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"Families are strange. Two people can be a family. You can be separated and still be a family. You can be not related by blood and still be a family."
- Segawa Yuuta, (Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai!)
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<{Presidential Suite, Wayne Vista Grand Hotel, Athens}>
<(Bruce Wayne POV)>
"I can't believe you were gone for days, surviving on an unknown island full of Greek warrior women... It sounds like stuff straight from fiction. Hell, I still can't believe it even though you have actual evidence to prove it." Sitting on a chair in front of me, Nyssa complained with a pouty face as she looked at the others for support.
"Yeah, me too. An undiscovered island inhabited by a civilization of supernaturally strong women sounds almost like a... a fairy tale. However, we also cannot deny it since one of those supernaturally strong women is currently sitting in front of us right now." Selina nodded along with Nyssa as she eyed Diana with curious eyes.
Amidst the watchful and curious stares of everyone in the room, Diana looked quite nervous as she indulged herself in the chocolate cookies Alfred had ordered from room service for the two of us. For some reason, the Amazonian Princess had suddenly gone quiet after meeting the other girls, preferring to observe them carefully before interacting with them. From her body language, it was quite evident that she was cautious of them but the reason for this behavior of hers was beyond me.
"Also, when you said you battled a couple of evil gods, did you mean it in a literal way or were you just speaking figuratively?" Talia, who had been the calmest till now, asked, raising her eyebrows a little.
"Nope, I literally fought a few gods in a war... although honestly, they could almost be considered weak when compared to other gods and goddesses," I answered after thinking for a few moments.
It was true. Apparently, according to Cortana's calculations, Hercules only possessed strength comparable to a minor god due to his divinity being recently awakened, whereas Ares had become a mere shadow of his original self, having either lost or relinquished most of the power he possessed in his prime. On the other hand, Iapetus, although powerful, was not as strong as the three principal Olympian gods, owing to his being sealed in a pseudo-death state for countless millennia.
So, even though I could gladly say that I had defeated two different gods and one titan in battle, none of them were anywhere near powerhouses like Zeus or Darkside in power level. I still have a long way to go before I reach their level. Of course, Ares' helmet can be a shortcut to that destination, but even then, I would need to bring it under my control for that to happen because I wasn't going to be a pawn of some godly wraith for the rest of my life.
Unlike the original Batman, I gladly welcomed more power so that I could better protect myself and my family, but I wasn't suddenly going to quit being cautious to get that power. If I wanted that, I would have just started to look for that shiny helmet of fate instead of working hard to master science.
"Wait, you fought against literal gods and won? Wow, that is OP as hell." Vicki gasped in awe. "Did she fight as well?" Vicki curiously questioned while looking at Diana, her journalist eyes scanning the attractive red and golden armor that could be seen hugging her Amazonian figure despite the long piece of cloth she had wrapped around her body to try and disguise her "warrior-like" appearance as well as to hide her weapons from view.
Hearing Vicki's question, I instead of directly answering, looked at Diana sitting beside me, encouraging her to answer in my place in my place to give her a chance to join in our conversation. "I did what I could although even saying that I assisted Bruce in the battles would be a stretch. He was plenty enough for all of them. He is the best warrior I have ever seen in my life even though he is a male. He even fought better than my mother, the Queen." Diana answered without any hesitation, not even realizing how her answer could be considered sexist by some.
But still, none of the girls seemed to care about her casual use of sexism while Alfred and I were just too "wise" to get offended by her words especially since we both knew she didn't mean it that way. Of course, she would eventually need to learn how to speak in public without getting "canceled" if she were to survive in the man's world, but it was nothing a few PR sessions could not teach her.
"Wait, the Queen? So, you are not just a warrior but also a princess? We are sitting with an actual magical princess... When were you going to tell us that, Bruce?" Miss Thompkins gave me a disappointed look as she gave a side glance to Alfred. "You see, Bruce, your father mentioned that your mother's family had royal ties before they amassed their wealth in Gotham's chemical industry. Even when they were dating, she used to be called the Duchess of Gotham by the press. It seems, then, that an affinity for women of royal lineage is a family trait. Wouldn't you agree, Alfred?" she inquired, a playful mischievous smile gracing her lips.
