Requested by Raisa_Saffa
"I don't need six babysitters hovering around me all day!" Solar shouted, fed up with his fellow elementals. Ever since he manifested, he was always mothered by everyone else. He didn't know why, but they constantly drifted around him like a plague that took care of him for no ungodly reason.
Thunderstorm tapped his foot impatiently, arms crossed. He was still waiting for Solar to go to bed, and he wasn't happy about this new responsibility either. Responsibility was Quake's thing, and he wasn't keen to inherit it. Still, he had to care for his team leader. The others had his plate occupied already.
Solar scowled at the lightning elemental. Slamming his book shut, he marched over to his bed and yanked the blankets over his head.
Making sure that Solar will stay in bed, Thunderstorm snapped his fingers and the lights went out. Closing the door, Thunderstorm yawned and retreated to his room.
Solar woke up three minutes later to use his powers to read his books.
* * *
"Here we go again," Blaze murmured.
Incoherent scolding from Solar's room resonated through the kitchen. This was a common occurrence, since Solar always disobeyed Quake and Thunderstorm's warnings and does everything he thinks it's right. It led to one of the two chiding him out for half an hour, with Thunderstorm throwing more profanity and violence around than his responsible equivalent.
An echo of two people yelling at each other bounced off the walls. Yep it was time to reinforce their walls with soundproof material.
Quake slammed his room door open, fuming as he stormed towards the area where Thunderstorm and Solar were in a full-blown argument.
The ground trembled for a momentary lapse, and all the screaming died down at once.
"Twenty bucks they're dead," Cyclone grumbled.
"No bet," Blaze grunted.
* * *
Glancing at the elementals' silhouettes, Solar snuck out of the house into the night. He'd never managed to sleep at night, even if his element was literally pure light, which made it ironic and broke the stereotypical sense of how elements should behave in just about everywhere.
Feet dropping on the soft grass with a faint thud, he bolted into the wide space of the island, facing the sky like he's never faced before, unchained, unrestricted.
* * *
"Yep. He's gone alright."
"Finally. Without him, they won't stand a chance."
The figures donned their cloaks, and they entered the window that Solar had left wide open.
* * *
Solar let the wind brush his hair. He laid on the grassy fields, his cap next to him, glowing faintly in the dark.
This was the only time he could breathe without six other babysitters hovering around him. For someone who's powerful, he always had them around him protecting him, when he's the one who's supposed to be protecting them.
"Sometimes, moon, I think you're the only thing that understands me," he muttered aloud, folding his arms behind his head.
He closed his eyes, sinking into the soundless symphony of the night.
Solar heard screams instead.
* * *
"What do you want?" Quake demanded, shielding Cyclone and Thorn behind him. They were backed against the wall, Quake's arm stretched out in attempt to protect the two. They were taken by surprise. Thunderstorm went to check on Solar, but he got ambushed by KikiTa and Ejo-jo instead. Those fucking bastards had teamed up to defeat them.
"I want your demise," KikiTa vamped, cocking her sniper.
Quake gritted his teeth. He summoned pillars that segregated them and the aliens.
"Go!" Quake yelled. "Get out of here!"
"We can't leave you here!" Thorn cried.
"GO!" Quake shoved them out of the room. Cyclone understood his intentions and carried Thorn away on his hoverboard.
When KikiTa and Ejo-jo tried to pursue them, they were halted by pillars of earth, turning their full attention to the gyrokinetic. Evading his attacks, they lunged at him, but he dodged as well.
He was the only elemental left standing, and Solar was nowhere to be seen. He was prepared for the worst, but he couldn't let his team die to the hands of these scum. They were totally taken by surprise.
The wall next to him exploded. Solar was standing there, eyes glowing gold. Quake grunted. Now he appears?
"Get out of here!" Quake yelled. "The others are at the base. You have to warn the—"
"No!" Solar stormed next to him, summoning light beams that countered Ejo-jo and KikiTa's bullets. "I'm done being protected. I want to protect you too!"
"This isn't a game. You have to go with the others!"
"UGH! You're right. This isn't a game!" Solar berated. "Let me fight! Scratch that idea. We're already in a battle!"
Solar didn't wait for Quake's reply. He turned to the aliens, eyes glowing pure white and gold. Positioning his arms in a crossing matter, he slashed the air in front of him, two fingers held up as if he was holding cards. A shockwave of light shot towards the two aliens, and they dodged in time before Solar's attack destroyed the walls and burned the metal base.
He continued to assault them. He analyzed their attack and dodging patterns. Instead of acting rashly, he tested their movements before making decisions.
There. Forehead beading with sweat, his fingertips glowed gold as their movements were anticipated beforehand. He fired, and they hit the two criminals precisely, careful to disarm and injure them, but not enough to kill.
The two criminals' backs hit the walls, and they groaned in pain. Quake used the moment to trap them in Highland Grabbers, rendering them immobile.
Quake called TAPOPS to pick them up. Once this was over, both of them accessed the damage dealt. Oh boy, Solar burnt Ice's cookie stash.
"Did I really do this much damage?" Solar glanced at the smoldering household that was once their home.
Quake nodded. "It's fine. You did what you had to do." His voice faltered. "Look, I never told you why you're overprotected. It's something to do with Thunder."
Solar sighed. "Of course it's him. Why did he do this time?"
"Well," Quake started, tossing the charred cushion back to the pile of ash, "when we were younger, he turned into a villain once."
He explained everything to Solar. He didn't want another brainwashing fiasco to happen, especially when Solar's the most powerful one among them. It was paranoia, but after Vargoba, they're more vigilant than ever. If Solar turned out to be a villain at his base nature... they're royally screwed.
It's a stupid reason, but Quake had every right to worry.
"You still need to work on your powers." Quake patted his shoulder. "You're more unstable and inexperienced. Come train with me or Thunderstorm when you're free."
Solar nodded.
The next day, the oblivious Thunderstorm was yapping at him to eat his breakfast again. The guy had no regards for the previous night, probably because he was knocked out.
"Leave me alone!"
FUCK NO!"
Quake walked into the room and witnessed another catfight between the two elementals again.