Hero's Bane

Chapter 80: It's A Reason

Edited 8/18/2022

"Die?" Steve gulped and shot a look of uncertainty to the man across the open chamber, he felt so confused but more discouraged that the one who trusted him so much was now wanting him dead. All of that hard work to prove that he was trustworthy, that he was almost like Lionel's distant relative, that he was a friend; all the effort gone? His tribulations in the Nether were all but wasted and pointless, suffering for nothing? No, he couldn't accept that. This miner didn't almost die several times for nothing, he earned the hero's trust the hard way and refused to just let it all be for naught. He's seen the man at a peaceful state before, maybe not really happy but genuinely contented at least.

He had yet to help him be free of Ender, maybe if he did then the guy could actually smile for once and leave humans at peace. Steve's frown deepened a little, it was going to take some major convincing now or he would be in for a fight. Fighting Herobrine was already ridiculously difficult enough, fighting was the one thing on the agenda to avoid most; especially with his newest wounds he got just trying to get to the shrine. Herobrine still had his stab wound Steve noticed, it was even slightly bleeding from what he could tell. He honestly wished that he could have stopped himself from doing that a while ago.

"I know I've said some things that can't ever be taken back." He started with a low and regretful tone. "I regret those words. … But it's in the past now!" He suddenly barked while holding his pleading expression. "I was upset for what you did, could you really blame me?"

Herobrine only narrowed his eyes more.

"I mean come on. We had a fallout back there and it pains me to think back on it, for what you showed me. Your sword really didn't help the situation either." Steve narrowed his own eyes to show his displeasure of his past encounter with the man. "You forced me to take up your blade, did you know how conflicting it was to fight the rage? How much sorrow I felt from it's negative power? Power like that may make you stronger but it made me weaker."

The white-eyed man finally gave a look to the miner that hinted more confusion than anger, this was a breakthrough for Steve. Now if it would only last.

"Yeah, it left me drained. Not to mention that the same sword could have killed me with it's adverse affect, so you're mad that I'm here?" Steve gestured the well behind him with a simple wave of the hand towards the structure. "Well do I have news for you. I am not here to get revenge, you know that it's not me. It took good self-convincing back in those woods to not cause further harm, I am still distraught that I even injured you." Steve paused to gage Herobrine's reaction to his words, the man was still showing his rage and looked as though he couldn't be convinced for his reasons of being in the forbidden temple. He still had to try. "You have yet to fully heal, even now that pains me. But what pains me more is the fact that you can't trust me after everything that we've been through. I don't understand why you can't."

Herobrine made a few more steps forward and then stood in place; only slightly hinting his struggle with a light shaking in his posture. It was really getting hard to fight the pressure but he didn't come to fully test his own resistance to Notch's power, just to keep himself out of falling into disciplining hands of an unfair and unjust creator. "That is what I don't understand." He mocked with the same kind of tone the miner used; only with more disdain. A deep sneer then crept on his features. "What I 'do' understand is that all of Notch's damned creations are the same as him; they take after his deceptive and unmerited nature, appearing to have the understanding of others when it's all fake."

"What?"

"I am all too familiar with this little game you humans play, pretending to have innocence when it's all a lie." Herobrine began to pace back and forth to demonstrate his anger, it was a waste of energy when it comes to the power of the well trying to make him kneel; but he felt as though he could fight the force with his growing temper. "Brutus had me fooled for years, he was very good with deception. And so was the Sovereign of course. He always feared me, even when I came back from demolishing mobs threatening the village and the crop fields; welcoming me back with open arms. I saw through his false expression of joy, he was even nervous of letting me watch over Conner or even speak to him; but he allowed it because he knew better then to get on my bad side.

A lot of mortals also played along with false faces, but the heart never lies. It tends to quicken it's pace when in the presence of someone much more stronger and deadlier than them, one who is cursed with the never-ending pressure of fear. My curse can strangely be undone, but only to those who are willing to face it and see through it. Lionel did, even Brutus did. That traitor grew more comfortable when I fought alongside him many times and even aided him; made playing the game much easier for him, I didn't see his turncoat nature until it was already too late. Always had a bad feeling about him, he was after all; the covetous type though he wouldn't show it. I should have done something about him and all of the liars; but I played along with you humans and tried to live a normal life, then that was when I was stabbed in the back!" The white-eyed being abruptly stopped and stomped the ground in resentment, as if he was crushing the traitorous sentinel's head, this stomp put a small crack in the stone flooring. "I knew I couldn't trust mortals of Notch, I was a fool to assume that I could trust you… after finding you here of all places."

