Chapter Text
Rudo was an odd ball, it was the first thing Zanka noticed about him since their first encounter when he A) stole Aibo B) mean mugged him in the most abnormal way possible and C) chased him with human excrement. Definitely weird. Definitely not from around here.
Though, Zanka guessed he could cut the kid some slack, knowing that he wasn’t necessarily a local, either. He did grow up on the ground, but Kamuatari’d been entirely different from anywhere else Zanka’d ventured. No way he was like this when he’d first joined the Cleaners, though. Rudo truly stands out and is one of a kind.
That was a reason out of many that so many people were after the kid; Raiders, traffickers, Hell’s Guard, shit even Corvus probably had some secret intentions, too. It pissed him off.
Enjin put Rudo into his care, to train him to be a great member of Akuta and able to hold his own in these foreign lands he’d fallen into. The disrespect Zanka personally felt any time someone creeped on hi—the kid would boil his blood and fill him with an unknown feeling. A hot feeling. A feeling that went to his bones and sharpened his teeth for blood.
How dare they try to take what’s his, the Cleaners’ member, Akuta’s youngest. And right in front of him? Jabber was right, he did have a bad attitude. Especially when it came to dirty thieving hands grabbing at Zanka’s pupil. Hell nah.
Zanka’d heard the HQ was having visitors coming soon, that it’d been a short notice thing following the attacks brought on by Mymo. Zanka wondered what the hell was happening now, when HQ was trying to regather with Akuta and Eager off duty—though Delmon was doing ground solo reconning, but still.
He’d just been allowed off of bedrest and able to walk the halls freely. Enjin’s wounds were still in after-care treatment, some weird thing with his anima that Eisha wanted to be sure wasn’t serious. Akuta was down for the time being and for once Zanka was fine with that. They needed to rest, Riyo and Rudo were also showing signs of needing a break.
“Zanka,” he turned, seeing Rudo jog up to him from down the corridor. “Can we do something today? I’m kinda bored and Guita said you might be able to instruct us with some drill if you weren’t busy...Uh, are you…? Busy? I was supposed to ask that first,” the last part was under the kid’s breath, but Zanka could hear it clearly—they’d need to discuss how whispering worked at some point, but for now it was kinda goofy to witness.
“You and Guita? I guess so, did ya wanna run somethin’ specific or just wanting to play outside?” Ah, he didn’t mean to say play, worrying Rudo’d be offended by being treated like he was younger than 15.
Before he could correct his wording, Rudo nodded quickly like a bobble-head. “We wanted to run some agility, but also anything’s fine also! I really just wanna do something.”
A sigh escaped Zanka as he pondered some ideas he could lead the two on without breaking Eisha’s restrictions. “All right, I think we can figure somethin’ out. I’ll be down in 10, so go make sure Guita’s ready.” He watched Rudo nearly leap for joy, turning and running quickly away with a weird grin on his face.
Zanka wasn’t entirely sure what they’d work on, but he could tell Rudo needed to let loose and get his mind off of the festival. Hell, they all could do without having to relive Mymo’s craziness. When he’d made it down, he also saw Dear, Fu, and Remlin had joined. Zanka didn’t even know Remlin was in town, but it made sense since they were buddy buddy with a lot of HQ’s members.
“Zanka!” Guita yelled, waving her monster arms around in the air, hailing him over as though he couldn’t spot them all like a sore thumb in the nearly empty training grounds. “We got a group to play with!” Ah, she’d wanted to straight up play, just as he’d guessed.
“I can see that,” the Nijiku walked up and patted her on the head. “Good work.” She lit up at the praise and behind her Rudo pouted and snapped at them with something about having also helped get the group filled. “Good work, you two,” he also gave Rudo a pat on the head that the younger surprisingly also seemed to brighten at. “Was there anything anyone’d come up with that ya wanna start off with? We can warm up with something easy, maybe tag or we can get out a ball to play with?”
Dear walked over and tugged at his pant leg, he looked down and saw the boy point at the basketball posts. “Yeah, I can go get ya a basketball. ‘s that good with everyone?” The others cheered and Zanka went to retrieve the ball from the supply shed. When he’d returned he passed the ball to Rudo. “Do you know how to play?” Rudo blinked and shook his head.
Remlin raised their hand, “How about we play HORSE? It’s easier to learn and we can try some fun trick shots, too!” The group agreed and made to show Rudo how to play the game.
While they began to play, Guita starting off by going all the way back and yelling she’d do a four-pointer and threw the ball, completely missing the basket by a long shot. Zanka sat down at a nearby bench so he could keep an eye on them as they played without needing to be an active participant. He enjoyed watching them run around and try to suggest throws to try out. He’d never played the game in his youth, but was happy that they all got to have fun and play games with each other. Much better than any training the Nijiku’s deemed as appropriate for early learning years.
