Chapter Text
Etho had called the four of them there with a grin visible even with his mask. His eyes squinted in pure, chaotic excitement for his silly idea, one that involved two strong redstoners, two advanced redstoners, and one redstoner skinny enough to fit in a one block hole. The dream team assembled at the frogger game, all five of them eager to do something equal parts stupid, and equal parts genius. Etho clapped his hands together as Doc, Impulse, Tango, and Mumbo stood ready for the assignment.
“So, the timing in one of the clocks is wrong,” Etho explained, leaning against the chest in the main room. “Problem is, accessing it normally would break a piston chain, which would take like, ten minutes to fix. My solution? Speed up the process by bypassing the “normal” way with two strong guys and someone small and quick.” He gestured to Doc and Impulse, and Mumbo respectively. “Tango will help me up top with keeping things together. This is a five man job; do we think we can do it?”
“Holding back one piston?” Doc scoffed. “In my sleep.”
“Yeah, I don't even think you need both of us,” Impulse smirked, fist bumping Doc.
“Safetly, gentlemen; plus the only reason you’d need to hold it is if something happens to me or Tango…. Which it won’t.” Etho said. “Mumbo, this sound good?”
Mumbo crossed his arms. “Absolutely. One time, I snuck into Scar’s base under his floor. I can crawl through this: easy.”
Tango gave Etho a thumbs up. “Your genius still surprises me.”
“Alright, let’s crack open the floor and get to work!”
They popped open the floor boards. There were a few blocks down and in front of the repeater, and the five could see it just past a piston, slamming into stone on the other side. Doc looked at Etho. “Um, Etho, are you sure about this?”
“Hm? Course I am. Pistons aren’t that strong, right? They can break sugar cane, not stone.” Even as Etho said that, Impulse’s eyes lingered on the cracks forming on the piston’s targeted block. “Plus, between the two of you, there is no way you can’t hold it.”
Doc shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, no problem.”
Tango looked at Mumbo who had gone a little pale. “You’re gonna have to hold it for a second…” He muttered.
Etho popped open the planks right above the piston. Doc and Impulse really had to reach to get it. “Mumbo crawls in from that end, Tango and I’ll pause the signal, you two grab hold, he reaches in and switches the signal, and bam, hours saved.”
Mumbo sighed. “If Impulse and Doc think they can do it.”
The two looked at each other and nodded in sync. “Of course we can do it,” Doc said, flexing. Impulse smirked and gave Mumbo a thumbs up.
“Alright,” Etho said. “Operation save time is a go!”
Mumbo lowered himself into the channel and laid down, beginning his crawl down the small tunnel. He felt his heart rate increase as he approached the piston, its angry wooden head punching the wall opposite. Mumbo swallowed hard. “I’m ready!”
Etho nodded and stopped the signal, and Doc and Impulse reached down and grabbed the component. Mumbo took a deep breath and inched forward.
Tango yelled out in pain.
The piston creaked as Doc and Impulse engaged their muscles, groaning as the piston pulled against their arms.
“MUMBO GET OUT OF THERE!” Etho’s voice screamed.
Mumbo immediately began scooting back, when Impulse yelped. The piston jerked forward and Doc screamed at the sudden yank on his arm, the pain shocking his muscles and pulling him forward and--
*SMACK*
The first crack of the piston sounded like the crunching of metal and sticks.
*SMACK*
The next was wet and squelched, a sound not dissimilar to half drying glue pulling apart came next.
*SMACK*
The last crack was followed by the piston being broken.
The minigame shut down and the display lights flickered. Etho stumbled back against the wall, heart beating louder than his thoughts. He couldn’t look. He couldn’t look.
Tango ground on the floor, one of his arms scorched with a redstone burn, much like the one Etho now had on his chest. Impulse laid back half on his side after pulling Doc back, grabbing his limp arm. Doc was to Impulse’s side, barely awake, one hand fractured and bleeding out, the other crumbled like a tin can. Mumbo--
Etho hadn’t seen Mumbo yet.