Author's Note: The truth has been revealed. Also, delirious!Grian needs some serious help. 

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Swap!Doc:

 I could hear Cub's painful, fearful mumbling from behind the machine.

 " Impulse." I mouthed as I tapped him on the shoulder. Impulse looked at me, " Get on top of the machine." I mouthed as Impulse nodded. I cupped my claws together and flung Impulse on top of the machine. Impulse wiggled on top of the machine. He crawled forward until only the tips of his boots were seen. 

  I looked at Ren, " Get to the other side of the machine to try and get a good view of him." I mouthed as Ren nodded and snuck around. 

 I remained in my spot and started to listen to Cub's rambling, " Please let us go.... You controlling us day and night will end up with us losing our friends...." he coughed as he let out a sharp cry and a loud thud with heard.

 " You're under my control now boy. I run your life and I'll be sure to ruin it if you dare disobey." a crackling voice snarled as Cub let out a whimper. 

 Cub let out another cough as the mysterious voice continued to speak, " I won't stop harming you, that Scar kid, and your friendship with those idiotic Hermits until you drain all the energy from the captive creatures that this machine you built for me brought over." the voice continued as something clanged against the machine. 

 Cub let out a wheeze as I guess he stood himself up.

  " What if I resist you?" he asked in a whisper as the voice laughed again.

" You already have been... That's why I got Scar even tighter under my claw." Cub let out a gasp as the sound of heavy stomping came down the wall and a door slammed shut. I stood there in silence. 

 Have I been wrong about what happened to Cub and Scar? 

 Are they actually not crazy? 

 I let the thoughts run through my head as Ren and Impulse joined me by my side.

" You three can come out now." Cub sighed as he banged his fist against the machine. 

 The three of us froze. 

 He knew we were here? 

 I looked between the others, " Doc.... Ren.... Impulse... I know you guys are hiding. My entire body may be freaking out right now, yet I can tell when my door has been hacked." Cub coughed again. 

 The three of us awkwardly walked out. 

 Cub was holding himself up against the machine; he was incredibly weak in his legs, and his body was shaking violently. I looked at the broken hermit, " Cub.... what happened?" I asked him as he looked at the three of us, " Scar and I found a crystal and something came out of it. It threatened to harm all of you guys if we didn't do as it asked." he sighed as his body continued to shake. 

 Ren and Impulse stood next to him and put his arms around each of their shoulders. 

 Cub started to slowly drift into sleeping, but he continued his explanation, " So, we built it a machine, and anytime you guys could arrive it would take over our bodies to tell you nothing was wrong." he continued with his eyes closed, " We had to get energy from the counterparts.... I... I want to sleep now, but Scar is only going to get pulled deeper into the beast's control... He tried to attack me...." Cub turned his head to the side showing major bruising on his neck, " I just want my Scar back..." he whispered as he blacked out.

The three of us looked at each other and then at the downed hermit. Cub was weak, but the good news was that he was still alive. It seemed like everything came crashing down around him at once, and his body and mind couldn't handle anything anymore. 

 I shook my head, " Looks like there was more to save other then the counterparts...." I sighed as some loud yelling came from the stairs. 

 Everyone tensed up, " Ren, take Cub and go behind the machine now." I sharply ordered as Ren nodded taking Cub up in his arms and bolting behind the machine. Impulse and I took out our swords with one purpose in mind. 

 Protect the others at all costs. 

 The two of us stood in wait as Wels and the others came down the stairs with startled expressions, " It's us!" he raised his arms, " Scar has full on lost his mind." X reported as he looked up. 

 The others were still tensed up, " We're lucky that Grian and the others are keeping him in check so that we could get down here." False sighed as she looked around, " Where are the counterparts at?" she asked as Impulse and I led her to the room. 

 The others stood there in silence.

  " They're so weak.... The whole lot of 'em....." X whispered as they walked into the room. Everyone except Impulse, who stood by the door, rushed to untie the ropes that bounded the trapped hermits. 

 Grian slowly started to stir; there was some blood leaking from his neck. He weakly looked up and me with dull eyes.

  " Who...." he narrowed his eyes to try and look at me, " Doccc? " he cocked his head to the side lazily. 

 Grian smiled at me with a delirious expression, " You shoooouldn't be awake." he lifted his hand and tried to touch my face. I raised my hand and gently put his hand back down. 

 I scooped the weak Grian up, " Are we going for a ride?" he asked as he looked at Mumbo and the others, " Can the others come tooooooo?" he asked as I nodded. 

 Grian smiled in his weak, confused state as he reached faintly out towards the other Mumbo, " I want my Oliiiivvver...." he whined as he reached out towards the other Mumbo. X lifted the other Mumbo up, " You can have your Mumbo back in a bit." X sighed as he looked towards his unconscious hermit.

  False had taken Ren, and Wels took care of Iskall, " We need one more hermit..." I shook my head as the others left the room.

 Grian looked up at me.

 " I'm a heerrrrrrmit." he laughed as his expression dropped to pure exhaustion as he passed out in my arms. 

 I looked at the unconscious alternate version of myself. I looked at Impulse, " Can you take the other me?" I asked him as he nodded slowly, " Who is going to keep you guys safe if Scar comes down here?" he asked as I shrugged.

 " I don't know, but we need to get these guys and Cub to safety before we consider taking Scar and that thing down." I told him as he nodded. 

 Impulse picked my counterpart up and we left the prison room once and for all.