Chapter 10: Still Waters
(A/N Spunky - Time wrote most of this and I am astounded and so impressed by her rendition of tormented Kisuke! Brilliant work!)
(A/N Time: This was a breeze to write. Spunky0ne gave me such a great outline and notes, most of the best lines were ones she said had to be included :D)
The comforting touch of a cool wet cloth on his too warm face brought Tetsuya slowly back to wakefulness, but he wondered as he felt the comfort of a soft bed and more gentle touches, here and there, if what he was feeling was real at all or if it was going to be another continuation of the torrent of horrid waking dreams inflicted upon him by the murderous prisoner he now knew to be named Takumi.
He appeared to me in glimpses, taunting me and I gradually learned that seeing him was just part of being pulled from one nightmare to another. He's a monster, and it's for good reason that he was deemed unfit to live amongst the rest of us. This is not the first time I have encountered a sociopath. Orochi both loved and hated me with a passion that bordered on madness. Aizen Sousuke used his manipulations to turn us all against each other. Still, this is the first time I have encountered a soul whose very presence stings and burns all over like a swarm of poisoned arrows!
"It's good you are awake. I was worried that I'd gone too far and left permanent damage. You are very strong to endure so much. I lost a little bit of control, it was so enthralling."
The very sound of Takumi's voice sent fresh chills down Tetsuya's spine and he moved involuntarily in retreat, only to find himself bound to the bed he laid in.
"You don't need to be frightened of me right now," the prisoner continued in a softened voice, "I have fed enough for the time being."
Tetsuya could feel the sincerity, but in a man capable of such violence, it only unnerved him even more. A tremor went through him as the madman leaned closer and loosened the bindings. Tetsuya lunged away, but Takumi only sat where he was at his captive's bedside, gazing at him quietly until the panic leaked away and Tetsuya calmed.
"You should be able to eat now," Takumi said, indicating a tray of hot food that sat on the nightstand, "Go on. You'll be of no use to me if you do not restore yourself."
Tetsuya swallowed hard against the rising knot in this throat and blinked away the stinging moisture in the corners of his eyes. He felt a tightness in his chest and the touches of chaotic reiatsu that told him how shaken Kisuke was.
Arashi and I share a close bond, and when Kisuke and I became lovers, that link extended to include him. I am sure that when Takumi was torturing me with those nightmares, I wasn't suffering alone.
I just wonder if he saw what was used to torture me.
The thought left a chill in the pit of his stomach and he glared back at Takumi petulantly.
"And what if I don't want to be of use to you?"
Takumi loomed closer, little flickers of mayhem betraying the demonic madness that roiled beneath his calm, gentle looking countenance. His body trembled visibly, but Tetsuya held his ground, looking into the madman's depths relentlessly.
"If you're going to be of no use to me, I can just kill you now," Takumi hissed, losing a measure of his composure, "Is that what you want, Tetsuya?"
Tetsuya was sure that the sacrifice of his own life should have been a harder decision, but measured against the pain that his torture was causing, the danger to his friends and the horrid truth of the depth of power Takumi could use him to gain, the words escaped him readily.
"Go ahead," he said, all traces of fear disappearing, "There will be nothing for them to save then, and they will just leave you here alone. Is that what you want?"
He'd meant to goad the beast into killing him, but this time, it was Takumi's eyes that reflected surprising fear. He rose up and a hand shot out, leveling his captive with a hard strike across the face. Tetsuya fell still, not daring to move as he felt the heavy swell of the madman's fury.
"Then," Takumi growled, "I'll just go and kill them first, then I'll come back and deal with you!"
He has no intention of killing me. I understand that now. He was going to stalk them more gradually, to enable him to enjoy each kill and how it would increase his effectiveness in terrifying me. All I did in antagonizing him was to bring things to a head and provoke a major battle.
He felt the presence of his friends and loved ones nearby.
Byakuya-sama…Ichigo-san…Yoruichi-san…Zaraki taicho and even Soi fon taicho. Perhaps it's better that I angered him so that he was less prepared and so that he would take on all of them at once.
I wish I could help them…all I've done is put them in danger.
A final, achingly lonely thought crossed his mind as the door to the cabin closed behind Takumi.
Why did I never explain to Kisuke about Arashi?
And why did he never ask?
