Tigress2929 here! :) Sorry I've been gone for a little while, been kinda busy. Thank you twostar, RunWithTheWolf, Guest, lauridoriew, hreft93, Ni Castle, and R for reviewing. You guys are all great and I enjoyed reading what you had to say. Glad that most of you got that little twist I did for this challenge and even more glad that you seem okay with it.
The beginning of this chapter is a bit different than the others due to the fact that it starts out with Batman's POV :) I'm not sure about this chapter because of all that goes on, but it sort of just "came to be." Oh and before I forget I'll just say that this chapter will probably not include any ATLA moments. So with that being said, have fun reading!
Batman's POV:
Her voice calling out my name echoes within my head as I fall deeper and deeper into the belly of the cave. It roars out at me in victory as it claws at my suit, ripping it to shreds and breaking my skin wide open. The world around me withers away to nothingness as a layer of black bleeds into my line of vision and erases all sight of light.
Finally I hit the ground, slamming my left foot on the hard packed earth and breaking it. A bone crunching sound reaches my ears before the onslaught of pain does. An explosion of dust completes my fall, shrouding me in its suffocating embrace and layering my skin with its heavy burden.
I immediately try to stand, yet struggle slightly, due to the pain shooting up my leg. Stubbornly, I endure it and push away the feeling of pain as I have trained myself to do over the years, and continue forward.
The light of my lenses flicker on and off continuously, allowing me to view my surroundings in short intervals of time. All around, rock surrounds me, a few sparse branches are the only vegetation to clothe the bare, looming walls. A slight hissing sound is the only disturbance in the atmosphere, everything else seems to be silent and abandoned.
I can no longer hear Diana's voice, nor can I view my surroundings clearly. Everything in my head seems to be buzzing as I stand alone, physically beaten and broken.
I no longer have a sense of where I am or what I am doing. It is as if life itself is nonexistent to me. The hissing sound continues, intermingling with the voice of Diana's, echoing throughout the cave, calling out my name with a hint of desperation.
I walk forward, searching for her, responding to her calls with harsh, short growls of my own in return.
She doesn't hear me, her voice seems to fade away, traveling away from me. My heart starts to beat a bit faster as I try to run, yet I can't. Not with my leg ruined like this. "Diana!" I call out, but it is no use. I have lost her.
Suddenly a hand clamps me on the shoulder. Instinctively I whip around, ready to punch the intruder in the face.
Fist clenched, teeth gritted in anger, batarang ready in my other hand, I freeze.
"What are you doing here?" I snarl out, lowering my fist. He releases his hold on me before backing away a few steps.
"Why else would I be here Bruce?" He answers in exasperation. "I figured, why not tag along, who knows what could happen?" He finishes, eyeing my torn suit and bleeding leg.
"How did you even get here?" I question further, feeling slightly irritated at his presence.
"The portal. It was pretty hard to miss it when I was looking for you guys." He says with a raised brow.
"And?" I growl out.
"And what Bruce?" He shrugs his shoulders. "That lady showed me the way."
I narrow my eyes at him suspiciously. "The cave collapsed, how'd you get in?"
He shakes his head and walks toward one of the walls. He clenches his right hand into a fist and slams it into the rock, shaking the ground and sending pebbles to liter the floor. "Like that." He answers.
Glaring, I consent to nodding my head curtly at him before stalking away.
"Bruce! Wait! Where are you going?" He calls out to my retreating back. I ignore him, intent on finding Diana and finishing this mission of sorts, but something causes me to still. I pause and come to a complete stop, not daring to move, barely breathing. Something shifts next to me. Subtle, stealthy and dangerous.
"Bruce. Aren't you going to even answer me?" He grumbles.
"Not now Clark." I snap at him. Thankfully he shuts up. Something definitely is not right here. I can feel it. The earth shakes, growling in fury before stilling, and that's when everything goes horribly wrong.
Clicking sounds erupt all around us, gaining volume with each passing second. Swiftly I reach for my utility belt and whip out a batarang, preparing for battle. Little do I know, is that I'm not the one in immediate danger. The sounds stop, a tense silence stretching in its wake. Then everything breaks loose.
