Alex!

3 PM

As the day drew to a close, Max found himself approached by five other kids, each with different toy requests and wishes. Despite the approaching end of his Santa duties, Max decided to keep his Santa clothes on. With a bright smile on his face, he left the maze-like mall in high spirits and hailed a taxi to take him home.

While inside the taxi, Max suddenly heard the terrified voice of Alex calling for help in his mind. Confused and concerned, Max wondered why he could hear Alex's voice. The urgency in Alex's voice grew stronger with each plea for assistance.

'Help Santa!'

As the taxi passed an alleyway, Max's eyes widened as he saw Alex and his mom surrounded by the punk man and his girlfriend from before, but this time they had friends with them. Max's heart raced with worry and determination. He knew he had to act.

"Taxi! Stop right here!"

The screeching sound of the brakes filled the air as the taxi came to a halt. Max quickly handed the money to the taxi driver and hastily exited the car.

Stepping out of the taxi, Max's heart pounded with a mix of worry and determination. He could see Alex and his mom trapped in a dangerous situation, surrounded by the punk man and his friends. Without hesitating, Max rushed towards them, his magic sack still on his back.

"Hey!" Max shouted, his voice filled with authority. "Leave them alone!"

The punk man and his gang turned their attention towards Max, their expressions shifting from amusement to surprise. They hadn't expected Santa Claus to intervene.

"What's the big idea, Santa?" the punk man sneered. "This doesn't concern you."

"Or, did you come for your revenge?"

Ignoring the taunts, Max focused solely on ensuring Alex and his mom's safety. He approached them cautiously, keeping an eye on the punk man's every move.

"Alex, are you okay?" Max asked, his voice laced with concern.

Alex, visibly shaken, nodded weakly. "Th-thank you for coming, Santa. I didn't know what to do."

Max smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Alex. I'll handle this. Just stay behind me."

With newfound determination, Max dropped his magic sack and squared his shoulders, facing the punk man and his gang. "You've messed with the wrong Santa today," he declared, his voice filled with confidence.

"Haha! Again with this clown Santa," the punk man sneered.

"You think you can scare us, Clown Santa? We're not afraid of you."

Max's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the situation.

"I should end this quickly," Max thought.

"Miss, cover Alex's eyes," Max turned to Alex's mom.

Alex's mom quickly covered his eyes.

Max relaxed the tension in his fist, preparing himself for the fight ahead.

"Boys, let's do this," the punk man said to his friends.

The punk man's friends slowly circled Max.

"There are eight of us. Do you think someone your size can save you?" one of the punk's friends taunted.

As the first attacker lunged forward with a wild swing, Max smoothly sidestepped, allowing the punch to sail harmlessly past him. Seizing the opportunity, he retaliated with a lightning-fast jab, striking his opponent's jaw with pinpoint accuracy. The attacker stumbled backward, momentarily dazed.

Before the others could react, Max sprang into action. His footwork was fluid and precise as he darted forward, landing a quick combination of punches on another assailant. A left hook followed by a straight right to the chest sent the attacker crashing to the ground, gasping for air.

Max's senses heightened as he faced the remaining adversaries. His trained eyes analyzed their movements, seeking an opening. As the third attacker charged at him, Max expertly ducked under a swing, countering with a powerful uppercut to the assailant's chin. The impact sent the man sprawling backward, out of the immediate fray.

With each passing second, Max's confidence grew. He skillfully maintained his strength, ensuring not to inflict severe harm amidst the chaos. As the remaining four attackers closed in, he utilized his footwork to circle and position himself strategically, evading their advances.

Anticipating their next moves, Max swiftly dodged an oncoming strike, retaliating with a crushing blow to the ribs, causing the assailant to crumple to the ground in agony. Sensing an opportunity, he pivoted, landing a devastating left hook on another attacker's jaw, rendering him unconscious.

Despite Max's dominance, the remaining two assailants pressed forward, undeterred. Their movements became more coordinated as they attempted to overwhelm him with a combination of punches and kicks. Max skillfully parried their strikes, weaving and bobbing with precision to avoid their onslaught.

Seizing a brief opening, Max struck with lightning speed, delivering a barrage of punches to both opponents simultaneously. His fists flew, finding their targets with unerring accuracy. The force of his blows sent the assailants reeling, crashing into each other, and collapsing to the floor, defeated.

"Ahh!" The punk man's girlfriend woke up from shock and ran away screaming.

Max picked up the unconscious bodies of the eight punks and threw them into a nearby dumpster.

"Don't worry about those bullies now," Max said, turning around to Alex's mom, who had just woken up from shock.

"Thank you, Santa," she said, tears of gratitude welling up in her eyes.

Alex's mom stopped covering his eyes and thanked Max once again.

"Thank you, Santa."

Max felt Alex holding his hand and looked down, ruffling his head happily.

"Haha, you're welcome. Now, hurry home. It's getting late," Max said, his voice filled with warmth and care.

Alex and his mom thanked Max one more time before starting to leave the alleyway.

"Bye, Santa! And Merry Christmas!" Alex shouted while waving at Max.

"Bye, Alex!" Max shouted, waving back at him with a smile.

After Alex and his mom left, Max looked back at the dumpster, contemplating whether to call the police. However, he realized that he had to get ready to deliver gifts that night, so he hailed another taxi to take him back home.

By the time Max arrived home at 4 PM, he felt a sense of exhaustion washing over him. He took a refreshing shower and headed to his bedroom, preparing to rest.

"I've been up all night, and I'm still not tired," Max mused to himself.

Using his remaining energy, Max conjured clouds and created snow, greeted kids with gifts and wishes, and even fought a punk group, yet he still wasn't tired.

"Whoosh!" Max exhaled, leaving a cold mist in the air.

"The cold is really starting to pick up," Max said, looking out the window at the falling snowflakes.

Max went to replenish the firewood in his chimney and set his alarm for 10 PM for the night's gift deliveries.