Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Iskall walks through boatum, they are just on a night time stroll, the light of the huge moon illuminating their path.

They hear a branch snap and look up to see two red eyes watching them from the woods.

The Swedish hermit jumps, “You scared me there Mumbo.” Iskall says, walking up to the eyes.

They watch their every move.

“Mumbo?” Iskall asks, “are you feeling okay?”

The eyes just stare at them.

Iskall takes another step closer, now just a little bit shy of five feet from the woods.

“Is something wrong-”

Mumbo lunges from the woods, fangs extended, mouth open in a hiss.

He pounces on Iskall, his teeth finding their throat, shredding it in an attempt to get as much blood as possible.

The last thing Iskall sees before it all goes dark is the moon, huge in the sky, the image of Mumbo leaping from the woods at him, burned behind his eyes.

Chapter Text

Grian wakes up, the sun warm, shining through his window, warming his nest.

The avian sighs, a smile on his face as he pulls himself out of his nest.

He walks to his kitchen, brewing himself a cup of tea.

He pours the liquid into a cup and walks out the door of his base, watching sheep and chickens roam around the sun warmed land.

His eyes land on something in the distance, and he cocks his head to the side.

“What is that?” he asks himself, squinting in a hope to make out the greenish blob in the grass.

He sighs, not being able to make the shape out.

Grian takes a sip of his tea before opening his wings, and flying over.

He lands about twenty feet away.

The thing looks like someone laying in the grass. Interesting.

Grian walks over, he recognizes them as Iskall.

“Iskall, why are you laying in my grass?” Grian asks, walking up the hermit.

Grian looks down at them and screams, dropping his mug of tea.

Iskall’s eyes stare up at the sky, cloudy and dull, the life gone from them.

The Non-binary Hermit’s skin is paper white, and his throat is a bloody gore mess.

Grian pulls his come out with trembling hands as he tries not to look at his friend’s lifeless body.

<Grian: Gusy! SooMEthIng HAPPeNED TO Iskell In butumm.!>

Grian drops his comn, doubling over and vomiting, collapsing on his hands and knees as he pukes.

-♡-

Zedaph looks at his come, having previously been sitting at his kitchen table eating breakfast.

<Grian: Gusy! SooMEthIng HAPPeNED TO Iskell In butumm.!>

“That can’t be good,” he says to himself.

The sheep hybrid puts his spoon down and walks over to his door, opening it and starting the walk over.

He is almost halfway there when Etho pops out from behind a build.

“Ello.” Zed says to the vampire, “Do you know what happened?”

Etho does not answer him, instead the Canadian pulls his mask down showing off his sharp fangs.

A shiver runs up Zed’s spine at the sight of them.

Sure he has let the other Hermit feed off him before, but the sight of them always unlocks some prey instinct in the sheep hybrid.

Etho lunges as the English hermit, his mouth open, a snarl tearing from his lips.

Zed screams as his back hits the dirt ground, Etho’s jaw locking around his throat in a painful grip of teeth.

Etho’s claws rip at his neck and collarbone, trying to get as much blood into the vampire's mouth as possible.

Tears slid down Zed’s face, why did Etho attack him?

Darkness covers the sheep hybrid’s vision.

Chapter Text

“It looks like something attacked them.” Xisuma says, crouching over the dead hermit.

The voidwalker is trying to keep it together.

A few hermits are crying, others comforting well trying not to cry themselves, and one stares as the dead hermit, a faraway look in her eyes, a single tear sliding down her face, thrown in not a smile nor a frown.

Xisuma closes the hermit’s eyes.

He stands up, comn in hand, “I want everybody to partner up.

Scar nods, squeezing Grian’s hand.

Impulse and Pearl give each other shaky smiles that turn to frowns at a glance at the dead hermit.

Keralis puts a comforting hand on Xisuma’s shoulder.

Xisuma sends a message in chat.

<Xisuma: I want everybody in groups of two or more until further notice.>

Responses flood the chat.

<Dom77: Ren and I are together>

<Welsknight: omw to False’s>

<JoeHills: I’m with Cleo.>

<Hypnotized: I’m with Jevin at Xb’s>

Xisuma sighs heavily, before bending down and picking up the hermit.

He needs to find a way to bring Iskall back, and what’s going on.

-♡-

<you whispered to Zedaphplays: Zed where are you?>

<you whispered to TangoTek: Tango where are you?>

<you whispered to Zedaphplays: Zed?

<you whispered to TangoTek: Tango?

Impulse glances back at Pearl as she talks to Scar and Grian, the three of them trying to find out where Mumbo is.

He sneaks away from the group.

The demon hybrid has to find Tango and Zed.

He needs to make sure they are okay.

Chapter Text

Wels flies over to False's base, his falcon wings beating the air.

He touches down on her door step, knocking on her door.

"False!" He calls, knocking again when she does not answer.

"False!" He calls knocking louder.

"False you home?!" He calls.

He tries the door.

It is unlocked, and opens.

She only leaves it unlocked if she is home.

Wels steps inside.

The knight closes the door behind himself, before calling out, "False!"

"False, where are you!?" Wels calls.

He sees the blond woman step out of a room down the hall.

She looks at him and the knight can see her red eyes boring into him from all the way down the hall.

She never lets her true eye coulor show, always using her glamour to cover it, changing her eyes to look blue instead.

"False?" Wels asks, nervously wetting his lips.

The female hermit steps into the light coming from another doorway.

Her mouth is open, she white fangs showing.

"Are you oka-" Wels starts to says, but she hisses at him, racing forward, her fangs aiming for the male hermit's neck.

Her claws dig into his armor, as she tries to rip it off him, trying to get to his throat.

Wels panics.

'what the hell is going on!?' he thinks.

His eyes land on False's key bowl on the table next to the front door.

"Sorry!" he says grabbing it and smashing it over her head.

It shatters on impact, and she takes a few steps back, stunned.

Wels summons his sword to his hand, bring the pommel down on her head.

Her body crumples to the ground with a thud.

Wels' chest rises up and down, adrenaline still rushing though his blood.

"What the fu-"

-♡-

'-ck.' Impulse repeats to himself for the fifth time.

Zed and Tango have both not responded to his messages, and the demon hybrid is panicking.

He looks around.

Pearl is talking to Scar and Gran as he brother cries.

Everyone else there is occupied with something.

'Good.' Impulse thinks.

He sneaks away from he group.

He runs through the area, looking for his friends.

He spots a familiar head of yellow hair, and runs up to him.

"Oh Tango." Impulse says, pulling his friend into a hug, why were you not responding to my messages.

Tango does not respond, instead embracing the demon hybrid back.

Impulse relaxes a bit until Tango dig his claws into his back.

Impulse gaps in pain.

"Tango that hurts." Impulse says, trying to pull out of the hug.

Tango's lips brush up against Impulse's neck before his fangs dig into his neck.

Big tears role down Impulse's cheeks as Tango greedily drinks his blood, his claws in the demon hybrid's back, one digging painfully into his wing root, keeping Impulse stuck.

Sure Impulse has let Tango drink some of his blood when he was hungry. He does it all the time.

But something is different about this time.

This time it feels like Tango does not care how much he is hurting his friend, just trying to get more food.

At least Impulse will respawn.

Right.

The sight of Iskall's corpse comes to Impulse's mind.

'Is this what happened to them?' Impulse questions the world as his eyes slip closed, drawing his last breath.

Chapter Text

Pearl helps stress walk to Xisuma's base.

The admin voidwalker carries the limp body of Iskall.

The rest of the small group follows, Keralis (who had been over Xisuma's for morning tea), Grian, and Scar.

Nobody knows where the fifth member of Boatem, Mumbo Jumbo is.

