《The Story of Z-1》 Chapter 1: Open Territory ¡°Please watch my back, Croc. I don¡¯t think I can handle a surprise ambush,¡± Max muttered as he walked through the abandoned section of Jackson High School. His clothes were tattered and smeared with dirt from so much walking he and Croc had done to reach this section of the school. ¡°Yeah, I know. Nothing can get past these arms,¡± Croc replied, patting his arms with a cocky grin painted on his face. Max and Croc continued walking through the tight corridors and up the worn down stairs to finally reach the roof of the section. The roof was riddled with corroded pipes and railings that looked like if you put weight on them, you might fall over the edge. The safety nets that once circled the roof were now halfway bent and sagging outwards which created a bridge to the main roof of the school. ¡°This is good, Croc. All we have to do is fix it up a little and it will be perfect,¡± Max excitedly said, his eyes glowing with ideas. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Max,¡± a voice erupted from behind them. Max and Croc froze, the silence broken by a familiar voice. ¡°Dammit, what do you want, Jackson?¡± Max grumbled. ¡°Nothing. In fact, you know what I don¡¯t want.¡± Jackson stated, exiting the shadows to stand in front of the duo. ¡°You already have Jackson School. Why do you feel the need to bother us?¡± Max whined, his arm pointed to his chest. ¡°That¡¯s just the thing, Max. Only I can operate at Jackson School,¡± Jackson declared, stepping forward. ¡°Fuck off with that, Jackson. You¡¯re already rich. Literally go do something with your life instead of bothering us!¡± Max exploded, also stepping forward. ¡°Why would I do that? I love stepping on ants,¡± Jackson replied. In a swift motion, he turned his body and lifted his right leg, aiming a kick at Max¡¯s head. Max barely ducked in time, Jackson¡¯s kick slicing through the air above him. The force of the missed blow sent a whistle echoing in the silence. ¡°Croc!¡± Max shouted, jumping back. Croc charged forward like a bull, aiming to put Jackson on his back. His massive frame caused the corroded room to creak under his weight. Jackson didn¡¯t flinch. As Croc approached him, he calmly sidestepped and delivered a hard knee at Croc¡¯s stomach. The sound of the impact reverberated across the roof. ¡°Gah!¡± Croc growled, staggering but not falling from the kick. He clutched at his stomach, glaring at Jackson. ¡°Gotcha.¡± Max lunged from behind, aiming to tackle Jackson while his attention was on Croc. But that didn¡¯t work. Jackson was quicker, much quicker. He ducked and pushed upwards with a strong force. With a clean sweep, Max hit the floor with a grunt, the impact knocking the wind out of him. ¡°You two should¡¯ve stayed in the cafeteria,¡± Jackson taunted, picking up a pipe from the floor. Croc eyes shot wide open and he instinctively sprinted towards Jackson. Croc lunged, but Jackson swiftly stopped him with a kick to the shin. Croc dropped to his knees, and before he could react, Jackson swung the pipe down to his temple. Croc¡¯s eyes rolled back as he went limp. ¡°Croc!¡± Max gasped, clutching his ribs and trying to stand. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Jackson wiped the sweat from his brow. ¡°Last chance, Max. You don¡¯t want to end like him,¡± he pointed at Croc as he chuckled. Max thought about it, but he couldn¡¯t. He raised his hands, palms out in surrender. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Jackson said, his voice calm but firm. ¡°This is my school.¡± Max stumbled over to Croc¡¯s unconscious body and swung his arm over his shoulder. He pulled with all his might, but Croc didn¡¯t budge. ¡°I¡­can¡¯t¡­he¡­won¡¯t¡­move,¡± Max stammered, unable to meet Jackson¡¯s gaze. ¡°He¡¯s not dead. I pulled my hit before I struck. He¡¯ll wake up tomorrow with a strong headache,¡± Jackson disclosed before crossing the sagging net bridge and disappearing into the school. ______________________________________________________________________________ Meanwhile, across the town of Sathe in a high-rise building, two gangs were deep in conversation. The room was dimly lit by a fluorescent ceiling fan, casting long shadows across the porcelain floor. A wood table stood at the center, around which sat The Prophet, the leader of the Third Eye, and Loren, the owner of the building and leader of the Miramundo Gang. The Prophet sat with his hands folded, his long silver fang rings shining amongst the light. Across from him, Loren adjusted her broad-brimmed hat while a cigarette hung from her mouth. ¡°Can you believe that we¡¯ve let Jackson run around and build his own foundation? The little brat has been tightening his grip on the schools,¡± Loren muttered, exhaling a thick stream of smoke. ¡°He took down two kids today. One of them almost cracked their entire skull open.