"So you want to know more about Mellohi," Philza said flatly as he poured the bittersweet tea. Cramped in his small home were all five of the Avengers. Bruce was crosslegged on the floor, Tony was reclining at the table, Nat was atop the crafting bench, Clint was leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom, and Steve was politely resting in one of the lovely old chairs. Ghostbur was there as well, happily hovering next to Phil. Black crows were everywhere, and the Avengers were growing irritated with them.
"Yes," Steve confirmed with a nod.
"Is Mellohi the little Enderman who was with you during Technoblade's execution?" Ghostbur wondered innocently in a sweet British accent.
"Yes, Ghostbur," Phil replied patiently, passing out the tea.
"Oh, I really enjoyed her company!" the ghost exclaimed animatedly. "She was very kind. Can we see her again, Phil?"
"I don't know, Ghostbur. I sent her off with—" Phil paused, glancing at the guests in his home, "—our friend."
The Avengers narrowed their eyes in suspicion.
"Oh!" Ghostbur perked up. "Did she go with Dream? I saw her run off with him. I think they were following Technoblade."
Philza facepalmed. He loved Ghostbur, he did, but sometimes the ghost could be a little oblivious to social cues.
The Avengers collectively sucked in a breath. The glanced at one another, confusion and worry churning in their minds.
"Let me get this straight," Tony sneered, massaging his brows. "You sent a child off with the two most dangerous villains in the country?!"
"Yes," Phil sighed deeply. "I trust Techno with my life. He is not a oath breaker, and I know he will do everything in his power to keep Mellohi safe. Dream, on the other hand, I'm not too sure about. Techno seems to trust him, and he did rescue Mellohi from you guys, so I suppose I can put my faith in him as well."
"Do you know where they could've gone?" Nat interrogated.
"I do." Phil glared at her. "But what makes you think I will ever tell you?"
"Please," Bruce pleaded. "We at least need to talk to her about why she did what she did."
"No!" Phil snapped, abruptly rising to his feet. "You wish to lock her away. Trap her behind the iron bars of a prison cell. I can see it in your eyes! I will never allow it!"
He lowered himself back into his chair, taking deep breaths. The Avengers glanced at each other once again as Ghostbur cocked his head to the side, curious.
"What did Mellohi do?" he inquired innocently.
"She took the lives of a few hundred people, all in the span of a week," Clint replied bluntly.
"Mellohi wouldn't do that," Ghostbur scoffed. "Granted, I only met her briefly, but she seemed too kind to do such a thing."
"If we can't know where she is, can you at least tell us more about her?" Steve politely changed topics.
Phil's expression softened. "I suppose I could."
He rose once again, and his guests scooted back to give him room. Ghostbur's pale white eyes lit up, and he floated cheerily around Philza.
"Oh, I love it when you tell stories, Phil!" The ghost clapped his silent hands.
"You know, you and Techno used to rattle on about Greek mythology to Tommy when you were young." Phil chuckled, smiling softly. "He used to get so angry about it, but was always intrigued by the way you described them. Especially the story about Theseus."
Phil's eyes suddenly grew sad. He glanced down at his guests, regret swimming in his deep green eyes. Ghostbur blatantly noticed the crow hybrid's shift in emotions, and slowly glided up to face him.
In his hands, a clump of blue dye appeared out of nowhere. The Avengers exchanged a confused glance.
"Here, Phil," Ghostbur grinned, extending the dye to his father. "Have some blue! Calm yourself, calm yourself, please."
Philza gratefully took the blue, oblivious to the fact that it was staining his hands. He poured the ghost's gift into a small pouch at his hip; it seemed to be filled with more of the blue essence.
"Thank you, Ghostbur," Phil nodded in return. The crow hybrid clapped his hands, startling the Avengers. "Now, what is it that you wish to know about little Mellohi?"
"How could she do the things she did?" Tony snarled.
Phil laughed heartily. "I suppose you would be confused, considering your origins. In this place, nothing works as it does in yours. We have monsters, beasts, complicated technology. We learn how to fight at young ages. Wars are an inconsistent present, and we fight using cannons, TNT, swords, bows, and fireworks. Here, there is no such thing as using words to fight, as my poor son did learn. As my good friend once said, the only universal language is violence.
"But I suppose you want to know why she did it, too," Phil explained. "She had no control over what she could or could not do. She called this an 'Enderwalk'. Apparently, it's where her mind falls unconscious, but her body stays awake, exactly like sleepwalking. She described it as being a puppet on a string, but she has yet to find her master."
"So, you're saying she didn't kill those people willingly?" Bruce asked anxiously. Phil shook his head.
"I believe there is another here in L'Manburg also struggles with Enderwalking," Phil said. "His name is Ranboo. If you want to know more about Enderwalks, you should speak with him."
"We met Ranboo." Steve nodded. Phil returned the gesture.
"Alright, my question," Clint said, gathering everyone's attention. "What exactly is an Enderman? And why does she have so many scars?"
