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It was supposed to be a simple mission. Slugs going missing in a carven off the west side, something easy to ease Junjie into what the 99 caverns were like now that he was somewhat officially-not-officially part of the Shane gang. He’s proven himself more than enough during their search and rescue of the elementals and it was only fair that they stopped holding him at such far arms-length.
Eli couldn’t help but feel like a mother hen, looking at Junjie’s reaction as he got to see more of the 99 caverns. He was not going to deny as much as he would like the pride that he felt for the place that’d become his home more than the surface world in the short space of time, and it was nice – getting to introduce it to someone who didn’t know it either. It was simply something that never happened. Not only that, it felt like his duty to show the other resident human – aside from Trixie – what was safe and what wasn’t for them.
Junjie wasn’t as unfamiliar with the world as Eli had been but he regularly admitted that the form of it was simply different. He was a lot more serious than Eli though, but he was trying his best. Eli could see his struggle to connect with them. He was trying his best but while Junjie had his own personality, in many ways, he was a blank slate that was often disconnected from social interactions. He was physically present but he hardly talked or added to the conversation, it wasn’t awkward, it was as if he were simply unused to having to include himself.
Eli couldn’t help but often compare it to the many martial arts movies he’d watched as a kid, knowing that the mentee was often off in a mountain training, away from people. And Junjie unconsciously did nothing that refuted that.
“Liking it so far?” Eli couldn’t help the small grin on his face as he watched Junjie tried the coffee in his hand – or at least the closest thing they had to coffee here. It was actually some sort of moss-grown plant that farmers had found that gave similar effects to the coffee beans on the surface world – not that they knew that – and Eli tried his hardest not to think too hard about it. It was easy for him to be honest since he hadn’t been addicted to the stuff back home but still, Junjie was more familiar with something like tea rather than coffee. He laughed as Junjie’s face twisted before he could drop it back into that same neutral tone that he used when faced with Pronto’s cooking.
It was another thing he noticed the other did, he didn’t let his emotions show. Initially, it’d been because he was too exhausted after being essentially mind controlled by a corrupted slug, but now, it just seemed like training had kicked in. He was a lot more mature than anyone in the group, but sometimes his true emotions broke through, it was never long enough but just enough that Eli knew he was much younger than he portrayed.
Eli knew he was a lot more fixated on Junjie’s presence than he should be and it’s taken his team to come up with a reasonable explanation. It was less about Junjie himself, but more that there was a new member on the team, and the last person they had on their team was Twist. It didn’t help that Eli had finally learned his father was alive and managed to lose him in the same space of time. Doctor Black was back and they now had a mind possessive slug to hunt down and they just learned that not only was there a whole new set of caverns but it may be under war and there was nothing they would do to help. So yea, in the grand scheme of things – harassing Junjie seemed like the easiest thing to do.
Not that Junjie seemed particularly harassed, so Eli might have better control over his emotions than he realized.
Eli blinked, focusing on the cavern around him again as he took a breath. It was a beautiful place that reminded him a lot like Redhook’s place. The town was built up enough for a shopping area but they’d easily stuck to their homey disposition. The ‘mayor’ – what Eli had started calling her and unfortunately, his team seemed to be catching on – was an older woman in charge of the town. She’d called them in to deal with the trafficking of slugs that’d started up even more viciously now that people were starting to learn that Doctor Black was alive and Eli wasn’t one to turn that down.
He looked at Junjie again with a small grin, “Is it that bad?”
Junjie cleared his throat, swaying with the movement of his mecha to keep the liquid balanced, getting used to the weight of the new adjustments and enhancements Kord had added to it now that he was part of the team. Eli was once again struck by the blank space in his mental notes that’d labelled Junjie’s age. He’d been too hesitant initially to ask him, before it’d been about offering Junjie space, but now it simply felt too awkward to ask and no one else in the group seemed as interested in the little detail as he was. Kord and Pronto simply considered all of them young and Trixie just rolled with it.
“In my honest opinion, no. It’s interesting, but far more bitter than I expected, not something I’m used to.” Eli didn’t raise an eyebrow anymore at the report-like response. It simply was something that made Junjie Junjie.
Eli huffed as he pulled his mecha slower to match Junjie’s pace, offering his own coffee. Junjie frowned at him questioningly. “Switch with me – stop watching me so suspicious, I’m not diseased.”
Eli had said it jokingly but Junjie winced, reminding the other slinger that Junjie took things a little more seriously than the rest of them. Still, it was enough for Junjie to take it while rolling his eyes at Eli’s snarky grin - a gesture Eli was more than proud that he picked up from them – while Eli made a grabbing gesture for the other cup until Junjie gave it to him.
Honestly, Eli was not one to switch something he’d drank from before he’d come to the 99 caverns but working with a team and spending days on the road sometimes tended to break that down when they sometimes shared water bottles or sleeping bags depending on who was on watch.
“This is better… sweeter, I think.” Junjie nodded, looking far too focused for something like trying out different coffees. He moved to offer it back but Eli shook his head with a grin, pulling his mecha out of Junjie’s reach.
“I’ll keep this one. Now we have an idea of which one you like.” Eli shrugged. “Don’t worry, stick around long enough for run-on missions and you won’t taste the difference.”
Junjie looked like he wanted to protest but he’d gotten used to how Eli was, shrugging his shoulders with a sigh and shifted his mecha’s speed enough that it moved past Eli. Eli snorted and bounded after him as fast as he dared to avoid spilling his coffee.
“Guys, reports says there’s another attack happening not far from you guys. You see anything suspicious?” Trixie’s voice cut in on the coms, she sends a map for them on their mechas’ console in the same breath, highlighting the old attacks in yellow and recent attacks in red. The red was quickly spreading like a stain.
Trixie had stuck behind to get a proper download of all the information and act as their liaison between the mayor and get as much footage of the attacks as she could. Pronto had been with Kord initially but had gotten into yet another fight with the elementals and was now slung up under a cliff while Kord was trying to get him without dropping him.
Junjie and Eli had initially planned to split off but at some point, Eli had simply abandoned his own plan and stuck with him to go on something of a food stall peruse.
“Nothing we can see at the moment, we’re a minute out, heading there now.” Eli responded, shifting his mecha out of autopilot to manual as he glanced at Junjie, who did the same. “Thanks, Trix.”
“Good luck, don’t do anything stupid.” Eli could hear the grin in her tone as he snorted.
They tossed their half-finished coffees in the bin at the side of the road before heading in the direction Trixie marked out for them.
A loud bang, the sound of a fired blaster and screaming reached them not long after. Eli and Junjie drove faster, pulling to a stop as people ran past them. “Hey, why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” Eli shouted, the familiar rush of adrenaline from an impending fight rushing through him. Junjie, however, stayed quiet behind him, surveying the scene with a much more critical eye. Which is why he was not only able to dodge an armashelt slug before firing Juju in the same movement. Eli just yelped as he ducked from a Fandango, taking an extra second before he fired Jules back.
He took in the scene as Junjie rushed between a slinger and a civilian, giving them a chance to run with his mecha as a shield. Eli picked up on a faint cry of ‘It’s the Shane’ cry, giving a small smile and hoping that it reassured whoever called him out. There were three of them, easily twice their size.
“This ain’t your territory, Shane gang!” One guy, the leader most likely, yelled at him with a nasty grin but Eli wasn’t one to fire unless fired at and Junjie would not move until he was sure the civilians were safe. It was another idle observation, civilians came first, it didn’t matter how much Junjie would be in in turn. He knew he was the Easter Cavern’s protector but he took it to a whole different level than Eli. Eli wouldn’t hesitate to put himself between a slinger and a civilian but he tried his best to find a plan that didn’t end up with anyone hurt.
“You made it my territory when you started stealing slugs.” The humor was gone from Eli, feeling the usual annoyance from people who treated slugs like their own personal gain. They were living creatures.
“Oh come on, these people weren’t using them. They don’t need slugs – they’ll be of more use to us.” Another responded, rolling his eyes. ‘We just… gave them a better opportunity.
Junjie clicked his tongue in annoyance, his twisting his wrist to arm his blaster but not aiming just yet without Eli’s decision.
They all jolted as a bin fell over, making a loud clatter. The flinch was enough for the third slinger, much more nervous and younger than his cohorts, to pull the trigger – firing it as a kid who was trying to run without being seen. Eli’s heart moved to his throat in that half second, and he knew his draw wouldn’t be enough.
Junjie was moving before he was, hand shooting out and straining as the slug moved out of the way, heading safely out of the way. There was a moment of shocked silence before the leader fired another slug, and suddenly they were all in motion. Eli dodged the slug coming his way, Junjie pulled his mecha to distract the others as he fired his own slug, taking out the nervous slinger before he could react.
The leader cursed as Junjie fired again, diving out the way, only to yelp in surprise as he was cornered by Eli. Focused as they were on the initial two, they missed the third firing at the ceiling with a Grenuke. Eli was barely able to garner the breath to curse in time to pull his mecha roughly out of the way of falling debris.
