Chapter 8

Detroit; September 17th, 07:11 EST

Wally West was completely dead to the world, sleeping soundly on the couch and snoring softly with his right arm draped over his eyes. Helping John out with the two kids had proven to be a real eye-opening experience, one that had made him begin to question the notion of having kids someday.

Between Rex's cold and Bella's teething, it had proven to be almost too much for two of the Founders of the Justice League. How in the world could two little kids be so much work? It was beyond his understanding as he had collapsed in exhaustion onto the couch a handful of hours ago.

The feel of a small hand against his face began to stir him from his deep slumber. "Just a few more minutes, mom," Wally sleepily mumbled between snores.

A few more slaps to the cheek got the scarlet speedster's attention, forcing him to remove his arm from his eyes. One eye popped open as he looked to his left to find little Bella standing there beside the couch, her black curls sticking up at odd angles as she sucked furiously on her pacifier.

"What do ya want, kid?" Wally groggily asked.

She lifted her arms up to him, her intentions clear despite her lack of words. "Didn't I hold you enough last night?"

She grunted at him with a glare that her mother would be proud of, throwing her arms up in the air again. "Why can't you wake your dad instead of me?" Wally grumbled.

Bella growled low in her throat as she began smacking his arm with her little fist. "You know if we gave you a mini mace you'd be just like your mother," Wally told her.

She put her arms up again, wanting to be picked up and clearly not about to give up on her demand any time soon. Wally sighed as he reached over, lifting her up and settling her on his chest. "You sure are a stubborn little kid."

Bella just grinned at him with her pacifier in her mouth. She leaned forward to grab his red hair, tugging on it. "Hey!" he said, pulling her hand away. "It's a good thing you're so cute. What are you doing up anyway and how did you get out of your crib?"

She took her pacifier out of her mouth, holding it out to Wally as an offering. "Nah, I'm good," he replied, wrinkling up his nose with the slobber that dripped from it onto his t-shirt. "I think I'll hold out for some pancakes for breakfast."

She shrugged her shoulders, putting her pacifier back into her mouth. She tried to babble something in response, but it came out all garbled. "Sorry, I don't speak toddler," he told her. "You're going to be a lot of trouble now that you're almost in your terrible twos. I almost feel bad for your parents, but they did this to themselves. Where's your brother?"

Bella held her hands up, letting him know she didn't know. "I bet you're hungry too," he said. "Want Uncle Wally to make you some pancakes?"

She nodded her head as she laid down on his chest, snuggling into the crook of his neck. A sense of warmth and adoration invaded Wally's entire body as he gently patted her back. "You are just too cute for words, kiddo," he told her. "You're going to break all the boys' hearts when you get older. Too bad your dad isn't going to let you date until you're at least forty years old."

"Try fifty…if she's lucky," John said as he entered the living room with his son in his arms.

Wally sat up on the couch, holding Bella against his chest. "Hey, how did she get out of her crib all by herself?"

"She's a regular Houdini," John replied with a frown. "We've tried everything to keep her in it and she always manages to find a way out of it."

"You should put her in one of those dog kennels," Wally suggested as he stood to his feet.

John glared at him as he carried Rex into the kitchen. "She's a baby, Wally, not a puppy," he stated. "I'm not putting my daughter in a dog kennel."

"You could totally do it up right," Wally told him. "Put some little pillows in there…a blanket and some of her stuffed animals. It'd be perfect."

"Not gonna happen," John growled. "No matter how you try to pretty it up it's still a dog kennel. Now, do you want oatmeal or cereal?"

"Bella and I want pancakes," he announced.

John turned a skeptical eye on his best friend. "Bella said that?"

"Yep," Wally confirmed. "I said pancakes and her whole face lit up. That means she wants pancakes."

"I don't know if we have time for pancakes," John replied as he looked in the fridge. "We have to be on the Watchtower in half an hour."

