Justice:

A Reclaiming Equestria Story Featuring DCAU Batman and Woman Woman

Chapter Three: Language (Part 2)

Bruce watched as Diana spoke to Luna. Like himself she had picked up on their language, and she was getting as good, if not better, as he was. Most men might feel a little threatened, but he just felt pride in that she was able to adapt so well. It was part of who she was. She was a natural born leader, a warrior, and soon to be life long partner. Years of training kept him listening to them, via the comms, while he researched the data he had gained from their guests in the basement. Most of them talked about how he'd be changed into a mare of his species, but a shock from his surplus of weapons soon ended the bravado. After that they confirmed what he had learned from the Caribou he had threatened to throw off of the ledge. It seemed that Ponyville was something of an important place because of a mystical connection between six different females, or mares rather, of their species. Apparently the Caribou had been informed of the massive power these six had. Their plan was to attack, divide them, and render any resistance useless.

It had worked, so far, but he had quickly learned that they were complacent, lazy, arrogant, and cowards. When presented a threat that actually stood a chance against them they ran. And it was part of the reason why they seemed to avoid this forest. He glanced at Luna. She had been chased into the forest because she was important. She was a co-ruler of this realm, and to keep the morale low she needed to be shown as a slave, even if it wasn't as a submissive one. The fact she was free was more than enough to cause small seeds of rebellion to begin bubbling up. They'd need to stop it, and that meant finding her. But with him and Diana capturing, and sending one back broken well beyond the technology of this place to completely heal him, several of them they seemed to be more reluctant to come into the forest itself.

"Are..Are we going to free Twilight?"

He looked at the one that asked. She looked healthy, a diet of the fruits and vegetables that they had gathered from the forest had done her wonders, but she was still exceptionally submissive, and painfully shy.

"Eventually," he replied.

"Umm, if you don't mind, would you please tell me why we're not going to free her now?"

He pointed toward Diana and Luna.

She looked toward them, her ears pointing more straight, and she listened as they spoke to one another.

"It is unwise to ask the Lord of Tartarus for a favor. Even if thou, you, are his daughter," Luna closed her teal colored eyes, "Hades, is not one who lends himself out for favors easily. Our interactions with the Lord of Tartarus hast been only as gatekeepers. Our, my, mother spoke to me to never trust his words, to never listen to his promises."

Diana couldn't help but to agree with the wisdom of that statement, but it changed little. If Tartarus was closer, then speaking to Hades was the their chance of getting a portal opened. She had no intention of leaving these beings without help, but she knew that there was magic users, and other members, in the league that would be more than willing to help stop what was going on. She also knew that Bruce needed to get more supplies. He'd never admit it, but even the Batman had a finite number of weapons on him at any one time. He would need, desperately so, to resupply. Another thought occurred to her. They would most certainly need to let everyone know that they were okay. There was little doubt in her mind that the league was attempting to find some way to reach them, but as Bruce stated earlier, the chances of them being able to find them were slim, at best.

"I understand, but this may be our best chance at getting others to help us."

Luna looked at her, and then at Bruce, "More like you?"

Diana nodded. Luna closed her eyes, and Diana heard the word 'horseapples' fall from her lips.

"Very well. The trip to Tartarus isn't far. The portal that those we trust the most, including Twilight Sparkle, resides in Canterlot. We cannot go there, not yet. Our resistance is still a fledgling at this moment, but there is another here, inside of our old home. Follow me," she said as she headed toward the dungeons.

Diana followed her, hearing the sounds of someone nearly silently moving behind them. She knew that Bruce would want to stay close by, to ensure that nothing happened to her. She could hear the sounds of the captured Caribou. They practically growled as Luna passed them. She stopped, turned toward them, and her eyes were not the caring eyes Diana had seen when dealing with the two others upstairs. Instead they were hard, cold, and calculating. It was almost like seeing her mother once more.

It made sense. In several ways it made perfect sense. Luna had been at the mercy of the Caribou for quite sometime, and now, now she had some that were her prisoners. For some reason Luna had shown incredible restraint in not coming down to end them where they were. Perhaps it because of Bruce, and his moral objections to not kill anyone. She knew that her mother had suffered at the hands of Heracles, and several of the Dorian soldiers that followed him.

The difference was that not all of her Amazonian sisters were in agreement of imprisoning them. No, from what she had learned several had killed their attackers, leaving only Heracles alive, who was then punished by Hera herself, and left trapped near the gateway of Tartarus. She'd seen him down there, a statue supporting the bulk of the weight of Themyscira, attacked by vicious creatures, deep scars cut into the marble statue that healed overnight, but she could practically see the pain in his face.

