'...Scar, are you even listening to me right now?! How do we get Impulse back? What- how do we stop the... vexians...' 

'Vexlings.' I correct. It's only a couple minutes after Grian left and Martyn followed, and it's all the time I've been left to recover before Skizz's barrage of questions starts and my own brain adds its own asking why I even decided to leave my base in the first place.

'Whatever! How do we get them to give back Impulse?!' 

'I don't know! Me and Cub...' His dead body flashes into mind again. 

Don't forget me, Scar. And keep smiling for me.

'...Me and Cub were always influenced from afar for our pranks... we've been to their land, yeah...'

'They have a world?!'

'Yes, of course! Watchers have a land, Vexlings have a land. Impulse will be in the latter... It's probably too late to stop him becoming a vexling, but it's easy enough to stop the magic itself. And it doesn't just... take over. Just for bits at a time...'

'How do we get him back?'

'I don't know.'

'You're- you're supposed to be the expert on all things magical, dude!'

'When did I ever say that?! I snap. 'I don't know everything!' 

'Surely you know how to get to the vexling world!'

'Alright, alright. Break it up!' Xisuma orders. I fall silent. 'Scar, Skizz is just stressed for Impulse...'

'And Skizz, you know Scar's... going to be getting painful memories of Cub from this. It's not his fault he's... unwilling to talk about it.'

I gape at the injustice.

'I'm saying everything I know, ELEX!'

'Don't call me that.' EX snaps back. 'And just tell Skizz what he wants to know.'

'I HAVE!'

Refusing to let any of them yell at me for something that isn't even my fault again, I jump from the window, flying back towards my base. I land just inside Larry, trying to stay careful, not hit the ground and end up dying from stupidity... books cover the ground. I sigh, knowing I'll have to start putting them away at some point.

It only takes a few to start growing tired... surely just a little nap won't do any harm... It's the middle of the night anyway...

'Scar! Scar the weirdest thing just happened... With me and Tango. I was helping him with some Evokers on the nether roof and...' I look over from terraforming The Big Dig to see Cub gliding into view, holding out his hand.

'Oh my goodness, are you alright?' I fixate on the bite instantly. Small, but bleeding, ringed with blue.

'I feel fine. Tango said I should get it checked out... Something about developing weird magic powers. But... They also dropped vex heads. Two, vex heads.' I take one uncertainly, then drop it. A hum of magic fills my hands.

'What... What is this?' I frown. Panic starts setting in... Weird magic is never a good sign, nor whatever caused Cub's bite... 

A strange feeling. Chaotic. To the point of normality feeling boring. A quiet urge in the back of my mind.

'Cub, something's trying to take over... Take control of my mind... I can't fight it...' I collapse to the ground. He's at my side in seconds.

'I... I don't know what to do.' His eyes are starting to glow blue. 'Scar... I'm so sorry... I don't know what...'

'Cub- it's- your eyes... They've got...'

'SCAR!'

I jolt awake. For a moment I don't know where I am... books surround the ground around me.

'SCAR LET ME IN! IT'S IMPORTANT!' I clench my fists, realising who it is. 

'GO AWAY GRIAN!' I snap, slamming shut the book on magic in front of me, standing. He doesn't, entering Larry instead.

'Scar, seriously. Don't... don't force me to leave.' Tears run down his cheeks. Martyn's book is hugged close to his chest, his gaze fixed on my hands, the vexling fire burning at them.  I narrow my eyes. 

'Go away.' He doesn't move 'Grian- just go away.'

'I read the book... I know about Watchers and Vexlings and... And the war... the war between them and... and that this is more serious than I ever thought it was...' 

'Good.' But I still hesitate. 'Now go away, Grian. I don't want to talk to you.'

'Scar you were right all along! I was WRONG. So, so wrong... You're- you're more of an expert on Watchers than I'll ever be! And if we're going to fight... when we end up fighting...'

Desperation fills his expression. I turn away, back to the piles and piles of everything. Grian refuses to leave.

'I need your help. Scar, please. I need your help. And I'm so sorry. I'm sorry about everything I've done. I'm sorry about Cub...' My hands clench at his name. 'It was my fault. All my fault.' He puts a hand on my shoulder. I shake it off, walking away. 'You're... basically an expert on the Watchers... help me fight them. Please. I need to you to help me. I can't do this alone...' 

'Mumbo. Iskall. EX. Skizz and Zedaph. Anyone else.' I offer back. 'And maybe don't jump the queue of people who only want me for my magical knowledge.' 

'Scar you're the greatest person I know. You stood for what you believed through all of this. You didn't care what I said, and didn't let it change your opinions. Even when... when I was acting irrational... and horrible and... and... Scar please, forgive me. But... but they're going to come for this world. Any day now. They've taken Tango, and now the vexlings have taken Impulse...'

'They took Impulse because he found Cub's old mask, and then realised he'd want to help them after the Watchers took Tango. Yeah. That's as much as I figured out.' I interrupt.

'...And since we caught Pearl for... what she did... the Watchers want revenge anyway. And... and I just... I burnt the book you got for me.'

'What? Did you even read it?!' The memories of everything it took to get that book... the time I lost with Cub... the constant fear that I'll end up dead from the constant things I die to...

'Yes! Well, as much as I could without... them taking me. So... they'll be after me too. They'll come for that. Which is why you need to help me. I need your help, Scar. Not just want, NEED... please, Scar. Please.'

Memories rise in mind. Cub. Dying. My best friend. He... he died for me. The Watchers killed him. And Bdubs. And Doc... and Tango being taken... I clench my hands, striding past him, down into Larry. I let the magic rise for a moment before fazing through the ground, still hearing Grian's pleas behind... down the tunnel, the hum of power growing until I reach the chest at the end. Open it, swipe up the mask within and leave, back to where Grian is still pacing.

'We can fight them, get rid of them once and for all...'

He stops suddenly, seeing me as I put on the mask, the dagger appearing in my hand.

'I'm doing this for Cub, not you.' 

Aaaaa this chapter took too long to writeeee

Only two left afte