Later that night-
.
A few strikes past midnight and quite a few people left. Some a little to inebriate and joyous after forgetting what they saw. But at least a full belly of food. All that was left were those of his inner circle. And a few lingering deities that sensed something was wrong.
Helena had approached Max with a file. The look on her face was not good. Mercy next to Max also had a grave look on her face. One of the other reasons they urged for that scenario to be shown was to weed out traitors or dissenters.
The file revealed a little of her working with some demons. All to get to her son Mordred. A few Homo Magi were involved as well that were told about the location of an artifact. An artifact that she learned about from talking things over with Max.
But that would be dealt with later. Dagon resurrection was a paltry threat at best. Something Mr.Bones could deal with if need be.
The exchange involved the Atlanteans that resided in Khandaq.
"So.. why are you here?" Max asked Morgan Le Fey. His voice even but his face stern. A few of the others weirded out by the shift in his demeanor. It was cold barely holding back traces of Malice. "You have everything you wanted do you not?"
"It was just a mistake is all Max." Morgan tried to persuade him a little to at least talk it out. "Not like you made it easy. You knew how important my son was to me. I am not like you and able to cut my emotions off to my responsibility as a parent."
Her words would have cut deep if Max consider her right. But they fell on deaf ears. All of his children were taken care of and did will with their foster parents or with their single parent raising them.
"OK." Max responded simply. "Working with others is fine and all, but working against me is another matter." Sitting in his den, the area in the room shifted. Everyone was pulled into a pocket dimension. The air dead containing a sense of Dread. It was close to becoming a Complete Domain thanks to his training with the entity Rot. "I honestly want to kill you, you know that?"
"It was a deal she could barely pass up Maxmillion." Gaia spoke on the woman's behalf. "Not enough time to convince you to agree to it. None of your people were killed in the exchange. And the demons.. were a necessary risk."
"But they were injuried. Unnecessarily at that." Max frowned. Gaia was his boss and someone he loved, but sometimes, she was to much. She always worked to hard and missed some things at times. Lack of helpers did cause trouble. This was one of those times. "You allowed them to place that tattoo on me, didn't you!?"
No guess but a pure accusation.
"I didn't allow it. I just didn't pay attention to it happening." A small cop-out if any. "I needed to make sure they could be trusted. Another Pantheon on our side is one less to fight against in the future. The "Shinto" do appreciate the foregoing of the artifact."
Helena placed her hand on his shoulder. Using her spiritual sense to reveal some of the info she received from her previous wish during the stakeout. She wanted to cause a RIft between Max and Gaia if even just a little bit. But the bigger importances was that she felt Max's CUltivation was suppressed by something.
'Wrath is a good Catalyst for him after all.' Helena's eyes shined a little. Keeping a watch at Zatana in the corner who gave a nod. Next to her, a member of the Egyptian Pantheon nodded to continue. 'This plan better drawn that "thing" out of hiding. Or Observing as they call it anyway.'
"By selling me again!" Max felt his rage spike up. The Red entity circulating faster and faster. "How many more times.." A jolt of pain ran down his back. The tattoo burning into his soul more. "..damn it!"
"I am buying insurance for you as well." Gaia kept an even tone. "You scare a few Pantheons. With your brother moving as fast as he has been, they are worried. I know you could bear it."
"Last time...." Mercy said from behind Max. "..you cannot keep doing this to him." A white light shined in her eyes for a moment. "Let alone the job of a champion, this seems almost personal to test him like this."
"You do not understand." Gaia shook her head in disappointment. "To young and inexperienced to get what is happening. In time, you will understand sacrifices from those close by are the strongest. And Max agreed long ago to do whatever it took for Earth.. and for me."
"Tch!" Claire scoffed at that. The power of Mars that Gaia introduced her to gave some insights on what was going on. Gaia did not want to risk any more champions. Not until they were stronger. So, instead of putting more through the Tribulation and Trials, she put Max through it. All to nurture and train up the younger generation. And keep the peace. "I think it best to let the others fend for themselves. Including us."
"No." Gaia said plainly. "I will not risk plans after coming this far. Become stronger and more influential and I will consider it." She looked around the room at the "young" people. "When you have to make the tough choice of sacrificing millions or sacrificing one, then you can really know what it is like."
Claire was ready to snap at the goddess, but Selina held her back. It would be foolish to do so.
"No more talk for now." Slade declared. "Max agreed to this for several reasons, yes he is angry but that comes with the territory. What most of us want to know, is did you purposely moved the two of them apart from each other?"
He pointed to Morigan and then to Max. A slight flinch from her but a stare from Max.
"I did not. It was natural. Fear from her caused it." Gaia saw no reason to hide this. Especially now. "Max knows more than other's that "Destiny" will allow him certain choices. Price to pay for him changing the lives of so many of you."
