Chapter Text
After being brought inside a trash beast by the Raiders, Zanka had been separated from the rest of the cleaners, meeting paths with Jabber Wonger once again.
This time he wouldn't let him win. He was going to prove just what an Average Joe could accomplish, even against a genius. He couldn't die until he proved it.
And yet, it was all in vain.
The last thing Zanka remembers was using lovely Assistaff to lift himself up into the air, swinging a hard solid kick directly at Jabber's face.
He had regained such a confidence in himself, he truly thought he had it in the bag this time. He was finally reaching up to Jabbers level.
But that's when he felt it, a sudden pang of pain surfacing from his lower leg. From the momentum of his own hit, he harshly plummeted down to the rock floor. He held his leg from the immense agony and burning sensation coming from his injury.
Damn it, and right when he was getting the upper hand!
He had caught his leg in Mankira’s left claw, leaving a huge gash that went through his boot and deep into his skin.
Why was it always him?
As he writhed in his anguish, he could hear Jabber talking snidely about the capabilities of Mankira and her poisons. He berated Zanka, right before ending it with a final stab to Zanka’s stomach.
Zanka’s blue gleaming eyes from the anima slowly dwindled away, and Lovely Assistaf reverted back to her original state.
From then on, he could only remember segments of what had to be the hallucinations he suffered due to the Hallucinogen. After that, he was back again in Cleaner HQ, waking up to Eisha attending to his injuries.
“Zanka, how are you feeling?”
Zanka groaned, trying to relocate himself after waking up. He could still feel a mellow hum of pain in his leg, but now it didn't bother him as much. What was really ticking at him was the pulsating headache he had.
“I’m fine” He muttered, sitting up on his bed, yet flinched at the sudden sharp pain in his stomach.
“You will still feel a bit of pain and discomfort for a while, so try not to move so much.”
Zanka gripped the bed sheets tightly as he leaned back again, the pain subsiding. Zanka exhaled a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.
Great, now he was stuck in bed for who knows how long, all because he wasn't careful enough. All because he wasn't enough.
Why couldn't he do anything right?
“Is anything else bothering you?”
Zanka looked up to see a worried Eisha standing next to the window of the infirmary. She stared down at him with a look of confusion yet concern.
“Hah, im fine, dont worry bout me Eisha. Am just a little uncomfortable is all, like you said. But Ill be doin better in no time, and I can get out of yer hair.” He grinned up at her. He really didn’t want her to worry, because after all even with her healing abilities, she couldn't heal him from the thoughts eating up at him for his failure.
“Alright then, let me know if you ever need anything” Eisha smiled warmly at him, walking away to attend to her other tasks as the Cleaners healer.
Zanka had to find something to do, he had to go back to training and fast, the earlier the better he told himself. He couldn't let his thoughts consume him, it would only slow him down. Eisha had already noticed something wrong, he had to keep it together! He couldn't let the other Cleaners think he was falling off the rails, he couldn't let them see how pathetic he actually was, not more than how they had already seen him during the fight with the raiders.
~~~~~~
Though Zanka hated doing nothing all day, Eisha told him that if he even tried to stand up, he could ruin the whole healing process and it would take longer for him to heal. Zanka gave up and decided that if he couldn't train his body, maybe he could train his mind.
With Lovely Assistaf as his companion, he took up the task to meditate in his bed for most of the day. If he wanted to become stronger, he had to have a strong mentality as well. Physical strength didn't matter if you weren't in the right headspace. And that’s what he did for most of his days in recovery.
That is, whenever he wasn't getting visits from the other Cleaners.
Rudo and the rest of the cleaners had brought him flowers and gifts, as well as an apology from Remlin who so happened to give him a different spell before their last job as a joke.
Their visit had eased his mind a bit, Remlin’s joke had even gotten a burst of laughter out of him. He appreciated so much how they cared for him.
These past couple days hadn't been ideal, so Zanka was determined to work even harder once he got better. He needed to prove to everyone how he would be capable of reaching his goal, how he would prove to himself that maybe Enjin was right, even if he was an average joe, he could defeat a genius like Jabber. Like Jabber.
Jabber.
Recently whenever Zanka was meditating, even through his deep concentration and years and years of meditation exercises, that name still found a way to worm itself into his head. He was there, like the damn creep he was, at the back of Zanka's mind.
After that second encounter with him, Zanka’s obsession with Jabber had only grown more since the first. Well, not with Jabber himself, not really, but more so the thought of defeating him.
The words jabber had lambasted him with back then were still etched in his brain. Even though at that time he was at the edge of consciousness, there was one thing that he had somehow caught, and it stuck with him, almost as much as the thought of his failures.
“Maybe I could have had more fun if I'd fought a different Cleaner.”
Those words would echo savagely in his head. Zanka gripped Lovely, squeezing his eyes tighter in desperation in the need to concentrate. He couldn't lose his grip. If he was getting all worked up during his meditation, it meant he wasn't ready. He had to keep training. If only he could train his body instead at least for a bit, it would have worked as a more efficient distraction from everything else temporarily.
But he wasn't even allowed to do so much at all.
