Never Really Gone

Chapter 32

Grian's POV

Admin training is not easy when you're an ex-Watcher. I'm learning that the hard way. Suspicious glances, derogatory remarks and some pretty filthy glares can really dampen your mood, especially when all you've done is say hi. I ignore them though, trying to focus on my work.

It's a lot nicer then Watcher Training, that's for sure. I don't get hit or called stupid, and I have a lot more freedom in what I can do and learn. Within two years, I'm ahead of most of the others, the only exceptions being Dream and another girl who's name I don't know. I'm at the level of a Green Rank Admin, Dream being at red, and the girl being Bronze. She's is a born Admin though, I've seen the gold stripes on her arm.

I decide to turn my attention back to the small bracelet in my hands. We're making something we can use to access server codes, every Admin needs one.

"Is that a FitBit?"

I sigh. It's not easy to work when you have Dream next to you.

"No, it's a bracelet to access the code! Besides, what do you call that?!" I ask, pointing at the white circle he's working on as he ties a string through two holes on either side, then making a knot at each end of the string to keep it in place.

"It's a mask!" He claims, putting it on so that it covers most of his face. I roll my eyes, snickering

"Some mask"

Pulling it off again, Dream sticks his tongue out at me. Grabbing a black Sharpie, he draws on a wonky smile with two dots for eyes.

"That better?" He asks, making me burst into giggles.

"You IDIOT! That's permanent marker!"

Eyes widening in alarm, he tried to wipe it off with his sleeve. Unfortunately, it's already dried in.

"Noooo! That mask took WEEKS!" he groans

"It's not too bad" I tell him, helping him put it back on.

"It's... silly in a cool way" I tell him, trying not to laugh. Dream merely mutters something under his breath about not being taken seriously. I smile awkwardly

"It's original?"

"I'll look like a two year old on Halloween" he grumbles, and I honestly have to stop myself from telling me he'll at least look the same in the inside and outside. I settle on telling him it'll be ok, before leaving for the day.

As soon as I'm home, Maui and Pearl are looking for attention. Well, mostly Maui. I'd grown very attached to the pair over the last few months. I wonder if that other cat Jellie found someone who loves her as much as I love my cats. Jumping onto me, Maui starts trying to get hugs and attention. Pearl is much more calm, lying on my bed, meowing softly.

I flop down on my bed, sighing heavily. I miss my friends. I have a plan to try find them, but it's incredibly risky. I was thinking of putting up some kind of notice about a server in the hopes they'd see it, but there's also a chance a Watcher might see it. I could instead try to find them through some means, but I doubt there's any way at this stage. It's been over two years since I last saw them, for all I know, they're dead.

I shake my head, not wanting to go that direction. My friends are fine. They're smart, they're safe...

Right?

Xisuma's POV

Being an Admin is harder then I thought. Especially when it means having to keep an eye on the most chaotic people I've ever met. We're now in Season 3, and it's chaos. Ever since Generik left and Season 2 started, I've barely had 15 minutes to myself. On top of that, one of the Hermits who joined in Season 2, Mumbo, often creates more lag with his redstone contraptions then I can fix, leading to the others being quite annoyed.

I often find myself trying to resolve arguments between two brothers called Pungence and BDubs, who look and sound exactly like each other. I also have had to stop a headstrong girl called False from stabbing people when she looses her temper. A madman called Tango who joined in Season 3 keeps blowing things up with his friend Impulse, and is quite annoying too. The only person who hasn't been much bother is TFC, but he mostly just tunnels underground, being a shy introvert who likes peace and quiet.

Another girl called Cleo hasn't been much of an issue, and seems to be very close to Joe. I admit, I'm kinda glad he found a friend. It's been a complicated two years for sure, not exactly ones I've enjoyed either. Some Hermits weren't huge on the idea of me being the Admin, mostly the one who didn't know me.

I wish my brother was here. He'd make everything better.

Little did I know how wrong I was.

Hels's POV

"What have we done?" BadTimes mumbles, watching as Ezra viciously swings his sword at a training dummy. 

"I know precisely what we've done." I snap. "We've killed Ezra, and replaced him with a heartless, cruel person I can't even recognise."

The Vexling sighs.

"It's too late to save him now, he's too far down the path of hatred and anger to bring him back."

To make mattes worse, Ezra's figured out where his twin is, and the once caring, innocent boy can't wait to destroy the place. It's been a long time since I've last cried, but I'm shaking with tears right now, wishing I'd never been forced to do this.

"Are you ok Hels?"

I wipe the tears from my eyes as I turn around to face him. He's not wearing his mask for once. It's been a long time since I've seen his face, with his pale blue eyes and scars running diagonally across it.

"What do you think?"

"...I know this isn't easy." He admits. "It hurt to do this to you just as much as it hurts you to do this to Ezra. But that's just how it works... systems like these are implemented by the people who benefit from them."

"How did you even get caught up in all of this anyway?" I ask.

"I was born into it." BadTimes shrugs. "From the moment I could understand words, I was taught that it was an honour to serve the Vex this way. As you've probably guessed, they like to drag humans into it too, especially the helpless ones that have no other options."

"Like me?" I ask, raising my eyebrows a little.

"Like you, and like Ezra too." He explains. "I don't know if you've caught on or not, but he's a Watcher."

My eyes widen, and I turn to BadTimes in shock.

"Wait, what?"

"Why do you think the Vex wanted him for themselves?" My friend shrugs. "But don't worry, he didn't even get trained properly before he escaped and ended up here. He's practically harmless compared to the others." 

"Still... what if they want him back?"

"It's his boyfriend they're after." The Vexling admits. "They won't miss him."

Then his eyes suddenly widen.

"Wait, where did Ezra go?!"