- Exodus -
England
- 1600 Years Ago -
The once-grand forests that flourished throughout the land were now burning, smoke blinds the night sky with ash falling upon the world. Across the grounds were an army of fallen knights that were made soot by the ashfall. They were covered in slashes and bled out, their blood mixing into one large river of red that drowns into the soil beneath them. Not too far off were their once trusted steeds that share the same fate as their owners.
Coming out of the shadows, a horse gallops along with the Knight that sits on its saddle, wearing silver amour, with their helmet to cover their face, and a blue cape that becomes wild with each gallop from the steed. The knight looks upon the pile of the deceased. He stations the horse and jumps down. He reaches to his side and unsheathes his sword, walking to the fallen. The sounds of reinforcements approach, along with the marching sound of the horses.
The lonely knight looks towards the new group that is comprised of seven other knights with six of them following behind the one in front. The leader had his face bare to see, showing him to have long brown hair that styled in a ponytail. He looks to the Knight that was on foot, "Sir Blüd, have thee come too late?" Vandal asks.
The knight removes his helmet, "thou are correct. Our foes have long since left, this is the only thing that they left...," Jason looks to the bloody corpses, "This battle has barely begun, yet the death that has cometh forth. It has been unholy."
"Unholy, thou say? " Vandal questions as he firms, "Thee are best left to stop looking down to hell and instead up to the heavens for answers. This is no work of a devil but of a god."
"Vandal, I fail to see the meaning behind the words that thee speak" Jason responds.
"People will willingly kneel before a cruel god than stand beside a kind devil, squire," Vandal looks up. Past the clouds and even the sky itself was a planet of fire, march larger than Earth. His eyes narrow, "Come. We may have lost today, but tomorrow is a new dawn. The war shall be ours. This planet will not fall, we must seek acquaintance with Merlin." Blüd mounts back onto his horse and rides with Vandal and the other knights as they head towards the castle in the distance.
[Present Day]
Gotham City
- Outside Wayne Tower -
The day was still very much young in the city, the sky is blue with clouds with the sun reaching out far over, giving the city a mild yellow tinge. The heat of the city became overbearing, along with the humidity made Gotham the victim of a heatwave. Birds chirp and flock over the Skyscrapers and the people were just as lively. They crowd around the tower, standing at its entrance and in front of a stage. Bruce stands positioned behind an acrylic lectern, Lucius stood behind him to the side. The crowd at the stage was no mass gathering, though a rough estimate would put their numbers into the hundreds. Selina, Lee and Harley were amongst the crowd. Jim Gordon, Harvey and several other G.C.P.D officers were also aspersed present, though they were outside the main gathering.
And lastly, several camera crews gawked around, like vultures. Every other second, Bruce either shut his eyes or looked away to avoid the flash of their cameras.
Bruce was suited up for the occasion, dressed in his best business suit, complemented by his father's watch and a dark blue tie around his collar with His hair being combed back, "As many of you know, years before I was born. My parents designed Project Skylight, a state of the art railroad system, meant to help low-income households with travel through and even out of the city. Unfortunately, the system was shut down after severe concerns for the safety of the citizens of Gotham was brought into the question. The influx of crime and murders around the area made it too dangerous to keep going."
"Psst" Selina hears the blonde standing next to her address her, "Psst, Selina?" the blonde repeats, this time being less discrete and draws eyes from the crowd. Harley was in her black and red sleeveless dress, with her stockings and heels. Her ice blond hair was loose and hangs down to her shoulders, the sides brushed behind her ears.
Selina was more conservative with her clothing, taking the surge in heat into account. She simply wears a black strapless top along with black leather pants, held up with a studded belt. She also wears black boots with studded bracelets on her right wrist, dark lips stick and eyeshadow. Selina slurps from the straw of her large plastic cup that houses the bubble gum slushy. She becomes more agitated with each time that the blonde try to her attention and there were many.
