Max reminisced about that conversation. Was something different about his mother? When was the last time they'd had a conversation like that?

He comfortably lounged on his bed while playing yet another round of Warring Dimensia 2 before receiving a text on his phone. It was from Ken.

The text read....

"Video team meeting in 10 minutes. Get ready."

There was a link stated after the text.

A team meeting.

What could that have meant? Was he already a part of the team?

He hadn't yet told them of what his mother had said, and so getting that message from Ken was both amazing to him and a little confusing.

Irregardless, in excitement, he got up, ruffled hs hair, and checked himself in the mirror after answering, "I'll be there."

Ten minutes. He could hardly wait to tell them. He was gonna be a superhero. Just like the guys on TV. After all, Tiffany could not possibly say no to him after he'd gotten his mom's approval. Could she?

The next ten minutes went on with Max imagining as to how he would tell them what had happened as he gleefully glossed over the next few games of Warring Dimensia 2, his eyes on the clock, counting every minute.

Once he saw that the ten minutes were almost up, he wasted no time in getting up and turning his computer on and pasting the link.

It was a weird link. Not one that he'd seen before, although he wasn't exactly particular about the kinds of links used for video calls.

And once he'd opened it, he found Rose, Tiffany, and Ken already online.

Rose: (gleefully) Oh my gosh! Max! Hey!

Ken: So you did show up.

Tiffany: (flatly) Hey, Max.

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Max: Hey guys!

He could barely hide his childlike smile.

Rose: Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! This is your first team meeting!

Max: Ehehe... yeah..... Uhhh.... where's Luke?

Rose: Oh.... he's.....

Ken: Busy. But he said he'd be here.

Tiffany flinched slightly. After all, she knew how hard he had it.

Tiffany: In any case, Max, welcome to your first official team meeting.

Max: Cool!

Tiffany: We have these every after a mission to discuss matters of importance, such as as to whether one of us is too injured or badly hurt or even to discuss bits and pieces of information abouut the enemy we discovered on the field of battle.

Max: Oh.... sounds kinda boring.

Tiffany's eye twitched, Ken smirked, and Rose held her mouth shut and blushed.

Max: I thought we'd be talking about new moves or combos or something.

Tiffany: (sighs) Sure, we do a bit of that, too.

Max: Alright.

Ken: And I just so happen to be the one managing these team meetings.

Max: Huh?

Tiffany: That's right. Ken uses his bionics to create a safe website in which we hold our discussions. It's safe from any and all those who may try to hear as to what it is that goes on here. That way, not even the secret service can hear about what we're planning.

Ken: So if we ever need to rob a bank, we'll have no trouble plotting it.

Max smirked and broke into laughter as Ken followed, as Tiffany simply waited for them to finish, and Rose said nothing

Tiffany: Moving on... our team meeting today is to discuss the spider bots we faced off with today afternoon. But before that. How are you all doing? Any injuries?

Rose: I'm doing great, Tiff. Nothing to worry about.

Ken: All's good here, oh watchful leader.

Max: I'm good.

Tiffany let out a sigh of relief.

Tiffany: Great! That's good to hear.

And then another sigh, because she knew what she was going to have to ask next. From the very moment the meeting had started, Max had been gleefully smiling.

"Could it be?" she thought. Did his mother say, "Yes?" That wasn't the most inexplicable thing that could have happened.

But.... so soon.

Ken had had similar thoughts. But to him, Max's family became more and more interesting.

Tiffany knew that she'd had to ask eventually. The sorrowful Max that left the van earlier that day was an entirely different creature from the Max that was before her at that very moment.

Tiffany: Anyway, before I continue, Max?

Max: Yeah?

That yeah was way too cheerful for it to be anything else. But she continued.

Tiffany: Did you talk to your mom about joining the team?

Rose flinched, and her eyes turned to Max in fear of his reaction.

Max: Yeah....

Max hid his smile completely. But Tiffany saw through it. Was he being intentionally vague?

Tiffany: And what did she say?

With a sudden, big toothy smile, Max loudly answered.

Max: She said yes!