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Prize of Victory	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 87205 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make profit from this snippet

Chapter List
- 57
- 58
- 59
Warnings: mentions of rape and some pretty mean torture, but nothing explicit. Also, apparently 21 pages long.

Credit goes to Black Fox for seriously flushing out this chapter. Unlike me she really knows how to get into Aizen�s head. I think by the end she probably actually wrote about half of this by the time she was done with it.

　

　

　

Aizen watched the flashes of Kido over the current fray from the balcony of his private suite. He frowned, listening intently to the chatter on the lines as well as watching everything. He was Kami; everything under the sky was visible to him.

Unfortunately, he only had half of the power of Kami. He could see the majority of the battle, but he could not discern what was going on within the forest itself. The reishi that made up the trees blocked him from seeing the entirety of the fight against the Swarm, and his aural knowledge of what his minions were doing was limited to the lines that his Espada and the Shinigami forces had set up between themselves. He was not yet all-seeing nor was he yet all-hearing, and that fact irked him beyond measure. Nemu�s stoic voice gave calm instructions to the troops as battle between his forces and the Swarm began in earnest, and Szayel had still not appeared after disappearing into the trees.

Aizen was not pleased at all with the researcher. Everyone had their orders should battle be joined, and Szayel�s job was to perform the task that he�d now foisted off on Nemu, for some reason. The fact the Arrancar had clearly abandoned his station, and thus duties, during the attack only increased his current irritation.

He took another sip of his tea and watched the proceedings, putting aside the matter of Szayel�s abandonment for the moment. He was impressed with Nanao�s organizational skills regarding the citizen volunteers. The efficiency she brought to each task set before her was commendable and he had to admit that Jushiro had been quite correct to recommend her for her current position. She�d proved so successful in her work that he nearly regretted having to discipline Jushiro for speaking up. It would seem that she had blossomed into a truly competent leader, without a chronically inebriated, deadbeat Taichou slowing her down.

Finally, he caught sight of Szayel as he came out of the forest and into the city. A faint smile touched his lips as he noticed both Ajuga and Hana were in his grasp. It suddenly made sense as to why the Espada had abandoned his post. He had, after all, made it quite clear how very important Grimmjow�s daughter was to him. It would be very inconvenient if the very first hybrid produced between Hollows and humans were to expire before she reached her full potential.

A moment later Szayel�s voice took over the radio. Aizen leaned back and watched as his army fought with the creatures that dared to invade his domain. Truthfully, he wasn�t quite as annoyed as he made himself out to be. If he was honest with himself, things had been boring of late and this at least provided some entertainment.

It was the whole reason he hadn�t really bothered sending out a team to chase down the few malcontents that had escaped him. The adopted Kuchiki brat, that meat-for-brains Kenpachi and his simpering lieutenant, a couple of the flawed �experiments� that marked his first attempts at �Hollowfication�, the former 3^rd Espada, a noblewoman who had thrown title and position away once he had framed and exiled Urahara Kisuke� they amounted to nothing more than a sideshow that occasionally made him snicker with their pathetic attempts at �rescuing� their former comrades and family members.

The only one that might have truly challenged him, truly tested him had been the biggest disappointment of them all. Speaking of family� Aizen had laughed when the report came in regarding Karin�s rejection of her brother�s offer of freedom in favour of the 6^th Espada and their Claim. It had been a mitigating factor in deciding to let the loss of the girl�s twin slide.

Yuzu had been far weaker than her sister anyway; her absence hadn�t forced him to change any plans, at any rate. He would have loved to see the boy�s face when Karin scorned him. Not that she really had much of a choice in that, but still, even in defeat, he found some amusement in Ichigo�s struggles.

In a way, he found the escapees a source of much-needed entertainment; the fact that he did not have full control over their actions gave him something to look forward to as far as the chaos they generated. Surprises tended to be few and far between these days. They couldn�t really do him any harm and much like watching a pet mouse run on its wheel, he found that pondering what action they might take next an amusing game.

It wasn�t as if there were many places to hide, here, in Hueco Mundo or in the World of the Living. Anyone who might have helped them try to retake the Soul Society had either been disposed of during the War or neutralized via Claims and an overwhelming fear of his wrath. He would let the escapees enjoy their illusion of freedom as long as they continued to hold his interest and provide a distraction from the boredom that occasionally came with the job of Ruler. At least, he would do so until he finally tired of their antics and brought them to heel, permanently.

He brought the teacup to his lips to take another sip and frowned as he realized his cup was empty. Now, this was truly vexing. Aizen turned his eyes to the silver-haired man kneeling beside him, pot in hand. Gin was busy staring off at the battle, but soon flinched as he felt the gaze on his body, and quickly moved to refill the empty cup before returning to his subservient position.

Aizen would punish him later for his lack of attention to Kami�s needs. It was rather unlike the boy, really. He looked back up to the battle to see if he could figure out what had distracted the man. A flash of red-gold caught his eye and he focused his vision in on it.

Ah, Rangiku was fighting. That would definitely catch Gin�s attention. Nnoitra was not too far from her so Aizen assumed she had been permitted to fight by her Master�s side. He noted, with some pleasure as he scanned the field, that it appeared that ALL of his Espada had allowed their pets to fight, even Grimmjow, despite the fact Karin was a mere human. His �suggestion� had been taken well to heart then.

However, even with the extra help, his forces were barely holding the line, not so much because they were being overpowered, but simply because they were being overrun. There were simply too many opponents and his forces were unable to kill them fast enough.

