her hollow heart

chapter 15: a bloodied family.. inside of a family?!

Dylan's POV:

I walk down an empty, dark hallway within the prison. Turning corners left and right blindly, looking for anything. I see sparks at the end of the corridor before sprinting towards it, spear in hand. I meet a face in the dark. "Max...? What are you doing down here?" I ask, genuinely confused and concerned. "Uhhmm... just tryna do the thingy you did with Kasper's body."

"... Oh. Well, use a small flammable material like cotton, linen, silk, or a spray, specifically air fresheners, deodorant or bug repellent. Then grab two pieces of iron and wrap aluminium foil around one before harshly skimming the unwrapped one on the other which will make the aluminium burn off into molten slag which can get up to about 2,000-2,500 degrees Celsius." Everything was silent for a while as she stared at me. "Nerd," was all she said.

I'd pick Max up, putting her on my shoulders as we walk back to the group. "Dylan, wanna have a little... fun?" She asked. I hesitantly nodded before being dragged outside. We went to the more zombie populated areas of Birmingham. "You ready?" she said, high in pride. "As I'll ever be," I reply, spear in hand. She skilfully preformed a quick draw shot, nailing a zombie in the dong.

"Woah..." I said before thinking a little. "Max, wanna see something I've been working on privately?" I ask. Max didn't hesitate to shout her answer, "Hell yeah!!!" I'd smirk, planting my spear in the ground before reaching into my pockets. I remove my hands from my pockets, revealing gauntlets which had seemed to have attached right on my arms. I immediately spring into action, Max's bullets fly around in a flurry as my fists break the bones of the undead.

We fought in unison, killing dozens upon dozens of zombies. The best part hasn't even arrived. As we broke through hordes, my energy would deplete, and so I had made up my mind. "Oi! Don't get too close, kiddo!" I call. Now hitting as hard as possible, before finally the feature triggers. A small explosion would erupt from the gauntlets punch, blowing the heads off a few zombies.

"What the hell was that!!" screamed Max. I could only laugh before regaining myself. "A while back I had found a ton of fireworks, so I took them and used the gunpowder for these bad boys, sick huh?" Max would turn around and pout a little, "Lucky bastard... I want cool boom boom too..."

I finish off the last few undead before walking up to Max, patting her head. "Good job, your marksman skills are impressive. I have no doubt that you'll be the greatest shooter ever," I tell her. She'd smile. "Hey, Dylan. Is it alright if I consider you to be my dad?" Her question shocked me, but I gained a feeling of relief. "Of course! I'd be happy to be your father figure," and just like that, Max turned excited, grabbing me and running back to the prison.

We stood in front of everyone as Max spoke. "Hey you all! I have a fuckin baddass dad!!" her words would fill me with laughter as we talked endlessly. Night would fall and I'd head to my cell. However, Max tugged on my shirt. "Dad, could I sleep with you? I always see weird shadows at night, and it freaks me out." I nod in reply, bringing her with me. I'd tuck her in the bed. "Goodnight, my child," I say, patting her head gently before letting her drift to sleep.

Max's POV:

I'd wake up in the middle of the night, expecting dad to be in his own room. To my shock he was laying on the cold floor. I sigh before putting a pillow under his head and one next to him before throwing over the blanket. "I love you dad," I whisper all before going into his pockets. I couldn't feel them at first, but soon enough I had felt them already on my arms.

I pull my arms towards myself; jeez these gauntlets are heavy. I'd snatch a few cartridges of gunpowder, and just like that, I ran into the dark abyss of the night, guided by a faint light. I ran, and I ran, and I ran, before finally finding a large group of these dead freaks. I let out a series of devastating hits, copying the flow of how I saw dad punch. Jab, right, left, right, into an uppercut with the left before shattering their heads into pieces.

"Jesus Christ dad... how the fuck did you keep up..." I say, tiring out. I punch as hard as I can as use my first cartridge, exploding a dozen zombies with a single punch, leading to some behind them being burnt, singed and set on fire. It hurt so bad... the recoil was too much. I should probably go back now.

I'd turn around- but there were more. So, I fight my way through, I was so close, but the pain was too much. I had two cartridges left. Shit... shit, shit, shit! I was probably gunna die tonight. I lean on a wall, sitting down while tired, I've given up. Tears cover my eyes as memories pass. I hear a sound from a far. "DON'T TOUCH MY FUCKING DAUGHTER!!!" I turn my head. "Dad...?"

It was Dylan. He would get closer, punching anything in his way between him and I. He'd finally get to me, "Sweetie, are you okay!?" he asked, I hear the panic in his voice, his face said it all. "Aww... I love you too dad," I cough violently, tired. But with dad's help, I manage to get up, handing him a gauntlet. "Wanna do something badass?"

He'd sigh. "You're hopeless, you know that right?" he said with a chuckle as he put the gauntlet. I'd get back on my own two feet, tossing dad a cartridge while loading in one for my gauntlet.