that one tumblr post sort of confirms that zuka adopted rocket when the lil guy was hot headed and mean, so i must write this oneshot or i will die!!!
it will be heavily ooc...
Request by; N/A
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"As agreed, here's the cash. Thank you again for leading the law off my scent," Broker handed the money over to Zuka. Zuka stuffed the envelope of money in his right pocket, as he still had both his hands at the time, and chewed on the butt of the cigarette he had lit a bit ago, "Anything for a generous paycheck like what you just gave me."
Broker grinned and pulled out his own stack of cash, flicking it casually. "Any time for my number one partner. Down for another job?" he offered. Zuka shook his head, "Not now. I think I'll take the day, maybe get something to eat. Maybe I'll take you up on that offer tomorrow."
All Broker could do was nod, "Luckily, the job isn't at the upmost importance. You know where to find me." With that, Broker left to go hide away from the eyes of the law trying to put him in a cage.
As much as Zuka loved the sound of making money, getting Broker out of trouble was hard work. All he wanted to do was chill around for the day, maybe get a bite or two, then take a fat nap. That sound like a pretty good chill day to the aging ex-phighter.
Zuka hopped into his truck, revved it to life, and drove off to go into Crossroads. There was always plenty to do there, and also plenty to eat. Many demons from all over would go there, meaning the place had different cultures. The restaurants from Thieves Den were always the best.
Playground had the best cafes, that was for sure, but Zuka wasn't looking for a coffee at the moment. However, as he thought about it, a coffee didn't sound bad. Nor did a muffin. Zuka decided a coffee and muffn couldn't hurt before he went to go eat at an actual restaurant.
Parking his truck in his regular spot, Zuka hopped out and locked it up. You never wanted to leave your stuff vulnerable, especially not here. The last thing Zuka needed was no truck.
Zuka followed the walkways of Crossroads until he reached a little bakery. Lucky for Zuka, it wasn't busy. The few demons that were sitting around were helping themselves to the free wifi and that was about it.
As Zuka got near the counter, he noticed a little boy. He was young and his horns needed a bit of a trim to keep them looking clean. It was strange because none of these demons looked to be his guardian. The boy looked to be by himself.
He was currently arguing with the cashier. "I want just one! I can sweep around here for one! I want it!" the boy begged, but it sounded more like a demand than anything. The cashier growled back, "No, you brat! For one, I don't give away things for free! Two, you are banned from here! Go scram!"
That was not the right answer as the boy stepped back and summoned his weapon. The cashier was instantly fearful as a rocket launcher was pointed straight at him.
Zuka instantly stepped forward. As a rocket user himself, he knew that this wasn't a game anymore. The boy whined as his gear was ripped away from him. As he turned to see who took it away, he instantly backed down and cowered away. The black and grey phighter that stopped him was scary, much scarier than anyone he has ever met before.
The boy messed with his fingers a bit and sputtered out, "Sowwy..." Zuka huffed a bit as the boy looked down at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes. This little brat was about to blow someone up over a jelly tart. That reminded Zuka a lot about himself when he was younger.
Instead of thanking Zuka, the cashier got angry at him. "Is this rat yours!?" he pointed at Zuka. Zuka was shocked for a second, he just saved this guy's store. "No? You want me to let him blow up your display case? Cause I will," Zuka threatened as he hovered the launcher of the boy, who reached for it.
The cashier instantly realized his mistake, "No! Sorry! Please, don't give it to him! I'll do anything!" Zuka heard the words "anything" and looked down at the display case. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage.
"I want a banana nut muffin," Zuka ordered. He looked down at the boy, then at what he was eyeing. Zuka looked back up, "And I want a jelly tart. The strawberry one." The boy looked up at Zuka, almost betrayed.
Not wanting to be blown up, the cashier gave the treats and let Zuka go free. "Come on, you are leaving too," Zuka nudged the boy out, making him whine a bit. When they got outside, the boy kept trying to reach for his launcher, but Zuka stopped him as he showed off the tart. Zuka saw the way his mouth drooled at the sight.
"What's your name, kid?" Zuka asked as put the tart back. The boy shook out of the trance, "Rocket! Could I have that tart?" Not even a please? Zuka didn't like that. "Yeah, no," Zuka told him straight up.
Not to his surprise, Rocket threw a small fit over not getting the desired item he wanted. "Jeez, kid. Who raised you?" Zuka asked as he lifted the launcher higher from Rocket's reach. "No one! I don't need anyone! I'm a man!" Rocket yelled as he jumped for his gear.
That honestly explained a lot. That would explain why the little guy was skinny too. He probably hasn't had a decent meal in a while. Zuka shouldn't feel bad, he never does. There was plenty of orphans out there like this one, but why was this one so special to him?
Zuka sighed in defeat as he lost the mental battle with himself. "You can have the tart and your launcher back after you eat," he bargained. Rocket stopped when he heard the word "eat". "Food?" Rocket asked.