When they get to Xisuma's base, Keralis opens the door, allowing everyone in.

Pearl takes a deep breath of the half void, half overworld air as she enters the base.

Her brother and Scar follow behind her and stress, Xisuma next, the Keralis, who shuts the door.

Keralis clears the dinning room table of the little that was on it, so Xisuma can lay Iskall's body on it.

Pearl and stress head to the lounge room.

They sit on a love seat Xisuma owns.

Scar and Grian sit on the only other sofa, this one a three seater, leaving a spot open for Impulse.

Stress sits next to Pearl, staring into space.

Pearl looks to her left, over Stress's zoned out form, into the dining room where Xisuma sits in one of the chairs at the table, his helmet off, eyes glowing an unatural, steady, purple. His body is stiff as his hands type always a purple, of the same courlor as his eyes, panel of code.

Keralis stands next to him, making sure the admin stays safe while he is in codespace.

Pearl gently pulls stress into her lap, running her hands through the other female hermit's shoulder length brown hair.

Stress starts to quietly cry into Pearl's chest, her tears creating a small wet spot on her shirt, the moth hybrid does not mind.

"Hey, where is Impulse?" Pearl asks, realizing Impulse never sat down.

Grain sits up from where he was leaning up against Scar, "I don't know."

The last time she was with Impulse, there were trying to help Grian through a panic attack, and...

That was the last time.

"We left without him." Scar says, "We are such bad people."

"We'll find him." Grian says, putting a hand on the vex hybrid's shoulder, "I just hope he is okay."

Grian stands up, followed by Scar, the joints in his leg braces creaking.

"Tell Xisuma, we went to find Impulse." Grian say, before the duo leaves the base in search of the imp.

After about ten minuets Xisuma gasps deeply, his eyes clear, turning back to the normal deep purple they usually are.

The panel of code at his fingertips disappears as the admin takes rapid breath, trying to get more void air into his lungs.

When his breathing is back to normal, he speaks, "Iskall has only been dead for three-four hours tops according to their code." he says,  standing up with Keralis' help, "Their body hasn't even experienced rigor mortis."

"What?" Pearl says.

"Their body is not decomposing, they are dead, but not."

-♡-

Bdubs wakes up, stretching his body out before crawling out of bed.

The glare hybrid makes himself some food and coffee, before eating it and checking his comn.

<Xisuma: I need everyone to pair up in groups of two or more.>

"Yeah, that's not good." Bdubs says, reading through the responses.

Weirdly he does not see any from his boyfriend, Etho.

The glare hybrid leaves his base, running through the sun warmed grass over towards Etho's base.

He is almost there when he see said vampire fox hybrid walking.

"Etho!" Bdubs calls out running over.

The white haired Canadian stalks closer as he runs.

Bdubs stops about five feet from him, "Hey, Etho."

The man's mask is down, revealing a blood stained mouth with sharp canines, set in a snarl.

Etho's eyes are both red and blown wide, the pupils in cat like slits.

"Etho?..." Bdubs says, a little scared of his boyfriend.

Why should he be though?

Etho just looks like he wants to snap his neck and drain his whole body of all it's blood.

Something flashes in Etho eyes, fear fills his face, his his fluffy fox tail finds it's way in between his legs, his white fox ears droop in fear.

"Etho."

The vampire startles at Bdubs words, running off, and away from Bdubs.

"Etho, wait!" Bdubs shouts.

He quickly pulls out his comn.

<BdoubleO100: Guys, Something is seriously wrong with Etho.>

-♡-

Hypno is walking through Xb's kitchen, three cups of tea in his hands for himself, Xb, and Jevin, when he sees Beef walking around outside near the base.

He quickly hands Xb and Jevin their tea, with a quick, "Beef is outside, I'm going to go let him in."

" 'Kay."

"Alright."

Hypno walks over to the door, his cup of tea still in hand as he opens the door.

"Hey, Beef!" Hypno calls, catching the butcher's attention, "Why don't you come inside?" he says, "Xisuma wants us in groups for some reason!"

Beef walks over towards the blond hermit.

As he gets closer, Hypno notices he has dropped his glamour, allowing his eyes to be their normal blood red.

"Beef?" Hypno says.

The vampire does not respond, instead he continues approaching Hypno.

"Are you ok-AAHHGG!!!" Hypno screams as Beef lunges for him, snarling.

Hypno's back hits the ground and Beef's sharp claws rip at his throat.

Hypno continues to scream, alerting Xb and Jevin, as he tries to fight back, his burning hot tea, spilled on the ground, now soaks into his pants at his right hip, burning his skin.

The blond's screaming turns into a painful, wet, bloody, gurgle as Beef slits his throat.

Beef latches onto his neck, drinking the crimson liquid as it flows out of his neck.

Xb kicks Beef's side, right in his left side ribs, causing him o detach for a bit, almost falling off Hypno, but he quickly scrambles back into place on top of the human, clamping back down onto Hypno's bleeding scrag.

Hypno's eyes role into the back of his head, his mouth still ajar in a silent scream, his face paling as Beef drinks form his shredded throat.

Jevin summons his axe.

The slime hybrid slams the blunt side of his diamond axe into the left side of Beef's head, causing him to fall off Hypno, and onto his side, on Hypno's left, unconscious, his eyes closed.

Xb worthlessly checks Hypno's right writs for a pulse, but finds none.

Jevin despawns his axe, crouching down next to Beef.

The Canadian's face is covered in Hypno's crimson blood.

Jevin opens one of his eyes, seeing they are blood red, and the pupils are little cat like slits.

"I think he want feral, but I talked to him yesterday." Jevin says, "He was drinking a blood bag from Cub from the stash of them in the shopping district, and he was fine." he says, "Why is he feral?"

"I don't know, but why isn't Hypno respawnng?"

"I don't know." Jevin replies, standing up.

The slime hybrid pulls out his comn, "I'm calling Xisuma."

Chapter Text

Wels opens the door, dragging False outside of her house.

Possibilities of why she attacked him run through his mind as he lays her in the sun warmed grass.

He searches through her pockets, wiping her inventory, removing anything she could use to escape, harm herself, or someone else.

Wels puts all of her stuff into a pile in the grass before making a platform of obsidian on the ground.

The avian drags her onto it before building a full cube of obsidian around her, leaving a two blocks wide, by two blocks long, by two blocks tall space inside, and one block left out at top level so he can watch her if he needs to but she can' get out without and ender pearl (which she does not have).

The space is big enough she can stand, lay down, and move around a bit.

Wels sits down in the grass below the hole in the obsidian cage.

He dials Xisuma on his come, setting the  device on his thigh on speakerphone as he grabs the first aid kit he keeps in his inventory out to address his wounds he acquired from False.

"Everything okay Wels?" Xisuma asks, concern in his voice.

"Define okay." Wels says, unlatching his chest plate to get easier access to the small wounds o his neck, collarbone, and upper arms where the armor did not cover.

"What happened?" Xisuma asks, "Weren't you going to False's?"

"I was, I did." Wels says, "She wouldn't answer, and the door was unlocked, so I let myself in." He explains, "She walked out of a room at the end of the hall, and she seemed...wrong."

"Wrong?"

"Her eyes where rend and she snarled at me like a feral cat." Wels says as he wipes at the wounds with an antibacterial wipe from the kit, "She lunged at me, claws out, and if I didn't have my armor on, she might have ended up killing me."

"Do you thin she got them?" Wels hears Keralis ask on the other end with Xisuma.

"I don't know, I-...Wels, I'm going to put you on hold." Xisuma says, "Jevin is calling me."

"Okay." The knight says.

