Chapter 21

Themyscira; August 19th, 05:00 EST

General Phillipus began making her daily rounds of the palace grounds, something that she deemed more important now than ever before. In the past, she had performed the duty more out of habit than anything else, not that she feared that anything would happen.

Now, though, things were changing on the island and not for the better.

The threat was not coming from any outside forces, some enemy living past their protected shores. No, this was coming from the last place anyone would expect. This was coming from within. Her own sisters were at the very source of the brewing trouble.

Tensions were rising drastically with every passing day. Sides were secretly being taken in dark shadows and whispered about among friends. It was only a matter of time before sister went against sister, a civil war of sorts breaking out on the island.

The thought caused fury to burn through every fiber of her being. It was not supposed to be this way. They were one people, bonded and united as sisters, as warriors, and as Amazons. They had followed Queen Hippolyta's rule for thousands of years and it would stay that way for as long as there was breath in her body.

She trusted her inner circle of palace guards, knowing that they would defend their queen with their very lives if necessary. They were the ones who were keeping careful watch over the queen now while she did her rounds, unwilling to take any unnecessary risks with the queen's life.

To her, there was no overreacting or being too caution.

"I don't like this…things are moving too slowly. We need to make our move soon."

Phillipus stopped dead in her tracks, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword as she listened. Her eyes narrowed with fury as recognition settled over her. It was Kyriaki. She had suspected that Kyriaki could possibly be behind the rumblings of dissatisfaction and rumors of a possible rebellion, but she never had proof…until now.

"You must not talk like that here," Theophania hissed in warning. "Someone could hear you. Things are tense enough around here as it is without you stirring up more trouble."

"You must think me a coward if you don't believe I'm ready to move forward with our plans," Kyriaki retorted with a derisive snort.

"This is not the time nor the place, Kyriaki," Theophania icily stated. "We will discuss this later."

"Why not now?" Kyriaki demanded to know. "Are you afraid, sister?"

"No, but I will not be the reason we fail," she maintained.

"The princess and her demon mate are preoccupied with a male attempting to unleash Hades' power. They will not be a factor in this," Kyriaki spat out. "We will not fail in our plans, Theophania. Failure is not an option."

"And what plans would that be, Kyriaki," Phillipus demanded to know as she made her presence known, her face a mask of pure indignation.

Kyriaki simply arched an eyebrow as she stared the general down, unfazed by the fact that they had been overheard by her. "We were merely discussing plans for the upcoming festival," she replied with a smile. "Haven't you been making plans?"

Phillipus slowly closed the distance between them, her darkening gaze boring straight through her Amazon sister as if attempting to pierce her very soul with her eyes alone. "I know you are behind the attacks on the princess and that you're planning some sort of plot against Queen Hippolyta."

"I assure you, General Phillipus, I have no idea what you could be referring to," Kyriaki responded with feigned innocence. "I only have the best intentions in mind for our beloved queen. Besides, I know the consequences involved in betraying the queen. Why would I risk death or banishment from my home?"

Phillipus reacted in less than a heartbeat, moving like a lioness catching her prey as she pinned Kyriaki up against the wall of the palace with her forearm across her throat. Her nose was millimeters from hers, her chest heaving with fury.

"I know that you're involved in this somehow and I will prove it one way or another," she hissed in a deadly, low voice. "And when you are found guilty by the queen, I will be more than pleased to be the one to remove your head from your shoulders for betraying your very own sisters."

Kyriaki smiled at her, unaffected by the general's threat. "You know I've never really understood how you were made general over me," she shot back. "You've always been far more talk than action."

Phillipus pressed her forearm even harder against Kyriaki's throat, her teeth grinding with fury. "We'll see who is all talk when I personally take you down."

Phillipus held her there a heartbeat longer before finally releasing her hold on her. "Get back to your rounds or I'll have you both scrubbing the temple floors on your hands and knees."

"Yes, General Phillipus," Theophania obediently replied, her hand surreptitiously grasping Kyriaki's elbow in a silent plea for her to cooperate.

Kyriaki just glared at her at her as Phillipus continued on her way, leaving the two Amazons alone once more. "What are you trying to do?" Theophania demanded to know in a low whisper. "You're going to give our plans away."

