Chapter 11

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Max's POV:

John looks shocked at this news.

"We think it's a new legacy. Her being able to resurrect people," Ivan tells John. John turns around and glares at him. Ivan looks down and I can see Adam scowling at him.

John turns to me and, without bothering to lower his voice down, he asks, "Okay, I know why you resurrected Nine and Five, but why him?"

I roll my eyes and explain everything that happened to him at camp.

Adam scoffs when I'm done. "Nico di Angelo. Someone bring him here and hold him down, I'm going to punt him right after this piece of cra-"

"Adam," I hiss at him. He turns to me and his expression automatically softens and I suddenly remember every moment we shared in the penthouse. Speaking of the penthouse...

"John? Where are all the others?" I ask John.

"Waiting for us by the penthouse. Don't worry, they're all fine. I'm pretty sure they won't be after they see him, though." John jerks his head towards Ivan, who looks down. I roll my eyes at him.

"Alright. Another question: where are all the chests?" I ask and John's eyes widen, like he also just remembered that we left the chests in the penthouse.

"Oh shoot."

Eight's POV:

"We should go look for them. They obviously must've felt it, too," Six says and I know she's referring to the scars on our ankles. We all felt the icy blasts after John and Adam left to find Max. We all checked our ankles and automatically realized that Nine and Five's scars were gone. Then Marina pointed out that that was the same feeling she felt when Max, One, and Three were resurrected. So we all concluded that Nine and Five are alive.

I pace around everyone, twirling Nine's pipe staff in my fingers. I turn to Six and know that she's right. John and Max must've felt it as well, but I don't think we should go waltzing into the woods looking for them when we don't have any information about where they are.

"I wish we could, but we don't have any of our legacies and we don't even know where to find them or where to look," Ella tells Six, spitting out the words I was just thinking.

Six sighs. "I just don't want to stay here and do nothing while our friends might be getting captured, or worse," Six replies and Marina nods.

"I feel the same way. Sam? Eight? Malcolm? What do you guys think we should do?" Marina asks Sam, Malcolm, and I. I stop twirling Nine's pipe staff, which I so badly want to give back to him, and stop pacing in front of the others. They all turn to me but I don't know what to say. Of course I want to go looking for them, but it could be really dangerous. One or more of us can end up either dead or captured and tortured for information on the others. I honestly don't know which one's worse.

I sigh. "I don't know, Marina. Maybe half of us should go looking for them while the other half stay here just in case anything bad happens," I say, thinking of the words at the top of my head.

Sam chuckles. "You're starting to sound like John," he says and I can't help but smile.

"Alright, half of us go, half of us stay. Who wants to go and who wants to stay?" Malcolm asks everyone.

"At least one Garde should stay here, just in case some more Mogs decide to pay us a visit," Sam says and his hazel eyes flicker to Six and back to the ground.

"Me and Ella will stay. Marina and Eight will go looking for the others. And BK should go, too. To scout ahead," Six responds and I can see a smile tugging at the edges of Sam's lips, but he tries to keep it cool around Six.

I nod my head. "Alright Marina, BK, let's go. Stay here, guys," I tell everyone and Six rolls her eyes.

"Where would we go anyways? Australia?" She asks sarcastically. I smile and and turn towards the woods. Marina and BK are next to me, and I have Nine's pipe staff gripped tightly in my hand, and I know I'm ready.

I take a deep breath and step forward. "Alright, let's go," I tell Marina and BK and together we make our way into the dark woods.

Ivan's POV:

I already feel like I should leave again.

Five minutes with John and Adam and they're already shooting me hundreds of warning looks and trying their best to keep Max away from me. The only good thing about that is that Max keeps pushing them away anytime they'd try to separate her from me.

I feel connected to her somehow. And it's not because we basically switched off deaths. I mean, get this: I killed Max three years ago and she was resurrected. She killed me a few days ago and now I was resurrected. Is this just some twisted, weird coincidence or are Max and I supposed to be death-and-resurrection buddies?

As Adam desperately attempts to peel Max away from me and fails once again, I smile down at her. As we're heading towards the penthouse Six, Marina, Eight, Ella, Sam, Malcolm, and their Chimæra Bernie Kosar are waiting for us, I grab Max's hand and lead her away from the others, so I can talk to her in private. She seems confused at first but follows me anyways.

"Hey!" I hear John yell to me. I turn around to face him and he looks angry.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asks me and when I don't answer him, he shoves me hard on my chest and my grip on Max's hand slips.

"John, stop," Max orders John warningly. John ignores her and focuses on me.

Then he raises a fist and punches me in the face. I don't expect it and stumble backwards in surprise.

"John!" Max yells and then I hear her yelp in surprise.

I look towards her to see Adam restraining her from behind, holding both of her arms behind her back. Seeing her desperately trying to get to me but failing makes me furious.

I jump up and run towards Adam but John pushes me back. I fight against him, but even without his super strength, he's still really strong.

"John, stop it!" Max cries out and it makes me even more angry.

"John, cut it out," a calm, male voice orders John. He freezes as he's about to punch me in the face again.

He turns towards the voice and so do I. To my surprise- and to John's, too- it's Five who stepped up and told John to stop.

John takes a deep breath and lets his clenched hand fall. He turns towards Adam, who's still holding Max back. I'm going to punch his face in ten times for even touching her.

"Let her go," John orders Adam calmly, his voice soft. Adam automatically lets go of Max's arms, but Max isn't as calm and collected as John is right now. The moment she's free from Adam's tight grip, she whips around and punches Adam in the face hard. Adam falls to the ground, groaning, now holding his cheek which will definitely be badly bruised.

Aww, come on, I wanted to do that.

Max turns towards John, still furious, meanwhile John looks guilty and ashamed for what he did.

"Max, I-I'm sorry..." John reaches out to Max, hoping to end the obvious tension between them. Max just grabs John's wrist and twists it a bit. John winces in pain and Max glares at him before shoving him away from her.

"Do not touch me," she orders John coldly, her voice a deadly calm. It's honestly kind of scary. Then she whips around again and storms off into the woods, right where I was leading her to, and of course, I chase right after her.

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