Disclaimer

The characters used in this story are the property of DC Comics and Warner bros. I have used them in this story which is entirely a product of my own imagination.

Chap 30

Clarke turned to Bruce, who, to his surprise, was still in the state of shock. Clarke didn't know if it was the fact that he was wrong, or the fact that Diana could kill a man that caused the shock. Beads of perspiration appeared on his forehead despite the snowfall outside.

"Are you all right, Bruce?" Clarke held his arm and shook him.

"Wha…yes! Yes I am fine!" Bruce said, shaking his head back to senses.

"Do you still have any doubt?" he frowned.

"Dick! Did you see Diana kill him?" Bruce asked, with a twinge of desperation in his voice.

"No, I didn't. By the time I reached there, it was all over!" Dick said.

"You sent him to guard Mark while I was here doing absolutely nothing! You know I could've done a better job!" Clarke protested.

"You would be too conspicuous, Clarke! If you were guarding Mark, the perpetrator would know!" Bruce said. He was frustrated by unwanted intrusion.

"Are you listening to yourself?" Clarke cried, "That just cost a man's life!"

"I know…I know…just….stop shouting!" Bruce said, closing his hears with his palms.

"That's it, Bruce! I don't care what you are thinking. I know who did it, and I know what to do about it! I am leaving, and this time, don't try to stop me."

Bruce did not try to stop him. Everything seemed blur to him, as Clarke changed into his working uniform and was off in the blink of an eye.

"Bruce!" Dick said soflty.

"Dick, do you know how long he'd been dead for?" Bruce asked.

"I think about two hours. May be we were too late!" he said, putting his hand on his shoulder.

Bruce gulped and sank into his chair.

-

In the watch tower

The scene was chaotic when Superman entered. Everyone had troubled faces, and most importantly, Diana was no where to be found.

"Superman, thank god!" Flash sighed out in relief and rushed to him.

"Flash! What's wrong?" Superman enquired.

"You won't believe what just happened! Mark Smith is dead!" he said. Meanwhile, the others came in too.

"I know about that! And I also know…"

"Diana gave herself up and surrendered to the police!" Hawk Girl said, concerned.

Superman stared at her for a while and then shook his head in disbelief, "What are you saying?"

"Sir down, we have a lot to discuss!" GL said, pulling a chair for him.

Within the next 20 minutes, the four of them summarized whatever they had gone through since he and Batman had left. Superman listened with patience.

"…and she said that she could not take the delay in our judiciary process and executed the punishment herself. She surrendered to the police just after the news broke." GL completed.

"Unbelievable!" Superman shook his head, "I have lost so much!"

"We were about to contact you and Batman." Flash said.

"Forget Batman! And as for Diana, I think she deserves this." Superman said.

"But…" Hawk girl began to say something.

"Do you know that she did not kill him?" Superman demanded.

"Well…" Hawk girl muttered.

"No, you don't!" Superman completed, "But I know that it was she. And I believe she has a subtler reason than the fact that Mark had killed her sister. In fact, I believe she had no sister named Lisa! I have done my bit of investigation, and as it turns out, the newspaper report was a hoax and there was no case ever registered."

The others were shocked by this revelation. For some time, no one spoke.

"So, we don't do anything…" Hawk Girl began in a low voice.

"No, we don't! She has to go through this herself, as dictated by the law." Superman said coldly.

-

The news of Mark's death and Wonder Woman's confession reached out like wild fire, and it wasn't a long time before Bruce came to know of everything. There were protests all over, against Diana, and Superman had announced publicly that the Justice League disowned her.

Bruce was stuck to his seat and flipping the channels. No channel seemed to spare Diana of the humiliation. He felt bad, although he didn't know if it was for her misfortune or for his own inability to understand his hunch that she was innocent.

"Master Bruce!" Alfred gasped. Bruce turned his head instinctively in his direction.

"You…you're crying!" Alfred gaped.

"Wha…" he turned off the television, and he could see the tears rolling down his eyes on the blank screen. He wiped them off immediately. It was strange, he was crying and he didn't know about it!

"Master Bruce, are you all right!" Alfred almost jumped to him, with concern.

"I'm fine Alfred! I don't know why this happened, I wasn't aware…" he realized that his voice was jarred too.

"I haven't seen you cry since…Well! I suggest you take an afternoon nap and cool your mind off. Some things are out of our control, Master Bruce! And not even the world's greatest detective can do anything about it!"

"It's ok, Alfred! I am fine! I will go on a cruise to cool my mind off!" Bruce said.

"Are you sure sir? I mean…will you drive?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, Alfred! I want to be alone, and out of this place. I will be fine and will be back soon!" he assured and before Alfred could say anything, he rushed out of the room without even bothering to take his coat.