[OLD] Blood On Fire (A Hermitcraft AU)

Chapter Fifteen: Rescue

Promising chapter title! :)

Warnings --->

WC: ~1000

Enjoy!

Hels had officially deemed himself the biggest idiot ever.

What possessed me to saunter over to the Overworld without a plan?! he thought sourly as he ducked behind a tree at the sound of loud laughter. As long as I get to Impulse, get him out, and leave with both of us in one piece, everything should be fine.

Hels sighed softly, careful not to be too loud. He was in complete shock that he had been this spontaneous and downright ridiculous. Hels cursed under his breath after concluding that he had no idea where he was going.

Hels had felt pressure before.

But never this sinking feeling of dread, the constant 'some you love will die, and it'll be your fault' in the back of his mind.

Hels flinched upon realization that there was a lump in his throat and he was on the verge of tears, before stopping to try and calm himself down.

I swear if I have a panic attack again, I'm gonna start stabbing people, he thought grumpily, the tears subsiding slightly at the sarcastic sentence. Hels took another breath, then continued walking in the direction he thought was correct.

"HELS!!"

The voice was a scream behind him, and when Hels whipped around, and it was like the entire world just stopped, and Hels was finally allowed to breathe.

Impulse ran over and wrapped his arms around Hels, squeezing tightly. Hels blamed the choked sound he made on the fact that there was a sudden crushing weight around him, not on tears or anything like that.

Not that he minded.

"You're okay," Hels breathed. "How-"

"I don't need you to rescue me," Impulse giggled. "I can get out alone. Or... mostly alone."

"Mostly?" Hels echoed. "Wait- what are you even doing here-"

"We're here to get you before you do anything you'll regret," Impulse explained.

"We?" Hels silently cursed himself for repeating everything like an idiot.

And then he saw.

The rest of The Missing, plus Xay, coming over to them.

"Maybe I underestimated you lot," Hels admitted as Impulse pulled away. His eyes darted around, headcounting the people in front of him.

Wait-

"Sorry, what is he doing here?" Hels snarled, his eyes landing on Xisuma.

He's the one who hurt Xay- and got Impulse captured.

Xisuma shrunk under Hels's stare and didn't stick up for himself.

"Xisuma has Void powers," Impulse cut in. "He's a late manifester." Hels blinked at the sudden turn of events.

Hels was about to tell them that it didn't excuse what he had done, that it didn't matter if he was magic or not, but then he saw,

Impulse looked hopeful.

Iskall and Grian seemed to be holding their breaths.

Xay squeezed Xisuma's hand.

Oh by all the blazes- why are they so trusting-

Hels sighed, and Iskall, Grian, and Impulse already knew that sigh was a sign of him giving in. At this point, I'm too tired to care about who we drag around.

"I'll add his name to the records," Hels grumbled, suppressing the urge to drag a hand down his face.

"Don't worry," Xay giggled, talking to Xisuma. "He's most annoyed by the fact that he'll have to look after five of us now."

"Very true," Hels growled. "Let's get back to the Nether before-"

"There! There are The Missing!"

Ghasts.

Hels spun around, panic crashing over him like a wave at the sight of people running towards them with handcuffs and various other... things.

"Run," Hels advised. He snapped his fingers, calling the fire. Gathering as much as he can, Hels is aware that he probably looked like a demon then, but he's living for it.

All of us have a method of defense- except Xisuma-

"Xisuma, I'm going to try and teach you some Void basics," Hels called out. "I don't think I'll be able to teach you how to do it by will, but instincts will have to do for now. Channel anger and shoot it out."

"What is that even supposed to mean?!" Xisuma shrieked.

"How did you feel when Xay was trapped up?" Hels shouted. "Furio-"

"Terrified," Xisuma interjected. "Betrayed. Relatively mad. Disappointed."

"WHAT KIND OF MOUSE OF A BROTHER DO YOU HAVE?!" Hels screamed at Xay, who was pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, that's it."

"Xisuma, feel mad, not disappointed," Hels instructed. "Fury. Unleash that fury on the people who are coming to end our lives right now."

"I don't want to hurt them!!" Xisuma cried.

This little- I cannot even- I'm so done-

"They're not afraid to hurt you!!" Hels snapped. "They'll happily hurt you!!"

"B-but what if-" Xisuma stammered.

I cannot deal with this right now- stars I need to sit down and lecture this kid-

"Put your hands up!" a strict voice called out, a person revealing themself. (A/N: I'm sorry- I don't know how police or scientists or whatever would react in this situation- just go with it-)

"Why should I?!" Hels countered, his mind racing.

"Uhm-" Grian's voice was small, and Hels turned around to see,

A man who had grabbed Grian, pressing a gun to his head.

Oh you've got to be kidding me-

He can't shapeshift out, the person would notice the process and would shoot before anything could happen-

"Let him go," Hels growled.

"Quench the fire," the first person instructed.

Hels sighed, then did as he was told. His thoughts spun around in his head, trying to form some sort of plan.

"Now come with us," he continued. Hels hesitated, and then,

The sound of something being shattered.

Hels whipped around to see one of Iskall's ice spikes, perfectly aligned to separate Grian and the man.

"RUN!!"

Hels turned and ran towards where the portal was, but then realization hit him, hard.

"We can't lead them back to the thing!" he called out, not wanting to say 'portal'.

"Then what do we do?!" Impulse cried.

"I have an idea, but it's stupid and dangerous," Hels grumbled.

"Then do it!" the response was collective, coming from everyone except Xisuma.

Hels grinned, then shot a bolt of fire at the nearest tree.

This could either work well, or fail miserably.

Well... we're about to find out which one.

"I have an idea, but it's stupid and dangerous."
"Perfect!"

-Storm