Chapter 4

Diana floated in the air in an attempt to catch even a glimpse of a black cape in the midst of the choking black smoke and chaos swirling around them. It was as if the pits of Tartarus had just split open in the heart of Metropolis.

Bombs continued to erupt in rapid succession, buildings shaking and crumbling to their foundations as people ran for cover. Turning, she suddenly caught sight of Shayera lifting a woman above the smoke, whisking her away to safety as Green Lantern used his ring to hold back a brick wall about to collapse, but still no sign of Batman.

Most of the downtown businesses had already begun the evacuation process when the first bomb had detonated, creating a mass of chaos by the time they had transported to the site. Some League members were running ground control under J'onn's supervision while others were assisting from the air.

There'd just begun their founders' meeting when the call had come in letting them know of the trouble brewing in Metropolis. All seven foundering members had responded to the emergency as well as a few others, immediately transporting down to the city under siege.

Diana knew that someone had gone to a lot of trouble to get their attention or they were after something in particular. Either way, they needed to be stopped before more people got hurt.

She couldn't suppress the cough that the thick dark smoke was creating, wracking her body as fumes from a gas line began to fill the air. She quickly followed the building smell, needing to get to it as soon as possible before the city was completely leveled.

Flash suddenly sped past her, working to contain the smoke that was burning her eyes as well as her lungs. She abruptly turned to find Batman much closer than she had expected. He was crouched low with some gadget in hand, a breathing mask covering his cowled face as he scanned the area for more bombs.

She should've known that he'd be there. He was always there; ready to protect her with his life if necessary. Even long before he'd finally admitted his feelings for her, he'd always been there watching her back just like she always watched his.

It was an innate need in both of them, an instinct that had to be followed. It was like they were connected to each other, their spirits linked long before they'd ever met, drawn to each other in a very powerful yet amazing way.

She watched as he removed his breathing mask, their eyes locking in the briefest of moments. A volume of things were spoken and emotions expressed as Diana smiled at the small smirk he flashed her before firing his grappling and taking off towards another building to make sure it was all clear. She quickly turned and raced towards the leaking gas line, relieved to know that her husband for still safe for the moment.

Batman swung through a broken window into a large building that was still standing. He quickly began scanning the area for any signs of people still inside as well as any more bombs that had yet to be discovered.

He released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, more than relieved to have found Diana safe. When the smoke had flooded the area and the bombs had started going off, his heart had nearly stopped knowing that she'd been inside one of the buildings directing the evacuation.

Thankfully, he'd been able to find her despite the smoke, relieved she'd only received a few cuts and scrapes so far for her efforts.

He knew they had promised each other not to lose focus in a mission by trying to find the other or worrying about each other, but it was damn near impossible when he was forced to watch his wife fly directly into a building that could explode at any second.

He didn't care what it took. He would always be there for her, ready to catch her if she ever fell. Nothing in this world meant more to him than she did.

He just hoped that they made it out of this mission with minimal injuries. He had big plans for them this coming weekend, plans that included him and her and no clothing for three glorious days.

The thought of being at each other's mercy for that long without any interruptions was already causing him to grow aroused. He quickly tamped down on the lustful thoughts fighting to take over. They had a job to do and he couldn't afford to make a mistake or there wouldn't even be a first anniversary to celebrate together.

Heading towards the doorway on the other side of the room, Bruce felt a sudden flutter of wind hit him a second before being struck from behind by what felt like a freight train, nearly knocking the breath from his lungs.

Before he knew it, he found himself standing outside on a nearby rooftop on another building as a blue and red blur raced back into the building Bruce had just been in. He didn't have much of a chance to process it before Clark was standing on the rooftop beside him with a now disarmed bomb in his hand.

"Someone has to make sure that you stay alive when Diana's preoccupied," Clark grinned at him.

"I can take care of myself," Batman snarled at the Boy Scout, unhappy with the insinuation that he couldn't or that he needed protecting because he wasn't a meta.

"Hey, I'm only doing it to look out for myself," Clark shrugged, brushing off his friend's annoyance. "I'm not about to be left high and dry with a distraught, enraged Amazon on my hands because you decided to get yourself killed. There would be absolutely no consoling her or trying to keep her from getting revenge."

Batman's glare softened almost imperceptibly with his confession. "Thanks," he muttered with a scowl before scanning the area for his wife. He knew his friend was right about Diana, but it still didn't appease his pride any.

"Any idea who could be behind all of this?" Clark frowned as he used his x-ray vision to scan for any more bombs.

Before Batman could respond, Diana's voice came over both of their ear pieces, her voice cracking. "Fou…Kill…Croc…go…aft…now…"

"Diana, come in…you're breaking up," Batman stated, his scowl deepening on his face as his pulse began to race. "Where are you?"

