My Craft Chapter 72: Taking Action, a minecraft fanfic

AN: Sorry about not publishing a Chapter last week. My workload has recently doubled, and I'm finding it harder to find time for writing. Thankfully I have such UNDERSTANDING and NON-PITCHFORK BRANDISHING readers who would never think about pressuring me to meeting my one chapter a week deadlines when I have work to do. I'm so lucky to have all of you. (^_^)

That being said, don't be surprised if some weeks don't have published chapters. Once summer arrives, I'll have more time, but right now, I can't give consistent dates for when I can publish a chapter. This is when that alert function for when a story is updated comes in handy. One chapter every two weeks is the latest I can manage if my workload is too much. I'll make it up to you... somehow.

I mean, I'd like to publish five Chapters in one week to make up for the lack of content, but there's no way I could manage something like that (unless they're two word chapters).

Sometimes I wish someone else could help me wirte these, but nobody else knows what I have planned for this story but me. So, meh, what can you do.

IMPORTANT: I set up a new poll. It's on my profile near the top and it's a Character popularity contest. I figured to set it up just for the heck of it. Vote on your favorite My Craft characters. There's not a lot of memorable ones, but it's up to you, the viewer, to decide which one you like the best. Everyone gets one vote, so check out my profile to cast them.

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add scrambled eggs.

Beta: Myself (Ignor alll erors plz)

Chapter 72

Taking Action

[Cobb]

"Are you certain you wish to sleep in the outhouse tonight?"

I turned to regard the engineer. We hadn't really talked much during dinner, but that was mostly because I wasn't really talking to anyone. Wynn had tried to start a conversation, talking about some odd Bounty Day stuff or whatever. I'd been thinking of other things at the time.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." I dispelled his concerns with a wave. "I've gotten used to it."

"I cannot see how." Lenz argued with folded arms. "It is far too small and reeks of human waste."

"Gee, I wonder why."

"Well, my guess is that it is because it is a… oh, sarcasm again?"

I nodded at him catching on. "You say small, I say cozy." It was a weak argument, but I couldn't just say I needed a place to be alone. Then that would cause everyone to worry and fuss over me. Like I was some sort of child.

I didn't want that. Which is why I lied to Wynn about Floyd.

Lenz rubbed his chin in thought. "That outhouse serves no functional purpose, considering Wynn already has a bathroom in her mansion. Perhaps I can request her to allow me to remodel it."

"Sure, fine." I waved half-heartedly and turned to the backyard, only for Lenz to stop me. "What?" I snapped.

Lenz flinched, but otherwise remained composed. "I have been reading about social ticks lately. I did it in an effort to learn more about others… perhaps even to become more sociable." He adjusted his tinted glasses to look at me better, causing me to fidget uncomfortably. "I noticed you have been unnaturally quiet after getting back here. And according to chapter twelve of Reading Your Friends Like Open Books," he pulled said book from his belt and flipped to a bookmarked page, "stoic standoffish silences from otherwise cheerful and charismatic individuals are usually a sign that something is amiss." He lowered the book to look at me. "Is something amiss?"

I sighed, realizing I'd have to lie to Lenz too.

"No, everything is fine." I replied stiffly. "Things couldn't be better."

"Hmm…" Lenz looked back to the book, flipping through a few pages. "So you do not wish to talk about your…" He leaned into the book, as if scrutinizing a set of instructions. "…'feelings'?"

"No."

Lenz frowned before studying the book more closely before flipping it upside-down. "Am I reading this wrong?" He muttered under his breath while scratching his head. I took the chance to slip away, just as I heard him come to a realization. "I need more social books."

Stepping out into the cool night air, I slowly walked across the backyard and clambered into the outhouse before shutting the door.

I sat in silence for a minute, trying to wrap my head around what I was doing.

Why did I want to be alone?

Why didn't I want anybody to know?

…No! Wait… I… I shouldn't have even been acting like anything. Floyd was strong and those Silver Intent bastards said they didn't find any evidence of Floyd's death.

So there was a chance he was alive.

There was that small chance, and I should have been holding onto that.

Instead I had been crying, already accepting he was gone. What was wrong with me?

Nothing, that's what! I didn't do anything, so I—

…!

I… I didn't do anything?

What should I have been—No! Forget it!

I wasn't… Soul and Cara were there, so they should have been…

'You… you should hate me even more. I-I wish it were me that fell off that cliff.'

I clutched my head, feeling the weight in my gut double. She had sounded so grief-stricken…

No! I don't care how sorry she sounded. I don't! I shook my head angrily, trying to forget how I lashed out at her. She deserved it! She deserved all of it! She's lucky I didn't say more hateful things to her!

Heart: You don't mean that, Cobb.

Yes I do.

Heart: You wouldn't have been so disgusted with yourself if you were. There was a great wave of self-loathing when you heard what Cara said about wishing it were her. You wouldn't have ran—

Shut up! I slammed my fist into outhouse's wall, hoping it would silence the voice. You aren't even real!

Brain: To everyone else, no, we're not. If you ever told anyone you had internal organs speaking inside your head, they'd call you crazy. But to you, we may as well be real.

Heart: We're all just you. You're the one arguing with yourself. And you're only doing that because it's the only way you know how to cope with this.

There's nothing to cope with! I internally screamed. Floyd is fine! He isn't gone! He can't be…

Stomach: You don't believe that. You wouldn't have been in here if you did. You wouldn't have lost sight of yourself if you did. You're obviously rattled.

