Chapter 21, everybody! Where we not only get another glimpse into Louie's mindset, but also get to see him have a moment similar to canon: totally distracted by the shiny.

In other news, this is why you should obey traffic signs and speed limits, and slow down for curves and inclement weather. And I feel like I probably should have mentioned it a chapter or two ago, but the all those in favor say 'aye' line is me having a Road to El Dorado moment—love that movie. :D

And the scene in the bus—one of the very first illustrations I did when puzzling this story out about this time last year. Really need to finish it up, but you can see the WIP on my Tumblr account.

Angelwings2002, thanks for the review! Yes, I love writing those two interacting they're fun. :D And that was probably at least one point of concern for Brittany, yes. Yes we have to make sure these guys have at least one big meal they deserve it. :D Me too….

Hexyah, thanks for the review! Yes! Seems a shame. Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! Yes, Sashi is a good boy and we stan him. :D Awesome, that's great news! *hugs*

Big Hero 6 © 2014 Disney

Ducktales © 2017 Disney

The rest of that night went fairly uneventfully, as did the next day—the night after that was when they ran into trouble, trying to fly through a drizzle that ended up soaking their feathers to the point that they had to land and try picking their way through the woods again, Tadashi hoping to avoid any more incidents.

"I don't suppose we're going to be lucky enough to stumble on another abandoned cabin, are we?" Sashi asked—Tadashi looked over his shoulder, was barely able to pick Sashi out in the drizzling gloom. Okay, so travelling like this was a bad idea.

"I say we try to find a spot that's not so wet and wait this out," Tadashi said. "I don't want to lose anyone in this mess."

"I have someone," Sashi volunteered. "Wait, who do I have?"

"Sashi," Huey noised. "Sashi yes Sashi—"

"Okay so I have Huey…."

Tadashi paused to take a headcount, Sue and Beth herding the kids close to help keep track. Grump came up with Della on his back and the back of Violet's sweater pinched in his beak, Violet hanging there, limbs curled up, and looking sour.

"Okay, that's everyone," Tadashi said. "Let's just—find someplace less wet and wait for this to blow over."

There was grumbling at that, which he could understand—the last time they had tried to wait out rain in the woods, they had gotten soaked to the bone and Della had broken her leg. No one really wanted a repeat of that.

But they were too close to people now—no chance of finding someplace dry where they wouldn't be discovered, they just had to hope for a less-wet spot in the woods where this ever-permeating drizzling mist wouldn't soak them as badly.

And they needed to do it before it totally took away their ability to see. It was so gloomy now that even with improved night vision Tadashi could barely see the next tree. Light pollution didn't help either.

He and 'Kase slowly quested forward as the others kept the kids corralled, Tadashi hyper-vigilant for any sudden drops—even at that he nearly slipped on the little slope they encountered.

"Hmm," 'Kase noised. "Would we be drier down there or no? We're closer to the rain up here, but water flows downhill…."

"It could be worth a shot," Sashi put in from behind. "We might run into a cave or overhang on the way down."

That was obviously tempting considering 'Kase didn't counter with anything—carefully start slipping down, reaching back to help lower the kids carefully—

Flinch at a drawn-out hissing and rush, coupled with a light further down the hill.

"What was that?" Sashi squeaked.

Brittany blinked, frozen in the act of handing Dewey to Tadashi. "Don't look now, Sashi, but I'm pretty sure that was a car."

Tadashi felt his face screw up at that; put Dewey down, carefully slip and slide the rest of the way down, claws gripping ground and trees and rocks to arrest his descent and yes that was weird think about it later—

Poked his head out of the bushes to see a strip of black asphalt snaking across their current path, hemmed in on either side by guardrails.

'Kase poked her head out of the bushes moments later. "Huh," she noised. "That's definitely a road."

"Better cross it now rather than later," Tadashi pointed out, backing up to look back up the hill. "Okay, keep coming down!"

No more cars came before everyone was gathered near the road, cementing Tadashi's decision to cross the road now—low traffic late at night meant low chance of being seen.

"So we're going to be asking why did the bird-person cross the road, right?" Sashi asked, earning him a dope-slap from Brittany.

"To get to the other side," Sue said, lowering a few more bird-kids down to them.

"Okay," Tadashi said, once everyone was looking out at the road. "Don't want to take any chances anyway, so grab a kid or two and run across the street, don't stop until you're over the guardrail, be careful because there might be a cliff or something on the other side instead of a slope."

"Right," Beth said, hugging Mei close and bending to scoop Drew up. "Come on kids."

Tadashi and Sashi steadied her as she went over the guardrail, watched as she skittered across the street, deposited Drew on the other side of the guardrail, and lifted herself over. She gave them a thumbs-up when she was safely over, prompting Tadashi to kneel next to Webby and Lena.

"Okay girls, see where Beth is?" he asked. "Go to Beth—run to Beth, okay? Hurry!"

Lena sniffed at the guardrail and hissed, but Webby ducked under it and scurried over, leaping over the second guardrail to land on Beth and hug her tight. Tadashi lifted Lena over as Sue picked up Harry and Taylor and scurried over.

Sashi glanced at Brittany, holding Drew—"Yes, I don't have to carry a sack of potatoes."

