Chapter One
It wasn't a room; rooms have boundaries. This place was a boundless expanse of bone-white. The being, ghostlike and resplendent, consisted of tendrils that extended through the limitless space. The floor itself seemed composed of its essence. Unreal, soft yet firm enough to support my weight.
"What are you?" I questioned.
"THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT."
"It is to me," I insisted. "What does this have to do with me?"
"YOU WERE CHOSEN DUE TO PROXIMITY AND CONDITIONS MET. THIS TASK CANNOT BE FORCED UPON YOU; YOU MUST DECIDE TO ACCEPT IT OR DECLINE."
"What is the task?"
"SAVE THE WORLD FROM DESTRUCTION AND DESOLATION."
"I accept," I declared. "And when is the world deemed saved?"
"WHEN THE BINDING NO LONGER RESTS ON YOUR SOUL."
"What if I die?"
"DON'T."
And that was the last thing I heard as tendrils reached for my soul.
In different situations, there are lots of ways to act. Some make sense, some don't. I'm not saying I'm like a robot, but I usually think before I do something. I could be yelling or freaking out, but honestly, that won't help me out.
So I shut up and looked at the one place I never imagined I'd come back to.
I hate whoever designed school buildings. I mean for one they look imposing as hell. The building itself is 5 stories and has monotonous soul-sucking dry hallways. And secondly whoever thought shoving over one hundred kids into a building to learn is funny.
Also maybe it was a bad idea to come to a new school in the middle of fall with just a shirt and the cold breeze wasn't helping. But I have to drag my ass from my comfortable ass bed just to come to a building full of kids horny enough to fuck the leg of whoever they found attractive.
I lazily dragged my ass up the steps and pushed open the doors to be greeted by the hell that is high school. Almost instantly I could deduce the social groups the Jocks over there by the lockers, and the Nerds over there chatting it up, and then over there gossiping over the latest love story where the pretty girls.
As soon as I stepped through the doors the whole hall hushed up and looked over at the fresh meat and I heaved a weary sigh and made my way to the main office. This one Jock with a shit-eating grin plastered across the face I doubted even a mother could love for no apparent reason just stuck his leg out and me being the graceful swine I fell right over it. While I was falling I just couldn't help but notice this blond chick in front of me had a beautiful ass and as my face graced the floor and the shit eater walked away gloating
"Have a nice trip. I'll see you next fall!" He yelled behind him at me
As his group was laughing I just said from my position still on the floor gathering my stuff,
"Really? People still say shit like that?" I muttered
"Nah, it's just him." The girl who's ass not even 5 seconds ago I was staring at replied.
"And I'm guessing he's an asshole to everyone?"
"No, only to the people he doesn't like..which is everyone."
"Does he like you?" I said as I rose off the floor and neared her.
"No, not really, but he leaves me alone for the most part."
"Then it must be because you're a quite beautiful lass stuck in a tower that might need saving from a new prince," I replied as I leaned closer.
"Oh really?"
"But of course my lady."
"My hero." She chuckled.
"I could be more," I said leaning in.
"Feeling bold huh?" She said.
"Really? I didn't notice but you seem the type to like boldness."
"I do like it."
"Then give me your number."
"You work fast but here." She grabbed my hand and wrote her number on it. "Be sure to call me Stranger." She said walking away and damn did that ass move.
"Holy shit dude, you gotta show me how to do that." The skinny boy appeared out of nowhere, staring at me like a deer in headlights.
Where did he even pop out?
Oh, sweet merciful God I am out of that shitty place. I may have already gone through this and more but there is not a chance in hell I want to relive it again.
But the shithead I was so gracefully tripped by is outside tormenting another kid. Ordinarily, I would've just turned a blind eye but it was the shithead so I just couldn't resist.
I approached him from behind and tapped his shoulder."Hey, how's it going," I asked with a smile.
"Don't fucking touch me." He cracked his knuckles
"Hey, let's grab something to eat bro if you wanna kick ass might as well do it on a full stomach am I right?" I know he was confused as fuck but I was in a foreign world so I might try to make the best of it.
"...What?" He sounded nonplused. Not certain if I was serious or fucking with him.
"C'mon dude I'll pay this time." I draped my arm over his shoulder and started walking.
