Lies Open Prison Doors
Chapter 4: Stray
Ichigo was pacing in his cell by the time White caught up to him. He leaned against the bars at the entrance and watched the tantrum with interest, but he didn't say anything.
It took a good ten minutes for Ichigo to wear himself out and then he shifted over to the mirror to inspect his throbbing face.
"Shit…" He reached up and carefully probed at his lip when he noticed it was split and bloody. It must have been when Grimmjow smacked him in the face with the ball. "That fucker." He went to clench his fists but then hissed when his palms stung in retaliation. He turned the faucet and rinsed his hands under the cool water. He was extra careful to wash out the dirt and tiny pieces of cement that were embedded in his skin. Once he was done, he left the water running and felt his shoulders sag as he stared into the mirror. He glanced at White through the reflection and wound up locking eyes with the man.
"Hey…" Ichigo let his gaze drop back to the water as he shifted uncomfortably. "Can you think of a reason why Mr. Aizen would want Zaraki fired?" He tensed when he felt a presence behind him and didn't relax even when he recognized White's arms as they reached out to grab the sink on either side of him. Ichigo looked back to the mirror to see White staring straight back.
"That's a pretty loaded question." The man commented with a frown as he rested his chin on Ichigo's tense shoulder.
"Do you have an answer or not?"
White reached up to slowly turn the faucet off. The only sounds now were the murmuring of voices coming from the hall and other cells. Ichigo stiffly turned around until he was face to face with White, who was still much too close for comfort.
"Aizen would get rid of everyone if he could…" White started as he lifted his hand to lightly brush a finger against Ichigo's wounded lip. "He's actually been tryin' to get Zaraki in trouble for a while. But Captain Jingles and the warden are close friends."
That's when Ichigo suddenly remembered.
"The warden!" White frowned and blinked when Ichigo suddenly gripped his biceps in excitement. "There's still a chance!" Ichigo was about to dart out of the room, but White quickly reversed the grip so that he was holding Ichigo in place by his own arms.
"What're you babblin' about?" White raised a brow in question. Ichigo paused and then looked the man up and down critically.
"Why are you so curious..? Come to think of it, why did you even help me—Why do you care?"
"Tch." White released the newbie and backed away like he'd been stung. "Who says I fuckin' care?"
Ichigo let a small smirk twitch at his lips before shaking it off. "Well, Mr. Aizen said he couldn't… or I guess wouldn't sign my transfer… but I remember my lawyer saying I could also ask the warden!" He felt actual hope blossom in his chest. "And if Kenpachi and him are buddies, I could ask—" Ichigo's lips snapped shut and his eyes went wide when White suddenly rushed into his space again.
"Wait, wait, wait…" White grabbed ahold of Ichigo's jaw and held firm as he hissed in his face. "Did you just say Kenpachi?" White didn't even give Ichigo time to respond as he threw his head back and laughed. "Hooooo man! It makes so much sense now!"
"What does?" Ichigo asked as he pried the strong fingers from his face. White patted his cheek playfully and grinned at him.
"Meh. Don't worry 'bout it. I gotta go talk to someone. Probably best ya stay 'ere while King is walkin' around." He backed away and turned to walk out of the cell, but Ichigo instantly caught him by placing one foot on the man's jumpsuit which was still dragging across the floor.
"You can't tell anyone about Zaraki." Ichigo warned. White glanced over his shoulder, eyes hooded in boredom. Then he spun to fully face Ichigo, his suit still caught under the other's shoe.
"I think we already established that ya can't boss me 'round, Carrot."
"I won't let you tell anyone."
"Pah!" White exhaled with a laugh, "Ya already fucked up." He tugged at his suit to free himself, but Ichigo stood firm. "What are ya gonnna do? Try an' give me amnesia?" He laughed again, but the sound died in his throat when Ichigo suddenly swung at his head. He swiftly ducked and then unzipped his suit the rest of the way so he could just step out of it.
Ichigo noticed what he was doing and quickly bent down to yank on the sleeves once the clothing got stuck around his ankles. White yelped when his feet came out from under him and he fell straight on his back.
"Alright, tha's it… I tried to play nice. But it seems like ya enjoy the violence, don'tchya?!" White grinned from ear to ear and Ichigo faltered. Shit. He was about to get into another fight!
Ichigo quickly backed up and lowered his hands while shaking his head. White wasn't going to back down easily though. The man shook the suit off from around his ankles so that he was only in his boxers and then rushed forward.
Ichigo tensed and closed his eyes while tilting his head down. His orange bangs fluttered against his cheeks when White's raspberry breath washed over his face.
"C'monnnn…" White practically whined. "Don't start somethin' ya ain't gonna finish, Carrot."
"Fuck you." Ichigo spat, but he kept his eyes shut.
For Rukia.
Do it for your best friend, Rukia.
And Inoue.
And your daughter, Neliel.
Get back home to them…
Ichigo repeated those words in his head until he finally calmed down.
And now that he was calm, he could finally think straight. He looked up into narrowed golden eyes and an idea suddenly came to him. It seemed so obvious now.
White rose his lip in a snarl when this victorious kind of smile spread across the newbie's face.
"I know how to deal with you, Zangetsu." Ichigo whispered the name in the other's face as he leaned forward. He could see and feel the shiver that rolled up the inmate's spine but he couldn't read what the other was thinking. White had that blank expression plastered across his face again. "Zangetsu Shirosaki… that's actually a really cool name." Ichigo goaded with a grin.
"Stop sayin' it!"
Ichigo flinched when two large fists slammed against the wall on either side of his face, but his grin never wavered. He could tell that he succeeded in getting under the man's skin. Ichigo even crossed his arms and leaned back leisurely against the wall.
"How the fuck do you know my name?" White snarled, temper flaring viciously.
