(Volume 1 is on my profile, please read for context.)
2nd yr, Phoenix ArizonaMaks made a terrible mistake by trusting an "inner voice" who was actually Pandora, the mother of monsters.He unleashed monsters into the world until a war between the awakeners and the monsters started.Pandora wanted a world where the monsters could be included. But she realised that it was never meant to be.Maks with the help of his friends and allies. Banished the monsters back to the null void and peace was restored....But not entirely...Maks sat back brushing his black cat's ears. He was a 2nd year college student."Maks, to the kitchen." His stepmother Doreen Fletcher-Anderson said.She had come into her life when he was 8. She had trouble conceiving for 3 years before she had his half sister Jessica. He was so conflicted and it took him over a decade to come to love her but he couldn't blame his half sister. He took care of her even though he thought she was a burden.He went to the kitchen and his stepmom gave him a tray of sandwiches."You haven't been eating, you've lost weight.""I lost the football tryouts, of course I'm trying to lose weight."Doreen turned to him and smiled.Maks felt a sense of shame but he was still willing to be vulnerable."Are you willing to try again?""No, besides I could have started early.""No but you were too busy being a cultivating... superhero.""Mom, it's just cultivating, nothing more." He told her with a cracked voice as though he were a teenager again."I've made a lot of mistakes that killed Victor, Artemis and I aren't eve_""Ah, count your blessings." She put a sandwich in his mouth.Maks frowned and chewed on his food.She sighed. "I'm going to be alone...again. Naturally while you're gone, fighting."She glanced at a picture of Melvin and Jessica. Her husband with brown hair, brilliant green eyes holding Jessica, Doreen beside him and Maks trying to look detached as possible.Maks closed his eyes at them.A villain named Ghost killed them and his birth mom Emily to throw him off from the monster hunting market.Maks's life no matter what he did got more complicated. Now he feared for his life.He had school to go to, there was so much delay, for the first time, he couldn't wait to go back to college to meet his friends.He paused, since he was 13, he always dreaded going to school because of his bully. His goals made it worth it and he had to power through beatings.Maks sat back, he almost couldn't believe things were looking up for him. Although he lost a few good people during the battle of the awakeners and monsters.He exhaled taking his bag for the quarter semester.He faced Doreen, she and his dad had known that he was out fighting monsters and they had been quiet about it.He couldn't imagine the pain of watching him take risks but he also didn't fathom why they could be so manipulative.Maks exhaled, he had to stop yelling at her. She didn't deserve the receiving end of his anger and frustration."I love you." He said stiffly and Doreen looked heartbroken, her blue eyes wavered and she closed them when he hugged her.He stepped back and brushed East's jaw. "Bye."He drove to school and he exhaled at the cigarettes in his compartment. He shut it m, texted his friends and proceeded to go to college. "Shoot."Maks stepped out and he dropped his things at the apartment with his girlfriend, Harley Johnstone.She had blonde hair, fair skin, sea blue eyes focused on the TV, she sported a Jean jacket, pink top and knee length shorts.Harley turned to him and her pupils dilated. "Hey!"Maks eyed her, ever since she fake dated his bully to leech money off of him. He never looked at her the same. He clenched his teeth.He couldn't look at her the same way again. But she did it to pay his health bills and it was a complicated situation. He wondered if Rex, his Bully's primo was in on this scam. Maybe Rex felt the need to protect Harley from his cousin's wrath.He approached her. "Great. How's your...break?"Harley's eyes crinkled. "It was wild ride. You never came to visit me."Maks froze. "I'm kinda busy.""Doing what? I could have opened a portal and_""Harley, I think we have it established that you have to stop using your powers. You get dizzy everytime."She pouted. "You're angry about something.""No I'm not.""I'm not stupid, Maks.""Good for you." He said reaching for the door and she shut it.He faced her grinning. "You're down bad aren't you?""I need you to