CHAPTER 2: BIRTH OF A HERO

AN1: Thank you guys for your reviews and support. I had never expected this story to gain such a following. Though that being said I would like to apologize for the delay between the updates. Between College and applying to Grad school, it was difficult to devote time to write.

AN2: I hope in this chapter a couple of questions raised by some of the reviewers will be answered. This is a slightly long chapter and will mostly be the standard length for future upcoming chapters.

AN3: Well, here is the second chapter of the story and though I cannot promise regular updates, by no means will I be abandoning this story. As always please do feel free to leave you reviews and constructive criticism.

27th June 1988 -Wayne Manor, Gotham

With Bruce Wayne

Numb.

Absolute Numbness.

This was what 8-year-old Bruce Wayne felt as he saw his parents' coffins be slowly lowered into the ground for the one final time. Since their murder barely 24 hours ago in that dark alleyway, the incident was playing on continuously in his mind, as if it were on an infinite loop.

Repeatedly, he saw the twin gunshots of the mugger who had accosted him and his parents, ripping them away from him for all eternity. A pair of flashes and bangs, as their bodies fell down onto the dirty floor of that accursed alley, never to wake again.

He felt hollow, and guilt was gnawing him away on the inside. He wanted to scream and rage but his voice failed him and his eyes would simply not gather tears to let his grief manifest. So, he let it fester inside, a storm of emotions bubbling inside silently as the priest finally read the final words from his bible.

An hour later, he was standing in a room watching as the guests who had come for the funeral exit the grounds in droves. A lot of them had offered their condolences but he could see that most of them were halfhearted and a few of them had clearly an ulterior motive when they had introduced themselves.

Even though Bruce was only 8, he was smarter than most of his peers. Amongst those who had attended the funeral, he could spot the bootlickers and sycophants after his family money from a mile away.

He had not wanted to even be in their presence but a reminder from Alfred that as the last Wayne he had to uphold tradition and offer the same hospitality to everyone, regardless of their intentions, for which the Wayne family were quite famous. So, he met with them and shook their hands plastering on a fake smile whenever he had to shake their greasy palms.

Moreover, he loathed the pitying glances that all of them gave him when they saw him as it only intensified the guilt of his actions which lead to his parent's death.

The only true condolences came from his best friend Rachel Dawes and her family. She had hugged him and given him an innocent kiss on the cheek. That had brought a highly strained and fleeting, yet a true small smile on his face.

He was brought out of his musings when he heard steps coming down the passageway towards the room. He could hear Alfred's muffled voice as he escorted what seemed to be more guests to offer their condolences. He was irritated and wanted to lash out but his upbringing and the constant reminder to always be courteous to his guests prevented him from doing so.

He forcefully quashed down his irritation and plastered a genial yet fake smile on his face as he turned to face towards the door of the bedroom as it was opened by Alfred who ushered the guests inside. However, whatever words he was about to say to Alfred and the guests died on his lips and he muttered "Uncle Perseus".

The very next moment he was across the room and hugging his uncle tightly around his stomach. When he breathed his uncle's familiar salty sea scent, all the grief, the frustration, the guilt of not being able to save his parents, his anger at the murderer whose face was still as clear as day in his mind - all these emotions, on which he had kept a tight lid on since the past 24 hours exploded out in the form of heart and gut-wrenching sobs and rivulets of tears which began to soak his uncle's shirt.

So wrapped in his grief was Bruce, that neither did he notice his uncle's arms around him pulling him into his warm embrace as he guided both of them to a couch nor did he notice his uncle with a wave of his arms asking Alfred silently to shut the door behind them. Alfred guided the other guest out of the room while letting out a pained smile at his uncle which Bruce obviously missed.

Despite his parent's unconditional love, Bruce was always closer to his Godfather cum Uncle Perseus from the beginning.

His uncle was always laid back and like him hated the pretentious face that they had to put up when they interacted with the high-class society during the various social events that were hosted across Gotham. He avoided these events like a plague and used the babysitting duty of Bruce at the manor as an excuse to avoid them when his father and mother went out to attend due to their social obligations.

He was quick to laugh and had a quite sarcastic streak of humor and oftentimes he drew his mother's ire by encouraging Bruce to play pranks and practical jokes in school, the target being bullies and other snobs he went to school with.

