A/N: Ok… I really have no excuse that is good enough… I enjoy writing this story and I'm sorry I haven't come back to it in soooo long… hopefully this chapter is worth the wait… If not any criticism I would appreciate! It helps keep me motivivated!

-Coast City before-

"Get the lead out, hot pants! Plasmus ain't gonna kick his own ass!" Maneuvering through wrecked cars she runs after the raging monster as he cuts a path of destruction through the street.

Peter gets to his feet groggily and chases after Ravage. He hasn't been with the Titans' long, nor does he remember much about his past, but he is sure this is the most fun he's ever had. After all the training with Batman it feels great being able to use what's he's learned. More than that, he feels a special connection with the Titans; a real sense of belonging. Something that he finds both comforting and puzzling at the same time.

Plasmus, the villain responsible for the slight numbness in Peter's jaw, is a monstrosity with skin that burns to the touch. So, reason and logic say the less durable team members, like Ravage; should keep their distance. That being said, Peter is not surprised at all to see her running headlong into certain death.

"You're gonna be the one with hot pants, Ravager if you don't let Miss Martian and Wonder Girl do their thing!" Grabbing her at the waist, he leaps and pulls the both of them out of the way of a flaming truck. Although she likely could have dodged Plasmus' attack herself, but he didn't want to take the risk.

"Kinda liberal with those hands, aren't you Spider…?" Ravage quips looking down at Spiderman's grip on her. Although truthfully, she doesn't mind his strong grip on her hips. Rose had to admit that Peter is growing on her. He isn't as serious as Robin, or perverted and silly like Beast Boy. So when he quickly removes his hands from her, obviously embarrassed that only makes him more endearing in her eyes.

"Sorry…" Peter stammers, turning back to the fray. Something about her both excites and unnerves him. It's more than just a sense of déjà vu, there's an attraction that is incredibly strong. Between their first meeting, subsequent training sessions and battles, he's found himself increasingly distracted by her. Something he hopes doesn't get him killed.

"Don't be." Ravage unsheathes her sword and moves towards the action. "I'm not." With a blown kiss and a smile, she's off again, this time at least she avoids the lava like villain and heads toward a trapped bystander.

Peter watches as she moves to pull a civilian out of a wrecked car. Though her garb covers most of her face, it also clings to every toned curve of her body. Despite her obvious athleticism, Ravager is very well proportioned. Shaking free of the thoughts threatening to invade his mind, he turns back to fight. Catching up to her with ease he grabs her shoulder to get her attention. "You need to focus on clearing the area of as many people as you can!" Spiderman yells as he webs up his gauntlets. He has been working on a more durable synthetic for his webs, no time like the present for a field test.

"Yeah?" Ravage asks pointing a young mother and son to safety. "And what will you be doing while I'm on evacuation duty?" She doesn't like that he is ordering her around, even if he was right.

Confident his hands are well protected; he leaps over an overturned bus. "Putting these hands to better use!" With Miss Martian dealing with the evacuation of a burning store, Wonder Girl is on her own against a heavy hitter, Spiderman is eager to get back to help.

Ravage watches as Peter begins throttling Plasmus backward with a series of haymakers and finds herself smiling. She has to admit, the man was simply amazing!

-Peter's room, now-

"I'd ask if you like what you see, but that's pretty obvious…" Rose murmurs strolling over to Peter who remains glued to his bed. "But I am curious; do you plan on just sitting there, staring…?" Rose wishes she felt as confident as she sounded. Coming here had been as far as she had gotten in her plan. Now that she was here face to face, she wasn't sure if it was the best of ideas. Still, she has no plans of turning back now.

Clearing his throat, he finds his voice. "I'm afraid if I move, I'll wake up and this will all have been another dream…" As she gets closer, he can smell the scent of her shampoo and he takes a deep breath. It doesn't help to steady his rapidly beating heart, but it does confirm that he is definitely not dreaming. Unless this ends up being the most lucid hallucination in history.

Easing herself onto his lap, she straddles him with cat like grace. "So you've had dreams about me? Mostly naked and wet? In your lap…?" She runs her finger tips lightly along his chin. Her touch sets off a tremor of excitement and anticipation in him. The fact was, she had graced his dreams more than once and it was her that appeared to him in his fear toxin induced hallucination. If he thought about, since the day they met there had been an undeniable heat between them. One that kept intensifying as they got to know each other better.

His rage at Deathstroke had clinched it in his mind; he cared for her. Deeply. There was no mistaking it for simple comradery of lust. After all, he was willing, almost eager to kill the man who hurt her. Consequences be dammed.

Before he can tell her this, her lips are on his.

Her kisses, though urgent, are gentle, almost unsure; a stark contrast to the woman herself. He had imagined that this scenario would be similar to wrestling a jungle cat or a boxing match; a fight for supremacy. Instead she seems timid and shy, making the moment that much sweeter for him.

Needing no additional encouragement, he takes off the towel on her head and buries his hands in her damp locks. Using the grip he now has, he pulls her head closer to his. Their lips continue the dance that began earlier on the training room floor. This time though, the odds of an interruption were significantly less. The kisses filled with more desire and longing.

"You are way too dressed up for this, Spider…" Ravage quips and begins undoing the knot on Peter's sweatpants. Sensing her intent, he stands up, smiling lightly as her hands tickle his midsection until the knot is undone and the pants fall to the floor. Deftly he steps out of the pants and kicks them across the room, never breaking his lips from hers.

Rose moans her approval of his focus, but breaks their kiss to lift the shirt from Peter's taught frame. She pushes him flat against the bed and his face and arms are still tangled in his shirt. Before he can laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, Rose's lips make an exploration of his chest. All her nervousness now gone; Rose is operating solely on instinct.

