Chapter 3

Watchtower (MU)

Superman looked around the table at the Founders gathered for the meeting that he didn't want to have at all. His eyes fell on the empty chair to his left, the one that belonged to Diana. The dispirited chatter of his four teammates was quickly drowned out by the anguish that gripped him with the loss of his best friend.

He swallowed hard as tears formed behind his eyes, refusing to allow them to fall. He missed her greatly, the thought that he was never going to see her again more than he could bear to think about. He knew that Bruce refused to believe that she was gone, but he was going to have to face that fact sooner or later whether he liked it or not.

He was worried about how Bruce was going to handle her death once he finally came to that realization. He feared that his friend would never recover from the devastating loss, knowing how difficult it was for him to deal with death since the loss of his parents.

The Man of Steel's eyes drifted to Batman's empty chair, knowing that he would not make an appearance at the meeting today especially with the difficult discussion that they were going to have. He honestly hoped that Bruce found her, but he feared there was nothing to be found.

Once the meeting was over, he was going to visit Bruce to let him know what had been decided by the Founders. He would have liked to have had Bruce's input on the decision, but they were going to have to try to make it without him.

"All right, everyone," Superman finally said, getting his teammates' attention. "We should begin. You know why I called all of you here this afternoon. I hope that you've all had a chance to consider our options."

"Do we really have to do this right now?" Flash asked with a dark scowl, his typical jovial manner missing. "It's not even been a week yet!"

"I'm afraid so, Wally," Clark gently replied. "I know this is very difficult for all of us, but it's a decision that we need to make."

"I just wish that we could wait for a few months…maybe see what Bats is able to find," Flash tried again, his forearms on the conference table, his chin resting on his crossed arms.

John put his hand on Wally's shoulder, squeezing it affectionately. "I know it's been rough, but we gotta move forward on this."

"There is no telling what Gorilla Grodd is planning," J'onn added. "We need to move swiftly to replace Diana, so we are prepared when he strikes again."

"Do you think he can get another gun built that quickly?" Shayera asked. "Superman destroyed his other one. I imagine it could take a while to build a new one."

"Unless he already has more ready to use on us," John said.

Shayera shuddered with the thought, wrapping her arms around herself. "He could take us out one by one," she softly murmured.

"We need to be extra vigilant when we go anywhere," Clark sternly stated, his intent gaze meeting every single teammate's eyes. "I don't care if it's a trip to the grocery store. We have to be hyper aware of our surroundings because it could come out of nowhere."

"So, what do we do?" Flash questioned him, sitting up in his chair. "Stay in hiding?"

"We can't do that," Clark adamantly replied. "The world still needs the Justice League."

"But if we're being hunted, then there isn't going to be any of us around to save the world," Flash argued.

"We can't think like that," J'onn told him. "There are risks every time we go out on a mission. This is no different."

"It is different!" Flash yelled as he bolted to his feet. "Diana is dead and she's never coming back."

Tense silence filled the room as everyone sat there, no one making eye contact with anyone. The truth of the matter was that Flash was right. Diana wasn't coming back, and they had no way of knowing which one of them could be next. It was terrifying and yet they all knew they had to carry on despite the dangers.

"Wally…" Clark began, his voice trailing off.

Flash took off in a blur, exiting the conference room without a word. John stood to his feet, prepared to go after him. "Don't, John," Clark softly said. "Let him be. We're all struggling with Diana's death. It's going take some time."

John retook his seat, sighing heavily. "This sucks," he grumbled under his breath.

"I'll take nominations for who should take Diana's place," Clark announced, steeling himself against the grief that consumed him. "I'll call another meeting in a few days so we can vote on her replacement."

"I can't do this," Shayera murmured as she got up, racing out of the room.

J'onn, John, and Clark sat in silence, each staring at the conference table for several long moments. "I was going to see if Donna would be able to take Diana's things from her quarters, but maybe it would be best if we just left it for a while," Clark said.

"I think it might be prudent to wait to see what Batman is able to learn," J'onn voiced his opinion.

"You don't believe she's dead?" John asked, finally looking up.

