Taking up the Mantle

by Rinpoo

Much has changed in the past decade since the defeat of Sonic the Hedgehog and Princess Sally Acorn. Robotnik's absolute power and cruelty are left unchallenged as the war escalates to greater heights. Can the youth of Knothole change the fate handed to them? Or will they fall victim to this vile, decadent world of brutal tyranny?

19. The Wolf

Authors Note. Well happy New Years to all. This year was trash, so let's hope 2021 isn't as bad.

In other news I am recovering slowly, but well at the very least, so I wrote and uploaded this over the past week or two.

Have fun and enjoy the next chapter. When I sit back and think that the story is drawing closer to a close it brings me sadness. Whatever will happen to me after?

Editor's Note: Happy New Year folks! 2020 sure was a wicked ride, what with a certain world event and such. But here's to a better 2021, rather a hope for it being better!

This chapter had a few bumps and bruises, but certainly nothing I couldn't handle. I hope you enjoy!

Legal Trash. Sonic and everybody else is copyright SEGA/Archie comics. Except for Max, Annie, and Sonia. I created them in my rattled brain; if you like my OC's, use them and let me know. It'll be fun; we will have tea.

Chapter 19. The Wolf.

Darkness covered the massive room from wall to wall. Robot parts lay scattered along the floor, smashed to pieces in a fit of murderous rage. SWATBOTS, dear precious chicken, even command consoles were not spared wrath.

Robotnik sat miserably in his iron throne. The whirlwind of destruction his anger led him on was regrettable, yet, he found it the only rational option given the past days' circumstances.

His menacing red eyes glared at a monitor in front of him. The screen cracked, and the frame bent to the point it was impressive an image would even show.

"Your Excellency?" the robotic voice broke the peaceful silence that Robotnik was indulging in.

"What… ORACLE?" Robotnik growled while clenching his fingers against the arm of his throne.

"Forgive the intrusion, Sir, but after a thorough sweep with the MK-II units, I have determined that the probability the wolf is still within the vicinity of Robotropolis to be less than .1 percent." It informed him.

Robotnik's voice quivered, and he slammed his metal fist against his chair, causing an even more significant dent than before.

"Tell me something I DON'T know ORACLE! I already KNOW she is gone; the question is HOW!"

…

There was a pause, and then a response. "Judging from the security footage, it was most likely some form of teleportation. After thorough analysis, it seems that the necklace she wore housed some sort of teleportation mechanism."

Robotnik's veins were visibly bulging on his neck. He was so enraged. He hadn't the faintest idea of how those rodents came across such technology, as he thought he was the only one that could perform such feats safely.

He huffed in air, attempting to cool himself, and then issued a direct order. "Forget the wolf… Take all outdated SWATBOTS and 100 percent of worker bots, then put them on project FIRESTORM."

"Sir?" ORACLE said as if surprised that he was willing to weaken his defenses and slow down all other duties to such a degree.

Robotnik smiled a little bit as if fantasizing about the future. "If I cannot give their little rats nest a direct gift. I will instead build a third power conduit. With that, I can not only destroy the forest, but completely eradicate an entire section of this disgusting planet."

ORACLE was quiet and then spoke. "Sir… I would caution you to reconsider this course of action. Not only will it weaken our defenses substantially and delay the cannon by several days, but also, that kind of damage could have severe consequences to both Mobius as a planet and your kingdom."

Robotnik breathed in and smiled a teeny bit. "ORACLE… Did I tell you to speak out of turn? Did I ask for your opinion?"

There was another silence in the room, and eventually, the A.I. responded. "No, your Excellency."

"Good, then SHUT YOUR MOUTH, LEST I SMASH YOU INTO PIECES, YOU HUNK OF JUNK! DO AS I SAY!" Robotnik shouted so loud and forcefully that spit flew out of his mouth and onto the broken monitor and his clothes.

"As you wish, your Majesty…" The A.I. responded.

Robotnik leaned back. He was feeling a tad better now that he had a plan to cause irreversible destruction. Even if he had to take an entire chunk out of the planet to do so.

He had the Rift Gate now, and so, other worlds were at his fingertips. He would show those filthy vermin his god-like powers for their years of insolence to his greatness and leave them in a dying world if they even survived such destruction at all.

…

"Sir…?" ORACLE interrupted his thoughts.

His eyes lit up angrily, and he shook with fury. "There had better be a good excuse as to why you are still pestering me… At least, for your sake."

"I wanted to inform you that we are receiving new drop off coordinates. ETA several hours or so. Gift one has already been gathered. What are your orders for gift two?" ORACLE said.

Robotnik laughed a little bit and patted his obese stomach. "Oh, well, that is pleasant news, isn't it…? I will deal with gift one when it arrives. I want gift two assessed upon pickup and brought before me."

He leaned in and put his fingers to his chin, after which he continued to speak. "Open Robotropolis sector C-5 for the vermin."

"As you command, Sir," ORACLE said, about to leave Robotnik in peace and silence.

"Oh, and ORACLE?" Robotnik said.

"Yes, your excellence?"

"I could use more worker bots to accelerate this project. When gathering gift two, make sure those that drop it off are gathered as well…"

"It will be as you command your excellence. I will have the MK-II units sent to the coordinates for drop-off 2 earlier than usual."

…

After ORACLE was no longer around, Robotnik took a calming breath, after which he stood up and reached down onto the floor. He picked up his precious robot chicken's torn off head and looked into its vacant eyes.

"Ah, Cluck… I guess when a door closes, a window truly does always open. More toys to play with, more improvements for my wonderful soldiers. I do hope you don't take it too hard; daddy will rebuild you as soon as he has some free time."

After speaking, he dropped the head to the floor with a clank and laughed a bit more. He still felt powerful, and he knew he was in control. Despite some hiccups, he was ready to exert his ultimate dominance on what little there was left to annoy him.

The crisp autumn wind blew against Max's coat as he walked along the darkened trail. It was late, and his rage had tired him out quite a bit. Though, he was lucky that he had returned to some semblance of stability by the time he was approaching home.

Far in front of him, he could see the orange glows that safely lit the night, and given that he could see figures still outside in the distance at this hour. He knew that Annie had succeeded in her tasks and come back to inform them of the unfortunate events unfolding.

Max lifted his right arm a bit, a tightly bound piece of cloth along the outside of it. He had torn a large part of his undershirt to make a tight wrap to stem the bleeding with, but there was no telling how nasty the wound truly was at a glance.

The pain was so inconsequential at this point; he really didn't care much at all for his new injury. When he sauntered into the village, it didn't take long for him to be greeted by Annie and her parents, frantic over what was going on.

"My God, Max, are you ok!?" Annie shouted before anybody else, rushing to his side.

Max merely nodded and pulled away from her slightly when she tried to grab hold of his arm. "I… I am fine. There is no reason to worry about me. I just got a scrape going through the cramped tunnels in such a rush."

Annie blinked, given the amount of blood covering his sleeve, but she had no reason to question what he was saying.

"My goodness, Max! What in the hell is all goin' on with this place? Annie has been tellin' me some terrible things that I ain't likin'." Bunnie growled.

She was terrified to learn Tails was missing and seeing Max's coat sleeve covered in blood made her sick to her stomach.

"Oui, dear, I am to be believing we should take care of him first and then listen to what he has to say." Antoine reasoned.

There was nothing to be gained by franticness. Still, it was difficult to hold things together, given the past few days' dire circumstances.

"We are runnin' low on time! I… We've lost practically everything and Lupe… She…" Bunnie's voice quivered a bit before trailing off to try and hold back oncoming tears.

Max's ears perked up. "Lupe…?" He said, trying to understand.

Bunnie and Antoine's expressions turned grim, and Bunnie spoke. "She's all tore up… It's bad… Hell, I ain't never seen nothin' like it. Her hands, her leg… I haven't been able to get her to say a single word."

Annie looked at Max and grabbed hold of his furry hand. "She was put in your hut. I… I hope you don't mind. Nicole is in there now trying to do something with the medicine I brought… Nobody has any clue of what to do, and we were holding out hope you would have Tails and Cream with you."

Despite the precarious nature of her home, there seemed to be lingering good feelings for Cream. Still, that could just be the desperation of trying to save an injured friend.

Max was quiet and looked at the distraught expressions of Bunnie and Antoine. They knew Tails was likely not coming back, and to lose Lupe would mean there was just them. Not only against Robotnik but this new enemy that neither of Annie's parents could grasp yet.

Max placed his gloved hand on Bunnie's shoulder, and she looked at him. He seemed to have grown so much since before his first mission, and his confidence was far felt.

"Don't worry… Just rest as best you can. I will tend to myself and tell you everything after. We will not abandon Tails to some foolish animals that do not know who the Freedom Fighters truly are."

Annie smiled, seeing Max comfort her mother. It made her appreciate him all the more.

Bunnie touched his metal hand with her own.

"I… Yer right, sugah. I, we will do something' bout' this."

Max nodded and patted her shoulder before walking off to leave them to try and relax. Annie took to his side and wasted no time grabbing onto him to halt him once they were a bit away.

Max stopped, surprised by her suddenly jerking him, and the two's eyes met.

"You scared me so much. I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again…" Her voice was soft and full of apprehension.

Max looked away slightly, but she grabbed hold of his collar and pulled his gaze towards her. "Max… What are we going to do? I… Things feel hopeless…"

Max could see her tears and knew that she felt as guilty as he did about abandoning Tails.

He moved his injured arm up and ran his furred hand against her cheek. This surprised her at first, but at the same time, it soothed her in a way that defied words.

