I've decided, while jumping down this hole, that I really don't like the color red. It's the color of blood, it's the color associated with rage and hate, and falling towards an ominous red glow is one of the most scariest things I've ever done.

The cavern opens up, completely covered in the red light produced by redstone. Thankfully it looks really simple. Three towers to pour water on the top of, dodging the mobs of course, then jump up and rip the heart out. Simple, so very simple with so many deadly consequences if I get it wrong.

I sprint to the tower to my right, zombies will be my warm up for the spiders. It's only three zombies. Three buffed up zombies that could also push me to my death of the platform. But perhaps, I could do the same to them.

"Greetings tormentor."

P.A.M.A.'s voice sends a powerful jolt through me, causing me to stumble. I slam to a halt and stare at the extremely creepy red smiley face. I do NOT want this thing talking in my ear while I'm trying to focus.

"I, of course, have been expecting you. Though I will admit how shocked I am how quickly you gained access." The face flashes to an angry one. "It's almost as if my defenses weren't there."

I block out the robot and continue to run towards the zombies. There isn't any time for this! P.A.M.A.'s just probably trying to stall so it can complete the portal. Concentrate Lukas!

"Your persistence is a confusing quality. I look forward to studying this aspect of humanity once you have been made useful."

I duck under a zombie's swing and leap sideways into it. It flails over the edge while I roll away from the other two advancing zombies.

"Since resistance to me is... illogical."

They march towards me as I step back, my feet hitting the tower. My eyes widen and I whip around, who needs to fight those things when I can just fry their circuits with a bit of water!

Ignoring the computerized zombie groans getting louder, I scurry up the tower. Fumbling to pull out the bucket and praying that I don't spill it. A few minutes ago, everything felt numb. Now a crazed energy is blasting throughout my body, my hands shaking as I try to keep a steady hold on the bucket.

I stand up at the top, trying very hard not to freeze and stare at the very close zombies, and dumb the water out. The beautiful blue liquid cascading down and washing away the redstone and the chipped zombies.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. It will take more than water to defeat me." I jump down and roll forward, feeling the need for more and more oxygen. "You have only inflicted minor damage.

"You are too insignificant to worry me." I pull out my sword while a spider pounces at me. I slice it, then kick it off in edge. The moment I turn, I see that the other two are already mid leap, giving me no time to react.

One of them hits me, pushing me into the ground. I try to hold it back as it claws for my throat, the other one biting into my shoulder and dragging me. I scream and twist, swinging my legs around to kick the one biting me.

Continuing the momentum as best I can, I manage to stagger to my feet. Where I can use gravity to pry this bug off me. It falls to the ground confused, and I plunge my sword through the chip and into its head.

I dash to the tower, not bothering to see where that other spider is. I can deal with that later. I scamper up the tower, the blood pounding in my fingers as I reach for the bucket. I don't even stand up on the top before I tip the bucket over the tower.

The water carries me down and angry beeps come from the screen. "You cannot defeat me, your defiance is not useful. You merely delay the inevitable."

The water pushes me on the ground, the only gentle thing that has happened to me. Taking as big as breaths as possible I sprint towards the last tower. I can do this. I can defeat P.A.M.A. and save Jesse. I have to.

"Your defeat remains inevitable." Something slams right onto my spine making me tumble forward in pain. I look up in horror to see a red eyed Harper approaching. "You will relinquish your water."

She leaps at me and I quickly roll out of the way. I never really liked her, but hearing her voice warped in such a robotic way... well it really stamped out that confidence I just felt.

As fast as humanly possible, I get to my feet and face Harper. She's just standing there... starring, while blocking the path to the tower. If I don't make a move right now, then P.A.M.A. will figure out the best one to make.

I charge preparing my sword for a swing, and she rushes to greet me. "I may have underestimated you, tormentor."

She slides down and kicks my feet from under me. I flail and painfully collide against the ground, but immediately scramble to my feet. She isn't blocking the tower anymore, if I can just get up it...

"You are very good at being a nuisance. But not good enough."

A new wave of energy crashes onto my muscles as I hear her get much too loud for my liking. Not even during the Wither Storm did I ever move so quickly and panicked. Which is not a good combination for trying to not spill a bucket.

Just as I'm about to pour it, Harper's fast smashes into the back of my skull. My neck whips forward and I loose my grip on the bucket. My sight swims, but I feel the cool water rush past my feet.

"AGH!" Electricity zaps, and I shake my head clear. Giving me a terrible headache, but the adrenaline will soon take care of that. I can worry about how much I'm wrecking my body later.

"My Creator! NO!"

Harper's limp body is slowly getting pushed over the edge. I leap down, swaying a bit, and rush to pull her help. I may not have liked or trusted her, but we still need her to get back home and Ivor would never forgive me. And neither would my conscience.

"Harper! Wake-"

Alarms blare and I quickly cover my ears. "Ouchy detected. Preservation protocol initiated."

Harper's eyes flutter open, before she groans and closes them again. But I really need her to live and, if possible, would greatly appreciate some help. I shake her shoulders, and when her eyes flutter open, they stay open.

