The Challenge – Chap. 18
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Flare-Flare, one of the most dedicated AiHime fans ever. I hope you feel better soon, Flarie…
(Originally posted 5/5/12, edited 8/13/12.)
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The uniformed humanoid Arrancar pointed his weapon directly between her eyes. His face was blank as his finger tightened on the trigger.
Orihime cried out, "Wait!" Racking her brain for some idea, anything, she burst out, "You're throwing away a fortune in ransom money!" Then she winced internally. Clichéd, she thought, and not likely to have much of an impact on a Hollow who didn't care about money.
The creature paused and his weapon wavered. A faintly puzzled look crossed his face. "You don't look like anyone important," he sneered.
Orihime attempted a mysterious and confident smile. "Why do you think I've been locked up in this facility? Have you found any other prisoners here?" she asked, gambling that she was indeed the only human here.
She could see the slow wheels turning behind his piggish eyes. "Huh. That's true." He stared at her and the seconds ticked away. Then… "Naw…" he decided and raised the weapon again.
While he was hesitating, her mind had been racing ahead with ideas for her plan. She tried again. "The others have gone ahead. You don't need to share the ransom money with them," she urged, cajoling. "Actually, you could just wait a short while and kill me later." She took a step forward and tilted her head to one side. "I'm defenseless and can't do anything to you."
He eyed her breasts, still considering. "Yeah…" he muttered. "Seems a shame to waste…"
There were sounds of more banging and shouting from the corridor, and the man seemed to come to a decision. His jaw firmed and his eyes hardened. He lifted the weapon.
Orihime tensed her muscles, wondering which way she should jump.
There was a pop from the door, and the creature stiffened. His eyes bugged out, and his finger twitched, but it was no longer on the trigger. He gasped and crumpled in front of her, choking, stumbling forward onto one knee, a gurgling sound emanating from his throat. Dark red blood bloomed on his uniform. As he folded, Orihime's eyes went to the man standing at the door, dressed in the white robes she remembered all too well, his sword held loosely in his grasp, a serene expression on his face.
The man smiled at her. He slid the sword into a sheath at his hip and rested a long-fingered hand lightly on the doorjamb as he regarded her from deep brown eyes. His calm expression was unchanged. Even in the middle of a battle, having just killed someone, not a lock of his brown hair was out of place. "My dear Orihime," Aizen said softly. "A pleasure to see you again."
Orihime's eyes had gone wide. Frozen, she stared at the man she last remembered seeing when he threatened to destroy her hometown. For a moment, she believed she was back in one of her nightmares where he was standing once more before her. She swallowed, and her voice came out in a squeak. "Wha- What are you doing here?" Her voice quavered and she cursed herself for saying something so inane.
But Aizen's smile only widened. "What, Orihime, no protestations of gratitude for saving your life?" he asked, mock-sorrowful.
"Where are we?" Orihime didn't know why her brain felt so slow.
"We're at the very outskirts of Hueco Mundo," he returned, raising a brow. "I regret you had to wait so long, and that I neglected to inform you that Las Noches has been taken by the enemy, who have suborned many of my own former army," he gestured at the dead man on the floor, "but there have been many uncertainties in my plan for me to be completely forthcoming. I have had to deal with a number of …complications… before I could come to rescue you."
At that, Orihime felt anger well up in her again. "Rescue me?" she demanded. "Um, excuse me, but it seems to me I was your prisoner here, which is why I was a sitting duck for whoever those guys were who came to kill me." She glared at Aizen, whose amused expression did not falter. "And really, stabbing him?" she sniffed. "That's a big step down from using your spiritual pressure to defeat your enemies."
Aizen gestured at the walls of her cell, a rueful expression crossing his face. "The sekki-sekki here restricts my spiritual pressure, which is admittedly lower than usual due to my recent imprisonment." He raised his eyebrows at her. "Well, would you prefer to stand here bantering until this gentleman's," he prodded the body on the floor with his toe, "friends return? Or do you wish to escape?"
Orihime's eyes narrowed. "Escape? With you?"
The brown-haired man sighed. "Yes, my dear. If you haven't noticed, this building is under attack. I assure you, these people are quite willing to kill either of us on sight. Or were you not aware that we are fugitives from justice and that Hueco Mundo has been taken by my enemies?"