Steve shook his head back and forth in disagreement. "You have it wrong, I am not lying to you and I never had the intention of backstabbing you. And I didn't come here to summon Notch, how many times do I have to tell you that? I've only come to merely ask for his help." He said more softly while trying to sound genuinely earnest despite how mad he was that Herobrine wouldn't believe him. "I didn't return for a fight or for a summon, just to find you and get the help we need to stop the end beast. Besides, if I am really like all other humans; then wouldn't Lionel be in the same category as me and other people?!"

Herobrine snapped at the moment, he forced power to surge in his veins.

Steve felt a fist strike to the side of his cheek and he went flying several blocks and then tumbling across the cold floor and away from the well, he rolled to a stop and felt a foot land on his back as he tried to stand up.

"How dare you even speak of his name to me traitor." Herobrine ushered out the words darkly in the miner's mind and fought back the drive to kill the man right there and then, his sword was dangerously close to the human's neck. "He's nothing of the sort!"

"He's a man of Notch isn't he?" Steve winced and stared at the soul-sucking blade just inches from him, he just couldn't find it in him to shut it. Herobrine was being very stubborn and he needed to see that he was wrong. "You know he was." Steve regretted his words when Herobrine suddenly stomped on his back and dug in his heel. Steve wailed aloud when he felt the tip of the arrow get buried deeper into his upper torso, the man's foot had landed in a bad place. It felt like fire ripping through his muscles as the sharp end of the arrow point was forced further into his shoulder blade until it struck bone, there was enough pain to cause him to whimper when the pressure on his back was removed.

Herobrine immediately smelled the flow of blood and could see red flooding the man's upper shoulder; where he had stomped down on and stain the fabric even more. Steve had apparently been wounded prior to his return to the fortress temple. Part of Herobrine felt as though the man deserved it, the other however; made him immediately feel guilt for making the wound worse. The ancient hero removed his foot off of the man and he ground his teeth from the confliction he had, he shouldn't be feeling bad at all for harming the miner since he was going to kill him anyways; now he didn't know what to think.

Steve grimaced, the sword had been removed away from his face thankfully and Herobrine seemed to have backed off a bit. He pushed himself off of the floor and was surprised that he wasn't attacked while doing so, he was still on his hands and knees but he couldn't stop his mouth from continuing his case. "You know… it's true." Steve grabbed a hold of his wound and hesitated to remove the sharp object that was embedded in his body and causing him so much pain, removing it would just make matters worse; he had to keep convincing himself that so that he wouldn't do something that he'd regret. "He's human, he even did things in Notch's name didn't he?" Steve cautiously looked up at his afflicter before looking down at the iron sword that laid by his side; he didn't want to use it but had to be ready to grab it should Herobrine try and attack him again. "Would you honestly believe that because he is one of Notch's creations that he would be deceitful and unjust like him and everybody else you proclaim?"

Herobrine ground his teeth and held back the hand that wanted to strike again. The miner was right and this grated on his nerves like no one would believe, to openly claim that Lionel was just like Notch; it was impossible and so not every human could be like the god unless the silver sentinel was amongst them who were alike the creator. The old hero backed away from the man and looked away when Steve's hand went for the wound; he had also caught the glimpse of an broken arrow stick jutting out of the guy's right deltoid, he was obviously wounded and needed immediate treatment to prevent permanent damage. He wasn't going to help the miner though, the mortal deserved what he got for trying to go to a place that he shouldn't have. The pressure of the shrine was becoming heavier in being more closer to it from his attack, he needed time to recover more strength and so he backed further away from the bright quartz and the water.

The miner gnashed his teeth as he removed his hand from the surface of the wound, he could still feel the object's broken end at least so he shouldn't have too much to worry about it just yet. Steve pushed himself to stand up all the way, he was sure to grab the iron blade as a precaution for the enraged being and his growing uncontrollable temper. He immediately noticed that Herobrine had put several feet between them by backing away like he had no choice but to. The miner sighed and turned to see the enraged and darkened soul face to face, he could make out hesitance in those bright glowing white eyes. "You've trusted Lionel the whole time he was alive, what makes me any different?

After everything? Why would I go to the edge of death and the peak of agony just to lie to you Brine? It wouldn't be worth it to a deceiver; not to someone who's only gain is to make you feel betrayed or punish you. It's just not worth it. As I've said before, I've come here seeking help from one who can provide more than anybody else and even you in this world. I was seeking your help too; hoping so much that I didn't arrive too late before you'd revert, it's a relief to see that you haven't yet."

