Chapter 36: Inflicting Wound

Max and Phil paced through the alleys, collecting as much rain on their Phil plumber suit and Max t-shirt and skin. 

"Right there." Phil stepped ahead of his partner, staring at a clothing store in front of the slim alley of flowers, grass, trash, and dumpsters. 

In stark contrast to Max and Phil's soaked suits, the place's windows were non-existent yet dry from the onslaught nature had provided. 

"It's only a few more blocks." Max protest. 

"Max, we're not as young as we used to be. Come on." Phil looks out the alley and at the empty streets. "Let's go." 

Phil crouched and sprinted across the street, with Max following closely behind. They aimed their pistols through the open window, scanning the dimly lit interior. 

The semi-polished wooden floorboards were in good condition, but paper and pieces of mud were scattered around the store.

Phil vaults through the window, followed by Max. Their weighted steps and the heavy rain sing through the empty store. They made their way through the nearly empty clothing racks, searching behind the counter and heading for the back. 

Max pushed aside the bed sheets with Phil's glasses. They eyed the two rows of wooden racks along the walls on his left and a small office on their right. 

Before turning to his partner, Phil breaks to Max's right and enters the small office. 

"We're clear," Phil hoists his alien pistol into the holster. I'll be upfront." He pushes aside the red sheet while Max looks around at the boxes on the wooden racks.

He opened one of them, waving away the dust. A darker shade of red shirts filled the box, neatly folded and still in good condition. He took the sizes that fit him and moved on. 

Opening a few others, like hoodies and more shirts. The ex-plumber opened the last, revealing black weather coats. 

"That will. Do." Max said under his breath, looking at the size tags. 

...

Max exits from the bed sheets, which block the view of the front of the store. 

Still in his wet gold cargo pants, he wore his black weather jacket, which revealed the upper lips of his red shirt. 

"You're still wearing that?" Phil is leaning on the front counter with his alien sniper rifle. 

"I should say the same." Max glanced at the wet plumber suit that clung to Phil's skin. "Are you going to get out of that?" 

"This is my butter, Parther. You can't eat toast without butter." 

"Of course." Max takes a chair and sits beside Phil, who looks down on him. He sighs and removes his glasses, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dimly lit environment. "Tell me. Where did you get those? I don't remember it being in the Plumber Division." 

"I got it from the Galvan. Proof that he's legit." 

"Any Galvan can make something like that and say their rights to the Onmitrix." 

"And what are you trying to say?" Phil squinted his eyes. 

"Are we looking for Azmuth or looking for ghosts?" Max looks up at his partner, giving the same.

"I planted a bug." 

"And that same bug lay waste in the barn that made us walk into a trap. Twice." 

"You heard what the merc said! The Galvan took it out and reversed engineer the bug I planted!" Phil raised his voice in a whisper. "Don't do that. I hate. When you do that." 

"What?" Max tilts his head. "What makes you think this is not the third?" Phil remained silent. "Of any other place, you brought me here. You knew I was tied to this place. It broke me. Made me. You wanted me here, so I lost the remaining senses I had going. The wild mutts, the mercs. The Galvan." Max flexes his nostrils. "You think this is a joke?" 

Phil kept his glare before slamming a gun on the glass counter. Revealing the null void projector. 

"When you needed my help! I came. I captured the Galvan when you couldn't do it yourself because you were babysitting! Yes. I led you here—not for the credits, but to do what we have!" Phil raised his voice. "Out of all places, this is the safest. No civilians. No Plumber Law. No one to stop this Capture and Grab!" 

"I didn't want those kids to see what I am!" Max raised his voice.

"And that mistake cost the innocents of that girl!" Phil shouts. "I don't have kids, but I know damn well I would've separated the head of the bastard! Who coerce that boy to eat someone!" He flashes his teeth, breathing heavily. "GOD DAMN!!" He slams his hand on the glass counter, causing the glass to shake. "We join the plumbers for a reason, MAX!! Not to protect their little feelings, but to PROTECT THIS DAMN WORLD!! AND THE GALAXY WITH IT!!" 

Phil pants, sliding the Null void projector Max's way only for it to slide past him and to the other side of the counter. 

