Ten years ago:
A small Taro and Kai, about seven and eight years old, wrestled each other in the courtyard of the D.C compound, trying to get the other to fall into the heavy snow below them.
They both gritted their teeth, staring into their brother's eyes above the layers upon layers of clothing Bloom had forced them to wear.
The brothers tugged at each other's shoulders, each breath turning into a cloud in front of their faces.
"Fall already!" Taro exclaimed. "I want that extra soda!"
"I want it more!" Kai yelled back.
"Ugh!" Taro said.
From the corner of his eye, Taro saw Kai's hand let go of his shoulder, closing into a fist.
On instinct, Taro raised his fist, bringing it down on his brother's cheek with a violent thud.
Kai hit the snow-covered grass hard, looking up at his brother in a frustrated confusion.
"What was that for?!" Kai asked, rubbing his cheek.
"You were gonna hit me!" Taro pointed down at his brother.
"Nuh uh!"
"Yuh huh!"
Kai lunged at his brother, the both of them swinging fist after fist at each other.
Taro ate a punch to his mouth, knocking out one of his baby teeth.
Kai toppled onto his brother, taking a punch to his brow as he tumbled on top of his brother.
Both of them were… Crying, and neither of them knew why.
Behind them, snow flung into the air as a blur sped through the courtyard and towards the brothers.
"What are you two doing?!" Bloom held both of the boys apart from each other, tugging at their hoodies.
"He started it!" Kai yelled, sniffing teary snot up his nose.
"You were gonna punch me!" Taro pointed at his brother as he wiped away tears with his other hand.
"I wasn't! I swear!" Kai's exclamation was sincere, even Taro could see that.
"Oh, jeez." Bloom pinched the bridge of her nose. "You guys always fight over misunderstandings."
Bloom sighed as the two boys tried to wipe their tears away fast enough for the other not to notice.
"Y'know, when you're mad at someone you care about, you can always tell them how you feel." Bloom said. "Then, you can ask if they're okay. That helps, most of the time."
Kai and Taro looked at each other, both waiting for the other to say something.
"I… I thought you were gonna punch me, so I punched you first." Taro looked down at his feet, shame covering his face as blood dripped out of his mouth, followed by a baby tooth.
"It hurt real bad, so I punched you back. I'm sorry." Kai sniffed.
"No, I'm sorry." Taro hugged his brother as Kai returned the favor.
"Aw." Bloom smiled, holding her intertwined hands to her cheek.
Present day:
Taro dragged his feet down the hallway towards the cafeteria, his brother catching up behind him.
"You good, bro?" Kai stared at the bruises riddling his brother's forearms from Chase's rubber bullets as he walked beside him.
"Yeah, just hungry." Taro pulled his sleeves down, covering the bruises. "They'll heal in a day or two."
The two of them went silent, making their way through the lunchline to grab their serving of goulash.
As they sat down at the table, Taro winced, holding his stomach as one of the bruises flared in pain.
"Are you-" Kai reached for his brother.
"I'm fine." Taro took a deep breath. "Just need some time."
Taro saw Kai's fist tighten as he gritted his teeth.
"Why would he do that? Isn't he our friend?" Kai looked down at his plate.
A few moments passed before Taro could conjure up a response.
"Yeah, he is." Taro looked at the other side of the room, where Ginji and Asuka were introducing themselves to the chef in the lunchline. "Do you remember that fight we had in the snow?"
"The one where I knocked out your baby tooth?" Kai let out a little smirk.
"It was already loose, don't give yourself too much credit." Taro chuckled. "I think we need to talk to Chase, it'll clear it all up."
Kai looked at his brother with a puzzled look as he took a bite of his goulash. "When did you become a therapist?!"
Taro laughed as he took a bite as well. "I'm just saying, it's what Bloom would've told us."
Kai nodded in agreement before the both of them went silent. A comfortable silence, the one everyone needs once in a while.
"Bloom is really like our mom, huh?" Kai broke the silence. "She's raised us since we were three and four."
"If she is, she's a great mom." Taro spoke with a mouthful of goulash.
Around the corner, Bloom listened in to the boys' conversation, trying to keep silent.
She covered her mouth as she began to cry.
"You think you'll be alright on your mission?" Kai asked. "Chase'll make it hard, and everyone's worried about Hendrix."
"Guess 'll have to carry the mission." Taro burst into laughter as his brother joined him.
Taro let out a deep sigh as he caught his breath. "It'll be fine. Chase is a ride or die when it comes down to it, and Hendrix is trying his hardest to prove everyone wrong."
"Well said, wise man." Kai said with a phony British accent.
Taro laughed. "I've just done some thinking, especially after the sparring matches when we first got here. I need to man up, so that you, me, and all of our friends can change the world."
Bloom tried to conceal her sobbing, but the mission talk only made her cry louder.
"These kids… They're so willing to risk their lives, and I hate that it's even an option." Bloom thought as she slid her back down the wall.
Chase ran down the stairs as he locked eyes with Taro.
The blue-haired boy quickly averted his gaze, before slowly making his way up to the brothers.
Kai looked up at him, trying to hide his frustration as Taro awaited Chase's next move.
Chase put his hands in his hoodie pocket as he looked around the room. "I'm… Sorry. There's no way that what I did was acceptable. I want the mission to go smoothly, so I'll support everyone in any way I can."
"What's with all the big words, dude?" Taro laughed as his brother chuckled.
"Are you gonna accept my apology or not?!" Chase yelled.
Suddenly, Chase remembered why he had come down.
"Do any of you guys know where Bloom went? She's supposed to be helping Vida get ready for her date with Hendrix." Chase said.
"Why?! Why is everyone dating but me?!" Taro let out a loud groan as he writhed in his chair. "When'll it be my turn?!"
"There's my brother." Kai laughed.