There was a small house in the middle of the woods that contained a family. The father was a hard worker who tried to keep his family happy and healthy. The mother was a sweet but stern woman who stayed at home with her kids. It was a simple life with a loving family and a beautiful world.

Steve laid on the grassy ground watching as all the stars blinked and shined all around him. He smiled as he saw the constellations form pictures in his mind. The front door of his house opened and Steve ducked down just in case it was his parents. But it wasn't his parents, it was his twin brother- Brine. Steve sighed as his brother made his way over.

"Sorry I'm late, Alex had a nightmare and I had to calm her down." Brine sat down next to him and looked up at the stars with him. Brine was the only one who really appreciated what the stars meant. Notch usually didn't have time or interest in looking at the stars since he was always helping out his father and Alex was only a little kid.

"You know, sometimes I wish I had a personal star just to look at. It would shine bright and stay with me forever." Brine said. Steve chuckled softly as he looked at the night sky. His eyes landed on the four stars that were arranged in a diamond form. They were the brightest and most beautiful stars in the whole sky.

"You know how Father says we will be the rulers of this world and be the most powerful people ever?" Steve asked.

"Yes. He says the world will soon be ours and we will make something of ourselves." Brine said with a sigh.

"Mother says the same thing. I remember when we asked her how she knew we would be the rulers. She said there was a constellation made up of four stars called 'Gods of Wonder' and that all of her children were each of the stars in that constellation." Steve remembered her telling that story when his Father told them what their destiny was.

Brine laughed. "She said Notch was the biggest star because he was the responsible brother who took care of all of us. She said Alex was the brightest star because she is the smartest and most sensible of us all. You are the smallest star because you will be one of the best fighters yet you still are quiet and sneaky. But then there's me..." Brine trailed off. Steve remembered exactly what she said to him.

"It's unclear what exactly your star represents, but you have the reddest star and that means that you are different and unique." Steve finished for him. Brine turned to Steve and looked at his twin brother making Steve look at him in the eyes.

"I don't exactly know what I'm supposed to be in this family, but I know you will be something great. And I don't ever want our friendship to break up. I have an idea." Brine's eyes shined with inspiration as he said that. Steve focused on his brother a bit more.

"What exactly is that?" Steve asked. Brine seemed giddy about his idea.

"No matter where we are or what's going on, if we are in trouble we make our star shine brighter than before." Brine explained.

"But we can't control the stars, how will we make them shine?" Steve asked.

"We are gods, or at least we will be, and we will be able to control the stars. If we need help or want to meet up just look at the night sky and our star will shine brighter than before." Brine explained in more detail. Steve thought about that for a second.

"I like it. But we have to promise that we will help each other no matter what. If the star is blinking, then we go to each other's need. Promise?" Steve smiled at his brother who smiled back.

"Promise."

Steve woke up in a blurry state as he tried to clear his vision. When it cleared he hopped off of his bed and changed into a fresh outfit. He came out and realized that Notch was laying on a separate bed just a few feet away from his reading a book.

"Why are you reading in bed?" Steve asked. Notch glanced up at him then closed his book and sat it down in front of him.

"I woke up early and I couldn't go back to sleep so I thought I would read. It was on your dresser so I read it. It wasn't really interesting because it was about combat weapons but I've read worse." Notch stood up and placed the book back on the dresser where it belonged and turned to Steve.

"Now that you're awake we can go to the castle. I'm pretty sure the others are still asleep so we won't be bothering them. I also have some...new information about the case. It was gathered while you were gone." Notch said. Steve nodded as he headed out the door and into the living room with Notch following behind. He had his diamond sword hanging at his side and Steve guessed he had put it on before he woke up.

"Just in case, you should bring yours as well." Notch said referring to the sword. Steve opened up a chest and grabbed the iron sword that Casey used last night while fighting the zombies. Even though she wiped it off before she went to bed, there were still a few blood spots. Steve closed the chest and walked back to Notch.

Steve stopped suddenly in the middle of the room and looked around at the empty furniture. He finally noticed what was missing and turned to Notch for answers.

"Where are your guards at?" He asked.

"Well, you're back and the investigation was closed so they had to go back to the castle. Their task is over." Notch said. Steve thought he heard a bit of regret in his voice but it was almost drowned out by the sternness of his regular voice.

"So can they still come over?"

Notch shrugged. "I guess they could but they're usually busy. Unless something happens to them then they can come over but I don't think they will have time too." Even though Steve had a strong opinion about Gabe, he knew that Gabe really liked Alex and that Alex really liked him back. Steve sighed heavily knowing how upset his sister was going to be.

"Alex is gonna be crushed." Steve said repeating his thoughts. With Gabe being busy on missions most of the time they would barely get to see each other. Notch looked at the ground solemnly when a glint of hope entered his eyes. Steve knew that when Notch had that look, he usually had an idea.

"Do you have an idea?" Steve asked.

