*El Espíritu de Gotham - The Spirit of Gotham

Ixtapa (Guitar Duet - Instrumental) - Rodrigo y Gabriela


"Okay, off with you. You got somewhere better to be than being stuck in here. Go have some fun!"
"Thank you, sister. I'm glad you're back with us."
"And Di? Knock him out."
Two Days - Traveling - Friday Night


Bruce had to admit, Diana had great taste in cars. He was driving a black new model BMW M6 convertible, top down, and enjoying the scenery. As long as he could keep his attention on the road periodically, he was able to watch Diana enjoy the ride. She lifted her chin up into the air, eyes closed, letting her hair flow around her. Every now and then, a slight smile would cross her lips.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself. What are you thinking?" Bruce asked, watching as she opened her eyes at his question.

"I'm thinking how wonderful it feels being out with you right now. I never thought we'd ever get to do this. And I'm imagining that we're flying together, and that you're the one controlling where we're going."

"Ah, but my piloting is on the ground. You've flown in the upper reaches of the stratosphere. I can't compete with that."

"Don't sell yourself short, Bruce. Your presence is what's making this exciting. Besides, one day you're going to let me come with you on patrol and ride in the Batmobile. Now that sounds like a thrill right there!"

"I am, am I? You know Batman doesn't like working with metas. What makes you think you'll be able to partner up with him?"

"Well, if you don't tell him I have divine powers, I might be able to convince him I have great hand-to-hand combat training, I'm awesome with a sword and a bo staff, and I've been working on my investigative skills. I might be of use to him."

"I'll pass on the memo." She turned her head and glared at him. He continued to look out the front window.

"Where are we going, anyways? You haven't exactly been forthcoming with the details."

"Don't you trust me? I think I can plan a great night out fit for a princess."

"Ah, but remember, it's just Diana now. She can be quite demanding herself."

"I think I can please her, too." He reached over and rubbed his hand over her knee, pushing the skirt of her dress up to caress her leg. She took his hand in her own and held it in her lap. She didn't want him getting her riled up, and he needed to keep his eyes on the road. He squeezed her fingers in amusement.

They eventually arrived in center city Gotham. Diana started observing the buildings as they rode through the cavernous streets. The summer sun was still out, coloring the sky with delicate blues and pinks. She knew it was a dangerous city at night, but she could feel a vibrant energy emanating from the people walking along the sidewalks. It reminded her of a bit of New York.

She realized there was something familiar about this particular area of Gotham, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Then she remembered that most of her experience with this city consisted of stakeouts on the rooftops with Batman. She was seeing it in a totally different point of view. Traffic had halted for a red light and Bruce stopped to allow a taxi to merge into the lane.

Diana noticed they were in front of a very exclusive, elegant establishment - The Iceberg Lounge? "Bruce, this area seems familiar. Why is that?"

"What, you don't remember this place? I'm insulted! I come here quite often to reminisce and to visit an old friend of ours."

"We have a friend here? Where?" He pointed upwards to a building top. There she could see a row of gargoyles, one obviously shorter than the other. She gasped and put a hand to her mouth.

"I visit good ol' Headless now and then, asking him if I did the right thing that night. He gives me the same answer every time."

"And what's that?"

"That I was a stupid idiot with all my issues and I was the one who should have lost his head, not him." Diana laughed at Bruce's confession. In a fit of whimsy, she unbuckled her seatbelt, climbed to the top of her seat and held her arms up towards the damaged statuary.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Headless, but he made me do it! It's all his fault!" She started laughing as people stared at her as if she were crazy. Suddenly she felt a hand grab her and yank her down, making her squeak in surprise. She giggled as Bruce pulled her across his seat, taking her as far into his arms as the space would allow him.

"Thanks for that, my dear. Now he'll never let me hear the end of it." She pecked him on the lips before struggling out of his hold. She made sure to give an extra bit of wiggle in his lap before moving back to her seat.

"At least I've confirmed one thing," Diana glanced around their environment in interest. "The spell is working. No one recognized me nor paid any attention to us."

