7 lives, no way out.

Chapter 2. It Can't Possibly Get Worse

When Gem respawned in her bed Bdubs was glad to see her ok, that was until he noticed that she was hyperventilating and shaking on the bed. Bad respawn. He's been there. Bdubs rushed to Gem's side, kneeling on the floor, taking her hand and rubbing shapes into her palm to calm her.

"It's ok Gem, you're here, you're ok, you're safe. Nothing can get you. The nightmare is over," He said softly.

Cleo and Ren made their way into the room concerned looks on their faces at the state of their friend. Slowly but surely Gem calmed down, taking a few deep breaths before sitting up. She pulled away from Bdubs' hand and ran her hands up and down her arms.

"T-thought I'd be used t-to exploding," She joked.

Bdubs gave her a weary smile and sat on the bed in front of his friend. Cleo and Ren came over to join him.

"Nobody will ever get used to a sonic shriek, my dude," Ren said, "Feels like your body is under 50,000 pounds of obsidian," Gem nodded in a agreement.

Bdubs felt bad for his friend, it was really weird that a Warden was out of the Deep Dark like that. It wasn't fair that she had died like that.

"Maybe you should get some sleep," He said.

"Offered by the king of sleep himself, how could I turn it down?" Gem joked, the group of four laughed and they left Gem to sleep.

When they all got back to the living room Cleo had a firey look on her face turning around to face the others. Bdubs knew that Cleo could get, for lack of a better term, murdery, when angry so he took a step back.

"Where the hell did that Warden come from?" She asked.

"The Watchers must've spawned it in and it zero'd in on Gem," Bdubs proposed, "I mean they did say they liked entertainment. That would be entertaining to a bunch of sickos like them,"

"I don't feel very optimistic about not dying anymore if their gonna do that," Ren added.

"No. We are not giving up! We have been here for only a day! It is not happening. If to comes down to it Ren I will grab a red life and force them to take the life I give them!" Cleo said, slamming her hands down on the table. Bdubs felt himself jump slightly at the sudden show of aggression, "Sorry Bdubs, I'm just-" Cleo let out a soft scream of anger, Bdubs guessed it would have been a lot louder if not for Gem sleeping in the next room over. "I'm so frustrated!"

"It's ok Cleo." Bdubs reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, "We'll figure it out."

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Jimmy paced around the living room of the beach house the empires crew had created, hand up to his mouth as he chewed and bit at the skin around his nails a habit he had picked up from his older sister Pearl. Scott had guessed this was why his nails were so short, he probably would be chewing on his nails if he had any to chew on. Scott stood up from his spot at the kitchen counter and stoped in front of Jimmy, effectively stopping his pacing. However, unsuccessful if stopping the nervous chewing.

"Sunflower, if you keep pacing your gonna break a hole in the floor." Scott said, as he took his fiance's hands in his own to stop the chewing.

Jimmy laughed, it was a cold laugh with no humor behind it. Which to Scott sounded very foreign.

"How could they do that? It's not fair for them to bring a mob that's not supposed to be up here, well, up here!"

"You once told me the Watchers were evil liars and tricksters that only did things for their own entertainment. I don't think fair is a word in their vocabulary."