Chapter 15

Detroit; September 20th, 07:38 EST

"That's it…back and forth…back and forth," Wally encouraged him. "Okay, now don't forget the back."

"Like tis?" Rex mumbled, his mouth full of toothbrush and toothpaste.

"Good job, buddy," Wally praised him. "Didn't your mom and dad teach you how to brush your teeth?"

"Yep!" Rex said before spitting into the sink.

"Well, they didn't teach you right then," Wally ultimately decided.

"We taught him right," John interjected as he poked his head into the bathroom. "He's just stubborn and wants to do it his own way."

"Ah, so you're like your mother," Wally said with a nod. "You know you're going to get cavities and then you're going to wish you'd brushed your teeth the right way."

Rex's little face scrunched up in confusion as he looked at his Uncle Wally, white foam from the toothpaste on his lips. "What?"

"Never mind," Wally said with a shake of his head. "We need to get going soon or we're going to be late."

Turning, Wally was greeted by an armful of Bella, John handing his daughter off to him. "Can you change her quick before we leave?" John asked. "I've got to restock her diaper bag."

"Whoa!" Wally cried, turning his head away from the giggling little girl in his arms as his nose scrunched up in disgust. "You reek, Bells!"

Bella babbled happily, kicking her legs as Wally held her at arms' length. "She's stinky!" Rex agreed, wrinkling up his nose as he wiped his mouth with the hand towel.

"Come help me change her," Wally told him.

"No way!" Rex yelled as he ran out of the bathroom, leaving Wally standing there with Bella in his hands.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Bells," he said with a frown, taking her to her bedroom.

Laying her down on the changing table, Wally began to undress her, the stench from her diaper growing stronger. "You know for such a cute little kid you sure smell bad."

Bella giggled at Wally, sticking her toes into her mouth. "Hey, how do you manage to do that?" he asked her as he began the unwelcomed process of cleaning her up. "You're like super flexible. Maybe that's like some super gift or something."

"No, she's just a baby," John revealed as he walked in with her diaper bag.

"I honestly don't know how women do this all the time," Wally said.

"Husbands do it too you know," John told him. "The kids are just as much my responsibility as hers."

"That's for sure," he agreed. "You did help make them after all."

"Right," John said with a frown. "Are you done yet? I've got an eight o'clock monitor duty shift."

"I thought you traded it so you wouldn't have to be in so early?"

"I couldn't find anyone willing to switch."

Wally redressed Bella, picking her up and kissing her on the cheek. "You're such a cutie."

Bella made a kissy face at Wally, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't get any ideas, Bella," John warned her. "You're too young to date and Uncle Wally is too old for you. Let's go."

John swung Bella's diaper bag over his shoulder, Wally and Bella following behind him. "Rex! Let's go."

"Daddy, can I take my stuffed dog with me?" Rex asked.

"Sure thing, buddy," John told him, taking him by the hand as his free hand reached for his commlink. "Hey, Mister T, we have four for transport."

"Picking up your signal now," Mister T responded. "Transporting in five."

Wally quickly pulled his mask down over his face, Bella trying to figure out how to pull it back up. Wally pretended to eat her fingers to keep her from exposing his identity, Bella giggling as she jerked her hands back. She tilted her head as she tried look under his chin, perplexed by his mask.

Appearing on the transport pad, Lantern and Flash stepped off with kids in tow, receiving an amused grin from Mister Terrific. "Morning, guys," he greeted them.

"Hi, T!" Rex excitedly exclaimed, waving at him. "I brought my dog with me."

"Hey there, Rex," Mister T said. "Have a good time in day care."

Bella waved too, not wanting to be left out. "You too, Bella," Mister T told her with a grin.

"Hey, we need to pick up some more diapers tonight when we get home," Flash told him as they made their way to the door. Mister Terrific couldn't help but chuckle as they left.

"We also need to get more milk," John reminded him, entering the hallway.

"Oh, and don't forget we need more Cheetos," Wally said. "Rex and Bella love them."

