Dynamic Patrol: Gel Squad! Episode II

Chapter 55: Island... again

Russell, Tommy, Ollie, Kody, and Bodi were piled into the escape pod, which Tommy swore had been properly repaired and was fully operational. The station's residents were aware of the situation concerning who'd been left in command. Russell made sure to tighten the restraints for his 'children.' "Why do we have to come with you?" Ollie complained, "Because when I met Kipp, I was on this island, that's how we bonded. And I figured you could use a break from space." Ollie blew a raspberry at Russell, and Russell returned the gesture. Kody was worried, "What is it..?" Russell asked, seemingly already able to read Kody's emotions, "Well... I heard some messed up things. I haven't been home since they took us... what if I catch something..?"

"You're not gonna 'catch' anything. You're just paranoid." Russell countered, "I'm sure I'm gonna get sick! I'll catch the flu or the Terothka virus!" Kody complained— Russell wrinkled his nose at that word... It sounded disgusting. He was sure Kody knew the symptoms better than he did. But still, Russell tried to keep him relaxed. At the same time, Tommy made sure that Bodi was safe. "Are you all set, Chancellor?" Tommy asked with a smile, he ensured that Bodi's restraints were carefully set, he was the Chancellor after all— by regulation... he shouldn't have been on this craft at all, but things certainly changed. "You don't have to call me that; you can just call me Bode like you always do." Bodi corrected him. He was confused as to why his cousin was calling him Chancellor when he didn't have to... the joke went over his head. "I mean... never mind." Tommy sighed but his grin persisted.

Bodi nodded, "So... are you feeling okay?" Bodi asked this time. Tommy hummed, and backed off Bodi's chair, looking over the controls. "You know... you seemed upset for a while?" Tommy paused, his hands hovering over the controls he mused over Bodi's inquiry. "I'm fine. It's fine." Tommy answered, he was telling the truth. Mostly. "Are you sure? You don't have to do this if you don't want to." Bodi pressed. Tommy had forgotten all about his shared form-day with his psychotic brother. But he really was feeling a lot better. But that didn't mean he wanted to talk about it. "Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked Bodi, changing the subject.

"More than anything." Bodi answered immediately, not even noticing that Tommy swayed the conversation into something he wanted to avoid, "And... are you sure Kai will let you have a pet..?" Bodi gave thought to that inquiry. No, he would not allow Bodi to have a pet. He wouldn't even let him have that moth from a couple years back. "Yes. He would. I swear." Bodi answered, wearing his best poker face. "Well, a Panthorian isn't exactly a 'pet.' It's more like a big ass rodent that stomps around your house and makes webs all over the place." Tommy glared, "Russell!" Tommy exhaled, shocked by Russell's observation. "It's more like an attendant. They're for looking nice... and holding your stuff for you." Tommy reassured Bodi. "Whatever." Russell said, sitting next to Tommy, he went for his seat belt and realized his safety equipment was missing... much of the escape pod seemed to be missing, half the panels were taken off, and high power cables were hanging from the ceiling. "Dude... are you positive this pod is safe? I don't even have a seat belt!"

"Of course, it's safe! It's literally an escape pod designed to get people to safety. I read a whole manual on it. It was like 900 pages long." Russell looked at Tommy like he was insane, and the squirrel corrected himself. "Er... okay... maybe it was like 20 pages long... and designed for operators, not mechanics. But still! It's called context clues Rus. You just put the pieces together."

"Did you get the engineers to look over this thing..?" Tommy scoffed and fanned Russell's doubts away, he pressed buttons and threw switches as he prepared to launch. "Don't worry, everyone will be safe. I don't have a seat belt. I saved them for the kids. I figured we're a lot tougher than they are. Why are you so worried?" Tommy laughed, "Because I left my unborn child with Polly and Howard. And my best friend is trying to kill me with a devil box." Russell started, the chills were running the length of his spine as he was sure he was facing his demise. "I can't believe we ended up being friends... honestly, you made me jump off a staircase, and then we crash landed on an island."

"And that's just the beginning!" Tommy added to Russell's statements, he smiled widely.

"Woah, are you telling Gel-Squad stories?" Ollie perked up, Tommy rotated his chair to face the inner cabin, and he nodded and grinned confidently. "Yes. Me and Russell have known each other for a long time. I've tried to kill him at least six times! But I saved him from his crazy brother." Russell rolled his eyes, "Yeah, but I saved you from Cam and your crazy brother later. So that's two you owe me." Russell gestured.

"But then you built a bomb and almost blew us up." Tommy raised an eyebrow. Russell swiveled to face Tommy. "Well... at the time, it was a good idea. But I admit, in retrospect, it wasn't my proudest moment." The population laughed, "Wait, so if Russell adopts us... does that mean we get to call you Uncle Tommy?" Tommy shrugged and returned to his console. "If you'd like!" Tommy said bubbly, "No. Hey, you won't call Tommy 'Uncle' before you call me Dad. That's crazy." As the laughter settled, the tension in the escape pod dissipated, replaced by a warmth that felt almost familial. Russell shook his head, smiling despite the nerves that swelled at the thought of launching in a partially dismantled pod. He was glad Tommy was out of his slump... at least he had his best friend back. "Tommy, you're definitely Uncle Tommy now," Ollie declared with a firm nod, which seemed to cement their newfound family dynamics.

Tommy glanced back with a smirk, his attention shifting to the console before him. "Alright, everyone, brace yourselves. We're about to launch." Despite its questionable interior, the escape pod hummed to life, a testament to Tommy's makeshift engineering skills.

As the pod ejected from the station, a brief moment of weightlessness enveloped them, soon replaced by the steady pull of gravity as they descended toward the planet. Outside the small windows, the vastness of space gave way to their destination's blue and green hues, a sight that momentarily captured everyone's awe, including Russell's.

The descent was smoother than Russell had feared, the pod's thrusters compensating for the atmospheric entry. The children's faces were pressed against the windows, eyes wide with wonder at the sight of the sprawling landscapes below. Even Bodi, with all his responsibilities and worries, seemed to find a moment of peace in the adventure.