(A/N: :U New chapter after such a long time! (Seriously you all must have super patience or something) but I know a certain regular reviewer is gonna love this chapter :)

Chaos erupted all at once. Rosetta had quickly bolted towards the Stone-Edge group and grabbed one of their swords. After that, everything blurred all together.

Shroud jumped out of the way and bent backwards to avoid getting his head sliced off. His momentum landed him flat on his back and having to kick one of his attackers just so he could get up in time. The only thing he was thankful for was the group he recently met; they were able to distract the other Stone-Edge members so he wasn't swarmed by all of them. Still he was having great difficulties fighting two at once.

It didn't really help that jlott was having a hard time keeping up with the action. In fact, her adrenaline was making it hard to concentrate as it was affecting Shroud. Normally Shroud wasn't affected by adrenaline too much as he's been it many fights before and knows how to handle it; jlott on the otherhand…

Shroud blinked, the adrenaline having made him flinch in the wrong direction. He felt a body slam into him and knock the wind out of him. Before he had time to recover, a sword came down and smashed what little armor he had to pieces. Instantly he dropped to half a heart.

"Shroud! Get up!" Shroud heard jlott shout in panic. But everything had slowed down as Shroud struggled to keep his eyes open. "Come on get up!" was the last thing he heard before he blacked out.

"Take him to the Pound."

Shroud wrestled his eyes open as he finally awoke. Everything hurt, not once had he ever felt this terrible. Blood pounded through his skull and chest. Then the cold hit him. It was so cold that his chest wound stuck to the icy floor. He pushed with what little strength he had to get his chest off the floor and ended up pulling some of his skin off with it.

He hissed as a trickle of blood began to flow, but thankfully not much. However it hurt like Notch himself had thunder-punched him. Shroud winced as he peeled back some of his ruined tunic and lightly touched the heavily scabbed and bruise area.

Out of reflex from having to repair his tunic in the Nether constantly, Shroud pulled out a bone needle. He didn't remember where he got it from only how to use it. Delicately, he used his claws to rip the ruined fabric around his wound and then ripped some more from the tattered ends of his tunic's skirt. He waited for his wound to stop bleeding before starting to sew on the makeshift patch.

In that time, Shroud took in his extremely cold surroundings. From the icicle covered bars to the locked door, Shroud was sure he was in some kind of prison. And he wasn't the only one here.

All around him, the jail cells were filled with whimpering noises, angry scratching, and an occasional shout of pained howls. Shroud shivered violently as he work the patch on. This wasn't right.

"jlott where am I?" Shroud asked, but his question only bounced off the frigid walls and mocked him. "jlott?" Nothing but echoes answered again. This wasn't right at all.

"Your player can't hear you here." A voice finally answered. But it was not that of a victorious Stone-Edge there to gloat, No, it sounded defeated. Shroud heaved himself up and took a few unsteady steps towards the new voice. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but it was most certainly another prisoner talking to him.

"And why not?" Shroud asked. He rubbed his eyes hoping to get a better view.

"Stone-Edge and their 'Employers' don't exactly want you getting any funny ideas now do they?" The grating voice responded before coughing violently. "Haven't heard mine in weeks…nor warmth of my furnace.."

Shroud pouted. None of this was good; he had to get out as soon as possible. The Cold wasn't helping him think as he reached for Old Faithful.

But Old Faithful wasn't with him. The Rage he felt was immediate as was the flames that threatened to explode outwards. But the pain in his chest stopped him as he wheezed.

It did click in his mind though to use a little bit of fire with his hands to better see with. With a shaky breath, Shroud concentrated on sending a single flame to his right hand. The room lit up as the ice reflected his fire until it burned brightly. Howls of complaints filled the air as Shroud's eyes widen in surprise.

Every single person in this prison was part mob, some looking to be nearly fully formed. There were…

"Just… like me?" Shroud sounded out his confusion. And then he looked towards the cell opposite of him. The person in it shied away from the light, trying to hide half his face, but his one red eye shone brightly in the light. Part of his skin was green, and Shroud heard him let out a low hiss.

"Turn it off! Turn it off before the guards show up!" The half-creeper whisper-shouted. Instantly, the fire went out and all was dark again. Some sighs of relief could be heard. But Shroud had no relief, he was baffled.

"What's going on here?" Shroud asked in the direction of the half-creeper. But before the half-creeper could reply, footsteps were heard and everyone went tense and quiet. A Stone-Edge appeared, but noting that everything was dark and quiet, continued on to another part of the prison.

"It's a little complicated, but…" The half-creeper started, stopped and listened, then continued. "We're all 'failed' pet projects of the Herobrine's agents. Think of this place as their 'correction' facility."

"And if we're not 'corrected?'"Shroud asked as his worry grew. He had to get out that's for sure, get back to jlott and Aodh.

"They put you down." Shroud didn't like this one bit. He wasn't going back to how he was in the Nether nor did he want to die this way.

Silence followed for a long while as Shroud thought and thought about how to escape. But the Stone-Edge had taken everything from him; he had nothing to use. He couldn't punch his way out either as the guards were regular and continuously checked the iron bars for damage.

After a while the half-creeper spoke again.

