#surprisingly a few have had store brand ones that were fair trade. that's cool

[celepeace]

I'm not willing to bend on it but I wish it was less annoying to find fair trade chocolate in the baking aisle. If I don't go to one of those organic overpriced grocery stores it's about a 50/50 shot that they'll have any chocolate chips/baking chocolate bars that are fair trade at all

[fanfic-inator795]

WoY Twoshot: The Dadsome, Part 1

Plot: Awesome actually never held much resentment towards him, in fact he pretty much understood why he left. He also didn’t think he’d ever see the guy again… Funny how the universe sometimes works out.

((Part of the Awesome Arc. Enjoy!))

The sun had been blocked out slightly by the large Skullship floating in the sky, its tongue stretched out all the way to the ground, acting as the perfect path for dozens - maybe even hundreds of soldiers to walk down and onto the planet below. Even if they were tiny, their status made sure that everyone, tourists and locals alike, moved to the side and stayed out of their way. Still, the people of Bayroceon 8 couldn’t help but watch as the infamous Watchdog army marched along, not one of them daring to look away.

...Though, to be fair, this was more out of awe and curiosity than fear. And, not everyone stayed out of the way. Some people moved a bit closer just to get a good picture or video. Some even took a chance and asked a couple of the Watchdogs for a selfie with them or an autograph - and of course, the soldiers that were asked were more than happy to obliged. 

“Heh, looks like the grunts get to enjoy the ‘good guy’ rep too, huh?” Peepers rolled his eye slightly, though really he couldn’t blame the other Watchdogs too much. It was inevitable honestly, with all the fans the Hater Empire had gotten.

“At least only a few of them are actually stopping while the rest are staying focused,” the commander replied, marking a couple things off on his tablet checklist, “That’s better than usual. And, I suppose a stronger connection to the locals is beneficial in the long run.”

It had certainly helped so far. As soon as the mayor of Bayroceon 8 formed an alliance with the Hater Empire, the Watchdogs were ordered to help with the rebuilding process while others stayed behind, just as guards and lookouts for the planet. Today was no different. Mostly it was just checking up on the finished buildings, starting construction on new ones, making sure there were no problems and that their alliance was still in order, and of course picking up the Watchdogs that had been staying there for the past few months and replacing them with new ones. 

Basically, all standard ‘good guy’ conqueror stuff that, while not quite as exciting as conquering or causing chaos, did serve its purpose and earned them a few crates of the beach planet’s local resources. Although, while Hater had surprisingly fallen into the role of good guy galactic-ruler fairly well over the past several months with only a couple understandable bumps here and there, there was still one thing he planned to do on this planet - something much more important than checking up on construction or trade agreements...

“Alright, Captain Tim? You want the stick back? Huh, huh? You want this stick?! Okaaaay, here it comes agaiiiin~ GO GET IT!” 

Grinning as he threw the stick as hard as he could, Hater then watched as his pet screeched and ran after the stick, kicking up sand and leaving a trail of acid drool before leaping up and biting down on the stick, decimating it in seconds. Obviously proud of destroying his ‘prey’, Tim then decided to celebrate by rolling around in the sand a bit before letting out a screech and running back to his master.

Hater chuckled. “Tim-Tim just loves sand, doesn’t he~?” Sort of a weird thing to love, but still adorable!

“Yes Sir, he certainly does,” Peepers dryly agreed while he and Awesome - who had already finished his assigned construction work for the day - continued to watch with expressions of either amusement (Awesome) or slight annoyance (Peepers). Still, at least it was a nice day. “I guess we know why Lord Hater wanted to stop here personally...”

“Guess so,” Awesome shrugged, smiling a bit at the scene, “Can’t really blame a dude for wanting to have some fun with his pet. ...Even if his pet is pretty freaky.”

“Ha! ‘Freaky’ doesn’t even begin to describe that little monster...”

“Seriously?” He couldn’t help but roll his eyes a bit at the commander. “Come on, Peeps. C.T’s not that bad.” 

“You’re only able to say that because you actually have teeth to bite back with if it attacks you!” Peepers retorted. 

