AU: Player's Game

Context: Sabre is in the middle of a game where the objective is to collect keys to an exit door, while all of the players are being hunted by monsters. He has almost all of the keys he needs, and now has to find the last one and get to the exit.

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[Sabre's POV]

I quickly duck behind a crumbled wall, avoiding the rampaging Ravager chasing after a few other players. Thankfully, it's more interested in them and not looking for me.

Just as I count how many keys I'm holding, I hear the Professor's voice coming from my earpiece.

"Sabre, are you still there?" He asks.

"Yep, I didn't get flattened, don't worry." I reply quickly.

"Okay good. How many of the keys do you have?"

"Six... one more to go."

"I could try to track where it is for you? All of them give off a unique energy signal."

"No, the gamemasters would catch that. Getting caught cheating has a consequence worse than death."

"Yeesh... any idea where the last one could be?"

I look around, seeing if there's one more hiding spot that I haven't thought of yet. Let's see... I'm hiding next to the old stone maze, I found the first key in the fountain, the second in the garden shed, the third in the giant build of a bunch of rose bushes, the fourth in the composter (ew, by the way), the fifth in a really big tree, and the sixth on the roof of the greenhouse... this garden map is huge, and new to me. I'm really starting to remember why I hate this place with every fiber of my being.

Suddenly, someone jumps from the tree onto the rose bush build, and starts... climbing it. I didn't notice how those blocks were placed so closely together before. They climb as high up as they can reach on the rose bush branches, then jump to a conveniently placed vine that's part of the build, and run up the vine until they reach the tallest rose. They jump inside, and a few seconds later they hop back out with a key. They must not have all of them yet, because then they grab onto a passing phantom and use it to hitch a ride back down to the greenhouse.

I smile and already start forming a plan in my head.

"I think I just found where it is." I tell the Professor, turning around so that my back is against the moss-covered wall. "I'll go and get it, you just watch my back-" 

I'm cut off when a couple of thock noises come from three different points around the spot where my head is, and freeze. Looking up, I see three skeletons right in front of where I'm sitting, all aiming their bows at me.

"Of course they still miss." I sigh, rolling my eyes, and kick the skeleton in front's knee as hard as I can.

The impact makes the bone pop out of its socket, and the skeleton cartoonishly falls apart, the bones falling off it hitting its friends and making them fall too. Before anything else can try to kill me, I get up and make a run for the tree.

"Monster, three o' clock!" The Professor warns me.

I dodge in time to avoid a zombie trying to punch me, instead using its head as a stepstool to get up to the tree's branches faster. I quickly climb through the leaves and sticks and pop out of the foliage at the treetop, quickly shaking a few leaves out of my hair before getting a running start towards the giant rose bush.

I jump off a sturdy limb of the tree, and land on the collection of easily climbable blocks I saw before, practically hugging the bush's branch because of the short ledge. Then, I start climbing up the rose bush, replaying the scene I watched earlier in my head.

I should reach the vine right about... now.

Seeing the darker green contrast, I approach the winding vine and turn, gathering my strength, not able to do a running start this time. If I push myself off the wall, I should reach it-

Somehow getting a hit to the back of my leg spooks me into jumping early, and I just barely land off the vine before turning around. The culprit was a vex, annoying little things. I quickly smack it away before making my way up the oversized foliage.

"What the heck was that?" Professor Red asks through the earpiece. "You took damage, but I didn't see anything on my radar."

"It's called a vex, an irritating small creature that can go through walls." I explain while running. "They're usually summoned by one of those Pillager variants you saw in another game."

"Wh- that's not fair, you can't see it coming!"

"Eh, the gamemasters don't think so. They think of it as an extra challenge."

"That's annoying."

"Be glad you don't have to experience it. They're small, but hurt. And they usually have swords."

I finally reach the top of the build, seeing the tallest rose. Now that I can see inside it, it's hollow unlike the rest of the roses, with a tiny pool of water in the middle and the last key on a pedestal next to it. Some other blocks on the wall act as a staircase back up.

I quickly jump down, landing in the water, preventing any damage. I grab the key and go up the steps, now standing over the entire map. Everyone else is still scrambling around trying to find the rest of the keys below me. It's kind of nice being up here... but I need to finish the game.

Looking for a way down, I see the vine I climbed up here on is now swarmed with monsters. They must be starting to spawn up here, great.

"Maybe you could recreate what that other person did?" The Professor suggests, probably picking up on the swarm.

"All of the phantoms are on the other side of the map, and lower to the ground." I reply. "I can't."

I keep looking, and see the small pond in the center of the map. Given my altitude, I'm pretty much right above it...

"But I think I found another way."

"...Sabre. Sabre do not tell me you're doing what I think you're doing."

"Okay, I won't tell you."

"Sabre!"

I take a step back, then jump.

Air rushes by me as I plummet towards the ground level, quickly adjusting my position so I know I'll hit the water.

Closer.

Almost there.

I hit the water with a loud splash, quickly grabbing onto the side as soon as I swim close to it. As I pull myself out, a confused bystander watches me stand up and look around.

"What? Where did you-" They start, but I don't stick around to hear the rest. A creeper is approaching behind them.

I hear an explosion as I found a corner, booking it to the exit door. After a few more turns and avoiding monsters, I finally reach it.

It's a large, heavy iron door with seven key slots in a line across it. I don't have much time, so I don't take many more moments to look at it before I take out the keys one by one and shove them into their respective keyholes, each one glowing as they receive their key.

As I place the final one, the entire door starts glowing, and in a blink it disappears. It reveals a familiar empty hallway with dark oak beams and flooring, and yellow walls, redstone lamps lighting the way through. I dart through without a second thought, wanting out of this mess.

I end up tripping at the last second, landing on the wood plank floor, and take a moment to catch my breath. When I look up, there's already two of the gamemasters' guards watching me silently. I swear, these guys always appear out of nowhere.

I sigh and get up, knowing the drill. They turn as I walk by them and start following me, taking me back to the game hub to wait until the next game starts.

That's the morning and noon games done... now I just have to get through the evening game.