Heart: My question is why you didn't feel the need to tell Wynn? Or Lenz? Or Erin? Any of them would have comforted you the instant they heard about Floyd. So why?

I shook my head. I… I don't know…

Bladder: Is it because you don't trust them?

No. I trust them. I've seen what they've done for me. I'd trust them with my life. I… I'd do anything for them. I thought back on Floyd, remembering with a pang of guilt how I would have done the same for him. I guess… If I told them about Floyd, what would they do? I posed hypothetically.

Heart: They would comfort you. Wynn already did as much, no?

I nodded. She did. She knows what it's like to have people in danger and not know whether they're alive or dead. That's what she thinks is my problem… only it isn't.

She might know what it's like for a friend or guard to be in danger… but does she know what it's like to learn about a friend's death?

My organs went silent, but not in the way that usually signified death.

What about Lenz or Erin? Have they lost someone in the same way? Have they done any of what I've done to cope with—do they have internal organs telling them how they're supposed to feel!?

Brain: God, I hope not.

No matter how similar things might seem, no matter how much they say they know what I'm feeling… they don't. And they won't, if I can help it. Telling them would be meaningless. Just spreading around the bad news. Making more people believe what I'm desperately hoping is wrong…

Heart: …

Lungs: …I think you're wrong.

Lungs was speaking, so I must have really been messed up.

Lungs: I think you're wrong… But a part of you thinks you're right. And I will respect that. If you really want to close the door on everyone and stew in your own depression, alone, that is your choice. Just know that it doesn't have to be the only choice.

My organs didn't say anything else, leaving me to my solitude.

I sighed wearily, the corner of my eyes watering slightly. I knew Lungs was right, and that I shouldn't listen to the part of me wanting to keep the door closed.

But that same part of me felt it would only hurt more if I opened it.

[Lenz]

Pro: I was allowed to sleep in an actual bedroom instead of that foul-smelling, four-walled hole in the ground, loosely interpreted as an outhouse.

Con: I was stuck in Ringwood instead of Daymonte when a Bounty Day was scheduled to appear.

Of all the rotten luck.

Bounty Days were a bit of a vague topic at the Redstone College. They were not covered in depth—being purely conjectural—but they were acknowledged as a source of new redstone technologies, should one ever occur.

The Testificates had never really paid attention to the marvel that is redstone, so there was always the possibility that a Bounty Day meant new methods of redstone engineering never seen before.

Imagine if hoppers or repeaters or pistons had never existed until a Bounty Day brought them forth. Minecraftia must have been a dumber place back then. Lying in bed, I shuddered at the thought.

But that was not the issue now. No, the issue was that a Bounty Day was definitely going to happen. And when it did, instead of being in the center of Daymonte where all the new redstone innovations and items would be brought to light… I would be in Ringwood, praying for redstone technology like a dehydrated man in the middle of the desert.

I tossed and turned, balling my blanket with my fists.

If I wanted to learn of any new redstone, I would have to discover it myself during the Bounty Day, or else wait the agonizing days until Daymonte felt like sharing their discoveries to other Kingdoms. It would be quicker just traveling to Daymonte.

But, alas, we had only just gotten to Ringwood. Asking to go back would be redundant, and I was not sure Cobbert would even go for it. He was, from what I heard, waiting for a companion.

Thankfully, there were other things that brightened my mood. Both Cobbert and I had a reasonable source of income with the Silk Touch shovel and selling grass blocks to the auction house. Erin had agreed to manage the sales for us, and we had convinced her to accept a percentage of the income, despite her protests.

With so much money, I would have no trouble finding redstone to occupy myself with. Perhaps even finding some at the auction house. There was also the matter of making the outhouse more presentable for the next time I was forced to sleep within it. I would first have to ask the Captain's permission before even thinking about replacing the wood.

I tossed and turned for another few moments, having trouble getting to sleep. My thoughts were restless, hung upon the Bounty Day. My mind was working a mile a minute, thinking of all the redstone possibilities.

Feeling restless, and perhaps a bit parched, I rolled out of bed to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen.

However, as I walked down the hall and into the living room, I noticed a few things that seemed out of place.

First, one of the windows was missing, as if it had been recently broken.

Second, there were several mysterious Crafters wearing Mob Heads, rummaging through chests and searching the room for something.

Third, and most importantly, the lights I had meticulously fixed just the other day had been smashed in! All that hard work, dashed away! The nerve of those mysterious people!

The Crafters in masks looked up to see me furiously trying to turn the lights on and off. "That's the guy!" One of them hissed whilst pointing to me. "He was with those other two."

Immediately, two of them rushed me. It was then I realized that the second thing out of place in Wynn's mansion was probably more important.

"Burglars!" I shouted as loud as I could as I turned to flee. One of them snagged my leg, causing me to trip and bang my chin on a wall. "HEL—!" My strangled voice was cut off as one of the burglars wearing a Creeper mask slapped a hand over my mouth. My eyes were wide beneath my tinted glasses as I watched all seven of them stand over me.

"Shut him up!" One of them with a Zombie mask whispered before glancing around the room cautiously. "Is he alone here?"

"No clue." Another one, female, commented while searching my belt and backpack. "He doesn't have the shovel though. You sure that guy gave you the right info?"

