Chapter Text
Joe stepped into Grian's season 8 starter house. He was keen on finding Grian to speak to him about a new idea he had. Joe traversed the house with ease, he had been in here a couple times. Yet, he found no Grian.
However, he did find an uncovered trapdoor that he'd never seen before. Joe stepped towards it and opened it up. A ladder. He started climbing down, wondering if Grian was down there.
As Joe stepped off the ladder he looked around the small room and noticed a clutter of random items. Upon closer inspection, Joe realised the clutter took the shape of a nest and was composed of many hermits' clothes and other items. Joe chuckled at the thought of the tiny avian sneaking around stealing clothes when he could just ask.
Joe then took note of a cluttered desk. He stepped towards it and looked at the plethora of building sketches. He moved a couple and that's when he saw it. A porcelain eye mask, a portal frame with broken corners set on the front. Two icicle like peices jutting down from either side.
Joe dropped it instantly, fear striking through his body. Was Grian trying to destroy the server from inside out? Joe scrambled up and out of the basement. He ran past Grian who was just entering his house. Grian called for him. He ignored him.
< • >
Grian landed in front of his house after a long resource gathering session. It was so long, in fact, his communicator died. He stepped into his house just to be pushed past by a speeding force.
Grian whipped around after the person and recognized Joe. "Joe! What's the rush?" He called after him, but all Joe did was glance back in fear and keep running. Grian found it strange, but carried on. He turned back to face the inside of his disheveled bird house.
That's when he noticed his basement trapdoor. Opened wide, the carpet around it positioned in a way that made it look like someone had scrambled onto it, making it scrunch up on itself. If Grian wasn't so worried, he'd have laughed at a cartoony version of one of his friends running on bunching up carpet in his head.
Grian flapped up once and then dove down into the basement, frantic in his movements. He scrambled toward his desk. There. Right in the middle of his desk, his mask. A crack in the corner where it landed. Grian was fucked.
< • >
The first person Joe ran into was BDubs. So in turn, BDubs was the first to hear Grian's secret. BDubs ran to Doc and Ren, the second and third to hear Grian's secret. Doc went to Keralis, the fourth to hear Grian's secret. Ren went to Impulse and Mumbo, the fifth and sixth to hear Grian's secret. Impulse grimaced at the news but shared it with no one. Impulse refused to believe Grian was evil. Mumbo had no idea what a watcher was and simply didn't bother with sharing.
Keralis went to Xisuma’s base and grabbed admin binds. Powerful items admins are given for if they ever need to dampen or withold hybrids power. It can't be taken off except by an admin. Another one of Grian's secrets.
Doc went to Keralis, the fourth to hear Grian's secret. Ren went to Impulse and Mumbo, the fifth and sixth to hear Grian's secret. Impulse grimaced at the news but shared it with no one. Impulse refused to believe Grian was evil. Mumbo had no idea what a watcher was and simply didn't bother with sharing.
Keralis went to Xisuma’s base and grabbed admin binds. Powerful items admins are given for if they ever need to dampen or withold hybrids power. It can't be taken off except by an admin. Another one of Grian's secrets.
Everyone secretly met up - but really, it was only a secret from Grian. How the tables turn. "So, I'm sure you all have heard the news now, and since Xisuma is off server right now, Keralis has helped take initiative to getting
Everyone secretly met up - but really, it was only a secret from Grian. How the tables turn. "So, I'm sure you all have heard the news now, and since Xisuma is off server right now, Keralis has helped take initiative to getting the danger off the server." A few people grimace, they didn't like how Joe was reacting but they couldn't really stop him. If a hub guardian heard of them attacking the only human on their server, they'd get Hermitcraft shut down. They just prayed Xisuma would fix everything, and maybe explain why he had let a potentially dangerous person on the server.
< • >
Grian panicked. He threw on his mask in a fit of hurry, transforming to his simple humanoid watcher form and viewed the server. There, they were meeting in Keralis' house. Grian rushed back upstairs and grabbed his go bag while monitoring the meeting. It warmed his heart to see those who were against what Joe was doing, but fear over took everything else.
