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[A FEW DAYS AGO, at the Greenhouse]

"Please tell me there's a valid reason why we had to meet up like this again like we're some kind of stupid book club," the baron, Krist Hyusen, complained as soon as he entered BND's base. The members of Boys Next Door were already there, as well as CJ and Siren who were surprisingly calmly talking to each other. 

     Krist ignores everyone glaring at him for being late before grabbing a seat beside the Count, pulling a lollipop out from his pocket, and sucking on it like a kid.

     "You really love making me wait, don't you, Master Joker?" CJ says, snatching the lollipop from Krist's mouth before putting the sweet candy inside his own mouth. Krist was about to complain, but Hans cleared his throat and stood from his seat, finally facing everyone who instantly shifted their attention to him.

     "Well, looks like everyone's finally here," Hans said, looking at Krist who could only shrug his shoulder. "I'm not a big fan of meeting up like this either, but we have a serious matter to talk about today."

     "What serious matter is there other than the fact Bishop Lucas Ivory and Klyde Von Hatzfelt got shot just a couple of days apart from each other?" CJ commented.

     "The killers are likely connected," River then added.

     "Okay, I know you're all eager to discuss this matter but my brotherhood and I agreed to talk about this when Max returns. Talking about this now won't do us any good," Hans explained, making the rest of the princes agree.

     "We have to know more about this from Max himself," Redford Monsour said next. "If possible, we want to know what Klyde revealed to him before he got shot. River told us that after Max and Klyde's conversation with each other ended, something happened to Max. Whatever Klyde said, it triggered Max's memory."

     "And we all know that Max's memory holds a big influence in the mysteries we're facing now," Arjun–BND's second strongest– continued while looking at Marcus who seemed to be worried about everything that's been happening recently. Marcus will forever be guilty of drugging Max so they can continue to suppress his memory. But it's also a fact that Max was one of the people who desperately wanted to keep his memories locked up, so whatever it was that Max found out, it was dangerous enough to forget.

     "That kid's been through a lot," Krist stated, showing sympathy for a quick second before CJ shoved the lollipop inside his mouth again, almost making the master joker choke.

     "I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Krist shouted, reaching out to strangle the count who couldn't help but laugh. But as the two were arguing, Hans slammed his hand on the table, automatically making them stop fighting again.

     "Okay, let's just proceed with the topic at hand so we can all go our separate ways," Hans said as he looked back at the leaders. "Max will be returning from St. George Academy after one month, and as we all know, he is now a member of the Elites. It's just not announced yet. His achievement in that school is no doubt impressive, but some white uniforms might say otherwise."

     "That's true," CJ agreed. "One of my lighters reported that some of the students think Max became soft after seeing him get beaten up in the house of bishops. If it's announced that he's now the School Representative, his impact on the students might not be as big as we expected. The White Uniforms here don't want a council member who got publically humiliated in a lower house."

     "Oh please, nothing is ever enough for those white uniforms," Krist complained, finally biting the lollipop and crushing it with his teeth before throwing the stick toward CJ. "What's important is Max is now an Elite and is only a couple of steps away from being the president."

     "Yet White Uniforms will be the very people who Max will soon lead," Hans argued. "Love them or hate them, the white uniforms in this school are what makes J.S High the House of Kings. It's not just the brotherhoods. Their opinion about their future president must matter. If no one believes he'll do a good job, then who will follow him?"

     "Then what do you suggest we do, Sir Hans?" River asked this time.

     Hans looked back at his brotherhood, and Kim Hansol, the member who designs their bases and plans for their battles, got up from his seat and looked at everyone. "After careful deliberation, we decided that the best way to show everyone that Max is still very capable to lead them...is through a brotherhood battle."

     As soon as the plan was revealed, both Krist and CJ burst into laughter.

     "You want us to battle Max? Brave is gonna love this," Krist said while wiping the tears in his eyes.

     "For someone who lost the battle against him, you shouldn't be so happy," Khian mocked, instantly making Krist stop laughing.

