The One Where Max Takes A Leap Of Faith

Featuring: One very scared teenager, questioning reality, a butterfly brooch, and a one-way ticket to Los Angeles

Hey guys! Heres the next chapter, and it where the story begins to takes a different turn. Hope you like it.

The shop was quiet except for the faint buzz of the TV and my still-ragged breathing. I was sitting on the floor where I'd collapsed, my back against the wall and my legs sprawled out in front of me.

I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the lingering headache from my... episode? Vision? Whatever you'd call suddenly downloading an entire book series into your brain. The news report about Percy was still playing, his face looking down at me from the screen like some kind of cosmic joke.

I took a deep breath and stood up, trying to slow down my racing heart and get my thoughts in order. Focus, Max, I thought. What do I actually remember about Percy Jackson and the books?

He was a demigod, son of Poseidon - that much I knew for sure. And a huge war was coming, but with what? Who? Was it against monsters? Titans? All the details were fuzzy, like trying to remember a dream. The memories were there, but every time I tried to grab onto one, it slipped away like water through my fingers.

I started pacing the shop floor, needing to move as my mind raced. Something about my dream kept nagging at me - that fight on the beach, the strange purple light, the massive wave. It felt important, like a piece of a puzzle I couldn't quite solve yet.

"Okay, I gotta think this through," I muttered, running my hands through my hair. "Percy Jackson is real. Greek gods are real. And somehow, they exist in the same world as the Miraculous."

Just saying it out loud made my head hurt. "And now I'm caught in the middle of... whatever this is."

My head hurt even more as I tried to dig up more memories. Wasn't there another war that happened later? Something about…Roman gods?

The pain got worse, but I pushed myself to try and remember more.

Hadn't there been Egyptian gods too? Were they real in this world? I also had this vague memory of Annabeth having... a Viking cousin?

"Gah! Why can't I remember?!" I groaned, pressing my hands against my temples.

It was super annoying how I could remember almost every detail of the Miraculous TV show, but the Percy Jackson stuff was all cloudy. Was it just because I'd read the books longer ago? Or was something else messing with my memory?

I made myself take another deep breath, focusing on the stuff I could remember clearly. The details were fuzzy, but I got the main idea. Percy was on a dangerous quest right now, that much I knew. He had to find Zeus's stolen master bolt and prevent a war between Zeus and Posiedon.

"Okay, think, Max," I said quietly, rubbing my temples. "Percy's out there, probably fighting monsters and gods right now. Zeus's master bolt...a war between the gods. It's all happening, and I'm the only one who knows what's coming. I have to do something, but what?"

But did I really need to do anything? This world of gods and monsters was while super cool, it was completely and utterly terrifying. From what I could faintly recall, A war was coming that would turn New York into a battlefield, probably in just a few years time.

A war where lots of people would die. Kids would die. And there was no way to stop it.

Unless…

My eyes went to the gramophone where all the Miraculous were hidden

…What if I could prevent that?

I could... no, I couldn't even think about using the Miraculous. They were way too powerful and dangerous. What if something terrible happened if I took one and lost it, or worse, someone evil got it? Hawk Moth showed just how bad that could be. Plus, I'd promised Fu I wouldn't touch them.

"But can I really just do nothing?" I whispered super quietly. Could I really just watch everything happen and not do anything?

I was just a regular person; this had nothing to do with me. I could just lay low and not get involved with the Greek myths. Live as much as a normal life as possible.

This wasn't my fight. Heck, this wasn't even my world—it was supposed to be made up!

But... it isn't made up anymore, is it?

This world was real. These people were real, living actual lives, not just characters in a book or words on paper, or some terrible movie. And clearly there was more going on in this world than I thought. The Miraculous being here proved that.

"God, this is insane," I muttered, messing up my hair. "It's all real. All of it." My breathing got faster as everything hit me at once. "What am I supposed to do?" I asked out loud, looking at the gramophone again.

