Chapter 15: A Scientific Mind

"Poisoned?" Bruce questioned in disbelief. "How is that even possible with you? I thought you were invulnerable."

Diana was fighting back the urge to burst out in a fit of laughter as she responded. "I…I was there. I rescued them, and obviously my powers don't make me impervious."

"But your abilities are helping your body fight off the effects right?" Bruce asked, seeking an understanding of just what was going on. Seeing Diana fighting and beginning to falter in keeping from laughing uncontrollably was deeply disheartening. She was the strongest person he'd ever met, both physically and with her conviction as well. He was doing his best not to go into an all out panic as his mind started rushing through any and all available options as to what he could possibly do to help her. It was becoming obvious though that whatever had been used; while her powers were impressively strong they still could only seem to prolong the inevitable.

"Need to find the Joker." Diana explained as she fought to breathe normally. "Get a sample of the gas. Use…your equipment to synthesize an antidote."

"I'll suit up now." Bruce responded as he headed straight over to his armored suit. Diana had walked over to join him by the time he was slipping into the last pieces and interlocking them into place. She had a determined look on her face despite the giggle that she was trying valiantly to keep from escaping her lips. "You're staying here."

Immediately gone was the determined look upon hearing Bruce's words, and it was instantly replaced with fury that reached the deepest depths in her eyes. She was an Amazon, and she wasn't about to be ordered to stand down. She opened her mouth the yell at him, but a fit of laughter escaped her instead. Diana fought to compose herself, but the laughing continued. She grabbed at her sides, tried shutting her mouth, but she was unable to stop herself. It was then that she realized Bruce was no longer in front of her, and she glanced around briefly only to stop upon the feel ofa prick from a needle being inserted into the side of her neck. She could feel the solution Bruce had injected her with as it worked its way through her veins, and after a few moments she was thankfully once again able to regain control enough to stop laughing. It was still fighting to come out, but she felt much more in control even though she also felt dazed.

"I injected you with a sedative." Bruce explained when Diana's eyes eventually fixated on him. "I'm sorry, but it's all I could think of at the moment."

Diana's anger at Bruce dissipated as she saw the genuine look of worry on his face. He was deeply concerned for her safety. As the sedative continued to kick in, she again realized that this Bruce wasn't steeled to contain his emotions from years of heartbreak and training, and therefore she was going to have to help keep him thinking rationally. They could discuss why he was so worried about her later. The antidote took precedence at the moment for there to even be a later to worry about. It was then that a thought occurred to her. "Give me a radio and some more of the sedative." She instructed. "With my heightened abilities, it won't take long for the sedative to run its course through my body. Go to the warehouse that I pulled the victims from. Find the canister that held the poison gas somewhere within the ventilation area. I'll talk you through any situation that you need help with. Hopefully there will be enough residue inside to use so that you can create an antidote."

"How am I going to be able to do that?" Bruce asked. "I've never done anything like that before."

"You have the equipment." Diana encouraged. "And you're brilliant. I believe in you. Now go, but be careful. I'll be fine here."

Bruce hesitated for a moment, but then turned away to head outonly to think better of it instantly. He had no mode of transportation in the cave as Diana hadn't returned with the boat. He'd intended to bring it back with him after patrolling the previous night, but Diana having flown him back caused him to forget about that. Now that he was back in the cave with no transportation to use, he realized that the best course of action was to go through the Manor wearing dark clothing and taking the suitwith him using a large duffle bag like he did when he first brought it home. In the garage he had a motorcycle that would get him into the city the quickest, and once he was safely away from the Manor he could suit back up.

Getting through the Manor and into the garage was easy enough. Typically when his parents retired for the evening they wouldn't be seen again until the following day, and on this night their routine was no different. As busy bodies they spent every ounce of energy they could on each day, and that resulted in the need to rest and recharge for the next day. It was a stringent routine that worked well for them over the years, and now it was working to Bruce's advantage. Just outside the Manor front gate he found a secluded area to stop and suit up before removing the license plate from the bike. From that point on he was riding at breakneck speeds into Gotham. It was during that trip where he realized that something else he needed was a better means of exiting the cave and also multiple forms of transportation strictly for his vigilante persona.

