Chapter 6

Max groaned; his headache was like hammers to his skull. Well, at least it was dark. Wait, where was he? Max sat up, a hand to his head. He was alone in an empty room, there was a barred window near the ceiling right next to the farthest corner. A small amount of light filtered through the window, only sealing the fact that he was alone.

Okay, there is nothing here. I could've sworn that Alina was taking me back to Vincent's room. Max stretched out his legs against the floor finally noticing the shackles trapping his ankles… what? When did these get here? Max looked down his arms, seeing the same shackles entrapping his wrists as well. What's going on?

Almost like his senses finally started working, his ears catching everything at once. Ear-piercing screams were coming from somewhere close to him, and metal clanging against other metals. Where is he?! He shouldn't be here!

Max felt trapped, this doesn't feel right. He needs to get out of here! But where is here? Where is Vincent? Where is Alina? Where's Delilah? Was she in here too? She can't be here; she can't be going through whatever the person screaming is going through… right?

"WHY DON'T YOU FUCK OFF!" Max flinched, why was that so close to him? There are dragging and stomping noises coming closer to him. Please, don't get him. Please…

As soon as Max pressed all his body into the corner, the door to the room opened. Two people walked in dragging someone in between them, the two standing were wearing full-face masks and what looked like medium-grade armor. The person in between them was groaning, as blood dripped down their face. Speaking of their face –

"Vincent?!" Whoever the people are that's holding Vincent laughed and threw him closer to Max.

One snorted, pointing towards Max. "Look, carrot top wants to play hero!"

The other chuckled, walking up to Max. Max cowered and pressed impossibly further into the wall, watching the guard's every move. Now in front of Max, the guard squatted down and looked into Max's eyes. "What's your name boy?" Max gulped, slowly bringing his arms to protect his face. The guard scowled, "I said," he grabbed a handful of ginger hair and pulled Max closer to his face. "What is your name boy?!"

Max felt tears slip down his cheeks as he cried out, trying to grab the guard's hand. "Leave him alone you bastard!" Max and the guards looked towards the floor where Vincent was leaning on his elbows. "He has nothing to do with me!"

"Ah, the Popov kid." The guard still standing by the door snickered, slowly walking up to him. The second guard moved out of the way so Max could fully see the scene in front of him. Vincent glared at the guard walking up to him, growling slightly. "Don't you think you've had enough? You always want to accuse and anger us."

Vincent spat at the guard's feet, looking back up at them with a spite-filled glare. "Do I get bonus points if I pretend to care?" Vincent grunted as a fist connected to his cheek.

"Stop! My name is Max! That's what you wanted right?! Max! That's my name." Max yelled his voice wavering, looking back up to the guard holding his hair. "Now please, leave him alone!" Max cried, tears forming in his eyes.

The guards both looked at each other before leaving silently. Max watched them leave before crawling to Vincent crying out to him, "Vincent! Vincent are you okay?"

Max was able to get Vincent's head on his lap, positioning him in the recovery position. "I'm not Vincent." Max stilled, looking down at the boy in his lap. Max's brain started to work again, carefully setting the brunette against the wall.

"Okay then, who am I talking to?" Max asked, examining the male's face. They had a black eye and blood was dripping from their nose. Okay, he can do something about that. Pinching their nose, Max kept looking for other injuries, ignoring the hiss from the slumped body in front of him.

Whoever was in front of him sighed, grabbing their head in pain. They muttered to themselves, possibly in Russian before answering Max. "My name is Tally… the voices don't want you talking to me."

Max paused, does this one have mental issues, or do they hear the other alters? He'll have to research it later. "Okay, well do you want to talk to me? You don't have to listen to them."

Tally stayed still for a while; a clouded look glimmered in his eyes. They snapped out of it, looking back into Max's eyes. "I… I do… it's just…. They're really loud and are trying to push me out."

"Okay, that's okay…" Max muttered, tilting their head back, still pinching their nose. What if their headspace or whatever it's called wanted to keep some secrets from him? What if one of Vincent's alters wants to hurt him? It will defiantly explain whoever rammed his head into the cupboards. Max sighed, maybe this wasn't what they were hiding, maybe they weren't hiding anything at all, but he had to try. "You know, if you guys have secrets you don't have to tell me. I can just pretend I didn't hear it if you accidentally do!"

Tally nodded, humming a little. It was silent for a minute, Max continuing to care for Tally as much as he could. Then a thought crossed Max's mind. "Hey Tally, what pronouns do you use? I don't want you to get angry if I use the wrong ones."

Tally looked him in the eyes for a second before looking towards the cell door. Then Tally mumbled, "I use neo-pronouns. Ve, Vem, Vir." Oh, okay a little weird but it's fine. Max smiled and nodded finally letting go of vir nose.

Tally watched as Max wiped any blood he got on his hands on his pants, vir face gaining wrinkles as ve thought about what ve saw. Would Max know anything about this? "Max, are we in an anime?"

"What?" Max asked, turning back to Tally. Tally looked to the ground for a second before looking back up at Max. "I saw someone who looks like they are half-wolf." Max grew quiet, what was ve talking about? Didn't the government talk to them before they moved here? Hell, didn't their government have the same warnings?

Before Max could say anything though, an explosion near them shook the room. Tally quickly put vemselves between Max and the blast. Uncovering his eyes, Max saw several black figures with guns run through the hole in the wall and start to fight the black figures running toward them. What the hell is going on?!

"Max! Come on we need to go!" Max looked to whoever called his name, Tally; vey started to pull him through the hole in the wall.

There were lots of black cars outside. Lots of people with guns. It's too loud.

Where is Tally taking me?

BANG!

Max screamed as he fell to the floor. Why was that gunshot louder?

Max put his hands under his shoulder and pushed, only to have his shoulder throb in pain. Something wet and sticky slithered down his arm and made his sleeve stick to his skin.

Did… Did he get shot?! NonononononoNO! Why is this happening to him of all people?! This only happens to bad people! He has done everything right! So WHY?!

"Max come on!" Tally ran up to him again and forcibly pulled him off the floor. Ve stuck a hand on Max's shoulder and pressed down hard. Max screamed again and leaned onto Tally for support.

Max could hear muffling. Cars revving. What is going on now? His shoulder flared up in pain with every beat of his heart. He can't survive this. It hurts too much.

Before his world faded to black, the last thing he saw was Vincent yelling at him slowly.