Chapter 6

Themyscira; September 16th, 01:43 EST

Diana clutched her pillows tightly in the midst of a restless sleep, Bruce's name a continuous murmured plea on her lips. Her fingers dug deeper into the pillow as if holding onto it…onto Bruce…for dear life. Her breathing grew ragged as she lurched towards her father to save her husband, desperately trying to grab hold of Bruce to keep him here with her where he belonged.

"No!" she cried as she sat forward in her sleep, her pillow being torn apart in her hands. The contents exploded as the material was rend in two, white feathers floating in the air like falling snow.

Her chest was heaving as she frantically looked around her room to find herself all alone…just the same as when she had finally fallen asleep just a scant few hours ago. With an enraged growl, she tossed what was left of her pillow onto the floor before moving to sit on the edge of her bed.

She was irate with herself for not trying harder to save Bruce from her father. She should have done more, fought harder…tried anything and everything. She should've offered to take his place in the Underworld instead of just letting her father disappear in a blinding light with her husband.

But he was gone now, and it was all her fault. Her family was suffering because she hadn't been able to save him. She couldn't help but feel the crushing weight of guilt over what had happened, the sense of loss clinging to her like a cloak that she couldn't begin to remove or discard. It was something that only having Bruce back safe with them could ever erase.

She rubbed her face before raking her fingers back through her long hair. Lifting her head, she was stunned to find Hermes standing in her room. "Hermes," she grumbled in annoyance, flopping back onto her bed with a huff of frustration. "You better be here with good news because you just scared me half to death."

"Sorry, Diana," Hermes said with an impish grin as he sat down on top of a nearby table. "I do come with news about your mate."

Diana instantly sat up now that she had confirmation that he had been to the Underworld and had actually seen Bruce. Her sapphire eyes narrowed dangerously. "How is he? Is he all right?" she asked with bated breath.

Hermes reached over and picked up a handful of grapes still left untouched on her dinner plate from last night's dinner. "I saw him," he confirmed, popping a plump grape into his mouth.

Diana growled angrily, throwing one of her pillows at him. "Start talking, Hermes, or I'll be throwing more than just my pillow at you next time."

He held up his hands in defense, one hand still gripping the purple fruit. "Hey…hey, have a little patience, cousin," he chided her. "I've just returned from a very long trip. Let me catch my breath and get something to eat."

Diana leapt to her feet, her chiton falling to her knees as she stalked towards him. "I want to know about my husband," she ground out with barely restrained fury, what little patience she still clung to fracturing even more with every second that passed by. Pretty soon it would snap completely and then all hell would break loose.

Stuffing a couple of grapes into his mouth, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. "I saw him, Diana, but I don't think you want to know any more than he is alive…or as alive as you can be in the Underworld."

"Just tell me, Hermes," she pleaded with him. "I have to know no matter how bad it may seem."

He released a reluctant sigh, averting his eyes to the sight of the sun just beginning its ascent on the distant horizon. "He is a slave of Hades," he grudgingly revealed. "He is chained beside Hades' throne like a dog. He's no longer himself. He appeared to be completely under your father's control."

Tears instantly brimmed in her eyes as her eyelids fluttered closed. She wrapped her arms around herself as she drew a shuddering breath. "You couldn't detect anything in him that might have told you that he knew what was going on?"

Hermes slowly shook his head, feeling the full weight of his cousin's sorrow. "I'm truly sorry, Diana," he replied, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "He didn't show any emotion the entire time I was there…not even when Hades and I talked about you. Hades even asked your mate if he had anything to say to you and he replied that he had no message for the princess."

Diana tightened her hold on herself, a tear slipping free and sliding down her cheek. It was all a ruse. It had to be. It was the only logical explanation that her heart and mind could even begin to accept. She couldn't be losing him already, couldn't allow her father to keep her husband forever.

She knew Bruce better than she knew herself. He had to be acting like Hades' slave in order to buy himself some time. He could escape those chains if he really wanted to so why hadn't he yet? Was he really under Hades' controlling influence again or was he just trying to hang on until she could get to him?

Even if he was beginning to lose his memory, he wouldn't lose his instincts or his skills. His first impulse would be to bide his time in order to learn everything he needed to know before trying to escape his chains. He would want to know his enemy before trying to stop him.

