Chapter Text
“And of course now people weren’t dying fast enough for him, he’s gone and added a curse so that people are betraying their alliances! This is getting out of hand, we have to do something about it! It’s not right what happened to Tango, he didn’t deserve what he got just for getting help,”
“Are you done?” Evil X asked his brother, interrupting Xisuma’s panicked state in an attempt to get him to calm down for a moment.
“And how he’s on his last life! His last life! He ran off and hid somewhere, everyone is worried out of their minds, not to mention how he must be feeling! How did I not see anything was going on before this? How did I not see this coming?”
“Because you’re trusting and stupid.”
“I don’t appreciate all of your input here. I’m worrying and the last thing I need is you on my back too, alright? Yes, I f-messed up, and I didn’t protect the hermits, and I’m having to live with that every day we spend in here and the fact that there’s absolutely nothing I can do to stop it.”
“And now we’re pulling the guilt card, brilliant. Look, it’s not as if we’re helpless here,”
“How? For starters, you’re the only person I know I have a true alliance with, and you’re evil-”
“Right, just because it’s in the name does not mean you have to call me evil.” Evil X had never really hated Xisuma, but he’d hated what he’d done to their family and how he never once even tried to step up to his Watcher role. Had his parents not broken the rules, the two domains would have never been combined into one, and Grian now wouldn’t have twice the capability for power than any other Watcher. It was all their fault, this entire situation. “Listen, we do have something over Grian, but we have to tell the hermits about him.”
“I knew that moment was going to have to come at some time, but I don’t think I’m ready to tell them. Grian was such a great addition to the group, he’s had such a great influence on our group, and to think it was all just a lie? There has to have been some of it that was genuine of him, there has to be some of it that wasn’t all for the power. I can’t imagine how they’ll all feel after they find out, and what will it achieve?”
“If we can get the Hermits to make a pact to not kill and not participate, and make this society they’ve created somewhat normal, then maybe we can stop Grian from gaining power and increase Order’s power enough to stop him? Then we can try to get the other alliances involved too. Grian brought all these people here in one place in hopes of gaining all the power possible, but we can use that to our advantage. If we can get everyone to live in a peaceful, orderly society, then there won’t be the chaos or bloodshed that increase Grian’s power so much.”
“This sounds impossible, I mean the curse made most people kill without hesitation, what if he just puts that curse on all of us?”
“Look, you said it yourself, there’s nothing we can do to stop him, so we do nothing. We live our lives, we make a world with order, do something Grian isn’t expecting at all. This is the way we free the Hermits, then after this, we go our separate ways and you don’t have to deal with me interfering with your little perfect family or whatever. I've found I hate Grian more than I hate you now so I have better ways to spend my time.”
He was beginning to realise that all the hatred he’d had for his brother over the years was somewhat misguided, and though they were very different as people, he’d really had no reason to have it out for the Hermits over the years. Though he’d never say that to Xisuma, he was planning on leaving them be after they stopped Grian and the Watchers. The Hermits deserved their peaceful lives back after they stopped the Watchers and the death games. Even Evil X could realise that.
“I’m just not ready to tell them all yet,”
“X, this is our only chance, this is EXactly what we need to turn the tides. The hermits are all you have, you can’t lose them. It’d be a bit pathetic if you let one prick ruin your entire life, you know?”
“I’m going to ignore the pathetic comment because you’re trying to give genuine advice and this is a serious situation to be in. We’re going to avenge Tango, and all the others who were affected by the curse, we can get the Hermits to avoid the chaos and bring back Order enough to weaken Grian.”