In the sky above the rejection base. Moments after Negi had swatted some flies with the flick of her wrist.
"What now..." The woman contemplated. She expected the session to last a lot longer. Even as she watched Zukki's power level stagnate in her unconscious state, the warrior felt restless. Her battle hunger had not even slightly subsided.
"I guess I'll check the duel board, hopefully someone weak is thirsting for a beatdown" Negi flies off in the opposite direction of the capital.
Her destination was one of the minor cities away from the bustling capital. That way the potential opponent would be someone of less renown to sink her teeth into.
***
Meanwhile on the ground, 456 was starting to grumble. His vision was spinning as he pushed up to a kneeling position. Closing his eyes he shook his head until the dizziness wore off. It took him a moment, but he remembers what had happened.
"Why can't people just tell you what they want to hear.." he complains out loud.
"I second that" 455 agreed with his face swelling up a tad bit. Both of them had red marks on their face from the attacks they received.
"Oh you're up..she got you too?"
"Yes, she got me...so why did we come here? To watch another one of us get beaten up? I mean she fought an adult and.." 455 then realized that the adult was wearing a scouter and stopped talking for a second.
"No no, we came here to–" 456 started "that adult woman was not from this base" interrupted 455. "That's different" his eyes lightened slightly as a minor mystery caught his eye, but the desire to fill in the pieces was swiftly crushed by the realization of danger.
"Well I do remember her power level being much higher than any other person around here. Maybe she is, but why is she fighting that girl? And every day?" 456 corroborates 455's theory.
After adding to what 455 said his attention was on the girl who was still passed out. This was the first time he had seen her not spring back up to her feat. The warm feeling he gained from admiration faltered a bit in recognition.
"Is this how it always ends?" He mutters to himself while preparing to take a step towards her.
"We should leave..that woman could be back any moment" 455 wearily suggests in haste now that he wasn't interested in finding out who the adult woman was, he barely cared to figure out who the girl was either. "One friend is fine..right?" He mused while waiting for his one friend to follow his decision.
"What..then we should definitely help her to the infirmary" he said while towards the girl which stuns his friend briefly.
455 had fully believed they were on the same page. He thought that his friend had found something curious to share and fully assumed that it would be interesting to him. That was what his current impression on friendship was, sharing similarities with others.
While 455 was stunned his friend had reached the unconscious girl. 456 felt his nerves building immensely as if this were a moment of truth.
"Just wake her up and then we can just go..." Finally 455 suggests showing a sliver of humanity, realistically he was just pandering to his friend's desire.
Looking back, 456 gave his friend a nod appreciating his approval, even if that was just an excuse to look away and calm his anxious heart. Though eventually he did have to look back and wake the girl up. He did so by poking her on the back of her armor.
No response.
He then put two fingers, then three, and so forth until his hand was shoving her back and forth. Both the boys were antsy for two separate reasons. One was anxious to meet the person he had been admiring and the other absolutely terrified that their beating was only just beginning.
"I guess she died" 455 abruptly gave a terrible answer. Not like he would know what a dead person looked like. 456 nearly snapped his head looking back.
"No..but she's taken worse than what we just saw... wasn't killing against the rules?" He protested while turning back to frantically shake the girl again.
No response.
"Ok..fine" 455 steps in quickly and that's when he notices on closer inspection that the girl was breathing. "Nevermind, she is alive, but if it's like you said, she should just get up eventually. Have you seen her get up after inevitably getting knocked out?"
"No"
"So maybe this is normal"
"What..what do you mean?" 456 was now feeling lost, confused at what his friends intentions were. "Can't you just help me bring her to the infirmary? I don't know where it is"
" You don't..." 455 sighed incredulously, feeling as if now he had to help. Potentially exposing another person to his safe place.
"Fine fine.. let's just hurry up and bring her already" he relented while helping carry the girl. It was still early enough in the morning that no other reject was up to confront them.
***
Having arrived at the infirmary, Būdo welcomed them with open arms. She was shocked to see two kids carrying another, but after realizing it was her helping someone out a smile painted her face.
"My my, aren't you too young to be picking up girls" she jokes with a little laugh at the end. "You can place her on this bed"
The two of them were relieved to put the girl down. Her sleeping body was surprisingly heavy. Truthfully neither could react to her joke as they hardly recognized the meaning. In fact the good deed felt complimented by what she had said.
"Hello teacher, this is the friend I was talking about, 456" he gestured with his chin to the boy who joined him. "He wanted me to help him bring this girl who was attacked by one of the adults from out of the base"
Budo got right to work checking the girl's vitals as this took priority over greeting and getting to know her precious student's friend. New to this side of his teacher, 455 took great care in paying attention to the process. For now his curiosity left him silent while 456 watched anxiously at the side.
"Seems like she's just sleeping, you saiyans have such study bodies even at a young age" she mused while pulling out a syringe from her coat pocket.
The thin needle pricked the girl's skin with a shocking lack of response. Drawing her blood she hardly even explained why it was necessary. The gesture worried the ignorant 456, before he could reach out and question the process 455 blocked his way and shook his head.
