Corrupted - A Hermitcraft (and Empires) Fanfiction

32: Impulse

'We have a problem.'

I frown at Pix's comment, shooting closer to join the group flying over to the Crastle for the meeting.

'We need to find somewhere else... Cub, Impulse you go to the Pyramid arena. We'll meet you there.

'Scar...'

'Cub, I'm not arguing with you. Go.'

I see the Crastle.

Skulk.

And among it...

Pearl.

Grian.

I stop flying.

I'm not in the air.

I'm in Decked Out.

Grian's trapping me.

Grian's holding back Skizz as...

As he...

As Zedaph...

'IMPULSE!'

Grian drags me through the dungeon. But I hear someone calling my name. But Grian's dragging me. And I need to run. I need to run. I need to get out...

'Impulse please. Impulse please it's ok. It's ok... SCAR HELP! Impulse...'

I'm not in Decked Out.

I'm lying on the ground. Cub's next to me, eyes wide and shining with tears.

'I... I...'

'What happened? I saw Impulse go down. Cub, are you ok?' Scar lands, just as frantic as Cub, next to us. I'm still on the ground.

'I don't know... he just... plummeted... I managed to stop him dying but... but he was muttering about Grian and... I didn't know what to do...'

'It's ok... everything's ok.'

'I didn't know if it was my fault.'

'It wasn't.' For a moment I'm confused, but realise. Cub doesn't know what he did when skulky. Like Tango when he-

'Impulse, are you ok?' Scar crouches next to me. 'You're safe... do you want to go with Cub to the pyramid?'

I nod.

'Then go. We'll deal with...' A glance up. 'With this. Go.'

Cub helps me up, but doesn't move.

'Stay safe, Scar. Please.'

'Of course. Now go before...'

'SCAR!'

Grian.

'GO!' After another call for Scar to stay safe, Cub drags me away. I follow, sprinting across the shopping district, away from the chaos only glance back once... Skulk covers the Crastle. I hear yells. Fighting.

'What's going on?' I ask.

'I don't know. I think Pearl and Grian have taken the Crastle. And Scar doesn't want us to get hurt.' A pause. His scarred hand flexes. 'Again.'

We reach the pyramid arena, entering. Silence greets us, light. Cub stops, as though stuck in memory.

'Oh man... this was the last place I saw X before... he was turned skulky...' He recalls.

'Shoot...' I think he's finished, but he continues.

'And then the next time I saw him... he trapped me and forced me to be skulky too...'

I don't reply. There's no words.

'And he broke my respawn.' Cub's hands rise to where his necklace always was. It's still broken. I've heard the arguments about asking the vex for help. 'Anyway... we should sit down somewhere before...'