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Chapter Three

Making The Move

It had been raining non-stop for days as if the heavens were crying from so much sorrow as a tropical storm violently wracked the northernmost part of the Philippines, causing massive losses to the small country. Flash floods, landslides and vehicular mishaps abound and the league was summoned for assistance.

When the tempest finally decided to leave the torn island, a few leaguers stayed behind to do patch up work, to relocate the displaced, to help rebuild what could be salvaged from the remains of destroyed homes. It took a great deal of strength, endurance and patience but even superheroes get tired and exhausted. It was already early morning, for the third day, when almost everything was back to normal.

Hovering above, Diana looked from the finally tranquil river to the sky that was no longer threateningly dark but was finally letting some sunlight through. With a sigh, she silently thanked her gods that the worst was over. She was just about to help Flash when a familiar voice called.

"Diana…"

She tilted her head as if to get better reception. "Yes, Batman?"

"How are you?"

She flew a little higher trying to get rid of the interference of static that, for a while there, she even thought Batman was asking how she was. "The mission is almost complete." Silence followed. "Batman…are you there?"

"I have another…mission for you."

She gave his statement some consideration. Assessing that a great part of the damage was already contained, she answered, "Where?"

"Here in Gotham."

"Okay." Another assignment with just the two of us in just a short while. She smiled and felt an amount of excitement at the prospect of being with him. Again.

"Meet me at…the same rooftop." He tried to sound even.

"Recon?" Maybe it was Intergang finally making a move. It was better them than Circe.

"No."

A frown appeared on her face. "What then?" Static was causing disturbance to the communication again. There was silence, but it was longer. "Batman?"

"We need to…talk."

She was trying, once more, to find a better reception. "What? I can't hear you clearly." For another weird moment she thought he wanted to talk.

He hated repeating himself. But Alfred's glare, and matching hand gestures to speed things up, got the better of him. "I said…we need to talk."

For a while she was speechless. She wanted to ask him to repeat again what he said but she was certain he would tell her, in his trademark baritone, to forget it.

"Diana…are you there?" It was his turn to prompt her.

She was grinning from ear to ear like a teenager. "Yes."

Another round of silence. "So? Will you be there?"

I wouldn't miss it for the world. "Yes."

"Meet me in a few minutes."

She was about to answer then frowned realizing the distance between them. "I can't."

"What?"

She was wearing a full smile now at the sound of alarm in his voice. "I mean…I can't be there in a few minutes." She searched the area for Flash. "I'm in Asia right now. Give me…at least thirty."

"I'll wait." He sounded relieved.

When the static interference was cut, she knew he was not there anymore. But his voice still echoed in her ears.

Come on, Diana. All he said was he wanted to talk, she reasoned with herself. Don't get all too giddy because he wanted to chat.

And she had to admit, she should not put too much into what he said because she might be in for another round of big disappointments. Maybe he wanted to resume his interrupted lecture on why they could not, and should not, be together.

Whatever.

At least, he made the first move by asking her. And that, to her, was a big improvement.

"Flash," she called out when she noticed a red blur. She landed next to him.

"Yes Princess?" Wally seemed to be running on an endless supply of energy.

"I'm needed…somewhere." She tried to hide her excitement. "Can you handle this?"

Flash looked at her suspiciously. "Why? Isn't it too early for a date?" he joked. "Just kidding, of course I can handle the situation. For you I can handle anything."

She gave him a thankful peck on the cheek. "Thank you."

Wally was grinning. "I can also give you a body massage afterwards…I know you're tired and a little body rub won't hurt---"

"Flash…"

"Okay…that's moving too fast. How about coffee at the cafeteria?"

"Sure."

"Okay…I understa---" he paused. "Wait a minute…did you just say yes?"

"Yup."

"Cool!"

"We'll have coffee after watching the movie you promised to show me at the lounge tomorrow."

"Thank you!" He cast his eyes heavenward, putting his palms together. But his grin was suddenly replaced with concern. "Hey…Princess, are you feeling okay? You look all red."

She looked embarrassed. "Of course I am."

Just after she replied, there was this slight tingling sensation from inside her nose that was slowly making her eyes teary. Then, the sensation was threatening to explode. Finally, she sneezed.

A look of alarm settled on her face as she stared at Wally wide eyed in amazement before they both billowed with laughter. But her mirth had not even subsided yet when she suddenly felt like everything was slowly spinning, that the ground was shaking, making her dizzy. Then she felt like cold sweat was coming out from her pores as everything around her spun.

"Princess…"

She could hear Wally, but she could not focus on his face. Her head ached.

"Diana…hey!"

