“Did you not hear what I said, General?” Ausiris asked, lowering his voice.
“Yes, my Lord. But-”
“There are no buts!” Ausiris roared as he stood from the throne. “I am sure of it.”
“Yes, My Lord,” Gorthon repeated, his eyes fixed to the ground.
“I was there the evening that the boy was born, do you not remember?”
“I do, My Lord,” Gorthon said.
“You do?” Ausiris paced away from the beast.
“Yes, My Lord.”
“Then you know as well as I do that this Max Baker cannot be the Guardian. You know that the markings were on the other child.”
“Yes, My Lord,” Gorthon said again.
Ausiris spun around and walked over to Gorthon. He grabbed the beast by the neck and stood him up. Gorthon stood at least three feet taller than Ausiris, but he looked terrified as Ausiris pushed him against the wall.
“Do you do nothing but agree with me, General?” Ausiris thundered.
Gorthon did not answer. Max thought it was strange that a creature so huge was scared of the much smaller man in front of him. The creature’s eyes darted around the room, refusing to look Ausiris in the face.
“Tell Elder Darthoor to speed up the tests. Have him and Elder Baxter push the Council on the issue. Perhaps he only shares traits of the true Guardian.”
“Max!” a voice yelled from far behind him.
Ausiris removed his hand from around Gorthon’s massive throat as they both turned toward the direction of the scream. Max ducked down, afraid that he would be spotted.
“Did you hear that?” Ausiris asked.
Gorthon answered the old man by unsheathing the massive blade that hung from his back. Max could see the gruesome blood covered steel, and it made his stomach turn.
“Max!” the voice screamed again, this time closer.
Gorthon sniffed the air wildly.
“What is it?” Ausiris asked.
“The boy is here.”
* * *
Max was pulled away from the room in the castle. He opened his eyes to find a sea of nothingness. He floated weightlessly through the dark. Far off in the distance, he heard someone call his name again.
In the back of his mind, Max knew that his best friend and the girl of his dreams were hovering over his lifeless body with some weirdo who claimed that Max was meant to save the universe. He also knew that, on the other side of the universe, some scary demon and some archaic man were plotting his demise. Somewhere far away, Max heard his name again.
“Max,” it was Kennedy’s voice.
Max wasn’t quite ready to rejoin with his body as he continued to slowly drift through the eternal darkness. He was safe here. Here he was not the chosen one, or the Guardian. Max didn’t even know what he was supposed to be guarding. How bad off was the universe if it had put all of its faith in the hands of a 16 year old boy? What a desperate state it must be in to use a lifeline on some dejected, loser kid. Floating there, Max wondered if they had gotten him confused with Corey Peterson.
“Max!” It was closer now. Louder.
Max felt his body descending downwards. He was freefalling slowly back to reality. Soon he would be knee deep in all of the craziness again. He would be dealing with the reality that he would never return to his reality again. He would be dealing with the fact that this madness was his new reality.
“Max,” Kennedy said as Max’s eyes slowly fluttered open.
“He’s back,” Noah said, jumping to his feet and running to Max’s side.
Out of the haze and the fog that swirled around Max’s eyes, he was able to make out Noah and Kennedy at his side and Donovan making notes on a clipboard at the foot of the bed.
“How are you feeling, buddy?” Noah asked.
“I’m okay…I think,” Max said. He felt strange. An indistinguishable feeling of energy was coursing throughout his body. His body felt warm despite the cold metal table beneath him. He felt the energy flowing through his veins and arteries. He felt it pump through his brain and through his heart. He felt all of his nerves tingling. He felt charged like he had shuffled across a carpeted room wearing socks. He felt powerful.
“Do you feel any different?” Donovan asked.
“A little,” Max said.
“That is normal,” Donovan said. He made another note on his clipboard.
“I had a dream.”
“That’s impossible,” Donovan said, lowering the clipboard.
“Obviously not,” Max said. He recounted the details of the dream.
“Max, that was not a dream,” Donovan said. “After rerouting your brain, you must have subconsciously transported yourself to Arressnia.”
“That doesn’t seem logical,” Kennedy said.
“How so?” Donovan asked.
“Well, he didn’t disappear off the table, did he?” Kennedy asked. “If he teleported across the galaxy, then he must have frozen time as well.”
Donovan banged the pen he was holding against his forehead; the man looked like he was trying to figure out an extremely hard math equation.
“Can he really do all that stuff?” Noah asked.
“Teleport, yes,” Donovan said. “I have never heard of anyone who could stop time though.”
“Holy crap,” Noah said, “he made you into a magician.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Max said.
“Max, if this is true, then we cannot afford to waste any more time,” Donovan said. “Take a moment and collect yourself, and then meet me in the room across the hall. We have a lot of work to do.”
“Don’t you think he should take it easy?” Kennedy asked. “I mean, he was…you know…”
“Dead,” Noah said.
“Be sensitive,” Kennedy snapped.
“What does that even mean?” Noah asked.
“He was only dead for a few minutes,” Donovan said, heading to the door. “And a short few minutes at that.”
