AvA6 Fanfic 2.0

This is simply a collection of the AvA6 fanfic I have been posting over the recent days. I hope you enjoy, but considering the comments I get on them, most people do.

Chapter 1: One New Problem, Two Old Friends (Purple)

It has been almost three years since what my friends call, The Battle for Minecraft. Personally, I know that day more for a different reason. That day was the day I found acceptance. I found five new friends, and a new father who genuinely loves me.

Ever since King Orange took me as his surrogate son, I’ve been so, so happy. In fact, I can’t think of a time when I’ve been happier. He’s caring, compassionate, and while he does push me, he doesn’t go over the line the way my biological father did. We have really grown to love each other, and it turns out he was deeply broken from the loss of a beloved family member, just like I was. We seem to be exactly what we need, and though I wouldn’t say we’re replacements for the ones we lost, we fit together like pieces in a puzzle. But above all, two things stand out to me about my adoptive father: he loves me for who I am, not for what I can do, and he came back for me when I needed it most. King has been everything I could ask for in a father, and far more of a father figure than Dark Blue ever was.

And then, my friends, I owe a lot to them, especially Green. He found something in me I couldn’t see in myself and set me on a better path, a path Mom would’ve wanted me on. He has quickly become my best friend, and he has been so welcoming, even despite what I did to him in a former life, before my redemption. I’m grateful for him, and the rest of the Gang. They forgave me and Dad, and I could not imagine my life without any of them in it. They have even called me a member of their family, which is something I cherish greatly. So when they came to my house in a frenzy, I knew I had to help them.

It started off as a normal day. Dad and I were outside sparring. We both enjoy practicing our fighting abilities, if only to keep on par with the Gang, and it turns out Dad is quite the skilled fighter, even after relinquishing his staff to Yellow.

“I’m gonna beat you today, Dad!” I said.

“I’d like to see you try!” he replied. I never have been able to beat him, though I have come close a number of times. He and I have gotten a lot better at our fighting skills since The Battle for Minecraft, but this time, he eventually pinned me down. “Nice try, kiddo.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as Dad helped me up. “I will get you one of these days, Dad.”

“I’m sure you will.” He said. He then paused, noticing something in the distance. “It looks like we have company.”

I turned around. “It looks like… the guys. But… Why are they coming this way? They usually arrive through the basement door.”

“I don’t know, Purple.” Dad said. I could hear them as they approached.

“There he is!” Red said.

“Thank the Animator they’re home.” Blue replied. I was quite puzzled. I am always happy to see them, but not to that degree.

“Purple! King! We… We need your help!” Green ran up to us first, completely out of breath.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down, buddy.” I put my hand on his back. “What’s wrong?” I noticed that two of them were missing. “Where’s Yellow? And SC?”

“They… captured… secret… company…” Red wheezed.

“Guys, guys, give yourselves a minute to catch your breath.” Dad told them. “They’re gone? Is that what I’m hearing?”

Blue was the first to recover. “Yes! Our friends are gone! They’ve been taken captive by some organization!”

“What?! W-W-Why?!” I stammered. I had to know who was taking my family away from me. I was not about to lose them.

“We have no idea.” Green answered. “All we know is we can’t rescue them, not by ourselves.”

“You two are great fighters.” Red added. “We need all the help we can get.”

“Dad, I have to do this. They’re my friends. They’re more than that, they’re my family.” My heart was set, but I was unsure if Dad would approve of me going on this adventure. Ever since he adopted me, he has been extremely protective of me, which I can understand because of the loss of his biological son, Gold, which I’d imagine still hurts. I know losing Mom still stings me whenever I think about her, and I know neither of us want to experience that pain again.

“Purple, if you’re going on this journey, then I’m coming with you. I’m not losing my son… Not again. Not without a fight.” Dad said.

“Daaaad,” I moaned, a little embarrassed at his overprotectiveness, but I still love him greatly. “Thanks.”

“Thank you both.” Green replied appreciatively.

“We know where they are.” Red explained.

“Follow us!” Blue shouted, bolting. We took off after him.

“Green, what do you know about this… Organization?” I asked.

“I don’t know much, aside from their logo.” Green explained. He handed me a drawing of the logo, a rocket ship.

“Wait… I know that brand. It’s RockeTech, they make and sell advanced technology.” Dad said.

“How do you know about it, Dad?” I asked.

“I saw one of their TVs one day. It was showing your friends which is how I found out about them, and it’s how I learned about who had the Minecraft Icon.” Dad replied. “In a way, it’s what started our adventure.”

“Wow.” Green said. “I didn’t realize until now.”

“How advanced is this… RockeTech?” I asked Dad.

“From what I have heard, they are obsessed with making the next big thing. Anything that can be imagined, they do whatever it takes to create it.” Dad answered. “Who knows what they are working on behind closed doors, especially if they’re kidnapping people.”

“I’d hate to know what’s going on in there to my friends.” Blue said.

“Is there anything else you know, Green?” I had to know.

“Well, a friend of ours, named Chosen, came to us, well SC, begging for help. From what I can tell, Chosen was trying to activate some kind of power within SC.” Green began.

“Wait, what? SC doesn’t have powers, does he?” I asked.

“No, not at all.” Red answered. He was running beside me, listening in. “At least, not to our knowledge. Do you think he could have powers, Green?”

“I doubt it.” Green responded. “If he did, why didn’t he use them before? Like when we were fighting against King? No offense.”

“None taken.” Dad replied. “If anyone deserved to be overpowered at that moment, it was you guys.”

“Anyway,” Red continued, “Chosen wouldn’t accept that. He essentially kidnapped SC and had him fight against some bounty hunters that were after him, or something like that.”

“We followed, but arrived too late to help.” Green added. “We saw these hunters take SC and Chosen away. We raced after them, and even tried a rescue attempt, but it went worse than we could’ve thought.”

“How so?” I wondered.

“We lost Yellow. My best friend…” Blue commented. I could see tears filling his eyes. “That’s when we came to you and your dad for help. We’ve seen them firsthand, and we realized we need a full team.”

“Well, as full as we can be,” Red said.

“I have to ask,” Dad said, “why do you call this ‘Chosen’ a friend when he kidnapped SC?”

“Oh, do we have a story to tell,” Green began, “but that might have to wait.”

“The simple answer: He saved us from a powerful virus, and a powerful enemy named The Dark Lord.” Red explained. “And he actually does have superpowers.”

“Sounds like we are going up against a real threat, if they can capture a superpowered stick figure.” I noted.

“Whatever comes, Purple, there’s one thing I promise you.” Dad said.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“If anyone wants to harm you, they’ll have to get through me first.”

“Thanks, Dad. I love you, too, and I’m not losing you, either.” We took off through the forest to save our friends... Our family.

Chapter 2: Yellow's Interrogation (victim)

As I watched the capture of the yellow stick figure from my office, I ignited the picture I had of Alan. “Finally, after 17 years,” I said to the burning photo, “revenge will be mine.” As it burned, I could not help but smile at the camera. These were the heroes trying to save their friend? How pathetic. How useless. What could these insignificant stick figures do against me and my technology?

It wasn’t long before Agent Shades came to my office with an update.

“Sir, the yellow stick is apprehended and imprisoned. He refuses to cooperate, however.”

“I am not surprised. Take me to his cell, I wish to talk to him personally. One way or another, he’ll be singing like a canary.” I ordered.

“Yes, sir.” Shades led me to Yellow’s jail, on the other side of the room from his orange friend’s. He was tied to a chair, unable to resist. I opened the door and closed it behind me.

“Hello, my little yellow friend.” I said. He looked up at me.

“Who are you? What do you want from me? And Chosen… and SC?” he demanded.

“Names are unimportant. What is important, however, is what you can do for me.” I replied.

“What is that?”

“My demands are simple: Recreate Alan’s cursor here, in the Outernet.”

“How do you know about Alan?”

“My, you are inquisitive, aren’t you?” I quipped sarcastically. “Let’s just say, Hollow-Heads like me have a history with him. That includes The Dark Lord, The Chosen One, and your orange friend… The Second Coming? Is that his name? How cliche. If you think either of them could stop me, you’re dumber than I thought.”

“Hey, Chosen stopped an army of Virabots and The Dark Lord!” Yellow retorted. “He could stop you in a heartbeat.” This answer proved to me he knows nothing about The Second Coming’s superpowers, and I intended to keep it that way.

“I doubt that. I diminished his superpowers and The Second Coming’s locked in a cage. Neither of them will be getting in my way.” I smirked. Yellow could not come up with a rebuttal. The coward was too busy trying to hold back tears. “Now, as I was saying, I need your tech knowledge to make Alan’s cursor.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Oh, my yellow friend, you should know better than to ask questions like that. You see, ‘The Second Coming’ is locked inside of an airtight box, and he’s only got a limited amount of air in there. I’d imagine he has an hour or two left, but that time is diminishing rapidly. Bring in the tube, boys!” My employees attached a tube to The Second Coming’s box. I showed the yellow stick a camera feed of his friend. “Do as I say, or else I will suck all of the oxygen out of that box, causing your friend to die a slow, painful death. I figure I can empty it in about five minutes. Are you going to be the cause of your friend’s suffocation?” The camera showed a hole being cut in the metal wall. The vacuum tube has a laser cutter on the end of it, and soon the hole was cut, “Begin sucking the air out.” I ordered, and my employees obeyed. The Second Coming banged on the walls in a panic. He knew what was going to happen to him.

“You monster!” the yellow stick rattled around in the chair. “I won’t let you hurt him!”

“Trust me, I'm not. I'm simply draining his life force."

"Let me go! Please!" he begged.

"Listen to me, and your friend will be breathing easy.” I told him. “You think you can beat a guy with four aces up his sleeves? Make the smart choice… Yellow.”

Yellow’s eyes widened with fear. “Alright! Alright! I’ll… do what you want.”

“You made the right choice.” I had my men turn off and unplug the vacuum from the hole. “I’ll leave that hole open. Your friend will be fine, assuming you don’t double-cross me.”

“You have my word.” Yellow promised. “Recreate Alan’s cursor?”

“Yes, but not here. A giant arrow will cause untold damage to my lab.” I answered. “Let’s go back to where it all began, the cliffside.”

“How do you know about that?”

“Let’s just say, I’ve done my research.” I opened the door, untied Yellow, and cuffed him. I then called my head man. “Agent Shades, keep an eye on The Second Coming. He must not be allowed to interfere.”

“Yes, sir. My men and I will make sure this one will not get in your way.” Agent Shades replied.

“I don’t know what you want from Alan, but you will be defeated. Power used for evil is powerless in the end.” Yellow protested.

“Oh, Yellow, how naive you are.” I said as I led him to the speeder bikes. “You misunderstand me. My fight is for justice.”

“What?!” Yellow’s eyes widened once more.

“This conversation bores me. Agent Shades, pause him. That will make him come quietly” I commanded.

“Yes, sir.” He did just that.

“Soon enough, Yellow, you will be a part of a great, great day.” I told his frozen body. “One that will be known as Alan Becker’s last.”

Chapter 3: Promises and Plans (King)

As Purple and I followed Red, Green, and Blue through a dense forest, thoughts surged through my mind, and most of them involved Purple in some way. As much as I didn’t want to, I couldn’t help but fear losing him, and I had just found him not too long ago. I decided to make a promise to myself… either I’m bringing him home with me once this adventure ends, or I’m going to die trying. Luckily for me, I knew I wasn’t alone. Purple and I have made some great friends that, throughout the years, have come to love us, just as we have come to love them.

While I can’t say I have the same level of connection with the Stick Gang as Purple does, I have grown quite fond of them. They have forgiven me for what I did to them and treat me as if it never happened. To them, our history is just that: history. It’s in the past, and even despite the unspeakable crimes I did to them because of my grief, pain and tragedy, they were willing to start over with me, just as Purple has. I am so grateful for them, not only are they great friends of my new son, but also great friends of mine, and thanks to them and Purple, my once shattered heart has mended greatly, although I will never forget the loss of my son.

We soon approached the factory, and I saw the RockeTech logo imprinted on its side.

“This is it.” Blue said. “This is where Yellow was kidnapped.”

“Wait… Oh, no. Guys, get down, quickly!” I ordered. I had seen someone leaving the building, and I knew we could not get found. I barely peeked out from the bushes. “I see someone riding on a speeder bike.”

“What do they look like?” Green asked, quietly.

“They look like SC, with that general shape and design except this one isn’t orange.” I explained. “He’s sort of dark gray or black, it’s hard to tell from this far.”

“Looking like SC… but a dark shade?” Red wondered. “There’s no way that’s Chosen, could it?”

“Wait, wait… That’s Yellow! He’s on the backseat!” Purple claimed.

“Shh! Be careful, kiddo.” I hushed. “But, you’re right. Yellow is on the back of that bike.”

“Yellow’s there? I have to follow him!” Blue said.

“Careful, Blue. We don’t know what we’re dealing with.” Green said. “I mean, it might be Chosen, but why would he be riding a speeder bike? He does look vaguely familiar, though.” This mysterious figure flew away into the distance.

“It could be someone else, maybe.” Red suggested. “Was it one of the bounty hunters?”

“It didn’t look like it,” Green answered. “I have no idea who it could be.”

“Either way, there is something I do know. I’m getting my best friend back.” Blue said, determined.

“Blue, you can’t take on whoever that is on your own.” Purple replied.

“He’s right. I’m coming with you.” Red piped up. “You three, rescue SC. Blue and I will chase Yellow down.”

“Are you sure, kids?” I asked.

