So, here's chapter two. This chapter actually correlates exactly with the first chapter of Origins. I was going to leave it out, but I figured you all should see Bruce's side of things. Besides, some of you haven't read Origins, so I figured it would be better to include it. Also, I did not expect four whole reviews! Thank you so much! Anyway, please enjoy!
OoOoOo
Bruce spoke to no one as the Javelin 7 soared through the air.
He pressed his lips together, his hands gripping the steering wheel. The other Founders said nothing as he pushed the jet as fast as it could go. Anticipation clawed at him and he did his best to ward it off. It wouldn't do to be distracted when he retrieved his daughter. She deserved his full attention when they met again when he rescued her from...
The thing was, he had no idea what he was rescuing her from. Better yet, he didn't know if she even needed to be rescued. What if something terrible had happened and she was all alone? What if J'onn's signal was wrong? Anything could have happened those two years ago. What awaited the six of them on Themyscira's shores?
A nagging voice in his head was telling him that Hippolyta had done something. He may have only met her once, but he recalled her vindictive, demanding nature. Diana had told him, in detail, about her less than ideal childhood with that woman. The thought of her daughter being around someone like that... Bruce's hands tightened on the wheel. If he ever found out that Hippolyta had hurt his daughter, he-
'Easy, my friend,' eased J'onn in his head. 'You mustn't lose your head. We may have to deal with the entirety of the Amazons. If that is the case, you must think straight.'
Bruce sighed; of course, J'onn was right. If he wanted Leta home safe, he couldn't allow his emotions to overrule him. As much as the thought of his daughter in pain made him blind with rage, he had to calm down. Besides, there was no guarantee that the Amazons were even behind this.
Worst case scenario: this was the doing of Hades. The gate to Tartarus was, after all, on Themyscira. That could be where J'onn was picking up his signal. He internally shuddered; he disliked the Ruler of the Underworld even more than Hippolyta. Diana had told him that the God may be her father, making him Leta's grandfather. He scowled something fierce; if the God of the Dead was trying to stake a claim to her, he would have to get through him first. Godhood be damned, he was getting his daughter back.
Beeping from the Javelin 7 brought him out of his thoughts. "Preparing to land," he announced to the group. He glared at the area below him, seeing nothing but ocean. However, he knew that didn't mean anything. There was a barrier around Themyscira that hid it from the naked eye.
"Um, Bats?" questioned Barry, anxiety lacing his voice.
"The island is protected," John reminded him before Bruce could make a stabbing retort. "Just because we can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there. You can relax, Barry."
Shayera's mace crackled with energy. "Just let me find out that those Amazons are behind all this," she threatened. "I've been waiting to sucker punch Hippie for a while now." Bruce felt a twinge of satisfaction knowing that his friends shared his sentiments about Hippolyta. No one had been particularly fond of her since she had banished Diana.
"Everyone, get ready for a fight," ordered Clark. He looked worried, but it was overshadowed by determination. "If the Amazons are responsible, I doubt they'll take our intrusion too kindly."
Bruce scowled at the word 'intrusion,' but didn't comment on it as he began the jet's descent. Turbulence suddenly began to jostle the plane and he knew that they'd hit the barrier. Gritting his teeth, Bruce pushed through. The determination and anger that had been festering for two years began to make itself known as he forced the jet through.
It was a struggle, but he managed to push the plane through. At his success, his grip loosened just a tad. A quick glance behind him told him that his passengers were a bit shaken by the unexpected turbulence. He wanted to roll his eyes; turbulence should have been the least of their worries.
Bruce suddenly narrowed his eyes at the cluster of tall, muscular warrior women waiting on the shore below. They were armed, angry, and ready to tear the jet apart as soon as it landed. There was no doubt about it, the Amazons would do everything in their power to deter them.
His lip curled; let them try.
OoOoOo
The impending battle was instant and furious.
Bruce snarled with anger and contempt at the obstacles in his path. He was none to gentle in warding off their attacks. How dare they try to keep him from his daughter. He was sure that he had never known fury this intense in his entire life. Hippolyta was a fool if she thought that she would be able to hide his daughter from him forever.
'We will distract them,' J'onn's voice announced in his head. 'Batman, she is somewhere in the palace.'
'Bring her home, Bruce,' came Barry's soft add-on. Again, he was (begrudgingly) touched by how much his friends cared for his only child. He made a mental note to allow Leta to spend more time with them when he brought her home. Playdates with Rex and Danica would have to become regular things.
Bruce gave them a curt nod before quickly blending into the shadows. Themyscira's white temples and green wildlife were a stark contrast to the looming skyscrapers and dark alleyways of Gotham, but there were shadows everywhere. He had learned how to look for them long ago.
His heart pounded against his rib cage as he darted toward the palace. Fortunately, the majority of the Amazons were too concerned with the others. The few that passed by him were easily evaded.
He burst into the palace, throwing the large doors aside. The palace was large; so large, in fact, that he had no idea what room Leta could be in. He cursed under his breath, stalking forward. If he was Hippolyta, what room would he hide a child in? Presumably, the most obvious; a room that one would overlook.