"We can totally make it work," Wally reassured him as he put Bella in her highchair. "Your mom will be here soon to take care of the kids. It's plenty of time for a good, nutritious breakfast."

"Yah, I'm sure my mom will love cleaning up the mess we make in the kitchen," John said.

"Step aside, GL," Wally instructed him, lacing his fingers and stretching them out until his knuckles cracked. "Let the Flash handle breakfast while you go get showered."

"Okay," John reluctantly agreed as he put Rex in his booster seat, "but you're going to be the one to tell Shayera if you burn down her kitchen."

"I got it…I got it," Wally dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Just hurry. Breakfast will be on in five minutes."

"I must be some kind of crazy to leave him alone in my kitchen with my kids," John muttered to himself as he exited the kitchen to get a quick shower.

"I heard that!" Wally yelled over his shoulder as he pulled a mixing bowl out of the cupboard only for it to slip out of his hand. He caught it just before it could hit the kitchen floor, narrowly keeping it from shattering into a thousand pieces. He quickly looked around, making sure John hadn't snuck back into the kitchen. "Don't tell your dad, kids."

Rex and Bella just watched in fascination as Uncle Wally used his super speed, the pancakes cooking in the skillet in no time. Picking up a spatula, he began flipping them into the air to show off his culinary skills, twirling in circles and catching pancakes with the skillet behind his back…except for one of the pancakes that accidently stuck to the ceiling.

"Whoops!" Wally muttered, staring up at the pancake clinging to the ceiling. "We'll just pretend that didn't happen. Maybe your dad won't notice it."

Rex and Bella giggled at Wally's antics as John returned, a bath towel slung over his shoulder. "Hey, I've got to hand it to you," John said as he sat down at the table with his kids as Wally placed the pancakes on each of their plates. "You really know what you're doing. I guess I worried for nothing."

"I told you," Wally said, holding his skillet held out triumphantly, the pancake on the ceiling suddenly falling directly into the frying pan.

John's eyes fell closed with a grimace as he shook his head. "I'm not even going to ask."

"Probably best if you didn't," Wally agreed as he glanced back up at the ceiling.

Wayne Manor; September 17th, 08:04 EST

Damian sullenly made his way down the stairs, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his hoodie. A scowl was fixed firmly on his face, one that he was determined to keep there for as long as humanly possible. He was furious over what had happened last night with Harley Quinn, his pride taking a crushing blow that he still hadn't recovered from.

He found himself more than determined to track that whack-job down and make her pay for humiliating him like that in front his partners. He'd been out to prove himself as a capable successor to the mantle of Robin only to have been outsmarted by a psycho chick with bad hair and a baseball bat.

He swore to himself that what happened last night with Harley Quinn would not happen ever again. He would sneak away and track her down himself if he had to. He wasn't about to let Dick and his overbearing, overprotective attitude get in the way of proving himself. With any luck, he'd be able to slip away during patrol tonight to do a little investigating on his own and capture her by himself. Maybe then his brothers would take him seriously instead of always looking at him as just a kid.

Damian glowered at a ball that Nicholas had left lying on the floor in the hallway, giving it a solid kick that narrowly missed an antique vase sitting on the library table as it slammed into the wall behind it before finally disappearing into the entertainment room. He grumbled under his breath about little kids and their toys before heading into the kitchen.

"Master Damian," Alfred brightly greeted him. "You're the first one to make it down for breakfast. Might I interest you in some waffles?"

"I don't care," he muttered as he plopped down in his usual seat, his elbows coming to rest on top of the table, supporting his head with his fists.

Alfred smiled to himself as he placed a glass of orange juice before the newest member of the Wayne family, an unnatural amount of patience flowing through his veins as he knowingly returned to his skillet. Heaven knew that he'd learned plenty from raising Damian's father.

"So how goes the crime-fighting business?" he inquired. "Is it everything that you ever dreamed it could be?"

"It's okay," he groused without lifting his head, his glare focused on the juice glass before him as if it had somehow wronged him.

