3. Chaos Unravelling

Chad took a sip at the glass of lager. He was in the pub he and Ichigo used to frequent. The nostalgic feeling made him happy. It reminded him of the life before all the troubles. Unfortunately, since the incident he had strayed apart from the others. He had watched the news reports about the siege on the hospital and he had called Ichigo a few days later, but other than that, he had made no contact.

Chad watched a girl with chestnut brown hair fiddling with some bottles, making a sad attempt at some kind of cocktail. She looked unsure of herself, but smiled confidently as she handed the drink to a burly man at the bar. She then bounded down to Chad.

"Hi Orihime." He said.

"Hey Chad! How are you?"

"Good. It's been great to not have to worry about anything anymore..." Chad looked off into the distance.

"So, have you heard from Ichigo lately?" Orihime asked, leaning over the counter.

"No, have you?"

"No, it's strange. I have a bad feeling for some reason..."

"Maybe you're coming down with something?" Chad suggested, but Orihime laughed.

"No, not like that! I mean...I think something terrible is going to happen..." She frowned and looked down at her hands.

"What do you think it could be?" Chad pressed on.

"Well, I think something bad might have happened to Rukia. I rang her today and some guy answered saying she was busy working, but she's never that busy! She only works at a cafe. Also, she wasn't home at all last night. I dropped by to see how she was going and she was out. I asked the neighbours and they said she just left...but they seemed to be covering up something..." Orihime grasped her chin.

"You sound like a cop when you talk like that." Chad commented and Orihime giggled.

"Well, I am kind of nosey. I'd probably make a good cop."

"Maybe you could ask Isane if you could be her assistant or something. It would pay better than a bar-maid." Chad waved a hand at her apron which had the pubs logo on it.

"Yeah...I should call her right now!" She took out a mobile phone and dialled the number of the police-woman. She waited patiently until someone picked up.

#Hello?#

"Hi Isane, it's me Orihime!"

#Oh, how are you? We haven't talked in ages.#

"Well, I was thinking...are there any positions vacant at your station?"

#Huh? Why do you care?#

"Well, I want to be a cop. You see, me and Chad were talking about this strange thing happening with Rukia and we-"

#Rukia? Do you know where she is?!# Isane sounded very concerned.

"No, it just seems like she's disappeared. Do you know anything about it?"

#I tried to contact Rukia but instead, some guy threatened me. He said something about a game and that we were all pawns. He already has her held somewhere...I've checked the prison but there was nothing suspicious there...that means it could be almost anyone!#

"No...Is Rukia safe?"

#For now probably, but things could get dangerous...Orihime, I want you to be careful. Whoever this guy is, I think he knows about everyone involved in the prison trade case. That means he would know about you, Chad, Ichigo, me, the guards at the prison...everyone. We have to be on our toes! We don't want to have a repeat of that whole incident!#

"O-Ok..." Orihime's eyes had narrowed.

#Let's meet up somewhere. Try and contact Ichigo and bring him to the station at six o'clock. We'll discuss things further there. And remember, be careful, they could be watching us right now!# Isane hung up leaving Orihime to just stare at the walls in silent, paralysed fear.

"Orihime, what was that all about?!" Chad asked, his wide eyes visible through his moppish brown locks.

"We have to go to the station at six. Isane found out that Rukia is being held hostage somewhere, and that the person responsible wants all of us too!" Orihime began to hyperventilate. Chad rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

"It's okay Inoue...It's okay. You're going o be alright!"

"This shit isn't supposed to be happening!! We were done with it! Urahara is dead! The prison is under new ownership, those bad people were all killed! Why is there still someone out there who hates us so much?! Why does the world conspire against us?!" Orihime's eyes were cloudy. Tears flowed freely from them and she buried her head in her hands.

"Inoue..."

"I can't take it anymore!! I can't live like this! If someone wants to kill me then why can't he just go ahead and do it! Why does he have to pour salt in the wounds and stalk us and abduct us and..." She trailed off and wailed. Chad looked around at the curious gazes of the bar patrons. He sighed and picked up Orihime, carrying her out of the pub and into his car. He placed her in the passenger seat and then studied his watch. It was twelve thirty.

*****

The prison managed sat in his office, reading over some papers. They were all in a yellow folder. He shuffled through them and glared at the faces. They were files on the staff at the prison. He read the names in his head.

