So this has been on my hdd forever, and I was going to write something today come hell or high water, so I finished this. I feel like I forced it, so I apologize if it comes across that way. No beta so they're my mistakes. DC owns Batman, Wonder Woman and Justice League.
Set in "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse" as our favorite heroes get set to leave Apokolips.
"Barda?"
Barda had been focused so intently upon their familiar yet dangerous surroundings searching for possible threats, that the soft voice to her right nearly made her tense. Her head turned so that she could see Diana, and when she saw the deep concern in the Amazon's blue eyes she slowed to a stop, making sure not to jostle the bruised and battered hero she'd been supporting.
Diana nodded in appreciation and leaned in close to Batman. Her heart spasmed at the sight of his blood still trickling down the part of his face that was uncovered by the cowl, not to mention his short and shallow breaths. "Batman," she said softly, her gentle tone much like a lover's caress that meant one thing: Bruce.
"Wonder Woman," he replied without hesitation.
Diana couldn't help but smile. Beaten, battered and no doubt in agony that would have made many powered superheroes whimper in pain, his voice held its usual strength and clarity. Despite that however, underneath the deceivingly steady baritone she'd come to adore she could easily hear Bruce's voice reassuringly whisper: Diana. "The hellspores?"
There was a slight shake of his cowled head. "Not until we're almost through the tube. Darkseid may very well keep his word, but there's no point in risking it."
Diana nodded, acknowledging that he was right and that they dared not relinquish their advantage until they absolutely had to.
Diana tore her eyes away from Batman and looked back to Barda. "I'll take over," she said, careful not to imply that he needed assistance of any kind whether he actually did need it or not. She knew Bruce well. She knew that he would no doubt attempt to shrug off any help at the first intimation that he needed it and end up hurting himself even more. She moved in front of Batman, and when Barda nodded Diana slipped underneath Batman's left arm, saying to Barda as she secured him within her embrace, "You need to open the tube so we can get out of here."
Diana's left hand reached up to hold his hand as it draped with frightening lifelessness over her shoulder while her right arm went around his waste. The upper edges of his belt dug into her arm just beyond where the protection of her bracers ended, yet she didn't feel it. All she could focus on was Batman- Bruce- in her arms.
It was a testament to just how far beyond even his considerable will the pain was that he had allowed Barda and now her to physically support him so much.
"I've got you," she whispered next to his left ear as Barda walked towards Clark and Kara. Diana watched with detached interest as the former Fury Captain removed the MotherBox from her belt and began the procedure to open the tube. She knew it would take a moment or two for the tube to open and stabilize, so she took the opportunity to lean her head towards his until they touched. There were so many things she wanted to tell him, so many wonderful and heartfelt protestations of love and affection she wanted to whisper, but she didn't.
Not now.
Not yet.
A moment later the swirling multi yellows of the boom tube appeared before them. Clark, with an unconscious Kara still in his strong arms, turned and gave the area behind them one last sweep with his eyes to make sure nothing was going to interfere with their leaving. Finally he looked at Diana, then let his gaze fall to his injured friend. Even as Clark's jaw ground together and his eyes darkened in anger, Diana couldn't help but smile.
For all their differences, they were the closest of friends. Hadn't Clark shown that when he had nearly killed Luthor after the latter's sabotage of the rocket forced Bruce to fly it manually? And hadn't Bruce shown it when without a moment of hesitation he joined them in Kara's rescue?
Diana waited until Clark looked back to her, and when his eyes finally found hers a few moments later she nodded to let him know Bruce would be okay and that they were ready to go.
Clark nodded back and then started into the tube. Diana started moving towards the tube herself, taking great care as she did so to keep Bruce as stable in her embrace as she could. She cast a glance to Barda as she approached the boom tube and Barda nodded as she said, "I'm right behind you."
Diana and Bruce entered the tube and an instant later the harsh, fiery sky of Apokolips was replaced by the gentle, blue sky of Themyscira. Diana barely had time to take a deep, cleansing breath of the fresh sea breeze before they were surrounded by a squad of her troops.
"Nice response time," mumbled Bruce just loudly enough for her to hear.
Diana kept her face neutral, but inside she was pleased by his compliment. She respected this man above all others and he didn't impress easily. The fact that he was impressed enough to let her know, especially when he was in his present condition, was certainly noteworthy.
"I see you were successful in your mission, Highness," commented Artemis as she stepped closer to her ruler. She bowed her head in the proper manner and then said to Superman, "Kara's quarters are prepared and healers are ready should they be needed." She turned her attention back to Diana. "Your rooms are also ready, Highness." Artemis glanced at Batman, still securely held within her arms. "Will he be staying?"
"Yes," replied Diana as Batman answered, "No."
Artemis rolled her eyes and signaled her squad to stand down, having seen enough of the both of them over time to know not to get involved in any potential quarrel between them.
As the Amazons dispersed, Barda moved to stand before Diana and Batman. She reached over with her left hand and placed it gently upon the shoulder of the battered Dark Knight. "I have seen many try to battle Darkseid," she said with a hint of melancholy in her voice, but then her eyes brightened and her voice filled with awe and respect as she added, "but never have I seen anyone defeat him as you did today."
