Chapter 20: Punishment and Control
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Your eyes only look gentle. The man who lies beneath them is cruelty redefined. Just when I think you have reached the ends of audacity, you sink even deeper…and I am the one torn…
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"Byakuya…"
The noble shivered softly and tried to sink back into the silence and non-feeling.
"Byakuya, we're somewhere near you. Can you give me some kind of idea where in the fortress you are?"
His body was icy and stiff. He tried moving experimentally and couldn't stifle a groan of discomfort. He tried to force his eyes open, but the lids were heavy and dull.
"I…don't know where I am…but it's cold."
"Can you open your eyes?"
"I…don't know. They may be open…It could be dark. I don't know…"
"Is he with you?"
"No."
"Can you feel what surface you are on?"
Byakuya moved his feet slightly and encountered an icy, hard surface.
"Concrete…that's right. He put me in the prison level…to punish me for defying him."
"Are you okay?"
"I don't know. It hurts to move…and I can't see. It's dark…Wait, I hear footsteps. He's coming."
Byakuya held still as the cell door creaked open and someone approached him. Even frozen on the floor and blind, he knew the reiatsu.
"Well, Byakuya, have you had time to rethink you're behavior?" asked Aizen.
Byakuya remained silent and still.
"I am speaking to you," Aizen said, driving a foot into his side.
The move sent pain firing into his side and as he recoiled from the blow, pain rocketed through the rest of him, drawing a low groan of pain from deep in his chest.
"I asked if you had sufficient time down here to rethink your behavior, Byakuya. You had best answer before I loose the guards on you. They were not allowed to touch you last night, but I will allow it if you show any more defiance."
He reached down and lifted the noble to his feet. The pain that exploded all over tore a sharp cry from his lips before he could bite it back. Aizen gazed at him triumphantly as he struggled for breath. He was half dragged out into the light and up the stairs. He sent no thought to Renji, but left his mind open so Renji could see through his eyes. As they reached the top of the stairs, the air went black around him and he dropped to the floor. He heard a distant voice speaking to him, but couldn't be sure whether it was Renji's or Aizen's
His mind floated in the darkness for a time before he woke in a comfortable bed in the infirmary. He had gone from feeling icy cold to feeling blazing hot. His body trembled beneath the blankets and he tried to push them away. The old healer's hands caught his and pushed them away gently.
"Stop," he told Byakuya quietly, "It will only make things worse."
The man set a cool, wet washcloth on his forehead.
"He pushes you too hard. And you push back now. You are in danger of angering him to the point of killing you. You have to stop."
"I won't let him control me any more," Byakuya whispered.
The healer's eyes narrowed.
"You need to choose your battles. If you fight him on everything, you will not survive…trust me. I've seen it before. I know he plans to use you and that he wants you alive and able to conceive, but if you anger him too greatly, he will kill you. He won't be able to stop himself."
Footsteps sounded in the hallway outside and the healer leaned over Byakuya, blocking Aizen's view as he entered.
"Fine," the old man whispered, "If you won't be quiet for your own sake, then I'll just have to assist you."
His hand touched Byakuya's forehead and the noble sank into a deep sleep.
"How is he now?" the leader of the hollows asked, gazing down at the sleeping shinigami.
"He is in very poor condition, Aizen-sama. You beat him nearly to death and only allowed me to partially heal him…and to leave him with all of the pain. Add to that the night he spent in the cell and it's no wonder he is so ill. You must leave him in the infirmary and allow me to fully heal him, to lessen his pain. You have, I believe, made your point and continuing this is only going to weaken him to uselessness."
"Hmmm…" said Aizen, eyeing the noble, "perhaps you are right. But I dare not leave him here for healing. Keep him under and heal him completely. And when you are done and he is ready to wake, remove him to my room. Set him in restraints and leave him there."
"Hai, Aizen-sama, as you wish."
He leaned over Byakuya again, healing green light flaring around his hands.
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"Are you able to talk to him, Renji?" Ichigo asked, his eyes scanning the hissing sands around them.
The redhead shook his head.
"I think he's unconscious. I did see someone…a healer, I think. And I sensed Aizen in the room with him."
"That doesn't sound too good. What do you think we should do?"
Renji sighed.
"I think we have to get in there. Now, he said he was cold. He said he thought he was in the prison."
"But you saw a healer…"
"So he could be in the infirmary."
"That's a good bet. I know that bastard beat him up pretty bad when Byakuya crossed him. Come on, Ichigo, I can feel his reiatsu in this direction."
