Hello Everyone! I am back with another chapter. Sorry that I haven't updated as soon, I hope this chapter will make up for it. :D Humongous Thanks to SakuraPheonix13, 5starbarbie, Skillgannon The Damned, R, Ni Castle, and twostar for reviewing and or commenting. Thanks also goes those who have favorited this story. As always you guys that all review on any chapter are all awesome. So read and hopefully enjoy this chapter of Wonder Woman's first challenge.


Blinking rapidly I manage to regain spots of my vision that at first are blurry before becoming clear once again. The brightness of the sun blazing down from the sky irritates my sensitive eyes slightly causing me to bow my head in order to shade my face more comfortably. A burning tingling sensation begins at the tip of my head and roves down the length of my body, causing me to shudder. Clenching my fists I wince as the joints of my fingers ache in a blazing pain before dulling to a less noticeable throb.

I breathe in through my nostrils, and squint as I take in my surroundings as best as I can at the moment. Surrounding me on both sides are immense walls of rock, topped with a scattering of dark green ferns. Overhead black birds soar through the air, gliding on gentle wind currents and keeping a sharp eye out for any easy prey.

Suddenly remembering that I had not stepped through the portal alone, I whip myself around abruptly in order to assess Bruce for any possible injuries. My eyes widen as I peer into the white slits of a pointy eared cowl and a firmly placed scowl.

"Bruce?" I whisper lowly in slight disbelief. Reaching my hand outward I grasp his shoulder in order to confirm his presence. Heat radiates off of him in waves, sending a slight shiver to shoot up through my arm. "You're human." I remark, letting my hand fall from his forearm. He grunts in answer and examines his hands before nodding his head curtly in confirmation.

It is his turn to assess the area and I watch his features closely as he examines our new found location. His face is set in stone, no such features as shock or confusion noticeable on his face.

"Where are we?" I utter lowly, before stepping forward.

"You are far from home." A soft voice answers from behind us. Both Bruce and I whip ourselves around in union. Sitting on the smooth surface of a rock is a young woman with delicate features. A thick, long, brown braid wraps around from her back to the front of her body. Her long, thin fingers caress the length of the silver harp resting on her lap. Lifting her eyes upward I find myself staring into the most unusual mixture of bright blue, gold, and green hues all mixed into one swirling color. Dark lashes adorn her eyes, accenting her perfectly arched eyebrows and porcelain white skin. She smiles softly at us both, tilting her head slightly in greeting. "Welcome strangers of another earth, to my home, a place of peace and hospitality."

Bruce of course skips the formalities and gets directly down to business.

"Who are you, and why are we here?" He growls out, narrowing his eyes at her in suspicion.

She bows her head down once more and begins running her fingers softly over the metallic strings.

"You were sent here to complete a task." She replies, pausing, to point at me. "You on the other hand were not." She comments to Bruce before she resumes her idle playing of the instrument. "To answer your question I am no one particular. For now I will inform you of the duty that lies before you. A woman has chosen me to direct you on the beginning of your journey."

"Circe." I state out loud, her head nods in confirmation at the name.

"What does this have to do with Circe, Princess." Bruce asks, crossing his arms over his chest as he waits for me to answer. I turn to him and place my hand on my hips before speaking. "In order for Circe to change you and Kal back to human form, I agreed to complete a series of challenges of her choosing. This here apparently is one of them." I end, sweeping my arm about me, indicating the environment around us.

"You didn't tell me about this before." He accuses. "Is there anything else you would like to tell me?" His lens narrows in suspicion. I open, then close my mouth, as if to speak before clearing my throat and shaking my head "No." He grunts lowly and glares at me, clearly not believing me. Now is the time to tell him of the night Alfred secretly showed me his baby pictures.

To prevent myself from smiling at the memory of his cute little baby face, I turn back to the young woman. "Before you tell me of my challenge can you tell us of our location?"

"You are currently present in an alternative Asian society where people that resemble what you call a category of certain "Meta" power heads reside abundantly. Although. We prefer to be known as "Benders" and take our powers as gifts from our protectors most seriously. For the task that she has chosen for you, you must travel through the never ending maze of tunnels also known as the "Cave of Torment."

"Great." I hear Bruce mutter under his breath. I ignore him and question the young woman again.

"What is this "Cave of Torment"?" I ask of her.

"It is a Labyrinth filled with unknown mysteries and torturous outcomes if you come upon the wrong path. A place that strikes fear into the hearts of even the bravest of men."

"Labyrinth?" I say in slight confusion.