Herobrine felt even more awkward by the miner's plea; feeling needless guilt and pity when he shouldn't. The mortal before him only moved back over to the shrine in a slow and unhurried pace; moving directly back into place only feet away from the structure, the immortal made no attempt to stop him oddly.

"I knew nothing of Notch coming back to this world after our argument, I was too transfixed on returning home to my family and accepting losses than worrying about revenge that was forced into the back of my mind by your cursed blade. The effects might have lasted a little while but I had no real desire to get back at you. Actually, I felt bad about abandoning you to suffer Ender's endless debt in your 'crazed' state, leaving you to forget everything. But I felt most wretched that I was so 'betrayed' by you for showing me the fates of my brother and father and not backing down when I begged on my hands and knees. Betrayed by the fact that I have been doing everything I can to help you and then to just get punched in the face for your selfish demands of either being cut down or left alone. Then 'that' of all things."

Herobrine lightly gaped and dropped his steadfast stance a little from the word 'betrayed', a word that he claimed is what Steve did but in reality he realized that he too had betrayed the man; even if it was for his own good. Betrayal was betrayal. Steve had a reason to be frustrated.

"I was so distressed from what you did that I didn't realize your reasons, your own need to either perish on a blade that I wielded for the payment of my losses or send me off so that you could continue to pay off Ender and accumulate more vengeance on Notch by killing his people. Maybe you didn't even want to face Ender again. Was this reason enough to become a coward?" He paused for a moment when Herobrine changed his expression to one mixed of both anger and shock. Calling Herobrine a coward wasn't the smartest thing he could have done for the reason of the hero's pride, he was lucky that the powerful man didn't retaliate against him for the truth.

"For which ever reason, any of them; it was a selfish thing to do. Thankfully I finally realized why you did what you did when I bumped into a friendly stranger, he asked what my problem was and he listened when I told him everything that happened to me in this land. I was surprised that he heard me out and even provided his own intake to help me better myself and understand what you were doing. It took a long talk and much needed support before I finally grasped your plan back in those woods." He gestured. "You didn't deliberately kill those in my family because you were targeting me and trying to get me to 'want' revenge, you were just doing what you had to do for the beast and what you wanted to do to all humans back all those years ago. It was just unfortunate that my village became your target and that my dad; a night sentry had as well. He was a volunteer guard that wanted to protect the people of the village from any threat, he never backed down ever because he wanted to protect our family. It was painful to see what you did to them." Steve felt his chest seize up and his hand coil tightly around his blade, his empty palm balled up securely when he glanced down at it. "You may have taken his life and even my brother's, but Ender is the one to blame for their ultimate eradication. If you would have killed them normally then this pain wouldn't be so great."

Steve's empty fist started to shake a little and his tone heightened with the dreadful feeling of losing his loved ones forever. "So why stand there and say that I betrayed you when you had done it twice to me? Showing me their horrible deaths and then forcing me to take your blade to kill you on the spot? I asked you to stop but you wouldn't." The miner lifted his head and kept his gaze fixed on the white-eyed one. "I know your plan Herobrine but I don't intend on going along with it. You're not supposed to be a coward, you're supposed to be a hero!"

Herobrine looked away for a brief moment as he replied. "I had no choice to betray you, it was for your own g-"

"I already know that." Steve quickly interrupted and made the identical man look back at him. "But in reality; the greatest benefit can only be obtained by Him. It would be not only for your own good if we stop Ender; it'd be for mine and everyone else alike. I know you don't care for the wellbeing of others, but I do. That's why I'm here now." He gestured the well behind him once more. "I will do anything to protect my friends and family; even you. Notch can help us, only he can or otherwise life as we know it for the both of us will not change for the better."

Herobrine growled from the very thought of accepting help from Notch, he'd never beg to that being nor willingly speak to him… if he could that is. "That is where you are mistaken mortal, Notch has no intentions of cooperating with anyone associating with me; let alone aid me. There is no mercy from a god who is picky and as one-sided as he. I'd rather live to serve Ender by killing Notch's creations forever than bow and break before HIM! I'd rather forget everything, every little memory that doesn't pertain to the beast and it's will. So long as I cater to it I will be spared of endless torment that 'Notch' can create." He hissed.

"No… you can't possibly say that." Steve lost his defensive stance when he heard those words. "You'd rather be a slave to the beast?"

Herobrine's sneer deepened, he hated his only option but there wasn't much of a choice seeing that if he disobeyed the beast and incurred it's wrath then he could spend forever in the End realm having his limbs gnawed off for an eternity, or face a worse fate that a god could create; one possibly worse than the first trial of banishment into an isolated world of agony like the Nether.

