Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my OCs, and this is my first fanfic. English is my second language. I welcome constructive criticism, but please be kind to me!
֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎
3rd Person POV
"He's right there!"
Marie quickly found Max, since he wasn't even trying to hide. He was already wearing different clothes, less flashy now.
"Calm down, Marie. My vision is still a bit blurry. I thought I was going to go blind."
Wendy still hadn't fully recovered. Meanwhile, Marie kept an eye on the group accompanying Max.
'Wait a second! Are they all girls?'
She got a little alarmed. With things still a bit ambiguous between her, Max and Wendy, seeing him surrounded by other girls sparked her jealousy. But it wasn't just that, she noticed something more important in that group.
'Wait! More than that, aren't they all underage?!'
They all looked very young, and the tallest one only reached Max's stomach. She had never asked his height, but he seemed to be at least 1.90 meters tall.
Marie's mind seemed to have blue-screened trying to process what she was seeing. While that was happening, Wendy had just fully recovered.
"Now my eyes are better! Where is that bastard, Marie!? There! I swear I'm going to…"
Wendy stopped what she was about to say when she saw the same thing Marie was seeing.
"…W-whaaaat!?"
The two of them kept trying to process the scene in front of them, without success, until Max and his group turned the corner and disappeared from view.
Then they looked at each other in silence.
"…"
"…"
"Marie… do you think…"
"He… likes them young?"
"…"
They were thinking the same thing at that moment.
'The guy I like is a predator!'
They kept looking at each other for a while without saying anything, then nodded.
"We have to follow them to make sure, and if it really is what we're thinking, we have to save them!"
So they started chasing them in a state of denial, still wanting everything to be a misunderstanding.
Max, for his part, noticed the two of them in the crowd. After running away, he had expected them to approach so he could introduce the girls to them.
But for some reason, Marie and Wendy didn't come closer. In fact, they were following them sneakily.
'Why are they acting sneaky? Are they jealous, or do they like stalking?'
He didn't take it too seriously. Everyone had their quirks. Having two girls following him sneakily was something many would kill for, and he wasn't going to complain on a full stomach. Sometimes the meat just falls onto the carnivore's plate.
'Wait a second! Stalking… I'm not dealing with a yandere version of Marie, am I?'
Max felt a chill down his spine. How would he build a harem in the future if his future Viltrumite girlfriend killed everyone who got close and didn't let anyone near him?
'Damn, I'm going to have to use Ferris's and the Spy's silver tongue to try to convince her if that's the case!… Frank Horrigan also has Charisma 10 and can help with that…'
Max was already planning how to gaslight what could become his future girlfriend. He wasn't trying to be an abusive boyfriend, he was just thinking about surviving.
They stayed in that impasse, Marie and Wendy following Max while trying not to be noticed, while Max tried not to show fear of the new terrifying possibility that hadn't even crossed his mind yet.
While Max worried about nonexistent problems, Eri approached him and pulled on the sleeve of his shirt.
"Onii-chan, can you buy ice cream for us?"
She said with a pout, looking down, a little embarrassed, which made Max's heart skip a beat from the cuteness.
'Oh my God! I want to be a father to a girl!'
Of course he didn't let that feeling show to the others. He just said.
"No problem, Eri. Let's buy for everyone."
He then turned to Aurora and said, now in English, since she was the only one who didn't understand Japanese among them.
"Aurora, we're going to get ice cream. Do you know what that is? It's kind of a sweet frozen cream. It's tasty."
"Y-yes, I've had ice cream… my sister managed to take me a few times when I was in the laboratory."
Aurora, who was still a bit nervous, now looked a little downcast as she remembered her sister.
Seeing that, Max couldn't leave her like that and decided to remind her.
"Don't be sad, Aurora. Even if we don't get your sister in the Gacha, there are other ways…"
"Other ways…?"
"Yes. There's a guy in this world who can easily cross entire multiverses, even omniverses. The problem is that he doesn't stay in this universe for long, but I know where he'll be in a few months, so I'll be able to take his power and start looking for your world."
"Really!?"