She doubted that Luna wanted them alive to just punish them. From what she had seen she wasn't overly evil, or tyrannical. The only thing she could think of was the fact that she was respecting Bruce's wishes. Still her horn lit up for a brief second causing one of them to lift into the air. He clawed at the unseen hand that gripped his throat, and he thrashed in a vain attempt to escape.

"Listen well wretches. Thou lives only because it suits me to allow thou to live. Growl, glare, or look at us in anyway that is not in fear and thou shalt feel thy own entrails pulled from thy rectum and left to rot."

With her words said she tossed the Caribou she was holding toward the others. He landed in a heap, but none of the others made an attempt to help him. Instead they retreated more into the shadows, pretending to simply not exist while she passed by. Diana watched, knowing full well that Luna was fighting against the urge to snap his neck and be done with it. Once past the cells there was a stone wall. Diana looked at it, trying to see if perhaps there was a hidden passageway, but if there was the stonework used here was too perfect, and it betrayed no secrets that it might hold.

Still, Luna's horn lit up, and she watched as a door revealed itself. The door looked simple. It was wooden, a small rope handle, but Luna did not touch it.

"If you are his child, it should open for you."

Breathing out, she reached out for the door, and felt it nudge before opening inward. When that happened a blinding light covered her, Luna, most of the dungeon, and when the light faded the two of them stood before a temple that was surrounded by pillars made of burning skeletal remains of thousands of various beings. Just looking at them Diana realized that not all of them were like Luna.

Nearby the sounds of muffled screaming caught their attention, and the both of them looked to see several misshapen creatures gathering around the Caribou prisoners that had been brought with them. A massive bell run and the creatures pulled the Caribou toward the doors of the temple, great doors that depicted male and females of Luna's kind screaming and burning in a fire. The tarnished bronze doors swung heavily open and within the temple, holding a single book, was a being that was both similar to Luna, and different. It was certainly male, its upper body had equine features like Luna, but lower, it appeared to be a centaur.

This couldn't be right. She'd seen Hades' true form before, below Themyscira, after the magical attack on him forced him to reveal what he truly looked like. It was nothing at all what he appeared to look like now. Some part of her seemed to understand that this could be just another illusion he used, but something deeper told her that here, in this realm, things were simply truer, purer than they were back in their universe.

He turned toward them, two blackened horns seemed to rise from just behind his ears. His fur was gold, which surprised her, and his mane was flowing red. Much like Luna's mane it seemed to be ethereal, and after a moment his eyes, both the same color blue as her own, focused on her.

"Daughter, well, this is truly a surprise."

He placed the book down, and once he had a cloud of black smoke covered him for a moment. After a few moments it was gone leaving the illusion he used back on Themyscira. Luna stepped back, uncertain of what it was she was looking at.

"Fear not Princess of the Equestrians, as long as you do not overstep your bounds you are welcomed here in my domain, but it does not explain what my daughter is doing here."

Something was off. Hades was often cordial, but seldom was it because he truly felt that way. Most often it was to gain an upperhand, or to cause a potential enemy to become relaxed. He sighed, walked toward her, and held out his hand. She watched as another book formed, and she could see how this one looked closer to what he would normally have in his library. The backing was made of human skin, the eyes seemed to be alive, and it practically screamed as he opened it.

"Daughter, Diana, even we gods are subject to the faith put into us. I have never harbored any real ill will toward my brother, sister, or any of the other Olympus. I certainly don't condemn man, but I am more than willing to let him arrive at his own destination. Did I do somethings in your world, your universe that were unbecoming? Absolutely, but I did them because it was expected of me."

She looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

He led her and Luna deeper into the temple. They stopped at the massive library, and there surrounding all of it was multiple mirrors. She could see different versions of Tartarus in each one. There was the one she knew, the one locked below Themyscira, another that looked like the inner workings of a massive office, and dozens more.

In each mirror there was something strange, something off. She looked at Hades, and then looked at the mirror to see his reflection different in each one.

"What?"

He smiled, "These are the passages in which I can travel to my realm in various universes. As my daughter you are capable of the same, but the gatekeeper, and your mortal consort that has followed us, cannot.