“That’s-! ...Okay yeah, that’s kinda true.” “Of course is it.” Awesome glanced back up at Hater. The skeletal lord had finally ran out of sticks and driftwood to throw, so he had resorted to throwing his robot arm, though he didn’t look any less happy about the game because of it. Such a dork... But, maybe dorks weren’t totally lame...

Awesome’s smile returned a bit as he stretched slightly, enjoying the warmth of the bright beach sun on his skin. “...But yeah, I can totes see why you guys decided to take this planet,” he mentioned, thinking it was best to change the subject, “It’s really not that bad of a place. Not the best or coolest beach planet I’ve ever seen-” His home planet, as well Seashoronicus 5 and Planet Ziziks, definitely took that title- “But still, it’s got some charm, and I’ve heard from Ted that apparently this place has some killer kebabs.”

Peepers hummed, nodding slightly. “Not only that, but the ores, glass and trees - or rather, their bark - that are created and grown here are quite strong, making for plenty of good and useful materials that have already been proven to be useful to the Empire.” He paused, rubbing the side of his head slightly. He glanced up, and immediately started to squint, even after he looked back down. “Ugh, but if you ask me, it’s a bit too sunny...”

“Heh, maybe you should trade that helmet of yours in for a sun hat while you’re here,” Awesome suggested with a small smirk. Peepers shot him a bit of a glare, and the shark held his hands up a bit, though his smirk didn’t fall. “Hey, I’m just trying to help, dude. And come on, a hat would look better on you than a visor.”

But the commander just scoffed. Honestly, both options sounded like they would look ridiculous on him. However- “I think I may have a better solution,” he told him as he started to walk away, knowing he wouldn’t really be missed as long as Hater was still focused on his and Tim’s game of fetch. Of course, being a bit curious now, Awesome followed. 

Unlike the other beach planets in the Galaxy, the boardwalk on this one had more stalls and stands with the occasional shop (which were usually small enough to only fit a couple people at a time) rather than a bunch of tacky yet still somehow appealing souvenir stores. 

Needless to say, it made for a fairly unique walk, not to mention all the sights and smells of the food and drinks that most of the stands were selling. Most of it was made with fish, some of it was fried, but all of it looked absolutely delicious - so much so that it actually distracted Awesome long enough for him to lose track of Peepers.

“Well, partially my fault, and partially his for being so short,” he told himself as he tore his gaze away from a vendor selling yakitori and started searching. Since it was after lunchtime, the boardwalk wasn’t too busy. So, even if it was fairly crowded, he could still easily walk around, and luckily after just a few minutes of looking, he managed to catch a glimpse of a sharp, plastic lightning bolt sticking out from the side of an umbrella stand. “Heh, gotcha, Peepsqueak.” 

A beach umbrella really wasn’t too bad of an idea. ...Even if some of the umbrellas that were being sold had a couple of small holes in them. Peepers must have noticed this too - even if he wasn’t close enough to understand, Awesome could still tell that the commander was starting to raise his voice a bit. Thankfully, the vendor must have been pretty calm, since he didn’t hear anyone yell back at him, even as he got closer to the stall. 

“Don’t you have any that are brand new? As in, still in the packaging? Or all these all used and resold items?” Peepers questioned, letting just a bit of an accusing tone slip into his voice.

The vendor, who was sitting relaxed under the huge umbrella that covered his whole ‘shop’ (obviously not for sale) and sipping a lukewarm ThunderBlazz, gave a small shrug. “Sorry, little man. There’s not much I can do for you if you want something completely new. Although...” He reached behind him, and after digging through a small box, he pulled out a light red parasol. Being a lot closer now, Awesome could start to see more of Peepers, as well as the fairly muscular arm that was handing him the accessory.

“This one is barely used,” he explained, “Bought and forgotten about until just recently.”

Peepers narrowed his eye a bit as he cautiously took the parasol. It took a bit of work to open it up, which he supposed made sense if it really was barely used, but it didn’t have any holes. “Hmm... I want a fifteen percent discount on it, otherwise I’m taking my business elsewhere.”

