Stuck | HermitCraft/ X Life AU

Chapter 4: Not everyone's like Doc

Team ZIT were a surprising amount of fun to hang around.

Lizzie had been walking through the shopping district, Mumbo by her side. They'd been discussing The Barge, Grian's shop, and Lizzie planned on taking it over. She also wanted to take the chance to learn more about redstone, from Mumbo, Etho, Xisuma, and as many redstone hermits as she possibly could.

False was taking a break at that moment, catching up with Stress, Lizzie remembered. So Mumbo was stuck with Lizzie.

He had his hands in his pant pockets, Lizzie snuggled down into his suit coat.

Since arriving, she only really had enough clothes for the one day. So with some help from Cleo, a master sewer, and volunteered clothes from the hermits, Lizzie had put together a small outfit that she could replicate or wash easily.

A white shirt from Stress, Mumbo's suit jacket, a pair of Grian's pants, and her familiar tie turned into a scarf were all included.

She wondered if Grian had done the same, assuming he was in X Life. It would make logical sense, but Lizzie wasn't entirely sure.

Lizzie had bet Zedaph, Impulse and Tango close to Zedaph's shop. A statue, which somewhat resembled him. His violet eyes glinted at her from his seat on top of the statue, as she and Mumbo approached, Impulse and Tango hanging around the area.

Tango and Impulse were beside it, seated on the mycelium ground, chattering. When Mumbo and Lizzie walked up, she waved at them, Mumbo greeting them by name.

That's how Lizzie came to know said names, after all.

"Hey Zed! Tango! Impulse!" Mumbo had said. Zedaph had jumped off the top of his statue, landing on top of Tango with a thump, who yelped.

"Zedaph!" Tango had shrieked, Zed letting out a laugh as he let Tango to his feet.

"Tango." Zed said Tango's name back, in response to Tango saying his name.

"Impulse." Impulse finally chimed in, a grin on his face when Tango and Zedaph turned to face him.

Lizzie grinned at hearing them interact.

"So, Mumbo. How've you been?" Tango finally turned the attention onto Mumbo and Lizzie, a startled look on Mumbo's face when Tango spoke to him.

"Oh, just peachy!" He said, clearly startled. Lizzie laughed, and team ZIT turned to her.

"Might I ask your name, miss?" Zedaph asked.

"You may indeed." Lizzie joked. Impulse and the others laughed.

"I'm Lizzie. Gonna be hanging around for a while, so be prepared to deal with me for longer." She said, moving so she could lean against the Zedaph statue.

"Oh, cool!" Tango said. He perched himself in top of a two high dirt stack, sitting to look down at everyone else. Zedaph grinned at Lizzie, and Impulse smiled.

"Well, it's good to meet you! When'd Xisuma send you the invite? I don't think you were with us at the start of the season." Impulse asked, and Lizzie's heart skipped a beat. She exchanged a look with Mumbo, before coming up with a lie on the spot.

"After the season started." She said. False must've said something about wanting another girl on the server, because he contacted me a few weeks ago." Lizzie came up with.

Impulse, Tango and Zedaph must have bought her story, because they didn't question it.

"Oh, cool! So, are you liking HermitCraft? It's pretty overwhelming if you aren't used to it, but isn't everything?" Tango said.

Lizzie shrugged. "It's... interesting." She said.

When she saw the worried, and startled looks on their faces, she laughed.

"All jokes aside, it's amazing. I never thought anyone could be so good at building, or redstone, but here we are." She said.

Zedaph broke out into a grin, his eyes lighting up.

"Oh, you should come see my base! The Cave of Contraptions is really cool." Zedaph said, his voice clearly showing his excitement. Lizzie could see Tango glance at her, then at Zed, shooting the later a fond look.

And honestly?

Lizzie was sold. Zedaph seemed so excited, and Lizzie would hate to deny him the pleasure of showing her around this cave of his.

"Sounds fun! Could you show me around?" She asked, grinning when Zedaph clapped is hands together a few times.

"Of course!" He grinned.

Looking between the other three, she could see that Tango, Impulse and Mumbo were all pleased to.

"Do you mind if I leave you with them?" Mumbo asked, and Lizzie shook her head.

"Feel free to go do chores or whatever." She said. Mumbo nodded, and with a wave goodbye, he went off, headed off in the direction of the diamond pile.

The diamond pile Lizzie may or may not have already come up with some ideas about.

That was for another day though.

Taking Lizzie by the hand, Zedaph flew up into the air using his elytra, Lizzie following using her own (which she was gifted from Iskall). She fired a few rockets to keep up, hearing more behind her, so she assumed that Impulse and/or Tango were behind her.

She was proved right when the landed, Tango and Impulse shortly behind. Impulse stayed in the air though, fidgeting.

"I might have to go. I think Bdubs wanted my help on something? But I'm not sure." Impulse said.

"Will you three be alright?" He asked. Lizzie nodded, as did Zedaph. Tango shrugged.

"You never know, when I'm around." Tango said. Impulse and Zedaph laughed.

"True." Zed said.

Impulse cracked a smile. "Be careful with these two, Lizzie!" He warned. Then Impulse took off, flying into the air with a few rockets.

"Now, there's not that much, but I'm working on it!" Zedaph said. Lizzie nodded, and after taking her hand in his, Zedaph pressed the button to lead him and Lizzie through the door.

As they stepped in, Tango was just behind them, the door closing on him. With a sigh, Tango opened the door again and entered, although Zedaph was already showing off some of his contraptions.

The one he seemed most proud of was the sun and moon cycle, which had been fixed up semi-recently. Lizzie's personal favourite was the pool of water that filled a bucket up without you needing to do it by hand.

"Oh yeah!"

After Lizzie was showed all the different contraptions, Tango staying quiet while that happened, Tango spoke up.

"How would you two like to help me test a game I've been working on?" He asked. Lizzie perked up.

"A game?" Zedaph echoed, confused.

Tango nodded. "It's called decked out. Basically, there's an arena, which will have different locations, and redstone wired throughout. In that arena, if you have a compass, you can find different boxes with loot, and different cards. If you get out with them alive, then great! If not, oh well." Tango explained.

"It's basically a trading card game, with extra steps. And death. A lot more death. The arena will be guarded with ravagers."

Lizzie had to stop herself from physically recoiling at the idea of a death game. Maybe her brain was still wired on X Life setting though.

"Sounds like fun! I'm happy to help test." Zedaph said. When Tango turned to Lizzie, she took a deep breath, and nodded. She could put aside her X life wired brain to help Tango with his game.

Besides, if Zedaph was willing to help test Decked Out, how bad could it really be?