Author's Note: Welcome back to 'As the World Turns'…I mean, MAX Gigify. In this chapter, I (try to) justify the censoring, someone gets pranked, and there's a fight. And speaking of censoring, now that the rating is M, expect some really vulgar words to be emitted from Gig's mouth from here on (and frequently, might I add).

By the way; just to warn you, I've been having a hectic couple of weeks. I didn't find time to finish this until five in the morning. So, if the quality of this chapter seems a bit inferior to those prior, I have an excuse.

Chapter 2: Rebirth of Chaos

As this chapter begins, oddly enough, we do not immediately focus on that lovable sadist known as Gig. Instead, it begins with a conversation between Jade Curtiss and Random Henchman #57, AKA the pilot of Gig's helicopter.

"Please, number fifty-seven, stop making a scene. Just because he referred to you as 'Fifty-Who-Gives-A-Shit', it gives you no right to cry to me about it."

"B-but he swore at me! Repeatedly! I'm a very emotional goon, you know!"

"Oh, that bothersome Grim Reaper expy swears at nearly everyone…speaking of which, do you think I should deactivate that microchip?"

"…What microchip, sir?"

"The one I planted on Gig. It causes a loud noise to be emitted every time the man cusses. Did you believe that those beeps were just coming out of thin air?"

"Uh…of course not, sir!"

"…Well, either way, it's becoming more bothersome than the actual swearing would be. I'll turn it off immediately. By the way, have you found my usual attire yet? This green variation just feels so…unfitting."

"Still working on it, sir!"

~!~!~

"…Damn it. Where the fuck is Vitali? …Hey, that stupid censoring stopped!"

When we last left Gig, he had recently beaten up a middle-aged plumber by sticking a tennis racket through his throat, followed soon after by looting his corpse and setting his body aflame. In the ex-Master of Death's opinion, it was a fairly decent way to begin a legalized mass murdering campaign. He hadn't felt the thrill of a kill since he obtained a mortal body, and it was a feeling most sweet to him. Anyways, after the match, Gig returned to where he and his companion had split up, deciding to wait as long as he needed until-

"As neither of us knows a man named Godot, I assume you're waiting for me."

Gig jumped up in shock and turned around, only to wind up face-to-face with the cleric he had been waiting for. "Holy shit, you've GOT to stop doing that! …Wait, what was that about some maggot named Godot?"

"There's a famous play called 'Waiting for Godot'…though, in hindsight, I shouldn't have expected you to understand that reference," Vitali replied. "But right now, that hardly…why are you wearing that odd chapeau?"

"It's called a 'hat', dimshit. Part of the spoils I got after utterly slaughtering my first victim…speaking of which, I also won this-"

"Oh, never mind that," Vitali interrupted. "As I was trying to tell you earlier, I have grander concerns at the moment. For you see, while we were separated, I managed to find some shelter for us. Cutting to the heart of the matter…a term which you should undoubtedly like…somebody already inhabits that particular location. And as I my previous encounter with another survivalist didn't go too well…I'll elaborate on that later…"

"Let me guess; you're asking this bad-ass motherfucking killer of kings to slaughter 'im for you, since you're just a pansy that couldn't even kill a mosquito if one landed on your arm. Don't worry; this'll be over in five-"

"Actually, the fellow is already severely wounded. If I healed him, we would not only get a place to stay, but possibly some assistance as well. I just wanted you to stand outside and guard the entrance, so I'm not attacked from behind."

"…That's fucking lame," Gig said with a sigh. "Oh, well. S'not like any other scumbags are just going to waltz up towards me and pick a fight anytime soon; that'd be way too easy. All right, chef boy; just lead the way."

