0o0o0o
"Stolen kisses are always sweetest." ― Leigh Hunt.
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Chapter 7(Corporate Boyfriend)
Deep down Diana knew the silence chewed at her heart like a termite eats an unseasoned wood.
Maybe it was her social genes. Or maybe because when someone like her grew up on an island where personal privacy was nothing but just a word in dictionary, Diana was used to be surrounded by other souls.
To hear the rasp of breathing, to feel the nearby thudding hearts, and to sense the smile of warm faces—they all acted as a potent sleeping drug for Amazon Princess in those restless nights, when she dreamed of her adventures.
Even after she came to Man's world, Diana never felt vandalized by loneliness.
She had anticipated it. An amazon who was taught of melancholy filled man's world, what else could she expect? But what she found was rather surprising: friends, teammates, and comrades in arms, who not only shared her passion for justice, but unlike her old Amazonian belief some of them were men as well.
Honest men—such a word still had the odd ring to her ears.
Friends, teammates, and now a lover. So much, she had achieved here. And yet again, the tornado of isolation menaced over Themysciran savioress as she stood beside Bruce.
She rummaged her mind from up to down, to come up with a good excuse. Something that would not only diffuse the alarm in her mother's sense, but would also dispel any lurking doubts that her only child, her precious daughter—her sun and stars—was dating a mortal man, who just happened to be a cave-dwelling hero. And not to forget he dresses up like a rodent for his costume.
Nonetheless, like everything, even her blessed mind rebelled to cooperate with her needs. Good thing, her beau at least berthed his nonchalance attitude.
Cool, detached, and heroic—Diana tallied the checklist as her eyes flicked over him. Always so calm.
Besides many martial arts, the art of impassiveness was one of the bat-arts that she always wanted to learn from him. At least then, she could beat Wally and Shay on Saturday's poker night. Already, she had lost way too many games. And one thing that was mulishly common to her and Bruce was—they both hated losing. Whether it was a game or a fight.
"Diana?" Her mother's voice flamed away further thoughts as Diana gazed at her queen.
"Mother, it's not what you're thinking," Diana said. Fingers curled in fists, mouth moved to say more, but words—they just swam out of her grasp. "I…"
"Your highness, Hippolyta! It's you!"
Instead, Bruce took steps forward, almost shouting. He took her mother's hand, bowed curtly, and kissed chastely before greeting. "I feel honored to meet the Immortal matriarch of Themyscira. Diana talks a lot about you, your highness!"
Hippolyta's gaze paused. "And you're?"
"Wayne"—He wore a playful smile that Diana knew belong to—"Bruce Wayne. You must've heard of me."
"Not exactly," Hippolyta dismissed. Eyes filled with question rested on Diana, who fidgeted with answers.
"Oh," Bruce said. He shrugged off his coat, scratched at his French beard, and peeled off the fake accessory. "Maybe because of this, it was a small disguise so Diana and I could freely go out. You never know these hounding reporters."
Hippolyta fixed a look at Diana. "Should I ask why?"
"Mother…" Diana tried before Bruce butted in.
"Diana and I were just discussing some upcoming charity events." He continued, slouching and smiling in his full playboy character. "Please. Your highness, if you're not too busy, I've something that needs your attention!"
Hippolyta gaze canted to Diana, questions hung by thread of suspicion.
Stop playing around, Bruce! Diana scolded mentally, wishing she had some Jonn's telepathic powers.
"Diana, would you bring us some coffee?" Bruce Wayne's peppy voice broke Diana's haze. "Please," he added.
As Diana pushed her eyes to him, matching and holding his attention for few iotas, she tried to make out what exactly he was playing at. Of course, he ignored her call. Damn Bat-head!
"I'll bring iced machos," she said, knowing her mother's eyes tracked her movements.
"Thank you, Diana." Bruce winked with a smile and turned back to her mother. "Your highness, I'll take this blunt way…"
At last, Diana turned toward her kitchen, praying to her deities for well being of her brand new boyfriend.
0o0o0o
(Back in Gotham City)
"CAR, Atty, CAR!" Sappho shouted.
Eyes wide, face drained of any rosy smiles, Sappho clawed at her seat belt like a pike man held onto his pike against the approaching enemy cavalry.
"There is a car in front you, Atty! CAR!"
"I can see it." Athena said.
