Chapter 4 is here! Sorry about the long delay, but this story is not on my priority list. Sorry to those who enjoy it, but I will finish it, it'll just take a while. As always, Mass Effect is owned by Bioware and Minecraft is owned by Mojang, so please enjoy!

Ch.4: The Mine

Minecraftia

Steve

"Get up." A voice grunted.

Steve opened his eyes and his head jumped up; someone was there! He scanned the room quickly until he noticed Zaeed standing next to his bed with the strange object in his hands. Steve looked at his own hands in surprise; he was untied!

"Come on now, get up." Zaeed ordered as glared at Steve.

Steve pushed the blanket aside and pulled himself out of the bed. Everyone else was already holding their odd weapons and in full combat mode.

"Alright Steve, show us where the treasure is." Shepard said as he stepped forward.

Steve nodded and opened one of his chests. He took his spare armor and sword out and pocketed it in his inventory; he didn't know what they would find exactly, and he had to be prepared.

Steve pulled out a map and showed it to Shepard. "We follow map to discover mines."

Shepard nodded and gestured towards the door. "Lead the way."

Steve walked out of the house with the others following closely behind him. Zaeed was especially close to him, watching Steve's every move like a hawk.

After a short time Steve grew rather uncomfortable and turned his head to Zaeed. "What?"

Zaeed glared, "Nuthin', get a move on, rookie."

Steve sighed, "I no rookie, I kill more than you."

Zaeed chuckled, "You've killed more than me? Are you out of your guddamn mind rookie?"

"No, I serious, I kill thousands of monsters."

Zaeed shook his head, "Thousands? That's nothing, rookie, I've killed at least ten thousand arseholes in my time."

"I could kill you." Steve mumbled as he turned his head back to the map.

Zaeed laughed, "Uh huh, just like you did when we found you."

Steve mumbled curses under his breath and studied the map for a moment. He didn't want to talk to this stupid man; he needed to get rid of them all.

"Shoulda heard yerself." Zaeed continued, "You were louder than a guddamn rusty engine. Only a rookie wouldn'ta realized the snow makes a lot of guddamn noise."

Steve nodded and continued studying his map . . . of course, that's how he had known. . ..

"I don't like snow." Steve lifted his head and looked up to the mountain. "We close, follow me."

Steve pushed past a bush and looked at the small hole in the mountain. A broken mine cart track led out of it before stopping on a nearby tree. Steve motioned towards the entrance to the mines and stepped closer.

"Herobrine's mines, very dangerous." Steve explained, "Filled with monsters, but also treasure. Must be careful."

The group nodded and held their strange objects up. Steve looked at the object in Zaeed's hand for a moment before coughing.

"What rookie?" Zaeed grunted as he turned his head to face Steve.

"What's that?" Steve asked as he pointed at the strange object.

"This is a gun, rookie, it can kill things just by pointing at them."

Steve studied the weapon, "How?"

Zaeed pointed the gun at a tree, "You just aim . . .." He said as he fired a shot at the tree, "And shoot."

Steve jumped from the noise and looked at the scorch mark on the tree in wonder, "Oh . . .."

"Come on, show us the way." Shepard ordered as he walked up to Zaeed and Steve.

Steve nodded and turned back to the mine. He began walking towards it with the others walking closely behind him. The mine itself was partly lit up . . . but to Steve, it was incredibly eerie. The memories in this place . . ..

Taking a torch from the wall, Steve continued down the mineshaft, pushing past the wooden columns that supported the ceiling. He continued on as the mine went further and further down . . ..

A sudden noise made Steve jump and turn towards a dark tunnel. He took a step closer and a bat jumped out, flying past him and the others to another tunnel.

Steve sighed in relief and turned back to the main tunnel. There were lights below, but so far, he hadn't encountered any monsters . . . that wasn't normal . . ..

"I have bad feeling." Steve's voice echoed through the cave.

Zaeed grunted, "It's just a guddamn cave, rookie."

Steve shook his head. "No, it more . . . it too quiet, monsters usually guard."

Steve stopped as the party approached a small ravine; a tiny bridge connected their mineshaft with the tunnel going further.

Steve gulped and turned towards the others. "Herobrine builds traps, we need be careful."

Shepard nodded and turned to his squad. "Anyone have a grenade ready?"

A large lizard with the name Grunt over his head pounded his fists together. "Of course, Battlemaster, where should it go?"

Shepard motioned towards the bridge. "Throw it across and see if it activates any traps."

"Um, Shepard?" Tali stepped towards him.

"Yes, Tali?" Shepard turned his attention to her.

"Wouldn't throwing a grenade cause a cave-in down here?"

Shepard chuckled. "Didn't you see the floating blocks of stone earlier? I don't think anything can make these walls crumble."

Steve cleared his throat, regaining everyone's attention. "Explosions not good, cave-ins possible. Gravel can fall, cause pain."

"Really? Alright, fine." Shepard crossed his arms. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Steve opened his inventory and suited up in his backup armor. "I go forward, make sure it safe."

