Chapter 7 - The Hustles
The beautiful gradient of orange and magenta slowly turned to a still dark blue as the night took over the once-calming sky. To many, it was the greeting to the dark and the unknown, inviting trouble to arrive. However, the night was still the continuation of their journey and they couldn't stop to rest.
Well, sort of. Guy Diamond insisted on Tiny Diamond having his rest once they arrived at Rhonda. The little guy argued that the ride would be bumpy when they reached land, though he immediately crashed when he got into bed.
This time, Rhonda was more careful to stay afloat on the bead ocean and not dive in. She even waited until all doors and windows were locked before she could swim. Nobody was at the wheel, giving her more control of where to go. Because of this, the trip across the ocean was much smoother and less bumpier.
It also allowed everyone inside to address a new worry.
"Wait, you've been exchanging letters with Floyd the whole time?" asked John Dory, incredulous. "Ever since your arrival on Vacay Island?"
When Branch pointed this out on the way back to Rhonda, John decided it was best to discuss about it inside. He ensured that everyone was comfy, bringing all of them to the couch and aligned Bruce to a beanbag for him to sit in the center of the room. Despite having lots of questions, it felt important for John Dory to make Bruce as comfortable as possible before he spilled the tea.
At the beginning of this new discussion, Bruce kept quiet in deep thought. His casual reveal of talking with Floyd behind the scenes impacted both John and Branch.
Branch's nuanced glare betrayed him.
There was the right time and place to explain everything to Branch when Bruce felt TRULY ready, but he wasted that chance too soon.
The former Heartthrob sighed, sinking further into the bean bag. He nearly thought of wanting the whole world to swallow him up. "Yeah, pretty much so. Floyd is a sentimental guy."
From the side, Trollex finished guzzling down his bottle of water. Swallowing his mouthful, the Techno King sighed in relief when he felt the clear liquid cooled his sore throat and mind. Now that his mind was clear, he remembered what those St. Patrick bounty hunters told him…and the person Bruce was contacting with through them.
He groaned and hung his head, embarrassed by the late realization. "Oh god, so…so THAT'S the guy. Lorde, Floyd! Duh."
Guy Diamond was less bothered by the late realization. "And you enlisted bounty hunters to send him letters?"
Gaping, Branch whipped his head back to Bruce as if this action was a crime.
Poppy couldn't help glancing at Barb. The Rock Queen only shrugged. It felt normal to her to hire bounty hunters to be the mail carriers. But the Pop Queen couldn't imagine using bounty hunters to find Floyd, let alone act like they were supposed to hunt him down…
"Floyd is a land dweller much like John Dory," explained Bruce calmly. "It takes one to find one through the thick jungle. Let me tell you this; when I saw Floyd again during his visit on Vacay Island, whoa! Like whoa! You had the same reaction? He changed a lot!"
It didn't come to Branch that Floyd's appearance reflected the places he had been. The last time he saw him, Branch thought that Floyd just dressed the way he liked to be as a fashionable guy. But the nonconforming hairstyle with one half twisted downwards and the black ripped shorts from a pirate chest…if they weren't meant to be cosmetics, then they would confirm Floyd's new personality as an adrenaline junkie outside of using words to express himself.
"I didn't pay attention to his appearance," said Branch, his eyebrows raised. "And if I did, I would have seen it as a phase. It should come and go."
Even Barb agreed with him. "Yeah, you're right. It would look like a phase."
"Did you have one when you were younger?" asked Poppy to Branch.
"Nah, we don't!" added John. "Our youth days weren't dark, broody and miserable."
"Though, something tells me his solo adventures out there roughened him up," said Bruce, sitting up a little. "Like in bruises and his limbs nearly dislocated."
Branch knew the likely reason why and he did his best not to freak out.
But when Bruce looked at Branch solemnly, the walls nearly fell apart.
"He alerted me about Pop Village," whispered Bruce, his hands gripping his beanbag to stay afloat. "And I'm sorry for the trouble you had to go through on your own, Branch."
Branch's response was nearly too quick. "Then why didn't…?"
He couldn't say it out properly, the words suddenly stuck in his throat. The painful questions he held towards his brothers. Why didn't Bruce come back to Pop Village like Floyd did? Why did Bruce decide to spend his life on Vacay Island to form a new family? However, a new question formed in his mind.
Why was Branch left out of all of this between Floyd and Bruce?
Something else became clear. Bruce never once visited, even if he knew Grandma Rosiepuff had died. Bruce's sympathetic and sad look was proof of this. Just seeing it made Branch feel his blood boil and his fingers gripped the couch. It wasn't fair that Branch didn't get to know what Bruce was up to, but Bruce could with his life.
At that moment, those words, while familiar, felt foreign to yell to Bruce. Branch could feel himself ready to explode. Something held him back, but why should he care?