     "Anyway, this isn't just a regular battle. Only the leaders will go against him," Hansol explained.

     "Then it's going to be easy," CJ stated. "Let him beat us to shreds so we can prove a point. The goal is for Max to win anyway so there's no reason for us to act so aggressive."

     "And you think my brother would forgive us if we go easy on him?" Marcus pointed out, and CJ just shrugged his shoulders.

     "Marcus is right. What's the point of doing all this if we're only going to let Max win without a fight? Besides, victory isn't the main goal here. As much as I respect Max, he won't be able to defeat all four of us alone, especially in physical combat. Let's not be too idealistic. We're leaders of the four strongest brotherhoods so losing a battle against us won't make Max less of a man. If we challenge Ian in the same battle and he loses, do you think the students would stop respecting and following him?" Hans asked with a serious expression, and this time, CJ and MJ didn't say anything.

     "The white uniforms won't remember Ian as the student who lost against the brotherhood leaders. He'll remember him as the student who fought against us. Max might lose this battle, but we also can't ignore the possibility of him winning. This is Max we're talking about, after all. But the outcome of this battle isn't the goal here. The goal is to let everyone witness Max's undying determination," Arjun explained next. "Remember, those who survive a war always get the most recognition."

     "So you want us to go all out?" CJ asked, a grin slowly appearing on his face.

     "Well, we're his protectors after all, so who else will teach him a lesson besides us," Krist added, now excited about the plan as well.

     "Then I guess it's settled," Hans said. "I'll tell Richard and ask him if this can get approved. And then I'll ask–"

     "Wait," Marcus suddenly interrupted, making his leader stop talking. When everyone was now looking at him, Marcus pulled his phone out and checked the message that actually came from his brother. When he saw what it was about, his eyes instantly widened from shock and disbelief.

     "What's wrong? Did something happen?" Hans asked.

     Marcus took a deep breath, and then he looked at the leaders and said, "It's Max...he wants one of us to take Kim Hee-joon as our underling."

     [Present time, at the Stadium]

     Max ran as fast as he could while CJ and Krist continued chasing after him. Ten minutes had already passed, but he was still on the first floor, holding onto the red flag that he was able to get earlier. Max ran passed a couple of barrels, and then he used that by knocking it over and kicking it towards the count and the baron.

     Master Joker jumps over it easily while CJ kicks it away. Max knew that they were only wasting his time on the first level, so instead of thinking of ways how to stop them from chasing him, Max started looking around the ground. When he found a large crate near the steel beams, Max ran to it, holding onto a rope that he found earlier and climbing on top of the crate. Max then wraps the rope around the beam and starts using it to climb to the second level.

     "Looks like Max is going full Mulan on us right now," the commentator explains as the white uniforms continue to cheer for him.

     Despite his palms burning from gripping onto the rope, Max successfully arrived at the second level which caused the students to cheer even louder. Without wasting any more time, he started searching for the flag while cautiously hiding from Hans who happened to kick him in the face earlier.

     Max hid behind crates before finding a metal pipe on the floor. He grabs it, and then he tightly wraps the rope around his waist so he won't end up losing it. "I just need to find that red flag so I can climb to the third level," Max thought to himself, peeking to check if someone was nearby. When the coast was clear, Max sat down and started thinking of a game plan.

     "I'm never gonna knock those monsters out," Max says to himself while staring at the weapon he's holding. "Getting chased won't help either so I need to hide as much as I can while also looking for the red flag. I don't wanna use that ladder either because someone's definitely guarding that."

     Max looked around the structure again and aggressively scratched his head because of how difficult the task was. It was almost like it was set up to make sure he failed.

     "You're thinking way too much," someone suddenly says, immediately making Max move away from the crate.

     "Siren!" Max shouted as he saw Siren standing on top of the crate, looking down on him while her body was covered in sand. 

