AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you'd like to experience the full weight of this story I recommend reading it on Archive of Our Own where I can actually put up the Illustrations! BUT if you prefer this website and would still like to see the images you can view them on my TUMBLR (username the same: GrimmIchiForeva)

It might be useful because I've created a map of the whole Prison

But, other than that, enjoy!

Unbeta'd

Nelliel stares back at her reflection, a sad pout stuck on her small, childish face. Her usual flowing, teal locks were tangled in horrendous knots and sprinkled with sand from rolling around on the playground. Both her arms and shins caked with dried mud, and the pretty dress that Uryuu made for her was covered in grass stains.

None of that mattered to her though.

Nelliel's face twisted as she reached up to brush frizzy bangs aside, revealing that old, familiar scar: The rough patch of skin between her eyes, something that has always been there… but now it looked strange…

No. It looked 'ugly'.

Nel grew up with it—It was part of who she was, like a birthmark or a freckle, but after meeting the other kids at school, she was starting to realize that maybe it was something... different?

She thinks back on those times she caught Ichigo staring at it, his brown eyes turning hollow and lifeless... Like her connection to him—to his love, got cut-off. Nel hated that look. But it was 100x better than Ichigo not being here at all! Sure, they spoke on the phone, but hearing his voice only made her want to see him more!

A hiccup burst through quivering lips and tears welled in her big, gray eyes.

"Gggrrahh-ah-hahhh!" Nel blubbers and yanks at her bangs in frustration. She wanted Ichigo back! Why couldn't he be here!? Why did people take him away!?

She wanted answers!

"Nel?" The pitter patter of bare feet echoed down the hall until Inoue came to a stop at the playroom. This wasn't the first time Nel randomly burst into tears. Ever since Ichigo got arrested it's happened more and more frequently.

"No. No! NO!" Nel stomped her foot then shoved the gentle hands away. She didn't want to be coddled! She wanted to see ICHIGO! He was the only one able to calm her emotional outbursts. He had a way of speaking and working out her troubles, turning them into a lighter, more manageable, feeling.

Inoue bit her bottom lip and wilted when tiny, yet stubborn, hands continued to push her away. Nel wants her gone.

With a small, choked-up sigh, Inoue stood back to her full height. She takes the time to make sure Nel isn't hurt anywhere before finally giving up and turning away. She'd stay upstairs, just in case, but Nel was. So. Stubborn . When they got back from the park, Inoue tried—she really, really tried—to coerce her into cleaning up and taking a nap; Just like she told Ichigo she would do, but Nelliel's most recent mission in life was to be as difficult as toddlerly possible. She won't even come out of her room until dinner is ready…

With a sound similar to a battle-cry, Nel ran over and used her full weight to slam the door shut, smacking Inoue's rump on the way out.

So much anger in such a tiny body...

Nel stomped her foot a few times as she circled the room to get her point across, then she flung herself onto the little cot in the corner. A spot she usually takes her naps in, but has recently dedicated to breakdowns instead. She whined and cried and thumped her fists against the mattress. Thankfully, for Inoue's sake, the sad noises were smothered by a pillow. It took about ten minutes for her to finally wear herself out. Nel slowly flopped onto her back to take a long, fresh breath of air.

Tap .

Nel heard the sound, but didn't think much of it until she heard it again, a little louder and more insistent this time.

Tap, Tap.

It was coming from the window… Curious, Nel crawled out of the cot and climbed to her bare feet. She wiped away any tears that the damp pillow couldn't soak up. Once at the window, she flinched when something small and black soared towards her face but then hit the glass.

Tap.

Was someone throwing pebbles at her window?

Nel blinked and stretched to her tiptoes so she could peer over the wooden pane and down into the backyard, where a petite woman stood in the grass. She had short, raven colored hair, cut into a smooth, perfect line, stopping right below her chin; with bangs just as neat and straight across her brow. Her heart-shaped face was clean and unblemished, making Nel feel self conscious. With a short grumble, she reached up to make sure her own curly bangs were splayed over the ugly scar before squinting down into those pale, pretty peepers. With a nervous gulp, Nel quietly lowered her head until she could just barely see the stranger.

Wanting to trust the nervous twinge in her stomach, Nel considered running away to find Inoue, but she paused when the woman waved up at her with a friendly smile. She then silently motioned for Nel to open her window. The timorous little girl pressed her lips together nervously, but the anxious bubble in her chest slowly dissolved when she thought: 'why not?'—Nel was, after all, on the second story, so there was no immediate danger. Her small hands struggled to push the heavy window up while the woman waited patiently.

Once wavy, sea-green hair and wide, gray eyes were visible, the woman let her hand drop.

"Well, hello there." She spoke in a gentle voice so as not to spook the child, as well as to keep their conversation just between them. Soft, pink lips lifted into another sweet smile when the girl ducked her head down but didn't disappear completely. "Your name is Nelliel, right?" Nel only gave a small nod in answer. "I thought so—not many little ones with such beautiful hair." The mystery woman cooed, making Nel blush. After agonizing over her ugly scar and weird hair all day, it felt nice to be complimented. It still wasn't enough to get a verbal response, so the woman continued in that soothing tone, "I've heard a lot about you. Your father misses you very much."

Nel's head popped out of the window, eyes huge and sparkling with unsuppressed excitement. "R-really?" She choked out, suddenly emotional, and the woman chuckled because she finally got a reply.

"Of course. He thinks about you every day, and he really wants to see you…" She stopped to see how Nel would react then continued when she saw a hopeful grin, "He sent me here to ask if you'd like to see him too?"

Nel was surprised by the offer but immediately nodded. Of course she wanted to see Ichigo! Her head moved with such eagerness that she almost smacked it against the window.

"U-uhm.. C-can Nel sthee him now? Isth he coming home?" Nel questioned quietly, face glowing with hope.

The woman hummed, her eyes narrowing mischievously, but then she lifted both arms in a welcoming gesture.

"Your father has a few things he needs to take care of first, but he sent me here to pick you up. You see that shiny car over there?" She pointed and Nel followed the direction. Over her fence, on the other side of the street, where a clean, white limousine sat quietly. It was parked in the neighbor's yard, partially hidden behind a long row of bushes. Nel looked back down at the woman who was still smiling sweetly at her. "If you'd like to see him today then meet me in that car, but don't tell your mommy." She lifted a single finger to her lips while flashing a subtle wink.

"W-why not?" Nel demanded. She didn't like secrets.

"Because Inoue doesn't WANT you to see him. She's trying to keep you all to herself—So selfish…" The woman tutted and frowned to show her disapproval. Nel actually found herself believing it: remembering how reluctant Inoue had been to let them talk on the phone... and the way she asked Auntie Karen and Yuzu if they could take her to see him… Even young, naive, Nelliel could see that her mommy was avoiding Ichigo.

Is that why he had to leave? Not because he was a 'bad guy'—but because Inoue was 'selfish'?

Nel was pretty confused right now, but one thing she knew for sure: she wanted to see Ichigo!

"O-okay… I'll twy." She finally whispered down to the mystery woman. Of course Nelliel knew she wasn't supposed to go with strangers, but was the woman really a 'stranger' if Ichigo sent her?

"Take your time, cutie." The woman called softly and then she added, "You should wash your face and change—don't wanna look dirty for your father, do you?"

Nel pouted at the suggestion, but nodded before shutting the window. Once she disappeared back inside, the woman's sweet smile warped into a victorious smirk.

That had been way too easy.

"Like mother like daughter, I suppose," She snickered in amusement, thinking back to the girl's REAL mother, and how easily she tricked that desperate woman into joining Grand Fisher.

Bait. That was her job, even at 8 years old.

She lives only to serve Grant.

Her father.

Her boss.

Her master .

Humming quietly to herself, she jumped over the prettily carved wooden fence, then made her way back to the limousine. A quick look around to make sure the area was empty before getting comfortable in the driver's seat. She never once noticed the reflective glint of glass through crisscrossing branches in the adjacent yard.

…

..

...

The last few hours had been so dull and uneventful that Tsukishima was convinced Ginjou and Ichigo were both a couple of worry-warts. Who in their right mind would ever want to hurt Inoue: The sweetest and most delicate angel to ever grace this earth. Or little Nelliel-Tu: The most adorable toddler to ever hock-a-loogie.

"Well, wouldja look at that …'' He shifted his high-tech binoculars to a single hand so he could jot down the license-plate number of a certain pearl-white limousine.

Normally scouting (AKA 'baby') assignments like this were given to new recruits. Unfortunately for Tsukishuma, Xcution was ridiculously short-handed at the moment. Even if they DID have a spare recruit, Ginjou went straight to him with this; A request from Reaper—how could he refuse?

With another curious hum, he shuffled forward on his knees, disturbing the small layer of dust that blanketed the abandoned treehouse. Funnily enough, this wasn't his first 'treehouse turned base of operation'. Let's just say he's known for a long time that he wanted to be a spy. Smirking to himself at the memories, Tsukishima pressed a button at the top of his device to zoom in closer then clicked a separate dial. This allowed him to see through the suspiciously dark tint of the limousine's windows; Heat vision was quite useful in just about any situation.

After watching the woman toss pebbles at Nel's window—which he made sure to take a few quick pictures of—he started gathering up his things. He then used his trusty directional microphone (the kind with the parabolic dish) to eavesdrop, but the only useful information he caught was that this woman had been sent by Nel's father.

Tsukishima is no fool—he knows Ichigo isn't really her father. He and Ginjou were both THERE that fateful day; when Reaper came crawling back from Grant's hellish mansion, a newborn baby cradled gently in his arms. It took a lot of coaxing to get Ichigo to finally release the child and even longer to get them into separate rooms.

Tsukishima sighed and huffed his way out of that memory to focus on the slim figure inside the limo. She was shifting around and adjusting her mirrors before pulling out a phone.

She was waiting.

The woman seemed quite young, but who knew nowadays. With the technology that existed (Granted, a lot were classified and only Tsukishima and a few others even knew they existed) he stopped assuming anyone's age a long time ago.

His finger rolled over a switch, changing the vision to X-ray [soft] to see what else might be hiding inside the vehicle. Pretty ordinary at first glance but there was some interesting stuff in the trunk. He could make out the outline of weapons; Most of them small semi-automatic pistols and two heavy-duty assault rifles, complete with extended magazines and laser-sight attachments. If that wasn't enough, he spotted four hand-sized, oval objects—He allowed himself to hope that maybe, just maybe, they weren't grenades, but the way his gut twisted in recognition didn't bode well.

What was this woman up to…?

Tsukishima let the binoculars dangle around his neck from its leather strap. He then snatched up his pack and made his way down the old, decaying steps nailed haphazardly to the tree. Using overgrown bushes for cover, he snuck closer to the vehicle. He paused halfway to use the binoculars again, gazing through the myriad of leaves and wooden fences. Thankfully, the woman's head was still aimed at Reaper's front door. Tsukishima crouched low and rounded the fence, using the length of his legs to travel quickly and quietly. Careful to stay inside the limousine's blind spots, he was able to duck behind without being seen.