The vendor chuckled slightly. “Sure, I can do fifteen.” Peepers nodded, quickly getting out a handful of credits from his wallet. The exchange was quick and wordless, and Peepers walked away without so much as a thank you. Though, considering how chill the owner seemed, Awesome didn’t think he really minded.

“Huh, didn’t really take you as a parasol kind’a guy,” he admitted as the commander walked back towards him, “But hey, if it works, it works.” Even if they weren’t exactly cool, they were effective.

“Exactly,” Peepers replied, adjusting the angle he was holding his parasol at ever so slightly (for maximum shade), “Plus, if this thing really is barely used, I should be able to use it whenever I need to. So at least I didn’t buy it just to use it once.” There were plenty of sunny planets out there, and the more prepared he was for any environment out there, the better.

“Heh, yep. But I still say a hat would’ve worked just as well, and would look pretty good too. Heck, I would have even helped you-” Awesome saw something move just a few feet in front of him, and for a moment, this sudden movement made him look up - and as soon as he saw him, Awesome became totally silent. 

The umbrella vendor had stepped out of his shady oasis and was now adjusting the umbrellas and parasols that Peepers had moved during his search. He had a couple more under his arms as well, probably wanting to stock up (and add a few more no-holes ones to the selection). But that wasn’t what caught Awesome’s attention. No, far from it.

“...Awesome?” Peepers blinked, giving the shark-man a curious look. The guy was completely frozen... But, he didn’t look afraid or even nervous. Just sort of shocked... and, maybe a bit curious? “Awesome!” he said again, but rather than getting a reply, Awesome just started to walk forward and back towards the umbrella stand.

The vendor of course glanced up at him, flashing a casual smile. “Hey,” he greeted with a small nod, “You looking for something?”

“I, uh... Not really. Just, like, wanted to... you know...” He glanced away slightly as his words trailed off. Honestly, he just wasn’t sure how to end that sentence, especially since he still didn’t totally know for sure... But who else could it be?

After all, there weren’t too many other shark-people left their home planet.

The older shark-man stared at him for a moment, not really understanding but shrugging nonetheless. “Alright, well... Yeah.” He went back to restocking, and Awesome looked back up at him. 

The skin covering his head was grey, with just a bit of white near his mouth and under his chin. The rest of his body was fairly tan, though Awesome’s was definitely darker. His age definitely showed with the faint wrinkles under his eyes, but he wasn’t an old man either. If Awesome had to guess, the guy looked about forty-five, maybe fifty. Which would make sense...

His clothing was pretty casual too. Faded green, loose fitting swim-shorts, a dark grey tank-top, a bracelet on his left wrist that was made out of teeth (probably his own, considering how often shark-people had to deal with losing them) and no shoes. It didn’t look sloppy though, nor did Awesome suspect that it was the only thing he had to wear. 

All in all, the vendor really did seem like a nice, super chill dude... which was what allowed him enough nerve to speak up again.  “So uh,” Awesome started to say, getting the elder shark-man to glance back at him, “I actually did come over for a reason. I... I sorta thought that I recognized you from somewhere.”

“Oh?” He stood up straight, giving a curious look, “What? Do you and I know each other from way back or something?”

“Sorta... Your name is Makoto, right?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “And what’s your name, kid?”

“Awesome.” He paused, and when he noticed the blank look on Makoto’s face, he held back a wince and added, “But uh, you probably remember me as Herschel.”

“Herschel...” Slowly, realization crept onto his face, his eyes widening. “No way... Seriously, Herschel?!” Makoto started to smile. “I can’t believe it...”

Unable to help himself, Awesome gave a small smile in return. “Heh, yeah... Guess it’s been some time, huh Dad?” “Yeah, no doubt about that...”

“...Wait, WHAT?!” 

Turning around, the two of them saw Hater and Peepers (as well as a very tuckered out Captain Tim snoozing in Hater’s arms) staring at them in shock. “He’s your dad?” Hater questioned while his commander could only stare (and wonder how he didn’t catch the resemblance before), “And he lives here?!”

“Yep, apparently,” Awesome replied, turning back to his father, “Dad, these are-” He paused. Rivals? Bosses? Bros? “-Just some cool guys that are letting me crash with them for a while. Lord Hatey- er, Hater, and Commander Peepers. Guys, this is my dad.”

