Strings Of Fate & Falling

"I don't know. But I'm glad you are" he said looking to her he was already showing signs of breaking down right in front of them. He looked to the floor. "I almost lost you"

Roxy wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hey, it's ok. It's ok, Max." she reassured him, looking into his eyes. "You should know by now you could never lose me."

Max looked to her. The tears clear on his face as he held her close to him

She held no objection as she nuzzled into him, her hand cradling his neck and stroking it soothingly. Roxy closed her eyes for a moment, before kissing his cheek. "Remember what I said, yeah? Me and you are forever..." she whispered so only he would hear her.

"You and me" he said  pulling back. "I know... If he comes back he better be ready for a fight"

Roxanne looked to him with concerned eyes.

Ash grunted as he sat up, staring in Max's direction. "If he comes back, I hope you're the one that's ready for the fight..." he sighed.

"That's what I was going to say." Roxanne said, still looking to Max.

"I'm always ready to defend everything that's close to me. To me this guys all smoke and mirrors..." He glared out the windo and snapped his fingers something caught ablaze. "You can't hide things from me smoky"

Roxanne went to Ash and sat down next to him. "Sorry, I know you should be resting...but, I'm curious about this Ratchet guy..."

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "I'm afraid I don't know that much about him. The only one that knows Ratchet the most, other than himself, is Luna the Hedgehog, and she's far from our reach."

She furrowed her brows before she still looked to him. "Still, any information we can get on him would be useful."

Max sighed. "Either way he's stronger than anything we've come up against. I could tell just by looking at him. Something isn't right in the guys head."

Ash snorted. "That's an understatement. He's the most psychopathic person I've ever come across." he said, before he began to explain everything he knew about him.

Afterwards, Roxanne sighed and looked between them. "Yeah, he sounds...even from me, he sounds terrifying. Though, if he's a cold blooded killer, why didn't he kill me and Max and Kieko when he had the chance?"

Ash shrugged. "Jeez. I don't know everything about him, Roxanne. I don't know how he thinks and operates..."

"All I know is he's coming back in one week. And if ash refuses to go with him the whole village might be his next target" max said. He looked to ash. "I know you don't want to give into him. And I won't make you. So out only option is to prepare for him and his goons to come here and ready to fight"

Ash looked to him, staring in silence before he finally nodded. "You better hope he comes here alone." was all he said, before he gradually passed out on Roxanne's lap. Exhaustion quickly enveloped him as his head rested on her lap.

Roxanne was surprised at first, but it may have been that he hadn't eaten or drunk anything since he arrived. She hesitantly and gently placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. It felt normal. She sighed as she stayed put.

Kieko approached them both and lowered his hand down to Ash's forehead too, a soft white glow appearing from his hands, before he pulled away. "It will soothe the pain." he explained to her.

"Guys probably famished. I'll get started on some food for us all" he said walking to the kitchen. He wasn't happy that he lay on roxy's lap but right now he had other things to worry about.

Roxanne watched as he walked to the kitchen, before she started stroking his head when he pulled a fearful expression, possibly due to a nightmare.

Kieko sighed, before he walked to the kitchen to join Max. "I make us drinks while you do that." he flashed a smile in his direction. "The guy already seems comfortable with Roxanne." he commented, just making an observation as he chose to make smoothies.

"He's not going to be too comfortable" he said with a pang of jealousy. "Maybe I'm just a little hot headed but I wanna light a fire on his tail"

Kieko looked in his direction with a serious expression. "Calm yourself Max. I'm sure he's not intending on making a pass on Roxanne. I think the idea that getting his ass kicked if he did was drilled into his head by you." he said, cutting up bits of fruit before he sighed. "A jealous side like that can be dangerous Max. Believe me, I know. Don't do anything you know you'll regret."

Kieko was just looking out for him, and while Kieko may still hurt after learning about them being together; after experiencing that same jealousy if not more, he just wanted to make sure Max understood.

"I know... I'm just being a hot head." He said starting to cook. He now understood how kieko felt. "If I get too steamed promise you'll hit me to snap me out of it"

Kieko snorted, placing the fruit into the blender. "It'll be my pleasure. For all those times I wanted to hit you..." he smirked, before he scraped the rest of the fruit off the chopping board and into the machine. "I'm sure you won't need to feel that way though, just concentrate on this psycho we have to deal with. I couldn't bear it if Roxanne was hurt by him...or worse."

Max sighed. "I won't let him near her if I can help it. He wasn't able to freeE me when he took ash and roxy. I may be able to match him, but at the same time I might be risking using all my power."

Kieko already knew the answer to his question as he switched the blender on after putting the cap on. "Do you want me to assist you?" he asked, looking to him.

Roxanne continued to cradle Ash's head in her lap, looking down at him and giving the smallest of smiles as he breathed in and out deeply.

"If he comes alone. If not your gonna need to help keep one of his goons busy"

Kieko suddenly sighed, looking over to Roxanne. "Though...I don't want to leave her unprotected. Who's to say he can protect her when he can't even protect himself with the state he's in." he said, shaking his head as he turned off the blender when the contents was smooth and without lumps.

Max looked to them. "Well I have my dad who's a demon and my dad whose a Templar, my sister is a master martial artist and I'm a half demon and yur a guardian I think we got the protecting her covered"

Kieko frowned. "This guy is slippery." he growled a little as he took off the cap and started pouring the contents into several glasses. "I just...had a nightmare about this once." he put down the container and looked to the floor. "I feel like I'm being reduced to a paranoid wreck."

He's not going to get near her again" max said with a growl. "I'll make sure of that"