A Touch of Insanity

Her smile, the inane chatter, and the fact that she had such a strong hold on him that he couldn’t get away was all it took for Ulquiorra to agree.

Agree to what you ask? Well, he now happened to be in the middle of enemy territory, in the lab of a madman, trying to save the man who killed him. Fate apparently had quite the sense of humor.

Instead of heading into Soul Society with everyone else, especially since she had not told anyone about bringing Ulquiorra back, Inoue had asked him to make a garganta straight into the labs. She had it timed to when the alarms would be shut off. She may be ditzy on the outside but she was quite smart underneath when she chose to be. She had even made a copy of the map that Urahara had shown everyone.

“Where do you think Kurosaki is being held?”

“This is your idea woman.” Ulquiorra let out a very quiet sigh. “If he is anything like Szayel, there is probably a secret room or a lab that only he has access to.”

They came upon a records room with a large computer. Ulquiorra, being the loyal drone he is, decided to look through for any information that he could give to Aizen.

“Oh good, maybe that will say which room Kurosaki-kun is kept in.” Orihime chirped. He just barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Scrolling through the files, he found one labeled Espada. Curious, he clicked it open.

“Oh my god!” The horrified utterance from the girl could not even begin to describe what was shown.

It was a video clip of Yammi on a metal table. There were wires everywhere that monitored any brainwaves and who knew what leading from the large being. It looked almost like a live autopsy was being performed. His chest was cracked open to reveal lungs that inflated and deflated with the help of a machine. The espada’s mask fragment lay on a tray not far from where Mayuri worked. He played around with the organs, measuring, weighing and just seeming to enjoy handling these internal body parts.

The video changed again to show the administration of drugs into the large body. The convulsions that racked Yammi’s body were so hard, cracking of bones were heard.

It went on like this for a while before Orihime buried her face into Ulquiorra’s back. At first he thought that she may be crying until she spoke.

“Just stop it. We need to find Kurosaki-kun. Look for that, please.”

Ulquiorra was surprised at the hard tone. This usually meek little mouse was so angry that she was shaking.

Quickly searching through the files, he found one that had no name just the number fifteen. How unoriginal, he thought. (1)

Clicking open that file, he found copious notes on Ichigo. They detailed observations and possible experiments that could be done. Entering a subfolder, he found videos.

The first video, dated the day after Ichigo was attacked, opened up to show Kurotsuchi injecting something into Ichigo. The boy began to stir from the coma that he had been placed in.

“Wha…?” Finding his hands bound, the teen’s eyes snapped open and he started to struggle in earnest.

“What the fuck?” His legs had also been strapped down to the table and you could see the panic starting to rise.

“Now, now Kurosaki, there is no need to struggle so. This won’t be life threatening…I think.” That creepy smile just widened.

An I.V. containing an unknown clear compound was administered into his left arm.

“This should keep your body going despite blood loss.”

“WHAT!” Ichigo struggled harder to free himself. “Bastard! Let me go!”

The screaming started shortly thereafter. Ulquiorra started to fast forward through several videos until something caught his interest. This particular video was dated about a month after Ichigo was taken.

“No, please stop. No more…” Ichigo begged. His body was littered with cuts and large raised scars all over. There on his torso, up and down his limbs, even his face and neck had the ropey strands of scar tissue and pink just healed skin. The boy’s eyes were glazed and unseeing.

“Seems that regeneration speed you have is slowing down. Maybe I should feed you,” the scientist muttered. Mayuri came around the bed with a bottle of something and drew it into a needle. “Now that I have been able to test your hollow powers a bit, we’ll try something new.”

The whimper let out by Ichigo as the man drew close with the needle started the tears flowing down Inoue’s face. She had to close her eyes when the screams began.

“No, no, aaaaaahhhhh!” This went on for a few minutes before the voice seemed to double. Orihime quickly looked back at the screen.

There lying on top of Ichigo was an albino copy of the boy. Both screamed until they passed out. Ulquiorra started the next video as Renji and Rukia came in.

The two shinigami froze in place when they spotted Orihime and Ulquiorra. Their hands reached for the zanpakuto at their sides but stopped when they heard a scream coming from the computer screen.

Ichigo was strapped to one table and his hollow was strapped to another. Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood in the middle and was conducting a vivisection (2) of the hollow. The skin was stripped off of the face and his torso split open. One of the albino Kurosaki’s eyes were hanging out of it’s socket and was split open as well. Both Ichigo and his copy screamed and cried out as the mad scientist poked and prodded inside.

“Interesting, they are still connected in some manner and feel each other’s pain.” Mayuri stopped and took some notes. Ulquiorra then fast forwarded again. Renji and Rukia just stood rooted to the spot, astonished and sickened by what they witnessed.

The last video was dated only a few days ago.

Ichigo and his hollow were both on the tables once more but were no longer strapped down. The only thing that the group could surmise was that the boys were too weak to put up a fight.

The hollow had scars that roped his face and was missing an eye. The scarring was a bit jarring to Ulquiorra and Orihime because they knew the hollow had high speed regeneration. For there to be scars the injuries must have been so horrific that it was difficult to heal from or maybe his abilities were weakened by the torture they both went through.

“Well, since I have done what I can on the hollow, there are some new things I want to try on the two of you together.” Mayuri pulled out another syringe filled with a purple substance. He injected it into Ichigo and pulled out another and injected that into the other.

