DISCLAIMERS/NOTES

1. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.

2. My continuity branches off after the end of Season 1. So the last episode to occur was the two-part "The Savage Time". No Season 2. No JL Unlimited.

PART 6

The elevator doors opened and Diana, Superman and J'onn stepped into the sub-basement. "It's on the other side, on that far wall," Diana said, then led her teammates to the secret passageway that she and Batman had found the night before.

"Hang on," Diana said, then pushed against the wall plating and, like before, it rolled in and the secret corridor was revealed. Diana stepped through the opening, Superman and J'onn following close behind. They walked down the corridor and arrived at the locked door that needed password clearance for entry.

"Remember what I told you," said Diana, "the door is electrified. We'll have to find some way to get in, without activating the security drones."

"I can get in," said J'onn as he phased his body. He walked through the wall at the side of the door and disappeared.

Superman activated his ear communicator. "J'onn, do you copy?"

A moment of silence passed, before a loud slam could be heard on the other side of the wall. Then the sound of a heavy lock turning occurred, before the doorway slowly opened. J'onn stood in the doorway. "Apparently you don't need a password to get OUT of this room."

Diana and Superman entered the secret room and looked around. There was machinery everywhere, and Diana knew this was what Batman was after. The machines looked incredibly hightech, almost otherworldly.

The three walked around the lab, investigating each item. "This alone could have put Luthor away for years," Superman commentated. "Look at this stuff: weapons, lasers, armour, acids. Also, everything boxed or packaged are in lead containers. Obviously, if I ever found this place, Luthor didn't want me to know what was here."

"We should be careful," said J'onn. "If everything here is hidden in lead containers, there could be kryptonite lying around somewhere, and we wouldn't know without opening things."

"Let's just find what Batman wanted and get out of here," Diana said. "I didn't waste all afternoon briefing you on this place just so you could sightsee."

Superman and J'onn stared at her. Diana immediately felt remorse. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to snap like that. I… guess I'm just worried about… the others."

Superman smiled. "It's OK, Diana. You're right. We should get what we came for and leave. And I'll call the authorities about this on the way back at the Watchtower."

Diana tried to relax, but she could not. All she could think about was Batman and how hurt he was. She wanted to be with him, to help him, but she was needed here. She had to be here in case trouble happened…

Not that she had been much help to Batman…

As she stared into thin air, she noticed a corner of a piece of paper peeking out from behind a filing cabinet. She walked over to it and pulled it out. As she looked at the paper, she smiled. "I think I've found something."

Superman and J'onn walked over to her. Diana's smile widened. "I think these are the blueprints for Luthor's armoured suit. There are schematics, defensive capabilities, material descriptions. Not very detailed, but I'm sure Batman could think of something with these papers."

"Good work, Diana," Superman said. "I think we should leave. We've got what we came for."

Diana's heart rose slightly. She wanted nothing more to get out of the building; it just kept reminding her of how she had failed to protect the man she loved, and that she was not with him now, helping him recuperate.

They left the secret lab and returned to the long corridor. As they walked back to the entranceway to the public sub-basement, Diana eyed the walls, waiting for them to spring open and for the defensive machines to appear.

They returned to the sub-basement and walked towards the elevator. Diana began to relax; they had done it. They had safely entered the secret lab, found what they needed and left, all without incident. She smiled. She looked forward to telling Batman how she had succeeded in getting what he needed.

As they entered the elevator, she thought about how impressed Batman would be. She watched as Superman pressed the elevator button. "We'll go to the ground floor, then just walk out," the Kryptonian said.

Suddenly, the elevator shot up, at an incredible speed. The three Leaguers were rocked as the inertia pulled them to the floor. Superman pressed repeatedly at the emergency stop button, but the elevator continued speeding up.

Once it reached the top floor, the elevator came to a sudden stop. Then, immediately, it sped down, even faster than before. As it fell down the three-hundred-plus floors, the elevator got faster and faster.