The guys were already running, heading to their mechas hidden in an alley by the time Eli and Junjie were able to clear the rocks. Eli shot past Junjie, shouting over his shoulder, “Let’s go!”
It was in their favor right now that the likely usually busy streets of the town were empty since the slinger gang moved in, as it made it easier for them to navigate through the tight turns. This was where Eli thrived over Junjie, the other still getting used to winding streets and dead-end alleys, so he could do little but follow Eli a pace behind instead of moving out on his own.
Which is probably beneficial as they took Eli out first. They were prepared for them, either they knew they were coming or someone tipped them off before the Shane Gang came. Eli nearly swallowed his tongue as a tazerling came out of nowhere, hitting his mecha, his body seized as the electricity ran through him. He had barely enough time to see one of the gang members hidden in an alley way – a fourth one – before his mecha’s legs went down under him. “Eli!”
He hit his chin hard, his head rattling. Burby squealed in surprise, his other slugs scattering as the world turned black for a moment. Going quiet.
Pain lit up in him like some sort of malfunctioning Christmas tree as the momentum dragged him on the ground a few feet. He was vaguely aware of his surroundings as his ears rang, hearing a mecha stop next to him and feet hitting the ground roughly, uncaring as he headed towards him.
Not Junjie, couldn’t be Junjie – the guy’s jumps and lands were so skilled and effortless, he’d once watched him jump from the second-floor balcony without so much as a huff. He swung at them as best as he could as a hand grabbed his shoulder, his vision too blurry as he tried to open his eyes. There was a yelp as his fist connected but it was light, too light to be one of the slingers, but the hands persisted, checking him for injuries. He blinked hard, trying his best to clear his vision, world spinning for a moment before he finally focused on the familiar forms of Burby and Juju. Shit. “Junjie-”
—"Not now, we need to get you out of here." Junjie said hurriedly, forced to yank Eli to his feet as the slugger tried to surround him. Junjie pulled Eli's hand over his shoulder as best he could while firing his free hand. The noise was too loud for Eli's suddenly sensitive ears. He could feel Junjie trying to use his slug fu, but his movements were heavily aborted as he tried to drag Eli away from the fight, the other's legs not quite cooperating. Junjie's mecha acted like a temporary shield as Eli struggled to get to its feet, shaking off the effects of the Tazerling.
Kord had designed it to be a bit more sturdy than usual mechas but it was not infallible. "My slugs." Eli tried to get his bearings, looking for his slugs but Junjie was forced to push them into an alley, barricading them. He looked around, understanding why, now that Eli was down, the others had come back, backing them into a literal corner.
"They're fine, told them to hide." Junjie returned, arm free as Eli pulled himself unsteadily to his feet. He managed to clock a few of his own slugs on JUnjie's shoulders that'd likely stuck around for the fight, a few others were hidden in his canisters, not wanting to stray far from Eli despite him not being in fighting shape.
Junjie was a force to be reckoned with now that both his hands were free, switching between his blasters and slug fu that he'd have likely ended the fight long ago if he wasn't shielding Eli.
"We need to get out of here, are you ok to ride?" Eli nodded to Junjie's question, pulling himself towards his mecha but before he could get on, Junjie grabbed the back of his bag and grabbed him towards the other's mecha.
"Junjie, what-"
"There's more of them heading this way, I heard them talking. They're not letting this go and neither you nor your mecha is in any position for a fight that big." Junjie was already pushing Eli up and messing with the controls. Eli was just barely able to aim in the right direction to fire back a slug to fight them, both of them flinching and ducking as a Grenuke came too close to them but before Eli could grab Junjie and pull him up, the other stepped back.
"Junjie, get on!"
"Have faith in me, this is nothing." Junjie grinned - it wasn't his own, it didn't fit quite right, a hasty mimic of something he was used to seeing on someone else - it was Eli's own, when he was about to cause chaos. "Besides, I'm just going to be a distraction, I'll hide the moment you're in the clear."
The mecha was on the move before Eli could grab for him again, his last view of Junjie being the other standing between him and at least five sluggers.
Just a few minutes ago, they were laughing and joking, drinking coffee and sightseeing. How did it reach this?
Junjie kept to his word. He was ambitious but not foolish enough to think he could win this fight with so many civilian buildings and lives at risk. The moment Eli was in the clear, he fired a few slugs, a mix of his own and Eli's, using both the chaos around him and his own slug fu to create a dust cloud that allowed him to slip out unnoticed. Fortunately, Eli's mecha was still functional enough to get him out of there, it's gait slightly unsteady from the impact it took to the front leg but it persevered.
He moved and kept moving until he was far away from the fight, but in the process, he ended up on even lonelier streets where the alleys and streets were even more degraded than the main town. He was willing to admit that he was lost and Eli's mecha's location was damaged, screen too cracked to make sense of the colours.
Eventually, he hopped down, walking alongside the mecha, using the handhold to the side to guide it along with him. He recalls the fight in head as he looks around, taking in his surroundings. He doesn't think Eli was aware of just how hard he hit the ground, fighting his best to stand on his feet. The kid was strong and relentless but in that moment, he looked every bit of the 15 year old he was. Eyes dazed and confused, chin bleeding and scratch on his head, clothes and armour scuffed from the fall.
He couldn't in good conscience let Eli keep fighting. And some part of him knew that his master would've made the same decision. It was the duty of the Eastern Champion to protect civilians, and while Eli was no civilian, he was also the Shane gang's team leader that'd not only offered Junjie shelter but food and safety in a place so strange to him.
Junjie missed home, he would not deny that. He missed his people, he missed his master, he missed his freedom of movement. He missed the familiarity but most of all, he worried. He left his home in a state of war and he had no idea how - if - it had ended and how long he'd been away from home. At least he had Juju. Speaking of which, the inferno was playing look out on Eli's mecha, he hadn't taken a close look at Juju since he ran. All too aware how capable the other was but as he finally turned to Juju to offer his shoulder and blinked in surprise.
"You're not Juju." He huffed a small smile as Burpy chirped at him with that quirky attempt of a smile that the slug surely picked up from Eli. The inferno happily informed him that Juju was safe with Eli, which was an accidental mix up since Burpy was sure Eli was going to get on his own mecha but since it happened such, Juju had offered to go with Eli in the midst of the chaos before Junjie himself realized. "At least you're unharmed, Eli really fell hard, didn't he?"
Burpy gave a worried coo at that but Junjie was quiet to reassure him, "Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine. He's heading back to the others right now. He's safer than us at least. I don't suppose you know the way back."
Burpy winced, he never really had a reason to pay attention. He could show him the way home if he really wanted but a lot of it involved travelling the slug way and he was pretty sure Junjie wasn't going to fit in a slug tunnel. Still, the joke was enough to make Junjie chuckle, Burpy cooing happily as he got a pat on his head for his troubles.
Noise caught his attention after a while, the adrenaline crash from the sudden battle finally getting to him and he sighed wearily as he looked in the direction of the noise. He blinked in surprise at the sound of rowdy conversation and laughter. It seemed to be some sort of bar, he wasn't entirely but there weren't enough people around to confirm.
Or so he thought, he watched as someone slammed one of the doors open, rushing out and winced in their direction as they lost their stomach in the alley. He couldn't help but share a disturbed look with Burpy but he shrugged. He wasn't going much anywhere at the moment. Not between being lost and a damaged mecha. "Guess we ask the locals."
He was still uncomfortable with the idea of using this as his reference point but he didn't have much of a choice as he moved the mecha to stay with the others at the front of the bar. Burpy didn't hesitate to jump on his shoulders, sticking a little closer than he likely usually would but it seemed to reassure them both that he stuck close. Inferno's were rare enough to be noticed, Junjie would rather he hidden behind his lock of hair over his shoulder than out in the open.
The crowd was a rowdy one alright. Junjie just barely ducked out of the way of a glass thrown in his direction, ear twitching to the sound of it shattering on the wall and splashing alcohol on him. Gross. He could hear Burpy grumbling in annoyance as he was caught in the splash zone. The bar went quiet but Junjie just glared back in turn and picked his way through the crowd.
"Good evening, gentlemen." He said calmly as he headed towards the bar counter, glancing around at the others but slowly the crowd went back to their conversation as he made his way to the counter. "Sir."
"Kid."
"Not a kid." Junjie smiled placatingly but knew his eyes were wide enough to make the bartender uncomfortable as he leaned on the counter top. If he only knew Junjie was just as uncomfortable, he's never done this before. He's seen Trixie do it, but she was so much better at this, placating the crowd before getting her information. Kord does it but they easily respect him because he's older. Pronto does it but most of the time they're trying to get rid of him. Junjie was hopeless at this but it was this or back to wandering empty streets with a broken mecha and getting even more lost.
"Not-a-kid, then. How can I help you?" The smile was crooked and dangerous but Junjie didn't back down. "We don't serve minors here."
"That's fine, I was actually just hoping to get directions back to the town square."
"Polite, this one." One of the guys got up from his chair and Junjie's hand under his chin twitched but he didn't move. Any movement would be grounds for a fight and he wasn't keen on getting into another one when his slugs were either tired or with Eli. "Don't see that often around here."
