Chapter 39: Come Hell or High Water

Author's Note: Now don't tell me this one isn't long enough, silly people. This is one of my longest chapters I've written. Its in the 7000 range, which is usually as high as I'll go for a single chapter before I feel like that is enough words to bombard your poor face with. lol

"I don't know what to say guys. The only time we ever seen the keys to the cells is when Direk comes down to check on us. Which isn't much. I don't know if we could get them from him." Steve said and sighed heavily as he kept his hand rubbing his chin in thought.

"Damn it! There has to be a way!" Red exclaimed determinedly as she stared out of the gapes of her small cell. Herobrine leaned against the solid iron bars and was also determining a plan of escape. Steve punched the wall with his fist and began pacing back and forth with a frustrated huff. He hated being in such a weak position, he was sure his brother was not fairing well either in such a helpless position.

Blue sat with her knees held up against her chest, she was staring straight in front of her at the cobblestone wall in silence as she thought. She had to think of something! She was always supposed to be the brains of the two sisters. Red was simpler tougher and more physical, while Sapphire was more off hands and logical about things. Making a drawn out 'humming' noise, she began tracing her fingers through the cracks on the floor as she pondered. It wasn't until Blue's eyes widen when the epiphany came ringing like a giant bell in her mind. How could they be so stupid!? How could they overlook the most obvious ways of escaping that was completely at their disposal!? Blue stood up immediately and went over to lean her face against the iron bars as she spoke. "Guys. This might sound far-fetched but I think I have a plan of escape." Blue said to the silent brooding group. Steve looked over at her from his pacing back and forth with a very hopeful expression.

"Brilliant, Blue! What is it!?" Steve questioned her excitedly. Blue glanced over in Herobrine's direction, diagonally from her cell.

"Yeah! What is it, Blue!?" Red piped in equally as excited to hear whatever she had to say as Steve was. Herobrine listened in but didn't say anything in reply as Blue spoke up to the three.

"We've had the advantage to get away this whole time. Herobrine… Can't you still teleport?"

The whole room went awkwardly silent as everyone was staring in Hero's direction questionably. Herobrine felt a feeling of dread wash over him. How did he not think of that before!? STUPID! Herobrine mentally kicked himself before replying back to Blue.

"Er yes… I didn't quite think of it at the time." Herobrine said and focused on teleporting outside of his cell. In the flash of an eye, he was standing outside of his cell just where he had wanted. "I feel foolish for not thinking of this earlier." Herobrine confessed with an unnatural embarrassed expression written all over his face. Red's mouth dropped open and she soon began to grin widely.

"Hero! You're out! Now get us out!"

"With what key?" Herobrine inquired sarcastically with the raise of his eyebrow.

Red scowled and rolled her eyes, "No key, genius. Just come get us individually. Quick! Before that asshole Direk comes back!" Red rushed him as she stood up and looked through the bars at Herobrine who was standing in the middle of the three of them. Herobrine sighed heavily and didn't exactly want to have to do it that way, since he had to be so close to everyone to do accomplish it. Still, the situation was far too serious to mope around about it. Herobrine teleported in Red's cell first and wrapped his arms around her from in front of her. Red grinned and hugged him back tightly and waited as he teleported her back outside the cramped humid cell. Herobrine placed a quick kiss on top of her head before teleporting into Blue's cell next.

Blue gasped and couldn't get used to the fact he could appear so suddenly in front of you. She stared awkwardly at Herobrine as he was right in front of her. Sighing, Herobrine glanced away awkwardly and put out an arm for her to side hug him. Blue was embarrassed to hug him but she knew it wasn't 'really' a true hug. Very awkwardly side hugging him, Herobrine teleported Blue out of her cell. Now it was just Steve left. Herobrine looked at Steve and smirked in some amusement. "Maybe, I should leave you here, little brother. You seem to be enjoying yourself in there."

"Ha, very funny, Hero. Get me outta' here. The walls are closing in on me in here!" Steve complained melodramatically as his blue eyes frantically looked around at the four walls around him with feigned fear. Herobrine rolled his white eyes at his drama queen dramatics and teleported into his jail cell. Once with him in the cell, he side hugged him even more awkwardly than Blue and brought him back out, so the four were now standing outside their cells. "Great teleporting skills, Hero!" Steve exclaimed goofily which made Herobrine scoff and roll his eyes.

