Chapter 1 – The Blaze Rods

Disclaimer: If you have not read Fred: Admin in Exile yet. I suggest you read that story first before reading this one.

(Minecraft: Story Mode and its characters belong to Telltale Games, not me.)

(FRED'S POV)

To say that Fred was concerned would be an understatement. In fact, he would not be exaggerating when he said that Aiden's current attitude and behavior was starting to scare him. This behavior was already going on for about a year now and has been showing no signs of stopping.

Ever since the Wither-Storm was vanquished, and Jesse and his friends were declared 'The New Order of the Stone'. Aiden had gotten colder, meaner and has been extremely aggressive. When Lukas was kicked out, Aiden had renamed the group from 'The Ocelots' to 'The Blaze Rods'.

Meanwhile, Ivor and Lukas had joined on as official members of the New Order of the Stone. Lukas being because he was kicked out of his old group by Aiden, he was already close friends with Jesse and he helped out a lot in vanquishing the Wither Storm.

Ivor joined because of three reasons. One; he and Jesse had become friends in the past year. Two; he helped out a lot with the Wither-Storm by providing the enchanting book, and three; because unlike the Old Order, Jesse's group were heroes who actually did what they were famous for. Turns out, he's a much more pleasant person when he's not busy trying to expose frauds.

Fred, on the other hand, had decided to settle down and had built a small house for himself inside Jesse's new town, near the gate. Needless to say, Fred's favorite building material is still birch. They haven't named the town yet, although a few name ideas had been popping around, the most popular of which is 'Beacontown'.

His nightmares of the incident involving Reuben and the Wither-Storm have been becoming less frequent, however, they haven't totally disappeared.

Yesterday, Jesse, Axel, Olivia and Petra had set out for an ancient temple that Ivor has recently taken an obsession towards. Ivor wouldn't explain why he was obsessed in this temple, only that it has a very rare set of treasure. Fred was hoping to god it wasn't another Admin Gauntlet, because if it was; he'd confiscate it, go to the end and toss it in the void faster than you could blink. He was not risking another 'Romeo' occurring.

Speaking of gauntlets, he was also worried about what Romeo would think when he found out about Jesse's recent adventures. Although it might not happen, Fred had warned Jesse beforehand that if he found anything that was whispering his name, to back away and leave it be. Fred refused to elaborate more on the matter.

"They're back! The guys are back!" A voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"RUN! Tell everyone that our heroes have returned!" A female voice answered.

Yep. That could only mean one thing, Jesse and his group had returned.

Almost as quickly as the female had finish speaking, a huge crowd had bundled at the front gate. Fred stepped outside.

"Yep, New Order of the Stone is BACK IN TOWN!" Axel announced as he took off his glass helmet. Jesse and Fred caught gazes, with Fred winking, before walking off to the Order hall.

Before he could reach the hall however, his attention was grabbed by a decrepit looking skull tower, with lava pouring out the side, no safety barriers in place. Of course; leave it up to Ivor to build something with disregard for people's safety. A crowd was gathered around it, shouting in protest at it. An ear-piercing scream got the rest of the town's attention.

"NOT MY FAULT!" Ivor defended.

Fred saw Jesse and his friends approach behind him. Fred stood aside and decided to let Jesse handle this one.

"Oh, stop your whining!" Ivor groaned. "What are your pathetic injuries in comparison to my majestic tower?"

"Ivor?" Jesse asked.

"Of course." Petra sighed.

Ivor had finally noticed Jesse and his friends.

"Oh, Jesse, you're back!" Ivor greeted. "Don't listen to a word these fools tell you!"

"It's a fire hazard!" A female citizen protested.

"And your face is an ugly hazard!" Ivor retorted. "So, I suppose we're even."

"So, what's this weird structure?" Jesse asked.

"It's my new house!" Ivor responded. "And also… um… my gift to the community. If anyone's short on lava, this is the place to get more! Ha ha! You're welcome!"

The crowd booed and jeered at that, but Ivor ignored them.

"Jesse, all I wanted was what any man wants: a little house of my own… with loads of lava pouring off of it." Ivor continued.

"Ivor, I know you mean well, but your 'house' wants to kill people." Petra reasoned.

"Dude, you made a killer house." Axel commented.

"Exactly! Killer!" The female citizen agreed.

"Shut up!" Ivor retorted.

