It was only a second after Max had said that. And after yet another second, Tiffany lunged at Max at an incredible speed and held him down.
Max: What the...?! Hey!
She got on top of him and restrained his arms with her own hands.
Max: Hey, what the heck?! Let me go! I came here to save you guys!
Tiffany quickly landed a punch on his face.
Tiffany: Yeah, right.
Max: Hey... hey... What was that for?
Max struggled to wrench himself free from Tiffany. He was surprised by how strong she was, not that he was a particularly sporty person.
Rose: Tiff, wait!
Tiffany: No, Rose! Now''s not the time! We all know what happens when you put those helmets on.
Rose: But...
Rose winced. Ken and Luke watched the spectacle intently. Something was off.
Max: When I put that helmet on? What the heck are you talking about?
Tiffany: Don''t play dumb with us.
Max: I''m not playing! Seriously! Let me go!
Max continued to try to spring free while Tiffany held him down. But she slowly became less sure of what she was doing.
Tiffany: (thinking: Somethings not right. Since when do dark puppets talk this much. And his eyes...)
Max: Seriously, Tiffany! It''s me! Let me go!
Rose: Tiff!
Luke: Tiff, hold on, let him go. I don''t think he''s joking.
Tiffany slowly began to release him before re- gripping him in the exact same way.
Rose: Tiff!
Tiffany: Rose! Read his mind!
Rose nodded and started to try to enter his mind. She tried once and then twice and then a third time.
Rose: I... I can''t.
Max: Wait, you can read minds?
Rose: Um... well...
Tiffany: Don''t talk to her! Ken! Scan him!If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Ken: Right!
Ken''s eye turned red again and scanned Max for several seconds.
Tiffany: Well...
Ken: I don''t believe it. That explains as to why Rose can''t read his mind.
Tiffany: Well? Is he possessed or not?
Ken: No. He''s clear.
Tiffany let go and jumped back. Both teens panted.
Rose: Max, are you ok?
Max: Finally. Jeez. (to Tiffany) What the heck was that for?
Tiffany: Ken, how is that possible?
Max: Hey, I was talking to you!
Luke: Max, wait...
Max: What the heck was that about!?
Tiffany: I... I apologise.
Max: I.... (sighs). Nevermind.
Tiffany: Ken?
Ken: It truly was a fascinating spectacle. I wish I''d scanned him sooner.
Luke: Well, Einstein?
Ken: I may as well. Rose?
Rose: Yes?
Ken: Do you know how your mind reading powers work?
Rose: Yes, I mean... well... kinda...
Ken: When you try to read a mind, you send a weak electrical impulse from your brain to your target''s brain that enters said target''s brain and afterwards comes back to your brain with information. It would just so happen that a weak electronic field surrounds Max''s body. And that field blocks all the electrical impulses you send to it.
Rose: No way!
Luke: What does that have to do with the mask?
Ken: It means that Rose''s electrical impulse will always be blocked by it. I suppose that that is the same reason as to why Max remained unaffacted by the helmet, seeing as it follows the same principle.
Tiffany: I see.
Rose: Really?
Luke: Huh.
Max: What are you talking about?
Ken: In short, you, Max, are immune to this helmet''s ability to control people.
Max: I''m what? The mask''s what?
Rose: Yay, Max is on our side!
Ken: He''s just full of surprises.
Tiffany: Hold it.
Rose: Huh?
Tiffany: That explains as to why the mask didn''t control you. But what exactly are you doing here?
Luke: She has a good point. It''s pretty weird for you to show up like this just after we met you.
Rose: But... well....
Max: I... uhhhh.... hehe. I followed you guys here.
Luke, Ken, Rose, and Tiffany: You what!?
Tiffany: So I was right. We were being followed.
Ken: Yeah, but how? I thoroughly scanned the area just before we got in.
Max: Well I...
Max got up and super sped to Ken.
Max: ....just so happened...
Then to Luke.
Max: ...to be...
Then to Tiffany.
Max: ...to fast...
And finally to Rose.
Max: ... for all of you.
Max was mighty proud of himself for just showing off, and the rest were absolutely shocked.
Rose: (huge gasp) No way.
Luke: Woah.
Ken: Even more interesting.
Tiffany: What!
Max: Hmph. Yeah. I just used my super speed to run out of the way. Pretty cool, right?
Tiffany: That was...
Rose: Super cool. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I never would have imagined that you had superpowers too!
Luke: Yeah, me neither.
Ken: Absolutely.
Tiffany: Wait, hold on! Why on earth did you follow us?
Max: Well, I just saw you guys preparing for something late at night, and so I figured.... well....
Tiffany: That you''d follow people that you''d just met that day on an hour long journey to a place you know nothing about.
Max: Yeah. Ehehe. But hey! It worked out, right?
Tiffany angrily glared at him.
Tiffany: You''re just so... ugh!
Rose: It''s alright, Tiff. After all, he saved us.
The sound of marching was heard in the distance from the tunnel from which they''d earlier left.
Rose: Oh no. They''re coming.