The land was dark and desolate; a barren field with the only evidence of humanity being the rubble and debris of buildings as far as the eye can see. That was all the world was now; just shattered remnants of what once was. Humanity destroyed itself. It all started with the Gloom; it changed humans and made them evil and attack one another. First came the panic. Then the riots. After that the wars broke out and the anarchy until most of the humans were wiped from existence along with everything else which was blown to bits. Now, there's only few humans left who are struggling to survive.

 

A young boy of age five with markings of bones on his body and a sugar skull on his face was searching through the ruins of what once was a two story building. The Gloomified wildlife was too busy trying to kill another poor soul so the boy had time time to search for supplies. He needed some kind of medication for a dying man he called his father. With nothing but tattered pants and a satchel the boy was on his knees searching through the rubble for some kind of item he could give to his father so he could feel better.

"Por favor..." The boy sniffled, wiping away thick tears that ran down his face as he searched. The tears dampened the ends of his scruffy brown colored hair.

"Por favor... Por favor... Mi Papa..."

Edited March 17, 201510 yr by Awuwa7KH

 

"Yes." Grim said. He instantly ran off, encountering Befana on the way, who shrieked and almost dropped her papers. "God dammit." She hissed, watching Grim learn his new trick from the trip as he tried to crawl around the cieling before jumping down the stairs. Befana walked into the room to see that Stiles had arrived as well. "Hey. Enjoyed the trip? I heard you were stuck with Ded and May. That must've sucked." Befana said. She then frowned at Miguel. "His condition only seemed to worsen. The medicines we do have aren't working. All we could do was keep him hydrated. We have been prioritizing some medicine making, but Nature insists on making sure we have enough plants of the type to even make one." Befana muttered under her breath. "But he's a stubborn person so he'll make it." She stood in silence as she walked over to Nicholas, gently rubbing his back as she could tell he was beyond exhausted. "Hey Nick, why don't you take a small nap?" Befana said. The kid had been awake for hours. A few minutes later Grim came in dragging a mattress while holding a sleeping April in one hand. He set the mattress on the floor and gently settled April down. He picked it the pink bunny from the backpack and hovered it over April. April muttered in her sleep, feeling something soft. She moved her hands, and grabbed the bunny, quickly hugging it as she returned to sleep. "Come on Nicholas. Time for bed." Grim said as he moved on the mattress, making sure there was enough space for the three. "We'll stay with Miguel together."

(I think you meant Ash not April

 

Nicholas wasn't really in the right mindset to do anything right now, especially thinking. He just blinked slowly and nodded in response to Befana's question. "....Uhuh..." As soon as Grim bought in the mattresses however, Nicholas slowly waddled over to it and plopped himself right on it. He was already asleep within minutes.

 

Meanwhile Stiles ran a hand through his hair. "It was fine." He said. Right now his attention was to Miguel and his family. "That's all we can do right now, unfortunately... The only way to treat the illness is to keep him as hydrated as we can. But he's unable to keep up. I agree however. Miguel is stubborn and will not let himself die in such a way."

-

Sadly, the sleep lasted only a few hours. Similar to the other night, Grim was waken up by a small shake to the shoulder with a tiny hand. There stood Nicholas, rubbing his right eye.

"There's blood on Miguel's sheets..." He said silently. "He isn't walking up..."

 

(Dammit yeah)

 

Grim's eyes shot open, the blackness of his eyes slowly fading to show his red iris. His tail slowly moved up, Grim sitting up ever so gently as he looked down at Nicholas. "Not waking up? Maybe he's just asleep?" Grim asked. He rubbed Nicholas' head. "Stay here, I'll go check." Grim said as he stood up and walked over to Miguel's bed, watching his step as he walked up to Miguel's side. He didn't even need to see it, his enhanced senses allowed him to smell the blood from where he stood. He turned to Miguel, shaking him slightly. "Hey, Miguel? Wake up. We need to change you, there's blood on the sheets again." No answer. Not even a shuffle or a groan. Panic slowly settled in. "C-Come on, Miguel. You can at least complain to me about five more minutes." Grim said with a small smile as he shook Miguel harder. Still no response. His tail started to freak out for him, waving itself around like a rattlesnake's tail would to warn off enemies. It suddenly straightened and sharpened in response to what Grim was feeling. "Miguel, come on, wake up buddy!" Grim insisted. The gloom and the adrenaline started to rush. "Miguel wake up NOW!" Grim demanded his tail slamming down against the nearest end table, basically crushing it. Ash was shot awake by the loud noise. "What?! I didn't do anything!" Ash screamed.

