The Betrayal

,,Is it still far?"

Nuka raised his head and looked slightly annoyed at Einshine, who was walking in front of him and, unlike him, seemed to be having a great time.

They had been walking for quite a while now and the castle had disappeared from their sight a long time ago. It had only added to Nuka's anxiety since he could no longer teleport into its protective walls if something happens.

Nuka sighed as he thought back on their journey so far.

For him, this trip had been a nightmare.

Always afraid of running into some Minecrafters or even worse bounty hunters.

So far they had encountered nothing but a few mobs but Nuka just couldn't relax.

Unlike Nuka, who was constantly nervous and startled at every noise, Einshine had enjoyed the trip and even started to make fun of his companion.

At first Nuka had been angry about it but now he could understand him.

He was behaving quite strangely.

It's not far now, he tried to tell himself while he glanced at the coordinates again and compared them with his compass for what felt like a hundred times.

,,Hey Nuka, are you sure this is the way?" he heard Einshine call from the front at that moment, whereupon he looked up and saw his figure standing on a hill.

Instead of going further, he had stopped and turned to him with a worried look.

,,Yes, I think so? Why?" he replied as he climbed up to Einshine and examined what had stopped him.

In front of them rose a gigantic fall of lava that filled the entire wall in front of them, making it impossible to get through.

Nuka's heart sank as he looked at the whole thing.

,,Please tell me we don't have to go through there," he heard Einshine say at that moment in a pleading voice. Nuka took another look at the note and sighed deeply again as he compared it to the coordinates.

,,I'm afraid we have to," he continued with a worried look at Einshine,

"Herobrine must have put this lava fall here on purpose to hide the portal behind it."

,,But how are you going to get through it?" Einshine asked him, "After all, we are not lava resistant like Herobrine."

Nuka sighed deeply when he heard that.

He didn't have an answer for that either, but while he was standing there, staring uncertainly at the huge lava wall, he suddenly thought of something.

,,Let me try something," he replied, before raising his hands and trying to concentrate his powers on the lava.

It was a crazy idea, but Nuka had tried to move liquids with his abilities before, and even though it wasn't exactly easy and quite exhausting, it was possible.

However, he had not yet tried this whole thing with liquid that was moving and certainly not with lava.

Hopefully it will work, Nuka thought anxiously as he gritted his teeth and strained to use his skills to form a passage through the lava fall.

To his surprise and relief it actually worked!

It even was surprisingly easy. At least much easier than the water he had tried to control so far. Still terribly exhausting though!

,,Hurry up!" he gasped strained at Einshine while, by all means, trying to keep the huge lava flow somehow under control ,,I-I don't know w-how much longer I can...hold...this!"

Einshine looked at him in shock, but luckily he followed Nuka's request and ran straight through the passage of which behind Nuka could already see a part of the final portal.

Nuka, however, followed him much more slowly, since he still had to direct all his strength and concentration to the lava flow. It was already becoming increasingly difficult, but Nuka persevered until he was finally able to pass through the passageway as well and collapse on the other side.

,,Hey, are you okay?" Nuka heard Einshine ask in a worried voice as he sat panting on the ground, looking at the lava fall that was now closing in front of him, trapping them both in the small cave along with the portal.

But that was not important for Nuka now.

The only thing that mattered was that they had reached the portal, which is why he immediately got up again and joined Einshine. He was trying to hide how much the whole thing had actually demanded of him.

,,All good, let's go," he continued without further ado to Einshine, who looked at him doubtfully, but finally sighed and nodded in surrender.

,,All right," he replied, and without another word they entered the portal.

On the other side it was cold and dark, with nothing but a small room built of stone and lit by two lava pools on either side of the portal, along with a large one on the floor that was placed in the center and lit the underside of the final portal.

Otherwise the room was completely sealed off from the outside world, even behind the barred windows there was nothing but stone. But this did not bother Nuka.

On the contrary, he was glad that no Minecrafters could come here.

