The bell rang harder and harder, forcing Tomoe to wake up at last. "Another day in paradise." She said to herself as the barred door came into view. Three years into her jail time, several incidents, each one increasing to her sentence, Tomoe Gozen was already known at the Wall as a regular troublemaker or troubletaker, due to her heritage and quickness to act.

She knew that it was either eat or get eaten out there, and since then, four women already fell prey to her makeshift shiv. All to keep herself safe and in a position of relative power inside Huntsville. The first one, a Xeno, tried to use her as an excuse and a target to further implement herself as a self-styled 'Queen' of the Wall. It didn't end well for the Xeno, as the sharpened handle of a shampoo bottle found its way in her throat. Several times. Leaving the bloody Tomoe with the most apt nickname of 'Shiv'. And an extra six years in her sentence.




Ever since then, she had became a target to the resident Xeno population that was not separated from the normal inmates. More three deaths, two solitary confinements and a long stay at the med-bay were the remaining high notes of her time there. As she exited her cell, two women of her 'crew' sided her and followed her footsteps. "Mornin' boss." Said the older one, Mary. Born in Houston, she was there for life, and had no qualms in being under the shadow and protection of Shiv. Tomoe bowed her head, in the customary Kusari way of greeting, and the three hurried off to the first chow time. A perilous task, right off the bat.

.

Several days later, Tomoe 'Shiv' Gozen, was sitting in the playground, bodyguards in tow. She took this time to observe the status quo and shift in power inside the Wall. A curious detail, one that several people noticed but no one dared mentioning, was her hands that were always moving in an almost knowledgeable move of sharpening a small blade. Suddenly, a small scuffle nearby called her attention. One of the new bloods was being jerked by the older Rogue elements. Her face wasn't strange already, but still smelled fresh. Always on the lookout for new blood and a new set of eyes around her, Shiv didn't took long. With a move of her hand, three of her crew followed her. "If it comes to blood, hit the ones in the back. I will deal with the barkers first." Tomoe whispered at the three women. The new blood was pushed to the ground and fell right where Tomoe arrived, causing the ruckus to go cease. The playground went silent. The only sound was the automatic turret weaponry rotors working, aiming their non-lethal ordinance.

The young blood looked up and saw the small kusarian woman looking at the group that was harassing her. Tomoe flicked a hand, signalling her to get up and behind her. Without anything else, Tomoe eyed the whole group and spoke.
"Seems we are in an understanding, bakas?"

The older, and more mean looking of the women of the opposite group growled, causing the group to visibly move, in an aggressive move. Tomoe didn't flinched, neither the women behind her.
"You want to start a piss contest, little cutter?"

"Yes, fifth."

The threat was implicit, and enough to discourage the rogue group. The older one grunted and turned her head, causing for the group to disperse. Tomoe almost seemed disappointed. The young blood went to speak, but Tomoe raised a hand and spoke without looking at her.
"You got two choices, fish. Either work for me, or die to them. Your call. I think.. You have until tomorrow."

Her little feet turned and started walking to where her crew was, with the three women in tow. The new blood stood there. Probably wondering in what hell she had just stepped in.

"Sayonara." Tomoe's voice was heard, as the playground started to resume its normal pace and noise.

.

Tomoe was sitting on her bunk inside her cell reading a book. Two of her crew stood guard at the entrance, lazily, talking to eachother. Some days it was like this.. One did everything or nothing to pass the time. One of the rare male guards in that side of the Wall passed by and without a word threw a small card into the cell. The two bodyguards acted like nothing had happened and kept their straight face chit-chat, leaving Tomoe to pick up the holo-card. "Interesting." Tomoe thought and activated the holo-card. Instructions, dates, names. The only thing that was missing was how to actually exit the Wall. But the what brought her a grin to her face was the name of the intended recipient.

"Joan-san, what was the name of that fish?"

She asked to the one on the left, a lifer, much like Tomoe. "Err.. Ana? Liana? Diana. Yeah, Diana." The confirmation made the lithe Kusari face light up in a devilish manner.

"Bring her to me. Unharmed. But you can tumble her for a bit. We got stories to trade, it seems." Joan nodded, and disappeared, probably looking for more of the crew to get the fish without much hassle. The grin on Tomoe's face was almost machievellic. "In my grasp, at last." She fell in her bunk and smiled while looking for more data from the holo-card.

.

The holo-card twirled in Shiv's hand. "Konnichiwa.. So, how are you enjoying the Wall?" The lithe Kusarian asked without expecting a reply, and kept on twirling the holo-disk. Suddenly it stopped and Tomoe threw it to Diana, in an obvious move to appease the woman. With a wry smile, she got up from her bunk.
"You got some very interesting friends, fish."

Her feet slowly took her body forward, silently up to Diana. "But your friends, as it said in there.." She pointed to the holo-card in Diana's hand, and looked back at Diana. "Can't get you out of here." Tomoe kept walking slowly up where she reached Diana and whispered in her ear. "I can. That is.. If you bring me with you." Diana felt a small prickling feeling on the other side of her neck. Without noticing, Tomoe had a small makeshift shiv already pointed at Diana's neck. Tomoe moved her head back and smiled in a very eerie way.

"And I don't take no's for an answer, baka. "

.

An hour later, the deal was set, plans were decided and the two women went about their regular lives. Up until three days before the defined date by Willy. Tomoe approached the fish pond, aptly named, and called up for Diana. "Here. There's the baka." She clearly pointed at a woman in the playground. A Xeno that has tried to hit Tomoe several times. "This ain't the end, fish. Only the beginning." She whispered to her.

Diana gripped the small handmade blade, and nodded at Shiv. To many, this was looking like an initiation of sorts into Shiv's gang. To them two, it was the first step to freedom. As Diana closed into the woman, a couple tried to intercept her, only to meet Shiv's thugs. The last one, intelligently waited until Diana was close to her mark and jumped at Diana. Only to meet Shiv. With a twist, Tomoe sealed her fate and black blood pooled from her liver. Fifteen minutes of excruciating pain. With that, the general alarm was sounded, and the automatic turrets came to life. "DO IT BAKA!" Tomoe shouted, pointing at the Xeno. Diana threw herself at her and stabbed, stabbed, stabbed until blood drenched her clothes and face, and the automatic turrets started to fire their ordinance. Less than a minute later, everyone in the playground was enjoying a drugged up sleep. One day later, the two were presented to the main warden and issued the due process of getting to Denver to get a trial for murder. At the exit, Shiv smirked at Diana who wore a somber look. Tomoe clearly noticed it and thought. "Murder doesn't agree with this baka." At the end of the day, they left their solitary confinement and were moved to the holding area, where they would wait for their transport, due the next morning. Tomoe, during lunch, sat in front of Diana and spoke. "All good, gaijin. We're almost out of this hell." She bit the bread with a smirk on her face and threw it at Diana's face.

"And you're no killer."

.