XXXXXXXXXX
Kisuke blinked in the bright lights of the infirmary, Tetsuya's scream reverberated in his mind, punctuation to a killer migraine. He closed his eyes again with a groan. God, what was happening to Tetsuya, his imagination helpfully supplied options from medical experiments to meat hooks. He clenched his fist, needing to get to Tetsuya yet knowing he couldn't.
Opening his eyes again, he shielded them from the light, wiped tears of pain from his face and look around. Orihime was crumpled in a ball on the ground, sobbing softly. He was being held in a sitting position with an arm across his chest leaning against someone's leg.
"Thanks Tes—" he said turning to look at Mayuri. He stumbled to his feet away from the scientist.
Mayuri cocked his head, "Now you're scared of me?"
"Not scared, just don't want you touching me. Have you given me anything?"
"No."
"Quiet," Tessai hissed, rising from where he'd been curled up against one of the medical cabinets, holding his head.
"Sorry." Urahara said then considered Mayuri's answer. He was probably lying, but Urahara realized that he couldn't do anything about it either way. Tessai plodded to another of the cabinets and retrieved a bottle of pills, took some and tossed the bottle to Kisuke. He winced as it clattered to the tiles, then picked it up. RDOS—reiatsu derived opiate substitute—Almost as effective as the real thing without the addiction or worse brain fog. Well, effective for physical stuff, utterly useless for anything else, he'd stick to tequila for that.
"How long was I out?" He opened the bottle and took one then crawled over to Orihime and stroked her hair, resting his head in his other hand.
"One minute, forty-three seconds," Mayuri supplied.
"It's over," Urahara lied. Orihime curled into a tighter ball and whimpered. "Hime, it's going to be okay, I have painkillers here."
After a moment she uncurled and took the pills he offered. "He's in so much pain. You have to help him." Orihime pleaded softly.
Urahara opened his mouth to reply, realized that'd be a terrible idea and fetched some water first. "The others will save him. He'll be fine, but we have work to do." He handed glasses to Tessai and Orihime.
Orihime moaned. It would take a few minutes for the pills to take effect but while they waited Urahara shuffled over to Renji, still shielding his eyes from the light. He attached a small sensor to the unconscious man and got a reading of his vitals. They had improved significantly from his current baseline.
"Huh," he mused. Maybe they'd caught a break and his reiatsu was self-correcting. He attached another sensor and checked the readings, comparable to a CT scan. "Fuck!" The viewer bounced to the floor as he put his face in his hands.
He straightened and took a deep breath before turning to the others. Orihime sat holding her knees to her chest, weeping, Tessai stood near him ready to help, rubbing his temple with one hand and Mayuri was leaning forward in curiosity.
"He's in a coma." He looked anywhere but at Tessai afraid he'd fall apart if his old friend offered support.
"Can Orihime reject it?" Tessai asked.
He shook his head. "Not until his spirit centers are healed."
"Which you were going to do anyway." Tessai, being reasonable as always.
Urahara gritted his teeth. "Except when we're playing around with his spirit centers he'll be vulnerable. If Tetsuya sc—" his voice cracked and he was silent for moment. He tried to swallow, hating himself, for his failure, his weakness. He was helpless to save Tetsuya, helpless to fix Renji. He had no answers for any of this and three people looking at him, expecting a plan. "If Tetsuya screams again while we're working it might kill Renji. It might kill him anyway but working on him will increase the risk five-fold. The best course of action is to maintain his reiatsu and hope the others can save Tetsuya and get him back here in time."
"So the plan is to do nothing?" Mayuri said disappointed.
"Unless someone has a better idea." Urahara would have rather torn a finger off than have to say that.
Mayuri stared at him, eyes narrowed and calculating, it sent a shiver through him. "I developed an item I call the spirit cage."
"I remember," Urahara said. "I meant it to be a safe way to contain criminals with telepathic powers that couldn't be safely kept in the nest. I scrapped the project. It was torturous and over an extended period drove the victims insane, plus it resulted in a pent-up surplus of power, they eventually managed to short circuit the device and escaped more powerful than they were to begin with." He was talking too much but this was the clean technical stuff he obsessed about. It calmed his mind.
"I read Incident Report: cage-35-3," Mayuri said snappishly. "In fact, I reverse engineered the device from that."
Urahara raised his eyebrows. He'd scrapped the project and destroyed his notes for a reason but still that was impressive.
