Six months, two weeks, and three days. That was how long it had taken the assassin to find Melanie Cross. In actually, it should have only taken a quarter of the time given his skills, but he had overlooked one important factor in his search for Melanie Cross. Her name, at least in this time, was Melanie Kim. Not yet married, and therefore still retaining her maiden name.

The assassin, unlike when he had first arrived in the year 2005, paid much less attention to his surroundings this night, albeit with considerable effort. In his time, the style of architecture, the cars, the advertisements, they were all archaic, confined to the digital realm of pics in History texts. It was hard not to marvel at the city when he was fifty years in the past. He was presently perched high on top of one of the many skyscrapers waiting for his prey to exit to the club he knew she frequented. That was when she would die.

There! Melanie Kim or Cross, take your pick, had entered the sights of his plasma-shot sniper rifle, which fired a lethal beam of concentrated plasma energy that, unlike a bullet, would not be altered by wind or rain. It was a rifle that wouldn't even be invented for another thirty-five years.

He was momentarily stunned by how different she looked. Long, glossy black hair. Smooth golden skin. A youthful, unlined face and lithe build. He adjusted his rifle. Regardless of appearance, Melanie had to die. It was what he had been sent into the past to accomplish and he would not fail. As his finger tightened on the trigger he heard a faint whistling sound, the kind made by a boomerang as it sliced through the air and-

Schfffffffrrrrrrrrrrreeet. The batarang sliced cleanly through the barrel of the rifle, nearly taking of the assassin's trigger finger. He thrust the damaged weapon away and backflipped an instant before the gun exploded, causing even those on the streets below to look up at the impromptu fireworks display The assassin whirled around, trying to track his attacker. All he saw were shadows, briefly flitting in and out in the dark night.

Dark Knight! He realized the mysterious assailants identity an instant before pain exploded between his shoulder blades and he found himself unwillingly flying towards a brick chimney. He both heard and felt his nose give way, a warm stream of what had to be blood spilling down his face. Ignoring the pain, the assassin hopped clean over the chimney, an impressive feat for even an Olympic athlete, and started running. Like Gotham City, its protector was also in the history books and the briefings he'd been given. They didn't do the Batman justice.

The vibrations in the ground told him what he already half knew. The Batman was gaining fast on him as he pounded across the rooftop and in a second, he'd be captured. He needed a diversion. Pulling out his plasma-shot pistol, he turned around, took aim, and fired.

Batman instinctively ducked, even though the shot went wide anyway. Either the dark-clad man with the strange looking rifle was a bad shot, or he hadn't been aiming for him at all. A quick glance over his shoulder to see what it was the assassin had hit confirmed he second theory. Discarding his chase, the Batman bounded off in the opposite direction, praying he wasn't too late.

Melanie Kim, like all the other pedestrians on the street, was looking up in the sky. Several people were yelling they'd seen Batman, and Melanie actually believed them. She doubted the bat-shaped silhouette she'd briefly seen outlined against the nearly-full moon was completely her imagination.

A red beam of energy suddenly split the night sky, hitting one of the many gargoyle statues that adorned Gotham buildings. Its base crumbled and then, almost as if in slow motion it began to fall. Like a deer in headlights, Melanie stood transfixed, her JC Penny purse tightly clutched to her side, car keys still in her hand. Surely the stone gargoyle couldn't be falling down towards her.

And then suddenly, all of the air left her lungs as something, or rather, someone, collided into her. Her reflex was to scream, but all that came out was a horse bleat. She was airborne, in someone's arms. She was swinging. She was also facing the spot were she had just been, so she didn't miss a single detail of the stone gargoyle crashing down into her car, showering glass and debris in every direction and buckling the Mercedes Benz down the middle.

Batman spotted a relatively low rooftop, disengaged, his grapple, and landed lightly on the rooftop, the girl still in his arms. She looked to be about twenty-one or twenty-two and if her ashen face and wide eyes were any indication, she was very scared.

"I think," he said in his customary deeply ominous voice, "that someone wants you dead."

"W-why?" Melanie managed?

Batman didn't respond. "Where do you live?" he asked.

