A/N: Hello
everyone and welcome back!
Rated: "M" gore /
adult situations / torture / violence / language
Welcome to Chapter 14 of "The Collector" – Pushed to the Limit
Sorry for the delay, I've been really busy and I had some lack of inspiration, but I'm back on track. Hope you all enjoy the next installment.
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At last, Deidara was able to shove away the final rock, sending it crashing to the base of the rubble pile he had been buried in. "Never again," he gasped, pulling himself up and out as quickly as possible from the tiny cramped place. Memories of being in confinement flooded his mind. All had been torturous, but they had given him the adrenaline push he needed to escape. Deidara greedily began to take in large gulps of air when a sharp pain shot through him. Shaken, he unzipped his coat and gingerly ran his fingers down his chest, wincing as his digits felt along his fragile ribs.
"Were they cracked?" he wondered warily. The dusty blond zipped back up his coat cautiously, relieved that the skin hadn't broken. He'd have to be very careful from this point forward until Sasori could take a look at him. Deidara froze. There was no way things could ever be the same between them again. Too much has happened, both in the past and present. He wasn't even worthy of Sasori; heck, he never was. His heart sank as he leaned back against the wall. Sighing, he took a look around to survey the damage. Rocks, dirt, and dust littered the floor. The tunnel's structure had suffered a beating and was barely holding itself together. Most of the power had been knocked out with only faint traces of light flickering further down the corridor. Darkness enveloped Deidara, but having spent nearly four years of his life trapped in it, his eyes had adjusted quickly. There was very little room to move around in and it seemed impossible for someone as large a man as… "Juugo," Deidara muttered, his mouth set grim.
Carefully, Deidara shuffled across to where he'd last left the big man. He had been pressing Juugo for information when there had been a loud roar, its vibrations rocketing through the underground walls, jostling them to crack and break. He remembered dodging away, but Juugo didn't have that luxury. What stood before the dusty blond was a large pile of razor-sharp rocks. Scanning it, Deidara caught a glimpse of flesh against the dull gray of the stones. Leaning in closer, bracing one hand against the pile for support, he saw Juugo's tanned hand wedged tightly between two wickedly sharp rocks. It lay still, covered in blood; fingers sprawled against the stone reaching for help that would never come. Deidara felt nothing at the lost of this man for there was no compassion for one that had been so cruel.
Seeing as nothing more could be accomplished here, Deidara pushed back from the rocky pile and began forging a path through the debris. He supposed he should consider himself lucky to have survived such a massive cave-in, but it wasn't luck that kept him going. It was vengeance.
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Naruto cursed the earth talons that bound him to the ground. He struggled fiercely, but nothing he did would break the soil that seemed like steel. The snow was piling up from the blizzard, threatening to cut off Naruto's air supply. Through the heavy drifts of snow, all Naruto seemed able to do was watch as Sasuke was being continuously beaten back by the monster Rhage. The thought of being so helpless was eating Naruto alive, slowly driving him to desperation.
Deep inside Naruto's subconscious, the Kyuubi beckoned him. "Come on, kid. Give me what I want and I will give you what you want." Naruto slowly stared up at the paper seal, held in place on the bars to the demon fox's prison. The blonde's eyes glazed over, their usual brilliant blue turning dull and lifeless. He reached his right hand up little by little, his fingers hooking to grasp onto the seal. The kyuubi smiled wickedly. "You know as well as I there are no others to help your friend. Only you. And this is the only way."
Sasuke barely had time to react to Rhage's continued onslaught. The beast came at him with everything it had, fists, claws, talons, and chakra induced attacks. All Sasuke could do was put his arms up across his face and body to try and soften the blows. But after one powerful roundhouse kick to the gut, Sasuke was sent hurtling towards the ground. He landed hard, kicking up snow and dirt. After bouncing off the ground, he skidded to a halt roughly fifty meters from where Naruto lie, half covered by snow.
"SASUKE!" the blond called out. Sasuke's head was spinning and his body hurt all over. Although he couldn't see Naruto, he'd heard the panic in his friend's voice not too far away.