He drips some healing potion on some gauze, placing it on a particularly bad laceration on his left upper arm, wrapping bandages around it.

The avian drinks down the rest of the potion, grimacing at the sour taste.

He pulls his chest plate back on, tightening the straps.

"Wels, where is False?" Xisuma asks.

He sounds worried.

"I threw her in a for, by four, by four cube of obsidian." He says, "She has two blocks of room to move around in either way." he says, "I had to knock her out with the pommel of my swords so she did not kill me."

"Good, good, that's fine." Xisuma says, "Stay put, I'm going to send Pearl and Keralis out to you."

"Okay." Wels says, standing up.

"They will escort you two to my base." Xisuma says.

"Thank you."

"We'll see you soon Sweetface." Keralis says into the comn.

"See you K." Wels says.

"Stay safe." Xisuma says, hanging up.

Wels sighs, telling himself, "Now all I have to do is wait."

-♡-

Doc and Ren sit in Ren's living room.

Ren's lag bounces as he stares at the window.

"Ren."

No response.

"Ren."

Ne response.

"Ren." Doc says sternly.

Ren's head snaps in Doc's direction.

"Puppy, you okay?" Doc asks his boyfriend, pulling him into his lap, wrapping his arms around the dog hybrid, resting his chin on Ren's shoulder.

"I'm scared." Ren admits, "Something happened, and I'm scared."

"Nothing will happen to you, I promise." Doc says, "I can, and wiil protect you, love." he says, a purr coming from deep in his chest.

"I know, just..." he sighs, "Unpredictabilitys."

"Hmm." Doc hums, "Isn't life full of those?"

"it is." Ren admits, sighing, "I think we should make breakfast."

"Is the puppy hungry?"

"Yes." Ren says.

"And what does the puppy want to eat?"

"There should be some bacon and eggs on my fridge." Ren says.

"Perfect." Doc says, pressing a kiss to Ren's cheek, before tightening his grip around Ren, standing up.

"Doc!" Ren squeaks, surprised.

Doc carries Ren into the kitchen, setting him down, sitting on a counter, his head touching the cupboards behind him.

"I want to help." Ren says as Doc walks over to the fridge, pulling out a dozen eggs and a package of bacon.

He setts them down on the smaller counter between the fridge and the stove, "You are."

"How, sitting here and looking pretty?" Ren asks, pulling his tail into his lap, grooming it.

"Exactly that." Doc says, "Who doesn't love to look at flowers as they work." Doc says, moving so he is standing in front of Ren, their faces mere inches apart, "I think you may have to take your shirt off though." He says, grinning, "I thin you look better without it."

Ren looks into Doc's eyes.

Doc can see the irises are almost invisible, his pupils blown dilated.

Ren's ears perk up, turning towards the front door.

The Newfoundland dog hybrid sniffs at the air, "Someone's here."

Doc turns towards the front door, turning the heat vision on in his robotic eye.

He does not see a heat signature near there, the closest thing with one other them them is a sheep about 100 yards away from the door.

"I don't see anyone." Doc says.

"I can hear them." Ren says, "I can also smell them, redstone, pine, and blood!" Ren says.

Ren jumps off the counter, running to his front door, his bare feet beating the ground beneath him.

The dog hybrid throws the door open.

He see Etho standing on his doorstep, mask pulled down, blood covers the area around his mouth, splattered across his face and clothes is more blood.

His mouth is open, sharp canines bared, and set in a snarl.

Ren blinks and Etho lunges at him, hissing.

He screams, stepping back, trying to avoid Etho's sharp claws as he aims for Ren's bare throat and clothed chest.

A green blue slams into Etho from the kitchen.

Doc tackles Etho to the ground, and the two of them role around on the floor, screaming, growling, hissing, and claws flying.

The screech of Etho's claws fills the air as they hit the metal plating on the left side of Doc's chest.

After and agonizing fifteen seconds, the fight ends with Doc on top of Etho, his strong arms pinning Etho's top down by his upper arms to the wooden floor below him.

doc has his left knee digging into Etho's abdomen in a way that must be painful.

"What the goddess above is wrong with you!?" Doc shouts at the thrashing vampire.

Etho hisses up at Doc, his face set in a snarl.

"You did not just snarl at me." Doc yells, moving his robotic arm down to Etho's right forearm, snapping it with one quick jerk of his arm.

Etho screams.

It's guttural, animistic, scream of pure agony you never want to hear.

Ren covers his ears at the sound, his tail going between his legs.

Doc brings his robotic arm up, making a fist, and slamming it into the left side of Etho's head.

Etho's head roles to the right, his body falling limp below Doc, unconscious.

Doc looks back up at Ren and the dog hybrid uncovers his ears.

The creeper hybrid stands up, "I told you I'd protect you."

Ren sighs in relief.

Doc turns to look at Ren and sees a line of crimson just below Ren's right collar bone.

"Ren," Doc says, walking over to Ren, "Your bleeding."

Ren looks down, his brain finally registers the warm liquid dripping down onto his chest as his own blood.

Part of Ren's button up shirt is torn and bloody from the wound.

Doc reaches up, "Can I take off your shirt to see your wound?"

"Yes." Ren says, staring at Etho's limp body, fresh blood on his right claws, Ren's blood.

Doc unbuttons Ren's red shirt, un-tucking it from his pants, balling the torn and bloody garment up, and throwing it in the kitchen trash bin.

Doc walks to Ren's bathroom, Ren at his heels.

Doc pulls Ren's first aid kit out from under the sink, setting it on the counter, before pointing to the bathtub, "Sit."

Ren sits on the edge of the tub.

Doc grabs a hand towel from a linen closet in the hall, coming back, wetting in and cleaning the blood off Ren's chest.

Ren sucks his teeth in pain as Doc dabs at the cut.

"Sorry." Doc says, throwing the rag in the thrash bin in the bathroom, too blood stained to be saved.

The creeper hybrid opens the kit up next, pulling out some bandages, antibiotic wipes, healing potions, and gauze.

"Do you think what happened with Etho is why Xisuma wants us in groups?" Ren asks as Doc disinfects his wound.

"Possibly, but I don't think he knows the full thing." Doc answers, throwing away the wipes and dripping some on the gauze.

He places it on Ren's wound, wrapping Ren in enough bandages o keep it in place.

When he is done, Doc stands back up.

"Go get a new shirt on and some shoes, I'm going to call Xisuma." Doc says.

Ren nods, standing up.

The dog hybrid leaves the bathroom, going to his room.

Doc cleans up his mess, then call Xisuma as he walks over to where Etho lays, still passed out.

"Xisuma, Etho attacked me and Ren." Doc says bluntly.

"Are you okay, and where is he?" Xisuma asks.

"I'm good, Ren got scratched, but I patched up, and Etho is unconscious, with a broken arm." Doc says.

"Okay." Xisuma breaths out, "Can you and Ren bring him to my base, I'm calling an emergency sever meeting at my base."

Chapter Text

Scar and Grian leave Xisuma's base, back tracking their steps to find Impulse.

The duo gets to where Grian found Iskall and stop.

"Where would he have gone?" Scar asks.

Grian pulls out his comn, dialing Impulse.

It rings then goes to voicemail.

He messages him for what has to be the fifteenth time.

<you whispered to ImpulseSV: Impy, where did you go?>

No response.

"I don't know." Grian admits, ruffling his feathers before pinning them back to his back. His stomach is filled with unease.

"Have you herd form Zed or Tango today?" Scar asks.

Grian thinks back, scrolling through the world chat.

No, he hasn't.

"No." He says, "I'll text them."