~!~!~

In a matter of minutes, Gig was standing outside of a cave…well, 'cave' might not be the best word to describe it. Apparently, after his fight with some fellow named Hackey, Mr. Come-out-of-nowhere-and-scare-the-shit-outta-you had found a river. He decided to follow the river, and found that it flowed into and through a hidden cavern. But, inside said cavern was a man in what appeared to be a labcoat, who had blown himself up by accident after some kinda experiment went awry. And now, while Vitali was doing his moral duty of healing the wounded, Gig was doing his boring duty of preventing his cook from becoming cooked by some bloodthirsty third party.

"Come and get it, you stupid punkass!" Gig taunted…to the plant life around him. No bloodthirsty parties had actually shown up yet, but Gig had a ton of adrenaline still rushing through him after his last fight, and was in the mood to burn it off in the goriest way possible. So what if he had but a fraction of a fraction of the power he once had? If the Wa-Loser battle was any indication, he could still hold his own in battle, and was prepared to dominate the competition.

As time passed on, Gig could hear some faint sounds coming from the cavern he was guarding. He guessed that Mr. Labcoat and Vitali found out they couldn't really live together, and resorted to beating the shit outta each other to see who gets to stay. While Vitali wouldn't be able to use his stealth skills in such an enclosed area, the ex-Master of Death had given him Wa-Loser's golf club earlier, so he wouldn't be at too much of a disadvantage in another fight. Gig was tempted to leave his post and watch whatever bloodshed was occuring, when he realized that he wasn't the only one attracted to the sounds of the scuffle; something was approaching from behind a bunch of bushes nearby.

"Hey, punkass! Stop being a sniveling coward; come out and show your face already!" Gig yelled at whoever was behind the bushes. On cue, out of the bushes came a…thing. A small, orange, black-eyed…thing. As his dimension didn't have anything similar to koalas, or non-wolf-esque dogs, 'thing' was the best word to describe it as…actually, compared to 'koala' or 'dog', the word 'thing' is a pretty good guess when it came to identifying the organism.

"So, the human thinks he's pretty bold, does he?" said Leroy, surprising Gig with its ability to speak. "Before you decide to mess with forces you can't handle, I'll tell you a little about myself. I am a genetic experiment created by Doctor Jacque von Hamsterveil, using technology stolen from Doctor Jumba Jookeiba. You may call me 'Leroy'. My physical prowess is equal to the strength of about ten people, my agility can match a wildcat's, and my intelligence is most certainly higher than the average scholar. Also, I have served time in intergalactic prison for crimes against humanity. What do you have to say to that?"

"…I have absolutely no idea what the hell you're saying," Gig replied, a confused look on his face. "Are you going to continue being Mr. Exposition, or can we just get to the part where I rip a new hole into that shrimpy little body of yours"

"…Can't say that I didn't try to warn you," Leroy said as he did something Gig thought impossible. The less-than-three-feet-tall critter had just picked up a tree. Specifically, the kind of vine-proof, explosion-proof trees that had saved Gig's ass in the last fight. And then, the little mutant split it over his knee, and looked like he was about to use the two pieces to beat Gig's head in.

It all happened so quickly, so suddenly, that Gig could only utter, "Holy sh-"

…As you might've guessed, he got smacked before he could finish the sentence. One single attack, a solitary motion, brought him to the ground. What's more, Gig could feel extreme pain in his left shoulder. Also, some kind of liquid. This heavily implied that Leroy had broken his arm. Obviously, Gig is…well, screwed.

"Damn it…how the devil am I losing to a creature half my size?" Gig muttered as he attempted to stand back up, though he fell flat on his face; in hindsight, using his probably-broken arm to support himself was a stupid idea. Mentally, he kept cursing himself, over and over again. He had practically ruled a continent two centuries ago, and now he was about to die without even a marked grave. If only he was still the Master of Death, with all the powers that came with the position…

Just then, Gig felt a ripple throughout his body, as if something inside had suddenly sparked. He hadn't felt it before…couldn't have if he had tried…but it was now coursing throughout his entire being. He could feel his dormant powers becoming not-so-dormant, his mere willpower draining energy from the blood-soaked land in order to reawaken them. All he needed was a little push; the feeling of utter defeat, which he had never felt before.