"Just trying to rattle Phillipus," Kyriaki replied with an indifferent shrug of a shoulder. "She's not going to be able to stop us. Once we make our move, it will be far too late."

"Your arrogance is going to be your downfall," Theophania bit out.

"And your cowardice is going to be yours," Kyriaki shot back, turning on her heel to continue her duties.

Blüdhaven; August 19th, 07:16 EST

Dick came out of the bedroom, toweling drying his hair as he made his way towards the kitchen and delicious aroma that assaulted him. His stomach was rumbling, demanding to be satisfied after the vigorous workout he'd experienced with his wife this morning.

He had to admit that he was already looking forward to tonight when he could have her all to himself all over again. While she gratified him in ways that he'd never dreamed, he still remained insatiable when it came to his beautiful wife who was carrying his twin children.

He tossed his damp towel onto the back of the couch as he made his way towards the kitchen to find Donna sitting on a barstool eating breakfast, her attention focused on a newspaper. She had a red pen in her hand, tapping the end of it on the counter as she perused the paper.

"What are you up to?" Dick asked, pausing to kiss her temple before making his way to the stove top where his breakfast awaited him.

"Just looking for a bigger apartment," she absentmindedly replied, her forehead creased in thought.

"Having any luck?" he asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Not a whole lot I'm afraid," she admitted, pausing to take a bite of her breakfast.

"You know we could look for a house," he suggested as he sat down at the counter beside her. "We don't have to just look for an apartment."

"I guess I just thought it would easier to find a loft or an apartment on the top floor so you can continue being Nightwing without drawing a lot of attention from our neighbors," Donna said.

"We could always find a house out in the country," he proposed. "Besides, I'm not sure how long I'm actually going to continue being Nightwing."

Donna looked up sharply, completely taken aback by his confession. "Dick, what are you talking about? You love being Nightwing."

"Well, we're going to be having twins in seven months, Troia," he replied. "I don't know if I want to divide my time between our family and being a superhero anymore. It just doesn't quite seem as important to me as it used to be now that we're starting the family that we've always wanted to have."

"Are you sure you really want to consider giving up Nightwing?"

"It's not a decision I'm making on a whim or one that I haven't been thinking about," Dick replied, taking a bite of his breakfast.

"Diana and Bruce have managed to make it work so I know that it can be done," she pointed out. "I just don't want you to make a rash decision and then end up regretting it later or resenting me for it."

"I would never do that to you, Troia," he reassured her, his hand coming to rest on top of hers. "Besides, this isn't a decision that I'm going to make right now. It's just something that I'm considering. We have plenty of time to talk about it."

"I know…it's just…I'm not sure I'm ready giving up being Troia," she confessed. "I know I won't be able to participate in the Justice League as much once the twins are born, but I think I'd still like to go out on a mission now and then."

"I wouldn't want to take that away from you, Donna," Dick told her. "If either of us stops being who we are or doing what we were born to do, then neither of us will be happy. I don't want that to happen."

"Well, if it's any conciliation, we already have a volunteer to help us take care of the twins," Donna informed him.

"Who is that?"

"Cassandra Sandsmark," Donna revealed.

"We'd have Wonder Girl as our nanny?" he said with a chuckle. "I think I could handle that. Our kids would certainly be in good hands. We wouldn't have to worry about anyone trying to take them. Cassie would pummel them into dust if anyone tried to lay a hand on them."

Donna chuckled with the image that popped into her head. "I thought you'd approve," she replied with a grin. "We also might be seeing more of Tim as well."

"What?" Dick asked. "Why…whoa…wait. Are Timmy and Cassie together?"

"It's looking more and more like things are heading that way," she told him. "Haven't you noticed anything the way they look at each other or the way they're always with each other?"

Dick rubbed the back of his neck while he thought back on it. "I don't know…I guess I hadn't really thought about it."

"And you're supposed to be the son of the World's Greatest Detective," Donna said with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey, it isn't an investigation or an open case that requires detective skills," he countered with a huff. "I don't keep track of who my brother is interested in. I thought he was still with Stephanie."