"Get the fuck off of me!" He pushed me away and in broad daylight, he swung his fist at my jaw.
The kid clearly knew how to throw a punch but I sidestepped and easily avoided the strike.
"You asked for it." I rushed at him, slipped under his poorly put-up guard, and delivered a strike to his gut.
My fist landed so hard on his gut that it kissed his spine. He fell to the ground clutching his stomach and retching.
He gathered himself together and screamed
"After him!" And just like that, they gave chase.
Now while being chased isn't supposed to be the funniest thing I couldn't help but let out a laugh of child-like joy.
The streets were a blur as he raced through. Dodging, ducking, and weaving past obstacles and people like I was on an obstacle course of doom. My body moved first, and my mind followed second. Shortcut – need a shortcut –
My feet skidded to a stop in an alley. I ran, jumping off a dumpster, spinning into the air, and running up the side of a wall until I flipped off it and landed on the rooftops. Faster. Sprinting across obstacles on the rooftop was easier than I anticipated. Sliding underneath a line meant for clothes, dodging and weaving through the occasional heaters and miscellaneous vents, the biggest challenge came in leaping from one rooftop to another.
Now!
The split second before I jumped I felt this feeling not really an emotion but like a damn bursting open in my being and flooding me with a blue aura. And I pushed off the roof beneath me I felt it crack under the force produced. And then I jumped and when I said I jumped, I jumped and I flew through the air. I cleared the building I meant to jump to and the next one before I fell through a skylight into a lucky abandoned building.
I crashed through a dozen things I couldn't make out at the speed I was going. As soon as I stopped I just lay there not a scratch on my body and it didn't hurt at all.
But I was jolted out of my daze by the sound of voices.
"I think I saw him come here." The oh-so-familiar voice of my pursuer said.
"I'm right here guys!" I shouted and lo and behold I was spotted and mobbed in seconds
The first one threw a couple of wild punches that I easily dodged and I exploited the opening left after his attack and delivered a body shot to his side and a hook to his jaw that knocked him out. The other two learning from his mistake tried to bum rush me from either side but I just tripped the one on my left with my foot and uppercut the other one.
And when all was said and done I felt this blue aura coming and expanding rapidly.
"What's happening to me!" I shouted as I blacked out.
BOOM!
The wake back to consciousness was not kind to me.
Instead of mulling over my unconsciousness, I focused on the colossal headache, akin to a supertanker, and pain capable of hurting a Tyrannosaurus rex. Someone malicious seemed to be thrusting thick, blunt, rusty spikes into my head through my ears. My body felt like it had been immersed in iron filings and enveloped in burning sandpaper. I briefly opened my eyes revealing a hulking figure.
But I pushed through the pain and haze and made out the figure.
"Uncle Ferrus?" I cried incredulously
"What are you doing here? And where am I?" I said grimacing through the pain.
"And what the hell are you wearing? Tights are not your thing, it looks like that spandex is choking the hell outta you."
"Kid, welcome to N-Tek." He gestured to the place we were.
"And I know you're confused but I promise this will all make sense soon, just give me time and come with me."
I got up and followed him down the huge corridor that looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie
"Well I'm listening," I said impatiently.
"Alright kid, your pops made all this." He explained.
"You worked with my dad?"
"We founded N-Tek, we'll me and him and another person. Miles, Miles Dredd may he rest in peace."
We approached this balcony that overlooked this clearing that in the center was this futuristic jet or plane that looked fucking cool fuck just then I made a note in my head that I'm riding that thing.
"Huh cool. So this was here this whole time?"
"Yeah, N-Tek is a secret organization that deals with the big issues like global warming, and different renewable energy sources."
"So you guys are the Illuminati."
"No- well… yeah I guess so"
"So my dad was part of the Illuminati. Wait why the fuck is there a fucking tank."
"Kid if that's the thing that shocks then you haven't seen anything so far."
So he led me down the hallway. I started feeling uneasy, and I just figured out why. Walking into the high-tech place was kind of shocking. The size of the place felt unreal.
Uncle Ferruss slid a card against the panel, and as thin blue lights traced down its center, it opened with an electronic sound. The room smelled of antiseptic in a refreshing way I hadn't experienced before; the air was so clean that I could hear my lungs craving more.
