A/N: Welcome to the latest installment of "Lost Wonders"! I'm happy you guys are able to join me on my journey, and I'm pretty happy with how this story is playing out. In case none of my readers haven't noticed in any of my fics, I like putting Diana and Clark in humanizing positions. They're akin to gods, yes, but Diana is still half-human, and Clark was raised as one. They're not superheroes 24/7, and I take enjoyment in exploiting that.
Hopefully, I'll do this justice. This'll technically be the second story I'll ever fully finish instead of left on hiatus. Shall I write another story, or finish another? Let me know!
By the gods, did it hurt like hell to be on the island. At the same time, it was comforting.
Diana sat on one of the sandy beaches of Themyscira, looking solemnly ahead of her at the crashing waves. There was a soft breeze whirling by every few moments, and the sun kissed her skin radiantly. A perfect, beautiful day.
It was the opposite of how she felt internally. Her heart had sunken into the pit of her stomach hours ago, the moment she had landed on the island. She had embraced her sisters and her mother, who seemed to notice her plight immediately and squeezed her an extra moment or two longer than normal. "Anything troubling you?" she had asked.
Diana shook her head. "Nothing worth mentioning, Mother."
She had cast her a knowing look, but didn't pry. "Very well, daughter. It's a pleasure to have you home."
Afterwards, she had retreated to her room, feeling the exhaustion creeping in. She damn near collapsed in her bed, falling asleep for several hours. Of course, she couldn't even savor the pleasures of slumber, dreaming of her alternate wonderland.
She woke up in a cold sweat, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She kept her head bowed as she climbed into a sitting position. By the gods, this has to cease, she thought to herself.
After getting to her feet, Diana realized that she was still in her uniform. She quickly stepped out of it, using the bathroom adjacent to her room to shower. While letting the warm water run over her body, she let a couple tears slip, chalking them up to the humidity in the air.
Her heart ached greatly. The biggest thing on her mind was the family that she and Clark had conceived and raised, as well as the possible fifth one on the way. She longed to have her bookish eldest, fighting spirited and independent middle, and the happy-go-lucky youngest at her side.
The years of their courtship and marriage passed through her mind like a movie, only much more realistic. She could recall the searing pain of childbirth; Clark's lips against hers; her hand in his…
She didn't even realize the water had long turned into freezing. Getting out a few minutes later, she dried herself off and slipped into a gown, purposely avoiding the wine-colored tunic.
Diana mindlessly wandered onto the balcony outside her window, staring at the stars. It was the middle of the night, the entirety of the island so quiet that she could hear the waves crashing against its shores.
As she gazed, she prayed for a solution to her problems from her gods, any god actually. Anything to take the pain away. How can I ever face him again? How can I see him, knowing who he's with…
Part of her mind was distracted by the fact that she could hear her son's whining about his older siblings, her daughter's sword clanking against her teacher's. She could see the eldest's nose buried in a book, the twin submerged in video games. The mere thought of none of that ever happening was enough to nearly bring her to her knees.
"Something is troubling you, daughter. Care to tell me?"
Startled, Diana spun around. Hippolyta stood here, casting the princess a forlorn glance. "Mother, my apologies," she said quickly. "I wasn't aware of your presence."
"Clearly, child. Your mind is riddled with despair." The queen raised a finger before Diana could speak. "Don't you dare lie to me. Your eyes are dull, and it normally takes weeks of growing exhaustion for you to be immersed in slumber for as long as you were earlier."
As she spoke, the regality in her voice and stance seemed to melt away, being replaced with a motherly composure. Only Diana ever had the opportunity to see this side of her mother. Sighing deeply, she gave in. "When battling Circe, she managed to attach a creature that delves into your deepest desires…"
"It was of that boy with the S on his chest, wasn't it?" Hippolyta interjected. She chuckled at her daughter's embarrassed and shocked expression. "Child, I may not possess extraordinary hearing or the ability to read minds, but you regressed from an Amazonian warrior to a mere hormonal teenager."
Diana's face burned a tint of red. "Was it really that obvious…?"
The blonde-haired woman nodded. "The scarce few times you brought him here, you lost all common sense."
Well. That's shameful. She looked away as she recalled, "I can assure you that it won't happen again, Mother. He's on the path to marriage with a coworker from his work as a human."
Silence fell between the two, causing the raven-haired woman to glance up. Hippolyta's expression was one of disdain. "Daughter, he is the same way when around you," she admitted. "He becomes a child when you are in his presence."