Nicholas was very startled by the sudden panic and noise. He was afraid that there was something really wrong with Miguel. It was Grim's panic that confirmed it. Nicholas immediately began to sob and placed his hands tightly on his ears.

"S-Stop!" He cried, and went to grab Grim. "You're scaring me!!! He's gonna wake up!!!"

It didn't take long for Stiles to arrive. He appeared almost instantly in response to the sudden screaming.

"What's wrong?!" Stiles asked loudly before his gaze settled on Miguel. Almost immediate his mind pieced together what was going on. He quickly slid over to Miguel and pressed his fingers to Miguel's neck. "I can't feel a pulse..." He muttered to himself before bending over to hover his cheek over Miguel's mouth. He narrowed his eyes and looked to Grim. Stiles went forward and tried to hold Grim back to calm him down.

"He's breathing! He's breathing!" He yelled. The only other sounds was Nicholas sobbing and Ash's scream.

"He's alive! Please calm down!"

Grim snapped his head at Stiles, the tail spiked up and already pointing at him the moment he touched Grim. But gratefully, reason triumphed over the panic, calming down once he heard he was breathing. "He's...breathing...ok." Grim said, his tail smoothing down as it became it's usual cat like self. He turned to Nicholas who was crying, and Ash who was holding the bunny as she has absolutely no idea what was going on. "Ahh...I'm sorry I panicked." Grim said smiling, his usual self returning as he knelt down and kisses Nicholas' head. "No need to worry, ok? Sorry I scared you." Grim said with a purr. Miguel was all he had left. He would of course panic at any small sign that he might not be alright. "You go back to sleep, alright? I'll stay up and keep watch on Miguel. No worries, yes?" Grim assured as he rubbed his head against Nicholas gently. Outside the door both Jack and Befana breathed sighs of relief, lowering down their taser guns. Had Grim gone any further to harm someone...the two would have jumped right in to lock him up. It wouldn't be the first time it had happened. Wouldn't be the last. Grim looked up at Stiles innocently. "Thanks for checking on him."

Nicholas continued to sob for a while. After a few minutes however he quieted down only for the reason that he was exhausted and had no more tears to shed. Slowly Nicholas nodded and plopped himself in the bed in a tiny little ball.

Stiles knew very well there were probably weapons at the doorway. He didn't even have to face the doorway to know. After all, for a camp of survivors there must be a way of security even if it is questionable. You have to do certain things to protect the people. Stuff like this was an example. When Grim grabbed him he didn't even fight of flinch; he just let Grim do whatever. The good thing however was the fact that Grim was able to calm down. Stiles looked over to Miguel one more time, then gently dragged him to the medicine room.

"He's alive but... He's dying." Stiles muttered. "I will not lie to you.

The words hit Grim like knives. Dying? Desperation kicked in. Miguel couldn't die...he wouldn't allow it. He was his brother. His hermano. The only family he had left in the entire world. There was Ash and Nicholas, which he loved very dearly. But without Miguel...without Miguel surviving this damned world didn't felt worth it. "D...Dying..." Grim whispered. His tail began to shake rapidly again. He kept his calm, currently. Though he himself didn't know how long it would last. "There...there must be a way." Grim hissed, getting closer to Stiles. "Stiles there has to be something. We can't let him die! There has to be a method, a medicine, a cure, something, anything to get him better! Please tell me there's something, anything!" Grim begged, his eyes wide in despair. "If there's not a medicine here, there must be medicine somewhere out there. Or an ingredient...even Gloom!" Yes. He would go as far as to infect his own brother with the disease that had rotten this world to the core. He was at the verge of dying anyways...what if he was like him? Then he would live..."Stiles. He's the only one I have left in this world. My parents are gone, only pictures left behind. I will do anything. Just give me an order, anything. Please Stiles!"

