Grian flinched at the harsh tone and looked up. "Oh, uh, yeah? What's up?"
"Explain something to me, Grian," Joe began as he approached. "How is it that you just so happened to be the only one who knows anything about the Watchers, and the only one without a book?" He took a threatening step forward. "And another thing! How is it -" He snatched Zedaph's book from his large, hairy hand and chucked it at Grian, nailing him in the chest. "- that you're the only one of us unaffected by the curse?!" Joe snarled, taking another step toward him. "Explain, Grian! Explain that to me!"
The book had fallen open at Grian's feet, and the incriminating words taunted him. Tears pricked at his eyes and his blood ran cold as panic filled his body and clouded his mind. "That's not - I didn't -" Grian's words were a choked whisper and he took a fearful step back.
"Explain yourself!"
"ENOUGH!"
Before anyone knew what was happening, Xisuma was standing protectively spread-eagle in front of Grian, sending Joe a withering glare. Apparently, Joe had caused enough of a scene that he had attracted the attention of the other groups, and, needless to say, Xisuma, as admin and friend, was less than thrilled.
Mumbo and Iskall joined X, standing at Grian's sides, ensuring he was okay. They both glowered at Joe on occasion, protective of their fellow Architech.
"May I ask what was going on?" Xisuma's voice was frighteningly calm.
"I'll tell you what was going on! This traitor," Joe sneered, gesturing to Grian. "has been keeping secrets and lying to us from the start! How is it that he's the only one that's ever heard of these 'Watchers', huh?!"
"Joe, I'll have you know that I was not unfamiliar with the Watchers when this started." X's voice was dangerously low, and not a whisper left anyone's lips. "Grian, here, just had more information than I did, so I asked him for assistance."
"Oh, yeah? Well, how come he doesn't have a book?"
"I'm sure the Watchers have their reasons."
"Yeah, just like they had their reasons for leaving him untouched while the rest of us became freaks."
Grian, who had finally started to calm down, visibly flinched at that, and Mumbo and Iskall sent Joe harsh scowls in a silent warning.
And then Joe was gone.
Disappeared without a trace.
Every communicator buzzed, and Hermits started pulling them out left and right out of curiosity.
joehillssays was kicked by Xisuma.
No later than that message was read, however, did Joe reappear, a haunted look clouding his eyes. Nicks and cuts littered his body, all of them bleeding ever so slightly.
"That was your warning." Xisuma's voice sent chills down Joe's spine. "Back. Off."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night, Grian found himself exactly where he'd been the night before. The Watcher High Council held the same look of disdain for him as the night before, with a hint of visible contempt.
"Why are you telling them?" was all Grian could think to ask.
"We aren't. That would break our code." The voice was feminine - certainly not the same Watcher as before. Grian turned to face her and the smug smirk she wore simultaneously infuriated him and sent ice to his core. "Your friends merely figured out you're a part of this."
"But, surely, eluding to my identity breaks the code as well!"
The Watcher's smile grew, and Grian felt his heart drop. "Well, that's the beauty of it, isn't it?" We never, once, eluded to your identity. Your immunity did."
"My - my immunity? What?"
"What, you think we can curse other Watchers? Sweetie, we're strong, but even we can't break blood bonds."
"So, then, you just pointed to me by not giving me a puzzle piece?"
Her smirk, if even possible, grew more smug. "I thought you were worried about our code. You know that we can't give you a clue to solve. You're not actually one of them."
That comment stung, but Grian wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of seeing just how much.
But then he realized something.
"That clue you gave them - it didn't even point to the bedrock, did it?!"
The Watcher's sharp teeth glimmered in her wicked grin. "Oh, sure it did! It's just an eight-piece puzzle."
"But there were only seven people in that group!" Grian countered. "You set them up for failure!"
The smile on her face didn't falter for even a moment. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. They just don't have the last piece of their clue yet."
Grian was caught off guard, but as he opened his mouth to ask what she meant,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
he woke up.
As he gasped in a few gulps of air, he clutched his blanket against his chest and heard a crinkling sound. Pulling his hand away, he was met with a crumpled envelope.
Grian held it up and found the name of the Hermit to whom it was addressed in remarkable penmanship:
Joe Hills
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A/N: Alright! What's up, guys! Lix here! Hope you guys are having an awesome day, and I hope you enjoyed the latest installment.
Things are heating up, guys. How will Joe react when he finds Grian with a clue addressed to him? And what's up with the Watchers exposing Grian? What's the deal with that?
Aaannnywaaaaaay, please comment down below, and maybe leave a vote? That'd be greatly appreciated.
See you guys soon!
YOU ARE READING
When Past and Present Collide
Fanfiction"Grian?" X panted. The figure before them stood, revealing that it was, indeed, Grian, although he was not looking great, His hair was wind-blown, sure, but it looked even more disheveled than that. His flying had been so sloppy that Xisuma had bare...
