Chapter 3: The Big Guy
Many Years Ago!
Inside a church, various people sit at its benches in the main area. The church is packed with people as the priest gives his sermon. He is illuminated by the stained glass window and shadowed by the statute of Jesus on the cross overhead.
Priest: “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer. Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”
While most of the people in the church are hard-focused on the Priest and his words one is focused on his own task. A young Max is tinkering with a small metallic boot. A younger adult Mrs.Smol looks down at him as he works on this and whispers to him.
Mrs.Smol: “Maxie can you not do that while at church.”
Max: “I’m almost done.”
Priest: “The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”
As the Preist continues his sermon, Max works on his project, and then accidentally slips, and the boot beings to beep and it blasts off from Max’s hands and into the air. It flies around in loops and circles above everyone’s heads. The boot kicks through the head of Jesus on the cross statue and slams through the stained glass window. Glass and bits of the statue fall on the ground and everyone’s attention is pulled away from the sermon and to this action. Everyone looks at the broken statue and window and then they quickly look over and glare at Max.
Max: “Umm…God's forgiving right?...ha…ha.”
Ms.Smol just sighs in disappointment.
The Present, Now, Today, whatever term you use to describe this very moment
Max: “No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!”
A now-adult Max is being dragged by an older Mrs. Smol toward a church.
Mrs.Smol: “Come on sweetie it's been ages since you've been to a sermon with us.”
Max: “Yeah and for good reason. Mom, I’m not exactly a spiritual person.”
Mrs.Smol: “But it's a great way for you to interact with the community, isn’t that good for you with your little superhero thing.”
Max: “It's a business and there are other ways for me to connect with the community”
Mrs.Smol: “Sweetie, please! I make you my awarding-winning cookies.”
Max: “Fine.”
Max sighs and rolls his eyes. He and his mother walk into the church. The church is exactly like he remembers it from he was a child except for the overhead statue of Jesus on the cross which the head is clearly attached to the rest of the body by some nailed-down wooden planks. The church is full of people walking around finding their seats for the service. Some talk to each other and Max notices that some of the people are looking at him and whispering to each other.
Mrs.Smol: “See isn’t this place nice, they really improved after those renovations.”
Max: “Yeah nice.”
???: “Mrs.Smol so glad you could join us.”
Max and his mother look over to the voice as they see a younger-looking priest with sleek white hair walking toward them.
Mrs.Smol: “Pastor!”
Pastor: “Hello, again Mrs.Smol thank you for always joining us.”
Max: “You're not the old priest.”
Pastor: “No the old pastor retired some time ago and I took over. I am Father Donald Holi. You must be Mrs.smol’s son Maxwell is it?”
Max: “Yeah?”
Father Holi: “Your mother has helped us a lot, especially with the bake sale with her cooking.”
Mrs.Smol: “I’m just doing my part pastor.”
Father Holi: “She also told much about her heroic son. Tell me what brings you back to town?”
Max: “Mom you brag about me?”
Mrs.Smol: “I’m just proud of you.”
Max: “As you should be. Anyway Mister…”
Father Holi: “Father, please call me father.”
Max: “...Mister Holi, that’s personal information I don’t need to discuss. With some random guy.”
Father Holi: “Don’t be afraid Maxwell It is not I that judge you. It is the lord that will give his final judgment upon death.”
Max: “Yeah cause the big guy is definitely gonna treat me fairly.”
Father Holi: “I take it your not a very religious man.”
Max: “No, I honestly feel doing all this is a waste of everyone's time. Wait why did I say that out loud.”
Father Holi: “It’s okay my son. As I’ve said no judgment here. Be free to speak your truth here. If you ever do wish to talk the confession booth is always open.”
Max: “Oh…Kay…?”
Father Holi: “Please come let's all get seated for the sermon.”
Father Holi walks off to go and prepare for his sermon. Max and his mother go to take their seats on the church benches. As the other people get their own seats Max thinks to himself.
Max [Inner Thoughts]: “ Can’t believe I’ve gotta deal with this, sucks that Sam practices, what was it Judaism?
We see a scene of Sam jumping around her house with a lulav and etrog speaking some Hebrew. (This is a real thing Jewish people due, I’ve got a Jewish family that trusts me. Also, a lulav is basically a long stalk with leaves all over it and an etrog is basically a wrinkly lemon.)