Aizen frowned and contemplated the options he had before him regarding not just the battle, but the entire conundrum the Swarm presented. He could easily annihilate the Swarm with his own power, but to do so would be like dropping a nuclear bomb on Seireitei itself. The Swarm would be defeated, but everyone in the city would also die under the weight of his power.

While he did not care about the welfare of the citizens of Seireitei as individual souls, he did have to consider them as a group; such an action would throw the balance of the realms off-kilter to the point where the effects might not be reversible. Not even he would survive if the various worlds broke apart, with his grip on power only partially complete. Thus, dealing with the Swarm directly did not seem a reasonable option.

There might be other solutions, however, and he gave each of the other choices some consideration. Nanao�s recruitment of the civilian forces was a great success. In fact, many had come forth to sign up for the Academy now that there was glory to be gained once again. In another ten to twenty years they might even be back up to eight divisions out of the original thirteen.

But sadly, none of the current students displayed much potential as far as becoming seated officers. Those that had the potential had been Claimed, for the most part, by his Arrancar. It was, he admitted, an unfortunate side effect of permitting the Arrancar to Claim whomever they wanted, as long as they weren�t either slaughtering one another for Claiming rights or attempting to place a Claim on another�s property.

Anyone with high levels of reiatsu ended up being Claimed, and was therefore subject to the whims of that particular Arrancar. The case of Nnoitra�s Claim on Matsumoto Rangiku was a prime example of how a potential asset had been locked way and nearly rendered unusable thanks to the very possessive, animalistic traits of the Arrancar. It simply wasn�t in their nature to relinquish or share their toys with anyone else. It was also a factor which led to yet another problem: the potential for insubordination on the part of any suitably disgruntled Arrancar.

Aizen kept the Shinigami population under control via their Masters. He kept their Masters under control via the two things that Hollows of any class understood at a fundamental level: fear and power. While swift punishments were necessary for any infractions lest the rest of them decide he could be challenged for supremacy, he knew better than to try to remove one of the benefits they had grown accustomed to as his willing followers: the right to Claim property. Ordering them to give up that property would simply result in more unnecessary disputes and challenges from upset and aggrieved Arrancar intent on taking back what they considered theirs. He had better things to do than deal with an Arrancar insurrection.

As he watched the battle progress, and his combined Shinigami and Arrancar forces incrementally beat back the latest incursion of the Swarm, a better idea presented itself. It wasn�t without risks, but given the current restraints on the Shinigami population, it was one he was willing to take as long as he carefully closed any imaginable loopholes that the subjugated could use to slip their leashes. Perhaps it was time to truly get those pets back on the battlefield, regardless of their collective Masters� private desires.

It was also time to remove the hobbles from the Claimed Shinigami, he concluded. A sword with a dulled blade wasn�t as effective as one that had been well-maintained and kept at the ready; any seasoned warrior knew that much. Taking away their powers had been necessary, of course, after the War.

When he�d first risen to power, he�d ordered the Zanpakuto of anyone Fukutaichou-class and higher taken and sealed away to prevent any form of resistance that might have developed, despite the mass Claiming. Those that weren�t kept in check by a Claim would be kept in check if a piece of themselves were held hostage. It was a simple tactic and an effective one, up until this latest bout of trouble cropped up.

His seat now relatively, if not totally, secure, he knew that at least as far as the subject Shinigami were concerned, those who had a Zanpakuto that might prove even remotely problematic were the most tightly tied down. Given the nature of the Swarm, having an army half-full of blunted blades was simply unacceptable. If Aizen�s memory served him correctly, and it usually did, Byakuya�s Senbonzakura would be of particular help in swatting these annoying bugs. It, and the other Zanpakuto, might also buy more time for those in the Science Research Lab to determine the Swarm�s purpose and what, or who, was behind it.

�Yes I believe it might be worthwhile,� he declared aloud.

The thought of the Science Lab brought him back full circle to the subject of Szayel, and he sighed, seeing no reason to put what had to be done off any longer.

�Kami-sama?� Gin questioned.

�It�s nothing, Gin,� Aizen stated flatly. He finished his cup of tea, and then stood.

The battle was almost over and there was no need for him to watch any longer. The majority of his Arrancar were already starting to disappear back into the city with their pets. He would give the lot of them two hours to calm their instinct before calling them in for a meeting.

He had much to discuss with them, some more than others. While he understood Szayel�s need to rescue the children, most particularly Ajuga, he could have sent one of his many lackeys. Nemu or Renji would have been more than capable of retrieving the girls.

�Gin,� he felt the other stiffen beside him, ��inform Szayel I wish to speak to him immediately and then wait for me in the basement.�

The other trembled slight, and his �Hai, Aizen-kami� displayed his nervousness and fear quite clearly.

Aizen smiled softly and walked off to his throne room to await Szayel�s arrival. He left instructions with his staff to make sure his wife got something to eat. He knew she would not leave the Fourth until the injured had been dealt with.

He could, of course, order her home, but if he did so she would just be distracted. Considering how thinly the Divisions were spread, her presence was better served at the 4^th Division, making sure that his army was properly cared for. He admired people who were that dedicated to their work; it spoke well of their character and sense of purpose. Retsu was probably the most reasonable, level-headed and practical woman he had ever encountered and he had been extremely pleased that he hadn�t been required to kill her after his Victory.

He was barely settled on his throne when the pink-haired Espada arrived. He was still looking a fair bit younger than Aizen recalled, but shrugged it off as the possible effects of one of his experiments gone wrong, or possibly right.