She stopped her pacing and lifted her head to look at Hermes who was still picking at her untouched dinner from last night. "You said that Bruce told you he had no message for the princess?"

Hermes nodded his head as he thoughtfully chewed, confusion passing over his face. "Yes…why?"

"He called me princess," she softly murmured to herself.

He didn't call her Diana or Wonder Woman. He didn't just answer no to the question. He specifically called her princess. He was sending her a message, letting her know that he was all right. He was playing Hades game until he could find a way out of there.

Her arms fell to her sides, her hands curling into fists as she straightened her shoulders, lifting her head in utter defiance. "I'm going after him," she stated.

"How?" Hermes asked. "The passage to the gate below Themyscira is completely blocked. It could take weeks to get through that mess."

"There are other gates to the Underworld hidden around the world," she replied with a confidence that she wasn't exactly feeling at that moment, but was determined to press on, nonetheless. "I just have to find one of them to get to Bruce."

Hermes watched as she moved about her room, gathering her clothes. "How are you going to do that? I'm sure they're just as hidden as the one here."

"I will find a way whatever it takes…unless of course you care to divulge what you know," she said, pausing to look over at him still sitting on top of her table, a threatening glare that her husband would be proud of taking over her face.

He felt himself shrinking beneath her penetrating gaze that seemed capable of tearing apart the sinew and muscle in order to peer directly inside of him for the answers she so desperately needed at that moment. "You know I cannot go against Hera's wishes no matter how much I want to, cousin," he reminded her. "She wants you to learn this one on your own. Think of this as a test because that's pretty much what Hera called it."

"Then, what can you tell me?" she snapped as she hurried into the ensuite to change.

"You're putting me in a really difficult position, Diana," he whined, swinging his feet back and forth as he continued to pick at her barely eaten supper. He looked for all the world like a grumpy child condemned to a task he wanted to avoid at all cost. "Hades is my uncle after all and if he somehow manages to find out—"

Diana's head suddenly peeked around the corner, her blue eyes glaring daggers at him. "Really? And you don't owe me for covering for you with Aphrodite?"

Hermes's head fell back with a groan as he stared up at the ceiling, weighing his options. "I knew you were going to throw that back in my face one of these days," he groused. "I just didn't expect it for at least another century or two."

"We're talking about my husband," Diana spoke with urgency lacing her voice. "Even as licentious as you are, I know you believe in love. Besides, you always told me I could count on you if I ever needed you and I need you, Hermes. Don't let me down now."

"Diana, you're killing me," he grumbled. "Tugging at my heart strings like this is just so cruel."

Diana stepped out from her ensuite dressed as the Champion of the Gods. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair, trying to tame the somewhat unruly curls. "So, will you help me, or do I need to tell Peitho about your little fling with—"

"All right! All right!" he cried, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. "If Dite wasn't so gorgeous, I wouldn't be in this mess right now."

"Come," she told him. "We have a lot of work to do."

Hermes hopped off the table; his forehead creased with confusion. "Where are we going?"

"The Temple of Hera," she informed him, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him through the door to her room. "I have an idea."

Wayne Manor; September 16th, 04:27 EST

Dick's chin fell to his chest as he silently closed the door to Nicholas's bedroom. The lump that had formed in his throat refused to budge, forcing him to take a moment to collect himself. It was breaking his heart watching what Bruce and Diana's absence was doing to his little brother and sister.

They were too young to fully understand what was going on and yet old enough to know that something was seriously wrong with their parents. They understood that Bruce and Diana were needed on a mission, but they seemed to also sense that this wasn't a typical mission.

The stakes were far higher, and they appeared they had picked up on that fact even if they didn't know what was going on. He should've guessed that they would sense that. Bruce and Diana were their parents after all, both extremely intelligent and possessing a keen sense of awareness.

Releasing the door handle, Dick ran his hands over his face as he made his way towards his old bedroom. Opening the door, he found his wife lying on her side propped up on her elbow. "Is he all right?" she asked.

"Yah," he murmured, making his way to his side of the bed and crawling in beside her. "He had a nightmare."

