Maximus Thatcher

by Robert Miller

  Jonny shot to his feet and extended the block of ice into the sky with a pillar of rock. It stood 10 feet high and he arched his neck to peer at the top.

  It had been a decoy. Max exploded out from the bottom of the small pillar and jolted towards Chris. His blue spark punch connected with Chris’s face and he crashed heavily to the ground. Jonny held his breath for a moment, as if hoping Maximus wouldn’t notice him.

  “This is unreal…” Jonny half-sighed.

  Max turned his black stare on him. The push power he had received from Raze drew the dark sword into his hands. Magma trailed his steps and his eyes shone white.

  “I will not let you surrender into darkness,” shouted Chris, spitting the blood from his mouth.

  His sheer determination was admirable, but was shattered instantly as the black sword pierced his chest, passing through and out of his back, blood dripping off the blade. Jonny couldn’t register the reality of the moment. It had been faster than his teleportation and he was only able to watch in horror as Chris dropped to his knees.

  “No!” cried Jonny, feeling responsible for Chris. After all, it was he who had begun this whole battle.

  The lightning step Max had used to travel so quickly was in full effect. Appearing before Jonny with no warning, Max grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off his feet. He could feel Max’s grip tighten as the air fled his lungs. This was it, then? He hadn’t expected to die at such a young age. But then his mind shifted from defence to survival and he teleported them both from the stadium.

  Darkness once again consumed them. It was a chance Jonny utilised to free himself and he kicked himself away, lighting the area with his fire. Jonny didn’t recognise the place and he panted harshly as he eyed Max.

  Max’s conscience began to seep through to him as the inside of the mountain called to him. It was here he had received his power from the Gods. It was here he had met his father for the first time. His mind began to fight back and Max grabbed his head, yelling with pain.

  The scroll on his back steamed blue mist, as every torch in the mountain lit. Jonny was overwhelmed by the vast space and tottered back a couple of steps as the blue mist drifted over the ground.

  “Take control!” he yelled to Max.

  At that moment, a blue, misty figure grabbed hold of Jonny’s shoulder, making him jump and spin around in fear. It was Philo, and his touch was detoxing Jonny, the colour returning gradually to his face as he felt the presence of the Dark Lord wither away. He hadn’t felt this great in a long time and felt the heavy burden of evil disappear as Philo whispered instructions into his ear.

  His last words to Jonny were: “Keep my boy safe.”

  Jonny followed his orders immediately, teleporting Maximus to the park where it all started.

  The two appeared in the middle of the park and Ben, Stuart, Jimmy and Hilary spun to face them as the lightning grew thicker and thicker.

  Max had reached the climax of his power as all the powers he had obtained cycled through and around him and Jonny had to retreat in hast.

  Hilary grabbed onto her stomach, feeling the burning desire to save him. Her breaths grew shorter as she realised that she held Max’s yellow necklace in her hands. He had dropped it while losing control.

  She stepped slowly towards him, warding off Jimmy’s warnings.

  There was no one here with the power to stop him other than her. It was her love that would have to get through to him and, if she failed, than he would be lost forever. She drew close enough to touch him, wary of the many powers surrounding her. Her fear slowly began to subside; it was his subconscious in there, after all, and that could not harm her.

  Her eyes glistened as she made eye contact with Max. The necklace was drawn to Max’s skin as if by a magnet and she prayed it would bring him back.

  His power began to fade and the necklace grew bright with it.

  Finally, Max’s eyes had returned to their normal soft brown and he looked up, clearly disoriented. Tears ran down her face as she embraced him, hugging him tightly as he drew his arms around her.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” sobbed Hilary.

  The dark clouds softened and released a light drizzle down upon the city. The lightning and thunder had stopped and the rest of the crew drew back in relief.

  “Never again,” sighed Chris, grabbing a handshake from Jimmy.