"Strange, can't imagine why." Junjie was tense enough that Burpy cooed in his ears, worried. Finally, he turned as casually as he could. "Don't suppose you could be of help?"
"I could be, but it'll cost you." The man grinned, thinking he was being sly as several others of his friends moved around, boxing Junjie with enough space they could draw their blasters. Junjie's jaw muscles tensed as he grinded his teeth together unintentionally. He could hear his master berating him in the back of his head for it - something about it being bad for his gums or something like that.
"Cost me what." He asks idly as he tries to plot his next move if a fight broke out, eyes darting around as he mentally counted his opponents. It was roughly five of them but he had no doubt the rest of them were not coming to his aid in any manner, shape or form.
"That slug on your shoulder is unusual. I'll take him, that's all."
"He's not for sale, sorry gentlemen but I guess we have nothing to trade." Junjie sighed like he was genuinely put out and moved to leave but he stopped as a hand rested on his shoulder guard, far closer to Burpy than he'd like but he also didn't flinch as the inferno growled and lit his head despite being so close to Junjie's neck. It was a risk accepted by growing up with an inferno, Junjie had long become unbothered by the heat but the other man had not, hissing as the fire got too close.
"Good day, gentle men." Junjie's voice was a little sharper, as he moved to leave but he could only lament in his head that he'd messed up. The one time he was away from the Shane gang since he got here and he got himself into trouble. He irked him a little, to have his independence stripped so terrifyingly. And yet, the two minutes he did have it, it'd landed him in trouble.
He barely had time to arm himself when someone pressed their blaster against his ribs. They'd likely assumed it would have been enough to scare him into freezing and it likely would've worked had he been an ordinary person. But Junjie was far from ordinary. His Tazerling was already fired as he moved out of the way of the blaster, the slinger pulling the trigger in time for the blaster to be pointed at the man that'd initially stopped Junjie from leaving. There was a yelp as he went down and chaos broke out.
He was vaguely aware of the bartender diving to the ground, shouting at them to not fight in his bar but Junjie stopped paying attention as a Phosphero just barely missed his face.
Junjie realized he’d made a mistake the moment he knocked the slinger's hand away, he knew he made a mistake the moment he saw the path it was headed on, towards an innocent waitress who looked like she had no business working in a bar at her age. He knew he made a mistake the moment he instinctively reached out to move it out of her path, connecting with the slug as easy as breathing, feeling its anger, it’s rage, it’s upsetness from being with a slinger who cared so little for them, connecting to the glee it felt as Junjie guided it toward the two other slingers who were once again trying to grab at Junjie.
There was a moment of awed silence as the bar looked at him, unsure of what just happened. It both eerily similar to the night he did the same for Eli, moving into his path and shielding him from the slug and yet far more upsetting being under the scrutiny of people he disliked. There was a moment of silence as his eyes connected with the waitresses, her eyes teary as she shook so hard from the near death experience that she could hardly keep a hold of her tray, the contents having long fallen off and shattered on the floor.
“Well, well, well, really a gentleman, aren’t you?” The first man that started all of this said in shocked silence. Junjie couldn’t help but glare down at him where the man was now pulling himself to his knees and then to his feet, towering over Junjie and standing far more comfortable than he’d like. “Valuable.”
“Let me go and none of you will have to spend the night at the healers.” Junjie’s voice was flat in anger. Master Lian always tried her best to train him out of it, saying he connected far closer to anger than he should as the Eastern Champion and he’d always taken her training to heart. Anger leads to mistakes. But yet, it was not anger that led him to the bar. It was his own stupidity. Part of him wondered what she’d think of him getting into such a foolish situation. “I admit I’ve made a mistake in coming here but I doubt we need to ruin the rest of the night because of it.”
“No, I think you’ve made it a whole lot better for us.” The man grinned before turning his head sharply to the waitress. “Grab her!”
“No!” Junjie shifted on his feet, ready to dart towards her but the men were already moving. One grabbed her from behind, making her scream in fear while two others grabbed Junjie. He had a second to think ‘it was a distraction’ before something hit him hard behind the head.
The world turned black before he could even drop.
Eli's head hurts something fierce by the time he makes it back into town, and he's angry. Angry at himself, angry at the fight, angry at Junjie for not getting on the damn mecha with him. He's mostly just angry at himself, things shouldn't have gone as south as they had. He was just determined to have a day off for himself and his team, a simple mission and a good day to make up for all the things they've been through in the last couple of months.
It was frustrating.
And now one of his team members might pay for his lapse of judgement.
He sighed as he sat up, willing Junjie's mecha to go faster as he pings his team on the system, cursing under his breath as he finally notices his bag missing. They were waiting for him with worried expressions on their faces as he gets closer but his head is swimming too much to really look.
"Eli, what's going on?" Trixie voiced the start of a few other questions but none seem to take full sentences but he gets the idea. 'Where's Junjie?'
Kord holds out his hand as Eli makes to get down, offering him an unwavering support as he plants his feet on the ground woozily. "I got you, bro."
"The gang caught us in the lower part of town. There's way more of them than we expected, they managed to corner us." Eli winced, eyes squeezed shut as Trixie prods at the cut on his head. He had no idea what sort of image he portrays but if even Pronto looks worried, he figures it's not so good. "Junjie bought me time to get away, said he'd run the moment he got a chance."
"Uh, no offense, but that doesn't really sound like you." Pronto raised an eyebrow, looking off the distance, likely expecting to spot Junjie in the distance. Eli hoped somewhere inside him that that hope came through and Junjie really was behind him.
"Junjie didn't really give me a choice. Got my head rattled when my mecha went down." Eli gritted his teeth, practically forced to cling to Kord's offered hand to stay on his feet as the mayor approached them. Eli stood straighter to face her, ignoring the way pain pinged around his entire body. Her face shifted a bit, to slightly worried, back to a firm gaze as she got within range of them.
"Eli Shane, you do not look well."
"I'm well enough to fight. The gang is much bigger than we thought - or at least, they have a lot more people willing to help them than go against them. Might be because they're scared of them, might be because they couldn't care either way but you have my promise that we will get them." Eli kept his expression firm as the Mayor looked in his eyes, searching for something. After a tense silence, she exhaled, something in her expression easing.
"Easy child, I do not doubt you, the previous Shane kept these caverns safe, I have no doubt that you will do the same. However, it does raise some flags that such a big gang has made their way into this cavern without my notice." She sighed, nodding them towards the building. Eli hesitates, looking out into the distance with his team.
"My team member is out there on his own, he is not familiar with his cavern. I am not exactly comfortable leaving him out there more than we need too."
"You will not reach very far with those injuries." She glares at him - it's nothing mean or rude, a simple fact backed by a single raised eyebrow that has him blinking almost stupefied as Trixie manages a small snort hidden behind her hand. "However, I also know you Shane gang aren't known for staying down. It'll take hardly a few minutes to get you to a healer and make a plan. This time, my own men will be coming with you."
"Ma'am, I can't in good conscious let other people -"
"They'll just tail you, provide help. They will not interfere until you've gotten your team member back. Come now." She's already walking off before Eli could register what just happened. Blinking at his team for answers, they offered him varying expressions of humour and awkwardness.
"She's apparently a mom of two - she's got us on kid gloves without having us on kid gloves." Trixie offers as she smiles gently, eyes still flickering worriedly to whatever cuts and bruises he has on his face as Kord helps him towards the little conference space that was way more busy than when he and Junjie left a few hours ago.
"Yea, she fed me and Pronto enough to make a clan jealous. I think she had one of her guys pack food for us to go." Kord laughed as Pronto squeaked something in the background about it not being as good as Pronto's own cooking but there was no heat to it. Eli couldn't help the chuckle as he sits down on one of the offered chairs, a healer - or paramedic as he still called them in his head - pulls out a kit. He looks for Doc, the slug crooning at him as he admits that there was not much more he could do for his injuries at the moment. Eli wonders just how bad his injuries must've been to begin with, what Junjie saw to send him back on his mecha without hesitation.
Eli looks for Burpy's support and blinks in surprise as he is met not with his inferno but another. "Well hello, when did this happen?"
Juju chirped, much calmer than Burpy but no less excited to be recognised. He explains how Burpy was on Eli's mecha but Junjie moved faster than Burpy could catch up, so they switched places to keep each of them company in case.
"Eli, is that?" Kord blinked in surprise as he stooped next to Eli, patting Juju on the head. "Huh, not something you see everyday."
Eli smiled, knowing it pulled a lot thinner on his lips than he intended as he petted Juju and Doc. "It was so stupid, one minute we're talking, the next the fight happens and now I'm here."
"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. It's been a rough couple of months - we'll get him back. Besides, Junjie's self-sufficient, he can more than handle himself." Kord snorts, getting up to lean on the table as Trixie sets out a map and Pronto gets up on a chair to see better, both of them bickering playfully on the best place to start. "The guy's Shane Gang now, right?"
"He is." Eli grumbles, wincing as the medic ties off the bandage on his head and prods at his ribs.