     Max pointed the pipe towards the duke like it was a sword so she wouldn't be able to attack him. He then tried looking for a way where he could escape, but the only thing he could think of was to run. Soon enough, Max spots CJ climbing the ladder, easily catching up to him as Max expected. When the count arrived at the second level, he couldn't help but notice that Master Joker was nowhere to be found.

     "Where's Krist?" He whispered under his breath, his brows furrowed in confusion. But as CJ got closer to him, Max's eyes finally widened in shock, and Max ended up grinning from ear to ear, making Siren smirk as well.

     "You realized it, didn't you?" Siren asks.

     "Well, I guess it's not as impossible as I thought," Max says, and without any hesitation, he hits Siren's leg with the pipe so hard it makes her slip and fall.

     "Revenge...my stomach still hurts from earlier," Max says before making a run for it.

     Max's feet just moved nonstop as he grabbed every flag he found, not even checking if there were X marks on them because he didn't have the time to stop. But despite running as fast as he could, CJ was still on his heel, chasing after him with a sadistic grin on his face.

     "Come on you sly little fox! Don't you want to play with me?!" CJ taunted.

     Max's legs were killing him, and his chest was starting to tighten. He wasn't as physically ready as the time he was training for Mr. Brains & Brawn. After all, he didn't really do anything physical when he was in St. George Academy. He was mostly staying in his dorm making plans, so battling on the very first day he returned isn't ideal.

     "Maxie! Come to Papa!" CJ continued to shout like some kind of serial killer.

     "Why won't this fucker leave me alone!?" Max shouted back, CJ's laughter echoing behind him. But while he was constantly changing directions in hopes to get rid of Cigarettes' leader, Max finds Siren running in the other direction, looking pretty pissed. Max used the opportunity and changed directions again, timing it just right before making a sharp turn to the left. He looked behind him, and as he predicted, CJ and Siren slammed into each other, making Max pump his fist in the air to celebrate.

     When no one was chasing him anymore, Max finally looked at the bunch of flags that he grabbed. There were four in total, and Max started getting nervous because three of them had X marks on them. Thankfully, when he got to the last flag, it didn't have any marks anymore.

     "YES!" Max cheered, now heading towards the ladder and climbing it again. This time, Max was cautious. He tied the rope he had on the ladder and got to the top. But as he expected, Hans was there to stop him.

     "You're seriously making this harder for me," Max says, and Hans just smiles before stepping on Max's hands. Thankfully the rope kept him from falling back to the ground floor, which also surprised the prince. When Max got his balance back, he grabbed the ladder again and finally got to the third level.

     "Doing the same trick twice isn't a good look on you," Max teases.

     "I wasn't trying to," Hans replies.

     Max was about to make a run for it, but then he realized that the third level didn't have any flooring at all. You had to run on the beams to get to the other ladder. He didn't even notice this when he was on the second level.

     "Heard Revels designed this. I guess when you come from the House of Pawns, you just end up thinking of the craziest structures," Max says, making Hans chuckle.

     "You're trying to distract me, aren't you?" Hans assumes, and Max awkwardly laughs while his eyes continue searching for the flag.

     "W-What? No, of course not. Why would I even do that?" Max says as he slowly backs away from the leader. "You know, I still don't understand why you wanted me to do this. I'm pretty sure you're just messing with me, but if you haven't realized it, I'm not as in shape as I was when you were training me for Mr. Brains & Brawn."

     "Making excuses now, I see. The Max I know doesn't make excuses," Hans says. And right at that moment, Max had an idea.

     "You're right, the Max you know doesn't make excuses," Max says with a smug look on his face which makes Hans raise his right eyebrow from curiosity. "But the man you're looking at isn't the same person anymore. I guess you could say I learned a thing or two from those seven sinners."

     "And what could that be?"

     "How deep are you willing to go, Duke?" Max asks. But before Hans could even react, Max suddenly jumped towards him and pushed him down to the lower level. 

Hans was startled that he wasn't even able to react on time. He thought Max was determined enough to fall back to the lower levels just to take him down, but little did Hans know that the rope wrapped around Max's waist was still connected to the ladder. So as Hans fell, Max was able to stop his fall, his body hitting the ladder because of the sudden jump he made.

