Return to Us: Gone

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Warning: minor Boboiboy Movie 2 spoilers

The start of a new story. This idea's been in my head for a good while, but I didn't really get around to writing it till summer vacation. It's the longest one yet (8 parts!!), so for those of you who like long works, enjoy!

Also, for those who saw my announcement, I changed the timeline a bit. It's now two years instead of two and half.

***

Taufan kept his hands in his pockets and his head bowed as he walked down the quiet street.

Sure, it wasn't like him to be walking sullenly instead of riding on the wind or taking photos of the sunset at his back. It wasn't often that he chose to be alone instead of hanging out with his brothers or friends. But then, today was hardly a normal day.

Exactly one year since the first. Seven months since the second.

Taufan sighed and absentmindedly kicked at a pebble on the sidewalk. It skidded across the empty road, bounced off the side of the pavement, and fell into a storm drain. Gone, out of reach, just like...

He abruptly shook his head to derail that train of thought. He'd gone on a walk to clear his head, not to wallow. He needed to be at the top of his game at all times, because otherwise - well, he wasn't sure he could take another repeat. He wasn't sure any of them could.

He kicked another pebble and watched as this one bounced into the tall grass of the neighbor's lawn.

Suddenly, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up straight. He whirled around, wind at the ready.

It was too late. He didn't even have time to blink.

***

Ten months later:

Ice stretched in his chair, smothering a yawn, and glanced at the clock on the briefing room wall. Seeing that there were only a few minutes before the designated meeting time, he contemplated going back to sleep, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth it. Instead, he leaned over to peer over Solar's shoulder.

Unsurprisingly, the workaholic was muttering to himself and scribbling advanced mathematical formulas in a notebook at a dizzying speed. Put off, Ice instead leaned towards Gempa, who was sitting on his other side.

One glance, however, at the bundle of intergalactic newspaper clippings and old mission reports was enough to tell him exactly what his elder brother was doing.

Unnoticed by Gempa, a clipping slid off the edge of the table and fluttered to the ground. Ice bent to pick it up. And then, despite already knowing by heart what it said, he read it anyway.

ANOTHER TAPOPS CADET GOES MISSING - COINCIDENTAL OR PLANNED?

Early this morning (Standard Intergalactic Time), TAPOPS sent out a notice stating that another of their cadets, Blaze bin Amato, has been reported missing while on leave. Strangely, while MIA cases are not unheard of for this organization due to its nature, it is exceedingly rare for an employee to disappear outside a mission. Indeed, the only other such case in over a decade happened just five months ago, when cadet Halilintar bin Amato also disappeared without a trace while on leave. Interestingly, Halilintar and Blaze are brothers, work on the same team at TAPOPS, and disappeared in the same area. There is a strong possibility that the two cases are connected.

TAPOPS currently has search teams scouring the galaxy for their missing cadets. Anyone who may have information relating to either case is requested to call the following number immediately: XXX XXX XXXX. Pictures and descriptions of both are included below.

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