The Turf War Twisted

Ready, Set, Go to Headquarters!

Impulse peered up into the night sky. His hands were on his hips as he stood at the edge of the island. The Shopping District was placed on a very large, central island of the server, but there were smaller ones scattered about. That was where they'd decided to settle. The Resistance needed a new headquarters, and since the secret was out about their hidden, underground ones, they figured it wouldn't hurt to be out in plain sight.

The construction of the new headquarters didn't take long, only a few days, in fact. The Resistance worked hard to keep things under wraps, and didn't make it quite clear what was happening until it was too late for the HEP to retaliate.

"Y'know," Impulse said, lowering his head back to its neutral and looking over at Stress. "Considering we just built an entire- basically mushroom castle, this GOAT signal seems kinda underwhelming." He turned his head back to the sky and Stress did the same. The small light projection showing a circular goat outline shone in the sky.

"I mean, it's also pretty underwhelming that the GOATman hasn't shown up," Stress replied with a little chuckle. She turned to Ren, half-smiling awkwardly.

Ren sighed. "At this point, it would've been easier to message him." He put his hands on his hips, looking up towards the meagerly lit GOAT signal.

Etho sighed as well, shaking his head as he walked to the projector. Right as he was about to click it off, from behind the group, the sound of the doors to the new headquarters opening made everyone turn to attention. The doors swung open with a woosh as all the Resistance members turned their bodies, stiff with high alert.

After a moment of panic, Ren's body suddenly relaxed. His gaze softened into a small smile as he looked at Doc - or rather - the GOATman. Sarcastically rolling his eyes, Ren looked at Doc with a smug smile. "Took ya long enough," he said out of the silence, breaking the tension that had looked in the air.

"You know I like to show up fashionably late, Ren," Doc replied as he walked up to the group, matching his smug tone.

"I was already surprised about us having a GOAT signal, but seeing Doc in a superhero costume is definitely better than the GOAT signal," Jevin chimed in with a satisfied smile.

"So," Doc continued, giving Jevin a nod to try and signify that he wasn't skipping over his comment. "I assume you guys turned on the GOAT signal for a reason."

Etho stepped up from his leaned back stance, crossing his arms with a confident look. "That's right, GOATman," he said. There was a small pause before Etho continued. "Tell me... how do you feel about the HEP?"

"Oh god, that's like asking me how I feel about any of the Hermits. I'd say I've remained impartial to this for a while."

"Well, I would say our door's always open, but those are the doors you just burst through." Etho gestured to the large doors of the third Resistance base with a smile. "I won't really bother with metaphors anymore. In a more straightforward way, I have a feeling you already know I'm gonna ask you to join the Resistance." Etho raised his eyebrow intently, making eye contact with Doc.

Doc sighed in response, putting a hand to his chin to think. He stared down at the floor, trying not to add any awkwardness by staring at the Resistance members. After a moment of thought, Doc lifted his head to face the Resistance members standing in front of him. "What's in it for me?"

With those words, Impulse grinned widely, glancing from Jevin, to Etho, to Stress, to xB, and then Ren. "If anything, what's in it for you is helping a good cause," Impulse added himself into the conversation. "But if we need to sweeten the deal..." He left a suspenseful pause with his words, trying to make them more enticing and mysterious. "The Resistance funds of diamonds haven't been lacking too much. Though, we don't really have a steady flow of any since our shops were closed down."

"Hmmm," Doc nearly hummed in response. "Diamonds do speak volumes." Doc chuckled softly, confusing the Resistance a bit. "Don't worry about it, I was already convinced when I saw the GOAT signal," he said, still chuckling. "I'm still very interested in that pay, though."

"You need to get better at bargaining if he was really up for it already, Impulse," xB chimed in with a laugh.

Impulse smiled brightly, laughing along. He put his hands up in mock surrender. "Yeah, yeah. My bad. At least I didn't start saying any specific amounts." The group murmured with agreements and side comments.

Etho stepped up when the eventual silence kicked in. "So, if you're in... then, are you ready for a jailbreak?"

Doc raised an eyebrow at Etho with a grin. "I like the way your twisted brain works, Etho." He said it in a matter-of-fact way, not adding much of a negative or positive way of saying it.

"Not as twisted as yours," Ren said with a sarcastic scoff.

---

By the time everyone had gotten together with equipment and a solid strategy, the sun was beginning to rise on the server. It peeked over the horizon slowly, still giving the Resistance enough time to carry out their jailbreak with the cover of night. Surprisingly, sneaking up to the base of the HEP headquarters was pretty easy for them, because most of the guarding happened inside the actual building.

Lined up along one of the walls of the building, Impulse stopped in the front of the line, turning to face the others. He put his left hand in a fist in front of him and ran his right hand in the same fist along it. He lifted his right hand past it and raised his pointer finger. Impulse then put his right hand next to his head, pointing upwards twice. He lowered his eyebrows to indicate that it was a question. The rest of the group gave affirmative nods, understanding that Impulse had motioned "everyone understand?" They did understand. Everyone knew what to do, especially since they'd been at this for months. And even though Doc hadn't, he was the GOATman, which was experience enough.

Impulse, being at the head of the line, stealthed his way in first, taking out any security cameras he saw with throwing stars he'd taken with him. He turned back behind him, nodding at the group so they'd know it was safe to enter.

While they were planning and preparing, they'd come to the agreement that Impulse and Ren would take the fifth floor, xB and Jevin would take the third, Etho and Doc would take the second, and Stress would investigate the first floor while also being a lookout. Unfortunately, access to the fourth floor was denied with it being protected with a high-security lock, so they had to try and crack that case later. The pairs of members went up the elevators quickly to start their search, stopping at their assigned floors.

Impulse and Ren encountered the grand meeting room, decorated in a natural style with lots of grass and similar blocks. The main table sat in the centre of the room with seats for all the members. There is also a large map of the whole Shopping District in the room, showing a time before the Mycelium Resistance began to spread. The room opened up to two balconies either side, one looking over the Hermatic Ocean and another overlooking the Shopping District.

xB and Jevin went to the third floor, realising it contained a book that contains all of HEP's secrets and strategies that is remarkably unprotected. They wondered if this book of secrets was a diversionary tactic, but nonetheless, they also investigated the rest of the room.

Etho and Doc made it to the second floor that housed a room with a small garden, with a bench, chair, green grass, bamboo, trees, water, etc. The atmosphere was serene and peaceful, but they were both well aware that it was at least made out to just be a room for "grass appreciation". Reluctantly messing up the foliage, Etho and Doc searched the second floor.

Still down on the first floor, Stress checked every bit of the place as she could. It was as if she was participating in an Easter egg hunt. The first floor had a modern reception area. At the back of the room, all the members of the HEP are noted, except Keralis, who is seen on the side of the room in decoration bushes. The room had seats to the side and was decorated with the HEP banner. In the corners of the room were water elevators to the upper floors.

Ren rummaged around with an eager smile, whispering to Impulse, "Let the heist begin."

(word count: 1465 words)