Max had arrived at a small shack that his parents had upgraded to. It was painted pink, and the roof was made out of metal. The window wasn't finished yet and was still an open square. The front door was a wonderful bright yellow. Max grazed his fingers against it and smiled, the small shack being hastily made yet full of personality.

Max's parents were very proud. Their new home was all they could talk about when their neighbors came to visit. The small shack they had was at the edge of The Pit, so there was less litter, however there was the occasional stray dog and monkey that had wandered into the street.

After standing in front of the shack for a few minutes, Max knocked on the door and waited. No one answered. He re-tied the laces on his boots, buttoned and buttoned his coat, anything to avoid knocking on the door again. After procrastinating, he knocked again louder, but no one answered. He walked into the empty front yard, stuck his head into the carved open window, and saw that no one was inside.

Relieved and disappointed, he turned to go back to school, when he was struck over the head by a piece of wood.

"Get out of here," Mr. Optima shouted.

"Dad, stop," Max screamed. "It's me!"

Mr.Optima clutched the piece of plywood to his chest and looked distressed.

"Oh no. Ry? Is that you? Why are you shorter? Why aren't you on Methussalah," Mr. Optima asked.

He had confused Max with his older brother.

"No Dad, it's me. Mari."

"Impossible! Get out of here!"

Max sighed, stuck out his thumb, and little sparks came out of it. Mr. Optima's eyes went wide and he took a few steps back. He looked Max up and down, shook his head no, and went inside. It was impossible for him to hide with the sad excuse of a window he had, and Max just waved at him from outside.

"Can I come inside," Max asked.

"Go away!"

"I'll just wait for Mom."

Max went for a walk around the neighborhood, spent time at a kafo cafe, and when the sun was setting he returned to his parent's new home. He knocked on the door again, and now his mother opened the door.

"Ry," she asked."What a nice surprise!"

"I'm not Ry, I'm Mari."

"That's a weird joke," Mrs. Optima said. "Stop that and get inside. I have some curry."

The shack was an open space with one other room, a bedroom, and an outside bathroom. When Max entered he immediately saw his father and his father picked up the piece of plywood again and was ready to bash his skull in.

"What are you doing," Mrs. Optima shouted. "Stop that!"

"Get that imposter out of the house! He's claiming he is Mari!"

"That doesn't mean you have to get violent! This is not Mari!"

Max, The Breathing Battery, did the same magic trick as earlier. His mother, unlike his father, was not angry or shocked, but relieved. She hugged him, and Max bent over, laughing because now he was much taller than her.

"Why have you not called," she said. "I worry all night. I pray every morning."

"I was embarrassed," Max admitted. "Just look at how Dad is behaving."

"You are not my daughter," he said. "Even if Mari's appearance changed, how could this happen in such a short amount of time? You have only been gone for three or four months!"

"This is going to sound crazy. Hear me out," Max said.

Max took a seat on the frayed old green couch taken from a curb and tried his best not to sound insane. He spoke of ghosts inside a building in the desert, cyborg women who wanted him dead, and a magical man in his nightmares who wanted his body. As the story went on Mr.Optima rolled his eyes and became more skeptical but Mrs.Optima believed every word he said.

"Now I'm afraid to use public restrooms and I'm afraid of women," Max said. "I want my old body back."

"This imposter needs help," Mr.Optima said. "The only truthful part was him being in the hospital for his broken mind."

"No, this Mari. She has always been special," Mrs. Optima said.

"My name is Max now."

Mrs. Optima sat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. She started the same story she always said, on the day he was born, about how she was sure her child was meant for great things. However, this time she told the whole truth, instead of the glazed-over parts that were more digestible for a child.

"I was told that it was a miracle that I became pregnant with you when I visited the free clinic," Mrs. Optima said. "They told me I was too old."

She laughed and Mr. Optima blushed a little.

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"When I knew you were coming, I couldn't get to a hospital in time. It was raining. The worst storm I had seen in my life," she said. "I was so scared. But all the women came together and helped me. But when I held you in my arms I was so scared."

"Why were you scared," Max asked. "You have had plenty of children before."

"Because I should have gone to the hospital. I never registered you as one of us," Mrs.Optima said.

She lifted her arm, and on her wrist was a tiny triangle with a slash on it. Max's father had one as well, on his inner right ankle. The nurse who marked him was kinder than the one who marked his wife as an infant because at least he could hide his scar with socks.

"Maybe this is a curse for thinking that I can fight against nature," Mrs. Optima said. "I believed I could save at least one of my children from this curse, but it never worked."

Max hugged his mother, and she cried a little in his arms. Mr. Optima came over and comforted her, and started to accept the new change in his life because he did not think that a stranger would be so open with his wife.

"You did what was best," Mr. Optima said.

"You didn't curse me," Max said. "I feel like I have cursed you."

"Never. You will never," Mrs. Optima promised him.

"I came today because I missed you," Max said. "I am so afraid that someone is going to hurt you."

"Why would anyone want to hurt us? We're just two people," Mr.Optima said.

"I made a very powerful man angry. I should have known better."

"What did you do," Mr Optima asked.

Max felt like a small child again, like he was caught lying. But why feel guilty for standing up for yourself? He fought the conflicting feeling after considering that he should lie because the truth was weirdly worse than a lie.

"I looked him in the eyes. I looked him in the eyes and I told him no."

"You told a Kuraga no," Max's father asked.

"He was a Rega. The Duke of Fadeno."

Max's father held is head in his hands and knew they were all doomed.

"I did not repeat myself," Max continued. "He threatened me with your lives because he's weak. He has never sacrificed anything in his life, and his power is false."

Mrs. Optima looked at him in awe and smiled.

"When did you change," she asked. "When did you grow up?"

"I don't feel like I've really changed," Max said. "I'm just tired of seeing other people get hurt."

"Don't you care about yourself?"

"I do. A little. I could live in The Pit, and get shot at, and die, but the idea of knowing that someone else might suffer the same is too much for me," he said. "They never had the same chances as me."

"You really are my Mari," Mr. Optima said. "I told her everyday that she has a chance, and she should never waste it."

"I'm not wasting any chance I get. I'm tired of being afraid. When the Duke threatened you I knew I was going to stop this stupid system."

"So many have tried," Mr. Optima said. "What makes you think th-"

"He is special," Mrs. Optima said. "I know every parent thinks their child is special, but he is."

Max stood up from the faded couch and took a look around the room. It broke him that the place they were in was an upgrade but it still wasn't what they needed.

"You're coming with me," Max said. "A friend said you can stay with them."

"Which friend," Mr. Optima asked.

"Eric. His family are Kuraga. They have a big home. No one will know you're there, and there's plenty of room for you."

"They won't get tired of us," Mrs.Optima asked.

"There's plenty of room for two more people. I promise. No one could ever get tired of you. Maybe Dad."

Mrs.Optima laughed and Max's father told him he was "tired of his mouth getting us all into trouble."

"Just come with me. I'm starting to accept that I can't save everyone but I know I can at least save you."

"Fine," Mr.Optima said in a huff.

"Stop acting tough all the time," Mrs.Optima said.

She continued to scold her husband and Max grinned because every time his father was too harsh his mother came to his rescue. Nothing had changed even though his outside appearance did.