Fallen part 2

Xephos and Honeydew walked along the gloomy, winding path along the enormous mountain that housed the main YogLabs buildings. They were silent, and they were alone.

Ridge had offered to come with them in case there was trouble – there was always trouble at the Labs – but Xephos didn't think it would be a good idea. Many of the staff were still petrified of him, but the ones that weren't would be able to tell that he was weakened, and he wouldn't be able to help if there was a fight or outbreak of some sort.

Honeydew was busy thinking about something Ridge had said to him.

After they made the decision to go to the Labs, Ridge had pulled him aside.

“Do you remember when I brought Xephos back to life?” he had asked. “I used my own blood to save him. I don't know what this will do to him, so keep a close eye on him.”

“What do you mean you don't know what it will do to him?” exclaimed Honeydew. “What could happen?”

“Just... be on the lookout for strange things,” Ridge had warned. “He might start spawning in things more frequently or accidentally. He might get angrier easier. He might accidentally destroy something.”

Honeydew's eye had twitched. “Anything else?” he exclaimed, freaking out a bit.

Ridge thought for a moment. “Well... he could possibly gain the ability to fly...”

Honeydew stared blankly at him. “So what you're saying is he may turn into you?”

“Not exactly, but kinda, yeah...”

Honeydew had gotten out of that conversation as quickly as possible. Ridge had used the term “OP” a lot though.

That also got Honeydew thinking about what Israphel had said. That Xephos had evil blood inside of him. Was that true? He had also said the same thing about Lalna. Had Ridge saved Lalna in the same way he saved Xephos? Was that so called evil blood the reason Lalna had to deal with Livid for so long? What would it do to Xephos?

He shook his head a bit. It was all so confusing, but either way, he knew his friends weren't evil... right?

They arrived at the enormous door to the Labs. The door was already open, so they ran up the stairs. Honeydew put down some blocks so Xephos wouldn't have to jump the gap.

They ran into the Labs at full speed, not bothering to even glance at the testificates behind the desk.

Xephos led the way down to the restricted area labeled Department of Transdimentional Teleportation and Exploration. He burst through the doors and into the laboratories and experimental testing rooms. All of the scientists in the room turned and looked up as the two ran in.

Xephos took a moment to catch his breath – which was increasingly difficult due to his asthma and his healing throat, which was no longer bandaged but still had a visible scar – before standing tall and looking around.

“Who's in charge of this department?” he asked, his voice stern.

“That would be me,” said a voice from the back of the room. The owner of the voice stepped forward, and Honeydew and Xephos were shocked to see Professor Brightmeer.

“What are you doing down here, Brightmeer?” asked Xephos. “I thought you were in charge of the chemical and medical development research.”

“I am,” said Brightmeer, “but now that Professor Bixby is retired, there was no one left to take his position.”

Xephos and Honeydew glanced at each other. Neither of them had ever really liked the guy. He had been doing experiments down in the depths of the Lab that violated almost every rule of the Labs and human rights, he was the one who had suggested using Chemical X to weaponize mobs even further, and worst of all, he was Lalna's uncle.

He was also the reason Lalna had been fired.

Frowning, Xephos shook his head a bit. “Look, we need a way to get to the Nether,” he carefully said.

Brightmeer tilted his head to the side, causing the half of his face covered in mechanical prosthetics to glint in the bright laboratory light. “Why can't you just use a portal...?” he asked calmly, even though his voice carried something hidden – something menacing and ominous.

Honeydew groaned loudly. “We can't! Now look, I don't care if it's a portal, a toilet, or a fucking TARDIS! Just get us a way to get back to the Nether!”

“The portals won't work anymore,” elaborated Xephos.

Brightmeer narrowed his eye. “You do realize I'll need some additional information before I can condone an experiment like this, Sir.” The way he spat out the word “sir” reminded Honeydew of a snake spitting venom.

Xephos glared. He was tempted to fire him on the spot for asking too many questions – he'd wanted to fire him for a while now, but he figured it would be safer for everyone if they kept a close eye on him. However, Brightmeer had the technology and knowledge that they needed. Unfortunately.

“Why do you need to get to the Nether so desperately?” asked Brightmeer suspiciously. He was eying the fresh scar on Xephos' neck, which was still painfully visible.

Xephos gulped, but he didn't let the fear show on his face. He replaced it with rage.