"Yah, Rex and Bella," John replied with a roll of his eyes. "They aren't supposed to be eating Cheetos."

"Cheetos? Did I say Cheetos?" Wally quickly attempted to rectify. "I meant Cheerios. We need more Cheerios."

"Well, that explains the orange I found around Rex's mouth the other day," John murmured.

"Hey! How are my two favorite Stewarts?" Green Arrow asked as he came towards them.

Rex ran towards Oliver who scooped him up into his arms before throwing him up into the air. "I thought I was your favorite Stewart?" John pointed out with a smirk. "At least that's what you said when I agreed to your monitor duty shift last week."

"You're my third favorite Stewart," Oliver told him.

Wally clapped John on the shoulder. "Hey, at least you're ranked higher than Shay."

"When are Shay and Diana coming home?" Ollie asked.

"Not soon enough," Wally interjected. "Being a wife is exhausting.

"Yah, it's been a lot of…wait!" John exclaimed. "You are definitely not my wife."

"Well…you know what I meant," Wally said.

"I'll just be happy when Shayera is finally home," John told him. "Hopefully, it won't be too much longer."

"Hey, I hear you could use some more help around the house in a few months," Wally commented.

A smirk spread across Oliver's face, his eyes alight with excitement. "Yes, we will," he proudly replied. "Dinah is pregnant."

"Congratulations, man," John told him.

"They're going to have to expand the day care up here if all you guys keep making babies," Wally added.

"Hey, don't look at me," John said, holding his hands up. "We are done. Two is more than enough for us."

"Does Shayera know that?" Ollie asked, setting Rex down.

"Yah, if not, you might be the next League couple to get pregnant," Wally said with a chuckle.

"Don't you have somewhere you need to be right now?" John ground out, directing a glare at his friend.

"Oh, yah…come on kids," Wally said, taking Rex by the hand. "Time for day care."

Oliver shook his head as he watched Wally walk Rex and Bella down the hall. "Never thought I'd see the day that he'd become so domesticated," he told John.

"Don't worry," John replied with a grin. "His time is coming. The right woman is going to show up and that'll be the end of the swinging bachelor and self-proclaimed 'chick magnet'. He'll be just like the rest of us husbands—whipped and chasing after kids."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Oliver said, chuckling as he continued towards the commissary.

Underworld; September 20th, 08:13 EST

Ra's al Ghul watched in fascination as the celebrated Princess of the Amazons fearlessly stared down the god of the Underworld. This would no doubt be a battle to end all battles—Amazon warrior versus a god, father versus daughter, light versus dark.

He wasn't certain how this was going to play out, but he knew that he wouldn't bet against Hades. He was powerful as a god, but this was also his domain…his realm. Even though she was his daughter and very powerful and skilled in her own right, he didn't believe that the Amazon could beat her father.

Ra's cast a sidelong glance at the Detective standing beside him, wondering what was going through his head. His expression was emotionless, but his stance was tense and rigid. He had a feeling that the Amazon was familiar to him, but he wasn't certain how much he actually remembered about her.

He was going to have to be careful going forward, picking his moments to reinforce his version of events in the Detective's mind and making him believe that the Amazon and her friends were the enemy. Unfortunately, he now had two bodyguards who were watching his every move and guarding Batman.

Escaping from the Underworld and reuniting with Talia and Ubu remained his top priority. Doing it with Batman under his control and bringing him into the fold…making him the leader of the Demon's Head would be an added bonus. Saving himself would always be first and foremost in his mind, though.

Diana could feel everyone's eyes on her a she straightened her stance and sheathed her sword, knowing she wouldn't be using it as she stared down her father. She raised her fists instead as she faced off against Hades. This wasn't going to be a battle won with weapons. It was going to be a fight of strength and skill…one that she was determined to win. It meant Bruce's freedom, and nothing meant more to her than him.

