"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Diana cried rushing into the empty warehouse. She skidded to a stop in front of the man tied to the chair in the middle of the room.
Bruce groaned and lifted his head weakly. He gave Diana a small smile, more of a grimace, his teeth red from blood. "Took you long enough."
Diana managed a weak laugh. She winced at the blood puddled on the floor. "Oh Br-"
"Stop!" Bruce snapped harshly, smile gone.
"Sorry!" Diana whispered, embarrassed that she had almost used his real name. "Batman, can you walk?"
Bruce shook his head and then winced at the jarring motion. "No," he muttered, "both knees are broken."
Closing her eyes against the barrage of curses that want to fly from her mouth, Diana nodded. "This will hurt."
She broke the restraints around his wrists and ankles, trying to be as careful as possible. Bruce still winced at the pressure.
"I don't... how did this happen?" She murmured, working to gently pull Bruce to his feet. His knees, useless, gave out under him and he fell back to the seat with a shout of pain. Diana winced. She looped her arm around his waist, prompting Bruce to put his arm around her shoulders and lean heavily against her.
Not for the first time, Diana was grateful for her Amazonian strength.
"The Bat's not always infallible," Bruce muttered darkly. He had been taken by a hoard of villains with a vendetta. Taken and tortured for a week while the League searched for him. Bruce scratched weakly at the lingering case of poison ivy on his neck.
Diana warned him to hold tight before she took to the air. Bruce yelped in pain as his broken body was jostled.
It's a relatively quick flight back to the BatCave, but it takes all of what's left of Bruce's strength to keep him awake. Diana worried about him, about the small pained noises he was making.
In the Cave, she helped him onto the cot in one corner, slowly and carefully peeling off the cowl. Underneath the cowl, Bruce's face was covered in mottled bruises and cuts. Diana cupped his cheek with a delicate hand, swiping her thumb over his split cheekbone.
Bruce, despite the pain, leaned into her touch.
"How'd you find me?" He asked quietly, his voice hoarse and not in the Batman fashion.
Diana had let go of his face to strip him from the rest of the suit and assess the damage done to his body. She sighed.
"It was not easy. We..." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "We were not sure who had you. Clark and the others are still out searching, I had not called to let them know I found you."
Bruce closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. Diana continued to strip him as she spoke.
"We each took a city, really." She gently wiggled the top of his suit off, trying to ignore the way his t-shirt was soaked in blood. Hera knew what condition his body was in under the thin fabric.
"I do not even remember where I started," Diana sighed. "All I know is Harley was bragging about 'catching Batsy.' I saw red."
Diana ducked her head as she worked to cut away his Kevlar pants. She felt bad about ruining his suit, but it was mostly beyond repair anyway and cutting it off would prevent hurting him more if she pulled them off over his broken knees.
She was also embarrassed about her reaction to Harley Quinn's bragging.
"Red, huh?" Bruce groaned. "What did you do to her?"
Diana's mouth set in a hard line, "Nothing that she will not recover from."
Bruce raised an eyebrow, "Why, Diana Prince, you do like me."
"I should hope so," Diana said matter of factly, gathering up gauze and antiseptic, "I have been a regular presence in your bed for six months now."
"Ouch," Bruce grumbled as Diana set an antiseptic soaked gauze pad on the gaping wound on his thigh.
"Baby," Diana smiled affectionately. She focused seriously on cleaning up his more superficial cuts. The broken knees and ribs would need Alfred's help.
"Even after I got Harley," Diana resumed her story after a few moments of comfortable silence, "I could not find you. You're a very difficult man to find, Bruce Wayne."
He grabbed her fingers and squeezed lightly, "I'm sorry."
"I found you, that is all that matters," Diana replied simply, pasting a bandage over the larger cut on his leg. Her nimble fingers cleaned the smaller cuts on his face.
"Bruce," Diana said, "I am afraid we will have to call Alfred now. There is not much I can do for broken kneecaps. You may need surgery."
"No surgery," Bruce grumbled darkly. "Can't afford it."
"You can and you will, if you need it," Diana said firmly. "The Bat will take a hiatus if he has to. Two broken kneecaps will take you out of commission for much longer than a surgery will."
Bruce looked down at his swollen knees. He wasn't going to win this argument, if past history with Diana was any indication.
"Fine," he relented. "Fine. Call Alfred. Let's see what he says."
Alfred gave Bruce a cuff on the back of the head for getting taken, before giving his charge a tight hug. In Alfred's professional opinion, Bruce did need knee surgery. Diana tried not to gloat.
The surgery was scheduled for the next day, giving the media an excuse that Bruce Wayne had gotten into a terrible car accident. His partner, Diana Prince, hadn't been with him, but she was at his side throughout the entire surgery and would be taking care of him when he was released. They also asked the media for privacy at this time.
The entirety of the League was around the Manor waiting for Diana to bring Bruce home.
"Think they made him bionic?" Barry waggled his eyebrows, cutting a look at Vic.
"Funny, Allen. Real funny," Vic growled.
"But what if he can't get through airport security?" Barry continued. He paused, looked at Vic and tilted his head, "Can you get through airport security?"
Clark jumped up and held Vic back from attacking Barry. Superman sighed; they'd only been a team for a short while, personalities were still learning how to mesh.
Diana poked her head inside the door, "Bruce is not happy. Are you all going to annoy him?"
"Not on purpose," Barry laughed. Vic and Arthur rolled their eyes. Clark gestured, "Come on in, Diana. Everyone will behave."
Diana's head disappeared and she returned a minute later, pushing Bruce in a wheelchair. The Dark Knight was slumped in the seat, arms crossed and a firm scowl planted on his handsome features.
"Hiya Brucey," Barry zipped forward. "How're ya feeling?"
Bruce growled and looked back at Diana, "Why are they here?"
"Because," Diana ran her fingers through his hair, "they are your friends and they care about you."
"I don't want friends," Bruce muttered, slumping over further.
"Feeling is mutual, Wayne," Arthur rumbled. Bruce gave him a respectful nod. Clark and Diana rolled their eyes at the idiotic display.
Bruce yawned and Diana ushered the rest of the League out of the Manor, claiming Bruce needed rest. They all complied happily, Clark pausing to tell Diana to call him or Lois if they needed anything.
Once they were alone, Bruce turned to Diana and grinned. "Thought they'd never leave!"
"You were faking?" Diana laughed, eyes wide in shock. She swatted at Bruce's shoulder.
"I didn't want to spend time with them," Bruce complained. "I want to spend time with you."
"It is a good thing I do not plan on leaving your side," Diana said, kissing the top of his head softly.
"Good," Bruce grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers. "I only want you."
A/N: This takes place sometime in the future where the League is all put together and Bruce and Diana have gotten their acts together. It's a little bit plotless, but I had fun writing it anyway.
Let me know what you think, and as always, I'm open for prompts and general chatting :)