MAXIMUM PART 2

The creature had only felt fear once before.

When he saw the four eyed man in his visions. A terrible visage which fills it with dread and disgust to this day. Feelings that could only be rivalled by it's hunger for pain and misery.

This was the second time it felt that fear.

The man was no longer a man, but now a monster. An amalgamation of flesh even worse then himself, a giant bulging head and torso with several elongated appendages poking out of every side of it's grotesque body.

Before the creature could react to a beast which was disgusting enough to rival even it, the flesh monster pounced on it, it's multitude of limbs scratching, slicing and punching at every chance it got.

The two monsters wrestled like beasts in the wild, biting and clawing at each other with the intention to kill but were equally far from doing substantial damage to each other.

Stacya slowly got up with a serious pain ringing through her skull and aggravating headache numbing her senses.

However she knew she didn't have time to register her pain considering the fact that two horrifying beasts were going at it right in front of her.

However just as she arose,she fell back down with an intense pain in her leg.

Paulina ran over to a her as she was pulling her arm back together, wincing as she used a blow torch she fashioned her index finger into to reattach the limb. Stacya got close enough and helped her hold her arm in place.

W..what happened. What is that thing?"

Zack."

Zack?!"

Yes. You never knew he could do this. No one did, except me. And Captain Rocket."

H..how? I never imagined he could turn into such a..."

"Monster? Yes. There was a reason Rocket paired us together for training. I wasn't the only one with an inner demon. While I had a blood craving programming that made me into a mindless killing machine, he had..."

"That?"

"Yes. No one knows this but Zack is what the Super community call a Numan."

"No way. I've heard of those things before. Mumans that lost control of their mutations and turned into monsters capable of mass destruction right?"

"Yes. That is what Zack is."

"But that doesnt make sense! Once Numans turn, they lose their humanity and become mindless beasts. How come Zack was partly normal?"

"Because he's an anomaly. Captain Rocket found Zack years ago in this state as he was on a rampage and after defeating him, Zack turned back to normal. Rocket knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and took his chance."

"That's why he paired you together. You were both volatile killing machines and needed to be with your own kind. Someone who understands what its like."

"Yes. You're precisely right about that. This is the first time Zack has ever transformed since he finished his rehabilitation with me. To be honest, I'm scared."

"That he might lose?"

"No, that he might win. And what the fuck do we do after that?"

"I think we're about to find out." Stacya said. The two watched the battle of monsters with no idea what to do if either of them won.

The two creatures continued to wrestle for dominance but the Expanding thing formerly known as Zack kept on expanding. Not only grown in size but also growing new arms to strangle the Maximum, mouths to feast on it's flesh and eyes to watch it suffer.

As it grew knew parts, one of it's eyes darted towards the two women watching it battle. It partly remembered them, especially the one on the left, she had a scar on her chest with metal wiring forming around it. She looked at the Thing with her deep blue eyes and it could do nothing but stare back with as much intensity as she did.

Then, a flash clouded it's mind for a split second...

A large man with an orange handle bar mustache in a white suit and green trousers sent him to a large room filled with multiple clouds. He felt he was walking on air. He felt very good.

Where are we going?" The boy asked the large man.

To meet your new friend." He responded with a soft tone which didn't fit his imposing and gruff exterior.

I have a friend? N..no I don't want one! I'm just gonna eat them anyway! You know that!" The boy said, trying to resist the large man.

The man, Captain Rocket as he was called, gently held the boy by the wrist and led him across the clouds.

Don't worry. You won't. Hell, I'd say you two are more alike than you think."

It was only a matter of time until the boy saw her. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He was raised in poverty, struggling to survive in the harsh environment of Zet City, so when he saw something beautiful, it was rare.

He couldn't move or speak and began sweating all over. She looked at him for a short moment before immediately turning her attention to Rocket.

This is my sparring partner? Seriously Rocket? I thought you said you'd get me a challenge to satisfy by bloodthirsty programming. Not feed it fresh meat. She said, slightly scratching herself and shivering.

Dont worry. I'm sure you two would get along just fine" Rocket said and nudhed the boy's shoulder.

H..hi. I'm uh..Zack! Nice to m..meet you." The boy waved at her, smiling ear to ear which made him look like even more of an idiot to her.

Surely you can't be pairing me up with a wimp like this? I thought you'd bring Hawk knight or something." She said with the growing irritation obvious in her voice.

