Batman Begins

"J'onn…" She was fidgeting. Lying on the bed that was about to be swallowed inside a large tube with spiralling lights was not very comfortable. "Who can I file a complaint to regarding this…laboratory gown?"

"What seems to be the problem?" A static laced voice of the Martian echoed inside the room.

"It's too short…it's no longer than an oversized…t-shirt," she complained at the insubstantial fabric that she was wearing since her uniform's unfamiliar components may interfere with the scanning machine. Tilting her head to the right gave her a view of the thick, tempered glass that divided the room, separating her from her friend. Then she cast her eyes disdainfully on the lower part of her body. "Just look! It's not even mid-thigh…and don't get me started on the fabric…"

"That's because you are taller than the average female."

"No, J'onn…it's short." She tried tugging softly at the hem, not for modesty purposes since her uniform was a lot more revealing, but for feeling a little short-changed. "Yup…it's short…harassment kind of short. And flimsy."

"What's flimsy?"

She had to smile when she heard Superman's voice. After the hum of the hydraulics upon the doors opening, she looked sideways and was met with his warm stare.

"We'll be starting in a few minutes. I'll just have to get some supplies." J'onn, as if on some kind of cue, made his temporary exit.

"Okay, J'onn. I'll make sure she does not go anywhere," Superman answered before turning his attention back to her with a brow raised in inquiry.

She remembered his earlier question. "This so called laboratory gown."

She had tiny pin pricks on her skin when, on instinct, his gaze swept all over her lying form. She had to hide a hint of embarrassment knowing fully that without any piece of lead around her, she was practically naked under his stare. Not that he would take advantage of that. And not that I would mind at all, she thought wantonly.

"No peeking."

His grin was very telling. "I don't have to peek at all to see under-"

"Kal…" she warned. She was feeling all warm in certain places.

And for the life of her, as his eyes locked with hers once more but this time with undisguised desire…yes, she felt it now, the louder and faster pumping of his heart, the laboured breathing. And something more.

"I'll be leaving in less than an hour," he whispered.

"How long will you be gone?"

"Two days." His hand reached for hers. And added in a slightly hoarse voice, "When I return…would you like to…come with me to the fortress?"

She felt the implication, the unspoken question. And she knew her answer even before he had asked.

"Yes."

He regarded her face seriously for a while, seemingly taking in the seriousness of the moment, of how their relationship would change.

"Diana…are you sure?" The rubbing of his fingers on her palm were starting to create sparks of wanting. "You know what…I am asking…"

"I do," her voice came out as thick with emotion. "And I want to."

For the moment, she thought he was going to bend further down and kiss her. Knowing that this was one of the few places were video and audio recordings were only made during procedures, she still could not risk anyone walking in on them. Particularly Bruce.

Just then, J'onn announced his presence as if in warning that he was in the room already as the sound of static interfered.

All he could do now was smile at her after slowly removing his hand. "Yes, it is flimsy."

She understood the change of topic. "Just imagine what you…or J'onn would look like wearing this." The mental image was an amusing. But her imagination got the better of her as she laughed at her next thought. "…or Bruce…"

"Actually, most times…we do not need laboratory gowns." He laughed before moving away. "So…see you in, two days?"

"Yes," she answered. When he was out of the room, she turned to J'onn. "I told you so,"

J'onn smiled. "I'll let the contractors know."

"Thank you." She fixed her eyes forward, at the non-descript ceiling. Trying to mask the feeling of excitement at the prospect of being with him while fighting off a little bout of impatience that it was still a good two days away.

She was ready. And she wanted him.

Hera…what is happening to me?

She tried focusing on the present before J'onn sensed her nervous excitement. "How long will this take?"

"Thirty minutes at most," a flat baritone replied. She was too giddy that she did not feel his grumpy presence in the room with her. "Another thirty if you keep fidgeting."

"Hello, Bruce."

"Diana," he acknowledged before turning his back to her again as he readied the numerous syringes, and other instruments of torture, on the moving steel table.

As she stared at his broad back that was mostly his thick and very functional cape, she felt the need to make conversation and gap the bridge that was brought about by the current absence of normal communication. She knew that despite his often sullen disposition, she considered him a very trusted friend and she believed he felt the same about her. Just like Kal, they have been through a lot together and it was highly unlikely not to form a special bond through it all.

"How are you?"

The question seemed to have surprised him since he stilled for a few seconds.

"I'm good," he replied without turning.

She smiled. His aloof attitude was not going to ruin her happy outlook today. She just had to try again. Strangely, she really wanted to reach out to him.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

He turned. The swish of his cape was a tad disturbing. "What?"

