Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Different Circumstances ❯ The Stranger ( Chapter 33 )

Tite Kubo owns Bleach and the characters depicted therein. The characters in this story are not mine, mostly.

 

The Stranger

 

I'd asked myself when I was going to stop making mistakes. Evidently not now. No, the decisions I was making were defective, almost as defective as the man my husband casually threw into the corner. I heard the crunch as his bones slammed into the wall and Kurotsuchi lay there, panting and unmoving. His face showed through where the paint had been wiped and the skin colour was pale, which became an unhealthy shade of white as his head thumped onto the floor. The captain appeared unconscious, but I did not doubt that he might fake that to work out to his favour. I could see his chest continue to rise and fall which indicated he was not yet dead.

 

“Watch him,” Zaraki instructed Yachiru and Arai who scrambled to follow his orders. Yachiru looked like she wanted to say something, her appealing glance flitting from her captain to me. I raised my eyebrows, hoping she'd say something, but she sadly shook her head and looked down. Not a good omen.

 

I remained where I was wishing I could escape for a few minutes. Maybe hide in the bathroom and take my time pretending to wash while I escaped through the bathroom window, or down the drain, or discovered a way to walk through the walls. Or I could get Renji to fight him until they both saw sense again. Maybe invite in a couple of hundred Hollows to amuse him and work off his blood lust. I didn't want to fight him!

 

“Why fear him? He loves you, or so he's said. He's your husband isn't he?” Haineko purred through my mind, slowly stretching, her claws extended.

 

“He's a stranger. That man is not my husband,” I said, lying to both of us.

 

“But he is. He's wearing the coat; he's got the bells and the eye patch. I think he's trying to work out if he wants to fight you or fuck you. Knowing him, he wants to do both at the same time. I think you'd enjoy that. Hot, angry, vicious sex with both of you moving urgently together,” she said. “His hot hands holding you down, pushing you into positions as he savagely thrusts into you.”

 

An erotic image of what she described pushed itself into my mind, forcing me to clear my throat and shut my eyes to try to gain some equilibrium. From fear to lust in one easy step. “I know he wants to fight me.”

 

“Yeah? Where's he looking?”

 

I followed his gaze and could not mistake where his eyes were focused. “He's looking at blood, his blood.”

 

“Which just happens to be on your boobs.”

 

“I put it there. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I know it wasn't now.” I replied.

 

Meanwhile, Zaraki taunted me.

 

“You seemed eager to defy me, woman. Now you look like you want to run. Let's see if you can even defend against an attack. Then I will teach you your role before I cut off your pretty head.” My brain was still processing these words when I felt the breeze of his attack. I blinked and noticed that I'd moved without even thinking about it and had just missed being cut by the blade that was quivering centimetres from my shoulder.

 

The man laughed, the mocking sound rocketing through my head. “Dodged. Is that your strategy? Dodge attacks like you dodge other things.”

 

“What else do I dodge, aside from paperwork,” I wondered. “And why would he talk about paperwork?”

 

A quick movement warned me and I just managed to block his sword from slicing my hair. “I can take care of my hairstyle, Zaraki beloved,” I said, trying to sound like I was casually teasing him. If I was honest, as soon as I became serious I feared I would lose as it would be his signal to also become serious. If he liked to toy with his prey, as Yachiru said, maybe he would like his prey to play along. So far he hadn't tried to cut me, not really.

 

But I had to be serious. I had to watch every movement he made, especially as he could move at speeds I normally had trouble seeing. “Feel.” Haineko told me.

 

“Feel?” I felt all right: terrified and desperate.

 

“You know him. Feel what he will do next.” The confident tone of the cat didn't help.

 

This was beyond comprehension. In my current state of mind I was having difficulty trying to work out what I was going to do next, let alone try to anticipate what Zaraki might do. As I shifted my weight slightly, I had an urge to move to the left which I did. I felt the sleeve of his shirt brush my face as he pulled back from his failed attack.