"Hmm…seems that way." Bruce had his communicator out, tapping away on the screen. He raised the tech to a point across the street, pressed a button, and started typing on the letters again. Diana looked over to see that he had taken a picture of a large white truck parked across the street, brightly painted with pictures of balloons, flowers, and animal characters. The line between Bruce's brows indicated that something was out-of-place.

"What are you doing, Bruce. Are you actually working on our date?"

"Hmm? Uh…no. Not actually..." Diana made to grab the offending tech from his hands, but he moved out of the way, still tapping his message. "Isn't it strange to you that truck is here?"

"Why wouldn't it be? It's a party truck. People have parties all the time."

"And you want to partner with me some time. I'm going to have to work with you on that a bit more." Bruce glanced over to see Diana frowning at him. "Um, I mean, that company is a little too casual for this type of establishment. This is a place for exclusive gatherings and dinners, not children's parties. It doesn't belong here. I'm just forwarding this information to my cover tonight."

"Your cover?"

"Nightwing. He's taking over my patrol for the evening. Maybe for the weekend, depending how things go." He smirked slightly at this confession.

"Uh huh. Well first off," she snagged the communicator out of his hand, "I'm going to be the center of your attention tonight. I understand if you have to coordinate some things, but you are not wearing the cowl. You're mine. I'll fight you over this if necessary."

"Feisty! I like that." He made to grab the comm unit back, but she tucked it in towards her body.

"Promise me you won't disappear into your work tonight." He opened his mouth. She put up a finger. "If you want the possibility of this date lasting all weekend, you'll keep the work to a minimum."

"With those terms, who am I to refuse?" He held out his hand for the communicator. She wiggled it in front of him, still out of reach.

"Come get it yourself." Bruce unbuckled his seatbelt, put the car in park, and crawled over to Diana's side. He stretched across her, trying to grab the tech from her hand. She held it out from the car, making him reach even more. Taking the cue, he distracted her with a kiss, then tickling her under her rib. She was having a hard time avoiding his fingers and keeping her arm out the window.

Honk honk! "Whoo hoo! Get her, man! Yeah, gurl, make him work for it!" Bruce and Diana glanced over to the vehicle beside them. A group of young people watched, the girls gazing dreamy-eyed at the sexy couple in the nice car. With her attention diverted, Bruce snatched the communicator from Diana. He countered the aggressive move with a light kiss to her lips.

"Aaaaawww!" the girls sighed. "They are so cute!" They turned to their boyfriends beside them. "Why can't you be that sweet?" The vehicle suddenly erupted in a tangle of outraged voices.

"I think I like this charm. We're just another couple making out in traffic." Diana readjusted her dress that Bruce had subtly lifted up her thigh. "This has to be the longest red light ever. How come nothing's moving?"

"Ah, damn! Sorry about that." He moved back to the driver's seat, reached forward and pushed a button on the car's dashboard. The red light finally turned green. Diana looked over at him in astonishment, her mouth open in surprise. He answered her with a shrug of the shoulder.

"You know the law. No texting and driving at the same time. I just made sure I was texting safely."

"I should know better than to think you have any type of vehicle without special tech installed."

"If you only knew. Though, the only car in our garage that's better fortified than the Batmobile is the limo. Alfred's specs. It's a freakin' tank in chrome!"

"Well, for all the enhancements, can this thing get us to dinner faster? I'm really hungry now."

"Just push that little button above your leg." She smoothed down the skirt of her dress, blushing at his choice of words. He leaned his head down onto the steering wheel at her reaction. "I mean the one on the dashboard." She reached over and pressed the button he indicated. Each light down the street turned green.

"Nice. You're putting this into my car, if I ever get one."

"Let's get you a driver's license first. We'll practice in this car." Her grin lit up brighter than the green lights lining the road.

The car eased forward as traffic started moving again. Diana noticed they were moving away from the fancy establishment. "So I guess we're not going in there?"