¡± The Prophet frowned. ¡°Yes, that boy¡¯s ambition. And while that means less foot soldiers for us, ambition is a good thing. Think of it as an opportunity for all of us to finally stop being so idle.¡± ¡°You say that, but be honest with me. Are you worried about him?¡± Loren asked, taping her cigarette against the ashtray. The Prophet shook his head. ¡°Of course not. Third Eye is in a very good position right now. The problem lies in what he represents. If he keeps acting like he owns the schools, then every single young crew will be forced to join him. He¡¯ll be very much untouchable. A reputation like that will be impossible to tear down.¡± Loren''s eyes narrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. He¡¯s nothing much than a small ant. He could only dream to deal with what Miramundo is currently in.¡± The Prophet smirked. ¡°And what could that be?¡± Loren chuckled. ¡°Not so fast. This isn¡¯t what this meeting was for. Tell the truth, are you thinking about cutting Jackson down early?¡± ¡°No, no. That would be¡­inelegant. I want him to grow and let nature take its course. You never know what nature will bring¡­either new prey or predators. Loren raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t mean? The two kids who got humiliated by Jackson?¡± The Prophet¡¯s smile grew. ¡°Desperation breeds evolution. If they want it enough, they¡¯ll evolve.¡± A brief silence enveloped the room, broken solely by the sound of Loren¡¯s cigarette crushing against the ashtray. ¡°I refuse any part in this. Miramundo and I will stay out of this business. That¡¯s not to say we won¡¯t be watching.¡± The Prophet cackled. ¡°I know you will, Loren. You never change.¡± And with that, the meeting ended. ______________________________________________________________________________ Max groaned as he lowered Croc onto the floor of an empty classroom. ¡°Good, there¡¯s nobody in here,¡± Max whispered. He had carried Croc back into the main section of the school, avoiding any students and faculty on the way. Most of the adults at Jackson School were oblivious to Jackson deeds, but they would not think twice to punish anybody else. The room was cluttered with backpacks and other school utensils. Like nothing had happened. But who could blame them? They hid in their bubble while their perfect lives continued. Max ripped off his jacket and pressed it against Croc¡¯s head, trying to slow the bleeding. His breathing began to settle, but his face was pale. He sat back against the wall, wiping sweat from his forehead. His entire body ached. His pride was shattered. All that was left was his rage to sit with. Jackson had completely humiliated them both. No¡ªhe had owned them. And what stung the worst? He held back. Max clenched his fists, slamming his hand against the tile floor. He could still hear Jackson¡¯s taunts echoing in his head: ¡°This is my school.¡± It was the way he said it. Cold. Like Max wasn¡¯t even worth a second of his time. Like Croc wasn¡¯t worth the effort going the full length for. Max¡¯s chest burned with anger blowing past his pain. Pure hatred coursed through his veins. Jackson thought he was untouchable. Thought he could step on people and walk away as if nothing ever happened. But he was wrong. Max¡¯s hands trembled, but not from embarrassment. Not from humiliation. Not from fear. But from the raw emotion that he had towards Jackson. Max glanced at Croc, his childhood friend, lying there unconscious. Then down at his own bruised body. Weak. They had nothing. No power. No name. No strength. But that had to change. Max inhaled sharply, pushing himself to his feet. His ribs roared in pain, but he ignored them. I have to consume Jackson. Chapter 2: Dont Fall Deeper Max did what he could, but, inevitably, Croc was taken to the hospital so doctors could take a closer look at his injuries. He wasn¡¯t there when they took him. But he stayed by his side as long as he could. A pair of students found Croc unconscious in the empty classroom soon after lunch ended. They notified the school faculty who called the ambulance immediately. Max could already hear the rumors floating through the halls. ¡°He probably got jumped.¡± ¡°Bet he picked a fight he couldn¡¯t win.¡± ¡°Jackson¡¯s crew most likely did it.