By now, the Cyexians had beaten Ron to the point that he could no longer stand up. Still they propped him up and continued pummeling him. Slash stepped back in to pound on him. She was in a bad mood now, and she was going to take it out on her prisoner.
She cocked back her foot—
And was bowled over by a high kick in the back. Even as she rolled away, she could see her opponent slam into one of the others holding Ron with another leaping kick, but couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing. She watched, stunned, as the other Cyexian dropped Ron and reached around for the boy who had attacked her partner.
Something had snapped inside of Max, and in his rage he couldn’t watch this anymore. Now he fought furiously, leaping over Ron’s sprawled form with a low, sweeping kick that floored Ron’s other tormentor. Slash’s crew finally regained their initiative, and Max turned, dodging the first attacker and kicking her aside.
He turned and blocked another attack—
Angered at having been blindsided by one who was little more than a child, Slash caught his arm in a vice-grip, knocking him off his feet with a swift kick of her own.
“Ron!” cried Max as he struggled to his feet.
But the other Cyexians were on him before he could get up, pinning him just as they had done to Ron.
“Dad! Help!” Max called out, struggling to break free, and thinking surely his father must be close at hand now. “Dad—”
And Slash silenced him, too, just as she had Ron. All of the fight went out of him with the air in his lungs. Now it was all he could do just to breathe. His knees buckled, then gave out, and the Cyexians were left holding him up for a moment, an almost exact repeat of what had happened to Ron.
One of the Cyexians swung at Max, but Slash caught her wrist at the last moment.
“Stay your hand!” she ordered sternly, having mastered herself again with uncanny swiftness. “Don’t touch him!”
In spite of his pain, Max lifted his head in unabashed surprise.
While the others waited for Slash to say “He’s mine!” or something to that effect, she instead told them, “Pick up that fool Ron. He may yet be of use to us.”
She turned to Max as one of her minions pinned his arms behind him, tapping Max’s headband and saying, “I know that symbol. So, you’re his little brat…”
Though his feet barely touched the ground, Max found that not all of the fight had been knocked out of him with his wind. He struggled, but weakly, for he still hadn’t regained his strength after getting the wind knocked out of him. But even as he stared defiantly at her, he began to understand what she had in mind.
I can’t give up! Max thought desperately, fearing he was running out of time. I’ve gotta do something…
Author's Chapter Notes:
can't watch anymore
