Dodging passing cadets and medics, Api kept his head low as he stepped into the makeshift infirmary, fidgeting in place.

They'd closed off a small section for Cahaya per Gempa's request. Everybody knew better than to question the elemental, having experienced one too many galaxy-ending crises in one lifetime that directly involved him. Just a few moments ago, Api had been lying on the cot next to Cahaya's, but they deemed him alright enough to let him get some air.

Now his cot was put and tucked away, leaving only the one still occupied by Cahaya. Their youngest was still out of commission, but thankfully he only looked to be in a peaceful sleep and not a vicious battle against the looming claws of death. Air sat on a stool next to him, arms crossed and eyes fixed on Api.

"What's wrong?" Air kept his voice in a whisper, putting his hands on his lap. "Are you still hurting?"

Api shook his head. Air's disheveled and exhausted form made him think twice of the reason why he was here in the first place. Anything he would've said died instantly on the tip of his tongue, teeth clenching as lead sealed off his throat.

"Are you sure?"

Api nodded quickly. Well, he was fine, but this was a different type of hurting altogether. It was like ripping off a bandage, right? Air did say he could turn to him whenever he needed, but...

He winced visibly when he noticed the massive bloodstain on Air's hoodie. It was browning and oxidized, the torn slit in the fabric charred and matted. The scar underneath had clotted and dried, but it was painfully obvious that the kid hadn't planned on informing anyone anytime soon.

Api must've been staring a little too hard, because Air picked up on the burning question in his mind. "It's fine," he said, gesturing at the wound. He was careful to not jostle it, sweat glistening under the electronic lights. "The medics are busy drafting their reports – and you know how much paperwork is involved when it comes to Taufan."

Oh, Api knew all about it, for all the times Air and Cahaya chucked the guy's paperwork in his face.

"They're medics. We pay them to do their job," Api argued. "And it's not like we're barely scraping by for supplies, either. I'll go get the medic—"

Air's expression darked significantly. "No." He shot up to his feet, hissing when he agitated his wound. "I've had worse injuries and survived with less. There—"

"I'll do it, then!" Api interrupted, glowering when Air's face morphed into one of surprise, then skepticism. "What? I'll have you know I'm CPR-certified, a registered ordained minister, verified on Twitter and Instagram, and I know my way around TAPOPS medical wards better than the average Joe."

Air still looked unconvinced, but his expression did somewhat loosen. Either it was out of trust for his human friend, or he was taken aback by the fact that his friend was potentially paying an $8 monthly subscription towards a poisonous breeding ground that was Twitter. Neither of those options sounded feasible.

"I won't touch the needles or anything that'll pierce skin," Api assured him. "Just- at least let me clean it. If it's not as bad as you said, I'll leave it alone and we won't need to call in a healer. Capiche?"

He clicked his tongue at the end and shot him two finger guns, but if anything it only served to stir more suspicion in the younger's heart. He held his pose for longer than necessary, his grin turning to stone. Only the sound of Cahaya's brainwave monitors—the kid, unlike them, didn't have a heartbeat—beeped sharply in the air.

Air coughed into his fist, turning away. It was then Api noticed the film of sweat clinging to paling skin, darkened veins protruding from his neck.

Api always had a sneaking suspicion that Air didn't trust the authorities all that much, even if they were on their side. He knew it had taken Air a substantial amount of time to allow himself to breathe freely in Api, Daun and Cahaya's presence. His uneasiness never went away with the others, but he wouldn't be the first in their ragtag group to suffer from trust issues. He was nowhere near Daun's level, but it was definitely noticeable in some situations; like this one.

"Fine," the water elemental said through grit teeth, words lined with a light growl. "You can clean it, but nothing more."

He'd have to do a lot more than cleaning, but that's another can of worms they'll tackle later. The last thing he wanted to see were exposed ribs and chunks of liver, especially when it's Air's and not their seasoned mentors'. He'd always been squeamish when it came to blood and gore, and just because his brother figure threw himself into the nearest human blender every other week didn't mean he developed any nonchalance or immunity towards the stuff.