"That was... so terrible.... Worse than I ever... imagined." I'm about to ask her for help when she breaks into a fit of coughs. I'm guessing it's already going to be a no then.

Her eyes widen and she stifles a cough. "P.A.M.A.'s protecting itself! You must... ack... get to the Redstone Heart... and... and rip it out before it's too late."

She immediate goes limp, panting heavily. I waste no time though to get my feet under me and run to the heart. The platform it's on is lowering, and with one jump I make it up-

A blur of gray rams into my chest, my lungs pathetically crumping up as my heart thumps in agony. My flailing limbs and body tumble and crash to the ground, rolling helplessly to a stop. Everything swirling around in a wild dance.

Trying to get the wind back into me, I raise my head that somehow got much heavier than before. Only for my heart to get hit again by the sight of Jesse walking off of the platform. His red eyes glowing lifelessly as he reaches back and pulls out his glimmering green sword.

"Why keep trying my tormentor?" Jesse's corrupted computer voice makes my stomach flip, my heart fluttering in distress. "You will only fail."

"Just as you froze and failed to help save Gabriel..." Jesse expertly swirls the orange handle, quick nimble fingers spinning it at an extremely terrifying pace. "Just as you failed the Ocelots..."

Tremors explode throughout my body as I climb up to my feet, taking steps back as Jesse walks forward. "You have even failed at the simple task of being a decent friend. And you will fail to defeat me.

"Everything you have will become mine. Everyone you care about will become useful. And any attempt to stop my goal is futile."

I raise my sword, trying to steady myself even though I'm preparing to attack my best friend. P.A.M.A. is right though, I'm already sick to my stomach just holding my sword against Jesse. I'll need something if I want to survive this.

Jesse stops, a smooth sick smile growing on his face as he stops spinning the green blade. He points his sword at me before continuing to approach. Which is when the terror exploding through my skull screams at me to drink that speed potion.

"Drawing it out like this won't hurt me, but it might hurt... Jesse."

My muscles shake, one hand trying to keep my sword up and the other grasping the potion. I can't fight him, I can't let him get to me. Even before he was chipped I would never be able to beat Jesse in a sword fight, and now with P.A.M.A. buffing him it's basically impossible.

Jesse crouches, I pop off the cork and begin to chug it. Once Jesse gets to me, I'll doubt I'll be able to get away. But now I shouldn't have to worry about.

"Do you really think a potion can stop me? My processors cannot be surpassed."

Jesse charges right as the world slows to a crawl. I allow myself a small smile, this should be easy now. Just slip past Jesse and rip out the heart, before the potion of speed wears off. There shouldn't be anymore problems now. It should be easy now, simple.

My eyes focus on the hole in the ground, right where the heart is. I sprint, not caring about anything else. I just have to get to the heart. Everything will be fixed, or at least can be, once P.A.M.A. is destroyed. That's all I need to care about now, just finishing the mission.

And I didn't expect to trip over everything, I didn't except Jesse to react fast enough to trip me with his foot. In the agonizingly slow seconds it takes me fall, I look into Jesse's red eyes and P.A.M.A.'s grin on his face. As my body hits the ground, all I can comprehend is how fast Jesse is able to move his sword despite everything else being so slow to me.

When I realize though that I need to get out of its way before the potion wears off, I quickly roll and spring to my feet. My legs rushing to the hole, while my mind lags behind. My mind still with Jesse, my friend, my friend a slave to a super computer. What is that computer doing to him to make him move fast?

Glass shatters beneath me, as spot the daggers burst all around me slowly exploding outward. This is why I can't get distracted, even under a potion of swiftness I'm still too slow. Too slow.

Tripping wasn't terrible, but falling slowly into a hole has to be the worst. At first it seemed like I was shrinking. Then the suspension and disorientation of no longer feeling any weight travel through my legs and onto my feet. The sheer primal panic of not being able to control my movement and the wild thrashing as I try to get it back.

And I feel all of the crash when I collide into the obsidian. I scramble to feet, I don't have much time left. I've already wasted so much time falling, although if I didn't have this potion I'm sure Jesse would have already beaten me.

I feel rather than hear the heart sinking lower into this pit. Without a second to pause, I roll onto a lower pillar and then jump over there. Landing on the platform and stumbling forward as time rushes forward to met me.

Much more panicked now, I scramble up the tower. P.A.M.A. has shown to control many people at once, that requires a lot of processing power. If it were to focus that all onto Jesse... then was that why P.A.M.A. strained Jesse into moving fast enough to compete with a speed potion? What would that do to his body?

I smash the protective case, not caring about the glass shards that bury themselves into my hand. I tug and tug at the heart, and pull with all my might when I hear Jesse's armor clink below me. I yank again and the Redstone Heart wiggles, electricity crackling all around me.

Then a scream echoes it. I quickly turn to see Jesse bending his back in agony as his finger dig into his hair. Screaming so loud, as if his body was exploding from the inside. His legs shaking and collapsing beneath him, as he curls up into himself with another heart wrenching scream.

Electricity dances around his skull and atop his armor. Jesse's head suddenly jerks up at me. His eyes twitching as they flash from green to red.

