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Trash beasts are usually easy pickings for the Cleaners, but the artificial ones that Zodyl has been producing are putting a bit of strain on the workforce, including Zanka Nijiku himself. As much as he likes to toil with the thought that geniuses would probably take them out in one blow, he agrees that the Watchman-created beasts would give even the most talented fighters some trouble.
To anyone who knew Zanka, this line of thinking would be completely blasphemous; you'd think he was kidnapped and had his identity stolen! But sometimes your conditions give you the temporary will to change your thinking.
This cleaning took place later in the day; usually, they'd be more in the afternoon, but duty calls no matter the time. The sunset sat behind the horizon, and shadows grew long, slowly beginning to stamp out the sunlight like how you would a small fire. The air pollution cast a haunting crimson light across the sky, turning the sun a burning red, as if the ground itself were drenched in blood—an almost perfect backdrop to the grueling battle that Zanka was facing.
The trash beast let out a deafening roar, signifying that it was on its last leg. Seeing the opportunity, Zanka quickly realigned Lovely Assistaff and made his move to deliver the killing blow.
Zanka drives one of the blades into the ground and propels himself upward with the momentum from his run, while simultaneously releasing Assistaff from the dirt below. At the apex of his jump, Zanka uses his flexibility to turn himself and his instrument downward to line up with the beast's weak spot. In a blink-or-you-miss-it moment, Zanka flies down like a bullet leaving the barrel of a gun, and pins down the neck of the trash beast, effectively immobilizing the creature. For a moment, the beast writhes and screeches underneath the ironically deathly hold of Lovely Assistaff, before Zanka inverts her spikes and slices the trash beast's head off completely from its neck.
The beast's eyes flicker like a TV screen for a moment before completely fizzling out, signifying its death. The once towering trash beast was now reduced to nothing but dust as it slowly crumbled into nothing, dropping a small object in its wake.
"Seriously? Death by beheadin'? " That's too cliche," Zanka remarks before walking over to inspect the small object. The object in question was an extremely worn-out hairbrush; half of its bristles were missing, which gave the beast a sort of porcupine appearance… if said porcupine was given a really, really bad shave from a runaway razor.
Zanka inspects the hairbrush for a moment before stuffing it into his pocket, giving himself a quick dusting off and recalling Assistaff.
"Rudo's a genius, he could probably do somethin' with that. Hah, maybe he could turn it into a spiked bat next time we fight some Raiders… I'll toss it to him when I get back." Zanka thinks to himself as he begins his trek back to HQ.
Speaking of the Raiders, that beast was made by Zodyl… Wouldn't that mean a Raider wasn't too far behind? Just as that thought crossed Zanka's mind, a familiar wicked cackle sliced through the setting silence in the air.
… You've gotta be kidding.
Zanka didn't need to see his face to know that laugh belonged to the one and only Jabber Wonger, the thorn in his side ever since Rudo fell to the ground those months ago. Everywhere Zanka went, it always seemed like Jabber was always there and looking for his fix of bloodshed.
The cleaner whipped his head around and was met with the sight of the Raider perched slightly above him on some rubble, his long wicks gently swaying in the breeze of the sunset. Jabber's lips were curled into that same Cheshire smile that seemed to be constantly plastered on his face. Maybe Bro was right, make a face too much, and it'll stick that way.
"If yer lookin' fer Rudo, he ain't here. 's just me today." Zanka called out to the Raider, already on his guard despite being slightly exhausted from the previous battle.
"hheehehe.. hehehhheeeHEHEHAHAHAHAAA" Jabber laughs almost maniacally; it was basically his signature. There were a few moments where Zanka swore he heard a wheeze or two, which was a bit unusual, but there was barely any time to analyze a laugh when you're about to be plunged into battle with your batshit crazy rival.
After Jabber calmed down from his giggle fit, he dropped down from his perch and onto the dirt below with a dull thud.
"Lookin' for Rudo? Nah, man. I'm way past the need to look for him. I already know where he is~ heheee, the Cleaners ain't that hard to find y'know?" the Raider spoke, straightening his knees and looking up at Zanka. Jabber's piercing eyes peered through the gaps in between his wicks, like a tiger stalking its prey through tall grass.
"I'm here for you, Mr. Bad Attitude."