"In order to agree with the transfer, Mr. Aizen said I had to sign two papers. One was to get Zaraki in trouble," Ichigo paused to let that sink in before continuing, "and the other was to send you to the Psych Ward…" As he was explaining, something clicked, "And that's why you got all upset when you saw me come out of the counselor's office that first time!" He watched in satisfaction as White, or should he say Zangetsu, relaxed. His shoulders even sagged when he looked to Ichigo in disbelief and he let his fists slide down the wall.
"Tch…" Golden eyes flicked around the room nervously and this time he was the one backing away. Ichigo pulled him back by grabbing the nape of his neck though.
"I didn't sign them, okay?" Ichigo elucidated and some of the nervousness he saw vanished. "And I won't sign them as long as you keep your mouth shut about Zaraki."
Zangetsu's smirk slowly found its way back to his face and Ichigo nearly rolled his eyes.
"Well. Guess ya've got me there…" He shrugged a shoulder and then tilted his head to release some of the tension that had built up. "Mannnn…" Zangetsu raised his arms and growled at the pops he heard in his joints. "It's been a while since I've gotten this worked up. King was right—ya really know how to get a guy all hot n' bothered, don'tchya?"
Ichigo stood his ground and refused to react when a warm hand boldly pressed against his stomach and then traveled up his torso to fiddle with the zipper.
"You win. I'll keep your little secrets, but 'least answer me this," Zangetsu demanded under his breath. "Did Aizen ask ya to sign those papers before or after he fucked you?"
Ichigo tried to fight the blush, he really did, but he cursed when he felt his cheeks burn stubbornly. It didn't help that Zangetsu was practically naked, showing off silky white skin and well toned muscles.
"I didn't fuck him." He snapped and then recoiled when Zangetsu pushed forward to bury his nose in the other's neck.
"Liar~" Zangetsu nipped playfully at the skin beneath his lips before taking a deep breath through his nose. "I can still smell him on ya."
"You're a fucking weirdo." Ichigo used the wall against his back as leverage to quickly shove the man away from his personal space, but he didn't move very far. "And you're wrong. He got close but since I refused to sign the papers, the deal was off." Ichigo rubbed the back of his own neck anxiously as he remembered how that man had managed to get under his skin. He felt a small excited shiver crawl up his spine when he could almost feel those big hands groping his ass and massaging his cheeks. "Hopefully the warden will listen without any stupid ultimatums…" Ichigo scratched his cheek and ducked his head when he felt the blush burn brighter.
"What the hell is going on in here?"
Both heads whipped towards the door to find Renji and that tattoo guy from the other day.
"Nothing." Ichigo grumbled, still red-faced, and slid sideways against the wall to finally escape from Zangetsu's overwhelming presence. "We were just talking."
"Riiiight…" Tattoo chided with a grin. "Thought you said newbie wasn't up for grabs, Red." He winced when said redhead elbowed him hard in the side. "Fuck man. I was kidding!"
Ichigo chose to ignore them and went back to inspecting his injuries in the mirror while Zangetsu jumped back into his prison suit, wearing it fully zipped up this time.
"Whatchu want, Tats?" Zangetsu rose a brow at the ebony haired male, who was still rubbing his abused side. "If you're lookin' for another bag, then I want the payment upfront this time." He held his hand out expectantly but Tattoo recoiled while bringing up a hand to his own throat—which was still bruised from when White strangled him.
"I ain't got the money to order right now. Just came by to see if newbie wanted to play poker with us." They looked over at said newbie, who was watching them through the reflection.
Ichigo shook his head. "Thanks for the invite, but I've got to go find Captain Zaraki."
"What for?" Renji asked curiously as Ichigo turned and went to walk between them to leave their cell. The two inmates followed Ichigo as he made his way down the hall while White stayed behind. "It got anything to do with that?" Renji asked as he pointed to the man's busted lip.
Ichigo waved him off and didn't bother answering as he walked towards the guard posted at the end of the hall.
"Is Captain Zaraki nearby?" Ichigo asked hopefully.
The guard hummed at Ichigo with a frown, "How the hell should I know?"
Ichigo resisted the urge to sigh.
"Look, can you just tell him that Ichigo really needs to speak with him? It's important."
The guard looked like he was about to refuse. You could see his thoughts written all over his face, 'Why is an inmate bossing me around?' But since it was for the captain, he relented. He reached up to the radio.
"Maki to Captain Zaraki. I've got an inmate here who wants to speak with you." He paused as he waited for a response. It took half a minute, which felt way too long to Ichigo, but there was eventually a response.
'Uhhm. The captain is kind of indisposed at the moment... Can it wait?' That sounded like Ikkaku.
The guard, Maki, raised a brow at Ichigo in question as he hovered his hand over the radio. Ichigo gnawed on his lip anxiously.
"I mean…" he guessed he probably wouldn't be able to sit down with the warden today since it was getting close to lockdown, but he still wanted to try.
Maki seemed to understand. "Just tell the captain that inmate, Ichigo, needs to talk to him as soon as he's available."
'What does he want?' Surprisingly it was Zaraki's gruff voice that growled through the radio as soon as Maki released the button. Then there was pained shouting in the background followed by what sounded like punches before the line went quiet.
Maki rolled his eyes as he gestured for Ichigo to answer.
"It's about my transfer. I need his help and I don't trust talking to anyone else about it." Ichigo said somewhat reluctantly. Renji and Tattoo were still hovering nearby and he could tell they had one ear on their conversation even as they whispered to themselves.
Maki rose a brow in disbelief but didn't comment as he relayed the message, "He wants to speak with you personally about his transfer."
It was quiet for a while before Zaraki finally answered and he sounded a bit winded as he replied, 'Tell'm I'll be at his cell before lockdown. Oh, and don't let him leave B wing.'
