Chapter 6: Love and War
"Steve?" Diana whispered, and Bruce's heart plummeted to his toes at the confused hope and heartbreak wrapped up in that single syllable. She looked younger, suddenly, as the century of loneliness and war faded away.
"He is not real, Diana!" Menalippe snapped, bending her knees and whipping the spear into a fighting stance. "He's dead. You know he's dead." Diana flinched each time at the word dead.
"Trespasser!" Artemis howled in fury, aiming her bow and whirling, searching out the threat.
Bruce managed to tear his gaze from Diana's stricken face to look over his shoulder. He took in the sight of the man from Diana's photo with dread. Everything was the same, the fur lining on his coat, the one section of his bangs that could not be tamed, the striking blue eyes, and his earnest expression.
Anger at Aphrodite fell away, overtaken by hopeless jealousy.
"It's a trick, Diana," Bruce said, gut churching as he took her tear-filled eyes. "Aphrodite was here before you got back; she is testing you. It's just an illusion, Princess."
"It doesn't have to be," came a whisper in her ear. Diana barely glanced to her side, she was so arrested by the sight of Steve Trevor walking towards her. "It doesn't have to be an illusion. I am the goddess of love, Diana. This is within my power to grant you."
"Diana!" Steve said, jogging past Bruce, a glaring Menalippe, and the other two deities who were whispering fiercely to one another. He stopped just short of her, hand outstretched by not touching her. "Diana, it's me."
He reached out to touch her her right arm, the right side of her face. And Bruce watched, hands fisted and jaw locked, as Aphrodite leaned in close, caressed Diana's left arm, the left side of her face, a mirror image of Steve's movements.
"You can have him again, Diana," he heard Aphrodite whisper. And both Aphrodite and Steve leaned in, to kiss each side of her forehead.
Diana shuddered. Bruce jerked, batarang in hand ready to fly... and then found he couldn't move. Beside him, in the corner of his eye he could see Menalippe, Artemis, and Hermes were frozen too. The two deities were struggling a bit more, but he and Menalippe were totally frozen.
"You can have Steve Trevor," the goddess said. "If you give me Bruce Wayne."
Diana froze.
"Diana," Steve implored, caressing her cheekbone with his thumb. "We could have more time."
Aphrodite mirrored Steve's movements, but Diana finally flinched away from the goddess. "Steve," she whispered, backing away. The confusion and grief in the man's face was as real as what twisted in Bruce's stomach and stuck in his throat as he watched.
"You can't be here," he heard Diana say, almost angrily. "It is impossible. You died, one hundred years ago. You died to save thousands of lives, Steve."
Bruce, though still frozen from the neck down, felt hope bubble up in him. Her rational mind was clinging to reality.
"Diana, listen," Steve implored, gesturing earnestly and leaning forward. "I am here. I can stay. We can live in this world together- we can do what people do with no wars to fight, remember? We can have breakfast. Read the newspaper, go to work, grow old together. Don't you want that?"
Diana jerked away from Aphrodite, stepped away from Steve's outstretched hand. The stricken look of hurt on the other man's face was vivid enough to touch even Bruce's heart, triggering empathy Bruce didn't know he had for the dead man.
Diana, though, snapped the lasso of truth from her hip, draped it around her neck, then fell to her knees with a wordless howl of grief. Bruce knew he'd remember the sound for as long as he lived.
The lasso glowed.
"It is not real, Diana! I'll prove it!" Artemis cried, breaking the magic that held her still. The goddess of the moon stretched her bow, fired her arrow at Steve Trevor's heart.
But Diana heard the twang and quick as a blink, snatched the arrow out of the air. "Would you have me watch this a second time?" she cried, dropping by her legs, where she knelt. She gripped the lasso with both hands. It glowed brighter then flashed, blinding them all.
When the light faded, Diana stood.
"Steve," she said. He'd been watching her with concern, leaning over and reaching out but not touching her. His entire face brightened when Diana said his name.
"Diana, wait," Hermes warned, stepping forward.
"Mercy, please!" Diana cried, but it was an order, not a plea. "I will have this one chance."
"Yes," Aphrodite purred to Diana. To her siblings, both able to move now, Aphrodite snapped, "Do not interfere."
Bruce hated her.
"Mortal!" Menalippe hissed. Bruce couldn't move his body, but he could see her on his left. "This is not the time for your moody silence, Bruce Wayne!" Urgency filled her whispered words. "Your life hangs in the balance!"
"Does it?" Bruce wondered aloud, his attention on Diana.
"Steve," Diana said again, free of interruptions this time. She reached for his hand, seemed to flinch when she felt it, warm and solid in her own. "I never got to tell you I loved you. I never got to say goodbye."
Steve opened his mouth, said, "Diana, you don't-" but she gently pressed her finger to his lips.
"And I never will," she continued, softer now. "Because you are not here. I know the truth. I feel it in my bones. You are not here but in the fields of Elysian with the heroes where you belong. And there, you deserve to rest."
