Bruce held his breath close, eager to keep himself from being caught. He is currently hiding just under the table big enough to cover himself from the open
A big storm was happening on the outside, alongside with the surge of darkness that engulfed the entire manor
"Where are you~"
Her voice echoed to the halls, bouncing from every wall – reaching him also. He could tell that she was pretty far away, but the pressure still resides
Somehow, Bruce has to find a way to get out of this situation, or he definitely won't be able to survive the night. He slowly peeks to the halls, where a dark figure was slowly walking closer and closer
Suddenly, a big flash from the windows completely blinded him for a second, revealing a big shadow from the walls. Upon finally gaining his vision back, the first thing he saw was…
"There you are!"
BANG!
A huge thunderclap followed as a certain Amazon stood in front of Bruce with a peculiar smile on her face. She looked completely distraught with fire fuming from her eyes, a fire of passion of wanting someone so badly.
Despite being Batman, Bruce could feel shivers upon witnessing this, especially with a strong Amazon's grip on his shoulders holding him tight
"I was wondering where you were~"
He was caught in a haze for a second there, despite her scary demeanor, she looked normal – but he was sure that this was not the Diana that he knows well
Finally coming back to his senses, Bruce immediately shrugged her hold over him and broke free. He instantly dashed out of the dining room and to the hall to find a perfect place to hide
"Why do you hide, Bruce!?" Diana's voice echoed throughout the halls "Don't you like me anymore!"
Her voice was eerie, there was some sort of darkness in it that Bruce couldn't explain well. Something definitely happened to Diana, and he wanted to figure out what it is
Finally reaching an available window, the best way would be to escape the Manor fully to the open space. But doing that would neglect Diana fully, and he didn't want that. He wanted to rid of what was currently happening to his friend
Suddenly, a wall broke from afar, revealing the Amazon again with the same eerie expression on her face
"Come on Bruce!" She giggled in a playful manner "I just wanna play with you, I won't bite~"
Finally seeing his figure, a delighted smile formed on her face…
"And to make sure you won't go anywhere…"
She yelled as she lifted a boulder from the ground and threw it unto Bruce – which he immediately dodged. This infuriated her, as she let out a grunt of fury
"Hera, you are so stubborn!"
Bruce ran without hesitation, he was lucky that Diana was just walking, for sure the Amazon would've caught him by now if she was serious about catching him
This thought made Bruce think of a certain theory, but it required help from the outside sources
"I see you!"
Her voice came again, seemingly creeping unto the dark walls which went with the crashing rainfall and the sound of thunder from the outside
There was no time to spare, Diana was growing more and more aggressive as time passes by. He had to neutralize her, now!
He finally reached the elevator to the upper wing, where the switch to the generator resides. If he could somehow turn it on, then he could contact the Amazons back again from Themyscira
After pressing the button, there was a big delay that came before finally opening. This was enough for the Amazon to spot him which added even more fright to the chase
"Leaving already~"
Diana slowly made her way to him, with a sinister smile on her face. Her eyes shouted of passion and obsession – and this was enough for Bruce to take serious of
Her footsteps were more faster this time as Bruce took a table from the corner to shield slide on the way to distract her, but she effortlessly shoved it off like a stone on the field.
This was definitely a very bad position for Bruce, for he knows that it's all completely over when she reaches him and the elevator still hasn't arrived yet.
Bruce reached out for a smoke bomb on his pocket – he keeps one in case of situations such as this one – which he threw to the ground
A huge puff of smoke engulfed the area, and Bruce has the opportunity to escape now. But for some reason, her footsteps grew even more louder this time.
Upon finally clearing out the smoke, he then noticed that Diana was completely unfazed with his smoke bombs, with her eyes following him despite the blurry surroundings
"I could smell you, you know~" She playfully said as she continued on her way to him
Just when she almost reached him, the elevator finally opened which he immediately got on.
Seeing this made Diana furious, as she literally ran this time to catch him before slipping away
"Oh no you don't!" She grunted while reaching out to him – but she was too late. Bruce managed to get on before she could get a hold of him
The door finally closes, as Bruce was lifted high unto the ground, leaving her behind.
An even more eerie smile forms on her face as she stared at him from the ground
"You better run Bruce, because I'm coming for you!" she yelled in a sing-song tone
Bruce gasped, that was certainly a horrifying scene despite her sweet manner
That was not the Diana that he knows.
He fell to the ground to catch his breath, combing his disheveled hair to the back while panting for air. He reminisced to himself what started all of this, and a flashback immediately occurred to him
xXx
"I-I see…" Diana slowly mumbled with a hint of hesitance "Goodnight Bruce…"
"Weren't you just about to tell me something?"
Diana closed her eyes, her fists were clinched on her sides with her back turned against him
"Is everything okay, Diana?"
"Y-yeah… everything is fine Bruce, don't worry"
The Amazon then went on her way to the halls, seemingly escaping the conversation. Bruce wanted to come after her, but she seemed too distant
The best thing to do was to give her air, and some time on her own
He then went to his room to change, this day was certainly one of the worst he's had so far. A hectic business meeting in the early morning, bunch of paperwork in the noon, and a stupid Celebrity party that he had to attend as Bruce Wayne
He hasn't had any proper sleep for almost 5 days, and after finally finishing everything off – nothing beats a nice full rest in this nice rainy evening
Ironic since he didn't have time to patrol tonight, but somehow it was still a very busy day
He was completely worn off after coming home, and to top it all off, he came home to Diana who seemed to have been acting strange
She has been giving him the cold shoulder lately for some unknown reason, he didn't know exactly why, but it just happened.