She had already had in mind that it could take years, maybe decades, until she reunited with her sister using the Gacha, maybe it would never even happen. But knowing she didn't have to put all her hopes on randomness, she allowed herself to feel the same hope from when she first learned that finding Hila again was possible.
"Really. Now let's go!"
He then held Aurora's hand, who blushed, and Eri's, who was excited, and went to the ice cream shop with Manami and Rein right behind. Manami, free from the translator role now that Max and Aurora were talking on their own, took the chance to strike up a conversation with Rein.
"He has a way with kids, doesn't he? I thought he was just a powerful and scary guy when I met him."
"Yes… he has a softer heart than I expected."
Manami and Rein exchanged a warm, tender smile as they watched Max holding hands with Eri and Aurora.
"They held hands!"
"That bastard! He said something to the white-haired one without the horn that made her blush! With or without powers, we have to beat that scumbag up!"
Wendy stood up to head toward Max, but was stopped by Marie.
"Calm down! Let's see if they're still in public. He's not going to do anything to them now. Let's observe."
The two weren't thinking clearly at that moment. What was just a wholesome scene, in their eyes looked like a despicable act.
"He's buying ice cream for them, trying to take advantage of their innocence!"
That crush they felt for him was quickly run over by contempt, mixed with the sadness of feeling that maybe they had never known the real Max, only a mask.
"Those two behind him look a bit older. Do you think they're helping him?"
"What if they were groomed by him before and are now emotionally attached to him, and that's why they have to help him?"
Their minds had already entered lynching mode. Any gentle gesture became evidence of a cruel plan.
At that moment, Max crouched down to wipe a bit of ice cream from the corner of Eri's mouth with his thumb, laughing lightly as he did it.
"DID YOU SEE THAT!? He doesn't even care about touching her face like that, in front of everyone, as if it were the most normal thing in the world!"
"That's even more terrifying! A real predator who doesn't even hide what he does. He acts like he has every right!"
"Wendy… what if he was doing the same thing with us?"
"…"
While the two of them were heavily delusional, Max continued entertaining Eri and Aurora. He had seen Wendy trying to approach, but being stopped by Marie.
'Damn! What's going on? Why doesn't Marie want Wendy to get close to me? Are the instincts of Viltrumite women the same as Anissa's?… I wouldn't resist, but I also don't want to be turned into just a pet.'
Max continued acting normally, still tense on the inside. Even so, he decided to make a move. While eating ice cream with the girls, he picked up the phone and called Marie.
"*Tiririn* *Tiririn* *Tiririn*… *Tiririn* *Tiririn* *Tiririn*"
"Max is calling me…"
"What are you waiting for!? Answer it! And put it on speaker!"
Marie nodded, serious, and answered the call.
"Hello, Marie! How are you?"
"Fine, and you?"
Marie answered dryly, without emotion.
"Yes, I'm having ice cream at The Charmery's. Would you like to come? If Wendy is with you, even better. Come on, are you really going to leave me here without supervision?"
"I…" She looked at Wendy, who was making refusal gestures, and gave her answer. "We'll see if we can get there. We're a bit far…"
"Ah! Okay then. Don't keep me waiting~ I miss you two~ it's been, what, one day without seeing you and it already feels like an eternity."
"…O-okay, o-okay then, bye."
Marie hung up quickly, blushing, her heart beating fast.
"Come on, Marie! Don't fall for his silver tongue so easily! How are we going to confront him like this!?"
"B-but… you also look happy!"
"It doesn't matter what I feel! He can be handsome, smart, good at talking, rich…"
"…"
"…Damn!"
Wendy was also starting to switch sides.
"Actually… we can use this opportunity to confront him. Actually, thinking about it now, don't you think we might be mistaken? For all we know, they could be distant relatives of Max. What do you think about going there with him?"
Marie asked Wendy. Max had been so sweet to her on the phone that a bit of reason entered her brain, making her realize they might have been judging too quickly and overanalyzing a situation that could very well just be a cousin taking his cousins out for a walk.