Steve shook his head in disbelief. "You would rather forget Lionel and all of the things he did to help you? Your… brother?"

The powerful man's expression abruptly lightened by those words but he refrained from caving into the absurd notion of taking the words back. Of course he never wanted to forget his good times in the fortress and his loyal friend who stuck with him through the thick and thin, those memories were the only ones worth keeping out of a very long life of meaninglessness, bitterness, and solitude. The old hero sighed and held out his sword at his side, he moved the blade before him and held it at the miner in a ready to attack position. Steve looked on at him in shock.

"As much as it painfully bothers me to have to forget what little humanity I had been given through him; it's the same thing that has been hindering me all this time. These memories have to go." Herobrine looked down at his empty hand and coiled his fist, it was clear that he was not happy with his reopened his palm and glanced back up at the mortal. "Now even you have become… a hindrance of sorts. I've slowly lost the natural and primal need to hunt and kill; to savor human blood when you showed up and caused my lost 'humanity' to return. I currently struggle to keep the End beast satisfied, I saw your face in pathetic humans and hesitated to cut them down when I had to; some I even let go. I struggle with the loss of control even more so than I used to. I now face rising memories of old, strange dreams, long periods of time in the white haze only to wake up to destruction that I didn't even get to enjoy."

Herobrine placed his free hand over his chest in gesturing himself. "Don't you see? You have become the 'bane' of my existence, taking away the only purpose I had in this world and replacing it with something as pitiable as living like a normal human being; living like something that I am not. You did this to me, tried to replace my brother and even inadvertently convinced me a few times to accept it. I admit that. But still, it's a burden on my existence and hinders me from fulfilling my debt. Actually, serving Ender is the only reason why I should even be here in this world."

Steve couldn't believe what his ears were hearing. "You're wrong. … You're wrong!" He repeated with a shout. He frowned deeply, completely taken aback that the hero had no reason to be other than to be a tool to get back at Notch. "There has to be more to it than that! You were a hero once remember?"

"Only once in my lifetime was I a real hero in the eyes of man, I tried to be many times before the rise of the fortress but was ultimately rejected by the world. Besides; you already know how much of a hero I turned out to be." The ancient being said more calmly, his gaze was downcast from the miner and on the floor before the mortal.

"I can't accept that as a reason. There has to be a place somewhere-"

"Did you not hear?" Herobrine looked up from the floor and let his tiring arm and the weapon fall to his side, it was becoming difficult to keep it up at the moment; he was sure that the miner had got the general idea of what had to be done. "When I woke up to this world I tried so much to fit in and move into human civilizations many times; only one accepted me then ensnared me for what I was. A monster. I was never truly welcome here, I was used to protect people then used to help that bastard take the throne. I never really belonged anywhere and I so I have no real purpose. Living in seclusion is what caused me to forget my old ties to humans, my ties to Lionel. The pain of betrayal is what did me in and transformed my mind to one of vengeance, one perfectly suitable in giving back to my liberator.

I had found myself at last after being nothing but a single-minded slave for so long because of you, now I have to do away with you since I cannot get you to stay away from me nor fulfill my new reason so long as you stand in my way. I detest Ender for his unreasoning and endless debt, but Notch? I loathe him more than the world that first rejected me. There's no place to belong and live in satisfaction when I am greatly feared and unwanted, no one to talk to, no one who could look at me and see me as an acceptable figure before their eyes. I am but a curse to this world and yet Notch has my abhorrence the most. It may even be his fault that I am like this, I don't recall anything about him; not even what he looks or sounds like. But what I do know is that he is against me and always will be, being dumped into the Nether to suffer forever was proof enough of his intent. Either taking you out and reverting or dying is the only way out of this mess that I am in. I gave you the chance to escape and run away many times now; there will be no running this time." Herobrine raised his sword back up and lightly winced from stretching his wound, it didn't deter him from readying his fighting stance.

Steve was completely at loss by Herobrine's words, he really didn't know what to say. If it was true that the old hero couldn't live like a human or fit in the world then it was- no it didn't make any sense! How could one not belong but exist?!

"This posses a problem to me." He started again. "I never did want to forget my human brother figure, but I no longer have a choice. And now I must kill the only mortal of this era that I have come to trust and understand, at least one mortal that I have become acceptable in their eyes despite what I am. I am already in silent grief that I must do this but the sorrow will go way with the memories. It had been hard when I first returned to this fortress to forget everything in the first place, now I have to kill you and try again."

