Bruce frowned. And heaved out a yawn as he steadily landed the batwing on the nice shores of Themyscira. Ever since that incident, the Amazons haven't been very hostile with his presence so far

Diana had been staying in Themyscira for almost a month now for a break that she so deserved. He is able to handle Gotham despite her absence

Still, he was still wondering why on earth he was summoned in the first place

Either ways, he is about to know

He slowly took off his seatbelt and aimed for the button that opens the hatch, finally breathing in the nice breeze of the ocean

Slowly glancing at the island, it seemed peaceful without anything to worry about. The grass is still green, the palm trees strong and the sand seemed firm, still firm at least

Bruce hopped out of his aircraft and started to walk under the hot wave of the weather. He internally thanked himself for deciding not to wear his batsuit for this specific day

It doesn't bother him if the Amazons knew about his face, and the reason should be fairly obvious why

Out of nowhere, he heard a familiar yell of a girl from a distance. The figure seemed to get closer and closer from a view and it took him a second to realize that this girl is indeed running towards him

"Bruce! I'm glad that you could come"

Bruce squints his eyes and immediately realized who the girl is

"Donna, I'm afraid the pleasure is all yours. I was planning to rest all day today"

"Wow, Bruce. What a very enthusiastic introduction"

"See, my sarcasm is rubbing off on you" Bruce jested

Donna chuckled in response as she led the man to the main palace where her mother awaits

"Any idea why the urgent summon?" Bruce asked

Donna didn't respond as she went on with her footsteps. This made Bruce uneasy all of a sudden

"You guys aren't planning on keeping me in captive, are you?"

Donna finally gives in as a burst of laughter came out of her mouth.

"Of course not, we're not that cruel Bruce"

"Well then tell me what it is for?"

"We're nearly there anyways, can't you just wait. I don't want to ruin the surprise"

"Hah, I hate surprises"

The little girls gave him a pout which was very similar to her sister's. Bruce couldn't help but chuckle a little bit when he saw this

"Alright alright, I'll play along.." he uttered

"So, how is your sister doing?"

"She's been doing okay these past days, I guess…"

"Doing okay huh…" Bruce repeated

Donna smiled to him upon hearing this; wondering to herself how fun it would be to watch what is in store for him later

"By the way, how was the season finale?" Donna asked

"Did they win in the end?"

"I'm not gonna spoil it for you, it's a surprise" Bruce joked as he clasped his palms together

Donna frowned, now she was starting to hate surprises too.

Upon finally arriving to the entrance itself, Bruce inhaled a lot of air to take in as courage to face her majesty herself

"Good luck out there, Bruce." Donna teased

"You're gonna need it, Mwahahahaha"

"Hey what's that supposed to mean?" Bruce retorted

And in a blink, the girl was gone from his sight. This made Bruce even more wary, the whole thing seems like a set-up.

Astounding scenery caught his view, standing strong was the statues alongside the thick walls that stood tall. Holding the ceiling was the enormous base that provided foundation for the entire building not to collapse

It was indeed an astounding view

He found himself silently observing the place when suddenly he heard footsteps coming his way

"I presume you are the man-thing which Diana speaks highly about"

Without hesitation, Bruce turned around and saw a beautiful blonde woman wearing a cape around her body.

"Uh… Hi?" Bruce greeted

The woman steps closer which gave Bruce the opportunity to inspect her face even more.

"Antiope, Queen Hippolyta's right hand and princess Diana's teacher." She introduced

Bruce scratched his head in response trying to match the regal introduction

"Well I'm Bruce Wayne, errr.. Gotham's Dark Knight and Diana's partner—"

Antiope smiled, she then led the way following the path to a certain room

"Follow me, I'll lead you to the Queen herself" she uttered

And so Bruce did so.

Their footsteps echoed through the halls as the windows revealed a group of Amazons in line, some sparring with each other and some chopping wood

The women in this island are truly amazing. They can do a lot of things in their own accord. Independently

Silence soon engulfed with the footsteps clanking as Bruce decided to break the ice

"So any chance you can tell me what's going on?"

