Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's only natural for a killer to pick up on a heartbeat quicker than most, no matter how faint or weak it may be.

Following the strangely magnified sound has led Riyo to a sight she wouldn't have expected to find in an abandoned city like this. A long, white wire, with a head bearing resemblance to a serpent hovers in the air before her.

"Hey there big guy." she hums, hand slowly reaching to the pocket containing her trusted pair of scissors. But when the creature narrows its slitted eyes at her and slithers back up, Riyo's curiosity is piqued. She cautiously stalks forward in turn, her steps silent as she turns the same corner the snake has retreated to.

What she finds isn't a hoard of trash beasts, no — it's a person, somebody whose face lacks the fine lines of time. They lie unbelievably small against the cracked wall of a long destroyed building, and for a moment, Riyo must think they're simply another corpse she needs not pay any mind to. It is only when she notices that they are what the snake was leading her to does she heed more attention.

The creature's cord leads directly to a necklace around the stranger's neck, as a second lacing lays across their shoulders, defending what its other half had sought out to protect. They seem to relax, and the faint, recognisable beating from earlier comes to a stop. One of the serpents flicks out its forked tongue, continuing to stare at her directly in the eye. Riyo wonders if it's trying to tell her something — perhaps a silent plea to help their giver, whose oxidised blood has long since stained the concrete behind their head.

Then again, she isn't too sure. She's never exactly been taught the art of deciphering a vital instrument's emotions.

"What's the haps, Riyo?"

Though the moment Enjin comes into view with all of his glory, their previous serenity dissipates. Perhaps it's because he's a man, or perhaps it's because he's older than Riyo. Either way, judging off of the snakes lashed out forms and hisses, they won't be nearly as amiable with him.

"Gah! What the heck!?" he exclaims as one snaps their jaws just shy of his arm.

"Seems like they aren't fond of you." Riyo notes, slowly kneeling down in front of the unconscious giver. Her fingers decisively find the weak pulse against their neck as though second nature. Their breathing isn't much better, coming out in hollow, weak intervals.

Yet, despite all of this...

Their vital instrument — a pair of wired earbuds, seem to have a life of its own.

The look on Enjin's face lets Riyo know of what she needs to do before the words even leave his mouth. She hauls a now slumped body against her own with a sigh, mindful of the still bleeding gash on the back of their head.

You open your eyes.

The unassuming ceiling above your head serves as a stark comparison to the girl currently tending to you. "An angel?" You mutter in quiet confusion, still trying to blink the wooziness away.

She stares at you for a moment before letting out a squeak of embarrassed surprise. "N-no, I'm not an angel!" she clarifies, waving her hands and frantically shaking her head. Her cheeks have turned just as pink as the colour of her eyes in fluster. "I'm just a simple healer, and even then I'm barely of any use." she says nervously.

"I'm sure that's not true. You helped me, didn't you?" you retort, briefly looking at the hospital gown now covering your body. Your attention then lands on the man in the cot to your left "And I'm sure you've helped this guy too."

"It's just a fluke that I was able to do anything this time." the girl hangs her head humbly, continuing to check over you. "Um, does your head hurt?"

"Not really. It's just throbbing a little."

"You had quite the gash. Riyo was lucky to find you when she did." She steps back, holding her hands in front of her. "I, uh, noticed your recuperation was taking longer than expected."

"Yeah?"

She momentarily stiffens at the keen attention you're paying her. "Your vital instrument was the cause. It was draining your energy, which made it harder for your body to keep up with recovery." she says. "So, I would recommend not activating it for a while."

You notice the item her gaze falls on — your jinki on the bedside table. The lethargic state you're in doesn't stop your arm from weakly shooting out to take her into your hands. The wires are naught more than a bundled heap at the moment, yet you still feel your eyes soften. The pad of your thumb strokes the white casing gently, for despite your muddled mind, there's a quiet tether that imperceptibly pulls you to her.

The bond between a vital instrument and its user is something special, after all.