<you whispered to TangoTek: Where are you, and have you seen Impulse?>

<you whispered to ZedaphPlays: Where are you, and have you seen Impulse?>

He waits a few moments for a response, but none comes.

<you whispered to TangoTek: Where are you, and have you seen Impulse?>

<you whispered to ZedaphPlays: Where are you, and have you seen Impulse?>

Still no response.

"I'm going to call Tango, you call Zed." Grian says.

Both men call their hermit.

They both ring, and go to voicemail.

Same as Impulse's.

Do you think he went to go check on them and got hurt along the way?" Scar asks, "I remember seeing him texting something on his communicator."

"Zed's closest, so lets go there first." Grian says.

Scar nods and the two of them start off in the direction of Zed's base.

-♡-

Scar squints his eyes, looking at something ahead.

There is something laying in the grass.

It looks black, some yellow, and... has wings.

Scar stops in his tracts.

Grian stops beside him, wings puffed out and head turning, looking for the danger.

Scar points at the thing, "Look!"

Grian looks at it, "That's Impulse!" he exclaims, before breaking into a run.

The vex hybrid can feel the joints in his leg braces move with him, making him run as he pushes his muscles.

Grian suddenly stops about five feet from Impulse.

Scar jogs up, stopping next to Grian.

His breath hitches at the sight.

Puncture holes in Impulse's back, going through his black shirt.

Scar can even see some in his wing roots that poke out through a hole in his shirt he made for them, his tail limp across the back of his legs.

The imp lays face down in the grass, crimson paints the grass near his neck.

"I'm going to pick him up." Scar says, swallowing down the nausea coming up his throat.

Grian nods, "We should head back to Xisuma's base." Grian says, "I don't like this."

-♡-

Xisuma pulls a sheet from his linen closet in the hallway to cover Iskall's body until he can figure out how to bring them back to life.

The voidwalker shuts the closet door and walks back to the dining room where Iskall's body and Keralis are when his comn starts buzzing in his pocket with a call.

He walks into the dining room, hands Keralis the sheet, and pulls out his comn.

<Welsknight is calling...>

Xisuma answers, "Everything okay Wels?"

"Define okay." Wels responds with.

Xisuma sighs, glad the knight is well enough to give him sass.

"What happened?" Xisuma asks, praying to the Void nobody else is dead, "Weren't you going to False's?"

"I was, I did." Wels says, "She wouldn't answer, and the door was unlocked, so I let myself in." He explains, "She walked out of a room at the end of the hall, and she seemed...wrong."

"Wrong?" Xisuma asks, confusion leaking into his voice.

"Her eyes where rend and she snarled at me like a feral cat." Wels says, "She lunged at me, claws out, and if I didn't have my armor on, she might have ended up killing me."

"Do you thin she got them?" Keralis ask as he lays the sheet over Iskall's body.

"I don't know, I-" Xisuma says, getting cut off by a beeping sound.

<Ijevin is calling...>

"Wels, I'm going to put you on hold." Xisuma says, "Jevin is calling me."

"Okay." Wels says.

Xisuma clicks answer, putting Wels on hold.

"Xisuma, Beef attacked Hypno, he went like feral or something." Jevin says.

"How bad is he?"

"Dead." Jevin says, "And he won't respawn."

"That's not good, was it just you and him?" The admin asks.

"Now, Xb's here and safe." Jevin says, "Beef is knocked out."

"Okay, you and Xb, come to my base, bring both Hypno and Beef if you can." Xisuma instructs, "Stay safe."

"Yeah." Jevin says, hanging up.

The call reconnects with Wels.

"Wels, where is False?" Xisuma asks.

"I threw her in a for, by four, by four cube of obsidian." Wels says, causing Xisuma of breath a sigh of relief, "She has two blocks of room to move around in either way."  The avian continues, "I had to knock her out with the pommel of my swords so she did not kill me."

"Good, good, that's fine." Xisuma says, "Stay put, I'm going to send Pearl and Keralis out to you."

"Okay."

"They will escort you two to my base." Xisuma says.

"Thank you." Wels says.

"We'll see you soon Sweetface." Keralis says into the comn.

"See you K." Wels says to the man.

"Stay safe." Xisuma says, hanging up.

He move so he can see Pearl.

"Pearl, I'm sending you and K out to escort Wels and False here." He says, "False attacked Wels, but is now unconscious."

"Okay." Pearl says, standing up.

Her and Keralis exit the base, right as Xisuma gets a third call.

<Docm77 is calling...>

He answers swiftly.

"Xisuma, Etho attacked me and Ren." Doc says bluntly.

"Are you okay, and where is he?" Xisuma asks, fear in his voice, 'not another hermit.'

"I'm good, Ren got scratched, but I patched him up, and Etho is unconscious, with a broken arm." Doc says.

"Okay." Xisuma breaths out, that's better then he assumed, "Can you and Ren bring him to my base, I'm calling an emergency sever meeting at my base."

"Yeah, Do you want me to bring Etho too?" Doc asks.

"Yes, we need to make five obsidian cells at my base when you come over." Xisuma says.

"Okay, I'll see you in like ten." Doc says.

"See you." Xisuma says, ending the call.

He sighs.

'This is not good.' he thinks as he opens the world chat, sending out a emergency message that reads in red, <Xisuma: Everyone needs to come to my base, immediately for your safety.>

He gets replies form a bunch of the Hermits, telling him his Hermits are on their ways.

Xisuma pockets his communicater.

He looks from his dining room table, where Iskall's body is to his sitting room where Stress sits on his love seat sofa, her knees pulled up to her chest, her face between them.

Xisuma worries his bottom lip, walking over, he sits next to her, after removing the chest plate of his armor, leaving him in his undershirt.

'She lost her best friend today.'

"Can I touch you Stress?" Xisuma asks, not knowing if she is okay with physical contact right now.

"Yes." Stress says, it's quit and weak, bearably audible.

Xisuma pulls her into a hug, and she fists his shirt, "Why did they have to die? I didn't even get to say goodbye." She sobs, "I'll never get a hug from them, never talk to them after a long day." She cries, "Their gone."

Xisuma rubs shapes into her back, he has no words to say to comfort her.

She sniffles, burying her face into his chest.

Xisuma presses a kiss to the top of her head, nestling his chin atop her head, his left hand still rubbing shapes into her back.

-♡-

Cub walks with Tc as they go to Xisuma's base.

They take a shortcut through the shopping district.

They are walking through the district at the right time to see someone step through the portal that connects Hermitcraft to the sever hub, only accessible to whitelisted members.

The newcomer's tall form steps from the swirling purple portal, his pure white wings ruffling behind him as he steps on the pavement of the shopping district.

He turns and sees Cub and TFC.

"RubadubCub!" he exclaims, a big smile on his face as it lights up.

<Skizzleman has joined the game>

Chapter Text

<Skizzleman has joined the game>

"Skizz?" Cub says, "How and why are you here?"

"Xisuma lets me come on for a weekend every month to hand with DippleDop." Skizz answers, "Why?" He asks, "Is everything okay?"

"We don't know." TFC answers, "Xisuma wants us all to go to his base for an emergency meeting."

"You should go back to the sever hub Skizz." Cub says, "We don't know what is going on, and you may not be safe."

"I could help." Skizz says, "I'm an angel hybrid. I could heal injury if need be." he says, adding on, "And I'm nice to be around."

"It might be a good idea." TFC says.

"Your right." Cub says, "You can come with us."

-♡-

Joe and Cleo are at Cleo's base.

Joe is talking about a book he has been reading as Cleo untangles his long brown hair with her hands.

It's soothing to the zombie.

The human sits on the floor in front of the couch Cleo sits on and she enjoys it.

They both hear a buzz come from both their comns.

