Grian joined the game

Grian stared into the distance where Cub and Scar had been as he appeared in season 9, tears running down his face. Impulse ran over as the portal closed.

'Well?'

'They're not coming back to Hermitcraft.'

'Well... that's alright. They faced a lot from Ren and...'

'Ever. Because of their stupid magic and...' He started crying again, and Impulse hugged him. Skizz stepped over.

'I knew they had problems with the convex stuff before but... I didn't realise it was this bad...'

'Good job you went to them...' Realised Impulse. 'If not...'

'I need to talk to Mumbo too.' Grian decided. 'Only problem is... I don't know where to find him. And I don't want him to get wrapped up in this.' 

'And you're happy to get Skizz wrapped up in it...' Muttered Impulse to himself. 'So... where could he be? And how do you get there?'

'The best guess would be some solo world, but if he's cut off contact with everyone, there's no way of reaching him until he wants to return...' Grian started to pace again. 'I mean... do we need him? Really? We just need to get Hermes to safety and then the three of us can break into the crastle and be enough to defeat them.

'We need a map of that place to know where to go.'

'I've spied enough to know where they're most likely to be... but we can ensure Ren's location in the throne room.'

'How?'

'We call to meet him there...' Grian grimaced. 'And of the two of us, they want you more.'

Impulse didn't speak for a moment. 

'I'm bait. Cool. And what about everyone else?'

'Skizz convinces Pearl to get her army to attack his. They're distracted, Ren's distracted, and we know where he is...'

'And you?' 

Grian gave a small grin.

'It's time for me to do what I do best... cause chaos and press buttons that makes stuff go boom.'

(Welp- so they've already finished my chapter plan for this chapter...)

It took until the next day for everything to be ready. Grian had tried sending a few messages to Mumbo to get him to appear, but nothing had come back yet. Hermes was the only problem they still had to solve, but Grian solved it by returning to Season 6. He couldn't see Cub or Scar around, but told the child to force them to look after him, before returning to Season 9 again. An afternoon of bed-mining (with beds from Scar's mattress store) gained them enough netherite for armour and weapons and raiding a few of the creeper farms they could find gave a lot of gunpowder for the TNT. Then the three met again, shulkers of supplies, armour and elytras on, a moment of peace in which Grian tried to give some kind of motivational speech.

'What we're about to do is mad, stupid, and insane.' He started by giving 3 synonyms, but decided to ignore as he continued. 'But it's the last option left. We stand as the only 3 survivors, ready to face Ren in what will be the last battle left until this thing is won. We will not back down until we're victorious or on their side. And of all the people on this server... I'm glad it's not me and Mumbo doing this, or we'd already be dead.' Grian tried to joke, still painfully aware of Mumbo's irresponsiveness. 'Impulse, you actually have braincells. Skizz... you're just great. And I... well, I had a lot of sand to make the TNT. I believe that if anyone can defeat Ren it's us. And thank you Scar for leaving Hotguy bows outside his base for us to use.'

'LET'S DO THIS!' Skizz yelled.

'YEAH!'

'SKIDOODLE!' Despite the situation ahead, they couldn't help but exchange smiles, Grian's rubbish speech bringing a bit of much needed hope to the entire group. 

'So let's get out, cause some chaos, and finish this thing once and for all!'

'Skizz, Impy, can you both hear me?' Grian's voice crackled through Impulse's communicator as he waited in position, answering

'Coming in loud and clear.'

'I can hear ya.' 

'This is how we're going to talk to each other, ok? We need codenames... what are your codenames?'

'Dop.' Impulse decided, which caused a lot of laughter from Skizz.

'Bop.'

'Great. I'll be...'

'Gop.' Skizz answered instantly

'Gop. Sure. Is everyone in position?' Grian asked. 

'Ready and waiting'

'Let's go.' 

Impulse sighed, then opened chat, typing in the message.

You whispered to RentheKing: I am outside the crastle

You whispered to RentheKing: I am here to turn myself in

His stomach twisted with apprehension as he waited for an answer. 

RentheKing whispered to you: come to the throne room to talk

Impulse let out a deep breath, and entered the Crastle. 

At the same time, Skizz landed outside Pearl's base, where she'd set up camp. It was unnervingly close to Impulse's, but he couldn't worry about that. Phantoms screeched, harmless, in the skies above as he tried to find the entrance. 

'Skizz?' 

He turned at Pearl's voice. She was standing behind him, on one of the alien mushrooms. The others slowly surrounded him. 

'I come with an offer.' He spoke, voice shaky. 'In which all you must do is speed up your plans to attack Ren's side, and leave Impulse and Grian alone.'

'What do we get?'

Skizz thought for a second. 

'A knowledge that we're trying to stop Ren as much as you are, and want him gone. Surely... that would be enough.' Skizz faltered as Pearl stepped closer, green eyes glowing brighter, wings raised threateningly behind her. 

'And what about when Ren surrenders. What will we get then?'

'Peace. Victory. The world turned upside down. That should be enough, homey buddy.'

'You'll just go for us next, won't you? Fight us against each other until you're victorious. You don't understand, Skizz. We want control. And we only get control when everyone is like us. United as one mob, facing all the difficulties of it together. Phantoms won't attack phantoms.'

'We don't know how to un-mob them! We're STUPID!' Skizz protested. 

'Get us the throne, and then get us a way to... un-mob them... so everyone can be a phantom.'

'Listen, buddy. I came here to stop Ren hurting Impulse. You're not going to come along and tell me to give that up... I know you want to complete your little soup group thing, but that's not going to happen when I'm here, ok?'

'Then what do you offer us instead?'

'Myself.' 

He walked away, making the most of the group's shock. Skizz slowly removed his netherite armour, sticking it in an ender chest before taking to the air, landing on the largest mushroom.

'COME ON YOU STINKING PHANTOMS! COME AND GET ME!'

They did. Skizz stumbled backwards from the onslaught, slipping and falling as they attacked. 

Skizzleman was doomed to fall by phantom

:)