"You actually think you can fight me and win?" Hades demanded to know, a rolling chuckle following as he began to pace before her. "How quickly you have forgotten the last time I escaped the Underworld. Do you not remember how I humiliated you…how you nearly lost your life because you opposed me and kept me from seeing my grandchildren?"

"I'm an Amazon," she reminded him. "Death is a glorious rite of passage for a warrior, but I don't intend to die today."

"You always were stubborn just like your mother," he taunted her. "I will enjoy teaching you a lesson about interfering in my plans, daughter."

"If your plans involve trying to destroy the world or coming after my family, I will interfere every single time," she stated through gritted teeth.

Deciding not to wait for him to make the first move, Diana suddenly flew straight at him, her fists curled tightly in front of her. She could feel the bite of her fingernails into the palms of her hands as fury seared like fire through her veins, determined to make him suffer for all the pain he had caused them.

She delivered a punishing blow that caused her father to stagger backwards, but it caused little damage…save for the pain that shot through her fists. Hades merely scoffed at her attempt to take him down, a glint of amusement reflecting in his dark-eyed gaze.

"Is that the best that you have, daughter?" he mocked her.

"I'm only getting warmed up," she ground out with a sneer.

She quickly attacked with a flurry of kicks and punches that caused him to sway on his feet, his anger rising as he swung his fists at her in an effort to defend himself against her attack. She swiftly dodged each of his attempts to strike her, staying just a step ahead of him. He growled in frustration, cursing under his breath as she slammed her forehead directly into his.

His head snapped back as he swung his fist, connecting with her jaw and sending her flying backwards. Diana landed hard on the ground with a grunt, knocking all the wind out of her lungs. She felt a thin trickle of blood coming from the corner of her mouth, her lip split from his punch. Getting to her feet, she wiped the blood away with the back of her hand as she stared him down.

A warrior's cry was on her lips as she immediately flew at him again, leading with her boot this time round. Hades swiftly grabbed her by the ankle and flung her aside like a ragdoll, taking pleasure in the way her body crashed into a mound of rocks. He was growing more annoyed with this with every passing moment. It was pointless display of pride on her part.

"Any of you want to try to fight me?" he bellowed, turning to the audience silently watching the battle. "What about you, nephew?"

Hermes paled as he stared in disbelief at Hades. "I am technically not even here, uncle," he replied, holding both hands up in defense. "I'm just here for moral support for Diana."

No one else had a chance to respond as Diana flew at him like a heat-seeking missile, delivering a bone-shattering upper cut to his jaw. He fell backwards, temporarily shaken by the powerful punch. He slowly sat up, testing his jaw and rubbing it thoughtfully as he appraised her with a sudden air of admiration.

"I guess you can pack a punch, daughter," he taunted her, "but how long will you last against me?"

"I'm more than prepared to find out," she spat out as she soared in for another attack.

Standing to his feet, Hades backhanded her hard across the face, sending her careening backwards into a large rock formation. She fell face-first on the ground, a cloud of dirt and gravel rising up all around her. She groaned softly as she tried to gather her senses or to at least make the landscape around her stop spinning wildly.

"Stay down, Diana," Hades ordered her. "You know you cannot win against me."

"I don't surrender," she spat out as she got up on all fours, flipping her raven hair back out of her face. She could already feel her cheek beginning to swell and bruise, her cheekbone cracked from the powerful strike.

Her entire body ached, pain lancing through single every inch of her. She was certain she had some other broken bones, but they were the least of her concerns at that moment. She wasn't about to give up nor would she ever concede defeat especially to her father. She was an Amazon after all and right now, she needed to teach her father a lesson about targeting her family. For them, she would give everything she had.

Diana tried some street fighting moves that Bruce had taught her during their countless sparring sessions, hoping to take him off guard. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to do much to slow him down. If anything, she was picking herself up off the ground far more often than he was. That didn't stop her from trying, though.

Batman's jaw clenched as he watched Diana and Hades trading blows that would kill a normal man, wanting to stop this. He didn't understand everything that was happening, but the one thing that he did know was that he felt an inexplicable bond with this woman. It was something that he didn't feel with any of the others—only her.

