Chapter 8: Will Carved in Ice
Tesla stiffened, staring as Kisuke turned back for a moment, stopping the group before they could advance.
"Don't touch anything," he warned them in a low, rough voice, "Let me have a look first."
"Of course," Byakuya answered, tightening his hand on Ichigo's and giving a little nod to Rukia and Renji.
The shopkeeper moved on unsteady legs, his pale grey eyes intense as he approached the unconscious man on the examination table. He paused to read the information displayed on a monitor next to the table, then he leaned over Tetsuya, removing a small hand scanner from his pocket. He ran the scanner over Tetsuya's restrained body and back again, turning his head to look again at the computer monitor.
"He's alive, but he's definitely been placed in some kind of stasis," Kisuke reported, his voice regaining a little of its usual calm, "Tetsuya's own defensive power appears to have manifested and encased his body in a very thin, but strong layer of ice."
"Y-you mean, he's frozen?" Ichigo asked worriedly, glancing at Byakuya, who gave him a short nod.
"Tetsuya's ability is water and ice based," the noble explained, "If you know him, then you've seen his waterforms and you know that primarily, Tetsuya uses his abilities to conceal himself so he can stay close to me. In battle, he uses his waterforms to move around the battlefield or to avoid damage. Use of his waterforms causes condensation and Tetsuya can use this to freeze his opponent's weapon, or the opponent. But this freezing process can also be used defensively, to keep others out."
"What I see here," Kisuke added, "is that it appears something was done with the intent of triggering Tetsuya's defensive use of this ability. I imagine that in the course of resisting, Tetsuya must have revealed this ability, and when Aizen was ready to leave, as part of protecting Tetsuya for the duration, he did something to make that ability activate, then he added other layers of protection. Tesla was right. Aizen wanted him to survive."
"Wanted him to survive," Grimmjow growled softly, "but not to escape, or to be rescued. But why would he do that? Why this guy?"
Tesla cleared his throat, taking a steadying breath.
"Aizen-sama…"
He broke off at the sudden tension he felt in Grimmjow's reiatsu and swiftly reconsidered his words.
"Aizen," he corrected himself, "discovered that Tetsuya was a natural born breeder male. He was very interested in that ability. Though I was dizzy and couldn't comprehend everything that was said, I overheard him speaking at length to Szayel Aporro about it. He kept making references to the reiatsu that was produced in the spirit chamber in a breeder male pregnancy. Apparently, there was something about it that excited him."
"Well," Kisuke said, reaching up to rub the light stubble on his chin, "that would probably be because the reiatsu in and around the spirit chamber is highly transformative. When a breeder male's pregnancy progresses, that reiatsu senses the 'instructions' it gets from the genetics of the parents and it imprints that in the forming child's reiatsu body. If that is what Aizen was focusing on, he would've found that the reiatsu could possibly be harvested from the bearer's body and turned to other uses. You'd have to know how to 'speak' to the reiatsu to cause it to change the way you wanted it to…"
He broke off, paling and swaying slightly as Byakuya and the others stiffened in reaction to what he'd said.
"Fuck," Renji breathed, shuddering, "You mean that he wanted to…"
Kisuke nodded numbly, staring at Tetsuya with a tormented expression.
"It looks like what he wanted from Tetsuya was a measure of this transformative reiatsu, and not just that, he appears to have imprinted his genetic code onto it through…"
"I think we know what he did," Byakuya growled, his teeth clenching, "How dare he—"
"He's a monster," Rukia added in a choked voice.
"Yeah?" Kisuke managed, "Well, he's a damned caged monster now and we aren't going to let him hurt Tetsuya or his baby any more!"
"Kisuke."
Byakuya's voice cut like a shock through the shopkeeper's body and their eyes locked for a heartbreaking moment.
"The rules of Central 46 forbid the conception and birth of children of those convicted of treason or other high crimes. You know this."
Kisuke's eyes hardened and glared back at the Kuchiki leader's defiantly.
"Maybe," he hissed furiously, "but the baby isn't his."
"You said that he imprinted…" Byakuya began, only to be cut off before he could finish.
