A/N: After this chapter, all of my publishing will be in real-time, meaning that my all of my works are currently up to date across all platforms (Hooray! :D). This means, however, that I won't be posting a new chapter ever day like I have been. At the current moment I have a few more works I want to get done before I update JL: Outset again, so a new chapter might be a while away. I know that some people asked about Bruce's age over on Wattpad, so I'd thought I'd also answer this here too. Below is a current timeline of Bruce's life in my AU. Hopefully this helps clear up any confusion about how old Bruce was in certain scenarios:
8 - witnessed his parent's death
9 - decides to travel abroad to study
13 - begins practicing martial arts as a side practice to his studies
15 - finishes schooling and fully devotes himself to training
16 - is taken in by the League of Assassins
17 - trains under the Demon's Head (Ra's)
20 - returns to Gotham and eventually becomes Batman
22 - adopts Dick Grayson
24 - Batgirl joins the Batclan (didn't really mention Barbara but she's apart of the Batclan)
26 - Bane breaks his back and Dick becomes Nightwing (occurs more closer to when Bruce is almost 27)
27 - Takes Jason in to become the next Robin
28 - Jason is killed
28 - meets Superman
30 - Tim becomes the next Robin
31 - meets Diana and the formation of the Justice League
I think it's also worth mentioning that by the time Bruce is 31, Dick and Barbara are 23 and Tim is 14. Plus, although I haven't really mentioned this yet but Dick and Barbara are dating and will be dating in this universe. I'm a big Dickbabs guy, so they'll probably be together :).
Anyway. here's the next chapter. It's contains a very important meeting between our two favorite heroes ;).
Chapter 6: When Danger Arrives
Gotham: 1 Day Before the Formation of the Justice League
Bruce Wayne was sitting behind his large desk inside of his luxurious personal office at the top floor of Wayne Tower, with Lucius Fox sitting at a dry bar in the corner of Bruce's office. Normally, his office has four floor-to-ceiling length windows that overlook Gotham City, allowing an abundance of natural light to flow in. However, those windows were currently behind metal panels that blocked anyone from seeing or hearing what was going on inside of Bruce's office.
The twin oak doors that act as an entrance to Bruce's office were sealed by a large lead panel as well, preventing anyone from getting in or out of the office. He was currently looking over schematics that Lucius Fox provided to him about a new computer system that would project a screen that only he could see through a combination of augmented reality and the lenses in his cowl, replacing the one he currently had in his gauntlet.
"This is a really good idea, Lucius," Bruce commented, once again impressed by the design Lucius drew up. While there were a few flaws, they were extremely minor which Bruce could work out in a matter of minutes.
"I thought you may like it," Lucius replied. "This allows your gauntlet to have more room inside to add new functionality to it, since you only need space for a small keyboard instead of the keyboard and monitor combination you're accustomed to."
"I have a few ideas that I can add into the gauntlet," Bruce said. "How long would it take you to update the suit's software to support the augmented screen?"
"Already coded and tested," Lucius answered. "The parts for the cowl should be coming in soon. I'll let you know when I finish the first mock so you can make any adjustments you would like."
Bruce stood up and walked out from behind his desk, buttoning his suit jacket with the intent of shaking Lucius's hand. However, an alert from the commlink hidden discreetly in his ear caught his attention.
"Superman to Batman," Superman said over the commlink.
Bruce stopped in his tracks, confusion and suspicion settling into his mind, wondering why Clark was contacting him on the commlink system in the middle of the day. The commlinks were only used for emergencies, such as when Clark was shot by the Kryptonite bullet.
Putting a hand to his commlink, Bruce answered Superman's hail. "Batman here, what's the matter?"
"A massive metal machine just appeared out of nowhere south of Metropolis along the coastline," Superman said. "It has to be at least 350 feet tall."
"Hang on, I'm looking at it now," Bruce replied. Moving over behind his desk, he pulled up a live satellite feed of the general direction Clark described, and it did not take Bruce long to see the machine that Clark was talking about. Bruce was shocked at how large the machine was. It looked to be as big as a submarine. It had three long legs that almost resembled curved swords sticking into the ground, giving the machine support. On the bottom of the machine facing towards the ground was a large drill, whose intent was to presumably dig into the Earth's surface. So far, the machine was a few miles away from any civilians.
"My God," Lucius commented, who had moved to see the feed that Bruce had pulled up.
"Can you identify what the machine is?" Bruce asked Clark over the commlink.
"No, the only thing I can really make out is the large drill on the bottom," Superman replied.