Within thirty minutes, Bruce had arrived at the crime scene. There was still police tape up around the building, but that wouldn't deter him from obtaining his objective. He took in his surroundings, moving the motorcycle between a dumpster and the wall of a nearby building to hide it as best he could given the circumstances. He made a mental note that any vehicle he used going forward would have to be completely black to help conceal it from view. There couldn't be any chrome or bright colors to draw attention to it, but with that locked away in his brain for future referenceBruce then turned to locating a good place to enter the building. He eventually found a broken window that he could reach his hand into, turning the lock so that he could open it and climb through. As he wandered through the room, his first glance told him that the police seemed to have done a decent job of collecting evidence. Of course being on the payroll of the mob, there would be a little added motivation, but now there'd be virtually no interest. After all who would want to risk being poisoned themselves from what was obviously an aerosol based weapon that the Joker used.

Bruce ignored any trepidation as he pulled out a flashlight and began sweeping through the vents in each room. He tried to remain as thorough as possible in his search, looking as far into the ducts as the flashlight could reveal to him before moving onto another room. He even debated for a moment about whether or not to just crawl through the ventilation system, but decided that would only come if his initial search came up empty. After twenty minutes of searching, he'd managed to cover the lower two floors of the building leaving just one more floor to go followed by the roof. He knew that it was taking too long as Diana needed every minute possible to receive the antidote. She had said that she would be fine before he left, but the look on her face was anything but confident. It caused him to question if her powers would be enough to fight off the poison long enough or if it only was delaying the inevitable, but he quickly banished such thoughts from his mind as that would do him no good in the current situation.

Back at the cave, Diana had unwillingly taken to only sitting at Bruce's supercomputer. She'd been pacing sporadically before until the laughter started to take over once again. Another dose of the sedative helped to subdue it, but it wasn't as effective as when Bruce injected the initial dosage. She was quick to diagnose that the more energy she spent even doing something as trivial as pacing seemed to stir up the poison's effects as though she were trying to fight through a pulled muscle. The ache would always be there and increasing if you chose to fight against it. With a pulled muscle though it was more of a matter of how much the person could take and continue on. This is what she was struggling with the most currently. Never before had she been forced to sit idly by, but the more she fought against the poison the stronger its effects seemed to become. It was against her very upbringing to sit on the sidelines and wait for someone else to save her and she didn't like being in that position, but she had no choice. She vowed though that once she was cured she would make certain the clown responsible for this was put into traction for at least a year.

Focusing on the current situation though, Diana couldn't just sit back and wait for Bruce to return. Despite her current predicament she needed to do something to help him. Perhaps she could help him by talking him through the building with the radio she'd asked him to provide her with. She paused though, knowing that this Bruce hadn't gone through the meticulous lengths of concealing his identity yet. It was likely just an unsecured radio that could be hacked and monitored by anyone, or worse yet they could be on an open channel with a vast amount of people sharing the same frequency. She knew that she couldn't call him by his own name, and would have to mask the conversation even if he did respond to the call. She only hoped he would pick up on the nuances. "Batman come in." She called out.

There was silence for almost thirty seconds before a whispered response came back. "Two floors down. Almost finished with the third." So far nothing. I'm beginning to think it was already located."

"Have you checked the furnace and air conditioning units?" Diana asked.

"Furnace yes, but not there." Bruce answered. "AC unit is on the roof. I just finished the third floor, and I'm headed there now. What's your status?"

It was almost cute how Bruce still showed concern for Diana's well being even though she hadn't so much as giggled yet. But there was no time to think about how the original Batman would've picked up on that and not asked the question at all. "I'm alright for the moment. Just slightly restricted in what I can do without another fit working its way up." She replied before grimacing in an attempt to stifle one of those very fits that was working to come out. She managed to win out this time by clearing her throat to choke it back down successfully.

Bruce could tell that Diana was fighting to keep from laughing while she spoke. He hurried up to the roof access as quickly as he could while inside the armored suit, and immediately located the AC unit. He ripped off the covering, scanning the area for something, anything to give him a sign as to where a canister might have been located, but he found nothing. "It's not here!" He frustratingly yelled while simultaneously kicking the ductwork, which knocked it over.

"It's alright." Diana attempted to console, but a small giggle managed to escape her lips. "We'll think….think of something."

"The authorities have to have it." Bruce guessed. "I'll have to borrow it from them."