"That's where. Me and you differ, Phil." Max states. "When this is all over. I'm going to put you behind bars." 

"It takes a lot to get rid of me, you know that. I'm not leaving you in the gutter like you did me," he said, standing from the counter. "Let's get a few minutes rest. And then we'll leave, partner." 

Phil leans on the wall by the opened window, staring out the streets, drinking the rain kindness. 

--- 

The two anodites, mercs and Sunny, soar above the trees, snapping their heads at their surroundings.

"Is there a problem?" Maya questioned, getting Sunny to look over her shoulder. 

"Someone's blocking our signal." 

"And yet, Vannessa happened to recall. Your quarrel with that strange tick in your ear." Vannessa squinted her eyes with folded arms. 

"It's called radio feedback. It's where I stand here. While EVERYONE IS WHO KNOWS WHERE!!" Sunny waved her hands at their surroundings, collecting the rain within her purple pores. 

"Are you telling Vannessa and her sister you're useless?" She floated closer, widening her pink glowing eyes.

"I'm telling you. We know what gravity does because we don't skip rocks nor eat each other ears off because of one minor mishap."

"And What do you suggest? Vannessa and her sister to entertain you?" 

"Tell us. Where our targets are." Maya adds. "Or We'll take that stone from your cold corpse." 

"You won't kill me." Sunny raised a non-existent brow. "Your sister would and you. You know better." 

Vannessa goes to approach, only for Maya to block her view from Anodite Sunny. 

"You know." Sunny eyed her non-existent nails. "Viewing this situation from a third perspective. When my grandmother catches wind of this matter. Dead or Alive. You guys are indeed fucked. If you happened to kill me and capture your targets. There will be a record in the Rogue gallery of the two of you completing this bounty. And I'm sure you already know that." 

"I'm well aware," Maya replied. "But you are missing one thing. Those records are private to the public. Only employers have access to the verification process. Your grandmother will be a Merc to the days of her death." 

"And you think that will stop her?" Sunny giggled. " I could hit you with a rock, and you still won't understand." 

"Maya. She's stalling." Vannessa called, only for Maya to raise her hand.

"My grandmother is part of the Three Seeds. She's not all talk."

"Of course, but I don't care. As someone as little as you sucking on the breast of Verdona is truly impulsing." Maya glared, followed by Vanessa. "And by that. I'll make your death look like an accident." 

"That's a shame." Sunny cocked her head with her arms crossed. 

A white light breaks into their eyesight, followed by the girls' screams. 

The three anodites plummet into the stream. 

The cry of rushing water breaks into Sunny's ears before she surfaces. 

"You bit-" A figure of Vanessa was frailing; her arms were blocked out by the warm water. 

Sunny does the same. The three anodites thrashed around the stream, surrounded by various rocks, gasping, clawing for their lifeline. 

Amethyst gem escapes Sunny's grasp before she grabs it once more. 

Gwen's polar opposite grasped a smooth rock that was too big for her grasp. She soars past that said rock and many others before slamming into another. 

"AH!" She screamed before swallowing the body of water. 

The warm, dark waters embrace the little anodite, bubbles croak, and her hands panic. She crashed onto another rock, hooking her fingers into the nook of the oversized and uneven rock. 

She pulled herself from the water with a gasp. 

Sunny flashed her teeth, growling. Slowly but steadily, she rested her chest on the rock, feeling the gentle waters tempting to drag her back in.

The pink light flashed, revealing human Sunny, shivering and coughing water. Her red eyes stared into the wet and perfect condition purple gem within her palm.

She only stared at the beauty within her palm in rough pants. A sparkle of light winked within the center of the Amethyst before a bright light took form into the short gem of the crystal gems. 

Amethyst stood tall before perching on the tip of the rock. She snapped her head at the rock bed across from them before looking over her shoulder at Sunny. 

The purple gem turned to her. 

"Help me." Sunny forced from her shaky breath, only earning a glare from Amethyst. 

"Help you?" She stared down into Sunny's weak blue eyes. "You tried to kill me!!" 

"Please." 

"Oh. So your band of girls tried to do what they said. Shocker." 

"Only. Want to get back. We must go." Sunny swallowed. "I can get us there. I'll explain on the way. We must hurry." 