Her left eye twitches each time the blonde repeated the annoying gimmick, "What?" she whispers back with slight aggression, still looking ahead to the platform and Bruce.
"Can I have a sip of that slushy, please? I'm meltin' here," Harley whines, keeping her voice low yet keeping all of her overly hyper personality as she speaks.
"Not happening, blondie," she purposely moves the drink away from the other woman, "Buy your own. They're only like five bucks."
"B-but Bruce bought that for you," Harley sighs, rubbing the sweat from her brow, "I can literally feel my lips crusting."
"Hey, I offered to go halves with him on it, but what's $5 to a billionaire?," Selina cups her lips around the straw and sips, "Never thought I would be so grateful to have a brain freeze..."
Bruce sets his palms on top of the lectern, "After careful consideration and planning, Wayne Enterprise is proud to announce the reopening of Project Skylight. With our efforts, we hope to create a new form of affordable, accessible and most importantly safe travel, open to all Gothamites. This way, regardless of your class or needs, you will always have a way to travel when needed," he smiles. He slants his body forward, "Some details are still being worked out with city officials, but our goal is to get Project Skylight up and running by early next year..."
"Mr Wayne!" a voice calls out from the crowd.
Bruce pauses and looks to the direction of the voice and hears the same voice call his name once again. He hones in on the source and finds himself locked onto a familiar woman. Vicky Vale looks to him with an entourage of cameras backing her, "Vicky Vale. Mr Wayne... does this sudden interest in helping Gotham's low-income citizen really stem from a place of goodwill?"
"Miss Vale... please leave all questions until the end if you would kindly," Bruce requests.
"Or is this merely a false front to salvage your reputation to us Gothamites?" the reporter continues.
"I'm not quite sure of what to make of that?" Bruce honestly answers with an uneasy tone.
"It's simple, Mr Wayne. Given your past reluctance to aid the people of Gotham, it's reasonable to assume that this stunt is just an attempt for you to pander to the less fortunate Gothamites to make people drop all their criticism of you? To herald you as some sort of saviour? Or to just simple silence all of your critics," Vicky replies with a stern look that was aimed towards her target, "You have to admit that this is some interesting timing as the Gotham Gazette has recently made it their goal to inform the people of Gotham of your ineptitude towards the city's current political climate? Would you say that is a fair assertion?"
Bruce inhales, "You mean the same Gotham Gazette whose largest donors are Tony Zucco, Sofia Falcone and Roman Sionis? The same Gazette that fired that Knox guy for reporting on the internal corruption of its reporters...which you were among the ones being investigated?" he finishes, he then moves on to focus back on the crowd, however, the reporter wasn't calling it quits quite yet.
"You didn't refute or directly address my question. The alleged *corruption* of the gazette was debunked and was proven to have been a fabrication many times with even Alexander Knox admitting that there was no supporting evidence to back his claim," the reporter tells Bruce with disdain in her voice, "Do you want to give me a straight answer or do you want to wait and read tomorrow's issue of the Gazette to see my honest thoughts?"
"Oh, I won't...I'm subscribed to the Daily Planet," Bruce smiles back.
Selina and Harleen look at each other, "She's really gettin' heated up. She needs to cool off," chirped the blonde.
The dark-haired woman looks down to the slushy, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Meanwhile, Vicky is still rearing up at Bruce, "Well, I think I speak for everyone when I say that you lack the basic humility to lead such a project as the Skylight project. The fact that you have any influence in Gotham is greatly disturbing to me...," before she could continue. A cup hits her head from the side, splashing her face, hair and dress in a cold blue liquid mixed with ice. On contact, she squeals and retreats, "Who did that?! I'm calling the cops!" Selina and Harley fist bump and smirk, holding in their laughs.
"I don't care how hot it is, that was completely worth it," Selina covers her mouth to silence as she sneers.