"No!" Diana immediately responded in a heightened and demanding tone. "You can't risk that."

"What I can't risk is losing you." Bruce fired back. "I'll let you know when I have it."

"No Br…Batman, we'll find another way!" Diana yelled into the microphone of the radio. She quickly realized though that Bruce had said all that he was going to say. Now he was going to break into police headquarters looking for the evidence lockup, and likely get himself caught in the process. She stood to her feet and started to float off the ground only to be hit with another vicious wave of laughter, which caused her to crash down to her hands and knees. The sedative had done all that it could under the normal dosage amount, and left her no choice but to inject herself again with an increased dose. Her hands shakily reached for everything she needed, the laughter so violent that she almost knocked the sedative off the table top before her fingers could wrap around it. She injected herself and waited for the laughter to subside, but it wasn't going away like it had the previous times. She felt drowsy this time and tried to stand to her feet only to collapse to the ground still laughing as she succumbed to drug induced slumber.

Bruce knew that he was out of time. Diana needed an antidote and she needed it now. He wasn't even to the point of deciphering what that antidote needed to be composed of, still needing a sample to go off of. It was then that he'd set his mind to moving onto the police station and locating the canisters. But which building held the evidence? And how would he manage to get ahold of it and get out without getting caught himself? Then a plan came to him, and without a moment to spare he took off toward the first phase of what he needed to do.

The police station was busy. Officers were coming in and out, sometimes dropping off various different nefarious looking people. Phones were constantly ringing in the background as everything was buzzing. There didn't seem to be a soul there that wasn't up to their arms in activity, but that was to be expected during the night in Gotham City. Anything less and the people would think that the apocalypse was at hand. With all the ruckus going around, no one gave much notice as an officer entered the evidence lockup area, sliding a piece of paper to the clerk at the cage desk. The officer waited patiently as the clerk looked over the paperwork he'd been handed before sliding a sign-in sheet back to the officer. "What's new on the Joker warehouse case?" The clerk asked.

"Possible lead on where the poison came from." The officer responded. "Everyone's anxious to bring the clown down, and if this works out we might finally get the chance to pin him in."

"I'm sure Frankie will want to be the first to know." The clerk responded. "Lenny was his cousin after all."

"That's why I was sent here." The officer replied as he turned the log book back in to the clerk. After very briefly glancing at the sheet, the clerk pressed the button to buzz the officer into the cage area and escorted him to the boxes of collected evidence.

After a brief search, the clerk found and pulled out two large boxes before setting them down on a table. "This is everything that was brought in." He said. "If you find what you were looking for, be sure to put in a good word for me buddy."

"Sure thing." The officer said as he put on rubber gloves and started to dig through everything. He continued to muddle through the boxes until the clerk finally went back to his desk. When he was virtually alone he pulled out two canisters, and then removed two evidence swabs from his inner jacket pocket. He opened one canister and swabbed the inside even though it appeared to be completely clean, and then he paused as there was a green film on the inside of the second canister. His pause only lasted for a moment though as he'd pulled out a second swab once he realized that there were two canisters anyways. It was just that he questioned why they were different. Once he'd inserted the swabs back to their protective containers, he placed everything back into the boxes and called out for the clerk.

An inspection was performed by the clerk to ensure nothing was missing from the evidence, and once satisfied the boxes were returned to their spots on the shelves. "Find what you were looking for?" The clerk asked with hopefulness clearly evident in his voice.

"Looks like it was just another dead end I'm afraid." The officer said before making his way to the exit.

"That's a shame officer…..What was your name again?" The clerk asked after realizing that he hadn't caught the officer's name.

"Gordon." Jim answered as he waited for the clerk to press the lock release and grant him his exit.

~~ Thirty minutes earlier ~~

Jim slammed his car door shut as he grumbled. Why the hell he'd been woken up by Bruce Wayne in the middle of the night, he couldn't figure out. Never before had night security at the new location for Wayne Tech been necessary before, but Bruce had been adamant that only Jim could provide what he needed. This was definitely going to be a one time thing though, and he was going to make sure that was clear. He walked into the warehouse, which was surprisingly lit up like it'd been active for months. Inside though it was more than apparent that was not the case as boxes were all over the place and it appeared unorganized and completely unfinished. "Bruce?" Jim called out as he spun around looking for the man that had called him out of bed.

