Chapter 28

Ever since the return, Max had kept a low profile.

The day where he was shot still haunted him, he remembered the heroes all trying to help him calm down when the noise bombarded his ears. He couldn't hear them after that, and went mad trying to stop the noise.

He was confronted by one Webigaza, she took matters into her own hands as Stinger tried to get her to back off. "I got this, he's my friend, he won't hurt me!" he protested to her.

But she didn't listen.

Instead she turned to the camera man who followed her. "Hello my people, today I am going to do what needs to be done. Lightning Max is no longer in control of himself and people are going to get hurt. So it looks like I got to put the hurt on him!" she said with a smile.

Max only saw the video after when he was brought back home from recovering. She did attack him, but he didn't remember how the battle went. But judging by the video, it went poorly for her. She used a telepathic electric attack, despite Stinger yelling at her to not do such a thing, she struck him with electricity… that was her first mistake.

She didn't anticipate that he could absorb such power, and then lash it back at her.

Her efforts were not in vein though, it only showed the world that he was indeed attacking her, and she had no choice but to fight back.

He jumped when he saw himself get shot.

He remembered the bullet coming up to the side of his head and knocking him out instantly, from that point on, he couldn't remember a damn thing until he woke up again.

Being back at home now, he found his sister and made sure she was okay.

Electra was stunned, however, she embraced Max wholeheartedly. "Mom and dad were so worried!" she wept.

Mom and dad…

He hasn't seen his parents ever since he became what he is now. Electra pulled away from his embrace when she asked. "Do you want to go out for a meal?" she asked randomly.

"Oh… sure," he said.

"Great, tomorrow, meet me in City E!" she said.

He went there the next day to have lunch, but there was a creeping sensation coming down his back.

"Lightning?"

He froze.

Slowly he turned and saw Electra smiling, but standing next to her were mom and dad. Max suddenly grew nervous as he looked away. "I… I should go…"

"You're not leaving!" Electra protested. "Max. Mom and dad keep asking me about you, why the hell have you not spoken to them! They haven't even seen you like this in person!"

"I didn't want to scare them!" he snapped back. "Look… mom… dad… I'm sorry I didn't come to visit you. I mean… who would want a son like me?"

In reality, he was embarrassed to be seen. His family had always been proud that he was a hero and took down monsters for the sake of those around him. His father would even tell him how monsters are worst than scum, how could he face them after nearly being turned into one?

He wanted to leave, he wanted to go back to the Association, but then he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. He looked and saw his mother hugging him with tears in her eyes. "Don't scare us like that again, okay?" she wept.

Damn it, his mother is crying… which makes him cry.

He never likes to see her upset!

He returned the embrace. "I'm sorry mom, I didn't mean to scare you and dad, I really didn't… I was just ashamed of what I became… I didn't know how to explain it to you two. I mean dad said…"

"I say a lot of thing!" his father protested. "But, I never thought those words would one day be directed at you… You're still Max to us"

He shed a tear once more. "Thanks dad… sorry I didn't come to see you guys after this happened…"

"You went through so much Max, we do appreciated the text messages and letters every so often… you could have just called too!" his mother scolded.

He smiled and nodded in agreement.

Then his stomach rumbled!

Electra laughed aloud. "Let's go eat, it's on me. We're celebrating my victory today!" she announced.

#

Meanwhile…

"What's going on?"

"Someone has challenged Lord Boros's son to a duel!"

"Whose crazy enough to do that?!"

"Apparently her,"

Luna was given the grand tour of Boros's ship. Garos was explaining everything along the way as he introduced the crewmembers. "Young Lord, who is this with you?" asked Ger.

He smiled proudly. "My mother!" he said aloud.

The crew went deathly quiet. "Mother…" he muttered.

He nodded once more and said. "Father told me mother is very powerful, so we are going to spar and see how strong she is!" he explained. "We're going to the spar room"

As the two wondered off, the crew froze to the news. "Mother?" one whispered.

"This is the female that got Lord Boros to reproduce?" asked another.

Curiosity got the better of them, suddenly nearly the whole ship was on the bridge waiting for this spar session to happen. Luna Brawler VS her own flesh and blood!

#

"I think it stopped…"

"Of course it stopped, it stopped ages ago… is this a good idea?"

"I think it is, we get to see stuff no one else has!"

There were stallaways on the Nova Purge.

After their last trip to Medusa, some of the young ones snuck aboard the ship in hopes of seeing new and different things. There were four boys that managed to sneek away. They substained themselves on the pests of the ship, but now those are few and far between. "I'm getting hungry…"

"Me too… guess we better tell them that we're here huh?"

"Then we have to go back home!"

"Maybe not, it's a long way. So we would HAVE to stay!"

"You just had to be the smart one…"

The four slinked out, leading the way was the oldest who was a white and grey ash color. His eyes were red as he tasted the air. "We can go this way…" he said and pointed to the door ahead.

Following behind him were the two biggest ones of the four. "I wonder why the ship stopped, normally it lands right?"

Then the whole place rumbled!

"What was that!?"

"I don't know… let's go see!"

The one that has red eyes has seen how the doors work constantly, he was quick to open them before leading the others out. Lingering behind them was the smallest of them all. He was more cautious than the other three. "Is this really a good idea?" he asked meekly. "I think this isn't a good idea."

"We got to go or we are going to starve in there, come on!"

The four slinked, yet as they did, the ship continued to tremble and it was only getting more intense!