A scary thought hit me like a punch to the gut. What if things happen differently? The Miraculous definitely weren't in the books, and neither was I. What if there were more dangers than what I knew about? Dangers that Percy or other demigods couldn't handle by themselves?

My hands made fists as an even scarier thought popped up.

What if he got hurt, or worse, died, and I could have stopped it? I'd never forgive myself if I could have helped prevent him from dying and didn't do anything about it.

With that, my mind was made up.

"I can't let that happen." I whispered, my heart racing. "Not if I can do something about it."

I thought about my dream with Percy in it. He was what, only twelve years old? Just a kid, barely a teenager, and he was going to face all kinds of dangerous stuff during his quest and probably the rest of his life.

And right there, just a few feet away, were magical jewels that could change everything.

Maybe I can change that. I thought. Maybe I can do something good instead of just sitting around trying to figure out who I am.

"This is my chance," I said, feeling stronger. "I can make a difference."

I remembered my nightmare and what the mugger said. I could prove him wrong. I could prove them all wrong.

I can be somebody.

With shaky legs, I got up and walked over to the gramophone. The old wooden floor creaked under my feet, like it was warning me to turn back.

I knelt down and took a deep breath before pressing the secret buttons. The Miracle Box appeared, and my hands were shaking a little as I opened it. The magical jewelry box sat there, packed with more power than I could imagine.

Looking at all the different magical jewels, I realized that just one of these could make me as strong as a demigod. The Ladybug earrings and Black Cat ring jumped out at me - I knew them best from the show. But I quickly shook that idea off.

"Too risky," I muttered. "They're too powerful, and I'm not exactly a fighter."

I touched my stomach where I'd been hurt, remembering how badly that had gone. Lucky Charm was totally random, and Cataclysm could straight-up kill someone. Plus, both powers meant getting right in the middle of fights. I wasn't ready for that yet.

Then my eyes landed on the Butterfly Brooch.

The miraculous of the butterflys power to turn regular people into superheroes could be exactly what I needed.

I could give Percy powers from far away, help him without putting myself in danger. I remembered how Hawk Moth always stayed hidden while his akumatized people did all the work.

"I could give Percy power, then take it back when he's done," I said to myself as reached for it.

Then a thought hit me and my hand froze. Images of Hawk Moth's evil deeds flashed through my head. Deeds I could potentially cause. My heart was pounding, I was both scared and excited at the same time.

But I pushed those thoughts away, and with a deep breath and grabbed the jewel tight.

"I wont be like him." I whispered, like I was making a promise. "I'll use it for good."

With shaking hands, I pinned the brooch to my shirt.

The second it touched my chest, Nooroo appeared in a flash of purple light, and the brooch had changed its appearance, taking on a camoflauged form. It was now a gray oval pin with thin black edges.

The kwami's eyes got huge when he saw me. "Max?" Nooroo sounded confused and worried. "What are you doing? Why do you have my miraculous?"

I told him everything as quickly as I could - about Percy, about the dreams, the Greek gods and monsters, how it was all from books in my world, and the dangerous quest Percy was on. Nooroo listened really carefully, looking more serious the more I explained.

When I finished, Nooroo spoke softly. "The kwamis... we've been around since the beginning of everything. We've seen civilizations rise and fall, including the Olympians. Lots of our previous holders have run into the gods and their kids throughout history."

I leaned forward, feeling hopeful. "Then you get why I need to help, right? Why we need to do something?"

Nooroo hesitated, drifting back like he was afraid of his own words. "Max, I... I'm not sure that would be wise."

"What? Why not?"

"This quest that Percy's on sounds really dangerous," Nooroo said, wringing his tiny hands. "And you're still healing. I don't think you should go, especially with everything that's going on with you. Taking off suddenly might make things worse."

I frowned. "But Nooroo, we can help! We have the power to do so! How can we just sit here and do nothing?"

