Chapter Text
Jabber is dead.
That’s a fact. But Zanka still finds it hard to accept, even if it has been a few months.
Everything felt normal, Cleaners HQ was quiet accept for the occasional moments where Rudo was a bit too loud.
But nothing was REALLY normal, not for Zanka, not anymore. No more late night visits or thrilling fights from his favorite masochist that just understood him in ways no one else could.
Of course, Riyo knew of Zanka and Jabbers secret moments. She tried to comfort him but it just didn’t really work.
It was a mostly normal day at HQ, Zanka was out in the yard training. Then Riyo came bursting through the back doors —
“Zanka! Ya heard?? Theres a new cleaner that Corvus just told Enjin to walk around the place, we should go introduce ourselves!”
Riyo was more than excited, maybe to get a new girl on the team.
Zanka powered off Lovely Assistaff with a sigh, running a hand through his sweaty half blonde half dark brown hair.
“Yeah, okay.”
He murmured, Relaxing his grip on Lovely Assistaff and walking over to Riyo.
“So.. where is this new recruit exactly?”
He looked around, looking inside the glass doors but not seeing anyone.
“Inside, duh. Just cmon.”
She rolled her eyes with a smile, heading inside with a pep in her step.
Zanka couldn’t help but be curious of who this person was, boy or girl, nice or a total douche, and if they were around his age or not.
It was a nice distraction from the grief he hadn’t gotten ahold on yet.
As the two headed inside and down the hall, they saw Enjin’s electric yellow hair.
“Enjin!”
Riyo spoke up, a bright smile on her face, brighter than her smile before. Enjin looked back with a smile,
“Oh, there you guys are. We’ve been lookin’ all over for you two. Come say hello”
Enjin moved to the side, revealing a guy whom looked to be around Zankas age.
He had dark tanned skin, short Freeform dreads, and a spark in his eyes that made Zanka uneasy. *just like him*, he thought.
No, he was being ridiculous. He shouldn’t say that about the first guy he sees who isn’t familiar.
But the way this guys gaze was sharp as knifes and smile as cheeky as-
*ridiculous*, Zanka reminded himself.
Riyo walked up to the two, looking back at Zanka and waving her hand for him to come forward.
He did, a tad nervous. But this guy wasnt nearly as tall as Jabber, still a tad taller than Zanka but not tall enough to compete with Jabber.
He also had more muscle on him than Jabber did, but Jabber had always been more light on his feet than heavy handed.
“Sup, I’m cam.”
He waved lazily, a cheap smile on his face. Zanka put a fake smile on his lips,
“Zanka. Nice to meet-“
Riyo interrupted,
“I’m Riyo, great to meet ya!”
Always the enthusiast. Zanka huffed with annoyance, then kinda spaced out as Riyo and Cam spoke to one another.
but ever so often, Cam’s eyes would come to connect with Zanka’s.
As Riyo went off to do something with Enjin, Cam couldn’t help but speak with Zanka.
“Zanka, huh? I heard youre pretty talented.” Cam titled his head. Zanka blushed at the compliment, smiling softly.
“Well yknow, average people gotta work for what they got..”
Zanka murmured, playing with his earring, his eyes moving away from Cam’s.
“I’d like to see that in action one day, that stick o’ yours.”
Cam added, a smile on his face.
“Maybe. We do go on lots of missions, so.”
Zanka couldn’t help but genuinely enjoy the conversation now. The guy was charming, even if they’d only spoken a few words so far.
Then, enjin called Cam into the other room. Cam turned his head, then looked back at Zanka for a second.
“I’ll see you around?”
“Yeah, see you.”
Then Cam was on his way. Riyo was right to be excited, hell, Zanka was glad that Cam was nice.
But he just couldn’t get the thought of of his head that cam was so similar to Jabber.
Even mildly the way they spoke.
He just wasn’t as intense, but nobody ever really was.
But zanka had other things to think about right now.
He was a bit tired, from training and whatnot. He clutched Lovely Assistaff and made his way to the main room where everyone hung out, just in case Cam kept to his words and wanted to speak again soon.
Zanka took a seat on one of the folding chairs, setting down Lovely Assistaff gently on the wall and leaning his head down onto the table that was infront of him.
He was sure he wasn’t too tired, but as he rested his eyes, he realized that he had thought wrong.
He fell asleep at that table for god knows how long, the blur of darkness comforting after such rigorous training. Then there was a voice.
“Ohhh Zankaa…”
was breathlessly whispered, in an exact replication of Jabbers voice.