Gather around in the kitchen, a somewhat serious situation was going on. But it worked out well enough. She looked happy enough. Max's actual boss was here. Step in with the last few contracts he signed, and temporary ones he had signed. Right now, a large file was in front of her as she actually sipped coffee.
Gaia, like it with a little cream but no sugar. something about it ruined the flavor. The form she currently used, was currently close to Gaia from Captain Planet. Tan skin, multicolored hair, and a gown.
"Not bad Maxi, not bad at all." Gaia seperated them furthur and started to dig deeper into them. Checking for anything that would cause problems for certain things. "The long game this time is something else. Definitely taking things slower this time."
"Just the last place.. did not go well in the end." Max said. She gave a wave. Understanding well enough. Looking at his spiritual clone who was getting stronger and more different begged the question. "Is this what you want from me?"
"Yes. But that is for later. You hate the future talk so leave it be." Gaia flicked her hands at him. Which meant not now. "Let me review your work now. Talk to yourself." Max rolled his eyes at her. He caught the smirk on her face.
"Max.. you kinda need to go." Vega said. He had an envelope in his hand that contained a Wayne Foundation fundraiser. "A chance to start meeting the Court of Owl members. Especially with the hit you put out on them."
"Haaa, but I do not want to play with them right now." He sighed annoyed. "To erratic to take them seriously right now. Need them wittle down and start making mistakes. What are you going to be doing?" Max sat at the kitchen island as the others came in. His hand weaving a small spell to put clothes on Raven. 'Really need to wear more clothes. Several minors are here. Still trying to figure how she ended up with him instead of..'
"The gang war. Have to make sure to coordinate well with the demons. Haa, Bronze Tiger is to hard-headed." He sighed almost mimicking Max exactly. It was done just to annoy Raven. She never knew about a spiritual clone. He either died or disappeared before she came around in the future. "But he is responding well with the demons. Having them as special consultants is something else." The Spiritual clone was happy for the help nonetheless. "The spell on him to make him older is to short he says. Taking a month off each year is what he will have to deal with for now. But he has to learn to be patient."
"If he can not learn, then let him know we will just take our gifts back. No sense in training someone who cannot listen. Even more so with him refusing therapy. I will not allow any more problems from him." Max felt Cheetah/Circe before he saw her. She rubbed his cheek affectionately before moving away. A stealthy thing she likes to practice every chance she could get. "Morning to you as well. Fell like coming to a fundraiser." his voice was noticably happier. Eyeing that Raven was chatting lowly with Gaia. 'That cannot be good.'
"Sounds awful. I rather go and meet the girls that were saved recently. Taking Sabrina and Claire with. I think they will relate well to them." She stopped and looked at Mercy. "Take Mercy with you. You have been training her for these types of things. Time to put it to work."
"Hmm, a fancy little party. Sounds like a good time." Jonah said. He sat at the table gave a once over at gaia. Seeing her read papers so closely, he left it alone. She felt nice enough and sitting at the table had to be someone that was not an enemy. "I will take Mrs.Norton with. If you have more invites."
"I have a few..." Max thought about it for a second. "In fact, I think I will send word to a few others. Get them involved with the Gotham Social Circle more. Mercy, are you up for it?"
"Yes. Just do not be upset if they make fun of my plain looks."
"None of that nonsense. You are.. hmm no way to say it with out being creepy." Max's face scrunched up. "Oh, you are a very beautiful young woman. I know for a fact you will be absolutely killing beauty in the future."
"Thanks." mercy blushed. Much different than her usual face. She thought about the time she shot him. 'I wonder if I should care for extra magazines or not? Just to make sure.'
"You could treat it like a date." Raven said. Seeing Max scowled she realized it was the wrong the thing to say immediately. "Sorry. Forgot you hate those kinds of things. Pretending like that is a way for people feelings to get hurt. Especially if the two like each other."
"Ooooh." Claire cooed a little. "Who likes who?" she walked in slightly disheveled. Hair a messy and pajamas loose. Damn wild child really.
"That is enough. No need to embarrass her." Max said. Mercy left to go into her room. Face absolutely red. "Just fucking great. Know how hard it was to get to this point?"
"Sorry." Claire said. "I should have kept my mouth shut."