"Great, it would have been better if this was done much sooner. But now we must confront Direk and Lassie again. Hopefully, we can catch them without Antares being there to be held captive." Herobrine inquired as he looked around at the three as he spoke.

Red nodded with a pained frown on her red lips, "I swear if they have my baby held to a knife ever again. I will personally tear out their internal organs and crush them into nothing but bloody guts with my heels."

"That's just a little violet." Steve murmured with wide eyes at Red.

"My point still stands." Red scoffed and crossed her arms poutingly.

Blue rolled her eyes and then looked over to the direction that led to the exit of the dungeons. "Be careful everyone. This might get ugly once we come face to face with Direk and Lassie again." Blue said with her usual serious tone of voice. Herobrine nodded in agreement with Sapphire.

"It'll be good to stay alert. I will personally take care of Direk and Lassie when we meet again. They will regret ever daring lay a hand on my son." Herobrine said as his eye flashed menacingly. Red nodded to him with a straight lip frown.

"They'll pay dearly come hell or high water!" Red shouted and then began storming confidently in the direction of the exit. The three watched her momentarily before following after her. Herobrine summoned out his sword while Steve unsheathed his own. Red summoned out hers too and Blue was the only one looking at everyone awkwardly.

"I don't have my sword on me." Blue said nervously as she stared at everyone's swords in hands sheepishly.

"I'll protect you, Blue!" Steve grinned and winked at Blue flirtatiously. The pastel blue haired woman blushed and chuckled faintly.

"Thank you, Steve… Just maybe I can try out some of these spells that I've been practicing instead." Blue said while shrugging and kept following after Red as she was in front of everyone with a fierce determined look on her face. Her mission was clearly important to her, more than anything else. They had to get Antares back and defeat Lassie and Direk. Herobrine was rightful king of Minecraftia and Red was going to make sure it stayed that way. The group teamed up and went up a couple steps and finally walked out of the castle's dungeon and into a dimly lit hallway that led to the throne room.

Direk had found Lassie lying dead in Red and Herobrine's room. Antares was still in the crib, now watching Direk closely as he stared in disbelief at the inconceivable mayhem that had ensued inside the bedroom. "How?" Direk murmured and ran over to Lassie's side. Crouching next to her, he held her wrist and checked her pulse. She was defiantly dead, she even felt cold to the touch. "Fuck…" Direk cursed under his breath and stood back up. "How did this happened?" Looking around at the broken shattered glass and strange black smeared walls that looked like black paint had dripped down from them. His silvery eyes laid upon Antares in the crib, who was watching him intensely. "You… You're still alive." He rushed over to the child and picked Antares up into his arms. Antares glared up at him and began fussing. Direk's pale lips fell to a frown as he looked from Antares and then to the black stained walls. "What is that?"

"I don't know how this happened. It couldn't be the prisoners? No... they would have taken you with them. But if not them, then who?" Direk muttered in confusion and looked back down at Antares who was trying to push him away with his little arms and hands. Direk didn't flinch but only scowled. "I must tell King Notch of this tragic news." Rushing out of the room with Antares still cradled in his arms. Direk began looking for Notch down a few different hallways and finally to the throne room's massive foyer. Notch was found sitting on the throne with his head placed down on the palm of his head as he gazed out blankly through the empty quiet foyer. Direk found him and went rushing across the stone floor until he was standing in front of Notch.

He bowed his head in respect, gaining the attention of Notch. "Messenger Direk, have you done the deed yet? Why do you have the child with you?" Notch asked with a coldness that was laced in his tone. Direk rose his head back up and glanced briefly at Antares.

"Not yet, your majesty. I have terrible news. Something has happened but I cannot describe just what." Direk replied urgently while feeling the penetrating eyes from Antares whose stare was quite intimidating for a weak defenseless baby. Notch straightened up on the throne and looked Direk on with a frown.

"What is it?" He questioned very lowly, it sounded dark and quite unpleasant. Direk trembled under his gaze and looked down at Antares nervously, just to advert his blue eyes away from Notch's own scrutiny over him.

