“Looking for Liz?” a smug voice came from a corner in the room. David stepped out of the shadows. Max was overcome with feelings by the sound of David’s voice—fear, dread, and resentment for what David could do to Liz, who Max couldn’t protect. But the feeling that took over was his anger. It radiated off of him in waves, which got the other seven alert. David continued to speak in a mocking tone. “Do you think that I would hurt my Lizzie? My precious, innocent girlfriend whom I love? Max, Max, Max. You can see that she’s perfectly fine.”

A soldier brought forth a fearful Liz in handcuffs from another room. David walked up to her. “She’s so sweet, isn’t she?” he took Liz from the soldier. “So sweet, like candy,” he murmured as he kissed her forehead tenderly, which made Liz even more afraid.

Max pulled against the chains, growing angrier by the second. “Don’t touch her!” he yelled. “I swear, if you harm her in any way, I’ll—”

“No, no, no, Max. Those chains are specially made to withstand much more than an average human’s strength. Nothing can break them, not even your powers. You’re in no position to threaten me.” David spoke menacingly, tightening the grip on Liz’s arm. “You wouldn’t want to see Liz get hurt, now, would you?”

“Bastard,” Max uttered gravely. “You’re evil.”

David grinned. “Yeah, ain’t it great? I’ve got the powers and a gorgeous babe to make out with. Max, you sure know how to pick ‘em.” David checked Liz out once again while talking to Max. “It’s kind of ironic, ya know? Your mother’s message was supposed to help you, but she led you and the ones you loved to death’s door.”

“What?” Isabel voiced everyone’s thoughts. They were all confused.

David was amused. “It would be very painful for you to find out your true destinies right before you died, wouldn’t it? To see how you failed your home planet? Well, it all started like this . . .”

He created a hologram on the wall behind him, so all nine prisoners could see. David showed how Max’s people were captured by his, and how the four aliens were killed. He revealed how the four were recreated and sent to Earth, including how their parents and scientists thought they would love each other. He clarified how Max, Michael, and Isabel left Tess, and how they all found new loves, showing Max, Michael, and Isabel seeing Liz, Maria, and Alex for the first time in the third grade, and Tess and Kyle on their study date the day she found the Destiny book. When they all understood the true destiny, David stopped his little slideshow. Everyone was shocked, except for Max, whose fury was temporarily forgotten.

Max looked longingly over at Liz. “I always knew you were my destiny,” he whispered.

“By being apart from your destinies, you all are weak. I can finish you off slowly. Yet, I remember you from your life before, Max, and I really hated you. I now have your one weakness in my hands, and I intend to make you—and her—suffer before you both die,” David announced.

He looked at Liz, and spoke to her in a disturbing tone. “Lizzie, the summer was great, the making out was incredible, and you were really amazing. I almost don’t want to kill you. Almost,” he said, running his hand up her leg slowly. She squirmed to get away from him, but he held her in place. Max was losing it. All the others were afraid of Max; they didn’t think he could become any more infuriated.

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!!” he shouted. Max was homicidal. He was yanking at the chains and swearing at the top of his lungs.

David didn’t like this. “Max, you’re wasting your time, fighting with those chains,” he sneered. David pushed Liz up against him. “Is this far enough away?”

Max stopped swearing and just started to holler. David was delighted to see Max so out of control. “Your responses are quite astonishing, Max. Let’s see you react to this,” David taunted. He raised Liz’s chin and pressed his lips against hers.

There were quite a few reactions to this. Michael, Alex, Nasedo, and Kyle were just shocked. They all knew that David was driving Max insane. Check that, they knew that Max was beyond insane and lethal. Along with the boys’ feelings, Tess was stunned. She didn’t realize how much Max cared for Liz until now. She was relieved Max wasn’t her destiny, because she did not like being in the middle of such a powerful love. Isabel and Maria were scared because they had never seen Max so enraged, and they knew he would be completely irrational and murderous if he got out of those chains. They were right.

Max reached his climax, and his rage took over. He tore the chains from the walls and ran towards David. David, shocked by how Max broke the chains, jumped away from Liz. He was panicky, because he knew that Max could not be defeated with all the fury David had built up inside of him. “Soldiers!” he shouted, but they were too late. Max smashed his fist into David, and sent him flying across the room.