Donna immediately curled up against him, her head coming to rest on his chest. His hand automatically moved to caress her growing abdomen. The corner of his lips curved as he kissed the top of her head, his eyelids falling closed with a sigh of contentment.

"About what?"

"Monsters tried to take his parents away," he revealed.

"He's really having a difficult time with them being gone," she replied as she absentmindedly stroked his chest. "Were you able to get him back to sleep?"

"Yah, I rubbed his back until he fell asleep," he reassured her, his fingers absentmindedly playing with her raven locks.

"Poor little guy," she softly said. "How was patrol tonight? Were you able to find any leads on the Joker?"

"No, nothing," he replied with a frown. "He's working extra hard to cover his tracks. I'm afraid he's not going to reveal what he's up to until he's good and ready. By then, it could be too late."

"I'm sure you guys will figure it out," she assured him. "Is Damian any easier to get along with on patrol?"

"Not tonight though I think he might have learned his lesson," he stated.

Donna sat up to look down at her husband, concern brimming in her eyes. "Is he okay?"

Dick chuckled softly, pulling her to lay back down against him once more. "He's fine although he'll have quite a shiner when he gets up in a few hours."

"What happened?"

"Tim and I broke up a gang fight," he informed her. "Damian decided to do his own thing instead of listening to me and ended up with a black eye for his efforts. He's a very good fighter, but his arrogance is going to get him killed."

"Well, maybe he has to learn the hard way before he'll get it through his head that he needs to listen to you," she replied. "Have you heard from Diana?"

"During patrol last night," he admitted. "I'm sorry, Don, but it's not looking too good. There's a lot of destruction on Themyscira because of the civil war. The tunnel that leads to the gate to the Underworld is completely blocked by rubble. They're having a very hard time clearing it all."

"I should've gone with her," she told him, feeling guilty for not being there.

"You couldn't have done anything," he reminded her. "You're pregnant with twins. Besides, we need you here with us."

She closed her eyes in an effort to stop the tears she could feel building. She hated the emotional rollercoaster being pregnant had put her on. It was a nightmare to deal with at times, a constant struggle to keep her emotions under control. She absolutely hated not being able to stay in control.

"I know I'm pregnant, Dick, but I still can't help feeling horrible for not being there," she retorted. "She's my sister. There's got to be something that I could be doing to help."

"You already are helping Diana in very important ways," he assured her. "She can focus on rescuing Bruce without having to worry about Nicholas and Kaia."

"Or you three troublemakers," Donna added, poking him in the ribs and earning a grunt.

Dick grew tense beneath her as he lifted his head to look down at her. "The three of us?"

"Yes," she responded, gently patting his chest. "Diana wanted me to look after the three of you and Alfred as well. She might not be your real mother, Dick, but she really cares about the three of you and Alfred."

"You know Diana is the best thing that ever happened to this family," he admitted. "She not only saved Bruce from a life of utter loneliness and despair, but she brought us all together like a real family. She's like the glue that holds us all together."

"She's pretty amazing, isn't she?"

"She's a regular miracle worker," he readily decided.

"She'll do it again for Bruce," she reassured him. "She won't stop until he's back home where he needs to be."

"I know," he replied with a sigh. "Have you been able to feel anything from Diana?"

Donna shifted her position a little, not really wanting to answer the question. "It's been okay."

"Donna, I know you," he pressed her. "I know that your souls are bound to each other and I saw the look on your face last night at dinner. You're feeling her pain, aren't you?"

"Yes," she reluctantly admitted. "I honestly don't know how she's holding it together, but she is. She's determined to get Bruce out of the Underworld. I definitely wouldn't want to be in Hades' shoes right now. She's on the warpath and she's not going to give up no matter what happens."

Dick stroked her hair, knowing how deeply this was affecting his wife as well. "Just don't let all of this upset you."

"Too late for that," Donna murmured.

"I think I need to help you relax then," Dick ultimately decided, his hand on her abdomen slipping down her body.

Donna gasped as his hand found the apex between her thighs, his fingers beginning to create amazing sensations that caused shockwaves to shoot through her body. She tilted her head back against the pillows as Dick shifted onto his side. His mouth latched onto her throat as he continued to torment and tease her, thoroughly enjoying every single whimper and moan that he could elicit from her. Knowing he was the one bringing her pleasure only served to turn him on even more.