¡± Nobody said Max¡¯s name, but they didn¡¯t have to. Max knew. They knew. Everyone knew. But no one dared to say a thing. Max sat alone in the back of his first-period class, his body aching from yesterday, his mind heavier than ever. The teacher bored the class with a history lesson, but Max wasn¡¯t paying attention. His ribs hurt. His knuckles ached. His pride was destroyed. Croc was gone. For now. And Max was alone. Again. But the world doesn¡¯t stop. After what seemed like an eternity, the teacher finally walked out of the classroom which left the students with a small intermission before the next teacher came. Two students stepped into the classroom, a blue thread hanging from their collar, indicating their senior status in the school. Max had a red thread, indicating a junior status. The two seniors had an evil smirk on their faces as they walked past everyone in the classroom and stopped in front of Max¡¯s desk. Max had his head down, resting on the desk as a slam on it jerked his head upwards. He didn¡¯t recognize the two seniors in front of him, but he guessed it was Jackson¡¯s people. Every senior was forced to join his gang, otherwise you were exiled during the last year of high school. Jackson also made sure to sabotage any activities you tried to do, or any accomplishments you tried to reach for. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re Max, right?¡± the taller senior spoke, standing to the right of Max. Max nodded. ¡°Good, listen. We¡¯re just here to make sure you won¡¯t open your trap to anyone,¡± he continued while the other senior put both of his hands on the desk. Max nodded again. ¡°Jackson owns everyone here, but if the police were to get involved¡­then it would be a much different story.¡± Max continued to nod. ¡°We¡¯re talking to you! Speak!¡± The other senior grabbed Max¡¯s backpack from the floor and threw it across the classroom. The entire classroom felt silent, each student slowly standing up and quietly making their way out of the room. ¡°I understand. Come on, I already got my ass beat. I don¡¯t want it again,¡± Max pleaded. He clenched his fists under the desk. The ache in his knuckles sparked up, but he ignored it. Nothing compared to the humiliation chewing away at his pride. The tall senior smirked, satisfied with Max¡¯s submission. ¡°That¡¯s right, and that¡¯s why we just want you to be open and honest with us,¡± he continued, pointing to the other. ¡°We don¡¯t do this because we want to. We do this because we have to.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°No, yeah. I understand completely,¡± Max softly said. He wanted to consume them, but not like this. It¡¯s not something Croc would do. It wouldn¡¯t be right. The senior chuckled. ¡°Great. We already paid a visit to your friend, so this situation can be neatly wrapped up in a bow. Don¡¯t mess with Jackson again.¡± He turned to leave. And that¡¯s when Max felt it. That uncontrollable feeling from yesterday, burning up from his gut all the way up to his chest and into his skull. His breathing grew slower. His heart pounded, the melody of his beats brewing up something raw. I have to consume them. I don¡¯t care what Croc thinks. This is about me. Max shot up from his chair. Before the tall senior could react, Max¡¯s fist connected with his jaw. A crack echoed throughout the now empty classroom as the senior¡¯s head snapped to the side. His body stiffened, then collapsed limp to the floor. The other senior¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What the¡­¡± But there was no time to speak. Max turned his attention to him, turning his hip and throwing a kick aimed at his side. The senior barely raised his arm, partially blocking the kick which still drove him backwards. That didn¡¯t stop Max. He ran straight at the senior, slamming into him. They both crashed into a desk, sending books and papers flying. The rest of the classroom watched in fear from the windows that the room had. None of them made a noise. This had happened before. Maybe not to Max, but he had been one of the students watching from the outside. They wouldn¡¯t be of help. And it didn¡¯t matter. He wasn¡¯t in danger. Max swung again, his hand connecting the senior¡¯s side. The senior grunted, leaving him staggering, but he wasn¡¯t weak as he came back with a punch of his own. Max ducked. The fist went straight over his head. With a grunt, Max lunged for the senior¡¯s legs, driving his shoulder into his right leg. But the senior caught him, holding his balance against Max¡¯s strength. In short bursts, the senior began slamming his fists against Max¡¯s back. Max wasn¡¯t fazed. He gripped both of the senior¡¯s legs , and with all his might, lifted him off his feet and slammed him onto the hard floor. The impact rattled the desks. Max didn¡¯t stop. He pulled up the senior by his collar with one hand, and swung his first with the other. ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡± Max shouted through clenched teeth. His fist dropped on the senior. ¡°You think you own me?!