take me seriously."He hardened and her eyebrows furrowed. "How's your dad?"She softened. "He's doing well, he had the pleasure of finding out my mom ran away with his things and it's been rough."Maks worked his jaw, it was hard not to feel sympathy for her even after what she did to him. But then again he did lie about his identity to get her to join him. He wiped his face. "Again, I'm really sorry about your dad. It's not easy hitting the bottom of the barrel and trying to get back up."He remembered how she almost died if Fei Long hadn't revived her."Yeah and it hasn't been easy since Bo died. I don't know where to start."He bit his lip, his back to her.He sighed. "Wanna go out? It's stuffy in here."Harley shrugged. "I don't see why not. But first let me imagine where I need to be and teleport us there_""No, how about we go for a spin to clear our heads?"She sighed. "Okay."He took the Harley Davidson and she held his waist. He revved the engines and sped off.Artemis Kroner stared at the target drily at the bustly amusement park. She got a call from Maks to meet her there. The red haired heiress of Kroner industries wasn't expecting him to bring his date. Sam Flair, his other best friend, son of Vice Mayor of Phoenix wore a basketball jersey, sweats and laceless sneakers. He switched his glasses for contacts.Harley was so shocked that Maks invited them."Maksim!" Sam hollered."Ey yo Samson!" Maks said approaching him and Harley steamed."I've missed you man.""Dude come on. We talk online."Sam ruffled his hair. "It's not the same, my dad thought it would be nice to get away from this mess." He sighed.Sam had been forced to change course from pyrotechnics to political science. He wasn't even forced to join the military because his dad feared he would go into pyrotechnics there as well. Besides that, he was glad to have such great company. "Got any ideas.""Let's test out that ride." Maks pointed.Harley growled at them running off. It
He pushed his chair aside to approach the man no one seemed to notice. Chupacabras had the ability to shapeshift into anyone. But it took one to know one."It's gonna be a bloodbath tonight." The beast chuckled ominously. "How can you stand around all these people, these deserts?""I don't hurt people." Sam said. "I'm human just as they are.""And you're a beast, just like me. You starve like a monk and perish or feast with me and live like a king." Miguel offered."I'm sorry but I promised not to take risks so."His pupils constricted. "You dare reject me? All these people will die and it will be on your head...hero."Sam held out his fists and the man lunged towards him and vanished.Sam fell over when the invisible force slammed him to the ground.Maks, Artemis and Harley noticed the pandemonium.Sam tried to punch the creature and Miguel hit him from all sides.He coughed blood and his eyes were starting to bruise.Sam growled and he morphed. People started to disperse screaming at
"Who's Miguel?""Your friend." "I don't know what you're talking about."Miguel sat at a corner sad, he had hypnotized him that night to make him forget.Miguel walked with Maks's shoe searching for Sam He approached the school. "I can smell you."He tracked down Maks at the school looking around, he didn't need the boot anymore. He could just find Sam and take him but first, he had to eliminate Maks.Present day,Miguel walked through the forest, he needed to feed before travel. His eyes rounded at a deer and his fangs elongated.Birds flew out of the trees following the deer's bellow.The next day, he grabbed his coat and books. He waved at Meg in the class.It was a typical biology class at Maks' med school. The professor, Dr. Jenkins, was explaining the basic structure of a cell, using diagrams and models to illustrate his points.Maks was sitting in the front row, taking detailed notes and asking the occasional question. He was focused and attentive, wanting to make sure he under
"You remember that promise right?" Maks's eyes rounded. He promised that if Sam ever went berserk then he would kill him."Meg will hate me_""You're all about being grounded right. This is the best option, I think she'll understand." Sam said."Staying sane is up to you and killing you is up to me. So for your sake.""I'm doing this for my sanity." Sam said facing him. "Try to stop me."Maks walked out the door. "What did he say?" Meg asked and he couldn't look her in the eyes. "We have an understanding.""What kind of understanding?""You wouldn't get it." Maks said coolly and she sat hugging her knees....Miguel wanted Sam to join his cause, he didn't want him to be a victim of prejudice and rejection just like he was with his friend Stacy.Maks stood, he couldn't wait around for Miguel.He went after Miguel and so did Sam who ran on all fours. Harley hung on to her hellhound Blackjack with Artemis behind her.Miguel was headed his way with his other gang.Maks stood back and he
