Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nothing built can last forever. Every legend, no matter how great, fades with time. More and more details are lost to the unending passage of time. Some withstand far longer than others. Some adapt and change, the same story presented in different forms. None prove to have as much promise as that of The Order of the Stone. Four heroes. Four legends. Indeed, it is only a troubled land which has need for heroes, but this land had the greatest four to ever be plunged into mortal existence. Four heroes who would cement their place in legacy forever. While time rips away truth, leaving only lies and falsified myth, no story stands as great as that of the Order. It endures, unabridged, as self-evident fact.

Gabriel the Warrior, a fearsome man before which all combatants would tremble, resigned to a bloody, gruesome defeat. His swordsmanship was revered by all those who dreamt of growing up to fight the evils of this world.

Ellegaard the Engineer, her intelligence matched only by the creators themselves. Her skill with redstone one marked to solve all the land’s problems as her sharp mind could always formulate a clever solution.

Magnus the Rogue, a man so talented with the art of destruction that it was no longer destructive. His penchant for pyrotechnics proved to be of benefit to the greatness of the lands, his power with a bomb unmatched.

Soren the Architect, builder of worlds. A man who embodied the wonders of modern design, creating the most flawless and fortified of builds. A man who would guide his team to victory, the celebrated leader of The Order of the Stone.

These four friends would give so much to gain their rightful place as four heroes, embracing a quest that meant certain death. They would face the most heinous creature in all of the world, they would face a creature none had survived. They would slay the Ender Dragon. The battle was barbarous and bloody, but the Order would emerge as triumphant victors. Their work complete, they slipped away into the pages of legend. They grew onto their pedestals, idolised by a society that needed someone to revere. The world loved their story. The world chose to immortalise it onto paper. The world chose to claim it as fact. And thus closed the last page of their story as they settled into herodom.

But when one story ends, another one begins…

Chapter Text

“Jesse, for the love of all things sacred, that’s the second time this morning. I’m trying to concentrate here.”

Jesse hopped down from the window sill he had perched himself on, the grin melting off his face like ice. He pouted at the girl across from him, her hazel eyes steely behind her obsidian black bangs. She pulled a pin from her pigtails, cursing as it caught in the thread of her green beanie. Jesse sighed as she went back to tinkering with gadget in her hand, picking up a worn wooden sword and using it to half-heartedly hit an old armour stand, which was ironically devoid of armour.

“That’s equally as annoying.” she said, frowning across the room at him.

“Olivia, I’m bored!” he replied.

“Not my problem. We have a contest to prepare for.”

“Entertain me for a bit? Ple-e-e-e-ease?” he begged, shooting her his best puppy-dog eyes.

The harshness on her face softened at his wide green eyes. She chuckled and put down the gadget, tapping her chin in mock thought.

“Okay… how do I entertain a three-year-old…”

“Olivia!”

“Okay, okay! Would you rather fight a hundred chicken-sized zombies, or ten zombie sized chickens?” she asked, smirking.

“Ummm, I’d have to go with the zombie-sized chickens. I honestly just wanna see what they’d look like.”

“Gross. Huge, beady eyes. And the size of the feathers!”

“The size of their feet! Dude, imagine being crushed to death by a chicken.”

“Horrifying.”

Jesse continued to attack the armour stand, chuckling in satisfaction as an arm disconnected, tumbling to the ground. He turned around, a smug grin plastered on his face as he waited for Olivia to acknowledge his success. His grin soured slightly, her eyes were trained on a piece of redstone wiring, and she hadn’t noticed. He turned away, patiently waiting for her to decide it was time for a conversation again. Or until he annoyed her so much she would chastise him again. He gripped the sword once more in his hand, turning back to the stand. A few good hits was all it took.

“Do you mind?! Ugh- anyways. So, I’ve got a daylight sensor on the roof… and if I’ve done this all right it should trigger the lights to turn on at night…”

Jesse mumbled assent, deciding that her brainy ramblings were far less interesting than his sword.

“I didn’t wanna leave Reuben with nothing while we went to Endercon.”

Now that caught his attention.

“Uhm, he’s coming with us.”

Olivia’s face fell into a muddled mix of exasperation and disappointment. She eyed the small pig, who was happily curled up in a warm patch of sunlight, her lip curled in bitter distaste.

“Really?” she replied, the pinch between her brow growing more pronounced.

“Yeah, what kind of question is that?! Where I go, Reuben goes. We’re kind of a package deal, y’know?”

“Okay, okay…” she waved her hands at him, her eyes fixed on his sword. “I’m not saying he shouldn’t come… I promise I’m not! But uh- don’t you think it’s just a little weird that you take him everywhere you go?”

Jesse sighed as he crossed the room and bundled Reuben up into his lap, running his hand through Reuben’s soft fuzz. He met Olivia’s steely glance, putting on his best puppy dog eyes.

“But, Olivia! He’s my best friend.”

He stifled a laugh at the way her jaw almost dropped to the floor, mock offence flooding her face like a swarm of bees.

“I thought I was your best friend!” she cried, placing a dramatic hand on her heart.

Laughter bubbled from Jesse’s chest as he gave her his most winning smile.

“I have room for both of my best friends in my heart!”

“Yeah?” Olivia replied, smirking. “And what’ll Axel say to that?”

“Speak of the devil… where is he?” Jesse asked.

“Errmm… said something about getting the last few bits and pieces for our build. Probably picked up some form of illegal gunpowder on his way back. Maybe stopped for a joint. Dunno… he’s been gone a few hours actually.”

Jesse leant back, enjoying the warm trickle of sunlight across his face. It threw his freckles into stark highlight, a constellation upon his face.

“Yeah, probably. No use worrying. What Axel wants to do, he’ll do. Y’know he probably stopped by the markets to see if Petra’s hanging around again.”

“Urgh, you’d think he would’ve dropped that by now.” Olivia replied, rolling her eyes. “No wonder people call us losers.”

At this, Jesse raised his head, cocking a questioning eyebrow at her.

“What do you mean?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I just- between you and your weird pig obsession and just… Axel in general… can you really blame Aiden for making fun of us?”

“Hey. We don’t say that name in this treehouse!”

“Whatever. I’m getting tired of him and all those stupid ocelots treating us like shit. And we just… kinda make it easy for them don’t we? I’m the biggest fucking nerd in this town, you wear suspenders and have a pet-”

“Not pet, friend!”

“-friend pig. And don’t even get me started on Axel. We literally have massive signs over our heads like ‘wow, look! It’s the loser patrol! What losers!’ Just- urgh, I can’t take it any more.”

A stormy cloud hung over her face, which was stretched into a downcast frown. Jesse slung an arm around her shoulder, his signature cocky grin slipping into position across his cheeks.

“Hey! We aren’t losers! Since when do we accept anything Aiden has ever said as fact? We’re just different. Makes us cool, not losers. If other people can’t see that, then I think it’s their problem, not ours. Besides, we’ll always have each other!”

Olivia chuckled and rolled her eyes half-heartedly.

“Always the inspiration.”

“Glad to be of service.”

“You are actually the most obnoxious person I know.”

“Why thank you.”

Their banter was cut short by a sharp hissing sound coming from below. Olivia’s eyes grew wide as she pulled Jesse toward the wall. His arm shook as her trembling frame latched onto it. Fear rose in his chest, his heart beating against his ribcage. He fumbled for his sword, pointedly ignoring its probable uselessness if the damned thing exploded.

The trapdoor burst open, revealing an ugly creeper head. Jesse screamed, slashing his sword at the air in front of him.

The hissing subsided into rumbling giggles. A set of green-clad arms revealed themselves, the owner of the arms ripped the mask from their face, unearthing a maniacally grinning Axel. He attempted to flatten his tousled air, crossing the room in two strides.

“Axel, politely, what the fuck?!” Olivia said, punching him on the arm.

It seemed to hurt her more than him, as she recoiled away shaking her hand as it collided with Axel’s muscly bicep.

“Aw, c’mon, that was hilarious! Y’all should’ve seen the look on your faces. Priceless!”

The initial shock having melted away, a smile split across Jesse’s face as he ran forward to inspect Axel’s mask.

“That’s really cool!” he exclaimed, giddy with adrenaline.

Overly excited, he put the mask on his own head, running circles around the treehouse until Olivia yanked it off.

“You’re not high again, are you? We have a fucking competetion in a few hours.” Olivia said, holding the mask out of Jesse’s reach.

“Of course not! My supplier’s out of town anyways.” Axel said, only a slight note of hurt creeping into his voice.

“Who, Petra?” Olivia replied, a certain smugness to her voice as she flicked the creeper mask back at him.

Axel’s face flushed bright red, he crossed his arms and towered over Olivia. “No.”

After ten years of friendship, this had no effect on her. She simply gave a nonplussed smile, stepping out from underneath his sizable frame.

“Sorry, just assumed.” she replied. “You’re always tagging after her these days. It’s a wonder she hasn’t turned around and killed you yet.”

Jesse silently agreed. They’d been seeing much less of Axel in recent months, as he had taken an odd fancy to the local mercenary. Unfortunately for Axel, she seemed to see him as little more as a thorn in her side who she could occasionally get money off of. Jesse and Olivia had tactfully kept that observation to themselves.

“Yeah?” Axel replied, frowning. “Well, it’s better than having a crush on Lukas.”

Olivia flushed bright red, rounding on him with a horrible glint in her eye that meant business. “I was eight years old!!!”

Axel laughed, rummaging through his sack. “Yeah, yeah, yeah…”

Olivia sighed and crossed her arms.

“Urgh, well… did you at least remember the fireworks?”

Axel frowned, a hurt expression seeping across his face.

“Of course I did, even brought something for the little guy…”

Jesse gasped as Axel produced a mass of black and purple fabric from his bag. He shook it out, grinning at Reuben. The pig ran over, snorting excitedly as Axel slipped the costume onto him. He ran circles around the room, giving Jesse his best piggy smile. He laughed, kneeling down to pet his pig.

“He looks ridiculous,” said Olivia, wrinkling her nose.

“Of course he does! We’re going to a convention, someone’s gotta wear a costume.”

“Yeah!” Jesse supplied, beaming. “He looks awesome, he could be our mascot!”

He ignored Olivia’s pained groan, fist bumping Axel as he tuned out her vague murmurs of disagreement. Her eyes grew wide as she checked the watch on her wrist, the pinch appearing between her eyebrows again.

“We gotta get going! Did someone grab registration money?”

Jesse reached for his bag only to find it unnervingly light. He’d forgotten to pack.

“I’ll grab it, I’ve still gotta pack a few more things. You guys go ahead.”

Olivia glanced at him, worry brewing behind her eyes. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and clambered down the ladder, Axel following behind her.

Jesse opened his chest, digging through the piles of junk to find his items. He uncovered a crisp fifty dollar bill and a few gold coins, enough to pay the registration and buy some souvenirs at Endercon. He took a flint and steel, as well as an old water bottle and put it into his bag. The chest closed with a heavy thunk. Jesse grinned at his meagre provisions, pleased to have found a loaf of bread and a few carrots already in the front compartment of his bag. He put his sword away in the side of the bag, picked up Reuben and slid down the ladder.

Excitement mounted in his chest. This year was their year, he could feel it. He’d finally get to see the look on Lukas’ face when the judges announced them winners. They’d been rivals since Jesse’s very first building contest. They were just a bunch of little kids then, warily eyeing each other across the field as they both scraped together mediocre structures and traded harmless insults. As they got older, the Ocelots had gotten meaner. And better. Gone were the days where Aiden would playfully shove them while Lukas made a silly remark about being the best, to which Jesse would have simply laughed and bit back. Now the Ocelots made it a point to scowl at them across the field, and call them names that Jesse couldn’t fathom repeating to his mother. Then they started winning, and their egos started growing. It had been about four building contests since they’d even shook hands and traded ‘good games’ afterwards. Jesse couldn’t wait to see them fall down.

He joined Axel and Olivia, Reuben trotting along behind him. They took off into the forest, shaded from the boiling sun by a canopy of oak trees. The walk would only be a fifteen minute one, but Jesse could already feel the sweat beading on his forehead.

“I heard a pretty juicy rumour about the building contest.” Axel said, breaking their five-minute-long silence.

“Oh?” Jesse said, looking at him in mild interest.

Olivia had also torn her eyes away from the small trinket she had been fiddling with, opting to pay attention.

“You guys have to promise not to say anything.” he continued, mock-glaring.

“Okay.” replied Olivia.

“Okay… so, the special guest at this years Endercon is gonna be none other than Gabriel the fucking Warrior him fucking self!”

Jesse’s heart leapt. “No way!”

“And! The winners of the building contest are gonna get to meet him!”

Olivia and Jesse’s jaws dropped in unison. He’d never been more determined to win.

“It doesn’t mean anything if we lose… but oh man, if we win!”

“I would die. Literally. Gabriel’s so cool!”

“Yeah!” said Olivia, stars in her eyes. “He’s awesome!”

“And we could meet him!” Axel said, practically dancing.

At once Olivia’s eyes darkened, storm clouds gathering behind her stare.

“Fat chance.” she said, defeated. “It’ll be stupid Lukas and his stupid Ocelots again. I’m getting tired of it, they’ve won the past three years.”

“No! They won’t win this year, because we will!” Jesse said, pumping his fist.

“No, we won’t. We’re building a fireworks dispenser.”

“That’s cool! Fireworks are so cool! Anyways, we’ll win because we deserve it. Because it’s about time we won something, and the Ocelots’ egos need to be knocked down a peg. Just have faith! Have faith in us, and the power of friendship or- whatever!”

Olivia laughed, her face lighting a little.

“I hope you intend on becoming a motivational speaker or something. I’ve never met anyone so cheesy.”

An idea struck Jesse. He stopped walking, eyes wide as he formulated a plan, a wicked grin spreading onto his face.

“What?” Olivia asked, rolling her eyes at his dramatics.

“I just had a winning idea.” Jesse stretched out his arms, aware he had Axel and Olivia hanging on his every word. He flashed his teeth once more.

“We don’t just build something functional… we build something fun! The contest isn’t just about building something useful, it’s about impressing the judges!”

Olivia and Axel had caught Jesse’s smile.

“Something gimmicky?” Olivia replied.

“Yeah! I dunno what though.”

Axel was smirking, formulating mischief.

“You wanna get a reaction outta the judges? You build something scary! Like a creeper.”

“A creeper? Endermen are way scarier! Don’t their eyes just… urgh… freak you out?”