"Over here Jim." Bruce announced, causing Jim to turn around and then immediately stumble backwards at the sight of the armored suit moving toward him. Jim tripped over his own feet as he back peddled, landing on his butt before realization finally set in.

"Bruce?" Jim questioned. "What are you doing in that thing? Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"No Jim." Bruce answered as he removed the helmet to reveal his face. "This is an emergency and you're the only one that I could think of and trust enough to help me."

"What in God's name are you doing that you need my help with?" Jim asked.

"Have you been watching the news?" Bruce answered with a question of his own. "I've been going out at night in this, and I've…"

"You've lost your mind." Jim interrupted. "What would your parents think of this? Putting yourself at risk like that, are you insane?

"I'm not insane, and tonight isn't about me." Bruce replied quickly to silence Jim for the moment. "It's Diana. She's more than what she seems. She's the one that rescued all those mobsters and children from the warehouse a few nights ago, and now she's in trouble."

"If she got them all out then how is she not dead already?" Jim asked. "Everyone else that was in there died. If she was in there when they were pulled out, she should've been poisoned too."

"That's what I mean by her being more than she seems." Bruce explained. "She's powerful Jim. Incredibly powerful, but even with all her strength she's still losing her battle against what the Joker's done to all of them. You've seen the results from the victims. I'm afraid that it's only a matter of time now before she joins them. I need your help, please."

"Alright." Jim responded as he gestured for Bruce to calm down. "Let's say for a moment that I believe you. What do you need from me? I'm just head of security for your family and the company."

"I need you're old police uniform and credentials to get me into the evidence area so I can get my hands on some samples of what the Joker used to poison everyone with." Bruce answered."Once I have that, I'm coming back here to break them down and hopefully synthesize an antidote."

"I was right; you have lost your damn mind." Jim stated in disbelief. "I'm not a cop anymore Bruce, and what you're asking for is completely unethical, not to mention illegal. Even if I helped, you'd only end up getting caught. I get that you're smitten with this girl, but is she really worth giving up your entire life for?"

"She is." Bruce answered without pause. "You'd do the same in my position Jim."

"What makes you say that?" Jim asked.

"Because I know that you're a good man, and I know that you love your wife and children." Bruce answered. "You'd do anything if you were in my position. I love her Jim, and I'll do whatever I have to if it'll save her life. It doesn't matter what the cost is for me as long as she makes it out of this."

Jim looked directly into Bruce's eyes, studying him intently after hearing his claim of love for this woman. He still couldn't believe what Bruce was asking for and was willing to get himself into, but here he was in a suit of battle armor seemingly ready to storm the castle in an attempt to save her. There was no denying that he was absolutely serious about his intentions as Jim couldn't find anything in Bruce's posture or his eyes to refute his claim. With that abundantly clear he huffed out an exasperated breath of air. "I'll help you this one time." He finally responded. "But you're not going into the station. They'll smell you trying to act like a cop from a mile away. I'll get you what you need and meet you back here. But then you've got some serious explaining to do."

"Once Diana is safe, I'll tell you whatever you what to know." Bruce responded with a sigh of relief.

After Jim had procured the samples and exited the police station, he kept to his word and went right back over to the facility where Bruce had been anxiously waiting. He almost snatched the samples away from Jim as soon as they were in eyesight, and immediately went to work. Jim watched in almost fascination as the young man before him worked feverishly on different machines almost simultaneously. He still had questions to be answered, but they would likely have to wait until Bruce had saved Diana from her fast approaching demise. He had to admit though that it was quite the impressive sight watching the young Mr. Wayne as he worked. Even though the facility was incredibly crude at the moment, he seemed to know exactly where everything was that he needed to use in breaking down the poison. After a time though there was nothing to do but wait for the machines to finish their diagnosis, and that was when Jim first noticed the true worry taking hold in Bruce's facial expression. It was clear to see that he was beginning to see doubt growing with each passing minute, knowing that time was very likely in short supply. Jim figured that now was as good a time as any to get his answers as it would also serve to help keep Bruce's mind off the clock. "While we're waiting, tell me Bruce." He requested. "Why did you start doing this?"

