"You haven't killed an angel yet, but you've managed to get one of MY demons captured!" Herobrine yells. His demons all look at the floor, and most of them have their wings drooped. "Telling me that they refused to give her back isn't good enough! You didn't even try!"

"We DID try to get Ann back! The security is too high, and the angels are being extra alert!" Khali protests. Herobrine smacks her across the face with the back of his hand, and she goes sprawling onto the ground. The others wince, but don't dare to go help her. Camryn stands in the corner of the throne room, watching and waiting with a sword in her hand.

"Since when has security been a problem?" Herobrine demands. His voice is dangerously calm, like the ocean before a storm. "The only reason I'm not killing one of you is because there aren't any other demons on the market at the moment. Anyway, if you continue to spare the lives of those angels, you will feel my wrath."

The demons nod nervously and scamper away, quickly leaving the castle before Herobrine decides to take out his anger on another one of them. Camryn lowers her sword, disappointed that she didn't get to spill any blood.

"Are you okay?" Libby asks Khali. The latter nods, holding her face.

"I'll be fine."

Justina kicks the wall in frustration.

"Why are we so useless?!" she yells.

The others shrug, watching the sky.

They can't afford another screwup like this one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mitch and Jerome run into the throne room, panting. Adam and Jason, who were talking, stop abruptly and look at them.

"What's the matter, boys?" Notch asks from his throne. He looks older than usual, with dark bags under his eyes and a messy beard.

"A demon said that she's going to tell Herobrine that we won't give him his demon back," Jerome stutters, fluttering his wings anxiously. Notch sighs heavily and taps the arms of his throne. Nervous tension fills the air like poisonous gas, steadily growing thicker with every moment that passes in silence.

"That's not good. Herobrine isn't going to like that we have his demon, and his others are going to become more vicious," Notch says finally.

"How do you know this?" Jason asks.

"Believe me, I know Herobrine better than anyone in Vendaviel. When he doesn't get what he wants, he causes more havoc then usual," the king replies.

"We should put the town on lockdown. Or evacuate them. Something!" Adam exclaims. Notch nods.

"We should, but how do we evacuate an entire town without demons showing up and killing people? And in a lockdown, demons could burn houses down with people inside."

The angels all remain silent, letting this information process. Everything Notch is saying is true, and the only way they can save these people is if they kill the demons.

Silence fills the room again, and the only sounds that penetrate it is the rustling of wings.