"I'm sure you will figure it out." She lifts her eyes to that of Bruce. "Both of you seem intelligent enough."

"All you need to do is trust in love, according to the curse." She remarks, once again gazing at her musical harp.

"A curse." Bruce says with complete distaste evident in his tone.

"Yes a curse. More precisely the curse of the two lovers."

"What exactly is this curse?" I ask curiously.

"The curse says that only those who trust in love can make it through the caves, otherwise you'll be trapped in them forever and die. There is an ancient tale that has been passed around for generations about the origins of this curse. Wether or not it is true. I do not know."

Her fingers pluck the cords in a rhythmic pattern, garnering music from the harp. Her silky voice floats up to my ears as she unravels a story from her lips.

"A man and a woman met on top of a mountain that divided their two villages. The villages were enemies so they could not be together. But their love was strong and they found a way."

Bruce snorts. "I don't have time for story telling." He growls out before turning away. I lash out with my left hand and grip him by his arm. Spinning him around and dragging him back next to me, I lean in close to him and whisper next to his ear. "You will stay until she has finished." I order. He huffs out in annoyance but doesn't budge from his spot again.

"The two lovers learned earth bending from the Badger Moles; An ancient race of beings that lived secluded in the mountains, never to have been seen before. The lovers became the first earth benders. They built a labyrinth tunnel so they could meet secretly. Anyone who tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth, tormented fiercely only to die in anguish and pain, but one day the man did not come. He died in the war between the two villages. Devastated the woman released a terrible display of her earth bending power. She could have destroyed them all but instead she declared the war over. Both villages helped her build a new city where they would come to live together in peace. The great city was named after both the lovers as a monument to their unbreakable love. But the cave still lies hidden in this valley, used as punishment to those who rebel and break our laws. They are never seen again. It is a reminder to the people of our city the pain and suffering war and dispute causes. For you it is a death trap. Courage will not help you here, but the will to survive may."

"There is no way were going through a cursed hole." Bruce growls from beside me. I ignore him completely and continue to speak.

"So all we need is to trust in love to get through these caves?"

"That is correct Princess of the Amazons." She replies softly.

Bruce steps forward menacingly. "You sure know a lot about us. Yet we know nothing of you. Why?"

Glancing at him from the corner of my eye, I study him briefly before locking eyes with the young mistress.

"We can make it." I say with a nod.

She rises from her seat and seemingly glides past us clearly not planning to answer Bruce at all.

"Come I must show you the way."

Glancing at Bruce I purse my lips and follow her, him not trailing too far behind.

"How Far away are we from the tunnel?" I question.

"Not far. Patience." She answers.

No one utters a single word after that. Bruce is quite and silent, yet his presence reassures me as he strides next to me. Glancing around once more, I take in the sites of all the wildlife and nature. It's amazing to know that a place such as this could have such a devastating place.

"Here it is, The Cave of Torment." She calls out while coming to a full stop.

The entrance is plain and looming all at the same time. Sharp rocks accent the sides of the gaping black hole, it's mouth stretched wide open in agony. A veil of vines hangs over the front like a shredded curtain. She turns to us one last time, smiling at us lightly before flipping a hood that I had not noticed before up over her head.

"Good luck and may strength be with you." With those last words she shrinks back into the darkness of the forest and disappears from view as if she was never here.

Breathing in through my nostrils, I grip my lasso with my hand and step toward the gaping hole. A firm hand grips me about my arm and I come to a halt more out of surprise than anything. Looking at Bruce, I find him glaring back at me intensely. Concern apparent on the lines creasing the sides of his thinned lips.

"I don't like this Diana. Who knows what is in there."

"Bruce, we have no choice, and you know that." I whisper to him lowly. He stares at me for a moment before nodding his head and releasing me of his hold. A thrilling yet unsettling feeling washes over me as we step ever closer to the unknown territory of this alternative dimension.

Time seems to slow as we pass through the entrance, our footsteps echoing around us. Our feet colliding with the hard packed soil vibrates through the ground. Whatever lies before us, I can only hope that we will survive it. The air becomes musky, the smell of dirt and stale water filling my nose. So different from the sweet aromas filtering out of the kitchen at Bruce's Manor. I know that Alfred will not worry too much at my sudden disappearance but I cannot be sure of Kal. Knowing him, he will worry, especially since he had neither known of what had transpired with Circe.

Suddenly a large quake shakes the earth, rocking the ground back and forth unsteadily. Boulders collapse from above slamming into the ground and spewing out mounds of dirt and small pebbles. Rocks fall in a shower of rain, pelting me, and washing over me violently. The light from behind me begins to dim away as it it replaced with thick smoke. Once the dust clears from the air and I can breathe easily again, I take a step forward, running my hands over the jagged walls in order to find my way.