Despite his childish mischievousness and his utter disregard for social propriety, he could be serious when he wanted to. The cool way he handled the various sycophants and women who try to get into his pants, only so they could try and place their grubby hands on the fortune he had inherited, was legendary amongst the elite circles. He could be as smooth as needed and with his looks and charisma, he was often the center of attention at parties no matter how hard he tried to avoid them.

He was ever the consummate politician and could adapt to the situation by changing his personality in a flick of a switch. His cold stare at those who didn't understand the word 'NO' was enough to drive anyone away skittering and Bruce was glad that he had never been on the receiving end of one of those, even the thought of them brought shivers down his spine. Not even his mother's glare could make him cow in such a manner.

But what Bruce loved the most was the soft side that he showed only when he was among people that he considered family- that is as far as he knew were the Waynes and Alfred. He was kind, compassionate, and thoughtful and went above and beyond when it came to helping others in need. Whenever he visited them, he always seemed to exude an aura of peace, calm and a feeling of hope and his visits were very joyous occasions filled with laughter.

The most treasured part of the day was when his uncle sang for him when he was a bit younger. Whenever he visited Wayne Manor, he always used to take up the duty of tucking Bruce to sleep by singing him to sleep much to the ire of their butler Alfred. His voice when he sang was deep and crystal clear as the water from a natural spring and was one filled with such deep emotion that it never failed to tug at the heartstrings of people who heard it.

It was the only time that he saw the deep-rooted sadness in his uncle's eyes as he caressed his head slowly coaxing him into a slumber. Neither he nor did his parents knew the reason for this though they could vaguely guess that he was grieving or longing for someone.

Bruce also enjoyed the various stories from the Greek mythologies his uncle Perseus used to tell him when he used to tuck him into bed when he got a bit old for lullabies. He made them so realistic as if he had witnessed them with his very own eyes and was the sole reason why Bruce's room was filled with books on ancient Greek and Roman civilizations and mythology.

As Perseus slowly rubbed soothingly on Bruce's back, Bruce's sobs slowly ebbed away and his mind slowly came back to the surroundings. He felt as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders and he felt at peace.

Though the grief over the loss of his parents had not been completely wiped away, he felt much calmer and found it easier to focus as the mindless haze of the last 24 hours had faded away. He felt completely embarrassed for wetting his uncle's suit with tears but before he could pull away his uncle tightened his hold on him and looked into his eyes, before turning to face the far wall and started speaking.

"You know Bruce, not many people know of it but once I too had my own family. My own little world of happiness. The most beautiful and smartest wife, the cutest and most adorable daughter. I was happy, you know. After a troubled teenage life, I never thought I would find my own slice of happiness. Even when I lost my mother, I still had their support especially my wife. She could understand and get me in ways no one could ever in a million years. She was a partial reason, I managed to get away from really tight situations in my teens. She saved my life as many times as I saved hers. And my daughter's smile … Gods above... that could lift my spirits no matter how long and an arduous day I had at the office. Then one day everything was ripped away from me in a flash… as if they had never existed." said his uncle as a single tear slipped down from his eyes as he became lost in his grief.

Bruce did not how to respond. Though he had seen his uncle's inherent melancholy in his eyes at times, never did he know the depth of grief that his uncle hid away from him and the rest of the family.

Trying to soothe his uncle he asked in a small and unsure voice "What happened to them, Uncle Perseus? How did they die?"

His words jolted his uncle from his memories. Wiping away his tears with the back of his hand he looked at Bruce as if he were contemplating something before, he responded "They were murdered. All because one person could not be happy with the power he possessed and wanted more. All because he could not set aside his ego and lust for power." with a dark look on his face.

"Look Bruce the point I am trying to make here is that I know how it feels to be in your shoes. How you loathe the pitying stares as if they could ever understand what you are going through. They may try, sure, but they do not know the pain of your loved one being ripped away from you before your very eyes, when there was a chance to save them, no matter how impossible. That pain, that guilt stays with you for a long time and the eventual rage and darkness that will come is very difficult to ignore and impossible to fight, especially when alone. Don't make the same mistakes as I did Bruce … this darkness, this rage will turn you into something you won't be able to recognize. Every day you let it fester, it will make you commit unspeakable horrors, and slowly but surely, you lose track of what it means to be human."

