Max let out a short, humorless laugh, shaking his head.
"That was… a good speech. Bravo," he said, mockingly. "I mean, really, if it were someone else, they'd be jumping at the chance to become something… 'bigger,' as you put it. To become the leader of the League of Assassins—the big pitch about reshaping the world, purging corruption and decay… very tempting."
"But I give it a hard pass," Max continued, his tone sharp. "Because I know the kind of people you are, and your real goal. You plan to trade corruption for tyranny and call it order which would make things worse than they are. I'd rather be hunted by the whole world than be part of a group of madmen led by a lunatic. Tell your father to keep his offer it doesn't interest me at all instead i am actually repulsed by it".
"Then you must have a better way?" Talia asked coolly. "Because the way I see it, you are only delaying the inevitable. More corrupt individuals will keep rising. The fear of death is constantly outweighed by greed… and some people do things just for the fun of the game. Crime cannot be ended, but it can be controlled which is what we seek."
"Yes, on that part I agree," Max said. "Corruption and insidious desires will never stop emerging. If they were to stop, it would mean we've stopped being humans. The urge to dominate and be above it all lives within all of us no matter how much we try to suppress it ,it finds a way to emerge,that is just the dark side of every biological intelligent being "
"Your solution may seem plausible from your view, but I don't see it that way. Your father just wants control. And to justify that ambition while t brainwashing people into joining his crusade—he sugar coated it with "order"".
"And don't worry about me having a grand goal. I don't. I'm just eliminating the rot wherever I can."
He turned to look at Talia.
"Most of what you've said about my father is… true," she admitted. "But it would still be better than doing nothing. The way I see it, a little freedom is a fair trade for a less chaotic world wouldn't you agree?."
"It depends on perspective," Max replied. "We don't see it the same way. I for one firmly disagree."
"I see…" Talia's eyes narrowed slightly. "My father's vision isn't without flaw. That much is undeniable. But the end goal was to make this world less suffocating. The method he chose was the only one he believed plausible and within his power.
"With you, though and your strength it could be different. His vision could be adapted to fit your code. Please, rethink his offer." She rose to her feet. "You're a rather elusive man these days. But iam confident that I'll be able to reach you again. And when I do, I hope you'll have changed your mind ,for-"
"Goodbye, Talia." Max cut her off sharply. "And tell Slade not to try anything stupid."
Just then, Thena came rushing over.
"Back so soon?" Max asked.
"Yes," she said with a small smile. "They said they had something urgent to tend to which was pretty weird. But it was nice meeting them even though they were older than me."
"Oh? Was it now? Then what were their names?" Max asked as he stood. Together, he and Thena began walking away, while Talia remained standing behind.
She remained standing for a while, watching Max walk away with the girl at his side.
'How infuriating. To be dismissed so blatantly… he didn't even bother to hear me out at the end', Talia thought, her mind fuming.
From the shadow of a nearby tree, a figure emerged. Slade Wilson stepped forward, his presence as imposing as ever, a smirk hidden beneath his mask.
"Well, well, well," he drawled. "And here I thought that silver tongue of yours could convince anyone. Guess I was wrong. Then again, I'm not surprised. That guy's just full of himself."
Talia's eyes narrowed, her tone sharp. "Your words are not helping, Wilson. But I suppose I cannot blame you—the results must be… exciting for you."
Talia said, brushing past him. Slade's voice dropped to a mutter as he followed at her side. "You have no idea"
Meanwhile
The holographic conference room flickered to life as Luthor adjusted his suit and straightened his cufflinks. Across the screen, government officials, military brass and intelligence operatives waited, expressions a mixture of skepticism and impatience.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Luthor began, voice smooth, "we are facing an unprecedented threat. The individual known as Tobi—Pietro Maximoff—has proven capable of—"
"Enough, Luthor." General Lane cut him off, his tone flat. "We don't need a lecture. Get to the point."
Luthor fixed his tie with an exaggerated calm. "Very well. I've considered many ways to neutralize Tobi. In the end I had a different thought—if we cannot defeat him, why not make his powers work against him? Why not build something that can take everything he throws at us and throw it back harder and faster." He paused as a few officials frowned. "Cloning attempts ended badly, yes. That was a mistake. But that's beside the point. I haven't given up on science. I believe we can create an advanced automaton that can replicate his abilities and use them against him. It will take time and research, but—"
"Do you have any tangible results? Any designs?" an official demanded.
"In the meantime, no," Luthor admitted, the smile slipping from his face. "No physical prototype yet."
"Then stop wasting our time Luthor" General Lane said. "We don't care about theories. We want results. Tangible results not some baseless theories."
Luthor's jaw tightened; the brittle veneer of composure cracked. "This isn't theory. It's the key to—"
"Sir." A junior official's voice was firm. "Provide demonstrable results before we consider any cooperation. Right now, any contact with you is a liability given your relationship with Tobi."
The transmission cut. The room went dark. Luthor stared at the dead holo for a heartbeat, then slammed his new mechanical fist into the console. The metal hand punched clean through the terminal.He stood there trembling, lips a thin, white line.
"You're all fools," he muttered, voice raw with fury. "Tobi will come for every last one of you someday. There will be no turning back."
A quiet presence at his shoulder stopped the next movement before it could become something worse. Mercy Graves placed a steady hand on his arm.
"Lex," she said softly, "Breathe. Losing your temper won't make them listen."