"Hang on, I'll be there shortly. This might be a serious issue," Bruce said.
"Got it. I'll try to figure out what this is while you get here. Superman out," Clark said.
Bruce looked over the machine from the various angles he was able to get through the satellite feed, trying to establish a potential function of the large machine.
"Any ideas?" Bruce asked Lucius.
Lucius responded with a small sigh, adjusting his glasses as he looked over the live feed as well. "So far, no. Although, with that drill someone might be trying to dig for oil or some other precious mineral in that area."
"Drilling for oil is probably unlikely, since there are public records that found only small amounts of oil in that area," Bruce said. "Digging for minerals might be a possibility, but with a machine that large I don't think that's the case. It seems like it's designed to cause as much destruction as possible."
"I'm assuming you'll be away for the rest of the day?" Lucius asked.
"Yes, I'll have to get a close up look at the machine in order to figure out it's true purpose. I'll have to be able to figure out how to disable it as well if it comes down to that." Bruce replied.
"I'll take care of your meetings for the rest of the day. If you need any extra time off, just let me know," Lucius said.
"Thanks, Lucius," Bruce responded, his attention still focused on the monitor.
"No problem, Mr. Wayne," Lucius said. He walked over towards the entrance to Bruce's office, pressing a hidden panel on the side of the wall that slid into the wall, revealing an array of buttons. Pushing one, the panel slid back into place before the metal coverings surrounding Bruce's office retreated. He then opened the door and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
Bruce closed down the live satellite feed, standing up from his desk while pulling out his phone. Quickly sending a message to Alfred, Bruce exited his office, making his way to the elevator hoping that his paranoia about this machine was wrong.
X X X
South of Metropolis: 1 Day Before the Formation of the Justice League
An hour after he was called by Clark, Batman arrived in the Batwing at the location that Superman contacted him from. He could easily see the large machine that was firmly in the ground. Seeing it in person, Bruce became more concerned over this machine.
Landing about a quarter of a mile away from the machine, Batman just barely made it out of the cockpit of the Batwing before Superman landed next to him.
"Has it made any movement?" Batman asked.
"So far no," Superman answered. "I tried using my x-ray vision to look over the components of the machine, but I couldn't see through the walls."
"Lead?" Batman questioned.
"No," Superman replied, shaking his head. "I've never seen metal like this before. I took a closer look at it, and it's structure is much more dense than lead."
Batman did not respond, instead thinking over this new information. A machine this large could cause drastic ecological effects to the surrounding area, one that was designed with Superman in mind it seems. It was something that had to be taken care of with extreme caution, especially since they did not know the machine's true purpose as of yet.
"I need to take a closer look at it," Batman said. "I might be able to find an access hatch that can get me inside."
"Good idea. I'll look around the perimeter while you—" Superman began before stopping and tilting his head slightly to the side.
"I hear a plane... no, some type of jet heading this way," Superman told Batman.
Not even five seconds after Superman's comment, a large grey and black jet flew over their heads at an intense speed. The jet circled the area for a few moments, before slowing down, lowering itself to hover above the ground around fifty yards away from the large machine.
"It seems we've got company," Superman said. Batman replied with a grunt, not liking this situation at all.
"Let's go pay them a visit," Batman said. Batman pressed a button on his gauntlet, causing a ramp to open from the back of the Batwing. A sleek Batcycle rolled out from the ramp. Without wasting time Batman jumped onto the bike and took off, with Superman flying at an even pace with him. It was time to figure out who was behind this mysterious machine.
X X X
Themyscira: One Day Before the Formation of the Justice League
Diana was standing on the balcony that was within her personal chambers inside of the Palace, looking down upon the grand temples that were close by to the central part of the city. Although the hill near the archery grounds that overlooked the vast ocean was one of Diana's favorite sceneries, the one she was currently viewing could easily rival that one.
Diana adored the view she had from her personal chambers, since it gave one of the best views of Themyscira that there was. Just from the balcony in her room, Diana could see the Temple Pavilion that housed the grand temples dedicated to her patron goddesses. In addition, she could see the living quarters of her Amazonian sisters, the city's central hub that was always filled with activity during the daytime, the training grounds slightly distanced from the city, and just on the edge of the island she could see the Great Colosseum, the same one where she won her title as the Champion of the Amazons. Also from this view, Diana was able to witness the sunrise and the moonrise, almost always providing her room with an abundance of light no matter the time of day.