"It can in fact be used for containment and torture in small doses."
Urahara glared at Mayuri with a snarl of disgust, for a moment he'd forgotten who he was talking too.
Tessai made a disgusted noise. "Sick."
"Monster," Orihime whispered at the same time.
Mayuri's eyes flicked away for a second, "I bring this up because the Fourth division actually requests it more than the Second. They found an off -label use for it in blocking outside interference in patients with Telepathic powers that are out of control or in patients suffering from ongoing psychic attacks."
"Because it binds the spirit centers to the body, not just reiatsu and it blocks outside spirit energy." He bounced on the balls of his feet. "If we put Renji in one and Orihime and I worked on him inside it…"
"He should be safe from your boy toy." Mayuri smiled and it was less mad scientist than proud apprentice impressing his master.
"Can you bring it here?" Urahara asked, wondering what it would cost while not remotely caring about the answer.
"I'll have it brought."
Urahara nodded as Mayuri tapped buttons on his communicator.
"Orihime go get some rest, get some food. We'll need to be ready when that thing gets here."
Orihime nodded numbly and headed to the guest room.
"Do you need anything?" Tessai asked.
"Not at the moment."
Tessai nodded and Urahara followed him out then turned into the transporter room, as Tessai continued to the shop front. Urahara sat in his classic, villain-chair at the monitoring station and tuned the video feed to Tetsuya. Kisuke's eyes stung just to see Tetsuya alive again. He rested on a bed in the cabin they'd built for any prisoners, temporarily a good thing, long term a very bad thing. Hopefully the others would find him before Takumi began his tortures again.
He cast an eye to the locator screen with red dots indicating all the people in the dimension. The girls and Byakuya were moving toward Tetsuya, slower than they should be, probably suffering the effects of the scream. Idiot, he should have given them some RDOS just in case. Ken and Ichigo were moving toward the other group and catching up, leave it to them to be suicidally unaffected by the pain. Takumi was lurking between the cabin and the first group.
He looked back at the video. Tetsuya was staring at the ceiling, his lips twitching as though to keep from crying though silent tears still flowed from both eyes. In that moment Kisuke swore he heard his heart snap like breaking bone. He looked away, keeping his own tears at bay. He had caused this, he didn't get to cry over it.
Mayuri stood just inside the door, uncharacteristically hesitant.
Kisuke looked back at vid screen and switched the channel to Takumi. He looked toward the ceiling a moment to regain his composure and with a shaky breath focused on the monster on screen as he stalked through the rolling grass land like a prowling lion. His nose was stuffed up now and he gave an embarrassing little sniff but fury was fast replacing grief and guilt. Perhaps he'd bribe Mayuri into leaving the cage for a bit. Perhaps he might stick Takumi in there for a month or fifty, consequences be damned. His body went cold when he realized that Takumi was approaching the cabin.
He opened his mouth to scream a pointless warning but caught himself, instead staring helpless yet transfixed as the madman entered and turned, not towards Tetsuya, but towards the cabin kitchen, where he prepared a hot meal, then ran cool water onto a cloth. He left the kitchen and walked to where Tetsuya still laid in a senseless daze. His jaw clenched as he watched Takumi's now gentle hand run the wet cloth over Tetsuya's face with as much gentleness and concern as any healer might have done.
But that's just because Tetsuya is still useful to him, the rational part of his brain supplied. The less rational part of him was deeply violated, it should have been him there comforting and caring for Tetsuya not this genetic abortion. Like you've done such a great job up 'til now. You're the reason he's here.
Slowly breathing through his nose he released his white knuckled grip on the edge of the monitoring station and whirled on Mayuri who stepped back reaching for the door knob.
"What in the three hells were you doing with that abomination? What possible reason did you have for taking him out of the nest?" He meant to sound menacing, but it came out an almost inaudible rasp.
Surprisingly Mayuri hunched against the door, braced for an attack. "I thought he'd make a good assassin."
"And there weren't any other candidates? Why him?" Kisuke aimed his cane threateningly at Mayuri.
"He was born with those powers. His mind's like a hive of bees but they sting him as much as anyone else. He claimed to want a purpose, meaning in life beyond suffering and making others suffer to extend his worthless existence."
Kisuke said nothing. He hadn't been expecting that. Mayuri was lying, had to be. Kisuke wanted to be mad at him, needed to be or he was going to break into useless shards.
