And here is my piece for Day 2 of WonderBatMilestones: Teammates/Friends. The rest of this series will take place in the DCAU, starting from A Warrior and ending with some of my already written pieces. This one focuses on the teammate aspect. Hope you enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: AS ALWAYS I DO NOT OWN JUSTICE LEAGUE OR ITS CHARACTERS
Batman worked alone….at least that's what he had always told people, and for a while it had worked for him. He knew it was his fear of attachments, his fear of losing someone he cared for after witnessing the murder of his parents at the tender age of eight. However, it wasn't long before he broke and allowed someone in, finally allowing himself the opportunity to allow some happiness in his life.
The first was Dick. Having become an orphan at nearly the same age as him, Bruce knew he had to take him in. He had to show Dick that his life could not revolve around avenging his parents' deaths. Instead, he took him under his wing and trained him, forcing his anger into motivation, and when he was ready, Dick became the first Robin, fighting alongside Batman in the streets of Gotham.
After Bruce came Jason, and although his time fighting alongside Batman was much shorter than Dick's, he taught Bruce the importance of accepting things you can't change. After Jason's death, Bruce had retreated back into his cold shell, building up that emotional wall that even Alfred was barely able to penetrate. Then came Tim.
After saving Tim from execution at the hands of Two-Face, Bruce knew he had to help him. He had nothing, and Bruce knew that feeling all too well. So he trained him as his third Robin, working hard to establish a trusting partnership that would last.
Unfortunately that's where his ties seemed to have ended, until the day he stepped into Metropolis and met none other than Clark Kent, skillfully disguised as a reporter, but unable to hide behind the glasses for long. Bruce would say their interactions were nothing more than respected colleagues, both fighting to keep the world safe, but he never anticipated working side by side with him on a weekly basis. That was, until, the invasion.
That damn invasion. The Imperium had come ready to take over the world, having disguised one of their own as a former astronaut, having him become a U.S. Senator. With his newest position, Senator, or who everyone thought was Senator Carter was able to weaken the world's defenses, allowing the Imperium easy access to Earth.
That's where the Justice League, a collaborative team of superheroes, came in. The seven of them were able to save Earth from the Imperium, and after deciding they needed to ensure the safety of Earth from further attacks, they formed the League: Batman, Superman, The Flash, J'onn J'onzz, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman. She had been the only unknown to have joined the fight against the Imperium, and although she had agreed to join the League and protect Earth and mankind, Batman was still skeptical of the woman. He had been careful to trust the Amazon, unsure of whether she was still a threat or not. Sure, she had helped them during the invasion, but that did not mean he could allow his guard down around her. With every other founder, he knew at least some information of their personal lives, but with Diana he knew nothing besides what she decided to share. Which is why he found himself crouched next to her, carefully watching her as the two surveyed the open area in front of them.
The Smithsonian National Zoo had received threats from animal activists, who wanted the release of their newest white alligator. They had threatened the employees on more than one occasion, and after breaking in a week prior to get the message across, authorities knew they needed to call in the big guns. It also didn't help that there were others who were just waiting to get their hands on that alligator, wanting its skin as a trophy.
Superman, wanting to assure the public that they could trust the League with all matters, decided to help, much to Batman's dismay. He didn't believe the League's resources should have been tied up with such small matters, especially when there was always trouble brewing in Gotham, but he had promised Clark he would help the team when they asked. So, he found himself in the zoo at night, waiting and watching for any signs of a break-in, an irritated Amazon besides him.
The team had decided to split up, covering multiple exits to ensure they stopped the theft. Superman, knowing he could handle anything that was thrown his way, decided to guard the alligator, hoping he would only be needed as a last line of defense. Green Lantern was surveying the West end near the big cats and The Flash was in charge of the North entrance, keeping the bears and penguins company for the night, which left the last entrance on the South end to be covered by Wonder Woman, and Batman, who had volunteered to supervise Diana. He was curious about her, but more importantly, he was worried how she would do on her own. After all, she had only been on, what she referred to as Man's World, for five months, so he wasn't sure how she could handle a situation.