"The fuck?" Ichigo snapped, but Maki just shrugged with a snarky grin on his face.
"You heard the boss. Go hang out in your cell until he gets here." Maki said as he jutted his thumb in the direction they came from.
It wasn't like Ichigo was planning to leave anyway, but it still rubbed his pride the wrong way when he was specifically told no. Ichigo wanted to avoid conflict like the plague, especially while he was looking into his stupid transfer.
With that in mind, the inmate turned and went straight back in the direction of his cell. Both Renji and Tattoo caught up with him and copied his stride to keep up.
"So I guess you're free to play now huh?" Tattoo smirked at the pathetic glare he received.
"How would I even play?" Ichigo nearly groaned, "I don't have any money."
Renji shrugged and inspected the dirt beneath his fingernails as he said, "You can bet anythin' really. Snacks or maybe even some o' that fancy soap ya got—'course I'm not talkin' about the used stuff though." Renji quickly added the last part when Ichigo gave him a weird look.
The newbie debated in his head for a moment and came to a stop once they were back in his cell. White had vacated the room, thankfully, and Keigo was still off somewhere else.
"Look.. I really appreciate the invite, but I'm gonna decline." Ichigo decided as he sat on his bunk. He then fell back onto the mattress with a huff, his head bouncing a few times against the pillow before relaxing.
"Eh. Suit yourself newbie. We'll be in cell 68 if ya get bored." Tattoo gave a small salute before turning. "C'mon, Red." He grabbed Renji's elbow and tugged to get the taller man to budge.
"Tch. Funsucker." Renji called over his shoulder as they left, but Ichigo didn't bother replying.
Ichigo just wanted to close his eyes and relax. But he couldn't even do that! As soon as he got comfortable, his stomach made a strange noise that was between a squeal and a growl. He forgot that he skipped lunch when everyone pushed him to the back of the line. Then he remembered that there was candy at the bottom of his "gift basket".
He still wasn't entirely comfortable eating something he'd been randomly given by what was most likely another inmate.
Ichigo slowly sat up and then grabbed the basket that was sitting at the end of his bed. Skittles and M&M's. They'll have to do.
Ichigo peeled open one of the bags and then poured some in his hand. He was about to toss them right into his mouth but he paused when he noticed each piece was orange.
Huh…
He poured some more into his cupped palm, but only orange pieces fell out. Ichigo looked at the bag to make sure it wasn't some limited edition skittles advertising, but all it said was 'original'.
Feeling a little paranoid, Ichigo trusted his gut and rolled the pieces back inside the package. He then opened the M&M's. Okay now he knew for sure that someone was messing with him. The only color he saw inside the small bag was—you guessed it—Orange.
No fucking way.
Ichigo tossed the candy back into the basket, not caring that most of them fell out.
His stomach growled at him again as if to say 'Hey! Those are still edible!' But there was no way he was risking it.
"Yo."
Ichigo nearly hit his head on the top bunk as he jumped up to see who was standing at the door.
"The fuck do you want?"
Bazz-B rose his hands in an innocent gesture, but that grin on his face was anything but innocent.
"Whoa there, Tiger. Don't bite my head off, ya might choke on this glorious mohawk." He joked while reaching up and running a hand over his long, bright line of hair.
"Go away." Ichigo warned with fists clenched, ignoring the twinge in his scabbing palms.
"M'name's Bazz-B, but everyone 'round here calls me Hotshot." When Ichigo refused to reciprocate the introduction, he continued, "Look, man. I just came by ta say I think we got off on the wrong foot, s'all." Bazz-B raised his arms and pressed his hands on the top of the door as he leaned forward to peek inside the room. "I'm more a lover than a fighter, see? And I know you're new here n' ya haven't learned all the rules yet." Bazz-B's grin dropped and he pinned Ichigo with a serious expression.
"You're not going to scare me, asshole." Ichigo crossed his arms, "Fuck off and leave Keigo alone."
"See!?" Bazz-B let himself fall inside the room by releasing the doorway and then swung his arms up at his side. "Ya don't get it! Without a gang to back you up, you're nothing. And that pup is mine—I bought him fair n'square!"
Ichigo felt his insides twist at that.
"What do you mean you bought him?"
Bazz-B shrugged, looking bored, as he meandered towards the opposite side of the room. He took his time snooping through Keigo's belongings that were taped and tied around the lower bunk.
"Ya know… You've got a bit to learn 'bout life here in Hueco Mundo. Ya shoulda realized by now that favoritism isn't uncommon. Each gang has its own way of getting around the guards—or at least gettin on their good side, ya know?" Bazz-B explained and paused to hop up onto White's bunk. He made himself comfortable, with his arms tucked back under his head.
Ichigo wasn't stupid. He knew that Bazz-B was subliminally showing off that even White had no power over him. He wasn't scared of the pale maniac, but neither was Ichigo.
"Speaking of the guards—Captain Zaraki will be here any minute, so you should probably leave." Ichigo tried to talk the man into getting out of his hair once more, but his words fell on selectively deaf ears.
"You know what's also good about bein' in a gang?" Bazz-B asked rhetorically, "The things ya hear down the gossip chain. Allllll the little tidbits of information that float around this prison—it's pretty impressive, actually." He chuckled to himself.
"I don't give a SHIT. How many times do I have to tell you to get the fuck out?" Ichigo finally felt his temper snap and he was tempted to drag the man out by his mohawk.
"This is how it's gonna be, huh?" Bazz-B sat up and looked to Ichigo with a frown. "Don't even wanna hear me out?"
"Fuck you." Ichigo snarled.
The larger inmate hopped off the bunk and stood right in front of the other. He let out a long sigh through his nose.
"Fine then… but don't say I didn't try to do this peacefully."
