[Olivia's POV]
(I brace myself for the moment when Ivor suddenly peeks around the corner.)
(I can already see his shadow coming around the corner.)
(Just then... something else pulls me from the situation before Ivor's head reaches my corner.)
???: "Olivia, look out!"
(Ivor's attention shifts to the voice of that person.)
(I've been saved! I peek out to see who it was.)
Olivia: "Jesse, Reuben?...and Lukas?"
(It looks like Jesse and Reuben were able to catch up, but Lukas came too???)
Ivor: "What are you doing here? What did you see?!"
Petra: "Leave him alone!"
Axel: "Yeah! Back off, pal!"
(Petra and Axel pop out of their hiding spots.)
(We've practically surrounded him on all fronts.)
(The tables really have turned...)
Ivor: "You two? Did you follow me here?!"
Petra: "You thought you could get away with it, didn't you?"
Lukas: "We're here to prove you wrong."
Ivor: "What are you going to do about it?"
Axel: "Wait..."
(Axel interrupts the scene.)
Axel: "What are YOU doing here?!"
Jesse: "Oh, I thought I would bring him along, You know, the more the better, right?"
(Lukas makes an awkward smile.)
Petra: "Told you he was useful."
Axel: "Aw, man -- this guy isn't actually cool, is he?"
(Lukas gives Axel an annoyed glare.)
Ivor: "That's some nice bonding time, but you're currently in my way."
Petra: "We've cornered you, Ivor! We know what you're doing down here. Soul sand and three Wither skulls? You're building a Wither!"
Lukas: "He's doing what?!"
Ivor: "Huh, smarter than you look."
(Ivor gives a quiet, almost sarcastic remark.)
Axel: "Hey, nobody talks to my friends like that!"
(Axel steps forward, menacingly approaching Ivor.)
Axel: "Now, shut your mouth... or else...!"
Ivor: "Enough! You've wasted too much of my time already!"
(Ivor suddenly kicks Axel in the chest and starts dashing out of the area.)
Petra: "Block the exit!"
(Petra runs towards the door to strategically block his escape route.)
(Ivor, however, was running somewhere else.)
(The rest of us, who were following Ivor, ended up in front of yet another T-shaped structure, this time made of iron blocks.)
Ivor: "If you won't leave of your own volition, I'll happily remove you myself."
(I've seen this type way more often than the wither one.)
(It was one designed to make an iron golem, and Ivor quickly places the pumpkin head on top of the structure before anyone could reach him.)
(The structure starts to move, as it transforms into an iron golem.)
Ivor: "Show our friends the door, will you?"
(The Golem obeys and starts to attack us by swinging its arms around.)
(I can hear Reuben squealing and the others shouting.)
(We had no choice but to retreat.)
(Running away from the Golem, we head towards the door, with Jesse picking up Reuben along the way.)
(leaving the basement behind.)
(As we head out the door, we can hear the crowd in front of the stage.)
(It seems like the show was starting at that very moment.)
(Two people on stage started announcing the show.)
Announcer 1: "Good evening to all the people who came on this wonderful night! I'm Lydia!"
Announcer 2: "And I'm Owen!"
Lydia: "Oh, man, this is so exciting!"
Owen: "It sure is!"
(The lights turn off, with only the stage now being lit.)
Lydia: "And now, for the first time ever here at EnderCon, we are very proud to present..."
Lydia & Owen: ""The one, the only...""
(The spotlights all shine on one person hiding at the back of the stage.)
(A guy with blue majestic armour.)
(It couldn't be any other person. It's...)
The crowd: ""Gabriel!""
(The crowd starts cheering as Gabriel turns his body towards the crowd.)
Fangirl: "Gabriel!!! We love you!!!"
Gabriel: "Please. Please."
(The crowd calms down.)
Gabriel: "Thank you. Are you with me?!"
(And then... the crowd goes wild again.)
Petra: "Is everyone okay?"
(We all nod in response, except Axel, who's still watching Gabriel.)
Olivia: "Axel! Pay attention!"
(He jumps from my sudden words.)
Axel: "Sorry..."
Jesse: "Um... guys?"
(Turning back to the others, I suddenly get the feeling that someone is missing.)
(There were 6 of us. Me, Petra, Jesse, Axel, Reuben, and...)
Jesse: "Where's Lukas!?"