He heard Diana let out a small groan, turning to look over Batman's shoulder before she stood. Her shoulder gently hit the branch above them, shaking the tree slightly, forcing Batman to throw her a glare over his shoulder. "Could you keep it quiet?" Batman growled. His voice was deep and menacing, and although he knew he should have been nicer to one of his teammates, he still didn't trust her. He watched as she narrowed her eyes, glaring at him hard as she placed her hands on her hips. She was hard headed, and stubborn, and….god she was beautiful.
He watched as her bright blue eyes stared at him, angry that he felt the need to babysit her. She was a warrior, and had been alive much longer than him. She knew how to take care of herself. "Are you always so friendly?" she asked with a grin. She watched as he clenched his jaw, irritated with her, before she let out another sigh. What had happened to the Batman who she had fought alongside during the invasion? He was at least admirable. This Batman was….well he was a jerk. Why, she didn't know, but being stuck with him afforded her one opportunity she hadn't had previously: she was alone with him, and she was going to get him to talk.
"Why the bat?" she asked as she leaned against the trunk of the tree, crossing her arms over her chest. "Favorite animal?"
She watched as Batman turned to glance at her, shaking his head, before he turned back to stare at the open space before them. "You know I don't need a babysitter," she said, watching as Batman shrugged slightly, before he retrieved a small pair of binoculars from his belt. He was silent for a moment, carefully studying the habitat before him, before she let out another sigh. "You don't trust me," she stated.
Batman turned to face her, the whites of his cowl narrowing as he contemplated how to answer her. No, he didn't trust her; he didn't trust anyone. But the reality was, he knew nothing about her, and that scared him. Batman was a detective, never rushing into a situation without a carefully formulated plan and extensive research about his adversaries. When he had first encountered Superman, he knew what his biggest weakness was, and even before meeting the other members of the League, he knew how to stop them should they ever choose to switch sides, or be compromised, but it was Diana that made him nervous. He knew nothing about her, and without any prior knowledge of her, he was scared of what she could do.
He had seen her fight enough to know the powers she possessed, and a few careful observations had shown him some of the things he needed to know. She was strong, and fast, and a very skilled fighter. She healed quickly and had incredible stamina, and although he had only heard her speak a handful of times, he knew her mind was one of her best assets. She was as smart as she was beautiful, and that worried him immensely; if she ever decided to turn against them, they wouldn't stand a chance.
"I don't know you," Batman calmly stated, flashing her a grin when he saw her raise an eyebrow, confused by his words.
"You know I helped save Man's World. You know it is my mission to continue to help save Man's World. I never lied about my intentions, and yet you continue your distrust of me." She watched as Batman placed the binoculars back into his belt, subtly stretching his back as he shifted on the branch. "If I truly was going to betray you all, I would have done it using all that fancy technology in the Watchtower."
Batman took a seat on the branch beneath him, sitting upright as he stretched his spine once more, before he turned to glance at Diana. "And what do you know of technology?" he asked. "I thought that island of yours was very primitive."
Diana pushed off of the trunk of the tree and took a step towards Batman, carefully taking a seat next to him on the branch. She watched as his shoulders tensed. "I'm a fast learner," she said with a smirk. "You would know that if you spent more time on the Watchtower."
Batman scoffed. "I don't have time to hang around the Watchtower," he explained, "I'm needed in Gotham."
Diana turned to look at Batman, who was trying his hardest not to look at her. Instead, he glanced down at their arms, which were touching slightly, and tried to avoid the blush that was creeping on his cheek. He clenched his jaw once more, confused by what was happening. The Batman did not blush.
"May the gods help whatever woman tries to get between you and your precious Gotham." She let out a small chuckle, her smile growing wider when she noticed Batman's lip curl up slightly. She opened her mouth to speak, however the two heard the faint sounds of deep hums and snorts.