"A hot meal. Want it or not?" Zuka pushed for an answer. Rocket of course agreed. He wasn't dumb, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to get a free meal.
Zuka kept his launcher prisoner though. He walked them down the sidewalk, Rocket kept in front of him so he didn't lose track of him. However, it was going too slow for Zuka. Little legs like Rocket's were no match for Zuka, who could leave him in the dust with a total of six big steps.
The older phighter grunted as he crouched down, "Alright, up we go." He lifted Rocket up and carried him. He started walking faster, now being able to pick up the pace. Instead of freaking out, Rocket began to stare in awe as he was being carried. Never had someone picked him up with this much care before.
Last time he was ever picked up, he was thrown out into the pouring rain very aggressively. He remember taking shelter under an empty dumpster that night. He smelled like garbage for a week.
Being carried with care was a new concept for him. He half expected for Zuka to toss him in the water, but that never happened. All Zuka cared about was getting himself and this random kid he plucked from the streets some food.
When they got there, Rocket nearly melted when he took in a deep smell of the delicous air coming from the restaurant. Zuka flinched at the aggressive growl coming from the kid's belly. Looks like he'll be losing a bit of money today.
They were sat at a booth. Zuka kept the launcher on one side while he sat with Rocket, who sat in a booster seat, on the other. He made sure to put Rocket on the inside so he didn't try anything.
Lucky for him, Rocket was too occupied with coloring to even care about anything else. The children's coloring sheet was that of a cruddy flower, so Rocket turned it to the blank side to start doodling.
Zuka tried his best to look through the menu, but his attention was being called as Rocket started tapping him and showing him every little thing he has been drawing. There was a dog, then there was a dinosaur, then Rocket bugged him to look at horse he made.
Even when Zuka tried to order some drinks, Rocket tried to get his attention so he could look at the house fire he drew. Zuka only found that just a little disturbing.
"Then BOOM! Then there was a big BOOM! Then there was fire, and BOOM!" Rocket told Zuka the story of his drawings, making sure to be extra loud with the boom sound effects. Zuka cringed as looks were shot his way, most of them being adoring looks as they cooed at how excited the little boy was.
"Okay, quiet down a bit. What you want?" Zuka asked Rocket as he brought the menu over to him. Rocket stared at it like he didn't know how to read. That's when Zuka instantly realized his mistake and tried to fix it, "Sorry- Sorry-"
Zuka paused as Rocket gripped onto the menu and started pointing at some thing, trying his best to say them out. "Duuhhm.. pleeeng... duhpleeng!" Rocket look at Zuka with stars in his eyes. Zuka was surprised, the kid knew how to read!
However, he wasn't very good at it. Zuka grinned and pointed at what he wanted, "Dumpling. You want that?" Rocket nodded and bounced a bit. Then he moved on to something else. Rocket pointed at it, "I want soap!"
That made Zuka snort, "Soup, you want soup. Sooooup." Zuka did his best to sound it for the little demon. Rocket tried to copy him, "Saa- aa- ooo! Saaooap-" Zuka couldn't help but snort a little. This kid was honestly getting to him. "It's soup," Zuka repeated.
"Soap!" Rocket tried. "Eh, close enough. Dumplings and soup. Sure you can eat all that?" Zuka asked. Rocket nodded and tried to point at something else. Zuka stopped him, "I'll get you more food if you manage to finish the soup and dumplings. Got it?"
Rocket nodded and got excited. Zuka felt a bit bad. This was probably the first real meal the poor guy has gotten in so long. It made Zuka feel if worse that after this, he'll be letting the poor thing fend for himself after this is over.
After Zuka placed the order, he couldn't stop thinking about leaving Rocket behind. He has left many orphans in the dust before, but the idea of leaving Rocket made his gut twist. The thought itself was making him feel like the most guilty demon in the world right about now.
When he looked at Rocket, it just got even worse. The kid looked so much happier than before drinking his juice. He was a little brat when Zuka first met him, but that quickly changed. That had Zuka reflecting on his youth.
Zuka wasn't the most... kind of demons. He was cocky and was an absolute asshole. That all stopped after certain incidents. He kept that time in his life far in the back of his head. The friends he lost and the enemies he made torment him still. The only "friend" he unfortunately still has is Broker. He wished he would blow up, but the guy pays him to exist pretty much.
Then a certain thought came. Zuka shook his head, finding it dumb. He can't afford a babysitter and he knew Broker would probably sell the kid when given the chance.
He couldn't bring Rocket along on his jobs, they're dangerous. He can't leave him alone in Crossroads either. Zuka wasn't cut out for this, he knows that. So maybe abandoning Rocket was the best thing to do.
Zuka turned his head as Rocket tugged at him. He looked over and felt his chest instantly squeeze. "Look! I drew you! I drew me too! We are eating ice cweam and uhmm... ribs!" Rocket had to think about the last word for a second as he slid the paper over to show him. Out of all the doodles on the paper, this specific one was the biggest and most prominent on the page.