Amethyst eyes roamed about before she sighed, clenching her fists. 

"Take a little. Anymore. It's going to be my fist." She squinted at Sunny's growing smile. 

"Fair." She opened her palm, taking energy from Amethyst. Slowly, her eyes grew to life. "I'll remember this." Sunny stood to her feet before floating from the rock with her hand stretched out. 

"You better." Amethyst takes her hand while they soar off into the rainy night. 

Sunny soared quickly across the woods, eyeing the view of the town. 

"I don't like how you held back there." Sunny breaks from the silence. "But, you did make it easy." 

"That's when you didn't know better. But I do now." Amethyst growled.

"Those girls were way out of our lead. I welcome death, but I like it when it's impending. Thank you very much." 

"How did you end up in a river? Did they toss you?" 

"I stole one of Gramps's black and white friends, WS Grenade. My grandmother told me about them once. Since he doesn't have an advantage over me. I don't need to keep my eyes on him much." 

"Why's that? Is it because of his charming personality?" Amethyst rolled her eyes. 

"Is it obvious? The town. That mutt Anthony has. His hold demeanor spells trouble." Sunny kept her gaze ahead.

"And this coming from you." 

"Oh fuck off. You human flashlight." 

"Watch your language!" Amethyst glared. "I so wished I was your mother!" 

They entered the run-down town, still in the heavy rain.

---

Pearl and Gwen remained in the RV, staring through the blinds. Gwen's eyes widened. 

"Hey, there they are!" Gwen called out while Pearl rushed to the blinds beside the booth.

They saw Steven and Garnet's slowing figures gazing about the parking lot from the school's street. 

"Wait here." Pearl exits Max RV, and this gets Zed's attention. 

The white gem paced out of the bubble, getting Steven and Garnet's eyes. 

"Come. On." Pearl said under her breath, waving for them to come closer.

Steven and Garnet's jog grew into a sprint. A beastly roar breaks into Pearl's right ear. 

The red figure crashed a few feet from the RV before rolling onto his hands and feet; its black nails dragged along the cement, causing sparks. 

A version of Wildmutt stood before Pearl, who summoned her Trident(Fork spear). 

It stood six-five tall, its fur darker than a red apple, and its fangs curved above its upper lips. 

The red mutt primal snaps its jaws while Zed stands before Pearl, releasing a growl. 

A primal mutt covered in orange fur entered the RV, but a pink glass wall blocked the opened door. Gwen stood behind that wall, getting a growl from the attempted intruder. 

The illusion breaks, revealing the Rustbucket, Phil's RV, and Gwen's current situation. 

"Hey! Get away from her!" Steven summons his shield and races with Garnet, summoning her weapon of choice. 

The Red mutt Primal cocked its head towards the approaching gems. It sucks in its gut before releasing a saliva-rolling beastly roar into the raining night sky.

The deep bass of its roar shook the RV's suspension. Gwen held her ear while Pearl, Garnet, and Steven followed.

Zed's ears folded back. 

The roar slowed to the singing rain. 

The Primal mutt by the Rv swaps targets to Zed. Following up, the hunting cry.

Pearl snaps her spear, releasing a white beam that takes the mutt off its feet. It hits the end of the rv, causing it to rock. 

Three primal mutts drop on the roof of Max's RV before leaping towards their closest targets. Zed and Pearl. 

Zed sidesteps from the crashing Primal mutt before biting it into its leg, getting a roar from the hunter. 

Pearl spun back, dodging a claw slash from her aggressor, before leaning back toward her enemy, dodging another, the primal mutt elbow weaving above her face. 

The white gem delivers a beam to its gut, getting a stagger. Another Primal Mutt rushes the gem. She leaps over it only to lose her flow when a flying Zed crashes into her. 

Pearl's back slides along the overgrowth cement of parking spaces with the alien dog in her arms. They slid to a stop while the Primal Mutt took this opportunity. 

A pink shield with an album of rose spiraling vines within the center. Halt's in front of Pearl and Zed, stopping the Mutt fangs from digging into them. 

"Hey!" Steven shouts, getting its attention. "It's me! You want!" He summoned another shield along his forearm. 

The primal mutt flashed its fang before raising its arms over its head. Zed breaks from Pearl's grasp. 

