Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Oh Grian, wakey wakey!" Said man groaned, rolling over to bury his head in his pillow. He yelped when it was snatched out from under him, blinking blearily as he looked up at his assailant.

Two pairs of eyes gleamed back at him, sharp toothed grins attached to the faces of their owners as Grian stared up at the two vexes with a sense of dread.

"Oh wha- no, you guys!" He whined, wings fluffing out as he begrudgingly sat up. "It's the middle of the night!"

Scar just nodded wildly, his eyes spookily wide as he wheeled forward. Grian slumped when Cub just stepped up behind his partner in crime to hold up a length of rope.

Sighing, he rubbed his hands over his face. “Can I at least get dressed first?”

A pair of wicked grins were his only answer.

"So, tell me why exactly do I have to be tied up?" Grian asked in bemusement, tugging at the restraints that kept him secured to the padded chair.

They really had gone full mad scientists hadn’t they, he mused, eyes darting around the room. Charts were hung on the walls, potions bubbled away in another corner and an entire wall was taken up by bookshelves. Grian would be slightly terrified if literally anyone else had kidnapped him, but

"Because you're our prisoner!" Scar exclaimed, shooting him an admonishing look and wheeling over to check that his knots hadn't come undone. "We have to make sure you don't escape us before we're done!"

"Done with what exactly?" Grian arched an eyebrow. He flicked his eyes to Cub, who was currently preoccupied setting up... something, before turning back to Scar who was now sporting a maniacal grin.

"Why our evil science experiments of course!" Scar clapped his hands, throwing his head back and cackling. Or well, trying to at least. It became more a wheeze halfway through and Cub had to reach over to clap his fellow vex on the back a few times before the man could stop coughing.

"...is that right?" Grian said slowly, biting back a laugh.

He had admittedly been expecting something like this for a while.

Mumbo and Xisuma had both warned him that the Hermits would be curious when he had decided that he was not going to bother to try and hide his Watcher side. While Grian didn't exactly go around telling everyone, he hadn’t exactly been subtle about it either.

(There were only so many times you could have a bunch of purple eyes appear next to you before people started figuring a few things out. Grian had made sure to take full advantage of that fact.)

So Grian was ready to answer whatever questions the Hermits may have. He had expected to have to clear up more than a few misconceptions, far too aware of the reputation his fellow Watchers had managed to gain themselves.

(If Grian ever came face to face with the Watcher who had somehow straddled them with the reputation of kidnapping players to eat them, he was going to have more than a few words for them. That particular rumour had led to so many awkward conversations.)

He had not exactly expected this.

“You know you didn’t need to kidnap me right?” He said dryly as Scar clicked a button and the chair tilted back until Grian was staring at the ceiling. “I would have answered your questions willingly.”

“Maybe.” Cub said as he snapped a pair of gloves on and stepped up beside Grian. “But Mumbo told us you refused to willingly come see Doc or I for a checkup, so we had to get a bit creative.”

Both vex smirked as Grian froze at Cubs words, his eyes widening as he took in the stethoscope in Cubs hands and the various medical instruments laid out behind him.

“Say what now?” He uttered, hoping he had misheard him and knowing he had not. He tugged at the restraints, already reaching for the swirl of power within him, a flurry of eyes opening on his wings as he delved into the code to dissolve the chair and make for his freedom.

Nothing happened.

“X thought you might appreciate a challenge.” Cub added when Grian tried and failed once again. “He’s done something to the chair, apparently a Watcher friend taught him? Its to keep young or new Watchers from accidentally dissolving important things.”

Grian groaned, trying once again before thudding his head back against the chair in defeat. He should have known they wouldn’t give up on this.

“Fine.” He grumbled, resisting the urge to pout. “But I better get a lollipop out of this!”