Sick Bird

Rest. No. Rest. No.

Scar pov

I was getting a little frustrated with Grian. After we had gotten out of Xisuma's office and back to my house—since Grian's house was, well, compromised—Grian still wasn't resting. He kept using his power to either conceal himself or to check the locator map he had. I tried to soothe him so he could rest. But nope! He didn't want to rest. He was so worried about Mumbo and Ren. My frustration gradually turned into worry. I didn't know if he could tell how they were doing or not, but he looked so lonely as he stared at the red wisps on the map.

With a worried look at Grian, I noticed he had his wings wrapped around him, with his cheek on his knee. He watched the map like he was looking through it, his eyes a bit hazy. I didn't know what he was doing, so I grabbed a blanket and covered him up. I'll be honest... I couldn't tell if he was sleeping or not, but his unblinking eyes made me uncomfortable. However, he wasn't watching me; he was watching the magic globe.

Grian closed his eyes after the globe had disappeared. He blinked a few times, clearing the haze from his eyes. He looked so tired and confused, murmuring something in a language I didn't know. I was cooking, so I wasn't able to fully hear what he said. I was making dinner, seeing as we needed to eat.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear Grian get up and walk into the kitchen. He pulled me out of my reverie with a hug. His claws were out, cutting into my stomach a bit, like he was scared. "Grian?" I asked softly. He didn't answer me, just held on tighter. He was shaking a bit, and I felt wetness on my back. I tried to move, but his claws tightened, cutting me a bit more. I winced a bit.

"G... your claws..." I tried to remind him gently. I looked at the food and shut off the burners so it wouldn't burn. As I did this, I felt his claws retract and his fingers return to normal. Once he did that, I turned around and hugged him tightly.

I rested my cheek on his covered head. "Shhh, we will bring them home," I said to him, rubbing his back as his wings were wrapped around me. He was being really passive, but I couldn't blame him. To keep the city from being destroyed, I had Cub go get Doc and bring him here too. Cub had told me that if he died, he would become a ghost and follow me. Luckily for me, he got Doc to get in the car, and they were on their way here.

I was a bit conflicted... Doc was a really bad villain, and so was the man in my arms. I was honestly confused about how I ended up in this situation. Soon, I'd be making sure two villains were rested, fed, and watered, then hoping they both would work with me to get Mumbo and Ren back.

Grian let out a chirp, making me look at him. He was under the heavy blanket, glancing at the door, which made me pull away from him, but he didn't want to let me go. "Grian, if you want me to check it out, you've got to let me go," I said, trying to hide the smile in my voice. He seemed annoyed but reluctantly let me go, cuddling more into the blanket as he followed me to the door. I checked the peephole before opening it.

The scent of gunpowder hit me first. I opened the door a bit wider and greeted, "Hey, Doc." The villain stepped inside, his presence almost palpable despite the scent of explosives lingering in the air. I nearly forgot that creepers don’t like cats, but Doc seemed unbothered, his focus elsewhere.

Cub followed close behind, and as soon as he was inside, he wrapped his arms around me tightly. His body was trembling, and I could feel the fear radiating off him. "I thought my car was going to blow up," he whispered urgently, his voice a mix of panic and relief. Poor Cub looked terrified, his usual composure completely shattered. I gently patted his back, trying to offer some comfort while glancing at Doc, who was taking in the surroundings with a wary but composed demeanor.

I looked at Doc, who was being scrutinized by Grian. Grian's eyes were a bright purple, as if he were scanning Doc for something specific. After a moment, Grian seemed to find nothing amiss and, with a sigh of relief, wrapped his arms around his creeper friend.