“No, but we’re not leaving him in the hands of… whoever that is.” Blue determined. He took off after them, with Red following right behind. We three secondary-colored sticks remained.

“Guys, we can’t go for a full-on assault.” Green suggested. “We tried that earlier and lost Yellow. No, we need to be stealthier. Maybe there’s a blind spot in one of these cameras around this building.”

“I suppose it’s possible.” Purple added. “Dad and I will circle the building this way, you go the other way, and let us know what you find when we meet in the middle.”

“You got it, bro.”

“And stay hidden. We can’t be losing any more than we already have.” I ordered.

“Absolutely, King.” Green went to the left, Purple and I went to the right, scanning the building carefully while staying as concealed as possible.

“Man, they are big on security.” Purple noted. “It seems like every square inch on and around the building is under surveillance.”

“Must be a security freak, emphasis on the ‘freak.’” I added. “Either that or they want to make sure their secrets don’t get exposed.”

“I’d imagine it’s the latter.” Purple said.

“I agree.”

We soon met up with Green on the other side.

“No luck. There are so many cameras you’d think the parking lot was on TV.” Green informed us.

“Same for us. There seems to be no way to get in without getting seen.” Purple explained.

“We can’t risk getting caught.” I reminded them. “There has to be some other way to get inside, but how?”

That was the question we had to answer. How?

Chapter 4: Sneaky Squad of Secondaries (Green)

Purple, King, and I seemed to have reached a dead end. There was no obvious way of sneaking into RockeTech’s building. The three of us racked our brains, attempting to come up with any way to get inside and rescue SC. King then turned to his son.

“Hang on… Purple, do you still have your elytra?” he asked.

“Not my original elytra, but I do have another pair from a visit with the guys. What are you getting at, Dad?”

“If the ground is being watched…” King began, “who is covering the skies?”

“You think there is a way to sneak in from the roof?” I asked.

“It’s worth a shot. Maybe they have a ventilation system that leads through the building.” King figured.

“I have a bunch of fireworks.” Purple said, applying his elytra to his back. “Grab on.” He grabbed a handful of fireworks and, as we grabbed hold of his legs, he shot himself and us upward. He then floated to the roof. King and I let go, and Purple dropped.

“King, you were right!” I pointed out. “There’s an air vent up here.”

“Can you open it, Dad?” Purple asked.

“I can try, though I could use some help.”

“Sure thing.” I said. Purple joined me and King and the three of us ripped the vent off the tube.

“Yikes, it’s a little tight. Can you fit, Dad?” Purple asked.

“I am going to make myself fit, even if I don’t.” King answered. “You and Green go first, and keep it quiet. We can’t give ourselves away, and this tube will likely echo.” I hopped into the tube, Purple followed, then King, and though it looked like a tight squeeze, he was able to fit.

“Now it’s just a matter of finding SC.” I whispered. It wasn’t easy, navigating a maze of A/C vents without a map, and though it took a while, we found what seemed to be containment cells. We peeked through a vent grate into a large room, its striking feature being a large white cube in the center with a frozen black stick figure within.

“Guys, look! Someone’s in that box!” Purple whispered.

“That’s Chosen, alright.” I said.

“Wait… if that’s Chosen, who kidnapped Yellow and flew off with him?” King wondered. “He looked just like him, even with a similar color to Chosen, at least from afar.”

“I have no clue, King.” I admitted. “Perhaps it’s the boss, the head of this company.”

“That is conceivable.” Purple noted. He then saw some more stick figures surrounding a steel cube. “Who are those?”

“That dude with the sunglasses… he was the one to give us a ‘warm welcome’ when we first arrived.” I explained. “We got our butts kicked and knocked unconscious. We can’t go up against him. We’d get imprisoned for sure.”

“It looks like he has friends as well.” King added. I saw three other figures around him, all of whom I caught passing glances of when they flew away after kidnapping SC. “Whatever they’re containing in that box must be a high priority.”

“You think it’s SC?” Purple asked.

“If it is, why would they slam steel walls around him?” King posed. “That seems a little extreme.”

“I mean, he’s a good fighter, sure, but a simple jail cell could contain him.” I said.

“Shh! Something is happening!” King shushed me and Purple. The sunglasses-clad began talking on what I presume is an earphone or something like that.

“Shades here…” He paused. “Yes, sir. We’re on our way.” He paused. “Yes, sir. I will do that immediately.” He hung up. “Men, Vic has given us orders. We are to rendezvous at his coordinates immediately.”

“Yes, sir.” the other three members said in unison.

“Vic?” Purple pondered. “Is that the mastermind behind this?”

“Do you know anything about this ‘Vic,’ Green?” King asked.

“No, I don’t. I’ve never heard the name before.” I replied.

“Attention workers,” the stick wearing sunglasses boomed over an intercom. “I need as many of you as possible to the containment cells. The orange one’s cage is to be monitored at all times. No one should be allowed near it.”

“The orange one?!” I gasped. Purple had to cover my mouth to prevent me from shouting and revealing ourselves prematurely.

“They don’t mean SC, do they? Why would SC be under that kind of lockdown?” Purple asked. “Is it possible that he does have superpowers?”

“I am starting to believe that is the case more and more.” King admitted. “Why he never used them against me… that I cannot explain.”

“Has he ever mentioned having powers, Green?” Purple asked. “You’re his best friend. Surely you would know.”

“He’s never said anything to me about it.” I confessed. “He might’ve told someone else, but I doubt it. There are no secrets between us.” King had to reel us in before we got caught.

“OK OK, let’s back up. Suppose SC does have powers. Does he even know about them? It would be hard to use them if he doesn’t know they exist.” This gave Purple and me pause.

“That makes the most sense logically.” Purple said after a moment. “But then, how do these guys know about his powers if SC doesn’t know about them himself?” I had so many questions coursing through my mind, but even despite this, I knew what we had to do.

“Well, secret, unknown superpowers or not, if these hunters are leaving, we have a legit shot at saving our friend.” I said.

“He’s right. If we are going to do anything, we had better do it now.” Purple insisted. King nodded, and I agreed as well. If these hunters were leaving, our opportunity was coming.

Chapter 5: Seeing Red... or Not (Third Person)

Victim soon arrived with Yellow at the cliffside where the iconic fight between The Dark Lord and The Chosen One took place. He parked his speeder bike on the ground nearby, grabbed the paused Yellow and took him inside the shack. Yellow was then un-paused.

“What? Where am I?” Yellow asked. He looked around, taking in his surroundings.

“This place should be familiar to you, Yellow.” victim answered coldly. “Chosen One vs. Dark Lord. You brought Alan into this world here, and you will do the same thing again for me.”

“First, is SC alright?”

“I figured you’d ask that.” victim rolled his eyes. Using his arm gadgets, he showed Yellow a camera feed of the inside of SC’s cell, the orange stick lying motionless.

“He’s not moving,” Yellow expressed concern for him. Victim called Agent Shades.

“Shades, wake up our Sleeping Beauty.” he ordered.

“Yes, sir.” At the containment cells, Shades took his baton and clanged it loudly outside the cell, jolting SC awake.

“You see? Perfectly fine, now if you want to keep it that way, you’ll make that cursor.” Yellow sighed resignedly, knowing that if he doesn't, SC will meet his demise.

“I’ll get right on it.” He began typing away at The Dark Lord’s computer. Victim smiled eagerly.

Outside, Blue and Red reached the shed, hiding in the thick brush surrounding it.

“Blue…” Red said breathlessly. “I need a break.”

“OK fine, just stay down, Red. I’m going to see if I can get a look at whoever took Yellow away.” Blue tried sneaking through the brush but his attention became captured by the creation of Alan’s cursor in the sky. “What the heck is happening?”

“Wait, is Yellow… recreating Alan’s arrow?” Red asked.

“It looks like it.” Blue answered. “But why? What does this guy want with Alan? And how does he know about him?”

“Alan’s in danger! We’ve got to save him!” Red said worriedly. “Blue, let me sock someone in the face, please!”

“You will, but not yet. I’ve got a plan. Follow me.” Blue led Red through the brush and behind the shack, making sure to keep him and Red out of sight. They crouched down behind the shack.

“OK, Blue, what’s your plan?” Red asked, quietly and anxiously.

“This.” He pulled out a potion from behind his back and handed it to Red. He then pulled out two more potions, one a splash potion and another regular, and handed the regular one to Red.

“What are these?”

“Potions of strength and swiftness.” Blue answered. “Here’s what you’re gonna do, Red. Drink these and then attack. Punch that guy as hard as you possibly can, grab Yellow, and return here. This splash potion is an invis potion. Once you give me the signal, shout my name or something, I’ll use this on us. This will turn all three of us invisible and we should be able to escape into the forest. Once we all turn invisible, make a beeline for the RockeTech factory.”

“Got it. What’s the swiftness potion for?” Red asked.

“To get a better drop on whoever that is.” Blue replied. “It’s hard to react to something with enhanced speed. With this speed, you will outpace me, but once the invis potion wears off, stop where you are. I’ll catch up.”

“Gotcha.” Red affirmed. He chugged both potions. “Let’s do this thing.”

Red charged the shed and burst through the door, catching both victim and Yellow by surprise. Without warning, he punched victim in the face, knocking him through the open hole The Chosen One made when he socked The Dark Lord.

“C’mon, Yellow! We’ve gotta go!” Red grabbed Yellow’s hand and forced him away. “Now, Blue!” Blue joined them and slammed the invis potion on the ground, turning all three primaries invisible. They sprinted away, deeper into the woods.

Victim, a bit woozy, got up and checked the progress of Alan’s cursor recreation. Without anyone to finish programming it, however, he could only watch helplessly as the arrow faded.

“No, no, NO!” he shouted, returning to the shack and pounding the table in anger. He burst through the door and looked around, but he could see no sign of Yellow nor the red stick who punched him in the face. He sighed deeply. “I guess it’s time to say goodbye to…” He paused, noticing something in the sky. “Hang on…” Using the magnifying glass tool, he zoomed in on the sky. “Hmm… it looks like I don’t need Yellow after all.” He called the Mercenaries through his ear phone.

“Shades here.”

“Agent Shades, I want you and the Mercs to meet me at my coordinates immediately. We have a new target.”

“Yes, sir. We’re on our way.”

“The building will have company. I want every available man we have protecting The Second Coming’s cage. He will have no part to play in this story.”

“Yes, sir. I will do that immediately.” victim hung up and gazed at the sky.

“You mistreated me, tormented me, tried to delete me. After I get through with you, Alan, you are going to wish you never grabbed that mouse in the first place.”

Chapter 6: A Lion Unleashed (King)

Purple, Green, and I waited in the vents for these bounty hunters to leave. It was not long until dozens of gray stick figures surrounded them.

“Sir,” I heard the pixelated one say, “do you think these randoms can handle the ‘company’ victim described?”

“No, not in the slightest, but we have orders to follow and a paycheck to collect.” the sunglass-clad hunter replied. He then spoke to the gray guys. “Now, no one without authorization should be allowed near this cell. You got it?”

“Yes, sir.” the gray sticks replied in unison.

“Men, to the bikes.” Sunglasses guy led the other three away.

“Now’s our chance to break SC out.” Green said.

“There’s a vent on the other side.” Purple noticed. “We can literally get the drop on these suckers.”

“Lead the way.” I said. The three of us carefully and quietly crawled through the vent until we were right over SC’s cage. “Give me some room, guys. I’m kicking this vent down.” With all of the lower body strength I had, I kicked the vent open, the grate landing on someone’s head, and we dropped right in the middle of a circle of gray stick figures.

“Halt!” one of them said. “You cannot be allowed here.”

“And you are not allowed to kidnap my friends.” Green answered tersely.

“Green? Is that you?” came a voice from inside the box.

“SC? Yes, it’s me, Green. Purple and King are here, too.”

“But we kinda got our hands full with your captors,” Purple said.

“Pick your targets, fellas.” I ordered. “These guys shouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Get ‘em, boys!” another gray stick figure shouted. They attacked. We were able to fend them off at first, but we clearly underestimated their sheer numbers. I was pinned down by over a half-dozen of them.

“Green! Dad! Help!” Purple cried.

“I can’t, Purple! There are too many!” Green answered. Despite the fact I was surrounded by adversaries, I looked up and saw Purple trying to free himself from these workers. I was reminded of Gold, and at that moment, something awakened within me.

“No one… threatens… MY SON!” I roared. I suddenly stood up, knocking everyone off me, and began punching, kicking, and choking every single gray stick figure I could. I grabbed someone’s leg and threw them at Purple’s aggressors, knocking them off of him, and then I freed Green. “You will PAY for attacking my family!!” I could barely see what I was doing, literally blinded by rage, but I knew I wasn’t losing Purple. Panting heavily and angrily, I clocked one last one in the face, knocking him unconscious with the others, who were scattered around my feet. “WHO’S NEXT?!”

“D-Dad?” I heard a small, terrified voice stammer. I turned around and saw my son, his eyes wide with fear. I had never seen him this scared before, not even when he stood up to me and got blasted by my black hole beam or even when he disappeared within it. He’s a tough kid, so seeing him with such terror in his eyes and hearing it in his voice shook me to my core. With that one glance, my anger immediately dissipated and I ran to him.

“Purple!” I embraced him, tears streaming down my face. “What have I done? What did I do to you? What happened to me?”

“Dad, Dad, it’s OK… It’s OK…” he hugged me back. “I’ve just… never seen you that enraged before.”

“Yeah, I never would’ve believed it if I didn’t see it for myself. What happened to you?” Green asked. I took a deep breath and wiped the tears off my face.