All he needed was his homemade electronic key and a magnet to pop the trunk's lock without setting off the alarm. He kept a firm grip over the latch so it wouldn't fly up then slowly opened it, only enough to reach inside. Luckily he had skinny limbs; It made this part of the job a lot easier. He placed a small, round, wireless tracker under the carpet, tucking it back into the darkest corner. Done with that first part, he glances at the two gym bags lying in the shadows. It was dark and hard to see, but he knew exactly what lurked inside those bags…

Tsukishima unzipped and rustled through the nearest one until he found what he was looking for. A black web-belt with pockets sewn along the length. In each pocket, clipped and locked securely in place, were fragmentation grenades. He carefully draped the belt over his shoulder then closed the trunk with a quiet click .

He lowered himself closer to the ground and pulled up his binoculars to make sure the woman hadn't noticed him yet. He jumped a little when he saw another warm body heading their way. His muscles tightened with dread.

Nelliel.

The specs dropped from his hand and he peered around the trunk to watch with his own two eyes as Nel hopped away from the driveway and onto the road. His knee-jerk reaction was to open his mouth and yell at her for not looking both ways, but he managed to choke it down. He only watched as Nelliel skipped towards the car, 'Bawa-Bawa' swinging at her side. She didn't seem stressed or upset at all. On the contrary, she had a big smile on her face and a little hop in each step, like she was about to go out for ice cream or something.

To Tsukishima's slight relief, Nel actually did hesitate once she got to the passenger door. She rocked back on her heels and gripped the large stuffed toy with two arms. Feet shuffled and she looked down at both mismatched sneakers. Her shoelaces weren't tied quite right, one lace loose and the other not tied at all—which meant Inoue didn't prepare her for this little trip. Inoue was still up on the second story of the house, Tsukishima confirmed with a quick sweep of his specs.

Dammit.

He held out a hand to get the girl's attention, while trying to stay out of any mirrors.

Nel was too focused on the door to notice him. She squeezed BawaBawa tight, as if she could absorb some courage from it, then finally reached for the knob. She had to back up a few steps to swing the door all the way open. She clambered up the black, leather seat using her whole body. Once she was settled inside, Ms. Mystery Woman got out and started walking around the front of the car.

Cursing, Tsukishima crawled the opposite direction and waited until the woman's back was turned before diving for the bushes. The sound of Nel's door clicking shut sounded much too ominous in the open air. He held his breath until the driver's door closed then released a long sigh.

Tsukishima was tempted to stop this whole thing right then and there.. He should be hauling that woman through a shattered windshield right now; demanding to know what the hell she was doing. However… that wouldn't produce any real answers. He had a funny feeling that this woman wouldn't give up anything willingly. He needed to get to his car and follow them.

He also needed to call Ginjou and apologize for calling him a 'paranoid drunk'.

…

..

.

..

…

The crunch of cartilage cracked beneath Ichigo's fist as he punched his attacker square in the face. Blood gushed from the man's nostrils and he reeled backwards with a pained yelp, allowing another inmate to take his place. Same thing happened to the next man, and then the next, until five full-grown men were huddled against the wall, groaning in pain and nursing their brutalized faces.

Ichigo didn't feel a single ounce of remorse for them.

All he wanted—ALL HE ASKED FOR—were some fucking directions to the gym, or 'training room', or whatever the hell they wanted to call it. That's it!

But no. They couldn't just point a finger. Instead, they had to demand a fight for the information.

Is this what being 'King' was like? Can't even ask a simple question without being challenged left and right for the stupid title… and this was only a small taste of what Grimmjow had to go through for years —Although that maniac likely enjoyed the constant action.

Unfortunately for Ichigo, said 'stupid title' was the only thing keeping him from being sold in the Auction. Otherwise he'd gladly concede the cursed thing! If ever given the choice, he'd give it back to Grimmjow—'cause he felt bad for taking it in the first place. After reconnecting with the strangely charismatic man, Ichigo truly wanted them back on good terms.

"Alright, alright… we give… King .." The only fallen inmate without a bloody nose announced as he helped one of the others to their feet. Ichigo didn't say anything as he waited for the directions he was owed. "It's between A and B wing—just keep goin' down one of 'em 'til you get to the doors that says 'Exercise Room'..."

"Thank you," Was Ichigo's crisp reply then he stormed out of 'A' wing's restroom, where he'd been forced to stage the fight: he didn't want to get caught by the guards and wind up with another goddamn point.

Just one more measly point, just one, and that paper he somehow managed to get to Byakuya would be completely worthless. He'd be stuck here 8 years—unless Yhwach, the spiteful bastard, decided to add even more time after that Bazz-B situation… Well, really, Grimmjow was the one who should be watching his back for that little fuck-up.

No... Not really 'fuck-up', because Ichigo would be.. uhm… On all fours… so to speak… If not for…

The whole incident was still fresh in his mind yet so blurry . He wasn't conscious for most of it—so it was hard to truly believe that Grimmjow raped the guy… Sure, the motherfucker had it coming, and deserved much more after what he's done—not just to Ichigo, but to Keigo and the rest of his 'pets'... But for Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, an honored and devoted military man, to stoop so low. To become a rapist . Not that he, an assassin, had much room to criticize… but there were certain lines you just don't cross.

Ichigo had a special list of things he deemed unforgivable, a rather short list—but one he kept close at heart. It helped keep his morals intact.

Killing a child or baby was the most unforgivable one, as well as child molestation. BIG fucking 'No, No's. Of course rape of any kind wasn't far down that list, but to 'take the innocence' of a child… there's a special place in hell for people like that. Even the thought of it left a bad taste in Ichigo's mouth and made him want to reach for his old dagger (only to remember he didn't have it anymore). Killing an unarmed woman was also on that list—for obvious reasons...

Ichigo shook his head, not wanting to continue down that train of thought.

At least Nel and Inoue were okay. He got to talk to them on the phone and just remembering Nel's happy voice made his heart warm with bliss. His family, no matter how broken it might seem at the moment, was okay and his ass was rape-free, all thanks to Grimmjow, and—yes, yes, Ginjou played an important role. But Ichigo didn't see him, nor Zaraki, kicking down Bazz-B's door—or rather, tearing down his sheet . Ichigo felt himself blush all over again when he remembered how undeniably hot Grimmjow looked when that white fabric fell away; absolutely unhinged, covered in blood and fresh bruises, the air around him sizzling with fury.

It reminded Ichigo how much fun it used to be to make the man jealous, which was entirely too easy. Not to mention the sex afterwards… Mmm. His bottom lip found solace between his teeth as he recalled how raw and—Ichigo reached up to claw at his own face in frustration.

No matter how many times he tried to banish Grimmjow from his thoughts, his brain kept doing goddamn loopty-loops. And with the way it all kept shifting in that direction, he might assume Bazz-B's love-drug was still wreaking havoc in his system. Maybe he should've gone with Zaraki to Medic… but it was too late for that.

Chestnut eyes narrowed and shoulders tightened when he realized he was standing in front of large, metal doors. A clear label with the words 'Exercise Room' was placed high enough to be directly in his face.

How long has he been standing here?

Ichigo let out another groaning sigh. He already decided he wanted to be back on Grimmjow's good side… which meant getting the Gym back for him and his 'boys'. In order to do that, Ichigo needed to convince an entire gang to give up newly acquired territory..

How the fuck was he supposed to do that without offering something in return—Because that's how it worked in here, right?

Get something, give something.

No free favors… That kinda bullshit.

But what could he possibly offer besides his own body..? Althouugh… that's been the main currency in this sick, demented place. Would that really be enough though?

For the love of everything holy—Ichigo was fed up with being groped, pinned down, and passed around like a damn chew toy.

There had to be a better way.

Ichigo hesitated and debated his options for a long time. He didn't realize he was blocking the way until two inmates came up behind him. One of them cleared their throat to get his attention, and Ichigo peered over his shoulder. Thankfully it was just Yumichikka and Shinji. Averting his gaze nervously, Ichigo shifted out of the way. He wasn't quite ready to go inside yet; He didn't have a plan of action, and Grimmjow's words kept echoing in the back of his mind..

'I wouldn't recommend goin' in there by yourself—we'll go there with ya.'

He probably should've waited to see if Grimmjow would follow him, but Ichigo had too much shit to do before lockdown tonight. He was almost tempted to seek out Kisuke's help, but that would be degrading. Reaper wasn't a wuss. He could handle his own damned mission.

"Ya look like you're 'bout to get in a fist fight with the door…" Shinji's teeth sparkled through a playful smile while Yumichika chuckled lightly behind his delicately manicured fingers. "Did it tell ya a bad knock-knock joke?"

Ichigo huffed through his nose and lifted his chin to show he was in no mood for jokes, especially bad ones, but he responded nonetheless, "Wanted to check out this gym you told me about. Thought maybe it could help with my… uhm…" He gestured towards his own scowling face for emphasis. It's not exactly why he was here, but it wasn't a lie either. He really DID need a better outlet to diffuse the roiling emotions he kept compressing.

His rage was like dry ice in a closed bottle—eventually it was gonna explode. So, unless someone feels like pulling shards of glass out of their face all day, they better keep their distance.

"Uh-huh, oh yeah. Your lil' anger problem~" Shinji nodded and waved a hand like it was no big deal, "To tell ya the truth, this place might make it worse—at first! Just at first!" Shinji added quickly when Ichigo recoiled, "But give it a chance and I guarantee you'll leave here feelin' a whole lot lighter."

Yumichika let out another little titter before adding his own voice to the conversation, "'Anger problem'? Oh please , Shin. Ichigo is the most well-behaved gentleman I have ever met." He scooted closer and hooked an arm around Ichigo's unsuspecting elbow. "Would you ever snap at lil' ole me?" Ichigo's upper eyelids drooped as he watched raven hair sway like silken curtains. Soft, rosey lips twisted into a sly grin, triggering some… lusty memories of what that mouth was capable of. Ichigo could feel his blood pooling south and quickly pushed those thoughts away. Instead, he tried to focus on Shinji's strange choice in words.

"Tell me, is something going on in there that'll piss me off?" Ichigo's lidded gaze lifted from Yumichika's lips to lock eyes with the pretty male, "I'd prefer not to 'snap at' anyone... Especially if you have anything to do with it, Yumichika." Ichigo felt the arm around his elbow tighten reflexively. He received a small ego-boost at the sight of reddening cheeks before they were hidden beneath raven hair. It was about time their roles got reversed; him the one smirking while the others had a meltdown from the neck up.

"Well, ya see... Judging from your reaction to the Auction," Shinji spoke up for his flustered companion and pressed against Ichigo's other side. He was greeted with a scowl but ignored it to trap Ichigo's free arm between his own bicep and forearm. It wasn't a firm hold, but enough to drag the reluctant male forward, "AND the way ya tried to run off after seeing Red n' Tattoo's lil' performance—I'm gonna go ahead and betcha won't last two minutes 'fore ya bolt for the exit."

Ichigo cursed when he felt his face burn—and just after gloating over Yumichika's blush too.

A very clear, and vivid, image of the restroom incident surfaced in his mind. What he witnessed between Renji and Shuuhei—Ichigo could still picture Renji's tattoos and how they rippled when powerful muscles shifted and rolled beneath them. The sounds Shuuhei made while Kensei and Renji had their way with him were ingrained in his memory as well.