"I am unable to find any trace of Diana," J'onn confessed, his eyes glowing brightly. "Therefore, I have to assume that she has passed away. At the same time, I have learned long ago to never bet against Diana or Batman for that matter. If there is any possibility that Diana might still be alive somewhere, Batman will find her and bring her home."

"I hope you're right," John muttered with a disheartened sigh.

"I hope so too, but until that happens, we must find a replacement for her no matter how difficult it is," Clark insisted. "Grodd and the Secret Society isn't going to sit back and rest in the fact that they have eliminated Wonder Woman. They're going to be gunning for all the Founders now."

"And then the rest of the League," John added.

"Until there is none of us left," J'onn finished.

Batcave (MU)

Bruce carefully reviewed the information that he'd been able to gather so far on Diana's disappearance. That's what he was calling it—a disappearance. Any other description was not suitable in his mind or acceptable. He was somewhat surprised by the amount of information that he had actually been able to gather so far. It was somewhat encouraging, giving him hope that she was still alive.

The problem was where was she and how was he going to bring her home.

He decided that he would worry about that later, tackling one problem at a time. First, he had to prove that she was even alive. Memorials were taking place all over the world, honoring the Amazon warrior who had given her life for the good of mankind.

He couldn't help wondering where she was at that moment. What was she doing? Was she trying to find her way back to them or was she injured and unable to search for a passageway home? Did she think about him, wondering if he was looking for her?

He wished that he could send her some sort of message, letting her know that he was doing everything that he could to find her and bring her back where she belonged. The problem was that she wasn't even in their universe as far as he knew.

His eyes fell closed as his rubbed his forehead. His paranoid mind began taking him places that he knew he couldn't allow himself to go. Lingering in those dark places could cause him to plummet into a downward spiral that he might never escape from. Diana needed him at his best right now and he wasn't going to fail her.

"Any luck?"

Bruce didn't bother turning around as he responded. "Some."

"That doesn't exactly sound very encouraging."

"It's more than I had yesterday," he retorted as he began typing.

"You really believe she's alive, don't you?" Damian said.

"Until I have solid evidence proving otherwise, Diana is still alive and I'm going to find her," he stated with a conviction he felt bone deep.

"Anything I can do to help?" his son asked, resting his forearm on the back of his father's chair as he took a bite of his apple.

"Did you get your homework done?"

"An hour ago," he replied.

"I want you to practice your Hapkido," he told him.

"I practiced it yesterday," he argued.

"Do it again."

"I'd rather help you," he countered.

"I'm doing this myself," he flatly stated.

"You know you might get further if you had some help," Damian groused.

"I have help," Bruce revealed.

"Who is it?" his son demanded to know.

Zatanna appeared in the Batcave at that moment, removing her top hat before sinking into a chair on the platform with an audible, weary sigh. The expression on her face did absolutely nothing to alleviate the tension and worry teeming inside of Bruce since the moment Diana vanished.

"So, because I don't have magic, I can't help you?" Damian asked, throwing his hands up. "I'm going to work on my Hapkido. Call me if you decide you want my help."

Bruce watched as Damian left, turning his attention back to Zatanna. "No luck?"

"I've tried everything that I can think of, Bruce," she replied, tilting her head back against the head rest. "There is just no sign of her anywhere in this known universe. I've searched everywhere and there's just nothing."

Bruce released a huff of frustration. "That's what I thought."

Zatanna lifted her head to give him an incredulous glare. "You knew she wasn't here?" she nearly cried. "I've been killing myself for the last four days searching for her and you knew she was gone?"

"Let's just say that I had my suspicions, but I needed confirmation," he told her. "You did that for me."

"Bruce Wayne," she bit out. "I should turn you into the jackass you are and deposit you on an uninhabited planet to live out the remainder of your days."

"I needed confirmation that Diana wasn't transported to another part of the universe," he attempted to explain. "By not finding any trace of her, I know that she has been most likely transported to another universe."

Zatanna's eyes narrowed as she stared him down. "Bruce, don't you think that it might be time to consider the notion that Diana is dead…that the reason I can't find any trace of her is because she was obliterated by Grodd's weapon? I mean it's been almost a week."

"Diana is not dead," Bruce adamantly stated. "You can all believe that if you want, but she is alive and I'm going to find her."