"Your father was a great man. He had discovered probably the most powerful and rarest type of energy in the Universe and named it Tachyon Unlimited Radiant Bio Optimized energy."
"The name is fucking horrible first off and I have a better name for it I'm calling it Turbo Energy."
"Not too bad, kid but how about we stick with the original?"
"Turbo Energy."
"Just stick to what your father said, Max."
"Fine." I huffed.
'Still callin' it Turbo Energy.'
As we made our way into what could only be called a chamber. I walked across one of the holographic bridges, leading to a platform in the center of the room. As soon as I entered the chamber closed behind me.
Over the intercom, I heard Uncle Ferrus say. "Max this is the Turbo chamber," -ha! Called it-"it'll keep your power level under control."
"Power level?" My confused cry promptly went ignored.
As soon as he said these giant robot arms came out the wall. My body exploded in a dome of blue energy. They started drawing on my Turbo energy by the dozen and I started feeling lightheaded and woozy.
I was not up for this shit today.
"Uncle Ferrus you kidnapped me and stuck me inside some Turbo chamber and started sucking the energy out of me. Fuck you and this chamber I'm out."
As I said this the robots on the wall short-circuited and started failing and I made my way to the entrance which was a steel door that weighed at least a ton but due to the energy I was producing I threw a simple punch. Normally that would've done nothing but due to my new energy output my punch as fast and silent as it was evaporated the top half of the door and then came the sound of the sound barrier breaking and the lower half of the door flying off its hinges.
Just as the door was destroyed a flying ball of some alien tech flew at me and stopped mere inches away from my face.
"Human, you are about to have a Turbo overload." The voice came from the ball.
"What?" Was my oh-so-intelligent reply.
The ball started rotating wildly in front of me. Then, Suddenly the ball exploded in a sphere of blue energy, but everything was just about the same. Except for where the ball was. Instead of the sphere, a small... I didn't even know what to call it. A robot-type, thing, was right where the sphere was.
What is it with today and blue energy?
Carefully, the robotic entity expressed, gliding towards me with an eerie levitation. Without any visible support, it hovered in mid-air. 'Should you agree, my system can prevent your Turbo detonation, and we can escape together,' it suggested, circling me before settling by my side. I instinctively recoiled as it rested one of its 'arms' on my shoulder.
"Relax and entrust the driving to the one and only Ultralink N'Baro Aksteel X377," he declared, executing an airborne spin as his unconventional introduction.
"I'm not even gonna try to say that."
He sighed and replied, "Just call me Steel, okay?"
He then turned around, and he abruptly slammed into my chest, almost pushing me back. Amidst the chaos, I felt a surprising sense of balance. The Turbo energy faded, replaced by a feeling of well-being. Something covered my legs, arms, chest, and back.
Then, everything stopped.
No pain, no explosions, just silence. I clenched my fists, making sure I could still feel my hands. Blinking to clear my vision, I looked down and saw a full-body suit—mostly white and gray in the front with glowing blue spots representing Turbo energy. The suit fit perfectly, allowing me to move effortlessly.
"Human," Steel uttered. I scanned the room for him, finding no trace. "I am initiating protocol take over in three..."
"Takeover!?" I cried
"Two."
"What do you mean by takeover?"
"One."
My legs kicked out from under me into a dash and I ran through the hallway at breakneck speeds.
The burst of speed was fast, too too fast – slow down slow down slow down –
I ended up barreling past the remains of the gate I obliterated and straight into one of the soldiers trying to stop me from fleeing, and I brought up my right foot in an attempt to stop myself –
"What?" Steel questioned.
BOOM!
Blood. Blood and guts and gore.
It took every last ounce of my willpower not to throw up at the sight of what was left of the man I kicked by accident let alone what was left of the other two in the surrounding area. The blood didn't even splatter on me – all of it escaped in an arc outward from the point of impact, my foot to the man's stomach.
There was a crater in the ground surrounding the impact point, and more than that, the other two men had been caught in it. They weren't completely blown up – but – but –
The human neck was not meant to bend 360 degrees. Nor were the arms designed to snap backward –
My right leg was still extended outwards to the man I kicked - it was steaming
I fought down the bile rising in my throat and I slowly brought my foot down and looked at Uncle Ferrus.