It was currently later at night, and the moon was high in the Themysciran sky. Diana was gazing out upon the lands that she has called home for centuries, one of her favorite pastimes to do before she performs her nightly rituals. While looking out, a sight from one of the grand temples caught Diana's eye. Coming from the Temple of Athena, a bright light glowed from its doors, as if a goddess herself was inside of the temple.
Diana's eyes widened at this sight, and she instantly took off from her balcony towards the temple. When she arrived, she quickly made her way through the entrance hall, not even noticing that there were no guards on duty, before what she found inside made her stop in her tracks.
Inside the Temple of Athena, the queen of the gods herself was standing in front of the armor and weapons of the champion of the gods. Diana quickly got onto one knee to bow before the goddess.
Hera smiled at her favorite, knowing that Diana's life was about to be changed forever. "Rise, Princess Diana of the Amazons. You may look upon me," Hera said.
Diana rose from her kneeled position, looking upon the goddess Hera, something so few have ever done before. The queen of the gods was tall and beautiful, with her dark auburn hair cascading down her back and shoulders towards her waist. She wore robes that seemed to be made of the finest silk. Strong cheekbones led to her shining eyes, their light brown pupils filled with such adoration as she looked down towards Diana.
"How may I serve the Queen of the Gods?" Diana asked.
Hera looked at Diana, straight into her aquamarine eyes. "The time has come, Diana," Hera began. "The Gods call upon their champion. Mankind needs you."
X X X
South of Metropolis: 1 Day Before the Formation of the Justice League
Arriving at the mysterious jet, Batman quickly stopped the Batcycle before getting off. Superman floated next to Batman, both heroes on high alert in case of any attacks.
Nearing the floating jet, Superman and Batman watched as a side door opened on the jet, revealing a large man dressed in a grey suit. While he seemed unarmed, he was holding some type of remote in his hand.
"Superman, Batman," Vandal Savage said. "I'm glad everything is going to plan so far."
"Who are you?" Superman questioned.
"Quick with the introductions, I see," Vandal commented with a wicked smirk. "My name has varied throughout the thousands of years I've been living on this planet, depending on the area that I was inhabiting. However, I have most commonly gone by Vandal Savage."
Vandal could see that his comments stunned both heroes. With a chuckle, Vandal pressed a yellow button on the remote, and almost instantly the large machine barely fifty yards from the heroes and the jet activated, with it's monumental drill starting to spin rapidly as it was slowly lowered towards the ground.
Batman and Superman quickly prepared themselves for a conflict. Seeing the drill activated was not a good sign. Batman knew that they had to stop the drill before anything serious happened.
"While we wait for my machine to complete its initial process, why don't I tell you what is exactly about to happen," Vandal Savage said. "What you are witnessing is a technological achievement years in the making. As I'm sure you both heard, I have lived numerous lifetimes on this earth, since the time of the last Ice Age. During this time, I was given extraordinary powers by a meteorite that landed on earth from a galaxy still unknown today. The meteorite provided warmth and protection from the harsh climate that plagued the earth, and I spent countless nights next to it by myself, never realizing how the radiation from the meteorite was altering my body at a cellular level. After a week of providing me with warmth, the meteorite finally cooled, and all of its radiation completed its transfer into me, becoming a dull rock like the millions that lie across the surface of the planet."
The drill continued to move slowly towards the earth, with Batman and Superman silently waiting for their opportune time to strike.
"It wasn't until I watched other members of my tribe grow old and die, while I stayed perfectly youthful that I realized the alteration the meteorite had done to me," Vandal continued. "I spent centuries traveling the world, learning various teachings and discovering different nations and settlements, blending into their communities without standing out. I've watched as the inhabitants of this planet destroyed themselves in vicious and violent wars, before attempting to rebuild again in a way that is 'better' or 'stronger', all to fall back into the never ending cycle of destruction and rebuilding."
Suddenly, the drill struck the earth, causing a rumbling to be felt through the ground that almost knocked the two heroes off of their feet. Superman took this as a time to act, and he quickly flew up to the side of the large machine before he attempted to punch a hole in the side of it. However, to both Superman and Batman's shock, the outside armor of the machine did not crumble like normal metals did. No, instead there was only a fist-sized dent inside of the metal, exactly where Superman had struck the machine.
"Isn't it magnificent," Vandal commented with a smirk. "A metal that not even the mighty Superman can break with a single punch. A metal that involved a modified laser to even be able to forge anything out of it. A metal so rare that many scientists don't even know of it's existence: ischrondrium, one of the oldest metals in the world, lining my Minoscopter."
