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Enjin was glad to be out of those cramped tunnels. This whole situation was fishy, and the raiders were somehow bold enough to launch a surprise attack on his team. It worried him.
Whatever was going on here, he’d clean it up fast and get his crew out. Nice and simple.
All he needed was to find Zanka or Riyo and they could put a plan together. Easy.
The tunnel narrowed as he walked, the air starting to feel heavier. There was a weird bite to it now, sharp and chemical. He wrinkled his nose. Definitely not a good smell, like acid.
Somewhere ahead, a voice carried through the dark. Not quite talking to someone, definitely talking to himself. Enjin slowed, staying close to the wall as he moved forward.
He reached the mouth of a cavern and leaned in just enough to see. The place opened wide, rough stone walls lit by faint, sickly light.
Then he spotted Zanka.
Jabber had him by the foot, dragging him across the ground. The kid’s arms hung loose, head tilting with each pull. Enjin immediately knew the kid had been beaten, but it froze him in his tracks seeing Zanka so limp.
Enjin’s grip on the Umbreaker tightened. “What did you do to him?”
Jabber looked over, his grin too wide. “Huuuuh? You’re one of those cleaners too. Don’t worry, I just gave him a little prick—”
“Let him go, Jabber.” Enjin’s voice was low, calm.
Jabber smirked. “You’re late. Your boy’s already-”
The Umbreaker slammed into his side before he could finish. Two quick strides, one hard hit. Jabber hit the cavern wall, stone cracking on impact. His head drooped forward and he slid to the floor, out cold. And stay down.
The sound of a wet, broken wheeze pulled Enjin’s focus back to the ground.
“Zanka,” he muttered, moving fast. He turned and rushed to Zanka’s form on the ground, kneeling beside his body.
Up close, the damage was bad. His shirt was soaked red, and upon closer inspection his stomach was torn up, his skin cold under Enjin’s hand. His breaths were short and unsteady.
“Damn it.” Enjin pressed hard on the wound, feeling the warm blood run between his fingers. His other hand stayed firm on Zanka’s shoulder.
“Shit. What did he do to you? Run you through with a drill?”
Enjin tried to laugh it off, leaning closer to catch a reaction. Normally, Zanka would snap at him for a line like that- tell him to shut up, call him an idiot. It always drove his student up the wall.
This time there was nothing.
“Zanka? You hear me?”
His eyes didn’t move. His face stayed frozen. Pupils jittered in place, his breath coming too fast. Panic.
The ice in Enjin’s chest was sharp enough to make him swallow hard. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong.
“Zanka, answer me, kid-”
He stopped when Zanka’s lips began to move.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
Enjin shifted, keeping pressure on the wound with one hand while lowering his head to hear better.
“Hey. No. None of that. It’s no big deal, okay Zan-”
“Please, sister-” Zanka’s voice cracked into a sob. “I really tried that time…”
Enjin froze.
Two things became instantly clear. One: Zanka wasn’t here with him. He was somewhere else entirely. Two: Enjin knew exactly who “sister” meant. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. Rage flared, hot and ugly, but he shoved it down. Anger wouldn’t help right now.
The acrid stench in the cavern suddenly made sense. Poison. Strong enough to twist the mind. Judging by Zanka’s fevered eyes and slick forehead, it was a nasty strain, even by the Ground’s standards.
Enjin’s mouth set into a hard line. He shifted position again, lifting each of Zanka’s eyelids. The pupils weren’t even.
“Zanka. Can you hear me? If you can, try nodding.”
Nothing. Zanka’s eyes were open, but they saw nothing at all.
“It hurts,” Zanka whispered. “I can try again. Please don’t-”
“Shhh. Zanka. It’s not real.”
Zanka breathed in a sob.
“We’re getting you help now. Just relax.”
Enjin hated how uncomfortable he felt. He was supposed to be the leader, but seeing Zanka like this shook him. Blood soaked his hands, warm and slick, still pumping out of the wound faster than it should. He wasn’t a medic, and Zanka couldn’t afford to lose anymore.
Carefully, he slid a hand under the back of the boy’s neck, then worked his other arm under his legs. He lifted him in a carry, slow enough not to jostle his stomach.
Zanka let out a thin, pained wheeze. Enjin’s heart lurched.
“I got you, buddy. It’s gonna be fine. You’ve survived worse, yeah?” His voice was steady, but the words were more for himself than for Zanka.
Enjin had seen his share of field wounds. Injuries happened. Casualties happened. But not to his crew. Not to his friends. And yet here Zanka was, pale and bleeding out in his arms.
He had been supposed to Enjin, the cleaner. Now Zanka could be dying- he refused to think about it.
Enjin walked, attempting to backtrack his steps through the tunnels. He needed to find someone, anyone that wasn’t another goddamn raider. He stepped carefully, and tried to ignore the way Zanka’s head lolled limply against his chest.
Zanka lay stretched out on a cot, pale but breathing. Eishia’s hands moved in quick, precise motions, wrapping his bare torso with white bandages.
Enjin didn’t dare sit. He kept his eyes locked on the kid’s face, as if that alone could turn him back to normal. They had no clue what Zanka had experienced in his mind, after learning about the neurotoxin. He was worried about Zanka’s mental state, and his own as well.
Eishia broke the silence first.
“He’s stable for now. Two of the poisons are neutralized.”
Enjin’s shoulders loosened a fraction. “And the third?”
Her voice stayed steady, but her eyes flicked up to meet his. “It has to work its way out naturally. I can treat the symptoms, but it’ll take a few days.”
Enjin stared at her. “A few days? He’s lying here full of poison and you’re telling me-”
“Please don’t be angry!” She pleaded. And Enjin blinked, reminding himself who he was talking to. The shy girl was doing what she could.
He let out a sharp breath through his nose, then forced the words out.
“…Sorry. I just… worry. He’ll be fine. He’s a strong guy.”
A faint shift on the cot made Enjin glance down. Zanka’s eyelids fluttered, struggling against their own weight, until hazy blue eyes blinked up at him.
“Hey,” Enjin said quietly, leaning just enough to fill his view.
There was no answer, but the lines of Zanka’s eyebrows softened when he spotted Enjin. The corner of Zanka’s mouth twitched upward.
Enjin surprised himself by smiling back. “God, don’t make me carry you so much next time, you brat.” The older cleaner pulled a chair to sit beside Zanka’s cot, and felt some stress finally bleed out of him. He will be there, this time.