MCYT RANDOMNESS 2

Wake up Pt 3

PoV: Cub

I wake to the sound of arguing.

The room is unfamiliar, but the voice is far from: Scar, insisting something to Joel. My name comes up, so I escape from the bed, shuffling over.

'Morning, Scar,' I get his attention by saying. He turns to me, smiling.

'Hey, Cub. How are you feeling?'

'Better... What's going on?'

'See? He's feeling better! Let me speak to him! Get him to bloody help!'

'Joel, I've already told you, he's recovering! And he wasn't in control of the sculk!'

'Oh, of course he wasn't...'

'I can help clean up the sculk,' I offer. Scar shakes his head.

'Absolutely not. You need rest. You were just chased and bullied by the emperors.' A glare at Joel. 'Now, if you don't mind, we're busy.' He tries to close the door. Joel jams it with his foot.

'He's not gonna bloody get out of messing up our server and not doing anything.'

'Scar, I'm willing to help!' I insist. 'Seriously, man. I'm fine.'

'Cub...'

'Stop defending him!' Joel snaps. Behind, I see the pirate Joey. He spots me too, approaching.

'SOMEONE'S been asleep for an awfully long time...'

'It's been 1 night!'

'I think he's hiding from his responsibilities as a decent human being. You should be ashamed of yourself SIR,' he spits, pushing past Joel. But Scar shoves him back, blocking the way past.

'Get out.'

'This isn't your base. OR your world. I do what I want.'

'But it is my best friend you're threatening.' Scar retorts. 'And I can tell you to leave him alone.'

'Scar, just let it go.' I put a hand in my shoulder. 'They're alright to be upset.'

'The last time they were upset I had to stop you suffocating yourself!' Scar snaps back, turning to me. His eyes are bright vex blue. Joey takes the moment to invade the room.

'RIGHT then!' He approaches far too fast, pushing me against the wall, pinning me there by my lab-coat.

'GET AWAY FROM HIM!' Scar yells, running to help me. Joel blocks the way.

'Right,' Joey snarls. 'I know Jimmy and Pix and Shubble are defending you, but I see through your tricks. You've come into our world with your strange magic and, with your bases safe through the rift, you decide  to see how much damage you can do and ruin our home. And you think you'll get away with it, we'll believe your sad story about possession and sculk. But we know you're just a LIAR!'

He punches me. Scar snarls some threat I can't hear over the ringing in my ears. I cover my bleeding nose, unable to argue, unable to fight.

'Please, Joey. I'm sorry. I'll help clear up the sculk.'

'Let him go.' I hear Scar's sheer fury from here, feel the vexling power rising. And as his rises, mine returns, the magic the sculk stole from me. 'Now. He doesn't need to do anything.'

'I tried to get you to understand before,' Joey continues, ignoring Scar. 'But we don't like people who grief bases and cause pain, then don't accept it was their fault, sir. So you're going to clean up the sculk, apologise to everyone here, and never come near our homes again.'

It isn't fair, the vex whisper in the back of my mind. I know. I know it isn't my fault. And I won't accept the blame.

'Or what?' I hiss back. The vex's power, once lost to the sculk, rises quickly to the surface. Joey shoves me further against the wall. I'm not intimidated.

'Or you'll be punished.'

'Do it. You can't hurt me.'

'Cub...' Scar's warning's the only thing that could stop me. But I'm not going to accept Joey's wishes and threats without fighting back. This isn't my fault. I've tried being rational and calm and it didn't work. And after the choking powerlessness of the sculk, I embrace the chaos of the vex.

'I'm not scared of a little magicless pirate.' I spit. I'm sure my eyes are glowing by this point. Joey's widen slightly, just enough to betray his fear and disgust. 'What's the worst you could do?'

He hits me again and I land on the ground, harder than I expected. The next thing I know there's something held against my neck.

'Nice little knife from a friend I have here,' he explains with a terrifying calmness. 'Obsidian.' A permadeath weapon. My blood turns cold. I regret my bravery.

'NO!'

And then Scar's there, eyes nearly pure glowing white, dragging Joey away from me with sharp claws. He screams, wrestling for freedom against Scar and all the power of the vex. I stand, recovering for a second as the truth sinks in that I need to DO SOMETHING. Joel's trying to wrestle Scar away as he threatens several unpleasant things I know he wouldn't restrain from doing.

'Scar- SCAR!' I run over, helping as much as I can. Joel's just swearing, trying to prise Scar's claws away from the screeching Joey.
That's when Pix and Sausage enter.

'What's going on in here?!' Pix questions. I finally get Scar away from Joey, keeping an arm around his shoulder to stop further violence.

'Joey tried to hurt Cub! Again!' Scar justifies. 

'He attacked me!' Joey snarls back. Joel's holding him back. 'The little f***er attacked me!'

'Language, Joey! Joel, can you confirm anything?'

'Joey was threatening Cub, Scar went insane and tried to kill him!'

'Joey has a permadeath weapon! He- he threatened to use it on Cub!'

'Joey!' Sausage scolds. 'Sanctuary is a safe, protected place! You can't be going around with dangerous weapons! And Scar, no dangerous magic either!'

'I was protecting Cub!' Scar insists. I nod. 

'It wasn't Scar's fault. I got too brave, Joey pulled out the weapon... Scar was protecting me. I think the vex took over somewhat.'

'Joey, are you hurt?' Pix asks. He nods.

'Of COURSE I'm hurt! This- this FREAK mauled me!'

'I didn't maul you!' Scar snaps back. A glance at me to confirm. I nod.

'A few scratches at most.'

'A FEW scratches?!'

'Can you still fly?' Pix rephrases the question as. Joey nods moodily. 'Then go back to Eversea. Joel, make sure he does, get him some healing stuff for his injuries. Cub, Scar, go to Hermitopia. And none of you can leave or talk to each other until I say otherwise, ok?'

Scar signals that we should obey, we'll talk on the way over. I nod, ignoring Joey's final comments, and leave.