Only heck, almost midnight in Paris and ready to post a new chapter? Yep seems about right. I was going to finish this at a reasonable time but when I heard the Notre-Dame Cathedral had caught fire, I dropped everything to go see. It was truly painful and horrifying to watch but I know we will surmount it like we have many times in the past.

Now that the serious stuff is out of the way, I'm just going to let you get right to the reason of you getting a notification in your inbox (if you didn't, please consider following ;) #shamelessplug)

This is basically the final little setup/fluff/intense shit before the final act showdown awesome finally stuff (I know it feels like I've been saying that for several chapters now but it's the truth this time I promised)

Also on a partly related topic. Since the university year is soon over for me which equals much more free time for writing, I am going to start a second fanfiction with a storyline I've been juggling in my head for a while. Here's the clue as to the WORLD and who the MAIN CHARACTER: SW OW. Suspense, suspense no ;).

Alright, now we're all good. Again any comments, favorites and follows are greatly appreciated. Enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 21: Last minute revelations

Once everyone in the meeting room was caught up on the situation, as well as the events that had led to said situation, Bruce was finally ready to expose his plan:

"As I've explained this is a race of female warriors who aren't very open to males. While I think I may have softened their view somewhat, we aren't about to risk complicating things. With that in mind, the people accompanying me will be: Diana, Batgirl, Supergirl, Black Canary, Zatanna, Hawkgirl and… Flash."

That final name caused looks of surprise from many around the table. They knew better than to interrupt, as Bruce was likely going to give his reasons. However, they couldn't help a small laugh when John whispered: "the perfect all-female group".

After shutting down the distractions with a menacing Batglare, Bruce continued:

"Due to the nature of this operation, Flash's speed will be a decisive asset. In addition to making it more likely no Amazon will see him, it also means he will be able to help us effectively set up our sneak attack on Ra's and Hades. We will need to fully utilize the element of surprise and avoid as much as possible a direct confrontation. Remember they have a god on their side."

Bruce turned to Flash who was winking at Diana and whispering: "yeah but we've got a goddess on ours." He quickly snapped to attention as he felt Bruce's gaze pierce him.

"You said you'd learned to act like an adult. Ready to have the responsibilities of one?"

Flash's expression instantly went serious, his tone set with determination: "I won't let you down."

Bruce nodded to him before turning back to the others.

"All those I mentioned be in the hangar bay in thirty minutes with whatever gear or equipment you need. I'll give the plan when we're en route."

Everyone nodded. Satisfied, Bruce swiftly left the conference room with Diana quickly following.

Diana followed Bruce a couple feet behind as he stalked down the winding halls of the Watchtower. She smiled at the looks of terror and lowered eyes that seemed to happen each time someone approached within 2 meters of Bruce. Those looks were quickly followed by hanging jaws and reddening faces as they saw the gorgeous Amazon following the always moody Batman. She smiled back genuinely at all these new faces, hoping she would get to meet and talk with some of these people once all of this was over.

Finally, Bruce came to a stop I front of what she assumed were his quarters. He typed a code on a keypad by his door and entered. She quickly followed.

Bare. That would be the best word to describe Bruce's room. Naked walls; nothing on the shelves; no distinct sent that was unique to any person's room when they lived in it for some time. She watched him closely as he went to a trunk by his bed and started rummaging around for something, completely ignoring her which vexed her slightly.

With a mischievous grin she loudly announced:

"You don't mind if I take a shower, do you?"

Bruce paused for only a half second as he continued to look through the trunk. He let out a small grunt in response which frustrated Diana even more.

Silently, she entered the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. She had no use for another shower since she'd taken one the night before, but she would not embarrass herself by going back on her attempt at tempting Bruce. As she tested the water's temperature, she heard a sudden crash and the sound of bodies falling and wrestling on the floor. In one swift kick she demolished the bathroom door and burst into Bruce's bedroom to find him grappling with a lady in a skintight black suit with cat ears and claws on her fingers. She also noticed the lasso around her waist just before she noticed the woman's lips that were fully pressed against her boyfriend's.

