Chapter 9

Gotham; September 17th, 11:30 EST

The excited chatter of twenty-one preschoolers filled the classroom as Miss Bishop revealed the newest addition to the class. The boys and girls crowded closer to her, anxious to see the bearded dragon that Miss Bishop had named Huckleberry.

Nicholas giggled at the name as he wormed his way to the front of the group with his best friend Peter tagging close behind him. Making it to the front of the crowd, Nicholas and Peter immediately reached for the bearded dragon, eager to hold it.

Miss Bishop held the dragon close to her, protecting it from all the little hands anxious to touch it. "Everyone needs to take a step back so we can take turns petting it," she instructed the children.

"We saw a bearded dragon at the zoo," Nicholas announced as Miss Bishop allowed him to touch it. "Kaia didn't like it, but I thought it was so cool."

"Maybe your daddy will let you have one someday," she told him.

Nicholas's face scrunched up as he thought about it. "I don't know," he ultimately decided with a shake of his head. "It took him a long time to get me a puppy and Kaia a kitten. A bearded dragon might be too much for him."

"My sister Abby has a hamster named Penelope," Peter chimed in.

"I have a coupla goldfishes at home," Simon excitedly volunteered.

"My oldest brother has a snake," Lydia added. "He lets me hold it sometimes. He named it Krypto after Superman's dog."

"Krypto is fun to play with," Nicholas said. "Superman's like my uncle."

"That's cause Wonder Woman is your mommy," Lydia decided. "That's so cool. I bet you get to play at the Watch-hour."

"Sometimes," Nicholas said with a shrug as if it was no big deal.

"All right, kids," Miss Bishop interrupted. "It's time to wash your hands and get your backpacks. It's almost time for pickup."

"Yay!" Nicholas exclaimed as he ran to the sink to get in line.

"What are you so cited about?" Peter asked him with a confused tilt of his head.

"My big brother Tim is picking me up," he replied. "We're going to eat lunch and get ice cream."

"I wish I had a cool older brother," Peter grumbled. "All I got is a stupid sister."

Nicholas's eyes widened. "Peter! We're not allowed to say the 's' word."

"Sister?"

"No, the other 's' word," Nicholas told him.

Peter frowned. "Well, she is," he insisted. "I went to pick up my backpack this morning and she kicked it across the floor."

"Yah, I've got an older brother Damian," Nick said. "He's kinda grumpy most of the time, but everybody else is fun. Kaia and I always play together. We have fun, but she's kinda noying sometimes specially when she wants to play with my Legos."

"Not noying like Abby," Peter grumbled as he grabbed his Green Lantern backpack. "She makes me play dolls with her."

Nicholas scrunched up his face as he got into line with Peter. "Kaia doesn't make me play with dolls."

"You're lucky," Peter told him.

Nicholas stood on his tiptoes, craning his neck in an effort to see if Tim was here yet. He was so excited about going out to lunch with his big brother. He could hardly wait. He really missed his mom and dad and hoped that they would be coming home soon.

"Nicholas!" Tim called from the pickup line.

"You can go, Nicholas," Miss Bishop told him. "See you Monday."

Nicholas just waved at her as he ran towards his brother, Tim taking him by the hand to walk him to his car. "How was school today?" Tim asked.

"Miss Bishop got a bearded dragon," Nicholas excitedly told him as Tim helped him into his car seat. "She named it Huckleberry. Isn't that a funny name? I told her that we saw a bearded dragon at the zoo."

Tim couldn't help but laugh at Nicholas's endless chatter. "Hey, someone is going to meet us for lunch if that's okay with you."

"Who?"

"Dick and Donna took Kaia to pick up the paint for your bedroom so they're going to meet us for lunch," he revealed.

"They got the paint?" he excitedly asked.

"Yes, they got the paint for both of your rooms," Tim confirmed as he pulled away from the school that had once been his. It was sort of surreal coming back here as an adult to pick up his little brother. Everything seemed so much smaller.

"I want mine painted first," he announced as he looked out the passenger door window, gently swinging his legs.

"Are you going to help paint?"

"I can help paint?"

"I don't see why not," Tim decided. "Just no dipping your bunny into the paint can again."

"I didn't do that," he adamantly stated.

"Oh, yes you did," Tim said with a chuckle. "Before Kaia was born, we were painting her room pink when you dropped your bunny into the paint can."

Nicholas laughed at the thought of his bunny being all pink. "My bunny isn't pink now."

