"Anvil. Anvil come in. Anvil!"

Doc paced around restlessly while BDubs messed around with the radio system. Etho hadn't reported back in over 10 minutes, and the two were getting paranoid.

"Why don't we see if Beef can reach him?" Doc suggested, frustration simmering.

"Yeah. Okay. Fine." BDubs chances the channel in the radio. "Canadian, this is creeper and vines. Do you copy?"

"I copy. What do you need?" Beef's voice came through the radio loud and clear, causing both BDubs and Doc to release breaths they hadn't realised they'd been holding.

"Anvil isn't responding. Can you reach him?"

"I already tried. No luck."

The faces of both nHo members fell. If Beef couldn't reach Etho... It didn't bear thinking about.

"I'll go find him." Doc declared. "Just in case."

"As long as you don't use Plan D."

"Plan D is for emergencies only. Situations where I'd die anyway."

"Let's hope that never happens then." BDubs turned to the radio setup. "We're sending Creeper in to defend Anvil."

"Acknowledged. Canadian out."

Time Skip, proudly sponsored by a nightmare of falling.

Etho wasn't hiding, he was lurking. Lurking with a sore leg and a broken sword. But lurking. Why would he be hiding? He was fine, he didn't need to hide.

And the hyperventilation and nervous expression? At the same time as heavy, purposeful footsteps? That was just getting more oxygen to his brain so he could think clearly.

But that wasn't how Doc saw things. If you looked at it from Doc's eye, Etho was very much hiding. And Doc didn't blame him, what with all four demons being around and about.

It took Etho a moment to calm down before he could figure out what had just happened. He tried to stand up, but his leg wouldn't take his weight. He leaned on Doc for support, but they were caught soon after.

Doc picked Etho up into a piggyback, sprinting out as fast as he could. He gasped in shock when an arrow embedded itself into his arm. But he kept going. Anything to keep the nHo safe and sound.

When they got back, Beef and BDubs were waiting. They helped Etho limo to bed, beef standing watch while BDubs made Doc rest. He'd been doing heavy exercise all day, after all.

That was the Natural Hermitcraft Operatives or the nHo. They'd send a report to La Revolution in the morning. And boy, what news they would have.

No witty comments here. Thanks for reading, y'all!
OdalRune, signing off from the past!