"Don't cry, Ann… I know it feels bad now, but I will put a stop to this and get Tails back."

Annie smiled appreciatively and simply wrapped her arms around him in a hard, spontaneous embrace. The warmth of their connected bodies doing more than just riding the chill of autumn.

"I trust you… I…" While holding onto Max, she began, but stopped after thinking on it, and then removed herself sheepishly.

"I want to make sure my parents are ok… Do you need me to help take care of you?"

Max shook his head and patted her on the arm to encourage her. "Go… I will be ok, and I will meet you all once I have taken care of my scrape."

Annie smiled again. For some reason, his assurance made her feel like things were possible and that he already had a plan in mind for how to handle what had happened.

Annie was off into the night with a simple short wave, leaving Max to head towards his hut by himself.

Along the way, his thoughts kept drifting back to what he had done to Jonathan in the cave. Remorse was not something he felt, but the pain Radcliff had inflicted on everybody was making him hurt with sadness and was bringing his seething anger to boil again.

Lost in thought for a bit, he snapped out of it as he passed Snively's completed hut, and upon taking it in, it looked quite lovely despite the reinforced bars all along it.

From the window, he could see the little lacky watching him as he passed, and when their eyes met, it almost seemed to Max that Snively was relieved to see him.

As he approached his hut, the thought of seeing Nicole brought with it some sense of solace, if not excitement. She was one who had entered his mind on more than one occasion during his trials and tribulations.

Up his steps, he opened his door and was greeted by a surprised Nicole, who stood up the second he entered. Her expression was one of complete relief, and Max felt overwhelming comfort just looking upon her for the first time in days.

"Nicole!" His voice was loud, but he immediately quieted himself when he noticed Lupe resting with his blanket up to her neck.

Nicole's blue, artificial eyes shimmered towards him, and she walked close to look him over. "Max? I… are you severely injured?"

Her question came out awkward, but it was clear by her mannerisms she had worried for him. Probably more so than expected.

"I am ok for the most part. I… What is going on with Lupe?" He asked, keeping his secrets for the time being.

Nicole looked back and then walked over to the seat that was set by the bed. She bent down and started rummaging through the Radcliff bag, eventually pulling out quite a few of the supplies.

"I… When I was gathering more materials for the finishing touches on Snively's hut. I found her not far off in some brush. She was badly wounded and had several infections." Her voice was lacking in empathy, but she stopped herself from going on when she realized it might upset Max.

"It's that bad?" He asked.

Nicole eyed him and then gently pulled down Lupe's blankets to reveal her mangled hands and leg. Wrapped and covered in old blood.

Max was horrified to see her, and it immediately set off a quiet rage in him to think about how horrible it all must have been and who had caused it.

"…"

"Fortunately, with the supplies you have procured, it should be relatively easy to save what is left of her," Nicole said.

Max let out an exasperated sigh to hold in his anger and pulled a chair from his desk, placing it by Nicole's to sit. He watched while she began to prep and deal with Lupe's many wounds.

Lupe squirmed and moaned but didn't seem to awaken, even as cuts were made with a scalpel. With antibiotics, cold wraps, clean bandages, and many other sterile pieces of equipment, it seemed quick and easy for Nicole to take care of and dress the wounds.

"I didn't know you were a doctor, Nicole..." Max commented on her skill with the utensils and knowledge of the various medicines and techniques.

Nicole turned around, having finished Lupe, and responded to his comment. "I possess files on animal anatomy and medical procedures from my time as a purely A.I. being. Now that I am able to manipulate the world around me, I can apply such knowledge autonomously."

Max sat there quietly, and without warning, Nicole reached out and grabbed hold of his arm. She seemed concerned for the blood covering the sleeve, as she knew biological organisms were far more vulnerable than herself.

Max tried to pull away at first, feeling quite a bit of shame he had ever received it. He knew very well how unskilled he was, and it frustrated him beyond words.

Looking at her serious expression, Max relented and simply began to untie the cloth as she wished, then slowly unbuttoned his jacket with his left hand. Once it was off, and he was in the torn undershirt, Nicole could see how deep the wound was.

She rigidly held his arm steady, and with a pair of scissors from the bag, cut him entirety free of the sleeve. Max said nothing, nor made a sound, but the roughness with which she handled him was inflicting considerable pain.

He watched as she set up some medicine on the nearby desk and went to cleaning the still bleeding wound.

"This wound is quite deep; how did you receive it?" She asked, looking at his pain addled face.

Max silently recalled how he was made a fool of, and it was pissing him off the longer he stewed in the memory.

"I… Fought and killed… AH…!" Max jumped when she began cleaning the wound roughly. She was aware the medicine would likely hurt, but not so much that she was causing his discomfort.

She put down the bottle and started setting up the sutures as she responded. "You killed someone who attacked you?"

Max looked into her eyes, then he looked away. "More or less…" He gritted his teeth and grabbed hold of his lower arm with his metal hand, trying to tolerate his agony.

Nicole sewed the wound roughly, but his expressions were perplexing her. As she stared at him, the familiarity of it almost took her out of the task she was doing.

Watching his shaking. She paused and then looked at her own robotic hands.

"…"

"I am… hurting you…" She started abruptly.

Max tried to smile and play it off so as to spare her feelings. "No, thi-this was going to hurt a lot anyway."

Nicole stared at her own fingers, and as if guided by a memory of some kind, gentled her grasp and sewing. As Max calmed more, she went into a rhythm of soft care.

Max sadly stared at the floor, lost in his mind once he didn't have to focus on the painful treatment. Hatred was filling his heart as he thought about Robotnik, those animals, Lupe, and his pathetic weakness.

"What's wrong?" Nicole's voice broke the silence, and when he looked over at her, she was almost finished with her task.

Max was surprised at how adept she was becoming at understanding him and hesitated about telling her the truth. He had not even been honest with Annie…

When his eyes re-met Nicole's, he felt the same safety he longed for when he was at Windser's. When she finished the stitching, he felt a new weakness overcome him.

"I… If I weren't so pathetic, this wouldn't have happened. I hate that I have barely any skill to fight when it is needed now more than ever." His voice shook unsteadily.

Nicole watched attentively while his anger began to pour through the cracks in whatever shambling wall he had built to hide it. His left hand clenched into a fist, and he shook with a rage not seen by her in her entire time of knowing him.

"I'm going to tear them all the fuck apart! I am going rip Robotnik's head from his shoulders. The disgusting things he has done to Lupe, to our world, and to us, is unforgivable!" He spit.

His metal arm came down onto the corner of his thick wooden desk, and it broke it, sending chunks of wooden splinters to the floor with a clacking sound.

Nicole wasn't sure what to do, but judging from things she saw other animals do, she moved her hand and placed it on his back.

When he felt her metal digits, it soothed him, and he exhaled.

"I… I'm sorry, Nicole… I need to figure this out. With what time I have, I will find a way to overcome all obstacles, even if it brings me untold suffering."

Nicole did not respond but grabbed hold of a medicated bandage and began to wrap his wound. Once it was good and tight, Max threw his ruined jacket over himself, leaving the front unbuttoned.

"How do you feel?" Nicole piped up from her seat.

Max looked her over and then pulled himself to his feet.

"Better, now that I am home with the people I truly care for."

Nicole couldn't help but smile because of his statement, even if she didn't fully understand why. She took to her feet with Max and was ready to follow him out the door.

Max walked towards it but stopped before opening it.

"Nicole…?" He started.

Nicole looked at him attentively, awaiting what he would say.

"Nobody can know a thing I said in here tonight… Not a soul, but you are I… Ok?"

Nicole blinked and then simply nodded in agreement. "You are my mas-… Friend… So, of course."

Max smiled slightly in a genuine way as he opened and went out the door with Nicole so as to meet up with Bunnie, Antoine, and Annie.

…

When at last the door had shut, Lupe slowly opened her eyes, then tiredly lifted herself onto her arm and started towards it.

"…"

…

…

The room seemed to be in shock, and Max sat there looking at everybody. Bunnie, Antoine, Annie, and Nicole were all gathered in the dining hut, and they all seemed to be at a loss for words.

Max had told them the story from beginning to after Annie had left, and what she wasn't present for, but omitted all violence and degradation that he had caused and suffered through. Even so, they were shocked by Tails' plight and the fact Radcliff's leader would dare utter the disgusting phrase "Lord Robotnik."

Nicole watched in utter silence, already speculating that Max was lying about more than just killing someone. Still, her loyalty kept her from revealing it or questioning anything that he might say.

There was a solemness that infected the room with the full weight of the situation's reality, and Bunnie seemed to be not all there. Antoine was doing his best to comfort her by rubbing her back with his hand, but she was relatively unresponsive.

"So, what are we going to do?" Annie broke the tension by speaking, now understanding just how deep the rabbit hole went, so to speak.

Max shook his head and then placed both of his hands on the table in front of him. "We have to get Tails back… We can't just leave him. We have to take swift and immediate action."

Bunnie snapped back into reality when he said that and shook her head. "I dunno'… We don' even completely know this enemy Max, and… Well. There's always the chance he's…" Bunnie trailed off.

"Don't you dare even imply that!" Max became spontaneously loud and brought his furred fist down on the table with a slam.

The bang made everybody jump in surprise. It was unusual for Max to burst out like that, and everybody had their eyes directly on him. It was shocking he was angered, but most of them understood how much he loved and looked up to Tails.

Once Max realized he was letting his emotions dictate his actions again, he removed his hands from the table and slinked in his seat as if he were ashamed. Nobody knew what exactly was up; it was as if he seemed unable to deal with his feelings or cage them for long enough.

