Chapter 14: Duels and Kings

"Diana?" Bruce questioned. He was in a bed in a spare bedroom in the castle. Diana was reining a wet washcloth over a bowl of water on the dresser, where his helmet was. She walked over to him and placed it on his forehead. She sat down next to him on the bed.

"Ssshhh," she said. "It's alright. You're safe."

"Has anyone else…" he started.

"No except for me and Clark," Diana told him. He smiled.

"Thanks," he responded. "Wait. How did Clark…"

"After I had cut you down, he revealed himself to be Kal-el and he ordered Luthor to stand down," Diana told him. "That's actually the main reason you're still alive. Since I'm out of my jurisdiction here."

"Has he presented himself in front of the nobles yet?" Bruce asked.

"He's doing it right about now," Diana informed him. "He challenged Luthor to a duel and it'll be staring soon. They'll be dueling in front of the nobles. It should be starting right…." The clock struck twelve. "Now."

Their swords clashed the minutes the signal to start was given. They were both skilled swordsmen and were prepared for everything that their opponent was giving them. Currently they were both on offense and it was hard to tell who was going to win.

"Go get him Lex!" Lena encouraged. "Teach him who's king around here!"

"Lena, he's not the king," Lana told her. She was here because of her husband who was a known supporter of the Resistance. "Kal-el is. And he's down there fighting Lex."

"Now Lana," her husband, Robert, said. "I know your right but unless he wins, the rest of the nobles in the court won't believe him. So let's not start a fight over it just yet."

"I know but…" Lana started.

"And he's down!" Lena exclaimed.

"But he's still armed," Lana pointed out. "Until one of them loss their weapon, it goes on."

"Wait a minute! How'd that boso get up?" Mxyzplk asked.

"He used a blocking mechanism to stop Lex's sword and then moved into squat then he moved Lex's sword out of his way and stood up," Hamilaton explained.

"What do you know, this guy just might be Kal," Perry White said.

"See! I told you meat-heads he wasn't dead!" Turpin exclaimed.

"Okay, you're right, no need to brag about it," Robert responded.

"This isn't going too well," Mannheim told Lena.

"Tell me about it," Lena replied. "If Clark wins, I'm in BIG trouble." Clark did win because just then he disarmed Lex.

"You loss," Clark said. "Kneel." He did. He turned to the nobles. Turpin and Lena were the first to bow.

"Log live the king," they declared. Perry and Robert bowed next and said, "Long live the king." Mxyzplk bowed next.

"Long live the boso—I mean king," Mxyzplk said. "Long live the king." Mannheim and Lena growled before bowing.

"Long live the king," they both said.

"Long live the king," King Hal, Princess Donna, Captain Artemis, and Queen Hippolyta declared. The nobles all rose from their bows.

"Now what do you wish to do with Lex?" Hamilton asked.

"Banishment to the wastelands for him and his accomplishes, Mercy and Bizar," Clark told them. "For their crimes against Metropolis and Themiscyra."

"Themiscyra? How?" Hippolyta asked.

"He stole your gold knowing it would make you despite enough to make you have to marry Diana off," Clark began. "So after he didn't get a letter from you, he had her kidnapped and was planning on "rescuing" her after you came and made the deal that if he found her she would have to marry him. Then he was going to have you killed so he could assume the throne of Themiscyra and take over Keystone and Gotham. But that plan failed because the Dark Knight caught wind of his plans, found, and rescued her before he could make the deal with you."

"It's true! I heard them talking about it one night," Donna added. Hippolyta's face turned red in anger.

"I demand justice," Hippolyta declared.

"And there will be," Clark responded. "As king, I decreed that Lex Luthor, Mercy, and Bizar are banished to the wastelands. And Lena Luthor is to be banished as well for betraying me and my men to Lex. And whipping out my friends in the North."

"The Barbarians?" Hal guessed.

"Yes, though they were no barbarians," Clark answered. "That was what they were called. Also the law against women carrying weapons is now abolished."

"Diana," Hippolyta called into the room. Diana turned, got off the bed, and hugged her mother.

"Oh Mother, I've missed you SO much," Diana said.

"And I you," Hippolyta responded. Bruce slipped off the bed, grabbed his helmet off the dresser, and put it on hastily. Hippolyta would recognize him for certain. Hippolyta released her daughter. "Clark won the duel. He will be crowned king at the end of the week. And the Luthors, Bizar, and Mercy have been banished to the wastelands. It's over." She turned to Bruce. "I would like to see the face of the man who saved my daughter." Bruce sighed and took off his helmet. Hippolyta was shocked to see who it was underneath the mask. "You? I never thought… Now it all makes sense."

"Mother, do you know him?" Diana asked.

"Yes, he's Bruce Wayne," Hippolyta said. "The King of Gotham."