Lies Open Prison Doors

Chapter 7: Scapegoat

Ichigo was just an orange blur as he weaved his way through the bodies crowding the yard. Sure, it was a decent sized fenced in area, but it wasn't big enough for such a large audience. The shouts and jeers got louder as he made his way closer to the middle.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Dumbass! That's the new King, show some respect, asshat."

"Oh shit. Sorry man!"

Ichigo ignored the inmate he had collided with in order to keep pushing forward. His presence became known soon enough, and everyone began making a path for him.

Just as he was about to break through the front row of inmates, a firm hand snapped out and grabbed him by the arm. The grip nearly yanked his shoulder from its socket, but Ichigo whipped around to soften the pull. He looked up to see a bald head glinting in the sunlight, momentarily blinding him.

Ichigo really wanted to ask if Ikkaku waxed his head every morning to get it to shine like that, but judging from the look on his face, he was in no mood for jokes.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ikkaku hissed while tugging him closer so he could snarl in his face. "You promised to stay out of trouble, remember?!" A few curious inmates glanced over to see what was going on behind them. As they turned, they unintentionally gave Ichigo a clear view of what was happening in the very center of the yard.

To Ichigo's growing relief, it looked like the fight hadn't officially started yet. Zangetsu and Grimmjow were at least ten paces from one another. The stalemate wouldn't last long though, judging from the way they were circling each other. Hushed murmurs and loud jeers mingled, and he could hear bets being placed.

Bets on who would LIVE.

If that wasn't enough to make his skin crawl, then the guard on the other side of the crowd pulling out a fucking body bag, definitely made the situation sink in.

Ichigo continued to ignore Ikkaku's nagging as he focused back on the two fuckheads still sizing each other up. Grimmjow's cobalt eyes were wide and alert as he inspected his opponent's every move. His guard was up, and he tried to stay loose by hopping back and forth on each foot, keeping himself on his toes. It was like watching a boxer dance around the ring, but instead of boxing gloves were a pair of brass knuckles.

White seemed much more relaxed, with his shoulders slumped and a big grin on his face. He was slowly prowling forward, not at all tense or nervous.

"Fuck…" Ichigo cursed under his breath, and his eyes went wide when the silver glint of metal caught his eye. White had an actual dagger in his grasp. Scratch that, he had TWO blades.

He knew White, and even Grimmjow, held some semblance of authority within these walls, but to have actual weapons like this? So why were the guards just—

Ichigo's thoughts stopped dead. All he could do was watch as White suddenly raced forward. He was fast. Ichigo could barely keep track of him.

Good thing Grimmjow had the reflexes of a natural born killer*. He only had to tilt his chest and head to dodge the swipes aimed straight for his neck. Zangetsu was going for a quick kill, but predictable movements like that would only work on easy targets. When he moved in for another swipe Grimmjow's right fist popped up, catching him right under the chin. Teeth clacked together, and Ichigo wouldn't be surprised if he bit a chunk of his tongue off with the way he'd been grinning.

Zangetsu stumbled back with a snarl, but then he quickly righted himself before Grimmjow had a chance to bring up his left hand for a combo punch.

That was always one thing Ichigo could grudgingly admit about Grimmjow: His instincts in a fight were on a-whole-nother-fucking level. The advantage Zangetsu had in speed would only get him so far; he'd have to catch Grimmjow by surprise.

Zangetsu slid back a few paces and took the time to wipe the back of his hand across his mouth. He spat out the jolly rancher he'd apparently been sucking on this entire time, and the noticeable red tint of the candy confirmed Ichigo's suspicions about his tongue.

"Why aren't you stopping this?" He whirled on Ikkaku with a sneer, and the man tensed at the sudden rush of anger aimed at him. He didn't let his grip on Ichigo loosen, but he held him at arm's length in case Ichigo decided to start swinging.

"Like they would actually let me," Ikkaku grumbled under his breath.

"What are…" Ichigo didn't bother finishing his question. He knew what Ikkaku meant. One look around and the answer was obvious: If it weren't for the uniforms, both the guards and the inmates would be impossible to differentiate.

These roaring men were here to witness blood.

It was their entertainment.

This place was more like a roman colosseum than a modern day prison, and Zangetsu was their lion.

This was beyond anything Ichigo could understand, let alone figure out how to stop.

When the crowd around them started hooting, Ichigo tried to return his gaze to the middle, but more bodies had pushed themselves forward to get a better look. He stretched up onto his toes, but he still couldn't get a good angle.

"Yeahhhhh! Get 'im!"

"Slit his throat!"

"Woah! I didn't even see it happen!"

"Damn he's fast!"

Ichigo felt bile sting the back of his throat as a sickening feeling started to twist his stomach. Judging from the shouts, the fight had turned on Grimmjow and the fact that he couldn't see what was happening made it worse.

"Ikkaku, let me go." Ichigo hissed over the noise. He jumped up and down to try and peer over the heads in his way, but Ikkaku's hold on him was making it difficult. He managed to get a quick peek, but all he saw was a blur of white and blue rolling on the ground.

"Nuh-uh. If you go out there, then White will kill you." Ikkaku drawled before tightening his grip. "Then Zaraki would kill me."

Ichigo snapped. He quickly thrust his palm up under Ikkaku's chin, stunning the man and making his grip falter for a split second. Ichigo ripped his arm free and then tried to slide between the bodies standing in his way, but Ikkaku had an impressive recovery. Fingers just barely grasped the back of his jumpsuit in time and hauled him back with a grunt.

