When Maxwell Carpenter was seven, he watched an episode of Shark Week where scientists were talking about a theoretical procedure that would splice shark DNA into human beings as a way to combat cancer and degenerative mental disorders. Being so young, he didn't understand most of what was being said. The closest he could get was the idea of shark people. 'Hybrid' was a word he'd hear later on in his life. But, for now, he could only call this idea a 'shark-boy.'
When Maxwell Carpenter was eight, he found a copy of an old New Mutants comic from the 80s in a box on the floor of his father's closet. There on the floor, he flipped through the worn pages, admiring the colorful art and fun-looking characters. His favorite of these was the character who could turn herself bright and fiery, like a star given human shape. When Max took the comic to his Dad, asking him about the character, the man simply shrugged.
"That's Magma," he said. "She's some sort of lava-girl. I don't know much about her, I was always more of a Wolverine guy myself."
These ideas would work their way into Max's dreams, twisting and growing until they seemed to take on a life of their own. He dreamed of a boy raised by sharks after losing his human family. He learns their ways and secrets, internalizing them so much his very body starts to change. The boy grows strong and strange, capable of surviving in the deepest oceans. Yet, no matter how much he loves his shark family, he longs to find his beloved father again. So the boy searches far and wide, until he is looking past the bounds of Earth's seas. It never did any good though, leading to the boy becoming angry and aggressive.
Max dreams of a girl born of the earth's core —Mother Earth herself— who was designed to walk upon the Earth's so that they may better understand their innate purpose: to guide and protect life on the planet with their Light. The girl's story is a tragic one though. For true love is born of pain, and pain comes from emptiness. The girl, the world's Light, is forced onto the surface alone and scared, with no memories or companionship to aid her. Some on Earth feared her, some worshiped her. Both were terrifying, and in time the girl would flee and hide on another planet far away. Mother Earth may love Life dearly, but love is rarely kind or soft. Still, Max dreams the two will find each other.
Maxwell Carpenter is a special boy, and his dreams shape reality.
Max met Sharkboy when he was fishing off a pier during the summer he turned ten. He went there often, it was only a fifteen-minute bike ride away, and a good way to get away from the house when his parents were arguing. Most of the time, Max caught nothing. Not that day though. No, that day, Max reeled in something... strange. And yet, despite having never met Sharkboy before, when Max saw him for the first time, he knew they were connected. Max wasn't sure how; neither knew what the other truly was in the grand scheme of things. But the connection was there. Sharkboy must have known it too, otherwise, Max doubted he'd have shown himself, let alone follow Max home. He certainly wouldn't have stayed and shared his history.
But he did. Sharkboy stayed with Max for over a week. Hiding him was easy, Max's parents were more focused on yelling at each other than they were on paying attention to what he was doing. It was fun, like having a tough, cool brother. For the first time, Max felt like he had someone who understood him. Sharkboy never judged Max when he talked about his dreams, just nodded along, asking questions, and explained his own. He was rough, sometimes harsh and cold, yet never cruel. Never dismissive.
Then she came. The Light.
She was the most beautiful thing Max had ever seen. The strangest too, stranger than even Sharkboy. Lava ran through her veins, glowing bright under the surface of her skin. Her hair was made of pink and purple flames that flickered out constantly, always being burned and shriveled, but growing back just as quickly. Alive and full of energy in its own right. She felt out of place in Max's living room, like some fairy plucked out of a storybook and thrown harshly into an uncaring, mundane world completely unsuited for her. Not when she seemed to burn brighter than the sun, and at least twice as warm. Three times as much when she smiled at him. When she smiled, all the hope of the world radiating off of this girl.
"Lavagirl," he said, staring at her.
Max didn't know where she came from, or how she was made, or if there were more like her. But he knew that. He knew her name. He knew that she was Lavagirl, and that she was Max's Lavagirl. It was then, Max thinks, he starts remembering his Dreams. It was then he starts realizing who and what Lavagirl and Sharkboy were to him, and he to them.