Stiles was taken aback at Grim's reaction. Years ago be would have expected it. Stiles almost forgot after all those years of being alone how desperate your family could make you. After thinking about it for a moment, Stiles understood Grim completely. If his daughter was alive and was the in the same situation, Stiles would do whatever it took to save her. Hell, he would travel to the ends of the earth just to see her smile. The medic tried his best to calm the young man down. He placed his hands on Grim's shoulders.

"...There is no cure, Grim." Stiles said softly. It was true. "E. coli can't even be treated for the most part. All anyone could do is try to keep Miguel hydrated. This sickness killed many enforce the Gloom even started because of the fact that there's no real treatment for it." He was going to continue, but Grim proposed the crazy idea of using Gloom as a cure. It was insane, however it was the only way. Yes there was no actual Gloom injection to cure diseases without the Gloom symptoms, getting Miguel infected with pure Gloom was his only chance. Stiles slowly nodded and looked Grim right in his eyes.

"Then you must make a choice." He said. "Infect Miguel with Gloom, or hope he survives. Both choices could ensure that he lives, and both choices ensures that he dies."

Grim growled loudly. No cure, and Gloom was the only other thing that could heal him, which had a 50/50 chance of either saving him or killing him off, turning him into one of those things from hell. "I can't decide that...!" Grim hissed, getting Stiles' shoulder off him. "I can't be the one to decide that...Miguel has to. He..." Grim muttered. What if he made the wrong choice? Then Miguel's death would be on him. He didn't want that. Yet if he didn't decide soon, Miguel would die and it would also be on him. Grim gritted his teeth, turning away from Stiles as he walked back inside the room. He got over to Miguel's side, taking his hand in his and purring as he rested his head down. "Miguel...you have to decide on this...I can't possibly be the one to decide...what if I make the wrong choice?" Grim whispered. He gripped Miguel's hand tightly. "I won't let you die, Miguel, I promise you that." Befana and Jack walked over to Stiles. "Stiles, are you alright? Did he cut you with his tail anywhere?" Befana asked, ready to do an emergency cleaning were it to be the case. "He seems fine, besides, Grim wouldn't do that...I think." Jack added. "In Gloomed state? He could end up killing." Befana scoffed. "Not Grim!" Jack insisted.

There was no answer from Miguel. Grim was greeted to the silence from his quiet pants and the the sight of his chest rising and falling in the slightest. He barely breathed. Stiles followed Grim right into the room and grabbed him by his shoulders. He glanced over at Jack and Befana. "Just... Stay back." Stiles uttered. "He needs space.... Now..." He looked Grim right in the eyes. "He can't make that choice." Stiles said as he gestured Grim to the dying Miguel. "Miguel doesn't even know we're here in this room. He can't make this decision in this state. You have to make it. You're his closest family member."

Grim's eyes widened in complete sadness. He frowned, looking down at Miguel. He didn't felt that it was his choice yet...Miguel was too weak to choose for himself. "But...what if my choice kills him...what if I make the wrong choice?" Grim asked. He shook his head, looking down at Miguel. He was...much too weak. Grim had never seen him like this before, and it hurt him to see him this way. The life of his laughter and smile wasn't there. Just...dullness and tiredness. It was truly now a choice between life and death, both choices were he to make could have 50 percent of survival. It was a game of luck, a gamble, and there was no shortcut or assurance that he could, or that would win. Just luck and patience. "Miguel..." Grim gritted his teeth, looking up. What would he do? What should he do? He had to do something soon or else...face to lose him without a second chance. Grim pondered for a bit. He slowly nodded, turning to Stiles with a sad expression. "I..." Grim gulped. "...I'm injecting the gloom." He wondered if Miguel would hate him. For injecting him with such a disease that had taken everything away from them both. From this world. But what other choice does he have? "Even if the Gloom kills him...it's better than to watch him just sit here and die slowly..." Grim hissed. There was truly no choice. No chance whatsoever. Grim bent over, rubbing his forehead against Miguel's. "I'm sorry..." Grim muttered. He then proceeded to lean in and kiss Miguel right on the lips. The gloom did its work, it spread from Grim's mouth, much like a virus, a parasite, and entered into Miguel's body through the throat. It invaded every corner of his body. Every vain, every bone...