At hearing himself called out Bruce stepped out from the shadows. Hades looked him over, seeing the Batman standing before him in his own domain. His smile stretched to be impossibly large. With a flick of his wrist Bruce watched as the shadows all melted away leaving nothing but light in every single place, every area, and the fact of it was blinding. Even closing his eyes gave no relief, and then it returned to normal.

"You are brave, for a mortal, and I can see my daughter's interest in you. Perhaps if you were a demigod, it would be a happier love story. Although you are right on one subject, mortal, after what happened, after what she went through, and after all others mourned for her while you searched, she will never go to him after your death."

Bruce could see Diana looking between them, her mind realizing what Hades was saying. She looked at Bruce, and what he saw wasn't hurt, but understanding. She understood what he had to have went through before. She denied that it would happen, so many times she denied it, but the one thing that it always came back to was that she knew eventually Bruce would grow old, his body would grow frail, and either nature would claim him, or one of his multitude of enemies would eventually succeed where so many had failed.

Oh there would be no rest for the one that took him. She would ensure that. She would hunt them down with all of the skill that Artemis would give her, and she would ensure that vengeance was cast up the one who would dare to take Bruce. She stopped that train of thought, looking to see Bruce, Luna, and even Hades there near her. She relaxed, and looked at the god that claimed to be her father.

"I have come to ask a favor of you, father."

He motioned for them to follow him once more, and this time what they were presented with was another room, more suited to what she had seen in the Tartarus of her universe. He motioned toward a place for them to sit, and once they were seated he took a sip from a cup obviously crafted to resemble the top of a skull. Bruce watched as Hades enjoyed his wine. He could smell it from where he stood.

Alfred had introduced him to the art of wine tasting, because he was going to play the part of the billionaire playboy, and explained that the richer the bouquet the better the wine was. Just from where he sitting he could tell the wine in Hades' cup would undoubtedly match, if not beat, the finest wineries throughout the world.

"A lovely mare makes this. Well, above, in your." he pointed to Luna, "Domain she makes this. Berry Punch I believe, but her grandfather and great grandfather are here. They helped to teach her the method, and currently they make it for me. Two better servants one couldn't ask for."

He finished his cup, and then seemed to summon a quill, inkwell, and a piece of parchment.

"This is a formality," he said as he pushed the parchment toward Diana, "All that enter into a deal, or favor, with me must know the obligations behind it."

Diana shook her head, pushed it back, and looked at him.

"No, I have helped you…"

He held a hand up, opened his palm and before them formed Lex Luthor. Luthor's eyes widened, his glare of unbridled hate rested on Diana, and he practically snarled at her.

"You… You fucking bitch! I'll find a way back to you, and I'll ensure that what I did…"

With that Luthor was gone once more. Diana looked shocked and Hades simply leaned back, "Daughter, what I did, and continue to do, to that soul is more than payback for what you did for me. Yes, returning me to power helped, greatly, but I am not so blinded to the mortal realm to know that you did it to save those who were connected to magic."

He then looked at those at the table, "If you do not sign this, I cannot help you. It is that simple. All who ask favors are bound to me for a period of my choosing," he looked toward the doors of the temple, "However, there is a being that resides outside. I've seen his actions, before the Caribou invaded, and I know the kind of power he has. In his own right, he is a god, but there was action taken to ensure that he was trapped in stone. Perhaps if you found a way to release him he would open the portal to your world."

The doors to the temple opened, "This is where I must ask you to leave. I am incredibly busy, and the souls you transported here are in need my tender mercies. Mercies that I shall have my subjects pay them… Perhaps starting with phalluses made of sandpaper."

With that the bright light surrounded them once more, and they found themselves back in the dungeon of the castle. Bruce looked over to see that all of the Caribou were gone. Hades' words hung in his ears, and he realized what was in store for them. He didn't feel bad about it. On some small scale he had expected himself to, but he simply didn't. What they had done, the things they had done, the torment given to Luna, to the two upstairs, it was more than enough to allow them to be punished.

He had no doubt that they would certainly receive some kind of punishment if they were to remain here, but at least in Hades' tender mercies they wouldn't be allowed to die. Instead they would be forced to live through whatever depraved torture he could think of. It didn't bother him. Having seen what happened at Blackgate and Arkham, well Tartarus might have the look down, but he knew that those places were filled with just as much torment and torture. He'd seen what happened to anyone who wasn't already a dangerous sociopath when they were taken into Arkham.