Through his seething, Branch caught the look on John Dory's face. It was enough to make Branch soften his glare. The eldest brother wasn't particularly rattled or ignorant, just confused.
Did John know what happened to Grandma? Was he also left out of this loop?
"Wait a minute, how come I didn't get letters?" asked John. "Did Clay get any as well?"
Bruce simply shrugged.
John frowned. "Don't give me that reaction."
"The thing is, you and Clay went missing for many years," pointed out Bruce. "You only made your presence known when you appeared to Branch. He and I? He figured things out on the spot."
Branch shifted his glare to a more relaxed look, feeling and understanding better.
"Clay is still missing and worst case scenario, he could be dead," said Bruce. His fingers were gripping the beanbag anymore, letting his body slowly sink into the soft material. "I don't know if he is alive. But judging by how Floyd kept a smile whenever he visited me, no matter how many times he dodged my questions, he knew Clay should be out there. If Clay is dead, then Floyd would sense it before any of us do."
With Floyd in limbo for the past two months, there was no telling whether they could find Clay. They got a headstart by thinking of the places he would live, but they didn't consider the likely changes to the world that would influence the location of his body.
If Floyd had known where to find him and John, he would have done so already, making it easier for all his brothers to be reunited.
Guy Diamond whimpered a little, worried. It could be worse. If Floyd did found Clay already, Clay could have joined him in that diamond cage as well.
Barb was quiet as she mused over this. As if their search wasn't tricky enough. Finding Bruce was easy, but they didn't have a clear lead on Clay's whereabouts without a primary source.
Trollex gritted his teeth, visibly uncomfortable. He wasn't thrilled by the idea that there could be two brothers close to being goners.
Both Branch and John Dory grimaced to themselves. Every single possibility of Clay ran through their minds, dwelling on the worst outcomes.
Poppy, who had been next to Branch, raised her hand up in concern. "Any reason why Floyd didn't tell Branch about you?"
Bruce sunk further into his beanbag. "I asked Floyd not to."
Trollex flinched. "Why not?"
"It's kinda obvious already," spat out Bruce bitterly. "And…another reason is that me and Floyd were making a surprise. Back then, I thought it was the only thing I could do to make up for my family. He told me I didn't need to help. He eventually did most of the work to perform it at Mount Rageous. Branch, I think he wanted to show you this if it weren't for Velvet and Veneer. Maybe it's not just casual art…"
Branch softened his look again. While sore, he could understand a little. To him, he would have been more unapproachable if Bruce tried returning to him earlier. As the two stared longingly at each other, there was a shared understanding that they had become too different ever to make things right with Bruce getting everything on Vacay Island.
Besides, Bruce's low tone indicated he wasn't aware that Floyd intended to invite Branch to Mount Rageous.
On the other hand, Barb found this 'surprise' to be fishy. First, Bruce was in contact with bounty hunters, who could be notorious for stealing the rarest of items any king or queen could get. They did interact with Floyd who likely became a bounty hunter on his own accord. And second, what could this surprise actually be?
It was likely the surprise attracted Velvet and Veneer in the first place.
John Dory winced, biting his bottom lip. "You think that when I received his distress mail, it was when he found out where I was? They found out about what Floyd was doing?"
"I don't see why not," said Trollex.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," interrupted Barb. "What surprise are you talking about?"
Fortunately, it didn't look like this surprise was an alarming concern, judging by Bruce contemplating it with a non-serious look. "And spoil the surprise?"
"If it's a weapon, yes."
"We don't know THAT for sure!" objected Poppy.
"It might be," said Guy anxiously. "Everywhere we go, whenever one of us wields a deadly weapon or person, something bad is prone to happen to us."
Having heard of the attempted Trollstice and Barb's World Tour, Bruce knew where they were getting at. But the surprise he and Floyd worked on wasn't anyone's concern and it could ended up being a dud. He didn't want to give his brothers false hope.
It was selfish to hide it, but it also came from the desire not to ruin Floyd's plans.
Bruce shook his head as he shifted in his beanbag. "Unfortunately, I can't share the surprise. And before you say 'it's a weapon', I can confirm that this surprise is utterly useless. Well, maybe. Floyd and I thought it could be perfect, but the things we got to make it were worthless."
He said it with a perfectly straight face. No deceit, no cheekiness. Bruce managed to readjust himself on the beanbag, no longer trying to bury himself deeper to hide the surprise.
"Maybe the real surprise is you being in denial," muttered Barb, a little disappointed.
"I can't believe we were left out of this!" cried John Dory, desirous. "Floyd could have needed help before he got caught…"
"Floyd, what have you been doing?" sighed Branch, rubbing his face.
"Wait, wouldn't you all say that Floyd was trying to make something like a nice birthday surprise for all his brothers?" suggested Poppy. "Like a big family reunion!"
"I don't think that's what Floyd was focused on," commented Trollex dryly. "He could have been building something bigger than a party."