Max [Inner Thoughts]: “No wait it was Jediism”
The scene shifts to Sam jumping around her house with one of those toy lightsabers. Suddenly Father Holi speaks up shaking max out of his imagination
Father Holi: “Alright everyone come together now. Thank you all for coming today as always. I’m poured this community has a such strong connection to god I can feel it in the air. He truly flows through each and every one of us. Our days it times it can always be helpful to believe in something more powerful than us. He gives us guidance, he gives us strength, he gives us hope he needs only our belief and faith. He inspires us to stand together as our community against the darkness. Reading from Ephesians 3:14-21 it says For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Everyone except Max: “Amen!”
Father Holi: “Surely he has given us a lot. It seems god is a true superhero.”
As he says that he looks directly at Max with a smile. Max glares back crossing his arms in annoyance.
Father Holi: “Would anyone like to share how god has helped them recently.”
Old Women: “My back pain disappeared I feel like I’m 45 again!”
Father Holi: “You're looking younger to Old lady Hayley!”
Fishermen: “The fish have been bitting mighty fine!”
Father Holi: “Better save me some bass to grill by Ned.”
Farmer: “My harvest has been fine and fresh and by goats just had a fresh litter that is all healthy.”
Father Holi: “Can’t wait to try those veggies at the harvest festival.”
Old Man: “My kids called me and are planning on paying me a visit.”
Father Holi: “That’s nice Paul.”
Max: “What the?”
Mrs.Smol: “Father Holi knows everyone in town. And everyone loves him.”
Father Holi: “God truly has helped everyone he is our true protector and our faith powers him. He doesn’t need accolades or money to serve his community.”
Max keeps glaring at the pastor as he keeps going.
Father Holi: “Now while he does not need your money, the church can always use your help. Money goes to the continued improvement of the church and to help poor souls like little orphan Johnny. Orphan Johnny if you don’t mind can you stand up.”
A small orphan boy stands up on a high bench he wears raggy dirty clothes.
Little Orphan Johnny: “I live off the church's soup and garbage and sneak into farms to drink straight from the utters of the cow.”
Everyone except Max: “Awwwww!”
Max: “Why is he British?”
Father Holi walks around holding a basket and goes around the people. Each person puts some money in the basket. Father Holi with his basket finally comes to Max.
Father Holi: “Surely the town's superhero could give some of his earnings.”
Max: “Okay I get what you’re trying to do. Sorry, it’s not gonna work I'm a bit short on cash. I really don’t see how much the church can help with anything.”
Mrs.Smol: “Maxie the church has helped the town a lot with its charity and helping rebuild after storms and stuff.”
Max: “Yeah but the church has also hurt a lot of people.”
Father Holi: “We are not connected to the sins of false prophets. God loves equally but not everyone loves god equally. Look at the people here their belief around his lordship to perform miracles on their homes and families.”
Max: “Let's see standard healing over time, good weather and conditions, and guilt-tripping young people. Just connecting every good and bad thing to god is really stupid. If god is real he’s not a super good at his job.”
Everyone except Max gasps at Max’s comment.
Father Holi: “You should take heed not to take the lord in vain. Or you be crushed with his rath to be upon you.”
Max: “Yeah sure, God if your mad at me give me a sign.”
At that moment the head of the Jesus statues falls off landing on the church floor with a hard thud. The people stand up in shock of the event. Max stands still unmoving and dismissive of it.
Father Holi: “It seems he has accepted your challenge.”
Max: “Challenge?.”
Father Holi: “You believe god’s not good at helping people and you clearly believe you can do better than him.”
Max: “Maybe a little, so?”
Father Holi: “So, prove it I dare you to do more good than god.”
Max: “Alright I’m game, your going down.”
With that Max leaves the church. It’s not too later in the day as Max sits in his shack of an office eating a burger.
Max: “That pastor who does he think he is? The entire time he was clearly making fun of being and trying to frustrated me. He even goated me into this stupid game of him. How the fugenuts am I supposed to do more good than god. How would you even track how much good god does? What do you think?”
Max looks over across form him to see Sheriff Dan.
Dan: “Well frist off I don’t know why you called me over here and secondnly don’t know why you didn’t get me a burger.”
Max: “Well firstly you didn’t ask for a burger and secondly Sam is still doing her weird star wars thing.”
Meanwhile Sam is now on a rooftop in Jedi robos holding a toy lightsaber, she is knocked back and falls near on her back near the edge of the roof. She looks ahead to see a man in a Darth Vader costume.
