Max materialized inside the House of Mysteries, appearing directly within the magic circle Constantine had prepared earlier.
For a brief moment, his senses lagged behind his body.
Then a voice spoke from behind him.
"You've returned."
Max turned.
The living spirit of the House stood silently behind him, its presence calm yet ancient.
"Yes," Max replied simply.
"Did you find what you were seeking?" the House asked.
"Partially," Max said after a brief pause.
The House studied him for a moment before speaking again.
"If I may ask… what troubles you?"
Max exhaled slowly.
"A lot," he answered. "Choices. The future. What's coming next. That's the best way I can describe it."
He straightened.
"I'll be taking my leave."
With that, Max vanished in a flash of light.
---
He reappeared inside his own home, standing in the middle of the living room.
"Thena! Terra! I'm back!"
Silence answered him.
Max frowned slightly and headed toward Terra's room.
Empty.Then Thena's,also empty.
"They must've gone out," he muttered, shrugging it off.
The exhaustion finally caught up to him.
He turned toward the bathroom.
It had been far too long since he'd taken a proper shower.
His clothes were torn, stained, and stiff with dried blood. Even his armpits smelled awful.
The moment he entered the bathroom, Max ripped the clothes off his body without hesitation.
There was no way he was washing thes,after everything they had been through.
They had been soaked in blood more times than he cared to remember.
Straight into the trash they went.
Max stepped toward the shower, already feeling relief at the thought of hot water washing the filth of hell off his skin.
Meanwhile, in Nanda Parbat…
Pain sat on his throne as usual, a faint smirk plastered across his face. After an entire month of vulnerability, his full strength had finally returned. And that meant it was time to act.
A lot had changed during the past month.
For one, the new statute had officially passed. Along with it came the construction of a new prison, hidden deep in the Pacific Ocean,an almost inescapable maximum-security facility where all inmates from Striker's Island and Arkham Asylum would eventually be transferred.
Of course, the idea had been his.
The public and other US officials thought it was the president's.
However,he could not push the president to authorize more executions. Joker's death had already been "justified" by his crimes, and even then, passing the statute to allow it had forced the president to stretch the limits of her authority. Pushing any further would wouldn't get the desired affect.
So Pain would handle the rest himself.
After all, he had made a promise.
Once the prison was fully completed, he would cut ties with her and allow her to continue her job without blackmail or pressure.Pain intended to keep his word as he would like to have a certain credibility to his words.
Still, not all prisoners deserved to be sent to that facility.
Some of them deserved far worse.
There were inmates whose crimes were so atrocious that containment felt like mercy. Monsters who deserve to be fed into a wood chipper feet first rather than given a cell and three meals a day.
Others, however, are different.
Large-scale smugglers. Armed robbers. Criminal syndicate operatives. People who operated in the gray areas of the underworld. Those, he could tolerate.
But no prison is perfect the same will apply to this one too.
Pain knows it will only a matter of time before someone broke free.
But before any of them even entertain that thought,he will let then know the consequences that if they think death is better than imprisonment then by all means.
"Zetsu," Pain called.
The floor beside his throne rippled like disturbed water, and a moment later Zetsu emerged from the stone.
"Yes, boss?"
"Get ready. We move at nightfall."
Zetsu's eyes widened slightly. "Ohhh… it's that time, huh?"
"Yes," Pain replied calmly. "So stay close."
Zetsu tilted his head. "Does this mean Max has returned?"
"Yes."
"Ohhh! Then can I go see him?" Zetsu asked eagerly.
"Some other time, Zetsu."
"Please," Zetsu insisted, forcing what he thought was a pitiful expression. Instead, it came out far more unsettling than intended.
Pain paused, then sighed.
"…Fine. But be back in three days."
"Yay! I promise I'll be back!" Zetsu said excitedly. "Now stay safe!"
With that, his body sank into the floor, vanishing completely.
Pain shook his head lightly.
He had been thinking about how to reward Zetsu ever since he had rescued Thena and Terra, but nothing suitable had come to mind. Still, it was strangely touching how much Zetsu had missed Max. Ever since Max left for hell, Zetsu had asked about him constantly,when he would return, if anyone had heard from
It was odd but touching coming from him.