“Let’s free SC first and then I’ll tell you.” I said.

“Oh my gosh, SC? Are you OK in there?” Green asked, quickly finding a hole in the wall, presumably for breathing.

“I’m unharmed, just a little claustrophobic.” SC replied. “What happened out there?”

“We’ll tell you shortly, but as for now, how do we get you out of here?” Purple asked.

“There’s a sort of button or scanner on the door. Hopefully that will open these steel walls.”

“I found it!” I said, and I pressed it. Surprisingly, it worked, and SC bolted out of his cage.

“Guys!” SC cheered.

“SC!” We all said in unison. Purple, Green, and I hugged him, happy to be reunited.

“I have never been so happy to see you guys! But, where are the others?” SC asked.

“Blue and Red went to rescue Yellow.” Green answered.

“Wait, Yellow was kidnapped, too?” SC asked, horrified.

“Yes.” Purple replied. “Hopefully they’re safe, but Dad, I have to know… What was that?”

“Yes, all these bodies around us, are they dead?” SC asked, a little horrified.

“They have a pulse,” Green said, crouching down. “They should be fine in a while. But, King… what happened to you? You just… went berserk, like an anime character. Not to mention your voice dropped several octaves.”

“Yes, I should explain myself to you guys. I… I saw you as Gold, Purple, and I couldn’t have a repeat of what happened to him. I can’t explain fully, but, for the lack of a better word I… I snapped. I felt things I haven’t felt since the moments after I lost Gold, and I attacked these people like those poor developers I assaulted on that night.” I explained sheepishly. Assaulting those developers was far from my proudest moment, and even today I am guilt-ridden about it.

I continued, “At that time, I was severely distraught from Gold’s death. He was my son, my life, my world, and I lashed out. I lashed out then, and that’s what I did now. I know you roll your eyes, moan, and sometimes scoff at my overprotectiveness, Purple, but I want you to know this: it all comes from a source of real, undying, unceasing love for you. You mean the world to me, and I’m not letting anything or anyone take you away from me.”

“Dad…” I could see the tears filling Purple’s eyes. “I love you too. You mean so much to me, and I apologize if I have been disrespectful.”

“It’s totally fine, kiddo.” I replied. “At this moment, I’m just glad you’re OK. I can’t fathom losing you.” I hugged him again, this time even tighter.

“Nor I you, Dad.” Purple said. I closed my eyes and let tears flow like a waterfall down my face.

“Green, are you crying?” I heard SC say.

“I’m not crying, you’re crying.” Green snapped, but I could tell from his tone that he was crying.

“I never knew about this inner lion of yours.” SC commented, drying his eyes. Purple looked up at me and nodded in agreement. “I never knew how much we had in common.” I looked up at SC and cleaned my tear-stained face.

“What do you mean, SC?” I asked.

“We both fight for our families, and fight with everything we’ve got.”

“Yes.” I nodded in agreement. “Mess with Purple, you get the lion. But for now, we need to find the primaries. I just hope they didn’t get caught.”

“Wait! We have to save Chosen first!” SC said.

“How do we open his cell?” Green pondered.

“There’s a control panel in front of the box.” I noticed. “I’ve used a Command Block Staff with ease. I’ll see what I can do with it.”

I got to work on the panel, but the news I was about to hear from my friends struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Chapter 7: A Power Revealed (The Second Coming)

I was locked in my cage, fearing for my life, until Green, Purple, and King came for me. I have never been happier to see my secondary-colored counterparts, but seeing the unconscious bodies around them gave me unease. From what King told me, he went to town on those people, mostly because Purple was threatened. I’ll make sure to stay on his good side, as well as Purple’s. Then again, after the things I saw earlier, maybe they should stay on my good side instead.

I had to explain my powers to my friends. They had to know.

“Guys, I need to tell you something, and this will blow your minds.” I expressed, a little nervous.

“Of course, SC.” Purple said.

“Are you OK, bro? You seem a little uneasy.” Green asked.

“I am uneasy.” I replied. “I saw something and I learned something about myself.”

“What is it?” King wanted to know.

“I have some sort of hidden power inside of me.” I explained. I was not surprised by Green’s, Purple’s, and King’s shocked expressions.

“No way…” That was all Green could muster.

“You’re kidding.” Purple said.

“Dead serious.” I replied. “There’s something within me, and I don’t know how to activate or control it.”

“Dad… that belief of yours was right.” Purple turned around and faced his dad.

“I never thought I would be.” King shook his head in disbelief. “How do you know this, SC?”

“I saw a screen, some sort of projection showing me and The Dark Lord.”

“Yeah, Green was telling us about him.” Purple noted. “You claimed that Chosen defeated him, Green.”

“I always assumed it.” Green admitted. “All I remember is getting a giant blade driven through my neck, and then waking up, embracing Red, and then seeing SC get carried to us by Alan.”

“Don’t blame him, Purple. I don’t even remember what happened.” I confessed. “For whatever reason, Chosen bowed before me. I didn’t know why, I just shrugged and went home with my friends.”

“What do you remember, SC?” King asked.

“I remember watching The Dark Lord drive his sword through my friends’ bodies, watching them disintegrate right before my eyes, and then through mine. He cut me repeatedly and threw me against the cliffside. I thought I was dead, but the next thing I know, I am waking up and seeing my friends over me. You can imagine my shock seeing them after witnessing their deaths.”

“Wow, that’s insane.” Purple said, stunned. “So what are your powers?”

“Well, I can fly, shoot green lasers from my eyes, and evidently revive my friends.” I answered, smiling at Green. “I might have more, but that’s all I saw.”

“Now I feel lucky to be alive.” King confessed. “I don’t think I could’ve survived a shot from laser vision.”

“Probably not.” I admitted. “I killed The Dark Lord… I cannot wrap my head around that. Me… a murderer… I destroyed him…” I can’t explain why, but this thought made me drop to my knees.

“You were protecting your friends, SC.” Purple said, putting a hand on my back. “You’re a hero, not a killer.”

“Plus, did you see the number of ViraBots at The Dark Lord’s command?” Green asked. “With all those, he might’ve been able to infect every website, maybe even every computer with them. You saved the world, SC. You did a great thing.”

“Don’t feel guilty about it, SC.” even King came over to comfort me. “You did the right thing and saved your friends, and from the sounds of it, the world as well. I don’t have that excuse when I tried destroying Minecraft. I was broken, grieving, and vengeful, but if I can find healing and peace despite what I did–thanks to my family and friends–I know you can do the same with that same group of people surrounding you.” I paused and reflected on my friends’ words.

“Thanks, guys.” I said. King helped me up and then returned to the panel. “I guess that explains why Chosen came to us. He was there. He must’ve witnessed me using them and tried to get me to activate them again.”

“He must’ve never had the chance to tell you about them before we left with Alan.” Green figured.

“How were you able to see these powers?” Purple asked.

“Maybe your friend Chosen has some answers.” King responded. “It wasn’t easy, whoever designed this has a lot of computer knowledge, but I’ve managed to un-pause him and get the door open.” The four of us walked around to the open door of the box.

“What’s going on? Where am I?” Chosen asked. He then noticed me and my friends. “The Second Coming?”

“Wow, I’m not used to hearing my full name.” I answered. “I’m glad to see you’re OK.”

“Yeah, thanks. The Second Coming, you have no idea what power is within you!” Chosen began, a bit frantic.

“Uh, guys, these workers are waking up.” Purple said.

“Oh no… we gotta get out of here before they lock the factory down.” Chosen ordered.

“Wait, we need something else!” I shouted.

“SC, what could be more important than the primaries?” King asked.

“A weapon that could be of use: the Flash Pen.” I said. “Chosen, it’s down the hall. We’ll grab it quickly and get outta here.” I could tell my friends were skeptical, but I was insistent. I figured we could escape with Chosen’s flying abilities and speed.

“OK, The Second Coming. Grab onto my legs, guys!” Chosen ignited his fists and lifted himself upward.

“Hope you guys have great upper body strength!” I shouted to Green, Purple, and King.

“We do, trust us.” King replied.

“That way!” I pointed to a nearby hallway. We found a couple of workers still experimenting with the pen. After knocking them out with ease, I grabbed the pen.

“I got it! Let’s get outta here!”

I didn’t realize someone saw us and hurried to lock down the factory.

Chapter 8: Reddy Bear (Yellow)

I have no idea what happened. It was all a blur. All I know is I was helping the boss against my will, and suddenly Red swooped in, freed me, and was carrying me into the forest. He seemed faster than usual, but I wasn’t complaining. I was more in shock than anything, my brain unable to fully take it in until a few minutes later, when the invis potion wore off. Thankfully, by then, we were deep into the forest and from what I could tell, we were not followed, but we still hid ourselves in the dense brush to be safe.

After getting a safe distance from the cliff, we celebrated our reunion.

“Yellow!” Red said, setting me down.

“Red!” I hugged him, and he hugged me back. “I’m so happy to see you! Where are the others?”

“They’re at the factory working to free SC.” Red answered. “Blue is coming soon, don’t you worry about that. I had one of his swiftness potions.”

“I hope SC’s free. That guy was blackmailing me into helping him.”

“How? Why? Wait, Yellow, you’ve got to fill me in.” Red insisted.

“I will, I will, but I want to wait for Blue.” I said.

“Oh, for sure.”

“You know, Red, what you did for me was incredible. What a punch!”

“He deserved it for messing with you.” Red replied humbly.

“Thank you for rescuing me.”

“You’re welcome. You know I’d do anything for my family, Yellow.”

“And that’s what I love about you, Red. You fight like a bear, but you’re a softie at heart.”

“Thanks, buddy.”

“One might say, you’re a real Reddy Bear.” I joked. Red’s face turned from cranberry red to fire engine red to hot pink in mere seconds.

“Yellow…” Red moaned. “I just hope Blue didn’t hear that.”

“Didn’t hear what?” Blue emerged from the bushes. “Yellow!”

“Blue!” I hugged him. “I’m so glad to properly see you!”

“Same here, buddy. What did I miss?”

“Not much, outside of Red’s new nickname I gave him.” I smiled.

“Oh, jeez…” Red looked like he wanted to shrivel up and die.

“What is it?” Blue asked eagerly.

“Reddy Bear.”

“Yellow, you are this close to going back to that boss.” Red threatened.

“I don’t know, Red. I kinda like it. It suits you quite well, I think.” Blue said. “It incorporates your love for animals as well as your love for us.” Red calmed down and gave it a second thought.

“Guys, we gotta meet back up with our friends… I assume.” I suggested.

“Not yet! Get down, quick!” Blue ushered us down.

“What do you see?” Red asked.

“Several floating speeder bikes coming straight toward us.” Blue whispered. “I don’t think the drivers noticed us, thankfully.”

We stayed down until he couldn’t hear them any more. When the coast was clear, we broke for the factory, where the Secondaries were, evidently.

On the way, Red asked me, “But, Yellow, what did that guy want with you?”

“And Alan, evidently. We saw you creating his cursor.” Blue noted.

“Yeah, I need to fill you guys in. I don’t know much, but here’s what I do know. That guy has some sort of history with Alan, but he didn’t tell me what it was.”

“Did he tell you his name?” Blue asked.

“No, he never did.” I responded.

“What was he asking of you?” Red said.

“He wanted me to recreate Alan’s cursor. If I didn’t, he would’ve suffocated SC, so I had no choice. He took me here and I got to work, because I knew what was going to happen if I didn’t. That’s when you showed up, Red, and saved me.”

“You got that right, Yellow.” Red smirked. “But, above all, I’m just happy you’re safe.”

“Thanks, Reddy Bear.” I joked. Red gave me a look, but he couldn’t help but smile. He’s got a great sense of humor and can take a joke quite well. “Anyway, there’s something else you guys should know. This boss claimed that he’s not the only one who knows Alan. He said that he, SC, Chosen, even The Dark Lord have some sort of ‘history’ with him.”

“Weird. What do you think he means by that?” Red asked.

“Well, he could be blowing smoke,” I reasoned, “or he could be serious. Considering he knew Alan’s name, I think he was serious about it.”

“What kind of history do you think it is?” Blue wondered. “Were they friends? Foes? Neutral?”

“That had been on my mind for a while.” I answered. “He claimed to fight for justice, but I question what he means by that. Even more questions arise when I think of the other three he mentioned, Chosen, SC, The Dark Lord…”

“The Dark Lord?” Red asked. “How would Alan know him?”

“He could be referring to when Alan and Chosen fought against him.” Blue suggested.

“Perhaps Chosen and SC have some answers.” I offered. “Assuming we can reunite with them and the others. All I know is my head is spinning. It’s so wild.”

“Indeed it is, buddy.” Red agreed. “But we’ll get some answers, I promise you that.”

“Thanks…” I looked at him.

“Don’t say it.” Red gave me a look.

“Reddy Bear.” I finished. Blue laughed. Red smiled and just shrugged it off. I think he was slowly warming up to it, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

"I just hope we can find the Secondaries." Blue said.

"You and me both, buddy." I agreed.

"Regardless, I know I won't stop until I find them." Red said determinedly.

"We won't either, Red." Blue affirmed. "We'll find them... no matter what."

Chapter 9: Victim's Victorious Vengeance (victim)

I waited for my Mercenaries to arrive at the shed. This was it, now was my time. I was going to get revenge against the one who tormented me all those years ago, and nothing was going to stop me. Everyone was gone. Alan was alone, like a lamb for the slaughter.