Sam: “He told me enough! He told me you killed him.”
Vader: “Like, I am you father.”
Sam: “Umm, Actually the line is No, I am you father.”
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
The guy in the vader costume removes his mask revealing an older adult with a grey mustache. Revling himself to be Sam’s father. He drops to his knees and screams.
Sam’s Father: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”
Back with Max and Dan. Max finshes his burger.
Dan: “So I’m guessing your what? An atheist?”
Max: “More anogtist than anything else. I’m a man of science, I’ve believe what has evidence. Theres not really enough solid evidence to prove god and not enough to disapprove. And like so many people see god as this humanoid entity that only cares about us. But there are so many theories about our existence even those that do consider an intelligent being. Like god could just be a higher dimensional being testing its powers, or we could be some kind of simulation or just pure comicis randomness, or who knows what. It is illogical and stupid to think that our existance is just this one possibility.”
Dan: “I’m not much of a scientist but seeing as how well the laws of psychic work together, doesn’t that show some evidence of planning.”
Max: “Maybe, but if you use god to explain that you can use god to explain anything and everything when there are prove causes to such phenomena.”
Dan: “That can be ture, in my years of police work in other cities and states many crazies would clam it’s what god would want.”
Max: “And people like this Father Holi think god controls everything and the people just eat it up, Something’s up with that guy, he’s got to be hiding something.”
Dan: “Sorry, fella’s clean.”
Max: “Well there’s gotta be some kinda of work you have for me that I can shove in this guy’s face.”
Dan: “Don’t you think you’re being just a little petty.”
Max: “No….”
Dan: “Alright well they’re a couple of thing you can help with. Frist a farmer is stuck on the highway he could use a pick up.”
Its moments later as Max in his costume flying underneath in his arms he carries a car by the top of it.
Farmer: “Thanks for the help Max.”
Max: “I like too see god do this?”
As Max says that a bolt of lightning strikes by him causing him to quickly move out of the way.
Max: “What the!”
Max looks up at the sky to see it completely clear and free of clouds.
Max: Okay? Strange.”
Suddenly more lightging strikes near him and Max quickly tries to doge flying left and right, each bolt nearly hitting him and the car.
Farmer: “Hey fella be carful.”
But max can’t as more bolts of lightning strikes by him causing him to swiftly shift left and right
But Max can’t be careful as more bolts of lightning strike down making Max swerves left and right. Avoiding each bolt of lightning as it flashes next to him. Suddenly one of the bolts strikes his back.
Max: “Ahhhhhhh!!!!!”
This causes Max to lose his grip on the truck and it quickly begins to fall to the ground.
Max: “Crud!”
Max files down trying to grab the car but before he can a massive gust of wind blows him backwards away form the vehicle.
Max: “What!”
This gust of wind also manges to get a hold of the car and gently lifts it in mid air and gently carries it to its point of destination. Max files down and mets the car on the ground.
Farmer: “What in the damn hill happened?”
Max: “There was lightning and wind, came out of nowhere.”
Farmer: “I didn’t see anything!”
Max: “What?!?”
Farmer: “It was lucky that by the grace of god I survived.”
Max: “God?”
As Max is confused by the events he just experienced he looks and sees the clouds in the sky moving and forming shapes. Two rectangles form and above one is Max’s Name and above another is the word God. Inside the rectangle under Max’s name a cloud forms the shape of a zero and inside the shape of the rectangle under god’s name clouds form the shape of a one. Max’s face is stuck in a state of confusion at what he witnessed. Suddenly he hears a ringing which scares him.
Max: “Ah!”
Quickly Max realizes that the ringing is coming form his costume’s headpiece. He presses a button on the side of it and hears the voice of Dan.
Dan: “Max you all done over there?”
Max: “Uhh, Yeah.”
Dan: “Listen we got another emergency situation, A bear has come out of the woods and is terrifying people.”
Max: “Right be right there.”
A large brown bear roars and citizen run away from it. Max lands in front of it.
Max: “Okay, okay no weirdness here just a simple bear.’
The bear roars and charges forward at the hero. Max reaches forward and uses his strength to stop the bear in his tracks.
Max: “Lets see god fight a bear.”
Max throws a punch at the bears nose knocking it too the ground. The bear staggers back on its four legs and lets out another mighty roar.
Bear: “Rooooaaaar!!!!”
