A diamond hidden within the gray line

Chapter 57: Max vs mike, unexpected result and the ominous feeling.

-Iggy pov-

Meh..i wish i were able to at least defend myself, especially when roy loved punching me for being a 'four eyes', or just for the hell of it! Seeing this makes me WISH i could throw a punch! Hey, maybe that would actually help beat mario?!

-Wendy pov-

How i detest fighting with my hands...as if i would ruin my good looks! Though i gotta say..i never knew how fast max can be!

-Morton pov-

Holy SHIT!! Me and roy couldn't even imagine being this fast...we were completely pummeled by mike when we both fought him when he decided to show us his true speed, and max is actually showing us that he's just as fast!

-Larry pov-

Oh, this is so COOL!! This better than watching those action movies junior likes watching so much! Him seeing himself as the hero and the bad guy as mario and actually kicking his ass? Too bad that's only happened in his dreams, and in those movies. In fact..i'm surprised dad hasn't heard junior blasting his tv watching action movies while screaming for whoever the hero is to 'kick the plumber's ass'. It would be a dream come true to actually see that happen!

-Junior pov-

Wooow..cool! So cool! If this really was mario fighting max, then i would be loving this! Although..i will be the one to leave my mark on him!

-Narration-

Though they're both beaten up and slightly bloody, both mike and max were still on their feet while they lock hands in a struggle to make one or the other fall on one knee but as they crowd cheers on, neither of the two were budging. "Holy shit, these two are incredible!" A hammer bro exclaimed. "I would have thought the difference in height would be a disadvantage; But damn, i got proven wrong!" A goomba says with a chuckle; the admiration in his voice being quite apparent.

"Not bad! But, i KNOW you're better than this!" Mike quickly says with a smug chuckle. "How so?" Max wondered, unsure of just what he was talking about. "Ever since i met you, i could sense a dormant aura within you; Now that it's practically wide awake, the potential you have is incredible! Now, dig deep! Overpower me, if you can!" Mike says to him, before giving max his full power and actually making max step back a few steps.

-Mike pov-

After what happened back at that parking lot, it was as if the dormant aura max had had woken up and while it's largely untamed, there's no doubt that he has this...major potential to become something i have yet to understand.

-Max pov-

Dormant aura..? I had that? I had no idea I had something like that...maybe..maybe i gotta do as he says? Dig deep and overpower him? My grip began to tighten as i find myself pushing forward and i can see the immediate surprise in mike's eyes...i think i caught him off guard! Now's my chance!

-Narration-

What max is far from aware of, is that while he did dig deep as mike suggested, he now had a orange aura around his body as he begins to push mike back who is surprised to see this happening just as much as everyone else is. However, what mike also saw, is that max's eyes had changed as well. One eye had become a glowing blue...the other becoming a glowing red much like that of dark bowser, but majorly different as he also has a red outline on his body which made bowser worry. "U-um..is that normal..?" Iggy asked, now frightened. "I don't think so..." Roy says, his tone of voice suggesting that he is in total shock.

-Bowser pov-

Oh hell no..mike did tell him to dig deep, but..is max triggering his dark fury in process? I guess mike is about to get what he asked for, which would be amusing if not for what i'm seeing what's happening to max!

-Roy pov-

What is this..? What the hell has mike caused?! Shit, this just keeps getting crazier!

-Narration-

Max suddenly lifts his hands up while letting go of the hold he and mike had which makes mike stumble backward, and before he could even make move, max knees him in the gut so hard, that it sounded as if thunder has erupted from a thunderstorm while mike fell on one knee; the wind taken out of his body while max ends up falling his his knees while the aura around his body and the red outline dissipated while his eyes went back to normal. "Did i..win..?" Max wonders as a bowser and the koopalings looked on in total disbelief while max is unaware of what just happened to him.

"Oh my..i think mike bitten off more then he could chew! That was simply marvelous!" Marx says while clapping his hands in enjoyment. "That was the loudest knee to the gut i have ever heard..." a fire bro commented. "No kidding...this had to be most entertaining spar i've ever witnessed!" Says a burly looking koopa while roy and morton get out of their copters and tend to max and mike. "Y-yeah, you definitely won!" Morton says, finally able to say something. "Dude, what the hell did you do?" Roy questions mike who is still wheezing. "All..i did..was tell him to dig deep..." Mike says while breathing heavily.

-Max pov-

I won? Nice! But..as i look all around me...why is everyone so shocked..? I did what mike wanted, but..what did they see that i didn't?

-Kamek pov-

I can just stand here and look on in total shock...what did i just witness?! It was definitely nothing of magical origin...

-Wendy pov-

That last hit was like, so loud...i'm just glad max is on our side...

-Ludwig pov-

Good lord...that was..unexpected. Should we tell max, or do we let him find out on his own..?

-Marx pov-

Well, mike certainly got what he wanted! It appears that what we all saw, is but a taste of what max can do! However, it is largely something that is lacking control. It would appear that max has a long way to go...

-Mike pov-

Agh..he didn't have knee me in the gut so hard...just what the hell was that form he was in?! What the hell was that?!

-Narration-

"Just imagine if that was mario!" Junior says with a evil grin. "Oh, mario would've lost for sure!" Larry says in agreement. "That was impressive! Definitely fun to watch. But as of right now? We've arrived at the darklands." Ludwig says, hiding the fact that he is ultimately concerned as the sky gradually becomes that of the night sky with a lot of clouds. However, in that moment, max immediately felt as if something was..waiting for him...he never said anything, but there was a feeling of an ominous nature that felt like it had no business being there. Whatever it was...it only became stronger with each passing second the closer he gets to bowser's castle!