"Have you been thinking of names for our babies?" he asked her, nibbling on her earlobe.

Donna began to squirm as she struggled to form coherent thoughts and sentences, but it was near impossible with what her husband was doing to her with his hand and mouth alone. She felt a different kind of tension filling her entire body as she arched her back.

"You…you want to…talk about…names…now?" she breathlessly gasped out the words.

He grinned wickedly against her breast as she moaned his name, begging him for more as she clutched at the sheets beneath her. All her thoughts and worries began to disappear in the wake of her husband making love to her, her body responding to his touch…his kisses, bowing as he finally slid himself inside of her.

She couldn't begin to imagine anything ever happening to him. The thought of Dick being taken away from her like Bruce had been taken from Diana made her ill to her core. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs firmly around his waist as she clung to him.

She just prayed her gods would protect him as she lost herself in the blinding pleasure building inside of her, knowing she'd never love another like she loved him.

Watchtower; September 16th, 07:27 EST

John Stewart stood before the coffee machine in the commissary as if in a complete daze, his eyes half open and his brain in a sleepy fog. He had been standing there for several long moments just holding his coffee cup, not moving and not filling his coffee cup. It was as if he was in a trance.

Flash zipped through the comm, veering between tables and coming to a stop beside him. "What's up, GL?" he enthusiastically inquired, clapping him on the back before reaching around his best friend to grab a cup.

John turned his head to look at him and just blinked as if trying to comprehend who was actually talking to him and what he was saying. "I'm not sure," he groggily said with a shake of his head.

Flash frowned as he intently studied him, finally noticing the fatigue that clouded his eyes. "What's wrong with you, dude? You look terrible."

"Gee, thanks for the compliment," John groused as he finally put his coffee cup beneath the nozzle and pushed the button, watching as the dark liquid poured from the machine and into his cup.

"No, it's just that you're not your usual peppy self this morning," he amended, filling his cup with a latte concoction of some sort.

"Rex has a cold," he replied. "Poor little guy is so congested he can hardly breathe when he lays down. I was up all night with him."

"Ah, my poor little man," Wally woefully said. "Does he need Uncle Wally to come visit him?"

"He's at home with my mom, but Bella is in day care if you want to see her."

"YAAY! I'll go see my Bells later this afternoon before my monitor duty shift."

"Have fun," John warned him with a grimace. "She's teething."

"What a rotten time for Shayera to be gone," Wally said with a frown.

"I think she timed it on purpose," he griped.

Wally slung an arm around his friend's shoulder, pulling him in. "It's not her fault that Bats was kidnapped by his father-in-law and dragged into the Underworld against his will."

"I know," he confessed. "Still, it's a mighty strange coincidence."

It's okay, buddy," he reassured him, patting him on the shoulder. "Your mom and I got your back. You're not alone in this. I'll come over tonight and help you with the kids."

John took a drink of his coffee, grimacing as the hot liquid slid down his throat. He slowly shook his head as he turned to face Wally. "I seriously don't know how that woman does it, Wally," he said, his tone one of wonder. "She makes it look so effortless. She can totally handle both kids, plus me and her League duties and still look so beautiful. I was up with one kid all night and I feel like I've been sucker punched by Sinestro."

"Women," Wally muttered with a shake of his head. "You can't always live with them, but we'd be totally lost without them."

John couldn't help but chuckle with Wally's words of wisdom. "I don't know about the can't live with them part," he told him. "She's pretty amazing even when her temper flares."

"You're so whipped," Flash replied with a laugh.

John leveled him with a threatening glare. "It's called being in love with my wife," he corrected him with a growl.

Flash held his hands up in front of him as he took a step back. "Hey, what do I know? I've never been married."

"And you never will at the rate you're going," he shot back.

Flash's face contorted into an expression of mock hurt, his hand coming to rest against his chest as they headed towards a table with breakfast in hand. "Hey, what is that supposed to mean?"

John gave him an incredulous look. "Are you serious?" he questioned him. "You can't keep playing the field, going from one girl to the next. You need to start thinking about finding a good woman and settling down."