Bruce glanced behind a pillar to see two guards securing a large, pristine door. Of course, the throne room. He covered his nose and mouth with his cape before tossing two smoke bombs forward. The two women fell quickly, unaccustomed to the 'trickery of Man's World,' as Diana used to call it. Without her- their champion- Bruce had no idea how they would survive and invasion.
He moved quickly, bolting into the room. Immediately, his eyes focused on a small figure huddled in the corner. It was a young girl- around six- with long dark hair, sapphire blue eyes, and a slanted nose. He felt as though the oxygen had been forced out of his chest he gazed upon his daughter for the first time in two years.
His feet seemed to move on their own accord as he gravitated toward the child. She instinctively moved away from him. "S-Stay away," she ordered. Obviously, she was scared and that broke his heart more than anything.
She didn't know who he was.
Bruce dropped to his knees, the fight leaving him all at once. "Leta," he uttered, more emotion in his voice than he cared to admit. He was afraid that this was unreal, that it was another of life's cruel jokes. He wanted to touch her, to bring her into his arms but he refrained. She was afraid of him, she didn't recognize him.
Leta glared up at him in a way that reminded him of Diana. "Who are you?" she demanded. Her voice contained a bit of the ferocity that all Amazons seemed to possess.
Without hesitation, Bruce pulled back his cowl. He was hoping- praying, even- that this would be enough. This had to spark her memory, right? He didn't know what he would do if it didn't.
Recognition shone his Leta's sapphire orbs as she met him the rest of the way. The guard she had presented to him seemed to fall as she morphed back into that bright-eyed four-year-old he had known for just a moment. "Daddy," she breathed, shock etched across her face. She flung herself into his arms and he clutched her close to his chest.
Bruce held her as she sobbed into his shoulder, rocking her gently. "I'm here," he swore. "I'm here." And he was never leaving her again. He didn't care if the queen was mad, he didn't care if the Amazons were hell-bent on stopping him. He had finally found his daughter and he was never letting her go.
What happened afterward was a bit of a blur. He knew that Hippolyta had come to try to tear them apart again. He recalled his friends bursting in to defend them. All of that had been thrown to the back of his head as he cradled his daughter in his arms. He carried her back to the Javeline 7 where she sat on Shayera's lap as he drove.
Other than the occasional glance backward to make sure that Leta was safe, Bruce's heart rested a little easier. A bit of the suffocating pressure had seemed to lift as he saw Leta laugh at something Barry said. Or as she leaned into Shayera combing her fingers through her hair. Or as she allowed John to show her tricks with his ring.
His little girl was finally safe and where she belonged.
OoOoOo
"Good heavens!" exclaimed Alfred as Bruce entered the cave with Leta in his arms. She clutched his suit even tighter at the new presence. Alfred nearly dropped his feather duster as the pieces fell into place. "My word... " Emotion seemed to cut off the butler's voice as he focused all of his attention on the young girl in his arms. "Master Bruce, is that-?"
Bruce smiled at the reaction. "It is," he confirmed. He set his daughter on the ground before kneeling next to her. "Leta, honey, do you know who that is?" She had recognized Clark, Shayera, J'onn, Barry, and John, after all. She should be able to recognize the man. Then again, he couldn't be too sure that everything had come back.
Leta titled her head to the side as she thought for a moment. Suddenly, her face broke out into a huge grin. "Alfred!" she cried, running to hug the British man.
Alfred wasted no time in scooping her up. "Oh, Miss Leta," he stated, his eyes shiny with tears. "It is wonderful to see you again." He wiped his eyes before a tear could fall. "I was just about to make dinner. Are chicken tenders still your favorite?"
The girl's eyebrows furrowed before she dipped her head slightly. "I... I don't know..." she admitted. Her bottom lip trembled slightly and she looked as though she may begin to cry.
Warning bells went off in Bruce's head.
The expression on Alfred's face was unreadable. "I see..." He was quiet for a moment, then added, "I shall make it my duty to reintroduce you, then." He carried her off and she smiled; he had successfully defused the situation.
Bruce was left to his thoughts as he pondered Leta's reaction. J'onn had told him that her memories of them all were being forced down. There was also no doubt that Hippolyta had put an unhealthy amount of pressure on the six-year-old. He also wasn't stupid; his daughter- once chubby and soft- was now exceedingly thin and tone.
Being raised by the Queen of the Amazons couldn't have been easy. He and Diana hadn't even started to teach her how to fight. But according to Diana, she'd known how to fight before she could talk. How had his daughter even survived? The light that had shone in her eyes upon seeing him had begun to dim, he could tell.
Just how deep did her wounds run?
OoOoOo
A few notes: Leta's generation is the Justice League from Batman Beyond and Justice League Beyond. So that means Rex Stewart (Warhawk), Mareena (Aquagirl), Kai-Ro (Green Lantern), and Danica Williams (Flash II/III). Jon will be in this, but he'll be a bit too young to hang around them. He'll be in Damian's generation. That is all I will say on the matter. Also, as a warning, please read Origins! You'll get a better sense of the universe I have set up. And I know I've included the League, but this story will primarily be Batman!
Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!