"That good?" Alfred pressed on undeterred by the young man's noticeable hostile mood. He'd dealt with far worse in the form of Bruce Wayne, a difficult endeavor at best and a potentially dangerous one at worse. "Might I inquire what occurred last night that has brought about such a sunny disposition in you?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he muttered.

"I see," Alfred patiently replied as he finished the waffles, adding a generous helping of blueberry sauce before bringing the plate to the table. "I'm sure you're doing a fine job. I know it must be very difficult to adjust to the unusual climate of Gotham's criminal underworld. I'm afraid it's quite distasteful and more than a little disturbing to say the least especially if it involved the Joker and Harley Quinn."

Damian glared at the plate before him, the smell of the delicious waffles tickling his noise and causing his stomach to rumble in rebellious response. He had told himself he wasn't going to eat, but Alfred's cooking had an annoying way of changing his mind. He reluctantly picked up his fork, stabbing at the delectable dish with the tines.

"It's fine," he snapped, keeping his head down. "It's not that hard to get used to. I've seen worse."

Retrieving his cup of tea, Alfred slipped into the chair beside him. "It took Master Richard and Master Timothy a little time to adjust, but Master Jason seemed to take to it like a fish to water. I believe his former life as a street criminal contributed to that," he revealed. "It can be quite upsetting, though, especially if you cross paths with the likes of the Joker or Harley Quinn."

Damian visibly stiffened with the mention of Harley Quinn, his lips twisting into a sneer. "She's crazy," he bit out between bites of his waffles.

Alfred released a sigh, realizing that his first meeting with Miss Quinzel must not have been a good one. Of course, it rarely is when the girlfriend of the Joker is involved. She was dangerous and terrifying in her own right. "I'm afraid that is true," he agreed. "Unfortunately, the Joker has had a big hand in making her who she is today, though I believe she already possessed some of those tendencies."

Damian huffed in response, not really wanting to talk about it, but when it came to Alfred, the younger Wayne usually found himself divulging things that he'd sooner keep to himself. "I ran into her last night," he confessed. "It was my job to stop her and I failed. She got past me."

"That Harley Quinn is a slippery one," the British butler readily decided. "You would not believe the number of times she slipped away from your father and brothers. I can't begin to tell you the number of times that she managed to elude capture. She's caused more than a few headaches around here."

Damian perked up with the revelation, lifting his head to finally look at Alfred for the first time since entering the kitchen. "Really?"

"Oh, dear me yes," Alfred scoffed with a frown. "The Joker and Harley Quinn have caused Master Bruce and your brothers more trouble than you can begin to imagine—frequently evading capture, running amuck in Gotham and wreaking havoc, taking innocent lives for kicks. I wouldn't beat myself up too much if I were you. It was the first time that you'd even seen her. You had no idea what you were going up against."

He shook his head, his shoulders slumping. "Grandfather always taught me to know your enemy," he recited to him. "Always be prepared for anything and never underestimate your opponent. I failed my grandfather and his training…I failed my team last night."

Alfred put a comforting hand on the youngster's shoulder, his voice taking on a gentle tone. "The only person who thinks that you are a failure is you," he reassured him. "No one in this family would ever blame you for Harley Quinn escaping. Just give it some time. You'll be showing your brothers a thing or two before you know it."

Damian silently nodded his head as he shoved a bite full of waffles into his mouth as Dick entered the kitchen. Alfred stood to his feet, giving Dick a pointed look. "Master Richard," he greeted him. "I hear you had a very eventful patrol last night with Miss Quinzel."

Dick glanced at Damian who refused to make eye contact with him, his head down and his focus solely on his breakfast. Damian hadn't said a word after Harley Quinn had gotten away, returning to the cave and going directly upstairs to bed. Dick had decided to let him be, intending to talk to him today.

"Yah, it was kinda rough," Dick admitted as he slid into his seat. "Damian did a great job, though."

Damian's head shot up in complete shock, his mouth hanging open. "Whatever," he snapped. "I failed. Harley Quinn got away because of me."

