Me: Okay. I didn't update for two weeks, but I had a real excuse that time. It's time for me to actually update on time.

Exams, Laziness, and Procrastination: Hello there.

Me: Damn it.

I'M SORRRYY

God, it's been a while since I haven't updated this long. This warrants a celebration!

An 'everybody beat up Krios' celebration!

I'm really sorry. Exams basically beat my will to write, and then procrastination and laziness kicked my will to write while it was still down.

But I'm sure you guys didn't come to read me apologize for being a bad writer, so I'll respond to this one review and then I'll get on with it.

ara celene: yeah, I intentionally wrote Cara as a jerk because you know, subverting expectations and all that. And you're right—Cara does have a reason for being such a jerk, but telling you would go into spoiler territory. :)

Also yeah all Herobrine does in Toni's head is read and eat. Don't ask where he gets the food, I have no idea.

Anyways, READ THE CHAPTER ALREADY I SPENT 20 DAYS ON THIS (EVEN THOUGH I SPENT 90% OF THE 20 DAYS GAMING)

Also be warned: this chapter will briefly talk about child murder. If you're not into that…um…sorry.

Krios

Alright, It's Dan's Turn With The Trauma

Which is worse: being laughed at by 10 different people over the span of two days, or finding one of your friends may actually have a darker past than you thought?

No need to pick. Both happened to me.

Me, Dan, and the others had already asked 9 different people for help with raiding the Nether Prison. All 9 brushed us off as a joke. Several had actually chased us away. (I have the grace to admit that at least two of those were my fault.)

"Alright, guys." Dan said. "This bar is where the notorious mercenary Frontline stays. This is the last guy we have a chance at recruiting. Nikai, none of your sass. Orca, don't go off about the benefits of redstone again."

Nikai and Orca looked scandalized.

"Ben, don't rise up at any insults. Even if they're directed at Seu. Durham. No. More. Arm wrestling."

Ben looked disgruntled, and Seu looked exasperatedly at him. Durham looked disappointed.

"Ender. Put away your potions. You'll piss someone off again. Don't snarl at me, you know it's true. And Cal—"

I rolled my eyes. "I know, I know. No more throwing and/or smashing tables."

"Okay, I'll do the talking, so you guys just…stay quiet. Look intimidating, I guess. Questions? Suggestions? Threats?"

There was a mix of nods, grumbles, and agreements.

"Great!" Dan clapped his hands cheerfully. "I believe in us, guys! Let's go, team! High five!" He raised his hand.

Nobody moved. Durham almost high fived Dan, but upon noticing nobody else was going for the high five, he slowly lowered his hand.

"Oookay. Love the team spirit." Dan said dryly, dropping his hand. "Well, let's go in."

Dan turned on his heel and kicked open the door, stepping in.

All of us strode in, and everyone glanced at us. Dan looked around, searching for Frontline. His eyes rested on a large and muscly man at the counter, who watched us with spite/intrigue. I snorted at Dan's 'smoulder'. (His words, not mine.)

"Oh, great." Orca muttered. "Another guy with more brawn than brains." Ben very unsubtly elbowed him, making him yelp. "What? Am I wrong?"

We began to walk towards Frontline. Nikai, in all his effort to look cool, was strutting through the bar like a model. He tripped on a chair and accidentally hit Ender in the back of the head. She snarled and stomped on Nikai's foot, and he squeaked like a mouse that'd just been stepped on. Durham flexed a muscle, making several people snort.

I almost facepalmed. This is already a mess.

Dan finally got to Frontline and grinned. "Frontline. I've heard a lot about you." Dan extended his hand towards him, but he didn't take it.

"Okay then," Dan muttered as he dropped his hand. "Kinda rude, but whatever."

Frontline laughed loudly, and when nobody laughed with him, he yelled, "LAUGH!"

Everybody in the bar immediately burst into forced laughter. Dan also laughed, but his laugh was a tad bit awkward.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Frontline chortled.

"Dan Powers," he said with a smug laugh. "You probably haven't heard of me before, but—"

"Dan Powers," Frontline repeated. "No, I remember. Weren't you Carlos's kid?"