He watched Diana and Luna as the two talked. Luna's clothes, the sweat suit he had given her, was dingy, but she wore it with the kind of poise he'd seen in other royalty. Hippolyta, Diana, and even as Bruce Wayne when he visited Diana's friend Audrey in her home country. Moving up he listened to the discussion, trying to pick up cues, wanting to know what Hades had been talking about. It was when Luna stopped and looked toward the openness of the castle before her.

"I had wondered if he wasn't here because it was planned, if he simply handed us over to Caribou. There were so many nights I cursed his name, but Hades, your father, if what he says is true then Discord did not betray us. With his help, we could undo what's been done."

"Who is he?"

She looked toward Bruce, the small grin that crossed her muzzle was one of fond remembrance and not anguish or anger.

"The lord of Chaos is who Discord is. He controls Chaos, rips the very fabric of reality apart for fun, and I have no doubts that he would be upset to find out what had happened to those he considers friends."

Diana touched her shoulder, "How do we release him?"

She shook her head, "He was originally bond into stone with the elements of Harmony, but since that time the elements have been returned to the tree from whence they came. I do not know how the Caribou trapped him, not without the elements."

"Is there no other way he could have been transformed?"

"A cockatrise, umm, if you don't mind me answering, but a cockatrise could turn somepony into stone… Who are you talking about though?"

The group looked to see Fluttershy standing there. In her hands she had a small collection of fruits that had started growing wild inside of the castle walls. Bruce could see how her muzzle was stained from the strawberries she was eating. The younger one, she was silently, sitting with what looked like an old broken plate that had several of the same berries on it.

He'd seen this before. When someone was released from the clutches of a depraved lunatic they often became lost. He'd seen it time and time again with Dr. Harleen Quinzell. She desperately craved the Joker's attention, and when she would become free from him something would draw her back like a moth to a flame. She couldn't help herself, she couldn't stop, and as he sat watching that young mare he realized that she could be suffering from something similar. It was certainly Stockholm Syndrome, or at least that was the problem with Dr. Quinzel. This… this was exceptionally similar. The young mare or perhaps older filly was undoubtedly going to have to deal with this. Instantly he began to think of home. Arkham was out of the question, but there was psychologists that he knew could help her.

Opening the portal was no longer just to get the help they needed to ensure that they could free the Equestrians. No, it was more than that now. Opening that portal meant getting them the help they'd need after they were freed. They'd need all of the help they could get in rebuilding, in therapy, and in what Bruce could imagine was every other facet of their lives. They needed that portal, they needed the help, if it was there, and he looked at the butter gold mare.

"Does it have to be the same Cockatrice?"

She shook her head, "No, ummm, but could somepony tell me who was turned to stone?"

Luna looked at her, and rested a hand upon her shoulder, "Fair Fluttershy, it would appear that the Caribou managed to trick Discord."

Fluttershy's eyes blinked, then they watered, and shortly after the tears began to fall.

"I… I thought it was like Tirek… I thought he didn't really care for any of us and j… Oh Fluttershy you're such a meanie…"

"Fair Fluttershy, we need to find and free him."

Diana moved toward them, "What does he look like?"

They described the god of chaos, in detail, and shortly after Diana described a statue she had seen in the forest that resembled the creature they described. It was decided at that moment that they would go to the statue, release Discord, and then bring back the reinforcements they needed. Luna stayed behind, to keep an eye on the young pink filly who shook with fear at the very mentioning of going outside of the castle walls.

They traveled until they heard voices.

"Why are we moving this thing?"

One of the Caribou turned toward the smaller of their number. He didn't give the smaller one a chance to defend himself, instead he slammed his fist hard into his stomach making him sink to the ground.

"The Warden of Ponyville wants this eyesore brought back to town square. With several of our own missing, King Dainn's nephew wounded to the point of no longer being able to bed a female, I happen to agree. So stop acting like a cunt, or I swear I will report you, have you turned to a cow, and then I will personally fuck you into submission!"

Bruce looked at Diana, seeing her back arched, she was ready for a fight, but he held her off, keeping her from going on and straight out attacking.

"Princess, we're outnumbered, their magic is able to affect you, and an attack right now would be put us in more danger than taking us out of it."

She settled and she watched as they began moving what she believed could have easily been the last possible chance for them to find the help they needed.

"Where is town square?"

Fluttershy shook softly, mumbling to herself, "No… No…"

"If we're going to help him, and if we're going to get the help we need, I need to know, where is town square."

"NO! YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM!"