Wendy started thinking better too. Really, did it make sense for a guy like Max to go after girls that young? And if she looked properly, he hadn't actually done anything, they were the ones who started jumping to conclusions as soon as they saw him with other girls.
'It can't be! Was all of this because of jealousy?'
The two once again thought the same thing, seeing the situation more clearly.
"Marie… let's go after a few minutes. Maybe we should walk around a few blocks to make it look like we walked farther."
"Alright, let's go, Wendy. I'm sure everything will be explained."
So they left the place where they were, across the street, and went for a walk, which left Max a bit confused.
'What's going through their heads? Why did they leave all of a sudden?'
They weren't as well hidden as they thought. They could be easily seen with the naked eye by Max, who with his Perception 10 saw them as clearly as if they were right in front of him.
'Hum, no matter the world, women are hard to understand.'
Max then went back to focusing on the ice cream and the conversation with the girls. He even used the Telepathic Neural Implant so Eri and Aurora could communicate better. He would still teach Eri English when he had time, but since he had gotten this shortcut, he saw no reason not to use it now.
'Can you hear me?'
'What is this? Am I hearing Onii-chan's voice? Is it that dream again?'
'It's me talking telepathically, Eri-chan. I'm using a device together with my own telepathy so you and Aurora can communicate better. By the way, what dream are you talking about?'
'None! You misheard!'
When Eri, who was on his lap, heard that, she turned her head to the side and didn't look at Max. He could only see her red ear.
'Wow, now you want to control even my thoughts? And you still said I'm not a slave.'
'Rein… you can choose what you want to say telepathically. I don't go around reading other people's thoughts. That's wrong.'
'So you can read them? Hum, telepaths are the worst.'
'…'
Max agreed, but he didn't go around invading people's minds, only animals, criminals and homeless. He had principles, after all.
'Damn! This is cool, Max! Can we do this on our own if you give us a device too?'
'Yes, but I only have one right now, Manami. I plan to make more in the future, so you'll have to wait a bit.'
Max started having a telepathic conversation with them. The scene looked bizarre from the outside, a group of people silent at the table, only exchanging looks and expressions, as if they were having an entire conversation without opening their mouths.
After a few moments of conversation, a voice called Max.
'… Max… thank you for everything. I promise I'll help you with my power whenever you need it.'
Aurora said resolutely, looking at Max after making her decision.
'Aww~ you're so cute, Aurora. You can be sure I won't let anyone hurt you. In exchange, you heal me and our companions when we need it. I'll be your tank, okay?'
'O-okay!'
Aurora was happy to feel important to the group in some way. After that, the conversation continued in a cheerful tone, while more people noticed the strangeness of the table.
Time passed while Max talked with the girls accompanying him, when two other girls entered the shop.
'Finally they arrived. I thought they had actually left.'
Marie and Wendy had arrived at the ice cream shop and immediately found Max, who was waving his arm and calling to them.
"Over here! I thought you guys had gotten lost!"
The two waved back and headed toward him and the girls at the table.
"Sorry, we… were a bit far, that's why we took so long."
'Far is a load of crap! You were 27 meters, 32 centimeters and 6 millimeters from me!'
He knew that specifically because of an unconventional power.
- You know the exact distance between you & anything you see (Stars, trees, walls, etc)
"I'm going to introduce you two to my subordinates and friends."
"Subordinates!?" x2
The two asked together, a bit nervous. They still hadn't thought that they could be subordinates.
"Yes. That one with the black bob cut is Rein Kashiwagi, and the one next to her, with red hair and shorter, is Manami Aiba. Both are good with hacking and technology in general."
They looked at the two.
"Sup?"
Rein greeted in a casual and simple way.
"Hi! How's it going!?"
Manami said in a more animated tone, but also spoke little since she didn't have much to talk about with strangers.
"Aren't you a bit young to be subordinates?"
The two got embarrassed. Every adult liked hearing they looked younger than they were. The problem was that they knew what the question really meant.
"Hold on! I'm already 18, okay? More respect! And you two are still in school!"
Rein spoke, a bit offended.
"That's right! And I'm 22 and already went to college!"