Batman cursed under his breath, realizing that they had a serious situation on their hands. So far, the large machine, which they now knew was called a Minoscopter, was continuing its path down into the ground, its heavily armored paneling preventing them from shutting it down.
Superman wasted no time, instead landing another punch into the same spot he hit last time. The metal became more indented, and Superman just knew that with a few more hits it would crack. However, before he could try again, Vandal spoke up once more.
"I have the utmost faith that if you keep striking the metal, that eventually you will break through it, Superman," Vandal commented. "However, I simply cannot allow that to happen. Therefore..." Vandal looked down towards the remote controller in his hands, pushing a blue button towards the middle of the remote.
"The metal was not only used on these machines, as you heroes are about to find out," Vandal said, his sadistic smirk returning. Suddenly, four humanoid robots made of the same metal as the Minoscopter appeared behind Vandal, the only feature showing they were active being the red light that acted as their eyes.
"I would stay to watch your demise, however I have two other Minoscopters that are about to land," Vandal Savage said. The robots jumped out of the jet, landing down on the ground in a fighting stance.
"Gentlemen, make sure you give my robots a good fight." With that closing remark, Vandal closed the side door of the jet, taking off to go see the progress of the next Minoscopter.
Batman and Superman quickly took fighting stances, knowing that these four robots were going to give them a hard time.
X X X
Themyscira: 1 Day Before the Formation of the Justice League
Diana had just finished undressing and changing into the armor of the champion. She was shocked and slightly joyful to discover that the armor fit her perfectly, as if it was designed with her solely in mind during its creation.
After Hera had informed her that her time to venture out into Patriarch's World had arrived, Diana wasted no time as she changed into the champion's armor. Hera had told her that the gods will guide her journey and give her the strength to make it to the shores of Patriarch's World.
Diana was lost in her thoughts, conflicted about the upcoming challenge she was about to experience. While it has been her dream to venture out past the borders that protect Themyscira from outsiders, she never thought about the potential consequences of leaving the paradise island. Will she make it to Patriarch's World? What if Patriarch's World is truly as bad as the Amazons have made it out to be? Will she ever be able to return to the island after she leaves? Will she ever be able to see her friends, her mother ever again once she leaves these mystical lands?
The last thought is what troubled Diana the most. While she has an intense desire to experience what lies beyond the shores of Themyscira, the thought of never seeing her sisters again, never seeing her mother again made Diana apprehensive. However, she knew that Patriarch's World was in danger, and that she had a duty to protect those from evil.
Diana had just attached the Lasso of Truth to her belt, when she heard a set of footsteps enter into the temple. Looking up, Diana saw her mother along with Philippus staring at her with wide eyes. All three Amazons stood still for a few moments, wondering what to say at such a time. After a few moments, Diana was the one to break the silence.
"Mother," Diana began, straightening herself to look strong in front of her mother. "I just received word from Queen Hera herself. Patriarch's World is in danger, and the Gods have called upon my assistance."
"I see," Hippolyta simply responded. While her outside appearance seemed poised, her eyes revealed a sadness Diana had never seen before in them.
"Do not worry, Mother. Once I have completed my quest given to me by the Gods, I will return to see you," Diana said with a small smile. She walked up to her mother, embracing her in a hug.
"I know you will, my little sun and stars," Hippolyta said, rubbing Diana's back while she tried her best to not let the tears in her eyes fall. The two stayed locked in their embrace for a few moments, before it was broken by Diana. She turned and looked at Philippus, her trusted friend and trainer for centuries.
"Philippus, it's time to see if the training we did was beneficial," Diana said, once again with a small smile.
Philippus brought her into a hug as well, knowing that Diana's lighthearted spirit will be missed throughout the island. "Do not fret, Princess Diana. You are the best combatant that I have ever seen. No one should give you any trouble," Philippus said.
Diana responded with a nod, knowing that she might not see her mother or sisters for a long time once she leaves. Banishing that thought from her head. She took flight, flying a few feet in the air before looking down towards her mother and Philippus.
"I will miss you both," Diana said.
"May the gods protect you, my sun and stars," Hippolyta said. Diana gave a nod, knowing that she had to leave before she changed her mind. She flew outside of the temple, heading straight for the vast ocean that surrounded Themyscira. She looked around for any sign as to where she should go, not finding anything immediately. It was not until she looked to the stars did she notice one star much brighter than all of the others.
