The Knight and the Amazon
5
The dark corridor led deeper underground. Lights turned on without her needing to touch an interrupter. She took every step down, one by one, keeping as quiet as could be. The light might give her away but she didn't Bruce to find out she was after figuring his secret activity. Thankfully, she had wandered out barefoot so no sound was made as she walked down the staircase. She arrived at the edge of a large room, filled with blinking electronics and screens showing gruesome pictures of dead people in the street. She winced at their apparent violent passing, but wasn't horrified. Something in the back of her mind told her she had seen far worse.
A small door was opened on the far end; she thought she heard people talking there. As she stepped closer, she heard Bruce snap something, and the butler reply sternly:
"Let's take a look at this Master Wayne."
She caught a glimpse of the pair in the afar. Bruce was sitting on a table covered with a green cloth, wearing what resembled a black armor. She watched as the older man helped the younger one take off the top and carefully set the piece aside. She knew Bruce to be a large with broad shoulders and the sight of his muscled arms and back was, somewhat, no novelty to her. What impressed her most was the large collection of scars, old and recent, and the bruises in various stages of healing. She felt shocked at the dangerousness of a few; no doubt that man had been heavily injured before and had teased death more than once.
For what purpose? The dead people on the screen?
Alfred was bent over one nasty-looking one: the bruise was blooming over his shoulder blade and down his side.
"Bane's leftover?" the butler asked sarcastically. He started applying some pomade without waiting for an answer. She couldn't see Bruce's face, but given the way his shoulders stiffened, she believed he must be in pain.
She reported her attention back to the gruesome pictures. People seemed to have been crushed in the middle, their expression frozen into painful agony. Was this Bane spilling the blood? Was Bruce trying to stop him? Was Dick helping him too? Too many questions were starting to form in her head and she decided to leave for now. She hadn't gotten what she came for, but she would keep an eye out. Still silent, she returned to the door. Now it was locked. She frowned, wondering how to open it again. She tried for a handle, but none appeared on the smooth surface. Out of options, she tried to force it.
The lightning bolts hit her hard. Her whole body trembled at the aftershock and as she lost balance, she fell against the wall and hit her head.
TKATA
She stood on a pristine beach, her ankles deep in the water. Waves crashed against her legs, nearly brushing her knees. She smiled at the warmth, at the sun's gentle embrace. This was her home.
"-ana!"
The same voice was calling her, but she couldn't see who had spoken. Or rather…a shadow was approaching her. A feminine figure, hidden by trees that hadn't been here seconds ago.
"-iana!"
What was she saying? The sun was calling to her, but so was the voice, this shadow. She could sense the desperation, the urge to catch her attention. So she made her way back to the shore and stepped on the sand-
"Di-"
Oh no you don't!
Purple barriers erupted between her and the shore. She stumbled back and fell in the water, destabilized by the sight.
'Magic', she thought, and the color prompted her to think 'Circe'.
The purple barrier circled her and started to enclose her in a cage. She gritted her teeth and jumped to her feet. The top wasn't closed off yet, she could still escape if she jumped…no, not jumped, if she flew…but could she fly? She crouched and jumped, willed herself to go higher and higher…and somewhat it worked. She kept flying up and up and up and reached the end of the tunnel, breaking through-
"DIANA!"
TKATA
Both Bruce and Alfred ran upon hearing the fall of something heavy in the corridor leading upstairs. For a brief moment, he thought Dick might have actually gotten a concussion and fainted on his way out. He was stunned to see the woman lying unconscious behind the door. What was she doing here? Had she been spying on them? He checked her feet –no shoes. Both he and his butler had been in the infirmary; they wouldn't have seen the lights or heard her approach. Her appearance coincided with Dick's departure. Did his son let her in? Had she harmed him?
"Check on Dick, Alfred," Bruce ordered. The butler nodded and immediately left. He stared at the unconscious body, wondering what had gotten through her mind to leave her room. He pulled handcuffs from his utility belt -as he hadn't taken it off yet -and tied her wrists together. The woman didn't bulge. He checked her pulse –normal. Her lids were twitching, as if she was dreaming.
Who are you damnit, he wondered angrily. How could she find out about the secret passage? Why hadn't she made her presence known?