"The good news is they're not broken - figures from your healer slug. But they're still going to be sore." The medic smiles at him clinically, "Cuts, bruises, minor except for the head, mild concussion. That usually means no rough work for the next two weeks but I figure that's not going to happen with you. Still, take it easy and rest while you can or it'll get worse."
The medic rattles off the symptoms and things to look out for and she waves off their gratitude as she leaves. "Just doing my job, I'll be even happier when you get those guys, it'll ease up my work-load a ton."
Eli looks to Trixie and Pronto as the pair finally peters off their conversation. "Okay, Eli, give us the deets."
"The gang came at us from the lower sector, here." Eli points it out on the map. "Three guys initially. No ghouls or anything, just people taking slugs for selling. They were attacking a group of innocents when me and Junjie came in and stopped them." He recapped what happened, giving them a rundown of what led them to him returning on his own.
"So, your mecha might still be functional."
Eli shrugged but Pronto just whips a hand up, "Never fear, Pronto is the best tracker to exist, sniffing out such a thing is far above my skill level, I will be more than able to-"
"Found it."
"Curse you, cave troll."
"It's not in the best condition but it's functioning. It's further than you mentioned." Kord moved the screen for him to see, stopping when Eli winced at the light and pointed it out on the map instead. "Looks like it's one of the rougher parts of town, not like you go there."
"Junjie - he promised he'd leave as soon as he safely could but he must've headed in the wrong direction." Eli sighed worriedly, plotting in his head the different ways this could go wrong. Usually, it was easier to come up with his plan but with his head hurting something fierce, just focusing on the map was hard.
"I mean, simple enough. Junjie ain't exactly the sort of guy to hunker down and wait - not like any of us would. We just get to him before anyone else does." Eli looks at Trixie's simple answer and she shrugs, "If he's not there, we've got Pronto. We get him, then we get the gang."
"Thank you for acknowledging my skills."
Eli took a deep breath and held it for a second before exhaling as he got to his feet. Ignoring the way everyone tried to subtly reach for him in case he swayed, but with such a simple, sure plan, his adrenaline was gearing to go. "Let's go, Shane Gang, one of our own is in trouble."
"Not yet, you don't." The mayor startled them, arms folded on her chest as she watched all of them sternly.
"Ma'am-"
"As I said, my people are now involved in this. I know you Shane gang lot have this handled but that gang made it personal when they came into my cavern and they started threatening this cavern's people and slugs. I'm sorry I didn't deal with this sooner but with your help, it'll be easier." Her expression eases as she holds out a device to him, a coms. He pats himself down, just realising that his own was missing, a small curse lighting up in his head. "My men are around but they won't interfere until you send out the call. You get your team members and you let my people do the rest."
Eli's jaw tensed as he looked at her, the Shane Gang usually handled things but it would be nice to get help, even if it weren't from field slingers like themselves. He didn't like when others got hurt getting involved in fights they weren't prepared for but still, the help would be nice. "Thank you."
"No, thank you, for your service." Eli froze as she left, the particular phrasing of her comment throwing him off. He never expected to hear them directed at him, he never took himself as the soldier-type but still. It brings a realization to him and his team he never wanted to put together.
"Eli?"
"Nothing, just, something she said - it's a saying back home, I never really expected to hear it down here. Not directed at me at least." His team frowned at him a bit, not understanding the significance of the words but nodding in understanding. It was a similar look to the last time he mentioned 'silent but deadly' but a more serious tone. "Still, the sooner on the road, the sooner we can get this over with, let's go."
Junjie's mecha was still responsive to him, to which he was grateful. It likely had something to do with Juju present but it was better than hitching a ride with the others. He had nothing against it, his ribs however wouldn't be too happy with him at the moment. His team rallied behind him as they made their way through the paths he and Junjie had taken that morning, Eli's eyes catching on the damage left behind by the gang and the civilians that peaked from their hiding places.
"No wonder you guys got beat, this damage looks nasty, bro." Kord's expression was twisted, a mixture of awe at the damage and annoyance that Eli would bet on the fact that Kord didn't get to be a part of the fight. "Kinda sorry we missed it."
"Don't worry, with the way things are going, something tells me we'll get a round two." Eli snorts as Pronto led the charge, wanting to prove his superior skills over Kord's tracking system.
"We'll pound those guys in, don't worry."
"Kord's right, nobody messes with our own." Trixie grinned, blaster at the ready as she matched their pace a few steps ahead of him and Kord.
"He definitely headed this way!" Pronto calls their attention, darting past the place Eli practically ate dirt and heading down lonelier streets where the people living there looked on the rougher side. Meaner, at least but still, aside from side-eyes glances and crooked, twisted annoyed expressions, no one stopped them. "He's here. Or at least, he was here."
Eli spotted his mecha, left abandoned at a nondescript bar. Eli glanced at his team members before they dismounted. The bar was thrashed, Eli could tell if the place always looked like that or if a fight recently happened but the way people looked at them suspiciously, he bet on the latter. He had his hand on his blaster before he could even think about it, feeling more than seeing his team do the same.
"Good afternoon, folks. Don't mind us." Eli smiled tightly, ignoring the way his head hurt. "We're just looking for a friend of ours."
"Scram from here, kid. We ain't got anything you're looking for." The bartender had a cut on his forehead and a pissed expression as he cleaned up glass from the counters. Most people seemed to be licking their wounds as Eli took a second glance at the room.
"Eli." Kord pointed to Pronto with a tense tone. The molenode in question had pulled something from behind the counter that the bartender was now angrily reaching him for. Trixie recognised whatever it was first, drawing her blaster and aiming it as the bartender, who put his hands up.
Eli was going to be sick, he could tell if it were from his concussion on what Pronto brought to him. Junjie's armour. He took a breath, trying to control the range of emotions that rears an ugly head in him. "I'll ask you this once, where is he?"
"I'm not tell you-"
"The Blue Raid gang's got him." Eli focused on the young woman who put down her tray gently on the table. He watched her silently as she pulled off her apron and badge and placed it on the table. "I quit."
She walked past Eli and nodded her head outside. "I'll tell you everything you want to know."
Kord's hand creaked on his weapons as he put it back into its holster but it was one of the rare moments Eli saw nothing but silent, deadly anger on Kord's face. Eli follows her but not before he motions for Trixie to send a message to the mayor about the place. He eyes the young woman outside the bar. She looked rough around the edges, shaken but mostly angry. "Talk."
"Kid came here looking for a way back into town. Those idiots wouldn't let him go without trying to shake him down for slugs." She looked at him, eyes a little disbelieving but still sticking to what she saw. "They were aiming for the Shane Gang, rumor has it he's in town. Never seen the guy but figure he's worth the money if they're going through all this effort. The kid tried to get out and then he did this… thing, with the slugs. He moved them like he could control them with his mind. I know you don't believe me but-"
"I believe you. Just tell me which direction they headed. What do they want with Junjie?"
"Sell him off to the highest bidder. It's not everyday you see someone controlling slugs. Thought I was hallucinating or something at first but once the Raid gang realised what he could do, they grabbed him - they used me as a distraction and it-" She grits her teeth, righteous anger and a mix of despair and self-flagellation appeared on her face. "He was out before he could probably defend himself, trying to protect me, someone he doesn't even know."
"If it helps, that sounds exactly like Junjie." Eli smiles, trying to placate her. "He'd have done it for anyone, he's just that kind of guy."
"They headed in the old luminour mining area. It's where they do most of their sales from what I overhead. It's rough on that side, no one goes there until you go to bad business to take care off." Her expression eased a little as she exhaled, jaw twitching as she looked at the mechas they came with. "Just find him will you? Tell him I'm sorry. I quit my job, it won't make up for what they did but it might be a start in the right direction. See if I can get a job in a less lousy part of town."
"We will, and you've done more than enough." Eli smiled, heading in the direction of the mechas with the rest of his team. "The Shane Gang will handle it from here."
Her eyes opened wide momentarily in surprise. "You're the Shane Gang." She snorted, shaking her head, "Somehow I'm not surprised. Let me guess, the kid's part of your gang too, only a Shane gang member would be stupid enough to do the things he did."
Eli just grinned, taking off behind his team as Trixie pulled up her map of the old Luminour mining cave. He watched her for a moment more as she smiled at them before it dropped and she looked at the way back into town before it got too far for Eli to really see more than that. Instead, he turned to Trixie. "What do you got?"
"Old Luminore Cave, abandoned almost a decade ago after a couple of collapses make the place too unsteady to continue getting the crystals. Now the place is just a home for crime. The mayors over the last ten years tried their best to keep the place together but there is only so much you can do when Black was in power with the ghouls and dark water."
Eli nodded at this as they picked up the pace, thanking Pronto as the other passed him Junjie's armour and stored it with the mecha. His blasters were missing. He just hoped it was with Junjie. If it weren't…
"They knew the Shane Gang was coming." Kord piped up, "Is it that they were aiming for Ei specifically, or they just saw him coming and saw an opportunity is the real question."
"Junjie getting in their way threw off their plans but they worked around it."
