Is it weird? Yes. But Max doesn't doubt a single word. Look where he is, where he's been, and where his friends are all from. This could easily line up with half a dozen other stories he's heard--minus the long-term kidnapping. (Actually... maybe not even minus that.) His benchmark for weird is, apparently, somewhere on planet Mars.

"It's horrible," Max says, sadly, after a few seconds of mulling it over. His appetite is gone too, and he's glad Johnny can't see how pale his face is in this candlelight. "But I believe you. I couldn't... couldn't imagine feeling responsible for the whole world. I wish it didn't have to be like that for either of you. But, like... I do get it. I was the same way with Erik at first. He didn't keep me in a cage, though. I was a lot better off than that." The stakes were much lower, too, he reminds himself. He'll have to keep reminding himself every time outrage tries to take over. It was to save the world! That has to mean more.

"After so long... what convinced him to let you out of the cage?"