Well this story one-shot takes place after The Princess and Her cape. The league has just saved the Amazons on Thermyscira from Hades and instead of banishing Diana from the island for bringing Men to their home the Amazonians decides to throw a feast in their Honour and to show their gratitude for saving them. Almost all members of the league are present at the Feast except one …. guess who? :P
Batman was working on repairing the Jet as it had sustained some damaged during the battle. He was sitting in front of the console and typing away commands to run diagnostics and other operations to check whether the jet is capable of flying him to Gotham in in its current condition. Every now and then, almost between periodic key strokes he would pause for a moment and think about her and whether he should join the feast with her and the rest of the league. But for a moment is all the thought lasts as he sees the sun is about to set across the horizon and it's time for him to return home. But even then he gets an unexplained urge to stay here.
Stay here with her.
He can feel her even though is busy with her mother and sisters and is in some other part of the island , busy with Hippolyta. He can feel her beside him, not in a seat far off from where he sat. if he tried hard he might even be able to see ghostly image of her sitting beside him and giving him her bright smile, the smile that somehow manages to melt something inside him.
But he would never admit it.
He would never admit he gets this tingling feeling in his fingers after he catches her stare lingering or her voice dwindles because the silence in the room speaks louder than her words ever will. He would never admit that he brushes against her shoulder sometimes in the corridor or near the Monitor Room just to feel her, just to try and get her to shiver when pale skin meets dark suit. He would never admit that he likes the way she looks at him. He would trade a thousand years to know what she sees every time she looks at him and to feel her close to him and hold her heart in ways he may never be able to. They had become close in many ways and yet were far in away from each other in some.
Maybe it was because he was so consumed in his thoughts that he noticed a bit late another presence enter the jet. He didn't turn around as he saw the reflection of the person behind him on the screen.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Batman" Hippolyta spoke as she knew that the mortal had sensed her presence
"Likewise Queen Hippolyta" he returned the gesture as he thought of the possible reasons she may have for visiting him and he could come up with only one. Diana.
"Thank You for saving us from Hades –"
" I was just doing my part as a member of the league" he replied interrupting Hippolyta " now with that out of the way, why have you come to meet me ?"
For a moment Hippolyta felt a surge of anger against this mortal who dares to be disrespectful against her, the Queen of Amazons. Under different circumstances she would have ordered her warriors to behead him for his insolence. But she bit back her harsh remark and spoke.
"As expected of the Batman I suppose. I quite sure you would have guessed why I am her or to be precise about who"
"Princess" Batman gave a curt reply as he continued to work on the console.
"She likes it when you call her Diana just like rest of your team mates or maybe even Wonder Woman will do." Hippolyta argued and Batman looked up at her reflection for a moment and sets his jaw before quickly relaxing it and turning around to look at Hippolyta. He shrugs his shoulders expectantly and Hippolyta sighs, and walks around the jet towards him before going on, "I think it's time for her to return home and stay with her people."
The silence that settles in the room is nothing but bitter and Batman seems a bit taken aback by the whole idea. "Stay?" He manages to choke out and continues working the console with somewhat clammy hands
"Yes,. As in leave the league and return back to Thermyscira " Hippolyta starts, but Batman cuts him off after a moment.
"What does she think? Diana? Have you talked to her about this?" He manages to get out while glancing away for a moment toward the entrance of the Jet, where he sees a dash of pale skin and a flick of Raven hair behind the Door and the soft padding of footsteps that takes off away from the Jet.
"I haven't talked to her about it yet."
"You're making rash decisions like this without her consent?"
"I would think she would be alright with it. We all need breaks from traveling, Batman. Especially her" She says a bit seriously, and Batman blinks as he stares at Hippolyta.
"And what if she didn't want a break?"
"She does. She Will. I was just manipulated by hades and I know that my Daughter had similar experience before with new god Darkseid. Though I hate to say it, I never realized how traumatic her experience from then would have been. She needs me now and I need her"
"Fine then, Go ask her. I don't know why you need mine or the league's consent. It's not like she had made a vow to be with us or something like that" He replied in a bitter tone.
For a moment Hippolyta felt the urge to raise her voice against this mere mortal who was mocking her.