"Naruto?" Sasuke choked out, blood tricking from the corners of his mouth. Slowly, he rose up onto his elbows and cocked his head. His curse seal had receded, leaving his chakra levels dangerously low. This was bad. Very bad. Sasuke couldn't see anything and had completely lost track of his opponent. Panic, both for himself and Naruto, swept through his body. Things went from bad to worse as Rhage slammed down on top of the raven, pinning him to the cold, hard snow. The creature's taloned hands held Sasuke's wrists out to either side of his body, while his furred knees and thighs were spread across Sasuke's hips.
Rhage then began to form hand signs with his human hands, chanting as he did so. Sasuke heard the hiss of the creature's snake tail as it hovered first near his face, then retreated back to sink its fangs into the raven's leg. Sasuke would have yelped but a hand was brought down onto his mouth, dampening any sound. "It'll get much worse," Rhage whispered. The other hand pressed down hard onto the raven's chest, a black mist emanating from it. "I believe Karin promised me that I'd have a fresh set of lungs. Judging by your fire-style back there, you must be the donor."
Sasuke's dull gray eyes widened. It was just like in his nightmares. The missing organs, the cut open rib cage, it was all going to come true. He thought he'd avoided all of that by escaping Karin and the horrible room of eyes, but here he was, in the same situation, again. Could this really be his fate?
Rhage's hand began to flare, its power beginning to melt the raven's flesh and crush his sternum. The pain was excruciating, tears rolling down Sasuke's bloodied cheeks. With his body practically paralyzed from Rhage's weight, all Sasuke could do was get a good bite onto the creature's hand. His canines were still sharp from his cursed form, so he bit down hard, drawing blood from the beast. Rhage howled in agony, briefly pulling away its hand to nurse the wound.
Through the increasing snowdrifts, Naruto was barely able to keep his line of vision on Sasuke and Rhage. He'd seen the two battling, but the creature seemed to have no weaknesses. Yet it withered in pain now. What had happened over there? Had Sasuke managed to find a weak spot? More questions raced through Naruto's mind, but he was becoming light-headed from lack of oxygen due to his slow death of suffication.
Rhage roared. He'd never felt pain before, the sensation being both startling and irritating. "If you continue to resist, I will make you suffer," the creature said savagely. His taloned hands tightened on the raven's wrists, cutting deep into the flesh. The snake's bite had turned more vicious, the long wicked fangs sinking deeper and deeper into Sasuke's scarred legs. Both of Rhage's hands came crashing down on Sasuke's chest, the pressure doubling. Snapping bones echoed across the snow, the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. The raven screamed in agony. Beneath Sasuke, the white snow had turned red, blood pooling beneath his battered body.
"Do not hesitate!" Kyuubi shouted. "Every minute you do, the Uchiha's life weakens. He will die if you do nothing." Giant blood red eyes loomed over Naruto, eyes gone wild with the prospect of freedom and destruction. "Free me. Take revenge for your friend."
The pain and suffering of Sasuke's voice penetrated even the walls of his subconscious. It was more than the blond could take. With a heavy acceptance of what had to be done, Naruto reached up and tore the seal completely from its spot on the steel bars. The kyuubi laughed wickedly, wrapping its red chakra around Naruto's body, nearly suffocating the teen. "Finally."
Sasuke was experiencing the worse pain he could ever have imagined, but that was nothing compared to the heavy amount of chakra that now blanketed the area. It pressed down on both him and Rhage and it spelled disaster. "Naruto! Don't you dare!" he half screamed, half choked. But he knew it was already too late.
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"This looks promising," said Sai as he stepped through a back room to stand in front of a large, gray freight elevator. Sakura and Ino filed in behind him, dirty, tired, hungry, and losing hope. The trio had been desperately searching for a way up and out of the labyrinth where they were held prisoner. Sakura squeezed past the pale teen to push the 'up' button. She waited anxiously for the solid doors to open, but nothing happened.
"Come on," Sakura muttered, continuously clicking the small button with her slender finger.
