The Underdog: The Resurrection of Balance, #1

By Justin Carpenter

Leigh and Gemma are enjoying their honeymoon when the unthinkable happens. They are attacked by three alien creatures intent on ending their lives. But when Leigh is given a second chance to live – even though there are serious strings attached – he vows to avenge his wife. But first, he must complete a mission to restore the balance of power that is threatening to destroy the universe. No pressure!

What follows is a heart-pumping adventure through different worlds where Leigh, with the help of various friends, must fight the evil Creations who are infesting Earth with gangs of criminals. Their end game? Total domination!

Will Leigh succeed? Will he overcome his self-doubt and his feelings of guilt when good people die in the process?  Does he have the determination to persevere when the odds are against him?

In this original tale of good versus evil by first-time author, Justin Carpenter, the hero is a classic underdog – and who doesn't love an underdog? With its highly imaginative plot, The Underdog is told with humour and a down-to-earth style that will appeal to young adults and the young-at-heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Justin Carpenter
• Release date: Dec 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9780645957419

Book preview

Published in Australia in 2023 by Justin Carpenter

Email for correspondence: [e-mail]

© Justin Carpenter 2023

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved.

Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.

All inquiries should be made to the author.

ISBN 9780645957402 (paperback)

ISBN 9780645957419 (ebook)

Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and events, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Dedicated to a life where each step forward brings us closer to our dreams.

Acknowledgements

My deepest thanks to Jenel Hunt aka SM (step-mum) for her encouragement and many hours of her time that have gone into this book. It just wouldn’t have happened without her direction and assistance, and for that I am truly grateful.

Contents

Chapter 1 The Wrongdoing

Chapter 2 The Reckoning

Chapter 3 The Quest Begins

Chapter 4 The Bounties

Chapter 5 The Others

Chapter 6 Another Game Changer

Chapter 7 It all Comes Crashing Down

Chapter 8 In a Hole with a House Call

Chapter 9 Powerful Changes

Chapter 10 Let’s Roll

Chapter 11 The Hideout

Chapter 12 Journey to the Gods

Chapter 13 The Reaper

Chapter 14 A Walk on the Dark Side

Chapter 15 Mystical Trinity Hill

Chapter 16 Back to Hell

Chapter 17 Back on Earth

Chapter 18 New Royal Takes her Place

Chapter 19 New Beginnings

Chapter 20 New Order

Chapter 21 The Final Standoff

Chapter 22 The Balance is Restored

About the Author

CHAPTER 1

The Wrongdoing

A figure lurked in the shadows. Leigh tightened his grasp on the hand of his new wife, Gemma, as they approached the wharf on the edge of Kuta. It was late and the crowds had dispersed in search of nightlife, so the wharf was deserted. The two newlyweds had spent a wonderful day taking in the sights on their Balinese honeymoon, but now, Leigh was uneasy. A second hulking figure appeared beside the first one. And then … a third.

Hell, he thought, three shadow lurkers! Leigh was experienced in martial arts and very good at self-defence, but the odds were against him. Plus, the first one was carrying a knife and possibly, a gun. Leigh peered through the dim light, trying to work out how much of a threat these guys were – if they were even guys. They didn’t look exactly … human.

‘What do you want from us and who are you?’ Leigh asked, his voice booming across the water as he tried to sound more confident than he felt.

The largest figure moved forward and growled in a threatening manner.

Their leader? Leigh wondered. When there was no reply, he said, ‘Why are you bothering us on this fine night?’ He squinted again at the three bulky outlines that still hovered in the shadows, puzzled by their appearance.

‘I smell fear!’ the leader boomed back. ‘I like fear. It excites me!’

Leigh glanced at Gemma, who was frozen to the spot, petrified by the situation. She clung to his hand, restraining him.

The leader laughed.

‘What do you want from us?’ Leigh asked, his voice wavering a little.

‘Your passing,’ the leader replied. He signalled to his two associates who leapt forward as instructed but were still mostly concealed in the darkness.

Leigh took a deep breath and prepared himself for the onslaught. His first thought was to protect Gemma. ‘Gemma,’ Leigh said, ‘run as fast as you can. I’ll hold them back.’

‘No, not without you,’ she cried.

‘You must,’ he replied. ‘Go for help!’

He didn’t wait to see if she followed his request but turned back towards his assailants who had stepped into the flooding moonlight. Leigh gasped at their physical appearance. They were huge, darkish in complexion, and had red eyes and vampire-like teeth. Dressed in all black flowing clothing, they looked like something from medieval times. Worse than terrifying! With a guttural snarl, the two creatures attacked Leigh. He had no time to do anything but defend himself. He delivered massive punches that would kill a human with ease, but these ‘things’ just shook them off and went in for the attack again.

Leigh sent a powerful roundhouse kick to one creature’s head, dropping it to the ground, which should have finished it, but it just picked itself up and attacked again. These creatures were tougher than anything Leigh had experienced before. They were fast, strong and ruthless.

‘What the hell do you want from us?’ he screamed as he hurled himself at them again.

Their leader joined the two creatures in the fight, brandishing a solid silver knife. ‘Yes, Hell! I want you to go to Hell!’ He swung the lethal weapon at Leigh who tried to block the attack. The blade sliced clean through Leigh’s right arm above the wrist. The beast punched him to the ground. ‘Ha! Feel the wrath of my silver blade.’

