida and Renji about his complete lack of morals, but hearing it from Nemu's own mouth crushed her soul. No one should ever be abused - but for someone to rape his own daughter? That sick, sick bastard!
Hating what she was about to do - even though she knew she must - Rukia fetched her zanpakutou that she had lost during the fight. Looking down with deep sadness and sorrow, she stroked the tears out of the woman's eyes. "Hai, Nemu-dono - for your dignity."
"I will never forget this gift, Rukia-sama," she sniffled, a small smile forming at the edges of her mouth. Rukia could see a wave of peace that had settled over Kurotsotchi Nemu. It was the first time that she had ever seemed... human. "Thank you."
Summoning the deepest resolve she could, the imperial lieutenant released her sword with a whisper. "Mai, Sode no Shirayuki." She waved the white blade over Nemu's head, giving her a chance to see that her death would be done with the honor of the most beautiful zanpakutou ever known. As she saw the acknowledgement in the poor woman's eyes, she recited the shinigami's final rite of passing; symbolically placing the konso insignia at the base of her hilt on Nemu's forehead.
"May you pass into the land of the living, and return to us once more," and although the rite normally ended there, Rukia concluded, "and may you finally be free."
Nemu smiled as she closed her eyes in anticipation. In one swift motion, Rukia swung Sode no Shirayuki with such force that she cleft Nemu from temple to temple, and without stopping her swing, she pirouetted gracefully. Never ceasing her motion, she redirected her blade around-and-down with elegance, cleanly plunging it through the shinigami's left breast with precision force. It was the most dignified way she could think of to do an undignified thing; and she cursed Kurotsuchi a thousand times over for even forcing her end to be so tragic. At least it should have been quick and painless, Rukia figured.
But it was no comfort.
Similar to Kiyone in the prequel, "Save This for Kuchiki", I confess that I knowingly took liberties with Nemu's character in this chapter, so forgive me. This chapter was impossible - I know I got Nemu wrong, but I think that in this plot, it's impossible to get her right. I've tweaked this chapter so many times, trying harder and harder to get her at least as close as I can, but I know it's a bit forced.
From a pure literary standpoint, Nemu makes for a truly dramatic villain - a case where protagonist and antagonist do not actually want a conflict. For that sake of dramatic flare, I opted to force Nemu's character a bit. Not sure about how y'all feel about this one - hopefully some of you think I did an okay job with her.
Question for feedback - is the drama good here, or is it overwrought? I have mixed feelings about my writing here; but I suppose you keep reading so it can't be awful. :)
