Minutes later, the clinking of silverware and the crunch of toast filled the quiet kitchen.
Thena sat across from Max, cheeks puffed up as she devoured the food in front of her. She kept her head lowered, refusing to meet his eyes. Max couldn't help but smile—the sight was simply too cute. Resting his chin on his hand, he said in an amused tone,
"You know, the food isn't going anywhere."
Her eyes darted up and down, a blush creeping across her face as she stuttered, trying to find a reply.
"It's fine," Max cut her off with a small chuckle. "But maybe try eating in a civilized manner."
Her brows furrowed faintly at the remark, a flicker of offense in her expression, but she said nothing.
"Look at me," Max continued. He held up a fork and knife, exaggerating every movement—slicing a neat piece of toast, chewing slowly, then dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "Now you try."
Thena glanced down at her plate, picked up the fork, and mimicked his actions. The motions were clumsy, but Max smiled at her effort. She was trying. The neural device had given her knowledge, yes, but theory was different from practice. 'Atleast i can teach her a few table manners before sending her off to live a normal life—if she chooses to' max thought.
Breaking the silence again, Max asked, "By the way, do you have a name?"
"No… I don't think I do," she admitted quietly. "They used to refer to me as Project Thena. You can call me Thena though. I… like the name."
"Thena it is then." Max leaned back with a grin. "I'm Max Schiller. Just Max is fine."MC felt that being called "father" would be to sudden and super Akward .
She nodded, eyes flickering up to him briefly.
"When you're done eating, go take a shower. The bathroom's to the right of the room you slept in—that'll be your room while you're here. I'll find something for you to wear," Max said, rising from his chair.
Thena nodded again. Max headed to his room, where he created a shadow clone and instructed it to pick up clothes for her. The clone vanished with a nod.
Left alone, Max pulled a scroll from his system space. With a puff of smoke, stacks of cash appeared. He drew his wallet from the same space, stuffed it with bills, then resealed the money and stowed the scroll away.
Opening his system progress, he sighed. Synchronization was still pathetically low,just 3.21%. What bothered him more was that his current template's name remained hidden.Though the energy it it came with gave him clues of whom it might be from. Sitting cross-legged, Max closed his eyes and slipped into meditation.
Minutes later, his clone returned, a bag in hand. It stood silently before him, not daring to disturb his focus. Max extended his hand without opening his eyes, brows furrowed and teeth clenched as a yellow sphere of energy condensed in his palm. A smirk tugged at his lips—then the sphere sputtered out.He has become to excited and lost concentration.
He opened his eyes, took the package from his clone, and dismissed it with a wave as it dispelled itself. Then he left his room, walked to Thena's door, and knocked.
"Here are the clothes," he said.
There was a pause. The door cracked open just enough for Thena's wet hair to peek through. She snatched the package from his hand and shut the door quickly.
"At least she knows a thing or two about privacy," Max muttered with a shrug before walking back to wait on the couch.
Minutes later, Thena emerged in a red dress with matching shoes, fiddling nervously with the fabric. Max rose from his seat.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied softly.
Max formed a hand seal as a smoke engulfed him and desipated to reveal his changed appearance as he had grown a small and his hair had also turned white with blue eyes.
Thena didn't react much to the transformation; she had seen him do far worse. For more chapters visit Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
"I'll be taking this form while we're in public," Max said casually. "I'm really famous, so this way I don't attract cameras."
Thena nodded silently.
"And try to relax," he added with a crooked grin. "I don't eat people."
Before she could respond, his hand landed on her head, ruffling her hair like she was a child. For the first two seconds she allowed it, too stunned to move, but when she realized he had no intention of stopping, she pushed his hand away.
"What's this? Defiance?" Max teased, grinning wider.
"You're messing up my hair," she protested, frowning.
"Ohhh, then let me fix it." He licked his palm dramatically and reached for her head again.
"That's disgusting!" she yelped, recoiling.
"What? I'm trying to fix it. Isn't that what you want?" Max asked innocently.
"It's fine ," she muttered quickly, smoothing her hair down with both hands.