"It's ok, she's just helping her." He explained
"Ok..i guess"
Būdo would then place the vial of blood she extracted into the side of the computer. Her terminal was fairly decent, still the bare minimum compared to what the main cities and bases or other planets had access to. Thankfully she concluded from the information that appeared, the girl was just dehydrated and malnutritious at that.
"Hmm, looks like she's fine. Just needs to eat and drink water once she wakes up" Būdo explained.
Both the boys' eyes widened. The alien returned to their side and began her conversation with them again.
"So you're 456 my name is Būdo. I hope you're watching out for 455 over here. He's a brilliant student, but his blind curiosity is gonna get him in trouble one day"
455 felt flustered for having been seen. While 456 felt almost envious that his new friend had been acquainted with someone so nice. Her words weren't venomous nor dismissive. He had been acknowledged almost immediately.
With a small smile creeping onto his face, 456 almost forgot why he was here as the tension left his body.
"So she's going to be ok?"
"Yep"
" When will she wake up?"
"Could be in a bit, but seeing as she slept through having her blood drawn so probably not for a while. You're welcome to stay here until she does." Būdo further reinforces this first real example of someone good.
455 felt nervous at first, but unlike that other reject Jagger, 456 was much more comforting to have in this place. It was like he added to this genuine atmosphere. The boy started to think that they could learn together under būdo.
"I will" 456 decided.
***
"I don't get it.."
"What do you mean!? We've explained the equation over and over now!"
"Now now, kiddo, not everybody deeply enjoys math like you do. It takes a while to learn this stuff. Your friend here picked up the basics of adding, subtracting, multiple, and dividing rather quickly"
Būdo had spent the full morning teaching 456 basic mathematics and they had finally gotten to learning algebraic equations. She was actually pretty impressed that the kid learned almost as fast as her first student. Even if it was clear he didn't entirely enjoy the lessons. Somewhere his attention started to shift.
"Alright teacher" said 455. " They just make so much sense to me. You're looking for the hidden variable. That sounds so common. Everything has hidden variables"
455 was fairly lost at this point, but thankfully his objective of attention had woken up.
" Mmm, huh, how'd I get here?" The girl had awakened and was slowly figuring out her bearings. Getting off the bed and yawning loudly like she was only sleeping the greatest nap yet. "Aaaaa I'm so hungry" she complains while holding her stomach.
The infirmary was split into two distinct sections, a small area where the office section is, and a dozen or so beds. Extraordinarily basic, although considering that healing chambers existed, in most normal cases beds and infirmaries were obsolete. The girl had stepped off the bed and walked towards where she assumed was the exit, running into the group conversing in front of a familiar drawing board.
"Oh, they teach here. That's kind of shocking" she says out loud for them to hear.
Locking eyes with the boy who had a familiar silhouette. That spikey hair with sharp bangs parting to the right side just above his eye brows. His dark eyes meet hers for only a second before averting due to her confident gaze.
"Good morning! I'm the doctor here on this base" Būdo gave the explanation that the girl was searching for. "I checked on you, and after you eat and drink plenty of water. You should be alright."
The girl immediately believing the woman to be the one who placed her on the bed bowed her head in thanks. A shockingly rare gesture from her race to say the least.
"Thank you, I appreciate the help, but I would have been fine remaining on the ground. That is how it goes" she said unafraid to admit her failings.
"Hoho, what a well mannered girl, however it should be these two you that should thank. My student and his friend" she gestured to the boys with her hand. They were sitting on chairs, but 456 sat up like he especially had something to say.
The girl's eyes locked with his again and as he averted his gaze no extra introduction came out. So 455 stood up and did the introductions.
"I am 455 and this is 455" he introduced them by their numbers, because they of course had no proper names. A common occurrence to the point that he had noticed her number. "Oh and you are 454, you see he decided to help–"
"My name is Zukki! Not some number." She looked angered by the designation. There was no way Zukki would accept a number as anything close to a name. "Anyway, i did not need your help"
"Actually kiddo, these two explained that you have been working pretty hard. Have you been eating the food and drinking plenty of water?" Būdo interjected. She needed to help foster this new relationship and the girl seemed like the perfect second friend for the both of them. Something told her this girl was good news.
"Well..." She started before sighing.
"Well..?"
"They only give us a cup of water for each meal..and the food... it's gross!" She finally admitted to her disdain for the slop this place referred to had food.
Būdo couldn't help but laugh as the two boys looked at each other in confusion.
"You are right kiddo. But I will assure you it's not bad for you to consume." Būdo said with an apologetic tone, her laughter was a sign of relief as no other person had complained about the food on this base. "But, if you don't want to eat the food you will have to give up on whatever extra curricular activity you have going on"
Instead of feeling confused by the word she had never heard, Zukki understood by using the context what it meant. Her lips pursed and she turned away towards the door.
"Thanks.."
Zukki left the infirmary and headed straight for the cafeteria. It was time for a late breakfast.
The stunned 456 chased after her while 455 just stayed put. The former had not said a single word while finally meeting the girl he had admired from a distance.
"Kiddo, will you do me a favor?"
"Of course!"
"Go tell them that they can get extra water here whenever. Ok?"