Max was on his way to school as normal. The talk with Aphrodite did not go well. She would not compromise and refused the favor. Max guaranteed she would regret it. She smashed his mirror on her end in agitation.
As Max made it on school grounds, he heard someone call out to him. He was both suprised that she was still in school and willing to talk to him still after the last big argument they had about her future.
The young woman was Paige Monroe. Also a villain by the name of Calendar Girl. Her change into a villain was done by pressure from the entertainment industry and the focus shifting to younger more attractive women. Despite the fact, she was in her early 30's when everything happened. She was a southern girl from Mississipi always moving around due to her dad's job in the military.
Max met her one time at a party the Wayne's had thrown. Both her and Bruce hit it off well enough. He looked to her like a long lost big sister. That southern charm got him. Max treated her like a good friend. They kept in touch by letters. Max's idea to help her develop her acting skills by giving different scenarios. The three would write and respond on the same letter, acting out the dialogue of random movies from the 1930's.
"Max!" Paige yelled in the hallway. She beelined right for Max and wrapped him in a hug. "Thank you so much for your help! I got the part!"
"I appreciate the position, but people will talk if you do not let me go." Max said from between her breasts. He made no forceful effort to get himself free. 'Such prime Lust & Envy energy from everyone around. And they are quite soft. After all these years, no pair is ever the same.'
Several students stared with almost hatred. A few guys even gnashed their teeth in anger. One girl snapped her pen in half. If she could, she would strangle Max like a newborn infant in a crib.
"Nonsense Max, we are old friends. They will have to get over it, darling." Page gave Max another squeeze before letting go. "You are coming to the party when the filming is done in the future." It was not a question. "You must be there!"
"I will be there. Life permitting anyway. Just make sure you stay safe in the industry." Max made a note of it in his phone. The A.I. would keep updates on everything for him in the future in case he forgot. "A long way from convenience store modeling yes?"
"Yes!" Page said excitied. "If you would have let me go the more risque route, I could have been more famous by now."
"Maybe." Max gave a shrug. "But I rather you stay a little innocent before you turn out.. well like every other model and celebrity. Money is important, but hold on to yourself even more."
"I guess Mr.Preachy." Page gave him a pout. A few people in the hall snapped a quick photo. "Anyway, try to stop by more. My mom, and Charlie miss you." Charlie was her stepdad. her father died in a firefight. If Max was to think about how it happened Khandaq more, he could have brought her there to speak with Black Adam.
"Will do." Max walked off and went to class. His phone already buzzing from the gossip site the school had. 'Ah school, the best place to gain such good spirit energy."
All around the classroom, Max absorbed the spirit energy developed from the different students. Such pure Envy and Lust for each other was worth it. Since it was so pure, Max was able to use it for Diligence. Funneling the two aspects of Sin into a Virtue took effort. But with the students mostly being innocent it was such a strong feeling. Max was also able to figure out a little about the students in the school. A few were borderline psychos.
'Hmm gonna let the demons take care of them. Curse your dark desires kids. They will make it quick at least.' Max was particularly focused on one of the female students. She had developed a very weird habit of killing animals and leaving them in the desk of boys she likes. 'Gotham has so much weirdness in it I swear.'
.
-After School-
.
"Max come to the game." Selina cried out coming up to him. Claire was behind her smiling slightly. "You are not doing anything anyway." both were dressed in cheerleading preclothes. The tracksuits suit them weirdly enough. A few other cheerleaders coming up behind them.
"I plan on catching an exhibit with Nigma's here." Max said. "Unless you have other plans?"
"No!" Nigma said excitied. He was quite happy to go with someone. Especially with someone like Max. "Right now or the later show?" His messy orange red hair covering most of his face.
"Right now would be better." Max got up smiling. He turned to Selina with a small grin. Small indicators that it was work related. "Just enjoy your time with your friends."
"Party popper." Selina pouted. "What is so important about this exhibit?"
"I am with her. Explain a little more for us." Clair grabbed a chair and sat on it.
