[Jesse's POV]
(Petra, Reuben and I had exited the cave and were now standing on a bridge.)
(The minecarts Petra talked about were these that would go over the bridge all the way straight to EnderCon.)
(However, at the other end of the bridge, there were creepers coming this way.)
(In other words, if we go by rail, we'd have to go past these creepers without them exploding.)
Jesse: "Creepers!"
(And zombies were now approaching us from the cave as well. Crap!)
Petra: "This... doesn't look good. Well - there's only one way off this bridge. Whatever we do, we do it together."
(There was a river below us, but I didn't want a bunch of stupid creepers to get in my way!)
Jesse: "The only way is through them!"
(We pull out our swords and begin the battle.)
(I slowly approach the crepper closest to me and swing my sword before quickly backing off.)
(The creeper starts to ignite but ends up aborting it at the last second.)
(Normally, I'd let the creeper explode, but in this situation, it would destroy our escape path.)
(So if even one of them explodes, it won't end well.)
(Using this strategy, I repeat it again and again until it dies.)
(It was just then that I realized how long it takes to kill just one of them when there were plenty more already waiting behind the creeper I just killed.)
(I may be able to take one of them, but a whole group is too much!)
Jesse: "There's too many of them!"
(Petra, who was fighting on the other side, had come to the same conclusion, and Reuben, who couldn't even fight, was hopelessly shivering between us.)
(We had no choice, but to jump off before it was too late.)
Jesse: "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!"
(That was my scream while jumping off. I could feel explosions coming from behind me.)
(One probably ignited and caused a chain reaction.)
(Poor Bridge.)
(Excluding the near-death experience, this is actually a little bit fun to be honest.)
(Just then, Petra points towards my direction, making a scared face.)
(What are you implying? I turn around, curiously.)
(Oh mah gawd!!! There was a creeper behind me! I quickly kick it away.)
(It explodes seconds later on the cliffside near a herd of chickens.)
(Now chickens and feathers were floating all around us.)
(How are so many things happening in these short few seconds?)
('Fighting' through the feathers, the water below us comes into view and I crash into it with my stomach first.)
Jesse: "Burns; it burns!"
Petra: "Don't you know? You dive INTO the water -- you don't land on top of it. Pull yourself together, and follow me."
(Great. My stomach died and my clothes are wet.)
(At least Reuben's feeling better than I am right now, he snorts as he starts following Petra.)
(We swim down the river a little bit to avoid the monsters before landing on the shore, just outside the entrance of EnderCon.)
Jesse: "Ugh, can't we dry off somewhere first?"
Petra: "It'll dry off sooner or later. You're not going to whine because you're a little soggy, right?"
Jesse: "Argh... Whatever..."
Petra: "Anyway, check it out; EnderCon's all lit up."
(As we come closer to EnderCon, the large dome of the Hall comes into view.)
(And the sky was filled with firework explosions.)
Jesse: "I can't believe it! We actually won!"
Petra: "Good for you, Jesse."
Jesse: "Yeah! It's about time we beat Lukas and his gang of jerks!"
Petra: "You know, Lukas may be kind of arrogant, but he has come through for me in tricky situations. You might wanna get to know him, you know? Just in case."
(Now that I'm thinking about it, Lukas himself hasn't really bullied us in comparison to his friends.)
(but does that really mean that he's a good person?)
(I never got to know him better since he always hangs around with Aiden and the other dicks.)
(I'm not sure about that.)
Jesse: "I don't know. We've never talked much and I'm not sure what Axel and Olivia would think."
Petra: "I'm just saying Jesse, if you run into him at EnderCon -- try talking to him."
Jesse: "I don't need a lecture on the power of collaboration, Petra."
Petra: "How 'bout a lecture on the power of my fists? It's short. But deadly."
Jesse: "C'mon, let's hurry."
Petra: "Remember what EnderCon was like BEFORE it was cool?"
Jesse: "Remember what WE were like before WE were cool?"
Petra: "...some of us will never be cool."
(Ha-ha, very funny.)
(As we enter EnderCon, you can already hear the DJ music in the background.)
