Max

"We need to check on Peter. Max please." The blonde begged as he was gracelessly being dragged by the other. It had been over a week by now. Vaughn was had made very little progress on getting her to agree on anything as the paranoid shifter refused to have any contact with anyone that at one point had been affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D.. She by the least wasn't altered by the drug that had long ago burned out of her system but the traumatizing effects of the cruel punishment were still lasting. She just didn't trust anyone after that but if experience. Vaughn wasn't going to argue with her thoughts and response to what happened or the reasons she made that decision but it wasn't completely logical to apply it to everyone and it was just making life for the blonde that much harder.

"No."

"Don't you care anymore? Don't you care about Peter and Wade? What happened to all of your concern, that one sided bond that you didn't care if they returned, You protected them. I thought you had found your place somewhere, being able to connect with them. You love them Max. They're the closest thing to a family you've ever had and you vowed to protect them." Vaughn said looking at the alpha with wide, innocent and confused eyes. He didn't understand. He couldn't understand her emotions towards the subject, she was guarding them somehow and he couldn't push past the shield. It was unlike something he had ever encountered before and it scared him to not be able to feel her total and truthful thoughts.

Vaughn faltered with fear as the alpha turned in him quickly. Instinctively he ducked away to avoid eye contact as he tried to make himself lesser before her as his shirt was grasped harshly between fists before he was pushed up against the brick wall of a building.

"You don't get it do you? If you're so worried then why don't you go there yourself? Why can't you go check on them since obviously you're the one so attached and caring." She hissed as she glared down at him in anger. Vaughn was too consumed in own fear to notice the flood of sadness Beneath the shifters words.

Vaughn didn't answer as he looked up at Max with brilliant violet, fearful eyes. He didn't understand why she was so angry. Angry with everything and at the moment mainly him.

"Why don't you?" She repeated staring down at him.

No. No she wasn't angry with him, but he surely was getting the backlash of her frustration.

"I-I... I- Your my... I only follow you. I don't know what to do." He responded, not wanting to further answer.

He received a long stare before Max's gaze softened. Her hands let go of his soft shirt to instead lay against his chest. Her whole demeanor shifted as his last, fearful statement sunk into comprehension. A hand carefully  came up to caress the side of his face ever so softly, the new gentle nature of the Shifter mildly disturbing the other as he personally had truly never seen this before ever in the many years he had been stuck with her in her mind.

"You can't do this anymore Vaughn." She said looking down at at him from where he had shrunk down.

He frowned not understanding. She wasn't using her words to think, only the flares of color and instinctual emotion.

"You can follow me forever. I'm not yours and you're not mine. You need to find your own way, I can't let me be above you like this." She said looking down at him.

"No." He responded quietly, giving her a fearful look. "No I don't want to."

"What happened to that person that always told me what to do? The moment you came back here with life you haven't been doing the same. Before you had opinions and observations."

"I was helping. I was doing what I was told to do. I don't want to be alone. You can't leave me." The younger said fearfully as he looked up at her. He didn't know anything other then following, being the smaller and good listener. He would follow orders, he didn't want to be in charge. He was just an asset. Someone who was sometimes useful, he didn't know how to defend himself or stand up to anyone. It just wasn't in his DNA, that gene to fight to survive had been quite literally been knocked and punched out of his system. He was obedient and good. He had always been good so why was Max pushing him away? He was supposed to fix things when they happened to help her, that's what he wanted to do and that's what his purpose is. He's no anything without his purpose as a person.

"I won't leave you anywhere alone Vaughn, but you need to start venturing out. You need to find someone for yourself. Someone who can love you."

"But you love me. You care for me and what happens even if you're mad." He said quickly in the beginnings of panic.

"You know that's not the kind of love I mean for you." She said looking down at him.

"No. No not yet, I don't want to." He said grasping the wrist of her hand in a way to keep her from pulling away and possibly leaving him.

"You don't have to right now Vaughn. But you will someday....
" The female said looking into his scared eyes. "Why don't you go check on Peter. Come tell me what's going on okay? I'll stay here until you come back. Okay?"

Vaughn looked at her unconfidently before receiving a small peck on the nose. He gave her one last look before moving away, sending one last glance at her while holding his hands close to his chest as he walked away.

Her gaze followed him sadly before she moved. She wouldn't leave the area but she wasn't going to stand there in that spot all day.

She happened to catch a glimpse of her timer as she turned around.

0:0:0:2

She didn't get to comprehend the numbers long before someone fell into her, pulling the both of them to the ground.