'Hey, Scar, can I talk to you?'

I turn to face EX from forcing Cub and Impulse to recover after the meeting. It continued a while after our revelation - finalising plans, working everything out, agreeing who would do what and to meet in a day's time at Skulk-Tower. Badtimes set off instantly to get Vex on our side. Pix is back trying to make a potion that will work against the skulk, helped massively by our work before. Which means there's no one to save me from EX.

'What do you want?' I'm still aching from his unexpected attack before. We haven't spoken since.

'I wanted to apologise. For...' A glance across the fading bruises. 'For attacking you. I wasn't thinking. I thought I was better than that.'

'You were right to be mad. It was my plan. I shouldn't have underestimated the skulk. Especially after the last time someone...' The panic of Cub not returning rises in my mind. Him skulky. Hurting him to save his life.

'No... no I'm the one that hurt you. It was stupid.' Tears in his eyes. 'It was so f***ing stupid- I'm sorry- I shouldn't swear...' He tries to rub the tears away. 

'EX... It's alright.' He doesn't seem to hear, repeating to himself it's stupid, and he's stupid. 

'No... no I'm so stupid...'

I put a hand on his shoulder.

'Elex, it's ok.' 

He stops, just looking at me.

'I forgive you. And we're going to get Zedaph back. And Xisuma.'

'Fu- stupid Xisuma...'

'You can swear. Badtimes isn't here to whine about it. And the whole situation is... it is s***.'

EX laughs.

'Yeah... just a bit. And I guess I was jealous that you got your friend back and... I just lost mine.'

'We're getting them back. It'll all be ok. I promise.'

'Skizz is dead.'

I can't reply for a moment. All I can do is nod. 

'Yeah. He's- he's gone...' is what I finally say. 'But...'

Optimism doesn't come. The only thing that comes are tears. 

'He didn't deserve this. He shouldn't have been part of this...'

'We... we'll figure this out. Together. Stop the skulk.'

'Stop the skulk,' I echo, 'Yeah. That would be good.'

'Come on. You need sleep too. Head back to Scarland for the night...'

'I can't do that. They'll get me. I'll rest upstairs with Cub... see you tomorrow.'

'When we defeat the skulk.' I smile at his optimism.

'When we defeat the skulk. Exactly.'

I walk with Badtimes towards Decked Out. Cub is ahead. It was supposed to be Vex, but it isn't. It's Cub. 

We enter. 

The skulk flickers with light as we step on it, spreading a signal all the way to...

Badtimes isn't here.

It's Grian and Pearl, laughing, covered in skulk, approaching Cub. I try to reach him, but skulk tangles around my legs. Try to call for him to run, but no words come out. All I can do is watch as he's attacked. Forced to the ground. There's nothing I can do as he stands again, bleeding, covered in skulk, and turns to face me.

'Cub...' I finally manage to say.

'Cub's gone.' The skulk hisses, grinning. 'And you'll be next.'

He attacks.

I scream.

There's something trapping me. I kick it away, scramble away, breath quick, heartbeat quick, sitting down... safe. 

Safe.

'Scar? Are you ok?'

Cub's there. Safe. Unskulky, next to me, eyes wide with utter terror.

'Oh- Oh my goodness... Cub...' I hug him. He hugs back, clearly still concerned. 'It was just a nightmare...'

'I'm here. I'm right here.' He murmurs. 

'I know... I just... it just...'

'I... It's ok...'

Bang.

'WAKE UP MOTHERF***ERS!' Badtimes yells as he enters. There are several terrified noises of Impulse waking up. I break free from the hug.

'BADTIMES! Seriously?!' I snap. 'Why?!'

'Uhh... Because it's funny?' 

Another voice. 

I freeze.

It's like Cub.

But it's not like Cub.

It's like Cub when he was possessed. 

And he looks like Cub when he was possessed.

And as he appears, his expression is cold like when Cub was possessed.

'Cub's gone...'

'Oh Hels... he's WEIRD... Why's he just staring like that?' Vex whines. I snap to reality. 'Hello...? Scar?' He steps closer. Cub- no- the skulk- Vex- 'Are you even IN THERE?'

'Scar?'

Cub. Actual Cub. I grab his hand, unable to look at Vex any longer.

'Oh my- SCAR? WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME?'

'F*** OFF!'

Cub.

I can feel his fury, even without seeing vex wings or magic. Vex steps away.

'Woah... Calm down now... I wasn't f***ing serious!'

'Well I am.' He draws a sword. Vex grins, ready for a fight before-

'Come on.' Badtimes pulls him back. 'Let's leave these herm-s***s alone. Save your energy for later.' 

'Fine...' Vex sulks off. Badtimes follows, but pauses as he does, just mouthing 'sorry' before leaving. I don't have time to ponder the action as Impulse, who's still here, speaks.

'I- I have never heard you swear...' He mumbles. 'Are you... is everything ok?'

'Just get out, Impulse.'

'Are you sure I...?'

Cub glare is enough for him to change his mind, running out. I don't move. I've never seen Cub this upset before. For a moment he doesn't move either, but then starts pacing, gathering stuff, muttering. 

'Weapons... I need to ask Pix about the potions... armour...'

The dream returns as I realise what he's planning. I'm on my feet in seconds. He can't- no... I won't let him.

'Cub?'

He stops, closing his ender chest.

'What?'

'You... I... I didn't think you'd want to fight, Cub. I decided you should stay back here?'

'I'm fighting.'

'Cub you can't.' 

'I'm fighting. I need to fix this.'

'You don't. You stay here. You're still recovering.' I run over. Cub glares at me. 

'Scar, I know what I need to do. I'm fighting that stupid skulk.' He moves out the way, starting to fill a shulker box.

'You don't...' I relive the dream in my head. Them taking him again. Using him against us. His screams. The skulk speaking.

'Cub's gone.'

'Please, Cub. Listen to me. This isn't your fault. This isn't your fight. We can handle the skulk and kill it with the passion of a thousand Scars. You don't need to do anything, ok?'

'Scar I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!'

'NO YOU DON'T! IT'LL KILL YOU, CUB. WHAT WILL I DO THEN?' His furious expression blurs behind a wall of tears. 'I can't lose you again. I- I'm not letting it take you again and... and use you to hurt us...'

'I'm sorry. But I don't know what the skulk made me do.' I can tell he's close to tears too. 'I- I don't know what I did so all I can think is that it's my fault... Grian being skulky... Something to do with what Badtimes said about his wings won't leave me. I need to make it right, Scar. I can't stay here. I need to make it right.' 

'I know. But you can't. None of this was your fault. It was the skulk.'

'I have to.' He returns to his shulker. 'You know I have to do this.'

'Your magic isn't even back.' 

That makes him stop, just for a second.

'It'll be back... I know it'll be back. Besides, it can't make me do anything if I don't have magic...'

'But it can still kill you trying. And I can still stop you fighting.'

Now he stops for real, turning. 

'What?'

I back towards the exit as Cub turns, frowning, trying to figure out my plan and-

'Scar don't.'

The almost-unbreakable Vex magic already forms at my hands as I step towards the exit. 

'Scar don't do this. Don't you dare.'

I leave the room. In my mind, I'm back trapping Cub in a box. Stopping the skulk. 

'I'm sorry.'

And I cover the exit.

Hehe 1234 words of angst here