A/N: There's just something about tattooed men and umbrellas...
Mudano rolls up to the wrecked warehouse behind the shirtless boy with horns. He was kneeling over the body of an old man.Â
How tragic.Â
HoweverâŚÂ
âThis place is too exposed.â Before the boy could react, Mudano hit the pressure points on the back of his neck, knocking him out. The boy collapsed to the ground.
He skates up beside the boy, âAllowing someone to sneak up on you so easily. Minus points.â
Roar!
He holds up his umbrella just in time, blocking the jaws of a black jaguar. The black bacteria holds the shape of the powerful jaguar together flickers and bends. He pushes back, creating distance from the two bodies.
More black bacteria gather in front of the bodies, forming into a wolf and a lioness. They guard them from him âWas it you?â There, a woman stood above the wreckage, looking down at him with a fire he'd never seen before.
âDid you hurt my family?â
Mudano could only call out her name.
â(Y/N)...â
My next project after hunter's manual! Hope you'll like this as well!
âNoâYour other leâEnjin, thereâs only one left!â
You run a hand down your face as Enjin switches walls, placing the tip of Umbreaker against the wall before activating it. It drills through with ease, opening a new path. âLike butter baby.â Enjin smirks, stepping into the hole first.Â
He checked the tunnel for any enemies, squinting into the darkness. Just another passage. Metal-lined this time, and even darker than before.
He turns back to give you a nod, letting you know you can pass through. He offers a hand which you accept as you carefully step through the hole. âWait! Youâre seriously just leaving? But we have to fight!â You both pick up the pace as Fu follows you through the hole.
You rummage through your bag, pulling out a flashlight. You click it on, illuminating the space. âHuh. handy.â Enjin comments, following behind you as you lead the way. âBetter to be prepared. We seem to be going into a lot of dark places lately.â You flick the light from wall to wall as you go, trying to spot anything that could help you.
âW-Wait! Donât leave me please!â
Enjin turns back to see Fu clumsily running after them. He turns back to you, nudging your side, âWhat are we going to do about the kid?â He asks you. You let out a sigh, more focused on finding a way out, âJust keep ignoring him. Our first priority is getting out of here.â
The tunnel stretched on for another minute before a dull glow finally appeared ahead. Dim light shines through an exit. You give Enjin a glance before switching off your flashlight and storing it, âFinally something different.â
âWait please!â Fu trips and lands on his face. He grovels on the ground, not having the will to get back up anymore. You and Enjin only spared him a quick glance at the sound, quickly focusing back on the exit.
You and Enjin approach the end where you can hear the sound of trash falling.
âOh. car.â
âEh?â
A car burst into the tunnel, landing with a loud thud beside you two before rolling to a slow stop.
Bro, Dear and the old man raider pop their heads out of the car, breathing deeply. âYou guys alright? Seems like one hell of a rollercoaster ride.â You let out an amused breath as you scan Dear and Bro for injuries.Â
Bro just gives a shaky smile, â(Y/N), Enjin. Man am I glad to see you.â Enjin doesn't greet him back, instead pointing his Umbreaker at the old man in the back seat, âCut the bullshit buddy! First things first, why you taking a damn road trip with a Raider!â
Dear growls from the passenger seat, clearly taking offense. The old man pushes Umbreaker away from him, âEasy partner. You looking to poke an eye out? Put that thing away.â The old man redirects his attention to the boy on the ground who struggles to pull himself back up.
âFu? Kindly fill me in on why youâre face down in the dirt?â the old man called out to him. You and Enjin turn back to the struggling boy. âDonât dilly dally on me now. I see your opponents bright as day, so fess up.â Enjin looked between Fu and the old man.
He seriously expected the boy to defeat us?
Fu grits his teeth, âItâs notâŚmy fault. No matter what I did, they refused to fight with me.â The boy practically sobbed. The old man pinched the bridge of his nose, bowing his head in almost embarrassment.
âOnce I told them the truth about where we were, I thought for sure they would get hella mad and use some crazy moves with their Vital Instrument.â Fu cries out.
Enjin remembers the moment. You and him had your Vital Instruments glowing, ready to blast through the trash beast before you quickly deactivated yours, âWait, what am I doing? This thing is probably huge. We probably need to find a weak spot first. No point wasting energy.â You mumbled under your breath as you took off behind them.
Enjin does the same deactivating his Umbreaker as he watches you run off. He turns back to Fu for a moment, shooting him a smile and a wave, âBye!â Before chasing after you. âDamn, you're fast!â Enjin's eyes widened when he actually saw the gap you managed to create in the short amount of time. Lucky, he was blessed with long legs.Â
âBut those lousy jerks took off to go find their friends and left me hanging!â Fu whines. He bangs his forehead on the ground, properly begging, âThrow me a bone here! Iâm not asking for much, okay?â
Enjin rests a hand on his hip, âChill. If I socked you, itâll become a whole thing. Iâm good.â That only made Fu cry more. âI ain't gonna sugar coat this. Youâre a sad little dude.â the old man looks down at Fu.
âAre we gonna stand around yapping all day or what?â Bro calls out, rounding around the car. âIn case you havenât heard, weâre on a ticking time bomb here.â You and Enjin share a confused look. You're in a trash beast sure but you guys can just bust out of here easy right?
âListen up. If we donât haul our asses, this thingâs gonna drag our corpses through the border!â Bro exclaimed while Dear nodded. âFly full steam ahead. Thatâs a one way trip.â Bro emphasizes.
Enjin's eyes widened at the realization.
âAnd screw your factors. Nothing is going to stop me from going back.â
Those were Rudoâs words when they first met.
âIn other words, this rideâŚCould be Rudoâs ticket back home to the Sphere.â
And yours too.
Shit, that sounds bad. Change the subject, change the subject! Abort! Abort!
âWait back up! Howâs this thing flying? Whatâs it running on? Vibes? Huh?â
Slap!
âThats your concern?â
Enjin looks to the right, barely able to register what just happened, just the sting on the left side of his cheek. He feels himself being pulled down by the collar of his shirt, bringing him to your level, âIf you think for one second Rudo would throw us away just for a chance to get back to the Sphere, then maybe I need to lock you in a room with him until you remember who he is!âÂ
He looks into your eyes. All he can see is fire. Raw, unfiltered rage. Heâs never had this kind of anger directed at him before. No wonder your enemies cower before you. âNo one is dying here, inside some trash beast, all because some jackass wants to go to the Sphere, you hear me? We regroup and get out. Weâll find some other way, a safer way, to get up to the Sphere.â
The squeaky sound of chokers ringing breaks the tension.
Saved by the bell.
You let go of his collar, pushing him away before walking to the opposite wall of the tunnel. You press your palms against the wall, bowing your head as you take deep slow breaths. Something in Enjin cracks a little as he watches you. He hates it when youâre angry at him.
But he has a job to do now. You said it yourself. So he clears his throat and answers his choker, letting the sting remind him of the pain his words caused.
âWhere the hell have you been! I couldnât reach you! Talk to me.â Semiu yelled at them. âBoss girl, itâs so good to hear from you!â Enjin easily slips back on the mask, back to the silly leader. Thatâs what they need right now. âCut to the chase, Enjin. Where is everyone?â Semiu takes no shit like usual.
âLong story short, weâre trapped inside a trash beast. Iâm with (Y/N), Bro and Dear, but everyone else is MIA. Two raiders picked a fight with usâuh, kinda?â Enjin couldnât help but look at you as he relays the situation to Semiu. Usually youâre the one to do it, but now he can only see your back slowly rise and fall. Not looking at him.
âAre you asking me? Or telling me?â Semiu snarks. Enjin turns away from you. He needs to focus. âWait, almost forgot. Apparently weâre about to die crossing the border. Meh.â Enjin says nonchalantly. âI oughta kick your ass myself. What were you thinking getting your team kidnapped on your watch? Take care of business and get back here. Are you Cleaners or aren't you?â
Enjin makes a face as he gets scolded once again. âAlways something with you.â He could practically see Semiu shaking her head in disappointment. âMy badâŚâ Enjin weakly apologizes. âCompletely. Anyways, where is (Y/N)? I shouldnât be talking to your bum ass.â Hey, that hurts.
âIâm here.â
Enjin whips his head around at the sound of your voice. Youâre still facing the wall, just now with one hand on the choker to answer her. âYou guys wanna tell me why the choker didnât work if you aren't underground?â Semiu asks.
âWeâre not sure. The whole time we thought we were underground. Maybe it has to do with the trash beast being activated?â You theorised.
Wait a minute.
Enjin turns to the old man raider who was still in the car. The old man just stares back.
âOr some kindââ
âAny word from Zanka or Riyo?â Enjin cuts you off, asking Semiu. âNone. Still trying.â She responds. Enjinâs eyes narrowed at the raider before he closed them and tossed his head back, âMan oh man. One thing after another non stop. Weâll find a way out of here. No oneâs getting left behindâ
You finally turn around from the wall, turning to face him.
âAnd how will you do that? You canât confirm their locations. Itâs a dead zone.â Semiu asks. Enjin taps Umbreaker on the ground, resting his hands on the handle, âSomeone I owe everything to, gave me my name.â Enjin turns to you, meeting your gaze.
He shoots you a grin, âIn the old language. Enjin means someone who connects people. Iâll be the Ansen to bring us all together. UmbrellasâŚdo tend to stand out.â You raise a brow at him.Â
Finally, you returned to his side. He hadn't realized how wrong it felt standing without you until now. âAnsen. Didnât know youâve been snooping through my journal. Againâ You rake a hand through your hair, âDonât worry Semiu. Enjinâs like a dog, heâll sniff out the rest of our team.â You and Enjin move to the edge of the tunnel, overlooking the vast space.
A dog for you maybeâŚ
âTake care of it. And come back in one piece you two. Back upâs on the way. Thanks to this little chat, we were able to pinpoint your coordinates. Boss got in touch with his information broker, they filled in the details. They comin. Just hang on.â The call cuts.
Enjin glanced sideways at you. You still refused to look at him, arms crossed tightly over your chest. âDonât get the wrong idea. Iâm still hella mad at you. But we got kids to take care of, so let's hop to it.â Enjin nervously rubs the back of his neck. Thatâs just about what he expected from you, âYes maâam.â
A creak sounds from behind them, then footsteps, âItâs inspiring you trying to live up to your name's sake, truly. But do you really think itâs possible inside this giant trash beast? I sure donât.â The old man raider asks behind them.
Enjin rests Umbreaker on his shoulders, tapping it against his shoulder. âHave some faithââ "Enjin might be an idiot," You cut him off, "but he's a stubborn bastard. If anyone's dumb enough to power his way out of here, it's him."Â
âAre you complimenting me or insulting me?â Enjin gives you a smirk. âShut up. Iâm still mad at you.â Enjinâs grin wilted. Right. Still in the doghouse. He really shouldnât be expecting much.Â
âYou really think highly of him, dontcha? And what makes you think you could just power yourself on outta here?â The old man asks. Enjin ignores him, pointing his Umbreaker at the opposite wall of the vast pit. He slowly lowers Umbreaker until he feels it. His gut tells him his team is there. âWhat do you think about there?â
You eye the direction of where he is aiming, tilting your head curiously. You unholster your gun, spinning it once as it activates into the Colt. You level the Colt beside Umbreaker, then adjust your aim a fraction. Slightly to the left. Or was it the right? Ah, hell of he knewâ
Bang!
A single bullet leaves a large crater in the wall. You holster back your gun, âThatâs a weaker spot. You should be able to drill through easier.â Enjin gives a smirk before stepping off the ledge, âYou got it!â
He feels the wind flying through his hair as he uses Umbreaker to break his fall, letting him ski down the side of the wall. âIâll put on a show, just for you!â he activates Umbreaker, making it twice its usual size. He slides, and slides till he lines up just rightâ
He pushes off the wall.Â
And spins.
WRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
He drills through the trash beast with ease, bursting through into another cavern. He snaps Umbreaker open, letting it slow his descent. "Hah. Nailed it."
Rudo.
âŚAnd Zodyl.
Enjin lands safely onto a protruding spike against the wall.Â
Zodyl looked over his shoulder at Enjin âDid you blindly bore through this trash beast to get here? Iâm impressed you managed to find your way to us. That said, one more person doesn't change anything.â
Who said anything about one person?
You were to first to drop down beside him, landing with ease as Bro and Dearâeven Riyo and Zanka came out from nowhere!
Riyo teased, âEnjin carving out a path for the lost. Like always. What will we do without you?â Enjin gives her back a smug grin, âDie. Thankfully youâreâbarely standing? Zanka, the hell man? I was joking.â Enjin groans as he sees how beaten and battered Zanka is, barely able to support himself without Riyo.
You quickly hop down to their level, helping her support Zanka. âDamn, what the hell happened to him? What about you? You okay?â You ask Riyo as you analyze Zankaâs injuries. âYeah of course. I still got some juice left in me.â She flexes her arm.
âThereâs a trash beast core right above us. And thereâs a whole team of Cleaners right behind you. Youâre done. This experiment is over!â Rudo bravely points to Zodyl, signaling the end. Enjin couldnât help but let out an amused huff. The kidâs getting ballsy now.
âThe conclusion is coming. Yes. Now is the time for us to wait and observe. Once we cross the border, weâll see if it was worth it.â Zodyl doesnât back down.
But before the fight should beginâŚ
Enjin eyes Riyo.
âRiyo⌠Is your guy dead?â
The girl flinched immediately, letting go of Zanka as she threw both hands into the air. "No! Not even a little!"
"Riyoâ!"
Without her support, Zanka immediately slumped. You barely managed to catch him before he hit the ground, sliding one hand beneath his head to soften the impact. Judging from the ragged hiss through his teeth, it still hurt like hell.
RumbleâŚ.RumbleâŚRUMBLE
âItâs moving.â Enjin slides down the spike as the cavern shifts and turns. The wall becomes the floor and the floor becomes the wall. Trippy.
He turns to you, seeing you carry Zanka behind a spike. Your hands are working, feeling for wounds and wrapping bandages.
âIt has begun. It certainly took long enough to get going. You have until we reach the border. After that, it's either deathâŚor the Sphere. It's a race against timeâ Zodyl monologues which he could really care less about.
âEnjin! Eyes front. End this battle quickly, yeah?â Enjin gives you a quick thumbs up, not sure if you managed to even see it with how fast you turned back to Zanka. Alright then. Show time.Â
Rudo was the first to rush in, flipping over us and pulling out a weapon.
âItâs cleaning time!â
The Vital Instrument unfolded into a nail gun, firing a barrage toward the glowing core. . Enjin laughs, pointing at Rudo as he fires away âitâs like a gun!â he cheekily glances at Riyo. But Five enormous metal hands erupt from the ground, stopping the nails like nothing.
âNeither my experiment nor my training are finished.â Enjin turns back to see Zodyl with one unhappy face. âIn fact, they are far from it.â
âHowdy yaâll. Allow me to clarify. Weâre actually raiders in training. Hay seeds, greenhorns, newbies.â The old man raider from before raises from the hole in the ground, the hands created. So the hands are his Vital Instrument.
âA newbie? Wait, are you joking?â Bro scoffs in disbelief, making the old man laugh. âProbably shouldâve acted with a bit more urgency at the start. Not much time left to show the boss what I can do.â The metal arms raise into position, âBut you canât undo whatâs done. Better start lying down the pain while I still can.â
Enjin and Riyo share a look. Her eyes glow green. Sheâs ready.
Together, they charged, splitting off to flank him from both sides. âItâs two on one, is it? No problem.â Two metal hands glowed and swelled in size, cutting Enjin and Riyo off from the core. They dug their feet into the ground, skidding to a stop.
Bro and Dear dropped in from above, but another two hands blocked them, swatting them down like flies.
Rudo sees the chance and aims for an opening, but the old man was faster, slamming another hand down on the boy.
The metal fists rose high before crashing down on them. Dust clouds plume upon the impact.
âThese hands are prosthetic arms that became part of me at certain stages of ma life. Just look at âem. Theyâre all of excellent quality arenât they? I highly doubt yaâll can slip through âem before we reach the border.â The raider brags.
âAnd to be fair, yaâll should know I do have a spare on meâ A sixth hand rose behind him, waving mockingly at them. This is gonna be annoying. Six hands. One for each Cleaner... plus a spare. Yeah, this guy's a pain. Enjin clicks his tongue.
Enjin pushes through, dodging each hand that comes his way. He activates Umbreaker He activated Umbreaker, its frame splitting open just enough to block a punch. The umbrella streamlines and spins faster âHeadâs up! Coming through.âÂ
âI got it. This handâs for you.â A hand boosts forward before its fingers turn into wires, spinning and wrapping its threads around Umbreaker. It tithes around Umbreaker, closing the umbrella and stopping the drill. The sudden stop ripped him clean off his feet.Â
âMy third hand. Got it at twenty. Formative year. I was just starting to really spread my wings!â
Damn it.
Every hand had its own trick.
Every time we found an opening, the old bastard pulled out another surprise.
Sorry, (Y/N). This might not end as quickly as you'd like.
Enjin looks back at Zodyl, now accompanied by that manhole user.Â
The old man is hard enough as it is. If those two joined the fightâŚ
His hand drifts over the cover of his bag.
âŚ
Not yet.
Enjin fights against his hands, dodging wires. âHands off!â he snaps Umbreaker open, sliding the wires off the umbrella. Closed, Umbreaker is easy to trap. Open, it lost most of its punching power.Â
Gotta give it to the old man. It's been a while since someone's pushed him this hard.Â
FWOOOOSH
A surge of power stuns the fight.
âRudoâŚâ Enjin watches as Anima swirls around the boy. He squints as the power becomes almost blinding. What the hell is that kid doing?
When the light cleared, a massive cannon towered beside Rudo, the glowing X3 etched into its barrel. âUhâŚEnjin? What the hell is that thing Rudo just pulled out? Seriously. That canât be the nail gun he was just using.â Riyo's eyes widdened in disbelief, gawking at the new weapon.
âYouâd think. But thatâs it. Thatâs the very same one.â Even Enjin couldn't help breaking into a cold sweat. He knew Rudo had the potential, he just didnât expect it to be this much. âOkay⌠and how do you know that?â Riyo asks.
âThink about it for a second. His power works three times. Makes three weapons out of three pieces of trash.â Enjin lays it out for her, âNow I donât think he realises this. The reason why 3R can make three weapons? Is Rudoâs been dividing up his power among each piece of trash. So then, what do you think happens if he focuses it all into one?â
Riyo grimaces, âWellâŚnothing good. At best heâll overexert himself and pass out.â Enjin frowns in mild disappointment, âMan, you just put more thoughts into his actions than he did. That said, heâd still do it either way.â
âAs annoying as it may be, you canât stop stupid from being stupid!â The old man sends his wave of hands forward.
âThen donât try! JUST MOVE!â Rudo raises a hand. The cannon whirls to life.Â
Down.
A giant nail launched forward, burning bright red from the heat.Â
The old man blocked it with his arms but the impact was still devastating, cracking the ground and still pushing him back. It was practically a rocket!
He managed to stop one nail, but Rudo already had his hand raised again.
âOne moreâŚShot!â
Down.
It hits the back of the first nail, the power shattering the prosthetics to pieces.
BOOM!
The nails ricochet, hitting the ceiling instead.
âOh come on! It was so close! Just a little to the left and thisâll all be over!â Bro complains, clutching his head. âBut, he took out the old man. Now, let's finish thisââ
SHIVER.
Enjin pointâs Umbreaker behind them at Zodyl.
What the hell was that level of bloodlust?
He meets Zodylâs glare straight on.
Oh. He's mad pissed.
Crack.
Enjin glanced back at Rudo. The giant cannon was already crumbling into dust, and Rudo had dropped to his knees beside it. Even from here, Enjin could just barely make out the quiet hitch of a sob. âRudoâŚah, hell. Donât go projecting all you empathy on your enemyâs stuff now too.â
âYou did well, Bundus. Come and join us.â Zodyl invites the old man. So Bundus is his name.Â
âReally? But I still got a job to get done, donât I?â Bundus reconfirms from his spot on the ground. âWe have a good enough idea of your capabilities. And besides, thereâs nothing else we need here.â Zodyl answered back. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
âThought there was more you wanted to learn?â Bundes asks confused. âIâve seen this vehicleâs potential. Itâs resilience. Iâve seen how my new raiders operate. Refine them. I know the limits of these chokers. And Iâve witnessed the power of another entry in the Watchman series. I see no reason for us to stay here any longer.â Zodyl lists off.
Bundus stood up with a grunt, âWell, all right. Thatâs music to my ears.â Bundus casually walks over to Zodyl, who waited beside the open portal.Â
âHey, wait. Come back. Donât leave your Vital Instrument.â Ah Rudo. You sweet sweet boy.
Bundus points to the open crack in his prosthetic, causing the loose shards to fly and collect towards it.
âYou got a big olâ heart for objects, donât cha? This should make you feel better then. All of my arms integrate parts from the original prosthetic that I used. Now I love all of âem, but the first oneâs always gonna be special from the rest, you know? Itâs like the core of my Vital Instrument.â Bunus looks over his shoulder at Rudo.
âItâs how I can fix âem. Like Iâve said.â Bundus shoots him a smile. Rudo pauses for a moment, registering his words, âFine! Screw you too! And donât just run away!â Ah, seems like heâs back to his senses.
âRun away?â Zodyl stops in his tracks, âMy experiment is still on going. The rest of you are my test subjects. What can I learn by remaining here in the cage with you? Iâll view the results at a distance.â
Rudo clutches his hands, veins visibly popping out from his neck, âNo! You kidnapped us and brought us here, barfbag! You donât get to have this go your way!â Zodyl fully turns around at that, âThen why do you keep barking at me? Turn around and destroy the core already.â
He leaned an arm against the ring of the portal, âNo wait, itâs too late for that. You should have done that before another motivated recruiter arrived. Now, youâll have to contend with them.â
Lightning cracked behind them.
A woman with lightning-blonde hair ascended from below.
Zanka sat at the bottom of the well, clutching the stupid stick close. It was the only thing he had now. What a fool he had been.
He heard the russell of fabric as someone sat down by the well with a groan. He could hear a quiet conversation between the person and their partner.
A shadow leaned over the opening, the bright light from the sun behind them along with their big straw hat did not help him to identify who was looking down at him. âHey, thereâs someone down here.â He could hear a gentle voice. Woman. That was all he could gather.
Two other heads popped up beside the woman. One muscular, and another skinny. âWoah, howâd you end up down there kid?â The man asked.
Zanka looked down at the ground, away from them. No way he was going to humiliate himself even further.
âDidâŚDid something happen? Weâre here to listen if you need to talk.â The gentle voice coaxed him. He looked back up, noticing that only the shadow of the woman remained. Zanka hesitated for a beat. But the woman, she was so calm, so gentle. Zanka couldnât help but fall in her sanctuary. Well, if she was willing to listenâŚ
Zanka begins his story. How he trained to be the best. How he tried to brush his efforts off to appear like a natural. How a real gifted girl showed him up. How he ended up with this stupid stick like an idiot.
The woman listened attentively, nodding along to his story. Zanka felt a warmth he never felt before. He felt seen, acknowledged for something deeper than his efforts to be strong. He hadn't realized how badly he'd wanted someone to simply listen.Â
âOkay, so your special school has special classes on weapon selection and stuff. Sick. And you happen to vibe with that instrument of violence. Go off.â The man summarized his story. He could make out the back of the man who sat at the ledge of the well. He seemsâŚsimple minded.
âBut that still begs the question on why youâre at the bottom of the well.â The woman shifted her position to be more comfortable as she sat sideways on the ledge to look down at him easier.
Zankaâs eyes glazed over as he is brought back into the memories of his failure.
âHang on, didnât you say something about the class being three days ago? Doing the math⌠youâve been down there for three days without any food or water this whole time?â The man exclaimed.
âDid you know weâd be popping a squat or were you trying to die?â The man scoffs. Zanka only hugs the stick tighter. âThere was a hole here. So I got in it. Now, Iâm stuck.â
âYeah, I feel that.â the man empathizes. âAh well, nothing to do about it now except appreciate the local confections.â or not.Â
He can see the woman push the man, âYouâre horrible.â she scoffs. The man waves her off as he begins to snack. The man makes some exaggerated moans as he eats. Rubbing salt into the wound. Zanka looks up at his stick, noticing how the woman was now no longer at the ledge.
âThe others, they all picked weapons they thought looked the strongest. And I figured Hyo would too. So I thought I could game the system. There was this worn out piece of crap mixed in with the other weapons. I thought itâd be like when a hunk of junk is actually a secret powerful thing.â Zanka thought back to the selection process. How stupid he was to think that. A stick was just a stick. Thatâs it.
âSeems like you out thought yourself.â the man commented. Zanka curled up closer, âIt was just a damn stick. It wasnât even supposed to be on the table. The school made a mistake and no one caught it.â
Zanka lets out a pathetic laugh, âI got so many looks that Iâd never thought would come my way.â He lets out a sigh, âThen came the moment weâd all been waiting for. And you know what the real deal picked? Just a plain old sword. Unremarkable. Completely ordinary.â
Zanka couldnât help the sobs of laughter. The shame he feels, bringing shame not only to himself but also his family. What would his older sister think?Â
âI am such shit! A piece of shit! Shittiest shit in the heap! Ahahaha! King shit! Who knew the biggest fake was the one trying to get people to think heâs something heâs not! But now I know. That mediocre canât become natural talents!â Zanka grits his teeth.
âManâŚwhy canât I die? Just drop dead. Iâm just as big a poser as this stupid ass stick. I shouldnât be alive.â
Clink.
Looking down, he sees a bottle attached to a thin rope. Or was attached. The rope had snapped, letting the bottle drop the rest of the way down. He could hear the woman curse as she pulled back up the rope.
âThat took a very dark turn.â The woman sighs. âA kid like you shouldnât be thinking like that.â The woman's voice echoes around him âBesides donât mediocres surpass talent in the end? That's practically the foundation of every story.â The woman speaks up. Zankaâs eyes widened. âSure, to be born with talent is great and all, but to learn is to struggle and make mistakes. Thatâs what makes you human.â
He could hear the woman shuffle around, âYouâre not a natural and you canât become one, thatâs okay. Then what else can you become? Thatâs the beauty of human nature, you donât have to stick to one path.â
He sees the woman lean over the well again, looking down at him, âBesides, you talk all about dying and giving up but deep down, you still got some fight left in ya. Youâre still holding on to that stupid stick afterall. Most would have just tossed it and got a new weapon. You held on.â Zankaâs grip tightened around the stick.
The man spoke up again, âNow, youâre free to ignore the ramblings of the weirdo whoâs passing though.âÂ
âHey.â
âBut, you canât know your strength till you know your weakness. So with that what you will.â Their shadows disappear.
âWe gotta go but weâll be back for more manju. Maybe weâll see you around. We would love to see you prove my point.â Those were the last words he heard from the man as their footsteps receded.
Hope.
How long had it been since he felt hope this true and pure?
Zanka climbs from the well, clutching the bottle to his chest. When he got out, on the ledge of the well was a white box. Opening it revealed some fresh manju.
He held the box close and grabbed a piece, taking the first bite of food he had in a long while.
He quickly scarfed down the rest and washed it down with water.
Turning the lid over, he noticed a note taped to the cover. He gently detached the note and opened it.
âA kid like you needs proper food and water to grow. Donât starve yourself again.â
His heart warmed at the gesture of kindness.
He gulped down the last few sips of water and let out a satisfied sigh.Â
He turns the bottle in his hand, inspecting it. Only then did he notice the floral designs painted around the bottle. It seemed hand-painted.
He hopes he can see those two again someday. He doesnât like to owe favors.
A/N: A bit of a shorter chapter. This chapter is blasting through ep 15-19 because there really aren't as much Enjin scenes before the big fight. But I did create another short extra with Zanka's backstory. It's next after this chapter.
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Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Cleaners.
Raiders.
They each stood at their respective side in the dim cavern.
âAnswer me. What the hell did you do with Amo?â Rudo was the first to break the silence. You and Enjin narrowed your eyes at the supposed leader of the Raiders. They did something to Amo. Was she used to bait Rudo into their trap?
âListen guys,â Enjin rests an arm on Rudoâs shoulder, leaning against him, âI know you didnât mean to pick up some extra swag. But donât be mad.â Enjin taunts with a lazy drawl in his voice, giving the raiders a cocky smirk.