�Kami-sama,� Szayel bowed deeply, a hint of worry in his posture and voice.

�My dear Szayel,� Aizen said gently, and smiled at him.

He could practically see the nervous sweat start to roll down the Arrancar�s forehead. He knew he was in trouble and Aizen took great pleasure in watching his victim squirm. He studied the bowed head of his target, noticing that other than his age there were some other things different with his Espada.

�You have done something different with your hair,� he noted.

�I felt it was time for a change, Kami-sama,� Szayel answered.

Aizen was not so foolish as to believe him. He stood up and walked up to the kneeling Arrancar, watching in pleasure as his body stiffen. Aizen cupped his target chin and forced him to look up; soft brown eyes gazed into fearful gold. With his free hand he brushed the pink tresses to the side.

What met his eyes definitely answered the question to the scientist younger appearance. The cracks in his mask were as clear as day and explained much.

�I see. When did this happen?� Aizen asked, running his thumb over the cracks.

�Some time ago, Kami-sama,� Szayel admitted reluctantly.

�It seems you have been able find a way to dam the stream. Interesting. How?�

Szayel�s mouth opened and closed several times, but he didn�t answer. Aizen narrowed his eyes and felt the other swallow nervously.

�Answer me,� he said coldly, all traces of reasonableness gone.

�I... I discovered that being Claimed dampened the outflow and permitted my reiatsu to pool again,� he answered in a stammer.

Aizen vaguely recalled Yammy mentioning something about Szayel�s experiment involving Claims, and it did explain the odd looks the others had been giving him during the last few meetings.

�Who Claimed you?� Aizen ordered sharply.

Szayel opened his mouth several times, but no answer was forthcoming. Aizen�s frown deepened and his grip on Szayel�s chin tightened.

�I asked Jaegerjaques-sama to do it,� Szayel finally whispered, utterly terrified now.

�Grimmjow?� Aizen asked with a raised eyebrow. �I find it odd that individual would be bothered with something like this," Aizen said with narrowed eyes, not quite believing the Espada.

�Well, G�Grimmjow has Karin�� Szayel said haltingly �and really isn�t interested in anyone else,� Szayel pointed out. �We figured, given the circumstances�� Szayel trailed off, as if his throat had closed up in fear.

Aizen mulled the explanation over as the Espada cowered in his grasp. Grimmjow did make sense now. The Sixth hardly cared about laws or orders, even his, so the �no Espada Claiming another� law really meant little to him. And if Szayel had requested it, then there really was no issue. He could see that the arrangement would be mutually beneficial to the two Arrancar; Grimmjow got to keep someone who could look after Ajuga�s special needs if necessary and Szayel retained the shape of an adult. For his own part, the Claim meant he wouldn�t have to try to find another skilled researcher. It would have been annoying to have to replace the Arrancar.

�And your pets?�

�I will recast my Claims before submitting again, at least until the damage is fixed or I find another way to stem the flow.�

The fact Grimmjow had Szayel Claimed also explained why the Scientist had retrieved the brats himself. He would definitely not want to anger his benefactor and Grimmjow was well known for his temper. Szayel would be hard-pressed to survive being Claimed by Starrk, and neither Nnoitra nor Halibel would touch him, given their respective �tastes�. Barragan and Yammy would have let him regress unless specifically ordered otherwise, as altruism wasn�t their forté. Ulquiorra might have Claimed the scientist simply because his Kami �needed� the man, but that would have been the only reason; the Fourth was known for his solitary nature, not his sense of philanthropy or any feeling of obligation to his fellow Arrancar.

Szayel must have guessed where his thoughts had wandered because he answered his next question before he could ask it.

�Jaegerjaques-sama was on the scene when the incident occurred and time was of the essence before I significantly regressed.�

�I see. Be that as it may, you still failed to be at your post during a crisis.�

The other paled even further and started to tremble slightly.

�Did your Master order you to retrieve the children?�

�No, Kami-sama,� Szayel answered in a terrified whisper.

�I failed to hear that, speak up please,� Aizen requested politely.

�No, Kami-sama,� Szayel said, slightly louder, the trembling still prevalent.

�So you left your post on your own violation,� he stated more than asked.

The other nodded his head weakly and swallowed nervously. Aizen shook his head at that and tilted the Espada�s head up, looking the scientist in the eyes.

�Without order there is chaos. Insubordination is not order. Chaos leads to destruction of the ordered world. I do not like destruction in my world.�

The other was practically soaked in sweat now and visibly shaking. Aizen had to admit he was slightly surprised Szayel had managed to maintain his kneeling position; for each word he spoke was accompanied by an increase in spiritual pressure.

�Do you not agree?� he asked graciously, as if they were having a pleasant conversation about the weather, a book of poetry or a training technique.

Since Szayel was unable to speak, as he was too busy panting for breath under the immense pressure, he settled for nodding his head weakly in agreement.

�Very good, I knew that you would agree. Come along then, I do not want to get blood on the floor. The maids do detest cleaning it up. In addition, the metallic odour has a tendency to linger for a few days.�

Aizen walked past the trembling body, still in a kneeling position, releasing the pressure as he did so. The other remained crouched for a few extra seconds to catch his breath before staggering to his feet to follow him silently without a whimper of protest.

It truly was a shame that his concerns about his main scientific researcher had proven true. For once, he would have liked to have been surprised when it came to his Espada.