The tears threatened to return. "That's not all...The creature forced me to live through a life that he and I shared...we lived here, on the island with our children. I…" she choked up a bit. "I named my youngest daughter after you."
Hippolyta's jaw dropped slightly. "Your little one was my namesake?"
She nodded. "Had my and your fiery personality. Kal and I had chosen her to take over as the queen when it was time." A sad smile graced Diana's lips as she cried softly. "Learned to wield a sword before she even knew what it was. Loved to battle. Ironically, she adored peace more. My eldest, Lara, was more aligned with the position of second in command."
The sound of waves crashed in the background as Hippolyta was at a loss for words, finally grasping her daughter's sorrow as more than a longing for a man. "Oh, my little sun and stars," she breathed, closing the space between them and embracing Diana in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, no woman should ever have to have their motherhood dangling in front of them in such a manner like it's a plaything." She pulled away enough to wipe away a few of her own tears. "You'll have your own family someday. I know you will."
Diana shook her head. "Mother...it was so real. I imagined years. Over a decade of raising children, teaching them basic functions, birthdays, introducing them to my sisters on the island. To have that literally ripped away…"
"No more words," Hippolyta shushed her, pulling her back into her arms. "Gods, I cannot fathom the pain you are going through. Zeus himself would have to interject to keep me from destroying the one responsible."
They stayed that way for a while, the queen comforting her daughter as she sobbed in her mother's arms. Diana didn't feel like Wonder Woman, a demigoddess, or even an Amazon: she felt like a frightened, confused child seeking solace in another person. They stayed that way for seemingly hours, the first days of dawn peeking over the coastline.
"She went home." The smell of coffee and breakfast foods was nearly overwhelming to Bruce, but to Clark it reminded him of home.
The two men met the next day at the local diner, Bruce having been informed of everything up to Diana's disappearance hours earlier. "That's what I thought, but I have no idea where it is," Clark admitted. "Every time I traveled there, there was never a landmark to remember it by, nor is it exactly in an obvious spot."
Bruce placed his hands over his mouth, an indication that he was about to whisper. Whatever was to be said, it must have held importance. "I know you will disagree, "he started, "but I've placed a chip in her that I only use for necessary reasons."
The Kryptonian's eyes nearly fell out of his head. "You chipped…"
"No obvious weaknesses, remember?" He moved his hands away. "I had it in my glove. When we first found her, I slipped it onto her arm. It's harmless and painless, and will naturally disappear over 72 hours. Meaning…" He looked at his watch. "You have roughly 48 hours left. That's more than enough time."
Clark picked at the breakfast scrambler he had in front of him, letting Bruce's words sink in. "You do know that Themyscira is incredibly difficult to locate even with the help of a chip, right? The island is protected. There's a dense fog that gets you confused when nearby, and any signal of life there is nearly impossible."
Bruce smirked. "We'll definitely see about that."
The royal dinner they had every time Diana made it back was always delicious. The endless meats, seasoned vegetables and other edibles always made her mouth water.
Too bad this time, she could barely fathom eating a single bite.
A full plate of food sat in front of her, completely untouched. She mostly sipped at her water, avoiding the wine that was constantly passed around. Her mother sat to her right, casting forlorn glances for a while until a half hour passed and she grew weary. "You need to have something in your stomach," she said finally.
Diana shook her head. "I'm not certain that it would remain there, Mother. I'm already uneasy as it is."
The queen merely gave her an iron-glazed stare, and within moments she was feebly sipping at the bowl of soup that was slowly becoming lukewarm in front of her. She did so a few times until her mother gave a small nod of approval.
She managed to finish the bowl, nibble on a bit of roasted lamb and rice, and drink a bit more of water throughout the next hour, her nausea spiking to dangerous levels towards the end. Her skin turned pale as she pushed the plate away. "I...have something I need to address urgently," she mumbled as an excuse, leaving the table.
She felt wobbly on her legs, holding onto the wall as she desperately made her way to her bedroom, and ultimately the bathroom. For Zeus' sake, you're a demigoddess! Stop acting like a schoolgirl and maintain better control of yourself, she thought irately, dropping herself in front of the toilet. Eventually, her stomach was empty.
After rinsing her mouth out, and freshening up a bit, she collapsed in bed, mentally and emotionally worn out. Her eyes felt like wells long devoid of water as she turned to her side. Her balcony was there, the moonlight streaming in through the glass door.