“20 minutes,” Noah called at Donovan, “does not constitute a short few minutes!”
The door swung shut behind Donovan.
“Seriously, are you okay?” Kennedy asked. She grabbed Max’s hand. He felt the energy surge through his body. He could feel every cell of her hand pressed against his.
“I’m fine,” Max said, looking into her eyes.
“He’s more than fine,” Noah said. “He just became a superhero.”
Chapter 19
A New Gift
Max had asked his two friends to step outside and wait for him. He sat on the steel table, alone in the room. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He could feel the energy inside of him surge as he compacted his body.
Max thought about his mother. He thought about how soon she would be getting off from work and pouring herself a drink. She would check Max’s room and notice he wasn’t there. Instead of being worried or concerned, she would assume that he was off somewhere with Noah. She would resign herself to the comforts of the leather recliner and drink away the night. Millions of light years away, sitting alone on the operating table, minutes after being killed and then brought back to life – Max was happy that he was here.
Max pulled on his t-shirt and exited out into the hallway where Noah and Kennedy were sitting on the floor waiting for him.
“You okay?” Kennedy asked, extending her arms out to be pulled up.
“Never better,” Max said, helping her to her feet. When she stood up, the two of them were merely inches away from each other. They lingered like this for a long moment. Max felt as if his heart was telling him to kiss her. As he looked down at her, he felt that she wanted him to as well. He felt that she was longing for it just as much as he was, but he couldn’t make his brain follow what his heart was pleading for him to do.
“Are you two going to make out or something?” Noah asked, interrupting the moment.
“Absolutely not,” Kennedy said, pushing past Max. “I have
a boyfriend, and I’m still not sure that I’ve forgiven either of you.” She walked across the hallway and entered the doorway.
“Forgiven us?” Max called after her, but she had pulled the door shut behind her.
“Did you expect anything different?” Noah asked him.
“I’ve never met someone so…pretentious,” Max said. “If anyone needs forgiving, it’s her.”
“Yep,” Noah said quietly.
“I mean it was her decision not to be friends anymore, not the other way around,” Max said. He watched as Noah stared down the hallway and felt as if he was purposely avoiding eye contact with him. Noah had never been one to bite his tongue about anything, especially his disdain for Kennedy Coleman.
“She’s got some nerve, doesn’t she?” Max asked him, watching for some sort of reaction. Noah continued to stare in the opposite direction. Max wanted to spin him around so he could see his face.
We kind of deserve it, Noah said, finally breaking his silence. Well, I do at least.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Max asked.
“What is what supposed to mean?” Noah said, turning toward him.
“What you just said.” Max watched Noah’s face twist in confusion, “About us deserving it.”
“I didn’t say that,” Noah said, taking a step backwards. His face turned beet red.
“Um…yeah you did,” Max said. “You just said that we kind of deserve it, and then changed it to you kind of deserve it.”
Noah’s jaw fell wide open.
“What?” Max asked.
“Max, I didn’t say those things,” Noah said.
“Bull-” Max began, but was quickly interrupted.
“Max, I was thinking that,” Noah said.
Max watched him shift his weight from one leg to another. Noah looked uncomfortable…no, he felt uncomfortable. Max could feel how Noah felt.
“Did you just read my mind?” Noah asked.
“I…I don’t,” Max tried to string a sentence together, but couldn’t.
“Are you reading my mind right now?” Noah asked. Max concentrated and could sense that Noah was hiding something again. Noah took another step back, holding his palms up. Max took a step toward him. Even though Noah never moved his lips, Max could hear his voice say, Please don’t know that I think your mom is super hot.
“You think my mom is super hot?” Max asked, more bemused than angry.
“Whoa! Max, stop reading my mind. That is not cool!”
“Well it certainly isn’t cool that you think my mother is super hot,” Max said.
Max heard Noah’s voice in his brain again, Evelyn is smoking hot, and if I had the chance I would totally-
“Noah!” Max yelled at him. “Stop thinking about my mom!”
“Get out of my brain!” Noah yelled back, covering his ears with his hands as if to shield Max from invading his thoughts.
Kennedy poked her head into the hallway. She looked at Max and then at Noah, who was still covering his head.
“What’s going on out here?” Kennedy asked.
“Max can read our minds,” Noah said frantically.
Kennedy squinted at Max. He felt as if she were daring him to read his mind. He could feel her taunting him. Max stared back at her and began to focus his energy on her. Suddenly her voice ran through his brain, Don’t even think about it, Max Baker!
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Max said and smiled.
Kennedy’s eyes grew larger than Noah’s. She quickly disappeared behind the door. Max turned his attention back to Noah, who still stood with his hands covering his ears.
“We need to set some ground rules,” Noah said, walking toward the door.
“Yeah, we do,” Max called after him. “Rule number one: best friends don’t think about the other one’s mother.” Max followed Noah through the doorway.
Chapter 20
Max’s Full Potential
Max entered into the room to find that it was much larger than the operating room. It was mostly empty with the exception of two large tables that looked cluttered with junk and a large wooden climbing wall that stood in the center of the room. Donovan stood near the tables, his clipboard folded over his chest, while Kennedy spoke to him. She motioned wildly with her hands, and Donovan looked up and over to Max. He immediately crossed the room to where Max stood.