(and what sounds like a herd of chickens? The point is, it's really noisy.)
Petra: "So, when we're making the deal, I need you to let me do the talking, okay?"
Jesse: "Should I be nervous about this?"
Petra: "Given your personality, your life experience, and everything else you've done to make it to this moment... yes."
(Jeez, You didn't have to point it out like that!)
Axel: "Jesse!"
(I hear two people calling out to us from the crowd.)
Olivia: "And... Petra?"
Jesse: "Oh, we ran into each other while I was looking for Reuben."
Olivia: "Wait, what happened to Reuben?"
(She must have noticed Reuben's black eye.)
Jesse: "It's a long story, We got attacked by mobs when we were coming back."
Olivia: "That's bad. I'm glad you were able to find him."
Jesse: "Don't worry, it'll heal eventually."
Axel: "Soo, what were you doing in the woods, Petra?"
Petra: "Nothing. Just drawn by the sound of Jesse's high-pitched screams."
Jesse: "I would have been spider bait if she hadn't found me."
Axel: "Sorry we didn't come with you, Jesse."
Olivia: "But, hey, we won! And we got these tickets!"
(Olivia shows me 3 tickets.)
(Apparently these where for the big show were Gabriel would show up.)
Jesse: "Nice!"
Axel: "We did okay, didn't we?"
Jesse: "Well, the important thing is that we won, right? It could have been worse."
Olivia: "I still wish I'd gotten that part in the back to look better."
Jesse: "Like I said."
(I never could have imagined standing here and seeing our build presented here, instead of the Ocelots' build.)
(Despite everything that happened, It was still a good day.)
(I just hope it continues to be this way.)
Petra: "Hey, Jesse, it's time to go see about that thing."
Jesse: "Oh, right. The 'thing."
Olivia: "Subtle."
Jesse: "Yeah?"
Olivia: "As a punch to the face. Axel and I were gonna head into EnderCon. See you in there?"
Axel: "I heard somebody saying there's free cake by the map booth."
Jesse: "Ok then, see you later."
(Once again, Axel and Olivia head off.)
Petra: "Hurry. We're supposed to meet in the alley over there."
(Right at the gate, there was a lone dark alley at the side, where no one was near.)
(Cuz of course, deals like these must be held in places such as these.)
Jesse: "Dark. Dark. very dark in here."
(Walking into the alley, we couldn't find anyone waiting for us here.)
Petra: "That's weird. He said the dark, creepy alley close to the gates, but he's not here. Maybe he's late."
Jesse: "Are you sure this is the dark, creepy alley he meant?"
Petra: "Hmm, I was. Okay, new plan. You stay here just in case this is the spot he meant, and I'll look around."
Jesse: "Okay, I'll hold down the fort."
Petra: "Thanks, Jesse. I'll be back before you know it. If he shows up while I'm gone, just stall for me."
(And with that, Petra leaves, leaving me and Reuben alone in this alley.)
(Reuben squeals sadly.)
Jesse: "It's okay, Reuben. I'll find something that can heal your eye."
(I pet Reuben in an attempt to comfort him while we're here.)
(Looking around the place, I find a chest in the shadows, blended into the back alley.)
(Since we're here, I walk over to take a closer look.)
(I may have something to do with the deal.)
(Just as I'm about to open the lid, I hear a man angrily clearing his throat behind my back.)
(Me and Reuben jump from the sudden sound that echoed through the alley.)
(The man who sneaked up on us was a bearded man with long hair in a yellow-olive robe with a huge nose.)
???: "And just who are you?"
Jesse: "That's my line! And don't just scare people like that with your big nose!"
??? "I'll ignore that insult if you leave now! I'm supposed to meet with Petra, not whatever you're supposed to be! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't walk out of here right now!"
Jesse: "You're the guy who wanted a Wither Skull, right?"
??? "Don't say that out loud, you idiot! Too many people know my business already."
Jesse: "Do you want it or not?"
???: "Do you even have it??"
Jesse: "Petra has it; she'll be back any minute now."
???: "Fine, as long as she's bringing it, I suppose it wouldn't kill me to wait a minute longer."
