NaNo2021: Project Mutant Families

“Please,” the man’s voice broke. “I have a daughter here, I can’t take her with me when there’s - when there’s – “
“You won’t be taking her with you. She won her fight. She’ll stay.”
“You can’t do this!”
Kingpiece said nothing. Only stood there, folding her arms. “You tell me I can’t do this? Don’t act like you care about your daughter’s safety.”
“W-What?”
Ren stood slightly, tapping Aruna’s elbow. She faltered for a moment, then handed him the binoculars, slinking back around to stretch her legs behind the wall. He focused in on Kingpiece and the man.
“If you cared, you’d be stronger.” Kingpiece began taking steps forward, leaning forward to get in the man’s personal space, her gaze meeting his. “If you cared, you’d make yourself stronger. That’s the kind of family we are.”

Up on the roof, the sky seemed closer to the earth. Thick swirls of grey cloud weaved back and forth across the sky in contrails, as though some cosmic figure had stirred the milk in their latte.

Hai Gang was helping to replant some flowers. They said the flower bed’s container was ideal for the herbs they were planning to grow there. So the large man was squatting beside a row of small red flowers and transferring each to its own pot.

But Hai Gang only chuckled. “It would’ve been more stressful if I’d just stood by doing nothing.”

“What about Kingpiece?”

The atmosphere went still. Aruna had never made a mistake around Hai Gang before. In general, it was hard to make a mistake around him. The man was like water, he moved according to the situation and responded the way that was right to respond in the moment. But he didn’t have a view for the future. That was why Ren was so upset, wasn’t he?

Aruna set thoughts of Ren aside for now. She looked Hai Gang dead in the eye, or where his eyes should have been, behind that black glass that concealed his face from everyone. She wondered what expression he would be making in that moment.

There was a scratching sound – Ren was dragging the bokken on the floor. He should be looking for the other four. He had to be looking for them, otherwise this whole escapade would have been pointless. Ren sat down on the next bench after, the coolness of the wood waking him up slightly from his stupor.
Yes. He was looking for four other people.
The one he thought would be easiest to find was someone Nadia knew. A singer, who usually performed in a club deeper into the town area. Nausea gripped him, and he lowered his head between his knees and held it there, his hands brushing straw-like hair.

Aruna nodded tersely. She’d suspected it. Wander must have been keeping in contact with either Jun or Hai Gang or both, otherwise their return to the Mutation Zone wouldn’t have worked on such short notice. Furthermore, where were they staying, as they avoided their family?
“We’re not sheltering them or anything, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Jun smirked.
Aruna looked up, startled.
Jun went on. “Wander’s a very resourceful ranger. No doubt Hai Gang would have loved to adopt them, but I said leave them be.”
They can manage, that’s what that look said. High praise, coming from Jun.

Dim orange light filled the basement floor. Right at the bottom of the stairwell, Labrador was standing up, looking at her. He’d brought his homework down apparently – the papers and discarded pen were lying back down by his feet. Labrador would be a good choice to duel a young, inexperienced opponent. He’s diligent in training, pays attention to things.
He was covered in sweat, and not eager to defend himself. He’d clearly finished his training before sitting to the side with homework. Aruna nodded at him, and headed down the last step.
She followed his gaze over to where Rattlesnek was playing badminton with one of the girls.

“This isn’t an Instagram post,” Aruna said, because Ren wasn’t there to bring the banter.
“I’m being serious.”
“So am I.”
Wander began fiddling with a loose thread from their hoodie, which was fraying.
“You can’t expect me to believe that after everything we went through, we’re just shooting ourselves in the foot anyway.” Aruna said, frowning.
Wander grimaced, jerking their head to one side. “It do be like that sometimes.”

“Hmm, let me guess.” The cheekiness crept into Dan’s voice. God, Ren hated it when Dan got into these moods. Nadia once said he was making up for all the Dad jokes Papa himself didn’t make often. Ren clenched his teeth. Suddenly he realized this might be a ploy for Dan to get him to talk about that night.
“The new kids remind you of yourself?”
Oh. Ren exhaled. Nothing like that. “Nope.”
“Someone break your heart?”
Ren scoffed, tapping the wooden spatula against the rim of the wok for emphasis. “Been there, done that.”
“You’re worried about Papa?”
Ren poured the oil so that it covered about a fist’s size of the bottom of the wok. Once he had screwed the cap back on, he turned around. “What’s got that idea in your head?”
Dan smiled.
“Besides,” Ren muttered. “I’m always worried about Papa.”