A smile started to appear on Notch's face. "Maybe I could arrange something. If I remember correctly, the guys stay the night at the castle on Thursdays for extra training and stuff. On Thursdays, Alex can come up to the castle with me and have a sort of 'date night' with him." Notch grinned widely at Steve.

Steve threw his hands up in the air. "That's brilliant! I think Alex will love that."

"Love what?" Notch turned around and Steve stepped around him to see Alex still in her pajamas rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Uh..." Steve didn't exactly know what to say. Alex looked around the living room as if she was missing something.

"Where's Donny, Wilson and Gabe?" She asked. Steve could see the worry in her eyes that didn't seem to be for just one of them, but for all of the guys.

Steve made eye contact with Notch and nodded his head to make him tell Alex. Notch got the message and walked up to Alex.

"Steve is back, which means that their mission is over. They had to go back to the castle." Alex's face fell when Notch told her the news, making Steve's heart break.

"Will they be able to come over?" Alex asked the same question as Steve did earlier and Notch answered the same way.

"They could come over, but they are usually really busy and don't have time to." Notch said. Alex stood there with an emotionless face.

"That's okay, I could always go see him at the castle." She said with a smile. Notch looked over at Steve with a startled expression. He thought that she would have a bit of a different reaction considering.

"I think you could probably see him on Thursdays if you wanted. That's his day off." Notch said. Alex smiled through her sleepiness and nodded.

"I think I'll do that. Thanks, guys. Are you both going up to the castle?" She asked. Steve nodded along with Notch.

"Yep. I'll probably be home around dinner time so don't wait up if I'm late." Steve waved goodbye to his sister and walked out of the house. The sun was still low in the sky so it was still a bit cooler. They started down the trail towards the cave in complete silence. Once they reached the cave they jumped through the portal and entered the Aether. Notch lead the way and after a bit, they reached Notch's castle.

"Wow, even after a few days your expansion has grown. It looks like it's almost finished." Steve was in awe looking at al the fine details. Of course it couldn't measure up to Elaine's castle but is was still quite a beauty.

"Yes, it should be furnished and finished in a couple of weeks. Come on, let's get inside." Both Notch and Steve started up the steps of the castle and made it to the front entrance. Both of the guards by the doors bowed and they entered the castle. There were people and Angels bustling everywhere as if they were in a hurry, which they probably were. But when Notch stepped forward, they parted faster than Dare and Casey starting an argument. A twinge of a smile formed on Steve's face as he thought about Casey and Dare. He wondered if they were even up yet but pushed the thought out of his head.

"Why is everyone in such a hurry?" Steve questioned. The kept walking through the hall while everyone else scurried around them.

"It's beginning to turn to fall so new recruits will be arriving soon. Everybody is preparing their rooms and training equipment. There's supposed to be a larger group than usual this year." Notch explained. Steve stepped up his pace so that he was matching Notch's.

"Why is it larger this year?" Steve asked. Notch's smile faltered a bit before answering. "Because of the Hero Case. They want answers and probably want to see if he's actually real." Notch seemed to be a bit angered at this and Steve couldn't really blame him. There are probably a few who actually want to be a guard while the others want to take advantage of Notch.

"Well I can help you with them. And I'm sure the guys won't mind helping you out either." Steve said.

"Actually, Wilson is already in charge of one of the groups. He should be around here but you may not see him since he's busy." Notch and Steve finally escaped the chaos and walked down the peaceful hallway towards the offices. They kept walking until they reached an office labeled Jillian Sanders. There was also a subtext that stated she was one of the head detectives. Notch knocked three times and waited patiently for the door to open.

When the door opened a younger woman with dark brown hair and green eyes appeared. When she spotted Notch a wide grin formed on her face.

"Hey, what's up?" She asked charismatically.

Notch returned the warm smile. "I wanted to update my brother Steve on the case. He finally returned." Jill's eyes focused over on Steve and she looked at him with a mixture of welcoming and confusion. Before Steve could ask, she shook it off and stepped aside for them to come in. "Nice to see you're back." Jill said referring to Steve.

Steve thanked her and sat in one of the office chairs and Notch sat in the other. There was an unorganized mess of papers on the desk making Steve a bit itchy. He wasn't organized with anything except papers. He was very OCD about how papers were arranged.

Jill plopped down in her chair with an exasperated sigh. "I haven't really uncovered anything new since we last talked. But I guess I'll fill you in." She turned to Steve and opened one of her files.

"They've continued their attacks on multiple towns. We found out that the girl can actually shift her appearance-"

"Wait, hold up. Last time you told me it was her eyes, not her whole appearance." Notch interrupted.

"Sorry, forgot to add that. She can make slight changes to her physical appearance. Such as her skin color, facial additives like freckles, and her height. Along with her eyes." Notch looked a bit crestfallen at the news.

"Then how the Nether are we supposed to identify her?" Notch questioned. He didn't seem angry, just confused.

"We don't need to identify her, we just need to catch her. AND Herobrine." Jill assured.

