MCYT RANDOMNESS 2

Involuntary Exile pt 6

Years of being a vexling have made it very clear that if I wake up in a safe room, covered in blood, something very bad has happened.

I barely manage to control my breathing. Vague flashes of memory are all I have at first. Talking with Grian about moving the world border. The woodland mansion. The vex. Sacrifices. Scar and Skiz.

My heart races. My head aches with crushing pain. The world spins. My hands are tied together. My feet are bound to the edge of the bed.

The door opens.

'Howdy Cub,' Joe says.

'Joe, I'm sorry... for everything I-'

My breath hitches. I stop talking.

Scar.

He's stood behind Joe, peering around the doorframe. Haunted. Scared of me. Of what I did to him. What I know I did to him. What I'll never forget or forgive myself for.

'Scar...'

A whimper. Cleo enters, and he disappears from view.

'So,' Cleo crosses their arms, falling next to me. 'Explain.'

'What happened?' Joe elaborates. 'Everything you say is confidential.'

'The Vex are the Permit Office higher ups.' I say. 'Grian took me to a meeting, said they had instated a 'High Evoker' to lead them. I had to choose between offering a sacrifice and obeying them, or being banished beyond the world border forever. I caved in and gave a sacrifice.' I glance at my arm, bandaged up. 'We changed spawn to be on the edge of the world. I hurt Scar. I left him suffering beyond the world border. I betrayed him, and watched him torturing himself as his own sacrifice to the vex. I hurt Skizz for speaking up. Just before you arrived.'

Tears run down my cheeks. My throat hurts from fighting tears. Joe gives a small nod.

'The plan is to put you and Grian on trial, when he wakes up, and the other hermits will vote on punishment for you. You'll stay down here until then.'

'How much do they know already?'

'Not much,' replies Cleo. 'Mumbo's been told about Grian, Jevin knows a little, Tango, Impulse... Ren, but that's it.'

'Spawn is back where it was before.' Joe adds, before his communicator buzzes. A glance down. 'Grian's awake. X wants backup... see you at the trial, I guess.'

I mouth 'bye' back, holding in the tears until Joe and Cleo have gone and I start sobbing.

The next few days pass too fast and too slow. I want to be freed. But that means it's time for the trial. The only prep I'm allowed before it begins is changing out of my bloody Manager outfit.

I see Skizz in the back of the courtroom, Impulse glued to his side. Even from here, the bandages are clear. Scar's already crying, hugging close to a soft toy. He hasn't spoken to me. I don't blame him. Grian's with me at the front, not speaking. Apparently, he's barely said anything since he woke up. I keep distance. Xisuma's taking Bdubs's place as judge. After a brief explanation, he calls Grian up to the stand.

'Grian, you face trial here today for physical and psychological abuse to several of your fellow hermits, and for the attempted murder of Skizzleman. How do you plead?'

'What? I didn't do that! I-'

He looks at me.

'Oh shit...'

'Grian, do you plead guilty, or not guilty?'

'Not guilty.'

'What happened then?'