Oh I said you two will get along just fine. Dont judge a book by its cover now." Rocket said and pushed the boy forward and headed off.

The two stared at each other in uncomfortable silence. Until the boy finally spoke.

So what's your deal?" Zack asked her.

None of your business. That's what. I can't believe I'm getting paired with a weakling child!" She said trying to seem cold and distant. It wasn't working.

Hey I'm plenty strong!" Zack said to the girl who continued to ignore him.

Yeah sure. Right. How about you prove it." She said and the two immediately began sparring.

Due to her programming she had a thorough understanding of almost every known martial art in the world. And yet she couldn't touch him. Every time it looked like she grabbed him, he'd slip out of her grasp. She'd punch him and it wouldn't connect. She kicked him and it felt as if he wasn't there. She even fell on the cloudy ground below her once he tried to pounce on him.

The more he dodged, the more her bloodlust intensified.

How the hell are you dodging my attacks?! No one dodges my attacks!" She shouted in frustration and still tried to punch him.

It's thanks to my muman ability. I can expand my body any way I want. For every attack you make, I shrink my body at exactly the right moment to dodge. I'm sorry but you're not touching me.

The nerve of this brat." she thought, still trying to land a hit on him to no avail. Until her programming finally had enough.

She suddenly stopped attacking. Her shaking intensified greatly as she stood still and began giggling.

Uhhh... are you okay?" He asked her but she didn't respond. She was shivering again but worse than before. Her eyes were crimson red and her muscles began to flex instinctively, exposing pink veins which glowed through her skin.

Without saying a word, she rushed him before he could have time to react. Finally grabbing him by both his wrists and squeezing them hard enough for him to bleed.

H..hey let go please. Um.. Paulina? Please let me go." He begged, but she didn't listen and began squeezing his wrists even harder. He decided he had enough at that point and shrunk his hands to escape.

He did, but only for he short time until she grabbed him by the shoulder; her fingers morphing into sharp claws to keep him in place. As she leaned closer with a horrible smile on her face, she noticed he didn't look back at her. She tightened her grip on him anyway.

However, it didn't hold him for long as he slapped her to the side like she was nothing but a fly. A slap so hard that she snapped out of her bloodlust induced trance.

Ugh...H..hey! What the hell? I'm so sorry! I lost control for a second there I.." She said but stopped in her tracks when she noticed he was spasming as well. Even worse than she was.

She approached him slowly mentioned his name but heard nothing but a low snarl. Then a growl. And then...

Hey man, I'm so sorry about that. You're really starting to creep me out so can you.." She said as she began to place her hand on his shoulder but stopped once he turned around.

His face melted and contorted to form a plethora of bizarre yet horrifying shapes. His eyes were looking upwards and his mouth was wide open revealing rows of misshapen teeth and a wide drooling tongue.

He tried to shout, to tell her to get away from him but all he could out was a scream and lost all control from there. He pounced on her immediately after, grabbing her by the waist and shoulder and opening his grotesque mouth to take a bite out of her.

So is this how you felt.. And I thought I was bad." She said realising that her condition paled in comparison to his. As his body expanded randomly and his mouth opened wide to gobble her up, she struggled to escape but to no avail. That's when she remembered something. Something her creator did to calm her down so long ago. With her life on the line, she realised that was her only option.

She looked into his eyes and held his giant face with her free hands and whispered something into his ear. Something soothing. Something to calm his wild raging heart.

And it worked.

Slowly but surely his body began to shrink and return to his normal size. His disgusting features were reversed and he finally looked more human.

Wh...what?! Oh God! Did I snap too? I'm so sorry I.. "

Hey." She interrupted him, placing her finger on his lip.

It's okay. I lost control too. Now I see why Rocket paired us together. No matter how different we are we still have the same problem."

Yeah we're both monsters." Zack said with his head facing down in shame.

Hey now! That's not something to be ashamed of. It just means we have something within us we can't control. And guess what? I managed to control you! So there is hope for us after all."

R..really? I remember something being whispered into my ear. What was that?"

A little something my uh..dad.. used on me to turn my bloodlust off temporarily. He used it before he...uh, yeah it helped me control myself. The only ones who know it now are me and Captain Rocket.

I see. Well then maybe we can help each other control whatever is inside us so we don't have to use it."