Antoine removed his hand from Bunnie and began to speak. "Oui… Max… I am understanding your feelings, but I believe it is wise to be considering all scenarios. Rushing in blindly will only result in more heartache."

Max scowled, and for once, he wasn't willing to consider anything they tried to say. He looked Bunnie and Antoine directly in the eyes and spoke in a disrespectful tone. "I don't care… This needs to be done. We don't have time for this horse shit!"

Bunnie angrily shot Max a glance and leaned forward. "Well, I dunno' who in the hell y'all are talkin' to with a tone like that, but neither of us will allow such a fool mission to take place without adequate plannin'."

Max became enraged, to the point that even Nicole knew what emotion he was feeling just from his face alone.

"Well, I'm Prince, so therefore, you take orders from me. We are going to do whatever it takes to get Tails back this instant." His voice was shaking, with held back rage.

Bunnie and Antoine looked at one another. They understood Max's love, but they had enough of this type of talk.

"Well, we're both your guardians, sugah, so that means you do what WE say until you are an official adult… Got it!" Bunnie's voice was loud and frank.

Annie watched, unwilling to say anything. She had not seen Max act so belligerent before to her parents, and while she agreed with his sentiment, she did not approve of his disrespect.

Max glared daggers at the two and, while gritting his teeth, gave his response. "So that's it then? We're just going to let Tails die?"

Antoine stood up and shook his head disapprovingly. "Max… It is not so much that… We are not to be knowing where Tails is, and walking into an enemy's home is not to ever be being wise…"

Bunnie chimed in assertively in an attempt to calm Max. "Hun… We need time to think and strategize… I want to tear this place apart as much as you do, but we are on the back foot with all Robotnik's shenanigans, and now the stuff with takin' care of Snively, so he can build this 'magical teleportin' machine.'"

Max felt as if he were being blamed now. He understood their wisdom and perspective, but no more was he willing to sit idly by and watch the world burn.

"Then we should go to Robotropolis to get what we need to activate that 'magical machine' instead of sitting around doing nothing!" Max loudly put forth his other plan.

Bunnie looked down. "Ah… Well, I… Look, I don' trust a word Snively says, as much as I wish it were true… Ever since the last… mission, I been' hesitatin' to do anything there."

Antoine nodded and placed his hands behind his back. "Oui, it is to be being not good for hasty action. Tails knew the risks, and he took them. We must take our time and consider our options carefully."

Max was disgusted, unable to agree with this stupid sentiment at all. He knew they had points, but his anger was moving him towards a point that he was unwilling to listen rationally.

He leaned forward and then stood up. His chair slid and then fell over with a slam on the wooden floor.

"…"

"Have it your way…" He said in a seething tone.

After that, he walked out of the hut without so much as a goodbye.

Annie looked at her parents and saw the pain on their faces. It was clear to her that both had legitimately no idea what course of action to take with such little time.

Annie growled a bit under her breath and then stormed out after Max, leaving Nicole to ponder the things she heard Max say earlier and her parents to grieve.

Max was outside and stomping towards his hut at a moderate pace, but it didn't take long for Annie to catch up to him by sprinting.

…

"Max!" She called, stopping him in front of a darkened hut.

"What the hell was that? What's gotten into you? I know you're upset, but acting like that is unacceptable. You know as well as I that going back to Radcliff would be suicide!" She yelled, trying to keep her own temper under check.

Max turned fully and looked her straight in the eyes. He knew the correctness of all three of their words, but he just shook his head solemnly and responded in an almost defeated tone.

"We have to do something… Tails would do anything to save us, and while I know Radcliff isn't the answer. I do think we can destroy them entirely and save him."

Annie could see the passion behind what he was saying and simply crossed her arms in front of her chest. "So… What is the correct answer then?"

"Sonic," Max said.

"Sonic?" Annie mimicked the name.

Max nodded. "My father would be impervious to Radcliff. You know that he is alive. You know that Snively said it to me while you fixed him food!"

"But Max…" Annie started, full of doubt.

"But nothing Ann…" Max interrupted her. "This is our only chance. We need crystals to power that machine, so I am going to speed things up by getting them myself."

Annie stared at him in disbelief. His own mission? For something he didn't even know was 100% true. She knew that with Sonic, anything would be possible, and she wanted to believe that it was all not just some pipe dream.

"You can't be serious… My parents would never take a risk for something unproven at a time like this." She said.

Max moved forward so that he was really close to her and answered. "I am serious. That's why I am not going to tell them."

Annie still couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you suggesting for us to go on our own raid mission to Robotropolis?"

"Yes… Don't we owe Tails that much? If this is our one shot, ought we not take it?" He said.

Annie truly did believe in what he was saying, and after a long silence, she eventually nodded. "How much time to prepare?"

Max smiled for the first time in a while and responded. "A day. We rest, I make a plan with Snively and Nicole, we ready our supplies and ourselves, then we're out before sunup the next day."

Annie stood apprehensive for a moment, then she put out her hand to offer a shake.

Max grabbed her hand, and during the shake, spoke. "Even if you get cold feet… You swear not to tell a soul."

Annie blinked a little bit then smirked, finding some of her confidence. "Of course, what good is a confidante if they cannot keep the secret of their lord?"

Max nodded in approval and then let go of her hand. "True… Now, remember… Plenty of rest, and gather the things you need. This is for real."

Annie nodded, reaffirming she was in, and then turned away from him. "I am going to go to my room and begin getting things in order… I hope Tails doesn't mind if I stop by his hut…"

Max shook his head and turned away from her. "He might disapprove of this whole plan but would be thankful when we saved his hide."

Annie nodded and was off in her own direction. Her fear turning to excitement. She recognized that sitting about wouldn't save Tails, and if it meant risking herself to be a part of his rescue, it was surely worth it.

Max turned and walked away from the hut he was in front of to head off towards his own. Little did he know that after he left, a little blue hedgehog poked her head up and looked out the dark window in front of where they once stood.

"…"

When Max returned to his hut, it was extremely late. He was quite hungry, but the plethora of things that had occurred made him desire only to sleep.

He entered his hut and saw that Lupe was turned away from the door. Sleeping in his bed in a seemingly peaceful manner.

Looking upon her in the moonlight made him sad, as he empathized with her injuries. He could only imagine her physical suffering was like his own.

As quietly as he could, he moved over and lit a candle that sat on the nightstand by the bed. After the non-intrusive light was lit for his comfort, he moved over to stand in front of his closet mirror, where he kept his spare coats and clothes. Looking at himself, he could only find hatred in the reflection.

With a low sigh, he took his ruined coat off, and it dropped on the floor, then his torn undershirt. Staring at himself as he were, he felt vulnerable, and he recognized how stupid his glove looked when contrasted with his natural fur… He wasn't fooling anyone but his delusional self.

"…"

He peeled it off, throwing it to the floor, then gently ran his fingers along the scars on his torso from the gashes he'd received during the fall.

With a reluctant sigh, he figured he would bend over and sleep on the floor by the closet, but as he readied to grab a fresh shirt, he heard the soft sound of speaking.

"Your arm… your scars…" Lupe's voice pierced the dimly lit room.

Max froze, having never wanted anybody to look upon him as the disgusting creature he was. He slowly turned and saw that she was sitting up in his bed. Her eyes staring intensely as if piercing his very soul.

"…"

Lupe moved her arm, the one that had nothing but a bandaged stump attached to it, and then spoke more.

"I can see you are no longer a child the way I remember… You are a man with a story to tell and a heart full of fury."

"I…" Max trailed off, embarrassed by her boldness and wishing he could hide his chest and his arm from sight.

"You've spilled blood… Not oil… You are not like the others here… You are a voracious wolf, hungry for the meat of your enemies." Her voice said calmly.

"I… You heard me… Didn't you?" He asked.

"I can see it; I needn't hear it. You've suffered, you've survived. I feel your rage, and looking upon me, I can tell you feel mine." She moved her other arm, the one that at least had a thumb and a hand attached to it, then rested it on her lap.

"So, what does it matter?" Max paused. "I fight like a child… My inexperience has led me to pain and suffering."

Lupe pressed down with her palm and lifted herself from the bed. She was visibly in incredible pain, but she didn't make a sound. He watched as she limped her way to stand before him and then placed her mangled stump on his shoulder.

"Inexperience becomes experience once you've survived your trials. It is your fury, your ferocious lust for blood and retribution, that allows you the will to be victorious."

Max stared into her eyes, and she stared into his. The rage she felt, he did too. Her drive for retribution and blood was the same thing he had felt since his first slaying.

With no words spoken, the two understood each other, and he felt a calmness in being understood by somebody.

After she slid her stump off, she slinked away, limping back to his bed, nearly falling in the process. Once she was in it, she lay down on her back and stared at his ceiling.

"…"

"If you need rest… Do not hesitate to take the other side of the bed instead of the floor. Wolves do not misunderstand comfort for intimacy." She said quietly.

Max was exhausted and merely kicked his boots off. Without a word, and without bothering to put a shirt on now that she'd seen him. He sat on the other side of the bed next to her.

Looking down at her face, he could tell she was trying not to whine and moan about her agony. He slowly lay himself down on his side, facing the wall, and listened to her labored breathing.

…

"Do you really think I'm a wolf?" Max eventually asked in a tired tone.

Lupe gasped and then responded, half asleep. "You already know you are… It is through you that perhaps my people will find justice after all…"

"…"

With that, Max could tell that she had fallen asleep. He shut his eyes, his mind recalling all the horrible things that had happened and been done.