"Thanks for taking care of her. And me." You give the girl a smile that you hope comes off as warm. "Though, I can't help but ask." You tilt your head. "Where exactly am I?—"

"Yo, Eishia. You there?"

A manly voice coming from her choker interrupts you.

"Yes, Enjin?"

"Update me. Is Gris awake yet?"

Eishia turns to look at the unconscious blonde man, keeping her hand on her choker as she responds. "He's still out." Looking at you, she says, "Though, the giver isn't. They've just woken up."

"Perfect timing."

Then comes a knock at the door, and the man you assume to be Enjin a mere second later.

He looks so cool.

He wears an impassive look as he passes through the doorway, carrying the attitude of a person that could watch the world burn and wouldn't care about it. "Hey." With hands stuffed in the deep pockets of his coat — the same dove shade of gray as Eishia's nurse uniform, he approaches the side of your bed. "Holding up alright?"

"Yeah, I feel fine." you lightly touch the back of your head. Despite the thick, overlapping layers of bandages, your skin throbs persistently beneath your fingertips. "Mostly."

"Well, that's good." The man hums, relaxing his stance. He takes a lazy few steps forward, letting the bedsheets rustle once he takes a comfortable seat on the edge of your cot. "So, since you're alive and kicking,"

Enjin turns his head, and the light-hearted air about him does not come close to reaching his eyes.

"Wanna explain what someone like you was doing out there all by yourself?"

Though the setting doesn't come close to an interrogation at all, the silent edge underneath his voice poses you the same urge to answer. The man stares at you expectantly, despite your unawareness about what sort of response he expects to hear leaving your lips.

Even Eishia, carefully arranging medical supplies in a corner of the room has her head angled, curiously listening in to what you may say.

You're unable to stop yourself from nervously laughing out.

"What are you talking about?"

Enjin pauses, shooting you a confused deadpan. "Huh?"

It's a tight grip you have on the wires of your jinki, despite the smile across your face. "I don't even know where you guys found me." you say.

Enjin stares for a moment longer, and you feel the weight of his stare as it unravels you. Whatever he finds must not be too interesting, for he lets out a long, dragged out sigh and speaks. "Well, you were in a polluted zone — bunch of abandoned buildings around, you know the drill. We ran into some trouble with a couple of Raiders right before we found you." the man whistles, glancing to the blonde in the cot next to yours. "Any of that ring a bell?"

You shake your head.

"Alright." he taps his chin. "What do you remember, then?"

"Not much. It's all a complete blur." you admit, lightly pressing a hand to your forehead. You persist in your attempt of looking back on your memories, putting a strain on your already tender mind. Everything is just out of reach, as faintly prominent as a singular loose hair incessantly tickling your face. You are grabbing water with your bare hands, even as it slips right out of your grasp over and over. The iridescent pool cupped in your palms is all that remains, and you realise, that amongst the memories you have left, that bundle of wires is the only constant.

Flashbacks riddled by time come with ease, however. You see grubby, smaller hands, your eye-level reaching only the height of an adult's leg. Your father's face smiles down at you with a warmth that has long since burned out to embers, as your mother pets your hair with a gentle caress. It must have been so long ago, you think. And yet, you find yourself clinging onto those childhood memories for all of their worth.

"Everything's focused around my vital instrument." you say, fiddling with the precious thing in one hand. "She's the only recent thing I can recall."

There's a short moment of brief quiet as your revelation sinks in. "Could the head wound have done that?" Enjin asks Eishia.

"It's possible, but I don't think that's the case." she hums. "Memory loss cases are mostly the result of severe brain injuries. Though, the gash on their head wasn't nearly deep enough to prompt that massive wavelength of amnesia."

"Hm." Enjin shuts his eyes tight, eyebrows furrowed before he jumps out of his seat. "They're fine to be dismissed, yeah? C'mon, kid." the man says impatiently, already heading towards the door.

You hop out of the bed, cold floor tiles sending tingles up your spine. "Wait, where are we going?" Despite not knowing, you follow after him anyway, clicking your wired earpiece into your necklace.