“Endermen are just tall. I’m tall. A creeper can blow you to bits.” Axel insisted.

“Endermen can hurt you too, if you’re not careful.”

“Yeah? Well so can a creeper!”

“Jesse, what do you think?” Olivia said, rounding on him with harsh eyes.

He stopped for a moment to consider. Creepers were scary, but…

“Sorry, Axel. I’m gonna have to go with the Endermen. You literally can’t even look at them.”

Axel huffed, turning away from them. “Olivia’s idea?”

“Yeah, sorry.”

“Ha!” she gloated. “We… we are gonna need some more supplies though…”

Jesse nodded. “Let’s get to it then! We’re so prepared we can’t lose!”

For the first time, Jesse saw hope on Olivia’s face. He held his hand out, swelling with excitement as Axel and Olivia placed their hands on top of his.

“Dare to prepare on three! Wait, no… preparing is daring? No, that’s the same thing… those who prepare… dare?”

Met with incredulous looks from Axel and Olivia, Jesse stammered with a sheepish smile.

“Forget it, team on three! One, two, three…”

“TEAM!”

The three ran their separate ways, collecting various materials for their Enderman statue. They returned to each other half an hour later, panting and sweating. In Jesse’s case, soaking wet.

“Why are you dripping water, Jesse?!” Olivia said, staring at him agape as she piled resources into her already overladen bag.

“I wanted to get squid ink for some dye!” he replied, an easy smile on his face.

“You dumbass.” she said, rolling her eyes.

“What, it’s hot! I’ll dry off fast anyway.”

The trio walked along beneath the pounding sun, their conversation dying to the occasional comment. Sweat lined Jesse’s brow, he was grateful for the cool shirt that clung to his skin. They were within the home stretch, only a kilometre from Endercon.

“What do you guys think the Ocelots will build?” Jesse asked, breaking the long silence.

Axel tapped a finger to his chin, frowning.

“Something overly complicated to hide its stupidity.” he said.

“Yeah!” Olivia added, surging back to life. “Like something that seems super fancy but really it just turns on a light or something.”

“I mean, they were talking about building an auto harvester last year…”

“No way!” Axel said, cackling. “They’re too dumb for something as fancy as that!”

Olivia smiled, the motion not reaching her eyes.

“Lukas is pretty smart, y’know.” she said, her mouth pressed into one firm line.

Axel’s eyebrows shot up, disbelief printed across his face.

“Oh sure, not like you don’t have a crush on him…”

“I WAS EIGHT!!!!”

Jesse laughed, stepping ahead to turn around and walk backwards.

“No, she’s not wrong…”

“Don’t tell me you like him too! Bloody hell, my friends are idiots.”

Heat rose up Jesse’s cheeks, his blush barely noticeable due to the already reddened and sweaty state of his face. He shrugged off Axel's comment with a sarcastic laugh.

“I do not.”

“Tell yourself that.”

“Whatever. Besides… it’s more like… crafty than smart. Like a sly fox or something.”

“You’re just digging yourself into a deeper hole.”

Jesse face palmed, almost toppling over as Olivia threw an arm out in front of him. He clutched onto her arm, his legs doing a strange sort of dance to find his footing.

“There it is!” she said, her eyes widening. “The 21st Annual Endercon Building Competition!”

A spark lit inside Jesse, he stood before his friends with a puffed chest and fiery eyes.

“Ready team? This’ll be our year! I can taste it!”

Olivia and Axel cheered, faces shining as they roped each other and Jesse into a one-armed hug. Laughing, they sprinted the last few hundred metres to the building competition.

Chapter Text

Jesse, Axel and Olivia arrived at the small building setup, tumbling to the ground in a heap as they stumbled to stop themselves before they ran straight into the group in front of them. Jesse staggered onto his feet, offering a hand to Olivia. She took it, pulling herself up and stifling a laugh as she watched Axel struggle to lift himself.

“Need a hand?” she said, her lip quivering with amusement.

“No, of course not. I got it!” he replied, untangling his limbs.

He lurched onto his feet, brushing the dried grass from his pants. Jesse rolled his eyes fondly as Axel crossed his arms, sulking as he strode past his two friends.

Jesse and Olivia raced to catch up, each throwing an arm over Axel’s broad shoulders as they approached the registration desk. Reuben ran around their ankles, snorting with delight as the wings of his Ender Dragon costume flapped around. A group stood before them, clad in matching leather biking jackets, a flashy ocelot face printed on the back. Jesse’s jaw clenched as they took their place in line behind the other team. Lukas, Aiden, Maya and Gill. The Ocelots.

“Great…” Axel muttered, his teeth bared. “Lukas and the pussycats.”

Jesse sighed, his fist clenching as he met Aiden’s booger-green eyes, the latter’s face stretching into a mean grin as a scratchy chuckle crackled from his throat.

“Well, well, well. Would you look who it is? The Order of the Losers.”

Maya turned, intrigued by Aiden’s taunting. Her nose wrinkled as if she smelled spoiled milk, she tossed her muddy brown hair over her shoulder and looped her arm through Aiden’s.

“Aww, how cute. They haven’t given up yet.” she said, smirking.

Jesse’s heart thumped in his ears, the sound of boiling blood echoing over the Ocelots’ taunts. He stepped forward from his friends, his arms crossed over his chest as he held back a feral snarl.

“Mind your own fucking business!” he snapped.

Jesse thought he heard Lukas scoff. He finally spun to face him, shifting a silky piece of his golden hair out of his sky blue eyes, seemingly bored as he surveyed Jesse’s team, his eyes landing on Reuben for a moment before they burned into Jesse’s.

“Can’t wait to see your pathetic faces when we crush you again.” Maya said, as she clung onto Aiden’s side like slime, her mousy brown hair melding into his.

“Yeah. You don't stand a chance, you’re wasting your time.” Aiden said, leaning uncomfortably close to Jesse’s face.

Maya laughed, a horrible lilting sound that rang in Jesse’s ears.

“Turn around, you assholes.” Jesse snapped, eyes narrowed. “You’re next in line.”

“Awww this one bites back! Ready to lose again, losers?” Aiden said.

Gill cackled, snorting as he awkwardly slapped his knee. Lukas shot him a harsh look, and he quieted, stroking his overgrown beard.

“It’s our turn to register guys. Be on your game, stop messing around.” Lukas said, shaking his head with disapproval.

Jesse watched as Lukas turned to speak with the receptionist, disgust rising in his throat at the way the girl checking them in giggled and twirled her hair as she took down the Ocelots’ details, seemingly oblivious to Lukas’ obvious discomfort. He signalled for his team to follow, the Ocelots at least wandering off to their building station. The girl’s face instantly dropped to an uninterested grimace as Jesse approached, smiling sheepishly as he handed over the registration fee.

He hated himself for it, but he was almost offended by her sudden change in demeanour.

“Name?” she drawled, twiddling her pen.

“Axel. And how do you do?”

Jesse cringed as Axel leaned over him, a disgustingly soppy smile on his face. The girl rolled her eyes, ignoring Axel’s advance to count the change, wordlessly passing the extra cash back.

“No. Your team name.”

Axel stepped back, red gushing onto his cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck.

“What’s our team name?” he whispered.

“I don’t know.” Jesse replied, chuckling nervously in the hopes of buying time.

“Just make something up!” Olivia added.

“We’re the uhh…”

Jesse’s eyes landed on Reuben, an idea formed in his mind.

“The Order of the Pig!”

A loud slapping noise came from behind him, the telltale sound of Axel and Olivia simultaneously facepalming. The receptionist snorted, holding back a fit of laughter as she scribbled the name onto their sheet.

“Okay… Order of the Pig.”

Olivia yanked Jesse back, the air tickling in his ear as she chastised him.

“The Order of the Pig? Seriously! You couldn’t come up with something not embarrassing?!”

Jesse huffed, frowning in offence. “Next time you pick the name!”

The girl cleared her throat, raising an eyebrow as she eyed the three with disbelief.

“Your names?”

Jesse brushed Olivia’s hand off his shoulder, his lips pressed into a thin line. So much for not making fools of themselves.

“Jesse Meyers, Olivia Brendall and Axel James. Oh and the pig’s name is Reuben.”

Jesse watched as she copied down the names, spelling Olivia’s last name wrong and purposefully omitting Reuben. Jesse couldn’t help but feel slightly offended.

“You guys are in booth five.” she said, buzzing the gate open. “Next!”

The three filed through the gate, making their way through a maze of fences to find their section. Dread grasped Jesse’s throat as the realisation washed over him. They were placed right next to the Ocelots.

He dumped his bag on the floor, sorting through piles of wool and shards of glass. He took note of the people around him as his friends bustled behind him, organising numerous pyrotechnics and animatedly discussing the best plan of attack. Jesse let their voices become background buzz as he counted the number of teams. Twenty teams. Six more than last year. His stomach fluttered at the thought of screwing up in front of so many people. He cursed himself, shaking the negative thoughts from his head as he zoned back into Axel and Olivia’s conversation.

“Is that a freakin’ beacon? They have a freakin’ beacon! Freakin’ beacon!”

Jesse gasped, joining Axel in peering over at their materials.

“That’s stained glass!” Olivia exclaimed, horror dawning on her face. “They’re not just building a beacon, they’re building a rainbow beacon!”

Jesse swallowed, the butterflies in his stomach growing more aggressive. He bit his lower lip, his heart clenching at his friend’s defeated faces.

“So what?” he began, fighting to keep the quiver out of his voice. “They’re building a fancy light! An enderman is way cooler than that!”

Olivia turned to Jesse, her eyes narrowed in a stern glare.

“Their difficulty score is going to be higher than our total score.”

“Where the fuck did they get a fucking beacon…” Axel whispered, his voice hoarse with disbelief.

“What are you dickheads staring at?!” Aiden snapped, his head whirling around.

“Don’t worry babe, they’re just admiring our talents. Wishing they were us.” Maya said, simpering at Aiden’s side.

“We were just looking.” Olivia said, coolly.

“Not that there’s much to look at.” Axel added, huffing.

“There’ll be plenty of time to look when our build wins and is shown at Endercon.” Aiden replied, an equal amount of iciness in his voice.

“You’re being unpleasant. As always.” Axel said, drawing up to his full height, arms crossed like a security guard.

Aiden appeared unfazed by Axel towering over him, sneering as he shook his head.

“You wanna fight, big guy? Everyone knows you’re just a crackhead.”

Jesse’s heart pounded in his ears, he leapt forward, seizing Axel’s arm as he raised it. Aiden scampered away, fright betraying his previously arrogant demeanour.

“Yeah, that’s right! Back away you pussy!” Axel snarled.

Jesse tightened his slipping grip as Axel struggled, Olivia adding her weight as they staggered further away from the Ocelots.

“At least your friends have some decorum. Keep threatening me and I’ll report you and you’ll be banned from Endercon!”

Jesse fell to the ground as Axel managed to unleash a single hand, Olivia held onto his other wrist for dear life.

“What the hell is going on over here?! Guys, we should be working!”

Lukas placed himself between Aiden and Axel, meeting Jesse with a small apologetic frown before once again rounding on Aiden. Jesse nodded, turning back to his friends as the sound of Lukas loudly admonishing his teammates echoed through the field.

“Axel, you’ve just gotta ignore them. They’re not worth our time.” Jesse said, placing what he hoped was a comforting hand on Axel’s heaving shoulders.

“You’re right, I know. I’m sorry.”

The group was interrupted by approaching footsteps. Heavy combat boots crunched on the dying grass, belonging to a tall girl with deep auburn hair swept out of her face by a flashy turquoise bandana. She had an iron pickaxe lazily slung over her shoulder, an easy smile on her face. She leant over the fence, her eyes dancing over the messy piles of materials strewn around their building area.

“Hey Jesse, guys.” she said, raising a leather-clad hand in greeting.

“Hey Petra.” replied Jesse, smiling cautiously.

His shoulders tensed under her intense glance, he never knew what to expect with her. One day she’d smile at him as they walked past each other in school, the next day she’d show up with a black eye and a thunderous scowl, ready to throw a punch at anyone who dared look in her direction. She was well known for her sketchy reputation, people went to her for any dangerous or illegal items. Jesse had heard she’d been in a bit of trouble a few times, but somehow she always managed to evade it. He realised he was staring, he cleared his throat as he waited for her to speak.

“How’s the build going?” she said, her lips thinning as she observed Axel struggling to piece together a lever that had snapped in his bag.

Jesse cringed, turning back to her with a sheepish grin.

“Only time will tell, but we’re optimistic!” chimed Axel, waving an arm as he wandered over.

Petra’s smile faltered, she nodded cordially at him as he leant an arm on Jesse’s shoulder, that same hideously soppy look spreading across his face.

“Ignore him.” added Olivia, glaring daggers at Axel as she approached Jesse’s other side.

“How’re you going?” Jesse asked, attempting to break the painfully awkward silence.

She seemed to appreciate the question, relaxing a little as the tension washed away.

“Same as always. Did a couple jobs today, so I’m loving the pay.”

“That’s… nice.”

“Hey, Petra!” said a fifth voice.

Jesse groaned to himself as Lukas approached, grinning broadly. Petra’s face broke into a genuine smile, she reached out to fist bump him.

“Hey, Lukas!”

How she could be that happy to see Lukas, Jesse did not know.

“I forgot to thank you for that nether star!” Lukas said.

“Not a problem.” she replied, grinning. “I enjoyed the challenge.”

Lukas smiled and gave a fond chuckle, shaking his head.

“Of course you did.”

She shrugged, bemused as Axel sputtered, going bright red in the face.

“You helped those tools?!” he demanded.

Her face hardened, she pushed herself away from the fence, the dark cloud surrounding her once more as she went into offence.

“For the right price, I’ll help anyone.” she said, a dangerous sharpness in her voice. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

“But none of us know where to find you!” Olivia said, rushing forward.

Petra didn’t cast another glance over her shoulder as she skulked away, a cold “exactly” drifting back towards the group.

Jesse furrowed his eyebrows as she disappeared into the distance, overwhelmed with confusion. The interaction had been strange, he pressed his lips together, wondering how her personality could shift so quickly. She had to be hiding something. A voice disrupted his racing thoughts.

“Hey, uh, no hard feelings guys,” began Lukas. “If you’re cool with Petra, you’re cool with us.”

Jesse scoffed, his arms forming a protective barrier across his chest. He narrowed his eyes, meeting Lukas’ with a fierce intensity that said ‘We’re going to crush you’.

