Chapter 13
Steve's Return
When player Steve spawned into the Lava World, he found himself standing just a few blocks from Herobrine's Nether portal in the dark cave. Steve couldn't help but squeal under his breath a bit and bounce up and down. Now that he knows literally everything about this World, he doesn't feel as scared. In fact, Steve felt great about being back here. He couldn't wait to interact with the real Herobrine more...but also avoid the hacker Herobrine at the same time.
The young miner already had a plan in his head. He would live down in this ravine because the hacker still didn't know about it. Tonight, Steve will burn cobblestone in his furnace to make smooth stone and cover the top of the ravine with grass and stone to steal it permanently from the Overworld. Once he did this, the hacker Herobrine would have no chance of finding him down here. It was the perfect plan. Steve wanted to start working at night because it's more safe to...and there are no monsters to worry about anyway. I will not let that disgusting hacker find me. I will be safe and sound down here. I will learn more about Herobrine and I will tell him to kill the hacker. I will destroy that fake Herobrine once and for all.
Steve smiled and walked over to Herobrine's Nether portal, kneeling down to examine the sign. Herobrine had surprisingly neat handwriting. Steve stared at the god's writing longingly and then gently brushed the coal marks away with the back of his hand. He wrote with his coal chunk: Are you still here?
The player from Alpha sighed and slowly rose to his feet. He brushed the dust off of his teal shirt, walking back up the dark cave entrance towards the ravine opening. His posture was so much different now. He walked through the darkness without a care. He didn't have an unknown fear in the back of his mind now. Steve felt calm and knowledgeable.
When Steve reached the ravine, he quickly went over to his chest and crafted some iron armor—covering himself from head to toe in it. Sure it was heavy at times, but it made him feel much safer. When night comes I should try to collect some coco beans...I need more food. Plus, cookies are nice. Steve's stomach growled at the thought of them and he swished his tongue around in his mouth hungrily. Maybe I can give Herobrine a cookie? No, stop it Steve. Cut it out.
The miner snorted at himself as he crafted a diamond sword and a pickaxe. Giving Herobrine a cookie would not only make me an idiot, but also even more of a lonely loser.
Steve held up his newly crafted diamond sword in pride, watching the edge of the blade glint in the sunlight. It always brought him so much joy to craft a diamond tool because they were so memorizing. He wished he had enough for a chest plate but he only had enough to make a pickaxe along with the sword.
Player Steve stood up from his crafting table with his tools and walked over to the furnace, placing sixteen blocks of cobblestone in it. He would need to use dirt to cover the ravine at the top along with smooth stone.
The young miner looked up at the opening of the ravine, the sunlight peeking in through the slit and shining down on his forehead. It's not even sunset yet. It's too dangerous to go out when it's this light out, but maybe I can swim up the waterfall and sit on a ledge to cover the opening. I won't have to get out of the ravine to cover it up if I do that.
Steve shrugged and went with his plan, swimming up the cold waterfall until he was only a few blocks under the grassland that lay above the ravine. The miner shivered at how cold and mucky he felt under his soaking-wet armor, immediately looking forward to lying by Herobrine's lava pit after he got his job done. He shook his feet a bit to splash some water out of his boats and then tipped his head upwards, jumping up to place blocks across the ravine's opening.
After only a few minutes, Steve had covered half of the opening, the other half still exposing the ravine in the Overworld. Luckily, he noticed that the sunlight hitting the grass blocks had now turned an orangish-pink color, which meant that the sun had started to set. "Thank heavens...maybe I can walk over to the other ledge to cover this whole thing up now," he muttered to himself quietly.
Player Steve bit his lip as he slowly walked across the one block ledge, trying his best not to look down. He usually wasn't too scared of heights, but this ravine was very dark and cold, making the smallest of his fears worse.
He frantically started placing dirt blocks across the ravine, closing the opening. Oh come on...just twenty more or so...
Grass rustled on the top layer of the Overworld, only a few blocks from where Steve stood under his dirt ceiling. The miner clenched his teeth shut and slowly dropped down on all fours, cowering on the ground. I swear to Notch if that is somehow the hacker—
A chicken bawked loudly, making Steve jump a mile off the ground and then frown in disappointment at himself.
