Chapter 6 - Pacifier

Keith looked around, trying to look for any shady characters hanging about. But, knowing that he was dealing with an Assassin, a master of stealth, it was pointless to look for them.

That was one of the many teachings that Keith hated about the clan. You either finished the job or died trying. No exceptions, no middle ground where you could abandon your mission or spare your target.

And worst of all, no dropkicking people. Although that rule was more specifically aimed at Keith than anyone else from the clan.

As he stepped outside the building, Keith was drawn to the noise of a very loud whinny and managed to reach the area where Yurgen was, next to the bunch of kids who had approached it when Keith first arrived.

Yurgen stood on his forelegs and Keith rushed in as he recognized the move that the horse did to deliver Keith's usual sleeping knockout.

Keith ran and shoved the small child who was playing behind Yurgen out of the way of the kick.

Unfortunately, Keith could not get out of the way in time and was the recipient of a jaw-cracking kick from Yurgen, which sent him sprawling onto the ground. The children started laughing at the scene. Even Yurgen appeared to find the situation hilarious as he emitted splutters with a cheeky smile that bared his teeth.

That's the last time I help out those little shits.

A bell rang from inside the institute and the majority of children around Keith ran back inside. As Keith shook his head to regain his normal vision, the girl who stood with him under the entryway of the institute approached him.

"Are you ok, Mister?" She asked, appearing to be very concerned.

Finally, one of these brats isn't completely annoying.

"Thanks, kid. But don't call me Mister, it makes me feel old. Call me Keith."

She raised an eyebrow. "Keef?"

Keith mentally face-palmed himself. "No, not Keef. KEI-TH. Like teeth."

The girl giggled and smiled. "You're funny, Mister Keef."

I take back what I said about the annoying part.

Keith sighed. "Ok, don't you have classes to get to?"

The girl tilted her head in confusion. "What are you talking about? There's no class today. All of us are competing in the tour...tournamy…tourney…" She said, stuttering.

"Tournament?" Keith finished.

The girl clapped. "That's the word! Tourno…that thing!"

Silvia appeared at the institute gate, calling the two of them over.

"Zimmi, did you fill in the entry form for the tournament today?" Silvia asked, kneeling and tying the girl's hair into a bun.

Zimmi nodded as Keith noticed the man who bumped into him walking around the stadium grounds. It would have actually been less obvious if he had written "I'm shady as hell" on his forehead. Silvia stood up and smiled as Keith turned around.

"I thought you had some urgent matters to attend to," Silvia said, patting Zimmi on the head.

"Well, my schedule freed up a bit. The annoying one convinced me to stay." Keith said.

"I did?" Zimmi asked, genuinely confused.

Keith stared intensely at her as if trying to communicate telepathically with her.

"I mean, I DID! Of course, I did! So, will you watch me win the big prize? You could take me to buy all the toys from the market nearby when I win!" Zimmi said, hopping up and down gleefully.

"Ok, my schedule isn't that free." Keith huffed.

"And then afterward, we could go butterfly-catching. Or I could introduce you to my friends! An…And we could make hand-paintings together!"

"Do I look like a pre-schooler to you?" Keith asked.

"Yes," Zimmi said straight away.

Silvia stifled a laugh as Keith looked in disbelief at the oblivious girl in front of him.

"Zimmi's a very special little lady. She's participating in most of the events. Gonna take on the big boys now, are you?" Silvia said, folding her arms.

"YE! Those big buff…buffa…buffkoons…" Zimmi said, slowly beginning to stammer once more.

"Buffoons?" Keith finished.

"YE! They're no match for these guns!" Zimmi said, flexing her arms, causing Silvia and Keith to laugh.

"I'm terrified for the people who have to go up against you," Keith said with a wholesome serving of sarcasm.

The stadium began to erupt with applause as an announcer began garbling out an introductory speech. Silvia turned around and looked at her watch with horror.

"Oh, shoot! I forgot I need to be there for the staff appreciation ceremony! Keith, could you take Zimmi to her home to grab her clothes for the tournament?" Silvia said, panicking.

