Chapter Text
It’s been- not long, but not too short. Their “camping trip” Habanero begged him to go and ended up- not good, mostly- but great, in the end.
Somehow, someway, he ended up with a device even more powerful than a sword.
A way to keep his boy safe with the unrelenting strength of knowledge. A gift from a cookie so curious and talkative- yet without her, he’d…
The swordsman’s position’s been compromised, he felt the buzz of a whole horde of wasps focused right onto this side- no, wait.
A message. On his… ‘cellular device’.
Carefully he raises the glowing block to his eyes, narrowing them as he heeds to its glaring light.
“Well dad? what’s it say?!” Squeaked the rambunctious voice of his son, his palms slipping at the foot of his sturdy shoulders.
“That… Small cookie.” Peperoncino grumbles, his own hand gripping his kid firm in place.
“Cauliflower, she… Wants… us to come over.”
“And what?!” Squirmed the little one, projecting his voice louder than a rifle.
“stay with that dork-a-zoid, bellpepper?! What’s she seeing in that kid anyway?? I should fight him to the death!”
The father heaves a mellow sound deep from his chest. Not a sound stained with anger but disappointment.
“There is… no use in picking fights… that aren’t unnecessary.” the man chides.
For a moment the boy hesitates, his lip trembling as he gathers words.
“Yeah…? Well- Cauli said you tried to fight her at first!!!”
Remarkable rebuttal, boy.
“I…” He began, the heavy weight of regret slowing his words like molasses .
“thought she was… trying to keep me from you.”
There’s silence, apart from his own footsteps.
A chord was struck in the spicy cookie’s side, maybe- not the best time to mention, leaving a melancholic melody out in the atmosphere.
“…Yeah, yeah!” Eventually mewled Habanero, the natural cheer of his peppy voice booming over the distilled chords.
“Like anything would’ve happened to me! Were you seriously worried??”
Peperoncino blinked, an expression more jarred than if someone opened a can of spoiled tuna right under his nose.
“…Yes…? I’m your father.”
The note was swept past, not long after the orange hairs on the little one sprung up, nose high in the air like a meerkat.
“Wait- were you serious about heading over?!” he asks with widened eyes.
“The building’s…”
Right around the corner.
“It would be rude to refuse,” Peperoncino began slowly.
“ I… Owe that Cauluflower… My life.”
His son was his life, his reason to keep on keeping on, Cauliflower the reason he opened up to so many new faces as of late. Intentional or not, they saved them. Both of them.
Pulling out the small glowing device, he shined the camera in front of the tall building.
Open for field trips and tourists- but also the cold home of many.
Including Cauliflower.
Struggling against the small liminal space, he eventually sends the report of his rough location.
It wasn’t long after he and habanero were out their door, standing patiently still despite the sliding doors welcoming them in.
With an impatient groan, the rascal scampered off the sturdy mound of dough.
“Might as well get this over with!” He cries out, hands struck firm on his hips while his feet were planted as far as they could be.
Only five steps in and the boy acts like he owns the place.
“What?!” Shrieked a small voice.
About the size of Habanero, glasses framing his whole face, yellow, a pepper but no spice clothes that are far too large for him.
He recognized that boy.
Bell pepper Cookie.
“What are you doing here?!” demanded the little one, stamping over to the ginger. Arms crossed, leaning towards the spunky little warrior.
“It hasn’t even been a full year yet. How are you on ANOTHER field trip?!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” He sasses right back, head held high with hands fixed right on his hips.
“I don’t need a field trip to go wherever I want!”
Suddenly, the sound of armour and the heavy footsteps of steel toed boots clash against the distant hum of engines and bustling robotic life surrounding them.
“Habanero…” Peperoncino says in a breath, straightening himself.
“Please, do not- run off like that…”
His words underlined with a slight twist of pain.
“Uh-huh…” Bellpepper remarks with a scoff, adjusting his large frames.
“It’s more likely you were brought here by your… DAD.”
“Nuh uh!!” Habanero retorts, face scrunched as he stuck a tongue at his foe.
In a fell swoop, the father hikes up the boys in the air by the collar of their clothes. Giving them both disappointed glances, he sighs with a light shake of the head.
“Yellow boy…” He chides, his nose bridge stung into a curl.
“Do not… Call your- bots… We do not want to fight…”
In a frenzy of aimless kicks and flails, Habanero eventually blurted out a,
“YES WE DO!!”
A stone cold glance pierced deep into Habanero’s eyes. The cesspool of his pupils welling with shame- but not anger.
“…ugh, okay! Okay!” He retreats, verbally.
“Okay, first, my name is Bell Pepper! Not ‘yellow boy’ and secondly if you aren’t here for that- then what are you here for?!”
The other kid cried, anger and confusion staining his throat.
“Cauliflower.” Peperoncino began firmly, turning to stare right at him.
“…That cookie, she… Invited us over.”
The sweet pepper snorts, fixing the state of his frames.
“Right, I forgot you guys were friends or something…”
Peperoncino’s grip loosened, a sign of no harm- yet firm in his stance. With furrowed brows, peperoncino blinked.
“I… Need to be taken to her.”
With an extended sigh, Bellpepper threw his hands to the skies, twisting them to cross them not long after.
“Fine!! Just- let me down, mister…”
Resting both of their heels to the ground, he shared a stern glare between them both for good measure.
Bell pepper dusts off his shorts, sighing as he does his best to check the ruffled collar.
“Please…” Peperoncino began, his hands politely resting behind his back.
“Lead… the way.”
The expression lifted on Bell pepper’s face was no short of annoyed, but comply he had. The three of them drifted through a secured door and- an intricate maze of measures the future roboticist seemed to memorise his way around. Always two steps ahead.
Even a seasoned warrior like Peperoncino found himself stumbling past the needy little ion bots, and diving to save his boy from impending doom- much to the little one’s dismay.