DISCLAIMERS/NOTES

1. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.

2. As always, I'll point out this was written over a decade ago, when, here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air. So Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy, and the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of Unlimited wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, "The Savage Time". All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.

3. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness.


PART 7

Batman spread himself wider, trying to put as much of himself infront of his mother, who was bleeding heavily on the ground behind him.

Talia stood several yards away, her mouth cut. "You're not my Beloved… who are you?"

Batman looked over his shoulder, and saw his mother looking up weakly at him. Blood was flowing from her nose and mouth, and her neck was red from being squeezed. He looked back at Talia. "Your worst nightmare."

He then leapt forwards, and flew towards Talia at top speed. He crashed into her, sending them both backwards into the brick wall. The wall broke apart on the impact, and they both collapsed on the floor, bricks falling ontop of them.

Batman threw his arms back, sending the bricks off his body. He then got to his feet, and grabbed Talia by the throat. "My family… has had ENOUGH of you… you psychotic…"

Suddenly, Talia headbutted Batman, and with her enhanced skeleton, it surprised him how painful the impact was. He held his head, as Talia threw his arm off her, then punched him in the face. She followed it up with a fist into the stomach, knocking the wind out of his body.

She grabbed his throat, and swung backwards, sending him into the wall. His body created a crater, and he was stuck in the brickwork. Talia pulled her arm back. "Nothing will stop me from ripping your tramp of a mother's heart out…"

Batman gritted his teeth, then forced his hands free. He then threw them backwards again, and he hit the wall with all his strength. Talia looked up as the brickwork began to crumble…

The entire wall then collapsed, burying them both.

Diana looked up wearily at the mountain of rubble. "Thomas…?"

Slowly, the rubble began to shift. A hand emerged at the top, and Batman rose from the debris, holding his shoulder. Though he had his mother's strength and durability, he was not as invulnerable as her. He stepped out of the rubble, and took a deep breath. He then walked slowly towards her. "Mom… are you alright…?"

Diana was about to reply, when the debris began to shift again. She tried to call out, but all she could muster was a croaky moan. "Thomas… behind…"

Suddenly, the rubble burst apart, and Talia emerged from the remains. She quickly grabbed a large chuck of wall, and threw it towards Batman. He barely had time to turn around, before it hit him hard in the chest.

He flew backwards, missing Diana by inches. He hit the other wall hard, and slumped to the ground. Talia stepped out of the rubble and removed a pistol from her hip. "Thought you'd try and be a hero and save mommy, eh? I can't wait to get my Beloved away from you meaningless, pathetic people… In fact, once I've dealt with you two, I'll go back to that cave of yours and kill those other brats."

Diana tried to crawl forwards, but she slumped to the ground in a puddle of blood. "No…"

Talia lifted her pistol. "Say goodbye…"

Batman raised his arm. "Goodbye…" He then clenched his fist, and a dart emerged from his wrist. It shot out, and headed forwards, spreading outwards as it travelled.

Upon opening, the batarang speared the nozzle of Talia's gun, just as she pulled the trigger…

The pistol exploded in a ball of fire.

Talia screamed in agony. "AAAARGGH!" She held her arm close to her, as the remains of the pistol fell to the floor.

She looked at the end of her arm, and saw nothing but blood…

She looked down, and saw a charred ball on the ground…

"My hand…" she whispered. "What have you done…?"

Batman got to his feet, and went towards her.

Talia looked at him, trembling. "I'll… KILL YOU…"

"You'll have to go through us, first."

Batman, Diana and Talia turned their heads at the sound of the voice.

Superman stood at the warehouse doorway, the entire Justice League and Titans behind him. "Which I guarantee… won't be easy."

/

Talia darted her head between the three people near her, and the large group of people at the warehouse doorway.

Superman stepped forward. "Give it up. There's no escape."

Talia smiled. "Isn't there…?" She then lowered her hand, and pressed a button on her belt.

Suddenly, the side wall exploded, and erupted in a ball of fire. The warehouse shook, and several of the heroes were knocked off their feet.

As the chaos calmed down, a second explosion hit, and a piece of the ceiling gave way. It began to topple to the ground, as the building shook again.

"She's wired the place!" Batman yelled. He then looked at his mother, who was lying almost motionless on the ground. He ran upto her. "Mom, are you OK? Talk to me!"