As the mustang sped up, skirted around the night traffic, and overtook another car, Wisdom goddess gripped the steering wheel in her hands. All while, the mustang zigzagged lanes after lanes and weaved through the Gotham road as if a water snake swims in ocean.
Conversely, because of all zigzagging and humping-bumping of suspension system, Sappho was lurching inside the mustang like a pin-pong ball. Obviously, Athena ignored her discomfort. Which just further fueled the constant nonstop chatters of love goddess.
This all mess was starting to grate on Athena's nerve. Still, she ignored. Or tried her best to ignore. Because, again, that was just first part of their problem list. Other problems were more peachy to say the least.
Like: the GCPD.
"Atty, you said there would be no Police!" Sappho exclaimed.
Shouting like a madwoman, Sappho was stuck in her seat. And the seat belt was constantly digging on her ample bosom, which just flamed the Sappho's ire. She was ready to snap the seat belt to pieces, when Athena drove the car with murderous speed around another road curve.
"Mother Gaea, Atty! Drive slowly!"
"I can hear you fine, Aphrodite, stop shouting." Athena snapped. Her fingers almost broke the steering wheel with her inhuman force. "And I can't slow down until our humbling friends keep chasing us."
On the cue, Athena checked a glance at the rear.
There, three GCPD police cruisers were dogging them across the road with their flashing blue-red lights. Damn, she thought. GCPD was supposed to be an incompetent bunch of lazy bums.
However, what Athena didn't know was since every super-criminal of Gotham was locked behind Blackgate Jail. Or receiving meds in Arkham Asylum, the GCPD had gone more vigilant with smaller crimes.
"LOOK OUT!" Sappho shrilled.
SCREECH!
As their mustang scratched along another car, denting the paint-job, Athena pulled the mustang on the right track before any serious damage.
Mother Gaea, Sappho swore, she'd never sit in any carriage with Athena. Never ever.
"Come on, Aphrodite, open up the drawer."
"What?"
"Do it now, Sappho!"
How Athena wished she could throw some of her magic tricks right now. But she knew that would only expose her, and currently stealth was the way for this mission. Besides, handling these mortals was hardly a job for her worthy magic. She'd do it her way—the old way.
"Huh," Sappho frowned as she pulled out something from the drawer. "Is it what I'm thinking it is, Atty?"
Athena looked at the firearm in hands of love goddess. "Yeah."
"Umm, what was it doing in the drawer?"
Athena shrugged. "Don't care. Now shoot."
"Excuse me?" Sappho said as her brow crinkled with a bemused smile.
"Shoot at the car, Sappho."
"You're joking, right." Smiling, Sappho shook her head. "Give up, Atty. You don't have a sense of humor."
"I'm not joking, Aphrodite," Athena glared as gray eyes blazed in frustration. "Shoot at the car."
Silence.
"Sappho?" Athena looked at her silent partner, who was cradling the gun like a baby."C'mon, Sappho, don't just sit there. Help me, shoot at the car, we need a distraction here."
Still silence.
"Sappho?"
"You want me to shoot?"
"Yeah—" Athena tried to say—BAM!—the lead GCPD cruiser bumped into their mustang, gouging a big enough dent to ruin the sleek beauty of mustang.
Its owner is going to really cry, Athena smirked at the thought.
"Shoot now, Sappho!"
"How?"
"What?" Athena hissed through the clenched teeth as another GCPD cruiser howled and tried to crash at them. At last moment notice, Athena swirled the steering wheel and ground the accelerator to car's floor. And the police cruiser shot past them.
BAM!
But another cruiser slammed at the mustang's side instead.
"How will I shoot?"
"C'mon, Sappho," Athena sighed, before reciting. "Look for a safety catch and if it is there, remove, and pull the trigger. Absolutely simple, Sapph—"
BAM!
"It's just like throwing pikes or fencing, Sappho, nothing special." Athena pushed her partner, while the GCPD cruisers gained more ground on the road-battle. Three against one, not fare. She really needed Sappho to distract—
Bang!
The handgun in Sappho crackled louder than a common gun. And then, Athena had a real grin on her face as she watched the head GCPD cruiser first staggered to a stop and then stopped permanently, with black smoke belching out of it, and police officers running out of car.
"Brilliant, Sappho!"
"I…" Sappho tried to say.
"You're marvelous shooter, Sappho, knocked the car in just one shot," Athena smiled. "Good job."
"But, Atty…"
"No ifs and no buts. We still have a bat to catch." Athena smirked as she geared up the mustang.
