The Dan O'Brien Project: Character Interview: A Moment with Maximus Curton

As the leader of the Legion, Maximus has much to say about the world transitioning after the wave, as well life as a Shift. Once a college professor, he knows leads other Shifts in order to make the world safer for everyone.

How do you feel about your family, now that you’re an adult?

It’s sad to say, but I really don’t have much family. My parents died when I was very young and I grew up in a government facility. Yeah, I know it sounds weird but it’s true. Once upon a time I was a spy.

If you were granted three wishes, what would you ask for?

Wisdom, peace, and health. With these three things the clarity of life can be achieved and so many wonderful things can be done for mankind.

How do you fall in love? At first sight? Over a long period?

The last time I fell in love it was instant. I always thought that love at first sight was just a old wives' tale until Carmalita. She was simply striking. She was Italian and Spanish. The most beautiful green eyes. It was those eyes that did it. Completely took my breath away. Unfortunately it didn't last. But there isn't a day that goes by that I don’t remember those eyes. I think if I’m ever fortunate enough to fall in love again, I’ll take my time. Anything else just hurts too much.

What parts of loving come easy for you? Hard?

I would have to say the trusting part is the hardest. Being left behind as a child definitely doesn't help one to trust. That’s the part I work that hardest at. The easier parts are intimacy. I love it. It actually makes me feel safe.

When you walk into a room, what do you notice first? Second?

I notice the composition of a room. How it’s made and how many people are present. The second thing I notice is how many exits the room has. What can I say? Years of being a spy. Old habits die hard I guess.

Is one sense more highly developed than another?

Because of my training I know how to use all my senses at a elevated level. Far more than most. When you have assassins after you, you really need to be able to do this. That is if you want to live.

What are you most proud of about your life?

That I was able to let go of my past and create a better future for myself. I've helped a lot since I set myself free. Because of everything that’s happened recently with the wave, I've been approached to help. Of course, I’ll do what I can but I have no idea what’s ahead of us.

What are you most afraid of?

Letting those who I love down.

What is your special talent?

Want to know my special talent? Well you’re going to have to read and find out.

Bio: Born in upstate New York, Maximus is the youngest of three. He attended private school and was a prodigy from the beginning. Max’s father, Alexander Curton, was a wealthy businessman who dealt in less than reputable dealings. One day while away at school, one of his father’s competitors decided to send a message for Alexander’s partners. An assassin was sent and Alexander’s entire family was murdered, with the exception of Max. A quick thinking FBI agent called “Eagle Eye” received a tip right before the hit and made it to Max.

Not long after the murders, Max graduated top of his class and Eagle Eye convinced him to become an FBI agent. She took him under her wing and was impressed at how well Max excelled. He passed every test, with scores so high they even impressed the head agents, and surpassed every physical test of endurance. His first assignment was to bring down the arms dealer that killed his family. He systematically brought down the entire organization. But when it came time to bring in the head boss, he failed his greatest challenge. When the man was right in front of him, the memory of his family was too strong and he murdered him. This decision would haunt him for the rest of his life. Afterwards, he decided to leave the Special Forces unit and became a professor at an Ivy League school.

Once the Morphiius wave hit and the government realized the ramifications of what happened, he received a little visit from an old friend, “Eagle Eye.” She had been given a special appointment by the President to form an elite task force to monitor the threat of the “Shifts.” She left it to him to form a “team” to help contain the “Shifts” that would do harm with their new gifts.

You can find out more about Maximus, and the rest of the team, by purchasing a copy of Children of the Skies by J. Everett Bettis on Kindle or in paperback.