TAPOPS Headquarters
Meeting Room

CHARACTERS:
Boboiboy, Yaya, Gopal,
Fang, Ying, Ochobot,
Papa Zola, Cattus,
Bellbot, Commander Koko Ci,
Admiral Tarung

"Excellent work, guys," Koko Ci exclaimed to Boboiboy and his gang. "You have not given us honor to this station, but also the suggestive high standards that were seen by other worlds beyond this galaxy."

He then swiped his right hand on his table and instantly a hologram enlarged on top of it.

"Now, as you can see, a graph here is showing all of TAPOPS' achievements in the past decades," the commander continued. "A lot of dangerous but successful missions were lauched ever since your recruitment here. Trials, challenges, tests, and not to mention the Sunnova Station incident."

At this most of the members cringed, remembering the unforgivable memory. The casualties, the fights, and...
(most importantly, thought Boboiboy) the very destruction of TAPOPS.

"But, now that half of the headquarters has been renovated, I am very pleased to announce that the station has improved 60%, much more higher than last year's statistics. And that is all thanks to you, Boboiboy."

Papa Zola, who was far from his favorite disciple, ran towards him and gave Boboiboy a very ferocious bear hug.

"Oh, my FAVORITE [at this point, the hug was so tight that it almost killed  Boboiboy] favorite little disciple of justice." Papa Zola praised joyfully.

"Mmmmmffff!" Boboiboy wheezed. "I. Can't. Breeeeaaaathhh."

Noticing this, his elementary teacher broke the hug. But then he settled on rubbing Boboiboy's head.

"So sorry, my disciple of justice. I'm just so grateful that my student is being praised." Papa Zola looked at Boboiboy's friends. "Did you know that I taught him those killing moves, right Boboiboy?

Ochobot sweatdropped. "If I remember correctly, Papa Zola didn't contribute on any dirty fight we got into."

"Leave him be, Ochobot," Ying said reassuringly. "If it hadn't been for Boboiboy, me and Yaya would die a very gruesome death."

Yaya nodded. "I can agree, as long as our captain doesn't harass Boboiboy in every celebration he gets."

Ochobot sighed as he looked at his best friend, still being rubbed by Papa Zola. "I hope you're right."

"Hmmphh!!" Fang  harrumphed as he leaned on the wall. "Some hero he is made of."

Gopal mischievously smiled. "Ooohh... Is Fang getting jealous?"

"Am not!" Fang called back, then got out his sleek black tablet and start scrolling furiously.

Not satisfied, our sneeky Gopal went beside Fang and smirked again.

"He is jealous," Gopal whispered at his ear. "And what's that you're searching—"

Fang's red eyes glared madly at Gopal as if they were saying, Bother me again and I will make sure you'll never see the light again...

Gopal freakingly rushed back and cowardly hid behind Boboiboy.

"Help me..." Gopal whimpered.

"Gopal..." Boboiboy muttered, then looked back at Koko Ci. "Commander, I may be the one who defeated greedy aliens like Captain Vargoba, but it wouldn't be possible without the help of my friends and your allies."

The commander chuckled. "If that's what you say, then let's give ourselves a warm round of applause."

Everyone clapped their hands cheerfully, except for Fang who's still busy checking his tablet.

"Thanks for sharing the recognition with me, Boboiboy," Gopal said.

Boboiboy did a thumbs up. "You're welcome. Now, get off of my back."

"Oh, sorry." Gopal scooted a few feet away from his bestie.

Suddenly the doors opened and Admiral Tarung walked in his bossy mood.

"Admiral Tarung," Yaya suprisingly said, then did the TAPOPS salute.

The others did the same gesture, excluding Fang. Again.

Tarung noticed this and crossed his bulky arms. "Hey! Where's your respect for your admiral?"

Fang didn't answered.

Boboiboy and his other friends worriedly looked at each other, all fearing for the tiger's rage.

"Look who's talking in here!" He roared and grabbed Fang's turtle neck sweater. "Talk to me, you—"

"Admiral, that's enough!" Commander Koko Ci interjected. "We have discussed about this issue. Let him go this instant."

Silence was filled in the room, and no one dared to speak.

Finally Tarung exhaled and slowly let go Fang.

"Fine then, to business." And he then stomped towards Koko Ci's left side.

"Now I'll be skipping the formalities because we got ourselves a mission. It will take place on..."

While the admiral discusses about the mission, Boboiboy and Ochobot are having a quiet chit-chat about Fang.

"So, Ochobot, what do you think?" Boboiboy asked.

