Dark Side – Kelly Clarkson

Description: Bruce discovers that Diana had a dark side too

Rating: K

Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance

The Batman appeared on one of the Watchtower teleportation pads in a flash of blue-white light with his usual aura of stoic indifference. Superman, who was standing next to J'onn, was slightly confused by the Bat's appearance. He knew he had left not too long ago due to urgent matters in Gotham, and he usually didn't return right afterwards. In fact, situations in Gotham seemed to happen at the perfect moments, giving him a reason to leave the watchtower slip away from uncomfortable situations, and wouldn't return for days, sometimes even weeks.

"Batman? Is something wrong?" he asked

All he got in response was a black cape snapping around the corner at the Bat left the room. Superman turned to J'onn with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't think anything is wrong with Batman," he stated. "He's actually quite smug."

Smug? Superman thought. He shrugged it off. It wasn't really his business anyway, as long as the Bat wasn't livid with someone. Rao knew they didn't need that again.

XXX

The sound of footsteps echoed down the mostly empty corridor as Bruce approached the Princess's quarters. He was, in fact, feeling quite smug. Before he had left for Gotham a few hours ago, he had been eating in the cafeteria with Diana after a league mission, and she had been there when he received the call from Oracle. Bane had, inevitably, escaped from Arkham Asylum, and Bruce's help was needed.

Bruce remembered looking up at the Princess and beginning to explain why he was leaving. In most situations, he would just get up and leave, but, somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to be that rude to her. However, a few moments later, he found himself wishing he could've. Diana had stood up too, and insisted on coming with him.

"It's just Bane, Princess. I can handle him."

"Bane's a super powered meta, Batman. You need my help."

Diana immediately realized she'd made a mistake, as she watched the Batman bristle.

"I don't need your help, or anyone else's. Stay out of my city."

"Didn't Bane almost kill you a few years ago? I just don't want to give him a chance to try again."

"Like you said, that was years ago. I know more about his weaknesses now, and I can take him down easily." He nearly hissed at her. "I don't need the help of an arrogant meta who thinks she knows what's best."

Diana straightened up and said calmly, looking every bit the princess she was, "Fine, have it your way. After all, it's your life you're putting in danger."

Though she didn't show it, his words had stung. Did he really think of her that way? An arrogant meta who couldn't see past her power and abilities? An obstacle in his mission?

She stormed out of the cafeteria, trying not to dwell on it too much. She had her own mission. Bruce had turned and left too, heading for the transport room in a particularly surly mood.

Now, he was standing outside of her quarters, having received hardly a scratch in his fight with Bane, and ready to gloat about his easy victory. When she didn't open the door in response to his knocking, Bruce dialed the code he'd memorized years ago. The door slid open to reveal a dark room, lit only by the dim starlight filtering in from the windows. He looked the room over once, wondering where she was, until a flash of movement caught his eye.

Diana was sitting curled up against the headboard of her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. Her usually flawless skin was smeared with dirt and blood, her hair the same. The light from the hallway reflected in her eyes, giving them an eerie glow, much like a fox's when caught in a flashlight's beam from the edge of the woods. Except she looked more like a deer caught in a car's headlights, startled and momentarily confused.

All thought of boasting immediately fled Bruce's mind at the sight of his teammate in her sorry state.

"Diana? What happened?" His voice was filled with concern as he stepped into her quarters, the door sliding shut behind him. He made his way over to her bed, sitting down on the edge next to her.

"I'm fine. Leave me alone." Diana turned towards the headboard and away from him, closing her eyes as she did so. Bruce studied her for a moment. He'd never seen her look so lost and broken before, even when she had been exiled from the only home she'd known for thousands of years, and by her own mother, no less. What happened to the beautiful, strong Amazon warrior? The princess that was as humble as a pauper to a king, but a living, breathing goddess? The woman he'd come to love?

He sighed. He should have known she wasn't actually perfect. No one was, not even Wonder Woman. Everyone gets hurt sometimes, its part of being human. He peeled of his gauntlets and tossed them aside on the bed, his cowl quickly following. He looked at her again, curled against the wood, her back to him, trying to shut him out, to push him away as he'd done to her so many times before. Taking in a deep breath, he leaned forward and pulled her into his arms

She instantly stiffened, and Bruce realized there could very well be a bat-shaped hole in the wall in a moment. Instead of doing that though, Diana relaxed and turned towards him, curling into his body instead of the headboard of her bed.

Bruce somehow managed to lay them down on the bed without releasing her, and draped his cape over them for warmth, pulling her closer yet.

"I smell bad." She murmured into his chest, already half-asleep.

"I don't care." He responded.

She was asleep within minutes, while Bruce lay awake for about half an hour, thinking. Though he wasn't positive, he felt like her depression was caused by him. He had pushed her away yet again today, and she'd finally come to the conclusion that he didn't love her. She'd been called on a league mission soon afterwards, and because she was distracted, had gotten hurt.

He realized now that she only wanted to come with him to help him, to protect him from danger, not because she thought he needed it, but because she loved him and didn't want to see him hurt. The same reasons he pulled away from her so often.

But now, seeing what that did to her, he didn't want to push her away anymore. He wanted to pull her into his life and never let her go, if she would have him. Having before mistakenly thought that his darkness would crush her light and spirit because she had no darkness in her, no burning rage fueling his mission as he did, he didn't think he was worthy of her love. He'd discovered that the princess had a dark side too, just as he did.

A/N: Well, this started as me practicing my writing skills and now it's a new book. I thought it was worth posting, though. And seeing as I have a playlist of WonderBat songs, I guess it works. None of these oneshots are going to really fit into one story or anything, they are just going to be random drabbles that fit with the song.