"Rose…" Peter's voice cracks as she kisses the skin of his pecs. She pins his arms over his head to keep him from freeing himself from her manipulations. Even though with his enhanced strength he could free himself with ease, he allows himself to be touched by her. He's just as curious as she is to see what she will do.

Rose bites the skin just under his chest lightly, Peter moans in pleasure and she smiles at his reaction. "He likes it a little rough, does he…?" He wants to tell her that he likes her touch period, but another moan of delight cuts that reply short.

Rose continues to tease him, placing small bites and kisses all over him. No longer content to simply be a spectator, Peter, in one motion, frees himself from her grasp and reverses their position. Staring down into her excited and lustful eye, Peter looks to return the favor.

Starting at her neck, he alternates between soft kisses to light suckling. Not enough to leave a mark but firm enough to cause her to sigh heavily and redden the skin. Cupping her athletic breasts firmly, his thumbs rub over her hardening nipples causing her to arch slightly off the bed in approval.

Rose smiles happily at his skillful touch. Coming into this she was slightly worried it would be a fumbling and awkward affair. The sort of things depicted in movies among first timers, she was very pleased to see it was not. She also wonders if the Batman trained his proteges in more than just how to break arms and to crack security protocols. She finds the idea of an "Art of Seduction" class taught by Batman highly amusing.

Rose's smirk disappears into another moan as Peter's lips find a tender spot between her breasts. The attention Peter was paying to them made a small sliver of self-consciousness creep through her. Compared to the rest of the women on this team Rose knew her breasts were hilariously "average". The intense pleasure his touch was giving them destroy any idea that he is displeased with her like of size. She's discovering that since each of his fingers have fine hairs for clinging to walls, the sensations they create are maximized. Her having breasts that fit so perfectly in his hands just makes her pleasure more extreme.

His tongue swipes a path around her right nipple and she arches her back sharply. When he finally captures it between his lips she throws her arms around his neck, pinning him to that spot. Though her own fingers have explored this area many times, there was nothing like having someone else discover that territory.

By the time Peter moves to her flat stomach her nipples were throbbing almost painfully and her thighs were damp with desire. Peter's lips find her hips and she looks down at him in anticipation. Being inexperienced as she is she can't help but wonder if what is coming would feel as good as it seems to for the women in those movies Beast Boy keeps hidden. She wasn't surprised to find the file folder on his laptop labeled "animal planet episodes" filled with pornography, she was more surprised that the videos were relatively tame in comparison.

Peter kisses lazily down her thighs, licking up the combination of water, sweat and desire that he finds there. He is thoroughly enjoying his exploration of Rose's body, particularly pleased to find a well-trimmed triangle of platinum blonde curls above a set of glistening lips. He wants to dive straight in and savor the taste he imagines to be as sweet as honey, but he holds off. Instead, he chooses to traverse the long, smooth legs that are just as deadly as they are beautiful. Holding her legs firmly he pays both of them equal attention, watching her reactions closely and saving them to memory. He did not plan on this being a one-time event, so he was eager to learn just what excited her most. Plus, watching this powerful warrior twist and contort in pleasure is the single most erotic thing he's ever seen.

By the time he arrives back at her waist; his heart is pounding and her every breath comes out half sigh, half moan. Peter looks up at her briefly to see her eye almost closed in pleasure and knows he is being given the go ahead to proceed. Needing no further prompting, he slides his tongue along the inside of her left thigh. He licks his own lips in anticipation. Again, he is overcome by the desire to sample the sweet scent that is wafting up to his nostrils, but again he restrains himself.

He drags his cheek against the soft skin of her thigh, drawing a sharp intake of air from Rose. He alternates from leg to leg until he finds himself again hovering above her heated core.

Teasingly he kisses around the area the most desirous of attention, causing Rose to lift her hips from the bed in equal parts pleasure and frustration. Peter brings her left leg to his shoulder, kissing down the inside of the leg coming dangerously close to the center before depositing the right one in the same position. Before Rose can protest this torture, his tongue takes a long, slow lick down the inside of her right leg into the slick folds.

"Yesss..." Rose moans triumphantly as Peter's mouth begins its exploration of her wet lips. She strains to watch his head bobbing in between her thighs, rubbing her hands in his brown hair. The feelings his touches are bringing out defy description and when a finger probes her entrance she collapses under the strain of her excitement. The tiny fibers on his fingertips that allow him to stick to walls and other surfaces with ease are sending shockwaves of pleasure through her entire body. Her legs tighten and her head thrashes against the pillow as a bundle of nerves in her stomach begin firing off their signals. Her fists, no longer amidst the locks of Gotham's newest hero, are tearing at the sheets, fighting for some semblance of control.

Rose's thighs begin to quiver as Peter's pursed lips locate her now throbbing clit, suckling it lightly. While one finger, plunges into her the other hand has found a nipple, coating it with her own fluids. To her it feels like there are two other people in the room with her. So much so she looks around in wonder to make sure no one else has joined them. Before long though, her eye again slam shut as Peter's finger and tongue assault her center with vigor. With a hooked finger and light nibble, Rose is promptly sent over the edge of the cliff she had been precariously hanging from.

She clamps her legs, hard, around his head as her first orgasm with Peter rips through her. The good thing about Peter being a metahuman is she didn't have to worry about hurting him, because anyone else may not have survived the grip her thighs had on his head. Rose is unprepared for the force of it and a scream escapes her lips. Peter doesn't stop his attentions though, causing the orgasm to continue to pound at her senses before her rigid body crumbles into a pool of satisfaction. The soft mewling sounds she emits illustrate her helplessness and defeat. She never imagined being in such a vulnerable state would make her feel so good.