Manami also took that as an offense to the entire shortstack community.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't know."
Marie was quick to apologize.
"Yes, me neither."
Wendy did the same, even though she wasn't the one who had asked, but she had thought the same thing.
'So they really are subordinates. I think Marie/Wendy and I were really overthinking.'
Marie and Wendy thought. They really had judged Max badly, and felt like garbage for having thought that about the boy they liked, who had always been kind to them.
'But… and these other two girls? They can't be of age too, right?' x2
They looked at Aurora, who was a bit nervous with their presence, and at Eri, who was on Max's lap, more interested in eating ice cream while looking at them.
"This shy white-haired one is Aurora. I took her out of the laboratory of a secret organization that was experimenting on her, so don't feel offended if she's not comfortable with you, okay?"
They looked at Aurora with pity, and the guilt weighed even more, their friend was saving a little girl from a horrible past, while they had been mentally accusing him of the worst possible thing.
"Nice to meet you, Aurora. Don't worry, with Max you're in good hands."
"Yes, Aurora. If you worry about anything related to the female universe, you can talk to us!"
Aurora blushed a little and nodded without making a sound. Then they looked at the last girl, the one who also had white hair, but with a small cute horn.
"And this little cutie here with a cute little horn is Eri. I also rescued her from experiments, only this time from the Yakuza. It's been a little while and she's already much more lively now. Go ahead and introduce yourself, Eri."
Eri nodded cutely, got down from Max's lap, walked up in front of Marie and Wendy, put her little hands together in front of her and made a Japanese bow while speaking.
"Please take good care of me, Onee-chans!"
She said, drawing everyone's attention around her with her cuteness.
'Oh my God! She's so cute! But what did she say?'
Marie and Wendy melted at Eri's cuteness. They only didn't immediately run to hug her because that might end up scaring the child.
"Now that I've introduced the girls with me, I still need to introduce you two to them."
Max then stood up and introduced the two to his group.
"This is Marie and this other one is Wendy. They're my friends from school. Marie is more serious and grounded, and Wendy is more playful and silly."
"Hey! What's this about defaming me to my new friends!?"
Wendy got offended, while Marie laughed.
"Hehehe~"
She was happy to be seen as serious and grounded by Max.
With that, Max ordered more ice cream so Marie and Wendy could eat too. Manami, Rein, Marie and Wendy started an animated conversation, while Eri and Aurora talked telepathically.
Noticing how they seemed to be talking without saying a single word, Marie decided to ask.
"Max, what are they doing?"
Aurora and Eri stopped and looked at Marie, while Max explained.
"They're talking telepathically with a device I'm using, because Eri only knows how to speak Japanese and Aurora is the only one who doesn't understand her."
Hearing that beside her, Wendy got excited.
"Telepathy!? Cool! Let us use it too!"
"Alright, no problem."
Then Max added Marie and Wendy to his private "Chat Group."
'You don't need to worry much. You choose the thoughts you want to send. This device was made to prevent mind reading, so you don't need to worry about that.'
'Wow! Give me one too, Max!? No one would believe me if I told them this!'
'Don't even try, Wendy. Max's secrets aren't for going around bragging about.'
Wendy and Marie were getting used to this new style of conversation, so they struck up a conversation with Aurora and Eri, possibly out of a protective instinct, knowing the past of the two.
'Eri-chan, do you like sweets? I bet you do! Next time we'll bring some tasty candies for you!'
'Aurora, you don't need to be nervous around us, okay? You can call us if you need anything, alright?'
'Aww, these two are so cute it makes me want to put them in my pocket- oops! That wasn't supposed to be heard by you!'
Wendy blushed when she realized she had sent the thought by accident, which drew laughter from the group.
'You… also have powers… Onee-chans?'
Aurora, who had already started picking up parts of Eri's vocabulary, asked curiously, looking at Marie, who started getting nervous. She wouldn't like lying to them, but she also didn't think she was ready to reveal her powers. It was still too recent.
Luckily for her, Wendy saved her from that situation, being the chatty girl she was.