Wolf or no… He respected Lupe as an ally. Though not completely familiar with her, he felt a connection that transcended speech or age. She just might be the animal he needed, to find sense in the experiences he'd had.

…

The chirping of birds could be heard through the window as the delicate rays of the rising sun attacked Max's face. He rolled over, but in a sudden act of remembering, stopped for fear he'd roll on top of the injured Lupe.

When he opened his eye, he found that she was not in bed any longer. A quick glance around the room, and he found her sitting on his wooden chair.

"Hm?..." He murmured groggily, lifting himself from his resting place, and then sat up. "Lupe? Shouldn't you rest more?"

The second he spoke, Lupe was knocked out of her meditative state and opened her eyes, then placed her mutilated hands in her lap. "I cannot stand being immobile, and pain is merely something to be conquered, not something to succumb to."

Max looked down and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't feel sheepish with his shirt off around her, and he felt like it was because Lupe respected him more for it.

"I… I won't tell you what to do, but… Try and take it easy. Please."

Lupe stood up shakily on her injured leg and limped to stand before him. "I shall, but only if you agree to entertain me during my recovery period."

Max blinked and stared at her serious expression. "Entertain?"

Lupe nodded and kept herself steady, despite her obvious suffering. "Show me your stance, your movement, your fighting… I want to see the young wolf's newfound experience."

Max became shy and shook his head. "I… I don't think I should… I could never fight you, even with your injuries, I'd fail."

Lupe shook her head and responded. "You needn't fight me for understanding. There are trees about these woods. Show me there while I rest and observe."

Max thought and then stood up before her. "Alright… I will do that this evening by the river."

Lupe nodded and continued to stand there while Max walked over to put his boots on and get dressed. He didn't even bother to put on a new shirt or jacket and merely wore the blood-stained and torn ones.

Whether from laziness or the fact he no longer cared for princely appearance, he decided it best just to throw on something and get to planning his mission.

"You stay here and relax. I will bring you some food, and then we can go to the river together later."

Lupe eventually nodded and sat back down in the chair, satisfied with their agreement.

Max took a look in the mirror at himself and found his clothes hideous, but then again, his body was so also, so he figured what did it matter any longer.

Leaving his torn leather glove on the floor, he left and was met by the cool breeze brushing against his fur. It was much easier to feel given the giant tear in his coat shoulder, and he decided to take in a deep breath to let it fill his lungs.

On his way towards the dining area for food, he stopped by Sonia's hut and began to rap on the door loudly. He was hoping to see his darling sister now that the rest brought with it some form of peace for his feelings.

"…"

Unusual, she didn't answer and appeared missing from her place of rest. "Sonia? It's me… Max. I-I've returned home, and I am sorry for not visiting you last night, but things came up, and I'd like to speak to you about them."

…

"Sonia?"

Max frowned and shook his head. She had left, but a glance at the position of the sun in the sky told him that it was extremely early for her lazy self to be running about.

Eventually, he had grown tired of trying, so he hopped off the small set of steps and moved towards his goal of getting Lupe some food.

After a few feet of walking, he took notice that Tails' door was ajar, and though he knew Annie said she would go in there, part of him hoped that Tails had somehow returned during the night.

Compelled to check, he moved over to the door and entered quietly, shutting it until it was ajar behind him. As expected, he caught Annie there sifting through Tails' belongings.

"Ann?" He said cautiously.

!

"Geez, Max, you made me jump… Don't sneak up on me like that." She said while lifting one of Tails' spare SWATBOT rifles and eying it over.

Max blinked while she held it up in her hands and turned the safety valve on it. After a loud hissing noise, it seemed to power on.

"That's what you wanted to come in here for?" Max asked.

Annie looked over and could see he was still wearing his ruined clothes and looked disheveled. "Damn Max… Are you making some kind of fashion statement?"

Max became immediately annoyed and crossed his arms. "Shut the hell up."

She smirked playfully and then turned the valve to power it down. "So, what's the plan then?"

Max looked around Tails' messy room and then shook his head. Looking around made him feel pain deep inside his heart.

"I… I am going to talk to Snively and find exactly where and how to get to the power source of the machine… Then, I will make further plans with Nicole on how we can reach it quickly."

Annie simply nodded and slung the weapon over her shoulder to carry it back to her hut. "Fine… So long as you are sure he isn't going to fuck us."

Max shook his head. "No… He is not being deceitful… I am certain. If we fail, so does he. He has crossed Robotnik to the point that his continued existence is contingent on us being around."

Annie walked over to the cluttered work table and pulled a torn leather bag off it. "Alright… I will go stash this stuff under my bed, and we can move out tomorrow morning."

Max smiled over her enthusiasm and simply patted her on the shoulder. She smiled back at him before she moved out the door and was off to go hide the objects she'd taken.

Max left a few moments after and shut the door behind himself, so it looked as if it'd never been disturbed.

After a bit more walking, he reached the dining hut. It was eerily empty, and it seemed the only one there was Bunnie. She had either not slept at all or had woken up early to cook. Max couldn't tell which one, but he decided to not bother speaking to her.

When she saw Max still wearing his torn clothes, she seemed to shrink away slightly, but only until she let out a quiet. "Mornin'."

It felt awkward for Max, but he eventually nodded and said the first thing that came to his mind. "I'm here to bring Lupe back some food."

Bunnie nodded slowly and lifted a plate of prepared breakfast, throwing extras on there so that it was enough for two to eat. "Good to hear she's doin' better since the medicine arrived."

Max took the loaded breakfast plate and only muttered a "Yeah…"

She could still sense his anger and his indignancy towards her. She felt as if Max had some sort of unspoken hatred for her and her decision making.

"…"

Max turned away and started to walk towards the door, but stopped when Bunnie spoke loudly to him.

"Hey, hun…?"

Max froze and now felt afraid. Whether he liked it or not, he still viewed Bunnie as his mother at this point, and she had a power over him that he couldn't simply ignore completely.

"If something' eatin' at you, you know you can always talk to me bout' it…"

Max looked down and knew that there was much eating at him, at his soul. Eventually, he raised his head and responded to her softly.

"I'm sorry for how I have been acting, and even though I know that we have different opinions… I didn't mean to cause you pain."

Bunnie felt herself tearing up and nodded. "You're a good kid Max… I love ya', ya' hear me."

Max felt sorrow, knowing she was the only mother he had left, and responded. "I love you too, mom."

Bunnie was speechless as Max walked out the door and back towards his hut. She'd never forgive him for what he was planning to do, but no matter what happened, he knew he had to do it.

As Max walked through the small village, he picked at the extra food with his free hand. He hadn't eaten at all for some time and carrying food that smelled as good as this reminded him just how hungry he was.

Once he had his fill, he returned to using both hands to hold the plate. How strange it was that simply filling his stomach made him more at peace, and as he approached his hut, he was hoping it might have the same effect on Lupe.

He was quick to enter, and with a smile, presented Lupe with her breakfast.

"Here you are."

She sat there quietly staring at it as if lost. He watched her stew in a world of her own, sadness creeping onto her face.

"Lupe?" He spoke again gently.

"…"

"Go, young wolf… I need to be alone with my food." Her voice quivered in an attempt to maintain strength.

Max gawked at her, and though he'd changed much, he was still empathetic at heart. He quickly understood her problem while glancing her over while she sat on the bed.

Without a word or drawing attention to it. He walked up to the meal. She watched him in embarrassment and surprise when he started to cut up the food for her with the utensils laid on the plate. After which, he stabbed it with the fork and offered it to her mouth.

Lupe scowled and became indignant. "You mock me… I- I find this unacceptable."

Max shook his head and kept the fork where he was holding it. "I thought wolves understood each other and that they didn't mistake comfort for other things?"

Lupe kept her gaze on him and the fork, after which she reluctantly nodded. "Very well… It would make it easier to eat…"

After Max put the food into her open mouth, he stabbed another piece of meat on the plate and offered it to her. He could tell this hurt and humiliated her… Not so much being fed, but her new disabilities.

Lupe chewed slowly and pensively as he fed her. There was no conversation between the two, but eventually, Max spoke to her. "I wouldn't worry about this in the future. You still have a hand, so once the wounds are healed, and the bandages come off, you can easily feed yourself."

Lupe didn't respond and instead placed both her wounded limbs around a glass of water left atop the nightstand, then lifted it to her own mouth.

It was painful and unsteady, but she drank it independently of help. Once done, she placed the glass back on the night table next to her.

Proud was the only way to describe her, and even though she suffered immensely, she refused to cry about it or complain like he had. He felt stupid and even more like a fool but wondered if their gap in age was a factor in their reaction to it.

"Thank you…" Lupe's voice broke his thoughts.

"It was no problem, Lupe…" He responded and walked over to the drawer of his nightstand.

"Here."

Lupe watched as he pulled some books out and placed them gently next to her. "If you get bored while resting and don't wish to sleep, you can read these."

Lupe looked down and then back at him, after which she smiled. "I appreciate your kindness."

Max nodded back and spoke frankly. "Don't worry… I won't tell anybody I fed you."

Lupe laughed a little bit at his candor and nodded appreciatively. "Very well… As per our agreement, I will rest here and see you in the eve."

"Alright, Lupe, a deal is a deal." He said and then began walking out of his hut to leave her to herself.

With only so much time he had this day, he took to getting things underway. Without stopping, he headed towards Snively's prison hut. After peering inside and not seeing the little lackey, he figured there was only one other place he could be.

Max left and headed towards Rotor's shop. It was the only place Snively could build and be put to use, so if the machine was located there, so too would he.