“We’re cool with Petra, but you need to teach your friends some manners. Leave me and my friends alone for once.”

Lukas’ eyes widened, he glanced over his shoulder at his teammates, who were throwing materials at each other as they laughed cruelly, slowly moving things into semi-organised piles. He watched as Aiden tripped Gill, him and Maya dissolving into a cackling fit. Gill staggered up from the floor, an unsure smile plastered across his face as he pretended the ‘joke’ was funny. Lukas sighed, turning back to Jesse.

“They’re just trying to get in your head.”

Jesse noted the frustrated edge to his voice, distrustful of his statement. He pressed his lips together, shaking his head.

“Yeah well, they’re assholes, that’s what. It’s possible to be gracious winners.”

Lukas suddenly seemed very interested in the ground, Jesse almost felt bad at the disappointed expression that seeped onto his face.

“You’re right. I’ll talk to them. Good luck, guys.”

“You too.”

Lukas gave a small nod in goodbye, wandering back over to his group.

A dark-haired lady took the small stage in the centre of the competition, gripping a clipboard in perfectly manicured hands. She smiled out at the audience, raising an arm to gain their attention.

“Welcome, everyone, to the 21st Annual Endercon Building Competition!”

She paused as the audience cheered, Jesse thought his eardrum might burst as the crowd erupted. She gave a winning smile, waiting for the applause to subside.

“This year’s lucky winners will get to meet, in-person, Gabriel the Warrior! As always, their build will also be featured at Endercon for the masses to marvel at. Now allow me to introduce this year’s judges. Of course, we have our fabulous benefactor, Mrs Gordon.”

A middle-aged lady stepped up onto the stage, beaming as she waved out at the crowd, dressed in a smart pantsuit with her golden hair tied into a slick knot.

“Next, we have our district mayor, Mr Young, who also happened to win the 3rd Endercon building competition. Give him a warm welcome!”

The audience gave more polite applause as he took the stage, a cocky grin tugging at his small lips. He adjusted his heavy blazer, looking over the audience as though he were a proud mother.

“And finally, you all know and love her, Mrs Henderson!”

The audience cheered considerably more enthusiastically as an elderly lady, known for treating the whole neighbourhood as though they were her own grandchildren, as she took her place next to Mr Young, blowing kisses at the audience. Even Jesse gave a loud whoop.

“So what are you all waiting for? Get building! Judging starts in three hours. Good luck contestants, and have fun!”

Adrenaline raced through Jesse’s veins, the nervous butterflies becoming more like pelicans. He took to his messy piles, trusting Olivia to handle the redstone component of the build while he and Axel focused on creating the statue. He tossed Axel a large spool of black wool, keeping another for himself.

“You ready?” Jesse asked, grinning with determination.

“Born ready.” Axel replied, mirroring Jesse’s expression.

“Let’s do this.”

The two formed the wool into tight blocks, the excitement palpable as the statue grew higher and Olivia’s redstone work shaped up. Every now and then Jesse would hear her giggle with glee as she got some part of the contraption to work. He cherished the moment as he toiled on the build, burning every memory of Axel complaining about the sweltering heat or his nicked finger and Olivia muttering words of encouragement to herself, occasionally piping up to offer motivation to the other two, into his mind. He wanted to remember this day forever. The day they finally beat the Ocelots.

After a few hours of building, Jesse and Axel stood back to admire their statue. The Enderman was about ten feet tall, built from jet black wool. The electric purple glass eyes glimmered in the sunlight, casting beams of purple light onto the ground. Jesse stood in the spotlight, smiling at their accomplishment. Even if they didn’t win, the warm proudness in Jesse’s chest was enough satisfaction for the day.

“Can someone give me the fireworks?” said Olivia, interrupting Jesse’s thoughts.

“Uh, sure.” he replied, dropping to his knees to search Axel’s bag.

Panic set in as he emptied the small remaining contents onto the ground. A water bottle, a spare jacket, some food… no fireworks.

“Axel, please don’t tell me you forgot the-”

Axel pointed at a neat pile of rockets laying on the ground, giving a dramatic eye roll as he scooped them up and deposited them into Jesse’s arms. He threw the rockets up at Olivia one by one, biting back a laugh as she dropped one, letting loose a string of expletives that had Aiden looking over at them as though they had been personally directed at him.

After the last rocket had been loaded, Olivia jumped down. She stood back, tongue between her teeth as she scrutinised their build, before her face finally split into a wide grin.

“I’m proud of us.” she stated.

“Me too.” said Axel.

“Guys, we can’t lose! They’d have to be crazy to like the Ocelots’ fancy light over our fantastic Enderman.”

“Firework dispenser,” corrected Olivia, glaring at Jesse. “I worked too fucking hard on that redstone for you to call it a statue.”

“Hey. I think we all worked hard.” said Axel, ducking out of the way as she aimed a playful punch at his shoulder.

“Good work, Order of the Pig.” Jesse said.

“Don’t call us that.” said Olivia.

Jesse rolled his eyes, taking his food from his bag. He offered a slice of bread each to Olivia and Axel, and a few carrots for Reuben. They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they chewed. A shrill alarm pierced Jesse’s ears, signalling the end of building time. He wiped the crumbs off his hands, his cocky grin falling into place as his team made their way to the top of the dispenser, ready to pull the lever when it was their turn.

Jesse watched the judges meander between builds, nodding and exchanging various glances as they furiously scribbled notes on a clipboard. The trio seemed particularly pleased with a small lava fountain in booth 3, all three walking away with bright grins as they approached the Ocelots. Jesse crossed his fingers, hoping somehow the Ocelots’ stupid, overly-complicated, glorified light wouldn’t work. Unfortunately, a bright beam skyrocketed into the air, gaudy rainbow colours contrasting the baby blue of the sky. One judge audibly gasped, clapping giddily as Lukas explained the way their beacon worked.

Jesse wiped his sweaty hands on his blue jeans, faking a confident smile as the judges approached their Enderman.

“Hey there! We’re the Order of the Pig, and this is our fantastic fireworks launcher! Olivia, would you please do the honours?”

The judges watched, anticipation written across their faces, as Olivia flicked the switch.The sky erupted in a multitude of colours and patterns, brilliant pinks and greens splattering the sky like blossoms. A shower of glitter rained down the crowd. Jesse could only imagine how stunning the fireworks would look across the night sky.

The judges seemed to think the same, their jaws practically on the floor as they examined the masterpiece, too enraptured to even take notes.

Jesse drew Olivia and Axel in for a group hug as the judges applauded, excited murmurs drifting up from them as they slowly made their way to booth six. The group slid down the ladder, collecting themselves into an even tighter hug with their feet safely on the ground.

Jesse high-fived his friends as they pulled away, matching looks of excitement on each of their faces.

“Guys, I think we did it!” Jesse said.

“The Ocelots have no chance!” Axel added, sticking his middle finger up at the opposing team.

Aiden sneered in response, shouting something unintelligible which earned him a hard smack on the side of the head from Lukas, along with a glare reminiscent of a disapproving mother.

Jesse gathered Reuben into his arms, giving him a tight hug.

“We did it, buddy!”

Reuben squealed in delight, wriggling free to run excited circles around the booth.

A hush befell the field as the judges took to the stage, an envelope clutched in the wrinkled hand of Mrs Henderson.

“May I have your attention please? We are ready to announce the winners!”

Electricity ricocheted through the air, buzzing through Jesse’s spine. He cheered at the top of his lungs, his throat growing hoarse as he shouted with glee.

“This year's winners of the Annual Endercon Building Competition, to be rewarded with a special meet-and-greet with Gabriel the Warrior… give it up for The Order of the Pig!”

Jesse’s eardrum almost burst as Axel let out a mighty roar, throwing his arms up in the air before crushing his two friends in a hug. Jesse’s heart swelled, pride filling every inch of his body.

“We actually fucking did it!” cried Olivia, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks.

“Take that, Pussycats!” jeered Axel, flipping a double middle finger at Aiden, who had turned beetroot purple.

“HOW DID WE LOSE TO A BUNCH OF DYED WOOL?!” he screamed, furiously lunging at Axel.

He almost looked scary, an unquenchable need for vengeance raging behind his eyes. He took an empty bucket from booth 3, scooping oozing lava into the bucket. He met Jesse’s gaze with a crazed smile, which never left his face as he launched the lava into the air at Jesse’s build. Bystanders screamed as they leapt out of their way, one girl wailing as a drop landed on her shoe, melting right through. A single ember landed on the wing of Reuben’s costume, setting it ablaze.

Reuben shrieked, barrelling away from the flames towards the dense forest. Jesse’s stomach churned, the bread he had just eaten sitting at the base of his throat. The lava bubbled, just like Jesse’s anger, radiating off him in waves so strong even Olivia and Axel took a step back.

“Reuben!!!” Jesse called, his eyes desperately raking the treeline for any sign of his beloved pig.

“Jesse, the build’s gonna burn down if we don’t do something quick!” Axel said, eyes pleading.

“Reuben’s gonna get lost!” Olivia said, joining Jesse in scouring the edge of the forest.

“No,” said Jesse, taking a single step forward. “You guys stay and save the build. I’m gonna get Reuben.”

Olivia nodded, her lower lip quivering as she stared at Jesse with wide, frightened eyes. She snapped into business, ordering Axel around as the two stopped the flow of lava from reaching their very flammable wool. Jesse ran into the forest, sweat dripping down his forehead in the hot summer air. He didn’t bother to glance back over his shoulder, if he had he would’ve noticed Lukas admonishing a remorseless Aiden, or the judges fumbling uselessly to remedy the situation as bystanders took charge of clearing people away from the spreading fire.

He focused only on Reuben, screaming the pig’s name as he entered the canopy of leaves, unaware of the sun beginning to disappear below the horizon.

Chapter Text

Jesse pushed a tree branch out of his face, he cast wary glances at the expanses of foliage, a deep unease settling in his chest as he realised he was losing light fast. The forest was glazed in a soft orange light where the trees broke apart to reveal the red sky. The evening air had cooled to a mild temperature, the bushes rustled in a light breeze, which left Jesse shivering in his sweat-soaked shirt. Jesse’s thoughts raced, he hoped that Reuben hadn’t burned to death in that stupid dragon costume or wound up lost forever in a maze of tree trunks.

“Reuben?” he tried, his voice shaking. “Reuben, please? Can you hear me?”

A twig snapped behind Jesse, in an instant his trembling hand had found the handle of his flimsy wooden sword, he gripped it tightly in a shaking fist, his heart thundered in his chest. He backed up against a tree trunk, eyes blown wide as the bushes continued to move seemingly on their own. A flash of white and red jumped out from the bushes. Jesse screeched, his voice aching from the harsh sound.

It was just a chicken. Jesse scoffed, relieved as he lowered his unsteady arm. He vaguely wondered if he’d be able to fight any real trouble if he couldn’t keep his nerve around chickens. He shooed the bird away, heaving a sigh as he stowed away his sword.

An oink caught Jesse’s attention, he followed the noise, careful to keep his footsteps soft and quiet in case of any monsters hiding in the shadows. He traced the noise to a herd of pigs, swallowing back the urge to cry. He kicked a nearby tree, swearing at the top of his lungs.

A bitter smell tinged the air, Jesse sniffed, the burning scent searing his nose. Burning… burning! Cold dread washed over him, his stomach churned as he ran full pelt towards the foul smell, his heart once again beating as though it would never beat again. He crashed into a tree, reeling at the sting that flashed across his entire body. His finger throbbed where a large splinter had pierced his skin. He sucked on the wound, fear welling up in his chest as he approached the burning tree.

His eyes raked the scene, a small oak tree was alight with dancing flames, sending tufts of sooty black smoke into the sky. Beside it was a small lump of black fabric. Jesse’s heart was in his throat as he crept towards the torn mass, his legs like jelly beneath him.

It was undoubtedly Reuben’s Ender Dragon costume, charred and smouldering. Gingerly, Jesse pinched the left wing between shaking fingers, moving it out of his way.

Relief washed over him, he gave a high-pitched squeak of joy as he tumbled backward. His heart finally slowed to a steady thump. Reuben had seemingly managed to break free of the costume, leaving only the destroyed remnants. He staggered to his feet with newfound hope.

He headed for an ominously dark cave, wondering if Reuben had entered to shelter from the earlier heat. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled at the sudden drop in temperature. He wrapped his arms around his torso, blinking as an icy water droplet splashed his face. The cave had a stale, musty smell which reminded Jesse of a stagnant pond. He stumbled over the uneven surface, unable to see beyond a metre ahead of himself.

“Reuben?” he whispered.

He peered into a deep hole, screaming at the sight of glowing red eyes staring back at him. A large, ugly spider hissed at him. He sprinted towards a few feeble rays of moonlight coming from a tiny exit. The rock scraped against his skin as he clambered out through the hole, his sleeves and hands were covered in dust and grit.

He emerged into a broad clearing, the grassy meadow was bathed in an almost ethereal moonlight. Like this, the night almost felt safe. A tall patch of grass rustled, Jesse only hoped it was a friend and not a foe. He took his last carrot from his bag, praying it was Reuben.

The pink head of a small pig popped out from between the spindles of green, he chirped as he pranced towards Jesse, devouring the carrot in a few bites. Jesse beamed as he bundled Reuben in a tight hug, mindful to avoid the angry burn mark on his friend’s back.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again, okay?” Jesse admonished, betraying the angry tone with a giddy chuckle.

Reuben looked up with wide, innocent eyes and any semblance of residual anger melted from Jesse’s heart.

“We’d better get back to Endercon. Axel and Olivia will be wondering where we got to…”

A sudden chill ran down Jesse’s spine. A low moan echoed from the treeline, followed by the heavy plodding of footsteps and the nauseating smell of rotting flesh. Jesse’s hand flew to his sword. He brandished it with a shaking hand, pressing his back up against a wall of stone.

“We have to run, Reuben!” he said, sounding much braver than he felt.

Reuben snorted in protest, cuddling up to Jesse’s leg. The pig quivered against Jesse’s side as a hideous pack of zombies emerged from the tree line, their arms outstretched towards them.

“I said go!” shouted Jesse, nudging Reuben with his leg.

Reuben shot in front first, followed closely by Jesse, his legs aching with every leap. A sharp pain flashed across Jesse’s angle as his foot caught in a pothole. He cursed, half-hopping half-running towards the next clearing. His ankle already swelled up, he gritted his teeth against the pain, falling to his knees on the damp grass. He gasped for air, his lungs aching with the effort to breathe. He felt for Reuben next to him, relieved to find his companion still at his side.