"I can't say for now, your answer shall be revealed from the Queen herself"

"Can't they just say it firsthand, or maybe something terrible happened" Bruce thought to himself

"I had heard stories about you from Diana. You are the known Bat of Gotham who is quite knowledgeable in combat, using stealth as a primary approach" Antiope uttered

"Well, it's an honor to have such regard from a general"

The Amazon stopped, turning to face the man himself in an instant

"How do you know such thing?"

"I noticed the tunic you are wearing is quite different from the other Amazons. Your vambraces also are quite unlike the others. I connected the dots and figured you must've had a higher rank"

The Amazon smiled, impressed over the man's observance and logical thinking

"Impressive, I can see why Diana speaks so highly of you"

The Amazon stopped yet again all of a sudden as she held on what seemed a wall at first

Carefully, she pushed the gap in between, causing it to move in between as the sight of what's inside came unto Bruce's view

It was a hall, lit by the illumination of the sunlight from the windows with Queen Hippolyta sitting on her throne

"Your answers will be answered now, well then, hope Gaia will be as kind to you today" Antiope stated as she left the room and shut the door from the outside, leaving both him and Queen Hippolyta alone in the throne room

Bruce looked around, trying to make sense of everything that's happening. It all started when a seagull came into his room carrying what seemed like a parchment on its beak. Inside contained a message of summon in haste by the Queen of Themyscira herself

He could've been at the Manor right now, enjoying his precious break. The past week had been very hectic in the Wayne Enterprises that two days won't be enough for his sake

And now he's in this situation.

"So I presume you met my sister already"

A voice spoke, it sounded so regal and powerful. Bruce looked up and saw Queen Hippolyta wearing the royal robes on her while sitting on the throne

"Yes, your majesty." Bruce responded

"I didn't know you were related somehow, even though the Amazons here looked fairly different to each other. Equal in beauty but different in aesthetics"

The Queen chuckled, hearing the man's jest was indeed entertaining which also broke the tension. She then stood up from her throne to meet the man himself at front

"It's so good to see you again, Bruce" Queen Hippolyta stated as she rested her hand on his shoulder

"Likewise, your majesty"

"I do believe I had mentioned of your referral to be more casual" Queen Hippolyta interjected

"Do call me Mother, every Amazon also calls me Mother"

"But I am no Amazon." Bruce reasoned out

"You must know by know that this island is only exclusive for Amazons. The fact that you managed to break through without being zapped in is a sign."

"Zapped?" Bruce gasped,

"Now now, that is a matter to be discussed in the near future. Let us discuss something else."

"Right…"

Bruce muttered slowly, he was taken aback by what she mentioned about Gaia and this zapping

His presence could probably end to his demise after all.

xXx

"So what you are saying is that this soup would be a good energizer for my daughter's state?"

Queen Hippolyta spoke, holding what seemed like a bowl of soup on her left hand

"It acts as a remedy, your highness. I'm sure it'll help with her condition" Bruce responded

"Very well then, I must attend to my daughter at once." Queen Hippolyta stated

"You should come see her, Bruce. I'm sure she would be happy to see you!" Donna squealed in addition

The Queen however was not satisfied as she gave him a leer of disapproval.

This alone is enough for Bruce to get the message

"Maybe another time, Donna. I have to go now, the awfully dark clouds says otherwise for the weather soon" Bruce stated carefully

He gave the Queen a nod of respect which the Queen smiled in response. Donna frowned. Missing the chance of seeing Bruce take care of her adorable sister in bed

"Aww, but my sister would be glad to see you, Bruce"

"Let's not give your sister distractions for now, Donna. Recovery should be her only priority" Queen Hippolyta stated

"Now, let us tend to your sister. And you have my gratitude for coming all the way here Bruce Wayne"

Queen Hippolyta then led Donna to the hall as they walked slowly to a direction away from Bruce.

Bruce however heaved out a sigh of relief,

"Finally, it's all over"

It took him an hour to prepare the soup in their room for "Kitchen"

The utensils were different and he had a hard time chopping through their hard vegetables.

It turns out, Diana had a fever from these past days and The Queen summoned him to seek advice on what to do.

As the emissary of the modern civilization, or what she called it, she expected Bruce to be knowledgeable about the modern approaches to treat fevers

And thankfully, he knew one approach. It would've been pathetic if he came all the way in their island and be useless in the end.

