Selina had travelled to Wayne manor to meet with Bruce. From the calls and texts, he was not doing well socially at school anymore. Alfred was worried and Clare went with because she was bored and needed to get out for a bit.
Mercy decided to stay home and train in some new techniques she was given. With Morgen and Pamela still in Louisiana, things were a little eh at home. They could use magic to teleport to them but that wasted to much energy when they needed to come back. Made them to sleepy.
They were still growing teens mind you. Maria spent some time being a mother to her youngest. Spoiling her rotten Selina thought. But it made them both happy so she let it be. The girl Rose started training much harder all of sudden. Something about finding some information by hacking a computer to find information on the man responsible for murdering her mom.
The little girl was very determined. Despite Slade wanting her to take it easy, he couldn't keep her from mental training. Much to the complaining of her teachers. They thought she was to antisocial.
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Wayne Manor-
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Alfred answered the door allowing the two in. Making small talk before excusing himself.
Bruce looked a sad sight really. The room he was in was torn apart. Windows cracked, bookshelves were broken. A few couches were slashed open but the odd thing ere a few documents inside. From throwing and breaking some things looking from stuff paid off. Several journals he found, were littered about.
After finding one or two things, Bruce went a little reckless in an agitated state. Alfred had not entered the room yet. Having left Bruce to himself as of late to settle down a little.
"Do.... you want us to come back later?" Claire asked with an arched eyebrow. Selina was looking more at Bruce's knuckles. Somewhat bleeding from hitting something. "Or do you want to go back to hitting walls?"
"No..." Bruce said lowly. "..just records and journals... a lot of bad stuff is going on in Gotham. Still even with the people Max took down..." His shoulders dropped a little. "..It is not enough."
"That is why people are needed to fight. On all fronts good people are needed Bruce." Selina said gently. Her voice warm as if she was speaking to an injured animal. "Your mother and father did it, and so did others."
"And they were killed for it." Bruce almost snapped but kept it in. "Died because they were doing the right thing. What was the point if they.."
"The people they helped of course. Or tried to help." Selina said sternly. Her gaze hard looking at him. "People like my mom back then and myself need good people to help sometimes. Even if they fail to help a few people, trying is what matters. We learn from it."
"As well as people like me." Claire said. Bruce turned to look at her. Claire was usually not so outspoken about anything with him. But today she looked a little off. "I was kept in a government facility for awhile. A lab rat to try to turn me and those like me into a weapon."
"How did you get free?" Bruce asked. His own problems put in the back of his head now. The distraction was needed.
"Selina found me. Took a chance on me." Claire picked up a book and flipped through it carelessly. To Bruce, she was not reading it. But Selina new that her friend caught every detail with her eyes. "Max and her made sure to get me out and put things right. Made sure to get me back to my parents in a safe way. The police didn't help the one time I escaped. Well... they couldn't really with shady government types. I was not the only one."
"What happened to the others?" Bruce asked intrigued.
"I got them out of there later." Selina said. She pulled some wraps out taking care of Bruce's knuckles. "It was hard work and some of them will not be ok from what happened. But it is better than the alternative."
"What was the alternative?"
"They were marked for disposal." Selina said drily. Her eyes staring into Bruce's unflinching. Fingers tight around his own. "Couldn't be controlled, so get rid of them. Especially when they became to dangerous."
"Same thing that Max would have done if I couldn't learn control." Claire said as she picked up another journal. She had been stacking them as she moved about. She turned looking at the two. "He still plans on putting me down if it comes to it."
"What right does he have to do that?" Bruce was fearful for her. Something told him Max would do it. "You live and eat with him, stay in his home and look to be close. How could he do that to you?"
"Because I could kill so many if I was to loose control." Claire said simply. "I can melt steel easily with a snap of my fingers. Just exhaling I can cause water to boil if I am not careful." With a flex of her hand, bright yellow fire appeared. To his credit, Bruce didn't flinch. "I am a weapon. But so are regular people. I am just more dangerous. What if I decide I just wanted to rob a bank, how long do you think it would take for me to do so?"
"I do not know." Bruce shook his head in dismay. "I can not imagine you doing that."
"I can't either." Selina added in with a smile. She believed in Claire.
"Max can. He knows the good or evil in people. So do several others that are with us. Sometimes... people need to be stop at all costs." Claire stopped the fire looking pretty glad her friends didnt think bad of her. "I have had nightmares of me doing bad things. It was easy doing what I want when I wanted. But it all ended badly. I did not like what it at all."
"They were just dreams though." Bruce added in. by the looks on the faces of the two, that was not true at all. "Am I missing something?"
"Yes. But we can not tell you." Selina said simply. "Not that we wouldn't want to. But contracts are enforced. A lot of bad things can happen if we do say certain things to you at this time. We would also lose the protection of Max and his boss."
"Who is his boss?" Bruce cocked his head to the side. "He can not be that bad."