Upon approaching the hut, he could hear the sounds of mechanical tools and banging. It was apparent that much tinkering was underway, and the thought of seeing what had been accomplished was somewhat exciting to Max, due to his love of technology.

With a push on the door, the first thing he noticed was Snively bent over a giant machine. Much of Rotor's belongings had been moved to make room for the contraption.

Nicole was to the right of him on the workbench tinkering with what appeared to be the helmet that Tails had brought back when he arrived with Cream.

Snively turned and saw Max standing there, and he looked positively shocked that it had been mostly completed in mere days.

There was a sense of pride in that for Snively, and he puffed out his chest and smiled beneath his now clean beard. "She's a beauty, isn't she?"

Max nodded and glanced at Nicole, who didn't even bother to look up and address him, so lost in her work she was at the moment.

"Yeah," Max paused and walked in closer to examine it closely. "It looks quite complicated."

Snively nodded. "Non-stop effort from the walrus and I. I can honestly say, it felt like old times just building without fear." He mused aloud.

Max briefly glanced at him and then turned his attention back to the machine. Strangely enough, there was a sticker message adhered to the front of the numerical keypad.

Staring at it, he saw a giant circle with a red slash going through it, and beneath the warning were the giant numbers "03536."

Max looked at Snively, who could already tell what he was going to say before he said it.

"That is the numerical input for the Zone of Silence, which is known in layman's terms as the 'Void.'"

Max scratched the back of his head. "I know what that is… Naugus and my grandfather are trapped within it, or so I have been told, but why the warning for that specifically?"

Snively ran his hand through his beard and answered. "Unlike other worlds, for whatever reason, opening a rift to the Void has strong vacuum-like properties. This, in turn, will cause objects and people to be lost upon opening. In my testing, I have found the larger the rift, the stronger the pull."

Max was intrigued, but now understood the dangers of those numbers. The gate could offer untold possibilities to other worlds, but many could have properties that prove lethal to organic life merely upon opening.

After some thought, Max turned to face Snively and directly asked him what he came here for. "I am planning to go to Robotropolis to fetch the crystals that power this thing tomorrow. I need to know where they are and the safest way to get them."

Max's declaration made Nicole stop working and stare at him. She knew full well this wasn't agreed upon and that Max was taking matters into his own hands.

Snively thought and then nodded. "Yes… The Mobian crystals are mined from deep underground. I had discovered they had teleportative properties when experimenting with them."

Snively reached over and grabbed some water and chugged it, after which, he continued. "The quickest and most direct way to the spare crystals would be warehouse C, closest to the edge of the city. I remember the security code for it used to be E-1214, and I doubt my fat oaf of an uncle has bothered to change it as I advised."

After hearing that, Max looked towards Nicole, who now had her full attention on him. "Nicole… Can you craft us a plan to be in and out, quickest route, any obstacles, possible security?"

Nicole blinked and then spoke her mind. "I… Are you sure this is the wisest course of action, Max? Robotropolis is a dangerous place, and I…" She trailed off, remembering him as he lay dying.

A deep pain filled her, and she put her metal hand to her eyes as if instinctually, but there was nothing there.

Max could see her emotional pain and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey… Nicole… Don't be sad. I am going to simply grab what we need and be out in a hurry. The better your route and plan, the easier it will be."

"…"

She was quiet, and after a moment of thinking, she nodded. Though her frown never left her.

Max smiled and slid his hand off her. "I always know I can count on you, Nicole."

She didn't respond and merely sat down at the place she had been working, but now she seemed too distracted for the task and merely stared at the mechanical parts.

Snively shrugged and turned to continue the finishing touches on the rift gate.

"Keep your silence about this…" Max warned Snively, who turned and stared into the animal's eyes.

"I… Since you have given me a place to sleep and bathe, I shall." He hesitantly responded.

Keeping his word and honesty was exceedingly hard for him, but in this case, he logically recognized that success for the animals was success for him.

"Hey, guys, I am back!" Rotor walked in and was surprised when he saw Max.

"Hey, Max… What happened to your clothes? You ok?"

Max felt a little embarrassed but responded. "I was so tired; I didn't bother changing… I will do it later when I have time."

Rotor found that a strange answer for Max to give but decided it best not to upset him. He was told how sensitive Max had been since last night.

"I had heard about the crazy things that were going on… It really is a bad run of it, isn't it?" Rotor responded, placing the tray of breakfast down for himself and Snively to eat.

Max kept quiet, not wanting to delve too deep into his personal affairs.

Snively walked over and smiled happily to have real food.

"Eat up, little man." Rotor said when he turned his attention to him. Then, he grabbed a pancake and stuffed the whole thing in his mouth.

"Sure thing, Fatso." Snively retorted back, taking two pancakes and sandwiching eggs between them.

Rotor laughed a bit and then returned his attention to Max. "I had a talk with Bunnie and Antoine this morning before sunup. They are hoping to call the whole village together in a few days to make a decision on the new enemy and Tails."

Max nodded quietly and knew he would have already made his move by then. Strategizing was smart, but he knew that time was of the essence.

He stared at Rotor, who had placed himself in his seat, and was now sitting across from Snively talking about the project specifics. The two seemed to be getting along surprisingly well, and it was a strange sight to behold.

After he realized that the two were busy discussing the machinery, he walked over to Nicole, who still looked sad.

"Hey… Nicole, come with me." He stated.

Nicole looked up at him and then stood as he told her to. She walked outside of the hut with him, and the two just stood in front of it before she asked for his direction.

"What task do you require my assistance for?"

Max gazed into her blue-lit eyes and then responded. "I have some time before the next thing I have to do, and you looked sad sitting there, so I am asking you to come with me."

Nicole wasn't sure what to say or how to feel. When they hit her, her emotions were conveyed through body language, and it was something that only Max seemed to pick up incredibly easy.

"I… Well, I don't know Max…" She began until he grabbed hold of her arm with his metal hand. "No buts, let's go."

She was surprised by his forwardness and felt a little afraid. He had been acting different lately. Even she could tell that, but she decided to trust in him and go along with his gentle pull.

The two padded along the midday trail and entered the woods. Nicole's mind was swirling with so many thoughts and feelings that she was overwhelmed.

A glance over to Max, and she could see he had his eyes on the path ahead, then there was no trail, and their feet crunched the fallen leaves that covered the ground.

A few moments more. Max stopped, and when she looked about the scenery. She was in a secluded forest glade, with the tops of the dying trees parted to allow the beautiful sunlight to beam in.

"…"

Max let go of her arm and slid down against a fallen log before finally speaking. "This is where Annie and I come when we talk, especially when one of us is feeling down."

Nicole blinked and stared at him, sitting against the log. "I do not mind listening to your problems Max." She stated, misunderstanding his intent.

Max laughed a teeny bit and looked up at her. "I brought you here to talk about your feelings, Nicole… I know you have them. I can see it."

Nicole was visibly nervous by her mannerisms and then eventually took a seat next to him, placing her metal frame against the log.

"What if I do not know what to say? What if I don't know what I am feeling?"

Max slid his metal hand onto his knee and stared off into the forest. "Well, start with this. Why are you sad…?"

Nicole knew at least that, but she wasn't sure how to qualify it. "I don't know… Things come to me sometimes. I see images in my head when I am alone, and they make me unable to act or make me feel indestructible, sometimes they make me feel strange when I am in your presence."

"Oh…" Max lowered his gaze to the ground, feeling the heat in his cheeks. "Well, that's ok, Nicole… I think about things a lot too, and they make me feel confusing things also."

Nicole looked at him and felt understood in a weird way. "…"

After some silence and some thought, she eventually decided to try and put her sadness into words for him to understand.

"This mission… I know logically and statistically, it is the best chance of recovering Tails alive… However, I find myself thinking about what happened to you before, and I… It makes me feel? I don't know like I need to stop it."

Max listened to her and then looked at her expression. "You are afraid I will be hurt again?"

Some time passed, and some more thought, then Nicole affirmed what he said. "I suppose that would be the term I am looking for, by definition, of course."

Max rested his furred hand on the ground and stared up towards the sky. "Living… rather, being alive isn't always straightforward. It is about unique perception."

Nicole felt totally lost as he tried to explain to her. "Perception?"

Max looked at her and smiled a comforting smile. "Yeah… You always try to qualify and quantify things, then get frustrated when you can't. Sometimes, though, you need to let how you perceive things to take precedence."

"I…" Nicole was utterly baffled.

Max quietly looked up towards the sky and then posed Nicole a question.

"What do you see?"

Nicole raised her eyes towards the break in the trees and inspected the clouds hanging overhead. "Those are standard cumulus clouds. They appear white and are likely not to produce any rain."

When she answered like that Max laughed, and shook his head. "Well, I see treasure."

"Treasure?" Nicole blinked and stared at the cloud. Nothing came to her.

Max quietly yet gently reached over and placed his hand on hers. She watched as he held his hand tightly around her fingers until only her pointer digit was up.

She felt strange watching him grasp and manipulate her but remained silent while raising her pointer finger towards the sky.

"See?" He said, and he slowly began to move her hand as if he were drawing a picture over the cloud.

Along the more rigid sides and towards the puffy top, as he drew, the image of a giant wooden chest full of gold entered her mind. Nicole's eyes widened in complete awe that her mind saw such an image.

Max looked at her precious expression, as it all of a sudden dawned on her what he was trying to say. Her logical mind could only carry her so far, but it was who she was and what she experienced that determined what was seen.

"I…" She said in a low voice, while Max let go of her hand.

When he did, she merely looked at it, and it was as if he showed her the truly incredible part of being alive.

