"Do you think you're a clever boy?!" The older man's hand slaps Palik across the face, the force strong enough to make him stumble onto the dirt ground.
"Come on, Jack." Another voice speaks up. "You can't blame him for trying, he looks like he's starving."
"Quit being soft, Maver." Jack snaps at his colleague. "If we let one rat win, then they'll all think they can win." He glares at the crowd of filthy people, elderly and young alike.
"I-I'm sorry."
Rancid recognizes his brother's voice immediately. When he makes it to the front line of the growing pedestrians, he takes in the way Palik is on his knees before a group of espers. "You just have. . . So much." The side of his face is bright red and swelling with a hand print.
Behind him a large beige tent is propped up with steel bars, a half built fire pit abandoned a few feet away. So, they really are camping in Sekacity for the night. Why didn't they go to the northern side, where it was cleaner and less crowded? Of all places they chose to camp out, it was here?
Nothing makes sense to him.
"So what?" The leader, who Rancid assumes is Jack, says. He has a silver hilted sword strapped to his back, his red and white uniform all spick and span. The white band around his wrist blinks, the tech foreign in the poor area. He and his entire team look out of place in the filthy Sekacity.
"You think we'll share with you?" He turns his attention to the crowd, his angry eyes scanning those nearest to him. His upper lip curls in distaste. "With any of you?!"
"Please! I didn't even open it, just let me go!" Palik sniffles, his skinny form shivering when a gust of wind blows.
"Jack, I think that's enough." Maver steps forward. His long green hair is pulled back, his uniform coat is also missing. The top buttons of his long-sleeved shirt are unbuttoned and it looks like he's ready to rest for the night.
Rancid frowns when Jack strikes Maver in the face, the sound of bone hitting bone echoes. Maver doesn't stumble and fall the way Palik did, thiugh. The green haired esper reaches a hand up to wipe the dribble of blood at the corner of his mouth.
"Jack!" A woman with red blood hair pushes forward. She's dressed a little differently, adorned in a white and gold robe and the symbol of a goddess stitched to her chest piece. A guide. "Do you need to go so far?"
"Yes, he does!" Another hunter steps forward to defend his leader.
"Mercy is a luxury." Jack says. He glowers down at Palik, a nasty bug to a powerful esper like him. "I must set an example or more will come." He turns his glare to the crowd once more. He raises his hand to strike the brown haired boy before him.
Rancid clenches his jaw and lunges forward, ignoring Farron who shouts from behind him. He jumps in front of his brother and winces when Jack slaps his face. His head whips to the side, his feet steady on the ground as his hands curl into fists.
Damn, espers sure are strong.
"Rancid!" Palik gasps, his hands curling into the back of his dirty shirt. Rancid's cheek pulses and he hisses in pain. He lifts his hand to rub at the now sore spot.
"Huh?" Jack looks down to see that someone else jumped in time to take the hit, protecting the young boy who stole from him.
"You little rat!" Jack snarls. "Do you want to get punished too?!" He pauses when he sees Rancid's heterochromia eyes, one blue and one green.
Rancid doesn't say anything as he stands in front of Palik, his glare fierce.
"Hey, don't get involved, kid." The guide steps towards him, a calm aura radiates around her, but it does little to help the situation. Rancid doesn't know much about the two classes, only that it's a guide's job to keep an esper from going rampant. So why ain't she doing that? "It'll just make it worse." She shoots a nervous glance to her team Captain.
"Yes." Rancid ignores her warning entirely, his focus only on Jack. On the Esper who's eyes shimmer with an unstable gleam. He definitely looks like he's on the verge of rampage. "I'll take his punishment, so please spare him."
"Ah, damn." Maver mutters from a few feet away. He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs.
"Jack. . ." The female guide warns as she tucks strands of red hair behind her ear.
"Oh? Is he your younger brother?" Jack snickers, ignoring everyone else as well.
"Yes. He didn't actually eat your rations." Rancid glances at the unopened MRE's that lay a few feet away from them. It's no surprise that no one else has tried taking them yet. Not when a kid is about to be punished for already doing so. "Just let him go, and punish me."
"Ha! Who knew rats could be so loyal?" Jack cackles. "I thought everyone was out for themselves in dumps like this." He nods his head at the filthy dirt road.
"Jack, I think that's enough!" The guide snaps. Her pale face is turning red with anger. It almost matches her hair.
"One more word out of you, Jari, and I'll punish you right next to him!" Her captain snaps at her.
Jari, the guide, clenches her jaw. Her guilty eyes swing to Palik and then to Rancid. When Maver puts a hand on her shoulder, she finally takes a step back.
"Cuff 'em both." Jack orders.
"What?" Palik scrambles up, his sweaty brown hair stuck to his forehead. "No-"
"Now!"
Rancid catches sight of Farron and his younger sister, Folly in the crowd. He steps forward, ready to intervene, but Rancid gives a slight shake of his head. If Farron gets involved, he'll just get punished along with them.