Job Proposal
Rukia woke to the sound of a loud argument coming from out in the corridor. She rubbed her eyes and tried to listen to the roars from the group of angry people. She heard two voices, one was instantly familiar.
One of them...was Ichigo!
"You bastard! You can't put me back in here!! I'll get you for this!!" Ichigo growled, but his assailant laughed and hurled him into the wall, judging from the noises. They then bickered for a while longer before the door handle began to turn.
Rukia's eyes widened and she stared dumbfounded at the door as it was wrenched open. Ichigo was facing away from her, but it was him. His spiky hair was as bright as ever and his voice still sounded the same. It had been far too long since hearing him talk. Ichigo was kicked in the stomach and he doubled over, falling back inside the cell. He cursed and banged on the door before turning around.
He noticed her and suddenly his scowl disappeared, replaced with a beaming smile.
"Rukia?! Oh my god!! I found you!!" He ran to her and constricted her in what he wanted to be a hug, but due to excitement became a bear hug.
"Ichigo, it's been awful!" Rukia whined. "They raided my house and took me to this place and then..." Rukia was interrupted by Ichigo's lips. At first she was stunned. She had waited to kiss him again, and she was finally granted her wish. She closed her eyes and returned a passionate kiss. They remained like that for some time until Rukia began to weep. She nestled her head in Ichigo's chest and cried softly. Ichigo frowned and patted her head while she let out all her sorrow.
The pleasant moment ended prematurely when the door was once again pushed open. A group of guards stormed in and picked them off of the floor and dragged them outside. Their arms were hand-cuffed and they were led in a single line through the corridor and out into the front office. Once there, more guards joined with actual prisoners and the two groups headed outside where a bus was waiting.
An old man stood beside Jin Kariya, both wore stern expressions.
"Welcome to the outside world. I'm sure you have all longed to taste freedom again?" A few gullible prisoners nodded. Shunsui glared at his captor. His wounds were still fresh from their battle.
"In agreement with another prison, you will be relocated to a small town where you will undertake community service for a little while. When you complete your service, then you will be released." Kariya smiled menacingly and opened the door to the bus. "Be proud! You are the select few who were deemed worthy of this generous offer. Now go!" He stepped aside as excited prisoners spilled into the room.
Rukia and her friends went in last. When they walked into the prison transporters they found a white haired boy in the back. Kiyone went to sit beside and him and Kyouraku followed. Rukia sat in the middle. She wanted to hug Ichigo, but she was too tired. She suddenly realised that her time in that white walled hell had weakened her. If she had stayed in there for another week she would have gone mad.
Ichigo rested his arm on her shoulders as she rested her face against the glass window. She gazed outside as the world passed by. The bus was loud, its engine a constant roar that made her imagine a wild beast dwelling inside the vehicle. She discarded the thought and lost herself in watching the free world.
The bus passed a small street and commuters would stare at her. Their accusing glares made her feel sick. She felt a tear roll down her cheek and made to wipe it away, but someone did it for her. She looked into Ichigo's amber eyes and her heart melted.
"No more tears...We'll make it through this! We beat Urahara didn't we?" Rukia felt a little stronger, but not strong enough to take on her captors. A female passenger in front of her leaned over and studied her face.
"Hey, you're Rukia. Weren't you released?" The woman had an aggressive look on her face, but her tone was less intimidating.
"I was released. That is why this whole 'freedom' act is bullshit!" Rukia sighed and looked out the window again.
"That's the attitude of a true warrior. I like you. The name's Soi Fon. Pleased to meet you." Rukia shook the woman's hand and then retired to sight seeing for the hundredth time.
She had just made an alliance with one of the lead female prisoners. If she gained her favour, then surely the rest would be on her side now. And Rukia was going to need lots of allies to escape this time.
*****
Back at the prison, Kariya looked down to the crooked-backed old man. "So, the plan is going ahead...I must admit I never thought it would work but..." He trailed off.
The old man nodded and clasped his hands over a wooden cane. "Hmm. Kaien-Dono has created a perfect strategy to finish this business properly. It is proof of why Urahara was merely an assistant to the greatest mind in the world."
"Do you think Ulquiorra will do much damage?" Kariya queried.
"He has grown fond of a few inmates, but there were many who bore grudges against him. He will kill in defence for sure, so blood will spill for certain." His wrinkled frown creased into a smile. "Now the fun begins."
Kariya nodded and looked off into the distance.
*****
Ryo paused just before he was going to lacerate Orihime with his steel whip, but something made him hesitate. He looked around nervously and walked over to the window to scan the area outside. There was someone standing outside, someone watching him!
Ryo ducked behind the window and peeked out at the person who was now walking away. Ryo watched as they ducked in an alley and disappeared into the night.
"Damn. It must be one of Kaien's dogs keeping watch over me! I don't care what He wants, this is my prey!"
"She is not your prey!" A deep voice growled from the doorway. Ryo whirled around to face one of his co-workers, Koga. The big brute was covered in blood, but looked unharmed. The sight brought a smile to Ryo's face.
"So you killed the human tank huh? Well done. Did you come to watch the show?" Ryo smirked.
"No, I have come to stop you. Kaien-Dono's plans are for nothing but evil and corruption! I will not let him get away with his monstrous misdeeds!"