"Gosh DARN IT." Steve muttered angrily, throwing his head back in foolishness. Now look at what hacker Herobrine has made me. I'm scared of chickens. CHICKENS.
Steve impatiently placed the rest of his grass and stone blocks along the top of the ravine's opening, closing it completely. Steve smiled in satisfaction as his World became dark, the bottom of the ravine pitch-black. He couldn't even see the bottom of the ravine. He gulped at this a bit in nervousness, but also felt very accomplished and overall safe. Now the hacker had almost no chance of finding him. Steve could continue to talk with the real Herobrine and plan to kill the hacker, hopefully. Notch said that Herobrine hated hackers, so why wouldn't Steve try to inform him about the one roaming around on his World right now?
Player Steve suddenly got a little curious about what was going on in the grassland. Just a little peak won't hurt... He thought, a little hesitant. Whatever. I'm just going to dig up a block and poke my head out. It'll be fine.
Steve dug upwards a bit, placing dirt beneath his feet as he went up. He reached the top, grassy block and broke it, cautiously poking his head out from the earth. The night sky was very dark, but the stars shone brightly down on the World, the moon quite bright as well. There were still no monsters to be seen, nor were there any animals. Steve didn't see the chicken he had heard earlier either. Odd.
A very faint breeze rolled through the grass and trees, carrying a sweet, flowery smell into Steve's nose. At least the World smelt clean and untouched instead of polluted by player activity. Then again, probably all of Herobrine's Worlds smell like this because he is almost never on the top layer of the Overworld. He is always underneath in the cave systems.
Steve looked up at the bright stars dreamily, thinking of the Demi-god. Will I ever actually meet him? Or will I just continue to play on this World on my own?
The human squinted his eyes shut in hope that he wouldn't be. All his life, Steve has wanted to see the god. He still couldn't believe that for years in Alpha Herobrine watched him. He watched over Steve, he kept him safe in secret. He did this all willingly. He never harmed Steve once, nor made himself known... Steve wondered why Herobrine didn't.
"Are you afraid to show yourself around me because you think I'll be scared of you?" Steve whispered up at the sky, gazing at the stars in thought. "Maybe you're more self-conscious then people say you are..."
He thought it was funny how long he's known Herobrine but has never actually talked to or seen him before. It just feels wrong. Steve felt as if he should have talked to Herobrine in the past when he was first created, or at least met him in person. I guess Herobrine is just really secretive. Or, maybe he's scared of me. He might be scared of interacting with me because of how opposite we are in literally every way.
Steve laughed softly under his breath and smiled calmly. He knew that he was thinking about Herobrine too much, but he couldn't help but wonder about the god.
Suddenly, an extremely bright, white light shone through the forest across from the grassland. Steve tipped his head in confusion at the sudden sight in front of him, mumbling, "what in the world is that?"
The white light lit up the ground, slowly moving out of the forest and onto the grassland. Steve couldn't exactly see the light source, for he was about two-hundred blocks away, but it looked as if the light was coming out of a tree...no, a torch? No, the light was simply there. It didn't look like anything was producing it. It was just...there.
Steve crouched in his hole a little more, knowing that this ominous light source looked like trouble. He wanted to get back in the ravine to go to bed but he was going to be up for a little while anyway because he needed to dry his wet armor and clothes. Spying on the activity happening on the top layer of the World won't be so bad tonight...as long as he stayed safe and nothing came too close to him.
The young miner shook his head in disbelief at the mysterious light and scoffed. It was slowly moving around the grassland, slightly in Steve's direction but not completely. Steve just didn't get it. The light was coming out of nowhere! How many weird things need to happen on this cursed World?!
Suddenly the light turned and faced towards Steve. The miner's heart dropped and he froze in his dirt hole, only his eyes and head visible in the grassland. The light was indeed coming from something. It was coming from a thing. The lights were eyes.
Steve stared at the extremely distant, but piercing white eyes, their glow casting a huge white shadow on the grassland blocks. His heart felt as if it had been squeezed into a fine plump. He felt as if he couldn't breathe. It's Him. It's Herobrine. The real one. The real Herobrine. He's right there. The player from Alpha didn't dare move a muscle in his hidey-hole, he just continued to stare at the infamous demon, his purple eyes the size of moons. Oh my god what do I do? What do I do?
