Hermitcraft Stuff - S6 Oneshots

All For You

(Word count: 887

TAKE IT. GRUMBO ANGST.

Heavily inspired by 's "Welcome To The Dead Team" oneshot, and also I wanted angst. She also helped a lot on this chapter because it died, so THANK YOU ERICA I LOVE YOU NO HOMO

Alternate setting for Demise, the plot won't follow the Demise arc quite accurately)

Mumbo's footsteps echoed through the narrow hallway. He was wary of every painting, and watched his step very closely, knowing there could be a trap anywhere.

The hall was dimly lit with the glow from lava above. It was a tight space, but the ceiling was seven or eight blocks up, giving the feeling of claustrophobia.

Mumbo had to admit it: the Deadquarters was well-built. But the things they had built inside were nothing if not ominous.

The first room he'd found was a simple storage room. Down the hall was an armory. That's where he found the first trap.

Potions were dispensed from the ceiling, triggered by a tripwire. The bottles shattered, glass digging into Mumbo's skin. Harming potions hit his arms and weakened him. Poison potions sent toxic fumes into Mumbo's lungs. He barely survived.

Taking a shaky breath, Mumbo warily looked down to the other side of the Deadquarters. There didn't seem to be a trap, but Mumbo was still worried. This place gave you the creeps—literally.

The fact that there was no one to be seen unnerved Mumbo. They could be hiding behind the paintings, ready to strike. They could be waiting in a hidden passageway. It was only a matter of time until someone found him.

He never should have come here. The only reason he decided to come was because of what happened to Grian. The TNT trap had not only destroyed the Demise meeting room they built but also killed Grian.

Grian could be waiting behind one of these paintings.

For the millionth time, Mumbo told himself this was a bad idea. He could possibly die here.

But then he'd see Grian again...

Mumbo shook the thought off, knowing he was still relatively safe and could turn back, but he kept going. He saw a shadowed staircase at the intersection of the two hallways. Unlike the rest of the hallways so far, the staircase lacked both width and height, probably meant to give off the effect of claustrophobia. Mumbo sucked in his breath and climbed the stairs, wincing as the steps creaked loudly.

The staircase was blocked by two blocks of Redstone ore. As a Redstoner, Mumbo didn't like the symbolism, especially when he saw the sign posted on the block.

You didn't think we'd make it that easy, did you?

"Mumbo?"

Mumbo nearly tripped over himself scrambling out of the staircase, faceplanting on the hallway floor. He looked upwards warily and widened his eyes when he saw who it was.

"Are you okay?" Grian reached out a hand. Mumbo stared at it, then got up himself.

"Don't scare me like that." Mumbo gave Grian the suspicious once-over. His skin and clothes were all shades of gray. That wasn't the unsettling part. Grian's eyes, normally full of light and playfulness, looked blank. It wasn't a good look.

"The dead look doesn't suit you," Mumbo said, trying to lighten up the dead atmosphere.

Grian crossed his arms. "Stop stalling. Why are you here?"

"What do you mean, why am I here? Do you think I want to die?"

"You're still stalling."

"Look, I'm here to see the 'trap map' or whatever."

"Why? It's not like I was going to target you or anything."

It was true. Grian, Iskall, and Mumbo had made a pact that if any of them had died, they wouldn't kill the others. Still, the way Grian worded it multiplied Mumbo's tension.

"You're not the only one dead. Cub already blew False up in a massive explosion. Xisuma managed to get Cleo. There are some very skilled people on your side, and I can't even fly through the Nether tunnel without falling for a petty trap."

"Sorry, that might have been mine..."

"And, plus, how do I know that you won't go back on your word? You could easily press a button and send me falling to bedrock."

Grian looked genuinely hurt.

Mumbo was on a roll. "Oh, don't give me that look. You know I'm doing this all for you, right? I wanted to find the trap that killed you. I wanted to disable it so someone else doesn't fall for it. That look could be a fake and you're just waiting for the right time to--"

The floor opened up underneath Mumbo, dropping him into a pit that went all the way to bedrock. Grian winced as he heard the screams, then looked away as he saw the death message.

<MumboJumbo fell from a high place.>

"Hey, hey, good job, Grian."

Grian looked behind him to see Grimdog hidden in the shadows, his hand still on the lever he had pulled. The leader of the dead team gave him a proud smile. "You fooled him with that betrayed expression! Even I thought it was real."

Grian felt the guilt coming back in full force. Not only had he broken the promise he had made, Mumbo thinks it was Grian who triggered the trap. He managed a half-laugh. "Yeah..."

Grimdog left quickly, saying something about a collaboration, leaving Grian in the Deadquarters alone. Turning around and letting out a groan and a small "I suck", he did a double-take when he saw another figure walking up from the hallways.

Mumbo narrowed his eyes, now just as colorless as Grian. The anger and betrayal in his eyes made Grian back away. He tried for a smile, hoping for the smallest sliver of forgiveness, but there was no mercy for him.

"I trusted you."