Involuntarily, Orihime glanced down at the man on the floor. Her heart was still pounding from her near-death experience. It could all be another one of Aizen's tricks… but she had been his prisoner anyway. Could he have staged this whole scene to gain her sympathy? She looked up at him, searching his face, which bore only a look of polite inquiry. Sighing, she realized she had no choice. She was bound to him now in any event, as he had made abundantly clear with the comment about 'fugitives from justice.'
She nodded, tightening her lips. "Very well. I'll go with you." She glared at him.
He cocked his head. "So suspicious." He sighed ostentatiously. "I suppose I deserve it." He gestured politely to the door. "After you, my dear."
She walked out into the long white corridor, the space between her shoulder blades tingling as he closed the door behind her.
Behind her, she could hear shouts and banging, and footsteps running in their direction. With an intake of breath, she glanced at Aizen.
"Now," he said, raising his eyebrows at her, "we run."
Taking her hand, he led the two of them down the corridor at a brisk sprint.
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Panting, Orihime pounded down the corridors, her hand held tightly by warm, strong fingers. She tried not to think about with whom she was escaping. Behind them, she heard a shout, and redoubled her pace.
It seemed like the long white corridors were never-ending, as they ducked down a side passage and continued running. Behind her, she could hear multiple pounding feet.
They burst out a side door into a narrow alley between buildings and Aizen pulled her to the right. Above them hung the unchanging night sky of Hueco Mundo. She was gasping for breath as they ran across the sand to where Ulquiorra stood beside a long, black gash in the sky. Aizen lifted her onto an odd platform in the garganta, then slipped in behind her.
Ulquiorra sat down beside them and began directing the flying-carpet-like object. It reminded her of the first trip with Urahara. At least she was able to sit down.
Orihime sank back against the edge of the platform and tried to catch her breath. Aizen was watching her carefully.
"You need to have your powers back, my dear," he murmured. "Without flash step, you're rather vulnerable."
She glared at him. "And who was it who ordered them taken away? Where are my hairpins?"
He eyed her speculatively. "If I return your hairpins to you, will you give me your word you will not try to escape, nor attack me or Ulquiorra?"
"Why should I do that?" She folded her arms across her chest. "Will you tell me what's going on? Who were those men? And where are we going now?"
He looked amused. "Very well. I'll start with some explanations. I have always had several bases in various locations in Hueco Mundo as well as in Karakura Town. It's only recently that my organization has been under attack in all of the worlds."
He leaned back in the seat as Ulquiorra changed directions and accelerated. They were moving rapidly in some odd inter-dimensional space. Bizarre shadows like huge structures zipped past on either side; if Orihime looked too closely the shapes dissipated into a formless mist. It was disturbing so she looked back at Aizen. "Soi Fon and the secret mobile corps tracked me down rather swiftly, much to my chagrin. I have been setting up various diversions in the past few days, but apparently she cut a deal with a local group that sprung up in Hueco Mundo after I was imprisoned." He frowned. "Those are the Hollows who almost killed you in the room back there. It irritates me that my own creations have turned on me, and my loyal followers have suffered quite a few casualties."
Orihime swallowed, wondering how much of what he said was true.
"Additionally, it appears that even the local police in Karakura Town have been brought into the act. I must say, Soi Fon has improved." He smiled at her. "There are warrants out for both of our arrests."
Orihime caught her breath. It was nothing more than she had suspected; still, it was distressing to suddenly be a wanted criminal in two jurisdictions. She glared ferociously into the man's brown eyes. "That's your doing," she accused. "You deliberately left that video camera undamaged, to make it look like I planned to break you out of prison." She glared at him. "And you kissed me as part of your plan."
His smile widened. "What, Orihime, you don't believe that I might kiss you out of delight in your presence after nearly two years of imprisonment?" He placed a hand over his heart mockingly. "You wound me."
She narrowed her eyes. "You set me up to be called a traitor by Soul Society and a criminal in my own home town. You forced me to kiss you…"
Aizen shifted closer to her, bending his face to hers, one hand stroking her cheek. She shrank away from his touch and held very still. His lips brushed her ear. "Was it truly forced, my dear?" he whispered. "I thought you enjoyed my touch, once…"
She stiffened and tried to move as far away from him as she could, her eyes blazing. Her heart must surely be pounding because of the pursuit and escape from death, not because of the nearness of her former lover and enemy. The tingling in her body must surely be from adrenaline, nothing else. Aizen's fingers brushed her throat and she caught her breath.
Damn her traitorous body. Pulling herself together, she scowled at the face only inches away from hers. "That was a long time ago. I was young and foolish." She scooted away from him again, pressing against the edge of the platform. "And this time, you hypnotized me and took control of me!" She narrowed her eyes in sudden suspicion. "What else did you do to me, besides kissing?"