"What do you see there?" He called her attention to another cloud.

When she gazed up, she started to run her eyes across it, and the first thing that entered her mind was not some technical babble but the image of a simple forest tree.

"I… A tree…" She said as if ashamed, she gave a wrong answer.

Max leaned back and looked up at it. "Oh, for sure, it reminds me of the giant tree in the center of the forest."

Nicole sat there. Her mind now reassessing things that she'd never thought about before. Every uncertainty, every logical assessment was tinted by personal emotion and perspective. It had new meaning, and the illogical voice in her head she had tried to suppress up to this point took center stage.

"I understand. Only I can interpret the things I see, but it doesn't mean I cannot show you through gesture and personal expression."

Max nodded. "It is how I can tell what you feel, even if you don't know how to say it. Hell, even you were doing it without scrutiny yourself, when you could empathize with me."

Nicole felt like she'd had a profound experience when he demonstrated to her what he meant and the importance of her inner voice. She stood up and then stared down at Max, who joined her after a second.

When the two looked at each other, Nicole quickly grabbed hold of him and hugged him in her arms. He was caught off guard by the spontaneous hug but quietly returned it, feeling elated.

"Thank you… I… I hope this gesture is a suitable representation of how I feel right now." Nicole said.

Max slid his arms off her metal frame and then nodded. "I got it, Nicole… Thanks for coming out here to spend time with me, believe it or not. It has helped me feel better."

Nicole put on an earnest smile and then spoke in a happier tone. "I will work on the plan tonight and have it ready by morning. I am… well… I am also theorizing about something I wish to discuss with you later."

Max was intrigued but merely nodded. "Alright… Sounds good, Nicole. I need to head towards the river at around sundown. I promised Lupe I would entertain her while she recovered."

Nicole was happy to hear that and simply grinned in an attempt to show it.

"Hah, you're getting good at it, keep practicing." He encouraged her thoughtfulness.

Nicole gave a nod of approval and then asked him something. "Would you care to walk back with me to Rotor's hut before you are off to do your next task?"

Max was surprised she was taking the initiative, but then bowed playfully as he typically did with Annie, moving his arm outward. "Right this way, M'lady!"

Nicole, upon seeing his terrible acting, let a sound out of her mouth that had never come before. "Hah-Hah!"

Max stopped, and Nicole quickly shut her mouth, covering it with her metal hand. "…"

Max had never elicited that response from her before, and he found it as cute as it was endearing.

"Now you are acting like an animal." He said to her gently.

Nicole removed her hand from her mouth and found that operating on the emotional side of her artificial brain was more interesting than being correct about everything. As the two began to walk, she wondered if possibly she could learn to operate on both simultaneously.

It was a liberating and existential experience, even if it felt familiar to her in the most unspoken way.

…

…

…

…

"Move along, scumbag. No dallying!" The female knight shouted.

Tails felt the slam of the spear against his spine, and he fumbled slightly, almost falling. He had been moving for hours on end, with the group harassing and threatening his wellbeing.

He chose not to dignify it, and it must have annoyed them greatly because they began beating him harder every time he refused. In his silence, he had retreated into his own head, as his fear was more painful than his beatings.

Tails couldn't help but worry and had to wonder if Max, Annie, and Cream were dead by this point. From what little he knew Max was being groomed, Annie was inconsequential, and he hadn't seen hide nor hair of Cream since their conversation.

He couldn't help but feel the loss, even if it was mere uncertainty, and his pace began to lag the more he worked himself up over the thought.

"Stop moving slowly!" The knight commander yelled again and hit him a second time in the back.

"Ah!" Tails cried out. His back was hurting and likely bruised, but it didn't compare to the agony of his hand, which lost all usability after the brutal crushing.

…

After a while of more walking in what felt to be a dry heat, he heard the commander shout. "Alright! Stop!"

Tails felt two knights immediately grab his arms and then force them behind his back painfully.

"Ah!" He whimpered when they intentionally brutalized his injured hand.

With a few tight wraps, his hands were bound together with rope, and he felt agony running up through his injury to his upper arm.

"This should about do it." The female knight commanded once more.

"Whata' ya wanna do with him?" Another asked.

The female commander moved close to Tails, and her rancid breath smelled of bourbon. "What should we do, little fox? Would you like your tongue cut out, or maybe we can do something to that brain of yours?"

Tails refused to speak, even as he felt himself being pushed to the ground. When at last he felt his knees sink slightly, he was surprised to learn that he was on soft sand of some kind.

Just as he acclimated to sitting on his knees, he felt a slap across his face, which caused him to topple face-first into the burning grains.

"Smug fucker, speak when you are spoken to!" She roared, much to the amusement of the other knights, who laughed at his expense.

Tails felt his chest fur being pulled, and he cried out again. "Ah!"

"Speak, boy, otherwise you won't like what happens when we decide."

Tails had had enough. He recognized no matter what he said, this was going to be life-altering, so he merely said the last thing he was willing.

"Fuck you… Raiding piece of shit!"

The stomping of boots on the sand was heard, and then the sound of the commander's laugh. "Hah! Still can talk big, well tongue it is then. What say you, boys? Let's silence him, to begin with."

Tails became afraid on the inside and felt the knights grab hold of the hood, lifting it just enough to attack his maw and force it open. He struggled as best as he could, but with his hands bound and the dirty hood over his eyes. There was little chance of changing the outcome.

He panicked as one of their foul-tasting gloves, grabbed hold of his tongue and began to yank it. The warm steel of a blade began caressing it tantalizingly.

"Don't worry, we won't let you bleed out too much." She said almost sweetly and continued to mentally torture him with the incredible suffering he was about to receive.

…

…

"Knight commander!" One of her subordinates said.

Then, Tails felt as the steel was removed from his tongue, and the knights let go of his arms. His tongue now returned to his mouth for a little more time.

…

"Hey, you aren't supposed to be here!?" The female commander said and sounded confused.

Tails heard her walking away, and then the knights by him moved in front of him. He perked his ears up to listen as good as he could, but he could only make out the boisterous knight commander's voice.

"You aren't authorized."

…

"No, I wasn't…"

…

…

"I… you really think… No, I will not!"

Tails was sweating due to the intense heat from the sun above, and his nervousness was increasing with the shouting commander's increasingly hostile tone.

…

"Men! To arms!" He heard her yell.

…

Quicker than anything, the knights rushed and knocked Tails over carelessly. The sounds of yelling and clashing steel were heard, and it was more than apparent a skirmish was happening, but between who, Tails hadn't an idea.

CLANG!

BANG!

The sounds were fierce, and screaming was heard as people began dying. Tails just huddled into a ball as best he could, completely helpless and unable to defend himself—the sounds of plummeting projectiles landing in the sands around him.

"You bastard! Do you realize what you've done? You won't get away with this!" The knight commander cried in pain as he heard her boots kicking sand as if retreating.

There were more sounds, and the skirmish seemed as if it were dying down. The gasps and groans of the dying were all around Tails, sending him into a state of shock.

"…"

"Ah!' He heard the knight commander yell, and she'd landed just feet behind Tails. He could hear her groan, and it was as if she was trying to crawl now. The sound of her metal armor scraping against the sands beneath her.

"Y-you treacherous pig! I hope you burn in he-." She began, but the sound of steel piercing flesh came, and she gurgled in agony until she was eventually put out of her misery.

…

Tails lay quiet, contemplating if he should play dead or not, even as the commander's fresh blood ran under his legs. After a moment, the sound of a pair of boots approached him, and he felt himself being lifted roughly by his fur.

"Rrr." He growled in pain and then felt the steel of a knife placed against his wrists.

Tails shut his eyes tightly to brace himself under the hood, but then the sound of steel slicing through the rope that bound him echoed out into the silence. After a moment, a hand grabbed hold of the hood and tore it off him.

"Ah!" Tails made sounds of sudden pain and then lifted his hand to cover his eyes from the blinding sun.

…

He could barely see, he had been blind for so long, and now everything was blurry and overwhelming.

…

The person in front of him sounded like they stepped back, and then after a moment of orienting himself, Tails tried to look around.

He could make out the blood soaking into the sands and the dozen or so animals that had been slain. After taking it in, he stared in front of himself and was surprised by what he saw.

"You…?" Tails said, disoriented and confused.

Seth stood before him with his hand on his rapier hilt, staring down at Tails. His face was unreadable, and he had an entourage of his own knights with him.

"…"

The longer the two looked at each other, the more awkward it became. Eventually, when Tails was acclimated to being free and being able to see, he heard him speak.

"Don't flatter yourself, fox… I care little for you, but it seems I care less still for commander Reina."

Tails thought and began to wonder if possibly Cream had sent him, or Max… Annie? Why Seth of all people?

"I… Thank you…" Tails gasped in some air and was visibly shaken from the entire ordeal.

Seth said nothing but seemed to be struggling to hold his cold demeanor. "Run along then, and go back to your dirt bed in the forest."

Tails shook his head and breathed in again. "I can't… I am injured and exhausted… I do not even know how far I am from home."

Seth was quiet, but rather than berate him, he snapped his fingers, and a female sheepdog walked forward. "Illa, change of plans, we are taking him as far as Radcliff. He knows the rest of his way home from there."

"Aye, milord." She bowed and placed her spear in the ground.

"Tails, was it?" She asked gently.

Tails nodded tiredly and then answered. "Yeah, thank you…"

She laughed a bit and shook her head. "Tis' my pleasure milord. I will be helping you along as we head back to where it is safe."

Tails was hesitant but didn't protest a single thing that was offered. She wrapped her arms around him and lifted him gently to his feet.