Rocket was waiting for him to say something, but Zuka just kept on looking at it with a blank expression. The little demon began to get worried, "Do you hate it?" Zuka picked up on the sad tone and instantly snapped out of it, "No! I love it! It's just that I've never seen someone so accurate and handsome before. Who's the handsome guy right here?" Zuka pointed at the drawing of Rocket next to him.
"That's me!" Rocket giggled, kicking his feet. Zuka shook his head, "You? Couldn't be! This guy is handsome, you're all cuteness!" The giggles that admitted from Rocket had more demons turning their head and staring at the two, cooing.
However, Zuka wasn't big on the attention. His saving grace was their food being brought to them. That had Rocket stop giggling and instead started tapping the table excitedly.
Zuka made sure to keep it away from him for a second, knowing very well Rocket would make a mess all over. When the server left, Zuka still wasn't going to trust Rocket. Grabbing the chopsticks provided, he picked up a dumpling and raised it towards Rocket.
"We are not going to scarf this down, you hear-" Zuka was cut off as the little piranha snatch the dumpling with his teeth and chewed it down in less than a second. Rocket looked up at him, expecting more. Well, Zuka just began to hope that he didn't lose any fingers with this task.
Zuka would switch between giving him a dumpling or a bit of soup. Rocket was nicer with the soup, taking his time to spit at it. Even when offered some of Zuka's noodles, he slurpped them up more controlled than those dumplings. The kid like dumplings was Zuka's guess.
Rocket had licked everything clean. Zuka even gave the kid the rest of his noodles, which Rocket cleaned. There was nothing left, Rocket did as told and he ate everything.
"Alright, tart time," Zuka declared as he brought out the baked treats. Rocket got excited and reached up. Zuka presented him with his tart and he took out his banana muffin for himself.
Just as Rocket was about to scarf down his tart, he looked over at Zuka and the muffin. Then he looked at his own tart. It couldn't hurt to ask, right? Zuka was just about to eat his muffin when he was tugged a little. He looked down and he was met with guilt tripping eyes.
"Half for half?" Rocket asked as he split his tart in two. Zuka couldn't say no if he wanted to. If he said no, then he would probably jump off one of the bridges. Sighing, he split his muffin in half and traded Rocket, "Half for half."
Rocket brightened up as he shoved the muffin into his mouth. Then he shoved the jelly tart in after. Zuka watched him, amused. What he wasn't amused about was all the crumbs they were getting everywhere. Zuka did the same as Rocket and shoved the two treats in his mouth. It honestly wasn't a bad flavor.
Zuka paid the bill, left the tip, and left the restaurant a somewhat full demon. Most of it went to Rocket, but he didn't care. Rocket was being carried again, the little legs still an issue. Zuka did give him back the launcher on the condition he put it away, which he did.
Now that food was done, Zuka needed to start finding this kid somewhere to stay. Maybe he could put him in a box that says "free child" and see how well that goes. Rocket was currently stealing his hat and putting it on himself. It was too big so it would droop down on his face, making him giggle.
Of course Zuka didn't forget the drawing. It did have a little jelly stain on it, but that paled to the drawing on it. If Zuka had a fridge he would hang it up there.
"Alright, where are you staying? Where do you live?" Zuka turned and asked, stealing his hat back. Rocket gave a little "uhm" but it didn't take long to answer. Rocket grabbed Zuka's face and giggled, "You!"
Great. Zuka instantly felt dread seep in. Rocket kept on rambling, "I will sleep on a big, big bed! I will get juice! I will get uhmm... a toy! I like a toy!" This was all the things Zuka wasn't ready to take care of. He lived in his truck for goodness sake. He didn't have the resources to get a place here, let alone buy all the necessities for a growing child.
That's when he remembered the jobs Broker would offer him. They paid handsomely. Just maybe he could do a couple more so he could afford a place? Maybe he could get a fridge too, and an actual sofa.
The thought of possibly having Broker watch Rocket while he does these jobs had him rethink his choices. Does he trust Broker that much? Absolutely not. Does he want to take in this little rat and possibly be a parental figure to him? Yeah. He really does.
"Okay, fine. However, that's gonna take me a couple of days. I got some work to do," Zuka carried Rocket to his truck and buckled him in the front seat. Hopefully he won't go flying out. Rocket kicked his feet in excitement, he's never been in a car before.
Zuka turned on his truck and drove towards Blackrock, Broker's current place of hiding. The place was always full of crime, a perfect place for someone like Broker. Zuka would have to be extra careful with Rocket, he isn't gonna have him be snatched.
Looking over at Rocket, he grinned at the way the boy was watching the clouds going by in awe. The kid wasn't bad, he was just upset that no one cared for him up until now. Reaching over, he gave Rocket a little scratch on the head, making him giggle and squirm. He would probably stop by that one horn shaving place while he is down here.
Zuka smiled. He will never let this kid follow the same path that he did when he was young. Never will he allow that. Never.