[Doom sits in a chair opposite Felix, who now lays resting on the bed, his head comfortably on a soft pillow.]
“And I’m the bird.”
[His growling tone echoes and rumbles.]
“It would be easy for me to feel underappreciated and have my feathers ruffled by the dirty work I do.”
[He leans forward.]
“Do you think my task is simple? Flying here and there, gathering wood, like it’s some simple menial role. But let me tell you, it’s exhausting. Every morning, I wake up and take to the metaphorical skies, searching for the right branches.”
[Doom shakes his head.]
“Not just any twigs—no, they must be perfect. Dry enough to catch fire, sturdy enough to last. And they’re never nearby. I soar over the trees, sometimes miles away, fighting the wind and dodging predators, just to bring back enough for the fire to keep us warm.
That’s my role, you see.”
[He stands up and walks over to Felix, peering down at him.]
“My role is to light a fire under my best friend. When the world around him seeks to destroy him or bring him down, it is I that brings the fire and sets it beneath him. That’s what I do as the bird.
Because my friend Felix here, he isn’t the best at starting fires.
In fact, he uses that water he carries to remain calm and pleasant.”
[Doom sighs.]
“And without me, without my wood, there’s would be no fire at all. I’m the one keeping him going, just like he does me when he puts out the raging inferno that I let my ire make me become.
I bet both of you think you’re the bird, don’t you?
Narcissa with all that power, roaming Arcadia like a Queen – I bet you think you’re the member of your team able to keep things alight.
And then there’s Captain Arcadia – a hero in his own right. How could he possibly not be the one setting the fires?”
[There’s a chuckle.]
“Everyone wants to be the bird, but two birds would never survive. Without the mouse, two birds eat each other alive – they peck one another to death and ruffle each other’s feathers. You see, the mouse is just as important as the bird.
Those two roles work in tandem to ensure their house remains fed, warm and watered. Should one of them not exist, there is no team, there is no unity, there is no Tag Team Championships.”
[Doom walks back to his seat and takes it.]
“What you don’t understand is that the bird and the mouse work together for a purpose. Their survival is that purpose.
And two birds just can’t survive.
You’ll bring the fire, of that there is no doubt, but you’ll burn yourself to cinders when trying to use it.
When you do, you will kneel before Doom.”