Diana followed the dark figure through the darkened corridors of the prison. Technically, it's not a prison where she was kept. She was waiting for the trials of the court and then to be sent to prison where the meta-human prisoners are kept. But now she is running for her freedom, again. As she kept running, her mind kept replaying only one thought – Who was that figure who saved her? Was it him?
Within a minute she was outside the prison. She kept her eyes on the figure that was grappling towards the roof of a tall building. Wasting no time, she followed the figure directly to the rooftop. Her heart was beating rapidly inside her chest with anticipation and hope. When she reached the rooftop her broken heart didn't receive any comfort after seeing the dark figure closely. He was none other than Dick Grayson aka Nightwing.
If this was any other time she would've been happy to see him but not now. Her already broken heart shattered again. Dick stood in front of Diana in his Nightwing costume after discarding the bat costume at his feet. He observed the change of expression on Wonder Woman's face for the last few moments. First it was joy, then hope which ultimately turned to sadness again.
"I'm sorry for deceiving you, by making you believe that I was him but it was the quickest way to make you follow me." Dick confessed with regret in his voice.
Diana didn't seem to hear his apology. "Is he alive? Did he made any contact?" She asked.
"I don't know, Diana. If he is alive, he hasn't made any kind of contact yet." Dick replied sadly. His own heart was breaking. He just lost his father. Bruce wasn't his blood and he was neither a perfect father figure, but still he was Bruce. Dick knows Bruce cared for him deeply but the man was too stubborn to say it aloud or show it directly. For now he just wants to go to his home in Bludhaven and stay alone for some time. But he can't. He felt he should save Diana. This is the least he can do for Bruce, by protecting the woman he loved. He knew that she doesn't need any protection, she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She is Wonder Woman after all. But this is what Bruce would've done, if he was here.
"I see." She said sadly. "Why did you help me escape? You know I am a wanted criminal now."
"Bullshit!" He spat angrily. "I don't believe that you killed Luthor."
"Why do you believe that? I am an Amazon. Unlike you and Bru…. Batman I was trained to kill if necessary." Diana questioned.
"I trust you, Diana. Besides, Bruce trusted you and that's good enough for me. And for you being an Amazon – I know who you are. You are Wonder Woman. You are the hope. You are who you are but I think there was someone in our lives who changed us for the best."
The corner of Diana's lips twitched slightly. "I guess you are right. But what you said about me, do you mean everything?" She asked looking away from Dick.
"Yes. I meant everything but they were not my words." Dick confessed.
"Then whose?" Diana said, with her gaze still fixed at the night sky.
"Bruce." Was the simple reply of Dick.
"Wh… What?" Diana asked totally shocked.
"He loved you, Diana. No matter what he said or showed by his behaviour, he loved you deeply, like no one else." Dick's confession brought tears to Diana's eyes but she held them.
"How do you know?" She asked, her voice was barely a whisper.
Dick saw the expression playing on the face of the Diana. She is really distraught over Bruce's death.
She loves him too. Dick realized. He saw Diana looking at him with her big blue eyes. He decided to answer honestly. "Everyone knows about you two. They saw the signs." Dick paused and looked at the confused expression of his audience. "Whenever he returned from League duty, he only talked about you. How stubborn you were, how you risked your life necessarily, etc. And Alfred told me he often saw Bruce staring at his parents' picture and then at yours in his computer. He never said anything to confess his feelings for you but Alfred realized it long ago. Heck, even Tim realized it. But the old man was too stubborn tom admit it to even himself. Alfred confronted him many times, his only excuse was that you are too good for any man, especially him. A broken man like him." Dick paused for few moments to take a good look at the heart broken expression on Diana's face. He could see tears were brimming at the edge of her eyes but she refused to let them fall. "Yes, he was a broken man but an all-around good man with a good heart. Over the years, since he adopted me I saw him get his heart broken over and over by different women who came in his life. But Alfred told him that you are different, on which he agreed without any argument."
"Then why didn't he came to me? I was always there waiting for him to come to me and open his heart. I am still waiting for him to come. I guess I always will." Diana said holding back a sob.
"He was afraid, Diana. Too afraid to get his heart broken again. When it comes to the matter of heart the Batman is truly an idiot and… I am sorry to say but it's true, he is a coward." Dick explained.
This time Diana couldn't held back her tears anymore. A few drops of tears escaped her eyes against her will. Dick was about to comfort her but at that moment the alarm went off.
"We should get going." Dick proposed.
"Where?" Diana asked, rubbing away the tears from her eyes.
"To manor." Dick said. Diana attempted to fly away but Dick stopped her. "Don't. Follow me. You can't let them see you." Diana accepted his proposal without another word.