Ichigo brought up his fists, expecting some kind of fight to go with that last statement, but Bazz-B just laughed and tucked his hands in the pockets of his prison suit.
"Naww… I ain't much for fightin' 'less I have to. But you can say goodbye to your precious transfer, newbie."
Ichigo felt like the ground suddenly tilted and a cold sweat broke out across his back.
"What…? Who told you about that?"
"Like I said, word travels fast around here, especially when ya know who to pay… or who to punch."
If anything it was probably Renji and his big mouth that just happened to blurt it out. Ichigo would've bet money on it, because it felt like Bazz-B was just trying to seem tough.
The inmate moved to walk by, but Ichigo grabbed his elbow. Bazz-B's grin returned with force and he spun back around, making the smaller male release him.
"What do you want…?" Ichigo felt so defeated.
"Awww." Bazz-B teasingly pinched Ichigo's cheek and then patted it. "Look at you rolling over so quickly~" He let his fingers lightly trail down Ichigo's face to wrap around his chin. "All I really want, is for you to sit and beg," He cooed.
Ichigo felt his chest constrict as rage heated his blood.
Fuuuuuuuck!
You know what?!
"No." Ichigo snapped. That didn't seem to be the answer Bazz-B was expecting and he recoiled with a sneer. "You don't have any control over my transfer. Just because you happen to know about it, doesn't mean you can do anything."
Bazz-B stared at him for a long minute before that unnerving grin was back. Ichigo wasn't sure what to do and the guy seemed to be giving Ichigo time to change his mind, only to be sorely mistaken.
"Fine." Bazz-B shrugged his shoulders and then walked backwards until he was in the doorway once more. "I don't mind doin' this the hard way—I'll have you on your knees before the end of tomorrow, Pet."
"Fat chance, asshole." Ichigo snarled at the now empty doorway. He didn't get a response and so he assumed Bazz-B was gone. After a minute he poked his head out just to make sure and nearly sighed in relief when he saw the hall was empty. He then looked up at the clock while he still had his head out to see that it was 5:15.
He hoped Zaraki would hurry up already! He laid back down on his bunk with a huff. His blood was still boiling from all the emotions—all the RAGE—he's felt these past few days. He was just happy he hasn't had a fucking aneurysm yet.
Ichigo threw an arm over his eyes and tried to concentrate on taking deep, calming breaths. He'd been so angry that he could almost feel his own blood pressure as it slowed down. He focused on relaxing each tense muscle one by one until he finally felt calm. The process took so long that he nearly dozed off by the end of it.
Ichigo heard footsteps enter his cell and then the sound of shifting cloth, but he was too emotionally drained to really be bothered. He merely shifted his arm up to peer one eye open. He glanced around the room and didn't see anyone at first, then he noticed someone laying on the bunk on the opposite side of the room
"Keigo?" He could already tell it was him because of the familiar mop of brown hair, but he still wanted to make sure.
"...yeah."
Ichigo frowned and blinked both eyes open to get a better look at him. "... You okay?" It was hard to tell because Keigo was facing the wall and had his back to Ichigo.
He knew he shouldn't really care, but he guessed it was okay since they were friends now, right?
Keigo just grunted in affirmation and then buried himself under his blankets all without glancing back.
Huh… Weird guy…
Ichigo was about to go back to his half-assed meditation when he heard the familiar jingle of silver bells and then looked up to see the large bulk of flesh standing just outside his cell.
"About time!" Ichigo snarked and Zaraki merely rolled his eye.
"Sorry I'm not at your beck n' call, princess."
"Whatever." Ichigo hopped out of bed and walked up to the captain. "I wanted to know if there was any way I could see the warden about my transfer?"
"The Warden?" Zaraki scratched his chin thoughtfully as he looked to the side. "Well I don't see why not… but why did ya need to ask me about it?"
Ichigo shrugged, "Because I heard that you and he are friends and I didn't think I could just walk up to him."
Zaraki crossed his arms and nodded curtly, "Ya got a point." Then he lifted one arm briefly to look at his watch. "But two things… one, we're not actually friends. He's my second cousin twice removed, or some shit like that. I'm only nice to 'im 'cuz he got me this job after—well… You know." He gestured to Ichigo while glancing at the other quiet occupant in the room. Ichigo knew that he was referring to their previous line of work and nodded to show he understood. "And two," Zaraki continued, "He always leaves at three, so you won't be able to talk to him 'till tomorrow."
Ichigo nearly groaned as he grabbed his face. "Urghh… fine. What time would we be able to see him tomorrow then?"
Zaraki frowned as he thought. "He gets in at seven in the morning and, actually, I was gonna mention this to ya today—tomorrow is my day off. So just…" He scratched the back of his head and surprisingly looked anxious as he mumbled, "Try not to get yourself in trouble. I'll tell Ikkaku to keep an eye on ya, but he'll have his hands full keepin' track of King too."
"For fucksake, just call him Grimmjow. He really doesn't need the ego boost." Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation when Zaraki laughed. "But okay… thanks for letting me know. I'll ask some of the other guards where to go and I'll be careful."
"Well isn't that just adorable."
Ichigo tilted to the side until he could look around Zaraki's massive frame to see Red and White gripping the bars of their cell and looking inside with these giant smirks plastered on their face. Renji bent his knees and made dramatic kissy faces—even going as far as pretending to french kiss, while Zangetsu lowered his grip on the bars and started thrusting his hips with his head tilted back in mock ecstasy.
Ichigo felt mortified when other inmates on the way to their own cells stopped to watch in amusement.
Zaraki and Ichigo decided to just ignore them. Reacting to anything they did was like adding fuel to the fire.
"Get in line inmates!" That was Ikkaku's booming voice.