"Hmm, it's possible," said Guy Diamond, rubbing his chin. "I can't blame Floyd for wanting to make it something nice."
With the topic of the surprise already cleared through, Bruce finally pulled himself off the beanbag and pulled both Branch and John together. Once they stood by his sides, he placed each hand on their shoulders.
They stared at him with curious eyes. Good, their attention was entirely on him and what he had to say to them.
"I'm sorry I didn't talk with any of you." Bruce picked his words wisely, not wanting them to be crestfallen. He kept his voice quiet and even-toned, given that he was also involved in the separation of BroZone. "There's no easy way to put it. However, I don't think letting Floyd try to do everything for us is right. We don't even need the surprise. Once this is over, we can reset. We can riot all night at Mount Rageous until we're purple! We just need to look out for one another, right?"
Seeing his second oldest brother apologizing for the hurt he caused without being prompted to was enough to make any resentment Branch held towards Bruce fizzle out. The youngest brother shifted his feet a little, nearly considering stepping away. He was uncomfortable, but his body was telling him 'maybe' for letting Bruce hold onto him a little longer.
Branch tried his hardest to see any fakeness in Bruce's eyes, but they weren't similar to John's blank eyes. After a long stare, Branch's facade cracked and he attempted to smile confidently.
Spruce's eyes seemed to sparkle again, touched by the gesture.
John Dory seemed to interpret this differently, a way for BroZone to return to their former glory again, but when he wrapped his brothers in a tight embrace, his following bark of joy was one of enthusiasm to be with his brothers despite the long road ahead.
"Oh yeah!" he shouted, thrilled. "Now that's the spirit, Bruce! What about you, Bitty B?"
"It's Branch, John," reminded Bruce flatly. "Let him decide. He doesn't need to say now."
Branch muttered something as he pulled himself out from the hug bashfully, only to meet Poppy's reassuring smile.
He also saw Trollex lower his shoulders. The Techno King must have been tense when he saw John pulling Branch and Bruce into an embrace. His eyes were still on John, observant.
[Flight (Monstercat Release) – Tristam & Braken]
Rhonda finally reached the rocky cliffside and began climbing. This nearly sent everyone splatting against the back wall. The climb was short, but they were met with a thick forest due to ending at a different arrival spot on the mainland. Wanting to escape the dark forest as soon as possible, Guy Diamond offered to take the wheel while everyone else was on watch to see what monsters could be outside.
However, him being on the front wheel meant being the DJ of the radio.
The song currently playing put Trollex's mind at ease. While he would have taken the duty of looking through the window not too seriously, the melody playing was a familiar song to him. It reminded him of the safety of his home, but it also reminded him of the journey ahead. The chirping synths blended with the deep bass told a great adventure to come.
Despite the shared uncertainty of whether Clay was still alive, Trollex found himself making himself comfortable on John Dory's bunk bed, drunk by the song. A nearby window was right near the bunk bed. A good spot for the lookout. As he neatly folded his fins pressing against the mattress, he was joined by Barb…who arrived by falling from the ceiling.
The Techno King just chuckled as he let Barb rest her head against his shoulder.
"Still tired?" asked Barb.
"No longer tired," said Trollex robotically.
"You're still drunk?"
Trollex rolled his eyes. "Can you please stop repeating the question? I'm getting tired of it."
"OK! OK!" laughed Barb. "Just don't leave me hanging in a hundred sweaty hands next time."
"Right, you're still angry at me for that?"
To show how angry she was, Barb punched Trollex hard in the shoulder.
"OW!" yelped Trollex.
"Yeah, that checks out," said Barb in an incredibly calm tone.
Trollex mocked laughter, casually rubbing his sore shoulder. "You know you haven't paid me yet."
"I would pay you to have your ears up and high."
"Ah, right!" Trollex cheekily lifted Barb's ears, flapping them around like they were the wings of a bat. "Like yours!"
"Hey!" yelled Barb.
The Rock Queen punched Trollex's stomach in response, but it ended with both of them laughing loudly. For Trollex, the childish punching felt like a kitten batting its paws against his chest. After a while, Barb relented and the two were left smiling dumbly.
Now calm, they looked out the window, alert. It was nothing but black bushes, tall trees and a dark blue sky that was so dark that you couldn't tell if it was blue at all. But within the comforts of Rhonda, with the lights on, neither felt afraid of the outside. Rhonda was going way too fast for any night crawlers to attack them.
As long as there was no threats, they could be happy.
However, as they observed for anything outside, there was this sense of wanting to open the window and feel the breeze. Too bad that this window couldn't be opened and Branch forbid anyone from going out the door. The familiar warm light inside made the unfamiliar night environment outside more exciting to feel and be exposed to.
"We didn't get the chance to talk about your performance of 'Sunburn'," said Trollex without warning.
Barb shrugged, letting her hands drop to her sides. "Eh, nobody suspected a thing. Nobody knows this is for our supergroup project."
