Chapter 23

The Immortals

I have seen many monsters in my time. I fought along side the Immortals and faced many a fearsome beast.

But never have I seen a greater monster than that of the youngest brother.

There is a darkness in his heart, and it festers and grows.

I can see but I'm afraid...the First does not.

Or perhaps he does not wish to.

"RUN!"

Petra didn't need to be told twice; she turned away from the monstrosity before her and bolted.

Brine was the phantom; the phantom was the Lost Immortal!

She was terrified, but she couldn't feel more stupid either. All the little red flags, all the major warning signs...She didn't see them, because she had been so desperate to get home! She had missed her instincts telling her to flee before it was too late!

It was so obvious now. Brine coming and going so quickly, the creepy air about him; No normal old man would be like that!

There was a loud crack, and Petra glanced back for only a second to see Brine, tear up a large portion of the floor, and hurl the hundreds of pounds of rock at them. She screamed as the debris raced by, it missed Jesse by inches.

The chunk on stone smashed into the Immortal's Gate, the obsidian cracked and fell, the magical exit sputtering out.

He had broke obsidian, he had broke obsidian with stone.

"Run for the stairs!" Jesse cried.

"Which one?!" Lukas yelled.

"The one he isn't standing in the way of!"

Petra adjusted her angle, aiming for the stairs beyond the now ruined Immortal's Gate-

"No, no, stop!"

There was a voice screaming in her head, a voice that wasn't hers and it made Petra falter.

"Another way! Go another way!"

"Guys wait! Not that way!"

Jesse looked sharply over at her, "WHAT?!"

"Not the stairs!" she cried, she turned away from the door, towards the balcony, "Come on!"

"Petra what are you doing?!" Lukas cried as they turned to follow her.

"Just trust me!"

They raced out onto the balcony, quickly running out of floor.

"Peeeetraaaaa!" Jesse shouted.

"Jump! Jump!"

Brine was right behind them, "No you don't-"

Lightning shot down from the sky, smashing down between the trio and their pursuer. Petra heard Brine curse, "Damn you to hell old man!"

"Where are we going?" Lukas shouted as the force from the lightning propelled them forward.

"Jump!"

Petra grabbed the boys's hands, "Over!" she yelled.

"WHAT!"

They jumped.

They screamed as they fell through the open air, a fifty foot plus drop between them and the first set of trees.

"This is the plan?!" Jesse cried out.

"What makes you think I had a plan?!" She cried. "I am literally listening to a voice in my head Jesse!"

The wind picked up, so ferocious and fast that it actually propelled the trio back into the building, three stories below from where they had jumped. They hit the new balcony hard, rolling and sliding on the stone. A little scraped up, but very much alive.

Jesse shakily got up, noticing that the stairs they almost went down moments before was collapsed on this floor. They would have been trapped. "O-okay, not gonna ask."

"Just keep running!" Lukas shouted.

"You think you can run from me?!" Brine roared from somewhere above them.

They turned and bolted for the next set of stairs, "Guys what do we do?" Petra asked, "He's an Immortal."

"Yeah, kinda figured that out." Lukas wheezed, "Do you think we woke him up when we lit the portal?"

"I don't know, I don't care, but we have to get away!" Petra said, "Jesse?"

"I don't know what we're going to do," Jesse gasped out, "But maybe if we make it to the jungle then we can-"

Brine crashed down into the room they were fleeing from, "You really think you can escape?" he laughed. He threw a sharp piece of stone.

It flew across the room, faster than lightning; it missed Jesse's head by centimeters, embedding itself into the wall. "Aaah!"

"Jesse?!"

"I'm fine! Just go!"

Lukas managed to draw his bow and shoot an arrow at Brine-

The older man caught it before it hit him in the chest. He looked at the diamond arrowhead, "Cute," he said smugly, snapping the arrow shaft, before he hurled it back.

Lukas barely ducked, the arrow just hitting the outer most tips of his hair, "Shit!"

They raced down the stairs as Brine exited the room, "I do so love a game of cat and mouse," he hissed

Lightning struck down once again, and Petra knew it hit the building, because the entire structure shook on impact. The stair case above them collapsed, stone and other debris falling down onto Brine.

There was someone up there in that storm watching over them; at least Petra liked to think there was.

Jesse stumbled as the set they were on began to crumble, "Go to the other stairs!"