"That'll teach them not to mess with the Shane Gang." Pronto nodded, pointing in a direction as they approached the old mining area, directing them to tracks that they'd initially missed.
"Let's meet these guys on foot, let the mechas follow us for now in case trouble comes up but something tells me we'll want a surprise attack since they have power over us."
"Can you make the walk?"
"I will." Eli's team didn't protest as much as he knew they wanted too, had it been any other occasion, had one of their own not been in trouble, they would have but they were all just as angry as he was right now. Juju thrilled looking into the dark of the cave, lighting up softly as they headed to the cave opening. "Keep low and keep quiet. We want to remain as unnoticed as possible."
"Shouldn't be too hard, this place is abandoned. And dark." Kord exhaled as he looked around, shivering at the eery silence. "It's freaky, no wonder they abandoned this place."
"There's no slugs here." Trixie finally noted, "That's why it's so strange. Something must've happened. Something freaked them out. The gang, maybe?"
"Most likely."
"Have you ever figured out how old Junjie is?" Eli looked at Kord strangely at the random question, but the other just shot him a nervous look.
"Sorry, just trying to find something to fill the silence. I know you were trying to find out and I forgot about it." Kord admitted sheepishly, shrugging with his blaster in hand as they watched Junjie's mecha move past them with Juju's guidance. "Then the woman at the bar called him a kid a couple of times. I'm not exactly the best with human ages."
"I actually never found out. I'd wanted to ask him but I never got around to it." Eli sighed, watching with a frown as Junjie's mecha stopped at something in the distance. Juju cooed worriedly, chittering at them to get closer. "What's he got?"
"Eli?" Trixie shot him a grimace as she picked up whatever got Juju's attention. Eli grunts as she tosses him his bag, a little roughed up but still intact. He straps it onto the mecha, knowing his ribs won't allow more than what he's doing right now. His eyes widen as Trixie walks over with a familiar pair of wrist blasters. "Figure they put them here so either Junjie couldn't get them or they're for sale separately."
Eli took them, they were heavier than they looked. He knew that, he'd fired them before. When he first asked Junjie about them. He couldn't help the small smile that came to his face as he remembered how the force tossed him to the ground, getting Junjie to laugh for the first time since he ended up in the 99 caverns. Kord placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get him."
"Pronto?" Eli stooped down for the molenode's help. "Can you get anything?"
"They're definitely here, I can smell them at this point." Pronto's expression twisted, "They're not far from here."
Eli got to his feet, strapping the wristguards with the rest of the gear, glad they got that at least even if anything else was lost. The wrist blaster and slugs they couldn't replace. "Lead the way."
From here, they left the mechas behind, the tunnels narrowed and got darker, as the noises echoed louder and the place became colder. Juju abandoned his post on the mecha to jump onto Eli's shoulder.
After a moment of silence, he chirped an answer to the question Eli had asked earlier and forgot about it without prompting. Eli froze, turning best he could to see Juju on his shoulder, "What?"
This tone must've surprised the rest of the, the others looked at him worriedly. Juju crooned again, not ashamed but down-troddened. "Eli?"
"S-sorry. I just - Juju, he must've heard me and Kord earlier." Eli explained, "Junjie, he's fifteen. Juju's not entirely sure either since they both lost time under the ghoul's control but he's uh… he's maybe sixteen at best."
Trixie reacted first, stomping her foot, "That idiot, if the Blue Raid gang doesn't kill him, I will. He should've said something."
"We never asked." They weren't actually angry, just, thrown off guard, he supposed. Junjie always carried himself older, more responsible, more mature. They'd come to rely on him as such like they did with Kord and Pronto. Older, focused, treating him independently. It meant no insult to the skills Junjie carried but it explained a lot more about who Junjie was as a person. As much of a blank slate as Eli was when he first came to Slugterra.
"Let's get him back in one piece so we can tell it to his face." Eli smiled determinedly, a renewed sense of righteousness filtering through his team.
They got little chance to converse as the muffled sounds of shouting reached them. It wasn't enough to make out the words but the sound of fired slugs was enough to clarify what was going on. Eli grinned, "Sounds like Junjie's causing his own ruckus, let's go join him."
Junjie comes too with an ache in his head that threatens to send him under again. He doesn’t make a sound, eyes still closed but he tries his best to listen to his surroundings and take stock of his state without alerting anyone. His hands were tied to his back and he was lying on his side. He’d been stripped of his shoulder and calf guards – and his shoes if the cold was any indication. A simple shift of his wrist indicates the loss of his wrist blasters, irritation rose up in him – if those fools damaged it, Eli would have to forgive him for murder.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” The sudden voice somewhere around him nearly made him flinch but he managed to stay still, trying his best to hear it over the throbbing of his heartbeat in his head. “The boss wanted the Eli Shane kid – this ain’t no Shane kid.”
“Enough.” The other snapped, the gruff voice alerting him as the idiot who started this in the first place. “Yes, it’s a good idea. How many people you know can move slugs and shit with their mind?”
There was a pause and a stretched silence. Enough for Junjie to mentally roll the words over while swallowing a snort. Moving slugs with his mind, not close but he could understand why they thought that.
“This kid’s gonna be our fortune.”
Not if he could help it. He didn’t fancy being sold off to the highest bidder. He felt around the bindings on his wrists, opening his eyes a slit and feeling a little surprise to realize he was mostly in the dark. The walls were lined with crystals that glowed but enough steel bars supporting the walls for him to bargain that this might be some sort of mining or transportation cave. There were no rails on the ground but it didn’t quite narrow the possibilities.
Still, it worked in his favour as he surveyed his surroundings, his slugs were gone, and the belt that held his canisters were gone. A glance around indicated that none of his missing gear was anywhere near but he could see the two guys – shit, he could see three. There was one in the far corner who’d yet to say anything but thankfully, they didn’t seem to be paying attention to Junjie.
He shifted his wrists, wincing as pins and needles ran up his arms, he either must’ve been here long or just in a bad position. Still, it was rope, he could fray if he tried hard enough. As he contemplated it, suddenly movement in front of his face started him. He just barely swallowed a gasp as his eyes focused on the creature in front of him.
Burpy!
He couldn’t tell him how glad he was to see the inferno but his grin might’ve been enough. Burpy didn’t make a sound but shot him that quirky smile again before hopping on his shoulder and moving to his arms. Junjue worries about the flames being visible but Burpy keeps it as minimal as possible.
Not for long though.
“He’s awake.” The third guy finally spoke. His voice was heavy and unexpected enough that Junjie flinched, not realizing when he twisted enough to try and get a view of Burpy’s work. Burpy squeaked in alarm but he flamed when hot enough to burn through the ropes the moment the first guy grabbed Junjie by the neck and hauled him up, his feet not touching the ground.
“Hi, you little shit, took you long enough – figured Qoren over here probably killed you.” Junjie wheezed, teeth gritted as the hand tightened around his neck. For a bunch of guys trying to sell him off, they were doing a terrible job of keeping him alive.
“Hey, put him down and grab the slug. He’s no use to us dead.” Their leader huffed, getting to his feet with a new length of rope. “Matter of fact, grab the slug too – it’s that pretty little inferno we saw earlier, between the two of them, they’ll fund our drinks for both this life and the next.”
Did that mean that Junjie and Burpy didn’t market that much – or that they drank so much in one lifetime?
Junjie doesn’t know where the idle thought came from but it brought him enough time to feel Burpy climb onto him, hiding under his outer vest by his neck, making suddenly all too aware that his hair clip was missing and his hair was loose. Correction, Eli wouldn’t be able to stop Junjie from accidental manslaughter if they broke his hairclip.
“Sorry guys, but you’ll have to excuse me for not wanting to be part of your auction.” The words were barely warbled and audible but Junjie didn’t fight it as he dug his admittedly short nails into the wrist holding him up and used the leverage to pull himself up enough to give a vicious kick. It shocked the man enough and knocked him on his behind that Junjie dropped to the ground, air knocked out of him.
As much as it hurt, he rolled himself to his feet, turning in time to duck a fist from the leader and high kick at his head. The leader backed off with a nasty grin. “Gentleman, controller of slugs, and fighter – anything you aren’t kid?”
“You’re next sale.” It was a lame comeback but he couldn’t fight it in himself to care. “I tried this one last time, let me go and we don’t have to do this. I go my way, you go yours.”
“Sorry kid, too late for that.” Junjie backed up as the guy reached out for him again, the man yelped as Burpy burst into flames. Junjie held back a cry, not wanting to scare Burpy but without his shoulder guards and Burpy’s currently less than stellar fire control at the sudden fight, the heat seared into his neck. Nothing he was unfamiliar with but with the cold at his bare feet and the pain in his head, it felt less manageable.
Still, Junjie didn’t let it stop him, lashing out with a less than accurate punch that connected and pushed the man back. Junjie wasn’t going to win this fight, not without his gear or his slugs, not while his balance was shit and he was against three guys rivalling Kord’s size.
A sudden slew of voices caught their attention. Hissed and annoyed and a few other registers that Junjie couldn’t pick up with his ringing ears. The leader looked both pleased and annoyed. “They’re here.”