Every time he would approach and talk to her about something, she would be flustered to no ends, and would give an open-ended answer instead and leave – they haven't had a proper conversation recently
This certainly has brought him nothing but confusion, but he didn't let this break him. He had too much things to put his focus on – especially about his city
After saying his prayers, Bruce finally laid down to rest on the nice warm bed. He closed his eyes and was about to fade into dreamland…
When suddenly
BEEP BEEP
A sudden sound from her communicator took him back to the real world. This annoyed the heck out of Bruce as he reached out for it
"Hello?"
"Bruce, are you there?"
The sound came from Donna of all people, she has returned back to Themyscira for some preparation that every Amazon must pass in their teenage years
She brought herself a specific communicator that was made specifically by Bruce himself in order to communicate from Themyscira, in case of some urgent news
He was able to make this upon his stay there for quite some time now
"It's nighttime... What's going on?" he answered while letting out a yawn
"It's about Diana"
Queen Hippolyta's voice cut in, her voice sounded regal as ever even in a mere line. This was enough for Bruce to take the call seriously
"There's something we haven't told you about her yet"
"but first of all…" Her sister's voice, Antiope, cut in "Is she asleep right now?"
Bruce scratched his head
"Probably, Diana sleeps early on Sundays" he answered
"Good, then there should be nothing to worry about then" she stated
"For now…"
"Wait, what's going on?" Bruce interjected suddenly
"Okay so let me start from the begi…:"
All of a sudden, everything went pitch black as a sudden power outage occurred in the Manor.
His communicator was based on frequencies and artificial signals that he himself created linked from his very own satellite, so that it can connect to secluded areas, such as Themyscira – and so without a proper amount of energy, it would crash as usual
"Damn, I really need to make a proper satellite for them" he uttered to himself
Heeding back on his situation, Bruce was suspicious what she meant over that statement, and he was sure that she was about to tell him too
But unfortunately, exhaustion has caught up to him as he fell right back on his bed. He was too tired to even stress out about anything else
Despite this, the possibility still resides, and it could be something very serious – especially about Diana
And so Bruce opened his eyes, and reached out for his flashlight to go investigate…
-0-
A sudden loud creaking noise woke up Bruce from his nap, finally arriving to the destination as marked. It was on the upper attic part of the Manor, where the generators are kept hidden
He wiped his eyes to ease out from his drowsiness, but a sudden thunderclap from the outside brought him back to his senses just immediately
He had no time for rest… Diana needs him
Bruce then went to the storage to collect a big battery and a semi-conductor fit for electricity input. Afterwards, he connected the wires to his communicator which needed the extra spark to work
The handheld device finally lit up, and just as quick, he immediately received a call from the Amazons themselves all the way from Themyscira
"Hello, Bruce?" Antiope's voice called out
"Yeah, I'm here now" he responded
"Is he finally there?" A certain whisper was heard from the communicator
"Bruce!" Donna's voice echoed finally
"What on Gaia's earth happened?" Queen Hippolyta cut in
"We had a blackout, Ma" Bruce stated "But everything is fine now"
"What's a blackout?"
"I'll explain later, we have a situation"
"I was afraid you'd say that…" Antiope's voice went deep "How is she?"
"Terrible, it's like she's possessed or something" he responded
"She's not possessed, child" It was Hippolyta's turn to reply "My dear sun-and-stars is acting on her instincts"
Bruce grew astounded upon hearing this
"Instincts?" he repeated
"Precise" Antiope responded "If you have access to a nearby window, check what the moon is and state your notice"
Bruce then went to the open window to peek, but it seemed normal to him
"It's just a normal moon" he said "Is there supposed to be something wrong with it?"
"Of course, you couldn't see it just yet…" Antiope muttered
"Is there supposed to be something out of the ordinary with the moon tonight?"
A sudden silence brewed in between the lines
"You can't see it, but there is actually a certain phenomenon in the moon as of the moment, Bruce" Hippolyta explained
"In the books, they call it the Blood Moon."
"The Blood Moon?" Bruce repeated
"I've heard it too, but it hasn't been seen or proven as of real
"It can only be seen by those who has their instincts awaken, my dear child" she responded
"We Amazons have been blessed by Gaia the gift of vitality that could see through the deepest depths of the world's illusions and mysteries. Every time it appears, the Amazons composed under it would manifest each of their own's greatest strength and desires kept inside of them. This could somehow be countered by being fast asleep during that said night…"
She paused at the last second
"But Diana is different."
"How is she different?" Bruce asked
"We've known at such a young age that our princess was different, it seems as if she was a special outlier among us. And one example of this is her awakenings. It was precisely 13 years ago when this happened, in which a young Diana craved for something and the whole Amazon army couldn't stop her"
Bruce almost dropped the phone upon hearing this…
"And our fear… is that this might happen again" It was Queen Hippolyta's turn to speak
"But this time, she's out of the island… and we cannot reach her."
"Well then how can we neutralize her?" he asked
A moment of silence happened in between
But after what seemed like a while of thinking, a voice finally lingered.
"In times like this, My presence and warmth is enough to calm my sun-and-stars from her outrage" Queen Hippolyta explained
"So basically, her rage inside can be calmed by a certain affection and care from someone she's very fond of?"
