Max made it home with Corben who was feeling quite happy with the outcome. Especially since his hard-ass father congratulated him on making a "respectful" friend. As they traveled by car, Corben signed a contract and felt a lot better about his future. Even more so about his military career.
Arriving inside proved a little odd. Considering who was all there. Instead of a greeting from this he expected, he was greeted by very angry Italian teen. A one Helena Bertinelli. A.K.A. as the Huntress most times. A very mob specific origin story most times.
"I let my self in, il mio capo." Helena dangled keys that she never used before. Why now, was defintely a question to be asked. But her breathing was slightly labored. "..things turned bad."
"Damn it." Max shot forward stabilizing her. He lifted her up taking her to a medical room. Corben followed along. Mindful of the blood that floated in the air. He didn't expect to see "stuff" like this so soon. "What happened?"
"I tried to free a bunch of the "product" from holding." Her breathing already better from the injuries and blood loss. Max set her down on a table. His hand removing her clothes with a simple gesture. Body full of more bullets than a normal person could take and survive. "We got them out of there.. but.. the mobsters caught us. They got Michael in the back."
Corben grabbed some gauze and a blood packs when Max pointed to a camber cabinet. He grabbed one of each. Unable to tell the substance inside but it made sense to him to bring them all.
"Old fashioned way, I need the pain to get stronger." She gripped Max's atm tight. Stopping him from using any spiritual or magical healing on her. "Take each of them out. I will survive it. And be stronger for it."
"Ok." Max answered simply. Corben for his credit kept his eyes on her. Stunned at the blood still floating and the number of bullet holes still. A cloth appeared covering her more sensitive areas for now. "Take down his organization so early is very difficult. Told you haste makes waste."
"I know. But I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try." Helena answered simply. She watched as Max removed the first bullets in her arm. Above them, a spell was at work making screens that showed each bullet location and it's depth. The damage was already reversing from her body cultivation still circulating. "That is a deep one."
"Yeah.. it is.." Corben said. He held a pan that each bullet was dropped into. The odd thing was Max moving from location to location. He didn't remove clusters of bullets despite the location he was at. A quick look up showed what he was doing after reading a few lines. "You are taking the least damaged ones first. Building up to the critical ones?"
"Correct." Max paused to turn at him. The medical mask on his face did not hide the pleased look he had. Both he and Corben were completely dressed like physicians the moment they stepped in. "Helena practices a pure Body Cultivation. No magic or energy will really develop until the late stages."
"Max tailored it for me specifically. Came across me when I lost my mom. Imagine my shock when a boy barely older than myself said he was sorry he couldn't get to her in time." Helena said. Eyes looking at Max softly in remembering. "But mom wanted to try and change my mobster father. And a young boy was not going to be able to change her up. But he was a great friend. Though really weird."
*Tink!* Another bullet was removed. The round was custom made. A sniper round by the looks of it. Was lodged pretty deep in her calf.
"Was?" Max arched an eyebrow.
"More of like a brother." Helena said. "I can't go back. I need a place to hide out for now. Dear old dad thanks I just ran away again. Which fits me just fine. These wounds will be completely ok in three days."
"Your mother would be proud of you Helena. I am sure of it." Max went back to work on her. "The body specific cultivation continues to push the body the more you work on it. Which is brutal compared to regular cultivation."
"How so?" Corben set the pan down on another table and pulled another out. Following Max, but standing out his direct path and wiggle room.
"Well.. a regular cultivator at let us say.. the 6th Realm, couldn't match might with a body cultivator at 3rd Realm. That is on average and for high level Cultivation Manuals I provide." Max stopped as he watched a few bones regrow. Specifically, her femur as the capillaries also increased in potency. A flick of his finger had caused a screen to zoom in on it. Helena was all smiles and Corben was just fascinated. "The senses heightened faster and recover better from everything done to it. A physical self evolve state."
"Does it ever stop?" Corben's heart trembled at the possibilities. He was already in great condition from his training before as a military kid. And with Cain's brutal methods, he was at the level of most seasoned special forces members. 'Max said he currently was not able to get ready the threats coming with ease. Then that means he needs more recruits. but the way things look from Helena, those by his side or inner circle he called it are family.'
"If you want it to. The same as a regular person, if you do not train or use skills they die or regress." Max said simply. The more Helena endured, the stronger she became. As well as provide Max with energy to refine due to the contract. "The benefits usually remain. Depends if a Heart Monster develops."
"Heart Monster?" Corben had to switch to another pan. He was on the third one and was suprised when he an arm actually healed fully. The blood that floated had gone back into her body. But not before Max cut a bag marked with the numeral III on it. A light purple liquid came out.