The three of them tried to smash their way out, but the elevator was specially strengthened. "Luthor must have prepared this especially for me!" Superman shouted over the noise of the moving elevator.

"But not against me," J'onn stated, and he again phased his body. He then flew up and slipped through the roof of the elevator. After a few seconds, the elevator began to slow down. After a few tense moments, the elevator slowed down gradually, until it stopped.

As Superman and Diana regained their breaths, J'onn phased back into the elevator, looking a bit weak. "What did you do?" asked Diana.

"I broke off the cables supporting the elevator and pulled them as hard as I could. I believe I only just did it. I think we're on the first floor."

"Well done, J'onn," Superman said. "OK, let's get out of here before anything else happens."

They prised the elevator doors open and stepped onto the first floor. They then left the building altogether through a window and, as they flew back to the Watchtower, Diana could not wait to see Batman again. She needed to know that he was alright while they were gone.

They could not get back to the Watchtower quick enough.

/

Batman studied the paperwork infront of him intently, covering every detail. They were the blueprints Diana, Superman and J'onn had brought him from LexCorp. He composed every word to memory and, as he did so, began formulating a plan.

After two hours of studying the schematics, he decided he had a good enough plan to combat the Injustice Gang, and left the room he was working in. He walked through the Watchtower eventually reaching the gymnasium. He decided to get back in shape and lift some weights.

He wondered if it was wise to do so; his shoulder was still far from healed. But he had to do something. He had felt like an invalid all day; cooped up in the medbay. He needed to unwind – and weight training always helped him to do so.

Batman entered the gym and walked over to the weights. They were all neatly stacked away on their rack. Unlike his teammates, he always put away his equipment once he was finished.

He thought about which weight to begin with. Usually he would begin with one of the heaviest, but he decided to start with a fairly lightweight one and also to begin with just one arm. He picked up a five-pound weight in his right hand and began lifting it, then lowering it, then lifting it again. He continued to do so for over an hour, going a pound heavier every few minutes.

During the training, Batman's thoughts turned back to Diana. He tried to think about other things, but it was no use: he could not help thinking about her. She had been so happy in bringing him the paperwork he needed, and he WAS impressed. But he was also angry at her going to unnecessary risk. After what happened the night before, he did not like the thought of her returning there, even if she was accompanied by a Kryptonian and a Martian.

He remembered what she had said earlier that day, how she felt responsible for his injury. He hated the idea of her thinking that. He knew what he was doing; for him, it was no risk at all. He would gladly sacrifice himself for Diana without a second thought. The idea of her coming to harm made his heart ache.

He wondered what would happen if Diana knew how he felt about her. She would probably be repulsed; he knew she did not hate him, but he always tried to keep the persona of a cold, unfeeling person. If he confessed his love for her, how would she react? Would she be scared, or would she just brush him off? She probably thought of him as "just a man", and therefore below her notice in anything other than a working relationship. He would only be embarrassed.

Eventually, he decided to try lifting weights with his left hand. He picked up a five-pound weight… and immediately felt a jolt of pain in his shoulder. He grimaced as he felt the weight pull down on the injured muscles, and sighed at the pain. Determined, he kept hold of the weight and tried to lift it. He raised it a couple of inches and the pain increased. But he refused to give in. Grinding his teeth, he raised his left arm higher and higher, until the weight was at shoulder length.

Batman tried to lower the weight slowly, but failed and lowered his left arm faster that he wanted, the sudden yank pulling his muscles evenmore. He closed his eyes at the pain, but he decided to continue. He was going to do this. He WAS going to do this.

He repeated the lifting, but the pain got worse and worse. His face creased as the weight came higher and higher, until it was again at shoulder height. He then tried rising it even further, and pushed the weight up with all his strength.

The weight was about two inches over his head, when it became too much. A sudden stab of intense pain went through his shoulder and he screamed out. "ARRRRRRGH!" He then let go of the weight, and it dropped onto the floor with a thud. His knees went out from under him and he collapsed onto the ground in a heap.

He tried to slow his breathing as the pain continued, and closed his eyes.

