AN: Happy La Paz Day, everyone!
Once again, due to its long word count, I have to separate this one-shot into two chapters. It's a special double upload today! Make sure to read both Part 1 and Part 2 on Mr. Piranha's own special one-shot moment.
Summary: "During the previous summer, Piranha and Hornet travelled to the sunny Bolivian city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Meeting your family again (or in-laws) could be stressful, but there's a deeper straw in the stack that affects them all in more than one way."
Special Short #4 - Mr. Piranha, Part 1
Piranha grinned ear to ear as he hopped out and pulled out their small bags from the taxi. Well, he and Hornet were relatively small, so no problem for their driver carrying their luggage. Upon stepping out, he took a deep breath and a sense of pleasant nostalgia washed over him.
He never knew he would be happy to return home. Santa Cruz de la Sierra wasn't exactly kind to him, but his birthtown was as unforgettable as Los Angeles.
He remembered clearly the flow of these streets, the voices from the open markets like music and the sunlight promising paradise. The city was in constant flux and many people would come and go, but he recognized the traditions carried on in the warm land where the sun would always shine on.
But hopefully, people changed during his absence.
After thanking the taxi driver, Hornet returned to sit on top of Piranha. It was a shame the other Bad Guys couldn't come, but it was lovely that Hornet had time to join him. About time during their breaks from work.
Now, their minds were on Piranha's old house before them.
Hornet tilted his head in a childlike manner, impressed by the hulking giant of a household his boyfriend grew up in. It was a castle. A kingdom emphasizing its apparent richness. Shades of the Spanish Colonial architecture formed the curls and the pillars holding parts of the roof.
Piranha experienced something different than awe. To him, it was a reminder of the landmark's importance in his life.
The tall, proud building remained standing. Needing a new coat yet the white adobe walls held the red roof with barely a crack of struggle. He stared down at the red brick road leading to where the magic would happen. Its red shine was already wearing out. In his eyes, it was as bright as when he bounced over them at a young age.
There used to be a mini patio, one that consisted of wooden seats, a table and an umbrella. It used to reside next to a beautiful fruit tree, its large leaves nearly touching the ground. Now, the tree was replaced with a large sun shelter made from white plastic. The wooden chairs were replaced by white plastic sunchairs, boosting his family's affordability.
Piranha frowned at the lack of color in these new additions. He missed the old days when things were simpler. Even though he knew his family was fair in wealth, he didn't want the house to change. He missed the fruit tree hanging he used to rest under. He didn't want anything fancy.
However, that opinion changed when he saw the new flowers of pink and yellow sprinkled all over the grass. This was new, thought Piranha. Maybe his family grew to love something else better.
As Piranha gazed on, Hornet clutched his chest like it was heavy. It was time to meet the in-laws. He had never gotten to know Piranha's blood family before. The little bug didn't worry about this until now.
It wasn't enough to kill him, but the anxious Hornet was in deep thought of how he should appear presentable to the family.
"You're ready for this?" he asked.
"Yep!" said Piranha, brave and bold, "You?"
Hornet nodded, wanting to be strong for his boyfriend. "Mm-hmm."
Oh, it had a fantastic start.
Waiting at the door felt way longer than walking down the pathway, as they thought. Only when the door swung open, the next big event was much longer and painful.
Smoke flooded into their faces. The dumbfounded Piranha IMMEDIATELY recognize the smell but coughed out a lot more than he thought he could hold in. The inexperienced Hornet got into a coughing fit so bad that he covered his mouth, his body vibrating from the violent coughs. What was exactly burning in this house?!
Fortunately, the local breeze blew away the gigantic cloud of smoke. As their visions cleared, they could see the source of the smoke: a tiny smoking pipe comfortably in the lips of a slightly taller lookalike to Mr. Piranha.
His scales were tinted silverish green and his belly was redder than Piranha's. His eyebrows were thicker, matching his bushy, masculine mustache. While flattened by a silver bowler hat, his short head fins were styled as triangular spikes to resemble a spiky mohawk. He wore the same white shirt as Piranha, but he wore wide-cut beige pants to reveal his leather work boots.
His yellow eyes widened in shock when he saw his son and his boyfriend wheezing.
"Santa Cielo!" Papa Piranha yelled, flapping his little arms around in a brief panic. "I didn't think you were waiting there!"
Piranha, through coughs, stifled a grin and a thumbs-up. "I-It's OK!" He bent down, coughing. "You know how much I…" He couldn't get those last words across, choking.
Papa Piranha immediately rushed to the two Bad Guys, patting them on their backs. "Now, you two, calm down. Slow down. Don't cough too hard or you'll blow your throats."
It took a full minute to remove the nasty-tasting smoke from their throats, but their coughs gradually quieted and lessened. Once done, they were already OK with the side effects of sore throats.
Piranha chuckled heartily. "You knew I might play a prank at the front door, huh?"
Hornet wheezed, managing to crack a smile. "That would explain why you flash that thing around casually."
"Yeah, sorry, new guy," said Papa Piranha. "Anyway, it's good to see you! Pepe, welcome home!"
Hornet would have guessed Piranha had kept in contact with his family over the past few years, but he didn't expect his father to grab him in a hug immediately. The little fish had no problem, nuzzling his chin happily over his father's shoulder.
"This reunion must have been pretty easygoing as Piranha," thought Hornet in surprise.
"So sorry once again for staying away for too long, Papa," said Piranha, looking emotional. "The American Dream seemed pretty fun and I thought…" He trailed off, suddenly shy to tell. "Well…it was…"
Papa Piranha guffawed, slapping a hand on his son's back lightly. "Eh, but you went out there like a man and handled it fine! Though, I wouldn't recommend the gangster lifestyle. You don't have any cops following you?"
"Nope!" confirmed Piranha. "Did a lot of good service. Stopped a few criminals. Stopped authorities chasing my tail. Good reputation got us through security, all that stuff."
"Yeah," said Hornet, resting against the little fish's chubby cheek. "And I had to make sure we took a private jet instead of public. Some adjustments. Managed a few deals. You'll be surprised how much we must arrange for our summer vacation before we get comfortable."
Papa Piranha raised an eyebrow, impressed. He was only a little disappointed that his son became a criminal. This was NOT the lifestyle he wanted for him. Even if Piranha could be off-the-walls, it seemed that years of experience prepared Piranha for the toughest, living like it was a 'real' manhood of survival and strength.
The highlight was that Piranha found good friends, including Horent. When his yellow eyes turned to him, Hornet tensed up in anxiousness. Those big, curious eyes stared at him to study him.
"Oh, this is Mr. Hornet," introduced Piranha. He paused momentarily, hesitating to continue who Hornet was for him. However, he wasn't afraid to confess to his father about the little bug he brought. "He's… my boyfriend!"
Papa Piranha didn't intend to appear intimidating. In fact, he was curious about what made Hornet interesting.
The older fish liftup his hand for a welcoming handshake, smiling. Hornet awkwardly lifted his, still on edge. But once he felt the soft hand shaking his little arm gently, it told the little bug that he made a good first impression.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hornet," said Papa Piranha warmly. "Since you'll be my son's fiance, you can call me Para. Or Papa Piranha. That one is my nickname."