'Ah~ unfortunately, Aurora, we're just two boring girls without powers… wait a second! How many of you have powers here!?'
Wendy now noticed something she hadn't before. Aurora asked about powers, Eri had a horn, Max had powers, Manami and Rein… well, they actually looked more normal if it weren't for their short stature, but she realized that probably only she and Marie didn't have powers.
'Yes, everyone in the room except you two! Feel excluded! Hehehe!'
'That's unfair! You said I would be your subordinate too. When am I going to get my powers!?'
'When I manage to pass powers to others without destroying your genetic chain, making your cells collapse and you end up turning into a puddle of flesh and blood spread on the ground, like a slime.'
'… Who needs powers? I can very well be a normal secretary while you deal with the villains. Just give me some armor and some cool weapons in the future.'
'But… I can still give you powers when-'
'ARE YOU CRAZY!?!? I DON'T WANT TO DIE AND TURN INTO A PUDDLE OF FLESH AND BLOOD ON THE GROUND!!!'
'Calm down. Remember the power that keeps you thin no matter what you eat?'
'I'm listening.'
'…'
The entire comedic exchange was done while everyone was listening. Max wasn't being rude when he gave that brief description of Wendy.
Max had taken the chance to move the conversation further away from Marie, because he saw her discomfort at Aurora's question.
In the middle of the confusion, their eyes met for an instant. He didn't say anything, just gave a slight nod of the head, almost imperceptible, as if saying "you don't need to speak now."
Marie blinked, surprised.
'He… noticed?'
The thought came quickly. Besides her parents, no one else knew the truth about her. Had Max found out somehow? Or had he just noticed that she got uncomfortable with the question?
She didn't know.
But the simple fact that he hadn't pressed, that he had understood the moment without needing an explanation, made her chest relax a little. For now, that was already enough.
Aurora, for her part, had already lost interest in the original question, more entertained by the animated discussion between Wendy and Max.
'Onii-chan, do that funny thing you did with Wendy-nee-chan again!'
Eri asked, pulling Max's sleeve, still laughing at the look of terror Wendy had made minutes earlier.
'Do what, Eri-chan? Threaten to turn her into a puddle of blood?'
'That!'
'NO WAY! You two are cruel!'
Wendy protested while everyone laughed, and Marie's discomfort had already dissolved in the middle of the mess.
The conversation continued until nightfall, when they separated from Marie and Wendy.
Aurora and Eri were already sleeping in Max's arms, one on each side, their little arms loose around his neck. Every now and then one of them mumbled something incomprehensible in their sleep and nestled closer, as if afraid that all of that would disappear if they let go. Max adjusted his pace so as not to jostle them, an automatic care he only noticed after he was already doing it.
Arriving at the Sanctuary, he carefully settled the two of them. They were going to have a pajama party or something of the sort, while Manami and Rein stayed focused on playing all the different games of that world.
With the girls settled, Max looked at the summon screen.
[Summoned Character Bond]
[Rein Kashiwagi ★★★ (Trust)]
Due to the frequent conversations with Rein, one more star had been gained. Until now he hadn't put much effort into earning them, but he knew that depended on summon to summon.
[Summoned Character Bond]
[Floch Forster ★★ (Recognition)]
Floch already had a certain respect for him, even being a bit older than Max.
[Summoned Character Bond]
[BT-7274 ★★★★★ (Full Bond)]
BT, being a robot, already came with maximum loyalty. Probably every robotic being would come like that, maybe with the exception of those with a higher level of sentience.
[Summoned Character Bond]
[Aurora ★★★ (Trust)]
Aurora had already reached the same bond level as Rein, proof that treating her trauma first had been a good idea. A useful strategy, treat certain summons well before expecting something in return.
After resolving all of that, it was time for his debut night. He approached the suit he had prepared before rolling the Gacha.
'Finally. My hero persona debuts today. It probably won't be a blast, but it doesn't matter. What I want are connections, not absurd fame. That comes with time.'
