Hidden inheritance

Chapter 14: Delusional Day

Dark auburn clouds covered the sky above the wasteland, leaving a dim light brighten the destroyed city.

He had to escape, he had to leave, he lost so much. And if he didn't hurry, he would come to find him.

So much destruction, so many lost lives... All because he couldn't stop him...

Everyone was counting on him to stop it, to save them instead of causing so much destruction, but what did he do?

The old man was limping as he walked through the ravaged streets. Good thing the drones weren't around here anymore, he couldn't have gotten rid of them in his current state. His Plumber Suit was damaged, he'd be a goner if they found him.

"G... Gwen..." he weakly said, mourning his granddaughter.

Max kept going, he couldn't give up now. He was weak, he was old, he was injured, he couldn't go further without hurting himself, he was bound to get caught. He wouldn't stop anyway.

His footsteps were heavy as he tried to get away from what was left of Bellwood, he was about to collapse at any second now.

He was alone, he didn't have his family with him anymore, they were all... gone...

All... because of him...

He should have stopped him when he got the chance, instead of leaving him around until he got to know his weaknesses.

Max coughed as he struggled to pass through the houses' remains, he had a very slim chance of getting away and finding help.

And any chance he had before was now rendered null as a figure came from behind a destroyed building.

"You look like you need help, Plumber." hissed a voice.

Startled, Max turned around, horrified and angered to see Vilgax.

"You're even more pathetic than in our last encounter." he mocked. "Look at you, abandoned by everyone... lost because you can't rely on anyone else to do your dirty job for you..."

"Speak for yourself!" coughed Max, in awful shape. "You tried to hurt my family for years, all for one watch. If I could, I'd- argh!"

The squid man was now strangling him with his claws, glaring at him with murderous red eyes.

"You're one to talk, Maxwell Tennyson. You made my family suffer more than yours ever did, this is only justice for what you've done. Tch."

He dropped Max without a warning, earning a resentful glare from the old man.

"You hid him for so long, I spent nights looking for him, raising him, training him. All of those things you neglected to do because you could never truly care for him like I did."

Max's look switched to fear when he realized what Vilgax was talking about.

"You... bastard... You made him do this, didn't you?"

Vilgax laughed, his voice booming through the battlefield. "How foolish are you? He did this on his own. He hated you so much, he was only doing what was right for him."

Max gritted his teeth. "I should've known I had to get rid of him as soon as I could..."

"Interesting confession for someone who's time on this planet is timed." declared Vilgax. He smirked as he saw Max cower again. "Don't worry, I won't get to kill you, I could never."

Max stared. There was a hidden meaning behind what he said, he knew it. Vilgax always had a trick somewhere, and he knew what it was when he heard footsteps coming in.