"You're willing to entrust a complete stranger with a kid when there's no telling what I would do with her?" Keith asked her.

"In that case, the stranger's going to have a big surprise if he tries something funny when Zimmi's around!" Silvia said, waving frantically as she dashed towards the entrance of the stadium.

Keith rubbed the bridge of his nose. Zimmi looked up as she was enthusiastically waiting to show Keith around her hometown in Kleise.

Stupid kids.

"Let's go before I change my mind and let some creep take you away." Keith groaned.

"YAYYY! Could we get some ice-cream along the way? PLEEEASE?" Zimmi pleaded.

"No," Keith said as they passed an ice-cream vendor.

"BUT IT'S SO HOT! AND I NEED ICE-CREAM!" Zimmi wailed as if she was dying.

"And I don't care. Now let's get what you need so I can go home. I've had enough of this town." Keith said as Zimmi followed close behind him.

Keith kept Yurgen at a nearby stable, paying the owner a small fee for his horse's accommodation. The owner handed him the key to the stable door, so no one except Keith could take Yurgen or any of his belongings on Yurgen.

"But it's such a nice town," Zimmi said.

"Exactly."

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"YAYYY! We're here!" Zimmi squealed, sprinting through the front gateway.

"This is your home?" Keith asked.

Zimmi turned around and paused. "Yeah. Why?"

Keith looked up and squinted as he read the sign posted above the gate.

Monarch Orphanage and Children's Home.

"No reason." Keith smiled nervously.

Zimmi hopped into the lobby area and jumped onto a stool to speak with the receptionist; he was a round, cheery man reading a magazine on tourist locations to visit.

"Hey, hey! Zippy's back!" The man exclaimed, stretching out his arm to receive a high-five from Zimmi.

"Hi, Uncle Bob! I'm going to go get my clothes for the tourna-thingy today! And then I'll win and get you a box of donuts!" Zimmi said, her face sparkling with determination.

"Ahh, you spoil me kiddo. I'm trying to lose weight and you come along bumping me up again." Bob said, setting down his magazine.

"I'll get you the chocolate cookie crumble donuts," Zimmi said, slyly.

"Ooooh. Yes, please." Bob immediately gave in.

Meanwhile, Keith was having an existential crisis. He was in an orphanage. So many depraved and horrendous jokes and statements flew around in his head. They were so bad that even Enteico would lose all faith in his humanity.

It's ok. It's fine. Calm down. You can do this; you can make it out of this.

He was so focused on not listening to the nagging itch to spout something terrible out that he didn't notice Zimmi leading him towards her room.

As the two of them entered, Keith was surprised as to how little there was inside her room. It wasn't filled with toys or paintings and crayons. There was just a small fridge, a bookshelf, a bed and a cupboard.

It was so grey and boring compared to Zimmy's colorful and upbeat nature.

"I wanted a picture of my class with a drawer here. And some deco…deca…thingies next to my bed. And that happy birthday card I got from Uncle Bob on the fridge. I only have one of those, hehe." Zimmi mumbled, rummaging through her cupboard.

"So, what's the deal? Don't they allow you to put that stuff up?" Keith asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

Zimmi shook her head. "No, they let us deco…do what we want with our rooms. It's just…I can't."

Keith waited for her to go on, folding his arms.

"My head hurts when there are too many things. I can't go to parties or other things like that because there's too much noise and I feel like my brain's going to explode." Zimmi said, clearly struggling to explain.

Ah, just like how my head feels like when I'm on crack.

"I have this thingy behind my ear. I call him Ricky. If I push the button, I can sort of focus for a while. The noise goes away for a bit." Zimmi said, lifting her hair to show a small contraption hooked into her skin behind her earlobe.

"A stadium filled with people isn't exactly the best place if you want to avoid noise," Keith said, looking at a red stain on his jacket before cleaning it off.

"I know. A lot of people told me not to go. But I have to!" Zimmi said, clutching her bag with her clothes.

"If I don't do this, I won't be able to help anyone. I'm going to use the money to help Miss Silvia and the kids at the school! And then, when I grow up, I'll find a way to cure everyone who wants to be normal again! But now…now I can't do that."