Meanwhile, Sai had stepped in front of the elevator doors and was now running his fingers along them. Pulling the sword from its sheath on his shoulder, the pale teen tried inserting it into the juncture of the doors. It was a lot of work for something that didn't work. Sai frowned, yet another sign that his usual façade of indifference was cracking. He turned from the door and paced, deep in thought.
Ino wanted to say something to consol both Sakura and Sai in their frustrations. But she found herself too bitter. It wasn't fair that they should be given this chance to escape, only to have it ripped away seconds later. But the fact remained that without power, they were going nowhere, fast. No doubt the monster had knocked it out once it was set free. A chill raced down her spine and she hugged herself. She would have become part of that monstrosity if Sasuke had not rescued her.
Sakura was growing aggravated by the minute. She had left the button and was now narrowing her eyes at the doors that mocked her attempts at freedom. She'd been within seconds of seeing her friends and teammates only to be separated, again. It'd been days since she'd heard or seen them and her nerves were raw with worry. She swore softly and clenched her fists. "I'll be damned if this hunk of metal stops me now," she growled.
BAM!! The loud noise echoed and reverberated throughout the room and down the corridor.
"What the?" Ino's head popped up, her eyes wide. A large hole had been punched through the steel doors, leaving room enough for each of them to slide inside the cab.
Sakura was wiping blood from her bruised fist. "Damn. That felt good," she said wryly. Sai lowered his arms from his face.
"Quite impressive," said the stoic teen, brushing the dust from his already dirty outfit. Sakura merely 'hmphed' and climbed through the hole she'd made in the doors. The inside was made of wood and stood barren.
"Well?" Ino asked, sticking her head inside the cab as well. Her brows furred as she saw Sakura, hands on her hips, staring up at the ceiling.
"I need Sai," the pink-haired girl replied flatly. She didn't trust Sai, or care for him at all, but she'd put her own thoughts aside for the greater good.
"How can I be of service?" Sai said smoothly, offering a mock bow.
"I need you to lift me up so I can break that down," Sakura replied tartly, pointing up to the small door at the top of the elevator cab.
"Clever girl," Sai responded.
"Don't patronize me," Sakura snapped. "Just do it." Sai did as was instructed, hoisting the girl up and onto his shoulders. Her slender legs dangled in front of his body, while her bottom rested near the back of his neck. Sakura pressed against the small trap door. It groaned in protest, but after giving it a quick punch, it gave way and opened. She hastily scrambled up and onto the top of the elevator cab, thankful to be away from Sai. He was just too unpredictable for her taste. An eerie silence and darkness greeted her. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she thought with uncertainty.
"Need a light?" Ino said, her small frame emerging from the trap door. "Here, take this." She handed Sakura a makeshift torch made of shredded cloth tied around a pipe.
"Nice," Sakura said, clearly impressed.
"You can thank Sai for that," Ino winked. "Okay, Sai, I'm ready," the blond said. Sai grunted in return and with a final push, Ino soon joined Sakura on the roof. "Come on, Sai, now it's your turn." Ino bent down, reaching her hand back inside the hole.
Sai stood silent in the middle of the cab, his hand on his chin in deep thought. "Sai?" Ino questioned. Dark black orbs rose to meet with pale blue ones.
"Of course," Sai nodded, extending up his gloved hand. Ino took it, but was disturbed by what she saw in Sai's eyes. Something wasn't right about her man and it worried her.
Now the trio had regrouped atop the elevator cab. The shaft itself was small, but it had exactly what they were looking for. Thin, iron bars that lead up and into the darkness.
"Give me the torch," Sai ordered. Sakura obliged, but grudgingly. He went over to the bars and began to climb slowly at first, testing them to see if they'd hold. "Seems alright. I will go first, Ino second. Sakura, you bring up the rear." The girls nodded and followed Sai. They climbed in silence, each deep in their own thoughts. It wasn't long until a cool gust of air greeted them and a few traces of snow dotted the air.
"We're getting close to the surface," Ino exclaimed happily.
Sakura was going to chime in but was cut off as a fiery blast of red chakra enveloped the group.
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"That's it," Sasori uttered as realization hit him head-on.
"What was that?" Karin asked, raising a brow. She now had the electrocution device completely charged and was ready to administer its deadly shocks.