Stiles decided to take a step back to let Grim have a few moments to think. It was a very hard decision. Stiles himself had to make a similar decision when he was faced with the choice to let his daughter suffer and most likely die from Gloom, or give her mercy and end the suffering all together. Stiles decided to give her mercy. Mercy with a bullet. It was a tough decision, one that still have him nightmares but he did it. At first he regretted it, but over time he lived with it. It wasn't until he met Grim when he actually didn't regret it. There was no way Stiles could've let his little girl suffer. He watched as Grim went froward and infected his little brother.

As soon as Grim infected Miguel, the results were immediate. It didn't look too good for however he began to breathe heavily, and gasp in between. His body began to shake, and his back arched in pain. Here and there he would make low pitiful whimpers. His body tensed up and his nails clawed so hard at the sheets his knuckles turned white. It was then that Stiles took a step forward to hold Grim by the shoulders back.

"We have to wait for the Gloom to take its course..." He whispered softly.

Meanwhile soft quiet sobs could be heard. Nicholas was laying in the bed facing the wall. His body was shivering and shaking due to his sobbing. "..."

Ash hugged Nicholas tightly. She didn't want to look back. She was afraid to. She hid her face in Nicholas' back. She worried that if she looked back, she wouldn't see the Miguel and Grim she loved and cared for. She would see...something else. Yet she refused to cry. She had to stay strong. She had always stayed strong since the beginning of the journey, she wasn't going to stop now. She rubbed Nicholas' back. "It's ok..." She whispered, holding onto the pink rabbit plushie in her other arm. "Everything...will...be ok..." Ash whispered, though she couldn't decide if she was saying it to Nicholas, or to herself. Grim watched with utter worry as his brother's body began to react. It was painful. He knew as such. Being infected was never painless. It would start as a burning pain, your body going through a small seizure like moment. Then you would calm...and then...if you were unlucky, the sickness would kick in with all of its side effects...killing you and turning you...into something else. "Miguel..."He whispered, keeping his distance as Stiles had ordered. "Miguel...please be strong...tu eres fuerte, no te des por vencida!" Grim whispered, clasping his hands together as he watched. Was it the right choice?

Nicholas continued to whimper and shiver. He had no idea what was going to happen within the next fifteen minutes and a part of him didn't even want to find out. He was terrified especially from hearing Miguel's sounds and struggles. He was afraid of what was going to happen next. He hiccuped on his sons and slowly turned around with his eyes shut to wrap his arms around Ash tightly. He didn't dare open his eyes to look at the scene before him.

Meanwhile Miguel gasped a few times and struggled in the slightest on the bed. It wasn't until fifteen minutes later when the sounds and the movement halted. His body went limp. However after another minute, Miguel suddenly gasped for air and opened his eyes. His veins were black as well as the whites of his eyes, revealing black eyes with golden brown irises. He slowly looked to Grim and panted.

"Gua....da...." He breathed.

Stiles watched the scene sadly. There was nothing he could do other than wait. After Miguel opened his eyes however Stiles felt a wave of relief. Miguel was alive.

Grim watched in horror. The minute that Miguel lay still on the bed was the longest minute of his life. It felt like hours, maybe even years. But he woke up, coming back to consciousness and was able to speak, say his nickname to him. Grim gasped, feeling tears form at the edge of his eyes. "Miguel!" He whispered, throwing his arms around him as he pulled him close. "Oh thank god! It worked it worked! You're alright! You're alive!" Grim squealed, hugging Miguel and never wanting to let go. He kissed Miguel's head and cheeks and face and hugged him once more. "I'm so sorry, Miguel! I should've stayed with you and taken care of you! I'm sorry that I had to infect you with gloom too...but you're alive...you truly are alive and you're here and you aren't going to leave!" Grim cheered as he practically threw himself over Miguel. Ash held Nicholas in a tight hug, closing her eyes with him. She only opened them and looked back a bit when she heard Grim cheering of how Miguel had survived. She gasped a bit. "He's ok...!!!" Grim hugged Miguel and looked up at Stiles smiling as he wagged his tail almost like a dog when it was happy. "He's ok!" He squeaked.

Miguel was very tired, and disoriented. He didn't even remember what the hell happened over the past few days, let alone going to the auction. All he really remember was just throwing up then nothing. Everything else was just fuzzy and... Mush. He grunted softly when Grim threw himself on him. Miguel reached up his hand to pat his head.

"Guada...." Miguel muttered tiredly. "Of coarse I'm alive... What are you... Talking about..."