“Is it true Max?” Donovan said. “Are you telepathic?”
Max wanted to retreat back to the operating room. He wanted to run down the hallway and find the gateway back to Earth. He felt like a freak. If being a teenager wasn’t bad enough, now he had to deal with having supernatural powers.
You are not a freak, Donovan’s voice came humming through Max’s brain.
“You can read minds too?” Max asked him, feeling slightly relieved.
“Telepathy,” Donovan began, “is a more advanced skill that normally takes many years of practice, Max. While I did expect you to possess the ability, I did not expect you to harness it for quite some time.”
“Well he can harness it pretty well,” Noah butted in.
“Don’t even start you pervert,” Max said.
“Look, I’m sorry that I find your mom attractive,” Noah said.
“That’s so inappropriate,” Kennedy chimed in.
“But we’re going to have to set some boundaries,” Noah continued. “You can’t just go around reading our minds.”
“It is very invasive,” Kennedy agreed.
“Fine,” Max said, “I don’t want to know what you two are thinking about anyways.”
Awkward silence filled the air as the three teenagers stared at the ground. Donovan was scribbling furiously on the clipboard.
“Max, have you noticed any other oddities?” Donovan asked.
“No,” Max answered as he watched Noah head toward the table.
“How does your head feel?” Donovan asked.
“Fine, I guess.”
“Hey,” Noah said, picking up an object from the table. “What’s with all this junk, Reese?” It was a snow globe.
Max moved closer to Noah to get a better look. The orb looked just like something you would pick up at the gift shop of an airport; however the inside of the globe was nothing more than a mountain of dirt. Words extended around the base of the globe that read:
Delta 11
May All Your Dreams Come True
“What is Delta 11?” Noah asked.
“This junk is for training,” Donovan answered, “and Delta 11 is one of the planets that make up the Ninth Sector. It’s more commonly known as the underground planet. The atmosphere of Delta 11 is the only planet in our sector that isn’t oxygen based. However, upon further exploration of the planet, numerous cave systems were found and intelligent life actually lived underground.”
“They have cat people,” Max blurted out.
“Yes,” Donovan said. “Their people do resemble Earth’s feline organisms.”
“Awesome,” Noah said.
Donovan took the snow globe from Noah’s hand and moved across the room with it, away from the boys. After he was about 20 feet away, Donovan turned toward them.
“So what happens now?” Max asked.
Donovan whipped the snow globe at Max, who instinctively threw his hand up to catch it. A narrow beam of blue light fired from the palm of his hand. The beam of energy hit the snow globe, causing it to explode in midair.
Noah’s jaw fell open, “Holy sh-”
“Now,” Donovan interrupted, “we train.”
* * *
“Now that your brain has been rewired,” Donovan spoke to Max, “you have access to certain cognitive functions that you were previously unable to utilize. You will able to harness the energy, or lifeforce, that flows through your body. You will be able to manipulate this energy. You will be able to harness it to attack an opponent like you did with the snow globe. You will be able to use it to move yourself through space just by thinking of a destination in your mind. You wil
l be able to use it to move objects and things without touching them.”
“So, you really are a superhero now?” Noah asked Max.
Max shrugged. He didn’t know what he was, but he was starting to think that maybe having special powers wasn’t such a bad thing. High school was difficult; perhaps the ability to read his history teacher’s mind during a midterm wouldn’t be the most horrible thing in the world.
“I would like you to transport yourself to the other side of this wall,” Donovan directed.
Kennedy and Noah slowly backed away from Max.
“How?” Max asked.
“First, close your eyes,” Donovan said. Max squinted his eyelids together as tight as he could.
“Check.”
“Next,” Donovan said, “I want you to focus on your breathing and clear your mind of all other things.” Max took a deep breath in and tried to think about nothing. He let the breath out and sucked another one in. Everything was quiet and dark. He could feel his lifeforce humming through his body like an unbridled current ready to be unleashed. He let the breath out.
“Now,” Donovan said quietly, “I want you to picture yourself on the other side of the wall.”
“That’s it?” Max asked.
“That’s it,” Donovan answered.
Max concentrated on seeing himself on the other side of the wall. He pictured himself standing there. The electricity that was surging throughout his body seemed to amplify. Max opened his eyes to find himself standing in the same spot. Nothing had happened.
“What did I do wrong?” Max asked.
“I’m not sure,” Donovan said. “I believe I recounted all of the steps to perform a successful teleportation.” He grabbed a notebook off the table and began flipping through the pages.
“What do you mean?” Max asked. “Can’t you teleport?”
“I’m afraid not,” Donovan said without looking up from his notes. An Armeddian typically only possesses a single super ability. I am able to harness my lifeforce, and I am able to do that well. Others can teleport or move objects with their minds. On the rarest occasions, an Armeddian will have a secondary ability.”
Max Baker: Guardian of the Ninth Sector Page 14