So... this season, I will admit, gets a little dark. This episode itself, in Google Docs, is only barely 7 pages long, whereas most, at least in my longest season is usually about twenty five so. Hope ya'll enjoy either way. <><><> 5-18-24 (this takes place within only a day) REED: [ALANSPC. Everyone is present, other than Purpur, TCO, TDL, and L. Bug. Victim’s here though. They seem to all be in the middle of a conversation.] Red: “Come on, can we please?!” He bounced on his heels excitedly. “Reed doesn’t have to pick up anything so he won’t be bound to the game.” He turned to me, expectantly. “You can make sure you don’t do that, right?” I opened my mouth to try to speak, though I didn’t know how to respond. Blue: “You heard Yellow. I don’t know if it’s worth the r-” The portal to the internet opened. “What in the world?” He jumped up. Five figures each on some sort of hover vehicle dashed from the portal. Me: “The mercenaries?” I whispered, flinching. Victim: “Oh great…” He shifted. He clearly didn’t want to fight them. “Agent Smith, what are you doing here?” The vehicles landed, and the lead mercenary briefly seemed surprised before he shook his head and gestured to something with his hand. The other mercenaries nodded, dismounting their vehicles and shuffling over to other locations on the desktop. AS: “What we seek does not concern you.” He eyed me carefully. Me: “Hi?” I offered. It was less of hostility from them, more focused than anything else, though he ignored my greeting… to be fair, he probably couldn’t even hear me. I shuddered. Our last encounter with them wasn’t particularly pleasant. TSC pulled out the pencil, holding it out in front of him like a sword, with both hands. Shirley: He clicked on the files icon revealing the menu, as well as the nether portal. “I believe I have found it.” Red: The agent nodded, waving for the other mercenaries to return to the vehicles. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Red lunged at Huntresstia. “That’s OUR nether portal! If you want one, make it yourself.” He kept a firm grasp on her, but she managed to throw him off and jump on the vehicle. TSC: “Red! Come on.” He helped Red up from the ground as the mercenaries flew through the crystalline framed portal. “I am so confused, but…” He shook his head. Yellow: “Anyone got a clue as to what just happened…” he grinned in spite of the situation, “‘cause I sure don’t, other than the mercenaries coming to the desktop disappearing to the nether portal… but why?” Victim: “I-I…” He stood, shaking his head. Green: “I’m guessing we’re going after them, huh?” he asked, facing towards the portal. Foxlie: “Um… I guess so?” She grabbed my hand, looking back at Lightbulb and Jager. “Dad?” Jager: He hesitated for a moment before replying, “Fine… But be careful. We do not know where this is going to lead.” Red: “I’m pretty sure it’s leading to Minecraft.” He grappled himself up to the portal’s level. “Now, come on.” AGENT SMITH: [FIRST OF ALL… why is this the best heading I’ve ever seen… SECOND… I don’t really know. The mercenaries are approaching the nether fortress that has the portal that leads to the witch/Marinda’s domain. I don’t really know how I want to structure this episode, so I’m just improvising.] The strange bunch might follow, but it would have to be okay… I was uncertain if this was truly a friend, or if she was really a foe, that we were going to meet. It had felt strange stepping into a human’s domain for the first time. The younger figures seemed comfortable with it, more than they had been anywhere else. Stories that Victim (again, Google, THAT. IS. HIS. NAME. Anyway, as you were) had, long ago, muttered to himself came to mind. The same human who performed all of that cruelty to him had been the one to care for those figures. And still… He was willing to show forgiveness to the figure who had caused so much pain for everyone, taking the lives of many… of Mitsi… Just the same, he was willing to be in the presence of the one who had tortured him in the worst ways… I didn’t understand. I shook my head, sweat forming on my brow from the “Nether’s” intense temperatures. It was inhospitable. Why would they have a portal to this fiery realm? We’d marched past many strange, humanoid creatures resembling pigs. They looked up, seemingly tense, not entirely trusting our presence, but they didn’t attack. At last we’d made it to a structure of dark bricks of reddish hue. An eerie sound emanated from within. I waved for Pixton to scout ahead. He nodded and marched inside. Pixton: A few moments later, he reemerged from the fortress. “It’s here. Don’t know why we needed a scout if it was entirely abandoned.” He shrugged. Me: “We don’t know what lurks here.” I stepped inside, the others following behind, all except for Pixton. “Now come.” He nodded, not caring to risk resisting anymore, and fell into line.
