Grian clutched the mysterious mask that he had received in one hand, the builder stalking the soon-to-be victim of his 'prank'. Seated on a rooftop in Aque, the sweater-wearing hermit kept lookout as the sun began to set over the shopping district. He had practiced flying and diving through the air enough to feel confident in his plan.

It was simple enough, when a hermit would enter their bed to try and get some rest, Grian was planning on diving down from the rooftop, close enough to place the mask on their face. He'd be able to get away in seconds, and it would take the hermit some time to scramble out of bed and get the mask off, enough time for him to get away.

His target? Simple: Bdubs.

And right on time, the mayor's assistant was rushing towards his bed, trying to get to sleep before the mobs could spawn. Grian pulled out a rocket in his other hand, watching carefully as Bdubs pulled himself under the covers, slowly shutting his eyes.

With that, Grian silently dove off the building, gliding down without using any rockets. He tried not to make a sound as he flew closer, the Brit extending his arms to place the mask onto Bdubs' face as he slowly flew over the bed. Without a moment of hesitation, Grian fired a rocket and flew off without looking back.

When the mask was placed over Bdubs' eyes, the builder fell out of his bed in surprise. He was expecting some sort of undead monster of phantom that was attacking, but he was met with something worse.

It felt like something was welding to his skin, sticking to his face. Bdubs let out a screech in pain as he tried to pull the mask off, but it didn't seem to budge. It was like someone lit his face on fire, the pain overwhelming as the mask seared Bdubs' face.

He was on the ground, squirming and writhing in pain as the mask attached itself to Bdubs' face. The mayor's assistant opened his mouth once again, possibly to scream for help or just cry out in pain, maybe both, but not even a squeak was able to escape.

As the pain began to fade, a faint buzzing rung through Bdubs' head, like some sort of odd headache. He stayed on the ground for a moments, trying to collect himself after the intense pain that had overtaken him.

Bdubs took in a few deep breaths to steady his racing heart, slowly sitting up with what little energy he had left. The builder took a moment to slowly examine his surroundings, as if this was his first time seeing the shopping district. Everything seemed faintly tinted with silver, which only worsened his headache.

Groaning, Bdubs stumbled to his feet, relying on the bed next to him to help him stand. He squeezed his eyes shut, everything hurt more than he imagined, every movement or touch sent a sudden shock throughout Bdubs' entire body.

He was visibly shaking, sitting on the edge of the bed as thoughts raced through his head. Bdubs slowly moved a hand up to his face, trying to feel the mask on his face, but he couldn't feel it. It was like the mask was suddenly gone.

"Bdubs?" Scar called nearby, the mayor's voice sending a jolt of pain throughout his mind. The builder flinched as the terraformer placed a hand on his shoulder, Bdubs pulling away to prevent anymore pain.

"Are you alright? I would have thought that you would be sleeping by now-"

Bdubs turned to look Scar in the eyes as he spoke, but the terraformer froze as he saw his assistant's face. "What's with the mask?" The mayor pointed out in question, Bdubs' hand shaking as he touched his cheek.

"What mask?" He muttered the question quietly. "I don't feel anything."

Scar frowned, grabbing onto the edge of the mask to try and pull it off his face. The silver eye shut tightly as Bdubs flinched once again, clearly in pain. "S-stop! Please!" The mayor's assistant begged as he slapped Scar's hand away, holding his head in pain as the terraformer let go.

"Bdubs, what's going on? Are you alright?" Scar asked the question quietly, taking a seat on the edge of the bed next to his assistant. The mayor had never seen Bdubs distraught or panicked, normally he was just confident, but now he seemed like he was in pain.

"I-I don't know." Bdubs said while hyperventilating, panic starting to set in as he clutched his head in pain. "I can't think straight!"

"It's going to be okay, just tell me what happened, starting with that mask on your face." Scar promised, though he wasn't sure. He just wanted to help Bdubs, but he didn't know how.

"I can't feel any mask on my face," Bdubs said while shaking his head. "All I know is that everything hurts. Worse than anything I've ever felt."

"It's not like you to admit something like that," Scar said quietly, "something really is wrong. I'll go see if I can find Xisuma. Just stay here, okay?"

Bdubs slowly nodded in understanding, Scar opening his elytra and firing a rocket, the mayor flying off to try and find help. Running a hand through his hair, the builder tightly shut his eyes to try and think past the warped mess in his head. It was getting so hard to think clearly, to think at all, really.

The builder ran a hand across his cheek, flinching at his own touch. Bdubs couldn't help but feel like his face wasn't right, but every time he would touch it for reassurance, nothing seemed wrong.

"I'm telling you, this thing is impossible to break."

Bdubs pulled himself from the mess in his head after the sound of familiar voices. He looked to the streets in Aque, Doc and Joe walking together while discussing something that Bdubs could barely hear. But the builder wasn't distracted by their conversation, he was distracted by what was in Joe's hands.

It was a mask, Bdubs hadn't seen it before, but it was like he was drawn to it. He felt compelled, like something in the overwhelming mess in his head was telling the builder that he needed to get his hands on it.