“I think we’re-”

He was cut off by a sinister hissing. He staggered to his feet, away from the bright green creeper that had blended in all too well with the grass surrounding them. His ankle throbbed as he beelined for a mossy stone wall, hoping to at least cover himself from behind. The relief was momentary, he screeched as an arrow lodged itself in the stone beside him, a skeleton stood across the clearing, aiming another arrow at him.

His head spun as he scooped Reuben into his arms, racing for the next clearing. His heart thundered, he tumbled to the ground, stopping just short of crashing into a tall, stony cliff face. He coughed as he gasped for air, the metallic taste of blood at the back of his throat.

With nowhere to run, he drew his sword at the hoard of zombies approaching, their soulless eyes fixed on his throat.

“Stay behind me.” he whispered to Reuben, drawing himself up as tall as he could.

He let out a battle cry, whipping his sword across the throat of the nearest zombie. The creature snarled, dropping to the ground with a weak groan. He pierced it through the skull for good measure, turning to the advancing hordes. His neck cracked as a zombie punched his jaw from the side. He touched a hand to his swollen lip, his fingers coming away with hot, sticky blood. He thrust his sword into the zombie’s stomach.

He turned to the next two, in one fluid motion he managed to slit the throats of them both. They crumbled to the ground and he crushed their skulls with his good leg.

Jesse looked at the sword in his hand with horror, the top hung on by a few splinters of wood. He closed his eyes and swung at the closest zombie.

He let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding as he heard a thud, his relief short-lived. The zombie may have fallen, but the sword in his hand was nothing more than a stump.

“Fuck!” he yelled, tossing the now useless sword aside.

His eyes raked the treeline. Ten different mobs advanced on him, leaving him with nowhere to go.

“Reuben, listen to me, you have to run! Go and find Axel and Olivia, they’ll know what to do! Please! Go! I’ll meet you later!”

He watched as Reuben dodged between mobs, heading towards the town. He eyed the mobs staggering towards him, praying he’d be able to stay true to his word. He had to come back.

It was no use trying to run on his ankle, he’d never be able to outrun the spiders or the skeletons’ arrows. His hand felt empty without a sword in it, he balled his hands into fists and bared his teeth in a vain attempt to intimidate the monsters. It only seemed to anger them more. A sudden thud to the chest knocked him to the ground.

Jesse’s entire body ached with the jolt. A heavy weight crushed the air from his lungs, a spider clicked its pincers at him, its hairy legs tickling his arms. He flailed, trying in vain to wiggle out from underneath the spider’s grasp. It was futile, Jesse’s weak and tired limbs no match for the spider’s brutish force.

He glanced up at the moon, waiting for his impending doom. Every inch of his being ached, he wondered if his friends would ever come looking for him, only to find his mutilated body left battered and bloody in a random clearing.

He closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate, a cacophony of growling and hissing around him. He tensed, waiting for the agony of being eaten alive.

It never came.

The sound of scraping mental grated his ears, the spider’s weight turning limp on his body. He seized the chance to push it off, frantically searching for whatever had saved him as he sat himself up on shaking arms.

A leather-clad hand was offered to him. He took it, not caring who it belonged to, only grateful they had saved his life. He suppressed a gasp as he realised it belonged to Petra, sputtering in confusion as he tried to ask what the hell she was doing alone in the woods.

She frowned at him, gently shaking her head.

“Talk later. Let’s get out of the open.”

Dumbfounded, he nodded, finding some last vestige of energy to follow her from the clearing. He turned, taking the string from the dead spider before hurrying to follow her. Her auburn hair stood out like flames against the muddied scene of twilight-lit foliage, helping Jesse’s exhausted gaze to spot her. She lit a torch, illuminating her stony expression. She rounded on him as she slowed to match his pace, her eyes ablaze with frustration.

“What the fuck are you doing roaming the woods at night?” she said, a harsh growl to her tone.

“I could ask you the same question.” Jesse said, rolling his eyes.

“Careful, buddy. I just saved your fucking life. Also, I can take care of myself and, clearly, you can’t!”

Jesse sighed, long and heavy, weighed down by the ordeal of an evening.

“I was looking for Reuben. Aiden threw a tantrum and he got hurt. He ran off into the forest and I couldn’t just leave him.”

Petra’s face softened, Jesse thought she almost looked sympathetic. Almost.

“Did you find him?” she asked.

“Yeah, I did. But I told him to run when we got cornered. I didn’t need him going down with me.”

She nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. Jesse couldn’t help but feel awkward as he followed behind her, unsure of what to say.

“So… where exactly are we going?” he asked, his voice cracking after five minutes of agonising silence.

“Just follow me. I’ve got some stuff I can use to uh… patch you up a bit.”

“Great.”

“Those mobs gave you a real good beating, huh?” she observed, her lip curling up in what seemed like amusement.

Jesse scoffed, crossing his arms. “I suppose.”

“Nothing to be embarrassed about.” she said.

Jesse once again rolled his eyes. If she wasn’t teasing him, why bring it up?

The insufferable silence carried on until they reached the mouth of a dimly lit cave. Jesse raised an eyebrow as Petra continued in.

“C’mon, nothing in here’s gonna bite.” she said, the hint of a laugh in her voice.

The cave was different to the one Jesse had scoured earlier for any sign of Reuben. A warmth came from within, it felt lived in. She patted a well-worn rock, gesturing for him to sit down. Jesse fiddled with his suspenders as she rummaged in a chest, returning to him a few moments later with bandages, gauze and a bottle of what Jesse assumed was water. She cracked open the cap, Jesse wrinkled his nose at the strong, bitter smell of alcohol.

“It’s gonna sting like hell, but your cuts might get infected otherwise.” she warned.

Jesse nodded, steeling himself as she tipped some of the liquid onto a swatch of gauze.

She closed one eye, tongue between her teeth as she dabbed at Jesse’s split lip, a little more aggressively than necessary.

She was right, it felt as though his lip was splitting open all over again. She moved onto the rest of the cuts on his face and neck, covering a few of them with bandages.

“Right. Now you were limping earlier, am I right in saying-”

“I rolled my ankle in a pothole.”

“Shit.”

He unlaced his shoe, kicking it off to let her look at his swollen ankle. Angry purple bruises danced across his skin, his ankle twice its normal size. Unperturbed, she took the bandage and wrapped it tightly around his injury, handing him back his shoe when he was done. He put it on, surprised to find she had vanished when he looked up.

“Petra?” he ventured.

He stood, his ankle twinging slightly as he walked deeper into the cave. He found her elbow-deep in another chest, a frown written across her face as she searched for something.

“Petra.” he said.

“What?” she replied, an edge to her voice.

Jesse shrugged, staring at her incredulously. Unease gripped at his chest as they both stood, expectantly waiting for the other to say something.

“Well?” she asked.

“I was just… looking for you?” Jesse replied, unsure.

“Okay?”

He watched as she went through another chest, wondering if he might be better off to just go and try and make his own way back. Then again, he had no weapons and no idea where he was.

He jumped as she slammed the chest shut, a slight smile on her face as she threw him half a loaf of bread.

“Thanks.” he said, realising how hungry he was.

“Don’t mention it.”

He took a bite, surprised by how soft and sweet it was.

“I wanna show you something.” Petra said.

Jesse didn’t like the smug smile on her face as she beckoned for him to follow her deeper into the cave. The light grew more sparse and the ground more uneven. He tripped over loose stones, muttering curses under his breath as his bad ankle ached.

“Not that this isn’t a really cool dimly lit tunnel, but how far away is this thing you wanna show me?” he asked, unable to keep a slight quiver from his voice.

Petra raised an eyebrow, looking mildly amused.

“Careful, Jesse. You don’t wanna get a reputation as a wimp.”

Jesse rolled his eyes, a little more than slightly annoyed.

“This isn’t my first time in a cave, Petra.”

She gave him a look that clearly said ‘are you sure?’ before turning her focus to rummaging through her bag.

Jesse couldn’t help but gasp as she pulled a coal-black skull from her backpack.

“Yeah, but have you ever seen a wither skull?”

Jesse blinked up at her, his eyes darting between her cocky smile and the fragile skull in her hand.

“How did you–”

“Killed it myself, today actually.”

“That’s insane, you could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

She had the audacity to laugh at him. Jesse frowned, mesmerised by the skull in spite of himself.

“It’s adorable that you’re actually worried. I can handle myself. Besides, the risk is worth the reward.”

“Oh, really?” Jesse said, following as continued through the stony passage.

“Yeah, really. There’s this guy I’m meeting up with at Endercon. He promised me a diamond for it.”

“An actual, real, legitimate diamond?!” Jesse said, his voice breathy with awe.

“No. I went and risked my neck for a fake one.” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Right,” Jesse replied, rolling his eyes. “So, the skull’s worth a diamond?”

“Are you kidding? With the effort I went to for it, I should be asking for much more.”

“What’s this guy’s deal?”

Petra shrugged.

“He’s a little weird… I guess, but he’s willing to pay so I don’t really care.”

“You never questioned what he’s up to?”

The smile on her face was too condescending for Jesse’s liking.

“It’s not really my business, is it?”

Jesse wanted to pull his hair out. He shook his head, wondering how someone could go through life so unfazed.

“Wow.”

Her eyebrows pinched together in confusion.

“Wow what?”

“In a single day, you went to the Nether, killed a wither skeleton, saved my ass, and to top it all off you’re getting paid in diamonds? Pretty sweet being you, huh?”

A bitter look crossed her face that Jesse couldn’t quite decipher. He decided it was almost melancholy.

“You could… come with me?”

Jesse stopped walking, shocked. He ignored the concern on her face, blinking at her with all the drama he could muster.

“Wait, really?”

Her face broke into a smile.

“Yeah, why not? I mean if you’re too nervous, I get it. But I wouldn’t mind a little back up.”

“Well, shit. Okay. Uh, what’s in it for me?”

“Respect… admiration… not getting punched in the face for saying that just now.”

Jesse flinched at the dagger-filled glare she shot him. He followed her to another crafting set up, taking a step back as she smiled at him.

“Relax, I’m not that scary, am I?” she teased.

“Well… I don’t know. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of your own reputation.”

She grinned at this, leaning back against the crafting table.

“One that I’ve cultivated very carefully. Don’t you dare screw it up for me. If anyone asks, I saved your ass and then mysteriously disappeared into the woods.”

“R-right.”

“Besides the point,” she began. “Since that wooden sword of yours got busted…”

“You’re giving me a new one?” Jesse guessed, incredulously.

“Even better. You can make your own. Might as well make a stone one.”

“Thanks!” Jesse said, smiling.

“My pleasure.” she said, deadpan.

He lifted the chest lid, scanning the piles of junk. He sifted through scraps of leather and large rolls of string to find a stick and some stone. He laid them on the crafting table, taking a very well-sharpened knife and beginning to piece together a sword. His work was shoddy, the edges of the sword more jagged than they should be, but he managed to work together an acceptable sword. He grinned at his finished product, slashing it at imaginary adversaries as he giggled.

“All done?” Petra asked, eyebrows raised.

Jesse flushed with embarrassment, tucking the sword in his bag.

“Yep.”

The air grew fresher as they continued along a steep incline, the cool night outside seeping into the cave. Jesse smiled as he saw moonlight, heaving a sigh of relief at the sight of the familiar bridge back to town.

“So… is this where you live?” Jesse asked.

“Don’t be a moron. Of course I don’t live in a cave.” Petra said, her pitch rising in offence.

“Okay, jeez… just asking.”

“Maybe don’t ask stupid questions.”

He watched as she expertly manoeuvred through a series of jagged stones, failing miserably at copying her elegant leaps across the uneven path. He rolled his eyes as her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

“I’ve got a bad ankle.” he said, pouting as he tripped his way over where she stood.

She shook her head, leading him towards the exit. For all that she annoyed him, Jesse couldn’t help but take an odd sort of liking towards her. Despite the wall of secrecy she kept up, a part of him trusted her. Maybe it had to do with him owing his life to her.

“I should thank you.” Jesse said, breaking his reverie.

She stopped, her brow furrowed as she tilted her head.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. You didn’t have to save my life tonight.”

She looked at the ground, kicking a rock in front of her with a shrug.

“I just did what any decent person would do.”

“Well… thank you.”

They came to the exit, the lights of Endercon just visible beyond the trees. Jesse smiled, and sucked in a deep breath of crisp air.

The worst was over, home in sight.

Chapter Text

The lights of Endercon glimmered beyond the trees. Dazzling flashes of rainbow lights leapt from the horizon, illuminating the sky with eye-catching colours.

“Endercon’s all lit up!” Petra said, running out onto the bridge for a better look.

Jesse wandered out to meet her, gritting his teeth as his ankle flared up with each step. An array of fireworks adorned the night sky, soaring across the velvety depths in an array of colours and patterns. Pink, blue, and green sparks rained down on Endercon, Jesse grinned from ear to ear.

“I can’t believe we actually won.” he said, chuckling in disbelief.

“Good for you, Jesse.”

Despite the sarcastic words, her tone was sincere. Jesse smiled, crossing his arms as he stared in awe at Olivia’s artfully crafted firework display. His mouth turned down as a note of bitterness tinged the moment, Aiden’s temper tantrum was still fresh in his mind.

“It’s about time we beat Lukas and his pussy cats.”

Petra frowned as she turned to Jesse, a single eyebrow raised.

“You know, Lukas may be kind of arrogant, but he has come through for me in tricky situations. He’s resourceful, it can’t hurt to make nice.”

Jesse scrunched up his nose, his chest seizing up at the thought of trying to make small talk with Lukas. Any scenario he could think of, none of them ended well. He vaguely wondered what she meant by ‘tricky situations’, deciding it would probably be better if he didn’t know. He sighed, plastering a mild expression across his face.

“You might be right.”

“Look, I’m not saying you should try being best friends, but he’s useful to have around.”

“Is that why you keep him around? Because he’s useful?” Jesse said, scoffing.

Petra laughed, the sound was hollow and condescending.

“Is there any other reason to keep someone around?” she said, the vague hint of a smile on her lips a little too unsettling for Jesse’s tastes.

“I don’t know, have you ever tried having friends?” he replied, rolling his eyes.

“Sure.” she said, grinning like she knew some all-powerful knowledge he didn’t. “But I can handle myself just fine.”

Petra turned, walking across the bridge. Jesse followed, lagging slightly behind on his bad ankle.

