Echoes of the Past
Rated: T
Summary: Diana is troubled by Bruce's past life. And I mean past life, literally. Chapter 4: Diana finally tells Bruce her current problem with his past life. Then Bruce tells her the story of a Feline Fatale...BM-WW, BM-CW.
In continuity with 'The Return of My Sister' (still only chapter three...). Screw DC's Infinite Crisis! All characters belong to the DC Comics, and trust me, I make no money out of this. Thanks always to Athena Phoenix for the great beta.
Chapter 4. A Talk Over the TowerThe soft breeze of Gotham blew my cape and hair. I draped the cape along my body to keep it from billowing. But a few seconds later, I let it go, and found that the sound of my cape swirling was actually quite comforting. Tucking a lock of my hair behind my left ear, I studied the Batman who had been standing still next to me for a few moments. Ever since I told her about Donna's insight, he had been speechless, unusual even for a brooding Bat.
Was he angry with me? I admitted that my concerns were childish. I mean, for Gaea's sake, it was in the past. Batman and Catwoman got married and had a baby girl... who later grew up to be the Huntress...but it happened in the past. Not to mention, in another universe. It wouldn't happen again – we already had a Huntress here in Gotham.
But...what if they eventually would get married (again)? Then had a baby girl, Helena Wayne. Then this Helena would take over the mantle of the original (at least post-crisis) Huntress, Helena Bertinelli... My head suddenly was spinning; I needed to sit down.
So I sat down, pretending to scan the vicinity of the crowds below. It was past 11 p.m. from the giant clock of Gotham City Hall that struck a few minutes earlier, and it was Friday night. People were going out to the movies, to cafes, listening to jazz and retro music at the clubs, and many other things. Tonight was a clear night, with a crescent moon above. I saw several young couples, the same age as Bruce and I, strolling the lane below, holding hands, some of them kissing... I frowned. I feared I might not kiss Bruce for a while. Worse, forever, perhaps...
Nothing happened below, or to the brooding guy next to me. I silently prayed that at any moment, Barbara Gordon, the Oracle, would speak into our commlinks, telling us of a robbery or disaster we need to attend to. Then I wouldn't have to remain silent like this. It was... uncomfortable.
I was about to open my mouth, suggesting that we should move to a place other than Wayne Tower, when Bruce spoke at last.
"How close are you to Kent?" It was Batman's voice.
"Huh? Oh...Kal?" I frowned. Our personal conversations rarely had anything to do with Clark Kent, the Superman, whom I usually called Kal. Unless, he was mocking my friendship with Kal, who – quoting Lois Lane, Superman's wife – according to 'half the world', was supposed to be my eternal soulmate. I wish I could yell at them all, telling them the truth, the way I told Lois a few years ago. "What does he have to do with us?"
"Look," he turned to face me. "I wasn't trying to scorn you two. I just want to talk."
"Last time I remember, we were supposed to talk about Selina and you, not Kal and me," I faced him as well. I prayed to Athena that this wouldn't be the night we fought and end everything that was beautiful.
"I will explain later. Just answer the question, Diana," I could feel the Batman looking at me through his white lenses. Then he pushed his cowl off, revealing a very concerned face. "Please."
I looked him in the eye. He was serious. I couldn't detect any deception in his eyes. Letting go a heavy breath, I answered. "Friends. Kal and I are friends. Good friends."
"How good?"
"I..." I hesitated for a while, then decided to tell the truth. "The best of friends..."
"So, you consider him a better friend than me?" His eyes showed no hurt, his voice was steady.
"I haven't finished, Bruce," I stepped forward. "He was my best friend until I knew you better. Now, both of you are my best friends. Don't ask me to tell you which one is really the best, because I won't be able to determine that. I can only say that although he does have this cheerful and understanding attitude you lack –" at this, Bruce smirked for half a second, "...but you actually truly understand me and know instinctively how to handle me, the way Kal doesn't." I stopped, then added hastily, "I didn't mean those things... though that counts, too."
That made him smile. Briefly, but long enough to melt the ice between us.
"If things were different between us, between Clark and Lois...would you choose him over me?" This time, for a millisecond, there was fear in his voice. A fear too subtle for ordinary friends to detect, but I wouldn't miss it for the world.
I smiled. "The first time he kissed me...was a wonderful moment for a naive girl fresh from Themyscira. But at the same time, the kiss also shattered my dreams and fantasies about him. In that instant, I knew that he wasn't the one I actually wanted to live with. Friends, yes. Best of friends, of course. But not soulmates. I can see clearly why Kal would always choose Lois instead of me, and I duly understand that."