Taking a deep breath, his uncle stared at him with piercing green eyes that seemed to be looking into his very soul and said "Promise me, Bruce. Promise me that you will never let this darkness fester. Though this is a battle you must fight on your own, never shy away from sharing your load. Your father, Thomas, would never want you to throw away your life trying to avenge them. And I am pretty sure Martha would rise from the grave and try and skewer me with a poker stick if I don't do my duty as your Godfather".

Both of them sharing a laugh at the image of an enraged Martha chasing behind his uncle with a poker stick. This broke the serious mood in the room, as both of them settled into a comfortable silence.

After a couple of minutes, his uncle stood up, smoothening his suit before extending his arm towards him and said "Come on Bruce, I want to you introduce to a dear friend of mine. She has been very helpful in my endeavor to restore and preserve valuable pieces of art for the last couple of years.".

Bruce stood silently took his uncle's hand and exited the room shutting the door on their way out.

With Percy

Perseus was raging internally though there was a cold and stoic mask on his face. His brother in all but blood and his wife had been murdered right before his godson's eyes. When he had looked into Bruce's eyes, he had seen enough flashes of the event from them to know that it was a premeditated murder.

'It was not a crime of passion. I think it's time I paid the underworld of Gotham a visit.' Thought Perseus darkly as he walked down the stairs towards the main living room with Bruce's right hand in his left.

He could see that that the scar of his parents' death was deeply entrenched in Bruce's mind. He knew that this would deeply affect him for the rest of his life and he could only hope that he would overcome this tragedy.

Despite all his powers, he simply could not fight the battles of others, not even for his very own godson. He could only hope to provide the necessary support when the time came. He owed at least that much to Thomas and Martha to look after their son, to guide him on the right path when he stepped out into the world.

Despite his collaboration with 3 generations of Waynes on various social initiatives, he truly became close only to Thomas and through him, Martha. Though, that paled in comparison to his relationship with Bruce whom he saw as his very own son. Even though initially he had tried to stay away from them, they had been relentless and somehow the 3 Waynes had managed to worm their way into his heart, especially Bruce.

Lost in his thoughts, he did not realize that he had already arrived at the living room where his eyes fell on the most welcome addition in his life – Diana. Though he was torn about Wayne's death, he had seen so much death of his close friends and comrades, that he had become completely detached.

Till Diana had come into his life, he had resigned himself to outliving everyone he associated on a personal level would age, wither and die. Her becoming his best friend had soothed Perseus's fear of becoming lonely and bitter with no one to share his burdens.

He had not realized that after staving himself off of personal human contact for decades, his heart had yearned had for close companionship with someone with whom he did not need to hide his abilities.

He still vividly remembered the quite interesting first meeting they had 2 years back.

FLASHBACK

They had settled into a comfortable silence. It had just been a couple of minutes since he had completed his story about his whole life in the past world, though he left out major and rather personally painful parts of his story, which he was sure that she had picked upon.

He was internally thankful that Diana did not pry too deeply into the parts that he had left out. As he was silently sipping his wine, he noticed that Diana had relaxed comfortably in her seat and was in a deeply contemplative mood.

He kind of understood what it felt like having your world completely flipped on your head. It was how he had felt when he had stepped into the divine world at the tender age of 12. He was pretty sure he would have died on his very first quest many times had it not been for Annabeth and Grover. He immediately felt great melancholy at the memory and pushed it to the darkest recesses of his mind.

He could see questions swirling around her head, though there seemed some hesitation on her part. He spoke up "Don't be hesitant to ask questions, Ms. Prince. I know you seem quite curious. While I cannot assure that all your questions may be answered, I will try my best."

As he took a final sip of his red wine from his wine glass before placing the glass on the side table and before he sat forward on his seat showing that he was prepared for her questions.

That shook Diana out of her musings. Taking a sip of water from her glass of water she spoke "Wow… an alternate dimension is one thing but one filled with some many demigods and monsters and the Gods themselves freely roaming around is another. I am still with half a mind to not believe your outlandish tales, Mr. Jackson…"

Percy interrupted her "Call me Percy. Mr. Jackson kind of makes me feel too formal and I feel between friends we should drop the honorifics."

