Summer Days Part 6 A small talk

The next few things were all about talking.

A few of them asking what changed about their lives from his involvement. Some had trouble coming to terms. Jonah gave Edward a hard stare. No way would he allow the boy to break his mother's heart.

The two left to have a heart to heart. If Edward became the evil villain known as the Riddler, Jonah Hex would be the first to put a bullet in his skull.

Oswald couldn't get over his height. If not for Max, he would be a short pudgy little man. And quite a little sycophant. But he did want the twin assassins at his disposal. Big Harv rounded him up to get him on his side.

Joining in the more criminal ventures for some things. Oswald did have a way with numbers after all.

As for Mala, Mongal, Maxima, and the others who usually resided in space, they were a little upset about things. Mostly Maxima at being toyed with by Noveria. What made it worse, was the A.I. turned Goddess told her everything that would happen and about the threats in space near her empire.

Not enough to stay to mad at her. But to remain cautious still.

"I want a Red Lantern ring." Grail stated. Max arched an eyebrow at her. "Let me go and fight those wars in space. With them.." she pointed at a few in the room. "... and the Amazons, we can do a lot. "I even promise to behave."

Max was quiet for a moment. To quiet for a few of their likings.

"Let her come Max." Mala broke the silence. "She can fall under my command. Aas well as her forces." The grin on her face was something to worry about. But not for Max. "She is wild and arrogant, I can whip her into shape since she is not a basic mortal."

"Think you have what it takes?" Grail gave the Kryptonian woman a look over. The power Mala exuded was tame from her complete control. She did give the same warning bells as Max did to her. But the half amazon half new god still rose to the challenge. "I bet I have you on the ground in a spar in know time."

"Hehe, oh she will be fun Max." Mala laughed in amusement. But the troubled look Max displayed brought her back down to Earth. So to speak. "Trust me with her, I know she is one of the sensitive cases."

"Sensitives cases?" Grail felt annoyed by the wording. She was anything but sensitive.

"It is not how you think." Max rubbed his temple feeling a bad stirring somewhere orbiting the planet Venus. His Spiritual Sense was constantly searching the Milky Way currently. "It means so much can wrong running your life and several others if things are not handled carefully."

*Schup!* A large mirror appeared. A slightly black glass outline around it. Spirit energy poured in from the surroundings as wards released sealed creatures from inside.

"An outside threat hopes to set down in our Galaxy..." Max's voice was cold and lacked emotion as he spoke. ".. planet Venus has already been marked by me for something. Whoever they are does not matter, they ignored the warning in place and refused to communicate. Wipe every trace of them out. And those who seek to help them as well."

"Chomp! Chomp!" The sound of mouths biting at "real space" momentarily was heard. Furballs with teeth left the wards entering into the mirrors. They were hungry and would do just as ordered.

"What are those.. things?" Mongal asked.

"Langoliers. Eternal contract creatures that will go with me everywhere I tread. No matter what." Max's disposition started to return to normal once more. The buzzing disappearing as the creatures went to work. "They eat time for one thing. As well as the concept of time breakers. One of the best contracts I formed. As long as I feed them right, they are extremely happy to do things."

"If you don't?" Selina had to know the answer.

"Then they feed on my soul itself." Max shrugged. "Part of the agreement. Which I never had to do actually. In fact, this feeding is putting me further ahead once more. But it takes a lot to stir them awake. Recent activity defintely helped."

"So they are going to.."

"Eat the invaders. As cultivated creatures, they have the ability to eat them from existence. They are really good at that. Which will also help with keeping the Dimension Stable from what is going on." Max's eyes flashed as things proceed fine in space. He turned to Mala to address the other situation. "Venus terraforming has gone on well so far."

"What!?" Mala blinked at him in shock. Expecting the home he found for the future Kryptonians to be a few years still. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Considering the ties with all of us.. it is better to keep you all closer instead of out in your previous sector." No time to skirt the issue. "You are in charge of space forces so it is only fair. Plus I can keep an eye on you still." He gave a small smile.

