The Touch of Madness [Bleach fanfiction]

Chapter 4

"Come now, you two. Off to sleep..."

Shizuko sat between the twins' beds with a soft smile. Both sulked a little, Jirou speaking up against his mother.

"B-But mama, we're not tired!" He used his fingers to widen his eyes. "See?"
He yawned straight after. Shizuko chuckled softly with a smirk.

"Riiight," Shizuko winked "Come on, little ones. In." She held their blankets up a little. The twins glanced at each other before nodding. They both slowly slid in and Shizuko tucked them both in.
"Goodnight, my two little angels." She whispered as she gave a kiss on their foreheads. She began exiting when she heard Jirou.

"Mama...will you be able to come and play games with us in the morning?"

She turned towards them with a loving smile.

"Of course I will..."

"Promise...?" Both boys held up their pinkies, Shizuko following.

"I promise..."

--

"I promise..."
She stared down at her slim, battered pinkie finger. She wanted to go home. She wanted to be able to see her songs, hug her songs, tell them she loved them a thousand times. She wanted her family.

Her gaze hovered over to the door to her room, then back at her arm. If there is a chance she leaves this place alive, she at least wants to keep both arms to hug the twins with.
She slowly rose from her seat on the bed, stumbling a little as the pain in her head spiked again.

She reached for the handle, opening the door to see the other opposite her. It was quite a big door that looked more secure than her simple one.
Looking down either side of the hallway, Shizuko approached the door, as her fist knocked, she paused when she heard a faint, inhumane screech come from the room. She was frozen in place when she heard footsteps. The door opened to show Szayel stood there, leaning against the doorway whilst crossing his arms and smirking down at her.

"So you made the right decision, after all. Congratulations. You're not a complete idiot."

"Shut it. You offered to fix my injuries, so just do it, Hollow."

The man held his hands up in a mocking fashion
"I will! Please don't hurt me oh so powerful Shinigami!"

He moved aside, motioning for her to walk in. Shizuko hesitated for a moment but walked in, keeping her eye on the Espada. He kept an eye on her, as Szayel closed the door, Shizuko stood in what she gathered was his bedroom. Her caution rose rapidly and she tensed, quickly snapping her gaze to him. She tilted her head a little when she saw him place a hand on a keypad on one of his walls. A hole opened up and Szayel motioned.

"This way."
Shizuko walked in and entered an entire lab. It was twice as big as his room. Vials and flasks laid everywhere as did other tools and technology. She saw a few doors to the side before the smell hit her nose. Her face wrinkled up in disgust. It was like something was rotting. She felt Szayel come from behind her, motioning to one of the doors. "That room."

The woman walked over a little reluctantly, her one hand reaching to twist the end of a ribbon on her neck. She just wanted to get this over and done with. Please just let this man just fix up her arm and head then let her go-
The moment she opened the door, she gasped and covered her mouth. She'd found the source of the smell. Corpses of Hollows and others like him hung from the ceiling, some missing body parts and some completely mutilated. She was going to throw up.

With her eyes wide, she slowly backed up until she hit something. She looked up to see the pink-haired man smirking down at her before looking into the room.
"Oops...wrong room!" He spoke in a joking tone. He pointed to another room. "That one."

Shizuko didn't move. Instead, she stared up at the horror which Szayel caught.
"Beautiful, isn't it? They gave their lives for research...I have put them to good use."

She made some distance between them both, glaring at him.

"You're disgusting." She growled whilst he shrugged.

"To you. You are also, to me. Now move."

He nudged her towards the door. If this was another room full of corpses, she was out of there. Her body was already screaming for her to run out of the place. She didn't want to be another one hanging from the ceiling.

To slight relief, she opened it to find a smaller lab with an operating table in the middle. It calmed her yet made her tenser. She was nudged into the room where Szayel closed the door. Shizuko looked back to see if he was able to lock it. No, luckily.

"Just take your seat on the table. I will gather some things." He told her before he began walking around the room. Shizuko's eyes followed him, watching him pick up some vials to check. Then she saw him pick up a large syringe. It made her cringe and grimace as she looked towards the door. Should she make a run for it? Where would she go?

Soon enough the Espada stood there, tapping the metal table.

