Flash zoomed around the Watchtower, his intended destination the cafeteria. Most of the staff there would be off work, but there was still a large supply of iced mochas in the fridge for himself. He was having a craving for them after he had just gotten back from Central City stopping a mad bomber.

Upon entering to the cafeteria, he realized someone beat him too it. Diana sat there with an entire fortress of discarded iced mocha cups surrounding her. She seemed oblivious to it and kept on drinking another one while staring off blankly in space. If Flash did not know any better, he would say she looked like she was in pain. Deciding it was up to him to get the bottom of this, he slowly approached her with caution.

"Are you alright Di?" he asked sympathetically.

Finally noticing him Diana looked a little shock by his intrusion. She tried to put on the most serious face as she could. The princess did not want anyone to see her as a wreck like this.

"Everything is fine Flash. Thank you," she said coldly but a little too fast as she turned her head away so she could not make eye contact.

"Yea, I am not buying it. Come one tell me what's wrong," Wally asked gently.

Diana did not know what made her decide to open herself up to Flash, but she needed too. With a heavy sigh she began to relay all the events that had come to pass about the auction, Bruce, and her and Shayera's fight.

"…and normally I use the training room to comfort myself, but since she and I have rendered it useless at the moment, I came here to find another way to ease the pain. I am sorry I have seemed to consume all of them. I know they are your favorite."

Flash smiled and took off his mask to reveal a beaming red-headed Wally West.

"Di, I could never be mad at you. I just want to let you know that I am here for you as a friend."

"What about Hawkgirl?" she asked. She would never call Shayera by her name again.

Wally's smile turned to a frown and sighed, "She is my friend too, like a sister to me, and so are you. I am not offering to be here to try to get you two back together. That is up for you to decide. I am just offering to be here for you as a friend."

This shocked Diana. Was Wally West actually being the most mature person in the League right now? She pinched herself to make sure she was not in Morpheus's realm. She then smiled back.

"What is it?" asked Wally a little apprehensive now.

Diana pecked him on the cheek which caused Wally to blush and smile dopily.

"You are so sweet Wally. I am not use to you being the most grown up around here."

"It happens," said Wally casually, he was still blushing.

"Wally, do you have someone special in your life?"

"Wha-? No. I mean Beatriz and I had a little fling but we are just friends as of now. But there is this girl. She actually knows me as Wally first so that's kinda good I guess…"

"Have you asked her out yet?" Diana asked, interrupting Wally's sudden babbling.

"Well. I mean I really do love her. But she is out of my league. She is a reporter in Central City and there is no way she would go with a guy like me…"

Diana stood up. "You sound like Clark with Lois. Take my advice Wally, you should at least try."

And with that Diana left leaving a confused Wally lost in his thoughts.

She felt guilty a little though telling Wally to try. When she tried to show her emotions to someone special to her, she got her heart broken. If that was not enough, it was slowly being tweaked and cracked by the same man over and over. Maybe that is why Amazons were supposed to be separate from men.

She decided it was time she should pay her mother a visit. Even though her mother would probably get mad at her for getting so worked up about a man, at least she could be with her family.

With a sudden purpose in her stride she made it to the javelin bay toward her invisible jet. Luckily she had already restocked it with fuel; it was going to be a long trip to Thermyscara.

Unnoticed by her, a camera had been following her exit to the bay. Moving as if someone was controlling it.

Batman watched at his monitor as the Amazon made her way to her plane. He sighed sadly. When he installed both Watchtowers and the Metro Tower, he secretly made all the cameras be able to be control by him in the cave. Normally they would be on autopilot moving at random, unless Mr. Terrific or J'onn needed to watch something specific. So his secret remained unnoticed when once in a while he would move the cameras around to keep an eye on a certain Amazon.

When the first Watchtower was built, he would always keep an eye on Diana. He first told that himself because he was suspicious of her. It seemed strange that a woman from a race that hated men would be willing to help mankind.

After the incident in Gorilla City and Felix Faust, he justified the need to spy on her to keep an eye on her out of concern. She was still innocent to this world and she needed someone to look over her.

