Negi had returned the day after Zukki was pulled from the prison. A habit is forming in her daily life, although as the Warden it was technically now a part of her responsibility to show up.
Touching down on the gravely surface and noticing the boy with hair pointing towards the sky she smirked. Negi swept her wild locks of hair up from her nape outward. Stepping towards the timid kid who was waiting for something.
"Kid, she aint comin" the woman reads him like a book. Negi enjoyed seeing that look in his face, the obvious heart break. In that instant she decided he would entertain her.
"Come on" she goads him while peering down at his chest to see his number. "456, I'll play with you for a bit."
She rolls her shoulder for no other reason than to stall for the boy. Wanting him to attack her. It's the reaction she gets that makes her scowl with disappointment.
Negi has all the time in the works to walk up to the boy. His arms cross over his head in a shell like defense steadily. The problem was that his body wasn't strong enough to turtle against such a superior opponent.
"Welp" she exhales with disappointment. Cocking her fist back and with great restraint slams it into his wide open gut.
"Guaaah" he spits out his guts before crumpling to the ground.
Negi shakes her head before walking off towards the open yard of the prison. Following the perimeter of the prison itself as if looking for something more interesting to do with her time.
***
About an hour later the only homeless looking prisoner scooped up 456 and delivered him to the infirmary.
When the boy woke up he was greeted by the familiar pair of the purple dinosaur alien and her scruffy saiyan student. 455 glanced over at him, but was intent on finishing his handwriting practice.
"So, you're provoking the Warden I hear?" Chirped Budo, not showing anything particular emotion to judge the boy's actions.
"Warden?" Questioned the boy while sitting on the edge of the bed. The squeak of the old metal frame rattling at his movement. "What's that?"
"Negi, the woman you've been playing around with. She's our boss. Better listen to her if she really asks you something." She doesn't discourage her curiosity, despite fully knowing that the warden could react in any violent way as a result.
"She brought me back!?" 456 guessed wrongly.
"Nope, wanna guess who?"
"You?"
"No"
"455?"
"No," the boy himself responded. "It was number 1, you could not have guessed anyway"
"Hmph.." 456 couldn't really respond. He didn't know the prisoner numbered 1, well, he only was acquainted with 450, 454, and 455.
"He's been picking the two of you up for me and bringing you back here" Budo explains while leaving out the details of her payment. "You should thank him the next time you see him, same to you 455" she flicks her head over to the boy with a Prying ear.
"If you see him 456, let me know ok?"
"O-ok" he responds thinking about his new goal to thank the man he's never met before.
Then as if clock work the boy with a crown of Black spikes for hair heard his stomach rumble. He had worked up an appetite that quickly caught up with him.
Grrrgle!
455's stomach followed so the two of them went to eat together. A common occurrence in their daily lives and it went by just as uneventful.
456 found himself wondering as he did after eating his main meal for the day. There would be a second chance to eat later, but he wasn't an exception to those who lack excitement in multiple meals here in the prison.
The dusty light pink wastelands surrounded the prison. Only distant structures to entertain those who stare out blankly. The sky was filled with pods flying across it. Nothing out of the ordinary, not even a streak of fire or an unwanted visitor.
Eventually he found himself back in his room, his cell, and laid on the bed. He stared up at the ceiling and just wondered. Today he wasn't bothered by the gang of baldies who always hazed him. Everyone was still recovering from the battle Royal, mentally and physically.
His eyes closed and he fell asleep.
***
When his eyes opened again he pulled in a breath. Sitting up and looking over at the inactive light on the wall. Remembering the chaos of the event a week or so ago.
The boy runs his hand across his head and bushes the lock of hair up and aligned with the rest of his spiky right swept bangs. The last one fell and he decided to get up.
They had no clocks or timers, so each prisoner followed some internal one that built upon whatever habits they made. 456 wanted to see the morning routine of the person he admires so he slept early and woke early. A lack of constant stimulation made this easier than it was.
His routine found him exploring the empty and quiet halls of the prison. Where everyone else has kept to their beds. Though he didn't explore lately all he did was return to that spot where Zukki and the Warden would fight daily.
They would already be fighting by now. All that reminds him of the silently dusty yard void of fighters.
Though perhaps he and the Warden were thinking alike as she soon touched down several feet In front of him.
"Look at you showing up for more punishment. I am surprised. Here I thought I thought you wouldn't return." She steps forward, getting ahead of herself and cocking her first to the side.
456 just winces and throws his arms, not up, but down low. With his eyes closed.
"F*cking pathetic" she knocks him out with a backhand he just does not open his eyes to see coming.
Whap!
****
Thump!
The very next day he threw up a guard that this time wasn't reliant on both arms. One blocked the side he attacked while the other remained across his gut. Regardless he kept his eyes closed and took a strike to the opposite side of his Head.
"Kid.." she starts and scoffs before walking off. Negi wasn't going to waste her breath, 456 wouldn't hear her. Walking off again like she has a place to go other than here.
1 picks up 456 and the process repeats as another day ends within Zukki
***
Thump!
On the third day all the boy changes is the position of his arms. Not even fixing his narrow stance. Now his opposite side was covered and he was struck on the corresponding open cheek. Negi didn't have the mercy to hold back any less and he was knocked unconscious once again.
Negi wonders off.
1 carried him off once again.
***
Wham!
On the fourth day 456 finally changed things up in a positive manner. His arms were lined up tightly and his head was behind them; somehow aggressively turtling in his short stature. Negi had to circle around him and strike him on the back this time. To get a clear hit that is.
"Something different, if only you could react" she mulls over the idea, but doesn't care to nurture this seed. Did sadists ever make good teachers?
The strike to the back stung horribly. Somewhere on the upper right shoulder blade. It had enough force to send him flopping back onto the gravel. His mind broke as he had no clue how to block his back, so he opened his eyes.
His guard was open and Negi was merciless. Reminding him what it felt like to be full. He crumpled to the ground.
This time number 1 didn't come.
When 456 woke his face was pressing into the ground. His shoulder stung and his stomach ached horribly; for once he did not feel hungry. Spit cakes his face along with the pink gravel as he pushes off the ground wondering if he really should just keep his eyes open. Keeping them closed felt like it in itself like a defense.
("If I can't stop myself from getting hit, then I have to keep them open…but..") He winces as he holds his gut. ("Geez, she hurts so bad")
"Hey" a voice calls from behind him. 455 was there to check on him.
"Mmm.. oh hey" he grumbles and moves to meet his friends standing up straight.
"Are you learning anything or just accepting punishment from the Warden because..Budo says we haven't actually committed any crimes." He says at one continuous level, there's a hint of something like concern at the end though. "You could just not come here."
"But I will. Why was Zukki coming here?" 456 asks the only real one he has. It's his only desire currently in this trapped life of his.
"Hmm, ask the warden." He says, but really knows that 456 should be asking the girl herself rather than anyone else.
"Oh! Good idea, I'll ask her tomorrow" he says with some renewed enthusiasm. Inevitably his stomach growled to signal their next stop.
"Cafeteria"
"Yes"
Thus ended the fourth day since Zukki left the prison.