     Hans fell from the third level to the second level, and then, just as Max timed it, the floor from the second level opened as well, and Hans fell straight to the first floor, the sand that dropped on top of Siren earlier saving him from the fall.

     Max was coughing hard, his side hitting the metal beam that made his entire body go limp, and the rope making him dangle like a piece of meat in a wet market.

     Max tried his best to gain more strength. He honestly just wanted to stay there and let this end, but when he saw Siren climbing the ladder, Max jolted back up, climbing back to the third level and immediately removing the rope before Siren got to him.

     Adrenaline was the only thing keeping Max from moving because it was no longer humanly possible for him to still be running after all the injuries he got, but there he was, moving like he could still run a marathon.

     Since there wasn't a floor on the third level, there weren't any crates or other obstacles in the way, which made it easier for Max to find the red flag without the X mark. Siren arrived just in time, and as he realized earlier, it seemed like only certain leaders were allowed on certain floors.

     Krist can't go anywhere else besides the first level. CJ can roam around in the second and first level. While Siren can roam from the third level to the lowest level. If Max can successfully escape to the fourth level, Siren won't be able to chase him anymore, and the only thing he'll be worrying about is Hans, who seems to still be knocked out from that fall.

     "Aren't you tired!?" Max asked as he looked back at Siren who was on his tail. But when Max turned to her, he realized that the leader was limping, probably because Max hit her leg earlier with a metal pipe. So as evil as it may seem, Max used that to his advantage.

     "No hard feelings, Siren!" Max shouted as he ran towards Siren. And like a bull, he easily pushed her away, making the poor leader lose balance and fall.

     Max finally got to the ladder while Siren, who was able to hold on to one of the beams, looked back at him with a proud smile.

    When Max got to the fourth level, he was relieved because it was just a wide and open space. There were fewer flags too so he easily acquired what he needed. But when Max was about to climb the last level, Hans finally arrived, breathing heavily like he ran all the way here just to catch Max.

     "You're a literal man of steel," Max compliments, panting heavily as well. He then turns to the large screen and realizes that he only has seven minutes left before the battle ends. If he doesn't defeat Hans now, he'll never win.

     "You say you're no longer the Max we know, so show us what kind of person you've become. Let J.S High witness how much you've grown," Hans tells him. And without any warning, he charges towards Max, balling his hand into a fist and punching Max with no mercy. The leader was so fast that Max wasn't even able to dodge it on time.

     "Is this it, brotherhood tamer?! Did you waste your time in St. George Academy like Viktor said?! Are you going to prove him right?!" Hans shouted as he continued to throw punches at Max, shocking the white uniforms because they never thought Hans would go this far.

     The Elites were surprised as well, and even the members of Busters were quiet. But as everyone watched Max get beaten by his own protector, and as they all accepted the fact that this was the end of the battle, Max pushed himself to the limit and was finally able to dodge Hans's fist, and then, with all his might, he yelled and kicked Hans in the abdomen, pushing the leader back because of the strong impact.

     "God damn it...H-Hans," Max says, wiping the blood off his nose while looking at the prince who seemed to be hurt after falling from three levels earlier. But Max couldn't help but be impressed that Hans was still able to fight like that despite what happened.

     "Are you trying to kill me?!" Max then shouted.

     Hans held onto his abdomen and looked back at Max. Max thought he was going to say something to make him angry again, but then Hans became serious and said, "We were worried that you might have forgotten."

     "Forgotten? Forgotten what?"

     "How ruthless brotherhoods can be," Hans revealed, surprising the gaffer.

     "The seven lords weren't hostile towards you, but PHD and Busters are a whole other level. You might be helping Joon now, you might pity him, maybe even want to be his friend, but he is the ice prince for a reason. He and Viktor are inseparable for a reason. That's why we wanted to see your determination. Because as soon as you enter the Royals' territory, Klyde's death won't be the only thing that will keep you awake at night," Hans explains.