"Well, nice to meet you, Para," said Hornet.
"Now, come in, you two. We got a lot of talking and dad jokes to do."
With that, the trio entered Piranha's large house. As they closed the door behind them, Piranha quickly spotted one of his brothers waiting nearby.
The family's eldest son was leaning against the wall, bored, laid-back and aloof to his arrival. He appeared like Piranha, except his eyes had a more natural shade of gold, dull yet carried a more robust and rare color. He also had visible facial hair above his lips, yet to grow into a full mustache.
His attire resembled one of Piranha's disguises, except it made him look more classy: a barely-wrinkled, white-collared shirt with a sharp black tie tightened around his neck. The yellow vest appeared loose, however, and comfy for his liking. His golden chain hanging from the notch of his black jeans seemed to flaunt his hardworking success. Despite being at home, he preferred to keep his shiny, black slacks on.
Piranha's grin faltered upon recognizing his brother's head fins. Styled to be shorter in length and curled to create a side-swept look.
"Piwi!" he said, still enthusiastic. "Nice to see you again, big bro!"
The sentiment couldn't be said for the scowling Piwi. "Mr. Piranha, you continue to exist."
Before Hornet could get snappy, he had to comment on the NAME. It was hard not to take it seriously. "Pee-yew? Piwi?"
Piranha shared the same chuckle as Hornet. "Yep! At least that's one thing we had in common."
"Be nice, children," said Para, waddling to the grumpy Piwi. "Piwi, I told you to be hospitable to your brother and his boyfriend."
"You mean Bonnie and Clyde? Or our loud brother who likes a bug of the same gender?" snarked Piwi, raising an eyebrow. "You're sure they won't ransack the house?"
"I rather have that over Percy flooding the house again," deadpanned his father, randomly brushing Piwi's vest on instinct. Even if Piwi's vest wasn't dirty. "Now, I expect good behavior, boys." Then, he turned to Piranha. "That also means you, Pepe."
Piranha pouted. "Aww, OK…"
"Well, hi?" said Hornet, flying close to the stoic Piwi. "Nice to meet you. I'm Mr. Hornet."
"Piwi," said the eldest brother blankly, shaking the little bug's hand. "How were you able to find my younger brother? I mean, how could you two work THINGS out?"
The emphasis on 'things' could mean many things, indeed, added to Piwi's eyebrow still raised. Piranha and Hornet glanced at each other before coming up with a noncommittal answer.
They didn't want to tip off the nearby Para of anything filthy.
"We're not even sure how that works," answered Piranha awkwardly.
"Yeah, we'd rather not talk about it," added Hornet, embarrassed.
Piwi huffed, already losing interest. He pulled out a small white packet of cigarettes and pulled one out. A stick with a white tip on it.
"Smoke?" he asked, lifting the box for them to see.
"No thanks," said Hornet politely.
Piranha hummed. "I don't smoke."
"Already got mine," said Para, placing his smoke pipe back in his mouth.
Piwi nodded, shrugging. "OK. Disculpe si le doy la espalda un momento."
Before Hornet could ask what that meant, Piwi turned around and lit up his cigarette. Once he inhaled and blew out a long trail of smoke, he turned back to face them.
Para commenced his tour around the house for Piranha and Hornet. It had been a while since Piranha visited.
He could see that a lot had changed. He fondly remembered the pictures and photographs hanging from the walls. Presenting his happy family, paintings of mountains and his parents' wedding. Each told a story, the slightly aged filter giving the look of a storybook.
Today, they were replaced by new paintings. Many of them were watercolor, centered on mundane objects. The flowers were the most appealing, at the very least. Piranha could admire the soft strokes and colors applied. But it was only an object. Not a scenery. What happened to his grand family stories?
Meanwhile, Hornet was observing the hallways Piranha used to run through. The little bug felt like he was back in time, out of touch. He could also see Piranha's deep connection here.
He stared at the floor, composed of red and dark red diamond patterns. It felt more traditional compared to the generic carpets back home.
He stared at the windows. An open patio sitting in the middle of the house. An open balcony on the second floor of the house. An ideal resting spot away from the family chaos of the house. The main highlight of this patio was the water fountain, which featured cute-looking dolphins spitting out thin streams of water. The fountain didn't even look blemished! Its white marble shine looked brand new.
How rich was Piranha's family? Hornet thought they might have struggled due to their fair share of prejudice in Bolivia.
Arriving at the dining area, Piranha immediately jumped back to make way for his other two brothers mucking around. One had his hands on the ground and feet upwards, while the other held his feet like bicycle handles. Their game of carretilla was lightning fast, speeding around the table.
"Hey!" yelled Piwi, frightened. "No playing games inside!"
Para sighed. "Percy! Perrito! Don't appear so immature. Pepe is here."
Percy and Perrito finally obliged with Percy quickly standing up properly on both feet.
Percy, the second oldest, wore a neat white collared shirt. But instead of a vest, he rode a thick black leather jacket contrasting to the humidness. He also wore black ripped jeans and green sneakers, rebellious. His fins were styled like Piranha without the short ponytail. To put it straight, his looks could be the manliest of all the brothers.
Perrito, the middle child, wore something more casual: a singlet in the colors of a sunset, black shorts and sandals. A noticeable bandage wrapped near his right shoulder, a sign of his prone clumsiness. Much like Para, his belly was noticeably redder. His mohawk fin appeared more like a smooth rectangle slapped on his head, refined.
"Mr. Hornet," introduced Para. "Percy and Perrito. Boys, Pepe's boyfriend, Hornet. Pepe, say-"
"Hello again, bros!" squeaked Piranha, delighted.
Percy, with a tight smile, was next to Piwi as the next reluctant greeter. "Hi…"
Perrito was significantly kinder, rushing up to Piranha for a bear hug. "Pepe! I thought you'd be dead when you got to the airport!"
Piranha chuckled as Perrito pinched him by the cheeks. That and hearing Perrito's sweet voice got him overjoyed. Piranha loved the ticklish feeling of Perrito playing with his cheeks. While they seemed to outgrow appearing chubby, Perrito must have loved the feeling of playing with his brother's cheeks like a baby.
"You've grown tall!" cooed Perrito. "Oh, and look at those muscles!"
Piranha laughed louder when he felt his arms squeezed. "Hee hee! Please stop! I'm not a baby anymore."
"Oh, sorry," said Perrito, stepping back. "I'll be good!"
"He's still a baby," muttered Piwi.
While Perrito was coddling with Piranha, Percy turned his attention to Hornet. This piranha looked skeptical. The little bug gulped as he drew closer. Their eyes met and Percy was too close that his invisible nose touched Hornet's forehead. He seemed intense. His tough leather jacket told Hornet of so.
But like Perrito, Percy melted a little by the tininess and cuteness of Hornet. He began petting Hornet like a puppy.
"So this is the little bugger Pepe picked up and gonna hook up?" he asked, laughing uncontrollably in unrestrained marvel. "No wonder why you two dated! Mr. Bee, was it?"