"It is Max fault as well." Gaia chimed in. She gave Max a glare. "Do not forget what happened with Lala. It is time you remember a previous life. A not so noble one, like now and before." Her eyes glowed bright green as she drew from the Earth slightly. "You will need to get involved with a few shady things in the future more." She sat down like nothing happen. Reading just as she did before.
*Pulse!* A wave of spiritual energy left from Gaia so strong, Max fainted for five seconds. A lock inside his soul opened up. Memories long since forgotten, buried, were no longer kept away.
"Hmm, temptation. Very dangerous." Jonah stared at Max. "Have you ever given into it before?"
"Never in marriage. Defintely came close a few times. Even was castrated once because I didn't give in." Max rembered the memory quite upset about the incident. "Certain practices.. of purity are dangerous. Especially if you are strong and wait to long. Lots of males were hunted and.. milked. Damn shame what happened to those nuns. Damn shame..."
"Did you.."
"Nah. I didn't get the chance. An Ex-wife did. Oh boy, was she upset. Took about 4 years to grow back correctly." Max rubbed his temples at the phantom pain still. "Didn't like that life. was bought and sold like livestock. Boss lady over their thought I need to learn humility." He pointed at Gai slightly upset.
"In my defense... you broke my statue in the temple. And you killed my favorite cow." Gaia stared back just as angry. "It took so long to make sure the milk for those kids were enough. So many young godlings crying every day from hunger. Enough to go crazy."
"Should have let them drink from.." Max stopped talking as she sent a punch his way. "Ouch.. violent woman." She broke his nose with easy. "Damn that hurts."
"It is because your weak again. Maybe I should increase your work load?" She looked back down and looked at the stack. Face softening immediately. "All though, you defintely have way more promising ones this time. So I will leave as is." Stopping on one in the stack, Gaia held it up closer. The inner workings of the contract extending out. "Who is the Queen of Fables Max?"
"A Sorceress exiled here. We meet for therapy sessions every now and then. She is villainess that can bring storybook things to life." Max was fully healed and no longer feeling like crap. Despite her punching him, she also sent a little energy to help his bones out. Speeding up the refinement he was doing on them. "Do you wish to.."
"I am taking her right now. I will talk to her personally. If something comes up, I will summon you to me." Max looked suprised. "You have more than enough to have me do so. Or I will just pop in here. No more Lala incidents. Donations later. A lot of them."
*Doop!* Several containers appeared on the side. The volume count made Max eyes bug out slightly.
"He can not help you either." Gaia pointed at the spiritual clone. "Lots of babies. The Realm will be full of them again."
"Wait.. wait.. you can grow back your junk?" Jonah asked. He stood up in shock. The door opened as Slade walked in. J'onn leaning against the door frame. Seeing as he was around Max so much was the best option to find out. "Turning to him, he had to ask. "You can regrow your junk to?"
"What the hell did I walk in to?" Slade sat at the kitchen island across from Max. Passing over some paperwork. "My contacts in the League."
Jonah recounted what happened. Claire was slightly upset about what happened still. She went to go and talk to Mercy. especially with the information Gaia just laid out.
"Good intel. I will get in touch with them now." A quick spell and it was done. Slade looked at him as well as John. "What?!"
"You never gave in? Like ever? Have you ever been drunk?" Jonah would not let it go.
"Yeah, I have. Why is that so weird?"
"But you have Sin ful things in your cultivation. Several things that can increase from.. you know.. fucking unattached." Sabrina said. her mother Maria gave a dirty look. "Sorry."
"Yeah, that is not temptation. You need to look the definition up." Max shook his head at the weird conversation. "I have gone full Sinful Devil before. No temptation if nothing is limited. Or rules. Just do."
"So you have had multiple wives then." Maria said. Max shaking head made it weird. "So a bunch of bastard children?"
"Nope. I had a life of unattachment before. It was... to liberating. I.. lost a sense of self in the process." Max rechecked a seal to make sure that was still locked away. No reason to tread that path again. "Hmm, lots of families.. to many. Tons of infighting for no reason. Lots of killing."
"Take it you did the killing mostly?" Sabrina asked.
