Sorry about the wait, yall. I was paralyzed with anxiety about not living up to expectations :')

i'm still not… SUPER happy with this? but i hope you enjoy regardless

Valor teleported through the barred door, picking up Herobrine's pickaxe and slamming it down on the lock.

"Valor! You can't just drop som'thin' like that and not say nothin' more!" Steven followed him through, looking back and forth down the hallway. "You saw your father?"

"Can still see him." Valor looked to where the ghost was standing, now a bit closer due to the pickaxe having moved. "I'll explain everything once we get out of here." Steven let out an exasperated sound.

"Can he see us?"

"Yes."

"Can he hear us?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Steven grimaced. "I hope there's no hard feelings about-"

"There aren't, he told me." Valor interrupted. "Come on, I believe it's this way." Steven gave up, following as Valor made his way down the corridor.

"You may need to fight." A cold hand touched Val's shoulder, and he jerked up in surprise to find his father hovering just behind him. "Null has a surprising amount of protection."

"Alright." Valor frowned. He could teleport out, but Steven could not. "Will you be able to defend yourself without a weapon?" He asked, glancing back to look at his uncle. It was now that he realized that there were still cuffs on his wrists- Steven had broken his chains.

"Well enough." His uncle grunted. "Hopin' to get a weapon off the first sap we come across."

"Right." They reached the bottom of a staircase. "I'm surprised we haven't encountered anyone thus far."

"Suppose they don't think we're much of a threat with you dead."

"Null spends most of his time near the center of the fortress." Herobrine informed him. "I would not advise taking him on if you can help it. Best to rest and regroup beforehand."

"He won't let us go without a fight." Valor muttered. "I can teleport with Steven, but I have to have an idea of where I'm going, and I haven't seen much of this place."

"I will guide you as well as I am able."

"Thank you." Valor turned to look at his uncle, who was staring at him with a bemused expression. "Follow me, Herobrine can lead us out."

"D'you always call your father by his first name?" He muttered, but didn't protest, following as Valor began to ascend the staircase.

"It's more of a moniker than a first name." Steven, of course, didn't react to the correction.

As they neared the top of the stairs, Valor slowed, hearing voices. He didn't recognize them - likely the fortress guards.

"If you are willing to use some of your teleportation, it will not be difficult to get rid of them." Herobrine murmured, stepping up the stairs in front of him to peer around the corner. "Two of them, at the end of the hall. If you teleport closer you should be able to dispatch them before they raise the alarm." Valor nodded, lifting his pickaxe as he neared the top of the staircase.

"Val, leave the guards be." Steven cut in quietly. Valor shot him an incredulous look. "In all likelihood they've no real connection to th' sorcerer, only here t' make a living. They don't deserve death for that." Val frowned, but turned back to the hallway. He only needed the barest glance around the corner before teleporting down to the end, slamming the handle of the pickaxe into one guard's helmet with a crash! He dropped like a rock, and the other guard hastily drew his sword before being knocked out as well.

"Happy?" Val hissed as Steven hurried down the hall to join him. His uncle gave a curt nod, acquiring a sword from one of the fallen guards, and they moved on.

"Down here." Herobrine pointed him through a doorway, and Valor obeyed. Every room in this dismal place was old and decaying, cracks splitting the ancient bricks and cobwebs dusting every surface. Null must have used his entire budget on hiring help.

The trio moved as quietly as they could through the fortress, encountering no more guards as of yet. Twice, Herobrine got a bit turned around, and they wandered in circles before he got his bearings again. Finally, they came up on a hallway that looked familiar, and Valor stopped short.

"We're close to the room where you found me." He hissed. "I don't want to be ambushed by Null."

"He spent most of his time away from that room." Herobrine assured him. "I doubt he will-"

"Valor?" A new voice came from behind them. Valor spun around, his gaze immediately lighting on Notch at the end of the hall.

Steven immediately stepped forward, raising his sword, and Notch lifted a hand to ward him off. "No- I… he told me he killed you."

"He did." Valor's hand went automatically to the amulet around his neck. "I am not easy to kill."

"An' believe me, you don't want to give it another shot." Steven growled.

"No, I wouldn't." Notch assured him hastily. Valor raised his pickaxe, gesturing towards the foreman.

"I would advise disassociating yourself with Null as soon as possible." He told him coldly. "Very soon he will not be a safe person to be around."

"Are you going to kill him?"

"Eventually."

Notch pursed his lips. "I will not hinder you. Go."

"Good." Valor didn't turn his back on him just yet. "Where is he?"

"That, I do not know."

"Fine." Val waved him away, and Notch backed up, vanishing through a doorway.

"We need to go." His father urged him, and Valor nodded, heading for the room where he had been interrogated.

The room was, fortunately, empty. From here, Steven took point, leading him through the door which he had seen Notch drag Lithian through (Val hoped he was somewhere safe). His uncle assured him that it wasn't much farther to the surface.

Unfortunately, as such, all the guards appeared to be stationed here.

