Pranked?
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Location: Evolution Server
POV: Grian

It started like any other day in the Evolution server. Players minding their own business, building, adventuring, or going off in groups to explore the tall towers and puzzles left by the Watchers. I should have paid attention to my gut. Why didn’t I listen to the bad feeling I had about their name? No, it was already too late, they had corrupted my mind with their power. I would never have let them control my server in my right mind. As an Admin loyal to the players in his server who trust in me to protect them, I stand against the Watchers who seek to cause chaos and destruction.

“Hey Grian! What are you thinking about?” asked Martyn, dressed in his usual outfit consisting of a green shirt, blue jeans, and sandals. He adjusted his dark gray bandana, which held back his blond hair.

“Oh not much, just thinking about stuff.” I replied. I stood up from where I had been sitting under a tree in Spawn and sighed, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. “What have you been up to Martyn?”

“Well, I'm glad you asked! I've been working on a new build, and I think you'll love it! but I want some pointers, if that's okay?” He asks, excitement and anticipation evident in his voice.

“Of course! I'd love to see your build!”

“Great! Follow me, I'll lead the way.” Martyn says while turning around hastily and heading off in the direction of Downtown Evo.

I laugh and quickly chase after him. We travel through Downtown Evo. I look up at the growing buildings, now almost completely finished. System Zee and I have been working on a building together and now that one is almost done as well. I look at the few shop stands scattered around the town which helped to bring life to the area. Soon, we reach the edge of Downtown Evo and head onwards in the direction of Pearl’s Base. Curiosity fills my head, why would martyn have built something at Pearl's base? She was a very talented builder. Her base is filled with organic builds, which are some of the hardest to make.

Pearl joined later than the rest of us, even later than Taurtus, but I've known her for as long as I can remember, Pearl being my cousin and all. I am glad to have her on my server. She makes a great addition to our group with her talent and sense of humor. Before long, we arrived at her doorstep. I walked up to knock, but without noticing the pressure plate I stepped on. A yelp barely escapes my mouth as the block below me falls away, bringing me along with it. I opened my eyes that I had squeezed shut during the fall and found that I didn't die surprisingly. I was down 7 hearts out of my 10 though.

“Hahahaha! You should have seen your face!”

I look up to see Martyn, Timmy and Pearl laughing together right outside the opening of the hole I was currently stuck in.

“The prankster becomes the pranked!” Pearl shouts down to me. Her light brown hair blew in the wind around her. She wore her normal outfit consisting of a white shirt with a dark blue hoodie and blue jean shorts. “Martyn, Timmy and I have been planning to prank you back for awhile now.” she giggles.

I shake my head and smile, that's fair. I had earned the title of being the prankster here on my server. I glance around at my surroundings and notice a button on the wall which I press. After a few seconds nothing happens and I look back up at the others. “Was this supposed to do something?’ I ask. Pearl quickly turns to Timmy, “Did you connect the redstone like we planned?” Timmy’s eyes go wide and he smacks himself in the face. “Nooo, I forgot. I did the other stuff though!”

Pearl lets out a sigh but Martyn comes in before she can say anything. “Just break the two dirt blocks in front of you. Have fun!”

I turn back to face the dirt and do as Martyn had said, ignoring the sound of Timmy’s screams as Pearl chases him. The dirt once removed gave way to a tunnel, undoubtedly filled with booby traps. I take a deep breath and start forward, pulling out a torch I had in my inventory. The passage led to a stone room, filled with a parkour course. Not too bad, I can do this. I jumped onto the first block, then the next, slowly making my way to the door at the top.

The sound of a block breaking and hitting the ground makes me turn around and realize the blocks have all begun to break. Panic rushes through my bloodstream as I notice I'm already high enough that if I fall it'd be deadly. I look forward to the remaining jumps I have left. I leap to the next block, feeling it start to crumble under my weight, and quickly jump to the next. My mind is racing as I complete the rest of the course. How had they done this? Normal blocks don't just fall apart like this.