"The info was spot-on." Another burglar argued—this one with a Skeleton mask—while pointing out my face. "This guy was at the auction house along with those other two. If he ain't got it, he should at least know who does." He grabbed me roughly by the chin and turned my head up. "So tell me, four-eyes, where's the shovel?"

They were obviously referring to the Silk Touch shovel, which Cobbert had safely tucked away… in his backpack. Maybe safely tucked away was not the best way to describe it. A more reasonable person would store it in an ender chest or a bank. Not Cobbert, though.

"I'm gonna let go of your mouth," the burglar silencing me explained, "and you're going to tell us where the shovel is. Then we'll take it and leave, and nobody gets hurt." He waited for confirmation, to which I reluctantly nodded. "Good. Tell it to us quietly. If you scream or try anything else, well," he flashed an iron sword menacingly, "I'd rather not say."

Another pause before I nodded again. The burglar slowly took his hand off my mouth and asked again where the shovel was.

I opened my mouth and muttered something under my breath.

"Not that quietly." The Creeper-masked burglar complained before leaning in closer. "Say again? A little louder—"

"BURGLARS!" I screamed as loud as I could, deafening the Creeper-masked guy. "BURGL—!" Another hand covered my mouth before I received a punch across the jaw. My eyes watered from the pain before I received a kick to the gut by the female burglar.

"Waste this smart-ass." One of the burglars commented grimly as I saw them raise their swords.

"LENZ!" The familiar sound of Cobbert's voice caught my ears as he charged into the crowd of burglars, knocking four of them off of me in a reckless attack. Only then did he draw his sword and clash with the invaders.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Cobbert roared, seeming a lot angrier than he usually was. At first I thought he was being as loud as possible to alert other people about the burglars. But I caught the look of sheer hatred in his eyes as he violently attacked the burglars. Something had set him off.

But now was not the time for that. There were less people covering me and I took advantage by drawing my bow and firing two successive shots at the female burglar. She took both of them in the arms, shrieking as she fell over.

I rolled to the side and took another few shots at the burglars engaging Cobbert. One of my arrows expertly weaved beneath Cobbert's arm before piercing the Zombie-masked guy in the neck. He flinched in pain, earning another strike from Cobbert.

"They're just two guys!" The Skeleton-masked burglar tried to reason. "If we get that shovel, we'll be stinking rich! Don't let these punks get in the way of that!"

His words seemed to bolster his companions, who all charged Cobbert at once. One of them took a sword in the gut before two more grabbed his arms and pinned them to his side. Another drove a fist into his stomach, eliciting a sharp wince. They were overwhelming the fisherman with numbers.

I tried to shoot at them, but I had the other three burglars to deal with. I jumped back, just dodging a sword aimed at my neck. Next thing I knew, something slammed into the back of my head, sending me to the floor. Then something sharp pierced my back, bringing forth agony.

"Stop it! STOP IT!" Cobbert shouted louder as he thrashed about, elbowing a burglar in the face.

"Oi! Someone knock this guy out! I can't hold him!"

"Let go of me!" Cobbert shouted, keeping his panicked eyes locked on me as one of the burglars wearing a Creeper mask raised their sword. It was poised above my throat before it fell…

But instead of meeting my neck, it was blocked by a familiar iron rapier.

"What are you people doing in my home?" The cold voice of Captain Wynn questioned, making the room feel several degrees colder.

If ever I have seen death incarnate, it would have been the look on Wynn's face at being woken up in the middle of the night by several burglars in masks attacking and attempting to kill people under her care.

And even though I could not see the faces of the burglars behind their masks, I could tell by their quaking forms that they were equally as terrified of the ivory-haired Captain.

With a flick of the wrist, the Captain slapped the burglar's blade away before jamming her rapier into his neck. In the time it took the burglar to struggle for breath, Wynn had swept at another burglar's legs and struck at their torso with three quick jabs.

"Oh, screw this!" One of the burglars had the sense to drop everything and bolt from the premises, advising his companions to do the same. Wynn had already knocked out three burglars and was apprehending two that were closest to Cobbert. The last burglar, the one with the Creeper mask that almost killed me, tried to sprint out the front door, only to get tripped up by a tackling Cobbert.

Wynn flipped over the two burglars' feeble attempts at hitting her before she lashed out with a sharp kick to the ribs. The first burglar went down as she clashed blades with the second one. They pushed each other in a contest of strength before Wynn spun around with a roundhouse kick to the face.

I could feel the impact coming from the Captain's attacks. And her unforgiving amber eyes promised cruel punishment to the burglars that invaded her home. In a few seconds, her opponents had both been knocked out cold.

Seeing her opponents indisposed, she gave her ivory hair an elegant flip and moved to help me up. "You alright to stand?"

I nodded, gratefully accepting her hand and pulling myself up. "Thank you. Another moment and I would have been—Cobbert?"

Wynn turned to follow my gaze as we saw the fisherman kneeling over a fallen burglar. Cobbert roughly tore the Crafter's Creeper mask off and stared him in the face as he wrapped his hands around his throat. A wretched choking noise soon followed as Cobbert squeezed, cutting off the man's air.

"Cobb, that's enough." Wynn stepped forward, eying him carefully. "He's already lost. No reason to choke him."

Cobbert, however, ignored the Captain. "He almost killed Lenz… my friend… another death…" Cobbert mumbled to himself, his eyes unfocused as if in a haze. He leaned forward, putting more pressure onto the burglar's throat and causing the criminal's face to turn blue.