Leigh looked in horror at the place where his hand had once been. Blood squirted from the savage amputation. He didn’t stand a chance against these creatures. What were they? Certainly not human – too fast and too strong. Some kind of alien, maybe! He heard Gemma scream his name and realised she was still there. ‘What do you want from us?’ he screamed once more.

‘For you to die. It’s very simple,’ the head creature replied in a calm, controlled voice.

A gunshot rang out, finding its target a short distance away.

Gemma! Leigh knew they had just taken Gemma away from him. He cried in anguish, clutching his wound with his left hand, while the three beasts laughed. Leigh looked up and asked in a shaky voice, ‘Why, why, why?’ before collapsing to the ground, sobbing and broken.

‘Just following orders,’ the leader replied.

‘She never hurt anyone.’ Leigh continued to sob, mourning his lost wife.

‘No, but you will if you are not stopped.’

‘What? What do you think I’m going to do? I’m just an ordinary guy.’ Leigh couldn’t make sense of anything that had happened. As he lay on the grimy wharf watching the murderous trio, he noticed they all had the same tattoo – like a Yin and Yang symbol, but all black – etched on the top of their right wrists. A gang mark? he wondered.

The leader addressed his underlings. ‘Dispose of his arm so he can’t be marked.’

They smiled and nodded at each other, both looking very pleased with their night’s efforts and apparently excited by all the blood. Their fangs glinted in the moonlight.

What sort of twisted individuals were these beasts? Leigh’s final thought as more gunshots rang out and he began to fade was, I will get vengeance on all three of you murdering beasts …

CHAPTER 2

The Reckoning

Oh, what just happened? I have to save Gemma, was Leigh’s next thought on waking. Or had it all been nothing more than a bad dream?

He thought back to a conversation he’d had with Gemma on the first night of their honeymoon. Gemma had wanted to hit the town and see the sights, but Leigh had had a bad feeling. They had their first fight ever.

‘We’ve been working too hard, Leigh,’ Gemma said. ‘We need to go out and let our hair down. Have some fun.’

‘I don’t know, Gemma. It doesn’t feel right. There’s something up with the energy of this place.’

‘Dammit,’ Gemma said, her voice rising in anger. ‘Man up and come in to Kuta with me. If you really love me …’

So Leigh ignored his misgivings and agreed to go with Gemma.

Now, he looked down at his arm. My hand … gone! He shook his head in confusion and looked around. Where am I and why doesn’t my arm hurt?

Leigh studied his surroundings. Wherever he was, it was peaceful, with gardens and clouds and beautiful waterfalls. Not the last thing he remembered at all.

A pretty lady with white hair was sitting on a throne-like chair. He called out to her. ‘Who are you and where is Gemma?’

‘I am the Divine Power Overseer,’ she said. ‘I am the godly power of now. You have crossed over into the afterlife. You’re having an out-of-body experience.’

‘S-so I’m dead? M-my life is over?’ Leigh stumbled over his words. His bottom lip quivered. ‘Gemma is really gone, and this is not just a bad dream?’

The Divine ignored his questions and instead said in a calm voice, ‘I have a proposition for you.’

Leigh stared at the woman with her serene, unlined face. He couldn’t work out her age or even if she was being serious. She seemed quite emotionally unattached to the whole situation, almost like she was just following procedure. Maybe she has done this many times before, Leigh thought.

‘Where is Gemma?’ he asked again.

‘She has gone to Utopia,’ the Divine replied. ‘That is the afterlife for people who have lived a true and honest life. Gemma lived such a blameless life she didn’t even have to be assessed by the Determinator. A very pure soul; very rare these days.’

Leigh’s heart soared. ‘So, am I being assessed? If I pass, can I be with her again?’ he asked, but his hopes were soon dashed.

‘No,’ she replied. ‘We have bigger plans for you.’

It took several moments for her words to sink in. Gemma had gone from him. His darling Gemma had gone to a place where he couldn’t follow her and all he had now was a whole lot of confusion. A well of sadness threatened to drown him, but he forced himself to concentrate on what the white-haired woman was saying. ‘Plans, you said? What would they be?’

The Divine rose and gestured for him to walk with her. ‘Come, I have to show you something that will help you understand the situation somewhat better.’

She led him around the Godly Garden where she stopped in front of a statue that looked like a gladiator but with a crab-like claw in place of his right hand.

‘The Claw,’ the Divine said. ‘A past Balance Restorer who fulfilled his quest. There have been many Balance Restorers over a vast period of time and all of them did great things; things you may have heard of as stories, but most had a large element of truth. These people, or their souls at least, were all sent back to Earth after death to push back the Dark Side and restore the correct balance between dark and light.’

Leigh studied his surroundings again, amazed by the beauty of the place and yet bewildered that this was happening to him. He gazed at another statue that was vaguely familiar. The plaque read ‘Maximus’ and included a simple description about his quest.

‘Is he the same Maximus – the great leader who started out as a simple farmer and who stepped up to lead many into battle, outnumbered and outarmed, yet overcame the odds and emerged victorious, when