Dozens of green glowing insects unlatch themselves from the walls, slamming into me and clinging unto my armor. They swarm me, crawling over my arms and legs, breaking through the Kevlar material and puncturing skin.
A strangled cry emits from behind me alerting me to the fact that Kent is in distress. Whipping myself around, my eyes widen in horror as I take in the sight of Superman on his knees, gasping for breath, deep red welts marring his face as millions of the little pests engulf him in their suffocating embrace.
Kryptonite. The rock like creatures contain kryptonite, hence the reason for their green coloration. That is the only explanation for Clark's current condition. With a growl I tear off a group of ravaging insects from the side of my face as they begin to try and burrow their way under my flesh.
Before me a dozen of them have already had success in doing just that to Clark. Across his face, and hands large swollen bulges rove under his skin, running in jagged zig-zag patterns, causing him to scream out in pain. Blood oozes from the gaping wounds, lathering the remaining insects on the surface also trying to enter his body, in the hot, thick liquid. His body shudders and jerks in apparent agony, his fingers clawing at his own skin in a desperate attempt to rip the little buggers from his body.
I slam my back against the wall, crushing some of them from the impact and successfully ending their rein of terror. Launching myself forward, I attempt to try and relieve Clark's heavy burden by spraying them all with a powerful insecticide. With a frustrated snarl, I toss it aside as soon as I realize that it is no use.
"Clark! Listen to me, you have to fight them." I roar out at him, sweeping off as many as I can while simultaneously attacking the ones on me. He doesn't hear me, instead he futilely attempts to try and crawl away, roaring in anguish. By now his skin has changed to a deathly shade of purple, blood dripping from his nose and mouth as the bugs have now reached the deeper parts of his insides.
I fall to the ground as something heavy and solid wraps itself around my ankle, yanking me backwards. Looking up, I find myself glaring into the face of the ugliest beast I have ever seen in my life. A myth conjured up by layer upon layer of horrid features. Sharp fangs stretch into a wide grin, bleary yellow eyes peer down at me from its dry, pale sockets. Yet it does nothing. It just sits there, watching and holding unto me securely. "Gaze upon his impending doom human. Your comrade will die right before your very own eyes." It snarls out, casting its line of vision over my head.
Twisting my head around, I watch Clark as he continues to struggle with the little monsters. By now he is unrecognizable in appearance, accept for the shards of blue and red clothing still clinging unto his rotten flesh. The beetles crawling inside of him jerk and stretch his skin in unnatural directions, tearing it wide open and exposing the underlying bones. His head whips toward me, his now dull eyes silently pleading for help. "Bruce... Help... Me..." He gasps out before falling to his side and curling into a fetal position.
I kick out my free leg, trying to get loose, but it is useless. The thing feels no pain and it wont let go no matter what. Throwing the batarang in my hand at the animal proves to be even more useless as it explodes against it without creating a single dent.
Superman's cries dim to low moans before completely ending. His body lays unmoving and becomes deathly silent. Parts of his body still jerk around in movement, yet i know that it is not because he is alive.
"No..." I whisper lowly. I clench my hands in anger, gritting my teeth and squeezing my eyes shut as a rush of adrenaline courses through my body. Snapping them open I prepare to beat the monster senseless. To break every bone in its body and make it pay. To make it feel the same pain and agony Clark had felt. To show it just how truly dangerous the Bat can be.
Glancing around I find him nowhere in sight, the weight that was once on my ankle is now gone, replaced with empty air. Clark's body is also gone. Having disappeared without a trace. Standing up, I search for any sign of him. Limping forward, I look for his body. Nothing. It is as if he were never here to begin with. A splitting headache then tears through my head, causing me to grimace in pain.
I slow down trying to sort through the thoughts in my mind. It is a jumbled mess, filled with incomprehensible realities and outcomes. The colors of my surroundings dull to a dark hue, creating a despairing atmosphere. Suddenly I seem unable to properly fill my lungs with oxygen as I pant for breath. Lifting my head from the clutches of my hands, I stop short, freezing as she comes into my line of view.
