Where Steve returns from his outing with the heroes to give Hero some discouraging news

Whuzzt…

Herobrine startled awake, becoming aware of one of his servants looming in the kitchen. Perceiving the report, he nodded, dismissing the creature again.

Steve was coming back. Good.

Still sleepy, Herobrine turned and glared at the pot of stew, which was still simmering on the stove. He should have already taken it off the flames. It was now what? Half hour past that time?

A scowl appeared on his face as he considered yet another display of his current weakness. He had fallen asleep right on the chair where he sat. He had closed his eyes only for a moment!

But it was a good thing that the Human was coming back, safe.

He couldn't help but worry for the past five hours, watching from the eyes of his hidden servants in the tunnels as Steve slowly led the two Players from place to place, while they meticulously marked off the areas on their map. They also had equipment, which allowed them to detect hidden areas behind walls of stone. On several occasions, they stopped and turned to areas, where they then indicated Steve to mine while they stood on the ready with their weapons drawn. That's how they found hidden grottos with precious minerals and stones, which they then graciously allowed Steve to mine on occasion before they moved on.

Herobrine himself had not been aware of those areas, since the thickness of the stone had been too great for his senses to penetrate, and he still had hard time distinguishing what lay within the areas that he did perceive. It could be filled with gaseous poison or deadly traps, which could cause significant discomfort even to him. To send himself into a respawn purely by accident would have been the height of foolishness. That's why he preferred to leave such areas alone despite the riches they might provide, held very valuable by the humans.

Steve seemed to find this incredibly exciting, Herobrine noted with unexpected jealousy the awed look Steve had on his face as he proceeded to mine diamonds and emeralds from abundant hidden veins. He could have also shown the miner such places as Steve could never dream of! He would, when he could teleport again, Herobrine resolved to himself.

What was far more concerning, that while these Players swept across underlying tunnels one by one, they HAD found four of his hidden places of refuge. The thought of what would have happened if his servants chose to take him there, asleep and helpless while his body struggled to repair itself, left a cold feeling in Herobrine's stomach. Even without Steve's help, these Players would have found him long before he regained consciousness.

Good thing that his servants brought him here, to Steve. While not exactly safe, now he could watch their progress thanks to Steve, his wounds dressed and treated, even if they were not healing as well as they should have.

Herobrine's eyes returned to the pot, which he should remove from the stove before the savory stew overcooked.

He forced himself to his feet. His breath locked as a sharp stab shot through his injured shoulder with white-hot flare. Grasping to the table with his one good hand, he grinded his teeth, feeling the world sway around him as he barely kept himself from falling. After a moment, the pain slowly subsiding, Herobrine gave his mangled shoulder a hateful look. Why did it still not heal?

It should have healed already. He had suffered even worse injuries before on several occasions.

Something was wrong…

Another strange sensation came and went. It was almost as if he could still feel his arm. Something was crushing it. The sensation came and left again, settling again into a pressing ache.

Could it be that his severed limb was still at his mansion, buried deep beneath the rubble? Then, these sensations would make sense. Only that should not be the case! It should have simply dissipated, returning to his body after a preset time period. His code would always pull together again, even if it became scattered across great distance as it happened when he died in a trap set with massive explosions.

He should send his servants to search the place and see if this was true and the arm was still there…

No, he couldn't. The task he set for them now was far more important. While Steve provided him precious time, as today's experience showed, it was far too little. Those determined Players were making very good progress in finding him.

Still, what was happening to him to cause these strange glitches in his code?

Herobrine frowned at his shoulder with confusion. The sound of the opening door made him look up. White eyes lifted and held on the door with anticipation, where Steve stepped through. Turning around, he gave Herobrine a weary, but honestly glad smile. Herobrine hurried to search his appearance.

No new injuries or scrapes were visible on the miner's dusty form. He knew that the Human was fine, but there had been moments when he couldn't watch him, when the Players entered areas beyond the reach of the few mobs, whose primitive minds he had been able to hack. And then, he had apparently fallen asleep, too exhausted to keep up the effort. Not that he could have done anything, even if he learned that the Players decided to harm Steve. It was good that they did not.

Herobrine let out a breath of relief and humphed softly, recognizing the strangely strong concern that he experienced for this strange Human. Silently, he watched the miner put away his things before coming into the kitchen and sniffing.

