Hola! Oh man you guys are so wonderful! Thanks GirlAtThePiano, Ni Castle, twostar, SakuraPheonix13, Grace Topaz14, Dragonball X Avalon, and Guest For the reviews. It's great hearing from y'all. :D I know it seems to take forever for updating but believe me you guys Ill try and keep up daily updates. There's just been lots of different stuff going on that needs my attention also. Your guys's support and reviews are deeply appreciative and so are all the favorites. :D I hope you enjoy this chapter. It was made more to help create the foundation for more complications that shall soon arise. ;)
Superman's POV
The sound of steady beeping fills my ears, but what comforts me the most is the sound of her steady breathing. I never take my eyes off of her resting form, for it is the only way that I will know that she is safe. Safe with me here, protecting her, warding off any evil that may try to harm her. I have stuck to her side since the very moment Alfred had left the room. He insisted that I should follow him in order to clean-up, since the blood had quickly dried on my thick coat, but I had resisted. Surely enough he did not back down and made a compromise by opting to wipe me down with a warm washcloth instead. I didn't mind. As long as I was with her, nothing else mattered.
Alfred had done good work. How could he not, when he had a charge that would come home every morning, battered and bruised. He was familiar with tending to wounds of these sorts.
Shifting my body, I curl closer to her form, basking in the heat radiating off of her body. Thoughts and questions swirl through my head, but my main priority is keeping her safe.
I rest my head gently atop her stomach, waiting, and watching. Her face is peaceful and relaxed. A great contrast to the painful grimace and slight moaning sounds that had escaped from her lips the moment I had laid her down.
I can still remember the feeling of cold fear that had grabbed ahold of my body as I witnessed her body slumping to the ground. The sweet aroma of her blood reaching my nostrils still haunts me. It is something I never wish to see or feel again. If it means that I would have keep Bruce away, then so be it. I know that the action would potentially hurt her. I can sense that she is fond of both her tigers, but I know in my heart that I will try and protect her at all costs. Despite my bridled anger for Bruce, I shall not resort to such measures yet. It is only a precaution, a promise, and a mission that I have assigned to myself in order to keep her safe.
He is my friend, my colleague, and sometimes I feel as if he is a brother. I know and sense this, but I can't help the animalistic feelings that reside within me when he is near. The feeling of him being a threat, an enemy. I can feel his eyes on her. Watching her as I do, guarding her within the confinement of his shadows. He is dark, mysterious, elusive, strong, and brave. He draws her to him. I can feel it, and I've seen it with my own eyes. I do not particularly like it all, yet I try to dismiss these unusual feelings. Besides, does she not have her eyes set on another?
I will not openly attack. At least not as long as the animal within me has not overruled my sense of morals. I will give him warnings, allow for him to see that I am serious in all that I do and hope to achieve. I will not allow for him to overrule me, to dominate me in this seemingly never ending battle of wills between us. Each of us wishes to surpass the other. To prove ourselves to be the worthy one of the two species. It is mainly because of her. If I am to be honest with myself, it has always been about her, one way or the other. She has the potential to bring out the best in us, and even the worst. These feelings are foreign. Something that I have never really felt before, but during my time here, they have begin to evolve and grow. I can only hope that one day I will fully understand them and their meaning.
Nuzzling my nose against her side, I deeply breath in her scent, storing it into memory. Never again will she venture into the unknown without me by her side. I can only imagine the horrors that she had to face during her seemingly long absence. To say in the least, I had panicked. That day that I had desperately tried to find her and couldn't, a feeling of urgency had filled my gut. I could no longer pick up her scent, and to top it all off he hadn't been here either. That only meant one thing. They both had disappeared without a trace, lost into a time unknown to this world. Alfred of course tried his best to soothe my frayed nerves. Yet, despite his best efforts, I refused to relent in expressing my internal aggravation. I had spent those four days pacing back and forth within the Living Room, eagerly awaiting their return. What had bothered me above all was the fact that I wasn't there with her. I should have been. Perhaps then she wouldn't have been injured so badly.
Suddenly the feeling of cool fingers brushing against my fur alerts me to the fact that she has now awoken.
"Kal..." She breathes out softly, while giving me a small lazy grin. Her gaze travels across the room, searching with a hopeful glint in them. I immediately know for whom that she is searching for. Bruce. I cant help the slight feeling of annoyance that fills my inner being at this discovery. Disappointment flickers across her features as she finds the rest of the room to be empty.
Shaking my head, I take a stand and crawl closer to her pillow, drawing her attention back to me. Resting my paws beside her head, I lower my own and gaze into her bright, blue eyes. She smiles at me in return and answers the one question buzzing within my mind.
"I'm alright Kal. Stop worrying." She says a bit hoarsely. No doubt her throat is parched.