Dan's grin froze on his face, and the members of our group exchanged looks. I looked at Dan curiously, but he ignored me.

"You made quite a wave in the bounty hunter community. And at the age of twelve, mind you!" Frontline grinned and raised his mug in Dan's direction. "I drink to you, sir." And he took a long swig.

Dan's expression wasn't pleasant—he was still smiling, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. In fact, his gaze was cold. Dan had lost his cheerful manner in a matter of seconds.

But the moment only lasted a second. Dan laughed, and the tension broke. "Thank you…Frontline. So…we've been meaning to ask you something."

"And?" Frontline raised an eyebrow. "What's that? Do you want me to kill someone? Or perhaps you're seeking refuge? I hear you're wanted by the bounty hunters. A hundred thousand emeralds is nothing to laugh at."

My hand went to the axe on my back, but Dan merely laughed again. "You couldn't capture us if you tried."

"Ooh. I like the bravado." Frontline smirked. "But please, get to the point. You're boring me."

"Alright!" Dan shouted, and pointed at Frontline. "We want you…to help us raid the Nether Prison!"

There was silence. Someone coughed.

Frontline burst into laughter, and everyone laughed with him until he screamed, "I DID NOT SAY TO LAUGH!"

The laughter died immediately.

"You think I have time to play with fools like you?" Frontline said menacingly.

"This isn't a game," I snapped, and Dan gave me a warning look. "We've got money."

Frontline snorted. "Raiding the Nether Prison is a fool's errand! It is impossible! And besides, I bet the bounty hunters would offer me more money than you've got if I handed you over."

"Raiding the Nether Prison isn't impossible!" I snarled. "Or are you too scared to help us?"

"Cal." Dan whispered out of the side of his mouth. "What are you doing?" I ignored him.

"There's a difference between being a coward and knowing when to back out," Frontline sneered.

"You're just too cowardly to help us," I snarled. "It's not impossible."

"Not helping, Cal." Dan hissed.

Frontline scoffed. "It's not impossible? It is if we do it with you lot. Let's see what we have here." Frontline pointed to all of us in turn. "Three girls, one underage. A scrawny nerd with glasses. A stuck-up string bean. A guy with more looks than muscles. And exactly two people that could probably hold their own in a fight." He gestured to Dan and Durham.

Dan didn't look flattered. "Frontline, please."

"If the human body was one hundred percent muscle and no brains, we'd be lower than slugs!" I snapped.

Frontline snapped his fingers. "Get these idiots out of my bar."

Several bulky people walked up to us, cracking their knuckles menacingly. One put a hand on my shoulder, and I pushed it off, glaring at them.

"You're not even going to think about our offer?" Dan called as one of the men turned him around.

"Let me think about it," Frontline said thoughtfully. "Hm. No."

As the men pushed us away, Frontline called after us. "Maybe come back when you've got some more muscle in your group, and I'll consider it."

His words suddenly sparked an idea inside my mind. As the men pushed us out of the bar, I whispered to Dan, "I've got an idea! Maybe…we can convince him to join us if we show him how strong we are by fighting these goons!"

"…what? No, that's a horrible idea."

"Fine, then!" I shouted, pulling away from the man that had their hand on my shoulder. "I guess we'll just have to prove ourselves then!"

"Wait, Cal—"

"On my mark, everyone!"

"CAL HOLD ON FOR ONE GOD DAMN SECOND-"

"CHAARGE!" I screamed as I swung my netherite axe off of my back and slammed the flat end into someone's face, knocking them out.

"CAAAL!" Dan cried as I beat up every goon that tried to get me with my axe.

A bunch of men quickly surrounded and attacked. Nikai went down after getting punched in the face, and someone smashed a chair over Durham's head, making him stagger. Someone lifted Ender into the air, and she yelled in fury, pulling out a metal baton and whacking the man across the face.

But as she did, a potion rolled out of her pocket, glinting in the light.

Ender paled. "Uh oh."

The potion shattered on the ground, and a cloud of swamp green gas engulfed the entire bar. There was a lot of panicked screaming, and Frontline shouted something I won't repeat.

But above all the chaos I heard Dan scream.

