MindSwap

Chapter 8: Sneak Attack

 The four conspirators slipped into the cave. Each moved carefully, trying to keep from making too much noise. When the cave opened out into a larger cavern, Pause tapped Beef's shoulder and pointed right, then gestured to Seth and Bdubs and pointed to the left. The other three nodded and moved in separate directions.

 Seth tailed Bdubs, single file, along the left wall of the cavern. Despite his efforts to stay focused, Seth felt his gaze drift to the right-hand wall where Beef and Pause crept. He snapped his eyes back to his focus point on Bdubs' back. The second time it happened, thought, he found himself staring into Bdubs' dark eyes.

 "You okay?" the builder mouthed.

 Seth nodded in response, wondering if this was how Guude felt during a UHC match. It was nerve-wracking to stalk Kurt, particularly knowing Kurt had bested Zisteau. Ahead of them, the cavern opened up into a wider area. Bdubs motioned for Seth to stay where he was for a moment and slowly crept out into the giant underground room, leaving Seth to watch his back.

 Seth took a deep breath, and checked over the room, keeping half his attention on BdoubleO as the other man moved into the opening. Keeping any kind of focus was difficult, though. The room was one of the most impressive Seth had ever seen.

 The ceiling was an intricate pattern of glowstone, netherbrick, and stone brick, mirrored on the floor as well. The walls were alternating lava curtains and stained glass and towering corridors led off in all directions. The center of the room was dominated by a quartz and water pedestel that offered an almost zen-like contrast to the dominating nether theme of the area. And on the pedestel... Seth almost couldn't believe his eyes. The missing dragon egg. Kurt had taken it.

 Off to Seth's right, Pause moved cautiously through the room while Beef covered him the way Seth was doing for Bdubs. All four were caught off guard by the voice.

 "Like the new place?" The voice was Kurt's but the tone was so unfamiliar and a chill ran up Seth's spine. He'd thought stalking Etho at his base was strange, but this was even more so. An evil Kurt felt even more outside of the realm of possibility than a nervous, swearing Etho.

 "Oh yeah, Kurt," Bdubs quipped, "Love what you've done with the place. Now where's Zisteau?" Bdubs managed to keep his voice strident, but Seth watched the tension in his body and the slight movements of his head. Bdubs wasn't as confident as he sounded and he was hoping, desperately to catch sight of Kurt before the other man found him.

 Kurt chuckled. "Yeah, you would, wouldn't you, BdoubleO? You and Arkas and Beef, right?" The chuckling continued for a few moments as the four invaders tried desperately to find the source of the sound. "How do you like it, Beef? Since you're here."

 Seth flicked his eyes over towards the other man for a second. Even in the relative gloom of the cave, Beef looked pale.

 'What do I do?' said the look that he gave the redstoner.

 'Talk to him," Seth mouthed, though he knew that his expression said he didn't know.

 "You don't think it all might be a bit much?" Beef asked, his voice sounding a little weak. "I mean, isn't the giant underground villain lair more Nebris' thing?"

~~~

 Kurt lounged in a nook above his friends' heads, leaning against the wall, his feet above his head, and his diamond sword cradled in his lap. One hand dangled down the wall, tracing the outline of a glowstone block as he bantered with the other MindCrackers.

 "Come on, Beef. Don't tell me you've never wanted to try something new. Isn't that precisely the point of Minecraft?" he asked. "Nebris doesn't own rights to using glowstone in builds." He paused, considering the conversation's direction. "Besides, you all are missing the point completely, don't you think?"

 "Kurt, you're sick. You and Guude and Etho and Nebris had an accident, but we want to help you," Pause called.

 Kurt tilted his head back, appearing to think about the native's comment, though he knew the others couldn't see him, and said, "Sick? No, I don't think so. It's you and Zisteau, Beef, Bdubs, Genny, Seth, and all the rest who are sick." He waved his free hand slightly, as if to silence his now outraged friends. It was his voice that cut them off, though. "But I really wouldn't worry about it. You've come to the right place."

 He pressed a button and laughed as his former friends cried out in shock and pain.

 "Oh, you've come to the right place for sure."

~~~

 "Kurt?" Seth asked, shocked into speaking for the first time even as his world seemed to burn.

 The voice burst into laughter again, piecing the haze clouding his brain. "Seth! You are here after all!" Kurt's voice exclaimed as Seth screamed in pain.

 "You all wanted to find Zisteau," Kurt said, jumping down from his perch. "Now you will. Enjoy!"

 Seth collapsed, the poison splash potion sapping him and the others as Kurt laughed. The sound echoed through Seth's head, mingling with poison and pain induced hallucinations.