With some difficulty, Air left Cahaya and towards the healing bay where they had more space and material to operate. Api resisted the urge to rush over and heave his arm over his shoulder, biting his lip in worry when the younger nearly stumbled on his own footing.

He had Air sit on one of the counters so Api could have a better look at the wound. There was no saving the hoodie—the blood was too matted and attached to the skin. Whatever attachment Air had to this particular piece of clothing he should kill, and its fate was only solidified further when Api pulled up a pair of surgical scissors from one of the drawers.

Air frowned when he saw the tool, but he knew quickly that things weren't going to go his way. Besides, TAPOPS always carried around extra printed shirts and blankets, so it wasn't like he was going to be walking around flashing everyone in his vicinity. He raised his arm, albeit wincing when he pulled the wound.

"So," Air spoke up, voice soft as Api began snipping away at the cotton. "What was it that you needed earlier?"

Api paused, the blades of the scissors hovering between the cloth. "Oh." He forgot the reason why he was here to begin with, with Air's injury and all. He was almost grateful that it slipped his mind; this was perhaps the biggest can of worms he dreaded to approach. "It's nothing serious. This is more urgent."

Air rolled his eyes, resting his right hand on his head. "You can talk while you work," he muttered. "As long as you don't mutilate my flesh, that is."

Api continued cutting and worked his way to the base of the sleeves. "We can negate that risk altogether."

"Api."

The fire elemental sighed heavily. He grabbed Air's arm and pulled at the sleeve's fabric, ensuring there was enough empty space between skin and cloth before continuing.

"You know, when I told you about my time at the reformation camp?"

Air's eyes blinked in recognition. The story came with complimentary My Little Pony friendship bracelets and a future macaroni art project. "What about it?"

Api grimaced, but he kept his hand steady. "You remember why I was there in the first place?" he quizzed. "Some kid's friends reporting me after I turned his life into a living hell?"

The water elemental made a noise in his throat, signaling for the older to continue.

"Well—" Api took a deep breath. The scissors cut through the final bits of fabric, and he gingerly pulled the hoodie off Air's torso, careful to avoid touching his wounds. "Well... he's here. Like, here here."

Air narrowed his eyes. "Here as in...?"

Api tossed the hoodie into the disposal bin. "He's outside." He brushed his hands together, teeth clenching. "And he's friends with Halilintar."

Air stared at him as the information made its way into his mind. However, before he could comment any further, the phone in his pocket buzzed. Carefully, he removed the device from his pockets, unsurprised to find cracks spread throughout the screen. He'd be more taken aback if it'd ended up pristine after all of that.

He unlocked the phone and glanced at the message, but frowned as soon as he read the first few words.

"Hey, Api."

"Yeah?"

"You said your phone was stolen by some green alien, right?" He turned his phone to show the screen to Api. "Well, they just activated your tracker by accident, but the location..."

Api blinked, not understanding the mysteriousness behind it all, but squinted to read the name on the map regardless. It didn't take long for his eyes to widen, his jaw falling open.

"What the hell is he doing there?"

Taufan stretched his arms into the sky, a loud yawn ripping from his throat. His chest stung from the movement, but it was negligible. There was still a hole in his chest that would take some time to heal (a few hours, at most) but that was nothing to be worried about. It would be fun tossing fruit loops through it, at least!

He rubbed his eyes, looking around for a familiar face. He didn't see Cahaya, Air or Api; but he did see Daun mingling with Amato in a distance, and judging by the beet red look on Boboiboy's face, they were definitely talking about the kid's first time in a bath.

Gempa was another missing existence he acknowledged. Was it just him, or was the earth elemental hard to catch alone recently? Wherever they went, Gempa was always occupied with something or someone else. It's not like it was unusual, as they specialized in different fields and all, but the pattern was getting uncanny.