If she was angry with Bruce before, she was beyond furious now. In a second she had both the strange woman and Bruce bound with her lasso.

"STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" she bellowed so loud that terrified squeals could be heard in the hallway outside.

The woman separated her lips from Bruce's, which morphed into a catlike grin towards him that Diana found unsettling. Regaining her composure, she pulled up a chair and moved closer to the pair.

"Who are you?" she asked the woman.

"Name's Selina Kyle. Call me Catwoman." she answered through gritted teeth, clearly unhappy to have unveiled her secret identity.

Diana turned a dark eye towards Bruce.

"What was going on here?"

"Selina sent me a message saying to meet her here." Bruce answered slowly as he tried to break from the lasso's control, "She jumped me while I was looking through my chest and she kissed me."

Diana didn't like the matter of fact way he announced this clear act of infidelity. Though she had a small idea as to the answer to her next question:

"Who kissed who?"

"I kissed him." Selina replied instantly.

"Why?" Diana followed up, trying to keep a tremor our of her voice.

"The man's been gone for so long" she purred moving even closer to Bruce, "It's been lonely without someone to chase me and spend time with at night. I thought we could catch up on all those lost night right now…"

"You've… slept with him?!" Diana asked in shock.

Selina's widening grin and dreamy eyes gave her all the information she needed. Diana quickly removed the lasso from both of them and ran out of the room.

"Diana wait it's not…" Bruce tried to reach after her but he was held in place by two feet planted firmly on his cape. Selina smiled at him devilishly.

"Leave the princess alone Bruce. We've got a couple minutes before…"

She was cut off as Bruce yanked his neck forward, sweeping Selina off her feet.

"We're over Selina." Bruce ground out without looking back as he walked out of the room.

Selina sat cross legged in the dark room, the lenses on her head reflecting in the dark.

"We'll never be over lover..." she purred.

Bruce chased Diana down the long hallways of the Watchtower calling after her to stop but she continued to run. They eventually wound up in the commissary where Diana finally reached a dead end.

It was completely empty. Good for an argument, Diana thought.

"Diana." Bruce said as he came up to her. "Selina and I were together before but that's over now. She ambushed me…"

"Bruce she didn't ambush you" Diana cut him off quickly, "NO ONE can ambush you. You were HAPPY to see her."

Bruce looked away. She was no longer the naïve Amazon he'd met several weeks ago. She'd picked up his observation skills and critical mind.

"You're right." Bruce conceded. "I was happy to see her. We'd had a relationship for a long time before I disappeared and she's held on to romantic feelings that I put behind when I met you."

Diana smiled a little at his affirmation of his love for her but wasn't about to let him off the hook just yet.

"Promise me you have no feelings for her."

Bruce hesitated for a second which made Diana nervous.

"I can't say that Diana" he answered. "While I may not love Selina, I still care for her. She's been a part of my life since I was a boy and she'll always be a dear friend. I feel like I didn't do enough before to try to turn her away from her life of crime and want to be able to try again. Better this time."

Diana smiled at Bruce's compassion and chided her own callousness for how she'd framed Selina in her mind. She knew that if Bruce cares for her and had at one time loved her, it was because she held more than just stunning outer beauty.

"I'm sorry Bruce, you're right. I forgive you" she said with a smile.

Bruce smiled slightly at hearing her forgiveness. He shot a quick glance around to make sure they were alone before sweeping her into his arms in a passionate embrace. The affection and love he communicated though that kiss wiped away any doubt in Diana's mind about his past romance with Selina.

They were so busy in affirming each other's love, they didn't notice the one they were tearing down. But the feline figure watching them felt every second of it.

The jet had most of its crew present and strapped in. The last ones aboard were Bruce and Diana, the first looking significantly more aggravated then the second. Although he had said he was ready to act more mature, Flash couldn't help getting in a small jab at Bruce:

"You know even two minutes late qualifies as late." He said in a bad Batman voice.

Before Bruce could make Flash's super-fast legs ineffective, Diana quickly intervened:

"It was my fault. Bruce told me about something called an Iced Mocha and I had to try one before we left."

