Watcher's Admins

Chapter Fourteen

Grian dove into the portal and strode out of it once in the Institute. This large pit of anger bubbled in his chest as he walked to the archives. Once assured he was alone, he locked the doors behind him and flew to one of the higher levels looking through the shelves and muttering in Galactic under his breath. “ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ ⍑ᔑᓭ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ʖᒷ ᓭ𝙹ᒲᒷℸ ̣ ⍑╎リ⊣ ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ....⍑ᔑᓭ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ʖᒷ..” 
He didn’t expect himself to be so irritated at the Watcher’s old tricks but from the sounds of it. That girl had just joined them and already got shoved into this situation. A mere child from what Timmy made it seem. It disgusted him that they would stoop to such levels, though…then again it didn’t surprise him. 
Xisuma ran into the portal and it spat him out in the Institute hub. He ran to the nearest fellow Admin. “Do you know where the second Golden Admin went?” He asked, catching his breath. The admin arched a brow before motioning towards the archives. “He seemed to be in a rush. Is everything alright?” They asked. Xisuma nodded, thanked the Admin and made his way there. As he got to the door he could hear soft shuffling and the familiar gentle murmurs of the angry avian. 
He couldn’t remember hearing Grian this angry. He tried opening the doors but after finding that they were locked he went around to try a secret passage. Thankfully that was accessible.
He snuck in and kept himself hidden listening to Grian as he piled books on a table on the upper levels. “╎ ꖌリ𝙹∴ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷᓭ ᔑ ∴ᔑ|| ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ↸𝙹 ∴⍑ᔑℸ ̣  ╎ リᒷᒷ↸.....╎ ⋮⚍ᓭℸ ̣  ⍑ᔑ⍊ᒷ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ⎓╎リ↸ ╎ℸ ̣.”
Grian flipped through the books, huffing when not finding the information he needed, before perusing the shelves again. Becoming more and more agitated the more he couldn’t find pertinent information. 
Xisuma thought he could move closer without being seen, due to Grian appearing too focused on the books to pay attention. ‘Thought’ being the keyword. He was able to take only two steps before pushing against one of the tall bookcases shrinking away from an oppressive sense of someone watching him. Something full of irritation and ill-intent. Like an animal realizing it was being watched, on edge and cautious. It took a moment before Xisuma could utter, “Grian it’s just me. You can relax. It’s okay.” carefully in a reassuring tone.
The archives sat in silence for a moment before the sense lessened and Xisuma could breathe freely once again.  Grian didn’t answer, however. The sound of rustling pages told Xisuma the avian was ignoring him. He slowly walked towards the stairs and made his way up to the level he was at. 
“You left suddenly without a word…you had us worried. What’s going on?” He asked softly.  Again, Grian just scoured through books. Not looking at him but watching him. It made Xisuma shudder before tilting his head toward the hermit. “Grian, we can’t help you if you don’t tell us what's going on in that head of yours.” He said gently as if talking to a bear. 
Grian glanced at him and snapped, “╎ℸ ̣ ᓭ ʖᒷℸ ̣ ℸ ̣ ᒷ∷ ╎⎓ ╎ ↸𝙹 ℸ ̣ ⍑╎ᓭ ᔑꖎ𝙹リᒷ. ╎ ᓵᔑリℸ ̣  ⍑ᔑ⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ⊣⚍||ᓭ ⊣ᒷℸ ̣  ⍑⚍∷ℸ ̣ !” With that, he closed the book, tucked it under his arm and put the other books away. He grabbed a notepad and pen before writing part of the book and ripping the page out before he was about to leave. 
“Grian stop and listen.” Xisuma grabbed him as he was about to leave the room. Grian spun around and ripped his arm from Xisuma’s grasp, his eyes flaring the sickening purple. Dozens of eyes the same shade floating above Grian’s head seemed to appear and open at once. The Jade Admin took a few steps back putting his hands in the air. Not scared of it, but giving Grian space. Though the oppressive air filled the room again, worse than before. 
“You are not going to do this alone so stop thinking you will. What they are doing to people like that girl is bad, but we’re  dealing with it altogether.” He jabbed two fingers against Grian’s chest, a bit harder than he intended, before saying, “Don’t try and do stuff alone and don’t run off like that again because we don’t know what is going on in your head.”