Stiles was happy to see Grim happy and Miguel alive. Still, they couldn't be celebrating too soon.

"He's gonna need some rest. And I'm sorry to say but... There's still a possibility the Gloom will change him. We won't know until at least a few weeks to a month if he's in the clear."

Nicholas continued to cry. He knew everything was okay but he still cried. He didn't know why. He just did. "..." His heart was pounding.

Ash hugged tightly onto Nicholas. Grim smiled and rubbed his forehead against Miguel. He frowned at Stiles' comment, shaking his head a bit. "But...I got to see him again...I can talk to him some more...I can...say goodbye..." Grim murmured. If Miguel was to change due to the gloom and had to be put down...at least he had another chance. Another moment. Another hour with his beloved brother. The only family he had left in this world, and the one he would fight hell for. Grim blinked a few times, before looking up at Miguel, and his eyes rolling to the back of his head, collapsing backwards as his tail began to twitch, now Grim sleeping where he had fallen down. "Exhaustion. Should've brought an extra mattress." Befana hissed from the doorway as she walked in. She waved at Stiles. "Come on, you need some sleep too. Lets let them sleep." She insisted, looking over at Miguel. "You have been infected...consider yourself under watch from now on..." Befana said with a small glare. Jack watched with a frown, turning as he walked away. Tomorrow there would be alot to do.

Miguel was still confused as to why everyone was freaking out. What the hell happened to him? Miguel wasn't in pain or anything. He just felt exhausted as if his body ran an entire marathon. Other than that he felt fine. He smiled as Grim rubbed his head against his, but jumped in his bed once Grim collapsed.

"G-Guada!" He was about to jump off of the bed, before Stiles held him back gently. Even if Stiles didn't hold him back, Miguel probably wouldn't have made it off of the bed anyway. He felt paralyzed.

"He will be fine ja? Like Befana said; he needs rest. We're all tired." Stiles had to admit it. He was pretty shocked himself when Grim collapsed. He thought Grim dropped dead for a moment before he heard snoring. Miguel looked at Befana with shock.

"I'm infected?" Miguel asked. He looked down at his arms to see the black veins. It was strange... So this is what it was like.

"I don't feel... Anything." He muttered. He sniffed the air, and winced. "But I smell something freaking nasty ugh..."

"That would be you. You might've defecated yourself again and you haven't showered or taken a bath in days." Befana hissed. Jack chuckled from behind the wall. "However just like Stiles had mentioned. So far you are alright, but the gloom is unpredictable. We do not know if it will change you in the next couple of days or weeks. Until then you must understand that you will be under supervision for the sake of you not loosing control. Just following protocol." Befana explained. Jack peeked back in. "Other than that you should totally be fine. Grim and the children had been worried sick about you for days on end. Nicholas and Ash even took turns to watch over you and make sure you were still breathing." Jack explained. "Right, it's 4 in the morning...I need some sleep..." Befana said with a yawn, turning away. "Until tomorrow, Miguel. Wrap up what you need to do and let them sleep, Stiles. I need to fill up a report on what the hell just happened in here or else Time will have my head for sure." Befana said. Jack hummed. "Maybe you should take a shower first though, Miguel." Jack said as he covered his nose playfully.

Miguel still was just as confused as ever. Yeah, he hasn't showered in days but in honestly he usually smelt okay when he didn't get to shower.

"Que?!" He asked, sitting up. "What does 'defecated' mean?! Are you trying to say I smell bad?"

Stiles shook his head with a small sign as he picked up Grim to rest him on the bed. Honestly he wasn't shocked that Miguel didn't know what the word meant.

"It means you how do you say, 'pooped' your pants." He said blankly. Miguel after that looked completely mortified.

"M-Mierda?! Dios mio! My dignigity! I need a blessing!" With that, he hopped out of bed and ran for the shower. The bed where he laid wasn't dirty however. The towel was clean except for sweat.

Stiles rolled his eyes. Miguel wasn't only stubborn but dramatic. He didn't understand how Grim could do it.

"You're a pretty amazing person to be able to put up with that." He said to Grim with a chuckle as he set the sleeping hound next to the bed where Nicholas and Ash lay.