Aizen chuckled. "Do not fret, Orihime." He leaned back, away from her, still regarding her with those intense eyes. "Despite my being isolated without companionship for so long, I suppressed my natural instincts upon finding myself in your close proximity. Nothing happened between us other than that kiss… " His eyes lit with wicked amusement. "Although I did consider letting you think it did."
At her outraged intake of breath, Aizen murmured, "But you know me too well, Orihime. You know I would find no pleasure in making love with a puppet."
She flushed, and then lowered her eyes. There was a pause. "It's true; I was more worried you had made me kill someone," she admitted.
"Did you notice I refrained from arranging something like that?" He raised a brow. "I needed you for a particular task; once that was done, I had no need to be cruel."
"It was cruel to kidnap me once again. It was cruel to turn everyone I know against me by framing me as a traitor," she hissed. "You've isolated me from everyone I know."
He smirked at that. "I require your power," he pointed out. "I needed a way to bind you to me while I am still recovering from the effects of my imprisonment. There was no intent to be needlessly cruel." She continued to glare at him, and his smile broadened. "Come now. There is nothing to be gained by pointless resistance, Orihime. What's done is done, and the days ahead will be difficult. We'll be thrown together in any event. Why don't we agree to at least be civil to each other for the duration?"
He sounded so reasonable. Orihime glared. "Why do you want to be civil to me anyway? In that scene from Ulquiorra's eye, you said you thought I killed my own child. Your child."
A look of what seemed to be regret crossed the chiseled features beside her. "Ah. I admit that Gin tricked me. He later confessed the truth—after he stabbed me." There was a faint note of what might have been bitterness in his voice, shading into contrition. "I soon realized that I had misjudged you, as well as Gin." Now there was bemusement in his tone. "Forgive my doubts, Orihime."
She stared at him, her chest heaving. Was Aizen actually asking her to forgive him? That was not something he ever did. He must be attempting to manipulate her again. She gritted her teeth against the wave of compassion that was threatening to arise in her heart. She reminded herself to be strong, to keep from believing his lies.
He studied her face and continued, "I should have known from the beginning you would never take the life of your unborn child. I admit I was… distracted by the Hougyoku and its promise of unlimited power." His voice was soft and gentle and tinged with regret. He sighed. "I am sorry that I had to have Ulquiorra show you that scene, but I had pre-recorded it before I left to hypnotize you and had no choice."
She narrowed her eyes, holding on to her anger, refusing to allow the ever-present sorrow at the loss of her child to surface. "You always have a choice."
He leaned back in his seat and studied her carefully. "Indeed. Knowing now that I was mistaken, that my actions towards you were erroneous… that I now wish to apologize to you for my cruelty in the fifth tower… do you still wish that I were languishing in Soul Society's prison?"
She reminded herself to harden her heart, that his apology must be false. She turned her eyes away. "You committed crimes. You murdered people."
She could feel him studying her profile. He reached forward, and before she could pull it away, he had taken one of her hands in his. His fingers were strong and warm. She wanted to yank her hand away from his, but she suddenly felt boneless. Was he playing games with his spiritual pressure again? Yet she could feel nothing of his reiatsu. It could not only be her blunted perceptions. He had furled it so tightly she could sense nothing. Why, then, did she feel the familiar tingling in her flesh wherever his skin lay against hers? Why was she leaving her hand in his?
"A black mark," he agreed, "which I share with many of the warriors in Soul Society, as well as your own nakama."
She turned her head, her eyes blazing into his. "There was a difference! They fought in self-defense! You planned those killings in cold blood!"
"You have not heard the reason behind my killings, my choice to rebel against Soul Society," he pointed out in a mild tone of voice.
Angrily, she turned her head away. She would not listen to his smooth lies. "I'm not going to believe anything you say."
He sighed. "I won't deny that I deserve your cavalier treatment. It's true I have done many terrible things. But… Orihime… I would like to begin again, if I may. I would like to ask you to please give me a chance."
She folded her arms and kept looking away.
His hand reached out and began stroking her hair. She stiffened and tried to move away, but could not help herself. She felt herself yearning for his touch once again, and she cursed herself for a whore. She was like her mother, after all, being led by the nose through her physical desires despite her rational mind. Hot tears came to her eyes suddenly. How could her body react this way to this man, after all the things he had done, after he had shown her his true face and his cruelty?