"I'm terribly afraid to report that Lassie has died in action for some unexplainable reason. I found her lying dead in Herobrine's chambers with Antares in the crib. She looked like she had been foaming from the mouth. I don't know what could cause such a thing. The glass from the windows were completely shattered and the walls were covered with long streaks of this strange black substance." Direk reported to Notch whose dark brown eyes widen in size from the description.

"Did it look like she could have possibly been convulsing?"

"Er, I don't know. It is a possibility." Direk replied anxiously as he thought back to Lassie's dead body and how the foam was fuzzing from her mouth at the side. He shuttered and tried to bury it into the backs of his mind. He would have one of his men deal with her corpse. He didn't like dealing with dead things or people.

Notch leaned back and frowned, "And Antares was the only one in the room?" Notch questioned on and Direk nodded silently. Notch closed his eyes briefly as he took in a deep breath of air and breathed out. "This is bad." Notch said as his eyes reopened to look at Antares. "This is really bad." Shaking his head, he began tapping his foot receptively with nervousness as he tried to think of what to do. Antares must have had the black opal stone's dark power inside him. It would explain why he keeps sensing an evil aura flowing off of the baby. Red's magically tainted body had corrupted the pregnancy. Antares most defiantly had the same forbidden ability running through his very veins. But to be using the dark arts so early on in his life, it baffled Notch. He was just a newborn baby! What kind of power could this kid have once older and understanding of the power he has inside!? He had to get rid of the child. This had determined it.

"What's bad, your majesty?" Direk asked in confusion to his King. Notch began rubbing his temple as he went to stand up from the throne.

"That child is corrupted with ancient evil magic from the outlawed black opal stone. It is inconceivable that he can use such a power at such a young age, he is still a newborn. This is much worse then Herobrine. Not even Hero himself could tap into the dark arts as such an age, not even close. This child must be eliminated. I must purge Minecraftia of this black magic. It puts to many lives in danger. It is pure evil." Notch said as he walked up to take Antares from Direk's arms. Direk handed over the boy and Notch was now looking down into his bright white eyes. They were wide open and staring frightened by the black bearded man that was his grandfather. "I'm sorry, child. But your sacrifice will gift many others with a fulfilled life. Your death will not be in vain." Notch conjured out his gorgeous glittering white diamond sword in his free hand while carefully holding Antares in one arm. Direk watched with some squeamishness as Notch rose the bright white sword up to pierce into Antares. Notch frowned sadly at his grandson as he looked into the scared eyes of the sniffling teary eyed babe.

"I'll make it quick." Notch promised and was second from plunging his sword down but was interrupted by slamming doors.

"PUT MY BABY DOWN, YOU BACKBITING TRAITOR!" Red shouted furiously as she rushed through the throne doors with her black sword held tightly in her grip at her side. Notch lowered his white sword ever so slightly away from Antares' chest. His eyes were wide as he saw the four come storming inside. "Put that sword away from Antares or I'll make you!" Red shouted again at Notch who was caught like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Father!" Steve gasped in disbelief as he saw what Notch was going to do to his own poor grandson. Herobrine was stalking right next to Red, as the two pissed off parents came prowling towards him, closer and closer. Direk stepped forward and stood protectively in front of Notch with his golden ice sword positioned in defense. He wasn't going to let anyone attack Notch without him doing something about it. He might not have the fighting skill his older brother Wolfgang had, but he still knew how to use a sword, that was good enough for him.

"How could you, Notch!? Don't you see what you are doing!? I should have known you were the cause of this!" Herobrine shouted with blazing fiery white eyes flashing from his void like eyes. Notch frowned deeply, his face soon falling into aloofness. He took a step back with the crying child that was extending his hands out to his parents as he finally saw them again. Antares was happy but he would've been much happier if he wasn't in the hands of his murderous grandfather.

"I have to do this! For Minecraftia, for the good of the innocent people! This child is inflicted with that corruption! It must be eradicated! It must!" Notch bellowed out thunderously, which made Antares begin to cry again, especially since he kept trying to reach out to his parents but kept failing each time. Red's heart ached as she saw her baby son reaching out to her for help. She couldn't stand her precious child being the one to keep playing the role as hostage.