"Tetsuya and I were together before he disappeared!" the shopkeeper shouted, "Right before he disappeared! I don't care if that bastard did imprint something on the kid's soul. That baby is mine and it's Tetsuya's and no fucking act of that council is gonna take it away! I'll die first before I let anyone touch him!"
Byakuya considered quietly, nodding slowly in acceptance.
"If that is true, then the sages and judges must receive approval before taking any action with Tetsuya, as he is of my clan, and they have to secure my permission to make the order. I assure you that if it wasn't for the fact that I named Tetsuya a ward of my immediate family, even this would not protect him. Still, it is inadvisable for Tetsuya to return to Soul Society at this time. While officially, the council can take no action without my leave, I think we both know that other means are often used to enact the elders' will. I believe that protective custody is in order for you and any others you need to care for and protect my cousin."
"What he means is that you've got a target on your back," Grimmjow concluded, glancing at Tesla, "and so does anyone who helps you."
"I'm afraid so," Kisuke affirmed, looking back at Byakuya more calmly, "Captain Kuchiki, I will happily accept your protection while I heal Tetsuya. I'll need Tesla to be protected as well, since he has the only known information we need in this case, unless you think Sousuke's gonna spill his guts to them."
"He won't," Byakuya posited, "Whatever he had planned for Tetsuya, he won't want it to come to light. He will protect the information—and that gives us a window of opportunity."
He turned to his sister and vice captain.
"Rukia, Renji, I want you…"
He paused, glancing at Ichigo.
"I want you and any other support you deem necessary to proceed with Kisuke Urahara to whatever safe facility he offers. I am going to return to Soul Society to research the information you've given me and produce a report to take to Central 46."
"Byakuya!" Ichigo exclaimed softly.
"It is unavoidable that I must do this to establish that Tetsuya was pregnant before his capture and that he was sexually assaulted and the imprinting was forced on him by Aizen. Kisuke, I will need proof of your genetic code in a sample of the baby's reiatsu. Once I have it, I must take all available related information and report it to the council. The sages and judges will likely issue an order for you and Tetsuya to appear in front of them. Should it come to that, you will need compelling proof of what you've told me."
"I'll get it," the shopkeeper said shortly.
"I'm sure you will," Byakuya said more softly, "I must leave for Kuchiki Manor now. You would all do well to finish here quickly and be on your way."
"You've got it," Kisuke said, nodding, "Thank you, Byakuya and…"
Byakuya gazed silently back at the older man, waiting as he struggled to find the right words.
"I promise I'll take good care of him. I don't know what you think about us…"
Byakuya shook his head firmly.
"Tetsuya is a ward of my family, but my cousin follows his heart," he said calmly, "Just—be sure to protect his heart, Kisuke Urahara, and I will have no reason to oppose a relationship between the two of you."
Kisuke gave him a shaky smile.
"Thanks. I promise I won't disappoint you."
"Hmm, see that you don't," the noble leader answered, turning away and disappearing in a hissing flash step.
"Looks like the clock's ticking," Grimmjow said, shaking his head.
He paused, noticing the looks that the others were giving him.
"What?" he asked irritably, "If Tesla's going with Urahara, then I'm going too."
"Grimmjow," Tesla objected, "you know that the baby I'm having might not be…"
"I don't care," the blue-haired Espada huffed, moving closer as Nel bounced and giggled approvingly on his shoulder, "Tesla is my mate and where he goes, I go."
He turned his attention to Kisuke.
"So, where are we going?"
"Well, before we go anywhere, we need to get Tetsuya stabilized and disconnected from Aizen's equipment. It's gonna take some delicate work, so Tesla, I'm gonna need your help. The rest of you need to search every inch of this lab and find me anything that relates to Tetsuya, breeder males and Aizen, himself, or what he may have been planning. We need to do this quickly, before this thing blows up in our faces."
"Got it!" Ichigo, Rukia and Renji said together.
"Give me a few minutes to figure things out here," Kisuke said to Tesla and Grimmjow.
The two stepped a short distance away and Nel slid down off of Grimmjow's shoulder, heading over to join the shopkeeper.