"You are so behind the times," Donna uttered with a shake of her head. "Steph and Tim broke up six months ago."

"Really?" he exclaimed, stunned. "That long?"

"Yep," she confirmed.

"Why did they break up?"

"They just got busy with life and college," she informed him. "They grew apart. They're still good friends. In fact, I think Stephanie is dating one of Tim's friends from GU."

"And he's okay with it?"

"Yes," she replied. "He's been too busy chasing Cassie to notice or care."

"Wow…where have I been?" Dick muttered to himself in stunned disbelief.

"Preoccupied with Blüdhaven…Damian…the pregnancy…the threats to Diana…Ra's attempt to harness the power of Hades," she began to rattle off. "You have to admit that you've had a lot going on."

"Yah, I guess," he reluctantly agreed. "Man, I would've thought Tim would've told me about it."

"You know how Tim is when it comes to a girl that he likes," Donna replied. "He clams up when it comes to his personal life."

"I'm going to have to interrogate him when I see him later today," Dick decided.

"You will not," Donna adamantly stated in no uncertain terms. "You leave him alone. He's a sweet boy."

"Come on, Don," Dick responded with a hurt expression gracing his face. "I've always given him a hard time. It's what brothers always do. Didn't your sisters give you a hard time growing up on Themyscira?"

"Well, yah…I guess so," Donna said as she thought back on it. "Diana was usually there making sure that no one was mean to me."

"I'm never mean to Timmy or any of my brothers," he maintained. "We just like to mess with each other."

"And pick on each other…wrestle and beat up on one another…"

Dick stood up, kissing her on the cheek. "Point taken," he said. "I gotta run or I'm going to be late for work. Let me know if you find anything worth looking at and we'll schedule an appointment."

"Sounds good," she replied. "Be careful out there, handsome."

Dick grinned at her as he grabbed his car keys and cell phone. "Always, Troia."

Donna just shook her head as he left, wondering if it had been wise to reveal the fact that Tim and Cassie were practically dating each other. Dick was going to be relentless now in trying to get any and all information out of poor Tim.

Releasing a sigh, she guessed she was going to have to run interference for her brother-in-law. It was what a good sister-in-law was for, right?

Wayne Manor; August 19th, 07:49 EST

Diana was awakened by the unexpected feel of warm lips lightly traveling over her shoulder towards her spine, pausing to nip and suck lightly on her skin. It was a heavenly sensation to be awoken by, especially when she felt him shift his very muscular body a little more over hers like a warm blanket.

She pressed the side of her face deeper into the pillow that she currently had her arms wrapped around, biting at her bottom lip as his fingers lightly stroked the sides of her breast. She swallowed back a moan as his fingers continued down her side and over her hip, tracing along the outside of her thigh.

"Morning, princess," he whispered in her ear, kissing the spot behind it that he knew drove her crazy.

Diana groaned in response as his fingers took a slight detour to tickle behind her right knee. He shifted his position again as he began to kiss down the length of her spine, his hands trailing down the outside of her legs as he thoroughly worshiped her body.

He took his time kissing his way back up to her neck, his mouth latching onto the tendon where neck and shoulder met. He bit down gently, sucking her skin as his fingers tickled her sides. She squirmed against his hold on her, enjoying being trapped between mattress and husband.

"I'm going to ravish you senseless," he murmured low in her ear, nibbling on the lobe.

The lustful determination in his voice sent shivers through her body. All she could do was nod her head and gasp sharply as he playfully ran his fingers up the inside of her thigh towards the apex between her legs. She felt her hair being brushed aside, his warm breath pulsating against her now exposed neck as his other hand began a teasing quest of its own.

She moaned something throaty as she squirmed against his focused ministrations which was doing unbelievably amazing things to her at that particular moment. There was something so highly sensual about being pressed face down into the mattress with a very aroused husband on top of her.

"Bruce…" Diana gasped his name, his mouth creating a delicious assault along the length of her neck and across her shoulder. She just hoped that he didn't leave a mark that she was going to have to explain to someone later, but right now she wasn't sure that she really cared.