Pearl rolled back on her shoulders and into her palms before leaping from a crushing blow. The shield broke into a pink glass and dissolved into the rainy air. 

Garnet leans back from a claw slash that The red primal mutt delivered. She sidesteps, giving a jab into its cheek. 

The red gem ducks under its swinging arms. Throwing two punches into its gut before reeling in an uppercut. The red primal mutt staggers back while Garnet throws a punch. 

"Rah!" She screamed. 

The hunting party leader redirected the punch before latching its teeth into Garnet's throat. She flashes her teeth while the mutt hurls her in the air before grabbing her ankle and slamming her into a parking space, causing pieces of cement to spill into the air. 

The hunting party leader whipped the red gem over its head before driving her into the cement. It continued this three times before green vines latched around its legs, pulling the mutt to its chest. 

The vines hurl it across the parking lot into a rusted black car. 

"You alright?!" Gwen rushed to Garnet's aid with the spell book in hand.

"I'm good." Garnet raised to her feet, flashing her white teeth. "Help Pearl and the others. I'll hold this thing off." 

"AH!" Gwen screamed, raising her glowing hand. 

Garnet snaps to the flying car before driving her fist into the hood. It rolled from their direction before revealing The red mutt primal rushing with drooling lips. 

"GO!" Garnet voiced while Gwen did a one-eighty, rushing towards Steven, Zed, and Pearl, battling with the four Primal mutts. 

Zed was riding on the back of one, biting into its neck. 

Steven's front flips over a mutt, latching its teeth at him. The afro boy rolled along the fur of its spine before encasing his right hand into a pink bubble. He spun on the heels of his flip-flops. 

"Ah!" Steven connects his right fist to a sneaky hunter. Who cocked its head to the side before rolling along the cement, lying limp. 

Pearl stabs at the Primal mutt, who steps back, bobbing its head. She swaps her trident while the mutt sidesteps left before going right. Redirecting Pearl's weapon of choice with its forearm. 

It spun on its knuckles, delivering Pearl a kick to the gut. 

"Ack!" The white gem rolled on her shoulders before driving her spear into concrete, halting the momentum. Yet, the Primal Mutt rushed to continue its combo, only for a pink whip to latch onto its ankle. 

"Agh!" Gwen shouts, flexing her neck and arms. 

The Primal mutt stumbles on its feet before falling to the ground. Before this happened, Pearl cracked the handle of her trident into its face. 

The long white handle flies elsewhere while the mutt hits the ground against its jaw. Pearl held the neck of her trident, staring down the slow-breathing hunter. 

Her eyes quickly snapped to Gwen, whose mana whip disappeared before she relaxed her hands on her knees. 

Zed was hurled into a parking space, releasing a canon discharge. The alien dog gave a yelp, remaining in a pattern of web cracks. 

The primal mutt's huge hand grabs the side of the girl's face before driving its sharp fangs into her torso. 

Steven's shield hits the hungry mutt in the face. It bounces back into the boy's palm before he spins on his flip-flop and throws it back.

The primal mutt catches the shield, only for another one to slam into its chest. 

Steven leaps onto the shield that halts mid-air before propelling himself towards the towering beast over Zed. His left hand, encased in a pink bubble, slams into the face of No Eyes beast. 

The primal mutt flies back, sliding on its back with its arms stretched out. 

"Zed!" Steven raced to the girl's side, who slowly picked herself up onto her four paws. She was covered with claw and bite marks on her dark blue skin. 

"I'm alrighty on it." Gwen summons a golden ball for the dinosaur-like dog.

"RAAH!!!" Garnet came tumbling across the lot toward the four before digging her heels into the ground. She summon her gauntlets once more. 

The red gem quickly looked over her shoulder at the four before staring back at her opponent.

The hunt party leader slowly approached the five, bearing its fangs. Its red fur now raised like spikes, and it gave a thunderous roar before digging into the ground.

"Is it gone?" Steven questioned, eyeing the sleeping primal mutts. 

"I doubt it." Gwen followed. 

Pearl snaps to the ground underneath her before she leaps, spinning from a near-death grab from the Hunting leader. It digs into the ground once more. 

