(Co-Authored by Jcastle07 and Lordfrieza.)
Hearts and Minds
Chapter 1 'Reaching out'
The Strangeness of the place Diana stood in reminded her vaguely of her meeting with Dr. Fate. She remembered how on the first mission she personally shared with Fate that a strange sort of mist had surrounded them, and covered them. This wasn't entirely unlike that situation. She began to make out an outline and studied the creature as it walked through the mist and near where she stood. It stopped and she could see the outline of something that some considered frightening, but she had come to consider partly heartbreaking.
Diana scowled at the creature who stood directly in front of her, giving her a bat-glare, must have stood seven foot tall, a shroud of darkness covering its basic features.
A sudden whisper bounced at her, the sound coming from all directions, bouncing off the darkness and mist 'what are you doing here Diana?" while it was a whisper it was as loud and clear has a thunderclap.
'You left, you walked away Diana, you're not welcomed here!" It's voice lined with venom.
"You pushed me away! How could I not walk away" she shouted back at the creature, her voice echoing seeming endlessly until it got cut short by another loud hiss.
"Its too late….Princess"
Another distant whisper filled the air, this time barely audible, yet strong enough to be heard through the hiss, "that's not true, not true, not…."
The creature turned its neck ferociously toward where the origin of the whisper came and hissed out into the nothingness, "you stay out of this, she made the bargain"
Diana desperately searched where the other whisper was coming from, fighting back the tears threatening to pour onto her face she squinted her eyes to peek through the grey mist.
"it was your fault fault…fault" The whisper became slightly louder as it began to rage.
The creature's white slits narrowed as a little boy came into view, "She's here because of you?" the creature hissed indignantly.
"Bruce?" Diana caught herself tearing up as she saw the young boys face, he must have been eight, but his eyes were slouched and baggy, bloodshot as if he had been crying, as if he had been hurt.
"Princess? Why'd you leave?" His own eyes beginning to tear as he looked into her own.
The creature hissed out "She doesn't love you"
Diana looked grimly at the creature that now stood next to the eight year old Bruce, "How could you say that?"
The eight year old boy began to sob gently into his palms, "you hurt me so much" he pointed the accusing finger at Diana.
Her grimly features dissipated into sadness and confusion, as if she had been betrayed her voice crackled, "Bruce, you know I love you" She fell to her knees as she stared into Bruce's eyes.
The creature hissed audibly angry now, "Why did you call her here?"
"She..she has to see"
The creature growled back, "What do you wish to accomplish with that"
"I JUST WANT HER TO SEE!" the little boy yelled at the shrouded creature leaving him stunned.
A White flash blinded eyes for a moment, when she began to see clearly now she was standing in a watchtower corridor, she looked around but was completely alone, neither the boy nor the Shrouded creature where in sight. She heard footsteps behind her, it sounded like her footsteps but before she could turn around she saw the Dark knight walking down the corridor. His head was stooped, his shoulders where slumped, even his walk was purposeless and lost.
"Bruce" Diana heard herself call out from behind her, as she was looking at the Dark Knight raise his head to meet gaze. But he wasn't looking at her, he was looking past her at a different her, she was looking at herself, Wonder Woman from two days ago, her gaze fell in shamefulness as she remembered the situation that had taken placed two day ago. She was now watching it unfold while sitting at the sidelines.
Bruce stopped for a moment, but kept walking past her, Diana saw herself quickly turn around and grasp Bruce's shoulder, "Bruce, your shutting me out now? Why do feel the need to push me away? Every time we get so close, Bruce. That kiss yesterday meant something for me and I know it meant something for you too!"
Diana swallowed what felt like rocks as she heard herself scream at Bruce, not caring one bit if anybody heard.
But Bruce remained quiet, still staring off into oblivion past her.
"Bruce, I can't take it anymore, this is the last time, Bruce, if you push me away this time, it's going to be the last, I won't come for you anymore, I'll move on and leave you behind like a bitter memory"
Bruce redirected his gaze at her now, her eyes full of tears, her puffy vein on her forehead showing just how truly mad she was.
Bruce's mouth twitched at her threat, 'you didn't see that did you?' came again the whisper of the little boy, you didn't see me twist my mouth in agony, my gesture yelling for you to stay, for you to comfort me' Diana felt every word hit her like a bullet in the chest, as she was heaving through her own tears.
"Aren't you going to say anything?"
Bruce's foot began to move forward towards her, but instead stood still jammed against the floor, Diana noticed Bruce trying to move himself toward Wonder Woman, but his body wouldn't let him, 'Bet you didn't catch that either, you didn't see me desperately cry for you, you didn't hear me pleading for you to stay because I didn't have the strength to go chasing after you' The child ranted through sobs.
"Anything at all Bruce?" demanded Wonder Woman.
Bruce's face fell even deeper to hide a whimper, a sudden shiver ran through Diana's body as she noticed Bruce shutter, nobody in their right mind could have missed that but Wonder Woman did, 'You didn't hear my cry, It took all my strength to do that for you Diana, to show you through my cry that I was screaming for you to stay, to embrace me in your arms, and save me from myself, BUT NO, YOU DIDN'T BECAUSE YOU WERE TO BLIND! BECAUSE YOU COULD ONLY SEE HIM!' the boy, who reappeared with the creature, pointed at the shrouded monster next to him.
"Just leave Diana" Was all Bruce could say, his cape fluttered as his arms began to tremble."