Her mind wandered, back to the made up world that she lovingly called home for ten years. She wanted to feel happy again, and as much as it shamed her to feel that way, she longed to be in Clark's arms. this, she thought. I am Diana, Princess of Themyscira and daughter of Zeus. I am better than this!
Naturally, her mind drifted to the time where she first discovered of her true heritage. She was born to the King of Gods and the Queen of Paradise Island, possessing many unique abilities because of their union. She was still figuring out the depths of her talents-just days ago, she discovered that her hearing, although not as precise as Clark's, is still hundreds of times better than the average human.
Diana recalled how she vented her frustrations out to Clark, to learn that she was not
sculpted out of clay but born from an unlikely coupling, wondering just how long her own mother planned to withhold that information from her. Was it forever, or did the right moment never show itself?
Regardless, she knew now. Her eyes felt heavy as she tugged the sheets up to her shoulders, lacking the warmth of her made-up husband's. A single tear fell before she curled up in bed, softly crying herself to sleep.
Clark had no idea how the hell Bruce did these things, but he never questioned it. Until today, that is.
"How the hell did you manage to pinpoint a location in miles worth of ocean?" he asked.
They were in Bruce's Batcave, standing in front of his various monitors. Each screen held a different portion of where Themyscira was generally located, often believed to be somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle or someplace within the vicinity of Greece. Hence its difficulty locating.
He shrugged. "Red Robin is a much better detective than I'll ever be, and my son wants to be me. Asking the two to simply research this, as well as gathering evidence into it, was not a hard task."
Sure enough, he managed to have a vague, yet general idea of where Diana's homeland was: somewhere located in the Aegean Sea. Almost expected, Clark mused to himself as he nodded. Diana's clearly of Greek origin. Hell, her father was Zeus. It's almost comical.
"It's a few hundred miles of water, but it's better than scoping out the entirety of the planet," Bruce said. "However, we never were able to see if they have some type of forcefield or scrambler to hide their location, so be careful."
Both knew that Clark had to do this himself. This was his friendship to save, his closest friend needed help from drowning in her own demons. And Rao be damned if he didn't try his hardest to be there for her.
A few seconds later, he was flying towards the body of water he was to tread lightly, his thoughts deeply immersed in Diana. Wonder Woman. The heart of the entire League. The strongest person he's ever known.
And yet, here she is struggling to contain her own feelings just because a possessed cat lady made her relive it.
How the hell did he miss all of that?
Now that he knew, it made so much more sense. They could spend literally days in each other's presence, and he'd never get bored of her. After mentally and emotionally exhausting missions, he'd long to see that dazzling smile grace her features, doing everything in his power to make it happen.
He recalled a fond memory of the first time Diana caught a cold after they completed a mission that had half of the victims plagued with a severe virus. Thanks to Diana's demigoddess status, her body strained it enough so that it was a mere two-day sickness, but because of her, albeit superpowered, human side, she still got sick.
She refused to take off and pushed her way through the day, looking sicker and sicker until she nearly passed out during a meeting. He walked her back to her dorm, undressed her (he nearly had to carry her the last few steps, she had no energy left), and cooked and made her tea for the next two days, until on the third day he walked inside to see her changing back into uniform, threatening to punch him for catching a glimpse.
He chuckled to himself, until he remembered Lois getting the flu a few times. He always dreaded coming home, since she made everyone as miserable as she was. She'd toss things at him to get his attention, yell, scream, and just be constantly needy to the point of asking for a bedpan instead of having her fiance carry her to the bathroom. He hated every moment of it, and would purposely stay out longer with the team just to avoid it. He always felt horrible for it, but it needed to be done.
Wow, he felt even worse. But, that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was finding Diana, no matter what it took.
One would think she, a princess, was a moody teenager with how she was behaving. Locking herself in her room at all times, keeping to herself unless summoned by her mother or anyone on her council seemingly made her a recluse. After a week of this, Hippolyta was through with the sporadic and very brief glimpses of her only child.
One afternoon, she barged into Diana's room, motherly appearance completely gone. There stood a queen, in all of her regality. "You will join us for the festivities tonight, daughter," she ordered. "We will be celebrating the lives of the Amazons. You are to attend."
Diana, who was busy covering herself with her blankets, peeked out long enough to mumble a soft, "No."
"That was not an invitation for you. You are going." Hippolyta turned around, ready to leave. "If you are so much as a second late...the wrath of Hera will pale in comparison to what I can muster, divine capabilities or not."