He pulled out a rocket while strapping on his elytra, shooting into the sky to land on one of the rooftops, attempting to listen in on the conversation to figure out what that mask was.

"It won't burn in lava, it won't blow up, what's this thing made of?!" Doc growled in anger, he wanted that mask gone more than anything. That thing had momentarily put someone in his head, someone that took complete control. He wanted to watch it disappear, never to be seen again.

"What about the void? We could try and throw it in there." Joe suggested, Doc nodding in agreement.

"That's the best plan we have for now, so let's try it."

A sudden shock of pain shot though Bdubs' head, causing the builder to wince. He couldn't wait any longer, he needed to get that mask before they destroyed it. Bdubs couldn't seem to fight the feeling that was compelling him, causing him to instinctively reach for his sword.

He leaped from the rooftop, gliding down to the streets of Aque, landing behind Joe and Doc. The creeper hybrid turned to see who had landed behind them, his non-robotic eye widening upon spotting the mask on Bdubs' face.

The eye on Bdubs' mask glanced from Doc, to Joe, to the mask that the southerner clutched in his hand. "Hand it over." He spoke sternly, gripping the handle of his sword.

"Bdubs, is that you?" Joe asked, though he was ignored, as the builder was ultimately focused on the mask.

Doc stepped in front of Joe, narrowing his eye at Bdubs. "How 'bout you hand over your mask, and we can throw them both in the void?" He growled harshly, clearly not fond of these masks appearing out of nowhere.

"I don't want to hurt you," Bdubs spoke, though Doc didn't believe him for one moment. "you're still my friends, even if you don't understand yet."

Doc and Joe shared a look that was mixed with confusion and concern. The southerner turned back to Bdubs as he spoke. "What don't we understand..?" He asked hesitantly.

"Her." Bdubs said quietly, placing a hand on the side of his head as another surge of pain shot through his mind. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

Doc folded his arms with a huff. "I think I understand 'her' pretty well." He snapped, remembering the fear and lack of control that he had experienced when wearing the watcher mask. Bdubs slowly shook his head in disagreement.

"That was different. She simply spoke through you to try and find Xisuma. She wants to save us before the server falls apart, she doesn't want to hurt us!" Bdubs argued, the words coming to his mind without even knowing who this 'she' is.

"I've had enough of this." Doc said to Joe with a cruel voice, the creeper pulling out a netherite axe. He turned back to Bdubs. "Either you take that mask off, or I'll rip it off myself!"

The eye on Bdubs' mask blinked, looking from Doc, to Joe, then back at Doc. "Okay," he said quietly. "I'm sorry in advance."

Without another word, Bdubs shoved his sword through Doc's chest, kicking the creeper to the ground. His head then turned to Joe, whose eyes widened in shock. The southerner turned to run away, but Bdubs snatched his wrist, throwing Joe against the wall of one of the large buildings.

Bdubs grabbed the mask from Joe, ripping it out of the poet's hand. "I'm not trying to hurt anyone," he said to Joe, "I'm trying to help the server. I swear."

He let go of Joe's wrist, the southerner's eyes quickly darting to Doc, who was laying on the ground. Joe rushed to try and assist the creeper hybrid, while Bdubs pulled out a rocket, flying away while clenching the mask in his hand.

"Doc! I'll go grab some healing potions, just stay still and don't move-"

"I'm fine.." Doc grumbled as he sat up, rubbing the side of his head. He pulled out the sword from his chest as if it was nothing, oddly enough the blade wasn't stained with any blood.

Doc moved his torn lab coat, showing off the metal plating and robotic parts that had been hidden underneath, a large hole from the sword in the metal. "He cut through my metal plating, even when he could have killed me. Maybe he really isn't trying to hurt us.."

"He's still in there, we just need to get that mask off his face to save him.." Joe muttered nervously, it was easier said than done.

"I'll repair my broken parts back at my base, you go try and find X. I think we're really going to need him now, especially now that Bdubs has the other mask.." Doc said with a groan as he stood, a few broken wires sparking as he did so.

"Be careful, and watch out. If there are more hermits wearing those masks, who knows if they're violent or not..." Joe said with caution, Doc nodding as he equipped his elytra.

"Alright, just meet back at my base. And if you see Bdubs, try and get that mask off him."

Joe nodded as the creeper flew off, the southerner pulling out his communicator to try and message Xisuma. Hopefully he had a plan on how to deal with this.

☼

Xisuma was back in the place that he wished he never had to see again.

Standing in front of the watcher, who only smiled at him.

"I told you, watchers aren't welcome here!" Xisuma snapped with a harsh voice, but the watcher only laughed.

"It's okay, asset, I know that these hermits have changed you over time. I don't blame you, yet. But I suggest you hurry and drop that little barrier of yours before I get annoyed."

Xisuma shook his head. "Would you stop calling me that?! I'm not an asset to you, and I'm not going to help you! Whatever cult you're leading won't get through our barrier, and I'm going to protect the hermits, even if it kills me!"

"That's where you're wrong. I've already started to spread my influence, and you're too late to stop it." She grinned, a feeling of guilt and dread suddenly causing Xisuma gut to feel as though it was filled with sludge.