"Bruce?" I call out with a slight cough, the dust particles in the air forcing its way into my lungs, uninvitingly.

In response, a light flickers on beside me, illuminating the rocks somewhat. Turning my head I notice, with a impressed raise of my eyebrow, that it is only the lens of Bruce's cowl. Typical Bruce. Of course he would be prepared for something such as this.

Glancing behind me I take in the dim sight of the immense boulders piled high in a massive mound of sheer rock and dirt. Shards of light piercing through the small gaps between each rock.

"It seems as though we are truly stuck inside here." I say a bit more grimly than I intended to sound. Bruce takes a stand next to me, touching his fingers lightly against my elbow reassuringly.

"Follow me princess. I have a plan."

"Of course you do Bruce. Mind sharing this plan of yours?"

He places his right hand against his temple, seemingly staring aimlessly into space. Although, I suspect he is rather analyzing our surroundings with a high tech internal computer of some sort.

"I'm going to make a map to keep track of exactly were we have been. That way we will be able to solve it like a maze and get through." He replies before walking ahead of me, leaping over unseen obstacles, as he leads the way. I shake my head, trying to view what is in front of me in order to see where I am going. Extending one foot forward, I immediately smack my shin against a sharp stone. I hiss slightly in annoyance as I feel the faint wetness of blood trailing down my leg. Bruce immediately stops at the noise and backtracks to me.

"Something wrong Diana?" He questions curtly.

"No Bruce. I'm just a bit unfocused at the moment."

He says nothing in reply and instead reaches out towards me, gripping my hand loosely, and maneuvering me around some rubble. I frown slightly as I squint, trying to peer into the darkness. Usually I have no trouble with my vision but at the moment it seems that the Cave is too dark for me to see well enough.

Screeching nocturnal creatures of unknown species scream out in madness, their unnatural calls resounding through the air and enveloping us from all sides. The sound of rushing water trickles in the background, creating an even more eerie effect to the cave. The echoing sounds of inhuman like moans and growls pound against my ears, creating an unsettling feeling in the atmosphere. My eyes, finally having grown accustomed to the lack of lighting, allow me to better see the outline of the cave, and the shadows of mysterious creatures slithering around us as we continue to walk.

Soon we stop, finding ourselves at a fork in the pathway.

Releasing Bruce's hand I walk forward peering at both entrances, looking for any subtle hint as to where we should go.

Beside me Bruce flips open another secret compartment alongside his forearm, revealing a miniaturized computer database. Glancing at it, I realize that there are two blinking dots on a sketchy image of our surrounding pathways.

Looking closer I discover that the blue dot represents himself and...

The red one represents...

Me.

"Bruce? Why am I on that map?" I question while crossing my arms over my chest.

"Security reasons." He answers back unemotionally.

"Uh huh? So do you have one for all the League members? Or is it only for certain special founding members. And might I add. Where exactly do you have a tracking device located on me?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

He continues to type in information on his portable device while completely ignoring my question.

Just like I thought he would.

Pulling my tiara off of my head I feel along the smooth panes of gold in search for any small gadgets. Frowning, I place it back once more on my forehead, preparing to inspect my bracelets when Bruce interrupts me.

"This way." He orders, walking toward the left tunnel, his black cape swirling about his boots in a slight hiss. I follow closely, mulling over the fact of my newfound discovery. Bruce always claims that he does not care, but for all that his denials are worth I know that, that is not the case. In fact it is far from the truth. The fact that Bruce always makes sure to keep J'onn's Oreos fully stocked is another piece of viable evidence. Although, he could claim that a unhappy telepathic was not useful for the team, hence the reason for doing such an act. But, I'd like to think that it is because he cares. Even a little.

Thirty Minutes Later:

"Bruce this is the tenth dead end you have led us to." I say with furrowed brows. There are times when technology can't work, but for the Bat that is not true. It has always helped him in the greatest. At the moment though, I beg to differ. Despite the accuracy of his electronic map, we are still utterly lost within the confines of this monstrous cave.

I to of course had been mentally keeping track of where we had been, but even that has not been working well for me.

"This doesn't make any sense we've already come through this way." He replies somewhat frustratingly.

"There's something strange going on here and there is only one explanation. The tunnels are changing." He takes in a deep breath. "It has to be magic of some sort. I hate magic. It always manages to disrupt the pattern of logic." He growls out.

