HTABT done, update time :) as an apology for the fact that I'm most likely about to start a new fic
As soon as the pair had rounded the first corner, Steve grabbed Herobrine by the wrist and held fast.
"Brine, it's painfully obvious how much Null is trying to drive us apart. Please don't let him." Herobrine yanked his wrist out of his grasp.
"If he thinks we're working together, he could hurt his prisoners. We can't be seen together."
"Look, I'll- I'll let you win." Steve's voice dropped to a whisper. "I know Alex can respawn, and Heather can't. But please- if he does have Notch, don't hurt him. We need him." Herobrine's jaw tightened. Of course, he was right, but hurting Notch may be Null's criteria for keeping Heather safe. The Nether lord gave his double a stiff nod, then turned, splitting off down another passage.
Steve didn't appear again, which means he must have gone a different route. Herobrine had never tried to solve a maze like this before, and didn't have the slightest idea how he could, nor how Steve planned to 'let him' win. If he just wandered at random, he had just as high a chance at finding Notch as Herobrine did.
How did Null manage to imprison Notch, anyway? The game was bent by his very whim, how could he possibly be trapped here? And yet, Null seemed very confident in his claim.
…unless it was a ruse to draw him away from Heather…? No, that didn't make sense. If he intended to kill her, he would do it before Herobrine in order to inflict the most damage, wouldn't he? Herobrine scowled, pressing a hand to his head. He would have little success trying to get inside the mind of such a psychopath.
The Nether king shook his head and continued down his passage, choosing at random his next path to take. How big was this maze? Would there be some penalty for them not finding Notch in time? Or was the only penalty the threat of the other winning the game? Steve was right- he wouldn't hurt Notch. But with Heather at stake, he couldn't afford to lose.
...did Null expect them to fight each other? If he took Steve out, would he count that as a win on his part? He didn't want to do it. Steve was his friend. But he would respawn, as would Alex, and he and Heather would not. Herobrine set his jaw, his decision made, and he pressed onwards.
Ten minutes later, he rounded a corner and nearly bumped straight into his opponent.
"Herobrine!" Steve exclaimed. "I take it you haven't found-?" His words were cut off abruptly as Herobrine punched him in the stomach, then dropped an elbow on his head. The miner dropped like a rock, and Herobrine continued on his way. His stomach churned with unease, and he wondered if Null would count that as cheating- but, like Steve said, undoubtedly his goal was to separate them. He only hoped that Steve would forgive him upon his waking.
Herobrine ventured through the maze for the better part of an hour, anxiety eating away at his resolve if he wondered if Steve had woken up yet. If he had, he could have already found Notch, the game could be over… would Null inform him? Send him back? Or was he still out? Did Null expect him to hurt Notch? He hadn't said so, but he might punish Heather regardless if he found that Notch had remained unharmed. This situation really had no victory, not on his part.
Herobrine turned a corner and was met with a black tank.
He stopped short, eying the small, blackstone structure. A lever sat on the ground before it, and Herobrine approached it hesitantly, nudging it with his foot. A piston went off, lowering a block, and Notch was revealed.
The creator was trapped in a tank of water, enclosed by what appeared to be tinted glass. His eyes were closed, and he didn't move. Passed out? Was he drowning? He didn't even know if it was possible for Notch to drown.
Herobrine shifted his gaze away, uneasy. So it was true then, Null had managed to imprison him. How, he didn't understand. And, if he has this level of power, why rely on threats to keep him and Steve under control? They should be far less of a threat than the very creator of the game.
Should he hurt him? Null had said he had the freedom to do what he wished, but the creature reeked of deceit. How would he notify Null-?
A loud clanging startled him badly as bells began to ring around him, and the sound of pistons had him swinging around. Just behind him, the wall was lowering, beyond which was the obsidian wall of the Elder Guardian's enclosure. Herobrine blinked in disbelief. Notch had been this close to the entrance the entire time?
Null rounded the corner, clapping slowly.
"Congratulations." He offered, tone mocking. "And what, pray tell, do you wish to do with your reward?" Herobrine's blank gaze flickered to Notch, then back to Null.
"Free him."
"I'm afraid that isn't an option." Null looked around. "Hm. And where is your opponent?"
"How should I know? My duty was not to watch him."
"I'm here." Steve's weary voice had him spinning to his left, where the miner stepped out of a passage, one hand brushing the bump on his head. The emotion in his gaze was indecipherable, but Herobrine felt chastised beneath it.
"Good. You may witness the consequence of your failure." Null looked him up and down. "My, you arrived quickly."
"I'm fast."
"It is of no matter. Follow me." Null turned, and the pair followed him as he made his way back to the entrance of the obsidian box.
