Chapter Text
The sound of armored boots against the floor echoed. The sound only drove the admin’s anxiety higher, but he couldn't stop moving.
Xisuma had tried not to pace while waiting for Zedaph… for about two minutes. He was far too restless right now to hold still.
What Pearl had told him was circling in his head like a vulture. The lingering belief that Xelqua of all Watchers understood the plight of the player too much to do something like that to Grian warred with the sinking feeling of dread.
Xisuma had already been dissatisfied with Xelqua's explanation for where Grian was. Now, the need to know for sure his player was alright was itching at him; it was only his concern for another of his players that kept from immediately storming over and demanding an explanation.
Eternity was an awful long time, and Watchers weren't linear. The legends of Xelqua were older than Xisuma by a century or two, but He might have existed for far longer. Immortality could make people strange in many ways. And Xelqua would have had nobody but other Watchers for company.
How sure was Xisuma that Xelqua still understood players just as well? Was he sure enough to risk the Hermits? The players he had sworn to protect?
Xisuma took a deep breath before his anxiety caused him to do something rash. Xelqua had saved his players from a code implosion. He had recognized when He was hurting players, and He was willingly remaining trapped on the server to avoid hurting any of them.
Xelqua's actions seemed genuine. Xisuma wanted to trust Him.
But he wouldn't trust blindly. If it was all some sort of… convoluted trap to gain access to Grian, Xisuma would find out.
The admin took another deep breath, his pacing slowing to a less frantic speed.
Now that his heart wasn't beating out of his chest, it seemed much more likely that if Xelqua had stolen Grian away, that it wasn't out of maliciousness.
Xelqua wasn't like the other Watchers. He could be reasoned with, He could understand. Xisuma would talk to Him.
And if, for whatever reason, he couldn't convince Him? Xisuma would do whatever it took to get Grian back, even if he had to take his player's place.
The door slammed open, and Xisuma almost jumped out of his armor.
Standing in the doorway, foot still outstretched from where he'd kicked the door open, was Doc. Xisuma wasn't sure why he'd kicked the door when he had perfectly functional arms - now - until he noticed Zedaph being held in the air like Doc was about to throw him.
Xisuma braced himself, just in case, but the creeper hybrid simply carried Zedaph inside and plopped him down on the nearest chair. Zed was pouting, but didn't try running off. Maybe he'd gotten all of his energy out trying to escape Doc?
X hoped so. Zedaph had a hard time getting a code check-up on a good day, let alone the more in-depth one Xisuma would need to do today. He just wasn’t built to sit and do nothing for long stretches of time; his brain leaped from place to place too quickly for that.
Regardless, Xisuma was glad Doc had brought him straight away. No matter how quickly he’d left Xelqua’s presence, there was still the chance that the experience had hurt Zedaph in ways that needed immediate intervention. And the quicker that Xisuma made sure Zedaph was safe, the quicker he could confront Xelqua to make sure Grian was safe.
Xisuma suppressed a sigh, not wanting Doc or Zedaph to think he was annoyed with them. Being an admin was just… so exhausting. No, scratch that. Being a good admin was exhausting. Even on a relatively small server like Hermitcraft, it was a full time job making sure everything ran smoothly and everyone was safe. And then, if something went wrong, Xisuma had to start working overtime to take care of his players properly.
In the case of a catastrophic event? Like… oh, X didn’t know… a simultaneous code implosion and Watcher appearance? Well. It wouldn’t be the first time Xisuma had to forgo sleep for a while.
Xisuma shook off the self-pity. He had a player he needed to check over.
***
While Doc was worried about Zedaph - and a bit about Xisuma, considering the stress radiating off the admin - he didn't stay very long after bringing Zedaph to his check-up. The only thing more boring than getting your code analyzed was watching someone get their code analyzed.
Once Xisuma started, Doc ducked out of the door. He wondered where Tango had gone. He hadn’t noticed that the blaze hybrid hadn’t followed along until he was already halfway to Xisuma's.
Doc debated whether he should track Tango down or not.
On the one hand, Tango was an adult, and his own player. He didn't need a babysitter. On the other hand, he'd recently been through a traumatic event, which could lead to players acting in strange ways. And Doc was worried, alright?
He'd resolved to at least check and see if Tango was still back at Zedaph's when something distracted him.
At first, he wasn't sure why it caught his attention at all. It was just Joe and Cleo walking- speed-walking, really. Then it hit him. They were speed-walking in the direction of the void-damned Watcher.
Doc blinked for a moment before hurrying after them. Did his friends have no sense of self preservation? Had they heard about Zedaph’s code check-up and just had to have one of their own? There was absolutely no valid reason to be going towards a Watcher!
Well, technically, Doc was going towards one right now, but that was different! It was a rescue mission! Unless Cleo and Joe were up to something similar, they had no excuse.
If that were the case, Doc supposed this would be a rescue mission within another. Then if someone came after him, it would be a- no.
Doc shook his head. That way lies madness. And matryoshka.
Before he could catch up further with Joe and Cleo, he felt a tug on his arm. He glanced over and was surprised to find Pearl there, disbelief on her face.
“Tell me you're not going towards the Watcher,” she said flatly. He winced.
“I have a good reason, I swear,” he said. She raised an eyebrow.
“Joe and Cleo are also going in that direction.”
“...If your friends jumped off a-”
“The plan is to stop them before they reach the Watcher,” Doc interrupted.
Pearl sighed. Doc could see indecision warring on her face. The scent of fear that had been present since before the meeting begun still lingered. He wondered what she and Xisuma had discussed for her anxiety to spread to X as well.
“Fine,” she said eventually, dropping her hold on his arm and turning towards the distant implosion site. She muttered under her breath, probably not meaning for Doc to hear, “this is such a bad idea.”
“You're coming with me?” He checked. He continued walking, and she fell into step beside him. “I can't just let you, Cleo and Joe all walk towards a Watcher and not do anything. I'm not getting close enough to see it though.”
Doc had the feeling that what Pearl wanted was to be far enough away that the Watcher couldn't See her. …That, however, was an exercise in futility.
“I talked to Him briefly, and had no signs of psychic damage,” Doc said. “I'm not going to push it, but it should give me enough time to run in and grab them if they're already at the Watcher.”
Pearl looked very uncomfortable at the idea, but didn't protest. There was no point in a rescue mission if they couldn't rescue, after all.
As they crested a hill, Doc realized Joe and Cleo had been traveling much more quickly than he'd expected. They were already over the next hill, quickly dropping out of sight, and ever closer to danger.
He and Pearl exchanged a worried glance and then picked up speed.
“Can't believe I'm running towards a Watcher,” grumbled Pearl.
Doc had to agree.
***