Peter hungrily captures her juices with his tongue, cleaning the inside of her thighs as her breathing slowly returns to normal. Crazy as it might seem, he would be perfectly content to let things end here. Seeing Rose enjoy herself as much as she did was enough for him. In spite of any protests that may be made by the erection pressed against the mattress.

Rose regains her senses and looks down at Peter. Brown eyes meet a single blue one; both cloaked with desire. Rose rises up to the kneeling Peter and kisses him heatedly. He thought she might be wary of kissing him with her cum still fresh on his lips. If she finds the sweet, yet tart taste of herself disturbing, she shows no reservations. The abandon with which she assaults his lips causes Peter to fall sideways on the bed. This gives her access to his whole body, a fact she plans to take advantage of. She reaches between his legs and grabs the hard length she finds there. Stroking him lightly she looks him in the eyes again.

"Well hello there…" Rose looks up at him with a mixture of surprise, excitement and trepidation on her face. She begins working her hands up and down his shaft in a slow torturous manner.

"Hi…? Is it… I mean, am I ok…?" Peter has no idea if she is pleased by what she has in her hands or not, he only hopes that now that they had gone this far he hasn't ruined things by failing to meet her expectations. The expression on her face is difficult to read.

Rose smiles at him in a way that makes him feel both relieved and silly. "Peter it is more than okay… you are… amazing!" She pulls his body on top of her, holding his face in one hand, his hard length in the other. Her intentions are clear.

"Wait… um… don't I need…?" Peter isn't sure if Rose is on any birth control or not. He hadn't thought to ask since this was a scenario he really hadn't planned for. Thought about? Yes, often. Planned for, well, Peter is not Batman.

"I never want there to be anything between us Peter…" Rose answers, her voice rumbling with desire. He takes that to mean she is protected but doesn't have much time for reflection. She guides him to her entrance eagerly. "Ever." She finishes definitively as his head eases into her.

Both moan in delight at the feel of finally being together, finally being as one.

Peter slides halfway in and is overwhelmed by how tight and hot she feels. Sweat beads on his forehead as he tries to process all the sensations assaulting him. No amount of training or preparation could have possibly prepared him for this. He too, does not want this to be a clumsy or awkward exercise, but here in the moment he can clearly see how it could be.

When the first few inches of him fill her, her walls involuntarily clamp around him, as if some subconscious fear within her worries that he might withdraw. She never imagined herself being attached to anyone this deeply after Slade. She believed her father had destroyed any desire for attachment in her. Now, here with Peter, she realizes that he had only increased her need.

It was only natural that subconsciously she fears abandonment. Looking into Peter's eyes, finding the same passion and longing in his face that she feels in her heart, allows her to relax. Peter, for his part begins his tentative exploration of her depths. Each thrust feeling better than the last.

She wraps her legs around his powerful waist, pulling him deeper inside of her, moaning his name over and over as he begins increasing his dives into her. Rose's nails dig into his skin as she digs into his firm back and she sighs contentedly as Peter leans in to kiss her neck.

"Yes! More!" Rose moans as the bed creaks under their exertions. The rhythm they establish is neither clumsy, nor awkward; instead it is steady and thrilling. First times are supposed to be sloppy fumbling's that end all too abruptly, usually with both parties sufficiently embarrassed; this is not the case with them. Part of the reason for that, Rose believes, has to do with the tested quality of their stamina. The other part, she secretly hopes, is because they both feel more than simply an attraction to one another. It's a gamble, she knows, but she feels one that is well worth the risk. Especially if this is any indication as to what she has to look forward to.

Peter breathes his own pleasure into her neck, the heat of which excites her. She wraps her hands around his face pulling him in for another kiss, enjoying the taste of herself on his lips. She is momentarily distracted by the thought that she didn't get to return the favor to him, wondering if he is disappointed that she didn't. She'd seen enough movies to know that it was possible he wanted her to, but she wasn't sure if she could.

As if sensing her conflict, Peter plunges into Rose hard and deep, returning her to the moment.

"Oh God!" Rose hadn't been expecting such a forceful thrust, but she welcomes it just the same. His pace becomes more fevered and he grabs her firm butt to give himself greater leverage.

"Do you like that?" Peter asks with a smile before delivering another thrust.

Rose opens her mouth to answer, but her mouth slams shut when he offers her another driving thrust. Through clenched teeth Rose hisses his name enjoying the unleashed side of Peter. She wonders briefly about him losing control of his strength and obliterating her mid orgasm. Inwardly she chuckles as the thought: "What a way to go" flashes through her mind.

"Tell me!" Peter demands, sliding a hand between them to deftly manipulate her clit causing another series of moans to escape her lips. He loves seeing her face contort in pleasure; her eye slammed shut in a herculean effort to hold off the beginnings another climax.

"Yes!" Rose screams while lifting her hips to meet his thrusts, noting that familiar fluttering stirring within her. She was beginning to understand Starfire's rampant promiscuity. If sex felt even half as good for the golden skinned heroine as it did for Rose, then she owed the woman an apology. And a great deal of credit, for not simply bringing every man in a five-mile radius to her bed.

Peter, grasping her hips, pulls her hard against him over and over. Rose moans as the same hands that can smash through walls are leading her to a different kind of destruction. He lifts her from the bed, allowing her to float mid-air straddling his thighs, her clit teased by his pubic hair mercilessly. The combination of the stimulation and his penetrations cause her body to go limp.

It doesn't take long before Rose's eyes squeeze shut and her world goes white.

-Aboard Justice League shuttle-

"I can't believe it!"

"Flash, let it go…"

Both Flash and Diana are surprised that Batman is the one to speak up. Diana, because Bruce had not too long ago, chastised her mother very sternly. She thought that he might join in Flash's complaints regarding her island traditions. Of course, even if he agreed with Flash, Wonder Woman knew that Batman would keep his calm demeanor. Now it seems he might be actually taking Hippolyta's side.

