Bruce had faced alien invasions.
World-ending crises.
The occasional apocalypse.
None of them compared to Thanksgiving dinner.
It had started innocently enough.
Damian had asked if his mother could come.
Bruce hadn’t hesitated.
It was Thanksgiving.
Whatever history existed between them, Talia was still Damian’s mother.
She deserved to share the holiday with her son.
So an invitation had been sent.
Accepted almost immediately.
Alfred, upon hearing the news, quietly doubled the wine order.
Just in case.
By six o’clock, Wayne Manor was full.
The dining table stretched nearly the length of the room.
Dick had already stolen a dinner roll.
Jason was arguing with Tim over something completely unrelated to Thanksgiving.
Barbara looked like she was placing silent bets on how long dinner would remain peaceful.
Damian sat at the table with all the dignity of a prince hosting a royal banquet.
Then the front doors opened.
Talia al Ghul arrived exactly on time.
Elegant.
Composed.
Every bit as confident as Bruce remembered.
She greeted Damian warmly before her attention shifted elsewhere.
To Bruce’s wife.
The room didn’t become tense immediately.
It happened gradually.
A glance here.
A measured smile there.
The kind of politeness that somehow felt sharper than outright hostility.
Bruce noticed it instantly.
Unfortunately, so did everyone else.
Dick quietly leaned toward Jason.
“I’ll give it fifteen minutes.”
“Ten.”
Tim didn’t even look up from his drink.
“I’m saying five.”
Alfred simply continued carving the turkey.
Years of service had taught him one invaluable lesson.
When two extraordinarily confident women decided to compete without ever raising their voices—
everyone else became collateral damage.
Bruce remained standing at the head of the table.
Watching.
Calculating.
Trying to determine whether this evening could still be salvaged.
His wife looked perfectly calm.
Entirely unbothered.
Talia, however, seemed determined to establish that she would not be outdone.
Not openly.
Never openly.
Just through little things.
Perfectly chosen words.
Perfect timing.
Subtle challenges hidden beneath flawless manners.
Bruce recognized the strategy immediately.
He’d seen Talia negotiate with world leaders using the exact same approach.
The problem—
his wife didn’t seem remotely intimidated.
If anything, she looked almost amused.
Bruce sighed quietly.
Because somehow—
the Justice League had been easier to manage than Thanksgiving dinner.
And judging by the looks being exchanged across the table—
dessert was going to be a very long evening.