Watching and Listening - An Empires SMP AU

And then there were two

           False stared at this different Gem, trying to take all that she'd just learned in. There was apparently another False out there in this world, and she'd never seen her even once. And no one had mentioned her. That thought suddenly sparks a memory within her. 

           It's dark. Her eyes are covered with something so she can't see. But she can still hear. 

           "What do you mean, there's another False?!" 

           "I made her! I cloned myself." 

           "You did what?!"

           "You heard me right."

           "How long has she been trapped here and I never even saw her? And why did you never tell me? You never even mentioned the fact that there are now two of you where there should only be one of you in this world!" 

           The flashback was gone as soon as it came. False blinked in surprise. What was that...? Who were those people arguing? One of them sounded just like me... "What's a clone?" She asked abruptly. The hermits exchanged nervous looks. False realized that they'd been cautious ever since this elf Gem had started talking to her. Why? What are they worried about? 

           "Basically a clone is a copy of someone," Cub finally said after a hesitant pause. False suddenly realized his voice was a dead ringer for the other person in her flashback. "Made in a lab, usually." Cub added. "Yeah, but I'm sure Joel has them and I haven't seen a single smart place where Joel lives," Grian said coolly. "Are you saying Joel's not smart?" Bdubs asked. After no one said anything, he burst out, "Guys, Grian said Joel's not smart!" 

           "Just don't tell him I said that." 

           "Yeah, Joel's gonna hit you with lightning." 

           "Where does the lightning come from again?"

           "That's a question you don't want answered."

           "Oh come on, it's just lightning."

            False felt like they were changing the subject on purpose, because even hermits couldn't get this sidetracked on a tangent. Speaking of tangents... "Um, aren't we supposed to interview Gem?" Katherine asked, and everyone glanced at the elf, or rather the empty spot where she used to be. Gem had just vanished without them all noticing. 

           "Where did she go?!" Sausage spun around, trying to locate her, and even looked down and lifted his foot to check underneath. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure she didn't shrink and you definitely didn't step on her," Pix told him. "Then why does it sound like you're gaslighting me?!" "Stop wasting time; we need to find her," Jimena said with an odd look on her face. False wasn't the only one who caught it. "Penny for your thoughts?" Pix asked kindly. "Uh, nothing. Come on, let's go find Gem," Jimena said, spreading her wings and taking off. 

           After a fruitless search for Gem around Hermitopia, the L.O.R.E. team finally decided that she somehow managed to leave spawn in the short time that they hadn't been focused on her. "How did she get away so quickly?" Katherine wondered aloud. "I have no idea," Sausage confessed. "I'm just wondering why she left," False said, biting her lip. "We were just asking her questions," Pix said. "She definitely had something to hide!" Oli shouted. 

           "Who?" Gem asked, and they all whirled around at the sound of her voice. But it wasn't the Gem they were looking for. It was Princess Gem, looking at them all in puzzlement through her sunglasses. "The other you," False said, her mind on the fact that there were also two of her. Two of me... Why does that sound so familiar? "Oh, her? I've heard there was a new hermit in town," Gem said. "But I haven't seen her if you're looking for her." "Thanks anyway," Sausage said in disappointment. "But if you see her, remind her that she has an interrogation appointment with the L.O.R.E. team!"