They leapt of the failing stair case, hitting the open room as the ground gave way, taking Brine with it.

"Did anyone see him get out?!" Lukas yelled.

"No!" Petra cursed, "Just keep running!-

Brine shot out of the floor behind them, shooting debris everywhere, "Games over!" he snarled.

Lukas who was at the back of the pack, and hit by the most of the rubble stumbled as a particularly large chunk slammed into the back of his legs, "Augh!"

Petra and Jesse immediately looked back, "Lukas!"

Brine was there in a heartbeat; he yanked Lukas up by his hair, and then hooked his arm around the youth's throat in a head lock. "Everyone stop moving!"

Petra and Jesse immediately stopped running, and the entire room seemed to freeze, just three out of breath and terrified youth and one unfazed demigod.

"Let him go!" Jesse demanded.

"If the results end up the way I like, I will."

Petra had her sword drawn, chest heaving, "Let him go or I'll-"

"Petra, darling," Brine sneered, "You just saw me break a thousand pounds worth of stone, do you really think it will be that hard to break his neck?"

Petra froze.

"Good girl." Brine adjusted, backing up - taking Lukas with him- till his back rested against a solid stone wall, effectively blocking any chance of a flank attack. "Now, we talk."

Lukas looked sick, he was pale and shaking, hands feebly trying to pull Brine's arm free of this throat.

"Brine why are you doing this?" Petra asked.

"Tsh," the male rolled his eyes, "Please, don't insult the old man by using his name."

"W-what? I don't-"

"Elder Brine has been dead for the last decade. But let me introduce myself." the not Brine stated. "I am Herobrine, Herobrine the famed Lost Immortal, the true second child of Notch."

Petra felt her blood run cold, "Herobrine?"

Jesse was white, "You can't be him you're dead!"

Herobrine looked at him, "Had that little vision did we? Well," He titled his head back, revealing an ancient scar right across his throat, "My dear brother did kill me. But I'm afraid Jesse," he lowered his head back down, "He didn't kill me right."

Jesse swallowed, hand clenching, Petra had never seen him so borderline unnerved, "So what, you came back and you've been hiding as Brine this past decade?"

"No, I've been alive a lot longer than a decade, and I certainly haven't been that old man. The fact that his name was Brine was pure coincidence, merely the mistake of a poor naming job." Herobrine smiled, "I am not him and he was not me. I was simply...borrowing his body."

"Borrowing, how the hell could you-" Jesse began shakily.

"It means I killed him, possessed the empty body, then walked around in his corpse pretending to be him," Herobrine said bluntly. He hummed, scratching his chin with his free hand, "It's a shame really, he was a fairly pleasant old man. Loved by the locals, shame, really it is."

"You sick bastard, why would you do something like that?!" Jesse snapped. "Why possess a body and then just walk around?!"

"It's the only way for me to get around here unfortunately, without being noticed." the other said, "When you're a being as powerful as myself, certain parties...can sense you. I didn't need to deal with the inconvenience while I waited."

"Waited for what?!" Petra demanded, still looking worriedly over at Lukas.

"For you kids."

She froze, "...what?"

Herobrine shrugged, "Well...just him." he pointed at Jesse, "Actually."

Jesse was stiff, "I lit your damn portal is that what you were waiting for?"

"Pfft, hardly, didn't you see I broke it?" Herobrine scoffed, "The portal was a side trip; just..." he smiled toothily, "Confirming a few things."

Jesse took a step back like had been slapped, "T-then, what do you want?"

"I did say upstairs we have some business to attend, so, let's talk business." Herobrine pointed at Jesse, "You give me what I ask for and in return I don't snap your friends little neck here."

Lukas piped up, "Jesse don't you dare-ack!"

Herobrine squeezed his arm, "Shh, you're life is on the line, you don't get to have a say in this."

Lukas flinched, he seemed to have gone a shade paler, and his breathing had slowed.

"He does have a say, "Petra hissed, "And whatever you are doing to him stop doing it now!"

"It's my aura Petra," Herobrine frowned, "I have that effect on people."

"Fine," Jesse said quietly, "Whatever you want, I'll give it, just... don't hurt my friends."

Herobrine smiled, "There's a good boy, now I-"

A hand shot through the wall right behind Herobrine grabbed him by the back of the head and yanked. The Lost Immortal was so stunned he released his hold on Lukas as he was forced through the wall. A large portion collapse down, filling the air with thick dust.