"It was not your fault, Damian," Dick told him with a shake of his head. "I shouldn't have put you in that position in the first place. It was my fault for doing that to you."

"Why?" Damian shot back. "Because you don't think I'm capable of handling her or myself?"

"No, that's not it at all," Dick stated, taken aback by his outburst. "It wasn't fair of me to throw you into that situation because you don't know Harley like the rest of us do. She's as bad as the Joker is, sometimes worse in some ways."

"I still should've been able to handle her," Damian countered, refusing to let go of the sense of failure that ate away at his pride.

"Maybe yes, maybe no," Dick told him as Alfred placed his breakfast before him. "Now, you have to decide what you are going to do about it. Are you going to pout and let your anger and guilt get to you or are you going to use it to drive you to get better?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Damian decided, shoving his plate away. He jumped to his feet and stormed out of the kitchen.

"That went well," Dick grumbled to himself as he grabbed his fork.

"Just give him a little time," Alfred suggested. "He feels he needs to prove himself to this family…that he deserves to be here and be out on the streets of Gotham like the rest of you."

"He's expecting too much too soon," Dick said with a shake of his head. "It was only his fourth night out on patrol. Not to mention, it was Harley Quinn. She's definitely not your garden variety psychopath that we deal with in this messed up city."

"I guess then it's up to you to help Damian understand that," Alfred told him.

Dick released a frustrated huff. "I wish Bruce was here to handle him."

"Handle who?" Tim asked, entering the kitchen with Kaia in his arms, Donna following behind with Nicholas.

"Me want booberries, Pappoús," Kaia announced as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with her fists.

"I have your oatmeal and blueberries right here for you, Miss Kaia," Alfred replied, setting her bowl down on the table.

"You and Nicholas are definitely Alfred's favorites," Dick told her as Tim put her in her booster seat. Kaia giggled as Dick reached over and tickled her ear. "I don't remember getting exactly what I wanted for breakfast when I lived here."

Tim chuckled as he took his seat. "Whatever," he countered. "I heard you pretty much ruled the place."

"I don't think was the case," Dick shot back. "Everyone knows that Alfred is the one who rules the manor."

"What's the matter with Damian?" Tim asked. "He shoved past me coming down the hallway."

"He's upset about what happened with Harley last night," Dick replied.

Tim's face scrunched up with confusion. "You guys said it wasn't his fault. I mean it's Harley Quinn. Trying to capture her is a nightmare in its own right."

"I tried telling him that but unfortunately he does not believe me," Alfred commented.

Tim started laughing as he handed Kaia her sippy cup of juice. "I head you had quite the experience with Harley when you were Robin, Dick."

Dick groaned, rolling his eyes. "It was not my fault."

Donna glanced between her husband and brother-in-law, wondering what they were talking about. "Okay, spill it," she said. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Dick adamantly stated.

"Batman and Robin had a run-in with Joker and Harley," Tim began, much to Dick's dismay. "Dick here got stuck chasing after Harley. She started flirting with him and got him all flustered. While he was distracted, she—"

"Okay, that's enough," Dick interrupted him. "There's no need to further humiliate me."

"What happened next?" Donna asked, trying to contain her laughter.

"Why Miss Quinzel managed to get Master Richard backed up into a preset trap," Alfred continued the story. "Master Bruce had to let Joker escape so he could rescue his partner."

"Thank you, Alfred," Dick ground out with a glare.

Nicholas and Kaia giggled, Alfred cleaning off Kaia's hand and reminding her to use her spoon for her oatmeal instead. It was almost a daily occurrence. Kaia scowled as she fisted her spoon against her will but obeyed under Alfred's watchful eye.

"Were you okay?" Nicholas asked.

"Yah, I was fine," Dick reluctantly replied. "Just very embarrassed."

"Maybe if you told Damian about it, it would make him feel better," Tim suggested.

"I'm pretty sure you have stories to tell about your run-ins with Harley," Dick pointedly said.