For Sappho's case, she tried to tell Atty that she never fired the gun.
0o0o0o
Please keep him alive! Please keep him alive!
Diana chanted those words a thousand times to every Olympian deity that she knew of as she made three cups of steaming hot chocolates for her "guests". Yet, her stomach knotted in a twist for Bruce. And as ridiculous as it felt, Diana had never experienced such turbulence of heart for anyone.
Discarding her sandals, barefooted, Diana strained her ears beyond her powers to listen any clashing of swords or meaty thumps of injuries. Lest, she'd have to jump for saving Bruce.
Nah, it wasn't that Diana didn't trust Bruce or his communicating skills to handle a few talks with her mother. But what she knew about her royal mom, other could never know. And armed with that knowledge, Diana could never muster the courage to leave her mom with any man. Okay, perhaps, Kal could handle it, but Bruce…
Stop it, girl—she shook her head, tackling down the negative thoughts. She was an Amazon. War or love, an Amazon never back down from troubles.
At any rate, Diana held the plate of three chocolate cups, shut and opened her aqua eyes few times, and entered into the guest room.
Aquamarine eyes parsed every decoration on the walls. Thanks Hera! Her deities must have heard her prayers, Diana thought. Because as she scanned, she confirmed to herself—there was no male head decorating her living space.
"Mother?"
"You don't have to do all these chores, my sun and stars." Hippolyta said. Rising up, she smiled proudly as Diana passed the cup of steamy chocolate.
"This is not iced macho." Hippolyta frowned, bringing the cup closer to her eyes.
"It's hot chocolate, Mother." Diana pointed at sweet beverage. "No iced machos. I think I've run out of stock."
"Not surprised." Hippolyta remarked. But before sipping, she paused. Her eyes saw something floating in her chocolate. "What's that floating in the chocolate, Diana? Have you forgotten to filter it again?"
"Mother!" Diana turned red, remembering her first official cooking lesson with Hestia priestess.
When she was just a young lady, mind you, Diana had a great interest in doing miscellaneous chores.
Like, once she had rode her pony off the cliff of Mount Apollo, thinking her pony would start flying. After all, she really wanted a flying pony. Or sometimes, she spent her free time with Hestia worshippers, trying and cooking few things, just out of curiosity.
However, one day, Diana came before her mother, stomping her feet as usual, and insisted she wants to learn wine making.
To Hippolyta's defense, as a good mother she was, she tried to put good words in her daughter's ears that wine making was a delicate process handled only by best Hestia and Dionysus priestess. But naturally, Diana was too stubborn.
So, after two months of rigorous training and according to traditions of Royal Dionysus Fest, Diana served the first wine glass for her mother. And as good as her mother's memory was, Hippolyta never forget the taste of unfiltered wine.
"They're marshmallows, mother. It's custom way of serving hot chocolate."
"Marshmallows?" Hippolyta scowled. "Are they grown in marsh?". Her eyes prodded the chocolate with mistrust. "Why does someone mixes marsh herbs in this sweet beverage, Diana?"
"Mother," Diana sighed in exasperation, "they're not grown in marsh. And they're not marsh herbs either."
Hippolyta raised a brow in question, prompting Diana to continue.
"I don't know why they call them marshmallows." She shrugged, scanning the room again.
"He's outside with his small device." Hippolyta answered the silent question. When Diana attempted to clarify her meaning, her mother's hand hooted up. "We'll talk about your preference of men companionship later, Diana. I'm here for other urgent work."
"Any problems, mother?" Diana asked.
Guilt settled like a stone in depth of her heart as she revised she hadn't visited her home for a long time. Busy JL schedule, loads of embassy paperwork, and a bunch of annoying villains who like to turn people into pigs, yeah, Diana had a lot on her plate lately to keep her busy. Still, somewhere in the midst of all this daily chaos, she held Bruce as a major distraction.
"Not that way urgent, my suns and stars. It's about autumn's festival. You know, we're having Hunt fest for Goddess Artemis every year by this time. You should participate too."
"Mother, you know why I cannot come." Diana sighed. She hated this part of her life. "There are too many delegations meet lined up, and I cannot reschedule them all. Themyscira reputation will be tainted if I pull back."
"Diana," Her mother nodded in an understanding. "I know. I tried to attest that fact to council. But your sisters haven't seen you in a long time, my sun and stars. Your absence put fear in the council that other sisters will get a wrong message. And after Aresia's betrayal such incident could make things…jittery."