He walked around the corners of the base, hoping to catch someone he knew—and saluting to cadets on the way, geez he hated salutations and formalities because god forbid he feel old—but no dice. Thankfully everyone was busy with cleanup and reconnaissance that no one was able to bother him, though there was a small wave of panic that spread throughout camp when the streetlights simultaneously short-circuited and the backup generators kicked in.

Taufan couldn't say he was surprised. He just knew Halilintar had something to do with the phenomenon, even if he couldn't see the man in person.

The noise faded from his ears. The world turned silent and grey.

A figure appeared in his peripheral vision. Before he could turn in surprise, his view of the world abruptly turned upside down, body falling into the earth as it darkened to void, eyelids fluttering shut. The last thing he saw was a young boy's face, crouching down and reaching into Taufan's heart.

When he woke, he was greeted with the sight of a place far, far away; a home that only existed within the depths of his memories.

He'd been working tirelessly for hours, sweat coating every inch of his body, arms aching as his palms chafed against the rough surface of wood and metal.

He had to work fast in the cover of night, where all those oblivious souls lay rested in their wretched homes, ignorant of the true horrors that he will unleash.

On the ground beside them was a regular human phone next to a bouquet of ruined chrysanthemums, modified with rusting machinery and wires to serve his purpose. That child had been exceptionally easy to deceive, even if his friend had been wary of his true intentions. He still emerged victorious in the end! (Even if his finances had been lacking... no matter.)

This pathetic garden shovel was no match for the hard, solid soil, causing his fingernails to bleed and crack from the effort. However, through perseverance and his determination, the crater only grew larger by the minute, the pile of dirt on the outside subsequently growing along with his progress.

"Go, Mister Boss! You can do it!" Probe cheered with a low volume, careful to keep his voice down to prevent attracting any vermin. For a robot assistant, he sure wasn't providing much assistance.

"Quiet, you imbecile," Adu Du hissed, throwing another handful of dirt out of the crater. Its depth reached to his waist now, and sooner or later he'd be reaching his goal. "Keep your eyes peeled for anyone nearby."

The robot saluted. "Yes, Mister Boss! My eyes are squeaky clean."

Adu Du rolled his eyes, reaching for the modified phone. The once pristine screen was cracked and coated in a layer of grease and dust, the screen displaying a radar with a glowing center right below them.

He was so close he could feel it.

With renewed vigor, he brought his spade into the earth once more, only for the tip of the tool to slam against a solid surface buried under a thin layer of soil. It took him approximately thirty seconds to process what he was seeing, but when he realized the implication of this one obstacle, his face broke into a wide, sinister grin.

He whipped to the robot. "Probe!" he called, no longer carrying for stealth. "Help me this instant. We have found what we came here for!"

Delighted that he was promoted from watchdog duty to the action, he beamed in a way that only an android was able to. "Okay, Mister Boss! Hehe!"

They dug and dug, eventually cleaning away the last bits of debris. Finally, finally Adu Du was able to brush away a vague film of soil off the top, revealing the surface of a decomposing wooden board.

Probe's eagerness shifted into uneasiness at the sight. "Um, Mister Boss..." he stammered, looking around. "Are you sure we want to do this?"

"Silence!" he snapped. "Years of humiliation and shame. It will all be washed away in an instant!" His eyes practically glowed with glee as his fingers hovered greedily over the splintering edges. "That energy signal we've been tracking for years will be mine. All mine!"

It was at that moment, another pulse of gold waves burst from the ground below, spreading in all directions through the earth and shaking the ground. Adu Du held onto the sides to prevent him from falling, but the grin on his face only grew larger.

"This is it, Probe!" he howled. "Glory, vengeance, an empire of riches and fame; it will all be mine once more!"

Thunder bellowed nearby. Which was strange, because there were no clouds in the sky.