Chapter Text
“Woah..” Rudo’s jaw was on the floor as he looked around the wide-open market, streets lined with shops and tents selling anything you could think of and more.
Rudo had seen the cities on the ground of course, the one when he first landed with Enjin and a few they had passed while driving but the amount of people now crowding the streets was more than Rudo had seen before.
He heard a cackle from behind him as Enjin leaned an arm on the kid's head, putting nearly all his weight down to make Rudo squirm out of the hold, “Huge right? The markets in this city are renowned for a reason.”
“Get off!” Rudo swatted at the blonde as Enjin put his hands up in mock surrender as he smiled.
They had come to the town for some fun shopping on a day off, as worried as he was about leaving HQ now that the raiders had information on him he was assured by Enjin, Gris, and even Semiu that they had taken precautions to make sure someone had an eye on him at all times.
Not that he was ecstatic about being babysat all day but if it meant leaving HQ he could deal with it.
He was unceremoniously shoved forward by Zanka’s Assistaff as most of the group they were with had already dove headfirst into the market's crowd, only Zanka and Enjin staying behind while Rudo gawked.
After only threatening to bite Zanka a little, he started forward, unsure where to begin in the massive streets of vendors.
“Got anything specific you want?” Enjin asked walking beside him as Rudo scanned the crowds and stalls.
The albino just shrugged, he wasn’t actually sure what to look at honestly. More in awe by the magnitude of the market rather than excitement to buy stuff.
“I don’t know, I don’t really need anything.” Rudo responded simply, Enjin quirking an eyebrow.
“Well yeah, you don’t ‘need’ anything but do you want anything? That’s why we get paid after all.” Enjin said, tapping Umbreaker as he walked.
The kid shrugged again, what he wanted could probably be found in a dumpster rather than a vendor stall.
“Well, I have been needing some polish for Lovely.” Zanka took the lack of enthusiasm at the vendor's wares as an opportunity to look at what he wanted first, guiding the two over to a small carpentry shop tucked behind a few stalls.
Rudo followed behind the teen, wide curious eyes taking in everything they passed.
Enjin smiled a bit at the sight, he really did need to take this kid outside of HQ more.
While Zanka looked over the polishes Rudo started to wander a bit to the tools section of the shop on the other side of the store, Enjin keeping close as to not loose him.
“Need any tools for your projects?” Enjin asked more to make conversation but Rudo didn’t answer, eyes trained on the wall of tools, seeming to examine every one.
They stood there for another moment or two before Rudo moved again, reaching out to carefully pick up a smaller multitool near the bottom of the wall.
It was a sleek little tool, when opened it showed a whole range of different screwdrivers, pliers, and even a small knife along the edge.
Rudo held it like it was a diamond, slowly fiddling with the different tools and seeing how the thing felt in his gloved hands.
Enjin watched curiously at the kid's mannerisms with the small tool, it was cute.
Finally, Rudo seemed to break away from the trance of the wall of tools and looked to Enjin, like he was looking for permission to like the thing.
“Do you want it?” Enjin asked as he leaned on his umbrella.
Rudo nodded, flipping the multitool in his leathered palms a few times.
Zanka had appeared behind them again as Rudo looked back up, the older teen holding a small can of blue polish and some other items that looked like polish rags and grip tape.
“I’m gonna check out, you getting something?” Zanka asked genuinely, watching Rudo look over the tool he found one more time before turning to follow him to the counter.
The clerk was a kind older man who checked them both out pretty quick, Rudo digging through the side satchel August had given him for his bag of money to pay before he was handed back the tool again.
The kid's eyes seemed to gleam as he put his money and the new tool back into his bag, even if the kid didn’t smile you could see the pure joy in his eyes from the purchase.
Enjin continued to watch, Zanka even seeing it as he packed his items into his own small bag.
“Alright! Where we headed next?” Enjin announced as they left the shop, the small bell above the door ringing as they re-entered the busy streets.
“Do they have candy around here?” Rudo finally used his voice again as he scanned the crowd.