Flash plopped down in the seat across from John, looking utterly forlorn. "I just haven't found the one, GL," he replied. "I know she's out there somewhere. I just can't seem to find her."

"Well, you sure do your fair share of comparison shopping," John told him, taking a bite of his eggs.

Flash wiggled his eyebrows at him, a grin adorning his face. "Hey, I can't help it that the ladies love me," he countered. "I'm a chick magnet."

"It's that kind of mentality that keeps you single," he pointed out. "Women want a real gentleman, not a player."

"There's nothing wrong with playing the field until I meet the right one," Wally decided. "It gets a little lonely sometimes. I mean all you guys are married and happy with families. Even J'onn has a girlfriend now. I'm the last passenger on the Singlesville bus."

"You'll find someone special, Wally," John reassured him. "You'll be getting married and having kids of your own before you know it. In the meantime, you get to learn from the master how to deal with children."

"The master?" Flash repeated. "You look like you tangled with Darkseid."

"But I survived it," John said with a smile, lifting his coffee cup with pride. "Thankfully, I have coffee to keep me awake until I can catch some sleep this afternoon."

"Green Lantern…Flash…Stargirl…S.T.R.I.P.E…report to Transport One," Mister Terrific's voice boomed over the sound system.

"You better refill that cup of coffee," Flash said with a nod. "Looks like you're going to be needing it."

John's shoulders sank as he looked at his partially eaten breakfast. He quickly downed the last of his coffee before dashing out of the commissary with Flash hot on his heels. He could hardly wait till he could hide in his quarters this afternoon and get some sleep before taking on his two children again this evenin.

He never would've guessed raising children could be just as trying and exhausting as battling the evils of the world.

Gotham; September 16th, 08:06 EST

"Harls! Harls!"

Harley Quinn rolled over onto her back, blearily looking around her room in an effort to figure out what was going on. They had worked late into the night, her head only hitting the pillow about three hours ago. She groaned as she looked at the red numbers glaring back at her. It was far too early to be summoned like this.

"Harls!"

"Ugh," she groaned as she dragged herself out of her makeshift bed.

She quickly began searching for her clothes, pulling on her tank top as she used her toes to blindly search for her panties. Snagging a pair with her toes, she bent over and grabbed them, slipping them on before looking for the rest of her clothes. Whatever had Joker yelling at such an ungodly hour had better be worth it.

She scowled to herself as she tried to tame her unruly pigtails, leaving the room in search of her partner and lover in crime. She made her way to their work room, her stomach rumbling in response as a reminder that she hadn't eaten since some time yesterday.

She attempted to stifle a yawn with her hand as she wandered into the room, spotting the object of her affections standing with his back to her. He was leaning over one of the worktables, studying something or other that had captured his attention.

Approaching him, Harley noticed he had several textbooks laid out before him. "What's up, puddin'?"

Without a sound or warning, Joker whirled on her, backhanding her hard across the face. She cried out in shock and pain, her hand instantly covering her cheek and the blossoming heat she could feel rising on her skin. Tears welled in her eyes as she studied him, wondering what had brought on his anger with her.

"You are to come when I call for you," he growled, glaring darkly at her. "Do not make me wait next time."

"I'm sorry, Mistah J," she tearfully apologized. "I…I was asleep when you called for me. I got dressed and came as quickly as I could."

"Well, it wasn't fast enough," he angrily groused. "We've got too much work to do for you to be sleeping."

"I thought you were coming to bed," she explained, rubbing her cheek in an effort to ease the sting.

"I was, but I had epiphany, my dear Harley," he told her as he turned his attention back to the books and papers scattered before him. "It's absolutely brilliant. I never cease to surprise myself sometimes with my pure genius."

"What is it?" she asked, warily moving to stand beside him before the table, afraid that he might suddenly hit her again. She knew she deserved it for not hurrying like she should've, but it still hurt, nonetheless. "I don't see it."

"Of course, you don't see it because you're not looking in the right place," he spouted, shuffling papers and shoving others off the top of the table.

She cast a sidelong glance at him, unconsciously taking a small step to her left and putting a little distance between them. She didn't want to take any chances. She could already feel how tender her cheekbone was, another bruise no doubt in her future.