âWait a sec, you mean weâre just the extras?âÂ
âEveryone loves extras.âÂ
âReally? They do? Nevermind then!âÂ
âCan yaâll please lock in?â Zanka sighs at the unseriousness his teammates are taking this with.
You cross your arms, tilting your head just right to give that menacing glare âSo? Whatâs your issue? Why are you trying so hard to get Rudo?âÂ
The leader pulls out a pocket watch, looking down at it, âMere moments ago you were fretting over the Cleanersâs lack of readiness, Rudo. you see how foolish that was? Life on the ground trains us to be constantly on guard. Thatâs why you were never left alone.â
Your eyes dart around, as the leader monologues. Did you see something?
âWhy youâre not alone even now. And why I was certain this would happen.â
âEVERYONE BRACE!âÂ
Your voice was quickly swallowed by the mass amount of trash that flooded around them. The trash tugged and pulled them in different directions, splitting them up as the only thing they could do was follow the current.
âCrap! A trash slide? Seriously?â Zanka exclaimed as he managed to use his staff as an anchor. â(Y/N)!â Zanka calls out as you float by him, just barely managing to grasp your hand to pull you in. âNice catch!â You grunt as you try to protect yourself from the pummel of trash.
Zanka clutches his staff tightly, refusing to let go of your hand as the waves keep trying to pull both of you down. His eyes widen in surprise as he sees Enjin cruising on his Umbreaker, using it as a makeshift boat. Enjin tilts the handle towards them, steering Umbreaker towards you.
Zanka gasps with the hope of being saved only for it to be crushed as Enjin floats past him and grabs you instead.Â
âWait, Enjinââ You were cut off as he hoisted you onto Umbreaker, making sure you cling onto the handle properly.
âKeep fighting and youâre just gonna end up dead. Relax. Let the current do its thing. Maybe grab on to something.â Enjin gives some advice to the stranded boy. âWas that really necessary?â You ask him over the loud current.
âWhat? He really needs to learn how to go with the flow.â Enjin shrugs with a grin. You let out a sigh, âI donât think thatâs how itâs supposed to go.â He waves you off, âTomato, to-mah-toâ Enjin lets out his own sigh as he sees two paths ahead.
âPerfect, just perfect. Itâs multiple choice.â Enjin groans. âWoah!â Enjinâs hand immediately shoots out to grab your waist, pulling you closer after you were almost flung out from the turn. âCome on! Stay sharp people! Donât die! I mean it!â Enjin's voice echoes throughout the tunnels.
âThe only ones dying today are those raider montherfuâAHâ He can barely hear Zankaâs last words as they were swept deeper into the tunnels. Enjin keeps his hold around your waist, pulling you closer as the ride gets rougher.
The trash flow slowly starts to subside, leaving you two stranded in a tunnel. You stood off Umbreaker, brushing away all the trash scraps. You offer out a hand to Enjin which he immediately takes, pulling him up to his feet. Enjin does the same, dusting his clothes off and shaking Umbreaker to get rid of the debris.
âNow, where the hell are we?â You explore the tunnel, pressing your hand against the wall, noting how there was not only trash on the floor, but literally embedded into the wall. A bright flash of blue and yellow brings their guard up.
Someone is coming.
A boy with red and white hair steps out of the portal.
âŚ
And immediately hides behind a wardrobe.
Enjin rests Umbreaker over his shoulders as he analyses the boy. He doesnât dare let his guard up. The boy seemed to be around Riyo or Zankaâs age. If the raider was anything like them, he would be a formidable opponent.
You took out your gun, turning it into a colt. Seems like you had that same idea. Enjin grins down at you, âLetting the big guns out now huh?â You cock the gun, letting the metal click ring, âOnly cause Riyo isnât here.â
Skitter skitter
âOh fuck!â
Bang! Bang!
Enjin holds you steady as you practically climb him like a tree. Your gun was trained on the roach despite the slight tremor in your hands.Â
âPfftââ Enjin immediately covers his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter. You punched his shoulder, hopping off and pushing him away, âShut up.âÂ
âAww, scared of a itty bitty cockroach?â
âYeah and there seems to be a giant one that canât stop yapping.â
You raise your gun slowly.
Enjin clears his throat, bringing his attention back to the raiderâŚ
âŚWho seemed to be trembling?
He raised a brow at that.
Did seeing you scared of a cockroach make him scared too?Â
âSurpried you didnât jump us there.â
âŚ
âWell, not like you could easily take us out.â
Enjin props his chin on the handle of Umbreaker, slouching as he groans at the fact that the enemy has made no move yet. Doesnât even seem like the raider wants to fight. You message the bridge of your nose, probably trying to clear the headache he created out of boredom. You go back to examining the tunnel, turning your back to them.
Enjin keeps his eye on the raider, "Seriously? Hey, weâre dying here.â You let out a quiet scoff, âWe? There is no we. itâs just you buddy. Iâm more than happy not to fight.â You knock on the wall, feeling around and tugging at some of the stray trash embedded.
You click your tongue as you jingle your choker, âChokerâs dead. Weâre probably underground or the walls of this place are crazy thick.â You place your hands on your hips. âItâs gonna be a pain in the ass to find our team. From that slide fest, who knows how many tunnels this place has. It's gotta be a maze.â You pick up a stray stick and begin drawing on the ground, trying to remember and retrace your slide journey.
Enjin lets out a frustrated sigh, âAt least say something so Iâm not hallucinating out of boredom. Like, I donât know, something? Whatcha thinking?â Enjin was the only one filling the silence as he tries to get some kind of response from the raider.
âWell? AhâI know you guys want Rudo and weâre making that kinda hard. You got me all by my lonesome? Why not gang up on me? My partnerâs not even paying attention. Still, not the smartest to send one guy, no offence.â Enjin goes back to trying to irritate him by calling out multiple times. Which only seemed to annoy you instead.
Bang!Â
A loud gunshot reverberated in the distance. Enjin turned back to where he heard the sound. You and Enjin share a look.
Was that Riyo?
You click your tongue, turning the Colt back into your gun as you holster it back, âEven after all the work I put into not using a gun around her.â You mutter under your breath. âWell, then that means her fight must have been serious. At least we know sheâs alive.â Enjin nudges your side.
âNot good, not good, very not good. Crap, crap, crap.â the raider finally mumbles. You and Enjin turn back to him. âTheyâre done fighting. Of course theyâre done. They have to be. Crap! I have to hurry up! I canât end up in dead last, I just canât!â The raider begins to spiral, mumbling nonsense under his breath.
âHello there Misterâmister, umâmaâamâum, Mister sir maâam?â
âThatâs not a name kid.â
âMy name is uhâmy name? Crap I just forgot it. Wait no its Fu Orosoâorostorâ
âFu Orosum Orester? Cool beans. My name is Enjin and this is my partner (Y/N)â Enjin points a thumb at you.
The raider started freaking out and stuttering.
You lean in close, whispering only so he could hear, âYa know, Iâm starting to feel bad for the kid.â Enjin gives you a side eye, âHeâs a raider.â You tilt your head, âEh, but clearly not a good one. Itâs like seeing a kicked puppy.âÂ
âSo, Mr Zodyl, my boss? He gave out all these orders right? He said we gotta make all the other Cleaners we brought here into umâŚinto offerings.â Fu shakily explained their plans.Â
Donât like that.
âAnd I know I can do it, it's justâŚthey told me to get it done before the other raiders made their offerings. ...AndâŚif I canâtâŚâ Fu whimpers before antsily bounce from leg to leg, âWe have to fight! We have to do it right now! Right now!â
You and Enjin share a look. Is he psyching himself up or wants to go to the bathroom?
âPlease! You gotta help me out sir maâam! Canât you just hit me first?â
âIâm sorry. What now?â You rub your temples while Enjin puts a hand on his chin, humming in thought. Enjin gives a grin. Fu seemed relieved by that.
âNah.â
âHuh?â
RUMBLE RUMBLE
You and Enjin instinctively hold on to each otherâs shoulders as the ground shakes, dropping into a lower stance to steady yourselves. âAgh, an earthquake?â Enjin groans. âAhhh oh crap. Oh crap! Mr Zodyl please wait! Iâm still trying to get my guys to fight me!â Fu screams into the air.
Enjin digs the tip of Umbreaker into the ground, creating an anchor, âWoah, hold up, your boss is the one trying to bring down the house right now?â Enjin asks the raider. âWell actually, I think heâs just telling me to hurry up! Crap! If youâd just hit me like Iâd ask, then we couldâve avoided this!â
The rumbling quickly subsided. âOh. Guess itâs over.â Fu comments. Enjin got back up to his feet, pulling your arm to help you up.Â
And you both turn to leave.
âHey! Please! We still have to fight! Donât walk away!â Fu whines.
âYeah, I really donât think that's happening. So weâre just gonna skidaddle our butts on out of here. Been hankering to find our people anywayâ Enjin gives a lazy back wave, not daring to look back.
âWait no! Come on! You canât! I need this, please man! You gotta help me out here! Please? Please! PLEASE! Iâll do anything, just donât go yet!â You can hear Fu following the two of you as he pleads and begs.
You continue walking, âDonât respond. Just keep walking.â You whisper to Enjin.
âYou leave me no choice! Iâm totally gonna kick your butt right now just you wait and see! Hgggggnnnnn! Eraaaaahhhh! Please donât walk away when Iâm trying to fight you!â
Enjin makes a face as he groans quietly. You shut your eyes tight, trying to tune out the boy.
âLook! I canât do anything unless someone tells me to, okay? Mr Zodyl says it's a character flaw I have to fix and Iâm trying really really hard to. I just need this one thing! So can one of you please turn around and hit me?â
âNo.â You both answer synchronously.
âI donât hit kids unless I have to.â
âAnd Iâve got too much on my plate right now.â
âPlus we gotta find our teammates a way out of this dump.â
âTill then, weâre not really up to throw down, ya know?â
You and Enjin spare him a side glance.
âIf you bash the walls hard enough, you can make your way straight outta here! Weâre inside a trash beast! Your instruments can tear this place up!â
âŚ
You both slowly turn to Fu.
âHUHHHHH? WEâRE INSIDE A WHAT NOW? FOR REALâACKâ
âAre you trying to bring this place down with your voice? Knock it off.â
Enjin rubs the back of his head as he pouts. You cross your arms beside him, one hand rubbing your chin, âThat would explain all the tunnels and the amount of trash. We are literally in its intestines, or veins.â
Fu nervously clasps his hands together, âUnfortunately I donât know where your team is. But can we still fight now?â
âOh-ho-ho, yeah no.â
Enjin laughs âI feel for you Fu. But fighting people just isnât our bag ya know?â Enjin adjusts his grip on Umbreaker as you take out your own weapons, âNow Iâd love for you to keep telling me the who, what, wheres, and whys. But I hear trash beast and my ass gets in gear.â
You spin your gun as you adjust the grip on your knife finger by finger, âItâs literally what weâre paid to do. Did your boss truly think this through or have you forgotten who we are? Now thenâŚâ
A/N: I know I'm like 3-4 weeks late. I'm so sorry. Procrastination bit me in the ass when I had like 3 school assignment to prepare and submit. Anyways hope you enjoy this chapter, I kind of rushed the ending, might edit it later.
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âWhat is up this afternoon my ordinary crew? Youâre here with Mymo, the peopleâŚâ
The radio drones on as the Enjin lazily drives the jeep. âHey Enjin, how come youâre always the one driving?â Enjin talks to himself as most of the Cleaners were already starting to doze off.Â
âWell, person who didnât ask, itâs cause I really suck at it. According to (Y/N), anyway. If anyone else drives, the whole car passes out. Hell, Gris could drive off a cliff and weâd still die in our sleep.â Speaking of cliffsâ
Vroom!
Boom! Bang! Skreee!
The jeep bounces violently, jolting everyone awake. âYouâll kill us if youâre not careful!â Gris scolds Enjin. âDonât yell at me, Iâm doing my job!â Enjin snaps back at him. Enjin checks the side window just in time to see you drive off the same cliff, landing substantially more gracefully than he had.
Follo winces, rubbing his red wrists where Tamsyâs threads dug in. Rudo follows his motions, eyeing the red marks, âHow come youâre still beat up? I thought Remlinâs spell was supposed to fix all that.â Follo shook his head, âRemlinâs spell was only for death threatening injuries. I donât think they cover minor injuries like these.â
Zanka gives Tamsy a side eye, âThen itâs a good thing that it did, right Tamsy? Youâre plan might not have worked.â Seems like Zanka is not over the whole ânearly killing their friendsâ stunt Tamsy pulled. Good, the kid probably picked up the hint of bad vibes from Tamsy. âHow many times do I have to apologize?â Tamsy asks blankly.Â
If you asked Enjin, infinitely, but âWhat matters is we all got out of there alive. That said, it wouldnât hurt for us to get a check up.â Enjin hears a knock to his left. Glancing out the side window, he sees you driving right by him. You make a plus sign with both your hands, your index fingers crossing over each other, then point to a familiar graffitied gate.
WaitâŚboth?
Enjin lets out a startled sound when he realizes you werenât touching the handle bars.Â
He immediately mimed grabbing the steering wheel with both hands, repeatedly lifting his left hand and slapping it back onto the wheel.
Both hands! Both hands God damn it! Iâm supposed to be the reckless driver, not you!
You stared at him for a moment.
Well, at least Riyo seems to be having fun judging by how hard her shoulders are shaking.
You wave him off with a hand, leaning away from the jeep to turn the bike towards the city.Â
Still without hands.
Enjin lets out a long sigh and rubs his temples as he follows behind your bike. Well, you are a better driver than him, but still!
Enjin turns into the city, following you to an open carpark. You park your respectful vehicles in their designated spot before meeting up at the entrance. Enjin eyes the red marking on Riyoâs thighs, âSo youâre banged up too, huh?â
You nod, answering for her, âYeah. I assume the other three are well? Lets hope double A has enough soothing cream for all of them.â You and Enjin began to lead the group through the city, down a familiar alleyway.
âHOWâS IT HANGING BUM NUGGET?â Auntie Alice greets the group, even though she seemed to be attending a patient already. âWELL DONâT JUST STAND THERE. TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT OR GET OFF!â
âHeyâŚ.Maâam?â Rudo hesitantly greets back. Looks like he remembered. âHAD TO THINK ABOUT IT DID YA?â She teased him. âLady, please shut up! Feels like I got a damn spike in my head! And your voice is a jackhammer!â Her patient snaps at her, clutching his head.
âTHEN YOU SHUT UP AND LET ME WORK! YOU DONâT SEE ME COMING TO YOUR JOB JUST TO SCREAM IN YOUR FACE!â Alice snaps back at her patient, causing him to cower back with a whimper. Yeah you tell him girl.
âMY GRAND KIDS ARE HERE. YOU THINK I WANNA BE PATCHING UP A YAPPY LITTLE WIMP RIGHT NOW?â Alice ties off the bandage on his hand, âTHERE, YOUâLL SURVIVE. NOW PAY UP AND GET YOUR BUTT OUTTA MY OFFICE!â She promptly shoos off the patient.
The patient storms away, but not without a last quip, âMiserable hag! Never againâŚâ A pretty weak one if you ask him. Was he about to cry? âYou see auntie? Thatâs why you never get new patients.â Enjin tells her.
âIâD RATHER DIE AND SQUALLER THAN BEND AN INCH TO MAKE SOME STUPID WHINER FEEL BETTER.â Alice crosses her arms defiantly. âHell yeah girl. Go off.â Enjin grins proudly as they turn back to her. âWho else are they going to go to anyway? Not like thereâs many doctors as good as Alice around here.â You shrug, going deeper into her office to raid her medical supplies.
âHow much you wanna bet this is Enjinâs first stop when he passes through?â Riyo observes the interactions between the adults. âYou think he likes her or just her vibe?â Zanka adds to her theory, but they donât have to theorise much longer.
âOh man, I straight up worship her! Sheâs a legend! A scientific pioneer! The first ever to treat body pollution. Developed her treatment by studying polluted objects but the close contact messed her up. Hence, the always shouting.â Enjin gives the kids a lesson about the great Alice.
âSo sheâs all kinds of scary.â Rudo shivers. âQUIT TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE IâM ALREADY A CORPSE. AND USE MY NAME DAMN IT! ALICE STILZA. REMEMBER IT YA TWERPS.â She abruptly turns to you who is still sifting through her medicine cabinet, âAND YOU! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUâRE DOING TOUCHING MY STUFF LIKE YOU OWN THE PLACE.â
âIâm just helping you speed things up. Do you really want to be treating four peopleâoh, here it is.â You pull out a jar from the cabinet, checking the label properly. âHold up, Stilza?â Rudo puts the pieces together.
âGRANDMAMA! GRANDMA!â a door is kicked open. August pokes his head out, munching on a cookie, âWhatâs in these sweets? They hella nasty!â He chokes on them. âAugust, you canât say such mean things about a giftâoh, hello.â Eishia has her arms around her brother, trying to hold him back. âWhat bring youââ
âSup homies! Why you at grandmaâs?â August shouted. The family resemblance is uncanny. At least with one of the siblings.
August continues to munch on the sweets Alice made while poor Eishia is trying to explain why they were there. âSo um, we try to visit her whenever we can. You see our parentsââ
âDead as doornails!â
âAnd grandmaâs helping me becomeââ
âA brilliant ass docta!â
âJUST LET THE GIRL SPEAK. AND IF YOU KEEP SMACK TALKING MY SWEETS, IâM GONNA QUIT MAKING âEM!â
âNo grandma youâre not getting it! They suuuuuuuck!â
The Stilza family continues to banter with each other. âArenât they just so adorably toxic?â Enjin grins at the chaos unfolding. âYou say that but I think their family dynamic is better than mine.â you mutter under your breath, walking past him to pull the injured Cleaners in. You get the injured cleaners settled onto the cot and help Alice and Eishia patch them up.
The job was over before they knew it, leaving just team Akuta in the clinic as the rest wandered the city. âNow that everyoneâs been treated, August, can we go home? Iâm tired.â Eishia sighs, facing away from the group. You give her a sympathetic look, grabbing a bottle of water from your bag and nudging it towards her.
She accepts the bottle gladly, taking small sips from it. âYo! You got a car? Want to turn it into a party bus?â August asks the team excitedly. âNo August, we canât leave your motorcycle.â Eishia reminds him.
âSo, howâd you guys like No Manâs Land? I bet my mask worked perfectly right!?â August turns to Rudo who was stuffing his face with Aliceâs sweets. âZIP IT OR LOSE IT!â Alice snaps at him, not wanting to hear about our adventures.Â
âLook, itâs a long story, so just read the report alright?â Enjin got the memo immediately, knowing theyâve overstayed their welcome. He turns to leave, Zanka following right behind. âOh that sounds like youâve got a page turner!â August yelled after them.
Team Akuta meets back with the Stilza siblings outside the clinic. August revs his bike as he points to the sky, âDonât forget! Clouds gonna be here soon so donât get squashed by any falling trash, okay?â Enjin gives them an amused smile, âI make no promises.â
âToodalooooo!â Enjin watches as he drives out of the alley. Zanka looks up at the sky, noting how dark itâs gotten, âLooks like itâll hit us while weâre heading back.â Enjin turns to you, placing his hands on his hips, âWeâll stop when we see the first drop. Even if itâs far away. No extra mile.â
You click your tongue, grumbling under your breath, âYeah, yeah I get itâŚâ They quickly made their way to their vehicles, wanting a head start before the rain started. Enjin takes the lead, making a detour where he remembers a bunch of shelters being.
The moment he spotted the first glint of falling trash in the distance, he made a turn into one of the rock shelters. You pull up beside him on his left at the mouth of the shelter. He knocks the window to catch your attention, drawing a U in the air that ends on the right side of the jeep.
You throw your head back, probably groaning under your mask as your shoulders sag. You walk your bike backwards and go to the right side of the jeep, leaving it between you and the wide mouth of the shelter.
Enjin relaxes now that youâre in a more safe position, leaning his arms against the wheel, just as a TV comes barreling past them, crashing inside the shelter. The rain picks up, rumbling the ground from the force of the falling trash. Enjin catches Rudoâs figure pushing in front between the middle console, watching the trash fall.
With Rudoâs surprised expression, Enjin automatically begins explaining, âIâll be over in a minute. Just gotta wait for the Sphere to mosey on by. It mostly follows the same path so people create safe zones to avoid these events. Not like itâs an exact science or anything. Folks are always getting murked by the debris.â
âAnd with each life lost, another comes to understand the evils of the Sphere. Some were even spurred to action. Sadly their rage isnât enough to carry them across the border without getting killed themselves.â Tamsy adds on. Enjinâs eyes narrowed as he stared down at the man through the rear view mirror.
âSpeaking of which, any ideas on how this âangelâ person crossed the border?â Zanka chips in, redirecting the conversation to something actually useful. âNo, not really. ExceptâŚI feel like I saw something.â Rudoâs grip tightened against the chairs.
âLike what, pray tell? What did you see?â Tamsy pokes further. âI donât know. My memory of that whole time is hazy. StillâŚâ Rudo zones out, probably trying to dig further into his mind for any specks of information he could remember. He snaps out of it as the squeaky sound of the choker rings.
âHuh? Oh, itâs me.â Enjin leans back when he realizes itâs his choker thatâs going off. He places a hand on the choker, accepting the call, âYo.â Semiuâs voice comes through, âEnjin, where are you?â
âSemiu? You worried for me?â Enjin teases the receptionist, âWell stop because weâre almost home.â He quickly reassures the girl. âHeard. Just calling to let you know to take the back way around.â She replies.
Enjin tilts his head down curiously at his choker. âItâs nothing serious. Just some roaches on the property.â Roaches huh? Enjin reaches over Gris to knock on the right window. He points to you, clasps his hands together, then points to himself.
Stay close to me.
You give him a thumbs up.
Right on time, the rain begins to fade and the sky is safe to drive under again. Enjin leads the way, driving carefully though the wasteland to avoid the trash that just landed. â Hey, Enjin? Whatâs going on? Whatâs the back way?â Rudo asks as they drive through a dilapidated city.
He rolled down the window and stopped beside a building marked with a painted "-_-" face.. He grabs Umbreaker, reaching over to tap the sign with the tip, making it spin to reveal an angry face. A secret door is opened as the wall comes down.
âThis is the back way.â Enjin drives into the dark tunnel, looking back to see your shadowed figure as the door rises behind you. âAnd whatâs going on is some pests who were stupid enough to think they could get into our house.â Enjin explains as he speeds down the tunnel.
âYou mean like bugs or something?â Rudo asks, still confused. âOh yeah. A real tenacious breed we call âmaraudersâ.â Enjin grins. If he gets back fast enough, maybe he can swoop in and clean off the last few. Would that impress you? Nah probably not. But he might be able to swipe a weapon or two before Semiu confiscates all of them. Thatâll probably make you happyâ
âWait marauders? Why the hell aren't you going faster? We gotta get back and help fight!â Rudo cuts off his train of thought. Enjin pouts, heâs going as fast as he can in these tiny ass halls. âWhy couldnât these jack offs wait until we got home? Itâs common courtesy. Hell, I couldâve baked them a damn cake.â
Enjin makes a sharp turn. At this rate, Semiuâs probably gonna have all the fun kicking their ass AND leave them without any goodies. By the time they parked and Enjin got to the front yard, all the marauders were knocked out.
Semiu took off her glasses to wipe them. Nowâs the chance! Some ammo here, ammo thereâoh shit is that a rocket launcher? ...No, that's too big. Enjin swipes what he can as he approaches Semiu, quickly stuffing them in his bag, âAw man. Couldnât save any for the cavalry? Thatâs just selfish.âÂ
Enjin makes a show, walking around with his hands stuffed in his pockets as he observes the damage. âTheyâre low level punks. Iâd never live it down if I lost to âem.â Semiu crouches down, pulling the ponytail of one of the marauders, âNow then. How about you tell me who it was that spread this ridiculous rumor that the Cleaners have a Sphererite?â
She drops the guy, letting his head fall back down, âActually nevermind, Iâm pretty sure I already know.â Enjin lets out a sigh, âYeah, that tracks. And if that is the caseâŚâ Enjin turns to Rudo who had followed him. âWe got more coming.â He turns around to see you strolling up to them.
You crouch down by one of the unconscious bodies. You take their gun, swiftly ejecting the magazine and examining the bullets, âYo Semiu! Mind if I keep some of the ammo?â You call out to her. Semiu crosses her arms, looking down at you, âYou know I canât do that babes. Firearms are confiscated until handed to the Hell guards.â
Your bottom lip juts out as you put on your puppy eyes, âPlease? You know how expensive ammo is, and you know nobody sells my ammo!â Enjin could feel his heart skip a beat. Now who could resist that?
âNo can do. Last time I did, you nearly blew up HQ.â Apparently Semiu can as she stands firm against your charms. You let out a groan, dropping the ammo on the ground, âFineeeee.â You stand back up, dusting off your pants.
Enjin approaches you, slinging an arm over your shoulder as he guides you back to HQ. âLetâs let Semiu handle the rest. We just got back afterall.â He pulls out two magazines to secretly show you, âDonât worry sweets, I managed to snag some of the good stuff.â he whispers to you.
Your eyes gleam at them, âYou are the best. Have I ever told you that?â you whisper back to him, look up at him with such sparkling eyes. He feels the heat creeping up his neck at the compliment. âNot really. You should do it more.â He looks away, trying to play it cool.
Come on, Enjin. You've talked your way into plenty of women's hearts before. This ain't different.Â
He feels a weight pressed against his shoulder as the smell of your shampoo takes over his senses. Your hand holds his as you tilt the magazine towards you. Warmth blossoms from his body at the contact. âNo but seriously, thanks. It means a lot to me.â your voice cuts though the rapid thumping of his heart.
No problem. For you? Anything. Just say the word and it's yours. Hell, if you wanted more, Iâd find a wayâÂ
âIâŚâ the words die on his lips as gazes down at your thankful smile.
No, I canât. This is not just any woman, it's you.
You detach from him, taking all the warmth with you, âJust leave them in my room. Iâm going to check on the kids.â You leave Enjin frozen at the lobby. He clutches his chest where he can feel his heart beating twice as fast.Â
He drags a hand down his face before slipping it into his pocket, taking out a cigarette and quickly lighting it up. He inhales the sharp smoke, feeling the burn in his lungs. He lets it settle in his body, letting the chemicals do its job at calming his nerves.
He exhales the smoke.Â
Breath in. Breath out.Â
Heat creeps back up his face as he recalls the proximity, the praise, the warmth.Â
He lets out a groan. Heâs so fucked.Â
And the worst part? He hadn't even tried flirting with you yet.Â
Enjin rakes a hand through his hair, taking another puff before he makes his way to your room, heading to drop off the ammo.
Team Akuta set off again for a restaurant to celebrate Rudoâs first mission. Nothing like good food and booze to end off a mission. Entering the quiet restaurant, you automatically scan the place.
You give Enjin a nudge, nodding to the two hooded figures in the back. You caught his eyes, giving the slightest frown.
Let's keep an eye on them.
Enjin nodded before the team settled themselves at their usual table. Enjin takes a seat near the wall, automatically pulling out the chair beside him as you follow behind. You take a seat beside him and pick up a menu, âThe mealâs on Enjin. Knock yourself out kids.â
âWhat? Why me?â Enjin whines as he takes out another cigarette. âBecause I paid last time.â you push the ash tray towards him. He lights his cigarette, taking a drag before replying, âBut we have an extra mouth to feed.â he takes the ash tray, pushing it against the wall so it doesn't take up space on the table.
âToo bad. So sad.â You flip though the menu before looking up at Rudo across from you, âYou see anything youâd like or would you rather I order for you?â Rudo sweats as he flips through the menu. He closes it and puts it down, âJust order for me. Please.â
You nod. Eventually everyone decided on their orders and the food came in no time. Everyone dug in, Rudo especially as he practically inhales the food. It was nice. Peaceful after a rough mission.
Rudo suddenly shot up, frantically looking around. You lazily point to the back with your thumb, âBathroomâs in the back.â Rudo nods, giving you a hasty nod and thanks as he makes a dash to the toilet.
Enjin spares a glance at you.