Flash himself is startled by the compassion he hears in the Batman's voice. If he had yelled gruffly for Flash to shut up, or simply remained quiet, that would have been consistent with the man he had come to know. This was out of character for the Batman.

"What? Are you on her side, Bats? You of all people?" Flash had been as civil as he possibly could upon their departure. He tried several times to make eye contact with Artemis as they were "escorted" to their craft with no success. Her eyes remained firmly fixed on the sand beneath her feet as if within the grains she would find the answers to all of life's questions.

Making matters worse for him is the fact it seems no one, not even Wonder Woman, care. And Flash may not be the "world's greatest detective", but even he could tell that something had happened between Batman and Wonder Woman. If he were a betting man, he'd put his money on the two finally putting all those unspoken looks to good use.

Batman switches the controls to auto-pilot. He turns and sighs heavily. The truth is he truly feels for Wally.

Happiness is a rare thing in their chosen profession, even for light-hearted people like Flash, so to have it ripped away so suddenly and definitively is jarring. True, Artemis and Flash had not known each other long, but Batman, probably better than anyone else knows how a strong connection doesn't need a ton of time to develop. "Given the alternative, we were fortunate to leave as we did."

Before arriving on the island, Diana had told her mother that she would not return to the world of men. The promise, though made emotionally, was taken at her word. The only reason Diana was allowed to leave again is because she convinced her mother that until they were sure Ares no longer posed a threat that she needed to be away from Themyscira. Hippolyta, obviously weary over the events of the last twenty-four hours did not put up much protest. The look she gave Batman and Flash though, spoke volumes. "We came there to stop Darkseid and rescue the Amazonians, Flash, which we did. Hippolyta violated her own decree by allowing us on the island in the first place; it's within her right to-"

"Of course you'd say that!" Flash gets up from his seat angrily. In his mind, whatever it was Batman wanted, he'd gotten. Whether that was information or Diana or both, Wally didn't know. He did know that he'd found something on that island he didn't even realize he wanted. And he was in no hurry to give up on it so easily. "I haven't forgotten why we were there in the first place! But that doesn't make how she treated us… right."

"You can be angry about inhospitality another day." Batman counters flatly. "Right now, we still have work to do." Although he had shared Zatanna's report with the both of them, he still felt uneasy. It was a terribly anti-climactic ending to a conflict that has them a lot. He was eager to get back to unraveling this mystery. While Diana slept last night, he went back to the library and scanned several scrolls and documents, anything that seemed to have information on the "Gods" of Olympus. He wanted to upload his findings into the computer in his cave and begin transcribing the literature as soon as possible.

Although Diana doesn't agree with Batman's dismissive attitude, she agrees that there's no sense in getting worked up over something none of them can do anything about. At least not right now. Perhaps later, once her mother has cooled off, she could reason with her about Flash and Artemis. Besides Clark, Wally is the kindest, most optimistic man she's ever known. If her friend and mentor thought highly enough of him to take him into her bed; that made him exceptional in her eyes. Men, she was finding were indeed complicated, but not evil in the way her mother seems to view them. Maybe she could convince her mother otherwise in time.

Especially about the brooding man to her right.

"Wally, please, you must understand-" Diana pleads with her teammate.

"Believe me I UNDERSTAND! I understand that your island is Shawshank and your mother is Warden Norton!" Flash begins pacing angrily. "We saved lives there Diana! We're not the enemy, Ares is! Or Darkseid! Both! Whatever, I can't keep track!" The more agitated he got, the faster he talked and he was bordering on being completely unintelligible.

"She knows that! Our ways may seem evil to you, but I assure you it's no less then what some of your ways appear to us!" Wonder Woman understood where her mother's treatment of her or Artemis came from. Not malice; but protection. And there was no arguing with the fact that since Diana herself has left the island, her family has been exposed to horrors they would have never seen or even known about.

"There's no time for any of this." Batman interrupts sternly. He feels he's getting farther away, not closer, to discovering the truth behind all of this. The last thing he wants right now is to listen to the two of them bickering. He needs to focus, figure out his next move. "Flash if you need something to do, man the controls…"

Without waiting for a response, Batman leaves the cockpit area to take a seat in the passenger compartment. Pulling out a small tablet, he connects remotely to his BatCave computers and begins reviewing the information he has compiled so far. He didn't want to begin the data transfer until he was physically at his terminal or at least the virtual one he set up on the Watchtower, but he had all his own personal notes available to him. Each event was tagged with his investigation notes and titled accordingly.

"The nerve of that guy…" Flash mutters under his breath, taking over the controls. He is gripping the steering column so hard the veins in his neck begin to pulse in protest.

"Wally…" Diana places a consoling hand on his shoulder, and Flash finds himself relaxing a bit. She always had a soothing effect on him. Despite her warrior background he supposed that first and foremost she is an ambassador of peace after all. "I promise you when this is over, I will go with you myself to plead with my mother on your behalf."

Wally looks up surprised at her words and opens his mouth to speak.

"Artemis is very dear to me and I know her well. She would not have… taken you into her confidence in such a way without being completely certain of her actions. I also like to think that I know you well enough to make the conclusion that she was not some… one-night stand…?"

Although her words were more statement than question, Wally answers convincingly. "No way in hell Diana."

Diana nods and removes her hand from his shoulder. "Then I will do my best to make sure both my friends are able to be together." She smiles and heads to the passenger area. Diana hopes Flash believes her words because she means them. Artemis has never taken a lover or an interest in men that makes Flash extremely special in her mind.