"You doing all right?" Grimmjow asked, keeping his gaze slightly averted, "You left all of a sudden."
"Yes," Tesla replied softly, "I was…I don't know what I was. Ashamed? Afraid? Confused?"
"Yeah, I get it. We messed you up pretty good, didn't we? Me and that bastard, Nnoitra?"
Tesla blinked in surprise and started to shake his head.
"I'm sorry," Grimmjow apologized, "I should never have let him take you. I should've been stronger. I wasn't, and you had to pay the price."
"Don't blame yourself," Tesla sighed, "We both failed. We failed together, and I think that I wasn't paying the price alone."
Grimmjow's eyes narrowed, but he gave no immediate answer, instead relaxing slightly and waiting as Tesla thought briefly before continuing.
"I just didn't want to hurt you any more," the blond hollow went on, "and when I realized that the baby might not be yours, I just couldn't…"
"Doesn't matter," Grimmjow said shortly, "Doesn't mean shit to me."
Tesla's eyes widened and dampened in reaction as the words sank in.
"Do you think Nnoitra would give two shits about a kid he fathered with you?"
"He was furious when he learned about what Szayel had done to me," Tesla explained, "He was so angry that he wanted to kill me and the baby, if there was one. I don't think for a moment that he wanted either of us in any honorable way."
"That's not what you seemed to think before," Grimmjow recalled, "You were…in love with him, weren't you? Or were you trying to be?"
"I was a mindless puppet and he was holding the strings," Tesla supplied, "but—the shinigami who cut him down also cut those strings."
Grimmjow went silent for several long minutes, his blue eyes turning towards the shopkeeper, reading the devastation and determination in the man's expression as he realized the length and breadth of what his lover had endured.
"You still wanna try to find him? In Soul Society?"
"I don't know," Tesla admitted shakily, reaching down to rub the little bump that had formed on his abdomen, "I don't know what to do anymore!"
"Then, let me go with you and let me help you figure it out."
Tesla stared at him in wordless fascination.
"I wasn't there for you when you needed me before, wasn't strong enough, but I'm here and I'm strong enough to protect you now. Let me do that. You just…think about what you wanna do and we'll do it. Together."
"And what if the baby's yours, Grimmjow?" Tesla asked, stealing a glance at him then turning his head away quickly, "What then?"
His breath caught as a strong arm curled around him and Grimmjow's voice rumbled in his ear.
"I guess we'll be up changing diapers and listening to the little brat's howling together," he answered, kissing Tesla's blushing earlobe.
"And what if it's…not?"
Grimmow planted a kiss on his cheek with melting tenderness, "Same deal, unless that's not what you want."
"Grimmjow…" Tesla whispered, his voice shaking and his eyes tearing up.
"Seems like everyone else has been trying to make your decisions for you. That's not gonna happen this time. You think about it. Look for him if you need to, but let me help you. And when you've done that, you decide what you want."
Grimmjow pulled away slightly, watching as tears leaked onto the slighter man's face.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" he asked, frowning.
"No," Tesla answered, sniffing and wiping his eyes, "You said everything just fine. I just realized that I should have trusted you more. I should have talked to you before running off like that. I should have given you a chance."
"Yeah," Grimmjow chuckled, ruffling his hair and kissing him, "You should've, and I forgive you."
They turned their attention back to where Kisuke leaned over Tetsuya, his pale grey eyes narrowed and intense as they moved back and forth between the file that one of the others had found for him and the pale face of his unconscious lover.
"Don't you worry," the shopkeeper said softly, letting the fingers of one hand lightly caress Tetsuya's, "I've got you now, okay? I know you've been through hell, and it might not be over just yet, but I'm not gonna let anything else happen to you."
His jaw clenched as he pored over the details in the traitor's extensive notes.
Although I must admit that Tetsuya possesses great strength and a deep well of stubbornness, it was only a matter of time before Kyoka Suigetsu broke down his will, using a constant barrage of intense hallucinations to undo his sense of reality. Untethered in that fashion, it was easy to become the anchor in the storm, the only thing holding him back from complete insanity and death. Still, even in his obedience to me, I sense something not entirely under my control. I find it fascinating that, even now, this young man's heart holds on to a shred of defiance. I almost feel an urge not to snuff it out. I've never met a person like this…one with such an inborn determination. I've researched his bloodline, but because of his parents' incarceration and the destruction of records in the old prison where they were held, I've been stymied at finding anything that would explain the persistence of this last well of resistance to me.
