"Goddamn it, Alit! If you don't shut up this instant I will smack you over the head with this!" Merag held up a rolling pin threateningly. After discussing protocol to deal with Maldorians, the barians had went home. Right now, Merag and Dumon were making a late dinner and dessert and Alit was talking very loudly to Gilag.
"Sorry!" Alit yelped. Merag had been in a tense mood ever since Vector had dumped ice water and honey on her head("Now you're really the ice queen! And you're also as sweet as can be!" Vector had laughed). Vector was currently curled up in a ball and whimpering.
Dumon handed Merag a cookie cutter as he watched the ground beef to make sure it didn't burn. "Thanks." Merag said. Dumon was the only one she wasn't snapping at right now. Alit and Gilag had a theory about why that is, but if they said it out loud, they'd have three very angry barians to deal with, not just one. The other two would be Nasch and Dumon.
Alit sat on the table and kicked his feet. "It's only been a little less than a day, do you think our parents have noticed we're gone?"
Dumon froze and looked at the time. It was 11:30. He looked down. "Yeah, my adoptive dad was supposed to be home at ten. They know I'm gone."
Merag nodded as well. "Mine should've noticed Nasch and I are gone."
"The primitive creatures called 'my human parents' definitely know. I've tried to run away enough times that they know how long to wait for me to get home before they call the cops to report a runaway." Misael snorted. He didn't sound like he cared what his parents were doing or if they were worried.
"The bastard humans that could be considered my adoptive parents only in the strictest sense of the word probably don't know I'm gone yet, they're probably dead drunk on the couch." Vector shouted, still curled up in a ball.
"And Gilag's mom knows he's gone. Dad might be wondering where I am by now. I don't usually stay away this long after we've fought. He'll probably call the police by tomorrow." Alit sighed.
"Alit... you and your dad fought a lot but you must care for him a little bit, right? I mean, Misael and Vector never said goodbye either but Vector's family was abusive and Misael's- well, Misael said it was bad and he won't tell us what it is." Gilag said.
Alit bit his lip. "Nope, he'll get over me just as I've gotten over him."
Dumon stirred the ground beef around a bit. "It's better leaving them in the dark then telling them the truth."
Nasch snorted. "Nobody likes to hear their kid, or kids, are alien overlords from another dimension."
Dumon had to chuckle at the image in his head. "Yeah, can you imagine the awkward conversation that would be?"
"Yeah! 'Oh Dad! Sorry I worried you by staying out so late! But it turned out that I had amnesia when you adopted me. Don't worry! I remembered everything today. But see, I'm actually an alien from another planet who, in the past, waged war against earth although we are allies now. Aren't you proud of me?'" Alit mimicked. The others had to laugh.
"Oh yeah, we would either be grounded or sent to a psych ward if we said THAT to them." Nasch smirked.
"Still... maybe we should have given them a little more than 'see you, we're off to live on our own.'" Merag mused.
"And most of us didn't even say that much." Dumon agreed.
"We can't go back now. Let's just forget about them." Nasch sighed. His phone rang and he answered it. "Hello?"
"LANCELOT GRIFFIN ZENYAN! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU AND JENNY?!" His father screamed from the phone. It was loud enough that the other barians could hear every word.
"I'll make sure they can't trace the call, my king." Dumon whispered and started pressing buttons on his own phone and his baria lapis started glowing. Nasch nodded.
"We're fine, but we won't be home for dinner tonight." Nasch said.
"YOU ARE SO GROUNDED FOR THIS, YOUNG MAN! PUT JENNY ON RIGHT NOW! I want to make sure she's alright." his dad shouted.
Nasch handed Merag the phone. "Hey, Dad." Merag said.
"Guinevere! I am so glad you're okay! Your mother and I have been worried sick about you! Where are you? We'll come pick you up." Merag's adoptive dad sounded relieved, which made Merag feel guilty.
"Actually Dad... Maybe Na- Lance should tell you. I don't want to." Merag handed Nasch the phone, who pushed it back.
"I don't want to tell them! You were the one going on about telling them!"