"Why!? I think it is because you're actually afraid this power is stronger than you and can overthrow you! I think that is the real reason you are SO afraid of this black magic! You just don't want anyone overthrowing you as king! You are just a pitiful coward in sheep clothing! That's why you sent your own assassins to quietly murder us off one by one at the wedding you never bothered to show up at! So Minecraftia would never know you had anything to do with it because you refuse to do it yourself. You never wanted Herobrine to be king! Admit it!" Red hollered angrily at Notch who grit his teeth harshly while glaring at her in fury for her accusations.

"How could you?" Blue murmured and shook her head in disbelief that Notch would succumb to such lowness. Steve looked heartbroken that his Father would actually want to have him killed off. And to think he used to answer to his beckon and call whenever he requested it, he would blindly follow. The young miner regretted ever following under Notch, his own Father. The older man stared deathly at the four of them as they all stared back with their own glares.

"Fine! I admit I don't believe Herobrine is fit to be a king! I never believed he could be! He has no qualities fitting for a king! Steve showed promise but now he too has compromised all trust I had for him! Neither of them are fit to be king of Minecraftia! None of them will!"

"You just wanted Steve to be King because you had held the leash to his collar. You wanted to remain in control even when he would be appointed King. You thought you can just brain-wash Steve into doing whatever you wanted him to do for you. Well, listen here, buddy. Steve is much smarter than to listen to you any longer! You're worse than I first thought Herobrine was!" Blue spoke up loudly in defense to Steve. Steve looked over at her surprised by her words. He blushed and glanced down in shame. He wished this wasn't playing out the way it was. He wished his Father was not a scheming traitor that was hungrily obsessed with control like he apparently was.

"Everything is lawful and reputable under my control. Nobody knows how to take reign of Minecraftia like I do. So what, if I wanted to still have my power instilled in Steve. It would only be wisdom I would ever offer for this world. You disappoint me all. Especially, you Steve… I truly thought you would have had made a good king. I guess, I have been proven wrong."

Steve looked harshly at Notch as he said those deep-cutting words to him. Shaking his head in disgust, he glared the man still hiding behind Direk. "Father, you are not fit to rule like I first thought. I guess I have been proven wrong too. You have disappointed me as well."

"Perhaps, he has gone senile in his age and is absolutely going insane. Seems like the power has gone to your head… Father." Herobrine said darkly, especially when calling him 'father'. Herobrine brushed gently past Red, who looked at him with wide eyes. Herobrine brought up his enchanted sword and pointed it directly at Direk. "So I see how things are now. And now I want to make things right again. I will smite you down first then I will take my son back. Then Notch, I will deal with you last." Herobrine threatened lowly to his scowling father.

"Direk… Kill him." Notch spoke solemnly, hardly any emotion laced in his voice as he stared stoically at Herobrine. Direk glares Herobrine from under his eyelashes and nods his head.

"As you wish, your highness. This will be for Wolfgang and Ruth!" Direk shouted and began roaring out a battle cry as he ran forwards straight at Herobrine with his frost bitten gold sword. Herobrine smirked at this and made his enchanted sword's diamond blade blaze with a scolding hot flame. The two swords with opposing elements clashed and held in place as they pushed back on each other. Direk pushed him back and began mercilessly swinging repetitively at Herobrine with fast swings from his sword. Herobrine blocked with his sword clashing with his, making both fire and ice collide together. The shrill sound of blades rubbing up against each other could be heard as they scraped up against each other. Sparks flew off both blades. Herobrine and Direk continued adeptly swinging each other's swords at each other in attempt to stab the other. Direk was doing better than Herobrine first thought he would. He was actually keeping pace but Herobrine wasn't going to keep playing by the rules. He had much more to worry about then that.

Herobrine suddenly took his sword and pieced straight through Direk's gut as he used his magic to paralyze Direk. The messenger boy never had a chance as his silvery eyes widen from the rough insertion of the sword that went inside his body and twisted and turned from within painfully. The flames sizzled and burnt his wound and made the pain 50x more painful than it already was. "I-I-I can't move!" Direk uttered with a loud gasp. Notch noticed Herobrine's spell on him and suddenly began chanting something incomprehensible under his breath.