"Mother! You told me—"
"You don't have to worry about anything, my sun and stars. Gods will take care of the doubts in our mind." Her mother said. "So, will you be coming?"
"I'm not sure, Mother."
"Well, I can help the situation if Queen Hippolyta accepts my offer."
Unannounced, Bruce Wayne entered the room with his suit hanging on one shoulder and face masked in same flappy, boyish smile that was always graced the front page of top Bachelors Magazines. "I've a repo with UN influentially people and I can do something with UN meetings."
"Offer?" Puzzled, Diana stared between Bruce and her mother. "What offer?"
"You're taking advantage of situation, Mr. Wayne." The remark of her mother spurted a smirk on her beau's face as if he was expecting the comment.
"No, your highness, I'm taking an opportunity which came to me on a silver platter." Bruce said, flicking his gaze to Diana. "Isn't it that what diplomats do? Make peace and deals at the right time."
"Mother, what's the deal?" Diana asked, finding hard of what was happening around her.
"Your friend wants me as his date on an inauguration function."
"It's a new orphanage inauguration, your highness. I asked you, since Diana's schedule for the day is packed. Isn't it, Diana?"
"It is." Diana replied, trying to remember when she told him about her schedule. Spying Bat. He must have spied on my schedule notes.
"So what you think of my proposal now, your highness?" Bruce prompted. "Diana would be able to attend this festive occasion on Themyscira if you agree with my deal. I assure you."
"You sound confident to me?"
"I am," Bruce said.
Hippolyta nodded. "I'll think about it."
"Great!" Bruce clapped his hands together. "You won't regret this deal, your highness. I vow to it."
0o0o0o
"Your eyes were wide, Princess." Bruce said smugly as Diana scoffed his remark with her own smile.
Outside her embassy apartment, both of them stood by the BMW as Bruce prepared for his "unexpected" departure since the surprise visit of Hippolyta.
"Please. I'm just surprised Mother hasn't chopped off your head and hung it like a prized hunt on the wall, Bruce."
"What have you expected, I'm going to start fighting with your mother?" Bruce asked. His face scowled as sapphire eyes detected the doubts in Diana's face.
"Princess, I'm a born corporate."
"Really?" Diana cocked both brows in exaggerating fashion. Curvy hips canted to a side, attracting a warm gaze to them. Again, Bruce felt the same tingling sensation shooting through his stone heart, while Diana continued.
"And what does that exactly mean, Mr. Corporate?"
"It means I can handle things more diplomatically than you—" Bruce slid his palm flat to her backside, exploring at Diana's impossibly tiny waist. "—or the Green Galactic officer ever can."
"Oh, really!"
"Absolutely."
"Then, would you care to enlighten me, Mr. Corporate, why the Batman is always punching criminals?" Diana challenged. She batted away Bruce's fingers, which just keep exploring on her waist.
"It saves time, Princess."
Diana stared at his answer, mouth opened and then shut as she tempted to slap her palm against her forehead. What was she expecting to ask such question from him?
"Hera! Bruce. Just to save time, you've sent almost every criminal to hospital for at least two or three months!"
"Keeps streets clean too, Princess."
"Perfect!" Diana muttered in sarcasm while Bruce's fingers danced at her waist, trudging along the fine line of her rumpled dress.
"I know I'm perfect." His calm arrogance tickled a wry smile on Diana's lips as she tried to push away his fingers.
By same tokens, a corner of Diana's heart couldn't believe what she was doing with this man. Not to mention she was doing all this beneath her mother's nose, like some Man's world teenager. Regardless, the mere thought of her mother catching her and Bruce, made Diana's heart flutter more with wild thoughts.
"Bruce, don't!" she warned as her corporate beau leaned on her. "Mother is waiting for me inside!"
"Hmm. I'm waiting here too, Princess." His voice had the same peppy touch of the playboy silky voice, and his continuous transition from cool-headed Bat to fizzling lover irritated Diana to another level.
"Bruce! Stop acting like playboy. And go home!"
"Are ordering me?" he almost sounded innocent.
"Yes, now go!"
"Whoa! Princess, you're not supposed to mishandle your date," Bruce gave his trademark smirk. "Even if I don't mind being mishandled by you, it's still wrong."
"I'm not mishandling you, Bruce." Diana glared.
"Who's holding me against the car then?"