He picked up the bottom piece first, the red fabric and silver plating adjusting to his body with a firm tug. Next came the chest piece, locking into place with a satisfying click as soon as the magnetic latches engaged, the core in the center of the chest blinking once before lighting up in a constant red. The boots came after, each one hitting the ground firmly as they were put on. Lastly the gloves, he closed his fists slowly, testing the fit, before picking up the metallic helmet and locking it on with a single motion, the visor covering his face completely.
Finally, he activated [Shadow Mimic]. The shadows around him rose and molded onto his back, forming something similar to a long dark cape, undulating lightly even without any wind, as if it had a life of its own.
He stared at the suit for a second. Then, unable to resist, he struck a dramatic JoJo pose, legs spread wide, one hand raised near his face with fingers extended in that classic stylish gesture, the other arm stretched outward, right after dropping into a powerful Super Sentai stance, one fist raised high and the other ready, body low and coiled as if about to begin a roll call.
Satisfied, Max went out to fight crime.
...
On top of the edge of a building stood the newest hero of that world, Paradox, with the moon behind his silhouette in the moonlight.
'I think at this moment I should also create a new laugh. "Hahaha" or "Hehehe" is pretty generic. I'll try to do it like One Piece, have a unique laugh just for myself… hum… how about "EHeHeHe"? No, that sounds a bit goofy… and "Gerorororo"? No, that reminds me of someone from One Piece, but I don't remember who… and "ZEHAHAHA"? Nah, that works better with Blackbeard.'
When he was almost giving up, Max found one that sounded interesting.
"Gahahahaha!"
'Hum… I like this one. An iconic hero needs an iconic laugh.'
With a new laugh for himself, Max started his hero night, which consisted of stopping robberies, preventing murders, stopping a non-consensual act that was almost happening, and a few other more heroic things.
"Meown."
"Here's your cat, girl. From now on, put a collar on him when you go out with him, okay?"
"*Sniff* Mm-hm… *Sniff* thank you, mister… who are you? What's your name? *Sniff*"
Max crouched down to her eye level while placing his hand on her head to pet her, giving her a headpat.
"You don't need to cry now, kiddo. The worst is already over. I'm a hero, and my name is Paradox. You probably don't know me because I'm new, but you can count on me."
She swallowed a bit of the crying while holding the little cat and nodded her head.
"Th-thank you, Mr. Paradox. Actually… I'm lost. I ended up following my kitty without looking where I was going. *Sniff*"
The little girl started making a crying face again.
"It's okay, it's okay, don't worry. Do you remember the name of the street? I'll take you there."
With that, Max held her little hand and they talked while she held the cat with the other hand. She started asking about his powers and what he could do, and Max answered everything honestly.
"Cool! So many powers! Have you already fought any villain?"
Max thought for a bit. He had already fought a few, but in the Invincible universe it had only been one.
"Yes, but it was when I still didn't have my hero suit. It was a vegetarian elephant man who hates meat. He was terrorizing a diner and I stopped him."
"Woooow! An elephant?"
The girl was impressed, then remembered something.
"I saw an elephant man going into an alley when I was chasing Miss Paws!"
"Really? Tell me roughly where he is. I'll see what he's up to."
"Okay!"
The little girl answered excitedly, but then got a bit nervous.
"Mr. Paradox… You're not going to hurt him too much, right?"
Max then put a smile on his face to reassure her, but right after realized his face was covered by a platinum helmet.
'Damn! I think I can only reassure her by doing cartoonish poses… maybe I should find a way to put a screen on the helmet to make a happy face and calm the kids I save…'
Then Max explained why he would have to beat up the villain.
"You're a sweet child, but not everyone is good. This elephant man goes around terrorizing people and needs to be beaten without mercy so he doesn't go back to committing crimes, like when your mom gives you a punishment when you do something wrong."
Max gave her space to process that and continued.
"That way, people who follow the law, like you, your family and your friends, will stay safe from these criminals, okay?"
"Uh-huh! I get it! Then beat that criminal up good so me, my family and my friends stay safe!"
"That's the spirit! Here's a lollipop for being a smart girl!"
"Yayyy!!!"