"I absolutely hate this procedure."

He was getting the machine ready as the familiar hum of the machine was getting more pronounced. "This is your third time in six months."

"And all the time I wanted to tear this…thing, this torture chamber, apart," she let out a sigh of frustration. "Really…"

He was slowly warming up to her conversation, as evidenced of the slow building smirk. "Keep in mind that this…torture chamber is very expensive."

"Actually, that was the only fact that's keeping me from destroying it with my bare hands."

His smirk was more visible now while adjusting the straps on the sides of the gurney. "I'm going to…strap you into the bed now. Please do your best not to…inflict harm on me."

Her temporary discomfort at the prospect of being inside this confining machine was temporarily forgotten at the apparent change in his usual demeanour for her benefit.

As he adjusted the straps she had the feeling that he was purposely avoiding touching her skin, which was odd since he was wearing thick gloves. He was finished with her arms and was about to start on her legs when her very keen senses heard a sharp intake of breath. She did not mean to, but on impulse she listened for the rhythm of his heart. There was a slight flutter. She was suddenly concerned.

"J'onn…"

"Yes, Batman?"

"We need to change suppliers for these gowns."

She sighed in relief, casting J'onn a triumphant look. A look that said I told you so once more.

She was only made aware that he stilled when she averted her smiling eyes from J'onn to him. If not for the lenses that covered his eyes, she could swear he was studying her closely, with a hand still on her leg.

She really did not know how those lenses embedded on his cowl functioned though she knew they were not the same as Kal's enhanced vision. But for the second time in a few minutes, she was left almost squirming and a little helpless once more under the scrutiny of another male who just might be seeing more of her than intended.

But unexpectedly, in a haze, she saw his face, Bruce's face, without the mask. He was smiling, with piercing blue eyes, and it was such a sincere smile. But it was strangely gone as soon as it appeared in her mind.

And for a moment, as she looked at his masked face looming over hers…there was a fleeting moment that she could swear she saw a glimmer, a shadow of the smile she pictured in her mind. But it was over before she could make sure she was not imagining it as well.

He seemed to compose himself before abruptly removing his hand. "We're going to start now," he stated, but with a voice that was softer than usual.

"All right."

"Do you…" he began to ask. "Want me to stay?"

She was surprised by the gesture. She did make a breakthrough after all. "Please? Can you?"

"I'll just be right here," he assured her as the cushion under her moved, as the bed was slowly being swallowed by the large, confining tube.

And as he disappeared from her sight, there was a certain kind of comfort because she knew he would never leave.

As her unmoving form disappeared from his sight, he struggled with the dreaded recollection of her vision in a white toga, as she lay enveloped by an endless slumber.

He needed to hear her voice. "Diana?"

"I'm not going anywhere," she joked, her voice echoing inside the glass and metal cylinder, the sound of flickering lights now audible.

He had to smile at the tone of her voice. And he was well aware that his emotions were obvious enough for J'onn not to notice.

"J'onn, how are the readings?"

"Good."

With that, he pulled out a panel containing a computer that would show him the progress of the scanning. As of the moment, the machine was examining the center of her nervous system.

"Diana? How are you doing?"

"Good…" she replied. "Better if I had a sandwich."

He smiled. "I'll get you one," he pretended.

"No…just stay where you are," she changed her mind. "If you leave, I won't speak to you in a…month."

"A month? Too long…"

"Well, it would not be a stretch for you."

He knew very well what she meant. It had been months since they exchanged words that lasted more than five minutes.

"While I'm safely here and you are there…" He noted that her lungs were very healthy. "This is the right time to tell you that…"

"That what?" Her voice sounded a little anxious.

"Don't fidget, Diana…or else…" He pushed several buttons on the side of the vibrating machine. "…we'll be spending the night here." Somehow that prospect was not that bad at all.

"Do not change the topic."

"I'll also be extracting some blood after." He had to laugh at the Greek curse that she muttered afterwards.

"Are you laughing?" Her voiced almost shouted. "You are! Congratulations! Even if it's probably at my expense, I am glad that one of us is amused with this."

"I do not laugh," he lied.

"Next time, you get to be inside this while I get to push the buttons."

He shook his head. Then he saw his face, a vague reflection cast on the glass screen before him. He was smiling. He was able to grin, smile and even laugh in the few minutes that they had together. And she was not even trying. Shortly after the realization his expression sobered.

Bruce…J'onn interrupted his thoughts. Everything seems to be in order. We are now at the lower abdomen.

