Chapter Text
Jabber had only been thirteen, walking down the street alone. His clothes were battered and torn, blood dropping from his nose and missing teeth. He had gotten into another fight, got too eager and lost. He didn't know exactly where he was, but he knew it was far from home. He could tell by the fancy windows and dessert shops.
He always wished he could at least try one piece of the fancy chocolates in those store windows. But he always chose against it so he could help Mama. Mama was sick and needed medicine...so he spent every dime on it for her... Papa had left a long time ago. He couldn't handle Mama's sickness. He got too depressed and died from starvation in his sleep. It wasn't long before Mama was gone, too.
He wondered how Mama would like to try all the fancy desserts... Jabber wondered if he would eat them all before her, and she'd chase him around until she caught him and tickled him until he couldn't breathe.
He liked those memories, like her hair..it was always so long and soft, like a cloud on the clearer days... when the trash wasn't covering the sky. He missed her hair... the smell, how she let him play with it. The hair that got so frizzy and natted that crust would build up, and he had to cut to prevent it from getting worse when she got her sickness because she couldn't take care of the curls. Jabber wanted to do the same, but she begged him to never cut his curls, to let them grow to show his love for her through.
His curls were wild, untamable. He never could afford to keep them tame, not now, at least. Mama always helped him untangle and make them soft...like her hair had once been.
He stared at the window for a long time until a woman stood next to him. He didn't pay attention to her, only thinking about his mama. It wasn't until she spoke up that he glanced at her.
"Those look good, right?"
The woman questioned him, a soft smile on her face. Glasses framed her face. Long platinum blonde hair swayed past her shoulders. Her dark skin looked soft... almost like his mama's had been. Her golden eyes were on him, waiting for an answer.
"I guess."
Jabber replied, his tone flat before looking away from her. The woman raised an eyebrow. She had a bag in her hand, filled with magazines and hair products.
"You got some long curls, huh? How long you been growin' em'?"
She asked, seemingly desperate for a conversation with the boy. She had a worried tone in her voice. She definitely noticed his clothes and the blood.
Jabber was quiet for a while before answering.
"Since I was a baby."
The woman nodded, staring at him hard. She could tell when a child was broken...and this boy definitely was.
"I see.. must be a hassle, huh? Must take forever to dry. "
Jabber pulled at one of the loose curls in his face and nodded.
"My mama usually did it for me..."
The woman nodded.. a soft sigh coming from her lips, and she looked down at him, then her bag.
"Have you been taking care of'em'?"
Jabber just stared at the curl he pulled at, quiet for a bit... this woman spoke to him in the softness Mama had before her sickness... it irked him to his core.
"Not really...I don't have money."
He answered, he voice low...barely even heard. But the woman had heard him. She pulled her magazines out and pushed the bag to him. His eyes widened at the amount of hair products in it. He'd never seen this much before... mama only used the basics and gel when she braided his hair.
"Here, you can have em'. I have too many full ones anyway."
Jabber looked up at her before swiftly taking the bag. The woman smiled.
"I come here often..don't be a stranger, okay? I promise I don't bite."
With that, she stared at his rings for a moment and walked off with a wave... Jabber didn't want to be mean, so he waved back as well.
𓍢ִྀི
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The woman wasn't lying when she said she came there often...it was usually Tuesdays and Thursdays she came, picking up a new magazine. After the second day, Jabber had learned her name. Semiu. It was pretty, fitting. She'd give him advice and tell him to stop fighting so often.
After the fifth day, she asked him to join The Cleaners. He hadn't been sure what it was but she promised him it had lots of food and she could help him with his hair whenever. All he had to do was fight the Trash Beasts. Obviously, he took the offer. Getting to fight, free housing, and free food?? He'd be stupid to turn down the offer. Everyone there was very nice and he got along with Semiu very well, he thought of like a big sister he never had.
𓍢ִྀི
(Years later)
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Jabber had thought it was going to be a normal mission until Enjin suddenly called him about some brat that got thrown off the sphere. And that he's supposedly going to train the turd. Why'd it have to be him??? Couldn't Riyo be a better teacher? Or maybe even Bro? None the less, he had to find the kid.
It didn't go so well, the kid thought he was some weirdo and tried to fight him...got knocked out, though. Jabber didn't wanna deal with the dude after he started yelling about his money getting taken by a cat.
He learned later on that the kid's name was Rudo. It was unfitting for him in Jabbers opinion. The kid was anything BUT loving in the sort. In his opinion, it fit more to the meaning in his father's tongue, which was rude.
The kid was a natural like him, though. He got the hang of his gloves very fast like he had with Makira. After a bit, Rudo wasn't too bad, though he couldn't get used to Jabber in the slightest. Most of the Cleaners had already adjusted to his loud and chaotic tendencies... as well as him being a masochist. But Rudo was still trying to process everything.
With Rudo being a sphereite, word got around... maybe a little too quickly cause before they knew it, they were led into a trap by the Raiders. Jabber had been knocked out by spikes going through his stomach and wham to the head. By the time he woke up, Rudo was already fighting the dude who knocked him out.
He was stealthy as he sneaked over, able to get the guy with a nice punch to the head, but even that didn't get him. His eyes glowed blue, staring him down...and that's how Jabber knew this was going to be a good fight.
After the raider realized none of his attacks would get through to Rudo, he turned his attention to Jabber. If he couldn't beat Rudo, he'd fight another until Rudo reached his limit.
The raider swung, not at Jabber's head. But his feet. A move that would've caught anyone off guard but not Jabber. He jumped backward, swiftly dodging the attack, his smile reaching his ears.
The raider clicked his tongue, walking forward, staring down his opponent. His eyes half lidded, as if bored already.