"Any chance you have any sand on you…uh.. don't think we told each other our names have we?" The half-creeper asked. "Name's Rick. Can't for the life of me remember if I had a last name."

"Shroud… Not my original name and no don't have any sand." Shroud replied as he shivered violently.

"Shoot… with your fire and my gunpowder… well freedom would've awaited us." Shroud could hear him pout in the darkness. Then more fits of coughing.

Suddenly harsh, bright light blared into life and blinded every occupant in the room. Shroud covered his eyes as he was blinded, too. Just as suddenly, a hand grabbed him and yanked him out of his cell. Shroud wheezed as he landed on his still healing wound, but lashed out at the person who had tossed him.

He wasn't fast enough and soon his hands were bound and a blind fold tied tightly so he couldn't see. After that he was pushed and shoved all over the place until he felt like he had a thousand bruises. It all ended when he was shoved to the floor, a floor that didn't feel like stone and ice.

"Welcome to class little puppers!" A voice called out as his blinds and bounds were removed. The room was dimly lit with netherrack fires and was considerably warmer than the cells. And the floor was made of… sand!

"Now if I could get some of it.." Shroud thought as his eyes wandered some more. Next to him was Rick, who stayed low to the ground as well as two others. One looked like a fully-formed Enderman, but their eyes betrayed them, and next to them was a part-formed zombie who jumped at the loud voice. All three were still bound.

"I see we have a new member with us today!" The voice chimed. "Let's hope you're better trained than the previous one." Shroud shivered, but not from the cold this time.

"First! Let's see just how well you're doing!" The all too cheery voice shouted as some guards hauled his three 'classmates' away. From the far side of what Shroud now thought of as an arena, a lone Stone-Edge appeared out of a gateway. This one was odd though, for they wore chainmail rather than diamond armor. No sword either, the person had just came out with their fists up and ready.

Shroud snarled. He got to his feet shakingly as he prepared himself for what looked like a fight. Then with a click, parts of the walls moved away to reveal items he had previously.

Including Old Faithful!

How badly Shroud had wanted to rush immediately to his sword, but he didn't know what the Stone-Edge where playing at. So instead he rushed the chainmail opponent.

This apparently caught the foe unaware as they were too slow, even at Shroud's pained pace, to block his swipe of claws at his arms and chest. It didn't last long as Shroud's foe retaliated and punched him hard in the chest. Shroud coughed as he struggled for air and barely dodged a second set of swinging fists. Shroud growled as he continued to dodge. His injury was making this difficult unless…

Shroud dashed for the food he had. If he could just grab even one bit of food he'd be able to fight better.

"Tsk tsk!" The cheery voice said as Shroud reached for the food. Shroud cried out as he was electrified by an invisible barrier surrounding the food. "One point off for misbehaving!"

Shroud snarled at the cheery talker. What kind of game was this? To show him his stuff, but prevent him from using any of it?! Shroud rolled out of the way from his foe and dashed for the center. He'd be finished too soon if he got cornered.

Without jlott's adrenaline, Shroud assessed his situation more clearly. He scanned about in between his parries and swipes for anything that could help him. Then something caught his eye! The Enderman with the eyes, and the zombie, and Rick! They hadn't been taken out of the room just out of the way.

The half-zombie wouldn't be much use, but the Enderman might just be what he needs.

Shroud made a mad dash around his opponent towards the Enderman. With a flick of the wrist, Shroud's claw caught the rope restraining the Enderman and sliced right through. The Enderman just sat there though… staring dumbly at their hands. Shroud huffed as he dodged again and mouthed the word 'sand' at the backwards-speaker.

Still nothing.

Why weren't they fighting?! As Shroud punched his opponent with fire and rage, he saw it. The Enderman's eyes that showed their true self… were consumed by fear. They looked down and away, hands subconsciously tracing previous beatings and scars, and muttered '..t'nac I'

Shroud eyes soon wandered to the zombie and then to Rick. Each one of them held that same fear. That they couldn't possibly win. Only Rick had any hope left and that too was faltering. 'You can' Shroud mouthed back. But only doubt replied back, even from Rick who tried the hardest out of the three to hope. Not here, where the eyes of their captors could snuff out any flame of hope Rick had left.

"YOU CAN!" Shroud blared out at the top of his lungs. Out of anger and recklessness, Shroud violently bashed his opponent out of the way and bounded towards Old Faithful. Shroud reached only to be stopped by that invisible barrier. But he wouldn't give up, wouldn't give up trying to get away and meeting Aodh again. He wouldn't LET that happen.

Shroud punched through the barrier as he screamed. The electricity burned every inch of him as he gripped Old Faithful…

And ripped it out of its prison.

With wild feral rage, Shroud whipped around to defeat his foe once and for all. As Old Faithful rose high to strike, the chainmail Stone-Edge pulled out his enchanted stone-sword. Rick saw it in slow motion as the same scene played out in his head with his diamond sword in place of Shroud's.

"Don't!" Rick shouted out in horror. All he could see was his own diamond sword nearly shattering to bits, barely holding on, but also becoming useless again. It was too late, however, as Old Faithful came crashing down.

And held.