Chapter 14

Batcave; September 20th, 05:59 EST

"It's got to be right here somewhere!" Nightwing adamantly exclaimed, frustratedly running his fingers back through his black hair. "Why can't we see it?"

"Because it's the Joker that's why," Tim told him as he shook his head, a grim expression gracing his face. His gaze was locked on the evidence spread out before them.

"Bruce should've killed Joker a long time ago," Jason groused, his voice laden with bitterness and malice as he folded his arms tightly against his chest. "Then, we wouldn't have to deal with this mess now."

"Shut it, Jas," Dick heatedly stated. "You know Bruce doesn't believe in killing."

"Yah, not even when his own son and partner dies," he resentfully huffed under his breath.

"Don't go there," Tim ground out, growing angry with Jason's attitude. "We need to keep our heads about this and not let emotions get in the way of figuring out what Joker's next move is going to be. Now, let's go over what we do know."

Damian glanced at his three older brothers standing around the evidence table, all of them still dressed in their uniforms. They'd only just returned from patrol a little while ago, laying out all the evidence that they'd collected on the case to see if they could discover what they were missing.

Unfortunately, they didn't seem to be any closer to knowing what Joker's plan was than when they'd first begun. Tensions were running higher with every passing day, wondering who Joker was going to target next in his little scheme to push Batman to the very edge.

"We already know that Joker is testing hallucinogenic drugs on his victims," Oracle chimed in from the computer screen positioned near the evidence table. She'd been silently watching the brothers argue, not wanting to get sucked into the unspoken tension building between them. "Now, the real question is why."

"I still think he's trying to brainwash them into becoming his slave," Jason commented.

"What if he's trying to build some sort of army to take over Gotham?" Damian suggested.

Dick shuddered with the thought, praying to God that wasn't true. "It's a possibility, but unlikely," he replied. "He'd need to be able to manufacture mass amounts of the drugs right once he found the right combination. I doubt that he has the capability to do that."

"Still, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility," Damian grumbled with a frown.

"You know Damian might not be that far off the mark," Tim decided as he thought about it. "What if he's trying to find the right combination of drugs in order to target certain people in Gotham?"

"That could certainly be a possibility," Oracle thoughtfully replied. "Still, we shouldn't rule out other possible outcomes."

"What if he's after some specific information that could be the key to some other scheme that we have no idea about?" Dick ventured a guess.

"We could be focusing on the wrong piece here," Oracle told them. "What if the focus isn't the drugs that he's stolen and been using, but the people that he's been using them on?"

"So, the whole brainwashing aspect would be thrown out the window?" Jason asked.

"Not totally."

Everyone froze with the unexpected sound of an unwelcomed voice. All four heroes turned around to find Catwoman in the Batcave, leaning against a crate of unopened equipment that Bruce had ordered a month ago. Her face was pale, blood dripping down her arm and pooling on the cave floor.

"How the hell did she get in here?" Jason exclaimed with a scowl.

"Really?" Selina acidly challenged him with an arched eyebrow. "I've been sneaking into this cave long before you became a Robin."

"Selina, what happened to you?" Dick asked he approached her.

"Joker happened," she spat out with a sneer. "He and his psycho girlfriend tried to kidnap me on the East End."

"Come on," Dick said, his fingers gently wrapping around her upper arm. "Let's get that gunshot wound treated before you bleed all over Alfred's clean cave floor."

"Why should we help her?" Jason demanded to know. "Do you know how much pain and trouble she's caused Bruce?"

"And Bruce would want us to help her," Tim retorted as he followed Dick and Selina towards the medical bay.

"Hey, guys! What about me here? Hello?" Oracle called after them. "Well, I'll guess I'll just check back with you all later then."

"Who is this chick?" Damian asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Your dad's ex and a thief," Jason informed him. "She's nothing but trouble dressed up like a cat. Sometimes she's on our side, sometimes she's against us. Just depends on how the wind blows that day. Isn't that right, kitten?"

"This kitten is going to claw your eyes out, Hood," Selina spat out as she moved to sit on top of the medical table.

"I'd love to see you try," he shot back.

"Enough," Dick interjected as he grabbed medical supplies. "Selina, tell us everything that happened."

Selina shot a withering glare as Jason before delving into her story, hissing softly as Dick began to cut away the material around the wound. "I was finishing patrol on the East End when I spotted movement below. I went down to investigate to find it was the Joker. He told me he needed my help."

"What could you offer him?" Jason asked.