Enjin turns his head over his shoulder, umbrella in hand. "I'm taking you to see the boss." he says, but his next words are what truly make you shiver.

"Then he's gonna decide on what to do with you."

The boss in question is a stark contrast from the scary, intimidating image you've conjured up in your head. He may not exactly be all sunshine and rainbows, but he's friendly enough to offer you a smile as he introduces himself. "Akha Corvus, leader of the Cleaners."

The Cleaners, a group of givers who use their vital instruments to exterminate trash beasts. "We've got non-givers with us too. Supporters, we call em." Enjin had explained.

"Y/n L/n." you respond, holding your clammy hands together. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Likewise. Though, I don't recall seeing you amidst our ranks last I was here." he says curiously.

"Sorry, boss. To put it short, we found this one right after our altercation with the Raiders." Enjin rubs the back of his neck, pulling you in by the shoulder as you let out a disgruntled 'oof'. "In fact, their vital instrument led us to them, despite the fact they were unconscious." he knocks his knuckles against your skull. "Says they can't remember how or why they ended up there, or anything at all really."

"A jinki that functions on its own, without the need for its user." Corvus says in thought. "You truly don't recall anything?"

You shake your bruised head with a sigh. "I've tried. But the memories outside of my childhood are all blurry." you mumble. "Feels like someone scribbled over it all with a marker."

Corvus leans back into his seat, calmly looking over your dejected face.

"It may not be a guarantee, but I'm sure we can help."

"Huh?" You perk up and meet the man's kind gaze.

"The Cleaners can offer you a spot in our ranks. You have nowhere to return to, correct? Here, everything is provided for." he offers. "As Cleaners, we're often deployed on jobs all over the Ground. I'm sure experiences like that will be bound to trigger some of your memories." It all feels too generous, coming as no surprise when he slips out the inevitable cons. "Of course, danger will always be imminent, and we cannot guarantee safety at all times—"

Still, you didn't need to hear any more. Amnesic, homeless you with nowhere to go doesn't have anything to lose, after all. Where would you even go if you denied his generosity? "I'll do it!" you exclaimed. "I promise I won't let you down, sir!"

Corvus lets out a light chuckle. "I appreciate the enthusiasm." he turns to Enjin. "I am aware that Rudo joined your team a mere while ago, but could I entrust this one to you as well?"

Enjin lets out a tired exhale. "Yeah, no problem, boss."

"I mean, What's one more kid, right?"

You look down at yourself, suddenly all too aware of the basic hospital drab you've been robed up in. The cloth serves its function of covering your body, though the material is so flimsy you might as well be wearing a paper bag instead.

"August hasn't met you yet. Plus he's already working on Rudo's uniform, if memory serves me right." he murmurs in thought, shooting you a look. "No offense."

"None taken."

Enjin continues on with his pondering. "My clothes would be too big, Riyo's and Eishia's too small, and I'm not even going to talk about Shikage." he taps his finger against his chin. "Say, how old are you?"

"17." you nod. "I think."

The blonde man snaps his fingers exuberantly and begins walking down the seemingly never ending halls. "Perfect, you two are the same age!"

"Me and who?" you ask curiously, hurrying to keep pace with his long-legged strides.

"You'll see soon enough." Enjin says vaguely, the corners of his lips curved up into a mischievous smirk. "Just a quick word of advice — try not to fling any poo on him if possible." he says through horribly concealed amusement.

Your eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Why would anyone fling dung on their future teammate?"

That comment has him bursting out into a fit of laughter, knees bent as he holds his stomach tight. "Oh, man!" he cackles, slapping you hard in between your shoulder blades. "You should go ahead and tell our local Spherite that. Guess what Rudo did on his first day!" the man guffaws, tears of amusement pooling in the corners of his eyes.

"Wait, that actually happened? And, did you say Spherite? Down here in the Ground?" Your jaw drops. "You can't just leave it at that! Now you have to tell me more!"

"Maybe another day." The man waves off casually, coming to a halt in front of a closed door. "Or if you're really that eager to know, here's your chance to ask the guy himself." he hums leisurely, delivering a few solid knocks against the frame. "Yo, Zanka."