Still gripping Steve's hand, Diana turned her gaze on Aphrodite, who seemed of all things, to be crying.
"My lady," Diana said. "Thank you for this chance. Even if it isn't real."
And thought it stung Bruce to watch, Diana leaned forward and kissed Steve's lips. It was a quick kiss, nearly chaste, over in a blink. Then, the Princess of the Amazons stepped backwards, and then, turned her back on the image of her first love.
"Steve is dead," she said, loud enough for them all to hear. "But Bruce is alive. I loved Steve once, long ago. But I love Bruce today. Release him."
Aphrodite sniffed, delicately catching a tear on her fingertip. Then she snapped the fingers, and Bruce and Menalippe could move again. And behind Diana's back, the image of Steve Trevor closed his eyes, smiled, and then slowly faded away into nothing.
No one moved. Bruce barely breathed.
Finally, Diana knelt before Aphrodite. "Forgive me, my lady. I know the pain you suffered when I struck Ares. I regret his fate, just as I regret the suffering you endured. You have carried such pain," Diana whispered, touching the goddesses feet. "Forgive me."
The Goddess of Love scrubbed more tears away, less gracefully this time. She pulled Diana to her feet, cupping her palms around Diana's face.
"You truly are blessed with love and beauty, Diana, Princess of Themyscira," she marveled. She dropped her hands, stepped back to put space between them. Diana saluted.
"You have passed my challenge," Aphrodite declared. "But," she said, her gaze cutting in to Bruce, "greater challenges lie ahead."
Diana dropped her salute, letting her fist open and her arm fall to her side. "They always do," she said.
Aphrodite smiled. She sent Artemis a finat petulant scowl, Hermes one last wink. Then she turned and walked away, fading into mist.
When the silence settled over them all like heavy wool, Bruce blurted, "You knew. You knew, Diana, even before you touched the lasso. How?"
Diana, looking exhausted and sad, stepped forward and took her aunt's hand. "He said... he said we could grow old together." Diana kissed Menalippe's fingers. "But I will not grow old at all. I will die in battle, like Antiope before me."
Menalippe swallowed, face pale. "Diana, I-"
"A meal!" Hermes cried suddenly. "We must have rest and a meal. Come, travelers, we go to Hestia, goddess of hearth and home. Artemis, will you journey with us?"
The Lady of the Hunt shook her head, shouldering her bow once more. "No, brother. My place is here." She nodded to each of them, one by one. "Bruce Wayne. Menalippe. Diana. Go with my blessing. Especially you, my sister. Cool winds and a swift hunt. Farewell."
Artemis put her fingers to her mouth and whistled sharply. A silver chariot, pulled by the Silver Stag and his mate, burst from the wall of trees behind her. Artemis leapt into the chariot with a wild cry, then rode away into the wood.
XXX
As they walked behind Hermes, the weight of Diana's confession weighed on Bruce like the albatross around his neck. He walked, even more silent than normal, desperately trying to wrest some control over his spinning brain and blooming heart.
Menalippe spared him from having to talk or face Diana right away because the Amazon placed herself determinedly between Diana and Bruce in the single file line through the trees and up the path. Then, too loudly, she asked, "Diana, did you really see the Queen of Heaven?"
Diana didn't seem troubled, though perhaps some residual sadness clung to her eyes. Yet, Bruce was acutely aware of how she'd not met his eyes once since she'd said she'd never grow old, but die in battle. "Yes, I saw Hera in the woods when I was hunting the Stag. She is... not pleased." The hurt in those words made Bruce flex his fingers.
"What?! How could she not be?" Menalippe demanded angrily. "You have served her honorably all your life." She used her spear to hold a branch out of Diana's way, but let it fall into Bruce's path. As he walked, Bruce ducked under it with a roll of his eyes.
"Only my mother will truly be able to answer that question," Diana said. "Or perhaps the Great Father himself. He gave me life; Hera is displeased because I embody Zeus's betrayal."
Menalippe said nothing. Hermes said nothing. Bruce's eyebrows shot up behind the cowl.
"Hera says she intends to kill me," Diana said, as blank ans casually as she might comment on the weather. It sent chills crawling up Bruce's spine. He watched as Diana gripped the field dressing on her wound, just for a moment, before letting her hand fall away again.
"Hera will come around," Hermes declared with characteristic cheer, perhaps too quickly. He led them to a cottage, built into the side of the mountain, surrounded by a sea of colorful wildflowers, smoke wafting from the chimney.
"Here we are," Hermes said grandly. "Welcome home."
He lifted his hand to knock on the door, but it swept open. A rosy-cheeked pump woman stepped outside, dressed in a long and flowing pink tunic with a white apron tied around her waist. A delighted smile brightened her face and making her soft brown eyes sparkle. Light brown hair was held back by a gold scarf tied like a headband, leaving two tails trailing down her back.
"Finally," she cried. "I am Hestia. You are all most welcome! Come in, please, be comfortable. The meal is nearly prepared." She kissed each of them on both cheeks as they passed her own the threshold. She even tugged Bruce's cowl down from his face to do it. He was so flummoxed that he let her.