"I think Jason has better stories to tell," Tim decided with a frown, not wanting any stories about his role as Robin being revealed…especially the one about how Harley got away because he hadn't been paying attention like he was supposed to have been. He had sworn that day that he'd never make that mistake ever again.

Greece; September 17th, 11:04 EST

Diana had tuned out the banter taking place between Shayera, Artemis, and Hermes long ago, her focus on getting to Greece as quickly as possible. She knew Hermes could've just snapped his fingers and gotten them to their destination in a blink of an eye, but he was banned from helping her any more than he already had been.

A Greek curse formed in her mind as she considered it. She had no idea why in Tartarus Hera had decided to test her now of all times, but she was going to get to the bottom of it one way or another. It was the least of her worries right now, though. All that mattered was getting Bruce back.

Thoughts of her husband continued to bombard her, causing her heartache to grow heavier in her chest. It felt crushing at times, stealing her breath and making it difficult to fully draw air into her lungs. She wasn't about to allow it to deter her or keep her from saving Bruce.

She began to think about all the things that she was going to do to her father once she got her hands on him in the Underworld. She was going to make sure that he suffered greatly for all the pain and heartache that he'd caused so far.

There was still a part of her that had a very hard time accepting that Hades was her father, but she knew that denying it any further would be akin to lying to herself and she refused to do that. She was the embodiment of truth regardless of who her father happened to be.

"So, you should stick around after we rescue Diana's mate," Hermes flirted with Shayera. "I think you and I could have a lot of fun together. I kind of have a thing for women with wings."

"I'm married with two small children," she told him, her green eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Happily?"

"Very happily married," she ground out.

Hermes shrugged an indifferent shoulder as he flashed her a mischievous grin. "That's never stopped me before," he told her with a wink. "Just ask Peitho."

"You need help," Artemis told him with a scowl.

"You're just mad because I haven't flirted with you yet, gorgeous," he said. "Be patient. I'll get to you next."

Artemis wrinkled her nose in disgust. "It's called relief and if you dare try anything, I'll rip off your arm and beat you with it."

"I really admire your style," Shayera told Artemis. "You would make a great Thanagarian."

"I guess I shouldn't be too upset about being blackmailed into going on this mission," Hermes decided. "I do have the most beautiful women keeping me company."

"I bet that's what you tell all the women," Shayera stated, a single eyebrow arching suspiciously.

"I do have a very successful repertoire I like to use in the game of love," Hermes proudly responded with a smirk.

"You mean harassment and aggravation, don't you?" Artemis asked him.

"You are a feisty one, aren't you?" Hermes replied.

"You have no idea," the Bana-Mighdall Amazon retorted with a gleam in her eye.

"I do like a challenge and I have a feeling you would be my greatest challenge yet," Hermes told her.

"Don't even think of doing to her what you did to Chione," Diana icily stated from her pilot's seat, finally tuning in to the conversation taking place behind her.

"Why?" Shayera asked. "What did he do?"

Hermes had the decency to adopt a somewhat sheepish expression as he averted his eyes. "Honestly, Di," he replied. "Do you have to tell them all my dastardly deeds? You're painting me in a not so very nice light, cousin."

"She was the princess of Phokis," Diana continued, undeterred. "Hermes was attracted to her, so he used his wand to put her to sleep and then he slept with her."

Both Shayera and Artemis gave him disgusted looks, murder alight in their eyes. Hermes held up his hands in defense as he leaned away from them. "Hey, that was a very long time ago," he attempted to defend himself. "I've really changed my ways since my younger days. I'm much more civil now. I treat women with the utmost respect that they deserve."

"Right," Artemis bit out in obvious disbelief.

Hermes watched as Shayera's fingers moved to caress the handle of her mace. "I've done a lot of good in my time," he stated in indignation. "You can't fault me for one offense."

"Do I need to remind you of Apemosyne?" Diana muttered.

