The Cage

It's a new fanfic! This is NOT related to the trilogy I wrote. This is completely new. I've been informed that I cram too much violence into my fanfics. Therefore this will have less gore. But of course this is about prison life so there will be a small amount. Hopefully the balance will please those who still like a bit of blood, and those who don't. Anyway, please enjoy!

SUMMARY

A quiet girl named Rukia gets stuck in the middle of an armed robbery. There she meets a man with fiery coloured hair, but things get worse when she is sent to prison. Behind those cold steel bars, Rukia must try and survive in the harsh world of 'The Cage.'

1. The Wrong Place & The Wrong Time

A black bird perched on a telegraph pole and cackled. Inside a tiny apartment, a girl rolled off of her sofa onto the cold floor. She groaned and sat against her bed/sofa. The apartment was too small to house both items so she had to make do with just a couch. A small black clock ticked loudly from the far wall. The second hand jumped too far forward and then started to go backwards.

The girl frowned and dragged herself to the kitchen. The silence was unnerving but the roar of the kettle calmed her. After drinking a cup of coffee in one extended gulp, she wandered over to the TV. The dusty old machine slowly revealed a concerned man who looked too perky for such an early time.

A label scrolled in behind him and a picture of four men clad in black, all armed and wearing balaclavas. #In recent news, another bank has fallen victim to the recent wave of robberies in the town of Karakura. Thankfully no-one was harmed, but a large sum of damage was incurred. Anyone with information on these men are asked to call-# A number rolled across the bottom of the screen.

A scratching on the door caught the girl's attention. An envelope was slotted under the door. In very neat, black ink someone had written "Happy Birthday Rukia." A smiley face was drawn in the corner.

Rukia smiled and tore the letter open. Inside was a brightly decorated card.

Dear sister,

I'm sorry I missed your birthday, my new job is stealing all my time! I promise I'll make it for Christmas.

Sincerely, Byakuya.

A stray tear fell from her eyes and stained the card, making the ink smudge. With a sigh, Rukia went out the door and into the world outside.

*****

Rukia stood outside a small take away food shop. She stared at the logo on the window and then walked inside. She carried with her a resume and a small card with her details on it. She forced a smile and approached an apathetic man at the counter.

"Um...Hello. Is the manager in?" She asked in a sweet voice.

The started to yell at someone behind him, but still faced Rukia as he did it. A thin man signalled for her to follow him. He led her to a dirty office with papers stacked all over the table. HE slumped into his chair and glared at her. "Name!"

"R-Rukia. Rukia Kuchiki."

"Uh-huh. Qualifications?"

"None. I'm looking to get my first job." Rukia smiled.

"Oh, isn't that cute." The manager said sarcastically. "Okay, why do you want to work here?"

"Um...Well...I-"

"It's not a difficult question! If you aren't enthusiastic about this job then it isn't for you!" The manager turned away from her and turned on an old computer.

"But-"

"Thank you. Please shut the door on your way out."

Crestfallen, she exited the building. As she walked around the town, a strange looking man with a green and white striped hat tapped her on the shoulder. His eyes were hidden under the brim of his hat, but his eyes were inquisitive. It was as if his stare alone asked a question.

"I see you are looking for a job." He snatched her resume and read to himself. He nodded as he read and then handed it back to her. "I run a small shop just around the corner, but I also manage a pest management business. Interested?"

Rukia cocked her head. "The shop might be good. I don't know about pest control though."

"Excellent! Follow me." He led her to a little shop labelled: Urahara Shoten. He leaned against a wall and produced a paper fan.

"So...Are you Urahara then?"

"Clever. I like you already. Now, about the pest thing..."

"Um, excuse me. I was going to-"

"The hours are late but the pay is high."

Rukia began to listen now.

"All you need to do is spray the poison on the little bastards and it's a job well done! You can start tonight."

Rukia nodded and ran home.

*****

NIGHT

An orange haired boy looked at his reflection in a mirror as he slipped into a black jacket. He frowned at himself and then pulled a balaclava down over his face. He stepped back and studied his full black attire. The door behind him creaked open and a huge, muscly person started through his masked face.

"Ready?" The huge man asked in a deep tone.

The other nodded and they strolled into a large room where another two men waited. They were clipping pistols to their belts. The huge man hefted a sawn off shotgun and the orange haired boy twirled a flick knife in his gloved hands.

The group filed into a black van. The engine spluttered and then the heavy vehicle came alive.

They sat in silence and watched the street lights fly by. The van stopped abruptly and through the tinted windows, they could all see the store entrance.

The group nodded in unison and then opened the doors.