"Works for me. We have found a few of our people while traveling. So at least a home will work to lift spirits." Mala was overjoyed but didn't let it show easy. "All that is left is to start building and populating."

"Correct. And to save the city of Kandor." Max created a magical image for her to see. It displayed the ship of Brainiac in deep space traveling and harvesting planets. "He has it contained and it will be up to you to deal with it when he comes. Right now.. he is to far away to risk a long teleport or dimensional jump to get there."

"Time to build then. Get ready." Mala's eyes lit up hot for a moment. Grail nodded as well as a few others understanding the creature is what wiped out her people. "Your Spiritual Drop is still mine yes?"

"It is what you agreed on with Morgan, so yes." Max nodded to her. "But if we split up, you would have to discuss that with whoever takes her place. That is the way it goes."

*Fwish!* A special contract formed up for her to look over. It contained information about a few of her kind on Earth she needed to get to. To find their stance on things and if they would follow or not.

Karren Star was at the top of the list.

"I will." Mala nodded back and turned to Morgan. "Try not to screw up as Circe/Cheetah did. As for you Grail.." The Kryptonian woman stared the amazon over before making her decision. ".. report to me tomorrow. I will show you how to fight in space and some other things."

Mala floated into a mirror Max provided for her. She needed to be alone for awhile. The room cleared out once more. Besides a few stragglers still. Selina, Claire, and Morgan.

.

The separation-

.

Selina spoke with a heavy heart. But she had to get it off her chest. Her mother, sister, ad herself needed to move out of the apartments for now. Just to try out living normally a little. Claire was upset since this was the first she heard of it.

When your best friend springs something like this, it kind of hurts a little.

"We can still use magic to see each other every once in a while. Just need to be a big sister for awhile." Selina said a little tearfully. "You have the others to confide in still.. so you are not alone."

"Just shut up already." Claire looked away as she hugged herself. "It is your fault I am here in the first place. Not Max but you found me and helped me." She forgot Max is the one who broke her out in the end.

But that was beside the point really.

"I know but at least you have your mom and dad closer to you now. All that is taken care of and you have a full family." Selina gripped. She gave Max a side glance not daring to look him in the eyes. "Max killed one of my parents. Which was ok considering how horrible he was."

*Shine!* Spiritual energy moved around Selina. Mostly that of Virtue moving about as she spoke from her heart.

"Part of me.. resent him for it. I shouldn't but the more I think about it, the more my and my mom spend in counseling.. the worse it gets." A bad thing about certain cultivation manuals. It could bring back the worst of feelings. Right now, Selina was feeling guilt. "I just need this. You have to understand."

"I understand alright." Claire's head bowed a little. Little flame tears burning away. "Do what you have to do for your family. "She forced a smile looking at Selina. "Not like you are moving to the other side of the world or anything."

"Yeah." Selina said simply. The two hugged before separating. "I will see you later. And you as well Morgan and Max." She was out the door in a blur.

"What happens to her contract?" Morgan looked at Max who said nothing. He was looking at Claire whose body floated a little. "She is not gonna pop or anything right?"

"No. Just... changing in a way. Oh, boy is she ever." Max blinked a little. "The Manual of the Flame Lady is something else entirely. And it is nice to see it evolve and change like this. A terrible time to happen, but at least she is ok."

*Shine!* A green light appeared as Gaia sat herself down to the side. Morgan giving the Titaness/Goddess a look over. Marveling at her beauty and power.

"Hello, Morgan. Or should I call you Morgen or Morgaine?" Gaia outstretched her hand, pulling on the red string that tied Morgan to Max. "Such an anomaly you are. The same as Maxima. I wonder if you will go the distance."

"What does that mean?" Morgan felt a slight stir in her soul from the touch. Visions of herself passing by a bit in her mind. Her mind racing as the different versions melded back in place. "Uggh.. what the hell lady!?"

*Thunk!* Morgan dropped to the floor clutching her head. She was in pain but her strength was building up. As well as her knowledge itself.