As the years went by and the Watchtower was rebuilt, he would still keep his vigil just to make sure she was safe, especially after he almost lost her with Circe. It soon evolved into helping calm him down when he was stressed or stumped on a case. Seeing her, reminded him there was still hope in this world.

But those stopped when he resigned from the League. He wanted no ties anymore so he made sure he would never use them again. Sometimes he got really tempted to but he ignored it. Within months he had almost forgotten about them.

Now that it was already morning in Gotham but he was still sulking and awake deep in his cave. He needed to see her again. Earlier last night he was too shocked and angry to really appreciate seeing her beautiful face again, so alive with emotion.

But as he found himself more agitated and stressed he needed to see the goddess, at least one more time.

Although he could not see her jet, he knew it had left when the bay doors opened and shut. She was probably going to visit her mother; otherwise she would just teleport away.

With a grim sadness he turned off the feed. He was about to go to bed when his phone rang. For a second he was angry and wondering who would be calling at this time so early on a Saturday but then he remembered he kept unusual hours.

"What," he asked angrily in the voice of a tired Bruce Wayne. He was actually really tired right now.

"O I am sorry if I disturbed you Bruce. I am just calling to see why you are all of a sudden letting metas in Gotham," said a defiant brash voice.

Batman found his real voice and hissed venomously, "This is none of your business, Dick. Gotham is my city. Worry about your own."

"You know I called actually because I saw you with some league members on the news I thought maybe that Batman was finally not going to be so uptight anymore and actually be a decent human being to others. But now I see nothing is changed," Nightwing retorted angrily.

"Is that all?" Batman asked, daring his former protégé to respond.

"No, actually. Unlike you I have been more successful at keeping tabs on Tim. I just talked to Leslie and she told me how you have been shirking your responsibilities as…"

"Tim is my responsibility, not yours!"

"He is mine because you will not actually do your job! You know you may be both our fathers in a legal sense, but you are by no means my or Tim's father! You are just a brooding jerk who feels the need to make everyone else as miserable as him!" Nightwing shouted back furiously.

Nightwing's rejection of Batman as his and Tim's father left the brooding man stunned for a second. Before Batman could yell back, Nightwing had already hung up furiously, leaving a very frustrated Batman.

Instead of making his way upstairs to bed, Batman made his way to a punching bag, determine to make sure it was completely destroyed by the end of the day…

Diana felt much more relax as she piloted her prized plane to her island home. It allowed her to take off her mind on many distractions. She was in her own little world; no supervillains, no global disasters, no fights, no Justice League, no Batman, just her.

She was in a relaxed mood for a while that she was taken aback when she caught sight of her mother already waiting for her by the landing site with a very stern look on her face. Although she was technically still banished, she was allowed to visit Thermyscara since she was ambassador now.

"Mother?" she asked unsure as she exited her jet to the sight of her stern mother.

"Follow me Diana, there is not much time," the Queen said in all manners of professionalism and turned around and took off, not letting her daughter have a chance to respond.

Diana caught up to her mother a little worried on what was occurring. She understood her mother had to keep up an unbiased image, but she still would show at least some affection to her daughter.

"Mother what is? Is something wrong?"

"No. Well right now no. The oracle knew you would be coming here. She has said the gods demand to speak with you."

"Why not send Hermes?" asked Diana confused by this sudden seriousness.

Hippolayta did not answer her daughter. Pretty soon they were at the temple of Apollo. Hippolayta bowed her head and said a prayer to the gods before leaving Diana behind. Diana stood confused about the sudden turn of events until she found herself being surrounded by a mist. The mist cleared and she found herself surrounded by three deities. Apollo, Hera, and Aphrodite.

Immediately Dian kneeled. Apollo chuckled and told her to rise.

"What do you demand of me?" Diana asked.

"We have come to warn you Diana," Hera said with the utmost seriousness.

"Warn me?" Diana asked apprehensively.