"GOD DAMN IT CAL! YOU HAD ONE JOB!"

?-V-?

We all sat on the ground, sulking and sopping wet. Ender wrung out her hair, and Nikai pinched his bleeding nose.

Dan spoke first, and he sounded very sarcastic. "Now I'm not usually one to assign blame, but I feel like Cal could have done better."

"Me? You're the one that did the talking!" I accused him. "We were going to be kicked out regardless of whether or not I decided to go through with my plan!"

"Your plan you made in five seconds," Dan snorted.

"Oh shut up Dan, like you've never improvised a stupid plan on the fly before!"

"Usually my plans, even my improvised ones, follow at least a little bit of logic." Dan said dryly.

"If you don't shut up I'll hit you."

"By all means. Do it."

"Pardon me for interrupting, but Ender is the one who dropped the potion." Orca pointed out.

"Oh, so it's my fault now!?" Ender snapped. "That wasn't even my fault! You're lucky you even have me, otherwise that poison would have seeped into your skin and melted our insides! It was my idea to jump into the lake!"

Durham gasped in fear. "My eyes feel itchy. Is that the poison? Are my eyes going to melt?"

"No, your insides aren't going to melt." Orca rolled her eyes. "And Ender, you're being over dramatic. That was just a regular potion of poison. Hurts like hell, but it won't kill you."

"Oh I'm sorry, who's the potion expert here? You or me?"

"I think it was Cal's fault," Nikai said unsurprisingly.

"Let's not forget who was doing the convincing in the first place!" I glared at Dan. "Right guys?" I directed that last question at Seu and Ben, who looked taken aback.

"I'm not really taking a stance in this," Ben said uncomfortably. Seu nodded.

We all dissolved into arguing, everybody yelling at each other to prove their point.

"Alright, alright!" Dan yelled over everyone. "Let's settle down!"

Slowly the arguing stopped. We all went silent for a moment.

"That marks the tenth failure." I said miserably.

Ben frowned. "I mean, you can't really blame them. I mean, raiding the Nether Prison seems like something only crazy people would do." When I glared at him, Ben hastily amended, "but we're not crazy. Nope. They're the crazy ones for not helping us."

"Let's take a break for the night," Dan said with forced cheerfulness. "Alright? Let's set up camp in that forest over there."

Everyone murmured assent, and we all moved towards the forest.

After setting up camp (and drying ourselves out) we all set up our sleeping bags and bid each other good night. Two people stayed up to keep watch, though. Dan and Ender.

I slipped into my sleeping bag, feeling the most hopeless I'd ever felt.

And with that, I slowly went to sleep.

?-V-?

"You can't save us."

I staggered to my feet. Something was wrong. Something felt off. Very off.

I looked around. The smell of smoke drifted across the forest. I coughed, and I felt fear grip my heart.

"Not again." I gasped. "Not again."

I turned to see my village. Burning.

I watched in horror. Screams echoed from the houses. I saw pigmen and wither skeletons brutally beat people as they grabbed them and forced them to the ground. I felt a hot hand on my shoulder. I spun around, and saw a flaming man. His body was covered in fire, and the only part of him that wasn't horribly disfigured and melted were his eyes. The smell of burning flesh made me want to vomit. I wanted to scream, to cry, to get away from him, but I couldn't move.

"You can't save them," he said in a low hiss.

I pushed him away with a scream and ran away from the village, from the burning man. I ran and didn't look back until—

—I found myself, impossibly, in the Nether Prison.

"What?" I whispered. "How—"

"You can't save us."

I whirled around and paled.

It took me a moment to recognize them—but it was my old cell mates from the Nether Prison. Jin…Phoenix…Jerry…

And they were all covered in wounds. An arrow stuck out of Phoenix's neck.

They all watched me with emotionless eyes. When they opened their mouths, they spoke as one.

"You can't save anyone."

"No," I said. "No, you're wrong. You're wrong! I'll save my mother! I'll save you! I'll save everyone!"

They all collapsed like marionettes whose strings had been cut. Behind them stood Toni. I flinched, but she wasn't wounded like the others had been. But she had her diamond sword out, which was covered in blood.

She laughed. "Who's the superior sister now?"