Jushiro Ukitake, Shunsui Kyouraku, Toshiro Hitsugaya, Kiyone Kotetsu...Your presence could cause problems...I need to deal with you before I proceed with things, but that means I need new staff...Damn! Having to manage the prison and this whole program at the same time is such a trial.

He brushed a hand through his spiky black hair and sighed. "If only so many weren't killed in the accident, I would have someone to take over things here, but Yammamoto had to run off and leave me in this mess. He deserved to die! The spineless old skeleton was worthless to me anyway!" The man known as Ganju growled and threw the file onto his desk.

"Sir, is something wrong?" A female voice asked.

"No, nothing...come in." The door opened and the blonde girl strolled in, a file in her hand. She handed it to him as she studied the office. The man stared at her. "What is it Kiyone?"

"Oh, um...It's just...Rukia is missing according to Isane. I thought maybe you would know something about it..."

"What are you insinuating?" The man struggled to retain his composure.

Dammit! She knows already! I can't wait any longer!

"Sorry Kiyone, it's just that I've been buried in paperwork and it's been getting to me. Say, you wouldn't mind doing some of it for me while I go get a coffee would you?" He rose from his desk and signalled for her to sit down. She hesitated, but eventually sat on his chair, staring at the papers everywhere. "I'll be back in a minute okay." The man walked off.

Kiyone skimmed over the files and stopped at the yellow folder. She flicked through it and saw several pages; one of them was about her. It was a whole load of information about her. She frowned at it and read through it. The file had details about her family, where she lived, and her involvement with the incident a while ago and...A big red stamp reading 'Eliminate'.

"What the...?" She heard soft footsteps coming closer. She flicked through the other sheets and all had the eliminate stamp on them. Her hands began to shake and she dropped the file. She went on her hands and knees and gathered all the sheets. When she sat up again, the man strolled casually into the room with a mug full of dark liquid and a napkin. He walked up beside her and looked at the file.

"Hmm, so you found it huh? Oh well, it won't matter anyway. You can't escape." He spoke with a menacing tone. Kiyone turned to face him and he doused the napkin in the liquid and then pressed it over her nose and mouth. She tried to scream but it was muffled. She thrashed about, but her movements were getting sluggish. The strange smelling fluid was making her feel tired.

This isn't coffee! What the hell is this?! He's drugging me!

Kiyone's eyes began to drift shut, but before she passed out, she could see the man laughing.

*****

Rukia did the same thing she had been doing for the last several hours...stare blankly at the padded white walls. The dream last night had kept her awake for what seemed like years. She was still confused by the presence of a thin screen over the window to her cell. It was as if it was there to hide her being there...but that wouldn't be a surprise. This man...he was a snake in human disguise. Still, they had met before...but why, and how did it end? Why was he now her enemy?

Somebody tried to kill him...was it her? Was it someone else?! It was all a web of lies and mysteries that her sleep deprived brain was struggling to unravel.

She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her sweaty black hair. This room got extremely hot during the day. It had no insulation or openings, so the same air just lingered over everything for hours on end. The only time the air escaped was when she was fed. They didn't let her go out, even to answer the call of nature. Instead they gave her a bucket. The odour would stay in the room for several hours until they took it and emptied it. This was hell, pure and simple.

No sleep, no dignity, no rights...Rukia was beginning to consider ending it all, but then her thoughts would stray to Ichigo and the others...She couldn't let them down like that. She had to fight! She had beaten Urahara, she could beat this man!

"Kuchiki, I have a new play mate for you." It was that bastards calm voice again. It was unnerving the way he could act so cool despite what he was doing. He reminded her of her own brother, the cruel monster she had to slay during her previous time here. He opened the door and hurled something wrapped in a blanket. It was a woman, her eyes were closed and she smelled of some kind of drug. Rukia just stared at her for a minute until recognising the face.

"Kiyone? What did you do to her?!" Rukia glared at the man who wore a big cheesy grin.

"I knocked her out and brought her here. You can entertain each other while you wait for the others to get sorted out.

"Sorted out for what?!" Rukia demanded.

"You're going to find those prisoners you allowed to escape...and bring them back!" He smirked as he slowly closed the door.

"Wait!"Rukia crawled to wards him, but the door slammed shut. She crawled back over to her friend and felt her forehead. It was cold. She sat beside her, watching her serene expression, hoping it would change soon. She looked as if she was dead right now and it was scaring her. Rukia felt paranoid, but this room heightened your emotions, it was almost torture.

Her train of thought shifted and she had another vision of her troubled past.