"if I were you, I would not raise my voice. After all there are some people currently on the island including your daughter more than capable of hearing what you are saying from a distance. Who knows …. She may be listening"
"Is she? I don't think she is, Batman, and I also think you don't have the right to decide what my daughter and I are going to do with our lives. Besides, it's not like you expected her to stay with you forever."
"Maybe I did expect that."
"No, you didn't. Because of all people, you are not one to think idiotic things like that. My daughter is 5000 years old immortal being and if you think a mere handful of years can cause an impact in her life then maybe you aren't as smart as my daughter thinks you are"
Batman cringes and Hippolyta turns around and exits the jet, storming off away from the Beach as she made her point about her daughter to Batman clear enough. Batman looks out at the vast ocean in front of him and decides to attend the feast or at least inform his team mates that he will be leaving for Gotham soon. At the Feast both Hippolyta and Batman acts like nothing happened until later, when Diana looks at him and swipes at her eyes, forcing the smallest of smiles. He would never admit it, not to himself or anyone else, but for a moment he feels the swelling need to tell her. But he cannot find the words to tell her.
It's later and when he's watching from the shadows outside, Diana and Hippolyta enjoy the feast, but she turns at the split second and notices him, calling out to Hippolyta that she'll meet her there in a moment. She walks back down the stairs and they stare at each other, and somehow within seconds she's got her arms wrapped around him and he's clinging to her as if she might fall away at any moment.
"I'm not going anywhere, you idiot." She mumbles into his Chest. She sighs slightly and she tightens her hug and it occurs to him how much he truly does like hugging her, because she reminds him of a happier place where they could have been together with no complications, he wondered if this is what Diana felt when she used his Cape and frankly if he were to be honest with himself, everything about her makes him want to hold on as tightly as he can.
"Maybe you should go," He starts, trying to play nice and push her focus back to Hippolyta because even he knows that if he doesn't let go of her soon he may not ever be able to, "just for a bit. A little holiday for you, give those hands a break from running around and beating bad guys."
"I don't want a vacation and if you want me gone, then too bad as I am staying." She replies in that stubborn tone of hers, and they pull away from each other and she's frowning, reaching out to press her palm against his cheek, "if I leave, won't you be alone?"
"I'll be fine, Princess."
"I like to be called just Diana a tad bit better -"
"Hippolyta already told me about that."
"Oh Hera, just shut up and let me finish, you idiot." She snickers, "I like to be called Diana but if you're the one saying it, I like Princess, but only coming from your mouth." She says, pursing her lips for a moment before poking his cheek with her thumb, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, am fine." He lies, leaning into her touch and nudging her palm with his nose, sighing as he closes his eyes briefly. After a moment she lets him fold her up in his arms once more, an even tighter hug this time as she buries his face in his shoulder and swallows back what feels like – tears.
"I'm not going anywhere, Batman, trust me. Mother would have bring an army have to drag me off the League to get me to leave." She mumbles into him, and he pulls away and takes her face in his hands, calloused thumbs running over her cheeks as he tilts her head down and presses an unchaste kiss to her forehead, resting his against hers, "Batman," She starts, but he stops her by pulling away with a sad smile, and she has to bite down on her tongue to keep from lunging back at him.
"Go to bed, Princess or your mother might come out searching for you." He said trying to lighten the mood
"That's the thing, though – you have that look when you're worried about me. Are you worried about me?" She questions him, crossing her arms for a moment and looking at him while he pauses for a second before answering her.
"I always worry about you, never knew why though."
"I guess that's Mutual then." She says with a smile. " will you stay here for the feast?"
"I can't princess, I need to go to Gotham. Been away for too long already"
"Stay safe, Bruce" She tells him and gives him a quick kiss on his exposed cheeks. He sighs as he sees her quickly leave and return to feast, her hair trailing behind her like a streak of Night. She's all warm and stubborn and fire and she makes him hate the fact that he is what he is as he may hurt her.
Hippolyta stood at the beach as she watched the jet take off towards the man's world as she wondered about what she had seen happen between Batman and her daughter and compared with her own memory of her relationship with Hades.
Batman braces his hands against the console and prepares to fly the jet and return to Gotham as he wonders if there lies even slight hope that he may have a chance to lead a life with his princess without compromising his mission.
And that's end for now. So how was this one-shot sequel compared to previous one?
Did I get the characters and their personalities ryt or were they OOC? . So should I continue this or not?
All reviews and criticism are welcome.