"And it was you," the redhead growled, feeling a quiet fury begin to erupt inside him.
"What on earth are you babbling about?" Karin said in annoyance. Sasori remained silent, choosing instead to glare at her with those piercing amber eyes. "No matter." With a surge of electricity, the cuffs on Sasori's wrists became magnetized. His arms were pulled out to either side and rendered useless against the powerful magnet hidden inside the wall. Karin then moved closer to Sasori, running her hand along his cheek, continuing down his neck and chest. "You have a nice body," she said casually. "But it's your mind I'm interested in. Yes, I've heard a lot about you, Sasori. You're quite gifted as a doctor back in the village of the Trees. That being said…"
"No," Sasori deadpanned.
"You haven't even heard my offer yet," Karin pouted, adjusting her glasses. "I guess I'll just have to extract your brain and study it for myself when all this over." Sasori paled. Karin turned, reaching down to grab a set of electrodes. With her attention back on the redhead, she ran one hand along the redhead's right temple, gently brushing back the stray strands of his hair. With the other hand, she brought up and attached the first of the four nodes. Moving to Sasori's left side, she fitted the second to his other temple. She then pressed herself up against the redhead's lean frame, her fingers tracing the contours of his muscles as she slid her lithe fingers down to either side of his chest. Attaching the final two nodes there, she leaned back, adjusting the wires that ran from the nodes back to the machine. "All right. Last chance. Work for me and live."
"Go fuck yourself," Sasori snarled.
Furious, Karin snatched Sasori's chin between her thumb and forefingers. "You are a fool. And now, you will pay for your insolence." Karin released her hold on the redhead, her hands moving towards two large black dials that sat at the front of the wicked looking device. Without hesitating, Karin turned them on, the needles on the knobs climbing to higher and higher voltages. The machine hummed loudly and crackled, sending shocks of electricity through the nodes placed on Sasori's body.
"AHHHHH!" Sasori screamed. Karin flipped the dials back down and said smugly, "To think, that was just a few seconds. Imagine what else I'll do to you."
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Deidara had been wandering the tunnels again for only a short time when the lights above him began to flicker and dim. Deidara begin to shake anxiously. He now knew where Karin was. It was time to finally end this. "Easier said than done," he muttered to himself, swallowing a nervous gulp. Next to having his hands removed, this was the second most feared torture he'd endured. Who was it this time?
Even so, he had to keep moving forward. Deidara's breathing had become labored, his chest beginning to erupt in pain from the broken ribs that lie beneath. It hurt, but he'd been through worse. Focusing on the task at hand, his eyes searched the ground at his feet. There was a lot of useless rubble, but he smiled slightly, picking up a good-sized stone, clasping it within his fingers.
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With every shock, each lasting for many long, agonizing minutes, Sasori's muscles and body burned with the seizures that were being induced. He was left dazed and bruised between sessions.
A small trail of blood trickled down from the corner of Sasori's lips. Karin smiled coyly, dropping the voltage. She leaned in to lick at the crimson fluid. Sasori was disgusted by her actions and tried to draw back. "Where do you think you're going?" Karin whispered haughtily. She then brought her lips up to his for a rough kiss. "Sweet," she observed, licking her lips.
"You kiss like crap," Sasori said flatly.
Karin laughed. "You know, I forgot how interesting this form of torture is. It's been nearly ten years since I've used it last." She reached up to touch at the welts and sores that were forming around the nodes on Sasori's temples. He winced, surprised at how fragile his skin had become. "I can make it stop," Karin murmured, "All you have to do is agree to work for me. It's that simple."
Sasori just spat blood at her, his mind too hazy to form any coherent sentence at the moment. His head was pounding and it took everything he had to stay with what was happening.
"You're a lot like him," said Karin. Sasori raised a battered brow. "One of my previous 'guests.' His name was Deidara. He was such a free-spirited child, although not very cooperative."
"What are you saying?" Sasori rasped out.
"Well, I'd have to say that shock treatment is an powerful motivator for behavior."
"Bitch!" Sasori snarled.