Szayel was perhaps the only Arrancar that Aizen actually deemed dangerous, not because he was strong in any sense of the word, but because he was far too crafty, much like his old nemesis Urahara Kisuke. Or for that matter, that distasteful freak Kurotsuchi.

Brawn was something that could be countered immediately with more power. Strength was a straightforward thing and predictable. But an intellect capable of deception and intrigue� now that was something no leader could allow to go unharnessed and unfettered.

Szayel could never dream of beating him in combat, even with all of his current toys, but Aizen was no fool. He wouldn�t put it past the scientist to find some way to harm him if left to his own devices for too long. This was the only Espada that he made sure feared him down to the very cells that made up his marrow.

He was satisfied to see Gin already waiting for him in the dungeon, exactly as ordered. It was obvious that their last session down here had left the kind of lasting impression upon the boy, in body and in spirit, which he intended. Aizen briefly toyed with the idea of torturing them separately, but that would take longer and there were other things he needed to attend to today. He was Kami after all and he had things he needed to do, a meeting he had to call and oversee. No, no, it would be best to punish them at the same time. The process would at least alleviate the tedium for a short while and provide him with some afternoon amusement.

The slight smile that touched his lips had both victims shuddering in terror about what the next little bit was going to bring them.

�Now than, let us get started, shall we?� he asked them with a warm and generous smile.

Both let out beautiful whimpers, but gave an obedient nod of their heads as they awaited his instructions. This was going to be fun, perhaps even fun enough to delay the meeting another hour.

　

　

　

Szayel had no idea how he had survived the last few hours, let alone made it back to his chambers. It was all a pain-filled haze. He had to admit that Aizen was very clever and no two punishments were ever the same.

�Szayel-sama, Karin-san has been looking for you,� Nemu reported as he stumbled into his private chambers.

He let out a grunt in response to his pet�s statement; it was all he had the strength for. He could really use a shower right now. In fact, the shower was more tempting then passing out. His body was covered in dried sweet, blood and other fluids he would sooner forget about and his uniform was ruined, absolutely ruined. Despite himself he shivered.

Aizen knew neither man would have any qualms torturing the other, but what had basically been nothing more than consensual rape� that was a different story. To use the other as some sort of perverted sex toy and be forced to beg for punishment as if they were sexual masochists crossed a lot of lines, even for Kami.

�Szayel-sama?� Nemu said, this time a hint of worry.

He felt so dirty. Despite the pain and exhaustion, he decided that he desperately needed a shower. He had never been the one to receive, at least as long as he could remember. It had not only been extremely uncomfortable, but had hurt considerably. His lower back was killing him and his rear felt shredded. He had no idea why on earth anyone would ever want something like that on a regular basis!

�Szayel-sama?� Nemu called again, and this time he could feel her anxiety through the Claim. She moved to approach him and he reached out through the link to stop her.

�I am fine Nemu. I will be taking a shower,� he said flatly, brushing her off with a wave of a bruised hand.

She hesitated a moment, and then nodded her head and left the room, no doubt to prepare dinner. Szayel stepped into the bathroom and let his clothing fall to the floor, wincing as the cloth rubbed against the many welts and stripes covering his rear and thighs. He stood there, for how long he could not guess, staring at the results of Aizen�s discipline in the mirror.

The blood from the cuts had coagulated and dried, staining and soaking the insides of his clothing. There was dried blood in his hair, caked under his nails and fresh blood trickling from parts of his body he didn�t want to dwell on right now. He hissed in pain as the some of the wounds that had started to scab over reopened with movement. The crack in his mask seemed to stand out all the more when his hair was clumped, snarled and matted with dried blood and he could already see several bruises darkening below his neck.

He looked, he decided, like utter hell.

Some days he wondered why he bothered following such a voyeuristic, egomaniacal bastard. Hollows might toy with their food a little bit, might enjoy the thrill of the hunt, and to use power as a means of overwhelming and selecting both prey and mates was understandable. But the rules of Hueco Mundo were thus: consume or be consumed, kill or be killed, Claim or be Claimed and so forth; they did not include the desire to torture or draw out pain beyond what was needed to secure a Victory or a meal. It did not encompass the twisted, sadistic joy in his subordinates� powerlessness against him that Aizen exhibited towards those unlucky enough to draw his ire or make a mistake.

He looked at the door, beyond which lay the beautiful lab and the pets he�d been presented with as a reward for his loyalty during the War. He also recalled just how much power Aizen had at his disposal. When he�d accepted the terms he�d thought that a small bit of pain now and then didn�t seem to be such a steep sum.

Perhaps he�d been a little too hasty in his assessment of the risks of following Aizen. Not that there had truly been much of a choice. When the Shinigami had entered Hueco Mundo, he�d nearly destroyed Barragan, the only one foolish enough to sit on a throne and declare himself King of the Dead, until the Second Espada had sworn his fealty. If someone as powerful as Barragan could be subjugated after refusing to do business with Aizen, he knew he had little choice but to throw his lot in with the others.

Szayel peered more closely into the mirrors and winced at his reflection. His entire back and chest were covered in gashes from Kami�s whip. His thighs and legs were covered in welts and marks caused by a variety of different� instruments. The cuts and deep bruises on his rear ensured he was going to go another couple of weeks, perhaps a month, of being unable to sit.

�Seriously, what kind of fascination do people have with my rear? Granted, it is exceptionally formed, but still�� Szayel complained, and then laughed faintly, the sound having a tinny, hollow quality to it.