"Anything else I miss when I was gone?" Steve asked. Jill sloppily put the papers back in the file and pulled another one from her desk making Steve cringe a bit.

"Yes, one last thing. On their last attack, she left a...symbol in the dirt. I haven't been able to figure it out." Jill pulled out the picture and handed it to Steve.

When he received the picture, Steve froze in place. He could already hear the snake like voice clawing in his brain. You can call me...the Assassin.

"Steve? Do you recognize something?" Steve could hear the voice but was too focused on the picture.

I made it just for you...

Steve jumped out of the seat startling both Jill and Notch. He watched as the paper slowly drifted in the air till it softly hit the ground.

I thought you would like my beautiful art that was made for you.

Steve could hear the evil cackling of the wench as her voice slowly escaped his mind.

"Steve? What's wrong?" Notch looked at his brother with worried eyes. Jill seemed pretty calm for what happened but also shared a slight worried  expression.

"I-I'm sorry. It was just a flashback from t-the kidnapping." Steve quickly covered up. It wasn't the best excuse but it seemed to fool them.

"Steve, I didn't realize. Come on, I'll take you back home." Notch stood up and touched Steve's arm but he jerked away causing Notch to flinch back.

"No, I'll go by myself. I'll be cautious." Steve didn't even wait for his brother's reply before jolting out of the room. He entered the crowded lobby and shoved his way past, making him even more anxious. Steve finally made it out of the castle and went through the secret portal. He was transported back to the cave but he didn't walk out of it.

Instead, he slid down the wall of the cave and sat down on the cold ground. The image was still fresh in his mind as he thought over and over about it.

This was just a warning-to you and your filthy siblings. But out of all of you, I like you the most. You're the easiest to scare.

Her maniacal laugh rang through his head like church bells. But there was nothing holy about her whatsoever.

Without any thoughts or evil voices, Steve didn't know what to do. So he did something he hadn't done in a very long time. He leaned his head back against the cave wall and let the tears roll down his cheeks.

***
"What was that all about?" Jill asked, still sitting behind her desk.

"I guess the experience was more traumatizing than I thought. He was kidnapped by an enderman and luckily Steve escaped." Notch explained.

"An enderman?" Jill seemed to be surprised by the fact that an enderman took him.

"Yes, an enderman. He escaped and came across with a lovely father and daughter who helped him back here. Very nice people, although the daughter is very...outspoken." With lack of a better word to describe her Notch settled on that one.

"That's nice of them. I'm sure that's a long journey back to their house though." Jill said.

"Oh no, they're staying at Alex and Steve's for a while. It was the least they could do to repay them. And plus, their house was overran with zombies or something like that." Notch was still a bit worried about Steve's condition. He didn't want his brother to be alone wandering in the state he's in.

"It was the least they could do to repay him? What about you?" Notch was pulled out of his thoughts and looked confusingly at Jill.

"What about me?" Notch asked. Jill smirked and shook her head.

"You always did have a thick head. What I mean is that they basically helped bring your brother back and you don't give them a gift or anything? They don't even have a house and they put your brother's priorities before theirs." Jill stared at Notch urging him to grasp onto her idea.

"So you want me to give them a gift?" Notch asked, finally grasping the idea. Jill nodded and Notch pondered for a gift idea. Suddenly it popped it to his head.

"I can give them both enchanted Kingsmen swords crafted by my best blacksmith. I know they will like it, especially Casey." Jill nodded to his idea but stopped and stared at him.

"Who's Casey?" Jill asked.

"That's the daughter." Notch answered simply. Jill stared at him still.

"What's her father's name?" Jill asked right after.

"Um...pretty sure his name is Darrell. Yeah, Darrell Smith. But I think everyone else calls him Dare." Notch sat back, waiting for Jill to ask another question.

"Huh. I'll have to meet them sometime. Sorry, Notch I gotta go. I really hate Recruit Week." Jill grinned at Notch before exiting her room in a hurry. Notch grinned as he watched her walk away but turned to the picture that was laying on the ground. He picked is up and examined it more closely. His eyes widened when he realized that the arrow was actually a name in the shape of an arrow.

Notch knew Steve was hiding something. And he knew that the excuse he made was fake. How did he know this? Because the name on the ground read Andrew Kite, Steve's closest friend who lived a bit away. Notch looked at the back of the picture and his breath was caught in his throat when he saw the city name of the attack. He dropped the picture and scrambled through the files on her desk before he found the right one.

Notch ripped the pages out as fast as he could and scanned the papers till he found his name.

Andrew L. Kite
Death #174
Cause-murdered

Notch threw the papers to the ground and knew why Steve reacted the way he did. Herobrine just killed him and Steve's best friend from when they were little, and didn't even blink an eye.

•••

Hello everyone! Yes, I know this chapter is boring and yes, I know it's sad. But not all chapters can be happy and action-y. I hope there will be chapters like that in here, but it won't be this one.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next chapter! See ya

-Crazy