The Turf War Twisted

Everything Goes According to Plan... or Not

"I need a distraction."

"I don't know how I can help you with that."

"You're good at jumping up and down and making weird noises. Surely you can do something!"

"I thought I was your assistant, not your entertainer."

"Ah! You're right! What am I supposed to do then, Bdubs?"

"Do about what?" Bdubs was sitting on his less-than-extravagant diamond seat next to the diamond throne. He looked up at Scar as he spoke.

"About the Resistance!" Scar threw his hands up, slamming them back down on the diamond throne. "None of the HEP have been able to capture them and we don't even know where their headquarters are! They've outsmarted us, Bdubs!"

"How could they have outsmarted us when we have so many good people on our team?" Bdubs put his hand to his chin. "Cub's been working hard working on that propaganda and advertising you want. Xisuma has been going out and destroying mycelium left and right with Keralis. False and Tango been patrolling all around the Shopping District to find Resistance members. And I've been giving out the orders for all that. That's everyone I can think of."

"You're right," Scar rested his elbow on one of the diamond armrests, slumping his head down on his hand. "It sounds like we've been working overtime lately with all the Resistance scheming." His voice was a slight whine as he sulked. "But they still manage to evade capture or any consequences! What am I doing wrong, Bdubs?!"

"I don't think you're doing anything wrong, Scar. Maybe they're just doing everything right." Bdubs really wasn't sure how to respond. He was also stumped on solutions for taking care of the Resistance. Truth be told, he didn't want to harm any of his friends.

Suddenly breaking a brief, awkward silence, Scar got a call. The low beeping noise sounded and Scar quickly answered. "You've reached Mayor Scar." Scar perkily replied over the call.

"I am the one dialled your number," the person on the other side of the call responded.

"Ah, always as sarcastic as ever, Mumbo."

"I wouldn't say I'm all that sarcastic, just blunt." Mumbo shrugged. "Your message confused and intrigued me, though."

Scar's grin widened. After messaging Cub, he'd gone straight to messaging Mumbo. He knew it would take a bit with Mumbo barely coming back from vacation, but Mumbo always delivered. "I've already told you everything you need to know. You can help us with your obvious genius and technical skill. I mean, it's for a good cause, after all." Scar's tone was smooth and sly. Mumbo could just hear the grin Scar was giving.

"Hmmm." Mumbo had to think through his next words. He wanted to know what he'd gain out of siding with the HEP. "What is it that you'd want me to do, exactly?" Mumbo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We're infiltrating the Mycelium Resistance base, and you're the man that can get us there easiest."

"So what I'm hearing is... my redstone skills are valuable to you."

"You get it now."

"Well, if it's so valuable... how much am I getting paid?"

Scar chuckled, "You are quite the businessman."

"I wouldn't say that. We can discuss payment later, that way you can guarantee my loyalty."

"I like the way you think." Scar eventually hung up the phone, turning to Bdubs with a suddenly more blissful look. "Y'know that thing I said earlier about the Resistance outsmarting us?"

Bdubs nodded, looking up at Scar through his eyebrows with a smirk. "I assume you've already found a way to get them back?"

"Oh, you know it!" Scar raised his voice with excitement. "Mumbo is our secret weapon. Or rather, the weapon he's making for us is. Those Resistance members better be ready, because they've got something comin' for them!"

---

Impulse looked around headquarters sceptically. He was joined by Grian and xB, who had been using the headquarters as more of a hangout place than a meeting area.

"Does anyone else feel that?" xB asked, looking down at the floor.

"Yeah..." Impulse replied warily. "Is the server having an earthquake?"

"I don't think that's ever happened before..." xB said, looking all around himself with panic in his eyes.

"Is it safe to go out the hatch?" Impulse asked quickly, stepping up onto the table carefully.

Grian just stood there. Grian couldn't think of what to do. If there really was an earthquake, he didn't plan on what to prioritise. He had to act quick before the ceiling caved in on the three of them, but the panic he felt lumped in his throat and cramping his body was stopping him.

"xB, you get out first!" Impulse shouted, gesturing to the hatch out of the base. "Grian and I will be right after you!" xB nodded swiftly, deploying his elytra and zipping out of the headquarters. "C'mon, G! Let's go!" Right at his last word, he flew out of the base, going through the hatch with laser precision.

Grian still stood there, just watching Impulse leave. His focus shifted to the wall, which was slowly covering with cracks. He wanted to move. He wanted to fly out and abandon the base. But more than anything, he wanted to know what was about to burst through the wall.

Admittedly, Grian was an idiot.

He risked the base crumbling down on him. He risked whatever large machinery that was drilling through the wall to hit him. Why did he do it? Not even Grian was really sure. He'd lost passion for the war, and everyone but him was already out safely. Still though, he stood his ground. He stood his ground as the tunnel bore poked through the wall. No, not poked. More like, exploded... barraged? No matter what word could be used to describe it, it was certainly a shock for Grian.

The explosion from the tunnel bore rang through the Resistance headquarters. The impact hit Grian; it hit Grian hard. So much so that he was sent flying back into the storage hall of the base. His body felt limp and hit the back wall of the hallway. The air seemed to be knocked right out of his lungs. His back arched as he rebounded off the wall, and he fell flat on his stomach. Grian was lucky enough to not die from the impact with the wall and floor. Though, he wouldn't consider himself lucky.

Lucky isn't the word you'd use to describe someone who got shot into the wall. Lucky isn't the word you'd use to describe someone who was bloody and bruised. Lucky isn't the word you'd use to describe someone as lost as Grian.

As his body slammed against the concrete wall, and he wondered why he was so stupid. He wondered why he stayed standing there, even knowing what would happen. Did he have a death wish? Not even Grian was sure of the answer.

Before he knew it, he was seeing nothing. The world around him blackened and his mind was blank. Grian heard some muffled screams before his eyes fell to a close, and he accepted that he might not survive after that much blunt trauma.

(word count: 1158 words)