Trollex rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure. A few things that I rediscovered when hearing the song again. Would this be a song you can play without needing a keyboard? Or a keytar?"
"Not sure about that. But it's cool! To be fair, we Rock Trolls aren't exclusive to using guitars. I like the loop station, actually."
"And is it just me or are the guitar riffs more…how do I say this? Well, insignificant? I feel like they are mostly background sound compared to the electronic synths I produced for the song's instrumental drops."
Barb snorted, indifferent. "Well, if it makes you feel better, not all rock songs need to have the guitars making the most epic sounds. Sometimes, it's the voice." She threw her right hand upwards before yanking it into a pumped fist. "It's compelling. The scream. The fire within the voice. It's a testament to whatever you want to scream at the world and make it tremble from your judgment to all you condemn!" She gasped for air from her jabbering. "Or just, you know, want to have a serious discussion."
Trollex raised his eyebrows. "Not gonna lie, I noticed we got some good reactions in the crowd. I was kinda hoping to get a reaction from any dirty cheaters, if possible." The idea of ticking off that many angry ex-boyfriends and girlfriends was exciting but deadly. He chuckled mischievously. "Is that a good thing?"
"It should be," reassured Barb firmly. "If we get a rise, it is important to them."
Trollex grinned. "I guess we were in the right mood during the songwriting process."
"Yep!"
"Speaking of which, do you think the instrumental, especially the drops, sounds too soft? For me, it still sounds similar to a happy pop song."
"I thought it's meant to be sorrowful," said Barb, tilting her head.
"Yeah, but wouldn't you want to yell those words out to your ex instead of making it a party?"
"Hmm, you're not wrong!"
"It's still a good song. Maybe you'll get the same reaction during the next performance without changes."
With that, Trollex looked back through the window, the conversation coming to a close. While she knew that it was through including a genre he was familiar with, Barb smiled in appreciation of Trollex understanding of the concept of a rock song. In the same way as her learning, Trollex also learnt her tribe's music after being hesitant at first.
Their discussion also led to further reflection on how Barb presented the song to the Vacay Islanders. They had already gone through the production, but it was the outcome that mattered most, especially when live on stage. And somehow, she knew how to bring the right theatrics to the white clam stage.
The high bunk bed trembled a little. It came from the connected ladder. Both royals looked behind to find a Peeping Tom in the form of Bruce's innocent eyes.
"Oh, hey there!" said Bruce. "Anything I'm interrupting? I'm wondering if you know this song before, King Trollex."
As long as he didn't spill the beans on their likely collaboration, thought Barb to herself. But aside from that, they weren't exactly bothered.
"Nah, it's all good," said Trollex.
"We should be out of the jungle in…" Barb checked outside again. "Three minutes?"
"Yeah. And I do know this song! That one was an era. Remembered playing this song many times at my raves."
"A spectacular one!" pointed out Bruce. "Gotta hand it to you. You DJs know how to make music for the right parties."
Trollex beamed, his chest puffed up a little in pride.
As Bruce chattered, Barb saw Branch coming over to check on them. Peeking over, she noticed the similarities in their eyes. Both shared the same ice-blue eyes, looking like soft bellflowers that swayed peacefully during the windy spring. Even their eye shapes looked the same!
"You boy toys are dashing," blurted Barb.
"Barb…" growled Branch, embarrassed.
"I was quite the looker," said Bruce.
"Still the looker, Bruce," said Barb with an admiring gaze.
Bruce's blush matched Branch's when he realized that Barb was swooning at his handsome looks. This was unexpected! Once again, it was only in his head that he was unattractive today.
"Oh, you're right!" said Bruce sheepishly. "Sorry, I tend to get jealous of myself when I was younger. Am I jealous?"
Branch nodded wordlessly. Bruce seemed to miss his boy band days a little, but it wasn't that bad.
As he stared at Bruce, Branch felt a strange feeling that he couldn't understand properly. Bruce had changed so much, but his words weren't too different from how he used to talk. Always hopeful, sometimes childlike in what he thought about himself, enjoying the good times, it was like he was slowly returning to how he acted when around his four brothers.
In the same way, Bruce appreciated the company of the young Trollex and Barb. It made good sense since he could consider them fellow brothers and sisters, much like Branch and Trollex seemed to act like brothers themselves.
It also gave Branch a thought about Bruce's attitude when outside his family back at Vacay Island.
"Now that we are away from the kids, I want to say that they seem to be a hustle," said Branch a bit too bluntly.
"Aww, don't be like that, Branch," cooed Trollex. "I love kids! They are fun to hang out with!"
Barb held back a chuckle, patting Trollex on the head. "No, no, Branch is right. I have to deal with kids who bite their parents' legs every day. And the kids who eat the living livestock? Oh, well, there's nothing you can do about that."
