One-Shots [Boboiboy]

Family

There was something that could never be said amongst the team. Ais noticed this moments after their older siblings came to rescue them from a losing battle.

Never mention any other family.

Like everyone else in the team, Ice has an older sibling. It was somewhat a coincidence where the elementals chosen had older sisters or brothers, but the fact never hindered them from anything. They were each other's family, and there was no other way to it.

The battle wasn't difficult, but the team was in a bad shape. They'd barely recovered from their last one, which caused them to be careless and their efficiency dropped significantly. Just as someone was about to die, they showed up.

The first tiers of the elements; their older siblings. The fact that they showed up so abruptly after cutting off communication for years is uncanny, but they got there in time and saved their lives.

"What were you thinking?" Tanah, Gempa's older sister berated her. "You shouldn't have led your team here if they were injured. You could get someone killed."

Behind them, Petir, Halilintar's older brother, glanced stoically at his younger sister. "You need more work on your stance," he said dully, and that was the end of their conversation.

Cahaya, who was next to the pair of electrical elementals, started an hour-long lecture on his sister. "You are the brains of your team, and if you don't advise your leader-"  And this went on until Tanah dragged Cahaya back to their side.

Everyone else's siblings were relatively tame, exchanging bland topics such as their new moves, their team's mishaps, and that was basically it.

Ai's older brother, Air, wasn't much of a conversation starter. Both of them stood in silence, shrugging at each other until they left.

And when they finally left to their own lives, Ice's team acted as if nothing happened. Only their moods worsened significantly, which the grand prize of grumpiness goes to Solar and Gempa.

"If that bitch tells me how to calculate the atoms in electricity again, I am going to gouge his damn eyes out," Solar growled, slamming her fist down to the table in anger.

Beside her, Halilintar groaned and repeatedly chewed at her fork in frustration. She said nothing, but as she set down her fifth dented fork down with the rest of the utensil massacre, they decided that she was not in a good mo0d.

(Who are they kidding? She was never in a good mood.)

"They're still out older siblings," Gempa reasoned, though her words were forced. "They have more experience than us. Listening to them is just our responsibility."

"Uh, no," Taufan snapped, glaring at his pancakes. "Just because they were elements first doesn't mean they get the right to boss us around. We haven't talked to them for years and the first thing they do is put us through a lecture."

"At least your lectures were useful," Thorn grunted. He'd sat through an hour listening to his sister Daun about petunias. "That was an hour of my life I'll never make up for."

"If I hear another word about how chickens work-" Blaze caught himself before he set anything on fire. They barely saved the cookie stash last time.

Solar and Halilintar turned simultaneously to their leader, expecting some sort of reasoning, but all Gempa did was groan louder than the rest and slammed both her fists on the table.

"Fuck the first tiers," Gempa snarled, pulling at her hair. "It's like taking your overly-protective, homophobic mom to college when you're gay."

Halilintar dropped her fork. Solar snorted so loud she almost fell off her seat.

"If you hate them so much, why not just leave the country?"

Six pairs of eyes turned to the ice elemental, who was calmly sipping his drink.

"I mean, there's nothing to lose. Malaysia's already protected by them, and at this point, we're just their sidekicks."

"And you expect them not to know?" Gempa said. "They're practically keeping a dead eye on us. How'd you expect them to show up when we're near death's door? I bet Cahaya put a tracker on our phones or watches or on anything he can get his hands on."

Everyone turned to Solar, searching for any ounce of confirmation.

Solar shrugged. "Sounds like something he would do," she agreed, frowning. "Did your siblings have any physical contact with any of you?"

Everyone paled.

Moments later, as Taufan tossed the last of his clothing into the pile, Blaze set the pile on fire, creating an impromptu clothes burning. For good measure, Halilintar sent a blast of electricity to the ashes, and Solar turned the ashes into ashes with her optic blasts.

Just as Gempa was about to close the crater, Thorn held his hand out, gesturing for her to wait. He knelt down before the crater and summoned carnivore plants, commanding them to swallow the ashes.

He stood back up, and Gempa closed the crater.

"Do you think that will do it?" Taufan asked.

"If it doesn't," Solar deadpanned, "we're going to a level-five detoxification facility."

"Oh heavens no," he sulked.

"That was my favorite jacket!" Blaze whined. "It was limited edition, too."

Gempa sighed. "Just get a new one."

"Don't have to," Blaze said, pulling up his sweater to reveal the exact same jacket that he burned. "I bought extras."

"Homeward ho," Taufan muttered sulkily.