I am not quite used to the reviewing feature on (i.e. not being able to respond to the reviewer). Taking a cue from other, more experieced posters, I hope to do so here i.e. in the chapters itself (or those posting a signed review/giving their e-mail addy, mailing them directly).

For now, thanks to everyone who had R&R-ed this and other works of mine (batfan7, Cycloptic NightBat, Agent-G, Doza, Hopefloater, dee-unlm1t3d, Classic Cowboy...of course 'No Name' and all others)

BW


28. All Together

Summary: Feeling too lazy for a summary.


Few hours ago,

"Hey! Watch out." Stepping away, just in the nick of time, out of the way of the black and blue hurricane that tore through the doors of the living room, Dick Grayson, admonished his younger sibling.

However, given his physical and mental state, it was a wonder that Tim even acknowledged him. "He-he…" he wildly gestured towards the door, in the general direction of the grandfather's clock. Only a few seconds ago, he had been on his way to change into his Robin uniform….that is until a familiar voice and the much awaited words spoken by it, not only stopped him right in his tracks, but sent him barreling back in the direction he came from.

"Slow down kid," Dick grinned at his excited state. "Where's the fire?"

"He found her." Three words, three simple short words and the excitement seemed to jump and spread out not only in the three occupants of the room, but also to the fourth entrant, as losing all the poise he was wont to show, Alfred Pennyworth all but bounded to the clock, with the rest of the Bat-family close behind him.

Seconds later, as three of the five made their way down the stairs, with the remaining two, Cassandra and Barbara taking the elevator, the near jubilant cry of 'She's ALIVE!' not only confirmed Tim's words but also brought each and everyone on them a sense of rejuvenated life. Not only was it Bruce who was affected by Diana's disappearance, the rest of the of them were as well…and even though they did not admit it to one another let alone to anyone else, the thought that she might be dead, did cross their mind. It was their trust in their mentor and the inviolable spirit of hope, which allowed them to keep themselves together to accomplish what they seemed to have done.

"Master Bruce." Alfred stepped forth to break the ensuing silence as Bruce, his mind closed off to anything except the task as hand, was already at work drawing up and feeding the target frequencies and co-ordinates into the dimensional communicator.

Even though there was no response, none of the others followed up on Alfred's hail. In some respects, each of them knew Bruce better than even he knew himself, and it was that knowledge that told them that until he finished what he was doing, he would not answer…..not now. It was a complete flip from how he had been just a few days ago, when his being closed off to anyone was the reason for his silence.

It would almost three minutes before he would even turn to acknowledge them, and even as he pulled on his mask to cover his face, each of them saw the life returned to his eyes…as they did the smile grace his lips, as they parted to utter those all saying three words.

"She is alive."

-

Waiting until the contact was established, the five made their way back up to the manor, not because of something Bruce said, but because this time….it was just supposed to be for the two of them.

His own eyes glistening with the tears that he trying so hard to contain, Tim turned to an openly smiling-sobbing Barbara. "How long do you think it will take for her to get back?"

"Soon," was all the redhead said as she tightened her vice like grip on Dick's hand, leaning into his embrace and his free hand draped over her shoulder. "Soon."

"Once they finish the appropriate programming on the other side," Dick was more analytical with his explanation. "It should be a matter of minutes then."

-

'Matter of minutes.' How Dick wanted to take those words back, especially now. Slack jawed, with his eyes as wide as saucers, thanks to Batman's cowl cam and the communication link between the two dimensions, he and the others watched the events unfold in real time….and if the last few hours had not been jarring enough by themselves, the rollercoaster that they seemed to be on seemed to be getting more and more complex by the minute.

At first, everything seemed to going along smoothly. Bruce contacted Diana, they talked, he transmitted the programming instructions, the other League members fed them in and prepared for Diana's dimensional jump…everything, as easy as apple pie and as right as day. Right until the moment Diana stepped into the portal, the dimensional doorway that Bruce initiated from this end. Everything seemed to be within parameters, both on this side and on the other. They even had a third party monitoring their progress…..the Lords' Batman, and even he could not fault with anything that done so far. It was the same as when he had contacted the League, leading to that League's (Lords') crossover into this dimension.

What happened next was not only out of the bounds of science; it down right seemed to out of the bounds of any imagination.

Which brought them to the present with not one but three Diana's….or rather parts of her, out there, each strong by itself, but at the same time fragmented.

---

Meanwhile, on the other side,

"Put it away," (comic) Batman growled at his doppelganger as both men faced against each other, and while he had a batarang in each hand, the other man only held one while the other hand was balled into a fist with a dull glow rising from the middle finger….which he deliberately kept pointed towards the direction where Diana and Wally had helped Superman to. Behind him, were not one but two Dianas, one of them looking like the one that had stepped through the portal while the other being the 'Spirit of Peace' they had been talking to until a few minutes ago.

When there was no move from the other (the animated) Batman, the warning was repeated again, this time in a tone that meant 'final warning'. "Put. The. Ring. Away."

Time stood still as both man faced off, seemingly aware of just each other, until with the barest of moves, the kryptonite ringed hand vanished into the cape.

"Where is she?" The newly arrived Batman's tone was just as cold.

'She.' Even if it wasn't mentioned, everyone present knew which 'she' he was talking about. The same she, who if given enough time was going to destroy not only the 'room' she was in, but the whole watchtower itself. The present Leaguers had thrown anything and everything, ad then some against her and had come out short, with Kyle realizing something that the others didn't…the harder they fought, the stronger she became and that too at their cost.