Player Steve felt so relaxed when thinking about Herobrine, but totally terrified when actually seeing him. Or, a part of him. He couldn't see anything else in the darkness of the night, he could only see two extremely luminous white eyes. Even so, just seeing Herobrine's eyes was enough to petrify Steve.
The god's eyes slowly swerved around the grassland for a bit, as if looking for something. Steve shivered in horror. Is he looking...for me? Does he sense me? Does he know I'm hiding somewhere?
Before Steve could finish his panicked thoughts, Herobrine RAN across the grassland biome in a diagonal direction, making headway for the trees about a hundred blocks away from Steve.
Steve screamed but stifled it quickly as the demon covered fifty blocks in only a matter of seconds, the extreme glow of his eyes blurring the white light that surrounded him due to how fast he was moving. Steve shivered and whimpered in fright, panting insanely as he watched the Underworld god zoom out of sight, the light of his eyes flashing in the trees only a little ways from Steve.
Steve screamed in his mouth again and frantically dug up the dirt below him, digging down into the ravine again and placing the dirt back up above his head to seal him from the top layer of the World. Steve panted like a madman and slid down the waterfall, his iron armor filling with even more water than before.
He was so fast. He was SO fast. HE RAN SO FAST.
The miner's feet squelched as he raced across the ravine's stone floor, running directly into his small clearing that he had made in the cave wall to sleep at night. Steve shrieked in fright at nothing and slammed the door behind him, placing cobblestone down in front of it, blocking himself in his bedroom. He panted and ripped off his armor, shirt, and pants, throwing them in a heaping pile in the corner. Still panting with a wild look in his eyes, Steve jumped into his bed and yanked the red blankets over his head, crying out in pure terror.
That was unreal! The way he ran was UNREAL! That...that should be impossible! Oh my gosh... Steve whimpered in his blankets. Notch wasn't lying when he told Steve that Herobrine could sprint abnormally fast...but Steve had NO clue that THAT was how fast Herobrine could sprint. That was incredible. Steve was terrified but amazed by it.
The Alpha player buried his tan face in his pillow, inhaling his scent desperately in an attempt to comfort himself. He knew that he needed to calm down, but he was just unsure how to. Herobrine has god-like traits, this is well known. Steve would need to get used to them if he is going to stay on this World. If the younger miner ever did confront the demon Steve wanted to make sure that he'd be able to stand his ground and not crumple into a ball and shiver under the god's gaze.
Pull yourself together Steve. You used to want to see him, you used to want to see him exercise his powers in front of you. Whatever happened to feeling chillaxed about that? It's alright, he won't hurt you. Just remember that...he won't...I know he won't...
Steve scrunched his face up in his pillow, unsure if his thoughts were true. What if Herobrine really was a big, heartless murderer? What if he always wished to kill Steve in secret? No, that can't be true. He responded to Steve's message on the sign passively, not showing any sort of interest in frightening Steve. But even now, Steve thought that was quite peculiar of the god.
"If you want to kill me, why haven't you?" Steve whimpered in his pillow, clutching his red blankets tightly. "You haven't killed me yet because you don't want to, right?"
A cold gust of wind blew through Steve's bedroom, as if answering his questions. The miner shivered and held his blankets tightly to his body, burying his face in his pillow more as the cold wind swept across the whole ravine. The hacker Herobrine is close. Thank goodness I was able to cover the ravine's opening.
The wind left after a few seconds like always, leaving Steve wet and now cold in his bed. He shivered in discomfort under his blankets, not even his blanket warming him up. He longed to lay next to Herobrine's lava pit by his Nether portal, but that seemed like a bad idea. With the hacker running around and quite frankly Herobrine himself, Steve felt unsafe stepping out of his enclosed bed area. Even with Herobrine being out and about, Steve weighed his decisions and concluded that sleeping with cold, wet clothes on is worse than being seen by Herobrine. The god wouldn't do anything to him anyway...he hoped.
The human gulped, slowly peeling his red blankets off of his soaked, shivering body. Steve grabbed his wet shirt and pants that he had thrown into the corner and threw them over his shoulder, mining the cobblestone he placed in front of his door and then grabbing his iron armor just to let it drag on the stone floor behind him in laziness.