Ichigo really needed to stop underestimating people here.

"Shit, that hurt." Ikkaku rubbed at his chin carefully, but he didn't seem as pissed off as Ichigo expected. "Look, man." Once he had the angry inmate's full attention, he let go and raised his arms in surrender. "I won't stop you if you seriously want to get yourself involved, but just to warn you—if White, for some reason, decides to keep you alive, then every single guard watching this fight are gonna do everything they can think of to add points to your record after this is all over." Ikkaku saw Ichigo tense at the information and he seems conflicted, but his body was still turned towards the center of the crowd.

Ichigo had to make a decision. Was stopping this fight worth his chance at freedom? Was it worth jeopardizing his only hope of ever reuniting with Inoue? Of getting back to Nel? Of...

Ichigo's thoughts trailed away and the noise around him dulled until all he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat. His blood burned beneath his skin and adrenaline shot through his veins. His emotions simmered and broiled when he got a good look at the man towering behind Ikkaku.

Grand fucking Fisher.

It was really, truly him.

Ichigo's vision wavered as his mind was sucked back twenty years. Memories of when he was little and cowering over his mother's lifeless body, trying in vain to protect her from the shadow standing over them. It was dark and rainy: perfect ambiance for the traumatic situation.

The man was much older and bulkier now, and his brown hair was thick and matted like a mane. His forehead a little longer due to a receding hairline. However, his eyes and his grin hadn't changed a bit, still dark and twisted.

Ichigo's fists clenched and he sneered, but Grand Fisher wasn't even paying any attention to him. His gaze was focused solely on the fight. He just happened to be tall enough to look over the entire crowd for a clear view.

"Aw come on, he almost had him!"

The muted fog that had engulfed Ichigo finally evaporated and his head felt clear. He felt focused. He knew he wasn't leaving this place without answers and something about the whole situation stunk. Ichigo was determined to find out now more than ever, even if it meant staying here longer than necessary.

"There it is! Keep on 'im this time, White!"

But first thing was first.

Ikkaku shook his head in disappointment when Ichigo disappeared under the waving arms of the men in his way. Why did Zaraki have to be friends with such a stubbornly suicidal brat?

Ichigo stumbled through the front row of inmates, but nobody had really noticed him yet. He could see them now, especially since they were no longer on the ground. Grimmjow had small, fresh cuts along his forearms which had already stopped bleeding but there were a lot of them. Zangetsu was faring much better with no noticeable injuries and that teasing grin still plastered on his face.

Ichigo felt himself flinch as White swiped his right hand in a diagonal arch, inverted eyes wide and manic. Grimmjow tried to dodge out of the way, but the serrated edge of Zangetsu's dagger caught his left shoulder and then ripped down the abdomen all the way to his opposite hip. The jumpsuit and the metal zipper did nothing to stop his blade.

The crowd surged into an uproar at the first sight of real blood and Ichigo had to dig his heels in when they all crowded closer. Grimmjow quickly backed away, so he wasn't within striking distance, but he just got pushed right back forward when he ran into the wall of bodies. He ducked to avoid the next swipe that was coming from the other direction. While Grimmjow was bobbing and weaving Ichigo took a moment to examine his chest. The cut didn't look deep, but the amount of blood that was seeping into his torn clothing wasn't good.

Ichigo couldn't tell if Zangetsu was purposefully keeping the cuts shallow or if Grimmjow was barely fast enough to dodge the attacks.

"Tch. You think a lil' scratch'll scare me off?" Grimmjow goaded while crouching low. He struck out, catching Zangetsu in the ribs before jumping back to dodge another swipe at his neck. White giggled and hopped back a few steps as well, forcing the crowd to expand and give them room to breathe. He spun the dagger around his finger expertly before grasping it. He lifted the blade to his lips and let his blue-ish tongue swipe over the edge, tasting the blood still staining the metal. "Gross," Grimmjow's lip rose in slight disgust.

With a scoff, Zangetsu took the blade that he'd just licked clean and raised it up. With a swift flick of his wrist and a strong sweep forward, the dagger went flying from his hand. Grimmjow gulped and his gaze dropped to find the weapon sticking out of the ground, just centimeters from his big toe.

He shouldn't have looked down.

Zangetsu was on him in a flash and he had Grimmjow pinned to the ground with his heels digging into the man's flexed biceps and his butt firmly planted on his bleeding abdomen.

Grimmjow grunted in pain and hissed under his breath, but otherwise didn't make a sound. He continued struggling until he noticed the shimmering glint of metal hovering over his forehead.

"Say your peace, Blue. Ya only get five seconds…" Zangetsu graciously offered as he took his hand and wrapped it around his prey's throat, fingers clenched just beneath his jawline. He kept the man's head still as he aimed the dagger.

"Fuck you." Grimmjow snarled before attempting to resume his struggles. Just as Zangetsu raised the weapon to plunge it straight between Grimmjow's eyes, Ichigo surged forward without thought.

No matter how much he hated Grimmjow for ratting him out, his first instinct would always be to save.

Air left Zangetsu's lungs in a rush and his eyes went wide when two feet collided with his ribs.