"Alfred was able to wash it and get the paint off of it before it could dry," Tim explained.

"That's good," Nicholas decided. "I don't want a pink bunny."

"What else happened at school today?" Tim asked him.

"We drew pictures of our families and then we counted the number in each of our families," he revealed. "I needed an extra big piece of paper cause there's so many people in our family."

"Yes, there is," Tim agreed with a grin as he glanced at his little brother in the rearview mirror.

"I miss mommy and daddy," Nicholas softly said. "I want to show them my picture I drew."

"I know you do, kiddo," Tim gently said. "It's been a long five days, but they'll be home as soon as they can and then you can show them your picture."

"I even drew Ace and Peanut," he revealed.

"I guess they're members of the family too."

Pulling into the restaurant, Tim parked the car, getting out just Dick and Donna pulled in. Tim went to the backseat to retrieve Nicholas to find him already unbuckling his seatbelt and attempting to get out. "Where's my paint?" he excitedly asked as Dick and Donna got out of their SUV. "I want to see my paint."

"It's in the car," Donna reassured him as Dick helped Kaia out of her car seat.

"Let's do it as soon as we get home," Nicholas decided.

"Well, we'll have to take everything off the walls and move the furniture before we can start," Tim reminded him.

"Me help," Kaia volunteered as Dick carried her towards the restaurant.

"You're too little, Kai," Nicholas told her.

"Me not wittle," Kaia obstinately responded with a scowl.

"Kaia and I will help move the toys out of the way," Donna volunteered in an effort to keep the peace. "I'm sure there are toys you guys don't play with anymore that we could donate to the orphanage or the children's hospital."

"That's a great idea, Troia," Dick readily agreed. "I know the kids at the orphanage would love them."

"Hey, where's Damian?" Tim asked, suddenly noticing he wasn't with them.

"Sulking in his room," Dick replied, receiving an elbow to the ribs from his wife. "I mean he didn't want to come along."

Dick rubbed his ribs as he turned a glare on Donna. "He's didn't feel like coming along," she said, frowning at her husband.

"Table for five please," Tim said to the hostess. "We'll need a couple of booster seats."

"I was just telling it like it is," Dick grumbled to his wife. "It's not my fault that he's broody like his father."

"We just need to make sure that he has a good night on patrol tonight," Tim quietly said as they followed the girl to their table, Tim helping Nicholas into his seat before taking his own. "Do you want me to take him tonight?"

Dick frowned as he sat down, picking up his menu. "Nah, I'll keep the kid," he told him.

"Just tell him that story of your first encounter with Harley," Donna suggested with a chuckle. "I'm sure that'll make him feel a lot better."

"Funny, Troia," Dick retorted with a huff.

"What do you want for lunch, Kaia?" Donna asked her.

"Chicken nuggets," she excitedly declared as she fisted a yellow crayon to color her menu.

"I want macaroni and cheese," Nicholas decided.

"Have you heard anymore from you know who?" Tim cryptically asked.

"No, nothing," Dick replied. "I'm hoping I'll get an update tonight."

"It'd be nice to know what's going on," Tim agreed. "Maybe the signal can't come through down there."

"Probably not," Donna said. "It's a completely different world down there…far removed from this one. Powerful magic permeates the entire place."

"With any luck, maybe the two of them will run into each other," Tim suggested.

"We can only hope," Dick agreed as she glanced at Nicholas and Kaia, knowing that the longer they were gone, the worse it could be for Bruce.

Underworld; September 17th, 13:46 EST

"Stay down!" Batman bellowed, throwing an electrified Batarang.

The creature released a bone-chilling screech as the Batarang hit its target, the electric shock doing its job as the winged beast seized in mid-air only to fall to the ground at Ra's feet. Ra's tightened his grip on the sword that he'd taken from Hades' palace during their escape, releasing a ragged breath of relief.

Sheathing his sword, Ra's turned to Batman. "Impressive, Detective," he told him. "I wouldn't have been surprised if you would've allowed that creature have me for its dinner."

Batman gave him a curious look but said nothing in response as he reached for another Batarang. His black cape draped around him in that infamous dramatic fashion that he was so well known for as he studied the reddish sky above for more signs of trouble.

Hades had to know by now that they had escaped from the palace. He wished that he could have seen the look of rage on Hades' face when he saw the empty spot beside his throne where his prized slave had once been, the chains lying uselessly on the floor. Hades' arrogance knew no bounds, thinking that he could actually keep him prisoner with simple chains.