"Alright, have it your way." Max chuckled, then turned and pressed his hand to the door. The seal flared briefly before it swung open. He motioned for her to follow.
Thena glared at his back, heat rising in her chest as she thought about how long it had taken her to fix her hair—her one small accomplishment—and he had ruined it in seconds, grinning all the while.
"Are you coming or not?" his voice drifted from outside.
"Coming!" she snapped back, stomping after him.
Max could feel her glare burning holes in his back, but the smirk tugging at his lips betrayed how little it bothered him. This was exactly what he wanted—she wasn't flinching like prey anymore. . It was better that way.
League of Shadows Stronghold – Middle Eastern Mountains
The assassin's stronghold was quiet, the only sound the muted flicker of torchlight against ancient stone walls. At the head of a long table sat Ra's Al Ghul, posture regal, fingers steepled. Talia stood at his left, Slade at his right.
A whisper broke the silence. A hooded shadow leaned in close. "Master… thirty minutes ago, a man was seen leaving Tobi's residence. A girl was with him."
Ra's rose slowly, his gaze sharpening. Ever since Tobi had emerged from the shadows, Ra's had been intrigued—but that interest had only deepened after his shadows reported on the young man's skill in the ninja arts. Over the past three years, Tobi's nighttime executions of criminals had proven both precise and brutal. According to the League's intelligence, even Ra's' top assassin, Slade, would not hold a candle to him in terms of skill and discipline.
They have managed to acquire CCTV footage of Tobi single-handedly dispatching two hundred soldiers using only his hands and a scythe, moving with both observable speed and deadly efficiency. More striking was his complete disregard for the system he acted above rules, above law, yet with a sense of purpose that drew Ra's' attention.
To Ra's, Tobi fit the perfect description of a person who could one day become his successor: disciplined, unmatched in skill, and operating entirely on his own terms.Being told was one thing but witnessing it solidified Ra's' growing interest in the young man.
They had been wanting to meet him for too long but hadn't settled on a proper approach, and the barrier around his residence—restricting entry to anyone but him—only complicated matters.
"He has proven himself," Ra's said, his voice calm but carrying authority. "Skilled beyond measure, disciplined… we must bring him to our side."
Talia stepped forward, her expression steady. "You wish to bring him into the League?"
"Yes, but not by force," Ra's replied. "This must be done delicately. He is not the type to bend under threats. Any overt aggression, and he will not only refuse… he may destroy us in defiance."
Slade's jaw tightened. "But he hasn't shown any specific goals beyond doing as he pleases. Recruiting him may not be possible."
Ra's' eyes sharpened. "That may be true, but every man has a desire. We just need to discover his. Offer him the position of leader of the assassins if necessary."
Slade scoffed inwardly. He didn't want Tobi recruited; if he accepted, he would threaten Slade's position as heir—more than Damian ever could. That was unacceptable as he was too close to taking over if the annoying spawn of Bruce Wayne wasn't on the picture he would have long taken over.
Talia raised an eyebrow. "Father, that would mean stepping down."
Slade's voice cut through, sharp and skeptical. "Are you actually willing to hand over the position… or is this merely a test?"
Ra's' gaze was unwavering. "If it is the position he desires, then he shall have it—but under certain conditions." . Recruiting Tobi would require patience, subtlety, and perhaps a leap of faith. But Ra's Al Ghul had never been one to shy away from a challenge
"Go and meet him. Make him see the value in joining us without feeling trapped. If he accepts, we gain a powerful ally. If he refuses, do not push the matter," Ra's Al Ghul said, his eyes sweeping the room.
He turned to Slade. "You will accompany my daughter. She will be the one responsible for the negotiations, and only she will meet him. I hope I am clear on that. Your task is to increase my daughter's chances of escape should he demonstrate violent intent."
Slade's hands curled into fists, but he ultimately nodded.
"And what about the girl?" Talia asked.
"Keep a distance from her, but observe. The fact that she is close to him means she is no ordinary child."
"Understood," Talia and Slade said in unison.