Wynn's eyes widened and she rushed forward, grabbing Cobbert by the shoulder. "Cobb! Stop! You'll kill him!"

Cobbert violently shrugged off the hand before raising the burglar's neck and slamming it back onto the ground with a sharp crack. The burglar's eyes rolled up into his head as Cobbert kept strangling him.

"Cobbert! It is over!" I argued. However, even my protests were ignored as Cobbert continued to squeeze the burglar's throat. He was really going to strangle him to death.

Just when I thought the burglar would explode in a shower of gear, Wynn struck Cobbert's head with the handle of her rapier, knocking him off. The burglar coughed painfully before taking great breaths of sweet air.

Cobbert rolled onto his knees, agitated and armed as he eyed Wynn. He looked like a wild dog, ready to attack. The Captain stepped in between the burglar and Cobbert with one foot pinning the criminal in place. "It's over, Cobb." Wynn stated slowly, leaning down to look him in the eye. "It's over." She repeated, hoping the message would sink in.

Cobbert's eyes darted to the other unconscious burglars before returning to Wynn. The frenzied haze in his eyes began to simmer down as he realized things were indeed over. "H-he tried… tried to kill…" He trailed off, pointing to me.

"I know, Cobb. And they'll face justice for it." Wynn sheathed her rapier and held out a hand as if to steady the fisherman. "But they've given up. They're under control. So you can calm down now."

That did the trick. Cobbert's unsteady breathing went back to normal and his muscles relaxed. His sword hung loosely from his hands before clattering to the floor. "…Okay." He mumbled, for lack of anything better to say. He took a step back and looked Wynn dead in the eyes to show that he was truly fine.

It did not seem like enough for Wynn, however, as she rummaged in her backpack and tossed me some fireworks. "Lenz. Launch a few of those outside. I want several guards here now. They can explain their poor job guarding this district while carting this scum to jail."

I nodded, hurrying to the front door to release the fireworks. They would signal the guards who would be happy to detain the mysterious burglars.

I passed Cobbert, who bent down to pick up his sword and the Creeper mask of the burglar he almost killed. Wynn kept her eyes trained on him, making sure he did not try to kill anyone.

She must have thought it possible if she refused to go outside to signal the guards herself.

[Wynn]

It didn't take long for the guards to arrive, given that they were stationed at the entrance to the district only a few blocks away. They had no end of excuses as to how seven burglars managed to slip past them and break into my home, but I tuned it all out. It wasn't like their words would change the past.

The burglars were taken away and I made a mental note to interrogate them later. Burglars didn't just break into a Captain's mansion. Not unless they wanted to be sent directly to jail.

But even that paled to Cobb's behavior. I had been angry at the invaders, but he expressed a special kind of hatred towards one burglar in particular.

It made sense, given that that burglar had attempted to kill Lenz. Cobb had every right to be mad. But what I saw in him… it wasn't just regular anger.

He was… in a state. A frenzied level of rage that had overcome him and blinded him to everything else. All he saw was that burglar, and he wanted nothing more than to choke the life out of him. And he would've too.

Cobb had killed Griefers during the Battle of Halstatt. Hell, he killed a Hacker. But that had always been in self-defense or when protecting others. But with that burglar, he was fully willing to kill him, despite the fact that he had been detained.

That wasn't like him… or was it?

Thinking back, when I was in danger and about to be killed by Alec, Cobb wasted no time in saving me. He hadn't looked like bloody murder, sure, but he had done everything he could to fight them off.

Other than that, I hadn't seen much of him fighting to protect people. Maybe it only applied to Lenz and not me. I wasn't too sure.

But I was sure that I didn't want to see Cobb like that ever again. Whatever the cause, it would be best if his friends weren't in any life-threatening situations.

That extended to Flawwed_Floyd as well. Hopefully the blue-haired man would be back soon so that Cobb wouldn't have to worry anymore.

Once things had finally settled down, Lenz went back to his bedroom and Cobb moved to return to the outhouse. My hand stopped him before he could. "Mind telling me what that was all about?"

Cobb glanced at me before shaking his head slightly. "They… they broke into your home. They almost killed Lenz. They were criminal scum, right?" He emphasized the last part, hoping to capitalize on my opinion of criminals.

"They were criminals, yes." I admitted. "Which is why they will serve time in prison. They can't do that if they're strangled to death."

Cobb turned his gaze to the ground. "Did Alec deserve prison? After what he did? After he tried to kill you?"

My amber eyes narrowed slightly and I let slip an exasperated sigh. "Alec and his Griefers willingly chose to hurt, kill, and steal. They threatened my guards, and refused to surrender. Killing them was unavoidable, and if you hadn't killed Alec, a lot of innocent people would have died. That's a fact."

I tilted Cobb's face so that I could look him in the eye. "But if I can help it, I would rather see those criminal scum rot away in prison for the rest of eternity. That's why I let Burke live. That's why I stopped you from killing that burglar." Cobb's eyes, once appearing as hard as emeralds, softened. "Killing a downed enemy… killing someone who's given up… there's no victory in that. Kill only in self-defense, or when protecting the people you care about. Alright?"

Cobb glanced aside, even as I walked past him and back towards my room.

"What about the Endward Cult?" I heard him call up after me. It made me stop my ascent up the stairs. "Do they deserve mercy, even though they've killed so many?"