“Ah, Zanka,” a voice pulled him from his thoughts. He looked up and saw Corvus walking his way. He jumped up and bowed.
“Boss, I didn’t see you there, my apologies.”
Corvus laughed him off, “It’s all right, you know I don’t require such formalities. Say, I have some guests here looking for Rudo. I’d like you to take on the issue in Enjin’s place, you are his teacher, correct?”
Zanka blinked, “Uh, yeah, I guess. Who’s…?” Corvus stepped aside and Zanka’s heart fell into his feet. Standing with the same conviction she usually radiates, Kyouka Nijiku.
“Wh—Kyouka?”
“I am here for the Spherite. Your services will not be necessarily,” she looked to the kids that had stopped playing, finally noticing something was wrong. Rudo, of course, ran up to Zanka to stand by him.
“Zanka, what’s up? Who’s this?” Rudo glanced warily towards the woman, subconsciously moving closer and gently grabbing Zanka’s haori by the back.
Kyouka glared down her nose at the boy. “Rudo Surebrec. You will be coming with me, you are being brought in for questioning under the Hell’s Guard law.”
“What!” Zanka shouted before he could stop himself. Kyouka’s glare turned to him. “Yer not taking him anywhere, Hell’s Guard has no reasoning an’ you know it.”
“He is wanted for the information in regards to Mym—”
“Goka was there, or is he too stupid ta remember the shit that happened right in front of him?!” Zanka’s heart was hammering and all he could hear was the blood pumping in his ears and a sharp ringing he was certain was in his head and not something they all could hear. He’d never stood up to his family, let alone Kyouka.
“Tsk,” she clicked her tongue, turning up her upper lip in disgust. “The Cleaners have certainly reduced you to this barbaric state. Have you no shame? To speak so lowly of your elder brother? I clearly should have been more stern, to have allowed you to keep the last name Nijiku was clearly a mistake on my part. Now enough of your childish antics, hand over the child.”
Rudo shied further behind Zanka. It drove a hot feeling deeper into the Nijiku’s core, urging him on. “Rudo is not being detained, as he has no reason to be questioned. Goka can testify to this if he is worth anything and able to recount the happenings in regards to Mymo and the Doll Festival. And if ya demand on takin’ him, it’s my duty to see to it you are stopped, as kidnapping and wrongful enforcement is illegal, Nee-san.”
His eyes stared back with her own face mirroring back at her. She knew they shared a lot of physical characteristics, but now she could see just how similar they were. “…”
“If I must return here to question the spherite again, we will not be having this conversation. I will not be traveling for nothing, and you will also be arrested for interfering with the Hell’s Guard.”
She turned and left, Zanka not easing his muscles from their tense state. He was just waiting for Kyouka to change her mind and come back to take Rudo by force.
He felt weight press against him from all sides and looked down to see the kids huddled against him, Remlin and Dear having tears in their eyes. “Wha..?”
“Zanka,” Remlin sobbed, “Y-you saved Rudo…!” They rubbed their tear stained face into his clothes.
Rudo was also crying, much to Zanka’s surprise. “You good, Rudo?”
He hiccuped, “You stood up for me...a-and I dunno, I jus’ really miss my dad.” His cries continued, breaking Zanka’s heart.
“Hey, of course I’d protect ya, you’re my student. Kyouka’s just all talk, she’ll get over it. Ya don’t gotta worry, kay?” He ruffled Rudo’s pale hair. “What happened to HORSE?” They began to pull back and wipe their eyes.
“Y-yeah,” Guita wobbled. “M-my turn, kay.” They made their way back to the discarded basketball and Zanka returned to his seat, feeling bone tired suddenly.
“Good work, kid,” Zanka nearly jumped a mile high, Enjin having come out of nowhere and sat down next to him lazily.
“Huh? The hell you doin’ here?! Corvus said you weren’t—”
“Nah, nothin’ like that.” Enjin waved him off, “We just thought if anyone could back talk Kyouka without her getting her way, you’d manage to be the one. Good work!”
Zanka blinked owlishly. “...Uh…”
“’sides, I wanted to see how far you two’d come. At first you could barely stand the kid, and Rudo wasn’t much better. I’m super proud to see our little family growing closer, ah I’m gonna cry!” He wiped a fake tear.
“…” Zanka just stared on in horror. It was catching up, all he said to Kyouka. Nijiku. “I think I’m gonna be sick…” Enjin just laughed him off.