A smile appeared on Diana's face. 'As the Greeks used the stars as a map, now shall I', she thought. Before Diana started her journey, she took one last look at Themyscira, knowing that no matter what happens in her future, the paradise island will always have a place in her heart.
"May the gods watch over you, sisters," Diana whispered to herself. With determination flashing in her eyes, she turned and faced the brightened star, before bursting off into the sky, the stars as her guide and the champion's armor and weapons as her only possessions.
Diana had no idea what evil was upon mankind, but she knew that it was her destiny to face it.
X X X
South of Metropolis: 1 Day Before the Formation of the Justice League
"They must have some type of combat data downloaded to their mainframes," Batman commented, noticing how the robots were not instantly charging at the two heroes. Instead, they seemed to be observing their opponents. 'Probably looking for a weakness,' Batman thought.
"And they're strong enough to even take a punch from me," Superman pointed out.
"Stay close together. They're going to try and separate us, using their numbers to get an advantage," Batman said. Superman nodded his head, before he made the first attack. He flew towards one of the robots, giving it a strong punch that sent the robot flying so far the heroes lost sight of it. Two robots turned their attention to Superman, instead pouncing on him and each landing a blow to his chest that knocked him back almost 50 feet. The other robot faced Batman, both adversaries not making any sudden attacks.
Based on their response to Superman, Batman knew the robots were programmed to first react to an attack instead of initiating one. He theorized that a standstill would result in the robot making the first move, which Batman might be able to use to his advantage.
Sure enough, the robot made the first move, throwing a palm strike straight at Batman's chest. The robot was not expecting, however, someone as large as Batman to move as fast as he did, since he effortlessly moved out of the way of the attack before landing a punch into the robot's upper right arm piece.
Batman growled in pain as his fist made contact with the robot, thankful that he added more armor in his gauntlet or his hand would have been shattered. He quickly did a back spring to get out of the robot's way as it made another jab. Based off of the robot's armor, and the pain in his hand, he knew that he was going to have to dig deeper in his utility belt to come out of this fight.
Batman gave a quick glance over in Superman's direction, watching as the Man of Steel traded blows with two of the robots. Although he was landing a decent amount of punches, the robots were landing more precise hits, and Batman could see that Superman was starting to become fatigued. He knew that he had to find a weakness, and fast.
Luckily for Batman, it only took one attempted uppercut by the robot currently attacking him to notice a design flaw within the robots. Although the metal plating covering the robots is extremely durable, the joints of the robots were left open, giving the heroes an opening to attack and disable the robots.
Testing this theory, Batman pulled out two batarangs from his utility belt. He threw them both at the same time, one directly towards the middle of the robot's chest while the other one was aimed for the exposed joint of the robot's upper right arm.
Batman's aim was true, and both batarangs struck their intended targets. While the robot was distracted by the first batarang to its chest, the second batarang sliced straight through the robot's mechanical joint causing the arm to fall off.
Taking out another batarang, Batman advanced on the robot's right side, dodging an attempted kick by the robot by jumping over the sweeping kick. He tucked into a roll as he landed, coming up directly behind the robot who had briefly lost sight of Batman. This one little moment was all Batman needed, and he jammed the batarang into the mechanical neck of the robot, watching as it powered down right in front of him.
Batman pulled the batarang out, kicking the robot down to the ground in the process. He turned to look towards Superman, noticing that he was taking a fairly decent amount of hits against the two robots.
"Superman! Aim for their joints! It's their weak spot!" Batman called out.
"Got it!" Superman responded. Batman watched as Superman used his heat vision, slicing through the mechanical leg joint of one of the robots.
Batman was just about to go assist Superman when he heard something behind him. Turning around, Batman was too late in dodging a blow directly to his chest by the original robot Superman hit when they started their encounter. The blow launched Batman almost twenty feet back, and although his suit took the majority of the impact, he could feel that he had at least one fractured rib from the blow.
Batman struggled to regain his breath, the wind being knocked out of him when he landed on the ground. He looked up to see the robot advancing on him, almost within five feet of him. Batman got up to his feet, ready to fight the robot.
As Batman was about to make his strike, the mechanical neck of the robot was suddenly ensnared right before his very eyes in some type of golden rope, instantly snapping the mechanical joint and shutting down the robot. Batman looked into the air to see who had assisted him, the lenses in his cowl blocking out the sunlight as he looked upon the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Her face looked angelic, her delicate cheekbones and her full lips seemily glowing as if she was an angel from the heavens. Her long, delicate raven hair flowed effortlessly in the wind as if it was a part of it. Her gorgeous aquamarine eyes stared at him, as if she was peeling back the cowl and staring straight into the eyes of the man behind the mask, aquamarine eyes that gave him a sense of deja vu as if he had looked into them before. The armor she wore heavily resembled something of that from the ancient times, although truthfully he was not looking at just her armor.