Direk glowed with a faint white light for a moment before suddenly he could move again! Notch had undone Herobrine's spell on Direk Aurich with a cancelation spell! Herobrine cursed under his breath and knew it was pointless to try the spell again. Notch knew how to dispel his paralysis magic. After all, Notch had been the one to teach much of it when he was a young boy, when Sorcerer Nicholas had not. "Your spells are no good, Herobrine. Fight fair for once! Or are you that gutless and petty that you cannot fight without your opponent froze on the spot they stand!?"

Herobrine grit his teeth at Notch's words, "Gutless? Petty? You should talk, Father. You are the one skulking away making him do your dirty work!" Herobrine hissed and parried an oncoming blow by Direk's ice sword. Notch kept muttering more spells under his breath that were buffing Direk with incantations of healing, strength, agility, and luck. "You aren't even playing fair yourself!"

"I'm not here to lose! There are no rules in war! Get him Direk!"

Steve had enough standing idly by and suddenly rushed over and lifted his sword up in the air. His sword surged with a rainbow of colorful power before he stood waiting to aid his older brother to the best of his abilities. "Let me help you, brother! If there are no rules to this fight, then who says there must be fair game?" Herobrine merely glanced at Steve from the side of his eyes as his focus had to say constantly on Direk, now that he was being magically imbued with assisting magic by Notch. Herobrine nodded while his eyes remained on the black-haired man that was glowing with different magic.

"Then let us fight together." Herobrine replied which made Steve smile and then finally smirk as he ran next to his brother's side. Direk scoffed and held up his sword defensively. "Two against one? Are you too weak to fight me alone, devil?" Direk inquired cockily.

"No, he's just no stupid enough to fight you alone when he could have the support of others!" Steve cut in confidently before Herobrine could reply in turn. Herobrine glanced at him with a nod and Steve grinned back. The two brothers lurched forward and tag-teamed against Direk with impeccable swordsmanship. Red and Blue glanced at other and Blue suddenly smirked.

"Good thing I already read my chapter on buffing spells. Time to give it a try." Blue said and then extended her pale hand out. Red gasped in awe as her sister's extended hand grew a shimmering bright blue that had white sparkles trailing off like falling speckles of light. The blue magic shot out and surged in a blur over towards both Herobrine and Steve, imbuing them in their own assisting spell that toughened them up.

"Wow! When did you learn that, Big Blue!?" Red inquired as she looked from her big sister and then back at Steve and Herobrine in astonishment.

Blue was still smirking in self-assurance as she brought back her hand, "Something called a book. Try reading one sometime." Blue quipped sarcastically, leaving Scarlett smirking slightly herself.

"Why read books when I can play video games?"

"Yeah… and that's why we're here." Blue rolled her eyes from her sister's pitiful obsession with Minecraft, that they now lived in as a reality. Notch scoffed at their bantering and drawn their attention back as he was now glaring over at Blue. Sapphire gave him a carless shrug to what he thought about her, while at the same time Red was tempted to flip him off with both of her middle fingers. But she refrained since the baby was still in the room with them.

A mass loud explosion of conflicting magics blasted at each other from sweltering hot fire from Herobrine's sword to glacial frost-bitten chilled winds that were produced from Direk. The two separate powers would typically cancel each other out when they collided together, as even Direk's icy winds were sometimes too cold for Herobrine's fire to withstand. Steve not being a favored user of magic, he kept to what he knew he was talented with, and that was his swordsmanship. Steve slide across the floor and side swiped Direk, making him scream out in pain. Direk twisted and cut into Steve as he frantically lunged his sword backward and was able to nick Steve a little. Herobrine growled and threw a fireball at Direk. The German man yelped and was almost hit with the blazing fireball but Notch redirected it out of his path. Herobrine was getting seriously fed up with Notch's meddling in a fight he wasn't even engaging in.