The cold and uncomfortable miner hobbled across the bottom of the ravine, slowly making his way down the dark cave entrance across the way. His teeth chattered rapidly in the dark, the only sounds being heard throughout the cave system were his sluggish footsteps and growling stomach. Steve felt like a mess once more. Wet, cold, hungry...it just couldn't get worse. Well, I mean, it definitely could.
Steve sighed in relief once he turned the cave's corner and the lava pit and Nether portal came into view. Does Herobrine know that I lay by his lava pit frequently to warm myself? Steve hummed in thought and quickly shuffled over to the lava pool, arranging his wet armor around the sides of the pool to dry. I really hope he doesn't mind.
Player Steve dropped to his knees and immediately sprawled out on the warm stone by the lava, giving off a small moan in bliss. The lava's heat worked like magic on Steve's body, sending him into a state of drowsiness. The young miner's skin dried almost instantly, the wet cloth in his undershorts warming up quickly. His stomach growled continuously but the warmth of the lava felt too nice for him to care.
Steve's vibrant purple eyes fluttered open and close for a few seconds in relaxation, his pink lips parting slightly as he tilted his head to the side. He was an attractive adventurer.
Even he thought so.
Steve squinted at the sign that lay on the side of the Nether portal, trying to read the words that were on it. Did it change? Did Herobrine respond to him? Curiosity out-powered Steve's desire to stay by the lava so he slowly crawled forward on the cave floor towards the portal.
The sign read: Maybe.
Steve smiled. Never thought you were a tease.
The player from Alpha ran his hand over Herobrine's neat writing, smudging it a bit. Oh, how Steve longed to meet him...even though he was still extremely frightened by everything about him. But...what would he do? He wouldn't do anything, Steve assumed. He could kill Steve right now if he'd like to. Nothing is stopping him. Notch isn't here to save the day and Alex is far, far away in a different World. Herobrine could kill Steve easily at any time he'd like.
The miner licked his lips nervously and rubbed the sign with the back of his hand to erase Herobrine's dark writing. He picked up his coal chunk and stared at the sign shyly. He had so much he wanted to say to him...but he was too embarrassed to write any of it down.
After a few moments of simply sitting there, Steve finally mustered the courage to write: I would like to talk to you about something.
Steve's hand shook a bit as he wrote it down, trying his best to make his handwriting look as neat as possible. Oh for the love of—now he's got me trying to be "mr. perfect" for him. The young miner shook his head in stupidity and blushed a bit in frustration at himself. He slowly crawled back towards the lava with red cheeks, glaring down at the ground with a flushed face. He grabbed his now dry, teal shirt and pulled it over his head, sighing as the warm cloth brushed against his bare chest. His pants were now dry as well so he proceeded to put them on himself. Once he was clothed, he laid back on the stone once more next to the lava pit, basking in its warmth.
A teleportation sound effect echoed in the distance, it's sound reverberating through the cave system to Steve's right. The Overworld player instinctively whipped his head to the right where the sound came from. The two cave tunnels to the right were extremely dark, winding down into the earth and out of sight. Steve immediately freaked out, his breath quickening by the second.
Calm down Steve. CALM DOWN. You asked for this! You literally asked! Steve just freaked out more and whimpered, jumping to his feet and grabbing his armor quickly. WAIT. The miner's eyes lit up in remembrance. Notch had given him three special invisibility potions in which he would practically disappear from the World upon drinking them. Yes! I will use one of these. This will make me feel safer...I can do this. I can do this.
Steve took out one of the dark blue potions from his inventory and popped off the lid, chugging it quickly. The potion's acidic, sour taste burned his tongue and he squinted his eyes and disgust, doing his best to gulp it down as quickly as possible. After only a few seconds, he had finished drinking the potion and started to watch the invisibility effect set in. Soon player Steve couldn't see his arms or legs.
The young miner set his armor down carefully behind the Nether portal, hoping that Herobrine would think that he went in if he ever saw it.
Steve bit his lower lip and slowly started tiptoeing into the dark tunnel to his right where the teleportation sound came from. Even being invisible and all, Steve was sweating profusely in fear. He wanted to see Herobrine so badly, but he was terrified as hell.