The world spun as he was sent soaring and the dagger he'd been holding clattered to the ground. Most of the crowd jumped out of the way as Zangetsu rolled across the concrete. He eventually slid to a stop on his face and when he didn't immediately get back up, Ichigo took the opportunity to glance at Grimmjow.

His skin was turning pale and his breaths puffed out in short pants from his previous struggle. The wound on his chest was still bleeding too much for Ichigo's liking. He held out a hand but it was predictably swatted away.

"No one asked you to butt in…" Grimmjow grunted as he slowly rolled onto his knees and then struggled to lift himself up. Ichigo knew better than to expect any thanks, so he wasn't offended by the negative reaction. Instead, he returned his gaze to Zangetsu and watched the fallen man press his palms into the hard ground. He pushed himself back to his feet with one powerful shove. He kept his head down and his back turned while calmly brushing off the front of his prison suit. Zangetsu then slowly raised a hand to his own face.

Was he injured…? Ichigo hadn't really meant to hurt Zangetsu, just to get him a good distance away.

"Ya know…" A hush instantly fell over the entire yard as everyone hung on every word. They soaked in White's reaction, craving the promise of blood stitched into each word. "I was startin' to wonder if you'd come to the rescue, Mr. Hero…" A shiver crawled up Ichigo's spine when the metallic growl of Zangetsu's voice turned thick and dark. Then he finally turned to face them. He paused before removing his hand, and Ichigo winced at the raw flesh that was revealed. He must have dragged across the concrete because now there was a large scrape across the left side of his face**. It looked more like a burn than a scratch, but the blood that oozed and dripped from his white skin made it seem much worse.

"This needs to stop." Ichigo spoke up firmly, addressing the crowd as well as Zangetsu. "This is fucking barbaric!"

All eyes snapped back to White, waiting to see what he would do next. They all assumed those words would be Ichigo's last, but White didn't attack right away. He just slouched forward and grabbed a handful of snow-white hair, his long fingers gripping the silky strands tight. Then to everyone's surprise, Zangetsu suddenly threw his head back and laughed. He cackled and wheezed until he eventually ran out of breath and dropped his hand from his hair. He wiped an amused tear from his eye before it could soak into his wound.

And to think Ichigo had been peacefully lying beside this man in his bed not even an hour ago. Ichigo wondered if him having sex with the guy was the only reason he wasn't trying to slice him open.

"Ya come to MY prison, ya puff out your chest and manage ta beat up a few weaklings, and suddenly ya think you can flip our whole lil' society upside down!? And in just a few days!?" Zangetsu laughed again, and this time a few stray chuckles from the crowd joined him. "You must be crazier than I am!" Now they were all laughing. Zangetsu gestured to Ichigo while adding, "Wouldjya guys please move him so that Grimm and I can continue our lil' conversation..?" He waved his hand in a shooing motion as he bent down to retrieve his dagger that had slid across the yard.

Ichigo didn't make a sound as the first inmate came forward to do White's bidding. He twisted the man away by his wrist and then swept a leg under the smaller male coming up behind him. A guard came forward this time and Ichigo had to jump sideways to avoid the taser gun that had aimed right for his chest. Ichigo winced as he lifted his right forearm to block the baton aimed straight for his temple by a second guard. Grimmjow was no help at all, he just stepped back and peeled off his shirt so he could inspect his bleeding torso.

Ichigo got overwhelmed when more and more hands joined the struggle. He was forcefully wrestled to his knees with his arms pinned behind his back and long fingers pulled at his hair, forcing his head back to expose his throat.

Well… So much for saving the day…

Ichigo cringed as he was pulled backwards, his knees dragging along the rough cement.

"Wait! Fuck! I said wait!" Ichigo panicked when Grimmjow was no longer in his line of sight. He tried to look down but the hand in his hair yanked him back, forcing his vision to stay locked on the clear, cloudless sky above. "Let me go!" He thrashed in their hold until one of his hands were free and then reached up to twist the man's wrist until his hair was finally released.

Ichigo kicked out at the inmate that tried to restrain his arm once again as he elbowed one of the bodies behind him.

"Stop! Don't kill him!" Ichigo felt his body freeze when he heard a pained grunt. He couldn't see what was happening, but he could hear their struggles. "Dammit!" Ichigo turned and punched at the man still holding his other arm, but the inmate twisted away and yanked up on the limb in his grasp. Ichigo hissed in pain but ignored it. The guard that was gripping his shoulders to keep him down suddenly shoved forward, smacking his bruised cheek right into the ground. The others moved to hold down each of his limbs before he could squirm away. They had Ichigo completely pinned down, but at least now he could clearly see Zangetsu and Grimmjow. "Please!" Ichigo's pride stung at the word, "I'll do anything you want, just don't kill him!" He tried to bargain. He heard a few amused chuckles float from the crowd as he begged, but he was more focused on Zangetsu's reaction. The man had Grimmjow pinned face down this time and he sat across his shoulder blades to keep him still. He paused in his descent to lock eyes with Ichigo. A sliver of interest sparked through his golden irises making hope sprout in Ichigo's chest. "That's right—Anything!" He emphasized.

Zangetsu's hooded gaze shifted down Ichigo's body as it strained and struggled against the hands holding him down. Golden eyes snapped back up to watch Ichigo's expression as he ruthlessly plunged the dagger down into Grimmjow's left shoulder. His blade slipped straight through the hunk of meat and muscle and kept going until it caught against his collarbone.