Bruce clears his throat, "As I was saying, we envision the Skylight project to revolutionize public transport when it comes to both efficiency and safety. To achieve this, Wayne Enterprise has invested both its time and full financial support to ensure that it available for use as soon as possible. We look forward to sharing more with you about this project soon," then a hoarse string of squawks come from up high and the clouds, "Now if you would welcome Wayne's Industries R&D head: Lucius Fox. Any further questions regarding Skylight should be aimed at him as he can answer you far better than I could."
Then the squawks restart, lasting longer.
"What the hell is that?" Selina looks up the sky, holding her hands over her eyes and squints. She sees a blurred silhouette of a bird that was circling around the tower, "I'm not a bird watcher, but I doubt that's normal for a bird," she has her eyes follow the winged creature in its path, adjusting her hands to stay shielding her eyes from the sun. From her perspective, she sees the silhouette become larger, increasing in its size all until the shape of it started to resemble the body of a woman with long flowing hair.
Hearing the next squawk being even louder is when Selina realized that the figure wasn't growing size but was, in fact, coming closer, quickly torpedoing towards the crowd. From the stage, Bruce steps and aside and lets Lucius take a position at the lectern, "Thank you, Mr Wayne. I am at the head of the construction of the project, and will be more than happy to answer any and all questions that you might have."
From the crowd, several reporters begin to speak.
"Yes, you at the back," Lucius points.
"Frank Daulton from the Gotham Times: You said that the transport will be made with Gotham's low-income class in mind. What is your positioning on people with criminal records being allowed to use it? Will past convictions strip you of the right to use it even if you are in the same wealth class and need its service? What about ex-Arkham patients?"
"We are still ironing out the kinks, but we are in contact with the G.C.P.D and several other departments to decide on what approach we should take. As of now, having past misdemeanours will not disqualify you from the service, however, Felony charges will be taken into account and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis," Lucius answers, throwing his hand over his brow, "Regarding Ex-Arkham patients. If they have been confirmed to not be of risk, then they will not be impeded from using the transport."
At the side, Bruce's ears pick up the ear-destroying screech that was quickly falling upon them. He looks up and widens his gaze. A woman with long flowing marron hair, green eyes and black lips, wearing an armoured suit that has metallic wings, overly long sharp talons and spikes on its shoulders and up its torso. Silver Swan swoops down flies through the crowd in one quick-movement. She opens her mouth, almost dislodging it and screams.
An overbearing vibration of a sonic-like blast that's louder than a jet engine rears towards the stage and throws various people in the crowd to the ground. Within a split second, Bruce grabs Lucius and throws them off from the platform. The screech with the power of a hundred thunderstorms completely destroys the stage and only leaves rubble. While shielding Lucius under him, Bruce follows the path of Silver Swan and watches her glide up Wayne Tower and vanish upward through the blinding rays of the sun and the clouds.
Meanwhile
- Across Gotham, Gothcorp -
Cheetah perches upon the roof of the building, her messy bronze hair hangs down her back. Her pupils narrow into slits as she sees her partner return. Silver Swan descends down to be level with Cheetah, though she used her wings to hover in the air. Cheetah stands and creaks her neck back with a smirk, "Good work, Venessa. I'm surprised that you didn't screw up such a simple task," she looks at the back of her fingerless gloved hand, seeing her claws shine with the sun's rays, "I'm almost impressed...almost."
The redhead looks away and spits, "Keep making a mockery of our situation if that's what pleases you. Your childish ways do not change the truth of the bombs in our necks. I have other plans than getting my head exploded," she drifts closer to Cheetah.
Minerva gives a condescending laugh, "My dear... there's no need to worry. That little stunt should be enough for him to come for us..," she sharpens her claws, "And if not... I can also try, then he will see the true power of a *Catwoman*."
Silver Swan flicks her hair and holds the right side of her face in her palm, tapping her claws against her cheek, "That is...if you're right about that man being that creature from before."
"My nose does not lie," Cheetah cracks her knuckles, "I can still smell him from here.