I gripped my arm, recalling all the horrific murders in which the Heads of the victims were missing. They were always the Endward Cult's doing. The wanted poster for 4Blite was fairly high too. It was clear how Ringwood felt about those black-capped devils.

"They don't deserve mercy." I coldly called back down. "I'd kill them all if I could. Minecraftia would be a better place… but…" I shook my head before realizing Cobb couldn't see me. "Killing them would make us just as bad. If I could help it, I'd try to imprison them."

Silence filled the air, and I was half wondering if Cobb had anything more to say.

I was right when he replied, "I disagree," before the backdoor swung to a creaking close.

The next morning, I walked downstairs to see Erin already busy making breakfast.

"Up early aren't you?" I inquired while taking a seat, helping myself to the latest newsbook Erin had so graciously picked up.

"Y-yeah, well," Erin stuttered before piling the table high with bread, carrots, and steak. "I wanted to talk with Cobb and Lenz about something, but… well…" Her gaze drifted to the window displaying the backyard. I followed it to see Cobb practicing with a sword. "He's been busy."

"He must be fired up after yesterday's break-in—" I abruptly stopped, realizing my mistake, as I turned to a hyperventilating housekeeper. "Did I say break-in? I meant to say… breaking! Cobb was breaking a window… and… he…" By the look on Erin's face, I could tell my lame excuse wasn't working. "Oh, I give up. Some burglars broke in here last night."

The damage was already done as Erin started to panic. "Burglars? Here? B-but we're supposed to be safe! W-w-what were the guards doing? Is everyone okay? Did anyone get hurt? What did they steal? Did they take your fancy leather boots!?"

"Don't worry. I took care of them." I decided not to mention how one of them escaped and might return. I wasn't sure Erin's frail heart could take it. "Not sure what made them think it was a good idea to break into my home. Besides my rapier, I don't have much worth risking life-imprisonment over."

Erin's eyes snapped open and she let out a nervous chuckle. "Eh heh heh. N-nothing valuable at all." I raised an eyebrow at her odd chuckling, causing her to break into a cold sweat. "W-well, it's a mystery."

"Not for long." I commented, digging into some steak and carrots. "I'm gonna interrogate those burglars later today. Find out what they wanted to raid my house for—Erin are you feeling okay?"

The housekeeper had just dropped a stack of steak. She let out a startled 'Eep!' at the attention I was giving her. "M-m-me? Of course I'm okay. I'm not acting suspicious or anything. I'm not hiding anything. I'm not—"

"Careful there, Erin." Lenz spoke, showing up out of nowhere to stand beside the housekeeper. "Maybe you are a bit feverish. Here, let me calm you down by bringing you a fair distance away from the Captain and huddling close beside you so she cannot read our lips while we whisper about secrets that should not be shared. Discreetly, if I may add."

I blinked in bewilderment as Lenz took the stuttering Erin to the side and huddled next to her before whispering something to her. Every so often the engineer and housekeeper would shoot glances at me from over their shoulders before hurriedly returning to their whispering.

After a few awkward minutes, the two separated and returned to the table, with Erin flashing a winning smile. "So sorry for that, Miss Whispers. I am feeling all better now."

"Yes." Lenz nodded in acceptance. "It was just an isolated case of," he quickly glanced down at an open book, searching for something before locating it with a smile, "Feminine hormones."

The room went deathly quiet as both Erin and I turned to face the oblivious engineer. "What was that?"

Lenz blinked in confusion before pulling out one of his books about social ticks. This one entitled:

Don't Worry: That Girl Isn't Secretly a Fire-Breathing Dragon. It's Just Hormones.

"Well it says in this book that—" He never got to finish as the book was swiftly plucked from his fingers and tossed into the fireplace. "Nooooo! I was nearly done with chapter five!"

"You should thank them, Lenz." Cobb entered the dining room, sweating up a storm from his sword-training. "If you followed the advice in that book, you would have gotten beat up."

"But… but the preface claimed it was the leading authority on understanding women!"

"What was the author's name?"

"Legoman857."

"Maybe if it was written by a Legowoman, you'd have better luck." I reasoned before looking at Cobb. "You were really training back there. Any reason?"

He shrugged before gorging on a handful of steak. At least his appetite was back to normal. "I just thought it was about time to get stronger. Never know when burglars will break in again, right?"

He had a point, but still, I didn't want him to fight violently and without mercy. That wasn't the type of person he was. "In that case, would you mind showing me how strong you've gotten?" His eyebrows lifted up, taking interest in the proposal. "This really will be a friendly spar, unlike our last one."

Last time, I had knocked him out and he had tossed me in the pond by his fishing rod. I was a lot more resentful towards him back then. And justifiably so.

He slowly accepted my offer. "Yeah, sounds good. But do you mind if we spar tomorrow? I'm sort of tired now."

"This early in the morning?" I eyed him carefully, checking for signs of fatigue. "Did you get any sleep after last night's… disturbance."

"…Yeah. Definitely." He replied a bit too quickly, nearly choking on some carrots. My eyes narrowed at his slip-up, detecting a lie. He backtracked almost immediately. "I mean, it was a little cramped after getting used to comfy beds and spacious rooms. That's all."

"Comparators, that reminds me…" Lenz interjected as he sidled up beside me. "Concerning the limited space of the outhouse, I wonder if you would be against the idea of expanding it? Sleeping in such a confined space is torture for the spine."