(And like that, awkward silence fills the scene.)
(It was probably not as long as I thought it would be but, I found myself being in this position forever.)
Petra: "Ivor!"
(After what felt ages, Petra finally returns.)
(So this guys name is Ivor...)
Ivor: "Ah, here she is."
Petra: "Sorry, I'm late, but good things are worth waiting for. I've got what you asked for."
Jesse: "If you have what you promised us."
Ivor: "You didn't say anything about an 'us' when we first met. And I don't like suprises! If these are the sorts of people you associate with, perhaps we should call the whole thing off!"
Petra: "My friend is fine. Right, Jesse?"
Jesse: "I don't know, Petra. This whole deal gives me a bad feeling."
Petra: "I'll give you a bad feeling if you ruin this for me."
(Fine, if you're playing like that, I'll just sit back.)
(Don't blame me if it goes wrong.)
Ivor: "Proceed, then."
(Petra takes out her Wither Skull and gives it to Ivor, who then starts to touch and smell it as if he's making sure that it's the actual Wither Skull.)
(What a weird man.)
Petra: "I'll take that diamond now."
Ivor: "Take it, you've earned it."
(Ivor points to the shady chest that has been here the whole time.)
(So he has already planned all of this from the beginning???)
(While Petra went to examine the chest, I was making sure that Ivor wasn't doing anything fishy in the corner of my eye.)
(Petra opens the chest.)
Petra: "Wait, this isn't a diamand, It's Lapis!"
(That was the signal.)
(And just as I expected, Ivor was running away from the alley while Petra's back was turned.)
(I instinctly go after him and catch his robe in the process.)
Jesse: "I knew we couldn't trust you!"
Ivor: "Get off of me, you imbecile!"
(Ivor forcibly pulls away from me.)
(I tried to hold him still, but it only ended up tearing a piece of his robe off, causing a piece of paper to fall out of his inventory in the process.)
(Ivor dashes off at full speed before I recover, while Petra catches up to me.)
Petra: "We're going after him! I'm either getting that diamond or I'm getting my skull back."
(I pick up the item that Ivor dropped.)
(It looks like a random map of a room?)
(Whatever it is, it doesn't look relevant at the moment.)
(I put it in my inventory before catching up to Petra.)
Jesse: "Or you'll make him pay, right?"
Petra: "Come on!"
(By the time we turned the corner, he had already disappeared into the crowd.)
Petra: "Do you see him anywhere?"
Jesse: "We lost him."
Petra: "Then we'll just have to find him again. Go!"
(We split up in order to cover more ground, so me and Reuben go look in one direction while Petra searches in another.)
(There were a lot of people here, and a lot of booths of all kinds around the entire area too, so this place was quite crowded.)
(I think almost everyone who lives in the area is here.)
(Even if we know that Ivor wears a yellow robe, he can still blend into the crowd.)
(Whatever happens, I'll just have to keep looking.)
(While I was walking down the busy road, people around me started running
towards one particular booth.)
(I was only able to catch a glimpse of him, but no one wears such fancy blue armour.)
(There was an Usher telling the crowd to step aside while the person was walking by.)
(The celebrity of interest was definitely Gabriel.)
(What a giant crowd. If that usher wasn't there, Gabriel would've been crushed to death by these people.)
(Carefully maneuvering around the crowd.)
(I continue further down the path, just walking past the DJ booth.)
(That was when I spotted Lukas just chilling beside another booth.)
(That's weird, seeing him all alone like that.)
(Did his 'friends' abandon him? Whatever the reason, I was going to talk to him anyway.)
(I'm not that good at starting a conversation, so you can imagine how it went.)
Jesse: "'Sup?"
Lukas: ""Sup?"
Jesse: "Nothing. 'Sup with you?"
Lukas: "Nothing. 'Sup with you?"
Jesse: "I-I just said. Nothing."
(Yeah... I wasn't made to be a social butterfly.)
(At least Lukas was able to pull me out of that awkward start.)
Lukas: "Um... did you take a bath with your clothes?"
