Chapter 3: Departures
Watchtower
Batman stood tall and imposingly, as he typically did, at the head of the long table in the Watchtower's main conference room, his intense scowl focused on his fellow Justice League members Flash and Cyborg. They were the only ones present at the morning briefing today, making him not particularly happy. But the other two members of the Justice League were used to his mercurial moods, and hardly took notice of it anymore.
"If your 'friends' want to become real members of the Justice League, that means they have to attend the 'boring meetings' too – all of them! They can't just show up for the fights," Bruce directed his words to Cyborg. "They better understand this isn't all just grins and giggles."
Victor threw up his metallic hands. "I get it, you don't have to tell me."
"You get it, but they obviously don't," Batman snapped. He turned his attention to Flash, who only shrugged.
"Arthur said he's coming," The red-costumed superhero said, "But he had to stay back in Anchor Bay for Mera's court date."
"Then he won't get here before Superman and Wonder Woman leave."
At the mention of that, both Cyborg and Flash saw a welcome opportunity to change the subject away from Batman's gripe. "Oh man, I wouldn't want to be in his boots," Cyborg joked, and Flash nodded knowingly.
Batman glanced at him sharply. "Why do you say that?"
Victor's one organic eye registered surprised –he didn't understand why Batman suddenly sounded suspicious.
"I just mean, he's going to meet his mother-in-law for the first time, and after the fact!"
Flash laughed. "And an Amazon mother-in-law at that, hahaha!"
Victor joined in the laughter. "If she's anything like her daughter, he'd better watch out!"
"I hope that suit's reinforced where it counts!"
Batman looked distinctly irritated at their jocularity. "This isn't funny, you two. We're going to be two short for a long while. You better hope we don't have any big problems."
"Oh, the world's all one big problem! But they'll be coming back eventually. It's not like they're leaving for good." Flash was also a bit taken aback by Batman's grimmer-than-usual expression. Couldn't the guy ever lighten up?
Cyborg said, "It's not like they're quitting."
"I don't see what the big deal is," Flash kicked back in his chair. "These things happen. So Superman and Wonder Woman got married, big deal. They make a nice couple. Aquaman's been married for a lot longer and he's normal...sort of. They're having a kid, isn't that good news?"
"At least some people can," Cyborg muttered.
"Oh, hey, I didn't mean to-"
"Where are they now?" Batman demanded.
"Who?"
The dark knight gritted his teeth. "Superman and Wonder Woman!"
"He's in his quarters, sending out emails," Cyborg said.
"Probably farewell messages! I bet it'll be hard for him to type after Diana's mother breaks his hands for touching her daughter, and his Kryptonian, sun power, whatever won't be any good against some angry Greek immortal mother-in-law!"
"It ain't the only thing she'll probably break!"
The two friends began laughing uproariously again. Batman, however, wasn't quite as amused.
Superman could hear his colleagues laughing from where he sat in his quarters; he was doing exactly what Cyborg said he was. He would have felt like laughing along with them since a little levity would vastly help how he felt. He couldn't remember the last time he had so many butterflies in his stomach, now that the time had come. They were finally about to be on their way to Themyscira. He thought Diana could use some levity too - she was either pacing madly about the tiny room trying to remember if she was forgetting something, or advising him for the umpteenth time on even more Amazonian etiquette (he was sure he would forget everything the moment they arrived). They would also be bringing Gorgo's ashes back with them. Her urn was secured in a black tactical bag Bruce had procured for them. Every other time Diana looked at it, her eyes would start welling up, or she would go into a black mood. Clark wondered if that could be because of 'hormones' as well, but he hadn't quite worked up the courage to ask her.