"No, no, no!" said Hornet, slapping the mitten hand away. "I'm a hornet!"
"But you look like one!" chirped Percy. "A cute little bee!"
"Stop, I'm a hornet!" insisted Hornet, buzzing around. "And your touch is bit rough there!"
Thankfully, Percy relented and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ah, alright then, Mr. Hornet. Sorry, got distracted."
"Speaking of you two," wondered Para. "I wonder where Petrol and Paulina are…"
As if on cue, both Piranha and Hornet smelled something sweet and sizzling from behind. There was heat from behind. Piranha scratched his butt, thinking it might be on fire.
But then, he heard the familiar sound of wheels rolling.
He immediately pulled Hornet out of the way, followed by Percy pulling them close to the door frame. Right when a table cart came rolling in the path of their previous spots.
"Excuse me!" squeaked the cart's pusher. "Out of the way!"
SLAM!
The dining table shook from the crash with the table cart. The neatly arranged forks, spoons and plates trembled, jumping a little out of space. The slightest movement, even if a fork just came out of place, was enough to dismay Para.
"My precious cutlery!" he whined. "I spent thirty minutes perfecting this for our new guest!"
The final brother, who pushed the table cart, turned to the witnesses. He hissed to himself, knowing he nearly slammed into his brothers again.
"Sorry, Papa!" he exclaimed.
Piranha sighed with a look like it happened before. "Petrol."
Petrol was only one and a half years older than Piranha but no less reckless. As he peeled off his white cooking apron, he revealed his typical 'hip' attire: a white shirt with the words 'SANTA CRUZ' in a rad font in front of a red circle. Much like Para, he was wearing a bowler hat and much like Piarnha, he had a little ponytail. At least his denim shorts and leather work boots were tamer.
When Petrol noticed Piranha, his eyes glowed brightly and he hugged him tightly.
"Pepe!" squealed Petrol, already tearful. "It's so good to see you!"
Piranha broke into another big smile, patting his brother's head gently. "Aww! It's good to see you again."
"It's a bit too long, don't you think?" pointed out Petrol, hopping on his heels. "Didn't know where you end up in fancy America." Once he let go, he noticed the watching Hornet. "Ah, this is one of the legendary Bad Guys?"
"Uh, well, yes!" said Hornet. "Mr. Hornet."
"Sorry for the rush," said Petrol, shaking his tiny hand. "I'm Petrol."
"Do you have to cook fancy lunch again?" asked Percy, eying the table cart. "We'll be going out for a fancy dinner tonight."
"It's a necessity!" hissed Petrol.
To demonstrate, the table cart held multiple silver platters with serving domes hiding the treasures. Quite a hefty he cooked! And the rushing fish didn't slow down when he proceeded to toss each of the dishes onto the table.
"It's to welcome one of the most infamous criminals in California to our cuisine," insisted Petrol, not stopping to breathe while throwing plates around nonchalantly. "Not only that, but we're supposed to re-welcome Pepe back to the house. Art is important!"
The weirded-out Perrito leaned close to Hornet for a whisper. "Don't mind, Petrol. He's two-months working as a cook and waiter at a LITERAL fast food restaurant. He's passionate when given the apron."
Hornet nodded slowly as he feasted his eyes on the likely excessive welcome lunch. By the time Petrol finished, the last two dishes couldn't fit on the crowded table.
"It's just what we normally eat," said a voice behind them, this one more feminine and deeper than the men. "Plentiful lunch means plentiful energy in the night."
The last to arrive was the family's matriarch. Paulina, Piranha's mother and Para's wife, was calm in her walk, maintaining a straightened posture instead of waddling around. She looked much more like Piranha, sharing the same green and orange colors. Like Para, however, her fins were styled as triangular spikes.
She wore an orange tipoy with a denim brown vest flattening the frills around the neck hole. The skirt was customized to be shorter, fitting for the summer. Though, she had black leggings to cover her legs. Finally, she wore a bowler hat with a feather in the black stripe and pink high heels, making her a little taller.
Piranha's smile widened and he practically hopped into his mother's arms for a hug. "Mama!"
"Pepe!" cheered Paulina, her eyes closed as she took in this moment. "So good to see you again!"
She scratched him on the head, eliciting a squeak from Piranha. Yep, she could see her little son right here with her.
Hornet watched on with a warm smile. A familiar hollow feeling was born in his chest, but it was overcome by the happiness that Piranha had a family to come home to.
Letting Piranha go, Paulina quickly checked his body. Still wearing the same clothes from his media debut as a Bad Guy. His eyes were never dull, alive. He grew as tall as her, not looking skinny anymore. He looked handsome as an adult. She nearly felt like kissing her son on the forehead.
"You've been putting yourself into good shape!" she said, patting Piranha on the tummy. "Knew the last image you sent me was real."
Piranha blushed when he heard Petrol and Perrito giggle. "Mama!"
"Wait, remind me again," asked Hornet. "How did you keep in touch?"
Para huffed casually, resting a hand on Paulina's shoulder. "We still share the same old phone numbers. AND phone taxes, of course."
"And you must be, don't tell me, Mr. Hornet, right?" asked Paulina, tilting her head. She didn't seem suspicious or curious. An in-between? "I'm trusting you that he has been kept well. I mean, robbing banks and stealing the candy is one hell of a storm."
"Like you wouldn't believe," said Hornet, playing with his good antenna bashfully. "It's nice to meet you too, ma'am."
"Just call me Paulina," said the matriarch with a friendly smile, returning the handshake. "Or Auntie Paulina. If that's how you want to go."
Piranha beamed, noticing the smiles from his parents and his acceptance towards Hornet. Hornet made a good first impression! Well, it might be due to his father giving the wrong first impression earlier, but at least nothing has gone wrong yet. Without noticing, his fins began to wag happily.
Piwi noticed this and his eyes scanned the room, trying to see if everybody found something off about this. Percy seemed to understand the context, judging by the lack of a friendly smile. And then, as the professional one, Piwi let his mouth do the talking.
"I'm surprised you're all coolio with Pepe being a criminal," he said bluntly.
Perrito jumped a little bit. Obviously, he didn't want to confront THAT topic.
"Piwi!" he scolded, elbowing Piwi's arm.
"Actually, I'm also a mercenary," said Piranha immediately, not wanting to put everyone on the wrong foot. "That's my new first business."
Paulina raised an eyebrow. She never expected her son to continue being a rebel. Let alone not having a stable job. She would have to admit that she was devastated when Piranha moved out after dropping out of school. Maybe the title of the Bad Guys got to him. But he seemed to be on the right path with helping others.
It was Piranha's child dream of being a superhero like the Flash.
That thought got her giggling. "I'm guessing you have a cape for that costume."
"No!" yelped Piranha. "I don't need a cape when bomb diving on the most rotten basura!"
Para was a bit more vocal in his concerns. "Though, I don't think it's necessary to be a criminal, Pepe. You could have gotten into so much danger! You're lucky you're released from prison early."