All the same, the scans revealed a pair of kidneys, liver, gall bladder, pancreas all functioning at superhuman levels. As the examination approached her reproductive system, his gloved fingers typed additional parameters for the machine to consider.

"Are you still there?"

"Yes…" And you'll probably punch me if you knew right now where I am looking at…

She probably will, J'onn added.

"You've been awfully quiet…"

"I now know what you had for lunch."

"It was a wonderful lunch, by the way."

"Of course it was," he muttered under his breath. He did not want to hear about details about how her afternoon at the farm was. It felt like a vice was clutching at his throat as her chatter reached his ears.

He turned his attention to her ovaries. As he expected, they were fully functional. And he noted with concern that she would be very able to reproduce without much difficulty. And to further his dismay, the result of one additional query he typed earlier was that she was very, very fertile at present. Though he had to hide a small amount of relief at the knowledge that she did not have any recent sexual activity.

It's not just a probability anymore. I am a hundred per cent sure she would knock you out if she knew what you are now looking at.

I have to J'onn…you know as well as I do that she and…Superman are seeing each other. Do you realize the possibilities of that union?

I understand Bruce.

He re-calibrated the machine and typed the last parameter so that it would show him the last thing he needed to know. A few seconds later, the computer typed the answer he was waiting for.

Torn hymen. Date of incidence: Not recent. Undetermined.

She was not a virgin anymore. And he knew well the reason why. And it was probably going to create a problem in her relationship, sooner or later.

"Diana, we're finished."

"Thank the gods…" she muttered as the lock on the side automatically detached and the topmost half of the cylinder lifted.

He immediately helped her out of the restraints. She was sitting on the edge, legs dangling when he returned to her side with a trolley.

He removed his gloves. "Ready?"

"Sure." She held out her arm.

He tied a piece of rubber on her upper arm. Supporting her arm on the metal surface, he ignored the unwanted sensation the contact of his palm against her smooth skin brought. Dabbing a cotton ball dipped in antiseptic on her skin, he felt for a vein while continually struggling with his body's reaction to her proximity.

Finding a vein, he positioned the tip of the needle. He gave a slight push but her skin would not give. He applied more force and the needle broke, an inch of sharp metal was sent hurling across the room. Deducing the failed attempt to be the result of a faulty needle he tried another one. But the outcome was similar.

"That was unfortunate…" she whispered.

He turned to the trolley and produced a larger, and hopefully more durable, needle.

"Ready?"

She shrugged. "Have a blast…"

He positioned the sharp point once more. And just as he thought he was making progress this time, there was a small tink and the metal bounced from her skin. The force sent the needle flying in the direction of his face. But she was quick to catch the errant metal.

"I think we also need to change the suppliers for the needles," she mentioned before getting up.

J'onn phased through the room. "What's wrong?"

"The needles cannot penetrate her skin."

She was rummaging on one of the cabinets and he saw a beaker in her hands that she placed on the table.

"Let's try this my way." She spun around and in seconds was clothed in her uniform. As she freed the sword from her thigh holster, he knew immediately what she was up to.

"Diana…"

"It will not cut beyond the outer skin…" She assured before making a small incision on her left arm. The dark red liquid trickled onto the beaker though after only a few seconds the blood stopped dripping as her wound healed. "I sure hope that's enough."

"It is a crude way of extracting a sample," J'onn immediately retrieved the glass container to make the limited sample viable.

He walked to her and examined her arm. No mark, not a single indentation. She usually healed slower than this. And that recent discovery made matters to be of more concern.

"So…am I free to go now?"

He let go of her arm. "Yes."

She prepared to leave and was at the door when he called out again. "Diana…"

Her eyes said the silent inquiry when she turned to him.

"I have one last test to perform."

She crossed her arms on her chest. And there was that visible pout that indicated she was a little irritated at him.

"What is it this time?"

"Meet me at the holographic training room tomorrow morning." He tried sugar coating the situation. "Last check, to make sure you are ready for…active duty."

"And if I am?"

"Then you will be immediately reinstated."

Her expression changed. "Better make good on this."

"I will," he assured. "I'll even buy lunch."

"I'll hold you to that too," she answered before finally leaving for good.

I do not think that is a good idea, J'onn thought.

He cast a glance at the other room as J'onn examined her blood. Maybe it was not his brightest of ideas, yes he might have been acting strange around her…

"It's not like they are married," he reasoned as he retrieved the recording of the earlier procedure.

"That's not what I meant."

"It's just lunch, J'onn. It's not going to drive a wedge into their…perfect relationship."

"It's not them that I am worried about."

He prepared to leave. "We have much more to worry about if what I fear will happen…finally happens."