"Gwen! Get back to the RV!" Garnet shouts before leaping from the concrete, which soon eats itself. 

The red primal mutt takes to the skies, falling towards Steven and Zed. The two break from the crash zone. The concrete underneath flies in every direction. 

Steven dives into Zed, creating a bubble while Gwen uses her glass wall. 

The pieces of concrete hit their unyielding defense. Gwen unsummoned her's, only for the red primal mutt to release its fur of spikes after. 

The red spikes entered her shoulder, hip, gut, and cheek. She falls like a sack of potatoes. 

"NO!" Pearl cried. 

"Gwen?!" Garnet shouts, looking to Gwen, whose eyes never yield or blink from her gaze. The red gem bites her lip. "HAAAA!!!" 

She raced to the hunting party leader, who borrowed itself underground.

---

"BENITA!!" Anthony shouts. 

"Ah!" Benita's scream was cut by the white corrupted jasper, who stomped on her while it was slowing down. Concrete flies from the street where the girl rests underneath the jasper's large hand. 

"RAH!!!" The boy charged, flaring his teeth. He closed the distance before his fist connected with the jasper's flat nose. It rocked its head back while blood rocketed from Will. 

The white jasper takes a few steps back in a daze while the boy hits the wet streets and releases a splash. 

Will raced to the handprint crater before dropping within the palm. Benita lay unscathed yet held her chest. 

"Ben!" The boy falls onto his knees. 

"Why did you come back?" Benita wince, clenching her chest. "You really are an idiot." 

"I lost someone. And I'm not losing you too!" His shaky lips flash into a smile. 

"GOD! I hate you!" Benita opened her eyes only to look over his shoulder. Her eyes climbed to her skull. 

Anthony looks over his shoulder at the towering silhouette bathing in the rain.

The Camouflage figure remained focused on the two children. The rain revealed its oversized head and its slim yet bulky body frame. 

It climbs down into the handprint crater. The boy extends his arm in front of Benita, who slowly rises to a knee. 

The camouflaged seized, revealing yellow skin with black spots. It climbed up from the lips of sandals, showing its long yet sharp toenails with metal shin guards.

The disengaged camouflage climbs from its toned thighs to the nets, revealing its four-pack and darkened breastplate on her left breast and leather on her right. 

A face of yellow with black spots revealed a yellow-eyed Yautja locking eyes with Anthony. 

She stood six feet tall over the children. Her hands remained just above her shoulders. 

"Get behind me." Benita aimed her WS pistol at the Yellow and black-spotted Yautja, who halted. She took a knee before stretching her hand out. "Who are you? Why are you chasing us!" Benita raised her voice. 

The yautja only bounced her Black and yellow eyes from Benita before locking onto Will, who squinted his eyes. 

Benita remained locked on her target, bathing in the rain, before shifting her eyes to the boy. 

"H-hey! Your arm." Benita voiced her eyes, swapping between the boy and kneeling Yuatja. 

Will scanned his arms before locking on the stream of blood rolling down his left forearm, coating the pool of water. A white bone stuck out from that arm.

The boy only hugs his arm closer to his chest. 

"I don't know who you are, but don't follow us." The boy's eye pulsed. "Let's go." 

"You first." Benita squinted her eyes at the Yautja. 

"Ben." 

"I'm. Not. Repeating myself." Her face remained blank. "You do better speaking than listening. Why not put the latter to the test?" 

A deep growl halts their conversation to the corrupted winter jasper who loom over the kneeling Yellow-black spotted Yautja. 

The yautja stretched her hand towards the jasper, which lowered its growl. 

The sound of the wind clipping made their heads turn to a futuristic helicopter, which, due to its odd shapes, charged down the street quickly. 

The Yautja stood tall once more, her eyes firm. She shakes her open hand, and the opened jaw poses as four spider-like tusks hiding her sharp teeth. The tusks brush along one another. 

"Crap!" Benita lowered her pistol. "Let's go." 

"What?!" Anthony exclaimed while the Yautja only watched. 

"Do you have any better ideas?!" Benita paced toward the Yautja, who grabbed her from under her arms and hoisted her on the back of the winter jasper. 

"I-uh. AGH!" Will growled, getting the same treatment. 