"You're the leader! It's your job!"
"You're just too scared!"
"I am not! Say that again and I'll put onions in your food!"
"Do that and I'll put cats in your room!"
"Fine! We'll put it on speakerphone and tell them together." Merag decided. She hit the speakerphone button and gave the other barians a say-one-word-and-it-will-be-the-last-thing-you-ever-speak glare. Dumon put a hand over Vector's mouth.
"Jenny? Lance?" their father asked.
"Umm... Dad? I'm not going to tell you where we are." Merag said.
"What?!" their dad cried.
"We're not coming back home." Nasch said coldly.
"Lance, this joke has gone on long enough." their adoptive father said.
"It's not a joke. Sorry we didn't tell you when we came home but, we're not ever coming back." Merag said.
"You can't be serious! Lance! Are you forcing your sister to say this?!" their dad yelled.
"No! He's not making me say anything! I'm not coming home of my own choice." Merag shouted. She took a deep breath, "Goodbye, Dad." Merag hit the red 'end call' button. Dumon removed his hand from Vector's mouth.
"I'm offended! You couldn't believe I can keep silent when octopus head and ice queen were having a heartbreaking, emotional moment with their adoptive parents?!" Vector sounded hurt, hint: sounded.
"No, we can't." Merag snapped.
Vector gasped and held his hand over his heart. "T-that displays a complete lack of trust!" he cried in his Rei voice.
"That's the point." Nasch said.
Vector stopped pretending to be hurt and crossed his arms. "Wow, you're cruel."
"To you, yeah." Nasch snorted.
"We should get rid of these phones before any of our parents call again-" Dumon started then his own phone started ringing. "Great." he sighed and answered the phone. "Hello."
"JAMES! Where the heck are you?!" Dumon's mom yelled.
Dumon sighed, "I'm fine. Didn't you get my note?"
"We hoped it was a hoax! I repeat, young man, where are you?!" his adoptive mother demanded.
"It's not a hoax. I've run away. I won't tell you where I am but just know that I love you. Don't be upset; I'm happier now," Dumon said. His voice betrayed no emotion but the other barians could see he was biting his lip.
His mom sighed from he other end of the phone. "James, you may think you're happier running away from home and living on your own without parental supervision, but things will just end badly. You could get involved in terrible things just to make enough money to even eat."
"No, I won't. I promise. I'm part of something beyond your comprehension." Dumon explained.
"James! Come home! Right now!" his mom ordered.
"No, Mother. I'm not coming home again." Dumon replied.
"James, your note said not to look for you but you have to know that I won't just abandon my only son." his mother said firmly.
Dumon sighed, "Your ADOPTED son. Just get another kid and forget about me, it'll be better for everyone."
"Do you really believe a child can just be replaced like we replaced your goldfish when it died?" his mother cried.
"Wait, Mr. Sunshine died?" Dumon asked. Vector started laughing his head off until Merag hit him with the rolling pin.
"Oops. Well, yes. The one in the fish tank at home is actually Mr. Sunshine the sixth but that's not the point! Come back home!" his mother cried.
"Sorry, but I can't, Mother. Goodbye, maybe someday I can visit for Christmas."
"Wait! James! Whatever is troubling you, just talk to us about it. We'll do whatever you need us to do, just come back!" his mom begged.
"I'm sorry, but there's nothing you can do to make me come back." Dumon hung up the phone. "After all, my absence is for the sake of Barian World."
Vector burst out laughing again. "Oh Don Thousand, MR. SUNSHINE?!" Vector kept laughing as Dumon blushed.
"I was four when I named him! Well, I thought I was four anyway." Dumon said defensively.
"I think it's really sweet," Merag said.
"Thank you, Merag," Dumon replied, blushing a little brighter red. Alit and Gilag looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"We need to get rid of these before-" Nasch started then Alit's phone started ringing. Nasch facepalmed. "Alit... answer your phone while the rest of us play how-far-can-you-skip-your-phone-across-the-highway."
