HII SORRY IT'S BEEN LIKE. A MONTH???? SINCE AH'VE FIRST UPDATED THIS BOOK??????? UHM YEAH SORRY ABOUT THAT—
imma just tell y'all now that you shouldn't expect very quick updates from me. either way though, ah hope y'all like this chapter because Ocean was a.. funky guy to write.  ← struggled

sorry for any ooc-ness & misspellings, things like that. ah tried.

[01010]

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Ocean wasn't sure how to feel about the cowering non-steve(?) hiding in their power-up machine area.

They didn't really do much with it after the whole Brine situation, so it was kinda left there to collect dust till they needed it again.
Not like there's much going on after everything, it's kinda hard to think of something worse then Herobrine. So none of the Balancers didn't really have a need to go down there.

That was till he was called there.

⠀
So apparently, Re & De did find the blue thing he spotted a few minutes ago. They tried to figure out what it(he?) was and what it wanted, until the being ran off and hid down where the machine is. Turns out that's what the screaming was about.

From what they've seen, it wasn't a Steve.
And for some reason, Ocean was called to try and get it out of hiding. Him.
Not one of the main 5, no. Him specifically.

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OceanBalance: are you sure this is a good idea?

Ocean asked as he stood by the entrance down to the machine, unsure of how to go about this. De nodded, turning to look at the entrance, his arms crossed.

DeBalance: if they wanted to attack us, they would've done so when we found them.

The water Balancer nervously chuckled.

OceanBalance: well that's reassuring

OceanBalance: do we even know anything about this guy?

Re softly landed next to De, appearing to have flew around to check if the non-steve came alone or not. He has something in his hands that Ocean couldn't make out.

ReBalance: they said they didn't know why they were there

ReBalance: couldn't get anything else before they ran off

De lightly nudged Re with his shoulder.

DeBalance: yeah, because you scared them off

Re made a head motion that Ocean translates to him rolling his eyes, since, well. Their eyes are all just voids of colour. (except for Time, somehow.)

ReBalance: i didn't think they would get startled that badly!

ReBalance: it's like they never saw someone fly before

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Ocean frowned. That's.. weird. All the non-steves they saw so far have the ability to fly just like theirs, if not just as powerful.
So if this one doesn't have that, what would that even mean?

ReBalance: the non steve also was here alone

ReBalance: there wasn't anyone else around

OceanBalance: isn't that concerning?

De looked over at Ocean.

DeBalance: hm?

OceanBalance: all non steves we met so far are all somewhat powerful

OceanBalance: the dimensional leaders & the hunters..

OceanBalance: why is this one so different?

ReBalance: because of this

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Re shows the blue piece of fabric that he has been holding onto.

It wasn't just a piece, it was a ripped piece.

Something that shouldn't be possible, with the martials their ‘clothes’ are made of. It was made to withheld lighting and energy, for origins sake.

OceanBalance: no way

ReBalance: this isn't something that someone with powers would wear

ReBalance: so even if they were a threat, they wouldn't be able to do much

ReBalance: soo you'll be fine

⠀
Ocean paused for a moment, looking at the stairway to the machine. The drim lighting making it a lot more ominous then it needed to be. He's gonna have to go in there one way or other, isn't he?

Lightly gripping his wrist, he took a deep breath in and sighed, before turning back towards Re & De.

OceanBalance: alright

OceanBalance: but if i die that's on you

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——————————

He never thought he'll be walking down these halls again. The dim lights from the glowstone barely managed to light up the stairway, and the dust in the air reminded him of how long they've left this place alone.

The stairs echoed his footsteps as he descended, unminding of the worry that grows in the Balancer's chest. He did plan on being sneaky, but if he appeared out of nowhere, he'll probably just scare the non-steve even more. So he didn't.

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Halfway on the stairs, he hears mumblings coming from where he's heading. It sounded..  like his when Second captured him. Scared. Terrified.

Another step was taken and the mumbling stops, and he paused. The being is scared of him, of Re & De. It's hiding because it was scared.
Does it even know what's happening? That they're not there to hurt it?
... Was it ripped from its home just like him?

He continues down the stairs, ignoring how his footsteps became louder.

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The ocean above was the first thing he took notice of as he reached the bottom, the way the sunlight shines through the water and onto the small, underground room. Combined with the dust in the air, it looked almost pretty. In a haunted abandoned way.

Though, he guesses that "abandoned" can't really be used in here, since there's definitely something in the machine in the middle back of the room that he needs to get out.

It's silent. Unbelievably silent. If he didn't know any better he would've believed that no one was actually here and Re & De was just messing with him, but the mumbling he heard earlier made any doubts he had disappear in an instant.

Sealing away his nerves, he spoke out as nonthreateningly as he could.

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OceanBalance: hello?

Nothing. No answer.

OceanBalance: im not here to hurt you

OceanBalance: i just wanna know why you're here

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Shuffling. He doesn't know if that's a good sign. Maybe getting a name would be better?

OceanBalance: my name is Ocean

OceanBalance: what's yours?

.. Silence. He waited for a little bit more.
He was answered.

"Box."

The voice came out small, the Balancer barely heard it. He was kinda glad it was completely silent other then the ocean above, because it would've probably been impossible to hear his(?) voice otherwise.

Other then that though..

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OceanBalance: box?