Diana nodded her assent "Ok Percy. Then, call me Diana." and shot him a brilliant smile that sent a wave of euphoria throughout his body. Though he quashed that feeling down quite quickly he could not help but return her a pleasant smile.

Diana then asked inquisitively "But how did you people not come to the notice of the normal mortals. Surely their governments would have noticed the large-scale damage when you led the defense of Manhattan against the Titan Kronos and later the battle against Goddess Gaia and her sons?"

"The Mist is what hides the Greek Divine world from the eyes of the monsters. It is what also helped me find you after all in the first place" Perseus replied.

"Mist? What does water condensation have to do with the Greek world and you being able to find me?" asked Diana inquisitively.

Percy chuckled and replied "Not the water mist but 'The Mist'. It is a metaphysical barrier of divine magic that hides the Greek world from the eyes of the mortals. For example, a bloody Hellhound would appear like a chihuahua with a red collar while a cyclops for example appears either like a homeless or a child with Down syndrome. The Mist, maintained by Goddess Hecate, is also what keeps mortals from becoming targets to the monsters. Demigods and some clear-sighted mortals can discern through the Mist seeing the world for what it truly is, though this has a downside of making them vulnerable to the monster's sight and smell. As for tracking you down, this world too has The Mist but it seems to be too diluted and is constantly being degraded at a slow rate."

Taking a sip of his wineglass, Percy continued "As for finding you through it, a couple of years back there was a huge disturbance in the mist and its degradation rate accelerated quite a bit though after some time it seemed to return to the original levels of degradation. I tracked the disturbance for the past two years and that disturbance led me to you. The disturbance was centered too heavily on your presence. Also, the mist seemed heavily concentrated upon yourself making you seem normal. So, I knew that you were someone of divine blood, but I was not aware of your status as a demigoddess nor as a daughter of Zeus until I met you today. But I do have a question of my own… Looking at your expression on your face when I mentioned Hecate, it seems that you hate Hecate or at least have a strong dislike for her. May I know the reason if you don't mind?".

Diana grimaced but replied "I do not about the Gods of your world but here Hecate and her daughter Circe often have been the bane of the Amazons since the very beginning, though ever since their banishment to Tartarus things have been peaceful in Themiscyra. But after the Gods were all killed by Ares there is a chance that they might come back that is why the Gates to Tartarus is guarded by the amazons 24/7."

Percy was intrigued though slightly shuddered at the mention of Circe. It kind of seemed that though the Gods had their energy split between multiple dimensions, their personalities were quite different from what he had seen from the Gods of his earth as if they were their own person.

"Themiscyra?" Percy asked curiously.

"The home of the immortal Amazons. The ones that the Gods created for us after we escaped from the captivity and slavery of the Barbarian Hercules and his army. My mother, Queen Hippolyta, was the one who led them to revolt and has been leading them since then. It is an island sheltered and hidden from the world of men by a mystical barrier."

Spoke Diana nostalgically, but quickly asked yet again curiously "Do you not have Amazons in your world?".

"We did have amazons back home, but they are not immortal. I personally have met Queen Hylla, who was the elder sister of one of my friends. But they did not have a separate island where they lived. They rather ran a large corporation as a front in the US under the same name while they did their work in the background. While they were hostile to men, they did not outright reject them when help was asked."

"Yes, the amazons here too were tasked with protecting the man's world from unknown horrors, if the need arises. Though we have been isolated for almost a millennium, that man believes us to be myths." Diana nodded her assent.

"Is this why you came into this world? Why did you not go back to your family after defeating the danger? To your mother and your sisters?" Perseus asked confusedly.

Diana acquired a melancholic expression. Sadness and regret seemed to roll off her in waves and her body visibly slumped.

She spoke softly and her eyes glistened slightly "I was banished from my home by my mother, and made to forget it when I chose to help a man return back when he accidentally landed on our shores…"

Perseus interrupted her, sensing her distress and reluctance to talk, "You need not reveal your story, Diana. It is fine. Sometimes the past is too painful to talk about, especially to a stranger."