"But Papa," insisted Piranha. "I am more than capable of taking care of myself. And I'm not alone on this one."
Both Percy and Petrol glanced at Hornet before sharing a look. Naturally, they had different opinions about this. Petrol nodded in understanding while Percy felt the opposite about taking his brother's word.
"OK, Mr. Hornet here has a good investigative business," stated Percy. "But don't you find it a bit less…secure?"
Hornet closed his eyes, knowing this would come. "If the moral code doesn't break, that's for sure."
Percy felt a little intimidated. Whatever moral code they had, he didn't want to tempt it. He decided not to talk further, looking down at his own feet.
"If it's for the greater good, sure," grumbled Para, wiping his hands. "Sure. Just don't make Piranha sniff any drugs or steal from charity."
"The latter we defied," explained Hornet.
"And the former?"
The wide-eyed Hornet didn't have an explanation. He glanced at Piranha smiling away dumbly.
If Piranha sniffed some white powder in LA, Para might as well resign himself to this.
He rubbed his face in annoyance and the snickering Petrol then motioned smoking from a joint.
Piranha giggled.
Piwi chuckled slightly.
Percy rolled his eyes.
Perrito grinned.
Para glared at them, removing the pipe from his mouth.
"And I'm surprised you managed to find love!" continued Paulina. Her gaze drifted to Hornet, turning into her ongoing surprise. "Don't mind me saying this, but you look like a charming belle!"
Hornet blushed and bowed a little. "One way to put it!"
Para hummed in agreement, nuzzling against the purring Paulina. "Yep! Love can find a way."
Eventually, Petrol got impatient about leaving lunch for too long despite the cover domes. Everybody took their seats, with Hornet sitting at a tiny table set up, much like the ones he and Webs used.
That being said, it took the piranha family a while to climb onto their human-sized chairs. Knowing that Piranha needed a baby seat in the car, Hornet considered whether the family wanted to take themselves seriously at public restaurants.
The serving domes were taken off their plates to present a feast upon which to marvel. Petrol's eagerness to make a good lunch was justified. A steaming suckling pig coated with honey, bowls of pique a lo macho for everyone, stir-fried bowls of salad, five different hot pepper sauces and warm bowls of stews for the thirsty.
Petrol was careful in preparing some vegetarian stew for Hornet to take. But when he placed the giant bowl in front of the little bug, both realized that Hornet might be unable to finish the whole thing. Petrol could only flash an apologetic grin to the gaping Hornet.
The little bug stared at his stew. It wasn't thick meat broth but flavored with a rich orange-brown look. No cream was provided, but Hornet was sure it could fill him up. Pieces of corn, potatoes, carrots, and onions floated around. Chopped green chives sat on top with a promise of spices. That was what made the stew enticing.
They had a humble prayer first. Hornet respectfully held his hands together, even repeating the shared words. However, during this, he eyed Piranha and his brothers.
Piranha, as always, was bouncing on his bottom. He kept licking his lips, hungry.
And it wasn't just him. Perrito couldn't keep his eyes shut. Percy was rocking his body up and down, unable to contain his excitement.
Petrol was praying, but his eyes were open. At least he wasn't drooling. Piwi was also courteous and patient.
Para and Paulina were praying in a foreign language, one of many in Bolivia. Hornet might not understand, but he understood their gratefulness for today.
"Now, let's eat," said Para.
All of them lifted their spoons.
And…
"OM NOM NOM NOM!"
Hornet's eyes widened as every piranha grabbed large quantities of food and shoved them into their big mouths. No one waited to chew properly, just wanting to savor. Some of them just went into slurping their stews messily, their bowls lifted high. Para and Paulina, especially, shoved their bowls of pique a lo macho into their mouths.
Are they going to SWALLOW the bowls as well?!
Piranha was at least neat in cutting the roasted pig in the middle before gulping the entire slice down in one bite.
Hornet felt a bit uncomfortable with the family's table manners. He tried to shield himself from the food being thrown around.
When Piranha noticed the horrified Hornet, he paused his chewing. "What? We're still piranhas!"
Followed by a sloppy french fry landing on Hornet's head, courtesy of Piwi.
The itchy little bug's right eye twitched.
Pink and blue soap bubbles flew everywhere. They overloaded in the sink, but Piranha took the opportunity to blow many all over! He was supposed to place the dirty dishes in the sink while Hornet would clean them and let the aloof Piwi dry them.
Just sucks that the bubbles caught the younger fish's attention.
Once he was sure the sink was full, Piranha could grab handfuls of the foam and toss them upwards. His inner child got him bouncing around the improvised snow in the air. A colorful winter wonderland without ever leaving home.
And like the snow, Piwi shuddered when he felt the cold foam landing on his head.
Hornet took the time to observe the marvelous foam flying around. He quickly flew out of the way when a dollop nearly crashed into him.
But he couldn't get mad at Piranha's sparkling eyes.
"Piranha!" he called. "Hon! Now, don't try to drown me."
"Oh, sorry!" chirped Piranha. "They are just really light as snow."
Fortunately, Piranha didn't have any more foam in his hands. He decided to just watch the foam floating around. It reminded him of the joy of dancing underneath the rain. It reminded him of whenever he and his brothers played with the soap bubbles in the bathtub. It reminded him of countless times he made a storm by shaking that bottle with boiling water.
"Ah, I miss this!" he exhaled.
Seeing Piranha this dazzled got Hornet blushing, loving his childlike wonder. He turned back to the plate he was focusing on. To him, it was simple. Maybe it was him, but it was ironic he could clean a dish with two wipes while the giants had a challenging time licking something tiny to them.
Holding the green sponge, he pressed it against the stained plate and swiped it upwards. And just like that, the plate turned white! Once both sides were clean, he picked it out from the murky water and onto the drying tray for Piwi to dry manually.
"Never been happier to clean," said Hornet. "Back then, probably the wildest lunch I ever had."
"In my defense, it's been a while," said Piranha. "Nothing's changed, however!"
Piwi muttered something inaudible.
"It seems like you even enjoyed it," said Hornet thoughtlessly.
"What about you, sweetie?" asked Piranha as he dunked the next few dishes into the sink.
Hornet had a thought about the wild lunch. Half of the time, he couldn't understand what was going on. But the more he thought about it, the more he could see the chipper faces of the piranhas. They were smiling the whole way when they went loco.
"Aside from my shirt smelling like cow broth…" He took the moment to hold up his shirt and the faint smell of saltiness remained. "Quite a show! Your brothers were pretty hyper in juggling all those fruits around and trying to stab them like kebabs and then having a french fry eating competition before Perrito vomited and passed out."
"Our stomachs are black holes," humored Piwi.
Hornet just chuckled in amusement. "OK, the overeating is more concerning. Vomit is no good. All in all, it was fun seeing you have a messy great time!"
"It's our family tradition," said Piranha, smirking. "My father is arguably the craziest! He's not like that today, but he tolerates a lot."
Maybe a tad too much, thought Hornet. "What a cool guy."
