Chapter 20: The End Goes Underwater

[Jesse's POV]

Lukas: "T-They're everywhere. How are we supposed to get through this?"

(Everyone averts their gaze as soon as possible.)

(Damn, why can't we have something that's easy for a change?)

Jesse: "Everyone, just hold onto me. I'll try and guide us through."

(Seeing as the Enderman actually works, it was better than trying to walk through blindly or risk having some Enderman on our tail.)

Lukas: "I guess this is the only way we're gonna make it back to the trap door..."

(Lukas and the others form a line, with him holding onto me, and Axel holding onto Lukas, Olivia onto Axel, and so on.)

(As I start heading forward, I spot the river in the wool room when we first arrived here.)

(Right! I forgot about that.)

(I could try heading towards it.)

(But if I remember correctly, the trapdoor is on top of a hill, and I don't think the river goes anywhere near it.)

(Crap. Oh well, it's still the best option, so I'll try to reach it.)

(At this point, our moving speed is kinda slow with this many people, but at least we're going forward.)

(After a while, we arrive at the bridge that spans the man-made river.)

(Then, out of nowhere, an Enderman teleports in front of our path.)

Lukas: "Uh, maybe we should turn around?"

Olivia: "You're saying that, NOW?"

(Unfortunately, looking behind me, I see that our group has already caught the attention of a few of them and they are directly observing us and blocking our way back.)

Jesse: "Okay... maybe not..."

(I turn around in front of me again, only to discover that the Enderman who teleported here had moved very close to me.)

Jesse: "Oh god, this guy's right in my face!"

(I look away, but it doesn't stop the dude from moving even closer.)

(I could feel its cold skin touching my mask!)

(The uncomfortable position stays like that for way longer than I'd like.)

(I hold my breath, to make sure not to aggravate it in any way.)

(After a while, it finally backs away.)

(I looked back to confirm if the encounter ended peacefully or not, until the Enderman suddenly shrieked at me.)

(Fuck. I thought these suits were designed to protect me?!?)

Jesse: "Everyone jump into the water!"

Axel: "W-What?"

Jesse: "This way is a no-go; just jump into safety!"

(I break the line and head towards the fence blocking the way into the river.)

(I didn't have a weapon, and attempting to engage with the Enderman was suicide.)

(I tried to break the fence as fast as I could.)

Olivia: "Get out of the way!"

(Olivia suddenly grabs my hand and pushes me away from the fence.)

(Unbeknownst to me, an Enderman had creeped up on me, and probably would've killed me if she hadn't shown up.)

(The sudden near-death experience caught me off guard.)

Jesse: "H-H-Huh?! What just-"

Lukas: "There's no time. Grab my hand!"

(Before I even caught a break, Olivia and Lukas were already in a hurry to drag me out of here.)

Soren: "Over here!"

(Soren managed to cut the fence open on his side with an axe he carried, granting the gang an escape route for us.)

(Soren was the first to jump, followed by Reuben and Axel, partially carrying Petra.)

(The scene only lasted a couple of seconds before I was thrown into the water along with Lukas and Olivia.)

(I finally caught my breath after landing.)

Jesse: "T-That was... way too sudden for my liking."

Lukas: "You're okay, right?"

Jesse: "Yeah, I just need a few seconds."

(Even after being safe in the water, the stressful situation continues with Soren shouting his next idea.)

Soren: "Oh! When I constructed this place, I worried about how flammable my building material was. So, I installed a fire suppression system to prevent the whole thing from going up in flames!"

Axel: "So, there's even more water?"

Soren: "Much more! If we activate it, it could disperse all these Enderman while we swim to safety!"

Olivia: "Well, where's the place you can activate that?"

Soren: "The lever is right up there!"

(Soren points to the mountain on the other side of the room.)

Soren: "If you just swim upstream, you'll reach it. It's right at where the river starts flowing down."

Jesse: "And why is it on the OTHER side of the room?"

Soren: "I didn't want my build to look overcrowded with levers and machinery, so I had to carefully hide them from plain sight. Don't blame me! You'll understand when you realize how much redstone this whole system needs. I had to find the best location to correctly cover it up!"

Jesse: "Great. And since I currently have the most protection with my armour, you automatically send me to do the job?"

Soren: "Precisely!"

(*Sigh" Why did I volunteer to use this Enderman suit? Carefully staying in the middle of the water to avoid the angry Enderman.)

(I reach the lever and activate the fire suppression system.)