Diana slowly lifted her head, spitting blood from her mouth. "I can't… move…"

Superman rushed upto them. "I can see with my x-ray vision that nothing's broken. We can move her. Give her to me."

"No," Batman said. "I'll take her." He then delicately picked his mother up, and held her in his arms. She put her hand to his shoulder, but could not hold it there, and her arm slumped down.

Suddenly, a third explosion erupted, and another wall burst apart. "We have to get out of here!" Lantern shouted. "Everyone get near me – I'll create a bubble to protect us!"

Batman ran as fast as he dared to the group, as Superman stayed near him and Diana, protecting them from falling debris. Once they reached the others, Lantern raised his arm, and his ring lit up. Within seconds, a large bubble had formed around the heroes.

The bubble rose from the ground, and flew out of the quickly-widening hole in the roof. It hovered above the building, then glided a couple of hundred yards away. It settled on the ground, and Lantern dropped the creation.

The heroes watched as the warehouse collapsed in on itself, as it blew apart with a final explosion. The remains scattered the area, the block engulfed in flame.

Superman looked around. "We've got to find Talia. Kyle, take Tho… Batman and Diana back to the Watchtower. The rest of us will look for search the area."

"OK," Batman said. "But you won't find anything. When an Al Ghul vanishes… they vanish."

"We'll see," Superman said. "Go. We'll be there as soon as we can."

Batman nodded, as Lantern went upto him. "I'll make this as smooth as possible." He then created another bubble around himself, Batman and Diana, and the three of them slowly rose from the ground, and headed for the stars…

/

Diana lay in the medbed, breathing slowly. She had a plaster on her nose, a bandage around her head, and a brace on her neck. She had wires connected to her hand and stomach, and her condition was continually displayed on the monitor.

Bruce looked at his wife as he sat by her bedside. His heart was near breaking point. She had nearly died. He had nearly lost her.

She said she could not take the thought of losing him… the thought of losing her… he would NOT be able to take…

She sighed, and her throat croaked. Bruce leaned closer. "Shh…"

Diana smiled faintly. "I'm OK…" she gasped. "I look worse than I am…"

Bruce raised his hand, and lightly stroked her hair. "Let me be the judge of that." He looked down, barely able to compose himself. "My God, Diana… what did she do to you…?"

"J'onn said this is just… a precaution…" Diana said. "I shouldn't move too much… but I think the neckbrace is a bit much…"

"You're throat's badly bruised," said Bruce. "He doesn't want you moving your neck. It has to heal."

"My neck's the least of my worries," Diana said quietly. She slowly put her hand to her stomach. "Where's J'onn? He said he wouldn't be long with the results."

"He wants to make sure everything's OK," Bruce said.

A tear poured down Diana's face. "But… what if it isn't…? Bruce… I don't want to lose our babies…"

Bruce took her hand, and held it lovingly. "We won't… whatever happens, we won't lose them. I promise you that."

Diana closed her eyes. "I've never been so scared in my life… I thought I was going to die… I thought…" Her voice trailed, as the tears poured uncontrollably. She sobbed, but it hurt her throat, and she gagged as she tried to get air into her body.

Bruce leaned closer. "Diana… breathe slowly… take long, deep breaths…"

As Diana tried to slow her breathing, Superman and Thomas walked into the medbay. They both looked solemn. "How are you?" Thomas asked quietly.

Bruce sighed. "We're still waiting. Did you find her?"

Superman shook his head. "No… there was no trace of her. Thomas was right."

"He was right about a lot of things," Bruce said. "Thomas, later… we need to talk."

Thomas looked confused, but nodded slowly. "OK… Faith and the others are OK. Grace and Clark have a few bruises, but nothing major. And Jason's fine. He was sound asleep in his bed."

Bruce said nothing, just nodded slowly. He looked back at Diana, and held her hand closer to his chest. "I'm going to find her… her and her father… and I'm going to settle this once and for all…"

"One thing at a time," Superman said. "Shayera called. She's on her way back."

"How… did the trial go…?" Diana breathed.

"She didn't say, but…" Superman stopped as the door opened, and J'onn appeared.

Bruce looked at him. "J'onn… what are the results?"

J'onn looked pained. "Bruce… Diana… I'm so sorry…"

TO BE CONCLUDED