"Because I've seen what one person can do Jim." Bruce answered. "We just weren't doing enough before to make any real difference for Gotham. Even though it does help some, the city needs something more than money from us and the charities that my family sets up. I've seen what Diana can do, and I've seen what I'm capable of. Even if it's only a little bit more, it's still something that's not corrupt, something that's pure. That's what this city needs."

"But what about your family Bruce?" Jim questioned. "It's obvious that they don't know about what you're doing, and I'm sure as hell that they wouldn't approve of you risking your life like this."

"We're all risking our lives just by living and working in Gotham though." Bruce countered. "Imagine if we could turn this city around and make it safer for the innocent. Right now I could be mugged on my way to my car after work. Hell, I've already been shot in the airport parking lot just for walking to my car. What I'm doing now is taking back control of the city for those that want to see a change for the better. It's something that they deserve to see. It's something that my parents deserve after all that they've done, and I believe that I can do something more to give it to them. I know it's dangerous, but right now it's more of a calculated risk from my perspective. At least the suit offers me protection when I'm out there trying to save lives."

Jim opened his mouth to argue further, but Bruce's points were quite valid, even if still a little misguided in his opinion. After all he was still taking the law into his own hands and that was wrong for one man to do regardless of the situation. On the other hand though even the news had taken notice of the good that Bruce and Diana had done up to that point, and the police force was still as corrupt as ever even with the large hit the Joker's poison had caused to the mobsters. Maybe something drastic was needed, but there was one question left to ask. "Why you?"

"Because I understand how dark this city can be, and that helps me to be better prepared for it." Bruce answered. "Someone from anywhere else wouldn't understand enough to cope with what this city has devolved into. I've also received enough training to take care of myself, and I have the means to do some real good. That's what I intend to do unless you choose to let my secret out into the open."

Jim thought it over for a few moments as he weighed the pro's against the cons. If he were to open his mouth, who knew what the possible repercussions could be. If the wrong people happened to find out, then the backlash could potentially be unfathomable. "You've really put me into a tight spot, you know that?" He commented as he pulled out and lit a cigarette. "I'll…keep your secret….for now. But if I suspect for an instant that you're taking things too far then I will make the tough choice to stop you from continuing on this."

Three hours later Bruce came sprinting into the cave. He'd taken his boat that was tied up in the Gotham Pier and headed straight for the beach as it was the most direct path. It had been almost pure torture waiting for the equipment to break down the chemicals in the poison sample, but once the analysis was complete, Bruce was quick to discover what could be used as a counteragent. Under ideal circumstances he would've wanted to test it first, but he knew that Diana needed it now. After he'd discovered what was needed to create the antidote he tried to radio Diana, but she never responded. Fearing the worst he scurried about until all of the materials were gathered and mixed into what he hoped would save her.

In the cave Bruce found Diana lying on the ground next to the computer chair. She was still breathing even though it was faint, and she also had a vicious looking grin plastered to her face with a pale bluish sickly complexion covered in a cold sweat. She was unconscious and didn't respond when he called out to her. He could tell from the continuing chuckles that her voice was hoarse from all of the laughter that she'd been unwillingly forced to continue apparently even in her unconscious state. The poison had truly taken its toll on her, and he knew that it was now or never. She couldn't wait for a proper test to be run on the antitoxin, sohe injected her with the concoction that he'd created while saying a silent prayer for a swift recovery.

Bruce sat there leaning against the console of the super computer, holding Diana's head gently in his lap. After a few minutes, the smile slowly vanished into a more pained look. Soon that was followed with her involuntary chuckling ceasing, and Bruce watched her intently from that point on. He didn't say a word, but gently ran his fingers through her silky raven hair. He realized then just how much this one person had affected him in such a short amount of time. Jim had been right in that he did risk everything for her, but he didn't regret taking that risk at all still. He'd do it all over again without hesitation if it was needed.

Cramps had long since set in after sitting on the ground in the cave for another two hours. Not much had changed since the first few minutes after injecting the serum. Bruce thought that some color had returned to Diana's face, but he couldn't be sure how much it was from her complexion versus the change in cave lighting. Sunrise had hit and attempted to pass through the waterfall to brighten everything ever so slightly, but it was still noticeable to the human eye. Even though cramping he didn't dare move for a strange unexplainable and completely irrational reason that even he couldn't comprehend himself. It was almost a fear that if he moved them something might go awry. He knew it was ridiculous, but still couldn't bring himself to move from where he sat until Diana woke up. So that is where he stayed until he heard a soft moan escape her. Bruce instantly sat up straighter looking down to the face that was cradled on his lap as soon as he heard it. Her color had definitely returned, and as he waited he noticed some small twitching of her facial muscles as she began to come to.

