Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Perpetual ❯ Hope ( Chapter 14 )

Tite Kubo owns Bleach and the characters and gets paid for it. I don't. I just write these to amuse myself and to remind myself that not everything in the world is perfect. I make no profit from this work.

 

HOPE

 

Hopeless terror consumed Orihime when Tosen was taken prisoner.  Involuntarily she listened to the conversation between Aizen and one of the unfamiliar men, whom he addressed as Stark.  Her stomach revolted as Aizen moved closer to her but she knew escape was impossible.

Hearing what was planned made her struggle ferociously against the grip Aizen had on her wrists, blind to the other people in the room. She knew Mr Tosen was sagging heavily, supported by those men holding him. He could not help her. The blood was rushing through her ears after she'd heard what Aizen planned for her.

 

She pulled harder and noticed he'd stopped tugging her toward the wooden frame. If he managed to bind her to it she would be forced to submit once more to the pain and degradation that Aizen enjoyed.

 

When he mentioned the word sodomy, her legs seized. “No,” her voice quavered. “Please, no.”

 

“You haven't tried it. You might like it,” Aizen dismissed her objections. “I know I will.”

 

Then the unexpected happened. The new Arrancar forced himself between the former captain and her. “What makes you think I'm interested?” he asked.

 

At first she wasn't certain about the strange emotion that rushed through her. She recognised it as hope but could she believe his words? Whenever hope had touched her since she arrived, it had proven to be false. It could be a ploy by Aizen to renew her spirit so she would fight back for his enjoyment. That type of game would be to his taste.

 

Hearing the astonished gasp from Aizen it indicated either this was a surprise, or he was a good actor. Knowing he had acted the role of a dedicated Division Captain for years indicated it might be the latter.

 

"You're interested, Stark. You're male and this is a virgin. Make it so," he commanded Orihime.

 

Tears filled her eyes as she complied. It was a game and she in play. Her face became damp as she was swamped with a rising bitterness at her inability to control her life, or what was done to her. Even as her body was unnecessarily healed, the conversation continued.

 

"Unwilling is not attractive," Stark asserted as he walked toward the door. "Sex is not about power, or shouldn't be. Find another dupe."

 

The door slammed shut behind the man leaving Orihime undefended and terrified.

*********************************

 

As he left the room and tried to put as much space between himself and Aizen as he could, a strange fancy to return and release the girl stirred him. Forcing the impulse away, he continued to stride down the hallway, mourning the events in his life that had brought him to this place.

 

Even as he acknowledged he was unwilling to shed his strength and become a lesser being, he despised those who would accumulate power, no matter the cost and counted himself among them.

 

"Help the girl." The thought appeared and he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the rash urge. Removing himself from the area would make the compulsion fade and then he could return to his normal occupation of brooding.

 

A loud thump followed by the crash of falling bricks and plaster stopped him from moving.

 

"Where's that prick, Aizen?" The familiar voice came from behind him and he spun around to see what new event demanded his attention.

 

Grimmjow emerged through a hole he'd made in the wall, looking as if he'd been fighting someone. A quick glance through the hole indicated there was a good reason for his appearance. Maimed and bleeding bodies decorated the floor and tables, not very artistically.

 

"He's with the girl. Tosen's there too, " he said with little interest.

 

"Fucking bastard," Grimmjow said as he began to run toward the room.

 

Stark was amused at the guys speed. Already in trouble with Aizen and now he was going to confront him over a girl. A girl who was pretty, sure, but not worth all this energy and possible problems. Torn between following and watching the drama play out and a desire to get far away from these people and their troubles he found he was following Grimmjow back to the room he had recently left. Confronting Aizen was commonplace for Grimmjow, probably due to his incredible arrogance, but if Stark was honest, his passive resistance wasn't proving to be terribly effective either.

 

By this time the door had been flung open and he heard the sound of fists meeting flesh. Grunts and the occasional thump as a body was tossed against the wall were counterpointed by the wailing of a desperate female.

 

As he glanced through the door he saw that both Tosen and Grimmjow were confronting Aizen as the girl crawled toward the door. The men, too intent on asserting their authority had forgotten the person they were fighting over.

 

"Please, get me away from here," Orihime begged, her tear streaked cheeks pale with fear and sorrow.

 

"There's no benefit to me and it's too much work. Aizen will find you again, so there's little point." While he pitied her, some actions were only putting off the inevitable. He wasn't as important to Aizen as this girl obviously was.

 

Another body pushed past him as Ulquiorra rushed into the room. "Take her to my quarters, please Stark. It is time that Barrigan regained his throne."

 

Nodding at the sense of the last sentences, Stark hefted the girl in his arms and began to walk toward the Espadas' quarters, feeling the smooth skin under his hands. He noticed the girl seemed uneasy to be carried and placing her on her feet briefly, stripped off his shirt which he handed to her. She took it gratefully and wrapped the cloth around her.

 

"I can walk." Her voice was soft but determined.

 

"If that's what you want," he said casually and began to walk toward Ulquiorra's room. The girl walked behind him, regularly looking over her shoulder toward the noise of the raised voices and clashing of weapons.

 

"Can anyone beat him, Mr Aizen, I mean?" she asked Stark.

 

In response he shrugged. It didn't matter who won or lost. Nothing would change.

 

 

 

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