Cheeseman Bridge was right in the centre of town. Water in the canal glistened in the moonlight. Ren watched the ripples as he walked along the man-made river, treading softly and pulling a hood over his head as he approached the amber glow of the lights all along the stone bridge.
Kingpiece wouldn’t be able to have this discussion out in the open. The good news was that thanks to Papa’s popularity with the two other main families in the MZ, Ren knew the Bridge family’s territory well.
There was a warehouse some distance away from the bridge, where the family members tended to have their most secret conversations.

“The barriers don’t work. The things the UZ researchers come up with . . . they’re all just toys. Anti-Corrupted spray, the laser cannons, none of it works.” Hai Gang sighed, leaning back against the crate. “I don’t want to do this to the rangers, you know that. But overall, it’s better if the responsibility falls to us than elsewhere. All of our rangers are adults, at least.”
Aruna narrowed her eyes. She didn’t want to be in this shed any longer. The door opened out onto the scenery from before, except from this angle, the moon seemed to be shimmering on the tips of grass stalks. And of course, she could see the rows of former shophouses that now made up the Buttress training grounds.
There were figures in the square, beneath the street lamp. Circling each other and moving to the rhythm of a training sequence.

Ren couldn’t understand it. Like the two siblings, he was worried by whatever was going on between Wander and Kingpiece. What if Kingpiece finds out Wander supplied information on her?
“. . . it’s like I said. I can tell you where your sibling is.” Kingpiece’s voice had a patronising lilt to it, ad though she were speaking to children she held in contempt. “I can tell you lot aren’t eager to kill me. It’s a pity, I thought you’d have more common sense than that. I guess Hai Gang has gotten to you as well.”
This wasn’t going according to plan. Not for Kingpiece, and not for Ren. But Kingpiece was sounded pleased, like she’d found a jackpot.
“You won’t go back on it? Offer us the information and then withdraw?”
“Of course not. In fact, you might say I even have a down payment.” A rusting sound followed.

Hai Gang said nothing. He seemed stunned by this turn of events as well.
“It’s not fair! I was better than all of them, and now I’m not.”
He didn’t hug her. She wouldn’t have wanted him to, and he knew it. Instead, he crouched down on one knee and put a hand on her shoulder. Her cheeks were hot. She felt like she was just any of those snotty toddlers running around in the creche. Hai Gang was treating her like that, not like one of his star pupils.
“Go on,” Hai Gang said, when she didn’t speak. “I’m listening.”
But she didn’t want him to listen. She wanted him to turn it all back.
She deserved it. Hanzi glared at her worn white shoes.

Amir on the other hand was looking right at Aruna. He’d been trying to make conversation with Preeta or Fang for the past fifteen minutes, to no success. No one was really up to talk at seven in the morning. Well. No one except for Amir.
Amir who had elected to wear a red hoodie for whatever reason.
“You’ll change that to a green one later,” Aruna said. “Can’t have people thinking you’re cheering for Rook.”
“Oh! Right. Sorry.” Amir laughed and leaned back in his seat. “I just really like red.”
“I know,” Aruna intoned.
“I think I forgot where I left my uniform hoodie . . .”
“I have a spare one.”
“Haha! Lifesaver as always Captain Aruna.”
Suddenly Preeta looked up from their phone. “Could you both be quiet? Can’t you see Fang’s trying to meditate?”
Amir tutted his tongue. “You just want to focus on that cat video you’re watching. Which by the way doesn’t even have subtitles.”
Aruna turned around and left them both to bicker.

“What is it Thomas?” Ren said flatly.
Thomas was gingerly pinching a pair of square pieces of paper between his thumb and index fingers. “Sorry. It’s my first time doing this. Could you show me?”
Ren pointed out where he was supposed to fold the corner. Eventually, they made two lotuses.
“We burn them after. It’s symbolic.”
“Hah, didn’t do this in duels back before . . . “
Ren frowned. He’d never really listened to Thomas enough to hear about his life before the Buttress family.
“Yeah?”
Thomas nodded. “We used to just fight wherever, you know? Sometimes without a judge.”
“Without a judge? How’d you say who won then?”
A shrug. Thomas glanced away. “Whoever who was left standing would win.”