Sick Bird (Completed)

High School....Ew

(Considering that this is YHS I will put a trigger warning this is a heavy chapter)

Grian pov:

The school—an ominous place I vowed never to set foot in again.

I couldn’t bear the thought of Mumbo and Ren remaining trapped in those abominable cells. Ren seemed relatively okay when I last checked, but Mumbo was a different story. The Watchers were toying with him, manipulating his perception of time so that while only a few days had passed for us, he had logged months of torment.

Everytime my vision grew foggy as I tried to keep watch over them. Now, as we scramble to gather supplies, the urgency weighs heavily.

I strapped on my backpack, desperately trying to hold onto some semblance of normalcy amid the chaos. Scar's worried eyes met mine, but his concern only deepened the mystery. I tilted my head and let out a soft, anxious chirp, my heart pounding as I wrestled with the impending dread.

I had worked so hard to bury my past, only to be dragged back into its horrors. Now, I was forced to use that infernal place as a means to rescue Mumbo and Ren. Scar was clad in his hero outfit while I wore my villain garb. "Are you okay, Birdie?" Scar's question hung in the air, and I merely nodded before opening the portal to Japan—far from the school to protect the others.

Everyone gathered their things and stepped through, leaving just Scar and me. He hesitated at the portal’s edge, clearly torn. Though I knew Scar's heart was in the right place, this wasn't the moment for emotional conversations. I gave him a gentle but firm push, sending him through the portal, and followed him.

The weight of the situation bore down on me, yet I pushed it aside as best I could. Part of the plan involved disguising us as school kids, uniforms and all. I summoned my powers, conjuring the old YHS uniforms I knew all too well. Taking Scar by the hands, I closed my eyes and let the magic flow through us. In an instant, our appearances shifted; our gear remained intact but hidden beneath the illusion of school attire.

The familiar uniforms filled me with dread, stirring memories I wasn't ready to confront. Still holding Scar's hand, I felt a small measure of comfort, though I knew he didn't need me to constantly guide him. "Alright, Scar and I will scout ahead to that old school building, see if it's suitable for what we need," I told the group before starting to walk off, Scar obediently following. Xisuma and the others called after us, urging us to stay safe. The magic of our transformation still shimmered around us, a fragile barrier.

"Grian," Scar began, clearly wanting to talk as we walked to the school, but I stayed silent, only giving him a sidelong glance. I didn't want to discuss anything. "Are you okay? You're acting really off," he commented, which made me stop and genuinely look at him instead of the sidelong glances I had been giving. He took my hands in his, and I just stared at them.

"I'm fine... Now is not the time for this type of conversation. We need to make sure the school is clear," I said, trying to push the conversation aside. But he didn't like that. I tried to pull my hands away, but his grip was firm.

"G... You're crying," he said softly, making me realize that tears were streaming down my face. I tried to ignore it. "Ignore it," I mumbled, wiping my eyes on my sleeve since I couldn't pull my hands away without hurting him. I didn't want to hurt him.

I pulled myself together and gently pulled away from him, careful not to cause him any harm, but I could still see the hurt in his eyes, no matter what I did. "We shouldn't be too far now. The school should be right around the corner," I said, trying to sound composed as I quickly made my way toward the school. Scar followed silently, the unspoken words hanging heavily between us, the weight of our pasts and the urgency of our mission pressing down on us both.