We wandered further within until we found the source of the strange noise. A replica of the portal we’d seen at the “desktop”. Huntresstia: “I’d assume she is awaiting us on the other side.” She tilted her head, grasping her spear with one hand. Me: “I suppose she is.” I gestured for the rest of them to follow as I stepped through the swirling violet vortex. TSC: [He seemed wary, though they keep going, following Reuben who seems to have found the mercenaries’ scent trail.] Me: We approached the fortress. “This? Great… this can only go well…” I shook my head. Memories of the witch that we’d encountered in the swamp beyond the portal within the dark structure. That conniving… I shook my head. “Why would they come here? I don’t understand.” Victim: He stood taller than me, though there was still a nervousness in his gait. “I do not know.” Yellow: “There’s a portal in there to the Minecraft overworld,” he explained to Victim, “and to a location that has a decently difficult… enemy… as in we needed an overpowered pig to help take him down.” Victim: He raised an eyebrow. “Should I ask?” He seemed genuinely confused… Fair. Red: “That pig was Reuben the Great!” He said with pride, grinning at Reuben who looked up at him. Lightbulb: “Where did ‘the Great’ come from?” Green: “I don’t think anyone really knows.” He shrugged. “Anyways, what are we waiting for? If they’re-” Blue cut him off. Blue: “If the mercenaries are going to try… well, I guess, teaming up with her…” He shook his head. “Gosh…” Foxlie: “Come on. I’m going in.” She stepped up to the entrancing looking back at the rest of us, expectantly. Me: I sighed nervously. I grasped the hilt of my sword, raising its blade to point onward. “Let’s get going.” Everyone nodded, except for Reed who now was in the back of the group. His fear was clear. Azalea whispered something to him. I couldn’t tell what, though part of me tugged on my attention to find out. There probably isn’t even time for that. REED: [They’ve gone through the portal at this point and are now wandering through the swamp. It seems to be more wooded than it was back when the main five had their original run-in with Marinda. This is for no particular reason, plot-wise. This is just how I originally imagined the scene.] TSC: “Where are they?” He whispered. It all felt too quiet, that, I guess, it felt strange to speak beyond a whisper. “I don’t like this.” He seemed on edge, even paranoid. Red: He knelt next to Reuben. “‘Think we’re close?” The pig turned toward him, jumping once before continuing onward once more. “‘Gonna take that as a yes.” He smiled. My ears perked to a sound. A footstep? Me: “Um… I believe I may have heard something…” I tugged on Foxlie’s arm. Foxlie: “Huh? What do you think it was?” She cocked her head, slowing her pace. Me: “Footsteps… I mean, not one of ours.” Azalea: She stayed close. “I believe I hear it now too.” The footsteps halted. Her eyes narrowed on the nearby trees as she scanned them thoroughly. Red glared in the direction that the noise had come from. Blue: “Who’s there?” He held his bow, his hand on ready to pull an arrow at any moment. A malevolent cackle sounded from the woods nearby. Marinda: “Look who’s returned to my domain…” A woman stepped out into the open. Her skin had a sickly tone to it, with a green gem adorning a pointed hat and violet robes. Her olive green eyes felt piercing. “This time you’ve brought more friends.” Her previous remark had a brighter tone, but this statement brought an edge. “Have you come to ravage my home once more?” She frowned at Reuben then glanced sharply at Blue. Foxlie: “Someone - multiple someones - decided to stop by…” She seemed a little nervous, though she spoke boldly. Foxlie carefully stroked my head once, glancing down at me. TSC: “What?!” He clutched the hilt of his sword. “Why are we telling her this? I trust her no more than I do the mercenaries. In fact, less.” His voice sounded of blended frustration and confusion. Foxlie: “I’m sure she’s already aware… The mercenaries are ahead of us,” she kept her eyes locked on the woman and continued, “so she likely would have already passed them, besides, it’s the truth, is it not?” Marinda: “Truth is a precious thing to you, now isn’t it?” <><><> Original characters and story line belong to Alan Becker. This time we're taking a step towards Animation vs. Minecraft, while the mercenaries I think make it justifiable to consider AvA in story world. L. Bug isn't in this particular episode, but she is in my series. I don't entirely know where in the story line the episode will end, but we'll see. I will say, I do have names for each season, this one being Never Again if you have any predictions as to where that may lead. I will warn you, it is about Reed. Also, has anyone else dealt with Scratch thinking you used a bad word but there it nothing of the sort in your writing? It happens a lot to me and it's really annoying, honestly, but have a nice day.