Diana felt a heavy cloud of fogginess hanging over her. The muscles in her face were extremely sore, especially in her cheeks. It would probably take a couple of days for the discomfort to go away. She fought for a moment to recall why her cheeks would be so sore when it came back to her. The Joker's poison. The last thing she recalled was collapsing in a fit of uncontrolled laughter…but she couldn't hear herself laughing anymore. With that thought, she opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Bruce looking down upon her. It was a pleasant sight to see. He'd apparently done it. He'd successfully created the antidote to the Joker's toxin. He smiled upon seeing her open eyes, and she couldn't help but to return the smile…except OWW! She sat up regretting the smile because of how sore her muscles were, but definitely not the reason for it. "Th….thank you." She managed to get out in a gravelly voice.

"Welcome back." Bruce softly responded as he climbed to his feet followed by helping her up. She was grateful for the assistance until her equilibrium returned to normal, and then released her hold on him and he did the same for her.

"How long have I been out?" She asked.

"Throughout the night, but it could've been worse." Bruce responded. "I thought I was too late when I got here. You were barely breathing when I found you."

Diana heard the fear on his every word, and took a step into him, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry if I scared you Bruce. Normally my powers are enough to fight off such things as poisons. I don't know why this toxin was any different."

"That's because of its design I think." Bruce suggested as they stepped out of the hug, but still stood very close to each other. "It was designed to make the victim's body fight against itself, which is why the sedative worked temporarily at first. The toxin encourages a chemical in the body to react adversely when the victim does anything to fight it off. In essence, the more your body fought it, the more potent it became. With your abilities, I'm surprised it didn't affect you sooner than the rest actually. More importantly though is how do you feel now?"

"Like I don't want to smile again anytime soon." Diana answered. "But better. I'm ready to give the clown a dose of his own medicine too."

"You're not doing anything of the sort right now." Bruce ordered with finality. Diana's eyes narrowed as she didn't appreciate being given orders like that, but Bruce didn't give her the chance to respond. "I almost lost you last night Diana. You need to take it slow and at least wait until tonight before going after him. After everything that I risked last night, I think you can respect this one request."

"What did you do?" Diana asked as her anger ebbed slightly, and now suddenly interested in what Bruce was referring to.

Bruce went into the details of how he acquired the samples from the police station and Jim Gordon's involvement, and then explained Jim's questioning. The thing that caught her off guard though was how Bruce freely admitted that he loved her to another. "You….you said you love me?" She questioned, still almost not believing it herself.

"Yes." He answered succinctly.

Diana took a step back, feeling a little to close at that precise moment. "Did you say that to ensure that he would help you?"

"That's one reason, but definitely not the only reason I said it." Bruce explained as he closed the gap that Diana had created. He reached out and gently grabbed her on her upper arms as he continued to move slowly closer to her. "Jim is pretty good at reading when someone is lying to him. I said it because it's true. I love you Diana, and I think I have ever since I first met you."

"No." Diana said as she stood there wondering just what exactly had led them to this point. She couldn't have fallen in love with Bruce, and he shouldn't have fallen in love with her. But then why was there something that kept her from pulling away? She could see him still coming agonizingly closer to her, and yet she didn't back away. Instead she could feel her body as it began to react, her face inching forward toward his, her head turning slightly while her arms snaked up and slowly began to wrap around the back of his neck. She could feel him pause as his breath hit against her lips until she gave in and closed the remaining distance, pressing their lips gently together. She hadn't intended for this. She knew that this wasn't her Bruce, yet this time she found that she didn't care. This Bruce had just professed his love for her. His lips were soft and gentle, yet commanding in how he moved them to gain more access to her. She willingly opened her mouth granting him the access that he clearly desired, and she matched his passion quickly as one of her hands gripped into his hair to pull him even closer to her. This felt amazing to her, and so right at the same time. She knew right then that Aphrodite had been right. She loved Bruce, but it was that love of Bruce that she also knew was going to break both of their hearts.