That was one way of casually mentioning how kids could act like little devils for the adults. Bruce smirked at the sound of this. He wasn't sure whether to relate or disassociate with that description, given that Barb was probably kidding.
"I think I'm in the middle," he confirmed. "I love my kids! And they will grow up to be curious and nice!" He pulled Branch close to him in a brotherly side-hug. "Some of them remind me of you! They run around too much and commit so many pranks, but that's what makes them stronger and wiser in the future."
"Bruce, love your family, but we do not need more Cloud Guys in the universe," Branch said.
Barb hummed in thought. "Does your family ever go outside the island?"
Bruce had a thoughtful look. "As a whole? Not really. I'm probably the only one who likes to stay on the island to take care of everything. I only went on one vacation to another island. You know, I'm surprised my children chose not to come with us after that last adventure."
[End of Song]
Fire licked the ruined remains of the fortress. Screams echoed through the base from those unlucky to drag themselves out from the rubble. The sky turned darker from the smoke emitting from the ongoing flames. Yet the battle was far from over, even if it was a losing battle.
The giant's feet stomped across the land. Lightly as it could or at least how it felt in its strut. The ground crackling beneath it was nothing for their concern. Nor were the sharp, broken walls surrounding it. The scales covering the giant's entire body acted as their armor, making it unable to feel anything that could hurt the feet.
No, the giant's focus was not on what it was going through. It was more focused on who it could see; the last building where the army's captain was trying to enter.
The unfortunate captain kept banging on the locked door, begging to be let in. What he didn't know was that nobody was inside to pull him inside. He felt the stomping growing louder and louder. And he froze. He slowly turned around and his eyes widened in horror, staring at the red devil eyes of the monster before him.
The flames behind the giant made it hard to see what it was.
Through the giant's eyes, it could see the captain more clearly, wearing a faux mustache close to falling off and curly hair that looked out of place on his scalp.
The giant inhaled, a glowing blue in its throat.
"WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT!" screamed the captain in a thick, Russian accent. "I HAVE A BRAIN TO KEEP!"
From far away, Bruce, Brandy, and their children watched from a safe, high ground on a treehouse. In a peaceful jungle filled with dinosaurs walking by and the sky being blue and clear, they all watched the silver dinosaur stomping through the smoking remains of an army base.
A straight laser beam blasted out from its nostrils and into the remaining building.
Bruce slowly hid inside his wife's flowing hair, trying to ignore the screams. But he could not deny the unmistakable sound of the military captain loudly cussing up a storm like a sailor in a language he faintly knew. It sounded like…
Bruce was close to melting, his body sweating the same way whenever he was in bed.
Then, the dinosaur stopped suddenly and lifted its head back too quickly. The building it just attacked became black…before crumbling into dust that blew away in the air easily.
Unfazed by the burning base, the dinosaur hopped away like a deer.
Bruce and Brandy stood in silence, traumatized.
Meanwhile, the rest of their children clapped as the respectful audience.
One kid sighed, hanging his head in relief. "Finally. President Val is in hell."
Bruce felt a lump in his throat. This live show promised on that island was meant for kids?!
There was a long pause until Branch finally talked. "How long have your kids been listening to things on the radio?"
Barb raised her hand with a lighthearted remark. "I think I might have been responsible for shaping their view on oppressive civilizations, just saying."
Branch gave her a smile that was both unamused and sassy. "Wait, you were involved in sending dinosaurs to tear down the military?"
The thought of THAT was enough to make Bruce wheeze. He bent down with his hands on his knees in an endless giggle.
"Oh my gosh! Yeah, make sure to do THAT next time!" he teased. "The kids would love seeing you do that for an uprising!"
"If the dinosaur is convenient for our cause," snarked Trollex.
"Don't tempt it," warned Barb playfully. "I don't see how it is convenient to make kids act violently."
A loud shriek alerted everyone of their surroundings; suddenly, Rhonda was violently lifted upwards from the right after crashing into something. A flock of screeching, shadowy creatures smacked into her, fluttering all over the windscreen. Strong in numbers, they tipped the armadillo bus sideways until everyone inside felt like they were flying upwards.
Guy Diamond hung onto the wheel for his dear life, screaming the whole time. The glowing yellow eyes pressed against the windows, the black wings repeatedly slapped against the windscreen and the creatures carrying Rhonda upwards felt more like an invisible supernatural force flowing through her. Before he could think they would be eaten alive, he suddenly felt the armadillo falling and crashing onto rocky terrain below.
[Watch Me Work – Andrew Rannells & Brianna Mazzola]
[1:04]
Surprisingly, Rhonda was still going and everything inside was starting to shake. Thankfully, not everyone was thrown off by the new vibrations. Nearby a window, Poppy looked through it and saw the forest they had gone through already in the distance. They were already out of the woods.
Guy Diamond's eyes were still on the windscreen, sighing in relief when he noticed the black creatures slowly decreasing in number. One last creature hung on the windscreen. Guy stared at it. It gave a hissy fit, bearing its fangs as it shrieked.