“We were in the Nether, and there was an accident. All of the portals are sealed, and two of our friends are still trapped there. One of them is hurt, so we need to get back and rescue them as soon as possible,” Xephos reluctantly explained.

Brightmeer again tilted his head. “I'm curious,” he said, “why didn't you go ask my psychotic nephew for help first? I'm sure he's got a portal gun of some sort that could be useful.”

Xephos didn't answer. This was all Brightmeer needed.

“Oh, so he's one of your friends that's trapped in the Nether? Interesting...”

Xephos snarled. “Look, I shouldn't have to be answering your questions!” he exclaimed. “I'm your boss! You work for me, and my word is final! Now no more question asked. Build a portal to the Nether or so help me I'll find a way to teleport half of your body beneath bedrock and leave the other half here to feed the experiments! Now. Get. To. WORK!”

If Honeydew hadn't been so shocked by Xephos' outburst, he would have noticed the scientists slowly closing in on them from all sides. These scientists looked like they had been sampling the experimental medicines and steroids.

Professor Brightmeer smiled menacingly. “Of course,” he said. “We'll get started on it right away. Right after we finish a bit of... pest control...”

Suddenly, he stepped back, and all the scientists surrounding them closed in. Half of them grabbed Honeydew and pulled him off to the side of the room. The other half grabbed Xephos and forced him to his knees, holding his arms behind his back.

Brightmeer chuckled, strolling forward. “Oh, we intend to make a portal. Just don't expect your friends to come out of it alive. You see, many of the scientists here are part of a special group. We specialize in killing any abominations we come across. And while you may have tried to brainwash me, I remember. I remember exactly what my nephew is. And I intend to kill him. And you. And Honeydew. And anybody else that gets in our way.”

Xephos struggled with the scientists holding him down. “You traitor!” he spat at him. “You're a monster!”

“No,” said Brightmeer, “we're here to kill the monsters and save the people who deserve it. And you, Xephos, are a monster. You're as much of a monster as my nephew; you just don't show it on the surface. Go head. Tell Honeydew how many workers you've had killed here. How many inhumane experiments you've had preformed. All in the name of science...”

Xephos glared at him before slowly casting a regretful glance at Honeydew, who only shook his head a bit. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Brightmeer smirked. “We also have the power to bring people back from the grave. We can even rescue someone who was... say... trapped in the Void. I think there's someone trapped in the Void right now who would gladly accept you two as a sacrifice.”

Xephos snarled and started screaming and cursing, but Brightmeer whipped around and slugged him in the jaw. The force of the impact – which was incredibly surprising for someone of his age – would have sent him sprawling if not for the enormously muscled scientists holding him down.

Brightmeer chuckled menacingly. “You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that.”

Xephos spat blood. He turned and glared menacingly at Brightmeer. “You're a cultist!” he snarled.

Brightmeer bowed mockingly. “A cultists of Israphel, at your service.” Then he violently kneed Xephos in the chest.

“Stop it!” screamed Honeydew, struggling to pull himself free so he could run to Xephos, who was doubled over, clenching his teeth and gasping for breath. Blood was trickling out of his mouth.

Brightmeer glanced over at Honeydew. “Enjoying the show?” he asked, his smile unstable.

Turning, Brightmeer knelt down next to Xephos and casually put his arm around his shoulders.

“You see, Xephos,” he said casually, “I personally hated you before I even joined Israphel. You boss everybody around, you think you're better than us, you think we're disposable... And right now, I'm not sure what's better. Seeing you in pain, or seeing Honeydew's reaction to all of this. Priceless.”

Xephos rammed his forehead into Brightmeer's nose.

Brightmeer jumped back and gingerly touched his broken nose. Blood was pouring out of it and covering the lower half of his face. It soaked into his clean white lab coat.

He chuckled. “Good to see you've still got a bit of fight left.” Then he turned, grabbed Xephos' right arm, and twisted it until his shoulder popped out of the socket.

Xephos screamed, his face paling and twisting into a horrible grimace. Honeydew was crying now, seeing his friend in so much pain. He struggled and pulled against the cultists' grips, but they were too strong.

Brightmeer cackled. “You aren't so high and mighty now, are you?” He pulled out a scalpel and drove it into Xephos' dislocated shoulder. His screams intensified.

Brightmeer pulled out the scalpel and knelt down in front of Xephos again. He grabbed his face and held him up so they were eye level. Xephos' eyes were foggy, clouded by pain.

“Tell me, Xephos. Are you familiar with the term “an eye for an eye”...?”