Grian rushed out his front door and flew north. Where to? Who knows. He just needed to get away while still monitoring what they were doing. Granted, that does mean his focus was on the meeting and not where he was flying.
< • >
After the meeting, the hermits spread out. Some only half heartedly looked while others looked with fear.
It was Stress who found Grian first. She had mixed opinions, she was scared, yes. But Grian is a hermit, a family member.
In the end, she decided to message the others after she pulled the unconscious Grian from laying half way in the water under a mountain.
She pried the mask off him, making him transform to a human form. She was shocked to find his injuries in his Watcher form didn't transfer over to his human form. She placed the mask gently in his hand, then started shaking his shoulder lightly.
As the others touched down, Grian was waking up. Keralis swiftly put the admin binds on his wings before he could take off, but he hesitated at first. Grian appreciated that too, even in his half awake daze.
Then Grian remembered what was happening and shot up where he sat. Joe and a few others shrieked, others looked on with concern.
Grian scrambled up and dashed away from the group, technically he could reach back and touch the lock on the binds and they'd fall off. But alas, his bird brain was not that quick and so, he ran.
The others ran after him - Scar wheeled behind them, not quite as fast. It wasn't long before the others were right behind Grian, despite Grian getting a head start. Avians weren't built for running on land, they were meant to fly.
Grian ran to the edge of a deep cliff and was surrounded almost instantly. Cliché, almost, for him to run into a ravine. He should've seen it, but he was too worried about the Hermits chasing him. Grian anxiously looked around, what was he to do? He was cornered, mask in hand and.. his mask! He pulled it up to his face, smiled meakly at the hermits around him and placed it. He transformed to his humanoid watcher form, breaking the admin binds, and fell backwards into the ravine.
No one followed because no one else except Pearl had real wings - which would be necessary for this kind of ravine, you need full control - and Pearl wasn't in the group chasing him. Now that he can see, he sees her and a few other Hermits flying towards them still.
Gods, it seems everybody wants to be his enemy.
< • >
The next day, Grian found himself scavenging from the others chests when they weren't around. Maybe, if all this bullshit wasn't happening, he'd snicker while thinking about how he'd explain it was lag. But now? He just glances warily around every few seconds, waiting for Joe or Keralis or someone to jump out and tackle him.
Currently, he was scavenging in Mumbo's chests. He really should've taken Xisuma’s survival class last season, maybe he would've been able to survive in the woods without risking being caught. Gods, how he missed season seven. Grian glanced around once more and spotted movement. He watched for a moment, praying to the gods that it was just an animal. Then, Mumbo stepped out.
Grian froze, staring at his friend. Mumbo wouldn't rat him out, right? Mumbo just stared back at him. They stared for what felt like hours, but really, it was only a few seconds.
"Grian!" Mumbo exclaimed, rushing forward and wrapping the small bird boy in a hug. Grian trilled against his will and clutched Mumbo. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you need food?" Mumbo stumbled over his words as he pulled from the hug and held onto Grian's shoulders.
Grian just laughs, maybe he'll be okay until Xisuma gets back in three days. He hopes at least, as Mumbo leads Grian into his base.
"Here, I have a bunker type thing in here, haven't shown it on camera or anything, so it should be safe." Mumbo leans back behind a chest and flips a lever, a door opening up a few blocks down. Grian padded over and looked in.
It was a very bare metal room with a bed, a desk and a chest probably filled with food that wouldn't go bad for a long time. "Thanks Mumby, I appreciate it." Grian says stepping inside. Mumbo follows him in.
"You can decorate it however you want, I can provide you materials, granted most of it will lag into my inventory from your chests." Mumbo winked at Grian and Grian just beamed at his best friend.
Grian sat down and motioned for Mumbo to sit as well. Once Mumbo sat, Grian wrapped them both in his wings and leaned against Mumbo. "Thank you so much." Grian mumbles, then falls asleep on his friend. He hadn't slept last night and really needed this.