,,Hey, are you coming?" he heard Einshine call at that moment, whereupon he turned around and saw that the Griefer had already gone up the steps to the portal and was looking at him with a questioning look.

Nuka nodded quickly and followed him up the stairs, while admiring the large frame, which was made of a material he had never seen before.

,,Are you ready?" Nuka heard Einshine ask in an expectant voice as he looked uncertainty at the substance that filled the frame of the portal. It was very dark and still seemed to be constantly changing.

But no matter how afraid he was, he could not turn back.

Not when it came to Herobrine.

Nuka sighed deeply once again and gathered all his courage before turning to Einshine once more and nodding to him.

,,Yeah, let's go," he replied before taking his eyes off Einshine and jumping through the portal without further hesitation.

The first thing Nuka saw when he opened his eyes on the other side was darkness.

Deep, cold darkness that stretched endlessly on all sides and seemed to be the only thing in this dimension.

The only exception to this was their small square platform of obsidian on which Einshine and he stood. Otherwise Nuka couldn't detect anything else.

Nuka's heart sank as he continued to look around.

How should he find Herobrine in a dimension full of nothing?

At that moment, he noticed something.

Almost out of sight, Nuka saw a large island of light stone that seemed to float in the middle of all that nothingness, and on which Nuka could barely make out two dark pillars.

,,So, do you see anything?" he heard Einshine ask from behind, whereupon he realized that despite his mask, he could not see anything that was not connected to the ground on which he was standing.

,,Yes," he replied quickly before turning to Einshine and holding out his hand, "Come on. I'll teleport us over."

A short moment later they arrived on the island. However, the teleportation caused Nuka a headache, who immediately sank to the ground and grabbed his head, before a loud groan come from him.

"Hey are you okay?" he heard Einshine ask in a worried voice. Nuka just nodded, even if it wasn't actually true.

No, to be honest, he felt very bad, but Nuka was too worried about Herobrine, so he forced himself to stand up and take a few unsteady steps around a pillar.

To his delight and relief, he stately discovered Herobrine standing in the middle of the island, surrounded by several other tall pillars of obsidian, looking at a motionless person on the ground.

Who they were, Nuka did not know, but he did not care at the moment.

For the moment, he was just glad to have found Herobrine so quickly.

,,Hero!" he called out loudly, whereupon Herobrine raised his head and froze when he saw him and Einshine.

(Change of view)

Herobrine looked up and froze as he spotted Nuka suddenly standing next to an end pillar, waving cheerfully at him.

He didn't know how the boy had made it here and why he was here in the first place, but he had to make sure he wasn't spotted by Null! He luckily had just left to get Steve, otherwise he would most likely have killed Nuka already.

Without hesitation, Herobrine teleported to him and quickly pushed him against the wall behind the pillar, in fear Null would be back with Steve any moment now!

,,What are you doing here?!" he shouted at him in an angry voice, and Nuka looked at him, startled and baffled.

But Herobrine did not have time to care.
,,Why didn't you stay in the castle?!" Herobrine continued in a sharp voice, before turning his gaze to Einshine, who to his surprise and annoyance was also here.

,,And what's he doing here?!" he asked while looking grimly at Einshine, who then flinched and raised his hands in defensive.

,,I-I am innocent. Nuka persuaded me to come here," Einshine replied, and one could clearly hear the fear in his voice but Herobrine didn't care much.

,,You both shouldn't be here!" he hissed softly, before turning his gaze back to Nuka, who he was still pressing against the wall.

,,I-I...I'm sorry..." the boy stuttered in shock, looking at Herobrine uncertainly, "I wanted to see you...I thought that...that you were in danger and I wanted to...help you..."

,,I don't need your help!" Herobrine interrupted him sharply, "I want you to stay in the castle and not interfere in my business!"

Nuka just looked at him in shock and hurt, to which Herobrine just sighed deeply before stepping back and running a hand over his face. As he heard someone call his name his fear and worry for Nuka's safety greatly increased again.