Zatanna stood to her feet, walking over to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her features softening some with understanding. "Bruce, I know this is hard for you, but at some point, you're going to have to accept the fact that Diana isn't coming back."

Bruce momentarily closed his eyes, digging deep to find the patience that he'd been rapidly running out of the last few days. Zatanna didn't deserve the anger that had been building inside of him since Diana went missing. She was one of his oldest friends and she was only trying to help him.

"I know she's alive, Zatanna," he firmly stated. "It's not a matter of me refusing to accept death. It's about finding Diana and bringing her home where she belongs."

Zatanna tilted her head thoughtfully as she studied him. "You're in love with her," she replied.

"I am," he confessed without hesitation, surprising both himself and her. "And when she returns, I'm going to tell her."

"Wow…I'm so glad that you're finally admitting it," she said with a look of shock, taking her seat again. "You've been in love with her for what? Four years now? I just wish it hadn't taken something like this for you to finally acknowledge it."

"Don't you think I know that?" he sarcastically responded. "I should have done something about it years ago, but I didn't. Now, I've got to find her so I can get her back."

"What's your proof that she's even alive?" she asked.

"I found a strange signature on Diana's lasso," he revealed. "I've been running tests on it and I think it proves that Diana was transported to another universe instead of killed by Grodd."

"Well, you better find Grodd before he starts transporting the entire League out of this universe or there won't be any of us left to bring the League home," she told him.

"I'm trying to work on that too."

"Any luck?"

"None," he informed her. "He went underground with his Secret Society. He's probably creating a new gun like the one Superman destroyed."

"It'll only be a matter of time before he resurfaces with a new weapon and there's no telling what that one will do," she pointed out. "The next weapon just might wipe us all out permanently."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he confessed.

"Well, let me know if there's anything else I can do to help you," Zee said, standing to her feet once more.

"Thanks, Zee," he replied, rubbing his eyes in an effort to diminish the headache that refused to leave him.

"Bruce, when's the last time that you actually slept?"

"I slept this morning when I got back from patrol."

"How long?"

"A couple of hours."

"That is not long enough," she insisted. "You need to get more sleep. You look terrible."

"Thanks, but I'll sleep when Diana is safely back."

"You're the most stubborn man on the planet."

"I've been called much worse," he flatly stated, noticing he had an incoming message from his counterpart. He was more than anxious to talk to him to see what he had discovered.

"I give up," she replied. "See you later."

Zatanna disappeared from sight as Bruce hit the button to accept the incoming call from another dimension. "What did you find?" Bruce demanded to know without a formal greeting.

"Hello to you too," his doppelgänger replied. "Right to the point just like I'd be if I were in your situation."

"Which is why I'm going to ask again," he stonily responded. "What did you find?"

"I reviewed all of your test results and reran them myself," Lord Batman told him.

"And?"

"You're right," he told him. "Your Diana is still alive."

Wayne Manor (AU)

Bruce Wayne entered the manor, tossing his briefcase onto a nearby chair before making his way towards the kitchen. He began loosening his tie as he entered to find Alfred already beginning the task of preparing dinner.

"You're home early," Alfred noted with a slight twitch of his lips.

Bruce ignored the teasing look on his British butler's face. "My meeting finished early," he claimed as he picked up the mail. "Where's Diana?"

"She is in the cave on the computer," Alfred revealed. "She's been down there most of the day."

Bruce frowned with the news. "She's working too hard," he readily decided. "She needs to get outside."

"She's trying to find a way home," Alfred gently pointed out, knowing that wasn't what his surrogate son wanted to hear. "I know she's been here for almost two months and it feels like she belongs here, but this isn't truly her home."

"I know," he softly said. "It's just…hard. I like having her here."

"We all do," Alfred agreed. "Master Richard seems to have taken a shining to her."

Bruce scowled as he tossed the mail aside. "Dick takes a shining to every female he meets. He chases anything in a skirt. Has he even seen Barbara since returning home?"

"I believe they met for lunch today," he informed him.

"I can only imagine how that went," Bruce said with a roll of his eyes. "Should we take bets as to whether he returns with a black eye or not?"

"No black eye," Dick announced as he entered the kitchen with a grin on his face.

"So, where did she hit you?" Bruce asked, folding his arms against his chest.