Guy flinched. "B-Bat?"
The bat flew away, its wings flapping more quickly than its companions. Must be in a rush.
There were a few seconds of silence until anyone could speak.
"Bah-hahahahahahahaha!" giggled Trollex nervously, slapping a hand over his face. "Sea shells! For a moment, I thought THAT was a convenient dinosaur!"
"I'd rather take a dinosaur than bats," muttered Guy Diamond, clinging onto the wheel.
"Everybody alright?" asked John Dory, groggily standing up from his fall.
"...are we there yet?" asked Tiny Diamond from his little bed far away.
"Yeah, we are alright!" called Poppy's voice from the other side.
[1:20]
When Rhonda was tossed around, Guy accidentally pressed the many buttons on the dashboard, including the radio. Because of this, the radio was now playing a pop song, unlike the sound of Pop Trolls. It had the sass of Funk, the boldness of Rock and the nightlife of Techno, a perfect blend for a hard-nosed, sassy anthem with Velvet's vocals taking the lead.
John Dory felt his usual bravado slowly fading when he listened.
He remembered those strong voices from the two who stole Floyd. And they were using them to brag about how perfect they were.
He remembered finding Floyd in that rest room those two rested in. Just seeing how fatigued and weak Floyd was before he came to his senses upon his arrival…
John frowned, close to growling. Shaking his head, he marched straight towards the front. If he could, he would rip his ears off. He couldn't bear to hear those obnoxious voices on his bus.
[1:37]
"Oh, my kids love these guys! We're a total Veneer household!" piped up Bruce. However, he was quick to read the room. "Though, it's gonna be hard to separate the art from the artist."
John sighed and turned to him, frustrated. "They're the ones who have Floyd, Bruce. We can't like what they make."
"Gotcha. Well…it still sounds catchy. That's the problem."
Barb suddenly snapped, pointing a firm finger at Bruce. "Hey, don't let those who steal voices enchant you into their creations! I learnt that the mega hard way."
John was close to pointing out that Barb wasn't on the receiving end of this since she didn't have to worry about her family being in danger. However, her sharp red eyes and gritted teeth were a terror not to provoke.
For his credit, Bruce wisely nodded and held his hands up in defense, acknowledging her.
John Dory looked away to hide the growing glare on his face. A burning feeling flared up inside: jealousy. But in a way, it turned into innocent envy. Well, it's good for Barb that she knew when to take authority. It's not like he could be taken seriously as the leader.
Shaking his head, John tried to smile to himself a little. There was no point being resentful when he should stay focus.
[1:52]
When John looked back, he saw Bruce thinking to himself, a hand over his mouth.
"Is it wrong for me to say…?" Bruce clicked his tongue, knowing it wouldn't be pleasant to talk about. "Veneer should go solo?"
John tilted his head. "Wait, what?"
"Is this now about respecting or belittling them?" lampshaded Branch.
"I just feel like Veneer should have his own career," said Bruce. "Velvet seems…a bit pushy. I wouldn't be surprised if she were the one who came up with the idea to steal Floyd." Nearly everyone gave him weird looks. "What? I'd seen them on the television."
They couldn't be sure of this. For all they knew, Veneer would be as guilty as Velvet.
Though, John took it as a good possibility. "Saw anything evil from either of those two on the telly?"
Bruce shrugged. "Veneer just looked scared and nearly spilled the beans when, I don't know, under pressure from being asked about their secret."
Finally, the song on the radio was finished and the host filled in the details they needed.
[2:09 – End of Song]
"That's Velvet and Veneer's spicy-hot new single 'Watch Me Work!' Catch them tomorrow night at the Rage Dome, where they'll receive the Lifer Award!"
Finally, Guy Diamond turned off the radio, entirely sure that it would play another song next. This announcement was something they needed to process through first. While Poppy and John Dory eventually took this as a sign to start thinking of their next step, everyone else was struck with the new revelation of what Velvet and Veneer could put Floyd through.
"Guys, will Floyd even make it through that show?" asked Branch.
"Unless we get there first!" reassured Poppy, determined.
Grunting, Trollex rested his head against the soft railing of the bunk bed. "Even if we do, we don't know when Floyd will give up. And it would take like a day to get to Mount Rageous!"
"Don't worry! We're going to make it."
"Yep!" said John, adjusting the clue board hanging on the wall. "We've been looking for clues to find Clay!"
The curious Branch turned on his heel to find Poppy and John Dory observing the clue board. Both Trollex and Barb peeked over from the high bunk, surprised to see John finally using the clue board for real.
With narrowed eyes and tightened lips, John looked serious as he observed the connections between Clay's interest and his likely whereabouts.
This was odd. Now was when John wanted to use Branch's 'little' clue board after dismissing it earlier.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he snarled sarcastically. "You mean MY clue board? The one you called 'little'?"