"It contains the last pieces found by now-retired Dan Garrett." Seeing a few of their faces, Max elaborated on the man specifically. "Dan was an undercover spy. He used Archaeology as a cover while traveling. He was decent at both. His apprentice, Ted Kord is the one putting on the show in the man's honor. I believe you have heard of Kord Industries?"
"Yeah!" Nigma said excited. The others only gave a small nod.
"The Exhibit is a small culmination of things. So I am not going to miss it before it goes away. The Beetle Exhibit is a must see." Max got up to leave. Nigma following behind chatting away. 'This is a chance to bring him to my side. If not, then so be it. He makes a decent enough friend.'
"Hmm, let's go." Selina said. "Can always catch up with him later."
"Aww do not be such a sour puss!" Harleen said. "We have to cheer really loud for the team. This is also Claire's debut. So she needs our support. What about that girl, Mercy right?"
"Yes. I am going to the game. It has been a while since I have seen one in person." Mercy gave a curt nod. Her job was to protect Selina and Claire so she would not go anywhere else.
.
-Gotham Museum-
.
"I do not know Max. Just the idea of the supernatural is not scientific. Now aliens sure. All-day everyday." Edward said skeptically. "I can not agree with you. If you.." Max shook his head no and waved the conversation off. 'Haa, way to go Nigma. Tick off your only real friend. I wonder why calls me that instead of my first name lately?'
"Man glad it is densely packed." The crowd was there but not at the area they were headed to. Only a few actually going to that exhibit. But a few people that gave Max a funny feeling. Not that he cared. Keeping an eye on them was good enough. "Man the pamphlets are all gone. Oh well."
Moving around in the area was simple enough. Max walked and talked to a few of the people waiting for the barrier rope to come down. Edward doing the same. The attendants had quite strong perfume & cologne. Very friendly to those dressed nicely.
Max and Edward were not bothered or shoed away. It was a public display after all. Open to the public as long as they paid of course. Max purchased the tickets and stop listening to some people talk.
"Hear even a few old Egyptian pieces are here as well. Pharaoh Kha-Ef-Re chamber was donated. Provide restoration work is done. But heard that was done by ill means." A passerby said.
"Heh! Works in our favor. Gets more higher up people visiting. Heard some weird guy wants to donate a few things. Provided Gotham security keeps going up." Another said. "The police have really kicked it up lately."
"Yeah. Heard the Triad is taking some really bad hits. Oh its finally down!" People started to go into he various area.
"Excuse me, you kids there." An attendee came over to Max and Edward. "Would you be interested in going to another exhibit? I really need the ones you purchased." Max kept walking in, Edward following behind sheepishly. "Excuse me!"
"Shut up. I am not going to another one. I came here for this one. It is not packed, so buzz off already. Wasting my damn time." Max said slightly angry. The person looked harmless enough but a weird smell pervaded off of them. A weird musky scent that did not match the others. 'Creepy little bugger.'
.
-Exhibit
.
Several things went off in Max's mind. He kept cross referencing with the A.I. to make sure from his memory. There was Thanagar tech inside. A few of its weapons and clothing. To the left were a few pictographs of Shazamo and Black Adam. Broken into multiple pieces but viewable with the eye Max had.
To the right was something unbelievable to Max. A green rock that sat by itslef. Moving over to it, he observed it in great detail. Others of the exhibit passing it by. Edward encluded.
(This is the Starheart. Gave power to the first Lantern Alan Scott as you know it. Created by the ... Guardians of Oa. But before the seperation of them. An error detected in the information. I assume you rather not waste your power to dive into it more.)
'Correct. The power it has left is only a piece. I can forge it into a Spiritual Artifact still. But not gonna steal it. Have enough Sin Spiritual Energy built up still. I will just take the energy inside. That should allow me to search for other pieces of it.' Max drained the rock and stored the energy away. Reading the plaque gave another little insight. 'Why in the hell would that monster Vandal Savage donate this. it must be for something crazy later. It is a good thing I am not taking this.'
(Something odd is happening near the others.) The A.I. got Max's attention.
"That is the bastard who wanted to by my tickets earlier."