Her knees felt like rubber.

"J'onn…emergency transport…"

She could hear Wally's call for help before everything faded into nothingness.

Tired.

Exhausted.

Weak.

Where am I?

She tried waking up, but her body was still too weak.

Her thoughts were all a blur as her tired mind attempted to recall the previous events. It was difficult but there was the vague recollection of seeing Wally's alarmed expression and call for help before her weary eyes closed and blackness invaded her thoughts. There was a certain amount of welcome relief knowing that, at least, she was certain she was safely back at the Watchtower.

With that realization, she tried getting up. But to her surprise, none of her limbs seem to obey the command of her brain. She waited before exerting more effort but it was another attempt in vain as her body still lay peacefully still in contrast with the battle that was now transpiring inside of her.

Her body had fought exhaustion before. But not once could she recall that she succumbed.

While waking her entire body seemed useless, she focused her strength to the simplest of tasks, to open her eyes. Unfortunately, it felt like her eyelids were clamped shut by a force as strong as Kal's hands for she could not even make them flutter. Her eyelids felt very heavy and all efforts to open them only seem to make her even more spent.

Am I…dead?

The dreadful realization had not fully settled in yet when she heard a distant sound, somewhere. Directing all that was left of her strength, she centered on finding the source of the voice through this void, this terrible blackness.

It sounded like J'onn. Yes, it was J'onn's voice.

J'onn…

"It's…strange. As far as I can recall, she has never been like this before."

"How is she?"

He was talking to Kal. Kal…J'onn…she tried to move her lips.

"Her vitals are steady. But she's still unconscious."

"Do you know what caused this?"

"Fever."

"Fever?"

"She was exposed to rain for almost two days."

"She's had worse than rain but she never had fever before."

"It's all too…complicated. I cannot explain it myself."

A brief pause. "What can we do?"

"Wait."

"Wait…for her to…"

"Let me put it this way. Simply, if she were mortal, her body wouldn't have been able to handle it." There was another pause. "Don't worry, Superman. She's a fighter. She will survive."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Flash brought her in unconscious. I told him not to tell anyone else."

"I don't want them to see her like this."

Like what? Half dead?

J'onn…I'm here. I am awake…in her very weak state, even the mundane task of communicating with her mind was no use. She could not reach J'onn. Maybe, this is another dream, a terrible dream.

The voices were gone but she heard the faintest sound of approaching footsteps. Then, something warm softly touched her hand.

"Diana…if you can hear me…" Superman was whispering while gently squeezing her hand. "…fight. Please."

There was something in Kal's voice that she never heard before. Was it…fear?
She wanted to see his face, if only to give her more strength. And she knew he would willingly give it to her. He was her friend, her very best friend.
I will Kal…just stay with me for a while.

As if reading her thoughts, he answered. "I'll be right here."

In her mind she smiled before she felt the room slowly spinning. Then blackness embraced her once again.

Frail, so very fragile

He never thought that she would look so delicate, sleeping so peacefully, beautifully. But the small, invasive plastic tubes told a different story. That she, the most powerful female he ever knew, was lying here in this small bed, fighting for her dear life.

Silently, his eyes traveled to his hand that was protectively covering hers.

When was the last time he held her hand like that?

It was so very long ago and the recollection made him smile at this sad moment. He looked at her peaceful countenance again and thought that almost everything about Diana could make him smile ever since the first time he saw her.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

And, considering how young he was then, it would have been easy, too easy, to be smitten by her breathtaking loveliness. But she had warned him not to, that it was against what she was raised to believe in and he understood. Besides, at the time, he was sure that he was in love with someone else. And that understanding paved the way for this strong friendship.

A friendship, a bond that they shared…in private.

That was why, to the league and everyone else, they appeared to be less than friends and more than comrades as if to hide this deep friendship. But of course, being alike could not stop friends and the people from pairing them. To the league, and the world, they were Mr. and Miss Perfect. If they only knew the history they had.

Then, as he looked at her face, a realization dawned on him. With a shiver, he closed his eyes and remembered her words, what she said before about a curse, about how she could and should not fall in love and be loved in return.

Because there was a curse.

"No…" he whispered to her unhearing ears. "No…Diana. You can't."

But his cry fell on deaf ears. And even if she was awake, he knew only too well that she would have argued in return. A rueful smile fell on his face. Of course, he could not tell her that she could not fall in love. She, more than any other person, deserve the right to love and be loved. She who sacrificed so much.

The only thing now left to do was to find a way to help, before it was too late. He had to know if this was indeed the curse she had talked about. And if it was, he would do anything to save her.

