Duality Doesn't Exist [Set It Off] [[DISCONTINUED]]

Shatter Me.

'No, no, no, NO, NO!' Everything in Mirror Maxx's mind screamed to move once the branch slammed into the bigger dog, snapping in half and sending both of them tumbling to either side of the massive beast. He tried to stand up and run under the black dog to see if Rayne was safe, but he was knocked over by the smaller dog.

Rayne, on the other side, stared the large black dog in its eyes, paralyzed with fear. Everything in them screamed to move, but they didn't. They just stared, wide-eyed and mouth agape. The only movement they made was shifting their weight from their injured foot.

"Rayne, hey!" Mirror Maxx called out, "Are you okay?"

"I-" Rayne stammered, "I-I think... um... what do I do?"

"Don't move," he directed, staring the brown dog in the eyes. "Just... be still, they might leave..."

"I'm sorry," they whimpered, "I-I don't know where my knife went."

The knife! Mirror Maxx slowly fumbled on the ground, grabbing his knife and a few leaves. He was trying not to startle the dog in front of him, who had its teeth bared.

"Okay. Wild idea. Just bear with me here." He tried talking to Maxx through his mind, sending a plea for help before continuing. In the silence, he heard Rayne telling him to go on through sobs. "Once you hear the dog whining or crying, run. Just run, okay?"

"What about you?" Their voice was choked up, tears spilling from their cheeks. "You- you're gonna be okay, right?"

"I'll live," he promised. "On the count of three, make a break for the road and find the guys. I've already asked Maxx for help. It's gonna be fine, just go for it."

"Uh... okay..." they slowly reached their hand up to let the giant dog sniff, but it just snarled, letting a bark ring through the quiet woods. They cried and flinched back.

"One..." Maxx stared the dog in the eyes, gripping his knife tighter. "Two..." with a force of will. He jerked his arm up and stabbed the dog in the eye. It howled and reared up, tearing the knife out of his hands. "GO!"

The black dog barked as Rayne screamed and took off, leaving Mirror Maxx with two dogs.

"Easy, easy, woah-!" The black dog charged him, roughly knocking him into a tree and the breath out of him, then chasing after Rayne. "No, no, hey!" He screamed, but the brown dog barked and bit onto his arm, treating it like a vicious tug of war, the knife still stuck in its eye.

Mirror Maxx tried his best to fight through the pain, grabbing the knife and stabbing it again.  It snarled and yanked him forward, keeping ahold on his arm as he threw him into a tree. His head slammed into the trunk, and he felt himself black out for a moment. 'No, no, hang on!' He screamed to himself. He tried to stay concious, doing his best to free his bloody, possibly broken arm.

He stabbed the dog once more, and it finally let go and ran off, following the howls of the black dog.

With the last of his strength, he tried running after it, but he tripped and fell on his bloody arm, pain screaming through his arm to the rest of his body. He screamed out, hoping somebody would be able to help him. His arm was bent at the weirdest angle, and just looking at it made him sick. He forced himself not to throw up, and he held his arm to his chest, running in the way the dogs did, hoping Rayne was okay. He saw nothing but blurry trees in the dark. He tripped and stumbled, but froze when he heard voices.

"Maxx! Maxx, Rayne, y'all okay?" His own voice called.

"Here!" He cried, still following the path the dogs went, this part of the woods suddenly becoming so familiar.