Hunted | A HermitCraft AU

Good job False. You dun goofed

cw for mild swearing (like twice)

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False knew it. 

False had known it from the start. 

She'd said, back when Xisuma had first come to them in Area 77, before they got Grian back and before she'd been kidnapped by the robotic Grian clone, that Xisuma had been lying. She'd fucking said so. 

So she really wasn't surprised when Xerexis had showed up at her room/cell door, Xisuma in tow, and explained how Xisuma had betrayed Mumbo in exchange for his own personal safety. And False was furious. 

Xisuma had no right to put Mumbo's life and wellbeing on the line. As an admin, his job was supposed to be to protect his server, and every player in it. He was obligated to protect them, and do whatever he could to protect them. 

Protecting the players generally didn't involve sacrificing one of them to a parasitic creature who aimed for server domination. 

Letting out a groan, False remembered that she had olans with Mumbo and Doc and Iskall to go fight and capture Kady. She'd been sent to steal one of the nether stars from their safekeeping in Grian's chest, and she'd gotten distracted upon returning, walking past the cell/room that Mumbo had claimed. 

That was behind her now. She could be angry about Xisuma's betrayal later. 

Or maybe now, False thought. She could always channel her anger into fighting Stress, and capturing Kady. 

Shaking her head slightly, to clear her thoughts, False looked up, determined as she rejoined the small group set out for the fight, the star clutched in her hand. 

"Let's go." 

---

To nobody's surprise, Stress was in Grian's base. 

To nobody's surprise, she wasn't alone. Cub and Cleo were seated to one side, False able to see Scar (?! Had Scar been here the whole time?) clutched onto Cub's side, False vaguely able to make out that Scar had been crying recently. He thankfully seemed unhurt, although False was still concerned. Turning to Mumbo, who was hanging back while Doc took on Stress head on, she guestured towards Scar, Cub and Cleo, before going to help Doc. 

Mumbo must have gotten the message, since he started off towards where Scar and the others are, False lunging into battle. Stress had drawn out a sword, and had tried to cut Doc with it while he was underprepared, False blocking Stress' sword with her axe. Her eyes narrowed as she shived Stress' sword to the side, darting back slightly, in a defensive stance. 

Stress's eyes narrowed down, although False could see panic in her eyes. Stress must hae realised that she was outnumbered, and turned to run.

Doc took his chance. 

He plunged his sword into Stress's back, through her armour, his mechanical eye glowing slightly as he pulled it out. False took the nether star from her pocket, and went to catch Kady, only to find that Kady looked horrified. 

And Stress wasn't gone. She was still there, bleeding on the ground. Her inventory had scattered around her, but the body hadnt't vanished for respawn. 

"You - You killed her!" Kady shrieked in her high pitched, British voice, and False's heart dropped into her stomach. 

Kady whirled around to face them, her white eyes wide and glowing. She almost looked terrified, backing up as False cornered her, Star held in front of her. 

"Will she respawn?" False asked, and Kady let out another shriek. 

"No! Don't you guys know? If you kill a host to get rid of us without them having been themselves within the past month, they die. Permamently." 

False took her chance to capture Kady while she could, the usually white aura around it turning blue as Heidi's had with red. 

And False had no idea what to do. 

She looked troubled, clutching onto the star as Mumbo and Iskall guided Cub and Scar over, Cleo limp on the floor where she'd been the whole time. Cub looked confused, and slightly sickened at the dead body, while Scar was seemingly refusing to let go of Cub, clutching onto his arm as if Cub would evaporate the moment Scar let go. 

"What happened?" Mumbo asked, anxiety clear in his voice, and False had to swallow down the lump in her throat before she could respond, her eyes misty with gathering tears. 

"We fought Stress. Doc killed her, and I caught Kady. Before I did though, Kady told me that she wouldn't respawn. They need to have been in their own minds within the month or they would be gone permanently." False explained, choking on her words. 

Doc looked between Mumbo, False, Cub and Scar. 

"We need to tell the others." 

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a/n: so as far as i'm aware, if you swear in a comment, it can be reported as offensive by other users?

anyways i noticed some comments with cursing in them that were reported/unrepliable/held for review, so if you've been reporting my comments for swearing, when they come up, please do not because they did nothing wrong :]