(I was just expecting a few waterfalls to sprinkle from the ceiling.)

(but the sudden rise in water elevation caught me off-guard and sent me flowing down the river again.)

Jesse: "Woah!"

(Looking around myself, I see the Enderman fleeing to a higher altitude with the water rising and claiming more of the floor.)

Jesse: "It's working!"

(That reassuring thought is immediately interrupted with the realization that the water rose so much that the trapdoor now ended up submerged.)

Soren: "Everyone, get to the exit now! Before it fills the room completely!"

(The group dives down into the water, while I catch up with them after flowing down the overflooded river.)

(I was about to as well, until I spotted Reuben still on the surface, unable to swim down.)

(I forgot that pigs were never able to swim properly, other than float on the surface.)

(I rushed over to him.)

Jesse: "Are you okay, buddy? Let me help you."

(Reuben squeals with a scared expression.)

(Reuben seemed hesitant to dive down.)

(But I couldn't let him drown in this flooding room, so I had no choice but to just take him down with me.)

(Taking a very deep breath, I brace myself and dive down with Reuben as well.)

(Despite Reuben's unwillingness, I continued going down with all of my energy.)

(I manage to reach the trapdoor, where Lukas has already opened it and is checking to make sure everyone makes it through.)

(Soren and Olivia had already made it through.)

(All seems well, until Lukas worriedly points at behind me that someone else is having trouble.)

(A small distance away, Axel and Petra are struggling to reach us.)

(Shit! I'm approaching my limit on staying underwater!)

(I had to act fast! I push Reuben towards Lukas and signal for him to go down while I head over to help Axel and Petra.)

(I didn't even have time to look back to see if he got my signal.)

(I have to hurry over to the others!)

(I grab onto Axel and pull myself back as fast as I can.)

(My surroundings were silent, but the situation was only getting worse.)

(I wanted to resurface as soon as possible, but the room almost flooded completely.)

(It's the only way to survive now.)

(Damn it! Why is the trapdoor so close but it feels so far away? Swim faster, god damn it!)

(My air is running out... my body is starting to shut down... just hold on a little longer... Jesse... it's right there....)

(After what felt like an absurd amount of time... I could finally hold onto the door... Now I just have to go through here...)

(My strength is weakening... Will I really be able to make it out again..?)

(I closed my eyes... and prayed that the next time I open them... I'd be out of the water...)

[Lukas's POV]

Olivia: "Pull harder!"

(Suddenly, a mass of 3 people are sent through the hole, down the ladder, landing directly towards us.)

Everyone: """"АНННННН.""""

(The next thing I know is that my body ceased to have the ability to feel and

everyone is sent tumbling down.)

(the makeshift waterslide made from a leak from the flooded happy-fun-room-of-craziness.)

Axel: "Wohoo! I am so glad we didn't have to walk down these stairs. Who knew they doubled as a fun slide as well!"

Olivia: "This is your first thought after ALMOST DROWNING?"

Axel: "What? Life isn't fun if you aren't consistently scared half to death."

Soren: "Um... is everyone okay?"

(Reuben's scared squeal disagrees, and I can't even respond to that question with all.)

(that water constantly splashing into my face as we flow down this chaotic staircase-flooded waterfall.)

(Sliding down with your head first is not a fun experience.)

(At last, the horrific waterslide comes to an end, just at the bottom of the stairs, near the End Portal back to the overworld.)

(At least I can take a breath of fresh air now that we're not in danger anymo-)

Soren: "Everyone, hop into the portal now!"

Axel: "B-But we just got here, and Petra is-"

Olivia: "AXEL, THE HERD IS STILL COMING!"

(Even here, we're still surrounded by distressed Enderman.)

(We had no choice but to leave this dimension as soon as possible.)

(Olivia picks up Reuben and jumps in, followed by Soren, Axel, and Petra.)

Lukas: "Jesse, wake up! We have to leave!"

Jesse: "W-What?"

(Jesse spurts out water, still dazed by what's happening.)

(I grabbed Jesse and quickly leaped into the portal.)

[Jesse's POV]

Jesse: "AHHHHHHH- Oof!"

(We suddenly hit a floor made of stone.)

(Checking around, we were back in Soren's Fortress.)

(Thank God that hell ride that is the End is finally over.)

Soren: "Everyone! Get out of sight from the entrance!"

(At the exit of the portal room, there were even more mobs trying to kill us.)

Jesse: "Can we at least get some sort of break for once?! We've been on the run since this whole Enderman shenanigans started!"

