Necessary Fresh Air

Shocked, Nuka stood there and watched as Herobrine went down with Notch.

He wanted to swing another hit at Notch but before he could strike again he was grabbed by Steve and pulled away from Notch.

Notch sat up in shock and stared at Herobrine with a horrified expression.

Herobrine was still trying to reach him but Steve was holding him back.

"Get off of me!" he growled angrily, trying with all his might to break free from Steve's grip but Steve seemed to have no trouble holding him.

Instead, he tightened his grip and forcefully threw him back, causing him to crash into the nearest chair, where Ethan swiftly used enchanted chains that appeared out of nowhere to restrain him.

"What is wrong with you?!" Steve yelled at him, while Herobrine tried to get up and struggled against the chains. He quickly gave up.

Apparently, the little energy he had left had vanished and the pain from this action was now taking its toll.

Nevertheless, he still glared at Steve with angry eyes.

"What do you mean?!" he spat in Steve's direction. "He deserves it! Every little pain he feels now, he deserves it and even more after everything he's done!"

"Brian..." Notch whispered softly in that moment. "I..."

"Don't call me that!" Herobrine snapped at him. "I'm Herobrine! Brian," he continued with a hateful gaze, "fell down a ravin!"

"You should be grateful that he stopped me," he snarled angrily at Notch. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to stand up right now!"

"That's enough!"

Ethan's loud voice silenced Herobrine, who then turned and knelt beside Notch.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a concerned voice, while Notch continued to sit there, staring at Herobrine with a shocked expression. At Ethan's words, he looked up at him and quickly shook his head.

"Yeah... Everything... Everything is fine," he replied with a slightly trembling voice before quickly standing up and turning away. "I need to go... go and get some fresh air..."

"Notch, wait!" Steve called after him, but Notch was already gone.

Poor guy, Nuka thought as he looked at the door through which Notch had just disappeared. I'm sure he didn't expect his first meeting with Hero to turn out like this...

With that thought, he turned to Herobrine, who was now silent and instead started glaring at Steve with hateful eyes.

I've never seen him so angry at someone, Nuka thought as he looked at Herobrine with a concerned gaze. I mean, he was angry at me or Einshine before, but not like this. Not to the point where he forgets his own injury and disregards his own well-being just to harm someone and wouldn't give up until his body couldn't keep up anymore.

Nuka swallowed hard as he thought about it.

I'm really glad Steve managed to separate the two, he added mentally and he could feel an unpleasant feeling rising within him. Who knows what would have happened if he didn't...

"Well, look at him running away!" he heard Herobrine say in a contemptuous voice. "Like a coward... of course... how pathetic..."

"But what else can I expect," he added with a disdainful snort. "It's not like he is capable of anything else."

Nuka froze as he heard that, while Steve whirled around and stared at Herobrine with an hateful look before swiftly moving towards him!

Nuka froze and he felt fear welling up within him as he realized what Steve intended to do!

"No! Wait!" he shouted as he stood in Steve's way, hoping to prevent any further escalation.

But before he could do something Steve grabbed him and shoved him forcefully aside, causing Nuka to stumble and crash into a wall with full force!

"Hey!" he heard Herobrine growl a moment later with an angry voice, while Nuka picked himself up with a throbbing headache, just to see Steve grabbing Herobrine by the shirt, glaring at him furiously!

"One word..." he growled softly, staring at Herobrine. "One more word, and I swear you'll regret what you have said!"

But Herobrine just snorted in response.

"Oh no, what a threat," he retorted condescendingly, not taking his eyes off him. "What will you do then, Steve? Will you fight his battles for him again? Will you solve his problems, as you always do? Like a pet that he has trained?!"

Steve narrowed his eyes to slits upon hearing that but Herobrine wasn't finished yet.

"I really don't understand why you stayed with him," he continued with a disdainful tone. "Instead of coming with me! Like a true brother should have!"

"Steve!" Nuka heard Ethan call out sharply and for a brief moment, he feared that Steve would lose control and harm Herobrine but instead, he relaxed.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything to him," he finally replied without looking at Ethan, before releasing Herobrine not too gently.

Herobrine slumped back into the chair, grimacing, while Steve continued to glare at him.

"Because, unlike you," he directed at Herobrine, "I have something called self-control."

"But why is he even here?!" Steve continued angrily, turning to Ethan, who let out a sigh.

"I asked Roxana to bring him because I have something to report, something that concerns him and both of you," he replied, casting a brief glance at Roxana.

"But bringing the two of them along," he continued with a grim look at Nuka and Einshine, "was never part of the plan."

"I'm sorry," Roxana replied with lowered eyes and a guilty voice. "But Herobrine... he didn't want to let anyone else help him."

"I see," Ethan finally responded with a sigh, walking over to her and gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "But you should have talked to me about it beforehand."

"Well, now that's over, will you tell us why you're here?" Nuka suddenly heard a new unfamiliar voice ask. "I thought we didn't had much time."

Curious about who had spoken, Nuka turned around and froze as he recognized his tormentor!

No! Not his tormentor! It was another person, who just bore a striking resemblance to him, but it was already too late!

His mind had already made the connection, and Nuka could feel the sweat breaking out and his body began to tremble, followed by a racing heart and the sensation of suddenly not being able to breathe!

He need to get out of here! Immediately!

"I... I think I need some fresh air too," he managed to say before he turned around and rushed out before anyone could say anything or stop him.