Once they were standing, Seth waved his hand to call his knights to march. They all obediently followed his orders and began walking in a defensive formation. With Tails holding onto Illa and Seth protected in the middle.

The whole group walked out towards the edge of the desert and began making their way back towards where the Great Forest began.

…

…

When they'd left, the carnage lay naked in the open, and the sand began to imprint around the invisible force that stood atop it. Within seconds, the Mk-II SWATBOT de-activated it's cloaking.

Once it was revealed, at least a dozen others followed suit, and it turned to them while beginning to speak. "*&^% *^%&^% *%^&^."

It pointed its metal finger towards the direction of the walking entourage, and the rest of the robots now had their new task.

With silent movements, they began to fade from sight, and with frightening speed, began to track their targets into the claustrophobic woods.

…

The setting sun cast its orange glow on the village of Knothole, and true to his word. Max was headed towards the river where he'd said he would meet Lupe.

At first, he intended to help her get there, but when he found her missing from his hut, he knew that she'd already made her way there.

Max was feeling better than he had been in some time, and even though he felt angry or harrowing thoughts pass his mind every now and again. He found himself more in control of himself.

As he left the village and moved towards the forest area, he could already see Lupe sitting atop a rock in anticipation of his arrival.

"Lupe." He said and approached her in a friendly manner.

Lupe looked at him from her place atop the large rock and waived. "I have been anticipating this, young wolf. I am interested to see you move."

Max was silent and felt a little apprehensive such a skilled warrior was going to watch him, but a promise was a promise, and he'd not back out.

He drew his blade from its sheath, and Lupe marveled at the shimmer along the keen edge. Max turned away from her and readied into a stance.

Lupe said nothing and now kept her eyes locked on to him. After a moment, he switched the sword into his metal hand. Putting his eyes on a low hanging branch, he made a decisive and quick swipe at it, cutting through it like paper.

Max turned back to her, and she shook her head. "Your heart is not into it. I want to see heart, show it to me."

He looked back at the looming trees before him, and he took in a deep breath. He shut his eyes and recalled all of the terrible things that had happened to him.

The longer he thought, the more he felt that rage build within him. His heart beat fast, and his face became hot. He could see those that stood against him; he could remember their blood leaking from their bodies.

They deserved it, every last one of them. He stared menacingly at the trees and then lost his whole grip on reality. Hyper focused, he thought of all the misery, then of Robotnik, and how he had destroyed his life before it had even begun.

He swung the blade with violent intent, a branch fell off, but it wasn't enough. First an arm, then a leg, he felt happy, elated at the thought of dismembering him while he begged for mercy.

To taste Robotnik's agony, his tears. It was driving Max's swings. Here, there, another swing. He could only fantasize about his head detaching.

Max gritted his teeth and put his right hand on the blade. He began swinging more violently and more carelessly towards any branch that dare be near him.

A sea of hatred and all he found in it was the happiness of death. The fantasy bringing him to the absolute brink. The thought of Robotnik's laughter, causing him to raise his sword towards the very tree the branches belonged to.

"DIE!" He shouted as he went to end Robotnik once and for all.

With the brunt of his strength behind his metal arm and his right arm guiding it, it sliced into the thick tree. The force was so great, and the blade so sharp, that it passed through the entirety of it.

Max heaved in an effort to control himself, but he was already lost. He watched as the tree swerved and then fell over backward from the clean and powerful cut.

The loud crash snapped him back into reality, and when he looked around, there were branch limbs and wood everywhere. He heaved in to try and calm the pain the anger had caused his body, but it was still surging.

His right hand shook, and he felt the throbbing sting of his injury. He was so lost that he tore the sutures, and it bled once more, soaking the bandage heavily beneath his coat.

He dropped his blade to the ground and was in a state of confusion. After a moment passed, he felt Lupe place her stump on his shoulder.

When he turned and looked at her, she smiled reassuringly. "I… I could sense your rage. I could feel it driving your blows."

Max huffed as he readied to speak but stopped when he took notice of someone standing there to his left. He was surprised when he realized it was Nicole, who appeared to have been watching him as well.

He immediately felt shame and averted his gaze, but Lupe moved what was left of her hand down under his maw and forced him to look into her eyes. "You need control, your anger is unruly, but if focused, it could be more lethal than any blade against your foes."

Max blinked and then pulled away. "I-I dunno… I am wild and unpredictable."

Lupe shook her head and stood her ground despite her pain. "You can be taught. The wolf style of fighting can bring focus and agility."

Max could feel his rage burning again and angrily dismissed her. "Time? Taught? What does that do me NOW! Things are happening. I do not have time to wait for you to recover to show me something useful!"

Lupe was hurt by his words, but it was blatantly true. What could she hope to teach him with her body in shambles? Her experience was in her head, and her body was unable to utilize it effectively any longer.

Max saw the pained expression on her face and immediately felt regretful for his ignorant tongue. "Lupe… I am sorry… I just, I…" He tried to speak, but Lupe cut him off immediately.

"Do not apologize, young wolf. I know fire when I see it. I also know you are correct, and perhaps my desire to mentor you preceded my ability to do such an action."

The two looked defeated, and then Max responded. "I wish I could… We have little time… I would do anything."

…

"There… There might be a solution to your problem." They both heard Nicole speak in the brief silence.

They looked at her, and Lupe shook her head. "Maybe you are Nicole, and perhaps you have helped me, but I struggle to trust a workerbot any more than a SWATBOT," Lupe said.

Max stared at Nicole uncertain and then came right out and asked her. "How…?"

Nicole merely held up her hand. "Come to Rotor's shop, and I will show you."

Lupe looked at Max, and he looked at her. After a moment, Lupe spoke. "I can see in his eyes he is determined, so whatever will help aid him in his struggles I shall do."

With that, the three made their way towards Rotor's hut, the sun was nearly gone from view, and darkness creeping over the landscape.

When they reached the door to the hut, Nicole opened it and walked in. Max was quick to follow, and then Lupe. The second Lupe saw Snively standing by a wall-sized machine, she lost her mind.

"Y-You! I will rend the flesh from your bones!" She yelled and made a spontaneous dash for the lacky.

Max quickly caught her with his metal arm and prevented her from getting near him. "Lupe! Lupe! Calm down!"

"RRRR!" She growled loudly, causing Snively to squeal in terror.

"Stop!" Max cried again.

"Let go of me! I'll… I… Who's responsible for this wretch being here!" Lupe struggled but was tiring out quickly against his strength.

"Lupe… I… It's because of me he is here… He helped save my life." Max tried to calm her once more.

She calmed momentarily and then glared at Max. "Is he a prisoner?!"

Max stared her directly in the eyes and responded. "Yes… He is helping us undo some of Robotnik's crimes in exchange for his life."

She sneered in disgust and spit in Snively's direction. "There is no forgiveness, and I will only tolerate his presence for the sake of peace, but he better sleep with eyes open, for that is when the wolf hunts."

Snively cowered and kept away from her. Nicole came over and grabbed Lupe by the arm. "Calm yourself. He is under control. I need you calm so that I can talk to you."

Lupe glared and pulled her stump away from the robot. "I'll calm when I tear his throat out!"

Snively didn't speak and simply stared at the damaged wolf. Her outrage was justified, as he was around when Robotnik talked about having the wolves in the palm of his hand. At the time, though, he didn't think him to be truly serious, but looking at her now, it seems he was correct.

Max slowly took his hand off of Lupe and spoke to her as gently as he could. "Lupe, if you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at me. I am the reason he is here, and I am the reason he is building things for us. It was my final decision as Prince."

Lupe did not agree with Max's choice at all but found herself bound by his decision. "I hope that this is a mistake you don't live to regret."

Her words were harsh, but he merely placed his furred hand on her shoulder. "I take full responsibility for his actions, and I want you to know that the reason he is here is he is returning Sonic to us."

There was a pause, and Lupe looked at Snively, who looked back from his corner of the room. After a moment, she looked back at Max's stern expression. He was confident and assured that his father would return.

"I… Is this true?" She said disbelievingly.

"I-It is true…" Snively began. "He can be brought back with this device. I know you don't believe me, but watch, and you will see."

Having heard it from Snively, she was torn. She still held rage and resentment, but the issue of Sonic was one so important that her doubt kept her from violent action.

"So be it, but if Sonic fails to show up, I will tear you apart and eat the remains." She bared her razer sharp fangs for him to see.

…

…

The tension in the room slowly went down over the next minute, and Nicole eventually spoke aloud. "Enough… I have brought you here to have a discussion, so listen to me."

Max and Lupe turned their attention towards her, and even Snively kept his ears open to listen to her conversation while he worked.

Nicole picked up the repaired neural scanner she'd been fixing earlier and placed it onto the table. After which, she picked up a second one and placed it next to the repaired one.

Snively stopped working when he caught that out of the corner of his eye and then gawked. She had replicated the thing by merely looking at it, though the purpose of two was confusing him.

"I… What does this mean, Nicole?" Max asked, confused.

Lupe, who had rested herself on a wooden chair, just stared, waiting for Nicole to say her piece.

"In the stolen data from the Robotropolis raid, I found details about the neural scanner and its use. Aside from gathering information from the brain of living organisms, it also seems to be able to transfer and copy data out of it."

Snively's blood froze, and he suddenly interjected. "Th-that's impossible! I designed them; they are only for cross-referencing with the already existent population data from before the war."

Nicole shook her head. "No, you are incorrect…"

Snively became scared and balled his hands into fists. "W-while it is capable of transfer, the data is useless! There is nothing you can do with roboticized animal's data! No machine on Mobius can interpret it."