Ichigo turned to follow then tugged on the redhead's arm to stop him as a hell butterfly fluttered into view and soared toward Renji. He caught it on a fingertip and listened as Yoruichi's voice rose up out of it.
Renji, I know you are very involved in trying to find Byakuya, but we need you to come back. Akane and the other children are missing.
Renji's eyes widened and he caught his breath sharply.
We don't think Aizen has them, because we found a note from Ururu saying that Akane was crying because it was the first birthday she was supposed to spend with you and Byakuya. They didn't use the garganta, but they may have gone into the Seireitei. She could be heading for the manor. I want you to meet me there and once we find the children, we can go back to searching for Byakuya.
Ichigo stared sympathetically, his eyes filled with understanding as Renji fumed silently, his reiatsu swelling red and hot around his body.
"Hey," he said softly, "You go ahead. I'll stay here and watch for any sign."
"How can you?" asked Renji bitterly, "The son of a bitch still has the fortress hidden."
Ichigo nodded.
"He does," the substitute shinigami agreed, "but remember, I can see through his illusions. I will see the fortress…and I will see if he moves Byakuya."
"You can't stay here alone," complained Renji, "who'll watch your back?"
"Get outta here!" Ichigo chided him, "I don't need your sorry ass here catching their attention and giving me away. Go…your daughter needs her dad…and since Byakuya is still in Aizen's hands, that means you have to be there for her. You know that's what he would tell you."
"Yeah, whatever…just…shut up, Ichigo."
Renji turned away, then looked back over his shoulder.
"Thank you, Ichigo," he said quietly.
"If you want to thank me," replied Ichigo, "do it by finding Akane and the others."
Renji nodded and flash stepped away.
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Byakuya felt a tugging on his arm and opened his eyes. He found himself looking up at the old healer. There was an odd, sympathetic look mixed with a goodly amount of fear in his eyes.
"What is it?" he managed in a whisper.
"You must escape now," the old man said in a soft, urgent voice.
"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked, "Why would you help me to escape?"
The man shook his head nervously.
"There isn't time to explain…but let's just say that I have witnessed too much of the evil he has visited upon you and I worry he will inadvertently kill you."
"And why does my life matter to you?" the noble queried, "You helped him to impregnate me…helped him to hold me here for five years. Why help me now?"
The man's eyes fell.
"I am ashamed to have done those things…I shudder to think of it. It was an abomination. I am a healer…but I went well outside of the bounds of that. Yet…something happened…as I watched you mourn the children you lost. It awakened something inside me that I hadn't felt for a very long time. I feel regret…remorse. Now…Aizen-sama will be returning soon. I told him you would awaken in a half hour or so. You must run. I have restored your powers and here is your unsealed blade."
"He will kill you," Byakuya said, frowning, "unless…"
He struck quickly and humanely, leaving the healer lying unconscious in the infirmary bed. He was also cautious to use none of his powers as he escaped, so as to hide the fact that the healer had helped him. Aizen might see through the efforts he took, but at least it gave the old man a chance.
Byakuya slipped out of the infirmary and quietly moved down the hallways to the back of the fortress, where deliveries to the kitchen were made. He had long ago discovered that the area was often left unguarded between deliveries and the opening through which the parcels were sent on the conveyer belt was just large enough for him to pass through. He slipped out onto the back dock and used the shadows to hide him as he started across the sand. He moved over a sand dune, then dropped down as he heard the sirens begin to wail. He knew better than to delay. He flash stepped across the desert, reaching out with his senses for Renji. The reiatsu rose in the air around him, blocking out the connection. He dropped to the sand and crawled for a time, listening as hollows passed nearby and Aizen's reiatsu swept across the sands, seeking his.
He felt it touch him and could almost hear the man laugh. Rolling to his feet, he abandoned restraint and turned in the direction of the shinigami base, flash stepping as fast as he could and feeling Aizen's spirit energy rising in his wake. He flashed over dunes and past rocky crevices, heedless of whatever else might be after him. He had to avoid capture this time. He crossed another dune and found himself pulled down.
Frantically, he reached for his weapon, but was met with a staying hand.
"Look, I know we don't always see eye to eye, but do you think we can let bygones be bygones and just get the hell outta this place before Aizen catches us both?"
Byakuya froze as Ichigo opened a garganta and led him through to Kisuke's training room.
"I thought this place was taken by Aizen's forces," Byakuya said as they landed in the dirt and the garganta closed behind them.
Kisuke smiled at them and stepped forward.
"They were here for a while, but Yoruichi, Tessai and I convinced them to leave."
He eyed Byakuya for a moment.