-Next Morning-

 

By the time the sun rose, rumors of Miguel being cured with the transferring of gloom spread like wildfire. It wasn't bad. They were glad that he was healed up. But they all knew that now Miguel was to be supervised around whenever he got near anyone. Any signs that he might be a danger, that he might loose control of his sanity and that could infect others. It was typical protocol, not the first time they've had a recent infected within their walls. They just had to make sure that it wouldn't spread like it originally had when the whole chaos happened. If he died, they would bury his body in a metal coffin and nail it down to make sure the gloom wouldn't get out. Typical protocol. Grim was fast asleep with Ash and Nicholas, his tail wrapped around them protectively, when Jacko slammed the door open. "GOOD MORNING~" He chimed, holding around three different trays filled with breakfast. "I heard the news Miguel is back on his feet and as annoying as ever! So I brought you guys breakfast here! I even made some really soft pudding for Nicholas and Ash but don't tell Befana!" Jacko said playfully. Grim groaned. "Five more minutes..." He murmured. "Five more minutes and the food will get cold! Come on! Miguel, I bet you would wanyt some breakfast?" Jacko asked as he walked over to Miguel on his hospital bed.

Miguel still didn't really understand the gravity of the situation. Yeah, he knew there would be monitoring and all, but he felt completely fine. A part of him honestly didn't even realize he was infected with gloom. It was almost like a strange dream. You know it's real, but it still kinda feels like a dream. One minute he was fighting at an auction, next minute he wakes up and is told not only was he infected with gloom, he also basically died by s****** himself. Lovely. Something he was excited for however, was the breakfast. He was never a huge breakfast eater, as his favorite meal was lunch, however anything sounded good now.

"Sí~" he said with a grin, sitting up. "Estoy muy hambre! Hopefully it's not poisoned."

 

Meanwhile Nicholas was sleeping as a curled up little ball as always. When Jacko came to wake them up, he clutched his blanket close to his face. He was still very frightened from what happened only a few hours ago, and could barely sleep from it. He was unsure why as to why he was so scared even though everyone was fine, but he still was.

"Not poisoned, we concluded that what got you sick was that milk you drank earlier. Besides, even if it was, the gloom would kill it off and keep you safe." Jacko explained. Ash groaned, rubbing her eyes as she looked up, resting her head against Grim's side as she looked at Jacko. "I'm hungry." She said. "Of course." Jack smiled, handing Miguel his breakfast, and giving Ash her breakfast, who began to eat it gleefully. Grim groaned, his tail pulling Nicholas closer to him, as if to keep him safe. Jacko smiled softly. "Oh this is actually a pretty cute. It's like a kitty and his kitten. Come on Grim, let me give Nicholas his breakfast-" Jacko said, kneeling closer until her heard Grim growl like a dog. "-or I can wait. That works too." Jacko said with a smile. Befana peeked in. "Everyone alive? How are you feeling Miguel? Any pains? Are you seeing alright? Do you hear voices in your head? Anything out of the usual? Does human flesh sound good to eat?" Befana asked.

Miguel shook his head to all of Befana's question. The only flesh that looked good to eat was that of animal flesh. Miguel was always a hardcore carnivore but not a cannibal. Still, the teen couldn't help but slam his hand on his face when he heard about the milk. He should've listened to Stiles. Is going to listen to Stiles next time? Most likely not. Luckily he is affected with Gloom already so he can't get poisoned again.

"All I feel is being muy hambre. I need some food in my tummy." He said with a grin before noshing down on his food.

Meanwhile Nicholas clutched onto Grim's shirt tightly. He was afraid to let go, and just wanted to feel the warmth longer. He didn't really mind eating breakfast later.

"Your appetite is returning, and not a cannibalistic one. That's great news so far." Befana said with a sigh. "You had us so worried." "But it all turned out alright! Now you're healthy and ready for more adventures. Under supervision, buy adventures regardless." Jacko chimed. "Oh yeah, Grim brought back a few things from his little mission." Befana said, giving the backpack that rested on the floor to Miguel. "He even brought you a camera and a picture of some people." Befana said. She backed away. "I'll get going now, have more patients to check up on." Befana said as she walked away. Jacko hummed. "Poor doctors. They're the one personnel that work overtime on their own duty." He mentioned. Ash walked up from her spot up to Miguel. "I'm happy you're feeling better." She said. "Grim was scary when you were sick!"