If any of this feels familiar for people who read chapter 21 from Badtimes' PoV, I'm including some of it here and removing that chapter because it was just filler and I realised I had 2 Badtimes PoVs planned too near to each other.

But this chapter is important.

:)

I think I made a friend.

Or 2.

Or even 3.

'How's the Crack doing?' Doc asks as he lands next to me, staring into the sculky s***show in the ground. I glance over, just as Cleo and Etho land, the latter more careful.

'Still as big as your mum's.'

'But not quite as big as your mum's.' Doc jokes back, like last time. Like it's a Thing we do. A running joke.

I haven't had a running joke with anyone since Vex.

'Sorry, can I just...' Doc helps Etho sit. We all know he was badly hurt by Xisuma. Even I feel sorry for him, sitting next to him.

'Still feeling s***ty?'

A nod.

'It's alright though. I'm sure it'll be alright...'

'EMERGENCY!'

I jump at the sound of Grian's voice behind.

'F*** you scared the S*** out of me!'

'Tower. Now. Please. Keralis is trying to get possessed.'

'GET possessed?! Is he a moron?!'

'Yes- I mean- maybe? It doesn't matter, Pix said he'd only help if we freed him. Beef and xB looked tempted so I fled here and found you and WE NEED TO GO NOW!'

Cleo took off to moment Grian mentioned freeing Pix. I follow behind.

'I'm staying here with Etho!' Doc calls as we fly away to rescue Kerals***. 'Stay safe!'

It isn't far to the tower. I land a little further away from where fish guy's holding a pickaxe above the obsidian box Pix is in, ready to strike and-

'XB NO!' Grian shrieks, pinning him. 'Don't you F***ING DARE!'

'You said you wouldn't interfere!' Apron Guy (Beef?) protests, holding back the third guy - Keralis.

'With Keralis, no. With FREEING PIX?! Of course I'll stop you dooming the server even more!'

'You try to free that murderer and I'll break your f***ing legs!' Cleo snarls, keeping xB trapped. I approach, still keeping my distance.

'Brian, I'm doing it for shashwammy!'

'Xisuma's DEAD! We can't help him any more! This isn't going to help us!'

'Set me free and I'll make a portal like you want. Keralis won't even need to get possessed, and I can fulfil my promise to Pix and let him go.' Pix says. I try to figure out what he means.

'So... We free you and you do exactly what we want? You... stop doing what you want to do?'

'I said what I said.'

'Badtimes, I love you. You're funny and badass. Don't make me kill you.' Cleo threatens. 'If you free him, I'm breaking your legs. Twice.'

'We free you and you'll make a portal immediately?' Beef figures

'I'll make a portal as soon as I can.'

'You... Pinkie promise?'

'Beef, don't you dare.' Grian demands. But he's outnumbered. Only Cleo believes him. xB's pickaxe lies on the ground in front of me. I pick it up.

'What do you get from this?' xB asks, still held back by Cleo.

'Do I need to get anything?'

'Yes. You're Sculk. You're evil and untrustworthy.'

'Who's evil and untrustworthy?' Littled*** asks as he lands. 'Oh, right... Pix.'

'If you free me, I'll share information on you with the Land of Souls. I'll get to know what's happening there. I'll be free from this worthless host and able to help the cause in better ways.'

'Hang on, hang on... You're going to FREE HIM?!'

'Believe me, Littled***, I'd much prefer it if we didn't...' Cleo replies, continuing to use my name for him. Beef let the Keralis free at this point, approaching me.

'Hey, Grian will want you dead, but give me the pickaxe and I'll free Pix. You won't need to get your hands dirty.'

'Why do you want him free?'

'Because it'll get us to the Land of Souls, and nothing will happen otherwise.'

I consider. Pix was the closest thing to a friend when I arrived here. I don't want him to be possessed by the Sculk. And the faster we get Scar and Pearl home, the faster I can f*** off back to Helsmitcraft.

I hand him the pickaxe.

Martyn, Cleo and Grian are distracted arguing with fish guy and Keralis. Beef sneaks past, mining the obsidian. Cleo turns around.

'BEEF NO!'

Pix pounces.

Cleo screams.

In seconds, she's pinned to the ground, struggling. Sculk tears from the ground below, wherejust as he promised, there's now a hole through to the Land of S***s.

'Goodbye Hermitcraft.' he growls, grinning, as the tendrils tangle over her, dragging her screaming into the other world. Grian's screaming. Beef's hiding. xB's started crying, hugging Keralis. 'It's been a pleasure.'

He jumps through the portal.

'F***!' Grian screams my favourite word. 'Beef how COULD YOU?!'

'I- I didn't know!' He yells back. 'I SWEAR!'

'Get EX.'

'Me?' Beef replies.

'I SAID GET HIM!'

He flies away. I'm stuck staring at the portal. Cleo's through there. Pix is through there. Scar's through there. My friends. The closest friends I have. EX lands.

'What the F*** happened here?' EX questions, then notices me. 'What did Badtimes do?'

'What?!' I stop sneaking closer to the portal. 'Why would you blame me?!'

'Because you're untrustworthy and don't even care about the server!'

'Of course I care! If I didn't care, I wouldn't be here!'

'I did it.' Beef admits. 'I freed Pix. I didn't realise he'd... Take Cleo with him.'

'S***. Well... At least we have a way through... xB, Keralis, gather the hermits so we can discuss what to do next.'

'We go through and save our friends.' I interrupt. 'Obviously.'

'That's one option...'

'What other options even are there?! Pix will KILL CLEO!'

'I don't want to put anyone else in danger before we all discuss-'

'F*** discussion! We need to do stuff instead of hiding! You're ADMIN! Don't you remember that X-I-poo-ma made you admin?'

'Don't offend Xisuma.'

'Why? Because you regret not helping him? Because you realised YOUR s*** behaviour and inability to do ANYTHING caused his death? All you do is hide, pretending you don't know f*** all, moping about your poor dead brother and not giving a f*** about-'

'SHUT UP!'

Pain.

I land hard on the ground. One hand rises to my bleeding cheek.

'You b****!'

'And stop swearing, Badtimes. It just makes you look even more like the child you actually are.'

'I'm not a CHILD! You're the child! You're f***ing around doing nothing here while I'm saving my friends and doing stuff like THIS!'

And I jump through the portal to save Cleo.

:)