Before it could do anything else another bolt of lightning stikes in front of the bear which scares it off. Max is left in confusion again as the bear runs off into the woods. Max approaches the area where the bolt of lightning hit and sees in the dirt ground burnt into it are the words
“I’m winning.”
Max looks up at the clouds as sees the same shapes from before and the cloudly scoreboard with the Name’s of Max and God changes as God gets another point.
Max: “Okay and I thought the cows where ridiculous.”
Max flies up to the clouds and gets a closer look at the scoreboard. He presses a button on the side of his headpiece and scans the clouds. As Max scans the clouds he reades the data.
Max: “Just regular clouds for the most part, but something, somekind of energy is bonding them together like this. And theres a lot of it. You need a lot of money to put out this kind of energy.”
As Max says that he remembers the church and the dontation they get.
Max: “Oh I got you now you Holy Man.”
With that Max flies off to confirm his suspicions.
Dan: “This dosen’t seem right.”
Dan states that as he and Max enter the church.
Max: “Trust me something wierd is going on today and it all starts here.”
As they walk through the church halls they are greeted by Father Holi.
Father Holi: “Max and Sherieff Dan surprise to see you here again. Church services are done for the day is there something I can be assistance with.”
Max: “Yeah show us where you keep the donation money. Though I doubt it’s still there.”
Max states as he walks past the pastor and into the pastor’s office.
Father Holi: “What?”
Father Holi and Dan follow Max into the pastor’s office. Max looks around the office and notices a painting off a depiction of god.
Father Holi: “What is the meaning of this! What about the donation money?”
Max: “Just the money you used to build your weather control machine. How’d you do it, I’m honestly curious.”
Max says as he throws the painting aside revealing a safe behind it.
Father Holi: “Sheriff are you really going to let him do this?”
Dan: “I’ve trusted Max in the past and he hasn’t let me down. Yet.”
Father Holi: “I haven’t done anything!”
Max: “Uh huh sure!”
Max dosen’t listen to him as he open up the safe showing it’s empty.
Max: “How about you explain then why there’s no money in the safe.”
Father Holi: “The money! It’s gone!”
Max: “Yeah gone to pay for whatever machine you used to mess with me all day. Lock her up officer.”
Father Holi: “What are you talking about?”
Dan: “And where exactly is this machine?”
Max: “Uhhhh….”
As Max dosen’t know how to answer that theres a loud crashing sound coming from outside the office. The group run out to see whats going on. They enter the main hall of the church and see a large whole through one of the church walls and the jeses statue form ealier gone.
Max: “Umm what just happened?”
Father Holi: “Where’s Christ!”
Max: “A lot of people ask that question?”
Dan: “Max this isn’t the time, Clearly the pastor here has no idea what’s going on.”
Max: “Honestly I don’t know ethier anymore.”
Before they can figure it out the towns folk approve the destroyed churchwall talking themselves trying to figure out what caused the destruction.
Citizen 1: “The church exploded!”
Citizen 2: “What happened?”
Citizen 3: “Some kind of attack?”
Citizen 4: “Did anyone see anything?”
Citizen 5: “Look there isn’t that the superhero guy? Max?”
Citizen 6: “Wasn’t he arguing with Fathe Holi earlier.”
Citizen 7: “Maybe he got mad and destroyed the wall?”
Citizen 8: “He destroyed the wall!”
Suddenly the people gather together, they grab pitch forks and torches form the local pitch fork and toruhes store “Mob Mentality Market” They wave their pitch forks and toches in an angry manner as they storm towards Max.
Dan: “Second Angry mob in a row, that’s a new record.”
Max: “Not helping.”
The angry mob approches closer, but quickly Dan steps out.
Dan: “People stop!”
The angry mob stops in it’s place.
Mob member: “He destroyed the church!”
Dan: “He didn’t destory the church! I’ve been with him the whole time.”
Mob Member 2: “Yeah then who did?”
Dan looks over at Max who shurghs not really having a good response to that question.
Father Holi: “Everyone please clam yourself, a community can not go mad against one of it’s own. When a community turns against someone who tries to save it they are the ones who truly pay.”
The mob mumbles to themselves and talks to eachother.
Max: “Don’t worry everyone I will find Christ!... I can’t belive I just said that.”
With that Max flies off into the sky.
Max: “This all doesn’t add up. If this isn’t being caused by the pastor then who else? Why the scoreboard? Steal the donation money? And steal a Christ statue? Who could be doing all of this? Maybe my scanner can pick up that energy signature.”
