Eiji slowly opened his eyes and squinted in the harsh, buzzing lights of the medical ward. Clean bandages had been wrapped neatly around his shoulder. He tried to sit up and winced. Then he stopped and stared down at his wrist.
A thin, metal bracelet cuffed him to the bed. He was wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, though the top was unzipped and lay loosely around his waist. He looked up and froze as he saw the armed guard in the corner of the room watching him.
The door opened and a scruffy man in a lab coat walked in. He crossed over to Eiji and inspected his bandage. He jotted something down on his clipboard.
"You're going to be fine," he said. "The bullet went cleanly through." The doctor pointed and Eiji followed his gesture to his wounded shoulder.
"Another inch lower and it would have shattered your collarbone. You're lucky." The doctor handed Eiji a shirt. "Get dressed and the guard will walk you down."
The guard walked over and unlocked the handcuffs. Eiji took the shirt and gingerly pulled it on over his head. He zipped up the orange jumpsuit and followed the guard out of the room into the hall.
A heavy, steel door buzzed open and the guard led him into the main prison. Men twice Eiji's size watched him lazily as he passed. Some were covered in tattoos and scars. Fresh cuts and bruises marked their faces and their eyes bore the steely glare of a hard life.
The guard led Eiji across the walkways and stopped in front of an open cell. A large, gruff inmate looked up from his book and glared at him. The guard left without a word or backwards glance.
Eiji looked at his new cellmate and quietly backed out of the cell. The inmate huffed and went back to reading his book. Eiji wandered out onto the balcony overlooking the mess hall and looked around. It was a sea of rowdy, orange-clad inmates all of who looked like they could eat Eiji for breakfast. There were a few people closer to his size but not many.
Eiji stood in line as a brown sludge they called "food" was slopped into a bowl and set on his tray next to a piece of limp, white bread. The server glared at him, expecting the backlash newbies always gave about the food but Eiji just stared at it, more mystified than repulsed. The server's gaze softened slightly and he handed Eiji a small, green apple. Guys like him never lasted long in a place like this and when Eiji looked up gratefully, the server barked at him to move on.
Eiji found an empty table towards the back of the mess hall and sat down. He glanced at the inmates around him with a wary curiosity, tentatively poking his meal with his fork. The other inmates were involved in their own business and most paid no attention to him. Some were talking to each other, others sat alone or in silent groups. There was a sense of discomfort and danger lurking in the air.
A shadow fell across Eiji's table. An inmate with the tattoo of a long, black snake sat on the table, an inch away from landing on Eiji's tray. He snatched the slice of bread from Eiji's plate as two more Snakes sat at the table, hemming him in. Eiji shifted back, startled, looking up at the men towering over him, sitting uncomfortably close, their sweaty arms leaning against his. The lead Snake, Garvey, munched on the bread and considered him.
"What did you do to get in here, New Fish?"
Eiji stared at him blankly.
One of the Snakes leaned forward. "My friend asked you a question."
Eiji's eyes darted between them. He tried to get up but the second Snake held him back down.
"Don't you speak, Fish?" the second Snake said as Eiji squirmed under his grasp.
Still sitting on the table, Garvey was looking him over in a way that made Eiji's skin cold. A sick nausea began rising in his chest. The Snake grinned and tossed the half-eaten slice back on Eiji's tray and reached for the green apple.
Eiji's hand flashed out, stopping him before he could take it. Garvey looked at him, surprised and agitated. Eiji held his own with a look of fierce determination. The tables around them had suddenly gone uncomfortably quiet.
Garvey spotted the bandages sticking out from under the collar of Eiji's jumpsuit. He nodded to his friend. One of the Snakes stood up and put a heavy hand on Eiji's shoulder, squeezing it. Eiji's breath sucked in quietly in pain but he didn't let go. The grip tightened and Eiji yelped and grimaced, but refused to give in.
Garvey smiled. "You're a dumb little fish, aren't you?"
The atmosphere suddenly shifted. The grip on his shoulder released and Eiji gasped with relief as the two Snakes beside him took an unconscious step back.
Leaning against the railing over the mess hall, Ash surveyed the prison like he owned the place, glancing at the new faces, observing any changes that had been made to his second kingdom. His eyes narrowed when he saw Eiji.
Eiji stood warily and the Snakes retreated as Ash crossed over to him. Garvey backed off as Ash walked past him but hung back hungrily, waiting to see what Ash would do. The whole cafeteria was waiting.
Ash looked Eiji up and down. Eiji shifted back, uncomfortably, all eyes in the prison watching him. Ash leaned forward and whispered, "Just go with it."