Really?"

Yeah. We are the most compatible thanks to our conditions. What do you say? Friends?"

Eh..no.. I don't do friends. How about acquaintances?"

Uh.. sure! Acquaintances it is then." He said and the two shook hands solidifying their bond. What started as mild acquaintances soon became friends. And eventually, before they both realised, they fell in love.

But that's a story for another time.

Now he was a monster again.

And she needed to stop him.

As Zack, now an ever expanding monster held down the amalgamation of Shadow energy and mutoxin known as Maximum, it opened it's wide gaping mouth and took a bite out of it's head, causing the crearure to writhe in agony for a split second and stop moving entirely.

It was over, Zack had won.

But it still kept eating.

Paulina and Stacya watched them from afar, holding their breathes in anticipation.

I.. I need to stop him." Pauliba said with a drop of sweat dripping down her cheek.

Are you sure friend Paulina? At this point Zack may be too unstable!" Stacya said, holding her back.

I have to. Before he's too forgone."

But how?"

Watch" is all Paulina said as she ran towards the feasting monster in an attempt to calm it down. Zack, still holding Maximum down and enjoying his meal, saw her approaching and roared ferociously. As she got closer, his skin expanded randomly and formed a new arm in less than five seconds. This pseudo arm grabbed Paulina by the waist and brought her closer to the monster's gaping hole of a mouth.

Paulina!" Stacya shouted as she tried to get closer despite her injuries.

No Stacya, I'm fine. Just stay where you are!"

But.."

Before Stacya could finish, Paulina grabbed the monster by the side of it's large face and located something tiny protruding from it.

His ear.

She then whispered something into it. Something she used on him only a few years ago. Something used on her many years before that.

As she kept whispering, Zack began to shrink in size and lose his grip on Maximum. Eventually, he was back to normal. Completely naked, but back to normal. Paulina didn't mind however and hugged him as he lay naked on the ground.

P..Paulina? What's going on?" Zack said, still reeling from his sudden transformation.

It's okay baby. You're back now. It's fine."

Paulina.."

No don't say anything. I'm here for you. Don't worry."

Paulina..."

I said it's fine. Dont.."

Suddenly Zack grabbed her by the waist and used all his strength to launch the two away from their position. Which was being crushed by the giant hand of the Maximum.

Ah shit! It's still alive?!" Paulina said, fully expecting it to be dead since Zack ate half it's brain.

As it stood above them, Stacya watched from behind in horror as she tried to save them but a sudden agonising pain gripped her leg. She turned to look and saw it was bending the wrong way.

Stuck on the ground, she could only watch as her friends were crushed by the monster before them.

Suddenly the creature raised its large pitch black arm and straightened it's palm into powerful blade to give the finishing blow. But then, nothing happened.

It stopped.

With it's arm still raised, it stood still for a moment and looked around. It's crimson red eyes darting around thd white corridor, Paulina took a moment to move Zack away knowing he had barely any energy left.

Thanks to the intensity of his transformation, not only could he barely move but he couldn't use his muman abilities for a long while so his only option was to retreat.

That's when he noticed the creature's eyes fix on something else. At the left side of a nearby wall, he noticed the white of the wall began to fade.

And become blue.

Suddenly the creature ignored Paulina and Zack as they were escaping and pounced on the nearest white wall. They couldn't understand why but they still took advantage of this distraction, usure how long it was goint to last.

Just as the creature got to the wall, a large explosion of blue energy hit it right in the face, sending it flying towards the other side of the corridor. Zack turned to see what managed to cause such an explosion and was oddly relieved yet confused at what he saw.

In the wreckage, covered in smoke was a horned figure in black armor with an intense blue aura surrounding him. Although Zack had never seen this figure before he felt that blue aura.

It seemed familiar.

Hey Zack! W..why are you naked?" The figure said nonchalantly.

Jake?" Zack said, recognising his voice and completely astonished at his new form.

Before Jake could explain or even utter another word, the creature pounced on him once again with the intent to not only kill to get revenge for such an attack.

Only for it to be sent flying back by a kinetic energy powered punch to the gut.

Well then, how about I take care of this guy for you birthday boy?" Jake said to his best friend who was still in shock.

Uh..yeah, be my guest." Zack said, still holding onto a confused Paulina.

And still completely buck naked.

To be continued...