The weird man was getting close to the exhibit Edward was near. Max felt the rush of weird energy. They both were staring at the same thing. A Blue Scarab that seen better days. Behind in the hall, some high energy went off. Technology that did not belong on Earth was used.
(Reach Temperol Technology detected. Everything outside of the room has slowed down. Intense Energy detected!)
*Boom!* An explosion went off as the weirdo touched the case. Edward right next to him was caught in the blast. Body flying across the room till Max stopped it.
At the time two men came into the room from the back. One old an confined to a wheelchair. This was Dan Garrett the first Blue Beetle. The second was Ted Kord. Dan looked very weakened. What ever plan they had was not going to work.
The scarab configured itself and floated up. Fully restored. It shot towards Dan as the old man raised his hand. A piece of metal already embedded there. The blue scarab crawled along his body to the back and implanted on his spine.
"Ahhh!" Dan screamed. Slowly his body rejuvenated but something was going terribly wrong. "Something is speaking inside my mind!"
"Fight it!" Ted yelled. He turned to look at the man responsible for everything. "What did you do Cross!?"
The strange man turned into a light blue face man. Then a metallic shifting plate came over him. It was another Scarab but green in color. With out a doubt, Max new the man to be part of the Reach. A super warmongering race that infiltrated planets and sold them. The weird thing was that they had an agreement with the Guardians of Oan.
Arm turning into a cannon, it fired at Ted. Knocking him through a casing with armor inside. Max pulled a small vial from his pocket and poured it in Edward's mouth. The basic healing elixer would save him from his wounds overtime.
"Drink up and do not die kid." Max stood up and looked a little annoyed. Internally he was trying to remain calm. It was bad enough Edward was injured, and the Exhibit was getting ransacked. But the Reach were a pain in the ass. The good news plans were activating to deal with shit like this. 'Take care of security while I deal with this guy.'
(Clearing security footage as we speak.) The A.I. responded.
"You should have went to another exhibit brat!" Cross yelled. "Killing you will be to easy!"
"Pffft. It is a shame you ruined my good time." Max released some spirit energy. Grabbing one of the Thanagarian spears, he gave it a twirl. "Ready to die weak little Reach filth?"
Cross eyes narrowed. He did not expect an Earthling to no anything about his race. Max had already had a spell making sure nothing transmitted outward. The frequency the Reach operated on was easily manipulated for cultivators. Let alone one of Max's experience.
The Blue Scarab attacked wildly. Cross could not control no matter how much he tried. The pincers opening and digging into the body of Dan Garrett. His voice choking from the blood to prevent screaming.
"We have to stop him!" Ted yelled. He was in his makeshift Blue Bettle uniform and trying to intervene. His tech was not at the level to really do much against the scarab. He turned to see Max just standing near Edward. He was not moving to intervene. "Your friend will be fine, we have to help Dan!"
"Yeah... that old man is dead. So no. Until my friend here gets up, you should do your best to survive."
"Help.. me.." Dan said controlled. It was a psychological attack to make Ted drop his guard. Which worked. The man was already on his deathbed.
Cross pinpointed something was wrong coming from Max. So he charged over. The suit he was wearing was for espionage not direct combat. Soon as he was close, he stabbed out.
*Ping!* The Nth metal spear tip made quick work of the weaker metal. Charged with spirit energy, Max was binding as he fought.
*Twirl!* Rebounding the weapon, Max stabbed out three times. Once in the neck. Then the chest. Finally the groin.
"Kuff!" Cross spat up purple blood. Creating a dark sword, he swung down with purpose.
*King!* The blade got stuck in the floor. Max did a simple thrust cutting across the neck. Pulling back, the spear tip angle down cutting along the shoulder.
"What are you!?" Cross yelled. With effort he pulled the sword free and stabbed again. Max parried the blow with the base of the shaft with a twist at the end. The slight vibration sending shocks into the body. "Humph!" Angered, Cross pushed the suit's systems to fight back harder.
"Cute!" Max took a single step back to get ready for the next clash. "Again?" Another mechanical leg came out. A flick of the spear and it was destroyed.
