Love is Vexing - ScarDubs

-14-

Cleo was forced into her knees, her fiery orange hair falling into her face. She glanced up at Joe, his face twisted into a sickening grin. His glasses were cracked, his fingers now claws, and his eyes held no life. Her eyes then darted to the left and right, studying the remaining hermits that were stuck in the same position as her. Wels and Zedaph.

"Well, well, the last few troublemakers. Glad I finally got my hands on you.." Cub laughed to himself, his eyes radiating with power as he stared down at the three remaining hermits.

Joe had been caught some time ago. Snatched right off the ground by Xisuma and carried back to the vex-infested shopping district, where he was turned into a mindless servant to the mayor. The zombie had been lucky enough to avoid the brainwashed hermits, though it didn't last for long. They were practically everywhere, especially since nearly all of the server members were now vex hybrids.

Now, her hands were tied behind her back, and she was stuck kneeling before Cub. The southerner chuckled from above her, flexing his new claws and tapping them against her shoulder, like he was tempted to dig into her skin. Cleo looked over her shoulder once again, meeting the icy glare of her best friend.

"Don't worry—" He said while gently brushing away the hair in her face. "—this won't hurt at all. Not to mention you'll look beautiful as a vex!"

"Enough with your flattery." The undead hermit growled.

"C'mon, Cleo." Beef chimed in with a smile, tightening the ropes around the knight's wrists to keep him from escaping. "It's not all that bad!"

"Yeah! We're all connected to one another now, we're united by our magic!" Tango agreed, walking from behind Zedaph to take his place next to Cub. The other two vexes joined them, all four sharing the exact same sickeningly evil grin.

"You're brainwashed idiots, that's what you are."

"Ignore her." Cub spoke up again, his voice holding the vex-hermits undivided attention. "Are these the last hermits? What about the mycelium resistance?"

"Xisuma is working on adjusting their code to ensure undying loyalty towards our lovely mayor. We don't want any repeats of Mumbo!" Beef said cheerfully, as if it was just a silly little mistake. But no. They banned him.

"How many are left?"

"Just a few. Impulse, Jevin, Stress. There's also Etho and Iskall, but those two are already mindlessly loyal. We have all the time in the world." Tango grinned, his pointed teeth flashing a twisted smile. Cleo could see Zedaph shutter at the sight.

"Wonderful. Then I guess we should get started now, hm?" He asked, turning his attention towards the kneeling hermits. "Let's begin with—" Cub paused, his predatory gaze scanning the faces of the three before eventually settling. "—Wels."

The knight flinched at the mention of his name, though his eyes remained firm in a steely glare. "I'll never serve some power-hungry mayor. You can beat me, brainwash me, ban me, but I have something the rest of you don't have— honor."

"Don't worry, you won't be serving the mayor. You will be serving the king of vexes, the ruler of hermitcraft!"

Wels swallowed the lump in his throat, keeping his voice as steady and calm as possible. "I serve only those who deserve my loyalty. The king that you pledge, the king that you kneel before, is nothing more than a unstable fool."

Beef let out an animalistic growl, stepping forward while flexing his claws, clearly about to attack the knight, though he was stopped as Cub placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, why don't I change your mind?"