"Is jumping all you Cleaners do?"
His voice was filled with distaste and irritation. He spun his staff before perching it up. It stood up on its own as he cracked his knuckles.
Jabber just smirked, a soft laugh releasing from his lips.
"What, it bothering you?"
He suddenly felt something warm drip over his lip...blood. When the hell had the raider hit him in the nose? Jabber shrugged, licking the blood from his lip.
"Got one hell of a hit there, skinny."
The raider once again only stared. He didn't seem to be much of a talker.
"I suppose. Let's drop the weapons. I feel like using my hands this time."
His voice was low, quiet, right to the point. He was getting tired of the weapons. Especially blades.
Jabber raised an eyebrow.
"Seems boring, though. Why not use those spikes on me again?"
When Jabber didn't get an answer, he sighed.
"Cmon, you gotta give me something, man. You wanna use fists that's fine, but it's gonna get boring realllllll quick."
The raider was silent, just staring, assessing every detail in the room. Rudo is on the ground crying over Gris's talisman being turned to dust... the time limit reached.
The raider turned his gaze from Jabber to the boy, walking over and kicking him over. Before he could get his foot to connect to the kid's head, Jabber had scooped him up and was on the other side of the room.
"Dude, you can't sit there whining over a talisman. We have bigger fish to fry."
Rudo looked up at him, his eyes still glassy from the tears.
"I know... but...Gris he-"
Jabber cut him off
"That doesn't matter right now. We need to deal with this guy so we can get Gris help. So get off your ass and do something."
Jabber stood, the Raider was already approaching, spinning his staff.
"How bout' you say your name, pretty boy? It'll make the fight even better if I could mock you wit yer name."
The raider didn't answer again, Jabber was getting tired of this one-sided conversation and the dudes attitude.
The raider swung, but Jabber was able to block the blow with Makira. He was fast and ruthless with his hits. It got Jabber excited....maybe too excited cause they ended up fighting for nearly an hour until the raider had him pinned under his staff, the spikes at the end all too close to Jabber's eyes.
Jabber had been laughing throughout the whole fight, making up nicknames for the raider and such. As he was pinned, he noticed something...a name. The name he'd been asking for throughout the fight.
Zanka. Written all fancy at the edge of the staff...he smirk grew even wider (if that was even possible) he licked his lips and looked at the raider.
"Zanka, huh?~"
The Raiders eyes widened, his cheeks reddening just slightly at the way Jabber said his name.
"Fucker."
Was all Zanka said in response before knocking Jabber out. He had gotten a weird feeling when the Cleaner said his name. It was disgusting how he said it. Like he felt pleasure just from simply learning a name.
Zanka turned all his attention to the boy on the other side of the room, quickly crossing the room and knocking him out as well. This mission took longer than he had expected. He was supposed to be in and out, but that dude just had to put up a good fight.
He looked at the body of the Cleaner on the ground... the dude had given him many nicknames during the fight, so he decided he would give the Cleaner one as well. He settled on 'Claws' being a suitable one since all the other ones he could come up with were freakshow, and drug devil.
Zanka picked up Rudo, who was surprisingly light and headed out the building, he looked around when he got outside, he could've sworn the building had at least seven stories.
Before he could finish his thought he was plunged into a nearby wall, loosing his grip on the Sphereite. He groaned and looked up, a scowl on his face.
The other Cleaners were saying something but he wasn't paying attention, he picked up Lovely, ready to fight them all until Cthoni grabbed him by the waist.
"Tch, let go I need to finish the mission-"
Cthoni squeezed tighter.
"The boss said you're done...you did well."
That caused Zanka to loosen up, not all the way but just enough for Cthoni to let go. He followed her into the portal, eyes on Rudo.
𓍢ִྀི
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Jabber popped out the hole and Enjin let out a sigh of relief. He knew Jabber was tough but was worried when he saw the raider come out with Rudo without Jabber trailing behind.
Jabber brushed off his uniform, taking a look around.
"Awe, man, he's gone? I wanted to fight him again." Jabber pouted
Enjin wrapped his arm over Jabber's shoulder.
"It's good he's gone, if he gave you of all people trouble we're gonna have to up our game. He seemed dead set on taking Rudo."
Tamsy walked over, helping Rudo up
"It's a miracle he's still alive, if that boy managed to knock Jabber out imagine what he would've done to poor Rudo."
Jabber clicked his tongue, he really did want another fight with the raider...his mind kept spamming his name. Zanka, Zanka, Zanka. Before he knew it the name was rolling off his tongue.
"Zanka..."
Enjin and the rest looked over at him, eyebrows raised. Riyo stepped forward, curiosity lingering on her face.
"Zanka?"
Jabber looked over at her as her scissors went back to normal.
"Yeah. His name is Zanka."
Enjin leaned more forward onto Jabber, raising his left eyebrow high.
"How the hell did you figure that out? He seemed pretty quiet."
Jabber chuckled, remembering how good the fight was
"Yeah, he was. Only figured it out when he had me pinned with that staff of his... his name was written on the edge of it."
Rudo made a grossed out face that Tamsy noticed immediately and tried not to laugh at.
"Yeah and you moaned it like you won the jackpot or something. That's why he knocked you out. He seemed as grossed out as I was."
Rudo pointed out, still trying to stand straight. Jabber just smirked, remembering the looked on Zanka's face... the way his cheeks just slightly flushed.
"Nah, I feel like he was into it...100 percent a sadist."
Jabber sat down, his head was still a little all over the place from how many times Zanka hit him there.
"Makes him a perfect match for you then!"
Enjin chuckled.
𓍢ִྀི
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