#sooo gooodd

“The cure IS blowing up the shopping district, genius!” Bdubs growled and leaned over the desk challenging his boss. “Shoot the laser, send the antifungal, and watch ‘em dry up. You asked Grumbot for a plan and that’s the one he gave us. So do it!”

Mumbo’s dark eyes glared back, but his lip quivered under the advisor’s gaze. His facade chipped apart like broken machinery, emotions falling back into disarray.

“I can’t do it, Bdubs. I can’t. I can’t kill him after we’ve recovered so many others. He just has a different strand of the infection! Something we haven’t cultured a strong enough drug for yet. If you’d just give me more time to-”

“Time to what? Let the dead scientists keep working? Ask Cub for some skulk? Scar crippled us when he infected the lab and we’re all outta time.” He pulled out his pocket watch for added emphasis.

The golden sheen reflected movement outside the room. Mumbo glanced behind him to see Grian stumbling through the hall in a trance.

“Grian wait!”

The words fell on deaf ears as Mumbo rushed forward, Bdubs on his heels. Grian pushed the door open and a gust of heavy, wet air swept inside of town hall. An overcast gray sky groaned with rain. Wind whipped the once diamond studded trees until their leaves blew off and fell at the foot of a certain man in a purple vest.

“Afternoon Mumbo, Bdubs!” He waved, pulling one hand off his cane. “Lovely day for a stroll isn’t it?”

Mumbo gripped Grian’s arm to hold him back, but the bird wasn’t moving. Instead, he stared lovingly at the monster before them, eyes heavy with purple fog. His wings drooped and fanned out behind him in a display of submission. Fans of shelf fungi peeked out from between his dull feathers and clouds of spores fell out as he puffed them gently.

“Mister mayor! Get away from him!” Bdubs yanked Mumbo back and knocked the sticky pollen off his hands. Despite his size, he manhandled the mayor until Mumbo’s arms were pinned behind his back.

“Grian! Bdubs, stop! You cant’-!Grian!!!”

The words didn’t have much meaning coming from his lips. Scar chuckled and tapped his cane on the pavement.

“Just thought I’d stop by to give you a referendum.” He purred. “The Mycelium Resistance is ready to strike. You have until Friday to submit and join us because on Saturday we’ll be busy celebrating our victory. But I’m not saying this as a threat! Oh no, no, no. Quite the opposite in fact! This is an opportunity for you!”

“You really should listen, Mumbo.” Grian sighed dreamily. “If only you could know this wonder, this feeling of… connection. Pleasure. Love…”

Father Spore hummed in agreement.

“As my sweet sporeling said, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I take good care of my children. You’ll have everything you could ever want or dream of. The Mycelium welcomes all and only grows on you.” He smirked at his own pun. “I know that you miss him, Mumbo. He’s such a pretty thing. But as you see, he’s come to his senses. Come along now Grian.”

Mumbo struggled helplessly watching the bird descend the stairs and run happily into Father Spore’s embrace. Grian nuzzled against Scar’s vest affectionately, breathing in deeply the scent of earth, moisture, and sweet tinges of lust that floated off him.

“So beautiful,” Scar mused, idly running his hand through Grian’s unkempt, mushroom-laced wings. Green eyes locked with Mumbo’s and Scar slid his hand down Grian’s back, making a show of caressing his ass. Grian moaned at the touch and rocked against Scar’s hips.

“So close to perfection, my songbird. I can’t wait to fill you again; hear you beg and plead for more of Daddy’s cock…”

“BASTARD!”

Scar snickered while Bdubs gripped the mayor tighter.

“This is what peace looks like,” he said calmly, snaking his arm around Grian’s waist. “Join us Mumbo, or I’ll make that incident at the lab look like a birthday party compared to this Friday. You have five days.”

Father Spore turned on his heel and walked away with Grian held lovingly at his side.

“Mumbo! Mumbo! It’s okay! Stop listening to him! Calm down!”

The mayoral assistant was having a hard time restraining the thrashing mayor.

“Okay?! He’s being bloody kidnapped! And if you don’t let go of me this instant, Grian’s going to be-”

“Grian is GONE your mayorship! Didn’t ya see how he waltzed right into Scar’s arms? There’s nothing left! His brain’s turned to soup!”

The mayor looked on as the pair turned out of sight and vanished. A single, shoddy feather blew across the pavement before the wind carried it away and the hush of rain fell over the shopping district. He was gone. He was gone. Mumbo knew it, but his tongue refused to admit it.

When his struggles died down, Bdubs slowly let go and placed a hand on Mumbo’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, mayor. I really am sorry...”

He wanted to respond to Bdubs, he really did, but instead Mumbo’s trembling legs gave up and sank to his knees on the concrete porch.