Hermes shot her a glare that she couldn't see and yet she could feel the heat of it on the back of her head. "That's enough," he told her in no uncertain terms. "I liked it better when you were up there brooding like your husband instead of spreading all my dirty laundry."

"Please, go on," Shayera stated, folding her arms against her chest as she glared at the Olympian god. "Please tell us all about Apemosyne. We'd love to know what he did to her."

"Don't we have more to worry about then trying to persecute me?" Hermes demanded to know. "We should be almost there by now."

"We're approaching the shore of Greece," Diana announced. "Of course, we could've gotten here a lot sooner if you would've just transported us."

"You know I can't, cousin!" Hermes declared. "Hera would have my head on a pike."

"And we won't?" Artemis questioned him.

"Okay, change of topic," Hermes decided. "What's our game plan now that we're here?"

"Find the gate to the Underworld, kick Hades' ass and save my husband," Diana bluntly stated in no uncertain terms.

"Sounds pretty straightforward to me," Shayera readily decided as she palmed her mace. "Let's kick some demon ass."

"I like your style," Artemis commented with a nod of appreciation.

"Where are your weapons by the way?" Shayera asked her.

"I call upon my weapons magically when I need it," she responded with a smirk as they all stood to their feet to exit the invisible jet.

"Of course you do," Shayera murmured with a shake of her head before turning her attention to Hermes. "And what exactly are you good for?"

"Moral support?" he replied with a bewildered shrug only to receive three female glares. "What? I'm not really allowed to interfere per Hera's orders. Do I have to spell it out for you across the sky or something? Maybe I'll just use her feathers and create a sign."

"Touch one of my feathers and you'll find my mace in—" she began.

"Whoa there, girl," Hermes said, taking a step back. "Just trying to spell it out for you gals."

"Let's go get my husband so I can have my family back again," Diana evenly stated, taking the lead as she marched towards the exit.

"The princess has spoken," Hermes announced as Artemis shoved their supply bag at him to carry for them. "Let's go rescue the mortal."

"I've been thinking about it," Shayera said as they began to walk along the shoreline of Greece searching for the cavern that held the hidden gate to the Underworld. "How do we know that Bruce isn't trying to escape as we speak?"

"When I saw him, he was heavily chained to the spot beside Hades' throne. That man is not going anywhere," Hermes informed them. Diana and Shayera chuckled in response, sharing a knowing look that left Hermes perplexed. "What? What did I say?"

"You obviously don't know Batman," Shayera told him.

"He can escape anything," Diana revealed. "There has yet been a device that Bruce can't find a way out of."

"So, you're telling me that chains won't hold him?"

"Only as long as Bruce feels it's necessary to get the information he needs," Diana replied.

"Even if Bruce does manage to escape Hades' palace, he'll need some sort of help finding his way out of the Underworld," Artemis pointed out.

"Bruce is extremely clever and a monumentally determined man," Diana reminded her. "Even with his memories beginning to fade, his skills and instincts should still remain fully intact. That will definitely aid him. We'll just have to be prepared for anything."

"Let's spread out," Artemis suggested. "The cavern has to be in this vicinity."

"I don't know what else we can do if we don't find that gate here," Diana said with a shake of her head, her blue eyes narrowing as she studied the landscape, silently willing the rocks to give up their secrets.

"Your mother has your sisters working night and day to continue removing the rubble," Shayera reminded her. "Maybe they'll make a breakthrough while we're gone."

Diana sighed wearily, the wind blowing and causing her to hook a raven curl behind her ear. "I hope so," she murmured. "Something has to give soon. I don't know how much longer I can take this."

"Hey, chins up, ladies," Hermes sternly stated as he clapped his hands, capturing the attention of all three. "No giving up on my watch. I might not be able to give you the information you need, but I can still be your cheerleader. Now, let's get to work."

Shayera looked at Diana, pointing at Hermes with her mace. "Who put him in charge?"

Diana just shook her head, her lips curving down into a frown. "He tends to do whatever he wants."

