Baby Bear

Twin Team

Bianca rushed to the Octopod immediately after hearing what happened. She could only think of her poor, dear brother, and how he must be feeling. She knew how easy it was for him to start feeling anxious. Growing up with him, she had learned a thing or two about his anxiety disorder.

Kwazii picked her up in the Gup A, chattering good naturedly to lighten the mood, but all Bianca could think about was her brother. He was a brilliant leader. She knew that ever since they were cubs in the Polar Scouts. He had become basically their leader in no time flat. He had  the best ideas, and he was always calm in a situation.

Then came The Ice Incident.

She didn't mind. Immediately she knew there was something wrong with her brother after pulling him out of that hole. And his fear was a sensible one. Many people had it.

But, it still haunted him. She knew how vulnerable her brother could be, even when he tried to hide it. She didn't want him to be alone, feeling like no one understood. Feeling like they were disappointed in him.

"...You should have seen the look on that remipede- are you okay?" Bianca snapped out of her trance. "Oh, yes, I'm fine."

Kwazii frowned. "Are you sure? You didn't seem fine to me."

"...I worry about him so much." Kwazii chuckled in response. "I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that. Everyone needs SOME one to worry about them."

"He already told you?"

"Yeah. I was the only one who knew about it, until we found those caves. Poor guy must've had a heart attack. Peso told me he got stuck in a hole."

Bianca shook her head sorrowfully, heaving a sigh. "I just don't want him to feel..."

"Bad?"

"Yes. You know how afraid he is of disappointing people."

Kwazii rolled his eyes. "We're not disappointed in him. He said it himself; everyone's afraid of something. And besides, I'm honestly kind of relieved."

"Why?"

"I never really liked fearless people. Something about them gives me the creeps. It's like they aren't people at all."

Bianca giggled. "I know. It's like they're robots."

They shared a laugh, and Bianca calmed down.

"Don't worry, Bia." Kwazii assured her. "We've taken good care of him. It was Peso who cleared it all up; you know how he looks up to the captain."

"Still does?"

"Yep. He said there's more to Barnacles than bravery. Like wisdom, and the ability to keep calm in a heavy situation. He never backs down from helping someone, even when he's scared. I think Peso still wants to follow in his footsteps."

Bianca leaned back, smiling, a little relieved that her brother was feeling okay. But, she still knew him better than most people, and there would be more things bothering him than that.

"We used to work for a government agency together. Did he tell you that?"

"No."

"Well, the CEO, Nathan Flippers, thought we were too dependent on each other, so he separated us into different groups."

"What happened?"

"He HATED Barnacles. Never said one kind word to him in all the time we've known him. When he found out about his claustrophobia...." Bianca shuddered, "I'm glad I wasn't there to HEAR it, but boy, did he get chewed out. Almost lost his job."