Direk sighed in relief as sweat bolted down his forehead. He soon went back to clashing diamond against gold with Steve's sword. Steve might had been hit by him but he wasn't giving in so simply by some meager flesh wound. Blue concentrated on Notch during the battle and watched his lips to try and see whatever spell he muttered, though it appeared he wasn't just muttering spells, but muttering out of being nervous of the outcome. Red suddenly shot past Blue and summoned out her sword. She knew how to end this fight really quick. Let's see if Notch knew any spells to deflect the magic he was so terrified of. Red's eyes grew black as she waved her sword and a wave of black began tearing through the ground and bolting straight for Direk. Notch gasped and didn't know what to do, he didn't have a spell to save Direk this time. If that magic touched him it was all over... for him at least.

Herobrine and Steve were breathing heavily and stepping back ever so slightly so they weren't accidentally hit by Red's forbidden magic. Herobrine smirked as he watched his wife use the power that he had given her. It was somewhat fulfilling to see her able to protect herself with something he bestowed her with. Direk knew the black magic was bad news and was able to barely just jump out of the way of the crashing wave of magic that smashed into a wall and dispersed. Red's eyes were pitch black as she watched Direk sharply gasp and stare horrified by the ominous sight of her. Red smirked cruelly and pointed her sword and shot out a beam of black energy. This time it was practically impossible to dodge. He tried flinging himself away while screaming for Notch to save him with a spell, but there was nothing Notch could do. Notch was absolutely clueless to this caliber of magic. He knew no such spell or incantation to block or rid of it, not even one to weaken it. He truly was petrified of the magic he didn't understand that Red had pumping through her black veins.

Direk extended his hand in front of his face as the beam shot him and engulfed him in a black aura. Within seconds, it felt like he was choking painfully on oxygen. His body trembled and became deathly pale and clammy. Red watched the rest take place as the black magic carried out through his internal body dangerously fast. It wasn't long until he shared the same fate as Lassie. He fell to the ground coughing before seizing into convulsions on the ground. Red turned her eyes away from Direk as he suffered and over at Notch. "Give me my baby back or you'll end up just like him." Red gestured with her sword to the quivering man on the floor. Notch growled and did the only cowardly thing he had left to cling onto. He rose his sword and placed it to Antares' chest as if to threaten to pierce him straight through. Red's attention fell away from Direk who was drooling foam from the mouth and was right on death's door. He breathed out hoarsely, "Y-you b-bitch… rot in… hell…" His quivering body then gave in as he fell limp on the ground. The life leaving him the moment he uttered his last word to Scarlett.

"Your lackey is dead. Now its only you and four of us." Red brought up as she gestured with her shoulder over at Direk's lifeless body slumped down on the floor. Notch kept his white diamond sword firmly against crying Antares as he watched the quadrant made up of Red, Blue, Steve, and Herobrine with frantic eyes.

"I don't need him because I have this child right here! Back away from me or I'll kill the child!" Notch threatened, now panicking to the extreme since he was losing. He reverted to the extreme because of it.

"I've had plenty enough of playing games of hostage negotiation. Give us back our son or I'll kill you. Simple as that." Herobrine snapped sharply to his Father who was backed up against the throne as the four of them encircled him from all sides. Blocking him from any route of escape.

"You are seriously going to kill an innocent to defend innocence? What logic is there in that?" Blue brought up with a look of bewilderment at Notch's whole rationalizing process.

"That is your fucking grandson, you scumbag! Are you really that power-hungry that you would willingly slaughter your own flesh and blood?!" Red asserted as she pointed her sword's tip towards Notch. His dark brown eyes watched her with a crazed look in them. He was past his breaking point. He was teetering on the edge of doing the insane. He was backed into a corner like a feral animal, he was going to snap and bite back.

"NO! Minecraftia would be better off if none of you were here to begin with! I could rule and make things right again! Right and peaceful like things were until you two sisters came here into our world and messed everything up! One of you must see the sense in my reasoning!? Steve…-"

"No, Father! Don't try and work on me. I'm on Herobrine's side this time. You're acting completely out of your mind. There is nothing excusable about what you are doing. You would have had to give up the throne sometime and hand it to one of us. Herobrine knows what he is doing, I know, he is a resolute leader, the Nether shows for it. You say Herobrine is a monster for willing to do everything to become king, but you are no better! Look at yourself! You're willing to kill your own newborn grandson just so you can take back the throne as king? I thought a king cared solely about his people first, not himself. You completely defile everything you ever taught me on how to live, Father. And that sickens me." Steve replied bitterly to Notch in strong resolve.