“Remember what Endercon was like before it was cool?” said Petra.

“Oh god yeah.” replied Jesse, shuddering at the thought of dingy stands selling novelty plastic masks and questionably prepared food that always left a greasy coating in his mouth. “I’m pretty sure Axel got food poisoning one year.”

“Doesn’t surprise me.” she said, disgust lacing her voice.

A slight hissing came from the bushes across the bridge. Petra stopped and thrust her arm out in front of Jesse, he slammed into her rock-hard arm chest first, gasping for air.

A green shape emerged from the bush, tall with dead, soulless black eyes.

“Creepers.” Petra muttered, drawing her sword.

“Fuck.” Jesse said, turning to run back to Petra’s cave.

He tripped over his feet as he halted to a stop, backing up against Petra and drawing his own sword as a horde of rotting zombies staggered towards them from the other direction. The mobs advanced, Jesse’s heart thundered in his ears. Surrounding them on both sides were angry monsters that growled and snarled as they approached, the zombies’ decaying hands were clawing at them, ready to rip their brains from their skulls.

Petra and Jesse were back to back, swords brandished.

“We either fight or jump.” Petra said, jolting Jesse as she swung her sword at a zombie getting a little too close.

Its severed hand fell to the ground, the creature snarled as it backed away, clutching at its arm blindly.

“Uhhhhh…” Jesse said, his panicked mind coming up blank. “We’re screwed.”

“What was that?!” shouted Petra, kicking a zombie in the head.

Jesse shrank into her as a zombie tried to clutch onto his shirt.

“I said we’re–”

The world fell out of focus as a sharp push landed on his back, the ground disappearing from underneath him as he suddenly plummeted towards five metres of deep, black water. He screamed as his stomach jumped into his throat, screwing his eyes tight as the concrete-like water drew closer. The sound of mobs snarling above him was muffled as his body smashed into the river’s surface. His skin burned as he plunged in, scrambling to the surface. He gasped for air, splashing about wildly as he waited for the world to stop spinning.

“What the fuck was that for?!” he demanded, noticing a flash of Petra’s auburn hair beside him.

“You can thank me later for saving your life twice in one night.” she retorted, spitting out a mouthful of murky water.

“Yeah, well, you could’ve warned me.” he muttered, following after Petra as she swam for the river bank.

He hauled himself out of the river, coughing up a lungful of water. Jesse shivered in the cool, night air, wishing the day’s heat hadn’t melted away. He wrung the water from his shirt, glaring at her as Petra squeezed her hair until it was damp instead of soaking wet.

“Let’s go.” she began, casting furtive glances to the surrounding foliage. “I don’t want to get caught out again. You’ll dry off on the way there.”

She took off into the trees, gesturing for him to follow.

“How far away are we?” Jesse asked, out of breath as he hurried to catch up to her.

“Not far.” she replied, annoyed.

The gates of Endercon came into view as Petra pushed aside a low-hanging branch, smirking as Jesse’s jaw dropped.

He grinned at the familiarity of the warm yellow lights and the striped tent-tops of the stands, selling all kinds of memorabilia and knick-knacks. Large signs plastered all over were adorned with Gabriel’s grinning face flexing large biceps, advertising the meet and greet. Jesse hoped he’d catch up with Axel and Olivia in time to make it.

People stared at them as they wandered through Endercon, still leaving a trail of water droplets behind them. Jesse turned bright red, smiling awkwardly as he kept accidentally catching the eyes of disapproving strangers. Petra stared ahead, her face impassive, seemingly not noticing the whispers around them.

“When we’re making the deal, I need you to let me do the talking.” she said.

Jesse jumped, her voice taking him out of his reverie.

“Oh.” he replied, mind racing to catch up with the conversation.

“I just can’t risk anything screwing this up.” she said, turning to him with a raised eyebrow. “Or anyone.”

“I’ll behave.” he said, shrugging.

Her face relaxed, she considered him for a moment, looking up with a snarky grin.

“You know, if you wanna be really useful, try to look intimidating.”

“Like this?”

Jesse bared his teeth and growled, flexing his arms.

“You look ridiculous.” she said, laughing.

“Scary right?” he said, dropping his arms as his face stretched into a wide smile.

“I’m less scared of you, than scared for you.” she replied.

Jesse pressed a hand to his chest, pretending to wipe tears from his eyes. His melodrama was interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Jesse!”

He turned to find Axel and Olivia waving at them, relief written across their faces. Olivia rushed forward to wrap him in a tight hug, tutting as she examined the numerous cuts, scrapes, bruises and bandages across his body.

“We were getting so worried!” she said, pulling him in for another hug.

“What happened to you?” Axel asked, crushing the air from Jesse’s lungs as he nudged Olivia out of the way to give him a bone-crushing hug.

“I ran into some mobs looking for Reuben. I’m okay though.”

“Of course you are, buddy.” Axel said, finally releasing him.

Jesse’s breath hitched as Axel dropped him onto his bad ankle. Petra cleared her throat, tilting her head in the direction of the alley. Jesse shrugged, turning back to Axel and Olivia. Axel bit at his lower lip while Olivia rolled her eyes at him, a friendly smile spreading across her face, if a little forced.

“Hey Petra.” she said.

Petra gave a thin smile, nodding her head in acknowledgement.

“Hi.”

“How did you–” Axel began, eyes darting between Jesse and Petra.

“We ran into each other while I was looking for Reuben.”

“Did you find him?” Olivia asked, a crease forming between her eyebrows.

“Yeah, but I told him to run when we got cornered by mobs, it was for his own good.”

“What were you doing in the woods, Petra?” Axel asked.

Petra’s eyebrows shot up, she quickly regained her composure, her eyes narrowed coolly.

“Nothing. Just drawn by the sound of Jesse’s high pitched screams.”

“I’d be dead if she didn’t find me.” Jesse added with a lopsided smile.

“Well then, thank you.” said Olivia, offering Petra a genuine smile.

“Just doing my civic duty.” Petra responded, the hint of a laugh in her voice.

Awkward silence befell the group, interrupted by the sound of yet another stream of fireworks bursting across the sky, showering them all in rainbow sparks.

“I still can’t believe we won.” said Olivia, breathless as she turned to examine their build again, stars in her eyes.

“Of course we won, we’re awesome!” Axel said, throwing an arm over Jesse and Olivia’s shoulders.

“We did okay, didn’t we?” said Olivia, her soft smile filled with joy.

“More than okay.” said Jesse, grinning. “We did amazing!”

“We should have a party to celebrate!” said Axel.

“Yeah! Load up on crappy food and sleep over in the treehouse!” said Jesse.

“Sounds like fun!” said Olivia, wriggling out from under Axel’s arm to continue gawking at their build.

Jesse’s head swivelled at a tap on his shoulder. Petra stood behind him, motioning at an imaginary watch on her wrist. Jesse untangled himself from Axel’s grasp, waving to his friends as he followed Petra.

“We’ve just got something quick to take care of! I’ll catch up with you guys later!”

“Oh, okay!” said Olivia, waving back as a slightly concerned expression crossed her face.

Axel glowered at him as he waved, rearranging his face into a more pleasant expression as Olivia whacked the side of his head and gave him a stern glance.

Petra gestured him over to a long, narrow, dark alley between two dinghy buildings. Jesse took a deep breath, the stale smell of dust burned his nose hairs. He followed Petra into the alley, shivering in his still-damp clothes. He tripped on the uneven cobblestone, barely able to see Petra only two feet in front of him in the dim slivers of silvery moonlight that permeated into the alley. The sound of mice chittering sent chills down Jesse’s spine, he gasped as he felt something brush up against his leg.

“That’s weird…” said Petra, her voice cutting like a knife through the soft creaking of broken window shutters.

“What, that we’re standing in a rat-infested alley doing a totally not at all sketchy deal?” replied Jesse through chattering teeth.

“No.” said Petra, the eye roll almost audible in her voice. “That’s he’s not here.”

“Maybe he meant the other dark, creepy alley.” said Jesse.

Petra sighed, brushing past Jesse.

“Stay here in case this is the spot he meant. I’m gonna go look around for him.”

“Wait! You’re just gonna leave me here?!” Jesse said, his heart dropping.

“What, you scared?” Petra teased.

“No.” replied Jesse.

“Good.”

Petra checked around both corners, slipping from the alley as with an inconspicuous smile. Jesse shivered, rubbing his arms as though that could flatten the goosebumps which prickled at his skin. He noticed a chest in the corner of his eye, the wood practically falling to pieces on the outside. He leant down to it, reaching out a curious hand.

“Ahem.”

Jesse jumped, turning to face an older man with pale skin and long, scraggly, jet black hair streaked with patches of grey. He wore a thick khaki robe detailed with gold, cinched at the waist by a thick belt adorned with a large, glimmering sapphire-blue gem. The intimidating glare on his face was emphasised by the powerful clicking of his boots on the cobblestone. He examined Jesse with dark, grey eyes, the corners of his mouth flicking down in distaste.

“Just who are you?” he demanded, his gravelly, booming voice echoing in the darkness.

Jesse stumbled backwards, tripping over the chest. He scrambled to his feet, dread sinking into his stomach as he realised the slimy wall behind him was a dead end.

“J-Jesse. Who are you?”

“That’s none of your business. I’m supposed to be meeting with someone, and you’re clearly not meant to be here.”

“You wouldn’t be waiting for Petra, would you?” Jesse said, his voice shaking.

“And just how do you know about that?” he said, his eyes narrowed and dangerous.

“I’m her uh… business partner?” Jesse replied, slowly reaching for the sword in his bag.

“I agreed to meet with her, not her partner.”

He spat the word out like it tasted bad, taking a threatening step towards Jesse.

“She’ll be here any second now! She actually left me here while she went to look for you. We uh, we can get started without her!”

Jesse tried to look more confident than he felt, cautiously stepping forward.

The man sighed. “Fine.”

Jesse let out a soft breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding.

“Do you have the skull?” the man said, trying to peer over Jesse’s shoulder into his bag.

Jesse’s eyes widened as he realised Petra had taken it with her.

“Uh… of course?”

“Show me.”

“Are you sure you wanna see it?”

“Absolutely.”

“You sure?” Jesse said, nervously chuckling. “A wither skull, wow! A lot to take in, you might not be ready for this…”

“I’ve seen a damn wither skull before! Show me now!”

“Stop rushing me! You’re making me nervous…”

The man groaned, clawing at his face with veiny hands.

“I’m not wasting any more time with you.”

“Ivor!”

Petra’s voice rang high and clear over the sound of their squabble. She smiled easily as she approached, exuding a type of casual confidence Jesse could only dream of.

“Finally. Your partner here almost soured the deal.”

Petra frowned apologetically, turning to Jesse with a murderous look that made his skin prickle.

“That’s ah, not good. I left Jesse here while I went to look for you. So sorry, but I’ve got what you asked for.”

“If you have what you promised us!” Jesse said, wincing as Petra elbowed him in the ribcage.

The man, Ivor, ignored him, turning to Petra with a sharp glance.

“You didn’t say anything about an us when we first met. And I don’t like surprises.”

Ivor turned to Jesse like he was prey.

“If these are the sorts of people you associate with, maybe we should call the whole thing off!”

“Let’s not be too hasty! He’s fine… right Jesse?”

Jesse sighed, squirming under Ivor’s intense gaze.

“Let’s just do this thing.” he said.

“That’s what I thought.”

Ivor nodded, holding out his hand. Petra took her bag off her shoulder, rummaging through it. She cast a surreptitious glance over her shoulder and pulled the fragile skull from her bag as though it would melt to dust in her touch. She placed it into Ivor’s outstretched palm, then slung her bag back over her shoulders, arms crossed as she stared at him as though he would disappear the second she looked away.

Ivor’s lips curled up as he examined the skull, poking a finger through the empty eye socket. He hummed in satisfaction as he placed it in a large pocket hidden beneath his robe.

“I’ll take that diamond now.” Petra said, a sharp edge to her voice.

“You’ve earned it.” Ivor said, baring his teeth in an unsettling grin as he gestured to the chest.

Jesse's skin crawled thinking about even touching the chest as Petra gingerly lifted the lid, her unsettled expression turned to one of rage as her jaw dropped and her eyebrows creased. She reached in, only to pull out a wrinkly lump of lapis, barely the size of her palm.

“What the fuck– that bastard!”

She spun around, her knuckles white against the lapis as she prepared to attack. Jesse followed her gaze to find an empty alley, no sign of Ivor standing behind them. Petra threw the lapis against the ground, it crumbled into blue powder against the concrete, leaving a blue stain on her fingers. Jesse held his breath, waiting for her inevitable anger to burst to the surface.

“Of all the dirty, underhanded tricks to pull!” she yelled, slamming the chest shut.

The wood shattered on impact, assaulting Jesse’s nose with the putrid smell of mildew.

“Why would you trust him?!” Jesse said.

Petra ignored him, taking him by the wrist and dragging him out onto the street.

“I’m either getting that diamond, or I’m getting my skull back.” she said as they emerged into the streetlight.

“I’d hate to be him if you don’t.” Jesse muttered.

He shut his mouth at the pointed glance she gave him, scanning his eyes over the masses of people for any sign of Ivor.

“Do you see him?”

“No, we’ve lost him.”

Petra sighed, crossing her arms.

“Then we’ll just have to find him again. You go that way.”

Jesse nodded as she slipped away into the crowd, squinting his eyes against the barrage of lights and colour. Various rainbow coloured stands littered the side of the street, creating a mosh pit of sweet and savoury smells. Vendors selling cakes, popcorn and hot chips called out to patrons, drowning out the cacophony of excited conversations. Numerous displays selling cheap, novelty merchandise advertised radio-active coloured fake swords. Jesse’s eye landed on a new, limited edition poster of Gabriel, depicting the man holding a diamond sword high above his head, a proud glint in his eye. Jesse saluted the poster, continuing on through the sea of people.

He watched as a huge crowd swarmed a tall, blond security guard in a sky blue shirt. The guard pushed screaming fans away from a tall figure dressed in polished black and aqua armour. With a pang, Jesse realised it was Gabriel the Warrior, in the flesh and walking the same ground as him. He almost forgot his mission as he fought the urge to join the struggling stampede. He wondered if Axel and Olivia had remembered to collect their backstage passes. Even if he missed the keynote, at least he still had the meet and greet to look forward to.

For what felt like the billionth time that night, the ground was knocked from beneath Jesse as he collided with someone else. He blinked a few times, disoriented as he staggered back to his feet.