"Why not?" Keith asked.

"Because I'm not a grown-up yet. All I can do is donate the money to the foundation. But I can still show my friends and everyone else that I can still parti…parciti…that I can still fight! No matter how hard it is, I'll find a way to help everyone! And when they see me, they'll do the same thing too! Some of them can't feel the sand on the beach, some of them can't see the sunrise or fireworks and some of them have never heard music. So, I'll help them!"

Enteico would love to meet this kid. She's the spitting image of him.

"But you're still going to buy Bob those donuts, right?" Keith said.

Zimmi wiped away her tears and smiled. "YE!"

________________________________________________________________

"I'm going to need your name and a scan to sign her out under your protection," Bob said, handing over a form and asked Keith to look into a Pokia.

"His name's Mister Keef!" Zimmi said, jumping onto her stool.

Keith flicked her forehead with his fingers, causing her to flinch in pain.

"Careful," Bob warned.

"Pssht, what's she gonna do? Tell her parents?" Keith shrugged.

Bob's smile quickly vanished and everyone else in the lobby looked at him with a dark glare.

Uh oh.

Zimmi started laughing while clutching her stomach. "That's so funny because I don't know who or where my parents are!"

Keith and everyone else chuckled awkwardly, relieved that the girl had enjoyed Keith's dark humor. Sure, it wasn't funny anymore because she explained it, but…

Wait a minute…

Keith's joke was now pointless because she had explained it! She knew that it would lose its edge if anyone, let alone a child, explained the joke!

Keith knew the sacred law. A joke is not funny if someone has to explain it.

This devious tactic could only be orchestrated by a mastermind, one that could counter Keith's degenerate mindset. And so, Keith had found an unlikely rival.

"Let the battles begin," Keith mumbled as he left the orphanage with Zimmi close behind.

"Huh?" Zimmi asked, extremely confused.

________________________________________________________________

"One."

"No."

"It's just one! I've never asked you for anything in your entire life!" Zimmi wailed.

"You've only known me for barely a day. And you’ve asked me for multiple things, like a few hours ago at the plushie store, or a few minutes ago at the bakery, or a few seconds ago at the cotton candy…" Keith went on.

"But it's ice cream, Mr. Keef! ICE-CREAM!" Zimmi complained.

"Yeah, I know you're screaming. I wish you would stop. Let's get moving, the stadium isn't far." Said Keith, making Zimmi dramatically fall to the floor clutching her head.

"Kid, we don't have time for this. Let's…" Keith said, before pausing and looking at Zimmi.

She was still clutching her head, groaning in pain. After a few seconds of violent trembling, she appeared to faint.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Where the hell was the nearest hospital? Was it better to take her to the institute? Was she having an attack?

"Kid?! WAKE UP! DAMN IT, KID!"

Zimmi shot right up. "Soooo, can I have my ice-cream now?"

Keith silently glared at the child, fuming at the trick played on him.

Keith flicked her forehead with his fingers. "Why didn't they call you Zip It instead of Zippy?"

Zimmi made a face. "I don't like that name."

Keith tapped his foot impatiently. "If getting ice-cream gets you out of my hair faster, then I'll do it."

"Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?" Zimmi pouted.

"You're a kid. I don't like those. Plus, you gave me a fucking heart attack barely a few minutes ago!" Keith exclaimed.

"Fucking?"

Oh no.

"No. NO. Don't use that word. It's for big boys and girls only, Zip It." Keith said.

Zimmi smiled. "Which word, Mr. Keef? Fucking?"

Keith exhaled in annoyance and walked over to the ice-cream vendor, purchasing two of the frozen treats. "You really seem to love saying that word."

Zimmi giggled. "I LOVE fucking!"

The entire street, busy and bustling with activity, seemed to slow down and turn to Keith simultaneously. The new stranger in town would be the subject of many unruly rumors and stories after that day.

I'm going to kill Enteico when I get back home.

