Warnings: Blood

~3rd P.O.V.~

     Mitch, Jerome, Lachlan, Vikk, Preston, and Rob all stare with wide eyes and gaping jaws as they see themselves standing in front of them. Really the only difference between the pack and their counterparts, are that the dark versions are slot lay darker in pigment, they have hollow black eyes, and a weird symbol tattooed under their right eye. (See picture above.) The same symbol replaces Vikk's red and blue diamond on DVikk's shirt.

     "Surprise." DJerome sneers, grinning madly and flashing it's sharp canines.
     "Why the actual fudge are there two of me?" Lachlan demands to himself.
     DLachlan snickers, "You really are an idiot, aren't you?"
     "Hey!" Vikk snaps, already not liking the situation.
     "You imbeciles are clearly confused..." DMitch drawls on, "So I will give you a simple answer. Not that it'll matter much anyway... You're going to die in a moment."
     "I do NOT talk liked that!" Mitch scoffs, causing DMitch to roll it's eyes.
    "They almighty Herobrine created us to kill you-"
     "Which we will" DRob butts in.
     "Because after all... Your greatest weakness... Is yourselves." DMitch simpers as if DRob had not spoken a word.

     And with that DMitch draws its light bow, aiming an arrow directly at Mitch, and letting it sail. The arrow, unlike Mitch's, has a dark aura swirling around it, and Mitch just manages to duck under the projectile. The arrow sinks into the earth wall behind them, vanishing into mid air. Mitch glares daggers at himself.

     "You're forgetting one thing." Preston states, him and his friends rising to their feet. "The good guys win..."

    A ring of fire bursts around their doppelgängers, curtsey of Preston.

     "...and the bad guys lose."

DLachlan douses the ring of fire Preston created with water, causing a huge cloud of steam to rise up, and surround the dark pack. Preston, Rob, Vikk, Jerome, Mitch, and Lachlan all gaze into the billowing steam as still as statues, not daring blink or look away. And then, Mitch perks up, his eyes going wide.

"Scramble!" He orders, everyone splitting up instantly.

No sooner had the six gotten out of the area, than vines are whipping where their heads would have been, as well as shadows balls and light arrows pelting the ground. All of the attacks are surrounded by some sort of dark wispy particles. The projectiles slam into the earth wall, shattering it. The six dive out of the way of the flying rock shards, splitting themselves even more. Now they're completely separated from each other. The dark versions dart out the settling steam, each of them going to spar with themselves. DPreston against Preston, DJerome against Jerome, DVikk against Vikk, etc.

Lachlan and DLachlan jump right into close combat, no powers, no nothing. DLachlan throws a punch at Lachlan, and Lachlan swiftly catches its arm, flipping it onto the ground. After a few more kicks and punches, Lachlan quickly realizes DLachlan isn't fighting like him. It's still good, but it's fighting style is completely different. Where Lachlan might see an opening to kick, DLachlan would throw a left hook of something like that. Time to switch it up a bit... If it doesn't know my fighting style... Fighting invisible should give me a great advantage.

     Lachlan instinctively turns invisible, as does his dark counterpart, like expected. But... Strangely, Lachlan can still see DLachlan. And seeing how DLachlan summons a geyser directly where he is standing, he assumes DLachlan can see him too. But isn't it supposed to be invisible? Lachlan scowls and blasts a geyser at DLachlan, which DLachlan surprisingly has a bit of difficult dodging.

"Vikk?" Lachlan calls, yelping as boiling hot water comes within an inch of his face.
"What?" He replies, locking swords with DVikk.
"Can you see me?" Lachlan questions, firing off a few geysers to occupy DLachlan.
"No!" Vikk shouts, grunting as DVikk twists its sword, causing Vikk to be disarmed.

Huh... Lachlan thinks, dodging past geysers and punching himself square in the jaw. I guess we can still see each other, but no one else can. DLachlan winces in pain, and glaring from the ground, it sweeps Lachlan's legs from beneath him, causing it to shout in surprise and fall. From there Lachlan and DLachlan wrestle around on the ground, swords trying to impale each other.

Vikk stumbles back as DVikks sword jabs at his side, managing to cut very lightly into the skin. Luckily, it's not too big of a problem, just like an annoying paper cut. Vikk feints back as the sword jabs again, summoning earth spikes at DVikk. DVikk easily sidesteps, as if it already knew Vikk would do that. That's why Herobrine... Was studying us... Vikk realizes, managing to retrieve his sword. Now the darks know our fighting style! How am I supposed to beat myself?! Vikk wonders, trying to trap DVikk in an earth chamber. DVikk summons its own spikes, surrounded by a black aura, which it makes crash into Vikks own and frees itself for the cage. But Vikk is already there. Vikk nimbly slashes his sword across DVikks chest, cutting deep into the flesh. DVikk screeches in pain, blood pouring onto the grass as it stumbles back.

DRobs eyes widen, and it makes the grass around Rob's and Vikks ankles trap them momentarily, rushing to DVikk's side.

"How did you let him hit you?" DRob scolds, yet still healing DVikk. DRobs personality is the complete opposite of normal Rob.
"Oh no you don't!" Rob says through gritted teeth, prying loose form the grass knot and grabbing DRob with his vines.