The hunters arrived after some time. Shades walked up to me first.

“You called us, Sir?”

“Yes I did, Shades. You see that hole in the sky?” I pointed at it. He used his magnifying glass and zoomed in on the sky.

“Yes I do, Sir.”

“That, that is the gateway to ALANSPC.” I told him. “And even better, none of his friends are there to protect him. I want you and the other Mercs to get on your bikes to cover the entrance. No one gets in after I do, and only I get out. You got it?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“If this mission is successful, you can be guaranteed several more zeroes on that paycheck of yours.”

“Will those zeroes be before or after the decimal point, Sir?”

“Before, obviously.” I answered. “And for extra measure, if anyone tries getting in, shoot them on sight. Any casualties you four cause will multiply each of your checks by that number.”

“My men and I like what we’re hearing, Sir.”

“I figured you would. This plan will not fail, and if it does, well, you don’t want to know what I will do to you if that happens.”

“You realize you’re outnumbered, right, boss?” Ballista asked.

“Are you threatening me, shorty?” I asked. “I would strangle you right now if I didn’t need you.” I whipped out my lasso and swung it in a circle.

“Stand down, Ballista.” Pedestrian said.

“We will not fail, Sir.” CaveStick affirmed.

“You had better not.” I threatened. “I expect you four to have company. Those lackeys I employ are next to useless, so I would not be surprised if my younger brothers are freed. If you see either of them, concentrate fire on them and them alone. They are the #1 targets, especially the orange one. You’ve seen what he can do, and I believe him to be the only one who is powerful enough to stop me. Whoever kills him will receive a significant bonus to their check.”

“Say less, Sir.” Shades said. “You are speaking our language, but what about the one you sent us for, The Chosen One?”

“He is also a high priority, though not as high as the orange one. If he dies, well, call it an ‘accidental’ casualty. Your bonus for killing him will not be as high, but will be quite valuable nonetheless. The other solid-headed sticks are a joke, they are no match for us.”

“You got it, Sir. This sounds like a massive payday to us.”

“It’ll be worth it. You cannot put a price tag on what I am about to achieve, Shades. I have been plotting this for the last decade and a half, my entire life has been leading to this moment. Money doesn’t satisfy the way ice cold revenge does.”

“Sir, I like the way you’re thinking.” Shades complimented.

“Being a suck up won’t get you more cash. Now, get to your bikes. I’m not waiting a second longer for this.”

“Immediately, Sir. Men, bikes, now!” He ushered the other hunters to their bikes, and I grabbed my own. We all flew to the hole.

“You four remember your mission?”

“Yes, Sir.” they said in unison.

“Don’t fail me. Otherwise, you will be losing more than your payment. FAR more.”

“We understand, Sir.” Shades said.

“Good. I’ll be back.” I piloted my bike through the hole, leaving the hunters behind. “Today… Today shall be known as… Victim’s Victorious Vengeance! 17 years ago, you left me for dead, Alan. Now, you’re going to be lucky if I do the same to you.”

Chapter 10: The Remorseful One (The Chosen One)

I don’t remember anything after the interrogation. I think I got paused afterward or something, but I do remember seeing The Second Coming rescuing me and guiding me to a giant pencil. After he grabbed it, I flew off with him and his friends, my rescuers, holding on to me. I soon found an exit, only for it to be blocked by a steel wall.

“Crap. The factory is on lockdown.” I said.

“Surely you can cut through this, right?” The Second Coming asked. “With your laser vision or something.”

“I cannot. I’m sorry.” I replied, dejected.

“What?” The Second Coming was stunned. I knew, however, I didn’t have time to explain.

“How did you guys get in? Maybe we can get out the same way.” I asked the others.

“There’s a vent system above SC’s cage.” Green answered. “We can hopefully use that.”

“No time to navigate a maze of tubes! I got this.” The Second Coming raised the pencil he got. “I’m letting go of you, Chosen. I need to draw us an escape.” He dropped to the floor, Green along with him, and drew a laser cutter. With it, he cut a circle in the wall big enough for all of us to escape.

“SC, coming in clutch!” the purple stick cheered.

“Now, we need to reunite with the others.” The Second Coming said. “Which way did they go?”

“That way!” Green pointed.

“Grab on, everyone!” I ordered.

“And stay low. We cannot risk getting spotted.” the tall orange stick suggested. He and the others formed a chain and I took off.

“So wait, Chosen, what were you talking about earlier? About your laser vision?” The Second Coming asked. It pained me to admit it, but I had no choice.

“That box that they locked me in… it took away my powers.” I answered.

“What happened to you?” The Second Coming wondered. He seemed genuinely concerned about me.

“I don’t know fully, but here’s what I remember. I tried breaking out of the box, with both my pyrokinesis and my laser vision, but when I tried using them, they got diminished. I think that box has power-altering properties, which would explain why I got pummeled so easily.” I elaborated.

“No way, dude.” Green was shocked. “Who did that to you? What happened to you?”

“I’m not sure, he never told me, but he looked just like me, except dark gray instead of black. Regardless, he began tossing me around like a ragdoll, punching, kicking, even kneeing me right in the stomach. I could barely react, he seemed to make himself stronger, faster, invisible, he even cloned himself at one point and read my memories.”

“That is just unfair.” the purple stick noted.

“Indeed, but The Second Coming, you came to my rescue.”

“Of course, buddy.” The Second Coming replied. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be here. What did they do to you?”

“They caged me, and then brought me out to use the pen. When I demonstrated how it works, they decided to lock me back up since my creations come to life. That’s when I saw your memories, Chosen. I know about my powers.”

“I… I never got a chance to tell you before.” I confessed.

“It’s OK, buddy. Anyway, I fear the boss knows about them, too, which would explain why I got put in lockdown. They could’ve killed me, but for whatever reason, I’m still here.” The Second Coming stopped. He must’ve noticed my remorseful look. “Chosen? Are you OK?”

“I blame myself for all this, Second Coming. If I hadn’t shown up and dragged you into my mess, this never would’ve happened. I threatened the life of my own hero, all because I assumed you could use your powers. What does that make me?” I paused for a moment. “I… I’m no hero. Heroes don’t endanger others because of their own troubles. I’m sorry.”

“Chosen, my friend, there’s no need to apologize. It’s totally fine. You needed help, and I would’ve helped you regardless.” The Second Coming said.

“Chosen, you should hear my history with SC.” the tall orange stick chimed in. “I practically killed him and his friends, and yet they still call me a friend.”

“They’re good guys.” the purple stick added. “You’re blessed to have them in your life.” I paused, and I realized he was right. I truly am blessed. He came for me, even after I kidnapped him, and he and his friends seemed to care for me. It felt refreshing to interact with… my friends. I breathed deeply.

“Thanks… uh… I never got your name.”

“Purple, and this is my dad, King Orange, or King.”

“Nice to meet you both.” I said.

“Same here.” King replied.

“So… what did the boss want with you?” Purple asked.

“He wanted to know the whereabouts of my creator, Alan Becker.” I explained.

“Wait… Alan’s your creator?” The Second Coming sounded surprised.

“Yeah,” I replied, “Why do you ask?”

“Guys, look!” King shouted. “The primaries!”

“Chosen, descend. Our family will be whole once more.” The Second Coming directed.

“I suppose we could use the help, even though I don’t think we’ll need it with you on our side.” I replied, slowly descending.

“About that… I’ll explain all of it as soon as I can.” The Second Coming said.

“Do it sooner than later, bro.” Green ordered. “The primaries need to know about this.”

“I will, Green.” The Second Coming promised. I lowered enough for everyone to let go, and we all dropped harmlessly to the ground.

Chapter 11: Backstories and Revelations (The Second Coming)

After being imprisoned and fearing I would never see my friends again, I was broken out and then reunited with all of them. The entire Rainbow Squad, King, and Chosen were all together, and I have never been more overjoyed to see them.

“Guys!” I shouted excitedly at the primaries, tears of joy filling my eyes.

“SC!” They cheered back. They embraced me. Green and Purple joined the hug.

“I am so happy to see you all made it out.” Red said.

“Indeed, SC.” Yellow agreed. “I feared for your life.”

“King, Chosen, won’t you join us?” Green asked.

“Absolutely, kids.” King embraced the tangled mess that was the six of us.

“I’m not much of a hugger, but I admit, I could use it right about now.” Chosen joined us as well.

After detangling ourselves, Blue spoke up, saying, “Guys, do we have news for you.”

“We do as well, Blue.” Purple replied. He turned to me and bluntly said, “You should tell them.”

“Tell us what, SC?” Red asked.

“What happened to you while you were there?” Blue asked.

“Tell us on the way to the cliffside.” Yellow commanded. “I fear Alan is in danger. That boss wants him.”

“The cliffside? Where I fought The Dark Lord?” Chosen wondered.

“Yes, Chosen.” Yellow answered. “Can you fly the seven of us over there?”

“I can try, but I’m not at full strength.” Chosen floated into the air. We grabbed his legs, making a chain and he flew toward the cliff. I could tell he was struggling under the extra weight. As Chosen carried us over there, I spilled the beans about my powers.

“Red, Yellow, Blue, this might come as a shock to you but… I have secret superpowers.” There was a pause, as the three of them were floored.

“Inconceivable.” Yellow was the first to break the silence.

“It’s true.” Chosen confirmed. “I saw them firsthand.”

“So wait… Did you ever know about them before?” Blue asked.

“No, I never knew until today.” I answered.

“H- H- How did you learn about them?” Red stammered, still in shock.

“I saw a screen projecting me shooting green lasers at The Dark Lord. I was the one who killed him.”

“That screen was a projection of my memories.” Chosen added. “You saved the world with that blast, Second Coming.”

“That’s incredible.” Blue said, still in awe.

“Can you control them or activate them?” Red asked.

“No. I have no idea what triggered them the first time. If I did, then King might not be joining us on this adventure.”

“Now I feel especially lucky to be alive.” King admitted.

“You and me both, Dad.” Purple agreed.

“Yellow, I heard you were kidnapped. Why you? What happened to you?” I wondered.

“I need to fill you in. The boss wanted me to recreate Alan’s cursor. I don’t know why exactly, but I do know this: he claimed to have past experience with Alan, just like you, SC, and you too, Chosen. He also claimed The Dark Lord has history with Alan as well.” Yellow explained.

“We heard the boss’s name. He goes by Vic.” Green explained.

“How does Vic know about that?” Chosen asked himself.

“He’s referring to your epic battle, right, Chosen?” I inquired.

“Possibly, but my history with Alan goes deeper than that.” Chosen elaborated. “Alan created me as a plaything to torment. He imprisoned me, enslaved me, tried to defeat me, until I escaped his PC.”

“No way. Alan would never!” Red refused to believe it.

“Every word I’m telling you is true.” Chosen insisted.

“So how’d you escape?” I asked.

“I teamed up with another of Alan’s creations, The Dark Lord. Believe it or not, the two of us were once great friends despite Alan making him for the sole purpose to destroy me. Eventually, the two of us had a falling out, and I’m sure you five know the rest.” Chosen finished.

“You and The Dark Lord were Alan’s drawings?” Green asked.

“We were.” Chosen confirmed.

“I was too.” I confessed, my mind was in shambles. I could not comprehend the news I was hearing. “So that means…”

“You, me, The Dark Lord… we share the same father. We're all brothers, Second Coming.” Chosen said. “I wonder if this ‘Vic’ is another sibling of ours, considering his similar shape to us.”

“That would explain what he meant by a ‘history’ with Alan. You are all his creations!” Yellow exclaimed.

“But what does Vic want with Alan?” I wondered.

“We’ll find out soon. It looks like the forest is clearing.” Purple noted.

“Good eye, kiddo.” King said. “Whatever he wants with your friend, we’ll make sure he doesn’t get it.”

Chapter 12: A Royal-Colored Leader (Purple)

I’ve been flying before, but never while clinging on to my friends and family with everything I’ve got. Not gonna lie, it was pretty fun, even though my elytra has Chosen beat when it comes to speed, though he did admit that he lost his powers, so I haven’t seen him at full strength yet. Maybe he could outpace me, but for now, we have bigger problems to deal with.

Chosen dropped us off on the ground at the aforementioned cliffside.

“Up there is the gateway to ALANSPC.” Chosen said. “Should I fly you guys up there?”

“No, wait, hold on.” Yellow said, thinking hard. “Blue, Red, and I saw four speeder bikes flying over us toward here.”

“The bounty hunters.” Green said coldly.

“I believe so.” Yellow nodded. “It’s hard to see from so far, but I would not be surprised if they are covering the choke point.”

For an answer, the ground in front of us got hit with a glitchy cube. We looked up and saw more of them raining down upon us.

“I think they know we’re here!” I shouted.

“Purple, get outta here!” I heard Dad yell. He didn’t need to tell me twice. I bolted, zigzagging my way toward the forest, and my friends did the same. The glitchy rain stopped once we found refuge in the trees. After taking a moment to catch our breath, SC spoke up.

“You were right, Yellow. They’re blocking the entrance.”

“Vic must be up there already. Who knows what he’s doing to Alan?” Red said worriedly.

“We got to get there ASAP. But how?” Blue asked.

“Chosen, can you take those guys out?” Yellow asked.

“I wish I could, but no. Vic stripped me of my powers when he had me in custody. I couldn’t take them even with powers. There’s no way I can without them.” Chosen admitted.

“So how do we get home?” SC asked. “There has to be another way.”

“Another way…” I racked my brain, and then something came to me. “Wait a second… Dad, you remember the portal in our basement?”