"Alright, man. Don't take any risks. I don't wanna come back to find you in solitary again." Zaraki said with a serious frown. Ichigo gave him a small salute while nodding.
"Not like I go looking for trouble." He sighed and stepped out into the hallway with the rest of the inmates. Kenpachi reached up and gave the shorter male's hair a little ruffle before taking his leave. He paused to whisper something to Ikkaku before going through the doors at the end of the hall.
Once him and his jingling bells were gone, Ichigo looked around and noticed Keigo was standing next to him. They were about the same height, Keigo being maybe a few inches shorter. He had his head down towards the floor so his bangs covered most of his face. Ichigo couldn't lock eyes with him no matter how much he tried.
Before Ichigo could say anything, the guards doing their count got to them and paused to check the clipboards. It was quiet as they made their way down the hall and then back around on the other side.
"Alright. Looks good. Everyone in your cells now!" Ikkaku barked once his team got back to him with a thumbs up. He watched with sharp eyes as all the inmates shuffled back to their respective rooms. As soon as the hall was clear, the metal gates slid closed and locked in place. Ikkaku did one last walk around before retreating from the hall, but not before shutting off the main lights.
"Psst. Keigo." Ichigo whispered softly as he tried to get the man's attention.
Keigo just brushed him off though and quickly burrowed under his covers. Ichigo stared for a good minute, debating whether or not to force the man to face him, but he decided against it. The guy has had a long day after the whole Bazz-B incident, so who could blame him for wanting to go to sleep?
Ichigo shrugged and ignored the curious stares from Renji and Zangetsu as he started towards his own bed. He made himself comfortable on top of the sheets and closed his eyes. He felt the bunk move as Renji crawled onto his own bed and he could hear Zangetsu as he did the same.
It was blissfully quiet for a record of 30 seconds before...
"Hey, so, spitfire." Renji called out, but he was using a hushed voice for once so that he wouldn't start another ruckus like last night.
Ichigo feigned sleep at first.
"Aw c'mon, noone falls asleep that fast, 'specially not in prison.."
He made a compelling argument.
Ichigo frowned and then softly bit out, "What."
"So which gang did you end up choosing? Was it the Shinigami?"
The prison went eerily quiet after that question; As if the whole hallway was holding its breath so they could hear his answer.
Ichigo huffed in irritation, but kept his eyes closed. "I told you I don't want to be a part of any gang.."
If it was possible, the air seemed to go completely still and then a dark force started pressing down on Ichigo. He wasn't sure what was happening but he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Did he miss something?
"But you have to choose one, or—" Keigo tried to say, but a pillow suddenly flew at his face from the direction of Renji's bunk.
Ichigo heard the bed above him squeak and even felt it bounce as the redhead sat up and glared at Keigo. Ichigo couldn't see the brunette's features from the dim lighting, but he saw his shadow as it cowered back under the blankets. Ichigo tilted to the side until he could look up at his bunkmate.
"You ain't gonna tell him, White?" Renji asked with a strange lilt in his voice, as if he hoped Zangetsu would keep his mouth shut. The white-skinned male was lying comfortably on his back with his hands folded atop his chest. He didn't bother opening his eyes as he shrugged.
"Don't know whatchu're talkin' 'bout, Red…" He mumbled sleepily.
Ichigo slowly pulled himself up and then turned to plant his bare feet on the floor.
"What did you neglect to tell me this time?"
Zangetsu spared Ichigo a tired glance before rolling over so he was facing him.
"Okay… so I maybeee, sorta, kinda, probably forgot to tell ya that if you don't join a gang…" He paused to yawn into his hand, "then ya become what's known as a 'Stray'." Zangetsu shrugged a shoulder and propped his head up on one hand as he waved the other around nonchalantly.
"Oh…" Ichigo leaned back on his elbows and rolled his neck to relieve the stress that just suddenly built up. "Whatever. I really don't care what I'm called anymore."
He jumped a little when he opened his eyes to find Renji's head dangling off the side, peering at him with narrowed auburn eyes.
"What?" Ichigo demanded quietly when the man kept staring at him. "Wait… what happens to 'Strays'? Is there something else I should know?"
Zangetsu didn't say anything and Renji's head retreated to lay back down, some of his red hair still dangling off the side.
"You just better hope that transfer of yours goes through as soon as possible." That was Renji's unhelpful answer before it finally went quiet.
Ichigo was going to have trouble getting to sleep tonight.
…
..
.
..
…
Despite what he thought, Ichigo had fallen into a slumber so deep that he never even heard the gates open in the early morning.
He apparently needed the rest because he didn't wake until 9 o'clock. He hadn't slept-in that late since he was in high school.
It took some effort to crawl out of bed, but he eventually made his way to the end of the hall with his prison suit zipped up and his shoes on. The first guard he ran into happened to be that shorty, Toshiro.
"Hey." Ichigo mumbled, still fighting off sleep. Ice-blue eyes snapped up and then inspected him closely. The officer did not look impressed.
"What do you want?" Came the cold reply.
"How would I go about speaking to the warden?"
The guard raised a brow curiously. "The warden is a busy man…"
"Just—" Ichigo suppressed the growl of frustration, "I just need 5 minutes of his time. I would like him to look into my transfer."
Toshiro scratched the back of his head, making his snow-white hair even more chaotic than it already was. He then sighed through his nose. "This way." Then he turned to lead Ichigo in the right direction.
They went down a few halls that Ichigo recognized, then Toshiro had to swipe his badge to let them into a separate part of the building. They had to stop at a metal detector with two other guards before they could go any further. He knew it wouldn't be easy to get to the warden's office.
By the time they finally got to their destination Ichigo felt antsy. He wanted to get this over with.
Toshiro led him to an open area with large windows and a long table where a woman sat. Ichigo almost tripped over himself when he got a good look at her. She was stunning!