"I can't let you do this! There has to be another way!" Steve abruptly shouted and took a step forward with his fist shaking.

"There is no other way mor-Steve." Herobrine finally corrected. "I now understand why you're here, it's a shame that your ignorance had lead you to this place instead of anywhere else in the entire fortress. You have become a great threat for trespassing on 'HIS' grounds. Whether you summon him here by accident or even speak on my behalf and cause his wrath to rip through this tower; there is no benefit for me. As I've said before; I'd rather become Ender's tool than be punished by Notch. I will never yield to him, ever."

"No." The miner shook his head again. "I can't tolerate this, there has be something… anything to set everything right!" Steve cautiously tilted his head towards the shrine, his body then turned in suit. He made a daring step to the well and immediately stopped when the temperature in the entire place dropped several degrees.

"Halt! Get away from it! There is no other way mortal!" Herobrine snarled. "I will willingly fall and die on my own blade than let that damned god have more retribution on me again, you know he will get it if he can. I will not be stripped of mobility and tormented endlessly in an isolated world! Endless unjust torment is unacceptable for one of my immortal stature! I refuse to give up and accept such a fate, even when I was once innocent I was given such a retribution that belonged to the most vile like Brutus."

"I'm sorry Herobrine, but I must do this. I will try to make everything right, right here and right now. So please, just trust me." He said softly with his back turned to the deadly being.

"Errr… So what if I once trusted you? I cannot anymore for what you are doing! Your pleas and actions here changes absolutely nothing! Whether we betray each other or not, I will never submit!" He barked aloud in the miner's mind while he revealed his clinched teeth in infuriation to the man's back. "And if I have to do so much as to kill you to prevent that then I will!" Herobrine squeezed his sword tightly and suddenly ran forward before he lunged high in the air and swung the sharp blade down at the miner in his fall.

Steve had quickly spun around and raised his iron blade up, managing to block the sharp weapon flying at him in just a second's time when they collided. The two blades clanged aloud from the impact, the miner was in surprise that the iron weapon held up an attack made by the powerful being. He didn't move as near as fast as he could with Hero's Bane, a sword that would feed him strength and give him the speed he needed; but Notch's shrine was making the old hero weaker and more slower thankfully. He also noticed that the wound he inflicted hours ago on Herobrine was also taking it's effect in lessening the strike; the pained expression the man immediately gave him was the giveaway that his injury had painfully stretched. It didn't help that the wound was on the man's weapon-wielding arm. But the same could have been said for Steve, he had cringed when he blocked the attack. The other arrowhead lodged in his skin had moved and sheared the muscles in his own moving arm.

They were now both on even grounds with their pitiable conditions, a more fair fight that may even be possibly the last for either. Steve was injured in two places but Herobrine was wounded and greatly crippled by the vast power of Notch encircling the room.

Herobrine's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he leapt back in irritation and growled the first time battling the mortal on nearly equal grounds; he felt at a slight disadvantage, not because the man was in a slightly better condition than him but because he had source of power on his side; one that could be indefinitely greater than his own. He noticed in his leap that the gravity of the room felt heavier to him while it had no effect on the human. Notch was definitely at work. "See what your god has done to me here? He's trying to bring me down without even being here himself, he's always sought to punish me and he's favoring you in this battle. That dammed shrine of his is a curse, it's only proof that there will be no convincing him to help me."

… "Just let me help you." …

Herobrine suddenly wailed aloud and grabbed the side of his cranium from the sudden strong pulse that made his head throb. He heard a familiar voice plead to him with so much concern, a soft toned one. He closed his eyes in the heavy ache and opened them back up to see a brown blurred figure in the midst of several flying and grounded silver ones; this man was trying to reach out to him, like the similar one in his dream.

"You-." Herobrine hissed at the undistinguishable form with contempt and annoyance, his tone was obviously threatening or so it was in his mind. "I don't know who you are but leave me be, I don't have time for this nonsense."

He saw the man take a step forward towards him, his arm was still outstretched and open to him.

"… No! I don't want your help!" He cried out in infuriation, unable to determine if what he was seeing was a dream or memory. It was hard to tell since he had not even once had a recollection of this man and his unknown location until just recently. It irritated him further when he remembered that in his previous dream he was an outcast and an enemy to the armored units, that he was… useless and apparently lied to. Having no reason to be. It was hard to piece it together. "Get away!"

Steve winced from the loud splitting cry of Herobrine's, it was loud and echoing; gave him an instant migraine. He too grabbed the side of his head but faired better then the one before him who only made animalistic snarls and stumbled about in a small area like a madman fighting voices in his head.