Damn.
You look unfairly good doing absolutely nothing.
Youâre literally just eating, how is that attractive? Wait noâHe knows why itâs attractive. Because itâs you. You could probably make anything look attractive.
He holds his gaze as you take another bite, some of the sauce smearing on the side of your lips.
Easy. Casual. Wipe it with your thumb. Then say something smooth. Be charming. Youâre good at charming.
âŚ
Are his palms sweating?
â(Y/N), you got a little something.â Riyo points to you before gesturing to the corner of her mouth, where the sauce was. âOh, thanks.â You wipe off the sauce with your own thumb and suck it clean before going back to your meal.
Enjin turns away from the sight towards the wall, bowing his head in defeat but also to hide how hot and bothered that made him. He takes another drag of his cigarette, hoping the smoke could hide him from his team and most importantly, you.
âYou okay man? Whatâs up with you? Youâre looking a little red there.â He can hear you asking him.Â
What's wrong is that he couldn't think straight whenever you were around.Â
âYeahâno Iâm fine. Think itâs just the hunger catching up, ya know?â He waves you off. You give him an unconvinced look, studying him for another second before deciding not to press it, âIf youâre not feeling well we can go back at any time. Donât force yourself.â You go back to quietly enjoying your meal.
Enjin could feel the warmth spread in his chest at your care. Heâs supposed to be the cool one, damnit.
Slam!
Enjin turns to the door as it slams shut, seeing Rudo has come back. Enjin takes the distraction, âDude you took forever. Your turd cutter okay?â Enjin feels a jab to his side. He rubs it with a whine as you grumble through your chewing, âWeâre eating here.â
Enjin pouts but also grabs a stick of meat, gnawing on it. âHey, why are we out to dinner right now after our base got attacked! Shouldnât we hole up or something?â Rudo asks as he reaches back to the table.
âI donât know. Maybe. Itâs also important to take breaks when you can.â Enjin garbles through with his mouth full. Riyo waves a bone happily, âAnd besides, we canât not have a nice dinner after a job. Itâs tradition.â
âSo sit down, shut up, and eat.â Zanka orders him. âBut, aren't we like, in immediate danger?â Rudo asked shakily. Gris looks over his shoulder from the table behind Enjin, âWell, thatâs kind of the whole reason weâre even going out tonight.â
You finally pipe up after swallowing your food, âRudo, food is the back bone of the Cleaners. You bond with each other, make friends and refuel your energy at the same time. Two birds with one stone. Now sit and eat. I know youâre hungry.â You point your fork at him.
Rudo reluctantly sits down beside Riyo. âAlso the base is fine. It's not like weâve never been attacked before. You saw how Semiu handled those marauders like nothing.â You add on before going back to your food.
Enjin nods from beside you, âThere are tons of people who choose violence knowing theyâre someone whoâs more well off or well known than them.â Enjin takes a toothpick and cleans off the stuck pieces.
âUtterly the worst kind of people.â Zanka adds with scoff. âBetter off dead.â He mutters under his breath, just barely audible. The table shakes a little as you kick the boy, âWe donât have that kind of talk here.â you lightly scold him which Zanka reluctantly accepted with a grimace.
âWait, has Semiu been driving off the marauders herself every time theyâve attacked?â Rudo exclaims at the realization. Enjin gives him a proud grin, âOh yeah. You need some wild powers or like plans within plans within plans to get one over on Semiu. And sheâd still wipe the floor with you. Sheâd just be a little impressed while she did it.â
âDamn right! What a baddie!â Riyo supports his claims with admiration. âIf sheâs that strong, why is she the receptionist?â Rudo looked at them confused. âSemiu's glassesâor 'Eyes'âlet her predict kinetic movement, so she's incredible against people. Trash beasts are another story.â You pick up a napkin, wiping your mouth as you finish your meal.
âDoesn't matter though. She's always wanted an office job, and we respect that. Being a Cleaner is a dangerous job and some are not willing to risk their lives like we do. But there are tons of other ways to be useful. Being the receptionist is one of them.â You explain to the boy.Â
Enjin watches as Rudo nods along to your lesson. One of the many things heâs admired about you. How patient you are at teaching the children, simplifying it, using analogies, making sure they completely understand before moving along. No wonder the kids are always so enraptured when you teach.
âSo wait, not everyone whoâs a Giver can beat trash beasts?â Rudo tries to understand. âIt depends on the Giverâs personality. And also how they treat their Vital Instrument. Like Givers who want to get the most out of their treasure, tend to be attackers. And those whose whole thing is keeping their treasure in perfect condition usually become defenders.â Riyo adds on, trying to teach him.
âSo the relationship you have with your object makes that much of a difference? Thatâs awesome! Must be all kinds of Givers.â You can see the pieces finally clicking in his brain.
âOh, somebodyâs curiosity is piqued.â Riyo teases him. Enjin takes another cigarette and lights it, âWell, youâre in luck. Because youâre about to meet some of the more unique Giverâs amongst our ranks.â
You turn to him with a tilt of your head, âWho did you invite?â Enjin only shoots you back a grin as the door is slammed open.
âWHAT UP?â
A dinosaur slides to a stop.
âHeyo friends! Your wait is over!â Guita poses dramatically, âTeam Child has arrived! Foooor break!â Dear and Bro walks up causally behind the child, âHey everybody. I hope weâre not too late.â Bro scratches the back of his neck nervously.
You wave him off with a small smile, âNo worries. The kids are welcomed anytime.â Suddenly, dishes clatter as Rudo hides his food, âGet back! You asshole, Iâm not sharing any!â Rudo snaps at Dear who gives him a scoff.
Enjin tunes out as Bro introduces Team Child to Rudo. He only tunes back in as Guita tries to quietly pester Rudo about the Sphere. Enjin was glad that Bro at least tried to scold her, even if it was ineffective.
âThereâs some bad people trying to sniff Rudo out. And theyâre making a big show of it too. The pest from yesterday said they heard about Rudo from strangers at the bar. Apparently they just walked up to them and handed it over unprompted. Free of charge.â Enjin explains to the Team before snuffing out his cigarette.
âObviously they were just being played. These strangers probably wanted info on how secure our base was or something.â You nod, adding on to his point which seemed to go over Guitaâs head as she pushes Rudo away from the table, pestering him about another topic.
âPretty sneaky way to learn about us.â Zanka adds with a hush voice. Riyo rests her chin on her hand, following his tone, âYeah, I know. Gotta be the Raiders again.â
âThey are the safe bet. And from what Iâve heard, theyâre a lot more persistent these days.â Enjin sighs. He ruffles his hair as he tries to think about what possibly could the Raiders be planning.Â
âIf only we could get intel on their new boss.â you mumble under your breath as you place a hand on your chin.
Shiver!
You shot up, eyes locked on Rudo.
A hand was already wrapped around his neck.
As Rudo slaps his hand away, everybody rushes into action.
Plates smash and food flies as everyone tries to reach Rudo.
Rudo throws a punch at the man but a bright yellow and blue amalgamation appears behind the man.
It was that manhole girl.
The man leaned back into the portal, letting the momentum carry Rudo along with him.
You manage to grasp Rudoâs leg in time as the portal begins to suck them in. Enjin follows, grabbing onto your leg and the other Givers grab his leg, making a human chain.Â
But the pull was too strong, sucking them all in like a black hole.
Everyone was spat out of the portal, getting a rough landing as they fell into a cave. Enjin was the first to sit up and complain, âReally? Right in the damn middle of dinner! I wanted some dessert you bastards! I am beyond pissed!â Enjinâs loud voice echoed in the cave.
He support himself with Umbreaker to stand up before offering a hand to you. You rub your back, probably in pain from the landing but accept his hand. He easily pulls you up, letting the both of you examine your surroundings properly.
âI really didnât think theyâd hit us in the open like that.â Enjin wipes off the dust on his jacket. âOkay. Where the hell are we?â Bro asks, as he looks around with the kids close to him. âSomewhere without our supporters.â Zanka noted, noticing how Gris Follo or Tomme didnât make it through with them.
Riyo puts her hand on her hips, looking back at the swirling portal, âSo I guess this is the power of the manhole Giver. Gotta be super handy.â She tries to make light of the situation.
Crunch.
Enjin turns at the sound of a footstepâ
He notices Rudo staring into the darkness, âHeyââ
Enjinâs eyes narrowed onto a glare as purple lamps flickered on, lighting their silhouettes.
Everyone is tense and ready as the Raiders reveal themselves.
One, two, three, four, five Raiders. The Cleaners outnumber them but they have no clue on their abilities. If they're not careful, they can definitely lose multiple of their comrades today.
A/N: I really don't say this enough but thank you everyone who have supported me and this story! It really means a lot to me!
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But stepping closer to the group, Enjin could feel the tension. Something is wrong. Enjin quickly walks up behind you, whispering to you, âWhatâs going on?â Your frown deepens, fist tightens as you catch him up to speed on Amoâs past.
Enjin could feel his body literally recoil in disgust. But that would certainly explain why Amo is the way she is. Her child-like room, her skimpy clothes, her desire for love.Â
âThen, two people came to the tower. They were the ones who took Misterâs boots and gave them to Amo. They said they suited me better.â Amo gently caresses her boots as she retells her story.
âOne walked up to the window and sprouted wings. Big white, shiny wings. It was so pretty. They were angels, like the ones from the stories.âÂ
âŚAngels?
Enjin looks back at you. If that implication did anything to you, you didnât show it. Angels, you said they were the best bet to get you back to your world.
Something stirred inside him.
âSo uh. I just wanted to apoloââ Rudo is cut off by Follo. âRudo! Whereâve you been? She was telling us everything. LikeâEverything. Youâre gonna want to let her finish firstâ He explains to Rudo. Good idea honestly, sheâs on a roll now so letâs not break that.
Amo continues to tell her story. How for once, she defied her Mister, keeping his boots for her own. How they fought over them. How she pushed him off. Good riddance. But also, poor Amo. To suddenly be in a world alone like that, with no clue of the outside world. No wonder sheâs still cooped up in this tower.
âThe angel came back, flying high in the sky. But there was only one that time.â She picks up a rock and begins etching into the floor. âYou know, I didnât expect her to tell us about the angel. Or telling us her life story.â Gris comments.
âYou poor dear, youâve been through so much.â Tomme empathizes with her. âAny theories on what her angel actually is? I mean itâs gotta be a Sphererite right?â Follo opens the floor to ideas. âPerhaps a Giver with the power to grow wings?â Zanka chips in.
âOr itâs nothing. Sheâs clearly mentally unstable. She mightâve imagined the whole thing.â Tamsy dismissed the Angel idea. You shake your head, âNo way. That was a fundamental moment in her life. She wonât forget it that easily. Besides, where would the angels go if not fly? Fall to their death?â
âBut the real question is, if real, how do angels cross the border?â Riyo asks the most important question. Amo hums in thought, âThey fly with their wings?â Yeah, thatâs not helpful. âDo you remember where the angel landed?â Riyo tries to ask again. âPast where Amo could see.â Amo continues dragging the rock across the ground, deepening the lines.
âThat doesn't help us at all.â Zanka sighs. âHey Amo, how long ago was it that you saw the angel?â Enjin asks. âA month ago. Maybe?â Bingo. âNow that is interesting. That's right around when Rudo made his glorious descent.â You and Enjin share a look. Could Rudo be connected to this angel somehow?
Amo leans back, taking a look at the drawing she etched into the ground. A hooded face with a stitched mask and big teeth. The wings on the back signifying that is the angel she saw. There was another smaller hooded mask with many rings depicting their eyes and mouth, probably the partner she mentioned.
Rudo walks up to the drawing, scoffing when he recognises them, âYou asshole. Okay, so thatâs where you ran to. All the way down to the ground. And you even had a friend with you. Good to know.â Rudo mutters to himself. So the angels do have something to do with Rudo. Rudo takes a deep breath.
Bloodlust. Enjin can feel it radiating off Rudo
Rudo exhales into a manic grin.Â
âYou smile like Amo does. You and Amo. Weâre the same. Your gloves made your heart human just like Amoâs boots did. We can feel our missing pieces. Our things go well with people who are like that.â Amo snaps him out of his episode.
âThereâs a hole inside us that seems too big to ever be able to get filled again. But our things have enough to fill the holes. In you and Amoâs hearts. Amo knows because sheâs gotten back the feelings humans are supposed to have. But becoming human made Amo understand some things she never understood.â Tears fall freely, the weight of reality finally being released from her tears.
âLike how what Mister was doing to he wasnât really love. That sheâs lonely. And now she doesn't want to be lonely anymore. She wants to be with someone, wants to be wanted.â Her voice cracks as she comes to terms with herself.
âBut sheâs too scared to leave her walled garden. So she waited, hoping for people to come and find her. Waiting to make friends with people who came to her garden. But it never went how Amo hoped it would. Even this time.â Enjin glanced around at the wreckage and thought how maybe things could have been avoided.
âYou came back to say youâre sorry to Amo right? You donât have to do that. You did what Amo did first. Not just Amo, itâs everyone. We only use our hands when we want to hurt somebody. And thatâs why nothing ever changes.â She looks up into the broken ceilings.
Rudo crunches down in front of her, âThenâŚLetâs try and be different.â He offers her a hand. âWe can learn to use our hands to help others. To connect. I still donât know how, but maybe we could work on it together.â
You and Enjin share a proud smile. Rudo has definitely come a long way. Amo lets out a breath in disbelief, âYouâre already doing it.â Amo accepts his hand. Their voices lowered as they continued to chat.
Enjin feels a tug on his jacket. Looking down, he sees you pointing to a quiet corner, âCan I steal you for a sec?â Of course you can. What kind of question is that? In fact, please do it more. âYeah, of course.â Enjin replied instead.
You and him walk to a quiet corner, one that was hidden in the shadow but still allowed you to have a clear view of the group happily chatting with Amo. âSo, this angel biz, Think this is your angel friend?â Enjin leans against the wall, grabbing a cigarette.
You do the same, leaning against the wall beside him with your arms crossed, âNo. The wings of angels from my world are more hidden and figurative. If Amo actually saw an angel from my world, her eyes would have been turned to mush and her brian would follow soon after.â
The feeling is gone.
âYeesh. How do you see them then?â He lights his cigarette and takes a drag. âThey must possess a human vessel to communicate with us. And the person must also consent to being used as a vessel.âÂ
âSo a consent asking, nicer, and more powerful demon?â
âBasically, yeah.â
You frown, âBut Iâm not sure this angel is nice. Rudo recognised the angel drawing, the spike in bloodlust was obvious. The angel was probably the one who killed Rudoâs dad.â Enjin exhales and taps off the ash, âWhich then begs the question of why. What business does an angel have with some random kidâs dad? Unless it had to do with the series the raiders were talking about.â
âCould it be to collect all the series pieces in one place? For whatever reason, Rudo had his gloves in the Sphere so they needed a way to get Rudo to the ground. But that would mean this angle is also familiar with the judicial system up in the Sphere.â You place a hand on your chin, your thumb rubbing and pulling against the bottom lip.
Your lipsâŚEnjin wonders if theyâre soft, or maybe chapped with how dry the air is. I wonder how kissing her would feelâ
NO.
Enjin shakes his head furiously, now is not the time!Â
âYou good?â You look at him quizzingly. âYeah! Iâm fine! Totally fine!â âŚSmooth.
âAnyways. Moving on from the angel talk. I donât want Tamsy in our missions anymore.â That catches his attention. Right, he wanted to ask you about that, but now, maybe he knows the answer. âYeah of course. Iâll talk to Semiu about it.â Enjin nods.
You turn to glance at him, âYouâre not going to ask why?â Enjin shrugs, taking another drag, âI trust you. Besides, he does seem more ruthless than usual. I'm just amazed you caught on faster than me.â
âSoulless.â
âHuh?â
âTamsy. Itâs as if heâs soulless. I mean heâs always been a little soulless to me since weâve met. Just little things, so I pushed it aside as my paranoia. Today just proves it though.â You explain to him. Enjin hums in thought, âOkay. What makes you say that though? Never thought soulless as a way to describe Tamsy.â
âBecause Iâve dealt with a soulless Sam before and itâs not fun. He would gladly throw me and Dean to the monsters if it meant achieving his goal. Just like how Tamsy was quick to injure our teammates just to distract Amo. If it werenât for Remlinâs spellsâŚâ Your nails dig into your arms.
Enjin takes the last drag before stomping out the cigarette. He gets the gist. âAlright. No more Tamsy. Iâll pull some strings with Semiu to make it happen.â You grip losses as you drop your arms to the side, â...Thank you. Really. I just want the kids to be safeâÂ
âOf course. You and me both.â he gives your shoulder a light tap with the back of his hand. His fingers twitch. Should I? I mean, her hand is right thereâ
âLetâs get going. Weâve spent enough time here already.â You push off the wall with your feet, walking back to the group. Enjin lets out a disappointed sigh at the missed opportunity but his gaze softens as he watches your figure.
Man, sheâs incredible.
âŚ
Ugh, what is he going to do with his feelings?
Enjin pushes off the wall, following behind you. You give two crips claps, letting it echo in the room, âAlright people. The sun is setting, we better get moving soon.â You turn to Amo who is downcasted at your announcement. âAre you coming with us Amo? Iâm sure thereâs space in the Jeep for you.â
Amo eyes brighten at your offer but she stays quiet, thinking for a moment, âAmo isnât quite ready to say goodbye to this place yet.â She twiddles her thumb nervously. You simply nod, fishing into your bag for something.Â
You pull out a familiar red tube. Gently grabbing her hand in yours, you clip the choker around her wrist, making it a bracelet. You and Amo traded blood with your chokers, locking her as a new contact, âThere. Now you can contact us anytime. Whenever youâre ready, just give us a call.â
âWait, me too!â Rudo does the same, not wanting to lose contact with his new friend so fast. Amoâs eyes turned glossy, touched by your act. You wipe away her tears, âYouâre not alone anymore. Weâre just a call away.â
Amo pulls you into a hug, burying her face into your chest, âThank you so much. Amo really appreciates this.â You return the hug, patting her hair, âNo problem, kid.â Enjinâs eyes narrow into a glare. How Amo seems to snuggle right up into your chest.
Amo meets his gaze, giving him a smug grin. His eye twitches, that brat knew what she was doing! Enjin walks up to the both of you, pulling you away from Amo by the collar, âAlright, thatâs enough touchy touchies. Come on, weâre burning daylight.â
Amo pouts, holding you back by the lapels of your jacket, âNo! Amo bets youâre just jealous because youâve never been hugged by a woman! You big meanie!â
âHahh? Iâve totally gotten a lot of hugs from women! Probably more than you!â
âReally? Amo doesnât think so with your stinky attitude! Blehhâ
âStinky attitudeâwhy you littleââ
He feels arms wrap around his waist. A gentle warmth enveloping his body. His heart sped up, practically about to jump out of his chest as the smell of your shampoo wafts just under his nose.
The warmth disappears too soon. âThere. Even people with stinky attitudes deserve hugs Amo. Now, are we done here? You said weâre burning daylight.â You pull away, walking back to the group as you lead them outside of the tower.
Enjin is frozen in place. He could feel the heat creeping up his neck, building up to his face. He buries his face in his hands as steam practically bursts from his ears. Rudo looks at him with a grimace, âDude, it was just a hug.â
âYou shut up!â Enjin snaps back at him, stomping his way to follow behind you, leaving Rudo and Amo behind. He quickly puts on his full mask to hide his flustered state as he meets back with the group outside.
You are in the front of the group, finger wagging as you do a head count. Soon, Amo and Rudo also come out, Amo staying by the stairs. âYouâre really not coming?â Rudo asks her one last time.
âYup. Amo has some things to work on before sheâs ready to leave. But sheâd still like for Rudo to come visit sometime.â She raises a hand to scratch her cheek, showing off the new bracelet sheâs got. Rudo lifts his own choker, understanding what she meant, âSure thing.â
âAlright enough yapping.â Enjin calls out to Rudo. âIâll come by again some time Amo!â Tomme enthusiastically waves to the girl. âRemember, call us if you need anything. And I mean ANYTHING.â You give your own wave goodbye to the girl.
âSee you later.â Rudo finally says goodbye, meeting up with the rest of the group. You led the group through Penta, navigating all the way back to your vehicles. Riyo was the first to hop on your bike, calling dibs immediately. Enjin lets out a groan, accepting that the next time he probably gets to ride with you is without the kids around.
Enjin drives the rest in the jeep, deciding to go slower than usual as some of the Cleaners start to doze off. âWell, we still donât know how to cross the damn border. But Iâd still consider this a victory.âÂ
Enjin began to debrief âWeâve confirmed that there are people out there who can cross the border. And found another Vital Instrument thatâs just like Rudoâs.â Zanka pipes in, âYou mean that series the raiders mentioned? You think that emblem means that the boots are part of the series too?â
Enjin shrugs, âItâs possible.â He checks the side mirror, making sure youâre still following behind him. Enjin thinks back to the angel business. That feeling he felt when Amo mentioned angels, he recognises it now.
It was fear.
Fear that you would be taken away so soon. Fear that he would lose the chance to tell you how he feels. Fear he might never see you again.
He watches you through the side mirror, how you seem to be animatedly chatting with Riyo.
But not today. Today, he still gets to see you in his world.
A/N: Episodes 11 and 12 are together in this chapter, firstly because it felt awkward to stop in the middle of the Amo fight but also, I wanted to write "the scene". Anyways, enjoy!
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âThis way~ This way~â the girlâAmoâsings and sways as she leads the group. âSee? Weâre here.â She stops in front of a tall tower. Enijn cranes his neck, eyes trailing up the tower that disappears into the clouds. He scratches the back of his head, âThat is one big probable death trap.â
Zanka adds in, âYou know, when we first saw it in the distance, I definitely didnât expect this thing to be her home.â You fold your arms, asking sarcastically, âWhat are the bets her room is at the top and weâre gonna get pushed off?â Tomme begins scribbling in her note pad again, âFinding a structure like this so deep in No Manâs Land is just unprecedented. Iâll need to record this.â
âThis way! Come along! Amo says you can enter.â Amo opens the doors to the tower, inviting them in. The group entered the eerily dark tower where they were greeted with a chined up door. Thatâs not a good sign. âIâll be honest, I donât like the look of any of this.â Gris whispers under his breath.Â
âItâs not all messy. Amoâs room is much much nicer. Come on! Iâll show you.â She begins to ascent the spiral stairs. Although suspicious, the group reluctantly followed. âOne more thing. Take off your masks pretty please?â She suddenly stops.
âI promise, the stinky stuff outside canât make it in here, so you donât need them. Besides, it's nice to see the faces of who youâre talking to.â She turns around to face us with a small smile, âAnd itâs nice to be nice.âÂ
Everyone contemplated for a moment. Would it really be wise to take off their masks? âLets go to your room first then we can take them off. Itâs awkward to take them off on the stairs here.â You propose to the girl. She pouts, âYou promise?âÂ
You nod, âWe promise. Besides, I'm sure your room has better lighting so you would see us more clearly.â Amo beams at that before continuing up the stairs, âI guess youâre right!â You and Enjin share a look.
Better not make her angry.
The group continues up the stairs, being led into a room where clothes, plushies and trash were strewed around. Whereâd she get all this stuff in the middle of a desert? The back wall of the room is broken in, letting natural light shine through. Amo sits on a white pedestal in the middle of the room, âNow, you can take off your masks!â Everyone hesitates.
You were the first to remove your mask, storing them into your bag. Enjin follows next, trusting your instinct, and soon, everyone takes off their masks. Amo gasps and squeals in awe after seeing our faces, âSo handsome! So spicy! So hunky! You look so good! Why hide your faces?â
âItâs to protect ourselves. This is a No Manâs Land after all. Pollution isnât good for the skin.â You are the one to answer her. Tomme examines the room for a second, before remembering she should note things down, âRight. Girl lives at the top of Penta tower. Room interior isâŚsurprisingly whimsical.â Gris doesnât agree, âStop recording this.â He hissed at her.
Now that there is better lighting, Enjin eyes her boots as she clicks her knees together. Four circles in a triangle, one big ring above it. Itâs the same as Rudoâs glove. Her boots must be part of the series the raiders were talking about. He catches your gaze, nodding to her boots. You glance down, then back at him. Good, youâve noticed too.
Youâre seeing this too?
Yeah. Letâs not mess things up.
âIâll start! What made you wanna come see Amo?â She rests her elbows on her knees, propping her head up with her hands. Rudo looks back to you and Enjin for confirmation. Enjin gives him an encouraging nod. Go on, youâre leading this conversation.
Rudo steps up, âWeâve heard that youâve seen some people travel between the Sphere and the Ground. We want to talk to one of those people. Can you point us in a directionââ
âMy turn again! Let's talk about the kinds of boys and girls we like!â Amo cuts him off. âAmo only likes people who have strong smells cause smells are the best! They can even make bad faces good. Amo likes your smells butâŚâ She sniffed the air for a moment, âThe one that Amo likes most of all is the big man.â
Amo gives the group an unsettling grin. Big man probably refers to Delmon. âWhatâŚthe hell? Thatâs a bad smile.â Even Rudo was taken aback by it. This might be too weird for Rudo to handle right now.
Enjin places a hand on Rudoâs shoulder, taking over the conversation, "That's nice butâŚis this gonna get us what we want or no?â Enjin asks the girl. âAmo doesnât know what you mean.â She plays dense, tilting her head to sell the act. Or maybe sheâs really just that clueless.
âWe came for info on how to get to the Sphere, not a sleepover. Now Iâll break out my onesie if it's the cost of said info. So is it?â Enjin lays it out clearly to her. âIs it? Why would you say that?â she whispers.
âWhy would you say that? Why would you say that? Why would you say that?Why would you say that?Why would you say that?Whywould yousaythat?Whywouldyou say that?Whywouldyousay that?Whywouldyousay that?Whywouldyousaythat?Whywouldyousaythat?Whywouldyousaythat?â
âYOU SAID YOU CAME TO TALK TO AMO! YOU DID! SO THEN WHY? Why donât you sound like it? Why do you sound like someone who wants to USE AMO? THAT'S SO WEIRD! WHY DO THAT!?â Ah, so sheâs that type of crazy. Amo continues to screech and spiral.
âGreatâŚNot liking this.â Enjin rubs his chin as Amo spirals deeper into insanity. âWant me to take over?â You ask from beside him as you pull Rudo further back into the group. âNah, Iâve got this.â Enjin casually waves you off. You nod, backing down.Â
âJust say you came to see Amo! It wouldâve been better! EVEN IF IT WAS A LIE!â Amo tugs and pulls at her hair. âYeahâŚSorry. How âbout I try and rephrase.â Enjin thinks for a moment.
âHey girl, how you doin?â
Smack!
Enjin clutches the back of his head from the harsh slap you delivered.Â
âWHATâS WRONG WITH YOU CREEP!?â Amo screeches, jumping down from her pedestal. âAmo thinks you smell ugly!â Enjin lets out a sigh, âHold upâŚâ he thinks his words through. He can feel you tugging his sleeve, âEnjin, donât mess this up even more!â you hissed at him.
He ignores you, âNo, screw it. Iâm gonna be real honest for a sec. You gotta cover up cause I canât think with my head right now.â Enjin barely glances over her skimpy clothes. He feels hands wrapping around his throat.Â
He immediately fights your fingers threatening to crush his wind pipe, âIâm gonna kill you.â you seeth. âCover up? You think itâs Amoâs fault you like Amoâs clothes too much? Out of everyone so far, you are the worst kind of worse.â Amo scoffs. You turn to her, still trying to strangle him, âPlease donât listen to him, heâs an idiot.â
âWeâre breaking up.â Looks like sheâs not listening at all as her boots glow orange.Â
You pull away from him, bracing for an attack.Â
Enjin does the same as her power intensifies, âYou donât get the chance to be friends with Amo.â She declares.
Enjin clicks his tongue, âTsk. Honestly, I should have known it would go this way.â You snap at him, âYou think!? I thought we agreed to not make her angry!â
âCould you deal with them please? Thank you big man.â Amo gives a sinister grin.
Enjin looks back at Delmon, seeing him point his hose at him.
Shit.