"Can you not do that to my girlfriend boss lady?" Max floated Morgan to a seat to recover. As well as Claire now that she was "trapped" in meditation. "I mean really now." He shook his head at the notion of her being jealous or something like that.

"Be happy I did so. Better than Noveria targeting her." Gaia said cooly. She leaned back smiling at the work she did. "Morgan" would work a lot better with her tasks now. Especially after she deals with her son, Mordred. "If she can go the distance.. it would be a lot easier. But she won't. The same as the others before her."

Max flinched at that. He was one of the champions that had not been able to take people with him .. well have anyone go further on with him. Not fully anyway. It irked him every now and then but he also hadn't attained Godhood either. So there was that. Well, Titanhood now anyway.

"Which is for the best for now." Gaia said simply. It was not a malicious statement at all just her view on things. "I am sorry about Aphrodite messing around with Harleen. But it was needed in the end."

"Meaning?" Max gave her his full attention now. He turned and crossed his arms leaning against a bookshelf in the den. "Was she low on energy?"

"Nothing like that really." Gaia waved the notion off. A slight green breeze entering the room. It had the effect of making sure Claire and Morgan didn't hear a single thing they spoke next. "Test to your humanity. Which is still intact by the way. As well as a look into what your brother will do in his next place."

"Leo is fine right?"

"Yes. Doing quite splendid in the Power Rangers Dimension last I heard." Gaia did not want to tell him that his younger brother was already at the DemiTitan state. That would just be bad considering it was only the second Dimension he went to save from Dimensional Collapse. "You gave him to much help. Made it really easy for him to outshine you at this rate."

"Good." His simple admittance made her smile. "Make people recognize your strength and those who follow you more. Lifting the Pantheon one step at a time. Well, one champion at a time."

Gaia smiled at her champion for a bit. The urge to whisk him away played in her mind a little. But that would be bad. Especially right now. The two talked for a little bit more instead.

Gaia speaking of the Voice's Pantheon some more. As well as the current actions of a few in her Pantheon. Namely the swallowing up of Zeus her son's Pantheon back into her own.

Artemis and a few minor Gods were the only problems for Max. For them, it was that Max was not worthy of their grandmother. Since he was still mortal and all. But the higher ranked in the Pantheon said nothing.

Max was after all capable of fighting them himself if need be. But supringsly, Hades, Athena, and Aphrodite came forward to speak on his behalf. Pointing out his work in a few Dimensions cowed the arrogant gods a little.

But not all of them. Max would have to kill a few if need be. Which.... was the case most likely.

"See you later Gaia." Max waved at her. He needed to spend some time checking on a few of his contractees. A lot of them needed the personal touch face to face. "Till next time."

Max left in a mirror as Gaia looked over Claire and Morgan. A smile on her face at the former. A symbol appearing on Claire's forehead before it vanished. A small line forming a pattern on Morgan before it vanished. It would take a lot longer for her to develop.

"Haaa, so much time till they are ready." Gaia sighed. "But more champions are needed. To bad about that girl Selina."

*Knock knock!* A few taps at the door had Gaia turning towards it. With a wave of her hand, it opened. In walked John and Zatanna. The other reason she stood by still.

John was an untouchable for her now. The Voice could have him. Which was fine. But Zatanna's new situation was something to look over. The Egyptian Pantheon was happy to have her. Not to happy that she was so close to Max but they would have to deal. And not to happy with her current choice in partners.

Considering the whole Moses thing back in the day.

"Did Max leave already?"

"He did. Is there something I can help you with?" Gaia stepped forward towards the two. John slightly mesmerized at her appearance. When ever Max was not nearby, a few of them had trouble near Gaia or Ares when he stopped by lately. "Hopefully nothing to serious."

"How can one break a contract?" John received an elbow to the side. This let him speak up abruptly. "We need to do it fast!" To say Gaia was shocked was an understatement.

*Pat!* Zatanna face palmed as this was supposed to be delicate.