The Batwing can be seen from a distance away now as he continued on with his steps. The whole travel plus the cooking that he had to do had brought exhaustion to his senses that he couldn't wait till he gets home and relax

But upon reaching so, he spotted a figure from afar

It was the woman before

"I presume this is the vehicle that you used to enter our sacred barriers"

Antiope uttered, facing the batwing with her hands on her back

"Yeah, it is" Bruce responded sharply

Turning to him, Antiope gave him a warm smile

"Do you have time to spare for a little while?"

Meanwhile

"How are you feeling, sister"

Diana wakes up, seeing a visible illumination of sunlight from the windows caused her to adjust her back.

And there was her mother and Donna sitting across, watching her holding what seemed like a bowl of soup. The savory smell entered her nose just as quickly as her mind processed it to be

"My head feels like spinning and I feel hot all over" Diana answered, turning her glance from one spot to another trying to comprehend her situation

"I had been careless these past days, mother. Forgive me."

"Don't burden yourself with faults of the past, now open wide—"

Queen Hippolyta then dipped a spoonful of the hot soup from the bowl. She presented it in front of Diana's lips which she immediately partook

Once the hot liquid had entered her taste, Diana's eyes instantly widened in realization. There was no doubt in her mind.

"Sister?" Donna asked

"This tastes wonderful! and familiar at the same time!" Diana squealed in joy

Queen Hippolyta took notice of the sudden effect that the soup had for her daughter which she took relief in. And so she stood up, holding Donna along with her and left the room for her daughter to rest in

"Do rest well, my sun and stars. An Amazon must always stay strong for her sisters"

"I will, Mother" Diana responded sincerely

Donna, who was internally hesitating, wanted to tell her sister something important, but her mother had advised her not to spill the beans for this might complicate her situation

And she closed the door, leaving Diana all alone in her room

As Diana tasted more of the soup, the more realization she had on what could cause the familiarity

She is certain that she had tasted it before

And she had no doubt about it

Another spoonful entered her mouth and suddenly, a certain voice lingered coming from her deepest memories

"Everything is gonna be alright Princess. I'm here for you"

That was all she needed.

Meanwhile

"So I take it you'd be coming back whenever my sister would need your assistance?"

"I don't know, but I'll try to attend as much as I can" Bruce responded

Antiope then bid him farewell as she ran back to her post where a line of Amazons awaits her presence. Bruce, who just had a talk with Diana's teacher and adviser, was definitely apprised upon knowing more about her partner

Such information may come in handy in the near future.

But for now, it's time to go home.

Pushing all his thoughts aside, he stood up and marched to the batwing that was parked in the corner of the shores which really stood out in the island, just by the vicinity of the palm trees.

It sure did catch a lot of attention as a group of Amazons were watching it carefully from the outside.

Once he finally arrived to his aircraft, the Amazons immediately scattered away after seeing his presence. Despite the warm welcome by the Queen, the treatment he had from the Amazons haven't really been warm so far

Who could blame them, growing up in an island with no men ought to indoctrinate such caution as well

And so he headed, turning to the batwing which opened the hatch on its own

But as he was about to hop in

He felt a certain presence appear out of nowhere

This presence is too prominent to be mistakened over anyone else.

"I knew you'd come"

Bruce gasps, not tending his mind and body to act in accordance. He felt his muscles tense up when he heard footsteps from the sand come to his direction

Antiope mentioned before that Amazons can be pretty aggressive when they are sick. They tend to act on their instincts rather than their common sense

This was definitely not a good idea, now he understood why Queen Hippolyta was against him seeing her in the first place

Who knows what Diana could do, she's not being herself

Two ways came to Bruce's mind

Whether he could talk his way out of this

Or run as fast as he can to hide from the out-of-control Amazon

And so

He picked neither

He just froze on the spot with the heat of the sun illuminating the top of his head. He could feel a sweat run through his face as the tension starts to heave

"How did she even find out I was here in the first place?" he thought to himself

Bruce is a logical person, he knew he can't keep this way forever or the heat stroke will kill him before the Amazon behind can even have the chance to do something

And so he slowly turned around…

"Hello Diana, small world huh"

Avoiding the sight of Diana, Bruce looked anywhere else but her eyes

It didn't take long before Bruce came to his senses when he noticed the woman herself approaching him slowly. With every step that she took, could lead to potential danger

Her sandals becoming even more visible as less distance she took between them by her steps. His face still facing the ground

And so he needed to come up with a plan, fast.