 

“Impulses, good,” I muttered to no one. “I feel sorry for mice now.”

 

“Trust your instincts. You're eyes will deceive you, especially if you try to work out what he will do through body language. Yes, you know how your husband moves, but he won't move like normal. Now his signals are meant to mislead you so you will leave yourself open to an attack.”

 

This didn't sound like the lazy creature that occasionally woke up enough to train with me. Haineko never offered this type of advice. Confused, I demanded, “Who are you?”

 

“I'm Haineko, of course. Who else would I be?” The sultry purr sounded as normal, but the voice was more vibrant, alive. “And don't feel sorry for mice.”

 

“No, you can't be Haineko. She's a lazy, selfish and rather silly spirit.” Insulting the spirit of my zanpakuto was old news. If I'd thought about it I would have realised that it was an extremely stupid action, but I was worried concerning more things than the spirits feelings. And I'd done so many stupid things recently that if I'd had solutions handed to me with labels advising if they were sensible or not, I'd choose the dumb one each time.

 

“Lazy and selfish and silly. Just like my owner. But now you're trying to do something you've never done before. You're trying to prove yourself to someone you actually care about and you don't feel you need to hold back.”

 

I gasped. This was ridiculous. “I never held back when I fought Gin!”

 

“You did. Every single time, because he got nasty if anyone, well if you, defeated him. He'd run off for days, remember? It became second nature for you to expect someone to save you because you were afraid of showing up Gin. He trained you so well that it spread to encompass your life. Now you have to defeat your `saviour'.”

 

I ducked and rolled. I knew Zaraki was moving fast but my eyes had adjusted to the speed and as I continued my internal argument with Haineko, he was continuing to fight me. I couldn't continue to do both. The escape from my husband's wicked cut that would have sliced off my arm was too close. He'd scraped the skin enough to leave a welt, but for some reason the blade had not cut me.

 

“I've got to concentrate on this fight, not discuss my previous fighting habits,” I protested. “Help me.”

 

“But you asked the question of who I am. If you were satisfied to be less than you were, why should I encourage you to try? Eating and sleeping are fun, fighting is hard work. Even when you were near death in the human world, you waited for help which you got from Toshiro.”

 

“Are you a member of Kurotsuchi's fan club? I need help, now,” I mentally screamed as I barely escaped the next blow. The attacks were still slow, but they were coming closer together. The prey, me, was getting closer to being dead.

 

“You haven't even tried to attack him, not once!”

 

“He's Kenpachi Zaraki. He's my husband and a Berserker, or something near it. He's something else. I don't want to make him angry!” Even as I offered the explanation it sounded foolish. Could a Berserker become even more enraged? He wanted to kill me and I was worried about upsetting him. Logic had left my mind and my body wanted to follow wherever it had vanished.

 

“We'll do this together,” Haineko told me. There was no time to argue. I had to accept that something important had happened; a change that would affect my life for the next few minutes until I died. It might be overdue, but the help might assist me in prolonging my life for some precious seconds. If I distracted him enough I hoped one of the others would sneak up behind him and knock my husband unconscious. It didn't seem likely that they'd try or even if they did try that they would succeed.

 

“If you believe you cannot win, you have lost the fight before it commences.”

 

Where had that come from? It sounded clever and reasonable and not like Haineko. “How can I win?”

 

“Can you try to convince yourself that you won't lose?”

 

That wasn't much easier. “No.”

 

“That you won't die?”

 

There was a very faint possibility that might work. If Zaraki came to his senses and felt a surge of lust, I might survive. A couple of precious seconds were wasted while I considered stripping to distract him, but considering we weren't alone it seemed like it might be a fatal error, for all of us. “I won't die,” I told Haineko.

