A Twisted Reality

Set straight after Ichigo, Chad and Ishida enter Hueco Mundo to rescue Inoue. After a surprise attack from the Espada, Ichigo's team is completely overwhelmed and Ichigo is taken prisoner, whilst Ishida and Chad are left for dead in the wilderness.

Thanks to everyone who told me that this chapter had gone poof. God knows what happened there O.o

In the short time it took Grimmjow to carry Ichigo back to Las Noches, his blood had started to boil. This was ridiculous. Beyond ridiculous. He shouldn't be carrying this bastard back to Aizen. He should have killed him when he had the chance. Grimmjow was getting sick of following Aizen's orders, being used and toyed with like he was some sort of pet. But he could do nothing about it. Aizen was more powerful than any other being in existence, more than a match for him. And so here he was, with a Shinigami flung over his shoulder, playing delivery boy. It made him sick. He let out a low growl that didn't go unnoticed by his fellow Espada, Ulquiorra, who regarded him with his usual melancholy stare. A stare that didn't befit his next statement.

"If you are even thinking of harming that boy again, I will kill you where you stand. Aizen-sama's orders were to bring him back alive." Grimmjow said nothing, knowing full well Ulquiorra wasn't bluffing. The sombre Espada was perhaps the most loyal Arrancar in Aizen's army, and the only thing that had stopped him from killing Grimmjow thus far was his fear of them annihilating each other. In normal circumstances, Grimmjow would have loved the opportunity to fight Ulquiorra, but he had taken a beating himself during his battle with Ichigo, and wasn't in any fit state to take Ulquiorra down.

He suspected Ulquiorra had hung back during the battle for that reason – to make sure he could keep Grimmjow in line on the trip back.

As the looming figure of Las Noches appeared in the distance, Grimmjow let out another low growl. Every step he took was a step further away from his chance of killing Ichigo. He could only hope that Aizen would deem the Shinigami useless and have him killed anyway – and Grimmjow would be first in line for the privilege if that happened.

"I will take him from here." Ulquiorra stated, stepping in front of Grimmjow, hand held out.

"So you get all the glory?" Grimmjow hissed. "No way."

"Do not try my patience." Cyan eyes narrowed, glaring into cold green.

"Fine." Grimmjow snapped, literally throwing Ichigo at the smaller Espada. Ulquiorra caught the redhead as if he'd been expecting that reaction, and turned without a second word, leaving Grimmjow to stalk off in search of a few lower Arrancar to take his anger out on.

"Well done Ulquiorra." Aizen said with his usual dark smile. He looked down at the unconscious Shinigami at his feet and then back up at the fourth Espada. "And the others?"

"They were no match for us, but their powers have grown substantially."

"Could they pose a threat?"

"Impossible. They were near death with no hope of rescue when I left them." Aizen nodded.

"I trust your judgment above anyone else's. You know that, Ulquiorra?"

"Yes, Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra said with a bow.

"Take this boy to a holding cell and fit him with the armlet I had made. And send for Grimmjow." Ulquiorra bowed again and hauled Ichigo over his shoulder, leaving the room. As the door closed behind him, Gin came into view smiling widely.

"Above all else, eh?" he asked, raising a brow. Aizen chuckled. "Ya still enjoy playin wit' your subjects then?"

"Perhaps I do trust him above all others." Aizen murmured, smirking.

"'Course ya do."

"You wanted to see me?" both Shinigami turned as Grimmjow entered the room, shoulders hunched, eyes down, hands in his pockets, the very essence of bored indifference. Aizen smiled darkly at him, leaning back in his throne with his head resting on his hand.

"Well done in capturing Ichigo." Grimmjow grunted.

"Well now, that ain't any way to show appreciation." Gin said. Grimmjow ignored him.

"So, what happens to him now then?" the Espada asked Aizen. Aizen's smile widened ever so slightly before he spoke.

"You should be careful Grimmjow, and show more respect. You can quite easily be replaced." Grimmjow faltered, averting his eyes.

"Sorry, Aizen-sama."

"That's better. Now, about Kurosaki Ichigo." Grimmjow's head perked up. "I have yet to decide on whether he will be useful to me, but for the mean time, I need someone to break his spirit." Grimmjow raised a brow.

"Break his spirit?"

