Chapter Text
After five weeks, one would expect Enjin to get used to the presence of their new sort of cleaner. Afterall, he'd warmed up to Rudo in only a matter of days. The difference between Rudo and the short seventeen year old that had latched himself onto him out of mowhere was that Rudo actually made himself noticable. The kid wasn't exacly loud, but he still made himself known wherever he went, his passion stopping him from ever being ignored. With Fu Orostor, that was not the case.
Enjin didn't know what to think of the kid. Since the day they'd first met in that trash beast, he had been suprisingly neutral on the guy. He'd been annoyed by Fu's refusal to speak to him in the beginning, but after realising just how much of a wet towel the boy really was, he hadn't paid him a second thought. When he had then showed up again just days later, Enjin had been annoyed, sure, but that was only because of the situation, not because of Fu as a person.
That much could be said about anything Fu did. Because Fu was not his own person. It was almost unnerving, just how hollow the boy really seemed when you looked too close. So Enjin tried to not look close.
Most of the time, he did not realise that he was in a room with Fu until someone aknowlaged him, because the kid had a tendency to position himself in a corner and wait until somebody spoke to him instead of inserting himself into any conversation. It probably shouldn't bother Enjin as much as it did. It should satisfy him, honestly. Somebody who was not annoying him all the time had joined them. Somebody who actually made themselves useful without complaint. And yet, ordering the kid around felt…Wrong.
Even after weeks of Fu being on a trial basis with the cleaners, Enjin basicly knew nothing about the boy. He knew his name, his age and that he had a horrific lack of autonomy. He knew that he was strong when he used his vital instrument, a small creepy looking doll. And he knew that Fu knew a lot of useful info. But none of those things really told him anything about who Fu was underneath his obidience. Was he anything behind that? Surely a person couldn't just be that much of a pushover naturally?
After spending one too many nights thinking about the boy and not actully doing anything about his curiosity, he had decided that he could take the boy shopping. He'd lost a stupid bet anyways and what better chance to find out something about a kid than to take them to a place of everything they could ever want.
Fu, of course, had immideatly complied, apperantly dropping anything he had been planning to do before. Enjin had hoped that getting into a car alone with the boy would cause some small talk. It didn't. Fu had just stared off into space. And Enjin didn't exacly have much to ask him. He couldn't exacly ask a seventeen year old what their favorite color was after dragging them along to slave away for him. A disgusting thought, now that he put it that way. He had pushed it aside, exusing it with the fact that his intentions were good.
During the whole trip Fu had been quiet. Quiet and not quite in the moment. It hadn't interfiered with Enjins plans but it had bothered him, his plan clearly having failed. But it had been a little worrying. The boy seemed dazed and gloomy in a way that Enjin wasn't used to. Being around him was downright depressing.
It had all exploded out of nowhere when the boy tripped and accidently dropped the bags Enjin had made him hold. Enjin had been more worried about Fu, as he had landed on top of the bags, but that didn't seem to be the kids priorities in the moment. He had watched with something akin to horror as the kid had dissapeared into his own head, his face completly blank and lifeless. Enjin had had to drag him back to the car by the shoulders, noticing in the process that the boy was nursing a nasty fever, and he hadn't responded to anything he'd said until fifteen minutes into the drive, at which point he had had something akin to a nervous breakdown apologizing for the error of tripping over his own feet. Enjin hadn't been able to do much exept try and make the kid believe that he would not be hurt by him or any of the other cleaners. It had been to little avail and Enjin had watched as the boy spend the rest of the way home sobbing his eyes out in fear. Like he hadn't just tripped but instead been put in a fight with a trash beast without a vital instrument.
Enjin had, of course, suspected some sort of trauma in Fu. He wasn't stupid. He knew the things that people on the ground were capable of doing to innocent children. It had been only logical to expect it in a kid that physicly wasn't able to make even the simplest descisions. But it truely was depressing to watch a teenager break down in fear after such a trivial thing. Enjin had felt nothing short of helpless, passing the sickly kid onto Gris as soon as he had had the chance.
Now, he was sitting on a couch, watching absentmindedly as Rudo and Amo sat together, working on one of the drawing projects that Remlin had given them on their last visit. Gris had returned from Fu's room an hour earlier, reassuring Enjin that the kid had taken his medicine and was sleeping soundly. It hadn't calmed Enjin as much as he would like. He knew Rudo, Riyo and Zanka enough to know what to do for them. But what do you do for someone who hid all their needs out of fear?
He found himself outside of Fu's door not even twenty minutes later. He knocked, just in case the kid had woken up at some point. When he recieved no answer, he slowly cracked open the door. He peeked inside the room. It was just as bare as it had been the day they'd given it to Fu. The boy seemed to have nothing to his name, not even actual clothes.
