WITHERSICKNESS [MCSM INFECTION AU]

Chapter 70: Close

Jesse seemed stuck in thought, Lukas noticing this. They shared a room since Lukas was so paranoid, and Jesse didn’t mind. He always assured Lukas he was fine. “What’s wrong, Jess?” Lukas asked, worried about Jesse. “I just... you know back at Olivia’s base?” Jesse asked. Lukas immediately knew where this was going.

“Yeah?” Lukas replied. “Well... I found out something else.” Jesse added. Lukas looked at Jesse, confused. “Olivia was infected. That’s why she was so aggressive and hostile. She said she couldn’t be cured, that she tried. I wanted to help her. But she said she caused enough damage.” Jesse answered. Lukas’s eyes widened. It all made sense.

“Don’t tell anyone about this, okay?” Jesse requested, looking up at him. Lukas nodded, hugging him. Jesse broke down in tears. “I want things to go back to the way they were...” Jesse cried. “I know, I do too.” Lukas replied, holding him close, like he did back at the lab. Lukas began to break down in tears, too.

He’d missed his friends. He didn’t care if Aiden wasn’t exactly the nicest to him, if Maya was so rude and snappy at times at the simplest mistake, if Gill was a bit annoying or said rude questions unknowingly. They were still his friends. He was extremely close to them, he still cared about them. Now they're all dead.

Jesse pulled back, wiping his tears, calming down. “I’m sorry if I screwed everything up...” Jesse apologized. “Jess, you did nothing wrong. I’m just glad you're back.” Lukas smiled. It was funny to Lukas, sorta. How close he grew to Jesse because of all this.

Before this, they were rivals. Well, their groups were rivals. Jesse and Lukas were like well-known strangers. They didn’t necessarily hate each other, just would get snappy if one of their friends were being rude to them. Lukas didn’t know Axel just didn’t trust him because of the teasing and being jerks.

Jesse didn’t know Lukas had no control over it, that Aiden would see himself as the leader, not Lukas. They had often laughed about it when it was just the both of them. Jesse stood up, helping Lukas up. “I’m gonna check on the others, get some fresh air.” Lukas replied, standing up. Jesse nodded. Lukas walked out of the room going to find Jessica and Ivy.

“Sup, Lukas.” A voice replied behind him. Lukas immediately turned around. It was Axel. “You scared me, Axe.-” Lukas replied before cutting himself off. “Oh, sorry, I meant Axel.” He chuckled. Lukas was used to Jesse referring to Axel as Axe in private. “I see you're getting the nickname treatment too, huh?” Axel chuckled.

Lukas nodded. “Jesse does that with everyone, or at least close friends.” Axel replied. “Really?” Lukas questioned.

“Yup. He called Olivia; ‘Oli’ or ‘Olive’, Petra as ‘Pet’, Me as ‘Axe’, which you know, and now you as ‘Lu’. Hell, I’ve heard him say ‘Luka’ at times like Jessica does with you.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that.” Lukas replied. “I’m still sorry for slipping up.” Lukas chuckled. Axel had shared with him that he didn’t like to be referred to as Axe, only by people he trusted. It only seemed to be Petra, Olivia— before all of— and Jesse. “Eh, it’s fine. I don’t care if you call me it.” Axel chuckled.

Axel stood up from the wall he was leaning against. “Doing any better?” Axel asked. Lukas nodded no. “If anything I’ve gotten worse.” Lukas sighed. “Well, at least we’re close to a cure, right?” Axel tried to reassure him. Lukas smiled. He was glad that Axel was finally being nicer to him.

“Yeah. I just... really hope that things get better.” Lukas added. He went near a window of the safe place, leaning against the window frame, looking outside. Axel followed behind. The Witherstorm was slowly coming closer. It was silent between the two for a second. “Everything’s been getting worse.” Lukas muttered. “Tell me about it.” Axel agreed.