"What about just moving it someplace else, I'm sure—" Jesse started.

"Move it? Way more lava is going to spill out if we do that!" Ivor stated.

The female citizen looked at Jesse.

"Well? We have to tear it down!" She stated. "We can't let that monstrosity stand!"

Ivor jumped down and approached Jesse.

"It's my house, Jesse! I have just as much a right to build something as all these people, don't I?" He begged.

"I'm sorry, Ivor, but your house is way too much of a hazard to the community. Tear it down, everyone." Jesse instructed.

Fred got an idea that could satisfy everyone.

"Now, hold on everyone. Let's not get too carried away here. How about we simply scoop up the lava with a bucket? Then move the house away from populated areas? After that, we can put the lava back in?" Fred suggested.

"You know what? That could work." Jesse agreed.

"Oh, can't believe I haven't thought of that." Ivor added.

The crowd murmured for a moment, before nodding in agreement.

Ivor turned toward Jesse.

"Haven't seen you around in a while, so what can I do for you?" He asked.

"Actually, I was hoping you could help me with something." Jesse said. "We found something out in the jungle."

"What? You did!? Ha, ha, ha! Yes, great to see you again. Let's do lunch. I'll bring the carrots." Ivor said, before getting up in Jesse's face.

"There's no telling who's listening! Meet me in the treasure room, ten minutes and bring the thing you found." Ivor finished, leaving Jesse slightly shaking. Petra gave him a pat on the back.

"Well, if we're going to move this house, we better start getting some buckets together to scoop up all the lava. You got any iron? Olivia asked.

"Oh, man. No. I'm all out." Axel responded, tapping his pockets.

"Okay, we better go mine some more." Olivia groaned. "We'll catch up with you later."

"Yeah, once we give this majestic house the funeral it deserves." Axel added.

"We're not tearing it down, we're just moving it." Olivia corrected.

"Sounds good, I'll see you guys soon." Jesse nodded.

"Later guys!" Petra waved.

"C'mon. Let's go find Ivor." Jesse suggested.

"I was heading for the Order Hall myself, anyway." Fred informed. "So don't mind me if I hang around for a bit?"

"Not at all." Jesse answered.

Petra, Fred and Jesse entered the Order Hall.

"Wow, this place is really shaping up." Petra commented.

Up ahead, at the back of the hall, stood Lukas. Fred had seen him earlier today when he arrived, however Jesse and Petra had not seen him for a while.

"Whoa! Lukas! I don't believe it!" Petra exclaimed

"Oh, hey guys!" He greeted. "You have some pretty cool stuff in here."

"Hey, Lukas! Great to see you." Jesse greeted back.

"It's been awhile. I really missed you guys."

"We missed you, too!" Petra responded.

"And you have so many other treasures! Boy, you've sure been busy." Lukas commented.

Everyone's gazes passed over an item frame, where Reuben's pork-chop was framed.

"Oh, wow. You frame it. Er… him." Lukas commented.

Fred felt a twinge of guilt within his stomach. He still believed that it was his fault that Reuben did not survive, even with Jesse constantly reminding him that it wasn't.

"Yeah…" Jesse said.

"How are you doing?" Lukas asked.

"I really, really miss him." Jesse admitted. "Every morning I wake up and, just for a minute, I can pretend that he's just in another room, or rooting outside looking for carrots."

That made Fred feel even more guiltier.

"And then every morning, I get to remember all over that he's gone." Jesse finished.

"I'm so sorry." Lukas responded. "Okay, I promise I wasn't just here to bum everybody out. I actually came back because I needed to tell you something."

Fred's interest was piqued.

"It's about this weird run-in I had, with Aiden."

"Ugh! Hate that guy." Petra grumbled.

"Whatever you said or did, it really got to him." Lukas informed.

"Uh-huh, we saw him, too. The Order of the Stone and the Blaze Rods are just as friendly as ever." Jesse said.

"That's an understatement." Petra deadpanned.

"He's just been so jealous of you and the rest of the Order ever since you saved the world from the Wither-Storm. Convinced that 'he' was supposed to be a hero." Lukas continued.

Fred snorted. What a pompous idiot. Jesse earned his status fair and square.

"Ever since he took over the Ocel- 'The Blaze Rods', it seems like he's just gotten… meaner. Pushing Maya and Gill around." Lukas finished.

