Obscaenus: The Trials of Aizen Sōsuke

♠:: Part 4: Sentenced, Injected, Survived

Note: this chapter contains scenes of a lethal injection being administered. Discretion is advised.

CENTRAL 46, inner sanctum

"I see, so you still intend to pursue this tedious concept of killing me? How pitiful... Are you really going to continue to bury your heads in the sand and pretend you are in control of this situation?" the game was starting to grow tedious, the last three trials had satisfied in Aizen's mind that he was impervious.

The fact that they had yet to catch up was irksome.

"Aizen Sōsuke," today's presiding judge was stoic and unmoved by the provocative words the traitor uttered. It seemed he was more interested in dealing with the situation than being dragged into an argument, "It is clear that conventional methods of capital punishment have failed. That unsightly abomination, the Hōgyoku, has made you impervious to death by beheading, disembowelment and immolation..."

Aizen listened vaguely, and did not bother to interject. He bored of them.

His voice was heavy and rusty, like a droning church bell, "Therefore we have decided to deploy more unconventional methods –– you are sentenced to death by lethal injection, the 12th division will handle the preparation of the drugs. Take him away."

Attendants came and took him by the arms, they dragged him off and he allowed them to do so; a glancing smile graced his lips: death by lethal injection?

How very modern; it seemed he'd managed to rouse them out of their prehistoric methods...

&& ~ 1 day later

CENTRAL 46, execution hall

"Hm... what a surprise, I'd have thought Kurotsuchi-taichō would be champing at the bit to conduct this little experiment personally," Aizen remarked as a lower-ranking member of 12th Division fiddled with a tray of syringes and several bottles.

The traitor had been dressed in a simple medical gown and strapped to a smooth chrome surface not dissimilar to the operating tables he used to conduct his Hollowfication experiments. The make-shift operating theatre had been constructed inside Central 46 rather than him being transferred to 12 division as might have been expected.

"I am here on Central 46′s instructions," was all the middle aged scientist offered in reply.

"Ah... I see..." Aizen grinned, "They couldn't be certain that Kurotsuchi wouldn't fashion some sort of corpse doll and then take my real body away to experiment on at his leisure..." the look in the other man's eyes told the traitor he was right, "Very well. What manner of drugs will you be administering?" a variety of glass bottles glimmered on the side table.

"There are several aggressive strains of soul-eating bacteria that we've wanted to examine, thus far permission to test has been refused on humanitarian grounds. But, as you're inhuman, it was felt you were suitable," the man spoke, impassioned, as if he were giving a tired lecture to a student for the umpteenth time. His gestures precise as he slipped a pair of rubber gloves on and donned a doctor's mask.

Then he set about quickly and easily filling a syringe with a curious looking golden fluid. Aizen watched, "I see. Fascinating. And what do you hope this bacteria will do?"

"It will eat you alive."

"Ho... do you truly think such a simplistic thing will be enough?"

"The simple methods are often the most effective," as he spoke, the scientist parted the gown so that Aizen's chest was exposed; he stood starring at the Hōgyoku for a few minutes.

"It's rude to stare," Aizen lazily remarked, peering at the other who looked visibly startled, "The Hōgyoku is beyond your comprehension, so perhaps your simple mind is better placed in focusing on the task at hand."

"The Hōgyoku... this is the thing that is giving you your immortality," the scientist remarked, almost awe-struck, then he smiled a slimy little smirk, "In that case, perhaps I should inject this strain directly into it and see if it and you can withstand being eaten alive..."

"What a perverse expression," if Aizen was perturbed by the ominous words, then he didn't show it. This situation did raise stimulating questions that were utterly fascinating for their terrible potential –– could the Hōgyoku itself be broken down? And him with it?

An interesting hypothesis.

The needle hovered tantalizingly close, it seemed this scientist truly enjoyed his work if the look of near-euphoria that danced in his eyes was anything to go by. Like Pandora with a syringe, his curiosity was almost obscene. Aizen tsked, opened his mouth to speak but managed only a sharp hiss of pain; the needle passed into the Hōgyoku and turned his vision pure white for a fraction of a second.

The pain was excruciating and well beyond anything else he'd felt thus far.

Perhaps because it was a direct attack upon the Hōgyoku, in fact that was the most likely cause. For a moment his eyes widened and he groaned, "G-Ghhhhhk!" the scientist continued to push the needle in until it was half-embedded, then he pressed down on the plunger and injected the bacteria inside the Hōgyoku's depths.

"It will probably feel like acid corroding your skin, if you've ever experienced that before..." there was something unpleasant in the tone of voice, sick with satisfaction, a sentiment that gleamed in beady green eyes, "Only a hundred times worse..."

The surface of the Hōgyoku started to bubble slightly, a corrosive sound hissing into the air as the bacteria attacked its very core. Aizen gritted his teeth and snarled, nails biting into the surface upon which he was laid out. A fierce agony raked at the centre of his being, wave after wave of savage heat.

"Hhhhrk!" his features contorted in a grimace of pain, it was for a mere moment but it was an admission this worm and Central 46 did not deserve. It annoyed him, "D-Damn you..." he hissed under his breath, before suddenly the bauble started to glow with brilliant light.

"W-What?" the scientist's eyes widened, he took a few steps back and whispered, "What's happening...?" the light grew stronger and stronger until it filled the room. Then, it exploded with a fierce burst of light, "UWAAAAGH!!!" a terrified wail filled the air and once the light died down, the scientist was splattered against a wall in a bloodied mess.

Aizen craned his neck as much as the restraints would allow and glanced at the carnage, before turning his gaze toward the Hōgyoku. Its surface smooth, as if nothing had befallen it, even the pain was little more than a distant memory.

"My my," he directed his words toward the members of Central 46 who were staring at the blood and gore sliding slowly down the window they were stood behind, "Another failure..."

The room was swiftly cleaned and the traitor returned to his cell while Central 46 reconvened in their chambers to discuss how best to proceed...

––end. (of part 4)