"Something smells really good." Steve said hopefully. His eyes settling on a pot already waiting on the stove along with fresh bread and bowls and spoons already set out on the table, he made a step forward with a big grin on his face as he reached out with his grimy hands.

"Stop." Herobrine ordered and the miner froze, staring at the sharp edge of the pickaxe that flicked out to bar his path.

"Clean up first." Herobrine grumbled and immediately winced, the image of an old blind matron appearing in his mind. He just re-enacted her stern way with him and her unruly grandchildren, who accepted his presence without fear, mistaking him for a young human. They were too young and she was blind, and it amused him to be treated as one of ordinary mortals, enough that he tarried in that place too long. He was now gone, but the habits that he originally gained under Notch's influence, had become only more reinforced there.

Not that it mattered. Neither he nor the Players could get sick, unlike normal humans. So a bit of grime and dirt would have likely done Steve no harm, despite his strange settings.

"Um… Why?" Herobrine found Steve's blue eyes turned to him in befuddled question. Refusing to feel embarrassed by his slip up, Herobrine narrowed his eyes at the young human.

"Because I said so." He frowned.

Steve blinked, but then obediently turned around and left. Herobrine heard him outside, dunking his hands and face into the bucket that stood out there. Another minute later, the miner showed up reasonably refreshed and with a big, happy grin reached to the food. He proceeded to toss everything and hastily stuffed fresh bread in his mouth. Herobrine hid a smile. Seeing this human's enthusiasm was rewarding, even though he would have done all this regardless for himself.

"Gooshnesh, Brine…Vish ish devishious!" Steve mumbled with his mouth full. Herobrine startled eyes flicked up.

"What did you say?"

Steve made himself swallow a big gulp. "I said this is delicious. Thanks!" He beamed back with sincere admiration. Herobrine frowned but allowed the familiarity to slip. This Human was becoming too relaxed around him, but perhaps he deserved this right.

"So, how did it go?" He prodded, curious despite himself. Although able to see most of what was going on, he couldn't hear the words spoken. His spiders stayed far back from where the players could detect them. Steve perked up.

"Great! They didn't seem that bad at all. At first, they were all uptight and suspicious of me. But then they started to act more normal, like regular people. The younger one, Marko, he became definitely friendly. He told me a lot of stories about his adventures and how they hunt down some really high-level monsters. He even asked if I wanted to partner with them. As a Miner. Since they go a lot to the dungeons? They said that I was one of the best Miners that they had ever seen." Steve's voice held a hint of pride.

Another prickle of jealousy came and was quickly stifled as well. Herobrine couldn't help a huff at his own attitude. What this human chose to do was entirely his own decision and not any business of Herobrine's. "Oh? Does this idea seem tempting?" His tone still turned a bit sarcastic.

"It does." Steve made a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I always did want to go on a real adventure." He admitted apologetically. Herobrine huffed. This was expected.

"Of course. You are a Player." He grumbled and dropped his gaze to his food, idly moving his stew around with a spoon. Steve blinked at him, then frowned.

"I don't know why you still say that. I'm not a Player and I already told you that." He insisted with a note of exasperation slipping into his voice despite an obvious attempt to remain patient. "If I was one of them, wouldn't they know it? They didn't treat me differently than anyone else in town."

"Hmmm." Herobrine responded, reluctant to delve into the topic he didn't wish to discuss with Steve. He was also tired after keeping an eye on him for so long. The ache behind his eyes warned that he had already spent too many resources on that task, when he instead should have been resting, allowing his body to heal.

"I'm glad that they treated you well." Herobrine redirected the Human's attention instead. Steve still frowned, but then widely grinned as his eyes lit up brighter.

"Yes! And look what they gave me."

Forgetting about his food, the young Human lifted his hand, where a tool materialized. It was a pickaxe, glimmering with high level enchantments, its diamond edge glinting sharp. His blue eyes holding on it in admiration, Steve continued. "Its not to keep. They only borrowed it to me until my job is done."

Herobrine allowed himself a small smirk.

"Yes, I saw. Your work for them went much faster after they gave you that." He commented and instantly saw young human's smile fall. Blue eyes flicked to Herobrine with guilt.