Herobrine watched as the human figure talked but he ignored the man and watched in agitation as the silver armed beings became more active and split away from the mortal in brown and surrounded him on every side with weapons pointed straight at him.

… "I'm sorry. I didn't want-" …

…

The vision blurred ended when Herobrine forced his eyes open to the sound of footsteps backing further away, Steve was now standing closer to the well; close to the source of power that took away his mobility and stole his voice so long ago.

"See? This is why we need Notch. I mean look at you." Steve pointed out with a worried expression and ebbed closer to the quartz structure. "I don't know what's going on with you but you're falling apart Herobrine, I can't tell if you're going berserk or having an episode or something. Something is wrong with you Brine, let me help you."

"Get… away… from the well …now." Herobrine demanded threateningly with a darker tone than before and with his eyes slanted dangerously thin in pure rage. beams of fierce white

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I have no choice, I have to stop Ender at all costs so that no one suffers the fate that he has in store for them. I've already made up my mind before I even got here, I wanted to avoid fighting you at all costs. Now I see that my words won't be enough, …sorry." Steve felt cold chills when he finished, he saw the ex-hero's eyes brighten up to that fierce beaming white that made his face nearly glow. Those eyes belonged to a mindless killer that nearly tore his soul from him.

"I said… GET AWAY!" Herobrine roared, his shout inside the miner's head paralyzed the man momentarily from the intense and painful outburst.

Steve had grimaced and shut his eyes for only a few seconds in being unable to fully tolerate the pounding force rattling his brain; he quickly opened them to see the bottom of a boot come flying at him. He tried to jump aside to avoid it but moved just a tad too slow, his back collided into one of the pillars of the well and oxygen fled his lungs from the immediate collision. In being stunned by the strong impact; he fell towards the ground but didn't get the chance to hit it.

Herobrine quickly grabbed the man by the back of the neck in the fall before turning around and slinging the mortal upward and sending a strong kick to the man's ribcage to send him flying away from the well.

Steve yelped aloud when he struck the ground and began tumbling until he soon rolled to a stop, pain flooded his chest cavity from both the force of hitting solid quartz and in receiving a kick that might have cracked o even snapped a few ribs. He coughed a few times as he used his shaking arms to lift himself up. He was surprised that he managed to keep the iron blade in his grasp, it nearly slipped out when the left side of his body was dealt a powerful blow. "Herobrine please." He begged when the being came running at him with the diamond sword of wrath ready to strike.

Herobrine swung the weapon down at the grounded form but only planted the thing into stone when the miner rolled away with haste to avoid a deadly blow. Hero huffed in rage with heavy and ragged breaths and moved his gaze away from the place the miner was just at to the side where he was now.

Steve had struggled a little with the tenderness pulsing in his arm and back but had gotten out of range of the old hero and managed to get up in a crouch and wait for the dizziness to subside that he got in his roll. There wasn't much time to let the spinning feeling fade out from his position because the white-eyed being came stepping towards him with the sword reeled back and ready to slash him down.

Diamond clanged against iron in just seconds and the sound reverberated throughout the towering chamber, Steve had been forced back down onto a knee from the heavy force that Herobrine was applying and he was barely holding up now. He could feel his arm shake and the pain intensify from the arrow lightly moving deep within his muscle, he held back the need to wail by swallowing the pain and immediately moving his free hand up to the blade handle to help push back the opposing force. With enough resolve to free himself of the agony he was currently feeling; he pushed the diamond blade back with all the strength he had.

Herobrine stumbled back a few steps in astonishment, he didn't expect to be simply outdone by a mere mortal that easily. He sneered and geared up for another strike and lunged forward, again he struck iron to his annoyance. He was not going to be bested in this battle; no matter how much he was worsening his wound with each swing of his sword. No matter if he was progressively losing strength by the oppressing power of the well and blood loss, he had to stop Steve at all costs or face suffering indefinitely.

A metallic scraping sounded grated Steve's ears when the old hero drug his weapon across his with much force, it was a struggle to keep the weapon from forcing his down and cutting through him. Herobrine then did something that he didn't expect; seeming very annoyed by the inability to force his iron down; the man had swiftly changed tactics and swept his leg at his heels. Steve smacked to the floor after being thrown off balance and instinctively rolled away, he heard the diamond jab into stone; it was just one block away from head. He rolled a few feet away and quickly shot up when the hero's sword was yanked out of the solid stone, the diamond had obviously pierced through the floor and left a good indentation in it.

