Ok i. said in the last A/N "the next three chapters" but i only have two LOL give me a minute
"Here we are!" Theo gestured to the enclosed space as Heather stumbled, Herobrine moving to support her. "Base-sweet-base." Heather blinked up at the room, turning to look at the void through the iron-bar windows. The structure was made up of stone bricks, and she looked nervously down at her feet. "There's a layer of obsidian underneath all of it." Theo added, watching her. "So if we accidentally break a block, we don't plummet straight into the void."
"Oh." Heather shifted, feeling a bit safer. "And you're sure no Endermen know we're here?" Behind her, Manfred nudged her shoulder. "Other Endermen, I mean."
"Yep." Theo confirmed. "This is built out in the middle of the void, and the top is covered with half slabs. They can't spawn here."
"Okay." Heather let go of Herobrine, wandering forward to explore their new hideout. There were a few barrels along one wall, and she opened one to find it stocked with food. Another alcove held beds, towards which she steered herself. It had been a rough few days of sleeping on rocks, and she was miserably sore.
As she approached, Herobrine helped Manfred over, sitting him down on the edge of one of the beds. His leg seemed to be starting to heal, thin tendrils of black stretching over the wound. Heather hoped that was a good sign.
"So we have no reason to believe that Null can find us here." Notch spoke, gazing out the window.
Theo shook his head. "None. Assuming he doesn't have any sort of tracking program, we should be safe here." Heather pursed her lips.
"Yeah… assuming…" She sank down on Manfred's other side, leaning against his shoulder. Manfred tucked an arm around her side with a quiet sigh.
"So!" Theo clapped his hands together. "Before I picked you all up, I did a little digging on Null." He looked to Notch. "You weren't able to break into his files, correct?"
Notch noded. "I was hoping you could, since you successfully broke both me and Herobrine."
"I did do that." Theo agreed. "And… well, I can access them, sort of. But… so, Notch." He placed a block and sat down. "When I broke you, I kind of broke the game. Like, all of it." Notch raised a brow.
"I suppose that's understandable."
"Notch is an intrinsic part of the game's code." Herobrine cut in. "If he was gone, it would all fall apart. That's why I don't understand Null's motives - he wants me to kill Notch, but that would effectively kill him too."
"Yeah, that is weird." Theo frowned. "Anyway, Null does that too." A beat of silence.
"What?" Heather asked.
"If I destroy Null- or lock him away, or whatever - the game breaks." Theo elaborated. "He's deeply embedded in the game's code. It's possible I could rewrite it around him, but…"
"Why?" Heather broke in, stunned. "What's so important about him?"
"He was the old mob spawning engine." Notch said with a heavy sigh. "Before he gained sentience and created a form for himself. It stands to reason that everything is built around him."
"Oh…"
"I also looked into what he's done to the two of you." Theo gestured to Notch and Herobrine. "Take away your teleportation. Uh, I think he's accessing the code I wrote to get rid of you two back in the day. Just, not to the same extent."
"Probably due to the same failsafe that keeps him from killing Notch." Herobrine mused. "And me, apparently."
"Because you were made from a direct copy of my code." Notch agreed. Heather blinked.
"Wait, can he not kill you, then?"
"I don't know." Herobrine shrugged. "He's certainly tried to in the past, he's just failed."
"It would be pretty convenient if he physically could not kill you." Theo added. "But let's not take any chances."
"So, if we can't kill Null or lock him away, what can we do?" Heather asked.
"So, I can't shut him down like I did with Hero and Notch, but we may be able to physically contain him." Theo made a box with his hands. "Like you trapped him in a Nether Portal for years. If we could find a way to trap him again like that we probably wouldn't have to worry. Or," he held up a finger. "I could turn him into something else."
Heather raised a brow. "That would work?"
"I'm not sure. But maybe. I can try." Theo cracked his knuckles. "Alternatively I can try to reroute all the code around him and then kill him. But it's taken Notch, like… what, 3000 years to write all of this?"
Notch nodded. "Give or take."
"Right." Theo shrugged. "Suffice to say I would definitely be late to class." Heather scoffed weakly.
"Sorry."
"It's okay, my attendance grade only makes up about 10% of my final."
"And, until then, what do we do?" Notch asked. "Sit around and wait, and hope he doesn't find us?"
"No." Herobrine spoke up. Heather looked up as her husband stood, catching the attention of the others in the room. "Now, we rescue Steve and Alex."
"The operation becomes considerably less delicate with 303." Herobrine stated, gesturing to the drawing he'd made on an empty map. "He can clear mining fatigue, on any of you. It doesn't affect me."
"It doesn't?" The hacker looked at him curiously. "Huh. Maybe because you were added before the effect was."
"That can be said for most effects, but most still apply to me. Wither, and such."
"Weird."
"Anyway," Heather broke in. "Not only that, but Theo can teleport us back here."
"Yeah, but I tried to teleport Steve and Alex directly here, and it didn't work. There's some sort of anti-teleportation field around them, as far as I can tell." Theo cautioned. "I don't even know if it's intentional. Null is breaking everything. Anyway, we'll need to get them out of the obsidian tunnel."
"Preferably before Null shows up." Herobrine agreed. He side-eyed Notch, who was sitting on the other side of the room. "This would be simpler if we had you as well."
"I'm not going anywhere near Null." Notch shook his head firmly. "Not when his primary goal is to kill me."
"He can't kill you." Herobrine reminded him irritably. "Only I can. That's why he needs me."
"Still. I am rather mortal right now."
"Ah, you finally understand what it's like to be me."
"Boys! Stay on task, please." Heather interrupted. "I can do whatever you would be having Notch do." Herobrine gave her a sharp look.
"Heather, no."
"Heather, yes." She met his gaze evenly. "I'm no weaker than you are. I'm helping." Herobrine started to protest, but the fire in her eyes made him change his mind.
"Very well." He looked back at the map. "We have to assume for safety's sake that Null is there already. We don't know the extent of his power, but he seems to have a fair number of mobs under his thumb. The Elder Guardian, we know, was obeying out of fear for her brethren, but they are spared now. Theo, can you send her home?"
"Possibly. Like I said, teleportation field."
"I'd want to rescue her." Heather cut in. "She can't enjoy being out of the water like that."
"So, I'm guessing we'll need two prongs of attack." Herobrine drew a finger up through his sketch of the prison. "One to draw Null away. I should suffice for that, he hates me. After, someone will need to occupy the Elder while the other gets Steve and Alex out."
"I can distract the Elder Guardian." Heather suggested. "Null specifically told her not to attack me." Herobrine sighed.
"Alright."
"That leaves me to get Steve and Alex out." Theo finished. "I can clear the mining fatigue for long enough, I'm sure. You just need to keep Null off of us."
"Understood."
"I'll- I and Heather will get them to a safe place, then we'll bring them back to the base. Then I'll be back for you." Theo gave him a meaningful look. "You're sure you can hold your own against him?"
"Null is motivated by hatred and rage." Herobrine responded, still studying the map. "It makes him dangerous, but sloppy. I can take advantage of that." Heather squeezed his arm.
"You'd better."
"Alright." 303 slapped his hands down on the table. "When are we doing this?" Herobrine and Heather exchanged a glance.
"Now?"
"Now."