Nooroo sighed sympathetically. "I get that you want to help, but there's more to think about. You said Percy shows up in future books, right? Doesn't that mean he made it through without us?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"Plus," Nooroo went on, "changing stuff you know is going to happen could mess things up in ways we can't predict. We might accidentally make everything worse. It could cause a butterfly effect."

I frowned, confused. "A what?"

"A butterfly effect." Nooroo's wings fluttered nervously as he explained, "It's when small changes lead to bigger, unexpected things happening. Like, imagine a butterfly flapping its wings in one place. That tiny bit of moving air could end up causing a hurricane somewhere else in the world."

"If you change even one small thing, it could totally mess up the future in ways we can't guess. You might stop one bad thing from happening, but cause something way worse. It could mess up fate completely and cause chaos."

I thought for a second, then said, "But wait, didn't Master Fu leave to get back the Peacock Miraculous after I told him what I remembered? Isn't that a butterfly effect too?"

Nooroo lowered his head. "That... that's different, Max. Master Fu's doing his job as the Guardian. He's fixing things by getting back a Miraculous that's been lost for over one hundred and sixty years. Your situation's different because you have knowledge of going to happen from another reality, one that you were born in. It's more…uncertain."

Uncertain? I clenched my fists."I don't get it, why are you so hesitant?" I asked, frustration building. "I thought you would would be the first to act, I mean, the Miraculous are supposed to help people. Isn't why their were created in the first place?"

Nooroo sighed sadly. "The Miraculous are meant to help, that is true," he explained. But they weren't made for children to use. There's a reason most Miraculous holders have been grown-ups. The power can be too much, especially for young minds."

"I'm not a kid!"

"Maybe not in your head, but your body is," Nooroo said gently. "A body that's still healing. And there's more to worry about. Your situation is an extremely unique one. Running into danger could cause big problems."

"But I can't just sit here doing nothing!" I argued, getting angry now. "If I can help, shouldn't I at least try?"

Nooroo floated closer, looking at me with sympathy. "I know you want to help, Max. But sometimes the smartest thing to do is wait and get ready. Percy's story has its own path—messing with it might change things in ways we can't predict."

What he was saying made sense, but part of me still didn't want to accept it.

"But... but what if something worse shows up and I could have stopped it?" I argued, my voice getting louder. "I mean, if the Miraculous exist here along with the Greek myths, who knows what else is out there!"

"Max, please," Nooroo tried to cut in, "We should wait for Master Fu to come back before-"

"I HAVE TO DO THIS!"

Nooroo instantly went silent, and the room got quiet.

I looked down at my hands, grabbing my legs. All these feelings came bubbling up, and I couldn't hold them back anymore.

"I can't remember who I was or where I came from," I said, my voice cracking. "All I know is that I got hurt, and my parents... they might be dead. I don't even know if Max is really my name! Their faces, their names—it's all just blank."

I looked up at Nooroo, trying not to cry. "I'm stuck in this world of heroes, monsters, an-and gods! Gods, Nooroo, and it scares the hell out of me to no end!"

I paused for a second to collect my thoughts. "But maybe... maybe this is why I'm here. Maybe that's why I found your Miraculous. Maybe I can do something about it. Something important. Anything. To be more than just...a nobody."

I took a shaky breath to calm down. "Nooroo, please. I need your help. I can't do this on my own. I need to feel like I have a purpose here, like…like I'm not just some lost kid in a world that's too big for me. This... this could be my chance to make a difference."

Nooroo's face softened, looking worried with a hint of understanding. "Max, I can see how much this means to you. But using the Miraculous isn't something to decide quickly. The power it gives...it can change you in ways you might not expect. The responsibility of being a bearer of a miraculous change you, putting you in situations you wont ever expect, forcing you to make hard decisions. You may not be same person anymore."

"I know it's risky," I insisted, "But I also know what's at stake. Percy...he's just a kid." I pointed to the window. "He's out there right now, risking his life, trying to prevent a war between gods from starting. Fighting against monsters and gods, and he has no idea what he's up against. If I can help him, even a little... isn't it worth trying?"

There was silence.