"You're not real!" I screamed. "You're not real, get out of my head!"

"Compared to me? The reincarnation of Herobrine?" Fake Toni hissed. "You're nothing."

I turned and blindly ran the way I'd come, running without caring where I was going. I just wanted to get away from the fake.

And then I ran into someone. I bounced back and landed on my butt. I groaned and looked up. What I saw terrified me.

It was my mother. But there was a golden sword sticking out of her gut.

"You can't save us. You can't save them." the thing that looked like my mother hissed. "YOU'RE A FAILURE OF A DAUGHTER!"

Suddenly everybody I knew surrounded me, all of them with bloody wounds and bruises.

Toni, Seu, my father—all of them screamed at me.

"Failure! FAILURE! FAILURE!"

I clapped my hands over my ears. "STOP!" I screamed. "STOP IT—!"

Suddenly someone grabbed me and spun me around. I froze.

It was Dan. Unharmed and unscathed.

"Cal? Wake up! You okay?"

I awoke with a jolt. Dan stood over me, looking concerned.

I pushed him away. "Personal space, Dan."

He backed away, but still looked worried. "Cal, are you okay?"

I was silent for a moment before answering, "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were shaking in your sleep and whimpering." Ender, who was behind Dan, told me. "You sure didn't seem okay."

I flushed in embarrassment. "Yeah, well…it's none of your business. Is it day?"

"No, it's still night." Dan told me, still eyeing me with concern. "We were just about to wake up some others to keep watch for us when we heard you. Erm, do you want to go back to sleep, or—"

I stood. "No, I'm not sleepy. I'll keep watch, Dan. I'll be over there." I stormed away.

"Look what you did," I heard Dan say to Ender.

"What did I do!?"

I walked farther away from camp than was probably necessary, and then sat down heavily on a log. I'd been scared when I woke up, but now I was mad and embarrassed. I wasn't really sure why, but I didn't feel like calming down.

After a moment of silence, I heard someone walking towards me.

"Leave me alone." I snapped.

Dan sat next to me with a sigh. I expected him to say something, but he didn't. We just sat there in silence. I kept glancing at him, expecting him to ask me a question.

Eventually it got too awkward for me to stand, and I snapped, "What do you want?"

Dan blinked at me. "I don't know what you mean."

"You're not going to, like, ask what that was about?" I demanded. "Or comfort me?"

Dan shrugged. "You seemed like you wanted to be alone with your thoughts."

"So why'd you sit next to me?"

Dan shrugged again. "I dunno. In case you get a panic attack or something."

I punched him in the arm. "I don't get panic attacks, idiot. It was just a stupid nightmare."

"Ow," Dan muttered as he rubbed his arm. "That hurt."

"Good," I snapped.

We were silent again.

I opened my mouth and closed it.

Dan raised an eyebrow. "You have something to say?"

"No." I said.

"Okay." Dan looked away.

We went silent. There was more silence than I was comfortable with.

"I…appreciate…the sentiment, though." I said reluctantly, and Dan looked at me. "I guess."

Dan snickered. "You're welcome."

"Why are you laughing!?" I snapped. "I said that with a lot of difficulty, you know!"

"That makes it funnier." Dan chortled.

I punched him again.

"Ow! Can you stop?"

"Only when you deserve it," I smirked. "Also, I thought you were waking someone else up to keep watch."

"I can stay up a few more hours. I'm somewhat of a rebel, you know." Dan boasted. "It's in my nature to stay up past daytime."

I snickered. "Rebel? You wish."

"How dare you doubt me?" Dan said mockingly. "I'll have you know I've captured at least one criminal before!"

"At least?"

"At least one!"

Me and Dan dissolved into snickering, and suddenly I realized I didn't feel as bad anymore.

"Thanks," I told him. "I needed that."

"You're very welcome." Dan grinned. "I am aware that I am a good influence."

"Weirdo," I said, but nicely.

And we sat there, silent. But it wasn't an awkward silence anymore. It was more of a pleasant silence.

I smiled as I looked into the woods. The leaves of a nearby tree rustled in the wind.

My smile faded.

The leaves of those trees rustled in the wind?

