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Jesse caught hold of the Founder at the exact moment that her hands slipped off. One more second of indecision and she would have disappeared in the Void.
Yeesh. He'd made the right call there, no doubt.
Grunting in exertion, Jesse used all his strength to pull her up while, for some irritating reason, Ivor's voice popped up in his head to remind him of the appropriate weight for one's height... Still just as unhelpful as before.
Once the Founder was back on steady land, Jesse's focus immediately switched to helping Lukas but a distressed scream next to him made him freeze. A moment later, Lukas came staggering backwards into his field of view and -- PITCHED OVER THE HECKING SIDE OF THE FLOATING ISLAND.
"Lukas!" Jesse called out instinctively, though he still couldn't quite comprehend what he'd just witnessed. His first instinct was to play it cool and pretend like he didn't care. Then his mind caught up and his rationalizing got viciously overridden.
Lukas was going to die. Because Jesse hadn't helped him.
Nononono wrong choice wrong choice BAD call! The Founder was saved but for WHAT?! Stupid, STUPID move! No matter how hostile he'd been toward him, he never wanted THIS! Not even close!
Time seemed to slow down when their wide-eyed stares of shock met and gravity did its part in enlarging the distance between them by the second.
Just as he'd decided to give this whole friendship thing a shot; just as they'd started getting along somewhat. There was so much left unsaid, and this is how it was going to end? After everything Lukas was just... gone? Before Jesse had the chance to set things right? And worst of all, he was just as great as Jesse had feared!
Now more than ever he wished he could take a decision back.
As he kept racking his brain for ANY sort of way out, anything he could do to help, something collided with his lower back and the brute force of the impact sent him slamming into the Founder. Turning mid-fall, his eyes landed on Aiden's smug face -- clueless little Eversource waddling up by his side -- and he realized belatedly that the impact had been a ruthless kick, strong enough to send both him and the Founder over the edge. And he'd let Lukas fight that guy alone?! Believed him when he said he'd got him? No wonder he hadn't stood a chance. Jesse should have backed him up!
Even more belatedly he realized that Lukas wasn't the only one plummeting to his death anymore -- the Founder and him were too.
Worst. Decision. Ever.
Seriously.
He wondered how everything had blown up in his face in a matter of mere seconds. He also wondered how long they were supposed to be screaming for. Admittedly, it got kind of old after a while… But what else to keep busy with during a seemingly endless fall?
Good old arguing mid-air of course. Blaming each other for the consequences of their respective actions… As if there weren't more important things to worry about.
"Where's Lukas? Do you see him anywhere below us? He should be down there!"
The Founder scoffed.
"Oh, why, yes! The first thing I did after we both got kicked over the edge was look to see where your friend was."
And then, after debating their inevitable deaths…
Land.
Actual land.
And even better: Water.
They could survive this. Which meant Lukas might have survived too!
After plunging into the water, Jesse let out a triumphant, oddly liberating "Ha!" as soon as he resurfaced.
And there he was. Running up to the small lake as if Jesse hadn't just spent FAR too long in the belief that he'd died.
"Jesse! Holy crap, you're down here too?"
"Lukas! You made it!"
"Yeah. Only SLIGHTLY worse for wear…" Lukas groaned as Jesse climbed up the shore. "Gotta say, Aiden's tougher than I remember." He made another pained noise. "He got me pretty good."
Still reeling from the rush of adrenaline and the even bigger rush of his enormous relief, Jesse opened his arms, ready for a reunion hug, but stopped himself when he remembered they didn't exactly have this kind of friendship. Additionally, based on Lukas' appearance -- the way he was hunched over and holding his left arm, face contorted in pain -- Jesse concluded that jumping at him might not be the best idea. So instead… he just stood there, impending hug turned into an awkward open-armed gesture, with the matching expression on his face.
Thankfully, Lukas' eyes were fixed on the grass.
"I was so sure I could take him while you helped the Founder. Which, by the way -- good on you. My odds were much better. I just…" He hissed through clenched teeth, squeezing his eyes shut as he took a moment to recover. "Heh, I underestimated Aiden's strength and… his apparent desire to, well, kill me. So much for 'true friendship'. Ugh."
Jesse blinked once. Was it just him or was Lukas trying to justify himself? How was he even supposed to react to this?
