The fifth day after Zukki was plucked from the prison. Prison cafeteria, about an hour or so after 69 finished her meal.
The cafeteria in the prison is where you would find just about every prisoner eventually. An unavoidable place that all of them had to enter. The slug lady was stationed for nine hours in a day. Her job was simply to hand out the food and water.
Splat!
The spatter of food in the tray was followed by a sigh.
"Water" the perpetually horse voice asked.
The slug lady didn't bat an eye as she placed an old cup, probably one scrapped or tossed away, because despite being sanitized it had stains all over it.
The man with a tail just like the rest took his tray with a deeper sigh. What he failed to notice was the fact that a lot of the prisoners had their eyes glued on him.
He didn't notice when he sat down or even as their eyes widened at the first bite–slurp of his slop. Begrudging the use of his hands and fingers to eat the type of food before him.
It's when he prepares to disassociate while eating that his eyes meet another's out In front of him, but it isn't the person who captured his attention. The room had been oddly quieter than usually as the majority recognized someone was about to confront him.
"So, you still eat this stuff after all" a voice spoke from beside him. A cool mocking tone with just a tad bit too much confidence. "Number 1"
The man with disheveled hair and a bead turned his head to glare at the woman.
"Who told you something so dumb" he responds plainly. " Of course I have to eat this crap like the rest of you."
The room reels just slightly as the woman beside him takes the initiative to prod him. It's like she could sense his defensiveness.
The woman wearing the same old battle armor like the rest, had her chest piece carved with the number 99. Her skin was a darker tanned complexion, just a bit more harsher of a color palette compared to other lighter skinned prisoners. Her muscular body was on the leaner side with slender legs, but still she was more skin and bone than muscle due to the sad lifestyle they take part in.
"Throwing around insults now, i must have really hit something" 99 whispers coolly. She swiped her hair, that was covering her eyes completely only for it to fall back into place with a soft bob. Her eyes were feline in how they peered it into his with mischievous curiosity, only to be covered up enough to hide it between the lines.
"Hmm.. did get everyone in on this or something 99" he says, glancing down at her number, because he wasn't acquainted with her.
Some prying eyes got bored while some continued watching as if this were the highlight of their day. A glare was enough. Dark eyes shooting down bulk of them with a glance, before he turned to hear the cool voice whispered again.
"They think you eat the younger ones" she revealed quiet enough for only number 1 to hear.
"What!?" He exclaimed loudly, his hoarse voice cracking as he looked over the room. His sudden shout caused the room to go dead silent.
***
Going back to the infirmary a few hours prior, 456 has his minor injuries cleaned. He was given water to drink, and they listened to another lecture from Būdo. One that the less studious boy zoned in and out of. The woman could barely capture his attention, while 455 ate up all the new things he would hear.
The purple alien was taking even the scruffy haired boy's nurturing at a leisure pace. Concentrating on the nature of the body, after learning to write and study properly.
The topic that interested 456 was when the lecture wrapped back around to vitals and protection.
"So getting hit anywhere that isn't vital is ok?" The uncurious boy asks his question.
"Oh dear, it isn't as simple as that. If you get hurt too many times and can't protect yourself eventually it won't matter which is vital and which isn't. The fluid that runs through your body needs to stay running though your body; blood and we all have it.
If too much of this leaks out, inside or out of here. You'll die" her words firmed around the finality of death.
She gently poked at one of the bruises on his arm. He winces in response to the action. Būdo had gotten used to the timid nature of the boy and could touch him without flinching.
"See? Now this part is almost as sensitive as other vital parts. It's still your arm, not the brain or the heart, but without this…how could you protect yourself?" Budo insisted on the importance of protecting one's self rather than guessing at explaining even the basic idea of violence. She had no combat prowess whatsoever.
"How did you learn all that?" 456 asks with some growing enthusiasm. "Have you been in fights too!? How do you protect yourself?"
"Hehe..well I don't." Būdo chirps a happy giggle. Despite the blunt fact she is defenseless around hordes of known battle hungry warriors, even if they are below the bottom of the barrel.
456 glances at his bruise and then the purple bipedal triceratops. His eyes squint and a light bulb goes off in his head.
"Oh I see…that's why you look like that" he nods, making a simple connection and calling it as he sees it.
The boy's tone was almost apologetic which made the woman erupt in laughter that made both kids somewhat unnerved. The only real laughter they've heard was preceded by sadistic behavior.
"That's just the color of her skin" 455 answers dryly.
"Hehe, yes, 455 is correct. You probably haven't met many off-worlders have you?" Būdo asks.
"No..what are they like?"
After that Būdo spent just a little time explaining the differences between his race and others. When she moved past the different color of their skin and moved to temperament, 456's attention had already started to waver. The rest of his day was spent loitering in the infirmary; he was allowed to as long as he humored the woman's lectures. Failing to answer sudden questions didn't mean he was punished, just put on the spot every once in a while.
***
The next day, Six days after Zukki left the prison, the boy with 456 scratched into the armor made his way down the lonely hallways. It was early, just after the sun rose above the horizon. The shadows cast across the wasteland made it feel as though nighttime would last significantly longer for them alone. It was more than enough of an excuse for most prisoners to just keep rotting away.
Clenching his fists at his sides he felt that usual chest tightening feeling. He palms over his own chest, wanting to grab the feeling and just remove it, but that would be like removing a vital organ at this point. Since he left his pod nothing has made any sense.
Each step forward felt like he was marching towards pain and a gravel nap.
"Is it ever going to be different?" he mutters out loud since there is no one to listen.
His eyes trail downwards towards the ground where they dragged across the floor. Eventually he bumped into someone. A fellow prisoner with tall lanky limbs and a disheveled beard.
Stumbling back as if the wall he struck rebounded him, 456 looked up at the person he walked into before waving his hands.
"Ah..oh..um 1" he notices the line carved into the man's armor.
The man's eyes loomed over the boy, gleaming with recognition and not hostility. Any other prisoner would have plowed right through someone standing in their way. 1 stood there like he was boredly inspecting a toy he may have stepped on.
"Are you going to fight the warden again?" A question finally escapes his pursed lips.
"Negi?"
"Hmm yes." It takes him a second to realize that the Warden's name is Negi, where his expression turns to brief amusement, and back to a tired neutral. "Are you going to fight her again? I won't be picking you anymore so don't" he demands with the strength of a breeze.
"..." 456 doesn't know how to respond. This was the second person to tell him he should stop doing what he was doing. Somehow he found his head lowering instead of answering.
"The answer to your question was no, nothing will change here." He lays on the blunt truth. He walks around 456 and only stops when the sight of another crushed peer.
He clicks his tongue before looking over ready to throw the kid his only bone.
"Do something different and something different will happen; nothing will change if you stand still" Number 1 says before shoving the boy forward, contradicting his words from before.
456 finds himself stumbling once again.
"Hahh huh?" He let out confused noises before looking back at the tired homeless looking prisoner. The man didn't look back at him.
("Huh? What?") He tries to process the man's words.
Feeling the weight of not wanting to see the same outcome over and over, lifting one leg after the other, 456 continued on his path to meet the warden. Each step forward opposes the tightness in his chest, each step is one towards something different.