Since Zetsu wanted to see him that badly, Pain decided he could delay his plans just a little longer.
Besides, there was another reason he wanted Zetsu close.
Zetsu's newly discovered ability.
The power to bond with another person and temporarily enhance their physical capabilities.
This time, He might actually clash with the Justice League.
-------
Wonder Woman touched down in front of Max's house, still in her hero outfit. As usual, she knocked on the door twice. When there was no response, she twisted the doorknob,and found it unlocked.
Stepping inside, she called out, "Thena! Terra!" Her voice echoed slightly as she moved cautiously toward the living room, scanning the space.
"Thena!" she called again, moving toward her room this time.
That's when the bathroom door creaked open, and a wave of steam hit her face. Her cheeks flushed red at the sight before her: Max, standing there with only a bath towel wrapped around his waist, his chest bare for anyone to see.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean-" Diana began, but Max cut her off with a tired wave of his hand.
"Let me just go get dressed," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. The bath had left him drowsy, so much so that the fact Diana had entered his house without permission barely registered.
A few minutes later, Max returned, dressed in a black T-shirt and black shorts. He entered the living room to find Diana sitting on the couch.
"So," Max said, a playful smirk on his face, "are you here for me or the kids?"
"I'm actually here for Thena and Terra," Diana replied, straightening slightly. "I didn't even know you were back. Where were you, by the way?"
"Believe it or not… I was in hell," Max said casually.
Diana blinked. "What were you even doing there?"
Max yawned, rubbing his eyes. "It's a long story."
She frowned. "What happened while I was gone?"
"A lot happened," Diana began, her mood souring as she started recalling events, but before she could continue, the door suddenly swung open.
Thena rushed in first, followed by Terra and Nina. The moment Thena's eyes landed on Max, she shouted, "Dad!" and bolted toward him, throwing herself into his arms. Max chuckled and patted her back.
"I'm back now. Did you miss me that much?" he asked.
"Yeah… it was boring," Thena said, pulling away and settling on the couch along with Nina and Terra.
"So… how was hell?" Terra asked.
"Terrible," Max replied grimly. "It's basically everything you think it is. Most of all… it's disgusting. The things I saw down there would mentally scar most people for life."
"Sounds really bad," Diana said softly.
"It is," Max admitted.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Nina asked.
"Yes, but it wasn't enough," Max said. "I just didn't want to stay there any longer. I'll have to find another alternative. Now… enough about that place. I've heard a lot has happened while I was gone. Can someone put me up to speed?"
"I'd be glad to," Thena said, beginning to recount the events.
Not even two minutes in, a soft snore escaped from Max. His head had slowly lowered, and he'd fallen asleep mid-conversation.
"You've got to be kidding me," Thena muttered. "Dad… DAD!"
"Let him be, Thena," Nina said gently. "He must be tired."
"I agree," Diana added. "Terra, go get him a blanket."
"Okay," Terra replied, leaving and returning moments later with a blanket, which she draped over Max.
"So, Mom," Thena asked, "are you here on a usual visit or… something else?"
"I was actually here to ask you if you would like to-" Diana stopped mid-sentence, tapping her earpiece. After a brief pause, she spoke softly, "I'm on my way." Then she turned to Thena. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you that some other time."
"What's going on?" Nina asked.
"League meeting. Something's wrong with the people in Gotham and in other major cities. Batman called a meeting," Diana explained, moving toward the door. "I wish you all goodnight." She stepped out, and a second later, a sonic boom echoed through the house.
"Do you want to check it out?" Nina whispered.
"Heck yeah! Let's go!" Thena said.
"What about you, Terra?" Nina asked.
"Sounds interesting," Terra replied.
"Well, you can't come with me in civvies," Nina warned. "There's a high chance you could end up fighting, and you also have to hide your identities."
"I've got just the thing," Thena said, reaching under the couch to pull out her scroll.
Terra raised an eyebrow. "Do I really have to wear that?"
"It's either this, or you're not coming," Thena replied firmly.
"Urgh… fine," Terra muttered.
End of Chapter
You can read up to 15+ chapters at Patreon.com /Darkerknight