"You know, I can see now where you got that whole adversary idea from." Lukas let out a strained chuckle but turned serious when he looked up. "But I'm not Aiden."
"I know," came Jesse's immediate reply. "And… I'm sorry I wasn't there. I shouldn't have let you take on Aiden alone."
Lukas raised an eyebrow, then searched Jesse's face, eyes squinted to slits.
Feeling vaguely pressured, Jesse flashed a smile and shrugged, waiting for a response from him. The seconds ticked away. His eyes briefly flicked to the side before proceeding to hold Lukas' gaze.
It got... slightly awkward. But the right moment for Jesse to add on to what he was saying had long passed.
Eventually, Lukas cleared his throat and looked to the side. What he saw there made him tilt his head.
"Is she okay? She's just sort of... staring."
Grateful for the sudden change of subject (or rather scenery), Jesse followed his gaze. He knew how to deal with the Founder, at least.
"Er, lemme ask. Founder? Miss Founder?"
"I uh... hope she's not in shock or something."
While maybe not in shock exactly, she obviously needed time to process everything. Especially the worldview crisis she must have surely been having with all those completely untouched biomes around her. Jesse and Lukas tried to help her through it as best they could and started talking about getting back up when all of a sudden, burning mobs started raining down.
Great. Aiden and his darn Spawn Eggs…
Returning to Sky City had now become top priority and the Founder -- Isa -- was about to find out just how quickly an inventory could be filled up.
"Grab as much dirt as you can carry!" Jesse yelled, breaking his run to turn to the others.
While Isa simply gave him a firm nod and got started without further ado, Lukas took a tentative step in his direction, eyes blown wide.
"Ahh… so, Jesse…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Truth be told, I think it would be best if I just--" At Jesse's questioning eyebrow, he stopped, expression blank, then sighed. "Never mind. I'll help."
…
You sure? Get some rest.
Then what are you waiting for?
Angling his head, Jesse looked him up and down. Lukas was still holding his arm, expression anything but relaxed, and Jesse wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to let him dig up dirt like this. But if he said he wanted to help…
Jesse was still only starting to show his trust in Lukas. And doubting him? Excluding him from team activities? Telling him to stay out of it? Might not be the best approach if they wanted to leave the past behind.
Still, it felt wrong.
You sure?
"You sure about this?"
Lukas scoffed.
"Of course. It's just a couple of dirt blocks. I think I'll manage." His bristly tone caught Jesse off-guard.
"Okay. But take a break if you need one."
Lukas gave a curt nod of acknowledgement, and then they all went to work.
Never had Jesse been quicker at gathering dirt. In fact, he was so focused on the task that he startled a little when he turned around and found Lukas standing behind him. His breathing was clearly audible and a little irregular as he wordlessly handed Jesse a stack of dirt blocks.
No wait. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to not even be half a stack. Was that all he'd managed to collect? Jesse had filled up a good third of his inventory at the same time.
Noticing Jesse's scrutinizing look, Lukas' eyebrows shot up. His left arm twitched upward, causing him to suck in a sharp breath, though his expression remained more or less firm. Then he raised his right arm to rub the back of his neck and chuckled uneasily, wincing at the sudden movement.
"I uh... I know it's not a lot," he ground out through gritted teeth. "Here, let me gather some more..."
Jesse didn't miss the way he grimaced afterward, even though he tried hiding it by turning away.
Now Jesse was certain that he was too injured to be doing this.
"It's fine, Lukas. This is great. You've done enough."
Lukas turned back to him, one eyebrow raised. Then he squinted in skepticism.
"You sure? Because I could totally--"
"Yes, I'm sure. The Founder and I have got the rest covered."
"Of course. I see."
Jesse searched his face for a moment. Then he headed for Isa who cast him a grim look and gestured at the untouched forest around them.
"This might be more efficient with tools. We could make use of these trees."
Jesse hummed in contemplation. The constant onslaught of burning mobs around them that dissipated upon contact with the soil had become more of a background blur.
"That might not be a bad idea." He looked up, squinting to try and see Sky City. But of course, no such luck. "That is a loooong way up. I think we're gonna have to fill up our entire inventories just to be on the safe side." If only he'd timed his fall, maybe he could use that information to calculate how many blocks minimum they needed...
"I'm aware we're pressed for time," Isa interrupted his thoughts, "However, I can't help but notice that your friend over there isn't looking too good."