Even someone that possess both the abilities of the king of gods and an Amazonian warrior, as well as the current God of War, was terrified of her mother. Sighing, she agreed as her mother walked out, peering out at the balcony. It was midday, almost everything that had to do with celebration begun at sunset, so she had a few hours to herself.
After what seemed like forever and a day, she managed to drag herself out of the bed, doing a bit of cleaning (she hadn't eaten much, but what she did consume was littered about, and a bit of clothing was here and there). She stooped under the bed to reach for a gown that had managed to slip under, and her fingers brushed against something hard. Curiosity got the best of her, and she pulled it from underneath, only to gasp.
It was her childhood/early adulthood diary. Or "warrior log", as her younger self often insisted.
She had begun writing in it when she was a mere seven years old, trying to keep track of all of the training that she had started, to prove to her mother that she was keeping up with it. But, as she got older, it slowly but surely became more of something for her to document her personal life, her growing curiosities and mindset.
The handwriting slowly grew neater as the pages seemed less worn out, eventually evolving to nearly the pristine, clean letters she oftentimes wrote when signing documents. The last entry was dated a couple years back, back when she was just out of her teens and thriving as her first year in the Justice League. She'd just gotten comfortable with everyone (except Hal, that is), and she was living.
Of course, the last entry was dedicated to Ol' Blue himself.
The Seventeenth of the Eighth Month,
It is with extreme pleasure that I mark this down: the first annual date of our unity as the Justice League. We have kept the world safe from crime and evildoers, as well as protected and saved thousands, if not millions, from events such as earthquakes and tsunamis, to invasions and world-ending dictators from other divisions of the galaxy. Mother is very proud of the hero I've thrived to become, that I am becoming, and with each passing day she forgives me a bit more for leaving Themyscira to begin with.
Of course, she does not know about Kal. At least...not yet.
Zeus, I have no idea how to admit to my mother about this...constant feeling of him. He is strong, so very strong, and brave. He's the alien of us, and yet I feel the closest to him...the technical outsider. The humblest and most down-to-earth creature is constantly captured in my thoughts, and for some reason, I cannot seem to purge him from my mind.
Even in slumber he plagues my mind. In my dreams, all I can imagine is the security and safety I feel around him, more so than the others, including my own sisters.
...Honestly, that feels so...strange to admit, if only to myself. I was raised with my sisters, where wielding a weapon was my closest salvation, and a man was able to surpass that within a year.
It's...almost disturbing to say that I trust him, severely. I want to continue this newfound friendship, this companionship, and I am almost scared to say that...I am eager to see what other abilities Kal has, and how far this will go.
...Even upon first meeting him, she never called him by his human name. Not unless they were undercover, in public where she had to. Never even called him Superman unless surrounded by the their peers. Even amongst the League, she was the only one that never referred to him by his birth name.
By the gods, how long has it been since she had this...attraction, to him?
Ah, she remembered now. The moment he called her strong at their first outing, fighting Darkseid. All her life, she grew up hearing the other Amazons calling her strong, hell sometimes even overpowered, but with him, this just as strong-definitely stronger-man fighting at her side, with her…
Hera.
She found herself blushing madly, recalling a memory with her sisters:
Slipping her Wonder Woman attire on, Diana was preparing to return to Man's World, to link up with the Justice League once again. Visiting her mother was quite a refresher after a year away, but she could only stay for so long. Crime wasn't always so accommodating.
Saying her goodbyes to her mother, she walked through the long hallways towards her room, ready to grab the light bag she had packed to take off. "Ah, heading home already?" a mocking, teasing voice rang out.
She didn't even need to turn around to recognize the owner, sighing. "It's not my home, Aleka. I'm simply a protector of the Earth. We both know that my home will always be Paradise Island."
Diana continued walking, hoping to avoid that entire conversation. However, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder, and before she could react she was facing the imposing redhead. "It is indeed your home, Princess." The title sounded more like a sneering jab than a sign of respect. "You spent all of your time there, and only visit the island at your leisurely."
A headache was beginning to form behind the smaller Amazon's eyes. "It is very difficult when you are apart of a team," she said. "We guide and watch over the entire planet, not just wherever we are. There have been times I'd gone weeks without so much as sleeping, because there was simply no time."
Aleka laughed. "Nonsense, I'm almost positive you fly over here several times in those supposed weeks. You remain out there because of that man, don't you?"
Taken aback by the question, Diana blinked once. Twice. "What did you say?"