Shepard nodded. "Alright, but stay in sight. If this Herobrine is even half as bad as you say he is, we need to stick together."

"I agree." Steve stepped towards the small bridge and took a deep breath. "Wish luck."

Taking his sword from his inventory, Steve took the first step onto the wooden bridge. His footsteps echoed through the dark chamber, yet still Steve heard no monsters. This was genuinely terrifying: he knew the monsters were around somewhere, but they always made noises. He would never know when they would strike if they didn't make noises . . ..

He finished crossing the bridge and stared down into the dark tunnel ahead of him, squinting to try and see anything in the darkness. His torch was still burning, but it only showed him so far, and everything beyond the torch's limited range was completely black. Steve turned back to the party, looking over the strange creatures again. They were all different, but like the many types of wood they were all the same; they were all soldiers. They were all on a mission together, and he could tell their bond was strong. He . . . didn't understand how that was possible. On Minecraftia, you're always alone. Befriending people was dangerous; they could grief you, or steal your stuff. The last humans Steve remembered being with all betrayed him or died. He blinked back a tear at remembering his lost friends; his lost sister Stephanie. It wasn't what she had deserved, but he knew life wasn't about what you deserved. He knew her death was his fault, but nothing he could do would change it now. He had had to move on, and the only way he knew how was to do it alone . . ..

"Steve!" Shepard's yell echoed through the cavern, making Steve jump. "Is it safe?"

"I think s—" Steve felt something slash at his back and he cried out. "Ahh!"

The creature behind him pushed him down, causing his sword to fly away and his torch to fall to the floor. Steve quickly turned his body around to face the Zombie as it came closer while growling angrily.

Steve fumbled into his inventory, looking for a weapon he could use against the beast. He didn't have much time, he needed to . . ..

A loud bang vibrated throughout the cavern as Zaeed fired his rifle at the Zombie, staggering the creature back.

"Get up, rookie!" Zaeed reached out his hand to Steve as the Zombie regained its balance and growled.

Steve grabbed his hand and got up. Zaeed lifted his rifle to the Zombie again, firing mass accelerator rounds into its undead chest. Each round caused the Zombie to stagger back and grunt from the pain, and after a few its voice gurgled and it fell to the ground.

Zaeed stepped towards the dead Zombie and kicked it. "It's guddamn dead alright."

Shepard and the others all moved in behind them, each one observing the dead Zombie.

Shepard studied the creature for a moment and turned to Steve. "What is that?"

"Zombie." Steve explained, "It revived human, made by Herobrine as final insult. Many die in battles, Herobrine take dead and convert them. They very common creatures."

Shepard shook his head in disgust. "Turning humans into undead abominations . . . this Herobrine sounds exactly like the Reapers."

"Rea-pers?" Steve repeated. What's a Reaper?

"You don't know about the Reapers?" Shepard sighed, "Just like everyone else I guess. They're a race of sentient starships that are coming from dark space to destroy all advanced life in the galaxy. Just like Herobrine they take humans and turn them into . . . unpleasant abominations . . .."

"Oh." Steve scratched his head. "So you fight them?"

"Yes, I do. They threaten everything we've ever known, and we have to stop them."

Steve nodded and picked up his sword, checking it for scratches. "Reapers sound evil, but they not evil as Herobrine."

Zaeed chuckled. "I don't think you know what you're talking about, rookie."

Steve turned to the scarred mercenary and glared. "I do, Zaeed. You no know what life like here, monsters always threatening, weather always treacherous, and food always scarce. Life hard, painful, full of unhappiness, but I live. Why? Because I know life, I know what I talk about."

Zaeed chuckled. "We'll have to swap war stories after this is over, rookie, but let's get moving."

Steve nodded and turned to the others. "Follow me, I know where treasure lies."

The others nodded and Steve continued down the tunnel. Memories of his last visit here haunted him every time he saw an object or landmark he remembered; flashes of friends in pain, allies betraying him, his best friend Mark sacrificing himself for him . . . it was almost too much. Then he saw it; the cliff. . ..

Steve froze in his tracks and his skin grew cold as he looked at the cliff he had last seen his darling sister Stephanie . . . he had been too weak to save her, too weak to pull her to safety fast enough. He had seen the look in her eye when he had to let go of her hand to save himself . . . not a day went by that he didn't regret it, but there had been no choice. If he would've tried to save her the creatures would have pushed him off of the cliff as well, and they would both be dead . . ..

"Get a move on, rookie." Zaeed pushed Steve from behind, breaking his train of thought.

Steve grumbled and continued on through the mineshaft, the team behind him. Being with this odd bunch was nearly unbearable to Steve, but he knew once they found Herobrine's lair, he wouldn't have to worry about them anymore . . ..

Author's endnote: Herobrine's Mine . . . I wonder what will happen next? :O Stay tuned, though as I noted earlier this story isn't on my priorities list. But worry not, it will continue, and I'll do my best to make it good! :) See you next chapter!