Cleo looks over Joe's shoulder as he reads the message.

The text of the message in in red. An emergency alert from an admin.

<Xisuma: Everyone needs to come to my base, immediately for your safety.>

"We need to go there, Yeah?" Joe asks.

"Yeah."

A feminine scream sounds from outside Cleo's base.

Both hermits bolt up.

Cleo runs to her door, Joe to the window of her sitting room that overlooks her front yard.

"It's Gem and Tango!" Joe shouts.

Cleo throws open her door, expecting the worst.

Gem runs up to her door, running inside, "SHUT THE DOOR!" she screams.

Cleo throws the door closed.

-♡-

Gem walks to Cleo's base.

She was alone and wanted to heed Xisuma's request.

She is almost there when she see movement form the tree line.

Gem stops to see what it is, and realizing it's Tango.

"Tango!" She call, a big smile on her face.

The blond does not respond, walking closer.

He is about ten feet from her when she realizes something is wrong with him.

He hisses at her, lunging forward, claws out.

The deer hybrid throws up her arms to block the attack.

She screams as Tango's sharp claws slice through the flesh of her left arm.

Gem kicks him in the gut with a deer leg, knocking him off his feet.

She grips her injured arm, turning and running for Cleo's base.

The door flies open and she barrels in.

"SHUT THE DOOR!" She screams, tears in her eyes from pain.

The door slams shut, and Gem starts to cry from the pain in her arm.

-♡-

Joel tells Cleo about a book he has been reading, sitting on the floor in front of the couch she sits on, playing with his hair.

Gods he loves it when they play with his hair.

The human stops talking as a feminine scram comes from outside Cleo's base.

They both bolt up, Cleo going to the front door and Joe to the window that looks out to the front yard.

Joe sees Tango on his butt in the grass, and Gem running at the base, clutching her arm, "It's Gem and Tango!" Joe shouts, telling Cleo who it is.

He hears Gem run inside as Tango stands up.

"SHUT THE DOOR!"

'SLAM!'

Joe watches Tango's gaze go from the door to the brunet looking out the window.

They lock eyes and Tango pull his right hand up to him mouth, licking something red off his fingers, before he turns and walks away.

Joe looks away from the window as Cleo leads Gem into the living room to sit on the couch.

Now Joe can see Gem clutching her left arm, red blood dripping from it and between her fingers.

"What happened?" Cleo asks, her, "Did Tango do this?"

Gem takes a deep breath, "He hissed at me, and lunged for my neck." She says, "I put my arms up and-" She breaths out in pain.

"He sliced your arm." Cleo finishes."

Gem nods.

She lets her arm go so Cleo and Joe can see the wound..

It's deep.

"your going to need stitches." Cleo says.

"Figured."

"Joe go get the first aid kit, we at least need to bandage it up before going to X's." Cleo says.

He returns, handing Cleo the kit.

Cleo pops open he kit, pulling out a role of bandages and some gauze.

"This is going to hurt." She says, "Do you want something to bite down on?"

"No, no, I'm good." Gem says.

"Okay, just don't scream in my ear." Cleo says, unwrapping some of the bandages from the role to loosen the role up.

They place some gauze pad over the wound before she starts to wrap it with the bandages.

Gem's face pales from the pain, her right hand shakes with how hard she is clenching it to keep from screaming in pain.

Joe takes her right hand in his left, putting his right hand on top of their hands, trying to comfort her.

She squeezes his hand in a grip that hurts, but Joe sits through it.

When Cleo is finally done wrapping it Gem lets Joe's hand go, breathing out a breath she had been holding in.

"Okay, that should keep you from bleeding out until we get to X's" Cleo says, "Problem is, I don't want to go out on foot if Tango did this." She says, "Clearly something is wrong with him." they say, "We need to fly, you up to it?"

"Never been more glad I'm right handed." Gem replies.

Chapter Text

Wels hears Pearl and Keralis before he sees them, high in the sky, Pearl with her moth wings and Keralis with a set of elytra.

The two of them touch down.

Keralis puts his elytra away, "Hello!"

"Hey, Keralis. Hey, Pearl." Wels says, "She is still out cold." he says, pointing at the obsidian cage around False.

"Good." Pearl says.

"I removed anything she could use to escape, or cause harm." Wels says.

"Right now, all she has is her clothes." He says, pulling an empty shulker from his inventory for her stuff.

He kneels in the grass, filling it with her things.

"Oh, I see you got her boots, good, because I know she has a knife in a hidden compartment in those." Pearl says as she watches Wels put False's things away.

When he is done, Wels shuts the shulker, standing up and putting it away in his inventory.

Keralis summons a pickax from his inventory, "I'll carry her to Shishwammy's." He says, breaking the block of obsidian below the small window to pick up the unconscious vampire.

The wide eyed hermit scoops False up in his arms.

"We should get walking before she decide to wake up." Wels says.

-♡-

Scar places Impulse's body next to Hypno's, which lays next ti Iskall's.

They all lay horizontally across the table, a sheet covering Hypno and Iskall, a second one needed to cover Impulse.

Scar's eyes move back over to where Xisuma and Grian stand talking.

Inside the base already is, Pearl, Grian, Xisuma, Keralis, Doc, Ren, Wels, Jevin, Xb, Bdubs, Stress, and Scar himself.

Xisuma's guest room has been cleared out, five cells of obsidian made inside, with a 2x2x2 space inside, the top level blocks removed a covered with bars on three of them, the other two have no blocks in the front and are empty.

Inside the barred one are, False, Beef, and Etho.

False is awake and looks angry.

Beef and Etho are laying on the floor of the cell, out cold.

Scar goes into the living room where almost everyone else is.

A quite chapter is in the air as everyone tries to figure out what happened.

The next group of Hermits walk in right as Scar sits on the love seat, next to Pearl, who holds a grieving Stress in her arms.

Joe, Cleo, and Gem is the group that walks in.

Gem's left arm is wrapped in bloodied bandages, her face screwed in pain.

"X, gem need stitches." Cleo says, "Tango attacked her."

"Okay, we can set a med bay up in the basement." Xisuma says, "I have cots and medical supplies down there.

"Gemstone, what happened to your arm?" Skizz asks, walking in.

'Wait.' Scar thinks, "Skizz?!"

Skizz gently takes Gem's hurt arm in his hands, unwrapping it and holding a hand about and inch above it.

A golden halo appears above Skizz, his eyes glow a warm yellow.

The halo also glows a warm yellow as the big cut on Gem's arm closes, healing and only leaving a small pink scar.

"Guess she doesn't need those stitches anymore." Cleo chuckles.

"Wait, Skizz, how are you here?" Grian asks.

"Xisuma lets me come over for one weekend every month to hand with Dippldop, Top, and Zeddlebop." Skizz answers.

"I completely forgot I had white listed you for that last night." Xisuma admits.

"He cam right through the portal as me and Cub were going by it." TFC says.

"Yup." Cub affirms.

"I'm here to help." Skizz says, looking around at everyone, "He, where's Impy?"

Silence fills the base until Xisuma breaks it, "The dining room."

Skizz's eyebrows nit together in, confusion as he goes into the dining room.

The angel's face drops, paling before he runs over to Impulse's body.

-♡-

Skizz's eyes fall on Impulse and his stomach drops.

The imp lays on Xisuma's dining room table, next to something else covered with a sheet.

He runs over, "Impulse!" he says, his eyes land on Impulse's throat, torn, shredded, and bloody.

A tear slides down Skizz's cheek.

The angel places a hand on Impulse's chest, seeing him on another level with his angelic powers.

Impulse on the mortal realm looks dead.

