Chapter 21

Accepting

Alfred Pennyworth entered the master bedroom. The morning sunlight was bouncing off the walls as his pale blue eyes laid onto a form under the silk cotton covers. Diana was sitting in the chair by the window, her eyes were looking onward past the tall buildings. She turned and saw the butler.

"Alfred,"

"Pardon me, Miss Prince I just wanted to see how, Master Wayne is doing."

Diana looked over at Bruce who was resting. His hair was drenched with sweat. "The fever broke about two hours ago. I believe it has left his body."

Alfred nodded.

"I know that you are worried about Bruce. I can tell be your eyes. My mother told me once that most of our kept eyes lie within our eyes."

" I have known Master Wayne , all his life since he first came from Gotham General in his mothers arms. I have watched him grow from boy to man with no hope to live a hopeful life with his guilt and pain that he hides away from the world." He looked at Bruce. "I just want him for once to be happy Miss Prince to live life without regrets." He sighed. "Now I'm going to lose him just like I lost Thomas and Martha Wayne. Understand I love Bruce just like he was my own son. I would do anything to keep him from becoming this metamorphic creature."

Diana rose and walked over to the old white haired butler. He respect him for his great wisdom and strong courage .

"Do not worry the gods will take care of Bruce."

Alfred shook his head.

"It's not that Miss Prince. I just don't want to see this young man transform into something that is beyond human." He looked at her watch. " Come down stairs , I have prepared breakfast."

"Alfred,"

Alfred turned around. "Yes?"

"We have to be strong ."

"I know Miss Prince . I know."

Bruce awoke to a startling spasm in the cervical area , his heart was racing and his flesh was drench with sweat . He felt powerful, energetic and hungry . He pulled the covers off his bare skin and rubbed his chest feeling his heart beat.

Slowly he rose and moved to the wall to ceiling mirror that was near the dresser. He looked directly at his reflection. The rosy color on his cheeks returned and the dark circles under his eyes had faded away. He wiped a sheet of sweat off his forehead and promptly feel to the floor to begin his morning push up routine . Two push ups per second into inhaling and exhaling . He counted the number as he let the air fill his lungs and then released it .

There was a tight pull in his collar bone. It felt like someone was pushing their bones directly on the bone.

After a 210 push ups and a few yoga stretches. Bruce pulled on a white dress shirt and sprayed on cologne to get rid of the body odor that his pores were releasing and kept on thinking about Gotham City what would it be like without the Batman lurking in the shadows waiting to strike into the night as muggers walked down the narrow alleys? What about Gordon and his detectives that relied on him to take down the horrid monsters that had no respect for human life? Mostly he thought about Alfred . His loyal and good friend that he would have been lost without his guidance and humility.

He exited the bedroom and headed on the stairs.

Entering the kitchen , Bruce found his butler making a kiwi strawberry milkshake . It was still early enough to call it breakfast . Bruce took a seat on a stool of the graphite island and looked at the bowl of fresh fruit . He rubbed his jaw .

"I trust that you are feeling better Master Wayne," Alfred asked pouring the think drink into a tall glass and handing to the young man.

Bruce rubbed his jaw and then grabbed a red apple and silently bit into the juicy fruit . "No."

"Diana said the fever is gone. So your home clear of that part of the transformation."

"I can't do this Alfred." Bruce hesitated and grip himself . " I have never dealt with his before . It exhausting my body . I have been having nightmares ever since Ivy give me the potion. Horrible nightmares about Gotham. I don't want to fail this city again Alfred. Not like when I took the murder crimes for Dent so the Joker couldn't win . It was a the right choice but it cost me so much."

"Yes it did but you rose above yourself and saved this city. You become the hero."

Bruce shrugged.

"I'll never be a hero. Not like Clark or Hal Jordon , Alfred. That's not who I chose to be." He sighed. "But I guess being Pegasus is my reward."

He rose and walked away.

"Master Wayne," Alfred called out.

Bruce turned.

"No matter what happens you will always be a hero in my eyes. And remember what you said once to Miss Dawes?"

Bruce nodded.

"Is not who I am ..."

"underneath but what I do that defines me."

"Quite so sir,"

He looked around for her. "Where's Diana?"

"Miss Prince is doing her mediating in the guest bedroom."

Diana was sitting on the carpet floor with her legs crossed deep into thought about what was the right action to take during this crisis when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in ." She said opening her eyes.

Bruce entered the room , he walked to where she was sitting .

"Bruce,"

He looked at her strangely studying her facial expression that was etched with worry. He could tell by the way her eyes didn't meet into his that something was troubling her. For he knew without a doubt it was the curse.

"What's wrong princess?"

"Nothing." She sighed.

"You can't lie to me Diana. Tell me."

"Bruce , I know that what your going through is hard but I want you to know.

Bruce could feel the anger rise up inside.

"Do you think I'm happy with this curse princess!" He stormed to the window and looked out at his city. "There is so much work that needs to be done." He saw the dark clouds forming in a circular motion. "I can't defend the people I have protected for years because of this new form I will become. Do you know this makes me feel Diana? It's like sticking a sword into my side." He placed his elbow on the glass of the window making his head rest on it. "I wanted to save Gotham. Give the people a glimmer of hope."

