"Wake up. It's time to go!" Captain cheered.He would finally get to see his own kids for the first time in about four years.
"Oh shit! I forgot! I'm so sorry!" I said, flinging myself out of his bed. I put all of my gear back in and grabbed my backpack, along with the rest if the stuff I brought to occupy myself last night.
"So, we won't be taking the tank. We're going to a neighborhood. Well have to take one of the company vehicles." He led me to a large room with a few cars parked in it. We got in the car and our doors shut in harmony.
"So heads up, Pico might be a little bitch, or he'll love you, there's no in between. He always thought that she would come back but I had to tell him..."
"Oh."
"Yeah. I think it hit home for him most out of the three of us."
"Probably because he was adopted."
"Yeah." The rest of the ride was silent except for the Nicki Minaj CD playing in the back. One of the guys must've left it in here. I wondered if the kids would like me or not.
We pulled up to a really large house with orinate decorations everywhere.
"These are rich people aren't they?"
"Very rich." He said, knocking on the door. A woman answered.
"Hello you must be r/ln?" Captain asked.
"Yes sir, and you must me Mr. and Mrs. Landerick?"
"Oh- Um. It's actually l/n for me. I'm not with him yet." I said awkwardly.
"My apologies." She said as she led us to their living room. She called for them to come downstairs and I heard a faint thudding and giggling.
I saw Pico first. He was going down the stairs at least three at a time. He ran down the hall and looked up at us. Captain took off his helmet but I kept mine on.
"Pa? No fuckin' way. Baize, it's Pa hurry up!" He yelled
I heard a muffled 'dad?' and a 'language' from the caretaker.
"Yeah he's here!" The I saw her run up behind him.
Baize jumped on his lap and refused to let go. He nudged me to take off my helmet.
"Who's that?" Pico asked. I took off my helmet and let my h/l h/c hair down. "Ma?" He looked like he just got punched in the face.
"Pico, that's not mom. She's gone." Baize said hugging him instead. He started to cry. I felt a pang of guilt for this kid. I mean, this is the third time he has been with different parents.
"This is y/n. Coming to see you was her idea in the first place. I know she isn't Jaida, Pico. I promise you, I'm not replacing her, but... sometimes people have to move on. Nothing stays the same forever." He sighed.
"I don't want to move on." He choked.
"I'm sorry." I murmured.
"For what?" Baize asked.
"I don't know. I'm sorry for your situation. I can't imagine what it would feel like to be in a situation like this. My aunt died a while back and everything changed. Like Captain said, nothing stays the same.
"Thank you. I hope you never have to deal with this." She said. Captain was busy trying to soothe Pico before he had a breakdown.
"Hey buddy, guess what." Cap asked Pico.
"Hm?" He sniffled.
"I'm big captain now." Pico gasped.
"You are? No way! How did you get it!"
"Jay left and now we're kinda at war."
"Sick." He murmured. "So how's everything been?"
"Good. I almost got shot yesterday, but I'm fine I promise!"
"Oh no!"
"How's uncle Steve?"
"Good!"
"Good."
"Pa? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Pico hesitated.
"Yeah of course son." He said while getting up. Pico led him to a different room, which I assumed was a dining room.
"Baize, right?" I asked.
"Mhm."
"What do you like to do?"
"Uhm I like to draw alot. I also like to write."
"Oh same! Could you show me some of your stuff?" I wanted to get to know her better.
"Sure. Do you think you could help me with this one part on my drawing? I have trouble getting the lines right." She asked happily.
"Yeah of course! I'd be happy to help." I said, following her upstairs.
--
"Pa, you've gotta get us outta here. They may look rich but they treat us like shit. One wrong word around here and they take everything. Like- once Baize tripped down the stairs and they took her door. It wasnt even her fault!" Pico said. He looked distraught. "You don't eat if you don't finish your homework, you don't go outside if you don't wake up on time- it's stupid and it's getting worse."
"Pico you know I can't do that right now. Give it a few more months and you'll be back at the base with us. I'm hoping y/n will help. I know she isn't your mom, or Baize's, but if she agrees she'll try her best at being there for you both."
"I trust you. What do you got with her anyways?" He asked with a smirk on his face.
"Well I don't- It started as friends with benefits but- ever since then I just... I don't know I just feel like I love her but I'm scared to."
"If you love her don't be scared. You got this one." He said encouragingly. Captain was being coached by his own son.