The Caribou stopped, their ears trying to pinpoint the sound. They were big, strong, and faster than her, but Fluttershy had been into the Everfree several times, and she knew secrets about it, secrets that only a few ponies knew. One of which was that if anypony lingered too long in a single place Timber Wolves would began to gather. She was sure the Caribou had been there a while already, and with the them stupidly standing there trying to find her they were inviting what began to happen to come and fully happen.

Bruce heard the snarl, and watched as the very woods began to take shape. It was long and lean, a wolf's body, no a complete wolf made from the very trees around it. He considered the idea that if Pamela Isley ever saw this she would certainly incorporate it into her normal attacks. The large Caribou turned just in time to get his arm bitten into by a wolf that was easily as tall as Bruce if it was standing on its hind legs. The wooden wolf pulled back, ripping hide and muscle from the surprised Caribou.

It let out a scream as it clutched the wounded arm.

More howls, more snarls sounded around them, and they began to back together. Bruce watched and while he knew that he wouldn't take a life, he wasn't going to save them either. The Caribou that didn't freak out began using their telepathy, for what good it did, but it looked as if their version of it was clumsy, unfocused. After seeing the kind of control that Luna had they looked practically amateurish in their attempts. None of them came close to the kind of fine control the Princess of this kingdom had. When they did manage to catch one of the wolves in their telekinetic grip the result was almost always the same. They'd slam it against a nearby tree. It'd break apart into an unassuming pile of branches and logs, and then within moments it had reformed and was stalking them.

One by one their number fell until finally it was just the smallest of their number left. He did the one smart thing and crawled to the top of the statue of Discord, trying to stay out of the reach of the timber wolves. Seeing that all of the others were dealt with Diana lifted into the air, flew toward the statue, flicked the smaller Caribou on the forehead knocking him out, and then grabbed the statue with one hand, held their prisoner, which had soiled himself, in the other and flew toward Bruce and the others. Taking this as hint to leave they began to depart.

The Timber Wolves howled, and then it was silent.

"What was that?" he asked as they headed back toward the castle.

Fluttershy looked at him, the sly smile on her face showed that she was rather proud of herself for what had happened.

"Those were Timber Wolves. They just sort of appear wherever there are ponies gathered around together for too long."

Bruce put that piece of knowledge away for another time.

-Castle of Friendship-

Spike rolled over, his stomach growled and grumbled, and he felt the need for something more than a handful of gems. He looked at the bed, Twilight had fallen asleep after the night they had. He grinned, she was a fine slave, faithful, subservient, willing to help train others. Beside her was Rarity. His beautiful purple collar. She was the jewel in his collection. She wasn't as submissive as Twilight, but that was part of the fun.

He delighted in hearing her grunt and sound so rather unlady like. Last night he had granted Twilight the privilege of using a fake cock to fuck his purple collared slave with. She had no problems in doing so, and to her merit Spike believed that if Twilight would have been born a stallion, she would make a wonderful warden like he was.

He walked toward the one door that would not open for him. Nor would it open for Twilight, not anymore. He tried it, growled in protest, and walked on. Little did he knew that behind that door laid a possible answer to the issue the newly formed rebellion was having.

-Metropolis - Star Labs #0010, CADMUS Access Point-

It was over three weeks, and no word from Bruce or Diana. This wasn't like them, and Clark knew it. He'd been the first one here to check on what happened. He discovered that transdimensional gate had been activated, and it was a very short set of steps that lead him down the path to figure out what happened next.

Right now Mr. Terrific, Ray Palmer, and even Wally was going through the data, piece by piece trying to find the exact frequency that gateway used when it obviously teleported their compatriots, and two of his best friends. He stood, holding a double mocha espresso, something that Diana swore by since Wally introduced them to her, and sipped at the drink.

It was more for show than actually keeping himself from being burned. He could swallow the entire thing, in a single gulp, and it wouldn't hurt him. That was the joy of being Superman. It was also the curse of it. There was a few things that he envied Bruce and Lois for. Like them he could feel things, with ease, but unless it was a massive beating from some powerful warlock, an interdimensional being, or ancient gods he didn't get to experience pain often.

Oh, he got to when he was kid growing up, but after his body absorbed enough sunlight, well, nothing hurt him anymore.

"Sups, we're on the last set of entries."

He looked a Wally who looked exhausted, "Thanks for doing this, all of you."

Wally nodded, "You know… it's gotta be in here. I'm sure of it, just ain't sure where it is."