The room quieted as Ursula shifted upright again, shaking her head as though to push back the pull of sleep. She reached into the plastic file box she'd requested earlier, her movements sluggish but deliberate. After a moment of searching, she pulled out another folder, this one with bold, blocky letters printed across the front: THE MAX PROTOCOL
Her demeanor changed instantly, exhaustion fading under the weight of determination. She opened the folder, carefully separating the printed instruction sheets inside, and handed one to Max first, then distributed the rest to everyone else.
The group stared at the bold text at the top of the page, their eyes skimming over the detailed bullet points. Ursula's tone shifted, steady and firm.
"Max," she began, locking eyes with her.
"This is for you. And it's for everyone else, too."
Max blinked, caught off guard by the intensity in Ursula's expression. She glanced down at the sheet in her hands.
THE MAX PROTOCOL
1. Warning Signs:
-If you hear a grandfather clock chiming, tell someone immediately.
-If you start seeing things no one else sees—tell someone immediately.
-If you feel like you're losing time, or space feels weird—tell someone immediately.
2. Honesty is the Prime Directive:
-Max, you have to be honest—with yourself and with us. No worry is too small. If you think something's off, we want to know.
-False alarms are fine. We'll take all of them seriously.
3. If Max Goes Into a Vecna State:
Step 1: Play her Kate Bush tape immediately. Volume maxed out.
Step 2: Engage her with positive reinforcement—talk to her. Say meaningful things—memories, love, anything real.
Step 3: Keep her moving—do not let her freeze. Hold her hands, shake her shoulders, whatever it takes.
Step 4: If she snaps back, get her out of the area as fast as possible.
Alternate music players with Kate Bush queued and batteries charged can be found in:
1. First Aid Kit – Bathroom – Pop's Cabin
2. Ursula's Backpack – Bedroom Close
3. Center Console – Black Betty
4. Ursula's Violin Case
The room was silent as everyone digested the seriousness of the document. Ursula looked back at Max, her voice softening slightly, though her gaze never wavered.
"Max," she said quietly,
"I need you to trust me. Give me as many false alarms as you want—I'll take them all seriously. I don't care if it's nothing."
Her tone hardened as she swept her gaze across the rest of the group.
"And if anyone makes her feel anny kind of way about it, even one fucking remark, you're getting my entire boot- strait up into your asshole. You feel me?. Like all the way up in there."
Max stared at the sheet in her hands, her tough exterior flickering as vulnerability crept into her expression. She glanced up at Ursula, her voice quiet.
"Got it," she murmured.
Ursula leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and looking Max directly in the eye. Her voice was low, steady, and unflinching.
"We are going to keep you safe, Max. I am going to keep you safe. I fucking PROMISE. OK? I mean it, dude. I'm not going to let him get you. It will be over my goddamn dead body, okay? I fucking GOT you."
Max nodded again, her voice even softer this time, and her eyes filling with tears and tentative hope.
"Okay… thank you."
The weight in the room lingered as Ursula exhaled, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. She reached back into the file box, pulling out a final stack of folders. Each one was labeled with a different title.
She held them up lazily, the exhaustion creeping back into her voice.
"This is info," she said, flipping them onto the
table with a dull thud.
"It's… everything you need to know. It'll explain why I'm here, how I know what I know, and why I is the way I is."
Her smirk returned faintly as she added,"It's not cozy bedtime reading, but it'll help."
Yawning deeply, she leaned back in her chair again, visibly swaying. Robin was already halfway out of her seat to help, but Ursula waved her off.
"Nope!" she said, shaking herself awake.
"I'm good. I'm actually gonna go catch a smoke real quick outside, though. Let this handsome prince go pee-pee all over Pop's azaleas. B!"
Bahamutt perked up from his spot by the door, his ears twitching as Ursula got to her feet. The group watched as she made her way to the door, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a cigarette and a joint.
With the cigarette tucked behind her ear, she held the joint between her fingers, glancing over her shoulder. Her eyes locked on Eddie, and she gave the tiniest upward tilt of her head and a little shake of the joint.
Eddie's brow arched, but the corner of his mouth twitched. With a small, barely perceptible nod, he got up from the couch.
"I kinda wanna have a smoke outside too," he said casually.
Ursula rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her grin.
"Come on then," she said, opening the door wide and stepping out into the cool night air, Bahamutt trotting faithfully at her side.