The Watcher looked at him with his many eyes, silent before taking a step back and closing his eyes taking a deep inhale. The oppressive feeling faded and so did the eyes. The air seemed to ripple as they disappeared. When he opened his eyes, they were charcoal once more. 
However, Xisuma had the feeling he shouldn’t move. The little voice in his head said it wasn’t the right time. That it was dangerous too. He didn’t even say anything, slowly putting his hands back up. Grian cleared his throat and looked at the paper in his hand. “If…they can reach out through me…what if I can do the same?” He said slowly.
He looked at Xisuma, waiting for him to say something. Expecting him to get chastised for suggesting something like that. He was right when Xisuma crossed his arms and shook his head, “And what if they find out you’re doing it? What if they stop you from leaving whoever you get through? What do you even plan on doing?” Xisuma asked.
“I want to try and talk with the girl….look around and see what they’re preparing…see if I can get any more information. I know how to act around them and I know how to wipe memories or insert new false memories so they won’t be able to remember me doing it! X, I have to do something or they will get the upper hand again. They need me, all of me, so I’m going to only move my consciousness to someone there so they can’t use me even if I’m caught.” Grian retorted, throwing his hands in the air as his wings fluffed up.
“You need to trust me on this.” He added quietly after a moment with pleading eyes. Xisuma sighed softly before putting a hand on his shoulder. “If you say so….but if this goes wrong, you’re going to be in big trouble. I’ll sick your sister on you. When you do this,” He motioned to the paper, “I’m going to stay there and keep an eye on you.” 
“I expected nothing less.” Grian admitted and made his feathers flatten. “We should head back so I can get ready for Pearl’s outburst….and Scar’s smothering…” He sighed and unlocked the doors opening them. Xisuma followed as they started to head back to the portal when something dawned on Grian. He stopped outside the portal and turned to Xisuma, “How on earth did you even get into the library?” 
Xisuma laughed and shook his head, “Hidden passageway. I’m surprised you forgot about it because you’ve always been sneaky. You pesky bird.”
Grian huffed, shaking his head and hopping into the portal. Xisuma followed and they were spat out of the other side back in Hermitcraft, seeing Martyn and Pearl waiting like cross parents waiting for their teenager to get back home after sneaking out.
“Before you yell at me, X already did and I won’t run off like that again…besides…I’m about to do something stupid with his supervision,” Grian said quickly putting his hands up in surrender. Pearl looked between them blinking before narrowing her eyes at Xisuma. “You’re letting him do something stupid?”
“I’m going to be there to keep an eye on him. It’s going to be okay, Pearl. I’ll pull him out if something happens.” Xisuma replied, crossing his arms, sighing. “And what do you even plan on doing, Grian?” Martyn asked, going  to grab the paper from him. The avian pulled his hand back and shoved it in his inventory as quickly as  he could and glanced at Xisuma. 
The Jade Admin looked back at him through his visor and without a second thought said, “Scatter.” before flying off. Grian gave a nervous chuckle, looked at Pearl and muttered, “You can kill me later,” before flying off. Pearl just stood there with her mouth agape before turning to Martyn. “They’re so dead.” She huffed.
Martyn snorted before sighing, “At least Grian isn’t planning on doing this alone. He’s letting someone know about it and even keeping an eye on him while he’s doing it. Whatever it is.” 
Pearl hated to admit he was right. She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck and looking at the Listener beside her. “Yeah…” She huffed and stretched before they went their separate ways. 
Grian met back up with Xisuma at the Admin’s base and crumpled to the ground, chuckling tiredly. “ ‘Suma…you know Pearl’s going to kill both of us because of that.” He looked up at the man looming over him. Xisuma started chuckling and pulled the avian to his feet.
He couldn’t argue with that. “Yeah, I know. That lady is scary.” He nodded. “Let’s get this thing done so she doesn’t worry more. I’m surprised she didn’t fly after either of us.”
“She wouldn’t need to.” Grian shook his head and sighed before looking at the page again. “I only have one chance to do this. I won’t be able to attempt it again because the element of surprise will be destroyed.” He sighed.
