Age of Antiheroes

Chapter 4 - Maximus

"I think you've had enough," he huffs, attempting to pull back his hand.

As his blood flows through me, a warm rush electrifies every nerve ending. My heart races, my vision blurs, and my muscles tighten. It's a feeling reminiscent of the first time I injected myself. My senses sharpen, clearer and more vivid than they've been in years. The gallons of blood I've consumed over the past seven years seem trivial compared to this. I haven't felt this alive in nearly a decade.

"Just a bit more," I plead, desperation creeping into my voice.

His eyes narrow, lips curling downward. "You've taken over a liter of blood from me. That's more than enough for one day."

"Just give me a minute..."

I'm not above begging for this. I'm feeding a hunger that I didn't even know existed, lying dormant within me for years. Though my body writhes in pain, my mind feels as if it can finally find some reprieve.

"Please. I need this."

He sighs, shoulders sagging. "You get ten seconds."

I drink as greedily as I can until his hand is snatched away, and I nearly collapse against his shoulder.

"We need to find you a place to lie down. There's an abandoned hospital nearby. It's dark and quiet. There will be fewer eyes on us there."

Before I can respond, I feel blood rushing from my head, replaced by a warm, heavy sensation. My vision slowly fades to black. A tingling spread throughout my body, and a constant ringing reverberates in my ears. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed. For a moment, I am disoriented, thinking I'm back in my former life, in my old community, and that everything I've experienced since was just a dream.

"You're awake. You were out for nearly an hour," he says, his voice steady.

"I fainted?"

He nods, placing a hand to my forehead. I reach into my coat pocket and pull out a crumpled cigarette.

"You mind lighting this for me?"

"Seriously? Now?!"

"Now's as good a time as any."

He pauses, rubbing his eyes and massaging his temples.

"To be honest, I'm not so sure about giving you my blood anymore."

I jolt upright, eyes widening in disbelief. "We had a deal. Your life in exchange for an endless supply of your blood. If you still value your life, you'll want to reconsider that thought."

He snatches the cigarette from my fingers and flicks it across the room. "If you want me to work with you, you need to start valuing your life."

I sit up straighter, tension coiling in my muscles. "How I choose to live my life is none of your business."

"When was the last time you ate?"

I wrap my arms around my torso. "What does that have to do with anything?!"

"We don't know if your fainting spell was due to drinking my blood... it could have been hunger or dehydration."

I swallow hard, my voice flat. "In case you haven't noticed, the entire world is starving. With every meal I consume, I'm taking it away from a family that needs it more."

He pauses, his gaze sharp, piercing into mine. "You worry a lot about other people."

"That's what separates you from me. You take without a second thought for how it affects anyone else."