No that the adrenaline was wearing off his mind was quick to relive what had been done to him. He could feel nausea rising in his gut and a coppery taste in the back of his mouth.

He tried to ignore the dried blood and semen caked to his thighs, but the mere thought of it was enough to cause him to shiver in revulsion, the sight of it made him want to throw up.

In fact, he did just that after he managed to stagger to the toilet, falling to his knees in a mockery of the position that Aizen had trapped him in to interrogate him about his absence from the laboratory. He retched, throwing up whatever was left of his noonday meal and other, nastier things he�d been forced to take in this afternoon. That thought kept him vomiting, periodically, as he recalled the worst of the events.

His rear had not been the only part of him to receive the liquid, and not all of it had come from Gin. He shivered as he clutched the toilet and heaved into the bowl again. The worse part of the whole thing had been that Aizen had forced them to take each other from the front as if there were mates!

From the standpoint of an Arrancar, that was the most disgusting and un-dignifying act of all. He didn�t even take Nemu in that way, despite the fact he knew she would probably be pleased to be viewed as a Mate by him. Not even Nnoitra would lower himself to forcing himself on others from a mate�s position.

Szayel ran blood-crusted fingers through his hair, pressing his head against the cool porcelain to try to regain control over his aching abdominal muscles.

Yes, he had Claimed Renji, but he hadn�t forced the other to beg for it, nor had he tortured the man while Claiming him. Yes the redhead had cursed at him with that formerly vulgar mouth of his, but he had got the Claim over and done with and had never forced himself on the tattooed young man again, except to refresh the Claim.

If he could find a way to cast Claims without touching the person he would use it in the case of Renji without hesitation. Nemu was a willing participant in his Claim, an enthusiastic one even. Force was hardly necessary to recast a Claim with his second pet. But like Renji, he would feel wrong about performing such an act with her. A Mating Claim was a Mating Claim, was meant to be a mutual thing� not a form of humiliating punishment.

He forced himself up from the toilet, rinsed his mouth out with some mouthwash and turned the large shower�s tap setting to �scalding hot�. Then he grabbed the washcloth hanging from a hook near the soap dish. No matter how hard he scrubbed he could still feel the sticky fluid of blood and semen on his skin, could still feel it pooling inside his stomach and anal passage. With his raw wounds opening as he desperately scrubbed the filth from his body, the water that flowed down the drain had a continuous stream of red in it.

He leaned forward until his forehead touched the tiled wall and shivered despite the heat. Maybe it was the pain of trying to get every trace of cum, blood and gore off of him, maybe it was the delayed effects of shock setting in, but he found himself fighting back a desperate sob. Then another, and another after that, until he was weeping uncontrollably. He never wanted to go through that again, ever! Granted, every punishment of Aizen�s was always unique, memorably so, and not something any sane being would want to repeat.

He turned about and put his abused back to the wall, ignoring the agony and sliding down it until he was seated on the shower floor, shaking. He buried his head in his knees and hugged them close. All he could see were the dull grey eyes of his equally unwilling and unhappy �partner�. All he could hear in his ears was the soft yet firm voice of Kami calmly instructing them on just how to rape each other and his own sobs.

�Szayel-sama?� Nemu called tentatively, walking into the bathroom.

He hardly heard her voice. The curtains to the large shower were suddenly shoved violently aside and he jumped in surprise, letting out a whimper and curling on himself some more, bracing himself for an attack that never came.

Nemu stared at him in shock, her mouth open in a surprised and frightened �O,� hands flying up to cover her mouth with her fingers.

�Out of the way,� another voice ordered.

He looked up in alarm as Karin, scowling, came into view over Nemu�s shoulder and a set of female hands firmly moved his pet aside. The young woman gave a sharp intake of breath at the sight of him before her frown deepened.

Despite himself, he whimpered again, emotionally caught between two separate places; here in the shower and back in Aizen�s dungeon staring into Gin�s misery-filled grey eyes.

�Shit!� Karin cursed, reaching in and turning the water off, hissing at the heat of it and shaking her hand as the hot water scalded her.

He flinched as her shadow fell over him and tried to cover himself, his head, his face, in case the next thing to touch him included a blow.

�Stand up,� she said softly.

No, he didn�t want any more punishment. Not today. He curled up tighter and whimpered pathetically, seeing nothing but the weight of dull, grey eyes filled with boundless pain, suffering and hopelessness as they stared back into his own.

　

　

　

�Bloody hell!!!� Karin cursed under her breath as her eyes fell upon the pathetic figure curled up in the shower.

She had felt Szayel�s emotions running rampant through the Claim sometime after she had left Grimmjow behind (he was expect to assist with the cleanup) to pick up the kids. Szayel was long gone by the time she made it to the Science Building and parenting duties required her to stay with the children, despite her growing worry.

Ajuga had been perfectly fine and exceptionally proud of herself for defeating several opponents. Hana was a little shaky, but otherwise alright, more startled than afraid. Karin hadn�t seen or heard Szayel come back until the tsunami of pain, fear, loathing and sorrow hit her.

�What is wrong with him?� Nemu asked worriedly, bracing herself against the tile.

�Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from whatever the hell Aizen did to him,� Karin answered, trying to keep her temper under control. �Nemu-san, I need you to be as calm as you can. Right now your own anxiety is feeding his.�

Nemu nodded in understanding and stepped back, demurely folding her hands in front of her, as expected of any good assistant.

�Szayel,� Karin called softly.