The human player froze in his tracks as he suddenly heard loud, heavy footsteps echo throughout the deep cave. He shrieked a bit under his breath, forcing himself to keep moving in the direction of the footsteps, but they had stopped. It was as if the thing that was producing the footsteps had only taken two steps forward then stopped. This terrified Steve but he continued edging his way along the cave wall, going deeper and deeper into the dark tunnel.
The heavy footsteps started up again, sounding EXTREMELY close. Steve gulped and started to tremble, his legs shaking as he snuck on through the cave. Steve swore that the footsteps were coming from just around the corner, for they were so loud and so clear.
And once again, the footsteps stopped. Steve froze and held his breath. Oh my god. It's him. It's him. I know it is. He's right behind the corner. I know he is. Oh my god. Does he know I'm here too? Why is he not moving? Oh Notch, help me...
It is true that Steve was scared, but he was also extremely excited, for his arms were shaking in anticipation. The footsteps had completely stopped though, the cave eerily silent. Steve could hear his own breath, as well as the beating of his racing heart. The miner could feel the tension between him and the Underworld god, that is...if it really was him around the corner.
One footstep suddenly sounded from behind the cave wall and a dim, white glow slowly covered the cave floor, the light crawling upwards towards Steve from around the corner. Steve screamed mentally. YEP. THAT DEFINITELY IS HIM. Another footstep sounded and the light on the floor became brighter, crawling along the cave's walls. Steve slowly started to back up, scooting his butt along the dark wall in terror. He must know I'm here. Why else would he be moving so cautiously? Oh my god. He knows. He knows. He knows—
Steve's thoughts got interrupted when suddenly a redstone torch was placed down on the cave floor right in front of the dark corner. Player Steve froze and stared at it insanely, just waiting for Herobrine to leap out from behind the corner or do something threatening.
The atmosphere was so quiet and intense that Steve felt as if he was having a heart attack. Everything was silent. The redstone torch flickered a bit and casted blood-red shadows among the cave walls, making Steve feel even more terrified of it than the deadly silence.
The footsteps picked up again, except they walked in the opposite direction, going back down into the dark tunnel. Steve let out a loud exhale that he had been holding in for practically minutes. The heavy footsteps became softer and softer as they walked away from where Steve was, leaving Steve raffled but also a bit relieved. The odd tension that was between them was almost too much for the poor human to handle.
After catching his breath, Steve finally peeked around the corner, seeing that Herobrine's glowing eyes were long gone. He must've went back down into the cave to avoid scaring me or something...was he able to sense my fear? Notch did say that he has telepathy. Oh god...that was the scariest thing that's ever happened to me in my life. I was THIS close to him. THIS CLOSE! He was just right here! Behind this little gosh-forsaken stone wall!
Player Steve bent down, picking up the redstone torch the god had placed in awe but also fear. I can't believe it...he actually placed this in front of me. I-I have to have it. Steve thought almost obsessively, gripping the torch nervously. The cave became almost pitch-black again as Steve took it, making Steve chew the inside of his cheek in discomfort. He quickly started shuffling out of the cave towards the distant glow of the lava pit and Nether portal, desperate to be in the light once more.
The sound of teleportation broke the silence in the cave's silence once more, causing Steve to freeze in surprise. He couldn't tell where the teleportation sound came from but it sounded close. Well, the best option I have is to get to the lava pool so I can see better. With that thought, Steve started to sprint out of the dark cave, panting frantically in worry that Herobrine was behind him or something.
The teleportation sound occurred again, this time noticeably close to Steve. The young miner yelped out loud and quickly turned the dark corner, the lava pool and portal sitting in front of him. He sighed in relief and ran to the lava pool, pushing his back against the Nether portal so he could overlook all the branches of cave systems. The miner panted and wiped his forehead that was now covered with sweat, sighing in relief that he had made it back to where this whole situation started.
Steve leaned back to look behind the Nether portal for his armor but...it was gone. His armor had disappeared. Steve's pupils shrank in horror. He...took my armor.
The sign hadn't changed at all. Nothing was different except for the fact that Steve's iron armor was gone. The human grinned insanely and looked down at the ground in fright. He took my armor. That's...not worrying at all. Not at all. I'm fine! I'm FINE.
The Overworld player gulped and stood up very timidly, murmuring a weak, "hello?"
Of course there was no response. Just the same deadly silence. Steve's stomach seemed to turn upside down at how unsettled he was.