"Aiden's a stupid bully. He doesn't scare me." Jesse said, shrugging it off.

"Yeah, that's what I used to say, too. But he's been freaking me out. He got super aggressive, demanding to know what treasure you were after next." Lukas admitted.

Fred was really hoping that the treasure wasn't anything like an Admin gauntlet, because if someone like Aiden got those powers and teamed up with Romeo… Fred shuddered at the thought.

"So what'd you find that got Aiden so excited, anyway?" Lukas asked.

Here it is, moment of truth. Jesse reached into his pocket and pulled out… a glowing flint and steel. Fred barely managed to contain his sigh of relief.

"Check it out!" Jesse said, gesturing them to take a closer look.

"Wow. What a weird glow." Lukas commented.

"Yeah, I know. I'm supposed to show it to-"

"YOU FOUND IT!" Ivor shouted, startling everyone.

Holy crap. Did he materialize out of thin air or something?

"Dude! What's wrong with you?" Jesse yelled in response.

"This, is the greatest find of our time!" Ivor commented. He was almost drooling. "I can't believe you're actually… that you're actually holding this!"

"Okay, spill. What's it do?" Jesse probed.

"It proves what I've always suspected!" Ivor said, overjoyed.

"That glow… that enchantment is the work of a very old group of builders, a group so old that they existed even before the Order of the Stone." Ivor stated.

"Wow. So that temple we went to… was that built by these… old builders?" Jesse asked.

"That's my suspicion! But it's what's inside the temple that interests me even more!" Ivor responded. "You see, if these builders truly existed, and if you found their temple, that means we're one step closer to finding… the 'Eversource!'"

What?

"What a beautiful sight." Ivor continued.

"Looks like you came back just in time, Lukas." Petra said, nudging Lukas.

"Wow, so is this 'Eversource' thing valuable?" Jesse asked.

"'Valuable' doesn't even tell the half of it, Jesse." Ivor responded.

"Okay, I'm interested." Petra said.

"The Eversource is said to be an object of incredible power possessed by the old builders. It was some sort of treasure, or artifact, that game them an endless supply of precious materials! Think about it, Jesse! That temple must have been it's hiding place." Ivor explained.

"Wow. 'Old builders.' You learn something new every day." Petra commented.

"I'm still just trying to wrap my head around the 'Eversource.'" Lukas said.

"Hmm. I am definitely interested in finding out more about this 'Eversource'." Fred admitted.

"Well, what are we waiting for, then? We've already been to that temple once; finding it again will be a snap!" Jesse added.

"Old builders, 'Eversources', ancient mysteries, you know I'm in." Petra said.

Ivor beamed at that.

"Excellent! I'll pack my adventuring things immediately!"

And Ivor stormed off.

"Wait. HE'S coming?!" Petra asked in disbelief.

"Wow, sounds like you guys have a lot to get to, I guess I'll take off?" Lukas suggested, moving toward the door.

Petra stopped him.

"Nope, you're coming with." Petra insisted. "I need a buffer between me and Ivor."

"Well, I'm not doing anything, guess I could ride along as well." Fred suggested.

"Let's get moving!" Jesse said, as they raced toward the door.

After leaving Beacontown, Jesse and Petra led Lukas, Ivor and Fred into a jungle.

"This is so exciting! Ha ha ha! Adventure!" Ivor exclaimed, thrilled.

"Lukas, I know it's daytime, but watch our backs, okay?" Petra instructed. "I can't believe we're bringing Ivor with us."

Ivor was bouncing up and down in excitement.

"I mean, it's nice that he's so excited? But, ugh. Not my top choice for 'Adventuring Companion'."

"Aw, come on. He's super funny and he makes me laugh." Jesse defended.

"I guess." Petra grumbled.

"These trees are enormous! I love it so much!" Ivor bellowed.

"He just, really gets on my nerves sometimes." Petra sighed.

The group of five approached a temple.

"Remarkable! Look at this architecture. So old! So exquisite!" Ivor commented. "Oh, this is just how I dreamed it would be."

"Ivor, it's nice to see you smiling." Jesse pointed out.

Ivor was quick to put on a neutral expression on his face.

"I'm not smiling." He said.

"Pfft. Sure." Fred retorted.

Ivor gave Fred a glare.

They entered the temple.

"Wow. It looks so different during the day." Jesse commented.