Dull, gold eyes met hers, but they didn�t appear to truly see her. He shivered and buried his head between his legs again with a small snivelling sound. There was still a thin stream of his blood heading to the drain and Karin found herself in full nurse mode, not even noticing his nudity.

While she could force his body to obey through the Claim, she couldn�t control his emotions. Right now she knew if she used the Claim to get him to respond it might make things worse. She couldn�t risk that until she knew what had put him into such a state.

�Karin-san?� Nemu questioned.

�I have never had to deal with PTSD before. That was Yuzu�s specialty. Get a towel, a large one. And a first aid kit. I am going to try and get his mind out of whatever hell he�s been dragged into," she ordered. �Sadly enough, if he was still fully adult we probably wouldn�t be dealing with this right now, but as it is, he is the equivalent of an emotionally imbalanced eighteen-year-old," she cursed to herself.

Since trying to reach him verbally wasn�t doing the trick, Karin tried a different tactic. She calmed her reiatsu down and settled it about him without penetrating him as she would have if she were re-enacting her Claim.

�Szayel,� she called softly, moving to sit beside him and ignoring the fact her clothes were getting damp. �Shh. Shhh,� she hummed softly.

Slowly he uncurled, but his eyes still showed very little sense. She closed her own and hummed an old nursery rhyme she vaguely recalled her mother use to sing them before she had been murdered.

It took some time, but after a while, Karin could feel him slowly calming down and the hysterical edge to his reiatsu dulled a little. She decided not to try touching him. After all she had no idea what the hell Aizen had done to set him off in the first place and she did not want to trigger another attack. The physical damage alone might have been enough to cause this, but she had the sinking feeling that the wounds, bruises and marks were only part of the story.

Slowly his breathing even out and she opened her eyes to see sense was returning to his own.

�Karin-sama?� he questioned, confused.

�Welcome back,� she smiled softly at him. �It�s not quite heaven, but I hear the weathers nice around here.�

He rolled his eyes at her and tried to stand, before cursing and letting out a loud hiss of pain.

�Don�t move just yet, you have been in that position for some time and your muscles have cramped up,� she ordered softly.

�What happened?�

�PTSD,� she answered honestly.

He scowled and once more forced himself to his feet, this time succeeding, although he did need to lean heavily on the wall. Karin handed him the towel Nemu had brought earlier. He tied it around his waist with shaking hands to cover his nudity, trying not to look her in the eyes as he did so.

�Let me see what I can do for those wounds,� she offered.

�They are not to be healed,� he declared weakly.

She frowned in displeasure, but recalled the same decree had been given for the stripes Aizen gave Jushiro for suggesting Nanao�s promotion.

�Define �healed?�� she commanded.

�Neither our own innate abilities, nor any other form of healing via Kido is permitted,� he recited weakly.

�What about manual things, like cleaning the wounds and bandaging them?�

�That is permitted. It would be foolish to die from a lousy infection� he answered bitterly.

�So I can stitch up those rather large rents in your back and spread a salve on them?� she asked.

He blinked at her in surprise. Whether it was because he was embarrassed the idea wasn�t his or because he was surprised she was offering, she didn�t know. They were deep gashes and they were still bleeding, leaving small trails of red down his body.

�I see no reason as to why that would not be permitted,� he admitted.

�Good. Nemu-san,� she called.

�Hai, Karin-san?�

�Get me a suture needle, thread, fresh bandages, antiseptic and some of that cream you gave me after I gave birth to Ajuga,� she ordered firmly.

�Hai,� Nemu bowed and departed.

Szayel stared at her in surprise.

�Why?� he finally asked wearily.

�Because I take care of my property,� she smirked at him.

He scowled at her, but at least he appeared to be relatively together at the moment and had overcome whatever Aizen had done to him. At least for now. She was well aware that most cases of PTSD lasted at least three months or more, but considering that Aizen was the source of the pain, the mental trauma might last much longer than that.

�Stay there a moment,� she ordered and left the bathroom before returning with a stool.

They folded several towels for him to sit on to take some stress off his abused rear. Nemu returned with the tools and Karin set to work, starting with sterilizing her hands.

�Itai!� he hissed as she cleaned the first wound across his left shoulder blade.

�Oh suck it up, Hime-chan,� she laughed gently at him.

He tossed her a glare over his shoulder before she tapped him on the head and he went still once more.

�Your skill with a needle is exceptional,� Nemu commented as Karin expertly stitched up the first stripe.

�With a hot-headed older brother and an entire troop of kids playing soccer at my command, I learned how to close a wound real fast,� she admitted with fond memory.

All but one of them were dead now, but she didn�t let her mind focus on that as she started on the next stripe after rubbing some of that cream onto the bound wound. She worked her way down his back until she reached his rear before ordering him to take the towel off so she could see his thighs.

He hesitated and a blast of fear and, shockingly, shame slammed into her. Karin frowned and ordered him to remove the towel again. This time he complied, fingers trembling. Since he had been sitting down when she had found him, she hadn�t seen the damage done until now.

His rear was covered in welts and bruises and a small amount of blood still trickled down his leg from what was obviously internal bleeding. The towels on the stool were stained with a small pool of blood.

Karin gritted her teeth and forced herself not to fly into a rage. She shivered and closed her eyes, forcing herself into Jinzen and making a mental note to thank Jushiro for introducing her to the technique.

There was no doubt in her mind that this was the signs of violent rape and definitely explained the blasts of terror and humiliation that had been slamming into her from him earlier.