¡± Max continued, spitting everywhere. His fist connected again. BANG The classroom door swung open, crashing against the wall. Max froze, his fist hovering above the senior¡¯s bloodied face. His breathing was sporadic, his knuckles on fire. Two slim outlines stood in the doorway. One of them, who was a bit bigger than the other, immediately locked eyes with Max. He had blue middle-parted hair and wore the school uniform jacket around his shoulder. The other, who had shaved head, took a step forward, looking at the unconscious bodies on the floor. It took a minute to realize who they were, but Max remembered. Jackson¡¯s two top captains. Puk and Kirishima. The raw emotion disappeared, fear seeping back into Max¡¯s head. Before Max could say anything, Kirishima moved first. Fast. He used a desk as leverage to jump on top of Max, pinning him down with one foot. Max barely had time to gasp before a fist buried itself into his stomach, stealing what little air he had left. ¡°Hey, Puk. You lied to me. You said he was strong,¡± Kirishima taunted, turning his attention towards the person at the doorway. Puk scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say. This has happened a hundred times and will probably happen again. Nobody will ever satisfy you.¡± Kirishima chuckled. ¡°I know, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to try.¡± He crouched down, gripping Max¡¯s hair. ¡°Stay down, Max. Jackson oversold you. Just do as he says and everything will be alright.¡± Max¡¯s vision blurred. His body screamed. This is how it ends? Where is that feeling? I need it. Come back. But Puk¡¯s laugh interrupted his thoughts. ¡°He¡¯s done. Take them to the nurse, and let¡¯s go.¡± Kirishima stared at Max for a moment longer before releasing his grip. ¡°See you around, Max. Hopefully not like this again.¡± ¡°No! No! No!¡± Max yelled out, his voice cracking with emotion. Kirishima and Puk both turned back towards him. ¡°No! I refuse! Tell Jackson to see me! I¡¯m gonna defeat him! I¡¯m gonna destroy him!¡± He cried out as Puk and Kirshima stared in bewilderment. Max¡¯s lungs gave out and his mind went to sleep. Kirishima chuckled. ¡°I like him.¡± Puk smiled. ¡°Take him too.¡± He pointed to Max. ¡°We have to talk to Jackson.¡± Chapter 3: Find It Within Max opened his eyes, his lungs aching. The air around him was cold, the ventilation in the room hitting him on the face. His entire body ached, but surprisingly, his injuries felt superficial. Someone had wrapped gauze around his ribs, a little half-assed but just enough to keep him standing. He used what little strength he had to push himself upwards, his mind spinning. ¡°Good morning, sunshine,¡± Jackson said. That voice immediately woke him up. Max jumped to his feet, ready to throw a punch. Two sets of hands wrapped around his arms, pinning him to the wall. Puk to his right, and Kirishima to his left. They both had devilish grins painted on their faces. ¡°Woah, slow down there. I just want to talk,¡± Jackson muttered, his eyes staring coldly. They were in a maintenance room by the look of it. The light was dim, and the entire room seemed trashed. ¡°About what?¡± Max whispered, his arms unable to move. ¡°You already embarrassed me twice, and left Croc in the hospital.¡± ¡°Oh, how dare you. Firstly, that incident happened because you decided to trespass into my territory. Also, I pulled back on Croc. If it wasn¡¯t for me, you would have visited Croc at a funeral rather than a hospital,¡± Jackson explained. ¡°You¡¯re proud of that?!¡± Max spat, his voice cracking as he released those words from his mouth. Jackson chuckled, ignoring him. ¡°Secondly, you decided to attack my boys. That was all on you.¡± ¡°Okay, I get it. What¡¯s your fucking point?¡± Max cursed. He wanted this to be over with. What¡¯s the worst they could do? Beat him up again? ¡°Relax. I¡¯m here to offer you a deal,¡± Jackson proposed, crossing his arms. ¡°You of all people were quiet your first two years here, but all of a sudden you want to act out. For some reason, you and Croc have decided to oppose the simple rules that I¡¯ve laid out. So, I¡¯ll give you what you want. This way I can ensure you keep your mouth shut, and you get what you want. So listen up. Since you want your own gang at this school, I propose a battle. If you can show me that you can get together a gang stronger than mine by the end of the semester, I¡¯ll allow you to. And since you want this so bad, if you don¡¯t prove to me that you can, you get expelled.¡± Max froze. Expelled? Is this really worth it? ¡°Deal,¡± he stated. Jackson smiled. ¡°Very well. Prove to me that you can defeat me and my three best members, and you can reign the school. Otherwise, you¡¯re gone.¡± With that, he signaled for Puk and Kirishima to release Max. As the three of them exited the room, Jackson paused, turning back with a smirk. ¡°See you around, Max. Clock¡¯s ticking.