- Gotham Clocktower -
"What are we doing here, Bruce?" Lee looks around the insides of the clocktower, same as Selina. Bruce and Lucius wander through the dark room, sheets covering all furniture and machinery. Lucius fixes his cufflinks and walks towards the front of the room, leading to the outside clock. Lee brushes her fingers against the railings and sees them be layered in dust. She rubs her thumb and index finger in disgust, "This place looks like no one has been up here in years, since this thing was rebuilt."
"Yeah, just being in here is making my lungs feel heavy..." Selina adds, "Why are we here anyway?"
"As you know, when the original Clocktower was destroyed by Jeremiah, the Wayne Foundation helped fund the reconstruction of it, of course, we may have quietly added a couple things that weren't exactly on the plans," Lucius removes the sheet from the main console.
Bruce heads up the stairs leading out to the clock, "I knew what I was getting myself into, I knew that it wasn't going to be easy. I know that there could be a high possibility that the Bunker could become inoperable, the cave would be too far away to use consistently..., I needed to have more alternatives," he turns to face the three as he holds the railings, "Computer - activate conversion, passcode: Dark Knight-01," Bruce says, the lights to the room turn on, though a cold blue.
The windows were concealed by metal plates that had glowing Bat symbols, the oversized monitor snaps on, gritting them with the same bat symbol on its screen "Dark Knight instalment complete, awaiting further commands." From the side of the room, a fake wall lowers into the ground, revealing a display chamber with a Batsuit.
Selina rolls her eyes, "Y'know, some people would think that you were paranoid..."
"Well, they'd be right," Bruce jumps down the stairs, hands on his hips, "First order of business, we are following on the amazons."
"Mr Wayne?" Lucius asks, "Why the sudden renewed interest in that?"
"Things seem to have settled down, for now, it's a good time as any to start looking into them. Plus, after that bird lady attacked me, I say it's fair to take it personally" Bruce makes his way to Lucius, "While I'm on that, I need you to check in on Project Watchtower, run a full diagnostic.
"Would love to, but I need to know what I am looking for," Lucius reaffirms, "Unless I search for specifics, the odds of finding what you are looking for could be slim to none."
"Hold on, just how do you plan on *following up* on those Amazons?," Lee inquires, "Didn't Blüd say that they have been in self-isolation for thousands of years? I doubt that they managed that because Them-o-scara was so easy to find..."
"Themyscira," Jason Blüd exits the elevator and joins them on the top floor, "When you first told me about this idiotic plan of yours, I thought that you were joking...but then I remembered, you don't have a sense of humour," he sets his messenger bag off to the side and looks to Bruce, "What you are planning is beyond foolish, beyond idiotic, beyond any conceivable lack of intelligence. Stepping on the island will open the possibility of war with the Amazons... and that's if you can even locate it!"
"War?" Selina joins Bruce as she keeps her eyes on Jason, "Why would they start a war over that...?"
Blüd yanks off his glasses and clenches his temple, "Men are forbidden to step on Themyscira. If one were to breach that rule, the Amazons could take it as an act of war. What you are doing, Bruce... could have consequences the likes of you cannot possibly comprehend!"
Bruce steps down to Blüd, "That's where you're wrong. The League has information on the Amazons, though vague... it's all that I need. They came to Gotham and killed five people. I can't let that slide," he heads towards the Bat-Computer, "We'll find it. We'll find Themyscira, we'll take as long as needed..."
"Good luck with that, mate," Blüd scoffs, " The island is hidden behind a magical barrier, invisible to man's eyes. Many have tried to find Themyscira throughout the ages, none have had any luck. It is impossible to find for the likes of us. I'm afraid that this ploy of yours will need to be short-lived..." Blüd unapologetically replies as puts his glasses back on, "Don't be too disappointed, Bruce. You would've just been killed if you got there anyway."
Lee takes a moment to think, "Hold on... food for thought, the Bat-Computer had trouble analysing their arrowheads because of the magic, right? Maybe..."