The female leaguers exchanged smiles and giggles as Diana displayed the tasty beverage in her hand.

"Well Wondy if you'd just said so I could have whipped one up for ya in a flash…"

As he finished his sentence, Flash sped out of the jet and was back less than a second later with a second Iced Mocha in his hand which he handed to the princess.

"For you, mademoiselle." he proclaimed with a low bow.

"Everyone strapped in?" Bruce asked from the driver's seat. Without waiting for an answer he continued, "Ready for take-off."

With that, Bruce punched the accelerator sending Flash and his Iced Mocha speeding towards the rear-end of the jet. Diana levitated to keep herself steady and took her seat beside Bruce. She smiled back at Flash as he made his way to his seat covered in whipped cream and the chocolate/coffee blend.

"Thanks for the offer Flash." she said with a smile.

Flash grumbled an inaudible answer as the jet sped down into Earth's orbit and towards Themyscira.

"HOLD THE LINE!" bellowed Phillipus as another crash rocked the Amazons holding the gate.

The remaining troops were either exhausted or badly injured. Artemis and the other archers had run out of arrows and the only remaining line of defense was the large wooden gate that was slowly being smashed to bits.

"My Queen!" Mala spoke quickly to Hippolyta. "We're completely surrounded. All our escape routes have been cut off."

Hippolyta cursed at no one in particular. There was no one to blame for any of this, except the enemies currently beating on her front door.

"HOLD THE—" Phillipus' order was cut off when her and the other Amazons at the gate were sent flying from a burst of red energy.

Through the breach entered Ares in jet-black battle armor, sword at his side, and behind him, hundreds of League of Assassins soldiers that surrounded the battered Amazons.

"My dear Hippolyta." Ares' voice was like a snake's whisper. "It vexes me that you seem so intent on ignoring me."

"Amazons do not bow to any man. And certainly not to a monster like you!"

With a smirk, Ares walked over to the wounded Amazons who had held the door. Many had wood shrapnel sticking out of their arms and legs but their gazes didn't lose that spark of defiance. Ares' eyes eventually fell on Phillipus who had a sizeable shard impaled in her midsection. With a bone chilling impassiveness, the war god reached out and picked up the Amazon warrior by her head like she was made of paper.

"My dear, monsters are in fairytales" Ares mused as he started twisting the shrapnel in Phillipus' stomach. Her warrior pride made her stifle a cry of pain, but her entire body contorted in agony, the color slowly draining from her skin.

"Where. Is. The sacrifice?" Ares growled.

"I don't know what you're talking about Ares." Hippolyta replied with barely contained anger. "Let Phillipus go!"

"I need something in return." Ares said with a smirk as he continued to plunge the shard deeper into Phillipus' stomach. She was barely conscious, her body almost completely slack.

Eventually the piece of wood was completely embedded into Phillipus' abdomen and Ares had nothing to continue her torture with. With a cruel smile, the war god wiped her blood on her chiton and slowly closed his fist around her skull. This time, Phillipus let out a guttural roar of agony that made her sisters grit their teeth in fury.

"ARES STOP!" Hippolyta yelled out.

"Bring me the sacrifice." Ares replied in a cold, uncaring tone.

"I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS!"

"I DO!"

All eyes turned to the voice. Towards Mala, who pushed her way out of the crowd of Amazon and in between Ares and Hippolyta.

"I know who the sacrifice is." she spoke calmly to the god of war towering over her.

The god smiled devilishly. "Well little one; do tell. Who is the woman I've been waiting all these years to meet?"

"Let my friend go." Mala demanded.

Phillipus tried to say something but her physical and mental state made it come out as a strangled groan. With a cruel grin, Ares loosened his grip and she crumbled on the ground, unmoving.

"Now little one; who is the sacrifice?"

Mala looked straight in the war god's eyes; head up straight, eyes proud.

"It's me."

Hey it's me I'm back! Miss me?

So yeah all that happened. I don't really have much to add here so here's a quote from my greatest inspiration for wanting to work in film, Charlie Chaplin:

A day without laughter is a day wasted.