Delmon activates his Vital Instrument, dousing him with water. Right, Delmonâs power increases the water content in something. Right now, heâs probably bloated like a balloon. Enjinâs vision goes blurry as he coughs up the excess water before collapsing.Â
He feels someone catching him before he meets the ground. Someone warm, probably you. You did warn him.
Enjin comes back to consciousness after a while. Seems like Remlinâs spell worked. He can hear a commotion going on, probably the group fighting Amo. He feels a weight on his face. Cracking his eyes open, he sees you and Tomme hovering over him with your masks on. Mask, thatâs probably what the weight is.
You roll him on his side away from the fight. You lean over, patting his back so he could cough out the excess water. Or so it seems. He feels your breath tickle his ear, âAmoâs power involves smell, making you hallucinate Amo as your loved one and increasing the compulsion to protect themâi.e. Her.â
âShe has everyone but Zanka, Tomme, Gris and Tamsy under her control.â You roll him back, letting him see how Tamsy has all the mind controlled Cleaners wrapped in the yard of his Vital Instrument.Â
Your eyes narrow into a glare as Tamsyâs yarn digs into their skins, âAs effective as it is, I donât like how much force heâs using.â You mutter under your breath. Enjin eyes the scene as Tamsy spins everyone into a ball of yarn. He can vaguely hear Zanka and Tamsy conversing with each other.
âTomme! (Y/N)!â Gris runs up to them. Well, time to play dead again. Enjin closes his eyes, letting the conversation play out. âThank goodness youâve got your mask on. I was worried. Howâs Enjin holding up?â Gris asks the two.
You make a show of checking his vitals, pressing two fingers to his pulse line on his neck. It skips a bit. âStable for now but we need to monitor him closely.â He feels a weight on his chest, âI canât tell if thereâs fluid in his lungs.â He feels the vibration from your voice on his chest.
Were you laying your head on him? His heart beats faster. No! Youâre gonna hear that! He feels the weight being lifted off. He quells the disappointment he feels from the loss of contact. âAlright. We better get him to the med team as soon as possible.â Gris suggests.
âAmoâs not supposed to be hurting! Let me go. It hurts! Meanie. Meaniemeaniemeaie. Mean! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!â Enjin could hear Amo screeching. Damn that girlâs got lungs.Â
âYOU THINK THIS CAN HOLD ME? HOLD ME? THEN YOUâVE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING! CAUSE I AM GONNA GET OUT. IâM GONNA RIP OFF YOUR ARMS. THEN IâLL KILL THE SHIT OUT OF EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!â Enjin could hear Delmon and the rest struggling against their restraints. Seems like theyâre still under her spell.
âTamsy! Release them now! TAMSY!â He hears you order, desperation turns to anger. Then the wind picks up and he hears concrete breaking. Shooting up, Enjin sees the mind controlled Cleaners being spun like a drill, crashing down multiple stories below.
âYo TamsyâŚWhat the hell man? That was way too far!â Zanka is holding on to the edge of the floor with the help of his Lovely Assistaff. You and Enjin scramble to the edge, peering down at the injured Cleaners all bleeding out. You grit your teeth particularly hard when you see a steel rod coming out of Rudo.
Tamsy and Zanka jump down to the injured Cleaners. You and Enjin donât follow, you still had a crazy girl to deal with after all.
Enjin places a hand on your shoulder. â(Y/N)ââ
âRemlinâs spell. I know. Theyâre fine. But that still doesnât make it right.
âAH-HA! YOU SEE? THATâS WHAT YOU GET! This always happens whenever people donât just talk with Amo like Amo wants.â Amo squeals, lying close to the edge on her stomach, peering over the injured Cleaners.Â
âThey show Amo all their sides, even the ones they try hard to hide away. And now all your friends are gonna die because youâre a meanie stinky face! Amo wonders if you were ever really friends at all! Ha ha ha!â She taunts, bursting out to laughter.
You clench your fist, âI donât know who I want to punch more. Tamsy or the girl.â Enjin rests a hand over your clenched fist, unfurling them so your nails donât dig too hard into your skin. He rubs his thumb over your palm, causing you to turn to him.
Let me deal with this. I wonât screw up again.
Your face is unreadable. But you give him a nod.
You better not.
Enjin lets go of your hand and quietly sneaks behind Amo. Enjin peers over her shoulder, seeing everyoneâs wounds are starting to close up, âSeems like not dying is the new hotness right now. Just remember, I did it first.â
He grabs one of her boots holding them up as she looks back in surprise, âThis mine now by the way. Thatâs not up for discussion.â Enjin holds the boot higher to examine them. âYou know what really ticks me off? The absolute insanity of wearing shoes but only one sock.â
âWhat theâThatâs nasty. You were going barefoot in boots?â He turns back to Amo who just has her dogs out. Finally realising the situation, Amo scrambles to get her boot back which Enjin only holds higher out of her reach, âThatâs not yours! That belongs to Amo! Give it back! You canât have it!â She screeches in his face.
Enjin grabs her arm, holding her down easily. Sheâs not that powerful without her Vital Instrument. âSlow your roll, little one.â Enjin only criticises. âGive it! Youâre stinking it up and making it lose Amoâs special person smell!â She growls.
âSpecial personâs smell?â Curious and stupid, Enjin pulls down his mask a little, taking a sniff of the boot. âAaUGh! HOly shit that's nasty!â Enjin wheezes out. âItâs a boot. What did you think they would smell like? Flowers?â Your eyes crinkle in disgust and judgment.
âDonât sniff it you creep!â Amo snaps at him. âYeah, ya fucking creep.â You go up to them, standing next to Amo. âAre you on my side or hers?.â Enjin pouts. You only roll your eyes at him. Amo continues to squeal and whine, pushing against him to reach for her boot.
âLook, Iâll give it back but only if you flip off your ability first.â Enjin compromises. Amo deflates at that, not struggling against him anymore, âAmo canât use her power with just one. So no one will protect Amo now.â
Enjin looks over her shoulders at the other Cleaners, seeing how they donât seem to be attacking Zanka and Tamsy. âAlright. Then weâll go down and meet the rest first. Once everyone has their mask on, weâll give you back your boot.â You suggest, guiding Amo down to the first floor where everyone fell.
Once all the Cleaners have gathered and put on their masks, you and Enjin stand in front of Amo. âLast call to put on your masks kids.â Enjin turns around surveying the group making sure everyone has their mask on. Once he was satisfied, he holds out the boot to Amo, âMâladyâ
Amo snatches the boot from his hand and puts it back on. âHey, so what are we doing with her? Fact is, if we leave her here and someone else finds her, people are gonna die. Sheâs our problem now.â Zanka asks his leaders.
Enjin scratches the back of his neck, âHmmâŚItâs her instrument. Without it, sheâs just an average young woman with a not so average upbringing. Though I donât have it in me to take something that clearly means a lot to her.â
You nod, âEven with all the pain sheâs caused, her mental state is akin to a child. It would be best if we come to a diplomatic soluââ
âThis is so stupid! Amoâs house is completely ruined. Itâs ugly and it makes Amo sick. Itâs the worst. Itâs all your fault! You should be feeling worse than sick!â Amo complains. The amount of rage from the Cleaners is palpable. It's amazing how restrained they are even after what they just went through.
âThe hell is wrong with you? Keep talking!â Zanka threatens.
Clank.
Rudo has taken off his mask, silently walking forward to Amo. âRudo?â Zanka calls out to him. You and Enjin quietly watch. What is the kid up to this time?Â
âAh-haha! Somebody took their mask off. Miss Amoâs smell? All you have to do is ask and Amo will share more with you.â
WHAM!
Blood sprays from Amoâs nose as Rudoâs fist connects with her face. Everyone takes a step back in surprise.
WHAM! BAM! SQUELCH!
Punch after punch, Rudo isnât stopping anytime soon. You and Enjin pull him back away from the mutilated girl while Gris steps in front, blocking him from the girl. âRudo! Hey, easy! You need to calm the hell down!â You and Enjin hold him back as tight as you could against his struggle.
Rudo shrugs you two off, panting from the rage or exhaustion, maybe both who knows? âYou crossed a line. We know how to cancel her ability. Sheâs not a threat anymore. The fight is over, you understand?â Gris lectures the boy.
âAnd besides, sheâs a girl.â Gris adds on. Rudo grits his teeth, âThatâs bullshit! Just because sheâs a girl Iâm supposed to forget what she did? I can't be angry if sheâs helpless? She gets away with what she did because you say itâs over? No screw that.â
âThat is not what I said! And nothing justifies beating someone who canât fight back!â Gris yells back as tension rises. âPowerless my ass! Sheâs a Giver! And donât tell me she canât fight back after nearly killing us all! She just looks helpless. But inside sheâs laughing at us. She played with us like dolls because that's all we are to her! She deserves a hell of a lot more than I gave herâ Rudo snaps back, not afraid to say his opinion.
Enjin listens closely. He understands his rage, itâs not so different from yours afterall. Really like brother like sister. âYouâre not wrong Rudo. If thatâs how you feel, thatâs totally understandable.â You crouch in front of Rudo, meeting his downcasted eyes..
âBut, do you know how to get the info from her? Cause I donâtâ Enjin continues. Rudoâs eyes widened in realization, slowly turning to Enjin as his face turned to pure horror and fear. Enjin lets out a sigh and wraps an arm around Rudoâs shoulders, âWhy donât we find somewhereânot hereâto talk it out.â
Enjin begins to lead Rudo somewhere more private, giving you a quick look. You nod, granting him permission to handle this alone. You probably needed to stay so you could patch up Amo anyway. He sees you by the bloodied girl, rummaging your bag to pull out bandages as he closes the door behind them.
They sit on the stairs just outside of the room. Rudo hugs his knees, burying himself deeper into the cocoon heâs made. Enjin just sits beside him in silence. Scratches his neck. Then back to silence.
âWhy aren't you yelling at me?â Rudo cautiously asks, antsy from the prolonged silence. âWellâŚâ Enjin thinks for a moment, âNah. Itâs pretty clear youâve realised you messed up. You got emotional which is understandableâand forgot everything else. Which is also understandable.â he lets out a sigh.
â...I felt too much, like I did in the Sphere. I just had to take everything, no matter what people said or did, I had to hold my temper and endure it. But when they threw me away, I realised I couldnât do it anymore. If I kept holding it all in, Iâd die.â Rudo buries his head deeper into his arms, closing his eyes tight.
âI thought that was enough and I was passed it. But Iâm not. Iâm still the same angry idiot. I thought Iâd learn to be better. But I still did what I always do and let the darkness well up in me. Until someone got hurt.â Rudo's voice cracks with emotion but Enjin just lets him continue.
âSo much crap has happened but nothingâs changed. It doesnât matter if Iâm in the Sphere or on the Ground. Whenever I think Iâve grown itâs just me lying to myself. Iâm just a piece of shit!â Rudo goes hard on himself, fully hiding his face in shame with his arms.
âI like hot chicks. Like, really hot chicks.â
âHuh?â Rudo looks up at Enjin confused.
âSmart ones. With all their curves in the right places. And the stupid capacity for forgiving me.â Enjin thinks back of his past relationships. The girls heâs like. Ones in skimpy red dresses. Ones with nice perfume. Ones that can hold their alcohol. Ones that are Cleaners. Ones that have a gun and knife.
âHeh. I love them so damn much. But when we start getting into complicated needs of others, that's where I start struggling. And yâknow? No woman, hot or not, wants to hear that. Not being able to navigate that stuff is a personal failing of mine.â He remembers the tears, the anger, the desperation. The pain he caused to those girls.
âSo like all adults, I still have things I need to grow out of. The thing of it is, realizing when you slipped up is kinda all you need to grow from it. Not that itâs easy. I had to be brought face to face with my faults for me to finally see âem.â He remembers how you went off on him after a nasty breakup with some chick that landed with a slapped cheek. The embarrassment he felt. The warmth in his chest as you hold an ice pack on his cheek.
âYou were cool enough to spot yours on your own. Know what that means? Weâre golden baby! Cause we got nowhere else to go but up. What do you say? You ready to go apologise?â Enjin asks Rudo.
Rudo stays silent for a moment, absorbing his words, âHuh?â
âThen, you like (Y/N)? Like, romantically?â
âŚ
PfftââWhat? Where did you get that from?â Enjin chuckles at his assumption.
âI know she's really attractive. She used to have a lot of suitors back in the Sphere.â
âŚ
âSheâs smart. Taught me all I know and more about fixing and fighting.â
âŚ
âAnd sheâs also really forgiving. The amount of times Iâve gotten in trouble and sheâs forgiven me is uncountable.â
âŚ
Holy shit heâs right.
Enjin's eyes widened in realization. Is this why heâs been feeling all weird around you? Because he likes you?Â
Oh heâs doomed, thereâs no way he can bag a chick like you. Youâre too good to settle for his bum ass. But there is no harm in trying right? No, he could lose you forever. But maybe you could still be friends? That would be so awkward! Butâagh, he also wonât survive if find you another guy to be your boyfriend! Are you even looking for a boyfriend now?
Enjin tugs and ruffles his hair, feeling like his head is going to meltâscratch thatâlike his whole body is aflamed. âWhy would you say thatâno, actually thank you for making me realise my feelings. But what am I supposed to do with them now?â He buries his face in his hands.
âSoâŚyou like my sister?â
âYes, I like your sister!â
Rudo stares at him for a moment before giving him a thumbs up, âGood luck.â Enjinâs eye twitches. He pinches Rudoâs cheeks, stretching them as Rudo winces, âGood luck? This is your fault! You got to help me woo your sister.â
Rudo pushes his hands away, rubbing his cheeks, âBut I donât know anything about girls or romance.â Enjin crosses his arms, âBut you know your sister right?â Rudo hesitantly nods, â...Yeah.â
âThen thatâs good enough for me!â
Rudo goes silent as he thinks it though.
â...You wonât hurt her, right Enjin?â
Enjin eyes soften. Itâs admirable to see Rudo want to protect you for a change. Enjin crouches down in front of him, âNever. If I ever do, you can beat me into oblivion.âÂ
Rudo nods, accepting his answer, âOkay. I think Iâm ready to apologize now.â Rudo stands up, heading back to the door. He looks back, waiting for Enjin. Enjin stands up with a groan and walks over, pushing the door open for them.
They both walk back into the room. Amo seems to have been excellently patched up, no doubt from your handy work. Enjinâs gaze trails to your figure and up to your face. You took off your mask. Did you seem prettier than he remembers?
A/N: You are not wrong, I changed the title of the chapter. Also, I just read chapter 168. Amazing as always, but it's killing me that Enjin's status is still not clear.
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Enjin rolls his neck with a groan, getting out the kinks from sleeping weirdly. The bed was too small for his liking, all his tossing and turning somehow ended with his head almost hanging off the edge of the bed.Â
Enjin heads to the dining area where you and Rudo already seemed to be helping yourselves to breakfast. Well, Rudo certainly was, judging by how fast heâs scarfing down those pancakes. You eat at a more moderate pace, making sure to pat Rudo on the back every so often he chokes.Â
âWell, aren't you two bright and early.â Enjin greets, taking a seat beside you. You turn to him, swallowing your food before speaking, âI wanted to see if Remlinâs up for some spellcasting today. You joining?â You stab a piece of pancake with your fork and take a bite.Â
Enjin picks up another fork, stealing a piece from you, âOf course. I also want to check up on the kid, see how theyâre feeling as the new spellcaster.â He quickly plops the piece in his mouth before you could fight back. You swat away his hand when he goes back for seconds, âGet your own pancakes!â
âYeah old man, get your own pancakes!â Rudo tries to defend you but itâs muffled by how full his mouth is.Â
âDonât talk with your mouth full, it's gross!â
âIâm not that old!â
Rudo tilts his head confused. He swallows his food before asking, "Aren't you likeâfourty or something?â Enjinâs jaw drops at his assumption, âFourty!? Iâm twenty-eight you brat!â Even you seem confused, âRudo, what makes you think Enjinâs fourty?â
âYouâre like thirty-eight right? I assume Enjin is older than you by a few years.â Rudo answers. This time Enjin turns to you shocked, âThirty-eight!? You donât look any older than me!â You cover your face with a hand, âSo this is what itâs about. You didnât have to remind me.â
You drag your hand down your face, âYes. Mentally Iâm thirty-eight, but physically, Iâm closer to twenty-sevenâtwenty-eight ish. For some reason, when I entered this world, my body regressed by a decade.â
âNo wonder you seem more mature, itâs literally cause youâre old.â Enjin recalls back to all the times your maturity has shown, how youâre more responsible, more wise, more emotionally grounded.
âAre you asking to die?â
âNo maâam. Iâm sorry.â
You shake your head, âWhatever, itâs fine. Letâs all just agree that Iâm twenty-seven. No need to remind me how old I actually am.â You take a few more bites of your pancake but pause again when you notice how Rudoâs face was coated with syrup.
You let out a sigh, grabbing a napkin to wipe his face. You hold his face still with a hand while you wipe off the sticky syrup and cribs while Rudo grumbles. Since you were distracted, Enjin took the chance to swipe a whole pancake this time, stuffing it in his mouth.
âHey! YouâEnjin!â
After breakfast, the three of you head to the Mayorâs house. You knock on the door and wait for a response. Opening the door, the Mayor greets you, â(Y/N), Enjin. I guess itâs finally time for you to get your spells drawn.â
You give the Mayor a nod in greeting. âIf itâs not too much trouble. If Remlinâs up for tagging all the Cleaners today, Iâll call the rest down here.â The Mayor steps aside to let them in, âOf course. The kid seems to be in high spirits today.â
The Mayor leads you to a door knocking on it before entering, âRemlin, youâve got visitors.â Entering the bedroom slash studio, you and Rudo admire the drawings hung on the walls. Enjin peeks out from behind the Mayor, eyes finding the kid who was drawing before they interrupted, âHey kid, remember me?â
âOh, youâre that Cleaner dude.â Remlinâs eyes lit up with recognition. Cleaner dude? Enjin eye twitches. You come up behind him, pushing him back slightly with a hand, âRight. Weâre the Cleaners and we plan to go on a dangerous mission soon. There are ten of us in total. Think you can tag all of us today?â
Remlin gives a nod and thumbs up, âYou got it boss lady!â You nod before giving Enjin a pat on the shoulder, catching his attention, âIâll go call the others. Zankaâsorry, did I wake you up?â You walk off to a quiet corner to finish your choker call.
Enjin take the liberty to sit on the couch beside the Mayor, watching as Remlin props themselves on the coffee table in front of them. Remlin then smirks, waving a hand over to Rudo, âHey you, take a seat.â They point to the space in front of them.Â
Rudo hesitates, but does as they say, sitting in front of Remlin with his back to them. âNo, turn around dummy. Iâm gonna draw it on your face.â Remlin huffs. âHuh? Why does it have to be on my face?â Rudo questions, only turning his head to look back.
âBecause itâs an art spell. Itâs stronger the more visible it is.â Remlin reasons. Itâs not but Enjinâs not gonna tell Rudo that. âI guess that makes sense.â Rudo mumbles under his breath before fully turning around to face the kid. Canât believe he actually bought that.
Remlin lets out a proud huff after making Rudo look like a clown. Rudo seethes at the joke heâs been made into, brown twitching with irritation. âSo, tell me what you want to wear, cause youâre up next.â Remlin turns to Enjin.
âHey. Hey! You think this is funny you jerk!?â Rudo points to his painted face. âUhâŚyeah⌠Ah-hahaha!â Remlin only laughs in his face. âKeep laughing and Iâll mess up your face!â Rudo threatens but itâs clear Remlin canât take him seriously with the clown face on.
Enjin gives the Mayor a glance, âGot a theory on what makes a good candidate for spellcasters I want to run by you. They all got the same type of crazy.â The Mayor responds with the defeated tone, âThe word youâre looking for is whimsy and you may be right.â You come back with an amused smile as you hand Rudo a towel to wipe off the paint.
Remlin slaps their knee, âOkay, nameâs Remlin. As spellcaster I canât wait toâI canât wait!â Rudo glares at Remlin over the towel, âTo what?â Rudo dares as he wipes his face clean. âSo what number spellcaster are you on now?â Enjin asks the Mayor.
âI think Remlinâs the sixth.â The Mayor guesses. âYouâre not sure?â Enjin probes further. âThe spellcasters recorded their histories through art, so thereâs a lot thatâs left up to interpretation.â The Mayor explains.
âHuh, okay cool. Thatâs definitely good to know. So I just found out that my powers donât work on people if I draw on them without getting their consent.â Remlin swings their legs as they explain. âItâs probably like when I draw on walls and stuff thatâs outside of town. I need to get their permission. I mean if itâs not cool to draw on a wall without permission, then itâs really really not cool to do that to a person, right?â
âHuh. Thatâs the same with Gob too right?â You turn to Enjin to confirm. He nods, âRight. Is it because spellcasters inherit the same abilities?â He turns back to the Mayor. âHistorically, theyâve had similar, if not the same powers. Though Iâve heard thereâve been subtle differences between them.â The Mayor answers.
Enjin rubs his chin in thought, âThatâs weird since youâd expect their powers to reflect how different they are from each other. A Giverâs power are shaped by all the random that makes them them. So whatâs up with spellcasters? Is it something to do with the Vital Instrumentââ
âBro, youâre thinking too hard.â Remlin cuts him off, âOur powers turn out the same cause weâre all about making sure whatever we draw feels fun. Weâll sneak balloons into a stressful scene, or flowers into an epic battle. We always play around with meaning, intentionally or just to mess around.â
Remlin raises their pen, âFreedom and fun! Iâm pretty sure thatâs why Gob and the other spellcasters were picked for the job. And that's what Iâll look for in who I pick, cause Itâs cool!â Huh, yeah I donât get it. âOh I get it. You all end up with similar powers because you all think the same way yeah?â Enjin theorises.
âWhaaaaat? Thatâs just stupid. How can we think alike if we draw whatever we want? We donât even draw the same stuff the same way.â Remlin immediately brushes off his theory. âUh...erhâŚAhhh!?â Enjinâs mind basically explodes, not understanding a thing at all.Â
âTrust me, itâs not worth it. Trying to make sense of what an artist says is only gonna scramble your brain.â The Mayor shakes him, trying to bring him back to reality. Then he feels a weight on his head. Looking up, he sees you patting his head, âDonât think too hard on it. It's magic and magic donât need logic.â
Enjin feels the heat creeping up his neck, causing him to look away. He rubs the back of his neck, hoping to calm, or at least hide the redness.
Remlin, now more ready to be serious, instructs Rudo to take off his top and show them his bare back. âGuessing you want the âmake one nasty hit survivableâ special, yeah?â Remlin uncaps their Vital Instrument. âLetâs make some magic!â
The Pen glows orange before revealing aâ
TATTOO GUN!?
âWoah! What are you doing? Thatâs forever.â Enjin steps in before Remlin could touch Rudo with the tattoo gun. You also pull Rudo back slightly from the wiring machine. âRemlin please, you need to take this seriouslyâwait what?â the Mayor does a double take on what Remlin is holding.
âI donâtâI thought your instrument turned into a brush when you used it. How is it a tattoo gun?â The Mayor recalls. Remlin holds up the tattoo gun, âI had a cool idea for a tattoo and then this just happened. You canât do everything with the same tool right?â
âIâm about to lose my damn mind. First you cast spells, and now you can make your tool into anything you want it to be? You canât do that! It ainât natural!â Enjin exclaims. You sigh at all the commotion heâs making but focuses on Remlin, âMaybe something not permanent?â
Remlin lets out a huff, âOkay fine. I wonât do anything permanent. Just remember to keep it dry so it doesnât wash off. All right then, second try.â Remlin turns the tattoo gun back into a pen. Remlin gives Rudo a smug grin, âIf you would be so kind. May I doodle all over your back?â
âYou know, I think the kidâs kinda growing on me.â Enjin accepts his defeat.
Eventually, everyone got their turn to be drawn on. The Cleaners along with the Mayor and Remlin, all make their way to the gate of Canvas town
âThanks for everything Mr Mayor, Remlin.â Enjin and the Mayor lead the group. âYouâre most welcome. And sorry for the run around and everything earlier. Though the kid made up for it. Itâs not easy drawing spells on ten people.â The Mayor and Enjin turn around to see Remlin sleepily swaying behind them. Youâre behind the kid, helping to guide them to not bump into anyone.
âAnd what a good job you did with those spells. Appreciate it.â Enjin praises. âNo prob.â Remlin wheezes out, too tired for anything proper. As they approach the gate where they left their vehicles, riff and raff seem to have not left.
They jumped up when they spotted Remlin, âWait! Are you nuts Mr Mayor? You canât let The Pen get passed on to some no name scrub!â riff interjected. âThereâs no way theyâre worthy! I bet they stole it from Gobâs corpse!â raff added on.
Riff and raff push against the invisible wall, âI know theyâre not a better artist than me because I won the Perfect Art Contest! People were counting on me to be the next spellcaster! Why else would someone like me come outâŚâ Enjin drones out the rest of raffâs narcissistic rambling.
âShut your mouth!â There it is. The Mayor isnât the Mayor for nothing, âThat shit stain attitude is exactly why you two canât even get past the front gate! This cityâs for artists, not posers who only care about fame, got it!? Now get lost or Iâll smack the ugly off you! Donât believe me? Then stick around!â
Riff and raff walk away in defeat.Â
âThat ends todayâs lesson. Whatever you do, donât piss off the Mayor.â Enjin smirks. âZanka? Come on, youâre riding with me today.â Enjin turns to you who was already walking to your bike, âHey wait! No fair!â Enjin whines, watching as Zanka happily jog up to you.
Enjin pulls up the jeep in front of the Mayor and Remlin, winding down his window, âItâs been fun, but duty calls. Son;t be popping anymore blood vessels okay?â Enjin rests an arm outside the window. âIâm sorryâ The Mayor looks down embarrassed, âOr maybe just avoid the front gate Mr Mayor?â Remlin teases.
âHey um. That was cool what you did for Gob. The send off.â Rudo compliments. âI know! See you around when Iâm drawing at Cleaner HQ.â Remlin gives Rudo a bright smile. Enjin drives off. âDonât die!â He watches the side mirror as the Mayor and Remlin wave them goodbye. He also makes sure your bike is not far behind, watching you wave back over Zanka before focusing on the road.
âSo weâre heading back to HQ aren't we?â Rudo leans against the door, looking out the window. âYep. Gotta grab your full face before we plow into danger.â Enjin considers for a moment, âBut first, we got a quick stop. Thought weâd pick you up a little something on the way home.â
Enjin makes a turn away from HQ. In the rear view mirror, he watches you drive straight ahead before realising he made a turn. You make a big turn to catch up with him, driving up to the driverâs window. You make some hand gestures.
Whatâs going on?
Enjin grins and gives a thumbs up.
Just trust me.
Your shoulders sag in what he assumes is a sigh before you slow down to drive behind him.
Enjin drives out to an old worn down warehouse where he knows thereâs a butt load of trash lying around. He gets out of the car with Rudo. You stop beside the jeep, hopping off your bike. You made a gesture to Zanka before jogging up to the boys. âWhatâs going on?â You take off your mask.
Enjin just walks into the warehouse, leading the way. Rudo shrugs, âEnjin said he wanted to grab something for me.â The broken down roof lights up the mountain of trash, âWoah, is that...for me?â Rudoâs eyes gleam as his hands twitch in anticipation.
Enjin closes his eyes with pride âNever hurts to be prepared. So youâre gonna take some time to pick whateverâs singing sweet nothings to ya. Weâre far from any polluted zones so you donât have to worry aboutââ He feels a tug on his sleeve.Â
âI donât think heâs worried about anything right now. Not sure heâs even thinking straight.â You point at Rudo whoâs already getting his claws deep into the trash almost with maniacal glee. âKnew Iâd see his feral side one day.â Enjin grins.
After Rudo stocked up on some goodies, under your strict regulation,
âNo Rudo, you canât bring the mini fridge."
âAww come on!â
âDonât even think about touching that microwave.â
Everyone made it to HQ where they were greeted by an excited August. âItâs done! Yo! Finnito! Cause itâs done! Itâs freaking done! Itâs A MASTERPIECE!"