“I am not dealing with him on a sugar rush in the first hour.” Zanka deadpanned, earning a punch to the shoulder from Rudo.
Enjin had to split them up before they actually started fighting in the middle of the street and got them kicked out.
“I’m sure there’s a pastry shop or something around here, I know that’s where dear wanted to go so we might be able to find bro there.” Enjin started towards the main street as Rudo and Zanka glared at each other but followed anyway.
Zanka was a few paces behind when a flutter of purple caught his attention out of his peripherals, eyes snapping to where he thought he saw it before brushing it off as someone passing by and sped up to where Rudo and Enjin were discussing the fact that Enjin had to hold any candy that Rudo buys until they get back to HQ.
—
A few minutes and a couple side streets later Rudo caught sight of Bro, Dear, and Guita out front of a small pastry shop. Enjin had called Bro’s choker when they left the first shop to figure out where they landed and meet up so the kids could go crazy in a candy shop together.
And also so there were two adults when someone eventually goes wild.
Rudo jogged up to the three as Dear and Guita spotted him as well, Guita immediately tackling Rudo when he got closer although the hare was able to keep his balance.
“NOW CAN WE GO IN?!” Guita shouted to bro as she was getting unceremoniously shoved off of Rudo, not with any malice behind it and she knew that as she let go.
Enjin and Zanka finally caught up behind them as Dear stood his ground next to Rudo as he normally did but couldn’t help bouncing on his heels at the excitement of the candy shop.
“Yes, now that we have Rudo and his group we can go in.” Bro looked to Enjin who nodded as well as Dear dragged Rudo into the shop with Guita running ahead.
The adults + Zanka followed behind, watching the younger kids start running up and down the aisles of the shop to look at everything.
It was an extremely colorful shop as Rudo quickly realized the lights were blinding him as Dear tugged on his shirt sleeve to lead him to where he wanted to go.
Rudo scanned the shelves as he passed but let himself get dragged along, Dear heading right towards the hard candy he spotted when first walking in.
As Dear started picking through the candies he wanted Rudo scanned the rest of the shop over the short shelves, seeing Guita who was very interested in the cotton candy and Bro and Enjin who were chatting by the door as Zanka stood outside.
He felt another tug as he looked to see Dear holding up a small lollipop towards him, it was shaped like a carrot and Dear seemed to be holding back giggles.
“That's just mean..” Rudo deadpanned but both he and Dear knew he wasn’t actually hurt by it, Dear just shrugged and put it back in the bucket of lollipops.
Rudo got Dear's attention one more time and signaled that he was going to look at something across the store, Dear nodding as Rudo started towards the small confectionery counter.
Rudo gave a slight wave to the younger woman behind the counter like Regto had taught him was polite and started looking over the baked goods in the display case.
The sight of them was making his mouth water..
He wanted all of them-
He shook his head out thought a looked at the prices, nearly taking a step back at how expensive some of them were..
“We get stuff from the Veanders but outside of them baking stuff is uncommon to come by so shit can get pricey.” Zanka popped up behind Rudo as the kid nearly jumped out of his skin.
Rudo spun around and snapped, “DON’T SNEAK UP ON ME LIKE THAT-“
Zanka looked genuinely shocked that he had startled Rudo and put a hand up, “You know for a bunny I would have thought you’d have better hearing.”
“IM NOT- ugh!” Rudo stomped his foot again and glared at Zanka, “I do! It’s just.. loud here-“
He wasn’t kidding, with the doors open to the crowded streets and people coming in and out, it was extremely loud here, even worse outside.
It made Rudo uneasy not being able to hear things as well but he kept that to himself.
“Anyway, if you want something you should get it, yeah we get stuff from our trades but the stuff here is themed around the market.” Zanka pushed past the topic and looked over the glass case.
Rudo looked back and scanned the pastries, he had his eye on one that looked like it had chocolate in the middle and was shaped to look like a plant of some kind.
Zanka seemed to spot what he was looking at and nudged him, “You know how to order?”