Lavagirl, he thinks, always knew. But, then again, Lavagirl had always been a little different; truly one of a kind. And clearly, Max wasn't the only one who thought so, because after he was finally able to tear his eyes away from the Light in front of him, he saw Sharkboy staring at Lavagirl like she was the only thing in his entire world. In some ways, it hurts to be so easily ignored for a newcomer. Yet, Lavagirl wasn't really a newcomer, not to Sharkboy and not to Max, not really. And, in some ways, he understood, the two were made to be together after all; two halves of the same whole, two sides of the same coin.
Almost as soon as Lavagirl arrived, it was time for her to leave. This time with Sharkboy by her side.
"There is trouble brewing on Planet Drool," Lavagirl explained. "I couldn't handle it on my own, that's why I had to come get Sharkboy."
She gave her partner a small, guilty smile. "Sorry, Sharky. I know you were looking for your dad again, but—"
The hybrid waved her off. "No, I get it. Don't feel bad."
Don't feel bad.
For as easy as it was for Sharkboy to say that, Max knew the guilt Lavagirl must have felt for pulling him away from Earth, no matter how good her reason might have been. His next words must have only added to that guilt, no matter how unintentional it was on Max's part.
"You're leaving?" he asked, hurt filling his voice. "You're leaving me behind?"
"Well, we've got to protect Planet Drool," Sharkboy said simply, already gathering his things. "It's our job, remember? We're superheroes."
"But I don't want you to go!" he said. It was selfish, Max was mature enough to know that. And yet he'd never known himself better than he did while he was with Sharkboy and Lavagirl.
LG's face lit up and she dragged him out onto the front yard. Her skin was hot to the touch, but not unbearably so. In Max's soul, he knew that was because she was at peace in this moment. It wouldn't last, he knew that too, but he felt honored to be a part of this moment.
"You should come with us," the young goddess said, showing Max's their spaceship. "You could see Planet Drool in person for the first time."
'The first time...'
Something about the phrasing of her sentence scared Max. If there was a first time, that meant there would be a last time. Even if he went now, Max would one day grow too old to visit. Eventually, Planet Drool could decide to lock him out forever. Eventually, Sharkboy and Lavagirl would forget him, too wrapped up in one another and their own destinies to care about some human boy.
So, when Lavagirl and Sharkboy waited hopefully for his answer, Max swallowed his desire and took a step back. "Sorry," he said, shaking his head. "I—I can't. I have school tomorrow."
Lavagirl frowned, the light in her eyes growing sad and dim. "That's okay, I understand. I just wish—"
Sharkboy cut her off, giving her a quick tap on the shoulder—-pulling back quick enough to not be burned— as he rolled his eyes. "Forget it, LG. As much as you want him to be, the kid isn't ready yet."
The girl's frown deepened but she nodded and turned to go.
"Wait!" Max screamed. He couldn't let them leave like this. Even if he couldn't go with them now, Max had to know... "When can I see you again?"
Sharkboy scoffed, disappearing into the depths of the ship. Lavagirl smiled though —still sad, yet sweet and warm once more— and said, "You can see us whenever you want, Max."
"But... But Planet Drool is so far away!"
She shook her head. "It's only as far away as your dreams."
"What does that mean?"
"Just remember, Max, next time you close your eyes to sleep... make sure to keep your mind wide open. Do that, and you'll be right by our sides."
'What does that mean?' Max wanted to demand. Instead, he could only ask, "So is this goodbye?"
"Only for now. We'll see each other again. I believe in you, Max. Remember that."
And then Sharkboy and Lavagirl were gone, leaving Max alone with his thoughts. His thoughts and his dreams. Three weeks later, Max closed his eyes to dream of a place where he'd have the best friends imaginable, and where he wouldn't have to listen to his parents fight about every little thing under the sun. When he opened them again, Max was staring up at a strange sky made of every color imaginable. Sitting up, he heard a familiar voice say,
"Hello, Max."