"I almost missed you today, Bruce. You didn't even inform me of your presence" Diana pouted

"Hah, that was the plan" Bruce spoke to himself internally

Out of nowhere, a female voice can be heard from afar

"dearest sister, It's good to see you"

Diana turned, trying to make sense of whoever it was who had called her and why. It turns out it was an Amazon who had spotted her from the ranks

She casted her a warm smile which the Amazon responded in respect. Upon turning her attention back to her prey, he was gone.

Her lips curved, finding the enthusiasm of this prey that she is about to chase down. She had been chasing him for years now so how hard could this be

"So that's how you wanna play it…" she whispered to herself

Bruce hid by the big boulder by the shores. The heat of the sun is starting to penetrate to his very defenses and he needed to neutralize her, Now.

He wanted to get a hold of Antiope but she was nowhere to be found

He is at a disadvantage, and it should be very obvious by now. Diana's overall prowess could prove to be a dangerous conflict when confronted.

Of course, Diana would never turn that way, but it is times like this that still bothers him to no end. Losing control over one's consciousness over certain circumstances is something that cannot be avoided eventually

Facing the ground, he arched the sand with a stick that was lying just by the shells. Bruce started to write tactics to find the nearest way to Antiope or Queen Hippolyta without being caught.

"If I could somehow sneak through the empty palm trees without leaving a trail, I could crawl my way to the roof which could be the easiest way to reach the palace" He mutters quietly

A finger out of nowhere drew a line across the palace which Bruce didn't seem to notice at first

"Or you could just go straight ahead without any fear, Bruce"

A voice that proved intimacy to be a one-way trip to danger occurred right between Bruce's cognitive thinking. Upon realizing so, he slowly raised his head just by her chest and there was no denying it.

"Look at you, playing hide and seek so early in the morning…" Diana purred, slowly climbing his fingers to Bruce's arm which eventually transpired into a tight grip

The grip so strong that Bruce couldn't even budge it a little bit

He was done for.

"Let me goo…"

"Stop running then" Diana teased in an awfully giddy tone

When on the corner of his eyes, he saw the familiar figure of Antiope standing by on watch of the Amazons at post.

He then squirmed aggressively, trying to shake the stubborn grip of the strong princess but her determination seems unshakable

"Diana please, you need to rest—"

"While you're here playing outside in this nice morning?" Diana reasoned

"I wanna play too"

"Diana, you're not acting like yourself! Snap out of it."

"But I wanna play too!"

It's no use, the effects that Antiope told him about is definitely taking action. She's acting like a toddler at this point with no regard of maturity

A bright then idea came unto Bruce

"So Diana, you wanna play right?"

The sick princess nodded looked at him with vitality as her smile rose to a full grin.

"Then let's play Hide and Seek" He suggested

"Just the two us"

"Just the two of us?" she repeated in delight

"Exactly, you seek and I hide"

"But I already had been the seeker, can I hide this time?"

A sudden prang of annoyance came unto Bruce, it's like talking with a child

"I wasn't even trying there, but how about a preposition—"Bruce stated

"If you manage to find me again, then we get to play all day with your liking"

Diana pouted, but she agreed in the end. She covered her eyes and started the countdown for Bruce to hide

And so Bruce set straight to Antiope without hesitation. He needed to conspire with Diana's teacher to create a solution for this

Antiope was shocked upon seeing Bruce's urgency, but her Amazon senses could tell that there is a situation going on

Bruce then led her to the palm tree just by the shores to start heeding for help. Without any hints of hesitance, Bruce immediately asked her

"How do you neutralize an Amazon?"

Antiope was stunned upon hearing that as her reaction become wary. Hostility filled her all of a sudden as she reached out for her dagger

"So you were after us this whole time" Antiope grunted in defiance

Bruce immediately shrugged the misconceptions away. There is no time for misunderstandings whatsoever.