"Sorry, Sashi, you forgot Trisha," Tadashi said, handing the little bird-girl to Sashi. Brittany laughed, ran across the street, Dewey and Sashi scurrying after—Grump followed, Tadashi vaulted the guardrail as the rest of the bird-kids followed, Nox right on Tadashi's tail—

"Okay!" Tadashi said, once they were on the opposite downward slope. "Quick headcount—one two three four…."

Nineteen.

"Oh no," he breathed, looking around. "Who—"

Louie.

Louie was still on the road, apparently trying his darndest to pull up one of the reflectors on the yellow line—Tadashi ran out to grab him—come on, Louie, this was a curve and there was always a chance—

Blinding light suddenly flooded his vision.

He had always heard about deer in the headlights, how they froze in terror at the sight of a vehicle bearing down on them. Objectively, he knew that was a deer's instinct, but some part of him always wondered how you could stay frozen when a two-ton object was bearing down on you.

Stunned by the headlights screeching towards him, horn blaring, delivery-sized truck starting to skid in an attempt to stop, he realized he understood that—it was such a sudden shock that you couldn't process—

It's going to hit us and we're going to die—

Snap into action—snatch up Louie, transfixed by the blinding lights, wings limp, jaw slack, eyes wide, feathers plastered to him—flap once as he lunged for the downward slope, wingtips on one side smacking against the windshield of the snub-nosed truck—

Rolling down the hill, tucked into a protective ball around Louie, hoping he didn't get caught and snap a limb like Della had—finally tumble to a halt at the base of the hill.

They lay there, Tadashi breathing heavily, mind not wanting to process the near-death experience, heart pounding, barely registering Louie's claws digging in, the little bird-boy whimpering and rubbing his face against his chest—

And then the others reached them.

"'Dashi!" at least three people yelped—bird-kids started flopping on him, were peeled off by the others, asking him if he was okay—

"'Dashi!" Sashi said. "Are you okay are you hurt does anything tingle? 'Dashi—'Dashi if you die I get the hat!"

Tadashi finally chased away the maddeningly unhelpful still-silent-safe that was raging through the blank echo of his mind, finally had enough sense come back to him to unfurl a little and roll to his back. "The hat is mine. It's a thing."

The collective sigh of relief was concerning, but Sue and Beth helped him up before the kids mobbed him again. Started dusting him and Louie off as Brittany put his hat back on—some bent feathers, but nothing life-threatening—

Grump hissed, 'Kase told them to be quiet—

A flashlight was questing through the trees up the slope.

"All those in favor of getting out of here say aye," Sashi squeaked.

At least five people said aye, and they quickly hustled the kids out of there, putting a few on Grump to cut down on travel time and picking up some of the others. Nox clung tight to Tadashi's back, Louie to his front. Right now, Tadashi didn't care—their weight was reassuring, meant he hadn't lost them.

"'Dashi," Violet noised, making grasping motions at him and leaning away from Sashi. "'Dashi yes 'Dashi—"

"I can take her," he volunteered, relieving Sashi of her. Sashi nodded, bent down and scooped up Huey, who warbled in relief and flopped his head on Sashi's shoulder.

They didn't stop until hours later, it felt like, when they found the outskirts of a junkyard and a school bus with open doors that was nice and dry and didn't seem like it had anything already living in it. Everyone found a semi-comfortable place to flop down and relax, Tadashi groaning when he laid down only to have several kids flop on him, Louie and Nox and Violet all squished on his chest or tucked between his torso and a seat back—try to ignore the fact that his feet clamped down on the armrest….

Was gone within moments.

Louie woke up with a squeak at the sun peeking into the smelly metal nest they were in right now, feathers standing on end before wilfing tight against him again. Hiss blearily, snuggle tight against the nearest flock nearest flight to blot out the bright-light and nasty smell—

The monster bearing down on him with a horrendous screech, eyes bright and burning, hot breath gusting out with a terrible stench—

But they were good now, far away from the thing that had tried to eat him, in what he was pretty sure was a dead monster, the smell was the same—snuggle closer to the one next to him….

Realize when arm flopped around him that it was 'Dashi.

Louie was hesitant—'Dashi was an older, 'Dashi might abandon them like other olders did, might hurt like she had—

'Dashi had also saved him last night.

Grab-hold tight-lunge, wingtip smacking the monster hard on the nose, curled up around him as they went tumbling down for ages and ages, didn't uncurl until the rest of flock of flight were there, kept hold of him in case the monster came back—

Louie sighed, sinking in close to 'Dashi, into the space between arm and chest and wing…Nox stirred, chirped question—Louie churred that it was nothing, just bad-dream, go back to sleep…Nox settled in on 'Dashi's chest, asleep within moments. Nox had trust, believed that 'Dashi was good and safe and good and would always keep them safe because he was older-brother and good—

Did Louie believe that?

Sigh, move his head, rest beak on 'Dashi's shoulder, watching his face as he slept. That made two…three times 'Dashi had saved him. From the monster, from the cougar, from her…the others had trust in 'Dashi, thought he was good and safe and good….

…Maybe Louie could afford to believe that.

Snuggle in close, snuggle in tight, breathing in 'Dashi's scent instead of the nasty dead monster's…maybe…maybe he could afford to believe that 'Dashi was good and safe and good. Maybe he could afford to believe 'Dashi had Louie's best interests at heart.

Maybe he could afford to put trust in 'Dashi.