Go Terry Go

The red figure stepped fully into view, its outline solidifying as the smoke cleared. It was a man, but not entirely human. His body was lean and wiry, with unnaturally sharp features. His skin had a faint sheen, like fur under the red mist that seemed to radiate from him. His eyes were golden slits, and when he grinned, Maxwell caught sight of sharp, predator-like teeth.

A Brand.

The man sniffed the air, his gaze snapping toward the alley where the girl had run. Without a word, he dashed forward, a red blur again, too fast for Maxwell's eyes to follow.

Instinct kicked in. Before Maxwell even realized what he was doing, his legs coiled, and he sprang forward.

Boom!

The pavement cracked beneath him as he launched himself into the air, clearing the distance in a single bound. He landed directly in front of the red mist-covered figure, his arms outstretched, blocking the alleyway.

The figure skidded to a halt, his predatory grin replaced by a scowl. "Move," he growled, his voice low and threatening.

Maxwell's heart hammered in his chest. What the hell am I doing? Why did I jump in front of him? He felt the tension in his legs, his muscles buzzing.

"I... I can't let you go after her," Maxwell said, his voice wavering but his body holding firm.

The man tilted his head, inspecting him like a cat playing with a mouse. "You're new," he said, his grin returning. "You should've stayed out of this."

Maxwell barely had time to react before the man lunged, claws extended. His body moved on instinct again, his legs pushing off the ground with an explosive burst, carrying him high into the air and out of the man's reach.

"What the hell?!" Maxwell yelped as he landed clumsily on a nearby car, his feet denting the roof. His legs tingled with the aftershock of the jump, the unfamiliar strength still coursing through him.

The red Brand snarled, annoyed. "Fine. I'll deal with you first." He leapt toward Maxwell, his speed dizzying. Maxwell barely managed to jump again, this time higher, his legs propelling him onto the overhang of a nearby building.

"I can jump... really high," Maxwell muttered to himself, breathless. "That's... something, I guess?"

The red Brand was already on him, scaling the building like a predator stalking prey. Maxwell leapt again, this time aiming for the street below, but miscalculated his landing, stumbling and rolling as he hit the ground.

The red Brand landed gracefully a few feet away, shaking his head. "Pathetic. You don't even know how to use your powers, do you?"

Maxwell scrambled to his feet, his back pressed against a lamppost. "Not really," he admitted, panting.

The man lunged again, his claws swiping at Maxwell's chest. This time, Maxwell felt his legs react before his brain did, pushing him sideways with a burst of speed he didn't know he had. The claws missed by inches, slashing through the lamppost like it was butter.

Maxwell stared at the severed metal pole. "Holy crap."

The red Brand growled, frustrated. "Stop dodging and let me finish this!"

Maxwell's legs tensed again, and he jumped backward, narrowly avoiding another slash. 'This guy seems familiar.' But this time, instead of retreating, he did something different

His legs pushed off the ground with all their strength, launching him toward the red Brand. His foot connected with the man's chest mid-air, sending him flying backward into a parked truck. The vehicle crumpled under the impact, alarms blaring.

Maxwell landed unsteadily, nearly collapsing from the force of the kick. His legs burned, and he felt like he might collapse at any second. "You were there weren't you!" He yelled.

The red Brand stood, groaning and clutching his chest. His grin was gone, replaced by a snarl. "The hell are you talking about rookie? Savour that shot you got, you won't be getting another."

Maxwell forced himself to stand straight, his breathing ragged. "Yeah, well... We'll see about that."

The red Brand charged again, but this time Maxwell was ready, jumping again and aiming another kick at the man's torso.

This time, the red Brand caught his leg mid-air, grinning wickedly. "Nice try," he sneered, swinging Maxwell around like a ragdoll before slamming him into the ground.

Pain shot through Maxwell's body as he hit the pavement, the wind knocked out of him. He gasped, struggling to breathe as the red Brand loomed over him.

"Stay down," the man growled, raising his claws for a final strike.

But Maxwell's legs moved again, instinct overriding pain. With one last burst of strength, he kicked upward, catching the man under the chin and sending him stumbling back.

Maxwell rolled away, clutching his side, his vision blurry. "Not... yet," he muttered, forcing himself to stand.

Pooling strength into his legs, Maxwell leaped at the side of a building. The moment his feet made contact with the wall, he sprang off again, soaring toward another building. He landed, crouched, and launched himself once more, catching the edge of a lamppost. Without missing a beat, he leaped again, the wind rushing past him as he soared through the air.

Whoosh.

---

"Hahaha! You can't catch him!" Ben laughed as Maxwell chased the grasshopper that effortlessly evaded his grasp, hopping out of reach each time he lunged.

"Dammit, Ben! Come get your pet back in its box!" Maxwell shouted in frustration, swiping at the insect as it landed on a chair before leaping to a nearby wall.

Ben blew a raspberry in response. "Nuh-uh. Go, Terry, go!"

Maxwell scowled and redoubled his efforts, but the grasshopper continued to jump circles around him, latching onto walls, chairs, and even the ceiling.

---

Back in the present, Maxwell's body moved with that same relentless energy, bouncing from surface to surface. The red Brand below snarled in frustration as Maxwell zipped past him, landing on another wall and springing off before the man could react.

"Enough of this!" the man roared, his patience snapping. He leaped after Maxwell, his claws digging into the walls to gain traction as he pursued him with relentless speed.

Maxwell's heart pounded in his chest. His body knew what to do, but his mind was still catching up. 'Gotta keep moving. If I stop, I'm dead.'

The red Brand growled in frustration after missing Maxwell for the ninth time. 'Damn it, he thought, I'm at a disadvantage with all these buildings. He's starting to move in three dimensions. I'm starting to think this isn't a rookie.'

Meanwhile, Maxwell felt a grin slowly forming on his face as the adrenaline surged through his veins. "No doubt about it, Terry really is special!" he shouted, his excitement spilling over. For a brief moment, a faint flash of green energy flickered around him before dissipating.

The red Brand furrowed his brow in confusion. "The fuck's a Terry?" he muttered under his breath, crouching low with claws out, ready to pounce on the unpredictable, bouncing target.

Maxwell landed on a large van beside him, his body coiling like a spring. With a burst of power, he launched himself straight at the red Brand.

But the man didn't move.

A pang of fear shot through Maxwell's chest. Instinctively, instead of delivering a powerful kick, he hesitated and threw a weak punch that barely grazed the red Brand's cheek as he passed by.

Maxwell landed and stumbled slightly, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His legs were starting to go numb. He glanced at the shallow cut on the man's cheek, and his heart sank.

'He just stood there and took it... because he knew I couldn't hurt him.' Maxwell clenched his fists. Damn it, I should've run when I had the chance.

The red Brand slowly turned to face him, his slitted eyes sharpening with a fierce intensity. His expression made it clear, he was ready to end this fight.

But beneath that deadly glare, his thoughts raced in a different direction. 'I... I didn't even see him move just now.' He reached up, touching the thin trail of blood trickling down his cheek.

'If he hadn't hesitated... he could have killed me.'