 

I found I was standing, facing my husband with my blade held in both hands. Almost mockingly I raised it in a salute I had learnt in fencing classes at the Academy. I'd learnt Kendo and a number of other techniques, but fencing had appealed to me most of all. It wouldn't help me now, not in a death match, but I would need to watch my guard and seek openings. The only advantage I had was my Shika, but that didn't seem much. Zaraki had beaten Tosen's bankai with only his blade and his brain.

 

Mockingly, the smile set on his face my husband returned the salute and then pointed his sword downward as he observed me. “Want to fight me now, wife? Or are you going to run away again?”

 

The reminder made me flush. “Do you think I'd be standing here if I was going to run away?”

 

“Talking. Not reacting. Classic Matsumoto. Talk, and then run. Or run and refuse to talk. Anything to shit me.” The smile he bestowed upon me was both mocking and contemptuous.

 

The impulse to hiss at him was nearly overwhelming and unexpected. Until now I hadn't known how much he despised me. Why had he married me, insisted on marrying me, if he didn't respect me? It seemed evident that he was revealing his true feelings, and they were unpalatable. After all the words of love he'd spoken, he'd still harboured these thoughts and it made me face the possibility he'd only married me because of the sex.

 

The pain fuelled my growing rage. Later I would mourn the ruined dreams and devastated hopes but now it made me stand straighter and return my husband's mocking smile. “You're doing your share of talking. I thought you were going to cut off my head.”

 

“You haven't yet learned your role.”

 

“Role or roll?” I asked desperately. “Would you like one?” Sex often distracted him. I didn't think it would now, but I had little else I could try.

 

“Are you offering food?”

 

What the hell was I saying? “No.” My voice squeaked slightly. “I meant... Forget it.”

 

As I spoke I lunged at him only to watch him leap backwards, the sneering smile on his face filling my vision. Then he was beside me, behind me, on my other side, slashing casually at me with his blade. I tried to move, but couldn't manage to escape all his attacks. He then stood in front of me cutting at me alternatively from each side, swapping the sword from hand to hand, laughing as I swayed, and trying to distance my body from the swinging blade. Backing away wasn't an option because he could move faster than I and would stop my escape before it really commenced.

 

“You're part of the life I never had,” he muttered and then laughed loudly.

 

“What?” He lunged heavily to one side, telegraphing his action and I jumped to the side.

 

Slowly he lunged to the other side, his eyes lazily observing me as I again tried to avoid the slow stroke. I thought I would be moving faster but I couldn't seem to overcome an inertia I hadn't experienced before.

 

“Attack!' Haineko commanded.

 

I spun out from the next move. Again he lunged from the left and then the right, his blade straight and a smile on his face.

 

The swipe was marginally closer, millimetres closer to cutting me. “I don't think I can keep my promise,” I said. Zaraki was holding back, enjoying the torment. That was another facet of the game he was playing, that I wasn't worth his full attention or his full skill.

 

“Promise? Which particular one was that, wife?”

 

“Not to you,” but his words spurred me on and this time I ran at him, driving my blade at him, with little hope it would connect. It had worked when he was holding Kurotsuchi because the man had been his toy, but that position was now occupied by me. It would only be a matter of time before he tired and decided to break me.

 

Of course, I missed and he laughed snidely. “Pathetic. You're so fucking useless, except at fucking. How did you even become a lieutenant?”

 

That nettled me. Possibly I should make excuses because he was under the influence of an alternate personality I wasn't acquainted with, but the insults hurt. Again, I wondered what made him fall in love with me. The litany of questions again passed through my mind. Did he really love me? Why did he marry me? Was it only sex, because while it was good, it wasn't the best basis for a long term relationship.

 

Instead of answering I loosened my shirt a little more and flung my hair back over my shoulders as I tried to purse my lips attractively. Even as I prepared to take this action I hated it and the need that forced me to. “How do you think I became a lieutenant?”