"He is far too strong willed and loyal to his friends right now to be of any use, so before I can even attempt to make use of him, I need him to be broken, and more subservient. And since you are obviously interested in him, and because he has had most contact with you out of all of my Espada, I think you should be the one to do it." Grimmjow's face broke into a devious smirk.

"Me?"

"Of course you are forbidden to kill him or maim him, but you can use whatever means you desire to beat him down. He must stay in good physical health."

"Whatever means I want." Grimmjow muttered, his smirk darkening. "Torture, violence, humiliation, starvation…"

"Within reason. I said he must stay in good physical health. But yes, the end result will justify the means." Aizen said, smiling. Gin could see right past his former Captain's calm exterior and knew that inside, the sadist in Aizen was revelling in this. Gin couldn't help but chuckle. "But rest assured, Grimmjow." The cyan haired Espada jerked out of his musings. "If he dies, it will mean your death too."

"Yes, Aizen-sama." Grimmjow muttered, turning quickly and leaving the room, a demonic grin spreading across his features.

Ichigo was vaguely aware of a warm feeling in his heart. It spread outwards and enveloped him in a way that was almost like a loving embrace, only the feeling was embracing his very soul, calming him and healing him at the same time. The red head was desperate to open his eyes, to search for the source of that calm warmth, but he was still weak and pained, and something was digging into his arm that seemed to be the source of his discomfort.

"Ichigo…" a voice above him whispered, and Ichigo groaned, trying to turn towards it. But as he did, the warmth disappeared, and he was left feeling cold and alone. The red head gasped at the sudden feeling, forcing his eyes open just quickly enough to see a flash of red hair disappear from the room he was in.

"Inoue!" Ichigo yelled, trying to stand up. But suddenly there was a foot on his back pressing him down.

"Calm down Shinigami. She only came to heal you, not to chit chat." Ichigo snarled, scrabbling furiously at the floor, trying to get away from the foot pressing him down. "Oi!" the foot slammed hard into his back, knocking the breath out of him. "Stay still!" Ichigo coughed and gasped, trying to breathe. He knew that voice…

"Grimmjow…" he muttered. Above him, Grimmjow smirked. He kicked Ichigo over on to his back and replaced his foot on the red head's chest.

"That's right." He hissed, looking down into hated filled brown eyes. "Guess what? You're my new room mate." Ichigo's eyes narrowed. He tried to raise his reiatsu to fight, but all he got was a sharp pain in his arm for the trouble. He winced, looking down at it. His sleeve had been torn off and there was a dark metallic ring around his upper arm, glowing slightly. After a few seconds it stopped glowing, and became completely black.

"What the fuck…" he muttered. Grimmjow chuckled.

"Something Aizen designed for you. It absorbs your reiatsu whenever you try to use it. Which leaves you…" he pressed down on Ichigo's chest harder, making the red head wince. "… weak as a kitten." The Espada hauled Ichigo to his feet and brought him so that they were nose to nose. "Aizen's left you with me. You do as I say or I'll make your life hell." He smirked. "Though I'll probably make your life hell anyway."

"Fuck you Grimmjow, I'm not taking orders from you. You can kill me first."

"There are things far worse than death, Kurosaki." Grimmjow hissed, throwing Ichigo to the floor. "Get up. We're going to my quarters."

"Fuck off." The Espada's eyes narrowed. He turned and gave Ichigo a swift kick to the stomach.

"Get up." Ichigo yelped from the kick, but refused to move. Grimmjow sneered. "I thought this might happen, so I brought something with me." He moved over to the corner of the room and picked up a long chain with a leather collar on the end. He smirked, moving back to Ichigo. "Now you either go quietly, or I'll drag you all the way there like a dog." Ichigo's eyes narrowed, but he struggled to his feet. "That's better." The Espada muttered, throwing the leather collar over Ichigo's head and tightening it around his neck in one fluid movement.

"What the… I was going to go quietly you bastard!" Ichigo snapped, clawing at the collar. Grimmjow just shrugged, smirking, and dragged Ichigo out of the room.