He didn't know what that signified or what they actually meant to each other, but he wasn't about to stand here and do nothing about it as the god of the Underworld killed her. Hades and Diana clearly had a tenuous history, one that included a previous encounter that nearly cost Diana her life. He wasn't about to let her lose her life now especially because of him.

"We can't just stand by and watch this happen," Batman growled as he tried to intervene, his heart beginning to race with the overwhelming need to act.

The feel of a hand on his shoulder caused Bruce to stop in his tracks. Turning, he found Hermes standing next to him. "I'm afraid we can't," he told him with a shake of his head. "This is between Diana and her father. We have to let it play out no matter what happens."

"It doesn't have to be," he ground out, angrily jerking his shoulder free from Hermes' hand. "She shouldn't have to face him alone."

"Lady Hera is testing Diana," he tried to explain to him. "She must endure this trial alone in order to receive Hera's blessing."

"And what if she doesn't survive this damn trial?" Batman spat out. "What then? Will Hera save her life then?"

"You cannot interfere with the will of the gods," Hermes told him.

"Watch me," Bruce growled.

"It'll be all right, Bruce," Artemis attempted to reassure him. "Diana knows what she's doing. She's the most skilled warrior I've ever known."

"Hades said it himself that she almost lost her life the last time," Batman stated, his gaze fixed on Diana as she assumed a fighting stance as Hades charged at her. It was obvious she was having difficulty standing upright.

Shayera and Artemis shared a look, not wanting to tell Bruce that he was the reason Diana had almost died. Granted, he had been under Hades' influence at the time, but now was not the time to get into all of that. "Diana survived it," Shayera revealed. "She's strong. You just need to have faith in her."

For some reason he couldn't explain, he did have faith in her. "Fine…for now," he bit out.

Diana reached for her lasso, throwing it at Hades. It wrapped tightly around his fist, stopping him short from completely shattering her jaw. She quickly dug her heels into the ground and leaned back as far as she could, trying to keep him from getting free. Hades merely grabbed hold of her lasso, yanking hard. Diana flew straight at him, his fist connecting with her face again.

Diana skidded across the ground like a stone skipping across the top of the water before finally rolling to a stop. Her breathing was labored as she gazed up into the dark sky above, trying to regain her senses. While she had gotten in several key shots, Hades was far from injured or faltering in his stand against her. She, on the other hand, wasn't fairing nearly as well. She was a demi-goddess going up against a god, his power far stronger than hers.

That wasn't going to stop her from trying to take him down and earn his respect once and for all. If she did that, it might keep him from trying to get near her family again in the future, forcing him to rethink any future visits. He may be her father, but that didn't mean she had to accept it.

She momentarily closed her eyes, channeling all her energy and fury into this fight. "Hera, give me strength," she softly murmured before getting to her feet once more. She could feel bruises forming on her face and body, broken bones that would eventually heal and an ankle that was threatening to give out on her, but she ignored all of it. This would be a test that she would not fail.

"You just never learn do you, daughter?" he taunted her.

"Stop calling me that," she spat out.

"Why, daughter?" he questioned her with an arched eyebrow. "Still not willing to accept that a part of me is in you?"

"I'm nothing like you!"

"You let your pride blind you…forcing you to continue a fight that you cannot possibly win…refusing to fully accept your parentage."

"It's not about pride…it's about honor," she stated, spitting blood onto the ground as she stared him down. "Honor is something that you wouldn't begin to understand."

"You dare presume to tell me what I know and what I don't know?" Hades furiously bellowed. "I am the god of the Underworld and your father. I think it's time I teach you the true meaning of respect."

With piercing black eyes, Hades unleashed a stream of fire from his mouth, forcing Diana to swiftly raise her bracers in an attempt to block his attack. She gritted her teeth against the pain the magical fire inflicted on her. While her bracers were able to deflect the majority of it, her arms were badly burned by it.

