This chapter is... something.

:)

WC: ~540

Enjoy!

The magenta magic swirled around them.

Xanthus braced himself.

And then...

Etho vanished.

And Grian appeared.

WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE VOID-

"You're not supposed to be here!" Xanthus yelped as the Watcher stood up. "How- what-"

"What the-" Grian's eyes grew wider and wider as he glanced around the prison cell. "Where am I?"

"You," Xanthus muttered. "Are in the one place that I don't want you to be. But you're here now, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Hello, my name is Xanthus, and I'm the voice that's been stalking your head," the Watcher extended a hand to Grian, who was in such a shocked daze that he shook it.

"Oh Notch, I'm back in the End," Grian breathed, the realization of the situation seeming to hit him all at once. "In the Watcher's grasp." Xay winced.

"Yes," he agreed. "But if it helps, no one knows you're here. And it's my job to watch the prisoners, but y'know, double-agent here."

"How did this happen?" Grian asked.

Oh, I just tried to use you as a tool without your consent and then it backfired and brought you here and sent Etho stars know where, nothing much.

"I tried something and it failed," Xanthus said instead. "Don't ask. I honestly have no idea."

"What if Zena finds out I'm here?" Grian sounded fearful. "I'll be killed." 

"What if Zena finds out you're here?!" Xay yelped. "If she finds out Etho escaped, or maybe died, on my watch, I'll be dead!"

"Etho?" Grian echoed.

"Prisoner," Xay explained. "I was working with him to, well, escape. But I didn't think you'd somehow get here!!"

"Well, I'm here now," Grian grumbled.

"Okay, great," Xay muttered. "No, not great. Sarcasm."

"No, really?" Grian breathed.

"Shut up,"

"No, you,"

This is going great.

POV Shift: Etho

"Etho?" A voice breathed. Etho blinked his eyes open, only to see the face of Xisuma.

"Oh my goodness," he exclaimed. "Xay's plan worked!"

Xisuma looked as if he had been physically struck.

"Where," he snapped, mood flipped like a light switch. "Did you hear that name?"

"'Xanthus'?" Etho repeated, causing Xisuma to take another small step back. "He's a Watcher. What about it?"

"He's a WHAT?!"  Xisuma yelped. "No. Nononono. He wouldn't- I didn't- we said-"

"'Suma, chill," Etho stood up and put his hands on Xisuma's shoulders, ignoring the small tweaks of protest his body gave off. "How do you even know this guy?"

"I don't," Xisuma's response was way too quick to be honest. "Not at all. I'll be right back." 

And Xisuma bolted out without another word.

"Well... that was... odd," Mumbo offered, drawing Etho's attention to him. 

"He's not telling us something," Etho muttered.

The door burst open.

"ETHO!"

"Bdubs! D-Doc?" Etho sputtered out the last name, and Doc froze in the doorway as Bdubs came and wrapped his arms around Etho in a tight hug. 

"Nearly died," Doc said bluntly. "Got robotic instead." Etho did his best to nod in understatement around Bdubs.

"So... is Beef here?" Etho asked. Bdubs took a step back, worry on his face.

"I mean," Etho rambled. "He wasn't anywhere in the prisons that the Watchers had. And I've been there for a while and haven't seen him, y'know? So he must still be here, right?"

Silence.

"Etho, Beef isn't here," Bdubs said slowly. 

No.

"There's nowhere else he could be," Bdubs continued softly. 

Please, no.

"Etho, I think that means Beef is... dead."

I did absolutely nothing.

-Storm