"She can be that bad." They said together. Both having spoken with Gaia on a few occasions about some things. As well as remembering the penalty for outright breach of contract. Not everything was simple. But a few infractions by them were not enforced. Just explained to them to make sure not to do it again by Max and Gaia.
"But maybe one day we can tell you." Claire said. She went back to stacking the books up. "I will leave you two to... whatever."
Selina and Bruce started talking the day away. Claire had scanned almost all the journals and learned some things she wished she didn't. Later on, she would speak with Selina about making a move.
*Knock Knock!* Alfred was at the door with some snacks considering how long they stood inside without coming out. Right before he entered, Claire had performed some magic to clean the place up. It did however leave a little burn smell.
"A little snack before dinner." Alfred set the tray down n the nearest table. AA few sniffs had him looking oddly at them. Mostly at Selina. A questioning look toward her before he excused himself. "Master Wayne, I hope you have not taken up smoking."
"What.. of course not Alfred!" Bruce denied outright. Alfred nodded and gave him the benefit of the doubt. He left the room to prepare a big dinner. "I believe the two young ladies are staying the night considering how late it is."
"Ummm?" Bruce looked at Selina and Claire. Both just shrugged at him. "I think so."
"Very well." Alfred said simply.
*Thunk!* The door closed.
"I guess it won't be so bad staying the night. I think I will crash in Max's old room." Claire said grinning. She looked suggestively at Selina. "Selina can stay with you Brucie."
"Stay with me?" Bruce looked a little off at first. Then his face went red. "That is hardly appropriate."
"Aww scared to be alone with me Bruce?" Selina teased. She gave him a nudge slightly. "She is just fooling around is all. I am sure there is another room for me to stay in."
"Umm yeah. I will talk to Alfred about it." Bruce felt a little regret. Shaking the thought away, he moved to the snacks Alfred prepared. "These are the best. He makes the best truffles."
"Better get them before Claire finds out. Next to Mercy, she eats the most snacks back home." Selina grabbed a truffle and started eating. Claire joining in after. "Told yah!"
"These are good!" Claire said. "Could use some peanut butter though."
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Later that night-
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Selina was in a room not to far from Alfred's. Claire was given a room next to her but didn't stay in it more than a few minutes before sneaking out. She moved to Max's room and sealed it behind her.
"Ok... just need to find that Nexus point he left." Claire eyes lit up with flame as she scanned the room. With out the proper maintenance from Max, the wards in the area had dropped a little. But still had protection against most things. The problem was that Gaia gave her a way to weaken it further and take what she needed. "Found it!"
*Fwish!* A white flame burned eerily in a spot. The Nexus point was both a safe area as well as a bad spot that gathered dark thoughts. Something like a dream catcher. But for cultivators instead of magic users.
Stepping onto the spot, the flame poured into her and sealed away. The containment spell that Gaia taught sealed it away easily enough. Claire was glad she tripled the area since it provided her much more room to manoeuver it about.
"Such .. malice.." Claire said under her breath. A small touch of it made her skin crawl. "So many nightmares. So much that is wrong."
*Shine!* A green light appeared as Gaia floated in front of her. A gentle had touching Claire's forehead to make things even simpler. She earned it by taking this on.
"The next test will be the harder one. Best you wait a few years." Gaia said softly. Her voice making Claire feel warm inside. "It would be safer when you are older. More mature."
"Ummm ok." Claire said a little embarrassed. She never felt so small but also safe before. The malice she felt from Max's flame was completely washed away. "I will wait. How much longer does MAx have before he.. yah know?"
Claire made the motion of sticking her finger in a hole.
"Hehe, not much longer. I hope the woman Morgen remains at his side. They are getting closer and closer as time goes by." Gaia's eyes shined slightly. An image of possible natural children between the two showing. "Great things for them."
"What about all the amazons that had kids?"
"Invitro does not produce the same effect." Gaia shook her head. "But it does create wondrous possibilities. The first breath they take breathes new life. And I do not mean metaphorically."
"Hmmm." Claire thought it over a bit. "Goddess of fertility or Titaness of fertility. Doesn't really matter. Each of them make you stronger, but the energy from it you use it to make new life. But what way?"
"Think about it."
"Ummm like to women who pray to you then?" Claire threw that out there. Gaia nodded at her. "And those who don't from what the books in Max's study suggest. Even animals receive power from you. To give more life." Seeing the smiling face of Gaia, Claire had to look away. She made her feel to funny.
"Best to go to sleep now. I will make sure you have sweet dreams for awhile." Gaia tapped her forehead once again. Claire appeared back in the room she was assigned to sleep in. Gaia looked over the room waving her hand refixing the wards just in case. Her eyes staring at the bed a little. "So many nightmares. But.. all needed. Dreams and Nightmares help she people. Especially little aspiring champions."
Gaia then left the room. Happy for the Aspiring Champion that Claire was turning into. A few more and she could do a lot more to make sure Earth stood safe with the others. But time would tell.