  Ben had Jonny gripped firmly in his arms, in order to prevent any further attacks, but now looked at him with new eyes, noticing that a change had occurred within him.

  “I’m sorry, my friend,” Jonny murmured.

  Ben accepted his apology, patting him on the back as he looked over towards Max.

  “What happened?” he questioned.

  “He won,” replied Jonny, following Ben’s gaze.

  Ben was taken aback by his words. Not once had Jonny ever admitted defeat. What had he witnessed that drained away the darkness in him?

  “I couldn’t control it,” Max tried to explain, whispering in Hilary’s ear.

  “It’s all right, it’s over now,” she sighed, stroking his wet hair as she drew a large, releasing breath. Her overwhelming sadness had deserted her and he embraced her once again, joy now filling her heart. She had waited too long for this moment and she finally drew close to him, gently kissing him on the lips. Tingles erupted throughout her body. She had fallen hard for Maximus, she knew, as he released her and stared deep into her eyes. She melted and was caught in his web, huge grins forming on both their faces.

  “Thank you,” he managed.

  Suddenly, she drew back, punching him on the arm.

  “That’s for not telling me you were alive!” she explained, then punched him again. “And that’s for taking your time saving me!” She smiled, blushing as he began to laugh.

  “Okay, okay! I won’t let you out of my sight from now on,” he replied, hugging her tightly.

  “Where is Chris?” asked Hilary suddenly.

  “With the Head Master,” replied Jonny quickly. He had managed to catch a glimpse of him, barely moving, before teleporting to the stadium.

  Jimmy and Stuart approached with huge smiles of their own. Ben gave Max a respectful nod, a gesture well received. Jimmy then gave Max a bear hug, almost toppling him, the group bursting into laughter.

  Max cringed at the thought that he had lost control. His power had been gifted to him from the Gods, making it his responsibility if anything ever happened.

  The laugher continued until a loud sound echoed through the ground and the group fell silent. Max slowly turned around, feeling a very familiar sensation crawling up his back.

  Everyone crumpled to their knees as the gravity was doubled and they knew they were in the presence of the Dark Lord. Hilary screamed, understanding the full horror before her and Max cursed under his breath; he knew he wasn’t yet ready to face this foe. He looked up in desperation.

  The pure dark cloak draped over his body perfectly, revealing nothing. He stood emotionless, with darkness covering his face, his hood forever protecting his identity.

  For what seemed like hours, no one moved or spoke, helpless beneath the sense of dread that had overcome them.

  What was Max to do? He had tried to face such a power and failed, ending up simply hanging on for his life. He looked slowly around at the features of his close friends as they stood uncertainly, huddled together. He tried to give them an assured look of confidence and turned to face his enemy, not afraid to put his life on the line for his friends.

  The black sword rattled itself from the ground, drawn to the Dark Lord, and he caught it mid-air. He had witnessed most of the battle through Raze’s eyes and looked down upon his body with sorrow. Raze vanished with a wave of the Dark Lord’s hand and he turned the darkness of his hood towards Maximus as he spoke.

  “You fool of a boy,” the Dark Lord whispered. Jimmy tried to move but faltered as he peered into the hood. Coldness engulfed him and he shivered uncontrollably.

  “You think you a
re powerful using my sword?” His whisper was directed towards Maximus, but echoed through the group. “You will perish for your insolence,” he continued as the gravity tripled, forcing Max to his knees.

  “Leave him!” cried Hilary unconsciously, unaware of her defiance.

  The Dark Lord drew himself up and summoned up a boulder with a flick of his wrist. She braced in response, too slow to try and dodge it.

  “I won’t let you!” yelled Maximus, raising his hand in challenge.

  The boulder slowed to a stop, Max’s pushing power saving Hilary. Max’s eyes widened as a green mist began to leak from the boulder.

  “Stuart!” Max called.

  He knew instantly that this was Dartholemue’s poison and his mind flicked to the market as he scrambled towards Jimmy and Hilary.