"I'm sorry, Herobrine. I couldn't refuse." Steve apologized. "It would have raised their suspicion. But I delayed them a lot! I pretended to be greedy. They allowed it and even started mining themselves! That kept us from going too fast."

So, that's why he tarried so much! And here, Herobrine thought that the human was just being greedy. Slight shame attempted to rise, but Herobrine dismissed it. He smiled at Steve instead. "Did you find anything good?"

Relief flooded the miner's face and he beamed again. Jumping up from his seat, he abandoned his borrowed pickaxe on the table, producing a chest, which he placed on the floor and threw open the lid. A multitude of stone-encased, raw diamonds and other precious stones glimmered back at him.

"Yeah… Lots… I've never seen so many before…" His voice almost caught with admiration, staring at his new-found wealth. Unlike the few diamonds Herobrine once gave him in mocking recompense, these were all earned by his effort. Although… under a false promise. Steve's smile faltered a bit.

Herobrine could almost feel the thoughts running through the Human's face, simply from the expressions that ran across his face. It was amazing that Steve had been able to mislead those hunters at all.

"It's all right, Steve. All this wealth is yours by right. You are not deceiving them. They have asked your assistance in searching caves for a monster and his treasures and that's exactly what you did. You have already succeeded in a way. They did take their spoils." Herobrine admitted with a hint of bitterness, the memory of the adventurers breaking into the places he had assumed safe again appearing in his mind. He found Steve looking at him with concern.

"Then those four rooms were yours? The ones with the treasure chests?" He guessed. Herobrine nodded in affirmation, slightly slumping as his pride took a significant hit. He couldn't quite look up to meet Steve's gaze. It felt embarrassing to have his own arrogant words thrown into his face.

"Those Players are dumb. Pathetic idiots, entire lot of them. They could never find me unless I choose to let them, and that only to lead them into a trap!" He could clearly recall himself scoffing before the young human, too intimidated to say a word back, both awed and troubled by Herobrine's taunts. Well, now who was the idiot?

"Herobrine…" The kindness in Steve's patient voice made him look up. He found only concern in the Human's guileless blue eyes, rather than the expected triumph or mocking judgement. "Don't worry. You are safe here. I'll keep them far away from you until you get better and can get away."

Blue eyes strayed to Herobrine's still not healing shoulder and uncertainty turned to worry. A frown appeared on the miner's face.

"You ARE going to heal, right?" He asked. Herobrine sighed and rubbed his aching eyes.

"I will." I think. He didn't know. Nothing about this felt right. This Human should not have to worry about this, however. He was already doing too much on Herobrine's behalf.

"My servants are already working on a way for me to leave this world. Then I will relieve you of my presence." He reassured, weariness descending on him in full force. He definitely had over-strained his resources.

"Herobrine, you look really tired… You should go and rest. It is safe. They seemed really tired by the time we were done, so they are not going to come back until tomorrow for sure. And when me meet tomorrow, I'll just pretend to be the greedy miner again." Steve smiled from where he crouched, his blue eyes both worried and exhilarated at the same time. Seeing Herobrine's eyes on him, he cheerfully patted his chest of treasures.

Player. Herobrine repeated to himself, but the thought held no usual ire or scorn, only amusement. It was difficult to feel anything negative toward this human.

"A few more days more, that's all. Then find a way to back out of your contract. Tell them you are scared or… something similar to that." Herobrine offered idly.

The reaction of Players toward Steve greatly relieved him. They did seem to have become friendlier to the miner despite their initial disdain and mistrust, and that despite them believing that he was just a local human. Steve's cheerful attitude and good will appeared to have an effect even on them.

They won't harm him. And in a few days, after Herobrine was gone, the miner would no longer face any remaining danger.

With that reassuring thought, Herobrine looked at his plate, which he barely touched. He couldn't finish it. Steve was right. He needed to rest. Everything else could wait until tomorrow. It was highly unlikely that those two humans would return after more than five hours of playing straight. Their own in-game safety protocols would not allow them to continue until at least eight hours had passed, forcing them to remain offline. With them apparently greedily reserving the discovery of his location only to themselves, without other players getting word, he would be safe until then.

"Herobrine?" Steve's voice hesitantly called to his attention again. He glanced at him. The human's face held open worry and he was even biting his nail, thankfully clean. "I hope it wasn't anything important… Your things that they found."