Null was here!

,,Listen," he continued quickly in a tried calm voice, "you two stay right here behind the pillar and don't come out from behind it! No matter what happens, clear? I'll come back and bring you to the castle later and then you and I will talk!"

With these words he turned away and went back to the center of the island where Null was already standing with Steve, looking for him.

,,There you are!" he finally shouted when he spotted him, "What were you doing back there? You were supposed to be watching Notch!"

"I know, I just had to get rid of some...intruders," Herobrine replied quickly while walking to Null, trying not to think about the boy and the Griefer who were still behind the pillar.

But there was nothing he could do for them now.

He could only hope and pray that the two were smart enough to stay hidden. He knew only too well that Null did not tolerate strangers and so he had to protect Nuka from him as best as he could.

Even tho he was sorry that he treated him like that.

But he had no time to worry about that now.

,,Are you ready?" he continued with a grim look at Null.

"Obviously," he replied, nodding at Steve, who was lying on the floor, tied up and looking rather exhausted and worn out.

"Good, then let's get started," he continued with a glance at Notch who was lying motionless on the ground and he could feel the anger rising inside him.

Null and he had surprised and captured him a few hours ago and since then had made sure that he remained unconscious, considering he would use his powers and escape without any problems once he was awake.

Luckily, it's pretty easy to keep him from waking up, Herobrine thought, as he glanced at the heavy wooden stake he had been hitting Notch on the head with every time he started to move.
But Herobrine wasn't sorry about that.

After all, the guy was the reason for everything bad that had happened to him, and besides, he was invulnerable, so he couldn't do him any harm.

Unfortunately.

At least he still feels the blow of the hit, Herobrine thought grimly as he let his gaze wander over Notch's. His golden yellow coat was dirty, as were his white T-shirt and plain brown pants.
Herobrine snorted contemptuously as he looked at him.

Actually, he had hoped to never see this bastard again but there was no other way if they wanted to take his powers.

At least I can kill him later, he thought, before turning his gaze to Null, who had already turned to Steve and pointed his staff at him.

,,Let's get started then!" he shouted loudly, whereupon a bright flash of light lit up the end, followed by a pained scream from Steve as his powers were once again taken from him.

"Well, that was the first one," Null continued a moment later in a triumphant voice before turning to Herobrine and grinning, "Now, would you be so kind to put Notch out of his misery too?"
Herobrine looked at him in surprise when he heard this.

He never thought that Null would leave the staff to him, especially not to take away Notch's power. Not that he wasn't in for that of course.

,,I'd love to," he replied with an evil grin, before taking a step towards Null and grabbing the staff.

To his surprise, Null didn't let go.

On the contrary, he grabbed the staff even tighter and quickly pulled it towards him, wich made Herobrine stumbled forward and suddenly felt the sharp tip of Null's sword piercing through his torso!

The next thing he knew he was lying on the ground in immense pain!

Null was above him, still pressing his sword into his stomach and additionally placed his foot on his right hand so that he could not escape!

Panic and confusion seized Herobrine as he began to struggle desperately against Null, while using his free hand to try to pull the sword out of his body but it was hopeless.

He was already too weak and his powers couldn't help him aganst Null, since the guy was only a shadow with nothing that his lightning could electricue and, since every ounce of energy in him was focused on healing his wound, it was impossible for him to use his other powers, as long as the healing wasn't done.

But the wound wouldn't heal as long as something was stuck in it, wich made Herobrine now completly helpless.

,,Sorry Hero, but I need your powers first," Null continued in a cold voice as his white eyes looked down at Herobrine lying there with his face contorted in pain, groaning miserably over and over again, "Otherwise I'm not powerful enough to get to Notch's."

Herobrine froze when he heard that.

"Y-you lied?" he said in a faltering voice to Null, who looked at him pitilessly.

,,Took you long enough," he replied softly and the last thing Herobrine saw was Null pointing the staff to his face.