But what did any of that have to do with the gym?

Ichigo's thoughts faltered when they pushed through the double doors, only to realize it led to a tiny lobby. About twenty feet away was another set of doors. He'd have to go through those before he was truly inside the 'Exercise Room'. A long desk separated the room lengthwise, and about eight metal chairs were bolted to the opposite wall.

There were two guards lounging behind the multi-layered desk. They had a nice office setup; complete with computers, keyboards, 6 monitors (four linked to security cameras), a printer, and some other questionable machines—One of which he actually recognized. A Blood Chemistry Analyzer. His father had a similar one at the clinic and it was common enough in hospitals.

But back to the guards; FEMALE guards, surprisingly. The last time Ichigo saw breasts filling that button-down uniform was his very first day, some exotically dark-skinned woman with long purple hair—If he remembered correctly, but really, how could you forget a woman like that?

Ichigo once again focused on the two guards when the one with bright green hair, cut in a short bob that followed the line of her jaw, waved them over excitedly. The other guard, a dark haired woman sporting a high ponytail and stylish bangs that caressed the sides of her face, paid them no mind. She licked her thumb to turn the page of—was that a swimsuit magazine? Ichigo tilted his head curiously and kept tilting in order to see the models posing across the cover, a man and a woman with the most revealing swimwear he's EVER seen.

"Hiya Mashiro," Shinji greeted the bubbly, green-haired guard then turned his head, "Back from vacation early, Lisa?" The only response he got from her was a soft hum, so he added, "Enjoying that new issue, are we?"

Turquoise eyes peered over red, oval-shaped glasses, "As I've told you before, I have a healthy interest in the human body. I'll allow you to look through it when I'm done."

"Uh-huh. Right. Well, I'll leave you to it." Shinji waved his hand as if he were pushing away Lisa's piercing gaze. She rolled her eyes then resumed her exploration of the lewd magazine.

"So! You here for the gathering?" Mashiro piped up with a large grin on her face. For such a tiny woman, she seemed to have a huge supply of energy—She was practically vibrating and had to be up on both feet to manage her excitement. She didn't even give them a chance to answer, "Of course you are! I mean, you're the reason they're havin' it in the first place. Duh! Such a silly question, sorry." Mashiro took the heel of her hand and clonked it against her temple in exaggerated silliness before pointing at Ichigo's wide-eyed face.

"Huh..? Me? Wait, a gathering? With who? For what?" Ichigo stumbled in confusion. He shook Yumichika and Shinji away to cross both arms over his chest.

"Oh… I guess it's NOT why you're here… Huh.." Mashiro tucked a pointer finger beneath her pouting bottom lip in wonder; His questions left hanging in the air, unanswered. Ichigo shifted his gaze to Shinji then to Yumichika and both males shared a curious glance.

"Welllll… Boss-Yama sent a buncha messengers announcing some sorta meeting, but I had no idea you were part of it. Honest." Shinji offered up willingly and Yumichika hesitantly added, "It makes sense though…"

"Why's that?" The question was instant. Harsh. Ichigo wanted some real answers dammit!

"Wellll… I saw them rounding up—" Before Yumichika could finish speaking, the doors flew open and three men stormed in. Well, two of them stormed while the third was dragged between them. Two guards and one familiar looking inmate, none of whom Ichigo has officially met yet

It was hard to get a good look at the inmate's face because he wore a long black cloth wrapped snugly around his head, purposefully covering his right eye. Silky strands of white peeked through to frame his slim, handsomely shaped face. Ichigo tried not to react when a gray eye snapped to his hair then stayed locked there. The guy continued to stare—more like gawk—Like it was his first time ever seeing such a bright color before. Ichigo's scowl hardened but it went unnoticed.

"Whatchya got there, Iba?" Mashiro chirped once all three newcomers stopped in front of her desk.

The more sturdy-looking guard wearing slim shades lifted his chin and spoke in a dull, formal tone, "It's the new Stray Yamamoto wanted to see. Go ahead and get him checked 'fore I bring him inside." He yanked the inmate forward by his arm, practically throwing him over the desktop. The inmate finally tore his gaze from Ichigo's orange hair to concentrate instead on the guards.

"'Ey, 'ey, 'ey, No need t'shove." He raised both hands innocently and his voice held a calming, yet playful, tone. Mashiro giggled as she rustled around one of the drawers. She straightened back up, snapping on a pair of latex gloves and leaning over with something small and shiny in hand.

"Palm up." Mashiro ordered. She waited until the inmate did so before offering up a small warning, "This'll sting a little." She grasped the overturned hand and singled out his pointer finger before jabbing a small needle into the tip. She passed off the blood sample to Lisa, who finally put down her magazine and was rolling her chair to the Blood Analyzer, the same machine Ichigo noticed earlier.

The process would take a minute, so both guards gradually lightened up on their captive. The guy let out a short, content sigh and straightened back to his full height, which was a few inches taller than everyone else.

Ichigo blinked curiously when the man's eye swiveled back in his direction, this time locking gazes.

Why does he look so fucking familiar..?

There seemed to be some recognition on both ends, judging from the way Ichigo was being scrutinized, but neither one voiced it.

"He's clean." Lisa announced, waving a hand dismissively. Iba grunted in understanding, then he and the other guard resumed their hard-handed escort. "Your turn, handsome." She crooned.

Ichigo gave the passing inmate another curious head-tilt before the guy was shoved through both doors. Ichigo then turned to Lisa and pointed a finger at himself, "Me?" Was his eloquent response.

"Yes, you." Mashiro answered with an amused snort. She motioned for him to scoot closer, a new, clean needle in her possession. Ichigo let a groan break through and Mashiro snapped sternly, "If you wanna shag, then we gotta stab," which got an immediate cackle from Shinji and Yumichika.

"Shag..?" Ichigo echoed but it wasn't heard over their laughter.

He was having trouble finding the joke.

"What happened to 'A strokin' for a pokin''?" Shinji asked, his voice laced with amusement, "Besides, 'shag' and 'stab' don't even rhyme!"

Mashiro's cheeks puffed up and she stuck out her tongue.

"My personal favorite was 'A trick for a prick'," Yumichikka threw in. He snickered at Ichigo's raised, questioning brow, but didn't elaborate.

"Fine…" Ichigo lifted a hand for Mashiro to grab and 'stab'. He waited until she was finished with her task to ask, "What exactly are you looking for..?" He had a pretty good guess—those little rhymes being a big clue… but he wanted to be sure.

There were, after all, plenty of things to look for in someone's blood.

"Just checkin' to see if you have any weird STD," Lisa answered with a flippant shrug. She took his sample and processed it through the machine. "Better safe than sorry, right?"

Once again he was left wondering: What the hell did any of this have to do with the 'Training Room'?

He could only imagine.. And each image got worse as the seconds dragged on.

"He's clean." Lisa gave him a thumbs up. Ichigo didn't realize he was even worried about having an STD until that very moment. Memories of his sexual exploits since coming to this prison flashed before his eyes. Zangetsu, Yumichikka and Ikkaku, Bazz-B and the line of Quincy he was forced to 'service'… And he guessed he should include Zaraki and Grimmjow. The kiss with Byakuya also crossed his mind.

Wow. He's had more advances made on him in the last week than in High School, Xcution training, and Boot Camp combined.

Shinji hummed his approval then motioned for Ichigo to follow as he twirled around. He shoved both doors open with an announcing BANG !

...

The sight of random naked men shouldn't be a surprise to him anymore, yet it still made his heart stutter and jump with shock. He was already starting to regret coming here alone.

Ichigo's eyes shied away from any bare flesh they ran across. Not EVERYONE was naked, thankfully... He kept his head up and tried to take in the interior of the room while facing the direction of familiar gray and white uniforms. The sounds, however, were a little harder to ignore. Grunts, pants, moans, and sharp yelps of what sounded like pain.

Ichigo promised himself to investigate that more later, but for now he only looked around. The place was a lot bigger than he imagined—about the same size as the Cafeteria. To his right were rows and rows of workout equipment, most of them pretty basic: Treadmills, power-racks, Pull-up bars, Stairmasters, cycling, and a few towering monstrosities that made Ichigo question everything he thought he knew about muscle-building. To his left was a line of doors, one of which was double like the entrance he just used. Only difference was the metal label said 'Indoor Pool' and there was a padlocked chain looping through the doorknobs.

The single doors further down had large bulletproof windows set beside each one, so anybody could look inside. Ichigo couldn't see from this angle… but one look at the guards crowding the glass and Ichigo wasn't sure he wanted to know. His gut twisted with dread the longer he glared in that direction.

"Yooo! You're here!" A loud, familiar voice pierced the noise permeating the room. "Hey guys—He's here!" Shunsui's scruffy face split into a lazy grin. His stride was a casual strut, showing just how comfortable he was with his surroundings.

Ichigo sent a silent prayer of thanks that the guy was fully clothed. He then choked on a gasp when he was swept into a big, spine-straightening, bone-cracking hug. Once Shunsui released him he forced out a small smile in greeting.

"Yeah… I'm here." He gulped nervously as he watched the crowd around them get bigger and bigger, until the whole room engulfed the area. Nothing but a sea of faces on all sides.. Ichigo had to block out multiple flashbacks of the 'White Fight'—the last time he'd been surrounded like this. He got distracted from those memories once he noticed some of the men standing completely bare—unabashed and uncaring of their state of undress.

He tried to look over the nude bodies and found the guards he'd noticed before hovering around the edge of the crowd, watchful but unperturbed.

"Shin—I mean 'Straight' mentioned this place, so I wanted to check it out.. and I heard you were having a gathering 'bout me?" He offered up a couple reasons to be here—guessing that straight-up demanding the Gym back for the Vasto Lordes might not go over very well. Especially with so many eyes and ears involved.

"You're early." A statement that sounded more like an accusation as Gin joined the congregation. "We weren't expectin' ya for a few hours—so we ain't ready."

"Not to say you aren't welcome!" Shunsui quickly intervened when he saw Ichigo take a small step back. He reeled the retreating male in and wrapped a warm arm around his shoulders. With a big wave of his other arm he announced, "Today's gathering is to officially welcome our new King! So take a good look and make sure to show some respect, you worthless dogs." A chuckle passed through the mass, along with a few barking cheers.

There was a short chant of, "King, King, King!" Fists pumping in the air eagerly.

Ichigo grew uncomfortable but didn't want it to show, so he ducked his head inside Shunsui's partial embrace. "Now go back to whatchu were doing while we get a few things settled." Shunsui waved the others away and they all joked and shoved at each other playfully as they scattered. A few came forward and gave Ichigo a friendly whack across the back, welcoming him in a coarse sort of way. Luckily the naked ones, as well as the guards, kept their distance.

Ichigo caught a flash of fudge-brown hair among the guards and quickly stretched to his toes, wanting to see it better—to make sure it wasn't who he thought it was, but it was gone the next second.

Ginjou better not be following him…

His attention snapped forward again when a shadow fell over him.

