Author's Note: Well, I managed to finish this monster of a oneshot (and it's getting a sequel because I didn't even fit everything that I originally wanted to include in it). I'm glad that I got this story done and edited before everything goes back to being crazy again. 

 So, I hope you enjoy reading this oneshot; I certainly enjoyed writing it.

 Total words (without Author's Note (for those curious): 3121 words

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 BigB's POV:

 It was completely random.

 My death was completely random.

 That's what I keep telling myself, anyways. There's a part of me that's scratching at my brain until it feels like it's bleeding:

 What if it wasn't fully random? What if no matter how I fell I would've died?

 I blinked as I finally came back to my senses and looked at my surroundings:

 The smell of coal and dying embers in multiple furnaces.

 A raggedy old bed with a scratchy, red blanket below me.

 My ears were still ringing but I could still hear the muffled voices in the distance. If my assumptions are correct, then Scott is about to do his challenge. I hope that he survives that ordeal; But honestly, I have my doubts.

 Grian and Joel have a strange bloodlust that I haven't seen in 3rd Life and Last Life combined. Well, at least, Joel had more of a bloodlust based on how he talked as I did the parkour. Hopefully, Grian can snap him out of it before he starts building traps. 

 I chuckled to myself then stopped at the stinging pain in my lungs.

 Still, it's strange.

 Grian said that this server was a hardcore world, and yet, I've respawned. 

 A cool wind entered the build and I shook. 

 It seems like nature itself is calling me to go out and get answers. So, I guess it's time to stop dwelling on my situation. I need to get up and figure out why I'm still here. 

 And, who better to give me an answer? Grian: the admin of the 100 Hour server.

 The bed creaked as I pressed my hands into the mattress and pushed myself up. 

 CRACK!

 My back popped and cracked in many different areas as I let out a gasp. Pain rapidly traveled through the many nerves in my body as I clenched my teeth. Once the pain subsided, I managed to drag my legs off of the bed and flinched as my right leg bended. 

 Against the knots of dread forming twists in my stomach, I slowly raised my pant leg and shuddered.

 Bruises. So many bruises.

 I let out another shaky sigh as I tried to control my pained breaths.

 This isn't great. 

 I thought to myself.

 Thankfully, the limb can still be moved around. But the way my muscles are twitching and bulging up to the surface of my skin isn't a pleasant experience. 

 If my right leg was this bad, then I'm fearful of what happened to my other one. Taking in a deep breath, I gently grabbed at my other pant leg and rolled it upwards.

 Instantly, I began to gag.

 If the limb wasn't still attached, then I wouldn't be able to recognize it. The scrunched up skin, the twisted ankle, and the numbness.

 But, despite the numbness on the surface, I could still feel the loose, broken pieces of bone within my leg jiggling around like a snow globe.

 How is this even possible? How corrupted is my code now?

  I swallowed some gross spit and scooted myself over to the bed post. Ten fingernails dug into the bed post as I bit my lower lip and growled.

 " Rrrgh..." 

 Words couldn't even begin to describe the pain as I firmly planted my bruised leg against the wooden floor. Painfully, I dragged myself forwards until I was standing (more like leaning against a bedpost) up.

 My bruised leg was quivering as I finally took in my surroundings.

 I was at Grian's house.

 Beams of midday light came from the circular windows. There wasn't much different to the build from before I died. But, I did notice a strange chest that was beside the bed I woke up on. 

 The chest had a feather on top of it: A yellow feather.

 Did Grian own a bird in this Hardcore series? I don't remember but it sounds like a very him thing to do. Yet, there's something familiar feeling about the chest. It reminds me of the enderchest back in EVO, for some reason. 

 I rubbed at my head.

 No, it's probably just a coincidence...

 Slowly, I turned myself to face and chest and flinched as my bruised leg brushed against the bed post. My broken leg moved like it was made out of rubber as I bit my lower lip.

 Fight through it.

 I told myself.

 I need to know why I feel like this. I need to know why it makes me want to see what's within.