“Well, more of a reason to be careful,” Xisuma said crossing his arms and looking over his shoulder at the paper. Seeing the list of things needed for the ritual, his brows knitted together. “How’re you going to get everything you need? Especially one of the Watcher candles…?”
The avian looked at him before shaking his head and pulling out his ender chest, taking out candles. “There’s a way…” He started and lit one, “to cheat the system.” He continued, biting the tip of his thumb to cause it to bleed.
Xisuma watched, blinking, as Grian held his hand over the fire, letting the blood drip on the flame. It shuddered for a moment as Grian murmured, “ʖ╎リ↸ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ⎓ꖎᔑᒲᒷᓭ 𝙹⎓ ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ ᔑリ↸ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ” The two then watched as it flickered turning purple. Xisuma sat in silence as Grian repeated the process with the rest of the candles, setting them in a circle surrounding him. 
“What did you do…?” He asked softly looking at the purple flames. “How…?”
“Something I picked up when I wasn’t supposed to.” Grain chuckled as Xisuma read the paper. “Are you sure you should do this? I know you said you’re fine…but taking potions of weakness and harming?”
“My body needs to be weak in order for it to work. The harming potion is to insure I won’t get any more damage while going to another vessel.” The shorter hermit explained as he continued setting up the circle. 
Once that was done, the avian sat in the centre of the ritual, closing his eyes. As he slowly exhaled, letting the contents of the potions run through him, the Watcher regalia misted around him. The all-seeing eyes floating around him seemed to follow the pacing Xisuma. “Why are we doing this….?” He murmured before the air turned cold. 
It felt heavy, which made him look towards Grian, stopping in his tracks. In front of him, Grian’s body was almost incorporeal. He knelt looking straight at the mask, at the area behind him. “Be careful, Xelqua…” He murmured. “I’ll keep everyone out of here.” He stood again and stretched looking out the windows.
Against their knowledge, they were not being watched but listened to. Pearl’s concern got to Martyn and he had been listening to their conversation with Jimmy on watch in Grian’s base. It was tough since Grian’s voice was staticky to him and Xisuma’s was too soft to get a clear idea, but he knew the premise. 
After Grian had gone under, and Xisuma started keeping an eye out, Martyn opened his eyes and sighed. “Well?” Jimmy asked, rubbing his hands together. 
“It was…hard to listen in, but Grian decided to try what the Watchers did. Push his consciousness into another Watcher. Xisuma is keeping an eye out to make sure none of us tries and interrupts or stops them. I’m going to have to keep listening in to know what's going on. Xisuma is…anxious about something going wrong and I want to be there if something does. That way I can tell anyone he needs…”
“Do you think he knows your there?”
Martyn shook his head. “Grian would be the only one to be able to and he didn’t notice before he went under. I hope…”
Jimmy sighed and nodded turning to the window for a second. “Just…keep me updated okay?” He asked until he saw motion coming from the pond. “We’re going to be having some visitors…”
Martyn got to his feet and looked over his shoulder outside. “Why do Stress and Ren look so…stressed?” He asked crossing his arms. 
“I don’t know…should we meet them out front?” Jimmy asked sighing. “If I just go down there they might wonder where you are and you know how I lie.”
“You can’t lie well that's the truth.” Martyn shook his head and they walked downstairs just as Ren knocked on the door. Martyn opened it, leaning against the door frame. “What's wrong?” He asked looking between the two.
“We….came to talk to Grian…check on how he’s doing. Pearl is deep cleaning our bases out of stress….so we got concerned.” Stress sighed crossing her arms loosely. “He’s not here but he’s alright. Just working on something with Xisuma. It’s alright.” Jimmy said shaking his head. “Not sure when they’ll be available.”
“Alright…well we’re gonna stay around the shopping district until Pearl’s done to stay out of her way.” Ren chuckled rubbing the back of his neck. “Let Grian know we stopped by when he’s done with whatever he’s doing, okay?”
“Yeah, man. We’ll let him know. Good luck with Pearl on a mission.” Martyn nodded and watched them leave before shutting the door. They sighed and went back upstairs to what they were doing.