After explaining to the child why bad people need to get beaten up, Max left her at home. Apparently her babysitter was asleep, so he put her to bed himself, along with a Paradox plushie he had created right there on the spot. Then he went after the Elephant.
He circled around the area the little girl had indicated, and after a while found the Elephant, hidden behind a dumpster, spying on a homeless man as if he were setting up surveillance.
'What happened to him? Shouldn't he be trying to destroy some fast food place? Did he develop a fetish for watching homeless people?'
Max was genuinely confused. He already knew the guy wasn't right in the head, but that seemed too strange even by his standards.
"Hum, where is that guy!? I've had bad luck all night. I haven't heard about him showing up near any homeless people."
"This guy is really slippery. I think we have to lure him to catch him. What do you think about pretending to be a homeless person and waiting for him to show up?"
"Good idea! How didn't I think of that!? I just have to… WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?!?"
Elephant finally realized there was someone beside him, jumping in fright and shouting loudly.
"Ah, a kid told me she saw an elephant man going into an alley, so I came to investigate, and found you spying on a homeless guy."
"HOLD ON! I WASN'T SPYING ON ANY HOMELESS GUY! I just want to find that bastard who keeps distributing hamburgers to the homeless!"
"Why? Isn't it an angel and a demon who go around delivering? They must be pretty strong, and they're feeding the homeless."
"IT WOULD BE BETTER TO SAY THEY'RE KILLING THEM!!! A HAMBURGER CAN'T EVEN BE CALLED FOOD!!! IT'S AN ULTRA-PROCESSED PRODUCT THAT, JUST LIKE MEAT, NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OFF PEOPLE'S TABLES!!! AND AS FOR THAT ANGEL, WHO MUST BE A FALLEN ANGEL, AND THE DEMON, I DON'T MIND FIGHTING THEM TO FREE THE WORLD FROM THE MEAT-BASED DIET!!!"
Max clapped for him. His dedication to veganism was praiseworthy, even if he didn't agree with the methods.
"Wow, impressive speech."
"Thank you! I'm taking public speaking classes to become more convincing!"
"You would be more convincing if you didn't try to destroy other people's property to fight for veganism."
"THAT IS SOMETHING COMPLETELY NECESSARY! THESE COMPANIES WILL ONLY LEARN WHEN IT HITS THEIR WALLET!"
"But it's a franchise. The one who takes the loss is the store owner, not the big company. The brand keeps receiving the royalties the same way. And most of the time the guy who has the franchise puts his entire family to work there, so you're just screwing over a small merchant and his family, not the corporation."
"Ehhh… that… that…"
The Elephant was left speechless. It seemed he hadn't thought of that. Max didn't know if it was pure stupidity or if the transformation into Elephant lowered his IQ, probably both.
"Well, the conversation is good, but unfortunately I'm going to have to beat you up. You're still wanted, you know?"
"WAIT A SECOND! WHY ARE YOU GOING TO ARREST ME!? AREN'T YOU A VILLAIN!?"
"What!? Of course not! Isn't it obvious that I'm a hero!?"
"I don't know! You're dressed in red, with a faceless platinum helmet and a cape that looks made of shadows! Obviously you scare kids!"
"What kind of nonsense is that!? I just saved a kid before coming here! And she said I'm cool! You're the one who scares kids with that elephant breath!"
"WHY YOU! BEFORE FIGHTING THE MIDNIGHT DELIVERYMAN, I'M GOING TO TURN YOU INTO PULP!"
After that pleasant conversation, the two of them went for a fight.
֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎
Hello folks. I just started a Patreon. This is both to keep me motivated to write and to help me make some side income while I'm studying. If you want to read ahead and support my work, you can find me on Patreon searching for WorldHunger.
Lastly, please send me your ideas for Characters, Items, Perks, Gacha Mechanics, Powers/Abilities/Skills (Especially this, I need it), Consumables, and Worlds (for Travel Tickets). Even semi-useful powers are welcome!
Thanks for reading this far. Now, give me your Power Stones! They were promised to me 3,000 years ago! (And remember, everyone gets a free stone daily, for those who don't know).