Static filled their ears as fear filled his heart once more. "Diana!" he growled.

Crackling static finally cleared enough to catch the words "need backup" followed by another cacophony of explosions. "Diana!" Batman yelled. "Diana, come in!"

Nothing but silence filled their communicators as they stared at one another in helplessness, stunned disbelief written on their faces. "Superman to Watchtower."

"Watchtower here," Steele replied. "What do you need, Superman?"

"We need Wonder Woman's location ASAP," he told him.

"She's approximately four miles southeast of you," he informed them.

"Is she moving?" Batman suddenly cut in.

"Negative," Steele stated. "She's static."

"Standby, Steele," Superman said. "We may need an emergency transport to the infirmary."

"I'll standby."

Without another word, Superman grabbed Batman under his arms and took off in the direction that Steele had indicated. Batman sent a mental message to J'onn who was supervising ground control and rescue.

"J'onn, Diana's in trouble," Bruce silently told him. "Clark and I are going after her."

"I'll continue to coordinate here," J'onn silently replied. "Contact us if you need back up."

"Batman to Lantern."

"Lantern here," John grunted as he used his ring to move large slabs of rubble out of the way.

"Wonder Woman's in trouble," he told him. "You're in charge of air control."

"You got it."

The Metropolis landscape was a complete smudge of colors as Superman raced to Diana's last known location. Batman felt as though his heart was about to pound right out of his chest as they drew near, unsure if his wife was even alive or not.

He wanted to vomit at that moment as they suddenly spotted curling smoke in the distance. "Metropolis National Bank," Clark angrily stated, interrupting Batman's tormented thoughts. "I should have known."

"That was their real target all along," Bruce growled, his scowl deepening. "The other was just a distraction to keep us busy."

They drew near to find mass chaos much like what was occurring downtown, alarms blaring as people ran for cover. They spotted a huge gaping hole in the side of the bank, rubble everywhere but no sign of Wonder Woman.

Batman was off and running by the time Superman released him, his boots hitting the pavement with a fierce determination to find the woman he loved. His jaw was clenched, his entire body taut with fear of what he might find. He didn't have to go far though before Copperhead suddenly emerged from the hole in the bank wall, a bag of money clutched tightly in each greedy hand.

With a terror-inducing sneer on his lips, Batman pulled a batarang; ready to take on the criminal as Bizzaro unexpectedly appeared, flying out into the afternoon sunlight and heading straight for Superman who still hovered close by in the air.

"You not stop Bizarro this time!" he yelled as he tightened his fists to slam into Superman who was already anticipating his approach.

"I told Croc he should've waited a little longer," Copperhead hissed, his eyes gleaming with anger. "Now we've got the whole Justice League coming down on us!"

"Where is Wonder Woman?" Batman growled, not in the mood for small talk.

Just then a loud explosion echoed through the air as Wonder Woman was suddenly thrown backwards through the bank wall, slamming hard into a nearby building. "There she is," Copperhead grinned wickedly, pointing at the Amazon warrior.

Diana slumped to the ground as bits of brick and mortar rained down upon her, coating her in fine white dust. She got up on all fours, trying to gather her senses before unsteadily getting to her feet, blue fire blazing in her eyes.

It didn't take long for her to shake it off and storm back towards the hole she'd just been thrown through, Killer Croc standing there watching her with a smug look on his vile face. "Coming back for more, Wonder Woman?"

Diana ground her teeth with a fierce vengeance that almost made Batman feel sorry for Killer Croc…almost. Batman turned his attention back to Copperhead who had been watching the interaction with amusement.

Turning to see the Dark Knight's focus was back on him again, his amusement swiftly fell away. "Now, don't do anything rash there, Bats," Copperhead took a step back, holding up his hands in defense but refusing to release the bags of money.

"Only dishing out what you more than deserve," Batman rasped gravelly at the villain, his hands clenched tightly.

"This really wasn't my idea, you know," Copperhead confessed. "It was actually all Luthor's doing."

"Well, seeing how he's not here, I guess you'll have to take his punishment until I can get my hands on him," the Caped Crusader glowered as he inched closer to the snake before him.

Batman blocked a swing by Copperhead, kicking out his leg and knocking him off of his feet just as Killer Croc came flying out of the bank through the same hole he'd just sent Diana out of. Overhead, he could hear Superman swapping blows with Bizzaro, the powerful force of their strikes vibrating in his chest.

A sudden kick to Copperhead's chest with his boot caused him to stumble backwards, giving Batman enough time to subdue him with a bat gas bomb. He quickly turned his attention to Diana who was just finishing off Killer Croc much to his relief.