"I don't know," the power sphere shrugged. "I've never seen Fang act like this before."

“Yeah, ever since—"

“—the solo mission given by Captain Kaizo four months ago," Ochobot finished.

Boboiboy nodded. “I remembered Fang was cheerful to accept the task. He even bragged about it, and it really annoyed me much."

“Yeah, but now he is becoming so... distant to everyone. Cold, ignorant, mysterious. And he has already gotten used to his tablet as his only company."

“What really happened during his mission?" Boboiboy wondered aloud.

“Could've there been another argument between him and Captain Kaizo?" Ochobot suggested. “Fang must've endured so much during his training with his brother."

His friend shook his head. “No, that's not possible. They should be in good terms right now. Maybe he's still stressed because of his solo mission."

“But it has been a week after his return and his actions are making him more stressed out." Ochobot pointed out. “Fang shouldn't be like that for a long time."

Boboiboy thought for a moment. “Unless... he might be—"

“Hey, Boboiboy!" Ying shouted.

“Yes?" Boboiboy turned back and saw his friends looking at him.

“What do you think of our plan for the mission?" Yaya asked.

Boboiboy scratched his head. “Uhhh... what was your plan again?"

His 3 friends (including Papa Zola) suddenly fainted on the spot, while the commander and admiral slapped their own faces in disapproval.

“Boboiboy," Bellbot called. “You should listen to our plans carefully."

“Meow." Cattus agreed.

"Ugh... why is my little disciple of justice like this?..." Papa Zola murmured.

"Umm... We will just tell him our plans later," Yaya quickly suggested to Admiral Tarung. "There is still time for us to double check our plan before we execute it."

Tarung strongly nodded. "Very well. Tell Boboiboy the plan."

"Yes, Admiral!" Yaya replied, then saluted again.

"And better tell Fang too," Admiral Tarung added. "I bet he wasn't listening to the—"

Crrriiinnggg! Crrriiinnggg!

Everyone was instantly alerted by the sound, this time Fang participated too.

"Huh, what's that noise?" Boboiboy asked.

"Is that the fire alarm?" Gopal nervously guessed. "Aaaahh!! Duck, Cover, and Hold!"

"Eeshhh! That's not a fire alarm!" Commander Koko Ci shouted, then he pressed another button that revealed...

"A telephone!!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Tsk! I thought it was something important." Fang said, then go back to his tablet.

Commander Koko Ci sighed and answered the phone. "SOS urgently speaking."

Boboiboy looked back at Gopal, but he just shrugged.

"Aha! I remember now!" Ying said as she snapped her fingers.

"What is it, Ying?" Boboiboy asked.

"Do you remember our written tests about TAPOPS?"

Gopal thought for a second, then smiled. "Nothing I can recall."

Boboiboy shook his head.

However Yaya's eyes brightened in realization. "Ohhh... That one with the telephone."

Ying nodded. "According to the tests, there are three ways on how you can call TAPOPS."

"One is the customer service hotline," Yaya stated.

"Two is the SOS signal," Ying stated another. "And three—"

"Don't tell me," Boboiboy interrupted while pointing at the telephone. "That one is our third communication."

"Yep, that's the one." Yaya smiled.

Gopal scratched his head. "But what is so special with that?"

"If a person wants to talk to a TAPOPS member secretly," Ying explained. "He/she can contact through that telephone so that both sides won't be traced by their enemies. Once they are done talking to each other, that telephone erases the other end's number and viceversa."

"Wow, that's awesome." Boboiboy said.

Gopal cleared his throat. "So who do you think is talking to Commander Koko Ci?"

"Probably one of our allies," Yaya guessed as she crossed her arms. "It can't be our enemies, so it must be them for sure."

"But who?" Gopal asked again.

"Good. That's all. SOS signing out," Commander Koko Ci said, then put down the telephone.

"Who was that, Commander?" Admiral asked.

"That was Captain Kaizo speaking," Koko Ci replied. "And he is requesting Fang's presence on Hangar 2."

All eyes looked at Fang, who was quietly staring at his tablet.

"I'm not going," he simply said.

"But that's your brother," Ying argued.

"Still not going."

"Boy," Admiral Tarung started. "If you don't get your sorry butt out, I will—"

"Admiral," the little commander interrupted again, then he looked back at Fang.

"This matter ,Fang, concerns with Operation 5862."

That got the shadow user's attention. "Operation 5862?"

Koko Ci nodded. "At least that is what Captain Kaizo says."

Fang thought for a minute, then stiffly nodded. "Okay, I will be there."

And he swiftly left the room with his table.