Cepheus stood in the void of space, a glowing orb levitating in the palm of his hand. It was like he had plucked a star out of the sky, staring into it like a crystal ball. The Watcher narrowed his eyes as he saw through the glowing star, viewing Grian and Mumbo working together. They were clearly sabotaging builds, farms, even shops, with Mumbo's glowing purple eyes a clear sign that he was under Grian's control.

Still, Cepheus couldn't help but frown as he watched, his cold, dark eyes narrowed as he stared into the glowing orb. "What has you so upset, dear?" Cassiopeia cooed with a smile, flashing sharp and pointed fangs as she spoke. She placed her hands on her fellow Watcher's shoulders, peering over him to see what had him so agitated.

"Grian takes us for fools." Cepheus growled as his hands crushed the glowing star, causing it to break into smaller balls of light that faded into the void. "He wants us to believe he's working alongside us, when really he's assisting these mortal Hermits."

"How can you be so sure?" The female Watcher asked, plucking a new star from the void. She waved her hand over it, causing the image of Grian and Mumbo to return.

"He is hesitant. Can you not sense it? Along with that, he has barely used his powers. He has only used them to brainwash that fool that he calls a friend." Cepheus scoffed as he turned away, his cloak swishing as he pivoted.

"He is causing mischief, though not enough to cause true damage." Cassiopeia hummed as she watched through the star. She glanced up, looking towards the other Watcher. "Perhaps we should find a way to keep him on track."

"What are you suggesting?" Cepheus looked curious, though his cold and angered expression refused to waver.

"Our powers grow stronger," Cassiopeia waved a hand, purple magic surrounding her palm as she spoke with a devious smirk. "Each passing night causes our abilities to grow, as the planets move closer to alignment."

"You are suggesting something drastic." Cepheus caught on, though narrowed his eyes in suspension. "Something that would take a great deal of power."

"Ancel is busy granting Xisuma the power he needs, as well as warping his mind. She cannot waste her time babysitting Grian. So I suggest we handle things ourselves."

Cepheus put a hand on his chin, thinking for a moment. "I suppose...it could help keep the fledgling on track with our plans.." He hummed and huffed.

"I could stay behind, use my magic to send you down to Hermitcraft." Cassiopeia suggested, "Although it would take time before you would be able to fully take control of a body. Our powers are still very limited."

"Hm. That might work well for us." Cepheus grinned, eyes glowing with magic as he spoke.

"I assume you already have a Hermit in mind?"

"Oh yes," Cepheus smirked as he walked towards a star, "I think he will suffice."

Cassiopeia approached, looking up at the face in the glowing orb. "Hm. And you are certain he is the best one for you to possess?" She asked, clearly not impressed with his decision.

"His mind is weak enough to conquer easily," Cepheus waved his hand. "Grian was able to get the fool to shake his hand. I believe I can influence him with ease."

The glowing star displayed Mumbo, who was still helping Grian cause chaos on the server. Cepheus grinned from ear to ear as he stared into Mumbo's purple eyes, as he was the perfect candidate for their plan. Cassiopeia still looked rather judgemental based on his choice.

"Alright, if you insist." She scoffed, "Your physical body will still remain restricted here, though your mind will be able to invade his consciousness. Once you are strong enough, you should be able to take full control of his body."

"Then I can ensure Grian remains on the correct path." Cepheus nodded.

"It will take some time to prepare the spell," Cassiopeia warned. "Continue to watch over him, ensure he will be the optimal choice."

"I can assure you, he shall be perfect."

⭑

"Aw man!" Impulse frowned as he stepped into iTrade, noticing all the villagers he had brought to his shop were now gone. Based on the fact that they had vanished, a zombie probably managed to spawn in and kill the mobs.

"Hey," Grian and Mumbo strolled in after Impulse, noticing his upset expression. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, ugh, something just killed all my villagers." Impulse huffed, shaking his head. "It took me forever to trade them up, not to mention bringing them all the way out here. Now I gotta do it all over again."

"Sorry. If there's anything we can do—"

"Nono," He shook his head. "I can't punish you for something a zombie probably did. And trust me, this'll be a punishment..."

Grian's frown deepened, his stomach twisting a bit. Yes, he and Mumbo had killed all the villagers. The Watcher was trying his best to cause small disruptions to the server, not enough to help the other Watchers, but enough to say that he was doing something. With Mumbo under his control, he could also set up redstone traps, or sabotage redstone builds and farms.

"Well, we'll get out of your way then." Grian waved goodbye as he took Mumbo by the wrist, guiding the taller male out of the shop. Once they were out of sight, the Watcher snapped his fingers together, causing a flash of purple to fill the redstoner's eyes.

"Huh? Oh, wha—?" Mumbo looked around, tripping over his feet and stumbling a bit as he came back to his senses. "Grian? Oh, did I black out again?"

"You really need to get that checked out." The winged male spoke, though he avoided eye contact, and he seemed rather guilty.

Mumbo frowned, noticing Grian's saddened expression. He put a hand on the builder's shoulder, causing him to jump a bit from surprise. "Hey...Has Doc been rude to you again?" He asked, clearly worried.