OceanBalance: you don't seem like a box

A sudden, startled laugh bursted out from the machine, causing Ocean to jump a little. It didn't last too long, dying down a bit after a few seconds before he spoke again. This time, it was so much clearer.

"What does that mean??"

OceanBalance: i mean

OceanBalance: you're talking?

OceanBalance: you clearly aren't some walking chest or something

Ocean tried not to smile at the confused noise the being made. He failed.

"That. Okay fair.
But that's actually my name."

OceanBalance: okay then..

OceanBalance: why are you down here?

"Hiding from some weird alien people."

OceanBalance: ...alien?

⠀
A pause, before the Balancer sees the being peak out from behind the iron blocks. His hair is black and his eyes are different shades of blue, and that's all he could notice before the being quickly hid again.

"You're one of them."

... He's what?

OceanBalance: what?

"You have the- the black patches. Like the guys that was chasing me. You're one of them."

Re & De. The Balancers. He noticed— he thinks he's a threat. He's not. He doesn't want the being to see him as so. Not when he's so close to him. Not when he can help.

OceanBalance: im

OceanBalance: i am

OceanBalance: but i'm not here to hurt you

"Mhm. Suree.."

The sharp shift in tone made the Balancer internally whine. He reminds himself that the being has no reason to trust them, not when he was scared into hiding like this.

Forcing himself to speak, he kept his tone as calm as he could.

OceanBalance: we were scared

OceanBalance: something.. bad happened before you came

OceanBalance: we didn't want a repeat

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The air is tense, almost suffocating.
He reminds himself that the non-steve is scared, just as he was. That he doesn't know where he is. That he's lost.

"... Where are we?"

That.. wasn't what he was expecting.

OceanBalance: you're in the uh

OceanBalance: underground base?

"No like— the world. What's it called?"

⠀
...He really isn't from here, is he?
Breath in, breath out.

OceanBalance: the Overworld

"‘Overworld’?.."

The being's voice sounds... distant. Confused. He's reminded of how Obsidian Steve talked about how different the Nether and the Overworld is, how he's not used to the coolness and the water and the colors.

He wonders if this applies to Box too.

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OceanBalance: where did you come from?

"What?"

OceanBalance: your home

OceanBalance: what's it called?

"Uhm.. Earth. It's called Earth."

Something about the name sounds familiar. Like something he heard somewhere in the pressing, from Space maybe? Planets can kinda be counted as worlds, can it?
It wouldn't hurt to ask Space later.

OceanBalance: Earth?

OceanBalance: is it like a planet?

"Yeah, actually."

'Bingo!' He silently cheered.

"It looked like this, too. Except without.. you guys."

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Footsteps came from the machine and there the being is, standing by its entrance. He's wearing some sort of a mix between a cloak (he doesn't have the hood on, it's kinda just hanging there) and a jacket, coloured in blue with a small bit of it missing on his arm (huh, so that's where Re got that piece from).

He also seems to have shoulder pads on. Though from the look of things, it doesn't seem to be protecting much.

The being didn't look intimidating at all, far from what he expected. In fact, he looked causal, like a Steve from the Elder Village. Like he belonged in the Overworld.

"What, are you guys?"

The words Box spoke has a slight tremble, as though it was taking a lot of energy for him to do so. His hand was holding onto the side of the machine's entrance, his breathing slow and heavy. He.. didn't look too well.

OceanBalance: we're called the Balancers

OceanBalance: are.. you okay?

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Definitely didn't feel like I was gonna get crushed in there. Nope. Noot at all."

... The way he spoke reminds him of Balance. He couldn't put his finger on why, it just does.

The being took a few breaths in before pushing himself away from the machine, almost seeming to stumble slightly from how quickly he moved away. His glance moving to the machine for a moment before going back to the Balancer, his voice slightly shaky.

"What— what is this thing even for??"

OceanBalance: it's a power-up machine

His tone quickly switched to confusion.

"So it.. powers things up?"

The Balancer furrowed his eyebrows, pausing to glance at the machine before looking back at the being. The more this goes on, the more he questions how much Box actually knows.

OceanBalance: it makes our powers stronger

"... Your Powers?"

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Silence. Ocean wasn't sure what face he's making, but whatever it was showing, it made the being start sweating. His hand moving to lightly grip the ripped part of his jacket(?), clearly growing nervous.

Box really doesn't know anything. He isn't sure how much worse this could get.

OceanBalance: i

OceanBalance: i think we should go upstairs first

OceanBalance: we'll explain everything there

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"... Please don't tell me the guys that were hunting me are gonna be there."

Nervously laughing, Ocean avoided eye contact with the being. It only causes Box to stare at the steve.

"..."

OceanBalance: they won't do anything

"If they do, I'm leaving."

OceanBalance: they won't, i promise

It clearly didn't make the being feel that much better, yet he follows behind the Balancer anyways, as he walked back up the stairs. It didn't take long for Box to be walking beside Ocean, eager to leave the dim basement and away from the very claustrophobic machine.

The being seems mostly harmless, the steve noted. He felt almost silly for thinking he was a possible threat when he first saw a glimpse of the being, hiding in the trees. Kinda like how he first viewed Copper Steve when he came to them for help.

He just hopes that Re & De would share that view.. and that they won't scare the being any more then they already did.

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(1979 words)