This Is Your Fault

Bruce peeled the metal grate off of the air vent on the side of the museum, moving quickly yet silently as he slipped inside the small space. He made close to no sound as he traversed the maze of metal passageways he'd been studying for weeks, making his way towards the exhibit for Ancient Egypt. He once again paused at the end of the vent to the grand room to remove the metal grate in his path before dropping quietly to the ground below, landing in a crouch. He stayed in that position for a heartbeat longer, waiting and listening for anyone or anything that might disturb his current heist.

The building stayed silent, it's dim lighting leaving convenient shadows, though Bruce had already cut the security feed. Others called it paranoia, but he preferred to call it playing it safe. He finally moved forward, silent as ever as he made his way toward one of the display cases. Inside was an Ancient Egyptian vulture collar, made mostly of gold, colored glass, and obsidian.

But before Bruce even touched the glass surrounding the priceless jewelry, an alarm went off. The room was bathed in red, and someone in the next room cursed loudly. With a sudden rush of adrenaline, Bruce punched through the glass and grabbed the collar before taking off at a run, heading back towards the vent he'd come through in. He didn't bother trying to stay quiet anymore, his only goal was to get out of there before the GCPD arrived. He shoved his way into the vent, but in his haste, he failed to notice someone slip in behind him.

The grate that he'd set over the vent on the outer wall was hurriedly pushed back down to the ground, hitting the grass with a soft thud as Bruce exited the vent and crouched on the ground. The police were already here, if the sirens and flashing red and blue lights were any indication. As he paused to assess the situation, the person that had followed him into the vent collided sharply with his back. A feminine voice cried out in pain as they both fell, and his boot sent the metal grate into the wall of the museum with a clatter. Bruce grunted as his jaw connected with a rock embedded in the soft dirt.

He just laid there for a moment, a little disoriented as pain blossomed in his chin. He froze, eyes going wide, when he heard several people approaching at a run, most likely officers. Whoever was on top of him heard them too, and tried to get up to run, but was harshly pushed back down on top of him.

"There's two of them." One of the officers said as the other thief was pulled off him and he was handcuffed too.

Bruce said nothing, just repeatedly cursed in his head as he was led towards one of the many police cars parked at the front of the building. He didn't resist as he was pushed into the vehicle, still handcuffed. He glanced around, but decided against trying to escape just yet. He wanted to see who the person that'd gotten them caught was.

He was slightly surprised to find it was a woman that looked to be in her late twenties, around the same age as him. She turned furious blue eyes on him as soon as the car door shut behind her.

"Nice to finally meet you." He said sarcastically, looking her up and down. Her long black hair was messy and tangled, and her forearm closest to him had a wide gash in it.

The grate, he realized. When he'd fallen and kicked the grate into the air, it'd sliced open her arm before it hit the wall.

"Can't say I feel the same." She said.

Their tense exchange was interrupted when two officers simultaneously opened the front doors and got in without a word.

"This is your fault." Bruce hissed under his breath as they began moving. "What the hell were you doing?"

"What do you think?" She snapped. "The same thing as you."

"Except you tripped an alarm." He deadpanned.

"Obviously. Great work, Sherlock."

He made a sound that was eerily similar to a growl.

"Who are you anyways?" He asked, his voice still accusatory.

She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head slightly to the side. "And why would I tell you that?"

He didn't have an answer to that.

"She's Diana Prince, and he's Bruce Wayne." Said the cop in the passenger seat, without looking up from the papers he was flipping through. His partner glanced his way, but stayed didn't say anything.

"Bruce Wayne…" She whispered.

"Yep." He said, getting a bit cocky. He knew he had a reputation in the Gotham underworld, and wanted to see what her reaction was.

"Well, I can see why they call you The Bat." She smirked.

"Do they call you anything?" He taunted her.

"Oh yes, they call me the Goddess."

Bruce visibly paled, while her smirk widened. He should have known. Here he was, sitting in the back of a cop car on his way to jail with one of Gotham's Most Wanted.

This was definitely going to be interesting.

XXX

Weeks passed, and Bruce found himself more and more fascinated with the woman he'd met back in the museum. He'd heard so much about her, about how cruel she could be at times. He'd painted her in a harsh lighting, as a violent and untouchable criminal. But as he grew to know her more, he found that she could be brash and instinctual, and at the same time was strong and reliable. They formed a sort of friendship, a bond that got stronger the longer they were trapped in the prison together. Bruce was beginning to get used to Diana as the carefree, kind person she was, flashing smiles at certain people, chatting freely with others that he guessed she was friends with. So he was surprised when she hefted herself over the railing of the stone staircase he was sitting against in the prison yard, landing beside with a wild gleam in her eyes.

"What are you doing?" He inquired her suspiciously.

"I have a plan. We're getting out of here."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "You're going to help me?"

"Of course." She said, a curious expression on her face. "It's my fault you got in here in the first place, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He admitted. "But how? This is one of the highest-security prisons in Gotham. "

"You don't think I know that? We're going to walk right out the front door, Bruce."