"I-I need my armor..." Steve mumbled quite softly again, his voice failing him. He knew that Herobrine couldn't see him at all, but at least the god could hear him.
Suddenly Steve heard the sound of armor being shaken teasingly in one of the dark caves a little to his left. The young miner shook his head in fear and licked his suddenly chapped lips, whispering, "please don't play games with me..."
After he spoke, it sounded as if his armor had been dropped from a small height. Steve's eyes widened in surprise. Did he...actually listen to me? No further sounds were heard after the last one so Steve started to slowly walk into the dark cave, scanning the dark cave floor in an attempt to find his armor. After only a few steps into the cave, Steve saw his iron armor lying in a pile in a dark corner. He gulped and shakily bent down to retrieve it, his fingers fumbling nervously along the iron creases in his chest plate.
"Thank you..." Steve muttered under his breath softly, accidentally letting a small whimper escape from his pursed lips. Once he got all of his armor in his hands, the Overworld player stood up, knees shaking as he looked around the dark tunnel. "C-Can I say thank you?"
Silence.
Another nervous whimper escaped Steve's lips and he cursed at himself mentally. "Please?" He murmured, looking around the dark tunnel nervously but also hopefully.
The silence was starting to freak out Steve so he started to slowly back up towards the light from the lava pool and Nether portal again. "O-Okay..." he mumbled softly, biting his lip. Steve's face almost looked sad as backed away from the dark tunnel, his hands holding his armor tightly to his chest. It's fine...I'd probably be too freaked out if he did reveal himself to me anyway...
Steve slowly made his way back into the light of the lava pool, clutching his items thankfully. He couldn't believe that the Underworld god listened to him. Maybe the legend is true... Maybe Herobrine really does have a soft spot for him...
Suddenly a bright, white glow appeared in between Steve's legs, casting a white shadow in front of the young miner. Steve froze in his tracks, realizing the white light was coming from behind him. Oh no. Herobrine knows exactly where I am. He's behind me. He's standing right behind me. He can sense my body heat and emotions...he's pinpointed me out. Oh god. This invisibility potion does nothing. He's standing right behind me.
Steve was too afraid to turn around. The glow of Herobrine's eyes were so bright, so intense. The white shadows in front of Steve stretched for several blocks. The human was petrified.
The god's heavy footsteps were heard in Steve's ear as the god got closer to Steve's back. The miner swallowed and closed his eyes, swearing that Herobrine was only two or three blocks from him. Oh my god... Calm down Steve calm down! You literally asked for this crap!
A cold draft fell over Steve, seeming to tangle itself around his limbs and clothes. Steve didn't dare open his eyes, he was far too overwhelmed by this encounter. The intensity of the cold wisps only got worse as Herobrine took another step closer to the Overworld player, his wispy, foggy particles floating around Steve's body. The young miner finally cracked opened his eyes and observed the strange, gray particles circling around him. The adventurer gasped a little, nipping the inside of his cheek. He's going to kill me. He's going to grab me or—
Steve's thoughts disappeared as he felt a cold exhale of air near the top of his head ruffle his already messy hair. Herobrine was taller than him. The adventurer suddenly blushed when he realized how close the god was to him. O-Oh! I can tell him thank you now since he's here with me...
"T-Thank you for listening to me." Steve murmured softly. "This potion was supposed to hide me from you but...it doesn't seem to be working very well..." Steve giggled quietly, his lips curving up into a small smile.
Player Steve sighed and inhaled the cold air around him, feeling a little chilled by it. He started to shiver a little but did his very best to hide his discomfort in efforts to keep Herobrine close to him. It must've not worked because suddenly the cold draft that had seemed to weave itself around Steve's body faded as he heard Herobrine take a few steps backwards, his heavy feet causing the cave floor to vibrate a little. Steve's eyebrows drooped a little in shame. "No, I'm sorry. I'm not that cold, you don't bother me..."
Right after he said that, Steve heard a loud teleportation sound and then peeked over his shoulder, seeing that Herobrine was gone.
Steve sighed and held his armor weakly, the corners of his mouth down turning in disappointment. He wished he could've been around Herobrine for just a little longer. Herobrine, I didn't mean to offend you. I promise that what I'm thinking is true. If you can hear me, I'm sorry if I came across as rude.