There was little time to prepare a counterstrike; Herobrine was already right up close trying to shatter through his defenses by repeatedly ramming his blade against the miners. Steve could feel the weapon tremble wildly in his grasp with each and every swing being made against him, Herobrine had done this method before and would easily disarm him if he continued to slam with enough force. The sword in hand was already being jarred to the point that it was becoming painful to hold onto.

"Herobrine stop!" The miner shouted out loud and swung his own blade upwards to throw off the opposing one from dealing attacks over and over that would eventually break through his weapon. It was only a momentary reprieve before the diamond came at him again. He grimaced as he was forced to parry the soul-sucking blade again with his now throbbing arms. Herobrine looked as though he was trying to throw everything he got at him but the man wasn't fighting with the same ferocity as he once did before. Steve couldn't tell if it was by Herobrine's own choice or the fact that the guy was getting weaker. He had been quite lenient in the battle. This made him wonder if vengeful being would actually kill him or not; despite the fact that he said he would.

He knew Herobrine could do so much more than this. Was he unconsciously holding back?

Getting tired of the chinking sounds and the failure to strike the target; Herobrine moved back as the miner swung the iron sword back at him in retaliation, allegedly expecting to hit the blade in the repetitive clashes but actually hit nothing but air in the other's slight retreat. It was a common mistake that Steve made, instead of staying focused on the swings and the one swinging the sword; he made a novice swordfighter mistake by making one move to many whilst giving the enemy the perfect opening. The old hero let the man stagger onward a bit in surprise before he made a quick return with his weapon going straight at the mortal's unguarded torso.

All he could remember when the blade reached the man was the smell of blood and his vision fading out to white.

…

Herobrine blinked and found himself in a different place with a lower ceiling, in an open and empty room made out of those orange tinted bricks that lined the last chamber he awoke in. As in the last dream; he again wasn't alone. This time there were only two silver armed units in the room with him; one female blonde one with white wings that held onto a spear that was impaled through his upper torso and causing him very real pain. The other was a brunette male at his side with a blade that had been resting on the underside of his jaw, he could feel the cold metal biting at his flesh. The stinging feeling in his chest made him growl and grimace, he could feel his body trying to heal with the weapon still lodged inside. The pain couldn't be ignored; it was almost unbearable.

"Trinity, Abdiel, stand down!"

Herobrine rolled his head cautiously away from the sword that left him, the spear however; remained with the attacker keeping a fixed stare on him and holding it tightly, he could tell despite the blur on the form's face.

"But sir?" A female voice called with loaded concern, the winged humanoid looked back behind her with a short glance then back to him in keeping up her guard up. "He injured you and is trying to kill you! He needs to be destroyed for such an act! Even now as your brother he's still a threat to everyone, I can no longer stand by and watch him reek havoc on us and our home; nor harm you. Especially you." She said with a more troubled tone of voice. "He cannot change no matter what you do to him, he's never changed. … … An attack on you my lord is not forgivable to the sentry, you understand our most recent actions right?"

Herobrine moved his eyes up to a form now before him; the blurry one in brown was now hunched over and clinging to his right side several feet away, crimson blood was clearly evident and it pattered to the ground in sporadic drops; collecting in a small pool at the man's feet. He was bleeding. Wounded as if he had been impaled.

"I know that." The blurred man lightly bowed his head, he lifted his chin up his eyes and looked directly at Herobrine. "What I say goes, also; you must remember that he's not entirely at fault for his actions here. … Those would be mine." He finished with a pained grunt.

"Apologies sir." The brunette male lightly bowed his head and stepped back carefully in retreat.

"Please Trinity, if you will?"

"But-" The winged woman hesitated.

"I will handle this and I will be fine, I chose this room for a reason." He said with a weak smile. "Now please."

"Very well." The blonde scowled at Herobrine and then ripped the lance out of his chest cavity and he wailed from the pain of the sharp bladed end cutting through his healing flesh.

"Herobrine, I'm sorry-but I- I must…" The man forced a shaking hand up towards him with a deep frown was plastered on his face, clearly still in pain and holding his side with his other empty blooded palm. "I ha-have to do this… you have left me with no other choice." The man said with a pained intonation, he appeared more hurt emotionally than he did with the gaping hole in his lower torso bleeding out. "I'm sorry- little brother."