"Barbara didn't hit me," Dick informed him with a smug expression. "In fact, she was very happy to see me."

"You're such an ass," Bruce grumbled under his breath.

"Where's Diana?" Dick asked, looking around.

"She's down in the cave working on finding a way home," his brother replied.

Dick smirked at him. "You're not too excited about helping her get home," he goaded him.

"Of course, I want to help her get back home," Bruce insisted as he removed his suit jacket and tie. "I'm just not sure how to do it. I don't know how to build a time machine."

"You built all those other contraptions downstairs," Dick pointed out. "I'm sure you could figure out how to build a machine to help her get home."

"Dick, do you have any idea about the science behind such a concept?" Bruce demanded to know. "Even if I could build something like that, what's to say that I don't obliterate all her molecules and kill her? Or what if I transport her into a mountain or the middle of the ocean? I won't be responsible for hurting her."

Dick laughed as he shared a knowing look with Alfred. "All right…all right," he said, holding up his hands. "I just thought you might be able to help her."

Bruce shook his head in overt agitation. "I'm just not smart enough," he said. "She needs someone smarter than me."

"Hey, you'll figure it out," Dick assured him, clapping him on the back. "Even if you don't want her to leave."

"You don't want her to leave either," Bruce countered with a frown.

"Yah, but she doesn't look at me the way she looks at you," Dick told him.

Bruce's head snapped to the side, staring at Dick in stunned disbelief. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Am I lying, Alfred?" Dick asked, looking for help.

"Please, do not drag me into this conversation," Alfred said, "but if I had to give an opinion, I'd have to agree with Master Richard."

"You two don't know what you're talking about," Bruce stated, wanting desperately to believe them, but knowing that loving her would be a mistake.

Then, why did his heart leap every time he even thought about her let alone saw her?

XXX

Diana sat before Bruce's computer system in the cave beneath the manor. Her chin was cupped in her hand as she searched the web for any information about time travel or transportation between dimensions. She'd been doing this same search for two months now, jotting down notes and hoping to uncover something that would help her return home. She'd been able to accumulate quite a bit of information and knowledge that could help, but she really needed someone who knew how to build a machine to take her home.

The first week of being in this new universe had been rather lonely, leaving her feeling lost and isolated. Since finding Bruce, Alfred, and Dick, she felt a sense of much-needed comfort and familiarity that she'd desperately needed. Even though they weren't the same trio that she had left behind, they were similar enough to help anchor her and help her to focus on the need to find a way back to her universe.

She frowned as she reached for her tea, finding her cup empty. She hated to stop now to get more tea. She'd discovered a newly published article by Dr. Emil Hamilton. She knew Dr. Hamilton was a close friend of Superman's in her dimension, but she had no idea which side he was on in this universe since he ended up betraying Kal in her world.

Right now, she was trying to lay low and remain inconspicuous. Even though Bruce didn't know of Wonder Woman or Diana from Themyscira, it didn't mean that her doppelgänger wasn't still out there somewhere, hiding in anonymity.

She didn't want to create a firestorm with her appearance in this universe, letting the whole world know that she's not supposed to be here. That's why she hadn't allowed Bruce to contact the Justice Association to see if they could help get her back home yet.

Despite the Justice Association being the equivalent of her League, she wasn't certain who she could trust and who she couldn't. Losing her powers added another degree of difficulty. Plus, she didn't have her lasso any longer, making her wonder who had it right now.

With any luck, her Bruce had her golden lasso and was keeping it safe for her. Thinking of him brought a sense of comfort and warmth to her heart. She wondered if he was looking for her. She knew if he thought for one moment that she was still alive, he wouldn't stop trying to find her. The thought brought a smile to her face that turned into a frown as memories of their heated argument rose in her mind.

She's asked him to go to charity event with her just before their fight with the Secret Society, but Bruce had flatly denied her for no good reason other than he had been in a horrible mood. It had turned into a rather nasty fight, one that she regretted. Still, the hurtful words that he'd said to her stung even now.

Diana felt an unexpected guilt drift over her thinking of her Bruce. Conflict rose up from somewhere deep within her as she thought about the two Bruce's in her life. She'd already been in love with Batman long before being transported to this dimension. Now, she found herself beginning to fall in love with this Bruce too.