Standing in the entryway she finds Batman sitting, deep in thought:

Ares. According to Zatanna he was defeated by Zeus. Ares put a great deal of work into his machinations; The Charity Ball, Agents of Ares, Vandal Savage, Hiro's doppelgangers, Diana's abduction, Darkseid's march on Themyscira, he set all these things in motion, to attempt to gain the throne of Olympus. All of them distractions, but the first event; that charity event seems the most out of place.

As far as I can tell after that he never worked with Ivy or Joker directly; then or since. That one event… it seems only partially related to the others, but something keeps telling me it's important. If it was a trial run of something larger then what…?

This piece doesn't fit in this puzzle... The Charity Ball set things in motion, but when weighed against the other events it's inconsequential. After all, there was very little fallout from the botched robbery attempt. Yet, every time I try to unravel this thing… I keep coming back to that roadblock… Someone developed a way to control actions without the loss of individuality or resourcefulness. Free will with strings… free will with definable restrictions. Why leave such a powerful resource on the sidelines of this? Why not use it to accomplish all of his goals? Does it have a limitation? Something that keeps it from being more than a onetime weapon?

And why did Ivy herself never use this again? It's clear she was involved at least in the concoction of the components… She's done similar things before…

"You're letting Wally fly the plane by himself? Just how rich are you?" Diana jokes, trying to lighten the mood. After last night she hadn't anticipated a morning after like this. She hoped to continue to develop their relationship further. The sex, amazing as it was, for her was only a small part of the attraction she felt for him.

Diana found Batman as equally intriguing as Bruce and she is eager to experience more of him. Now she fears he has retreated back into the Batman persona in full force.

And this defeat at the hands of Zeus. It feels the most wrong of all of this.

All the other events were in the pursuit of artifacts of power, items meant to overthrow the so-called God of gods… Ares would not have gone through all that effort and simply fallen to the man he plotted to overthrow.

His plan up to that point has been masterful, each domino falling in accordance with his overall plan. Not a single move had come before its time, Ra's Al Ghul himself, has been as masterful in his moves. The weapons, they should have presented an incredibly formidable challenge for Zeus, at least according to the documents Diana helped me transcribe. Yet Zatanna spoke as if Ares downfall required little effort. And there is still the matter of the missing Doctor…Of all the times for a mystic to disappear without reporting back…

Noting that Batman doesn't respond to her question or her presence she asks another question. "Are you upset with me…? With what… happened?" Wonder Woman is careful to keep her voice low. The last thing she wants right now is to involve Flash in this situation. It was delicate enough in her opinion. Even though she has her suspicions that the speedster suspects something already. Wally is no idiot.

"Why would I be?" Batman asks still scrolling through his notations. He's aware of precisely what she was driving at, the reassurance she needs at this critical juncture, but he's also compelled by the mystery in front of him. Add to that the fact that he knows of Diana's promise and her complicated relationship with her mother.

"Because of what I promised my mother…" Diana admits taking a seat next to him. "I was hurt and vulnerable after… everything that happened… and I didn't know if we… if you and… would ever be… but now-"

"Now? Will you not be returning home once we are sure Ares is stopped?" It comes out in a harsher tone than he had meant it to, but that was often the case with him. When it came to people moving on from his life, his response was always the same. Whether it was Dick becoming Nightwing, Tim joining the Titans or Barbara pursing her own goals outside of Gotham, it didn't matter.

It was instinctive; protect the mission at all costs. Unknown to anyone, except perhaps his surrogate father Alfred, there were many times he lamented the single-minded focus that seemed to be ingrained in him. Alfred told him often how like his father Thomas, Bruce was in that respect. But Thomas had Martha to balance him out, drag him outside of his own brain when needed.

Batman's words are a slap in the face to Diana, yet she presses on. "That is not set in stone…" She murmurs meekly. If she were to risk permanent banishment and all that means, she wanted- needed- to know where they stood. "I want to know where we go from here?" Diana, since coming to the world of men, had learned a great deal about mankind. Their hopes, dreams, fears, but the one thing it seemed she could never understand was their way of communicating. They never said what they meant, not without prompting and if you were too direct or too honest, it often blew up in your face. To say it annoyed her to no end, would be like saying the surface of the sun is warm.

"We head back to the Watchtower, I review the details of Zatanna's report, try to figure out if Ares is still in play-"

"Not what I meant and you know it." Diana interrupts with a slight twinge of anger. He is the most brilliant man she's met, which means that when he plays dumb it is particularly frustrating.

He did know what she meant; he just wasn't interested in having this discussion now.

If he needed convincing that the two of them were from vastly different worlds after this morning, he wasn't as great a detective as he was purported to be. He has no idea what this means for the two them and he doesn't really want to think about it. Not now, when the mystery is scratching at the back of his brain, demanding to be solved. "…I … I have every intention of making time for that discussion-"

"Just not now…" Diana finishes irritated. He was choosing his words very carefully and it was upsetting her further. Rather than talk to her like someone he cared about, he was handling her, like he would a criminal he was interrogating. "Of course. That makes perfect sense… Batman..." Wonder Woman states coolly, standing to leave. "I'll radio the Watchtower; let them know we're on our way back." She walks from the area confident that they will never have that conversation.

Before she can get too far, she is surprised to find a firm hand on her arm, turning her back to face him. For an instant, Batman simply stares at her and she watches his jaw clench and contort in what she can only assume is frustration. She reaches up carefully, deactivating the safety protocols in his cowl and removing it. When she comes face to face with his dark hair and deep eyes, she sighs heavily. In this moment she realizes two things; the first being she will never love another man as deeply as she does him.

The second being that this man may never be able to love her the way she deserves to be loved.

"Diana…"

"No…" She cuts him off with a bittersweet smile. "I pursued you, I knew – at least I think I knew- what I was getting into… and my feelings have not changed…"

A heavy silence settles in between them and Diana searches his face for any sign of submission, any crack in that seemingly impenetrable armor around his heart. But as is often the case, she cannot read him at all. Yet, he has not removed his hand from her arm.