And another plate he wiped. He stopped to admire the reflection in this purely white surface. Checking his face, he checked if there were any stains. Thankfully, there were none. His shirt must have suffered the damage. As he looked into his eyes, he wondered if they caught the admiration of Piranha's family. For a moment, he looked frightened…
Hornet frowned. He already had a good start, but now, he was back to wondering how exactly friendly Piranha's family was. Okay with him dating Piranha. But was that just for tolerance? They were in the right to be worried, considering their public reputations. Hornet isn't even a piranha, for God's sake!
Because, after all, Piranha did love his family. He was really happy to see them again. And what would they think of him tagging along?
While the silent Piwi watched on in confusion, Piranha immediately guessed correctly what Hornet was probably thinking just by looking at his reflection. The little fish lowered down the plate he was holding and once he placed it in the drying tray, he moved Hornet's eyes gently to see his.
The choked-up Hornet could see Piranha's bright sympathetic eyes.
"Hey, Hornet," said the little fish softly. "It's all chill, chico. They like you. I mean, Percy gets too lovey-dovey with little cuties like you."
Hornet rolled his eyes shyly. That as a compliment and a likely fact of Percy. But appearances could be overlooked by worth.
"Guess I came to the right spot," he muttered, a little sarcastic.
"But seriously," said Piranha, holding onto Hornet's hands. "They are indeed alright when I told them before. You're good. They know you love me as much as I do. They're good people."
Hornet didn't need to think much to see what he meant. Doubt still lingered around given Piwi's rude comment earlier, but it was nice to be reminded that Piranha's family wouldn't hurt him.
"Do you think the others are still alright about us?" asked Hornet. When there was only silence, he realized he was saying this to no one. It was only Piranha and Piwi in this kitchen with him. He glanced over to Piwi who was in deep thought. "Well, you know…"
The eldest brother of the family finally decided to speak and his eyes appeared softer. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Mr. Hornet. But you're not us. You don't know us. I mean it as the highest compliment."
One could see it as an insult, but the sincere tone pulled a flip on it. It wasn't malicious or a lie. Hornet blinked, dumbfounded. What did this older fish mean?
Piranha, on the other hand, took it a bit literal.
"Sugary Piwi," he teased with an eye roll. "What got you sour?"
Piwi snorted. "Sugary my-"
Suddenly, Hornet piped up. "Hold on! Don't keep that plate yet! Let me…"
It was when Piwi was about to keep a handcloth-dried plate in the cabinet that Hornet suddenly halt him and grabbed the green sponge. The eldest fish kept still and watched: Hornet spotted little crumbs clumped to the side of the plate. How come they didn't see that earlier?
Nevertheless, Hornet was quick to clean that little spot up. The sponge was still soapy, but he made sure to wipe away the excessive soap stuck on the plate. He really wanted to make it clean. Once he saw the shine, he smiled in satisfaction.
Piwi was left feeling surprised by the little bug's rapt attention.
Typically, not many people cared enough about the little things. Hornet did.
Piwi loved checking over every little detail. To him, fewer mistakes meant the best quality of his work. He rarely saw that trait in others, aside from some of his work buddies.
"Much better!" said Hornet, grinning. "It's good to keep!"
Despite not caring to prepare questions, Piwi suddenly had a new one. "Is it really true the Bad Guys turned into a new leaf? For all that vigilantism?"
Immediately, he bit his bottom lip, regretting the saying. He knew he didn't exactly like Piranha's career and picked up on degrading terms from his brothers. It took him the longest with coming to terms for his brother, but concern on Piranha's wellbeing was on his mind.
Piranha didn't seem to notice. "Yep! You should come with us someday! You'll like it! You're a businessman, right? You can be a good dealer!"
Piwi narrowed his eyes. "Does that mean I get more tobacco?"
Hornet whistled, surprised. He didn't expect Piwi already conversing in this kind of thing quickly. These people were indeed crazy and the good kind.
"There's plenty to lick in the mean streets," he joked, cracking a smile.
"Must be a lot of ash," commented Piwi. "Though, I'm guessing you still get your hands dirty? Is it…" He paused again, trying to think of an appropriate way of saying it. Something at least sensible. "...good? Like, it didn't strain you that much? I don't have the experience with coming across people who…don't care about trouble?"
Piranha's answer was simple. He smirked and placed a fist over his chest. "Why not?"
Hornet's answer was more complicated, shrugging. "Only thing I'm good at. There are real bad people, however. You got to know who to be careful with."
Piwi nodded, a little impressed. "Will see how far that will go. Mr. Hornet, you trusted my brother from the kooky misfits. Was he nice?"
The little bug placed a hand over his mouth to not show his stupid smile in front of Piranha. "Um…yes? He could get rough, but only if it's clear he's in bad company."
Piwi glanced at Piranha again and his sparkling eyes retained the same childlike innocence he knew. Suddenly, that was gone when Piranha realized something.
"Wait, don't make Hornet the police of me," the younger fish pleaded. "Seriously, I'm NOT a baby, Piwi!"
"It's just that you two make up an effective match, Pepe," said Piwi in business terms. "Hornet is at the top and you're close to making it out the bottom. It's a win-win."
Hornet's jaw dropped and his face turned pink. One, the support from Piranha's eldest brother. That last thing Piwi said felt like he was a little…well, out there. But it was nice to get a clear approval from him. Two, he realized the accidental implication and the image was setting in his mind. His face felt like it was melting.
Piranha didn't think much, huffing and venting off by throwing another pile of soap bubble foam into the air.
Right on time for Para to see, yelping when he saw the wasted precious soup from the hallway.
"Oi! Pepe!" he called out, looking frazzled. "Don't play with the soap again! I don't want them sticking all over the place."
Piranha pouted, but one look at his father, and he nodded obediently. "OK, Papa! If you say so."
"Hey, Papa," called Percy's voice. "Can I talk with you?"
"Just hold on!" said Para quickly before turning back to Piranha and Hornet. "Pepe, Mr. Hornet, you two should unpack your stuff in the bedroom."
"Alright then!" said Piranha.
But when Para left, the little fish turned to Hornet for answers.
"Where did we put our luggage?" he asked dumbly.
Hornet raised an eyebrow. "I thought you know."
Piranha scratched his chin, trying to remember. "I thought you placed your luggage on the chandelier."
The little bug could only laugh, pecking a loving kiss on Piranha's forehead. "No, I didn't. Dummy, I think you better find those luggages. Maybe a bit of a walk around can help."
"True! Like to come along?"
"Well, someone needs to take care of the dishes." Hornet looked down at his shirt. "And I think I might need a shower really soon."
"Yeah, I can smell you from this distance," muttered Piwi.
"Pee-yew," commented Piranha with a cheeky grin.
Perrito and Petrol entered the kitchen, struggling to carry the rest of the dirty plates left behind. With the piles higher than their heads, that impaired their vision and they couldn't stop tilting sideways, constantly bumping into each other.
"This way?"
"No, no, this way!"
"You're sure that way?"
"I'm sure!"
