Disclaimer
DC Comics and Warner Bros. own the characters used in this story. But the story is entirely a product of my imagination
Chap 34
She flinched at the sudden change in expression.
"I came here to warn you not to go till there." she said in a solemn tone, "I did want to kill you before, but I don't want to do it now."
Bruce breathed out slowly. Clearly he was off the hook, but that was not what he wanted.
"May I know why?" he turned around on the bench to face her.
She threw a sharp glance at him. "It doesn't matter." she said.
"Well it does to me." Bruce said as he rose, "I must understand why someone who is a complete stranger to me, wanted to kill me, made an attempt on my life before and doesn't want to kill me now. What can cause such a sudden change in one's mind?"
She grunted her teeth. "I don't have to give you the reason."
"Oh, but you do have to! You see, here on this world, we don't take being killed without reason very easily. So, I must request you to divulge the reason," he paused and looked at her for a while, "behind you killing Mark, and wanting to kill me, and not killing me."
Bruce could feel his breath caught in his throat as he completed. He was coming extempore, for this was not anticipated. He had to detain her now, somehow. But again, if she were to strike, he would be helpless.
"You've certainly got nerve, talking to me like that!" she smiled deviously, "What gives you the confidence?"
"The fact that I am on the right side of the law." he said. That sounded cliché even to him. But he could not help.
"I don't have time for this. I just came here to tell you that you can now sleep peacefully, for there is no harm to be conferred on you from my side." she turned to leave.
Bruce could not let her go. But he had no physical strength to stop her. He had to say something.
"Is it because you think that Diana likes me?" he said, an involuntarily took a step forward.
She turned around swiftly, her eyes red. Bruce tried not to flinch. He was not to give up now. He had to face the eventuality.
He waited for her to speak, but she did not. She did not move. She did not shift her eyes off Bruce either. He had succeeded in stopping her.
But the silence wouldn't last long. Bruce knew that he had to act quickly to not lose this vantage.
"Is it because you think that Diana loves me?" he repeated, changing a word to add emphasis, "Is it so?"
She clenched her fists and cursed under her breath. Bruce frowned. There was silence again, unlike his expectation. Come fast, Diana!
"Did you love Mark?" he asked. This time he was sure he had hit the proper target.
"No! I didn't!" she cried, bringing her fist down on the bench. Bruce thanked his stars that he wasn't sitting on it at the moment, for the stone bench broke neatly into two.
He took a breath and continued, "Then why didn't you report as soon as you knew the truth? Why didn't you report even after he tried to kill his own mother? And why didn't you report after he tried to kill you?"
Bruce's voice echoed in the garden, and she desperately shut her ears, screaming, "No! I don't love him!"
"If you wanted to kill him, why did you have to threaten him? Why didn't you take Diana's help?" he continued, not perturbed by her shrieks.
"Bruce! Leave her alone!" came a voice from the thin air.