Zanka makes a small choked sound at Jabber's poison-laced words. Oh god, what could he possibly want from him that he hasn't already given to him? Another beat down?? Good things come in threes, they say, but Zanka doesn't think anything good will come from their third fight.
"What the hell could ya possibly want from me? It's gettin' late and 'm on a tight schedule here." Zanka sneers, gripping Lovely Assistaff a bit tighter. Jabber's smile somehow grew wider than it already was; Zanka didn't even know that was possible.
"Seein' you take down boss's trash beast got me reeeeal excited. Lemme fight ya again, I wanna see that crazy in you from before." Jabber spoke in a tone that made Zanka's head spin. There was no way he was serious about this. The Raider was hopping and dancing around the rubble without a care in the world, a ritual that seemed to be common to Jabber before starting a fight. There was nothing Jabber wanted more than to sink his claws into Zanka like a cat catching a mouse.
A long pause fell in between the two, with the only noise being Jabber's feet against the dirt and rubble. The light of the sunset dyed the Raider's purple robes into shades of pink and deep maroon, his pink eyes even more striking than before under the light. Zanka was blanketed in shadow as a pile of trash eclipsed the sun, turning his uniform into shades of grey and deep blue.
A long sigh escaped Zanka's lips, looking up at the crimson sky.
"Fine, I'll give you yer fix."
Zanka's eyes began to glow a brilliant blue, fire dancing off his irises for a moment before dispersing. Lovely Assistaff flared to life with the same blue flames, immediately beginning to grow in size before donning her signature look. The cleaner wasted no time getting back into his battle stance.
"But, I've really gotta get goin'. So let's make this quick." Those last few words came out of Zanka's throat with a grit to them, sending shivers up his rival's spine.
"OhohoOHOHOHH!! This is good, this is so GOOD!" Jabber cackles while raising his arm to eye level with Zanka, hot pink flames crackling in the Raider's crazed eyes and making them glow. The pink flames engulfed the ten metal rings on Jabbers fingers, bringing to life an instrument that Zanka was all too familiar with: Mankira.
Fingernails bruised black from possibly hundreds of thousands of fights disappeared in an instant and were replaced with Mankira's intoxicatingly deadly claws. Zanka knew very well what those claws were capable of and preferred not to go on an external crisis-inducing drug trip again, and on top of that? Jabber was a horrible trip sitter.
Zanka was extra on guard as Jabber finally got into his battle stance, which was similar to a crane pose that he'd been taught during his time in Hell Guard. Was Jabber mocking him? Zanka felt almost offended at the thought.
The air grew still and quiet, but if you listened closely, you could hear how much the two were riling each other up. heavy breathing, small giggles from Jabber, the sound of Zanka's calloused hands gripping the wood of Lovely Assistaff, the tension was like a bomb waiting to go off. Impatience grew with every bloodshed-less second.
In an instant, the Raider lunges towards the cleaner, claws-first, with a loud grunt. More often than not, it was Jabber who made the first move in battle; he hated waiting, especially when he was facing Zanka. The cleaner quickly puts up Assistaff to parry the attack, throwing off Jabber with a kick to the stomach and sending him flying into a wall of rubble. The pain coursed through the Raider's body like electricity that crackled in his brain and fingertips, a high that even neurotoxin couldn't recreate.
Jabber lets out a choked gasp as he collided with the wall. "Ow ow ow owww! What's your deal, man?! You're gonna break more of my ribs!" The Raider growled in between wheezes, growing agitated.
After a brief moment, Jabber gets up and seemingly shakes off the pain. The Raider shoots off towards Zanka again with another attack from Mankira, leaving Zanka to once again retaliate with Assistaff and throwing Jabber into another pile of trash. Jabber kept lunging and swinging at Zanka over and over like a ping pong ball ricocheting off the rubber paddles. The attacks kept coming, with no end in sight. Had Zanka not taken proper care of Lovely Assistaff, she would've probably snapped in two by now.
Despite all of this, Zanka couldn't help but notice something—something that was a bit off about Jabber.
His attacks were slowing down.
Was that even possible? Slowing down wasn't even in Jabber's vocabulary; he was all go, no matter what. anything for that mindless violence that he craved so desperately. Throwing his body at Zanka over and over, jumping around in all different angles. Zanka was always quick on his feet, but he actually had time to think and react properly.