No breath in his lungs, no beating heart in his chest, no conscious though in his brain, but Skizz can see he is not truly dead.

Skizz's powers will still work on him.

The angel places a hand on Impulse's chest, channeling his healing powers into Impulse, "Com'n buddy." He mumbles, closing his eyes.

Skizz takes a breath, Impulse's chest moving up with his own, then back down, up, down, up, dow-

Impulse gasps, sucking the air into his own lungs through his mouth, his neck is repaired, fresh blood flowing through his veins, the puncture wounds on his back healed.

Skizz removes his hand, taking a step back as Impulse rapidly sits up.

The angle hybrid smiles, right before his eyes role into the back of his head, his knees buckling under him.

Chapter Text

Xisuma watches as Skizz places a hand on Impulse’s chest.

The angel’s irises glow a soft yellow instead of their normal blue coulor.

Skizz places his other hand on Impulse’s chest.

His halo reapers, also glowing the same coulor as his eyes, his wings splay out behind him, looking ethereal in an angelic, otherworldly way.

Skizz’s halo glows even brighter, like a lightbulb before it blows out.

As Skizz breathes in, the admin can see Impulse’s chest rise with it.

Suddenly, Impulse gasps, sitting up rapidly.

Skizz takes a step back, his halo flashing away, and his eyes turning back to blue.

He smiles, and his eyes roll into the back of his head.

Xisuma races forward, catching the unconscious angel in his arms.

He slowly lowers Sizz to the floor before standing up and looking at Impulse, alive and breathing.

“Oh my Mother Void.” Xisuma breaths.

“Is that Skizz?!” Impulse says.

“Yes.” Xisuma answers, snapping himself out of his awe, hope blooming in his chest, “How much do you remember?”

I uh…Zed and Tango were not responding to my messages, so I went to go check on them.” Impulse says, looking around at the other hermits gathering, glancing at the shee covering Iskall’s and Hypno’s bodies, “I ran into Tango. I hugged him, relieved he was safe, and he…” He starts to cry as tears of betrayal roll down his cheeks, “He dug his claws into my back and ripped at my throat with his teeth, and I-...I died.”

“Just like Iskall, and Skizz was able to bring you back.” Xisuma thinks aloud.

“Doc, can you go put Skizz in my bed so he can sleep?” Xisuma asks, “Everyone else, including Impulse, sitting room, now.”

Doc walks into the dining room, scooping Skizz up in his arms, disappearing down the hall.

Xisuma helps Impulse get down off the table, and helps lead him to the sitting room.

Scar, Grian, Pearl, and Stress sit on his three cushion couch, squished together.

Scar grabs Grian, pulling the avian onto his lap so there is more room.

Impulse sits down in between Scar and Pearl.

On the armchair next to the couch sits Xb, Keralis standing behind it, leaning forward on the back of it, his chin resting on Xb’s head.

Doc comes back, sitting down on another arm chair, Ren sits on the arm rest, leaning on Doc once the creeper hybrid sits back down.

Wels sits in the third chair, worry on his face.

On the love seat, Gem and Cleo sit, Joe sitting on the floor at Cleo’s feet.

Everyone else sits on the floor or stands.

“Okay.” Xisuma says, standing before almost all the Hermits, “We are going to go around in a circle, counter clockwise, telling anything that happened today with our vampire friends, good, bad, right, and wrong.” He says, “Starting with Cleo.”

Xisuma nods at them.

She starts talking.

Chapter Text

Xiumsa nods at Cleo and the zombie starts to talk, “Me and Joe were at my base when we heard a scream.” she says, “we got up and ran, me to the door, and Joe to the window. I threw open the door and Gem ran in.”

She looks at Joe to continue, “I saw Gem and Tango outside.” He says, “Gem was running to the door, and Tango was sitting in the grass. After Gem was safely inside I watched Tango lick something off his finger before walking off into the woods.”

Gem’s next, “I was going to Cleo’s since Xisuam said to be with someone.” she starts, “I was almost there when I saw Tango. I stopped and called out to him, but he did not respond.” Gem says, “Instead he came closer then lunged for me. I put my arm up to block him and he sliced my arm.” The deer hybrid says, “I screamed and kicked him in the gut then ran for the door. When I ran In Cleo bandaged my arm up and we flew here where Skizz healed my arm.”

“Cub?” Xisuams says.

“I don’t have much to tell.” Cub says, “I met up with TFC after Xisuma’s message, we were walking through the shopping district when Skizz stumbled through the portal.” The vex hybrid says, “We decided for him to come with us instead of going home since he said he could be of help. Which he was.”

TFC nods.

Wels is next, “I saw Xisuma’s message, and texted in the world chat I was heading to False’s.” The knight says, “When I got there, she would not answer the door, and it was unlocked so I let myself in.” he says, “When I got in and shut the door she came out of a room and surged forward, trying to claw me, but my armor stopped he, mostly.” The avian says, “I knocked her out with the pommel of my sword and called Xisuma while I addressed my wounds from Flase.”

The knight turns to Doc and Ren.

Ren opens his mouth and starts, “Me and Doc were…making breakfast, when I heard then smelled someone was on my doorstep.” he says, “I went to go see who it was, and when I opened the door, Etho jumped on me.”

“He would have killed Ren if I had not tackled him off Ren.” Doc says, “We fought a bit, I broke his arm, and knocked him out.”

Jevin starts next, “Me and Hypno headed over to Xb’s base after we got Xisuma’s message.” he says, “we had some tea and Hypno went to the door.” He says, “Beef was outside and he called him in.”

“We heard a scream from the front door and came running but it was too late.” Xb says, “Hypno was on the floor, Beef’s teeth deep in his throat.” he says, “I knocked Beef off him, and Jev knocked him out, but Hypno’s throat had been slit and he was-” 

Tears pour down Xb’s cheeks and Jevin finches for him, “he was dead so we called Xisuam then came here.”

Keralis sets his arms on Xb’s shoulder, resting his chin on top of Xb’s head again, rubbing circles into the crying man’s collar bone.

Pearl looks at Impulse, not having much to say herself.

Impulse takes a deep breath, “I went to go find Zed and Tango since they were not responding to my texts or calls.” he says, “I never found Zed, but Tango found me and he killed me.”

Pearl wraps an arm around Impulse’s shoulders, pulling him into her side.

Grian and Scar are next, then Bdubs.

“I woke up this morning, went outside to enjoy some tea when I saw Iskall lying in the grass.” Grian says, “They were pale and gone.” he says, “I sent a message in world chat and we came here.”

“After that me and Gri released we did not know where Impy was so we went to go find him, which we di-”

A scream of pure pain emits from Xisuma’s spare bedroom where the Vampires are being kept.

Bdubs’s eyes go wide as he and a few others insanely recognize the scream as Etho’s.

Chapter Text

Bdubs is on his feet in an instant, his breath stalling in his chest.

He moves quickly to the room, Doc right behind him.

“Stay.” Xisuma says to the rest of the Hermits, not wanting too many in the way, just in case of trouble.

Bdubs is about to run into the room over to Etho when Doc stops him, grabbing the back of his shirt.

“Wait.” he says.

Etho stands in his obsidian cell, clutching his one forearm.

The one Doc broke.

The vampire whimpers in pain, looking down at his injury.

“Etho.” Xisuam says.

The vampire’s head snaps up and he snarls at them all.

“One sec.” Xisuma says.

The admin runs into his kitchen and throws open the fridge.

Inside there are a few bags of red blood (with five vampires on the server, he always keeps some blood in his fridge).

He grabs one and runs back.

“Here, try giving thai to him.” Xisuam says, handing the bag to Doc, “If he eats this, it should heal his arm.”