She stepped forward, extending a hand to the admin. "I'm going to save you and your server, one way or another. So it would be beneficial to us both if you let us past the barrier. If not, I'll just make you drop the barrier."

"No matter what you do, I won't let you into hermitcraft!" Xisuma shouted sternly, the watcher's grin maliciously twisting, like she knew something that the admin did not.

"Alright Xisuma. Have it your way." She said softly, her wings slightly twitching as she spoke. "I warned you, so I wish it didn't have to come to this."

"What do you mean..?"

The watcher turned her back on Xisuma before she spoke. "If you won't listen, then I'll take away everything you love. Starting with your brother."

"If you lay a finger on him, I'll-" before Xisuma could continue his threat, he was interrupted by the watcher's laughter, she turned around with a grin across her face, causing the admin to fear for his brother's safety.

"I won't lay a finger on him," she promised, "but I can't guarantee that Bdubs won't."

"NO!" Xisuma screamed as he sat up in bed, gasping for breath to try and steady his nerves. He looked around at his surroundings, the admin was in his bedroom in Ex's house.

Without a moment of thought or hesitation, Xisuma leapt out of bed and ran out the door of his bedroom. "EX?!" He called desperately, hoping for some response, any response. Xisuma needed to know if his brother was okay.

'Maybe he's just out collecting chorus fruit. Maybe that watcher was just lying.' He thought hopelessly, Xisuma grabbing a rocket as he raced out the door of Ex's little home.

He flew up to the main island, glancing at all the portals that would take Xisuma to different parts in the end. The admin needed to pick one to go through, but the chances that he would find Ex were slim to none.

Still, Xisuma needed to try. He pulled out an enderpearl and chose the first portal that he saw, the admin throwing the pearl before disappearing.

When Xisuma reappeared on one of the islands, he wasted no time. The admin opened his elytra and shot into the sky, glancing around the area for his brother.

"EX?! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Xisuma shouted to the end, but who knows if anyone could hear him. The Brit continued to call for his brother, to fly through the islands in search of Ex, but Xisuma wasn't having any luck.

By the time he had run out of rockets, Xisuma had landed on a large island that barely had any chorus fruit left. In the distance, a figure in red and grey was picking the last bit of purple fruit.

"EX!" Xisuma screamed for his brother's attention, running towards the evil hermit. The admin practically tackled his brother in a hug, startling Ex, who dropped his bag of chorus fruit in surprise.

"Okay..this is definitely one of the weirder interactions I've had with you.." he said, surprised at Xisuma's sudden appearance.

"I-I know, I know. We just need to go back home, now." Xisuma said as he placed down his enderchest, digging through before pulling out some extra rockets and a spare elytra.

He handed Ex some rockets and the elytra before flying off, the admin's brother following close behind. After a couple long minutes of flying in silence, the two found a portal and were able to teleport back to the main end island.

"So do you want to tell me what got you so worked up?" Ex asked his brother as entered the small house, taking off the elytra and handing it back to Xisuma.

The admin shrugged. "Just had a bad feeling about something. Maybe I'm just going crazy.." Xisuma groaned while taking off his helmet to get some fresh air, his brother rolling his eyes.

"Go get some sleep, you look like you've barely slept at all."

"That's not completely true..but okay.." Xisuma said reluctantly, hoping that he could get some rest without that watcher interrupting his sleep.

As the admin shut his bedroom door to get some rest, Ex took off his helmet and set it on the wooden table in his small kitchen. He sat down the bag of chorus fruit next to his headgear, taking out a few stacks of the fruit to put away in some chests.

There was a knock at the front door, which startled Ex, he thought that no one knew about his little house in the end. He shut the chest that he had been looking through, the admin's brother heading to the front door.

He opened the front door, Ex frowning in confusion as he was met with one of the hermits. "Bdubs? What are you doing here? How'd you find me?"

Bdubs smiled calmly, clutching a silver mask in his hands. "I'm actually here for you." he said to Ex, which only furthered the evil hermit's confusion.

"Why would you need me? You aren't even supposed to know I'm here. Did Xisuma tell you?"

Bdubs shrugged as he entered the house. "Not Xisuma, but a friend of mine. They asked me to deliver this to you." He explained, handing Ex the black mask.

"What the hell is this..?"

"Just put it on, you'll understand." Bdubs said, Ex looking from the mask in his hand to the mask on Bdubs' face.

Ex placed the mask over his eyes, and for a few moments, nothing happened. Then the pain shot through his body, Ex letting out a scream as the mask welded to his face, just as it had done to Bdubs.

He fell to his knees, his hands covering his face as the mask continued to cause immense amounts of pain and agony. Ex's screams echoed through the house, but Bdubs didn't even flinch.

The door to Xisuma's bedroom swung open upon hearing his brother's screams, the admin rushing out into the cramped living room to see what was amiss.

"Ex, what's going-"

Xisuma stopped as he saw the mask on Bdubs' face, the silver eye blinking as he spotted the admin. Ex slowly moved his hands away from his face, his head turning to meet his brother's eyes. The silver eye on Ex's mask stared at the admin blankly, like he didn't even recognize his own brother.

The watcher was right. She had taken Ex away.