The beastmaster climbed after sitting behind the boy, grabbing a fist full of silver hair of the winter jasper. 

"HA!" The beastmaster shouts, getting the jasper to break down the street. 

They followed the rain pouring within the abandoned town, listening to the clipping of Airachnid heli-blades.

She deformed into her bot form and crashed onto the street, making the ground vibrant. Airachnid spider legs carried her after her prey, keeping pace.

"It's a bit rude to keep your pet off the leash!" The spider-bot raised her voice through the rain. "It's a shame I had to put it down!" 

The beastmaster turned her head over her shoulder, watching the bot grow closer. She unwrapped a leather strap around her arm that ran between her thumb. 

She adjusts herself toward the spider-bot. Taking a rock from a hanging pouch in front of her chest. The rock swings along with the strap before launching it. The rock rockets toward Airachnid's face.

The rock splatters against the backhand of Airachnid, who hissed. 

"Surely a rock can't kill me!" Two of the Arachnid's spider legs arch over her shoulders before returning fire. 

"Ragh!" The beastmaster screams back at her companion. 

The winter jasper turns its head before dodging the army of red beams in mid-sprint. 

Benita turned her aim at the spider-bot, releasing hip fire around Anthony. That only went past its mark and only gathered the beastmaster's attention. 

"I can't get a hit!" 

"I'll try!" The boy voiced. 

"Your arm!" 

"Who gives a damn!" His stretched hand is replaced with his WS pistol with the help of Edge. 

The boy fired, landing and missing his marks on Airachnid. 

The exchange of white and red beams took the streets and sky from town. A red beam charges into the children's and the beastmaster's way. 

The yellow-black spotted Yautja canceled the aim of her makeshift bow before becoming the children's human shield. 

A flying metal disc cut the beam off, disrupting it into a puff of smoke. 

The broad-masked merc Pearl and Gwen met. He flew in with a hoverboard and his manufactured pistol in hand. A circular slug shot out from the bottom of the barrel, earning a bright flash into the face of Airachnid. 

"Ragh!" The spider-bot came to a halt. "No!" She growls, trying to gain her vision. 

The beastmaster and children make great distances, watching the merc keep back at the Decepticon. 

"Who was that?" Anthony voiced, breaking the silence. 

"I don't know. And I don't care!" Benita turned back to the road, and so did the beastmaster, who adjusted herself.

They raced past a dinner. 

Post N Pone 

They eyed the rusted fences overlooking the overgrown grass field of a football field. 

"We're here." Benita voiced, eyeing the RV's across the field. "Let us off." 

The beastmaster looks down at Benita, her yellow-black eyes staring into her green. "This is our stop." 

The yautja scanned her environment with an arch in her non-existent brows. She stared ahead at the road. 

"Hey," Will spoke up, getting her eyes. "There." The boy points to the RVs across the field. 

Yautja mandibles flare before staring at the RVs. She screams, tugging the sliver hairs of the winter jasper; they turn an intersection running alongside the fences. 

They arrived in seconds, slowing to a stop. The beastmaster climbed off, helping Will off. 

"Who's this?" Max voiced, calling through the rain approaching the four. 

"She helped." Benita voiced, hearing her shoes hit the puddle underneath her feet. 

"Right." Phil looks at the Yautja and the Winter Jasper up and down. "Come on!" 

The ex-plumbers and the Children race to their RV's. 

"Ratchet. Start the ground bridge!" Max voiced within his earpiece before Bentia opened the door. 

"STOP! STOP!" Gwen cried, bawling in tears. She remained on the dark carpet pool in front of the door. She gripped onto Garnet's arm, who was gripping a red spike through the girl's shoulder.

"Breathe." Garnet voiced. Surrounded by Pearl, Amethyst, Steven, and Sunny, who all look back at Benita, who rushes in, followed by Max and Will. 

"WHO DID THIS!!!" Max roared, eyeing the pouring blood streaming down Gwen's injury area. 

"GRANDPA!!" Gwen bawls in waterfalls. 

"A wild mutt. You guys called it." Garnet bites her lip. 

"Move!" Max takes Garnet's place on the floor. "Gwendolyn. I'm here now. Everything is going to be fine." He cracked a smirk before looking over his shoulder at Pearl. "Pearl! PEARL!!" 