Long, wavy, strawberry blonde locks and curves in all the right places. The most noticeable thing about her though was her chest size. Her bosom put even Inoue to shame—they could barely be contained inside that pink blouse.
Ichigo felt his face heat up when large, grey eyes looked to him and then switched to Toshiro.
"Well hello! Haven't seen you in a while~ and who is this?" She smiled up at Ichigo as they both walked up to the desk. She gave him a flirty wink as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Ichigo was trying so hard not to glance down at her cleavage that he could feel a bead of sweat roll down his temple.
He always got so nervous around pretty people—especially women that were obviously flirting with him. It was partially the reason why it took Inoue so long to have a proper conversation with him.
"Cut the act, Rangiku." Toshiro snipped with a cold stare. She puffed her cheeks out at him and pouted.
"Boooo. You're no fun…"
"Is the warden busy?" He asked.
Rangiku sat back in the chair and crossed her arms under her chest, which made her breasts jut out more. Ichigo forced himself to look up at the ceiling while fighting the blush that wanted to rise.
"He's with his son at the moment but I imagine the warden will kick him out soon. Go ahead and have a seat over there, sweetheart." She turned her attention back to Ichigo, but the poor flustered man still had his face aimed at the ceiling.
Toshiro sighed while rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I don't want to leave you alone with a violent inmate… No offense." He grudgingly added the last bit as an afterthought.
Ichigo shrugged. He couldn't really blame the guard for being wary of him. He was an inmate, and this particular guard knew Ichigo knocked out three men in the restroom yesterday. Plus, Ichigo fought with Grimmjow on his very first day here. Honestly, he's surprised he wasn't being escorted in chains right now.
"Aww we'll be fineee~" Rangiku grinned towards Ichigo while batting her long lashes and then leaned forward to rest her elbows on the desk. Her breasts were practically pouring out of her shirt at this point. "You wouldn't hurt lil' ole me, would you?"
Ichigo's face went ten different shades of red when she winked at him.
"N-no ma'am…" He mumbled while switching his gaze from her cleavage, back to the ceiling, and then to the ground. He was able to calm himself down by staring at the intricate designs that flowed across the carpeted floor.
Toshiro sighed in defeat. "Fine… I'll still have a guard posted in the hall just in case. The guard will also escort you back to your cell when you're done."
Both Ichigo and Rangiku nodded in understanding. The receptionist gave Toshiro an enthusiastic wave goodbye as he took his leave.
"Go ahead and take a seat over there, cutie—it might be another minute before he's available." Rangiku gestured towards the small row of chairs that lined the wall to his left. "I'll let him know you're here though." She hummed and waited until Ichigo had seated himself before pressing one of the buttons on her intercom.
"Sir." She paused and waited.
"... Yes, Ms. Matsumoto. What is it?" The voice was deep and bone-chilling.
"Just wanted to let you know that there's an inmate out here that would like to speak with you." She smiled to Ichigo who reciprocated with a much smaller one.
"Alright. I'll be with him in a minute." The intercom went silent after that and Rangiku went back to whatever she had been doing on her computer.
Ichigo waited patiently with his hands tucked into his lap and his eyes pinned to the carpet. He still wasn't sure what exactly he wanted to say to the warden. He wondered if he should mention what happened with Sousuke? Ichigo imagined that saying anything would only bite him in the ass.
He only had to wait for about three minutes before the heavy wooden door located behind Rangiku finally opened. Ichigo remained seated but then jumped to his feet when the first person walked out. He instantly recognized that tall pink mohawk and sharp jawline.
Bazz-B's eyes lit up when they locked with Ichigo's and the biggest smirk spread across his face. He didn't seem surprised to see him though.
The man that walked out behind him was tall and lean with shaggy, ebony hair that fell passed his waist. He also had a very impressive moustache and, judging by the impeccable way he dressed in his sharp suit and leather shoes, this was the warden.
Didn't Rangiku say that he was speaking with his son?
Wait…
FUCK no!
Ichigo felt his features twist in dread when realization sunk in, and Bazz-B fed off the expression.
"Well! Later, pop!" Was all Bazz-B said—JUST in case Ichigo didn't figure out that they were related on his own. Bazz-B then threw a wave over his shoulder. He didn't need an escort or anything as he confidently strolled down the hall and made his way back into the cellblock.
For a brief moment Ichigo wondered who had more power and influence, White or Bazz-B. He really didn't want to find out though...
The warden didn't say anything to his son as he watched him walk away. Sharp, crimson eyes snapped to Ichigo and quickly looked the inmate over, almost as if he were sizing him up.
He didn't speak a word, he just motioned for Ichigo to step inside his office. The orangette stiffly nodded and walked straight in and didn't stop until he was standing next to the… sofa?
Ichigo looked around and blinked when he realized the office was set up like a living room. There was still a desk, but it was tucked in the corner of the large room. The L-shaped furniture took up most of the space with a long coffee table and an actual television set up. A cabinet and a shelf with one of those Keurig coffee machines and a small box refrigerator. There was also another door on the opposite side of the room, Ichigo assumed it to be a closet, maybe for office supplies or something.
This guy must spend a lot of time in here… but Kenpachi said he leaves pretty early in the day?
Ichigo decided not to think about it too much and turned to watch as the warden stepped inside and closed the door behind himself.
"Please," He rumbled in his deep voice, "Make yourself comfortable." He gestured to the couch and Ichigo slowly did as he was told.
This was a little odd… right?
"You must be Ichigo Kurosaki… am I correct?" He assumed as he sat in a chair on the other side of the table.
"Uh. Yes, sir." Ichigo crossed his arms and tried not to fidget.
"My name is Yhwach Ishida, but to keep things simple I'd like you to call me Warden." He said with clear seriousness etched across his long face. "Understood?"