Hearing Leslie's words, Alfred seemed to be a little taken aback but soon reeled his surprise back in control as he sported the same calm expression he always had on his face. "Young Miss Diana here appears to be a most sincere and benevolent lady. I am sure that her endearing nature would charm anyone, whether they regard her as royalty or not." Alfred answered in a composed manner although, for some reason, he looked a little uneasy.
'Did something happen while I was gone? Alfred seems to be a little awkward.' I wondered to myself while mentally debating if I should inform him that the "Young Miss Diana" here might even be older than him.
"I am indeed the princess and champion of Themyscira. But I will feel much better if you address me as one of you and not royalty. I am tired of being Princess Diana all the time. Sometimes, I even feel like I am more princess than Diana. I came here to explore the world and make new friends as just Diana, not a princess." Diana announced with pride in her voice as her gaze traveled across the room, informing every-one of her wish.
Finally, Helena, who had mostly been silent till now, choosing to listen in on all our conversations ultimately spoke up with a teasing voice, "Just Diana, huh? Sure then, we will treat you just like we treat each other. Just don't forget your words. As for you, Bruce, I think you and I ought to have a long talk after this. I expected you to have a few surprises for me since we have met after so many years, but honestly, I feel like I don't even know you anymore. Gods and magic? Just what have you been hiding from me all this time... hiding from all of us?" She grumbled as she looked at me with a large frown on her face.
"... Look, I know I should start communicating with you guys a little more but believe me, I myself never expected that I would be summoned to a mythical island to fight evil Greek gods of all people. If I knew, I would have been much more prepared." I said with an awkward chuckle. "But I promise, the next time something important happens, all of you here will be the first to know about it... After all, you guys are my family." I said, hoping to quell the anger that almost all the girls had on their faces even though I had absolutely no idea why they were even angry in the first place.
"Master Wayne, if I may be so bold, it appears you've undergone quite a transformation since your return from this... magical island. There's an indefinable change about you, something that eludes precise description." Alfred uttered while looking at me up and down with furrowed brows.
"Hmm? I don't think so. According to Cortana's measurements, I have the exact same physical sizes that I had before. Maybe I became a little more handsome or something after living in the wild." I answered with a large grin ignoring all the snorts that the girls directed at me.
However, Alfred was actually right. Something had indeed changed within me. Although my physical measurements and abilities remained roughly the same as before, something else much deeper had transformed within me. I could feel it. The change seems to have come after Agent Smith absorbed Iapetus' mental energy into me and if I had to guess, the change probably had something to do with my soul, spirit, and mind. In fact, I could already feel my chi being much stronger than before.
Originally in the battles against Ares, Hercules, and Iapetus, I didn't use my chi much in direct attacks because I could feel that my chi was nothing compared to the godly energies they carried in them. Directly hitting them with chi attacks would have been like using a wooden stick to try and break a steel vault... But now, I feel like I at least have a chance of leaving a dent in the vault's surface if nothing else.
But I chose not to tell them that right now. I need to do a little more research on my current condition before I inform them of something like this. I have no wish to suddenly make them worried for no reason at all.
Knock Knock "Excuse me, I am here to deliver a package to Bruce Wayne."
A voice suddenly declared from outside the suite's entrance after a firm knock on the door, stopping our conversation from going any further.
"Deliver a package? I wasn't aware that any esteemed hotel would permit courier services to access their suites directly." Leslie could not help but mutter, looking like she was quite annoyed at the hotel's lax security.
"Excuse me but can anybody please open the door and sign for this package? I am from Hermes Express, and I really need to deliver this by today. Both my job and life are riding on this package. My boss is going to feed me to his snakes if I am late again and I am already a lot late." The man spoke a little louder this time as he knocked on the door once again.
"... Okay, that is definitely the weirdest mailman I have ever seen in my life."
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