“I’m so sorry–”

“No, I’m sorry–”

Jesse froze as he looked up directly into Lukas’ ice blue eyes. He cleared his throat, Petra’s words echoing in his mind as he plastered an awkward smile across his face.

“Uh… hi?” Jesse stammered, the words felt foreign in his mouth.

“Hi.” Lukas replied, looking as uncomfortable as Jesse felt.

Jesse rocked on the balls of his feet as his mind blanked, he hoped Lukas would say something and spare him the shame of shuffling away as if nothing had happened. A weight lifted off his shoulders as Lukas opened his mouth.

“So… what’s up?” he said, his smile a little too polite to be genuine.

“Nothing. What’s up with you?”

“Nothing, what’s up with you?”

“I– I just said… nothing.”

Lukas flushed, laughing nervously as Jesse’s mouth stretched into a thin smile.

“Hey, uh…” Lukas began. “Congrats on the win. I thought our beacon was cool, but those fireworks? Wow! They were amazing.”

“Thanks. Your beacon wasn’t too shabby either.”

Lukas huffed a laugh through his nose, rolling his eyes.

“I’ll take it.”

Jesse smiled, noticing the way the multi-coloured lights of Endercon glittered in Lukas’ golden hair. With a jolt, he realised he was staring.

“So…” he said with an uncomfortable chuckle. “Um, you wouldn’t have happened to have seen a creepy guy with a robe and a long beard walking around, would you?”

“Uhhh… no? Why?” Lukas asked, furrowing his brow.

“He kind of scammed Petra out of a diamond earlier.”

Lukas’ eyebrows shot up as he let out a low whistle.

“Everyone knows you don’t mess with Petra. Not if you know what’s good for you…”

“Well… you’ve got that right.”

Lukas huffed a small laugh, a slight smile on his lips.

“I’ll keep an eye out.” he said, nodding.

“Thanks. Much appreciated.”

Lukas shrugged, making a sort of flustered noise. He bit his lip, his eyes narrowing as he seemed to be contemplating his words, opening and closing his mouth a few times before finally speaking.

“So– I just wanted to ask… are we cool?”

Jesse blinked, taken aback by the unexpected offer of peace. He smiled, suppressing a chuckle at Lukas’ awkward demeanour.

“Yeah, we’re cool.”

Lukas’ shoulders visibly relax, a comfortable grin settling across his face.

“Cool-cool.”

“Cool beans!”

“Coolorama!”

Lukas laughed, a bright and warm sound which managed to ease some of the tension building in Jesse’s chest. He couldn’t help but join in, shaking his head at the absurdness of it all.

“Well, I’ll see you around, Lukas!” he said, still slightly breathless from his fit of giggles.

“Yeah! See ya!”

Jesse waved, still smiling as he slipped back amongst the crowd, resetting his mind upon his mission. Endercon melded together around him in a moshpit of people and noise. He scanned for the familiar faces of his friends, or any sight of Ivor, pausing at the sound of a booming guffaw. He followed the noise to Axel, positively cackling with delight as he watched some sort of chicken machine with childlike glee. Jesse raised an eyebrow, sidling up to Axel’s side. Jesse wondered what Axel found so impressive about the contraption as a chicken screeched as it stepped on a pressure plate, triggering a piston and sending the flailing bird plummeting to the ground below.

“Thought you could wiggle right out of that trap, didn’t ya?” Axel murmured, his voice quivering with delight. “Wiggle as much as you want! You’re not going anywhere!”

“Axel.” Jesse began, staring at him with pursed lips.

“Yeah?” he replied, his eyes still riveted on the chickens.

“What are you doing?”

Axel scratched the back of his neck, sheepishly meeting Jesse’s gaze.

“Watching the chickens.”

Jesse sighed with a fond eye roll, patting Axel on the shoulder.

“Well, I’ve got something important to ask.”

“Shoot.”

“Have you seen a creepy old guy with a long beard walking around anywhere?”

Axel shook his head, his eyes flickering over to the machine with each cluck of the chickens.

“No, but Petra told me what happened. I’m keeping an eye out.”

Jesse placed his hands on his hips, raising a single unimpressed eyebrow.

“Axel, I know he’s a strange looking guy, but he definitely isn’t tiny and covered in feathers.”

“Okay, so I got a little distracted– but this machine presses all my buttons, y’know? Unnecessarily complicated, bullying birds for no reason… it’s not even making chicken wings!”

“Really? Looked like you were having the time of your life.”

“Okay fine… maybe I was.”

Jesse bit his lower lip, closing his eyes for a second as he collected his thoughts and pushed down the annoyance growing in his chest.

“Please, Axel, this is serious. We could use your help, and this is not helping.”

A stone of guilt settled in Jesse’s stomach at the hurt way Axel’s eyebrows pinched together. He nodded, his dark curls bouncing.

“You’re right.” he paused for a moment, scrunching his nose. “But let me watch one more chicken get owned–”

Jesse raised his hands, lowering them into fists by his side.

“I’m telling Petra you pick your nose in your sleep.”

Axel flushed bright red, turning to Jesse with wide, alarmed eyes.

“All right, all right! I’ll look!”

Jesse chuckled, flashing Axel an appreciative grin. He flicked his friend’s forehead in goodbye, once more entering the swarm of people. A young man shouting over the crowd as he held up mob themed mugs. A group of young teenagers gushing over the posters of Gabriel. A family slurping up ice cream cones as they browsed the stalls. The smell of freshly roasted pork chops. The incessant beat of the drums coming from a crowded dance floor. Jesse gritted his teeth, muttering apologies as he pushed through more strangers, pushing away the urge to sit down with a slice of cake and forget about the day’s events.

A jaggedly cut head of long dark hair caught Jesse’s eye, the person dressed in a muddy coloured robe. Jesse gave a laugh of disbelief.

“Bingo.”

He hurried after Ivor, grinning with his target finally in sight.

“Hey there, fuckface.”

Two strong hands against his shoulders sent him crashing to the hard, gravelly ground. He grunted, laying dazed against the cold path, before finding the will to stagger up, scraping gravel from his elbows. A sharp pain seared all through his back and arms. He was vaguely aware of a hot, sticky wetness where his elbows had collided against the ground, breaking his fall.

Jesse looked up, his eyes locking with Aiden’s. He took a long inhale through his nose, releasing it through gritted teeth.

“What do you want?”

Aiden shrugged, sending burning pulses of rage through Jesse’s veins as he sneered with that cold, judgemental glare in his eyes.

“How’s your stupid pig?” jeered Aiden, grabbing Jesse by the jaw.

“Missing, actually.” Jesse replied, making sure to spit in Aiden’s face as he spoke. “All thanks to your brainless little stunt.”

“Oh, my deepest apologies.”

Jesse tutted.

“You’re not capable of depth.”

Aiden snickered, squeezing Jesse before shoving him away. Jesse rubbed at his jaw, his eyes narrowed at Aiden as he trembled with fury.

“I hope for his sake, that stupid little bitch of a pig is dead somewhere, burned to a fatty crisp somewhere in the remote forest where he’ll get mauled by zombies.”

Jesse’s knuckles turned white as he dug his nails into his palms, drawing blood. His body was seized from his control, his vision blurring red as he swung a fist into Aiden’s nose. Jesse’s eyes went wide as he realised what he’d done, staring at his fist with a mixture of horror and amazement as he examined the blood smeared on his hand from its collision with Aiden’s nose.

Aiden fell, for once, speechless as he dabbed at the steady stream of crimson dripping across his mouth and onto the pavement below.

“I’ll fucking kill you for that.” he growled, his eyes as rabid as a wolf.

“Not here, you won’t.” Jesse replied, shoving Aiden out of his way, ignoring the shouts and threats echoing behind him.

The rage still bubbled in Jesse’s chest as he approached Ivor, savouring every inch of pain that flashed across his body as he swung Ivor around, more forcefully than he had intended, teeth bared.

He only realised his mistake when he was staring into the eyes of a horrified woman. She stamped on his toes, wrenching herself from his grip.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!?!” she demanded.

“Shit, I’m so sorry!” Jesse said, raising his open palms in the air. “I thought you were someone else.”

“Get the fuck away from me!” she shouted, sending him murderous looks as she motioned her head toward a security guard.

Jesse shivered, understanding the threat as he sped away as fast as his battered ankle would take him. He chastised himself for getting so swept up in his rage, embarrassment and shame mixing in his stomach.

A pig squealed in the distance. Jesse stopped, desperately scanning the street, his heart sinking.

“Reuben.” he muttered, once more shoving his way through the sea of people.

“Get your fresh pork chops here! Right off the bone!”

Jesse’s eyes landed on a dark-haired man in a white apron, covered in slime and blood, as well as what appeared to be the guts of what he could only assume was a pig. The man stroked his stubbly chin as he selected a weapon, pulling a small, trembling pig up onto the counter.

“Reuben!” Jesse screamed, his feet pounding against the ground as he ran for the old man.

His palms slammed against the counter, he looked up into the butcher’s incredulous face, gasping for air.

“Stop!”

The man lowered his axe, his furry eyebrow drawn into a tight line over his face.

“What’s the big idea?”

“That’s my pig. You’re about to slaughter my pig!”

The man scoffed, crossing his arms over his greasy apron.

“No idea what you’re playing at, kid. I found him wandering around alone in the woods. I think that makes him my pig. He ain’t the fattest, but he’ll still cook up real nice…”

“Please!” Jesse begged. “He’s my friend!”

The butcher sighed, driving his axe into the countertop and leaning on it.

“To me, he’s inventory. I might be amenable to some kind of… trade. Not that you look like you’ve got much of value.”

Jesse squeezed his eyes shut a moment, shaking with what he realised was anger. Anger at Aiden. Anger at Ivor. Anger at this pathetic man. He wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword.

He drew out the stone weapon, pointing the tip a mere inch from the butcher’s face.

The man hissed, the axe clattering to the ground as he raised his hands in surrender.

“Give me my pig.” Jesse said, a dangerous edge to his voice.

The butcher shoved Reuben off the counter, glaring at Jesse with a mix of disgust and fear. Jesse stooped to catch Reuben, hugging him close to his chest. He nuzzled his face against Reuben’s fuzzy head.

“I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” he said, his voice muffled.

Jesse set Reuben down on the floor, mumbling a cold apology to the butcher as he continued through the crowd, keeping his pig close to his side. He continued around Endercon, stopping before the wide stone steps up to the town hall where Olivia stood, seemingly lost in her thoughts. He tapped her on the shoulder, grinning as she startled, her expression softening as she turned to him.

“You found Reuben!” she said, kneeling to pat the pig on his head.

“Yeah. He was almost someone’s dinner.” Jesse said, grimly.

Olivia opened her mouth to say something, her eyes wide.

“Anyway, it’s not important, he’s okay now.” Jesse interrupted. “Remember that thing I had to do with Petra?”

“Yeah?” she replied, curiosity seeping into her voice.

“Long story short, this creepy old guy cheated Petra on a deal, and now we’re trying to track him down. You in?”

Olivia bared her teeth in a cold smile.

“Oh I’m in.”

Jesse looked over his shoulder at the sound of rapid footsteps to find Petra and Axel running towards them.

“Any sign of him?” Petra asked, breathless.

“I thought I saw him earlier but–” Jesse shivered at the memory. “It definitely wasn’t him.”

“Wait so, what exactly does he look like?” Olivia asked.

Petra launched into a detailed explanation of Ivor’s zany appearance. Jesse stared up at the town hall, squinting at a man striding up the stairs. His eyes blew wide with realisation.

“Wait, there he is!”

Everyone swivelled their heads to follow Jesse’s gaze, jaws dropping and eyebrows raising.

“No fucking way.” Axel muttered. “He’s going inside!”

“Great observation, genius.” Olivia said, playfully shoving Axel’s shoulder.

“We’re gonna have to get past that usher to follow him.” Petra said.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Jesse said, strolling up to the usher with a polite smile.

“Hey there.” he said.

The usher nodded in acknowledgement, eyeing the group with a scowl.

“What would it take to get us inside tonight?” Petra asked, flashing a charming grin.

The guy snorted, drawing up to his full height with a smirk.

“Uhhh, tickets?”

The usher clutched at his stomach, cackling at his joke. He clutched at the fence for support, gasping for air between honking laughs.

“He’s more obnoxious than Jesse.” Olivia muttered, earning her a soft kick to the ankle.

Jesse rolled his eyes, putting on his best puppy dog eyes towards the usher.

“We don’t actually have tickets, we were hoping–”

“Sorry dude, no ticket means no entry. Rules are rules, man.” the usher said, shrugging.

Jesse pressed his lips into a thin line, his hands settling on his hips. He watched, wondering vaguely if he might be hallucinating, as a chicken flapped through the air between him and the usher. The usher screamed, mounting the fence as he blubbered.

“CHICKEN!!!!” he screeched, sounding as though he were about to cry.

Jesse led the group away, his interest piqued by the smug smirk on Petra’s face.

She had an idea.

Chapter Text

“What are we supposed to do now? The show’s been sold out for ages.” Olivia said, frowning.

Axel rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck side to side.

“I could bust right through. Just need a little wind up room.”

He squatted into a runner’s pose, crashing face first into Petra’s outstretched arm.

“Don’t be an idiot.” she said, glaring as Axel rubbed at his nose. “All we need is a distraction.”

“I’m pretty sure being body slammed into the ground is a good distraction.” Axel said, petulantly.

"That might get you arrested." said Olivia, unimpressed.

Petra glanced over to the nearby automatic chicken killer on display, motioning her head to the gaggle of frenzied chickens sprinting in circles within the glass of the machine.

“A lot of chickens running around might be a distraction.”

“You want to release the chickens…” Jesse stated, nodding in approval.

Olivia joined his side, tilting her head as she observed the machine, the cogs whirring in her mind.

“You’d have to break that pane of glass.” Olivia said.

“Right.” Jesse said, scratching his cheek in thought.

“There’s gotta be a way.” Petra began. “We just need to get creative.”

“Wait–” Jesse said, cocking an eyebrow. “You guys realise we won tickets to the keynote in the building contest? Surely we could–”

“Yeah, we were supposed to have picked those up fifteen minutes ago. We missed the cut off.” Olivia said, shaking her head. “Besides, it would only get three of us in.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Okay, so we agree it’s a moot point then.” Petra said, glaring. “Let’s get looking before we lose him.”