She looks down at his grip and then back up into his eyes as if to say: "If you let me go, that's it" And he nods as if reading her mind, allowing his grip to loosen.

Before pulling her roughly to him and devouring her mouth with a kiss even more passionate than the one they shared only hours ago on her home island. Melting her resolve with its heat.

-Peter's Room-

Rose continues to spasm all around him, pulling him in deeper; something he would have thought impossible considering the current state of things.

He watches as she thrashes beneath him, her brow knitted in a look of pleasure and he feels an enormous swell of joy. Bringing his body back down on hers, she uncharacteristically wraps her arms around him lovingly as she trembles slightly. She's still coming down from her high.

"I can see myself getting very used to this kind of attention, Bug boy…" Rose murmurs through half-lidded eyes. She was still trying to come to grips with all the sensations running through her body, but that didn't mean she couldn't still poke a little fun at Peter.

Peter chuckles lightly at the fact even now she is still Rose. It was what made her both infuriating and beautiful to him; her uncompromising personality. "Then perhaps I should quit while I'm ahead…?"

Rose looks at him with a look that could cause the polar ice caps to melt. "Careful there, Spider…" she smirks, caressing his face lightly. "You're in a very vulnerable position…" And as if to emphasize the point she clamps her walls down on Peter, eliciting a groan of delight.

"I wouldn't have it any other way…" Peter answers, staring into her eyes longingly.

The intensity of his gaze gives Rose pause, causing her face to redden. Not comfortable with the undeniably passionate moment, she smiles wickedly and rolls Peter onto his back, somehow managing to keep him inside her. "Prove it…" She challenges as she begins rolling her hips against him.

Peter's face twists into an expression of pleasure as she rides him hard. Her hands freely roam his chest, loving the feel of the hard muscle beneath her fingertips. Seeing his reaction to her makes her feel powerful but most of all, it makes her feel desired. Peter cares for her and is unafraid to show it. She wasn't his last choice or his only option; he chose her because he wants her and no one else. The thought of that makes her want desperately to return the favor.

"Rose…" Peter gasps, as she redoubles her efforts. Hearing him moan her name makes her pull him deeper into her depths. She could feel his shaft begin to harden even more inside her, filling her completely.

"Don't fight it Peter!" She warned noticing his face took on a look of concentration. He was obviously trying to hold off his own orgasm. "I want it!"

Any protest to the contrary dies on his lips when she rubs her breasts against his chest, while still rolling her hips vigorously. Their sweat causes a delicious friction on her nipples, making them swell until they were as hard as eraser heads. She grabs his hands, which are clenched at his sides, and places them on her hips. Without any further encouragement he begins guiding her back and forth forcing her inflamed clit to drag against the coarse hair above his shaft.

"So. Fucking. Good." Rose moans in time with the motion of her hips. If she's not careful she could cum again before him and considering what the last one had taken out of her, she wasn't sure if she could continue after that.

Peter's hips, which had been thrusting in time with hers, become less rhythmic and take on an erratic motion; signaling to Rose that he's close.

Wanting them to explode together, Rose speeds up while tweaking her hardened nubs roughly. She loves Peter's gentle touch, but at the moment she needed a stronger caress. A fact she discovered one night in the bed just down the hall from here. Her nipples literally throb with pleasure under her touch.

"Rose…" Peter croaks out the warning that Rose has been waiting for.

"Yes! Please Peter I'm with you I'm-" Rose begins shuddering as Peter grabs her hips and pounds into her hard. She's acutely aware of the spurts of his orgasm crashing against her own. He explodes within her for what seems and feels like hours, shaking almost as much as she is. The two of them moan each other's name without shame or reservation as both of their climaxes crest and fall in time with one another.

By the time she collapses on top of him in exhaustion and elation, there is only one thought that invades her bliss. A thought she feels compelled to give voice to: "Amazing…"

-Mount Olympus-

"Who knew a "god" could bleed so much…?" Ares muses wryly watching as several young servant girls clean up the mess his father left behind. He looked around at the assembled gods, each still bending their knees to him in reverence and felt the sense of satisfaction he spent his whole life chasing.

War is a fun enough distraction, but this is something else entirely. All the time he spent on inspiring conflict feels hollow in comparison to this. What good is ambition, if you never get to realize it?

This must be how Zeus felt all the time. Knowing this feeling now, Ares understands the animosity between Hades and Zeus much better.

Hades knew he was missing something, longing for something, yet had no idea what it was. An itch he not only could never hope to scratch but was continually there in the background. He watched their dynamic for centuries, never knowing the root of it.

"What will you do now, mighty Ares?" Athena asks through clenched teeth, angry that not only has he killed the only father she's ever known but completely bent her will to his. "We may be compelled to serve you, but we will never love you as we did father!"

"I could help you love me, dear Athena… if you want…"

Athena looks up at him confused, yet still defiant as the circumstances allow. "You believe yourself to be such a potent lover that I will simply give myself over to you? Your brazenness is only equaled by your arrogance!"

"I suppose there is some truth to that…" Ares answers, stepping over to his one-time sister. He ponders how enjoyable it will be to break her will. To bend her to him as Zeus had done before.

"Keep dreaming, brother." Athena snorts scornfully, happy for the brief moment of triumph. "I may comply, but I'll never surrender…"

"You say that, but the Trident says otherwise…" Noting her confusion with amusement he caresses her face lovingly. "I Could wipe your memory clear… I could make you the puppet you were to me as you were to father… In fact, I can make it so you desire me with a fire that would shame the domain of Hades. You see, it's simple; the waters of Olympus keep you susceptible to the whims of the trident. Anyone who drinks of its waters are controllable by the wielder. The trial run in Gotham revealed that."