It was actually pretty terrifying.
"hhh..hheeee…" Jabber wheezed, clutching his side, looking down at the dirt.
"Y… You're holdin' back, aren't you? What happened to th.. hhhgh…"
"The hell are ya blabberin' about?" Zanka furrowed his brows, raising Assistaff to where the blades were pointing at Jabber. "'ve been givin' as much as an average Joe like me can."
There's a silence that sets heavy upon their battlefield, an uncomfortable silence.
"Nah…"
"C'mon, bad boy. If ya ain't gonna show me what's underneath…"
The Raider slowly raised his head to look at Zanka. His lips slowly curled into that wide smile that he always wore, distorting his once serious-looking face into a manic glare. Quiet giggles once trapped behind teeth now erupted out of Jabbers throat. The cleaner could only look at him with a mix of confusion and a bit of fear.
Jabber brings Mankira up to his face, looking through her long blades like a mask.
"I'LL JUST HAVE TO DO IT MYSELF!"
As those words left the Raider's mouth, he began to lunge at Zanka once more. The cleaner could hear his footsteps, see his figure dashing towards him, and see those deadly blades gleam against the red sky; the only thing he could do was raise Assistaff and deflect the attack again.
But Jabber never came.
What lay before Zanka was an unusual and frightening sight. Jabber towered over Zanka, looking like he was ready to claw his face off, but he was completely frozen in place. Silence fell over the two, with only their labored breathing being barely audible; Zanka could only look up at Jabber's dead-eyed expression with unease.
Jabber's body felt heavy, as if his limbs had been turned into cinder blocks that only weighed him down. His vision was unfocused; if Jabber didn't know what Zanka looked like, he would've mistaken the person in front of him as a pile of trash of sorts. What was going on? Why was he feeling like this? Panic filled the raider's mind for a moment before his vision fizzled out into nothing but a dark, inky black.
The moment played like a film in slow motion. Zanka could only watch as Jabber fell to the ground like a sack of rocks, hitting the earth below with a loud thud. Zanka let out a small gasp, jumping nearly five feet backward in shock at the sight of Jabber's limp body on the ground.
Zanka stood there for a moment, completely lost and unsure of what to do, but he couldn't help but feel slightly peeved at this outcome.
"…There's no way he just… died, right?" Zanka thought to himself, hesitating a moment before taking a step closer. For all he knew, this could be a strategy to lure him in and catch him unawares. Despite his brain's protests, the cleaner's feet kept moving him closer and closer to Jabber's body. Surely one little vitals check-up wouldn't hurt?
Keeping some distance, Zanka extends Lovely Assistaff toward the raider's body and gives the side of his torso a small poke with one of her blades. But nothing happened. Was he really dead?! Adjusting Assistaff once more, the cleaner gently pushes Jabber onto his back so he can see him more clearly… and also to verify whether he's dead or not.
The raider's body was now on his back, leading Zanka to get closer. Looking over, the cleaner had a better view of Jabber from where he stood and began to survey the area. Zanka's eyes swept over Jabber's figure from the tips of his shoes to the top of his head, crouching down as he did so. The cleaner's eyes caught the small rise and fall of breathing in Jabber's chest, eliciting a sigh of relief from Zanka. Good, he just fell asleep.
"At least he's not dead…" Zanka mumbled to himself. Wait… Since when did he care so much?! Jabber is an enemy of the Cleaners; the Raiders are against everything he stood for! This was ridiculous. He should leave him here and go back to HQ so he could rest and grab something to eat; this mission really wore him down. Surely someone over at the Raiders would notice he's missing and come over to peel his body off the ground and haul him back anyway.
…
But what if they didn't? What if they just left him here? Would Jabber know his way back? This area was pretty far away from any notable landmarks or civilization. But then again, Jabber did find where Zanka was; the raider was already remarkably good at doing that anyway, as if they were bound together by fate or something like that.
Zanka turned around, preparing to make his way back over to HQ. He only took a few steps forward before his conscience started to scream at him to go back for him. He wasn't gonna do it, no way was he going to bring the enemy back to HQ. Zanka had no idea what the consequences would be for himself, much less for Jabber. Plus, there was the risk of Jabber subconsciously going completely berserk at the sight of Rudo, just like last time. But it almost felt wrong to leave him there. What if something happened to Jabber? Not that he cared for his well-being, he just wanted to be sure he was well for their next fight, of course!