She glows with an unnatural light, her glorious raven hair framing her face, illuminating her deep blue eyes. Her mouth moves, yet no sound emits from her lips. Studying her further, I realize that her face is contorted into the very picture of confusion. Her forehead creased, her eyes narrowed in concentration and her head delicately cocked to the side. Slowly her voice reaches my ears, pounding against my head and creating another dull ache.
"Bruce? Where is he?" She repeats once more, stopping to wait for my reply.
"Who Princess?" I ask back softly. She just shakes her head. "Who else would I ask of Bruce? Now stop stalling and answer me. Where is he? Where is Kal?" She demands.
Why is she asking me this? How does she know that he was here? She doesn't know yet though. She is oblivious to what has just occurred.
My silence is her answer. Her expression changes from one of confusion to that of a deep sadness. She can sense that something bad has happened. Her shoulders hunch forward and I ache to go comfort her, but I don't. I know. I saw it with my own two eyes.
"What happened?" She asks softly, searching my eyes. I'm silent for a while longer before speaking. "He's dead Diana." Deep feelings of regret and guilt course through my very being as I speak those three words. I must confess what all went wrong. It weighs heavily on me, pressing down on me.
Peering closely at me, she takes note of my rigid stance, before daring to step closer. "Bruce." It is said with pity and sadness. So unlike her usual fierce, compassionate self. "What have you done?" Before I can stop myself, the words escape from my lips and toward her ears.
"I was with him when he died." She stares at me, her features stricken and slightly shocked. I continue onward with my story, inching closer to her.
"He... He was in pain, begging for my help and all I could do was watch as it all happened." I purse my lips in to a tight line, contemplating on wether or not I should say more. I choose the former choice.
"He tried to fight them off but he wasn't strong enough. I could have tried to do more yet... I didn't... I... Couldn't... I didn't fight harder and that cost him his life." By now I am standing right in front of her, merely an arms length away.
Her face twists into anger before she schools it into a neutral expression. I watch her closely waiting for a reaction, yet nothing happens. No scalding remarks. No heated argument on her part, and more importantly no fist connecting with the side of my face. I clench my hands, angry and guilty. Something would be better than nothing. I try another tactic, by saying something else in order for her to respond back harshly. Something stupid... inconceivable... anything in order to render a reaction from her stone cold face.
"Diana I need to see your face light up. Smile, laugh do anything to show me that you are okay." As if she would do such a thing after hearing my confession. She should be beating me to a bloody pulp by now or choking me to death.
But she doesn't.
She just stares at me with a dead look in her eyes. Devoid of any emotions or feelings. It is all my fault. I am the cause for all of this. This is by far worse than any torture that could ever physically be inflicted upon me.
I smack my hand against the wall beside her head, yet she doesn't even flinch at the movement.
"Please, Diana." I plead slightly. Batman never pleads, and with a sudden realization I discover that I am not talking to her as Batman but as Bruce. The man hidden underneath all of.. This.
"Let me hear your voice." I growl out to her in a more demanding tone, as if that will make her speak. Hoping that perhaps the Bat can force her to listen to me once again.
She blinks slowly, and turns her face away, thinning her lips. The only movement she has shown within the last five minutes. She is closing me off. I can see it. A stream of images run through my head, of her avoiding me at all costs. Of her never speaking to me again, and I know that I deserve it, yet I cannot bear the thought of completely losing her.
"No! no! no! Dang it! Why?! Come back to me Diana. Come back to me now!" I practically yell, while shaking her shoulders. Abruptly she shrugs me off of her and pushes me away. Her voice is cold and uncaring but I can't help but feel relieved that she is speaking.
"Stay. Away. From. Me."
With those last words she shoves me away, disappearing into the darkness and leaving me all alone. Despite my shouts of her name she doesnt respond or turn back. For a second time in my life I feel truly alone... Just as I should be, yet I can't stop the sudden panick from overwhelming my body. And thats when I know... Know that what I have been denying for these past years is actually true.
A sharp pain explodes at the tip of my spine and then...
there is nothing but black.
Wonder Woman's POV:
The rock begins to shift, pebbles and stones rain down on my face. Whipping my head back around I fling my right arm upward in order to maintain a hold on the ledge, but it is useless. With one final shower of dirt the earth gives way, sending me to also plummet into the unknown darkness below.