So, Junjie ran. He twisted into a dive out of the way of the leader and booked it towards the other end of the tunnel where none of them had blocked him off. It was likely that he was heading deeper into the tunnel or cave or wherever he was but right now, he didn’t have a choice, he needed to get his bearings. Burpy cooed on his shoulder and he apologized mentally for not being able to reassure the little guy. He could hear the three guys shouting at him but he didn’t stop.
He ran for as long as his legs could take him and didn’t stop, not until he hit the unexpected but understandable dead end.
A drop, a chasm so deep that Junjie couldn’t see more than a foot into it despite the crystals lining it going down. He gasped in tandem to Burpy’s screech of surprise as he just barely managed to balance, arms out to stop from falling in. The chasm spanned the crossroads of the tunnels, likely an unexpected collapse or something of a sort, he wasn’t the most knowledgeable on tunnels.
He could hear voices in the distance, far off that he had some time but not enough to make a proper plan. Junjie glanced around frantically, chest heaving as the cold shot up his feet, sharp pains from being barefooted on uneven rock.
Tool kits and the sort were abandoned around the collapse. Steel beams and sort, but it was rusted, likely they tried to fix the problem but it didn’t work. Junjie stooped down to the closest toolkit, digging through it, having a passing hilarious thought of his Master seeing him taking out his enemies armed with two wrenches.
He pulled out a belt, a grappling hook attached to it. It was basic climbing gear, he remembered seeing Kord chattering about it and how expensive it was to get a proper one. He contemplated for a moment before tugging it on his waist. Burpy chirped and provided some light. “Thank you.”
Still, all he managed to find of use was the wrenches and spanners, the pick axe far too rusted for him to find use off. He flinched as gravel crunched in the distance, making him shoot to his feet. He looked out into the darkness as a voice reached him, unbothered. “How far do you think you’re going to reach the kid?”
It was the third guy, the one that didn’t talk much. Junjie gritted his teeth, backing up as the man walked forward, hand clenched on his wrench as he watched the man. So sure of either the fight being secured, not seeing Junjie as a real enough threat or trusting in his draw time, his blaster was still on his waist.
“Just let me go.”
“Can’t do that,”
“Why?” Junjie’s heart felt in his throat as his toes scraped on the edge of the chasm behind him. He couldn’t help but raise his hands on instinct to balance himself, glancing back at the yawning blackness. “Is a payday really that important to you?”
The man looked at him in silence for a moment contemplatively but it was hard to tell with the shadows the crystals cast on his face. “How did you do it, how did you control that slug.”
Junjie didn’t answer, what was the risk in answering. Why did he want to know?
Voices reached them, and Junjie couldn’t help shooting a helpless look at the darkness behind the man. It’s been a long time since he’d felt his age but now he was feeling all fifteen years of it, underprepared and outarmed.
Junjie fell into a fighting stance despite the desperation in his form as the man sighed and turned his head slightly to the right, calling out. “He’s here!”
He dodged the spanner thrown at him and braced himself as Junjie flung his full weight at him. It took him little effort to toss Junjie over his shoulder but Junjie didn’t let it stop him as he rolled to his feet and slammed his foot down on the side of the man’s knee, making him curse as he went down. Junjie shifted on his next leg, bringing down his foot in a debilitating hit but the man shielded his face in time.
Hands grabbed him from behind and Junjie lashed out, kicking the third man down before bringing the heel of his foot down on the man’s calf behind him. He was met with a scream of pain as Burpy blasted him, turning around in time to knock him out with a well aimed punch. A blasted slug, just barely passed his ear – a Tazerling by the sound of it, and he latches onto it with a less than stellar connection, apologizing to it as he turns it around with a graceless swing of his arms, sending it back to the man that fired it.
“Stop firing!” The leader yelled and the movement and movement alerted Junjie to the fact that there were far more people now than there was before. He was already panting but he fell into his fighting stance as the third man behind him got to his feet again. The leader laughed, “Told you bastards – he might be no Eli Shane but he’s just as valuable, if not more so. How many of you can say you're a guy that can control slugs?”
Junjie flinched as the man grabbed him from behind again, hand on his shoulder, twisting the muscle that connected his shoulder to neck and making him cry out in pain as he forced him to his knees. He wasn’t getting out of this one.
He wasn’t angry.
The only thing he could think of was home – and the cherry blossoms that bloomed once a year.
He wanted to see it again.
“So, how much do you think he's worth?”
“Sorry guys, but this one’s not for sale. He’s ours.” Junjie’s eyes snapped open at the familiar voice, barely able to react as a slug was fired. There was no aim to it, it wasn’t directed at any of the guys – Junjie pushed himself out of the third guy’s hold ignoring the sharp jolt of pain in his shoulder, reveling in the connection between him and the infernus that’d been with him for as long as he could remember, Juju hitting his megamorph form for just long enough to force the men to dive out of the way.
There in the distance, Junjie could see the Shane gang. He didn’t know what expression was on his face but it was enough for Eli to shoot him one of those grins that spoke only of mischief. There was a bandage around his head and one taped to his chin but he looked far better than when Junjie left him.
Junjie flinched initially as someone ran to him but he relaxed as he realized it was Kord, his arm swinging so close to Junjie as he took out the third man but it was no risk to Junjie. Kord has never hurt Junjie, he didn't even flinch as the man went down behind him.
Kord grinned at him. “You look terrible, sorry you had to wait so long.”
“You’re here now, that's all I could ask for.” It was a quip copied from Trixie not long back when she’d gotten into some trouble filming some guys stealing stuff and were less than happy to have been caught. Junjie had bailed her out, scaring the guys off with Juju easily and blinking at her curiously in silent askance if she was ok.
He wasn’t used to people saving him, he wasn’t trained to expect backup. The Eastern Champion worked solo, it’s how it’s always been and yet – he could only feel relief in seeing them come for him.
“Come on, let's take out a couple of these idiots, it’ll make you feel better.” Kord blinked in surprise as Junjie used his hand as a spring board for Burpy, who jumped on Kord’s blaster arm. He nodded in understanding a second later, loading Burpy in the canister and firing him in Eli’s general direction where the fight had broken out into an all out slug battle. Burpy took out two guys before landing on Eli’s shoulder.
Junjie fell back into his fighting stance, feeling a renewed fighting spirit. “I don’t suppose you have my gear?” He swallowed, wincing at how rough his voice was but Kord didn’t mention it.
“It’s with your mecha, I wasn't sure where you were but Eli has it.”
“You guys ask for the great Pronto?” Junjie could help but grin as Pronto appeared behind him, having dug a tunnel underneath. He watched in the distance a few of those planted tunnels collapsed, taking a few guys out of the fight. Pronto and Kord covered for him, letting him connect with their slugs as they redirect them. He jolted as one of the slugs screamed at him.
“Guys, this tunnel isn’t going to hold long.” He looked at them worriedly. Kord looked around, noting the cracked critically that the slugs had picked up before them. “We need to get out of here.”
“Eli, time to wrap this up. We got what we came for!” Kord shouted. Eli peaked his head out of his cover frowning at him questioningly before catching his pointed gaze to the roof and cursing. Trixie looked at them worriedly, firing another Tazerling as they got too close to the unarmed Junjie.
“Guess we do this the hard way.” Kord sighed, putting his blaster back and rolling his shoulders.
“Kord, look out!” Junjie barely had time to react to Prontos’ sudden shout as the third guy suddenly shot to his feet, and grabbed Kord. Pronto shot at him but he dodged, kicking out at Pronto and catching him in the face.
“Enough of this!” The man growled, pulling Kord back, pointing his blaster at his head and forcing Kord to hold his hands up in surrender. Pronto froze, taking his hand off the blaster as the man armed his own. “Stop the fight!”
They all froze, Tixie’s eyes full of wild anger as Eli snarled in uncharacteristic anger. “Let him go.”
“No.”
“Why are you doing this – you’re clearly not a part of them, you could’ve taken me out earlier but you didn’t.” Junjie pressed, hands up unconsciously as Juju crooned on his shoulder. He took a step forward and flinched back as the man dragged Kord back – back towards the chasm. “Just let him go.”
“I can’t – I have too much debt to pay back. You were supposed to get that ticket out, you’d just rolled over and played dead.” The man snarled.
“We should’ve had to pay because you got yourself into debt.” Pronto grumbled and as much as the words weren’t helpful at the moment, Junjie couldn’t help but agree.
“He's the right man, just let him go.” Trixie shouted from her cover, aiming one of her slugs at the man. “Just let him go, and we can call this a day. We have no trouble with you guys.”
A bluff, the Shane gang wouldn’t let them go but right now, it would be a smaller price to pay.
“Somehow, I don’t believe that.” Junjie saw his plan a step before he followed through on it.
Kord's eyes were wide as the man pushed him towards the chasm, tripping him so he had little chance to catch his balance before running. Junjie could hear the Shane gang shouting for their comrade but Junjie was already moving before he could think about it.
There was no fear as he jumped, exhaling like if he were just on another flight with Juju.