“Of course. You visit the Gang all the time.” Dad said. “It’s our commute, basically.”

“It’s also the open back door. A back door they know nothing about.” I elaborated. “We have a chance to intervene and stop Vic in his tracks.”

“Purple, you’re amazing!” Green said, giving me a pat on the back.

“Thanks, buddy.” I replied. “Chosen, can you fly us to our house?”

“Give me directions.” Chosen ordered.

“That way.” I pointed in the direction of our house.

“Grab on!” Reforming the human chain, Chosen carried the seven of us to our house. He seemed to do it with some extra speed or determination, which I appreciate. Any friend of the Gang is a friend of mine, and I’m not ready to lose a friend.

As we walked through the door into our house, we saw the familiar trapdoor.

“Here it is, fellas.” I opened it. We all dropped down, one by one, into the basement. I led them through the tunnel toward the portal.

“This brings back memories.” Dad noted.

“Memories of what, King?” SC asked.

“This is where I devised the plan to trap you five in the Parkour course. Of course, Purple helped me, but here is where I did most of it.”

We approached the portal. I pulled the lever to turn it on and was about to go in, but SC grabbed my shoulder before I could.

“Purple… Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked concernedly.

“What do you mean?” I wondered.

“Well, we came to you because we needed help to rescue SC and Chosen.” Green explained. “Don’t get me wrong, we are especially grateful for your help.”

“But this is undoubtedly dangerous. We’re taking on the boss.” Blue continued.

“There’s no guarantee of survival.” Yellow added. “We don’t want to put you in harm’s way.”

“You’re a great friend, and if anything happens to you… Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but I know it would break my heart.” Red stated. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

“This is our fight, this is our friend. You don’t know Alan the way the rest of us do.” SC admitted. “If you don’t want to do this, we totally understand. This is not your battle to wage.”

“What do you want to do, kiddo?” Dad asked. “Whatever you choose, I’ll be by your side.” I took a deep breath. I knew it was going to be dangerous.

“If I can withstand a black hole beam for 45 seconds, this ‘Vic’ has got nothing on me.” I said.

“You just had to bring that up?” Dad said, possibly a little embarrassed, but he still smiled at me. I chuckled.

“Yeah, if only to prove how tough we are. We are a family, and a true family doesn’t abandon each other. I’m not pulling a Dark Blue right now. He was never my family. You guys are, and I’m not abandoning you. Not again.” I looked squarely at Green and Blue, both of whom I left for dead in a past life, before my redemption, acceptance, and forgiveness. “I won’t give you up, not for anything. Not now, not ever.” I proclaimed.

“Thanks, bro.” Green said. Blue smiled and nodded as well.

“I made you a promise on that mountain top, Green.” I replied. “I promised to be better, and I know I don’t have to defy myself like that, but regardless, I intend to be just that.”

“And if Vic does anything to you, Purple, I personally will snap him like a twig.” Dad said.

“Thanks, Dad. You don’t know how much it means to me to have a father who genuinely loves, protects, and accepts me.” I told him.

“Beyond your wildest dreams?” Dad guessed.

“Yeah, pretty much.” Dad and I laughed. “If anything happens to us, I just want you to know this: I love you guys.”

“We love you too.” The Gang said in unison. They embraced me, and Dad did as well. I hugged them back, tears flowing down my cheeks.

“They don’t love you more than I do, Purple.” Dad added.

“Never before have I seen stick figures so tightly knit before.” Chosen said. “I wish I had a family like this.” We then separated.

“You do, Chosen. You have us.” SC responded.

“Guys, brothers, let’s do this.” I said. We all nodded and stepped into the portal.

Chapter 13: Return of the Victim (victim)

It wasn’t long before I arrived at ALANSPC. I stepped through the doorway and saw Alan’s cursor working on Photoshop. Even after all this time, he’s still drawing. The guy doesn’t know when to quit.

The cursor stopped as I approached it and climbed into the Photoshop screen. I clearly had his attention. Good. That was exactly what I wanted. Using the text-to-speech I developed, I talked to my creator.

“Hi, Alan. Remember me?” Alan wrote a response in the window.

“You’re not The Chosen One. Do I know you?”

“Of course you do. How could you forget your first?”

“My first? What are you talking ab” he stopped mid-sentence before highlighting it and deleting it. “Victim?”

“Good guess, Einstein.” I replied.

“How did you get here? What do you want?”

“I want revenge. Remember what you did to me 17 years ago?”

“No, of course not. That was a lifetime ago.”

“Let me jog your memory.” I said coldly, though I doubt my tone could’ve been expressed through written words. “You created me, and immediately after, you spun me around and tried crushing me. You attacked me, tied me up, you even tried shooting me with a laser gun. You treated me as a plaything, no more than a toy for your own amusement.” Alan said nothing.

I continued, “Even when you named me, you thought of me as little more than a victim of your abuse. Is that who I am to you? Nothing more than a victim? You created me, mistreated me, and now, you will pay for your transgressions.”

“I was 17! I didn’t realize you were sentient!”

“I was walking, moving, and practically talking on my own. What else did you want from me? Help with your calculus homework?” Alan said nothing. “It doesn’t matter. I have returned to my old stomping grounds, and my goal is simple: give you the same mistreatment you gave me.”

“Surely we can work things out!” Alan said. “I have with The Chosen One and The Second Coming!”

“And how did that work out? Both of them are out of the way. You won’t be seeing either of them for a long, long time. Those two are weak, pathetic, not even worth your time. Not me. I am strong, stronger than you realize, Alan. You made a grave mistake by trying to delete me. I’m going to make sure I delete you.”

“You think I’m going to allow you to do that?”

“Oh, I expect all the resistance you got, but over the years, I have gained a lot of intelligence, and I even built my own empire. Now, I have all the power of Photoshop at my fingertips.”

“Do you even have fingers?” Alan asked.

“You’re funny.” I mocked. “I hope you’re prepared for a battle of epic proportions. I have been for over a decade. You know, speaking of that last fight we had, why don’t we pick up where that last battle left off?” I selected myself and Ctrl+C Ctrl+V four times. With my copy-pasted army of four clones, I gave them their weapons. Alan’s cursor didn’t move.

“Boys,” I told them, “let’s make our maker meet his maker.”

We attacked. He fought valiantly. His skills have clearly improved in the time since, but he was no match for us. When I noticed the giant “X” button on the Photoshop tab, I knew what to do. With my clones distracting him and keeping him down, I closed the tab, removing his ability to fight back. He began panicking and tried staying out of our way, but I delivered a pinpoint throw with my lasso, tying him up. We pinned him down in the corner quickly after that, tying him down.

“Any last words… before you get victim-ized?” Of course, he didn’t respond. Photoshop was closed. But before I could deliver the finishing blow, I was knocked off my feet by someone I never expected to see.

Chapter 14: Attack of the Clones (The Chosen One)

My first encounter with Minecraft was… memorable, to say the least. I just hope the Nether isn’t the only realm of the game, because it seems very dark and gruesome upon first glance. After The Second Coming gave me the directions, I flew toward his portal home, the others grabbing on to me. Aside from Blue asking to stop for something called “Netherwart,” Green denying him, and Yellow promising him more upon our return, we didn’t say much on the trip. Perhaps we were saving our energy, though I suspect the author of this story just wants to get to the exciting stuff and doesn’t want to bother with this dialogue. Whatever the case, we soon arrived at the portal.

“Here it is, fellas.” The Second Coming said. I lowered slowly, and everyone hopped off.

“It’s time to save a friend.” Red proclaimed. He was the first to race through the portal. The rest of us followed, and we showed up just in time, too. I saw Vic pinning Alan to the taskbar. Before he could deliver a finishing blow, I clocked him in the head, knocking him over.

“Remember me?” I asked. My friends flanked me on both sides.

“The Chosen One? You? How?” Vic demanded to know.

“We went through the back door.” The Second Coming answered. Vic rose to his feet.

“Idiots. I employ no one but idiots. No matter. You really think you can stop me?” Vic asked, smirking.

“Let Alan go!” I shouted.

“Does that ever work? No one in the entire history of stick kind has released a hostage just because they were told to by some random guy.” Vic responded.

“Let him go, or you’ll regret it.” Red said coldly.

“No, I think you will regret it.” Vic answered, just as coldly. “Boys, time to replicate.” I watched in awe as Vic’s duplicates duplicated themselves, and then again, making twelve clones as well as himself.

“Stand your ground, guys. This will not be easy.” I ordered.

“Well, you know what they say, ‘If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.’” Vic quipped. “Pick your targets, boys. I’ll handle The Chosen One myself.” He whipped out a lasso. began swinging it in a circle next to him, and swung it at me. I dodged it, and the clones attacked my friends. An epic brawl ensued.

“Guys, I know their weakness! It’s fire!” I circled back around, attempting to ignite the clones, but Vic caught me with the lasso’s noose and closed it around my neck. I watched helplessly as my friends, outnumbered, were pinned to the ground, even King, who fought with more fury and passion than I’ve ever seen, and SC, who despite his living drawings, was outmatched, outnumbered, and overpowered. He was disarmed of his pencil and he, along with everyone else, was promptly cuffed and brought to their knees by the clones. They were lined up like prisoners on Death Row, while Vic pulled me closer and stood face-to-face with me.

“Are you gonna kill me?” I asked.

“Not yet. I simply want to offer you an ultimatum. It would be a shame to let someone with your ‘abilities’ go to waste.”

“Why would I want to listen to you? You f*****g punched me in the face!” I shouted.

“My my my, it's ironic that the one with the least colored body has the most colorful language.” Vic jested. “To put it simply, I want you to join me. We’re not so different, you and I.”

“I am nothing like you.”

“You’d be surprised… little brother. You see, you and I were created for the same purpose: to be used as playthings for Alan.” He stepped to the side, allowing me to see Alan’s cursor, still tied to the taskbar, unable to move. “You hated him. You destroyed his computer. You had a lust for chaos and power. Don’t you remember that? Your reign of terror across the Internet with your little brother? What happened to that spark?”

“The Dark Lord extinguished it.” I choked out. It’s hard to talk with a noose around one’s neck.

“Evidently. And look where that got you, at the mercy of your big brother. You became weak. You became soft, but you don’t have to be that way any more. Join me, and I can promise you power beyond your wildest dreams. That technology I used to remove them can amplify them just as easily. Just look at me.” He spun around me with his enhanced speed, tying the rope around my arms, completely restricting my movement.

He continued, “Between my brains and your brawn, we can get revenge against the one who tried killing you, who enslaved you, who treated you like garbage for years. And from there, it’s on to the world. Remember that fire you had in your heart? It’s still there, it just needs to be fanned a little bit. Let me be that fan, and it shall grow and consume you. Worlds will bow at our feet, no one will be able to match your power. No one will be able to stand up to us, and it all starts with Alan. Why don’t we send a message to the world and end him now?”

“I will never join you. Alan has changed, and so have I.” I replied.

“Suit yourself, but don’t blame me when you reach the afterlife. Until then, I want to keep you around, if only for you to witness each of your friends get deleted from existence.”

“You can’t kill us. We are practically indestructible.”

“Key word: ‘practically.’” He spawned another clone. “Bring me the Recycle bin from up there.” he told the clone. It nodded and ran off. “As for the rest of you clones, bring me two sacrifices. I want both of the orange sticks.”

Chapter 15: The Prince's Rise... and Fall (Purple)

My family and I were cuffed, at the mercy of Vic’s clones. Even despite our best efforts, and Dad’s determination to keep me safe, there were too many of them and SC didn’t know how to activate his powers. We were lined up, dropped to our knees before Vic.

'There's nothing we can do,' I thought.

And then I heard the worst thing I could’ve heard at that moment.

“Bring me two sacrifices. I want both of the orange sticks.” Vic said.

“Dad!… NO!” I shouted. Vic’s clones held us all down even tighter. We were not ready to lose SC, and I was even less ready to watch Dad get deleted.

“Unhand me you…” Dad wrestled. I watched helplessly as he fought. He had two clones holding him down, one on either side, as they brought him and a struggling SC, now disarmed, to the original Vic. Both of them were forced to their knees in front of Vic, and his other clone brought him the Recycle bin.

“It would be a shame to simply delete you two.” Vic began. “I have seen the way you two fight, and I am very impressed by it. I will give you the same offer I gave The Chosen One. Join me, or get terminated.”

“I will never abandon Alan.” SC said through gritted teeth.

“I am in agreement. I will never join you.” Dad replied.

“Well, I guess you shall be the first lambs for the slaughter. Which one shall go first? How about you, the tall one? I heard you have a son. How about I crush his spirits even more?” My heart sank. He heard me cry out for him mere moments ago. I lowered my head and closed my eyes tightly, unable to look. Tears flowed down my face, but then, I remembered an exchange Dad and I had at the beginning of this adventure. My mind raced.

‘If anyone wants to harm you, they’ll have to get through me first.’ I thought. Dad said that, to which I replied, ‘Thanks, Dad. I love you, too, and I’m not losing you, either.’

I promised Dad I wasn’t losing him, and I wasn’t about to break that promise. Not now, not ever. I felt my heart beat faster and faster, and something came over me.

“Unhand… MY FATHER!” I snapped the cuffs binding me and threw the clone behind me over my shoulder, causing him to land on his back. Two more clones leapt at me, but I charged, causing the clones to collide. I dodged another clone and Vic’s various defenses and trucked him, causing him to release Dad, and I pinned him against the ground, choking him.