"Precisely, child"
Bruce then fell back to his chair upon hearing this
"Where on earth am I supposed to find a person she's fond of like that?" Bruce asked as he massaged his temple of distraught
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Great Hera, are you serious…" Queen Hippolyta said
"Mother, he may be smart, but a bit too dense at times" Donna cut in
"Oh Gaia…" Antiope muttered in disappointment
"Anyways, the entire thing only lasts till the moon shines bright on the sky"
"So you're saying that Diana will be back to normal after tonight?" Bruce suggested
"Yes" Antiope briefly responded
Not a word was spoken between after a moment as Bruce was deep in thoughts with himself, trying to figure out of a plan to neutralize Diana without harming her
"Bruce?" Donna spat out "Are you still there?"
"Yeah, I'm here" Bruce said
"I know you can do this, Bruce, If there's anyone who can calm my sister down, that'll be you" she stated in an uplifting away
"You see… my sister is quite fo…"
"Thanks, but I think I got this covered" Bruce interrupted, cutting off Donna in the process
"You do?" Antiope and Hippolyta both uttered at the same time
"I'm assuming you have formulated a plan already?" The Queen added
"It's quite risky, but if I can lure and outlast her till dawn – she might return back to normal then"
"That's a bold plan, Bruce" Antiope said "But the question is… are you up for it?
"Yeah, if I plan everything right" Bruce answered "And I know this place well since I grew up here. So I'm definitely familiar with every nook and cranny"
"It's not that we are underestimating you, but of a warning" Queen Hippolyta stated
"Under the influence of the lunar effect, Amazons tend to be more stronger, faster with unlimited stamina…"
Hearing this made Bruce gasp
"And that's not all" Antiope added "she'll also have heightened senses with sight, smell, hearing and intuition"
"Intuition?" Bruce blurted all of a sudden "So she has some kind of a sixth sense?"
"I'm afraid so…" she responded
This was enough to make Bruce almost stumble to the ground. As if a normal Wonder Woman was enough, now he has to deal with an enhanced Amazon
"Bruce?" Antiope spoke upon noticing the sudden silence "Are you there?"
To make matters worse, the guy was exhausted. He could barely walk without getting dizzy, and his stamina was running short
"Yeah, I'm listening" He responded "I'm just… planning"
"I don't mean to impose or underestimate, child, but I don't think the plan of yours is gonna work" Queen Hippolyta stated "Perhaps you should pursue with the one I told you"
Bruce took in thoughts afterwards, it was sitting in the back, but it might be the only plan that might work
"I think I might have something to help" Bruce said after coming up with another plan
"Another one?"
"Yes" Bruce briefly responded "If my theory serves right, the lunar effect affects Diana's inner desires which operates on basis instead of her mind. If I can somehow trigger her back to her senses using a very bright extrasensory flash from an artificial refraction – perhaps she can be reverted back to normal"
"As long as this plan of yours isn't gonna cause anything to my sun-and-stars" Queen Hippolyta tensed, quite the worry on her voice "Despite her sudden outrage, my daughter is still in her somewhere. Please refrain from harming my daughter"
"Please Bruce…" she added in worry
A smile forms on his Bruce's face as he utters
"Don't worry, Ma." He responded "I'll never do that to Diana"
"I know you won't." She smiled back
Upon finally making a resolve, the man finally made up his mind to prepare for the night. He was limited in resources without access to the batcave but he'll do just fine with what he has inside the room
"If that's the case, then I can't stay in one place and hide" he said with hints of resolve in his voice "I better get to move soon. I'll call when something happens"
"Best of luck, Bruce" Antiope stated
"We're all counting on you, child." Queen Hippolyta added in a confident manner "So does my sun-and-stars…"
"And don't forget my advice about calming her down"
"That sounds reasonable, but I'll stick to the plan for now" Bruce explained
"You can do this, Bruce!" It was Donna's turn to speak, her voice was very loud that it could've been heard by the Amazon lurking in the Manor
"I know you can–"
Bruce had to cut her off due to the noise she was generating. If he kept on with the call, her noise will give out his position definitely
And so Bruce finally stood from his chair to plan his next approach. Knowing Diana's tendencies, Hiding and waiting is gonna fail for sure. He had to go on with a plan to finally put an end to this disastrous stormy night.
xXx
-0-
KNOCK KNOCK
A series of knocks was heard from his door, there was no one else in the manor except him and Diana, and so he was sure who this was
Upon answering the door, appeared before him was no other than Diana in her night gown
"I… W-wanted to apologize about what happened earlier, Bruce…" she slowly whispered
Something was off about her, her face was beet red, her stare was something else, and she was breathing profusely
"It's okay Diana. Don't worry about it" Bruce responded "We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?"
Diana didn't respond, she just stared at him with the same expression on his face.
"Soo… Sweet Dreams, Princess" Bruce said as he closed the door on her. He could've sworn he saw a glimpse of a smile on her face before doing so.
As he was about to finally close the door, something blocked in the gaps which made it impossible so – It was her foot
"I uh… I was wondering if maybe you'd like to talk tonight" her voice echoed from the outside
"That sounds lovely, but I had a rough day." Bruce responded "I promise I'll be all ears to–"
Before he could even finish his statement, a sudden powerful force from the door pushed him completely to the wall.