The bandages that had protected numerous wounds received from the Hydra were turned to ash as she tried to push her way towards her father. The flames burned hotter, licking at her skin and creating incredible pain the likes of which she'd never experienced before.

She swore it felt as though the fire would consume her, overwhelming her and stealing her life. She couldn't allow that to happen…refused to allow that to happen. She swore she heard Bruce yell her name, but she couldn't be sure. Her blood was pounding in her ears and her heart lodged in her throat, keeping her from drawing a breath.

She could smell the stench of burning flesh that caused bile to rise in the back of her throat, the heat keeping her from being able to breathe. She felt as though she was going to pass out, but she refused to give into the powerful pull of unconsciousness that she felt creeping over her. She would not surrender to it nor would she surrender to her father.

Just when Diana felt as though she couldn't take another moment of the fiery onslaught, she felt a warm sense of peace wash over her, filling her chest and spreading throughout her body. Her muscles that had been so rigid and fatigued from the prolonged battle began to relax, something inside of her telling her that it would be all right…that she just needed to give into the fire that threatened to consume and overwhelm her.

Diana slowly lowered her bracers, a confidence she felt bone-deep consuming her. It just felt right for some reason she couldn't begin to explain. She could hear the crackle of the endless stream of fire that seemed to swallow her whole, could feel the fire as it wrapped around her, but didn't seem to be burning her any longer.

"We've got to stop this!" Batman yelled. "She won't survive this!"

"No…wait!" Artemis stated, grabbing hold of his forearm. "The fire isn't hurting her anymore. It's like she's deflecting it somehow."

"I've never seen anything quite like it before," Shayera said in absolute awe.

Hermes merely smiled with swelling pride as he realized what Hera was up to with her test for Diana. "It's her new gift," he softly murmured. "Just watch."

Diana glanced down at the way that her whole body seemed to glow as the fire danced around her, no longer consuming her but becoming a part of her. She looked up to find Hades had stopped his attack, shock written all over his face as he stared at her. She raised her arms as the fire crackled around her despite no longer being fueled by its master.

She focused her mind, concentrating solely on the fire and causing it to zero in on her magical bracers. The fire immediately left her body, encircling her bracers instead as if the magical metal was made of living flames. She lifted her defiant gaze to her father who still stood before her with an awestruck expression.

With a fierce glower on her face, Diana raised her arms once more, slamming her bracers together. Fire exploded from her arms, lashing out like fiery whips at Hades who had no defense against his own powerful inferno. The shot of fire hit him like a bolt of lightning square in the chest, knocking him backwards into the side of his own palace.

Mortar and bits of brick cracked, raining down on him. He left an imprint of his body behind as he staggered forward, nearly falling to his knees only to right himself at the last moment. He was breathing heavily as if trying to catch the air that had just been sucked out of his lungs with the powerful assault.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Hermes excitedly cried only to suddenly step behind Shayera's wings as Hades leveled him with a deadly glare.

"Care to try that again?" Diana ground out; her arms extended at her sides as if begging him to try something.

Ra's al Ghul appraised the Amazon with a new sense of admiration and awe. If he could get her to his side, she would be an unrelenting force for his mission. No one would be able to stop her or him, probably not even the Kryptonian. With her on his side, he would be unstoppable.

Hades' lips slowly curled into a wicked grin. "Oh, I'm just getting started, my dear daughter," he hissed like a serpent.

Diana braced herself as Hades lunged at her, charging at her like a wild animal prepared to kill its prey. She flew up and around at the last second, driving her elbow into his back. It slowed him down long enough for her to kick him in the back of his knee, his leg giving out on him.

She flew circles around him, delivering a whirlwind of hits that would've made the Flash proud. Hades' hand suddenly shot out at lightning speed, snatching hold of her by the throat. He drew her in close to him, tightening his grip on her neck as he glared at his offspring.