"Oh no. Honestly, I don't really enjoy places like that. They're so pretentious, and I tend to have to play the insufferable playboy in that environment. I'd rather stay away from there."

"Hmmm…the plot thickens. Any clues on where we're going then?"

"Actually, I'm thinking of a place a bit more down to earth, but in the sky as well."

"You and your riddles! Am I going to get a straight answer out of you tonight?"

"Maybe." She tapped him on the shoulder in play frustration. "This place is a little more out of the way, but I think reflects the spirit of Gotham better than the elite places most can't experience. I visit every now and then after work, to see if business and the neighborhood are going well. They treat me more genuinely than those places that like to fawn over me...or more accurately, my money."

"This place already sounds nice. Are you sure we needed the truth charms if they're more accepting of you?"

"I still don't want anyone to know we're there. The news of Wonder Woman on a date with Bruce Wayne would spread through the city like wildfire. I'll just have to act as if I don't know them. Which will be hard, they're really nice people."

Diana watched as the cavernous streets opened up to a lower skyline. A few taller buildings dotted the landscape, but the avenues seemed to become more spacious as more sky could be seen. The buildings had the quality of renewal; they were old but classic, and an effort was being given to spruce up the area. Flowers adorned windows, storefronts opened their doors to passing pedestrians, and restaurants offered open air seating.

"This area seems different from the main part of the city. More lived in. Tell me about the people at this place."

"Well, the neighborhood actually wasn't this accessible until about seven years or so ago. Before that, this area was over run with gangs and violence. All the people you see walking about, even during the early evening, would have made sure they were inside by this time. It took Dick and me quite a bit of work to clean it out. There was one particular gang that didn't want to let go of their hold. But as we were doing the dirty work, the area citizens were trying their best to pick up the pieces.

"One particular couple was brave enough to actively help us take out this gang. They caught my attention as I was chasing some of the gang leaders, and pointed to where they had hidden. The husband actually had to hold back his wife; she was livid that they were near her home. She was ready beat them to a bloody pulp. I think it was an act of mercy for me to take them down, not her. Their help made it possible to finally crack the chokehold the gang had on the neighborhood. So imagine my surprise when they approached me a few weeks later at Wayne Tower for financial help.

"They wanted to make a warehouse along the waterfront into something that the neighborhood could enjoy. They didn't have any money, and the banks wouldn't give them any type of loans, so they contacted me with their idea. Of course, they didn't know that I already knew them, but their bravery impressed me even more. It's one thing to help a masked vigilante track down some criminals; it's another to march straight into the building of Gotham's richest citizen and ask for help."

"I can only imagine the reception they would have received at the front desk. How did they even get to see you?"

"They wanted to serve me lunch! And since I was just arriving to the building around Noon, I saw them trying to get past the guard to give it to me. I saved them from getting thrown out, and brought them up to my office and let them give me their pitch. As I was eating their delicious food, they told me how they wanted to open a restaurant that reflected their various heritages; He's Greek, she's Puerto Rican. I had a small bit of experience with the Greek culture" he saw Diana smile, "and I'd been to Puerto Rico before, so I was intrigued."

"To make a long story short, it was one of the best investments I've made. They received the loan they asked for, in exchange they would not only build the business they wanted but they would also lead the area's clean up and renaissance. It hasn't been easy for them, but their tenacity and sheer guts inspired others in the neighborhood to take back their streets. It's not paradise, but it's theirs."

They made their way through an area filled with activity. Various restaurants opened their windows, filling the air with smells of food, music of many different styles and languages, and voices raised in laughter. Diana craned her neck to take in all the sights and sounds, reveling in the neighborhood's energy. She noticed the cobblestone road started rolling upwards, and that they were driving towards a building situated on the crest of the hill.

The building loomed over the neighborhood like a benevolent guard. It was the only structure in that area, Gotham Bay's sun dappled waters peaking from around its corners. The red brick building had been retrofitted with large, clear windows and lined with lights along its classic architecture. From the outside, one could see high, airy ceilings with soft lighting and swirling design features.