Bruce nodded. The kiss between Kal and me wasn't something he didn't know of. I had told him about my previous love affairs (Kal, Trevor Barnes, and... uh... who else... himself, the Batman – although only in my wildest dreams...) during the first days of our relationship. Glancing at him, I understood that he was about to say something. So I waited.
"Selina and I now...are more or less like Clark and you," he finally spoke again.
"Now? More or less?"
Batman walked a few paces towards the edge of the building, his hand resting on a gargoyle's head.
"I will not deny that she's one of the most important people in my life. If she needs my help, I would not hesitate to help her, as long as it's within my power to do so."
He turned to have a glance at me. "But she's not you."
I remained silent, trying to absorb his words. He returned his attention to the night space in front of him.
"The way I see it now, a Batman and Catwoman pairing was like a Superman and Wonder Woman pairing. Both couples seem to be matched. Dark and black. Light and white," he continued, his voice trailing off by the wind.
Though we never talked about it, it was true that I'd heard about Batman and Catwoman from the superhero grapevine, just the same way they gossiped about Superman and me. I'd even used to accepted the idea that Bruce had actually gone out with Selina, as their attitudes (and attire) were almost the same. Heh, mirror image, perhaps. Almost identical. Then of course, my sister Donna among others, used to feed and confirm the gossip. By then, both of us didn't know that a tiny bud called 'love' had started to grow dangerously in my heart.
I bit my lips. "You love her?" My voice betrayed my jealous heart.
"We used to share...the flame. But I believe, now it's the way you love Clark. Although differently as well," Batman touched his own neck, as if suddenly felt tired. "More because of her own manner, I must say."
"I heard that Catwoman is ... a hard woman to go with," I hesitated, not wanting to sound so harsh on his ex.
"She still is." There was a hint of amusement in Bruce's voice, and – Hera help me – admiration.
Trying to keep my jealously at bay, I offered this, "I myself am considered a hard woman to get along with." It was true. My royal title (though I'd abdicated), my physical appearance and my ambassadorial work sadly often put me on a high pedestal. People frequently thought of me as a perfect superwoman who could not be related to.
"Once they know you, they wouldn't keep that opinion for long," Bruce replied matter-of-factly. It was true that on many occasions I had managed to make friends with people who used to hate me.
"I bet once they know Catwoman, they would change their opinion too," I tried to balance his compliment, though another voice in my head yelled at me. Stop being the Angel of Mercy! It's his ex we're talking about!
Still looking at the crowds below, Batman shook his head. "Selina has a different attitude. I admit that you both are stubborn, Diana. But you are willing to listen to other people's opinions, and change your course mid-way if you think that the input is right. Selina is not like that. She would follow her own path, created by her past to protect her future, without caring what other people think of her."
"And yet, that very trait is exactly something that drew you to her." If I could, I would kick my jealousy to fall thirty stories below. Sadly, it hung defiantly at the edge of my heart.
"Yes," Bruce turned to face me, his lips formed a rueful smile. "But the combination of your persistence and willingness to listen is one of the true magnets that drew me to you."
Suddenly, I blushed. Thankful that this time I had the new mask covering my face, I launched another 'attack'.
"But you don't deny having a relationship with her in the past."
"Would you deny your friendship with Clark?" Uh, Batjerk!
"No. But our relationship never went beyond friendship. Yours, on the other hand, did." Now, how about that?
"Yes, Selina and I did," Batman silently approached me. "That was the difference between Selina and I, and Clark and you. My history recorded her romantic involvement in my past life, unlike the way Clark to you."
I understood the implication. "Have you tried... to solve your...issues together?"
"Many times," the sad smile again.
"Why didn't it work?" I whispered, almost to myself.
He didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked at the stars above, their lights were almost inexistent, faded in the glow of Gotham.
"Diana, what do you think would happen if Clark and you are together? Say... stranded in another dimension for a year, waiting for us to rescue you?"
I pursed my lips. Another BatQuiz. "It happened once, you know. Kal and me, during the thousand years war of Asgard. If it happened again, I would be relieved that a friend like him was on my side. At least at first. Then I... I suppose I might get bored. As nice as Kal is, I would feel something is amiss. That something is missing."
Bruce nodded. "That was what I felt. Something was missing."
He walked away from me, folding his hands and standing still, looking across his 'kingdom'.
"My relationship with Selina– as you would've heard – looked like it was made from heaven. Or hell, more likely. Both of us had terrible childhoods. Did you know that her mother was an addict and died a gruesome death? Her father died over dosage shortly afterwards. Then Selina and her sister Maggie lived in an abusive orphanage for a while. That's when she decided the streets were a better environment for her."