I raised an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

"Just some light expansion. Enough to stretch out our elbows. Maybe using a different wood."

I thought the proposal over. That outhouse had been there since I'd been given the place by King Mann. The mansion had a bathroom, so I never really used it. Having Cobb sleep in it had just been a cruel punishment. Surely there'd be no harm in fixing it up a little. They could turn it into a shed for all I cared.

"Very well." I nodded to Lenz, who looked ecstatic to hear my approval. "I don't want it to take up too much of the backyard, though. After all, Erin works hard to maintain it."

He eagerly nodded to my conditions. "Wonderful! I will get started first thing tomorrow."

Not like it'll take up a lot of time. I thought to myself as I looked to the clock hanging off the wall. "Shoot. It's later than I thought." As unrefined as it was, I hurriedly wolfed down the rest of my breakfast and crossed the distance to my rapier resting near the door. "I'll be back late tonight, so don't wait on me for dinner." I spoke through a piece of steak between my jaws.

Erin handed me some Swiftness and Leaping Potions, knowing I'd need them to get to work on time. Once I strapped on my Feather Falling boots, I downed a Swiftness Potion and was out the door in a blink.

[Cobb]

"Oh dear Notch, she's gonna know…" Erin whispered to herself as soon as the Captain was gone. She fell to the floor, repeating the same words, as she clutched herself for comfort.

"What is she going to know?" I asked, wondering what could cause such a reaction.

Lenz was quick to answer. "The shovel, Cobbert, the shovel!" He stressed as if it were obvious. "That is what those dastardly burglars were after last night. She is off to interrogate them as we speak, and once she does, our secret emerald-making tool will be revealed."

That… was that such a bad thing? Wynn had stated she'd let us stay only until we managed to find a way to support ourselves. I suppose having a tool that dug up items worth hundreds of emeralds fit that distinction. Erin was going to sell more of our grass blocks today, which meant we'd definitely have enough to afford our own place, even after the auction house's percentage and splitting it three ways. Lenz and I might even be able to afford separate places.

But… I really enjoyed living at Wynn's. Even with the chores, it was a nice place. I didn't want to leave it after only a few days.

"Sh-she might not believe them." Erin offered hopefully. "She might think the burglars are lying. That could give us enough time to think of—"

"We'll tell her." I cut Erin off, causing the girl's eyes to widen. "When she gets back, we'll tell her where we got the shovel and explain how we're using it for emeralds. We'll explain it," I stressed to a worried Erin, "so that she won't have any reason to be mad at us. We couldn't have known having the shovel would invite burglars to her home."

"B-b-but…" Erin fidgeted, having a bit of red creep across her face. "W-won't she kick you two out? You won't be here anymore…"

"Again, we'll explain it." I reasoned. Maybe I should have been more worried. But I had other things on my mind. Other priorities that outweighed whether or not Wynn would let us stay in her mansion. "Wynn's a friend, not a dictator. She'll understand. Probably."

"Y-yeah…" Erin's head drooped down. "Probably."

"Well, I suppose that is that." Lenz accepted, finding my reasoning infallible. "Moving on. Cobbert." He pulled out his notebook and readied his quill. "Do you prefer oak wood, or dark oak wood?"

"Hmm?"

"For the outhouse." He explained with a flourish of his quill. "Since we are both living in it, I thought it best to hear your feedback. It will help in deciding which materials I will use."

"Ah." I nodded. "Then… oak wood. I imagine it'll be easier to find at night than if it were made of dark oak wood."

"Reasonable. Reasonable." Lenz nodded as he took note. "Would you want a see-through door, or one that allows for a bit more privacy?"

"It's an outhouse, so… privacy."

"Nether Quartz or Iron?"

Huh? Does he mean for the floor or something? "Uh… Nether Quartz?"

"Ooh. Good choice." Lenz marked something down before moving on. "One bed or two?"

He's going to be fitting beds in this thing? "Two… since there's two of us."

Lenz paused at that. "Well, I do not think we will be sleeping together… but I suppose just in case. Next, would you care for some reading material?"

In an outhouse? That's strange… unless you think of it as reading magazines while you take a dump. In which case… "Some reading material would be nice. Maybe a few stories."

"Ah! That actually answers my last question." Lenz smiled to himself as he slowly repeated 'maybe a few stories' while jotting it down in his notebook. "Okay, that helps. I think I have a good idea on what I will need to build this." From the sound of it, he was going to accompany Erin to the auction house and use our hard earned emeralds to purchase the building materials. "I might even have a little extra to splurge on redstone. The auction house just has to have some."

At Lenz's excited words, an idea slowly began to creep in my mind. "Hey, Lenz." I tapped him on the shoulder before leaning in to whisper. "Remember that TNT cannon you used on the Valley Beast."

"It would be difficult to forget that." Lenz answered flatly. "But yes, I remember. Did you perhaps have an interest in it?"

"…Yeah. Definitely." I fixed my voice to make it sound more eager. "It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. The way it launched TNT through the air and blew that cotton-tailed Valley Beast into smoking chunks of raw rabbit." It was important I talked it up.

"Ah… well… it was just something I threw together." Lenz answered bashfully. "If I had more time and really put my mind to it, I could make a TNT cannon ten times as impressive."