âThe hell?â Rudo mutters under his breath. âHey, please ignore this fool. Welcome back yall.â Semiu peeks out from behind August. âSorry to hear about Gobâs passing. We just got word. So sad. Lot of peopleââ
âYour face is~ ready~â August twirls and makes a grand gesture. âThanks August. Keep up the good work.â You flatly thank the eccentric man, âRudo, this is the artist who makes all our gear. August this is Rudo. Get this, heâs apparently finished working on your full face.â Enjin flatly introduces the two.
âYoooou bet them cheeks itâs finished! And with picture perfect measurements. The fit is fittinâ and we didnât have to meet up at all cause I got his measurements while he slept! And thatâs not all! Itâs just for you. Enjin, (Y/N) and Semiu told me âbout cha so itâs got cha swagger!â August dances around as he explains.
âWait, back up. While I slept? You snuck in my room?â Rudo tries to wrap his head around what August is saying, âI know! I really lucked out with you not locking your room.â August giggles. âYou creepy piece of shit!â Rudo recoils from August.
âDo Sphererites not lock their doors or something?â Enjin ruffles Rudoâs hair. âNot condoning it but Iâm impressed he caught Rudo sleeping, cause let me tell you, he doesnât get much of it.â Riyo comments. âOh yeah? How do you know that?â Zanka narrows his eyes with suspicion. âRiyo, please donât tell me youâre climbing through windows again.â You cross your arms at the girl.
âBrother stop!â Eishia runs up to August, holding one of his hands down. âWhatâs up mommaâs second best?â August greets her. âAugust, youâre doing it again. You need to stop, please. Youâre making everyone uncomfortableââ
âWhaat? Canât hear you!â he leans over Eishia, practically crushing her. The siblings tussled for a while longer before you had enough, âAugust, the full face please.â You hold out a hand to him, âRight! Here you go! Also, would you you like to model for a newââ
âSorry, weâve got a mission to do.â You turn down the boy, giving Rudo the briefcase with his face mask before heading for the elevators. Everyone quickly follows behind, wanting to get away from the sibling mayhem.
The elevator door slid open to the dark garage, letting everyone enter and make their way to the jeeps. âOkay what is with Grounders and shouting everything all the damn time.â Rudo comments. Youâre one to talk. Enjin stops in his tracks when he realises something, âRudo, hold up. Let me see your choker for a quick second.â
Rudo unclips his choker and holds it out. Understanding whatâs happening, everyone draws out blood in their own way. Some like you and Riyo, use your weapons, Others like Enjin and Zanka, bite.
Rudo is obviously taken aback by what is happening, âThe hell are you doing?â Enjin held out his now cut thumb, âWell come on, let me see that choker.â Everyone presses their thumb against Rudoâs choker, letting the blood seep in. âThere you go. See? Not so bad. Weird? Sure. But now your chokerâs all set up. Theyâre pretty much like phones but only people youâve traded blood with.â
Rudo looks up from his choker with understanding, âSo thatâs why everyone on the Ground is wearing one. I was kind of wondering about that.â Riyo sucks the blood off from her thumb with a pop, âYup, thatâs right. And now we can say that weâve all bled for each other.â
âSo donât be afraid to reach out. For real.â Follo smiles. âCool.â Rudo clips back on his choker, adjusting it to sit right. âAnyhoo,â Enjin stands in front of Rudo with an âinnocentâ smile, âitâs time for you to open yourself up to the group.â Rudo is now terrified for his life.
You and Enjin head to your respective vehicles. âZanka, youâre with me.â As you pass Zanka, you place a hand on his shoulder, pulling him with you to your bike. Rudo speaks up confused, âIsnât it my turn?âÂ
You stop in your tracks, turning around to him, âYou need to get familiar with your new teammates. Being stuck in a cramped space for hours is a good way to do so.â You shoot him a thumbs up. Enjin smiles down at him, ruffling his hair, âLooks like youâre stuck with me.â Rudo grumbles but doesnât argue, getting into the car.
Enjin begins driving out of the garage, âOkay! Our hunt for the No Manâs Land lady starts right now.â Enjin eyes Rudo from the rear view mirror, âSo Rudo, you donât think you might have over done it with the trash? You know weâve got to walk at some point. I mean you could try and bring it all but weâre just gonna laugh at you.â The rattling of trash could be heard from the trunk after every bump in the road.
âItâs all mostly back ups.â Rudo answers. Enjin nods at his response, âBeing extra prepared for your second trip into No Manâs Land. Good, cause troubleâs on the way. Be ready for anything.â They drove until they could see the red sand in the distance. They stop just on the outskirts of the No Manâs Land, parking their vehicles under a rock shelter.
Enjin looks around at the shelter before turning to you, âThink this will hold?â You were by the walls, feeling and banging against the wall, âSeemâs so. But let's try to finish this quickly anyway.â You turn back to the group, âAlright everyone, mask up. Weâre going in.â
Rudo opens the briefcase, revealing his red and yellow mask. He takes the mask and puts it on.
It falls off.
Again.
And again.
And again.
AndâOh youâre going up to help him now. You take the mask in his hand, tuning it over and pointing at the locking mechanism, âSee this? It goes here. Push it until you hear like a hissing noise.â you point to his normal gas mask, before handing him back the full face.Â
Rudo finally puts it on correctly, showing off his new mask. âLooking badass.â Enjin compliments before turning to the red savana. âLow the desert No Manâs Land, Penta.â He lets out a huff, âGroovy.â
Tamsy was the first to jump down, pinching some sand and examining it as it slips from his fingers, âInteresting, Itâs not sand. Itâs finely worn waste.â You mutter under your breath, âIsnât that literally just sand?â Enjin couldn't comment further as a rumble could be heard.
In the distance, smoke clouds could be seen slithering closer as the rumbling grew louder. âOh, look. The welcoming partyâs here.â Enjin sighs, âOkay people, witness report said the woman lives somewhere further in. Make sure you donât fall behind Rudo.â he turns to the hooded kid who walked up to the ledge, âWasnât planning on it.â
Enjin eyes Rudoâs gloves, âExcited to see what 3Râs gonna do to those beasties. Let's go find us a woman.â You turn to Enjin, probably giving him a look under your mask, âPhrasing Enjin. Phrasing.â
Rudo hops in, sliding down a sand dune landing in front of a Trash beast. Or multiple. Stingers erupt from the ground as scorpion like Trash beasts dug out. You and Enjin observe from a safe distance, making sure no Trash beasts get anywhere near Tomme as she takes notes. You turn to the kids, âWell? Get to ass kicking.â
Riyo excitedly jumps in, transforming her scissors into The Ripper and going crazy on the Trash beasts. Zanka was more composed and analytical with his Lovely Assistaff, fending off hits with precision. Clouds of sand are kicked up, making it difficult to see but you keep your eyes on the kids.
More scorpions start to come out, sneakily beginning to surround Zanka as he fights one off. You lightly hit Enjinâs arm to catch his attention, âGo help him. Youâre better with groups.â You point out to Zanka. Enjin lets out a groan which only led to him earning a harder slap, âOw. Okay, okay.â
Enjin launches himself in the air, and opens Umbreaker to glide. He lines himself up before closing and pointing Umbreaker down wards. Umbreaker spins as he dives down, âOcta-Shredder!â Enjin crashes down with a burst of power, splitting the ground eight ways and taking out the scorpions.
With nice timing, Riyo lands behind him. As the sands starts to clear, he can make out the shape of another scorpion through the clouds, âHuh? Now thatâs just rude man.â Enjin gets up, resting Umbreaker over his shoulder, âOkay brat. Youâre up.â
Rudo dashes from the smoke up to the scorpion. He swiftly dodges an attack and pulls out a battered keyboard, transforming it. He presses some keys and they come to life, flying forward and slamming into the scorpion.
As the smoke clears, the words âassholeâ could be seen engraved into the scorpion. You really need to teach the kid more words. Rudo drops the keyboard as it turns to dust, itâs purpose having been fulfilled. Enjin turns to you, seeing you standing over three dead scorpions, Sam shining in your hands.Â
The wind begins to pick up. Enjin opens Umbreaker again to shield him from the flying sand, âThere sure are a lot of those crawlies creeping around here.â Enjin crouches down, swiping his hand through the sand âFor them to come out of the ground like that, Iâm thinking thereâs a whole lot more buried underneath this sand-not-sandâsandâor whatever you want to call it.â
It only took a few swipes to reveal a radio underneath. Yeah, thereâs definately a bunch of trash buried down there. You regroup with the three, crouching down to him with cloth, âCan we not touch the maybe toxic sand willy nilly?â You grab Enjinâs hand, wiping his hand clean with the cloth. Enjinâs heart stutters at the contact but he doesnât pull away, just letting you do your thing.
âTomme!â Enjin turns to Gris who was scolding Tomme. âYou canât be doing your record keeping duties while weâre in active combat. What were you thinking!â Gris reprimands the supporter. She scratches her head with a sigh, âI guess I wasnât. But if I waited, I might have forgotten something. Besides, (Y/N) was there to protect me.â
You pocket your cloth and turn back, giving Tomme a thumbs up, âJust keep doing your thing girl.â She gives one back while Gris groans. âAnd I knew you wouldnât let anything happen. I mean, itâs your job to protect the record keeper and youâre really good at it.â She tells Gris.
âI canât protect you from lack of self-preservation.â Gris groans. You stand up and approach the two, âHey itâs fine Gris. We have more than enough Givers right now. I wonât let anything happen to Tomme, you know it.â Enjin watches as you walk away. He looks down at his now clean hand, flexing his fingers.
He could still feel the warmth from your hand.
âOh yes. Of course that's it. I know why youâre here. You came to see Amo, so Amo came to see you.â
An unfamiliar voice breaks his trance. He stands up, hand on Umbreaker. A girl in skimpy clothing approaches Rudo, Delmon and Tamsy.âThatâs unsettling. Alright, any ideas on how long sheâs been there?â Tamsy asks. âI know the sand makes it hard to see but I didnât even notice her approaching us.â Delmon adds on.
Team Akuta walks up to Rudo, âAnyone else get the feeling our expedition just got a whole lot shorter?â Enjin sarcastically asks. âBut thereâs no way itâs this easy.â Zanka rebuts. âI donât know, she doesn't seem like she wants to make things hard for us. Maybe we ask her for directions and go from there.â Enjin suggests.
Riyo immediately takes the opportunity, raising a hand, âHeey! Sup girl? You the one who's seen people traveling between the Sphere and the Ground?â You hold down her arm, âManners. Also, donât just go asking random people that.â
The girl raises her hand, mimicking Riyo, âYes maâam.â Riyo turns to you with a proud tone, âAsked and answered. The woman weâve been looking for just found us.â Enjin scratches his neck, âWeird. Guess My luck doesnât hate me today.â
âMaybe it does and sheâs luring you into her trap to feed you to a Trash beast.â You give Enjin a nudge. Enjin looks down at you, âMust you always be so pessimistic?â You tilt your head up at him slightly, âItâs called caution. Stranger danger, remember?"
âEither way, letâs go over there and sayââ Enjin is cut off by a cough. The girl covers her mouth with her hand as she coughs, âSorry, itâs so stinky. And the air here hurts. Can we go and talk some place nice like Amoâs house? The airâs good there so you wonât need a mask.â She coughs some more.
âIf she knows about the masks, why isnât she wearing one?â Zanka is right to be skeptical over the invitation. The girl begins to beg âItâs not that far, promise. Come onâŚplease?â Riyo tugs on Enjinâs sleeve, âEnjin, let me sort this out. Iâll go with her and see whatâs what.â
âAbsolutely not.â You interject immediately, âWe go together. We outnumber her by a lot. If things go south, itâll be better to have me or Enjin take her on.â You add on. Riyo whines. âCome on, Iâm good to handle this.â Enjin hums, âNah, Iâm the best at throwing punches.â
A/N: Just a little scene I wanted to add, didn't know how to, scrapped, then brought back. Just a short scene before the next episode. Chapter 12 is on the way dw.
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Everyone got themselves situated in the hotel they were staying at. While Canvas Town mourns and celebrates, the Cleaners aren't going to get their tags anytime soon with all the festivities. Everyone checked in for the night, most already sound asleep.
Not Enjin though.
Enjin stubs out the cigarette bud on the sidewalk and throws it in a bin. He stands up with a groan, stretching out the cramped muscles from sitting so long. He walks back into the hotel, planning to finally go to bed.
âStay still.â
âThey itch.â
âWell, donât scratch it.â
Seems like heâs not the only one up.Â
The door to the toilets was left wide open, letting Enjin peek inside to see who it was. You and Rudo stood by the sinks, one was plugged and filled with water. You pat dry Rudoâs hands with a towel. Rudoâs redâalmost black hands. No wonder the kid's instrument is his gloves.Â
You pull out a roll of bandages and begin wrapping his arms. It was quiet, a comfortable silence that didnât need to be filled, just the sound of the bandage rustling was enough.
âHey (Y/N), what were those colorful things Remlin exploded in the sky? You seemed really happy watching them.â Rudo was the first to break the silence. You give Rudo a smile, âThey are called fireworks. They are often used in celebrations because of how loud and flashy they are.â
Your eyes soften and glaze over, âIâve only seen fireworks once, back in my world when I was a kid. Probably around your age. There was a famous celebration called the fourth of July. My family usually didnât celebrate, we didnât have time to.â
âBut that day, my brother managed to sneak us fireworks to play with. I remember being so happy to see them, because for once, I really got to be a kid. Even if it was just for that day.â Your smile turns into something bitter sweet.
Enjin doesnât like that kind of smile. He prefers the one you wore when watching the fireworks. Maybe he should take you to see more.
You quickly wipe it off, focusing back on Rudoâs bandages. You snip, tape and start on the second arm. âI thought about dad. When watching the fireworks.â Rudo doesnât look up, just focuses on the bandage circling his arm. You pause for a moment but continue, âIs it because of what Remlin said? About Gob not being able to enjoy the afterlife if weâre all sulking.â
Rudo nods. You think for a moment before speaking, âYour dad loved you, very much. And you love him. Thatâs why youâre so adamant on getting revenge.â You finish bandaging his arms and hold his hands, âBut you canât let that consume you.â
You crouch down to meet his gaze, âAt the end of the day, youâre still his kid, and he would always wish for happiness for his son. So as important as revenge is to you, donât forget to have fun every once in a while.â
Rudoâs eyes gloss over with tears but he tackles you into a hug to hide them, âI miss him.â You wrap your arms around him tight, rubbing circles into his back, âI know kid. I know.â
Enjin backed away from the doorway quietly, slipping into the shadows and past back to his room. Seems like you got it handled.
Enjin closes the door to his room, leaning back on the door with a sigh. He pulls out the anti-possession necklace youâve made for him, holding the tiny charm in the palm of his hand.Â
Each wish you have to for your world, something in him churns and aches.
He closes his hand around the charm, letting the metal dig into his palm.
He hopes heâs strong enough when the time comes.
Enjin stands outside your door where he can hear the faint sounds coming from. Only in a loose shirt and some sweats, he scratches his stomach and lets out a yawn. Itâs 4am, what could you possibly be up to so late? He raises a hand and knocks twice. When the sound stops, he takes it as his cue to enter.
âSorry. Did I wake you up?â You are sitting at your desk, piles of scrap metal and tools scattered around. Your desk lamp was the only thing lighting the room, revealing your similar outfit, a loose shirt and shorts. Enjin lets out another yawn, scratching the back of his head, âThatâs one way to put it. What are you doing so late anyways? We have to go out tomorrow, remember?â He closes the door behind him before approaching your desk.
You hold up a charm, a metal sun with a star in the middle. It gleams in the dim light as you tread a string though it. Enjin tilts his head, "What's that youâre making?â You grab both ends of the long string, âAnti-possession charm. If there are any more demons in this world, this would protect you from being possessed.â
Right. Raiders and Trash beasts aren't the only thing he has to look out for. Now with bits of your world seeping though, who knows what other monsters are out there. You hold out the string to him, âWould you prefer it as a necklace or a bracelet?â He doesnât think too much about it, âNecklace I guess.â He bends down to your level.
You scoot closer to him, measuring the size of the string. His eyes drift to yours, how youâre focused on making sure the necklace is the right length.Â
His breath hitches as you move closer to tie the string. He could feel your breath fan his face, smell the crisp scent of your shampoo, feel your touch graze the back of his neck.
Everything was pulled away when you moved back after tying the string. You turn back to your desk, cutting off the excess and adjusting the knot.
Enjin was frozen for a moment before he abruptly straightened up. He turns away from you, rubbing a hand over his flustered face.
What the hell was that?
You hold out the completed necklace to him, âHere, keep it on you at all times. When you eat, sleep, shit, never take it off.â You hum, âWell, I guess take it off when you shower. I donât want it to rust or break.â Enjin quickly regains his composure, putting on the necklace, âSo? What about you? Donât you need one as well?â he asks.
You tug at the collar of your shirt, exposing the left side of your chest where a tattoo of the charm sits just below your collar bone, âOf course I have one.â Enjin could feel the heat creep up on his neck again. Luckily you turned back to your desk, organising bits of scrap.Â
âIf it works as a tattoo, why donât I just get one instead?â Enjin asks, wanting a distraction from his recent behavior. âI like your tattoos as they are, I donât want to ruin them. Besides, I plan to give them to the kids too and I need an excuse for them to wear it. Something like team good luck or protection charm.â You explain to him.
Enjin could feel something in his chest fluttering at your words. Was it the compliment? Your care for the kids? Both? Either way, something is wrong with himâthat, he knows.
Enjin pushes everything aside. There are more pressing matters to talk about and he canât be distracted. âSpeaking of protection, is there anything else from your world we should be concerned about?â Enjin sits on your bed behind you, watching you go back to make another charm.
âSo far weâve only seen a demon slip through into this world. I hope thatâs all weâll be dealing with but Iâm prepared if there are other monsters.â You speak between cuts of metal. Enjin lets out a hum, closing his eyes and falling back into your bed. âBut not all things from my world are bad. I wouldnât complain if an angel slips though. Theyâre certainly more informative than low level demons.â You add on.
Enjin opens one eye, looking at you back, âAngels exist too? Like wings and purity and all that jazz?â You look back over your shoulder, giving him a short glance, âDemons exist, why not angels too? In fact, Iâm friends with an angel as well.â
That got him to sit up, âYou are?â You nod, âCastiel, or Cas for short. Heâs helped me and my brothers many times. Hopefully he can help me get some answers in this world too.â You let out a sigh, scratching your head, âBut knowing my brothers, he's probably too busy saving them from another near death situation."
âSounds like a good guy. Hopefully he slips though then.â He says this.
But deep down.
He hopes they never come to his world.
Because that would mean you go back to yours.
When the morning comes, you and Enjin are ready for the day. You meet up with Gris and Follo, all heading to the same destination, Augustâs workshop. âYou think heâs done with Rudoâs full mask yet?â Gris asks the group.
Everyone stood outside the metal doors where they could hear muffled rock music and strange noises coming from inside. Slowly, Enjin opens the door to peek inside, the rest squeezing to catch a look. Scattered drawings, materials, and a crazy August dancing and âsingingâ to the music. âYeah⌠Heâs gonna be awhileâ
You and Enjin split up from the supporters, waving them goodbye as they head to prepare for their mission. You and Enjin on the other hand, head over to the reception area where Rudo was already waiting with Arkha and Semiu.
You tell them about AugustâsâŚenthusiasm. âHeâs uhâŚin the zone huh? At least now youâve got some time to finish prepping. I suspect Rudoâs full face will be done once youâre back and ready to go.â Boss was behind the desk with Semiu.
âI have a full face? The hell is that?â Rudo turns to you and Enjiin. âItâs something we gotta wear when we go into a No Manâs Land. You saw mine when I first saved your skinny butt, remember?â Enjin digs through his bag, pulling out his full mask to show Rudo. âOh, thatâs what that is.â Rudo understands.
âThe Cleaners has a good designer that makes all our uniforms and full faces. Unfortunately, he doesnât do well under pressure so we just let him work at his own pace.â You explain to Rudo. âZanka tried to rush him once and almost got himself a new hole.â Enjin added with a laugh.
âQuirks aside, our artist is good people. And while he works, youâve got a thing to get. Nothing fancy, just a little magic.â Boss pipes in. Rudo is understandably confused at his words. âNobody knows what will go down in a No Manâs Land. Step on the wrong piece of trash? Youâre done. Itâs no joke how easy it is to become Trash beast food in there.â Semiu emphasises with her hands.
Semui rests her elbows on her desk, supporting her head with one hand, âSo we want y'all protected before you get eaten. We work with a Cleaner who handles that for us. But, heâs gotta draw on ya.â
âHe what?â Rudo blurts out. âItâs how his powers work. Itâll probably look like the tags heâs put up around HQ. Heâs always coming and going. Havenât seen him in awhile though.â Semiu explains, âWhich sucks because now we gotta drive out to go see him.â Enjin butts in with a groan.
âBut why does that suck? Where does this guy even live?â Rudo turns back to Enjin. Enjin lets out a huff, âWhere all wild things liveââ
âCanvas Town!â You exclaim with excitement. Enjin let out an amused chuckle at your behavior. âBut, before we head out. Say hi to the team for this deadly fact finding expedition.â Enjin turns to the group that just arrived. âAinât they something?â
âFrom Akuta, weâve got your buddy Zanka, the lovely Riyo, the amazing (Y/N), and of course, yours truly. From Eager, weâve got Delmon and also Tamsy. And from our supporters, we've got Gris, Follo and Tomme.â Enjin introduces.
âUsually, you want to have a team of five supporters. But since weâre going to a No Manâs Land, for safety, weâre minimising our supporters and maximising our Givers.â You add on, explaining the chosen team member. Your smile drops slightly when you spot Tamsy. Enjin takes note of that, making a mental reminder to ask you about it.
Delmon approaches Rudoâs tiny figure, looming over him. âRUDO! YOUR LIFE STORY BROKE MY HEART! TO THINK ANYONE COULD BE SO CRUEL TO ONE OF THEIR OWN! THE HELL YOUR PEOPLE PUT YOU THROUGH IS UNFORGIVABLE! IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO MEET PASSIONATE PEOPLE LIKE YOU! YOU SIR ARE EAGER MATERIAL!â
âTake a breath Delmon. Donât forget, Enjin recruited him. That automatically makes him Akuta.â Tamsy cuts him off, placing a hand on Rudoâs shoulder and pulling him close âPay him no mind. Heâs just a passionate person, like you. Heâs right though, itâs always a pleasure meeting passionate people.â
âSpeaking of passion.â You place a hand on Rudoâs other shoulder, pulling him to you instead. âLetâs let Mr. Passion do his thing.â Enjin butts in before Tamsy could say anything, letting you pull Rudo further from Tamsy, âDelmon, you're up.â Enjin points to Delmon. Zanka puts on his ear plugs and steps back.
âALRIGHT LETS GOOOOOO! ITâS TIME TO CLEAN UP!â Rudo takes a step back in surprise at Delmonâs outburst.
âLISTEN WELL COMRADES! THOUGH THE ROCKY ROAD AHEAD HIDES MANY DANGERS, DO NOT FEAR! BECAUSE WE ARE THE CLEANERS! AND CLEANERS NEVER FALUNTEEEEEEEEERRRRRRR!â
âYeah!â
âARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHâ
âAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHâ
Overwhelmed by the screaming, Rudo canât help but join in too.
âAhhâŚaghhâŚAHHHHHHHHHHHHâ
Entering the garage, everyone stares at the single jeep available. âSoâŚhow are we doing this?â Riyo questions.Â
You walk off, heading to where your bike is parked, âIâm taking my bike. No way am I squeezing with all of you.â Riyo perks up, jogging to catch up âI call dibs on riding with you!â Enjin sputters, âWhat? Wait, hold on! You canât do that!â He grabs Riyoâs collar, stopping her.
âYes I can! You got to ride with her last time! It's my turn!â Riyo fights back, pushing Enjinâs face away as he pulls her jacket to stop her. âEnjin.â You call out from your bike, making both of them pause, âSheâs right. Riyo is riding with me this time.âÂ
Enjin deflates in defeat as Riyo happily skips over to you and hops on your bike. She gives Enjin one last smug grin before turning to you as you instruct her on what to do. Enjin grumbles as she rubs salt into the wound. âEnjin, come on. Youâre driving.â Gris calls out from the jeep. Enjin drags his feet over, hopping in the driver's seat.
He checks in the side mirrors, seeing you and Riyo ready with your masks. You gesture to him to go first, indicating that youâll follow behind. He gives a thumbs up out of the window before winding it back up and turning on the ignition.Â
The ride to Canvas Town is surprisingly silent, though he guesses everyone already exhausted their energy screaming earlier. He occasionally checks the mirrors, making sure you and Riyo are close behind. He clicks his tongue as he sees you showing off another trick on your bike to Riyo. That should have been him. He drives through a tight alley, almost knocking into two people who were graffitiing on a wall.
âHey dirt bag! Watch where youâre going! Youâre messing up my lines!â
âAnd you nearly killed us!â
âMy bad!â Enjin yells out a half hearted apology, continuing his drive. They drive closer to the giant crater where the dome of Canvas Town sits. Enjin carefully drove down the slopes and to the entrance of the town. Everyone gets out of the car, someâRudoâ took the time to admire the dome that protects the town.
Vroom!
âWoo-hoo!â
You and Riyo drop down from the sky, having driven off the ledge of a slope. Your bike skids to a stop beside his jeep. âThat was amazing!â Riyo hops off first, taking off her mask. Enjin lets out a scoff, mumbling under his breath, âShow off.â
âWhat was that?â You take off your mask, looking directly at him.
âNothing!â
You kick down your stand and meet up with him. The group approaches the entrance where two men were already standing. One of the men stepped back, rubbing his head, âOw, damn. The hell was that?â The man looks up at the gaping entrance.
âUh, what are you talking about?â his partner asks him. âWellâthisâsomething weird is going on. It looks open but itâs like somethingâs blocking me.â the man explains. His partner scoffs, âYou got to be bullshitââ his partner walks into an invisible wall.Â
Looks like theyâre up to no good.Â
âSee? Thereâs something there.â They feel the invisible wall, not being able to pass through.Â
Well, it ainât our problem.Â
Enjin and the group walked through the entrance with ease. Rudo hangs back, not exactly sure what is happening. âIgnore the idiots outside. Just come on in. Unless youâve got some funny business planned that is. Otherwise, youâre golden.â Enjin calls out to Rudo.
You go back to the mouth of the gates, holding out a hand to Rudo. Rudo jogs up to the entrance, giving the men a look before passing through and grabbing your hand. The group goes deeper into Canvas Town. Your eyes sparkle with quiet awe as you glance around at all the new graffiti. Your hand, that is still interlaced with Rudoâs, lightly swings.
âWhoa, what is this?â Rudo, much like you, is taking in his surroundings with awe. âThe words youâre looking for are âso sickâ.â Riyo responds. âA lot of people on the ground are artists and need something to put their art on. Unfortunately not many appreciate art.â You give him a proper answer.
âLegend has it, Canvas Town was founded to give creative types somewhere to scratch their art itch however they wanted.â Enjin adds on. âIt gets more painted every time Iâm here. This place sure loves living up to its name.â Zanka comments. âCorvus told me once that back in the day, people used to call it âThe City of Artâ.â Riyo gives some trivia. âLooks like youâve got some paint on you, Delmon.â Tamsy points out. âHUH?â
âSo wait, are we here just to see art?â Rudo looks up at you. Enjin looks over his shoulder to address him, âNo. Weâre here to see a certain someone who makes art. The Cleanerâs artist associate. Remember?â Enjin turns back to the front, âHeâs gotta tag us up, cause weâre gonna need all the protection we can get.â
âHow does that even work?â Rudo tilts his head. Enjin groans, âUhâagh, you had to ask.â you let out a giggle, stopping in front of a graffiti wall, âMuch like how we put Anima into our Vital Instruments, the artist does the same except it's powerful enough to bring effects to life.â You put a hand on the wall, âIf he thinks hard enough, say âmake this wall indestructible.â That thought transfers to his art and makes that effect real. Get it?â
Enjin nods at your explanation, âItâs pretty much like that. Remember the gate? How was something keeping those two dipsticks out? Well thatâs because our Giver friend drew the spell, "don't let no punks who wanna start something inside the cityâ all along the outside wall, keeping out the riffraffâ he gives the most recent example.