"I'm sorry." Herobrine whispered, but Steve only glanced at him before focusing on the back of Null's head.
Heather was where he had left her, appearing, thankfully, unharmed. Alex was leaning on the side of her cage, watching grimly as the men re-entered their prison. Turning, Null approached Herobrine, taking him by the wrist and lifting his fist above his head.
"Winner."
Heather breathed a sigh of relief, while Alex scoffed softly.
"And Notch?" The redhead called out.
"He is unharmed." Herobrine responded before Null had a chance to. The shadowy creature chuckled.
"Do you truly think that your noble act will keep him safe? He is still my prisoner- and I am not quite so merciful." Null released him, gesturing to the obsidian lip around the edge of the dark chamber. "Sit, if you will. Alex and I must have a duel." Steve visibly flinched, but relented, moving to the edge of the room with Herobrine. As Null released Alex from her cage, the miner whispered,
"I had agreed already to help you… you didn't need to subdue me."
"I feared that Null would punish me for showing too much cooperation with you. Or, punish Heather." Hero murmured in response. "I'm sorry." Lifting his heavy gaze, Herobrine looked up to find his fiancée gazing at him sadly from her cramped prison. How was he going to get them out of this…?
"You're not serious." A loud voice interrupted his thoughts, and he looked over to find Alex staring incredulously at the wooden sword in her hands.
"I think it's quite reasonable." Null drawled, brandishing his own diamond sword. "I never claimed this would be a fair fight."
"At least give me an axe! Perhaps I can envision your bony body as a tree." She snapped. Null appeared to consider this.
"Very well." A wooden axe appeared in his grasp. "Enjoy." Alex took a breath.
"I think I'll enjoy this immensely."
Snatching the wooden axe from Null's grasp, Alex tossed her sword aside, scrutinizing the craftsmanship of her new weapon. It was shoddily made- she was doubtful that it would last her the battle, but it would serve her better than the sword.
"So are you going to count us off, or-" and Null was swinging at her head. Alex cursed, ducking and slipping in the water, scrambling to leap up onto the ledge and take off down the side of the room.
"Our battle is confined to this room." Null warned her as she came to a stop near the corner. "Though I've never taken you for the type to run away."
"Oh, I'm not running." Null stepped up onto the ledge, approaching, and Alex readied her weapon. He seemed unaware of the damage an axe could do to him, even a wooden one. She could use that to her advantage.
As Null drew back his sword, Alex leaped into the air and brought the wooden axe down towards his black skull. Null jerked to the side to avoid it, and his foot slipped off the ledge, causing him to stumble heavily. Alex slammed her axe down again, and this time it sunk into his shoulder, causing him to roar with anger.
"You're right." She taunted, yanking her blade out of his shoulder. "It's not a fair fight." Null spun, thrusting at her with the hilt of his sword, and the diamond pommel cracked against her skull. Alex grunted, stumbling. Null swung at her again, and she tried to lift her axe to stop the blade, but the blade of her axe was lopped straight off.
Alex jerked to a halt, staring at the remaining handle in disbelief. Null, however, didn't give her time to react, swinging again and forcing her to scramble off the edge into the water. The redhead dashed for the wooden sword, abandoning the axe handle and snatching the weapon from the water. Null followed with significantly less desperation, chuckling lowly as Alex took off down the length of the room again.
"Whatever happened to not running away?"
"Not running." Alex hissed. "Merely finding a better vantage point." Alex reached the captive Elder Guardian, and promptly scaled the creature's massive body. The guardian made a few annoyed sounds, great eye seeking out Herobrine in an effort to communicate its displeasure, but Herobrine just gave it a soft shake of his head.
"And how exactly does this benefit you?" Null came up to the guardian, gazing up at her as Alex clung to one of the fish's great spikes.
"Well, you can't reach me, for one. And if you try to climb up after me I'm going to step on your fingers." Null whipped out a crossbow and took aim, causing Alex to duck out of sight. "Better not shoot your pet!" She taunted. "She might get a bit angry."
"It knows better than to harm me." The guardian gave a low rumble in response. "This creature is loyal to me, not you, and I would think twice about using it as a shield." Abruptly, the creature twisted, and Alex struggled to keep her balance. Did this stupid creature really obey Null? If so, why was it chained?
The guardian twisted again, and, as Alex lowered her stance to keep herself steady, it's spikes shot out and impaled her through the shoulder.
A shout from Steve almost drowned out her own cry as she instinctively tried to jerk away. The spikes retracted, and she toppled, falling heavily from the guardian's back and slamming into the obsidian below. Her sword clattered to the ground beside her, and she grasped for it uselessly with her wounded arm. A shadow moved in the corner of her vision, and her green eyes flickered up just in time to see Null's sword swing down towards her head.