Bruce pulled up to the building front, parked, and stepped out of the car. He circled to the other side and helped Diana out of the passenger seat. After handing the keys to the valet and receiving the claim ticket, he hooked his princess' arm around his own and walked towards the glass door.

"El Club Cielo," Diana read out loud, the word printed in an elegant font on the door window. She looked at Bruce for a translation.

"It means 'The Sky Club'. It was one of the pitch points the couple gave me. The restaurant would be on the ground floor, but a special area would be set up on the roof of the building. More like a dancing and dining area. The view will explain it better, you'll see."

The receiving area reflected a mix of modern and traditional design, a blending of Mediterranean and Caribbean influences. A young, slim teenage girl stood at the hostess stand, dressed in a modest but form-fitting blue dress. Her long, black braided hair hung over one shoulder, contrasting nicely with her sun-kissed skin. Warm brown eyes greeted them as she welcomed them to the establishment, her smile accentuating her high-cheeked elfin face.

"Bienvenidos al Club Cielo. ¿Tienen una reserva?" She delivered the standard greeting brightly, then gave Bruce a curious glance. She switched to speaking English. "Have you been here before? You seem very familiar."

"Uh, no, but I've heard great things about this place. I wanted to check it out with my new girlfriend." Diana perked up when he addressed her as his "girlfriend." Such a silly term...but it meant so much. She squeezed his arm in affection.

"Well, I hope you like it here! It really is the nicest place in the neighborhood. My parents worked hard to make it so. What's your name for the reservation, sir?"

"Prince. Thomas Prince." Bruce fought for a straight face when he gave his name. He could practically feel Diana's astonished stare. The girl glanced down at her reservation book, and nodded when she found his name. She grabbed two menus and motioned them to follow her. "Looks like you got the best table in the house. I'm so excited for you. You're really in for a treat!"

"'Prince', huh? Does that mean if we got married I would be 'Diana Prince'?" Diana whispered in Bruce's ear.

"You'd change your name? I'm surprised. That doesn't sound very Amazonian to me." He wrapped his arm around her waist as they followed the pretty hostess.

"Considering I don't really have a last name, I guess I would have to pick one."

"And do you have one in mind?"

"I'm still figuring that out. I'll let you know when I know." He pinched her above her rear, making her jump. She lightly shoved him to the side. He held her tighter around the waist, bringing her with him.

The hostess, oblivious to the tousling happening behind her, led them to an elevator behind the hostess stand. A group of musicians waited for the next cab to arrive. They watched the trio approach and stood back from the door. "Hola, Alicia. Going to the top?"

"Sí. We have some new customers joining us tonight. You guys setting up the stage?"

"Yes. Of course, Antonio here has to lug this huge ass bass with us everywhere. It's going to take one trip up by himself to get that thing up there."

"Hey, don't disrespect the bass. Its tradition! My papa played it. Just because we have the electric stuff doesn't mean we can leave the acoustic instruments behind. It sounds better."

"Well, you guys can wait for the next one. This couple goes before you." It looked like the group was about to protest when Alicia hushed them, waving them towards another door with a flip of her hand. "Go through the kitchen if you're impatient. You can take the dumb-waiter if you're in a hurry. Customers first." With a flouncy turn of the head, she claimed the elevator as it opened and ushered the undercover heroes inside.

"A Dios. She's as feisty as her mother." The band members nodded their agreement.

The three stood silently as the elevator lifted them to the top floor. Bruce and Diana could see that Alicia was trying not to stare at them. Or more specifically, at Bruce. "Lo siento, señor, but you seem so familiar to me. Are you sure we haven't met?"

"Positive. I'd remember a lovely young lady as yourself." He gave a kind smile, letting just a bit of the playboy come through. The girl blushed shyly, ducking her head and glancing away. Diana thought it was cute. The elevator opened with a ringing of a bell, letting its passengers out into a foyer. The design was similar to the greeting area downstairs, but even more airy and inviting.

