MCYT RANDOMNESS 2

Mercury pt 4

I wake lying on a bed. I'm inside somewhere, next to the water. Grian's base.

I try to sit up, fighting a scream as pain lances from my hand. They're covered in bandages. 

Of course.

The Watchers.

'Cub!'

Scar.

He's ok. 

I look over. Tears run down his cheeks. Bandages cover his neck. His clothes are dark with dried blood. 'Oh- oh my gosh, you're ok...'

'They tried to kill you,' I scan Scar for other injuries. 'The Watchers. What happened? Are you ok?'

'They disappeared. But they said they'd be back.'

'The task. Abandoning Hermitcraft forever.'

'X wanted to discuss it as soon as you were awake and feeling ok. Are you feeling ok, Cub?'

'I'm fine. How long's it been?'

'A day. Here.' Scar helps me sit up. It doesn't hurt. Clearly whatever pain they caused didn't come with physical injury. 'I'll tell X you're alright to meet up.'

'What did the Watchers do to me?'

Scar pauses.

'They made you hold down the fail button. So it would hurt you. You- you collapsed and... the Watcher slashed my neck and left.' For a second, silent. 

'I thought they killed you.' I murmur.

'Same.'

There are tears in Scar's eyes. I hug him, as tight as I dare, and don't want to let go. The thought of him, helpless, bleeding out runs through my mind. The idea of waking up and realising he's dead, or he's been taken by the Watchers. Then his return from Secret Life. His panic, his terror...

'Sweetface! You're alive!' At Keralis's call I break from the hug. He's not alone. Most of the server have gathered. I glance at the other Hermits, trying to smile, manage to stand without falling. Scar keeps an arm around my shoulder.

'Hey.' Is all I say.

'Rubba-dub Cub, you doing ok?'

'I've been better. But I'm ok.'

'Then let's decide...' Tango crosses his arms. 'End Hermitcraft, or give Scar over to the Watchers?'

'Break up Hermitcraft. Obviously,' My fear for Scar rises again. I step closer to him.

'And never see each other again?' Bdubs rebukes. 'Never talk to each other ever again.'

'Can't we restart Hermitcraft under a different name,' Jevin suggests. 'And, like, completely protect it from Watchers'

'Hermitcraft already was completely protected.'

'What about what Helsmitcraft does?'  Wels offers. 'Make it untraceable?'

'Helsmitcraft is the glitchiest server I've ever been to. Elex specifically told me it's a terrible idea.'

'I say we fight the bloody Watchers,' is Joel's idea, drawing a sword. 'And tell them to bloody leave us alone.'

'We can't fight them,' Pearl shoots back. Grian nods.

'It'll only end like Evo did,'

'They've already given us two warnings of what they can do,' Xisuma ends the discussion by saying. 'We can't fight them without causing more damage. Our only options are the ones they gave us.'

'How's it worded? Because loopholes can be wholly advantageous.'

'Watchers don't do loopholes, Joe. We're forced to do whatever they mean. Aka, give them Scar, and everything will be over.'

'What? Grian, you can't be serious,' I say. My heart's racing. This isn't happening. Not Grian. 'You'd rather give the Watchers permission to imprison and torture and murder Scar than live alone for a bit?'

'If we choose to, quote, 'save' Scar, then none of us can ever meet another Hermit ever again.' Grian turns on me. 'We'd be forced into unprotected worlds on our own to fend for ourselves. Every single one of us.'

'We don't even need to be alone! We can still be with friends outside the server.' I argue.

'What about friends here?' Grian's wings signal to the gathered Hermits 'Impulse and Skizz could never talk again. You'd never see Scar again. What if he has nightmares about Secret Life, and almost dying to the Watchers, and you're not there to help him? What if you have nightmares about Sculk, or it attacks you? Or the Vex do something?'

'When the alternative is knowing Scar's being hurt by Watchers, it doesn't matter.'

'What if the Watchers take him anyway, Cub? What then?' Grian steps closer. On instinct, I stand in front of Scar, as if it will protect either of us from Grian's words. 'Or you run into Vex hunters? At least if Scar's taken we can rescue him and bring him back here to heal him.'

'Grian, dude.' I can't fight a cold laugh. 'Are you aware of what Watchers do to normal Vexlings they've never met before?'

'Of course.'

'And are you aware that every single one of the few escaping Vexlings either died from their injuries or killed themselves because of the trauma?'

'Well-'

'And are you aware?' My voice raises, in pitch and volume, Vex wings wide behind me. 'Of just how much worse they'll treat Scar, who they already know and hate.'

'If we break up Hermitcraft, then everyone will be affected,' retorts Grian. 'Every single Hermit has a chance of ending up being caught by Watchers and treated like that. You, False, Tango, even Scar, could be caught for being a Vexling and face that anyway. All of us would be suffering... look, we know this is horrible, but we'll remember Scar as a hero, Cub.' Grian steps closer, as though telling a child their dead pet is happy in heaven, not sending my best friend to be tortured and killed. I hiss, flexing my claws.

'Pearl, remind me what happened in Evo after you sacrificed Taurtis?'

'Taurtis chose to join them.' Grian's wings close around him. Defensive. I push my advantage.

'And that's so different, isn't it? Taurtis becoming a Watcher was a terrible incident that you should've stopped but SCAR-'

'Scar's fucked whatever!' Grian snaps. I fall silent, trying not to cry. Every inch of my body fights my mind and the Vex screaming to attack him. 'And without Scar in the equation, we're left with either everyone suffering, or no one suffering. And I think it should be fucking obvious which one we want.'

'Alright, let's vote,' Xisuma cuts in, not even giving me a chance to reply. My throat hurts as I stifle my sobs. 'Give up Scar, or give up Hermitcraft.'

'Are the Watchers going to leave us alone if we give up Scar?' Hypno asks.

'Yes.'

I see the mutters and murmurs of the Hermits at Grian's reply and my heart drops to my stomach. This can't be happening. The Hermits are going to sacrifice Scar. They're letting Scar die. Scar can't be sent to the Watchers. By the Hermits.

'Majority wins.' Xisuma speaks. The world spins around me. I can't let this happen. This can't happen. 'Everyone close your eyes, we're voting anonymously. Who votes to give up Scar?'

My chest burns with panic. I can't breathe. I'm going to collapse.

Xisuma speaks again.

'That's a majority. We're sacrificing Scar.'