There's a short moment of shuffling behind the door before it opens. "What is it?—" The individual standing in the doorway blinks his blue eyes at you for a moment, and you visibly witness the way his expression falters into cautious annoyance. "Who's this?" he asks, the drawl of an accent foreign to you lacing his words.

"Y/n, meet Zanka. Zanka, meet Y/n. Newest member of team Akuta." Enjin smiles too eagerly.

Zanka's face falls, unimpressed. "Newest member? We just got one."

"Pretty unusual given the time frame, but we don't exactly run on a set schedule." Enjin says. "Now, Y/n over here can't exactly go out on missions with us in a hospital gown, and the spares we had were all given to Rudo. You wouldn't mind sharing some of your wardrobe, would ya? It'd be just until they can go to the nearest safe zone and get their own drip and drab."

Zanka stays still, wearing a contemplative look. You bat your eyelashes up at him, putting on the most innocent, doe-eyed, pleading look you can muster from behind Enjin's shoulder. The moment Zanka spots it, his nonchalance melts into a grimace of complete and utter disgust.

Okay, guess that didn't work.

You're thankful he relents, letting out a sharp exhale whilst pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, fine. Don't move." he says with barely restrained annoyance over his shoulder, momentarily retreating back into the room.

The boy has left for only a second when Enjin claps you on the shoulder, announcing his departure. "I've got another job to take care of, but I'll be leaving you in capable hands. Make sure you go and see Semiu once you're done, yeah?" he leans in closer, whispering whilst keeping a close look on the door. "Don't be too disgruntled by his attitude. Trust me, he can't dislike you any more than the other newbie. So long as you stay normal, that is."

"...Right." you nod slowly. "Thanks Enjin!"

"Anytime." he waves, ultimately leaving you alone.

It's quiet.

Not to mention boring.

You tap your foot against the ground, taking big glances at the walls around you as you wait. Though they're peeling and certainly run down with time, there's a charm and soul to the entire building that lets you know it's lived in.

Zanka comes back holding a short stack of nearly folded clothes in one hand, and a wooden staff in the other. "Here." he stops as you take them with a quiet "thanks", glancing to and fro. "Where's Enjin?" Though the way he asks with that tired lilt tells you he already knows.

"Uh," you smile nervously, fiddling with your jinki. "He said he had a job to do. So he kind of... left."

"Yeah, I can see that." He presses hand to his forehead in agony. "Stuck with the newbie. Again." he grumbles.

All the others have been so nice. Being put in the care of somebody so grumpy has you out of your element. "Well," you hesitate. "Do you think you could take me to where Semiu is? I don't exactly know my way around, and Enjin said I'd be in capable hands with you, so—"

"Enjin said that?"

"Mhm, his exact words."

Zanka's eyes turn as wide as an owl's before schooling himself back to normal. He lets out a light cough, though you don't miss the light flush of red on the tips of his ears. What you think must be fluster draws your attention to the unique, tasseled earrings he's adorning. They're the same colour as his eyes, you notice, maybe for a little too long, as a scoff cuts you out of your curious stare.

"Done gettin' a look at me?" he says sarcastically.

"I was looking at your earrings, actually." you reply innocently.

"Great, a smart mouth. Just what I needed." Zanka subtly rolls his eyes, turning to stalk away. Your feet follow right after, keeping a safe distance between yourselves even as you walk side by side.

"I wasn't trying to come off that way. My bad." you try to placate.

The tension in his shoulders relaxens. "It's fine, no need to apologise." he waves off. "I've been a little on edge. Ain't your fault."

Mission success! You're proud of yourself for defusing the bomb, smirking proudly as soon as you turn your face away from view. You might as well be the boss' diplomatic right hand man.

"So, what made you think to join the cleaners?" Zanka asks. It's not a curious thing, the way the question falls from his tongue. He doesn't seem the sort to mind silence, either.