Ignoring his snide remark, Selina continued, trying to focus on what had happened as Dick cleaned the wound. "Joker pulled a gun on me," she told them. "He said he didn't want me dead. He wanted to brainwash me."

"I knew it," Jason stated triumphantly, pumping his fists in the air. "I was right! I told you!"

"Did he say what he wanted to brainwash you for?" Tim questioned her, ignoring Jason.

"He told me that he wanted me to be his personal slave and do his bidding," Selina revealed.

"So, he's targeting key people in Gotham to have under his thumb," Tim surmised. "Can you imagine Joker having control over people in Gotham? That could turn this city into mass chaos."

"Joker's favorite pastime—mass chaos," Jason added.

"How were you able to get away?" Dick asked.

"Crazy Harley tried to subdue me," Selina said. "I knocked her out and ran. Gunfire erupted all around me. Joker was yelling that he wanted me alive. I was able to duck down an alley and escape."

"Not without getting hit," Dick murmured with a frown as he tossed aside a bloody gauze. "You're pretty lucky, Selina. It's a through-and-through bullet wound."

"Yay, me," she groused, hissing in pain as Dick began stitching her wound closed.

"So, what happens now?" Damian asked. "The Joker is still going to be looking for her."

"She's going to have to hide out here at the manor until we can find Joker," Dick ultimately decided.

"Uh, Dick, I'm not so sure that's a very good idea," Tim replied.

"She can't go back out into Gotham," Dick pointed out. "Joker is obviously on the warpath and we all know he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants."

"Mom is not going to like this," Tim murmured under his breath as he turned away.

"Selina is being hunted by Joker," Dick reminded them. "You know that Diana would help her if she knew that Selina was in trouble."

"I can take care of myself," Selina piped up. "I don't need to hide out here."

"It's not safe out there right now, Selina," Dick told her. "Joker is gunning for you."

"I know how to lay low, bird boy," she shot back. "If I don't want to be found, then no one will find me. How do you think I was able to evade your father all those times…unless of course, I wanted him to find me if you know what I mean?"

"You should've tried harder," Jason groused.

Selina tried to lunge at Jason only to be brought to a halt by Dick's hand on her good shoulder. "Jason, why don't you contact Oracle and let her know about Selina," Dick suggested, shooting him a deadly glare. He was definitely not helping matters any.

"Fine with me," he grumbled as he turned on his heel and stalked away.

"Damian, go get cleaned up and head upstairs," Dick told him. "I'm sure Alfred has breakfast ready by now."

"Whatever," Damian huffed under his breath as he too stalked away, not appreciating the fact that he was being treated like a child again.

"Selina, you're more than welcome to stay here if you need a place to hide out until we've caught Joker," Dick offered.

"No, I'm good," she decided. "I'll probably head out of town for a couple of weeks. Where is daddy Bats? Word on the street is that he's dead or missing."

"He's not dead," Tim replied, noticing real concern in her words. "Not…technically anyway."

"It's a long story," Dick said with a sigh as he finished bandaging her shoulder. "Diana is getting him back."

"I know if anyone can she will," Selina ruefully admitted, sadness and regret creeping into her eyes. "Despite everything, I want Bruce to be happy and he obviously is with the princess."

"He really is," Dick confirmed. "Hopefully, he and Diana will be back in the next few days. In the meantime, keep your head down and if you need a place to—"

Selina held up her hand before sliding off the medical table, an apologetic smile on her face. "I know," she interjected. "Thanks for the fix-up and the offer, but I know my time here has long pass. I just wanted to give you a heads up on what the Joker was planning."

"If Diana was here, you know she would never turn you away," Dick told her.

"That's because she's a better woman than I am," she said with a mirthless chuckle. "See ya later, boys."

Dick and Tim watched as she disappeared into the darkness of the cave, Dick leaning forward as he placed both hands on the medical table. "This is worse than we initially thought," he told Tim, dread filling his voice.

"We'll find him, and we'll stop him," Tim reassured him.

"Yah, but how many people will he torture and kill before we do?"

"We might find him tomorrow night, Dick," Tim pointed out.

"And it might be three weeks from tomorrow night," Dick groused, shaking his head as his chin fell to his chest. "I wish Bruce was here."

Tim placed a comforting hand on Dick's shoulder, squeezing it in support. "You're doing a great job leading this team, Dick," he told him. "Don't sell yourself short."

"It just feels as though the weight of the world is all on my shoulders," he confessed. "Finding Joker, handling Damian, trying to keep Nick and Kaia from finding out their parents might never come home. The twins will be here before we know it and we don't have a place big enough yet."

