Minecraft Story Mode: The Unknown Tales

Chapter 5: Guardian

If there was one thing that Kevin never thought he'd be made for, it was taking care of a child. Of course, she was no ordinary child. She was Fred and Xara's child, and quite possibly the only hope for those trapped underneath the bedrock. And yet, as much as the Virus hated to admit it, taking care of a little girl seemed just a little...beneath him.

But he still agreed to look after Lucy, and it wasn't just because he was ordered to do so by Xara. He couldn't help it. Seeing that cooing infant in her mother's arms with those ocean blue eyes and innocent smile, grasping at the air with her stubby fingers, made him fall in love with the girl. Of course, not in the romantic sense, but a platonic one. Even though he barely even knew the child, apart from the knowledge Xara implanted into him, Kevin felt an overwhelming desire to protect her, to become her new, honorary guardian.

So Kevin felt that it was entirely understandable to feel anxious and apprehensive when a group of humans suddenly broke into the abandoned temple and discovered her as a nether reactor core, not yet realizing what she truly was. Seeing the swords and pickaxes they were holding only heightened his fear, and he was about to lash out at the intruders before Lucy suddenly decided to reveal herself and transform back into a baby.

Upon realizing that the humans meant no harm, Kevin decided to stay hidden for the moment and let them take the baby to their home, unknowingly taking him along as well. After a few months of observing them through the eyes of Lucy, Kevin realized they were a famous group of heroes known as the Order of the Stone, famous for slaying the ender dragon. It wasn't long before he saw them as his own family, although they weren't aware of his existence.

Soren was...an oddball, to say the least. He loved architecture above anything else and seemed to be close friends with the group's redstone expert, Ellegaard. He was a likable person, but there was something about him that also made Kevin suspicious of him. Despite portraying himself as a courageous hero, Soren seemed...strangely cowardly. He had a deep seated fear of spiders, was afraid of heights, and was usually the last person to jump into action. Kevin found it hard to believe that he actually helped in killing the ender dragon.

Gabriel was a fierce warrior who had a knack for sword fighting and martial arts. He also had a kind-but-stern mentality that endeared him to the other members of the Order, as well as Kevin. The Virus couldn't help but be impressed by the warrior's hidden wisdom and his ability to keep a cool head in tense situations. He wished he could talk to him.

Magnus was the "fun but irresponsible uncle" if Kevin had ever seen one. He was a griefer who loved explosions, explosions, and explosions. The Virus initially thought it was strange for a griefer to be part of a group of heroes, but he quickly realized that even though Magnus had the same mindset and behavior as any other griefer, the rogue still made sure to put his friends and family before himself. Also, he was just hilarious.

Ellegaard was the "nerd" of the group, something that Magnus often made fun of mercilessly, only to receive a well-deserved punch in the face. Kevin had to admit that he gained a little bit of a crush on her for the first few months. She loved tinkering with redstone and had a sort of determination that everyone else admired. She was also the mother hen of the group, always settling disputes between the other members and generally keeping the peace.

Ivor was...weird. Funny, but weird. He was an alchemist and usually spent most days in an underground laboratory, so Kevin couldn't say he was that close to him. Ivor also seemed to hold a grudge towards the other members of the Order, though what that grudge was about, Kevin couldn't say. He also had this air of superiority around him, making him slightly unpopular amongst the group. The only people he treated as equals were his brother, Ramus, and Lucy, his new niece. Kevin decided to keep an especially close eye on him.

And finally, there was Ramus. He was a nice guy, though a little bland in Kevin's opinion. He was the one who adopted Lucy as his own daughter, and he spent most of his time showering the girl with love and attention. Still, Kevin just couldn't find that man intriguing. In fact, the only interesting thing about him was that he had a secret wife named Isa that he didn't want anyone else to know about, which was honestly a little strange.

Over time, Kevin saw each and every member of the Order as his family. At first, he stayed hidden in fear of them reacting badly to a Virus, but when he couldn't stand it any longer, he decided to reveal himself to Ellegaard first by appearing in her bathroom mirror.

Needless to say, it was not one of his better ideas.

The woman's shrieks echoed throughout the entire temple, and when the rest of the Order arrived at the bathroom, they saw Ellegaard screaming and frantically pointing at a mirror on the wall...a mirror that showed nothing but her own reflection.

Her scream scared Kevin away, forcing him to retreat back into Lucy's mind and stay there for weeks on end, crying his eyes out. Ellegaard had become almost like a mother to him, and seeing her screaming at the sight of him was enough to break his heart.

After that, Kevin's relationship with the Order of the Stone wasn't quite the same. He still loved them, but he now knew that he could never actually be with them - not if Ellegaard's reaction was any indication. So he stepped back and watched Lucy grow up into a beautiful child raised by the Order, never once intervening himself. As he watched Lucy dancing with Ramus, her little feet on top of his, the Virus was entranced by the sheer innocence emanating from her smile. A pit dropped in his stomach when he realized that innocence wasn't going to last. Whether he liked it or not, Lucy was going to have to face Romeo in combat when she grows up. She was going to see many things in her future. Dark, terrible things...

One day, Lucy was curled up on her bed, crying into her pillow. She had just walked in on Soren and Ivor having a fight, and had just witnessed her own uncle punch her godfather in the face. She had seen Ellegaard punch Magnus before and vice versa, but those were just light punches done in jest. What she saw a few minutes ago was a violent, one-sided beatdown. Upon noticing her standing in the doorway, staring at them with a shocked expression on her face, the two of them immediately separated and started apologizing rapidly. Lucy ran away in tears and locked herself in her room, refusing to let anyone in.

The poor child thought that she was all alone, not realizing that Kevin was watching over her at the time. The Virus debated with himself on what to do. Should he reveal himself and do his best to comfort her? Will she scream at the sight of him like Ellegaard did?

Eventually, Kevin's sentimental side won out and he appeared before her, trying his best to appear small and unintimidating. "Hello...are you alright?," he asked, wincing at how timid he sounded. Lucy looked up from her pillow and blinked at him. "Are you the tooth fairy?," she asked, tilting her head cutely. Kevin looked down at his own body, then looked back up at Lucy. "I don't look like one," he said. "Do you WANT me to be the tooth fairy?"

Lucy giggled and surprised Kevin by reaching over and hugging him tightly, her sadness forgotten. "You don't have to be one," she said. "But you can be my best friend. I'm Lucy." Kevin went still for a moment, taken aback by what just happened before returning the hug. "My name is Enti-- uh...Mister Hoodie." "Nice to meet you, Mister Hoodie," Lucy chirped.

As the two friends embraced each other, Kevin felt the exact same sensation he felt upon seeing her as an infant in Xara's arms. Love and determination washed over him. I'll protect you, he silently vowed, hugging Lucy even tighter. I'll be your guardian.