A/N: Stick a cliché punch line with a fanfic, and this is probably your results.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Booster.
He watched as his father paced the room, his face showing displeasure. When Word Paynn turned to look at his son, Moordryd, his stone gray eyes stared into Moordryd's soul, and the teenage leader of the Dragon Eye Down City crew tensed. Moordryd recognized that look on his father's face too well; he knew he had done something wrong. It was so hard to please his father. Do something right, for once, and Word would look at the completed task negatively, noting mistakes and such, so Moordryd tried hard to not make any mistakes with whatever he was asked of.
"Moordryd, do you have any idea why you are here?" Word asked, his voice calm.
Moordryd looked up at his father. "Er, so my crew can steal dragons so you can have more wraith dragons?" he said.
"No, not quite," Word responded, and turned away, staring at his current work. "Though when I tell you to do something, you do it, don't you?"
Moordryd's own gray eyes shifted around nervously. "Oh, no, not that..." he groused. "Father, I can explain, really - "
"I suppose you can," Word said, picking up something, but Moordryd couldn't see what it was. The voice of Word was kept at its cool as he continued speaking. "Then again, I don't want to know. Or maybe I do. Usually I know the reason to whatever pathetic mistake you make, but this, Moordryd, is unexplainable."
Moordryd opened his mouth to reply, then shut it, glancing away. He didn't want to say something that would anger his father even more.
"A simple little task to do, Moordryd, that was all I wanted from you," Word said. His voice was rising, becoming bitter. "In less than ten words, no more than that. It should be easy to memorize. What, were you blind or deaf when I told you what to do for me this morning? I know you have other things to do, but you could've taken the time to put this into consideration. Is it really that much of a burden?"
"No, father," Moordryd replied, his voice becoming shaky. He mentally cursed himself. What was he thinking? Of course his father would have noticed the error! He always knew what seemed to be happening! No, not just his father, but even an idiot could know what was wrong!
"I'm guessing you thought I wouldn't recognize the difference, but you were wrong," Word snapped. "Well, of course, you were wrong. You're always wrong. It's been that way ever since! I expect better from you, Moordryd! Is this really the best you can do? Being hasty?"
"But I didn't mean to - " Moordryd started, but he knew it was pointless.
"You do things that would make anybody astonished," his father told Moordryd. "But those described as 'anybody' are really nobody. I am not anybody! I am different, with different expectations! You know that!"
Moordryd gulped. He knew what was coming. Regret and guilt filled his mind. He took a deep breath as he watched his father's head turn towards him slowly, his gray eyes cold and penetrating.
"Now, Moordryd..." Word growled. "Pray tell me, why in the name of the Magna Draconis...did you give me decaf!"
At the last few words he spun around sharply, a coffee cup dangling from the index finger on his left hand. "Uh, uh, uh..." Moordryd stammered, then gave a pathetic grin. "Er, the Dragon Booster took the one with caffeine? Hehe..."
End