  The mist oozed across the field like a storm cloud, covering a wide area in seconds. Jonny had teleported Ben out of the park, leaving Jimmy to leap into Max’s circle of force field with which he had surrounded Hilary.

  The mist engulfed Max as the boulder broke down into needles, dispersing with a loud bang. Stuart and Max stumbled in the mist as needles covered and pierced their bodies.

  The Dark Lord looked on, able to see as clearly through the mist as if it wasn’t there. The deaths of both boys would be truly satisfying, eliminating the threat before their hope grew too great. Chris bent down and began pulling out the needles one by one, still blinded by the mist. Max laughed as he slowly pushed all the needles from his body with one power, feeling no effects of the Dark Lord’s poison.

  “Your poison is useless,” yelled Max. His vision was blurred and he blinked hard to clear the mist. The thought of the Dark Lord surrounding him was frightening. Sudden whispers made him jump and he flung his head in every direction, trying to ascertain the source.

  “You are impressive,” said the Dark Lord, drifting through the mist. He had seen Max’s scar develop, looking through Raze’s eyes at their battle. Max had learned to emulate all of Raze’s abilities while fighting him.

  His shadow extended across the ground, leaching itself onto Max. Maximus froze as the shadow took control, unable to move from its power, regardless of how he struggled.

  “You cannot live,” whispered the Dark Lord. “I won’t allow it.”

  “I am not afraid,” replied Max, trying to convince himself that this was true.

  “You prance with your scar as if you have attained a level that is a match for mine. You are not a God until you have experienced anything close to that which I have. To have altered the outcome of a war with your bare hands, to instil fear in everyone you face. You are not your father,” he spoke softly.

  He was right; Max wasn’t his father. However, the Gods had given him his power for a reason. The only thing that was clear in his mind right now was that he had to stand up against this monster; no one else could or would. People needed hope, hope that had been forgotten, lost through the Dark Lord.

  “You’re right,” replied Max, pushing out and gradually resisting the shadow to pull up to his full height.

  “I have crushed hope for generations. What makes you think you can change that?” questioned Dartholemue. His nail idly scratched the surface of the force field as he tested its power. Both inside looked up to the hooded figure, obviously deeply scared.

  Max could sense his presence linger around his friends. Stuart had taken a knee, listening for any hint of danger, ready to teleport.

  “I will become strong enough to defeat you, but times are changing and even the darkest of corners eventually sees the light,” replied Max. He reached deep into his power and pushed it out as hard as he could. The pure force shook the city and blew away the mist, revealing Dartholemue. His shadow had returned and his scar rotated with power.

  The Dark Lord left himself open and Max hooked him while jolting. Over the course of their fight, Max had not used any of the Dark Lord’s powers, revealing his weakness. He could not copy any of Dartholemue’s powers; the Dark Lord’s tactical mind frame had come from many battles. This boy looked so much like his father, reminding Dartholemue of his battle with Philo.

  Blue lightning sparked around the barrier, touching the tips of his fingers as he outstretched them. He felt the pain run down his arm and yanked away his hand with annoyance. It had been a long time since the Dark Lord had felt pain, but he shoved aside the feeling as he looked around him.

  He had been so busy concentrating on Max that he had missed the arrival of half of the NPA and the Ministry. Alexander, Dozer, Master Lee, the head of the NPA and the Minister stood behind Max, speechlessly gazing at the Dark Lord.

  “It is him,” whispered the Minister in shock. It had been a very long time since he had encountered the Dark Lord face-to-face. His presence upon the field was draining, physically and emotionally, and everyone held his or her breath.

  “Until we meet again, Maximus, son of the great Philo,” said the Dark Lord as he vanished with a twirl of rising dust.

  The park occupants were scared and quiet and no one moved a muscle for a moment. Each person reflected on his or her life as the immediate danger evaporated along with the twirling dust.