I growl lowly in my throat in protest. She chuckles."Of course you wont stop, because that is who you are. Even as a tiger you place others before yourself." I nudge my nose against her cheek in agreement. She closes her eyes and rubs the top of my ears gently. Enjoying her touch, I press my head against the palm of her hand harder in an attempt to get closer.
Diana's POV.
I can feel the energy seeping back into my body. I can feel myself once more growing whole and alive again. I can tell that I had scared Kal. Once I had looked him in the eyes, I could immediately identify the feelings of worry and concern within them. Despite my repeated assurances, he would not leave my side for more than a minute. So stubborn was he about his decision that I have accidentally tripped over him on the way out of the bathroom.
"Kal, your going to have to stop one way or another. You can't be trailing me around everywhere." I tell him after sitting on the edge of the bed. He just blinks at me innocently, before settling himself at my feet. I release a tired sigh before glancing around the room. My eyes land on the night stand and I freeze, taking in the sight of the forgotten medallion.
Standing to my feet once more, I take it in my hands and run my thumb over the smooth surface. What the maiden had told me before giving them to me returns to memory.
"Kal..." I murmur. Kneeling down on the ground, I gaze at him steadily. "After we had finished our challenge, Circe left these as rewards. They allow for you to be a human for a limited time." He narrows his eyes at it suspiciously before nudging it with his nose. Lifting the medallion, I drape it over his neck carefully. It lands against his chest with a soft thump.
Not long after, a bright light envelopes his entire body. It shines brighter and brighter before dying down to a natural hue. Blinking rapidly, my vision once more returns to normal and there before me crouches a man. A very familiar man. His shoulders are hunched forward while his long, strong fingers grip the carpet loosely. Lifting his head, my eyes lock with that of intense blue.
"Kal!" I cry out happily. Strong arms immediately wrap around me, warm and secure. He breathes in deeply, and squeezes me tighter, holding me closer.
"How long?" He asks softly against my hair. "Six hours." I reply. It is not a long enough amount of time, but it'll have to do. He releases a heavy sigh.
"J'onn was filled in while you were recuperating. He says that people are beginning to suspect the worst of things concerning our departure. We've been gone too long Di, especially since it was such a sudden disappearance. I better make an appearance while I have the chance. In order to put their minds at rest." Kal says a bit reluctantly.
I nod my head in consent. Slowly we break apart and I smile up at him warmly, glad to see one of my dearest friends back to normal for the time being. I wonder if Bruce is human now, or a tiger? I think to myself while turning away. His eyes darken somewhat after I release him.
"I'm sorry." He says, laying a hand on my shoulder. I jerk my head to him. "For what?" I ask a bit confusingly. He purses his lips. "For Bruce." My shoulders involuntarily stiffen. He hasn't come by to see how I have been doing. From what Alfred has told me, Bruce has locked himself away in that cave of his, doing who knew what. I suspected that he was using his six hours being human in order to patrol Gotham whenever he could.
I float upwards. "It's not your fault Kal. He's just... Bruce." I finish with a wan smile. He grimaces at me knowingly, but there is something there. A sort of anger, and I know that Kal is non too pleased with Bruce at the moment. I begin walking to the balcony doors. Pausing, I turn my head to him.
"Tell the girls that I say hello." He nods in agreement, picking up on my need to be alone and then leaves. The flutter of the curtains is the only physical evidence that he was here at all in the first place. Turning back to the doors, I pull them wide open and step outside.
The breeze weaves its nimble fingers through my hair, lightly tugging and pulling it in different directions. The night air is cool and crisp. The darkness of the sky pregnant with that of clear crystal stars that twinkle happily within the safety of their womb. Calm, and soothing. Something that I have missed dearly in having.
Closing my eyes, lulled by the night time music of chirping crickets and hooting owls, I take a deep, relaxing breath. Once my heart beat slows, I am seemingly transferred back into time... back to that very night where things between Bruce and I had started to become complicated.
Flashback:
The acid taste of murky water and polluted oxygen fills my mouth. It is dark, dank and musky. The walls and ceiling are filmed with layer upon layer of mold, dirt and other unknown substances. It is so cramped that I am forced to practically crawl through the ever popular sewers of Gotham City.
This is my first time ever in Gotham... with permission at least. Batman has allowed for me to come along, of course only after much persuasion on my part. It seems as though that the Batmobile is a great asset to his collection. Therefore making it unbearable to him if it 'accidentally' became a wad of crumbled steel. I can't help but smirk at his reaction to that. Priceless. To bad Wally wasn't there to see it.
Stealthily I follow the dark, flitting shadow before me. Even in the never ending darkness, I manage to somewhat gleam. This of course forces me to pursue him from farther behind, as not to give away his position.