He sneered in disgust as he glanced behind him. Hades' palace was still visible on the horizon. He didn't like it one bit. They needed to put more distance between them and Hades. He had a feeling that Hades would be enraged when he discovered them gone, but he had no idea how far he would go to bring them back. He didn't want to find out either.

"Let's move," Batman growled, keeping his cape firmly around him to help mask his presence in the dark, gloomy domain.

"I had forgotten what a conversationalist you were," Ra's pointedly said as he fell in step beside him.

"There's nothing to talk about," Batman determined, his gaze constantly sweeping the area for any signs of more attacks.

Bruce kept a firm grip on the Batarang hidden in his hand beneath his cape. He was not about to be caught unawares in the Underworld or with Ra's al Ghul as a traveling companion. While he was having difficulty remembering his past experience with the man, he was certain that he couldn't be trusted. That was the one thing he remembered and knew with every fiber of his being.

"It would certainly help pass the time," Ra's suggested. Batman turned a deadly glare on him, one that he hoped would silence him. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work. "Tell me about the Amazon."

Bruce instantly felt his stomach clench almost painfully. The Amazon. Her beautiful face immediately popped into his mind, flooding his soul with an overwhelming sense of peace and love to the point it momentarily stole his breath from his lungs. She meant the world to him.

Then why couldn't he remember her name?

His jaw clenched tightly as fury cut through him like a sword's blade. "What about her?"

Ra's cast a sidelong glance at him, wondering just how much the Detective actually remembered about his life. "What is it that attracted you to her?"

"Her fiery spirit…her compassion," Batman stated, not wanting to talk about her with Ra's.

She was very special to him in countless ways. She meant far too much to him to discuss her with a man that he didn't trust. He didn't want him to know anything about her, protecting her from him though he had a strong feeling that she didn't need protecting.

"Is that all?" Ra's asked.

"I'm not talking about her with you," he bit out.

"She's Wonder Woman, Detective," Ra's reminded him. "I highly doubt there is any way that I could possibly harm her, nor do I even wish to."

"And I'm supposed to just believe that?"

Batman came to a stop at the edge of a steep ravine, staring down the slope that they needed to descend. It was rocky with scree that would make it difficult. He looked about them, deciding that it was the only direction they were going to be able to go at this point. He just hoped they were headed in the right way that would lead them to a gate.

They needed to find a gate if they were going to be able to truly escape. The problem was that he didn't know where a gate might lead them, or he just couldn't remember the information he needed. He cursed under his breath as he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefingers, fatigue heavily weighing on him.

"Maybe we should rest for a while," Ra's suggested.

"We can't stop yet," Batman stated, pulling out his grappling hook. "We need to at least get down into this ravine. We need to get more distance away from Hades. Besides, I don't want to stay out here in the open like this. It'll be safer down in the valley near that large rock formation."

"It's going to be quite treacherous," Ra's commented.

"If we go slow, we should be fine," he told him, jamming the hook into a rock before grabbing hold of the cable. "Just hold onto the cable and follow my pace."

Ra's chuckled softly as Batman began the descent. "You forget, Detective," he smugly responded. "I am just as skilled as you are if not more so."

"We'll see about that," Bruce ground out as he slowly began to work his way down the steep ravine.

Despite his inability to trust this man, he wanted to begin the descent first. He knew it was a risk leaving Ra's up by the hook while he went first, but he wanted to keep this man in front of him and not behind him. If Ra's tried something, he wanted to see it coming at him.

He could feel bits of scree breaking free from beneath his boots as he methodically worked his way down. He felt a growing sense of relief wash over him as Hades' palace disappeared from sight. He wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

Sweat began to break out across his brow beneath his cowl as he glanced up to see Ra's beginning the descent after him. It was dangerous having them both attempt the descent at the same time like this, but they needed to make good time. There was no predicting when Hades would make his move or what he had planned for them.

Bruce cursed to himself as his thoughts wandered to the Amazon that was his wife. Her face appeared in his mind once more, creating the same warm emotions that he had felt earlier when Ra's had asked about her. He felt his anger return with a vengeance. He would do everything in his power to keep her safe if Ra's was planning to harm her.

Even though he couldn't remember her name, he knew beyond any doubts that he would willingly give his life for her. He ached inside to remember her name, to remember more about her. Somethings about her were just so absolute in his mind like her fierce spirit and compassion. That was something that he inherently knew just like he knew that she loved him beyond all comprehension.

