Chapter Text
The day Gempa is no longer allowed to be a child is the day their father, Amato Tengku, disappeared.
It's on that day he stumbles on a part of the world he shouldn't know about. Something he'd never reveal if he can help it, not even to Halilintar and Taufan.
But even when he has grown alongside his brothers, when he was already fifteen years old, he never figured out why their dad left.
He could speculate. Amato was the Armored Hero, with Uncle Mimi; a greatly respected defendor of the galaxy.
Therefore, it's likely that their dad died during a hero mission in outer space and no one could bear telling his then-seven years old children about it, or...that Amato was dragged down by the contents of Pandora's Box, never to be seen again.
Ah, but.
Gempa also opened Pandora's Box, too, that day. Hadn't he?
That's not the worst part.
Gempa was the third brother in a set of eight brothers born on the same day. Octuplets, if you will.
He was also the only one attuned to how his other siblings were coping, when their Uncle Pian, their father's best friend, told them their father won't be coming back for a long time.
He supposes that's just how he tries to make sense of this sudden reality; by observing his other siblings make sense of it, too.
They were reacting differently. Blaze, who has always been as passionate and fierce as the flames associated in his name, thought that a problem will go away if he shouts at it long enough.
It's probably unfilial and rude to accuse Uncle Pian of lying, but--his younger brother was only seven, that time. He can't be expected to know better.
Duri was wailing, unable to accept the words of their uncle and begging Uncle Pian to take it back, say it's a joke, papa won't leave us, r-right?
Solar and Ais were probably the most calm out of all of them; though the fact that they weren't saying anything at all was telling of the fact that they were also upset by this sudden news.
Halilintar was in denial, with Taufan and Boboiboy. The three of them were trying to get Uncle Pian to call their dad, or at least get in touch with Uncle Mimi.
Gempa wanted to join them in convincing the man to do that. After all, there's no way their dad would just up and leave without warning, right?
Their dad loves them. And anyway, Uncle Mimi won't let their father leave them alone for long.
But Uncle Pian's face...
Gempa could already tell that whatever they do, the truth will still be the same.
Whether if he died, got trapped somewhere, or if he abandoned them...their dad is gone. Hopefully not for forever, but it's still the same thing.
And they're going to have to learn to live with that.
That's also not the worst part.
"We've come to collect."
A woman with sharp features, neatly tied-back hair in a bun, and wearing a suit came in the afternoon, with three other men with scary looking faces behind her.
Gempa was the only one to greet these people at the door.
His siblings were still dealing with the whiplash. Uncle Pian had taken half of the siblings outside to buy ice cream and play around for a bit.
The other half, which consists of Solar, Ais, Halilintar and himself, stayed in the house. The other three were upstairs, playing games and trying to distract themselves.
And Gempa was here. Uncomprehending of the fact that their only parent left them, his seven year old self was standing here.
Staring at the cold gaze on him, as a slender hand tilted his chin up to the stranger. Her nails were sharp.
"Wrong eye color...you're not what we're looking for. We're supposed to take the eldest one", the woman murmurs. "Hali is the child's name, right?"
Gempa flinched, terror gripping him. His eyes narrowed.
They...they might have lost their father. But to take away Halilintar, too?
His big brother, Halilintar, who barely smiles but expresses his affection in every little trinket he gives, in every action and hug he wraps onto them.
He won't let them...not Halilintar, too. No.
The woman continues to study him. As he was a child, she was the least bit intimidated.
...but. "I like the look in your eyes."
And, now this is the worst part.
They say a situation where you're given no choice is never a good one.
The woman crouches down to his level, and lies. "You see, your father has a debt to us."
The woman stares at his own wide eyes, and says. "Now that the patriarch of this family is gone, we planned to take the eldest son to collect the payment your father failed to give."
The woman grins, and says. "I could take away all of you right now, actually, for the interest payment."
And Gempa could only listen, because to him, that was true. Their father was gone. There's...no hero to protect them from bad guys anymore.
And this woman was a bad guy planning to take his family away...
"However", she lifted her hand, patting his head like their father used to do. "I think I like you. So...how about we make a deal?"
Gempa blinked. He scrambles to find his voice. "A...a deal?"
The woman smiles, soft and somehow so very cold. "Yes. A deal."
He'd opened up Pandora's Box, that day. For the sake of not losing any more, for the sake of keeping his family...
And now, currently fifteen years old and turning sixteen soon, his brothers are having the time of their lives becoming heroes of the galaxy, like their father was.
But Gempa could only look at his hands and see the blood stained in his palms that he'd never be able to truly wash away.
He has many secrets. They all tie to a big one, and it's something he'd never let his brothers know.
But even as he accomplished the impossible and got out of that world, he'd never be able to consider himself as a good person. Consider himself a hero, even.
He's done too much to deserve that title.
But if it's to protect his brothers, his family--
Then, he'd do anything.