"Hello mister um..." Rukia looked about anxiously for a moment, trying to remember this man's name.

"Just call me captain for now. The real boss is on sick leave, so I pretty much run things here." He grinned confidently and led her to a desk. He read a note and then sighed. So, you have no experience in anything...You haven't had training...I don't want to sound like a prick, but why would I hire you?"

"Well..." Rukia trailed off.

"Anyway, you don't look suited to police work...you're too frail."

"What?!"

"Look at you, you probably wouldn't even be able to-" He leapt over the desk and hurled a fist at her. She merely stared at his bunched fist until it slammed into her stomach, hurling her across the room. The man smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but you just wouldn't fit in here. You need to be tough; you need to have claws and fangs to survive in this world."

"But..." Rukia struggled to get up, but she fell on her back.

"I'm sorry for doing that...I'll make it up to you, how about I buy you a drink?" The man asked, his smile returning.

"Are you asking me out? You just fucking punched me!" Rukia grasped her stomach and slowly got to her feet.

"Come on, I feel really bad now. Please?"

"Fine! Just...let me sit down for a second..."

"What the...?" Rukia snapped out of her dream. "He was a police chief? Wait...I never remember wanting to be a cop!" She yelled to no-one, but saying it out loud made her feel somewhat better.

"Hello little sister." Byakuya half smiled at his sisters approach. "Happy birthday little Rukia!"

"Nii-sama! Where's my present?" A much younger Rukia jumped at her brother's feet.

"Ha ha. You must wait. Patience brings good fortune. You should act more adult, you're eight years old now." Byakuya acted completely different than he had in his last moments.

"I want to be police man like you!"

"Oh, I'm sure you'd make a great police-woman, but it's dangerous out there. I wouldn't want to see you hurt!"

"But Nii-sama will protect me!" Rukia hugged his leg and he patted her head.

"Yes, Rukia...I will always protect you..."

Rukia's eyes snapped open again. "Dammit! None of this makes any sense! Byakuya always hated me, and I never wanted to be a cop...Or...at least I thought so..." Rukia frowned and punched the padded wall. It felt like hitting a pillow. "Why can't I remember my past?! Why?!"

"Urrrrrggghh." the groan came from Kiyone. The blonde girl's eyelids were fluttering. She gazed wearily at Rukia. "Where..." She didn't finish the sentence, too tired to utter any more.

"You're in a cell...I have no idea what's going on, but we'll make it...somehow..." Rukia was unsure of herself, but if she didn't remain hopeful, she would never make it out of here alive.

"I...I...I'm going to...die..." Kiyone whispered painedly.

"What? No you're not. You're fine!"

"No...I...I found...his files..." Kiyone passed out again, leaving Rukia to be quickly overcome by curiosity.

*****

The black-haired mastermind sat on his chair, a semi-circle of his loyal minions around him.

"Soon...Her friends are already showing concern. They are on the move. We shall take a few more before proceeding, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." A man with grey hair and a scar on his chin bowed. The man beside him adjusted his thick-framed circular glasses.

"Kariya, Ugaki, I want you to take care of the rest of the guards that are not loyal to us. I want at least one of them alive, but if you must kill, then do so. Mabashi," The person in question was a boy with orange hair which covered half of his face. His small eyes showed a sadistic mind within. "You and Yoshi are to take care of those meddlesome police women. Throw them off of the trail, or capture them, your choice.

"Capture of confuse? Why can't we have fun?" Mabashi asked menacingly.

"Shut up Mabashi. You can butcher the fools once the job is over, just be patient." Yoshi, a woman with long green hair frowned at her comrade.

"Koga, see if you can take down that brute, Mr Yasutora."

"Yes, sir." The giant of a man bowed.

"Ryo, you can have Orihime. I don't think she'd be of any use, so just kill her." The leader waved his hand as if it were a trivial matter.

"I shall do as you ask, sir." Ryo muttered.

"Sawatari, I want you to manage the prison for a while...I'm going as well." The man grinned.

"What is it you are doing?" The old man, Sawatari cocked his head.

"I'm going after Ichigo!"

It seems that the mysterious man's thugs are ready to take down all that stands in their path, but will they succeed? Find out in the next chapter! I'm sorry it's taking so long to publish chapters, but I'm in the middle of writing about eight stories at once, so It's going a bit slow right now, but don't worry! I'll try and update a bit faster. In the meantime, why don't you write a review?

Please review! In case two times isn't enough...here it is again: Review!!