Diana shook her head and looked at him saying "It is not fair, Percy. You shared your life story and extended an olive branch of trust. It is only fair that I too share my past."

Diana then spoke about her past, of how she grew up in Themiscyra, her mother's constant sheltering, her training to be champions, and her struggles to enter the competition, meeting and saving Steve, her first time in man's world, her efforts during world war 1. She also spoke about her battle with Ares and the painful sacrifice of Steve Trevor and her life of complete seclusion.

Percy could pick up from the tone in her voice that Steve was someone she had loved deeply and this created a tiny twinge of jealousy in the pit of his stomach, though he quashed it down forcefully.

There was a comfortable silence as Percy allowed Diana to come to terms with the revelation of her past. She was still visibly saddened by what had happened and was staring off to the side lost in her memories.

Perseus summoned a blob of water from the tap and made it fill Diana's glass visibly startling her while filling the wine in his now empty glass with a wave of his hand simultaneously. She looked up at him and asked with wonder "How did you do that?".

Percy just raised an eyebrow and chuckled "Son of Poseidon, remember?"

Diana just blushed out of embarrassment and looked away muttering "I still find it hard to believe you know…"

Percy just let a big laugh but instantly sobered up and said seriously "I am really sorry for your loss Diana. I know it is really painful to lose your loved ones before your very eyes, specifically when you could do nothing to save them. And thank you for killing Ares, God knows what he could have accomplished had he not been defeated."

Taking a sip, he continued "Let me tell you this though, I have a strong gut feeling that you will soon be able to see your mother and your sisters and may regain the opportunity to visit home again. And trust me, my gut feeling has seldom been wrong."

"Are you now an oracle too?" Diana asked jokingly before continuing seriously "Thank you, Percy. And I truly hope your gut feeling will not be wrong this time."

She took a sip of water and asked "Though I do have a question… you were done with the two wars. You had found peace; you had a family. What happened to them? Why did you come to this world? Surely you must have had friends back there?".

Percy instantly froze up and the temperature of the room dropped suddenly and it felt as if all the warmth in the world had died. Perseus gained a dark look on his face but his eyes were full of anguish and sorrow and his eyes became completely dull.

Diana wanted to immediately apologize and retract her question but before she could do so, Perseus started speaking emotionlessly "There was another divine war. But this time none of my friends or family managed to survive it. Please don't ask anything further about it. Even though it has been 4 decades since it happened, it is still fresh as day… I could not handle it, so I ran away."

Perseus laughed an empty laugh "You must think I am a big coward right… a fool who could not handle a loss…". He took a big swig from the glass and finished the remaining wine and placed it harshly on the table between them and sunk into his chair deeply before staring off into space again.

Diana did not what to do, so she kept her mouth shut. This time the silence was uncomfortable and Diana was getting antsy. So, to break the ice she asked "So when did you arrive in this world?".

Perseus was startled but gave her a smile, thanking her silently for changing the topic "Well I ended up in London in 1936…"

Diana interrupted "Wait… if you were there in London in 1936… how are you still so young? What about the other Jacksons?".

Percy smiled and replied "There were no other Jacksons, Diana. I have been masquerading as both my Grandfather first and Later my Father and myself. There were no generations of Jacksons. Immortality is the reason I look so young… well partially immortal. I knew no other way to hide with me being in the public domain. And the younger versions of me seen accompanying the older version at some occasions were nothing but constructs of the Mist… all to keep up my ruse."

"How? I am pretty sure that demigods are not born immortals."

"Indeed, they are not. I was granted partial immortality as a gift for my services." Said Percy though Diana could feel that it was not completely the truth, she did not pursue it.

"Partial Immortality?"

"We are essentially ageless and are not vulnerable to mortal diseases, but we can fall in battle and die. It is the same for the amazons I think, based on how they were martyred during the defense of the island againstthe Germans from the story you told me."

Diana nodded her head and was about to take another sip of water when she snapped her head up looking at him inscrutably. Then she stood up and exclaimed," You were the Apollyon …the Dark Angel of World War 2."

Perseus instantly became guarded and his whole body tensed. He sat up in his chair and was ready to draw his weapon should she try to apprehend him. He then spoke "Yes, I am what they call Apollyon or Dark Angel. What of it?"