It was so unexpected that he didn't have time to brace himself
Bruce's vision was slightly blurred there as he slowly raised his head up – There revealed no other than Diana herself with a completely different aura in her
"But I can't wait for tomorrow, Bruce!" She sung in a playful sing-song tone
"I'm tired of waiting…"
She leaned in close just as Bruce was about to pass out
"I want you now~"
-0-
A huge thunderclap brought Bruce back to his senses again, as he found himself spacing out on a painting of a flower.
He had managed to make his way to the garden without being spotted by the Amazon herself. There was a shortcut from the attic which led immediately to the backyard which Bruce knew about
The perks of having a huge manor is Diana has way too much areas to investigate, and so he took this as advantage
Bruce then made his way to the storage room where the second generator was kept, It was a part of his plan to neutralize Diana
The Manor has three generators, each in different places – In the attic area, the storage room in the garden, and lastly in the Batcave
The night still roared of heavy rainfall, and thunderous flashes from the sky.
As if hiding from the Amazon wasn't hard enough.
Bruce then used his arm to shield his eyes from the rain. It was times like this when he would take advantage of his batsuit, which would be very useful in times like this
Out of nowhere, a sudden shadow passed from behind which startled him. He turned around immediately but no one was there. Bruce was sure he saw something, but it didn't seem like Diana has found her already
Bruce finally reached the storage room, it was still pitch black all over with no hint of moonlight to illuminate even a spot. Luckily for him, he found a flashlight in a nearby table.
As he turned on the light, a shadow passed by again – but this time inside the storage room. This followed by a feint sound of footsteps and breathing that he could barely hear.
This was enough for Bruce to conclude that she was indeed inside with him, and as response, he immediately turned his flashlight off to not give his position out
With everything so dark, Bruce had to use his senses to make his way to a nearby spot. As he slowly crawled on the floor, the footsteps were heard again which forced him to fall to the floor and freeze. If what Antiope said was indeed true, then that means she can detect movements despite not seeing well
"I know you're here~!"
She finally spoke which echoed throughout the entire storage room.
Out of nowhere, a quick flash of lightning gave illumination to the room, which gave Bruce a quick vision of the generator on the right end. He also had a glimpse of Diana's back upon doing so.
It only needed a second for him to measure the distance of him and the place, and so he started to move
Without hesitation, he tiptoed to the spot without making a noise. Being the Batman, this was no chore at all as he finally reached the generator with ease
He got lucky once again as he felt a familiar object with his right hand – something he was certain and too familiar with
It was the night vision goggles that he was conducting with when he first started as Batman. He must've left it here for a long time. It's not complete, but it still works.
As he wore it to his face, he immediately froze on what he saw….
A figure of Diana standing in front of him with squinted eyes and furrowed eyebrows, looking for something
Now that he could see well in the dark, he could also fully see Diana's position. An advantage for him for places he's gonna avoid
But it seems like he got on a very tough situation with Diana close to him, almost giving up his spot. Everything was pitch black on her perspective, and so she couldn't see him but if he moved a single muscle, then she'll sense his presence most probably
"Are … you… here…" She mumbled, her voice seemed like a lure of a very deadly hunter
"Interesting~"
After a few moments of not moving, Bruce finally eased up upon seeing her walk away. As she walked out of the storage room, Bruce immediately pulled the switch for the generator which caused a sudden spark, returning all the electricity on the Manor back to normal finally
The Amazon of course, took notice of this as she ran back to the storage room. There was no one there anymore, but the machine was triggered by someone
Having full vision of everything now, and what seemed like a sudden surge of his senses and intuition, Diana immediately spotted Bruce hiding in the bushes
"There you are~!"
Bruce ran without hesitation, not even bothering to look back. The footsteps behind him grew closer and closer despite the speed of his sprint. This only meant one thing – it was starting to unfold.
"Going somewhere~?"
Her voice lingered from behind as he felt his shoulder being gripped by a very strong force that immediately halted him from his tracks. Her speed was frightening, as if he was outrunning an enhanced cheetah
He was forced to face her with her strength, he had another view of Diana's face. For some reason, she looks even more menacing with her eyes fuming of darkness even more
It was telling, but Bruce didn't feel Diana in it. The Diana he knew well wasn't there, and it wasn't the same
"Trying to run away from me again~?"
"D-Diana… you need to snap out of it…" Bruce groaned in pain, her squeeze on his shoulder was beginning to take the best of him
Suddenly, a flash of lightning passed, blinding Diana a little bit as she closed her eyes and shook her head. As she opened her eyes, it seemed as if she has finally gone back to her senses
For a second, Diana went back to her former state upon seeing Bruce hurt and hearing his plea. Her satisfied expression was changed into a worried one as she saw him
"Bruce?"
It didn't last long, as another flash of lightning passed yet again, causing Diana to be also stunned yet again.
…
The latter engulfed her back, returning back to her dark side. A smile yet again forms on her lips as she utters…
"Hmmm, perhaps you still need to be shaken, Bruce~" Diana playfully uttered as she took him close and literally threw him to a nearby deep fountain full of water from the rain.
Bruce submerged himself completely, internally thanking her for an easy way to access the batcave as he dived straight to the secret door on the base of the fountain that leads straight for the caverns.
xXx
His footsteps was heard throughout the cave, as bats started to fly out upon noticing the presence. There he was, Bruce Wayne, all drenched up while holding a torch to himself for illumination
After that incident with Diana, he was lucky he was thrown on his secret pathway towards the batcave. The real Diana would've never been that careless – which means she was getting more and more primitive as time passes by
Suddenly, a beep was heard from his pocket
It was the Amazons again all the way from Themyscira
"Bruce!" Donna's voice echoed "How are you? Is everything alright? Are you alright? How's my sister?"