On top of that, he was having a hard time emailing Jimmy Olsen. Jimmy's usual email address was kicking back his message, and he hadn't heard anything back from his work address. Clark wondered if he had changed it for some reason (probably avoiding some wrathful ex-girlfriend, or some pissed off celeb he'd snapped an unflattering picture of). Then Lois had sent him an email, just a short how-are-you-give-me-a-call-sometime message. Nothing about work or her personal life. Clark sent back an equally short message, just saying he hoped she was doing ok and that'd he'd be out of the country for awhile, but he'd stay in touch.
"What did your ex-girlfriend say?" Diana grumped, going through the backpack yet again; for some reason she had an irrational fear that the cremains would spill, even though the urn was sealed tight.
Clark sighed. "Diana, you know she's not my 'ex-girlfriend.' We didn't even date."
"Eh? What about her 'I Spent The Night With Superman' article? How you swept her off her feet and went flying over the city of Metropolis underneath the moonlight?"
Rao's Spheres, what was she going on about now? It had to be hormones. "That's what we call in the business a little 'journalistic license.'"
Diana began unzipping the pockets of the backpack, scowling as she went through each one. "So...then you didn't hold her tight in your arms, feeling her heatbeat against yours?"
Did she memorize that entire damn article? "For five minutes. Until she got motion sickness and threw up."
Diana paused in her backpack examination and looked at him, eyes wide. "She didn't!"
"Of course she left that part out."
"Were you not angry?"
Clark couldn't help but smile at the memory. "'Angry'? I was laughing so hard I almost dropped her! Diana, nothing happened! We just had a fun time. Lois was in love with the idea of Superman, not actually Superman the live sentient being. Certainly not Clark Kent. Besides," he muttered, "She's dating Tyresa Wallis now."
Now it was Diana's turn to laugh. "Is she? I have seen her! In the movie, Titans Against Rome! She played an Amazon!"
"Was her portrayal realistic?"
"As Lois's article!"
Clark turned to her, laughing now too. "Diana, what's wrong? Why are you asking about her all of a sudden?"
Diana's smiled dissipated somewhat. "Mother will have read that article, and others, too, everything that is written about the Justice League. She knows some English, now."
"Oh," Clark thought for a moment. "It can't all be bad. Once she sees me in person, I'm convinced I can show her I'm not a evil person."
Diana crossed over to where he sat. It seemed like she was trying to get something out, but couldn't quite find the right words. "Clark...my mother, she is a monarch. A real monarch, not like the ones here. For a long time, she has ruled. She wields true power, in Themyscira. It makes even the wisest and compassionate person a bit...something..."
"Crazy?"
Diana looked at him seriously. "But please do not call her that to her face!"
Clark took her hands. "Of course not! But I will be honest with her. I won't lie to her about my feelings for you, and our marriage. She'll just have to accept that."
Diana squeezed his hands. "And if she won't?"
Clark was silent a moment. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there," he finally said. "Right now," he turned and shut off his computer. "Let's see if we can get Bruce to accept it."
When Superman and Wonder Woman finally appeared to the other Justice League members, Flash and Cyborg couldn't help but break out into spontaneous applause. Superman had taken care to make sure his Kryptonian armored suit was clean and spotless, his dark hair brushed back nearly from his forehead, while Diana not only wore her corselet, but over it she had added a long cloak of some shimmering white material that almost seemed to glow, with golden cords, and she wore a fearsome-looking Amazonian helmet, which made them both stare at it in awe.
"It looks just like from that movie, Titans Against Rome!" Flash said admiringly.
Diana couldn't help but grin herself. She took it off and handed it to him. He turned it over in his red-gloved hands, watching how it caught the light. It was rimmed with cobalt, and on its crown was a bird-of-prey. It looked like it should be in a museum, Cyborg said.
"How come you never wear it?" Flash asked.
"I don't need to. It's just for ceremony," Flash handed it back to her and she tucked it under her arm. "Also it is too cumbersome."
"Um, we have a little farewell brunch set up, if you want to eat something before you leave. Real food too!" Flash winked. "Bats even chipped in for doughnuts!"