Had any other stranger asked that exact question of her, Melanie would have and had told them to kindly got to hell. "7765 N. King Avenue," she answered, unable to keep a small tremor out of her voice.

"Anyone live with you?" asked the Batman.

"N-no."

The Dark nodded grimly and tapped the satellite uplink in his cowl, patching him directly to his loyal English butler Alfred Pennyworth.

"Master Bruce," greeted Alfred on the other end. "Wonderful to hear from you. I should think that you would have returned to the mansion by-"

"No time for chitchat. I need you to plot me the fastest route to 7765 N. King Avenue."

"Of course, sir," responded Alfred, his well-manicured fingers already flying across a nearby keyboard. "Oh my," Batman heard him say after a moment.

"What? What is it? I need that route right now Alfred. A girl's life may be in d-"

"May I suggest then sir that you follow the sirens," came a much more serious-sounding Alfred. "It appears that a bomb went off at that exact residence mere moments ago."

Batman swore. It was obvious to him now that Ms. Kim's would-be-assassin was dead serious. He ruled out taking her to a police station or a shelter now. Not safe enough, his instinct told him. It was the same instinct that had saved his life on a number of occasions and he wasn't going to ignore it now. Where though, outside of actually bringing the girl to the batcave, could he leave her confidant that she would be safe?

Princess Diana of Themyiscara was watching a movie. Romantic Comedies, she believed they were called, and this was her fifth this week. She'd developed what some would consider a healthy appetite and what others would consider an addiction for that particular genre. She laughed as confused Greek woman on the screen tried in vain to get her Greek family to accept her non-Greek boyfriend, so that they could have a big fat Greek wedding (if the title was any indication). The situation reminded her somewhat of her own, having been banished from her homeland for the crime of bringing men to Amazonian grounds. Her exile still hurt, but the pain had dulled over time, and so had some of her Amazonian ideals, such as feminine supremacy. While she still held vestiges of the belief that women were naturally superior to men, there were several whom she had come to admire, respect, and in the case of one in particular, even more.

Her doorbell rang, and she reluctantly paused the TV screen, wondering who could possibly be visiting her apartment this late at night.

What she saw when she opened the door shocked her. "Bru-" she began, stopping when she saw the slim Asian girl, surely no more than twenty-three, at his side. Her look of surprise immediately turned to confusion. "Batman? What's going on."

"I need to know if you can keep this girl at your house for a while," Batman responded. Was it her imagination or had he snuck a peek at the neckline on her nightgown? Smiling to herself, she tightened the cotton belt on her simple garment.

"Of course, if its necessary," she said. "But why?"

"Someone's trying to kill me," answered Melanie, her melodic voice taking Wonder Woman off guard. "That same someone most likely blew up my home a half hour ago." Her eyes were red, presumably from crying and even her best efforts couldn't keep the sniffle out of her voice.

"Great Hera, was anyone hurt?"

"The building was empty," Batman answered. "Although the girl is somewhat homeless as of right now."

"Diana nodded in understanding. I see, and I can assure you, Melanie, that you are welcome here for as long as you like." In truth, the Amazon didn't understand why Batman simply hadn't taken the girl to the police, who would surely have found a place for her to stay. Somehow, she knew that things weren't as simple as her colleague had made it seem.

Batman had examined many a weapon in his Bat Cave, whose equipment put the world's foremost forensic laboratories to shame. However, he couldn't even begin to tell where this assassin had gotten the weapon he'd used, the very weapon that he was examining right now. If there existed a similar weapon, its existence had never been recorded any type of computer or digital device known. The alloy it was constructed of was foreign to him. Not alien, it still had the basic properties and signs of terran manufacture. Just . . .different. More advanced. Beam weapons did exist, according to Batman's knowledge, but none with this type of efficiency or build. And the company brand on the stock, Triax Inc., didn't even exist. It made no sense.

The other enigma Batman faced was the strange spherical device the assassin had left behind. It was dark blue in color and, although there were no apparent seams or welds, emitted a faint electronic field. Like a computer or something.