 My body was shaking as I grabbed at the bed post with one arm. Then, once stable, I unlatched the lock of the chest and pushed it upwards. 

 Urghh...

 Clatter

 The box's lid quickly shut causing pain to shoot up my arm. I gasped then let out a shaky breath.

 Putting my hand back on the box, I let out a strained growl as I tried to get the box to open. My arm was still shaking as I managed to get the lid up. 

 As the lid fell back, a bunch of yellow feathers flew out of the chest. I looked into the box and raised an eyebrow. There were three things in the chest:

 A bag, a note, and a crutch.

 I slipped the bag over my arm and shoulder and checked the components: Food (raw rabbit) weird) and a slightly broken sword (unhelpful). Once I finished examining the bag, I grabbed at the crutch and let out a sigh.

 With the help of this crutch, I should be able to move around more freely. My bruised leg can't stop me now....

 Still, I wonder, can.. can mobs spawn in here? Can they get inside?

 Oh man..... 

 No, No, I can't freak out about the hypo-

 CRASH!

 "AAH!" I screeched and put my hand to my throat and coughed; it felt like my throat was being stabbed then the knife was dragged upwards.

 I continued to cough and rubbed at my neck. My throat was still on fire as I stared at the direction of the crash.

 " AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

 Insane laughter rang out through the valley and riverways. After the laughter subsided, a crazed howl would soon follow. I let out a shaky breath as I quickly pocketed the note without reading it. 

 " T-There's no time..." I whispered under my breath as I turned and hobbled towards the entryway. I looked down at my arm and briefly stopped walking. 

 Wait a second. In all my worries about leaving and my injuries, I hadn't thought about my communicator...

 Which was now gone....

 Great.

 But, it's no reason to panic.... yet.

 I shook my head and resumed walking. I can worry about the missing device later. If anything, it's at the bottom of that death pit.

 As soon as I crossed the threshold that separated Grian's base from the rest of the world, a new chill went down my spine. 

 I shuddered and tightly clutched the crutch that was already supporting all of my weight. My body was still shaking as I cleared my throat. Slowly, I made my way down the crudely made path and towards Grian's strange 'mega' base.

 Once I passed over the hill, my body froze at the sight before me:

 A glass tube filled with anvils, sand, feathers, and blood...

 Scott's dead. Scott's actually dead.

 But.... But there's still some hope. 

 If he ended up like me, then he's probably at Joel's base and hurt. Hopefully, he's still in bed and not trying to get up.

 Speaking of Joel, he wasn't standing outside of the tube and neither was Grian. So, maybe they know that the game is bugged, and they're going to go check in on Scott.

 My body ached horribly as I began to hobble down the path. The leaves were rustling above me as a cool breeze passed through the area.

 " RRRRrrrrrr....."

 A low, rumbling growl came from the trees; the forest around me became deathly still. Warily, I turned towards the growl and watched as a large, brown wolf stalked out from the shadows. The beast's tail thrashed as its ears twitched.

 Once its face was more in the light, I took notice of the green streak that ran from the top of its head to the end of its back. 

 O-Oh man...

 " J-Joel?" I questioned as my shoulders raised. 

 Joel's ears twitched as he continued to growl. The wolf's jowls slowly raised and revealed sharp, bloodied teeth.

 " J-Joel, what happened to you?" I questioned as I began to move backwards. As soon as I began walking, the wolf resumed its forward march.

 Step.

 " Joel... Where's Grian?"

 Step.

 " W-Where's Scott then?"

 Step.

 There's no point in trying to talk to Joel, is there? He's basically a wild animal at this point. Meanwhile, I am a very fresh, and injured, prey.

 " What did you find, friend?" A cold, uncaring voice came from above Joel. Instantly, Joel's ears perked up as he stopped walking and sat down.

 I looked up towards the source of the voice and took another step back as a blackened silhouette with glowing, purple eyes stared down at me.

 FWOOSH!