"One at a time please, Donna" Bruce slowly scoffed
"How did it go, Bruce?" It was Antiope's voice this time
"I'm glad you're still with us, awake and all"
"I won't be sure of that, I'm starting to get exhausted actually"
"Will you still be able to hold up and outlast Diana?" Queen Hippolyta asked this time
Bruce went silent for a second, finding the right words to use
"I'll be alright, Queen Hippolyta" he responded "The important thing is I'll get Diana to safety"
Bruce sneezed upon uttering the last word
"What about you, Bruce?" Donna inquired "Will you be alright?"
"I can still walk, don't worry" he answered
"but Bruce… you mentioned that you were already tired from work with the day, and now you had to outrun Diana all drenched in the rain"
"Hah, you really take after you sister with observance huh"
"Bruce!" Donna interrupted this time, her voice almost caused a major uproar with the bats on the ceiling
"I'm serious, you can barely talk!"
Again, another round of silence engulfed between the lines as the man found it very tiring to even respond anymore
Suddenly, Hippolyta's voice lingered. She was listening the entire time
"I know you're going out of your way for her, Bruce. You're pushing yourself to the limits to make sure Diana would go back to normal without putting her on harm's way"
Her voice penetrated deep into Bruce, as he paused for a second to catch his breath. His vision was getting even more blurry
"And for that, we couldn't thank you enough. You've done so much for Diana."
He didn't respond, this caused a major concern over them as the Queen herself was in shambles
"Bruce?" she yelled out for his name
"Bruce!"
-0-
"I was wondering… if maybe…"
"Is everything alright?"
"Nothing nothing, it was nothing really…"
"Okay if you say so.
-1-
"So Bruce… I was wondering if you're free, then maybe we can…"
"What was that?"
"Oh… um… I said I'm glad that you're finally free. You've been very busy these days!"
"Thanks."
-2-
"So Bruce… I received my paycheck today from the flower shop. Maybe I can take you out somewhere ni…"
"Sorry, what was that? I was thinking of something else."
"Ohhh… it was nothing Bruce!… Don't mind me…"
"Are you sure? You sounded like you wanted something…"
"Y-yeah… it was nothing important" Diana slowly stated in a defeated voice, which sank down to abyss in the end
"Don't mind me at all, Bruce…"
-0-
"Bruce!"
The man woke up abruptly, with the loud voice coming from the communicator. He immediately sat up and gathered his senses
"I'm here… I'm still here"
"Thank Hera, we thought we've lost you"
"I think I know why she turned out that way, Ma"
His response was out of nowhere, but it was surely heartfelt and very sincere
"Pardon?" Queen Hippolyta stated
"The lunar effect awakened her innermost desire and instincts, and the main drive of this is…" Bruce gasped for a second
"It was all my fault, I had… abandoned her"
"Abandoned her?" Queen Hippolyta repeated
"She wanted to tell me something a couple of times… but I was too naïve to understand" He explained carefully "I should've read between the lines, but I chose to ignore them instead"
"It is probably what drove her to this state right now. All those pent up feelings inside of her that she wasn't able to say…" he added
"All of this is my fault." He finally finished
His voice was hurt, and they could sense it all the way from Themyscira. The Queen didn't seem mad at all, she was concerned even for the boy.
"There's still time to make amends, child. If I was who I am before, I would've been infuriated that you've hurt my daughter – but that is all in the past" she said "You're not perfect, but I know it is not in your deepest intention to hurt my sun-and-stars. You changed her just as much as you've changed all of us. There's nothing you can't do, Bruce Wayne"
Her words was enough to motivate Bruce to the core. There is still time to make everything better, and he will make sure it does succeed
"You think so?"
"Absolutely!" The Queen tried her best to be all hip and trendy to cheer the young man up
"You're the Badman, you can do anything!"
A smile forms on his face upon hearing this
"Thanks Ma, that was all I needed." He stated
"And it's Batman."
"It's almost dawn, Bruce. You can almost make it!" Donna cheered in amazement
"I won't wait for dawn, I'm gonna bring your sister back here and now" Bruce stated with resolve in his voice
"That's my boy" Queen Hippolyta uttered in a proud manner
Finally reaching the batcave, he immediately went to the generator to pull the switch, which brought energy back to the whole manor fully this time.
Bruce knew what awaited next
"Are you sticking with your plan?" Antiope asked
Suddenly, a huge cavern wall from the corner was thoroughly destroyed.
It was Diana.
"Yes, and she's right here where I want her."
"Good Luck, Bruce" Antiope
The man was about to turn off his communicator when Hippolyta's voice kept him long enough to listen
"Remember Bruce," she uttered "You mean way more to Diana than what you think you do"
Bruce didn't know what this means, but he'll bear that in mind
"Sure Ma, I'll finish this now" Bruce turned the communicator off
"That was some stunt you pulled back there~" It was Diana this time to speak, her voice seemed even more playful but her eyes was resonating of nothing but pure darkness this time
"Let me help you Diana, I promise I…"
"Help?" she cut in "What can you help me with? You can't help what you won't understand."
