Minecraft(unedited): The Marvelous Adventures of Steve: The Journey

Cornered

"Where do you think you're going."

They turned to the all-too-familiar voice.

"Frank." Steve said in disgust.

"Ah, Steve. When will you ever learn that you can't escape from me?" He said with a chuckle.

"You and what army?" Brittany said. "It's still trapped."

As she said that, at least fifteen blazes flew up the stairs behind him, moving into formation on either side of him. Two ghasts floated up from the fortress, flying high in the air.

"I have no army, you say? You are blind, girl. I needn't an army to stop you."

"Frank..." Sam said. "I trusted you..."

"You were stupid to trust me. You should have listened to Steve from the beginning, but you were too stubborn to accept the truth. You still are."

Sam let a blocky tear drop from his eyes. Rose tried to morph, but it didn't work.

"Foolish human. You know without the cure, you're defenseless, needing your friends to protect you. You're weak and pathetic."

That hit Rose right in the heart.

"Daniel, you are fake. You are not strong. Ever since you found the witch's hut, you've been making and using strength potions to fight off mobs. Using artificial substances to make you stronger. Even you disgust me."

Steve looked back at Daniel, who had a look of surprise on his face.

"And you, Steve. You're the worst of all."

"What for?"

"False hope." He said. "You lead these people on like you know what you're doing. But you don't. You act like you have every answer to every situation. But you don't. You act like everything will be fine. But it won't. You're a poor excuse of a leader, from your past to your present, and even in the near future. You never should have left your valley."

"My valley? What do you know about my valley?"

"I was there. I lead them on into your valley. We destroyed your house, block by block."

Steve felt the anger built up in him. He did this? Frank laughed.

"I see the anger in your eyes. I relish it. Yes, I was there every time. I attacked Sam's village. I lead the attack on your valley. I was the one who lured in Nicholas with the corrupted sword. I lead the attack on the village. I kidnapped that insolent girl from the leader. I hired that witch to kill you and your friends. I invaded that village close to it. I knocked those creepers into the hole. I ordered Borricks to capture you. And here we are."

"To come so close to freedom, only to be so far from it. How does it feel to be wrong, Steve? Depressing, isn't it? That was how I felt when I became a mob, and that's all it will ever be. But I plan on making the most of my life, oh, yes. Watching you five suffer here in the nether would be most pleasant."

Steve thought for a moment. Marie is alive? He tried to hide a smile. Bernard had told him the story of what happened to Marie, when she was pulled under and never surfaced. Frank had kidnapped her, not killed her. Steve felt something strong in his heart. It was hope.

"What's the matter, Steve? Speechless?"

"Not even close." He said. He held the flint and steel behind his back. "You're almost completely right, actually. I don't really know the answer to everything. Sometimes, I don't know what I'm doing. I do act like everything is fine even though it isn't, like I'm doing right now. But you're wrong about one thing."

"And what's that?"

"There is no such thing as 'false hope'. Hope is what bring us together. It encourages us to do things we never would've thought possible. I'm actually okay I left my valley. In fact, I'm glad I left. You know why?"

No answer. Just a blank face.

"Because of the journey I've taken. I made friends. I traveled to places I had never been to before. I experienced things I never would have in my valley. Notch, I had an amazing diamond sword made for me. I saved people. An entire village, even. I found my destiny. I found out who I am. I am Steve, O Warrior of Gold. And I'm here with my friends."

He looked back at them, winking his eye while shaking the flint and steel. They smiled with a nod, getting the message.

"I'm Sam, the Builder of Stone. She's Rose, Maker of Peace."

"I'm Brittany, the Crafter of Red."

"I'm Daniel, the Brewer of Old."

"And look at where we got. We've been through so much together. Nothing could break us apart."

"Not even death can do that." Sam said, waving his emerald for them to see.

"Hope brought us together." Daniel and Brittany said, holding their hands together in the air.

"And hope will lead us on for the rest of our lives. You can't instill fear into us. Or anger. Or hatred. Or suffering. Or corruption. It will never happen."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm Steve, O Warrior of Gold. Destiny brought us together for a reason, Frank, for good or bad. I'm offering you one last chance. We can forget everything that happened in the past, everything that you did that you shouldn't have. We can find a cure for you, return you back to normal. We can be friends again. We can stop Ender from destroying the world. We can do it together. Let fate be what you decide, Frank. So, what do you say?" He said, holding out his hand.

He could see the different looks and feelings flash across his dark face. For a few moments, Steve thought he actually decided to side with them. Then, it stopped. He looked at Steve with angry eyes.

"I've chosen my fate."

Steve let his arm fall to his side, then behind his back. Desperation overwhelmed him. Frank was too far gone. He counted down behind him with blocky fingers.

3...

"Then the next time--"

2...

"--we meet, you'll be at--"

1...

"--the edge of my sword."

Go!

Steve took off between the others, who followed right behind him. Frank shouted in rage.

"Stop them!" He said.

They were ten blocks away from the portal when the mobs attacked. The blazes fired their projectiles. The two ghasts threw their large fireballs at them.

Steve focused hard. Time seemed to slow down as he used his Insight to aid him in their escape. He leaped off of the ground almost into the portal. He held the flint and steel out and stroke them together over the frame. The Sparks landed onto the obsidian, and the purple veil came to life. He let his Insight go as he fell through. Sam tripped and fell in, with Brittany and Daniel jumping inside behind them. The ghasts' fireballs hit the portal, making the portal die off once again.

"AAAAAARG!" Frank shouted in rage. He hit Borricks, which knocked the wither skeleton back towards the edge of the fortress.

"No! Please!" He begged, but the fury Frank was enduring wasn't gone.

"You idiot! You let them get away again! You have failed me for the last time!"

He knocked the skeleton into the depths of the lava below, with no block to catch him.