The labyrinth of monsters (a Hermitcraft and third life AU fanfic)

Chapter 6 - Grian

This chapter's going to be good...

I'm admitted out of Stress's hut not long after I wake up. My wing seems to be recovered as well as it can be, though most of the feathers are still gone from it. As I walk out of the house, I see that there's chaos outside. 

It looks like there's been another attack outside, and more people than ever have ended up involved. Stress is crouching next to an unconscious person I don't know if i've seen yet, and Zed is barely standing. All of them seem to be covered in dirt, even though I don't think there's any inside the maze. I decide to approach.

'What's going on?' I ask. I notice Tango and Impulse, both also recovering and covered in dirt. Impulse is holding a wad of material to the back of his head, and Tango's wiping mud off his face. As I get nearer, it becomes obvious that they're arguing about something. 

'You could've got yourself killed, Tango!' Impulse snaps. 'You run into the middle of a fight, and don't expect to die?!'

'I was saving your life!' Shoots back Tango. 'Those creepy vines were halfway up your legs! I didn't want you to choke to death in front of me.'

'What's... happening?' I dare to ask again. Neither of my friends notice me there.

'One of us is actually USED to deadly situations! You are used to just staying safe and messing with TNT!'

'I came with Bdubs to help! I CHOSE to put myself out there for you, and you say I'M the one who wants to stay safe?!'

'I'm out in that place every day. I've faced every single one of the monsters out there. You know NOTHING compared to me.' Impulse retorts. 'This is my LIFE. Do you know how many times I've nearly died?'

'Yes, because you keep telling me about it. And ETHO has done nothing wrong either.'

'You weren't even there when it happened! You can't say anything.'

'And ever since then you've decided to make it EVERYONE'S problem. It's not my fault he's dead, Impy. I wasn't there! I'm not to blame! And either's Etho.'

'Woah, both of you break it up!' I intervene desperately. 'I'm sure it's not too bad...' Honestly, I have no idea what they're talking about, and Impulse notices that immediately.

'YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, NEWBIE!' He shouts. 'SHUT UP AND STOP WORRYING ABOUT EVERYONE'S BUSINESS.'

'GRIAN HASN'T DONE ANYTHING!' Tango steps between us, looking ready to draw a sword. Impulse is still glaring at me, so I back away.

'I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said anything...' I apologise hastily. 

'It's not your fault, G. SOMEONE'S just in a constant bad mood at the moment.' 

'SOMEONE has been working restlessly ever since they arrived in this place, and is STILL recovering from WATCHING SOMEONE I LOVE DIE.'

'MAYBE I DON'T ACTUALLY CARE.' Tango snarls back. It's enough to shock Impulse into silence. 'EVER SINCE HE DIED IT'S BEEN ALL ABOUT YOU. MAYBE I DON'T CARE THAT HE'S DEAD. MAYBE I WISH THAT YOU'D DIED INSTEAD. NOW THAT WOULD BE A RELIEF.'

All three of us know he's gone too far. But before Tango can take it back, Impulse has given one last look over, eyes shining with tears, before running off. 

'Nice work, Tango.' I can't help but mutter as I brush past him, following after my friend.

I find Impulse in his house, curled up on his bed, facing the wall. He's crying, and it takes a moment for me to speak.

'Who died?' I know I sound blunt, but it's the only way he's going to answer me. When Impulse doesn't reply, I repeat the question. 'Who died? I know someone died, and it's not Jimmy. Who died?'

I watch as Impulse looks over at me, face smudged with tears and eyes red. He stands up, looking at me. 

'No one.'

'Stop lying. I know someone died. And you clearly loved them a lot.' 

'Fine. Someone died. That's all you need to know.' 

It's a struggle for me to bite back a snappy reply about how there's nothing anyone can tell me, but I manage, sighing and carrying on. 'You're my friend. I deserve to know.'

'You DESERVE nothing.' Impulse continues not to say anything, so I resign to looking around the room for clues. There's another bed, empty, opposite Impulse's. and a table in front of me with a pile of maps and a single picture of two boys. I pick it up. 

'Is this him? Your friend?' 

'GIVE THAT BACK!' Impulse snatches the photo from my hands. I don't resist him. 

'But is it him?'

Silence. I take it that I'm correct.

'What was he like?'

'Funny? The best person I know?'

'Better than Tango?'

'Yes.' 

'Wow... how did he die?'

'He was killed.'

'Did you see?'

'Obviously.'

'Oh.'

No other questions come to mind, so we're left in a grim silence until I come up with something.

'Who killed him?' 

Impulse doesn't answer, staring at the picture in his hands. A tear hits the glass covering it. He quickly wipes the rest away.

'Who killed your friend?'

'One of the monsters in the maze. Two of them, actually.' 

'Two of them?!'

'Yeah. The two that are always together. The convex.'

'They sound... bad?'

'They are. Etho was there too.'

'Is that why you hate him? Because he was there?'

'Because he was there and did NOTHING.'

'He let your friend die?' I continue asking questions, even though I know how sore the subject is for Impulse. 'Why?'

'Because he's a jerk? A monster? A selfish, cowardly excuse for a ninja?'

'He doesn't seem that bad to me...' 

'No? He hides it well.'

'Did Etho and your friend hate each other at all?'

'Not in the slightest. And he was more than my friend, by the way.'

'MORE than your friend?' 

'Not that way!' 

'Then what way?!' I feel myself getting angry at Impulse's short answers that don't tell me anything. Somehow, I push it back again. 'How is he more than your friend if it's not that way?'

'Because he was my brother!' 

I'm stunned for a moment, trying to comprehend. All I can manage to say is, 'What?'

'Yes! He was my brother! Skizzleman was my brother!'

Hehehe... 

I love plot twists. 

And I've been waiting a while to write this chapter...