Ichigo's eyes widened and utter despair contorted his features at the unexpected turn. Zangetsu's lips twisted into a sick smirk and he licked at the patch of blood stuck at the corner of his mouth in excitement. Ichigo's expression was delicious: He had actually thought he stopped him?

Grimmjow took the strike with a biting curse but otherwise stayed silent. Zangetsu was rather impressed at the man's pain tolerance and wondered what it would take to make him scream. He twisted the dagger roughly and glanced down as Grimmjow threw his head back. His sharp fangs were revealed through snarling lips and gritted teeth.

"Motherfucker! That all ya got you sick fuck?!"

Loud curses and pained grunts… not quite the sound Zangetsu was looking for.

Grimmjow writhed and moved until he could get his knees underneath himself. He tried to push up and throw Zangetsu off, but the man forced all his weight down on his upper back and used the dagger to keep him pinned.

"White! Don't!"

Said man didn't bother looking back at Ichigo as he replied, "Just cuz I fucked ya doesn't mean you can boss me 'round, King." The last word was said with a little more bite than he intended, but Ichigo was starting to get under his skin. His smirk only returned when he felt Grimmjow jolt beneath him and then lift his head to glare. Did Zangetsu detect a little bit of jealousy? With a wide grin, he leaned over to whisper cruelly in the man's ear, "Tha's right—I had him moaning my name." He paused when he noticed Grimmjow go limp and then he snorted in disbelief. SNORTED!?

"You're a fuckin' liar," Grimmjow bit under his breath, his voice so soft that Zangetsu almost didn't catch it at first. But he did, and his grip on the dagger tightened. He roughly twisted it again while pushing down, watching the blood ooze up and soak his fingers.

If that wasn't enough to show how serious he was, he also added in a whisper, "I meannn, he was pretty drugged up when I had my way with 'im, but I didn't hear any complaints~ Ichigo's a kinky lil' fucker too, ain't he? He really got goin' when I spanked 'im." Zangetsu leaned back with a satisfied smirk when he heard the threatening growl. He then looked up and exclaimed in a voice loud enough to address the whole crowd, "Blue here wanted a fight, so I'm givin' him one!" Zangetsu chuckled as he yanked the dagger from Grimmjow's flesh, making the man swear some more. He watched as the crimson liquid leaked and squirted from the severed veins. It dribbled down and slowly pooled around them, soaking into what remained of Grimmjow's prisonsuit.

"Fucking hell! Sto—"

"Quit wastin' your breath!" Zangetsu snapped at last. "There's nothin' ya can say to stop this! So just lay there and shut the fuck up!" Irritated, Zangetsu decided playtime was over. He usually tried to drag out his fights as long as possible—for entertainment purposes as well as to sate his own bloodlust, but Mr. Hero just had to ruin it with his whining. Zangetsu raised the dagger high and looked down into enraged cobalt eyes before dropping his hand for the final blow.

"I'M REAPER!"

Ichigo panted as he continued to struggle, but then he blinked in surprise when the hands that had been holding him vanished. A hush fell over the crowd and Ichigo looked up to see that everyone was slowly backing away. That wasn't a good sign.

Ichigo's gaze shot back towards Zangetsu and he quickly rolled himself to his feet. Narrowed inverted eyes were inspecting him, scrutinizing every little detail of his face. After Shinji's warning and the reaction of the crowd, Ichigo was expecting a lot of different reactions, but definitely not an amused snicker. Zangetsu's laugh escalated into a cackle that shook his whole body.

Grimmjow used this as his chance to escape and managed to yank his uninjured arm free. Zangetsu's laugh never faltered, even when brass knuckles collided with the damaged side of his face. Grimmjow placed a strong hand against Zangetsu's torso and shoved him away, allowing him to climb up onto his knees. He stumbled to his feet as he put a hand against his wounded shoulder to try and stop the bleeding.

Ichigo wasn't sure what to do. He kept his guard up just in case the others decided to grab him again, but his focus hadn't left the other two.

"What's so funny..?" He dared to ask.

Zangetsu's laughter died off with a soft sigh and he popped back to his feet with ease.

"For a second I thought ya said you were Reaper. But I musta heard ya wrong, cuz there's no way…" He trailed off as he took another good look at Ichigo's face. Then something seemed to click and all emotion drained from his face. His lip curled as he hissed, "That's how you know Kenpachi." Ichigo panicked for a split second and looked around, but the people watching just looked confused and began whispering to each other. Right, they wouldn't piece together that Captain Zaraki was Kenpachi. His listless thoughts zeroed back to Zangetsu when he saw the man take a step forward. Pale fingers clenched around the weapon still in his grasp. "Fuck!" Zangetsu cursed as he spun and swiped at the air erratically. He stabbed and punched at no one in particular to unleash his bottled up anger. The people gathered around them took another step back to keep their distance from White's wild rampage.

"Fucking FUCK!" Zangetsu roared up at the sky and then spun back around to pin Ichigo with a seething glare. "Of all the damn—Why you!?" Before Ichigo could open his mouth to make any type of response, Zangetsu snapped, "Fuck it! I don't give a shit. Tell ya what, Reaper!" His eyes never left Ichigo as he pointed a finger towards Grimmjow, who was looking very pale. He was barely able to remain standing but the determined sneer on his face showed that he wouldn't go out without a fight. "Ya really wanna save this piece a' shit?!" He paused long enough to see Ichigo nod before continuing, "Then ya better come and get 'im 'fore he bleeds to death."