 The being's large wings flapped as they took off into the air. I watched as the being briefly circled above the two of us before crashing down between me and Joel.

 " -Ack!" 

 Coughing, I put my arm over my mouth and flinched; Dust and dirt quickly rose into the air as the being landed. I lowered my arm and stared at the shorter man that stood before me.

 " G-Grian?" I questioned. 

 Grian looked up at me and grinned with his sharp teeth. I took another step back as the dragon hybrid stared at me. 

 The hybrid's eyes had morphed from a bright purple to a crimson red. Wrapping around the edges of his eyes were dark, heavy circles that only enhanced the overall eeriness. Grian's ears twitched as he moved around me. With each circle, the hunger in Grian's eyes only seemed to intensify. 

 " I'm ssurprised that you resspawned...." Grian murmured with a small hiss. I nodded my head while trying to keep as calm as I feasibly could.

 " Y-Yeah... D-Didn't you also respawn?" I questioned with a small stutter. Grian briefly stopped circling me and bared his teeth.

 " Who told you that?" Grian snapped as I flinched but kept my ground, " J-Joel made a joke about it?" I reminded him, " Do you not remember?"

 The hybrid looked between Joel and me; a look of annoyance briefly replaced his hunger; however, it would soon shift back to said hunger as he refocused his attention on me. Grian then nodded, " Right... Right..."

 " Anyways, Joel..." Grian snapped his fingers causing Joel's ears to raise. The giant wolf stalked forward as his ears raised to attention.

 " Are you ready for some more blood to spill?" Grian questioned with a small sharp-tooth-filled smirk. Joel licked at his teeth and gums while giving the dragon hybrid a small nod. Then, the two looked towards me.

 " Run." 

 With what strength I had left, I shoved Grian to the ground and began to hobble through the forest. 

 " ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" 

 Joel's horrid howl shook me to my very core as I ducked underneath a tree branch. My rapidly pumping heart was now pounding in my ears as I pushed through some berry bushes despite them pricking my legs and arms.

 Eventually, I couldn't even feel any of the pain that plagued me. 

 As I ran, I forgot about the things that were chasing me were once my friends. As I ran, I didn't even consider where I was going.

 I just kept running. 

 But, my luck soon ran out like my breath. I stopped against the sheer cliff and looked up at the vines that lazily draped downwards.

 I rested my hand and forehead against the dirt wall. Sweat dripped down my lowered head and dripped steadily off of my nose and to the ground.

  Only two things were keeping me awake at this point:

 Adrenaline and fear.

 And one of those driving forces was already fading. 

 But, I needed it to remain just a bit longer. Just a bit longer...

 " Looks like this cookie has finally crumbled...." A low laughter caused my throat to burn as some vomit tried to escape again. Slowly, I turned myself around and gulped.

 Grian and Joel were standing in the way of my only exit; The hybrids were staring at me like predators about to consume their prey. 

 I let out a shaky breath as I remembered something and opened my bag. Before Grian could say anything, I took out the raw rabbit and held it up.

 " W-What if I gave you guys this?" I pleaded. Grian let out a shrill laugh as Joel began to bark. 

 Figured as much.

 Why would someone give me a raw piece of rabbit anyways? 

 To mock me?

 To foreshadow my second, and more painful, demise?

 Why..? 

 " It was fun while it lasted, B. But sacrifices must be made for the sake of our entertainment." Grian purred.

 " NOW! ATTACK!" 

 Within seconds of the command, Joel ran and lunged towards me with his muzzle wide open an-

 Wait......

  The bite... The bite.... didn't happen?

 My throat didn't get ripped out and my body wasn't a mangled corpse left in the forest to rot.

 Slowly, I opened my eyes and stared at the sight before me. 

 A strange, feather-covered creature stood between Joel and me. The creature's ruffled, messy wings flapped as it began to hiss.

 " So... You respawned too... But, it seems like the anvil did a number on your brain and body." Grian spoke dryly. The creature hissed again and moved back towards me as its taloned feet dug into the dirt.