"An Enderman is a type of monster that roams this land at night," Philza explained. "They grow to be about nine to ten feet tall, and they are very vicious creatures. If they are placed in water, it will harm them. If you look into their eyes, they will attack you. I presume this is why Mellohi wears a blindfold, because she doesn't want to hurt more people than she already has. Anyway, Endermen also drop ender pearls when they die, and we use them for teleportation. I'm assuming you all saw when Punz appeared out of nowhere after that orb was thrown? Well, he was using an ender pearl.
"As for why Mellohi is so scarred," Phil continued bitterly, "it's because she was abused when she was little. She called herself an 'outcast'. Evidently, her guardians took to dipping her fingers, toes, and tail in water as punishment for being so strange. Eventually, they just dumped all the water on her, which nearly killed her. They threw her into a portal, away from her home in the place she called the End City, and she ended up in a forest here in the Overworld."
The Avengers stared at Phil in horror. Something was hissing, and they all glanced over to see Ghostbur, more than silent tears falling down his cheeks. Small wisps of smoke arose from the paths they made down his face.
"Oh, Ghostbur," Phil murmured, taking on a fatherly air.
"It's so sad!" Ghostbur wailed. "I need to find her! I need to give her some blue!"
"Soon, Ghostbur," Phil reassured him. "But for now, we need to keep answering questions. Can I trust you not to do anything foolish?"
"Oka-ay," Ghostbur sniffled. "I'll tr-try."
"I have a question," Nat piped up. "You said she acted 'strange'. Can you elaborate on that?"
"Simple: she can speak in our tongue. But with the time I've spent with her," Phil said with a grin, "I have a hard time believing why anyone would want to bring harm to her. She it probably the happiest, most innocent child I've ever met, even despite her past transgressions. That kid's smile could light up the darkest room, and her laugh is the most contagious thing. She finds the most random stuff funny, and it's such a relief in times like this."
"She was grinning at Technoblade when he was on his way to execution," Nat noted, stroking the crow that landed on her finger.
"Why?"
"She believed in him," Phil stated simply. "She believed he would live. And he did. Mellohi will believe in the most impossible odds. That child thinks things nobody could even dream of imagining, and she has very high potential for the future. However, because of her strange ways of thinking and doing, most people often underestimate her, or just think she's crazy. In a way, she is, and I believe she knows it.
"Mellohi talks with the voices in her head. Sort of like my son, except she has actual conversations with them. There are only three, named Sebastian, Lavender, and Dexter. The first time I heard her speak with them, I was just as confused as everyone else. But I learned to love her for her quirks, and I hope that you can do the same."
"Wow," Nat breathed. "That's...a lot to take in."
"Take all the time you need," Phil said, taking his place in the cushy chair once again. His wings folded gracefully behind him, and a few of his black birds fluttered over and rested on his shoulders. He took a shaky sip of tea.
"I will go after her!" Ghostbur blurted out, unable to keep quiet any longer. He dashed for the door, but hesitated when Phil spoke again.
"No, Ghostbur," he commanded. "Mellohi will be quite alright."
He shifted to face the Avengers. "As for you five, it's getting late. I recommend you find a place to stay, because as you can see, my home is a little small."
They nodded, rising to their feet and stretching. They all crowded through the door, but Steve hung back.
"Thank you, Phil," he politely murmured. "This means a lot to us, knowing somewhat of who Mellohi really is."
Phil bowed slightly. "Of course. But I need you to promise that no harm will ever come to her if you find her."
"I know I can promise that." Steve grimaced. "Though I'm not too sure about the others."
"Cap, get your ass out here!" Tony snapped.
"Ooh!" Nat accusingly shouted. "Steve, he said a bad language word!"
Steve sighed exasperatedly, and Phil chuckled. They waved goodbye, and Steve exited the house with Ghostbur.
"So, what do we do now?" Clint inquired.
"Well, I'm going to go see Mellohi," Ghostbur announced with resolve. "I need to give her some blue!"
The Avengers glanced at each other, most thinking the same thing.
"Ghostbur, right?" Tony inquired. The ghost nodded vigorously. "Well, Ghostbur, we also need to see Mellohi. Could you take us to her?"
"Tony," Steve warned. "I know what you want to do. Don't. Let's try a peaceful route first. We don't even know what situation she's in."
"We've tried that, Cap," Tony snarled. "Multiple times. Who's to say bad things won't happen when we do? Besides, you heard Philza: the only universal language is violence."
"I agree with Steve," Nat piped up. "Our mission isn't to catch a serial killer, but to learn more about this land. And just because these people speak with violence doesn't me we have to."
"And anyway," Clint put in, "she's just a kid. We can't attack her right off the bat."
Tony groaned dramatically. "Fine! But if she gets violent, we're doing it my way."
"I will take you to Mellohi if you wish!" Ghostbur chirped. "Perhaps we can see Technoblade, too!"
With that, the anxious group departed for the tundra, not even close to being prepared for what was ahead.