I grit my teeth as they rattle from the repeated blows to my jaw and head. Curling my body into a tight ball, I somewhat manage to keep the injuries to a minimum.
Sharp stones plunge into my skin, drawing blood and painting the granite walls slick with red paint. The fall feels never ending, as if I am trapped within a nauseatingly violent illusion. With one final smack of my elbow against a rock; I land with a dull thud. Spitting dirt and dead roots out of my mouth, I push myself to my hands and knees before taking a look around. It is no better down here than it was up above. In fact it is worse. Insects of unknown origins skitter over my fingers, their furry legs caressing my skin. A pair of yellow glowing eyes stare at me hungrily before completely vanishing from sight.
"Bruce?" I call out, squinting in the dark. Nothing. Taking a stand I push my hair out of my face and begin to walk forward within the canyon of darkness.
"Bruce!" I try once more, yet I am only met with a sight hissing sound and the echoeing of my voice. The glow of my lasso assists me with my lack of acute vision, guiding me around deep pits and sharp stones. The atmosphere is hot and stuffy, dust and dirt are the only materials to fill my lungs as I inhale. The stench of mold is overpowering, along with the bitter taste of rotten flesh that settles on my tongue.
How many souls have traveled through this very pathway? Dreading what laid before them, fearing for their life before eventually dying of thirst, exhaustion or madness.
A slight clicking echoes around me faintly, catching my complete attention. I pause and listen. The sound of pebbles rocking violently on the ground reach my ears before the earth rumbles defiantly, cursing my presence and determined to rid itself of its unwanted guest. A loud crack snaps through the air as the looming sides begin to shift ever closer together. This is definitely not good. Not good at all.
I have taken no more than a few steps forward before something solid and warm collides with my back, knocking me to the ground. Jabbing my arm backward in a swift response, I connect with bone. Despite this, the large mass doesn't move and I prepare to strike again.
"Diana!" A fierce low whisper growls next to my ear. Pausing, I twist my head around and find myself staring into the light flickering glow of two lenses.
Batman.
Blood cascades down from his nose, pooling around his mouth and dripping down his chin. Dirt and rubble are embedded deep within the crevices of his cowl. His breaths are heavy and ragged. He does not seem to be himself.
"Bruce! Thank goodness you are alive!" My brows furrow in concern at the sight of blood. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that it was you." I extend my hand towards him in order to fully assess the damage, yet he abruptly jerks away from my presence.
"Don't touch me!" He growls out, barring his red stained teeth at me. What once was blue hued lenses are now a deep shade of dark red. His posture is rigid and unnatural. Examining him closer I take note of him favoring his left foot. Extra blood pools beneath the sole of his black boot, creating small streams of hot liquid, which flow through the dirt.
"Bruce. What's wrong?" I ask dropping my hand back to my side.
"Whats wrong? You really are asking me what's wrong!?" He stalks up to me, limping slightly. "Look around Diana. This is what is wrong. All of this is your fault." He points his finger at me accusingly. "You should have been able to stop Circe. You're Wonder Woman for crying out loud! Yet here I am! Fighting for my life." He ends with a snarl.
I stare at him, a bit shocked at this sudden turn of events. But soon that shock ebbs away, only to be replaced by an unknown fuel of rage.
"Me! You are the one who should have let Kal and I handle that mission alone. At least then you wouldn't be here!"
His mouth twists into a sneer. "As if. The boy scout is vulnerable to what Circe has up her sleeves. He wouldn't have handled the mission well."
"And suddenly you aren't vulnerable? You do remember why I'm doing this? Right!?" I shoot right back at him. "I bet that after all this is set and done you won't even thank me! No. You'll just stalk off to your cave and brood, all alone."
Despite our argument the walls do not stop. They continue to inch ever closer together. Silently creeping up on us until it can squeeze us to our impending doom.
"You know that I could have handled her better. She would be in jail, but no. Now she's out there laughing her pretty little head off!" He snarls at me.
I narrow my eyes at him. "Yes Bruce. I'm sure you could have. Your history in dealing with Catwoman fills me with such confidence." I remark sarcastically. A haze of anger surges through me. How dare he blame me for everything that has happened. True, Circe did do this in order to get back at my Mother. But he had a hand in what happened to him also. He was the stubborn fool who insisted on coming with us.