"Grrr!" Sparks flew out as Cross held strong. "Humans are not this strong!" He looked down at the destroyed floor from the push back.
"They are with proper training." Max broke the deadlock and struck back again. '100 tempo!' The bottom of the spear rained down several strikes against Cross.
Not a deep cultivator technique but fair enough. The blows broke the armor apart faster than it could regenerate. Max delivered five to the throat to keep Cross from talking and to disrupt his breathing. The remainder hitting against the joints in a step rhythm.
"Ugghh." Edward groaned getting back up. The burns on his face looking hideous still. "It was real!" He stared in horror at the sight before him. Cross, though bloody was still a hulking creature to witness. "We have to get out of here!"
"Then run then Nigma." Max said lowly. He spared a glance while pulling back the spear. "No will stop you." Staring hard at Max's back, Edward did not want to run but he did so.
"I am sorry!" He was afraid. Down to his very bones, he did not want to die. 'I have to get help!' The moment he made it to the exit things changed. "What in the World is happening?!"
Everything was moving in slow motion. From the people caring on as normal, to the man dropping his drink while trying to grab his daughter's hand. Edward tried to rationalize as best he could, but it did not work. Stepping back into the passage he heard the fighting intensify.
"I do not know what to do?"
"Dan.. you have to snap out of it!" Ted was getting tired of fighting his friend and mentor. Soon he would be completely overpowered. "Dammit!" Reaching in his belt, a few stun grenades were pulled out and used.
*Bing! Bing!* The loud sonic screech stalled both scarabs for a bit. Ted was really good with gadgets and had been preparing to take Cross down for awhile.
'Tch, this is getting annoying. Might as well try to get a scarab as a prize.' Max pulled the spear back after striking Cross in the chin. A thrust powered by pure force went directly at the center of the sternum.
*Splat!* The chest area was completely destroyed with the head flying into the wall. The scarab's emergency functions started up. It retracted and return to normal to repair itself.
"Oh no you don't!" Ted had thrown Dan down on the ground and confined him in some kind of rubbery substance. He e shot the scarab before Max could grab it. "I have no idea why you want it kid, but that thing is dangerous."
"Haaa idiot. So you shot it. Giving it energy to shoot off somewhere. Good job." Max said annoyed. the scarab shot off faster than he could react after the shot. Hopefully, it was going through time. 'I need to keep track of Mexico to make sure that kid does not get this thing. Wait it is not the blue one, so it should be fine. He is not even born yet. I wonder if my spirit/magic energy screwed it up like what happened to the original blue scarab?'
"Do not worry Dan! I will get you help." Ted said to his now unconscious friend. Max passed a spell to augment his and Edwards's features then left the room. The Spear coming with. It had bonded to him and had enough spiritual awareness that he asked it if it wanted to come with. 'Not stealing if it chooses to come with.'
(Blackest Night has now been postponed by 3 months.) The A.I. said. (Furthur calculations are needed to determine what all has been tampered with.)
"You look awful Nigma. Maybe we should head out?" Max said calmly. Edward just nodded. Opening a mirror they were gone. 'Felt the presence of several people heading here. Must be government officials. I do need to deal with them at this time.'
.
-Edward Nigma's Place-
.
The place was slightly rundown. A little homey and enough room for a two person family. The house was close to the East End but not that close. With the violence not to far away, it would not be long before it spread. This Edward was more unusual than what he knew after looking furthur into things.
He was not the obsessed one from the Silver Age comics either. If Max did not know any better, he would think the young man's Origins was evolving in real time.
"Who stay here with you?" Max asked breaking the silence.
"My mother and myself. My dad.. he is on the road." Edward said ashamed. "Things are better when he is not here. But mom works so hard that.." He stopped himself and turned to look straight at Max. "How did we get here Max? What was all that?"
"Technology, Aliens, Magic and whatnot. I have told you before. You are smart enough to understand but choose not to." Max shrugged his shoulders. He turned as the door opened. "Your mother is home. What a beautiful woman."
"Max! That is my mother." Edward yelled.