Steven stepped out into a small room only to yell and duck back as a crossbow bolt pinged off the wall by his head. Valor lurched forwards, teleporting behind the crossbowman and quickly relieving him of his weapon. He was one of six, Valor counted as he disarmed another. Steven was charging forward again at this point, disarming a third and thumping him on the head with the hilt of his sword to stun him.

One of the remaining dropped his weapon, lifting his hands in surrender, and the others followed suit. Valor merely glanced over them to make sure none planned to attack them while their backs were turned before beckoning Steven with him and continuing along the path.

The next corner had two more guards stationed around it, which were swiftly dealt with. As Valor lowered one of the unconscious men against the wall, however, the low roar of a horn's call echoed through the halls. Steven grimaced.

"Well that's not opt'mal."

"Hurry." Herobrine insisted.

"Are we close?" Valor whispered as he continued down the hall.

"Close enough, c'mon." Steven fell into step behind him, and they headed through a doorway up another flight of stairs.

The moment Valor stepped off of the top step, he was electrocuted.

He fell heavily, fortunately not backwards, as both his father and uncle cried out his name in alarm. All Valor could do was cough, then choke out,

"'least now I know how Lithian felt."

"How dare you." Valor's head whipped around, and he immediately spied Null standing about ten feet away. "You cheat me of my revenge. You're supposed to be dead."

"I am dead." Valor shoved himself upright, and would have stumbled if not for Steven's strong hand on his shoulder. "No number of your tricks will make me any more or less so."

"Tricks?" An orb of electricity charged in the sorcerer's hand again. "I am no mere magician. If I cannot kill you, I will tear you apart piece by piece."

"Sounds uncomfortable, I'd rather not." Valor's gaze shifted longingly towards the staircase leading upstairs, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to make it far with Null chasing him. Especially since several of his spells could be used at a great range.

Valor glanced at his uncle, who met his eyes, then he teleported behind Null and slammed the pickaxe down on his head.

The sorcerer had disappeared into a cloud of black smoke by the time the weapon reached him, stumbling back a few feet away. Valor charged at him again, interrupting as he prepared another spell, and Null growled.

"Hold still, this will be over sooner." Valor merely responded by clubbing him over the head with the pickaxe. As he reeled, Steven came up behind him, aiming to run him through, but Null teleported to a safe distance. Raising one jet-black hand, the sorcerer manifested his own weapon- a long, dark sword. Valor had his doubts that he was capable of using it effectively, but a magical weapon was dangerous regardless.

Null stretched out a hand, and Valor felt weakness crashing over him again, but an instant later the feeling lifted. Around his neck, the amulet grew warm. Valor feinted left, then teleported to the right, bringing his blade down on Null's arm. Moving too slowly, Null escaped the brunt of the blow but was dealt a large gash, which immediately began to leak black blood. He swung recklessly, and Valor ducked out of the way.

Null continued to attack, able to keep Val off of him. The length of his sword didn't allow for counterattack. Steven attacked from his other side, and Null was forced to divide his attention for a moment, before he cast the weakness spell and Steven faltered. Valor came in again, trying to keep his attention off of him, but it seemed with every blow that Null became more and more enraged.

"You truly think you can strike me down?" He bellowed. "You wouldn't be the first! Or did you mean to run, hide yourself away like the coward you are?!" Valor chose to save his breath instead of answering.

As he lifted his pickaxe to deflect one wild swing, he misstepped, causing his grip to falter, and when Null's sword made contact it sent the weapon flying out of his hands. When Valor turned to look after it, the flat of the magical blade slammed into his head, knocking him aside. He hit the ground, and then the sword was at his throat.

"I warned you." Null growled. Valor froze. A moment later, he grasped at the blade, trying to send a shock through it, but it didn't transmit as a metal blade would. Null laughed as he jerked his hand, now bleeding, back to his side.

"Hold it!" A new voice shouted. Null lifted his head, irritated, and found Notch at the corner of the hallway- crossbow pointed at the sorcerer's head.

"Oh dear." Null sighed and straightened up,rolling his shoulder as Valor lowered his chin. Null's arm, he noticed, had stopped bleeding. "If you recall, miner, you work for me."

"Consider this my resignation." Notch responded coldly. "I have no interest in working for one who endangers innocents for his own gain."

"I merely look at the bigger picture." Null drawled. "Who could tell how many innocents would have been killed if Herobrine was allowed to roam free?"

"If you are any indication of Herobrine's targets, I sincerely doubt their innocence." Behind Null, Steven grasped the handle of Herobrine's pickaxe. Notch's gaze followed him, but he gave no indication of having seen. "It doesn't matter. Herobrine is already dead, and you slaughtered those townsfolk for nothing."

"I captured his replacement, did I not?" Null raised his hands in a shrug.

"Valor has only ever sought for your downfall, and I see now that he was in the right all along."

"Pah. This is merely your mortal sentiment taking hold. Put down the crossbow, it will do nothing to me."