LOCATION: UNKNOWN
A woman strode forward with grace down a dark corridor. Her high heels were clicking against the ground and that was the only sound in that strange place. Nothing was there except doors on two sides like a prison. After walking for a minute the woman stopped in front of a door. She waved her hand and the door unlocked on its own. With a satisfied smile on her face she stepped inside the door. The room was partially dark, lighted by a small candle. There was a bed and a chair in the room and a man was occupying the bed for the time. He was lying on the bed with his hand over his eyes. At the sound of the door unlocking he removed his hand from his eyes and stared sideways to see who had come to see him. He is imprisoned in this unknown place for a while now and he wondered why no one bothered to look for him. Now he focused his gaze on the person who entered the room.
His eyes widened because in front of him stood a stunningly beautiful woman in a long black dress. Her dress was low cut showing her cleavage and her dress hugged her curves perfectly in the right places. But from her appearance he could sense that there is something very dangerous about this woman.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" He asked angrily, trying to keep his eyes focused on her face instead of her body.
The woman notices his stare and she could sense his internal struggle. "Tut! Tut! No patience at all. This is unexpected from you….. Mr. President." She gave Luthor an evil smile that chilled his bones.
WATCHTOWER
"….. Wonder Woman escaped. But why did she escape? If she was innocent she would've stayed and waited for her trial. W…" Hawk-Girl turned off the news, irritated. "How dare they accuse her after what she has done for them since she came here?"
"It's not their fault, Shayera. They were forced to believe these things." John tried to soothe Shayera.
Shayera shoot him a murderous glare and he shut up instantly.
"All the evidences are pointing at her. You cannot discard what we saw down there." Superman said. "But I don't know why she denied it. She has never lied to anybody."
"I don't think she lied to us." J'onn interrupted.
"What do you mean?" Flash asked.
"She said what she believed."
"Huh!?" Flash asked confused.
"You mean she didn't kill Luthor?" Superman asked.
"I don't know. But there was something which we overlooked out there." J'onn explained.
"But we with our own eyes what she did. We can't deny that." John cut in. He didn't want his friend to get into trouble but it was the truth.
"What do you want us to do, John? Get Diana and hand her over to the Government?" Superman asked angry. Diana is one of his best friends and he will not let anything happen to her while he can help.
"I didn't mean that." John quickly defended himself.
"We don't know where she is now. There is nothing we can do." Flash said.
"Actually we can find her. J'onn can you trace her?" Superman asked.
"I sensed her a few times but she is not opening her mind to me. She is refusing to let me in but I have an idea where she can be." J'onn said.
"You know where Wondy is?" Flash asked eagerly.
"Probably." Was the reply from the Martian.
WAYNE MANOR, TWO HOURS LATER
"Miss Diana this is your room." Alfred gestured to enter her room. This is the same room she stayed when the Watchtower was destroyed. She thanked Alfred and went to the balcony. Her heart was heavy with loss. Alfred wasn't much better than her. He practically raised Bruce as his own son. Sure he didn't cry in front of anyone but when he is alone he shed some tears of his own.
Diana herself wasn't doing much better. Being here makes her feels strange without him. She was so lost in her memories of him that she didn't notice someone stepped behind her, looking at her longingly.
"Diana." Tim called.
Diana turned around in surprise to find the Boy Wonder at her side. He had dried tear tracks on his face which clearly showed that he was crying. When Diana stayed at the manor after the destruction of the first Watchtower, Tim took a liking at her. She was gentle, loving, caring and funny. They quickly formed a bond among themselves and he was really sad when she left after the new Watchtower was built. He knew Bruce was struggling too, to let Diana go but he crushed his heart and let her go. That was the last time Tim saw Diana until now.
Tears welled up in his own eyes again when he saw the moisture around Diana's eyes. Wordlessly he stepped forward and hugged the woman around her waist hiding his face in her belly. His whole body wrecked with sob as he cried his heart out holding her.
Diana was taken by surprise at the sudden behaviour of Tim. But she recovered from her shock quickly and put her arms around his back and held his body against her. She let him cry against her not minding that his tears were wetting her dress.
After a while Tim regained control over his emotion and he realized that he is crying holding Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman. He instantly stepped away from her. "I am sorry." He apologised. "I shouldn't have….."
But Diana didn't let him apologise. She sat down in front of him, Indian style and gently rubbed away the tears on his face with her palm. "Don't be. You are hurting and you wanted comfort. I am glad I could give you comfort even if it is small." She gave him a warm and gentle smile.
"No it was not small." Tim disagreed with a shake of his head. "I am sorry I made your dress wet."
"That is nothing for you to apologise. It's nothing." Diana assured, holding his face in her hands.
