the feathers in our veins (scarian superhero au)

003. A shadows absence

It had been three days since Jimmy returned home from his business trip, and now it had been nearly two days since anyone had heard from him. Grian sat in the break room before class, finishing his breakfast,  Mumbo sat silently across from him buried deep in grading last-minute papers.

Grian was scrolling on his phone when abruptly he noticed Scott's name flash on his screen, he stared for a moment before answering. Scott rarely called, preferring face-to-face interactions for important matters.

"Hello?" Grian's voice was filled with low concern. He didn't want to overthink anything.

"Grian?" A sigh emanated from the other end of the line, "I'm sorry to bother you, I know you're at work but it's Jimmy." Scott paused and Grians face dropped. "Have you heard from him? I haven't seen him since Monday. I've tried calling, but he won't answer. I'm worried."

Grian's mind raced immediately as he recalled the timeline: he had broken into the archives last Thursday night, two days before was Jimmy's return on Saturday. They all had lunch together on Sunday, and Jimmy went to work on Monday but hadn't returned since. It was now Wednesday.

Grian remained silent for a moment, trying to process the gravity of Scott's words and formulate a response that wouldn't worsen Scott's worry.

Where could Jimmy of gone? It wasn't like him to just disappear without telling anybody.

Out of curiosity, Mumbo glanced up from his papers and noticed Grians tense expression, he raised an eyebrow as his own expression grew concerned.

"Did he mention anything on Monday?" Grian asked, his voice tinged with unease. Just then, Scar entered the break room, wheeling himself in and greeting the two, but quickly realizing Grian was on the phone, he lowered his voice.

"No, everything seemed normal. I called his office before I called you and they told me he was there on Monday but not on Tuesday. I know I probably should have reached out sooner, but you can't officially report someone missing until 48 hours," Scott rambled, the stress evident in his tone.

Grian glanced up at Scar and Mumbo, who were both staring at him with disarray. Feeling embarrassed, he quickly looked away, avoiding their eyes. With just the three of them in the break room, any discomfort was hard to miss.

"Well, it's been 48 hours. You need to call and make a report. Um..." Grian struggled to find the right words, genuinely trying to figure out the best course of action.

"Do you think something happened? What if someone recognized him from the bar and took him?" Scott's apprehensive thoughts only added to Grian's uncertainty.

"I don't know," Grian replied quietly, his voice was beginning to waver. He couldn't afford to take off work on such short notice, but he might be able to manage by leaving instructions for a substitute teacher to cover his classes after lunch. "I have a class in 15 minutes, but afterward, I'll swing by and we can go to the station, alright? I'll come pick you up at 11. Keep trying to call him." Grian instructed.

After the call ended, Grian took a deep breath, aware that his friends were likely still watching him with concern. He turned in his chair, ensuring his expression was composed and gave no cause for further worry.

"Everything alright?" Mumbo was the first to inquire.

"Jimmy's missing," Grian confessed, watching their expressions shift. They both knew Jimmy, as he was a well-known detective and Grian's brother. Without another word, Grian stood up, disposing of his breakfast. "I've got class, I need to go."