The Watchers' Revenge

Chapter 9: Trapping A Taken

Random note: I have the rest of the story up to Chapter 24 planned out!
Anyone have any ideas/theories for how the hermits will defeat the Watchers?

"Xisuma?" 

Scar poked his head into the admin's room and saw him sitting in the corner, typing on his communicator.

"Oh, hi Scar!" Xisuma glanced up at him.

"You know I've been trying to figure out a spell to save our friends?" Scar asked, walking into the room.

"I do now," Xisuma replied.

"Well, I won't get very far without being able to study the original way they were controlled. And..." Scar glanced around before continuing. "I need us to capture one of them to... study."

"We can do that, Scar," Xisuma told him.

"Alright," Scar said. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but quickly closed it and left.

Xisuma put away his communicator and headed out of the room. He made his way upstairs to the Control Center, as the hermits were calling it, where False was busy with some maps.

"What do you need?" she asked, not even glancing up.

"Scar needs us to capture one of them," Xisuma told her.

"I'll put Ren's group on it," False replied. She picked up a communicator and spoke into it. "Ren, I need you to capture one of the Taken."

Ren's voice came through the device a minute later. "Got it, False, we're on it."

"That's neat," Xisuma commented.

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, you can help me with this," False pointed to the map and Xisuma walked over. "I need you to look at these and see if there's a pattern. Oh, and you can help monitor the groups."

Xisuma wearily got to work.

Ren, Impulse, Bdubs, and Tango were flying above the jungle when they got False's message. Ren quickly replied to it, then announced it to the others.

"We've got a new job!" he said excitedly.

"Literally anything would be more fun than this, so let's hear it," Impulse said.

"We are going to capture one of the Taken," Ren explained.

"Ooh, we could try a lava pit- or we could-" Tango started listing eagerly.

"Wait, no, we can't kill them," Ren said.

"Oh. Alright," Tango replied.

"How about a covered pit?" Bdubs suggested.

"Works for me!" Impulse agreed.

"Let's get to work, then," Ren said.

The four flew down and found an area outside Scar's village. They excavated a small pit, about six blocks by six blocks. It didn't take long, since it was quite shallow. They covered it with gravel and planted tall flowers, ferns, and grasses around it. They placed pressure plates on each side and pistons below. Then, they stepped back to admire their handiwork.

"Alright, so we know the plan?" Ren asked. They'd decided on it while they'd been digging.

"Yup!" Impulse confirmed.

"Why do I have to be the bait?" Bdubs complained.

"Because you're the fastest. And we'll be right there with you, you'll be fine," Ren told him.

Bdubs rolled his eyes, but went off into the forest. Tango, Impulse, and Ren trailed silently behind him.

Luckily for them, Stress happened to be in the area.

She stepped out of the bushes with her sword drawn and her face in a cruel, unnatural smile.

Bdubs froze. "Hey there, Stress..." 

Stress lunged at him.

Bdubs turned and ran away screaming.

"Coward," Impulse whispered to the other two.

Tango snickered.

"Quiet!" Ren reprimanded them.

They shut up and followed Ren as he snuck after Stress.

Bdubs ran across the gravel and Stress followed unhesitantly. Bdubs stepped on the pressure plate on the other side, then twirled around and watched triumphantly as the ground fell from under Stress's feet and dropped her down ten blocks.

Ren, Impulse, and Tango emerged and joined Bdubs in staring down at Stress. Stress was trying furiously to escape, but to no avail; the gravel had torn her elytra and she had no blocks, for some reason.

Ren lifted his communicator to his face.

"Gonna kiss it?" Tango teased.

"Shut up, Tango," Ren replied. Tango obeyed. "We've captured Stress, we need help getting her back to Keralis's city."

Wels' voice came through the device. "We're on our way, see you soon."

Ren put his communicator away. The group waited, and within a few minutes a flock of four figures appeared, coming closer. 

Mumbo, Keralis, Wels, and Doc landed in a line next to Ren and looked down at Stress.

"Oh my word," Mumbo said.

"Yes, yes, there'll be time for observing her later, now let's go grab her," Doc snapped.

Mumbo nodded and all eight hermits glided down next to Stress. Stress pulled her sword on them, but Tango swatted it away. Doc and Ren grabbed Stress's arms and all eight hermits rose into the air. Stress struggled furiously, but couldn't escape their grip.

The others watched worriedly as she fought and writhed.