âSuch a long spell name. You couldnât have come up with something better?â You gave him a look. He ignores it, going back to leading the group, âAnd now riff and raffâs nasty plans will never come together.â
âSounds like his power is just whatever he wants.â Rudo gathers from what he understands. Enjin tries to correct him âYeah, kinda. Thing is, itâs not his. His instrumentâs a rare breed. Itâs actually been handed downâHGM!â Something runs straight into him. A kid falls back from the force.
âWhoa, sorry. You okay?â Enjin asks them. The kid turns back to him, tears in their eyes.
âHuh?â
The kid wipes their tears and runs past them.Â
Enjin is frozen in place.
âYou know, you made the kid cry.â Riyo says. âHuhh?â Enjin splutters, still not coming to terms on what has happened. âEnjin made a kid cry!â Riyo teases him. You give him a disappointed frown. âNo! I justâshitâ he tries to defend himself. Donât look at me like that!
âI wasnât expecting you all to get here so soon.â A voice speaks up from behind Enjin. Turning around, he sees the mayor, âHe-heyyy, Mr Mayor. What a surprise.â Enjin hopes the mayor didnât see what happened earlier, that would ruin his rep.Â
Enjin clears his throat as he approaches the mayor, âThought we might find you in your house like usual. We were just about to go hit up Gob. Know where heâs hanging out today?â
âSo you haven't heard. Gobâs no longer with us. He died this morningâ
Enjin stands by the bed where a white cloth covers his body. No tears. Just a sense ofâŚloss. âWhat happened?â he asks the mayor.
âPollution poisoning. Gob was compelled to follow his inspiration wherever it led. And more than once it led him straight into a polluted zone. Iâm sure he went maskless more often than not.â The mayor explained. You stand beside Enjin, grabbing a hold of his hand. He gives it a squeeze. Iâm okay.
The mayor continues, âHeâd get so wrapped up in his art, heâd forget. I reminded him. Time and again Iâve told that fool to wear his mask.â Enjin drops to his knees to pay his respects. You do the same, letting your hand fall from his grasp to clasp them together. You close your eyes and bow your head.Â
Praying, he thinks itâs called. You told him thatâs what people from your world do when someone passes. Enjin closes his eyes and bows his head. He doesnât pray, and he wonât pretend to know how. But heâll still give his respects in the ways he does know.
âIâm sorry Enjin. This isnât how I wanted anyone to find out about him.â The mayor apologises, âItâs fine. Itâs not like there is a good way to know.â Enjin rasps out, voice heavy. âYou really shouldnât let this bother you. Itâs a rather boring cause of death here.â Enjin could hear Tamsy say behind him. Looking back, he sees Tamsy looking at Rudo who seems to also be grieving over Gob.
How could he say that? A death is still a loss of life. Even the kid has more empathy than him.
Is this why you donât like Tamsy?
Enjin stands up, offering you a hand to help you up as well. âYou should know, Gob had a successor picked out for a while.â The mayor pulls out The Pen. âItâs a small relief that his Vital Instrument will be passed on. Itâs how it works. The user chooses who will inherit it. Donât know if there is any rhyme or reason to who they choose. Maybe itâs just about skill. I like to think itâs something deeper than all that.â The mayor fiddles with The Pen.
âRegardless, once itâs been passed on, The Pen awakens the inheritor's powers as a Giver and they become the spellcaster of Canvas Town, with all the responsibilities that come with it.â The mayor looks up at the child crying across from him, the same child that bumped into Enjin âIâm sorry, I shouldâve introduced you by now. This is Remlin Tysark, the artist Gob appointed to become the next spellcaster.â
âTheyâre quite exceptional. Being chosen to inherit this pen is proof of that fact. Itâs justâIâm not sure itâs wise. The spellcaster is very much the voice of Canvas Town. It seems unfair to place such immense pressure on someone so young.â The mayor reveals his struggle. Itâs understandable, being the spellcaster is no easy job and to dump it on a kid would be stripping their future life.
âNot to mention inheriting such power. Itâs backwards. The time and care it takes to become a Giver prepares you for it. But not every Giver had that kind of preparation. Long as you have the potential, you can become a Giver. You just need to touch a Vital Instrument.â Follo explains to Rudo.Â
âGranted the instrument needs to be of high enough quality. Zanka says that aptitude plays a part when itâs still just gaining power without understanding.â Follo eyes Rudoâs gloves. âHeavy new things aside, a Vital Instrument that can be passed on isnât exactly commonâ Tamsy adds on. Follo agrees, âThatâs true.â
The mayor apologizes to Enjin again, âSorry man. I know youâre busy, but you may have to wait awhile for your spells.â Enjin turns to him, reassuring him, âYou focus on you and yours now. Weâre not in any rush.â You place a comforting hand on his shoulder, âGob deserves to be grieved properly. Take all the time you need.â
The mayor gives you and Enjin an appreciative nod, âGob meant a lot to us all, but for Remlin, they were thick as thieves. Family. Such a tragedy. And so sudden.â The mayor bites his lips, suppressing a sob. He covers his face with a hand, âGob brought us so much joy and now heâs gone. And it feels like joy is too.â
âHe loved making art, whether by request, or just for him. Iâm not an artist. I donât see the world in the way they do. Thatâs why I became the mayor of Canvas Town. To protect those who see wonder all around them.â The mayor reminisced.
âI get it. Gob would just appear at HQ and tag wherever he wanted with whatever he wanted. Then heâd dipped to go tag up something else. Always smiling like he got away with something. Think Iâll miss that the most.â Enjin does the same, remembering the free spirit of Gob.
âSpeaking of dipping, we probably shouldnât bother you any longer.â You tell the mayor. The mayor sniffles, wiping his tears, âAlright. Again, I'm sorry.â You pat his back, comforting him, âDonât be. Things happen and it's unfortunate he had to go so soon. Weâll pick things back up when youâre ready.â
Enjin turns to the kid opposite him, giving them a comforting smile, âBye Remlin. See you around.â Remlin doesn't answer but he takes no offence to that, âWeâll hang out another day. Till then.â He promises.
âŚ
âIâM DONEEEE!â Remlin shot up, surprising you, Enjin and the mayor.
Remlin snifflesâno, more like inhaling back their snotâand wiping their tears, âIâm so done. Screw this! No more crap vibes!â Remlin jumps in front of the mayor, shocking him enough to fall back. Luckily, Enjin was already behind and ready to catch the old man, lowering him gently to the ground.Â
âLetâs party.â Remlin declares with a smile. The mayor can only gape at them like a fish, not sure what to make of Remlinâs sudden mood change. Remlin easily snatches up The Pen from the mayor and bolts out of the room. Enjin and the mayor share a confused look before following after the kid.
The group followed the kid to the roof where they were placing spray paint cans in a circle. âUh, Remlin?â the mayor calls out to the kid. âI had this thought. Gob dying hurts something fierce, and everything sucks. But heâs got an afterlife to live. He canât get his freak on while weâre crying. So Iâm done.â
Remlin uncaps The Pen and stands up, pen raised high, âYaâll ready for this?âÂ
Power surges into a beautiful orange glow as The Pen transforms into a brush. Remlin draws something on the ground, activating the paint cans into fireworks.
Balls of fire shoot up into the sky, exploding into brilliant colors. âLET'S PARTY!â
You gasp up at the sky in awe, laughing along with the celebration. Enjinâs gaze follows your figure, how your body twirls and turns to admire the show from all angles. Canvas Town has got back the vibrancy it temporarily lost.
âIâm truly sorry Enjin. It looks like you still wonât be getting your spells for a while.â Enjinâs gaze is pulled away when the mayor apologises yet again. This time, it's not laced with as much sorrow as before. âI figured. I mean, this is Canvas Town. The city of freedom and joy.â
âEnjin! Look at the fucking fireworks! Theyâre so pretty, and cool andâholy shit!â You laugh as colors dance across the sky. Enjinâs gaze softens, admiring how the colors shift and change across your face, how the joy is so clear in your eyes.Â
A/N: I forgot how dialog heavy ep 8 is. This chapter is 5.2k words and I debated splitting it into two chapter but I wanted each chapter to follow an episode of the anime. Anyways, probably no second chapter this week either and this is not proof read so if you see any mistakes, feel free to comment. I wanted to quickly post this tonight because I have a full shift at work tomorrow.
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It took no time for everyone to drive back to HQ, you and Enjin being the first to arrive with your bike. You slow the bike to a stop the moment you enter the garage, quickly kicking up the stand and hopping off. You take off your masks and turn to him, âI need to go set up the trauma bay for Gris when they get here.â You head to the elevator.
Enjin nods, hopping off the bike and taking off his masks, âOf course. You go do your thing. Iâll write up the report for Semiu.â Enjin grabs Umbreaker from the storage box before jogging to catch up to you.Â
You cross your arms, leaning against the wall, âAlso, could you look out for Rudo when he gets here? He seemed to be blaming himself for what happened to Gris.â Enjin gives a teasing grin, âGee, I wonder where he got that from.â You give him a scowl, muttering under your breath, â...Shut up.â
âSeriously though.â His grin drops, â Youâre still not blaming yourself for what happened right?â You go quiet at that, averting your gaze to the ground. Enjin lets out a sigh. Yeah, he thought so. âI was the one that suggested Zanka in the first place. And so what? The raiders were a bit tougher than we thought, no biggie.â He shrugs.
You snap back to him, âNo biggie? Enjinââ He cuts you off before you could spiral, âZanka got stronger from fighting them. And I hear that Rudo managed to get his Vital Instrument to work properly from that fight. But most importantlyâŚâ He meets your gaze, âEveryone is alive.âÂ
You frown, âBut stillâŚâ Enjin rests a hand on your shoulder, âSure, things could have gone sideways. But it didnât. So we take that chance and learn and we don't let it happen again.â You close your eyes and let out a breath, bringing a hand over the one on your shoulder.Â
You give his hand a squeeze before letting go as the elevator comes to a stop, âThanks. For, you know⌠not leaving me.â As if he could ever. Enjin shoots you a grin, âYouâre my partner, where you go, I go.â
You head your separate ways, you to the infirmary and Enjin to the reception. Enjin gives Semiu a wave as he approaches her desk, âYo, Semiu.â He greets her before propping himself on her desk. Semiu lets out a sigh at his behaviour but doesnât look away from her computer, âI got the report from Zanka on his mission. And Iâm glad everyoneâs alive, but what about you? What happened on your mission?â
Enjin looks around, making sure the coast is clear before leaning down to her level. His voice is lowered, knowing that this canât get out to the rest of the cleaners, âBuckle up, cause Iâm about to sound batshit crazy.â
Semiu takes off her glasses, pinching the bridge of her nose, âYou werenât kidding. Are you sure this is right?â Enjin explained everything that happened with the demon. The only thing he left out was your talk after. You trusted him with your past, so it stays between you and him.
Enjin lets out a huff, âOf course Iâm right! I was right there.â he hops off her desk, dusting off his coat, âAnyways, Iâll write up a proper report on it later. But you know this canât go with the others right?â He looks over his shoulder. Semiu is just as serious as he is, âOf course. Who do you think I am?â
Semiu rests her elbow on her desk, using her palm to prop her head up, âThough I am concerned. First Rudo, now (Y/N). Things are getting weird around here. And I donât like it.â Enjin frowns. Sheâs right, things have been getting weirder since Rudo came to the Ground. But regardless, âWeâll deal with it when the time comes. Just like we always do.â
Enjin makes his way out of the reception area. The rest should be back by now and he has to find Rudo. He did say heâll look out for him. Enjin wanders around HQ to find Rudo. His room, the mass hall, the common room. Looking out a window to the courtyard is where he sees the mop of white and black hair.
Enjin heads down, seeing Rudo already moping on a bench. He rests Umbreaker by the bench before taking a seat beside him. He rests his arms on the back rest and crosses his legs, âDamn, your sulking gameâs top tier. Iâm jealous.â No answer.
âOh, I heard you figured out how to use your instrument so congrats on the breakthrough. Those ainât easy. Iâm betting the old boss manââ
âShut up!â Rudo snaps, âStop trying to cheer me up okay? They got Gris because of me. All I could do was watch it happen just like with my dad.â Ah, so thatâs where itâs coming from. Rudo continues, âThought itâd be better hereâIâd be better. But I thought that Iâd changed, and I was moving forward, but I canât stop screwing it all up. Is this just how it's gonna be till the day I die?â
âDamn it!â Rudo curses. Enjin turns to Rudo, facing him better, âGris isnât your baggage, okay? He made his own choices knowing all the risks. He didnât protect you because of anything you did or didnât do. He did it because like you, he cares about objects and people equally.â Enjin stands up from the bench, grabbing Umbreaker.
I mean, the kid clearly needed the pep talk.
Still, messing with the kid a little wouldn't hurt.
âLet's go pay our respects. You coming or what?â He glanced back at Rudo for a moment. He continues his way to the infirmary once he hears Rudoâs footsteps jogging up behind him.
Enjin holds the door, letting Rudo into the infirmary first. You were standing by a bed with your back to them. You look back over your shoulder at the noise of the door, âOh, thatâs fast.â You fully turn around with a clipboard, revealing Gris already sitting up. Looks like heâs awake.
Rudo sputters at the sight. Gris smiles, âThereâs the man who's just awakened his power. Good on ya.â He gives Rudo a thumbs up, âGlad to see you bounce back.â Rudo gasps in disbelief, rubbing his eyes to see if itâs real.
âI thoughtâyou died.â Rudo sputtered. Tomme raises a hand, patting Rudoâs hair affectionately. Enjin snickered, doing the same, âThatâs cute, you were down in the dumps because you thought Gris died saving you from freaky dreadlocks man. You precious little softie you.â
Rudo growls in embarrassment. âDonât count me out so quickly man. Iâm not kneeling over just yet.â Gris comments. Rudo finally had enough, pushing away the hands patting him and pointing at Gris, âCome on! Can you blame me? You took a claw to the chest, thatâs not something people usually walk away from!â
âOuch.â Enjin clutches the back of his head as he feels the smack from your clipboard. He turns to you who has a hand on your hip while waving the clipboard, âWhich also begs the question of why Rudo still thought Gris died. Weâve got a superb medical team after all.â Enjin lets out a nervous chuckle. Busted.
Gris nods, turning to you and Eishia, âThough most of the credit from my recovery goes to theseâŚâ Gris trails off when he sees you subtly pointing at Eishia. He lets out an amused huff, fully turning to Eishia, âThis incredible little lady.â Gris corrects himself.
You walk around the bed to stand by Eishiaâs side. You gesture to her with a hand, âThis is Eishia Stilza, our only Giver with healing powers.â Eishia bows her head bashfully, âItâs really not that big a deal. Iâm usually just around not doing anything. Except for today.â She says quietly.
âSheâs also about as shy as Zanka is fussy.â Enjin explains after seeing Rudoâs dead look. âEishiaâ Gris calls out to her, âI wouldnât even be here right now if it werenât for you. Thatâs something to be proud of.â You give her a thumbs up, quietly supporting her.
âFollo, chin up. Come on, donât sulk in the corner, youâre part of this too. If you hadn't gotten me stable and clear of the fight, I wouldnât have made it home.â Gris calls out to the supporter. âButââ You cut Follo off, âYou did well. You acted calmly and swiftly, buying us critical time for Eishia to do her work.â
Gris nods, âDonât beat yourself up because youâre not a Giver yet. Itâll happen, just takes time.â Follo sniffles before launching himself on the bed, sobbing into the covers, âStop being so nice!â Gris turns back to Rudo, âAnd thank you. You were truly incredible out there. That raider was a nasty piece of work but you and Zanka kept him in check. Now thatâs teamwork.â
âAnd please, donât worry about the talisman. Iâm just happy something I cared for was useful to someone else. Thatâs what gives something worth in my eyes.â Gris reassures Rudo. Rudo frowns, but eventually accepts what happened, âYeah, make sense. And Gris, Iâm really glad you didnât get killed.â
âOn that note, I think itâs safe to assume that this wonât be the last fight the raiders pick with us.â Enjin speaks up, changing the topic. âAnd that changes things. Weâll probably scrap with more than Trash beasts in the future. On the bright side, weâve learned ourselves something new.â Enjin gives Rudo a grin.
âOne of the raiders mentioned âcrossing the border.â That phrase alone all but confirmed theyâve been doing research into the sphere.â A deep voice comes from behind him. Turning around, Enjin confirms the owner of the voice. âEnjin?â Rudo asks, confused. âHey Boss.â Enjin greets.
Rudo turns around alarmed, staring at the boss with awe. âIt is a pleasure to finally meet you Rudo. Sorry I was absent when you first got to HQ.â Arkha approaches Rudo, towering over him. âAh, where are my manners? My nameâs Arkha Corvus, and I lead the Cleaners. Heard you wanted to see me.â He leans back, giving Rudo space.
âWha? Oh! Yes I did Sir.â Rudo answered surprisingly respectfully. âWell, as it happens, I wanted to see you too. Iâve been told you plan to leave as soon as you got what you wanted from us. Iâm afraid thatâs reason enough to let you go.â Arkha closes his eyes.
âHowever, in your short time here, youâve seen the good in our mission and my people. Youâve even risked your life for them. Just like someone else we know.â He shoots you a look. âAnd to be a hundred percent clear, you have access to a power that can contribute immensely to our cause. So welcome to our band of weirdos.â
âI, Arkha Corvus, officially accept you as our newest Cleaner.â Arkha turns around, âCome with me to my office. Iâve got new clothes and info to give you.â He begins walking out of the room. Rudo turns back to Enjin, then to you, flicking between you and him. You and Enjin give him a nod, encouraging the boy.
Rudo jogs to catch up with the Arkha, following him to his office. You walk up to Enjin, watching Rudo disappear down the hall before letting out a quiet breath, âWell that settles that. Letâs check with Semiu. The Boss probably already gave her our next mission.â Enjin nods, wrapping an arm around your shoulders, âSure, lets. By the wayâŚâ
Enjin leans in close to whisper in your ear, âGood job today fixing Gris up. You deserve some praise too.âÂ
You lean back with a shiver, covering your ear, âDonât do that.â Enjin backs up with a grin, noticing the heat creeping up your neck. Itâs not often he gets you flustered.
You quickly get your next mission from Semiu, find the woman who lives out in No Manâs Land to learn more about the border. Sounds simple enough. Afterwards, you head to the Bossâs office to pick up Rudo. âI wonder how creative August got with his uniform.â You hum. âIâm sure he made him look badass.â Enjin knocks on the door twice before opening it.
âMy man! Knew youâd wear the ever loving hell out of your cleanerâs uniform. You look ready to take on the world.â Enjin praises, digging Rudoâs new look. âIt suits you.â You approach Rudo, adjusting the hood to sit symmetrically.
âŚ
It didnât take long before Rudo was storming out of HQ, dragging Follo along who was trying to hold him back, âJust calm the hell down! Youâll go see the woman in No Manâs Land but itâs not gonna be today!â Follo plants his feet down but it does little to stop the boyâs march.
âDamn! Youâre strong!â Follo complains. Enjin was steadily following behind them, waiting for either Rudo to come to his senses or tire out.
âScrew waiting! If she can help me get back to the Sphere then, Iâm not just gonna sit on my ass!â Rudo grunts with each step. Thenâ
Swish!
Thunk!
A small pebble came flying past him, hitting Rudo square in the head, causing him to flinch. All the boys looked back to see you strolling up to them, âCalm down, Rudo. If it was that easy, why do you think Iâm still here?â You stop by Enjinâs side.
Enjin backs you up, âSheâs right. Besides this isnât something you can run into half-cocked and expect good things to happen. Your destination is the center of No Manâs Land. Remember what that's like?âÂ
You raise a hand, listing off with your fingers, âDo you know how to get there? Do you have enough food or water? Do you even have the proper equipment? You donât even know what you can do. Youâre just gonna get yourself killed.â
Rudo looks back confused, âWhat do you mean âknow what I can do "?" Enjin explains to him, âYouâve found your powerâs on off switchâwhich is awesomeâbut beyond that, you know diddly squat about it. And if youâre ignorant of your strengths, limits and whatnot, so is your team.âÂ
Rudo stands up straight, letting Follo slide to the ground. He turns back to face you and Enjin, âHold up, are you saying that youâre gonna come with me?â You walk up to Rudo, ruffling his hair, âOf course we are.â Enjin turns around, adding to your comment, âWe gotta. Soloing in No Manâs Land is suicide.â
âBesides, a Cleanerâs job is just as much about researching Trash beasts and where they pop up as it is about taking them out.â Enjin continues âThereâs a lot we can learn from going into a No Manâs Land. But weâve gotta be smart about it on top of watching out for raiders.âÂ
Rudo perks up, âOh thatâs right. Hey, why is it that raiders like that masochist guy can become Givers like us?â You chimed in, âAnyone can be a Giver. It doesnât matter if youâre good or bad. Not like thereâs really such a thing anyways.âÂ
Enjin nods, adding on, âPlenty of seemingly good people treat their objects like shit. And plenty of seemingly bad people treat them as precious. Morality is irrelevant. Itâs what you give to something that makes a Giver.â he begins to walk back to HQ, âNow, thatâs not gonna win you a lot of peopleâs respect of course. Itâs gonna make them call you "Co-dependentâ and other delightful wordsâ
He hears you following him behind. You hum âNot like you can blame them. Obsession, especially over an object, is just weird.â Enjin turns to you, âYeah, so Iâd imagine we look pretty weird to most folks.â he lets out a chuckle.Â
âNot for nothing, but I suggest a chill day. Gotta catch our breaths between the non stop action.â Enjin suggests, holding the doors to HQ open for you. âYou just want to slack off.â You comment, giving him a knowing look as you pass him. He pouts at that, âAw, come on. We deserve a break.â The door closes behind them, leaving the two boys behind them.
You and Enjin head to the common room. Bro, already lounging on the couch, turns towards the door and greets you and Enjin with a wave, âHey, (Y/N), Enjin.â You and Enjin sit on the opposite couch, greeting him as well. Bro takes out a deck of cards, waving the box, âYou guys up for a game?â
You pick at the sweets platter, taking a bite out of a cookie, âAre we placing bets on this?â Enjin immediately shakes his head, âNo! The last time we played with money you nearly milked me dry!â You click your tongue, âTch, stingy.â Bro lets out a laugh before shuffling and dealing the cards, âLetâs do Old Maid then. No money involved.â
You three played a few games, tossing pairs, passing jokers. âGame.â You toss down your last pair, clearing your hand while both Enjin and Bro still have a good handful of cards. âI swear, youâre cheating. I just donât know how.â Enjin narrows his eyes at you. You give him a smirk, âNo one likes a sore loser.â
Then, something tugs at your jacket. Looking down, you see Dear sucking on his pacifier. He points over to the kids table where some paper and crayon lay scattered around. You look at the table then back at Dear with a smile, âYou want me to draw with you?â Dear nods. He lets go of your jacket and goes back to the kids table.
âLooks like Iâm wanted elsewhere boys.â You stand up, joining Dear by the table. Since the stool was too small for you, you settled with sitting on the ground as you doodled with Dear. Enjin watches you for a moment. How your eyes narrow with focus on a simple doodle. How you immediately break that focus when Dear asks you to draw something for him.
âEnjin.â
âEnjin!â Enjin snaps back to Bro who is holding his cards out. Right, itâs his turn. Enjin hastily picks out a card.
Damn, it was the joker.
After a few rounds, barely making a dent in their hands, Riyo and Rudo entered the common room. Rudo kneels in front of the sweets tray, gawking at it. âThe Cleaners sometimes buy from this group called the Vianders. And sometimes they hook us up with the good stuff.â Riyo explains to him.
âHey brat. Come to get your sugar on?â Enjin asks. Riyo turns to him, âYup. Says heâs never had sweets.â He picks at his cards, organizing them, âNot sure how it is in the Sphere, but down here desserts are vice of choice for most everyone.â He tosses down a pair. âSo, moderation and all that crap.â
âAll this rich people's food, just out for anybody to take!â Rudo restraints himself from grabbing everything at once. âPollution makes it hard to grow anything down here. Folks do what they canâwhich isnât that muchâbut our friends, the Vianders, have been collecting Givers who specialise in cooking.â Enjin explains.
He leans back with an arm slung over the couch, âNow thanks to them, the Groundâs probably got more tasty treats floating around than you guys floating up there.â Riyo slides beside him on the table, âHelp yourself.â She beckons the boy. Rudo nervously picks up a pink macaroon, hesitating for a second before taking a bite.
âAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHâ
Rudo begins greedily gobbling up the rest of the treats, âThe hell is this? Itâs like heaven in my mouth!â Riyo smiles at the monster sheâs created, âThis is exactly how I was hoping itâd go.â Enjin scoffs, "Addiction much?â but Rudo only continues to stuff his face with more treats.Â
âEase up man. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.â Enjin scolds when he realises Rudo is not stopping anytime soon. Enjinâs attention shifts to the footsteps that approach Rudo.Â
Dear looms over Rudoâs kneeling figure silently.
Staring.
Judging.
You go back to your spot beside Enjin, wanting to see how it plays out.
Rudo looks at Dear, then to the sweets tray. He looks down at the lollipop in his hand before reluctantly offering it to Dear, âHere. Take it.â His hand trembles, not wanting to part from the sweet.
Dear snatches the lollipop out of his hand, plucks out his pacifier, and bites down.
Dear offers Rudo a hand with a smug huff.
âThe hell is this spoiled bratâs problem?â Rudo points to Dear, looking at you and Enjin expectantly. âYou need to calm down.â Enjin deadpans. âDear!â Bro grabs a hold of Dearâs collar, pulling him down to the couch beside him, âSo sorry.â Bro apologies.Â
You wave a hand dismissing his apology, âNah, itâs no big deal.â You get up from your seat and round to Rudoâs side. You ruffle his hair, âBesides, Rudo should be the one apologizing. Youâre hogging all the sweets and calling people names for wanting some as well.â Rudo looks down embarrassed, muttering his own apology.
You shoot him a proud smile before turning back to Bro. Bro nods, accepting Rudoâs apology. He stands from his seat, dragging Dear with him, âWell, we should get going soon. We have a mission to complete.â You nod, waving goodbye to him and Dear, âBe safe out there.â Bro gives an appreciative smile as Dear waves back.
Everyone says their goodbyes to Bro and Dear, only leaving Team Akuta in the common room. Enjin turns to you âOh, right. We have that thing to prepare for that thing.â You tilt your head, âThat thing?â Enjin subtly points to Rudo who has gone back to chowing down on the sweets, âYou know. âThatâ thing.â
You light up with realisation, âOhhh,â before glaring at him, âWhy couldnât you just say it clearly?â Riyo looks between you and Enjin, âWhat thing? Can I join?â Enjin lets out a huff, standing up from his seat, âSure, lets go.âÂ
You give Rudo one last head pat and a warning before following him, âDonât eat all the sweets.â You, Enjin and Riyo exit the common room, leaving the boy to eat to his heartâs content. âYou got a lot to make up for after what you did to Rudo, young lady.â Enjin lightly scolds the girl as he leads the way down the halls.Â
âOkay, I didn't expect that it'd go down like that. Besides, I think itâs good that heâs found something he likes.â Riyo defends herself. âYeah, but couldnât you have picked something besides sweets? Rudoâs gonna get diabetes before he makes it back to the Sphere.â You let out a sigh, dreading the future of Rudoâs health.
Riyo turns to you, âRight, youâre from the Sphere too right? How come you didnât act like Rudo after eating sweets?â She asks curiously.Â
Because youâve had them before.
Back in your world.
Is the correct answer if Riyo knew.
You mused, âWell I guess itâs because I prefer bigger sweets. Like pie or cake.â Enjin snickers, âDonât let that fool you. She cried when she first had a hamburger.â You smack his arms as his snicker turns to a full cackle, âI did not!â
âDid too!â
âDid not!â
Enjin wraps an arm over your shoulder, pulling you in, âAw, it's okay to cry over a burger. It was probably the first good food you had in what? Years?â You grumble but donât argue back knowing heâs right to some extent.
Eventually, Team Akuta gathers around the courtyard. Enjin on the bench with you leaning on his side with Riyo leaning on your side. Zanka and Rudo are in the middle with Rudo straining himself to activate his power on a knife.
âHuh? Need me to bleed out?â Zanka asks sarcastically. âOhoho, this is hilarious! My man got so high on sweets heâs having performance issues! Pfftââ Enjin laughs. You slap Enjinâs thigh, âDonât be mean.â You reprimand but that doesn't stop the giggles.