The combination of his hand and mouth on her was beginning to make her head spin. Her breathing grew more erratic as he quickened his pace, Diana's fingers curling into the sheet beneath her as if holding on for dear life as pleasure coursed and spiked through her, pooling in her pelvis.

She could feel her impending climax rapidly approaching, her heart pounding in anticipation of the explosion of bliss that was about to rock her entire body. Unfortunately, Bruce could feel it too. He deliberately slowed his pace again, not about to let her come just yet. He had definite plans for his sexy wife this morning and he was only getting started.

"Bruce…" Diana growled low in her throat, her breathing ragged as perspiration broke out across her body.

He had her balancing precariously on a knife's edge, teetering between complete ecstasy and overwhelming frustration in desperate need of a release. She breathlessly cursed at him in Ancient Greek, causing her husband leaning over her to chuckle against her shoulder in unmistakable satisfaction.

He knew how much he affected her, how he could reduce her to a boneless mess and he was lording it over her…the damn arrogant man. She swore if he didn't give her what he had been teasing her with she was going to take matters into her own hands and make him give it to her.

The thought only heightened her arousal even more, enjoying the vision that popped into her head that had her tying him down and riding him until she collapsed in utter satisfaction and exhaustion. She had to admit as tempting as that was she knew that Bruce would make the teasing worth it in the end…if she survived that long.

Her right hand twisted the sheet tightly in her grip, his fingers picking up speed again. "Need something, princess?" he hoarsely asked, clearly deeply affected by what he was doing to her. She could feel his need for her pressing into her back.

It gave Diana a sense of satisfaction knowing that he was struggling to hold it together himself. "I'm so going to make you pay if you don't let me come," she growled her threat.

"I'm counting on it," he murmured in her ear.

Bruce hooked his arm under her knee, pulling it up and giving him more access to her. He abruptly filled her with his hard arousal that was throbbing painfully with a need that demanded to be sated. Her pleasure-filled cry filled the room, her neck arching with the pleasure that shot straight through her to her very core.

"You like that?" he breathlessly asked, his left forearm coming to rest beside her head to keep a measure of his weight off her and giving him more room to move.

"Yes," she hissed. "More…Bruce…"

He moaned with her gasping pleas. It always turned him on with how much she wanted him, loving the sound of her voice when they made love, the way she uttered his name. It was the sexiest thing that he'd ever heard in his entire life.

"Diana…" he huskily growled her name as he moved his left hand to cover hers resting on the mattress, lacing their fingers and keeping her locked in the sensual position that he wanted her in. "You feel…so amazing."

He had woken up more than determined to make this morning one that his wife wouldn't forget about anytime soon. He knew how grim their current situation was for them and how much worse it was going to become. He wanted her to have something to think about and relive in her mind when things became too hard or when he couldn't be right there by her side.

He wanted her to know without a shadow of doubt how he felt about her…to feel and to revel in his undying love for her. He wanted that knowledge to be sewn into the very fabric of her heart and felt deep in her bones, giving her the strength to keep fighting when things seemed bleak.

She had done that for him more times than he could begin to count over the years they had been together. When life had tried to break them, she had reminded him that they were one in every way imaginable. They continually expressed and reassured one another of that ever-deepening love, but, after everything that had happened so far with Talia, he wanted to reassure her again.

Besides, she had just looked so damn sexy sleeping there next to him that he couldn't help himself.

Diana came with a breathless cry, her release hitting her fast and hard and taking Bruce over that sweet precipice with her. He rocked into her a few more times before collapsing on top of her, too weak to move for several long moments. He finally recovered enough to move, sliding off and out of her as he settled on her left side to face her.

Diana struggled to catch her breath, her body still trembling from the heated release that had rocked her. She reached up to flip her hair out of her face before finally finding the energy to roll onto her side to face her husband, savoring the afterglow that gripped her.

"Good morning to you too," she murmured with a sated smile, her eyelids heavy with the ecstasy still thrumming through her body.

Bruce reached over and moved a damp curl off her face before kissing her hard. He loved the all-encompassing glow that seemed to encompass her after they made love. It seemed to radiate from somewhere deep in her heart, rooted in the love that they shared with one another.