At that, Herobrine couldn't hold back a slightly dark smirk. "Don't worry. Their greed will play against them." Despite their promise to share their spoils with Steve, those two players had taken Herobrine's abandoned chests without sharing, using an excuse that there might be booby-trapped or other nasty surprises guarding the monster's treasures. Well… They were not wrong.

Herobrine's dark smirk grew bigger, until he caught an uneasy look that appeared on Steve's face. Then he stifled it. "I already recovered everything of importance and transferred it someplace where no one but me can get it."

Steve uncomfortably shifted and Herobrine rolled his eyes in rising annoyance. "Don't worry about them, Steve. Players cannot die. They don't even feel the pain that normal people feel." He reassured for the sake of Steve's soft-heartedness.

It worked. After a moment, the human perked up, his eyes enthusiastically lit up.

"See? That's why I'm not a Player." He said with satisfaction of having made a winning argument. Herobrine quirked an eyebrow. Steve continued.

"I am not a Player because I do feel pain. Every last bit of it. I am a normal person, Herobrine. Not like them. So… I am not a Player." Steve smiled brightly, looking at Herobrine with innocent expectation.

Herobrine snorted with superior and skeptical look, since he knew better, but then his smile lessened as a memory from a recent past forced itself unbidden.

Same face turned up to him, grimacing, blue eyes widened in fear. The human's entire form trembled, huddling as far back from him as he could until a wall blocked his retreat. Tears leaked, making trails down pale cheeks, mixing with trails of blood trickling down young human's battered face. Blood matted his hair, smearing side of his neck, trickled from his nostrils and a corner of his lips, dripping to his quivering chin and then dropped in steady, thick drops to the ground. Shaking fingers pressed tightly against a wound on his side, where more blood seeped steadily through the thin, torn cloth as the human's entire body tried to shrivel smaller as if trying to turn invisible before his pursuer's wrath. Herobrine's own dark, menacing smirk at this pathetic sight sounded in his memory. A glowing, diamond pickaxe appeared in his hand before he stepped toward his prey, with deliberately slow steps, savoring the terror he perceived rolling from the human in waves. His steps slowed, allowing that terror to build, until he stood directly above the sniveling fool. His lips twisted with scorn, the grip on the handle of his pickaxe growing stronger as he prepared to deliver the finishing strike. Time to end this.

"Herobrine?" Steve's concerned voice intruded again. Herobrine looked up, his face turned blank to hide his unsettled emotions. Until now, he did not really dwell on the circumstances of his first meeting with the human.

"Herobrine, I learned something bad. I'm not sure if you know this." Steve said, chewing his lower lip as he sometimes did when he grew worried. Herobrine's attentive gaze told him to proceed.

"Those heroes… Those players told me that its not just them who is hunting you now. It's all the players. They think that if they destroy all your mansions and ghosts, you won't have a place to hide. Then they can find you. That's what they are planning. Did you… know about this?"

From the stricken look that must have appeared on his face, the Miner got his answer, because Herobrine heard his soft sigh. Sympathy held in blue eyes, considering the startled being, whose emotions shifted like cloud shadows flitting across his normally expressionless face, from startled numbness to fear, to bitterness and anger, in the end morphing to helpless mirth.

Herobrine chuckled, leaning his head back in defeat. Just when he thought that his position could not get any worse…

"What does this mean, Herobrine?" The human's concerned voice prodded. Herobrine huffed.

"Only that their Admin… your gods." Herobrine clarified for the miner's sake. "Finally decided to destroy me. I suppose that I should be flattered by their faith in me. They truly believe that I am someone greater than I really am, though I truly do not know what led them to that assumption." Herobrine tried to joke but notes of bitterness stole in. It looked like even Notch's advice would now be in vain. Where was he going to go?

"What are you going to do?" Steve frowned.

"Do not worry about this. I will soon be gone from here. The rest is not your concern." Herobrine's firm tone ended further discussion of the topic. After a moment of silence, Steve lowered his face and got up.

"I um… I need to take care of a few things." He muttered, not quite meeting Herobrine's gaze. Herobrine's last words had hurt him for some reason, though he tried not to show it. As usual, his face revealed everything. Herobrine said nothing, watching the miner make a step to leave the room. He was leaving his dinner uneaten and that spoke volumes. Another blunder in communication on his part. Herobrine winced in frustration.