Ugh! What was he supposed to do?! The pros and cons just kept clashing in Zanka's head like he and Jabber had been doing earlier, leaving his brain in a stalemate. Without a clear solution in his head, the cleaner ended up walking back over to the sleeping raider and popping a squat right next to him as a precaution… yeah, just a precaution. He was waiting for Jabber to wake up and resume the fight; that's it. The battle was still unfinished, after all. Zanka wouldn't be able to sleep without a resolution.
Squatting next to the raider, Zanka was able to get a better look at his opponent while he waited. As much as they fought, he never really got to look at the details too closely; too much closeness meant getting dangerously intoxicated at the claws of Mankira.
The first thing that caught the cleaner's eye was the dark, sunken-in eye bags that lay on Jabber's face. The raider kept his eyes wide open most of the time, so they were obscured; Zanka wondered if he even blinked at all. Then he notices how youthful Jabber looks; he couldn't have been more than a year older than Zanka. The constant strive for survival on the Ground can definitely age you mentally and physically if the Raider's boss was anything to go by. Still, it looks like Jabber wasn't affected too harshly by these conditions.
Now that Zanka thought about it, Jabber seemed like an entirely different person out of battle. His relaxed face gave the raider a new air; he was easier on the eyes. Zanka might go so far as to say Jabber had an attractive face… Of course, he would; the raider was practically a genius compared to an average Joe like him. God, these geniuses have everything so damn easy these days; there was no reason for them to struggle as Zanka did. With a face like Jabber's, he could probably get so far in this life… Not that he was admiring the raider! In fact, he was doing the opposite! Envy was buzzing under his skin, envy, envy, envy, and nothing else.
A small huff out of Zanka's nose broke his train of thought, looking back down at sleeping Jabber. That's odd, Jabber practically made almost zero noise when he slept. Completely still, completely quiet, you practically had to strain your ears to pick up his quiet breathing. If it hadn't been for the rise and fall of his chest, you could've mistaken him for a corpse. Zanka feels that he should keep this information for later, whatever that means for him.
Minutes go by, and the sun has almost completely set behind the horizon. Shit, he should really start heading back to HQ. He would get seriously questioned by Semiu at this rate…
Zanka takes a look at the sky before looking back down at Jabber. It didn't look like he was going to wake up any time soon. He'd finally made up his mind, against his better judgment, he was going to take the raider to someplace where he could stay hidden for the night and let him rest… But where could he take him? Zanka didn't know this area well enough to leave him here confidently; he would have to sort through his options first.
Maybe there was a cave somewhere? But what if there's like a whole nest of trash beasts in there? They'd eat him alive! And Zanka supposes that a genius like Jabber deserved more respect than that.
Canvas Town? Yeah, that wasn't happening. He didn't think the mayor or Remlin would be too excited to see the two of them in this circumstance.
Alice? Hey, that could work! She works closely with the Cleaners, and maybe she could keep Jabber there for the night and possibly give him a checkup—Wait, Zanka didn't have any money on him at all.
…
Zanka was going to have to take him to see Eishia, wasn't he?
Maybe she'd understand? It wasn't like Jabber was going to stay for the whole night; it was just giving him a checkup and letting him go off on his own, so this wouldn't be too bad.
God, what the hell was he doing? He now had the raider piggybacking off him, while his face rested on the other's shoulder. Zanka could feel the soft, unconscious breaths of Jabber tickling the helix of his ear, making a pale blush creep onto the cleaner's cheeks. This was getting weird… like, really weird. But, not a bad weird? Zanka couldn't articulate exactly what he was feeling, but he knew that he had to haul ass to HQ right now.
The sun had fully set by the time Zanka reached the building… now what? There was no way he could simply mosey on in without risking being seen by Semiu. Was she even awake at this hour? No, she definitely was. Zanka could picture her sitting at her desk taking her… "supplements". But, if she was distracted, the cleaner could slip by unnoticed if he was lucky.
Zanka took a deep breath before attempting to push open the heavy metal door with his one hand, the other holding up Jabber. But as luck would have it, the door made a deafening creak that echoed through the walls of the reception room.
Fuck.