Apollo spoke up, "Something is happening. Something has changed time itself. Something that not even my power of foresight can comprehend clearly. What was supposed to happen later is happening now. All I know is death is coming. The omens are bad."

"How can I stop this doom? What should we do?"

Hera looked at Diana grimly.

"This is something you must find out on your own."

Diana was taken aback. Were her gods and goddesses really turning her backs on her?

"Why?"

"We cannot interfere. What will occur in the next few months could potentially bring the destruction of mankind and the entire cosmos," said Apollo with a sad look of pity on his face.

"What is it?" she asked.

Aphrodite who had been silent answered.

"Alas even with our divine power, we do not understand these bad omens. It must be found out by this," she said beckoning to Diana's heart.

"You are leaving me to determine the fate of the world?" Diana asked a little taken aback by this charge.

"Not necessarily the fate. We have decided to give a warning to mankind like we have before. You are doing just what you would normally do. As our champion you will try to find out and stop this doom before it happens."

Diana stood grimly. A few hours ago she was angry with her own personal problems. Now she was given the burden of the fate of everything on her shoulders.

"I-accept."

The deities all look at her proudly and smiled. Apollo approached her and handed her a glass crystal.

"To help you look on those you care," he said cryptically.

Hera then proudly approached her and handed her a staff.

"To help you lead those you care into battle," she said proudly.

Lastly Aphrodite approached her. For the second time she touched her heart.

"To help you save those you care," she said sweetly as a light glowed from Diana's heart.

Before Diana could ask the meaning of these gifts, the mist had returned and before she could say anything she found herself all alone again.

Hippolayta had entered back in.

"Well daughter? What did they want?"

Diana looked puzzled with the two possessions she had in her arms and tried to discern the meanings the three deities had given her.

"I do not know mother. But the world itself is in danger."

"What did they say?" Hippolayta asked concern.

"They said that there are bad omens. Something has changed. They as usual are not allowed to interfere. They have charged me with investigating it. They gave me these as well"

The Queen examined the devices. They seemed very innocuous and useless. The glass crystal looked old and stained and the staff seemed to be brittle and useless.

"Is that all?"

"Aphrodite touched my heart and said it would help me save all those I cared about."

For a while the two Amazons just gazed out into the beautiful sea, confused by the riddles and challenges from their gods.

Finally the Queen broke the silence, dropping the serious professional tone into a more caring one.

"Daughter," she said reaching out and touching Diana's hand.

"Let us have dinner together today and you can tell me how everything is," she said warm and inviting, in sharp contrast to the cold queen she projected earlier.

"But what about the omens?" asked Diana, a little taken aback by her mother's sudden mood shift.

"They can wait. This is not the first time the gods have given bad omens and you set out to investigate them. You know these things take time. Come, my little sun and stars, we will have a nice mother to daughter chat."

And with that the two Amazons made their way to the palace, forgetting one another's troubles for the moment.

John and B'wanna Beast sat at the "bar" in the cafeteria. Technically there was no bar because Superman and Batman, two of the most important founders, never drank, believing it would hinder performance. That did not stop league members though for finding a source of alcohol. People would usually stock the public fridge with bottles of alcohol in exchange for being allowed to take any liquor or beer they wanted at anytime.

The two heroes at the moment were sipping their drinks slowly and grimly.

"Women," John muttered angrily.

"Don't understand them at all," B'wanna Beast continued bitterly. He had his costume off and was in his alter ego, Mike Maxwell identity.

The two men put their bottles together in a moment of bonding over the most difficult animal of all, the human female. John was puzzled about Shayera. What game was she playing at by dating Bruce? She did not seem too happy about it, but why go to a date auction in Gotham then?

Mike meanwhile was stuck on a certain witch. He could never seem to get a conversation with her. Every attempt he made was rebuffed by her angrily. At least she would show some emotion toward him which is why he was attracted to her. If she had rejected him coldly, he would not mind at all and move on. But because she would have so much seething hatred toward him, it gave him hope. He just could not figure out how to turn her hate into love.