"Come. Make yourself comfortable!" His smile would seem friendly to the naive eye but Shizuko saw it. Nonetheless, she slowly walked over, jumping up onto the table whilst Szayel laid the objects beside her. He reached for her arm and grabbed it rather firmly, forcing her to stretch it out. He then began unwrapping the ribbons from around her wrist and fingerless glove. Shizuko winced a little as she saw. It was bruised and mangled.

"Ulquiorra did quite the damage, I see."

He pressed a thumb into her wrist, causing her to jump and growl in pain. She saw the corner of his lips tug upwards. She bit her lip and just let him examine her arm.

"You better not do more than you've said, Arrancar."

Szayel's eyes glanced up to her face which was a sour one. He tilted his head a little.

"If you have had the thought of me doing more, you were an idiot to step into my room."

That was true and Shizuko knew it.
After a moment Szayel pulled up a stool, sitting in front of Shizuko, staring down at her wrist.

"A simple fix...your head, however..." He mused as he motioned for her to lean down a little. She slowly did so. "Was bleeding. Blood has dried up. A simple clean and stitches should do."

"You know how to do them? You seem more of the destructive time than doctoring type." Shizuko asked as she raised her head. Szayel shrugged.

"Somewhat. I don't need such skills for myself but some of my...fellow Espada can get themselves in quite the state. Now..."

He let go of her arm before picking up some kind of brace.

"I will not be able to just make it disappear."
He began putting the brace on whilst he looked up at her.
"I realise we haven't had any introduction."

"It's not wanted."

"But it is surely needed."

Shizuko averted her eyes from the Arrancar but the tug on her wrist made her look back. After putting on the brace, he took her smaller hand in his large one, mockingly shaking it like he was some friend.

"Szayel Aporror Granz. Espada number 8 and researcher of the Espada. A pleasure."

Shizuko squinted and remained silent. She wasn't telling him anythi-

"The silent type, hm? No matter. Lucky for you, I already know who you are, Shizuko Mori."

She blinked and looked at him. How did he know this information? First her Zanpakuto and now her full name! She removed her hand from his, holding it close to her. This man wasn't just some Hollow, not even close.

"What are Espadas, exactly?"

Szayel stood up and tilted her head down, now beginning to clean and treat her head.

"I am an Espada. We are a more advanced version of your kind."

"You say that as if it's a fact."

She winced a little when he began stitching. Did he not have some kind of pain reliever?

"It is."

After he was done, he sat back down on the stool.

"We have more abilities than you do. In my case, more intelligence," he said rather proudly. Shizuko almost scoffed. "At least I don't go wandering into a stranger's room."
She frowned.

"As if you left me much choice."

"I did, but this was the better one. Though sometimes just because a choice seems better, doesn't mind it will be such in the long run." He stood up, towering over her. He glanced down at her ribbons, picking them up. "I think I deserve a little bit of a reward for helping you. Wouldn't you agree?"

Shizuko instantly snatched the ribbons from his grasp, shoving them down her haori.

"No chance."

"I wasn't talking about the ribbons."

Shizuko rose a brow before she saw he was leaning over her a little. She froze up, staring up at him. He hovered there for a moment then stood up straight. "I won't make my decision on repayment yet. I will have you come back here to assist me with a few...things, perhaps."

"What things?"

"Well it wouldn't be fun if I told you! Does an actor have to tell the audience what is going to occur throughout the play? No, because then it wouldn't be as thrilling."
She stood from the table and looked at her braced arm.

"Why are you acting like this is some kind of theatrical performance?"

"Hm?" He tilted his head again. "Isn't that what life is, after all?"

That stumped her. She paused in thought before shaking her head.
"That's idiotic."

"Food for thought, though."

After that, Szayel had escorted her back to her room. She went to shut the door when he put his foot in the way. She peeked through the gap.

"I will probably be asked to take your measurements sooner or later. Those drapes you wear are rather...ugly," he informed her which made her huff. "Also, it appears I will be the one to babysit you during your stay here. Not that I'm complaini-." He added with a chuckle before Shizuko suddenly opened the door and slammed it hard on his foot. He retracted it as she heard a grunt. She took that chance to shut her door.

"You little-"