"Nono! Doc and I haven't spoken, but he's totally fine. I'm just..tired. Really tired." Grian said while stretching, letting out a fake yawn. "Well, I better get going. Gotta get some sleep. Bye!"

He flew off without waiting for a goodbye, leaving Mumbo standing in the middle of the shopping district. "Oh...Bye." He sounded a bit sad, clearly noticing Grian's odd behavior.

Putting his hands in his pockets, Mumbo turned to walkdown the street, keeping his head down as he walked. He felt a bit odd himself, slightly nauseous and rather exhausted. It felt like he couldn't remember the last few hours, with the last thing he recalled being him and Grian going out for a lunch break together.

As Mumbo strolled through the shopping district streets, the clouds overhead began to darken and twist. Droplets of rain began to fall slowly, before sheets of rain started coming down fast and hard. He was already drenched by the time he ran for cover, hiding underneath a large oak tree in the less populated part of the shopping district.

The winds seemed rough, too rough to fly safely. Mumbo glanced towards the ocean, though the result was the same. The waves were too strong to boat across, leaving Mumbo stranded for the time being. His clothes clung to his wet form as water droplets pelted against him from above, soaking the redstoner to his bones.

Maybe he could seek refuge in his slimeball shop? It needed to be restocked, anyway. But Mumbo didn't exactly have slimeballs on him. Still, anything was better than being pelted by rain. The weather didn't seem like it was going to lighten up anytime soon, so Mumbo had to make a run for it.

He slipped a little on the path as he ran, thick drops of rain pounding down from above. The streets were empty, but night was coming quickly, causing zombies and creepers to start spawning. Lucky the shop wasn't too far off from where he had been hiding out, making it a quick trip through the rain.

A couple zombies were chasing after him, along with some skeletons shooting their arrows to try and hit Mumbo. As soon as he reached the shop, the redstoner placed a couple blocks in order to block the entrance, keeping himself safe from the hostile mobs.

Mumbo let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing as turned to check his chests for any profit. He jumped a little as he met Xisuma's eyes, not expecting anyone else to be here. The admin had been standing silently in the corner of the shop, but his glowing armor made it impossible not to notice him. "Oh," Mumbo smiled. "Hiding from the rain as well?"

"Mm." Xisuma didn't respond with much emotion in his voice, a glowing panel of code in front of him as he worked quietly.

Mumbo slunk to the ground, bringing his knees to his chest, as his back rested against the wall. He studied Xisuma's odd appearance for a bit, but the admin ignored him completely as he continued his work. Mumbo glanced away, shifting in his seat due to the awkward silence.

"Crazy storm." He joked a bit.

"Unnatural." Xisuma hummed in agreement as he continued to work, his voice still empty and hollow.

Patting his legs awkwardly, Mumbo glanced around at his shop, trying to avoid eye contact. "Soooo," he tried to start the conversation again, desperate to avoid the awkward silence they had been sitting in. "Uh...do you mind me asking about the snake?"

He pointed out Ancel, her eyes narrowing at the mustached Hermit. She coiled a bit tighter around Xisuma's neck, clearly disliking Mumbo's questioning behavior. X placed a hand on her body to try and keep her calm. "She keeps me company."

Mumbo stood up, walking over to get a closer look. Ancel hissed under her breath, though allowed him to approach. "Wow," he muttered, placing a finger under the snake's chin. "Her scales are beautiful!"

Ancel seemed to relax a little with the petting and compliments, but she still looked at Xisuma with a cold gaze. The admin closed his screen, taking a good moment to study Mumbo's soaking wet appearance. "Hm," His eyes glowed a little behind his visor. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Xisuma flicked a finger, and an indescribable warmth filling Mumbo's body. He looked down at his clothes, steam rising from the dripping wet fabric. His eyes widened as he looked back at the admin, clearly stunned. "I'm completely dry! How'd you do that?"

"Admin stuff." Xisuma made an excuse, returning to his work without a second thought. Mumbo looked a bit saddened by his friend's odd behavior.

Mumbo sat back down on a chest full of slimeballs, studying X's change of appearance. "So is your theme for this season space? I mean, your armor looks incredible."

The admin raised an eyebrow behind his visor, his gaze cold as he stared at Mumbo for a few silent moments. Shutting his mouth, Mumbo glanced away and lowered his head. "Sorry.." He muttered, twiddling his thumbs out of habit.

"I should get going," X said while closing his admin screen. "I have other things to do."

"In this weather?" Mumbo looked worried as he stood up, walking over to Xisuma. He grabbed the admin's wrist, trying to stop him. "X, maybe it would be best if we wait out the storm together. The rain, the wind, it's too much!"

Raising a hand, Xisuma snapped his fingers together. Mumbo's eyelids went heavy while his knees went weak, the redstoner releasing his grip on X's wrist as he fell to the ground. Mumbo was out cold before he even hit the ground, knocked out by the admin's magic.

"I quite like him," Ancel smirked while flicking her tongue. "He called me beautiful."

"He was in our way." Xisuma said, narrowing his eyes. "And I can't let anyone get in the Watcher's way."