Diana never seen this side of him before. She always though he was a man with no weakness. But seeing his emotions come out with the distraught tone in his voice , she knew that his one weakness was his heart.

"Bruce , I know what you're going through..."

"Diana your repeating yourself." He declared in a startling growl. "You don;t know what I'm feeling."

He looked at her with his intense gaze , it was like hot coals burning . She could see the fire imbedded into the hue of hazel and emerald green.

"I have been fighting by your side for a long time Bruce . We have endured many battles and lost many friends along the way. But you can't..."

"Can't what ?" He snarled.

She sighed.

"You can't give in."

"It's too late for that princess."

"Only if you believe it is Bruce."

He walked out of the room.

"Where are you going ? You don;t have much time?

"I know."

He closed the door.

Back on Paradise island Hippolyta entered the temple of Athena. She knelt down next to the deity that was craved to be the likeness of the goddess.

Hippolyta owed much to Athena, for it was the goddess that saved her life from Ares.

"Oh, mighty Athena I humbly ask for an audience with you." Hippolyta began as her hands touched the cold ground. "I need you guidance. " She lifted her head and looked at the statue. "I was wrong."

A gentle breeze entered the temple.

"Wrong my child," Athena said dressed in her battle armor. "You were not wrong. After the events that happened to your life you had every right to be angry with man."

"I was wrong about Bruce Wayne, I thought he was like all the other men and made myself believe that he wasn't important."

"I can see that your heart is referring back to its state before the Great War. Before your hatred towards men. Do you remember when I found on drifting in the waters of the sea clinging to life on a piece of board from the ship? You were weak and full of great despair."

"Yes, you saved me."

"Hippolyta you were my greatest students but you always carried that hate deep within. You need to let the things that wounded you in the past be forgotten so you can finally be healed."

Hippolyta closed her eyes and remembered that night when her mother's soul was taken from the underworld because of the betrayal of her father. She remembered seeing that monsters face squeezing the very breath of her until her eyes rolled back.

"Mother,"

Ares threw the lifeless body of her mother to the ground.

"Why did you do that father?"

"She is a traitor daughter. A traitor to my world order."

Seven year of Hippolyta looked at her mother.

"She did nothing wrong."

Tears were rolling down her cheeks as Ares bent down and squeezed them together. "You're mother meant nothing to me just like you mean nothing to me." He slapped her across the face. "You're nothing but a worthless gutless creature that will soon wither and die just like your pitiful mother. The sands of time will collect your soul daughter and there will be no escape."

"I'll find away."

Ares snickered.

"You little Hippolyta the crowd of all my daughters. How do you think you can escape your fate?"

She looked at her mother.

"By the blood of my mother I will defeat one day monster. Mark my word I will have my reckoning."

"Release your pain. Let it flow out of your soul."

Hippolyta breathed in and then exhaled letting all those curses and hateful flow out from her body. She looked deep within herself and found the inner strength that was hiding away because of the guilt and remorse she allowed herself to a prisoner to.

Young Hippolyta was floating on a piece of drift board , her heart was weakening from the amount of blood was pouring out from her wounds. In her hand was a white rose , a symbol of purity and truth. She was slowly dying from the inside .

A beautiful dark haired woman walked on the sand floor of the shore was the evening tide was coming in hitting the white sand. Her ice blue eyes narrowed at the child . She moved in closer and wrapped her arms around Hippolyta .

"I'm going to take care of you."

Hippolyta opened her eyes and saw the woman.

"Who are you?"

"A friend to you mortal you may call me Athena ."

The child smiled.

"Do not worry for you are safe from his cold hands Hippolyta . He can't not rule over you any more."

"He killed her . That monster..."

"Hush. I will deal with him one the time is right. Now let's go someplace dry . For you must prepare yourself for the battles to come."

"So Hippoltya queen of the Amazons. Are you ready to face another battle?" Athena asked with power in her voice as it echoed through the very walls of the temple.

The queen nodded.

"I'm ready."

Standing on top of his favorite look out stop that he loved to observe the city on Batman was letting the cool wind hit his face as his head was pointed downward. His eyes narrowed at the busy streets below.

Wonder Woman flew up to the ledge.

"I knew this is where you would be hiding."

"Princess , I just want to be left alone."

She smacked her red boots on the cement . His eyes gazed into hers .

"Bruce, if you don't want me to be here with you. If you don't need me than I understand and I will respect your wishes."

Batman's scowling expression changed. His lips curled and Diana gazed at the look of danger in his eyes. He was about to do something. She tired to ignore his intense piercing gaze that made chills go down her spine. Now she knew now Selina and Talia felt.

"Diana," he said with a low baritone voice.

"What is it? We don't have much time. It's nine which gives you two more hours."

"I want you know that it is ..."

Her back straighten and she kept on her guard in case he became destructive with the effects of the transformation that would occur at the midnight hour.

He moved in closer and grasped the back of her head and smacked his lips on to hers.

... what I do that defines me."