"What?" He sputtered. "You're crazy."

"Well, I'm not labeled 'Most Wanted' for nothing."

"Right…" He said. He'd almost forgotten all about that. Almost.

He'd also almost forgotten that were still in the yard of said high-security prison, but was reminded when the heavy footsteps of one of the many guards starting coming their way. He also realized how suspicious they both looked, with him leaning back against the stone stairway, legs crossed at the ankles, and her crouched next to his knees, still in the landing position from her previous leap over the railing.

But Diana didn't look at all worried, even as the guard came steadily closer, each footstep getting progressively louder. In fact, she smiled, seemingly at ease with the situation. He opened his mouth, not even sure what he was going to say, when she lunged forward, forcibly connecting their lips. He made a surprised noise in his throat, but closed his eyes and pushed back against her persistent mouth, going along with whatever her plan was. Her knee gently bumped into his hip as she shifted into a more comfortable position, the slender fingers of her hand curled around his jaw, brushing against his cheek as her palm rested under his chin.

The footsteps stopped, paused, and faded away as their owner left. Diana held his mouth for a moment longer then necessary before pulling away, leaning back so she was sitting on her heels.

"What was that for?" He gasped, noting with some satisfaction that her cheeks were now a light rosy shade.

"Oh come on, Bruce, don't tell me you haven't heard the rumors."

"What rumors?"

Diana made a disapproving noise, shaking her head. "Honestly Bruce, even the guards ship it."

His mind blanked, but once again, she cut him off before he could say anything.

"Gotta run." She said. "I'll get back to you at lunch tomorrow."

She disappeared again, twisting gracefully over the railing, and leaving him behind to ponder what had just happened.

XXX

The heavy door of his cell opened silently, letting the dim light from the hallway enter the previously pitch black.

"Don't tell me he's fallen asleep." Diana muttered, making her way over to the lump under the blankets on Bruce's bed.

"I haven't." A voice said from the dark corner on the opposite of the room. Diana spun on her heel, immediately taking a defensive position.

"Calm down." Bruce said, his voice quiet as he emerged from the shadows of the room. "It's just me."

"Oh." She relaxed. "I didn't see you there."

"Obviously." He said, glancing towards his open cell door. He couldn't help but wonder how she'd gotten it open so easily, especially from the inside of her own cell. He'd hardly heard a noise from outside while she was unlocking it.

"Come on." Diana said, interrupting his train of thought. "We have about ten minutes to get to the surveillance room."

"Right." Bruce snapped back to focus, only to find that Diana was already on her way out of the cell.

The duo quickly made their way through the hallways, trying to make their footsteps as quiet as possible. Sure enough, when they made it to the surveillance room, it was empty, just as Diana had promised.

"Okay." Diana whispered, "I don't know how much longer it's going to be before someone comes back, so hurry up."

Bruce was in the chair before she was even finished with her sentence, typing furiously at the keyboard. She watched as each of the screens froze, but the time and recording continued. He turned back around to say something along the lines of 'I'm finished' but instead froze, his body hovering above the chair, partway through the motion of standing up. Someone was coming down the hallway, and from the look on Diana's face, she knew it too.

Still, she moved quickly, her only goal to hide them as she pulled him along with her, leading them toward a closet in the room.

The door was locked, and the guard was coming closer.

Bruce's paranoia suddenly kicked in, at exactly the wrong moment.

What if Diana wasn't who she said she was? There was no real proof behind her claims to be the famous criminal going under the name of Goddess, and she had been the one to trip the alarm back at the museum that night.

She could very well be leading him to his death.

Warm, lithe fingers wrapped around his wrist in a firm grip, forcibly pulling him back across to room to press against the cold tiling of the wall to the left of the still-open door. Before Bruce even quite registered what was happening, the guard that had been coming into the room was out cold, limbs sprawled out awkwardly on the floor. Diana turned back to him as if nothing had happened, a very different than usual glint in her icy blue eyes.

Even if she wasn't the Goddess, one thing was for certain: she was dangerous, and very much so.

She signaled for him to follow with a finger, leading him down the hallway like a puppy, albeit a little more confused and stunned. He recognized the path they were taking led toward the front of the building, and grew anxious.

They were actually going to walk right out the front door.

Bruce had never, ever, done anything like this before. Sure, he's escaped prison before, but always out a vent or window, or even a side door. Even out in the field, he was sure to be discreet and quiet, always hidden in the shadows, like a predator waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey.

Diana was a predator too, he realized, just in a different way. While he waited for his prey to come to him, lurking until the moment was right, she chased after it, pushing and prodding until she could go in for the kill, always on the main path following right behind whatever was fleeing from her, breaking through anything in her way. And right now, her prey was freedom, and the guards and officers were just obstacles that needed to be cleared.

"Diana-" He hissed her name under his breath, not even positive what he was going to say, but he shut up immediately when she turned around and glared at him without breaking pace. Her usually friendly and welcoming eyes where now cold and merciless, daring him to cross her.

