Severed - Sequel to Corrupted, an MCYT fanfiction

24: Martyn

:)

Pearl stops. For a moment, Cleo's safe as Grian, Cub and Scott appear behind me.

'Get away from them.' Grian demands. Pearl growls back.

'Make me.'

Grian's hands light with purple watcher fire as he steps closer.

'Let Cleo go or I burn the sculk until it lets go of my friend.' There's fury in his voice I've barely heard before. 'Now.'

'Pearl...' is all Scott manages to say. He's gone pale immediately, paralysed, just staring at his ex-soulmate, possessed beyond recognition. Cub's got a hand on his shoulder, the only thing stopping him collapsing.

'I'll kill her, Grian.' Pearl continues threatening. '5... 4... 3... Too late.'

Pearl slashes Cleo's neck.

Pain.

My knees hit the ground. It feels like Pearl killed me. My neck screams in agony, but as I clutch it I feel no blood, no injury. Pearl laughs. I look up to see her flying away.

'Grian!' Cub shouts from next to me. I can't breathe. I feel like someone's slit my throat. I feel like I'm going to die. But I'm not dying. I'm not hurt. Cleo's gone. The old bond between us since Double Life is severed. Painfully.

'Oh s***, Martyn.' I can't speak as Grian falls in front of me.

'S- s...' Is all I get out. 'Sou...'

'Soulmates. The bond's still there.'

'Then... why wasn't I affected when Pearl was possessed?' Scott asks.

'Because...'

'Come on, Littled***, you p***y!' Badtimes drags me up. I let out a yell.

'BADTIMES NO!' Cub snarls, shoving him away. Grian's hugging me. I'm still in pain, I still can't breathe, but I managed to yell. It's not real. None of it is real.

'It- it's not real.' I squeak out.

'Deep breaths, Martyn,' Grian replies. 'Deep breaths. It's alright.'

'Here.' Cub hands me a potion of something. 'It'll help.' I remember what Grian said about Cub's potion skills, forcing it down in one go before gasping for breath. The pain fades, but I can breathe again.

'What- what was that?!' I ask. Cub smiles.

'Water. A placebo. There shouldn't have been a reason you couldn't breathe... We just needed to let your body know that.'

He helps me stand, and I glance around, not seeing Badtimes.

'He went back with Cleo,' Cub explains. 'Grian, did you see where Cleo went?'

'This way.'

We follow for a short distance until a huge sculk fortress appears through the fog right in front of us.

'SCAR!' Cub yells, running over. 'SCAR, WHERE ARE YOU?'

'Shhh! I think Pearl mentioned a dungeon...' I recall, running after.

We enter. I expect the entrance to close after and for Pearl to kill us all, but all that's there is path leading underground to the left.

'The dungeon,' I whisper. Cub takes a glowing crystal necklace from his pocket. A step closer to the dungeon and it brightens.

'Scar- Scar's there,' he says simply.

And runs down.

'He'll need help,' Grian decides. But the Sculk's faster, covering the way.

And the exits.

'S*** I KNEW this would happen!' I sprint, but by the time I'm at the door, it's gone.

We're trapped.

'Grian. Fire.' I turn to him. He summons a spark... Then it's gone.

'It's not working... We need to be quick.'

'Don't worry, it will be.'

Pearl.

'PEARL!' Scott yells.

'You didn't want me before. You left me with Tilly.'

'Pearl, what do you mean?!'

'Douvle Life? How does she remember?' Grian mutters.

'I... told her. It was going well... Until Badtimes set her on fire.' I feel his flint and steel in my pockets.

'4 winners, all in the same place...'

'Pearl! We're not scared of you!' Scott calls again.

'You should be.'

She's above us.

Pearl drags Scott up. Sculk tangles around his neck. 

'Get OFF HIM!' Grian flies to his rescue. I see an obsidian sword flash for a second before Scott falls onto me, knocking us to the ground. Grian's clinging, upside down, to Pearl's shoulders, until the Sculk gives way. She twists in midair, pins Grian as she lands. I run over, trying to free him before he's possessed again. Pearl turns, slashing, hitting me. Scott doesn't even try to attack, still adamant it's just a matter of changing Pearl's opinion. 

'Pearl! Snap out of it!' Sculk tangles around Grian's arms and wings, trapping him against the ground as starts screaming. I want to kill Pearl, save him, but Scott's holding me back, bandaging up my shoulder. I only have one option left, the one I should've tried last time.

'Let him go, dude!' I mimic Ren's voice, calling across the room. For a moment, Pearl pauses. 'Yeah! You've got us to fight too!' Then Jimmy. I'm confusing her. She'll let Grian go and we can pin her, Grian can use his Watcher magic, we can bring her back to reality. Like we saved Pix. And like Cub's saving Scar.

Pearl laughs.

She leaves Grian there, pinned, approaching me too fast.

'You think I'm over there?' I make it sound like I'm across the room. Pearl doesn't pause, shoving Scott away.

'Your powers don't work here, Listener.' Sculk starts spreading up my legs, faster than I can avoid it. I hit the wall and I'm trapped instantly by my arms and chest.

'F*** off!' I spit back, struggling as it digs deeper into my skin and mind. F- F*** off!'

'MARTYN!' Scott attacks, dragging Pearl away from me, pinning her to a wall. 'Listen. Pearl. I don't want to fight you. Just... get rid of the sculk, and... we'll be fine? Can you do that? Or does Grian need to do his magicy watchery thing and get you back to normal.'

'You abandoned me, Scott. You left me to die.'

'Pearl...'

'Imagine how scared I was. Alone. Abandoned for CLEO.' She leans closer, like she's not the one trapped. 'But I killed her. Just like I'll kill you.' 

Scott gasps and a sculk blade appear through his back. Pearl shoves him away and he collapses. She crouches next to him.

'I felt Cleo's soulbinding to Martyn. But you? Nothing. This won't hurt me... goodbye Scott.'

He goes limp. Dead. Scott's dead. And Pearl feels nothing, stepping over like she didn't kill him, and approaches me again. Grian's, struggling free of the sculk, ready to attack Pearl. I look him in the eyes, shake my head and as my vision turns black, I say 1 word.

'Run.'

:)

I want to write the next chapter instead of going to bed.

I've been waiting to write it so longggg.