"If it is, I welcome it. My gut has told me that you were trouble from the beginning, it is about time that I listened." Notch loosed the bolt, and it struck Null in the head, sending him crashing to the ground.

Valor scrambled upright, glancing at his hand- the cut had already closed. Steven was sitting against the other wall, Herobrine's pickaxe in one hand, as he watched Null's body warily. Notch hesitantly lowered the crossbow.

"Does he live?" He asked quietly. Valor turned to look, scrutinizing the sorcerer's form.

Null sighed, pushing himself off the ground.

"What a pity." Null tore the bolt from his head with a grunt, tossing it away as Valor backed up to take the pickaxe from Steven. "I just told you that it would not hurt me."

"Valor, go." Notch drew a sword, approaching his former master. "I'll keep him busy." Valor didn't budge.

"No, he'll kill you. We have a greater chance if we outnumber him."

"You think you're the only one who cannot die?" Null roared. "My body may be ruined, but your father's blunder made me immortal!" Beside him, Val's father grimaced.

"I was certainly careless with him."

"I don't believe you." Valor snapped. "You would not fight so hard to avoid me if that was the case."

"Merely the human limitations that this body retains." Null scoffed disdainfully. "Of them, I still feel pain. But it will not debilitate me. One of us will leave here alive, and it will not be you." Sword materializing in his hand once more, Null charged at Valor with a deadly light in his eyes.

Valor struck down the sword as it approached him, parrying his attack, and immediately swung his pickaxe back up. Though the blade caught him across the face, Null barely faltered. Having reached him, Notch swung down on the sorcerer as well, but Null lurched up to counter it, driving him back with one blow. Steven too, having escaped the grasp of the weakness spell, attacked from Null's other side, forcing the sorcerer to swing recklessly in his direction to keep him away.

As Valor moved to attack again, Null thrust a hand in his direction, and a low boom sounded as an invisible force threw him down the hallway to slam into the wall.

"Valor!" He heard the shout through the ringing in his ears, and he grimaced, lifting a hand to feel at the back of his head. Opening his eyes revealed his father standing over him, and Steven and Notch strewn on the floor of the hallway as well. Valor lifted his gaze to Null, and flinched back in alarm.

"Seventeen years!" Null's voice grew even more distorted as the hallway seemed to darken, a huge, shadowy silhouette hovering behind him. "Seventeen years I planned and schemed, only for my endeavors to be in vain because of YOU!"

"You speak as if I killed my father." Valor gasped out.

"My revenge would have been complete if you had but the decency to stay dead." Null began to approach with slow, deliberate steps. "That amulet. That is new." Valor's hand lifted to close protectively over the pendant. "Is that what keeps you alive?"

"You leave 'im be-" Steven growled, pushing himself up, only for Null to slam him into the wall with a flick of his wrist, and Notch reaching for his sword caused him to meet a similar fate. Before him, Valor's father sunk down to his knees beside him, one hand on his arm as he watched Null approach.

"Is that truly it?" Null took his silence as confirmation. "You make this too easy for me."

"What are you?" Valor gritted out.

"I am more powerful than I ever have been before." Null's eyes flared with light. "This rage gives me all the power I could ever need."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"All you need to know is that I will be your executioner." Null lifted his sword as he began to come close. "If only your father could see me now."

A tall, black figure appeared in between them.

Null stopped short, having to crane his neck to look up at the enderman's face. "What are-" Null cut himself off, swinging at the creature standing in his way, but it merely vanished just long enough for the sword to swing by harmlessly.

"||𝙹 ∷ !¡ᒷ∷⍊ᒷ∷ᓭ╎𝙹リ 𝙹⎓ ᒲᔑ⊣╎ᓵ ⍑ᔑᓭ ↸∷ᔑ∴リ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ᔑℸ ̣ ℸ ̣ ᒷリℸ ̣ ╎𝙹リ 𝙹⎓ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ᒷリ↸."

Behind him, two more endermen appeared, and Null swung around to find himself surrounded. One of the creatures seized him by the upper arm, and the sword in his hand vanished.

"ℸ ̣ ⍑╎ᓭ !¡𝙹∴ᒷ∷ ⍑ᔑᓭ ᓵ𝙹∷∷ !¡ℸ ̣ ᒷ↸ ||𝙹 ʖᒷ||𝙹リ↸ ᓭᔑ⍊╎リ⊣. ||𝙹 ∷ !¡ リ╎ᓭ⍑ᒲᒷリℸ ̣ ∴╎ꖎꖎ ʖᒷ ↸ᒷᓵ╎↸ᒷ↸ ╎リ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ᒷリ↸."

Null gaped up at them, then the pair vanished, leaving only the first enderman behind. This one turned to look at Valor, gave him a small nod, then vanished in a shower of purple sparks.

The darkness over the hallway lifted, leaving Valor to sit, stunned, against the wall. Steven was stirring, pressing a hand over a knot on his head, and Herobrine spoke softly.

"I suppose that's that, then."