"Enough! I will not stand here and listen to you berate me on my love life." With that he whips himself around and stalks away. "i dont even know you anymore." He whispers harshly. I watch him walk away, breathing heavily and gritting my teeth in rage. My mind is clouded with such a deep hatred for him. All I see is red. No one dares to walk away from me. Especially him. I take a step forward, preparing to attack him from behind.
Clasping my lasso in order to drag him back, I freeze. Slowly the anger ebbs away, only to be replaced by a certain calmness. The shock jolts through my body as I continue to mentally fight against the intense feelings of violence and hatred. My head aches from the effort and I grip my head tightly. Everything around me warps out of character and swiftly I let go of the lasso before it messes with my head and I am sucked into another world.
The sound of boulders tumbling down around me rush to my ears as I finally snap out of the dense fog filling my mind. I immediately become aware of the situation we are in. The cave walls are closing in and I know for a fact that if we stay here any longer; we will never make it out alive.
"Bruce!" I scream out at him, yet he doesn't listen. I run after him, gripping him by his arm and twisting him around.
"Don't touch me." He snarls, wrenching his arm free. "No matter how hard you try to get my attention Princess, it won't work." His words hit me like a ton of bricks yet I push past it and ignore the slight sting of them.
"Bruce, listen to me we have got to get out of here." I snap at him in return, the feeling of anger slowly returning.
He doesn't listen, instead he glares at me before turning away once more. Huffing out in annoyance I resort to the only other tactic that I can conduct in order to move him.
"You leave me no choice." I whisper to him.
Snaking my hand out around to his front, I grip his chin firmly in my hand and snap his head to the side, thus placing pressure on his spinal cord. I execute this move with just enough force in order to knock him unconscious, rather than break his neck.
His body suddenly falls slack and slumps against me.
Catching him, I stagger backward from his full weight, and grip him about his torso tightly. Gritting my teeth, I clasp his utility belt and heave him upward. Shouldering him, I drape his stomach across my left shoulder and glance around. There are no possible exits. Sheer rock surrounds me on all sides. Glancing upward, I squint at the faint outline of the ledge on my right side. The walls both shudder one last time before charging at each other at an even swifter pace. The only way out... is up.
Thinking quickly, I tug at Bruce's belt, my fingers searching for something in particular. Finally after several agonizingly long seconds my fingers tightly grip around a thick, bulky piece of cool metal before tugging it out of its holster. Swinging my arm upward in a tight arch, I pull the trigger, releasing the grappling hook into the air and towards the ledge. With a clang it hooks itself onto a secure base and sends another wave of debris to skitter across the rough planes of rock.
Relieving the pressure on the trigger, I press another button, causing the line to snap tight and jerk me and Bruce up off the ground.
The walls rush ever closer together, determined to trap us within its tight confines. Determined to not let me win.
My arm burns from the added weight of Bruce and his suit. I can feel my fingers begin to slip from the butt of the gun while Bruce simultaneously begins to jerk off of my shoulder.
"Come on." I say through gritted teeth, tightening my hold on Batman. Finally reaching the top, I throw Bruce over the side and drag myself up after him. A large quake vibrates through the whole interior, sending rock to break off of the ceiling, as the cave roars out in anger.
Crawling over to where Bruce is laying I place two fingers along his neck and check his pulse. Sighing out in relief, I gently slap the side of his check in order to revive him from his unconscious state.
"Come on Bruce, it's time to get up."
His eyes flash wide open in alarm. Lunging out at me, he tries to hit me, his fist aiming at my throat. Blocking his arm with my own, I slam his body back down to the ground and hold him there as he begins to struggle.
"Bruce, it's me." He stops and stares at me before lowering his clenched hand.
The muscles in his body instantly relax, and his breathing becomes less ragged. I rest my head on his armored chest for a moment before pushing myself to all fours. After what's all happened it's time to have a little talk.
"What were you thinking!" I growl out at him, slamming the palm of my hands on either side of his head and glaring into his slightly cracked lens. Garnering no response from him I resort to letting out a frustrated sigh and rising to my feet.