"Hey, you're not alone in this," Tim reminded him. "We're family and we're all here to help you. Donna has been doing a great job of keeping the kids busy and as far as finding a bigger place for you and Donna, you still have plenty of time."

"Thanks, Timmy," Dick said, turning his head to give him a small smile as he ruffled his hair. "It just gets overwhelming sometimes you know?"

"Don't call me Timmy and yes I know," Tim agreed with a frown. "I haven't gotten to see Cassie in days."

"Why don't you take this evening off?" Dick suggested. "You could join us on patrol later."

Tim shook his head as he considered it. "Stephanie texted me."

Dick's head snapped up in shock. "Really? Does she want to get back together?"

"Kind of sounded like it," Tim confessed.

"What are you going to do?"

"I have no idea," he said with a sigh. "I'll always love Steph, but I'm with Cassie now."

"Do you love Cassie?"

"Yah, I really do," Tim admitted, his face brightening some with the admission.

"I can see it on your face," Dick noted with a grin. "I think you've already made your decision. You just have to tell Stephanie how you feel."

"That's the part I'm dreading," he said with a groan. "I don't want to hurt her."

"Well, you guys broke up quite a while ago," he pointed out. "She has to assume you've moved on since then. I mean you're a stallion. You can't run free forever."

Tim's face scrunched up with the analogy. "A stallion? Really?"

"Okay, not my best, but you get the point."

"Come on," Tim said as he turned to walk away. "Let's go get breakfast before Jason and Damian eat it all."

"I also want to see my wife," Dick told him. "I haven't had much alone time with her lately."

"Too much information," Tim groused, holding up his hands to keep him from continuing on. "Besides, it's going to have to wait. We have two rooms to paint."

"Oh yah," Dick muttered. "We better get that done. I'm not sure Donna's going to like sleeping in the tent in the entertainment room with the kids for another night."

Wayne Manor; September 20th, 07:16 EST

Jason entered the entertainment room with his breakfast plate in one hand and his fork in the other. He smirked at the sight of the tent set up in the middle of the room, the giggles coming from inside telling him someone was obviously awake. Judging by the giggles it was Kaia.

"Kaia, move over!" Nick scolded her. "You're touching my sleeping bag."

"Me not!" she insisted.

"Yes, you are," he grumbled.

"Me in my bag!" she told him.

Smiling to himself, Jason set his plate down on a nearby table before sneaking up on the tent and the unsuspecting campers inside. Leaning over, he grabbed the sides of the tent and shook it, roaring like a bear. Screams erupted from inside the tent including a pregnant Amazon.

Three heads poked out of the tent opening, finding Jason standing there laughing. "That was not funny, Todd," Donna growled at him.

Nicholas giggled at the sight of his older brother while Kaia still looked somewhat scared. "Hey, kiddos," Jason greeted them with a grin. "How was your camping trip?"

"Great until you showed up," Donna grumbled as she crawled out, Jason grasping her arm to help his pregnant sister-in-law up.

"Did you like sleeping in a tent last night?" Jason asked Kaia who quickly scrambled out, throwing her arms up into the air for him to pick her up.

"You scared me," she said with a scowl as she laid her head on his shoulder as she fought back tears.

"Sorry, Kai," he apologized, rubbing her back.

"Me too, but it was funny," Nicholas told him.

"Go get your breakfast, Nicholas," Donna said, gently swatting him on the backside to get him going. "You have to leave for school soon."

"We got to paint my room," Nicholas insisted with a frown.

"We will this afternoon when you get home," she promised him. "Your brothers need to sleep for a few hours first."

"What's going on in here?" Dick asked as he entered, making a beeline for his wife and kissing her soundly.

Kaia giggled as they kissed, Jason rolling his eyes. "Come on, Kai," he grumbled in annoyance, refusing to admit that he really missed Artemis. "Let's go get your breakfast. This is going to get sickening real quick."

Donna's arms wrapped around her husband's neck, not willing to let him go anytime soon. "How was patrol?"

"You don't want to know," he complained.

"What happened?"

"Selina showed up in the Batcave about an hour ago," he revealed. "She'd been shot by Joker."

"Is she okay?"

"Yah, but Joker wants to brainwash her into becoming his slave," he explained.

"Well, I guess you guys now know what Joker is up to," she replied. "Unless, it's something far more than that."

"That's what worries me," he admitted, his hands coming to rest on her abdomen where they're children grew. "Did you survive last night?"