*Stretch!* The purple liquid went over her arm that healed. The fresh skin turned the same as on her face. Both in tint and density.
"Heart Monster, Mental Monster, and Soul Monster." Helena said dryly. "I already experienced them. I am never letting that happen again. I spend a day a month to right myself. "
"They are more or less regret made manifest. Faltering in something so strong or betraying yourself in such a way makes them develop." Max paused. "But to regret is to be human. Conquering your heart monster opens up such an insight on yourself and provides such power, that millions of cultivators allow them to anchor in. Just to deal with the accumulation to help them pass a hurdle."
"Man this is a lot of bullets." Corben had to switch to another pan while Max spoke. "I honestly think you had at least 30 pounds worth." He was guided to look at a screen. "Holy shit.. 60 pounds of bullets inside of you. You should be dead."
"Thanks." Helena said dryly.
"Sorry." Corben apologized. His look was somewhat sheepish. "Just a wonder is all. Like you are some Wonder Girl or something."
"There, how do you feel?" Max removed the last in her leg. The harder was were next. And close to a few organs. He wouldn't proceed without her say so. Small thoughts towards wishing he was able to get her to sign a contract when they were younger. But suggesting she train was the best he could do back then. 'Haaa, her dedication would have made her more deadly than Selina. Putting her up there with Mercy in a way.'
"Give me a minute or 13." Helena said. She gestured to Corben. "best to get him out of here for the next ones. My pain tolerance is not that high for the next ones."
Max and Corben talked a little more. Corben had some more to process and wanted to get started on his real cultivation to catch up. The others finally made it home, so he had people to talk to.
Another guest had made it as well. This Felicity Smoak was a combination of the original person from Felicity Smoak (New Earth) from the 80's and the Arrow tv show. The eye help filled in the information from the Arrow tv show he was missing. From the 80's part, her father had the tech company that was ruined by a metahuman. Eventually fleeing abandoning Felicity and her mother Donna.
A "Firestorm" accident that was not composed of a College Professor and some street kid. But of two military soldier projects going horribly wrong. The result of making Captain Atom the success. The Air Force Quantum Field Project was hard to find the location of. Max left it alone since it did not affect him really.
Max poached the hell out of her after he came back from visiting a few others. Which was easy giving her a full ride scholarship to a very prestigious school. And several tests against her personal computer. She followed the breadcrumbs and made deciphered the notes from Max in record time.
Her mother signed a contract with Max faster than Felicity could read. Basically selling her daughter in a way. But she proved her self as a mother by cleaning her self up. Calling Felicity every day and showing up for every one of her school functions dressed normally.
Both she and Maria, Selina's mom turned fast friends. What they found common ground on, Max did not care in the least. Her relationship with Edward Hex (Riddler) was quite the spectacle according to Claire. They were so awkward it was adorable as she put it.
Max left Helena to rest for a bit as he entered the kitchen. The medical clothes disappearing the moment he left the room.
"Max!" Mercy charged him like a wild dog. Burying her chest into Max's face like an animal. "It sucked without you!" She let go once a few others wanted to hug him. Very reluctantly.
"It was just two months." Max said simply. John was already getting to know Corben. Happy for another guy around. Despite the fact, he couldn't stop himself for causing problems for the few other males. Such as Edward and Big Harvey. All in good fun though. "Practice a few things more and it will be like I never left kind of."
"Not the same." Selina finished hugging him next. "It was hard to stay motivated at times. To accustomed to taking advice or talking whenever we needed it. The newbies didnt have that problem though."
Most were lost in thought for a bit. They had things pretty easy right now. But College, Traveling, and the Military for some was getting closer and closer. Future threts did not just go away. Not just because they wanted them to.
Problem with knowing what was coming, you knew what was coming. A few of them developed more fears while Max was gone. Namely because of the older members returning tired and slightly injured.
No close calls yet, but that just made things more real. One of the reasons Max made sure things were not hidden from them. Well, the really young ones like Rose and her siblings didnt know a lot. As well as Magdalene or Maggie for short was kept from the gruesome stuff. Only knowing her sister trained to be a hero one day.
Maria made sure her youngest had nothing to fret over along with her sister as best she could. Almost a helicopter parent in a way. But Maggie did not care. Just have to be with family.
"Imagine when college comes." Felicity said. She was drinking a milkshake not aware of her words just then. "Everyone will be so busy and not even have time for each .. oww!" She rubbed her ribs from Pamela elbowing her. "What?!"
"Read the mood." Pamela rolled her eyes. "Could have eased it into them later."
"Sorry." Felicity said. Focusing intently on her milkshake. A little to much as she developed a brain freeze. "Ow.. ow.. ow.."