Nina steadied the car as it rolled to a stop in front of the house. Diana smoothed the fabric of her dress, checking it one last time. From the rear mirror, Nina gave her a sidelong glance.
"I still think this wasn't necessary," Diana muttered. "I could've flown here."
"Flying would've ruined the whole look," Nina said. "So this was better."
"Where did you even get a car?" Diana asked.
"Well, the Schillers are filthy rich," Nina replied with a smirk.
"And where exactly do you get the money?" Diana pressed.
"That's not important," Nina said quickly.
Diana sighed. "Thanks anyway. Even though this feels kinda… weird."
She opened the door and stepped out. "Aren't you coming?" she asked when she noticed Nina had no intention of getting out.
"I'm already there," Nina said.
"O…kay," Diana responded uncertainly.
The car pulled away—and the moment it was out of sight, Nina vanished in a puff of smoke. The empty car kept driving on its own before crashing harmlessly into a garbage bin. A shadow clone.
Diana exhaled through her nose and shook her head.
She then walked toward the house, passing through the barrier that normally kept her out. The nervousness she'd been trying to ignore returned in full force.
Ridiculous. She was Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta—Wonder Woman—and she was nervous about a dinner invitation?
Still, she raised her hand… and knocked.
Inside the House
Nina tugged on Max's tie for the third time, completely ignoring the growing annoyance on his face.
"Hold still," she scolded, tightening the knot like she was cinching a battlefield tourniquet.
"I still don't understand why I'm being forced to wear a tuxedo in the middle of the night," Max muttered. "Is this not a family dinner?"
"Of course it is," Nina replied with a roll of her eyes. "But looking good matters."
The only reason he hadn't ripped the tie off and set it on fire was because Thena and Terra had pleaded with him. They were dressed nicely as well — courtesy of Nina, who had taken command of the entire house like a tiny, fashionable general.
The table was already set: candles, folded napkins, everything centered with surgical precision.
"There." Nina stepped back and examined him: white hair against a sharp black tuxedo.
A flicker of nostalgia , and something sadder crossed her face.
Max noticed immediately.
"You okay?" he asked, brow tightening.
"It's nothing," Nina said quickly, masking it with a cheeky grin. "Just admiring this heartbreaker."
"Yeah, right," Max deadpanned.
Before Nina could snap back, a knock hit the door.
"That'll be Mom," Thena said as she hurried over.
She cracked open the door just enough to lean out.
Her expression shifted — bright smile gone, replaced with quiet seriousness.
"Mom… please be nice to Dad tonight. He's really put in a lot of effort for this."
Diana blinked, startled by the sudden plea, but before she could answer, Thena swung the door wide open again — back to her sunny smile.
"Hi, Mom! You look stunning, come on in."
She ushered her inside.
Max looked up from where he stood — and for a heartbeat, the room fell silent.
Their eyes met.
Just long enough for both of them to take each other in.
Her in a shimmering silver dress, hair braided and draped over one shoulder.
Him in a black tuxedo that somehow made the white in his hair look sharper, brighter.
Max immediately broke eye contact, pretending to fix his sleeves with casual indifference.
But inwardly he could not deny it.She looked stunning.
Even Diana couldn't deny it,Max looked handsome.
The tux suited him far too well for someone who always wore a battle suit or turtleneck shirts.
"Mom, sit here," Thena said sweetly, pulling out a chair with a small, practiced flourish.
Across the table, Terra waved shyly.
"Hi, Miss Diana."
"Hello, Terra," Diana replied warmly—though her eyes flicked toward Max the moment after.
He cleared his throat, straightening slightly.
"I'm glad that you could join us on this, uh… occasion. It really means a lot to Thena."
"Yes, well… Nina insisted I come," Diana said. "She even helped me pick this dress."
She did, huh? Max thought.
If the signs hadn't been obvious before, now they were glowing neon. Nina's fingerprints were all over this setup. And honestly… playing along wouldn't hurt. He had promised Thena, after all.
