The Goddess At My University

The car ride back to the apartment was thick with silence. Chase shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what Diana might say. They had packed the ride-share car with groceries in near-complete quiet, and the trip back followed suit. Stealing a glance at Diana, Chase found her face impassive, betraying no emotion.

When they arrived, unloading the groceries became another exercise in unspoken cooperation. Diana, with her inhuman strength, carried the bulk of the bags, clearly determined to make it in one trip. They walked past the receptionist, both ignoring her wave—Chase especially, keeping his eyes firmly elsewhere. The fear of unintentionally activating his powers again was too fresh.

The elevator ride was just as quiet, and when they finally reached the apartment, Chase unlocked the door hesitantly, as though bracing for an outburst. Diana stepped in, set the bags down, and exhaled deeply.

"You need to learn to control your powers," she said coolly, her voice carrying an icy edge.

Chase blinked, caught off guard by her directness. "I... I didn't mean to—"

Diana interrupted, "I didn't expect it, but it seems your mother really loved your father. Your powers are much stronger than those of a typical demigod."

That left Chase momentarily speechless. Unsure of how to respond, he focused on unpacking the bags. "So... does this mean I have to wear shades all the time?" he eventually asked.

Diana paused, considering. "It might help," she replied, starting to unpack alongside him. Chase directed her where everything went, her movements sharp but not unkind.

After a few moments, Chase broke the silence again, hesitant. "You're not as mad as I thought you'd be."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be mad?"

"Well... never mind." Chase decided against explaining that he'd worried about how she'd react to what had happened at the store—the accidental, very public display of his powers.

Diana gave him a strange look but said nothing more as they finished putting everything away. Chase, relieved the tension had somewhat dissipated, decided to change the mood.

Pulling out his phone, he called out, "Hey, Diana."

She looked up, curious. "What?"

"What's your favorite color?"

Her brows furrowed at the unexpected question, but she answered, "I guess... silver?"

Chase nodded, quickly ordering a silver controller online. He also added a set of controller grips to the order. Diana would probably notice the difference once they started playing, and he was sure her reaction would be amusing.

Satisfied, Chase tucked his phone away, glancing at Diana, who had settled into a chair with her usual composed demeanor. He had no idea how to approach the topic of his powers properly, but for now, this small moment of normalcy was enough.

"Who's going to teach me?" Chase asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.

"I don't really know," Diana admitted, crossing her arms. "The only thing I can think of is you practicing on me, though I doubt that'll get you very far. Maybe that sister of yours—if she's figured anything out."

Chase shook his head. He highly doubted it; she'd only recently discovered who their mother was, barely a step ahead of him. "Why are they suddenly going haywire, though? They've never activated on accident before. Actually..." He paused, recalling earlier in the day when his powers had stopped Diana in her tracks. "That makes it twice now."

Diana froze, her face flushing faintly before twisting into an expression of mock anger. "Don't mention that again," she said sharply, looking away.

Chase couldn't help but laugh, raising his hands in playful surrender. "Fine, fine. What do you want for dinner?"

Diana tapped her chin in thought. "Something you can make a lot of... and that tastes good. I'm very hungry after today."

Chase nodded. He was feeling a strange hunger himself, despite not doing anything physical. Maybe it's the powers acting up, he thought with a sigh. He considered her request: something quick, something tasty, and something he could make plenty of.

"Alright, give me a second to figure it out," he said, heading toward the kitchen. Diana followed, visibly eager, as Chase rummaged through the bags and started to plan their dinner.

Chase filled the pot with water, watching it slowly begin to heat up. Diana stood nearby, her eyes locked onto every move he made. It was clear she was eager to learn, though there wasn't much for her to do with a simple dish like spaghetti. Chase smiled at her enthusiasm but felt a bit guilty—there wasn't much prep work for her.

As the water heated, he added a generous pinch of salt. Diana leaned in and asked, "Is that all it takes for the water to be ready?"

"Yeah, salting the water helps the pasta cook right," Chase explained. He then grabbed the spaghetti and slowly added it to the pot, making sure to give it a stir so it wouldn't stick. Diana watched carefully, her eyes tracing the noodles as they submerged in the bubbling water.

"Now we just wait for the pasta to cook," he said, glancing at her. Diana was still staring, taking in everything. It was kind of amusing how much she wanted to learn.

"While we wait, I'll prep the sauce," he said. He grabbed a large skillet and tossed in some ground beef, letting it sizzle. "I like to use a bit of meat in my spaghetti sauce, makes it a little heartier," he explained, seasoning it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika for that extra flavor. Diana watched as the beef browned, the kitchen starting to fill with the savory scent of cooking meat.