"If you could wait here, señorita y señor, I'll go check to see if your table is ready. We're moving things around so we can set up the dance floor and stage." Alicia hurried away, leaving the couple to study a number of framed photos on the wall. Diana stepped closer, seeing pictures of a handsome couple posing with various celebrities, politicians, and local personalities. The husband had a weathered, but appealing look, and the wife stood proudly beside him. Each picture had them smiling serenely into the camera.

It wasn't until Diana spotted a picture separated from the rest that she let go of Bruce's arm and walked towards the opposite wall. The area was definitely set up as a place of honor, the picture accompanied by a bronze plaque mounted beside it. The photo showed the couple smiling warmly into the camera, their eyes shining brighter than in the other pictures, arms around the shoulders of another person between them. A little girl had her thin arms reaching around the waist of the middle figure, trying to surround him with a hug.

In the center of the family stood Bruce Wayne, a bright smile on his own face. He appeared younger, fewer lines around his eyes. But then, that smile could have erased a full decade from his countenance. He had his hand on the little girl's back, bringing her in closer for the hug. The bronze plaque stated:

"Thank you to Bruce Wayne and Wayne Enterprises for making El Club Cielo possible. It's with his support that we are able to pursue our dreams and bring hope to our neighborhood. You will always be a part of our family. Con amor, la familia de Demopoulos."

A pair of warm arms surrounded her from behind as Bruce put his chin on her shoulder. "When I agreed to fund this building, I figured I could use it as a base of operations when watching this particular part of the city. I haven't had to give too much attention here since it was cleaned out, but having a place to go where I could trust the people to keep my civilian presence low-key has helped. They don't know it, but I've installed certain monitoring devices and enhanced the perimeter's security. This is the safest place in the neighborhood, and they've thrived under its protection."

"And in the meantime, they've welcomed you in with open arms. They've adopted you as one of their own."

"Sometimes against my better judgment. But that woman in the picture is a force to be reckoned with. If she had superpowers, she'd be unstoppable!"

Diana studied the picture in amazement. She had no idea that Bruce was so intimately involved with his support. She thought he kept a cool distance from those he donated to, but apparently this was an exception. She gave the little girl another look. She could almost see the young woman in the tiny, smiling face...

"Alicia was eleven years old when that picture was taken. I watched her grow up as I visited to inspect the neighborhood and have dinner here. It was nice seeing her in such a warm, welcoming environment. It almost hurts me to know I'm about to make her life ten times harder in a few weeks."

"What? What has she done? Is she in trouble?"

"Not in the way you think. See some of this artwork along the wall?" Diana glanced around and noticed a number of framed paintings and drawings. They showed a good amount of skill though slightly amateurish. All were brightly colored like their creator's personality. They complemented the welcoming environment well.

"Alicia made those. She would run to my table as I ate dinner and show me her latest creation. As she progressed, she started building a portfolio. Just last year she submitted her application to various art schools. Every one of them accepted her, but the tuition was too expensive. Her parents couldn't support her.

"I found out about it the last time I was here a few months ago. She was depressed and thought she would be stuck as a restaurant worker for the rest of her life. If it were up to her parents, she would stay with them indefinitely. They don't want her to leave."

"Sounds familiar to me. My mother was the same way. I had to basically run away to do what I thought was right. You think Alicia's going to do that?"

"No, she's a good girl." Diana glanced at Bruce, her expression saying 'and I wasn't?' He pretended not to see her. "But she's about to get a very generous scholarship from the Martha Wayne Endowment for the Arts. Her future is going to open up in ways she couldn't even imagine. Her challenge will be to convincing her parents to let her go."

"Is that why she thinks she recognizes you?" A frown line appeared between his eyebrows. "Bruce, this is one of the most genuine things I've ever seen you do. This is the real you. I think the charms are letting some of that through. You have to be careful around here. They might not recognize me, but they'll possibly see you."

