Silence.

Ren stood there patiently, watching the non-hybrids with a polite smile. Pearl and Tango exchanged a glance, as Keralis and Hypno did the same, the latter reaching for a sword. Wels stepped closer to Impulse. Stress frowned, horror crossing his face, trying to look at Grian, see his reaction... his expression was unreadable. Impulse reached for rockets, eyes wide. Scar stared at Cub, clearly surprised, who stared at Grian, then Ren, then him, then spoke.

'What?' 

'This is the deal Grian made.' 

'Why would you do that?!' Impulse burst out, stepping away, hiding behind Wels as he moved in front of him.

'Grian? He's lying isn't he? He's just being a lying geezer and pretending.'

'I'm sorry.'

'Dude...' betrayal filled Cub's voice. 'Why?'

'It was the only thing he'd accept! I tried everything!'

'He did. Now, stop any further conflict and accept the deal Grian worked out.'

'If you try to kill Cub or Impulse or any one of us we will protect them.'  Wels vowed, pointing his sword at the hybrids.

'Ren? You never told us about this.' Pearl spoke, hiding her clear displeasure.

'Grian was insistent that this deal was going to happen. And if they're not accepting it now, we'll have to fight for what we were promised. Scar? Tango?'

'Don't do it Scar. You know how hard it is for you and knowing you forced me through the same won't help.' Pleaded Cub, keeping eye contract with Scar as he blinked back.

'I don't care what deal you made or how long it took to plan, it's off. We outnumber you, Ren.'

'And we came prepared for any shenanigans you might cause us,'

'Cub, Impulse, just join them. We've lost enough already. It's better that some of us escape than all of us are turned.'

'Why US?!'

'Because they want to complete their hermit groups... Convex, Soup Group, Team ZIT.'

'Desert Duo?' Challenged Cub. 

'Enough!' Yelled Grian and Ren simultaneously. 'Cub, Impulse, just accept this deal.'

'Or I send Scar and Tango after you.' Ren's voice took on its familiar snarl.

'How?'

'Because I control them now.' Ren held out his hand, poised to Thanos-snap their self-control away. Scar's eyes widened to a look of pure terror.

'Do that and you're dead.' Replied Cub.

'You can't kill me.'

'Grian, stop this.' Impulse pleaded. 'Revoke the deal.'

'I can't.'

'Why?'

'Because if I don't accept it they're going through the rift and taking over whatever world is through there!' Burst out Grian. Silence.

Then Ren snapped his finger.

Cub was sprinting before the sound even finished, grabbing Impulse's collar. The I of ZIT quickly picked up on the simple plan of RUN, already chased by their closest friends.

'Cuub!' Scar's voice reached them and Cub turned the corner, darting quickly from on-lore to out-lore, behind Main Street, and flying into the air. Scar wouldn't find him. Scar wouldn't find him. Scar wouldn't... 'Stop running, Cub. You know you want to join us.' Backing along the roof, he replied by drawing a bow, backing away.

'Come on, Scar. This isn't you.'

Scar's own bow was drawn as he too landed, wings raised behind him, a broad smile across his face.

'We're not the bad guys, Cub. If you joined us, you could see how much fun it is.'

'I'm not joining you. I'm not going to let them control me again.' He backed away, slow, keeping his eyes on Scar. Scar followed behind at the same pace, bow drawn. And then he suddenly jumped off the edge of the roof and took to the sky. Even before it came, Cub knew what was going to happen...

'Hotguy!' Scar called as he fired, shooting past with maximum velocit-ay. Cub ran, slipping off the roof too and landing between the garbage pails of Scar's storage system... his lands glowed faintly blue as he realised the only option he had left... Scar appeared, before skidding to a stop as he realised Cub was gone.

Through the wall, shaking off the mild influence that using their magic had brought him, Cub worked his way through the depths of Scar's storage, hoping he wouldn't be found.

Across Scarland, Impulse fired another rocket to escape the fifth or sixth near miss against Pearl... Vexes swarmed below at Tango's command as he landed for a moment to eat a golden apple before taking to the air again... Across the base, landing again, as a sonic blast from Alan the Warden barely avoided killing him. Pearl reached him, grinning as she pinned him down.

'Come on, Impulse. Join me and Gem again.'

'Nope!' He twisted onto his front, kicking Pearl away and flying again... Night was beginning to set in. Pearl didn't notice, already turned by whatever terrifying power Ren now held. 'You... Can't... Beat... Me!' He shot towards the ground where Grian was fighting off Keralis and Stress's constant accusations. Wels was trying to distract Scar from finding Cub and Hypno was facing the swarms of vexes from Tango. Pearl swooped down towards mainstreet, next to the others.

'Impulse... Come to Pearlie pops...'

'Uh-uh!' He replied, backing away. Keralis and Stress formed a fuming line of defence.

'How could you do this.' Impulse snarled to Grian. 'How could you.'

'It was the only thing I could've done.'

'I'll destroy your sweet-faces if you try to hurt him!' Vowed Keralis. 

'I won't hurt him.' Pearl grinned back. 'But they will.'

A screech of phantoms overhead. Impulse broke into a run, as Scar broke free from Wels and landed next to Ren.

'I lost Cub. Can't find him anywhere.'

'Then look harder.'

'Ren, he's nowhere to be seen.'

'Look. Harder.' Ren's fists clenched and Scar stepped back, looking over to where Grian was watching him, clearly unhappy, longing, before he turned back to Wels, Stress and Keralis.

'We need to go back to the base.' Impulse landed, followed by Hypno, who'd escaped from Tango.

'What about Cub?'

'We can't wait for him to show up. As much as I want to...'

'You don't want to help him! You were just threatening to give him over to Ren... What's your problem with helping us?! You've done nothing for us this entire time!'

'I'm exhausted and stressed... You don't know how hard I fought for any kind of deal to let most of us go... Look, Impulse, all of you, I have a plan and it relies on this deal being done.'

'I don't believe you.' Impulse walked away, towards Grian's base. 'I just don't believe you any more.'

Without another word, he flew off into the air and out of sight.