He didn't answer at first. His hands flexed around the ruined console. Mercy's fingers found his wrist; her voice was calm, businesslike but not unkind. "You wanted them to see a solution today. They didn't but I don't doubt your capabilities,you can still create it alone"
Slowly, he exhaled. The tremor in his shoulders eased. He pulled his hand back from the wreckage, leaving a smoking hole where the terminal had been. Then he finally spoke.
"Prepare the lab," he said. "Iam going to do this myself "
-------------
Hours later, Max was bored out of his mind. He sat slouched on the couch beside Thena, eyes half-lidded as a "save-the-princess" kind of movie played on the TV. He was struggling to even stay awake, but Thena's eyes were glued to the screen, clearly enjoying it.
Entertainment in this world was severely lacking, he thought. No anime, no real variety. That was why he rarely bothered with TV at all.
Suddenly, Thena broke the silence.
"Max, I think I've made my decision," she said, turning to him. "I want to know everything… and become strong. Like you."
Max raised an eyebrow, shifting slightly. "Why do you want to become strong?"
"I want to be strong so that I can protect myself and my family someday," she said with conviction. "And maybe… help people."
Her voice carried no hesitation. She had seen enough of the world to know what she was saying. The nightly news was filled with reports of kidnappings, killings, and bombs strapped to victims for heroes to defuse. She'd even witnessed the Teen Titans in action herself on the way home with Max, busting a bank robbery in broad daylight.
Max sighed inwardly. She was coming along nicely… but she just had to mention saving people. He could feel a hero complex growing in her, and he knew he'd have to crush it before it became uncontrollable—for her sake.
"I thought you'd take your time deciding," Max said at last, his tone becoming serious. "But if you've really thought it through, then fine."
He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing. "I haven't told a soul this information. You'll be the first to know. And I hope you won't tell anyone—well, unless it's my grandkids in the future. That, I wouldn't mind."
He gave her a small smiled
Thena blinked at his last words, her cheeks coloring faintly.
"Grandkids? Really, dad?" she said dryly.
"Aye, I was just saying," Max replied with a smirk. "After all, the bloodline must continue."
She rolled her eyes, but the flush on her face lingered.
"Anyway," Max continued, his voice shifting into something heavier, "what I'm about to tell you doesn't exist in this world. Not in any history book or myth—because it's from another world."
Thena's brows knitted together. "Another world?" "Yes another world that was constantly plagued by war and pain where peace was just a pause between wars"
"In the past millenniums, long before I was born, a woman called Kaguya Ōtsutsuki descended upon Earth," Max began, his voice steady. "She came seeking refuge from her own kin… long before anyone had chakra."
Thena tilted her head. "An alien? And… what is chakra?"
"Yes, an alien," Max confirmed, lifting his hand. "And chakra is this."
A flicker of blue energy sparked to life in his palm, twisting like a flame. It danced for a heartbeat before he clenched his fist and snuffed it out.
"Now," he added with a smirk, "stop interrupting. You're ruining the immersion."
Thena rolled her eyes but leaned in closer.
"Where was I… oh, right. Kaguya found refuge in a land called the Land of Ancestors," Max continued. "She was welcomed there by Emperor Tenji, who took her in as his concubine. During her time there, after eating the fruit of the God Tree, she gave birth to two sons—Hagoromo and Hamura Ōtsutsuki."
Max's hideout
Zetsu stood in front of a mirror, the dim light of the room reflecting off his pale skin. He flexed his hands, then smirked as he transformed seamlessly into Max.
"Look, I'm Max," he said, mimicking Max's voice and mannerisms, "I do as I please, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop me."
He turned, expecting only his reflection—and froze.
Deadshot was standing behind him. Piercings lined the bridge of his nose, and he wore a plain white cloak that fluttered slightly in the draft. Zetsu jumped back a step, hands raised instinctively.
"Whew! You scared the shit out of me, boss!" he said, laughing nervously. "Don't ever do something like that. Oh… and look what I can do!"
In one fluid motion, Zetsu morphed into Thena, then back into Max, before finally returning to his original appearance. He held up his hands proudly.
"Pretty handy eh?" he said, grinning.
Deadshot's expression was unreadable , but the tone in his voice left no room for joking. "Stop fooling around, Zetsu. I've got a task for you."
Zetsu blinked, the levity drained from him. "A task… yes, boss but I have a question."
"Why are you piloting that… flesh bag again? And what should I call you? Because calling you Max while you're in that thing is kinda confusing," Zetsu asked.
"As long as I'm in this body, you refer to me as Pain," Pain replied, his tone sharp and authoritative.
"Oh… I see. But why Pain? I mean, there are plenty of names you could have chosen," Zetsu pressed.
"There is no reason to it. Even if there were, it wouldn't concern you. You just need to remember it," Pain said.
"Right," Zetsu muttered, though the name already seemed to stick.
"And like I said,I've got a task for you," Pain continued. "You are to shadow a man called Lex Luthor for a week. I want to see how well you can gather information, how good your stealth skills are."
"Oh… I see. And do you want me to report everything?" Zetsu asked, a glint of excitement in his eyes.
"Yes."
"Well, then leave it to me!" Zetsu said, sinking smoothly into the shadows, disappearing from view.
Pain was left alone. He pulled out a white mask with black rings, reminiscent of the one Menma had once worn, and held it thoughtfully in his hand.
"Tobi might not have been interested in taking over the League of assassins but Pain Most certainly is" he muttered.
End of chapter