Chapter 1: Together but Alone
Max looks around the first level of the Waterway, and shouts. An echo of his voice returns to him, and he smiles at the comparative coolness to the hot streets above. He walks around with Monica in tow, taking out enemies as they go, collecting items from the fallen ones. They take them all out, and then make their way to the exit, when Monica falls over, screaming in agony.
"OW, MY ANKLE!!!" she shouts, the echo reverberating around the quiet sewer. "Monica, you OK?" asks Max, helping Monica to her feet. "Yes" she lies, then putting weight on her foot & screaming as a fresh wave of pain hits her. "You're not OK" says Max concernedly back "We need to get your foot checked." Monica tries to get up a few more times, and then resigns to fate sat with her rear on a particularly cold grate. "Your right" she groans back "I can't move on this foot though, how are we going to get out now?" Max looks at Monica laid down, then scratches his head, his wavy blonde hair moving under the stimulation from his hand.
"I got it!" he grins, rubbing the back of his head. He picks up Monica's sword, & puts it in his pack, then gives her 2 long sticks to use as crutches, then helping her onto them. She smiles, then hobbles to the exit slowly, with him behind keeping an eye on her. "Monica, until we check your foot, I think its best you don't fight" says Max as they reach the exit, & Max puts the Key handle in the hole. Monica nods in agreement, & the pair head to the next Floor, Max in the lead.
They fight through the next dungeon with hardly a word to each other, & reach the next door, & Monica sighs, hanging her head. "Max" she says quietly, stopping & letting Max walk on, not hearing her. She sighs again & breathes in "Max" she says louder & more forcibly, which Max hears & turns to look at her.
"Yeah?" says Max back, wondering what she wants. "Leave me here, I'm just slowing you down" she says, lowering herself to the floor. "But I…" say's Max. "Please, I will be OK on my own, just clear a route & come back for me." She says, with a determined look in her eyes.
Max sighs, shakes his head, & throws her the Ridepod control. "Know how to drive it?" he asks her. "Yeah, I will manage" says Monica back. "Get to the entrance of the Waterway; I will come back for you, promise." He says, smiling at her, passing her Sword back.
Suddenly, the ground shakes, sending Max & Monica sprawling in random directions on the ground. "What was that?" asks Max, looking around, pulling his now wet head from a small pond of water. "I don't know" says Monica, standing up on the crutches "but that wasn't good, whatever it was." They look around, & when they come back near the entrance, they see a large hole broken in the ground, & they look down it. "Whatever did this is big" remarks Monica. "& strong" adds Max, who suddenly shivers, & turns around.
"Monica, behind you!" he speaks quickly. "Huh?" says Monica, turning around to catch sight of an oversized Black & Blue Ape with leaves coming out of the top of its head "GRAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" roars the ape, running at Max, who backflips as it gets to him, nearly falling down the hole behind him. "RUN!" he shouts at Monica, diving in the Apes way as it runs at her. "But you…" she says to him. "JUST GO!" he interrupts, looking at her "I'll be OK."
Max then grabs the Ape, & looks at the hole near him. "You're going down!" he says to the ape, wrestling it towards the hole. Max tries to push the Ape in the hole, but the Ape pushes back just as hard. Max looks at Monica, nods to her, & releases the Ape, catching it off balance. He then throws himself at its head, getting over the top of it & grabbing the leaves, shifting his weight over the hole sending the Ape & himself down it. "MAX!" shouts Monica as he falls, diving & putting out a hand to catch him, but barely missing. "Don't worry!" shouts Max back "I will meet you outside!"
Monica nods, a tear falling from her face. "Good luck!" she shouts to him, not knowing if he heard. "You too!" comes back Max's voice from deep inside the hole. Monica stands up, alone properly for the first time in years, & hobbles towards the exit with renewed determination to meet up with Max again…