Fu was curled up on the bed, squirming and struggeling in a fitful sleep. His cheeks and nose were flushed and the rest of his face was pale and sweaty. His "mask" was still in place. Enjin wasn't sure if it was just facepaint or an actual mask, he never got close enough to see.
He stepped closer to the boys bed. The kid looked distressed, just as he usually did, which didn't make it less pitiful. Hell, he knew a lot of traumatised kids, he led a team of them, but this one was a special case.
He watched as Fu shook and squirmed around his bed, face a grimace of pain and fear from what Enjin could only imagne were some nasty fever dreams. He couldn't watch this much longer.
"Hey kid."
He crouched down next to Fu's bed and laid a soft hand on his shoulder. Before he could prepare, the teen shot up in a panic and collided with Enjins own head.
"Ow!"
Enjin shouted out without thinking and rubbed his head. Probably the wrong move seeing with how Fu stared at him. Enjin couldn't do much but watch the teens feverish eyes widen in horror as he assesed the situation.
"I- I am so sorry!"
Fu rasped out, immideatly breaking off into a painful sounding coughing fit and curling into himself. Enjin sat down next to the boy and laid a hand on his back as the teen coughed up a lung.
"It's okay. I'm not mad at you."
Enjin stated clearly, hoping that his steady tone could reassure Fu.
Fu slumped onto Enjin's shoulder, exhausted after his fit. Enjin hesitated. Was the boy delirious?
"M' cold." Fu mumbled out pitifully. Yeah. Defenetly delirious. Over the months Enjin had become somewhat of a Master in taking care of delirious children. Wether it was Zanka high off his ass after one of his many run ins with jabber, or Rudo getting trash poisoning from not being used to the pollution. He wasn't particulaly worried anymore. He knew that these kids were tough, they had survived on the ground afterall. Still, the sight of a fever warm Fu slumped almost onto his lap was not a pretty one.
"Do you want a blanket?"
Enjin asked hesitantly. He got no answer, not that he had expected one.
"Lay back down, I'll get you an extra blanket, yeah?"
Fu shrieked in protest as Enjin attempted to softly move him off his shoulder.
"No! No don't go yet! Stay a lil' longer!"
Wow. A pitiful display indeed.
"Look kid, why don't you come along. We'll go get a blanket together! The storage closet is just down the hall."
He didn't wait for Fu's reply, instead taking the boy by the shoulders and moving him to stand. When he was sure that the boy wouldn't fall over and injure his no doubt already damaged brain, he slowly led Fu towards the door.
What followed was a dreadfully slow walk to the down the hall storage closet, mostly consisting of Enjin half dragging, half carrying the delirious teen through the corridor.
"What's wrong with Fu?"
A girly voice stopped Enjin in his tracks. He sighed, recognizing the voice and turned his head. A few feet away stood Amo, curiously looking at the akward pair.
"Fu is sick."
Enjin replied. He had no intention of going into detail, not willing to fight with the girl today.
"Then where are you taking him? Amo thought that being sick meant having to stay in bed! It's what she had to do when she got sick!"
"Look kid, he wanted a blanket but didn't wanna be left behind okay? I'm just taking him to get another blanket."
Amo seemed somewhat satisfied with that answer, but didn't scram like Enjin had hoped. Instead she followed after them.
"Amo will help then! She can make Fu feel better!"
Enjin nodded absentmindedly as Amo ran to Fu's other side.
"Hey Fu! How are you feeling?"
She smiled at the boy. Enjin wasn't sure how concious the boy was but didn't stop Amo from trying to have a conversation with him. They finally arrived at the damn closet and he handed Fu off to the girl, who cradled him in her arms like a stuffed animal while Enjin looked into the overfilled closet. He pulled out a acruffy blanket, doing his best to dust it off. Fu stirred in Amo's arms, sneezed, and went limp again.
When Enjin tucked the blanket under his arm and attempted to take the boy back from Amo, she gave him a stare so cold it sent a shiver down his back. He didn't argue, leaving Amo to half drag, half carry Fu back to his room. Through half assed team work they managed to get Fu back into bed, now with a second blanket.
Enjin sat down next to the boys bed, not quite wanting to leave yet. He watched as Amo sat down next to Fu, supportivly petting his hair and talking to him in a hushed tone as if she didn't want Enjin to listen.
It seemed that Fu was a little more alert now, feverish eyes moving to watch the room he was in.
"Do I have a mission?" He asked hoarsely. "Did I oversleep? 'm sorry…"
"You don't have a mission, silly!" Amo answered. "You're sick and need to stay in bed! Don't worry, that's an order!"