"It was fun," she told him. "I have a feeling they're going to want to do it all the time now."

"You're definitely not going to be able to do that in another month or two."

Donna's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you saying I'm going to be huge?"

Dick chuckled as he pressed his lips to hers. "You'll always be beautiful to me no matter how big you get during this pregnancy."

"Thanks…I think," she mumbled, unconvinced. "I was reading a book about being pregnant with twins and our children are the size of a lemon right now."

"I can hardly believe it," he murmured in awe. "I'm ready for them to arrive now."

"Well, you still have around twenty-two more weeks before that happens," she informed him.

"You know I'm not a very patient man," he reminded her.

"Don't I know it," she said with a giggle.

"Have you been able to feel anything from Diana?"

"Just the usual anger and frustration," she confessed. "She exhausted but determined to find Bruce."

"Hopefully, she'll find him soon," he replied. "I don't know how much longer he can be down there without losing his mind."

Underworld; September 20th, 07:30 EST

Diana fought back the tears that burned behind her eyes and in her throat as she stared at Bruce, her heart pounding relentlessly in her chest. He was on his knees staring back at her…seeing her, but not appearing to recognize her. It caused a renewed sense of panic to well up within her, fearing how much he'd lost in the time it had taken her to get down here. Seeing Ra's only served to inflame her fury even more.

She cautiously approached the pair with her sword gripped in her hand, prepared to do whatever was necessary to get Bruce safely out of here and back home. Ra's al Ghul could rot down here for all she cared. Her husband was her main priority right now.

"Bruce?" she called to him, praying to Hera that he would recognize her…would at least remember the sound of her voice.

She could tell by the way he was kneeling on the ground that he was badly injured. The extent of those injuries was unknown to her, but she knew her husband better than herself. He was in serious trouble if he was unable to fight off these winged demons let alone having difficulty standing upright.

Bruce stared at her, completely transfixed by this sword-wielding, avenging angel who had come to their rescue. She stood before them like a true warrior prepared to defeat any and all who stood in her way. White bandages tinged with dirt and blood covered parts of her arms and shoulder, the left side of her neck and one thigh. She'd obviously been injured in some sort of battle. The thought caused a strange sense of urgency and fear to rise up from somewhere within him.

He knew that he should know her, remember this woman who seemed so familiar to him, but he couldn't recall her name or how he knew her no matter how hard he tried to force the information to rise to the surface of his mind. She was a breathtaking enigma that he found he wanted to solve.

Behind her were two women and a man. The two women looked vaguely familiar to him, but he didn't think he'd ever seen the man before. It appeared as though he didn't want to be here with them, shifting the bag on his shoulder to the other side as he warily watched the scene play out before him.

"Wonder Woman," Ra's formally greeted her, his intent gaze taking in the three companions behind her as he considered how the Amazon's appearance had drastically changed his plans. "I see you've come to our rescue."

"Not yours…his," she tersely clarified with a threatening glint in her eyes and a glower on her face.

Her rage was palpable even from here. Ra's knew that he was treading on very dangerous ground that could turn deadly in a heartbeat. While the Detective didn't believe in killing, he wasn't so sure the Amazon carried that same belief. The murderous look in her eyes told him he wasn't wrong in that assumption.

"Did you do this to him?" Diana demanded to know as she slowly closed the distance between them, somewhat uncertain of how best to handle the tenuous situation. It was obvious that Bruce was unsure of what was happening, making her fear skyrocket as to his mental state.

"No, I did not," he stated indignantly. "We were trying to navigate the side of a ravine when we were attacked by some winged creatures. They caused us to fall to the ravine floor. I broke my arm and the Detective broke some ribs…quite possibly puncturing his lung."

Bruce struggled to get to his feet, steadying himself on a nearby rock. With a grunt of pain, he managed to get up onto shaky legs, his face pale. "He's telling the truth," he managed to tell her.

"Do you remember me?" Diana asked him, hoping lacing her voice as well as her face.

"You look familiar, but I can't recall your name or how I know you," he rasped.

"I'm Diana," she told him, trying her best to keep the hurt from reaching her voice.

"Diana," he said her name as if testing it out. For some reason, it just felt right.

"You and I are—"

"I really think we need to save introductions for later and continue moving," Ra's interrupted before the Amazon could reveal the true nature of her relationship with the Detective. "More demons could be lurking around here not to mention we need to get the Detective out of here. Where is the nearest gate?"