Doc steps into the room, letting go of Bdubs, but the glare hybrid does not run, standing there next to Xisuma in the doorway.

False hiss at Doc as he walks past her and Beef, who is still out cold on the floor of his cell.

Etho’s nostrils flare as his eyes land on the bag, his mask hangs lousy around his neck as it has been.

He drops his bad arm, sticking his good one through the bars with a pained groan as he desperately tries to grab at the blood bag.

His claws almost slice it to shreds with how desperate he is to take it, but Doc pulls it away so he does not make the red liquid go all over the room.

“This isn't going to work.” Doc says, “He’s too aggressive. I would not even be able to throw it in because of the bars.

“Let me try.” Bdubs says.

The glare hybrid steps into the room, flinching slightly as False hisses at him, her arm outstretched, trying to snatch him.

Bdubs walks over to Doc and the mad scientist hands him the bag.

Bdubs walks up to Etho’s cell.

The white haired vampire reaches for the bag, but draws back his arm quickly.

Something flashes in his eyes and he steps back, his back hitting the back wall of his small cell.

Etho screams in pain when he hits his broken arm.

The vampire falls to the ground of his cell with a pained groan.

Etho cradles his hurt arm with his good hand, wide mismatched eyes staring up at Bdubs with fear, his whole body shaking.

Bdubs reaches in the cell as far as he can and drops the blood bag for Etho to eat.

Bdubs pulls his arm out, taking a step away from Etho’s cell.

False watches him with red, hungry eyes.

Etho grabs the bag with his hand on his good arm with a pained whimper as his injured arm falls into his lap.

He brings the bag up to his lips, puncturing the bag with his fangs.

The bag is empty in seconds.

Etho moans as his arm snaps back into place, intently relieving the pain.

Bdubs smiles, “It worked!” he says, turning back to Doc and Xisuma who stand in the room’s doorway.

The glare hybrid looks at Etho, stepping forward again then back at Xisuma and Doc.

Etho still stares at him, eyes wide, body shaking.

Everyone watches in amazement at the whole thing

Etho is not attacking Bdubs.

“G…o.”

It’s quiet, horse, barely understandable, but it's distinctively Etho.

Everyone (Bdubs included) looks at Etho/and or his cell, shocked.

Etho just spoke .

“B…du..bsss…” Etho stutters, shaking violently, “No…hur…t-t…you.”

Bdubs takes a few steps back.

Etho pulls his knees up to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut, burning his face between his knees as he violently trembles, “G…o”

“I’m going to go sit down.” Bdubs says, swallowing dryly before he exits the room, going to join the others in Xisuma’s living room.

“We need to get the other two so we can try and fix whatever is wrong with them.” Xisuam says, “This gives me some more hope we can reverse this...”

Chapter Text

“This gives me some more hope we can reverse this, but I fear we need to find Zed.” Xisuma says, “And I don’t think he’s going to be alive when we do.” 

Xisuma goes into the living room, “I want to send a small team out to retrieve Zed, I’m assuming he is dead since he has not been answering his comn, but let’s pray he is not.”

“Xisuma.” Impulse says, “I want to go find him.” he says, “I want to help, he’s one of my closest friends.” 

The voidwalker nods, “If you're up to it.” he says, “I want to send you with two others, will anybody be willing to volunteer?”

Doc walks into the room fully having been standing behind Xisuma, “I’ll go with him Xisuma.”

Ren stands from where he had moved to sitting in the middle of the chair Doc had been sitting in, “I’ll be the third.”

“No you won’t.” Doc growls.

Ren’s ears flatten, talk stilling, and being held close to his body.

Doc closes his organic eyes taking a deep breath, “You just got injured not even three hours ago.” he says, “I don’t want you to get hurt even more.”

Ren nods, “I understand.”

Doc crosses the room, embracing Ren, “Ren, I love you and don’t like seeing you hurt.”

He presses a kiss to the top of Ren’s head.

“Try to be safe, please.” Ren says.

 “I will.” Doc reassures his boyfriend.

Pearl clears her throat, “I’ll go out with them X.”

“Thank you.” Xisuma says.

Pearl stands up with Impulse and they walk past Xisuma to the front door, Doc leaving Ren after shearing a quick kiss with him, is at their heels.

“You two ready?” Doc asks.

Pearl summons her sword from her inventory as a precaution, “Of course.”

Impulse nods and the trio opens the door, exiting to find their friend.

Xisuma turns to the rest of the Hermits then looks at a clock on the wall, finally seeing the time.

He chuckles, “It’s getting late, we should probably all eat.”

Keralis moves from where he was sitting with Xb, “I’ll help you Shishwamy!”

Xisuma smiles, “Thank you K.”

“Always.”

-♡-

Pearl, Doc, and Impulse walk towards Zed’s base.

The closer they get the more anxious Impulse seams to get, his demon tail flicks behind him nervously, betraying his blank face.

“What's going on in your head, Impulse?” Pearl asks.

Impulse looks at her then at Doc then back at her as they all walk, “I’m scared.” he admits, “Scared we won’t find him alive, and realistically I know we most likely won't, but…” he pauses, taking a deep breath, “Something in he hopes he is.”

“Do you want a hug?” Pearl asks him.

“...” Impulse is silent for a moment, “Yes.”

The two of them stop and Pearl wraps Impulse in a hug, her moth wings shielding them from the world.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Pearl whispers in the shorter hermit’s ear, “Whatever state we find him in, Skizz will bring him back.” She says, rubbing Impulse’s back soothingly.

“Thank you.” Impulse says, a few tears slipping from his eyes and soaking into her shirt.

“Of course.” Pearl says.

Impulse pulls away from her arms, wiping at his tears with the back of his hand, sniffling, “We should probably get going again.” He says, chuckling.

Doc smiles at him softly, “If you need anyone to talk to, or just a hug, all the Hermits are here for you.”

“Thank you both.” Impulse says.

The trio starts walking again.

-♡-

Xisuma sniffles as he chops the vetchtable on the cutting board, quite tears falling down his face and onto the board with the vetchtable.

A hand on his shoulder causes him to set the knife down, turning to see who it is.

“Shishwamy, what's wrong?” Keralis asks him, a concerned look on his face, “Your crying.”

Xisuma smiles at him, wiping at the tears he didn't even realize were falling down his face with his hand, “Oh.” he says, “Must just be the onions I’m cutting.”

“Shishwam.” Keralis says, cupping his cheek, “You're cutting lettuce for a salad for Gem.” he says, “We're not going to be cutting onions.”

Xisuma closes his eyes, resting his forehead on his boyfriend’s, “I don’t want to scare the others, but…” he stocks in a deep breath, whispering quietly, “I don’t know what’s going on.” he admits, “I don’t even know if I can reverse what ever trance they are in.”

Keralis sweeps a thumb over his cheek, wiping away some of the tears still falling down his face, “It’s okay Shishwam.”

“But what if it’s not?” Xisuma asks, tears falling harder now.

Keralis presses a kiss to his lips, “I’ll make sure it’s okay.”

Xisuma opens his violet eyes, “Thank you.”

Keralis looks at him with his big eyes, “It will  be okay.”

Chapter Text

Pearl takes a sip of water from a bottle of it she had in her inventory.

The trio is almost to Zed’s base.

It’s probably about four to five in the afternoon, the sun will be going down in a few hours.

Impulse is getting antsy and Pearl wishes she would hold him close, not letting anything hurt her father figure.

It hurts her seeing him this scared.

When they arrive at Zed’s base, Pearl is the first to see him since she is walking farthest in the group and taller than Impulse.

She stops, swallowing hard before slowly making her way up the steps of Zed’s base to his open porch and front door.