Blüd looks to Lee, "No. No, no, no. Don't give him any-"
Bruce turns to the Bat-Computer, "Maybe it will have the same interference with the island. We don't need to know the island is, just everywhere where it's not..."
Blüd throws his arms up in frustration, "Damnit! we are talking about inciting a bloody war! What part of that do you lot not get? Do you have any idea just how much blood will be shed!?"
Bruce walks to Jason, glaring at him "There's already been bloodshed. I'm going there and you cannot stop me, got that? If you are worried about them retaliating, then tell me how to be diplomatic. Be useful or get out, those are your options."
The auburn-haired man holds his hand over his mouth and slants his posture, "There's no stopping you. Fine! I'll help, but only because I don't want to start a bloody war," he points to Bruce, "You'll need an ambassador, one to speak for man's world, a woman who can prove her worth, a warrior."
"Fine. I'll go" Selena comes forward, "I might as well watch his back."
"Absolutely not," Blüd and Bruce say in unison.
"It's too dangerous," Bruce warns.
"Bruce is right...for a change. You do not possess the required talent or skill to survive their weakest warriors for if things get dicey there. You don't even have the training of the League of Shadows. Bruce will need a fighting chance. You will need that Al Ghul with you, Bruce," Blüd explains.
"Overly harsh," Selina pouts.
"But accurate," Jason grabs onto Bruce's arm, "I am imploring you to listen to me. For them to even begin to listen to you, you need to convince them that you are a warrior yourself. Your vigilantism won't fly there. If you are in a fight to the death, you need to kill them. You cannot let them see you as weak, as they will conflate your ways with the rest of man's world. If they figure you to be weak, then they may not be willing to hide from our world any longer…"
"...Well, we're doomed," Luscious pulls at his collar, "I'll g- get to- to work on Watchtower."
Selina looks to Lee, "Since I'm not needed here. I'm gonna head out. Barbara's probably still at the hospital..., see ya, Bruce..." she walks past with Lee following after her. Lee catches up to her and forces her to a stop.
"Selina?" Lee asks with concern, "I've been meaning to ask, has anything else developed about your-"
"I don't want to talk about there here," Selina leads Lee into the elevator.
Elsewhere
Themyscira
"Do you feel it? The sky, the sky is in pain...," An Amazon with long brunette hair asks, looking to the sky. She along with two other amazons ride long the shores beaches of the island on their horses. The hypnotic waves of the oceans and the distant sound of the wildlife went to great lengths to ease all concern. Ridding beside the brunette was a redheaded amazon, along with a woman with long raven hair, "I can feel it screaming, trying to warn us of what is to come" Phaedra worries.
The redhead woman scoffs, "Are you scared, Phaedra? Whatever disaster is near, the wrath shall be felt by man's world. The gods shall protect us, just as they always have."
Phaedra looks back to the Amazon, "I fear that you may be wrong, Artemis. My worry falls upon not the disaster, but the fallout of it. Mankind will not be prepared for when it happens," she tells Artemis who once again dismisses her concerns with a scoff and turns away, "I can feel it. I can feel the sky slowly burning. Is it not our duty to see to it that the world will not be destroyed?"
"Our duty is to our people. That's it," Artemis answers, "Have you forgotten what happened with Diana's last journey to man's world? We lost Orana and Antiope. We did not even have their bodies to lay to rest. I will not allow us to lose any more of our sisters to that wretched place," she looks ahead to the raven-haired amazon, "Even if I was to agree to such a foolish notion, just what would be your plan? To warn humanity of the threat? How are we supposed to do that without revealing ourselves to the world? We would be putting ourselves needlessly in danger?"
Phaedra looks away, "So we should just leave them to their deaths?"
"Correct. It is the Amazon way. We do not interfere with their world and they do not interfere with outs" the redhead amazon coldly replies, stopping when she sees the Amazon in front stop, "Diana?"
Diana creeks her neck and looks out to the ocean and as far as she could see, "The amazon way? I remember a time when those words would bring me comfort. But then...," she closes her eyes.