Jesse: "It's a long story; just don't question it."
Lukas: "Um, ok....Hey. Uh... congrats on the win. I mean, I still think our beacon was amazing, but... you guys did a pretty good job too. I mean, I thought the whole monster theme was plenty cool, but fireworks, too?"
Jesse: "You don't have to mention it; your machine was cool too."
Lukas: "Jesse, you don't have to do that, okay? You guys won, fair and square."
Jesse: "Thanks for being so cool about it."
Lukas: "No problem!"
(What a relief! But going off topic, I wonder if Lukas, by chance, had found Ivor while we're at it.)
Jesse: "Hey, you didn't happen to see a creepy guy with long hair and a beard, oh and a huge nose, roaming around, did you?"
(Lukas raises his eyebrow with that very specific description.)
Lukas: "I don't think so. Why?"
Jesse: "He kinda scammed Petra out of a diamond earlier."
Lukas: "Oh-ho! Everyone knows you don't mess with Petra, if you know what's good for you. I'll keep an eye out, okay?"
Jesse: "Thanks. I appreciate it."
Lukas: "So, uh, we're cool?"
Jesse: "Yeah, we're cool."
Lukas: "Cool, cool."
Jesse: "Ok, see you later, Lukas."
Lukas: "Yeah, see you."
(Lukas smiles at me before I walk off.)
Who knew someone from the Ocelots could be so friendly?)
(Maybe it's because the others are just downright bullies.)
(I wonder how he can hang out with them; he really does look out of place.)
(But I'm kinda glad that we could at least tolerate each other.)
(Continuing further, I find the origin of the chicken noises that I'd been hearing since I entered EnderCon.)
(In the booth a little further ahead, there was some sort of chicken contraption that made chickens fall into a trap.)
(And unsuprisingly, Axel was there, witnessing it, cuz of course, he's the type to love that kind of stuff.)
Axel: "Thought you could wiggle out of that trap, didn't you? Well, wiggle as much as you want. You're not going anywhere."
(Axel comments on the chicken that just fell down a hole into a fenced area.)
(It would probably be a waste of time to get him involved with our search, but I tried anyway.)
Jesse: "Axel, listen up. Any chance you've seen a creepy-looking beardy guy with a huge nose anywhere?"
Axel: "No, but Petra told me what happened. I'm keeping an eye out for him."
(That doesn't really look like it...)
Axel: "Okay, okay! So I got a little distracted. It's just that this machine presses all my buttons. Unnecessarily complicated and mean to birds for no reason."
Jesse: "Stop messing around. We need your help."
Axel: "I was looking, I swear. I've just got a short attention span."
(You might not know, but I have a special ability where I can give away the lies of a person just with my stare.)
(And I'm already using it without even realizing it.)
Axel: "All right, all right! I'll look!"
(Just as I thought it worked, Axel turns his head towards the machine again.)
Axel: "After I watch one more chicken get owned."
(*sigh* I'll just leave.)
(Walking away from Axel, I continue walking further down the path.)
(and by chance, I happen to meet someone who's wearing a yellow-olive robe.)
Jesse: "I see you now, weirdo."
(I carefully started to follow my target from behind.)
(Just as I'm about to get close, Aiden, out of all people, has to appear and block my path.)
Aiden: "Well, if it isn't Team Trashbag! How's your stupid pig?"
(I try to walk past him, but he just keeps getting in the way over and over again.)
(I hear intense heat causes brain damage.)
Jesse: "I don't know when; I don't know how; but some day, far in the future, when you're least expecting it... We WILL get our revenge...!"
Aiden: "Whoa! I was just joking! Jeez!"
Jesse: "Yeah? Well, I wasn't."
(I forcefully push Aiden off to the side, out of my way.)
Aiden: "Hey!"
(I could hear Aiden yelling stuff behind my back, but I didn't really care at this point of time.)
(The one with the yellow-olive robe hasn't gone that far yet, so I was able to quickly catch up to them.)
(They had their backs turned, but if it really was Ivor, then I wouldn't hesitate.)
(Slowly, I close in on them.)
[To be continued...]