"O-okay..." Alit said. He looked at the phone as if it had just turned into a cobra before reluctantly answering. "H-Hello?"
"Andre! I'm sorry for yelling at you. I should have never said the things I did about you not being my real son." his dad cried.
"But I'm not." Alit replied.
"Not by birth, but you're still my son." his dad answered.
"And about what you said, you're right. I don't care about schoolwork. I prefer to have fun and live how I want to. And... I'm not your son either." Alit said.
"Andre, I'm sorry I said those things." his dad pleaded.
"It's fine. Really." Alit answered.
"No, you're not. Admit it. I can tell from your voice." his dad said.
"Well, no. I'm hurt. But I guess it's better in the end. Bye." Alit said.
"Bye? Wait! Andre-" Alit hung up the phone and went outside to join the other barians.
"You're up, Alit. The rest of us have already thrown our phones and they're now a mess of wires and stuff." Gilag said.
"Who has the most skips?" Alit asked as he winded up.
"Merag and Misael are tied for seven." Dumon answered, "Nasch got five, Vector and I got four, and Gilag got two."
Alit threw his phone and it skipped six times before it got smashed to smithereens. "YES! SIX! Second place!"
"Technically, Misael and Merag are both first and second place so you would have third place." Dumon said.
"Fine then. Third place! Bronze medal!" Alit cheered.
"We're not handing out medals..." Gilag droned, confused.
Every barian fell over backwards anime style. "It's. A. Freaking. EXPRESSION!" Misael shouted.
"Oh..." Gilag said in sudden understanding.
Nasch sighed. "Since we completely decimated those phones, we might want to get some new ones so we can contact our allies."
The others readily agreed, even Vector which made Nasch borrow Merag's pepper spray and blast the psycho full in the face so he didn't get any ideas. The seven teleported outside an open 24/7 electronics store and walked in.
"How may I help you?" a tired employee asked.
"Hello, we'd all like a new phone." Merag said politely.
The employee woke up very fast when he noticed Merag. "O-of course! Our phones are right this way, madam."
Merag laughed. "Madam makes me sound either like a princess or an old lady."
"Well, you ARE both-" Vector started snarkily before Merag whirled on him and blasted him with the pepper spray.
"Ignore him. He's a dick." Merag said to the started employee.
"Okay then. If he's such a dick, why's he your boyfriend?" the employee asked.
All the barians choked on their own saliva. "He's NOT my/her boyfriend!" Merag and Dumon shouted at the same time Nasch screamed, "The day I let that sick sociopath date my sister is the day I am lying cold and dead on the floor. And not even then!"
The employee blinked. "Okay then, not boyfriend." He decided not to ask any more questions and led the barians to the phones section. Each barian selected a touchscreen phone with corresponding colors to their cloaks. Nasch paid for them and left while the employee stared dreamily at Merag's receding figure.
"So, sweetheart, where are we going on our date tomorrow?" Vector grinned.
The other barians covered their eyes as Nasch and Merag started pounding on Vector. Only when Vector's screams stopped did they look again.
"I am not your girlfriend, got that?" Merag growled.
"Y-yes, Ma'am!" Vector whimpered, "Did you have to hit so hard in the lower region? It hurts a lot more in my human form than my barian form."
"Do you want me to hit harder there?" Nasch threatened.
"N-NO!" Vector scooted away.
"Good." Merag sniffed.
"Can we go home now? Alit's falling asleep." Gilag said as Alit leaned up against the large barian. The battlin' boxer duelist suddenly fell over and Gilag had to catch him so he wouldn't fall on the concrete.
"Falling and fell." Misael commented.
"Guess this is our new guideline for when to go to sleep; when Alit passes out, start heading to bed." Nasch said.
Every barian, excepting Alit since he was asleep and Vector who was nursing his wounds, laughed. They all teleported home and went to sleep.
As Dumon lay in bed, he felt a pang of guilt for making his parents upset. He soon reassured himself that there was no way he could've stayed. He was a barian emperor and they were mere humans. He had his path in life and they had theirs. He fell asleep with a clear conscience.