"It's back that way," Artemis said, indicating with the point of her sword. "I'm not sure we should take you with us. I rather prefer the idea of leaving you down here."

Ra's lifted his chin in defiance, refusing to spend another moment in this hell. "You will take me with you," he insisted. "I don't belong down here anymore than the Detective. Besides, I need to take him back to my grandson and my daughter."

Diana took a threatening step forward, her jaw clenched tightly. "You aren't taking him anywhere," she spat out with a venomous glare.

"I don't know…what's going on here, but we…we should…keep moving," Bruce managed to utter between gasping breaths, holding his side.

"Hermes, help him," Diana ordered her cousin, unable to bear seeing him hurt like this.

"You know I'm not allowed to…" he began only to receive a lethal glare from the Amazon princess that scared him senseless. "You know, on second thought, let me see what I can do, Bruce."

Hermes quickly made his way to Batman, placing a hand on the side that Bruce was holding. "Hold still," he murmured. "This isn't really my expertise. We need Apollo for this, but this should help you breathe easier and take away your pain."

A bright flash of light emitted from Hermes' hand; Bruce finally able to draw a deep breath without any pain. "Thank you," Bruce said, confused by what was happening around him and unsure of who to believe.

Ra's had been telling him that Talia and Damian were his family but seeing Diana had stirred something inside of him that was intense and quite unexpected. Could she be a former girlfriend…someone he had loved before Talia? His questions would have to wait for now. They needed to focus on getting to the gate so they could escape the Underworld.

"Let's get moving," Diana stated, her gaze fixed on her husband. She ached to hold him…to kiss him and to tell him how sorry she was that she couldn't save him in time, but he didn't remember her…at least not yet. "It's going to take some time to get back to the gate we entered through."

Ra's attempted to stay close to Batman, wanting to make sure he could control the information that he was being told. With any luck, he'd still be able to salvage his plans for bringing the Detective to his hideout and reuniting him with Talia. He would never give up on making him the leader of the Demon's Head.

Unfortunately, he was stopped short by the Thanagarian who abruptly stepped directly into his path, Batman continuing on without him. "I'm watching your every move," Shayera told him, palming her mace in her hand as her lips curled with revulsion. "If you try anything to destroy Bruce and Diana's marriage, I will personally rip your heart out."

"And if she doesn't, I will," Artemis added with a sneer as she stepped in beside Shayera.

Ra's al Ghul merely smirked at them, unfazed by their threats. "You have no idea who you are dealing with, do you?" he smugly replied.

"I know exactly what and who you are," Shayera hissed with fury. "You can try to brainwash Bruce, but you can't manipulate us."

"Get out of my way," Ra's snapped, shoving his way past the pair.

"I don't like this," Artemis softly said to Shayera as they followed Ra's from behind.

"Me either," Shay agreed. "If I had my way, I'd feed him to the demon creatures."

"We'll have to keep him away from Batman," the Bana-Mighdall Amazon decided.

"It almost seems as though Bruce trusts him to some extent," Shay. "He doesn't seem very inclined to leave him behind."

"That's what worries me the most," Artemis murmured. "Bruce doesn't remember Diana so I'm sure he's not sure who he can trust. We're going to have to help him remember."

"The sooner we get him out of here and back home the better it will be," Shay said. "I don't know how much more of this Diana can take."

"I'm sure getting him back home in familiar surroundings with his family will help," Artemis decided, her gaze falling on the Amazon princess who was walking beside Batman.

Diana suddenly stopped, holding her free hand up to silence everyone. "What is it?" Hermes asked.

"Stay here," she ordered them.

"Gladly!" Hermes called back. "You don't have to tell me twice."

"What is it?" Shayera asked.

"The Erinyes," she spat out.

"What is the Erinyes?" Shayera asked Hermes.

"It's the Furies," Hermes replied.

"Who are the Furies?" Batman questioned him; his gaze locked solely on Diana.

"They're goddesses that are servants of Hades and Persephone," Hermes explained. "They usually oversee the torture of criminals condemned to the Dungeons of the Damned. I'm not sure what they're doing here unless Hades sent them after us."

Diana wasn't sure what they were doing here in this part of the Underworld, but she was going to find out. Keeping them away from Bruce was all that mattered to her right now as she tried to intercept them. She landed on the ground before them, her sword still in hand.

"What do you want?" Diana demanded to know.

"Lord Hades sent us," Tisiphone informed her, the poisonous serpents around her waist and wrapped around her arms lifting their heads as they hissed at Diana.

