Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Cloud 2 or anything associated with it, except the plot of this story. If you sue me, I'll counter-sue you for being an idiot and wasting my time. Thank you.

Chapter 1: What's Wrong With Me?

"Urghh!" Max bit his lip as the pain of being blasted by the Fire Element seared through him.

"Stupid-ass monster!" He growled and whipped out his gun, shooting the annoying creature repeatedly until it dropped from the air dead.

"You alright, Max? Do ya want me to take over?" Monica's voice came from behind him. Max shook his head.

"Nah, I'm fine. Don't worry, I'll call you if I get into trouble."

"Okay!"

Max was furious with himself. For the past two days, he was hardly able to fight at all. He had been repeatedly pummeled by the annoying monsters in this forest, and had fumbled for his item bag, trying to heal himself. Of course, such a task was not always easy when you were surrounded by skeletons who wanted to beat the daylights out of you. As a result, Max had been knocked out on several occasions, leaving Monica to do all the dirty work, not the mention carry him around on her shoulder until she could find a stream to dunk his head under to revive him. I can't believe this, he thought to himself. The girl is saving me. It should be the other way around.

It remained a mystery to Max as to why this was happening. I was able to fight fine in Palm Brinks. Hell, I even beat the crap out of that annoying clown monster that coward Flotsam tried to use against me. But that wasn't helping him now.

Lost in his thoughts, he walked straight into a giant tree monster, who seemed none too pleased. It started flailing its limbs around wildly. One struck Max in the face and sent him flying right into the nearby pond. God, I hate those things, he thought as the cold shock of the water brought him to his senses. He had a deep gash on his right cheek.

"Max!" He heard her voice on the edge of the pond. "Are you hurt?"

Max couldn't take this anymore. It was extremely embarrassing to be beaten by the monsters while the young girl had hardly any trouble at all. He leapt out of the pond in a blind rage, and, guns a-blazin', he recklessly started to attack the annoying thing with his wrench. Unfortunately for him, the tree had already deposited its personal squad of suicide bombers. One crashed into him and made him stumble backwards, stunned. This gave the monster an opportunity. Using two of its hand-like limbs, it threw Max high in the air, and, as he started to come down, swung fiercely, sending Max flying this time, but not into the pond. Instead, he smashed into a tree, which would've been an instant lights out, had Max not already been knocked out from the wild attack.

"Max!" Monica panicked. That would have been enough to kill a normal human. But Monica knew Max was an extraordinary kid, and that he'd be fine later on. After all, the Red Atlamillia had chosen him. She calmed down a little, but her anger rose at the gigantic monster who was now bellowing a sort of strange laugh. She charged her bracelet and sent a volley of flames at it. It screamed in pain as the fire consumed its limbs. Monica didn't feel the least bit sorry for it.

"Max!" She ran to the boy, who was out cold. He had a pained look on his face, and several scratches and wounds now bleeding freely. He needed help, or would lose too much blood. Abandoning the current task at hand, she picked him up gently and, with all speed she could muster, ran toward the exit of the forest.

A/N: How's that for the first chapter? No romance yet, but we're gettin' to that part. Please review. I need some feedback.