ZERO (Complete)

Chapter Forty-Six

It had been a few days and the group had been laying low in an abandoned building in a neighbourhood just outside the city. They were cautious not to venture outside unless absolutely necessary for fear that surveillance cameras would identify them. Every square foot of the city was monitored by cameras, including random drones that would routinely scan crowds and places cameras weren't expected to be.

Maxim had been spending more and more time with Allie. The two were vibing with each other.

"Paper prisons," Allie said innocuously, lying in Maxim's arms, staring up at the stained and cracked ceiling.

"What does that mean?" Maxim asked.

"I was just thinking out loud," she said. "It's just a label I came up with for this situation we're in, all of us... society. I just wanted to hear what it sounded like out loud. It's the idea that we create our own prisons, our own boundaries, they confine us provided we adhere to their constraints. If we abolish these preconceived ideas that bind us, we are able to break free at any time. They are no more than paper prisons."

"Paper prisons," Maxim repeated. "I like that."

"We can accomplish anything we put our minds too," Allie added, continuing her thought. "I truly believe we allow ourselves to live in paper prisons, constructs of our own mind... and what society tells us. We once thought running a sub four-minute mile was impossible until one day someone did it. Two months later, two more people did it. Once people saw that it was possible, many others also accomplished what was once inconceivable.

"People's beliefs hold them back, their fears and their worry for what others may think. They believe failure is a negative. They believe they are inadequate, or they don't belong. They call it imposter syndrome. Anticipatory regulation is another one. We set a limit in our mind of what can be accomplished — you tell yourself today, 'I'm running twenty kilometres', and when you reach the twenty kilometre mark, you nearly collapse and can barely take another step. The next time you tell yourself, today I'm going to run twenty-five kilometres, and when you reach that point, you feel like you could not have taken another step. But how much of that is your mind creating these limits?"

"I agree," Maxim said.

"In the world of mixed martial arts, I see this all the time. To be a champion, you really have to have a certain mindset, a will and a desire that you belong, you are better than the other person, and you will not quit no matter what. Skill only takes a person so far. Some believe that certain people are just better than them, they are born with some innate talent and their skills cannot be learned over time with enough practice and dedication."

"That's not who I want to be," Maxim reflected. "I don't want to live in a paper prison."

"What paper prisons do you create for yourself?" Allie asked. "What story do you tell yourself that you're not good enough or capable of doing something?"

"I don't know," Maxim said.

"I think you do know," Allie said, sitting up. "All those people in there don't know who you really are. You have the most famous family lineage in the world. You're a living legend and what do you do with it? You hide away in some sleazy nightclub."

"Tell me how you really feel," Maxim said.

"I'm sorry to come at you like this, I'm just direct. I say it how I see it. I think you're running from greatness. You're afraid of failure, afraid of what people might think of you, afraid to live in the shadow of another man. Those are your paper prisons. It's all in your head."

"I'm trying to save the world with a rogue squad of misfits, am I not?"

"Okay, and what about after that? What's next for you?"

"I don't know."

"You're hiding from your true purpose, Maxim. You're pretending to be something you're not. You're afraid to be great. Don't deny yourself. Don't pretend to be anything other than what you are. I know you know what I'm talking about. You were put on this Earth for greatness, Maxim, so be great."

"Has anyone ever called you intense?"

"I see you becoming a symbol of hope for the people of Earth."

"What are you saying?"

"I want you to become the new leader of Earth?" she said frankly. "I believe you were born to do this. There's no escaping it. This is your destiny," Allie said with powerful conviction.

"Wow, that's... flattering."

"Tell me I'm wrong," Allie demanded.

"I mean, I'm sitting in a dirty apartment with a dozen people I hardly know. The idea sounds nice, it's just... light-years away from where I am currently. Do I really want the headache of becoming the leader of the world? I would have no privacy."

"How much privacy do you have now?" Allie challenged.

"I would be subjecting my family to all sorts of unwanted attention and scrutiny. That's not a healthy environment for anyone, especially for a child to grow up in that."

"Let's worry about that later. I'm being serious. If... when we take down The Shadow, there will be chaos without leadership. People don't want to put their faith in a shadow, they want a name and face. And who better than a man who bares the most reputable name in the world?"

"I don't know about that."

"The currency we all use was created by your father."

"Grandfather."

"Whatever. Your grandfather is a legend. He revolutionized and influenced dozens of industries, and you share his last name. This, plus your natural charisma, taking down The Shadow... it would instill a lot of trust in people."

"Really?"

"I'm telling you, you have a real shot at this. When this whole Shadow situation is over, you can step out as the leader who took down the government. History is filled with tales of kings rising to power this very way. It's possible for that to be you more than anyone else. You have the kind of money that affords you a life of privilege and opportunity. I think you should advertise that so people know you cannot be corrupted."

"That's a lot to take in right now," Maxim said.

"Think about it."

"Okay, I'll think about it. Right now, we still have a monumental task ahead of us. Let's focus on that first."