Eli felt himself frozen as he watched two of his friends fall. Kord fell, Junjie dived after him. He could feel more than see Trixie’s grieving shock beside him but she’d always been more put together than he was, more functional. The other guys didn’t seem to care, firing back with renewed vigor as they tried to either get out or get to Eli.
A collapsing cave and they were still trying to see if they could get money out of it.
“We need a plan, Eli.” Trixie looked as torn as he felt but she covered him, firing back as best she could with ammo running low. Even with Junjie’s slugs in the mix, there was only so much they could do while outnumbered.
What should he do? Leaving them behind was not an option.
Dust rained from the ceiling. Except, if he didn’t leave them, he risked two more innocent lives. Trixie must’ve seen it on his face, her own twisted in despair. “No.”
“I can’t risk you or Pronto either.”
“Together or nothing at all.”
“Kord and Junjie will hate us for it.” Eli shook his head, “We take this fight outside, reduce the risk of the tunnel collapsing. We come back for them when this fight is over. Junjie dived after Kord, he wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t have a plan.”
“Junjie is as stupid as you are, he’d have dived in there even without a plan.” Trixie clutched her blaster so hard, Eli could hear the weapon creak in her grip. Still, she leaned her head over their cover just enough for Pronto to hear. “Pronto, let’s go. Taking the fight outside.”
Pronto was frozen for a moment more before he nodded, diving under the dirt and following after them. Eli was half-tempted to tell Pronto to go after the pair but he couldn’t find it in himself to give more to risk.
Thankfully, their enemies were just as eager to follow them on the winding path. Eli’s head hurt something fierce as he dived out of the way of a slug.
“I’m not letting you get away that easily, Shane.” One of the guys – the head honcho, the leader, Eli presumed from the bruise on his face that fit just enough to be from Junjie stood out starkly on his face.
“Come and get me.” Eli growled, turning to fire his Tazerling when he noticed what the man had loaded. His eyes widened, “Don’t be stupid.”
“Oh?” The man gave a lopsided grin as he fired the Grenuke.
“Trixie, look out!” She wheezed as he slammed into her, both of them rolling out of the way of the collapsing ceiling. She didn’t complain though, turning under him to fire her own slug at the man and continuing to fire even as Eli pushed himself to his feet and dragged her with him. “Dammit, our way out is blocked!”
Eli looked around, there was another tunnel to his right but he had no idea where it led. But it was the blocked tunnel or the other becoming barricaded. Trixie made the decision for him as he fired another slug, his flopper. It posed as enough of a distraction to get them out of there.
Eli shook off the ringing in his ears, running just a step behind Trixie as he headed down this new path. They had no idea where it led but it was better than remaining where they were before. Pronto popped up in front of them with a harried expression. “Our Mechas are not far away from here!”
Eli exhaled in relief, not hesitating to whistle for his – Junjie’s. It still responded to him despite its mission being over. Trixie and Pronto did the same for theirs.
“Where do you think you’re going?” The leader snarled behind them. Eli yelped as the man slammed into him, sending them both rolling in the dirt and nearly knocking Trixie down in the process. Eli’s back was to the dirt but he rammed the side of his blaster upward, a sense of righteous relief as the man yelled in pain. Eli planted his foot between the two of them and pushed him off, turning to push himself back to his feet and run but he grunted as a grip on his ankle sent him to the ground again.
It didn’t last long.
“Eli, duck!” Trixie yelled as the heavy sound of a mecha approached. Eli dropped to the ground, covering his head on instinct as the mecha moved over him. Knocking the leader over. Eli looked up in surprise, grinning from nothing but relief as he used the handle part of the mecha kneeling next to him to pull himself up. Trixie had already mounted hers, looking behind her worriedly at them. Pronto didn't arrive yet, so he offered him a hand as he passed, pulling him up behind him as Pronto fired at the men they left in the distance.
“Some speed would be nice right about now!” Pronto yelped as he clung to him, the mecha moving over debris best it could with someone unfamiliar at its handlebars.
“Not exactly my mecha, you should be happy it didn’t throw us off!” Eli let out someone of a warbled end-of-their-rope laugh. Pronto just let out a grumbled sound and hugged him tighter as the mecha pulled a corner a little too rough, neither of them in a mood for their usual jokes and laughter. “Trix, what’s our way out?”
“Plotting now, just follow me.” Her voice was somber. Eli’s expression fell even further as two of Junjie’s slugs were still on the mecha’s head, offering to be added to his ammo as their usual caretaker was not present.
With the mechas’ speed, getting out was much easier. Eli couldn’t help the way his jaw dropped as he looked around the open cavern. “Trixie, where are we right now?”
“The old luminor crystal tunnels, this is where they mine for the crystals, but the place became unstable a long time ago as the slugs moved out from the unnatural equipment. This must’ve been one of the untouched deposits.”
“Why leave it alone if this was what they were mining for?”
“Miners mark the cave, they never take more than they need because of the slugs. If this crystal was structurally important, they must’ve left it alone.” Trixie yelled back at him as their speed threatened to take their voices from them. “Even more so since it seems most of the tunnels lead out this way.”
Eli exhaled heavily in relief as he could see the natural light of the 99 caverns filtering in. There were days he fiercely missed the sun and open sky, the millions of stars and clouds but right now, he was just happy for this.
He covered his eyes, wincing at the light difference approaching them even with the dim light of the light crystals surrounding them. And pulled the mecha harshly to a stop as Trixie did the same. He looked at her worriedly before he followed her line of sight.
“How?”
“Did you think we’d bring our sales to a place we didn’t know?” The man, the man that’d thrown Kord into the chasm stood before them. Eli could only feel a hit rush of anger as he glared at the man.
“You’re gonna pay for everything you’ve done.”
“That doesn’t sound very Shane-like, does it?” The man smiled as he readied his blaster. “Still, I welcome it.”
Diving into the chasm as surreal, sound and light was swallowed almost immediately. But there was just enough to see Kord’s terrified expression morph into shock as he realized someone dived after him.
Junjie didn’t care if it was a stupid move. Kord saved him and his life be damned, he refused to let him die for him because Junjie made a stupid decision. Junjie stretched a hand out for him, Juju lighting up just enough to provide enough light for Junjie to see Kord.
Kord’s shock wore off, hand grabbing for him. Junjie dug his nails into his arm brace, knowing his plan was going to hurt. He spun, facing the opening of the chasm as best he could as he squeezed the trigger as his side. The grappling hook shot out with much more force than he expected and for a moment he was sure it was going to miss – but it hit, grabbing onto one of the support beams that protruded from the wall just enough for mining purposes.
The wire pulled taunt, sparks flying from their speed as it tried its best to stop. Junjie yelled as it swung them violently towards the wall. They hit hard. Kord’s grasp on his arm is likely the only reason the cave troll didn’t fall. Junjie’s body had had enough, he couldn’t help but let out a cry of pain as his body protested the harsh pull.
There was silence as the two of them registered they weren’t dead.
“You’re just as bad as Eli.” Kord sounded breathless, seemingly awed that he was still alive. Junjie couldn’t help the shaky laugh that sounded closer to despair than humor but Kord didn’t mention it and likely wouldn’t mention it to another living soul.
“Comes with the territory, I think.” Neither of them were in the clear, despite holding onto Kord’s wrist guard with both hands, nails digging in, it didn’t change the fact that the cave troll was heavy and the grappling hook was not designed to hold both of their weights so unexpectedly, not if the creaking and rattling of the tension wire was any indication.
“I don’t presume up is an option?”
“Not if you fancy climbing by hand.” Kord swallowed tensely, barely visible in Juju’s light. It was Juju who gave them a solution, chirply happily as he jumped from Junjie to Kord and sent a blast to the ground.
Kord was a few feet off the ground. Both of them looked at each other with wide eyes, realizing just how close it was, how different a few seconds could have made. Still, up may not be an option unless there was no other way out – not with how dark it was just a few feet up alone.
“Ready?” Kord nodded as Junjie had to convince his fingers to release the wrist guard, Junjie took a full breath as Kord’s weight disappeared, dropping heavily on the ground a second or two after with a sigh of relief.
“Can you get free?” Junjie just wanted to rest a moment more, exhaustion threatening to pull him under but he hummed as an answer. He started his morning with coffee, and ended up here. He grunted as he tried to turn, balancing his weight to see where the belt was clinched. It should be easy enough work to get the belt itself free but the fall didn’t feel inviting. Kord seemed to realize, offering his hands. “Don’t worry, I got you.”
Junjie nodded, pulling the belt free. True to his word, Kord caught him easily enough, setting him on his feet. Junjie exhaled heavily as his body caught up with him. Kord looked at him as Junjie leaned over, eventually moving to a kneel that ended up with him leaning on the wall. Kord stooped in front of him as Junjie tried his best to stay awake. “Are you ok? Stupid question, I know but how are we holding up, June?”
“I’m sorry you had to come save me.”
Kord’s snort pulled his attention, “You really think we’d abandon you? That’s not going to happen.” His expression fell slightly as he looked at Junjie. The slug fu user had no idea what he looked like but he doubted it was good. “Besides, you saved Eli and you just saved me, you're Shane for life, Shane gang fight for their own.”