The only sound for miles around is the slight sound of splashing as my feet wade deeper into the green tinted waters surrounding me. Suddenly Bruce stops and so do I. Everything becomes eerily quite. Straining my ears I manage to catch the subtle sound of something wading on the water. I grip my lasso tightly, anticipating anything and everything.
A blood curdling roar erupts out of nowhere. A loud splash followed by a slight grunt alerts me to the fact that Bruce is now struggling with the monster... Killer Croc.
I whip my head around and peer through the never ending darkness. I catch the sight of Bruce fighting to maintain a hold on the crocodile-like man in order to keep himself from being shredded to pieces.
Launching myself forward, I grip tightly unto the animal's scaly tail and fling the him up off of Bruce. The creature releases a snarl of annoyance as it slams into the opposite concrete wall, breaking away large chunks that fall into the shallow pools below. A flash of pearl white teeth gleam in the dark, directed right at me. I raise my bracelets just in time as he violently gnaws on them both like chew toys. Swiftly I release a counter attack and punch in an upward motion with that of my right hand, slamming it deftly into his jaw. His teeth immediately slackens its hold on me due to the shocking pain it has felt and proceeds to stumble backwards.
Bruce takes this opportunity to barrel into him from the side and toss him farther back into the confines of the tunnel. Letting loose two identical batarangs, they succeed in harmlessly exploding against the beast's thick skin. Having brought the fight into a wider berth, I fly forward, gripping him about the torso and holding on tightly. He puts up a fierce struggle, his claws digging into my flesh and drawing blood. Abruptly I stop and instead proceed to slam him into the ground, creating a large splash of water. I punch against his body repeatedly in order to keep him down. He responds to my attack with one of his own by extending one of his slimy claw-like hands in order to grip my fist. Chuckling, he squeezes tighter and slings me across the area and through a wall. Bruce rushes to my side as I begin to regain my footing and concentration.
"Are you alright?" He growls out fiercely yet his tone is one of slight concern. I nod my head "yes" in answer before swiftly popping my shoulder back into place.
"Good, because right now you are not-" Whatever he was going to say is lost in the air as he is cut off short by a green blur that slams him against another wall. I watch in horror as the monster sinks his deadly teeth into Bruce's shoulder and tears a chunk is skin off. Bruce slumps to the ground with a slight moan. Blood and pieces of skin tissue lathers his suit and drips down to the floor. The green animal turns to face me, his red tinted eyes glittering dangerously at me.
"Now it is your turn. I'm sure you'll taste even better." He rumbles out darkly. Then he charges at me and I do the same. Gripping his snout, I roughly yank it downwards and slam it against my knee. Simultaneously I grip him about the arm and throw him to the ground before landing on him heavily and digging my elbow into his gut. Quickly he jerks upward and ensnares my upper arm in the confinement of his jaws. I cry out in surprise at the intensity of pain as bone collides with bone. Bringing my right hand around I jab him in the eyes. He roars in annoyance, and no doubt pain, causing him to loosen his hold on me. Wrenching myself away from him, I feel the wet, sticky, hotness of blood as it trails down the length of my arm and into the infested water. He licks his chops hungrily, slathering my blood along the plane of his tongue, as he gazes steadily at me. His look is of pure blood lust and hunger. He is a predator who has honed in on his prey and doesn't want to let go.
"Yummy." He rumbles low in his throat. Whipping around, he slams his tail against my head with great force and throws me off balance. Rolling into the position of a ball, I skitter across the water before stopping and trying to rise to all fours while spitting out some blood. His claws wag rip my hair firmly while also digging into my scalp.
"You don't-" He slams me face first into the brick floor of the sewer. He pulls my head back up from being under water and repeats the action again. "Want to mess-" he hisses out before dunking me back under, my face leaving an imprint as it collides with stone. "With the Croc." He roars.
Then his presence is no longer. I can vaguely hear him fighting with someone else behind me. I lean against the wall as my head begins to strangely swim. Pain explodes within my side and I can feel myself growing fainter from the blood loss.
"Diana...!? Diana...!?" The voice is seemingly so far away, that it takes me a moment to recognize it.
"Bruce...?" I mumble out loud, trying to pry my eyes open without having blood pooling into them.
"Diana stay with me!" He demands with a harsh growl. His arm shifts and I know that he is trying to use his communicator, but he has no such luck. The connection doesn't reach underground. He snarls in frustration before becoming completely immobile. J'onn. He's talking with J'onn.
Suddenly I begin to feel sleepy. Bruce notices and snaps his fingers in front of my nose to try and keep me awake. "No sleeping Princess, you have to stay with me." He mutters under his breath.
End of Flashback:
The rest is a hazy blur for me. I can only remember snippets of what had happened afterward. Such as him grabbing a hold of me and carrying me back through the tunnels of the underground sewer. My breathing becoming shallow and more restricted. The feeling of coldness seeping into my body. The sudden exhaustion that overwhelmed me. Yet what I remember most of all is the feeling of his body heat, his touch, and his voice.