âThough we were here to gauge your powers today, not the long term effects of an all sugar diet. Glad youâve got a neck again though.â Riyo teases Rudo, leading Enjin to let out a full burst of laughter. âNot you too.â You groan, raking a hand through your hair, âItâs okay Rudo. This is what training is for.â
Rudo stares down the knife in his hand as the laughter subsides. Eventually Zanka lets out a sigh, knocking the floor with his stuff once. âYouâve got a thing about fixing up stuff other people have thrown out, right?â He raises a hand to his chin, âWho we are as people help define our Giver powers.â
âSo then, you fix things. But you canât fix something that isnât broken.â Zanka concludes. You nod, proud that Zanka came to the same analysis as you and Enjin. You pull out a bag of trash, dumping it down in the middle of the courtyard. Enjin and Riyo join you, standing behind Rudo.
âGrab whatever speaks to you and try again.â Zanka instructs. Rudo crouches down and digs through his options. It didn't take long for him to pick a battered triangle. Rudo holds it out and injects Anima into the object, turning it into a sharp weapon.
Everyone gasps in surprise. âItâŚworked.â Rudo seemed surprised himself. âGive it up for Zanka and his keen insight. Excellent job. Couldnât have done it better.â Enjin praises. Zanka smiles at the praise but quickly regains his composure. âWe mediocre folks gotta think about this stuff more than natural talents. Itâs why our brains are so much more developed.â
âThanks Zanka.â Rudo thanks him but Zanka groans in response, âShut up before you give me a reason to slap you.â You, Enjin and Riyo exchange knowing grins. âNow make another one. Donât just stare at them man. Get to it.â Zanka orders.
Rudo crouches down again and picks a new object.
A teapot. âThat answers that.â
A doll. âCome on seriously!â
âOhhâŚâ Enjin scratches the back of his head, slowly collating the extent of Rudoâs power. Zanka begins to complain, âSuch a cheater how comeââ
Spat!
Rudo falls back from the intense force of his nosebleed. You crouch beside Rudo, holding a napkin to his nose to stop the bleeding. Enjin crouches on the other side of him to examine him, âAnd thar he blows.â Riyo follows him, crouching down as well.
âThought so. He uses his instrument one too many times and he starts gushing.â Enjin explains. âThat sucks.â Riyo comments. âThe quality of those gloves has gotta be insane to do that to his body.â Enjin notes. Rudo sits up with a groan with your help, âThe what?âÂ
Enjin holds up Umbreaker to demonstrate, âAs weâve explained time and TLC are what make a Vital Instrument. The more you give, the more seasoning.â He points Umbreaker to Rudo and opens it, resting it on his shoulder. âAnd the more seasoning, the better. Thatâs called improving its quality.â
You nod, âHigher quality generally means more power. But itâs not the only factor for strength. A Giverâs experiences, personality, outlook and such, all help determine the abilities of a Vital Instrument.â You adjust the napkin as Rudo tries to get up on his feet. But he stops, just staring at the trash turned weapons.
âHey, why is it that whatever I make into a weapon gets destroyed? And why did the ones I just made seem like theyâre fine? I can even switch between them and theyâre all staying in one piece. Is there a time limit on what I make?â Rudo begins to spiral. Heâs probably recalling back to when he destroyed Grisâs talisman.
Riyo stands up straight, getting Rudoâs attention, âI donât think itâs that dark.â She crosses her arms, âIt might just be because theyâre done. Purpose fulfilled. Your power, itâs about second chances.â She begins to explain. âYou take the stuff people have tossed aside and you bring out its full and unbridled worth right?âÂ
âSo when you recycle stuff, you give it a chance to finally fulfill its true purpose. Which is very rad.â Riyo compliments. âIts purposeâŚI think youâre right. Grisâs talisman only fell apart once Rudo felt like he was safe.â Zanka agrees. You and Enjin share a smile, the children are learning.
âIt would appear weâve discovered a very important part about your power, Rudo.â Enjin stands up, closing Umbreaker before offering you a hand. You dab off the last bit of blood from Rudoâs nose before accepting his hand, letting him pull you up. âRecyling. You see the abandoned potential of broken things and manifest it. Once theyâre fulfilled, you lay them to rest.â Enjin summerised. âSoundâs about right. Good eye Riyo.â You give her a pat on the back.
âTurns out you didnât break Grisâs talisman. Or anything else youâve transformed for that matter. You let objects discarded too soon, go out in a blaze of gloryâ Enjin nods, satisfied with his words. Rudo stares at his glove, absorbing the meaning behind Enjinâs words.
âHereâs what I wanna know, whatâs this series crap? Purple guy said something about it before he dipped. That mean anything to you?â Riyo questions Rudo, her hands now on her hips. âHm? No, not really. I guess that means there are more instruments like them out there. But why?â Rudo wonders.
âHave you even named them yet?â Riyo asks. Rudo looks up confused, âUh, my gloves?â Riyo confirms, âYeah. When you love something, you name it. Makes more than just a thing.â Rudo holds his gloves closer, bewildered âI canât believe Iâve never thought about that.â Enjin lets out a huff, âWell I donât think youâre gonna find a name by gawking at them.â
You raise a hand, âWell, to be fair, Iâve never thought about it either.â
âŚ
âHUHHHHHH?â
âYou didnât name your Vital Instruments?â Zanka exclaims. Enjin is puzzled, âAren't Colt and Angle the names?â You pull out both weapons, transforming them, âNo, thatâs the type of the weapon. The Colt is a type of gun just like the Angel Blade is a type of dagger. Itâs like calling Riyoâs Ripper âgiant scissorsâ instead.â You explain to them.
âThen, do you have a name for them?â Riyo asks. You hum, thinking through your options.
âSam.â You hold up the Angel Blade.
âDean.â You hold up the Colt.
Enjinâs gaze linger on the weapons. Your name isnât etched on them. Weird.
Then again, neither Tamsyâs nor that freak Jabberâs had names on them either. Maybe youâre just stronger than you let on. Or maybe itâs something to do with the fact that youâre from another world.
You transform your weapons back, sheathing and holstering them away. Riyo hums, âWhy those names?âÂ
You give her a smile, âI donât know. I think it suits them.â
Enjin recalls back to your talk. Sam and Dean Winchester. Your brothers and arguably the two most important people from your world. Now you hold them close as your treasures, something to remember them by.Â
Enjin slings an arm over your shoulders, guiding you back to HQ, âI think those are fine names.â he turns back to look at Rudo, âMarinate on some ideas a little. Thereâs no rush to name your gloves.â He gives the children a wave as he brings you further away from them.
âNow, why is Sam the knife and Dean the gun? Why not the other way round?â Enjin asks.Â
âDeanâs the loud one and Samâs the demon dagger becauseâŚwell, it's a long story.
âZankaâs team was ambushed by raiders. They need help now!â
You move fast, shoving everything back into the storage box. You clip on your full mask and hop on your bike. Enjin follows immediately, locking Umbreaker away before pulling on his full mask.
He hops onto the bike behind you, arms locking around your waist, without hesitation this time. You canât afford it.Â
You kick the stand and speed off. Enjin tightens his grip, youâre going way faster than before. âIâve already sent the medics along with Riyo, Delmon and Tamsy for back up.â You could vaguely hear the crackle of Semiuâs voice over the loud rev of the engine. âCopy, weâll rendezvous with them there.â You respond before the line cuts.
You push the gas harder, going faster. This wasnât the controlled speeding from earlier. This was raw urgency. âSlow down! We wonât be any use to them if we crash!â Enjin calls out after the bike slams down from another hill jump.
âI called it! It was a trap yet I still let Zanka go!â You yelled back. Enjin frowns at that. He rests his head on your shoulder, making sure his words are heard loud and clear, âItâs WE! WE made the decision to let Zanka handle that mission. Donât go taking all the blame now!â You stay quiet. He hopes that got through to you.
You quickly rode into the dilapidated town, skidding to a stop just beside Riyo. You kick the stand down and pull off your full mask, âWhatâs the SitRep?â you ask Riyo as you get off the bike. Enjin follows suit, taking off his own mask and facing the other Givers.Â
âWe know theyâre around here somewhere but there are too many buildings. Tomme and the others are still coming back from the nearby town.â Riyo replies. Enjin nods, âThen we just take out the buildings. Level this whole town if we have to. Our main priority is to find Zanka and his team.â he orders, getting nods from all the other Givers.
So the destruction begins. One by one, each building was sliced, smashed, squeezed and blasted into oblivion. âHey! I got something over here!â Enjin could hear your voice call out in the distance. Everyone quickly regrouped, surrounding the massive hole in the ground you found.
Riyo perched herself on a fallen pillar, foot hooked into one of the ring handles of The Ripper. Everyone else stood behind Enjin while you walked up to his side, âThink theyâre down there?â You ask him.
Your question was answered as a figure jumps out of the hole, âWhatâs up? We were in a building just a second ago.â A boy in purple, mumbled under his breath. He was holding a personâRudoâover his shoulders. The boy turns to Riyo who points a finger gun at him, âFound you.â
Enjin takes the chance, stabbing the tip of his umbrella into the boyâs abdomen. The boy drops Rudo as heâs flung back into a wall. You quickly catch him before he hits the ground, âRudo? You okay?â you pat him down, searching for injuries.Â
Enjin focuses on the raider. âMe oh me oh my. You guys made a real messâ He rests his umbrella over his shoulder, âLooks like you could use a serious cleaning." He spots you from the corner of his eye, dragging Rudoâs limp body further behind them before you start patching him up.
Enjin eyes the giant hold in the ground, âSo your plan was to lure our people into some random sub basement. One you at least knew was deep enough to cut off their choker comms.â He seethes, âThen you wait, spring your trap and ambush them while they canât call for back up. Thatâs just as cliche as it gets, man.â
âThankfully Tomme and the others found a phone in the town nearby. Otherwise you wouldâve missed out on my ugly mugâ Enjin glares at the raider. âEnjin wait, he clearly didnât take Rudo without a fight. It might be too late for Gris and the others.â Tomme bows her head in fear.
Enjin rests a hand on her shoulder, âNo way in hell. Those guys wonât break so easily. Though, they probably need help, so you best get on that.â Enjin reassures her. Tomme meets his gaze giving him a determined nod.
âYooooâ The raider lets out a shaky breath, âYaâll look like you could really mess me upâ Enjin gives a final nod to Tomme. The medics and supporters rush into the basement immediately, leaving only the Givers behind.
The raider, although beaten up and bloody, was still grinning for some reasonâ
Is he another demon?
Enjin raises his guard higher now. He already had a taste first hand how dangerous demons are. Your supplies are back in the storage box, he wouldnât be able to take a demon down without them.
âHere I am, barely standing, vulnerable. And yall looking at me like something you flushed down the toilet.â The raider shakily sits up. Enjin braces for his next move.
âCarefull now, I can only get so erect!â
âŚ
Maybe this guy is just a freak.Â
A collective groan of disgust rippled through the group, âDude, is this what youâve been dealing with this whole time? I can see why youâre just lying there.â Enjin turns to Rudo who is now twitching.
âHey man, youâre looking better than I expected. Good on ya.â Riyo approaches you and Rudo with the Ripper on her shoulders. âThe hell he is. The poor kid can barely even breathe right now.â Tamsy comments. âThat ratty bum rag! He hurt a member of our team. And that, is unforgivable.â Delmon growls. âIT'S UNFORGIVABLE!â
âWould you please shut your mouth!â Tamsy snaps at Delmon. You let out a sigh but stay focused on wrapping the bandage around Rudoâs waist. âThe point is, weâve got some questions that youâre gonna answerâ Enjin points Umbreaker at the raider.
âBut first off, you really think you could mess with the cleaners and just run back to whatever dank hole you came from?â Enjin scowled.Â
âOh donât stop! Now tell me how youâre gonna lock me up forever while I start cooking up some wild jail break ideas thatâll satisfy my itches.â The raider stood up, wobbling slightly, âSadly that's as far as itâll go. Iâve got orders to follow. And they were very explicit about bringing Rudo back with me.â
âBut for real, I just wanna piss yaâll off by high-tailing it.â He raises a hand
âBut even with me knocking on deathâs door, that ainât happening.â His hands glow purple as he activates his Vital Instrument.Â
âCause I canât go back until I do what I was told! MAN THIS SUCKS SO HARD!â The glow disappears, turning his hands into claws.
Thenâ
Hands wrap around his waist, stopping him. The raider seemed surprised as well, âYou littleââ he was about to curse before his partner cut him off, âJabber, letâs go. Timeâs up.â His partner pulls him back. Jabber retorts, âLet go of me Cthoni! I ainât done yet! I just said I canât leave without Rudo!â
âNo. Itâs over. Besides, the goon squadâs in the way. So weâre leaving.â Cthoni insists. Enjin lowers Umbreaker at that.
What the hell. Whatâd she pop out of?
Enjin thought, not having seen or sensed her at all. Jabber snaps at her, âNo! Iâm not! The gameâs not over! I ainât about to leave right when itâs getting good! So you best back off and leave me be-â
âJabber, when I headed out, the boss was smiling.â The boy became eerily quiet. Cthoni began to twitchâNo, strain. She was trying to hold him back. Were they about to fight?
âWell, would you look at that? It got super late all of a sudden.â Jabber gives a maniacal grin. Creepy as hell, but they actually seemed to be retreating. âIâd hate to cut and run, but I gotta scurry home. You understand. Sowwy.â He mocks, stepping aside to reveal⌠a manhole?
The hole was swirling with blue and yellow, almost like a portal. So that's where she came from. âHold up, is that a manhole?â Riyo seems to realise as well. âYo Rudo, you got some pretty good game for a worn out, foul mouth, butt hurt, ratchety shortstack Sphereite.â Oh damn.Â
âOh wait, my boyâs probably gonna keep him in lala land for a minute. You can just tell him I said bye when he gets up.â Jabber waves before turning to leave. âWhere do you think youâre going? Asshole?â Rudo grunts as he tries to get up.Â
You steady him carefully, making sure not to disturb the bandage. âThis isnâtâUghâThis isnât over.â Rudo winces. âHey, donât push it.â you scold him, adjusting your grip so Rudo is able to see Jabber instead of the floor.Â
âOh. Youâre still awake after that jab I snuck past you my guy?â Jabber turns back surprised. âIâm gonna make you pay. Iâm gonna make what you did to Gris look like a papercut. Until I do, this isnât over!â Rudo threatens
âThe hell you are! You canât even look at him without my help!â You fumed. Jabber just laughs, âI love that fight in you, you know that? But you better listen to yo mama. Maybe next timeâŚâ He trails off, his eyes trailing to RudoâŚâs Glove? He exclaims, âYouâve got an object from that series too?â
Series?
âWho wouldâve thunk? Thatâs straight up crazy! Oh man, the boss is gonna be so happy when I tell him.â Jabber approaches the manhole portal Cthoni already went through. âI really gotta head out now. Next time. Next time Iâm gonna come better prepared to leave you in tow.â He steps into the portal, letting it swallow him.Â
âBe sure to take good care of those things till then. Canât wait to play~â He fully sinks into the portal and the manhole cover floats to cover it. The cover distorts and swirls before disappearing. âOkayâŚâ Riyo says slowly.Â
Same girl, same.Â
âHey! Over here!â Enjin hears Tomme call out. Turning around, he can see the group of medics and supporters exiting a stairwell. âZanka!â You shot up but paused. Your gaze drifts between Zanka and Rudo.Â
Enjin rests a hand on your shoulder, âGo. Iâve got Rudo.â You hold his gaze for a moment. You can trust him. He hopes. You nod, passing Rudoâs limp body to him before running over to Zanka. He watches as you immediately sling Zankaâs arm over your shoulder, taking over the exhausted supporter beside him.
Enjin smiles at the sight for a moment before slinging Rudo over his shoulder, causing the boy to let out a wheeze, âCome on, letâs get you checked out.â Enjin meets up with the other medics, discussing with them their next course of action.
Gris was in critical shape and needed immediate attention. Until Eishia stabilizes his condition, they are not moving anytime soon. You rest Zanka against a wall, letting him slowly slide down to sit on the ground. Enjin comes up beside you with Rudo, plopping him beside Zanka.Â
âDonât just drop Rudo!â you chastise Enjin who only shoots you a careless grin. You turn back towards the boys, âLooks like that raider gave you two a simple paralytic. Just wait out the effects and you should be fine.âÂ
You crouch down beside the boys, rummaging through your bag, âIâll be taking blood samples though. Just in case thereâs something else.â You pull out a med kit from your bag, grabbing a needle. The boys obediently extended their arms.Â
Well, more like awkwardly nudging their arm forward. They tried their best with the paralytic still in their veins. Seeing as youâve got the boys covered, Enjin takes a look around, âIâll set up a parameter. Make sure those raiders donât come back.â You only give him a nod, more focused on drawing blood from Zanka.
Enjin takes first watch. Then Riyo. Then Delmon. By the time itâs Tamsyâs turn, Rudo has full function of his body again. âGris, Gris!â Rudo manages to make his way over to the stretcher Gris is on.
You and Eishia managed to stop the bleeding, but Gris had still lost a dangerous amount of blood. The large gash on his side is gonna take a while to fully heal. Rudo kneels besides Gris, âSorry, I was gonna give your talisman back. But I wrecked it.âÂ
âRu-do. Iâve put lots of care into it.â Gris wheezed. âBut if it helped. Even in the smallest way, good. Then it was all worth it.â He gives Rudo a weak smile. âYou did good today, Rudo.â Gris praises before falling unconscious again. You press two fingers to the side of his neck before nodding to the medics, âLetâs get him back to HQ.â
Everyone heads back to their respective jeeps. You and Enjin returned to your bike, being the last few to leave. âYou think Gris is gonna pull through?â Enjin asks as he pulls on his full mask. You nod, âGris is strong.â You secure your mask over your face. âBesides, Eishia has better resources back at HQ to fix him right up.â
âThink I can drive this time?â Enjin asks hopefully. You stare at him for a moment, âNo.â and swing your leg over the bike, taking hold of the handles. Enjin grumbles under his mask but climbs behind you anyway. You kick up the stand and jerk the bike forward, causing Enjin to crash into your back.Â
He wraps his arms around your waist instinctively as you set off for HQ.
Well, I guess being the backpacker ainât so bad.
A/N: A bit late but I had a writers block trying to figure out how to write all the scenes properly. Next week probably will only have one chapter release, I need time over the weekend for school work :(
Spoilers: Minor Supernatural spoilers for season 1 and 2 but not too detailed. Enjin name drop.
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đ
The manâor demon stirs awake, groggily looking down at his restraints. He lets out a chuckle, âYou think this is going to hold meââ The smile dropped from his face as he looked at the devilâs trap on the ground.
You step up, just outside the trap, âBet you havenât seen a devilâs trap in ages.â The demon flicks his gaze to you, eyes turning black again. âA hunter? I didnât know you assholes were here too.â You scoff, âI could say the same. Which begs the question, whoâ or what brought your sorry ass into this world?â
The demon sneers, âI donât have to tell you shit.â You grab the jug, pouring it down on the demon. He screams in agony, steam rising from his skin, as if he was being cooked alive. âWrong answer. Try again.â You stop for a moment, holding the jug.
âFuck youâ The demon spat. You grab his face, squishing his cheeks to force his mouth open as you pour the water down his throat. He thrashes and squirms, screams coming out in gargles through the water. âYouâre luckyI donât have salt. But Iâm resourceful. There are a hundred other ways I can get you to talk.â
You take a step back, placing down the jug and taking out your knife instead. You show off the knife to the demon, âYou know what this is.â The blade goes to his throat, barely grazing the skin. âYou know what this could do.â
Enjin activates Umbreaker, pointing the sharp metal tip to your back. The golden glow in his eyes and Umbreaker flickering. He knows this is wrong. The cleaners donât kill people.
But this? This is worse. You should never be on the other end of Umbreaker.
The demon laughs when he spots Enjin, âHah! Youâre so fucked!â You calmly look back at him, âEnjin.â His hand trembles.
âThis ainât right.â
âEnjin.â
His resolve cracks.
âJust remember, Iâm not hurting the person itâs possessing.â
This was harder than he thought. He didnât realise it could get this extreme. No wonder you asked him to get out.
Every instinct in him screams to stop you. To pull you away. To choose what is right.
But you said his nameâ and thatâs enough
So he loosens his grip on Umbreaker and stands down. Umbreaker turns back to its passive form.
And he stays.
The demon looks at him confused, âWaitâ what are you doing? Sheâs the enemy!â Now it was Enjinâs turn to be confused. He was beating the shit out of him just minutes ago, in what way was he an ally to him?
You grab the demon by his jaw, redirecting his attention to you, âYellow Eyes is dead. Has been for a while. No one is going to save you.â You adjust the grip to your knife. âSo Iâll ask again, how did you get here?â
The demon scoffs with a slow grin, âYou wouldnât dare. You run with the Winchesters and their whole shtick is saving people.â Yellow Eyes? Winchesters? Enjin was even more lost now.
You step back from the demon. âYouâre right. But I wonder where youâll go when I exorcise you. Will you go to hell in this world? Will you just⌠die?â The demonâs grin fell and he began to struggle against his restraints. You walk out of the circle.
Then you begin to speak, âExorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritusâŚâ Enjin completely lost you but whatever you were doing seems to be working. The demon groans and thrashes as you continue, each sound becoming more agonizing than the last. Enjin has seen weird things in his life. But this? This might take the cake.
âtibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos!â When you finished, black smoke came gushing out from the demonâs mouth. It moved erratically, like it was alive. Like it was trying to escape but there seemed to be an invisible wall. Looks like the Devilâs Trap is working.
Thenâ lighting. As if the smoke became a storm cloud. You and Enjin raise a hand to shield your eyes from the bright light.
Crack!
A blinding flash splits through the roomâ and the black smoke vanishes instantly.
Then silence, only the echo of thunder.
âWas that supposed to happen?â Enjin drops his hand, turning to you. You let out a breath, âNo, not really. They usually just get sucked into the ground.â You make a sinking gesture with your hand.
The demonâ or man now, lets out a gasp. âRight, you're alive.â You rush back into the circle, cutting the restraints off the man, âDonât just stand there!â You call back to Enjin. âOh!â He moves quickly, helping you remove the rope.
It took awhile to orient the man again but you handled it like a pro. A few questions, some food and water, and the man was fit enough to walk. Enjin leans against your bike, watching you in the distance waving the man off after giving him an extra mask and directing him to the closest city. You walk back over to Enjin, letting out a breath.
âIs he gonna be okay?â Enjin asks. You shrug, leaning beside him, âTraumatised but, heâll live.â You sit in silence, absorbing what has happened in the past few hours. Enjin fiddles with the handle of Unbreaker, âLook, Iâm sorry. I shouldnât have pointed Umbreaker at youââ
âEnjin, itâs fine.â You cut him off.
âItâs notââ
You raise a hand, stopping him, âIâm⌠Iâm not a good person. Iâve hurt, tortured, killed. Itâs part of being a hunter. But some sick part of me enjoys it.â You look down, playing with your fingers as you try to find the words. âIâve tried living a normal-ish lifeâ back in the sphere. But honestly? Iâve never been happier than down here. To shoot and stab something againâ even if it's Trash beastsâ felt so⌠freeing.â
âI understand if you donât want meââ
âNo. Never.â Enjin grabs your hands firmly.
âYou are a good person. Hell, the best I know.â His grip tightens around your hands. â(Y/N), you are my partner, my right hand, my friend. Nothingâs changing that.â
You bit your lip, eyes turning glassy.
â...Even if I kill someone?â
âGirl, that bitch probably had it coming. Iâll even help you hide the body.â
That managed to crack a laugh from you. Enjin couldnât help but smile. Thatâs what your laugh does to him. His hands move up, cupping your face in his hands as he wipes the stray tears away, âYouâre not getting rid of me that easy. Besides, Iâve accepted Riyo, why wouldnât I accept you?â
âRiyo is a child. Iâm a grown ass adult.â You sniffle, gently pushing his hands down, but not letting go. âTomato, to-mah-to.â Enjin shrugs. He stands by you, never letting go as you regain your composure.
âHey, um. I was hoping you would explain some things to me. Firstlyâ Yellow Eyes?â Enjin hesitantly asks. He knows itâs probably sensitive but since youâre in the middle of nowhere, itâs the perfect place to talk more about your world.
âYellow Eyes. Oh, where do I begin?â You rake a hand through your hair. âYou donât have to talk about it now if you donât want to.â Enjin reassures you. You shake your head, âNo. I pulled you into this mess, the least I could do is explain.â
You bite your lip before explaining, âYellow Eyes was a⌠unique demon. Instead of black he hadâ well glowing yellow eyes.â Enjin doesnât interrupt, just listening. You continued, crossing your arms, âHe was stronger than most demons. Terrorised my family for years. We managed to kill him but not before he was able to unleash chaos into my world.â
âIs that why at first you flinched when me or Semiu used our powers? Cause it makes our eyes glow yellow?â Enjin asks. You turn to him, meeting his gaze, â...Yeah. I used to spike your drinks and Semiuâs with Holy water. Just to make sure you werenât him.â Enjin raised his brows, âYou did? Iâve never noticed.â
âYou should. Couldâve easily poisoned you.â
âWould you?â Enjin tilts his head.
âNo.â You instantly replied, shaking your head.
Enjin slings an arm over your shoulders, âThen I have nothing to worry about.â He pulls you in, resting his cheek on your head, âAnd Winchesters?â That immediately brought a smile to your face, âMy brothers. Sam and Dean Winchester.â
Enjin lifts his head, looking at you with a frown, âI thought your last name is Singer?â You nod, âIt is.â Well that certainly clears up everything. You let out an amused huff, âMy dad and Mr Winchester were close. He would often drop his sons at my dadâs place before going on a hunt.â
âWe grew up together, from playing games to hunting monsters. We might not be blood but⌠weâre still family.â your smile never leaves. This is probably the longest youâve smiled, and Enjin basks in its presence.
âDo you⌠miss them?â Enjin hesitantly asks.
âOf course.â
âWould you go back? If you could.â
This time, you pause, â...I donât know.â
You lean into Enjin, resting your head on his chest, âBack in my world, I had to constantly be on the run. From demons, monstersâ the law.â you take a moment. âHere, I donât have to run anymore. I get to live a life with you. With Zanka, Riyo.. now Rudo too. And I like it. I like this life. More than my old one. âŚBut I donât belong here.â
âDonât say that.â Enjin stops you. âYour place is here. With us. âŚWIth me.â He tightens his grip around you, âIf you want it to be.â He rests his cheek back on your head. â...Thank you.â You lean on him. You sit in silence, absorbing his words, organising your thoughts, who knows? You just have that look when you have a lot on your mind.
After a while, Enjin pulls back slightly, taking out his pack of cigarettes. He hasnât smoked one today and he thinks he deserves it. Enjin holds a stick between lips, lighting it and taking a deep breath. He exhales the smoke. He should tell you, shouldnât he? Heâs learned so much about you today. Itâs only right.
âMy name is not really Enjin.â
You turn to him curiously, âNo? What is it then?â Enjin takes a breath.
âIâm sorry, you lit up incense and said a hexâ How was I supposed to know?â
âIncense? It's a cigarette!â Enjin laughs in disbelief.
âAnd Iâve used a cartoon mat as a seance table cloth to summon a ghost! Technicalities donât matter!â Your shoulders raise defensively.
You both share a laugh. He doesn't know how you do it. Making something that has hurt him all his life hurt less. âSo is Enjin just the shortened version?â You inquire. Enjin takes a moment to calm down before answering, âA man gave it to me. Said it meant âSomeone who connects othersâ in an ancient language.â
You let out a hum, âWell, heâs not wrong. I guess it does mean that.â Enjin turns to you, âWhat do you mean?â You crouch down and grab a stick, âBack in my world, we have a language called Japanese.â You begin writing in the dirt. âZanka, for example, has a Japanese sounding name. Especially his last name.â
ćŽäžĄ äşčť¸
Zanka Nijiku
âThis is how you write it.â You point with the stick. Enjin crouches beside you, arms resting on his thighs, âWhat does it mean?â You turn to him, âLiterally? Leftover value. But depending on the contextâŚâ You begin drawing something besides the name, âIt can mean blooming flower.â the drawing turns out to be a flower. Enjin lets out a huff, âHow fitting.â
You begin writing in the dirt again, âYour name probably refers to En No Hito. It means connector of people. If you read it literally.â
ç¸ăŽäşş
En No Hito
You cross out the middle word and bring the other two words together, âNo is just a connector word like of, so we can take that out. And Hito can also be read as Jin. Put them togetherâŚâ
ç¸äşş
Enjin
âYou get Enjin. Connect peopleâ You say with a smile.