“Call me Makoto,” the older shark-man added, smiling a bit at Hater, “Nice costume, by the way.”

Hater blinked. “What costume?”

“...Oh. Uh, nevermind.”

Peepers narrowed his eye a bit. There hadn’t been any malice in the comment, but even so... “You must have just arrived in this galaxy then if you don’t know who Lord Hater is,” he stated.

But in response, Makoto just shrugged. “Eh, more like I don’t check the Interplanetary news too often. Mostly I just tend to keep to my own business, you know? I’ll hear about the stuff that happens on the boardwalk or with my pals here, but that’s about it.”

“Hmph... Considering the situation, that’s not too surprising,” he mumbled barely being heard.

Awesome however did hear it and shot him a glare, but still managed to keep his cool. “Well, we could totally get you caught up on stuff if you want us to. I mean, a lot has happened in the last few months, and years...” So much so that it was still sort of hard to believe at times.

But Makoto waved the thought away. “Nah, what do I care about what happened to the rest of the Galaxy if it’s in the past anyway? Besides, I’m more curious about you, kiddo. For one, I never really expected you to join an army,” he said with a bit of an eyebrow raise, finally noticing that his son was wearing a uniform, “Or wear all that black.”

Awesome could feel his face start to heat up slightly. “O-Oh, uh, well, yeah.” Ugh, flarpin’ uniforms! First Flex seeing him in it, and now his dad? Seriously?! “Well, like, it’s not a permanent thing but, like, basically Peeps and Hater are training me in combat and stuff while I crash with them, and in exchange I help them and their army out with stuff. But, yeah, totally not permanent - and trust me, I only wear this when I have to.”

“Heh, sounds like a pretty good deal,” Makoto nodded, giving his son a small, approving smile. And as he watched this, Peepers’ scowl reluctantly softened a bit... Even if the older shark-man still annoyed him on some level, Peepers had to admit that he wasn’t horrible. At least he sounded somewhat genuine and wasn’t obnoxious. Maybe Awesome just inherited that side of him from some other member of his family... “So, since being a soldier doesn’t have to be a full-time gig for you, I take it Odie actually ended up retiring and gave you the old kingdom?”

Awesome rolled his eyes. “Ugh, yeah, eventually. ...Wait, ‘Odie‘?”

“My nickname for her,” Makoto said simply, a playful smirk now on his lips, and his son couldn’t help but snicker at the thought. He couldn’t imagine anyone being allowed to call the stern and sophisticated Empress Odellia something like ‘Odie‘. 

“So wait,” Hater started to say, getting their attention again, “If Awesome’s mom is - or, was - a queen or emperor or whatever, then... What does that make you?” Peepers nodded, curious to know that as well as just why Makoto was there in the first place - why he had apparently been off his home planet for so long that he couldn’t even recognize his own son right away.

Both of the sharks’ smiles faltered a bit, though Makoto didn’t get too frazzled. “I guess since I married her, that technically makes me a royal but, I doubt Odie or anyone else considers me as such. So, I’m pretty much just a normal guy, enjoying the rays and this ocean and selling umbrellas and parasols to make a living.”

“Oh,” Hater nodded, satisfied by that - though Peepers certainly wasn’t. However, before he could try to prod him with any other questions, his communicator beeped, effectively pausing the conversation. 

“Ugh, what?” he answered, listening for a couple moments before nodding, his annoyance fading just a little. “Alright then...” Hanging up, Peepers then turned to his lord. “Well Sir, it looks like all the construction goals we’ve scheduled for today’s visit have been completed!” Awesome’s smile immediately fell. 

“And that was the last thing on the list, right?” Hater asked, if only to double check. He really had been getting better at remembering things and staying on task, even if he still occasionally got distracted or procrastinated on duties.

In response, Peepers could only give a proud smile. “Yes Sir! So, if you’re ready, we can start gathering up the Watchdogs and head out!”