A challenge.

"I'm not going to fight you." Ichigo took a step back as he shook his head. He knew what Zangetsu was trying to do, but he really didn't want to hurt the man. He felt bad enough for scratching up his face.

Besides… Ichigo's been in enough fights today.

"We'll see 'bout that." Zangetsu rushed him without warning. Ichigo raised his forearm to lock with the other's, stopping the blood-soaked dagger just before it sliced into his jugular.

This guy was really trying to KILL him!

Zangetsu wasn't smirking or snarling anymore. The playful glint in his eyes was gone, replaced by a murky shadow of dark intent. He was both determined and lethal. Zangetsu pushed back against Ichigo's forearm, using the strength he's acquired from years of living in this hellhole to overpower him. Ichigo's muscles trembled beneath the sheer force.

When the sharp sting of metal pressed against his throat, adrenaline shot through his veins, breathing new life into his bruised and weary limbs. Ichigo shoved back with renewed strength and then quickly twisted his arm to grasp Zangetsu's wrist.

The pale inmate didn't seem at all bothered by Ichigo's retaliation. He calmly reacted by letting the weapon fall from his fingers so he could catch it with his other hand. He then swung to stab Ichigo in the gut.

That trick probably would've worked if it wasn't for Ichigo's lightning reflexes. Zangetsu tried to be unpredictable as he spun and swapped the weapon between each hand with every strike. It was an impressive display of skill and his speed made it difficult to predict such chaotic movements.

Ichigo winced when he was too slow to completely avoid the jab aimed at his face. The blade nicked his cheek and a small speck of blood squirted into his eye. Ichigo realized he was thinking too much. He needed to focus. He blinked away the blood to clear his vision just as Zangetsu jerked around to stab his side. Ichigo allowed his mind to shut off in that moment. He suppressed his thoughts, making sure nothing could leak as he calmed his breathing. His body was forced to rely solely on instincts to dodge and block each attack.

The crowd was still, whether from awe or fear, no one could tell for certain. Maybe it was a bit of both.

They'd never seen anyone actually oppose White. It was especially impressive because Ichigo had no weapon of his own and White wasn't playing around anymore.

Ichigo's body moved purely by reflex which made his movements twitchy, and he lurched more than he dodged, but he didn't have much choice without something to block the dagger. He waited until Zangetsu tried to spin around behind him again and quickly snatched his elbow, which was currently attached to the weapon. Ichigo's hold stopped him in his tracks. Zangetsu's arm was forced up so that he couldn't grab the dagger with his other hand. Ichigo then went to throw an arm around his neck for a chokehold, but Zangetsu grabbed the arm and then twisted Ichigo up and over his shoulder with a strong sweep.

This guy was crazy strong! Ichigo rolled when Zangetsu lunged to stab him and then they both scrambled back to their feet.

Zangetsu was panting.

Good.

All those fancy moves must be taking its toll on him. Everyone had a finite amount of energy, even in a deathmatch with adrenaline pumping through your system. Ichigo just had to wear him out.

"Why do you hate Reaper? What did I do to you?" Ichigo asked to try and get some answers and because he was a little breathless as well. However, his words just seemed to piss Zangetsu off. Ichigo was lucky that looks couldn't kill, because the malicious glare aimed at him was terrifying.

"Don't you fuckin' play stupid with me!" Zangetsu bellowed in outrage. He didn't give Ichigo time to compose himself as he rushed forward again and again. He was relentless.

Ichigo glanced up to check on Grimmjow when he noticed the man wasn't alone. Luppi had squeezed his way through the barrier of taller inmates to get to them and immediately started fussing over Grimmjow's injuries. The bluenette snarled at the close proximity and shoved the little guy out of his way so he could pay attention to their fight.

That split second Ichigo took to look up cost him. He saw the glint of metal in his peripherals and cringed when he realized what was about to happen.

'Shit!'

Another second passed and he was still alive. Ichigo blinked and looked up to see that his arm had automatically lifted to catch Zangetsu's hand. His fingers were wrapped firmly around the other's smooth knuckles.

Zangetsu seemed just as surprised, his white brows pinched in disbelief. Ichigo smirked in understanding; He was growing accustomed to Zangetsu's fighting style.

Inverted eyes widened when Ichigo suddenly pulled him closer by the grip on his hand. He blinked owlishly when Ichigo's other hand reached up to clutch his jaw. Zangetsu felt his skin crawl and his chest squeeze when those warm fingers pressed gently to his skin. His limbs were frozen in shock and he just stood there as his face was turned sideways. He had to look through the corner of his eye to see soft brown irises staring back at him. They flicked up and then down to inspect his injured face.

"You… You can't be Rea—" Zangetsu shook his head from Ichigo's gentle hold and shoved all the thoughts and emotions he'd felt in that split second into the darkest pit he could find.

Of course this man was Reaper!

Now that Zangetsu knew, it was too obvious! What threw him off was the genuine concern reflected in those big chestnut orbs. How could the infamous Reaper be such a suffocatingly lovable softie!? But he wasn't really soft, was he? Ichigo had made that perfectly clear during the auction and all the way to this very moment. Ichigo didn't seem at all worried about their fight anymore either, which only infuriated Zangetsu more.