Both men were in the corner of the cafeteria wallowing in self-pity and misery that seemed in sharp contrast to a boisterous and jovial Green Arrow who had just entered and spotted them.

"What's up guys?" said Oliver Queen, completely oblivious to the two men's grim looks on their faces. He made to get himself a bottle out of the fridge.

Both men ignored him. Oliver did not seem to mind and squeezed himself in forcefully between the two guys.

"I have some good news," said Oliver beaming with excitement.

"Don't care," muttered John half drunk under his breath. Max however was a little more polite.

"What is it," said Mike half cranky, trying not to sound annoyed.

Oliver beckoned the two men to come closer so he can whisper to them.

"I am gonna propose to Dinah tomorrow night," he said softly but excitedly.

"Wha-?" said John a little taken aback. He had always expected he would settle down before Oliver. The idea of Oliver and Dinah tying the knot was not helping his already bad mood.

Mike meanwhile was a little upset as well. If a wild billionaire like Oliver can settle down with a free spirit like Dinah, how come he could not seem to work it out with Zatanna?

"Man how did you ever win a free bird like her?" Mike asked trying to hide the resentment in his voice.

"Easy. I nearly got killed for her," joked Oliver. "Now excuse me, I should start sobering up by now. I have been drinking all morning to get the nerves ready."

And as quickly as he appeared, the Emerald Archer disappeared.

"You buy that GL? You win a woman's heart by trying to die for her?"

John was not listening however. He remembered that special night of passion he shared with Shayera after she almost had lost him in the explosion. He remembered the look of love they had in each other's eyes when he took off her mask and saw those bright green eyes for the first time. Was there still hope after all? Only time will tell.

"I got to go," said the Green Lantern. One thing was for certain, he needed to talk to Mari. There was no use to stringing her along anymore.

"See ya bub," said Mike not really caring that he was drinking alone right now.

"So tell me daughter, how has man's world been since you last visit," said the Queen looking across the table at her daughter as they ate the bountiful feast prepared for them.

"It's been good. The world is getting safer by the day. After the fall of Darkseid, the past year has been pretty safe."

"Well that is well. But how are you personally?"

"I am…am fine mother, why do you ask?" Diana said trying to hide her guilt.

The queen's face turned to seriousness again. It always intimidated Diana as a child; it still did as an adult.

"Daughter, you are supposed to be a promoter of truth, do not soil your own good name lying to me. Tell me what is wrong? You came here for some reason, what is it?"

"I-I just needed to talk to someone who was family. I am not having the best moments in my personal life right now."

"What do you mean? Are you and your friends fighting?"

"No, I mean with some of them I am. But that's not the real problem. I am having issues with a certain man-"

But before the Princess could finish, she saw her mother spitting out the wine she had just sipped, forsaking any image of regality at the moment.

"A man? My daughter is having troubles with a man?" the Queen asked standing up angrily.

"It's my own mess mother, I will clean it up. Please relax…"

"Have you not learned anything about men?"

"Mother, men have changed. They are not wicked as they once were. Some of them even saved Thermyscara lest you forgot!"

"Yes. They have changed. But still I am not too proud with you actually forming a relationship with a man! Look what it has done to you already! You are miserable!"

"That may be true mother but I do not regret it. Being in man's world has brought so much passion and feelings that I never thought I could experience. I live by my emotions. If you cannot accept that, then I will leave."

Diana stood up threatening to leave. Unexpectedly, her mother finally sighed and sat back down.

"I am sorry Diana. I guess I cannot make my own mistakes and experiences define your life. Please sit back down and you can tell me. Mother to daughter, not Amazon to Amazon or Princess to Queen."

Diana relaxed and opened herself up to mother about everything. How she had fallen in love with Batman and how the two had formed a strong bond of friendship. How both of them had done what they can to save each other. About how Batman had rejected her last year and left himself to grieve alone. And lastly how the recent date auction seemed to have open old wounds.

"It seems to me this Batman, hero of Thermyscara he may be, is nothing but a dark, brooding jerk. Do you love him daughter?"