In one of the visits Zanka received, Corvus came along to check up on him. During his visit Eisha had told them both that she was able to stabilize him and his symptoms, but she wasn't able to use her ability properly, like she was having a hard time with the poisons Jabber had injected him with. The poisons consisted of a mud cobra neurotoxin, a hallucinogen from a gottatrip mushroom, and another poison which she hadn't figured out what it was. But Eisha's grandmother Alice suspected it was some sort of trash beast digestive fluid.
Though Zanka could be impatient at times, he still trusted Eisha and knew she knew what she was doing. After all, she had healed a gaping hole from his stomach in only a week. Zanka obeyed her when she told him he couldn't stand up and that he had to rest, so that's what he did.
Zanka didn't blame Eisha for how slow his healing process was. The only person he had to blame was himself. If only he wasn't so weak.
~~~~~~
It had been two weeks when Eisha finally let Zanka go. He walked right away to the front desk of the Cleaner HQ where Semiu sat reading another one of her magazines.
“Hello Zanka, feeling better?” She briefly looked up at him.
“Hey Semiu, I was wonderin if you had any jobs available that I could take?”
“Oh, already? Hmm, well the test of Akuta is heading out to look for the Information Broker. Are you sure you are feeling well enough to go on a mission like this so soon?” She raised an eyebrow at him, yet didn't move from her reading position.
“Well I-” Zanka thought about it. He hadn't really had the chance to train yet, and here he was already looking for a job. While it could help bring himself back on track and get some fresh air, this mission seemed like one that could easily change course. But then again, Enjin, Riyo, and Rudo were going. He didn't want to miss yet another job.
Semiu could sense his uncertainty, putting her hand up to touch her choker she called.
“Enjin, would it be alright if Zanka joined you to the Information Broker?”
“Zanka? What, No! Did Eisha let him off already? Tell that kid to keep it easy. Besides, we are about to leave anyway. It wouldn't be safe to take him with us. Sorry Zanka.”
“Alright then.” She lifted her hand from her choker, ending the call.
“Sorry Zanka, but Enjin says you should stay.”
“S’ fine, thanks anyway Semiu” He kept a composed face smiling at her. While gripping the side of his robe, he walked away quietly.
Enjin doesn't think I'm ready. They’re already leaving without me.
He walked back to his room solemnly. What would he do now?
He threw himself towards his bed, letting the silence overcome him.
But wait, no. He couldn't just laze around sulking in his room all day. No. He was a Nijiku. He couldn't give up yet. He had to train, that's what he had been looking forward to since the day he was condemned to staying in bed all day. He had almost forgotten his real mission, to get stronger, faster, and train.
He stood up quickly from his bed, grabbed Lovely Assistaff, and ran out of that room. He wasn't going to give up so easily, he was going to show Enjin how capable he was.
~~~~~
Zanka did every single training exercise and method he could possibly think of, from basic push ups to sparring with the other Cleaners when they were at HQ. From the peak of dusk till when he went to sleep, he dedicated his days to training. If he wanted to grow stronger, he couldn't waste a single moment, he had to dedicate his time to growing stronger.
Zanka would barely sleep some days, too busy practicing maneuvers with Lovely Asistaff when everyone was too tired to spar with him. He pushed himself to his limits, sweat trickling down his forehead, he would continue on.
Some of the cleaners would insist on him taking a rest once in a while, but Zanka couldn't, he wouldn't. If he wanted to get better, he couldn't stop. Because on the battlefield, you can't just take a break whenever you feel like it. You either keep fighting will all you've got till you win, or fail.
Zanka wasn't gonna fail.
He was going to train his body to take any kind of hardship, increase his stamina, and perfect every single move with Lovely.
With a genius, He had to be perfect.
He couldn't make a single mistake.
But Zanka wasn't striving just for perfection, no. He was going to give more than a hundred percent of what he had. He was reaching for a height no one had hit before. Even if it killed him trying.
One day, Zanka had been so busy working on a certain move that he had forgotten to eat completely. After challenging Delmon to a duel, He had completely exhausted his body to the point that when he was in the shower, he collapsed.
The room turned all around him, static filling his sight. He looked down at his hands, shaking from the hunger and fatigue. He hadn't even noticed how much he had overworked himself. He felt an incredible nausea take over his dry throat.
Why is this happening to me?
He held on to the wall, trying to recollect himself, but his legs gave in again. He stayed on the floor for a while, waiting for everything to pass.
When it finally did, he finished showering and dressed. Before going to bed, he slowly walked downstairs and got something to eat.
He couldn't let himself go like this. He couldn't forget to eat, it could affect his training severely. Yet, it had only been a day he’d gone without eating. Zanka felt as if this was a sign of weakness.
If he had had those severe symptoms with only a single day without food, it meant his body didn't have enough resistance. That's what he saw, not how much he was overworking himself, but his failures.
From then on Zanka tried to keep a steady schedule, not overpassing his meal times.
After forming a schedule, everything started going smoother. He started feeling better about himself, and a bit of improvment.
“You are very determined Zanka,” Tamsy was walking by when he spotted Zanka. ” It seems like your time in recovery has brought you a new found motivation.” Tamsy walked alongside Zanka.