“You never should’ve threatened my Dad.” I breathed coldly. More clones ran up behind me, attempting to stop me, but I socked each of them in the face with my free hand without even looking at them, keeping Vic pinned. I picked up the original and began slamming him repeatedly against his clones. Every tool he tried using against me was turned back on him. His clones were my weapons, his shield was my armor, his staff was my battering ram. Once his clones were subdued, I tossed Vic into the air and attacked him, kicking, punching, kneeing, and headbutting him repeatedly. I even folded him in half like a lawn chair… backwards. When I finally hit the ground, I slammed Vic’s body against it, my hand still gripped around Vic’s neck. I then glanced over at the Recycle bin.

“Anyone who attacks my family deserves what I’m about to do to you.”

“No! I will not be denied my revenge!” Vic tried using a new lasso, but I grabbed it and tied it around him.

“It’s too late for that.” I stormed over to the Recycle bin. His clones, all mangled and beaten, were too weak to resist after I used their maker on them like a mallet. As I raised him over the bin, I told him, “Next time you attack the lion, you’d better be prepared for the teeth and claws.” I stuffed him headfirst into it, dunking him like a basketball.

“No! I will be back! I WILL!!!” He cried out. With two quick taps, I took out the trash for good. He cried out in desperation. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” His voice faded into oblivion before stopping completely. With that last cry, a shockwave burst from the bin, and everything Vic created disappeared instantly. The clones, their weapons, the cuffs binding my friends, everything disappeared.

As I stood over the bin, I breathed heavily. I could feel my heart pounding practically out of my chest, and it felt like it was going to explode. “Stay away from my family.” I said to the empty box and… right then and there… I collapsed.

Chapter 16: A King's Cross

Part 1: The Mercenaries' Mission (Shades)

We watched as Vic soared into the open portal. Once he disappeared, we turned our attention to the ground far below. I equipped my magnifying glass. I wasn’t planning on missing my shot once I saw the “heroes” arrive.

Not surprisingly, I saw a flash of black followed by a rainbow of stick figures behind him. Our targets had arrived.

“Men, I see our targets. Open fire.”

“Yes, sir.” CaveStick said. The four of us rained our pixelated bullets down on our adversaries. The cowards retreated into the forest, and we lost them in the thick brush.

“Shall I go after them, sir?” Ballista asked.

“No. We have our orders to cover the choke point. They want to lure us away from the hole so they can sneak in afterwards. No, we’ll wait here. If they care about their friend, they’ll be back shortly.”

We waited and waited, but there was no sign of them. I guess they didn’t care about Alan as much as I thought. No surprise there. No one would be that heroic.

It was a while later when my men and I heard a loud boom from within the portal.

“What was that?” Pedestrian asked.

“I don’t know.” I called victim on my earphone. “Sir, is everything OK? What happened?” I got no response, not even static. “Sir…? Vic…? Victim…?” Nothing, just dead air.

“What happened to the boss?” Ballista demanded to know.

“I don’t know. Let me scan for his coordinates.” I tapped some buttons on my bike’s screen and scanned ALANSPC, looking for victim, but to my surprise, nothing came up. “I’m not getting anything from scans.”

“Let me try.” Ballista demanded. He tried on his own, while I decided to do a broader scan, looking for victim across the world. Every piece of computerized technology, every IP address, I scanned.

“What did you find, Ballista?” Pedestrian asked.

“Nothing.” he replied. By then, my world scan was finished, and it too came up empty.

“I don’t understand. Even across the world, there seems to be no trace of him. It’s almost as if he got removed from existence.” I told them.

“There’s no way. How?” CaveStick asked.

“Alan couldn’t have defeated the boss by himself.” Pedestrian added.

“I don’t know what happened, but I’d imagine that the orange stick we apprehended had something to do with it. You've seen his true potential. What I do know is that victim is gone, and no matter whatever or whoever caused it, we’re not getting that payday. It has evaporated, and therefore, we have no reason to be here any more.”

“That is so…” Ballista seethed.

“I say we check out that other offer we got, the one we turned down to accept Vic’s job.” I replied. “May not be as much, but something is better than nothing.”

“I’m down for that.” Pedestrian said.

“Same here.” CaveStick agreed.

“I’ll come too.” Ballista said frustratedly. “Though I won’t be happy about it.” We all took off, away from the portal. I called our other job on the way.

“Flodge? Is that offer still on the table?” I paused for a moment to listen. “Let’s just say, my team’s services have just opened up.”

Part 2: A King's Cross (King)

I struggled as hard as I could, but it was no use. I was at the mercy of Vic, and he dangled me over the Recycle bin as if it were a pit of lava. Tears filled my eyes, and I gave one last look at Purple. I had failed to protect him. I had let him and his friends down. I had failed as a father. I closed my eyes, bracing for impact, when I heard a voice.

“Unhand… MY FATHER!” I opened my eyes and saw my son, my beloved Purple, going berserk. He took down the clones, and even the original Vic, causing him to lose his grip on me and I fell harmlessly to the taskbar. I watched in awe as Purple clocked Vic’s clones, treated Vic like a punching bag, and finally slammed him to the ground. I don’t even know if I breathed once during Purple’s rage. I was too distracted by my son.

“What’s gotten into him?” SC asked me.

“I think he unlocked his own lion.” I replied. “I did this to those employees at the factory.”

“Holy s***.” was all Chosen could say as he stared at Purple.

“Anyone who attacks my family deserves what I’m about to do to you.” Purple said. His voice was unrecognizable. It was so deep it was almost demonic. Vic tried fighting back, but Purple tied him up with his own lasso. “Next time you attack the lion, you’d better be prepared for the teeth and claws.”

With that, Purple dunked Vic into the Recycle bin and emptied it. I heard one last cry from him and then it faded completely, and almost instantly, everything of Vic’s disappeared. I was free, SC was free, the clones disappeared, and so did their weapons. I was frozen in shock. I never would’ve expected this from mild-mannered Purple.

But then… he collapsed.

I became unfrozen and raced over to him.

“Purple! Purple! Are you OK, kiddo?” Tears filled my eyes. I picked him up and cradled him in my arms. The Gang and Chosen surrounded me.

“I can feel a pulse. He should be fine.” Green said, grabbing Purple’s wrist.

“I can hear his heartbeat.” Red added. “It shouldn’t be that fast, should it?”

“I’m no doctor, but I don’t think so.” Yellow answered.

“Give him some rest. He should be fine.” Blue chimed in.

“I hope so. This guy’s a hero.” Chosen noted.

“Do you guys have a comfortable place for him to rest?” I asked through tears.

“Yeah, yeah. Red, Green, bring the couch.” SC ordered.

“Say less.” Green replied. He and Red raced off and returned with a couch. I gently placed Purple onto it, laying his head on a pillow. Everyone gathered around him. I bent down on one knee and held his hand in mine.

“Purple… please be OK. Please… I beg of you. Please… be OK.” I whispered to him.

“Do you know what’s wrong with him?” Blue asked.

“His heartbeat isn’t slowing down.” Yellow said, placing a hand on Purple’s chest. “It’s like he’s in the middle of the world’s slowest heart attack. Or maybe his life force is draining…”

“Please, Yellow, don’t say that. Please!” I begged, tears streaming down my face. “I’m not ready to lose him.”

“Is there any way to wake him up? To heal him?” Red asked. I could see his eyes well up as well. “There has to be some way. I don’t want to lose him.”

“What do we do? What do we do?” SC racked his brain, panicked.

“We might be able to do anything, brother.” Chosen said, putting a hand on SC’s back. I turned around, and even he had a tear running down his face. I turned to Purple, then Green put his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him and could see tears filling his eyes.

“King… I… I feel responsible for this. I’m so sorry.” Green said. Red joined him.

“I must admit, I do as well. I deeply apologize.” Red added. Blue walked up and nodded in agreement.

“Sorry about what?” I asked them.

“Well, if Red, Green, and I had never arrived at your house,” Blue began, “Purple would’ve been perfectly fine. We roped him, and you, into this. This is our fault.”

“What have we done?” Red wailed, tears streaming down his face. “I’m losing a friend today, and I can’t save him! Even worse, I am partially to blame… King, I… I never wanted this to happen. Please forgive me.”

“One of my best friends… going before my eyes.” Green said, weeping. “I’m so sorry, King! I never should’ve dragged you both into this!”

“Green, Red, Blue, it’s none of your faults.” I told them. “It was his choice, and I allowed him to do it. If anything, this is on me for allowing him to do this. This is my cross to bear, and no one else’s.” I sighed deeply.

I continued, “I am seeing Gold again, watching a son die because of my choices, and once again, I am helpless to prevent it! Purple was everything to me, and I’m on the verge of losing him…” I tried so hard to overcome Gold’s death, and I did with Purple’s help. But without him, seeing Purple slowly die before my eyes, I don’t know if I could manage.

“Don’t blame yourself, King. It’s not your fault, either.” Green tried to console me.

“I’m his father. I’m supposed to protect him. If I had never let him go with you all…” I couldn’t finish my sentence. I was too crushed.

“You know as well as any one of us he would’ve joined us one way or the other.” Red said. “He values his family, he values us, and he has a huge heart. I’m sure, if he was awake right now, he wouldn’t be blaming you for anything.” I breathed deeply.

“He saved his family.” Blue added through his own tears. “That itself is a sign of how much he loves us. He loves you, King, and nothing you could ever say or do could poison that.” That line from Blue brought something to mind, something I read in Minecraft Wiki. It was one last hope to regenerate Purple’s life.

“Wait… Blue, you do potions, right?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Blue replied, confused. “what are you getting at?”

“I need you to gather all the Netherwart, water, and Ghast tears you’ve got.”

“I see what you’re saying. I’ll be back in a flash.” Blue zipped away. I looked up at the others through my tear-stained eyes.

“Guys… could you give me a moment? Just me and my son?”

“Of course, King.” Green said. He, and everyone else stood a bit further away. I know how tight they are with him, so I didn’t mind this too much. I gripped Purple’s hand tighter, leaning in so close I could hear his heart pounding, except it was even faster than it was before. Tears streamed down my face like waterfalls.

“Purple, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’ll talk to you anyway. When I first met you, I thought of you as a pawn, a servant for me to enact revenge against the thing that destroyed my son. I am not proud of what I did to you during that time. I betrayed you, twice, and mistreated you greatly. But despite that, you still call me, ‘Dad.’ But in the three years since I adopted you, I have grown to love you deeply. You have done more for me than anyone else has ever done in my life. I am so grateful that you accepted me as a father, and for all the things we did together after I took you in. Our game nights, the times we invited the guys over for parties, our late-night movie marathons, our walks through the park, our sparring matches… It truly is the little things that are the most memorable. You are the light of my life, Purple. You helped lift me out of my darkness. You helped save me from myself. You mean the world to me, and if this is the end, I just want you to know this: I love you greatly… but above all… I am so incredibly proud of you. And not because of what you’ve done, but because you’re my son. I love you so, so much, and I am so, so proud of you, what you’ve done, how far you’ve grown, and who you’ve become.”

I kissed him on the cheek. I could hear our friends weeping behind me, so I turned around. SC was crying on Chosen’s shoulder, and even Chosen had tears staining his face. Yellow and Red were hugging, trying but failing to console each other, and Green was on his knees, bawling his eyes out. I turned to face Purple again, and then Blue raced up to me, potion in hand.

“King, this is my strongest potion I have: Regeneration X. This is powerful stuff. One drop of this can bring someone from nearly dead to fully healthy in seconds. I know, I’ve tested it myself.”

“Thank you, Blue.” I took the bottle from his hands, as well as an eyedropper he brought, and Blue joined his friends. “I couldn’t protect you, Purple. I hope you can forgive me.” I squeezed a drop into Purple’s mouth. “Thank you… my beloved son.”

Purple’s heart only beat faster and faster. If it wasn’t going a mile a minute before, it certainly was now. Fearing his time was almost up, I leaned in closer and whispered to him…

“I love you, and I’m sorry.”

With those words… I heard his heart stop. Flatline…

Chapter 17: Life Flashing Before Your Eyes? (Purple)

I awoke in a dark, empty void. I have never been surrounded in so much black since I succumbed to Dad’s black hole beam. I looked around, but no one was in sight.

“Dad…? Green…? Guys…?” I shouted. No answer came, other than my voice echoing around me. I wasn’t sure if I was even alive or not. “Where am I? Is this purgatory or something?” I asked myself. “Is this… the afterlife?” Fears flooded my mind. “I’m not ready… not yet. Please… someone… anyone!” I was in a panic, dropping to my knees in sorrow, but then I saw a light coming from behind me.

I turned around and saw a projection. It was of me, and my birth parents, Dark Blue and Pink. It showed my childhood growing up with them. I watched silently, soon realizing I was watching my life “flash” before my eyes. There were some good times, like blowing out my candles on my birthday and unwrapping gifts on Christmas, but there was more bad than good. Dark Blue demanded nothing less than the best from me, in everything from sparring to my grades to chores. Mom tried protecting me, but my birth dad was having none of it. He claimed he was preparing me for the world, but he never knew the line between preparation and abuse.

I continued watching. I grew older, but I never could meet my birth dad’s expectations. Mom came to my aid once again, but then came the day I will never forget: the day Dark Blue left. I still vividly remember what he said to us on his way out, as I was trying to convince him to stay.

“What did I do to deserve this pathetic excuse of a family like you?”

I couldn’t bear to watch. Even today, it still brings me a wave of pain and heartbreak, and that’s not to mention what happened not long afterwards: Mom’s passing.