"That was…wow," he managed to utter between exerted breaths. "I just don't know…how it gets better every time."

"So, it was horrible when we made love the other day?" she teased, her hand coming to rest against the curve of his face, her thumb lovingly caressing his cheekbone.

"Hell no," he groaned as he thought back on it. "It's always amazing being with you, princess. It's just that it somehow just keeps getting even better."

"Well, I'm sure we have Aphrodite's blessing on us," she pointed out.

"I guess, but I think it's more than that," he thoughtfully replied as he gazed deeply into her eyes. "It's because of what we have together…because of our love for each other and the bond we share. When we make love, I feel it inside."

"I like that better," she agreed, her smile beginning to fade as thoughts of what lay ahead of them entered her mind. "I don't want to leave this bed. I just want to stay here with you all day."

Bruce turned his head, pressing his lips to the palm of her hand. "Me too, princess," he confessed, his hand moving to her waist and pulling her flush against him. "Unfortunately, responsibilities await our attention…and I'm sure your children are getting into some sort of trouble already this morning."

Before Bruce could blink, he found himself on his back and a very aggressive Amazon wife on top of him, pinning him to the mattress with not only her glare but her hands as well. It was highly erotic to say the least. He could already feel himself responding to her despite the very intense release he'd just experienced.

Diana leaned in close, her nose brushing against his as she glared at him. "They are our children, Bruce Wayne," she stated in no uncertain terms. "You were just as much involved in making them as I was so there is no escaping the fact that they are exact duplicates of us."

Bruce's still hungry gaze wandered over her body, her heaving chest causing her breasts to repeatedly rub against him. "You make a validate point, Missus Wayne," he responded, pausing to lick his lips in appreciation of the delicious view she presented him with. "Care to discuss this further?"

Diana gasped as he lifted his hips, pressing his growing erection into her. "I thought we had responsibilities and children that needed our attention?" she reminded him, suddenly finding it difficult to connect her thoughts.

"I think they can wait for a few more minutes," he decided as she tightened her hold on his wrists and keeping them restrained against the mattress.

Diana had to admit that this was the position that she had pictured in her mind when he had been denying her release. Now that she found them in this position, she decided that it was most definitely time for some pay back for the teasing he'd done to her just a little while ago.

Bruce knew he was in trouble as a deviously sexy grin formed on her lips, her blue eyes gleaming with mischief. "I agree wholeheartedly," she purred as she released her grip on his hands.

He groaned as she began to kiss along his chest towards his abdomen, taking her time to appreciate the chiseled muscles there that she swore had been carved by the gods themselves. She was most definitely going to enjoy returning the teasing torture he had done to her.

Bruce cursed to himself, knowing that he was in so much trouble as she went down on him. His eyelids slammed closed and his teeth clenched tightly as she began to make love to him. She was going to pay him back tenfold for what he had done to her…and it was going to be worth every single minute of it.

Nanda Parbat; August 20th, 10:17 EST

Talia clicked on another article that she hoped would ultimately lead her to the missing pieces of Hades' armor. They were quickly running out of time. September fifth and the blood moon would be here before long. They needed to have everything in place and ready to go if this was going to go according to plan.

The sooner they got this over with the sooner she could get her son back. She was happy that Damian had finally been able to meet his father, but she didn't want him around the Amazon any longer than was absolutely necessary. She was his mother, not the Amazon wench.

Her lips curled as she thought about her father's plans. If the Amazon knew what was about to happen, she would abandon her family and return to her silly little island and never return. There was no place for her in this world once her father cleansed it. She would make certain of that.

Talia glanced at her cell phone, her desire to talk to her son becoming too difficult to ignore. Picking it up, she sent him a text message, being careful to make sure that it could not be traced back to their current location. Her son was almost too smart and resourceful for his own good.

T: How are you, Damian?

Talia waited on tenterhooks for a reply, praying that he would respond to her. Hopefully someday soon she could explain it all to him and he would forgive her for leaving him behind without a single word like she had. She just hoped that her beloved and his family hadn't already turned him against her and her father.