Jesse swung his bag off his shoulder, pushing his sword out of the way. The others broke off in separate directions, each on an individual mission. He rummaged through for anything left that might be of use, coming up with only a few spare coins, an empty water bottle, and a half eaten loaf of bread. He sighed, scanning the nearby booths for anything that could potentially be used to shatter the glass.

A stand selling overpriced fairy floss. One displaying novelty action figures of the Order. Another selling ice cold lemonade. Nothing useful.

He took a deep breath before gathering Reuben, moving closer to the chicken machine to get a better look. He clicked his tongue at the crudeness of the machine, earning him a withering stare from the man who created it. A simple glass cage separated the crusade of chickens from a pool of boiling lava. Unfortunately, breaking the glass where Olivia had pointed out seemed to be the only way to free the chickens without cooking them alive.

A continuous squelching sound drew Jesse’s attention, he followed the noise to a small sound. Outside, a man in a dirty beanie performed backflips on a bouncy slime block, to the amazement of the crowd he had garnered. Jesse grinned, an idea sparking in his mind.

He approached the counter, collecting his coins into his palm and depositing them onto the counter.

“Could I get a slime block please?”

“We don’t sell slime blocks, just slime balls.”

Jesse’s heart stopped as he met the gray eyes of the same woman he had mistaken for Ivor earlier. His muscles tensed as he gave a sheepish chuckle, frozen as if he had fallen into powdered snow. He cleared his throat, contorting his face into what he hoped was a polite smile.

“Look, I’m so sorry about before. I really thought you were someone else. Sorry.”

“I understand. But I still can’t sell you a slime block. With enough slime balls however, you could make your own.”

Jesse nodded. “How many would that be?”

“Nine will do it.”

“How much for nine?” Jesse asked, counting out his coins.

“Sorry, we’ve got a limited supply. We’re only selling two per customer.”

She shrugged, an apologetic frown on her face. Jesse chewed at his tongue, scrambling to come up with another plan.

“A round of slime balls for everyone please.”

Jesse’s heart swelled with relief as Axel rested an elbow on his head, tossing a few extra coins onto the counter. The lady nodded, pushing the change back to them and disappearing under the booth for a moment, returning with two sticky slime balls for each of them.

Jesse squeezed one of the slime balls, cringing at the way it squelched in his hand, leaving a wet residue on his fingers. He counted the slime balls in his friends’ hands, cursing under his breath.

“Guys, we’ve still only got eight slime balls. We need one more for a block.”

“Shit, okay–” Petra began. “I’m gonna go back and try and bargain with her. See if you can find any other way to get more, just in case.”

Jesse deposited his slime into his bag, holding it open to take everyone else’s. Petra’s auburn hair disappeared amongst the crowd, leaving him facing Axel and Olivia.

“Any ideas?” he said.

“Working on it.” said Olivia, her eyes narrowed in thought.

“Maybe we can send someone else to get slime for us?” Axel suggested.

“I’m not asking a stranger to buy us slime balls.” Olivia said, glaring.

“No, like a friend or something.”

“You’re looking right at your only friends, dumbass.”

“Guys, shut up. I’m trying to think.” Jesse said, waving a frustrated hand at his friends.

His eyes floated between families and crowds of teenagers. He pursed his lips, putting more hope in Petra’s negotiating skills by the second. His gaze finally landed on Lukas, leaning against the side of a stand as he absentmindedly played catch with a slime ball. Jesse sighed, swallowing his pride as he departed from his friends. He smiled, albeit awkwardly, as he approached Lukas. He was greeted by a soft nod and a gentle smile.

“Hey, me again.” Jesse said.

“Hey, Jesse. What’s up?” Lukas replied, the slime ball coming to a halt in his hand.

“Can you, uh, do me a favour?”

Lukas raised an eyebrow, his lower lip jutting out.

“Anything’s possible.”

“Great! Uh, I need slime balls. I swear I have a really good explanation but it’s a long–”

“Whatever you guys are up to, count me in.” Lukas said, flashing blindingly white teeth.

Jesse smiled, a faint heat dusting his cheeks. The telltale sound of Axel snickering alerted Jesse to his friends’ presence. The urge to whack him itched in Jesse’s fist, but he somehow managed to push it down.

“Thanks, Lukas.” said Petra, shaking his hand with a grin.

Petra took the slime ball, fishing the others from Jesse’s bag.

“Told you he’s useful.” she whispered, her breath ticklish in his ear.

Jesse rolled his eyes as she deposited the slime balls into his outstretched arms.

“Can we trust him?” Axel said, his arms crossed across his chest, masking balled fists.

“Remains to be seen.” said Olivia, equally as coolly.

Jesse sighed, ignoring the incessant bickering as he wandered over to a nearby crafting table and arranged the slime balls, vaguely listening to the conversation behind him as he mushed the slime together.

“You guys have been building together for a long time. You must have great chemistry, very important for a good building team.” Lukas said, somewhat awkwardly.

“What, you jealous?” Axel replied, his voice dangerously low.

“Uh– no! I just think it’s cool how well your team works together.”

“You’re jealous as fuck.”

“No, that’s not what–”

“I get it. I’d be jealous too if I had to work with a dickhead like Aiden.”

“He’s not–”

“You can’t defend him.” Olivia interrupted. “He’s a fucking psycho.”

“You just don’t know–”

“Okay, okay, calm down everyone.” Petra said, sounding as exasperated as Jesse felt.

The slime had finally formed a suitable block. Jesse smiled, pleased with his work. He wiped his sticky hands on his jeans, turning to the others with a proud grin.

“I present one slime block!”

Olivia wrinkled her nose as she grabbed the block, observing the machine with calculating eyes before placing the block a few metres away from the machine.

“That should do the trick.” she said, cleaning her hands on Axel’s sleeve.

“Okay.” said Jesse, steeling himself.

He cast a nervous glance at Olivia, she drew her eyebrows together but shrugged as if to say “it’s your choice”.

“Gimme a boost.” he said, motioning to Axel to help him climb atop a nearby stand.

He mounted Axel’s shoulder, his bad ankle screaming in protest. He clutched at the coarse woollen fabric covering the stand, shimmying his way until he sat as though it were a hammock. He staggered to his feet on shaky legs, looking anywhere except at the hard concrete beneath him. He pushed away images of his skull smashed on the ground, crimson leaking between his hair. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. He could do this. With a battle cry, he charged forward, his limbs flailing as he soared through the hair. The air was pressed from his lungs as his chest collided with the sticky slime block, launching him back into the air. The sound of glass shattering filled his ears as his fist met the glass, his skin pricking with sharp pain where shards sliced his hand. He gripped onto the side of the machine and slid down the wall as a gushing stream of chickens jumped out of the hole he had made, leaving feathers in his windblown hair.

Olivia helped him back onto shaking legs, examining his gash-covered hands with an unhappy tut.

“Now’s our chance!” came Petra’s voice.

From the corner of his eye, Jesse could see the usher, walking as if the ground was made of hot coals as he ran to stand on higher ground, screaming his head off the whole way.

He let Olivia pull him after the others, breaking into a sprint as they climbed the stone stairs. Every breath burned in Jesse’s throat as he came to a stop, bending over as he gasped for air.

A growing crowd milled inside the hall, an excited buzz filling the room as people chatted while they waited for the legend himself to take the stage. Petra’s frustrated growl was enough to tell Jesse that Ivor was missing from the modestly-sized audience.

“Where the fuck did he go?” she said.

Jesse’s eyes landed on a wooden door, left slightly ajar. “There?”

“Only one way to find out.” Petra said, casting a glance over her shoulder before heading in the direction of the door.

Jesse motioned for the others to follow, hurrying to catch up with Petra. She had an eye pressed to the gap in the door, squinting into the darkness beyond. She wrinkled her nose, Jesse knew why as a faint, moldy smell wafted from whatever hid in the pitch black. She tightened her glove, shrugging as she gripped onto the door handle and pulled her weight away from it.

“Wait.” said Lukas.

“What?” Petra said, an annoyed crease forming between her brow.

“What’s your plan when you catch him?”

Petra’s eyes rounded as she considered his question.

“We ask for what belongs to Petra. Take it by force if necessary.” Jesse said, giving Lukas a reassuring nod before joining Petra in shifting the heavy door open.

It creaked in protest as they worked to widen the gap. Jesse pressed it against the wall with his back, his chest heaving with the effort.

Beyond the door was a dark hallway, bathed in an ominous, faint orange glow from flickering torches placed sparsely along the wall. The moldy stench overpowered the fresh, clean smell of the town hall, making Jesse’s stomach churn.

“Who’s first?” Jesse asked, his eyes darting between less than eager faces.

Petra sighed, pushing past Lukas to enter the hallway, the others following behind her with nervous expressions. Jesse took one last glance at the now bustling town hall, before letting the door slam behind him. The sound echoed in the empty stone corridor. The temperature dropped with every step they took. Jesse shivered, wishing he’d thought to bring a jacket of some sort, watching with envy as Axel pulled his from his bag and wrapped it over his broad shoulders.

A staircase stretched out before them, more foul smells mingling with the already musty air. Jesse’s ankle twinged with every stair. The darkness grew thicker, almost suffocating as the light of the torches faded into the distance.

They came to a corner, a faint glow coming from the other side. Petra peered around, sending a thumbs up their way.

“Coast is clear. He must’ve gone out another way.”

Jesse let out a shaky breath as he followed her around the corner. Misshapen bookshelves created a maze in the large, dusty room. The books looked as though they had seen better days, all peeling covers and faded lettering with ripped spines. Glass bottles broke up the rows and rows of books, each filled with a different bright, unnatural coloured liquid of varying consistencies.

“What is this place?” asked Olivia.

“Kind of looks like an old basement.” Lukas said, running a finger along the dusty wall only to examine the grime it left behind with disgust.

“How did he set all this up without anyone noticing?” Olivia said.

“Who knows, he’s pretty sketchy…” Jesse began. “It is a weird place for a hideout though.”

“Bet you anything I’ll find my skull here.” Petra said.

“Well, if we find anything else cool to steal along the way, so be it right?” Axel said, almost skipping as he snooped through the shelves.

“That’s not what we’re here to do, Axel.” Lukas said, frowning.

“You’re not the boss–”

“No, he’s right.” Petra said, smirking at the way Axel’s indignant face fell. “But, it can’t hurt if we take a little more than our dues.”

Axel grinned, disappearing amongst the maze of bookshelves with an excited whoop, followed quickly by Olivia. Lukas trailed behind them, stopping every few metres to pull a book from its place, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he read titles under his breath.

Jesse wondered what a man like Ivor could possibly be doing with all the old tomes and strange concoctions as he entered the wall of books. If he was being honest, it was unsurprising that a man as odd and unsettling as Ivor would have such unusual hobbies. A basement under the town hall seemed like an inconvenient and frankly stupid place for a hideout, but who was Jesse to question it.

He turned a corner to find Petra muttering to herself as she rummaged through a chest.

“Oh, hello…”

She stopped, grinning as she retrieved a shining golden sword. Jesse pressed himself against the bookcase, his heart racing as she slashed the sword through the air with enough speed to turn it into a shimmering blur, missing his abdomen by a mere inch.

She held it up to her narrowed eyes with an ever so slight shake of her head.

“Too heavy. And too soft.”

“But super flashy!” said Jesse, sing-song.

She shrugged with a sly grin, sliding it into her bag.

Jesse raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

“I thought it was too heavy? And too soft?”

“But super flashy.” she said, the cocky smile never slipping from her face as she shouldered past Jesse to disappear amongst the bookshelves.

Jesse scoffed, rubbing at his arm, halfway between amusement and utter bewilderment. He carried on, shivering as the temperature dropped, losing himself amongst the towers of tomes. He wondered how Ivor had managed to collect so many rare books, though considering his seemingly ancient age, perhaps the mystery had solved itself. Each book was printed with a title that suggested it contained ancient potion recipes, or detailed accounts of the uses of different herbs and mob drops. Jesse squinted at the words, some written in long forgotten runes. Resentfully, Jesse found a slight admiration for Ivor. However sleazy, the man appeared to be a genius.

His footsteps were echoed by Reuben’s as he rounded another corner, coming to a small laboratory set up. Olivia and Lukas spoke in hushed whispers as they poked through the remains of ingredients strewn around a well-worn brewing stand. Jesse’s eyes landed on Axel, his eyes sparkling as he admired a bottle full of viscous, bubbling, almost glittering violet liquid, capped with a cork of solid gold.

Jesse nudged Axel’s shoulder, signalling his presence as he took in the strange, near mystical potion before them.

“He’s got so much cool shit in here.” Axel said, gazing around in awe. “I want to steal that, and that, and I just want to touch that weird mushroom looking thing.”

Jesse chuckled. “Go ahead.”

“Don’t even get me started on this.” Axel said, the purple bottle reflected in his saucer-round eyes. “You’re not gonna believe me, but I swear I had a dream about this.”

Jesse decidedly did not believe him, but still managed an enthusiastic nod. Axel brushed his fingers gently along the surface of the glass, as if he caressed a lover. Jesse rolled his eyes at the theatrics, surprised Axel’s touch could be that delicate.

“I want to take it.” Axel said.

He cast a furtive glance at Jesse.

“There’s no way he won’t notice his fancy potion is missing.” Jesse said, crossing his arms like a disgruntled parent.

Axel considered this, biting his lower lip in thought. He turned to face the shelf behind him, eyes darting across the bottles lined up. He selected one filled with a muted purple liquid and swapped it with the glowing potion.

“A good thief always covers his tracks.” said Axel, grinning as he slipped the potion into his bag.

“The perfect crime.” replied Jesse, not bothering to conceal the sarcasm in his voice.

Axel huffed as he stalked away. Jesse’s eyes widened, Axel’s large frame had covered it before, but now a shiny, new looking lever stuck out like a sore thumb next to the decaying bookshelf on the wall. Curiosity got the better of Jesse, he wandered over, closing his fingers around the wooden switch. He pulled it downwards, cringing as his ears were filled with a hideous screeching as the bookshelves crept open to reveal a small structure.

Dread pooled in Jesse’s stomach as he approached the ‘T’ shaped… thing, molded out of a coarse, dirt-like sand. The sight of it alone sent shivers down Jesse’s spine. A golden-yellow block stood in the centre of the sculpture, emitting a low hum as it pulsated.

“What the hell?” he said, drawing the attention of the others. “What is this stuff?”

“Soul sand.” Petra said, a calculating frown forming on her face. “It was everywhere in the Nether.”