Maybe he's just trying to get to know his new teammate better! Though, looking back on his reaction when you'd appeared outside his door, he probably doesn't care all too much. Or at the very least, he certainly wasn't jumping for joy at your arrival. In a place like the ground where information can oftentimes be invaluable, you don't have to be a genius to deduce his motives.

Wait, why am I panicking? I have nothing to hide!... As far as I'm aware.

"I didn't have many options. Enjin said I was found in a polluted zone, but I can't remember anything for the life of me. I don't have a place to go back to." Realising how solemn your words sound, you put on a smile to try and lighten the atmosphere. "But I'm not the only newcomer, right? I heard the guy who came before me was a Spherite."

"Yeah. His name's Rudo." Zanka hums. "How he came down from the Sphere without dyin's a mystery for the ages. No mind how he's a huge pain in my ass."

"At least I'm not the only one who knows close to nothing." You turn your head. "Say, is it really true that he flung poo at you?"

Zanka stiffens up, and shoots you the nastiest glare you think you might have ever seen in the 17 years you've been alive (even if you can't remember most of it). "Who told you that?"

"Um." you squeak. There might as well be a pair of comically large mouse ears above your head, the way you've walked straight into the lion's den that is his presence. What was I thinking?! "Enjin."

"Of course he did." Zanka scowls, moving down the stairs without caring to check if you're keeping up. "Yeah, I got an entire plunger's worth of shit thrown directly at me. Is that what ya wanted to hear?"

"No..."

But the hilarity in your voice doesn't go unnoticed. Against your maturity, the image of somebody as stoic as Zanka with literal poop propelled at him ignites your instinctual reaction to belly laugh, simply for how stupid of an image it conjures up. Telling yourself repeatedly that you're nearing adult age doesn't help. Your lips curve with mirth, cheeks puffed out as you try to hold back your laughs.

Zanka isn't nearly as amused. In fact, you're half expecting him to slice your head off with that staff of his. "You think this is funny!?" he yells, aggressively pointing said stick at you. "Let's see how ya like it once I dunk your head down the toilet!"

"Wait, I was kidding! Gah!—"

You barely manage to get that sentence out before the goose chase begins. Running is bad enough. But running for your life down flights of stairs with an enraged maniac behind you might just be worse. The clothes — his clothes that Zanka passed to you from his own hands nearly fall out of your grasp more times than you can count. All the while, you're trying to escape from what might just be a serial killer on your ass.

"Get back here!"

Your feet are scrambling, tripping over the steps as you miraculously keep your balance. A loud yelp escapes you as prominent whacking misses your head by a hair. "Zanka, buddy!" you let out a yodeled scream. "We can talk this out!—"

His staff comes just shy of your neck, trapping you up against the wall. You may have lied when commenting on his glower earlier. You'd be a deceased corpse on the stair landing by now if looks could truly kill. His azure eyes are ablaze as he keeps a firm hand on the wooden handle. That wasn't a figure of speech. His eyes are quite literally glowing, and subsequently his staff follows, before evolving right before your eyes into its activated form.

Great, I'm going to die. Enjin left you alone for such a short amount of time. Less than an hour tops, and your journey as a Cleaner was finished before it'd even started. "Please, have some mercy! I'm too young to have my head dunked in shit water!" you plead frantically.

"Ya don't look allat young." Zanka scoffs.

"I am spiritually." you say sweetly. Perhaps the devil has taken hold of your body, for you cannot think of a logical, within bounds reason for your behaviour. "I have the mind of an innocent cherub and the temperament of a harmless bunny. How could lil ol' me do any wrong?"

Zanka stands still, and in that second, it's the calm before the storm.

"Alright, that's it."

But right as he's about to hit you into your next life, a woman comes in from the door next to the stairway, holding a cigarette in between her fingers. Her glasses don't help with making her believe what exactly it is that she's looking at.

Zanka and you both pause for completely different reasons. You're just relieved you've been saved by this absolute saviour of a lady. On the opposite side of the spectrum, your new teammate puts on an impassive look, feigning nonchalance. As if that's enough to save face.

"Now, what the hell are y'all doing?"