Acts of Redemption

Broken things

The first part of this chapter written in itálico happened in the past! Just a heads up.

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Second Coming was doing his very best to remain alert, which was not easy with the pain he felt in his empty stomach, and the dull throbbing on his head.
But at some point, he couldn't keep track of time anymore, a big group of brutes walked up to his cage and forcefully grabbed him by the arms, shoving him into a even smaller portable cage.

His strength had failed him once more and being carried around in a cage like a dog was his punishment.

The brutes slowly took him downstairs, through a throne room where the King himself was sitting.

The tall stick figure made a gesture and the brutes stopped on their tracks. He approached the cage.

─ It's a shame it didn't work with us, Second Coming... You could have been a extraordinary asset to my team.

Second coming growled like a animal at his words. ─ You don't have a team, you have slaves that don't understand how you're using them! You're just a pathetic idiot that hides behind the ones that you forced-
The king hit his fist in the tiny cage, making the metal clank loudly and the poor piglins to squeal. ─ You think you're the only one I can use? Oh, no, no... I have someone even better now...

─What? What are you talking about?...

─Let's just say... If I can't have the Second Coming in my side, I'll get myself the very first then.

─ No! You can't go after him! ─ Second yelled when the piglins went back to marching out of the castle with the cage. ─ Chosen won't let you touch him!

The King chuckled quietly.
─ Oh my poor, sweet child... I already did.

With his words, someone flew past the piglins landing by the King.

─ C-Chosen... ─ Second gasped quietly, stretching a hand through the bars. ─ Chosen, it's me, Second coming! Please...

But the black stick figure didn't answer, in fact, he didn't react at all, a neutral dead expression in his face.

─Chosen... Please...─ Second finally noticed the milky bright eyes, Chosen didn't have white eyes.

─What did he do to you?...

─ Apparently being stubborn is a family trait. ─ The King chimed in, patting The chosen one on the shoulder. ─ So I calmed him down.

Second shook his head, tears threatening to spill, but he still tried to reach for him. ─ Chosen he's messing with your head... it's not you fault... Snap out of it!

─ Shut him up. ─ The king ordered, turning around and going back to his throne.

The chosen one grabbed Second's arm quite hard, pulling it so fast that Second hit the metal bars of his tiny cage with full force, knocking him out cold.

And with that he was dragged out with his cage.

The orange stick figure woke up with the squealing and screeching of a group of piglins, it didn't help the mind-numbing pain he felt, great, as if being stuck and hungry wasn't enough.

He dared to look through the bars to see what was happening, and he kinda wish he didn't. 

Floating above the group there is was a Ghast, wailing and screaming while throwing fireballs at the piglins.

A explosion the floor close to him, causing the cage to topple on its side, Second hitting his side against it right after.

─ Fuck... Fuck... ─ He cried, kicking the cage as hard as his weakened body would allow him.

He managed to kick the tiny ceiling off, crawling out of his prison and into the middle of the fight.

Piglins were trying to fight the Ghast while the rest tried to keep other aggressive mobs from coming near.

Second couldn't think, his head was pounding, his body hurt and it was so bright with all that fire around him. He was physically and mentally in hell.

He crawled to one of the piglins who lose the fight against the floating creature, snatching his orange bag from the corpse.

And when he managed to gather the strength to get up and run, he went the opposite direction from the piglins, down to the next level of the Nether.

Flying while holding a walkie-talkie was not as easy as it sounded, Purple had to be extra careful about it and he was not that known to be a careful person.

─ Yellow, can you check where Second Coming is? My King said he was moved to one of the towers... ─ There was a pause before an answer.

─ He's not in a tower, Purple... His dot is moving...

─ What?? My King said the brutes took him to a tower...

That was the moment Purple flew past the middle tower, which was often abandoned. After all it was way too far from the castle and somehow smaller than the others.

Purple just didn't expect seeing a group of panicked brutes in the area a few meters away from it. There was a open smashed cage and a hole on the floor filled with fire and ashes. 

Without landing, Purple grabbed the walkie-talkie. ─ There's way too many Brutes here... Something happened... ─

─ What you mean something happened? Purple? ─ Yellow asked with panic already rising in his tone.

─ There's a open cage on the floor... I think Second Coming escaped...

─ He can't be far, his dot is moving to your right! Go find him!

Purple stopped responding, flying pass the brutes again, making a right turn.

─ Guide me, Yellow... I can't see him..

─ He's right below you, I think he's inside a cave...

Purple groaned but landing on the layer below, looking around for a entrance of a cave.

─ There's no entrance... You said he was her- AH! ─ He stomped a bit too hard, not noticing that he landed on a patch of soul sand and it crumbled from under his feet.

He rolled down until he hit hard floor again. Grunting at the pain.

─ Purple? Purple you're OK? ─ Yellow's voice chimed in, muffle by the sand that half covered the walkie-talkie.

He crawled to the device, taking it from the sand and dusting it off slightly. ─ I'm fine... I fell down some soul sand... I need to find a ex-

And a impact against his head sent him to the floor again.

He took a few seconds to recover a little bit of his vision, looking at the stick figure in front of him, holding a brute's gold axe.

─ Nevermind I found him... ─ And he passed out.