With an irritable huff, he tried to rip his hand free, but Ichigo was determined to stay in control of the dagger. He couldn't just switch hands with Ichigo's talons caging him in their iron clutch either. He guessed he could still strangle the man at least.

Zangetsu reached up with his free hand and let his fingers curl around Ichigo's neck to slowly squeeze the life out of him. All Ichigo had to do was release his other hand and try to break free, but he did neither. Ichigo gritted his teeth after he choked on his next breath. He reached up to grasp the hand around his throat, but didn't attempt to pry the fingers away.

"What did I do..?" Ichigo coughed when the grip tightened. He still wanted to get through to Zangetsu without having to fight, even as he was starting to feel lightheaded.

"Stop tryin' to talk yer way outta this! Take a good fuckin' look at my face and tell me you have NO IDEA whatchu did!"

"I Don't… Know..." Ichigo gasped out as he flicked his gaze across Zangetsu's bloodied face. He honestly had no clue what the man was getting at.

"Let him go, White!"

Zangetsu blinked and then peered over his shoulder when he felt something sharp press against the middle of his back.

"You've gotta be shittin' me…" He reluctantly released his hold, allowing Ichigo to breathe. The man gulped a few mouthfuls of air before peering over Zangetsu's shoulder to see Keigo. The poor guy was trembling. They were surprised he could even stand with the way his legs shook; Like there was an earthquake that only Keigo could feel. "Seriously? And with my own fuckin' dagger?" Zangetsu groaned when he saw the familiar silver glint. He tried to face the thieving little scaredy-cat, but Ichigo's grip on his hand kept him from fully turning. "And you guys just let him join?!" Zangetsu shouted up at the sky, but the words were aimed towards his lackey's amongst the crowd. He scoffed at the mumbled apologies he heard.

Too fucking late.

Zangetsu eyed Keigo's frightened form and sighed through his nose. "Get outta here, Pup. This doesn't concern you…" He growled under his breath.

Said Pup cringed at the dark tone but his quivering arms never fell. He went to speak, but all that came out was a raspy whimper. He had to gulp down the nervous lump caught in his throat before he could finally say, "N-no!" He pressed the dagger forward slightly, poking the edge through Zangetsu's suit to the pale skin beneath, but White never made a sound. Keigo's teeth chattered as he continued stuttering, "Ichig-go has been the only one in this whole f-fucked up place to help me! I p-promised to have his ba-back—And I will! Even f-from you, White!"

Poor guy was so frightened.

Ichigo's shoulders drooped but a small, grateful smile tugged at his lips. Keigo was a good friend… He didn't deserve to be dragged into this mess.

"Zangetsu's right, Keigo… This doesn't concern you. Just put down the knife and get back." Ichigo's smile dropped and he used a deep, forceful voice for good measure. Keigo's head fell and his arms lowered little by little, but he hadn't completely backed away yet. "I don't need your help, so get going!" Ichigo shouted, letting a sliver of anger leak into his voice to help scare the man away.

Keigo flinched and then slowly peeked up through his bangs. He looked to see Ichigo's expression clouded with concern but then it shifted to curiosity when his gaze snapped towards the left. Keigo turned and nearly jumped out of his skin.

Grimmjow was standing right next to him.

"Hand it over…" The man grumbled under his breath with one hand raised and waiting, bloody fingers curling impatiently. Keigo glanced back at Ichigo to see the man nod in encouragement. Zangetsu, on the other hand, had resumed his struggles to free his limb from Ichigo's infuriatingly strong grip.

"Don't you fuckin' dare, Keigo! I will KILL you if that dickwad touches my dagger!" Zangetsu turned and stretched as much as he could to grab Keigo, but his other arm was being used like a leash to hold him back.

The weapon slipped from Keigo's shaking fingers in shock and he jumped backwards to avoid the pale fingers that swiped at him. Zangetsu was yanked backwards by Ichigo and, instead of resisting, he instantly whirled on the orangette.

Ichigo snapped his head to the side and then dropped it forward to avoid the punch aimed at his temple. To keep Zangetsu from swinging again, Ichigo spun him around by his arm and quickly pulled so that the other's back was pressed against his chest. The movement looked more like a dance than a fight, which helped stun Zangetsu long enough for Ichigo to readjust his hold.

Zangetsu cursed and struggled when Ichigo strong-armed his own hand up until the dagger in their grasp was now pressed against his pale throat. He even tried to reach up with his other hand to push back against his own wrist, but Ichigo looped his arm around to pin the other to their side. Ichigo's limbs shook with the effort to keep the sharp edge beneath Zangetsu's chin.

"Just stop… I don't want to fight you." Ichigo muttered desperately as he pressed his forehead to the sweaty neck in front of him.

Zangetsu knew that Ichigo could finish it if he really wanted. The orangette was holding back to keep from slitting his throat only because he was being nice.

Zangetsu had never felt so pathetic—so humiliated in his whole goddamn life!

"Kill him!"

Ichigo's grip almost slipped in shock at the loud command, but then he recovered and glared over his shoulder. He wasn't sure who had spoken since it came from the mass of bodies surrounding them.

"Yeah! Kill him! Slice him up!"

"Blood. Blood! Blood! Blood! BLOOD!"

Each voice joined in one by one until every loud chant vibrated through his chest.

Were they serious?