"We couldn't have done it without your help," answered Diana as Barda slid her hand from Bruce's shoulder and took a step back.
Barda looked to Diana and nodded. "I have to get home," she said as she turned and walked away. When she reached a safe distance from them she turned and faced them with a slight smirk. "I have to figure out how I'm going to explain you three showing up out of the blue at my house." She removed her MotherBox and as she started to activate it she shook her head and said more to herself than anyone else, "They've probably already started a petition to kick me out of the neighborhood."
A moment later she was gone, swallowed up by the tube she'd just summoned.
Diana turned her attention back to Bruce. His breathing wasn't quite as labored but he was still leaning upon her more than he ever had before.
"I'm going to take Kara to her room," said Clark, drawing the attention of both Diana and Batman. He looked back at them, the worry in his blue eyes easing enough to convey to his friends his immense gratitude. "Diana," he said as he held her eyes for a second before shifting his gaze to Bruce, "Bruce. I don't know what to say to tell you both…"
He trailed off and before she could say anything to him Bruce said in a strong and steady voice, "You're welcome." Bruce's head angled upward enough to be able to look at Clark in the eyes. "Take care of her, Clark."
Superman nodded and lifted up into the cloudless sky, giving them both one more appreciative smile before flying off in the direction of the quarters that had been Kara's home for some time.
Diana watched them go and when they disappeared past the tree line she turned her head to look at Bruce. "Ready?" she asked, hoping to all her gods and goddesses that he wouldn't be the stubborn ass he was prone to be and instead just let her help him.
Bruce took a deep breath and Diana could see his jaw twitch in pain. To her relief he simply said, "Yes."
They walked back to her quarters with slow and careful steps, causing the journey to be longer than she liked. She'd had to resist the urge to simply pick him up and fly him to her quarters as Clark had done with Kara, but even in his injured state she knew Bruce would not have permitted it. He probably would have found the strength deep within his ever present reserves to jump from her arms rather than to be seen being flown somewhere by a meta, even her.
She guided them into her bedroom and made a mental note to thank Artemis for preparing everything. Her bed was waiting for her, and on a table resting at the foot of her bed she could see all the ointments, bandages and healing supplies that could possibly be needed.
They walked over to her bed, and as gently as she could Diana lifted Bruce's arm from the back of her neck and, ducking as much as she could to help, moved his arm forward and then downward along the front of her body. When his arm was by his side she released it, and then quickly moved her hand up to hold his arm above his elbow.
"Sit," she whispered as she started to carefully turn him around. When his back faced the bed he sat down with a slight groan and sigh. Diana took a step back and nearly smiled at him. He was beaten, bruised and in terrible pain, but there he was sitting up on the edge of her bed, his back straight and head tilted as he looked at her as if nothing was wrong. The drying blood upon his chin was the only thing to shatter the illusion.
She stepped back towards him and placed her right hand upon his cheek for a moment before moving both her hands to the edges of his cowl. With loving tenderness she removed the cowl and tossed it onto the floor, ignoring the way his eyes shot to the discarded cowl for an instant. She winced as she looked at his handsome face, adorned now with a bruise on his left cheek and another by his right eye. She quickly stepped back and moved to the table to retrieve the bowl of water and clean cloths that Artemis had left. When she got back to where her love was still sitting, Diana knelt down upon both knees so that they were at eye level. She placed the bowl on the floor to her right and rung out one of the cloths, then brought the warm cloth to his face. He never flinched or said anything as she washed the blood and dirt from his face, nor did his intense cobalt gaze waver as he looked into her eyes while she performed her task.
When she finished a few moments later she dropped the soiled cloth into the bowl and placed her hands on his knees as she once again looked into his eyes. She smiled when his hands covered hers, but then she frowned as she looked down to see that somewhere along the way he'd managed to remove his gauntlets without her noticing. She looked back up to his face and swallowed the question she was going to ask when she saw the self-satisfied smirk on his face. Then whatever frustration she'd felt at being caught unawares evaporated when his hands squeezed hers and then turned so that his thumbs could lovingly caress her knuckles.
Her gaze drifted down so that she could watch his hands work their magic. A smile, slight but radiant, came unbidden to her lips as, for reasons she could not pinpoint, the memory of the first time she'd tried to help Bruce like this came to her mind. He'd been in rough shape that day after taking a pounding that probably should have left him dead or, at the very least, paralyzed. Yet he'd fought tooth and nail against Bane and had emerged victorious. He'd been so injured that he'd gone against every fiber in his being and called the Watchtower instead of trying to get home. Even then he'd staggered to his room instead of the infirmary, intending what she still hadn't been able to figure out all these years later. As it was, she'd been alerted by Flash about what had happened and she'd found him in his room, half on his bed and half on the floor. She'd helped him up and then tried to help him, yet he'd argued with what strength he'd had left and fought valiantly against her attempts to remove his uniform to the point of causing himself more pain and suffering. He'd batted, yes batted, her hands away as she'd tried to get him out of the Kevlar shell he'd been in and glared incessantly at her the whole time. It hadn't been until she'd knelt before him as she was doing now and said, "Let me help you. Please," that he'd finally relented.