"What was his name? Carl? Cam?" The sneer was gone, replaced with a teasing demeanor. "Whoever he is, you and he were awfully close the couple of times you brought him around the Queen. He followed behind you like a lost puppy, and was always at your side."
Diana could feel her blood begin to boil as she glowered at the other Amazon. "Aleka, you're treading on very delicate ice…"
The redhead only rolled her eyes. "Is it not true? Did he not tend to your every beck and call? Did he not treat you more like a princess than your own island does? Even the Queen referred to him as your whipping boy…"
That was it. Before she started a fight that would delay her even further, Diana took off to the sky, the disgusting chortling of the older Amazon ringing in her ears halfway to her destination.
It didn't bother her nearly as much as the fact that she was mostly correct, though…
She forced herself out of her memory, tossing the book aside and slipping into her uniform: she felt too out of place to once again wear the regal clothing similar to her mother's, almost with childlike insecurity. Sticking out like a sore thumb seemed more fitting than trying to blend in with her full-blooded, man-hating sisters.
Mustering the strands of Wonder Woman that were left floating around in her system, she took a deep breath, walking out of the room.
He was flying over what seemed to be nonstop, endless oceans. And then he blinked...and was suddenly faced with a cliffside.
Screeching to a stop, Clark glanced up, confused at the sudden land inches away from his face. After spending a couple of hours hovering over nothing, he decided to fly only a few hundred feet away from the body of water, hoping to heighten his chances with finding…
With finding Themyscira…
"Rao, I think I've done it," he breathed to himself, scaling the wall of rock and dirt until he can look directly over.
Registering the sheer fact that he found the mysterious island without the help of Diana, he also realized that the sun was setting in this realm, despite a few minutes ago it was only midday. Time must be affected in her as well, he mused as he landed, making his way through the forest.
Thoughts of the demigoddess flooded his mind as he could spot light in the distance, assuming that to be her general location. What do I say to her? Do I apologize? Do I tell her my feelings? Do I…
An arrow promptly attempted to pierce his chest, attempt to-pierce his chest, only to crumple pitifully to the ground. An audible gasp was heard, and suddenly the forest Clark was in grew too quiet…
"Amazons, fight!"
About six Amazons suddenly appeared out of nowhere and charged at him, and Clark, not wanting to harm anyone on Diana's island, instantly threw his hands up. "I'm looking for Princess Diana!" he shouted.
All six of them stopped running, weapons ranging from swords to bow and arrows drawn at him defensively. The tallest one, an orange-haired female, took the liberty to step right up to his face. She even towered over him. "How in Hera's name did you find this place?" she demanded.
"I...had a bit of help," he admitted, without fully going into detail. "But, I need to find her. It's important."
"Aleka, tell him nothing!" one of the smaller girls yelled.
"Trust me, it was never my intention." The woman now known as Aleka inched closer, sneering. "Puny little man. As much as I despise the princess, it is still my sworn duty to protect anyone sitting on the throne or in line for it. You do not belong here."
He knew he'd have a bit of trouble with this one. "I need to speak with her," he insisted. "She ran away from us, her friends…"
"Because she knows that she belongs here, with her people," Aleka interrupted. "She is a warrior of royal status, and need not to be frolicking out in Man's World." She squinted her eyes. "Wait a minute...you wear an 'S' on your chest."
"...I do," Clark breathed cautiously.
Laughter suddenly rang out in the wooded area, catching Clark completely off guard. "Ah, so you are the man the princess has been crying over," she chuckled. "Priceless. You're her boyfriend."
"No, I am not," Clark huffed. He was quickly growing annoyed with Aleka. From the bits and bobs Diana had told him of her, he could see why they weren't exactly the best of friends. "Look. I just need to get to her. If you won't show me the way, I'll find it myself."
"Big talk coming from some man," another Amazon piped. The group inched closer, ready to pounce at any time.
Oh, for the love of...He didn't have time for this. Muttering a half-assed apology, Clark jumped into the air, taking off for the lights he saw.
Is that a castle?
It almost threw him off to see a perfectly standing castle perched on what seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by many buildings that he assumed where the other Amazons lived. No matter, he had to keep going, to find her. To find the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
A/N: Not dead, promise. Been attempting to write at it for a while, because my weakest point is writing downtime in between big scenes, as you'll probably see here.
My plan was to make this the last installment...but then it got too long. So, here ya go.
Hope all of you enjoy.
Comments and criticism are welcome.