Xephos stopped breathing out of fear. Brightmeer slowly ran the blunt side of the scalpel against the skin around Xephos' left eye.

“How about it, then?” he asked. “You've killed people here that I cared about. You let abominations like my nephew live, and he caused this.” He gestured violently to his missing eye.

“So how about this. I lost my eye, so you can lose one too.”

He pressed the sharp edge of the blade into the flesh of Xephos' forehead, planning on dragging the blade down and cutting his eye, rendering it sightless.

He never got the chance. Right at that point, Honeydew burst free with a sudden rush of strength. He sprinted forwards, intent on taking Brightmeer down and putting that scalpel through his neck, but he was tackled before he could get there. He felt someone jab a needle into his back.

He just barely had time to mutter Xephos' name before his vision went black.

The last thing he saw was Brightmeer saying “I think we're done here” before striking Xephos across the head again and knocking him unconscious.

XXX

Lalna and Rythian had been walking for a while before they decided to stop. Not only were they tired and hungry, but they kept hearing Ghasts, and the last thing they needed was to get a limb blown off. Losing a limb in a place like this would certainly mean death.

“Maybe we should build a hut or something,” suggested Rythian. “Use something those Ghasts can't blast through.”

“Agreed,” grumbled Lalna, pulling out some cobblestone. He and Rythian quickly build a cobblestone hut that was large enough inside for both of them to have room to sleep. It may have been hideously ugly – Sjin would have been weeping if he saw it – but it would protect them.

While Rythian got right to laying down a more comfortable floor, Lalna went outside and walked back and forth along the shore of the lava ocean until he found what he was looking for.

He found a large black stone that was mostly round except for a somewhat flat side. It was hot to his ungloved hand, but not hot enough to burn. A heat stone.

With a sigh of relief, he pressed the heat stone to his right shoulder, which was incredibly sore and cramped from not being used and possibly from an infection. The heat helped ease some of the pain.

As he walked back to the hut with the heat stone, he noticed a cave. At the entrance to the cave, he saw some mushrooms. Sure, they still had some food left from the Fortress, but it would definitely help to have extra food.

He poked his head in the door and told Rythian he would be right back. Then he turned and went to the cave, setting the heat stone in his sling and pulling out a sword. There were a lot of mushrooms at the entrance to the cave, enough to keep them from starving for a few more days.

He gathered as many as he could hold, but just as he was turning to leave the cave, he heard a noise.

Turning, he peered deeper into the cave. The noise sounded like it was coming from something that was hurt. Slowly, with his sword equipped, he went deeper into the cave.

The walls sloped around, and after following the long tunnel down, he came to a small pool of lava at the end. Curled up by the lava was a tiny baby Pigman.

Lowering his sword, he got down on his knees and knelt next to the creature. The little Pigman looked up at him. It looked terrified. It was trembling and clutching a mostly broken golden dagger. Lalna could see that it's right leg was broken.

It had been abandoned. Left to die.

“Hey little guy,” whispered Lalna, smiling at the baby. He hoped he could get it to calm down so he could help it. He held out his hand, but it just growled at him, baring it's sharp tiny teeth.

“It's okay,” he calmly whispered. “I'm not going to hurt you...” He reached his hand out again, but the little Pigman swung his gold dagger at him. However, the Pigman was too weak to do any damage, and the dagger broke when it hit Lalna's arm.

Lalna pulled his arm back. Maybe he should try something else. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small brown mushroom and offered it to the baby.

This caught its attention. It slowly leaned forward a bit before quickly snatching the mushroom. Then it sat back and devoured it.

Lalna smiled a bit. “Want another?”

The little Pigman stared at him for a minute before slowly nodding. Lalna pulled out another mushroom, and this time, the Pigman crawled forward so that it was sitting right next to him. It took the mushroom, acting less skittish. Instead of returning to the wall, it sat right next to Lalna as it ate. When it was finished, it stood up, only putting pressure on it's left leg, and leaned on Lalna's knee, looking up at him expectantly.

“You're still hungry?” he asked with a small laugh. “Here.” He pulled out another mushroom. The little Pigman took it and ate it, still holding onto his knee.

“Will you let me help you now?” asked Lalna.

The little Pigman still looked a bit unsure. Slowly, Lalna reached towards him again, and the Pigman flinched away for a moment before biting his hand. It didn't bite very hard, though, so it didn't even break the skin.

“It's okay,” said Lalna, not phased by the bite. He reached forward and took the little Pigman's hand.

