Sick Bird

Hope

Scar pov:

The original plan was to go on the mission with Poultry Man helping us get in, but he didn't show up for hours. We waited, getting more worried by the minute, but we eventually had to go ahead without him. There were a few hiccups since we weren't fully prepared, but we managed to save Ren and Mumbo.

When we finally got out, Poultry Man was still missing. And it was just in time, too, because a fire broke out in the building and things started exploding. Mumbo was really weak from hunger, so we had to take care of him. We ended up staying in that school for a few days until the chaos died down, but Poultry Man never showed up.

Ren and Doc were just happy to see each other again, but Mumbo was still disoriented and malnourished. Once he started getting his bearings, his confusion turned to concern when we explained what had happened. He was especially worried about where Poultry Man could be, and honestly, so were we. The whole situation just left us on edge.

Xisuma noticed my concern and Mumbo's improving health. "Did he just abandon us in Japan and take off? That's what it felt like," he started to say, but then the sound of strong wings broke the silence. We all went to check, with Mumbo using me for support. It was Poultry Man, but he looked rough—his sweater was burnt and torn, and he was in the field next to the school, which used to be a garden.

Cub's frustration bubbled up. "Where the hell have you been?" he asked, storming closer to Poultry Man, who didn't even lift his head to look at us. When Cub got closer, his frustration turned to concern. "Hey, are you okay?"

Poultry Man ignored him, continuing with what he was doing. We saw why Cub's anger shifted: Poultry Man was only working with one arm, his other in a sling and heavily bandaged, showing severe burn marks. His hair was singed in several spots, and his mask was scorched and partially melted. His face, visible through the damaged mask, was bruised and covered in soot. His harness, normally used to carry his throwing knives, was singed and barely holding together. His clothes were shredded, revealing cuts and bruises all over, and his ankle was heavily wrapped, making it difficult for him to move.

As he limped around the garden, it was clear he had been through something harrowing. His movements were slow and labored, each step causing him visible pain. The sight of him in such a battered state left us all in shock and heightened our worry about what he had faced while he was away.

He continued to move around the garden, eventually finishing what he was working on, and then lay down next to it, looking completely exhausted. Cub went to check on him, but as soon as he stepped through what Poultry Man had created, he disappeared, making us all anxious. We quickly texted him—thankfully, technology was still on our side. Surprisingly, he replied, saying that he was at home safe somehow. He also told us to check on Poultry Man because he thought he saw him bleeding.

This prompted Xisuma and his brother to walk towards Poultry Man, but they couldn’t avoid the thing Poultry Man had created and both ended up getting teleported back home as well.

Ren, using his keen canine instincts, carefully navigated the garden, avoiding the traps that had caught the others. Step by step, he made his way to Poultry Man without triggering anything. When he reached him, he saw the extent of Poultry Man’s injuries up close. The burns were severe, his harness was singed, his clothes were shredded, and his ankle was heavily wrapped and bleeding. Ren knelt beside him, gently checking his pulse and looking for any other injuries. Poultry Man was conscious but barely responsive, clearly exhausted and in pain.

"He's alive, but Cub is right. He's bleeding a lot, and his burns are fresh. He might have been in the explosion a few days ago," Ren called to us. Mumbo, pulling away from me, carefully made his way over to Poultry Man, being absolutely cautious not to set off any traps. I was concerned he might fall, but he managed to reach Poultry Man, laying down next to him and gently removing Poultry Man's hand from whatever he was holding.