Guilt rushed up to him upon hearing this, his fists clenched to his side. Her words were like daggers to him, knowing how much of her signs he had missed. He should've been paying more attention to her.
"And so forgive me for being subtle, Bruce" She stated
"And this time, I won't wait much longer~"
In a blink of an eye, she charged at him with speed that could match a speeding bullet. Along with exhaustion and fatigue, Bruce failed to dodge it completely as Diana grabbed to herself
His grip was so tight that he felt being crushed with her hold
"I won't wait for much longer, Bruce Wayne~"
A sudden thunderclap from the outside stunned the Amazon for a bit which Bruce took advantage of to break free. He managed to sprint to a certain corner where a machinery is kept
It had two mirrors, facing directly forwards with a long antenna at the top
Upon finally returning to her senses, Diana almost chuckled upon seeing the Batman in a corner with what seems like a big toy that he has
"Awww, that looks like a big dresser~" she playfully teased "Are you gonna hide in there?"
"No, it's for you."
Suddenly, Bruce pressed a button, causing the antenna to emit a certain frequency which was all planned by him beforehand.
Bruce then took an explosive batarang from the table and threw it on the upper corner of the batcave – making an opening
Everything was timed right, and just like that, a bright flash from the lightning made it's way to the mirrors which reflected to Diana herself on the front
The Amazon was blinded completely, as she groaned in what seemed like pain. Bruce hoped it finally had worked, finally ending this disastrous night
But unfortunately, her groans turned into laughter. As she opened her eyes as if nothing have happened
She immediately charged at Bruce as she threw him to the other side
He groaned to himself, could even barely stand due to the fatigue coming up to him.
The machine was planned thoroughly, that was what she needed
Unless… It wasn't.
Diana's laughter echoed throughout the batcave as she approached the machine that was supposedly "the vessel" that would bring her back to her senses.
Bruce slowly opened his eyes, but upon seeing Diana about to touch the antenna…
A sudden drive came to him, as he literally stood up to his feet and charged at her
"Don't touch that!"
He managed to get a hold of her – when suddenly
A viscious and sudden lightning strike hit the antenna which completely destroyed the mirrors in it. That was certainly a close situation – Diana might've been struck by the viscious lightning
They both ended up on the cave walls as Bruce leaned in while holding Diana from behind. He held him tight, using his only last resort to bring back Diana to her senses
"My presence and warmth is enough to calm Diana from her outrage" Queen Hippolyta explained
"So basically, her rage inside can be calmed by a certain affection and care from someone close she's very fond of?"
"Precisely, child"
Bruce recalled Hippolyta's words to him, if this was indeed true, then there's a chance thatit might work
The problem is… It is supposed to be someone she's very fond of.
Who is he? He obviously cannot compare to her Mother, he's merely an outsider to her small circle of trust
They were good friends, very good friends even – but that's it. Bruce knows that he's not someone special to Diana, he's a man after all… the verdict of evil according to her upbringing
Surely for her, he's just a mere outsider…
But Bruce internally hoped he was, not to find clarity, but to help his friend. Diana meant a lot to him more than anything else, and he'd do anything just to bring her back
"Remember Bruce, You mean way more to Diana than what you think you do"
As he held him close, A sudden voice brought him back to reality.
"B-Bruce?"
This voice was too familiar, way too familiar even. There is no denying it, This is the Diana that he knows well
A voice of kindness, purity and love. A voice that has soothed his deepest sorrows when he needed her.
The voice that he so wanted to hear
Diana then turned around to face him, which revealed her face finally. She looked normal now, her eyes no longer had that intent and she looked completely at peace
"Bruce?" she slowly uttered "What happened?"
Without hesitation, she was held tight by the man himself – rather tight even. Diana was stunned, she could barely remember the last time he had embraced her like this
But she didn't hate it… not one bit.
"I'm glad you're back, Diana" he whispered slow, his voice muffling from her long raven hair
"I don't know what exactly happened but…"
The realization came to Diana, which explains the entire situation. She didn't want to believe it at first but it makes sense of everything
"C-Could it be that…"
"Don't worry about it" he released his hold to face her
"Y-your face… it's all bruised up"
Bruce chuckled slowly to alleviate the situation
"I've had worse hits from you actually"
"But still!" Diana insisted, she was now looking down of disheartenment "I've caused you trouble again… I'm very sorry"
Bruce then reached out his hand for her cheek, lifting her face up to meet his. He flashed her a warm smile upon doing so
"You've been worrying these past days, keeping your thoughts to yourself. I've completely overlooked the fact that you were telling me something when I should've noticed – I'm the one who should apologize"
"But you don't have to… I'm just" Diana stuttered, quite having a hard time to process her words
"You want spend some more time with me?" Bruce finished
Bruce held her hand this time, as he looked straight into her sapphire eyes
A red hue crept on her face upon doing so as she felt the rush of her heart beat faster every second. It has been a long time since Bruce had been this insistent towards her.
"I was just…w-wondering…" she mumbled slowly
"Maybe we can… do things together like how we use to…"
She stuttered for a second, but managed to caught on
"I miss our time together, Bruce" she added in a low voice, it was tender, yet sweet at the same time. Like a girl wanting for something in a subtle way
A smile forms on his face as he utters
"Alright, next weekend, we'll go somewhere"
Diana's face lit up after hearing this
"You mean it?"
