The PTA Meeting Apocalypse

The morning sun filtered through the kitchen window as the family gathered for breakfast. Son-Wu San sipped his tea while Li-Yan Mei prepared pancakes. Xian Long was stacking his pancakes into a precarious tower, while Xian Xue doodled on her napkin with a pencil that glowed faintly with celestial energy.

"Mama," Xian Xue asked innocently, "what's a PTA meeting?"

Li-Yan Mei paused mid-flip. "PTA? Parent-Teacher Association. Why?"

Xian Xue held up a brightly colored flyer. "Miss Wu said it's important, and she gave me this."

Son-Wu San glanced over, raising an eyebrow at the flyer, which seemed innocuous enough—if not for the words "Mandatory Attendance" written in bold letters.

"Do we have to go?" Xian Long groaned. "It sounds boring."

Li-Yan Mei smirked. "We're trying to live normal lives, right? Normal parents go to these things."

Son-Wu San grimaced. "Normal parents don't accidentally cause earthquakes during polite conversations."

"Well," Li-Yan Mei said, flipping another pancake onto a plate, "we'll just have to keep things under control. Right?" She looked at her husband pointedly.

---

Later that evening, the family arrived at the local school's auditorium, blending in as best as a god-like family could. Li-Yan Mei wore a sleek dress that could have stopped wars, while Son-Wu San looked unbothered in a simple button-up shirt and slacks. Xian Long and Xian Xue trailed behind, their excitement at being out past bedtime bubbling over.

The room buzzed with chatter as parents exchanged polite smiles and gossiped about the latest school drama. The principal, a balding man with glasses, stood on stage nervously flipping through his notes.

As the family took their seats, whispers rippled through the crowd.

"Is that the new family?"

"They're... different, aren't they?"

"They don't look rich enough to live in that house. Do you think they're hiding something?"

Li-Yan Mei smiled serenely, as if she hadn't heard a word. "Remember," she said softly, "normal."

Son-Wu San leaned back in his chair, muttering, "This is already a disaster."

---

The principal cleared his throat. "Welcome, everyone, to the quarterly PTA meeting! Let's start with some announcements from the student council."

A young girl nervously stepped onto the stage, holding a microphone that squealed with feedback.

"Our first... um... announcement is about the spring festival. We're asking parents to volunteer for decorations and—"

A loud snap echoed through the room. Everyone turned to see Xian Long holding the remains of his chair's armrest, which had shattered under his grip.

"Sorry!" he said sheepishly. "I didn't know it was so fragile."

The room fell silent, every eye on the family.

"It's fine," Li-Yan Mei said quickly, her smile dazzling. "Kids, right? Always so full of energy."

The tension broke as a few parents chuckled awkwardly, but the whispers resumed at full force.

---

Things only went downhill from there.

During a discussion about the school's budget, Xian Xue, bored and fidgety, started drawing glowing patterns in the air with her finger. The shapes shimmered and floated like fireflies, enchanting the children sitting nearby—and alarming the adults.

"What is she doing?" someone whispered.

"Is that... magic?"

Li-Yan Mei nudged Xian Xue, whispering, "Stop that. Remember, normal."

Xian Xue pouted but obediently waved the patterns away. Unfortunately, one of them drifted too close to the stage and hit the principal's microphone, causing it to emit a strange, warbling sound before sparking out completely.

The principal froze, staring at the broken mic as parents murmured in confusion.

---

By the time the meeting ended, chaos had fully taken root.

The principal attempted to wrap things up, but a parent who fancied himself a "spiritual warrior" stood up and began loudly accusing the family of "bringing unholy energy" into the school.

"I demand answers!" he shouted, pointing dramatically at Son-Wu San. "What are you people?"

Son-Wu San sighed, rubbing his temples. "Just normal parents."

"Normal?" the man scoffed. "Normal people don't cause glowing symbols or break chairs with their bare hands!"

Xian Long, tired of the commotion, crossed his arms. "Maybe your chairs are just bad quality."

The room gasped in unison.

Li-Yan Mei stepped in, her voice calm and soothing. "There's been a misunderstanding. We're just a family trying to live a quiet life. Let's not blow things out of proportion, shall we?"

The spiritual warrior wasn't convinced. "I don't trust you! I've read about beings like you in ancient texts. You're here to take over, aren't you?!"

Son-Wu San stood, his patience wearing thin. His presence seemed to darken the room, and the air grew heavy. "Take over? If I wanted to take over, this wouldn't be a PTA meeting—it'd be a coronation."

The man paled, stumbling back into his seat. The room fell silent, the weight of Son-Wu San's words hanging over them.

Li-Yan Mei placed a hand on her husband's arm, her smile never faltering. "Dear, remember, we're trying to fit in."

Son-Wu San sat down, muttering, "I was fitting in just fine until he opened his mouth."

---

As the family left the auditorium, the whispers grew louder behind them.

"Did you feel that aura?"

"They're not normal... but they're terrifying."

"I think we should just stay out of their way."

Xian Xue skipped happily beside her mother, oblivious to the tension. "That was fun! Can we come to the next meeting too?"

Li-Yan Mei laughed softly. "We'll see, sweetie. Maybe next time will be... quieter."

Son-Wu San snorted. "Unlikely."

Xian Long grinned. "At least no one challenged me to a fight this time!"

Li-Yan Mei sighed, shaking her head. "One day, we'll figure out how to blend in."

As the family walked into the night, the stars above seemed to twinkle in amusement.