"You look pale, Kuchiki taichou. You need healing?" the shopkeeper asked.
"No," Byakuya said, shaking his head, "I was healed before I escaped."
"Hmmm…" said Kisuke, "That was nice of ol' Aizen to have you healed before your escape, but don't you think that's a little suspicious?"
All at once, a golden wall rose around the noble closing him in. Byakuya stared in dismay as the light penetrated him from all around and passed through him. He winced as something was pulled from his body, then dropped to his knees, reeling.
"Kisuke!" shoiuted Ichigo, "What the hell was that all about?"
"Elementary, my dear young strawberry," said Kisuke, smiling, "Aizen didn't want Byakuya to get away. We've established that he wants Byakuya alive…and we're pretty damned sure it's not just to make babies. So, good sense dictates he would have installed a device to track him if he got away. That golden box just destroyed the tracking device. Now Aizen will have to work a bit harder to find his beloved spouse."
The golden wall fell and Byakuya remained kneeling on the ground, catching his breath.
"Yeah, those things are a pain. Sorry, Kuchiki taichou. It was necessary."
Byakuya nodded, but Ichigo noted the touch of mayhem in the dark eyes.
"Where is Renji?" Byakuya asked as he slowly recovered himself.
"He had to go to Kuchiki Manor," Kisuke explained, "Akane and the kids went to look for you, we think."
"Akane is…missing?" Byakuya asked quickly.
"Yes, but we…"
A flash step sounded and the noble disappeared.
"Hey! Byakuya!" yelled Ichigo, "Wait for me!"
"You be careful," Urahara warned the young man.
Ichigo smiled.
"Don't worry about me. It's Byakuya that bastard wants, right?"
"Yeah," agreed the shopkeeper, "but he won't mind sweeping aside young upstarts like you on the way to it…"
Ichigo flash stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Kisuke, brushing their faces together.
"Don't do anything stupid, like dying, okay?" Kisuke said, capturing the young shinigami's lips in a warm kiss.
Ichigo chuckled softly.
"I'll try not to."
"Thanks…" muttered Kisuke as the young shinigami flash stepped away, leaving a dust trail behind him.
Kisuke watched it dissipate, then turned and started up the ladder to return to the shop.
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"This is his house," said Jinta, pointing.
"Daddy Bya lives in there?" Akane whispered, looking up at the huge entry gates.
The gates are open," said Ururu, "should we go in and knock at the door?"
"Um…" said Akane uncertainly, "I…"
"Why, hello there…" said a soft, deep voice behind them.
The children turned, holding their breath as their eyes fell on a very tall, black clad shinigami who bore a strong resemblance to Byakuya. The man gazed down at them questioningly.
"Can I help you children?" he asked softly.
His eye fell on Akane and he caught his breath lightly.
"Little one," he said, staring, "you are…his daughter? You are Byakuya's child?"
Akane swallowed hard and nodded.
"I am Akane," she said, her legs trembling beneath her.
The man gave her a small smile and inclined his head, making him look even more like Byakuya.
But his eyes are such a pretty blue! thought Akane.
"I am Kuchiki Yoshinori, Byakuya-sama's cousin and an elder on the council. Akane, I must place you under the council's protection."
"But Daddy Bya is missing again!" the girl objected, "I came to find him!"
Yoshinori dropped to one knee in front of the girl and placed a hand gently on hers.
"Akane, we are family. I promise you that we will find Byakuya-sama, but he would want us to protect you. Come inside the manor and we will help you settle in. You must trust me that this is the right thing to do."
Akane stared into his eyes, her own eyes growing fierce.
"You have to promise me that you won't stop looking until you find him!" she insisted.
Yoshinori smiled at her.
"Truly, Kuchiki Akane, I give you my word that we will find him."
Akane blinked in surprise.
"What is it?"
"It…it's just that…you're the first person who ever called me anything but just Akane. I…never got called Kuchiki first…"
The noble placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Well," he said softly, "everyone will call you that now, Kuchiki Akane. You are part of our noble house…and you will be addressed with our respect. Come now, you look weary from your journey here. You may rest and I will have dinner prepared for you."
Akane smiled, nodded and slowly reached out to take Kuchiki Yoshinori's hand.
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Aizen Sousuke watched from a distance as Byakuya disappeared into the garganta. He blinked slowly, pondering his best course of action.
"You think you have escaped," he whispered softly, "but you are as much on the path to achieving my goals as you were when you were my prisoner in Las Noches. We will be together again very soon…my Byakuya…"
He clothed himself in illusion and opened a doorway into the Seireitei.