 

I'd managed it the normal way: by studying at the Academy, being skilful and some occasional practice. Many times I'd been told I could improve my proficiency, if I was less lazy and more forthcoming I could rise even higher, but at that time I had been with Gin. Any attempt at improvement had met with coldness, derision and desertion. When I had finally been promoted to lieutenant, the indifference had increased. Did he believe that I challenged him by my abilities? Didn't he understand that my strength was his until he abandoned me? How did my abilities diminish him? I had examined the issue so many times and still had no proper answer.

 

A flash of rage passed over Zaraki's face. “You lied. You lied about your lovers! You screwed Yamamoto so he'd promote you.”

 

A pang of guilt was countered by fear and forced me into denial. “I got my promotion because of ability. Nothing more,” I claimed but the denial sounded inane even to my ears. No one would believe that feeble protest.

 

A flash of pain was visible in his eye and it seemed to break his concentration, but only briefly. “I warned you about lying to me.”

 

“I'm not lying!” It would be only seconds now before I received the first cut. Judging from what I had observed and Yachiru had said I would die slowly, from many intersecting wounds that would cover my body. Options were severely limited. I could let him kill me slowly or incite him to kill me quickly. Of the two I preferred a speedy death. It would end the pain that I felt in my chest.

 

Retsu's voice interrupted. “Are you prepared to kill your child as well as your wife?”

 

The reminder made me stand still. Without faltering Zaraki's zanpakuto cut me, slicing into the flesh of my left arm, drawing blood, but stopping short of the muscle. I barely felt the pain, dazed by concern for my baby.

 

“What makes you think I'd want a child from this female? She's a weak, deceiving fool who believed Ichimaru. She let the old man use her so she could get a promotion.” Zaraki had turned his head to answer Retsu but now his eyes were fixed on the blood flowing down my arm. “Look how easily I injured her.”

 

I was staring at him, completely certain that this was an unfamiliar person. Was it possible to feel this level of hate for the man I was supposed to love? If I were not pregnant and fighting for my life my impulses would be to run away and cry for a few hours while exploring the delights of alcohol. Yet I was fighting the man who had married me, who had told me he loved me and who was the father of my child all because of some stupid notion.

 

Hurting and enraged by his words I wanted to strike back, to make him experience part of the pain he was inflicting with his words but now was not the time to talk. Again his blade came perilously close to my neck and I ducked. A blur of movement ceased and Retsu was standing in front of me.

 

“Stop this.”

 

“Get out of the way or I'll kill you where you stand,” Zaraki said in a matter of fact tone.

 

I blinked and Byakuya was next to Retsu, his blade drawn and his voice as icy as the grave. “Stop now, or fight me,”

 

I blinked again and in that millisecond I missed the lightning fast attack. Incredulously I watched as Captain Kuchiki fell to the floor, blood spreading beneath him.

 

All my experience with the man had indicated that he despised me and didn't think I was a worthy wife for Zaraki. Why had he done this? It couldn't be honour alone which had forced him to this action. I wanted to go to him and check his injuries, fearful that he might be dead or dying. I was not fast enough.

 

“Nii-san,” Rukia cried and was there in an instant, cradling his head in his lap. She had paled even further and seemed unable to believe what was happening. Tears were already streaming down her face as she tried to staunch the wound.

 

Retsu and Isane were by his side immediately, tending to the gaping wound in his side. Ichigo pulled out his blade and seemed to be considering another attack on my husband.

 

“Don't get in my way again, Kuchiki. We can have our reckoning when I finish with the woman.” Zaraki said. “And you, kid. Don't try it. You don't stand a chance.” The last was to Ichigo who already seemed ready to fight.

 

I didn't want to see anyone I cared for hurt by this private battle but the interruption gave me an idea. Running for the door I managed to open it and escape into the hallway. The bellow of rage indicated that Zaraki had noticed and as I expected he was beside me before I could move any further.

 

“Don't follow,” I warned the others. “I have to win this myself.”