Junjie looked at him, feeling a smile pull at the corner of his lip. Both of them flinched as the echoes of a fight reached them and dust rained on them. Junjie was pushing himself to his feet before he could think about it, Kord supporting him a moment before he remained on his feet. “Is the carven collapsing?”
“Not yet, but I don’t think we’re far off. We need to move.” Kord admitted as he pressed his hand to the wall, feeling it until the rumbling stopped. “Do we have options?”
“Juju?” The Inferno nodded at him, chirping as he jumped into the middle of the space, revealing the tunnel in the distance, marks of miners were left around. While not promising on its own, only a fool would doubt a slug when they said there was a path. Kord and Junjie looked at each other before they ran in that direction.
Juju jumped on his shoulder. The ground was cold beneath his feet but it became trivial in the face of a way out. His eyes widened as the long winded tunnel was lit, becoming more and more lit by what seemed to be naturally occurring light crystals. “What is this place?”
“Not entirely sure, Trixie’ll know more but most of it’s just abandoned mining areas.” Kord said in turn as they came to a skating halt as dirt turned to crystal under their feet.
Junjie hesitated before he stepped on it, never one to step on crystal after he’d been thought to respect it so thoroughly by his master. The crystals and the slugs, the natural energy and chi was what made the caverns the place that it was. You tried your best not to disrespect it, working with equality. Giving as much as you took. He exhaled as his chi connected with the crystal around him. It was different than connecting with a slug, no push and pull but more like stepping onto a light stream of water, a rush of energy all around him. He usually wouldn’t be able to connect with another energy source without actively meditating but this was natural power, uncontrolled, unmined, wild.
He looked at Kord, realizing how oddly silent the man was. Beneath Junjie’s feet, the crystal lit a little more but nothing unnatural. Kord’s expression was a little more of a frown and a realization, “Sorry, didn’t think to bring your shoes.”
“It’s fine, it’s nice to walk in the dirt from time to time.” Kord snorted at him but the peace didn’t last long as the sound of blaster fire reached them. Eli's voice, too warbled from a distance to understand what he was saying. Kord was moving before they could come up with a plan. Junjie stalled a second longer for Juju to get up on his shoulder before he followed behind him. The crystals were massive stalagmites and stalactites protruding from all angles, creating a cave that were primarily crystals creating endless paths, so it was easy for Junjie to push himself up from piece by piece to get himself up above, landing behind Eli and Trixie just as the man aimed another Grenuke.
Eli and Trixie braced themselves as the man fired, only really able to shield their faces out of instinct. Eli fired one of Junjie’s slugs, thankfully taking out the Genuke before it could go off and then aimed his last slug.
Someone moved behind them and for a moment, Eli nearly swallowed his tongue, trying to understand how an enemy got behind them. In his surprise, he pulled the trigger on instinct. He cursed in his head, the shot going wide but as the slug hit megamorph, the person moved and with it, so did the slug. He knew exactly who that was, there was only one person with that ability.
Pronto and Trixie fired their remaining slugs, Kord appearing at Trixie’s side, looking no less for wear but absolutely pissed as he fired his own slugs. Eli didn’t bat an eye as he felt more than saw Juju land on his shoulder, arming and firing per the slugs request. Junjie moved gracefully, Juju moving in his megamorph form above them as the fire sent the remaining guys running.
“Should we go after them?” Junjie's voice sounded hoarse but he made no move to follow the smugglers as he leaned on Trixie’s mecha.
“The mayor sent her guys, they have this place surrounded, they just did us the courtesy of letting us go in first.” Junjie looked up at Trixie, taking in her words before nodding and looking back out into the opening of the cave. It gave Eli a moment to observe him. He looked terrible, with bruises building on his neck and under his eyes, a cut at the corner of his head and likely more hidden under his clothes. But between his bare feet, lack of armour, loose hair and tense jaw, he looked everything like the 16 year old he was.
“I’m sorry it took us so long to get to you.” Eli tried with a quirk of his mouth. Junjie grinned at him as he leaned more on Trixie’s mecha, turning to see him and Pronto better.
“Like I told Kord, sorry for getting caught.”
“Easy now, boys, you’re both equally stupid for getting in the stupid for getting in the situation you got into.” Trixie pats Junjie on the head where she could reach while keeping her mecha steady. Junjie surprisingly allowed it, usually one to keep out of reach of others. He huffed as she offered her hand to her to pull him up as Kord whistled for his own mecha.
Slugs above and below.
“Kord.” Eli’s pained voice caught his attention.
“I’m fine, bro. We’re supposed to be out here saving Junjie and Junjie saved me instead.” Kord grinned. “Don’t even got a scratch me. He, however, is gonna feel every part of this tomorrow morning.”
Eli blinked in surprise as Junjie groaned, hugging his arms tighter around himself. “I feel it right now, it’s fascinating just how many muscles I didn’t know could hurt are hurting.”
The comment was enough to throw them all into laughter. Pronto jumped off the mecha as his own finally showed up, offering the place to Junjie but it took coaxing from all of them and Kord’s physical help to get the human up on his own mecha. Eli offered to move but Junjie looked like he would rather walk than drive at this point, shooting him a look that made Eli genuinely wonder how he never realized Junjie was his age.
His grin back at the older teen earned him a sharp jab in the ribs. The instinctive return of his elbow at the other ribs as both of them cringing in pain. Trixie broke them up. “Okay, boys. Let’s get out of here and save the fighting for another day.”
The mayor’s men handled the gang, far more massive and far reaching than they initially thought of as a couple of idiots who stole and sold slugs. They stuck around long enough to get checked over by medical and for Junjie to finally pull his shoes on but they left the moment the Mayor turned her back. She’d understand, if anything Eli would make it up to her another day.
For now, it was nice to sit in the middle of the couch with him, groaning about his aches and pains a hot shower couldn’t get rid off. Pronto was making something he wasn’t sure he wanted to question too much – something akin to a magic healing potion that needed far too many living ingredients for Eli to feel remotely comfortable. Kord was in the garage, fussing initially over Eli’s damaged mecha but eventually, even he retired to the living room, drawing up repair plans on his pad.
Trixie was on Eli’s right on the ground, feet on under the table as she played one of their games. Well, tried to, she was mostly staring off in the distance, not really present in her exhaustion. They all shuffled around a bit before finally setting up to sleep in the living room. It was not something they did often but it was clear none of them was going to get any sort of real sleep on their own without pattering into some project or the other.
Eventually, Junjie showed up, easing himself down on the couch on Eli’s left side. The bruises had gotten worse. Eli had enough of a chance to wince as the nasty looking bruise on the other’s hips was visible for a couple seconds before he sat down entirely. “You looked like you had a rough day.”
“Really, I couldn’t tell.” Junjie snorted, wincing as it seemed to spark a couple more bruises. Eli was on no grounds to laugh, the bandage still wound tight around his head and tape on his chin. His chest, shoulder and ribs were slowly getting visible bruises from his falls as the day wound down.
Eli leaned back on the couch, eyes closed as he kept his arms folded on his chest. “Careful, you’re starting to sound like me.” He felt Junjie snort next to him, but didn’t return the quip.
Eli opened his eyes, watching his team. Trixie had fallen asleep, half on the ground, half on the couch. He wanted to move and help her but his ribs wouldn’t allow it. Thankfully, Kord noticed, abandoning his repair plan to the side to pull her comfortably on the pillows she’d set out. Kord himself yawned, nodding a good night to them, blinking hard in an attempt to remain awake a bit more but it didn’t work. Pronto’s healing juice-tea-thing remained mostly full on the table but the mole in question was too tired to complain, having long dropped off to sleep.
“How did you know where to find me?”
“The waiter girl from the bar told us. She felt bad about what happened to you – they weren’t going to hurt her but they knew it would be enough to distract you. She told us everything before she quit her job, and figured she could get something in a safer part of town.”
“…Thank you for coming after me.”
“I’m sorry you got hurt like this.” Eli huffed, turning his head enough to keep Junjie in his line of view. The other had his eyes set on his gear still on the kitchen table, he’d meant to check it out, see if it’d been damaged but the most he’d been able to do was bathe and change before they all crashed. Tomorrow, if the soreness didn’t take him out.
“It was my own foolishness.”
“It wasn’t.” Eli clicked his tongue idly, turning back to watch his team. “Something tells me you wouldn’t have been remotely as hard on yourself if it’d been one of them.”
Junjie hummed a non-answer, but he didn’t fight it. They were too tired. “Still, thank you.”
“You’re Shane gang, we come back on our own.” Sleep pulled at him, head tilting before he could stop it. He wanted to continue the conversation, this was important but his team was safe and there was little else to worry. Vaguely, he was aware of Junjie tensing before relaxing and then he was out to the world.
Trixie had blackmail pictures of Eli’s head on Junjie’s shoulder and Junjie’s cheek pressed to Eli's hair, both looking like they went five rounds with a ramstone hands on. None of them mentioned it but if it ended up on the board of team pictures, they never mentioned it.