Bruce nodded
"We can go fishing, or take hikes… or even go for an ice cream"
"What about… bug catching?" Diana teased playfully
Her playful manner definitely reminded him or what happened earlier, but this time is different. Bruce always loved this side of Diana no matter how much he denies it to himself
"You still remember that huh…" Bruce looked away of embarrassment "I thought you've already forgotten about it"
"That is something that will never be erased from my memories, Bruce Wayne" she slowly winked, doting on him once again
Bruce also shared a laugh, when suddenly, his exhaustion finally caught up to him – as he leaned on her
He could feel his entire surroundings slowly closing in, but with Diana this close to him. It didn't seem that bad
As his eyelids were about to collapse on him, the last thing he heard was Diana calling for his name
"Bruce!"
Her voice echoed inside of him over and over again, as he finally loses the semblance of himself in his solace.
xXx
"What happened, Miss Diana!"
"It's about Bruce… I need to get him to Themyscira"
"Bloody hell! Just a vacation in England and this is what happens?"
"There's no time, Alfred…"
.
.
.
"Bruce needs me…"
-0-
It was a bright day, or so it seemed as Bruce slowly woke up to a ray of sunshine on his face. It had completely blinded him despite his eyes being closed.
He noticed what seemed like a different atmosphere. The sound of the crashing waves, the chirping of the birds, and the breathe of fresh air
This mood was definitely very familiar
"Wait… don't tell me…"
He finally opens his eyes, and just in his thoughts.
He was back in Themyscira in what seemed like an old fashioned room. It was completely different from what he used to lay in during his stay
Bruce slowly sat up, and the first thing he noticed was the outside view from the window. It was a beautiful scenery of the nice shores and the bright sparkle of the seas under the kiss of the sun
Inspecting the room more, he noticed that his hand was being held by someone. As he turned to the person…
It was Diana.
She was leaning on her elbow while sleeping on the bed. She was on her traditional Amazon outfit – a white chiton with laces on the front
Suddenly, the door slowly opens, revealing the Queen herself. Bruce put his finger on her lip to make a shushing gesture for the sleeping Amazon next to him which they immediately caught on
As she made her way in, Bruce was distracted by a certain aroma from a distance. It was similar to plant they had brought him from the last time they had visited in the Wayne Manor
It was slightly different, but it still smelled good. And the more he inhaled, the more he felt at ease
"How are you feeling now, Bruce?" Queen Hippolyta consoled, sitting to the chair next to the bed
"My head is still spinning, but I'm completely fine now" he responded
"That's good to hear"
Queen Hippolyta then felt his forehead with her hand
"It seems like you've finally recovered"
His attention was shifted yet again to Diana
"Did… she bring me here?" he asked hesitantly
The Queen nodded
"Diana was worried senseless when she brought you here. You were really heating up and she wanted you to recover as soon as possible, and so she decided to bring you here in Themyscira"
"I see" Bruce slowly mumbled "I must've caused a scene there – you have my apologies, Ma"
"You made sure to bring me back my sun-and-stars in good condition, while sacrificing your own in return. This is the least we can do for everything that you have done for us, Bruce" Queen Hippolyta explained sincerely
"Like I always say" he slowly said
"I would do anything for Diana."
Queen Hippolyta smiled upon hearing this. He had proven himself time and time again that there should be no doubt behind his words
"How long was I out, Ma?"
"Three days to be exact" she responded
This brought shock to the man, he never expected him to need that much sleep
"She insisted on staying with you this entire time, Bruce"
Bruce turned to Hippolyta upon hearing this
"Diana?"
She nodded slowly
"At first, we didn't want her to worry since your fever was slowly getting better, but she insisted on staying with you till you wake up." Queen Hippolyta stated
Slowly, he leaned in close to her face. He notices the dark circles in her eyes
Despite her being asleep, her grip on his hand was rather tight.
"The look on her face that day was something I never expected to see. I've never seen her that worried and distressed over someone before." Queen Hippolyta narrated "When she knew about how you brought her back to senses, she felt guilty all over. She cried a lot as she held your hand while you were asleep"
"Damn" Bruce realizing the trouble he had given her
"I didn't mean to cause this…"
"You don't know everything, Bruce" She responded "You're a smart person, but much too dense at times."
"Diana was completely devastated with your state, and I never want to see my daughter like that again – and so if I may ask of you, Bruce Wayne…" Queen Hippolyta looked at him in a serious expression this time
"Do take good care of yourself, It hurts my daughter to see you in a bad state,"
Bruce nodded, half guilty from her words. He had been very focused on his company for quite a while that he was neglecting his body… and Diana
All of a sudden, the door slowly creaks open again…
It was Donna and Antiope this time
And it was Queen Hippolyta's turn to shush them as they went in – which they immediately caught on upon as well
"I see you're doing better now" Antiope stated
"Never better" Bruce responded
"You're still not better?"
