Minecraft: The Tournament/3CHP
Chapter 17: Just Add Armholes
Just as Cece is about to speak, the power goes out. She then says loudly that a flash flood warning is in effect for the area including the Red Mountain Retreat, adding that she has considered cancelling the tournament altogether, but gasps and cries of protest quickly drown her out. Cece then says that the road is flooded in both directions, preventing people from leaving, and that the staff is asking for anyone who is able to do so to help fill and place sandbags. Jett, Julian, Drake, Ayan, and Miriam decide to volunteer, with Miriam using some empty garbage bags as makeshift ponchos. Mel decides to help out in the kitchen, which runs on gas, with troubleshooting the generators. Claudia has half of the group set up sandbags at the southern end of the parking lot to divert the water, and the others set up sandbags on the far side of the meadow so the ground floor of the retreat doesn’t get flooded.
Chapter 18: Look Up
Jett, Julian, Drake, Ayan, and Miriam continue switching roles numerous times as they set up sandbags, with Cece insisting that they eat something in-between shifts. Jett had already eaten five granola bars by this point, and his makeshift garbage bag poncho has sprung a leak from it getting caught on a tree branch. Fortunately, the storm soon breaks as the heavy rainfall becomes a light drizzle, and everyone heads back inside to warm up. After a bit of comedic talk involving Minecraft, Jett and Julian head back to their room to shower, with Jett texting Dri and his grandma to let them know that he is OK. The two then head downstairs to find the lobby completely empty, and soon notice a bonfire outside. Ayan waves the two over to a pair of empty tree stumps, and the group prepare to eat some s’mores just as the lights come back on at the retreat.
Chapter 19: Not That Cute
Ayan attempts to make a s’more, but one of her graham crackers lands on the coals and soon bursts into flames, causing the others to laugh really hard. Cece then informs the group that the tournament is safe, as progress was saved before the power went out. However, she also informs the group that they can decide to go home tomorrow and cancel the remainder of the tournament, as more rain is expected tomorrow. The kids ultimately decide to stay, wanting to see how the remainder of the tournament plays out, and then roast some more s’mores before the bonfire dies out as they work on a plan.
Chapter 20: Different Strategy
The next morning, a gust of wind against the window yanks Jett out of bed, but he exhales in relief as the dam of sandbags held the water back. He and Julian then head downstairs to meet up with Drake and Miriam before the other participants flow in and rearrange their game stations. One of the participants says that his name is Joaquin, and says to him to look at where the lava is between the other team’s chunk before scurrying off. Jett relays this information to his team just as the final day of the tournament begins, with Jett and Julian stocking up on dirt to make floating platforms to hide from the wither skull attacks. Afterward, the group then head to a swamp biome to breed some frogs, followed by Jett and Julian scouting the chunk perimeter for one last time; they aren’t wearing any armor to attempt to trick the others into thinking they are vulnerable. As they continue to scout, Jett opens a trap door hidden beneath wildflowers and roses, momentarily distracting Julian with an audible thank you before Julian falls into an obsidian maze. Jett then races back to Ayan’s chest, now with the armor repaired and an enchanted golden apple just as Miriam collects the last wither skeleton skull. The group sans Julian then prepare to fight the wither as the soul sand and wither skeleton skulls are properly placed and the screens flash with light.
Chapter 21: The Wither
Jett peeks around the room as the Wither spawns and prepares to fight. Every single person in the room is watching Jett’s display on the big screen. The Wither then does its initial explosion, and the group believe the Wither is far more powerful than it normally is. They take turns barraging it with arrows while fighting off wither skeletons, and Miriam uses firework rockets from her crossbows to health down further. The group eventually get it down to 25% of its health left, and soon after, Jett hits it with a trident, eating the golden apple just before the Wither is killed, and picks up the Nether star in triumph. Despite this, Ayan trembles as she stares blankly at her hands, saying that the Wither destroyed their entire stash of iron blocks. Jett then gets to work on crafting some tools to smelt some more iron, but Drake warns him that the other team has surrounded them.
Chapter 22: One Way Left
Indeed, the other team has surrounded Jett’s team, complete with enchanted diamond swords and axes and bows. Jett’s team prepares to fight them, but one of the players pulls out a bed. The other players follow suit and place down their beds, and Jett’s team does so as well. Once everyone is asleep and wakes up, the dialogue box pops up as if a new team was made, and the entire room explodes into cheers. The players then begin making a giant pyramid, and Drake points out the lava moat, using elytra and fireworks to fly up high so they can see what it says, spelling out "LETS BE FRIENDS". Jett then crafts the beacon and places it atop the finished pyramid, with the beacon emitting a red light into the sky. Cece then announces that because everyone had contributed to the pyramid and the tournament itself, each participant has won prize funds for their chosen nonprofit, making the room explode in cheers once more. After Jett and Julian engage in a brief hug, Cece mentions to Jett regarding the saboteur situation, adding that the saboteurs were chosen at random, and that the entire team would’ve been forced to forfeit if they were tipped off on who it was. The group then decide to go celebrate their victory.
Chapter 23: Tournament Later
Indeed, the rest of the day at the retreat is spent mingling and making friends with the newly expanded team. Jett mentions to Joaquin about wanting to create content, and he says that he wants to as well, as long as he keeps his grades up. Nonetheless, the two hope one day that they can stream together. Drake and Miriam are the starts of the whole conversation, with some people signing Drake’s shirt, and a few others hanging on Miriam’s every word on how they tag-teamed against the Wither. Ayan is with some other kids on the computers, continuing to work on the pyramid. The next few days involve group talks with everyone regarding the nonprofit they want to donate prize funds to, and Jett ends up making friends with three people who are also donating to the Environmental Stewardship Alliance, planning to set up a tree-planting at the end of the month. Jett and Julian eventually find some time to sneak off and try the fishing hole by the resort, catching some trout to eat for later. A bonfire is set up that night as a celebration, with some eating the cooked trout and others having some more s’mores. The next morning, Jett and Julian quietly check out and drive home, with the whole family waiting for them in the driveway. Dri, now feeling better, nearly tackles Jett to the ground, adding that she wants to hear everything. Jett begins to talk about the tournament, but Dri stops him and asks him to talk about Ayan. Heading into the living room, Jett’s grandma sits across from him as questions begin to rain down.