The passage opened again and Dick appeared. Behind him, Alfred, looking immensely relieved.
"Master Richard had returned to his room and was about to sleep, sir," the butler announced.
She must have seen Dick walk out of the secret passage, just as the young man had done during his first year living in Wayne Manor, and decided to explore. Why feel the need to hide though? Bruce gritted his teeth, hoping she had a perfectly rational explanation for this mess.
He leaned down to pick her up –grimaced immediately.
"I'll do it," Dick prompted and slid his arms under her knees and in her back. He lifted her effortlessly –he hadn't been repetitively hit against the wall by an enraged Bane –and the three men returned to her bedroom. The sheets had been pushed aside, sign that she probably intended to return after a nocturnal walk. Dick delicately settled her on the mattress and pulled the covers up.
That's when the situation took an even weirder turn: purple light suddenly surrounded the woman's body. Her mouth opened wide in a silent scream and she started thrashing.
"The fuck is going on!" Dick blurted, stunned.
"I have no idea sir. Shall I urge Zatanna over?"
Bruce gritted his teeth. As much as he loathed involving outsiders, he had no experience in magic. Then again, Zatanna was a friend, he could make an exception there.
"Do it," he ordered. The purple light turned so vivid it hurt his eyes. Alfred fled the room to find a comlink. Dick took a few cautious steps back.
The woman's body arched, her mouth contorted in pain and her fist flew upward…only to bust the headboard into pieces. The light suddenly vanished and the woman woke up, sitting straight all limbs shaking hard. Though on his guard, Bruce stepped in and approached her cautiously. He paused once she stilled and told Dick to turn on the lights. He almost wished he hadn't. The woman looked terrible with deep rings under her eyes, as if she hadn't caught a wink of sleep. Her hair was a mess, her breath erratic and her eyes darting around like a wild animal.
She was terrified.
"Hey," he called tentatively, and thought they really had to give her a name sometime. "Are you with us?"
The woman jerked, startled, and just as the previous morning, scrambled out of bed and stood back to the wall.
"It's alright," Bruce said softly. "You're safe here."
She flinched again, but didn't try to lunge for the window. Instead, her eyes met his and held on. Bruce couldn't help but find himself sucked into them. Sea blue, watching intensely like he held all the answers in this goddamn universe, like he was an anchor to her drifting boat.
"Do you recognize me?" he asked. The woman nodded. Her shoulders were starting to relax as she remembered where she was. A full minute later, she looked calmer; still unnerved, but under control.
"Can I come closer?"
Another short hesitation, but another nod. Bruce walked around the bed and stepped right out her personal space.
"Can I touch you?"
The question brought an interesting reaction to the woman. She stared sharply at him, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Then, she eyed his chest, bit her lower lip and slowly stared back at him. Bruce cleared his throat.
"I just want to make sure you're alright."
A small smile grew on her lips and she nodded. He pressed his fingers to her neck, took note of her pulse. It was rabbiting as he first suspected, but not as hard as he would have feared. He also noted her skin was soft and warm and from up close, she smelt like jasmine. Bruce quickly retrieved his hand and focused on something else: the smashed headboard. Her fist had gone through the old, hard wood like a knife through butter. When she had crashed in his garden, his first thoughts had been directed on her wellbeing. Then, he had been distracted by her fast healing. He hadn't considered she could possess other powers as well.
"Are you magic?" he asked, remembering the purple light. Given her grimace, he assumed it meant 'no'. Time for a change of tactics: "What were you dreaming about?"
The woman blinked a few times. The frown between her eyebrows was pronounced as if she tried to remember. And suddenly, she brightened. She almost tripped as she climbed over the bed to catch her notepad and scribed something on it. When she showed it with the pride of a child having gotten an excellent grade in class, he read one word.
Diana.
"Diana?" he repeated. She nodded enthusiastically. "That's your name?" Her smile turned into a wild beam. She looked happy, like a kid on Christmas' day. "It's a pretty name."
She preened, though he suspected it was more the fact she had remembered it than his compliment that cheered her so. His eyes were inevitably drawn back to the headboard and he sobered. The woman –Diana- looked healthier now. Time to remedy to the neglect he had foolishly allowed so far.