She kept her face turned away, staring blindly out the side of the floating platform, but his touch on her hair continued to electrify her. She would not give in. She would not show him what she was feeling. They sat in silence as Ulquiorra kept on guiding them. Orihime resolutely watched the odd shapes go by on both sides of the platform. She refused to speak, and Aizen kept silence as well, waiting for her with his much-vaunted patience.
Finally she could keep silent no longer. "Where are we going?" she questioned.
"A safe house that I control. We can rest there tonight, and then continue on in the morning. We need to shake our pursuers." He glanced behind them.
She turned too, looking behind them, but saw nothing. "How can they tail us through a dimensional rift? And why is it taking so long to get wherever we're going? I thought your powers could create instantaneous travel," she inquired.
His face became unreadable for a moment, and then he shrugged. "My powers are not what they have been. Prison has taken its toll on me."
"Are we staying in Hueco Mundo?"
"No. Most of Hueco Mundo is closed to me now."
Ah yes. The 'unknown assailants' of Soul Society had also invaded Hueco Mundo.
"What are your plans now?"
He smiled. "That, my dear, I would be happy to share with you once you agree to at least a temporary truce. It would make things substantially difficult otherwise." He fell silent once again, waiting.
She continued looking straight ahead, her thoughts tumbling over each other. It was true that if she attempted to escape from him now, she had nowhere to go. She had no doubt he was planning to use her in some nefarious way, but maybe if she appeared to go along with him, he would give her more information that she could use to avoid being completely trapped in his coils. Finally she sighed. Above all else, she was curious. Who were these new enemies of Soul Society? And what was Aizen planning with them? "All right," she acknowledged, glaring at him. "I will agree to work with you for now, as long as you promise not to make any… unwanted advances."
The smirk was back on his face. "I promise," he agreed. "Very well, we have a truce. I will show good faith by taking the first step. How if I start by telling you an important truth?"
Her eyes flashed to his, full of suspicion, and he raised his eyebrows. "You see," he continued, a charming smile on his face, "I am actually completely at your mercy. Not only is my power restricted, and somewhat damaged by my long imprisonment, but I am in a gigai that hides my spiritual pressure, because there is a tracer implanted in my soul. If I were to release my reiatsu, Soi Fon's men would detect it instantly, and I would be their prisoner once again."
Her eyes were wide. "You mean—"
"Yes," he admitted lightly. "I have no spiritual power. That is why I had to use my sword simply to cut rather than my spiritual pressure. Until I can remove the tracer, and restore my powers, I am quite helpless." He smiled at her with a rueful quirk of his lips. "So you see, I am trusting you with quite a vulnerability." He regarded her, appraisingly. "I do hope you will not take advantage of me." The charming smile flashed out once again.
Orihime stared at him. Was he lying again? She could not imagine him admitting being so vulnerable. Or did he assume that she was incapable of hurting someone weaker than her?
Still smiling, he reached into his jacket pocket and drew out a small box. Unlatching it, he flipped the lid back and she gasped as a wave of power washed over her.
Inside were her hairpins. Aizen held the box out to her. "Here. Another gesture of good faith. Now, you are more powerful than I am." His eyes held hers.
Hesitantly, she reached out, scooped up her hairpins. Re-inserting them in her hair, she felt the surge of power and awareness as her fairies connected with her. Is it true? she asked Baigon. Is he truly powerless?
The response came back immediately. I detect no spiritual power emanating from him… however, it could merely be concealed.
Aizen chuckled, observing her as her expanded senses and powers settled back into her consciousness. "Much better," he murmured. "I always preferred you as the woman with the powers of a god." His eyes glittered as he regarded her.
She glared at him. "Aren't you afraid?" she demanded. "I could attack you now, and destroy a major threat to Soul Society."
He smiled with that relaxed arrogance that never failed to both infuriate and attract her. "Indeed. However, I trust you, Orihime."
"I thought you said one should never trust anyone."
Amusement flooded his eyes. "Prison can change a man," he murmured. He turned to face her fully, reaching out with one hand to stroke her jaw, draw her closer to him. His slender fingers caressed her cheek in a gesture that made her blush with its intimacy, and she could not stop herself from turning into him slightly. Panicked, she stared into his dark brown eyes, so near to her, as he closed the distance between them.
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A/N: Thanks to anonymous reviewer Aoi-Kaji (your wish is granted! and thanks for the condolences) and to everyone who has been reviewing this story.