“Okay, but what about the block in the middle?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it before.” said Olivia, breathless with amazement.

Jesse’s heart sped up as she reached a hand out to touch it. Anxiety seized him, he struck her arm away.

“Don’t touch that!” he warned, still frantic.

She met his gaze with wounded eyes. “I was just curious.”

“Sorry.” Jesse murmured, guilty at his outburst. “We just don’t know what Ivor’s doing, or what he’s capable of.”

“You’re right.” Olivia conceded, stepping away from the structure.

He turned his attention back to Ivor’s unsettling creation, noticing a beaten-up chest positioned in front of it. His mouth turned dry as he leant down to examine the contents. Not one, not two, but three wither skulls, painstakingly placed in a perfect row. He let out a breath of confusion, meeting Petra’s equally confused gaze.

“Why the fuck did I risk my life for that skull if he already had two of them?” she said, her voice a fraction above a whisper.

“We’re missing something…” Jesse murmured.

“No shit.” Petra replied, leaning down to examine the skulls herself.

“Wait…” Lukas said.

His face paled as his eyes darted between the skulls and the structure, looking as though he were about to cry, or throw up, or both.

“Soul sand… wither skulls… I think he’s making a wither.”

A cacophony of outraged cries erupted from Jesse’s companions, even Reuben producing an enraged snort. Fear chilled Jesse’s veins, he swallowed, meeting Olivia’s concerned gaze with a deep frown.

“A wither– that’s…” Petra began, trailing off with a shudder.

“One of the worst monsters there is.” Lukas finished, his face grim.

“We should just take Petra’s skull and get out of here.” Jesse said.

Petra nodded, reaching into the chest.

The click of a door handle set Jesse’s heart thundering. The clicking of heeled boots against cobblestone filled the basement, ringing in Jesse’s ears.

Ivor.

“Hide!” cried Petra, the chest clattering shut, forgotten, as she took off amongst the shelves, followed by the others.

The bookshelves screeched shut as Reuben flicked the lever, giving quiet snorts of terror as he vanished behind a chest.

Jesse choked on the air, stumbling after the others. He scanned for a place to conceal himself, his eyes landed on a thin gap between a chest and a bookshelf that he could probably just squeeze into. Without a second thought, he barrelled towards it and threw himself over the chest, his battered body aching as he thudded against the stone floor. With no time to spare it seemed, as Ivor’s booming voice filled the room.

With their entrance blocked, there was no way out.

Chapter Text

Each breath sounded like a howl of wind to Jesse in the deathly still silence of Ivor’s mildewy basement. He pressed a hand to his mouth and noise, muffling the noise as his lungs gasped for air. He swore a passerby would be able to hear the thundering of his heart against his ribcage, or the gushing of his blood that surged behind his ears.

“Don’t you recognise me?!”

Jesse froze as Ivor’s voice bounced off the walls, filling the room with echoes of his words.

“Surprised to see me?! No… that’s not good either.”

Who was he talking to?

Jesse shuddered as Ivor’s footsteps passed his hiding spot, the air seeming to turn to ice in his chest.

“Thought you were rid of me, didn’t you! Much better.”

Silence hung heavy over the dungeon for a moment, pierced by the sound of a chest opening and the gentle rattling of objects. Ivor was looking for something. He hoped to the stars above that Petra had the sense to leave that skull where it was for the time being. A satisfied hum came from Ivor’s direction.

A bomb went off. Or at least, that’s what it felt like when Jesse heard the chink of glass shattering against cobblestone, accompanied by a surprised cry. He peeked his head above the surface of the chest, just in time to see Ivor breeze past him, his face contorted into a suspicious frown.

“Who’s there?” came Ivor’s voice, low and dangerous.

He paused, crouching down to examine the smashed potion bottle. Jesse watched in horror as he crept towards the bookshelf, a toxic-looking potion clutched in his hand. In a split second, Jesse leapt over the chest, cursing quietly as a jolt of pain coursed through his injured ankle. Ivor was almost at the corner, Jesse’s heart dropped as he spotted the end of one of Olivia’s pigtails, visible in the gap in the bookshelf.

“Hey, Ivor!” he cried, waving his arms above his head.

Ivor’s eyes grew wide, quickly narrowing as he turned to face Jesse.

“What are you doing here?! What did you see?” he hissed.

“Leave him alone!” Petra appeared from behind another shelf, her sword drawn and her eyes glinting dangerously.

“Back off, pal!” Axel added, followed by Reuben’s indignant snorts.

“You two!” Ivor spat, his eyes darting between Petra and Jesse. “Did you follow me here?”

“Oh buddy, you’re in no position to be demanding answers.” Petra growled, pushing the tip of her sword against Ivor’s chin. “You thought you could fuck us over and get away with it, didn’t you?”

“We’ve come to prove you wrong!” Jesse said, anger boiling in his chest.

Ivor smirked, his condescending chuckle made Jesse see red. He clenched his fists, fixing Ivor with his steeliest glare.

“What are you going to do about it? I have what I want, and you have what you earned. Now are you going to leave, or do I have to remove you myself?”

“Give Petra her diamond and we’ll leave!!”

“I won’t be threatened by the likes of you!”

Jesse scoffed, sputtering for something to say. He was saved by Axel, emanating unfiltered fury as he advanced towards Ivor.

“Nobody, and I mean nobody, speaks to my friends like that. Now shut your mouth, or I’ll shut it for you.”

Ivor let his expression slip into uncertainty, visibly swallowing under Axel’s harsh glare. He drew himself up to his full height, his eyes narrowing in disgust.

“Enough! You fools have wasted too much of my time already!”

A cloud of smoke erupted into the air, accompanied by the frantic clicking of Ivor’s boots as he disappeared amongst the haze. Jesse coughed, fanning the bitter scent away from his face as his eyes welled with tears. Axel’s hand found his, pulling him towards the staircase. He scanned the bookshelves, looking for any trace of Ivor as the group came out of the smoke.

“Fuck!” cried Petra. “We lost him!”

Jesse swivelled around, looking for any potential exits Ivor could have taken, coming up blank.

“If you won’t leave of your own volition, I’ll happily remove you myself!”

Jesse turned around in time to watch Ivor place a pumpkin atop an iron structure. His heart rate sped up as cracks formed in the iron blocks. With an ear-piercing screech, the structure formed an iron golem, staring directly at Jesse with menacing red eyes. Ivor grinned, gesturing at Jesse and his friends with a grand swoop of his arm.

“Show our friends to the door, please.”

In a blur of silver, the golem swung.

“Duck!!” Jesse cried, dropping to the ground with his arms over his head, heart thundering in his ears.

He pointed to the bookcase, crawling across the ground, followed by the others. They sheltered behind, watching as the golem prowled the cobblestones.

“What do we do now?!” Olivia asked.

Jesse placed a hand on her trembling shoulder. “I have absolutely no idea.”

"That's fucking helpful." she said, flinching as metallic footsteps thundered on the other side of the shelf.

“We’re trapped!” Axel added.

“We’ll just have to make a run for it, I guess.” Jesse said, pressing his lips into a thin line.

“I’ll distract it. You guys run.” Petra said, standing.

She had dashed out from behind the bookcase before Jesse could even process what she’d said, her sword drawn and her eyes cold. She didn’t so much as tremble at the golem’s snarl, aiming a solid kick to its chest.

“Go!” she shouted, landing a hard blow to the side of the golem’s head with her sword.

Jesse scooped Reuben into his arms, adrenaline coursing through his body as he sprinted for the staircase, followed by Axel and Olivia. He set Reuben down when he reached the top, collapsing against the wall, his teeth grit against the pain throbbing in his ankle.

He waved at Petra to let her know they had made it up the stairs, who responded with a quick nod, turning to the golem with a fierce grin. She kicked a loose stone up from the ground, catching it and throwing it at a glass bottle, laughing as the golem chased after the echoing shatter. She turned to run, meeting at the top of the stairs with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Clever.” Jesse praised.

“Thanks.” she replied, wrenching open the door and holding it open for the others to file out.

Jesse sucked in the clean, fresh air, feeling as though a weight had been removed from his lungs.

A dimness had fallen over the town hall, illuminated solely by two bright spotlights on the stage. Anticipation hung over the sizeable crowd as two announcers took the stage, allowing the group to meld into the audience with little disruption, the darkness hiding their bruised and battered forms.

“Oh man, this is exciting!” cried the first announcer, a young woman with brown ringlets.

“It sure is!” chimed the second one, a man with buzzed hair and a stubbly chin.

Jesse cocked his eyebrow, distracted by their bright grins as the announcers hyped the audience.

“Now for the first time ever here at Endercon…”

“We are proud to present…”

“Gabriel the Warrior!” they finished in unison.

The two spotlights converged to form one in the centre of the stage as the announcers outstretched their arms, parting to reveal a muscular man facing away from the crowd. He turned, his pearly white teeth glowing as he flashed the audience a showy grin, eliciting an eruption of cheers from the audience.

“Are you with me!?”

Jesse found himself swept up in the excitement, whooping as Gabriel pumped his fist.

“Jesse, are you listening?” Olivia asked, snapping her fingers in front of his face.

“What?” he responded, disoriented.

“It’s Lukas. He’s not here.” she said, biting her lower lip.

Jesse’s eyes landed on Petra, Axel, Reuben, then finished at Olivia. His heart sank. They’d left Lukas down there.

“Fuck that…” said Axel, following Jesse’s gaze back to the door.

Petra shot him a murderous look.

“Ivor’s got an iron golem and all the stuff to make a wither down there. If he were to unleash it on this crowd of people… we have to act fast.” she said.

“We have to get him out of there.” Jesse added, nodding.

“I mean we don’t have to…” Axel said, promptly falling quiet as Petra sent another glare in his direction.

“Well it just so happens that the greatest warrior of all time is in the building.” Olivia said, the wheels visibly turning in her head as she formulated a plan. “We should ask Gabriel for help, it’s the smartest way to help Lukas.”

“He’s tough.” Petra said, although her worried expression told a different story. “I just hope he’s tough enough to hold out a little longer.”

Jesse looked over to Gabriel, on a stage surrounded by so many adoring fans. It would be almost impossible to get his attention, not in the dark with this big crowd. He shook his head.

“I’m going after him.”

Olivia opened her mouth to protest. “But–”

“Asking Gabriel might be the safest way, but it’s not the quickest.” he explained, already walking away.

Petra caught him by the wrist. “By yourself? Are you sure?”

“Yeah. You guys try to get Gabriel’s attention. We might need back up.”

“Be careful.” Petra conceded.

She nodded, letting go as he crept back towards the door. He smiled at Reuben, taking a deep breath to calm the nerves racing through his body.

“We’ve got this, buddy.”

Every footstep sounded like thunder to Jesse as he made his way down the stairs. The mildewy smell was starting to make him lightheaded. He gripped at the wall for support, resolutely ignoring the pain in his ankle. He peered into Ivor’s basement, his eyes immediately landing on the golem, creeping around like a ghost in the darkness. With the golem facing the opposite direction, he took his chance to slip amongst the bookshelves.

“Lukas?” he whispered, checking behind shelves. “Can you hear me even though I’m whispering?”

The sound of a chest opening caught his attention. Lukas’ crystal blue eyes gazed out from the small crack, wide and terrified.

“Jesse? Is that you whispering super loudly?”

A relieved smile split across Jesse’s face. “Yes! Over here!”

Lukas’ jaw dropped in horror, he slammed the chest lid shut, the clap reverberating through Ivor’s basement. Jesse shared an incredulous look with Reuben, confused and mildly offended. Until he heard the chink of metal behind him.

He threw himself to the ground as the golem swung at the air where his head had just been, causing his hair to ruffle in the gust of wind. He let out a shaky breath as the golem approached, scampering across the floor until his back hit a shelf. Reuben squealed beside him as he threw out a protective arm. He clenched his eyes tight, waiting for the inevitable blow.

“Hey!”

Jesse opened one eye, staggering to his feet as he realised Lukas had distracted the golem. He leapt through a hole in the shelf, stifling a cry of pain as he landed hard on his already scraped hands, cracking his wrists.

A sigh of relief escaped his lungs as the golem prowled in the opposite direction, clinking ominously.

“You okay?” he asked.

Lukas’ face reappeared from within the chest, pale and pinched.

“Ehhh, I’ve been worse. Certainly not the best spot I’ve been in. Any ideas?”

Jesse nodded, uttering one word. “Run.”

Lukas’ eyebrows knitted together, his voice raising to a whisper shout.

“Are you crazy?! Run where?! You think I haven’t already tried that?!”

“I’m gonna distract it. Just wait for my signal!”

Lukas grimaced, his eyes flitting between Jesse and the golem. “Okay…”

“Okay.” Jesse forced a smile, more to reassure Lukas than anything else.

He thought back to the way Petra distracted it with a potion bottle, reaching for the nearest vial, containing a corrosive-looking radioactive green liquid.

“Here goes nothing…” he whispered, raising the bottle above his head.

He threw it at the wall directly above the golem’s head. The hiss of sizzling was accompanied by the golem’s harsh screeches as the liquid showered down on it, eating away at its metal body. Wasting no time, Jesse dashed over to help Lukas climb out of the chest, firmly gripping his hand as he led him up the stairs and into the fresh air outside, leaving the wailing golem behind.

Jesse gulped in deep breaths as though he had been underwater, leaning against the wall. He realised with a jolt he still had Lukas’ hand, dropping it to awkwardly wipe the sweat from his palm.

“Thanks for coming back,” Lukas said, between pants. “I didn’t think anyone was going to.”

Jesse pointedly ignored the flutter in his stomach at Lukas’ lopsided grin.

“Don’t mention it.” he responded, smiling.

“Well, I owe you one.”

Jesse chuckled, absentmindedly tuning into Gabriel’s speech. Something about believing in yourself during times of adversity and the power of a positive mindset.

“So, uh, where are the others?” Lukas asked.

“Oh, uh, they went to try and get Gabriel's help.”

Lukas nodded, scanning the crowd. It didn’t take them long, Petra’s auburn hair and turquoise bandanna didn’t exactly blend in. Jesse pointed to them, watching Olivia apologise profusely to their fellow audience members as Petra and Axel shoved their way towards Gabriel, who had just announced he would be opening the floor for questions. The look of worry on their faces stirred up anxiety in Jesse’s stomach. Lukas was safe now, but Ivor and his wither were still a threat.

He sucked in a deep breath, entering the crowd. They needed Gabriel's help. Fast.