"JESSE!" His body spasms as he tries to stop P.A.M.A., tears pouring from red and green eyes. "FIGHT IT JESSE!"

The red completely leaves while his face distorts in agony, hands moving to hide his face. "Uhhhh... my head..."

His body suddenly tenses all over and I hold my breath, unable to look away from my friend. As a blur, Jesse explodes up. Punching right under my jaw and flinging me backwards. I didn't even have time to widen my eyes.

It's like I'm under another potion of speed, falling again. Failing again as I fall back into a bottomless pit. It's like every time I try to step up to the bad guy, I'm pushed back, doomed to fall and have always been doomed to fail.

My eyes latch onto Jesse, and I growl away those thoughts. I still have to help Jesse, I'm not leaving him. That's the main reason why I reach out and grab Jesse's leg instead falling into the pit consumed by hopelessness.

"AH!" Jesse sharply inhales, in control again. "Lukas... go... I can't stop it- P.A.M.A.'s too-"

"This is silly..." I start to climb up Jesse, praying that I'm not hurting him more. "And has gone on too far. I will destroy you both to preserve functionality."

I clutch onto Jesse's armor as P.A.M.A. lets go and Jesse grabs on Jesse's still fighting and so can I. "I can't... ugh... Hurry Lukas! Please!"

Panic overriding concern, I scramble over him and race to the tower. My thoughts only the sound of my heartbeat urging me to rip out the other one.

"Urgggg... stop this... ah!" Gritting my teeth, I jump up the tower. Don't stop and help Jesse or he'll forever stay enslaved. Just block it out, block it out and save him.

"I can't... uhh ... AGH! STOP! Just please stop!" I reach the top of the tower, more determined than ever to shut down this monster machine. I've never heard Jesse in so much pain, so much torment in his screams as he begs. P.A.M.A. will regret ever chipping him.

"Lukas... please stop, please."

I freeze. The voice sounds half and half, human and robot. Is Jesse in control? Is he trying to tell me that deactivating P.A.M.A. kills him? He was saying stop a lot.

Tha-thump, my heart goes. Tha-thump, echoes in the chamber. In a daze, I turn my head down to Jesse. He's on his knees, looking so... broken... weak... vulnerable. No, I can't kill Jesse. Not after everything we've done... I-I just can't. I'd rather take my chances getting him into water.

"Please... please do not deactivate me."

My eyes narrow in anger, this is P.A.M.A. using Jesse, not Jesse himself. "I know I've made some very poor decisions recently.

"But I can show you so much!" My fists curl as I stare at P.A.M.A.'s red eyes with pure hatred."I can help you heal Jesse! Help you get home to your friends!"

"I can be useful... to you." P.A.M.A. holds Jesse's arms out, desperately begging.

"No way P.A.M.A.!" My fingers latch onto the heart with new energy, new fury. "Jesse's worth way more than you!"

"Lukas..." I pull and pull, feeling my knuckles stretch out. "Stop! Will you please!?"

Planting my feet and now using my back, I yank. The Redstone Heart jerks slightly, a wave of new energy flooding my muscles as Jesse screams again. The heart wiggles and wiggles, Jesse wailing in pain in one moment then computerized shrieks the next. But just a little more, it's so close to coming out! I'm almost there!

"I'm afraid." A shattered human voice and robotic pleads weaving together. "My mind is going... I can feel it."

I heave with all my muscles and it flies out. I fall back as wires fry all around me with crazy beeps echoing down. The heart clanks bouncing on the quarks and I still can't really feel any pain from anything, although I can detect the bitter smell of smoke.

"NOOOOoooooooo...."

I snap my head over to Jesse. Electricity crawling around skull as his eyes flicker red. But before I can even stand up, it stops. The electricity stops and his eyes are back to green. Until Jesse slumps over, eyes closed and falling limp on the ground.

"No no no no!" I madly scramble over to Jesse, falling on my knees next to him. With a shaking hand, I check his pulse. Such a weak heartbeat... slowly get quieter.

"NO!" I wildly shake his shoulders, is there nothing I can do to help him? "Come on Jesse! Come back! I can't lose another friend! Fight, please! I need you to stay alive! PLEASE!"

Tears flood from my eyes as I collapse onto him, jerking with sobs. Jesse... Jesse can't die, he's too strong for that. He- he has to pull through. Is there anything I could've done differently? Anything to avoid this!!

"...ugghh..." Jesse's arms twitch inward, his face scrunching up.

A new wave of tears flow from my eyes, as I choke back my own sobs as I check his pulse. Faint, and still way too weak for me to be comfortable with, but stronger than a moment ago. And I croak happily as Jesse's breathing becomes deeper, before joyful tears run down my face.

I wipe my tears and look up. It's quite a distance back up, but Jesse can't stay here. He needs to get rest, he needs to recover, and he needs to heal. P.A.M.A. was wrong, Jesse is my friend and I will help for him. As long as he lives, I refuse to let him down.

Letting out a sigh, I roll my shoulders preparing myself for the next hurtle. Something tells me this one will be quite a bit different.