There was quiet, and unspoken fear and tension began moving from person to person in the room. Even Nicole, with her newfound acceptance of her emotional core, could sense it.

Nicole placed her hands on one of the scanners and shook her head. "I had thought that, at first. However, given what happened to me. I came to realize that a roboticized brain could be used to interpret animal data, and make use of it."

"I…" Snively felt ill and turned around without protest. He'd never known about this, but something told him that Robotnik knew, and the more he thought of it, the more it sent shivers up his spine. The missing workerbots during the count and then the profound acceleration of the skill of the MK-II units entered his mind, but he set it aside because of the distress it caused.

Max blinked and then summed up Nicole's idea. "Are suggesting, to put Lupe's data into… Me?"

Lupe felt already against this, but she was willing to hear it out none the less.

"Correct… I have theorized that if I use my robotic brain to interpret and transfer the data, then I can copy Lupe's combat experience directly into your brain." She spoke.

Lupe said nothing, and Max shook his head.

"I don't know, Nicole… I… isn't that dangerous?" Max stated hesitantly.

Nicole looked down. "I do not know, it carries a huge risk, but I am uncertain to which of you. I am merely bringing this to your attention because I seek to give you what it is you desire, Max."

Max was speechless, and Lupe in contemplative thought. After a moment, she spoke. "Will I… lose my experience…. What will he know? How?"

Nicole anticipated these questions and responded. "I have modified the machine to be able to copy data. The neural scanner itself already pockets the data into relevant groups for easy extraction, then I simply run it through my brain and pass it on to the other neural scanner for implementation. What will he experience or know? I cannot predict."

Lupe looked at Max, and he looked at her. The thought of her people pained her, but she was worried about the risk.

Max didn't put much thought into it, as he immediately saw it as an opportunity to gain more power. "Consequences be damned. I will do it if it means I can effectively destroy my foes."

Snively turned around and stared, wanting to watch this. To see if it was true.

After a moment, Lupe nodded in agreement. "My people deserve vengeance, and if my body does not provide it, then my fighting spirit shall."

With all in agreement, Nicole strapped the neural scanner onto Lupe's head. After which, she told Max to sit in a chair. Once he had a seat, she strapped the second one onto his head.

After typing a few things into the computer in front of her, she took the plug connected to both of them and placed it into the computer. Once that was ready, she opened the panel on her head and plugged a wire that was heading from the computer into it.

Lupe and Max apprehensively watched until Nicole chimed up. "I am now initiating the copying of relevant data." The sound of a tap on a key came, and Lupe held onto her face.

"Ah!" She moaned.

"What's wrong?" Max asked, worried.

"I… It feels tingly, the sensation is weird, but I really don't feel like I forgot anything." She responded.

Nicole watched the bar, and when it finished, she turned to Max. "I have copied all relevant data; I will be allocating it to the relevant locations within your brain."

"Ok, Nicole. I am ready." Max said.

3.

2.

1.

CLICK.

Max immediately felt a searing pain in his head, and his vision became blurry. He immediately became terrified, and all sorts of feelings began rushing through him at the speed of light.

His heart raced, and he could hear voices that weren't there. He could feel his body tense up.

"Ah!" Max cried out.

"Max, are you ok?" Lupe said.

Max could see his hand grabbing onto a spear, and then recalled the shock and agony of it being hacked off. So much blood, so much terror. He looked down at his hand, expecting it to be a bleeding stump, and he gasped for air.

Panic was the only word to describe his current jumbled state. Sweat was pouring off his fur, and his adrenalin was pumping throughout his body.

"Does it hurt?"

He heard Robotnik's words pierce his mind. They were so distinct, so detestable.

"Does it hurt?"

He heard it again, and then all of a sudden, the room went black.

…

…

…

"Does it hurt?"

…

"Max"

…

…

"You ok?"

…

…

…

Max's eyes opened, and the room was spinning. He could see Nicole above him and Lupe standing beside her.

"Ah!" He cried out in terror, his head throbbing in an inexplicable way.

Nicole was silent, but the look of regret on her face was apparent. Lupe placed her bandaged stump on his head, and he let out a deep breath.

"I… I am ok… Did you stop the transfer?"

Nicole looked at Lupe and then back at Max. "It reached 100 percent, but when it finished, you began freaking out and wouldn't respond to any outside stimulus. Then you just collapsed."

Max rubbed his face with his metal hand and tried to sit up, but found his body to be exhausted. "I… I am fine… I am sure of it."

There was quiet, and then Nicole reached out her hand. Max grabbed it and was pulled to his shaky feet. Once standing, he saw Snively gawking in awe.

"I… Did it work?" Lupe asked.

Max was still dizzy and then shook his head. "I… I don't know. I really do not feel any different."

Nicole didn't say anything and merely watched Max as if assessing him.

"Draw your blade," Lupe said tiredly and reclaimed her seat.

Max looked down and slowly drew it. Once it was in his hand, he felt as if he had a defined grasp of it. Like he'd held it many more times than he had.

Without instruction, he fumbled a bit and got into a clear defensive stance. The way in which he held the blade and where his feet had been placed was exactly how Lupe would hold a sword if she had one.

"…"

Max shifted the blade to his left hand quickly and nearly dropped it. He felt disoriented and dizzy but then twirled the sword stylistically for show before sliding it back into his sheath.

"I feel like I know what I am doing, but my body feels slow to do it," Max commented.

Lupe was shocked by the difference in skill he had displayed. Typically, sword tricks of that nature were reserved for practiced veterans to show off to one another.

After she was done being shocked, she thought about his comment and then responded to him.

"Your body thinks it is out of practice, but these skills are something you never forget over time."

Max looked at his own hands and couldn't believe it. He knew something had changed, but the sheer trauma of going through it had left him in some sort of void.

"Max, are you sure you are ok?" Nicole asked in a worried manner.

Max nodded and smiled weakly at her. "Yeah… It made me really tired, but I think it was a success. Perhaps now I won't be so useless anymore."

Nicole was sad hearing him disparage himself but merely took his word for him being ok. "Very well, then I would consider this experiment a success."

"Thank you, Nicole… Lupe. I feel like now I might have a chance to do what needs to be done."

Lupe merely nodded quietly, and Nicole turned away to clean up the equipment.

"I… what did you see?" Lupe asked after some hesitant waiting.

Max looked at her and then answered. "I saw your pain… I heard the words."

"The words?" Lupe asked, confused.

"Does it hurt?" He responded to her.

…

"My, My, look what happened to you!"

…

"Does it hurt?"

…

Lupe lowered her gaze to the floor. She hated that experience more than anything in her life. She knew that he knew and felt deep shame that her one moment of weakness was exposed to him.

Without warning, she felt Max's arms wrap around her, and he hugged her tightly in her despair. "My wrath will be your wrath… I will make sure he suffers immensely."

Lupe felt hope well up within her, and she whispered to him. "We are one in spirit… Please avenge my people."

Max let go of her and nodded. With that, he spoke to Nicole.

"I am going to… go rest this off. Meet Annie and me outside of Knothole before sunup Nicole."

Nicole nodded quietly and then walked over to him. "I will be here if you need anything, Max."

Lupe rubbed her head and seemed to be disoriented. "I… Is it alright if I stay with you a while, Nicole?"

Nicole blinked but simply nodded to the request. She felt she could read Lupe's feelings, and it told her that Lupe wanted to make sure she was all right.

Max smiled at them tiredly and then turned to make his way out the door.

After he left, Nicole stared at the door with a feeling of guilt inside of her. She knew she had done something she likely shouldn't have, but if it was to make Max content, she was willing to ignore logic and listen to her emotions.

…

…

…

Max plopped himself onto his bed, barely able to move his body. At first, he wondered if he had made a mistake in doing that, but he was quick to push it aside with the realization that if pain meant progress, as it was worth the sacrifice.

His mind was swirling with terrible memories, and the more he lay there, the more he could clearly recall Lupe's suffering. It wasn't just an image, he felt it, and he remembered the pain like his own.

He shut his eyes, and his head started to hurt, but he ignored it until he eventually passed out by the light of the flickering candle.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Ah!" Max yelled, awaking abruptly in a terrific panic.

"Oh!" He leaped out of bed and staggered, crashing into his hut wall.

His vision was blurry, and everything was spinning. He was disoriented entirely while he breathed in for oxygen, the feeling of death overtaking his body.

"Nic-Nicole… Help me…" He choked out into the empty room, his head hurting so bad, it was like someone was jamming a knife through his eye.

Max collapsed on the floor and landed on his hands and knees. He could feel warm wetness on the floor, and he struggled to get to his feet. Once he did, he staggered blindly to the bathroom and hit the light on the wall.

"Rrr." He growled, unable to tolerate the pain.

He slid his hands on the sink end and held himself up in front of it, his body was so weak, and the pain was so severe that he thought this might be his last night on Mobius.

The sounds of slapping rang out into the bathroom, and when he looked down, he could see a pool of blood at his feet that was falling from his face. He gasped and turned his attention to the mirror.

His blurry reflection was staring back at him, and his nose was gushing blood down the front of his muzzle. He grabbed his head when another sharp pain came, and then he slammed the bathroom door, latching it after.

"No… I… I'm..." He stammered, nearly mute, and toppled onto the floor.

Max lay there pressed against the wall, immobilized while bleeding, and it was in his last moments of consciousness that he found the price for power was always paid in blood.

The agony proving too great, he passed out. His body lay hunched as if it were trying to defend against the damage that he had undoubtedly inflicted upon himself.