     "So you're beating me to death to see my determination?" Max asks in disbelief.

     "I don't know. Why don't you ask them?" Hans says before turning to the bleachers. Max turned his head as well, and from how high they were now, Max got a clear view of the students happily cheering for him. They looked at him with pride, almost like they were seeing themselves in him. And when he heard them shouting his name, he finally realized it.

     Max was going to be a member of the Elites sooner than later. Before, he didn't really care what the white uniforms would think of him, but now he realized that he should. He represents the students of J.S High. He is now the very image of the white uniforms. His determination will be the symbol of these students' hope.

     "You know, you could have just done something else where both of us won't get hurt," Max says, a smile finally appearing on his face.

     "Consider this as tough love," Hans says, making the young heir laugh.

     "Oh, and Max," Hans then adds. "This...is how you distract someone. Looks like you haven't learned everything yet after all."

     Max's eyes widened in realization as he turned to the timer that showed him that he only had two minutes left. Max glared at Hans and quickly pushed him away. Hans didn't seem to chase after him anymore as he climbed to the fifth level.

     As Max got to the top, he spotted J.S High's banner that's hanging from the ceiling. Max had to climb a stack of crates to reach it, so without wasting any more time, Max ran towards it at full speed. He ran and ran, his body seconds away from giving up on him. Max climbed the crates with all his might, his arms and legs already shaking as the cheers got louder and louder. Soon after, everyone in the stadium started to count down, making Max's heart beat faster, his adrenaline giving him one final boost. 

     "Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two..."

     Max climbed one more crate. As he was about to grab the banner, siren sounds were suddenly heard, instantly making the students stand on their feet, cheering.

    "One!"

     "And the winners are...the brotherhoods!" Mr. Colemman announced, making Max fall to his knees in defeat.

     The banner was right there for Max to take, but he got beaten by one second. Max couldn't help but laugh. He lost despite putting his all in this battle. But even though he failed to secure his victory, Max couldn't help but smile in relief.

     "Tough love, huh? I can't believe...these idiots...are my protectors," Max weakly says, and finally, after everything he has done, his body shuts down, and Max falls from the very top of the structure to the ground level.

     Everyone was surprised, but thankfully, a large airbag was waiting to catch him.  Max felt like he fell on top of a pillow. He was panting heavily, his body aching so much he couldn't even move anymore. But as the siren sounds continued to blare in his ear, students in black uniforms suddenly ran towards him with proud looks on their faces.

     "Max! You did it!" Rome–Jokers' youngest–says as he grabs Max's weak body for a tight embrace. "I told Master Joker that this was a stupid idea but he wouldn't listen."

     "Hey! Give him some space!" Brave then scolds, pulling Rome away from Max while the rest of the jesters try their best not to crush him.

     "Looks like you really are back. Good job, Max," Anthony–Cigarette's right-hand man–then adds, making the rest of the count nod in agreement.

     Soon after, Marcus ran to his brother and helped him sit up straight. "You never fail to make me proud," he says before gesturing at the leaders who were now heading towards Max.

     Max doesn't say anything as they approach. MJ and CJ were fighting, arguing that they could have done more if they just stuck with their initial plan. Siren was in a wheelchair, while Hans was being assisted by a couple of nurses, but he refused them as he stood in front of Max like the leader that he was.

     "Looks like I lost," Max says with a sigh. "But that's okay. I'll just talk to that spoiled prince and tell him that–" but before Max could even finish his sentence, Krist grabbed him for a hug, surprising the young heir.

     Right after, CJ reached out to hold Max's shoulder, and then Hans did the same by patting his head. Max wasn't expecting the sudden affection, but before he could even stop it, he suddenly felt tears forming in his eyes. 

     Max really was back. After everything he went through at St. George Academy, he has finally returned home.

     "Well then, this has been today's brotherhood battle. And as we always say, whatever happens in the castle..."

     "Stays in the castle!"

- END -