And he returned those feelings just as strongly.

It infuriated him that he was losing a piece of himself down here in the Underworld, losing pieces of his life…losing her. He knew he couldn't lose her. She was his beacon of hope and light, the one that he fought for and fought with. She was the reason that he wanted to live, to escape this hell.

The more he watched her, the more he wanted her. And now that he finally had her all to himself, he wasn't going to waste another moment.

Diana turned to find Bruce standing right behind her, his lips crashing into hers as he kneeled down to pick her up in his arms. She fought down the moan that rose in her throat as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He carried up the stairs and down the hall to the master bedroom suite, not wasting any time as he deposited her on the large bed waiting for them. Kicking his shoes off, he quickly moved over her, his mouth plundering hers as he touched her every place he possibly could, this intimate contact with her not nearly enough.

He wanted so much more, wanted to feel and kiss every single inch of her, to hear her breathlessly crying his name once more.

Diana gasped as he raked his teeth over her collarbone, his hands pulling the straps of her dress down. Her hands moved over him as well, rising desperation taking over as she tugged his shirt free from his pants, her fingers sneaking up beneath the fabric to explore and stroke the muscular planes of his back.

"Diana," he moaned, her fingernails lightly scraping over his skin as she spread her legs and allowed him to settle against her.

Her hands moved to firmly grip his backside, squeezing him before sliding around to the front of his pants. Her fingers made quick work of his belt buckle, swiftly removing it and flinging it across the room without even looking or caring where it had landed.

Bruce pressed his forehead against her shoulder as her fingers slipped inside to grip him, stroking him and taking his breath away like only she ever could. His mouth began to attack her, his teeth sinking into her skin as his mouth sealed around it causing her to hiss with pleasure.

"Bruce…" she gasped, arching her back as he rolled his hips firmly against hers. He was definitely going to be leaving his mark on her quite a bit this weekend. Of course, she was never innocent in that regard either if the fingernail scratches she almost always left on his back were any indication.

At first, she had felt so much guilt about the marks and scratches that she left on him after their passionate love making, but Bruce had quickly reassured her that he adored it and was proud to bear her mark, the visible proof of just how much she truly loved him.

He never wanted her to hold anything back when it came to her showing him how much she loved him, never wanted her to fear hurting him. He had more than proven himself a worthy lover, more than capable of going toe-to-toe with her.

Bruce suddenly pulled her hand from his pants, intertwining their fingers. "You better stop, Princess," he rasped. "Or this will be over before we've really gotten started."

Diana chuckled softly, using her feet to push his pants down his hips. "Then you better get to work, Wayne," she breathlessly threatened him.

He quickly slipped her dress down her perfect body, kissing his way down to her breasts and unhooking her bra. She arched her back again as his mouth descended on her breast, his hand massaging the other one.

She raked her fingers through his short black hair, pressing her head back into the pillows and tilting back as he stole her breath away. He was rapidly setting her body on fire with his heated ministrations, her mind awash with the pure euphoria flooding it.

Suddenly sitting up, he pulled her lace panties off, a smug smirk forming on his lips. "You have no idea how much you tortured me when I found that red thong in my utility belt," he told her, breathing heavily as he began planting hot wet kisses along her thigh, pausing to pay special attention to her hip bone.

"So, you liked it?" she finally managed to get out, tilting her head back again as he began to stroke her.

"Very…very…much…" he hummed against her flesh, sending a vibration of pleasure jolting through her.

He finally kissed his way back up her body, her hands moving to grip his shirt and ripping it from his body. The torn material went sailing through the air to join the belt she assumed, but she really couldn't be sure, nor did she really care.

Bruce growled something almost feral as he began to assault her throat, kissing his way to her ear. "I liked that shirt."

"I'll buy you a new one," she murmured, grabbing hold of his face and bringing his mouth to hers.

His boxers quickly shared his shirt's fate, disappearing somewhere over the edge of the bed. He ran his hands down her arms, drawing them away from his body and up over her head, wrapping her fingers around the wooden slats of the headboard.

He knew he was at risk of having her demolish the headboard, but he couldn't have cared less at that moment with the feel of her pressed so deliciously between him and the mattress. He found her lips again, kissing her hard as a fleeting thought of creating an Amazon invincible bed flitted through his mind. That was one project he would take great interest in pursuing.