And when they made their move, they only bumped into each other again. Petrol's pile was dangerously close to collapsing. But not before Piranha and Piwi swooped in to catch his falling plates. By the time Petrol's pile was at a reasonable height at his eye level, he could see the slightly frightened looks of his brothers.
"One pile at a time please!" hissed Piranha. "This is NOT the way to try everything."
"This is not the time for setbacks," retorted Petrol.
"Well, this is not the time to waste your money on this."
"Thanks a lot, Pepe," uttered Perrito.
They all waddled together, dumping the plates into the sink. Once they confirmed they got all the dirty dishes, Piwi deduced what to do for this hour.
"Petrol, handle the dishes," he instructed. "Perrito, take Hornet to the bathroom. I'll take Pepe to find his bags."
"Wait, you're sure?" asked Hornet.
"Don't stress," reassured Perrito with a confident smirk. "Petrol has this in the bag. He has been tossing and breaking plates his entire life!"
And sure enough, Petrol was already onto washing duty. The problem was when he squeezed the sponge, it only squeezed out water. The foam in the sink looked close to drying out. He checked underneath the dark sink and groaned.
"Aw, man," Petrol grumbled. "No more kitchen deteronant! I'll need to grab more. It's in the laundry room…"
"It'll be alright," said Piranha before turning to Hornet, patting his back. "I'll bring you the toiletries for you, hon!"
Hornet wanted to wait, but given that a search and a shower wouldn't take long, it might not hurt doing so. Besides, he found himself feeling a little sticky. He wasn't sure how he could continue washing dishes like this.
"Alright then, hon," said Hornet, kissing Piranha's cheek. "Don't scratch your head."
Piranha grinned warmly. "Will do!"
And so, the brothers were off.
Piranha with Piwi on their search for the missing bags, Petrol on the search for spare soap and Perrito on the search to direct Hornet to their new bathroom. Perrito just wanted to show off to Hornet on their latest bathroom, even if it just looked 'fresher' due to the paint.
It didn't take long for Piwi to find the missing bags. Right when Piranha turned to the right on his own, Piwi spotted his brother's little bag hiding behind an outside drawer. And when he came close to it, he could confirm that it was indeed the right bags since one was Hornet's size.
Unfortunately, he couldn't tell the news to his brother, who disappeared.
And then, he heard metal rattling from the ceiling.
Oh, right, Piwi thought with an external sigh.
Always using the vents whenever they were their hiding spots.
Piwi already grew out from them and preferred travelling by feet and car. Piranha was one of the few who continued using vents and definitely not for heist purposes.
Piwi didn't think of calling his brother's name first before he eventually squeezed his body through the nearest vent grill.
Usually, a person wearing an elegant outfit would be squeamish. Nobody would like their ties ruined by the dirty, metal walls. But Piwi was one willing to get his hands dirty. Probably a trait from his mother. And when he crawled through the vent passageway, he found himself more familiar with it.
It was a while, but going through a slightly dark, salty vent was just a nostalgic day in his old office.
The climb was surprisingly the hardest part. Piwi hadn't been keeping up with intense workouts lately, so moving himself upwards to the ceiling level was difficult. He eventually managed to pull through. He could soon complain about his bloody hands and feet to Piranha. Right on time, he found Pirahna patting the walls with a childish grin.
His yellow eyes were close to the golden light coming from the nearby vent grill, likely leading to the ceiling of another room.
"Hermano!" Piwi hissed, crawling forward. "What are you doing?"
"I'm searching!" whispered Piranha. "What does it look like?"
Piwi rolled his eyes. "Found your bags. Now get out of here before Mama and Papa find out."
"OK, OK. I thought Hornet left them here, so that-ooh!" And just like that, Piranha got easily distracted. "What's this?"
At first, he thought it was a dead rat. But when he picked it up, it was a toy car. A red sports car. Piwi immediately recognized it, observing the toy with curious eyes. For a brief moment, Piranha could see the same childlike wonder in his brother's eyes.
"Huh," muttered Piwi, taking the car from Piranha. "I forgot where I left that cruddy toy."
"That reminds me of whenever we snuck into here!" pointed out Piranha. "Our little playtime corner when grounded?"
Piwi frowned, indifferent. "That was donkey years ago."
Seeing the frown on his older brother's face got Piranha thinking of how much exactly changed. When was the last time he saw him smile before he left? His frown contrasted with the smile he used to have when younger. In a way, it got Piranha feeling a little upset that his eldest brother had changed as well. Why didn't Piwi seem happy lately?
"How much has exactly changed, Piwi?" asked Piranha out loud. "How did you change? I'm surprised you're acting a bit more seriously today."
Piwi rolled his eyes instinctively. "It's called growing up. You should understand that too." Before he said the next few words, he took the time to reconsider what he wanted to say. "But…I don't get why you dropped out of college. We all had the same opportunity to have a good life."
When Piwi said that, Piranha suddenly felt a loss at words.
No, he wouldn't tell Piwi how much it hurts to try being like anyone.
From not knowing what to do with his energy to the nasty glares from strangers whenever he showed his teeth to the constant reminders of why he should be more like his brothers. Piranha had never touched on these feelings for the past few years and it reminded him why he had left.
But the second Piranha felt teary-eyed, he gritted his teeth to look like a snarl. He tried remembering how free he was when moving to Los Angeles. His new family there. Being awesome for what he could do to another community.
Trying to go to college wasn't him at all.
"It fits me more," grumbled Piranha, attempting to sound committed. "Don't you think? It's how people see people like us."
Piwi crossed his arms. "See us? Or YOU?"
Piranha raised his eyebrows as if the answer was obvious. "I envy you for not caring about anything."
Piwi's eyes softened, saddened. "How do you think I feel? And you know that I don't want to let you all down. I don't want to let the family down. Your voice was one of the many that encouraged me to move forward."
Piranha looked away in disbelief.
"Pepe, I know you don't exactly hate us, but I don't know how scared or lazy…"
"Lazy?!" barked Piranha suddenly. That was so not true! But scared? That was a different story and he cooled down. "Scared? I don't think you would care why."
It wasn't simple for Piwi to believe. That alone shocked him. Not caring about his brother's feelings? Piwi then thought back on his first reaction earlier. Grumbling to himself about Piranha being on the other side of the law. But it came with the pain of knowing how distant the brothers became.
Even if he accidentally did, Piwi wouldn't want to lose all care and love for his younger brother. And thinking about it, Piwi reflected back on old stitches. To when people claimed he never cared about…
"Pepe," he started.
"It's about Pepe," said Percy's voice from somewhere. "Not the right time to talk about him. But…"
Piranha nearly thought of crawling away, but the look on Piwi's face told him otherwise. Glancing at each other, they decided to look through the vent grill. Below, they could see a shivering Percy and their calm parents walking into the room.
Papa Para was about to close the door when he heard a bang from the other side. Opening it revealed Petrol.
"Oh!" Petrol yelped. "Just looking for some soap. I won't listen. Promise!"
When he was gone, Para closed the door and leaned against it. Despite his small size, his back facing against the door became an obstacle. He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowed in keen interest to hear thoroughly.
"Go on," he said.
