Chapter 10
When Cahaya came to, the first thing he saw was Api and Gopal wearing matching beards made of cotton candy trying to claim he had been in a coma for years.
He really had no idea what made them think he would fall for that and completely ignored them while Yaya left to call his other brothers who had gone to eat breakfast.
No sooner did they arrive with various looks of relief- Petir was immediately scolding him about how reckless he had been while Daun clung to him like he was going to disappear again.
He was too tired to retort and butt heads with the eldest septuplet but had enough energy to console Daun who wouldn't stop crying.
"I thought we lost you!" He cried out, fat tears streaming down his face, "I've never been so scared in my life!"
"Not even with that snake incident during that Katakululu mission?" Cahaya joked and his brother merely pouted at him for the reminder.
"Please don't do that again." Air said as he came in the room with a now cotton candy-free Api, "Seeing you get blasted out in space twice almost gave Petir a heart attack."
Petir scowled at him, face turning red, "That's not true!"
"Oh~ you were that worried, huh?" Cahaya teased his brother who turned to him with a redder face and an angrier scowl.
"Try that again and I'll make sure you'll be sorry!" This was usually Petir's way of showing concern, threatening to kill them when they end up in a life and death situation. Just typical Petir stuff.
"Hey guys!" Angin appeared by the door with a tray of soup, biscuits and water, "Cahaya! I'm so glad you're awake! Tanah told me to bring you some light food for now. You might not be able to stomach the oily stuff since you've been knocked out for the past few days."
"So, I've been told." He tried to hide his grimace when the tray was set in front of him. He was never an avid fan when it came to eating— since he had this tendency to prioritize his focus over his experiments and research over something so trivial.
"Speaking of, where is he?" Api asked looking back at the door, "I thought he'd be the first one to punch through those doors as soon as he heard the nerd finally woke up."
"That's a little too extreme." Ying snickered.
"Nope, he'd definitely do something like that." Daun sniffed and wiped his snot on Cahaya's shirt.
"Ugh! Daun— gross!"
And the day proceeded with it being more chaotic as it usually was with his brothers around. However, despite how everyone tried to distract him, it did not escape Cahaya's notice that not once did Tanah stop by. He tried to not let it bother him, but he couldn't help but feel like something was up.
He was also bracing himself for the lecture that was bound to come for facing the space pirate head-on and for executing horrible teamwork during his first opportunity of proving himself in a battle.
Yup, Tanah will never let that one go for sure.
Eventually, everyone left the room as Petir nagged that he needed rest and practically threatened everyone to get out. Almost getting into a fight with Api in the process as well.
Setting aside his violent tendencies, Petir can totally compete with Tanah on the role of being the mom in the group.
"Get some rest! Don't do anything stupid." Petir warned before leaving the room with a grumpy face.
Cahaya snorted before shifting to his side, wincing when it jostled his ribs. Getting hit by that iron hammer really did a number on him.
And so did getting blasted to space.
He ignored the spike of fear that came out of nowhere and forced himself to sleep instead. He may be a horrible patient at times, but when in need- he can try and follow proper protocols to recovery. He had experiments waiting for him after all.
And unfortunately, his brothers can get really stubborn and annoyingly perceptive when he would try to sneak away.
He had also worried them enough. Trying to stop being such a hard head was the least he could do for them.
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Solar woke up with a pounding headache, he was momentarily thrown off to see an unfamiliar face next to his bed and not one of his brothers.
Then it all came rushing back when the other placed a familiar photograph beside his hand.
"Captain, we need to talk."
He groaned as he pressed both heels of his palms against his eyes opting to ignore him first to try and remember what happened after being stuck in that anti-gravity space simulation.
He remembered his breath picking up...
Fear and desperation fueling his need to get out...
His powers responding to the sudden spike of emotions...
The recruits screaming... Azlan being an idiot...
...and Fang...
"No one is in danger."
Ugh...
He's definitely going to ask about what just happened.
Though, he's a little relieved that he hadn't ended up destroying the headquarters... again- but he could already deduce the mess he had caused if Azlan had been there to witness everything.
He's going to need a contingency plan, knowing how said Captain liked to go behind his back and make him look bad.
"Err...Captain?"
And he knew for a fact that that bastard had started everything.
He was definitely going to pay for messing with the wrong person.
"Do you need water? Or-"
"What I need-" He snapped his head to the other person who had most likely witnessed one of his weak points, "Is for you to leave me alone and forget everything you saw. Everything."
"But-"
"Just- get out!"
Fang was taken aback by the sudden aggression and Solar had to look away, refusing to acknowledge the guilt he felt.
He knew for a fact that the Lance Corporal had done nothing but help him as he remembered bits and pieces of the other trying to get him to snap out of it.
But he couldn't risk another person finding out about his stupid weakness.
He had already made that mistake with Captain Azlan-
"No."
Solar looked back at Fang, ticked at what he had just heard, "What was that?"
"I said no." The alien had the guts to cross his arms like some sort of rebel, "Duty hours are over so you really don't have the power to order me around."
He pushed himself up into a sitting position and scowled at him, "I don't need my rank to throw you out of this room, Lance Corporal."