Diana clawed at his fingers, trying to get him to release her, finding it difficult to breathe. Her vision was beginning to tunnel, the edges of her peripheral vision growing darker. Bruce became nothing but a blurry shadow as she kicked at Hades in an attempt to get free.

"So, daughter, how does it feel knowing that a part of me is in you?" he demanded to know.

"I'm nothing…like you," she spat out.

Hades chuckled as he appraised her. "You are more like me than you can possibly begin to imagine, child."

"No, you…you're…a monster," she managed to choke out.

Hades appeared as though Diana had physically struck him, his grip loosening on her throat. He dropped her like a rock, Diana falling to her hands and knees as she hungrily gulped in much needed air. Her fingers curled into the dirt beneath her as she desperately tried to regain her senses.

"Is that what you really think of me? That I'm nothing more than some kind of monster?" Hades demanded to know, stunned by her assessment of him. "I am no monster, daughter. I am a god and I am your father whether you like it or not…whether you want to accept it or not."

"You're a heartless beast," she spat out, looking up at him through her eyelashes with a look of pure revulsion. "That is something I accept."

"Me and my brothers are lords of our respective domains," Hades explained with an unexpected air of calmness, his anger abruptly vanishing in the wake of her spiteful words. "The lot I drew gave me dominion over the Underworld and the dead who inhabit it. Because of that, history has always cast me as a villain…painting me in a not so very nice light because the mortal realm fears my power…fears death and what may happen to them after. People always fear that which they don't understand."

"I understand you more than you think," she stated. "You want what you can't have and yet you're determined to still try no matter the pain and devastation that you leave in your wake."

Hades slowly shook his head. "You think you understand me, but you don't understand me at all," he replied. "You would rather unfairly judge me…fight me to prove your way is better than to try to understand."

"You expect me to feel sorry for you?" Diana demanded to know as she got up on wobbly legs that threatened to give out on her. "You hurt so many people that I care about. You escaped your realm in order to take over the world...to get near my children. You took Bruce away from his family. That's not something I can so easily forgive."

Hades drew a deep breath as he grew quiet, releasing it slowly as if considering his answer. "Please…just take your friends and leave," he told her, an unexpected sense of sadness enveloping his once furious features. "You can return to your home. I will not stop you from leaving."

Diana watched in stunned disbelief as Hades began to turn away from her, Artemis and Shayera quickly moving to stand on either side of her. Shayera gently grasped Diana's arm above her elbow to help steady her, careful of the countless burns on her arms. She just hoped that her accelerated healing abilities kicked in soon.

"If you aren't a monster, then what are you?" Diana asked him with a curious note to her voice, causing him to stop in his tracks.

Hades looked back over his shoulder at her for a few moments before turning back to face his palace. He continued to walk away while answering, "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

His words caused a cold chill to seep into Diana, one that she couldn't shake. Her father's unexpected turn about confused her greatly, making her wonder if she had possibly missed something in him that she had never considered before. Could he really just be a grandfather wanting to see his grandchildren?

Had she truly misjudged him, painting him in a light that was undeserved? Should she have done more to try to understand him? She decided it would have to wait for now. She'd save it for later when she'd have more time to reflect on it. Right now, her focus was getting Bruce out of here and restoring his memories.

Diana looked over at him, finding him studying her intently with an expression that she couldn't begin to give a name to. It was inquisitive…curious…and yet there was an air of suspicion and maybe even concern. It was to be expected coming from the Dark Knight. Even losing his memories couldn't erase what had been ingrained in him so long ago.

"We need to get you to the infirmary on the Watchtower," Shayera told Diana.

"No, I'm all right," she tried to brush her injuries off.

She couldn't begin to imagine how she must have looked after travelling to the Underworld and doing battle with her father. It was no wonder Bruce was staring at her with such uncertainty. He had to be wondering who she was and how she fit into his life if at all.

The thought caused her heart to hurt, but she stood tall and proud, straightening her shoulders despite the pain that continued to pulsate through her body in unison with her every heartbeat. She just wanted to get out of here and get home to her family. She was certain Nicholas and Kaia were growing impatient about seeing them, not understanding what was going on. She missed them fiercely.