Sighing, the Dark Knight pulled out one of his more advanced scanners and a scalpel with a diamond-coated blade so thin it was used to split individual cells in laboratories. One way or another, he would solve the mystery behind this bizarre chain of events. One way or another.

Melanie didn't want to watch TV, didn't want to eat, didn't want to listen to any music, and didn't want to go to sleep. Diana knew. She'd tried to get the girl interested in each of those activities, all with no success. It wasn't that Melanie was a rude guest by any means. She was just withdrawn, in her own world half the time. Wonder Woman knew that it was perfectly understandable for her to be aloof, given the circumstances. However, it was hard to identify with the utter helplessness that Melanie undoubtedly felt. There were very few individuals on the planer capable of intimidating any Amazon, let alone their Princess. Someone shot at Wonder Woman, she would fly over, do the deflecting thing with her bracelets, and then put the guy out like a thrift store lightbulb. Melanie didn't have that luxury.

"You must think I'm terribly rude," Melanie finally said. She was curled up on the couch, knees hugged to her chest and still in the maroon coat she'd been wearing when Batman first saved her life.

"Why would I think that?"

"I've barely said a word, and I've been here for hours. Did I even thank you for allowing me to stay with you?"

"Yes, three times. Don't worry, Melanie. I understand that you're probably still a bit shaken up with all that's happened."

Melanie nodded pensively, chewed on her bottom lip a little. "How do you know Batman?" she asked. The question was so sudden that it caught Diana slightly off-guard.

"Um, what do you mean?"

"He brought me here for a reason. I mean, I have a hard time believing that he dropped me off at some random woman's house. I saw how you guys talked. You know each other, and he really trusts you?"

"I would imagine," said Diana. "We work together."

Melanie's brow furrowed. "Huh?"

Diana laughed. "You don't know who I am, do you?"

That little hint probably did it. Diana had to give her guest credit, she wasn't by any means slow. Melanie disengaged her knees from her body and leaned forward, eyes wandering to the silver gauntlets on Diana's wrists. That combined with tidbits of memory from having seen the superheroine on the news gave Melanie the answer. "Wonder Woman," she said. It was half statement-half question. "Oh my god."

"Goddess," replied Diana.

"You're Wonder Woman?"

""Guilty as charged."

"Wow. You have no idea how many guys at my university-" she trailed off, clearing her throat. "Never mind. "So you can like, fly?"

"Yes."

"And lift cars?"

"When necessary, although the newer models have a rather annoying tendency of blaring off their alarms."

"Wow, I wonder why Batman didn't tell me."

In truth, Diana wondered the same thing. Only one reason came to mind. "He probably assumed that I wanted my identity kept secret," she finally answered.

"Why don't you?"

The Amazon shrugged. "The concept itself is completely foreign to me. Where I come from, secrecy and subterfuge are not the ways of a true warrior. Why should they be here? Man's world is, in that sense, very confusing."

"Where do you come from?" Melanie pressed, her interest now completely piqued.

"An island. Populated solely by fellow women."

Melanie made a face. "No men? That would be terrible."

"Yes, men do have a certain charm," agreed Diana. "Although sometimes I think I would give anything to be able to visit my home again."

"Again? Why can't you."

"Exile. There are certain . . .rules that no Amazon may break, even if she does so for the good of her sisters. I broke one of the most important ones."

Sore subject, Melanie decided. Better not to press on that one. She had a thousand more questions to ask Wonder Woman, but she didn't want to be an annoyance. "Well, I certainly feel a lot safer now," she commented truthfully.

"You should," Diana concurred. "Even if your mystery assassin did know where to find you, it is extremely unlikely that he would be able to get through me." As if to prove her point, Diana grabbed a nearby oak table and hovered into the air with it in tow, hundred-pound table easily held in one hand.

Melanie stared. "Point made."

"I am by no means invincible, Melanie, but Batman brought you here for a reason. I am quite powerful and I intend to make sure that nothing happens to you."

"I still don't understand why he didn't just take me to the police," said Melanie.

"He had his reasons," said Wonder Woman confidently, shifting on the couch. Who knew, perhaps one of the reasons was that he had simply wanted to see her, something that didn't happen that much anymore given the Justice League's recent expansion. That probably wasn't the case, but it couldn't hurt to wish.