"I wanted to give him that, like you gave me." Mayuri's voice was shaking slightly now and that gave Kisuke unwanted pause. Even in the Maggots Nest he'd never seen Mayuri scared.
Takumi had played Mayuri? A dangerous opponent indeed. Urahara lowered his cane.
"Tell me something."
"What?"
Mayuri swallowed. "If you could be there instead of that boy, if that monster did invade your mind and attack you, what, Urahara Kisuke, would you experience?"
Kisuke tried to get his jaw to stop trembling, to talk past the tightness in his throat and chest. He gestured at the monitors. Mayuri waited. With effort he choked out. "That."
He turned away, pretending to examine the vital signs of the travelers. A blatant display of weakness but he needed just a moment to pull himself together before he got back to being useful. He busied himself, recalibrating the capture co-ordinates for a quicker return if the others survived. When he finished, he turned to Mayuri.
"Then Urahara, why are you not trying to get Arashi to Tetsuya?"
"I'm pretty sure 'therapy pet' is rather low on…his list of needs right now." Urahara couldn't say his name. Not without losing what composure he'd glued together for Aiz—no Mayuri's questing eyes.
"Tetsuya can't fight without him. How do you of all people not know that?"
Urahara missed a beat, how indeed? He closed his eyes, then leaped up, his chair clattering to the floor. "Why the hell didn't he tell me that? Did it not occur him that it might be relevant given he's the most kidnapped person in Soul Society!"
"It's an interesting omission. Why didn't you investigate? Weren't you curious? How very unlike you!" Mayuri was doing the creepy earnest thing again, like he was genuinely confused. In fairness, Urahara didn't know the answer either so maybe Mayuri was. On the other hand, his fist connected with Mayuri's jaw and Mayuri staggered back against the wall.
"Interesting," Mayuri wiped blood from his mouth and looked at it before licking his hand clean.
Urahara stopped himself before trying to beat Mayuri to a bloody pulp. For one thing he had come here, premeditated the trip and likely had several poisons and tricks on hand specifically geared toward fighting Urahara. For another he knew the 'interesting game', pushing an opponent's buttons, trying to throw them off, get them to make mistakes. He might not have invented it, but he'd refined it to an art and he wasn't going to lose to Mayuri of all people.
He took a calming breath. "Why should I believe you? Why are you so interested in helping him?"
"He's a fascinating research prospect." Mayuri said, his voice husky, pupils dilated.
Urahara knew Mayuri wasn't interested in the human body as such, but if he thought for a second that he could get off experimenting on Tetsuya then he had another think coming. If he was willing to help though, it was probably best to leave him to his delusion for the moment.
Urahara nodded, his mind jumping around to examine the situation and his options like an amphetamine-addled squirrel. He had no idea how to find or contact Arashi, probably the best option would be to contact Kuchiki manor. He needed to get Arashi, he needed to get back to Renji, He needed to get in there and save Tetsuya. He could only actually do one of those at the moment.
"Send a com to Kuchiki manor, ask if they've seen Arashi and if so tell them to send him. Then keep an eye on the monitors and get me as soon as something changes with him."
"Sure," Mayuri sounded annoyed but was already holding the communicator to his ear.
Urahara hesitated a moment. "Thanks."
Mayuri's painted features seemed to soften for a second before, a Kuchiki apparently picked up and he relayed the message.
Urahara rushed to Renji and found the lieutenant's breathing labored, his skin clammy. Cursing himself he ran the physical and brain scans again, with a back-up viewer since the other showed only static after he'd dropped it, in his childish horror. Renji was still in a coma, with worse oxygen levels and a faster heart rate.
He Touched Renji and fed him some reiatsu. Renji's reiatsu evened out for a few minutes, Urahara ignored the strain. Then the energy flared sending an electric shock up his arm. He didn't fight it but instead drank it in, bleeding off the excess. When it settled, he went back to evening out small fluctuations and rubbed the residual sting away with his free hand.
Where are you Arashi? Tetsuya needs you and you've gotta know that, even if I stupidly didn't, so where have you gone?
As close as he could get to Tetsuya likely, but what was close to a dimension that existed nowhere? The shop, unless someone else had illegal extra-dimensional equipment somewhere. Perhaps he was wandering the precipice world. That would be insane, but Arashi might be driven to it in an attempt to find Tetsuya.