Kensei was the last to step forward, his smirking face aimed down at him. Ichigo raised a brow when he noticed the sleeves of his prisonsuit had been torn away, showing-off long arms as they crossed over a wide chest, presenting and highlighting well-defined muscles. The hardy looking male shifted his feet apart and settled into a stance that oozed confidence.

"Hey, King. Glad ya found yer way here. Was hoping you'd give my Training Room a spin~" Kensei tilted his head back and grinned, as if preening in victory.

" Your Training Room? I thought this was Shinigami territory—Yamamoto is your leader, last I checked." Ichigo shot back, keeping his tone light and playful, though he was secretly digging for more information.

An angry huff escaped Kensei's nose and Ichigo felt more than he heard Shunsui's laugh.

"Heheh. He's a sharp one," Shunsui patted Ichigo's cheek before finally removing his arm. "But to explain—Knuckles here isn't Shinigami, he's a Vizard. Not sure if Straight already explained this to you, but Vizards areee…" He tilted his head side to side as he thought of the right word to use, "Affiliates. The Vizards get along better with the Vasto Lordes, so they help us out from time to time: sending messages, gathering intel, settling disputes, ya know—stuff like that. In exchange, we allow them access to certain parts of our territory. It's all about balance, but you are correct—this room belongs to the Shinigami. However , it's Knuckles and his team that handle things inside." He pointed to Kensei first then motioned in Shinji's general direction. The blonde showed off his pearly whites while Kensei nodded his head.

Ichigo let a wince slip, realizing his 'take back the Gym' plan was going to be more complicated than he thought..

Kensei watched the reaction carefully but didn't bring attention to it. Instead, he stepped aside to show off the room and offered, "If you want, I could show ya around."

"Ahhh…." Ichigo's voice faded. His eyes made a sweep towards the exit, catching Shinji's smug grin on the way: It was a look that dared him to 'bolt'—to prove him right.

Hell no.

Ichigo wasn't going to allow Shinji that kind of satisfaction, but he didn't want to stick around either. "To be honest, I have a lot to do today, so if we could just…" Ichigo raised both hands and swept them apart with a shrug. He just wanted this to be done and over with.

Shunsui took pity on him. Placing a comforting hand across his nape, he snickered and said, "I know you're a very busy man—but try to relax... Let Kensei give you a quick tour and when he brings ya back, we'll start the assembly. And, tell-ya-what, if you're that pressed for time, I promise we won't drag our feet. You'll be outta here in half an hour. Sound good?"

Ichigo tried to think of a way out that didn't make him look like a frightened child. He gave the exit one last longing look before he caved.

"Lead the way." He aimed an exaggerated arm-wave at Kensei, who only nodded once before walking away. His long legs carried him far and Ichigo was forced to jog a few steps to catch up.

Their first stop was at the field of equipment.

"This area is for those who wanna blow off steam using good-ole-fashioned weights." He patted the side of some random leg-pushing machine. "I assume you've been to a gym before, so I won't bore you with the details—you can read the instructions yourself," A slow smirk curled along his lips when they locked eyes, "And this might be ALL you want to see, but if you're ever feelin'... hmm, well, more stressed than usual, I recommend this next spot." He pushed off the empty machine and led the way away. As they weaved through the heavy machinery Ichigo couldn't help but notice only a handful of them being used. Most of the Shinigami were huddled together at the back of the room, up against a large, empty wall. His face simmered with heat when he realized it was the 'naked area'—as he so casually dubbed it in his mind—and they were heading straight for it.

The lewd noises that had been nothing more than white-noise grew in volume and Ichigo's face felt like it might melt off when a particularly loud moan bounced off the wall. It was drawn out and filled with such satisfaction..

Once they were at the edge of the crowd Kensei barked some quick orders, forcing the men to clear a path. Ichigo made sure to keep his gaze eye-level as they passed but that didn't really matter once they got to the center; there in the open space between the crowd, right up against the wall, was a row of six weight-lifting benches. And lying face up on each one, handcuffed to the heavy barbells above them, were stark naked men. Attached to each end of the barbells were massive weights. Ichigo had to squint to make out the numbers printed along the side and was shocked to find out they weighed a total of 400lbs (Which is more than an elite lifter could handle even after years of training). Some of the men looked like they could bench maybe 200lbs while the rest were more petite. There was no possible way they could get up and leave; but that must be the point, because there were inmates lining up in front of every bench. They crowded the ones trapped and had their way with them.

Some of the prisoners even had two at once, one straddling his torso to thrust a cock down his throat, while the other was busy thrusting inside. The man couldn't speak with his mouth full, but the tremble in his thighs and the way his legs wrapped snugly around the other's waist revealed how much he was enjoying the treatment. Sharp clinks and scratchy zings from the handcuffs as they scraped against metal was barely heard over the Slap!, Slap!, Slap! of skin against skin.

Ichigo gulped nervously while his insides clenched in excitement, but he was too appalled to expose any of his rising interest. He had to keep that under control—This was supposed to be repulsive and unpleasant, yet he was finding it difficult to look away.

He just now came to the realization that everything he's seen—Renji and Shuuhei fucking, Bazz-B raping Keigo, Nnoitra carrying off his newly bought Pet in the auction—it was all only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the freezing water, hidden by the Shinigami, was the truly fucked up stuff.

"This is sick…" He had to say it softly to hide the conflicting knot in his voice.

"Hah. You're in a prison–Ain't no angels here." The devilish smirk that accompanied those words made Ichigo's knees buckle just a bit.

'Hwoo… Get ahold of yourself, Ichigo...' He hissed mentally and was very tempted to punch himself; might clear some of the seductive fog suffocating his mind. He desperately wanted to blame his reactions on residual side effects of Bazz-B's drug.

But he knew better.

"Still, this is inhumane. I thought the Auction was bad, but this…" Ichigo refused to face the center again, but he jutted a thumb in its direction, "This is disgusting." He tried to put some venom behind that statement, but his blushing face diluted it. Kensei's smirk stretched in amusement, his half-lidded gaze seeing straight through the bullshit.

"I see.. Well. Would it help ease your conscience if I said these guys signed up for it. They knew exactly what they were getting into." The tense line of Ichigo's shoulders eased. Kensei decided to take a chance and sidled up to Ichigo's side, arms brushing. He used his elbow to nudge Ichigo around until he was facing the center once more. Then he continued explaining, "Those guys are what we call 'Pets'—As I'm sure you've realized by now…" He let out a short laugh at Ichigo's groan of acknowledgment, "But in case you weren't too sure, Pets are prisoners bought n' sold in the auctions. The men who buy them, their owners, boss 'em around—pretty much do whatever the hell they want with 'em, but they can't be forced to do THIS." He looked down the corner of his eye to find Ichigo watching him, auburn eyes flashing between orange bangs and brimming with unanswered questions. "Lemme ask ya somethin': What would you say are the TOP 3 things men enjoy most? Things we would kill or even die for."

Ichigo found himself seriously contemplating the answer, but all that came to him was, "Family, food, and… love?" Ichigo felt a warm flush run down his back when the last word got a few nearby heads to turn and gawk. Not only that, but he heard laughter cut through the hum of grunts and moans, grating against his ears. He glared up at Kensei, expressing his displeasure.

"Mannn. Sorry, sorry. But that was soo… so PURE ." Kensei laughed again and the few Shinigami who were paying attention chuckled with him. Ichigo lifted a fist, ready to punch the frustration out of his system. Kensei stopped, his amusement morphing into excitement at the prospect of a fight, but he didn't take the bait. "Just never expected that kinda answer from YOU, Reaper! But you were pretty close… Though, in HERE, the answers are a lil' different. Replace food with money , love with sex , and family with drugs . Cuz ya gotta remember, this is a max prison. That means a lot of us're here for a longgg fuckin' time. Some even got 'life'—So, tell me, how else ya think we should entertain ourselves 'cept by fucking, gambling, and gettin' high as fuck?"

Ichigo's fist lowered and he released a disgruntled sigh.

Why did Kensei have to make so much sense ? He didn't say anything for a minute. He was trying to come up with some sort of alternative, to prove Kensei wrong, but that was impossible when he still didn't truly understand the 'Training Room'.

"If they're so willing then why are they cuffed?"

Kensei's answer was precise and immediate, like he'd been expecting Ichigo to ask that exact question, "They can always tap out."

"Tap out? Then why even sign up in the first place—what the hell are they getting out of it?"

"They're gettin' orgasms, ain't they?" Kensei shot back and, as if on cue, another loud moan thundered in their ears. Ichigo peeked at the noise before he could stop himself and instantly turned red all over. He saw the quick arc of pearl-white cum as it shot from the nearest Pet's erection.

His head was thrown back and the loud moan faded into a weird hic-up when the one fucking him didn't stop. Cum pooled between straining abs as they clenched and stretched with each gasping breath. Hands reached down to pinch and twist his nipples, prying out a needy, whimpering cry. Ichigo looked away before the raunchy sight could affect him too much.

It was through sheer willpower alone that he didn't have a boner right now.

Kensei chuckled and thoroughly enjoyed Ichigo's red-faced glare, "Buuut, if that ain't enough—then you'll be happy to know the real reason they're doin' this is for a chance at FREEDOM." Ichigo's head flinched backwards and his brow scrunched in bewilderment. Kensei quickly clarified, "Not from the jailhouse—NAH! But freedom from being a PET. Think of it like a contest. We wait for enough volunteers then start the 'try-outs'. We set 'em up, like so," He pointed to the men currently being 'processed', "If noone lines up to fuck 'em then they can't go on to the next round. Once the… undesirables are weeded out, the BETTING begins. As I mentioned—gambling is a great way to pass the time." Kensei smirked as Ichigo gestured impatiently for more information, "Everyone bets on who will make it to the end of the month."

Ichigo's eyes stretch wide.

"You make them do this for a whole month?!" His voice was louder than he intended but he was too pissed off to care at that moment.

Kensei continued his explanation like the outburst never happened. "So let's say you ' re a pet.. ya make it to the last day without tapping out, and the men haven't grown bored of ya yet—meaning they still line up to fuck your tight ass," A pause to witness Ichigo's flustered reaction as he imagined himself in such a situation. Kensei prowled forward, close enough to feel Ichigo's shiver as he reached up to touch orange spikes. Kensei was absolutely sure Reaper would have everyone's vote on day one and be freed that same month. "Now… If you make it to the end, and have the most bets, then you WIN: You are no longer a pet. And the men who bet on you receive their share of the money. Everyone's happy."

"They're not… a pet anymore? Just like that?" Ichigo repeated, somewhat baffled. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Kensei confirms and digs his fingers into those soft locks. Ichigo lifts both hands to shove him away but he hesitates. Kensei tightens his grip, tugging at the strands roughly. He doesn't miss the tiny groan that bubbles up Ichigo's throat. "It's a small chance: To finish and have the most votes… but it's enough to give them some hope. It keeps them coming back. Again, and again, and AGAIN.." Dull nails scrape against Ichigo's scalp and the sound of pleasure that greets him makes his blood boil in all the right ways. Ichigo's hands automatically rise to grip Kensei's arms, ready to pull them off, but not actually doing it.