Melanie's attention, meanwhile, had drifted to the TV. 'You were watching something before I came," she stated. "What was it?"

Diana tried to recall the title. Something about fat Greeks getting married. "See for yourself she entreated.

Melanie hesitated, then picked up the remote and pressed 'play'. She instantly recognized the movie. One of her favorites, actually. "This one's funny," she told Diana. "Good choice."

"Well, by all means lets watch it then." Melanie began to get up off the couch, but something in Diana's eyes made her pause. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. Its just that ten minutes ago you were looking as though someone had killed your dog-"

"Someone did kill my dog," interjected Melanie, sighing. "He was at my place when it was blown to high hell."

"Ah. But still, when you first came here I thought it would take a thermonuclear explosion to thaw you out."

"It sucks," Melanie admitted, brushing a stray wisp of glossy black hair behind her hair. "Having someone try to kill you. Especially when you don't have a pair of bulletproof bracelets that you can bounce bullets off like ping pong balls."

"Touche."

"But when I think about it, the only things I lost were a car and a home I didn't even like anyway. Both are insured and even if they weren't, I'm not exactly dirt poor. What you saw when I first came, it wasn't the real me. Believe it or not, I'm actually a very sociable person. Too outgoing, according to some people."

"Are you scared?"

"You couldn't tell? Of course I'm scared. Its not so much what I do know as what I don't. I mean, who would want to kill me? I haven't done anything or seen any crimes take place. I'm a nobody, probably the most boring person on the planet."

Diana doubted that, but she still understood the gist of what the girl was saying. She lived a relatively simple life. Single college student. The girl was probably a real heartbreaker at her university, too cute not to be. Probably didn't have guy in her life though, or she would have called him, or at least mentioned him. What on earth had she done to make someone want to end her life?

"Tell me about Batman," Melanie said, interrupting Diana's thoughts.

"Back to him, huh."

Melanie shrugged. "He's fascinating. I-I used to think he was like an urban legend or something. You know, that figure nobody sees delivering vigilante justice, a story to scare all the petty thugs. Now though . . .well, that urban legend just saved my life. You would think he'd be too busy fighting psychopathic clowns or schizophrenic disfigured crime lords, but he rescued little old me."

"Little old you?" Diana laughed.

"Yeah, little old me. First time I ever met a superhero."

"Believe it or not he doesn't even have any superpowers."

"Guy like that, doesn't need any." Diana had to smile at Melanie's assessment. She was majoring in psychology, after all.

"You're certainly right about that," Diana agreed, wondering if she was letting too much of her own feelings slip in.

Melanie, the psychology major, said nothing, although there were speculative thoughts about Batman and Diana (or rather Wonder Woman) surfacing in her head. In fact, there was a teasing remark on her mind the instant the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," said Wonder Woman going to the door. "Its probably Bat-"

She never got to finish her sentence. The reason was because the door imploded in a loud and bright flash of intense heat and smoke. Had Diana been prepared, she would have been able to withstand the explosion but as it was, the concussive force knocked her straight off her feet.

The assassin wasted no time in targeting the girl. He didn't have his own weapons anymore but the ancient Sig Sauer handgun he'd taken from a couple thugs on the street, would do the job.

Diana saw the future. She saw the gunman, swiveling. His finger tightening on the trigger. A bullet would come out, moving at a couple thousand feet per second. It would go right through the girl like tissue paper. Or worse, if it was hollow point, it would fragment in her body, the miniature shrapnel tearing through vital organs and blood vessels. Diana saw all of this, even as her hand gripped the nearest object, a vase, and flung with all of her strength. It was almost too late, hit the barrel right before the handgun barked and spat out its deadly fire. The bullet was so close to hitting Melanie that three days later, she would still have hairline scars from the air displacement.