Olivia: "I thought he was right behind me."
Axel: "Well, if he's not here, the only place he could be is..."
Jesse: "He's still down there!"
Petra: "Ivor's got an iron golem and all the ingredients to build a Wither. If he were to unleash it in this crowd of people..."
(We have all come to the realization that the situation has become more dangerous than we thought.)
Petra: "We have to act fast!"
Jesse: "A wither!?"
Petra: "Yeah, we saw one downstairs, along with a strange machine block thing in the middle."
Olivia: "It just so happens that the greatest warrior of all time is in the building. We should ask Gabriel for help. This is the smartest way to help Lukas."
Petra: "He's tough. I just hope he's tough enough to hold out a bit longer."
Jesse: "I don't want to risk it. I'm going after Lukas."
Petra: "By yourself? Are you sure, Jesse?"
Jesse: "Don't worry too much. I dragged him into this mess. I don't want him to get killed because of my decision. You guys go get Gabriel!"
Olivia: "Fine, we're on it."
Axel: "Let's crash this party!"
Petra: "We'll figure out a way to warn Gabriel, and then we'll meet you back here. Be careful."
Jesse: "On it."
(Jesse and Reuben split off from the group while we three went into the crowd to get Gabriel.)
[Jesse's POV]
(Running back to the door to the creepy basement, I braced myself before entering once again.)
Jesse: "Here goes nothing..."
(I start sneaking down the stairs up to the first book shelf nearest to the entrance.)
(I can already hear the Iron Golem footsteps from here.)
(Slowly sneaking away from that sound, I try to find my way past the labyrinth of bookshelves to get back to the spot we were before when confronting Ivor.)
Jesse: "Lukas? Can you hear me? Even though I'm whispering?"
Lukas: "Jesse? Is that you whispering super loudly?"
(I hear a chest slowly opening across from me.)
Jesse: "Lukas! Over here!"
(Lukas was hesitating before suddenly slamming the chest shut with a shocked face.)
(What are you- It's behind me isn't it...)
(Reuben, who was beside me, started squealing.)
(That proved my suspicion.)
(I could already hear it swinging its arms.)
(I just barely dodged it by dashing forward.)
(I turn around, only to see the beast walking towards me, menacingly! Reuben runs and hides behind me.)
The chest Lukas was hiding in suddenly reopens.
Lukas: "Hey!"
(Lukas makes a small noise before closing the lid again.)
(The Golem attention seems to have been caught as he turns to look in that direction.)
(It was a small window of escape, in which we hopped over the shelf to hide behind it.)
(It's a good thing that iron golems aren't as smart as they look to be!)
(It seemed to be confused when it continually looked back and forth from the chest and where I previously was.)
(It eventually lost focus and started walking away.)
(I peek out from behind the shelf.)
Jesse: "You okay?"
(Lukas peeks out of the chest.)
Lukas: "Eh, I've been worse. Well, I can't say this is the BEST spot I've ever been in."
Jesse: "Just make a run for it!"
Lukas: "Run WHERE?"
Jesse: "Just-I'll think of something! Just give me more time!"
(There were no clocks around, but I could definitely hear one ticking.)
(The Golem wasn't bright and can be distracted easily.)
(However, I have no idea if I can make it distracted long enough for Lukas to escape.)
(There were potions lying on the shelf.)
(They could definitely be used for something, so I swiftly grab one.)
(I'm not a potion biologist, but I'm pretty sure dark red means the effects are bad.)
(If I aim for the golem, I could temporarily knock it out for a while.)
(There was no other visible choice to make, so I went for it.)
(My aim isn't the best, but the Golem was a big target, so I could probably do it.)
(When it was looking the other way, I sneaked out and threw the potion right into its chest!)
(The potion had its effect and the Iron Golem went paralysed from the attack.)
(I hop over the shelf.)
Jesse: "Now Lukas! Run!"
(Lukas jumps out and runs out at full speed.)
(Lukas had made it to safety, but I was still in the open.)
(Iron Golems aren't the weakest enemies, as they have already recovered from the attack and are now marching directly towards me.)
(Using its only move, it starts to swing its right arm at me.)
(I fall back to avoid its arm.)
(Just as it starts swinging again, Reuben suddenly starts hissing at the Golem.)
(The Golem turns around to face Reuben, who has already fled from the scene.)
