Note: This was carried over from another book. Just a heads up.

Aaaangst!!

This takes place in seeeeeaaasssonnn fiiive!

Warnings are implied-sorta-assumed character death, emotional pain (?), and injury- there's probably more but I can't think of any-

WC: ~670

Enjoy!

It was supposed to be just a normal day.

Doc was simply meeting up with the NHO.

They had planned to have a nice, peaceful day. Hang out.

Doc would have never guessed that it'd be the last day that they saw each other.

The creeper stepped outside to not only find the NHO, but to find them surrounded by violet flames.

<Docm77> WE'RE UNDER ATTACK

Doc had just typed in the message as he saw the winged beasts emerge from the flames. Not thinking, he whipped out a sword and began fighting the nearest one.

When the Hermits arrived, it was pure chaos.

Doc turned to where the NHO were standing. They were surrounded by flames, and Doc broke into a sprint to try and save them.

He wasn't fast enough.

A blast of magic.

Creating a crater in the earth.

Right where the NHO had been standing.

"BDUBS!" Doc screamed, running towards the spot. He cared about the rest of the NHO as well, of course. He could already feel the gaping hole inside that came with their deaths.

Are they dead?

Doc wasn't sure if he could live if they were all dead.

Especially Bdubs.

What if he dies without knowing?

Doc scrambled into the crater, not caring about the flares of pain that sprung up. In the small hole was the familiar shape of Bdubs, lying down without movement. Etho and Beef were nowhere in sight, but Doc was only focused on Bdubs.

"Bdubs! Oh god, Bdubs..." Doc didn't try to stop his tears as he scooped up the brunette into his arms. Bdubs, however, was still alive, and clung to Doc as he cried.

"They're gone," he sobbed. "Beef and Etho, they're gone." Doc felt like he had been stabbed twice in the chest.

"No, they're not," he whispered. "I'm sure-"

"Don't let your last words to me be a lie," Bdubs murmured, earning a sharp, horrified inhale from Doc.

"That's not a lie," he told Bdubs. "We're all going to be fine, I-"

"Another lie," Bdubs's voice was soft. "Tell me a truth, Doc." Tears were streaming down both of their cheeks at this point.

We're going to die.

Well... one last truth it is.

"I love you,"

Bdubs buried his face in Doc's chest as Doc wrapped his arms around Bdubs. The creeper covered as much of him as he could, trying to protect his fragile friend with himself.

"I love you too, Doc,"

It all happened in less than a second.

The blast came down.

Doc and Bdubs did nothing.

They couldn't have escaped their fate.

All they could do was be together.

One.

Last.

Time.

The pain flared up faster than the flames.

Doc prayed that Bdubs would be alright.

He hoped that the rest of the NHO was alright.

He needed for the Hermits to survive this attack.

And with a boom that would echo in his ears for the rest of his life,

Everything went black.

And his one love was taken.

"Doc? Doc, can you hear me?"

Doc woke up missing part of his face, chest, and his entire right arm. They were all replaced with robotic counterparts. He sat up in the bed he had been laid in to the helmeted face of Xisuma.

"Yeah," he mumbled as Xisuma tossed his arms around the now-robotic creeper. "What happened?" Xisuma sniffed and pulled away.

It hurts to see a friend completely destroyed.

"You and Bdubs were in the crater," Xisuma started.

"Bdubs!" Doc burst out, memories flooding back. "Is he okay?"

"Doc... I'm so, so, sorry," Xisuma whispered.

Doc was certain that if you listened close enough at that moment, you could've heard the sound of his heart shattering into a thousand pieces.

"No," Doc's voice was soft. "Please, Xisuma. Tell me this is some kind of sick joke."

"They're all gone," he murmured. "The NHO. Doc, I'm so sorry. I- I failed you all as the Admin. They were all taken and it's my fault and I'll never be able to make it up to you but I'm so sorry-"

"No, this isn't your fault," there was a new ice in Doc's voice. "It's the Watcher's."

Doc promised himself something that day.

I will avenge them.

Little bit of backstory for ya :D

-Storm