"What are we going to do with him?" Artemis asked, nodding at Ra's al Ghul. "My vote is to leave him here to rot. He deserves it for all the pain and suffering he's caused."

"He comes with us," Diana ultimately decided before Ra's had a chance to interject. "He needs to be held accountable for his crimes. He'll have to face a judge."

"I say we judge him right here," Artemis grumbled under her breath, her hand caressing the hilt of her sword.

"We are neither judges nor are we executioners," Diana insisted. "Besides, it's what I know Batman would want."

Bruce appraised her, appreciating her sense of honor and justice…her sheer determination and unwillingness to give up. He found himself amazed by her strength of character as well as her skills as a warrior. She was truly a formidable woman, one that he found he wanted to know everything about.

She also seemed to know him well despite the fact that he didn't remember her. It made him wonder what she meant to him. He was growing anxious to figure it all out. Hopefully, he'd be able to regain his memories once he left the Underworld.

"Let's get moving," Hermes decided. "I'm more than ready to get out of here."

Diana glanced at Batman again, desperately wanting to talk to him…to feel him in her arms and the hungry press of his lips against hers. Unfortunately, he didn't know her or remember the life and family that they had made together. It caused a knot to lodge in her throat.

"Diana, are you sure you're going to be able to travel?" Shayera asked, still worried about her friend.

"It's okay," she attempted to reassure her. "Let's just get moving."

"Can't you do something?" Artemis demanded to know as she glared at Hermes. "Hera's test is obviously over, and Diana passed with flying colors."

"I don't know if it's over or not," Hermes told her as he fell into step beside her, a grim look veiling his face. "I'm not privy to that sort of information."

"You know…you're kind of useless," Artemis decided with a frown.

"Hey, I am the messenger of the gods," Hermes proudly declared. "That doesn't mean I necessarily know everything that goes on especially where Zeus and Hera are concerned."

"Maybe we should let Diana rest before trying to leave," Batman interjected, his concern solely on the Amazon warrior who was obviously not fairing as well as she'd like everyone to believe.

"Thank you, but I'm fine…really," she replied, giving him a soft smile of appreciation for his concern. "We need to keep moving. We need to make sure that you don't have any more internal injuries."

Batman shook his head in disagreement and frustration, his lips thinning into a grim line. "This isn't about me," he growled, walking beside her. "I'm not the one who just fought against the god of the Underworld."

"I've been in worse fights," she attempted to reassure him, her gaze narrowing as everyone began making their way towards the gate.

"I can't remember any of them," he found himself admitting.

"It's all right," she promised him. "I'm going to make sure you get your memories back as soon as we get out of here."

"You mean something to me…don't you?" he asked, studying her for any sort of sign that he was right. "Are we friends?"

"We'll talk later," she reassured him. "Right now, we just need to keep moving and get you out of here."

Batman scowled with her answer, but reluctantly agreed as he began to follow the others. Diana knew she should tell him more, but now was not the time to explain everything. Her head felt like it was about to explode, her chest tight and her limbs boneless.

Following several feet behind the group, she found it difficult to make her legs work. Her tongue felt thick and her movements sluggish. Her heart felt like it was trying to pound its way right out of her chest. Something was very wrong.

"Bruce?" she murmured his name, her voice barely above a whisper.

Bruce turned in time to see Diana looking at him with a fear in her blue eyes as she suddenly dropped to her knees. She opened her mouth as if to speak but couldn't say anymore as she collapsed onto the ground, everything around her going black.

"Diana!" Bruce yelled as he raced towards her.

A/N: Yikes! What a cliffhanger! I'm getting bad about that. :)

UP NEXT: The Wayne clan tackle painting the kids' rooms and Bruce learns a little more about his life, but Ra's causes more trouble.

I POSTED A NEW POLL ON MY PROFILE. PLEASE VOTE FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS FAMILY SERIES! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME. :)