No, instead Batman was taken back by this mysterious woman's figure, how she somehow was an impossible mix of strong yet soft. Her shoulders were bare, and the top of her ample chest was peeking out from the double eagles ('or where those W's', he wondered) on the breastplate of her armor. The majority of her legs were covered, either by the blue battle skirt she wore or the knee-high red boots, however her powerful thighs were left uncovered. Just her appearance alone made Batman do something no one else had ever made him do before: lose his train of thought.
Diana looked down upon the man dressed in dark armor. When she had set her eyes upon the shores of Patriarch's World for the first time, she saw the man in the red cape and whom she originally thought was one of Hades's demons fighting these men made of metal. Now that she had a close look at the demon, she realized he was not a demon, but instead a man wearing armor that resembled such. Seeing this man close up, Diana felt an unusual emotion inside of her, something akin to nervousness and... excitement. She was not worried that he was going to attack her, however. No, somehow she just knew that he would not hurt her.
Looking him over, Diana was slightly shocked about how muscular he was. She had seen the various statues in the Temple Pavilion back in Themyscira that detailed some of her deities, and yet even though this man had armor covering his entire body, she could just see from the shape of his suit that those statues did not compare to this man in the slightest. His powerful arms and legs were covered in some type of foreign material that consisted of his armor. His chest had the symbol of a bat on it, something in her culture that symbolizes wisdom. Moving up to his face, although it was mostly covered by the mask on his head, she was able to see his strong jawline that looked as if it was sculpted out of clay, which contrasted attractively well with his soft lips...
Not knowing where that last thought came from, Diana narrowed her eyes on this man. Although she felt that this man would not attempt to attack her, it was still her first time meeting one and she would not forget her Amazonian heritage. She quickly released the metal man out from her lasso, not even watching as it landed lifelessly down on the ground below her. She attached the lasso back to her belt before she landed on the ground, her eyes trained on the masked man.
Although Diana could not see his eyes behind the white silhouettes in his mask, she knew when their eyes connected. She felt what could only be called a spark run though her (and him as well, although she did not know that), as if she was being given a sign by the gods. Both of them remained motionless, quickly brushing off the strange feeling, not knowing its origins or its purpose.
However, in a different realm, the spark was recognized by a certain goddess of love, one who had a smile on her face at this new theory.
"ποιες είναι οι προθέσεις σου;" [What are your intentions?] Diana asked the masked man.
Batman narrowed his eyes at the woman, trying to figure out that language she was speaking in. It sounded like Greek, however the grammar structure sounded different to him. He also tried his best to ignore how her voice sounded like silk.
"Μιλάτε Ελληνικά;" [You speak Greek?] Batman questioned.
The man's deep baritone voice shocked Diana, sounding so powerful and elegant. Although his grammatical structure sounded different, Diana was able to understand what the man was saying. "Ναί. Ποιος είσαι εσύ;" [Yes. Who are you?] Diana questioned.
"Είμαι ο Μπάτμαν. Ποιος είσαι;" [I'm Batman. Who are you?] Batman asked.
"Είμαι η Νταϊάνα, η πριγκίπισσα των Αμαζόνων," [I am Diana, Princess of the Amazons.] Diana replied.
At this, Batman's eyebrows rose in shock underneath his cowl.
"Αμαζόνα;" [Amazon?] Batman asked. Before Diana could answer, Superman floated down to Batman, landing next to his friend as he stared at the new arrival. Seeing the man in the red cape land next to the Batman, Diana quickly unsheathed her sword, unaware of what his intentions may be.
Superman was taken aback by this mysterious woman's actions, jumping back slightly when she took her sword out. He was about to try and explain himself that he was not a threat before Batman cut him off.
"Μην ανησυχείς. Είναι σύμμαχος," [Don't worry. He's an ally] Batman relayed. Diana looked once more at the man in the red cape, slightly appreciating his fearful reaction. Trusting the words of this Batman, Diana gave a slight nod before she sheathed her sword.
"Ποιος είσαι;" [Who are you?] Diana asked the man in the red cape. She was surprised when he looked at her with a confused expression, before she watched him turn towards Batman.
