TAWOG: Instinct

The Stratagem

The Stratagem

The Watterson's, and Penny, were left with no other choice but to mill around Tina's (currently unoccupied) room while Carrie consulted that massive foreboding book that apparently had extensive details about Green within its pages. As it turns out, exorcism was off the table. Unlike Jealousy, who had been a physical manifestation of Gumball's envy and could be expelled like an illness, the abyssalis cat was rooted in Gumball's very DNA and was just as much a part of him as his DNA. They could no more expel the abyssalis cat from Gumball than they could remove all his blood or a vital organ. That means they had to find another solution, and the best place, if not the only place, to find answers was in that book. 

They'd taken to just trying to distract themselves by whatever means while Carrie researched, be it looking at their phones(Gumball's phone had been brought along and given back to him), making casual conversation, or; in Anais’s case, reading the physics book she'd brought along. Gumball, though, was really bouncing on his heels, the situation putting him on such an edge he couldn't even scroll through his phone. As a Watterson, he was no stranger to being at the center of some of the chaotic happenings in Elmore, but Green’s intentions were on a different scale altogether in comparison. Before, his family was merely viewed as nuisances who’s shenanigans would cause collateral, financial or even physical damage, lower property value, or just be plain annoying, but Green didn't just want the casual Watterson mischief.

From everything learned, he wanted full on warfare, with very real casualties, the kind that results in genuine loss of life, with Gumball at the center of it as the catalyst, one side wanting to hurt, or even kill him, the other side wanting to protect him. It was a surreal feeling with differing levels of anxiety and fear. Fear for his own safety if someone were to try to hurt him, fear for those closest to him, who would undoubtedly get hurt if they tried to protect him, and fear of what may happen if it came down to a fight and he'd have no choice but to defend himself. He remembered what he did to those animals in the forest. Could Gumball bring himself to do that to another person if it came down to it? Would he even have a choice, were he to be attacked as the abyssalis cat? Unlike Gumball, that creature had no reservations about killing, especially in self defense.

Thinking about all these foreboding facts was almost too much for Gumball to take. If he didn't figure out a way to calm down soon he feared he may have a coronary. Then relief came when he felt some take hold of his left hand. Looking up, Gumball saw Penny standing next to him, having gently taken his hand into herself and giving him a supportive and reassuring smile. Gumball couldn't help but smile in appreciation as he looked up at her, losing himself in her tranquil eyes. Apparently, even in the most dire of circumstances, the incomprehensible beauty of his girlfriend was still enough to ease his rushing thoughts and instill a sense of calm in him. Though his worries didn't ease entirely. After all, she could still get hurt because of the unfolding situation. 

Especially if she was bent on defending him when things got…violent.

“Okay,” Carrie suddenly said, looking up from the book. “I've gone over everything pertaining to Green in the book.”

Penny and the Watterson's surrounded her in an instant. “And?” they all inquired at once.

Carrie looked at them all individually before saying, “And I think I know how we can stop him.”

Everyone cheered.

“Alright, what do we do?” asked Penny enthusiastically. 

Gumball would have followed her up with some retort of his own as well, but he had found himself unable to when his girlfriend suddenly swept him up in another bone crushing hug that squeezed the air from his lungs. Not that he minded. After all he'd been through the last few days he relished her every touch.