Once the beef was fully browned, Chase added chopped onions, bell peppers, and minced garlic to the pan. The vegetables softened, and the aroma became even richer. "Now we're cooking," he said with a grin. He reached for a can of crushed tomatoes, pouring it into the skillet and stirring it together. He added some tomato paste, a splash of olive oil, and then a pinch of sugar to balance out the acidity. To make it a bit more authentic, he seasoned it with a bit of cayenne for heat and a dash of thyme and oregano.

Diana's eyes were wide as she observed each step, her gaze flicking between the pan and the bubbling pot of pasta. "This smells incredible," she said, mouth watering.

Chase tasted the sauce, then added a bit more seasoning to bring it all together. "You can always add more spices if you want it to be bolder, but I think this is perfect." He let it simmer while he checked on the pasta, testing a noodle. It was done.

He drained the pasta and added it straight into the sauce, letting it all simmer together for a few minutes so the pasta could soak up the flavors. Meanwhile, he pulled out the garlic bread ingredients. Diana, still keen to help, grabbed the softened butter and stirred in the minced garlic.

"Now for the garlic bread," he said, pulling out a loaf of French bread. Diana buttered each slice generously, making sure it was coated with the garlic-butter mixture. Chase preheated the oven and slid the bread inside, checking it after a few minutes to make sure it was toasty and golden.

Once the spaghetti was ready, he plated it, making sure the meat sauce was thick and flavorful. Diana's eyes practically sparkled when she saw the plate set before her. She took a bite of the spaghetti first, savoring the rich, meaty sauce. Her face lit up, and she took another bite.

"This is... this is perfect," Diana said, her voice full of awe. "I didn't expect it to taste like this. It's so flavorful!"

Chase chuckled at Diana's reaction as they finished their plates of spaghetti. He was still hungry, so he went back for seconds. Diana grabbed a second helping too, though she was halfway through her plate when Chase made his second plate. They both eventually finished, but there was still a lot of spaghetti and extra garlic bread left, making Chase feel like he was forgetting something.

Sighing, he checked his phone. "Oh, right," he muttered to himself. He stood up, walked to the door, and grabbed a bag. Diana looked at him, confused, eyeing the bag he carried.

Chase returned and opened the bag, pulling out a box with a silver controller inside. He handed it to her. "Here, this is for you."

Diana's eyes widened in surprise. She took the controller with both hands, holding it up to admire it. She liked it a lot, but before she even opened the box, she dashed off to the bathroom to wash her hands. Chase chuckled quietly to himself as she sprinted back, eager to unwrap it.

She grabbed the box again, opened it carefully, and pulled out the controller.

She slid her fingers over the joysticks, noticing that they felt different from Chase's controller. She looked up at him, a little confused.

Chase smiled and pulled out another box with the controller grips inside. "These are for better grip," he explained. "They'll make it easier to hold and use when you play." He showed her how to put them on, and Diana followed his lead, carefully sliding the grips onto the joysticks.

Once that was done, they both sat down on the couch. Chase washed his hands quickly and then sat next to her. He helped her connect the controller, guiding her through the process.

Chase grinned. "Well, let me get you set up for everything else."

He pulled out his phone and started navigating to the game console's account creation page. "I'll help you set up your account, but we'll need your email and phone number to verify it. I've already got an email set up for you from when we got your phone, so we can use that."

Diana nodded, watching him set everything up. "Alright, let's do it."

Chase quickly entered her email, then asked, "Can you check your email for a verification code? It'll come to the one I used for your phone ID."

Diana pulled out her phone and checked the inbox. A moment later, she found the verification code and handed her phone to Chase. He quickly entered the code, then turned back to her.

"Alright, now for the phone verification," he said. "Pull up your messages and find the code that was sent to your phone number"

Diana nodded again and swiftly found the code. She handed him the phone once more, and Chase entered it into the setup page.

"Alright, you need a username now," Chase said, glancing up from his phone. "A username?"

Diana furrowed her brow, clearly confused. "A username?"

Chase nodded with a smile. "Yeah, it's like a nickname or something you go by in the game. It can be whatever you want, something completely made up."

Diana tilted her head, thinking it over. Her eyes lit up after a moment, and she grinned. "Maybe GoddessofArchery."

Chase couldn't help but smile at her response. chuckling at her choice. He quickly typed it in and confirmed the username.

Diana looked at the screen, satisfied with her choice. "I like it. It feels... right."