"You're remembering, aren't you?"
Diana looked up to find Bruce smirking at her. "Yes," she said, a smile gracing her lips and amusement in her voice. "Come on," she said as she squeezed his hands and stood up. "Let's get you out of this uniform so we can see what else is going on with that body of yours."
"I don't mind you getting me out of the uniform, Princess," he replied with a touch of the real Bruce Wayne shining through as he stood up without her assistance, "but I can already tell you what's going on with my body."
Diana reached over with her right hand and ghosted her fingertips along the bruise by his right eye.
"Multiple facial abrasions and contusions," he said as her hand made its way though his hair towards the back of his head. "Mild concussion," he added as her fingers found a small bump on his head. Her hand moved down to his neck, "Grade two whiplash," her hand slid forward so that her fingers rested on the side of his neck and her thumb grazed up and down his throat, "and bruised windpipe."
Her eyes shot to his before starting to undo the upper part of his uniform. It took her only a minute to rid him of the leather and Kevlar, and when he finally stood before her naked from the waist up the sigh she released was made up of part desire and part sympathy.
She lifted her arms and reached over so that her hands came to a gentle rest upon his shoulders. As her hands slid down the outsides of his arms towards his hands he said, "A grade one separation of the left shoulder," and as Diana's hands slid past his elbows he added, "Possible hairline fracture of right ulna."
Diana paused and narrowed her eyes and Bruce's left eyebrow rose a millimeter as he clarified, "Or the radius. Hard to tell."
"I bet," said Diana with a macabre smirk. Her hands moved down to hold his for a moment, and after feeling along his wrists and his fingers without finding significant injury she released them. Her hands moved up and came to a rest on his chest, then slowly moved downward. She was concentrating so hard on him, focused so intently upon checking for injuries and not the bubbling desire she felt for him that when he said, "Bruised left ribcage," that she almost jumped out of her skin. She glanced up to see if he had noticed, and she thanked Aphrodite that his eyes were closed and he hadn't seen her surprise. When her hands reached his hips she gently pushed her right hand forward upon his hip and drew her left hand toward her to turn him. When the back of his magnificent torso was finally before her, her hands moved up to his shoulders again and traveled downward as she'd done on his chest and stomach. "Bruising," he announced, "but surprisingly no significant damage."
Her hands finished their inspection of his back and once again moved up to rest upon his shoulders. There was a soft growl from the Dark Knight, a noise that others would have mistaken for emotional discomfort, perhaps even anger. She knew differently. It was the noise he made whenever he tried to clamp down on his urges and keep control of himself when all he wanted to do was make love to her.
And she was in the same boat. It was taking all of her inner strength not to lean forward and lay kiss after kiss upon his battered shoulders.
She summoned up her strength and turned him around again and when his eyes found hers she was not surprised to see that they were a darker hue of blue, the shade of hot desire.
She smiled and then said, "Is there," she stopped and cleared her throat for her voice had been filled with a little too much huskiness for her taste given the circumstances, "Is there anything else?"
Bruce took a deep breath and held her gaze as he replied honestly. "No, Princess." The right side of his mouth edged up just enough for her to notice as he said, "No damage below the belt.
She laughed as she leaned past him to lower the sheet covering her bed. When she straightened back up she looked into his eyes and said softly, "Lay here and rest for a while."
The desire fled his eyes and he shook his head and said, "I need to get back to Gotham."
"Gotham will be fine without you for a few hours," she replied. "Please, Bruce," she said when he didn't sit back down onto her bed, "A few hours." Like that first time aboard the Watchtower, she'd said that word to him: please. Of course, it wasn't the word itself that had taken some getting used to. It was, after all, a word that she used frequently in an innocent and polite sort of way. It was very seldom that she spoke the word as she had to him today though, in a pleading way, a way that before falling in love with Bruce she hadn't even considered worthy of an Amazon.
After a few moments Bruce sat down on the edge of the bed, then gingerly turned and lifted his legs up as well, stretching them out on the comfortably firm mattress.
"I'll be back in a little while to check…" She stopped when Bruce's left hand shot out and held onto her right hand as though he were anchoring himself against an impending storm. She looked down to his hand and then looked up into his stormy blue eyes. "Bruce?" she whispered.
"Stay," he whispered into the warm air between them. He sighed as his fingers lovingly squeezed her own. "Please."
Like her, Bruce wasn't in the habit of saying that word in a desperate or beseeching way so there was nothing she could do but acquiesce, just as he had for her. She smiled, and it must have said it all because Bruce shimmied over to give her room on the bed.
Bruce lifted his left arm so that when she eased herself onto the bed her head could rest upon his shoulder. She was careful as she cuddled into his sore left side and rested her left hand upon his muscular chest. His arm curled around her with his hand coming to rest on her bare upper arm.
"Love you, Princess," he said tiredly.
Diana looked up to find his eyes closed. She pressed her lips to his shoulder and said against his skin, "I love you, too," her mouth formed a smile as she added, "My dark knight."