"And you didn't see me wailing my arms frantically at you, waving at you to turn around and to love me back Diana, because I loved you" The boy began sobbing harder now, as Wonder Woman looked at him with disgust and hatred, she quickly turned around and stormed off. After she was out of sight Bruce punched the wall as hard as he could leaving a dent, 'and you couldn't hear my heart break into little pieces, because you were too busy replaying HIS words in your head" he looked at Diana in a hurt expression, as she looked at Bruce standing there, watching the floor where Wonder Woman once stood. Minutes seemed like hours until she saw the Flash walk up to Batman slowly; She could see the sorrowful look on his face, the tear rumbling down Wally's mask. 'He heard everything you said' the boy scorned Diana who just stood there, tears still dropping down her face at the revelation.
Flash put a hand on Batman's shoulder, "Bruce, she couldn't have known" He reassured him, "She couldn't have known" Flash dropped his head down in shame when he found Bruce's dead gaze.
"The little girl's death wasn't your fault Bruce, I'm the fastest man alive, I should have been there first" Flash said in a hoarse voice and lowered his face to hide away his tears drop to the floor, in a blink of an eye he was gone but Bruce still stood there, gazing out at the stars. Diana couldn't take it anymore, she wanted to jump up hug Bruce and never let him go, but It was too late, 'Even Flash had more of a heart than you' hissed the boy at Diana, Her will to move was lost now, she knelt still, gazing off at Bruce, "I had no Idea Bruce, Im so Sorry, im so sorry, im so sorry, im…."
'ITS TOO LATE!' The boy squealed, interrupting Diana's aimless apology.
'no its not' another distant whisper came from a far.
Diana looked at her surroundings again; she was back in the darkness surrounded by grey mist, with a boy and a shrouded creature scolding at her.
'Yes it is' the boy hissed venomously and intensified his glare into a grim.
'No its not!' The voice thundered shaking the floor, but it wasn't a whisper or a shout, it was familiar baritone voice, but it was soothing and peaceful, filled with Love and patience.
"Bruce?" Diana muttered.
"I'm right in front of you Princess" His voice sounded near.
"I can't see you" she said in grief.
"take my hand"
"I can't see it!" Diana said frantically trying to spot his hand.
"Please, take my hand Diana"
"I Can't see you Bruce!" she began to yell.
"Princess, aren't you going to take my hand?" his voice rang with hurt.
Diana began sobbing once more, I CANT SEE YOU BRUCE!"
She heard him grunt in pain, she looked over to see the shrouded Monster doubled over grabbing his abdomen and the little boy yelling frantically as blood spewed out his white shirt.
Diana frowned at the sight, "Where are you Bruce?"
"Right, in front of you" he said through grunts and deep breaths.
She began to twirl and turn as she felt a warm fluid fall on her abdomen, it pooled on her stomach and dripped onto the floor. She turned and began to yell as she opened her eyes, her chest was heaving trying to catch air; her body was full of sweat, as she sat up on her bed mumbling undecipherable words. She was shaking as she held on to her sheets and began to weep silently, thinking to herself silently 'it was only a dream, it was only a dream'
'Take my hand Princess' came the voice invading her thoughts once more.
She looked frantically around her room to try and spot Bruce, but he was nowhere to be found. Her nightmare rolled onto real life as she remembered two days ago the event that she re-lived not a few minutes ago.
'Look for me princess, before it's too late'
She shook her head, "no, no, Batman is not a physic, how can you still talk to me?" she rambled in denial.
'our love binds us more than you can you imagine Princess, now come find me before it's too late, please.'
Diana felt the warm pool of blood return to her stomach, almost automatically she took to the skies braking through window straight for Gotham, she flew at Supernatural speeds as the Gotham skyline came into view. She frantically searched from building to building until she found the Bat mobile sitting still outside an old warehouse, with the canopy open.
'Please Princess, take my hand'
Diana made a loud Cry of plea, "WHERE ARE YOU?"
'Your close, close, your close, close, close….inside' the whisper echoed being carried from winds into her thoughts.
She barged into the warehouse and spotted him on a dark corner laying face down on the floor, a pool of blood surrounding him. Her lips shuddered and her eyes dampened as she saw a support beam's metal rail that had thrust into his upper back and sticking out his abdomen. He was surrounded by rubble and dust and pieces of broken metal piling on his body.
She flew over to him in a second; she broke the metal rail from the beam, crumpled him gently onto her arms and took off toward the Manor hoping Alfred was ready for this arrival. As she flew the sticky, wet feeling of his blood rolled down her arms. At her speed, Bruce's blood dripped on her face and neck, scathing her skin. Although it had been a glance she could tell it was bad. His breathing was ragged, unleveled, and getting shallower as she flew with him.
"I'm sorry Bruce, gods I'm so sorry." She whispered as they flew down a tunnel for the batwing.
"Your highness?" Alfred asked as he waited in the cave to see his ward barely hanging on to life.
"Alfred... help..." She whispered.
"Bring him over." Alfred said with urgency in his voice replacing his worry onto a stoic face.
Diana followed what Alfred said and in seconds several IV's was hooked up to Bruce. Alfred looked at the suit and began removing it. He rolled the portable digital imager over and scanned Bruce for a moment before he studied it.
"It somehow missed his heart, but one of his lungs has collapsed. How did you find him Miss?" Alfred asked.
"He... He reached out to me." Diana said as she pulled a seat over and took one of Bruce's hands.
"I won't leave this time. I swear it Bruce, I won't leave you this time." She said softly
'Thank you Princess' a soothing whisper invaded her mind.