"So much for your 'society'..." Ichigo whispered in Zangetsu's ear. He frowned when the man's struggling suddenly ceased, almost causing him to plunge the dagger into his neck. Ichigo waited to see if Zangetsu would fight some more but then he took a chance and relaxed his fingers. The loud chants drowned out the dagger's clatter as it fell.

Had Zangetsu really given up?

"Hey!" Ichigo shouted, his voice barely heard over the noise. He completely stepped away to face the madness as he continued, "Enough already! No more blood!"

"You heard the King!" Heads turned and the crowd parted gradually to reveal Bazz-B's smirking face. He stepped forward until he was a few paces from Ichigo's tense form. He then mockingly bowed his head while saying, "Your majesty…"

Ichigo chose to ignore the taunt. Bazz-B frowned at the lack of response but then straightened with a shrug. He shifted his gaze to White, who was still just standing to the side, wallowing in his own disgrace.

"White!" He called out but the man didn't even turn to look at him. "You gotta tell me," Bazz-B continued regardless, "How did it feel to be balls deep in the guy responsible for your arrest?"

The emotions that were supposed to rile up Zangetsu must have gotten wrong directions, because it was Ichigo that stepped forward with narrowed eyes.

"What are you talking about…?"

Bazz-B's smirk doubled in size when chestnut orbs stayed fixated solely on him. He raised his chin and ran a hand over his mohawk as he basked in the attention.

"You seriously don't know? And you're supposed to be THE Reaper!?" Bazz-B chortled "Take another good, long, look at White," He waited until Ichigo did so before continuing, "Ya can't say he doesn't look exactly like you..?"

Ichigo's brows pinched in confusion. Now that he really thought about it… The shape of his face and their body types were very similar. He'd been so distracted by Zangetsu's inverted eyes and lack of color that he never really noticed before. Even the shape of his nose and the lines of his scowl matched Ichigo's own.

But—

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ichigo wondered aloud. He wanted to hear the answer from Zangetsu himself, but Bazz-B wasn't about to waste his opportunity in the spotlight.

"Not very bright, are ya?" He snorted. "But I suppose it was a while ago… How long has it been, White? You got here… about—what—like 10 years ago, right?" Said man still refused to look up but his hands were clenched into tight fists. Emotions began to seep through the blank facade as anger simmered beneath his skin. It boiled over until he was hissing through clenched teeth.

Ichigo quickly ducked down to retrieve the fallen daggers before Zangetsu could attempt another killing spree. Then he looked down at the ground in thought.

10 years?

That was around the time he got his very first basic assignment as 'Reaper'. It had been a training mission… or so he'd been told. He'd fucked up and accidentally got himself recorded on a security camera. He remembered being scolded for it, but his mentor told him not to worry about it. They convinced him that the whole thing was a set-up for practice. He definitely made sure never to screw up like that again—that's for damn sure.

Ichigo idly traced the grip of the daggers with his thumbs as he thought back to his mission. He was told to sneak into someone's house to get copies of some sort of paperwork. Simple, basic stuff. Ichigo couldn't recall too many details but he never received much information in the first place. His mission dossier had only contained specifics on security plans and what to look out for; Nothing about who owned the property or what the information would be. Ichigo had thought it was a little strange, but he was getting paid enough to not think too much about it at the time.

Thinking back on that night, he remembered the feed from those security cameras being in black and... white.

You could almost see the light bulb go off above Ichigo's head when it finally clicked.

They could easily mistake Zangetsu for Ichigo without color. What if his mission hadn't been practice? What if they used this poor guy as a fucking scapegoat?! Depending on his lawyer, that surveillance evidence would be enough to at least convict him.

Dammit!

That's exactly what happened, wasn't it!?

Since no one had spoken for a minute, Bazz-B decided to continue, "You shoulda heard the way he whined like a lil' bitch when he first got here; constantly crying 'I'm not Reaper! I'm not Reaper!'. It was pretty pathetic…" Bazz-B's lips curled with sick pleasure when inverted eyes glared at him. White didn't attack though. Disappointed, Bazz-B huffed with a frown and shrugged. He then turned to address the crowd, "Looks like that body bag is stayin' empty today, boys!"

A soft echo of boo's and disappointed groans traveled around. Some complaints rose over the noise.

"Just when things were getting interesting…"

"This is some bullshit!"

"Let 'em finish, Hotshot! I didn't drag this thing out for nothin'!"

"Yeah! I already put money down! I ain't leavin' until White—"

"White ain't in charge!" Bazz-B dipped his head in Ichigo's direction before eyeing the familiar faces around them. "Besides!" He yelled, making most of them pause to listen as he said, "You morons picked a terrible day for a White Fight. Right dad?" His head turned towards the entrance and everyone else instantly followed his gaze.

The warden, Yhwach Ishida, was standing by the open doorway, rage and disappointment seeping from his crimson eyes. He wasn't the only one in the entrance. Standing on either side of him were two people, a man and a woman.

The first thing Ichigo noticed was the large camera propped on the man's shoulder. A steady red light was blinking in front of the bulky machine, proof that it was currently on and recording. Ichigo then took a closer look at the woman. She was young and had a slim, dainty figure. Her hip-length, dark-magenta hair was pulled up into long pigtails. She seemed like an innocent little girl, but that calculating look on her face as she gripped the wireless microphone close to her chest said otherwise.