To some, this might seem a bit like Deus Ex Machina; his demon-like skills coming right when they're needed with the kind of explanation you'd find in a bad anime. But as Gig got back onto his feet, successfully this time, the only thing he thought about this new development was that it was about time to use them for some comeuppance. "I hope you had your fun, ya damn mutant cat! Round two has just begun, and I ain't going to beat around the fucking bush any longer!"

"Why is it…that you've taken all this damage…yet your aura is growing…stronger! What is it…that's driving you?" Leroy asked, amazed by the white-haired teenager. He could see it with his genetically modified eyes; dark energy rising from the ground and seeping into his opponent, revitalizing his body and spirit. To see a human with this kind of ability was downright incredulous. "This…surge of energy…it's magnitudes behind your old abilities! How?!"

"Heh…did you just say 'how'? Guess it'd be rude of me not to tell ya. You see, in a nutshell…I am power made flesh. Feel how weak you truly are!" Gig replied, as he got back onto his feet and glared at the little menace. The Master of Death then snapped his fingers, allowing the powers that he had regained to take the form of a red-and-black scythe attached to his right arm.

Leroy decided not to bother inquiring further on this matter, as his opponent was now even more prepared to strike than he had been at the beginning of the match. As quickly as his arms could move, the genetic experiment swung one of his makeshift clubs at the mortal…only for it to be split into quadrants before it could make contact, with each piece completely missing Gig when it fell to the ground. "…What, you thought that 'power made flesh' thing was just hype? I'm motherfucking GIG, the Master of Death once more! I'm the killer of kings and destroyer of worlds, baby! Now, come at me like you mean it!"

Deciding to take his challenge, Leroy ran forward, appearing as though he was going to use his half-a-tree as a jousting lance. Gig was ready to slash it to pieces like the other piece, but Leroy instead thrust it into the ground in front of the World Eater commander. The little alien was vaulted upwards, and due to the position of the setting sun, Gig couldn't possibly see the runt without getting an eyeful of glare.

However, Gig didn't need to see when he had to counter; since Leroy was going to land right on him, it was a mere matter of waiting until he could hear the sound of air rushing past his ears. You see, when an object moves through a gas, the usually-far-apart air molecules are…well, this isn't the time for a science lesson, is it? It's best just to get to the point, and say that Gig swatted the beast like a fly, using the scythe that had just moments prior decimated a nearly-indestructible part of a tree.

"…You really think you can eliminate one of the greatest bioengineered weapons of the twenty-first century, AKA me, singlehandedly!? How dare you!" Leroy shouted, as he stood back up without a scratch on him. Sadly for the little mutant, this action only fueled Gig's madness.

"How? HERE'S how!" Gig yelled, with such fury that it would make a man like Sweeny Todd back down in fear. The Master of Death then charged towards his opponent, but Leroy ducked before he could be hit with a slash to the face. The mutant then attempted to punch Gig while his guard was open, but Gig quickly kicked him into a nearby tree before the blow could land. Leroy quickly recovered, and prepared to lay a real smack down on Gig; in order to have made that kick, Gig would have had to give up his footing, and thus topple to the ground. But, oddly enough, Gig was not where he was moments prior.

"I dare it…"

Leroy looked up, to the source of the voice. Gig was now in the sky, his scythe having morphed into a pair of wings that were now supporting him. Sadly, Leroy could not look for long; the killer of kings was using his earlier strategy of being right before the setting sun. And while Gig could avoid someone falling due to regular gravity pull, Leroy received an uppercut to the face when Gig swooped down to battle.

"…You take it…" Gig continued as he landed on the ground, transforming his wings back into a scythe. The punch had launched Leroy into the air, leaving him wide open for the next blow: literal impalement. "…END OF STORY!"