He tried to hide the fact he wasn't bothered but it was clear on his face - it did.
I only spared a glance backward before I unwillingly took off again.
"Steel!" I cried out to the Ultralink.
"Give me back my damn body!"
I shouted as we rushed through the building and instead of decimating anyone in our path we simply avoided them. And as we approached the center we were surrounded by trained soldiers with assault rifles pointed at us.
"Got a plan for this now?"
"Yes actually."
"Better late than never Steel."
"Go, Turbo!"
My world exploded in energy and I felt the armor that covered my body explode outwards into these hexagon-shaped tiles and then converge onto my blue silhouette and morph into a new shape.
I felt a weight on my back. It was as if someone had stuck a jet on my back.
With a powerful leap, I propelled myself off the ground, the force of my takeoff leaving a deep crater in the earth below. I rapidly approached the roof of the cavern the complex was built in and I pierced it like a bullet through tofu and broke into the night. As I soared upwards, the ground shrank beneath me, the wind rushing past with increasing intensity.
With each passing moment, I gained speed and altitude, my ascent fueled by the sheer unadulterated power of the Turbo energy being pushed out my back.
The landscape below blurred into a mosaic of colors as I propelled myself through the atmosphere, my body vibrating with the raw power of my velocity. With each passing second, I (read that as Steel) pushed the boundaries of human capability, using my body.
We ended our ascent and hovered up on the outermost edge of the atmosphere on the very limit of Earth's influence.
It was peaceful-
'I wanna see how fast we can go.' Steel mused.
Turbo energy to my understanding was not any energy Earth was capable of producing by any means. It doesn't operate like any energy that followed our preconceived laws of physics because I could produce it out of functionally nothing and that broke the first law of thermodynamics which states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed: it can only change form. My very existence was in denial and disregard of the very laws that governed reality.
And even then the qualities of it say the species that was created probably was a type 3 or above on the Kardashev scale.
It is more powerful and more versatile than anything Earth can dream of making. So basically it's every scientist's wet dream.
So what happens when that same energy is put into overdrive?
"Go Turbo."
BOOM!
God himself shook with laughter.
Ineffable claps of kinetic energy shook the planet and ear-bursting booms could be heard the world over. The sheer shockwave of our takeoff cleared the cloud formation of approximately half the globe. The lingering remains of the atmosphere moved like God commanded them to flee as we blasted off.
The world warped and swam as we approached what I thought was light speed.
In the mere seconds since Steel pressed the gas, we had zoomed past the farthest a human has traveled and were rapidly approaching the edge of our solar system.
We circled and slingshotted using Neptune's (as in the fucking planet's) gravity and hit the hardest U-turn in human history and approached Earth rapidly.
"Steel, can we slow down now." Silence rang out. 'It's space duh it's gonna be quiet'
"Steel, I said slow down."
As we rocketed toward the Earth, the atmosphere enveloped us in a fiery embrace. The rush of air around me intensified, creating a deafening roar as I hurtled through the sky. With each passing instant, the Earth drew closer.
"Stee-"
BOOM!
Even as we rapidly decelerated we still landed with the might of a meteor. And the might of a meteorite is no laughing matter.
In a second a fireball a mile across vaporizes everything in a 5-mile vicinity sending out a blast wave that flattens approximately 10 miles of pure coastline.
My body sizzled with the heat of the impact.
In the approximately 3 minutes and 18 seconds since I bonded with Steel I killed 3 people, broke the laws of reality, and annihilated an entire coastline.
I felt….. indifferent. N-Tek has probably been tracking me since I left their base. And they probably have an interesting view of the stunts I just executed.
'I executed .' Steel interjected.
"Using my body firstly."
'Tomato, tomato.'
The silence was deafening and the aura was heavy and suffocating.
All eyes in the room were glued to the screen showing quite possibly the most powerful creatures on Earth.
Max and Steel.
It was Forge who broke the silence with
"What the fu-"
"Sir, there is a weird energy signature closing in on them, I think it's an Elementur."
"An Elementur? It's been years since they were last spotted well, can we notify them in any way?
"Umm, communications are kinda offline right now."
"Shit." That about sums it up.