"Unless of course there's blackmail involved," he muttered under his breath as he scowled at Diana.

The four of them spread out, searching the rocky terrain in hopes of finding the elusive gate to the Underworld. They knew it had to be around here somewhere. The problem was trying to locate it. The gate's location would not be well broadcasted or displayed for all to find.

Diana wrestled with the notion of contacting her family again to let them know what was happening but had decided against it. She didn't really have anything positive that she could give them to bolster their spirits or raise their hopes, no new information that she had to report.

While she longed to hear Nick and Kaia's voices, she feared that talking to them could only make things worse in the long run. They would no doubt have an endless string of questions about their father and when they would be coming home. Unfortunately, she had no answers to give them, nothing that could satisfy their curiosity about what was really happening.

Her children were far too smart for their own good, making it more than difficult to withhold information from them. They were highly intelligent and picked up on things quickly. They obviously knew that something very important was going on that required both their parents, but beyond that, they had no clue.

Diana's hands came to rest on her hips as she studied the rocky landscape, determined to enter the Underworld before the day was over. It hadn't been that long ago that Bruce and John were here on this shore searching for Hades' amulet, hoping to find it before Ra's al Ghul could get his hands on it.

It made sense to her that one of her father's pieces of armor would be hidden in the same vicinity as one of the gates to the Underworld. She just wished she knew which cavern Bruce and John had found the amulet in. Unfortunately, she couldn't ask Bruce…but she could ask John.

"Wonder Woman to Green Lantern."

"Hey, Diana, what's going on?" he responded. "I thought you guys would've been in the Underworld by now."

"It's a long story, but do you happen to remember where you were when you and Bruce found Hades' amulet in Greece last month?"

"Wow…I'm sorry, but I don't," he thoughtfully replied. "Things got really sticky really fast with Ra's al Ghul's goons showing up. I wish I could help, but it got pretty nasty."

"No, it's okay," she reassured him. "I knew it was a long shot. Thanks anyway."

"Things that bad?" he asked, picking up on the frustration that laced her voice.

"It…it's been better," she cryptically told him.

"You'll get him back, Di," he reassured her. "You and my wife are two people that I would never bet against."

Diana smiled softly, his encouragement giving her spirits a much needed boost. "Thanks, John," she said. "I promise I'll bring your wife back in one piece…oh, I'll be sure to keep Hermes away from her."

"Hermes?" he exclaimed. "What in the world is going on? Do I need to come?"

"Hermes thinks your wife is hot, but don't worry about it," she told him.

"Wait…what?"

"Wonder Woman out."

Diana ended the communication, leaving John confused and more than a little upset. She turned to study the terrain once more, her eyes falling on a strange outcropping of rock that looked a little unusual to her for some reason that she couldn't pinpoint.

She felt a hand settle on her back between her shoulder blades, giving her a gentle shove in the direction of the strange outcropping. She turned a haughty glare on the person behind the shove only to find it was Hermes, a mischievous smirk on his lips.

Diana threw her arms around him, crushing him in her embrace. "Okay, there, cousin," Hermes wheezed as he tried to disengage from her hold on him. "As much as I enjoy hugging you, I can't breathe and besides that I didn't do anything to help you, remember?"

She kissed him on the cheek before releasing him and taking off like a deadly missile towards the outcropping of rock, not even bothering to say anything to her companions. This was it. She was finally going to get into the Underworld and find Bruce…bringing him home where he belonged.

Her heart nearly burst from her chest with the relief and apprehension that nearly overwhelmed her as she flew into the cave with a speed that rivaled her incorrigible cousin's. "Hang on, Bruce," she murmured. "I'm coming for you."

A/N: LOL! I have to say I love Wally and John trying to take care of the kids and Hermes is certainly proving to be annoying, but helpful!

UP NEXT: Tim has a surprise for Nicholas when he picks him up from preschool and Batman and Ra's battle the Underworld in an effort to escape. :)