Batman quickly stood to his feet, his hand reaching into his belt to pull out a batarang. He watched as Diana's hands clenched into fists, ready for a fight, before he grabbed his grappling gun. He aimed it at the roof across from them, ready to fire, when he heard Diana gasp. "Great Hera," she whispered, hopping off the branch and making her way to the ground, carefully hovering over the dirt as to not disturb the animals that had come out for a midnight walk.
"Diana," Batman whispered, trying to stop her. He didn't want her to startle the animals and cause a scene. It could give away their whole operation.
Diana, ignoring Batman, continued to hover closer to the animals, enthralled by the creatures that stood before her. They stood tall, their lanky legs carefully walking through the dirt, as their long necks reached into the tree Bruce stood in, trying to get in a quick nibble.
He watched as she got closer to the giraffes, a smile on her face as she carefully watched their faces for any sign of distress. "My, you are wonderful, aren't you," Diana said, slowly flying up to one of the giraffe's faces. She carefully reached out to touch it, silently asking for its permission to continue, before it grabbed her hand with its long tongue, forcing a laugh from the Amazon.
Batman watched as the giraffe let Diana gently stroke its head. It paid no mind to Batman as it took another few leaves from the branch he stood on, carefully nibbling on its meal. He opened his mouth to speak, however the loud sound that shook the tree, startled him, forcing him to grip the trunk of the tree, fearing he would fall.
He watched as Diana turned her head to the left, her smile growing wider when she saw the owner of the noise. "Thank you friend," Diana whispered to the giraffe, before she flew over to the next habitat. She carefully made her way inside, slightly hovering over the wet ground, not wanting to get her boots covered in mud, as she stared at the large creatures as they made their way outside.
There were three of them, and although they were large and moved slowly, they moved with grace. The large ears on their head flapped with each step they took, but what enticed Diana the most was the long protruding noses attached to their faces.
She watched as the two older creatures began to socialize, walking towards the small pool of water, as the smaller baby trotted slowly behind them. She carefully moved toward them, stopping only when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned to face Batman, watching as he reattached his grappling gun to his belt, before she offered him a smile. "What are they called?" she asked, nodding towards the creatures, as she landed on the ground next to him.
Bruce watched as the two older animals stepped into the cool water, carefully letting their trunks gather some water, before spraying their back. "Elephants," he said, watching as she nodded, still watching their every move.
"I've seen depictions of them in books, but never imagined them to be so majestic." She took a step towards the trio of elephants, her eyes wide with awe.
Batman watched as Diana stared at the animals, unable to help the smile that was creeping onto his face. Seeing her in this moment, so enthralled with the creatures before him, made her look like a sweet, curious, and innocent child. She reminded him of himself, back when his parents had taken him to the zoo in New York, and for the first time since meeting, he felt like he had something in common with her. Seeing her standing there, a wide smile plastered on her face as she watched the baby elephant join its mother in the pool, carefully spitting water from its trunk, suddenly made him realize maybe she wasn't as big of a threat to him after all.
He watched as Diana took another step towards the elephants, his smile fading when he realized what she was planning on doing. "Diana, don't," he warned, reaching for her hand. He knew they could be gentle creatures, but he also knew they could get aggressive, especially when it came to their young.
Diana ignored him and took another step towards the animals, carefully locking eyes with the biggest of the trio. She gave it a small nod and flashed the elephant a smile, letting it know she meant them no harm, before she took another step towards them, stopping when her boots hit the edge of the pool.
The three animals stared at Diana, neither wanting to make the first move. They silently stared at each other for a few moments, before the larger two turned and continued to bathe themselves with the cool water, letting Diana know she was welcomed to stay. She took a seat on the edge of the pool, letting her legs dip into the cool water, as she watched them. She turned towards Batman and offered him another smile, before she patted the spot next to her, silently asking him to join her.
He took a step towards her, stopping when he saw the baby elephant rush up to Diana. It stopped in front of her, its mouth slightly open, allowing her to see the small tusks that had begun to form. Diana quickly reached her hand out and stroked its head lightly, letting out a hearty laugh when he decided to use his trunk to stroke her face.