Uh, no. I shook my head in surprise.
"Well, the good news is that, after a long winding road, she survived. She learned martial arts to protect herself and her...kind. As she was very poor, she became a thief to satisfy her need for the beautiful things she missed in her childhood. Also to provide a better life for her close friends. After a few years of being a quasi villainess, she finally crossed the line a little to become a quasi heroine."
I frowned. "Doesn't sound so different to me."
He continued. "The difference is the intention. Now, Selina's motive is not only helping herself, but also her people. Her little East End town. She became a quasi heroine, as she became a good protector of East End. But she still occasionally steals from bad guys, to give it later to the ones in dire need."
"Like Robin Hood?"
"If you say so. Although this Robin Hood also takes pleasure in donning the jewellery she steals herself, occasionally."
Now, I found my interest increased. "What happened to her sister?" To think of at least three sisters of mine; Donna, Cassie, and Kara. Oh, and dear Nessie, of course.
"They got separated when they were in the orphanage. She met her again much later on. Maggie had joined a convent, but to make a long story short, she got out and got married."
"A happy ending then." I didn't think I could hear more sad stories about Selina Kyle.
Surreptitiously he shook his head. "Not for Maggie."
I arched my eyebrows, requesting further details.
"During her career as a thief, Selina also collected several enemies. After her reform, some of her enemies remained. One of them was the Black Mask."
"That freak?" I knew the Black Mask was Batman's old enemy. I'd heard scary stories about this villain, enough to make children not want to sleep at all.
Batman looked away. "This 'freak' managed to track Selina and her friends, including Maggie, her sister. One night he kidnapped her and her husband. He..." The Dark Knight halted, hesitated to continue.
"Bruce..." I was suddenly alarmed. "If it hurts you too bad, don't tell."
He looked at me again. "It did hurt. But you need to know, Diana."
I waited.
"It's important for me that you know the larger story of the Catwoman, rather than a mere thief, or whatever you heard of her."
I nodded. "If you wish, tell me then."
"The Black Mask...ruthlessly killed Maggie's husband in front of her, and forced her to..." he swallowed. "...eat her husband's body part."
All the sudden, I felt I was losing blood. "He...what?" I managed to whisper.
"Catwoman... arrived too late. Maggie was at the brink of insanity, her husband had died, and the Black Mask had destroyed Selina's youth center in East End. She..." He hesitated again for a second, then resolved himself. "She fought the Black Mask, and in her attempt, he was pushed down the railway, right at the trajectory of a moving train."
I remained agape for a while. "She... killed him?"
He went into silent mode for a while. Then he continued, his voice seemed far away. "I wasn't sure that it wasn't her intention. But she was in a fight –"
I interrupted him. "Bruce, don't get me wrong. I don't blame her."
He stared at me. "You don't?" Then he exhaled. "Of course you don't..."
I nodded. "Of course I don't, Bruce. It was a battle situation. As Wonder Woman, I have killed many monsters before. To me, Black Mask equaled a monster to be eradicated. For the sake of the innocents."
Batman studied me carefully. "You understand that you and I –"
" – have different opinions about that matter. Yes. We've talked about it many times, including in Japan. And we've respectfully agreed not to agree."
Suddenly, his lips moved to form a smirk. "Apparently, you understand her as well."
I looked at his blue eyes intently. "I don't judge, Batman."
He tilted his head slightly. "I know."
"What happened to Maggie, then?"
"She..." He clenched his jaws, trying to control his emotion. "...Selina took her to a mental institution. Maggie has been there for quite a while now."
Didn't quite know what to say, I remained silent for a while. "What a strong woman she is..." I finally acknowledged.
He nodded. "A very strong one."
I studied my black boots, thinking.
"You approve of her 'Robin Hood' style?"
"I don't condone her actions, but I understand her motives. I have many more things to do than taking care of a reformed thief like her, who sometimes actually does that out of boredom now."
"So..." I tried to redirect the conversation back to Selina. "...was that the missing link? The jewellery she didn't give you?"
He smirked. "Hardly." Then he turned to face me again, looking me straight in the eye.
"I missed the Light," he finally admitted. "My adventures with Catwoman, I really must confess, were very intriguing. Exciting. Interesting. But not enlightening. When I was with her, I did feel excitement. And admiration, of an ordinary woman who had nothing but darkness from her past, struggling to survive and live on her own. A very strong trait I respect. But at the same time, I also felt that I was slowly but surely being dragged deeper into my darkness. Soon, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to even feel the light."
"You've been listening to Alfred, haven't you?" I said, trying to lighten the mood. "But you know Bruce... the more I think of it, the more I realize that you yourself have served as a light for Gotham. It's true that you work in the darkness, literally and psychologically, but your presence is the light in this city. One of the very few."
