Taking Back The Crown 👑 (Discontinued Lol)

Chapter Five, "What Have You Done?"

A/N, here are some trigger warnings for this chapter//
Major Character death and slight mentions of Su!cide

“Iskall and Wels on Stress, Etho and Beef on Mumbo, and Me and Xizuma on False….” Bdubs sighed as he got up, “You all need to find hiding places.”

“Right.” Etho nodded, but there was something in his eyes that made Bdubs uncertain.

Bdubs shook his head. It’s nothing, you can trust him, he’s your NHO buddy……..

They all found spots, spread around the grand castle. False’s group by the basement stairs, Mumbo’s in the kitchen, and Stress’s in the throne room.
~~~
“Hey Etho…. I’m gonna go to the bathroom…” Beef said.

“Heh, okay, Beefy…. I’ll protect Mumbo well…..” Etho smirked as he put his hand on Mumbo’s shoulder, as if to be protective. Mumbo tensed up a bit as he watched Beef walk off.
***
“I wonder if Grian is awake yet..” Xizuma wondered.

“Yeah...” False turned toward X.

“I’ll do a loop around and check how everyone is….” Bdubs pushed off the stairs.

“You sure that’s safe?”

“I trust everyone here, of course it is.” He walked away.

Right he didn’t see what went down with Etho and Grian….. False thought.

Walking past the throne room Bdubs nodded towards Iskall. Soon getting towards the kitchen he got dragged in by his arm.

“What?!”

“Hello Bdubs..” A tall, white haired man stood in front of him…… “Do you happen to know what this is??” He held up a brown leather jacket.

“Scar’s jacket….. Why do you have it, Etho??”

“No, the question here is, why is it at the scene of Mumbo’s murder??”

Bdubs hadn't really looked around the room, but after he did he saw Mumbo’s limp, blood covered body by the stove, He gasped.

“Wh- why….. Why did you do it?”

“No, why did you do it, eh?”

"I- I didn't….."

"Oh really? The evidence is all here…." Etho snickered as he dropped Scar's jacket on the counter near Mumbo.

"Why Scar's jacket??"

"Who happens to be the most loyal to him within this castle???"

"I'm not loyal to him anymore!!"

"We can never be sure of that, you're just his little fawn, nothing more. He's using you, and you still go after him?"

"I'm not--"

"Where were you last night, instead of here?"

"At town hall……. Scar forced me though!!"

“Did he now?? It sounds like you might be lying.”

“I need to go……” Bdubs growled.

“Nuh uh, you’ve got to be charged for your crimes!” Etho laughed mechanically, as he pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his belt and stepped towards Bdubs.
“You aren’t going anywhere.”

“Wh- What…….”

“You need to learn your place within this world, you suck up.”

"What about you Etho? Didn't you leak the Mycelium Resistance's info? You are trying to gain Grian's trust back, by killing his best friend, and blaming me."

"You are all too smart, too bad though….." Etho grabbed Bdubs' arm and put it in the cuff, linking the other to the table. Bdubs'  eyes widened with horror as Etho left the room.

Etho strided to the throne room where Grian was still sleeping where Iskall’s watchful eyes protected him.

“ISKALL! I need to wake Grian!” Etho tried saying in a panicked tone.

“What’s happened!?”

“Mhhh what?” Grian looked up.

“Get up!!!” Etho urged.

Grian jumped up. “What is it?”

“It’s Mumbo…..”

“What has he done?!” Grian started shaking. Etho put his hand on Grian’s shoulder and slowly led him to the kitchen. Grian’s eyes first laid on the chained up Bdubs, but slowly he noticed Mumbo's suited up body just laying there.

"Etho, explain." Grian was now shaking with so much fear.

"Bdubs killed him!!!"

"Is that so? Bdubs……. Is it?"

"No! You've gotta believe me!!" Bdubs yelled. "It was him, I swear!!"

"Etho….. Why did you kill my dearest friend?"

"Why do you believe him!?" Etho protested. "Don't you see that jacket!? He's probably Scar's hitman!!"

Grian shook his head. "Etho….. You've gone too far. You've deemed yourself untrustworthy."

Beef walked in at that second. "Hey….. Uh what's happening here……….."

"Etho killed Mumbo." Grian said calmly.

Beef shifted self consciously. "E-Etho……. Why? Don't you remember Pause!? Have-"

"He did it to himself. I'm over him, and so should you." Etho scoffed.

"Etho will be exiled." Grian looked to Bdubs for confirmation, he nodded. "It's official."

"You can't do that!!! I- I've done so much to help, you can't---!" Etho stopped himself.

"And you've done a lot to hurt us. You- you killed Mumbo!!" Grian's eyes started welling up with tears. "G- give me the key to handcuffs."

Etho hesitated but then tossed it to Grian. G walked over and crouched by Bdubs. Bdubs smiled sadly up to Grian as he got unlocked.

"Thank you, Grian…… I can take it from here……… You can go settle down, it's okay to cry…"

Grian stood up and trembled as he walked towards the body, head down.

Bdubs took Etho by the wrists and led him to the castle gates.

"Leave and never come back, got it?" Bdubs commanded.

Etho snickered, “Yeah, I do.”

Etho took off in flight and Bdubs walked slowly back to the dining room where everyone seemed to gather. It seemed weird how happy go lucky Etho seemed……… I hope he isn't planning anything….. he thought.

Bdubs shook his head. "Grian needs a break……. I'll take over….."

"Alrighty B-Man." Ren chuckled.

"We need to keep up our defenses…. So… Impulse, Tango can you two make traps for intruders? X and Zed could you perhaps make a keycard type door? Ren, Stress, and Cleo can you get food and supplies from my village? And lastly Doc and Wels can you make a bunch of potions to protect us?” Bdubs asked.

Everyone nodded and agreed. B sighed in relief and walked back to the kitchen.