Following the line of sight on her concerned face, Jesse spotted Lukas leaning against an oak tree a short distance away. He was even paler than before, face scrunched up and eyes closed as he cradled his arm.
Jesse took a reflexive step in his direction.
...
How are you holding up? Why aren't you helping?
You're blocking the tree.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Isa turning to him.
"Wait. Let me clarify. He's extremely good-looking, just... he might be more than 'slightly' worse for wear."
How are you holding up?
Jesse's gaze hardened as he walked up to Lukas. Alerted by the crunching of grass beneath his boots, Lukas looked up at him, then back at the tree. When his eyes fell on Jesse again, they were narrowed.
"Hey Lukas...," Jesse began but trailed off when Lukas pushed himself off the tree with a stifled grunt, swaying a little before he found his footing.
"Yeah yeah, I'll move..." There was a strain in his voice as he scowled at a random spot on the ground.
Jesse stopped dead in his tracks, well short of him.
"Huh?"
"Because you want to get to the tree I was leaning on? To make a crafting table. Some shovels maybe."
Of course that was the first thing he'd expect... Jesse cringed inwardly.
"I... actually wanted to ask how you're doing."
Lukas' expression fell instantly.
"Oh. That's-- really?" He sounded and looked genuinely taken aback. "I mean... thanks, I guess?"
Jesse kept staring at him as he waited for a reply. To no avail.
"So…? About my question?"
"I'm all right." Lukas pressed his lips into a thin line.
Jesse made a loose gesture.
"What about your arm?"
Lukas glanced at it, then turned away slightly, drawing it further back. His eyes searched Jesse's face before he sighed defeatedly.
"Look, you don't have to do this."
"What do you mean?"
"Pretend like you care. I get it. We may be on the same team but that doesn't make us friends. You can be honest with me. As you should be with yourself... It'll make this much easier."
Jesse blinked at him, stupefied.
"But-- Lukas--"
"I know I told you earlier that you choosing the Founder doesn't bother me and it doesn't, really, but it also... well, it--" He finished the sentence with a frustrated grunt. "I'm not mad, just... coming to terms with things -- as they are." He averted his gaze. "Just like I am with my former team..." As his voice grew quiet, his face turned sorrowful. "Developing a bit of a habit there it seems."
...
Glad that's settled. You ARE my friend.
We need to hurry.
While Jesse contemplated his answer, Lukas looked up at him, brows drawn together in anger.
"Come on, we both know I'm only here because Petra wanted me as a buffer between her and Ivor. And now... well, now neither of them is here." He kept glaring at Jesse, even when he eventually moved to slump back against the tree.
For a moment, Jesse didn't quite know what to say. But it made sense that a few friendly moments wouldn't make all the past hostility undone... It left a mark. And Jesse felt ashamed about it. Why had he ever thought that was a viable way to deal with his feelings?
You ARE my friend.
"It just so happens that every person on my team is also my friend. No exceptions." As a show of good will, he offered a thin-lipped smile.
Lukas blinked at him, then raised an eyebrow.
Jesse gave a one-shouldered shrug that looked far more nonchalant than he felt.
"I mean... if you still want to be."
Despite the skeptical look and lack of a verbal answer, he had a feeling Lukas would remember that.
"So, how's your arm?"
"Broken. I think. Hurts like a douche."
"And you still dug up all that dirt for us?!"
"Well... I'm here to help, aren't I?"
...
You're not helping. That was stupid.
Thanks. But take it easy.
"And hey, 75% of my limbs are still functional." Lukas' lips quirked into a small smirk, though his eyes remained clouded with pain. "That's more than can be said about Aiden's brain at the moment."
That was stupid.
Jesse stared at him, then narrowed his eyes.
"That was stupid. It's just dirt! You should've sat this one out."
That... came out harsher than intended. Not that his anger wasn't justified though. And it certainly did its job of wiping that smirk off Lukas' face. A smirk he definitely wanted to see again, but under different circumstances.
Lukas went back to glaring but it didn't last long. With a sigh, he averted his eyes, looking exhausted all of a sudden.
"Maybe..."
The fact that he was admitting it now really wasn't a good sign.
But before Jesse could comment on it, Isa appeared next to him.
"Save the flirting for later and get to work. My people are in need of urgent assistance."