“Hey, wait-” The commander looked back to Awesome, and was surprised at just how disappointed he looked. “Seriously? We have to go already? I mean-” He glanced over at his father before looking back at Peepers. “Like, can’t we just stay for like a couple more-”

“We have to keep on schedule,” Peepers retorted, though he held back on the sternness ever so slightly. To try and soften the blow a bit, he added, “And besides, we’ll return to Bayroceon 8 in four months so we can switch around the on-planet Watchdogs.” Of course, that didn’t do much to cheer Awesome up. Four months was way too long to wait! Thankfully though, there was one other possible solution...

“You know,” Makoto said, “I’m actually free for a few hours tonight, and I know a few great places that are worth swinging by. So, if you guys are able to, you could stay and hang, and you’d still be able to leave in the morning, so-”

“Yeah! Totally!” Awesome grinned, not even bothering to check with his comrades. Of course Peepers tried to object, but he was never even given a chance to. “Sounds like a great plan to me! I mean, what’s an extra few hours going to hurt, right?”

“Heh, yeah,” Makoto smiled, “I wouldn’t think that too many people would be opposed to spending more time on a beach, do you?” 

The two sharks-men chuckled and, knowing deep down that arguing and pulling rank would just cause more trouble than it was worth, Peepers just narrowed his eye again. “Speak for yourself...” he mumbled.

()()()()()()()()()

“Now you do realize that we’re only doing this because of irregular circumstances. Don’t expect us to postpone our galactic schedule every time you find a planet you like.”

“Yeah, I know,” Awesome nodded, glancing at the still-annoyed commander through the reflection.

“Good. ...And I expect you to complete an extra hour of training sometime tomorrow.” To some it might have sounded like a punishment, but honestly Peepers was just accounting for any damage done by possible drinking and partying.

The shark-man nodded again. “Got it,” he said before pursing his lips, carefully running a tube of dark purple over them.

“Alright then. ...And remember, our take-off time tomorrow is-”

“5:30 AM, I know! I’ve got it, Peeps! Grop!” Practically slamming the lipstick down, he turned to scowl at the commander. “You’ve told me that, like, five times now! What is your deal?!” Awesome had honestly thought that he would’ve loosened up just a little after the whole breakfast party thing, but it looked like he was wrong.

“I-!” “He’s got a point, Peepers, you are being really annoying,” Hater commented, not even glancing up from his portable game (and therefore blind to the glare Peepers was giving him).

The Watchdog held back a sigh. “I’m just making sure that you know,” he replied as calmly as he could, “Because I can tell you right now, if you’re late, we won’t be flying back to get you.”

Awesome scoffed, rolling his eyes a bit. After all the grief Peepers had been giving him the last few hours, being left behind honestly didn’t seem like that bad of an idea. 

“So, what are you and your dad going to be doing anyway?” Hater asked, deciding to change the subject - both to avoid another annoying argument, and just because he was curious. “I mean, what do parents even do with their kids when they’re all grown up?”

“Nag them, mostly,” Awesome replied, allowing a bit of bitterness to slip into his voice before his smile returned, “But that’s only what the lame or frustrating parents do. Nah, my dad’s probably just going to take the two of us to a few of the local clubs and bars he knows for some sweet drinks and some even sweeter beats~!” Maybe even to an awesome party too, since he did mention having a few friends on the planet.

“Of course,” Peepers muttered, shaking his head a bit. Awesome’s grin faltered, once again becoming a scowl.

“Uhhh, bro? Contrary to what you think, not everyone out there in the Galaxy hates having fun, alright?”

The commander started to fume. “I’ve got nothing against having fun, as long as it’s reasonable! ...And you know, it is possible for people to have too much fun and forget about the things they should be doing. Or even who they should be with...”

“...” Awesome clenched his fists, and in a second, he was standing up and towering over the little eyeball. Of course, once he noticed this, Hater sat up as well, giving his former enemy a glare that made him back off almost immediately. Still, the anger stayed. “...You just don’t get it,” he mumbled.

“Don’t get what?” Peepers questioned cautiously.

“Just, like-... It’s a totally normal thing for the families on my planet, you know? For dads to just leave and have their own lives.” He gave a small scoff. “Happens so much that when a dad does actually stick around, he’s the one people stare at, not the Mom-Only families.”