"I do not know. I want to and have offered my heart to him so many times but he has rejected it. Every time I think I am over with him, he does something that just opens the old wounds again. It is like we are meant to be, but the fates do not want it to happen."

Hippolayta stood up walked around the table and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Daughter. Whatever is going on in this relationship with this man, do what will make you happy. If giving up on him does, do it. If trying to win his heart will make you happier, then do that then. I will support you either way."

Diana smiled and stood up and embraced her mother. It felt so good that her mother for once instead of telling her what to do was telling her to make her own decision.

"Thank you mother. I am afraid I must go right now though. I have to investigate these impending omens the gods speak of."

"Take care, daughter. Come by and visit more often. And if this Batman gives you any more trouble, do not tell me because I may have to visit him myself."

Diana smiled at her mother's threat and followed her escort to her jet, feeling a little better now.

Shayera was pacing in her room. Since the training room was broken she had no way to let out her usual frustrations. Therefore she had been pacing back and forth while brooding on other events. She had already left an ugly track in the carpet in her room when she heard a gentle knock on the door. Relieved to have something to momentarily distract her she opened it to find Wally smiling at her with a person she did not expect to see.

"J'onn!" Shayera cried, overjoyed to see her old friend.

"Hello Shayera! I sensed you were having some trouble, Flash and I decided to pay you a visit," the Martian said with a smile on his face.

Immediately Shayera backed away.

"Let me guess, you are here to tell me I need to fix things with John, or me and Diana need to apologize to each other," she said angrily, not really masking the feeling of betrayal in her voice.

"No Shy, we are here as our friends. It is up for you to deal with your own personal life, not our business. We are just here to take your mind off of things. Figured you could use a break."

"What did you have in mind?" she asked suspiciously.

Wally responded by holding up a strategy board game.

Within a few hours the three friends, along with Vigilante who had joined the game where in a heated war over the continent of Europe.

"Don't you understand J'onn? You cannot let him take Britain! That is the key right there! Come on use your mind reading! They are playing us!"

"I am not going to cheat Flash! I am ending my turn!"

"Yeehaw! It's my turn now give me my reinforcements!" cried the cowboy hero excitedly.

With reluctance, Flash handed him a lot of pieces which Vigilante placed them all in Western Europe, ready to attack Flash's meager defense of Great Britain while ignoring J'onn's fortifications south to him in North Africa.

"Damn it!" cried Flash angrily. Within the first roll, his entire forces had been wiped out. That left Iceland up for grabs and Vigilante would have Europe.

Shayera meanwhile smiled to herself. The three fools in front of her were too busy bickering over the big continents they completely ignored her as she built up forces in Australia and South America. Pretty soon she would get Alaska which would connect her forces of Australia and Asia with her forces in the Americas.

Within a few more turns, Shayera not only had Alaska, but both Americas, and half of Asia, making her receiving an endless supply of reinforcements while the rest of the players were crammed in Africa and Europe.

"You boys got too greedy," she smiled wickedly. "You took your eyes off the easy prize."

Within a few more turns, Vigilante and Flash were wiped off the map. The two stuck around to watch J'onn put up a hopeless fight in the Middle East against Shayera'a advancing army.

"I am impressed J'onn. For not reading minds you have been pretty good at putting up a fight," she smiled wickedly as she rolled the dice, giving her triple sixes against J'onn's measly two and one, ending the game.

Vigilante and Flash got up grumbling leaving Shayera and J'onn to pick up the pieces.

"I must say Shayera, you seem a lot more at ease now," said J'onn calmly as he folded the board up.

"I thought you said you did not read my mind!" she teased. "Please tell me you did not let me win!"

"I did not. I just could feel your emotions like I did before. They seem less trouble and angry now."

"Well it is because I have good friends," and on impulse she hugged one of her best friends, causing the Martian to be a little shock but he returned the embrace.

"Thanks J'onn. You and Wally are being really good friends to me," and with that she made her way out leaving J'onn in the room by himself.

"What is it with everyone wanting to hug me lately?" J'onn chuckled to himself as he made his exit out as well.