"I could have killed him.""That scares me, you actually wanted to kill Sam?" She said and he nodded then shook his head."I had a choice." He said to her. "I made a promise to do whatever it took to stop him if he went berserk."Artemis looked stunned. "Okay but why would you do something like that?""It's not exactly easy you know!""No need to get defensive. I train with assassins, I completely understand_""No, he's a monster now. There's a difference between being evil and being monstrous. That's our friend up there.""What are we gonna do?" Artemis asked.Maks was thinking. "I broke my promise. It's up to Sam now. We just have to trust that he can handle it. He did it once before, he can do it again.""Yeah but it's not that simple." She said. "Plan A, we can let him go and have him work on himself or Plan B, isolate him from his family and lock him up." Maks thought about Harley's dad, he was possessed and locked up, lost all the opportunity to connect with her. Because he made
She attended dance classes and girls from the background glared at her."Can you believe her? She's grieving for Bo and still acting like a main character."Harley stopped dancing and she walked towards them. "Can you believe that we're having dance classes and you're back there mouthing about what's none of your business?"Yvonne stepped forward. "Bo was our coursemate, she's our business too."Harley clenched her teeth. "You act like everything's not a big deal! Why don't you get out of your fantasy world and stop acting like everyone's jealous of you."Harley was taken aback. "I never said that.""Yeah but you certainly act that way." Yvonne said hurt.Her lip trembled.Keisha walked in with shopping bags, a yellow crop top, camouflage mini skirt, pop socks and baseball boots. She just went shopping."Ley Ley!""Keish!" Harley brightened up."You're late for class.""As if I care. Ares just let me loose, I can do whatever the hell I want. Ah, I'm so excited."Keisha was a Phoenix g
Maks talked to Sam on the phone. "You broke your promise." "Yeah, I know but you have to trust that you can overcome your dark impulses. It's a struggle everyday so...you're not alone.""Hey Maks, thanks for not giving up on me." Sam said.Maks felt relief. "Yeah."He turned to Harley and she was all prim. His phone almost dropped."Wow." He said.She approached him and he looked stunned.This felt like the first time they went on a date."This is awkward." He said out of his depth again."I must have overdid it. Shoot." She said.'I shouldn't have said that outloud' She thought."No you're fine." He said. 'That was hit and miss' His heart raced."Wanna watch a movie?""Yes, that would be fine." She said walking with a stiff spine to the couch."Wanna watch a movie?""Yes, that would be fine." She said walking with a stiff spine to the couch. She turned on the TV.He watched the movie and cleared his throat."You were right about Yvonne. I was acting spoiled."'Damn, what a turn-off'
She blinked, her heart started to race. It sounded romantic but she was afraid of heights."No, no no."He grinned. "Yes, you've been on a rollercoaster before."She sauntered to a shelf to put her sewing kit up. She was flustered at him."I promise I won't drop you, for most of the part."She clung on."Hang tight.""Oh, I'd never guess." She said.He grinned and his wings refracted flying and then finding a wind thermal.He would be soaring through the air with mighty agility. And aerial awesomeness but tonight he seemed to be flying with grace.Harley was already panicking. This would usually be every girl's dream but this was a bleeding nightmare.She closed her eyes tightly having flashes of exploring the tunnels as a child."Hello?" She said.A guard caught her. "Hey! Get back here!"She screaming running away from him.Ares looked up at her pulling the door open. "Where are you going!?"She ran through the field with Ares on her tail. She had seen the skulls, the spears, he had