"Thanks." Tim let out a tiny smile. Then he looked away. "It's just that….. I miss him a lot."
"I know. I miss him too." Diana confessed sadly. Her voice filled with grief.
"After I lost my parents I found another Dad, gained another family. I love Tim and Alfred but they can't fill the spot of Bruce. He was like a father to me."
"And you are his son. He often talked about you and Dick, said how proud he was about you two. And he can't love you anymore even if you were his own blood. Trust me, Tim." Diana assured him gently.
"Everybody leaves me. First my parents. Then Bruce. I just wish that…." Tim stopped deciding that it is now going too far. He wanted Diana to stay here, forever but he knew that it is not possible anymore. If Bruce was alive, there might have been a chance. But with him gone, there is absolutely no chance that Diana will stay here forever. Tim knew Bruce loved this woman in front of him and she loved him in return but it will be unfair of him to ask her to stay here forever. She needed to move on with her life, find someone else or whatever else she wants to do.
But why did he want Diana to stay? Diana is an amazing person and when she stayed here after the destruction of the first Watchtower he got to know her. They quickly became friends, even became partners in crime of teasing Bruce. But among everything, Tim found something else. Love. Motherly love from Diana, Wonder Woman, Princess of the Amazons.
"Tell me Tim, what you wish for." Diana's voice brought Tim out of his trance.
"It's nothing." Tim attempted to leave but he was stopped by a warm but gentle and soft hand holding on to his wrist.
"It wasn't nothing. Tell me." Diana almost pleaded. "Please."
Tim looked at the ground debating whether he should tell her or not. He realized he has no choice. Diana can be very stubborn when she want to be, like Bruce.
"Tim?" Diana asked again, softly. She cupped his face in her hands and held his eyes. "Tell me."
Tim's resolve broke at that moment. He gave in because he knew Diana won't let him go until he speaks. He could've lied but after looking at her warm blue eyes, the caring and loving expression on her face, he didn't have the heart to lie to her. "I wish that you stay here with me in the manor, as…. As my mother." Tim confessed the deepest desire in his heart, hesitantly.
Diana was shocked totally. She froze. Her brain couldn't register the fact that Tim just asked her to be his mother. She couldn't respond. "I…..I…." That was all she managed to say.
Tim's heart broke. He really expected a lot from her. "It's okay. I will be see you later, Diana." He stepped back from her and turned around to leave.
"No!" Diana almost yelled. Tim turned around to face her with a confused expression on his face. "Don't go. I just….. never expected this."
"It is okay, Diana. Forget it."
"You don't understand. I never realized that you saw me as a mother figure, Tim." She said with tears in her eyes but they were happy tears. "I am more than happy with your confession, Tim." She smiled.
"Wha…. What?" Tim asked, shocked. His eyes were wide in disbelief.
"I will be your mother, Tim. If you still want me to be." Diana gave him a full smile.
Tim's shocking expression was replaced by a large smile on his face. "Really?" He still couldn't believe that Wonder Woman just agreed to be his mother.
"Really." Diana assured him again and opened her arms to welcome him for a hug.
Tim ran to her and flung his arms around her neck. Diana hugged him back with a smile on her face. "I will never leave you." Tim's response was a kiss on her cheek as he held on to her tightly.
Unknown to them, Alfred saw the whole exchange with a smile on his face. It was him who urged Tim to go and talk with her. His plan succeeded, his only regret that his son isn't here to see this beautiful exchange.
[/\]
"What do you want from me?" Luthor asked the woman in front of him. "And who are you?"
"It's not important who I am, Mr President." The woman replied. "But I want something from you."
"What's that?" Luthor asked with venom in his voice.
She came close to him and held his chin. "Your every little, dirty secrets."
"What do you mean?"
"I want access to your fund, your connection to your secret agents and mercenaries and your scientists." The woman demanded.
"And why would I give you everything?"
Suddenly she was very close to him. They almost stood nose to nose. Luthor saw in awe, the woman's eyes turned pitch black. "In exchange of your life, you pathetic mortal. Give me what I ask for. Don't test my patience, which I have very little."
Luthor had no choice but to give up. He is cornered badly. Whoever this woman is, she is not a foe he wants to fight with. He knew she can kill him in the blink of an eye. "Give me a paper and a pen." Luthor requested.
"That won't be necessary. You focus your memory on them. I will do the rest." The woman ordered.
Luthor nodded and she placed her hands on both side of his head. Her eyes glowed a brilliant violet for a moment and then a crooked and smile appeared on her face. "Thank you, Mr President."
NOTE: No action in this chapter. Sorry for that and also for the delay. I want to hear your thoughts about this chapter. So please review and let me know.