(I was pushed behind cover while I was busy complaining.)

Lukas: "I can understand your anger, but we need to take care of this situation first!"

Jesse: "I know, it's just that things haven't really been going well lately."

Olivia: "Soren! Can't we just get your Formidi-Bomb or whatever and GET THE HECK OUT OF HERE?!"

(Olivia suggests while busy fighting a pack of zombies on her side of the entrance.)

Soren: "One small problem. Tiny, really. Miniscule."

(Soren pulls out his sword to stop an approaching zombie from getting in.)

Soren: "I haven't actually built it yet."

Olivia: "THAT'S A 'SMALL PROBLEM?!"

Soren: "You seem like a person who appreciates cool stuff that's cool for no reason."

Olivia: "Uh, thanks?"

Soren: "Olivia, was your name? You're the closest one to the entrance. There's a lever halfway through the doorway on your side. Reach it and we'll be able to eradicate those mobs immediately!"

Olivia: "Uh... okay?"

(Olivia fights through the barrage of arrows and successfully flicks the lever down.)

Soren: "Hold onto your socks -- 'cause they're about to get blown off! Go to work, boys!"

Axel: "What is that supposed to mean?"

(Reuben squeals from shock at what that lever caused to happen.)

(In the other room, where the mobs are, a set of T-Shaped iron blocks are suddenly pushed outwards from the wall.)

(to meet up with a pumpkin head that's been aligned there. The set causes a dozen iron golems to be created.)

Olivia: "That was your plan? CREATE EVEN MORE ENEMIES?!"

Soren: "What are you talking about? They're here to beat the mobs for us!"

(Contradictory to what happened back in Ivor's Basement, the Iron Golems actually started to attack the monsters instead of us, completely oblidirating each of them in a few seconds.)

Olivia: "Woah!"

Jesse: "When those golems are done with the monsters... they won't attack us, will they?"

Soren: "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies."

Jesse: "That... didn't actually --"

Soren: "Ask-me-no-questions!!!"

(Why are the Order members so unhelpful when it comes to these kinds of things?)

Lukas: "Well, the Golem back in that basement was created by Ivor and followed his orders, so we could assume that the Golems are always on the side of the person that created them?"

Jesse: "Thank you for creating a logical explanation."

(After just a few seconds, the crowd of monsters in the other room had already been completely annihilated by the Golems.)

(Soren hand gestures for them to move out of the way as we start heading back to the loot room again.)

Jesse: "Were those the last threats?"

Olivia: "I think..."

Jesse: "Good."

(Seeing as the action around me calmed down, I was finally able to take off this smelly suit without needing to worry about more mobs.)

(At least we can finally breathe again.)

Axel: "Guys! Petra's unconscious!"

(Aaaaand I jinxed it. Axel had been carrying Petra through the whole escape.)

(Her near drowning experience had put her in more critical health than any other person.)

Olivia: "S-She's still alive, r-right?"

(Axel puts his head near her nose.)

Axel: "S-S-She's not breathing! Oh no, oh no; I'm not ready for this."

Soren: "Don't panic, just stay calm. This has happened before when Magnus

almost drowned, but don't worry, I know exactly what to do!"

Axel: "Then stop standing there and help me already!"

Soren: "I said don't panic, does she have a pulse?"

(Axel franctically does so, despite what Soren said.)

(His panic is only growing larger by the second.)

(And it's not like the others were any different.)

(This adventure has always been dangerous, but we were never this close to Death's door before.)

Olivia: "I-I'll try to find something that can help!"

(Olivia departs to look for something in the loot room.)

(She didn't even know what she was looking for specifically.)

(she was just hoping for something to be there that could help.)

Axel: "I-I can't feel it. I-I-I can't!"

Soren: "Don't panic! Just follow my steps; we're going to try to do CPR:

Carefully place the person on their back. Place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest. You can also push with one hand on top of the other. Press down at least 2 inches. Make sure not to press on the ribs. Do chest compressions only, at a rate of 100-120 per minute or more. Let the chest rise completely between pushes. Check to see if the person has started breathing."

(Axel follows the procedure.)

(We could only hope for good results. Axel continues and continues... Will Petra wake up?)

Axel: "I-It's not working."

Soren: "Don't give up. Try performing mouth-to-mouth."

(Axel does that. The wait after that felt interminable.)

Lukas: "H-How did it come to this...?"

Jesse: "I don't know. I really can't believe this is happening either."