The screams started again but this time the captain lifted the hollow and laid him on top of Ichigo. They started to melt together but seemed to get stuck. Their hoarse voices rose in panic and pain.

“Interesting,” was all Mayuri said as he watched.

The hollow Ichigo’s legs and lower half were melted into the teen but the left arm, shoulder and head still stuck out, connected to Ichigo’s chest.

Ichigo seemed to come to himself for a moment and wrapped his arms around what was left of his hollow half like he was trying to protect it.

Mayuri just injected them with more of the mystery fluid.

Rukia and Orihime both had a hard look in their eyes and the tears flowed down their cheeks. Renji had fallen to his knees with horror reflected in his red brown eyes.

“Does it say where this room is or if Ichigo is held in a cell?” Orihime asked.

“There is nothing in these reports or notes that say where.” Ulquiorra replied in his emotionless voice.

“Maybe there is a map of this place more current that the one Urahara had on the computer.” Rukia ignored the presence of the espada for the moment and race up to the controls, practically shoving the other aside.

Searching through the data base, she came upon the schematics of the structure they were in.

“There is an addition here that was not on the original map. See?” Pointing out the room, they realized that it was off of a storage area. Rukia pulled out the communication device that each one had and notified the others of where they were headed.

“We’ve wasted enough time here, let’s go!” Rukia ordered and grabbed up Renji.

When they reached the storage room, they were faced with a problem. There was no visible door or any indication of a way into the rooms and they only had five minutes left until the alarms would be shut off.

“Ulquiorra, couldn’t you open another garganta into the room?” Orihime asked.

“There is something that is blocking my readings of the area. I do not think that we will be able to pass.” Ulquiorra stepped back a moment, thinking. He lifted up his hand and shot a small cero at the wall.

The brick and mortar broke apart revealing a layer of seki-seki stone.

“Shit, warn a guy would ya?” Renji grumped as he brushed off the rubble that had flown onto him.

“We won’t be able to pass with anything reiatsu based.” Rukia informed the arrancar.

The green eyed being just looked at the wall critically for a moment. With his hands in his pocket, he just gave the wall a good kick.

“It cracked!” Rukia looked on astonished at the strength of this being.

The alarm then went off on her cell phone.

“Shit! The time is up! The alarms will be activated in ten minutes.”

Rukia just called up everyone else and told them to leave and that they were still trying to get into the other room.

“Rukia, the drills will end within a half hour. Good luck.” Hitsugaya-taicho said and then disconnected.

“Okay, we have less than half an hour before we will be swarmed by twelfth division shinigami and their captain.” Rukia informed.

Ulquiorra kicked at the wall several more times before a small hole appeared behind which there was metal plating. Giving one last kick, he was able to break through enough for Rukia to crawl through.

The door slid aside within a minute of her getting in.

“Come on.”

Entering, they recognized the tables and equipment from the videos. Looking around they found several cages and cells. Within one of the cages were the remains of Yammi. The espada no longer had any arms and patches of skin were peeled away. There were a few gaping holes along his torso, where Kurotsuchi had only haphazardly stitched him together.

In other cells were shinigami thought dead or missing in action. If any of them were still alive, they would not be for much longer. Rukia and Renji both made a mental note to report their whereabouts to at least Byakuya.

In the farthest cell, they found Ichigo. He lay on a gurney covered only by a sheet. His formerly orange hair had streaks of white and he looked emaciated. The teen now appeared like he was closer to eighty than sixteen going on seventeen years old.

When they touched him, his eyes flew open. They were wide and full of fear.

“No, please no.” He croaked.

“Ichigo, we’ve come to help.” Rukia said gently.

“No… go away…go away…” There was no recognition in his eyes and he weakly tried to shove them away. After a minute he fainted.

Orihime was about to call out her powers but was stopped by Rukia.

“I know you wanted to help but we need to get out of here first.” Orihime just nodded. “Can you open a garganta into the real world?”

“Once I am out of this room.” Ulquiorra picked Ichigo up and threw him over a shoulder. The others looked like they wanted to object to the rough treatment but held their tongues. It probably would not be a good idea to piss off the one helping you.

Back in the storage room, they were about to enter the garganta when alarms sounded and Kurotsuchi entered. They heard his scream of rage as the gateway shut behind them.

… … …

(Ichigo’s Journal –Between the fifth and sixth month in Las Noches)

Every day I remember things. I remembered my mother. She was beautiful inside and out. I know that she is dead and honestly a part of me misses her, but the feeling is a bit distant. Maybe that is because I forgot so many things. I don’t know.

Yesterday, I dreamt of those girls again. When I remembered mom I remembered my sisters. This time the dream and memory were of them when they were little. I would sneak into their room and lay down on the bed between them. I loved them very much.

The good dream did turn a little scary at one point. A face, the one I see the most, is me but not me. He calls my name and cries out that I don’t answer. He says that he wants me and needs me to be with him. I am scared to find out who that is.

Sometimes I hear this watery voice when I am awake. It urges me to let myself go and that it was my own fault for being so weak. He scares me but at the same time I want to cry when I hear him. When he calls for me I feel so helpless. I want to heed that call but I don’t know how.

… … …

(1) A play on Ichigo’s name for those who didn’t get it.
(2) Vivisection- live autopsy, live dissection used to view living structure for purpose other than the health of the subject.