"It's a… modern metaphor…" Bruce had to clarify what he meant
"I'm glad to see you again, Bruce"
It was Donna's turn to speak, but somehow, she had a sad expression
"What's wrong, Donna?" he asked in concern
Donna inhaled a lot of air as she turned to him
"I kinda broke the communicator you gave me" She slowly confessed in a weak voice
"I accidentally dropped it into the river when I was bathing a few days ago…"
Bruce smiled as he petted her head in response
"Don't worry about it that much, I'll make you another one"
"Really!?" The little Amazon's face lit up
"Yeah… that reminds me"
Bruce cleared his throat to make his message clear
"I want to ask permission to make a proper satellite that is directly centered in this place. It would be very beneficial in terms of communication and news from the outside world"
Antiope and Queen Hippolyta both looked at each at other at the same time, their minds seemed to have something in common
"I mean… It's only a suggestion…" Bruce added "I understand if it is beyond limitation–"
"I will allow that." Queen Hippolyta stated with a satisfied smile on her face "You have my permission"
"All these years we've been skeptical about technology, and man's inventions in particular. We kept ourselves secluded in the advancements of the world – just to be completely left out in general" Antiope stated "
"It's about time for a change, Bruce. And of all men, I know you are the best and only one to exemplify the makings of man, and this so called technology"
"Besides…" Antiope cut in
"It was your technology that brought back Diana to her senses"
"Actually it wasn't the machine that brought her back…"
Antiope's eyebrows raised immediately upon hearing this
"Really?" she uttered "Then what was?"
Bruce took a deep breath as he stated…
"It was my last resort, but the only thing that worked was when I held her close to me and she reverted back to normal"
A huge silence engulfed the room, as Antiope's face was at complete shock. Donna had a big blush on her face as Queen Antiope covered her mouth with her hand with a very overwhelmed expression
"Great Hera…" she slowly mumbled
Bruce notices the sudden shift of the mood which made him uneasy
"I knew it!" Donna loudly whispered to herself
"Okay… what's going on…?" he asked
"Did I do something wrong? I promise I didn't do anything else to her"
"No you idiot!" Donna interrupted with a smile on her face
"According to Amazon traditions, it's a very special thing"
"What's so special about it?"
The Amazons didn't respond.
Suddenly, a low whisper was heard from the sleeping Amazon next to him…
"B-Bruce…"
His gaze lands upon her, which reveals her beautiful face snuggling close to his hand. She looked peaceful as always.
"This counts for a celebration!" Queen Hippolyta whispered in a lively tone
"I appreciate the gesture, Ma, but my recovery isn't really that special to be celebrated"
"That sounds promising, but it is for a different reason, Bruce" Antiope smiled as she walked out of the room
"I think it's better if you don't know… for now" Donna winked as she followed her out
It was Queen Hippolyta's turn to leave, but on the last second, she turned to him with a warm smile on her face
And she finally left.
The sound of the door closing was slow, but somehow, it was loud enough to wake the sleeping Amazon from her slumber. As she raised her face up, Bruce greeted her with a warm smile
"B-Bruce…" she slowly uttered "You're finally awake…!"
She notices her hand on his, which never even left for a second. A sudden blush met her cheeks upon realizing this
"It's uh…." She stuttered "I definitely wasn't dreaming about you or anything!"
Bruce chuckled slightly when he saw the pout on her face. Diana's defiant side was showing, which was a combination of adorable and overbearing. But despite her Amazon feistiness, Bruce could still feel her tender and care
But just as suddenly, the look in her eyes became gloomy upon the realization of something.
"I caused you trouble again, didn't I?" she slowly sniffled
"Diana?" He uttered
"It's just… I wanted to be all independent by not asking you for anything… or not depending on you all the time. Hera, I even planned to not take much of your attention anymore…"
She was facing down, away from his gaze as her voice lingered of guilt and sadness
"But then I realized… I wanted nothing more but to be with you. I wanted to be independent, but I still want your validation… I want you to look after me… I want you…"
Diana paused at the last minute as her tears were slowly beginning to fall
"Mother told me how much I've changed… but I beg differ. I'm still the same selfish brat that I was…"
"You're right."
Bruce's deep voice caught her out of her sorrow as she raised her head to look at him
"You are selfish… and childish… and immature"
"B-Bruce…?"
"You eat too much… you're needy… you're stubborn and at times, you're hard to understand" He spoke up
"But guess what…" Bruce held both of her shoulders
"If you're selfish… then I'm the person who you should blame the most" he added "Because I spoiled you to bits. I gave you my full attention and I gave you everything"
"B-Bruce… I…"
"That's why if you have someone to blame" Bruce leaned in close "Blame me… blame me for everything"
Diana shook her head as tears fell down her cheeks
A giggle finally escapes her mouth as her sapphire eyes shimmered alongside with a smile
"You always find a way to put the blame on yourself, Bruce Wayne" she playfully teased, pinching his right cheek in addition
"And no… I can't blame you. You've been nothing but good to me"
"You're wrong" Bruce interrupted
His sudden shift caused Diana to be astounded
"I've been selfish too lately. I didn't bother to actually listen to you or read between the lines. I should've understood what you meant during those days, but I chose not to. I was more focused on something else that I had…"
Bruce's voice lowered at the end at the thought of it all
"I had neglected… you…"
But Bruce was determined to get his point across
"That's why… you don't have to feel that way." He stated in a calm voice this time
"If you're selfish, then I'm selfish too. We are both complicated but we can make it work"
A smile graced Diana's face upon listening to this
"You really think so?"
"I know so" he smiled at her as he held her shoulders tight to him
"So don't hold back, Princess."
Diana was blushing profusely, as Bruce's face was close to hers. He was insistent, and forceful… rather aggressive even
And she didn't hate it one bit.
All of a sudden, a familiar giggle was heard from Diana as she slowly gazes at him
"Then I won't hold back~" She smiled back, with quite a mischief in her eyes that reminded Bruce of a certain memory