"Mr. Ishida," She began with a satisfied grin curling her ruby-red lips, "What sort of primitive prison are you running here? I'm sure the senator will have something to say about this."

Yhwach spared her a sideways glance before switching his hard gaze to each guard hidden among the crowd.

"Woah, that's Riruka of channel 6 News."

Ichigo heard the whispers as they shuffled forward.

"Damn she's so hot in person~"

"What I wouldn't give to smell her hair~"

"What's a reporter doing at Hueco Mundo?"

The whispers died off when Yhwach stepped forward. He didn't even have to say anything. The guards all jumped up as if their mental program just finished updating. Some immediately formed a barrier in front of the reporters, separating them from the inmates, while the rest started corralling everyone back inside. The guard that had brought out the body bag kept his head down as he rolled it back up.

"Make sure those two get to the infirmary." Yhwach instructed with a serious scowl as he pointed to both Grimmjow and Zangetsu.

Grimmjow snarled at the guard that grabbed him, but he was too weak to really fight back at this point. Blood gushed from the wound in his shoulder when he tried to pull his arm away. Ichigo could tell the bloodloss was starting to take its toll on him as he stumbled. Zangetsu's face was still a wreck on one side, but the cuts and scrapes had stopped bleeding at least.

"Ey, yo! I can walk without you holdin' my damn hand, ya fuck." Zangetsu snapped as he ripped his arm from the other guard's grasp. The man huffed at him and tried to grab his arm once more, but Zangetsu swatted him away.

"Cuff him." Yhwach demanded coldly when Zangetsu refused to cooperate. The pale inmate hissed and struggled as he was wrestled into a pair of very short handcuffs.

"I ain't done with you yet, Reaper! You're a dead man! Ya hear me!? You're fuckin' dead!" Zangetsu shouted as he fought against the hands pulling him towards the building."I'll getcha when ya least expect it! You can't hide from me now! I'm gonna—" that was the last thing Ichigo heard him yell before the doors closed.

Well shit...

Eyes were on him now and Ichigo was unsure of what to do or say at the moment. Maybe he should go with the crowd of inmates back to their cells? He wanted to make sure Grimmjow would be okay, but he knew his presence would just upset the man. Plus, the guards probably wouldn't let him out of this section of the building.

"Ichigo."

Aforementioned inmate snapped his head up only to lock eyes with narrowed crimson. Yhwach was staring directly at him and it was unnerving. Ichigo tensed when the man glanced down meaningfully, reminding him of the daggers still in his possession. He immediately dropped the weapons and then raised his hands in surrender when some of the guards started circling him.

They lunged forward as soon as his hands were empty and forced him onto his stomach. They lifted/dragged him out of arm's reach of the daggers before cuffing his hands behind his back. Then they lifted him to his feet and pushed him forward until he was standing before the pissed off warden.

Ichigo was tempted to spit at the man for drugging him earlier today, but decided against it.

"Lock him in solitary until I have a minute to deal with him." Yhwach commanded with a dismissive wave of his hand. Ichigo growled under his breath but didn't argue or fight back as a large hand grabbed him by the nape of his neck to direct him forward.

Ichigo blinked when the female reporter, Riruka, ducked between the line of guards to rush into his face, her outlined eyes wide and excited.

"Did that man just call you 'Reaper'. Did you stab and beat up those two men? Did they threaten you? Were you forced to defend yourself? How long have you been here?" She rattled off a bunch of questions while shoving the microphone towards his lips. Ichigo tried to stop and listen, but the guard insistently pushed him towards the building. Another guard broke the line to try and pull Riruka a safe distance away, but he seemed too nervous to touch her, especially with a clunky camera inspecting the whole scene.

"Sorry, can't talk." Ichigo had learned a while ago that the less information you say in these situations, the better. Riruka pouted at the response and hopped in step beside him.

"That's too bad. If you change your mind, I'd love to have a chat with you." As she said this, Ichigo felt her hand graze his hip. He looked down and just barely caught the white flash of a business card before it disappeared in his left pocket.

The unrelenting guard didn't seem to notice, or didn't bother saying anything, as he shoved Ichigo forward, forcing him to quicken his pace. Ichigo looked over his shoulder to watch Riruka miming 'call me' with a wink before Yhwach slammed the doors shut.

Ichigo remained quiet as he was steered back towards the solitary section of the building. The guard had to swipe his badge and put in the code for access and then quickly pushed Ichigo into the nearest empty cell.

He assumed the guard would lock him in and that would be the end of it. He didn't even expect to be uncuffed at this point. If Yhwach was pissed, then the guards would probably follow with gusto, especially since he ruined their precious 'White Fight'... Ichigo kept his eyes glued to the floor and his whole body wilted in defeat when he heard the door shut, but the guard hadn't left the cell.

Figures the guy would want a free shot. Ichigo couldn't properly fight back like this, and he was so tired of fighting… whatever the guard planned to do, he picked the perfect time to take advantage of Ichigo's broken mind, body, and spirit.

"Mannn… Did all that training leak out of your head or something? You've gotten pretty clumsy and reckless, Reaper..."

Chestnut eyes blinked in pure disbelief when they snapped up to find a frustratingly familiar face grinning back at him.

"Ginjou?"

...

..

.

TBC

*— I REFUSE to compare Grimmjow to a cat more than absolutely necessary.

**— I imagined the scratches looked a lot like Ichigo's hollow mask in the Anime.