Percy took comfort in a nearby leather chair that matched his leather jacket.
Meanwhile, Paulina opted to stand, keeping her hands behind her back.
"Don't you find it weird that he returned after all these years?" worried Percy. "Why the long wait?"
Para took it straightforwardly. "Maybe Pepe had things to finish? He now has big, good responsibilities."
"Sure, but what if he was scheming things? Like here?"
"Why would he?" said Paulina. "We're his family."
Percy's frown darkened. "Yeah, but he's quite messed up."
Para's crossed arms drooped, limp. "Percy, what are you talking about?"
When nobody understood Percy, he gritted his teeth and gripped the armrests of his chair, frustrated. Frustration that nowadays, nobody has acknowledged the mark Piranha left on the family.
It wasn't fair. He went out making himself a fool. And what price did the family make? What did Piranha ever do for them?
Percy held it all in to suppress his lividness, but he wanted to tear the chair apart. "It's no lie what Pepe has done. Don't you remember that we all got in trouble because of him? We all grew up, but he spent most of his time biting children, destroying toys, running over flowers!"
Paulina narrowed her eyes, unamused. "He was young!"
"I'm not done yet," growled Percy, trying not to make eye contact to show his glare. "And then, he left us. He had no idea what we did to give him a chance. And when his stereotypical nickname went viral, our house was immediately egged. Literally. Drenched in egg yolks like the baby-eaters we are! Freaks! Remember?!"
Piranha was already feeling awful and it was now growing worse.
Did he know that his family's house was attacked? No. Did he think about the possibility? Kinda. He half-expected it would come but didn't consider it seriously. He knew his family was the kindest and they shouldn't be blamed.
He left before anything worse happened, right?
In his state of denial, he glanced to Piwi for a reaction to reassure his thoughts. But his brother's eyes were watery. They told a story Piranha didn't know.
"Percy, that's in the past," said Paulina, her body tensing up in discomfort. "Pepe changed. None of us-"
"Then explain why Piwi, Petrol and Perrito had been coming home with headaches after work," hissed Percy. His eyes were wide, feral. Anguished by how much his brothers endured. "Why they never even thought of sleeping."
When nobody talked back, shocked, Percy rambled on.
"Don't you remember the intense rehab Piwi went through after being tortured by his teachers? The unfair results when he was right? It was hard even to find a therapist, damnit! Pepe nearly set out fates in stone as 'monsters'. I'm afraid Piwi could collapse again from trying to be 'good' to everyone."
Piwi felt a tear rolling down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away.
Sadly, Piranha noticed. He silently gasped when he saw it. It was unmistakable.
Piwi's mind froze from a memory flood. From how still he was whenever his teachers screamed in his face. The apathetic faces received whenever he cried out for help. How many times he flinched whenever pushed down for a single mistake.
Always told that he was just like Mr. Piranha.
He couldn't keep a straight face, his deepest struggles cracking.
He didn't blame Piranha for this. In a way, it could be expected. In a way, maybe Piwi got too selfish back then.
But for Piranha, all the pain and the self-blame he hid suddenly came crashing back onto him.
And it really hurt, his eyes becoming watery as well.
There was no way to counter this. There was proof of how much he damaged his family.
What he thought was a peaceful vacation turned into a dead end. One of his own undoing. All because of he never thought of his family.
Para even looked close to agreeing, but he tried putting logic over hate. "Percy, don't use your brother as-"
Percy snorted, disgusted. "Let's face facts. Pepe NEVER cared about anyone. Sure, he was loco because 'that's how piranhas are born'. But nowadays, it's an excuse to be a criminal. Is it a sick joke to use a mental illness to get people to obey when 'necessary'? He's smart, but only if it's beneficial to him."
Piranha flinched.
Only smart if it was beneficial?
He wasn't dumb! He knew what he was doing! That wasn't fair!
Yet…he did think selfishly. Percy wasn't wrong, affected by his mistakes. Piranha held no right to argue. He remembered the many times when he was told off for his naivety. Always been told to hush when wanting to say something funny. Sometimes told off for forgetting. Was this how everybody thought of him? Being…selfish for not catching up?
Para growled, angered. Nobody noticed, but he suddenly looked crazy in the eyes. His pupils were shrunken when he stomped loudly.
"Percy!" he shouted. "You listen here, young man. He's with Hornet. Any other criminal he runs into could have been a worser influence! Hornet is not. Read that into your nose! Pepe came all this way to see us!"
But Percy wasn't convinced. He was still fuming, already close to making holes in the chair.
"How do you know he won't deceit us?" he muttered. "That's what I'm scared about. Maybe Pepe might use Hornet as a shield. A bad guy always feels good when they have a person's sympathy around their thumb. We never had that luxury. Name one time Pepe did something USEFUL for anyone."
Piranha and Piwi waited in silence, expecting Para to fight back. They always knew him whenever he got angry. Their father was stubborn in his arguments. No one could beat him at his game even if he would eventually fail.
But there were no arguments from Para. He still had his arms crossed and his face gritty but remained silent. It was still a glare, but it wasn't pointed at Percy. He should be glaring at Percy for saying such a thing. To see Para looking down, contemplating that he was right, was the scariest thing for everyone.
And when Para's eyebrows shifted, Piranha felt his heart shaking at the sight of his father sulking. Simply ACCEPTING Percy's point.
Para's conflicted and distressed look indicated no way to fix anything. He had high hopes for Piranha when younger and his son only threw them away.
Paulina sighed with a slight growl. "You know what, Percy? You're right. There's a bunch of things Pepe can't do."
Percy sighed in relief, throwing himself back into the chair. "Don't need to tell me twice."
Piranha's face conveyed so much pain, those words now fresh in his mind. Even both his parents looked down on him. All of this proved he was, in fact, a burden. He never cared thinking about that since he was just stupid.
Stupid Piranha ignoring everything.
He sniffed, feeling his eyes about to water. But he held all of that in. Not only to save himself from being exposed for eavesdropping.
When Piwi looked at him, he didn't see a selfish Piranha. All he saw was just…Pepe. Looking so guilty over this revelation. Piwi's mind finally got working again, realizing that his younger brother listened to all of this.
A part of Piwi knew Piranha wouldn't want to hurt their family.
The younger fish could barely hear or feel his older brother as he ushered him away. He tried whispering some words of comfort, but he didn't listen.
But the two brothers didn't hear Paulina's following words.
They didn't realize she was being sarcastic.
"Like complaining about what we went through when it's over," grumbled Paulina, rubbing her forehead.
Percy didn't see eye-to-eye, confused. "What?"
"And assuming how your brother feels as an excuse to antagonize another."
Percy clicked his tongue, bemused. "OK, I'm seeing where this is going-"
"And saying that he never cares about anyone?!" said Paulina, her voice dangerously sharp.
Uh oh, thought Percy. Her mother was growing mad. And it wasn't just in her voice. It was in the way she strutted towards him. Her approaching glare told Percy he shouldn't have provoked this flame.
Percy was about to open his mouth, but Paulina wasn't having any of this.