�Nemu-san, can you go make some tea, black, very strong? This is going to take a while,� she requested as neutrally as she could.

Nemu bowed her way out, leaving the two of them alone.

�Karin-sama?� Szayel asked, his voice on the edge of breaking and she knew he was probably about to have another episode.

�It�s alright,� she assured him. �I am NOT mad at you, just at the sick bastard who would order something like this,� she said as calmly as she could.

Once more she wrapped her reiatsu around him, settling it about him like a blanket of calm.

�We both know this� needs to be tended to. What would be the most comfortable position for you?�

She could feel his nervousness. She left the decision up to him since she knew if she ordered him into one of the positions he had been violently raped in it would definitely trigger another attack.

He leaned over the stool, spread his legs, and refused to look at her. For her part, Karin simply focused on remaining composed and stayed in that meditative state the best she could as she began to clean the cuts done to his rear. She slathered the cream on generously, working her way slowly towards the hole that was still letting out a trail of blood.

His inside passage was shredded and he whimpered in agony as she worked at spreading as much of the cream as deep as she could. It took every shred of her self-control not to fly into a rage at what Aizen had ordered done. Her hand was covered in blood and excess semen by the time she was finished.

It was a relief to them both when she completed that task and worked her way down the back of his thighs and legs. These cuts were less deep and merely needed to be cleansed and wrapped in bandages, as were the ones on his chest. There was some bruising to his manhood, but she left that for him to cream on his own.

Other than some bruising to his lips and rather deep bite marks on his neck, his face was the only part of him that seemed to have escaped assault. The atmosphere became much less tense as he sat once more on the stool while she wrapped thick bandages around his torso.

She was just finishing up and taping the ends off when Nemu returned to inform them that the tea was ready. Karin nodded and began to clean up while Nemu helped Szayel into a loose-fitting yukata.

�Is there anything of importance as far as information that I should know about that happened?� Karin asked.

�Just that I implied Grimmjow was the one to have me Claimed when questioned,� Szayel admitted in a tired voice. �It was all I could do not to disobey your orders and yet answer Kami.�

Karin nodded. So far, the only ones that knew about her Claim on him were the three of them standing in this room, and possibly that female Arrancar hanging out with her brother, Nel wasn�t it?

He curled up on the couch, wincing as he tried to find a position that wouldn�t aggravate his abused body. Nemu handed him a cup of strong tea once he settled in. Karin sat in one of the chairs and poured herself a cup as well.

�Were the girls well-behaved during the battle?� she asked.

�They stayed out of trouble,� Nemu answered. Karin gave silent thanks, at least, for that bit of good luck.

�That is good to hear. I was worried they might have been upset over what happened, but they both seem fine. Ajuga-chan was actually bragging about her kills,� she said, smiling fondly.

�They are just bugs, granted bigger than normal. Do you feel remorse for swatting a fly?� Szayel asked with a sniff. He turned his cup around and around with his fingers, toying with the vessel as if his hands sought something useful to do.

Karin smirked and shook her head. They kept with the small talk until she could tell he was struggling to stay awake and seemed back to his old self. The simple distracting tactic seemed to have worked as he was completely distracted from what had occurred.

�You should go to bed and get some rest,� she finally ordered, tugging ever so lightly on the Claim.

He nodded in agreement and a moment later Nemu returned to inform her he was sleeping peacefully.

�Good. He might still have nightmares. Come get me if they get out of hand or you can�t wake him up,� Karin ordered.

�Of course, Karin-san,� Nemu bowed. �Shall I show you the way out?�

�No, that�s alright. I can find my own way out,� Karin replied, and waved the offer off. She thanked Nemu for the tea and left the Science Building. After the gates closed behind her she took a few deep breaths to clear her head.

This evening explained so very much about Szayel�s initial reaction to her questions as far as the research he�d conducted on herself and Ajuga was concerned. Never in a thousand years would she have thought to take a punishment that far and in that direction. Even trying to wrap her mind around the whole situation caused her temples to throb.

She should have asked for an aspirin or perhaps another sort of painkiller to head off the headache she felt forming behind her eyes. Tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear, she started walking back to the Estate. She could have used Shunpo, but that wouldn�t have given her the time she needed to process what she�d seen in that bathroom, or give her the opportunity to try to analyze it properly. And she did need to try to make some kind of sense out of it before she could rightly sleep tonight.

What in all of the worlds had Szayel done to merit anything even close to a punishment like what he�d received at Aizen�s hands? It made absolutely no sense to Karin. All he�d done was retrieve her daughter and Hana himself. He�d left the Science Building, but honestly, Nemu seemed more than capable of instructing the Squads as to where and when the Perimeter had been breached.

Her father had once told her that he�d given her some of the more minor cases that had walked into their clinic because he felt he could trust her to do those jobs, leaving him free to deal with the more complicated trauma work. It had been one of the few times she hadn�t wanted to smack Old Goatface silly for his antics, the compliment given during one of his more serious moods. Delegation was normal in any organization; if Szayel had trusted Nemu enough to take over for him, and the Divisions had handled the battle without too much trouble, why punish an underling for making a decision?

Karin shivered a little and ran her fingers through her slightly-damp hair; the bathroom had been filled with steam from the hot water and the time spent sitting in it had slicked her hair with moisture. The winter evening�s breeze was downright cold with wet hair, even if her clothing had dried out. At least, she reasoned, she�d be dry by the time she got home.

