Fall From Grace | ENHYPEN

XXV

"Nope, no more of these shits. It seems like a stupid poorly written newspaper." Michaelis shook his head to ease the impending headache that was starting to form in his brain.

"'Currently detained. Do not bring back up. Fitzgerald fault.' I don't think this is a poorly written one, Mica" Jaxen spoke as he rereads the few sentences, they have decoded in the past three hours.

Hendryx and Tyrron both left a few hours ago after saying they still have to check around the perimeter. Jethro, Theon and Cozen are now sleeping soundly on the sofa, not really wanting to make their brain hurt from interchanging random words. Ytriel, however, had nothing to provide but his side comments and complaints.

Michaelis just groaned. "But my head is starting to hurt!" He exclaimed.

Max just looked at him with a raised eyebrow and rolled his eyes. "That's what happens when you use it for the first time" He replies coolly. 

"The fuck did you just say?" Michaelis furiously looked at the younger man, eyes boring through the man's soul.

"I said-"

"No I heard you perfectly the first time. What makes you think you are better than me, hm?" Michaelis stood up and if looks could kill, Max would be long gone and remembered.

The latter, however, didn't waver at all. He remained seated on the floor, giving the same intense stare back at the man standing in front of him.

"I think we're all just tired-" Ytriel tried to ease down the tension but failed miserably.

"No!" Michaelis chuckled in annoyance.

"Let's see what he got to say. Since he thinks he's better than anyone here. He always thinks he is. What do you really want from us, Maximillian?" He gritted his teeth, trying to stop himself from punching the man to oblivion.

When Max didn't speak, he continued talking.

"Maybe you're sent here by your own father. You said so yourself that we were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. So why are you here, when you've voiced so many times that you don't want to be associated by any of us? Now tell me, what is it that you desire?"

"Money? To be acknowledged by your own father? Oh, I know!" He laughed menacingly once again.

"You always wanted to be an only child, right? Is this you trying to get rid of your twin?" 

"Michaelis!" Jaxen finally spoke up.

"Shut your fucking mouth, Oleandre. You knew nothing about my sacrifices." Max spoke in a low warning tone, finally standing up and facing Michaelis. Even with a height difference, Max holds his head high with a piercing glare that could kill a deer or two.

"What sacrifices, Hawthorne? You never had to lift a finger. Your dear old daddy does it all for you. Everything was handed to you on a silver platter." Michaelis spat back, not backing down for a moment.

"So that's it?" Max chuckled making the three men look at him confused.

"You're jealous of me because I had everything. There you have it! You're insecure with me, Oleandre! Admit it!" Max laughed loudly enough to wake the three men sleeping, but no one moved even a quarter of inch. They must be really tired.

"I am not jealous of you. I pity you." Michaelis glared at Max, earning another hard glare from the man.

"How dare you pity me! I have everything you could never have! A father who acknowledged me as his own son, A perfect student you could never be, hell my name has been spoken more times than you could ever imagine!" Max screamed in annoyance, finally losing his cool.

He does not like how Michaelis played this game with him. 

"There's our difference. My pride is not at the peak of the Everest." That comment did it.

Max did not hesitate to throw a punch at Michaelis's face, a sickening crunch was heard from the strong impact and before Ytriel and Jaxen could ever react, the two was already brawling at the middle of the room.

Jaxen and Ytriel tried their best to pull Max away from damaging Michaelis's face even more but went all to drain. Max is a strong fighter. It will take more than a few tugs to keep him off from breaking the older man's bones.

The loud sound woke Theon and Cozen up, even Jethro. Surprised by what they saw, Theon and Cozen immediately stood up and went to help the two who's been trying to pull Max off Michaelis. And Jethro?

He remained at his place, watching the scene unfold.

"You wanted to be a punching bag so hard, huh? Lucky for you I trained all my life for this!" Max screamed and continued punching Michaelis who was focusing on defending himself from the punches the younger man was throwing.

"No matter what you do it won't change the fact that you killed Maxine!" That made Max stop from throwing hands.

Maxine Hawthorne.

Max gritted his teeth in annoyance, not leaving his eyes from the beaten-up man lying on the floor. "She never should have lived in the first place! She was living a lie! In a dollhouse where everything is perfect and organized and well!"

"So, you admit? You killed her?" Michaelis spat out the blood on his mouth, perking himself up on his elbows and smirked.

"Who is Maxine?" Jaxen finally had the courage to speak up, after being silenced and ignored.

When Max didn't answer and looked away, Jaxen screamed.

"Who is Maxine, Max!?" He pulled the older twin from his collar and forced the man to face him.

"She's someone who shouldn't have existed if you were just obedient enough" Max spoke through gritted teeth, glaring eyes now finding its way at his brother.