With a scowl, she handed Jesse a wooden shovel and a few stacks of dirt that he accepted absentmindedly while his eyes kept flicking nervously over to Lukas who, thankfully, was stoically fixing some spot on the ground again.
Jesse counted up his newly obtained dirt in quiet astonishment. Isa had kept busy. Only a little more now…
Eventually, his inventory was filled to the brim with almost nothing but dirt blocks. And amidst all their digging, they'd even discovered the other half of the portal that had brought them here! Yet another problem solved. How the crafting tables had turned. Maybe he owed Aiden some thanks...
"Well, guys... Ready?" he asked once he'd hopped back out of the latest pit they'd left in their wake.
"Yes, I-- I think so," Isa said, sounding vaguely unsure.
Though not as unsure as Lukas looked while staring up at the sky. His silence spoke volumes. And it reminded Jesse that he did in fact NOT owe Aiden thanks. On the contrary.
...
Get a move on. Stay down here.
You coming?
There was no way in Nether that Jesse would let Lukas come with them, but he didn't exactly want to order him to stay down here either.
The fact that Lukas obviously felt like he needed to prove himself was gnawing on Jesse's conscience. In the future, he'd have to make sure to show him that he valued him; that his place on the team didn't hinge on Jesse's whim anymore. Even if they were never going to be more than friends. But being friends was certainly better than... whatever this was.
You coming?
"Lukas? Are you... coming?" Jesse asked, fully aware that he was only giving Lukas the illusion of choice. But he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.
"Uh..." Lukas directed his wide-eyed stare at him. "Actually, Jesse... I uh... I think I gotta sit this one out. Aiden got me pretty good. I'm just not sure I'm up for towering all the way back there." He looked extremely unhappy. "I'm really sorry. I probably wouldn't be able to keep up anyway."
Jesse couldn't help a small smile.
"That's what I was thinking. Are you gonna be okay though?"
"I'll be fine. I'll get some food, put together a shelter if it gets dark. It's not my first rodeo."
The way he said it, accompanied by the cryptic look on his face, made Jesse wonder if he was alluding to that first night on the run from the Witherstorm, when Jesse had basically kicked him out of their shelter. Ughhh bad memories... Lukas had done a great deal to help raise it and yet was forced to spend the night outside. Alone.
It was only fair that Jesse did his part now.
"A shelter? With what?"
Lukas looked around, then shrugged his good shoulder.
"Well, I was thinking--"
"You go to town on those trees?" Jesse raised one eyebrow while pinching the other. When Lukas' expression went blank, he sighed.
"Here, let me lend you a hand."
He quickly chopped down a couple of trees in the vicinity while Lukas watched, then handed over the wood blocks.
Lukas accepted them hesitantly.
"Thank you, Jesse," he said in that calm, genuine tone of his.
"You're welcome."
Jesse smiled before walking up to Isa, then turned around one more time only to find Lukas' attention directed elsewhere.
"You know you missed a tree there...," he said cautiously, looking a little sheepish when his eyes met Jesse's.
Jesse blinked. Lukas was right. There was one tree left, standing all exposed smack dab in the middle of the clearing he'd just created. Right next to Lukas.
Weird.
Although, wait a minute...
Jesse cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head.
"Oh, yeah. Well, I... didn't, technically. That's your leaning tree. Keep it. We'll be back as soon as we can."
A look of pure bewilderment flashed over Lukas' face, before gradually morphing into a genuine smile.
"All right. Be careful up there, okay?"
Jesse tried his utmost to ignore the way Lukas' voice had suddenly become incredibly husky, so much so that for a moment the words themselves didn't register. Whatever the reason, it didn't sound like it had come from a place of pain.
He swallowed hard as Lukas carefully lowered himself to a sitting position against the tree.
"... Yeah. You too, Lukas."
Isa stepped forward, her face earnest.
"Thank you for trying to help. It was very noble."
"Hey, what's with the 'last goodbye' tone? I'll see you guys when you get back. Oh, and give Aiden another punch for me."
"Will do." It took a few seconds too long for Jesse to tear his eyes away and address Isa again. "Come on. We've got an epic climb ahead of us."
After Isa thanked him for saving her, he got started on the highest tower he's ever built. And with every block he placed, the distance grew between him and the nagging sensation of unfinished business he would rather have dealt with if the chaos above wasn't calling his name.