"Okay but be careful what you touch. There could be traps everywhere." Ivor warned. "Petra! Admin guy! Blond guy! Are you two as excited as I am?"

"I'm not sure that's possible." Petra responded.

"What?"

"She means that you just seem to be super excited, Ivor." Lukas pointed out.

Fred took a look around. This temple has definitely been here for a long time, some of the walls were starting to fall apart.

"Huh, doesn't look like those lava channels work anymore." Jesse commented.

"Why, what do they do?" Fred asked.

"Last night, the floor opened up into a basement, which is where I got the flint and steel." Jesse explained. "Also had to deal with mobs, too."

Fred gave a nod of understanding. He walked off and took a look at the lava channels. Needless to say, he had no idea on how to get these things working again.

"You look excited, Ivor." Jesse commented.

"Excited?! I'm ecstatic! Thrilled! Over-joyed!" Ivor responded. "THE EVERSOUCE COULD FINALLY BE WITHIN MY GRASP!"

Ivor calmed down a little.

"Once, uh, once we find it, that is." He added.

Fred's gaze passed over an opening in the ceiling near Ivor. It seemed Jesse noticed it too.

"Well, that wasn't there last night." Jesse commented.

"Probably because you were more worried about mobs?" Fred assumed, approaching Jesse.

Jesse walked over toward the vines.

"That looks promising, I'm heading up!" Jesse said.

"Fantastic, we'll follow right behind you!" Ivor responded.

"Uh, yeah. What he said." Petra added, less enthusiastic.

Jesse began to climb the vines.

"So, you think this Eversource thing is up here?" Jesse asked, climbing up.

"Hard to say, Jesse! As the story goes, the Old Builders feared its potential, so they hid it away in a place where it would never be found. And, ha! It never has been." Ivor stated.

Jesse did not respond. Ivor quickly grew impatient.

"What is Jesse doing up there?" He impatiently asked.

Fred heard the sound of sticky pistons above him. He eventually just decided to climb up to the top, Ivor and the others following.

"Jesse? What do you see?" Ivor questioned.

Reaching the top, they happened across a weird looking frame. It had the same height and width as a regular nether portal, but it had a different design around the top, framed in gold blocks.

"Some kind of, portal?" Lukas observed.

Fred assumed that it would have to be lit with Jesse's flint and steel.

"It's just as I'd imagined." Ivor commented. "Spectacular."

"That's a weird-looking portal. Have you seen anything like it before?" Jesse asked.

"No. The Old Builders experimented with portals, but… this is different from anything I've seen." Ivor answered.

Jesse, getting an idea, pulled out his flint and steel. He approached the frame.

"Here goes nothing." Jesse said. He flicked the flint and steel together.

The shockwave of the portal opening knocked everyone except for Fred off their feet. Jesse dropped the flint and steel.

Said flint and steel rolled across the ground, before stopping at a pair of feet behind them. Fred immediately recognized this individual as Aiden.

"Oh, thanks for bringing this back to me, Jesse." Aiden drawled.

Maya and Gill climbed up behind him.

"I knew you were good for something." Aiden continued.

"That thing is way bigger and more powerful than you could understand, Aiden. Give it back!" Jesse demanded.

"Says the person who just got knocked on his butt trying to light it." Aiden mocked. "Step aside, Jesse. We're heading through that portal now."

"No, you're not." Fred said, stepping in-front of Jesse.

"And who's this idiot?" Aiden asked.

"'This Idiot', is the guy who is demanding that you hand that thing back over, Aiden." Fred responded. He held out his hand. "Give. It. Here."

"Fine. Blaze Rods? Clear me a path." Aiden ordered.

Maya and Gill ran past Fred and started fighting Jesse and the others. Fred took his sights off of Aiden to lend a hand.

While Fred was distracted, Aiden had already reached the portal.

"Let's go!" Aiden called out, before vanishing completely into the portal. Maya and Gill followed.

"We've got to follow them." Ivor instructed. "If they get the Eversource, who knows what trouble they'll cause!"

"We're going after Aiden, and we're going to take them down." Jesse said.

And with that, the group of five followed Aiden and his jerks through the portal.

Author's Notes: So, that just happened.

Fred's presence will have a few more impacts in this story than it did with the Wither-Storm.

Not much else to say.

Like it? Review. Don't like it, look up another story.

More to follow.