Chapter 5

When the bus arrived at the prison, the three men were unloaded and led inside single file. Each were given a change of clothes and a set of bedsheets. Toushiro was led down a hallway lined with cells escorted by three armed guards. The leading guard stopped at cell 1207 and unlocked the door. The chain that held his wrists and ankles restrained were removed and Toushiro quietly walked into the cell and set his bedsheets down on the top mattress on the left.

"You're kind of young for this big house arn't you kid?", a voice asked behind him.

Toushiro turned around to find a muscled man with long brown hair in a loose ponytail who looked to be in his early to mid fourties lying on the other top bunk. Toushiro just shrugged and turned back to his bed to put the sheets on it. "I guess so. Arn't you a little old?"

The man chuckled as he rubbed at his beard. "Touche. My names Shunsui Kyoraku."

"Toushiro Hitsugaya", he said as he shook his pillow down into the case.

"Toushiro Hitsugaya? Thats much too long for me to call you that all the time. I'll just call you Shiro. And you can call me Shunsui."

Toushiro nodded silently as he tucked in the top sheet.

Shunsui sighed. "So what are you in for, kid? You're not one of those punks running around with a gang are you?"

Toushiro turned to face Shunsui. "No. I hate gangs."

Shunsui nodded in approval. "You don't really seem like the rapist type...maybe you're like me."

Toushiro leaned against the bunk bed. "Like you? What did you do?"

Shunsui sighed. "A dirty cop came in and raped and killed my wife. Then he killed my daughter. So I killed him. And now here I am."

Toushiro eyed the tattoo that was engraved into the skin on his left forearm. A heart with a knife through it and two ribbons wrapped around it. The top one said Nanao (meaning "inception"). The bottom one said Asami (meaning "morning beauty"). "Yes. I'm like you. They killed my mother. So I killed them. Well...not all of them. Theres still one left."

Shunsui opened his mouth to say something but then a bell rang throughout the building and their cell door automatically opened. He sat up and slid off the edge of the bed. "Lunch time."

Toushiro followed Shunsui out of the cell and down the hall towards the cafeteria. "Now look, kid. I'm sure you've heard rumors of their being men around here who boss others around and turn them into their little henchmen and servants right?" Toushiro just nodded. "Well they're all true. And today, they're going to approach you and try to get you to submit to them. I'm gonna let them push you around a little. To see what you can do. That way I'll know what areas you need work in."

Toushiro looked at him questionably. "What do you mean?" "Look kid, I might not always be there to help you out when you get stuck in a hole so I need to make sure you can take care of yourself while you're in here."

Toushiro didn't know what to say so he just went with, "Thank you." Shunsui just raised his hand to acknowledge he heard him, then he led him over to a lunch line. They both grabbed trays and picked up some food and a drink.

Shunsui led him to his usual table with two other guys sitting there. Shunsui introduced the creepy silver-haired one as Gin Ichimaru and the silent steel-eyed one as Byakuya Kuchiki. "Guys this is Toushiro Hitsugaya." Byakuya nodded silently and when Gin smiled it reminded Toushiro of a snake.

So these were going to be his new friends while he was here. Shunsui seemed like the most likeable although Byakuya didn't seem so bad so far. He was just the silent type. But that Ichimaru. Toushiro got a bad feeling about him. Toushiro knew for a fact that he didn't want to know what Ichimaru had done to get here.

"So you're the other new specimen...you look more like a young punk to me." Toushiro and Shunsui turned around in their seats to face the new problem. Gin's smile spread a little wider across his face. Byakuya merely watched with cold eyes.

Shunsui smiled at the new comer. "Well Mayuri-saaaan what are you doing over on this side of the lunch room?", Gin asked. "Yes. What made you decide to grace us with your all mighty prescense?", Shunsui added in. His tone wasn't sarcastic but it was clearly implied. Byakuya chose not to speak since his friends seemed intent on pretending like this was a high school lunch room rather than the dangerous cafeteria it could be.

Mayuri's smile creeped Toushiro out almost more than Gin's did. "I don't recall speaking to either of you. What is your name young one?", his voice was scratchy which didn't help quell the uneasiness that Shiro felt when this man was this close to him.

"Toushiro Hitsugaya." Shiro made sure that his voice was loud and confident. Like Shunsui had said, this was a good time to make sure everyone knew that he wasn't going to bow down to anyone. He was going to stand on his own two feet and he had three new friends if he ever needed help.

Okay so theres been a mix up with names. In the first chapter, James introduced himself as James Kuchiki. I didn't mean to do that his name is James Gunn. Sorry for the mistake. Lemme know what you guys think about this chapter :)