Ichigo gulped and nodded. This guy was intense.
"Now… What can I do for you, Mr. Kurosaki?"
"Well, Mr. … I mean Warden." Ichigo started and nearly kicked himself. This was his last chance and he really hoped Bazz-B didn't fuck it up for him. "In court, the judge said I had to serve my sentence of 8 months in the Karakura Minimum Security Correctional Institute. So I don't know why I ended up here—no offense to your prison, sir, but…" Ichigo paused to scratch his cheek nervously when Yhwach's expression remained as stern as ever. "My lawyer, Byakuya Kuchiki, should have emailed you my transfer papers…"
For a long moment the warden stayed quiet. He leaned back in the chair and pressed his long fingers together as he contemplated. Ichigo couldn't help the nervousness that was beginning to build up in his gut.
"I see…" Yhwach slowly leaned forward until his elbows rested atop his knees. "I'm at a loss, Mr. Kurosaki…" Ichigo blinked and tilted his head in confusion as he waited for the man to continue. "On one hand, Zaraki has nothing but good things to say about you. And on the other hand…" He gestured to the door, where his own son had just walked through and Ichigo nodded in understanding.
Fuck…
"And now that I meet you face to face, I can see what all the fuss is about." A tiny smirk quirked at the corner of his lip as Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed. Yhwach leaned back into the chair when his frown returned. "Dr. Aizen also showed me the signed papers that brought you here in the first place. You claim to have NO recollection of signing the papers, is that correct?" He hummed thoughtfully when Ichigo nodded.
"Yes, sir. The signature looks like mine, but I know I didn't sign those papers."
Ichigo felt his knee bounce impatiently as Yhwach sat quietly in the chair. After a few seconds the warden slowly stood and smoothed out his suit as he walked towards the Keurig.
"Would you like a cup of coffee, Mr. Kurosaki? Or I have tea, if you prefer." Yhwach asked as he placed a small flavor cup in the machine. Ichigo felt his mouth go dry when he realized just how thirsty he was.
"If you don't mind, coffee would be great." He tried not seem too excited about it, but he hadn't had coffee in what felt like forever.
Ichigo twiddled his fingers together as he waited as patiently as he could. He watched as Yhwach grabbed a bottle of water from a cabinet, along with two mugs. He poured the water into the machine and placed the first mug in its spot before starting it up. He then turned to the small fridge to retrieve a bottle of creamer.
"How do you like your coffee?" Yhwach asked without turning around.
"Oh… Black is fine."
The warden nodded.
Once he was finished with his task he handed one of the mugs to Ichigo. The inmate looked down into the dark liquid with a grateful smile.
"Thanks." He raised the cup in a 'cheers' motion before finally taking a sip. Yhwach waved off his gratitude as he sat back down with his own coffee.
"So," Yhwach started, instantly capturing the other's attention, "Are you from Karakura?"
Ichigo took another sip before answering, "Yes. Lived there most of my life… Why do you ask?"
Yhwach held his mug in both hands as he slowly swirled the liquid inside.
"We've had a couple of inmates from that same city. One of which looked very similar to you."
Ichigo scratched his cheek with a small chuckle. "You're probably thinking of my cousin, Kaien Shiba. He was here for about a year."
"Ah yes. Interesting." Yhwach took a sip from his cup. "Karakura is just full of bad men it seems…" he lowered the mug with one hand while he tapped his chin with the other. He hummed as if in deep thought, and then the corner of his lip quirked up into a smirk. "Even serial killers." Ichigo felt his skin crawl and his chest twist in anticipation.
"What are you talking about?"
"I can't recall the man's name… But he got pretty famous 20 years ago. It was all over the news." Yhwach watched intently as Ichigo tried to keep a straight face. "If I remember correctly though, his first murder was a woman in Karakura… And the only witness to the crime was a small boy that she'd been protecting—Her own son I believe." Yhwach paused to soak in the rising emotions that flashed across Ichigo's face. Anger. Frustration. Confusion. Sorrow. "But then the killer disappeared without a trace." Yhwach placed his half empty cup onto the table while Ichigo tried to distract himself by downing the rest of his lukewarm coffee. It turned extra bitter near the bottom.
From the way Yhwach spoke of the event, he must have known that Ichigo was that little boy. He must be referring to the killer who murdered his mother.
Grand Fisher.
That fucker was the whole reason Ichigo's life turned out the way it did.
Until Inoue came into his life and forced him to settle down, Ichigo had dedicated every ounce of time and energy he had to finding that man. He even joined the army to follow someone who had information on Grand Fisher, which was actually how he met Grimmjow and—Ichigo shook his head. This conversation was starting to stir up some fragile memories.
"Why are you telling me all this? Can we please just discuss my transfer." Ichigo practically snarled. The mug clattered loudly against the glass as he tried not to slam the cup down.
Yhwach's crimson eyes glittered with some foreign emotion that Ichigo couldn't pinpoint. Then he was up and walking briskly to his desk. He sifted through some papers that were organized on top until he found what he was looking for.
"Can you confirm that these are the correct documents that your lawyer wants?" He asked as he held a few sheets of printed paper out for Ichigo to grab. "Are these your transfer papers?" He reiterated as the inmate read through each little paragraph just to make sure.
"Yes." Ichigo confirmed with a nod. Yhwach hummed as he snatched the papers back and then fished a pen from the small pocket tucked inside his suit jacket.
He bent down to sign the papers on the coffee table so that Ichigo would witness it with his own eyes. His signature was large and had lots of unnecessary twists, but it was unique.
"Thank you." Ichigo let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and his body felt much lighter, like a huge weight was just lifted off his shoulders. It was finally done.
"Do you trust me to send these to your lawyer, or would you rather hold on to them yourself?"
