Son of Wonder Woman

The Path of Consequences

The morning sunlight poured into Diana's house as Percy stretched lazily on the couch, savoring the rare opportunity to relax. It was Saturday, and Diana had already left for work, leaving him to his own devices. For the first time in a while, he felt like he could breathe without the weight of school or obligations bearing down on him.

His phone buzzed on the coffee table, jolting him from his thoughts. He picked it up, his stomach sinking as he read the message.

Black Mask: You're needed tonight. No excuses.

Percy groaned, the words weighing heavily on him. He had promised Diana he was done with this, but the message reminded him of why he had started working for Black Mask in the first place—money. Diana had told him he wouldn't have to worry about money anymore, but part of him didn't want to feel like a freeloader. He didn't want to depend on her, even if she was willing to help.

For an hour, he sat there, conflicted, weighing his options. He thought about how much Diana had done for him, how much she trusted him to do the right thing. But as much as he hated it, the guilt of not pulling his own weight gnawed at him. Finally, with a heavy heart, he texted back.

Percy: Fine. I'll do it.

Later that evening, Percy met up with Black Mask's goons at a grimy warehouse on the outskirts of Gotham. The moment he arrived, he could feel the tension in the air. The goons glared at him, muttering under their breath, and even Black Mask himself seemed less amused by Percy's presence than usual.

"You've been slacking," Black Mask growled, his voice cold and menacing. "You want to keep working for me? Prove you're worth it."

Percy straightened up, hiding his unease. "What do you need?"

Black Mask smirked cruelly. "Simple. Break into Wayne Tech and steal one of their new prototypes. Security's tight, but you're strong and resourceful, right? Should be no problem for you."

Percy's blood ran cold. Breaking into Wayne Tech? That was a different level of risk. But he couldn't back out now, not without risking worse consequences from Black Mask. Swallowing his fear, he nodded. "I'll get it done."

The mission was a disaster from the start. Percy managed to infiltrate the Wayne Tech building under the cover of darkness, but the security was far more advanced than he had anticipated. Cameras were everywhere, and guards patrolled in tight rotations. Using every ounce of his skill and strength, Percy navigated the building, locating the prototype Black Mask had demanded—a sleek piece of tech that hummed with energy.

Just as Percy reached the exit with the device in hand, an alarm blared. Red lights flooded the hallways, and security teams swarmed the area. Percy cursed under his breath, clutching the prototype as he tried to find another way out.

"Stop right there!" a guard shouted, and within seconds, Percy was surrounded.

The fight was brutal. Percy fought with everything he had, his combat skills honed from years of survival and street fights. He disarmed one guard, dodged another's baton, and landed precise blows that sent his opponents sprawling. But the sheer number of security personnel overwhelmed him. No matter how fast he moved, they just kept coming.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Percy was tackled to the ground. The prototype was ripped from his hands, and he was restrained, his arms pinned behind his back. Blood dripped from a cut above his eye, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he realized he had lost.

The guards hauled him to an office, where he was shoved into a chair. Percy's heart sank as Bruce Wayne himself entered the room, his sharp gaze locked on the teenager.

"Well," Bruce said, his tone calm but laced with disappointment, "I wasn't expecting to see Diana's 'son' breaking into my building."

Percy's face burned with shame. He slumped in the chair, his mind racing. "Mr. Wayne, please, you can't tell Diana. She'll kill me."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "You're more worried about Diana than me? Interesting."

"Look, I messed up, okay? I'll do anything. Just... please don't tell her." Percy's voice cracked with desperation.

Bruce crossed his arms, his expression unyielding. "No, Percy. You need to take responsibility for your actions. Diana deserves to know what you've been doing."

Percy opened his mouth to protest, but Bruce held up a hand. "Save it. This isn't negotiable."

An hour later, Diana was standing in Bruce's office, her jaw tight with fury. She had received an urgent call at work, summoning her to Wayne Tech immediately. She had assumed it was League-related, but the sight of Percy sitting in the chair, disheveled and restrained, told her everything she needed to know.

"What happened?" she demanded, her voice sharp as a blade.

Bruce leaned against his desk, his expression grim. "Your brother broke into my building and tried to steal a prototype. He's lucky it was my security team that caught him and not the police."

Diana turned her fiery gaze on Percy, who shrank in his chair. "Go wait in the car," she said, her voice cold and clipped.

"But—" Percy started to protest.

"Now, Percy," she snapped.

Percy hesitated for a moment before standing and trudging out of the office, his head hanging low. The silence between Diana and Bruce was palpable.

Once Percy was gone, Diana let out a frustrated sigh. "Thank you for not calling the police."

Bruce nodded, his expression softening slightly. "He's only walking free because of you, Diana. But I need you to understand—if he continues down this path, I'll have no choice but to involve the authorities. As Batman, I can't let this slide."

Diana's fists clenched at her sides. "I know, Bruce. I'll handle it."

Bruce's tone softened further. "He's a good kid, Diana. But he's lost. If anyone can help him find his way, it's you. Just... don't let this happen again."

Diana nodded, her anger tempered by the weight of her responsibility. "I won't."

The car ride home was silent, the tension so thick it was almost suffocating. Percy sat in the passenger seat, staring at his hands, while Diana gripped the wheel, her knuckles white. Neither of them said a word, but Percy could feel the storm brewing beside him.

When they arrived home, Diana closed the door behind them and turned to face Percy, her anger finally boiling over.

"What were you thinking, Percy?" she shouted, her voice trembling with emotion. "Do you have any idea how disappointed I am in you?"

Percy flinched, his guilt crashing down on him. "Diana, I—"

"No," she interrupted, her eyes blazing. "You lied to me. You promised me you were done with Black Mask, and yet here we are. You broke into Wayne Tech, Percy! Do you even understand how serious that is?"

"I didn't want to be a freeloader!" Percy yelled back, his voice cracking. "I didn't want to rely on you for everything."

"That's not an excuse!" Diana shot back. "I told you that you wouldn't have to worry about money. I offered you a safe path, and you threw it away. Do you think this is what I want for you? To see you ruin your life before it's even begun?"

Percy's shoulders sagged, tears welling in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Diana. I didn't mean for it to get this bad."

Diana's anger softened into heartbreak. She took a step closer, her voice trembling. "Percy, I love you. But you can't keep making these choices. You're better than this. I know you are."

Percy wiped at his eyes, nodding silently. "I'll do better. I promise."

Diana sighed, pulling him into a tight hug. "I hope so, Percy. Because if you don't, there won't be anything I can do to protect you."

As they stood there in silence, both of them knew this was a turning point. Percy had made a mistake, but he still had a chance to make things right. And Diana was determined to help him find his way, no matter how hard the road ahead would be.