It was a small note in one of the ancient scrolls that first gave Ares the idea. The text simply said, "Life's water is not free, but the price is acceptable…" It was a line of text that struck Ares as odd and out of place considering that he found it in the Olympian Library wedged behind a book shelf. It appeared to be written in blood and the handwriting he recognized immediately; it was Zeus'. That small bit of text started him on a path of investigation.

The libraries of Olympia, Themyscira, Greece, Egypt of all places, and many more locations around the world led him unerringly on this path. Once he reached understanding, he knew he could not turn back.

After more than a year, he had enough to work out a plan. In his studies of ancient lore, he discovered that there were only three constants in Olympian history: Zeus was always the leader; he always had his trident in hand when issuing orders and decrees and the Olympians only ever drank from the waters of Olympus. Once he understood these factors it seemed so obvious. All he needed now was a large control group to test his theory on.

Until the night of the charity ball, he wasn't completely sure how Zeus maintained the level of control he did over them all. Not until he mixed the waters with the champagne at the event.

It was then that he saw the true power of the waters.

It required some extremely careful planning to "borrow" the trident of Zeus, but some things are extremely predictable. Like his now deceased father and his proclivity for orgies around a certain time of year. Ares was never much in the way of long-term planning, he never needed to be, but in this case, it was well worth it.

Athena smiles wickedly. "You pompous fool! What's to keep us partaking of this tainted water?" The assembled crowd begins murmuring among themselves eagerly. Athena backs away from Ares quickly, thinking that proximity to the trident also was a factor. She has no interest in becoming the plaything of her brother.

Ares walks confidently over to the group assembled and watches them cower while trying to remain determined. He wonders if at some point in their Zeus faced a similar moment. He was only beginning to understand all of the intricacies of the Trident. There were not many written documents on the abilities of the trident, he suspects that for a reason.

Raising the trident over his head he looks around out at those assembled and smiles sadly. They all look so much smaller now, like children without parents. In a way he supposes that's an apt description having seen to the removal of their parental figures. But it's not pity that swells in his heart, it's disappointment.

They never thought to look into their origins, or the why of things. It's that ignorance that has led them to this moment, and it's that same ignorance that condemns them. Athena in particular disappoints him. He was eagerly anticipating breaking a worthy opponent, not the version of the Goddess of Wisdom before him.

"I suppose there really is no reason you should be compelled to drink, dear sister…" Ares shrugs kissing her lightly on the lips, he can actually feel her resistance softening. "Well maybe just one… these waters are the only thing keeping you… all of you… alive, young, and powerful. But honestly, I for one would be curious to see you as an older woman… My time among the humans has shown me that grey hair can give a woman a quiet beauty… perhaps to match your "wisdom"?"

"You… you lie…" She squeaks weakly, her eyes immediately seeking out the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. The others in the background, Gods of lesser fame and importance instantly ease away from Athena. "Do not cower at his lies, fellow Olympians! He is just a fool, trying to-"

"You are the fool, sister!" Ares yells, backhanding her across the courtyard. She lands a few feet from the object she had been looking at, bleeding slightly from her eye. Ares is in front of her in an instant, holding her aloft by her throat. "You have seen all that I have done! All that I have accomplished and yet you remain in denial about your reality! You are supposed to be a paragon of wisdom, the very personification of intellect and discernment, yet you are an idiot!"

"And you are a violent, spoiled child!" She grunts with effort. She is completely caught off guard both by his strength and his speed. To her he seems even more powerful than Zeus himself. Clawing at his closed fist she looks around at the others in the vain hope they may be spurred to action. One look into their frightened, terror filled faces, she realizes that if Ares decides to end her life here and now, no rescue will be forthcoming.

Ares chuckles, tightening his grip. "If that is the case, is it really wise to taunt me?" Before she can answer, Ares drops her to the floor, waiting for her coughing and wheezing to cease. "You never questioned anything… it's baffling really. Maybe Zeus used the trident to retard your intellectual curiosity… I suppose it's possible…"

"I've always found that Trident to be a detestable weapon…"

Ares whirls at the new voice aiming his Trident and firing without hesitation. The released bolt of energy passes through the form of the intruder harmlessly and Ares smiles humorlessly. "I did wonder if you would show up…"

"And here I am…"

"Well Spectre…" Ares calmly walks back over to his throne unceremoniously dragging his sister by her long hair. As he takes his seat, he notices that some of his father's blood has stained her clothing. "Stay there sister if you hope to continue breathing… the grown ups have to talk…"

"You seem to consider us peers, Usurper…" Spectre's visage remains stoic and calm, except for the slightest twinge in his voice.

"Not at all…" In reality, Ares knows that Spectre has him beat in raw power, but he is not limited in action the way Spectre is. As far as he is aware, Spectre is not allowed to actively take place in events concerning those of the physical plain. But that doesn't mean his presence doesn't pose a threat. "But I imagine, that if you are here you plan to take some action against me… if you haven't already set things in motion…"

At this Spectre does allow himself a small smile. "Perhaps you should have been tapped to represent Wisdom, you certainly have the aptitude."

Ares shrugs motioning for Athena to stand. Despite her feelings she complies, taking a seat on his lap. Even through his armor she can feel his excitement. "Being a student of war, you learn how to anticipate the moves of your opponents. But I don't know everything…"

"The beginning of wisdom is the acknowledgement you don't know everything…" Spectre nods sadly. "Ares… turn from this course you are on. There may yet be time to turn this around… There is no need for anyone else to die…"

Ares is momentarily taken aback by his statement. So much so that he pushes Athena off of him to stand up. "I would think the embodiment of Vengeance and Justice would know; death comes for all of us. Sooner or later."