“I have to train to get stronger, I can't just let myself get beat’n so easily. I don't wanna have to be carried around all the time because I can't stay conscious during our run-ins with them Raiders” Zanka didn't make eye contact.
“I won't let y'all down again” he muttered. There was a moment of silence between the two.
“So I'll work hard to not do so!” Zanka exclaimed confidently. Tamsy was surprised by his sudden burst of determination. He giggled.
“Well I wish you luck Zanka” Tamsy walked away quietly.
Tamsy was a mysterious, yet kind fellow. Everyone at Cleaner HQ appreciated him. He seemed like such a nice guy.
~~~~~~
When the rest of Akuta got back from their mission to talk with the Information Broker and save Amo, Zanka began training with them as well.
“Wow Zanka, you’ve improved!” Enjin praised him, walking inside to eat dinner after one of their long sparring sessions. “It seems all your hard work has really paid off huh. I'm proud of ya kid.”
Zanka was grinning from ear to ear, ecstatic to hear his Mentor congratulating him. Zanka internally giggled, Enjin is proud of me? He thinks I've improved!
“Ha, Ha t-thanks Enjin!” He gripped lovely Assistaf closer to his face.
“Heheh… Enjin is proud of me…me! Hehehe….” he muttered to himself. He was in absolute lala land from the complement.
Zanka’s little out loud monologues seemed to be normal for Enjin, or maybe he just hadn't noticed.
While passing by the front desk, Semiu stood up and called out to them. “Enjin, Zanka. I've got another job for you.” She placed her hand on her hip.
“Alright then, throw it at us Semiu.” Enjin sighed, yawning as he stretched out his arms.
"There have been some trash beasts straying from a pollution area near a small village south of us. They are asking us to get rid of them, as they have already attacked some of the passerbys.” She points at the area she describes on a paper map which she laid down on the front desk table.
“Do you think Akuta can handle it on its own?” She looked up at Enjin warily.
“Dont worry Semiu, we got it covered. And with Zanka over here, it's safe to say we can handle it on our own.” He sent a friendly punch at Zanka’s arm.
“Ready for your first job in a while?” Enjin says softly.
Flustered, Zanka nods. “Y-yes! You can count on me Enjin, I won't let you down.” Zanka stands proudly.
“Well that's the spirit! Come on, let's eat first and then we can tell Riyo and Rudo about it.” He walks off, Zanka following him elated.
~~~~~~
The car shook aggressively as Enjin spinned the steering wheel recklessly. Everyone– Gris on the passenger seat, Rudo and Riyo on the window seats, and Zanka in the middle– Jolted at the sudden movements of the car at every spin and turn.
“So Zanka, excited for your first job since your accident?” Riyo twirled The Ripper around. “You’ve gotten really good at fighting, you've been working your ass off haven't you.” She says, resting her hand on the window.
“Zanka, are you sure you can come with us?” Rudo says worried.
“Its been long enough, don't you think?” Zanka says, clearly ticked off a bit by his question.
“I know but-”
“Dont worry Rudo, Zanka is a tough young man. You all should have seen how hard he was training when you weren't here.” Gris looked back at them from the passenger seat. He smiles at Zanka. “He is a very competent guy, have some faith in him.”
Rudo now felt embarrassed, not wanting to underestimate Zanka, but truly just worried for him getting badly hurt again. He looked out the window.
~~~~~~
They had finally arrived at the edge of the village Semiu had told them about. Gris, Enjin, Rudo, Riyo, and Zanka all got out of the car. Follo and Tomme had accompanied team Eager on a separate Job, so this time it was only Gris with Akuta.
They walked around a bit to find the people who had notified them.
A young girl had noticed them from afar and waved her hand. They approached her warily, as the last time they had met alone with a certain “caller” they had fallen into a trap.
“You guys must be the Cleaners!”
“Yep, we received a call about some trash beasts in the area disturbing folks nearby.” Enjin said nonchalantly.
“Oh yes! That was me! Right now they have been quiet, but they usually attack from the east side of the village, follow me and I'll show ya!” She said a bit too enthusiastically.
Guiding them through the outskirts of the village, following along the protected wall, they arrived to where from a distance they could see some trash beasts wandering.
“Right there.” The girl stared at them seriously, any trace of her fluffy persona gone. “They've been attacking at the wall for quite some time now, and of recently they attacked a group of lost travelers.” She turned around.
“But I know you guys will deal with em, am I right?” She smiled, her demeanor completely switching up once more.
The Cleaners turned around to look at each other uncomfortably before nodding.
The girl waved them goodbye before leaving, walking back from the way they had come from. Now it was just the cleaners, and it was up to them to defeat the trash beast.
“These beasts don't seem too bad. C'mon gang, let's get this over with.” Enjin exhales, throwing his umbrella over his shoulders as one hand was in his pocket.
Everyone got their vital weapons out, getting ready for a simple and clean Job. Zanka inhaled and exhaled deeply, preparing himself for his first real job after his recovery. This was an easy task, no real danger. No people, no raiders, no Jabber.
No Jabber.