8. Hope

"We lost her five years ago?"

"Lost? What do you mean?" asked Diana with a sinking feeling in her heart. "Was she captured like Flash?"

"No Miss," Alfred shook his head, suddenly looking much older, his shoulder slumping and the wrinkles on his forehead creasing. "Mrs. Wayne…Madam Shayera is dead."

"Hera…" was all Diana could muster. Shayera. Dead. It couldn't be. Not her too, not her, the first and best 'girl' friend she had in man's world. 'How many more deaths do I have to witness...cause?'

----

"We're here Miss," said Alfred interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh…yes" Diana looked at the strange door in front of her. 'So unlike the manor' she thought and for the first time looked around her. "This is not the manor, is it?' she asked.

"No Miss" said Alfred. "Most of the manor was destroyed in the attack. After the, uh… 'disagreement', Master Bruce had started construction of a second cave and residence, in case of an emergency."

"Sorry Alfred," Diana apologized with tears in her eyes.

"Sorry Madam?" asked Alfred, confused at her sudden apology.

"Sorry for not stopping the attack. I had tried to contact Bruce, but he didn't take my call and with good reason. I had betrayed him. And by the time I got through it was too late."

Alfred laid a hand on Diana's shoulder to calm her down. "No Miss, you didn't betray anyone, you just reviewed the different options, and after careful consideration made your choice."

"If only it were that simple," said Diana ruefully.

"If the past few years have taught us one thing time and again, is that change is continuous and unpredictable. So it is better to learn from your past mistakes and choices and use them to try to make a better future, while living to your fullest in the now, the present. It is a much better option than wallowing in the past and losing both your present and future."

Alfred could see that his words had helped Diana. She wiped her tears and have him a small warm smile.

"Thank you Alfred" said Diana. "You could always be counted on to be the light of hope even in the darkest of times. Bruce is lucky to have you."

"No Miss," disagreed Alfred. "He is lucky to have his daughter, I am lucky to have the honor to serve them and all of you in your fight against evil in my own small way."

Diana had walked into the room and found clothes lying on the bed. She turned to look at Alfred.

"Madam insisted we keep your clothes from the time you stayed at the mansion after the invasion. She always said that you would return one day," explained Alfred. "Even the master couldn't throw them away against her orders."

"Now Miss, I'll take leave," "Please join us for dinner," said Alfred bowing and leaving Diana alone in the huge room.

Alfred's words rang in her ears, 'She always said that you would return one day.' Shayera had said the same thing to her the last time they had met, it was just after the attacks and Diana was leaving for Atlantis.

----

/Flashback/

Diana stood on the top of Gotham Towers. It had been three days since the attack that killed many of her 'ex'- teammates and caused her to resign from the league.

She remembered her last meeting with Superman. They had been in her room and he was trying to convince her to stay.

"Diana the league needs you" he had pleaded. "I need you."

"You know Superman, once I would have given anything to hear you say those words, but not anymore" she had replied, packing her clothes. She had stopped calling him Kal after the vote.

"Do you think he will take you back after what you did to him" Superman retorted, suddenly angry. "YOU….chose ME over HIM." Both of them knew who 'he' was. Even when he wasn't in the league, his presence was overshadowing everything. That had been one of the major reasons behind the attack on the manor.

"What makes you think I am going to him? I can't even face him now," said Diana turning to face the Kyrptonian, fire in her eyes. "And I chose the league and not any one person."

Superman smirked at her, "Keep telling yourself that and one day you might actually believe it" he spoke in a cold voice. "But even he knew who would you chose, if ever there was a choice to be made between the both of us and our ideals. He knew that, that's why he didn't wait for your explanation that day. You and me, we are both alike."

"NO," thundered Diana. "I am not anything like you."

"Sure you are," he said in a calm and even voice. "Both of us have killed humans. That is one thing he will never do."

Picking up her luggage, Diana walked past Superman. "Goodbye Superman. I hope for yours and the league's sake that you give up the path, which you are on now. Otherwise…." she trailed off.

"It's too late for that Diana" he replied to her back. "It's too late."

---

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of flapping of wings. She turned around to find Shayera Hol land on the roof of the same building where they had a conversation a few months ago.

"Hi Shayera" said Diana, taking note of the tired and haggard look of her friend.

"Diana" was the unfeeling answer.

"How are you doing?"

"As well as can be expected when you are being hunted," said Shayera, opening a little. "Now I realize what you must have felt during the Thanegarian invasion."

"I am sorry Shayera. I didn't mean for this to happen, I tried to warn you but it was too late."

Shayera just nodded her head.

Both of them stood there in silence. Finally, Diana broke it.

"I'm leaving," she said, causing Shayera to jerk up.

"Leaving?"

"Yes. After what they did at the manor, I cannot stay any longer with the league."

Hawkgirl stepped forward and laid a bandaged hand on Diana's shoulder. "Where will you go?" she asked softly, knowing that Diana had been banished from Themiscyra.

"I don't know….maybe Atlantis," she stated. "Arthur has agreed to my plea for sanctuary. But with the condition that I will not interfere in anyway in Atlantis."

"You could come with us?" offered Shayera.

"NO," said Diana curtly, before lowering her head and whispering. "I cannot face him. Not now."

"Diana…." began Shayera.

"No" repeated Diana. "Not now."

Shayera only nodded her head and took another step forward to hug Diana, tears in both their eyes.

"He still loves you….remember that" whispered Shayera into her ear, causing one lone tear to escape and flow down her smooth cheek.

With that, Shayera moved back.

"Goodbye Shayera."

"Goodbye Diana" replied Hawkgirl. "I understand what you need to do. But I also know that you will return one day. I am sure of that."

/End Flashback/

-----

Looking at the clothes before her, Diana realized that Shayera never gave up on that hope.

Changing her clothes, she made her way to the dining room, which Alfred had shown her. The present accommodations looked similar to the manor, but were smaller. But they still had some of the familiar features like the portrait of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Turning around a corridor Diana found photos of the various superheroes, who had died over the years, fighting to regain their freedom, their home…..their planet.

---

Entering into the dining area, her eyes were drawn to the figure seated in the living area. He had his back to her and was reading something. 'Most probably surveillance reports,' thought Diana. His young daughter sitting on the carpet next to him, busy coloring, her tongue sticking out from the cornerof her mouth.

"Master Bruce, dinner is served," announced Alfred, appearing from nowhere.

"Yes Alfred' came the deep reply.

As Diana watched, he tapped his daughter on the head. "Dinner" he said. She immediately stopped her work and closed her book, running to the kitchen to wash her hands.

As he stood up and followed his daughter to the table, something struck Diana.

'He shouldn't look like THAT.'