"Good choice," Chase said, giving her a thumbs up. "Now you're all set up. Let's play!"

Diana was beaming. "That was easier than I thought."

Chase chuckled. "Now, let's get you all set to play." He than made her scan a qr code on the game to log in to the account she just made on her phone..

They both settled onto the couch, and Chase grinned. "Now, the fun part—let's start playing! You know the basics, so let's get you into a game."

As they sat together, getting ready to play, Diana looked at her new controller with excitement.

Chase loaded up the game and handed Diana her controller, the screen flashing with the usual "Press any button to continue." He quickly pressed "X," ready to jump into the game.

Diana stared at him, her eyes wide in confusion. "I thought you were supposed to click this button," she said, pointing to the "Start" button on her controller.

Chase glanced at her, surprised. "You can click that one too," he said, still not catching the reason behind her confusion.

"So... there are two 'any' buttons?" Diana asked, furrowing her brow.

It finally clicked for Chase, and he chuckled. "Oh, no, no. Any button means literally any button on the controller. Doesn't matter which one."

Diana's cheeks turned slightly pink as she realized her mistake. "I see now." She was a little embarrassed but quickly brushed it off.

"Don't worry, it's a weird phrasing," Chase said with a reassuring grin. "I was confused about it when I first started too."

He helped her add her controller to the game, laughing a little when she fumbled with the connection, much to her displeasure. Diana gave him an exaggerated glare, but her lips twitched upward despite herself.

Once they were finally all set up, they went into a multiplayer lobby. Diana tried to change her class, but the game wouldn't let her, prompting a frown. "I can't change it," she said, frustrated. "It says I have to be a higher level."

Chase raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you have to unlock higher levels to use different classes. You're still locked onto the beginner weapons."

The game finally loaded, and they were both placed on opposite teams for a team deathmatch. Chase selected the AR (Assault Rifle) class and Diana, picked the sniper class she was using earlier.

"Let's see what you can do with that sniper," Chase said, his voice light with amusement. "But don't get mad if I end up outscoring you."

Diana shot him a playful look. "We'll see about that."

The game began with the usual chaotic rush of players sprinting across the map, gunning for kills. Chase was quick to get into the action, running through the open areas, using cover when necessary. Diana, however, was more reserved. She took a deep breath and found a good vantage point, her sniper rifle aimed at the far-off enemy.

Chase was impressed at how quickly she adapted. "You've got the patience for this," he called, peeking around a corner to catch an enemy in his sights.

Diana smirked but didn't respond, focused on the game. She took a deep breath, lining up her shot as an enemy dashed across the open field. A steady hand, a pull of the trigger—and the enemy dropped with a satisfying thud.

Chase chuckled, watching from a distance. "Alright, GoddessofArchery, looks like you've got the hang of this."

Diana shot him a quick glance and a grin, clearly pleased with her shot. "Told you."

Got it! Here's the revised version with Diana being good already and both of them competing, with Chase having a higher score at the end:

They played through the match, with both Chase and Diana showing off impressive skills. Chase landed his fair share of kills, but it was Diana's sniper shots that stood out. She was already better than the average player, her accuracy nearly flawless as she took down enemies from across the map. But despite their skill, the match wasn't just about the score—it was about the thrill of the game, learning, and sharing the experience.

"Alright, let's stick together this time," Chase suggested, moving toward her location. "I'll provide cover, you take the shot."

Diana nodded, already accustomed to the flow of the game, but appreciating Chase's teamwork. She didn't need much coaching anymore, but his support still helped her stay focused. She took her shot, landing it perfectly, and grinned.

Her confidence was rising, but Chase was still one step ahead of her, racking up kills with his fast reflexes. The two of them competed fiercely, both trying to outdo each other, the tension palpable in the air.

By the time the match ended, Chase had accumulated 51 kills, just 10 more than Diana's impressive 42 with a sniper. The rest of their team, who had contributed to the final score, made up the remaining kills, totaling to 125—the necessary score to win. Despite the victory, the chat was flooded with accusations of cheating.

"We are going to make a lot of people rage quit," Chase said, chuckling as he glanced at Diana.

She gave him a smug smile, already planning to dominate the next game and determined to get more kills than Chase, her competitive nature making her eyes flash.

Chase's grin widened. He was definitely not about to hold back anymore—she was actually quite good, but he had to assert dominance. He had to humble her. "Next time, I'm aiming for even more kills," he said, leaning forward no longer relaxing.

Diana narrowed her eyes playfully. "We'll see about that. Next time, you're not getting them all that easily."