His mouth descended on her luscious body like a starving man denied food for weeks, anxious for everything that she had to offer him. He ran his hands down the length of her arms before attacking her breasts again, stroking and massaging them until she was arching and writhing from his touch alone, her breathing becoming labored with the constant string of moans spilling from her lips.

"Bruce…" she gasped, her hand slipping free from his headboard with a frantic need to touch him again as well.

"No, Princess," he huskily murmured in her ear, capturing her hand that had settled on his backside and pulling it back up to the headboard. He wrapped her fingers around the post again. "This is all about you right now."

"But…but…Hera!" she managed to get out between exerted breaths, tightening her grip on the headboard as he set her body aflame with a fierce need for him. "But you…what about you?"

She was quickly silenced by his lips on hers, his tongue stroking her mouth, her taste driving his need even higher. "Pleasing you…pleases me…more than you know…"

His hands found her thighs, caressing her smooth skin before drawing her knees up even further. He brushed himself against her, eliciting a sharp gasp at the feel of him so hard against her hot wet center. He smirked as he kissed behind her ear, raking his teeth over the sensitive skin there as he thrust his hips, sheathing himself deep within her core in one fluid motion that caused her to cry out.

Bruce gasped at the feel of her vice-like grip around him, forcing him to momentarily pause to regain control once more, his fingers clawing at the sheets. He began to move his hips, his lips finding hers as his hands finally began to roam over her body again.

He could feel the sweet tension in her muscles as she squirmed, biting her bottom lip. "Bruce…please…" she panted. "I…I…need…Hera! I have to touch you…please…"

"Not yet, Princess," he smirked against her throat as he continued to drive into her, his sure fingers caressing and stroking her into a heated frenzy.

He felt her begin to shudder and tremble beneath him, her teeth digging into her lower lip and drawing blood as she moved her hips with him, meeting each one of his powerful thrusts. She could feel the thick bands of wood in her grip begin to crack from the intense need for release that was pounding fiercely through her entire body now.

Bruce grinned as he heard the headboard begin to crack, knowing all along it was never going to last, not in his powerful wife's grip and definitely unable to withstand how passionately they made love. He was so thankful he was a billionaire and money was never an issue.

He quickly slid his hands up her body moist with sweat, up her arms to cover her hands still gripping the splintering wooden slats of the headboard. He continued to pound into her with wild abandon, his hands keeping her right where he wanted her as he moved over her.

Diana came with a primal scream of his name, taking him over the edge with her as he pumped into her a few more times before emptying himself deep within her. His lips found hers as he uncurled her fingers from the headboard that was barely holding together now. He interlaced their fingers as he pressed his body flush against hers.

"Bruce…" she whispered, breathless and boneless as she returned his languid kisses. "That was…great Aphrodite, Bruce…"

"You're amazing…Princess…" he breathed heavily, fighting to calm the hammering of his heart. "No one has ever…or will ever love you…as much I love you."

Diana smiled softly as she gazed up into his blue eyes, freeing her hand to caress his face. "I hope you never forget how much I truly love you, Bruce Wayne."

He smiled in return, his lips finding hers as he began to worship her all over again, knowing this was only the beginning of their weekend together away from all the stress and pressure of the dangerous lives that they led. He silently swore to himself, vowing in his heart to do everything in his power to keep her safe with him and in his life no matter what.

Bruce gasped sharply with the memory that suddenly assaulted him, the accompanying feelings causing his heart to thump wildly in his chest. The love that he felt from the memory alone threatened to overwhelm him, bringing tears of guilt and pain to his eyes that he quickly banished. How could he possibly love this woman so much and yet not remember her name?

The familiar screech of the winged creatures caused a shiver of dread to race up his spine, the memory of her slipping back into the dark recesses of his mind once more. There were more creatures and they were coming for them. They were like sitting ducks out here on this grappling line, needing both hands to maintain control and not plummet to their deaths.

The rock continued to break free beneath their boots, making it more than difficult to get purchase with their feet. He tilted his head down as a large amount of rock and gravel broke free beneath Ra's boot, showering down upon him and making it difficult to see.

"Are you okay, Detective?"

"Keep going," Bruce yelled back. "Those creatures are getting closer."

Bruce quickened his pace but kept it steady as the sound of the creatures' flapping wings and guttural screeches grew louder. He wrestled against the irresistible urge to retrieve a Batarang. The way his boots were slipping on the scree forced him to keep both hands firmly gripping the cable.