Superman leaned over slightly towards Batman. "Can you understand what she's saying?" Superman whispered to Batman.
"Of course," Batman replied. "She's speaking a variation of Greek. She said that her name is Diana, and that she's an Amazon, an ancient race of all-women warriors."
"And why do you know Greek?" Superman questioned with a quirked eyebrow.
"While traveling the world, to advance my training I participated in some pankration matches in Greece. I picked up the language from there," Batman answered. He looked back to the Amazonian Princess, noticing that her temper was running thin.
"τι συζητάτε εσείς οι δύο;" [What are you two talking about?] Diana questioned, her tone conveying her annoyance.
"Δεν καταλαβαίνει αυτή τη διάλεκτο. Του μετέφερα τη συνομιλία μας. Το όνομά του είναι Superman," [He does not understand this dialect. I was just relaying our conversation to him. His name is Superman.] Batman responded. Diana thought for a moment, before she came up with an idea. She took the Lasso of Truth from her belt, and held it out for the two men.
"το λάσο θα μας βοηθήσει να μιλήσουμε μαζί," [The Lasso will help us speak together] Diana said to Batman. Batman responded with a nod of his head, although truthfully he was questioning such a thing.
Turning towards Superman, he relayed what she said to him. "She wants us to hold her lasso. Supposedly you will be able to understand her with it."
"It's worth a shot," Superman said. Both heroes took hold of the lasso, each feeling a surge flowing through them.
"Can you understand me now?" Diana asked Superman in perfect English. Superman for his part was shocked over this, while Batman portrayed no outward emotion.
"How is this possible?" Superman astonishingly asked.
"This lasso was blessed personally by the goddess Hestia. It has the ability to bring people together, leaving no barrier of the human soul unturned. Under the power of the lasso, no lie can be told," Diana informed Batman and Superman.
Batman slightly tensed at this, not trusting this lasso that was currently in his hands. He was certain that it had some magical effect, since he was proven this just moments ago with Diana speaking perfect English. While something deep inside of him told him that he could trust this woman, that was not going to stop him from being suspicious.
"What if you ask us a question we feel uncomfortable to answer?" Superman asked, echoing Batman's thoughts.
"If you do not wish to answer a question, then you simply have to let the lasso go," Diana responded. "It will only make you tell the truth if you are in contact with it."
"What do you want to know?" Batman questioned.
"I was summoned here by the patron goddesses of the Amazons to assist in defeating an evil that currently plagues mankind," Diana replied, determination in her eyes and tone. "What evil do I have to vanquish?"
Superman was about to answer Diana, but he was instead cut off by Batman.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Batman asked. "I know about the Amazons. They're a society of male-hating warriors. What will stop you from killing us when our backs are turned?"
Diana looked directly into Batman's lenses, as if she were looking directly into his eyes. It both unnerved Batman as to how it felt like she was peering directly into his soul, yet at the same time he was lost in her aquamarine eyes that stared back at him so openly, as if she wanted him to see the truth in her words.
"I can see that you are a warrior Batman, and from being a warrior myself I know that there is nothing more honorable to a warrior than following one's word. Therefore, I hereby swear as Princess of the Amazons, with the Lasso of Truth blessed by Hestia in my hands, that I shall not harm either of you while we combat this evil," Diana said, her eyes never leaving Batman. "Unless you make me," She finished, emphasizing the last part. While Diana felt some kinship with this man, she still would not forget her Amazonian teachings.
Batman briefly thought over Diana's words, ignoring Superman's intrigued expression that was facing him.
Finally, Batman answered. "We also shall honor your word, not bringing harm to you unless you make us," Batman replied.
"Very well," Diana said. Both she and Batman turned to look at Superman, who was silently watching the whole exchange.
"While I'm not as well-versed in the code of honor as Batman is, what he said is true. We won't harm you if you want to help us," Superman said.
"Now, what evil do we have to face?" Diana questioned. "I'm assuming it involves that large metal contraption," she said, nodding towards the Minoscopter.
"So far, we don't know it's true purpose," Batman relayed. "Before you arrived, we met the man who created this machine. His name is Vandal Savage, an illedge immortal who has been constructing the perfect weapon for centuries in order to bring Earth to its knees. First thing we have to do is inspect the Minoscopter, then we have to track down Savage."
Diana nodded at Batman, appreciating him taking charge in this situation. While she is a trained warrior, she is in unfamiliar territory. She knows that she can trust Batman's word since the lasso showed her the truth behind his words.
As the three let go of the lasso in order to investigate the machine, Batman immediately got an alert from his commlink.
