Maia may have the regeneration ability but she could still feel every bit of pain. So when the bullet went straight to her skull into her brain and out on the other side of her head, it sent her into hell. She could feel her nerves, skin and bones stitching themselves together tightly and slowly. It was uncomfortable to say the least but she had no choice but to endure it to stay alive. And when she regained consciousness, Damian, Maki and Maddin were by her side, crying. Makoto and Magnus were standing before them like a wall separating her from Maddox who was now eyeing her like he wanted to shoot her again.
"Maia? Maia oh God. You're alright."
Maddin exclaimed as she sat upright, blood streaming down from her forehead along with the tears staining her eyes but she didn't dare wipe any of it as she welcomed Maddin's hug.
"Maia"
Maia twisted her attention towards Damian whose eyes were now full of tears. Her gut twisted with guilt. She may have been able to regenerate but to others it would seem like she had died and Damian had just watched that happen, for the second time in this lifetime.
She clutched his hand that was atop hers tightly and said.
"I'm alright. I'm sorry"
Damian only shook his head before placing his forehead on hers letting out a breath of relief. His whole body was shaking and Maia could feel his grip on her hand tightened.
"Maia"
Magnus called out quietly and everyone's eyes darted towards him who was keen on staring at Maddox whose hand was now glowing.
It was faint but Maia could make out the shade of yellow that was enveloping his arm. And in Maki's head, the words had formed like it was his second nature to know what shade a person's aura was.
"Citrine yellow"
Their eyes darted towards Maki who finally stood up as he stared at the glow in Maddox's arm.
"That's a citrine yellow aura"
He repeated and another word came into Maia's mind as she recalled Old Man Shizu's lessons about the yellow aura. Betrayal. Their own brother was betraying them right at this moment. And all of that so that he could kill her.
"I knew that wasn't enough to kill you so let me try again and this time, I'll make sure you'll stay dead"
Maddox spat, his words full of anger and hatred as the aura in his arm slowly formed into something they wouldn't have dared imagine. A long sword, its tip with the sharpness as a dark hue of citrine yellow coated it.
None of them knew how Maddox was able to even control his aura or how he learned how to do what he just did but that's because none of them knew that Artemis had taught him days prior to her demise in the Pentagon. But Magnus had a hunch, and he had spent enough years with Maddox to know that he was closer to their mother than any of them.
"Mom taught you how to control aura"
He said a matter of fact, not a question and not a hint of doubt. Maddox's eyes flew to his brother, a fury simmering deep within him as the sword solidified in his hands. The aura was hot to his touch and it burnt inside of him but he could not quench his anger.
"She found me. She met me. She left saying she'll bring everyone together again. She said she was searching for Maia and Maki. That was months ago. And now…"
His voice trembled as he stared at his siblings all huddled up against him.
"And now I hear from you that Mom died at the hands of Maia? And you didn't even bat an eye. Can't you feel any remorse? She's our mother."
He spat at Magnus who only kept his silence. But in his heart, he couldn't find the anger to spit at Maia for killing their mother. Not when he had known the horrors she had done to Maia. It was Maddin who had spoken next.
"That still doesn't give you the right to kill her. What if she hadn't regenerated? What if she couldn't heal it? Will that make you happy?"
"YES"
Maddox shouted in return and Maddin's eyes flew wide open. She may have lost her twin brother for years but she had thought that somehow his love for their siblings wouldn't have changed. She stood corrected. Because right now right in front of her was a man even she cannot recognize.
"Yes it would make me very very happy to see her draw her last breath so get out of my way"
Maddox tried to take a step forward and Makoto's arm was in the air in a flash. An arrow knocked into his bow as he drew it against Maddox.
"Do not take one more step"
"Why don't you hear each other out? Surely there's an explanation"
Liam called out who Maia had noticed was still on the entry way of the bungalow.
"Don't come closer here Dad. Right now, this one is not in his right mind"
Makoto called out which irritated Maddox more.
"Explanation huh? Mom was protecting all of us from Apollo. From her other self and you're telling me that there's an explanation to why that shit killed her? No. She will die just the same as Mom had"
Maia had heard about it, about her mother's other self and yet it didn't help ease the pain because she knew for a fact that it was Artemis, her real self, that had taken her last breath that day.
Before anyone could even react, Maddox was on his feet rushing towards Maia. Makoto knocked an arrow and let it fly past Maddox as a warning but the older lad didn't budge and instead kept on running towards them.
He swung his sword not caring who he might have hit which made all of them scatter and jump out of place. Damian had carried Maia out of the way right on time before the sword had hit the ground they were previously one.
"I will kill you"
He muttered as his eyes locked on Maia and she understood that there was no stopping Maddox now. Her hands were swift to pull out the knife she had tucked in her boots and threw it at Maddox's arm that was swinging the sword.
The sword flickered in and out when the knife had situated itself in his forearm. Magnus saw this as an opportunity to pin Maddox down to the ground. His arms locked with his uninjured one as he pressed his weight down on him.
"Get off me! Can't you see? She's going to kill all of us"
"She's not. She's not a murderer"
"Yes she is. Just look at her. She's a mutant. She's a murderer and a mutant"
"She's still Maia"
Magnus countered with a pained expression because he himself knew what agonizing pain Maia had endured just for her to be here right now but their other siblings hadn't known that. Maddox didn't know that.
"Kuya please just hear Ate out. Hear us out. We can tell you what really happened. Please just calm down."
Maki tried to get closer to both Magnus and Maddox only to be pulled back by Maddin when Magnus suddenly came flying towards their direction. His eyes widened as Magnus stood up from the ground not knowing what had happened.
Magnus remembers pinning Maddox down but for a split second it felt as if Maddox was the one pinning him down.
Maddox stood up, his hands flying to pull out the knife that was lightly embedded in his muscle before his gaze locked on to Maia who was now brushing away her tears, a knife in one hand and in full defense mode as she said.
"Neverending Luck. Your gift, you used it"