Spectre shakes his head and collapses his form to a smaller size to look Ares in the eyes. "Why hasten your path to non-existence? You could be satisfied here-" Spectre gestures to all of Olympus and those watching this exchange. "You have supplanted Zeus, no one would challenge your right to his throne… but if you set your sights elsewhere…"

Ares smiles wickedly at the implication. He had in fact planned on ruling more than just the realm here, but the earth below. "What good is a kingdom if you have to contend with other kings? I would unite the earth and you would seek to stop this?"

"You wish to unite all people in subjection to you, robbing them of their fundamental right of free will-"

"In exchange for youth and immortality?" Ares counters, laughing derisively. "I think that's a fair tradeoff."

-Aboard the Watchtower-

After a slightly embarrassing moment between Flash, Wonder Woman and Batman, followed by a very real threat of death, the three dock at the Tower.

"I mean what I say, Flash…"

"Yeah, yeah Bats, pain beyond your imagining… got it…" Wally rolls his eyes comically causing Wonder Woman to cover her smile. She was positively giddy and doing a poor job of hiding it. The passion that Bruce grabbed her with had thrown her for a loop. The exchange that followed that breathtaking moment caused Diana to briefly lose her decorum and let loose a moan.

Something most people don't take note of when it comes to Flash is that in order to move through life at the speed of sound, your senses have to be acute. Not just vision, but all of your senses have to work in harmony at more than peak efficiency to avoid all the obstacles you would come across moving that fast. So naturally, all of Wally's senses are enhanced, including his hearing.

"I trust Flash will keep to his word as an honorable man…" Diana counters looking over at Bruce longingly. He started a fire in aboard the ship that she had every intention of having him extinguish. Sooner rather than later.

Batman for his part grumbles and curses himself inwardly for his temporary loss of control.

Selina, Thalia, Silver, Vicki, none of them had ever made him thrown caution to the wind so readily. None of them had ever made him reject his own practical wisdom in favor of his heart. But the Amazon's were indeed a formidable opponent; and Diana was their most powerful warrior.

"Good, you're all back." Superman floats over to them as the walk through the hanger area. After dealing with Darksied her was eager to hear what Batman was able to find out. "What's the word on Ares? What's our next move?"

"Round up all senior members of the League to the conference room. Including Zatanna." Batman commands gruffly stalking past Superman. Diana could see that he was back in business mode now, but having the reassurance of his desire for her, the change is less jarring. "I'll be there shortly…"

"Where are you going Batman?" Superman asks before mentally contacting J'on to assemble the needed personnel.

"To change uniforms, this one has sand in very uncomfortable places…" Batman states not turning around.

His answer causes Superman to look at Flash and Wonder Woman confused; "Am I crazy, or did Batman recently acquire something resembling a sense of humor…?"

Wonder Woman chuckles before Flash answers with a shrug. "We should check and make sure he hasn't been replaced by a doppelganger…"

-Justice League Conference room-

Seated at the large table are Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Hawk Girl, Nightwing and Zatanna. Batman is standing in front of them all pacing.

They all knew to wait until he was ready to speak, that his process was deliberate but more often than not correct. Even Flash, normally a bundle of nervous energy was calm in waiting for what he was going to say. Although he never in a million years would have expected what happens next.

"Green Lantern, if you would…?"

Without a word Zatanna is encased in a sphere of pure green energy, the surprise on her face would be comical under any other circumstances.

"Bruce, what-?" Zatanna exclaims, trying to gain her footing inside the frictionless surface of the bubble. Failing being able to stand she opts for sitting.

"Zatanna would never use my real name in mixed company…" Batman crosses his arms glaring at her. "She also would not remain on the Watchtower unless needed. She hates it up here." He continues and nods at J'on. "I had J'on ready GL here to capture you… something impossible if you were the real Zatanna."

The others stand from their seats taking defensive postures ready to attack. Batman walks over to the bubble. Zatanna begins frantically searching for something amidst her clothing.

"Looking for this?" Batman holds up a small mother box and all but J'on and GL gasp. "A lot of people make the mistake of thinking J'on is simply a shapeshifter… but being able to control his density makes him the worlds greatest pickpocket…" Batman smiles thinly and places the box into a compartment on the table, encasing it in metal.

"I was going to show that to you!" Zatanna protests. "I took it off of Ares, thought we could use it to see where he's been… what other damage he might have done!"

"That was thoughtful, but now that we have you, we don't need it do we?" Batman answers, pulling up a chair. Inside he was seething wondering what this person may have done to the real Zee, but for now he had to remain calm. He didn't want to give the enemy any leverage. "The reports of Ares' defeat rang hollow to me, but part of me wanted to believe… but I really never did…"

"Who are you and what have you done with Zatanna?!" Diana shouts angrily, pounding Green Lanterns construct, causing everyone in the room to jump. Wonder Woman has become close friends with the sorceress and her reaction shows just how close.

"Easy Diana," Green Lantern cautions fearfully. The constructs being composed of his will power means that a blow to them is a blow to him. And he could feel the force behind her fists.

"Wow… I thought you were all about tall, dark and gruesome over here… but maybe all that time being raised by female zealots…?" The woman jokes laughing.

"Lyta… It's you…" Wonder Woman announces with a pained expression. As hard as they had tried, the Amazon's could never get her to warm up to their way of life. Her mother, Hippolyta always assumed it was her fathers blood coursing through her veins that caused her constant rebellion. There was not a tear shed when she was removed from the island. The distinct emotion could only be considered to be relief.

Dropping her disguise, she reveals her true self. "So… do you guys have cheeseburgers up here or not?"

A/N: Next up: Interrogation yields unexpected fruit. Batgirl has an odd request of a Manhunter. The Dr. returns and Ares attempts to reason with the unreasonable!