"As long as I don't interact too closely with them, they won't recognize me. Besides, I'm good at throwing people off my scent. I'm Thomas Prince, just a regular Gothamite with my lovely new girlfriend." They were about to lean into a kiss when Alicia popped up, her braid swinging freely down her back.

"Oops! Lo siento. Sorry to interrupt, but your table is ready. This way, por favor!" She led them out a set of glass doors, the warm wind greeting them. The young lady stood to the side, very proud of the establishment her parents had built. Diana gasped at the view, understanding why it was named Cielo, and why Bruce supported it.

She gazed out across Gotham Bay as the main city twinkled in the twilight horizon. The buildings seemed to compete for height, even Wayne Tower, which stood out from the rest with its iconic "W". She could see the two main bridges connecting the city to the mainland, and a number of boats dotted the water, their lights and water ripples the only indications they were there. They were high enough where the street sounds below disappeared, and the air was cleaner, blowing in the salty bay water scent.

But it was the sky that stole Diana's breath. Clouds billowed across the horizon, golden light beaming through the breaks in cover. She wouldn't have been surprised to see gods using those sunbeams to descend from their palaces. She couldn't even start counting the different colors scattering across the atmosphere. She tried naming them; coral, indigo, cerulean, magenta, violet, terra-cotta...

It was as if Alicia took her paint palette and threw it up into the sky. The colors reflected off the bay waters, making it look like heaven and earth flipped, confused on which was supposed to be on top. The sunset's beauty nearly brought tears to Diana's eyes. She didn't realize she had stopped walking to stare until she could feel Bruce pull her away from the view. His smile said I knew you would like it.

Their table sat at the edge of the patio, raised up on a tiled daïs reminiscent of a classic Greek plaza garden. It was definitely designed for privacy and intimacy, two high walls separating it from the public area, but it still had a view. Bruce pulled Diana's chair out for her, only seating himself once she was comfortable. She was still staring out into the bay, a dreamy look in her eyes when he reached over to touch her hand. She jumped in surprise, but recovered quickly, giving his fingers a light squeeze.

"I wanted to show you just how high you've made me feel these past few days, but I didn't think a date in the Batwing would have been appropriate. I hope you like it here."

"You could have flown me in a Javelin to Saturn, and my heart still wouldn't be soaring as high as it is right now. Bruce, this is amazing! I'm so happy that you're sharing this with me."

Diana leaned over the table to gently kiss Bruce on the cheek. He turned into towards her, capturing her lips in a sweet touch of his own. They could feel the heat from the tea candle flickering on the table below them, but ignored it as they continued their silent communication. A tiny cough brought them out of their private world, the couple trying to find where the sound came from.

Peeking from around the corner, Alicia glanced curiously to see if they had stopped kissing. She held two black portfolios in her hand, clutching them to her chest in interest. "Perdóneme, but I forgot to give you the menus. I'll just leave these. Someone will be by to take your orders soon. I'll make sure they make noise on the way here." With her bold pronouncement, she sauntered back towards the elevator.

"Hmmm...I'm going to call her out on that the next time I see her. I don't think she's as innocent as she lets her parents believe. Seems familiar, doesn't it?" Bruce saw Diana fix her own innocent look on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She opened the menu and started reading the selections. Bruce watched as her eyes squinted at the text, then widened in recognition. She started to smile, then grin at what she read. She quickly looked up at Bruce in excitement.

"As I told you, they served me lunch when they pitched me their idea. The only other food like it I've ever eaten was served at your Mother's palace. Remember, half the business was founded by a Greek."


Spanish Translations:

El Club Cielo - The Sky Club
Bienvenidos al Club Cielo. ¿Tienen una reserva? - Welcome to the Sky Club. Do you have a reservation?
- Yes
Hola - Hello
A Dios - Oh, God (as an exclamation like 'goodness!")
Lo siento, señor - I'm sorry, sir
señorita y señor - Miss and Mister
Con amor, la familia de Demopoulos - With Love, the Demopoulos Family
por favor - Please
Perdóneme - Excuse me