"Hold on, Bitty B," said John Dory, taking a few steps closer to observe one of the pictures. "I'm trying to find a clue here."
Poppy immediately slid over to Branch's left. "Yep! Your clue board is a work of art and honestly, we might learn a lot more about Clay by now."
Branch would have given John Dory a piece of his mind if it weren't for Poppy's sudden recognition of his work. That told him that she did take his clue board seriously.
He briefly remembered her and Trollex geeking out about the cultural references they collected.
He still wasn't happy with John's sudden change of interest, but he relaxed slightly at her reassurance.
But old habits died hard when he took a step back, startled by Poppy coming too close to him.
"He's the class clown for a reason," mumbled Branch quietly.
When she sensed Branch wasn't contented, Poppy picked up what was missing. After all, most of the problems with BroZone stemmed from John.
"Ahem!" chirped Poppy to John. "Maybe you can let your bro know?"
But John Dory's back was facing her, his eyes glued to the clue board.
"This clue board needs more funny strings," he reflected, literally nitpicking on the red strings with his finger.
Branch growled quietly. The smiling Poppy visibly tried not to sigh.
"John?" creaked Poppy.
"Oh, sorry, what is it?" asked John dumbly, facing the two.
"…anything you want to say to your little bro?" reminded Poppy, her vocal keenness demoted to barely above a whisper.
"No," stated John flatly. "I'm trying to find a clue on that board, Bitty B."
A vein popped on Branch's forehead. Poppy's bright smile froze and her eyes quickly darted to him. Branch looked close to strangling John.
Though, John eventually realized what he should say. "Oh, my bad! It's indeed a work of art and honestly, we might learn a lot more about Clay by now!"
Poppy's grin tightened. That wasn't how you say a good recognition.
In response, Branch gave him a disapproving look. How could John be that tone-deaf?
Trollex leaned forward to the point his head was nearly hanging upside down from his position. He observed the blank, blissful smile on John's face. Did he know Poppy wanted him to praise Branch for the clue board?
Barb and Guy Diamond glanced at John Dory with equal looks of weirded-out disbelief.
On the other hand, Bruce just laughed.
"Branch, Poppy, forgive him," he said. "Relax! John's not too big on understanding things. Two decades on his own might have made more screw looses than screwed nails."
John Dory was confused. "I wasn't alone. I had Rhonda."
"OK, fair enough. But when was the last time you ever talked to anyone face-to-face?"
John blinked a few times, muddled. "Just now?"
"No, no, no, let me rephrase the question. When did you last talk to anyone before going on this mission face-to-face?"
John mused over the question. "With Branch? At Bergen Town."
Bruce opened his mouth only to nod. That was fair enough. "We'll work on it." He turned back to Poppy and Branch and, from his experiences of soothing his kids during their bedtime, patted them on their heads. "Yeah, be patient with him. I don't know if you know this, but he likes to take it slow when trying to understand others. He needs full clarification to know what he should do."
John flinched, unnerved. "What? I'm not slow!"
"You kinda are," said Barb bluntly.
"But I'm a fast talker!" protested John. "I'm always chatty!"
"Yeah, you are," deadpanned Branch. "The kind that sounds like nails scratching on a blackboard for the whole day."
"Eh, not worth the sarcasm, Branch," said Bruce. "It'll just make him more confused and stubborn. Now, John-"
But John Dory was already in Bruce's face, finally showing a fierce glare. "Uh, uh, uh! I'm not confused or stubborn! I understand everyone in the world!"
"Is that so?" asked Poppy, skeptical.
"Well, I'm the Leader for a reason!" crowed John Dory, slamming his fist onto his proud, hard-rock chest. "I know what is best for BroZone and I'm why I took you all straight to the to-ho-hop!" After a few seconds of pause, he sighed when nobody sided with him. "OK, you might not like it but admit it. My choices make us slay! I checked!"
"I don't think you checked how much of an accident they are," said Branch frankly.
"There is no such thing as accidents," claimed John with a dumb grin. "It's filled with ups and downs!"
Trollex looked through the window to see the barren desert coated by the dark blue glow of the night sky. For a moment, he imagined a monster bursting out of the ground.
"Well, I can't wait to see what would happen if Rhonda falls into a bottomless pit with no way up again," he chastised. "Can that be an exception?"
"The point is, I'm talkable, I'm charming and I'm smart!" argued John Dory. "Everyone wants to hear me! I have the answers for them. I'm the reliable one! And I have the prepared letters to this year's batch of fans to prove it!"
John was a bit too proud. TOO proud.
Too proud when he marched over to a school locker on the other side of the room that stood out from the rest of the bus. All eyes turned to it…and widened in horror when they noticed the door bulging forwards as if it was carrying too much. It was a stomach unable to hold that much Christmas dinner inside.
