Max was laughing..
Why not laugh? He had successfully tricked his most useless friend into giving up his life. Now the Shadowbaron shall rise, along with the Lost Light.
Now he can repay them for giving him these shadow abilities.
Not only that, but now he can continue his plans once more...
Ah he's waking up. Good now all he needed to do was hand him over to the Lost light. It was easy.But why did he have this feeling that it wasn't gonna be easy?
Jake stood there motionless with the darkness still covering his entire body. Max moved in closer but was still wary of the Baron. He might be hostile and if so, it might take all of Max's power to bring him down and he also didn't want to attract any nearby Supers. That may be another problem. He needed to be careful not to agitate the Baron.
Hey now Baron, easy now!"
You.."
'Uh yeah, me... Relax ok?I'm gonna take you to your people. You want that right? To serve your people once more?"
You tricked me.."
Wh..what the hell does he mean by..no, it can't be! Can it?"
I was nothing but a tool to you all this time!
Baron...Are you feeling ok?" He said, worried about a possibility that wasn't supposed to be possible in the first place.
Oh me? I'm fine. I'm fan.. fucking..tastic! Knowing I get to stop you!"
Wh..what?
SMACK!!
Max flew to other side of the wide alley after being smacked in the face while trying to talk to the Baron. However it wasn't the Baron who smacked him.. it was no other than...
Jake!
Of course, after seeing this, Max was livid.
You stupid fucking useless piece of shit! Can't you even die properly?! Can't you do anything right in your goddamned life?"
That's when Jake began to cry. Max had never said that to him before.
Why Max? Why did you do this?"
Why did I do this? Are you serious? The power of course! Look at me! I have shadow powers now! Another catalog in my collection."
C.. collection?
Of course! You think you're the only idiotic asshole I've used? Hell no! But you are the most gullible one. I'll give you that."
How l..long have I been a pawn on your game?"
Oh ever since we'll, when we first met of course! Even back in highschool you're just the same loser as you are now. A sad useless little fool so obsessed with pleasing people he gets used like a damn pencil!"
St..stop it.."
Always writing"
Please.."
Always breaking"
Jake got on his knees and began to writhe in agony.."
But you'll always come back sharpened with no qualms or protests."
His best friend had used him since highschool and he never even realized it.
Getting shorter and shorter"
Or was it that he was too stupid to realise it?"
And when we leave you to do your own thing you do nothing!"
E.. enough.."
So logically wouldn't it be better to give you a use?"
Enough."
So why don't you fall down and die so I can have the Baron you.."
Enough!"
Useless fucking turd!"
I SAID ENOUGH!!!
Jake then gave Max another powerful blow to the chest infused with darkness.. an attack that sent Max flying past several buildings.
However the attack wasn't enough to damage Max severely.
Fine then. I guess I'll have to beat him out of you."
He then taunted Jake to come for him while midair.Jake filled with rage began to emit a large black mass of smoke. It was pure darkness.
He then felt an intense amount of power in his legs but his rage clouded his mind so much, he didn't question it.
He just used it.
Jake jumped into the air so high he passed several buildings and was approaching Max's location.
Max, still in midair sensed Jake coming and his body prepared counter measures
The skin on his his arm now also covered in darkness began to wriggle and melt, then it molded itself, into a giant hammer, and once Jake was in range, he successfully bashed Jake's skull in.
Jake crashed on top of a nearby building and Max, triumphant, sprouted out wings and headed to his location. In the smoke created from Jake's not so smooth landing, Max felt a disgusting amount of bloodlust coming which almost made him nearly vomit.
That's when he saw him..Jake, emiting ungodly amounts of darkness Max couldn't even dream of containing. So much darkness in fact, from miles away, a long and large black pillar could be seen miles away.
This caused enormous panic in the city and of course, Supers were coming...
Jake began to move closer and closer to Max and Max did something he never thought he would do in front of Jake.
He began to sweat. And of course he was furious.
HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME FEEL FEAR YOU MAGGOT!!"
Max's body began wriggling again and he conjured multiple giant arms with large holes in the ends. They were guns.Guns that shot bullets larger than Max himself, and Max was twice Jake's size. Bullets that definitely explode.
Jake knew that and didn't care. He only wanted one thing.
To stop Max.
Jake began to run to Max and Max noticed, the more he ran, the more darkness he emitted and the faster he went. That when Max remembered the Baron's ability.