"It looks good on you," Max said quietly.
"You don't look so bad yourself," Diana replied with a small smile.
"…Yes. Thanks." Max looked down quickly to hide his slightly flustered face.
Seeing the awkward tension rise like steam from the table, Thena clapped her hands loudly.
"Okay! Before we eat, I have something to say."
Everyone turned toward her,even Nina looked surprised, though noticeably pleased.
Thena stood straighter, folding her hands in front of her as if giving a speech at a formal ceremony.
"Ahem. I just… wanted to say that I'm really lucky to have both of you as my parents," she began, voice trembling just enough to make Max sit up.
"And lucky to have all of you as my family. Most kids don't get parents like mine. You are both strong… brave… and cool." She smiled at both Diana and Max.
"I want to thank Dad for putting in all his effort by cooking, cleaning, and allowing all this to be a success. And I also want to thank Aunt Nina and Terra, because they helped make everything look nice."
Her eyes softened.
"My only wish is that Mom and Dad could get along, so we can be one big happy family."
At those words, Max and Diana both glanced at each other—then quickly looked away.
"I just hope tonight goes really well for all of us," Thena said quietly before sitting.
Nina sniffed loudly, wiping under her eyes.
"What's this salty discharge?" she asked dramatically.
Terra giggled, shaking her head.
"Alright," Thena said brightly, lifting her fork, "let's dig in!"
Dinner began with the clinking of cutlery and the soft crackle of candles.
"So, how was school today?" Diana asked.
"It was terrible. I can't take it anymore," Thena groaned.
"What happened?" Max asked.
"There's this girl with a big forehead," Thena said, frowning. "She really gets on my nerves. I was sent to detention because of her today."
"What did you do?" Max asked.
"I gave her a taste of her own medicine," Thena replied defiantly.
"Couldn't it have waited until after class?" Max pressed.
"I tried stopping her," Terra said quietly.
"Snitch!" Thena cursed under her breath.
"I think that… um… you didn't do anything wrong. You should always stand up for yourself," Diana said gently.
"And I agree," Nina added, nodding.
"Yes, you should stand up for yourself," Max said, "but you should have done it discreetly. I don't want to be called in for a meeting with the principal because of you. I've already pulled enough strings to get you in the first place."
"Yeah, you should really work on your anger management issues," Terra said with a grin.
"I don't have anger issues!" Thena shot back. "I just can't let blatant acts of disrespect slide. Inaction makes you look weak and encourages more of it. You once said that, Dad!"
Max exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose, but Diana and Nina exchanged amused looks, the tension broken just a little.
"Yeah, I did," Max said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, "but you have to assess the situation and think of the consequences first."
His expression softened a little. "But… I'm glad you took my words to heart."
"I mean, yeah," Thena shrugged, "I can't stain the Schiller image."
"You're on your own next time," Terra muttered, stabbing a piece of chicken.
"Oh come on, Terra, don't be like that." Thena leaned closer. "It's us against the world—no matter what. Or have you betrayed our sisters' code?"
Terra huffed. "No, I haven't. I just don't want to be involved in unnecessary conflicts."
"Don't worry about that," Thena said confidently, "as long as we have each other's backs, nothing can stand in our way."
Terra cracked a tiny smile at that.
"Anyway," Thena said, turning her attention to Diana, "how is being a hero, Mom?"
Diana's posture straightened slightly, her tone thoughtful.
"It's not easy. It demands patience and courage, because people can really be unjust. But seeing the difference you make—even if it's small—makes it worth it."
"I don't understand," Thena said honestly. "Why would you become a hero when it's a thankless charity? You're not even getting paid for it."
Max couldn't help the small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Good question, he thought.
"My power comes with responsibility, Thena," Diana replied gently. "Power without real purpose can corrupt the one who holds it. And… it wouldn't sit well with me to watch people suffer when I'm able to do something about it."
..
End of chapter.