Rudo seemed to think about it, “Not really.”
Zanka took the initiative then and asked the girl behind the counter for the one Rudo had his eye on, Rudo’s stare never leaving the pastry until it was boxed up and he had handed over the coins needed.
Before he could even grab the box though Enjin came up behind them and grabbed it off the counter.
“HEY!” Rudo spun on his boot heel towards Enjin who was holding the neatly tied up box above his head.
“What did I say, sugar stays with me until we get back.” Enjin smiled as Rudo glared daggers into the man.
“You can get more kid, but I feel like you will just devour this one immediately if you get your hands on it.” Enjin shooed Rudo off towards where Guita and Dear had their hands full of candy and such.
Rudo grumbled but headed towards them anyway, spotting a few more smaller treats he wanted along the way and grabbing them.
-
About an hour or so later the group headed out of the shop, most of the candy the kids had bought now in the adults' bags but they still got to keep a few things for now.
Dear had a lollipop in his mouth and was holding his Jinki securely in his other hand, Guita was munching on some smaller candies and Rudo had already eaten the candy bar he was allowed to have now.
They hopped around to a few other stores as well, deciding to stay together as they all had plans to meet up with the rest of the larger group in a bit for lunch.
Dear had found a plush he liked at a street vendor and Enjin grabbed some magazines for Semiu that the kids were not allowed to see.
By the time they reached the restaurant to meet up with everyone else Rudo was tired and overwhelmed by the volume of this place.
Heightened senses were both a blessing and a curse as he had found out many times over his life.
He was currently pressed against the wall in one of the booths the large group of cleaners took up, keeping his eyes shut to try and focus on anything other than the voices grating on his nerves around him.
Riyo was next to him with Enjin on the outside, Gris, Follo, and Zanka sitting across from them with most of the others scattered at other tables.
Their food was already out so everyone was chowing down, the sounds of people eating not helping with the rising headache Rudo was getting.
“You alright Rudo?” Gris seemed to notice after a while that the kid wasn’t touching his food much which was out of the ordinary for the boy who normally scarfed down his meals like he was starving.
Rudo gave a hum and not much more as Gris looked to Enjin who shrugged but looked just as concerned.
“Is it cuz it’s loud?” Zanka asked from the other end of the table, remembering what Rudo had said when he accidentally scared him earlier.
Rudo hummed again, not exactly a yes or a no but the point got across.
Gris seemed to understand as Riyo leaned over to the booth behind them and whispered something to the other group.
Rudo’s eyes stayed shut during the meal, he wanted to go back to HQ but the others were having fun and he didn’t want to ruin that just because he was uncomfortable.
Rudo vaguely picked up on something being passed over to Riyo from the other group before something was being slid over his head.
He opened his eyes enough to see Riyo positioning a set of headphones on him, the noises of his surroundings dampening immediately much to Rudo’s relief as his shoulder sagged.
“Guita and Dear get overwhelmed sometimes with loud places, probably not to the same extent but it’s something.” Bro was leaning over from the booth they were at behind them.
Rudo gave him a grateful look to which Bro smiled and went back to his group.
“Advanced hearing has got to be annoying in loud places,” Gris spoke, the statement directed to Rudo as the kid took a few breaths to get used to the dampened noise.
“It’s nice sometimes, lets me know where people are before I can see them but when the people are everywhere..” Rudo trailed off at the end, started to pick at his plate more now that he could think clearly.
“Gets to be too much?” Riyo asked as Rudo nodded.
“It’s a lot,” Rudo muttered as he started shoveling food into his mouth.
Riyo and Gris chuckled as the group also went back to eating. Not focusing much on the figures standing across the way keeping an eye on the restaurant windows.
—
“They aren’t going to just let him wander off so fast after that last attack..” a voice muttered from under a dark hood.
“So what’s the plan?”
“We figure it out as we go.. worst case scenario we take him while he’s being watched. We just need to be careful.”
“I don’t like this..”
“Orders are orders,” there was a pause in the voice, “And Zodyl wants him alive.”