Artemis trots her horse towards Diana, "You're thinking of him again, aren't you? You're thinking of that man."
"How can I not?" Diana asks, "He is a part of the world that we shield ourselves from. He's a compassionate man, yet the Amazon way would have seen to his death if it wasn't for my mother listening to my pleas."
"Queen Hippolyta was wise to know that even the wrath of Zeus was nothing compared to the anger of her own blood," Artemis smirks, "She knew beheading the man would divide you and her. I could see how that could make for some awkward conversations."
"Perhaps Phaedra is valid in her concerns," Diana opens her eyes, "Man's world has changed. I saw it with my own eyes... maybe it is time for us to come out of hiding"
Gotham City
- Clocktower -
"We'll see each other again soon enough. But if you want answers, then go to the island of the gods. Your destiny awaits"
Bruce looks over Lucius' shoulder, watching him stationed at the Batcomputer, "Thankfully I managed to get the Batcomputer's systems back online. This way we can access the Wayne Enterprise's satellite and use it scan for the island. Though, I'm not quite sure how to tell if we find it, Mr Wayne." Bruce is dressed in a white shirt with a black denim jacket and dark jeans. He walks over to the side and grabs at a sling pack. He then begins to load it with gear.
"We're not looking for where Themyscira is. Just as Lee said, we need to know where it's not," the billionaire continues to fil the bag, "I looked at the reports of the Arrowheads that they used. When scanning them, they glitched the whole system. We just need to locate another glitch like that"
"So...do you wanna talk about it?" Lucius asks, taking his eyes away from the screen.
"Talk about what?" Bruce replies disinterestedly as he throws the sling bag over his shoulder.
"About those two samples that you gave me to test. Are you ever going to tell me who they belonged to? You seem to be more on edge ever since I confirmed that they were related."
"No" Bruce looks down and checks his watch "Keep at it and alert me if anything comes up," he puts on a cap and heads towards the exit, "I mean it, Lucius. I want to know the very moment when you find it."
"Where are you going?" Lucius inquires.
"Blüd said that I need to have a woman with me that can both hold her own against them and to speak for Man's world. My options are limited, but I know someone who fits those requirements…my ex," Bruce enters the elevator and folds his arms, "I arranged a meeting for us. It's more secure to tell her about this in person than over the phone," Bruce press the button "So I'm meeting her for dinner."
Lucius chuckles and covers his mouth, "You are a Dearing man, Bruce. And a dead one too if Selina finds out."
"It's just a business dinner."
"*Business dinner*?, You haven't even taken Selina out to regular dinner yet..." Lucius asks sceptically.
Bruce shrugs with a half-smile, "I get it. My love life is screwed. Alfred's already beat you to it" the doors close on him.
"That man has to be really brave or really dumb...," Lucius turns back to the Batcomputer, "Or a glutton for punishment...maybe even all three."
- Later -
Gotham Royal Hotel
- Dinning Hall -
Bruce is seated at the very end of the hall, keeping his head low and rests his right arm on the table. He gives a quick look to his watch, looking back to the ground after. Moments later, he looks back up and sees Talia sauntering towards him, rocking her hips with each step. Her brunette hair was loose and moves each time she moves, she wears a black tube dress that comes down to her thighs with her legs and arms bare. She looks to Bruce, making eye contact with a smile.
Bruce waits for her to become seated before speaking up, "I thought that we talked about being subtle, Tal."
Talia whips her hair and forms a wide smirk, "You talked. I ignored. Now what do you want, Bruce?"
"*Bruce*?" the billionaire shivers at the venom laced in her voice, "You never call me by that..."
"And you never called me, ever...even after I thought that you were dead," Talia bites her lip, "Then you go and fight Deathstroke without even asking for my help. Instead, you rely on Selina whose combat experience isn't even comparable to mind. You and I could have sterilized the threat far sooner."
"That wasn't your fight, Tal. Selina needed to do it, it was her mother's life on the line."
