A world loaded around him.
Steve blinked as harsh shapes and bright lights met his eyes, a corridor stretching out in front of him. The world was eerily silent, devoid of life and color.
Herobrine was here, somewhere.
He started down the hall.
__
He hurt.
The world spun before Herobrine's eyes, even though the cold stone pressed against his back assured him that he wasn't moving. Every breath he took was raspy, pained breaths echoing in his damaged lungs.
His eyes fluttered shut, but a whimper escaped him as he forced them back open. His body screamed for rest, for sleep, but every time he let his eyes close they would take him away again, thrust him into one of their sick games. The longer he stayed awake, the longer before the pain would start again.
He could hear footsteps making their way down the hall, metal crashing against stone with every step. His guard. Imposing in stature, Herobrine had no hope that he could beat it in a fight. Not in his condition, and even if that were possible he knew he could not get far.
This really was hopeless, wasn't it?
The door to his cell creaked open.
Instantly, he stiffened, breaths stilling as he reflexively squeezed his eyes shut. Not that it would help, his captors knew he was in here, but he couldn't help it anymore.
A footstep, then another. Some sort of creature? His captors rarely approached him physically. Herobrine let out a low growl - one of the only sounds he could make anymore, but the footsteps continued. He growled louder. A warning - or maybe just a plea.
Leave me alone.
"Brine." A whisper rang out in the darkness, and he froze. His eyes flickered open, only for him to flinch away at the sight of a figure standing over him. "Hey- hey, it's me." The figure knelt beside him, and this time he didn't shrink away. The voice, he-
Steve?
"I'm gonna touch you, okay?" The man murmured, hands lifted in front of him. "Try to get you out of here. Notch is here, he's gonna help too, and that kid - well, I talked him into it. He's on our side now. Can you move at all?" Wide eyes staring up at his savior, he managed a single nod. It was... too real. "Okay. Here, let me-" Gentle hands were on his shoulders, then under his arms, pulling him up. Herobrine let him, staying still and silent as he was lifted into a sitting position.
"Oh Notch, you- oh Herobrine..." Steve's voice was scarcely over a whisper, but Herobrine could still hear the horror that rang out in it. Undoubtedly he had discovered the damage to his form. The miner's grip slackened, and Herobrine's hand shot out, grabbing his shoulder for balance - and to assure himself that he was there. Steve jumped at the unexpected contact, but Herobrine ignored it, fingers tightening on the fabric of his sleeve. He was solid. He was real. What was he- how was he here-??
He swayed, but caught himself before he pitched forward. "C'mon, let's get you upright." Steve tried, but Herobrine shook his head, reaching out with his other hand to steady himself against the miner's shoulder. "Please, Herobrine, we need to go. At least out of this room, so it won't be as easy for them to find-"
A tear slipped down his cheek, and Steve stopped.
Herobrine let his head drop, a second tear trailing from his blind eye as the smallest of whimpers escaped him. The pitiful sounds he was making shook him to his core, he never thought he would be this weak again. He felt another tear slip down his face, and he bowed his head as his body trembled uncontrollably. Why, why now? He had gone through so much pain, and hadn't shed a single tear. Why this, why...?
Steve wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close.
Don't touch me.
A muffled yelp escaped him, and Herobrine stiffened as he prepared to fight back, but Steve murmured in his ear,
"I know, I'm sorry. I know." His hands were on his back, the warmth a stark contrast to the cold he had suffered for so long. Hesitantly, he relaxed, tears slipping down his face as he focused on the cell door behind them.
Stop.
It was open. How did he even get here, this was - it was a server unlike anything he'd ever seen before, Notch must've- must've helped him, somehow. He was warm, he was so warm...
Let go.
Herobrine wrapped his arms around Steve's neck and buried his face in his shoulder as he wept.
Broken sobs wracked his body, and tears flowed freely into the soft fabric of the miner's shirt. Steve was speaking, saying something, but he couldn't make it out through the sounds of his own anguish. The mortal's hands moved, and Herobrine stiffened, only to find them moving up and down, rubbing his back in a calming manner.
He had so many words he wanted to say, how he was scared and it hurt and they were going to get caught, how he was so sorry for everything he had done, that he needed to leave, now, Steve go please before you're trapped here just like me. He couldn't voice them if he wanted to, his voice long muted, but that was probably a good thing. He was already showing enough weakness as it was.
"It's okay. We're gonna get out of here." Steve murmured in his ear, warm hands soothing the pain from weeks of damage done to his body. "Notch is stronger than them, so, so strong, he's gonna come for you."
Just like you did. You came.
____
Steve pressed his hands against Herobrine's back, eyes shut tight as the broken demigod hid himself in his arms. He could feel raised welts and scars under the thin layer of fabric on his back, and felt each tremble that coursed through his body when he touched them. Though his heart ached upon realizing exactly how much he had been hurt, for now he was just content to hold him tight. At least, at this very moment, he was safe.
Shifting, Steve leaned back a bit, pulling Herobrine closer as he pressed his cheek against his head. The weaker man's breath hitched, but he huddled closer, pressing cold hands against Steve's back. It was cold in here, and he'd lost a lot of blood. At least, that's what he assumed, if the wounds crisscrossing every inch of visible skin were any indication.
A footstep echoed down the hallway, and his eyes snapped open.
Immediately, Herobrine's stifled sobs went quiet. Steve tightened his arms around him, barely breathing as the footsteps continued to approach, heavy and mechanical. He found himself greatly regretting not closing the door, now. Making it obvious that something was wrong.
Herobrine's hands shifted, then reached up to press against his shoulders, pushing him away as he shook his head from side to side.
"No." Steve whispered. "Stay still. I'm not going anywhere." Another frantic shake of his head. "I said stay still. Brine, please."
The footsteps stopped in the entryway, and Steve turned to find a huge, hulking figure standing over him.
A hand grabbed him by the collar, and he let out a startled cry as he was yanked up off the ground and into the air, Herobrine slipping out of his grasp. He was lifted face-to-face with the figure, a huge, armored humanoid with no visible face through its helmet. He barely had time to close his gaping mouth before he was hurled into the far wall.
A choked yelp escaped him as he slammed into the hard surface, all the air forced from his lungs as he sank to the ground. Before he could even get his bearings, the hand was on his neck, snatching him up and shoving him back against the wall, and he found himself staring into a pair of dark, empty eyes.
Straining for breath, Steve grabbed at the limb that held him upright, airway not quite cut off. Behind the creature, Herobrine was stumbling upright, one hand braced on the wall as his body trembled. His lips moved, but no sound came out.
Finally, the figure let go, and Steve slumped to the ground with a gasp.
Herobrine was already scrambling to his side by the time he caught his breath, looking up just in time to see the golem slamming the door shut. Trapping them inside.
Herobrine caught his attention with a hand on his chin, tilting his head up to look him in the eyes. There was so much concern on his face, Steve couldn't help but wonder if he had somehow forgotten his own injuries.
"I'm okay." He whispered. When it did little to alleviate the fear on his friend's face, he threw his arms around him once more, and Herobrine startled before sinking into his embrace. Steve buried his face in his shoulder, the strain on his throat already forgotten.
"Notch told me to tell you-" He whispered hoarsely. "He's coming to get you. To get us." A quiet hum was all the response he got.
Neither of them moved for a long time.