Chapter 16

BATTLE AT SCHOOL

“Isaac, you really were behind these attacks?” Lucy was shocked. She thought Isaac had redeemed himself.

“It isn’t Isaac,” Maya rushed to his defense.

“It’s Liam and Dylan,” blurted Debbie.

“Who are they?” asked Phoebe and Jane in unison.

“They are the new leaders of the rainbow griefers. Both Isaac and I have been working for them,” Maya said, hanging her head. “They told us that they would put us on Hardcore mode if we didn’t help them.”

Lucy gasped. “When did this start?”

Maya looked at Lucy. “Liam and Dylan surprised me as I was traveling to school to start the year. They forced me to find out where Isaac was being held and to meet them while everyone else was in class so we could set up the pistons to break Isaac out of jail. They made me lure you guys into the mine so they could trap you, too.”

Lucy, Phoebe, and Jane shared a look.

“But how was Debbie involved?” questioned Lucy.

“I needed to tell someone what Liam and Dylan were making me do, so I told her. She knew they had told me that if I didn’t summon the Wither the day of their attack, they would capture me and put me on Hardcore mode that night, so she offered to help me.” Maya was shaking.

“Thank you for being honest,” Lucy said. “I think we can all understand how scary the threat of being put on Hardcore mode must be.”

“They’re not finished with us, or with Minecrafters Academy,” Isaac said. “They want me to summon the Ender Dragon today. Two griefers just helped me escape from jail so I could do it. But I don’t want to. I’d rather be put on Hardcore mode and get destroyed.”

Lucy gripped her diamond sword tightly and set her jaw. “We’ll find a way. We will defeat these griefers, and we will do it together.”

“How?” Maya’s voice quivered.

“Where are Liam and Dylan?” asked Lucy.

“They live in the cave on the side of the mountain,” said Maya.

“Then we will travel there and destroy them.” Lucy bounded up the stairs and everyone followed.

But they didn’t have to leave the campus to find the rainbow griefers. “There they are!” Maya shouted, pointing to the entrance to the dorms.

Lucy sprinted over to a man wearing a leather helmet dyed orange, waving her sword. “Surrender!” she demanded.

The man laughed. “I’m not listening to you.”

Maya ran to Lucy’s side. “The man in the orange leather helmet is Dylan. Liam is the one in the blue leather helmet.”

Phoebe and Isaac charged at Liam and he said, “Isaac, Maya, you’re not very good at keeping secrets.”

Dylan added, “Tonight we will put you on Hardcore mode. Say goodbye to all of your friends.”

“No!” Lucy struck Dylan with her diamond sword. “Your days are over. We don’t want people like you attacking our academy. This is a peaceful place to learn.”

Liam laughed. “You think I don’t know all about Minecrafters Academy? I was a student here years ago, before Isaac was the headmaster.”

That made Isaac pause. “I didn’t know.”

“That’s right.” Liam pointed his enchanted diamond sword at Isaac. “You didn’t know. I was one of the best students at this school. I was awarded a certificate of excellence. But when I left, I realized that it was a lot more fun to use all of the skills I mastered here for evil. I don’t want to develop the Overworld—I want to destroy it!” Liam let out a sharp, piercing laugh.

The laugh drew the attention of Victoria and Stefan, who hurried over from the middle of the campus, where they’d been battling zombies.

“Liam? Is that you?” Stefan asked, stunned.

“Yes, Stefan,” Liam announced. “I’m back, and I plan to destroy this academy.”

“But why?” Stefan asked. “You were such a good student.”

“It’s true that I was a very skilled fighter,” Liam agreed. “Now I’m even better.” Liam leapt at Stefan with his diamond sword and plunged the sword deep into Stefan’s chest.

Eitan was battling three rainbow griefers when he saw Liam attack Stefan. He left his battle, sprinting over to the griefer and striking him with his sword, splashing a potion of harming on him with his free hand.

Victoria pulled Stefan away from the fight and gave him a potion of healing; he took sips and watched Eitan battle Liam.

Not wanting to just stand by and watch, Lucy recovered herself and struck Dylan with her diamond sword. Phoebe and Jane joined the battle, but just as Dylan was about to fade away, Lucy stopped them. “Wait! We don’t want to have him respawn in the cave. Isaac, please take him to the jail and place him in the bedrock prison.”

Isaac walked a weak Dylan toward the jail as Eitan battled Liam.

“You were one of my best students, and now you are one of the school’s worst enemies,” Eitan called out as he struck Liam again. “You still can’t defeat your teacher.”

“Yes, I can,” said Liam as he hit Eitan. “And I will.”

“You were always too confident.” Eitan struck Liam. “That was your weakness.”

Liam had very little energy left. He hardly had the strength to stand up straight or hold his sword.

Maya called out to Eitan, “I think we should put him in the prison.”

“Never!” cried Liam, but the cry wasn’t very loud. “You’re very weak, Liam,” said Eitan. “With one more blow from my sword, you will be defeated. We can’t let that happen to you. We want you to stay here.”

Maya and Lucy each grabbed one of Liam’s arms, walking him toward the jail.

Lucy looked at Liam. “Well, the battle is almost over.”

Liam chuckled weakly. “That’s what you think.”

A roar boomed across the campus. Lucy looked up in terror. It was the Ender Dragon.

Isaac cried, “No! I didn’t summon it!”

Liam said, “But I did!”