Hermitcraft one-shots 2: Electric boogaloo

Not just a game

<This was originally made for Petrichormeraki on Tumblr but since I feel y'all deserve some content I'll upload it here too :3>

It was all a game. A fun little war, for the lols and the principle they'd all said with a laugh - diamonds being returned in letters and legal permission to further their schemes.

It was not a game. At least, it wasn't anymore.

Grian had defended H.E.P's actions as a part of the game, the Resistance had a base and now the H.E.P had one as well, simple. They spread the mycelium and they got rid of it, and placed grass instead. They sent out the sheep, and they countered with wolves. Simple, harmless fun, a turf war with no real meaning other than they just could. But then they infiltrated the new H.E.P build and suddenly the Resistance was starting to wonder how pure the other side's intentions actually were.

I mean who has a potion drugged ravager as their defence? Sure it's good defense, but it's deadly beyond comprehension - and Tango knows this, yet he goes along with the plan, it's just a fun little game after all. And in the end Grian suffers because of it. Torn, shredded, crushed, bludgeoned, he goes through it all in a cycle, bed keeping him trapped in the death loop. Impulse and Etho desperately try to stop it, already knowing this is not an encounter Grian will get out of like it's nothing. Not only is that bad, but Tango is watching and he's doing nothing, he watches the death loop and he laughs at Grian's misfortune. That is the first time Impulse truly asks himself if this is really a game anymore - if anything it just seems like a twisted game of chess where they're allowed to think themselves in the lead, but in actuality H.E.P's in charge. The dragon hybrid sheds a tear, because he knows he'll never look at Tango the same anymore, not after he continues his taunts - playful and joking to any onlooker - even as Grian's loop of pain and death goes on.

This is no longer a fun game between friends, it probably hasn't been for a long time. And Impulse fears this will change Hermitcraft forever.

Grian suffers horrible damage from the repeated deaths, his spine has been weakened to where even just standing for a tiny bit too long will bring him immense pain, his lungs are horribly damaged after all the times they were pierced. He could no longer fly, grounded by the attack from H.E.P. Yet he says there is no true harm going on, it's all just for fun!

Impulse doubts him, but there is nothing he can do other than warn his fellow members. H.E.P is out for blood. Grian's blood. And they were willing to shed it however they deem it necessary.

So they protect him, protect not their leader but a wounded friend, from the enemy. Because that's truly what H.E.P has become, the enemy. And even after all the deaths, all the needless violence from H.E.P, Grian still believes it to be a game.

"They've just really gotten into it!" He argued with a cracked laugh, "They wouldn't actually hurt any of us intentionally, we're friends after all!"

No one has the heart to tell him he's wrong, at least not then, to tell him the H.E.P has really gone too far this time. They know he won't listen to them, too far into his belief that the H.E.P really don't want to hurt any of them. That it's no longer just a game anymore.

Then Scar and Mumbo came blasting into the Mycelium Resistance base and suddenly the truth could no longer be ignored.

All the other Members managed to get out of the blast radius of the machine, but Grian - weakened from the Ravagers was not so lucky. A collapsing pillar trapped him on the side that H.E.P had breached. His fellow resistance members barraceded off from him.

Grian looked up at where Scar and Mumbo stood, both with gleeful smiles on their faces as they looked around the base, and his blood ran cold. Yet he prayed they were just happy they had found the base, and not at the damage and destruction they'd cused, but as his eyes met Scar's he knew that was nothing but wistful thinking. Tears pricked in his eyes as he looked at his two closest friends, the two people he could always go to if he ever needed anything, a newfound terror and fear now filling him as he looked up at them.