There was a remarkably long period of no one else dying.

Grian, Impulse and Cub managed to find and ally with Keralis, Hypno and Stress, making their own bases within Grian which - Cub joked - was the third time he'd ended up basing the basement of another hermit's base that season. According to Grian, all sides had stopped recruiting and decided to start fighting each other instead. Since only your first mob death caused you to become a hybrid, there was no affect on the warring armies of semi-mindless hermits but the shopping district was decimated by TNT cannons and Martyn exploding whenever anyone got too close to him. No one knew where Xisuma was hiding, what was probably for the best due to him being the only known person who could stop the situation.

Gathering resources for basement number 3, Cub crossed the outside of Grian's/the joint hermit base, a couple shulker boxes of gathered wood and leaves in his inventory. He'd need more, but this would be a good start before...

A figure in the sky. Cub's brain jolted to fight or flight as he recognised their wings.

Scar.

As the vex glided to the ground, Cub turned and ran. An attack. They knew about everyone. Scar had figured out... Or Ren had and then sent Scar over...

'Cub please. I... Just wanted to talk to you.' He paused at the sincerity in Scar's voice. Ren had acted sincere too. Before turning and trying to kill him. 'If you try to run they'll take over again. I just want to talk to you because you're my friend and the only person who might understand.'

'You've tried to kill me in every interaction we've had since this began.' Replied Cub, trying to hide the accusing tone to his voice. 'I can't trust you any more.'

'Cub...'

'I can't trust you, Scar.' snapped Cub, turning, and then regretting it at the expression on his friend's face. 'I'm sorry.'

'They make me do it. Sometimes it's more of a voice, and sometimes they just take over and I try to fight back but I can't.'

'I didn't realise.'

'Its worse than last time.' The fact sent a ripple of pure pain through Cub, even before Scar continued. 'Because this time I'm alone.'

The words were almost enough for Cub to find the nearest vex and let it kill him, and if that didn't, the pure loneliness and desperation did.

'And now Ren's plans are getting worse and worse, Bdubs is barely recognisable, the others just do whatever Ren want... And now Tango can summon vexes and is probably planning to find and kill you and I have no idea whether I want that or not and... I missed you, Cub. So much. And Grian. I just want to be your friend again. So...' Scar stopped breathing heavy as he fought back tears.

'What are Ren's plans?' Was all Cub could say without breaking down.

'I can't say. He's... He's trying to stop the war.'

'Ok?' Suddenly, Grian landed between the pair, wings raised and eyes full of fear.

'Did he hurt you?' He questioned.

'No.' Cub replied, aware of Scar recoiling, clearly uncomfortable. 'He was telling me Ren's plans.'

'What?'

'I can't tell you anything else. He'll find out and... Punish me.'

'What?' Grian spoke a moment behind Cub.

'The others just always listen to him and do what he wants... I'm scared of disobeying him.'

'Scar, if you want to leave them you'll be safe here.' Cub decided. Grian glared at him

'Cub, he's one of them. He'll try to kill you again.'

'He's scared, lonely and my best friend. I don't care.' Snapped back Cub, without full realising what he'd said and how honest it still was. 'And if you don't like that, you don't have to stay with the rest of us.'

'Even if the 'rest of us' agree with me? Cub, Scar was as good a friend to me as he was to you. This is hurting you just as much as me to see him like this.'

'Glad to know that you and Scar also had a period of becoming possessed by vexes and being forced prank the other hermits, no matter how they reacted.' Burst out Cub. Grian realised a moment too late what he'd done.

'Cub, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that.'

'I'd like to talk to Scar alone.'

'I'm so sorry.' 

'Alone.' Cub glared at Grian and he blinked back, before silently accepting, flying back to the base. 

'You didn't need to offer that... I can't control when they take over.'

'That's ok.' 

A pause. Scar bit his lip, before sudden blurting out.

'Ren wants to ally with the resistance and the perimeter and turn everyone into a hybrid.'

'What?'

'He wants all of us to be on one side, turn everyone into a hybrid, and then take over the server... he called the others to a meeting. I needed to get away from them. Before... we're all summoned to meet.'

'Can you call this off?' Suggested Cub. 'Stop him from trying anything. Sabotage the meeting. Kill Gem or something?'

'Ren will hate me... I... I think he's controlling everything. He's... to blame for this.'

'Ren?'

'He's found a way to control us when he wants to.'

'Why isn't he controlling you now?' 

Scar's eyes widened, almost with fear.

'He's trying to influence Pearl and Doc.'

'The meeting's started? Already? Where is it?'

'Crastle. I need to be there. Now.' Scar flew away before he could give any more information, and Cub ran back into the cave of survivors.

'What happened?' 

'They're all meeting. Ren wants to get everyone under his control... Scar thinks he's behind everything and is able to mind control everyone.' 

'Call everyone to meet.' 

RentheKing: ALL HYBRIDS COME TO THE CRASTLE

RentheKing: I HAVE A PROPOSITION

'Now.' 

It didn't take long to gather, and by then the situation had escalated to Pearl agreeing and Doc agreeing on the basis that he could offer his own say. The meeting would be taking place at any moment. 

'Long story short, all the hybrids are meeting because Ren wants to ally against us... who wants to spy and sabotage?' 

Impulse and Cub agreed, and them and Grian set off to the crastle. It wasn't a long journey, and the place was crowded, using the vault as their meeting place. Seeing all the hybrids together made the realisation finally set in. 

They had to stop this deal from happening. 

Or all their hope of survival would be gone.