Blazing white light blinded him and he covered his eyes with his free hand. The harsh light faded slightly to reveal Tetsuya, chained to a lab table, while Urahara himself in a lab coat, injected him with a substance. Tetsuya screamed in pain as his veins stood out red then the flesh slowly melted off as his blood boiled. Urahara drew his sword, a war cry on his lips before he registered that this must be a vision, or memory.
The white faded out and the vision with it, to reveal Arashi, snorting steam and pawing the ground next to him. A flare of energy surged up his arm.
"Give me a sec Arashi," he tried for calm but his whole body was shaking. He wanted to tear Takumi and himself limb from limb by turns. Wanted to collapse into a ball and sob while someone said 'it'll be okay, I'll handle it.'.
With an effort and taking far longer than he should have, he stabilized Renji while Arashi snorted and pranced side to side.
He eased out of the connection and gave the tall, black Arabian stallion his full attention.
Even if you care nothing for my Master, do not let him suffer. He's done nothing to you. Arashi's anger came through despite his reasonable words. Kisuke almost laughed, he hadn't thought it possible to feel more like a piece of shit but Arashi managed it with a simple and diplomatic request.
His pain amuses you?
Urahara's breath caught. Was it not just an image of Takumi's twisted mind? Did Tetsuya and by extension Arashi really feel that way about him? And hadn't he wanted it that way? Nausea, not quite cured by the ginger returned in spades and he collapsed back into his chair. Taking a few deep breaths to keep from vomiting again before looking back into Arashi's eyes.
"Never."
Arashi's head pulled back and he shook his mane. Urahara decided to take that for surprise.
Don't you understand? He's pregnant and going to lose his powers. My master's abilities are not suited to this enemy...unless you send me!
"I know that, Mayuri's been looking for you!" Urahara headed for the transporter room and Arashi followed with a little whinny. Well I know it now at least, Urahara thought. He'd failed at doing the thing Soul Society relied on him and left him alive to do, for one of the people he cared the most for. He wasn't sure if it hurt his heart or ego more but it sucked either way.
Urahara set the spirit lock on the dimensional transport for Tetsuya, double checked that all of the other dials were still set for the right dimension and gestured for Arashi to get in. Mayuri who'd stepped aside without complaint stared lasciviously at the spirit horse.
"Before you go—"
"No"
No.
Mayuri huffed, "Well on the off chance—
"No."
No.
"You have no sense of scientific adventurism."
"Leave us for a moment."
Mayuri hesitated, his old sadistic smile back and Urahara drew himself up ready for a confrontation but then Mayuri turned on his heel and shut the door behind him with a pointed look. He was acknowledging that they both knew this situation was a weakness. Mayuri would let him have it for now, but he'd pay later when Mayuri needed something.
"Arashi I…"
The horse stopped its stamping and stared at him as though it could see his soul. "I'm sorry I discounted you. I thought that T-he was naïve, and couldn't…or maybe just wouldn't fight for himself. I guess I knew he wasn't weak, but it never occurred to me that…" Kisuke turned away. Anything Arashi saw, Tetsuya would see and years with Aizen had beaten into him that it was unacceptable to be a liability, his time as a Shinigami, an exile and his personal pride each reinforced the message. "He simply chose to be the way he is and I do love him just the way he is. I underestimated both of you. You have my deepest apologies." He closed his eyes and pressed his lips together. In other circumstances he would have bowed to the majestic avatar of his love.
My master will forgive you. He's better at that than I.
Tears fell from his still closed eyes and he took an involuntary shuddering breath. "Are you ready?" he asked when he could trust his voice.
I am now.
He put a hand to his mouth to stifle any embarrassing noises and hit the activation button. When Arashi was gone and the hum died he took a moment to get his breathing under control, scrubbed his face dry and looked at the location monitor. Arashi had arrived almost on top of the cabin where Tetsuya was being held. Noting the close proximity of the invading shinigamis and the infuriated prisoner, he wagered the battle was imminent. He watched for a moment, sickened by Tetsuya's gaunt face and horror-stricken eyes as he burst out of the cabin, barefoot and bleeding from cuts on his wrists and ankles. Unable to do anything to help though, Kisuke turned from the screen and marched to the infirmary to deal with Renji. He didn't look back. He was many things but Orpheus was not one of them.