Before Eiji could react, Ash had grabbed a fist of Eiji's hair and pushed his head back against the wall. Eiji's eyes widened in surprise and fear as Ash's lips landed on his, his body moving forward to press Eiji against the wall. Eiji swung his fist and stumbled back. Ash touched the bruised spot on his cheek and smiled, surprised and impressed. Then he turned on Eiji.
In one fluid movement Ash attacked and threw Eiji to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Eiji tried to scramble to his feet but Ash pinned him against the wall, a hand clamped hard against his throat. Eiji choked for air, trying desperately to peel off Ash's iron grip.
Ash looked around calmly. He had claimed his territory and now he was asking if anyone wanted to challenge him. In acknowledgement, the other inmates simply looked away and went back to their meals and their conversations. Garvey nodded with a cruel smile and bowed, he and his gang going back to their table.
Eiji gasped for air as Ash released him. Before Eiji had a chance to recover, Ash twisted his arm behind his back and led him away from the crowd.
Ash threw him into the cell. Eiji lost his balance and crashed to the floor. Eiji's cellmate looked up in surprise.
"Out," Ash said.
The inmate grabbed his few belongings and slipped past the younger man quietly, without a word of protest. From the hall below, the Snakes watched as Ash disappeared into the cell and slid the door shut.
Eiji spotted a toothbrush on the edge of the sink. He grabbed it, snapping off its head, and scrambled to his feet. He turned to face Ash with a determined glare, the makeshift shiv clenched tightly in his hand.
"You got yourself painted as a target for the Snakes on your first day, newbie," Ash said.
He plopped down on the lower bunk and kicked off his shoes, laying back and closing his eyes. "In exchange for my protection, you'll do my laundry, keep the cell clean, and take on any extra shifts the warden sends my way."
Eiji was still breathing heavily in the corner, glaring at Ash. Ash opened one eye and looked at him. "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you."
Eiji didn't relax. Ash looked at him curiously.
"You do speak, don't you?" Ash switched to Japanese. "Or maybe you only speak Japanese?"
Eiji shifted but didn't answer. Ash closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head, leaning back like he was going to take a nap.
"I know you speak. I heard you on the bridge. You said 'I won't go back.'"
Suddenly Eiji was on top of him, the broken toothbrush pressing against the soft spot under Ash's chin. Ash opened his eyes, giving Eiji a cool stare.
"The only reason we're in here is because I already have a record. There's no evidence and no crime and I have some connections in the police department. We'll be out in a few days, a week at most."
Eiji hesitated.
"However, the murder of a fellow inmate is sure to keep you in here for a while. And based on the manpower I saw on that bridge, I don't think you want to stay out in the open any longer than you have to."
Eiji looked at him, doubtfully. Slowly, he pulled back and got up.
"Where am I?" he asked quietly.
"New York State Prison."
"Why am I here?"
Ash shrugged, "Oh you know, guilty until proven innocent, that sort of thing. But there's some pretty compelling evidence that you're an innocent victim in all of this. Especially with that bullet wound. It shouldn't be hard to get your release."
Eiji shook his head. That wasn't what he had meant. "Why was I with you?"
Ash looked at him. "I'd love to tell you it was a rescue mission." Ash hesitated, considering how much to tell him. "I had a… a contact. He left a message saying he had something important for me. Something that would bring down Golzine's empire. He left all the information we needed to intercept the cargo, except he left out what the cargo was and why I needed it." He paused, studying Eiji's face. "You were the cargo."
Eiji was listening but the expression on his face was unreadable. If the kid knew anything, he wasn't giving it away.
Ash sat up and looked at him. "I need to know why he thought you were important. Tell me what you know and I can use that information to stop a very bad man. And help a lot of people."
Eiji looked at him. "What if I don't know anything?"
Ash smirked. "Then I'd know you're lying." Ash leaned back and sighed, "I will get what I need, but now is not the time. We have more immediate things to deal with. You're safe from me for now."
"For now?"
Ash smiled and closed his eyes, giving no other answers. The guards called the prisoners back to their cells. The Snakes walked past their cell and hesitated briefly at the sight of Eiji but moved on when they saw his cellmate. Eiji watched them warily.
"Sorry about before, by the way."
Eiji turned. Ash was watching him.
"The Snakes are sadistic and cruel and you caught their attention. It was better for me to intervene."
Eiji looked away.
"You need to be careful," Ash said gently. "There are several who would like to find themselves alone with you, either out of preference or loneliness. And unclaimed territory has a way of finding itself in bad hands."
The guards shouted for lights out and cell doors clicked shut with heavy, magnetic locks. Eiji looked up and saw an inmate staring at him from across the prison. Then the lights went out.