Ichigo kept his eyes on the floor, blushing furiously as he was openly stared and laughed at by other Arrancar. Grimmjow led him down a long white corridor and up a staircase, where, thankfully, there were less Arrancar. They finally entered a corridor with ten identical doors, differing only in the black metal number affixed to each of them. Grimmjow opened the door to number six and pulled Ichigo in, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Welcome to your new home." Grimmjow said mockingly. Ichigo scowled. The room was white with black borders and white furniture. There was a coffee table with a box on it, and a sofa next to it at one end and a single bed opposite it in the other corner. At the end of the bed was a small white cupboard. There was a window in between that looked out at the desolate landscape that was Hueco Mundo, and a light in the centre of the room that made the blank white walls even more stark and colourless. Other than that, the room was empty save for a black rug in the middle.

"Call this a home?" Ichigo snapped. Grimmjow aimed a punch straight into Ichigo's side, sending the red head crashing to the floor in pain.

"We spend very little time in our rooms. Only the Espada have private quarters. The lower Arrancar sleep in dorms."

"What about showers? Or do you guys just smell?" Ichigo snapped.

"Tch. There's a communal shower for the Espada and several for the Arrancar."

"You'd think Aizen would at least treat you lot better. I guess you are just like foot soldiers to him." Grimmjow turned on Ichigo and kicked him so hard that he crashed into the wall, crying out in pain.

"You listen here Shinigami, the only reason I'm not killing you is because Aizen forbade it. But don't think for one second that means I have to be nice to you." He turned away from Ichigo, sitting down on the sofa and opening the white box on the table. Ichigo watched him warily as he pulled out an Arrancar uniform, snorting. "I suppose Aizen wants you to fit in at least. Here." He said, holding it out to Ichigo. "Change."

"No." Ichigo said shortly, folding his arms from his place on the floor. Grimmjow scowled.

"Don't make me do it." Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Pft. What can you do to stop me? In fact…" Grimmjow smirked. "I think I will do it." Ichigo scrambled to his feet, backing up against the wall.

"No I'll do it!" he said as the Espada advanced on him. But Grimmjow wasn't listening. He stalked up to Ichigo and grabbed his arm, wrenching him forwards and nearly throwing him down on the bed. He fell with a thud, the chain still attached to his neck tinkling on the metal headboard. Ichigo barely had time to process this before Grimmjow was on top of him, straddling him and smirking down at him in triumph. "Get the hell off me!" Ichigo yelped, punching Grimmjow as hard as he could in the face. The Espada didn't even move, didn't even flinch. He chuckled.

"That wasn't very smart. I told you. You're as weak as a kitten. Now you need punishing." Ichigo's eyes widened as Grimmjow undid his sash.

"Don't! Get off me!" Ichigo snapped, trying to push Grimmjow away. The Espada used his free hand to scoop up Ichigo's wrists and hold them above his head, smirking at how easy it was with Ichigo in this weakened state. This was child's play. Ichigo was completely vulnerable like this. Grimmjow could do whatever he wanted… the Espada slid his hand inside Ichigo's kimono, sliding up hardened muscles leisurely until it came to a nipple. Ichigo squirmed, eyes shutting. "What the hell are you doing!?" he yelped.

"Whatever I want." Grimmjow answered, smirking. This was perfect. The ultimate humiliation. He captured the nipple between his fingers and pinched hard, making Ichigo gasp beneath him. The red head looked horrified at his own reaction, which only served to amuse Grimmjow further. "So Ichigo likes it rough."

"You sick fucker." Ichigo snapped, trying desperately to keep his breathing under control as the Espada above him played with his nipples, moving over to the second one to give it the same rough treatment. Ichigo gritted his teeth, fighting against himself to try to keep calm. But he was losing the battle, and was disgusted when he found himself getting hard. Grimmjow felt the length pressing against his leg and chuckled.

"Well well Shinigami, looks like you're more of a dirty slut than you appear to be." Ichigo averted his eyes in shame as he felt Grimmjow's hand sink lower towards his erection. He was mere centimetres away when a loud alarm went off overhead. Grimmjow cursed and his hand left Ichigo, the red head sighing in relief. The Espada yanked Ichigo up by his chain and pulled him over to the door, attaching the chain to a loop near the floor that Ichigo hadn't previously noticed. "I have to go to a meeting." Grimmjow muttered, kicking the box with the Arrancar uniform in it over to Ichigo. "You'd better be changed by the time I get back." And with that, he left the room, leaving Ichigo chained down feeling used and dirty.

Reviews always welcome ;)