"Do you have an argument against the 'melodramatic story' of the Bad Guys redeeming themselves?" she questioned. "That one sure wasn't fake."
Percy chuckled nervously, now finding himself afraid. His anger, his strict arguments, crumbling apart in the hands of his mother. He couldn't get the energy to squeeze his leather chair again.
"Mama, seriously-"
Paulina shoved a finger right at Percy's face, ensuring she didn't see any smugness. "The only thing Pepe has done wrong is being too afraid to open up. I know something is up, but I know he would NEVER give us and his friends up. He showed that the public word was true. He is trying to change."
Para felt a bit different, his lips trembling. "Paulina-"
Paulina sent him a nasty glare. A disappointed one. "Para, I'm sorry. But we're not defined by our past problems. If we're pointing fingers, then…" She paused, nearly looking close to crying. "...we failed our family."
Para didn't say anything else, keeping his eyes down. He held it all in, but he was starting to feel guilty. He wanted to break down, but he couldn't. He never wanted to show. And maybe, for once, he wanted to hug his precious boys and tell them everything would be OK.
But in his emotional state, it felt like a dead end. There was nearly nothing to recover.
But Paulina saw a few things that needed improvement, starting with letting Percy know.
"Right now, we have better things, better services, better jobs," she hissed. "Pepe is your Mama's problem. Whatever your brothers are going through, that's THEIR problem. YOUR problem is never learning how to shut up, be grateful and know how to be helpful."
Percy was in disbelief. "So that means I don't have the right to be concerned for my brothers?"
"Of course not!" said Paulina. "But if you assume you know how your brothers feel about Pepe, they might say otherwise. They are not you. If you're concerned, did you even talk with them yesterday? Or give them or Pepe a chance to talk? Know what? Doesn't matter. Past in the past. Do that later on. But I'm going to help you."
She leaned in close, pointing a finger at her fierce eyes.
"You see this look on my face? This would always mean it's time to shut up!"
"But-!"
Paulina immediately lifted a finger back at her eyes again.
"But I-!"
Frustrated, she pointed two fingers at her eyes, wiggling them to show Percy he should look at her. Not at whatever 'problem' he dreamed about.
Once the intimidated Percy gave up, the grimacing Paulina huffed and turned away.
There used to be laughter whenever Piranda rode down these vents. Piwi would be there to follow. And while he hadn't been laughing lately, he would be there to hear Piranha's sweet melodies as they escaped from their hidey holes. Now, that joy was sucked out of Piranha.
None of them said a word when they crawled back into the safety of the open corridor. The rattled Piwi could only see his brother becoming quiet. He was mute. He was weakened. He was…ashamed.
Piranha even barely acknowledged tripping over and landing on his back. His yellow eyes remained glued to the ceiling where he once hid. And he could hear those words again and again. Everything from the ground.
Why did it take so long for him to realize? Why did he need to be this old to see what was below the clouds?
"There's a bunch of things Pepe can't do," he muttered.
Piwi bit his bottom lip. It nearly bled from the sharp teeth poking in. But he was numb to the pain. Or at least what he thought. It was bad enough that he had to go through rehab, but the lingering side effect of feeling physically numb would always haunt him.
Realizing that he had daydreamed for too long, Piwi slowly waddled to Piranha, sitting down. His younger brother barely noticed him, not even when he placed his hand on his shoulder.
"You didn't know, Pepe," Piwi said softly.
But Piranha wasn't listening. The memory was new in his head. And as he thought about it, it was slowly becoming true. From him goofing around, annoying people, saying the wrong things, insensitive to others?
Hell, he took part in mocking Snake for being so grumpy without having the guts to acknowledge Snake did care about his friends.
"I'm just a scary, good-for-nothing MONSTER."
Maybe for once, Piranha was indeed one. Scary for his behavior and intentional losses. Good-for-nothing towards his family. Good-for-nothing in not giving his friend a break…maybe even Hornet! All those countless times when they had to pick him up for his bad behavior. Piranha didn't expect these worries to become true. How much of his life was built by his self-serving.
After all, he could only be smart in the moments that were beneficial to him. And what exactly do they love him for? For just being funny? Some pet they had to drag?
The little fish felt like he was sinking further away from anything, unable to think of anything good of himself.
"There's a bunch of things Pepe can't do," repeated Piranha. And then, again. "There's a bunch of things Pepe can't do." He felt his core shaking, a sob. "T-There's a b-bunch of things…Pepe can't do…"
Despite being close, Piwi didn't see his thoughts in this silence. It was a shock to see Piranha opening the floodgates he held back. A sob ran through his body as the tears rolled down, an uncontrollable trembling in control of his body.
In the place of the well-esteemed Piranha was a vulnerable child.
"There's a bunch of things…" Piranha whimpered, feeling pathetic. So stupid. And yet, he was crying when he didn't have the right to. "I can't do…"
Piwi's eyes softened. "Pepe. You've done amazing things."
Piranha yelped, seeing his eldest brother. But it felt like a betrayal. Piwi looked successful now, but…what dirty sacrifices did HE make to have the clothes he wore?
"No, I haven't," whispered Piranha, hiccupping, trying to wipe the tears away. "I-I started it. I…I ruined you."
"You didn't ruin me," reassured Piwi.
"For what? Not ruining your 'chance' in getting…" Piranha buried his face into his hands, not wanting to see anymore. "...wasted like there's no tomorrow?"
"Hold on, I'm not mad at you," said Piwi, his hands up in defense. "I'm OK."
Really, Piwi was actually OK. The intense rehab was a million years ago. And from that, Piwi took matters into his own hands by finding better people. They all reminded him that it wasn't his or his family's fault. But what hurt the most was how little Percy thought of his strength. It was only the physical numbness that worried Piwi sick of falling harder.
Regardless, Piwi didn't have the words to console his younger brother. Already bawling in his own palms, failing to keep his sob to a soft whimper. Piwi called again, prompting Piranha to tighten his hands into fists.
Piranha didn't deserve him. He knew from how Piwi acted.
Piwi sighed, feeling terrible. If he hadn't acted smartly around him, the blow would have lessened.
Piranha slowly shifted to resting on his left arm, now curling into a ball. His stomach was hurting. His face was wet and hot in tears. He wanted to disappear. That was what he wanted in the first place, right? Just for once, detach himself from the rest of the world and never look back…
It became a surprise that Piwi slowly lifted Piranha into a sitting position to hug him properly. Piranha briefly opened his burning eyes, wondering why Piwi was so forgiving. Even though everyone else was right about Piranha being selfish, Piwi chose to stand by him.
It was not only the instinct of Piwi to support his younger brothers. But he felt his pain. While he was mad that Piranha never believed in himself to be good, seeing his reaction told him he had no idea their parents would actually see him as no good. Like monsters.
This gesture finally broke Piranha and he opened his mouth to scream. But there were only strained sobs. Too soft. Too weak. His throat was painful. Piranha was too distressed to say things out loud. He rested on his brother's shoulder, letting the tears flow.
Piwi refused to let go, his shoulder a reliable place to lean on.