It hadn't been awfully hard to do. They were alike in so many ways and yet there was enough of a difference between them that she knew they were two very distinct people. She leaned forward, holding her head in her hands as her elbows came to rest on the desk. She couldn't believe that she had allowed this to happen.

How did she let herself fall for two men?

She knew she was going to have to tap deep into her self-control when it came to Bruce, not allowing herself to get involved with him. She felt a profound sorrow bloom in her chest with the thought. What if she never made it back to her world? What would she do then?

Diana ran her fingers back through her raven hair, feeling the conflict growing stronger within her. She missed her home and yet this was beginning to feel like home to her. Should she give up and just accept that this was her home now or should she continue to fight to get back to her world and her Bruce despite the fact he didn't want her?

Everything inside of her screamed at her to fight. It was innate, born deep inside of her to never give up. At the same time, she felt a sense of peace here and she knew the reason why.

"How's it going down here?"

Just the sound of his voice caused butterfly wings to erupt in the pit of her stomach. It's rich, baritone sound had always had an effect on her, but it seemed stronger now for some reason. She tamped down on her desire, knowing that she couldn't allow herself to give in to what she'd wanted for so long now.

"I think I may have found something," she replied, forcing a smile to her face.

"Great," Bruce replied while a disheartened sigh rose in his throat. "What did you find?"

"It's an article that was just published yesterday by Dr. Emil Hamilton," she revealed, not looking up at him for fear of giving away her growing feelings for him. "It's about teleportation between dimensions."

"Was he able to build an actual teleportation machine?" he asked, settling into the chair next to her.

"Ah…it doesn't look like it so far," she revealed, biting at her bottom lip. "It looks like he is only theorizing the concept."

"Maybe we'll have to contact him to see if he can help you," he softly said with a sidelong glance.

The glow of the computer screens on her face only seemed to add to her beauty. He quickly shoved that thought aside to focus on the problem at hand. It was more than difficult being this close to her and not kiss her or hold her in his arms.

"What is your Dr. Emil Hamilton like?" she asked him. "Do you know him at all?"

"I know Dr. Hamilton," Bruce confirmed with a nod of his head. "He's an exceptionally good man, very kindhearted. His work has been very well received and praised."

"I might do some research on him before we contact him just to be sure," she replied with a frown.

"What is he like in your world?"

"He is a close friend of Superman and a highly respected scientist," she explained. "Unfortunately, he ended up betraying Superman."

"I can make some phone calls for you…see what I can find out," he offered.

"That's sweet of you, Bruce, but you've already done so much for me," she said with a shake of her head, hooking a curly lock of hair behind her ear. "You need to focus on your own life, not my dilemma."

"Hey, we're in this together now," he assured her, taking her hand in his. "I'm not going to abandon you or let you give up hope."

She smiled softly at him, enjoying the warmth of his touch far more than she should. "I appreciate that, but you're going to want to move on with your life. There has to be special someone you want to take out on a date or friends you want to meet up with."

"Not really…although, there is something that I was going to ask of you," he told her, trying to ignore the nervous flutter inside of him.

"What is it?"

"There's this charity event next month that I need to attend," he began. "I was hoping you'd consider going with me."

Diana tried to keep her heart from beating out of her chest as she gazed into his eyes full of such hope. She knew that she couldn't go out with him. Reporters would be swarming all over the event, anxious to get pictures of Bruce and whoever he brought as his date. She needed to lay low…stay anonymous. She also shouldn't be going out on a date with him.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," she hesitantly replied. "I'm trying to stay out of sight. I don't want to stir up any unwanted attention that could cause you trouble."

"You're not going to cause me trouble, Diana," he reassured her. "Besides, it's a closed event. Reporters are not allowed to be there."

She drew a deep breath as she tried to think up another excuse as to why she shouldn't go out with him, but she found her will-power wavering as she lost herself in the azure eyes that stared back at her. "I'll think about it," she lamely said.

"Please, don't make me go by myself," he pleaded with her. "I hate these events, but I'm expected to go because of who I am."

"Can't you make Dick go in your place?" she asked.

"He'll be there too," he revealed. "It's an event that honors a charity that my mother created."

"What is the charity?"