You say his name carefully this time. Like it matters. Like he matters. He hopes it does. Enjin takes a puff, taking in the revelation that his name actually means something, âIâve tried researching it before. Never found anything. Turns out the old man wasn't bullshitting me after all.â
âWell, now you know. And I like it. Enjin.â You turn to him. He likes how you say his name. How you say it with warmth and pride. Enjin was a name that had meaning. Now, youâve confirmed that meaning and it only strengthens his resolve.
The familiar ringing slices through the silence. Enjin raises a hand to his choker, answering the call, âThis better be good.â
âEnjin! (Y/N)!â Semiu's voice crackles through sharply. Anxiousâ borderline panic,
âZankaâs team was ambushed by raiders. They need help now!â
Your fist pounds on his door. He groans, burying his head deeper into his pillow, âItâs too earlyâŚâ He whines. His door is kicked open anyways. âGet your lazy ass up. Semiu says sheâs got something for us.â Youâre already heading to the closet, pulling out one of his favourite red shirts.
Enjin groggily sits up, rubbing his face. âHow do you have so much spunk this early?â He barely manages to catch the clothes you throw at him. You turn around, mouth open as if to speak before you pause.
Your gaze trails down.Â
Then up again.Â
âWhy are you shirtless?â
Oh, right. âIt was hot last night.â He shrugs. Your gaze lingers on his body, tracing the ink trails. He leans back on his hands with a slow smirk, âEnjoying the view?â
You scoff, throwing his jacket in his face, âI was admiring Gob's work. Not you.â He lets out a chuckle, pulling down the jacket. He watches you as you bustle around his room, helping him pack his bag. He almost misses it with how fast youâre movingâ the faint blush creeping up your ears.
But something else catches his eye. âDid you sleep last night?â You stop your packing. âI'm fine.â
â(Y/N)...â
âLook, I had an extra shot of espresso. I'm totally fine.â
Enjin sighs. He knows your stubborn ass wonât budge. âFine but after the mission, youâre taking a fat nap.â You wave him off, leaving his room to give him some privacy, âYeah, yeah, just get dressed.â
âI mean it!â
âByeeeee.â
The door shuts. Enjin lets out a breath, dragging a hand through his hair before getting up. Well, time to get ready. The sooner they finish the mission, the faster you can crash.
He checks his equipment one more time, making sure he has everything else you missed. He grabs Umbreaker and leaves for the reception area where he sees you with Semiu mid conversation. âYo! What did I miss?â Enjin approaches you, leaning against the desk.
âGood, youâre here.â Semiu slides a report towards him, âWe got a call. Merchant claims they were attacked by a Trash beast while they were traversing a polluted zone.â You take the report and skim through it, â...Okay? Whatâs that gotta do with us?â
Semiu pushes up her glasses, "Here's the interesting bit. They said their âprecious cargoâ was stolen by the Trash beast.âÂ
âPrecious cargo being a living breathing Sphereite.âÂ
That got our attention. Having one living Sphereite was already a miracle but another so fast?
âAnd we are supposed to help retrieve this cargo?â Enjin raised a brow. You cross your arms, âI dunno about this. Sounds like a trap to me.â Semiu takes back the report, storing it into a drawer, âEither way, youâre not going on that mission.â
Enjin mumbles, âThen why tell us about it?âÂ
Semiu types something into her computer, âIâve done some digging on the Giver Trash beast situation.â Both of you stood up straighter. âWord is, thereâs a Giver out there who could control Trash beasts. Used to terrorise cities with them but one day just disappeared. Poof.â
She pulls out a series of photos, grainy, overanalysed, covered with arrows and circles. âThere have been many reports of them being sighted in a rural village down south but take it with a grain of salt. No one knows the true identity of this Giver. Each report is different. Man, women, who knows what.â
âSo we could just be chasing a ghost story." Enjin picks up one of the photos squinting at it. Semiu shrugs. âItâs a start.â You pick up a few pictures yourself, comparing them with each other, âWell, ghost hunting is my specialty.â You glance back up âBut who will take the previous mission?âÂ
âThatâs what I was going to ask. Who do you want to send in your place?â Semiu crosses her arms. âIsnât it obvious? Duh, Zanka.â Enjin answers instinctively. You nod at his choice, âYeah, heâs probably the most capable for this.â Semiu types something else into her computer, âAlright, Iâll go alert him and get a team running.â
You turn to Enjin, âI need to go grab a few more things. You should probably grab your full face mask and an extra tank. Who knows how long weâll be out. Meet you at the Garage?â He gives you a two finger salute and a yes maâam before heading back to his room. He quickly gathers what he needs and heads to the garage.
Exiting the elevator to the garage, he's met by the sound of metal tinkering. Approaching the sound, he sees you crouched by a slick black motorcycle, installing some sort of storage box. He lets out a low whistle, âWhen did you get this beauty?â Your gaze flicks up to him for a moment before focusing back on your bike.
âI built her.â
His jaw drops.
âYouâ huhhh?â He knew you could fix cars. Probably fixed more than half the cars in the garage, saving the Cleaners a lot on repairs. In fact, you fixed a bunch of things around HQ. Zankaâs lamp, Riyoâs chair. But building a bike? Just how smart are you?Â
You store your tools and go to put away the tool box. He creeps closer to the bike, hands hovering just above the shiny metal, reverently admiring your work. He perks up at your steps, âWeâre taking this baby with us right?â He couldnât hide the excitement building up. You knock against the storage box, âThatâs what this is for. You should be able to fit Unbreaker in it.â
He pauses, holding Umbreaker.
This wasnât something he handed off lightly.Â
But itâs you.
He slots it into the storage box without a second thought.
He takes a look into the box, noting how you also had a jug of water and some snacks. Seems like you're really prepared.
You hold out your bag which he takes and automatically,clipping it to his waist, mirroring his own bag. You lean down, locking the box with Umbreaker secured inside. âPut on your full mask.â you slip yours on. He follows, waiting patiently for your next instruction.
You swing your leg over and kick up the stand, âGet on and hold tight.â He sits behind youâÂ
Wait.
Where the hell was he supposed to hold?
His hands awkwardly hoover by your waist. Heâs only ever touched you on your shoulders and up. Occasionally on the small of your back to guide you, but never⌠this. He carefully settle his hands on your waist. Not holding, just placed. Barely any pressure.
You glance back over your shoulder.
Then grab his arm and pull him forward,
He crashes into your back, instincts kicking in as he wraps his arms around your waist to stable himself. You pat his arm onceâ as if to lock them in placeâ before turning the ignition and riding out of the garage.
Ba-dump! Ba-dump!
His grip tightens slightly.
It's just the nerves.
Has to be.
You drove fast, but not reckless. Enough to get his adrenaline pumping but also not enough to crash into things like he would. It took shorter than he expected to reach the village. Or maybe it was because he was so out of it.
You rode deeper into the village. It was completely desolate. Abandoned. Where was everybody? You pull to a stop a few feet away from the marked house and pat his arm. Right, he was still holding you. Enjin quickly releases his grip around your waist, letting you get off the bike and kick your stand up. You take off your full mask and gas mask, taking a sniff of the air.
âThatâs weird. This place is empty yet the air is still cleanâ You hold out your hand. He passes you back your bag. You stash both masks into your bag and clip it to your waist. Enjin does the same, âYou think our guy is still making this place habitable?âÂ
You scan the village before focusing back on the house, âSomeone is. Otherwise this place would have been wiped off the map by now.â You unlock the storage box and hand Umbreaker back to him. Enjin rests the umbrella on his shoulder as you draw your gun, checking your magazine. Then you move in. He follows close behind.
You enter first, making sure to clear every corner as you go deeper into the house. Enjin might look relaxed, but he's just as alert as you are, eyes tracking every shadow. The house was too quiet.
You step into a living room, or what looks to be one. Enjin flicks a light switch. The bulb struggles to flicker on, eventually managing to stay lit with a loud buzz. âLooks like thereâsââÂ
A blur slams into you. You hit the ground hard.
A flash of silverâ a knife raised above you.
Enjin moves instantly.
HIs boot connects with the attackerâs side, sending him flying off you.
The personâ the man staggers back to his feet with a sinister grin. Youâre up in a second, your gun trained on him.
The man raises his knife againâÂ
Then he blinks.
What the fuck?
His eyes turned completely black.
âAh, shit.â You curse.Â
The man lunges forward. The fight is fast. Brutal. But something is not right.
âHow the fuck is he still standing?â Enjin grit his teeth. Heâs been beaten, shoved, thrown, and yetâ not a single bruise. Not a Giver, Not a Raider, So what the hellâ
The man laughs maniacally, âAlready getting tired? You humans are always soâ AGHH!â Steam erupts from his back.
âAin't no way you're going into an evil monologue right now.â you stand behind him, arm extended with a flask in hand.
Before he can recover, you drive your fist into his jaw.
He drops to the ground, limp.
Enjin lets out a breath, âWhat was that?â You donât answer him, just move. You pull a chair closer and lift the guy up, sitting him into the chair as best as you could. You pull out a roll of rope from your bag, tying the guy to the chair. âHey, wait. What are you doing?â Enjin grabs your wrist, pausing your motion.
âEnjin, I need you to go grab the jug in the storage box.â You order him. You were fully serious, something he hasnât seen much. The last time you sounded like this, he was nearly crushed by a Trash beast. â(Y/N)... what the hell is happening?â
You pull your hand back, continuing to tie the man up, âIâll explain laterâ just⌠go get the jug.â You focus solely on retraining the man, making sure the rope is tight. Enjin frowns âI donât get itâ Just tell me what's going on.âÂ
âEnjin please!â
That made him pause.
There was something in your eyes. Not hesitation. Not doubt. Itâs something heâs never seen in you before.Â
And it feels wrong.Â
â...Just trust me.â
Enjin hesitates, jaw tightening butâ
He trusts you.
âYou better explain everything.â
So he goes back out, grabbing the water jug from the storage box as youâve asked.
When he gets back, he sees something had been spray painted on the ground. A large circle with a star inside and symbols in the space outside the star. You drag the chair holding the man inside the circle, placing him in the middle of the star.Â
Enjin approaches the circle. âDonât.â you push him back before he could step inside the circle. âWhatever you do, donât go into the circle.â You grab the jug from his hands and open the cap. From your bag, you pull out a charmâ a beaded necklace with a cross but one line is elongated. You mutter under your breath before dropping the necklace into the jug.
The jug settles just outside the circle. âWhatâs going on (Y/N)?â Enjin asks once more. You glance at the man, then to him, âThatâs not a person.â You exhale slowly. âItâs a demon. Something from my world.â
â...Demon? Like the ones from stories? Hell and all that?â Enjin frowns, trying to make sense of your words.
âYeah.â You rub a hand over your face. âUh, they can possess people. Use them as hosts.â You point to the man, âBlack eyes. Thatâs how you spot them.â You raise your flask and nod to the jug, âHoly water burns them. Hurts like hell.âÂ
Enjin gestures to the ritual circle, âAndâŚthis?âÂ
You scratch the back of your neck, âUh, devilâs trap. Keeps them powerless and contained.â
You sigh, â...As far as I know, demons don't exist in your world.â Your voice tightens slightly. âWhich means this thing slipped through. Probably the same way I did.â You explain. â I donât get it. What does that mean?â Enjin furrows his brow.
You hesitate, just for a second.
âIt means there might be a way back to my world."
âŚOh
He should be happy right?
So why does his chest feel so tight?
You cross your arms âLook Enjin, I need you outside when IââÂ
âWhat? No.â
You blink, âEnjinââ
âNo, I'm staying.â His voice hardens. âIâm not leaving you alone in here.Â
You let out a sigh, âYou donât just interrogate a demon like normal people. You need to use force.â Your grip tightens around your flask. â...And itâs not going to be pretty.â Your gaze flicks to him, â...You wonât be able to look at me the same.â
He still, just for a moment.
â...Tch.â
He doesn't move, âIâm staying.â
Your shoulders sag in defeat.
âJust remember, Iâm not hurting the person itâs possessing.â
âWelcome to cleaner HQ.â You hopped out of the car, stretching your arms above your head. Enjinâs gaze lingered for a second on your figure as you stretched. Then a second longer. Thenâ huh? He quickly snapped forward. What was he doing? He shook his head, following Zanka and Riyo who walked ahead.Â
Entering the reception area, Zanka and Riyo leave first, âKeep taking care of those locks for me, kay?â Riyo bids Rudo a wave before walking off, leaving you, him and Rudo. And the two flies that keep bothering him but Enjin doesnât think too much about it.
âRudo, come over and say hi to Semiu. Receptionist extraordinaire.â Enjin introduces her, standing by her desk with you on the other side. Rudo approaches the desk, slotting himself in between the two of you. âShe always gives the new guys a once over. You see, sheâs got this abilityââ
Shing!
Semiu thrusts her fork at Rudo, just inches away from his face. The two flies around Rudo crumble to pieces, the fork piercing through both of them at the same time. âMister Natural. Itâs nice to meet you in the flesh.â She greets him, setting down the fork.Â
âEnjin got me up to speed on everything. So I know all about you. Where youâre from, your potential, all of it. But I still need to see it for myself.â Semiu gently holds her glasses, preparing to activate her power. âThose glasses are her Vital Instrument. They amp up her kinetic vision. Even let her see what people are made of when she locks in on them.â Enjin explains as she activates her power.
Semiu gasps and freezes for a moment. But it was a moment too long. âWhatâs wrong?â You call out to her, snapping her back, âOhâuh. Sorry âbout that.â Semiu gathers her thoughts, clasping her hands together. âPhysically speaking, heâs in excellent shape so we donât have to build him from the ground up. And heâs got a good relationship with his Vital Instrument. That said, seems his use of it is shoddy at best.â
Semiu looks between you and Enjin, âheâs going to need some work before he can draw on his power at will.â She concludes. âIs that all?â You prod at her. So you noticed as well. âNot quiteâŚâ
âHowâd you get boo boo on the back of your neck?â
Enjin snickers as you let out a sigh. âFor real? No wonder that fly liked you! My manâs a real boo boo playa!â He bursts out in laughter. âI wasnât playing with it, jerk!â Rudo snapped back. âAppreciate you, Semiu. I'm gonna take him to say hi to the boss now.â He regains his composure and leads Rudo to the bossâs office. âAnd a long bath too.â You grimace when you see the small spot on the back of Rudoâs neck.
âFun.â Semiu goes back to reading her magazine. You and Enjin share a look with each otherâ then glance back at Semiu. She definitely saw something else. You two donât push it now thoughâ if it mattered right now, she would have said it.
Walking down the halls, Enjin elaborated more on the cleaners, âIf you count all the combatants, sentinels and supportersâ which you shouldâ there are about a hundred Cleaners. But with danger around every corner, you gotta spread out. So itâs rare for everyone to be home at the same time. You up for shaking some hands real quick?â Enjin asks.Â
âLike all of them?â Rudo looks up at Enjin. âNot all. Most are probably out on missions anyway.â You cut in, letting Enjin steer towards a detour to the common room. He opens the doors, âThis will only takeââ
The whole room was packed.
Nevermind
You shut the door for him, âMaybe another time.â You usher the both of them back on the path to the bossâs office. âIs there going to be a party or something?â You whisper to Enjin. He shrugs, âBeats me. I also thought everyone was out today.â he whispers back.Â
You three stop outside the gilded door of the bossâs office. âAnd here we have the bossâs room.â Enjin introduces. âLook Iâll be cool but I'm askingââ Rudo tries to walk but you and Enjin stop him with a hand on each shoulder.Â
âOh no you donât.â
âRudo, waitâ
âTake a breath, cause your face says âIâm about to go scream at a guy till I get some answers.ââ Enjin pulls Rudo back. âEnjin!â you scold him. âWhat? Iâm right.â He complains but quickly turns back to Rudo. âAllow me to refresh your memory first. Info is a prime commodity that doesn't come cheap. Tell him youâll work for him in exchange, or no oneâs getting what they want.â He could feel your glare. You definitely know exactly what heâs doing.
You tap on Rudoâs shoulder, getting his attention, âAlso, donât ask about the bossâs instrument. We told you about ours to teach you about Givers. And donât ask anyone else about it because no one knows.â You warn him. âNot what it is, or what it does. We donât care. None of us Cleaners follow the boss cause weâre scared or weak.â Enjin adds on.
âItâs cause we want to. Power canât win that kind of trust.â
Rudo steels himself, feeling the weight of yours and Enjinâs words. He probably has a better idea what the boss is like now. Rudo lets out a breath before pushing open the door. He pauses at the doorway. You and Enjin lean in to see what made him stop.
It was empty.
âThe hell?â Enjin mutters. âOh, did I not tell you?â Semiuâs voice cuts from behind. âThe boss is away on business right now. He wonât be back for a while.â Turning back, Enjin sees Semiu with her arms crossed. âSay what? Gone? Really?â Rudo seems taken aback by the news.
âDamn, that sucks. Well, thatâs that. Canât be helped.â Enjin sighs, âGot some bad news for you bud, turns out the boss isnât here.â Enjin scratches the back of his head with a teasing smile. You smack him upside the head as Rudo snaps, âYeah I heard! So what do I do now?â
âDo we have an ETA on his return?â You ask Semiu who only shrugs. âOf course. Right after I gave the new guy my spiel about trust and all that kind of crapâ Enjin grumbles under his breath. âLooks like youâre gonna be sitting on your hands for a bit, Rudo.â Enjin tells him.
âYou could do that. Or you can tag along and watch me work?â Riyo pops her head around the corner. âYou canât officially join until the boss gets back and gives the okay. Come be my trainee for the day? Get an up close and personal look at the job. Itâll be fun.â Riyo offers, walking up to Rudo.
âAnd, it's a chance to get to know each other better, right?â Riyo leans into his personal space, making him quake with nerves. You gently push Riyo back, letting Rudo breathe. âDonât kill him before the job.â There she is. He almost missed that switch.
Everyone heads back to the receptionist for Riyo to receive her mission. Semiu takes out a map and unrolls it on the table. âThis will be more or less basic maintenance. A town near the polluted zone reported that small trash beasts have been approaching their barricade lately. They donât want to take any chances so theyâre asking us for a cleaning.â Semiu gives them the lowdown.
âWhatâs a polluted zone?â Rudo asks. Semiu raised a brow, âEnjin, (Y/N), what all havenât you told him?â You furrow your brows, probably trying to recall what you taught him. âWeâve told him plenty. Weâve just been using words he could wrap his head around.â Enjin answers for you. It seemed to have lit up the memory in you as you mumbled, â...Right, I did do that.â
âBreathing in toxins never ends well. And you could become dangerously ill very fast, and in a No Manâs Land youâve got about 15 minutes before you die without one.â Semiu warns him. âWe good now?â Riyo asks, ready to set off on her mission.
Semiu grumbles. âOkay, gonna need you to forget everything these imbeciles said.â Enjin lets out a huff âRude.â while you whine, âHeyâŚFriendly fireâŚâ Semiu drones on. Something about polluted zones and No Man Lands, all of which he already told Rudo, just in different terms. Heâs only brought back when Semiu asks, âSpeaking of, what were you doing out there anyway?â
You also turn to look at him. He gives an innocent grin, âCanât a man stretch his legs? Last I heard we could.â Semiu scoffs, âThatâs your excuse?â He only shrugs in reply. âGrand idiocy aside. Remember to wear a gas mask whenever youâre in any polluted zones.â Semiu turns back to Rudo, fishing for a spare mask to give him.
Semiu nods, âThe supporters should be ready in the garage, go meet them there.â Before Rudo is able to take a step, you stop him. He looks at you quizzingly as you crouch down in front of him, âDonât do anything stupid out here. It shouldnât be dangerous so keep your mask on and watch from afar. If anything happens, run to Riyo, sheâll handle you.âÂ
You ruffle his hair which made him grumble, âYeah, yeah. I know.â Rudo waves you off before jogging to catch up with Riyo. You stay crouched, watching him leave just until he disappears around the corner. Enjin comes up to your side, lightly bumping you with his leg, âWanna grab a drink?â You let out a groan, âYes please.â He offers you a hand, pulling you up to your feet.
You both head to the common room where the bar had more finer options. Enjin pours you something a little stronger than your usual, sliding the glass over to you. You grab it, downing it in one go. âHeyâ easy there. If youâre gonna be like this, I'm cutting you off now.â Enjin reaches for the glass, lowering it back to the counter.
He watches you for a moment, seeing if you would follow as he says. When you remain unresponsive, he refills your cup and pours one for himself. You stare at the amber liquid before rubbing your face with a groan, âWhat am I even doing?â
Enjin lights a cigarette, taking a puff before reassuring you, âHeâs your brother who you havenât seen in like what? Four years?â He balances the cigarette in his hand, leaning his elbow on the counter and resting his head in his hand. âHe was dropped in No Manâs Land, just recovered from toxic inhalation and was just sent out on a mission. Of course youâre worried.â
He grabs his glass by the rim, taking a sip. âBut he has Riyo and the supporters. You know how competent they are.â He watches you as you take a slow sip. âWhat Iâm more worried about is you.â You freeze, lips just barely grazing the glass.
He doesnât break his gaze, taking every micro expression you give, âYouâve just found out your father figure from the Sphere is dead and youâre acting like it didnât hit you at all.â You carefully place down your glass. His hand reaches out for yours, totally encapsulating it. He feels you clench your fist from beneath his hand, âItâs not about me right now. Rudo needs my suppoââ
âThen who is going to support you?â You look taken aback by his words. How long has it been since someone cared for you?Â
You shake your head, âIâm fine.â
âNo, youâre not.â
Your gaze hardens, âI amââ
Enjin exhales softly, guiding your head to rest on his shoulder. His fingers tangle in your hair, playing with the strands, âItâs okay to mourn. You donât always have to stand strong. Especially with me.â
He hears you let out a breath.Â
Then a sniffle.Â
Then warmth seeping into his jacket as you bury your face in his shoulder.Â
He doesnât look. Doesnât need to.
He just holds you. Hides you from the world until youâre ready again.
Eventually, your body stops shaking and relaxes into his hold.
â...Thank you. For that.â You slowly rise back up, wiping your tears. But you donât pull your hand away. He squeezes it, âThatâs what Iâm here for.â You both settle into an easy chatter. You tell him more about Rudoâs dadâhow he taught you how to read and write. He listens. Doesnât interrupt. And bit by bit, he learns more of you from your time in the sphere.
The calm lingers.
Then your chokers ring.
âEnjin, (Y/N), you there?â Semiuâs voice crackles through the choker. You look out the window and he follows your gaze. The sky outside is now dark. Have you really been talking for that long?
You respond, âWeâre here. Whatâs up?â You give Enjin a look, Semiu usually doesnât call this late. âI need you two to come down here. Preferably now.â Semiu replies. âWeâre on our way.â You end the call before standing up from your seat.
Your expression slips back into that familiar shield. So quick. âCome on, letâs go see what Semiu wants.â Enjin stands up with an exasperated groan before following you as you lead the way to the reception area.
There at the reception desk, Semiu was staring down at something. As they approach, he spots what she's studyingâ a broken box cutter. âWhatcha got there?â Enjin asks. âRiyo had to break this in order to kill a Trash beast.â She looks up at him. Enjin frowns at that news. âNow, Iâm definitely not blindâ this looks like a Vital Instrument." She gestures to the box cutter.
âHas anything like this happened before?â You ask her, picking up the box cutter to examine it. âNo, not at all, which is all the more concerning.â Semiu crosses her arms. Enjin leans against the desk, facing you, âWhat do you think?â
You let out a hum, âBased on my experience⌠Either someone has enough Anima and power to transfer enough of it into an object and create Trash beasts or ââÂ
You place back down the blade, âSomething is corrupting Givers and making them turn into Trash beasts.âÂ
Enjin and Semiu share a look, both options suck.âI suggest further investigation for this. As much as I hope for option one, we canât rule out other possibilities. Especially if it puts the Givers at risk.â You catch their attention again. Enjin nods, agreeing with you, âWe should bring it up with the boss when he gets back. Maybe he knows something.â
You all come to an agreement, you and Enjin would secretly investigate the matter first. He didnât want to involve others yet. Not unless he has to.
âOh, right. Donât forget to stop by Rudoâs welcome party.â Semiu reminds him. He glances at you who was already looking at him in confusion. Seeing that, Semiu answers your question, âRiyo is hosting a âWelcome to the Groundâ party for Rudo. Everyone just wanted an excuse to eat and drink honestly.âÂ
He nods at that. He canât blame them. You both bid Semiu a wave goodbye before heading to the mess hall together where Rudoâs party is presumably held. He opens the door for you, seeing the party in full swing. Rudo and Gris seemed to be talking in a quiet corner.
What are they doing so far from the party? Well, time to make them join in. âMaaann. Kill me.â Enjin groans, going deadweight on Rudo. âCome on man! Get off!â Rudo protested against the weight. Enjin turns to him, âWhatâs with you dude? How come there isnât food all over your face?â He ruffles his hair.
âYeah man, come on. Nobody's saving you a plate just cause this is your party. So you know. Eat.â Riyo insists, stuffing a piece of steak in her mouth. âSheâs inhaled half the spread already.â Zanka comments. You come up behind them, hands full with five plates full of food, âLet her enjoy the food, she needs it to grow stronger anyways.â You hand Riyo a plate. âYou too Zanka. Eat up.â You hand him a plate which he hastily caught.
Enjin couldnât help the smile that crept up, watching you care for the kids like it came naturally to you. You turn to look at Rudo and Gris, âSo, are we staying in this depressing corner, or actually joining the party?â You turn your heel, walking to an empty table closer to the heart of the party. Riyo and Zanka follow you dutifully. âCome on, letâs join them. Seems like (Y/N) saved you a plate.â Gris stands and Enjin follows. Slowly, Rudo does as well.
Everyone finds their spot, eating the food you provided. As usual, you managed to get all their favourites.
Suddenly, the music amps up.
Everyone cheers as they realize who it was.
Seeing Rudoâs curious look, Enjin places a hand on his shoulder. "Ever see a genius at work? Well. youâre about to. Guys like Gob get something in their head and there is no stopping until itâs out.â They watch as Gob goes crazy with his spray paint on the wall.
âSeriously dude some of us are trying to eat here!â âAnd your paint stinks!â âAt least crack open a window!â Some of the other cleaners hackle at Gob
Enjin balances a cigarette to his lips, taking his lighter to light it.
Click.
Damn it. Looks like itâs out of juice.Â
Suddenly, there was a light in front of him. He turns to see your hand holding the lighter. He accepts the light, igniting his cigarette. You click it off and twirl it between your fingers before pocketing it. Now where did you learn to do that?
âI thought you didnât smoke?â He takes a puff of his cigarette. You flick your gaze to him, âI donât.â he looks confused, âThen why do you have a lighter?âÂ
âI use it to burn bodies.â
Huh?
âBack in my world, not now!â You urgently whispered to him, which he barely catches over the loud music. That does little to answer his question. âBack in my world, to get rid of ghosts, you had to salt and burn the bones or bodies of them. I just carry one out of habit now.â You properly explain, leaning in to whisper it in his ear.
âYouâre into some freaky stuff princess.â Enjin gives you a teasing smirk. âIt was my job!â You snapped back. He lets out a chuckle before turning back to Gob, âYouâve been hanging out a lot.â He calls out to Gob.
âYeah, trying to find the right wall for this sick piece I got.â Gob answers, switching his can for a different color. Enjin lets out a huff, âYou do you boo. Hey, no turds! I mean it!â he warns Gob. âYes please. As stylistic as your turds are Gob, I don't want to see one every time I eat.â You back him up.
Gob uncaps his pen, âSorry I donât make promises I canât keep.â He chuckles, adding what are hopefully the final touches to the new piece.