Clark and Diana looked at each other. They were both ready and not ready to leave. "Yes, of course we will."
It was one of their rare, truly congenial moments together, and Superman couldn't help but wonder why it shouldn't always be like this. Even Batman seemed to be getting in the mood, although he seemed even more quiet and reserved than usual. Sooner than anyone really wanted, the party gradually wound down. Goodbyes and well-wishes were exchanged, and good-natured ribbing directed at Clark over mothers-in-law, while Diana winced. Then Flash and Cyborg focused on her. Clark realized that they were really trying to cheer her up, aware that she was nervous.
"You'll have to bring the baby so we can all check it out,"Flash said.
"He or she will have plenty of babysitters," Cyborg added, smiling.
"Thank you!" Diana felt a surge of relief, that they were so accepting. She hadn't expected that.
"I don't know about Batman though," he added. "He'd probably let Alfred take care of the baby!"
He then did such a good imitation of the British butler that all of them laughed. Clark looked over at Batman, to see if he had heard, but he had moved a bit away from the group, and didn't appear to have heard the joke. He intuited that Batman wanted to talk to him away from anyone else, so he walked over to join him.
He was right. "I need to ask you a question," Bruce said in a quiet voice. "But I need a promise from you first."
"What kind of promise?"
"That you won't punch me all the way to Gotham City when you hear the question."
Clark smiled, thinking Bruce was just joking like the others. "That would certainly cause a pressurization problem! What is it?"
Bruce asked calmly: "Does Diana have any scars?"
Clark stared at him for a second, taken aback. What? "No…you can tell she doesn't."
Batman wasn't finished. "No, I mean scars that can't be usually seen, any...marks, where it could be concealed under her clothing."
"If you're asking me if she has my house sigil tattooed on her ass, no she doesn't. She doesn't have any scars," Clark said, a bit testily. "Why don't you ask her?"
"You know she'd take it the wrong way coming from me."
Clark was about to ask what way he was supposed to take it, when suddenly Bruce laughed (laughed!) disarmingly. The sight of the Batman laughing startled him so much that he almost forgot the strangeness of his question.
"Perhaps it would be best if you never mentioned this to Diana, right, Superman?" Batman extended his hand to Clark. "She's got a lot on her mind already, I'm sure. Have a good trip, Kal-el."
Clark took his hand numbly, unnerved by Batman's uncharacteristic behavior. "Um…yeah...thanks, Bruce."
"Just one more thing: be careful, Clark," Batman added in a low voice, so that only Clark could hear. "Diana's one thing – the Amazons are another."
Then he turned and walked away to say goodbye to Diana. Clark watched him for a moment, confused. What was he up to?
Then, it was finally time for them to leave. They all walked to the transport together.
"Take care Diana," Batman said, as they stepped into the transport. He handed them the black backpack containing Gorgo's urn.
"Thank you everyone," Superman said gratefully. "We'll be back as soon as we can."
"Don't worry, we got it," Victor said. "You two take care of each other."
"Oh, Bruce," Diana took something from out of the backpack and tossed it to the black-caped superhero. He caught it instinctively in his gloved hand.
"Nice try."
Then they were gone.
Flash and Cyborg came over to look at what Batman held in his hand. It was a tiny metallic sphere, so tiny that was barely visible against his black palm. It was a tracking device.
Flash was curious. "What were you trying to do? Find out where Themyscira is? You thinking about taking a vacation there too?"
"I guess Superman can take care of himself, can't he?" Cyborg said. "After all, he is Superman. What can they do?"
"I don't know," Batman muttered. "And that's the problem."
"So what now?"
"Plan B." Batman replied.
Thanks for reading! Our heroes are finally on their way to Paradise Island. What is Batman up to? Stay tuned!
Next chapter will be Lois Lane-centric. She will be a bit of comic relief in this story. Not so much horror yet, but it will gradually, slowly seep in...
As always, please review!