They managed to reach the stadium with barely a few minutes to spare. Keith waved goodbye to Zimmi as she ran inside the stadium with her friends.

Well, that's the end of that adventure.

Keith was about to leave when he saw the suspicious man he had bumped into earlier walking behind the storage and maintenance shed for the stadium.

Is he one of them?

Unbuttoning his jacket, Keith let his shadow consume him and warped to a rooftop nearby.

The man stood alone, scratching his beard for a while, waiting for someone. A few minutes later, a child that seemed no younger than Zimmi walked nearby.

Keith followed the man and the boy closely until he reached the entrance of the stadium where contestants were submitting their entry forms and getting scanned. Keith watched as the man pulled out an entry form that was checked by the guards before they scanned the boy and listed him as one of the competitors.

Silvia walked outside, checking with the guards for the list of contestants before she spotted Keith and called him over.

"You here to watch Zippy compete? And why are you still carrying that briefcase?" Silvia asked him.

"My dead grandpa gave it to me. Anyway, I've got a question. Is anyone allowed to compete in the tournament?" Keith asked, ignoring her and staring at the man who walked behind the shed once more, looking over his shoulder.

"W…wh... what did you just say? Well, I mean, it's not anyone, per se. There is an age limit as to who can join. Any other Gifted children could join the tournament since we take scans and tests to verify their conditions." Silvia explained.

So, I guess now they're sending children out into the field.

After Silvia excused herself to check up on Zimmi, Keith did a bit of surveillance looking for the bearded man. The Assassin was nowhere to be found.

Keith felt a sense of dread as he turned into a shadow and ran vertically up the wall of the institute. Once he had reached the rooftop, he saw a small sundial placed in a corner.

Shit. This is bad. At this rate, I'll never have that new batch of Moon Juice ready.

Keith studied the sundial. There was a mark left behind where the shadow previously was.

This might be the biggest bruh moment I've had in a while.

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Keith walked into a waiting area with a group of contestants prepping themselves for the tournament rounds. Keith saw Silvia and Zimmi in a corner as he checked around for the child that came with the Assassin.

Zimmi ran over and squealed in happiness. "Mr. Keef! Did you come here to watch me win?"

"Yeah, I did. And then, maybe I'll watch some pigs fly." Keith said in a monotone voice.

"KEITH! You're supposed to be encouraging her!" Silvia screeched.

"What? I am. Kids love seeing pigs fly, don't you?" Keith asked her.

Zimmi looked at Keith and jumped with joy. "YE! I'm going to win and see flying piggies! Then, we can both go to the carnival and shoot some ugly ducklings!"

Keith did a double-take. "What in the what?"

"Oh, that game where they have the toy gun shooty thingy. And you have to shoot the little cardboard duckies that go quacking. And then, you get a HUUUGE plushie if you shoot all of them! I feel bad for the duckies, but I'll take good care of the big adorable plushie, I promise!" Zimmi said, not bothering to stop to breathe.

"You are too precious for this world," Silvia said, squeezing Zimmi's cheeks.

There was an announcement and a wave of applause as contestants lined up to participate in their rounds. The retractable roof of the stadium closed as the lights shone down upon the contestants. Keith noticed the child he was looking for pause momentarily and then join up with the others.

"It's time for Zimmi's round. Wish her luck." Silvia whispered to Keith.

Zimmi looked up expectantly at Keith.

"Don't suck and do the thing right. Then, maybe I'll stop telling you to Zip It."

Silvia wanted to grab the nearest object and smash it against Keith's head. But Zimmi looked up, determination burning in her eyes.

"I said I'll win. I'll destroy everyone so I can help them!" Zimmi said, pumping her fist into the air.

Keith went to the benches just outside the stadium grounds, below the spectator seats. The lighting system of the closed roof stadium was fizzling slightly.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING THE MONARCH FOUNDATION AND THESE WONDERFUL CONTESTANTS! THE MONARCH TOURNAMENT FOR GIFTED CHILDREN WILL NOW BEGIN!"

The stadium erupted into a thunderous wave of applause as a group of burly men set up the dueling ring onto the middle of the grounds. Standing in the middle next to Zimmi was the child who had come along with the Assassin.