(Reuben watches sadly. Damn it, why can't you just wake up already?)

Axel: "G-Guys!"

(Axel's voice sounded shocked.)

(Is she waking up? Could it be...?We had to find out, so we all came closer.)

(Looking at Petra... she started coughing.)

(Well, it looked more like vomiting out water, but she started moving again.)

Lukas: "Thank God, she's still alive!"

Axel: "T-That was a close one..."

(Slowly but surely, she regained her consciousness again.)

Soren: "Phew... I almost thought my method failed."

(Reuben jumps up in joy.)

Jesse: "Damn you... I almost thought you were gonna die..."

(Petra opens her eyes and looks at us.)

Petra: "W-What happened..."

(Axel didn't answer and just gently hugged her.)

Petra: "W-Whoa, what's with the dim mood? *coughs.*

(Petra coughed out loud. The relieved feeling vanished in an instant, once we realized that it wasn't over yet.)

(Even with the regen potion she drank, her wither sickness still didn't go away.)

Jesse: "This really is crappy. It really seems like we have to completely destroy that abomination to completely cure Petra."

(And the short-lived break turned into a race against time once again.)

(Olivia finally returns.)

Olivia: "I found some more regen potions. It's not much, but I thought it could help."

Axel: "No, that's the best thing we can find right now. Thanks Olivia."

(Axel takes the bottles.)

Soren: "Okay, I'm sorry if what I said earlier alarmed you, but all the ingredients for the Formidi Bomb are here."

Jesse: "Well? Where are they?"

Soren: "Go fetch some gunpowder from those chests, will you? I'll go get my Super TNT."

(Soren goes to command the Golems to make a stairway to reach a chest further up the room.)

Soren: "Oh, and feel free to take anything else if you want."

Jesse: "Um... Soren, none of these chests are labeled..."

Soren: "Just look through all of them! Don't look at me! I just didn't have the time to sort them properly."

Jesse: "Right..."

(Oh well, I shouldn't say anything either way.)

(It's not like my chests are better sorted out.)

(After rummaging through dozens of chests, I finally managed to find 8 pieces of gunpowder.)

(We regroup at the center of the room.)

(Axel had managed to help Petra stand up as well, and everyone else seemed to have all the stuff they needed to get.)

Soren: "Okay, does everyone have everything they need?"

Olivia: "You got it!"

Axel: "W-Wait I haven't even looked at anything yet!"

Jesse: "Got the gunpowder right here."

Reuben: "Squeak."

Soren: "Good, I fetched the Super TNT."

Olivia: "Wait... but I thought Super TNT was the Formidi-Bomb..."

Soren: "Of course not! They're two completely different words, aren't they?"

Jesse: "Well, what is it exactly?"

Soren: "Well, it's just another one of my marvelous impossible objects!"

Jesse: "If it's impossible, how did you make it in the first place?"

Soren: "Remember, Jesse, I killed the Ender Dragon -- I do impossible things every day!"

Jesse: "Um... ok? So what's the recipe?"

Soren: "It's really simple: Super TNT in the middle and gunpowder ALL around."

Jesse: "Got it! Give me the Super TNT."

Soren: "Wait! No no no!"

(Soren backs away.)

Soren: "The ingredients are highly unstable -- even putting them in close proximity to each other is a risk!"

Jesse: "Okay? I guess having the ingredients is better than nothing."

(Suddenly, the conversation is interrupted by Enderman roars.)

Jesse: "Oh great, does this ever end?!"

(Everyone instinctively looks away.)

Soren: "Oh, dear... I was afraid of this. With the End underwater, the Enderman will try to escape."

Lukas: "Well, WHAT THE HECK ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?!"

Soren: "Everyone, follow me!"

(Soren runs to the end of the room to press a hidden button on the wall.)

(This causes the wall to open up to a tunnel with two parallel minecart tracks laid through it.)

Soren: "To the MINECARTS, everyone! Heh... I've been waiting for ages to say that... to people, I mean..."

Axel: "Cool, it's like an emergency get-away exit!"

(Everyone hops onto one of the 7 minecarts already ready to go.)

(In front of us, the powered rails light up.)

Jesse: "Um... how fast do these carts go?"

Lukas: "Don't worry, minecarts can't go that FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

(As soon as our carts reach the powered rail, the wind suddenly blows hard into my face as the carts accelerate to an insane speed.)

(In just a few seconds, we reach the light at the end of the tunnel.)

[To be continued...]