"But.. Wouldn't they just become Strays again? Why would they go through this just to get thrown back in Auction?" Ichigo hoped he was wrong. Perhaps the winner got a free pass—some sort of immunity from the horrible process, but Kensei's wicked smirk had him dreading the answer.

"You'd be surprised how many of 'em beg to join us after. Red, for example, joined the Shinigami the same exact day he was freed."

"Renji? A PET!?" That didn't seem right, but that explained why he and Shuuhei were so damn casual about having sex in public.

"MY pet, to be specific." Kensei snickered at the look he got. "Oh, don't act so surprised! He was kinda like you at first—a real wildcat . Took a whole year to train him up good n' proper." Kensei licks his lips at the memory, "I've had my fair share of pets over the years—69 to be exact, but Renji was a persistent bastard. Muscled his way through everything and came out on top. And despite his… dopey personality, he's got a head on his shoulders.. He knew that if he didn't wanna get sold again, he couldn't stay a Stray * ." Kensei shrugged indifferently and Ichigo swallowed a growl. That was so fucking unfair, why can't—, "Your sympathy is wasted on them. Try to remember that everyone here is a criminal.. If you knew what they did to get arrested in the first place, you wouldn't pity them so much." That finally got Ichigo to sigh in defeat.

Fine…

He felt like he understood this area a little better now, but those doors on the other side of the gym—The ones swarming with guards, crept from the back of his mind. Ichigo turned, as much as he could in Kensei's hold, and pointed to said doors.

"Alright, then what's going on over there? Another 'contest'?"

Kensei's grin finally fell and his hand dropped from Ichigo's hair. Steel eyes turned black and the muscles along his cheek clenched and unclenched. Whatever was happening over there, it was obvious Kensei didn't like it. Ichigo wanted to retract his question—the answer probably wasn't worth knowing. Right?

"In order to do all of this shit without getting in trouble... Yamamoto made a deal with the guards… Anytime a Pet gets in trouble—meaning they disobey an order, get out of line, or if their owners are feelin' particularly cruel that day, the guards get to perform punishments."

"Punishments…" Ichigo echoed and his gaze hardened when one of the doors he'd been glaring at opened, and out came a familiar dark-haired guard. Cang Du, the one who participated—no, more like 'led the charge' that day he was forced to suck-off Bazz-B. Narrow onyx eyes looked up after closing the door. Cang froze when they locked eyes—not expecting to see Reaper inside Shinigami territory. He must have been pretty busy 'punishing' someone this whole time if he didn't hear the commotion before.

It was subtle and the distance made it hard to see, but it looked like Cang was smirking as he reached up to wipe away some blood from his cheek. Ichigo curled his lip in disgust and he wanted to look away but instead found himself inspecting the man's uniform. Fresh splotches lay across his shirt in long streaks while more distinct splatters coated his pants. Ichigo assumed it must all be blood, but it was impossible to tell due to the uniform's dark material.

Cang's attention was snatched away by more guards, a few coming up to give him a playful shove while others offered up fist-bumps. Apparently they really enjoyed his 'performance'.

The door opened once more and Ichigo felt his entire core squeeze with both surprise and empathy when Shuuhei limped out. The man's usual chaotic spikes lay limply over his face while blood flowed freely from both nostrils. His lips were swollen and split in the middle. He was limping so bad that he was forced to lean against the door for support, almost falling over when the door returned to its frame.

Ichigo took a reflexive step forward, wanting to check on the poor guy. Make sure nothing was seriously damaged, but a hand against his chest stopped him.

He scowled up at Kensei accusingly then snarled, "Why aren't you going over there to help him? He's done with his fucked up punishment—isn't he?!" His voice climbed to an outraged yell, but Kensei's hand didn't budge.

"It's part of it.. No one helps—they have to get to Medical on their own…" Kensei's head turned to watch Shuuhei as he got back to his feet and slowly made his way towards the exit. Shuuhei kept his head down the whole time—putting every ounce of concentration and effort into his own unsteady feet. "I warned him not to steal from Yama again… But he just wouldn't listen. He did this to himself—so don't feel too bad for him." Kensei's hand dropped once the pressure faded and Ichigo wasn't about to storm away anymore.

"What the hell did he steal that deserves a punishment like THAT!?" Ichigo couldn't fathom this way of life—it felt so medieval. Archaic. Even Barbaric .

"Drugs—Heroine to be specific." Chocolate eyes snapped up to Kensei and he didn't even have to say anything; His thoughts clearly written on his face, "You're right. It's harsh. And normally something like this wouldn't be a big deal—I mean, HELL, he's pulled the same shit before and only got a slap on the wrist... But with White gone and no one else supplying us—we have a tiny bit left to sell. S'why it's so expensive right now."

"I wouldn't know.." Ichigo spit out fiercely, his gaze trailing back to glare at Cang's blood-stained fists.

"'Course not—Mr. Perfect ova 'ere! Wouldn't STOOP to our level, now wouldja?"

Ichigo ignored the teasing jab as he waited for the other guards to scatter and for Cang to look back his way. Then he lifted a middle finger in a clear 'Fuck you!' that surprised the man at first. Onyx eyes narrowed until they were needle-thin slits, and the man's smirk dropped. Cang slowly reached for his hip to palm the baton there.

A clear threat.

Seems his lust for blood was not sated; ready and eager for another 'punishing'.

Ichigo wouldn't be intimidated so easily. In response, he lifted his other middle finger, both up and proudly aimed at the cruel man. Cang bristled and took a quick step forward, baton halfway out of its sling, but then Kensei stepped forward.

That froze him in his tracks.

Cang hesitated, weighing his options. With a determined scoff, he lifted his chin challengingly and reached for the taser at his other hip. Ichigo dropped both hands as they tightened into hard fists. He was ready to meet this asshole head on; Make him feel the same pain he'd just inflicted on Shuuhei, but another guard stepped between the growing conflict.

Surprisingly it was Maki.

Ichigo remembers the raven-haired man being there last time Cang rounded him up. But he kept to the sidelines, like a meek little mouse. So what exactly has changed since then?

Ichigo had no clue.

Maki put a firm hand over Cang's shoulder and leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

Ichigo felt a small spec of curiosity when Cang backed off. Maki's hand was smacked away, and Cang's face returned to its neutral mask. He looked to Ichigo one last time and shrugged, like the inmate wasn't worth his time. He reholstered his baton with an expert twirl of his fingers then sauntered out of the room. Both doors slam shut with a loud BAM !

Maki peers over his shoulder to catch Ichigo's gaze and bows his head, chin dropping to rest against his chest. Ichigo isn't sure how to translate that gesture; Was Maki accepting him as an equal? Was he nodding in acceptance? Was this his only 'free favor' maybe? Before he could even think to ask, Maki marched away, back into the throng of guards.

Shaking off any leftover anger, he looked up, only to see Kensei staring back with a fond smirk. Ichigo instinctively turned away to hide his flustered expression.

"We done here? This all you have to show me..?" His spine tingled when a low chuckle ghosted across his back.

Kensei stepped closer and boldly pressed a finger to the small of Ichigo's back, right above his tailbone. He then slid it upwards until he reached his nape. He lightly fingered the soft skin there, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps.

"I was hoping you'd place a bet and line-up for some fun … but maybe next time, yeah?"

Ichigo whirled around and pushed Kensei out of his personal space, making it very clear what he thought of that idea.

"Alright… C'mon then. Looks like Boss-Yama and Shunsui are 'bout ready." Kensei kept his gaze down as he turned and Ichigo remained silent as he was brought back to the promised meeting spot. There to greet him was a semi-circle of men, most of them head-honchos: Yamamoto, Shinji, Shunsui, and even Juushiro was there, a warm smile blooming across his face. On the other end of the line were a few guards, some of whom he recognized: Toshiro, Starrk, the one he'd met earlier called 'Iba', and Maki was hovering nearby—not exactly inside the ring but close enough to hear what was said. And he was purposefully not looking Ichigo in the eye.

Standing in front of them was an inmate, the same one-eyed man Iba dragged inside. The guy didn't seem scared or nervous at all. His posture was relaxed, even nonchalant, as he rode out the situation. He was quiet but very observant; like he was enraptured in everything around him, as if willing himself to remember every nook and cranny. That alone set off Ichigo's 'suspicious' alarm.

Shunsui was the first to verbally acknowledge Ichigo's presence, snapping the male out of his uneasy thoughts, "Sorry, but we're still handling this last matter." Shunsui snatched up his elbow and pulled until Ichigo was settled between himself and Juushiro. The gentle, white-haired inmate gave Ichigo's bicep a friendly pat before returning his attention to Kokuto, the 'Stray'.

Yamamoto pressed forward first, wooden cane clacking with each step. His voice was soft but stern as he spoke, "We want this to go as painlessly as possible… In order for that to happen, you must answer our questions honestly. Do you understand?" Despite the underlying threat Kokuto wasn't paying him much attention; He was too busy looking around, eye bouncing to each face in the room until it landed, once more, on Ichigo. "Kokuto!" Yamamoto snapped harshly, finally catching the man's attention, and unintentionally making Ichigo's back straighten with realization.

Kokuto?!

Right!

He'd seen his picture among the list of men Sousuke experimented on. It was just hard to tell under the headwear, plus his hair had been a reddish-brown in the picture. Kokuto was the one who killed two men (Both of whom allegedly raped and murdered his sister). He claimed insanity and was therefore admitted straight to Psych Ward… Ikkaku never mentioned Kokuto's name with the ones who managed to leave … Soooo, if Ichigo was processing this correctly, that means this is the first time Kokuto has ever been outside that horrid place. Which explains his utter fascination with everything. But Ichigo couldn't help wondering: How..? and why ?

He wasn't alone in this line of thinking, because Shinji spoke up, "How is this possible..? How'd you get out?"

"Keheheh…" Kokuto's chuckle was dark and coated with a hint of insanity. It sent chills down the gathered crowd, a few recoiled from the sound. "I got out the same way everyone else did." His gaze shifted meaningfully towards Juushiro as he elaborated, "Obviously the Doctor let me out… There's no other possible way to leave. Right Pestilence?" A long grin curled across his face, slanting his visible eye and further showcasing the manic glee.

Juushiro let out a soft sigh and nodded. "He's right… Dr. Aizen must've let him out. There's no escaping that place on your own…" He retreated a bit as the memories of that awful place came filtering back. Shunsui noticed this and immediately reached around Ichigo to give the man's wrist a comforting squeeze.

"S'alright, Juu…" Shunsui's eyes flicked back over to Kokuto, "Sousuke kept you in there for years, so why would he let you out NOW? The timing just seems very odd."

Kokuto shrugged in response. It looked like he lost interest in the conversation again because he was back to looking at his surroundings, but he still managed an answer, "Wellllll… Let's see.. He's got his favorite toy back, so he don't need me anymore."

"Are you referring to White?" Yamamoto lifted one long brow to peek a single eye open.