"Alfred?" Batman asked over the commlink.
"Sir, two more of those Minoscopters have just touched down in various places throughout the world. The first one landed in western Kenya, while the second one landed in eastern Australia. Also, you may want to check the feed I just sent to your gauntlet. It appears this situation is much worse than it seems," Alfred replied.
Batman opened the panel in his gauntlet, pulling up the video that Alfred had transmitted to him. Batman was surprised that it was a live national news feed.
"We're still trying to identify what this strange machine on the Eastern Coast of the United States is," the anchorman began. "We have lost all video feeds within the radius of it, however we last saw that Superman himself was on the scene. Hopefully, he will be able to figure out what's really going—"
Suddenly, the news feed cut off, instead being replaced by Vandal Savage's face.
"Ladies, Gentleman of the world. I'm sure you're wondering who I am. Well, my name is Vandal Savage, and soon you all shall be bowing down to me." Vandal Savage said.
"At this very moment, three of my Minoscopters have touched down on specific places of the earth, with one goal in mind. Using their heavily armored drill, it will create a hole 350 feet into the surface of the Earth, in preparation for its ultimate purpose. Within these machines is an extremely advanced sonar system, one that is so powerful it has the power to disrupt the Earth's tectonic plates and reach its core. These machines are each positioned strategically on Earth, each at an optimal position to bombard the Earth's core with their sonar systems." Vandal continued.
"Once all three of these machines are activated at the same time, the Earth's core will become unstable, causing vast devastation to occur all across the world. Don't even bother attempting to attack these machines: their armor can withstand a blow from Superman. None of your weapons will be able to destroy them. Once the machines are finished priming, with a single push of this red button I can end life as we know it." Vandal said, showing the remote that Batman and Superman saw him holding earlier.
"However, all of this can be avoided through one simple action. The United Nations must give me complete control over all of their countries, allowing me to finally rule the world the way it was meant to be. I leave the choice to their hands. You have twenty four hours to respond, or no one won't have a planet to control," Vandal finished.
"Damn," Batman muttered under his breath, snapping his gauntlet closed as he thought over Vandal's abrupt message.
Batman knew that Superman heard the broadcasted message, but he relayed it to Diana in Greek since she did not understand English.
"τι θα κάνουμε;" [What are we going to do?] Diana asked. Hearing what Batman described, she never imagined the threat to be this serious.
Batman turned towards Superman, knowing that they only had one choice.
"We're going to need some help."
X X X
Mount Olympus: 1 Day Before the Formation of the Justice League
Aphrodite sat upon her plush throne in the Chamber of the Gods, enthralled at the scene playing out within her personal vision cloud. She was watching the three heroes interact with each other, still reeling over the moment when Diana's eyes locked with the Batman's.
She could see the spark that flowed through both of the warriors when their eyes locked, both of them unaware of what just occurred. However, the goddess of love did not miss this spark in the slightest.
Aphrodite knew of the hero Batman, with a few tales of his heroics actually reaching Mount Olympus. She had seen him in action only a couple of times through the vision clouds, but she could see that he was almost a modern day Greek champion, with his character, intelligence, and strength of will being rivaled by no one.
Aphrodite could not believe it herself. The pieces as to who Diana's soulmate was were suddenly starting to fit into place. This Batman was a true warrior, one that exemplifies all of the attributes of a Greek champion. He is also someone who experienced an intense heartache at the death of his parents 23 mortal years ago, which is around the same time that Aphrodite was forced to block Diana's connection to her soulmate in order to ease the pain in her heart.
Suddenly, Aphrodite felt a presence before her throne. She looked up to see Queen Hera in front of her, looking at her with interest.
"I see you are viewing our Champion's progress in Patriarch's World," Hera commented.
"Yes, my Queen," Aphrodite replied. "I want to see how she performs, although I do have the utmost faith in Diana."
"Yes, she truly is unique," Hera said, with admiration in her voice as she talked about her favorite. "Although, I do not believe that was the only reason you were watching her."
Aphrodite slightly blushed at being caught by the Queen of the Gods. "It is true, my Queen. I have a theory of who Diana's soulmate may be. However, I do not have enough information yet to determine if he is. Once I do, I will inform you right away."
"Very well, Aphrodite." Queen Hera said. Aphrodite watched as Hera walked back towards her throne, before she once again turned her view back towards her vision cloud. She wondered if her theory was correct. Was the Batman truly the one Diana was fated to be with? Only time will tell.