Impulse and Doc are behind her.

She can hear a sob coming from Impulse as his eyes land on Zed’s body.

Zed’s slightly clouded purple eyes stare back up at them, his neck is torn open and blood is all over his shirt and the ground.

Pearl steps forward, closing the sheep hybrid’s eyes.

“Do you want me to pick him up?” Doc asks.

“I got it.” Pearl says, “If we get attacked, I’d rather you be free to fight than me since you are stronger.”

Doc nods and Impulse wipes his tears.

Pearl puts away her sword, gently picking Zed up.

Impulse lays a sheet from his inventory he stole from Xisuma’s closet.

The trio starts to walk back in silence, Impulse in front of Pearl, sword drawn, and Doc behind her, sword also drawn, eyes scanning the area as they walk back.

They walk for about five minutes before Doc puts a hand on Pearl's shoulder, stopping her.

“Wait.”

Impulse stops dead in his tracks, head wiping around.

Doc’s eyes are trained on a patch of trees and Pearl squints in the direction of Doc’s gaze.

She sees red eyes poking out from behind a tree.

“Who do you think it is?” Pearl asks.

“Hard to tell.” Doc says.

They hear a branch snap and the eyes stalk forward before stepping out of the darkness under the trees.

Tango slowly walks towards them, eyes trained on the small group, red eyes wide, mouth open, baring his fangs.

He stalks closer, hands forward, claws bared, ready to tear into flesh for blood.

Doc removes his hand from Pearl's shoulder.

He pulls something from his inventory, whispering to the trio, “Trust me.”

He holds up a bag of seeds, putting his sword away as Tango stalks closer.

The creeper-goat hybrid opens the small bag, dumping its content on the ground a few feet in front of him, seeds scattering in the grass blades.

Tango stops dead in his tracks, twenty feet from the group.

His finger twitches and he closes his mouth.

In a blink he’s diving for the ground.

Picking up the seeds with his right hand, one at a time, putting them in his left hand.

They can hear him counting in a raspy, wobbly, weak voice as he picks them up, “One…two…three…four…five-”

Doc crosses his arms smirking.

Pearl and Impulse stare at Tango as the vampire kneels in the crass, counting the seeds, eyes wide, slit like pupils moving quickly from the seeds scattered in the grass, following the seed as it moves from the ground to his left palm by his right hand.

“What is he doing?” Impulse asks.

“He’s counting the seeds.” Pearl says, astonished, “Not attacking us.”

“Tango has arithmomania .” Doc says, “It’s a form of OCD.” he says, “Some vampires have it. For vampires it can be really bad, I’ve heard tales of people using it to distract feral vampires on other servers." he continues, “I picked up that Tango has it, though his is mild, him going feral has made it worse.”

Impulse nods, eyes still trained on his friend as he counts the seeds, “So now what?”

“Restrain him and lock him up with the others.” Doc says, already pulling a rope from his inventory.

He makes a slip loop, slipping it over Tango’s head, neck, and shoulders. He angles it so it’s covering the vampire’s upper arms before pulling it tight.

The vampire hisses, dropping his seeds.

Tango’s red eyes move to the seeds he dropped.

Doc quickly wraps the rest of the rope around Tango’s upper arms, tightening it.

A few tears fall down Tango’s eyes that are trained on the seeds, pupils moving erratically as he tries to count them.

Doc wraps the rope around Tango’s arms, pinning the vampire’s arms to his sides.

Doc drops him to the ground and Tango lays on his side, still trying to count the seeds.

His lips move, mouthing the numbers as he counts.

Doc pulls a length of cloth from his inventory, gagging the vampire so he can’t bite them.

“That should be good.” Doc says, before picking Tango up, throwing him over his shoulder.

Pearl nods and so does Impulse before they start walking back.

‘One more vampire to go.’ Pearl thinks, ‘Mumbo, where are you?’

Chapter Text

When Impulse, Doc, and Pearl get back to Xisuma’s base, lunch/an early dinner has already been made and eaten.

As Pearl sets Zed’s body on the table with the others, she sees most of the other Hermits are in the sitting room, playing board and card games to pass the time.

She watches Doc put Tango away before walking over to Xisuma to tell him what happened.

Impulse comes up to her, handing her a bottle of cold water and a turkey, cheese, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, “Here, you need to eat something too.”

Pearl smiles, “Thanks.” she says, taking the food and drink.

The duo moves to the sitting room to sit on the couch and eat.

-♡-

Grian slips outside silently.

Dark has fallen and most of the Hermits are trying to sleep with Doc and Keralis keeping first watch.

The avian flies up into the sky, sitting on the roof of Xisuma’s base.

His eyes stare up at the sky.

The stars stare back at him.

He sits there in the night, looking at the sky, his chest hurting with feelings he does not want to express.

"Couldn't sleep either?” Scar asks.

Grian turns around just in time to see Scar’s vex winds disappear as he hides them again.

The avian turns back around, looking at the open sky again, “Yeah.”

Scar sits down next to him, taking boyfriend’s hand in his own, squeezing it lightly.

Grian rests his head on the vex hybrid’s shoulder, eyes watching a shooting star fly across the sky.

“What are you thinking about Birdy?” Scar asks.

“Mumbo.” Grian says he misses their boyfriend. It feels wrong not having him here, “I miss him.”

Scar sighs, “I know, me too.” 

They sit in silence.

“...”

“...”

“Scar…”

“Hmm?” Scar hums, moving his eyes from the horizon to Grian’s face.

“Is it me or is the moon big?”

Scar’s brows furrow and he follows Grian’s eyes to the moon.

Scar looks at it, really looks at it.

“It-...It kinda does.” Scar says.

Grian sits up, “Do…do you think the moon has something to do with the vampires going feral?”

“It could be.” Scar says.

The vex looks down and his breath hitches.

“Shou-” Grian says but is cut off as Scar puts a hand over his mouth, breathing in his ear, “shhh, look over there.” he says pointing to an open field, the moon light illuminating it.

There, in the middle stands one person.

His black hair matches his black suit as he stands there, back to the duo, head titled back, eyes locked on the sky.

Both men try to be completely silent.

Nobody has seen Mumbo all day, and here he is.

Grian breaths slowly, Scar’s hand still over his mouth.

He can feel Scar’s vex tail wrap around his right wrist, trying to help sooth his hands that are shaking violently.

Mumbo slowly lowers his head, looking ahead of him.

He slowly turns around, doing a full 180.

He stops, red eyes moving up, locking with emerald green and obsidian black from a distance.

Grian and Scar can see his upper lip curl, his mustache move with it, revealing sharp fangs gleaming in the dark moonlit night.

Even from here, Scar and Grian can hear their boyfriend hiss.

Grian’s whole body is shaking now as Mumbo closes his mouth, turning around and stalking into the woods on the far side of the open field.

Scar lowers his hand, “we need to get inside.” he breathes, “now.”

Grian nods, standing up.

Scar scoops his boyfriend up in his arms protectively.

The vex hybrid summons his wings, gliding down from the roof, knocking on the front door.

An unamused Doc opens the door and Scar rushes in.

Doc shuts the door behind them, “Why were you two out there?”

“Doc.” Scar says, “We saw Mumbo outside, he was looking up at the moon, saw us, hissed, then left.”

The vex hybrid puts Grina down and the avian looks at Doc, “The moon.” he says, “I think it’s the answer as to what’s happening.” he continues, “It’s bigger then usual.”

Doc’s eyes flick from Grian to Scar na Scar to Grian.

He moves to the door, looking out the glass window to the sky.

The two men can see the moment Doc sees it too, “That is not right." He says, “We need to get Xisuma to see this too.”