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

Chapter 27 - Hypno

The graveyard's getting full. 

It's about a day since Doc, xB and Pearl came back and Xisuma died. Everyone's talking about a huge fight. The graveyard's the only quiet place left. I've spent a lot of time there recently, watching as the area fills. There are more dead that alive now. The only people left on our side are me, Doc, xB, Pearl, Stress and Mumbo. 6. Only 6 of us. 

I gather the last pitiful bunch of flowers and lay one of every grave. Even Impulse's. I don't know why every else refuses to accept all the good he did before he turned 'bad'. My one now is the only flower on it. Everyone other grave as at least two. 

With a sigh, I turn to leave. I smile weakly at Mumbo as he enters, knowing I'll have to talk.

'Hey, Hypno...' the moustached Brit sighs. 'Doc's going on about murder still.'

'Is that really a surprise any more?' I joke back. Neither of us laugh. 

'I needed some time away from it all.'

'Me too.' As i go, I see him heading off to the glade next to the graveyard, and stop walking again. 

'We've run out of flowers.' I tell him, and then properly go. 

As I leave the forest, I hear Doc shouting and roll my eyes. More plans to massacre the people in the maze. It's only when I hear Stress yell something back that I realise something else is happening. 

'We're not going to kill them, ok? I know they've killed a lot of us, but they're not evil!'

'You've never been attacked, have you?! You don't know what they've done!'

'Doc, I've helped every single person who's come out of that place. Everyone who got hurt. If anyone ACTUALLY knows what's happened, it's me.'

'Skizz, Scott, Solidarity, Jevin, False, Keralis, Xisuma. All slaughtered out there by those monsters. Etho and Bdubs, killed by Impulse because Skizz died.' 

'Scar and Martyn, murdered in front of their closest friends. Joel, Tango, and Grian, forced out by you. Joel and Cub then killed. Zedaph, killed by Etho. And all of 'solidarity's' friends called him Jimmy, by the way.' Stress walks off on this. Doc tightens his grip on his trident, glaring. I catch Pearl's eye, but look away quickly, not knowing what to think of what I've just seen.

'All of you! Get back to work!' Doc snaps. 'Train! Get food! Gather information on all the inhuman FREAKS out in the maze!'

'The only 'inhuman freak' here is you!' Stress turns back and insults, before slamming the door of her house closed. I speak before Doc burns it down.

'I'll go and make some more weapons. Pearl, you want to help me.' I wink at the Australian. She looks between me and Doc, before following to where all the iron and diamond still is. When we get there, she stops, and speaks. 

'Right. What did you want to talk to me about?' 

I don't reply, figuring out what to say.

'I know you're scared of Doc.' Pearl continued.

'I... and you're not?' 

'He controls everything here and always wants a fight. Why wouldn't I be? So what did you want to talk about?'

'I don't want to fight! Even as someone with a first-hand experience of Jimmy's death, I don't. We're either going to all be killed, or it'll be a massacre for them, and I'll end up killing. 

I look down at my crafting table, and start properly making swords. It's repetitive, but I don't feel like doing anything else at the moment. Pearl's silent too, but I appreciate her company still. 

We continue working for a while, but it's still light when Mumbo runs up behind us, yelling something about notes and war and WE NEED TO GO NOW.

I turn to face him. His moustache is unkempt and hair sticking up. I can tell he's been crying from the slight redness around his eyes. I look between him and Pearl.

'What?' 

'Doc said we all need to meet up and discuss... war. Apparently Mumbo found a note from the maze-people saying to go to where Etho died in two days time.' 

'And fight?'

'It said bring weapons. He called a meeting with everyone alive.' 

I give Pearl another look. She drops the bow she's half-way through stringing up and we follow Mumbo back to the middle of the camp. Everyone else is there. Even xB's woken up and is watching from the window of Stress's home. 

'In two days time this will be over.' Doc begins dramatically. 'The creatures in the maze have declared war with this note. They called a meeting where Etho died, and told us to 'bring weapons'. When it comes to it, I expect everyone to fight. Everyone.' He glares at Stress for a moment. Our healer glares back. 'Regardless of whether they actually wanted one or not, they're getting a fight. Because, if we're going by our rules, that's what they deserve. This ends now. Hypno, Pearl, you've been gathering plenty of weapons. Stress, stock up on healing supplies and help xB get back to normal. Joe, continue research. I want to know all their weaknesses and strengths by 2 days time. You are all dismissed.' 

I return to my house, collapsing on my bottom bunk. I can barely look at all of Jevin's stuff, piled in the corner, as I realise my worst nightmare has come true, and begin to cry. 

Aaand this still sucks...

But I'm going to do a prequel once I've finished this and the other 2 Hermitcraft stories I'm halfway through!