Soul Society, Karin decided, was in the iron grip of an utter psychopath. A very powerful, very intelligent, very dangerous and from what she�d seen tonight, one with no sense of restraint or grasp of reason save for his own twisted code. Oh, she�d known that he was a megalomaniac, and power-hungry enough to destroy thousands upon thousands of lives for his own gain. It wasn�t that she didn�t understand the need for clear duties.

She and Yuzu had grown up in an urgent-care clinic and knew exactly how order helped minimize problems, especially when a true emergency came in. But to treat any and all attempts at flexibility in dealing with unexpected issues as an opportunity to partake in some kind of sick, twisted form of sadomasochism? To Karin, handing over the reins to see to something like this, to assure the survival of a child that Aizen himself had declared �extremely important�, was merely delegating responsibility.

If this was how Aizen treated any of the Espada that dared to try a different way of problem-solving, then no wonder Szayel had shown such fear when she�d confronted him about the half truths regarding his research. If this was what the scientist was use to when it came to punishment�

She froze in her tracks, the breeze playing with her clothes and hair and stared straight down the street, looking at nothing as she followed that thought to its logical conclusion. If this was considered a �light� punishment, what would Aizen dish out for something that he might truly consider an affront to his authority?

With an inward shudder, she recalled all of the times that Grimmjow had cursed Aizen out in private for some command his superior had given, especially during this last autumn when the length of the patrols had become almost too much for the Espada to handle. What, given Aizen�s seemingly insane set of standards, would he consider a punishable offence? Her mate wasn�t the most subtle at expressing his displeasure about anything he found burdensome or a waste of his time.

Hopefully, Grimmjow knew where the lines were and kept from crossing them. To her knowledge, he�d never been subjected to the kind of �discipline� Szayel had endured today. Now that she knew what Aizen�s preferred method of �correction� amounted to, she resolved to have a discussion with her mate about taking any reckless chances with �Kami�s� potential ire. As it was, she would have to explain why she�d sent the girls home ahead of her and she wasn�t entirely sure how he would take the news about the Claim she�d cast upon Szayel and the revelation that Aizen now considered Grimmjow Szayel�s �owner�.

That, she thought, might lead to a discussion regarding what the Generals had revealed to her today and she stifled the panic that rose in her as quickly as she could, lest Grimmjow feel it over their link. Karin didn�t want to think about how much jeopardy she and Ajuga might be in if Aizen learned of that conversation, about how much jeopardy they were in right now.

It was bad enough that she had to hide the fact she could cast Claims and she thanked whatever entity might be watching over her and her little family that Aizen had apparently believed Szayel when the latter had said that Grimmjow cast the Claim that saved him from regressing. That was something else that she now had to reveal to Grimmjow, lest her mate�s potentially unwitting actions towards the researcher reveal the truth to Aizen somehow. She doubted any of them would be spared for something of that magnitude.

Unfortunately, it was one more deception she would have to remember and keep track of, one more problem she�d have to solve lest Aizen�s wrath fall on her or Grimmjow, or worse, her daughter.

She was suddenly very, very tired, in a way that she hadn�t been in a very long time. What had happened to Szayel today, the time she�d spent cleaning up the aftermath� the words �long day� didn�t seem adequate to describe it. From learning of the Swarm�s Generals and uncovering the whole Royal Throne mess, the impromptu wild lovemaking with Grimmjow in the aftermath of the first wave of the battle and, finally, dealing with a brutalized, teenaged Espada suffering from PTSD, it wasn�t a day she wanted to repeat anytime soon.

Well, she reconsidered, the part where Grimmjow had taken her after the initial fight was something worth repeating, but she could do without the rest of it. Karin began walking again, then began to run and finally launched into as Shunpo with a renewed eagerness to get home and assure herself that everything there was as it should be, that there were no nasty surprises waiting for her.

By the time she made it to the Estate and through the gates she barely had enough energy to check to see that Ajuga was safely asleep in her room and then crawl into bed beside her mate. He snorted and stirred briefly as she joined him, pulling her into his grasp and nuzzling her neck affectionately. For a moment it was all she could do just to breathe in his scent and relax against him.

�Where have you been?� he asked sleepily. �The girls were brought home hours ago....�

�I�ll tell you in the morning when you are coherent enough to remember,� she promised, leaning over her shoulder to kiss him before she turned, curled her exhausted body into his warmth and promptly passed out.
　

　

　

/hug those of you that found the time to review. As to why Karin didn�t have the device to find Ajuga, it�s because Grimmjow has it. Karin never figured she would need it because she can �see� Ajuga regardless of where she hides.

And Aizen DOES NOT know that Karin, Ajuga and Hana have royal blood. He knows that he needs to set a biological heir on the throne of royal blood to become royalty himself, and thus able to fully assume the throne. That is why he is trying to get Unohana pregnant, so he can set his child on the throne, turning his own blood into Royal Blood, than slaughter the child and take the throne fully as he will now be of Royal Blood.

As for what I believe they use for energy, I think it�s more like in Final Fantasy 7 with the Mako reactors. It would also explain why there is less reiashi in Soul Society than there is in Hueco Mundo if it�s being gathered and converted to power.

They must have plastic, the little chappy dispensers are made from plastic, as are their soul pagers, etc.

This Weeks Question: Are you starting to feel sorry for Szayel yet or do you think he needs even MORE punishment before being redeemed?

Next Chapter: The News you have all been waiting for for nearly 60 chapters since the beginning of the story. Can you guess what it is?
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Prize of Victory