Steel Blood - A Hermitcraft fanfiction

Ch 18: stabby stabby!

'You're back!' 

NPG and Gem were greeted by a very concerned Mumbo as soon as they arrived. In his momentary confusion, he thought his only friend hadn't got the message, and was about to explain when he spoke.

'They're coming.'

'What? Who?'

'The NPCs. Grian said they're coming. To attack.'

'Wh...what? Now?'

'Yes. Did you see them?'

'No?' 

'I did, but we couldn't do anything.' Gem added. 'Does everyone know?'

'Yes. They won't expect us to know, so we can surprise them with that.' The group had started walking back into the base, Mumbo handing a sword to the robot. Gem drew her own. 

'Do you have a plan?'

'A... plan?'

'For stopping them!'

'Fight? Split up?' Mumbo figured out hastily. 'I don't know, I only have 1 brain cell.'

'I thought you had two!'

'Grian has the other one.' The moustached hermit explained casually. NPG glanced at Gem, concerned. 

'You share a brain cell with HIM?'

'Grian isn't a bad person, NPG.' Mumbo sighed. 'He's the reason we know about the attack.'

'Or he's lying.' 

Mumbo stopped, turning to NPG.

'Look. Grian is my friend. I trust him.' 

'Why?'

'Because he's proved his trust over and over.'

'While he kept me stuck in a cupboard in a world no one else was in.' NPG shot back. Mumbo sighed.

'I don't want to have this argument again. We should just...'

An explosion. Mumbo fumbled for a sword, calling the other hermits to attention. Jevin and Wels ran out, taking a front line position as the NPCs entered. Stress and TFC stayed back, ready to provide potions and gapples to injured hermits. False appeared, going straight for Wels, who attacked back. Tango and Impulse ran in as well. NPG nodded to Mumbo before joining in, sword ready, joined by his moustached friend as he fell into a fight against Zed and Keralis. Xisuma had joined False, and Wels was beginning to back away, unable to survive against both of them. 

Gem joined in, leaving Beef defeated behind, and  helped the knight, knowing how outnumbered their group was. Doc and Bdubs weren't there, and Tango and Impulse were hanging back in case they were needed. 

'Stress, TFC, we could do with some help!' She called. Stress nodded, snatching up a sword and also helping. Xisuma stabbed blindly at her, hitting, sending blood spraying. Gem threw her a healing and Stress yelled back a thanks. False was still going strong, wiping oil-blood off her face which she managed to knock Wels's sword out of his hand. The knight stumbled away, retreating, heaving for breath, getting to TFC and grabbing a golden apple.

Tango and Impulse chose this moment to join in, and NPG changed his focus to them as Keralis retreated. Mumbo had disappeared to get some healing, leaving the robot alone as the two NPCs came towards him.

'Traitor.' Tango growled at the sight of him. 'You refuse to be on our side.' 

'I was never on your side. You're not supposed to be like this!' NPG whimpered back, slicing only to block their blows. Impulse knocked him to the ground, and he gulped.

'Impulse, Tango, please... don't kill me. If you do...' 

'What?' Tango prodded the robot with his sword. 'What will you do?'

NPG didn't answer, trying to work up the anger that always came at the wrong moment. Was it because they were also NPCs, like him? Was his coding denying him the ability to defeat them? All he could do was kick Tango away, getting to his feet, slicing, before he was knocked down again. Impulse slashed, and iridescent blood sprayed. Malfunction. Sparking. Then...

Eyes flashed red. Sword cutting through the air, attacking anyone and everyone who was in the way. They were going to die. They were all going to die. 

Tango ran, retreating, calling for backup. Impulse's eyes filled with panic, and he tried to do the same. NPG grabbed him by the collar, throwing him away. The hermit skidded as he fell to the ground, hitting the wall, unconscious. NPG kept going. There was another person ahead. Faces became meaningless and the robot attacked. A yell of terror, and they collapsed. NPG stabbed, and someone screamed a name, running over, dragging him away. A turn and they too had to get out the way. 

'NPG, STOP!' A voice. One he recognised. 'PLEASE!' The unidentifiable figure ahead had a moustache, and black hair, and a pleading expression as he backed away. Mumbo. 

A call of retreat, and the base emptied. NPG fell onto his hands and knees, AI scrambled, head hurting. Pain, fear, and he blacked out.

Ahhh... shorter chapter...

I CAN'T WRITE