"So it is our fault then?" Orm asked. His mother grabbing his shoulder in comfort. Very aware that this woman was powerful. Atlantean legends spoke of her in great detail. None of them good when she was angered. "If he would have left us be to our Origins as you put it, the burden would be less so on him."
"Yes and his fault. And my fault for hoping to return him to normal." Gaia said with a little regret.
"The period when he was away last." Helena commented. "The reason he is so.. twisted now sometimes. The time Max was a Dark Champion." She felt Max shudder a little but say nothing. Internally he was dealing with his cultivation expanding.
"Now hold on a minute, thought he was only a Champion. What is this about a Dark Champion?" Jonah put his glass down not like the sound of this. He eyed Slade who only return a small nod. "You knew about this already? Why didn't you say anything?"
"You never asked." Slade said smugly. "I am not the only one who knows. Teth-Adam knows as well as.. no the other male does not matter at this time." Not really his place to mention the other person really. Especially with enough going on right now. "The next was to be Orm, once he was old enough."
"So your guess was righ Harley.." Helena said to her bubbly blond friend. "..It needs to be 7 males and 7 females to pry deeper into Max and his past."
"Yeah, wish I was not right about it." Harleen popped a shrimp into her mouth. "Max's cultivation is such a pain in the ass. To many restrictions and other crap."
"Humph, not that bad." Max put himself back in control. Having checked over a bunch seals to make sure his body was perfectly ok as well as his soul. A slight bit of trouble for his mind from overworking anyway. "Anywho, I am back in control so let's finish this cluster mess up already."
"Are you fine with what happened?"
"Hell no. But I will get through it." Max shrugged. "Morgan still needs to teach the others magic, I won't but others at risk due to personal issues. Not that stupid anyway. Well sometimes." With a pull at his chest, the red string of fate, well pink with the color changes it went through, floated out. A squint of his eyes and it broke completely. Ending the connection between himself and Morgan Le Fey. "Haa, that was a bit troublesome to let go."
Zatanna and Helena locked eyes. But feeling what was coming next.
*Sching!* A golden light passed in front. Instantly the remains of the string floated into the void. Out stepped a figure dressed in a golden cloak. Shimmering stars and darkness within the recess of the sleeves and hood.
"Tch!" Max clicked his teeth in anger at the figure. It was none other than "Destiny" itself. Which never went well for him. Gaia tensed up ready to do whatever it took to get through this if it was trouble. Hopefully not fight the indivdual. "Why the sudden visit Destiny?"
"Just checking on you is all." Destiny voice came out a mixture a male and female voice. A burly hand made of black reached out towards him. Max did not move, knowing better to do so at this time. Right before contact, it turned to a dainty hand. "Another gone Maxmillion. 2 more left before you have to come with me for a bit."
"That's.. damn it." Gaia sqeauaked out. Her face turning pale at the misstep. As well as the look on Destiny's face. Unlike Max and the others, Gaia was able to see the facial features of the Deity. It was twisted in glee at the prospect of taking something from Max. 'I will have to speak with a few of my grandchildren about this later. The gamble has to pay off.'
"I will see you another time Maxmillion. Under better terms to. I can not wait." Destiny left the words to linger while departing into golden light. The light did not dissipate fully. Little motes of light touching each in the room. With 8 large portions heading to Selina, Claire, Harleen, Mercy, Orm, Jonah, Slade, and John.
"Ok, so everyone just take a small breath and relax do not make any sudden moves." Max said softly. They did not do that. Immediately frowning at him. "Seriously, you are about to get hit with a lot of energy. So no sudden moves."
"It cannot be that ba.." Selina started to say before she felt her Aspects kick up a notch. Her entire face turning red from the surge of spirit energy. "..It FUcking Hurts!" Veins protruded from her face as her eyes rolled over.
*Woosh!* Gaia waved her hands around the room. A purple green breeze enveloping all of them. Subdueing them each to keep them calm and from bursting. As they slipped into a mediatative state, Max went about directing the energy inside with his connection through the contracts.
Slade and Helena were fine after a few seconds. Capable of at least talking unlike the others. Helena due to her accomplishments in Body Cultivation was able to handle the energy surplus by tieing it down. Slade due to his Mental Cultivation was able to ignore the pain.
.
Settle Down-
.
As times passed and everyone was under control more or less, those who did not receive the big influx of energy were a little miffed. After finding out from a very friendly Gaia all of a sudden, they settled down.
"She said two left Max. Is it what I believe it to be?" Helena asked in a hush tone. Her answer was a solid nod from him. "That doesn't seem fair. Destiny has an issue with you it seems."