Suddenly, Bizzaro landed on the concrete sidewalk with a crack like thunder, creating an enormous crater in the ground. He groaned as he fought to get up only to collapse back where he had landed. Superman swiftly flew in, scooping up all three villains.

"I'm taking them in," Clark announced. "I'll meet you back at the Watchtower."

"Thanks for the back up," Diana smiled up at him, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her shoulder as well as the deadly glare her husband was currently leveling at her.

"I guess we should go back and see if the others still need any help," she said, avoiding making eye contact with the Dark Knight.

"You're going back to the Watchtower," he snapped, his Batman voice at an all-time low, reflecting his barely controlled anger.

"I'm fine," she insisted, finally turning to meet his heated bat glare.

"No, you're not," he firmly shot back. "Killer Croc threw you through an eight foot thick brick wall and into a building."

"I've been put through worse," she shrugged. "Besides, you should have seen what I did to him before you two showed up."

Her flippant response was definitely not helping to diffuse the situation in the least. Batman tapped his communicator as he grabbed hold of Diana's arm. "Steele," he growled. "Two for transport directly to the infirmary."

"You got it, Batman," he responded.

"But I don't…" Diana had all but managed to get out before disappearing in a flash of light only to reappear in the Watchtower infirmary. "…need any medical attention."

Before she could respond any further, Batman had her pressed up against a nearby wall, his mouth on hers and devouring her like a dying man. She moaned into his heated almost violent kiss, melting into his hardened body that had her trapped against the wall, desire mingling with the adrenaline still pumping through her veins.

She wasn't quite sure where this was coming from, but she was pretty certain in that moment that she didn't really care as she shoved his cowl back and ran her fingers through his hair. She lifted her leg, rubbing herself against his Kevlar and earning a groan of her own from him.

Finally retreating for air, Bruce kept his body pushed up hard against her, his nose brushing hers as his lips lingered teasingly close. "Don't you ever do that to me again," he growled so low, so intensely that it caused a hot shiver to lance straight through her. "I can't lose you."

His words were a cross between a ferocious growl and a strangled plea as he buried his gloved hands in her hair. His kiss was rough and desperate, demanding and yet reverential letting her know what she truly meant to him.

They were both breathing hard when he finally pulled back, his lips brushing softly over her face, nose, eyelids, and cheeks as if checking to make sure she was really alright before his forehead came to rest against hers.

His breath was like hot pulses against her face as he gazed into her eyes. "Are you alright?" he finally asked, his hands roaming over her in an attempt to further reassure himself that she was truly safe again.

"Bruce, I'm fine…really," she softly reassured him as she held his face in her hands. "My shoulder is a little sore, but that's it. I've got a hard head, remember?"

Her teasing remark meant to lighten his mood fell flat as he finally brushed her hair aside to exam her shoulder. His frown returned with a fierce vengeance as his worried gaze found what he had feared.

A deep gash marred her otherwise perfect skin, a piece of metal sticking out of the bone. "Diana…" he scowled as he released his hold on her before leading her to one of the exam tables. He gathered the supplies needed to treat her wound, setting them down on the table before removing his gloves. "Sit."

Diana reluctantly agreed, knowing that with the heated mood he was now in that it was best to just let him do what he felt he needed to rather than arguing and letting her pride get in the way. It would only lead to an even bigger argument and, besides that, she was too tired to fight with him right now.

After last night's activities with Bruce and then the mission in Metropolis as well as the fight with Killer Croc, she was feeling kind of off. She'd handled far worse missions then this after an all night work out with Bruce and still hadn't been this tired.

She watched as Bruce began cleaning the blood around the wound before pulling the metal shard out. His anger didn't seem to be diminishing any. She reached out to touch his jaw, gently caressing the defined angle that drove her wild. His jaw was full of such strength, hinting at the even greater strength that he possessed deep inside of him.

He paused to look into her eyes, finding solace there in those azure depths full of such love for him. He couldn't bear the thought of never being able to see her again, of never waking to those gorgeous eyes, her smile every morning.

"So are you upset with me for going after Killer Croc and the others which is my job or because I got hurt?"

He returned to the task at hand, turning his focus to dressing her wound and away from those eyes that knew him better than he knew himself. "Both," he rasped with that voice meant to inspire fear and chills that paralyzed. It had never worked on her.

"I was doing what I came to Man's World to do, Bruce," she reminded him. "I was trying to stop the bad guys and keep innocent people safe."

"I hate this job sometimes," he softly admitted, his voice thick with emotion. "Because one of these days, it's going to take you away from me and there won't be a damn thing that I can do to stop it. You're not indestructible, Diana."