"Could you then?" I sprung my trap. "Like tomorrow. Could you build one of them? I… I really want to see the level of firepower you can make."

"Well… I suppose…" Lenz scratched his chin thoughtfully, but I could tell by his interested smirk that he'd already decided. He'd jump at the chance to prove his redstone skills and what I was presenting was something of a challenge to the engineer. "Alright then. We will have to build it outside Ringwood and ensure it is pointed away from the Kingdom… but I do not see why not. I will be sure to purchase the necessary redstone and TNT along with the building materials. You will not be disappointed, Cobbert!"

I smiled kindly while internally smirking deviously. "That's what I like to hear, Lenz."

I decided to walk with Erin and Lenz to the auction house. It was for their protection given that one of the burglars last night had escaped. If they ever tried to attack either of them, I'd stick them like pigs. I had the sneaking suspicion that the auction house had a hand in sending those burglars to our door, but there was no way to prove it. It could have been that some people had seen our grass block sell and followed us home. Or it could have been that the auction house sent them after us.

They didn't seem to realize it was Wynn's home however. That had proved their mistake. Maybe Wynn would be able to find out more about who sent them after some interrogation.

Once we had safely reached the auction house, I subtly slipped the housekeeper my nine grass blocks, and she expertly negotiated the terms with the auctioneers. She really had a knack for haggling, unlike me.

I sat with the two, watching our grass blocks sell and vaguely registering the prices. We had decided to remain silent so as to not tip anyone off that we were supplying the grass blocks. Even so, it was hard for Erin or Lenz not to smile given how high the blocks sold.

I should have been smiling with them, but I just didn't have the energy for it.

It wasn't like yesterday. But I already knew why it felt different.

I wish Floyd were here to see this.

Once the blocks had sold and the emeralds divided up amongst the three of us, I left with a quick explanation of wanting to see whether a friend was back or not. It was a pathetic excuse, but they accepted it. Lenz a bit too quickly, given that he was eager to purchase building materials and TNT.

I was eager for him to purchase the TNT as well.

One-hundred-and-seventy-six emeralds. That was what each of us had earned after selling the nine grass blocks. Three stacks of emeralds and a little left over left my inventory filled to the brim. It had been a while since I cleaned it out; an issue I hoped to rectify.

Erin had once again tried to push her share of the emeralds off onto us again, to which I just told her to shut up and take the emeralds. Only I said it kindly, without any harsh bite.

The housekeeper eventually agreed, and mentioned something about the dangers of carrying so many emeralds. She opted to head to the bank.

Lenz said he was going back into the auction house to get the necessary materials. I imagined it was more of getting the TNT cannon materials than the outhouse building materials, but I didn't bring it up. From the sound of it, Lenz had some inventory cleaning to take care of as well. Now more than ever, given how his backpack was weighed with emeralds.

With a short wave—and some advice on purchasing some armor or a better bow—I left the engineer and headed off down the street towards my destinations. On the way, I visited that Enchantment place again, just to check up on my enchanted item.

Falcone the Enchanterer told me he was still working on it and reminded me of the price. Seeing then as good a time as any, I doled out the full sixty emeralds to an astonished Falcone, stating that I needed to clear out my pockets anyway, and paying in advance didn't bother me.

I had stacks of emeralds, so I wasn't too concerned about money.

Falcone certainly appreciated it. He bowed lowly and chastised his Jibberman assistant to do the same as I passed. It made me a little uncomfortable to receive such respect, but I didn't stay long.

When I finally got to my location—the park—I laid down on the grass before the serene pond and stared up at the crystal blue sky. Puffy clouds of indescribable shapes floated by, and I made a game out of what each one looked like.

That one looks like a duck.

That one… that one looks kind of like a smudge.

That one is definitely a penis.

I tilted my head. That one's a sheep.

There's that penis again.

And that one sort of looks like… My eyes widened in fear as I saw two people poised alongside a cliff. One of which being cruelly kicked down by a wickedly smiling—

I shook my head frantically, screwing my eyes shut. When I opened them again, it was to see that the cloud I had observed was just an innocent pile of fluff floating along.

I closed my eyes again, taking calming breaths. I'm fine. I repeated to in my mind. I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine.

My internal organs weren't talking, reminding me of what Lungs had said. This was my problem to cope with. They wouldn't be helping me, even though they were me.

But I had to sort it out myself. It was what I wanted anyway.

Not wanting to watch clouds anymore, I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes. It wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up, it was to a pitch black sky. A quick look to my clock told me it was midnight. I quickly devoured some steak to refill my Hunger Meter before walking briskly out of the park.

Maybe Wynn was back home. Lenz and Erin certainly were. Maybe they were worried about me, but I had something I had to do. Something I needed to do.

I wove between gravel roads, and made my way into the Eastern District. Looking out towards the Granger's Barn, I spotted a few adjacent houses nearby with the lights on.

I crept quietly, looking into each house for the person I was searching for. Some of them were empty and some had people I had never seen before. Whether they were other members of the Silver Intent or just people living nearby, I had no idea.

Then, after looking in one particular house, my eyes lit upon finding my objective. He was sitting at a desk, jotting some stuff down.

I walked up to the wooden door and rapped my knuckles against its surface. I tapped my foot impatiently as I heard stirring inside. Slowly, the door was opened.

"Erm… hello?" The silver-haired man, Brett, answered. He looked a bit surprised at seeing me, not sure why I was there. "You're Cobb, right?" He glanced above my head, just to be sure. "Why are you—?"