But it wasn't windy.

"Dan," I said lowly, "something's wrong."

Dan stood with a frown. "Cal, where's your axe?"

"I didn't bring it with me," I said. "Should I go and get—"

Thwip.

Dan grabbed me and threw me to the ground. An arrow sailed over my head and shot through a tree behind me. I gasped as I looked at the tree—the arrow had punched a hole through the trunk.

Dan drew his scimitars. "Back to the camp we go!"

We both turned to run, but before we could, three arrows shot from the trees and landed in front of me. Dan dived at me, and a fourth arrow flew over my head as we crashed to the ground. Dan rolled to his feet and sliced another arrow out of the air with his scimitars.

"COME DOWN, COWARD!" Dan yelled.

I picked up a nearby rock and stood. I probably wasn't going to intimidate anyone with the rock, but I figured it'd be better than nothing.

I heard Dan scream, and I turned to see an arrow flying out of the trees. I yelped and tossed my rock. The arrow shot clean through the rock, which shattered into pieces. I jerked back, and the arrow nicked my cheek.

That arrow would have killed me if not for the rock.

"Well, now the surprise is gone." I heard a low voice. I swirled around and saw a man drop to the ground, holding two crossbows.

Dan raised his scimitars, but before he could charge the man pointed his crossbow at me and fired. I failed to dodge this time, and the arrow shot clean through my leg. I screamed and dropped to the ground.

Why is it me that's always getting stabbed, impaled, and/or shot? I thought as I groaned in pain. Why can't it be, like, Nikai?

"You—" Dan began.

"Don't move," the man said, pointing both of his crossbows at me. "Or I'll fill her with arrows."

"Cal's annoying, but I'd prefer it if you didn't fill her with arrows." Dan said. The words were light, but his voice was tense.

"Call it an eye for an eye." the man said darkly. "An innocent for an innocent."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dan said. "Do I know you?"

"You don't recognize me?" the man snarled. "After all you did to me!?"

"I don't know you, man!" Dan yelled.

The man pulled something out, and then fire blazed. The man held a torch, and his face was now clearly illuminated. "What about now?" he hissed.

Dan's face, which had been tense yet slightly bemused, now paled. All signs of amusement from earlier had dropped off his face instantly. He looked as if he was looking at his worst nightmare.

"Y-you were locked away," Dan stammered.

"Thought you'd never have to see me again, did you?" the man sneered. "After you locked me away and threw away the key?"

"Dan," I said slowly, "who is this guy?"

He didn't answer, just staring at the man, frozen. His scimitars shook slowly. "How'd you get out?" Dan said harshly. "How did you escape?"

"I have my ways!" the man yelled. "Now, Dan…are you ready to get what's coming to you?"

"Who are you?" I yelled at the man. "What do you want?"

The fire reflected in the man's eyes glinted. "You don't need to know my name. This isn't personal. Well, it is personal, but not for you." he pointed a crossbow at Dan. "It's him I want to suffer."

"The hell's he done to you? Or rather…what've you done to him?" I snarled.

"What I'VE done to him!?" the man bellowed. "He ruined my life! He ruined everything I had! He killed my friends! He threw me in jail!"

"You probably deserved it," I retorted. "Right, Dan?"

For some reason, Dan flinched.

"Dan?"

"He's not saying anything because he knows you're wrong." the man snarled. "He's no innocent. He killed several of my innocent friends and…" the man paused for a moment before saying, "…and my children."

"Your—?" I looked questioningly at Dan, who still stood there, unmoving. His expression was terrible, and his scimitars trembled.

"Ten and twelve years old," the man said mourningly. "They left this world too early."

I turned towards the man with a scowl. "You're lying. Dan wouldn't do messed up things like tha—"

"How do you know?" the man snarled. "Can you absolutely say, without the shadow of a doubt, that Dan did not kill my children?"

"Yes!" I yelled.

"Then he hasn't been showing you his true self," the man snorted. "That boy is a monster."

"He didn't!" I insisted.

"If you're so adamant about Dan being such an innocent soul, ask him yourself." the man growled. "Do it."

I glanced at Dan. "Dan, I believe you didn't do that. There's no way, right?"