He gotta give the teen some credit when he barely flinched at his threat, face set with determination and a bit of annoyance.
"Would you stop being like this for once?!"
"What do you mean 'like this'?!" Solar spat, irritated at his disrespect and accusing tone.
"Like everyone is always out to get you!" Fang exploded, "I've been nothing but compliant to your orders and took every insult you threw at me, hoping you'd eventually don't see me as some sort of threat!"
"You're more like deadweight than a threat to me." He deadpanned.
"See! You're doing it again!" Fang's face was turning into an interesting shade of red as he got angrier, "I tried to help in fixing your room and this is what I get!? Honestly, every time I try to do or decide on something I think is right, it just gets thrown back into my face!"
"No one asked you to fix my room." Solar frowned and was starting to get confused probably for the first time since a long time, but Fang was on a roll and wasn't stopping.
"I'm here based on lies and now, I ended up adding more of those lies just so you can keep your annoying 'Perfect Captain' image!"
"Lies? What lies? What did you do?!" He demanded, if the other had done something that could compromise his position-
"Captain Azlan was plotting to throw you under the bus, but me being your ever-loyal teammate lied about having evidences against him just so he wouldn't do it." Fang huffed as he pointed at his glasses, "I told him I recorded everything and would show it to the higher-ups... which... was the lie. I actually didn't have any record of anything."
Solar stared at him, his brain trying to wrap up with the fact that the alien before him had actually blackmailed a Captain. With no proof.
"You... bluffed." He didn't know if he should be impressed or not. Instead, he shook his head as he realized that Fang would end up in serious trouble if Azlan ever finds out that he had nothing against him.
All to... help him?
"How do I know you're not just making this up?"
"You triggered one of the most deadliest moves and was on the verge of destroying TAPOPS." Fang deadpanned, "And yet Commander isn't here to bring you to his office for an urgent report on what had happened."
He had a point.
"Do you have any idea about the risks you've put yourself into?" Solar's eyebrows furrowed while Fang's expression turned into surprise, "If that idiot finds out you just made a fool out of him, he'll be risking your goal to becoming a Captain. He'll try to twist rumors against you and make you untrustworthy for TAPOPS. That guy can hold a grudge!"
"Is that what happened to you?" The alien asked and Solar promptly shut his mouth.
He couldn't risk letting him know things.
Personal matters should stay personal.
And he had already learnt his lesson last time he-
"If you don't want to tell me then, fine. I won't force you." Fang said, scarlet eyes filled with disappointment, "But this is exactly what happens if you tend to leave things out that I should know about. I'm not like you when it comes to deduction and logic. It even took me awhile to figure out the real reason you don't stay in your quarters. Heck, I'm surprised I figured it out before Nut could! The whole outer space phobia you-"
Solar interrupted him by grabbing his arm with eyes harshly glowing behind his tinted visors.
His heart pounded in horror and he could really just deny or bend the truth. But Fang was apparently too smart for his own good.
Hopefully, he's also smart enough to know who he was messing with.
"If you dare tell anyone about that, I'll make sure to make your life a living hell."
Fang scowled in response, pushing him away before he could react, "This is the reason why I can't even trust you! Who the hell threatens their own teammate over something like that!"
"Anyone who feels threatened would!"
"Oh so now you admit I'm a threat?"
"Now that I know you can use that against me, then you are!"
He was so busy doing his best to keep calm and not freak out at the fact that another person knew about his... condition- that he didn't notice the other's eyes go wide, obviously taken aback by his admission.
"I told Azlan about that stupid fear!" He clenched the sheets of the bed, "We had been in that mission for Planet Quabaq and got separated from the others. He went ahead and got his eye injured being the incompetent fighter that he was, and he was freaking out because there was too much blood so I stupidly told him about my fear just so he could calm down."
He let out a shaky breath remembering how the red-head alien had thanked him for not abandoning him after he had calmed down from his minor freak-out.
It had been one of those rare moments when he and Azlan actually acted like the allies that they should've been.
"He was my teammate! I thought I could trust him! And you saw how that all worked out!"
He should just send Fang back to Kaizo and make sure to keep his mouth shut- he could ask the Captain for help- wait no! Then he'll find out about his weakness and more people would know! He would definitely tell Commander Koko Ci, who'll tattle on Admiral and-
"What the hell?!" He jumped when Fang suddenly stood up, his expression filled with rage, "You willingly told him and he...?"
Fang trailed off as if he was trying to process a rather unbelievable fact, "What kind of- I can't believe I didn't hit him with one of my shadows when I had the chance!"
Solar continued to stare at the other like he had gone crazy, who eventually sat back in his seat trying to keep calm, but the irritation was still palpable.
"Okay, look. I guess now I can see why you're this defensive-"
"I'm not defensive!"
"I was angry at the jerk earlier for stooping so low, and at first, I thought he figured it out on his own, just like how I did... but..." He watched him fidget in his seat uncomfortably, "I'm sorry you have to go through that kind of betrayal."