Before Max can do that a call flashes on the glass of his headpiece.
Max: “This is Max go ahead.”
Sam: “Max!!!!!!!”
Max: “Yes this is Max, who else has a phone like this!”
Sam: “Help!!!!!!!!!!”
Max: “I kinda of busy right now.”
Sam: “A giant jesus christ is digging up up backyard.”
Sam’s Dad: “Get out of my yard you representation of sacrifice for the greater good, kimdess and christianity.”
Max hears over the phone two shoots of a hunting rifle been blasted out.
Sam’s Dad: “Rahhhh!!!! Ahhhhh!!!”
Sam: “Dad! Ahhhh!”
Max: “Sam! Sam!”
With that Max’s flies off towards the direction of Sam’s home. It dosen’t take long for Max to get to the location as he approaches he sees the stuate of Jesues with the cross on his back moving around the yard of Sam’s house. A large hole is in the yard, in one fo the statute’s hand is a large sack that seems to be weighted down by some unknown objects, in teh statute’s other hand it clutches Sam and her father. Max gets ready to shoot an energy blast but then looks agian at Sam and her father and relizes not to risk hitting them. Instead he flies closer to the statue and presses a button on the side of his costume’s gunatlets and grows to the same size as the statue.
Sam: “Max!”
Max quickly springs into action and grabs the arm that’s holding Sam and her father this forces the statue to let go of them and causing them to begin to fall.
Sam and Her Father: “Ahhhh!!!!”
Both are caught by Max’s giant other hand and he slowly lowers it to the ground below.
Sam’s Father: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this!”
Sam: “Not now dad come on let’s get inside so Max can do his thing!”
Sam quickly ushers her father back into the house as Max meets face to face with the statue. He look at the statue and then up to the sky and sees again the clouds shaped like a score board. He then sees it change with the numbers in the rectangle under god’s name stying the same at 2 and the number under Max’s name changing form a zero to a one. Max gives a smile to the statue.
Max: “Round Two!”
The Jesus statue grabs the cross off his back and swings it at Max. Max manges to doge out of the way taking a step back. The statue then swings the cross back knocking into Max’s size. It then follows up with an overhead strike knocking Max to the ground and repeadtly basses the cross ontop of Max.
Max: “Owww, Oww Oww!”
AS this occurs Sam and Her father watch form the window.
Sam’s Father: “Are you sure your friend can handle this?”
Sam: “Ummmm.”
Sam hesitates as she watches the fight and sees Max still getting beat on by the christ statue. The cross smashing into Max’s back Max goraning in pain with each strike.
Max: “Owww! Owww! Owww! I hear of catholic punihsment but this is out of hand.”
Sam turns back to her father with an unsure look.
Sam: “Ehhh, Maybe? Hold on”
Sam opens up the window she was watching the fight out of and yells out to Max
Sam: “Hey use your other powers!”
The stuate beings to attempt to strike down again on Max’s back. Before it could land Max fires a blast of energy from his hand which bruns off the top of the cross leaving it a smoking plank. Max rises up and gets face to face witht he statute. The statue reels back and throws a punch at Max but before it could connect Max vanishes.
Sam’s Father: “Where’d he go.”
Sam turns to her father with a smile.
Sam: “Nowhere, he’s just very small.”
The statue too is confused as it looks around for the hero. Little does it know the Max is flying around the statue about the size of an insect. He flies towards one of the eyes of the statue and blast another beam of energy creating a hole in the eye for him to fly into. Once inside teh statue Max files around seeing gears, wires and other machines moving around controlling the statue’s movements. Max balsts more and more energy destroying the various things controlling the statute. Max then flies out of the same hole he created and grows back to the same size as the statues. The statue tries to move but smoke and psraks come out of it as it malfunctions. Max smiles as he throws a big punch into the abdomen of the statue crushing it under his giant fist. The statue begins to fall back towards Sam’s house but before it coudl land Max grabs the Staute and throws him over his shoulder and int the hole in the yard. The statue smokes and sparks as it is defeat. With pride on his face Max looks up to see teh cloud score board change again with the numbers under Max’s name changeing form one to a two.
Max: “Hey I saved the whole town that deserves at least 10 points.”
With disaponinment Max shrinks back down to normal size.
Sam: “Max!”
Max looks over as Sam approches still wearing her Jedi costume.
Max: “Hey you okay?”
Sam: “Yeah I’m fine.”