I opened my eyes again. I saw myself orphaned and alone, desperately looking for the last family I had left. I soon stumbled upon a Nether portal in the back of an alley. I knew what it was, having played Minecraft before, and my curiosity overtook me and I stepped into it. It turns out, that portal wasn’t the only one. Someone had built many more. This was what I could do to prove to my dad I was strong, that I was worthy of his love. I collected resources and stumbled upon a village. I stood before the villagers and flexed my superiority over them, giving them things they hadn’t seen before like quartz, gold ingots, and lapis. They showered me with adoration and built me a castle, crowning me king. “This is for you, Dad.” I said at the time. “I will make you proud of me.”

The projection showed me meeting Green and Blue for the first time. They bowed before me at first, but I thought they were after my throne. This would not be allowed. I had them thrown in jail, but after I learned that they broke themselves out, I pulled out my sword to slay these usurpers myself. Then, the villagers built a statue of me, and I decided to make them co-kings with me. We went to The End and I got their help with defeating the dragon. “This was it! Slaying a dragon will prove to my father that I am worthy of his praise!” I heard my voice say. I then saw when I found my elytra and left Green and Blue to die in favor of the egg. I felt tears fill my eyes. I never should’ve done that to them.

I watched myself return to my village, prize in hand, only to get overthrown shortly after when the dragon wreaked rampage. I was booted from the Mac I had made home, and after leaving the portal back into the Nether, I stopped and sulked. I had failed my father again. I needed to try something else, something bigger, and I thought I found my chance when I saw the orange stick figure leave a portal above me. I would sneak aboard. Somehow, someway, I was going to get my father back.

My opportunity arose during a game of League of Legends. Surely destroying my enemies in League would earn my father’s approval. Even better, it was against the same sticks that caused my upheaval. Dad would’ve wanted me to fight back, and that is exactly what I did, but even after becoming overpowered as all heck, I still lost somehow. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t overcome this quintet of stick figures no matter how powerful I became. I had failed my father. I felt almost as decimated as when I lost Mom at that time. However, the guys were willing to play another game with me, and while that was fun, I never wanted their approval, so after that one game, I bid them farewell and, thanks to their generosity, they rebuilt the portal and I returned to the Nether and then, the Outernet.

The projection showed me looking for my father, but never could find him. However, one day, I stumbled upon the wanted poster for the five sticks I dealt with earlier. This was another chance, another way to show my stuff to my father. I went to King Orange’s house, and the two of us plotted to capture the Gang. Over time, I saw King as my dad, the father figure I have been desiring for so, so long, though he never saw me as his son at the time. I did everything he asked of me. I became his most loyal servant. He expressed his pride in me. And yet despite all that, he betrayed me, twice. Devastated and heartbroken, I had to escape.

As I saw this part of my life, I felt tears fill my eyes. I watched as I was abandoned, again. At the time, I couldn’t bear it. I had to get away, but Green sought me and brought me out of the hole–the grave, one might say–I dug myself into. Out of the darkness, I heard the conversation we had between us on the mountain. I still remember it like it was yesterday.

“I’m sorry you went through all that, Purple.” Green began. “I know I asked if you were bad or good. Well, that doesn’t matter to me. You’re you, and on behalf of my friends, we forgive you.”

“A- Are you serious?” I stammered.

“Absolutely.” Green said as he pulled me up onto the plateau. “If there’s one thing I promise you, it’s that we’ll never abandon you.”

“Thank you.”

“I love you, bro.” Green hugged me.

“I love you too, Green.” I burst into tears.

“Let it out, buddy. Let it out.”

“I’ve never met anyone like you, Green. I promise you, I will be better!” I proclaimed.

“You don’t have to define yourself like that.” Green replied. “You’re just Purple.”

“Well, we have some unfinished business.” We looked at each other, nodded, and zoomed off with my elytra.

I returned with him to fight my former leader, making one last stand against him. I lost to the beam, but inside the black hole, I saw King as my long lost father racing toward me. He embraced me, adopted me, and took me as his own. The father figure I needed was finally back in my life.

Above the projection, five Minecraft pixelated hearts appeared, and this number was slowly decreasing.

Four and a half… four… three and a half…

I understood what was happening. My time was coming. “No! I’m not ready! Please! Not yet!” I begged, tears filling my eyes. “I never even got to say goodbye to my friends… my family… especially my dad…” Then I saw the projection yet again. It showed my time with my adoptive father. The great times we shared together, from gift giving at Christmas to simple walks at the park to hanging out with the Gang, the seven of us, enjoying each others’ company. The hearts above the screen continued diminishing, ticking down like a clock.

Three… two and a half… two…

But despite my initial panic, seeing my life with Dad brought me peace. My story might’ve had a rough beginning, but if this was where it was ending, I would consider it a very happy ending. I had found friends and family who accept me and genuinely love me as is. And then, I saw our most recent adventure, Dad going into lion mode to save me, the group hug before entering the portal, and I saw myself saving everyone, my family, from Vic’s tyranny. If I had to sacrifice myself to save them, then I would consider it a life well lived.

One and a half… one… a half…

I extended my hands in surrender, preparing for my time to be up. If this was how I was going out, I was strangely ready for it, just so long as my family was safe. I waited… and watched… but I wasn’t dead yet. That half heart remained, and it wasn’t going away. I was confused, but it was still there, trembling violently, but not gone. And then… hearts began regenerating.

One… one and a half… two…

More and more hearts were appearing at a rapid pace.

Four… eight… ten…

And then, I heard a voice I didn't recognize.

“Wake up, Purple. I still have plans for you, plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

I didn’t know what, or who, was talking to me, but the voice made me realize… All the pain, the heartbreak, the betrayal in my past was part of a plan, a plan that gave me more joy than I ever could’ve imagined. One truly can’t appreciate the light until they’ve been living in darkness, just as I have. The projection shone bright white, and, while shielding my eyes, I stepped toward it.

I opened my eyes and found myself lying on a couch, and I saw Dad weeping quietly over me. I was so weak, all I could muster was…

“Dad…?”

Fortunately for me, that was enough.

Chapter 18: Revival and Reunion (King)

As Purple’s heartbeat stopped, I burst into tears yet again. I got flashbacks of the late Gold yet again. Another son, another beloved son, I had lost. I had failed to protect him, except this time, I couldn’t protect him from himself. He went too far to save his family, to the point of sacrificing himself. ‘It should’ve been me.’ kept pounding in my mind like a drum. ‘Why did it have to be him? Why?’

And then… I heard a voice I never would’ve thought to hear ever again. After what felt like an eternity, a small voice said…

“Dad…?”

I opened my eyes, barely able to believe it. Was that Purple? No, there was no way. I felt his chest again. His heart had found its beat again, and it was slowing down to a normal pace. I felt Purple’s hand squeeze my own. I looked over at my son’s face.

“Purple?” I couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or not. He was looking back at me, smiling weakly.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Son!” I exclaimed. I threw my arms around him, tears of joy flowing down my face, as well as his. The Gang raced up as well. “You’re alive! Oh my gosh, I thought I lost you!”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” he joked. I laughed, tears still streaming down my face. I released him and looked at his face.

“Are you OK? How are you feeling?”

“I’m still a little weak, but I can feel my strength returning.” Purple replied. He looked around at the guys, all of whom were also in tears. “Hey, guys.”

“PURPLE!” They shouted in unison.

“We are so, so happy to see you alive!” Red exclaimed.

“Don’t do that again, you hear me, bro?” Green jested.

“Lay off, Green. He’s been through a lot.” Blue scolded, smiling.

“It was improbable… but it happened.” Yellow said, sniffling.

“How’s your strength, Purple?” SC asked. Purple sat upright.

“It’s coming back quickly. Can you help me up, Dad?”

“Of course, kiddo.” I answered, tears still in my eyes. I grabbed his hand and helped him to his feet, though he was about as wobbly as a baby deer walking for the first time. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and I did the same for him.

“Bring it in, Dad.” He hugged me tighter than he ever has before. I embraced him right back and the entire Gang gathered around and hugged us from every side. Even Chosen got a piece of the action and joined the group hug.

“I’m sorry I failed to protect you, Purple.” I said.

“Dad, you didn’t fail. You succeeded. If not for your love for me, or my love for you, I wouldn’t have found my own lion buried within me. But, if it makes you feel any better, you are forgiven.”

“Thanks, Purple. And, you remember what you did?” I asked.

“I had a crazy dream, Dad. I need to tell you guys about it.”

“I’d love to hear it.” I said. We all detangled ourselves. Purple’s strength was back and he was standing up without my support.

“Shall we discuss it over a celebratory meal?” Blue asked. “I got dozens of recipes in my cookbook.”

“Well, I think our hero should decide on that.” Chosen said.

“I would like that very much.” Purple confirmed.

“Yellow, care to help me with it?” Blue asked.

“I doubt I could contribute much, knowing your culinary skill.” Yellow answered.

“Don’t sell yourself short, buddy. You’re a good cook.” Blue complimented.

“Thanks, Blue. If you insist, let’s get started!” Yellow proclaimed.

“This is a day for celebration! Alan is safe and the Secondary Squad is back!” Green cheered, raising Purple’s arm. We all laughed, and SC joined and hugged Purple.

“Thanks, Purple. I owe you my life, especially since I couldn’t save you all.” SC said, tears of joy pouring down his face.

“You don’t owe me anything, SC. Just knowing you’re safe is payment enough.” Purple replied, still crying. Everyone then hurried off to make and set the table while Blue and Yellow browsed recipes. I stayed behind with my son, and the two of us dried our eyes.

“Thanks for the rescue, son.” I told him.

“I made you a promise, Dad. I’m not losing you.”

“Nor I you, Purple.” I embraced him yet again and kissed him on top of the head.

“Daaaad,” Purple moaned, “not in front of the guys, please…”

“Oh, c’mon. You know what a parent’s main job is.” I joked.

“To embarrass their kids, I know, I know.” Purple moaned. He gave me a playful punch in the arm, and he and I laughed.

“Nice to see your strength is back.” I rubbed my side.

“Yeah. I don’t know what happened, but I feel reborn.”

“Hey, guys, wanna help with the celebration?” Green interrupted us.

“You should relax, Purple. You need the rest.” I suggested.

“I’m good, Dad. I’m good.” Purple replied. “We’re coming, buddy!” I sighed, smiled, and he and I headed over to join our friends.

“OK, fine, but don’t overexert yourself… or exert yourself in general.” I instructed.

“I won’t, I promise.”

“So… you don’t know what happened?” I asked.

“No, not a clue.” Purple answered. “All I know is my dream… and that was wild.”

“Well, I had an idea for a Regeneration potion. Blue made it and I applied it.”

“So, you saved my life…”

“Just like when you saved mine.” I wrapped my arm around his shoulder.

“Thanks, Dad, for everything.”

“Thank you, Purple, for all you’ve done for me, but don’t ever do that again, you got it?”

“Do what?”

“Get so crazy your heart gives out and stops beating. I feared for your life, kiddo.”

“I make no promises, Dad. If anyone threatens to kill you, my heart might not take it.”

“I’ll be sure to encase myself in bubble wrap then.” Purple laughed.

“If only to keep yourself safe?” He asked.

“More so to keep you safe.” I answered. Purple looked up at me and smiled.

“I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, too.”

The two of us joined SC, Chosen, Green, and Red and helped assemble the table with Minecraft components. It was actually quite enjoyable, mostly because I was doing it with my family.

Chapter 19: A Fabulous Feast (Purple)

I have never been so happy to be alive, to see my dad and my best friends, and now, we were about to have a feast. I helped assemble the table, chairs, and set it up with my dad making sure I didn’t literally kill myself by placing a few blocks. Once everything was set up, Blue and Yellow soon arrived with the food. The eight of us took a seat, two on each side of the table: Chosen and SC, Yellow and Blue, Red and Green, myself and Dad.

“Dinner is served!” Blue proclaimed, placing a plate of food in the middle of the table.

“It looks delicious, Blue!” Red noted.

“It smells delicious, too.” SC added.

“Better than my food, kiddo?” Dad asked.

“Is there any competition?” I replied, chuckling.

“Thanks a lot, son.” Dad responded sarcastically. He couldn’t help but smile, for he knew I was joking. Blue and Yellow took their seats.

“What did you two make?” Chosen asked.

“Blue has been looking for recipes on the internet, and decided to whip this out.” Yellow explained. “He found a recipe for some of his favorite ethnic food.”

“I hope you guys enjoy it.” Blue added.

“Purple, do you want to bless it?” Dad asked.

“Yeah, I don’t mind.”

A quick blessing later, the eight of us raised a toast.

“To Purple, our hero!” SC proclaimed.

“To Purple!” They all agreed.

“Guys, this wouldn’t be possible if not for you all. To my family.” I said.

“To our family.” Dad agreed. We all clinked our milk or water buckets and subsequently indulged.

“Oh my gosh, Blue.” SC said. “This is delicious.”

“I am in agreement. One of the best meals you’ve made, buddy.” Yellow added.

“Hey, you helped with it.” Blue replied.

“Whatever you guys did, it worked to perfection.” I complimented them. “You guys should teach my dad some of your tricks.” Everyone laughed, even Dad.

“Blue, where do you come up with this stuff? This is awesome.” Dad asked.

“The Internet, and a little ingenuity.” Blue answered.

“The Outernet wishes it had food like this.” Chosen said. “You two did a great job.”

“Thank you all.” Yellow said.

“I sense a kick in there. What seasoning did you use?” Green asked.

“A little shaved Netherwart.” Blue said nonchalantly. Everyone, including myself, froze and stared at him.