*****

Rukia scanned the store. She held a spray bottle full of bug poison. There had been a large number of roaches in the store and she was ordered to kill them. Unfortunately, no bugs had come out in the last hour. Just as she was about to leave, a brown bug scurried across the floor. Rukia chased after it and followed the bug out of the store.

As she made her way out, she saw a muzzle flash. A huge bang accompanied the bright light.

Is that...Was that from a gun? Robbers! Oh no, what do I do?!

She took a step forward, but she knew what would happen if she continued on. Even though she didn't want to get closer, her body had a mind of it's own. She willed herself to turn back, but it didn't work.

She could see them now. All in black, handguns aimed at various bystanders. Red and blue lights flashed to her side and she notice four police cars had arrived. The police streamed out and charged. Two of the robbers were tackled before they even knew the cops were there.

A police man was running towards Rukia and she felt relieved...until she realised her uniform was all black, exactly like the robbers.

"I know what you're thinking." Rukia held up a hand. The officer shot her with a taser and she felt her limbs give way. She crashed hard to the ground. The officer took out his baton and raised it, ready to knock her out.

A man soared through the air and kicked the officer in the head. The man who saved her then picked her up.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Rukia felt her body tingle as the man spoke. Her eyes focused on his orange hair. The wild, untamed spikes resembled flames on his head. He repeated his question and Rukia looked into his eyes. She was hypnotized them. They were dark brown, but they shone vibrantly. His gaze bore into her and she couldn't control her grin.

"I'm fine...who are you?"

"Ichigo." He replied simply. He looked around and then ran a hand along her thigh. Rukia bit her lip to stop the scream that was dying to get out.

Ichigo helped her up and then walked off. "See you later." He called over his shoulder.

The police officer who had been knocked down groaned and yelled to the other policemen. Two of them restrained Rukia and threw her into the back seat.

After a depressing and silent ride, Rukia was escorted to a white room with a cheap table in the centre. A thin, wiry man with glasses sorted a small pile of papers. He looked up as Rukia was roughly pushed forward. She sat down across from the man and waited for him to talk.

"Hello miss. I'm Uryu Ishida. I'm in charge of this case. It's surprising really, I always thought it was four men...but everyone make's mistakes."

"You did make a mistake! I didn't do anything! I work for a pest control company, just ask my boss, Kisuke Urahara."

Ishida glared at her. "Okay then. If you are innocent...empty your pockets."

Rukia slid a hand into her left pocket and pulled out her phone. As she reached into the other pocket she felt something long and metallic. "What the..." She slid it out and screamed. It was a knife!

"Explain." Ishida smirked.

"I...I...I don't know how that got there! How?" Rukia stared at the blade.

"We found two victims at the scene who were killed with a bladed weapon. We searched the others and none of them had anything like that. You on the other hand..." He trailed off again.

"Look sir! I am not a murderer or a thief or whatever you think I am! I'm just a normal civilian." Rukia fought back tears.

"I have no choice but to arrest you on the charges of armed robbery and two counts of murder." Ishida stated authoritively.

"No..." Rukia dropped to the floor and cried. She tried to argue more but her throat tightened. Two guards strolled in and lifted her to her feet. She was dragged outside to a bus with barred windows. "Where are you taking me?!" Rukia screamed.

"You are going to the 'Cage.' It's a mixed gender prison for high offences." One of the guards informed her.

With another hard shove, Rukia was pushed into the door of the bus. She tripped up the stairs and crawled inside. Ten angry faces stared at her. Rukia glanced around nervously trying to find a seat. There was a spare one half way down the bus. She walked quickly, not wanting to make a scene in front of real criminals. She sunk into the soft seat and she looked out the window.

"I'm sorry." A deep voice said. Rukia jumped in her seat and whirled around to see a huge man sitting in front of her. He looked like he was from a foreign country. His brown hair was a messy pile of curls and waves. He had olive skin, which seemed darker in the weak light.

"You shouldn't have been dragged into this."

"How do you know?"

"I'm one of those thieves at the store. I remember seeing you get tasered just because you were wearing the same colour as us. Stupid police!" He clenched a massive fist, which he then opened and extended towards Rukia. "I'm Chad. I hope I can repay you for getting you sent to prison."

Rukia shook the giant's hand and then lay back into the seat.

The engine roared and the bus rolled forward.

Wrong place and wrong time! I'm going to prison for some stupid mix up! Bye bye life...

Poor Rukia. Who would plant a knife on her? Who was the real thief? What is it like at the Cage?

Find out in the next chapter! It may take some time for chapters to be released but be patient.

Make sure you review!