"Mhm, yeah. Doctor Aizen been tryin' to get that crazy bastard back for a long time—from what I heard, he's got the REAL 'Reaper' to thank." Ichigo cringed, guilt clawing at his conscience. He pointedly ignored the smug glances thrown his way to keep listening, "I think he wanted to have some fun with him one more time, 'cause none of this's gonna matter much longer. White says Doc is finished—He don't need me—don't need anybody anymore." Kokuto's face lifted to inspect the ceiling so he never noticed the collection of worried looks shared between the others. Ichigo wasn't sure what to think about Aizen and his strange experiments—Kisuke never explained WHAT they were for: A mystery for another day he supposed. It was at least interesting to know Kokuto has been in contact with White, though Ichigo loathed learning he was only a 'toy' to Sousuke. It made the guilt so much worse..

Kokuto opened his mouth to continue, and Ichigo leaned forward, eager to hear more,"Y'all remember Shiba's prophecy?"

" Kaien ?" Ichigo's insatiable curiosity took the steering-wheel of his mind. He needed better control over that. Even if knowing Kaien's experience in Hueco Mundo might somehow benefit him, he had to stop allowing his curiosity to do the talking. Words flew out of his mouth before he could stop them, "A prophecy..? Are you saying that Kaien Shiba told you some kind of prophecy ? Is this a joke..?" The incredulity was clear in his voice and a few of the men, Shunsui and Shinji included, flashed an amused smile.

"Prophecy is such a strong word," Shunsui swirled a hand loosely in the air and let it drop along with his smile.

A gentle hand smoothed along Ichigo's shoulder blades and Juushiro explained calmly, "You see… Before he left, Kaien gave us a warning. He said if Aizen ever decided to release his 'lab rats'—which is exactly what we are—then 'All Hell would break loose'." A small, crooked smile accompanied his next words, "That's why we were given 'Four Horsemen' nicknames."

Juushiro was Pestilence, Ichigo knew that much, but who were the others? He already learned that Kaien was transferred to Psych Ward—but that didn't necessarily mean he went through Aizen's experiments... Kaien told a 'prophecy/warning', sooooo… he must have known something important, but he couldn't possibly be one of the horsemen.

That left Ulquiorra, White, and Kokuto.

Ichigo's head tilted in wonder as he really thought about that, but Kokuto didn't let him mull it over for very long.

"Yup! All hell'll break loose alright! Just know it ain't ME ya gotta worry 'bout." Kokuto slumped forward as a cackle rose from his throat, "Oooo man. If White ever finds a way out... Kaheheh… Well—to quote the famous story," He lifted his head and said in a voice loud and strong, so that the whole room could hear, "Behold, a pale horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and never will be." A deep silence followed as the message seeped into each man. Those foreboding words quickly gained an audience. All gathered to see what would happen next, eager whispers and curious grumbles following behind. "Now see—I would argue that White ain't really the horseman but rather the horse itself. Him being so 'pale' n'all… But also 'cause he can really take a beating! Hahaha!" Kokuto was the only one to laugh at that. It had a hollow echo to it that bounced heavily in the room.

Yamamoto decided to take charge before Kokuto said much else. He raised his cane and slammed it down with a thunderous CRACK . Only when silence returned did he speak, "Enough of thi—"

"Wait, hold on." Ichigo pursed his lips, hoping he wasn't in too much trouble when Yamamoto turned to frown at him. Swallowing his sudden nervousness he pressed on, "I don't understand; Why would all hell break loose? If White gets out wouldn't everything just return to how it was?" No one jumped forward with any real answers, but after a minute Yamamoto sighed. He shuffled the rest of the way around to give Ichigo his undivided attention.

"Tell me something, Mr. Kurosaki.. If you were to put yourself in Dr. Aizen's shoes for a moment: A Counselor and Psych Ward Manager, who's been testing and experimenting on prisoners for years, finally comes to a stopping point. He's done. Well, what do you do with the prisoners..?" He watches closely as Ichigo's gaze wavered, proof that his conscience and instincts were conflicted. His previous question seemed so far away now—almost insignificant, but at the same time the answers were piecing themselves together. "If it were ME," Boss Yama straightened his back and spoke without hesitation, "I would kill every last one of them. No loose ends."

A soft, exasperated breath huffed from his lungs; Hearing those same words that were beaten into him during his training.

No loose ends. No witnesses. No exceptions .

Ichigo smirked because his mentor, Ginjou Kuugo, never actually practiced what he preached. There were plenty of times Ginjou made exceptions for him . It usually came at a cost, but Ichigo never complained. Ginjou could have easily let him drown in his own mistakes over and over again. The man was a drunken lunatic who could kill you with a wooden spoon, but he had his soft spots.

Yamamoto seemed just as harsh and merciless, but Ichigo understood what he was trying to say: Doctor Aizen is extremely cautious. He would likely kill anyone who knew too much about his lab (pretty much every inmate in here). The only exception seemed to be Kisuke—surely he should be 6 feet under by now.

As far as the inmates were concerned, there's no way Aizen would release them unless convinced they wouldn't, or rather couldn't, say anything. The easiest and most efficient way to do that was a clean death (extra credit if he made it look like an accident).

"MY GUESS is Sousuke took pity on you—letchu loose so you could enjoy a couple days 'fore he decides to kill everyone ... " Maki scoffed. He curled both arms across his chest to deflect all the hard glares that turned on him. " What ..? M'just saying what we're all thinking! Might wanna keep a close eye on the food, never know—Sousuke might try to poison it." He aimed that last bit at Juushiro, who Ichigo assumed was in charge of the cafeteria.

"Your pessimism is a real bummer man.." Starrk sighed through his nose and leaned away from Maki, as if he could physically escape the cloud of negativity being created. Starrk then tilted his head in Yamamoto's direction, "Captain Zaraki has us keepin' an eye on Sousuke… If you ask him 'why ?' he'll say—," Stark placed a hand over his right eye and lowered his voice to a guttural growl to mock Zaraki as he said, "Sousuke is a lyin', cheatin', sack-a-shit, and he'll be lucky to have a job when I take over for Yhwach."

Ichigo felt a warmth of pride at those words, knowing that he was the one who warned him about Sousuke. Sneaky bastard tried to manipulate him into signing some witness papers to get both Zaraki and Zangetsu in trouble.

"So don't worry about your food—Sousuke won't get anywhere near it without us noticing." Starrk finished after dropping his hand and the voice. Yamamoto, along with Shunsui, Juushiro, and Shinji nodded their thanks.

"Hell, if you guys died, we'd be out of work, and bored as shit." A smirk curled across Maki's face, but he was rightfully ignored.

"Now that that's settled," Shunsui clapped his hands and rubbed them together with eager excitement. "Let's get Kokuto here sorted." Everyone's attention shifted from Shunsui to the newbie in question.

The man stood tall and unflinching with each and every gaze that landed on him. Ichigo was impressed by the firm confidence.

"Did White ever explain how things work here in Gen Pop?" Shinji stepped past Yama to stand before Kokuto, but that only made the guy seem even taller.

Kokuto hunched forward, curling until he was eye-level with the blonde then answered, "He said that if I wanna have a good time, I might hafta suck a few dicks." He shrugged indifferently which got a few lecherous chuckles from the crowd.

"Hah!" Shinji clamped a hand to Kokuto's shoulder, "I guess you're right, but there's also a way without sucking ANY dicks."

"Oh yeah?" He sounded genuinely interested.

"Yup." Shinji used his grip to pull the other close and in the blink of an eye he had Kokuto curled over the floor—a quick kick to the knees and a firm shove was all it took.

Ichigo noticed how Kokuto didn't bother fighting back. He complied to each demand with such ease and quiet determination. Kokuto shifted until he was seated atop his heels and looked up to meet Shunsui's gaze. The man grinned down at him.

"He's right. All ya gotta do is agree to join the Shinigami! You've been through a lot—We can only imagine what Sousuke must have put you through…" Shunsui reached down to finger the wrappings around Kokuto's head, but this time he showed a bit of resistance and pulled away. Shunsui dropped his hand with another chuckle, "So we are offering this invitation free of charge. Join us and you'll get full access to 'B' Wing, including restrooms and showers. We also have control of this Gym," He waved both arms to indicate the room they were currently residing in, "We also own the Library AND, best of all, the Cafeteria—which means you get extra rations with each meal."

Huh… Ichigo had no idea about that last one. He remembers Juushiro giving him an extra sausage once but didn't realize every Shinigami got extra food with each meal. Shit… He almost wants to reconsider joining himself—but his pride obviously wouldn't allow that.

"So whataya say?" Shunsui offers his open palm to Kokuto then waits patiently for the man to take it.

Ichigo wouldn't blame Kokuto for joining. Not only to keep himself from getting sold, but those were some damn good perks. He watched with numb acceptance as Kokuto lifted his hand but then, just before it reached Shunsui, it ficked around to brandish the middle finger.

'Would have done the same thing, bud.' Ichigo suffocated a burst of laughter behind his fingers; he didn't want to disturb the silence now suffocating the room.

"Fuck you and your stupid 'benfits'." Kokuto sneered, and it was the first time Ichigo really thought the guy sounded SANE.

The inviting grin stapled across Shunsui's scruffy face slowly fell, like the happy-go-lucky mask he wore was finally melting away. Beneath it was a deeply disappointed frown, one that made Shunsui look ruthless and unforgiving.

"Fine," He said down to the man still kneeling at his feet. "Then from this point on you're a Stray, and you'll be sold in my next auction." He lifted his head to lock eyes with a couple men then pointed at Kokuto, "Put him aside for now… I'll deal with him later. But don't let him leave this room."

Kokuto didn't put up a fight when he was yanked to his feet. Nor did he show any sort of surprise or reluctance. It's possible that White already warned him this would happen, and that made Ichigo feel oddly jealous.

Zangetsu never warned HIM about the auctions... But this was merely speculation.

The thought still pissed him off though.

Once Kokuto was tucked away behind the crowd, no longer in sight, Shunsui's shoulders dropped and he let out a long sigh. Just as the crowd began quietly whispering he spun to face Ichigo, grin back on his face.

"Now then! On to the main reason we gathered today!" He walked forward and dropped a hand down on Ichigo's shoulder then ducked his head in a playful bow. "Hail to Hueco Mundo's King!"

Ichigo's head rolled along with his eyes. He swept his arm up to push aside Shunsui's hand then whispered harshly, "Enough of that—I told you I don't care who runs this madhouse."

Shunsui chuckled and quickly reached out. Ichigo reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled forward by his jumpsuit then spun around with dizzying speed. He didn't notice Shunsui's arm around his shoulders until he was forced to take a long step back, separating them from the other inmates.

"Yeah, yeah, we know! You're not one to lean on 'titles' or abuse your power—And, to be honest, that's why we like ya so much." He used the same arm across Ichigo's shoulders to pinch his cheek and only laughed at the sour scowl he received. "You stay outta our way, and we stay outta yours . It's how this 'hierarchy' was SUPPOSED to work, but Grimmjow never understood that.. Or rather, he understood but never acknowledged it. Always taking advantage or finding loopholes. He never really wanted to play by the rules." Shunsui shook his head and Ichigo noticed most of the men nodding in agreement.

Grimmjow had complete respect and loyalty over the Vasto Lordes, but it appears the Shinigami thinks very little of him. The Quincys never seemed invested in the title, probably because of Bazz-B's connection to the warden. Yhwach's power trumped every single one of these silly 'titles and rules'.