"Would you mind if I ran you through a few tests?" he inquired. Diana blinked, puzzled. "I just want to know how much you can do." She followed his stare to the broken headboard and suddenly looked guilty. "Don't worry about that," he reassured her. "I'll have it replaced."
"I shall prepare another guest room, sir," Alfred said from the doorway. The two jumped, startled at his sudden return. "And shall I tell Miss Zatanna the situation is under control?"
"Have her come tomorrow anyway," Bruce replied. "I want to make sure there is no magical threat at play." He turned back to Diana, sobered. "What on earth were you doing downstairs?"
She lowered her eyes, biting her lips guiltily. Then she wrote down:
'I was bored. I wanted to explore. I'm sorry, I meant no harm.'
He sighed, ran a hand over his face to chase the tiredness he was certainly feeling.
"I assume you are still not tired in the least?" Diana nodded. "I'll give you some books. Hopefully it'll keep you busy till morning. Don't go wandering again," he warned.
This time, Diana pouted, and looked so adorable Bruce almost smiled. Almost.
TKATA
Zatanna had been a great ally and, if he dared say so, a greater friend over time. Still, he was nervous upon her arrival, fresh from her latest show in LA. Or rather, as fresh as one could be after months of late-night shows.
"Bruce!" she exclaimed happily and went to give him a hug. He wasn't a hugger, but Zatanna didn't care and as she was one of his rare friends, he allowed it. "How have you been?"
"Same old," he replied dryly and straight to the point. "I need your help."
Zatanna grinned knowingly.
"Why else would Bruce Wayne drag me out half a country away for a private show?" she patted his shoulder affectionately. "It's still nice to see you." Bruce grunted, but the light twist of the corner of his mouth was enough to indicate he felt the same. Knowing there would be still time to for catching up later, she asked: "So, what's your magical trouble?"
He thus explained what had occurred the past few days; the woman falling from the sky, his suspicions as its relation to the column of light and her potential background.
"I haven't tested her abilities yet, but from where I stand, I'd say she's invulnerable, possesses super-strength and must be proficient in blade weaponry. The injuries on her arms and the cuts on her body were deep, but suggested she knew how to fight back. I want to clear her from being magical before pursuing anything physical, in case I accidentally trigger a magic response."
Zatanna nodded in approval.
"That's sensible; I hope I'll be up to the task. Where is she now?"
"Watching Alfred bake his cookies. She's an addict."
The magician grinned.
"Everyone is an addict to Alfred's cookies; they are the best briberies. Come on Bruce, let's get this going."
TKATA
Diana watched with rapt attention as the cookies took a golden glow. She was standing vigil next to the oven, waiting anxiously for the time to be over, all the while trying to focus on a book Bruce had lent her. Though she wasn't hungry, she knew those treats could be eaten anytime and Alfred seemed to appreciate her eagerness to have more. She was still staring when Bruce and an unknown woman entered the kitchen. The newcomer was an adequately elegant and young woman, very pretty, and she was standing awfully close to Bruce.
A disagreeable feeling grew in her chest, like a pang of something she ought not to feel. Bruce annoyed her, he was always watching her, always scrutinizing her, as if she was an enigma or a catastrophe waiting to happen. Still, she wasn't used to have his attention directed elsewhere and her own irritation startled her.
"Can you come over Diana?" her host called, and she reluctantly left her spot to join them. "Let me introduce you to Zatanna. She's a good friend of mine and a magician. I want her to cast a few spells to make sure you don't have a tie with magic. Is that alright with you?"
Diana hesitated, stared at the woman instead. She was smaller than her, thin, not very athletic-looking but not weak either. She had gentle curves emphasized by her corset and high boots. Her eyes were friendly and her smile true, if a little curious.
"Hello Diana, it's nice to meet you," she said.
Diana shrugged but gave her a smile of her own: if Bruce could trust her, she could too.
"The cave?" Zatanna suggested. Her friendliness shifted immediately back to annoyance: the woman knew about that too?
"I have a spare room at the edge of the manor," Bruce replied quickly. "I can afford to have that one damaged."
The magician rolled her eyes and Diana frowned, wondering about the implication, but both women followed him without further complaint.