Another otherworldly shriek sliced through the air, causing his heart to beat faster. Glancing down, they still had several yards to go before they were safely on solid ground again. After that, they still needed to make a run for that cavern that he had spotted from above. Hopefully, it was unoccupied otherwise they were going to have to fight for ownership of it.

"Detective!" Ra's yelled. "We may need to jump for it. Those creatures are getting closer."

Bruce internally grimaced with the notion of jumping this far. He had no doubt they would sustain broken bones, but it was preferable to being eaten alive by those creatures. "Move faster!" Batman hollered back. "We need to get closer."

Moving hand over hand, Batman slid faster down the cable, his boots barely gaining any leverage against the loose gravel of the raven. Ra's was quickly gaining on him, forcing him to move faster as a winged creature swooped past them. The wind the beast's flapping wings created caused the cable to sway, forcing them to tighten their hold to keep from falling.

The floor of the ravine grew closer, giving Bruce a flicker of hope as the second creature swooped. The beast snapped it razor sharp teeth at Batman, forcing his right hand to release the cable as he swung himself out of the way at the last second. He narrowly missed having his arm ripped off his body.

He quickly scrambled to regain his two-handed hold on the cable, his boots continually sliding against the scree that refused to give him any useable footing. The first winged beast came in for another attack, Ra's going for the sword at his side in an effort to fight it off.

The forceful blast of the creature's scream and the wind created by its powerful wings caused Ra's to lose his grip on his sword, the weapon clattering against the wall of the ravine before skidding to a stop on the ground that was still several feet away.

The second creature flew in for another attack, a blast of fire spewing from its snout. Batman cried out as he lost his grip on the cable, plummeting to the ravine floor below him. He did the best he could to protect himself and minimize the amount of damage that he was about to receive, but it was next to impossible.

Images of his family flitted through his mind like rolling movie credits as he fell, hitting the ravine floor hard and knocking the wind from his lungs. He squeezed his eyes closed against the pain that tore through his body, opening them just in time to see Ra's al Ghul coming at him.

Batman swiftly rolled to his side just seconds before Ra's landed on the ground beside him with a loud groan. The sickening sound of a bone cracking filled the air, Ra's crying out from the shock of pain that lanced through him.

The pair didn't have a lot of time to assess the damage or process the extent of the situation as one of the winged creatures flew straight at them. Each rolled to the side, Batman scrambling to his feet. He immediately whipped his cape to the side to reveal a razor-sharp Batarang in his gauntleted hand, his chest heaving as he threw his weapon.

The creature screamed in rage at the Batarang that imbedded itself in the side of its neck, black liquid oozing out of the wound. It reared its head, shaking it in an effort to dislodge the Batarang only to receive another one directly between its beady red eyes.

The beast slammed into the ground, skidding across the rock before coming to a stop. Ra's lunged for his sword as the second one wailed in fury, swooping down on them. Ra's lifted his sword at the last second, ignoring the pain in his broken arm as he plunged his sword deep into the belly of the creature and slicing it open from head to tail.

Both men stood there panting heavily as they stared at the dead creatures lying on the ground at their feet. Finally recovering, Batman slowly made his way to the beast, retrieving his Batarangs and tucking them back into his utility belt. He had no idea how long it would take to escape, and he couldn't afford to lose any more of his weapons.

"Are you all right?" Batman asked with a rasping grate as he turned his attention to his traveling companion.

"Just a broken arm," Ra's revealed with a grimace as he sheathed his sword. "Nothing that won't heal."

Batman glanced at the darkening red sky above. "We better get into that cavern before it gets any darker," he said. "I can look at your arm then."

"Why, Detective, I almost feel as though you actually care," Ra's quipped with a weak smile.

"I don't," he bit out as he turned his back to him, "but we have a greater chance of getting out of here if we work together."

"So, I'm more useful to you alive than dead?"

"Something like that," he muttered under his breath. "I need to get back to my family and my wife. I'm not about to let anything get in the way of that."

"I feel the same way, Detective," Ra's softly agreed as they made their way towards the cavern.

A/N: Things are not looking good for Batman and Ra's. Hopefully, Diana and the others will be able to get to them in time.

UP NEXT: Hades is not happy to find his son-in-law gone, Diana finally finds a way into the Underworld, BM must deal with some injuries, and Harley is looking for Joker's next victim. :)