I land on the ending platform and turn around just in time to watch the last few blocks break. I'll have to ask them about this when I finish. I shake my head and start down the next path leading to another room. When I arrive, I'm faced with a series of walls with doors leading down different tunnels. Oh great, a maze. I got this, much easier than the last challenge. I begin down one of the paths, trying to remember the patterns of turns. Sweat drips down my forehead and I wipe my hand across my face, using my sleeve.

It's gotten strangely hot in here. I stop for a quick breather and lean against one of the walls. From the corner of my eye, I spotted a red and orange glow. I practically jump off the wall as the slave gets closer. What type of prank is this!? I run down the tunnels, looking for the exit as fast as possible. Multiple of the tunnels have already been filled with lava, making this task even harder. Finally , I see the end of the maze, and make a sprint for it. Burning hot liquid blocks my path though, and anxiety spikes as I realize it's behind me too.

Time for some slight help. I focus on the energy flowing through my body and send it to my legs, feeling it do as I command. A slight red glow surrounds my legs, signifying my use of red tier Admin magic. I steady my breath and make a running jump over the lava. For a moment, it's like time freezes as I'm directly over the lava. But before I know it, I'm on the other side. I drop control over my power and continue on to the next room. I was starting to get a bad feeling about this. There's no way Pearl and the others could make this. For goodness sake, Timmy couldn't even get a door right.

My eyebrows furrow as I reach the next challenge. There were two sides to the room. One had a giant statue of a parrot and the other, a blank spare a few chests. I walk towards the chests, curious about their contents. A sudden loud noise, of the redstone door closing behind me, scares me. With another glance around the room, I notice I'm stuck, with no way out. I open the first chest and pull out the blocks. It clicks in my head that i'm supposed to rebuild the statue and i make begin.

I let out a sigh of relief, finally an easy challenge. Unfortunately, I was too soon to think that, as the clicking of pistons firing, sounded. I look up to see water pour from the ceiling. Great. I look over to the statue and continue building, already with water up to my knees. Another clicking sounds, and more water flows into the room. I struggle to keep my panic down as I finish the build. Water rushes into the room and rises up to my shoulders. I make a quick dive for the rest of the blocks, still in the chest under water. I swim back up and go back to building the statue.

I take my last breath and finish the top of the parrot, panicking as nothing happens. I turn around in the water, looking for anything, and notice a button on the wall. Quickly, I swim over and press it, gasping as I'm sucked into another room through a block gap that opens up, and closes behind me. I cough the water out of my lungs, and lay flat on the ground, in the new room. This isn't normal. Something is definitely wrong. I sit up and take in my new surroundings.

Plain stone walls, just like the others. I rise and try to wring out the water in my shirt. Suddenly, pistons activate and zombies, skeletons, and spiders emerge through hidden doors. I pull out my sword and brace for attack. A skeleton fires an arrow, which I block with my sword and make a strike at a zombie. A spider comes from behind, and bites my angle as I'm busy attacking and defeating a zombie. I hiss in pain and kick at the spider with my other leg. A skeleton shoots another arrow and I duck and roll to escape.

I gather in my surroundings, and take a breath. There's too many for me to handle. I call open the feeling of energy in my body and center it in my hands this time. Looking down, I use my sword to channel the power, watching it gain a red glow. I charge forward, and slice at the mobs, each one that the sword came in contact with, disintegrating into dust. I fight onward. More doors opening and letting mobs out. I grow tired quickly, but keep going. I raise my sword, and stab a creeper, then spin around and swipe at a zombie. I collapse to my knees as I realize those were the last ones. I shakily stand back up, and walk through the next door. Stairs. I take a deep breath and start upward, reaching the door at the top and opening it. I shield my eyes and cough at the bright glow of fire and smell of smoke.

