Chapter 1

(Volume 1 is on my profile, please read for context.)

2nd yr, Phoenix Arizona

Maks 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.