01x16 - Gifted and Not

[bunniefuu]

After I look at them, I'll take a break.

Why in the world would he tell them that?

Hey, Dear.

You can't go around glaring like that,
even at your enemies.

You'll end up with wrinkles
when you grow up.

I know that expression.

"How'd things end up like this
when we just went out to eat," right?

Think of it as a last-minute job, okay?

Besides, you're the one
who decided to jump into that hole.

You've been worried about Rudo, right?

Isn't that's why you tagged along?

Hey, sorry, sorry!
Forgot you were sensitive about that...

Cute dynamic you've got there.

Is that there your kid?

Pretty much. Not by blood, of course.

I'm hoping we can get out of here ASAP.

Dear'll start to get sleepy
if we're not back before nightfall.

I see. So Dear's your name, eh?

Mind if I call you "Dear little boy"?

Guess that's a no? All right.

He's at the age when
a little brattiness is still cute.

How old is he?

He turned ten last month.

Hey, that's great. What day?

The 17th.

September 17th.

Hey, close one! Mine's September 19th.

So you just got older, huh?

Don't say it that way.
You're making me feel ancient.

Listen to us.
We sound like old men chatting.

Hey, don't laugh. It just makes me sad.

So, what's your story?

You don't seem particularly hostile.

Are you even here to fight us?

Bundus.

That's my name. You can call me that.

I'm Bro.

This is hard to navigate.

As for my story...

It's true that I'm not
feeling hostile right now.

I'm here on Zodyl's orders, but there's
other things I'm after, personally.

So if you can get those things,
we can skip the fight?

Well...

Beating you two would get me one of them.

What I want...

is information.

If you give me the info I want,

I'll tell you what happens if you lose to us.

So tell me.

The boss of the Cleaners...

Arkha Corvus...

Who is he?

Boss.

You know I don't like that word.

Never mind that! It's an emergency!

Four members of Akuta, including Rudo,
and three members of Child

were taken away by the Raiders
and are currently missing!

Gris told us.

It seems the one with warp powers
from the report stole them.

Gris wants us to allocate
personnel to look for them.

Please, Boss!
Why won't you just wear your choker?

It'd be so much easier if we
could get in touch with you quickly!

Very well.

Semiu, round up anyone who's free.

I'll figure out where they are.

I happen to know a great information broker.

You want to know about our boss?

Bundus. What are you getting at here?

Just what it sounds like.

If it's too big a question,
I can break it down for you.

Hang on.

You're trying to get important
info about the Cleaners

by asking something unassuming, right?

I won't tell you anything that
could put us at a disadvantage.

Don't get the wrong idea, now.

I'm a strict individualist.

My questions stem purely from my
own curiosity and inquisitive nature.

Nothing you tell me will get back
to the Raiders at large.

It's a simple exchange of information
between you two and me.

You can choose not to say anything
if you don't believe me,

but until you answer,
I'll be staying where I am,

and you'll be trapped here too...

until bedtime comes around.

All right.

But I'll only give the answers I want.

In that case...

What is Corvus's favorite food?!

F-Favorite...

S-Sweet stuff, I guess.

How old is he?!

No one's ever... mentioned it.

What does he do for fun when he goes out?!

I-I've never seen...

How long has he been with the Cleaners?!

I-I don't know!

Have you ever seen him
use his vital instrument?

N-No!

Th-This is bad!

I thought I could skip potentially
damaging questions and wrap it up quickly,

but everything he's asking is totally
mundane stuff, so it's just getting weird!

Dear's starting to get restless!

I've got to do something,
or he'll grow up with wrinkles!

So hard to navigate!

I'm always between a rock and a hard place.

Fine, I get it.

I see what you're trying to do.

Listen, man, I really don't know this stuff.

I guess it's my turn now.

If your side loses, we're going to
serve you up to a trash beast.

I don't know if you've seen this or not,

but we Raiders have managed to
successfully cultivate a few trash beasts.

Dear. Are you hearing what I'm hearing?