Lukas stumbled out of the haze, hacking and coughing.

Petra got to him first, "Lukas!" he grabbed hold of him, "Are you alright?"

The blond was still coughing into his hand, but he managed to nod, the color already returning to his face. "G-guys-"

"Shh, just get your breath back," Jesse cut in, "Then we're getting you the hell out of here."

Lukas shook his head, eyes wide, "No guys I saw-"

Another figure walked out of the haze, looking back over his shoulder as he brushed dust off his shirt. He turned his head toward the trio, blue eyes blazing like diamonds in a fire. Petra gasped as he looked at them, "You kids alright?"

"S-Steve?!"

"S-Steve?!" Petra gasped out.

Jesse stared in shock as Steve quickly approached them. He kneeled down next to them, "Are you guys alright?" he repeated.

"Steve...how-how did you know-" Jesse began.

"Anybody hurt?"

"No, but how did-"

"Well, well, Primus," They looked up to see Herobrine pull himself over the edge of the broken wall, bleeding profusely from a gouge in his chest. The wound was rapidly sealing. "You're timing has always been impeccable Stevanos."

Steve stood, firmly planting himself between the Immortal and the youths, "You have no right to call me that."

Herobrine chuckled, "You're right, I loved Steven so much more-"

"It's Steve to you," Steve growled, "I don't know how you got here Herobrine, but you're leaving. Now."

Jesse went wide eyed. Steve knew Herobrine?

"And you're going to make me?"

"Yes."

"Just how do you intend to protect them and hold me off at the same time?" the Immortal sneered.

Steve crossed his arms, "The same way I always do."

"And we both know that worked so well last time," the other laughed.

Steve growled, taking a step forward, "You will leave Herobrine, before I make you."

"Steve wait! You can't fight him! He's an Immortal!" Petra said urgently.

"Don't worry, I can handle this."

"No! You don't understand he-"

"Listen to the kids Steven!" Herobrine lunged, catching Steve by the throat, and hurling him into the far wall. The male's head hit the stone with a sickening crack, and he crumbled to the floor.

Jesse felt his heart stop, "STEVE!"

Herobrine turned, "Now where were we?"

Jesse got up planting himself in front of Lukas and Petra, blood boiling as he drew his sword, "You bastard!"

"Do you really think you can take me?!" Herobrine laughed.

"No, but I can!"

Herobrine leapt out of the way, just a three diamond arrows embedded themselves in the floor. Alex landed in front of Jesse, tearing up the arrows and re-notching them in a matter of seconds.

"Alex?!" Lukas gasped.

"And there would be Alexia," Herobrine huffed, pulling a fourth arrow out of his arm. The skin was bubbling where the arrow point had made its mark, "Or do you go by Alexis now? I do so forget all your names."

"Get out now," Alex said firmly. "Kids, stay behind me,"

"Alex, he got Steve," Jesse cried.

"Steve is fine," she replied, keeping her eyes firmly set on Herobrine.

"Alex, Herobrine threw him into a-"

"Jesse!" Petra pointed, she and Lukas looked completely stunned.

Jesse looked just as Steve got up, the wound on his head sealing, the blood slowly coming to a standstill. But he was alive.

Jesse's heart skipped a beat, "Steve..."

Herobrine caught his expression, he looked over at Steve who had finished getting up and was walking quickly towards Alex. "Did you not tell them?"

Steve didn't answer, taking a position in front of the kids. Jesse did see Steve give him a quick glance.

"Of course you didn't, you two are on the need to know basis aren't you? Well, I think they might need to know now brother dear?"

Brother?

Jesse's heart was pounding , staring at the two adults before him, realization slowly kicking in, Steve and Alex...

They were the other two Immortals! Steve was the First, Alex was the Healer!

"Steve-"

"Not now Jesse," he said quickly.

"No go ahead," Herobrine said, "Explain to them what you are. Explain how you were too weak to kill me. Explain how I have been alive for thousands of years and everyone out there beyond the First World, believes I'm dead. But I'm not am I, Steven? But you should probably clear some more important things up with these poor kids, explain to them why in the world you didn't share the juicy detail of your history with them. Oh!" he pointed, "And you should definitely explain to him where you failed him so."

Jesse looked at the adult, Steve look momentarily confused, but he recovered, "You know you can't beat us both Herobrine. Leave."