"And in the process, you needlessly endangered your life several times just to prove a point. You almost got yourself killed over someone as unimportant as that girl's mother."
"*Unimportant*?" Bruce rolls his eyes and sits back, "Who are you to decide who's important?"
"And who are you to throw away your life so recklessly? If Slade killed you, thousands of people would have died. You put the lives of everyone who you will save at risk, all for some petty thief. Just to prove a point to Selina...which I hear was a waste of time," Talia lifts her eyebrows and scoots closer, "Nothing can stand between you and your destiny to defend this city. To jeopardize that so willingly shows me that you are not ready to accept your mission."
Bruce looks her in the eye, "I put my life on the line every day, what makes what I did for Maria Kyle any different?"
"That's a difference between going after purse-snatchers, lunatics and even those who have advanced human capabilities than going after members of the League of Shadows," the woman answers with a harsh gaze. She lays her hand over Bruce's, "You are not ready for that. They can kill you and they will if you start being more trouble than your worth. You got lucky with Slade, but the other members of the League can still come for you, and once news gets to them about your match with Deathstroke...I fear that maybe sooner than we think..."
"Talia...I...," Bruce interlocks his fingers with the woman and smiles, "I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere...but...I do need your help with something. I can't do it without you."
"So I've been told. Just what idiotic plan do you have this time?"
Bruce sits back and cracks his knuckles, "I am going to Themyscira, and I need you to come with me. Blüd said that I'll need to have an ambassador with me that is a warrior who can hold her own against the amazons otherwise I can look forward to being swish kabob as soon as I step foot on that island." Bruce hangs his arms back, "It will be a great time. Tropical islands are awesome at this time of year. We can catch the waves, get some soon and fight for our lives...just like the old days..."
"Pray tell, just what business do you have on that island?"
"I met this woman-"
"Of course you did..."
"I'm serious" Bruce leans closer to Talia, "Last week, an Amazon came to this city, along with a cheetah-lady and one dressed in amour that could fly. The main one was called Diana. She must have come to this city for a reason...and I need to find out what that is."
"One in an armour that could fly? Was that the one who attacked you earlier today? The one with that sonic scream?," Talia sees Bruce confirm her suspicions with a nod, "Aren't you worried that they may attack this city again once you leave?" she smiles, curving her leg.
"Venessa...the flying one. She could have killed a lot of people then, but only attacked me, everyone else was unimportant to her. I think that it was a warning shot. Otherwise, everyone who was in that crowd would be dead. I think that they were trying to get my attention, trying to tell me something. If that wasn't the case, they would've attacked again by now."
"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Talia asks as she blows strands of her hair out of her eye, "I trust that Blüd warned you of the risks. The consequences that this could have... A man stepping foot on Themyscira could bring about a crisis."
"Have you looked outside recently?" Bruce smiles, "What's one more crisis going to do?"
"Well I suppose... if I look past the likelihood of our deaths, a tropical island does seem...romantic," she tilts her neck and rests her hand over Bruce's, "I'm guessing that I won't be needing my bathing suit."
Bruce takes out his ringing phone, "Just the sunblock," he answers the call "Really? We're on our way..." he stands and looks down to Talia, "We're officially in business." They walk together as they leave, catching the eye of Vicky Vale who was seated near the entrance with several of her co-workers. She takes out her camera and takes pictures of the leaving duo. As Bruce and Talia walk out onto the street, their hands brush against each other as they smile, an image that Vicky managed to capture.
Gotham City
- Clocktower -
"I used the company's satellite to scan the globe over, narrowing it down with time. Lee was on the money when she said that we could rely on the interference as those arrowheads to find it," Lucius informs Bruce and Talia as they look at the screen, "Every time the same spot glitched our network. The exact same spot, Blüd told us that the enchantment was made way before technology would have been considered and here we are," his eyes focus on the map of the Terme River with a portion being distorted, "We just found Themyscira."
"The island of the gods...," Bruce examines the map.