The Pigman looked back and forth between Lalna and his hand. Slowly, it fully realized that Lalna meant it no harm. As soon as it realized this, it happily climbed into Lalna's lap. Lalna smiled and scratched its ear. The little Pigman closed its eyes and smiled, making a noise that sounded a bit like purring.

After a minute, Lalna picked it up, cradling it in his good arm. Then he stood and carried it out of the cave and back to the hut.

When Lalna went in, Rythian was still facing away from the door.

“Hey Rythian, could you help me with something?” asked Lalna, kicking the door closed.

Rythian glanced over his shoulder, but when he saw Lalna standing there holding a baby Pigman, he fully turned around, his eyes wide.

“What...”

“Just help me bandage his leg,” said Lalna. “I'd do it myself, but I've only got one arm.”

Rythian blinked. “O-kay...” he said slowly, not exactly sure what to make of the situation.

Lalna walked forward and gently set the Pigman down on the crafting table.

“Don't worry, little guy,” said Lalna. “We'll get your leg all fixed up.”

Rythian pulled out a small roll of bandages and came over. The little Pigman shrunk away from him, but Lalna reached forward and took its hand. It seemed to calm down immediately.

Cautiously, Rythian wrapped the bandage around its crippled leg. It took a while, because the Pigman would keep squirming, but eventually he got it fully bandaged so that the broken bone would start healing.

By the time they finished, it was late, and the Pigman had fallen asleep.

“Thank you,” said Lalna, picking up the baby and carrying it over to a small pile of blankets he had made. He gently laid it down, and it curled up in a ball.

“Where did you even find it?” asked Rythian, kneeling down and observing the little creature.

“It was abandoned in a cave,” said Lalna. “I couldn't just leave him down there...”

Rythian nodded. “Y'know, you should probably name him.”

Lalna nodded. “I'll call him Golem.”

“Golem?”

“He reminds me of my golems back at my castle.”

Rythian nodded. “Okay, his name's Golem.”

The little Pigman smiled in his sleep.

XXX

It had been a day since Xephos and Honeydew had left for the Labs, and they hadn't heard from them yet.

They were starting to get worried.

“We shouldn't have let them go by themselves,” said Lomadia, who was pacing nervously. “I've never trusted that place.”

“You've been there?” asked Nilesy, who had woken up a few hours after they left. “I don't even know where the damn place is.”

“I've been there a few times,” she said. “The people they have working there kinda scare me. They look like they'll pull a knife on you if you look at them weird.”

“So you think something bad happened?” asked Nilesy, a bit distracted as Lyndon jumped up on his lap.

Lomadia was quiet for a minute. “I'm gonna go talk to Ridge.” Then she turned and walked out the door, Nilesy calling for her to be careful around him.

The second she was through the door, she ran smack into Ridge himself.

“You were looking for me?”

“Yeah, I was wondering if you've heard from Xephos or Honeydew yet,” said Lomadia, stepping back so that she could look him in the eye.

Ridge bit his lip, his cocky smile faltering a bit. “No, actually. I haven't heard anything.”

“Can't you use your demigod powers or something to see if they're okay?”

“Do I need to remind you that I barely have enough power to fly?”

“Right...”

Ridge grimaced. “I do think something's wrong, though.”

“We should go see for ourselves!” exclaimed Lomadia.

“We?”

Lomadia growled. “Look, I'm not just going to sit here and wait for something to happen. If there's a fight, I want to be the one to start it!”

Ridge nodded, taking a half step back from the owl lover. “I think you're right,” he said cautiously. The last thing he wanted was Lomadia blowing up and screaming at him. As long as she stayed calm, everybody else would too. “Do you want to go see who's up for a little trip to the Labs?”

Lomadia raised an eyebrow, her mouth twitching into a small incredulous smile. “Really?”

Ridge nodded.

Lomadia's smile widened. “Great,” she said, “I'll be right back.”

She turned and ran back into the building.

While Ridge waited for her to come back, he turned and faced in the general direction of the Labs. Nano appeared by his side.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“The Labs are that way,” said Ridge, pointing off in a specific direction. “Use that trick I taught you and see if you can see anything.”

“Okay...” said Nano, unsure. She stared off where Ridge was pointing and squinted. Her eyes glowed gold for a moment. She shook her head. “I can see the building, but I can't see anyone inside.”

Ridge slowly nodded. “That's what I was afraid of.”