Kisuke's eyes closed, burning inside feverishly.
"Bastard," he hissed furiously.
A little shudder passed through him, but he forced down the feeling of all over sickness that the words brought and refocused on Tetsuya's pale, sleeping face.
We're gonna get through this. Whatever he's done to you, whatever hell he brought down on you, I'm gonna make things right again. That monster is in prison, where he belongs, and you and I are here, we're together, Tetsuya. You've hung on this long. Even though it must have been awful for you, you knew, didn't you? That last little spark in you that all of Aizen's wickedness couldn't burn out, that final reservoir of strength…it was out love, wasn't it? It kept you alive, it kept your hopes of rescue alive, and I promise that I'm not gonna disappoint you.
The shopkeeper's own heart calmed then, and his eyes focused steadily on the information in front of him, all of the details that swirled around him, a puzzle with many, many answers. Not all of the answers were good ones, but ferreting out all of the possibilities and working through the unending paths that the future might take was Kisuke's gift, one that had, in the end, undone Aizen's horrid plans.
This plan he had to use Tetsuya seems to involve the hogyoku. Aizen is fused with the artifact now, but what I see here suggests that he regretted taking that step. The hogyoku's power comes from the will of those around it to change or defy fate. It strengthened the power of Ichigo and his friends so that their will to protect everyone resulted in the manifestation and growth of their powers.
Aizen desired the power to destroy the king, whom he saw as unfit to lead our society. He's not wrong that the king we have is weak. He's not really the rightful soul king, just a regent who the noble houses chose as a place holder. When the true king disappeared, they needed a way to hold things together, but they didn't want a strong king that would weaken their hold on society. Aizen's not incorrect that the situation is dreadful and wrong, but ending all of those lives in Karakura Town to make the king's key…that's not the act of a true king meant to protect everyone. Even if his aim to end the lie of the current king was acceptable, his method was barbaric and criminal…and in the end, his will wasn't strong enough to overcome the resistance Ichigo put up. That's why he failed, pure and simple.
I can see why he was stymied by Tetsuya. Tetsuya grew up in a prison, put there and made to suffer for just having mixed blood in his veins. He saw their hatred of him as a poison, but unlike Aizen, he didn't let himself become hateful. He too experienced righteous anger and he learned to be strong and to fight back, but Tetsuya never let wrath guide his sword. Reku-hime is a healing blade and when Tetsuya wields her power, he does so only to protect his and his loved ones' freedom…freedom to live, freedom to love, freedom to choose their path. Where the emotion beneath all of Aizen's righteous anger was hatred and loneliness, the emotion beneath Tetsuya's anger is love.
No wonder Aizen was fascinated by him. Tetsuya had every opportunity and all of the ability to be the same kind of monster that bastard is, but for reasons that Sousuke will never be able to comprehend, Tetsuya chose love over hatred.
Kisuke carefully reread the description of the methods the former master of Hueco Mundo had used to place the half-noble in stasis, then he slipped a warm hand into his lover's, looking down on Tetsuya with fierce determination.
"Okay," he said solemnly, "time to wake up now, Tetsuya. It's time to go home."
His heart pounding, Kisuke reached for the set of buttons on one of the nearby monitors. Holding his breath, he pressed several in the pattern he'd found laid down in Aizen's notes and the machine beeped and whirred in reaction. A hissing sound rose around the unconscious man, then the thin sheen of ice covering Tetsuya's restrained body began to melt.
"Good," Kisuke breathed, shivering as he watched.
Finally, Tetsuya's chest heaved and he gasped for a moment, before beginning to breathe normally again. Kisuke smiled encouragingly and called the others to join him. He broke the kido on his lover's body and gathered Tetsuya into his arms before turning to their companions.
"C'mon," he urged them, "It's time we all got outta here."