"Steve…" Herobrine said, surrendering to the guidance of emotions that the miner's responses evoked, and hoping that they were human enough to help him say the right thing. He did not wish to harm this human any further. Player or not, Steve did not deserve it. Despite everything wrong that Herobrine had done, he still showed only kindness and goodness of heart. Perhaps it was time to tell him that, in case he did not get the chance to do so later.

Steve turned around, his usual cheerfulness somewhat subdued, though his eyes were already softer and questioning. Herobrine held his gaze on him. "You have already done more than I can ever repay you. I was originally going to leave you payment for my debt, but those heroes have already given you more than what I currently have." His white eyes ruefully turned and rested on the still open chest filled with treasures.

"I will have to leave, and I am not sure if I will ever be able to come back to pay you back in full as your actions deserve… For that, I am sorry… I also strongly regret my actions against you, especially in the very beginning."

He was sorry. His apology was entirely useless, however – merely empty worlds, though spoken with sincere intent. For what it was worth, Herobrine meant it. And his weak revelation had been rewarded. The young Human straightened, appearing greatly encouraged. His eyes brightened and a hesitant smile re-emerged on his face.

"It's all right. You've never hurt me too badly. It was all because you mistook me for a Player." Steve dismissed lightly and grinned. Noticing Herobrine's silence, his smile fell a bit and he frowned instead. "Wait… You still think that? You do! You still think that I am one of them." He reproached.

Herobrine humphed, unwilling to argue or attempt to explain this. "You have their characteristics, Steve." He said with a mild but certain tone. At Steve's frustrated breath, he allowed himself a small smile. "But you are not like the rest of them." He reassured. "No other Player would have spared the cruel and arrogant monster that I tend to be on occasion. I try not to slip into my old habits, but it seems to be a hopeless task at this point."

Steve's eyes gained a startled look. "No, Herobrine, don't say that. You're not a monster at all!"

Herobrine darkly smirked, bitterness and gloom trying to settle over his mood. "I am according to your gods, the Players, and even ordinary mortals. Perhaps they are right, and Notch was wrong. Its useless to fight one's fate and that's what I was created to be. I was made to fight the Players and then be destroyed by them. I am tempted to accept this, but for the fear of pain that I will feel should I die again. Because of that, I will do my best to run like a pathetic coward."

Steve frowned and shook his head in disagreement. "Herobrine, I don't think that's…"

The appearance of one of Herobrine's servants startled the miner into silence. Ignoring him, the mob looked at Herobrine with his earnest, lilac eyes, pushing forward an image. Three young, human teens hesitantly made their way along the trail on the outer edges of the field where Steve's small cabin stood.

Steve's worried eyes held on him, waiting for an explanation. Herobrine smirked, both relieved and amused by the interruption. He really had no idea how he might explain to Steve that the world he knew and he, himself, were not nearly what this human imagined.

"It's your young friends from town. Seems they're coming to pay you a visit."

A frown settled on Steve's face, his head snapping in that direction. Herobrine regretfully eyed his plate, which he had barely touched, but he didn't feel hungry at all. "I will go to my room."

He moved to stand up. Another flare of white-hot pain pierced his mangled shoulder, spreading across his back into his arms and legs like an electrical shock. His vision hazing, Herobrine didn't even realize that he had begun to fall, until he became aware of the miner's strong arm supporting him. Deep concern held in the human's blue eyes, intent on him. So worried about his continued weakness.

Stifling another rueful, almost accepting smile, Herobrine allowed his host to help him drag his feet to his bed, where he was gently let down.

"I'll get them to leave." Steve curtly promised and Herobrine simply gratefully nodded, already feeling his consciousness dimming as he settled on the rustic, yet comfortable surface. Steve must have added more blankets and pillows when he was not watching. His bed felt much softer.

Steve would do as he said and not allow those children in his house to see his unwilling guest. Herobrine trusted Steve enough by now to do as he promised. He allowed himself to slip away into relieving darkness before Steve walked out of the guest room and closed the door.

Forgotten on the table, Steve's borrowed pickaxe continued to lay, gleaming with enchantments. A precious stone, until now dark in the handle, softly lit up.

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Far away, in another world, on a screen where an avatar mindlessly stood, his face wrapped in a red scarf, a message appeared below in the blinking, white letters.

Target detected.