Dan stood there, not saying a word.

"Dan!" I snarled. "Speak to me!"

Still nothing. Dan's eyes rated from the man to me.

I felt my confidence be rattled. Just a little.

"Dan, please." I said, turning to Dan fully. "You didn't."

"See?" the man sneered. "He can't even defend himself. He's not the angel you make him out to be—"

"SHUT UP!" Dan suddenly roared, making me jump. "SHUT THE HELL UP!" Dan pointed at the man with his scimitar. "YOU'RE NOT INNOCENT EITHER, YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED SOMEONE!"

"YOU'VE KILLED MORE!" the man screamed back. "INCLUDING MY SON AND DAUGHTER!"

"THAT WAS AN—" Dan stopped.

My blood froze.

"Dan." I said slowly. "Dan, you didn't…you didn't. Did you?"

"I…" Dan shut his mouth, and then opened it again. "…I didn't mean it."

"Did you even regret it?" the man snarled. "After you killed them?"

Instead of answering, Dan spat on the ground and pointed his scimitars at him. "Ender. Now." He snarled.

The man whirled around and aimed his crossbow into the air. He fired, and a potion shattered midair, dropping steaming purple liquids onto the ground. An arrow flew out of the bushes, and the man dodged the arrow easily, aiming his crossbow at the bushes where the arrow had come from. He fired, and one arrow turned to three as it flew through the air. It shot through the bushes, and there was a grunt.

Durham appeared from behind one of the trees wielding an axe, and swung it towards the man. The man dashed to the side, dodging the strike and loaded his crossbows in barely a few seconds. He fired both of them at Durham, who groaned. Three of the arrows embedded themselves in Durham's chest, but one went straight through. He fell to the ground, motionless.

And then Dan launched himself at the man, a whirlwind of obsidian. Several cuts opened up on the man's arm, and he staggered back.

"I'll be back," he snarled, and pulled out an enderpearl.

"DON'T LET HIM THROW IT!" Dan yelled, but too late. The man hurled the enderpearl and shot at Dan at the same time, forcing him to get away. He looked at me.

"He's not worth it, kid." the man said. "Get away while you still can."

And with that, he disappeared in a flash of purple.

Dan swore loudly. "ENDER! SEU!"

Ender came into the small clearing followed by Seu, who had been shot in the shoulder.

"Ender, get your potions and heal Durham." Dan snarled, pointing to Durham, who laid groaning on the ground.

"I don't have any potions of healing on me," Ender said. "I need to brew some—"

"Then brew some, and make it quick." Dan snapped. "You guys carry him back to camp." And before I could say anything, he stormed off.

"You going to help or not?" I called. "I got shot in the leg, you know!"

"Walk it off!" Dan yelled as he left.

There was a moment of silence.

"I GOT SHOT IN THE LEG, YOU IDIOT!" I yelled after him. There was no response.

Ender put her hands on her hips. "Well, I can't tell if he's trying to be funny or if he's just being a jerk."

"Just…give him some time." Seu said, and then winced. "He's probably…not in the best of moods."

"Ender, Seu, do you know who that guy was?" I asked them.

They exchanged looks.

"Nope," Ender said tersely. "Seu, try to stop Durham from bleeding as best you can. Cal, press this towel against your wound, stop it from bleeding. It'll hurt like hell, but you can't loose too much blood. Seu, do not pull out the arrows out of yourself or Durham. I'll be back with regeneration potions. They're weak, but they'll stop further blood loss." Ender left.

There was a silence as I took the towel and wrapped it around my leg. I hissed in pain, and Seu pressed down on Durham's wound with a second towel.

"Do you really not know him?" I asked Seu.

Seu watched me for a moment before looking back at Durham, who was groaning. "No, I don't. If you really want to know, ask Dan."

Then we were silent until Ender came back with the regeneration potions and a brewing stand. My leg hurt like hell, but all I could think about was the man.

If it's really true…why?

Oooohhh! I smell potential angst!

Anyways, on a more serious note, I'm really sorry about not updating in a while. I promise I'll try harder to update from now on. (Even though that's what I always say.)

Sorry again, and have a nice day!

Krios