Diana laughed.
He decided it was okay then. The cowl could hang; Diana and Menalippe knew his identity, and he'd not managed to hide it from the Greek deities anyway. He confirmed it was okay when Diana took in the sight of his face- messy and matted hair, cowl marks, and all-with a soft smile.
Strangely-though Hestia bustled around, ordering Menalippe to "put town the spear and relax, child" and Hermes to "go into the kitchen and make yourself useful, that's a dear"- it all seemed to fade away into quiet as Bruce and Diana's eyes met, and Hestia led the other two away, deeper into the house.
Bruce mouth opened against his will, and with no idea what he planned on saying, he took a step closer to her, into her space. "Princess-" he began, but still smiling, Diana pressed a finger to his lips to quiet him. Bruce felt that simple touch send warmth all the way to his toes.
"Please," she said. "Let me go first."
She dropped her finger. Ridiculously. he missed it, missed how carelessly she used to touch him. Was it only hours ago that they'd walked behind Menalippe and Hermes holding hands? Now, her hands stayed at her side.
"I have... discomfited you, Bruce, with my words to Aphrodite. Do not deny it!" she chided, when he opened his mouth to lie, "I see it in your eyes, and I hear it in everything you do not say."
His mouth quirked in humor at that phrase. She continued relentlessly.
"I do love you, Bruce Wayne."
His smile fell away; was his jaw really hanging open? Decorum, Wayne, decorum. Diana's smile grew, amused by him, but her eyes were serious.
"We are an affectionate people, the Amazons. So... I would like to offer this to you. You may hear my words, my love, in a way that suits you. Perhaps you hear that I love you as a teammate, as a fellow warrior loves the one who fights beside her. Perhaps you care to hear that I love you as a one friend loves another, through good times and through hard times."
"Are you offering me an out, Diana?" Bruce asked, blunt
"Yes. If you like." She paused for a moment; he watched her swallow, look to the heavens. It was the only sign of her nervousness. She returned her gaze to his, never one to cower.
"But...if you like, you may hear me saying that I am attracted to you, that the connection between us, between our bodies and our souls, has not escaped my notice. You may hear me saying that everything I know about you and everything I don't know about you fascinates me, and that I would need very little encouragement to fall in love with you since, when I am with you, I feel like my true and alive self."
She could not dissemble-she was Truth herself. The terror warred with glee in Bruce's chest, pounding against his ribs. He wished for his cowl, foolishly considered pulling it back over his eyes. His eyes! Were they betraying him even now? Did all the hope and horror he felt pour of them? He could hardly guess what expression his features made when he felt so much. His hands twitched, wanting to hold something (her), wanting to break something (not her, wanting to grab anything that would anchor him to the world while his thoughts stormed.
But he'd been silent too long. A wry expression pulled at Diana's lips and eyebrows, tilted her head to the side. No, no, no, he thought, but he could not speak. He could do anything but speak.
"As I said, Bruce... you may hear what you wish. Just friends, just comrades." She could look at him no longer; he watched her search for anything to focus on, watched her give up and decide to turn away, as if to follow the others down the hall. He hated the word just, and his mouth decided to speak before he did.
"But which is true?" he asked.
Diana turned back to face him, lifted her eyes to his. The sadness there hurt him, weighed him down. She curled her fingers around her lasso, and it glowed briefly, casting the golden light on her face. She wa tired, he saw suddenly, ashamed he'd missed it before this moment. Not tired from their climb or from her hunt, but soul-tired. The burden of her years did not show in her face, her skin, anywhere on her except in the depths of her endless eyes.
"I am true," she said. And forcing a small smile, Diana let go of the lasso, let the light fade, and then walked away.
Bruce stared after, his mind caught in chaos. Why had he frozen? What did he want her to mean, if all of it was true? She was beyond him; he could not treat her like he'd treated Selina or Talia, and he certainly couldn't treat her like the endless parades of clueless women who took their turn on Bruce Wayne's arm. How could it work at all? She is immortal, nearly invulnerable- he is mortal, and, though she'd done the confessing, he'd never felt more vulnerable in his adult life. And considering how batshit (hah) insane his adult life has been, that is saying something.
He could have stood there much longer, spiraling, but only seconds had passed when Hermes stomped in.
"Are you going to blow it, mortal?" he seethed. "Come. Hestia waits." And the messenger god stomped back down the hall, obviously expecting Bruce to follow. This time, he did.
XXX
Come on Bruce... Alfred would be so disappointed.
Only Hestia, Demeter, and Athena's challenges remain, plus the unofficial patrons, Hera and Zeus. Some of these challenges promise to be more physical, so ride me through the Land of Feelings, and we'll get to a bit more action.
I did change the category of this story from Comics/Justice League to Movies since that seemed to be the most accurate... it's not really a Justice League movie fic being a prequel... any advice, friends? Where do most of the Wonderbat stories live on ff dot net?
Oh, and please review! Thanks!
-rosa