"Yes. It was my duty after all. Head of the family. The entire family." Max waved his hand showing a very large family tree. Gaia looked at quickly with a pained smile. It did not go unnoticed by Circe or Raven. "One of the longest lives I ever lived. Defintely.. educational."
"Must be thousands." Jonah said.
"Over 3 million." Max snapped his finger adding a few more branches. "These are the ones not related by blood and by marriage."
"Did you know each of them?" Maria asked. She was quite astounded by the detail. Pushing on a name showed a likeness of the person as well as a small bio. "23# Son. Martel the Butcher. Destroyed the Empire of Kali. Kali people, blood drinkers of children. I can see why he killed them all. Wait... he wiped the entire race out."
"Every last one of them. Likes and dislikes.. Hopes and dreams. The first cry and the last thing they felt before dying. As well as feeling it." Max rubbed his chin slightly.
"A Progenitor." Raven commented. "You never spoke about that much. Even then. No matter how much Gray asked. Or I asked."
"Hmmm. Maybe had my reasons." Max shrugged.
"13. That is how many I can connect at any given time." Sabrina had clicked several at once. Continuously doing so to match dates and time tables. "The 13 died at the same time as well. Along with 230 daughter and 123 sons. What happened?"
"Armageddon. complete destruction of a Realm." Max's eyes turned black before returning to normal. "A death cry so powerful it ripped me apart. Fun times. In a way."
"How is that fun?!" Slade didnt understand why he smiled at that. "Did you want to die?"
"Huh, no." Max denied quickally. His arms waving up to keep them from getting the wrong idea. "They were happy. Freed from duty is all. Finally able to relax."
"Oh, they were some of the first." Maria checked the starting point. "They were with you in the first 100 years. You are really old."
"So... Circe would be your one and only." Sabrina mumbled. "That will not be good for.. eh nevermind. Wait... how strong was your Virtue then?"
"Pfffff what Virtue? I was a full fledged heathen."Max grinned. "Defintely would have made my parents wept."
"Your parents..." Raven eyes started to twinkle a little. ".. you never talk about them. Any of them."
"They are dead. Long since dead. Stars have been born and burned out and still would not match." Max shook his head as a sense of pain assaulted him. "It hurts... should not hurt."
*Gigigigii!* A little monster appeared in his chest. With one swipe it was destroyed.
"Filthy little heart monster!"
"That was a heart monster?!" Slade asked. "It looked so disgusting."
"The longer they last, the more difficult it is to get rid of. A burst of strength when removing them is awarded." Max gave Gaia a little glance. 'She must have known it was festering away because of the contracts. Glad she still looks out for me in certain things still.'
"You look the same." Sabrina pointed out. "Wait you seem.. chipper. Your eyes are brighter. What kind of Heart Monster was it?"
"A.. I do not know. It had a bit of everything in it this time. Maybe.. family. Which is weird." Max felt that it was close to being right. But only time would tell. "Maybe skip the benefit tonight."
"We have the bust to do. So you kind have to be the face of the company. The board already griped last week." Vega got up and left with a reluctant Slade and J'onn. Both enjoying the information.
"Haaa, they should just be happy to get money." Max sighed thinking about the few people he had set up for replacements. The smarter demons and a few people from the want ads that checked out. Then he looked at Raven and smirked. "Raven you are about to become the new acting president of a company. How does that sound?"
"Ehhhhh?!" Her spoon dropped out of her mouth. "Sure... I will try not to let it go down the drain."
"I have all the faith in you. You need a busy project. Just for a few years." Max smiled broadly. "I will help you of course. So need to fret."
"For this one contract I am taking over, you will deal with target." Gaia sent a letter to him. "Wipe them out. Before they get started really." Her face was almost feral. "Till next time Max."
*Scatter!* Gaia disappeared into leaves. Max notice the few in the room ears that wiggled. She had told each of them something.
'Gaia is acting playful again, at least that means good things.' Max read over the paper before it disappeared. 'What the hell has Black Glove done to tick her off? Wait.. Martha and Thomas just died like.. a bit ago. they shouldn't be active yet really. Unless.. shit they better not start working with the Court of Owls.'
Black Glove was a secret society group that did rituals and such. Composed of the most corrupt of government officials that made Cadmus, Injustice Society, Argus and the Light look like babies. The lunatics wanted to summon an interdimensional monster.