A few seconds now, Diana is gonna seek for him and when that happens, there's no more card in his sleeve left to pull

"I see, it seems like Diana had awakened her instincts" The general glanced at Diana walking pace by pace looking for something, or someone

"What should we do, I'm all out of tactics" Bruce stated

"It seems to me that you took the wrong initiative over this predicament" Antiope stated

"What?"

"Her eyes, they're different" She continued

"They're gentle and nice, as if she's a little girl playing"

"You said it yourself, Amazons act on instincts when they are sick" Bruce clarified

Antiope bursts out a chuckle upon hearing that

"That is true but that is not the case here, Diana is just being playful, she doesn't show any signs of hostility"

Bruce scratches his head in response, not fully understanding the whole thing. None of this is making sense in any way whatsoever

"So you're telling me that I can just walk right out and run away"

"That is the problem right there, you keep running away. Why don't you face her head on and just talk to her normally" Antiope responded

"But she's out-of-control…"

"Do you see her ravaging the island?"

Bruce took a second to think

"No."

"Then that answers your question." Antiope concluded

A few seconds of silence engulfed between the two as Bruce is trying to think of the means that he could get out of, but unfortunately Antiope was right

"I have to go back to post now, think for yourself and find a solution for this. Diana says you are the smartest in the world, I'm sure you'd find a way" Antiope uttered as she walked away back to the Amazons

Bruce's thoughts stood, still trying to make sense of everything that is happening

But out of nowhere…

"Found you"

A familiar voice caught him by surprise as the lady herself appeared in front of him

If what Antiope said was right, then there should be nothing to be wary about. Diana is not someone to be cautious of.

Diana is his partner, and a precious friend

And so he slowly raised his head up, trying his hardest to not be fazed as he finally took sight of Diana's beautiful face.

She was flushed, but her sapphire eyes still looked mesmerizing

She is wearing a nice traditional white chiton dress with the fringes falling from the sides. Her legs looked most especially alluring with the heat of the sun shining on it

She looked so beautiful

A smile forms on her lips as she slowly whispered

"You finally looked at me."

All of a sudden, she felt a wave of weakness coming up to her. The energy that fulfilled her body had ran out and so she collapsed right into Bruce's arms

"Easy there princess, I got you" he uttered

She could feel her eyelids slowly closing as the feeling of floating came to her. It took her mere seconds to realize that she was indeed being carried by Bruce

The red in her cheeks had subtly turned to pink upon the realization of her being carried like a princess as her eyes solely focuses on his handsome face

"Bruce…"

A smile forms on her face one more time before finally falling into deep slumber. Finally getting the outcome that she so wanted.

Bruce, on the other hand, is almost at the outskirts of her room. He had to climb all the way to her windows to avoid the pestering guards that would definitely be suspicious.

Upon finally reaching her bed, he gently rested her down to slumber. The genuine smile etched on her face never ceased to leave

"Goodbye Princess" he slowly whispered,

As he was about to turn around, he saw Queen Hippolyta herself standing before him with Donna holding unto her

"I can explain—"

"I know. My sister told me everything" Queen Hippolyta stated

Antiope then appeared on the door which gave him a nod

"We caused you trouble yet again in this nice morning, but you took care of my daughter well, as always. For that I thank you"

"I'm just glad this is over with" Bruce responded

"I beg your pardon but how did she even find out I was here anyways?"

"That I cannot answer" Queen Hippolyta frowned

It seems as if no one really knew what etched her knowledge of his presence. But it didn't take long before a certain Amazon came up with something

Donna jumped as an idea forms on her mind.

"It could've been the soup, Bruce" she uttered while pointing at the bowl on the table

"The soup that you served her, it could've caused her to realize!"

Bruce glances at the bowl, and chuckles slightly

"Hah, there is no way that is the case Donna. She couldn't possibly tell—"

"She does Bruce. You just don't know her full well do you" Donna interrupted with a pout

Antiope then walked closer to Bruce as she rested her hand on his shoulder

"You need to understand that what triggered her instincts wasn't rage or any resentment, it was of emotions" Antiope added

"Emotions?" Bruce repeated

"Me and my sister had raised Diana ever since she was little, and I had never seen her in such a delight despite her shivering." Antiope responded

"And I was wrong, it wasn't of instincts" she continued

"It was of infatuation."