"Bruce I know that you were angry, but to ignore what is happening right in front of you is not like you... Or me for a matter of fact" I stop and sigh.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I continue. "I could have lost you and I would have let it happen if it weren't for this." I whisper, once again fingering my lasso. I am only met with silence. Twisting my head around, I stare at him intently and ask the one question that has been bugging me at the back of my mind.
"What happened down there Bruce?"
He doesn't turn to face me, silence is once again my only answer. I take in a deep breath and try again. "Why did you attack me Bruce?" His head whips around to glare at me.
"What?!" He demands. My brows furrow in slight confusion, then clears with understanding. "You don't remember. Do you?" I say lowly.
He steps closer. "Oh, I remember alright." He replies, clenching his fists. "The thing is, do we both remember the same thing?"
I place my hands on my hips. "I remember you attacking me, and yelling at me." I retort once again feeling slightly peeved at him.
"What else do you recall to memory? What about Kent?" He asks narrowing his eyes at me. I gaze at him in confusion. "Bruce, you and I both know that he's still at the manor." I say softly.
Swiftly he whips himself around, his cape swirling about his ankles, and begins stalking away. Clearly he assumes that I will follow, and he is correct.
"Hallucinations." He states crisply, not once faltering in his stride. "The hissing sound. Did you happen to hear it as well?" I nod my head yes. "Just as I suspected, this cave is playing mind tricks on us now and it's time we get out of here before we both get killed." he replies a bit grimly.
Bruce has always been rough, stubborn and closed off. His personality has never been warm or welcome but right now I can sense that something is off about him. The way he holds himself is not normal. There is an added amount of hunched shoulders and heavier footing that is burdening his posture. Stopping, I grab him by the arm and force him to look at me.
"I'm only going to ask this once and I expect an answer. What happened down there Bruce?"
I can tell that he wants for me to let this go. To leave him be and allow him to figure through whatever went on in his head by himself, but I won't let that happen. Batman is a legend, something to be feared by others and something that is able to take whatever is thrown at him. But Bruce is a man and even a man sometimes needs to relieve partial amounts of his burdens.
I wait and finally... he speaks.
"Clark died Diana, and I wasn't able to help him." He grits his teeth. "He was suffering and all I could do was watch." I release my hold on him and gaze at him with concern and compassion.
"The worst part was losing you in the process." He continues with a hoarse tone before turning away. Reacting to his intended departure, I make a bold move and embrace him in a hug from behind. His body stiffens in surprise before relaxing very slowly. I can feel the tension ebb away from his muscles, as he bends his head forward. He doesn't hug back in return, but he doesn't pull away either.
I take a deep breath and speak lowly into his ear. "Bruce, first of all, you have to know that it wasn't real." I pause and squeeze him tighter. "And secondly, If it were, I know that you tried to do everything in your power to help him. Sometimes we just can't always be the hero... No matter how hard we fight." He doesn't say anything in response, but I know that he understands what I am trying to tell him. He takes a deep breath and unclenches his hands.
"You can let go of me now."
His voice rumbles through his back and vibrates to my body. Sliding my arms off from around his shoulders, I back away slowly. He is still the same rugged Batman, but I can already tell that something is once again different. His head is held up high, with shoulders squared and with his mouth set in a determined line as he gazes at me steadily.
The look I read from his expression mirrors my own.
It's time to end this once and for all.
First things first, I've said it before but I'll say it again. You readers are the best! :) I hope that you found this chapter somewhat entertaining. Originally this was suppose to be the last chapter that would sum up the "first challenge" but one parapragh of dialogue and this was born! So you could consider this a bonus chapter. :) I really hope that I'm at least sorta keeping everyone in character. Diana is fierce, passionate and caring with also the hint of an inner turmiol going on in there as is needed for my story. Bruce is well... Bruce. :) A man that holds something for Diana but just doesn't really want to acknowledge it openly soo much. I wasn't trying to work too hard on Clark since he wasn't even really there to begin with but hopefully he wasn't too bad. Anyways I'm just babbling here. It's nice to hear what you think! The next chapter should be up soon. I'm sort of starting to update every month, at least that's my goal! Adios!