Herobrine strangely felt hurt himself, not so much from the pain of the spear that had been ripped out of him but from a tight-knotted feeling whirling around in his upper torso. The feeling felt like betrayal. He really hated that feeling and strangely couldn't understand why he was feeling it. His eyes soon darted over to the woman flying back in retreat; she had moved back a great deal of length then something else caught his attention and he looked away from her. Chains hanging on the wall to his right rattled in place as if the shackles had come to life, the same jingling sound came from his left and he turned to see an identical hanging set shake in place.

In an instant, the long ropes of iron shot out from the walls and snaked around his arms before he could even react. The shackles on the ends clamped around his wrists magically as if they had minds of their own, then the chains tugged him at each side right as he attempted to remove the first one in shock. The iron links then jerked arms out at his sides and kept him in place when he tried to pull away. Normally chains would be easy to snap through with his power, but these were different; no matter how hard he jerked at the metal he couldn't get them to break nor budge even in the slightest.

"What is this?!" Herobrine yanked again and again at the shackle clinging to his left wrist before hissing in annoyance and looking to his right at the other ordinary looking metal holding him. His eyes immediately widened when he looked at his right hand, it was red; coated in drying blood that he had yet to notice until now. It was no wonder the smell of blood was stronger than it should have been; the wounded man's life fluid was on his hand. Herobrine then lifted his head to the blurred figure that was in control of the silver plated guards.

The human in brown had both of his hands now reaching out; not necessarily reaching out as if to welcome an embrace, but as if he was in control of the chains that held him in place. Even though he didn't remember attacking the guy; it was clear that he had been the one to impale him and put the gaping wound in the man's abdomen. Herobrine's focus shifted back to his arms as the feeling of lightning suddenly bolted through the chains and coursed through his body in an equally balanced flow. He let out an agonizing wail before attempting to jerk out of the shocking shackles bringing him pain; he failed to of course, he couldn't break his hold no matter how much he pulled. Actually, pulling made the pain much worse but he didn't care; he just wanted to be free.

Herobrine snarled angrily as he continued to try and break himself free; his attempts were for nothing ultimately, the shockwaves progressed in intensity and had his body shuddering from the growing volts burning him inside out. A loud cry escaped him when he attempted to rip the chain off of the wall, the strong yank had him falling down onto his knees in seconds. He panted loudly in defeat and stopped fighting the powerful cuffs, the lightening was more tolerable this way; it had already robbed him of his strength.

"Please don't resist me anymore Herobrine, it's over now. No more pain so long as you don't rebel."

Herobrine lifted his head to the voice and sneered with wide eyes as the man had gotten closer to him with his hands still reaching out; as if he was hesitant to touch him but held the intention of doing so. Thankfully the intense hot bolts of electricity had lessened to a minor stinging sensation; the power that had flooded his veins was tremendous and appeared to belong to the man he had injured. It left him wondering though; was he being punished? If so then why, why was he being punished? The winged humanoid brought up a reason but he didn't understand how. He remembered nothing pertaining to these people but their first encounter; and even then he hadn't even moved. Was it because he had hurt the not so mortal human? If this man was a human then he'd been dead by now or doubled over and on the brink of unconsciousness. No mortal can have such a gaping wound and stay standing for this long. Plus this man had an aura about him that practically declared authority. He didn't like this guy at all.

And what did he mean by brother? He had no brother.

Herobrine shrank back when the blurred man reached one hand out further than the other and very close to him, he growled in his small retreat and tried to pull back on his shackles to get away but only made himself suffer from the lightening coming back to zap him and drain him of his strength again.

"Brother don't!"

He heard the man let out a low growl of annoyance before sighing it off when the pain dulled back down; Herobrine remained still for reprieve and accepted his small surrender. "You're not my brother!" Herobrine retorted with a hiss. "Get away from me!" He tried to back away from the man's palm reaching out at his face but the guy reached forward in a quick motion and planted his palm on Herobrine's forehead. In that instant of the touch he felt completely powerless as if he was sapped of every ounce of strength he had remaining, he was now on his knees and getting weaker. A few seconds shortly after; he felt very heavy and fell forward with no power left to hold himself upright. He would have fell to the floor but instead remained somewhat upright as an arm wrapped around his upper torso and supported his weight. Herobrine felt himself teeter on the edge of consciousness.

"Forgive me Herobrine, but this had to be done. I have no choice but to detain you for the wreckage that you've caused. I am sorry that it has to come to this but it's ultimately for the better. Don't worry; you're going somewhere safe for now, a place that is quiet, peaceful, relaxing even. You'll be in a long slumber, unfortunately it's the only way to preserve you. Just rest brother and know that all we be well. The pain will go away for a while; so will your memories… for the better. Sleep."