Zanka scrambled to hide Jabber behind him, nearly dropping him in the process.
Well, if there was one good thing about this predicament, Semiu was reading a mag at her desk, as Zanka had predicted. The bad part was that the sound made the receptionist look up immediately, spotting a tight-lipped Zanka standing in the doorway.
A tension-filled silence enveloped the room. Zanka's heart was pounding in his ears, almost suppressing any other noise that entered his ears.
The loud crash of the door closing behind him cut the silence in two, and the sound of a magazine closing followed suit.
"Welcome back, glad to see you're still in one piece," Semiu said before squinting for a moment. Her eyes caught one of Jabber's wicks draped over Zanka's shoulder, the golden hair jewelry casting a small sheen in the building's low light. The cleaner almost didn't notice until he saw the receptionist looking at it, quickly brushing the wick back behind his shoulder. You could load an entire military's worth of guns for a whole year with the way Zanka was sweating bullets.
"Ah, oh— uh, thank ya." Zanka stammered, giving Semiu a small nod before trying to slip away from the front office slowly, before being stopped by the receptionist.
"You were out for a while, 's everything alright? Enjin was worrying about you." The receptionist questioned, noticing how off Zanka had been acting.
Enjin worrying about him lightened his spirit a bit. The Enjin, worrying about some lowlife like him? It was like a dream. But that dreamy moment was cut short when he felt Jabber slipping behind him, shifting Zanka's weight to catch the raider quickly.
"Oh, me? Yea, that trash beast was a tough one. Uh, it was one of the ones that the Raiders've been makin'. That's why it took me so long." Zanka replied, trying to keep his composure.
"But, y'know, 'm exhausted… I should really get some rest before tomorrow." Zanka ended his sentence with a nervous chuckle while quickly shuffling towards the exit, his back facing towards the wall to keep Jabber hidden.
As soon as he was out of Semiu's view, he breathed a sigh of relief, but Zanka couldn't shake the feeling that she was on to him. Despite that, he had to keep moving towards the hospital. For a moment, the cleaner looked over his shoulder to still see Jabber sleeping soundly. Seriously, how heavy of a sleeper was this guy?!
As he turned the corner into the hall where the hospital was, he faced a problem he hadn't thought possible. In some sick twist of fate, Enjin was right in front of the door to the hospital, chatting with another cleaner. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy, not for ordinary people like Zanka. The only way out was through; he just had to pray that Enjin didn't notice him or the person he was carrying on his back.
Inch by inch, Zanka made his way over to the hospital door with his back facing towards the wall. The dim lighting of the hallway made it a bit easier to hide in the shadows, but even the darkness couldn't hide the sound of his heart pounding in his chest. It looked like Zanka was about to make it to the entrance when his shoes made the deadly mistake of squeaking against the smooth, marble-like floor. Conveniently, Enjin had just finished chatting with the other cleaner, and the squeak of Zanka's shoe had immediately captured his attention.
"Heeeeeeyyyyy, I knew I heard someone sneak in here—" Enjin spoke, eliciting a shrill gasp from the cleaner.
Though this situation has been nothing but bad luck for Zanka, something went his way for once when there just happened to be a supply closet behind him. Before Enjin could get a proper look at him, he quickly shoved Jabber into the supply closet filled with various linens and loudly slammed the door shut; at least the raider wouldn't fall over and hit something hard and pass out for even longer than he already was. The force of the slam was almost enough to rattle the walls of the building.
Zanka flipped around, using his body to block the door. His lips tightened into a nervous smile at the sight of Enjin.
"Yo~ Zanzan, you're back! You were gone for so long that I almost got the Boss to host a search party for you. Kidding! I knew you were gonna be okay on your own." Enjin said, playfully elbowing Zanka in the shoulder.
Enjin knew he'd be okay on his own? He really thought that? Zanka hardly deserved that praise, but he was elated to hear it regardless. However, the cleaner couldn't soak it in too much; what if Enjin got too suspicious and tried to open the door? How would Zanka explain why he was stowing away the unconscious body of their enemy??
"Thank ya' , Enjin." Zanka gave a sincere smile, but his nervously furrowed brows and damp forehead conveyed a different meaning.
The two of them shared a moment of silence, Zanka's barricade unwavering. Enjin seemed to analyze his teammate for a moment, squinting when he noticed that something seemed off about the cleaner.
