Throughout the world, Power Uppers are the hottest drug on the market. A single pill allows any Normie to obtain the power of a Super. The drawback? They're also highly addicting and the cause of most financial ruin.
Tayla wants nothing to do with s...
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Max's heavy eyes fought against his attempt to open them. Bright lights blurred his vision, glaring in his pupils like explosions. He closed his eyes again when the pain seared through him. There wasn't an inch of his body that wasn't screaming. Ice water splashed against his face, bursting his eyes open as he yelped. Straps kept him bound to his chair otherwise he'd have leapt to his feet.
"Wake up, Maxi Pad," Donny said, standing before him with a bucket in hand. He grinned. "Good. It's more fun with you awake."
Darin leaned in a corner of the white room, twirling a metal wand in his hand. Donny turned to join him. The two touched hands and stared at the wand. Their wicked grins widened when energy coiled around the wand and sparked at the tip.
"It's my turn to play," Darin said.
"Dad wants us to wait until he's had a chance to talk to him."
"Dad's going soft. Little shit should be dead already." Darin narrowed his eyes and pointed the wand at Max. Sparks pushed forward, but couldn't reach where Max was tied in a chair.
"Darin, Donny, there's something you should know." Even talking hurt Max. Pressure pushed on his chest and tightened air in his lungs. Both hands were bound tight to the armrests of the chair, dried blood speckled the straps digging into his skin. He didn't know if it was his blood or someone else's. "Dad experimented on you. It's why—"
"We're not pathetic Normies. Yes. We know." Darin pushed away from the wall. His boots were soundless against the white tile floor. Max screamed when the wand grazed his knuckles. Sparks seared his skin, the black webbing out along the back of his hand. Darin kept it there for only a second, but it might as well have been hours. Char marks climbed his arm before stopping at the elbow. "Like our new toy? We fill it with our energy and we can have days of fun with it. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
He touched the wand to Max's scarred cheek. It didn't matter how dead his flesh was on the right side of his face, he felt the touch, he felt it erupt through him. Both arms and legs thrashed against the bindings trapping them. Max couldn't scream he was too busy trying not to bite his tongue off. This time Darin let it rest on his skin longer, his smile widened with every twitch of Max's body.
Darin took a deep breath. "Barbequed Maxi Pad. It's what's for dinner."
"I thought I told you to wait?" Christopher Fosters voice echoed through the room when he entered, the door gliding shut behind him. Darin's smile faded as he stepped away from Max. Both arms fell limp to his side as he lowered his head.
"He was back talking me. I was teaching him a lesson."
Christopher slammed the back of his hand against Darin's face. The twenty-one year old crumbled to the floor. He looked up, glaring at Max, as blood dripped through a gash in his cheek.