"What does Lord Hades want?"

"He wants you of course," Alekto revealed, pointing an accusing finger at the princess.

"All we want is safe passage through the Underworld," Diana replied. "I do not want to fight you."

"It is too late for that," Megaira told her with a gleeful smile.

"Yes, far too late for that," Alekto confirmed.

"Much too late indeed," Tisiphone agreed. "Hades is most displeased with you, Princess Diana, Daughter of Lord Hades."

"Yes, Lord Hades sent us on this special mission," Alekto revealed.

"Special mission…a very special mission indeed," Tisiphone repeated with a malicious grin.

"Lord Hades wants to see you," Megaira confirmed, her haunting gaze studying those accompanying the Amazon princess.

"I will go with you, but my companions must be allowed to leave the Underworld," Diana stated, raising her chin in defiance. "I will stay here. You have my word."

"Diana!" Shayera yelled.

Batman immediately took a step forward, Artemis staying close to him. He didn't know why, but he didn't want to see Diana go anywhere without them. "No, you can't stay here," Bruce adamantly stated in no uncertain terms.

The three Furies looked at each other, their heads close together as they conversed. Their voices were muted, speaking in a language all their own as they considered it. Megaira pulled away first, her piercing eyes settling on the Princess of the Amazons.

"Fine…fine," she said with an affirmative nod. "You may all come along with Princess Diana to witness what Lord Hades has in store for his daughter."

"No," Diana firmly stated, hot fury filling her voice as she stood before them. "They can't come with me. They must be allowed to leave the Underworld unharmed."

"Do something," Shayera hissed Hermes.

"Me? Why me?" he asked, eyes wide in shock.

"Because you're a Greek god," Shayera reminded him. "Can't you do something heroic and get us all out of here?"

"What part of I'm not allowed to interfere do you guys not understand?" Hermes cried. "Hera is testing Diana. For what reason, I have no idea. All I know is that this is something Diana must endure alone."

Batman didn't understand what was going on, but he knew that he didn't like it. Why was Diana being tested by Hera and could Hades really be her father? Was Diana truly a princess? It somehow seemed to fit her in every way imaginable. He just wished he knew what was happening so he could help her.

"I don't like this," Batman growled, his gauntleted hands curling into fists prepared to fight their way out of here. "We have to do something to stop it."

Shayera and Artemis shared a relieved look, knowing that at least something in Bruce remembered Diana. The princess turned around, giving them a look that was filled with nothing but resolve and utter peace. It was obvious she knew what she was doing, and she was going to do whatever it took to get them out of there even if it meant sacrificing herself.

"It's all right," she reassured them with a peaceful calm that was surprising given the situation they found themselves in. "I can handle Hades. Just get Bruce out of here. I promise I'll find a way home."

The white lenses of his cowl narrowed with her words. "We're not leaving you behind to face Hades alone."

"If it be Hera's will, then I have no other choice but to obey," Diana evenly replied.

Artemis strode forward to stand beside Diana to face the Furies. "What does Hades want her for?"

"We do not know," Megaira told her.

"No…no, it's not known," Alekto said with a shake of her head.

"If she goes, then we go too," Artemis firmly stated. "We're not leaving here without her."

"Artemis," Diana angrily hissed.

"You came here to rescue Bruce and I came to make sure you made it out of here as well," she told her. "I'm not about to let you sacrifice yourself so the rest of us can go free. You have a family back home that is waiting for you."

The anger in Diana's face dissipated with the reminder, the thought of her children causing her throat to constrict painfully. "Thank you," she softly murmured, touched by her friend's insistence.

"Yes, we will take you all," Tisiphone agreed, waving her hand.

The entire group disappeared from sight only to reappear outside of Hades' palace, the god of the Underworld striding towards them. "Ah, my beloved daughter," he greeted her with a grin. "It is so good of you to come see me…and I see you brought an audience to watch."

Diana sneered at the sight of her so-called father. She sheathed her sword as she purposefully placed herself between her father and husband, making sure that Bruce didn't end up in the line of fire. This was between her and Hades. She wasn't about to let anyone else get involved.

"Let's finish this," she spat out with a deadly glare.

"Gladly, my daughter," he readily agreed as he met her glare with a fierce glower of his own.

A/N: LOVED how this update turned out! I hope you guys enjoyed it! This is the mid-fic climactic event before we segue into the next part. :)

UP NEXT: Wally and John continue to play Mr. Mom while Diana faces off against Hades while Bruce and the others are forced to watch.