Notch trembled at everyone's powerful words. He glanced down at the teary eyes of Antares as the baby looked up at him fearfully. Steve was right, Blue was right, everyone was… He looked like the monster right now. Killing an innocent for innocence? What logic was there in that? There was nothing innocent about killing another, especially a baby who really was innocent to the world. He was only becoming the very person he detested. He was becoming no better then the person Herobrine was to begin with. A person that would do anything, even adhere to cruelty, to get whatever selfish desire he had. Notch stumbled back almost drunkenly and tripped backwards as his sword clattered to the ground. His grip on Antares slipped and the infant went flying out of his arms in front of him.

Red's eyes widen fully and she screamed at the top of her lungs for her baby. It was then when everything seemed to fall into slow motion as Antares plummeted towards the floor. Herobrine was about to jump and catch Antares but he was too far away. "NOOO!" Red screamed but it was too late.

The baby was merely inches from the floor before suddenly… he disappeared into thin air. Everyone gasped in horror, except Notch who was now kneeling on the ground with his hands covering his face in shame as he wept. Red stared in confusion as she ran to where her baby should've fell. He was nowhere to be seen. He was gone.

"What just happened!?" Blue asked with concern as she brought her fingers to her lips in nervousness. Steve's cerulean blue eyes were wide as he gawked at the spot and looked just as confused as everyone else. Herobrine went to Red's side and placed a large hand on her shoulder as she kneeled down and started to cry.

"Where did he go!?" Red sobbed through her hands. Herobrine grabbed onto her and pulled her back up and wrapped his strong arms around her.

"Shh. We'll find him-"

"NO! Where did he go!? Children don't just disappear into thin air, Herobrine!" Red cut him off with a tearful glare. Herobrine frowned and looked around the room. She was right. Children don't typically just vanish from your very eyes but Antares was missing. "Did YOU do something to him!" Red accused Notch. The bearded man looked up from mourning and shook his head.

"I didn't… I swear." He murmured hoarsely. Red glared him and then stomped her foot in anger.

"WHERE IS HE THEN!?"

"Uh… guys…" Steve spoke up unsurely and was suddenly pointing upwards at a giant chandelier above that had real diamonds encrusted into it, that shined prettily in the light. Everyone turned their eyes to look up at what Steve was pointing at. There on top of the chandelier was Antares lying there on the edge of it.

"How did he…?" Blue murmured with wide eyes as she watched the chandelier sway back and forth with the baby from above. Red out reached her hands into the air as if she was ready to catch him if he fell.

"Antares!" She shouted, in fear for the child's life once again. It wasn't until the baby suddenly disappeared again and was lying on top of the throne. Red sped over past Notch and began climbing up the throne, uncaring if she slipped and fell if her dress tripped her up. Everyone watched in bewilderment as Red reached out and was about to grab her child, she was merely fingertips away from grabbing him until he vanished again. "DAMN IT! Where did he go now!?" Red inquired and turned back to look at everyone. But everyone's eyes were set on Blue as the baby suddenly reappeared in her arms. Antares smiled brightly and was giggling, thinking it was funny to somehow mysteriously dematerialize away and then reappear in random places.

Herobrine's eyes widen as the realization hit him, "He's teleporting…"

"Teleporting!? Who taught him that!? He doesn't even know how to speak yet let alone teleport!" Red panicked as she went over in front of Blue. Sapphire shook her head in confusion and began to let the child back into the arms of his mother. He seemed eagerly excited about it as he was attempting to grab onto Red from Blue's arms before she handed him over. Red held her baby to herself and snuggled him close to her face. "Oh my God, I've never been so worried in my entire life. Are you okay, Antares?" Red asked her baby who was smiling up at her cutely. The baby only babbled back in gibberish but he seemed more than elated to be back in mommy's arms. Herobrine walked back over to Little Red's side and looked down at Antares.

"I've never seen such a young child, especially an infant, be able to do something like that. I didn't learn teleporting until I was in my mid-teens." Herobrine said in total shock. Red shook her head and had no idea how to respond to that. So she responded in the only way Scarlett could think of.