And he was terrified.
He bombarded Jake with multiple rounds of explosive bullets which decimated the building. But once the smoke cleared, Jake was nowhere to be found.
But Max still felt his presence. The building was gone but not Jake. That bastard had to still be around.
That's when he heard the voices of a few civilians.
He was confused. They were all layed out on the road outside the building. They were supposed to be burned to death by the explosion. Why were they outside and safe?
Your probably wondering how they're still alive after you're little stunt."
Max heard Jake but couldn't see him.
A stunt that destroyed their homes."
Max began to aim his guns at all sides out his body so he could catch Jake at all angles.
I saved them."
Max could sense him getting closer.
Not because of some urge to be a hero."
He was close and Max could feel it.
I saved them because I cared"
Too close.
I saved them so they wouldn't be more casualties of your madness, like I would've been."
That's when Max realized...
And I'm gonna stop your madness before you make any more casualties, before you use any more innocents, before you cause any more pain!"
He had all of the Baron's abilities
I'M GONNA STOP YOU!!"
Including the ability to phase through walls, and the floor! Jake was under him!
Max aimed his guns at the ground only for his jaw to be greeted with a powerful punch from underground.
Then his face.
Then his chest.
Then his gut.
Then his arms.
Legs.
Back.
Shoulder.
Neck.
Max could see what what Jake was doing. He attacked Max, then he'd jumped into the ground and phase into it and swim through it like water then he'd reappear and attack again.
And again.
And again.
And he was powerless to stop him because Jake was moving faster than the bullets could reach him thanks to the Baron's main ability. It was like he was a bullet himself. He knew his chances were getting slim and decided to make a desperate move.
You think youre some kind of hero huh?! You think having these powers makes you a hero? Well look at them!"
Max turned the attention to the civilians who were watching in absolute terror of the nightmare before them.
Not one but two Shadow beings before them.
The power you possess can destroy this world! You have the power of a monster and you want people to recognize you as some kind of hero?! Well it you want to save them so bad, how about saving them when I blow them to tiny little..."
DOOM!!
That's when he received the biggest hit of them all.
It seems you weren't paying attention. I don't want to seen as a hero."
I want to stop you!"
ONCE!"
He then sliced of Max's arms.
AND"
He then went for the legs.
FOR"
He then ripped all then guns off
ALL!"
And finally gave a mighty blow to Max's chest sending him crashing through multiple buildings and landing in an uncompleted building.
Across the city. 8 miles away .
Max woke up and saw Jake standing before him. Looking down on him. Max was angry beyond words.
Do it. Kill me! Kill me you dolt and prove you're better! Isn't that what you always wanted?! To surpass me! To surpass being called useless!"
Silence.
COME ON YOU LITTLE BITCH!!"
You don't know me Max. You've been my only friend throughout all of highschool. Yet you don't know me. If you were my friend, you'd know how much I hate taking lives. Even those of animals! Hell, now that I think about it, was it even a friendship?!
Jake carry my books!
Jake clean my desk! Jake do my homework!
Jake buy me this!
Jake buy me that!
I was never your friend was I? I was just a tool right?"
There was a loud silence.
ANSWER ME!!"
Max was laughing.
Wh..WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING!!?"
Why not laugh? I'm in front of the biggest fool on the planet."
That's when Max began to disintegrate and soon he was nothing more than just dust.
Jake watched on.. as the only person he called his friend had disappeared right before his eyes.
All of this.. changed him. He saw Max for who he is. He saw himself for who he is. This power was borrowed, but he was still himself. But now he has to power to do things he could never do before.
Now he sees why he always saw himself as useless. He never had the means to do what he really wanted. And in turn he never knew what he really wanted.
To help people.
To save them, protect them to make sure no one uses innocents as tools as long as he was alive
He finally had a purpose.
He walked out of the building and looked into the city. All the people going about their daily lives. They weren't freaks like him. They didn't have powers.
He remembered the way he fought Max. It looked so alien to him, but it felt natural. It was like all the abilities and how they work were sent into his mind and body.
He felt powerful.
He then pledged to devote his life to using these powers, ones that belonged to monsters that destroyed people, to save people. To become a symbol of hope, of peace, of justice.
TO BECOME THE SHADOW.
But as Jake looked up and reflected on his acceptance, he saw something in the air..
IS THAT A GIANT BIRD?!"
To be continued..