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!

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  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.