Before they’re conversation could continue the sound of coughing interrupts them. Both look at the direction of the sound and see it coming form the now destroyed statue’s smoking chest falls out the small young boy Orphan Johnny. He tumbles to the ground in front of the pair with a thud.
Max: “Orphan Johnny?”
Sam: “Who?”
Max: “He was at the church this morning?”
Sam: “Max I know everyone in this town, I have never even seen this kid before.”
Sam’s Father: “That’s because he’s not a kid.”
Both look to see Sam’s Father walking up to them.
Sam: “Dad you know this guy?”
Sam’s Father: “Back form my days in mechanic school, his realy name is Jimmy Junk. He would always go overboard in class and then transferred over to a college to study robotics, last i Heard one of his projects was used to rob a bank.”
Jimmy rubbing his head recovering formt he fight speaks up losing the accent he had earlier.
Jimmy: “Yeah and I would have done the same here too, I was running a good racket tricking everyone into believing I was a orphan to steal money form the church donations, But when the superhero here showed up I knew I had to accelrate the plan. I thought it funny to store all the money I stole in the yard of an old friend of mine.”
Sam’s Father: “You and I were new friend Jimmy.”
Max: “I knew you weren’t british! And I bet you were using the money to replace this stuate with a robot duplicate and build a weather machine.”
Jimmy: “Weather machine? I don’t know what your taking about.”
Max: “What?”
Max looks up to where the cloud scoreboard was to only see it separated back into normal clouds.
Max: “What!”
Sam: “You okay?”
Max: “Sigh, I think I’ve had a long day.”
Sam’s Father: “Well just be glad it’s over son, You two get some rest I’ve already called the sheriff and he’s on his way over though I don’t think the pastor will be too happy about the statue, but I guess with the money recovered it should be enough to cover all the repairs.”
With that Max and Sam begin to walk away from the scene, with a disappointed look on Max’s face Sam speaks up.
Sam: “So what've you been up to?”
Max: “Just fighting god, the concept of religion, though I guess it was all just a guy in a robot suit. Still doesn’t feel like I won.”
Sam: “Let me guess you got all huffy about religion got in over your head and pissed everyone off.”
Max: “...No…”
He says not looking at her with a bit of embarrassment
Sam: “Sometimes we must let go of our pride and do what is requested of us.”
Max: “Huh?”
Sam: “Anakin Skywalker from the prequel series.”
Max: “Sam really? Aren’t you the least bit embarrassed in believing in stuff like that?”
Sam: “Look I know the force ain’t real, but believing it is, is part of the fun.”
Max: “What?”
Sam: “Well I mean It’s people that are god.”
Max: “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
Sam: “It’s people that control the world and shape it, they influence each other and grow from what they teach one another. Every religion is man-made.”
Max: “Then what's the point of it? If people already do all the stuff religion is supposed to do themselves why even do it?”
Sam: “People need belief, believe that there is something more and something grander, whatever real or not it gives them comfort, balance, purpose, or just plain fun.”
Max: “Doesn't make all the stuff they do with it right.”
Sam: “Yeah, some will use their beliefs to justify wrongdoings but just as many will use their own to justify the right things”
Max: “I still don’t get how so many people can be so enraptured by some all-powerful being they haven’t even met.”
Sam: “The reason that god exists is that people believe that he exists. They believe in what he stands for and the good he can bring to the world. Meet him or not just knowing he’s out there makes them feel safe and better about their lives. Kind of sounds a lot like believing in superheroes.”
Max: “Just hope you believe in the right hero.”
Sam: “I don’t know, mine’s kind of arrogant.”
Max: “Maybe, and I also heard he doesn’t like star wars.”
Sam: “You don’t like Star Wars!!!!”
Max turns to her with a smile and the two continue to walk into the distance.
Sam: “Seriously though you do like Star Wars right? Cause I don’t think we can be friends any more if you don’t like Star Wars.”
Max dosen’t respond to that.
Sam: “Max? Max! Max!”
Meanwhile away from the town on top of a hill a short figure working on a strange machine. With a closer look at the figure, they seem like a real young boy wearing average clothes for a youth with a t-shirt and jeans, rounded glasses, and light brown short curly hair.
???: “There finally got it to stop, now it won’t shoot out any more energy affecting the weather. Hope it didn’t cause anything weird. Maybe if I calibrate right I can win the science fair.”
The young boy turns and begins to run down the hill excited about his work and what’s to come.
End of Chapter 3