Nooroo floated quietly for a moment. Finally, he spoke. "I can see you're set on this, Maximilian," he said, using my full name. "And even though I'm still... worried, I also see something strong in you. A determination that reminds me of some of my best past holders."

"Does that mean...?"

Nooroo nodded slowly. "I'll help you, Max. But you have to promise me something. Be careful when using the power of the Miraculous. Use it wisely, and only when you really need to. And most importantly, be ready to deal with the potential consequences of your actions."

"I promise, Nooroo," I said, quickly wiping my eyes. "I'll be careful. I won't let you down."

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

I spent all day getting ready for the trip, my head spinning with what could happen and all the dangerous stuff that might go wrong.

While I packed clothes and other stuff into a backpack, my hands kept shaking. What if I couldn't find Percy? What if I messed everything up? The worries kept bugging me, but I tried to focus on what I needed to do.

The next morning, I got up before the sun rose, New York just barley starting to wake up. my stomach doing flips from being both excited and scared. I put on the same clothes I had when Master Fu found me: a plain white t-shirt, worn-out jeans, and beat-up sneakers. I threw on a black hoodie too, which helped a little with the morning cold.

Going through my packed backpack one last time, I stopped. Was I really going to do this? Was I really going to break Fu's trust? The guilt was eating me up inside, almost making me change my mind. But then I thought about Percy and all the dangerous stuff he was dealing with, and I knew I had to go.

Feeling awful about it, I turned the "Open" sign to "Closed." Standing on the sidewalk, I noticed a newspaper stand. The date jumped out at me:

JUNE 20, 2006.

I knew exactly why that date mattered - Percy had to return Zeus's master bolt by tomorrow at midnight. I didn't have much time.

Nooroo peeked his head out of my jacket pocket

"Are you ready?" he asked, his small voice clear in the quiet morning.

"Yes," I said, "I just hope Fu won't be too upset... and won't possibly kill me or kick me to the streets." I'd left Fu a note with a long written apology for taking some of his money for a plane ticket and promising to make it up to him when I got back. I didn't like doing it, and I felt pretty ashamed.

The guilt was killing me, but I tried to tell myself it was for something important. For the greater good.

When I went to wave down a taxi, I heard something inside the shop and froze. Did Fu come back early? My heart was going crazy as I ducked behind a mailbox, holding my breath. After what felt like forever, I realized it was just those old pipes making noise. I felt better, but also worse - here I was, sneaking around like some thief in the early morning.

"Come on, Max." I said. "Pull yourself together."

The taxi showed up, and I got in, telling the driver to head to the airport. While we drove through the quiet New York streets, I tried to remember everything I could about Percy's quest. I knew he'd go through Los Angeles, that seemed like the best place to find him. And based on what that dream showed me, he was going to be fighting for his life.

And I was going to do my dam best to prevent that from happening.

When I got to the airport, I paid the driver with Fu's money, feeling guilty all over again. But I pushed that feeling away. This was important. I knew it was.

Inside the airport, which wasn't very crowded, Nooroo whispered from my pocket, "Are you sure about this, Max? We can still go back."

I stopped and looked at the board showing all the flights. Los Angeles flights kept flashing up there. This was it - no turning back after this. I thought about Percy and all the potential danger coming his way.

I thought about my missing memories and how this could be my chance to do something that mattered.

But I also thought about Fu, and how I was breaking his trust, and how I had no idea what might happen because of what I was doing.

"I'm sure," I said, sounding brave despite my doubts. "We're doing this."

As I walked up to buy a ticket, my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. Part of me wanted to turn around and run as far as possible - I was just some kid with borrowed powers and missing memories, about to throw myself into a world of gods and demigods. But I couldn't - wouldn't - back down now. In just a few hours, I'd be in Los Angeles, and everything I knew about both worlds, about heroes and monsters, about right and wrong, was about to be put to the test.

But one thing was for sure - nothing would ever be the same again.

Hope you like the chapter. Take care till next time.