"It's support for underprivileged kids to assist them in paying for their college tuition," he explained. "It's something that was near and dear to my mother's heart."

"I'll attend the charity event with you," she told him.

"Really?" he asked, clearly excited.

"Yes," she confirmed. "You've already done so much for me and it's obviously something that means a lot to you. I want to do something for you in return."

"Thank you, Diana," he replied. "I don't want you to feel obligated in anyway. I want you to come with me because you want to, not because you feel you owe me for anything."

"I do want to go with you, Bruce," she confessed. "It'll be nice to see what your Gotham looks like compared to mine."

"Well, you need to get out a little bit," he told her with a disapproving frown. "You can't be spending all your time down here in this cave. It's really depressing."

Diana chuckled softly, remembering how many times she'd told her Bruce that very same thing. He would just brush her off, telling her that he was fine even though she knew that was the furthest thing from the truth. Now, this Bruce was telling her the very same thing. It was ironic how the tables had turned.

"I'm okay," she claimed. "I've just been busy trying to find a way back to my world."

"Will you let me contact the Justice Association now?"

"Let me think about it," she relented. "Perhaps your Cyborg and Mister Terrific could help me figure something out."

"We'll never know unless we try."

"I know, but I want to see what else I can find myself."

"Fine," he replied, taking her by the hand as he switched off the computer screens. "You're coming upstairs now."

Diana allowed him to pull her up to her feet despite her desire to keep working. She had to admit she was really tired after spending the whole day down here. "What are you doing?" she asked as he led her to the stairs.

"Getting you out of here," he informed her. "You need some sunlight and fresh air. Go upstairs and put your swimsuit on."

"Are you ordering an Amazon?" she questioned him as they entered the manor. "You know that can be very dangerous."

"I like to live dangerously," he told her with a grin. "I'll meet you outside in a few minutes."

They both made their way to their respective bedrooms, changing quickly and meeting downstairs. She found him already sitting in the hot tub waiting for her. "Come on in, princess," he called to her. "The water is fine."

Diana knew this wasn't a good idea, but she got into the hot tub anyway, trying not to notice the way that he was looking at her. He looked at her the exact same way that her Bruce looked at her, making her feel as though she was the most treasured woman in the world.

She sat down across from him much to his dismay, but it gave him the perfect view of her. She tilted her head back as her eyes fell closed, allowing the stress and frustration to seep from her body. As he watched her, he decided that he wanted to take care of her forever if she'd let him.

He swallowed hard, knowing that he was going to have to let her go sooner or later. He couldn't force her to stay where she didn't belong despite how perfect and absolutely right that her being here felt to him. It felt as if this was where she was meant to be…here with him.

He couldn't help wondering if maybe this accident wasn't truly an accident. Maybe it was fate that had brought them together. Maybe this was where she was meant to be all along. He wanted that to be true more than he had ever wanted anything in his life save for getting his parents back.

"This feels amazing," she murmured, peering at him through partially opened eyes.

He looked incredibly handsome sitting across from her. The heat of the hot tub warred with the heat of being this close to him partially dressed. It was more than difficult to focus on other things with him sitting right there, his legs stretched out beside her.

"I thought it might help you relax a little," Bruce replied.

Diana drew her leg up, accidently sliding along the length of Bruce's. He gasped with the unexpected, but not unwanted contact. "Sorry," she murmured.

"Don't be," he replied with a piercing look that struck like an arrow straight to her heart.

His choice of words was not lost on her, reminding her of a Thanagarian invasion and an Indian restaurant…a kiss that had been too long in coming and far too short. It was one that she had wanted to experience again, but Bruce had been so hesitant to pursue a relationship with her.

She understood his fears and his worries, but at the same time, she was running out patience. She wasn't going to wait around for him to get past his demons forever. She may be immortal, but he was not and the lives that they led did not lend itself to longevity.

Gazing at the handsome man sitting across from her, Diana began to wonder if this wasn't the chance that she was meant to have with him…the one that her Bruce had been denying them for the last four and a half years.

A/N: Well, life and love can be messy and this fic certainly proves that! :)

UP NEXT: Bruce and Lord Batman come up with a plan. Meanwhile, Diana goes to a charity event with Bruce only to meet someone she hadn't expected.