Family Matters

Chapter 12: Boomer's New Friend

As they walked, the children could hear the sound of voices murmuring around them. More than a few stares came their way, and it wasn't hard to know why. It was more than a bit strange to see warring groups walking around together. Even if they weren't talking, it was odd nonetheless.

Boomer looked around the arcade as he passed, and he noticed that not all of the games inside were consoles. There was much more than that. There were tables with timers, games with hoops, rides shaped like animals, and more. Boomer soon became fascinated with a line of machines filled with stuffed toys and other knickknacks. Eventually, he decided to stop.

Brick noticed his brother separate, and he himself stopped in his tracks. "Boomer, where are you going?" He gestured for Butch to halt.

Boomer didn't reply, and instead kept on going. Butch and Brick quickly came after him.

"H-Hey!" Blossom cried. She called for Buttercup and Bubbles to follow her. "Hey, where are you guys going?"

"What are these?" Boomer asked, pointing at one of the machines. "Why are there toys inside the machines? Is this another game?"

"It's called a claw machine," Buttercup said matter-of-factly. She was about to add something else, possibly a smart remark, but she kept silent. Remember, she told herself. They're still trying to get used to a more normal life.

"A claw machine? What does it do?" Boomer pressed his hands against the glass, his wide blue eyes focused on an orange stuffed octopus with a decorative bow on its head.

Buttercup explained the mechanics of the game. "But, you know, you can't do anything without any electricity."

"I know," Boomer said. He slowly backed up from the machine. A smile came to his lips. "All I need is electricity."

Suddenly, light began to emit from his body. His companions looked down, and they realized the source was his hand. Sparks of lightning were running up and down his arm, weaving through his fingers.

"Don't tell me," Brick said, watching the sparks grow to bolts. "You're gonna—"

Blossom was indignant. "Boomer! You can't just go using your powers for something like—"

Boomer punched the dashboard. Bolts of lightning transferred to the machine and made it spark with electricity. The game gave off a slight hum, then the inside and the buttons lit up. The light was unusually bright against the darkness, and the metahumans were blinded for a moment. But they could easily see that the machine was working.

"It worked!" Boomer said triumphantly, and dug into his pocket for a token.

Bubbles looked at him with an incredulous expression. "You mean, you didn't know what would happen?"

The shrug of his shoulders was really the only answer they needed.

"What the fu—" Buttercup facepalmed, muffling the rest of her sentence. She shook her head. "So, for all you knew, it could've just blown up."

"Meh."

Butch pushed him towards the machine. "Just go get the stupid doll already."

"Just hurry up, okay?" Blossom asked. "We're basically the only ones left here, and we might get in trouble for the blackout."

Boomer nodded and started to play. The claw moved across the glass and reached down. It missed the doll.

"You're a little off. Try adjusting the trajectory," Brick advised.

"What's trajectory?"

"Your aim."

"Oh."

Boomer tried to follow his advice, but the claw missed again. He frowned and tried again. A third time proved futile as well. On the fourth try, he caught it on the head. But when the doll was halfway back, the claw released it.