"Just what do you plan to find there?" Lucius inquires.
"...An old friend..." Bruce turns to Talia, "We're heading out now."
Talia pulls up the zipper of her catsuit to her bust and pulls at her fingerless gloves, "I'm the one waiting on you, dear. Suit up already," she eyes over to the Batsuit in the chamber, "What's the hold-up?" she sees Bruce walk towards the chamber and detaches the utility belt from the Batsuit. Bruce throws it around his shoulders and looks back to her.
"From what Blüd told me. The Amazons are a very superstitious group, I doubt a bat-creature running about the island will do us any favours," he walks back over to the woman, grabbing his sling pack on the way, "And Bruce Wayne could have more bargaining power than Batman. I might be able to coax a deal if things get heated"
"So what's the plan?" Talia asks as she folds her arms, "We going in swinging?"
"No," Bruce looks back to the Bat-Computer, "We're doing reconnaissance," he points at the screen, "We arrive here and part there. We can't go risking conflict so quickly. You'll go north to the island, and I'll go south. I'll wash up on the shore and pretend to be shipwrecked. That should get all their attention on me and should give you time to explore the island."
"And how do you plan on not getting *swish kabob'ed* while I'm on reconnaissance? I won't exactly be there to help you if they decide to skew you" Talia asks with curiosity, sliding her hands down onto her hips "Please tell me that you at least thought of that?"
"I'm Bruce Wayne" the man smirks.
"Yeah...I know...that is your name" she replies with a strained breath.
"No" Bruce points at himself, "I'm Bruce Wayne. Gotham's greatest son, and one of America's most prevalent figures. People would come searching for me, coming to my last known location...that is attention that the Amazons wouldn't want. Killing me wouldn't fare any better as they could cause an international incident, even a war. Another thing that they wouldn't want," Bruce explains as he walks closer to Talia, "No matter what they do, they will have their hands tied unless they let me live. It's perfect."
"*Perfect*" Talia holds her hands on Bruce's shoulders, "That is if they decide to listen to a single word that you say before they kill you. What if they want war with Man's world? You would be giving them the perfect bargaining chip to use. With their strength, they can snap you like a twig, beloved. There are so many variables, so many ways that you can get yourself killed."
Bruce holds his hand out and touches the woman's cheek, "You can trust me with this. You're the best person that I can have with me on this mission. I promise that we'll be fine. I'll have you by my side."
Talia grabs the man's hand and pushes it away from her face, "If any of them even touch a hair on your head...I'm going to kill them. And if they hurt you...I'm going to slaughter them all, understood?"
"Okay... maybe dial back the viciousness. C'mon, we need to leave..."
"Maybe you should crank up your self-preservation. You're starting to make me believe that you have a death wish," she slides her sword into her holster, "And once again, I was the one who was waiting on you. Now move it before I decide to kill you myself to spare myself the headache."
"Haha, very funny...," Bruce grabs the strap of his sling bag and marches towards the elevator, "We're travelling by my private jet. Hope that you aren't afraid of heights..."
Lucius sees the glare coming from Talia, "You weren't joking there, were you?"
"Still deciding on that" Talia follows after Bruce, jointing him in the elevator, avoiding eye contact, "And no. I am not afraid of heights."
"You need to lighten up, Tal" Bruce taps the button to the lower floors, the doors begin to close on them with Talia looking to him.
"My weight's fine. And you weren't complaining when I was sitting on your face," she spouts a triumphant smirk as she sees Bruce turn away with his cheeks becoming red.
"...That's not what I meant..." Bruce sighs, still avoiding looking at her.
"I know. It's just so much fun to see you squirm. Plus...that was a fond memory. You may not be the most elegant of speakers, but you boast an entirely different oral talent," she folds her arms and relishes in Bruce's new-found shyness, "Don't worry, Bruce. That is nothing to be ashamed of...quite the opposite actually..."
"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" Bruce rubs his eyelids.
"I know that I'm not" Talia leans against the back wall.