(December 17, 2020)

burnout go brr

It's not a surprise that my X and/or EX concept list is longer than my normal concept list. I hope I'm not making you bored with these constant X and/or EX stuff. I feel bad lol

Summary: What if the punishment for being banished was different depending on the severity of the ban?
Category: angst
Warnings: none
Word Count: 973 words

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He could tell when his banishment ended.

After years upon years, the unbearable weight of his punishment lifted from his shoulders. Relief flooded his body as he clasped forward. He didn't have the energy to even open his eyes, only sinking into the Void below him, pulled down by some weird force, deeper and deeper until the consistency of the Void changed into one not unlike water.

Evil X didn't even try to fight the current that pulled him down, allowing it to drag his body under. If he died from drowning, at least he wouldn't deal with the other pain.

"Evil X?"

Someone waved their hands in his eyes, nudging his shoulder gently. In some odd way, Evil X found it comforting. It differed from what he suffered in the Void. It wasn't him shaking like a leaf, his body trembling under the weight of-

"You with us now?"

Evil X's eyes slowly tracked to his brother's face, only inches from his own. A visor separated them. Xisuma's visor. Right, Evil X's helmet disappeared ages ago when he was in the Void, stripped from his grasp the first time he broke it while faceplanting to the floor.

"No," he muttered, but Xisuma didn't hear it, only searching his brother's uncovered face for the first time in years. Evil X's eyes lacked the defiant fire that raged violently when Xisuma only glanced his way. His defeated body language that sunk into the bed he laid on screamed something happened, something so terribly bad happened. He didn't even fight when the admin pulled him into a sitting position.

"Where 'm I?"

"A temporary medical building in the Shopping District," a new voice with a southern accent said. Evil X glanced over Xisuma's shoulders to see Joe Hills, quietly walking in and taking a seat in an extra chair. The formerly banished propped himself up on his elbows, squinting around. His back and arms ached but lacked the weight he had been burdened with.

He must have rolled his shoulders or twisted uncomfortably since Xisuma said,  "You had violent lacerations upon your back, Evil X. Those weren't there before."

The 'what happened' went unspoken.

"Don't feel like talking about it right now," Evil X grunted, pulling the blankets over his head and turning away from him. Silent tears began to build up, but he wiped them away with the soft cloth. They only kept coming.

"Please, we don't know what happened. We're just trying to get information so we can heal you," Joe said. Evil X stared at him, the fiery passion burning in his eyes for the first time since he returned.

"Don't make me do anything," he hissed, tears brimming his eyes as his voice cracked with raw emotion. "You don't know what I was just released from, you're so quick to assume."

Xisuma stepped in front of Joe' cutting off his line of sight. "Evil X, we didn't-"

The formerly banished glared at his brother with a violent snarl, his now white hair flipping around his shoulders. "Of course you don't know what happened. You banished me without giving me a chance to speak!"

"Evil X-" Xisuma stepped forwards, but instantaneously stepped backwards when the player hissed.

"Don't 'Evil X' me, Xisumavoid." The words were forced through his clenched teeth, punctuated sharply. "Would you like to know what happens, then? Do you know what you put me through?" He didn't give anyone a chance to answer. "It depends on the severity of the ban, and since yours was sent through as quickly as you could, Minecraft read it as an emergency."

Evil X shakily got to his feet, stepped closer to Xisuma with a stumble, and jabbed a harsh finger at his chest. "And it put me through one of the worst punishments it could think of. Worse than surviving the original Nether itself, or being tortured by the Watchers."

"It made me carry all of yours, and every single players' problems on my back." Evil X turned around, lowering his head and clenching his fists so tight he drew blood within his palms.

He met Xisuma's gaze, eyes bloodshot and teary. Evil X's voice was so, so, so quiet compared to what it just was, but both Hermits heard the statement, the statement that was so full of resent and bitterness that caused their guts to twist and heart to drop.

Though, the edge in his voice returned as if it never left. "And my oh my, you players just love to have problems, don'cha?"

Xisuma stepped forwards, reaching a delicate hand out to his brother's back. "Evil X, please, listen-"

Evil X didn't take a second look over his shoulder as he limped away, flinging the fabric out of the doorway to leave.

A strong hand on his shoulder stopped Xisuma from following. "X. He needs time to himself."

The admin sighed, ducking his head in a rare show of shame. He laid his own hand over Joe's, squeezing delicately.

They didn't move for a long time.

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I hate endings lmao

hhhhhhh okay basically if you don't understand why Evil X was pissy is that his punishment for being banished was not just suffering in the Void, but carrying every single person's problems on his back, like Atlas carrying the world in Greek mythology.

A good song that goes with this is Weight of the World by Citizen Soldier.

Thank you for reading and have a good rest of your day! <3