Well shit…
Ichigo tensed once again when crimson eyes stared straight into his own.
Could he really leave those papers to this warden? Yhwach Ishida was a dangerous man in his own right. His power within these walls were undeniable. He was also obviously well informed—there's no way it was purely coincidence that Yhwach mentioned the killer from Karakura.
Ichigo quickly shoved the thoughts of that terrible night away as he reached out for the papers, but he hesitated. If he took them then there was always the chance that one of the other inmates, like Bazz-B for example, would try and take it.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed at the thought and he quickly slid the papers from Yhwach's fingers.
Just let those assholes try, Ichigo will guard these with his life!
"Thank you, and I apologize for taking up your time." Ichigo bowed his head politely before standing from the couch.
"You're welcome. Make sure your lawyer gets those as soon as possible."
"Will do." Ichigo threw over his shoulder as he quickly started towards the door, just to prove how impatient he was to get this over with.
"Oh, and Mr. Kurosaki." Yhwach crossed his arms as he eyed the smaller male. Ichigo stopped walking but didn't turn.
"Yes..?" He said to show that he was listening.
"Should you ever decide to change your mind about the transfer, come and find me."
Ichigo continued walking and opened the door just as he replied, "Thanks for the coffee, Warden." And then he was out of the office. He closed the door behind himself just as Rangiku turned and smiled at him.
"How'd it go?" She asked.
Ichigo didn't smile back this time but he at least slowed his pace to say, "I got what I came for. Thanks for your help." He didn't give her time to start up a conversation as he continued his way into the hall.
The guard waiting for him was someone he didn't recognize. The man was about his height with silky blonde hair that fell down his back. A few strays locks drooped across his slender face and golden eyes flashed up.
Ichigo glanced down at the nametag across his uniform to see that his name was Jugram Haschwalth. Ichigo didn't feel confident enough to even attempt pronouncing that.
"Would it be alright if I made a phone call before going back to my cell?"
The man only nodded before gesturing for Ichigo to follow. The inmate was right on the guard's heels and stayed close as he carefully folded the transfer papers he finally had in his grasp. Then he placed it in his right pocket for safe keeping.
Not a word was said as they passed through the metal detectors and through the other correctional officers guarding the halls. They eventually came to a stop down a short hall that had windows all along one side showing a view of the yard. On the opposite side was a line of large wired phones that looked much like payphones you might still see at an airport.
"Do you know how to get back to your cell from here?" Ichigo jumped and looked up to see Jugram was staring at him expectantly.
"Yeah.." Ichigo nodded. He almost wanted to ask if Jugram would wait and escort him to his cell, but that was almost as bad as admitting that he was scared.
The only thing he was afraid of right now was losing his papers, and he knew there were people in here that would take them away in a heartbeat.
Jugram waited a moment longer before leaving the inmate to his own devices. Ichigo took a quick look out the window as he stepped up towards one of the phones. He spotted Tattoo and Renji playing basketball on the court, but those were the only familiar faces he saw among the small group of inmates. Thankfully, he was alone in the hall at least. He put the phone to his ear and started dialing but he paused when his vision swam. A sudden wave of dizziness hit hard and almost dropped him to his knees, but Ichigo quickly smacked himself in the face. It seemed to do the trick and he was able to compose himself long enough to clear his head.
What the hell was that?
He knew he hadn't really eaten properly the last couple days but this felt like something else.
Not wanting to waste any time guessing, Ichigo braced himself against the dividers beside the phone and finished dialing. It rang about three times before someone finally picked up.
"Karakura Defense Attorney Office, Byakuya Kuchiki speaking."
"It's signed. I have it." Ichigo decided to skip introductions when the floor tilted beneath his feet. It felt like his equilibrium was doing fucking cart wheels.
"Ichigo?" Byakuya sounded both surprised and relieved. "That's great. I can stop by tomorrow morning and pick them up."
Ichigo shook his head, too out of it to realize Byakuya couldn't actually see him. "Can't wait. I have the only copy and the warden's son is—"
The call went dead when a hand suddenly reached around Ichigo's head to press down on the small lever in the cradle, the same place you would hang the phone. Ichigo felt his blood go hot when he turned to find white canines grinning down at him.
"You rang?" Bazz-B joked with a chuckle as he pressed his hands against the dividers on either side, boxing Ichigo in.
"Get away from me, asshole." The orangette hissed, but Bazz-B just pouted. Ichigo reached up with both hands to push Bazz-B away, but the floor spun beneath his feet again. Instead of pushing the man, Ichigo wound up clutching his shoulders to keep from falling.
"Woah. Easy there~" Bazz-B cooed with a giant smirk slapped across his face. "Heheh… You drank the coffee, didn't ya?"
Ichigo's fists clenched in Bazz-B's uniform and he used the grip to growl in his face. "What're y'talking 'bout?" His lips were starting to drag behind and his eyesight blurred.
Bazz-B didn't answer him though. He just threw one of Ichigo's arms over his shoulder and started leading him away. Ichigo didn't have the energy or the sense to fight back, he was too busy trying to keep his eyes open.
This was bad. Very, VERY bad.
Ichigo gritted his teeth when he stumbled over his own feet, but Bazz-B kept him upright. "Why did…" He paused to shake his head to try and clear it, but it only made him more dizzy. "Your father drug me…?"
"Hmm?" Bazz-B hummed, smirk still slapped on his lips. "Oh. Cuz I asked him to."
"Why?" Ichigo's voice fell into a whisper. Even if Bazz-B answered the question, Ichigo wouldn't have heard it, because he completely blacked out at that point.
He thought he'd built up an immunity to strong drugs during his training, but that had been a long time ago. Seemed like forever since he even really thought about his time in the army. Now it seemed his past kept coming back to haunt him in this godforsaken place.
...
..
.
TBC