(I used that small window of time to flee from the Golem point of view as well.)
(It wasn't much, but it managed to sort the situation out.)
(We three all met up at the entrance.)
Jesse: "Nice one, Reuben!"
Lukas: "Okay, Jesse, come on! Let's go! Thanks for coming back for me. I didn't know if anybody was going to."
Jesse: "No man left behind. That's my motto."
Lukas: "Guess I owe you one."
Jesse: "Don't mention it."
(I give back a smile.)
(I swing the door open.)
(We've finally made it out of that basement.)
Lukas "Where are the others?"
(Before I can answer the question, Axel indirectly answers it himself.)
(Just in front of the stage were the others, 'trying' their best to get through Gabriel.)
Axel: "Dude, I dunno how I can be any clearer! Weird guy! Doing weird stuff! Freaky with a side of strange! Why won't you listen to me? What do you want me to do? Tell you charades-style?"
Gabriel: "I promise you, that's the last thing I want you to do."
Axel: "Four words; six syllables; sounds like... 'Schmonster in the schmasement."
(Gabriel facepalms.)
(Petra, who noticed us returning, does the same thing, and Olivia just has her eyes wide the entire time.)
Gabriel: "Next."
Olivia: "Wait, just --"
???: "I have a question for you."
(Someone from the crowd raises their hand.)
(His voice sounds grumpy.)
(It's just as I feared. It's Ivor!)
Gabriel: "Excuse me, sir - you'll have to wait your turn."
Ivor: "Just tell me first: do you really believe anyone can be great?"
Gabriel: "With enough hard work... yes."
Ivor: "Was that where I went wrong? I simply didn't WORK hard enough?!"
(Gabriel's expression suddenly tenses up once he realizes who he was talking to when he comes out of the crowd.)
Gabriel: "Ivor??? Is that really you?! How dare you interrupt like this!"
Axel: "That's the guy who attacked us in the basement!"
Gabriel: "I wish I could say I was surprised."
Ivor: "If it's surprises you want, you're in for a treat. Why don't you tell them the real story, Gabriel!?"
Gabriel: "I see time has made you bitter."
Ivor: "And it's made YOU an even bigger fool."
(Ivor walks up stage and puts his shoulder on Gabriel while addressing the crowd.)
Ivor: "Now, these people were promised greatness -- and I'm ready to deliver. I'm sorry, this is how they had to learn the truth..."
(He starts walking towards the back of the stage.)
(More precisely, to a lever that was sitting there.)
Olivia: "T-That lever... GABRIEL YOU HAVE TO STOP HIM!!!"
(Ivor flicks the lever while shooting an evil smirk at Gabriel.)
(He, in response, pulls out his diamond sword.)
Gabriel: "I don't know what you're planning, but I'm not allowing you to continue any further!"
Ivor: "But nothing built can last forever, Gabriel."
(A T-shaped structure rises from the ground made of soul sand and a strange block in the middle with 2 Wither skulls already sitting on top of 2 of the blocks.)
(So this is the wither Petra was talking about.)
(Gabriel was charging at Ivor, but he already had his third wither skull in his hand.)
Gabriel: "Ivor, NO!!!"
(Ivor, without hesitating, places the last skull on top of the machine block.)
(Suddenly, an explosion caused the two men to be knocked into the crowd.)
(The stage had a big crater in it; the spotlights broke.)
(and now, floating above it, was a wither.)
(Not just a regular, but one with that strange block in the middle.)
(I didn't know what it was, but it was clearly bad news.)
(A large portion of the crowd starts to panic, some straight up fleeing the building.)
(Ivor, who got up, had the largest smirk I've ever seen on his face.)
Ivor: "Creature -- attack!"
(The creature started moving as soon as he said that.)
(The 3 heads opened their eyes and began eyeing individual targets.)
(The crowd had almost dispersed; only a few people, including my group, were still here.)
(The Wither was now aiming at us, and a wither skull was flying in my direction.)
(Reuben and I immediately jump back.)
(I could literally feel the blast wave hitting me from this close.)
(I had to close my eyes.)
(And when I opened my eyes again, there was a big crater in front of me.)
(and another skull was already flying in my direction!)
(I barely jumped out of the way, the blast hit me, and I flew back a few blocks.)
(I didn't land; someone caught me before I scraped the ground.)