Bruce paused, trying to absorb the Amazon's words. If this was indeed true, then he must've had some effect on her already

He glances at Diana again, who is now sleeping peacefully on her bed. Beautiful even in slumber

And that was all he needed to shrug of all the possibilities out of his mind, There is no way that someone just as him could leave an effect to someone as Diana

"I beg to differ, she probably had heard some guard over talk about the odd looking batwing outside" Bruce stated

"Besides— compared to her, I'm just a…"

Bruce paused, not finishing his statement. Donna watched silently with an annoyed look on her face while Antiope and Queen Hippolyta awaited patiently for the continuation.

He smiled to himself, not trying to entertain any more thoughts of the matter'

"I should go."

xXx

It was almost evening as Diana woke up from her deep sleep. Her head is not heavy anymore and her body didn't ache as must as it did

She could hear the loud crashing of raindrops from outside. It was indeed raining.

Stretching every muscle on her back, she heaved out a big yawn after the long slumber. Upon opening her eyes, she saw the sight of her sister reading a book just across the bed

It didn't take a second before Donna took notice of sister being awake

"Sister, how are you feeling now?" Donna asked in enthusiasm

Diana closed her right eye and caressed her head

"My head still hurts a little bit but I'm feeling better now. Did something eventful happen?"

Donna looked away, trying her hardest not to let out the bluff. She did promise Bruce not to spill the beans after all

It seemed as if she doesn't have memories whatsoever

And so she just changed the subject.

"Come now, the feast is gonna be stupendous tonight!"

And Donna wasn't lying, for when the two reached the dining hall, the sight of delicious delicacies stumbled upon her vision

And it smelled just as wonderful too

Queen Hippolyta approached her, enveloping her daughter with a warm embrace which Diana returned

"Mother, what's with the feast?" Diana asked

"Just a celebration of your wellness, my daughter" She responded sincerely

And so they started the feast with every Amazon in the island chewing down the delicious food on the table. There was more than enough for everyone

The food was delicious, and something seemed very peculiar and familiar to Diana. As if she knew these styles of delicacies very well

And so she decided to ask about it.

"Did we somehow have a different cook for tonight, Mother?" Diana asked, taking another spoonful to her mouth

"The food seems different, and familiar at the same time"

The Queen was stunned upon hearing her statement as a big smile filled Donna's face

"I knew it!" She whispered to her Mother

"Hush now." Queen Hippolyta whispered back

She cleared her throat to speak vividly, what she is about to utter must be heard clearly by Diana

"Let's just say that tonight was presented by a very kind person who thinks so highly of you to be well"

Relief came unto Queen Hippolyta upon seeing that her daughter is now well. She was skeptical about the whole thing but the doubts seemed to throw themselves out the window

It was true after all. His cooking had helped greatly in her recovery

His effect towards her is very overriding, and she could see it well now.

Donna sneaked a bowl of soup that she kept hidden from earlier. She then passed it to her sister which Diana immediately took notice just from the scent alone

After taking just a few sips, her comprehension of the whole thing rose at an all time high as everything made sense now. Her eyes widened just as her cheeks grew pink of embarrassment

She turned to her sister who then gave her a shrug

Turning her attention back to the bowl made her weak all of a sudden, remembering the events of the past when he used to take care of her when she missed her home Themyscira so very much

He would often make her this soup to ease the longingness in her heart

But now it was all opposite, she is now back home with her family and sisters all around her, surrounded by the ones who truly loves her

And one person is missing

Her heart aches when she remembered those darkest days in her life when he would always be there for her

Now it's different

In her happiest days, and he is not here with her.

She didn't even notice the tears starting to form on her eyes as the realization struck her internally

Diana could feel the throbbing of her heart go unstable as the memories of him invaded her mind

Everything was perfect, her family and friends, her sisters, and her home

But at this moment, just this very moment..

"Everything is gonna be alright princess. I'm here for you"

She wanted to feel Bruce's tenderness again.