When Diana looked around, she found—not so surprisingly—she was indeed in front of the BMW. And for her hands, they were indeed positioned on Bruce as if she was holding him against his will. Hera! When did I get in this position?
"Bruce!"
"Oh, don't shout so loudly on me, Diana! At least, not in front of others."
"Wh…" Diana frowned as she followed his gaze.
Turning around, she caught her redheaded mentor—Artemis staring at them. She must have come with mother, Diana thought. Phillphus would never allow her mother alone anywhere.
"She is doing everything! It's not my fault!" Behind her, Bruce Wayne's meek voice spoke as the redhead Amazon kept staring at them.
Then, Diana understood the reason for Bruce sudden shift to Playboy.
Artemis nodded to her princess in greeting, glancing at the portion where Diana still held Bruce's hand, and then shuffled away without uttering any words.
"You could've told me that she's behind me." Diana said.
"If I had time, I'd have, Princess." Bruce spoke and disengaged himself. "Now, if you excuse me, I've something to catch up."
"Diana?" But before Diana could utter any words, someone called behind her and Bruce paused in his track.
Diana waited as Artemis came up to her and handed over a card. "Artemis?"
"Few black dressed men came asking for you and gave this message." Artemis answered.
Diana watched the small piece of paper, read the visiting card of a local cake shop in New York city. A cake shop? Was it a joke, the question popped instantly in Diana's mind.
"A cake shop." Diana frowned, looking at Bruce who had his bat demeanor shrouded over. He extended his hand, took the visiting card, and read with an emotionless look on his face.
"You've bought any cakes or ordered any?"
"No," Diana replied with shake of her head. "A joke?"
"Unlikely." Bruce mused as sapphire eyes scanned the backside of card. There, two W's were elegantly calligraphed in gold shine. "Black dressed men. Gave a single card. And wrote two W's in gold. No, I think they want you to take it seriously."
"And?"
"And reply, just like you always do."
Diana nodded. "I should check it myself then."
0o0o0o
(Location: The cake shop)
The black SUV stopped in front of the cake shop, which seemed just another small business in the city. But what happened next could change anyone's perspective.
Four crisply black dressed men piled out, like a bunch of corporate or Wall Street's lawyers in three-piece suits with a black briefcase in everyone's hand. Pushing through the double door, they walked inside the shop. The leader among them nodded to the receptionist, an old bearded man, who stood behind the counter like an ancient sculpture of shop.
"Open the shop." The leader said to old man. And without further greeting, they walked into the kitchen.
With a non-audible sigh, the old man grasped his walking stick, trotted at leisure, and flipped the hanging sign on the double door to open. Then, he returned to his counter and busied into his work.
Inside the kitchen, the four men stood behind a blast door that wasn't in the design of old cake shop, or so its architect believed. But it wasn't an addition for sure. The leader, a well-muscled tall man with face as stout as a punching bag, stabbed a series of five-digit codes in the nearby keypad. And the heavy door swooshed open without any noise. And they walked inside.
As usual, the room was dark. They had never seen the room in full light, ever. Except the glowing reading lamp, where she sat hunched, busy with her writing.
The leader stopped in front of the desk, two simple, metallic chairs adorned the place, but he stood and waited. The woman behind the desk kept working without any acknowledgment of his presence.
Then.
"What happened?" she asked.
"We delivered the message to Wonder Woman," the leader said, while his fellow men merged into the shadow.
"She acknowledged?" she asked again, not pausing her writing.
"Another redhead Amazon took the message on her behalf."
"Sure, she was an Amazon?"
"Yes. Tall, confident, and beautiful," the leader paused, swallowing the dryness of his throat, "has silver bracelet on her wrists identical to Wonder Woman."
"Good." The woman replied. "Depart and assume your duty. Our guest will come soon. Prepare the warm welcome for them. We don't have much time left."
"Yes, Ma'am."
0o0o0o
A/n: I know I owe an explanation for my long disappearance, but in truth life is a serious mess. Recent month, my mom has been in an accident, and between hospital and real life, writing anything was far from my mind. Moreover, my mood was totally screwed.
Yeah, well, you got the hard truth. However, now things are easier and civilized—mom is recovering well—so I'll try to write again.
And thank you for all your feedback frnds, even if I couldn't reply to everyone you all have my thanks. Especially to my guest readers, who I can't thank through pm.
Until then frnds. Keep reading.