"Say, Zanka…" Enjin broke the silence, leaning in to close the distance between the two.
Terror flooded Zanka's body, causing his hands to tremble behind his back. The cleaner swallowed thickly as he watched the blonde get close to his face; he knew his cover was blown right then and there. Oh god, what would he even do if Enjin found out? Much less if the Boss found out? These thoughts tossed and turned in Zanka's mind, drowning in them like the raging tides of the sea.
"Did Semiu say anything about me bein' worried when ya came back? Like… anything at all?" Enjin spoke just above a whisper, hiding the movement of his lips behind his hand as if someone was listening in on their conversation.
What???
Out of all the things to ask about, that was what you were worried about? Zanka couldn't believe it, but that was the kind of person Enjin was, he supposed.
"Uh— Nah, not really." Zanka rubbed his neck, looking up at the ceiling to be more convincing in his lie. He just wanted this conversation over with so he could get Jabber out of here as fast as possible.
Enjin stood up straight, looking pleased. He patted Zanka's shoulder in approval before looking over at a window, noticing how late it was.
"Weeeeeell, it's gettin' late, I'll leave ya alone now. We gotta 'nother cleaning to do tomorrow, and I know how much you like your rest. See ya." Enjin waves before walking away, disappearing into the dim shadows of the hallway.
Zanka breathed a sigh of relief, placing a hand over his chest. He couldn't believe he was pulling this off; surely someone would've stopped him a long time ago if he wasn't.
The cleaner turned around and carefully opened the supply closet, making sure not to wake Jabber up. Light poured into the cramped space, revealing the raider resting up against a shelf with miscellaneous linens and other items. That's a relief… Zanka then picks up Jabber, wrapping one arm around his shoulder and the other around his waist.
Zanka slowly opened the hospital door with a creak, eyes immediately landing on Eishia. She seemed to be organizing some medical textbooks on a shelf across the room. Hearing the creak, the nurse looks up to see the cleaner in the doorway.
"Oh, welcome back! Are you hurt? You were gone for a whi—" Eishia pauses at the sight of Jabber in Zanka's arms, eyes widening, jaw falling open.
The hospital door closed with a quiet click, a thick tension hanging in the air. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Okay, this looks bad… Like really bad, I know." Zanka was first to break the silence.
"W-Why did you bring him back here?! You know what happened to you last time…" Eishia puts a hand on her chest, almost terrified at the sight.
"I didn't wanna leave him on his own. He's been unconscious for a few hours now, I-I got worried and…"
The silence returned, and Zanka's eyes dropped to the floor in guilt; he was in too deep now.
The nurse, against her better judgment, slowly approached the two. She took a look at Jabber for a moment, noticing his sunken eyes.
"… I can give him a check-up, but I don't know if I'd be willing to use my vital instrument on him," Eishia said meekly, gesturing for Zanka to bring Jabber over to one of the beds. With a small nod, the two of them got the raider to lie down flat on the hospital bed.
Just in case anyone came in, the nurse pulled the privacy curtain around the ceiling track, effectively obscuring Jabber's temporary bed. The cleaner pulled up a chair outside the curtain and waited for Eishia to clear him to come inside.
The process took no less than ten minutes to complete, but Zanka couldn't help himself and nearly dozed off; it was still pretty late, after all. After a moment of silence, Eishia pulled the curtain open and signaled for the cleaner to come inside.
Passing into the white linens, Zanka found Jabber sleeping quietly on the bed, with Eishia hesitantly standing next to the raider and a clipboard in her hand.
"He seems to be stable… But his vitals indicated that a lack of sleep was what made him pass out in the first place. His blood pressure, heart rate variability, and body temperature were abnormal." The nurse spoke, flipping up a page of her notes on the clipboard.
"Ah, I also noticed he had trauma to the ribs. It looked like he had broken them before, but they weren't set and never healed properly…"
Zanka knew better than anyone where that rib trauma came from.
"The most I can do for him is to let him rest, for now. But I hope he wakes up soon; no one would be happy to know that we brought one of the Raiders into our headquarters." Eishia finished, then placed her clipboard on the side table and left the curtains.