Said room was just a large one, bare of furniture. The windows gave into the back of the house, away from privy eyes.
"So much faith in my abilities Bruce," the dark-haired woman teased. Bruce rolled his eyes.
And then, she pulled a short black stick and pointed it at Diana.
Only Bruce's honed reflexes saved the magician from a broken wrist. Diana had instinctively tried to grab the stick to snap it into pieces, and his solid presence between the two women halted her attempt.
"You don't like magic," he growled. "I got that. But Zatanna is a friend and not a threat to you. You will behave, understood?"
Diana glared at him but nodded nonetheless. Zatanna kept smiling though she looked a little more nervous.
"It's only a detection spell," the magician reassured her. "If you are cursed, we'll know soon."
Diana wanted to tell her she wasn't cursed, thank you very much, but Bruce seemed insistent on finding out, so she reluctantly nodded her approval. The magician whispered a few words.
Nothing happened.
Zatanna hummed, said something else, and this time, a purple glow –very faint –wrapped her body. Diana stared at the magician expectantly. When the faint hue vanished, the woman was frowning.
"That's not good," she said out loud. "You are not cursed, but someone powerful put a spell on you. I suspect that's why you haven't been able to talk yet. See?" She made the same wave with her wand. The purple glow returned and something juggled Diana's memory. "You wouldn't remember crossing a witch or a wizard lately, wouldn't you?"
The question had been asked half-sarcastically, but Diana pondered over it for a moment. The name she thought she had dreamed up came back to mind. She hesitantly wrote down 'Circe?' on her pad. The name seemed to mean something to Zatanna, as the magician's jaw dropped low.
"Ho-shit! Seriously?" she blurted, stunned, and gave Diana another look. "Who are you?"
The amnesiac woman rolled her eyes.
'That's what I would like to know too!' she scribed angrily on the board.
"Who is Circe?" Bruce intervened promptly. Zatanna didn't bother glancing at him, too fascinated by Diana anyway.
"You read the Odyssey right? Powerful witch, semi-goddess old as time or something? There were rumors about her return on the network last month, but nothing certain yet," the magician said. She looked both intrigued and disappointed. "I doubt my magic is strong enough to go against hers…but I could trace her back to her hiding place."
Diana perked up. Bruce didn't look particularly thrilled.
"Can you find her without alerting her?"
Zatanna rubbed her hands in anticipation.
"I should be able to pinpoint a general location…if only to know if she is still on Earth or if she had fled to another dimension." She prepared her wand, pronounced:
'Ecric uoy era erehw'
At first, nothing happened. Then, the purple glow returned, slowly enveloped Diana's body again. She suddenly felt her throat tightening, as if invisible hands were squeezing hard. She choked, reached forward, but could find no hold. And then- Burning. She was burning. Dark flames were growing on her skin and attacking the purple glow from the inside. She tried to scream to no avail, her throat remained helplessly voiceless. She closed her eyes. The pain intensified, as if her body was the arena of a fierce battle between two opposites.
Her legs failed her and she stumbled down. She didn't hear Bruce shouting or Zatanna waving her wand. She only knew something was happening inside her, and it was choking her.
The pressure around her neck suddenly lifted. She took a huge gulp of air, coughing too fast.
"Diana!"
It took her a few seconds to realize Bruce was crouching next to her, one hand on her back, the other under her jaw, taking her pulse. She closed her eyes again, let his contact anchor her more in the present. When she opened them again, she saw the worry and the surprise on his face.
Probably because she was holding onto his shirt a little too tightly.
Diana felt her cheeks flush red and pulled away.
"Are you alright?"
She nodded, avoiding his gaze. His proximity hadn't bothered her the previous day; why would it now? Zatanna gasped, bringing her attention back on the other woman. The tip of her wand was waggling around, repeating the gesture she had done earlier again and again, but this time, without results.
"The curse is gone." She blurted, stunned. "I could have sworn –but –there's nothing left. That smoke –it ate the magic. Who the hell are you?"
Zatanna stared at Bruce at loss at what to do. Diana's shoulders slumped in defeat. Her curse might be gone, but so was the answer to the link between her and Circe. And now she had apparently dark smoke leaking from her body.
What on earth was going on?