 " U-Uh..." I couldn't find the words as the creature's attention snapped towards me. My eyes widened as I stared into the striking blue eyes of my friend.

 Scott...

 This medium-sized bird-like beast was Scott. 

 The feathers around Scott's neck ruffled as he stared at the raw rabbit in my hand. Then, the bird licked at his teeth as his wings flapped. 

 Before anyone could react, Scott had already grabbed at my shoulders with his taloned feet and yanked me into the sky. 

 " NO!" Grian yells grew distant as the two of us fled.

 I was in too much shock to scream as I was carried through the clouds. But, when my eyes finally unblurred, it became apparent that we were flying towards a snowy mountain.

 My broken limp swung with the wind as I watched the clouds quickly pass below me. Scott was breathing heavily as he continued to fly towards the mountain. 

There were still so many questions running through my brain as we flew:

 What happened to Scott? 

 Why is he a birdman?

 Where are we going?

 What happened to Grian and Joel?

 My body was shaking from both the intensifying cold and my failing muscles as I listened to Scott's soft chirps. The edges of my vision was blurring as Scott began a slow descent towards a small cave opening.

 I closed my eyes and let out a soft mumble.

 When I reopened my eyes, we were already at the cave entrance. Standing at the entrance was Lizzie: multiple bandages covered her limbs and part of her face.

 " It seems like the directions worked." Lizzie tilted her head as she tapped at one of Scott's talons causing him to let go of me. I let out a soft groan as Lizzie hooked my arm over her shoulder and helped me inside.

 Lizzie was talking to herself as we entered the dimly lit cave and down a tunnel. As we walked, Lizzie began to tell me about how a strange note led her to this place.

 Huh.

 I received a note as well. But, admittingly, I didn't take the time to read it.

 Would my situation have changed if I read it?

 But, honestly, I wasn't paying too much attention to the story. 

 The adrenaline had long since faded during the flight and the shock had now worn off. My breathing had grown worse as I put my head against Lizzie's shoulder.

 " It... It hurts...." I forced myself to say as Lizzie nodded softly, " We're almost there mate..." she reassured as we went down another flight of steps. I let out a pained grumble as my bruised leg eventually stopped working entirely. Awkwardly, I used my crutch in order to keep up the illusion that I could still walk. 

 Eventually, the three of us reached a decent sized cave opening; it had been decorated to match the interior of a small house.

 " Lucky for you, Scott didn't want to use his bed.." Lizzie awkwardly chuckled as she walked over to the corner of the room. Then, Lizzie lowered me onto the surprisingly comfy bed and rested my crutch against the bed post.

 I let out  a soft yawn as I dragged my bruised leg onto the bed. Then, I picked up my broken leg and placed it onto the bed with a whimper. 

 Lizzie put her blackened hand onto my shoulder.

 " You alright? Besides your legs being busted." Lizzie questioned as I shook my head. I looked towards the stairway, " N-No. We need to find a way out of this server... A-And a way to f-fix Grian and Joel..." I mumbled with a cough.

 Lizzie shook her head as her tail swished, " Later. All three of us are in a poor state and need to rest." she motioned to my leg and her bandages. I frowned at her as she forced me to lay down.

 " I'm going to cook some food for the two of us." Lizzie spoke warmly, " You just try and get some sleep."

 " What about Scott?" I questioned as I eyed the owl hybrid as he began ripping into the raw rabbit leg. I grimaced.

 " He's fine. He hasn't eaten anything that I've offered him. Still, I'm surprised that he followed the scent so quickly." Lizzie rubbed at the bottom of her chin. I raised an eyebrow, " Scent?" I questioned.

 Lizzie shrugged, " I haven't figured it out myself... Or, maybe I did and I just forgot." she sighed, " A-All I know is that someone is helping us out by using Scott." 

 Before I could question the mer hybrid further, Lizzie put her finger over her closed mouth. I let out a sigh as I shoved my head into my pillow and closed my eyes...