"Betrayal?" Solar rolled his eyes, "It was a miscalculation that I should've expected. I'd rather not give him the credit of thinking he actually one upped me over a voluntary piece of information-"
"That's the thing." Fang sighed in exasperation, "It's one thing if he had figured it out, but he didn't. You willingly told him something so vulnerable, that- that what he did was wrong and immature and he had definitely gone too far!"
The alien paused his rambling before adding, "And I guess I have misjudged you on some... other aspects."
"Please don't make me sound so disgustingly sentimental," Solar narrowed his eyes at him, "And what aspects are you talking about?"
"I'd rather not say." Fang cleared his throat before admitting, "Though I may have called you... names..."
"That's not really new." He then sat by the edge, ready to leave the suffocating heart-to-heart between them. He already revealed too much, "Now, if you're done with your useless interrogation-"
"Actually, I'm not." The other stood in front of him determinedly, "I came here to tell you that despite how difficult you try to be, we still are a team, and it's about time we act like one. Even if there's just two of us."
Solar frowned at him before grabbing the photograph on the bed and putting it in his pocket, trying to appear nonchalant, "You do realize you just called your Captain difficult, right?"
And yet, he didn't feel insulted by that and actually found it amusing.
"I didn't peg you as the type who wants a boot-licker for an ally."
"Hmpf. Having a teammate who actually appreciates my brilliance would be a good change."
"Well good luck with that, because you're stuck with me. The total opposite of one." He watched the alien roll his eyes at him which only made his amusement grow.
"That's too bad, then." Solar continued as he stood up and tried to brush off the wrinkles on his uniform, "Maybe I'll get a better team in the future."
It was meant to be a half-joke since he was technically still thinking of sending Fang back, but said teen frowned at him like he had just thrown him an insult.
"I'll probably not sing you praises or exaggerate compliments for you, but... I assure you I'll never go behind your back like Azlan did." Fang said, tone serious and sincere, "It's... difficult- but from now on, I'll try to trust you more."
Solar froze at his words and couldn't help the suspicion that surely showed in his face.
"So please, trust me as well, Captain."
He continued staring at those scarlet eyes before looking away and heading for the door. He couldn't stand looking at him for too long.
It reminded him too much of that time he had told Azlan about his fear...
It reminded him of that time his brothers had sworn to protect the galaxy as they took their oath in TAPOPS...
It made him feel like he could entrust them with anything without fear of rejection and hurt.
And look how it all turned out for him.
"If there's one thing I've learned since I've joined TAPOPS- is that trust is earned, Lance Corporal." He stopped by the doorway and looked back at him, "But you were right, you have shown to me that you are willing to work with me as my ally and have yet to prove to me otherwise. And for that I will return the gesture if it's what you want."
Fang looked at him hopefully that it made him roll his eyes.
"But if you do anything to make me lose my trust on you," He glared at him sharply until the other nodded his head stiffly.
Content, he turned to leave, "Tomorrow morning, I'll give you a lecture about what you need to know about becoming a Captain and in the afternoon... you'll be joining me in one of my missions-"
"Wait, really?!" Fang was suddenly in front of him, eyes shining with excitement, "I actually get to go on a mission?!"
"You make it sound like you've never been in one." Solar frowned before narrowing his eyes at him, "Should I be worried?"
"Of course I've been in a mission!" The alien said, trying and failing to look calm and collected, "I mean- I just realized I still haven't had my mask fixed yet so I don't exactly have any form of power to help."
"What are you talking about?" Solar pointed at his power watch, "You have that don't you?"
"I- err- I thought you were going to confiscate it again. Sorry, I meant to return it." Fang quickly took it off and handed it to him, though he obviously looked reluctant in doing so.
Solar then stared at the power watch he had kept for almost a year and a half and remembered the sad pixelated eyes of a certain yellow power sphere.
"A friend of mine gave that to me as a farewell present." Nostalgia hit Solar as his expression went soft, "He said I'll know what to do with it and that I might need it more than ever since..."
Gold eyes looking at him with tears and disbelief flashed in his mind and he quickly pushed it away.
"Anyway, let this be my payment for your quick thinking earlier." Solar said ignoring the worried look the other gave him, "It was a risky thing you did, but if you hadn't backed me up... I assume they would've already demoted me or removed me from the organization by now. Or imprisoned if Azlan played his cards right."
Fang looked down at the watch and placed it on his wrist with a nod, "I... thank you, Captain. I won't fail you."
"Take good care of it." He bit back a yawn and waved him off as he walked towards the direction of his quarters, ready to hit the sack, "I'll see you tomorrow 6AM sharp."
"Yes Captain." There was a pause only to be followed by a shout, "Wait- SIX!?"
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End of Chapter
Uggggghhhhhhhhhh... this was so late. Imma warn you guys it'll be slow updates from now on. Probably a hiatus? Idk. So many things happening at home and work I should've known those peaceful days were bound to end _(:з)∠)_ but alas, such is life. The universe just loves to throw things in your way when they notice you're getting too comfy and happy- ajsduisahdiha
Anyway! Hopefully, I'll see you soon.
Darkie, out! 👈(ﾟヮﾟ👈)(👉ﾟヮﾟ)👉