"That's just what Deidara called me. I was shocked hearing such a word from someone so young. Not to mention it is rather disrespectful. I figured he needed to learn some manners in humility." She crossed her arms. "You should consider yourself lucky. At least, you're partially clothed. As for Deidara, I had Suigetsu strip him, then chain him up." She paused. "Poor, poor Suigetsu. Going and getting himself knifed like that. He was a horny bastard, always thinking with his dick instead of his brain. Especially when it came to Deidara. Though I will give Suigetsu some credit. He did his job, no questions asked, and he did it well." Sasori couldn't even begin to fathom what Suigetsu had done to his friend. No wonder Deidara had been so hesitant about certain things.
A devilish smile crossed Karin's lips. "Of course, having my men completely naked gave me more places to shock." She brought one hand down to palm at Sasori's sex. "It's actually quite erotic." Sasori remained stoic, not wanting to give Karin any satisfaction. She laughed softly, "Maybe later then." Bringing her hand back up to Sasori's chest, she fingered the sores and blisters that were festering there. "Changed your mind yet? she pressed. "I can guarantee you, this'll only get worse."
Sasori glared back at Karin, his amber eyes glowing with rage. "When I get out of here, so help me, you will pay for what you and your lackeys have done."
"I'll take that as a 'no,'" Karin muttered dejectedly. "Make no mistake. I will break you." She turned once again from Sasori, this time returning with a metallic wand. The electric machine hummed back to life as it was turned back on, a low, irritating current pulsing into the nodes on Sasori's head and chest. Karin then brought the wand down to Sasori's tanned lips and pressed down. A new shock, even worse than before, coursed through his tender flesh. His lip split, blood flowing, dripping down his chin and onto his chest. Sasori cursed.
"Lovely little effect, isn't it? See, with the one current already flowing through your body, the second one adds more 'pop' to the whole experience. But don't take my word for it, let my wand do the talking." Karin then brought the wand to Sasori's ears, nose, cheeks, and lips once again. With each zap, burnt flesh mixed into the air while giant welts erupted along Sasori's face from the burns. "Not so pretty now, are you?" she mocked. Sasori's mind was still reeling from the pain and he could barely see now through his blood stained vision.
After Karin was finished with Sasori's face, she dragged the wand down along the tender flesh along his neck, leaving a trail of blood, puss, and singed flesh. The redhead gasped, struggling to hold onto his sanity. Karin let her fingers slide down to rub at Sasori's nipples. Sasori tried to shrink back. "You wouldn't," he spoke, his voice raw and gravely. The voltage flared, as did the pain, when the wand made contact with the sensitive skin. His head shot back, where it banged against the stone wall yet again. Panting and wheezing, Sasori wasn't sure how much more he'd be able to take.
"Oh come now, you're not giving up already, are you?" Karin scoffed. "Deidara took a lot more than this and that included shocks to his lower half."
The lamp, the bruises, the welts, the charred flesh. It all made sense now. Pein knew all along, but had never told Sasori. Why? To protect him. Electric shock was brutal and he'd been too young to understand. But now, he did and he was both appalled and scared.
After a few more shocks to his nipples, chest, and stomach, she began to untie the cord around Sasori's waist. Karin moved lower, fingering the rim of Sasori's pants eagerly. "I'd love to see what you're like," she said silkily. Sasori was barely conscious after all the shocks. He was terrified, thinking that he could very well die here. The woman was relentless in her shocks.
But he couldn't succumb to the darkness that beckoned him, not without making peace with Deidara. He closed his eyes, his mangled thoughts doing their best to focus on his friend. The voltage screeched again, a loud whine echoing through the room. "You'll be lucky if even a shred is still recognizable when I'm done with you." Karin said wickedly.
More shocks, more pain. Sasori had never experienced such agony. "How had Deidara dealt with this for so long?" he wondered in disbelief. Sasori felt the life draining from him rapidly.
All of a sudden, there was a loud THUD! Something had hit the floor, hard. The electric machine was abruptly cut off, the silence deafening to Sasori's ears. Cracking open one eye, he could barely make out the shadowy figure that now stood before him.
-- END CHAPTER 14 --
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