  Relief crashed over Maximus as he realised that, yet again, he had escaped the grip of death, allowing him the opportunity to remain with his friends. His true power had been revealed, the stress of keeping it a secret vanishing with the Dark Lord.

  He lowered his barrier and crashed to the ground in exhaustion. A huge weight seemed to be lifted from his shoulders and he drew in big breaths. Chris stood behind the Head Master and came limping over to the group as they gathered together around Max.

  “Don’t ever put me in danger again,” said Hilary, as she pulled Max to his feet, wrapping him in her arms. A small smile twitched his lips as she grinned and drew him close. Her lips filled him with the familiar tingling sensation, warming his body.

  “Break it up, you two. You’re making me sick,” griped Dozer as he approached the group.

  “So, you really are the one,” marvelled Alexander, observing Max’s full scars.

  The security teams had dispersed and had covered all sections of the park and they now returned, reporting that the area was safe. Raze and the black sword were nowhere to be seen; the Dark Lord obviously covering his tracks.

  The Minister himself took the opportunity to comfort all involved, spending some time talking to Maximus. After a while, Max diverted the Minister’s attention towards the Head Master and dropped out of the conversation.

  The rock walls had remained strong, excluding all Nons from the park. Agents had begun fixing the park, returning all the damaged areas to normal, searching thoroughly for any clues as to the whereabouts of the Dark Lord.

  “Stuart, you did well,” called out Max, making Stuart turn towards him.

  “Maximus,” he replied with a smile.

  “I guess the hunt for the world’s strongest poison worked out, then,” said Max. They had both been injecting small amounts of the Dark Lord’s poison, eventually becoming immune against the green mist.

  “Better than we expected, actually. I thought we were goners,” replied Stuart with a smirk.

  “I think it’s about time we built a brotherhood, something to last longer than the Dark Lord,” said Max, receiving a nod in agreement. They both knew that today’s events were going to change everything, declaring to the Dark Lord that he was no longer the only God walking this earth. That the son of Philo was now known by all in the park. He could see them all now, looking sideways at his scars.

  The possibilities grew in his mind as he pictured the many paths that lay ahead of them all but, most urgently, he wondered what was the path to take to the Dark Lord. He looked down towards Hilary and met her eyes, feeling her smile warm him and provide much needed comfort.

  She stepped towards him and gripped his arm. “I want you to promise me something,” she asked.

  “And what is that?” he replied with a grin.

  �
��From now on, we stick together,” she said, firmly holding his eyes.

  “We are so much stronger together than apart,” he replied, gazing at his friends as the day’s events began to fade.

  Epilogue

  Weeks passed and the Dark Lord constantly drifted through Max’s mind as he checked the perimeter for his presence. He had just started to relax, working hard to bring the dojo back to its old self, polishing the new wood forming the structure of the dojo.

  He had located a chest of gold coins in the chambers where he hung his uniform and had used this, together with the bag of gold from Master Lee, to hire wood users to carve elegant new wood throughout the building, which Max inspected with a critical frown, desiring only the very best.

  Hilary had her own personal teleporting device and teleported from the Pillar to his dojo on a regular basis. Chris and Rachel would pop in from time to time and Jimmy and Stuart were there every weekend.

  Now, with the dojo fully operational with the help of his team, he had plenty of time to visit the hot pools in the forest and the meadow, sitting on the rock overlooking the city. The rock that he and Paul used to sit on, watching the city until the lights burned bright. This morning, even this early, the heat took his breath away as he scanned the city.

  He had taken on the role of hero for this city, fighting for what was right, and he looked towards his hover board with a small smile. This was his haven, his home, and no was going to kick him out of it.

  He watched as the early morning lights glowed bright, the city thriving with activity and felt a positive glow, as if he had found his calling. He glanced down at the wolf cub, watching as it pounced around.

  He had come far in the short time that he had spent here. He had lost everything that had been close to him, gained a Godly power, attended a power school and become the hero for the city that he loved.