Somewhere…in a lonely rooftop…

Late…

He raised a leg on the ledge, pretending to observe the people below, like a night owl prowling a dark forest. But beneath the stoic façade, impatience was settling in, and his mind was again preoccupied by other thoughts. Thoughts that he used to dismiss as trivial, insignificant, unimportant.

She is never late…

Unless there was an emergency…but someone should have informed him by now. She should have called at this time.

Where are you?

There was this very strong urge to activate his commlink and reach her. It took a great deal of patience not to give in. Because he was…afraid. Afraid of what her answer might be. That she had a change of heart.

But Diana was not like that, to leave him hanging on like this. If she had changed her mind, he knew she would have the decency to tell him, not like this…to just abandon him.

Really? Do you really know her that well?

He wanted to believe he did. But every second more that he desperately waited, looking once in a while at the dark and brooding night sky, there was this sullen realization that she was not going to come.

Bright white light…

Her vision was filled with a bright white light and remembered something. A movie that Wally insisted on playing once when there was not much to do. Somewhere in the movie, the character was moving towards a bright light. Because…he was dead.

Funny to be thinking of a movie at this moment, while thinking if she was dead herself. And she almost thought she was until…she blinked.

She had been staring at bright lights. Lights that were placed at the ceiling of the room.

Finally awake, she made a quick scan of her surroundings. Moving her head slowly from left to right, she was able to see a small monitoring machine on her left, and to her right was a window, a thick glass window that separated the observation room. Upon sitting up, the covers fell and she noticed that she was still in uniform but her movements were hindered by several tubes that were attached to her and another one was even sticking up her nose!

It was not a dream. She had been unconscious. But for how long?

Removing the tubes from her, a thought occurred.

Bruce!

The remembrance that she had promised to meet with him made her almost jump off the bed. As if on cue, as she was searching for something to tell her the time, J'onn phased through the thick wall like a ghost.

"Diana…you should rest."

"I'm fine, J'onn…" She flexed her rested limbs and noticed with appreciation that her body was back to its usual strength. "What time is it?"

If the Martian could give her a confused look, he would have by now. "A little past ten in the evening."

Good…he will still be there. "J'onn…I have to go."

"I have to examine if you are well enough to be out there first."

She tried a beaming smile. "I'm really fine." As if nothing happened at all.

"Diana…" J'onn paused. "You've been…ill."

"I know but I'm fine now. And thank you." She gave his arm a friendly squeeze and walked to the door. "But I really have to---"

"You've been unconscious for two days."

She turned abruptly and looked at the Martian in surprise. "What?"

"It has been two days since Flash brought you in."

"Two days…" Her voice trailed off. That meant she was too late.

No…

Her eyes drifted to the bed, the sterile looking, crisp white sheet that used to cover her unconscious form for two days then two the machines that monitored her life signs, to tell if she was still alive.

She had never been more alive when she heard the words from him.

We need to talk…

I'll wait…

"Who else knows what happened?"

"Just the three of us…Superman, myself and…" J'onn tried a smile. "I made sure…one way or another, that Flash would not tell another soul."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat knowing that the she passed up the chance. Slowly she moved to the door again.

Her emotions were too strong for J'onn to ignore. "Diana…"

She did not bother turning but halted from stepping out and left the door ajar.

"Why don't you just talk to…him?"

Another rueful smile that was felt, though unseen, by her friend. "What am I supposed to say?"

"The truth."

If only it was that simple. "I'll try," she sighed. "Thank you, again, J'onn."

As she walked the quiet hallway while her mind debated whether to call him or not, she walked towards the glass panel when she saw a view of the earth. From afar, it seemed alone, in this wide universe, rotating in an invisible axis…by itself.

Alone…maybe she was meant to be alone.

She summoned all her strength. "Batman…"

For a few strange and uncomfortable seconds, there was no answer. She tried once more. "Batm---"

"I'm busy." It was curt but bordering on rude.

She expected it. "About the oth---"

"Save it." That was rude.

"Aren't you even going to let me finish a sentence?" she barked.

"No. Batman out."

Her cheeks were flaming at the anger she was feeling on being dismissed rudely. It was not her fault that she was not able to meet him, and he could have just listened to her attempt at an explanation, even how ridiculous it may sound.

Sorry, I wasn't able to make it. Because I had fever. For two days.

Hera! That did not even sound convincing to her own self.

What's happening to me? She asked her own vague reflection in the glass, a face that stared back at her with such confusion.

But she dared not wonder any more, remembering that time is of the essence. She needed to find that stubborn man. And, whether he liked it or not, she was going to explain her side. And he would just have to listen.