¡± One month. That¡¯s all I get to pull together a gang that¡¯s strong enough to beat Jackson and his top three¡­or I¡¯m out for good. The rest of the day felt like a blur. He was assigned to clean up the classroom since he had struck first. Luckily since he struck a deal with Jackson, he faced no punishment. I guess Jackson wanted to make sure I don''t have any excuses. Smart. Max took the same route home, as he always did. He exited the school through the main entrance and took a right, and then a left after two blocks. In fifteen minutes, he was home. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. But today, he was distracted. As he passed the entrance of the school, something caught his attention by the garden. It was taken care of by a group of students who cared. Beside the garden was a small hut that housed tools used to take care of it. Three men were standing around a student who was leaving school, blocking his path. The men crossed the school¡¯s gates and dragged him into the hut. They wore all black suits with shades planted on their eyes. Max hesitated, then shook his head. I have other things to worry about. This is pointless. Crashing sounds echoed from the hut. Damn it. Is there anyone else here that can notice this? Max looked around, hoping someone else would notice. Nobody did. Max rushed towards the hut, his hands forming into fists. He swung the hut¡¯s door open, revealing the student curled up on the floor, blood seeping from his forehead. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Max confronted them. The three men snapped their bodies to look at him. And then Max saw it. The globe insignia stitched on the right side of their suits¡ªthe Miramundo Gang. Miramundo? What the hell are they doing here? ¡°Fuck do you want kid? This is none of your business,¡± one of them said. ¡°I know, and, believe me, every fiber of my body is telling me to run away,¡± Max muttered. ¡°But¡­I just can¡¯t.¡± The same man took his shades off and stuffed them in his pocket. He sighed and took a step forward. ¡°Deal with him. I got this one.¡± Max took a step forward, confident. That was shot down with a kick straight to his chest that sent him flying backwards onto the garden. He landed with a soft crunch on his back, destroying the student¡¯s hard work on some roses. The hut¡¯s door shut in front of Max as he stood up, the man stanced guarding it. ¡°Listen, kid. Just walk away while you still can,¡± the man threatened. ¡°Oh, I totally would!¡± Max laughed it off. He rushed forward, planning to pin the man on his back. The man swung quickly, much faster than Max imagined. But he dodged it, slipping underneath it and gripping the man by his arm. With all his strength, Max pulled on the arm, expecting the man to buckle to the ground in pain. The man stood firm, his arm withstanding the force of Max¡¯s strength. He panicked, releasing the grip for half a second. That¡¯s all the man needed as he slipped out of Max¡¯s grip. A fist slammed into Max¡¯s gut. Another. Then one cracked against his jaw, stars exploding in his vision. He staggered backward. This guy was on another level. The man remained stationed in front of the hut¡¯s door. He grinned as he stood showing no sign of moving. Okay, then. I¡¯ll force you. Max shook off the punches, readjusting his center of balance. No time to think, he had to end this fast. Then he tried again with a new goal in mind. He began throwing erratic punches. Some landing, some blocked. The man remained standing, blocking and dodging the punches thrown. Max¡¯s breathing slowed, seeing everything play out in front of him. On the last punch, he feinted forcing the man to throw up his guard. Max¡¯s leg smashed into the man¡¯s thigh, tipping him on his left side. Gritting his teeth, Max yanked the man¡¯s left arm with everything he had. For a second, the man stood still, but then his balance broke, and he crashed hard on the cement floor, his head leaking a crimson red. Max let out a deep sigh. ¡°Tough bastard.¡± Without wasting a second, he swung the hut¡¯s door open. Max froze, his jaw dropping to the floor. The student inside was on his feet, moving with precision all throughout the hut. One of the men was on the floor, his eye bleeding. Max blinked, following the student with ease. Was this kid a fighter? The other man was trying to follow the student¡¯s movements, but he was too fast for him to keep up. The student moved from one end of the hut to the other, using his off foot as a pivot point allowing him to move so quickly. In a lightning fast moment, the student jumped up in the air and dropped his foot on the man¡¯s head. He instantly dropped to the ground, the student standing over him. ¡°About time,¡± the student muttered, wiping blood off himself.