“I hope we can find a solution for THAT problem, though.” Axel added, referring to the Witherstorm. Lukas looked at the ground. “I know one.” Lukas admitted. Axel looked at him, shocked. “Really? What is it?” Axel asked.

“I asked Ivor about it. He said we needed an enchanted weapon. We needed to destroy the block to destroy the Witherstorm.” Lukas replied. “I’ve been worried about the Witherstorm since it disappeared. About it returning.” Lukas vented. Axel patted his back comfortingly.

“Hey, it’s alright, Luka. At least we know how to kill it now. We can tell the others.” Axel comforted him. Lukas chuckled. “Luka?” He laughed. “If you get to call me Axe, I get to call you Luka.” Axel teased him. Lukas rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright.” He laughed.

“We should probably tell the others now.” Axel replied. “Yeah.” Lukas added under his breath, walking away, Axel following. Axel kept silent the whole way there. He’s noticed Lukas’s protective behavior over Jesse. Axel was protective too, but it seemed off for Lukas.

Like he was smothering him. He could tell no harm was intentional, but still. Axel took a breath, looking at Lukas. “Lukas, you doing okay?” He asked, hoping Lukas would mention Jesse during it.

“Sorta... just been worrying a lot, you know? For my own safety. I wouldn’t want to go out by this sickness. It always seems gruesome and... painful.”

“You're worried about Jesse, too?” Axel replied. Lukas nodded. “I know you don’t mean harm, but you’ve just kinda been smothering him a bit. I know I haven’t been perfect, but still. We’re all worried about him, but he’s able to look after himself.” Axel assured him. Lukas looked at the ground shamefully. “I just don’t want to lose him again.” He muttered.

“I don’t either, but give him some space. I don’t think he’d always want to be around people, especially after being cured and in the state he’s in. There’s no way he’s fully mentally well from some of the stuff that has happened.”

Lukas nodded.

“I just... I don’t want to be alone. I already lost all of my group, being the only survivor in it. We lost Olivia, Ivor, Jesse once, Petra, Magnus, and nearly Jessica— TWICE! Hell, she’s lucky that it was just a burn from that ghast! She nearly got infected from Gill! I don’t want to lose anyone anymore.”

Axel frowned. “I get you, dude. But you have to at least let him rest. It’s not easy finding out your best friend tried to kill you and went insane. Hell, it wasn’t easy for me, either. I almost ditched the place.” Lukas nodded. “Yeah, it never is.” Lukas sighed. Axel gave him the hug from the side. He knew exactly how he felt. Every single thing.

They finally got down to where Jessica and Ivy were, adding the dragon’s breath into the cure. They didn’t have a chance to when they got it at the time. Everything was too hectic. “Sup!” Jessica waved with her good arm. Lukas waved back. “Anything new with the cure?” Axel asked. “Haven’t tested it out yet.” Ivy answered.

Ivy turned to Lukas. “Doing better?” She asked. Lukas nodded no. “Just getting weaker.” Lukas added. “Don’t worry, once it’s all tested, you will be the first to get it.” Ivy assured him. Ivy poured some into a splash potion container, then approached Ellegaard.

She immediately got scared. She was always extremely quiet. She refused to talk to anyone. Only to Jesse and Ivy since they knew how she felt, even that was extremely rare. “We won’t hurt you.” Jessica assured her. Ivy hushed her. Ivy handed her the potion, Ellegaard taking it cautiously. “It will help.” Ivy assured her.

Ellegaard took a sip, her purple veins looking to disappear. “That’s new.” Jessica replied, Lukas immediately writing it down if needed. Ivy approached her, looking at Ellegaard’s arm. “Barely there. Only a tint of it.” Ivy answered. Ellegaard groaned in pain, Ivy immediately looking up at Ellegaard.

She blinked them open, this time, they weren’t all black with the small white dots, they were almost normal. Except for the light gray sclera and her pupils a dark hot purple-pink— mostly pink— with the lines around the outside of her eyes and the shade of dark purple under them. “We’re close. Really close.” Ivy answered.