Suddenly the ground begins to shake violently, catching me off guard and causing me to stumble. Rock explodes everywhere dangerously, sharp spikes of earth piercing up through the ground one by one. I manage to leap in the air just in time before the rock pierces into the side of my thigh and tears into bone.

Bruce immediately responds by whipping out his grappling hook and shooting it up toward the ceiling, before it reels him up, jerking his body in the air where it is the safest. I continue to leap over the hazarded mounds of earth, kicking my legs outward in order to demolish a few of the piercing thorns. Spinning in the air, I whip out my lasso and successfully hook it on a narrow ledge before swinging myself to land atop of it gracefully.

Then suddenly it ends. Of course the unnatural formation of the ground is still the same but other than that everything is as it was before. I crouch low to the jutting rock, tuning in on my keen senses, listening for anything strange or peculiar that would alert me to another unwanted surprise. Mentally I berate myself for not catching unto what has just happened sooner. I am a warrior, trained for the most direst of situations. Now is not the time to start lacking in skills or in training. Why hadn't I heard the vibrations before hand? It wasn't like me to miss that.

Scanning my surroundings I take note of the precarious situation I have placed myself in without knowing. My eyes trace the thin cracking lines that trail over the base of my ledge. Definitely not good. A tiny shift of weight can send me plunging into the shards of lethal rock below.

Shifting my gaze farther from where I am, I spy Batman lowering himself carefully to the ground, maneuvering around any rock.

Slowly, I rise from my crouching position, making sure to not weaken the rock anymore. Tensing my legs I prepare to leap forward when, without warning, the ledge crumbles into dust, sending me to fall down into the depths below. Panic momentarily consumes me as I realize that I am not able to stop myself midair. The ability of flight has escaped me.

Two thick arms appear out of nowhere, wrapping themselves about my waist tightly and catching me. My hair flys into my face as Bruce swings through the cave, and lands safely on the ground. The soles of his boots smack against the rock with a loud thud before he loosens his hold on me.

"What happened back there?" He growls out, glaring at me. I shake my head. "I don't know Bruce. It seems that my powers have left me." I gaze at my hands, clenching them tightly before relaxing them. "I don't feel different." I murmur to myself.

Bruce shifts next to me, hooking his grappling hook back unto his utility belt.

Two fingers reach beneath my chin, tilting my head upward. My eyes lock with that of his lenses that glow a slight blue hue. I cannot tell from his expression what he is feeling, but as he speaks, I realize that his voice is not as harsh as it usually is.

"Be careful Princess. I can't finish this task without you." He stares at me, waiting for me to speak.

"I'm not going anywhere Bruce." I reply with an amused smirk at the seriousness of his tone. "Just because I have no powers, it doesn't mean that I can't handle myself."

The corner of his mouth lifts subtly. "I know."

Then it is as if the ground is no longer. The earth cracks open wide, preparing to devour us in its midst. It releases a mighty roar in victory as both Bruce and I begin to free fall.

Desperately I grasp the edge of crumbling rock, trying to find a solid hold. My fingers skitter over decaying roots and loose soil before I finally manage to grasp the sharp edge of a stable stone.

Whipping my head around, I catch a glimpse of Bruce clinging unto that of a tree root. Dirt bathes his suit, rubble embedding itself along his cape and utility belt.

"Bruce! Hold on." I yell at him.

I slam the toe of my foot against the side of the thick wall, trying to create a foothold for me. It does not break. Hera, please give me strength. Yet, the familiar rush of energy doesn't come. I am unable to penetrate the sheer rock as easily as I would have been able to before.

I watch with dread as the root he is holding unto slowly begins to break free from the soil, lowering Bruce even farther into the depths below. Gripping the ledge tighter, I try to reach for my lasso. My left shoulder strains as it is now the only thing holding me. The tips of my fingers slowly inch off of the rock as I search for the golden coils resting at my hip.

Then, the root cracks. The sound whipping through the air as Bruce is sent tumbling head over heels downward.

"Bruce!" I cry out as his form fully disappears into the pitch darkness, the glowing light of his lens flickering slightly before completely vanishing.


Alright so what do you readers think of this chapter? Is the challenge interesting enough or is it uninteresting to you? You may be all wondering why Wonder Woman doesn't have her powers. Well the reason is because this isn't her earth. If it were an alternative earth then she would still have them, since she was made from clay and has her powers as long as earth lives. But this here is a total different reality and dimension. A replica of her earth doesn't even exist in this realm or dimension, therefore no powers. Sorry if there was any grammar errors or jumbled words. So review and tell me what you think. Thanks :)