Diana immediately noticed that her actions had immediately set off alarm bells in Percy. So, she raised her hands in a halfway surrender position to show that she was unarmed. She sat down again and said "Relax Percy. Though I do not condone the actions of yours, I am in no position to judge you in any manner. I too have been through World War 1; I know the depravity and barbarity that some men descend to in their lust for power. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

Percy visibly relaxed but still felt the need to justify "Thank you Diana for your confidence. While I too, now agree, looking back that I might have slightly gone overboard with my actions, I do not regret my actions. I did what I had to do to prevent innocents from coming to any further harm. I will not apologize for the same. Those people deserved what they got for the atrocities they committed on poor innocent men, women, and children all because they followed a different religion."

Diana just nodded her assent though she did not seem to agree with it. Percy on his part was happy and relieved that it had not escalated, and Diana though did not seem to understand the horrors she did seem to agree to not apprehend him. 'It would be a really bad start if the woman I have started to like tattles on me….'. Percy immediately put that thought to a stop 'WAIT! LIKE? I barely met her today… What is wrong with me?' Percy mused internally.

To stop his thoughts from seemingly going to places he did not want, he decided to divert the conversation to a safe topic. Looking at the bracers on her carefully, Percy noticed that they were some sort of power suppressors. Intrigued he asked "Diana, may I ask what are those Silver bracers that you wear on your forearm?".

Diana too seemed relieved that Percy had shifted the topic from his past actions and was trying to prevent a conflict of opinions. Though she did not seem to agree, she understood that as a warrior sometimes you may have to do things you do not like for the Greater Good, no matter the personal toll it might take on you.

Diana replied "These?" showing him her silver bracelets with gold highlights "They are called Bracelets of submission. They are ceremonial bracelets worn by every Amazonian warrior as a reminder of our past, a reminder of the time when the amazons were held as slaves under Hercules and his barbarian Horde. The Bracelets of Submission are worn as a cautionary reminder: to forfeit one's independence by allowing male dominance over their will is what sapped them of their own power…it is a reminder of the struggles of the Amazonian people. A reminder to be strong enough so that we are never subjugated again."

"Do they give you any additional powers?" Percy asked inquisitively.

"Most of my sister's bracers are just ceremonial, but mine has an additional feature that it can generate blasts of concussion and can sort of absorbing energy to redirect them. Even bullets."

Now this time Diana was the suspicious one, she cursed herself internally 'Why the hell did I even reveal my secrets… This is so unlike me. This should be wrong… but I feel comfortable sharing with him… it feels natural... But why is he asking me about my bracers?'

Just as she was about to voice out her suspicions, Percy anticipating her question answered "They seemed like they are holding back your metaphysical powers, Diana. From your story, I can guess that you have rarely used the gifts inherited from your father… Have ever removed your bracers since your birth, Diana?"

"No, I have not. And what gifts from my father's side are you talking about?" Diana asked curiously.

Percy stroked his chin and asked "May I take a closer look?" as he motioned for her to extend her hand.

She tentatively extended her hand but pulled it close to have a closer look at the bracers with a light jerk.

Before Diana could protest and snatch back her hand Percy said "Hmm… that might explain it. As a daughter of Zeus, you have control over both Air and Storms as they are your birthright. You seem to have control over the air to fly but technically you should be able to summon lightning without any problem …yet you were not able to do so easily during your battle with Ares… I feel that they are holding you back from accessing your heritage completely."

As soon as he let go of her hand Diana shot him a mild glare, to which Perseus mouthed an apology and raised his hands stating the obvious.

Diana just huffed and started observing her bracelets with newfound curiosity. After a couple of minutes, she looked at him and asked hesitantly "I have never used my heritage from my father's side… while you seem to know more about the metaphysical powers… so I was wondering if you could teach me how to access them?".

"I will. If you do something for me in return" looking at her devilishly.

Diana's face acquired a mistrustful face. She asked warily "And what is the favor?".

"Well… since coming to this world I have lacked a competent sparring partner. How about you spar with me a couple of days a week and in turn I teach you how to use your abilities. Sound fair?".

Diana's immediately lit up in an excited smile. Say whatever you want about the amazons, but they had a competitive streak that was a mile wide and were never the ones who would back down from a fight.