"And neither are you," she pointed out. "I struggle with that fear every single night that you go out to patrol Gotham, terrified of the night that you don't come home to me or you come back so broken I can't fix you."

Bruce drew a deep shuddering breath before responding, his expression softening only slightly. "When you're communicator kept breaking up and I couldn't get to you…" his voice suddenly cracking. "…and then I thought…"

Diana swiftly leaned in, capturing his lips in a heated kiss. "I know," she whispered, kissing him again. "I'm fine…I promise."

He caressed her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. "You look tired," he uttered with a frown.

"I wonder who's fault that was," she seductively purred, her hands falling to either side of his neck, her soft lips following the sensual path that was so familiar to her and yet felt new every time.

Bruce snorted then moaned as her tongue snuck out to tease his lips. "All yours, Princess," he stated, his hands grasping hold of her waist. "You got me all worked up on patrol with no way to find relief except to call it a night and go directly home."

"Is it wrong to want to talk to my handsome…energetic…husband?" she innocently asked between slow, nipping kisses along his lower lip.

Bruce groaned deeply with the way she was teasing him. He was never going to survive their little game of seduction that he'd inadvertently started, but he wasn't about to concede victory to her. Not by a long shot.

She smirked against his lips as his fingers pressed into her hips as if hanging onto her for dear life. "You are anything by innocent," he murmured, ready to turn the tables on her and make his move. "In fact, I think you like to pretend that you're innocent, to flirt and tease me until I'm so hot for you that I think that I'm going to go crazy."

His voice was low and rough with desire, causing her to tense as he began moving his hands up and down her sides. He paused to caress the sides of her breasts until she shivered only for him to suddenly move further down and alter course.

He leaned in and began a slow tortuous assault on her throat as the fingers of his one hand slipped beneath the edge of her uniform just in front of her hip bone. He smiled to himself as she trembled in his arms, her breath hitching.

He always knew what turned her on, what built a slow steady smolder and what worked her into a heated frenzy that nearly tore her in two. His fingers slid around to cup her bottom from beneath her star-spangled material before roughly drawing her forward and directly into him.

She gasped sharply with the pressure, her head falling back with the feel of his hard Kevlar against her now throbbing center that demanded to be filled by him. He continued to grip her backside firmly, kneading her perfect flesh as he continued his assault on her neck before cutting a path to her ear.

"I want you so badly right now," he panted in her ear. "I want to feel you taking me inside of you…want you to feel me filling you so full. I want to take you over and over until you're hoarse from screaming my name."

"Bruce…" she moaned, her heart racing and her body thrumming with wild expectation with what he was doing to her.

Her fingers pressed into his arms as she tightly griped him, her hips beginning to move against his in a silent plea for relief that only he could bring her. She practically whimpered when his sexy voice assaulted her ear again.

"I love the feel of you beneath me when I take you…to watch you move on top of me," he continued to taunt and tease her with his husky voice as well as his hands and mouth. "I love watching you lose control, knowing that I'm the only one who can do that to you…me and only me, no one else."

His name was nothing more than begging gasps now, the little movements she was making with her hips against him driving him crazy now as well. He was beginning to wonder how Diana had been able to do this to him when it was taking every ounce of strength he had not to take her right here, their little teasing game be damned.

"Bruce…please…" she breathlessly beseeched him, her fingers digging into his arms almost painfully. "I need you…now…"

Bruce swallowed back a groan of wanton need, the sweet desperation in her voice heating his blood even further. He needed to leave right this minute before he completely lost it. "Got to go, Princess," he suddenly stated with an evil smirk before releasing her and stiffly racing for the door.

Diana's eyes shot open in shock to watch him disappear through the doorway, leaving her in such a heated state that she could barely remember her own name. Angry frustration quickly swelled like a thunderhead, mingling with the lust pounding wildly through her system.

"Batman!" she growled angrily. "Get back here!"

Bruce quickly made his way down the hall, desperate to get to his quarters before he exploded. His plan had more than backfired on him. He was so painfully aroused now he could barely put one black boot in front of the other as he silently prayed that he wouldn't run into anyone in the precarious state that he was currently in.

He smirked as he heard Diana yell his name from behind the closed door of the infirmary, knowing his plan had succeeded. He was so dead in more ways than just one, but it couldn't stop the excitement that was building uncontrollably inside of him at that moment.

Turning a corner, Batman ran into Flash and Hawkgirl returning from the mission much to his painful dismay. "Hey, Bats!" Flash cheerfully greeted him, his face morphing into a frown of concern. "Are you all right, buddy? You look like you're in a lot of pain."

"I'm fine," he hissed between clenched teeth before flying past them towards his quarters, entering the code and quickly disappearing inside without another word.