Later I became aware that Killer Croc had been prepared for me. Beforehand a certain poison had been lathered on his talons that had the ability to only affect Metas, hence the reason Bruce only ended up with a shredded shoulder and nothing more. Apparently once the poison had entered my blood stream, it had quickly started to weaken my immune system. This meant that little by little my body was shutting down.
Everyone had waited anxiously for me to fight back. To overcome the toxin within a few hours, but I hadn't. Instead it looked as though I was only growing weaker. The rest of the League were beginning to fear the worse... especially a certain dark vigilante.
A day after I had been placed in the Med Bay the news channel became abuzz with a sudden and shocking development. Killer Croc had been found dumped in front of a hospital, beaten and bruised very badly. He had suffered multiple broken bones, but luckily he had survived. He wasn't going to be terrorizing the city any time soon though.
They, the founders, had all known who had done that to him.
Finally after a day or so I began to pull through. If it hadn't been for my healing factor I would have most likely not have made it. This was my first time ever being so close to death, and Bruce did not react well at all. After that our relationship began to take a turn.
Bruce and I never spoke of that night or Killer Croc again. Anytime I had to tried to bring it up, his attitude would turn cold and dismissive rather quickly. That time I had let it slide, but I won't let that happen now. I have to talk to him or else I will be left to wonder. Wonder if things could have turned out differently.
I slowly descend the stairs, one step at a time. I could have easily floated down, but I figure that there is no harm in taking my time.
The bright, yellow glow of the large screen is what first greets me as I stride forward from the foot of the stairs. My eyes instantly lock unto that of a muscular figure clad in black. I know that he is most likely going to try and lock me out, ignore me or dismiss me as he usually does. So this time I'm not going to let him. This time I'm going to go about it differently and somewhat reverse our roles.
"What is it Princess?" He immediately asks me. Straight to the point I see. He can tell that I'm only down here to speak with him on a touchy subject and he wants it to be done and over with quickly. Typical Bruce. I keep quite and instead inch closer toward him and the computer.
"I have lots of work to do, so I would prefer that you say what you need and leave me be." He says, trying to convey his impatience. I still do not speak, but instead proceed to lean a hip casually against the counter. His key strokes falter for just a moment before they resume their steady rhythm once more.
"Funny, I didn't take you for being the silent type." He retorts flatly. He inclines his head slightly in my direction in silent question. I just offer him a simple shrug.
Setting the palms of my hands against the cool metal surface, I lift myself up, and opt for sitting on the counter, instead of just standing. Settling myself comfortably on the edge, my hair flows to the front of my face as I lean forward and examine the cave. This isn't the first time I have seen it, but it never ceases to amaze me. There is a certain beauty that lies hidden within the dark crevices of the cave walls. Something that many would call eerie and creepy but I would call... alluring and captivating. This place suits the Batman just fine.
Suddenly I notice a shift in the atmosphere. Frowning, I try to figure out what has disturbed my train of thought. Concentrating on my surroundings, realization dawns on me as I come to the conclusion that there is only silence. The sharp sound of keystrokes has momentarily ended. A rarity when it comes to the Batman. Casting a glance to my left, I find myself gazing straight into Bruce's cowled face, his own white lenses already staring at me intensely. Blushing, I look away.
"You want to talk about the..." He pauses, eyes flickering toward the stairwell. "About what happened." He finishes. I nod my head slowly, yet surely, letting him take the lead in the conversation less he begins to shut me out. If he does, then this talk will never take place.
"Diana..." He starts saying. The frustration and aggravation is heard clearly within his tone. I should know better by now. No matter how I try to approach this, he wont want to cooperate willingly.
Masking the disappointment I am feeling, I quickly slide down off of the counter and walk up to him. Pressing a finger to his lips, I stop him from saying anything more.
"No Bruce. I already know what you are going to say. I'm sorry that I tried to bring this up. I'll just leave now before you kick me out, and you can finish whatever you are working on." I move to maneuver around him, not looking him in the eye as I begin to walk away.
"No." He replies gruffly, gripping me around my forearm tightly and making me pause. "I... I want to talk about it." My eyes snap to his confusingly. This is a side of Bruce I have not yet come to see as often as I would like. We stare at each other for a moment.
"Sit." He says finally, tilting his chin to where I had been resting a couple of seconds earlier. "Please." He adds, releasing his hold on me and pulling back his cowl.
Searching his eyes earnestly, I find them to be more open and less closed off. Nodding my head, I comply willingly.
So here it is you guys. I have dwelled deeper into the BMWWness of this story. But as most of you know or strongly guess, this isn't all. :) Not much action here but I'm trying to get this to move along as quick as I can without making the story seem 'choppy' as I would call it. More scenes to Review let me know whatcha think!