Batman watched as Diana gently kicked her leg, sending some water onto the calf, before it turned in a circle and let out a small snort; he was laughing, playing with Diana. The calf dipped his trunk into the pool and collected some water, before raising it and shooting it out of his trunk, showering the Amazon with the cold liquid, earning another laugh.
He stared at her, his tight face relaxing when he heard her laugh. Had she always had such a beautiful laugh? It only seemed fitting for someone as gorgeous as her. He quickly shook that thought out of his head as he made his way to Diana, stopping next to her. He was a bit apprehensive about being this close to something that weighed upwards of three tons, but he knew Diana wouldn't let anything happen to him, no matter how cynical he had been earlier. "Having fun?" he asked, watching as she grabbed her hair and pulled it to the side, carefully ringing it out, before she threw it back over her shoulder.
"I am," she answered with a grin. He watched as the elephant wrapped its small trunk around Diana's waist and nuzzled its head into her chest, before she let out another laugh. "You need to lighten up," she said, gently patting the calf's side.
She watched as Batman grumbled something inaudible, as the calf dipped his trunk into the pool once more, however when he pulled it out, Diana was not his intended target. He carefully aimed at Batman, spewing every ounce of water he had stored up, before he trotted away towards his mother, leaving a soaked, annoyed Batman, and a jubilant Diana.
Batman quickly wiped his face with his gloved hand, carefully glaring over at Diana who had a smug smirk on her face. "Did you tell him to do that?" he asked.
He watched as she stood from her place at the edge of the pool and wiped some water off her shoulder, before she turned to face him. "Are you insinuating I can talk to animals?' she asked, taking a step towards him, watching as he stood still, his face turning stern. "I can assure you, I did not have anything to do with that," she replied, "Maybe he got tired of your brooding."
Batman opened his mouth to speak, shutting it quickly when the two of them heard Superman's voice through their com links. "Superman here," he said, the urgency in his voice apparent, "I could use some assistance at the reptile room."
Diana and Batman looked at each other, before they dashed out of the habitat, quickly going over the fence and onto the main trail. They made their way to where Superman was, bursting into the door to see him restraining two would-be thieves. To his left stood The Flash, assisting with the third thief. On his right laid the white alligator, its eyes staring at Batman, debating whether or not he would make a great dinner.
Batman took a step back, watching as the alligator advanced towards him. His heart stopped when the alligator opened its jaws, showing Batman the rows of sharp teeth. Batman quickly took another step back, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw a bright green bubble encase the alligator, stopping any further attempts on his life. "That could have been nasty," Green Lantern said, forcing Batman to look up at him and nod his thanks.
"What do we do with the big guy?" The Flash asked, speeding up to Diana, stopping next to her in an attempt to impress her yet again.
Batman glanced over at the speedster and groaned internally. When would he learn that dating within the team was going to cause more harm than good. Most importantly, when was he going to learn Diana was not interested in him? He quickly shook his head free of the thought. Who Diana was interested in was no concern of his. After all, the only reason he had come on this mission was to make sure she didn't screw things up. But after seeing her so enticed, like a child on Christmas morning, and hearing her beautiful angelic laugh, he couldn't help but think maybe Flash had the right idea. Who wouldn't be able to stop themselves from going after her?
"Ask Dr. Dolittle," Batman mumbled to himself, before he turned on his heel and walked out, causing Diana to chuckle. She had heard his comment, and although she had wanted to reply with a snide remark of her own, she had decided against it. He was having a bad night, she could at least be nice and not make it any worse.
Batman left the room, his boots squeaking against the tile floor as he left a trail of water behind him. "What happened to him?" The Flash asked, turning to Diana for an answer.
Diana smiled, remembering the calf and his assault on Batman. She opened her mouth to speak but thought better of it, deciding to keep that memory for just the two of them. "I don't know," was all she said, before she walked out of the building, knowing after tonight, he would learn to trust her more.
There it is folks. Hope you enjoyed it!