Cut Yourself Free

Venomous

Fuck.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.

FUCK.

"Ma... ht's... ng?" The signal coming from Josh was incredibly weak.. She couldn't talk to him, and he couldn't talk to her. For now, she was on her own until she could get high enough to send out a signal. She looked down at the smart watch on her left wrist. Good thing she spent so much time making an AI.

"Captain Rex, ping location when signal is received." she told the AI.

"Confirmed. Ping ready."

She looked up at Joseph, who was menacingly staring at her. He was wearing normal civilian clothes underneath a medium-length, dark blue cloak. She could see the gleam of a hidden blade gauntlet on his left arm. He was prepared to take her down by any means.

"What do you want, Joseph?" she asked, trying her best not to show the anxiety in her voice. Her right arm reaching into her satchel to pull out one of her own hidden blade gauntlet. Slowly, she placed it on her arm as Joseph traced her movements and pondered her next move.

"You already know the personal reasons as to why we're hunting you." he said, his voice calm and cold. "But things have changed for us. For me. The Templars have assigned Vanderlaan and I with capturing you and the Raven."

"Mom? Why do they want us?"

"The Raven stole valuable information from us, of course. You should know your own mother's job, right?"

Since he didn't give her all the details, she decided to guess why they want her as well, and not just her Mom. It was most likely as leverage to bait her Mom into a trap. After all, a mother would do anything to protect their child, but she hoped that it wouldn't come to that. But, Max wondered if the true reason they wanted her had to do with Abstergo.

"Your cooperation is appreciated, Max. Don't resist."

Those words echoed in her mind, and brought back more repressed memories. He told her that same line four years ago. Instantly, her body locked up. Her fist curled into a ball as he approached her slowly, gauging her reaction and taking note of the slightest movement. Unlike Pete, he was aware of the potential for retaliation from her.

As Max glared at Joseph, the voice returned again.

Fight for your freedom. You can't let them win.

Max looked down at the hidden blade attached to her arm. That voice, whoever it was, filled her with confidence, with the strength to fight.

You're right. I'm not letting him have his way.

Never. Again.

The signature sound of his hidden blade activating snapped her out of her thoughts. In one swift motion, she countered with her own hidden blade, metal on metal clashing together before she pushed him away. She distanced herself for a moment and pondered. She knew she couldn't win a one versus one fight, but maybe she could create enough distance to signal Josh.

She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply before suddenly dashing off in the opposite direction. Joseph expression contorted into a crazed smile, like a killer enjoying the chase his prey gave. He found it fun in his own fucked up way. He sprinted after her eagerly, his breathing becoming crazed and erratic.

The leaves under Max's feet crunched loudly as she ran, her eyes darting from tree to tree in the hopes of finding a low enough branch only to spot one at the last second. She could hear Joseph's stomps closing in. She allowed him to get closer before she suddenly grabbed onto the low hanging branch right as he went to tackle her. His body rolled forward into the dirt as she scurried up the tree. She couldn't climb all the way to the top to reach a signal just yet. She had to lose him first. Quietly, she jumped from tree top to tree top, her landings barely making a sound against the thin branches.