Did he just give us incredible info
for basically nothing?

Bro.

The value of the information you gave me
was indeed worthy of this.

Despite being a mysterious figure,
Corvus loves sweets.

All of a sudden, he feels human to me.

I understand him very well now.

He hides his true self well,

even from his own comrades!

C'mon. No need to hide it anymore.

You're just like me, right?

I've spent too much time going at it
with people way stronger than me.

Now average folks can't stomp me
unless I hold myself back.

When I'm going all-out fighting
and fighting and fighting and fighting

but still can't win...
that's when I feel most alive.

And so... I can get my hopes up now, right?

You're someone besides the boss
who can beat my a*s in, right?

Right?!

Zanka, my friend!

No need to hide it anymore!

You can let it all hang out!

Doesn't matter who's a Cleaner
and who's a Raider...

Just show me...

Show me!

Show me the brutality you've been hiding!

I'm all out of ideas.

You can tell from the trash
that falls from it

that the Sphere is a place of abundance.

Living creatures are mysterious things.

They change their appearance
to adapt to their environment.

Sometimes, the fallen trash brings

remains of species never seen on the Ground.

Humans are the same.

The environments we live in will
result in different kinds of humanity.

I'm a groundling. You're a Sphereite.

Why, then...

Why do we have the same look in our eyes?

Jabber told me that you and I smell the same.

Whatever else he is, he's perceptive.

That's what made me so interested.

It made me want to meet you for myself.

Meet me, huh?

Don't be stupid.

If you wanted me in on some weird,
half-baked plan to take down the Sphere,

you could have come and
talked to me like a normal person!

B-Besides, I don't need
anyone talking me into it.

I'm trying to get to the Sphere to punch
those assholes because it's what I want!

Don't pretend like we're the same
and drag the other Cleaners into it!

I wonder. What is "normal"?

Rudo, did you know?

There are groundlings who see
the trash falling from the Sphere

and worship it as "blessings from heaven."

Even rotting food waste,

even scrap lumber that
crushes their flesh and bone...

There are those who see it as a blessing

and demand others do the same.

It may seem strange to outsiders,

but when it's all you know, it seems normal.

In time, it becomes "common sense,"

and to fight against it becomes heresy.

"Common sense" can be beneficial.

But a "common sense" designed by the corrupt

is a deadly poison to those
who unknowingly imbibe it.

You'll never know who has that poison
in their system unless it comes up.

But there's a way to snap them
instantly out of their toxic delusion.

A shock to the system.

These shocks are very useful.

They draw someone's fundamental
nature to the surface.

You've had that happen, haven't you?

With the shock Jabber dealt you.

Oh, which means...

The one Jabber is fighting right now

might also have something
to be drawn out from within.

Or perhaps the shock will prove too intense...

and he'll be crushed.

Here we go.

Here's another one.

One of those "natural talents."

No way a mediocrity like me can beat him.

"I wasn't going all-out," my a*s.

"I was holding myself back," my a*s.

I've seen plenty of people who said
that crap 'cause they wanna look cool,

but you can spot the real ones
by how clear-eyed they are.

Man. It's the same sh*t anywhere you go.

"A mediocrity can't beat a natural talent."

But that's what makes
it so damn worth doing!

Episode 16

Gifted and Not

Hey, quit running!

Zanka, old pal!

Don't let this next one k*ll you, 'kay?!

Stormy Weather!

All done now?

Hey, look at you, fighting!

Not over yet.

I'm not... finished yet...

Until I prove myself...

I'm not dying!

You broke my rib!
And then you punched me in it!

You frickin' sadist!

I knew you had more hidden away!

Show me more of that!

I don't do any of that "holding back" sh*t
you were babbling on about!

But don't worry!

Even a mediocrity like me
can keep up with you!

Looks like you hit my left claw!

When I'm in all-out mode, my left claws
hold three of my most recent toxins.

There's the numbing toxin,

a toxin for having a good old time,

and the gloopy-goo toxin from just now.

What, would you still rather be hit with sh*t?