The child didn't seem like he was one of the Assassins. For one, he didn't wear the traditional cloak most Assassins wore. Keith never understood how wearing something that covered your face and made you hunch over like a goblin made you inconspicuous.

If anything, that type of outfit would be a dead giveaway that you were shady.

A flare gun blasted, snapping Keith back to reality.

A young boy with ash-blond hair stepped into the ring with Zimmi. The boy had a cocky arrogant smile. Zimmi took up a stance, fists raised to defend her face.

The boy taunted Zimmi by stepping forward confidently, with no regard for any form of defense. He shrugged and chuckled.

"I'm totally going to win this, so get out of my way before I roast you to death, you B-list side character!" The boy said, cracking his knuckles.

Keith looked at the boy with interest. The young man had a lot of promise.

The boy erupted into flames, the moisture on his body exploding into an intimidating display of fire that made Zimmi wince from the heat.

Unfortunately, he didn't have a plan beyond that.

Flapping and flailing his arms, he screeched as the fire began to spread across his body uncontrollably. It couldn't actually hurt him since he produced it, but he was terrified as it spread across his face, blocking his vision.

The paramedics and medical team nearby extinguished the flame on the boy's body as he passed out from fear. Zimmi checked on the boy before he was wheeled away and felt relieved knowing that he wasn't hurt.

Keith watched as Zimmi fought against students and other older participants. But Zimmi held them off, employing a variety of Jujutsu holds while being surprisingly quick on her feet. She took down most of her opponents with ease, struggling every once in a while, as the dull ache in her head throbbed with each movement.

She looked at Keith as if expecting some type of acknowledgment of her skills.

To her disdain, she saw him scratching his ass.

Zimmi steeled her resolve once more and prepared for the next battle. Keith watched as the little girl soldiered off filled with an undying aura of determination.

Silvia sighed as she turned to talk to Keith, who was now digging out some earwax lodged in the corner of his ear. "You know, she really looks up to you."

Keith took a whiff of his finger and gagged briefly. "She shouldn't."

"Why not? You know she's special, but you still…" Silvia said before Keith stopped her.

"You mean disabled," Keith said, bluntly.

"Keith, you can't…" Silvia began once more.

"I can. Because even though I've only spent a day with her, I can get what she's feeling. She doesn't want to be special. She already is. Getting almost a decade's worth of Bitma and spending all of it helping these kids? Not a lot of people would do that." Keith said, stretching as another round came to a close.

Silvia was speechless.

"She still needs to Zip It sometimes, though you could work on that with her."

Silvia sighed and chuckled. "So close. You were so close to having said something nice about Zimmi."

"Now why would I want to do that?" Keith asked as if offended by the question. As the two watched Zimmi get ready for the next round, Keith noticed the child who came along with Assassin get up as his name got announced.

Howard Ruh.

Keith burst out laughing as he read the name displayed in giant letters on the screen of the Jumbotron.

"You ok? What's so funny?" Silvia asked him, slightly relieved that Keith appeared to be less tense now.

"Nothing, Silvia. I'm fine. How are you? Get it?" Keith asked, clutching his stomach.

Silvia looked at Keith bizarrely before she stared at the screen and repeated the words in her head. Then, she spluttered out a laugh before choking on her own saliva.

"That was such a bad joke," Silvia said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"I know," Keith said, leaning forward to look at Ruh about to begin his first round.

The boy that Ruh was about to fight was one of Zimmi's friends. Then again, almost everyone Zimmi met was her friend.

The boy floated above the ground, using the air to make invisible platforms to attain the high ground over Ruh. But Ruh didn't move, much less even make an attempt to attack yet. When the boy floated downwards ready to deliver an axe kick to end the match, the audience waited with bated breath for the attack to connect.

But Ruh was ready.

With terrifying speed and agility, he moved around the ring like a rampant beast, dodging the attack and landing two blows that stunned the other boy. Ruh simply walked away as the other boy stood motionless. The audience gasped as the boy collapsed to the floor in defeat.