"So what? You think you can stop me from killing her? You're out of your freaking mind!" Ryo guffawed.
"I know what you were charged for...You preyed upon women and assaulted them, thought not always violently." Koga frowned. "I can't let you get away with that. You were put behind bars for a reason!"
"So where you, Mr-I-only-killed-in-self-defence!" Ryo smiled arrogantly. That's right! I know about your 'accident'!"
Koga's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, have I struck a nerve? Sorry, I just wanted to remind you that you tore a guy in half like a phone book!"
"Shut up!" Koga snarled. "That was a dark chapter of my past! I want to forget that!"
"Not while I'm here!" Ryo chuckled. "I'll bring it up again and again until you're a broken husk of a man! Ha ha ha!!"
"Do not think you are bright enough to manipulate me." Koga warned. "I have more sanity than you and Kaien combined!"
"Sanity is nothing if you can't defend yourself! Let's settle this the way I love...with a fight!"
"I didn't come here to hurt you; I wanted to ask you to stop." Ryo burst out with hysterical laughter. It was so loud it made Orihime stir in her drugged sleep.
"Ask?! Ask?! Are you serious?! Ha ha ha! Words are for fools! True greatness is determined by strength!" Ryo raised his whip.
"So you are strong because you hunt down defenceless women?" Koga asked sarcastically. "Is that because you are not strong enough to harm a man?"
The taunt worked. Ryo twitched and ran straight at him. Koga stepped aside from the cracking whip and palm slapped his opponent in the face. Ryo was flung into the wall which cracked under the impact.
"Argh! You bastard!" Ryo kicked off the wall and flipped through the air, landing in a crouch behind Koga. He swung his whip around and formed a lasso which wrapped around Koga's tree-trunk sized legs. The mighty giant tripped and fell to the floor with a huge 'boom'. Ryo howled insanely as he lashed him again and again. His whip cut deep in the giants flesh, but Koga rose again and grabbed Ryo by the waist and threw him to the floor. He then kicked Ryo in the gut so hard it forced blood out of his mouth.
Ryo roared as blood seeped through his teeth and he dug his fingers into Koga's ankle. He then wound his whip tightly around the thick limb. Koga tried to stomp on him but he rolled away. In the process, he wrenched his whip and forced the steel whip to sink into Koga's flesh. He roared in agony as Ryo tugged the whip again, forcing it deeper into his calf.
"Die you bastard!!" Ryo screamed as he got to his feet and jumped back, managing to force the steel wire to slice cleanly through Koga's leg. The giant fell like a great oak tree to a logger. Ryo pounced on the fallen man and strangled him with the bloodied steel string. After a bloody confrontation ending in a vicious grappling match, Koga breathed his last.
Ryo laughed wickedly as he stared at his blood-stained hands and the dead mercenary beside him. He then looked over to the bed where Orihime was beginning to wake up once more. Ryo tried to run to her side to administer the drug, but he felt a stabbing pain in his stomach from where Koga had kicked him.
"Damn! I think I ruptured a lung!" Ryo coughed and began crawling to Orihime. Even such a horrible injury would not stop the insane ex-con. He would have his twisted way even if he had to die for it.
The girl's eyes fluttered open and the sight of a bloodied man crawling towards her was enough to make her scream louder than anything heard before. She tried to get up, but her hands were already tied behind her back. She whimpered and rolled off of the bed. She tried to run but tripped on Koga's corpse. Her jaw smacked into the floor and she became stuck. She sobbed pathetically as Ryo approached her with a manic smile on his twisted face.
"I won't let you escape!" Ryo snarled as he rose to his feet and limped over to her. He stood over her and grabbed a handfull of her hair, lifting her up so he could see her face. "I love it when they cry!" He growled and Orihime wept more excessively afterwards, only making Ryo happier.
Ryo snaked a hand around to the front of her chest when the phone rang. He cursed and stared at it. He picked up the cell phone and pressed the answer button. He held it up for Orihime so that she could talk.
"Mention this and you're dead!" He snarled.
Orihime sniffed and whispered a greeting to the caller.
"Hi Orihime, sorry it's so late, but I just wanted to check up on you, since that weird encounter at the station." It was Isane.
"I'm..." Orihime glanced up at her assailant and frowned. "Fine...I'm fine..."
"Well, that's good. I was afraid that whoever targeted us would go after you as well. I'd still be careful if I were you."
"Too late." Orihime whispered. "I'm..." Orihime took a deep breath and hurriedly blurted out her situation. "I'm being held hostage by some psycho!"
"You bitch!" Ryo slapped her and the phone fell to the floor. Orihime rolled onto her back and kicked the one vital spot on a man. Ryo grasped his wounded manhood and dropped like a bag of rocks. He growled at Orihime as she scrambled to her feet and ran to the kitchen where a knife rack sat on the counter. She frenziedly rubbed the ropes binding her wrists against it. The blade cut through slightly, but not enough to free her.
Her next option was to try and break them through her own strength, but that did nothing. She cursed and realised she had only one option. She would have to fight for her life until Isane arrived.
The gang is in trouble now! Orihime is locked in a deadly game with a vicious psychopath! Ichigo and rukia are being sent off to a sinister 'new job' and there is a gang of mercenaries after Isane and Unohana. I hope you're liking this story.
Please review!!