The cleaner watched the nurse leave. He felt that he should follow suit, but before he knew it, he was already pulling his chair up to the hospital bed to be at Jabber's side. Zanka watched the rise and falls of the raider's chest as he had done a few hours prior; that's how he got into this mess in the first place. All the cleaner could do was stare at the tiled ceiling above and wait.
After what felt like hours, Jabber began to stir in his sleep. The raider's small groans and mumbles immediately caught Zanka's attention, his head shooting from the ceiling to the bed.
Jabber's eyes suddenly shoot open, and he suddenly sits up in the bed with a breakneck speed. Oh, he was pissed. He could've easily lasted a few more days without sleeping! Ugh, this was seriously irritating. Now Jabber's schedule was all messed up; he usually had a few more days before crashing completely and passing out for a day or two. What was worse was that Jabber had passed out in the middle of a fight, too! The raider thought that he was seriously unlucky.
Speaking of which, where the hell was he anyway? This wasn't the fighting ground he'd been at previously; it looked like a… hospital? Jabber looked at his surroundings. The harsh fluorescent lighting of the room was making him more irritated than he already was.
Then his eyes caught sight of Zanka sitting next to his bed; their eyes met for a moment, then both looked away, only to meet again.
"Where the hell did you take me? Don't tell me you're planning a surprise attack on me… Hehe~ That wouldn't be so bad, you could kick my ass aaaalllll over again." Jabber's poison words came back to bite Zanka again, giving him a similar dizzy feeling that he had when they fought earlier
"Yer in the hospital, I took ya here because you fell on yer face and passed out in the middle of fightin'." Zanka replied, crossing his arms.
"I was just… worried that you wouldn't wake up, or whatever."
A moment of silence fell in between the two; all they could do was stare at each other. Thought this silence didn't last long before Jabber burst into laughter.
"Dude, that's hilarious! I never thought Mr. Bad Attitude would have a soft spot for me! BAHAHAHA!" Jabber cackled wildly before letting out a pained wheeze and wrapping his arms around his ribs. The sight caused Zanka to reach a hand out to the raider hastily.
"You definitely broke another rib…" Jabber groaned in pain, the cleaner retracting his hand.
"That ain't what Eishia said, yer bein' dramatic." Zanka huffed while crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, a pale blush creeping back onto his cheeks.
Jabber looked over at the clipboard by his bed before looking up at Zanka through his wicks, no longer clutching his sides as tightly as before.
"Well, thanks for helpin' me anyways. I gotta be in better shape so we can fight more, yeah?" The raider spoke, catching the cleaner's attention.
Suddenly, a whirlwind of white sheets filled Zanka's vision as Jabber quickly got out of the hospital bed, pushing the privacy curtain open and opening the window next to his bed in one motion. Jabber's speed was always remarkable to Zanka.
After the sheets settled, the cleaner pulled off one of the linens that the raider had kicked up and landed on his head. What lay before him was something indescribable.
Jabber was now perched on the windowsill, the curtain flowing from the wind outside. The lighting from inside the hospital was pouring outside, and was fighting the darkness of the night to see who would get to grace the raider's figure first.
"I've gotta get goin' now, hehe… No doubt the Boss is wonderin' where I am." Jabber spoke, looking over his shoulder to spot Zanka looking back at him with bewilderment.
"I'll see ya soon, bad boy." The raider said with a smile, but it wasn't his usual smile. Something about it was softer, calmer. The smile made Zanka's heart skip a beat or two.
The cleaner didn't say anything for a moment before putting on a soft smile of his own, before letting out a small chuckle.
"Get better soon so I can kick yer ass better, we still gotta fight to finish." These were the last words Zanka spoke before Jabber made his escape out of the window, opting to climb up onto the roof rather than risk being seen running around the premises.
A minute or two after the raider left, Zanka made his way over to the window. He leaned over and propped his head on his hand, staring off into the night sky. The warm breeze gently danced through his hair as the raider recalled today's events. Maybe he felt more towards Jabber than he thought? Why else would he help someone like him? But, whatever it was, he sure as hell wouldn't pull a stunt like this again. Though a part of Zanka wished he could bring back the raider more, as selfish as it was.
… Maybe this feeling was love? He didn't know, nor did he have the time to figure that out, when his collar was suddenly chirping urgently against his wrist.
This was a really bad time to forget Shikage had been watching him this whole time.