The white gem jumped in tears. 

"Yes?" 

"You got the keys! Start the RustBucket. There should be a portal waiting." 

Pearl scrambled to the driver's seat. 

"Hey! It would help if you sat down, " Steven said, pointing at a bone sticking out from Anthony's arm. 

"Come. We're going to fix it." Garnet leads Will to the booth seat, whose gaze remains locked on the ragged spikes impaled within Gwen. 

Max's eyes roamed to the ragged spikes within her gut, shoulder, and hip. 

"Aunty Garnet managed to get one out from her cheek." Sunny stood over Max's shoulder, watching Gwen hug Max's arm. "She'll do fine, but those spikes are no joke. If we don't take care of it now." 

"I can take care of her." Steven entered the chat, watching Anthony's wound heal within a flash before sparkling. "We need to get it out before I can do anything. Do you have anything to protect your hands?" 

Max looks back at sobbing Gwen in his arms and her wounds. 

"I'm fine." The ex-plumber held his granddaughter in his arms, watching her puffy eyes and teeth biting into her upper lip. "Gwendolyn. I need you to be a good girl and help your grandpa, Max. Can you do that?" The cat lover nods. "Good," Max smirked. "We'll get these out in no time." 

The ex-plumber grips a ragged spike on Gwen's shoulder, feeling the RV move. Gwen wince, halting her sobs the best she can. 

"On. Three." Max's solid yet soft gaze locked onto Gwen. "One. Two." 

"AAAH!!!" Gwen's high-pitched scream entered Max's and the other's ears while he watched the red blood build from the wound on her shoulder. He yanks it out, watching her blood launch across the brown carpet towards driving Pearl. 

The girl collects her ragged breath while Max grabs another on her hip.

"One. Two." 

"HAAA!!" Max pulled it out quickly, only earning a taste of iron in his mouth. 

"That's it. One. More." 

"We have to hurry! The brat's bleeding out." Sunny remained at Gwen's face, watching the dark blood steep between her fingers. 

"One," Max voiced before yanking it out, only for his hand to slip and Gwen to scream. 

"Max! Grandpa!" Amethyst and Benita cried out. 

"I'm alright!" Max gazes at his palm. His perfect palm is now jagged, revealing black paint, and Gwen's blood smeared across his hand. "It's stuck on bone." 

"What?" Gwen croaked. 

"Amethyst, take the legs. Sunny, you know your position." 

"WAIT! WAIT!! WAIT!" Gwen kicked her legs, only for the purple gem to hold her down. "WAIT! WAIT! RAAAAA!!!" 

Max flashes his teeth, pulling the spike with all his might. The girl's scream grows bass, only for Max to stop for a second before returning to it. 

"Stop! STOP!!" Gwen roared, summoning her mana whip that coiled around Max's throat. 

Sunny lowered her arm before driving her fist into Gwen's face, knocking her unconscious. 

A hand grips Sunny shoulder, only for a fist to connect to her nose. Gwen's polar opposite hits the carpet. 

"Hey! Hey!" Amethyst screamed out while Benita went to continue, only for Garnet to scoop her up. 

"I'LL KILL YOU I SWEAR I WILL!!!" Benita screamed over Garnet's shoulder. "LET ME GO!!!" 

Sunny tasted the blood running down her nose while Anthony and Steven hoisted her to her feet. 

"Damn. You got me good." Sunny eyed the fuming Benita, trying to claw out Garnet's death grip. 

"Max!" Garnet looks to Max, whose sole focus is to pull the last jagged spike. 

"Agh!" Max grunts, pulling the last, splattering his face with blood. "Steven!" He waved him over with pleading eyes.

Steven raced from the grip of Sunny and to the aid of Gwen. 

"Ok." Steven breathed out and took a knee. He licks his palm. 

Max grabs his wrist. His firm gaze locked onto Steven's lingering ones. 

"Max, it's under control." The ex-plumber looks into the eyes of Amethyst before letting Steven's wrist go. 

Steven presses his wet hand onto the wound on Gwen's bleeding gut. The wounds slowly close, leaving sparkles of light and Gwen's mess of her wet blue shirt with spots of blood and uneven cuts.