Chapter 1: The Rice on His Face
The cafeteria of Iron Gate Penitentiary smelled of burnt grease, old cabbage, and sour sweat. It was a place where human empathy came to die. Hundreds of inmates dressed in bright orange jumpsuits sat at long stainless-steel tables, their plastic forks scraping against metal trays. The air was thick with the low, continuous rumble of murmuring voices, clinking metal, and the heavy boots of prison guards standing along the concrete walls.
At the center table sat Leo. He was a new arrival, his orange jumpsuit still crisp and clean, lacking the faded stains of the long-term convicts. He sat quietly, his eyes focused on his food tray. On the metal surface sat a neat mound of white rice, some steamed broccoli, a small portion of beef, and a few diced carrots. He wasn't talking to anyone. He didn't look up. He just wanted to eat his lunch in peace.
But peace didn't exist in Iron Gate.
A massive shadow fell over Leo’s table. Jax, a giant of an inmate weighing easily three hundred pounds, stood behind him. Jax’s arms were completely covered in dark, jagged tattoos, and his bald head caught the harsh fluorescent lights of the ceiling. He was the undisputed king of Cell Block C, a ruthless bully who took whatever he wanted from the weaker prisoners.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Jax boomed, his voice echoing off the metal tables. "A pretty little boy trying to enjoy his first meal?"
Leo didn't answer. He didn't even stop chewing. He simply reached for his water cup.
Jax’s face twisted in anger at the lack of a reaction. With a sudden, violent movement, Jax slammed his massive, heavy hand directly onto the back of Leo’s head.
BOOM!
The force of the impact drove Leo’s face straight down into the metal tray. The white rice exploded outward, scattering across the stainless-steel table. Grains of rice and pieces of diced carrots stuck to Leo’s hair, forehead, and cheeks.
Jax burst into a loud, booming laugh, throwing his head back. "Hahaha! Eat up, fresh meat! Every last bite!"
The surrounding inmates began to chuckle nervously, watching the entertainment. The guards along the wall didn't move. They simply watched, waiting to see if the new kid would cry or beg.
Leo remained perfectly still for three long seconds, his face pressed against the cold metal tray. Then, slowly, he lifted his head.
The laughter in the cafeteria died instantly.
Leo’s eyes were wide, bloodshot, and completely devoid of human fear. A thin line of blood ran down his nose from a small cut, but his gaze was locked onto Jax like a laser sight on a rifle. Grains of white rice hung from his eyelashes and stuck to his jaw, but his expression was like carved ice. He wasn't a victim; he was a predator that had just been woken up.
"You should have let me finish my lunch," Leo said, his voice a low, terrifyingly calm rumble that cut through the silence of the room.
"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it, boy?" Jax sneered, clenching his massive fists, his tattoos bulging with muscle. "You want to cry to the guards?"
Leo didn't waste another word. He slammed his hands onto the edge of the metal table, using the leverage to launch his entire body upward. He didn't just stand up; he exploded. Before Jax could even raise his hands to defend himself, Leo stepped inside the giant's guard. His left fist shot out like a lightning bolt, striking Jax squarely in the throat.
Jax let out a choked, gagging sound, his eyes widening in pure shock. But Leo wasn't finished. In a fluid, cinematic motion that looked like a scene from a Hollywood action movie, Leo grabbed Jax by his orange collar, twisted his own body, and threw the three-hundred-pound giant completely over his shoulder.
Jax flipped through the air and crashed brutally onto the hard concrete floor, a loud CRACK echoing through the hall as his spine hit the floorboards. Leo leaped into the air, driving his knee violently into Jax’s chest, pinning him down.
Jax screamed in agony, his face turning purple as he clutched his broken ribs. "Stop! Stop! Please!"
Leo stood over him, his breathing steady, his eyes still locked onto the groaning giant. The entire cafeteria was frozen. Inmates stood up from their seats, their mouths wide open in pure disbelief. The fresh meat had just broken the king of the block in less than five seconds.
"Who the hell is this guy?" an old inmate in the corner whispered, his fork falling from his hand.
Suddenly, a loud siren began to blare from the ceiling. Heavy footsteps ran toward the center of the room.
"Get on the ground! Do it now!" a guard screamed, pointing a taser at Leo.
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Leo didn't fight back against the guards. He slowly raised his hands, looking down at Jax, who was coughing up blood on the floor.
"My name is Leo," he whispered to the unconscious giant. "And I'm not the fresh meat. I'm the one who is going to burn this place down."