With a flick of his wrist, Leroy's body slid off of the scythe. However, the alien wasn't quite dead yet; Gig's stab did not pierce his entire body, nor did it hit any vital organs. In addition, his rate of recovery was much quicker than regular humans. Not that it mattered much, though; Leroy's opponent was in the perfect position to finish him, and it was impossible to recover from death.

"…What are you waiting for, you monster? Just finish me off while you have the chance. It's not like I have much to look forward to if I can leave this island in one piece; just an abusive brother and a lifetime of community service," Leroy uttered, struggling to stand back up.

Slowly, Gig walked towards the little beast, his scythe at such an angle that light from the setting sun was reflected into Leroy's eyes. The silver-haired man stopped a few paces before the creature, raised his scythe into the air, and then…chose to have his weapon fade away instead of using it to deal a killing blow. "…Nah. Don't really feel like it anymore."

"…Don't feel like it?" Leroy said. Similar to Gig at the beginning of the battle, it was now the little mutant's turn to wear a confused look upon his face.

"What can I say? I'm fuckin' exhausted after all of that," Gig replied, spitting out some blood from his mouth. "Ugh…I got my skills back, but it looks like this pathetic mortal body couldn't handle it too well. How does that saying go? 'The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak'. Sounds about right. Besides, I don't think I could bring myself to kill you, even if I could."

"So, the Grim Reaper has a heart?"

"…Eh, not really," Gig replied. "I just figure that it would probably be a good idea to find a powerful ally and completely decimate the competition. If my friend from back home and my now-dead first opponent are any indication of how pathetic the rest of the competitors are, we could this stupid tournament over with in about a day or two, so we can go back to our respective homes and kick ass on our own terms. Speaking of alliances, if I can summon my scythe, I probably have my Power of Dominion back, too. All you've gotta do is accept the fact that I'd be the boss of the team, and I could practically double your battle prowess with my abilities…oh, and I'd be able to summon you to fight for me whenever I want, but isn't that a small price to pay when it comes to godly power?"

"…Perhaps some other time, but not now. Remember what I was saying about a sadistic brother? I was supposed to be out looking for some food, and he'll be furious if I don't get back soon. Remember how awestruck you were when I snapped that tree in half? 627 can do that with his mind. He'd then set the two halves on fire, paralyze you with a lightning bolt, grow a second head, and then laugh like a hyena while watching every last millimeter of blood run out of your body. After that, he'd probably try to suffocate me with your guts for no reason."

"…Sounds like my kind of guy," Gig muttered, smiling like a slasher. Remembering something, he then said, "You know, pipsqueak, I might have an answer to your food problem…"

~!~!~

Some time later, Leroy had made it back to the designated area he and his 'cousin' had set up camp. Waiting for him there was the 627th Experiment of Dr. Jumba, who was a sinister, sadistic madman who loved nothing more than doing evil. For the record, that is describing the experiment, not the doctor. The experiment, usually referred to by his order number, had tagged along with Leroy to Grand Cross Isle because he wanted to keep tabs on, quote, 'his favorite punching bag'. Obviously, they had a very different group dynamic compared to the likes of Vitali and Gig, who could at least not pick fights with each other.

"Well, well; look who DIDN'T get utterly annihilated yet," 627 uttered when he say Leroy come into view. "So, did you manage to find something to eat, like I ordered you to? Or were you unable to handle even a simple task like that? "

"Actually, I did," Leroy replied, showing 627 a vegetable he had acquired fairly recently…an eggplant. It was taking every ounce of Leroy's concentration NOT to feel sick, though 627 couldn't tell, as Leroy usually looked like he was in pain…the times he's bothered to look at him instead of just torturing him, that is.

"Took you long enough!" 627 said, as he snatched the veggie from Leroy's hands and swallowed it in one gulp. "Maybe you AREN'T completely worthless after-"

The yell of absolute distaste that came seconds later echoed all across the isle. It was the little things like this that made Gig truly appreciate the life he had.

Chapter 2: END