Ichigo felt like he understood the politics of this prison better, though he really never wanted to know. His ONLY goal was to get Zangetsu out! Then he'll transfer to a different prison ASAP and never let himself think of this place again.

He'll even give himself amnesia if he has to!

It was starting to become clear why Kaien wasn't the same man after his year here.

"C'mon guys! Get outta the way, let's go!"

Ichigo snapped back to awareness to see Kensei ordering the crowd to make room, then he noticed Shunsui was no longer attached to him, but was now arranging a handful of men into a tight line. His curiosity soared when he recognized one of them.

"Keigo?" He asked aloud and they locked eyes for only a split second before Keigo nervously dropped his gaze. He was trembling, and it made Ichigo wonder where this was heading. "What's going on? Why—" His mouth snapped shut and he swung around when someone came up behind him. His scowl softened only slightly when he realized it was Yumichika. The pretty male grabbed his elbow and pulled him in while leaning forward to whisper directly into Ichigo's ear.

"Don't make a scene. And whatever you do, do NOT reject this offer."

"What's going on?" Ichigo growled back, though he made sure to keep his voice quiet. Yumichika was warning him, which might be against some stupid 'rule', so he didn't want to get him in trouble.

"Do you trust me?"

Ichigo had a momentary flashback of his recent talk with Grimmjow about 'trust'. Honestly, at this point in time, Grimmjow was the only person he wholly trusted. But he wasn't about to miss out on more information.

He nodded his head, and Yumichika's lips brushed the shell of his ear as he continued speaking, "Earlier, I saw some Strays and Pets getting rounded up, so I figured this was what they were planning: They want to offer you free Pets–and I know, I KNOW, you don't want any… But… Just.. Play by their rules. You'll only offend them if you don't." Yumichika's grasp tightened and Ichigo heard the worried strain in his voice, "I don't want to see you hurt… Yamamoto is a forgiving man, but he's also very traditional —he used to be the top Crime Boss in Seireitei, if that helps you understand what kind of man he is."

"Seireitei?" Ichigo lifted a brow in surprise. He'd only been there a few times himself, but it was enough to know how HUGE that city was. Being a Crime Boss in a place like that was nothing to scoff at. "Huh… Thanks for the heads up." Ichigo patted Yumichika's arm with a grateful nod and the man finally retreated. He gave Ichigo a reassuring smile before stepping back into the crowd. When Ichigo returned his attention to Shunsui, he saw that the men he lined up were forced to kneel; Their heads bowed low, like they were about to be executed or sacrificed.

Ichigo waited for Shunsui to begin, but it was Yamamoto that stepped into the middle. He bowed his head to Ichigo before beginning, "I know you haven't been here very long, so our 'way of life' might seem very strange to you–may even seem 'evil', but I hope you're starting to understand why things are the way they are." Ichigo reluctantly nodded his head. He knew better than to reveal how he really felt about this madness. "Good… Good." Yamamoto peered through one eye to inspect Ichigo's reaction, "We've all witnessed your strength and merit. We know you truly deserve the title 'King'. So, that means, everything that once belonged to Grimmjow now belongs to YOU." He tucked the end of his cane under the chin of the first man, forcing him to lift his head. "Meet your new Pets…"

Ichigo took the time to inspect each one as they were introduced, Yamamoto lifting their chins one at a time.

"DiRoy." A short male with wild, light-blonde hair. "Yylfordt." This man was taller and had long, hip-length golden locks. "Shawlong." He was tall as well but had sleek black hair tied back in a thin braid. "And, last but not least, Luppi." He tried to lift the petite male's face with his cane but it was smacked away with a hiss.**

"That cum-guzzling bitch is no 'King' of mine!" Luppi snarled and looked up only to show off narrowed violet orbs. The glare he sent at Ichigo sizzled with outrage. "Only Grimmjow is worthy! I say in a FAIR FIGHT, he'd knock you on your ass!" One orange brow rose in surprise as the little guy actually hocked a wad of spit in his direction.

Spunky lil' bastard. At least he still had some fight left in him–Ichigo could admire that.

"Grimmjow has spoiled you! Rotten boy!" Yamamoto slammed the thick handle of his cane atop Luppi's head with a solid CLONK! "Hold your tongue." He commanded.

Luppi lifted his head high to stick out said tongue, outright defying the leader of the Shinigami.

Ichigo then realized he wasn't just 'spunky', he was downright DUMB.

"Fine. Give him to the guards." Yamamoto turned his back on Luppi and only listened as Shunsui did as commanded. He snatched up the smaller inmate by the back of his suit then began dragging him away. Luppi struggled and put up enough of a fight that someone else had to grab his legs and lift them into the air. He was then carried off into one of the punishment rooms. Ichigo winced in sympathy but didn't intervene—Poor bastard did it to himself..

"Shit…" He heard the cursed whisper come from behind. Ichigo quickly peeked over his shoulder to see Yumichika shaking his head solemnly. His body was tense, like he wanted to jump forward to help but was holding himself back.

Was he worried about Luppi?

Before he could wonder about that, Yamamoto regained attention with another slam of his cane.

"Please excuse his impertinence… Luppi was never very cooperative… On another note, this one claims you are now his master. Is that true?" He pointed directly at Keigo, who flinched and snapped his gaze back down at the ground. Beads of nervous sweat dripped from his temples in small rivulets.

"I think so… Bazz-B gave him up when I fought him and four other men away while they trying to… You know…" Ichigo explained vaguely. He didn't want to seem too flippant with the explanation, in case they decided to RETURN Keigo to Bazz-B.

"Is there anyone here who can corroborate this?"

Ichigo glanced at Toshiro, remembering that both he and Kisuke essentially caught him in the act. Although they didn't witness everything first-hand, he hoped the little guard would step up.

Thankfully, Toshiro seemed to notice his silent plea and spoke up, "I can. I saw Hotshot and one of his friends leave C-Wing's showers and inside were three unconscious Quincies. Ichigo was there with the Pup. And I remember Keigo trying to take the blame when I asked who was responsible–it was rather adorable." The guard let a fond grin tilt his lips as he looked towards Keigo, and Ichigo couldn't see his face through those shaggy brown bangs, but he noticed his ears were turning bright red in embarrassment.

"I see." Yamamoto nodded in understanding. "Under normal circumstances, you would have to pay his price before you could 'claim' him… But I will waive that fee—You can keep him." Keigo's head shot up and for the first time Ichigo saw true RELIEF in his hazel eyes. "Bazz-B has shown a lack of respect for our rules, and thus has earned no respect from us." Yamamoto finished explaining and Ichigo nodded in acknowledgment.

"Uhm.. Thanks?" He didn't mean to sound so unsure, but this was all very strange to him. He coughed into his fist before gesturing to the rest of the men, the ones that were yet to be introduced. "And what about them..?"

"Ah. Yes." Yamamoto aimed his cane at Kensei then motioned for the rest of the men to be moved closer. It only took a short moment to herd them into another line, one that lay right in front of Ichigo. "Though you have Pets now, Shunsui made an excellent point yesterday–" He handed over the conversation to said man, who happily took up the metaphorical microphone.

"I only said that none of 'em were Pets YOU chose." Shunsui's grin turned sleazy and he swept a hand towards the new row of men. "So, since you've been such a good sport! I'm going to offer you one free Pet!" Said like a salesman offering a once-in-a-lifetime sale.

"Ah…" This is what Yumichika warned him about.

"It's a token of respect—or, rather, an oath of fealty." Shunsui clasped Ichigo's shoulder then shoved him closer towards the kneeling Pets. "So go ahead and choose one that tickles your fancy ."

Ichigo suppressed a shiver of disgust. They looked so… Broken. Not that they looked bad—there were a few Ichigo found rather attractive, but he was repulsed by their lack of pride or integrity. Ichigo looked around cautiously. The eyes surrounding him were watching intently, curious to know who he might choose. Ichigo wouldn't be surprised if some were making bets.

As he continued searching the crowd, he eventually caught a familiar gray eye and suddenly had an idea.

"I want him." He pointed up and over their heads. Each of them turned and shifted until the man he wanted was revealed. "Kokuto." Ichigo made perfectly clear.

He didn't want the guy for any reason THEY might be thinking... All he wanted from Kokuto was information. Hopefully he had more information about White and, if he was lucky, maybe he knew something about Aizen's Lab that might help him with tonight's mission.

Shunsui hummed thoughtfully then locked gazes with Yamamoto, who had to lift both scruffy brows to open his eyes. A silent conversation passed between them until Yamamoto eventually nodded his head in acceptance. Shunsui shrugged his shoulders then clapped Ichigo along the back.

"Congratulations then! He's all yours. Tessai! You're up!"

Ichigo watched curiously as everyone shifted again, allowing a large, thickly-muscled man to come forward. He had light-caramel skin, a thick mustache with sideburns, and dark hair braided into tight cornrows. He held a black briefcase in one hand and a few small mechanical parts in the other. Ichigo remained silent as another person came forward, bringing with him a metal chair and a short table, then Tessai began piecing together his items. It wasn't until he opened the briefcase that Ichigo finally recognized what it was.

A tattoo machine.

The clunky power-box sat on the table and it had a long wire spilling from the front, supplying the tattoo gun with power. The briefcase held a wide array of inks, needles, and other miscellaneous supplies; like gloves, wipes, spare wires, and small tools.

"Start with Kokuto." Shunsui commanded and, while said man was herded towards the chair, he escorted Ichigo in the same direction until they were standing before the large Tattoo Artist.

Ichigo looked up into the man's bespectacled gaze and gulped at the stern, masculine face staring back. The man said nothing as he snapped on a pair of gloves then he handed Ichigo a sheet of paper along with a pen.

Ichigo stared down at the items dumbly until Shunsui instructed him, "In order to officially be their owner, they must bear your mark."

A mark…? One that he assumes will get tattooed onto each of these men.

Including Keigo …

"Is this really necessary?" He whispered, voice hoarse. He didn't know how much longer he could stand to be in this place.

"Yes." Shunsui's voice showed there was no room for argument. "But it doesn't have to be anything too crazy. Kensei, for example, just 'numbers' his Pets."

Ichigo blinked and a sudden realization washed over him. Kensei had said he had 69 pets, and that same number was tattooed across Shuuhei's face! A lot of things were starting to make sense today. It was too bad Ichigo couldn't find a way out of this… tradition .

Not wanting to waste any more precious time, Ichigo slammed the paper down on the table and leaned over, pen at the ready.

He decided to use a mark he's drawn throughout his life, something that came naturally to him. His 'Calling Card'. The skull shaped icon he used when he was Reaper.

"There. Is this fine?" He showed off the mark to Tessai and the man silently nodded his approval. He handed it over and couldn't help but notice how the man's hand was at least three-times larger than his own.

"Excellent! Well, while he takes care of that…" Shunsui's arm was back around his shoulders and Ichigo was tempted to shove the touchy-feely guy away. He was growing way too accustomed to all the grabbing and manhandling around here. Just as Ichigo was about to do just that, he realized he was standing in front of the head-honchos once more. Shunsui patted his back then finally removed his arm before standing between Yamamoto and Juushiro. "I know you're on a tight schedule, so this was all we had planned. But if there's anything you'd like to discuss, we're all ears."