I didn't wait for him to finish. I knew why I was there. I knew what I wanted.

"Where's the nearest Endward Cult base?"

-Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [Sharpness I, Unbreaking I]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 8 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 22 Torches, 6 Coal, 10 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 1 Stick, 1 Bone, 5 Pumpkin Pies, 10 Cookies, 24 Steak, 40 Cooked Mutton, 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Unbreaking I], Iron Leggings {Weak}, Iron Boots, 7 Rotten Flesh, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 9 Emeralds, 4 Item Frames, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

[EXP: 25]

Inventory (Lenz): 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 3 Stone Buttons, 5 Redstone Torches, 59 Redstone, 18 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 5 Sticks, 3 Redstone Lamps, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 12 String, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Carrot, 32 Steak, 13 Cooked Mutton, 64 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 4 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 5]

AN: Cobb is setting things up. But is that good... or bad?

This Chapter took a while to write. mainly because I had trouble getting it to where I wanted it to go. The burglars kind of triggered Cobb when one of them tried to kill Lenz. Understandably so given Cobb just lost Floyd. He shows no mercy.

The second half of this chapter... felt a little rushed. Probably because it was rushed. Not much dialogue, just things happening. A bit of humor with Lenz, but not much.

Sadly, at this point in the story, a lot of pivotal things are occuring. But since the focus is on Cobb at the moment, I can only show these pivotal scenes in one way: Omakes.

The Omakes are going to depict a lot of behind the scenes stuff happening elsewhere. And I'm ashamed to say it'll probably be more interesting than what Cobb is going through.

But maybe not. Who knows. Let's find out.

Omake: Angel's Return

"Welcome back, ma'am."

Carys_Angel marched out of the Asmodeus and onto the hard-packed dirt of the secluded and abandoned mountain village that was their temporary headquarters. Baltic and Perry followed in her wake, the latter of which looked exhausted from making multiple copies of Snow Prints. After three days of flying in their airship from Lazuli, they had finally met back up with their allies.

"Heather." The feared Angel of Death nodded to the Paragon at her greeting. Her crimson eyes swept across the sight before her, taking in the legion of Paragons looking towards her with awe and admiration… and fear. This was her army. "I see you've gathered our forces. Good work."

Heather accepted the praise humbly, knowing the Angel of Death would not appreciate overly emotional acts. "We're still waiting on a few. They should be here in a few days."

Carys nodded again before stepping past the girl and looking over her Paragons. All of them were skilled combatants she had either handpicked or trained. They all had incredible potential and, more importantly, a grudge against the accursed Endward Cult. And while they paled in comparison to her own dogma towards the cult, it gave them a sense of loyalty and determination. They all respected and feared her, as they should. They all hated the Endward Cult and would not hesitate to slay one of them.

Carys let a dark smile creep upon her lips. All of her preparations… all of her painstaking manipulations… they were soon to pay off. And the Endward Cult would be one step closer to destruction.

"Er… ma'am?" Heather piped up from behind her. "Where's Mr. P-mmph."

Baltic's hand clamped over Heather's mouth and he slowly shook his head, telling her not to ask.

The damage was already done. Carys clenched her fists as red hot fury seared through her, vanquishing all thoughts on Operation: Overshadow and reminding her of the bastard of a Crafter that took away her beloved steed.

King_Cobb.

That insect was still alive somewhere. He had the nerve to live, when someone as valuable to her as Mr. Piggles had died. And it was because of him that he had died. It spoke of her own ineptitude how her beloved steed could be murdered and eaten in front of her very eyes without her making a move to stop it.

Oh, how she hoped that Cobb was enjoying life right now. Alive and well. She smirked cruelly as she prayed that the bastard was content with life, working a cushy job, making lifelong friends, and enjoying the best of what life had to offer.

It would make it all the sweeter… when she took them all away.

Just as he had taken away Mr. Piggles, she'd be sure to find him, hold him down, and make him watch as she tore apart everything and everyone he ever cared for. And why stop there? He'd live the rest of his life imprisoned and at her merciful whims. She would torment him. Taunt him. Torture him. Take out whatever frustrations she felt out of him. Like a stress ball. Anytime she'd feel stressed, she'd have him on hand to squeeze until she felt better.

Just the thought of what she'd do once she had him… it made her grin.

It was a grin that had Baltic eying her cautiously. "Er… Carys? Are you—?"

"Have Wing and Luis been dispatched?" Carys turned to the blue-haired potion maker. "Have they been sent to Ringwood."

Baltic nodded. "Yes, they got your message. They are observing the Crafters you spoke of." He paused, taking a moment to consider his next question. "If I may ask, what reason do you have on observing King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd."

Carys lifted her eyebrows and fixed Baltic with her crimson orbs. Perry and Heather fidgeted at the sustained stare, but Baltic didn't balk. He stood his ground.

The sight of it made Carys smile. He wasn't as cowardly as the rest of them. He respected her, but he wasn't afraid to ask questions. If only he didn't act so sentimental towards others…

"Let's just say that King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd are a pair of Crafters I'd very much want to meet." Carys answered mysteriously.

And she wanted to meet them alright.

She wanted to see the hope drain from their eyes at the sight of her. To see that she was still alive, and for them to realize that they were as good as dead.

AN: Somebody needs a hobby.