Bruce curved his mouth in an attempt to smile.
"It's not nearly enough, Diana..." His deep blue eyes searched into mine. "Alfred just voiced my deepest awareness, the awareness I always suppressed. Deep in my heart, I knew I had to look for more light. I wouldn't have to change my identity as the Batman. I just had to find the light to guide me, to give me hope." He paused, then continued.
"Selina didn't give me the hope I needed. It wasn't her fault. There was a deep hole inside her that she thought I could fill." He looked at my funny expression.
"Not that hole, Diana."
I grinned. "Sorry. Go on." To think that I should be jealous of Selina, but I found Bruce's statement amusing as well...
He looked at me with a calmer expression and continued.
"I thought that Selina could ease my sorrow and make me complete. But I was wrong. We were wrong. We were too similar; we dragged each other deeper down rather than up to the light. In the end, we just realized that it wouldn't work out. I wasn't the perfect man for her. We're still good friends now. I admit, she calls now and then to ask a favor or two. But...I realize also that she needed someone older than me, more mature than me, to meet her need for affection. And I..."
Suddenly I shivered. Bruce was looking at me, giving me his special Bruce gaze, the one he only reserved for me. Not a playboy stare. A deep concerned gaze that always managed to melt my heart right away.
"...along my journey to find the light... I got to know you better," he continued, smiling slightly when he noticed I was shivering. "And although I tried so hard to deny your presence, your light stubbornly penetrated my closed heart. Until I am but a man in love with you."
I blinked several times, trying hard not to cry. "I..." I lost my voice. "...I... thank you... Bruce..."
He smiled knowingly. "Earth Two Batman and Catwoman might have gotten married and had a daughter. But in this earth, I choose my own Princess."
I chuckled, blinking several times to hold back the tears.
"I'm not a princess anymore," I protested lamely.
"To me, you are always a princess."
I sniffled, then smiled. He smiled back at me.
"Now, if you are feeling better now –" I nodded, "- would you care to explain whom you married in Earth One, Two and whatever?"
I laughed. Donna had told me about this, but I had never thought that he would ask. I remained silent for a while.
"Diana?" He tilted his handsome face. "Tell me?"
I grinned. "Oh well... nothing to know about..." He gave me his Batglare. "Okay – okay! I married Steve Trevor, okay?"
He almost choked up. "Steve Trevor? My God, Diana, Trevor Barnes I can understand. But Steve Trevor? He's –"
"Too old? Married to Etta Candy?"
"Precisely!"
"Well-well-well, Mr. Wayne!" I folded my hands, glaring. "For your information, Steve Trevor of Earths One and Two are dashing young pilots – single – who would melt the hearts of any women right away!"
"Including certain Wonder Women," he snorted.
"The way certain Catwomen fell in love with you," I riposted.
He gave the Wayne's patented playboy leer before pushing his cowl back and transformed into the Batman once more. "So, you still want to help your Mexican friend?"
I nodded.
"You have to find and talk to Selina. She's the best person to ask in the East End."
"I was thinking of doing that tomorrow."
"Do that tonight. Easier to find her during the night."
"Just like you, eh? How do I find her?"
"How do you usually find me? Without commlinks?"
I grinned. "I think I know how."
He nodded, then pushed his commlink abruptly.
Batman? Wonder Woman? The voice of Oracle was also transmitted clearly in my commlink. Just in time.
"Uh, hi Oracle. It's Diana tonight."
Confirmed, D. You guys ready for action? There's a robbery in Diggory St., a few blocks from your current position.
"I know where it is, Oracle," I replied. "I know a very nice gelato place in Diggory St."
"Gelato place?" mouthed Batman in disbelief.
I shrugged in a 'why – I can't eat gelato?' way.
Er...yeah...I remember the gelatissimo. I caught a hint of amusement in Barbara's voice.
"We'll be there soon." I took out my grapple gun and readied to fire. Batman nodded. I would go to East End after this robbery. After all, my first patrol as Diana, the Gotham's hunter, should start in Gotham's heart.
By the time Batman fired his grapple gun, I already swung myself across the night space of Gotham.
xxx
Author's Note: Superman and Wonder Woman's adventure in Asgard was told in Action Comics #761. Superman kissing Wonder Woman was depicted in Action Comics #600. Batman and Catwoman's relationship was depicted...well...almost everywhere, especially in this Infinite Crisis era. But not nearly enough to sway my belief in Bruce and Diana, with respect to the smart and strong-headed Selina Kyle whom we will meet in the next chapter.