Okay then.

Without a word, she turned her gaze forward again, and he took to once again scanning his surrounding for clues. If he was remembering correctly, they only had to take another right, and they'd be in the corridor leading directly to the main entrance of the building.

But instead of leading him around the corner like he'd expected, she slowed and eventually stopped, two or three feet away from the turn.

The familiar sound of a guard's boots on the hard floor of the hallways was once again nearing them. Diana looked at him again, but this time with a look that said, 'Do you want this one?' With a smirk, Bruce nodded once. Diana just motioned forward with one hand and stepped back so he was in front of her now.

He knocked out the guard quickly with an elbow to the head, catching his now unconscious body quickly to avoid unnecessary noise.

"Not bad." Diana whispered as she crouched beside the guard, who'd Bruce propped in a sitting position against the wall. She quickly rifled through his pockets, eventually pulling out a set of keys.

"Okay." She leaned back on her heels beside him, shoving the key ring into her own pocket. "We just need to get past the guard at the front desk, and we're out of here."

Bruce nodded, leaning past the corner of the corridor to look towards the front of the building. There were three guards by the door, two men and a woman, talking about something.

"See that switch there?" Diana whispered, gesturing vaguely towards the desk with a nod of her head. "That's the alarm. We can't let any of them get close to it, or it's over."

"So I'll take the one closest to the switch, you the farthest one, and we'll meet in the middle?"

"I don't care. Just don't screw this up."

"It's a plan then."

They moved swiftly, and were beside their targets in only a few seconds. The first two went down rather easily, but the woman in the middle was more difficult. She ducked under Diana's arm that was meant to deliver a knockout blow, and her fist connected harshly with Diana's gut. Bruce's elbow connected with the back of her skull before she could turn around while Diana was off-balance, and she fell.

"Why am I always the one getting injured?" Diana grumbled, standing up from her slight crouch.

Bruce shrugged, growing curious again and Diana kneeled beside the woman, once again looking through pockets.

"I thought you already got a set of keys." He said as she pulled out another, smaller, key ring and stood. "Why do you need another?"

"Well," Diana started, "I was planning on heading out in a car, but I think a motorcycle would be a bit more… convenient."

She shook the keys as if to prove her point, the sound echoing down the hall. "You ready?"

"I guess."

Diana led them out of the building and into the parking lot. The crisp night air was a welcome change to the stuffy insides of the building, and Bruce took in an appreciative breath as he surveyed his new surroundings.

"Do you need a ride?" Diana's voice cut through his thoughts, bringing him back to the situation at hand. They still weren't quite in the clear yet.

He looked over to find Diana on a while and black bike, one hand on the key and the other on a handle.

"I think I'll pass." Bruce said.

Diana shrugged and started the ignition, pulling the kickstand up with her heel. The bike roared to life, the headlight nearly blinding him as it lit up.

"You want the other key, then?" She asked, revving the engine absentmindedly.

He waved away her question, "I'll be fine, don't worry about me."

"I know, I know, I'm just not used to leaving anyone behind. Wouldn't want you getting caught and spilling all my secrets."

He let out a small laugh, despite the situation. They were lingering outside a prison they'd just escaped, steadily increasing their chances of getting caught.

Said prison suddenly lit up from the inside, the alarm going off as everything was bathed in red.

"That would be my signal to get going." Diana decided, pushing the bike forward with her toes. "Don't do anything stupid."

He found a strange sense of loss blossoming at his chest with the knowledge that she was going to be leaving, and not knowing if they'd ever meet again.

"I'll see you again?" He asked, knowing she could never know for sure.

She nodded once, still inching slowly towards the driveway while he took an occasional step back into the shadows toward the woods.

"I'll hunt you down if I need to."

He laughed somewhat uncomfortably, not doubting that for a second.

The front doors swung open with a bang, six or seven officers running out, all yelling something.

"Gotta run." She saluted to him with two fingers and was gone, riding quickly down the long path to the road.

He had a feeling they'd be seeing each other again, maybe sooner than later.

A/N: Well that last section is a mess. I wrote it over such a long period of time that the writing style got really messed up, and I honestly don't really like the way the whole thing happens but I decided I'm just going to post it. And for anyone that didn't read my last oneshot because of the different fandom: I'm going to be keeping an updated (mostly) list of the WIP fics, and what stage of writing/planning they're in, maybe some plans or whatever, so check that out if you want to.

One last thing; (god even this A/N is a mess) I just wanted to give you all a huge thank you, because every time I see that someone's followed, favorited, or reviewed, it makes my day just a little bit better, to know that someone out there likes something I'm doing. I'm going through a rougher patch of my life and I just wanted to let you know that I love and appreciate every one of you. (I was going to put a little heart here but apparently FF doesn't let you do that so just pretend this weird text is it)

(Also this got really sappy I'm sorry, I'll just shut up now.)

~Uni