Fu's confused gaze turned into a smile of recognition.
"Understood miss Momoa!"
He rasped. Enjin blinked, hoping that Amo wouldn't take Fu's words personally. But Amo seemed to forgive him rather quickly, annoyed expression morphing into one of curiosity.
"Who's Momoa?"
She asked. Fu didn't seem to hear her, instead drifting back off into unconciousness.
"Momoa was one of the raiders." Enjin answered for him instead. Amo looked up at him, not seeming to understand the corrolation.
"Those mean guys?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "How does Fu know them?"
"He was one of them."
That didn't seem to suprise Amo as much as he had expected. Instead, she seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment.
"Is that why he wasn't with you guys when you came to visit Amo in her tower? Because he was still with those meanies?"
"Yup. What do you think about that?"
Amo looked at Fu for a moment.
"Amo was mean once too. And she was given a second chance, right? So she sees no point in being mad at Fu."
Before Enjin could ask why he hadn't been forgiven then, Amo's expression turned serious.
"Go get a wet cloth! A warm one!"
"Exuse me?"
"It's not good for Fu to sleep with his face paint! Amo will wash it off!"
Ah. So it was face paint. Enjin still did not want to argue with her so he obeyed the request, slipping out of the room. He returned minutes later to Amo soothingly speaking to Fu's sleeping figure.
"Here."
He said, handing over a bowl with warm water and a cloth. Amo did not thank him, not that he had expected her to, and began soaking the cloth and wringing it out carefully. Enjin quietly watched as she began wiping gently at Fu's face. Despite not having that much expirience with the outside world, Amo was a gentle soul, empathetic and forgiving. Well, to anyone but Enjin. All he could do was hope that the girls kindness would reassure Fu.
With Fu's face paint washed off his already prominent baby face became even more apperant. When Enjin had first seen the teen he had wondered how Zodyl had aquired such a young member to be a part of his gang of misfits. He had only learned Fu's age after he had followed them into canvas town. Now, unconcious and exhausted, Fu's round face looked more akin to that of a child than that of a seventeen year old.
"Why are you still speaking to him when he's asleep?"
Enjin wondered outloud, too curious to keep the fragile peace between Amo and him. The girl gave him a condesending glance.
"Amo is speaking to Hii, not Fu."
"Hii?"
"Fu's vital instrument!"
Enjin blinked and his gaze fell onto the scruffy looking doll in Fu's arms.
"Why?" He asked, stupidly letting a note of condesention seep into his tone. Now, he was the last person to judge someone for talking to their vital instrument. It was common for givers to be unhealthily atteched to theirs, humanizing it to a point that the average person would be creeped out by it. His own vital instrument had its own name, and he loved it more than he did most other things. But he rarely saw anyone speak to the vital instruments of others.
Amo pouted at him and seemed to consider for a moment if she should actually answer him. She sighed, settling on gracing him with an answer.
"Well, because Master Hii saved Amo! And because he can tell Fu what I told him later!"
Enjin decided not to pry further. He had seen Fu talk to his doll often enough to know just how much the teen seemed to humanise it. It was not that often that givers gave their vital instrument human names and assigned them genders. Enjin was glad that atleast Fu had the doll to give him comfort.
"Now get out!" Amo said suddendly, tone confident as if it was the obvious next step.
"Huh?"
"Fu needs rest! Amo has helped, but he needs to recover alone for a little while! So leave!"
It wasn't that Enjin had had the attention to stay much longer but now he was pissed.
"So why are you staying then?"
"Because Amo is Fu's friend and she won't disturb him!"
"What the hell do you think I will do then?"
"Disturb him!"
"I'm literally just sitting here?"
After a few more minutes of bickering and Enjin basicly talking to a wall, they were interrupted by a small groan. Enjin watched as Amo's face twisted in rage.
"See what you did?" She half yelled, half whispered. "You disturbed him!"
"No, You disturbed him!"
"No, you!"
Arguing had no point as Amo continued whispering to Fu and Enjin had to accept defeat. He hoped to come back later without a half feral sixteen year old shooing him away and maybe try to talk to Fu a bit more. They'd be working together from now on afterall. Unofficially as long as Corvus didn't give Fu the official order to join, but they'd see eachother either way.
Enjin left Amo to talk to herself and decided to go see what his other traumatised kids were doing. One day he hoped to understand Fu and to see him bloom just like he had seen many others. He hoped to know his food preferences, dislikes and boundaries at some point, and to know what the kid needed in moments of distress. Fu had a long journey infront of him, but Enjin had seen long journeys mastered before. He just hoped that this one wouldn't need quite as much pep talks as Zanka did.