Letting out a slightly arrogant smirk, she stood up from her seat and said "Well Mr. Jackson, I think it is time to prove if the great Hero of Olympus, Perseus Jackson can hold a candle to Princess Diana of Themiscyra, in a spar tomorrow."

Percy stood up and extended his hand towards her hand shooting her a challenging and slightly infuriating smirk "While I will eagerly look forward to our spar tomorrow … What do you say Diana … want to test out who can summon the largest Lightning bolt to test our powers now…The Son of the Storm bringer or Daughter of the Sky?".

Diana asked hesitantly "Now?"

Percy replied shrugging his shoulder "No time like the present. I know of a place where we can do so without the fear of discovery or collateral damage." His voice acquiring a teasing tone "Or is the big bad princess just scared of thunder?".

Diana's face immediately scrunched up in annoyance. Boldly taking his outstretched hand she scoffed indignantly "I am afraid of nothing. Let's see if the stories that you have so artfully spewed are just all talk and no trousers."

Percy just let out a grin as they both disappeared in a mist of water.

FLASHBACK ENDS

So lost was Percy in his memories that he did not realize Alfred had already taken Bruce to Dinner. He was shaken out of his thoughts by hand on his shoulder.

Turning back to look at the owner of the hand, he saw it was Diana with a concerned look on her face. For the past two years, they had become very close friends. They had reached such a point that they trusted implicitly.

Their spars were ever competitive with neither of them able to edge out the other-often fighting for hours only to end in a draw. Their battles were quite fierce, especially when they used their powers, and often Percy had to use copious amounts of mist to prevent the Government from catching onto them or coming to investigate their destroyed battleground.

Outside of their spars often they met at least twice a week for either lunch or dinner to catch up on what happened to each of them during the week. Their banter was always lovely and often at the end of the day Percy wished that the day did not end.

But with him staying and working from Manhattan and her staying in DC ensured that they rarely had any free time after work, even though traveling between the two cities did not take more than a few minutes for each of them. His work as the CEO of Jackson Corp. and her job as an archeologist made finding time difficult.

Their bi-weekly meetings often improved his mood and its effects so prominent that his personal secretary, a slightly older woman, Mrs. Williams had started pestering him if he had started dating someone. Since meeting her he had felt a lightness, he had not experienced in years.

"Are you ok? Percy?" came Diana's sweet yet concerned voice. He completely turned to look at her and his breath momentarily hitched. It was a couple of years since he had met her, yet her beauty took away his breath every single time.

He had tried to quash his feelings for her but every time he met her; they would multiply tenfold. But he had never acted on it and hoped that she had noticed him staring at her a bit longer than necessary a couple of times. So far, she seemed oblivious to his affections.

He shook his head slightly and told her "I'm fine, Diana. Just a bit upset."

She gave him a disbelieving stare, a testament to how they had become so close friends that hiding that something was wrong with one another was becoming difficult. Diana became impatient and crossing her arms underneath her chest, she said "I am waiting Perseus. We promised each other that we will not hide things from one another. Especially as best friends."

Percy knew she was serious when she used his full name. So, he sighed, and after having a look around to check anyone would be eavesdropping.

"I am saddened, Diana. I feel bad for Bruce, the path ahead of him is going to be long and dark and I am helpless to stop it or save him from it." He then continued his demeanor darkening "And I am angry. Thomas and Martha were not victims of a mugging gone wrong. This was premeditated murder, Diana. I saw the memory of that night in Bruce's mind. The Chill brothers were clearly waiting for them in the alleyway… and I am going to get to the bottom of this."

He tightened his fist forcefully restraining his power lest he destroys something inadvertently and reveals his powers. He felt a smaller hand on his fist and he immediately relaxed his hand.

Looking towards Diana, he saw determination burning in her eyes. Though Diana had only met the Waynes today, she knew they were good people and she would not stand by and let innocent people not get the justice they deserve.

"And WE will get to bottom of this Percy. Just don't do something rash." Diana replied forcefully.

Percy just nodded at her giving her a grim smile before he took in the scenery of the distant sunset on the grounds of the manor and the rays seeping in from the large windows along with Diana, mindless of his right hand intertwined with Diana's left.