Finally finding what he was looking for, Joker placed a copy of Gotham's newspaper dated from yesterday on the table in front of her. "That's what we're going for," he said, repeatedly jabbing at a picture displayed on the front page of the paper.

Harley's eyes narrowed as she leaned closer to the table, studying the picture looking back at her. "You're going after the mayor?" she asked.

"No! No! No!" Joker yelled, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation as he turned away from her. "Not just the mayor, Harls. We're going after all the big wigs in this gritty, grimy little town."

"But I thought we were going after—"

"We still are!" he exclaimed. "My primary focus has not changed and will not change. I'm just expanding my vision. If we're going to go to all this work, then I'm going to make it worth my while. We're gain control over the whole damn city. They'll be my puppets to manipulate. I'm going to make them prance and dance and do my every bidding."

Harley looked up to see Joker spinning and dancing in circles with his arms raised, his eyes closed as if picturing his dreams coming true in his mind's eye. His lips were curled with glee at the corners as he hummed along to a tune that only he could hear.

"So, how ya gonna do that?" she questioned him. "We don't have the time or equipment to get to all those peoples."

"Patience, Harls, patience," he told her. "We just need to perfect the process and then we'll just start taking them one by one."

Harley scratched her head in confusion as she tried to make sense of her lover's plans. "Won't Bats know that something's up when all the big wigs start disappearing only to reappear?"

Joker stopped to look at her, his gleeful grin morphing into a frustrated frown. "Harls, have you no vision?" he exclaimed in stunned disbelief. "Bats will have his hands full with what we have planned for him, remember?"

"Oh…right," she replied with a nod as the pieces finally fell together in her sleep deprived brain, laughing at the image that popped into her mind. "He's not gonna know which end is up when he gets his surprise."

"The problem is Batsy has been far too quiet lately," Joker thoughtfully pointed out as he stroked his chin.

"Rumor on the streets is that he was killed in the battle with that al Ghul character," she informed him, trying to stifle another yawn.

"Bah," Joker snorted with a huff. "I know my Batsy and I'd certainly know it if he was plucking harp strings on the other side of the Pearly Gates. He can't be killed. He's probably just recuperating from the fight. You know he's not as young and nimble as when we first met, and our bromance blossomed."

"Can I go back to bed now, Mistah J?" she asked, yawning.

"We have too much to do to think about sleep," he told her with a frown as he stalked back towards the worktable.

"Like what?"

"We're going to need ten times as many supplies as we have now," he replied, the palms of his hands coming to rest on top of the table as he gazed down at his plans.

Harley couldn't stop the groan from escaping as she dropped into a nearby chair. "Puddin', can't I get a little more shut eye first?" she pleaded. "We been working nonstop for weeks."

"Fine," he uttered with a huff. "Go back to bed but be prepared to work even harder tonight. I want this genius of a plan to become a reality soon and I'm going to need more test subjects. The last one you brought me turned out to be a real dud."

"I promise I'll bring you a real gem tonight," she reassured him, jumping out of her chair and running towards him.

Harley threw her arms around him, kissing him passionately. Joker pushed her away after a few moments, clearly not in the mood. "We have no time for that," he said with a scowl. "If we want to draw in our ultimate prize, we've got to be prepared for everything. You know Batsy won't take too kindly for coming after one of his own."

"He's gonna freak," she said with a squeal of delight. "Why don't we just go after Batman?"

"You can't go after the big fish, Harls," he told her. "Haven't I not taught you anything after all this time? The best way to torment and terrorize Batsy is to go after those he cares about and it's obvious that he cares a lot about the newest member of the Batclan—Batwoman. Oh, to see his little batty face when he finds out we've taken his woman."

Joker's sadistic laugh echoed throughout the storeroom, bouncing off the walls and reverberating in their ears. Harley couldn't help but laugh too, knowing this plan had to be foolproof if they were going to destroy Batman…and what better way than taking away what he cared about the most in the world?

A/N: Well, lots more going on than we first thought, but will everything happen the way everyone thinks it will? Maybe...maybe not... :)

UP NEXT: Batman makes his move, Diana searches for answers, and Damian gets to meet Harley Quinn.