 

Yachiru nodded with understanding and tears standing in her eyes. “Good luck…” she tried to say, but faltered.

 

“Scared?” I'd expected the mockery from the man who wanted to kill me.

 

“I'm not running away,” I said before he could form the accusation. His blade swung, aimed at my right arm. This time I slithered as sinuously as I could out of his reach, my destination firmly in mind. “I'm luring you to your doom.”

 

“You never know when to shut up, do you?”

 

I shrugged knowing that my shirt would ease apart even further. It did, but it didn't cause the hoped for distraction. “I thought you'd want to cut my clothes off me before you started to cut the flesh. It would let you see the wounds so much easier,” I explained. “But to do that, we need to be alone, don't we?”

 

We were now outside the bedroom we'd used before. I again avoided the teasing strike and sidled into the room.

 

“Why would I want that? I've seen your body before,” he questioned as he followed me his blade held to one side preparing to take a serious strike at me.

 

“The problem is I didn't bring a replacement uniform, so I wanted to have the chance to strip.” I ran my free hand over my body, loosening my shirt even further. “And if we're alone, no one can interfere, can they? You can fight them later.”

 

Amazingly he nodded and locked the door behind him, ignoring the loud thumping that was coming from the other side. I heard Ichigo yelling and Yachiru trying to talk to him. If they would both go away I might have a chance.

 

I heard Renji faintly offering to kill Ichigo and the clash of steel indicated that the two hot heads were locked once more in combat. If only my battle was that uncomplicated.

 

“I hope this works,” I told Haineko trying to hide my feeling of foreboding.

 

“What works? What are you talking about?” Her voice was more a yowl than a purr.

 

“Your suggestion. It seems the only choice I have now.” Why did I need to explain? It was her strategy. I could not match Zaraki on abilities, but I could use other means to prevail if I wanted to live. This was taking a chance and the possibility of failure was great, but it seemed obvious I would fail anyway.

 

“I think I'd prefer to cut your clothes off you and watch the cloth stain with your blood,” was the unwelcome reply.

 

The comment made me feel sick. Aizen had enjoyed keeping my stained uniform, had almost laughed at the blood stains and Zaraki's comment reminded me slightly of that horror. I tried to smile and said “But imagine how much more clearly you will see the blood against the skin. Red against white.” I swallowed hard after I spoke, the images roused by the words too clear in my mind.

 

“You're crazy. Maybe getting pregnant at your age has taken its toll of your mind,” Haineko told me.

 

“Yeah. Go on. I'll give you 30 seconds to strip,” was the kind offer from the stranger who looked like my husband.

 

I hastened to remove my clothes, not attempting to emulate a strip-tease. I didn't have the time and I knew he didn't have the patience. He'd already demonstrated that he wasn't as susceptible in his current condition to my normal encouragement.

 

“Now, you,” was me demand as soon as I was naked.

 

“What?”

 

“I'm still going to fight you. I want to see the wounds I inflict, see which part of you ends up with more scars,” I lied desperately. His eyes roved my body with lecherous intent, but it was tinged with a cruelty that hurt me. For a second the red tinge in his eye dimmed as I stroked my stomach and his gaze was drawn there. Was it sex or the baby that had caused the change?

 

Some might accuse me of manipulating the situation. Of course I was. Who would not be prepared to use any tool at their disposal to save the life of their child? Stupid question. There are some people who wouldn't care, wouldn't spend a seconds thought, or any cash to protect and nurture their offspring, but I cared for my child even though it was not yet born. In a fight like this I would be a bigger fool than I'd already proven to be if I didn't use every advantage I had. Zaraki had the additional strength from whatever berserker like qualities he'd roused, plus his natural overwhelming reiatsu, physical strength, disregard for pain and speed.

 

I had…. I had…. What did I have? Speed and defence. A body he normally seemed to like and Haineko. With all that I had, how could I lose? I almost cried with despair at my bad mental joke.