Lukas: "Jesse! Are you okay?!"
(Is this what they call being shell shocked?)
(When I finally regained my composure and tried to stand up, I could only see blocks flying everywhere.)
(The wither was sucking up blocks and making itself bigger!)
Gabriel: "Everyone stay calm! This foul beast is no match for me!"
(Gabriel picks up his sword, which had fallen to the ground, and steps forward.
Ivor: "Creature -- attack!"
(The Wither started to approach Gabriel.)
(He makes a leap and charges right at the wither.)
(He tries to scrape the strange machine block, but gets knocked back without the block taking any damage.)
Gabriel: "W-What h-have y-you done?"
(Ivor stand on the sidelines and grins with delight while he's watching Gabriel fail.)
Jesse: "Gabriel!"
Gabriel: "No! Stay away! It's after me, not you!"
(The Wither charges and flies towards us.)
(We both duck as the wither barely flies over us.)
(It just keeps ramming and shooting the building walls while sucking up all the blocks around us.)
Ivor: "Look at him! The mighty Gabriel! Looks like true greatness is out of his reach! He may not be able to defeat this creature -- but I can!"
(Ivor approaches the wither with a confident look on his face.)
Ivor: "Creature -- retreat!"
(Instead of obeying like the last 2 times, the creature just starts staring blankly at Ivor.)
(Ivor, looking confused, repeats his words again.)
Ivor: "Ahem. Creature -- retreat!"
(The Wither, once again, just stares at him with no visible emotion whatsoever.)
(Ivor's confident look starts to break.)
Ivor: "Retreat, I said! Retreat!"
Jesse: "Ivor, what are you doing!?"
Ivor: "Oh, no need to be alarmed, my friends. I have an elixir that will destroy this creature."
(Ivor pulls out a relatively normal looking potion.)
Olivia: "That potion -- is that...?"
Axel: "Uh-oh..."
(Ivor aims at the machine block.)
(The potion breaks but nothing happens.)
(Ivor's expression, at that moment, collapses like gravel blocks.)
Ivor: "W-W-What??? I-Impossible! It should have worked -- I took such care!"
Olivia: "The potion -- Axel! You've got to throw the real potion!"
Axel: "But -- finders, keepers!"
Ivor: "You thieves! You're ruining everything!"
Olivia: "AXEL, SHUT UP AND THROW THE GODDAMN POTION."
(Axel disappointedly pulls out the fancy potion from his inventory.)
(I grab it as soon as I notice it in Axel's hand.)
(I immediately turn around and quickly aim at the machine block.)
(However, as soon as I threw it... The block layer, which the wither was creating from the sucked up blocks.)
(formed around the machine block, effectively protecting it.)
(Instead of destroying the block, it just breaks on the black skin of the Wither without any effect.)
Ivor: "It's protecting itself! Without the command block exposed... the potion is useless! It wasn't supposed to happen like this."
(With no clear way of stopping it, Ivor runs away.)
Gabriel: "Ivor! You coward, come back here!"
(A purple-ish beam begins to glow on Gabriel as soon as he finishes that sentence.)
(He suddenly starts floating upwards, like it's pulling Gabriel in.)
(The black layer of blocks that the Wither was sucking in had transformed its head into a completely different monster.)
(Its head now had bigger teeth, and its eyeball was now emitting that purple beam.)
Petra: "Jesse, help me!"
(Petra leaps in and grabs Gabriel's left leg in an attempt to pull him down.)
(I followed suit with his right leg.)
(Oh my gawd, how is this beam so strong!? Olivia joins in and grabs on to Petra in an effort to pull Gabriel harder.)
(Axel, Lukas, and even Reuben come together to free Gabriel.)
(The combined strength manages to get Gabriel to the ground.)
(It wasn't a good landing, but at least he wasn't sucked in.)
Gabriel: "T-Thank you."
(I helped him to stand up.)
Gabriel: "Ivor was right about one thing -- I can't defeat that thing. Not on my own. Everyone's running away... except for you. Will you help me? I must get to the temple -- but what needs to happen next, I can't do alone."
Jesse: "Well, what are we waiting for?"
(Gabriel nods.)
Gabriel: "Follow me!"
(We all ran out of the building.)
(Looking back, we could only see pieces of what used to be the Hall.)
[To be continued...]