"Our baby is a total badass." Red said in awe before she began coddling the giggling infant. "Aren't you Antares? Whose mommy's little teleporting badass?"

Blue and Steve gave each other a confused look and both shrugged with a sigh. Only Red would refer to her child as a teleporting badass and at a time like this. Herobrine cocked an eyebrow at her and chuckled faintly at her odd humor. Nobody was paying Notch much mind as Herobrine and everyone had their back turned. Notch was still on the ground on his knees. He looked up at Herobrine's back and then his sword. Snaking his hand out, he clenched onto the sword's handle tightly and slowly stood up from his spot. Leisurely, he staggered up to Herobrine's back and pulled his sword back. Herobrine sensing something behind him, he was turning to look back, only to catch the eyes of his Father and the glint from the approaching white diamond sword.

Herobrine's glowing white eyes widen fully and his mouth fell agape as Notch plunged forwards with the sword with all his might. Red's eyes widen and she found herself screaming out Herobrine's name as Notch stabbed Herobrine in the back. His weeping… his remorse. It was all for show.

"NOOOO!" Red screamed which made Antares start sniffling and cry his eyes out. Everyone gasped as Notch leaned in on the sword and pushed the blade through Herobrine with a terrified look in his eyes. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"

Herobrine shakily looked down at himself to see fresh blood pouring from his torso. He grunted in sheer piercing pain as Notch removed the blade from his back and then looked up at everyone with a dark scowl on his face. "This was for Minecraftia." Herobrine held onto his heavily bleeding wound. Notch's face was that of a sociopath, completely lacking any remorse for what he had done to Herobrine. "It had to be done."

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Red roared and swore she would have ran and murdered him herself if she didn't have Antares in her arms. Herobrine fell to his knees and doubled over in pain. Steve took out his sword and pointed it to Notch's forehead with a hateful glare. Notch stared at the tip of the sword and did nothing to escape away.

"Go ahead kill me, Steve. Ruin Minecraftia's future, its legacy. Is that really what you want? Do it. Herobrine must be eliminated it had been our goal from the very beginning. Don't you see?"

"No, I don't. I won't kill you but it is not for Minecraftia or even for you. I'm doing it because I don't willfully kill family, unlike someone I know." Steve jeered nastily with a dark overtone, "But if you do harm my family one more time. I will not hesitate to slaughter you where you stand. Got that?"

Notch didn't nod but remained silent as he continued to stare at the tip of the sword that Steve gradually pulled away, but still kept ready in case he decided to do anything else. Blue crouched in front of Herobrine and pulled his hands away from his wound to look how severe it was. Herobrine looked her in the eyes and she could tell he was trying hard to stay strong but she saw him faltering. "He's bleeding fast. If I don't deal with this right now it will only get much worse." Blue said urgently. Red kept crying along with Antares. Red frowned sadly down at her son and was taken back when she suddenly saw his eyes grow black in color. She gasped and watched as his glowing black eyes shifted to look over at his Father. Red's eyes trailed over to Herobrine who was still knelt down on the ground and holding his wound. Everyone was left startled as a white aura began glowing from Herobrine's wound. Red's mouth was fallen agape as she watched the miracle take place. Herobrine's bloody wounds were being healed by this soothing etherial light. Glancing back down at Antares, she was getting the connection between the two, and was nothing but amazed. Her Antares, her shining little red star, was healing his father with the same mysterious array of powers he possessed.

Notch's eyes widen in horror as he saw Herobrine miraculously healed in an instant. Antares' eyes veered back to look up at Scarlett as his eyes began fading back to their normal glowing white color. He smiled softly up at his mom before cuddling his head into her chest and closing his eyes sleepily and falling fast asleep.

Author's Note: I swear there needs to be some kind of poetic justice for how much of a douche bag Notch is being right now. If you're really angry at him. Good.. So am I. And I'm the freaking author whose writing this shit! (Also apologies to the real Notch/Markus… Notch, my good sir, you are not a douche bag like I am portraying you in this story. This is just obviously Notch's evil twin from a different dimension. MY EVIL DIMENSION. lol xD … Also, Antares is beyond cute. Help me, I'm drowning in adorableness. Cheers to badass teleporting babies!