"In there," Diana stepped up to where the two Batmen were facing off against each other, her intervention being just the thing to break the stalemate as moving with almost superhuman yet to the Leaguers familiar, speed, Batman not only reached the door but also overrode the locking system, allowing the Amazon Warrior inside a way out.

"Hey, what are you…." Flash reached forward to stop him but stayed back as Diana's arm rose up to stand in his way.

"Stay back…everyone." Even if the others might have not guessed the identity of the other Dianas, she had, after all, in way it all her or parts of her own being who were there in front of her.

As the others, including a recovered Superman watched, the warrior momentarily confused by the sudden disappearance of her opponents, turned to the opening and rushed towards it. However, even as she reached and subsequently made her way through it, she slowed down and finally came to a halt…right next to where the other two Dianas stood, her magical armored wings drawing closer and finally vanishing into the back of her body armor.

-

Having recovered from the effects of the Superman pushed himself up, just in time to see the three female forms. "Oh God!" He exclaimed as the events of the past few hours and the sudden appearance of the other Batman finally came together in the form of the trio standing a few feet away from him and his teammates. "She…they…they are her," he turned to the Diana from their earth, her silence nod confirming his suspicion.

"What? Who's her?" Flash whipped his head between his two teammates. For him, things had gotten progressively out of control with this new Batman's entrance not helping matters one bit.

"She." Green Lantern gestured towards the three women. "They, those three…Dianas. Something happened to her didn't it?" His question was for both Batmen. "During the crossing, something went wrong."

If he expected a reply, he didn't get one, as while their Batman stood silent, his eyes intently staring at the other Batman and his actions, his dimensional twin was more concerned about the welling being of his teammate and fiancée than anything else. Feeling like a voyeur, he still could not turn his eyes away from the scene before….for he saw what no one else could see, not even Clark with his x-ray vision. Even though to the others, the other Batman's actions might have seemed normal and similar to his, he, feeling as if he was watching some twisted play of himself, watched how his twin ever so slightly leaned towards the other Diana, how his clenched jaw seemed to relax….how his balled fists opened up to reach up and caress the arm of the woman he loved, his hands cupping around hers…saying so much even without uttering even a single word.

Was it possible for him to be like this…behave like this? Could he have the something like this? Had he been like this with any of the women he had had in his life, Shondra, Vicki, Selina….Diana?

The name sounding in his thoughts, he turned his eyes towards the other Diana, his…their Diana, a small part of him thinking 'what if'. It was clear that just like the other, she too was watching their guests, however, unlike the others, but like him, she too had some secret thoughts…maybe similar to his.

-

Shaking himself to dispel the emotional haze, he squared his shoulders and took a step towards the group of four.

"What went wrong?" He sidestepped the redundant introductions, straight away getting to the cause of their current situation.

Taking a step away from the 'split' Diana, her spirit manifestations standing just behind and on side of her, (animated) Batman faced his doppelganger. While the serene Diana was as composed as before, it was the warrior, the raging one, who had undergone a complete change. Although still standing with her sword drawn, she was no longer positioned in an attacking stance but seemingly standing in guard of her physical form.

"Something." In true Batman fashion, that single word was his admittance of, I don't know. Truth was he really had no idea of how and what had happened to Diana. In fact had it not been for the way her emotional and physical state worsened soon after her arrival and the showing up of the second, the white clad ethereal 'peaceful' aspect of her personality, he would have knocked her out (given her pregnancy, without using sedatives)…and now here they were.

"Diana…" He turned back to the affected Diana, specifically towards the woman standing in the center. With her personality split, she was having a difficult time keeping herself composed….and her blazing and conflicting emotions of love, pain, sadness, joy and regret, under control. What was even worse was as her warrior form battled the league and the hard-light constructs, and stay unaffected, it was she who was feeling and suffering each it, each wound and the pain they were causing.

However, now, although not united but at least in the proximity of the split aspects of her personality, things were easier.

"I am better Bruce," she whispered, weakly smiling at her Batman. "Just give me a minute to pull myself together," she added as irony.

With that she turned around to face the two other Dianas, and with a silent prayer, closed her eyes.

With bated breath, everyone present watched as sheathing her sword and shield, the warrior spirit held the offered hands of her physical form and the peace spirit. The moment their fingers touched each others, completing the circle, the three of them started to glow, the light emanating growing stronger until everyone else had to cover their eyes and/or look away.

--

Seconds later,

"Bruce...something is wrong." Even as turned, that sight that greeted him, literally caused the Caped Crusader to stop breathing. Not only was Diana once again dressed in her usual costume but her entire body was covered with fresh, bleeding wounds…a result of the injuries her warrior form received and passed onto her.

However, it wasn't only that what was wrong with her.

"We are not one."

Although physically a single entity, the three aspects of the Amazon Princess's personality still spoke and seemingly still existed independently.

However, even that wasn't what the present League and even (animated) Batman were staring at.

What they were staring at was…..

….where there had been a slight bulge of an almost five month old pregnancy, now was the full roundness of more than seven months.

-

-


Note: Apologies for the much delay and still short chapter. Besides the lull of my muses, I also had a tough time getting this part out….so much so that even as I now finish this, I have already planned and typed out half of the next chapter…most probably the second or third last of this story. (Don't worry, I am no going to leave this 'family' with just one fic.)

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