The Bubble

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As you ran towards the marketplace, the shouting became more distinct. A ring-shaped crowd gathered around the scene, which was two men fighting loudly over something on the market. A sigh of relief left you as you realized it wasn't life threatening, just a simple disagreement.

You were keen on leaving, as you didn't want to see the fight, but Herobrine wouldn't budge from where he stood. You tugged on his hand, but his attention remained locked on the fight. You stood by his side, trying to get his attention. He then let go of your hand and started to walk through the crowd. You quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Don't! I'm sure they'll settle it soon." You said.

Just as you said it, you heard a smacking sound come from the scene. As you poked your head around other people, you saw that the men were throwing punches at each other. Herobrine resisted your tugging, but you didn't let go.

"I'm not gonna get involved. I just wanna see." Herobrine said.

"But..." you started.

Herobrine broke away from your grasp. He disappeared into the crowd and you quickly tried to follow. As you squeezed past people, the sounds of the fight got closer. You lost Herobrine, but you made it to the front of the crowd to witness the fight without obstruction. A punch landed and the sound made you cringe. You quickly scanned for any sign of Herobrine. You tried to go back into the crowd, but the resistance forced you to stay put.

Then, blood was drawn. As one man punched the other, blood dripped down from his nose. The sound and sight made the crowd gasp. You winced and tried to look away, but as you did you caught a glimpse of Herobrine forcing his way through the crowd and into the center stage. Your eyes widened as you watched him approach the men. You tried to get over to him, but he was on the other side of the fight. You watched in agony as he reached out for the men.

You wanted to shout out at him, but the noise of the crowd and fight would surely have drowned you out. You gasped as Herobrine grabbed their arms and forced them to stop moving. You gripped tightly at your hair, trying not to panic. You pulled out a small chunk of hair as Herobrine started speaking to the men loudly. The crowd got quieter to try and hear him better. You squeezed your eyes shut and prayed it would end well.

It didn't.

The men turned on Herobrine, yanking away from him and shouting obscenities. You hoped that Herobrine would leave then, but he persisted. He grabbed them again, his expression angry. You felt the strong need to interject. Your teeth gritted together and your fists clenched. A bubble rose in your chest as you watched Herobrine shout back at the two men.

Another punch was thrown. One of the men aimed for Herobrine. Herobrine dodged it and pushed him back. The other man told Herobrine to stay out of it, Herobrine told him to shove it. You closed your eyes and wished for it to be over.

You felt...really, really angry. You just wanted a relaxing time while at Sky City. You didn't want Herobrine to get himself involved in fights and arguments. The fact that he willingly put himself in those situations made you angry. It made you downright furious. You had half a mind to go up and grab him, but another half was too scared to get caught in the fight as well.

As you watched the fight continue, you could see something you wished you couldn't. As the men pushed Herobrine back, you could see faint sparks of fire on his palms. Your eyes widened as you realized how emotional Herobrine was getting. Your teeth grinded together painfully as your hands shook. You tried to make them stop shaking, but they didn't.

You yelled in pain and anger. It wasn't as loud as the crowd, but it came from your chest painfully and slowly. It made you clutch your shirt as the bubble rose into your throat.

Punches were thrown, magic was in the air, and your legs sprung into action.

Just as the first orange sparks of flame erupted from Herobrine's hands, you leapt at him. Your heart beat erratically as your legs hit the ground. You forcefully pushed past the two bickering men and headed straight for Herobrine, grabbing his wrists and pushing them back. His eyes widened as he saw you and his magic quickly died.

But it didn't end there. It should have, but it didn't.

In that moment, something overtook your senses. Something painful and burning, like a scab being torn open. As you squeezed Herobrine's wrists, you could see his face wince in pain. A small part of your brain pleaded for you to let him go, but something far bigger and angry dominated that thought. Something you didn't even realize you were capable of feeling.

The bubble in your throat rose and landed on your tongue like acid. You would've coughed it out, but you screamed instead. You screamed and screamed and wouldn't stop screaming. Your voice cracked, your throat burned, and your fingers hurt from gripping so hard, but you kept screaming. It was incoherent and filled with rage, far beyond something you were familiar with.

And from that screaming and your scratched throat came a powerful light. You could barely hear the surprised noises come from the crowd as a bright red light erupted from your chest. The surprise turned to terror as the crowd screamed, almost matching your own. Your eyes squeezed tightly as white hot paint jolted through your body, threatening to tear you apart.

It was only through exhaustion did you ever stop screaming. But the light persisted. It grew and engulfed everything. It spread around your body like a tight blanket, squeezing your lungs. It felt as though you were breathing for five people. You struggled to remain conscious. You couldn't hear anything but the sound of your blood pumping.

Then, just like that, it was all over. The light vanished in an instant and you crumpled to your knees as the sound of terrified screaming pierced your ears. Your eyes opened slightly, seeing Herobrine laying on the ground unconscious. Your eyes fluttered back closed as you leaned forward. You could hear footsteps approaching you.

"Grab them, just grab them!"

Alex's familiar voice rang out. As a pair of strong arms wrapped around you, your mind started to drift.

"It'll be fine, just- oh Gods!"

Steve's voice was faint. You tried to listen more, but you couldn't. It felt like a rock was dropped straight into your chest. You wondered if you could ever face him again. You succumbed to sleep and allowed the horrible feeling of regret to consume you.

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