Herobrine smirked, "Very well..." he bowed, "Children, I will see you soon, we'll conclude our business later."

"No you won't." Alex warned.

Herobrine ignored her, instead focused on Jesse, "Keep a close eye on your friends Jesse. We're not done yet."

Jesse felt his body go cold.

"Herobrine," Steve warned.

"Going," the other laughed, "Pleasant as always brother dear," then he vanished in a wisp of smoke and laughter.

There was silence, but Jesse's heart was pounding so hard he could hear it pulsing through his body. With the evil demigod gone he should feel safer, but Jesse was still struck with this overwhelming wave that something was wrong. Looking at Lukas and Petra and how pale they were, he assumed they felt just as bad.

Alex lowered her bow, letting out a slow exhale.

"You guys are the Immortal's" Petra said slowly.

They didn't answer, "He shouldn't have been able to get in here," Alex said.

"He broke the Gate," Steve said stiffly to her, his gears were turning, processing what Herobrine had said, "But that wasn't what he was aiming for,"

"Steve-" Jesse began.

Steve turned around, "What did he want from you?"

"W-what?"

"What did he want-"

"I don't know," Jesse stammered."He didn't say."

"You guys are the Immortals." Lukas said.

They ignored the statement, again. "Did you three come alone, or did you come with someone else?" Alex asked.

"No, we came with Elder Brine. He had been helping us look for the gate as an option to get home. But Herobrine possessed his body, we didn't know he-"

"Elder Brine," Alex looked at Steve, "That was the patriarch of..."

"Did he have any issue getting into the temple? There should have been enchantments in place to keep Herobrine out, no matter what form he was in. Did he have trouble," Steve demanded.

Jesse froze, recalling Brine tripping at the steps.

"Just help me in child..."

"He- I- he tripped," Jesse felt like he had committed a crime, "I helped him inside- I'm sorry- I -

"Was the Portal lit when you got here?"

"No-"

"Did Herobrine light it then?"

"No, he said he would use the old magic to harness the gate and we had to light it," Lukas said, "What does this have to do with anything?"

"If he didn't light it, and it wasn't lit when you got here, how did it light?" Steve said.

"I lit it!" Jesse snapped looking Steve directly in the eyes, he pulled the enchanted flint out of his inventory " I lit it with this! Why do you ask?!"

Alex's eyes went wide and she took a small step back.

Steve looked like he had been stabbed. He stared at Jesse eyes wide, Jesse noticed his hands shook and that frightened him.

"Why, is it so important to know who lit it?" Jesse asked firmly.

Steve's expression recovered and he took a step back, "What- whatever he wants from you kids, Herobrine still wants it. We," he swallowed stiffly, "We need to get you back to the house." He put a hand on his wife's shoulder. Alex looked a shade paler and she had turned away from the group, checking her arrows, "We need to pack them essentials and get them away from here."

She nodded.

Jesse had to fight down a wave of panic, "Steve wait!"

"Come on kids."

"Wait-"

Steve looked at them, "You need to leave here."

"Leave?!" Petra gasped, "But-"

"You three aren't safe until you do,you're going to leave the First World and you are not coming back."

Jesse felt like his heart stopped, "What..."

Steve turned to Alex, "I'll make sure the path stays clear, you guide them back to the house and..." Jesse saw Steve glance his way, "and don't let them leave the house till we're ready."

"Alright," the female said softly.

Steve took one more look at the kids, and Jesse stared as that expression slipped briefly through his composure. Then, with a bounding leap, Steve was gone, out the hole in the temple wall.

Alex was already walking towards the stairs, "Come on kids," she whispered.

"Alex-" Jesse reached for her.

"J-Jesse...just please?" she said with a ghost of a breath.

Jesse stopped.

Alex continued on towards the stairs.

"They're the Immortals," Petra said softly, "But I can't shake this feeling we've done something terribly wrong."

"Guys?" Lukas asked, "What have we done?"

Jesse didn't answer, his mind was still thinking about the way Steve had looked at him back there, the expression on his face...

Fear.

The Festival was down five guests that night.

Alex had led them around the town, avoiding the crowds. Not once did she speak to the trio, leaving them festering in a guilt they didn't know the cause of. She had gone into the house without so much full sentence, telling them they needed to get their things together because they would leave as soon as the next night.

Steve hadn't been with the group once during the trip back.