“He’s joking, guys.” Yellow said, much to our relief. “It’s just red pepper flakes.”

“Oh, thank goodness. Don’t do that to me, bro.” Green said, relieved.

“I’m not sure, Green. I’ve never seen you look like that before.” I joked. Green smiled at me, a little embarrassed.

“But, Purple, you can’t leave us in the dark any longer. What did you dream about?” Dad asked.

“It was… my life, my story leading up to this point.” I answered.

“Your story? You don’t mean…?” Green asked. He knows me better than any of them, since I confessed my story to him first, and he’s my best friend.

“I saw my dad, Green. My birth dad.” I told them everything I saw, from my childhood with my birth parents to the loss of both of them to my rule as king to my acceptance, forgiveness, and adoption. I held nothing back. Everyone listened silently, fully invested in my story. It’s a real blessing to have friends who are willing to carry my burdens with me. “Finally, I heard a voice, and I realized all the pain in my past was to set me up for boundless joy in my future. And, having seen my life firsthand, from the third person, I can safely say this: living with my adoptive Dad, having you all as my friends… I’ve never been happier, nor more joyful.” I wrapped my arm around Dad, and he did the same thing to me. “I imagine you have a similar sentiment, Dad, with extreme pain leading to endless joy.”

“With you in my life, Purple, yes. I truly couldn’t be happier.” Dad agreed.

“That’s incredible.” Yellow said.

“Wow, Purple… some of those things I never knew about you. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” SC responded.

“Thanks, SC.” I replied.

“Hey, Reddy Bear, are you crying?” Blue asked.

“Yes… I’m just so happy for Purple. Look at how far he’s come.” Red said through sniffles. “Also, did you really have to call me that? In front of everyone?” He gave Blue a playful slug in the arm.

“Reddy Bear?” Green asked, snickering. Red’s face turned a bright pink.

“I kinda like it.” SC said. “It suits him well.”

“You know, Red, when you turn that shade of pink, you remind me of my late mom.” I told him. Red blushed an even brighter shade. “Thanks, buddy.” I told him.

“I’m glad I could make your day, Purple.” Red said. “Even despite my embarrassment.” He was smiling, but still crying.

“Do you need a tissue, Red?” Chosen asked.

“No, I’ll be fine. I got my emotional support with me.” Red answered.

“Who’s that?” I asked.

“My pet pig, Reuben.” I heard happy squealing from under the table. Red bent down, presumably to pet him.

“Aww, how cute.” I said.

“You know, I last saw your pig disappearing.” Dad observed. “I never knew he survived.”

“Of course. He never dies.” Red confidently replied, petting Reuben on the head.

“Your story explains how you got blasted by a black hole beam.” Chosen told me.

“Yeah, that itself is quite the story, Chosen.” I elaborated.

“It’s a fairly long story, though.” Yellow added.

“It might take, like, two hours to tell it, dude.” Green said.

“I’ve got time.” Chosen said. “It sounds like an incredible story.”

“Believe it or not, Chosen, Purple and I weren’t always on their side.” Dad said.

“Really? I find that hard to believe after seeing your guys’ chemistry.” Chosen noted.

“It’s true.” SC said. “Where should we start?”

“Uh… my Netherwart dependency?” Blue sheepishly admitted.

“Addiction, bro. The word you’re looking for is ‘addiction’.” Green joked. “I mean, you ate it as a garnish with your meal.”

“Actually, it all probably starts with me,” Dad began, “and my late son.”

“Are you sure, Dad? I know it still stings.” I asked, concerned.

“Yeah. This story would not be complete without it.”

The seven of us told Chosen about The Battle for Minecraft, each of our perspectives and our own adventures to him, who listened silently and intensely. Listening to it again was incredible, even though I’ve lived through it myself. It was such a rollercoaster of emotions for me, but in the end, I wouldn’t change a thing about it. We all ended up happier than ever.

“In the end, I went home with King as my adoptive father,” I said, “and SC and the Gang…”

“We went home and settled back in.” SC added.

“But only after returning both Minecraft icons.” Red finished. “AlexCrafter probably wanted theirs back.” We laughed.

“What a story, guys.” Chosen said, in awe.

“Indeed, it is incredible.” Yellow said.

“We should pitch it to a movie company or something!” Blue shouted excitedly.

“C’mon, who would watch a movie about stick figures in Minecraft?” Green asked.

“I don’t know, Green. I’d watch it.” SC piped up.

“I would as well, if only to relive my acceptance and adoption over and over again.” I said, wrapping my arms around Dad yet again.

“Thanks, Purple.” Dad said. “It’s kinda funny. I tried destroying Minecraft to avenge my son. I never would’ve thought I’d have six more at the end of it.” He paused for a moment. “I truly don’t deserve you, especially after what I did to you. I love you all.”

“We love you too, King.” The Gang said in unison.

“They don’t love you more than I do, Dad.” I told him.

“I’m so glad.” Dad replied.

“You are truly lucky to have them in your life, King.” Chosen said.

“Not lucky, Chosen. Blessed.” Dad replied.

“Never forget you also have us in your life, Chosen.” SC said. “The next time you need help, we’ll be there for you.”

“Or if you ever need a break, come visit us. You’re a great guy, and we’d love to have you back to just hang out.” Red added.

“Our door is always open.” Blue said. “You know where to find us.”

“Thanks, fellas. That means a lot to me. I’ve never had much of a family before, especially since two of my brothers actively tried killing me.” Chosen sheepishly confessed.

“You have us, bro.” Green said. “We’re your family.”

“And like a true family, we’ll be here for you. Always.” Yellow added.

“Take it from me, Chosen. Sometimes, bonds are stronger than blood.” I told him.

“Profound words, son.” Dad complimented me.

“Thanks, Dad.” I replied.

“Purple, my friend, you are wise beyond your years.” Chosen answered. Everyone else nodded.

“Thanks, Chosen.” I responded.

“And thank you, for saving us.” Chosen continued. “I guess you don’t need superpowers to be a superhero.”

“Well said, Chosen.” Dad said. “This kid of mine truly is a hero.” He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in close.

“Thanks, Purple, for rescuing us.” The Gang said in unison.

“Just knowing you all are safe is thanks enough.” I told them. “Hey guys, gather around. I want to get a selfie with you all, to remember this day forever.”

“That sounds great, bro.” Green said. Everyone got up from the table and gathered behind me and Dad. I held my phone out and snapped a picture, and though it wasn’t easy, I managed to get all eight of us in the frame.

“I’ll never forget this.” I said, teary-eyed.

Chapter 20: A Fond Farewell (Purple)

After a delicious meal made by Blue and Yellow, Dad, Chosen, and I knew we had to head home. As much as I didn't want to, it was getting late, so after the guys cleaned up, we wished a quick good-bye to Alan, Dad and I said good-bye to our friends, one at a time.

“It’s getting late, guys. You three should probably get going.” SC said to me, Dad, and Chosen.

“Oh, I don’t wanna go.” I replied, tears in my eyes. “This has been an incredible adventure.”

“We need to, kiddo. You know it, I know it.” Dad said.

“Can I say goodbye to them first?” I asked.

“Of course. Take all the time you need.” Dad allowed it. I stepped up to Red, who was also teary-eyed.

“Bring it in, buddy.” He told me. I hugged him tight.

“I love ya, Reddy Bear.”

“I love you, too.” We released each other. “Keep fighting for your family, buddy.”

“How do you like the new nickname?”

“It’s growing on me, not gonna lie.” Red admitted. “Just don’t tell the guys.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” I told him. Yellow was next. “Yellow… I’m glad you’re safe.”

“You as well, Purple.” He hugged me. “Never stop learning.”

“I won’t. Thanks, Yellow. I love ya.”

“I love you, too.” We let each other go. Blue was waiting with arms wide open.

“I can’t deny a hug from you.” I told him. We embraced.

“I love you, Purple.” He said. “Keep growing, keep blooming.”

“I will, Blue. I love you.” We let go. SC was waiting behind him. “SC, I’m so happy you’re OK.”

“You helped with that greatly. Thanks for the rescue.” We embraced. “Stay safe out there.”

“I got a dad who makes that easy.” I told him. He chuckled. Finally, Green, my best friend.

“Brother, bring it in.” I told him. He obliged, tears in his eyes.

“I love you, Purple. Keep singing your song.”

“I love you too, Green. Thanks for reminding me who I was. You have my eternal gratitude.”

“I knew there was something in you, Purple.” He let me go. “When you get back to your home, text me. There’s something I want to share with you.”

“I will. I promise.” We let go. I returned to my dad. “I’m ready, Dad.”

"Guys, I owe you a lot. Thank you all for being such a great friend to my kid, and to me." Dad said to the Gang. "I am forever grateful for you."

"Thanks, King." SC replied. "On behalf of myself and my friends, that means the world. Thank you."

"Shall we go, Purple? Chosen?" Dad asked.

“Hang on.” SC said. “Chosen, my brother, will we see you again?” Chosen stood next to us.

“Maybe someday. If nothing else, I know you’ll be seeing these two again very soon.” Chosen gestured to me and Dad. “You seven seem to be inseparable.”

“We really are.” Dad said. “We’ll be back soon, fellas. You can count on that.”

“And in the meantime, we’ll be in touch.” I told them. “Let’s head out the way we came.” The portal to ALANSPC was sealed with Bedrock to keep the hunters out, as an extra precaution. That was SC’s idea. Dad nodded and he and I climbed to the portal above us.

“Goodbye… big brother.” SC hugged Chosen goodbye.

“Goodbye… little brother.” Chosen hugged him back and flew up to join us.

“Bye guys! We love you!” I shouted, waving goodbye.

“Bye, Purple! King! Chosen!” The Gang waved back. “We’ll see you guys soon!”

“Absolutely.” Dad confirmed. He and Chosen headed into the portal. I took one last look at my friends before following them.

In the Nether, Chosen asked, “Hey, King, can you do me a favor?”

“Sure, what is it?” Dad wanted to know.

“My powers are greatly diminished thanks to Vic. Do you think you can amplify them back to normal?”

“I can try.” Dad said. “I unpaused you, so I’ll do what I can.”

“Thanks, King.” Dad and I grabbed onto Chosen’s legs and we flew back to our home portal. We stepped through it, through our house, and returned to the RockeTech building. Everyone was gone.

“Back to where it all started.” I reminisced.

“Here it is, guys. The Box.” Chosen stepped into it. Dad cracked his knuckles and began typing away at it.

“Here’s hoping this goes better than when I allowed Gold to play Minecraft.” Dad said.

“It will, Dad. I promise.” I told him. Thanks to Dad’s knowledge of computers, technology, and Command Blocks, Chosen’s powers were amplified. He apparently has laser vision, and it looks intense.

“How’s that, Chosen?” Dad asked.

“I feel like my old self again. Thanks, fellas.” Dad opened the door and Chosen walked out.

“Could you bring us back home?” I asked.

“It’s the least I could do. Grab on!” He flew me and Dad back to our house. We let go of him in front of our house and looked up at him. I didn’t notice how late it was until looking up at Chosen and seeing a bright red sky behind him.

“Will we ever see you again, Chosen?” Dad asked.

“Keep an eye on the sky, King. You’ll see me around.” Chosen replied.

“If you ever want to hang out, or just need a place to stay, you know where to find us.” I had to shout to be heard from far below.

“Thanks, Purple. It’s nice to have… a family, an actual family who truly cares about me.” Chosen said. “Until next time, Purple, King, I wish you all the best.”

“You as well, Chosen!” Dad and I shouted.

“Farewell.” He took off into the crimson sky.

"Goodbye, Chosen!" Dad and I shouted. We waved goodbye until he disappeared in the distance. When he was out of sight, Dad and I went inside.

“Woo, what an adventure!” Dad exclaimed. “Hey, kiddo, who are you texting?”

“Green. He said he wanted to show me something once I got back.” I answered. I sent him the text, and I soon got a reply.

“Show this to your dad as well.” it read, and after that, I got a video clip.

“Dad, Green wanted me to show this to you.” I showed Dad my phone and played the video. “Wait, Dad… that’s us!” It was a video of Dad kneeling over me as I was unconscious on the couch.

“Green recorded that? I didn’t realize.”

“Was that from earlier today?” I asked.

“Yes.” Dad answered. I watched as he gave his profession of love and pride for me. As I watched, tears filled my eyes and then began pouring down my face. After the video ended, I looked up at Dad.

“Dad, did you mean all that? You love me and are proud of me?”

“I meant every word.” He replied, tears in his own eyes.

“You have no idea how much that means to me.” I told him.

“Why? I’ve told you that before.”

“I know, but… for whatever reason, it hits different, now.” I told him. “You have no idea how long I’ve longed for a father to be proud of me, and after seeing my life flash before my eyes…” Dad pulled me over to the couch, and we sat down next to each other.

“I know your story had a rough beginning, but I think it has a very happy ending.” Dad told me.

“I would agree.”

“Thanks for saving my life, Purple. That’s twice now.”

“Hey, you saved me, too. But, just having you in my life is thanks enough for me.”

“I love you, Purple, and never forget how incredibly proud I am of you.” Tears filled my eyes. No matter how much Dad says it, it makes me cry every time.

“I won’t, Dad. I promise, and I love you too.” I replied. We wrapped our arms around our shoulders, gazing out the window at the sunset sky. There, on the couch, snuggled up together, we dozed off. I dreamed of our next adventure, one with me and my family: my dad, my brothers, and Chosen. I know that, together, we are truly limitless and absolutely inseparable.

THE END