Outside, he turned away and ran straight to a small balcony connected to the courtyard by a staircase, which he had used with Herobrine and Einshine earlier.

As soon as he reached the balcony, he grabbed the railing, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath in the hope of calming himself down.

Why? Why did it have to be someone who resembled the worst person on Earth?

Nuka grimaced as another terrible memory washed over him, causing him to flinch and grip the railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Calm down. He tried to soothe himself as he attempted to suppress another memory. It can't be him. That's impossible! I know it! Hero... Hero killed him! I... I saw it with my own eyes!

But his mind couldn't be convinced.

This can't go on like this... he thought sadly, gritting his teeth and trying to catch his breath. How can I ever live a normal life if I freak out at anyone who just remotely resembles him?

With that thought, he opened his eyes and looked around, hoping to distract himself, however, to his horror, he spotted Notch sitting on the floor in a corner of the balcony. He was strangely holding his hand in front of his mouth, while looking at Nuka with a concerned gaze..

"What... what are you doing here?!" he asked, shocked, completely forgetting who was actually in front of him.

But before he could correct himself and apologize for his inappropriate tone, Notch began to speak.

"Well, I'm getting some fresh air," he replied without looking at Nuka. "Why do you ask? Did Ethan send you to get me?"

He let out a deep sigh.

"If he did, please tell him that I'm sorry, but I won't come back... not... not until he's gone."

With those words, he sniffled and grimaced, lowering his hand revealing a bloody nose. It surprised Nuka.

Apparently, Herobrine had caused him some harm after all.

"Damn it!" Notch cursed in frustration at that moment and Nuka could clearly see tears in his eyes as he desperately tried to wipe away the blood. Unfortunately it didn't seem to be working.

Nuka swallowed hard and he could feel pity welling up in him once again as he looked at Notch.

He could not bear to look at someone so desperate.

He had to do something.

Hopefully, Hero won't find out about this, he thought as he reached into his pockets, searching for a cloth that he always carried with him, thankfully.

"Here," he finally said softly, kneeling in front of him and offering the cloth. "I think you... you need this."

Notch stared at him, initially shocked, but then his gaze softened and he accepted the cloth with a sad smile.

"Thank you," he replied, holding the cloth to his nose. "I guess I'm not used to... being able to bleed anymore..."

Nuka glanced at him, briefly puzzled, until he realized that Notch, as a god, had been invulnerable and couldn't get any wounds.

I wish I had that ability... Nuka thought longingly as he looked at Notch, who was still busy trying to stop the bleeding.

"I'm sorry that Hero hurt you," he blurted out suddenly but Notch just sighed and shook his head.

"Oh, it's okay," he replied softly, without looking at Nuka. "I guess... I should have expected that..."

With those words, his gaze turned dark and distant, seemingly lost in memories, before he sighed again and turned his attention back to Nuka, now scrutinizing him with a friendly look full is curiosity.

"But what's your name, anyway?" he continued with a noticeably cheerful tone, causing Nuka to smile uncertainly and nervously run his hand through his hair.

"I... Well my name is Nuka. Nuka Price... Sir. I'm Heros friend," he finally managed to say with a slightly faltering voice, causing Notch's mouth to drop open as he stared at Nuka in shock!

"You are his friend?" he repeated, looking at Nuka with wide eyes, who wasn't quite sure how to react to that.

"Y-yes," he replied finally with an uncertain smile, while Notch continued to stare at him in shock as if he had grown wings.

"H-how?" he asked, wich made Nuka even more uncomfortable.

"Well, that's a long story..." he replied evasively, hoping that would be enough of an answer for Notch, who nodded, although it looked like he wanted to know more.

"I understand," he continued in a calmer voice, leaning back again and now appearing visibly happier than before. "Even if don't know the story, it's still amazing. I never thought Brian would ever have a friend... He didn't even had one in... in past times..."

At these words, he sighed sadly and stared into the distance again, where the sun was now slowly setting, while Nuka looked at him thoughtfully, unsure of what to make of his expression.

"I don't understand," he blurted out finally, causing Notch to raise his head and look at him with questioning eyes. "You lied to him. You banished him to the Nether. For 300 years. And for 300 years, you made him suffer there. Yet, it seems like you still love and care about him. But why would you do something so terrible to someone you love?"

Notch lowered his gaze sadly as he heard that and Nuka could see that this topic was really tough for him.

"Because I had no choice..." he finally replied softly, and his voice was barely audible. "After Brian found out that he wasn't my brother, he fled from the castle and started destroying towns and villages and... and killing everyone there... I... I had to do something.."

With these words, he shook his head again and buried his face in his knees, while Nuka stared at him even more confused than before.

But that doesn't make sense either, he thought. Herobrine said in his diary that he was banished without a reason, but Notch claims something else. How is that possible?

One of them must be lying, he concluded, but why would Notch lie to me? Well, he doesn't know me..but what other reason could there be for him not to tell me the truth? And after everything I have seen from him, I don't think he really banished Hero for no reason. But why would Hero lie?

"Are you sure about that-?" he wanted to ask Notch when a loud explosion suddenly shook the city and the barrier, which had been invisible so far, suddenly turned blood-red and emitted a shrill sound.

"What's going on?!" he asked fearful, stepping back and anxiously looking in the direction where the explosion had come from.

Notch also stood up and stared alarmed in the same direction, where more explosions and sounds of battle could now be heard.

"Oh no," Nuka heard him whisper quietly, as he stepped back. Now he could really see the fear in his brown eyes. "He has found us."