Peepers blinked, unable to really say anything to that. “Wait... So, the dads on your planet just leave and go to another planet? They don’t even visit at all?”

Awesome paused. “...Well, no. They don’t, like, leave leave. They’re still around, and I guess they visit every once in a while...” Every other kid usually got to see their father once or twice a year- “But they’ve still got their own lives and stuff, things to do and other people to see, and that’s totally fine!” 

His face then became a bit sterner as he shifted his gaze back down to his commander. “I know you don’t get it but... Just ‘cause he’s out here doesn’t make him a bad guy, alright? He had legit reasons for leaving, even if they don’t seem legit to you. He’s still my dad, and he wants to hang with me, so I’m going to hang with him.” At least for one night. One night would be enough, for now.

“...Right,” Peepers said finally, glancing away from the shark-man’s strong stare for just a moment before meeting it with a look of understanding. “That’s... That’s reasonable. And, I’m sorry if I disrespected you. ...Or him,” he added after a moment, though the last bit didn’t seem nearly as sincere as the rest.

Still, Awesome shrugged. “Whatevs. It’s cool, bro,” he said, his voice not exactly sounding forgiving, but at least it wasn’t angry.

“...We should probably get going, just so you can finish getting ready,” he said suddenly. 

Awesome didn’t usually ask for or even need privacy - he never felt like he had anything to really hide, at least not physically, but even so he didn’t try to stop them. Instead, he just gave a simple, “Yeah, see ya...” and with that, the two of them left the bedroom and started walking down the hall. 

“...I know you guys argue a lot but, geez,” Hater mumbled, scowling slightly. He hadn’t seen them go at it like that since Awesome’s first day - though he had seen a few smaller arguments afterwards, and they had still been just as aggravating to listen to. 

“I honestly wasn’t trying to start a fight,” Peepers replied quietly in an attempt to defend himself, though when he thought about it, perhaps he did go a bit too far... “I guess I was just... frustrated.”

“...” Hater glanced down at him, looking a bit curious now. “So, why do you hate his dad anyway? I mean, he doesn’t seem nearly as annoying as Awesome used to be. So what’s the big deal about him?”

Peepers looked away, clenching his fists. Whether or not the elder shark-man was annoying was the farthest thing from his mind...

Awesome had, admittedly, come a long way. Sure, Peepers was still frustrated with him and his various mannerisms and attitudes at times, and when the time finally came where he would leave the Skullship, Peepers couldn’t really imagine himself asking him to stay permanently. But even so, Awesome had made some remarkable progress. Much to Peepers’ surprise, he had ended up putting in the actual work required into getting stronger and more skillful combat-wise. 

He had become much more responsible in the last few months, hardly ever trying to skip sessions with most of his complaining stopping after his first mission. Even when they sometimes argued or tried to annoy each other, he’d still listen to Peepers’ instructions and advice on various fighting styles and weaponry rather than try to ignore it or claim that he didn’t need to learn anything. The fact that Awesome was a lot more respectful these days as well (save for the various nicknames) also helped raise Peepers’ opinion of him quite a bit, allowing him to give some respect right back. But, perhaps what pleased the commander the most though was just the fact that Awesome was no longer relying on hollow popularity or status or appearances. He was no longer claiming that he deserved success and respect just because of who he was and not because of any real accomplishment or power.

Simply put, maybe the shark-man still wasn’t his friend personally, but he had certainly grown into a worthy and competent ally, and maybe even a decent person. ...Which was why Peepers didn’t want all that hard work and progress to just be thrown away, all thanks to a guy who could very well end up being more of a temptation for Awesome than an actual parent...

The commander gave a light sigh. “Honestly, Sir... I’m more concerned about the possible influence he could give than the man himself...”

TO BE CONTINUED

((Kinda random but, I like to imagine Makoto with the voice of Steve Blum, just because that Spike Spiegel style of ‘subtle, chill yet still noticeable and admirable’ coolness works well for him, plus it makes for a good complimenting/contrasting element to Awesome’s ‘loud and bold’ style of coolness. But yeah, hope you all enjoyed this! Next chapter will be up soon! ^v^))