This became true when John unlocked it and a flood of white paper sheets rained down on him. Funnily enough, he was harmed and unfazed by the avalanche of notes pelting him from head to toe. By the time the paper sheets finished spilling all over, John Dory took being half-buried in a pile of papers in stride, hopeful to show off the writings on the drafts he curated.
A couple of them eventually flew upwards during the spilling of the letters. Poppy snatched one floating just above her. Trollex caught one that was close to his face. Even Guy Diamond, still at the wheel, grabbed one without looking behind.
Meanwhile, Bruce just simply approached the pile of letters and took one.
It was written in Korean.
"...are these solutions for our fans or your study notes from high school?" he questioned.
"That's the point!" said John proudly. "Aren't they helpful?"
On Barb's and Trollex's side, they would be justified if they said the letter they held might have plagarized an entire paragraph from a tragic novel used in high school.
The former's face turned a pale shade of green and she immediately pressed a hand against her mouth before she could think of vomiting. Yeah, it was THAT bad.
The latter didn't lower the letter he was reading, growing frustrated by John's near-incoherent writing. What was this?!
From the front, one look at the letter and Guy Diamond was too quick to shred it into pieces. Guy was usually up for reading cheesy advice, but he wasn't willing to read this one. He didn't need to be reminded of how it felt to give birth to Tiny!
Poppy was awfully silent when she read the letter. The purple prose on this one didn't appeal to her as a fan. Looking back at John in the messy pile of unused letters, she couldn't help feeling sorry for him.
Without exhibiting emotion, Branch wrinkled his nose. He didn't even know how to feel about this. For a while, he thought that John Dory was always a know-it-off, but after seeing his awkward desperation to prove Bruce wrong, it became much clearer.
Well, this would make tolerating John much harder when he needed a full tutorial about respect.
At the same time, it didn't deserve to be an excuse meant to tolerate John's behavior. A part of Branch wanted to call out Bruce for acting a bit insensitive. He had his own experience of his behavior being called out by many strangers, even if they didn't mean to be cruel. The only thing holding Branch back was a grudging desire to get John Dory back for his consistent ignorance.
Besides, it was…hard to imagine John struggling to communicate with others outside his family. Or when outside show business. Just like Branch. Maybe Floyd struggled to let his voice be known, but at least he wasn't THAT awkward.
He felt Poppy placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Looking at her, she appeared upset. Branch could feel her guilt. Not only in her failed attempt to get John Dory to bond properly with Branch, but probably for making John a fool of himself. Branch just simply smiled, letting her know she shouldn't worry too much. She did her best.
And as far as he could tell, at least he could let John soak up his 'victory' under those letters. Bruce looked like he could deal with him. Branch didn't have the words to say anything positive about John.
Branch's gaze turned to the clue board. He and Poppy nodded, returning to the clue board.
From above, Trollex finally dropped the letter, annoyed that he was just reading things that didn't make sense. As she dropped from the bunk, Barb had already moved on to join Branch and Barb. At this point, she didn't want to hear a single word from John again. Knowing there were still unsolved problems, the Techno King decided to look back at John Dory.
With focus returning to finding Clay, Bruce had to convince John Dory to pack away his letters into that locker on the weak promise of hearing him out later on. The latter was still boasting about his excellent 'talking skills' with people as they stuffed piles of crumpled letters back into the locker. He paid no attention to Bruce's constant pleading to keep his voice down, mentioning all the great things he did in the good old days.
It was too quick to hear what he was exactly saying. As clear as his voice was, his confidence didn't mean he knew what he was saying. If anyone could summarize the examples he listed, John used the same adjective to describe his accomplishments: 'perfect'.
Trollex frowned, pitiful.
Not only was John Dory disassociated from the people around him, but he must have been lying to himself for years.
AN: While I was quick to come up with the dialogues for this chapter, I had trouble with describing the inner thoughts of the characters alongside framing who was in the right and wrong. That said, I could build something from here alongside tying how that last scene would affect John Dory later. Additionally, it makes this chapter shorter than the last few ones.
I thought I would have a scene that introduces Viva, Clay, and the Putt Putt Trolls. But I always do what I do best: making engaging conversations in a time of relaxing and recovering. So it looks like we'll see them in the next chapter and I don't think any of you are ready for what they have to offer.
Oh, suppose you want to make an excellent irrelevant moment played for comedy? In that case, I present two examples: the flashback of Bruce's family witnessing a dinosaur murdering a military base and John Dory randomly opening up his locker. The former is inspired by the comedy of Brandon Rogers and Helluva Boss. I don't know if they are quite funny and endearing (in John Dory's case), but if you want to make a good joke ridiculous, it must be consistent with the characters.
Yes, everyone. Bruce's and Brandy's children are quite political and it's a concern.
Let me know how I framed the characters in this chapter. Thank you for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite to get updates. If there is any feedback or constructive criticism you want to share, I would very much appreciate.
Until then, keep on rocking!