The assassin turned around to deal with this new threat, who had somehow managed to retaliate after being hit with an explosion like that. What he saw was her fist. In his face. Literally. It took a tremendous amount of self control for Diana to make it a nonlethal blow. Nevertheless, bone, teeth, and cartilage gave way like toothpicks under the force of her punch. The assassin's head snapped back and an instant later, he dropped unceremoniously to the ground. The entire conflict had taken place in less than ten seconds. Melanie hadn't even had time to scream.

Ironic, perhaps, that the Dark Knight would enter at that exact moment, something that suspiciously resembled concern etched in his masked face. "Diana! What happened?"

"I think your assassin decided to take another go at it," Diana said wryly, glancing ruefully down at her now-singed clothes.

"I wish I had arrived sooner," Batman said. "Not that you weren't able to handle yourself."

"The explosion caught me off guard, but I'm fine. So is Melanie."

Melanie finally found the ability to speak. "I-I guess that's the second time I've had my life saved today."

Batman glanced down at the killer's prone form. "Is he dead?"

"Yes, I'm a complete idiot and killed him just like that."

Batman didn't respond to her sarcasm. Turned to Melanie instead. "I think," he began, "that I know who's trying to kill you and why."

Melanie breathed a sigh of relief. "Great, so all we have to do is go to the police and-"

Batman shook his head. "Not that simple. Tell me, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I am grown up."

"College, right? What are you majoring in?"

"Psychology."

"That the job you want?"

"Well yeah."

"Ever thought about anything else?"

"Like what?"

"Like politics."

Melanie was so surprised she didn't answer for a beat. "Politics? No, I'm not really that political. I vote Democrat, but that's just because its what I'm supposed to do, you know, being a college student and all. Other than that and an ACLU membership card, I don't really think about politics much."

"You will."

The confidence in the Dark Knight's voice surprised even Diana. "How do you know?" she asked.

Batman took a blue sphere from his cape. "Its all in here," he answered cryptically.

"What's all in there?"

"Your future. I got this cube off of this assassin here earlier. Took me hours to figure out what it was, but I finally did. It's a computer. An information storage device. Decades more advanced than any technology that exists to date. That's because it was made fifty years from now. It details the assassin's mission parameters when he goes back in time."

"That's not possible," argued Melanie. "Are you saying that thing is from the future?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. That assassin, his fingerprints are all over this cube, but those same prints don't exist anywhere in any law enforcement database. That's because he hasn't even been born yet. He was sent from the future to kill you."

"But-but why?"

"Evidently, fifteen years from now you will become a senator. Twenty-five years from now, you'll run as vice president. Four years later, you will run as president. Second woman to be president in United Sates history. You may not have any enemies now, but by that time, you will. Its politics. One of those enemies will gain access to some time of time travel machine, and come up with the most ingenious assassination plot in history."

Realization dawned on Melanie's face. Horrific realization. "They kill me before I can ever . . .my God." If possible, she turned even paler.

Batman nodded. "This just became a major deal," he said, turning to the other woman in the room. "Too big for you and I to handle, Diana. The League needs to be notified."

"But I just took out the assassin. Melanie should be safe."

"Nice idea, but I doubt it. The assassin's employers must have some way of knowing if their guy fails, which he has. The logical thing for them to do is send someone else, someone more dangerous back to finish the job. Unfortunately, those people are, for all intents and purposes, untouchable. Separated chronologically rather than geologically and unless we can find a way to cross that barrier . . ." He trailed off, letting his silence convey his meaning. "Like I said, this situation suddenly got a lot worse."

Batman tucked the device back into the folds of his cape. "In light of things, both of you should probably get some rest. Watch a movie maybe. I hear the one about fat Greeks getting married is pretty funny."

Diana instinctively turned to look at Melanie who, despite the circumstances, wore an identical expression of surprise. By the time both of them turned around, he was gone.

AN: Well, that's my first chapter. Tell me what you think, and I'll continue if I get good feedback. Generally, I haven't been too successful integrating original characters as main characters into my stories, so tell me what I could do to make Melanie Kim more believable. Next chapter: Flash ( a character woefully neglected in this last season of JLU) will be brought in. In terms of pairings, there will be Batman and Wonder Woman of course, and then Flash and Melanie.

Like I said, R&R. Thanks in advance.

Godfather.