Rob drags back a squirming DRob, who although healed most of it, didn't have time to fully heal DVikk's wound. DRob snarls in rage, planting it's feet on the ground and grabbing onto Rob's vines, still wrapped around its torso. Rob's eyes widen as DRob tugs sharply on Rob's vines, summoning a grass knot over one of his feet. Rob, in a similar fashion if you were to step on your own shoelace, face plants on the ground, his vines falling away from DRob's waist. DRob smirks, eyeing down a singular tree a little ways away in the plains. Instantly the tree, now surrounded by darkness, climbs out from the ground, it's root feet stomping loudly as it thunders towards Rob. Rob's eyes widen, and he tries to pick himself up off the ground, before the tree can squash him. But DRob grins, using its vines to pin Rob to the ground. And try as he might, Rob can't escape.

Rob tucks his head in, the only thing he can do as he braces for the impact. But it doesn't come. Instead Rob hears a thump, a cry of rage from DRob, and the sound of crackling wood. The smell of smoke fills his nostrils, and he cracks open an eye when he feels the vines release him. There, with the tree gripped in his hands, is an iron golem made of lava. Preston! Preston heats up more, and the tree bursts into flame, becoming a walking inferno. In a few seconds, it's nothing more than a pile of ash on the ground.

"Are you okay Rob?" Preston questions, turning back to normal and worry etched on his face.
Rob nods sharply. "Yeah, thanks, but what's important right now is that you duck before that arrow splits your skull."

Preston whirls around and ducks, as a normal arrow fired by skeleton DPreston whizzes over his head. The arrow, having missed Preston, sticks itself into DRobs shoulder instead, causing it to cry out in pain, and stop to heal itself.

"WATCH IT!" DRob growls, the arrow sliding out as the wound seals.

Preston charges back in towards DPreston, morphing into a blaze as he goes. DPreston switches from its
Skeleton form to a blaze form, just like Preston. The two blazes spit fireball after fireball at each other, but not a single one hits. They are too evenly matched. DPreston fires, Preston dodges. Preston fires, DPreston dodges. The cycle never ends. This is getting us nowhere! Preston scowls, the fight continuing. But the fight does progress, despite his thoughts. It just takes a missed shadowball from DJerome to explode against Preston, knocking him from the sky. Preston hits the ground with a sickening crack, and stars swim in front of his vision as his body automatically morphs back to normal. The world spins around him as DPreston descends from the sky, smirking as it lands and turns back into itself, and then a lava cave spider. It crawls on top of Preston, ready to sink the venomous fangs into Preston's neck, when little flower minions are crawling on top of it, punching at his hollow black eyes.

DPreston hisses in agony, tumbling off of Preston and heating up, setting the flowers on fire. In the meantime Preston picks himself up, turning to cast a grateful look at Rob.

"We're even now!" Rob chuckles, quickly returning his attention to his own fight.

Preston grins, determined to win now that he had a second chance, and lunges directly at DPreston.

Jerome hisses in pain as DJeromes teeth sink into his arm, causing more blood to spill on his already blood soaked fur and clothing. Jerome in return falls to his back, kicking up with his legs and striking DJerome in the gut with full force, before standing back up again. DJerome stumbles back a few paces, coughing up blood and panting heavily. Jerome doubles over in exhaustion, dirt, sweat, and blood covering every inch of his body. The two are evenly matched, even if their fight is way more destructive. DJerome bites Jerome, Jerome bites back. Jerome punches or kicks DJerome, DJerome punches or kicks back. Back and fourth, back and fourth.

"Ha... Haha... You... Really don't know when to give up... Do you...?" DJerome wheezes, slowly drawing out its diamond axe.
"You're right..." Jerome grins, his breathing ragged as he pulls out Betty. "I DON'T!"

With snarls of rage, the two rush at each other with axes raised above their heads, ready to end it once and for all. But deep down, they both know it won't be ending so soon.

Mitch and DMitch's swords fly so fast they're blurs. Clang after clang rings out as the two razor sharp edges collide, sending vibrations through each other's spines. Mitch can't help but imagine DMitch is a mirror, copying his every move. Mitch falls back a few steps, and shoots an arrow. DMitch repeats the exact same movements, firing the arrow with such accuracy the two split through each other in mid air. DMitch matches Mitch in all aspects. Speed, strength, fighting style, accuracy, everything. And before long... Mitch realizes that this fight isn't getting anywhere. And when he looks around him, he finds it true for everyone else too. All the fights are matched evenly, and none of them are really progressing in the slightest.

We need to try something different... Before we all run out of energy. Mitch decides, sweat rolling down his forehead as he ducks under another arrow. But what?

And then his mind shows him flashbacks... Vital ones.

Lachlan's water scarring Preston.

Preston burning Rob's vines.

All the small details.

From every single fight ever.

An idea clicks into Mitch's head, and he smiles.

"EVERYONE!" He calls, drawing the attention of his worn out and tired friends. "SWITCH!"

His friends, although showing clear signs of uncertainty, oblige. At this point... they're willing to try anything.

~~~

Question of the chapter:

They're switching opponents! Who goes with who?

My answer: I gave some hints ;)