Watching and Listening - An Empires SMP AU

Aftermath of the attack

           "You did what and how?" Pearl asked suspiciously. "And what's with the Watchers?! You were yelling about them in the fight and then Jimena was one of them so explain to me now, Grian, what's going on?!" Grian looked at the rest of the hermits and realized all eyes were on him.

           "What's a Watcher?" Bdubs asked. Grian debated whether to explain everything but then he caught sight of Pearl's angry face and decided to fess up. "Bdubs, remember Double Life? And Last Life before that? All the life games?" "Of course I would remember," Bdubs said, shuddering st some dark memory from within thise games. "How could I forget?"

           "Well... the Watchers are these really powerful beings who control some parts of the multiverse and they're the ones who kidnapped us to put in those games." There was a chorus of gasps from the hermits. "Wait, so that's why you guys keep vanishing every once in a while and only come back several weeks later?!" Jevin gasped. Grian nodded grimly.

           "But what's that to do with Jimena?" False asked urgently. Grian but his lip, wondering whether to tell. It was Jimena's secret to keep, after all, but at the same time he didn't want to keep things from his fellow hermits. "Well, Jimena... she's a Watcher. It's why she has wings." They all stared.

           "And why do you know all this stuff?" Doc asked, sounding a bit miffed that he wasn't the smartest person in the room for once. "I..." Grian stopped, again wondering how much to divulge. There was just so much to explain.

           "You know how Pearl and me and Martyn and Jimmy come from another world where everything was evolving and stuff? Well, the Watchers used to watch over that world. But then they destroyed it." There was another chorus of gasps.

           "Grian," Pearl said quietly, "How do you know all this stuff? I know you well enough to know you're hiding something. Something important. What are you keeping secret, Grian?" Everyone looked at Grian again, this time with judgemental stares. Grian gulped. Should I tell them? They'll understand, won't they? Because they're my friends?

           He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before speaking. "First of all, I've been keeping this secret from everyone. It's not because I don't trust you guys. It's because I hated that secret and I wanted to forget about it. But I guess I'll tell you now." "Well, that's not creepy at all." Cub commented.

           "The thing is..." Grian took another deep breath before he settled on his decision. In a small burst of crimson light, the cod-like hermit channeled power that he hadn't used in forever and switched forms. He suddenly grew to twelve feet tall, pale pinkish red wings sprouting from his back and unfurling, his red sweater turning into a scarlet robe and mask that covered his many eyes. "I'm a Watcher."

           The hermits all jumped at the sudden transformation and then Grian immediately switched back to his human form. "You look extra short now that I've seen that." Bdubs suddenly commented, breaking the tension, and Grian made a face at him. But then he turned to Pearl, the only person whose reaction he was worried about.

           The cleaning lady started at his glance and took an involuntary step backward, staring at him. Grian's hopes dimmed. "They took me after the dragon fight," He said. "Then they changed your memories to make you think I'd died. But they turned me into a Watcher." Pearl gasped and lifted a hand to her temple.

           "I remember now," She breathed. She looked at Grian who shuffled awkwardly. "If you hate me now that's fine with me," He said nonchalantly, trying to pass it off. Pearl marched towards him and Grian braced for the impact, expecting the cleaning lady to whip out her ax or maybe just slap him in the face. Instead Pearl just hugged him.

           More than a little shocked, Grian awkwardly patted her back as Pearl squeezed him tighter. "Of course I won't hate you," She promised. Then she broke away and slapped him hard on the cheek. All the hermits made a face as Grian awkwardly rubbed the spot where she'd hit him. It hurt more now that he'd thought that the danger was gone. "But I'm still slightly mad it took you this long to tell me!" Pearl said defensively.

           Grian chuckled wanly, rubbing his cheek again. "Yeah, I kinda expected that, and it was pretty deserved, honestly. I'm sorry, Pearl." Pearl awkwardly hugged him again and made him promise to never keep secrets like that from her again.

           "I get the feeling we still don't have enough context." False said flatly and Pearl and Grian both laughed. "Yeah, uh, I've already told you guys everything, so don't blame me!" "So, what's up with Jimena?" Doc asked, sensing something important about the strange Watcher.

           "Uh, Jimena remembered she was a Watcher after she got amnesia and we were Watchers at the same time and she asked me to help with her memories. I used Watcher magic to get in her head but then there was another Watcher who was also in her head and we fought and I won, but I think I damaged Jimena's psyche." Grian explained heavily.

           "That just gives me more questions than answers." Jevin said. "Just accept it." Joe said. "Grian, since you know all about what the Watchers did, why are you defending Jimena?" Pearl asked grimly.

           "Because there's something wrong with her memories." Grian sighed. "That other Watcher has done something to her head. He's manipulating her somehow into not trusting me and she doesn't realize it yet. I need to help her."

           "That doesn't entirely answer my question." Pearl said. "Look, Pearl," Grian started, "I didn't trust her at first either. But then I looked into her memories and there was this one that showed her running away from the other Watchers. It was proof enough for me to accept her. But then those headaches of hers came along and then Jimena started to remember contradictory things. I think the Watchers are changing her memories to put her back on their side."

           "Brainwashing." Doc growled. Pearl looked scandalized. "Okay, I understand now." She said. "Although your explanation was very long and complicated." "Yeah, bit we've been getting a lot of complicated backstories recently," Bdubs said, shooting a pointed glance at False.

           She frowned. "Are you still mad at me for the incident with the mindwiping gun?" She asked. "It was an accident!" "You still never told us about it afterward." Doc grumbled. "Don't question my methods!" False said sourly. "I'm the only one who understands my clone at least a little and I'm the only one who knows how to deal with her!"

           "Well excuse us if we don't really agree with how you deal with your problems." Doc said, crossing his arms. False opened her mouth but then stopped abruptly. Everyone else stopped too. As a Watcher, he had more emphasis on eyesight rather than hearing, but Grian could hear a soft ticking coming from somewhere in the background.

           All heads turned to the surveillance tower, where the noise was coming from. A few curious hermits slowly approached it, trying to find the source of the ticking. And then Grian saw it. A clock on the doorstep. It claimed the time to be a minute to noon, but that wasn't right. Lunch was in an hour or so. Then all hands hit twelve and the clock exploded.