D: Fine

His one-word response caused her heart to sink but she knew that she could hardly blame him.

T: I'm so sorry that I had to leave you behind, but I knew that you'd be well taken care of and safe with your father.

D: It's nice here.

His words were like a knife to her heart.

T: I am coming back for you, Damian.

D: Whatever

Talia could feel her anger rapidly bubbling to the surface. Bruce and his family were turning her son against her, brainwashing him against everything that her and her father had worked so hard to instill in him.

T: I am coming for you and I will bring you home with me.

D: Maybe I like it here. Maybe I don't want to leave.

Talia nearly shook with the extent of the fury that gripped her. Bruce and Diana had already managed to turn her son against her. She was going to make sure they paid for this. They would not keep her from getting her son back.

T: You belong with your mother.

D: My mother left me.

T: You can't understand now but you will someday. I love you, Damian.

Talia waited for a response to her text, but one never came. She felt tears gathering in her ears, threatening to fall. Another casualty in her life, lost because of her devotion to her father. She swore to herself that she would get Damian back. She may have lost her beloved, but she would not lose her son.

She angrily brushed a tear away before continuing her research for the missing pieces of Hades' armor. The sooner this was completed, and her father ruled the Earth the sooner she could get her son back with her where he always belonged.

"How is it going, daughter?"

Talia quickly schooled her features, not wanting her father to know how upset she was. "It's a very tedious process, but I think I have narrowed down the search area."

"Excellent," he said with a satisfied nod. "Things are finally coming together."

Talia could feel her loyalty to her father beginning to waver. She never dreamed that she was going to be forced to chose between her father and her own son someday. Losing her beloved because of her father had crushed her. She couldn't bear to lose Damian too. It was all she had left of her and Bruce.

As if sensing her thoughts, her father's hands came to rest on her shoulders. "I know how difficult it is being away from Damian like this, but it's for the best, Talia. Just remember that this is only temporary."

"I know, father," she softly replied, biting at her bottom lip.

"Let me know if you find anything," he told her, kissing the top of her head before leaving her alone once more.

Talia drew a deep, shuddering breath in an effort to gather her emotions and focus on the task at hand. She would do everything in her power to make this mission a success so she could get her son back. Scrolling through the article she had clicked on, she began to skim through the information. Her brow furrowed as she read it, something that she had read in another article clicking into place in her mind.

She had seen an article the other day that had speculated a piece of Hades' armor was possibly located in very same place but had never been found. This article seemed to be pointing to the very same thing. They were two different articles from two different research teams.

Clicking through some other files that she'd accumulated, she found another interesting piece that mentioned a temple in that particular area where several artifacts had been discovered. The particular piece of armor they were looking for wasn't one of the recovered items, but what if it was still there waiting to be found?

She quickly pulled up a map, comparing the two sites in question. Her lips slowly curved into a smile as her eyes narrowed. She had a sneaking suspicion that she had just located what they had been searching for weeks to locate.

"You aren't going to get there before me this time, beloved," she murmured to herself.

Wayne Manor; August 19th, 11:32 EST

Tim typed at a furious pace as he worked on tracking down the last pieces of Hades' armor and weapons. He was on to something here. He knew it. He could feel it in his bones. He couldn't contain the grin that kept trying to form on his lips.

He wasn't successful yet, but he was close…very close. His extensive research was finally paying off in spades. He began to plot out the various suspected locations on a map from the research that he'd done, triangulating it and trying to narrow down exactly where that blasted piece was hidden.

"Come on…come on…" he muttered under his breath with growing impatience and frustration.

Adding in a few more parameters…taking into consideration changes in topography over the years…growing civilizations and expansion of industry…and…

"I got it!" Tim shouted with a whooping cry of elation as he pumped his fists into the air. "You're going down Ra's! I know where it is!"

A/N: Well, things are definitely heating up in more ways then one! Hope you're enjoying where things are headed with this.

UP NEXT: Nicholas start preschool. Bruce and Diana go after another piece of Hades' armor but will they get there before Talia?

QUESTION: We're getting closer to the big climax of this story. I need to know if you want Damian to continue to be a part of this family or would you prefer he not be around for the sequel?