"I know. I just don't want Jay to figure out. You know how he is."
"If he takes her I swear to god I'll burn their whole base down." Pico said. "With everyone in it." He added.
"Pico, you dont even know how to light a torch." Captain sighed and laughed.
"What- yes I do!"
"How? I never taught you."
"I have friends Pa. I'm not solitary."
"True. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna stick you in a war just to get killed."
"If I die, at least I die knowing I contributed."
"Don't say that."
"It's true. Anyways, come check out my room." Pico said, leading Captain up the stairs.
--
"... and all you need to do next time is barely adjust the line and you'll be good."
"I don't know why I didn't think of that! That was actaully a good idea." She said to herself.
"Hey is that a kingsnake?" I asked, peering through a tank against the wall.
"Oh! Yeah, his name is Diggy. Pico picked the name. It's such a stupid name, but we stuck with it." She laughed. I caught a glimpse of Captain walking past the door. I started laughing too.
"Can I hold him?"
"Yeah sure!" She said, grabbing him from out of the tank. She put him in my hands. His scales felt smooth under my fingers and his cold body slithered up my arm.
"So, what's going on with you and dad?" She asked quieter.
"Exscu- what?" I asked flustered.
"Are you two dating?"
"Nope."
"You should. You seem like someone he enjoys being around."
"Yeah us two, Steve, and f/n are always together."
"That sounds fun!" She said.
"Yeah. Did you know your dad is scared of bugs?" I snickered.
"Really?"
"Yeah! I had a caterpillar on my hand and he started freaking out."
"That sounds hilarious- but did you know that he used to put his chestplate on backwards?"
"No way." I imagined him with his chestplate on backwards. I started laughing.
"Not only that, but he used to drink the orange juice with the pulp stuff. It was so nasty-"
"Why are you already talking shit about me after I leave for five minutes." Captain said from the doorway. I whipped around, spooked.
"Cause we can." I said simply.
"Yeah what she said." Baize said.
"At least I didn't eat paper towels when I was little." Pico said from behind him.
"Hey! At least I didn't make fairy houses for the tooth fairy because I thought she was real!" Baize retorted.
"You did not." Pico said with his teeth clenched.
"I did." She sung.
"Hey don't kill eachother yet. We've got to go." Captain said loudly to break the intense stare between the two teenagers.
"Already?" I asked.
"It's been an hour. We were lucky we could even come." Captain said.
"Oh okay." I said walking to the bedroom door.
"Hey mo- y/n before you go-" Baize said cutting herself off. She ran up and hugged me really tight.
"Air..." I wheezed. She let go.
"Please take us with you." She whispered quickly. By now, Captain was quietly talking with Pico.
"Baize. We can't! I would if I could I promise, but right now, we have to fight a war, and I don't want you to die. For me and your brother's sake, and your father's most of all. I don't know what would happen if he were to loose you or Pico." I looked down.
"Somethime soon?" She asked with puppy dog eyes.
"Sometime soon. I promise. Even if I have to go through hell and space, I'll make sure of it okay?"
"Thank you!" She said hugging me again. I hugged her back just like a mother would've done.
"But does Pico want to leave?" I asked.
"Of course. He wants to leave the most."
"Tell him that I promise him too." I said following Captain down the stairs.
"Bye y/n! Bye Pa!" Pico called.
"Bye! Remeber what I promised, Baize!" I said before shutting the door. and walking to the car.
"Wow." Captain said. "That went better than expected."
"Yeah. I thought they would hate me."
"They really like you, y/n."
"I'm glad."
"Today was a pain to schedule. Their caretakers are on the henchmen's side of things, so we weren't really welcome there. They treat them like shit because of my job."
"I know. Baize told me. I promised her we would get them out of there."
"That's funny," he said. "because I promised Pico the same thing."
"Hm." The ride back was silent. Captain told me to go to my room, and that he needed alone time. I couldn't blame him. To see his children in a position like that was a low blow that he would have to take time to recover from. It was natural.
I decided to hang out with f/n and Steve for the rest of the day to give Captain some time to rest alone.
--
"WHY WOULD YOU TELL HER THAT!" Pico yelled.
"That's payback for taking my slushie you stupid hoe!" Baize yelled and slapped her hand over her mouth. Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs.
"We're dead arent we?" He asked, frozen.
"Yep." She sighed.
This household was so bullshit.