Realization hits me like a truck and I run to Spawn, following the smoke and fires. Nononononono, this can't be happening. I reach spawn, soaked in sweat and water, with the occasional bloody patch from fighting. There, standing in the center, are the Evolutionists. Every single one of them. Surrounding them are tall figures, with dark wings, and black clothing. But most recognizable, their masks that covered their eyes, with the corners pointing down, level to their jaws at either side. A purple rectangle frame is in the center, with the top left and bottom right corner pieces broken off from the rest. Watchers.

“GRIAN!” I heard Pearl shout. A watcher closest to her gives her a jab to the ribs with the blunt end of their spear. She grunts and falls backwards into the others. I look at the watchers, hatred in my eyes. “Let them go or I'll kill you all.” I snarl at them. The one nearest to me steps forward. “I'm afraid that isn't possible, we want something and these players are gonna be our leverage. Simple really.” He said to me, I glared up at him.”Okay, what is it you want?” I hate to have to make a deal with the Watchers, but lives are at stake now.

“Oh, pardon me, I meant who. You see, our boss has had eyes on you for a while now, and you passed the test perfectly!” the Watcher exclaims.

“The test? Ohhh......” I look over to Martyn, Pearl and Timmy. Their prank must have been altered by the Watchers. “I refuse, I have friends here, besides I will never go with a Watcher.” I said, spitting their name out with disgust. 

“Very well, I didn't expect this to go easy, ᓭᓵ∷ᒷ ̇/, ꖌ╎ꖎꖎ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ 𝙹リᒷ ∴╎ℸ ̣ ⍑ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ʖꖎ⚍ᒷ ᓭ⍑╎∷ℸ ̣  ᔑリ↸ ⍑ᒷᔑ↸!¡⍑𝙹リᒷᓭ.” the Watcher spoke. The last bit was in a different language, if I recall I believe it's named galactic. One of the other Watchers understood what he must have said though, and turned towards the evolutionists.

“Nooooooo!” I yelled, catching on to what was said. I was too late though, and the watcher drove their spear straight through Taurtis’ chest. He cried out and fell to his knees, the others trying to help him. I ran forward only to be blocked by the watcher in front of me.

“Tsk tsk, how sad, he had some much to live yet, gone too soon. That was the first consequence of your actions, Grian. Come with us before anyone else has to die.” the watcher said to me.

I looked over to the slumped form of my best friend. “You're a monster, a monster!” I shouted at him, tears falling down my cheeks.

He frowned, “ℸ ̣ ᔑꖌᒷ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ⊣╎∷ꖎ ╎リ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ⍑𝙹𝙹↸╎ᒷ” the watcher that had killed Taurtis, again raised their spear, towards Pearl this time. They channeled their magic through it and shot at her. Pearl was gone in an instant, leaving just a plume of purple smoke.

“NOOOO! I'll go, I'll go with you, just please don't hurt them!” I begged, more tears running down my cheeks. The watcher in front of me smiled.

“Good, now we have an agreement.” He held out a hand towards me and I shook it with defeat. "⍑╎ᓭ ⍑╎⊣⍑リᒷᓭᓭ ∴╎ꖎꖎ ʖᒷ !¡ꖎᒷᔑᓭᒷ↸.”

The Watcher then moved his hand to my head and just barely touched my temple causing intense drowsiness and for the world to tip sideways as I fell to the ground. While barely conscious, I heard the watchers talking.

“∴ᒷ ⍑ᔑ⍊ᒷ ∴⍑𝙹 ∴ᒷ ∴ᔑリℸ ̣. ꖌ╎ꖎꖎ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ∷ᒷᓭℸ ̣ , ꖎᒷᔑ⍊ᒷ リ𝙹ℸ ̣ ⍑╎リ⊣ ʖᒷ⍑╎リ↸."

And then, the world went dark as I drifted to sleep.

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I hope you all enjoyed! I tried hard. And there was many complications when I copied this over. I checked for mistakes but I'm sorry if there is any I missed.

Hope you all had a great Holiday break!

I'm in a war now

>:)