But Jesse, having settled on the porch to process what just happened to him and his friends saw the adult return; making a swift path into the barn.

Jesse got up from the chair.

His friends saw him get up, he must have had some expression on his face, and not a good one either because Lukas tried to stop him, "Jesse wait-"

He shoved past, "Not now."

Jesse!"

Jesse stepped off the porch, and bee lined for the barn where Steve had gone in moments before. His heart was pounding, adding to a painful sensation inside of his chest.

Was this anger driving him?

Or was it hurt? Betrayal? Betrayal of what though?

He didn't have time to process it, and frankly he didn't want to. Too late to change his mind anyway, he was already in the barn.

Steve was by the stables; checking the leather straps of a saddle his back to Jesse. "You should be packing," he stated firmly.

He didn't even turn around, didn't even face him.

Jesse ignored the strong suggestion, "You're the Immortal. You're the First."

The adult didn't answer.

"So, everything you said. The First did this, the Healer did that. Those weren't stories or things pulled from history books, that was you. The whole time it was you and Alex, why did you never say-"

Steve turned around abruptly, "What do you want?" the statement was cold, and felt like a slap to the face.

"I want to know what the heck is going on!" Jesse snapped, anger bubbling up from the result of Steve's sudden indifference. "I just found out that all that stuff about Notch and the First are probably real, because I've been traveling with them! Even the Dark One isn't dead, we were almost killed by He-"

"Don't say his name," Steve cut in, "It gives him power."

"Fine! We were almost killed by you-know-who, and now your response is to make us leave!"

"You wouldn't understand," Steve looked away.

"Then help me understand!" he begged. "Please, Steve. Is it about the Immortal's Gate? We shouldn't have gone there, I'm sorry it got broken-"

"This isn't about the Gate."

"What then?! Did you need to keep your identity a secret? We won't tell I swear!"

"You're leaving Jesse! That's all you need to understand!" the other male said roughly.

"So that's it then? You lied about everything you were, and now you're just going to push us away-"

"I was not obligated to tell you!" Steve faced Jesse, eyes flashing. "Am I the Immortal? Yes! Yes, I have lived hundreds of thousands of years! I have traveled worlds, and experienced a thousand lifetimes. I have been everything they say I am! I was a king! I was a warrior! I am a God to some thousands, and I am an Enemy to thousands more! But where in the fine print should I have shared this information with everyone?"

"It's not just me, the whole village-"

"The whole village knows! And they know about Herobrine. Do you think this is the first time he's been here?! They know because they needed to for their survival. But what about you?" Steve demanded, "What part of our friendship required of me to tell you everything?!"

"Because I told you everything!" Jesse cried out.

Steve froze.

"I told you everything! What I hope for! What I feared! What I...What I..." He struggled not to cry, "I even told you I wanted to stay, how it felt right and- and-" Jesse cringed, "I trusted you Steve. I could honestly care less if you were just you, or the First, or Notch himself!"

Thunder rumbled.

"But what I really want to know is what I did." He pointed, "I saw the way you looked at me back at the gate. What have I done that you want me gone? You're lying to me Steve. Your brother may have blindly led me to that door, but my eyes are open now," Jesse stared, pleading, "I know you're not telling me the whole truth. This isn't only about Hero- Him coming after us. Steve, please, I just..."

Steve was looking down.

"Steve...Steve? Please..." Jesse begged.

"It doesn't matter now," the adult male looked up, shaking. "You are leaving Jesse." his voice cracked, "And regardless of what I said yesterday...You won't be coming back."

Steve then retreated, hurrying past him as he fled the barn. Jess was unable to speak another word, unable to stop him, too shaken and broken to do much of anything.

Jesse didn't turn to see him go; he simply stared at the wall. His eyes were wide, his body shaking. A few tears successfully broke free, sliding down his cheeks, the salt stinging the cuts on his skin...

He swallowed, he wasn't going to cry, he wasn't-

After everything? All the things Steve had said...

You're not coming back...

Jesse finally leaves the barn, slowly moving towards the house.

The storm had finally released its rain, drenching him instantly and chilling him down to his already cold core.

Lukas and Petra are on the porch still. The female reached out, "Jesse..."

"Not-" His voice cracks. "Not now guys."

Unable to face them, and feeling broken and betrayed; Jesse silently enters the house. It's no longer inviting, no longer warm. But he goes inside anyway, never before having felt so alone.

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