"I mean spiritually. Your mother has Endured a lot. It is strange as well as beautiful." Max said in interest. The spiritual energy from the woman as something else. "Hello Mrs.Nigma"
"You have a friend. That is good. Your father was wrong about you. Like I told you. Call me Ms.Nashton, Mr.Wayne." She took her shoes off at the door and walked slowly to sit down. "Haa these extra shifts are murder on me."
"How about a better job then?" Max walked over and sat in front of her. "The courthouse has to be getting to you lately. How about a not so simple job for me."
"Heh, rich people always up to something." Ms.Nashton said. "I take you can deal with the Triad with money?" The woman was exhausted and at her wit ends. She did not care for Max's age. Only that he could help her. "If not I might have to skip town."
"You cannot be serious!?" Edward said alarmed. Thinking things over the signs were there. His mom had been working later and receiving all sorts of calls at any time of the night. "You are not going to leave me behind are you?"
"If it is safer than yes. I have been really careful. They do not know you exist. Your shit heel of a father did something right." Ms.Nashton watched as Max typed away in his phone and passed it over to her. She keyed the info for an offshore account and watched as a large sum deposited. "You.. are serious."
"Yup. I will have some people watch over you. Consider that payment and for your son being a friend." Max got up to leave. He was stopped when she pulled his wrist. "Something wrong?"
"Contract. I will definitely pay this back or find a way to do so." She got up not taking no for an answer. Max turned to Edward and smiled. He created a contract for to read over before walking through a mirror. "Did he make the paper appear from thin air? Did he just walk through a mirror!?"
"Heheh..." Edward just chuckled. He had no way of explaining what he still was having trouble explaining.
"Spill everything you little troublemaker!"
"Tell me how you are in trouble!" Both mother and son had the same temperament. Max just made a weird duo that may just drive him crazy in the future. "What does the paper say?" He reached for it but his mother pushed him back with her feet on his chest laughing the entire time.
"Not till I read it first!"
.
-Max at home-
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"Ughh I can not hold it back anymore." Max wobbled to the bed and sent out a message via text. It basically said he was not feeling well and would not be available for a few days. "Why does this breakthrough always hurt so much?"
(It is just a mental one. I am sure it will be fine. Would you rather have body that can not keep up with your thought process?)
"Yeah.. yeah." Max had discarded his clothes and landed on the bed. His head burning as it reconfigured to meet the demands of his body. "Make a note for me to meet with Black Adam again. He needs to be made aware of this development."
Selina had come in the room to check on Max. He was sweating continuously as well as the sheets actually burning. She quickly places a towel on his head to provide a little comfort. Constant spiritual energy cycling over Max.
"To cultivate Endurance requires great pain. Even the visual pain of a friend." Selina mumbled. She started to cultivate the extra energy in the room. 'Max's cultivation manual is so dangerous compared to the others I read. But at least it increases my mental and physical defense.'
-Brekfast next Morning-
"Selina, how is he?" Maria asked. Her hand was clutched to the house phone. She just ended a terrible call. "I need to tell him something important."
"Sleeping soundly. He is even drooling." Selina gave her mother a lopsided smile. "What is the important thing?"
"Bruce ran away from home. Alfred said.. something happened at school."
"Hmmm, I will go find him." Jonah said. They gave him a weird look. "I am a decent tracker. Besides, Max would have a fit if he finds out we did nothing."
"I am going as well." Claire said. On her shoulder was the ferret familiar. Max sent it to Morgan who was to check it over then help Claire bound with it. She finished it last night. "It cannot be that hard to find him."
"This Bruce kid, is a little younger than us with black hair and blue eyes? Bit of a brooding look about him?" Mercy asked coming in after a run. Next to her was Bruce looking crappy. Covered in dirt and a few bruises on his face. "If so, here he is. Found him not to far from the building mumbling. Thought he was a nutjob at first."
"Well shoot. There goes my chance to look good. I am gonna go out for a bit anyway." Jonah grabbed his hat and was gone.
"I will call Alfred." Maria picked up the phone and left the room.