Ichigo gnawed on his bottom lip and glanced around to find that the crowd was beginning to split apart. Some, mostly the guards, broke away to return to their 'punishing'—probably excited now that they had fresh meat: AKA Luppi. About half of the crowd stayed to watch Tessai's tattooing process while the rest of them kept their attention pinned on Ichigo.

"As you've said before, sir," Ichigo began, trying to be as respectful as he could manage, though that was a trait Ichigo rarely handled well, "I'm not very familiar with your rules and.. Customs ." Ichigo felt his nose scrunch ever so slightly and he saw Juushiro glance warily at Yamamoto, but the old man didn't seem bothered. "I'm not sure what all goes into being 'King' so I was hoping you guys would clear some stuff up for me."

"Hmm… As you wish. Ask your questions then." Yamamoto reached up to stroke his long, white beard calmly.

"Alright… Well. Out of curiosity, if someone challenges me, can I refuse ? Or is this one of those–If I don't fight then I automatically lose the title?"

Shunsui chuckled but Shinji decided to step forward, "The ONLY way you can lose your title is if you lose consciousness in a clean fight. No weapons and there has to be at least ten witnesses who saw it happen. You don't HAVE to fight everyone who comes up to you, but that doesn't mean they have to stop just because you say 'no'. Anyone could show up at any time to suddenly knock you out—That's why holding the title is so… difficult . You constantly have to be on your guard."

Ichigo anxiously looked around after that, noticing a few devious smiles among the crowd, but Juushiro quickly piped in, "Oh don't worry yourself while you're here. The Shinigami have agreed to have your back." He knew that was supposed to be reassuring, but Ichigo's muscles didn't relax an inch.

"Alright… So what's so special about being King? Why does everyone want the title so much?"

More chuckles circled around and Kensei said with a confident grin. "It's mostly for 'Bragging Rights'. You're the Top-Dog now! You want somethin', then just say so and it's yours."

"Within reason, of course." Shinji quickly added while elbowing Kensei in the side. The bigger male huffed and roughly shoved the blonde with his shoulder in retaliation. Shinji swayed like he might topple over, but managed to keep his feet on the ground.

"Alright…" Ichigo scratched his head, still not exactly sure what that entailed. He certainly wanted to see how far he could push this Kingly power of his. "Soooo… Hypothetically speaking, if I wanted to own my own 'territory'—" He noticed Shunsui and Shinji exchange a sharp look, and Ichigo wondered if maybe he was pushing too hard too soon, but he didn't have time to beat around the bush.. Not more than he already was anyway, "—How would that work?"

There was an uncomfortably long silence after that and Ichigo snuck a peek towards the exit, just to make sure the path was clear in case he needed to escape.

"Well… Let's see. 'Hypothetically speaking'," Shunsui paused to snort in amusement, "I suppose that would depend on the 'territory' you want."

Ichigo gritted his teeth then took a deep breath.

This was it.

This was his chance.

A chance to show Grimmjow that he could be trusted. And to prove he was capable of handling this hellhole alone—without relying on him and his gang.

"I want this Gym."

There! He said it.

It's out and there's no taking it back.

Yamamoto's cane scraped the floor as he stumbled in surprise and the others stared at him, eyes wide with shock.

Guess they hadn't been expecting that.

Ichigo wasn't gonna back down now. "I want this spot, but I'll play by your rules. Just tell me what I have to do." He was at least willing to play 'fair and square', not that he had much choice. Without a gang of his own, it was impossible to take anything by 'force'.

"Shit man…" Kensei lifted a hand to scrub across his silver hair and a long sigh compressed his lungs. "You're one crazy sonuva bitch, I'll give ya that," He dropped his hand as a large, excited smirk devoured his face, "But you certainly spice things up~"

"Enough." Yamamoto snipped, and Kensei took a respectful step back, though that hungry look on his face never fell.

Boss-Yama scrutinized Ichigo for a long minute before he finally shook his head in denial.

"Unfortunately, this is how we make money–Until our other operation is up and running… I'm afraid we can't—" Yamamoto's voice trailed off when Shinji suddenly shoved past Juushiro and Shunsui to whisper in his ear. Soft voices argued back and forth in harsh whispers, but Yama eventually shooed the blond away. He turned back and quietly contemplated what was said before he spoke, and it seemed his mind had been swayed. "Alright."

"WHAT!?" Kensei snapped and glared at Shinji. He looked ready to wallop the blonde for allowing HIS Training Room to be handed over.

Yamamoto ignored the outburst, his gaze trained solely on Ichigo, "You can have this area, but only if you agree to a 'Triple F'."

Ichigo witnessed Kensei's attitude immediately flip, the eager smirk melding back onto his face. Chocolate eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"You say that like I'm supposed to know what it means.." His tone was growing harsh. He agreed to their silly games, but now he was ready to rip their precious rulebook in two.

"It MEANS," Shunsui started with a smirk of his own, "In exchange for the Gym we want you to do a Favor , a Fight, and a Fuck. THAT is a 'Triple F'."

Ichigo's lip rose and his nose wrinkled in protest, but he steeled himself.

God dammit.

Why was he agreeing to this again…?

Oh, right.

Grimmjow.

"I have to do that with ALL of you..? No offense, but…" Ichigo sent Yamamoto a doubtful glance. The others quickly caught on to what he was thinking and loud laughter made its way around the group again.

"No, no… One per person. So only three of us will be involved in this transaction. Give us a moment to consider…" Shunsui waved Yamamoto, Kensei, and Shinji into a tight circle to debate amongst themselves. Juushiro stepped away from the group to join Ichigo in waiting.

"My, my. You are always full of surprises." The white-haired male giggled softly and Ichigo reluctantly returned a smile.

"I just do what I have to…" He admitted and Juushiro's smile slowly dropped at that.

Before he could question that statement, the man suddenly lurched forward with a pained look on his face. Ichigo instinctively caught him before he collapsed. He threw an arm over his shoulder and bore the man's weight when it seemed like he could no longer support himself. Juushiro's free hand clamped over his mouth as he coughed. Ichigo felt his whole body shake and convulse with each cough, and the loud hacking quickly gained everyone's attention.

Shunsui immediately broke off from the circle and ran to Juushiro's side.

"Here.. I'll take him."

Ichigo carefully shifted the fragile male's weight to Shunsui and he couldn't help but notice how warm Juushiro was. He had a high fever and blood was dripping from his lips to coat his clothing. Ichigo's spot was suddenly replaced by Gin, who slithered between and pushed him out of the way. Ichigo didn't say anything against it, he only watched as the two slowly walked Juushiro to the exit.

Worried whispers filled the room as the doors slammed shut, but Ichigo tried to shake off what just happened. There was nothing they could do for him. Ichigo turned back to face the three remaining 'leaders'.

Yamamoto, Kensei, and Shinji.

"So… Do I get to decide which 'F' the three of you get?"

Shinji's gaze gradually lifted from where Juushiro had disappeared to nod.

"Choose wisely."

Ichigo didn't have to think too long about it. He pointed to Yamamoto first, "Favor."

Obviously he didn't want to fuck him, nor did he want to beat the old man up.. That would just be cruel.

He then shifted his finger to Shinji, "Fight."

Shinji was attractive, sure, but Ichigo thought he might have a better chance fighting him rather than Kensei. He recalled how the larger man barely even flinched when Ichigo punched him–a full-strength punch as well.

So all that was left was...

His hand trembled nervously when it shifted to the silver-haired beast .

The man's smirk was only getting bigger and it made Ichigo feel so… small. He swallowed the hard lump in his throat and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Kensei lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes into dangerous slits. He crossed both arms and said in a deep, demanding tone, "Go on, say it."

Ichigo bit his lip and had to put his libido in a chokehold before he could finally speak.

"Fuck." There was a small squeak in his voice, but he didn't give any of them time to poke fun, "Okay! There! Is that it then?"

Shinji sent Kensei a jealous glare that the silver-haired man basked in before answering, "Yeah, yeah. Once you've done all three, the place is yours. What kinda Favor do you want, Boss?" Shinji tilted his head at Yamamoto and Ichigo made sure to pay close attention.

Yamamoto didn't hesitate, like he already knew what Ichigo would choose for him, "I want you to strike a deal with Sousuke." Shinji nodded along, and Ichigo wondered if this was what they discussed while whispering to each other. This 'favor' must have been Shinji's idea.

"What kind of deal..?" Ichigo had to ask. He kept up a defensive tone, but, in all honesty, this task worked in his favor too: He now had a good reason to see the Doctor. Now all he needed was that fake keycard Kisuke had given him, then he'd be back on track to helping Zangetsu.

"To quickly explain: Sousuke used to provide us with Drugs—Heroine and Cocaine being the main ones, but he ONLY supplied them to White ."

Ah… Hm… That didn't make too much sense. He was pretty sure White avoided Aizen like the plague. But, really, what the hell did he know?

"Ya see," Shinji added when he saw the confusion on Ichigo's face, "White n' Aizen had a deal—no one really knows what it was, but White always came back with plenty of drugs to sell, and he gave us a decent percentage to stay out of our… SYSTEM. Meaning he could refuse to join a gang—stay a STRAY—and never get put in the auctions. It was worth it, because he made us A LOT of money." Shinji rubbed his thumb and forefinger together as he said this.

Ichigo slowly massaged his temples, where a headache was gradually forming. This was way too much information for him to handle at once.

"Fine… Fine. I'll work out a deal with Mr. Aizen. That all?" Ichigo allowed his gaze to roam towards the soft hum of Tessai's tattoo gun. Kokuto was apparently finished and stood nearby, upper half bare and Reaper's Mark branded across his chest.

Ichigo looked past the man to see that it was Keigo's turn now. Poor guy was being held against the chair, shirt nowhere to be seen, and needle scraping just under the nape of his neck.

While he wasn't paying attention Yama, Shinji, and Kensei looked between each other and nodded, one by one.

"Yeah, yer good.. Meet me back here for our fight, and Ken…" Shinji motioned for the man to speak up.

"You can meet me in Cell #60 when you're ready to play ."

Ichigo felt an excited shiver crawl up his spine and his eyes snapped back to the man. Heat pooled in his gut and the twinge of arousal was back with a vengeance. Despite his reluctance, Kensei seemed like a fun ride.

With that thought in mind, Ichigo let his own smirk curl to life. His heated gaze clashed with Kensei's and he sent the man a playful wink before he turned away.

"Meet ya there in a bit." He then started towards Keigo, wanting to make sure his whimpering friend was okay.

Before completely out of earshot he heard Kensei call out, "Don't keep me waiting!"

Ichigo waited until he was a good distance away before letting the excited grin drop. He suppressed a long sigh.

Today wasn't over yet.

Not by a long shot.

….

…

..

TBC

..

…

….

* For further clarification, this is why Renji forced Keigo to STFU when he tried to warn Ichigo—Back in Chapter 4: Stray . Not only did Renji want Ichigo for himself, but he felt that because he had to go through this awful shit then Ichigo should too.

** If you're wondering why I didn't add Grimmjow's other two 'Fraccion' it's because that's too many damn characters xD So I made sacrifices. DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!