 

“Come on husband. Get your clothes off and let's see how you move,” I taunted him while twisting my hair between my fingers in a thoughtful way. “Unless you're scared or shamed.”

 

Throwing back his head, he guffawed and then spat another mouthful of blood at my feet. A few drops landed on my legs, causing me to step back unconsciously. “Me scared, of a lieutenant, especially you?” Dropping his blade carelessly on the floor, a few quick motions removed his clothes but he retained his eye patch.

 

“I'll keep this on,” he told me as he tapped it. “I won't need the extra power to defeat you. Once you admit defeat I'll treat you in the manner you deserve.”

 

I pretended to pout but I had already observed he was aroused. Aroused but the urge for blood seemed stronger than the urge for sex. How was I going to turn this around? From past experience it was evident that subtlety would fail but would he ignore a verbal invitation.

 

“Would you like to fuck before you kill me?” I blurted out.

 

“No.”

 

Trying to hide my reaction to this new rejection I smiled harder. My cheeks were aching.

 

“Time to get serious and fight. You've kept me waiting too long,” he said and his blade was at my throat.

 

“Growl Haineko.” The command was out of my mouth and the swirl of dust enveloped my husband giving me a few precious seconds to remove my throat from the close proximity of his blade. The thundering of my heart was so loud in my ears it hurt.

 

“That trick might work once,” the voice told me from behind, “but not when you know what to expect.”

 

Swinging around I felt the sting of the blade as it cut through the top layer of my skin, following my movement. The edges wept blood, but I attempted to appear unconcerned. “You've drawn your blood. Is that enough?” I kept my voice tart. Sweat was making the grip of my zanpakuto slippery, but it was essential I did not waver.

 

“Not nearly enough. Trying to get out of this now?”

 

He came at me again and as my blade met his I felt a surge of strength which barely kept his from bearing down on me and forcing me to the floor. Sliding to one side our swords groaned and screamed against each other as the metal slid down. This was impossible.

 

“We've got to try something else,” Haineko told me, repeating the words that were already in my mind.

 

“What exactly?” I sounded desperate because I was. I tried to get out of the way of the next swing of the blade, but it cut me, still lightly but enough to draw blood. This time Zaraki ran his finger down the blade in a parody of my earlier challenge and then sucked the blood from his fingers. If I wasn't terrified I might have found the sight erotic.

 

“Second release?”

 

I aimed a feint at his penis. Not that I wanted to cut him there, but it might make him think of something other than trying to kill me, but he blocked the strike easily as his hand not employed with the blade slid meaningfully between my legs. The man was confusing me and I was more off balance than I'd ever been.

 

My voice was harsh and pained as I replied. “Why are you asking me? I don't know anything about second release. You made it damned hard to get to first release, as you know.” Why was this happening now? Anything that happened now might not be enough and I could still end up dead.

 

“I'm just too bad. That was different. I wasn't fighting for our lives,” she screeched. “I didn't think I was going to die.”

 

“Memento Mori,” I said abstractedly aloud. “Remember you too will die.” How appropriate. I kept trying to ignore the inevitable nature of death and it kept forcing me to remember.

 

“Memento Mori,” Zaraki repeated.

 

Then the world changed.

 

A.N.

 

Hell, damnation and crap. I'm swearing off fight scenes. Or maybe swearing at them? And then another cliff hanger. Maybe I should swear off the caffeine. It might be overexciting the synapses.

 

Thanks to Kashima for the `Strawberry Gashes' suggestion. Thank you to Bastion (I too am not dead, yet) and *Zetsuii* for the reviews.

 

Soundtrack

 

`You and Whose Army?' Radiohead

The fight scene `Setting Sun' Chemical Brothers. (Some of the lyrics are scrambled through the story).

`Strawberry Gashes' Jack Off Jill

`I Hate Everything about You' Three Days Grace

 

Yeah. Review. I like reviews.