He felt like a fool.

A totally useless fool.

/

"BATMAN!"

Diana froze at the doorway. There, a few yards away from her, lay the man she loved, on the floor. Unmoving. She stood still at the doorway, unable to accept what she saw. But it was happening – he was lying on the ground, not moving a muscle.

She ran into the gymnasium, her eyes watering up. "Batman!" She reached his side and knelt down next to him. She was unsure what to do – she did not want to move him, incase she hurt him even more. But she had to do something.

"Diana…" The name was spoken in nothing more than a whisper, and it sounded pained. She looked at Batman's face and saw him raise his head. His face was creased in pain; she ached every time he flinched.

"Oh, Batman…" she said, "What happened?"

He was silent, and appeared abit embarrassed. Eventually he replied, "I guess… I did too much… too soon." He looked at the weight that had rolled infront of him when he dropped it, Diana following his gaze.

She sighed. "J'onn said you shouldn't overexert yourself. It will be a few weeks before you're up to full strength."

"I can't wait that long, Diana," Batman said gruffly. "Will you help me up?"

She held him steady as Batman slowly rose to his feet. She then led him to a bench and they both sat down. Diana watched as the Dark Knight calmed his breathing; his fall, coupled with the pain of his shoulder, had obviously knocked the wind out of him.

"You shouldn't push yourself," she said. "Please, just relax. Take your time."

Batman kept his gaze away from her. Eventually he said, "Will you pass me the weight, please?"

Diana blinked. Surely he did not want to continue training… "I'm not sure you…"

"Diana, will you pass me the weight, please?"

She stared at him, then slowly stood up and went over to the weight. She picked it up and went back to the bench. Maybe he just wanted to put it away…

Batman reached out with his left hand to take the weight, and he flinched again. Diana instead put the weight in his right hand. However, by the time she sat down again, she noticed he had quickly passed it to his left hand.

She watched as he gripped the weight firmly, then began lifting it slowly. His face creased and he gritted his teeth. As he raised the weight higher and higher, his face became more pained.

Diana could not take anymore. "Give me that!" she snapped, and snatched the weight from his hand. She then threw it onto the ground. "Great Hera, Batman, why do you have to be so stubborn?"

He looked at her. "I'm not stubborn. I just have to be in the best shape I can be in. I have to be."

Diana's emotions got the better of her and her head sunk, her hair falling down her face. She let out a sob. Batman looked dumbfounded. "Diana…?"

She was silent for a few moments, then slowly said, "Batman… don't you have any idea how it hurts me to see you like this?"

He stared at her. "W…what? What… do you mean?"

Diana did not know how she could say it. But she could not hide her feelings anymore. Her emotions had finally risen up and burst out. She was unable to stop the tears anymore.

She lifted her head and stared at him, tears running down her face. Batman's own expression was one of total shock; he evidently was not expecting this.

Diana did not know what had come over her, but she could not fight it anymore.

Slowly, she moved her head closer and closer to him, and gently, delicately, brushed her lips against his.

She kept the contact for a few seconds, pushing ever so slightly against his mouth. Then she removed her lips from his, and looked at him.

His face was completely confused; his eyes were glazed, his mouth open. He was completely dumbstruck.

Diana closed her eyes. She lowered her head, feeling like a complete fool.

But then she felt something brush against her chin. She opened her eyes as Batman lifted her head back up. He stared into her eyes… and smiled.

They moved their heads closer to eachother again… and kissed passionately. Batman moved his hand to her cheek, caressing it. Diana placed her hand on his chest, moving closer to him. Their lips pressed deeply together. They had completely lost themselves in the moment.

The kiss lasted ten seconds, ending when Batman suddenly broke it. He looked down, and Diana tried to catch her breath. She was exhilarated and confused at the same time. She had finally shown her feelings, and he had returned them. But why had he stopped it?

She looked at him, confused. Batman was looking down, his eyes closed.

"No."

Diana blinked. Still catching her breath, she breathed, "What?"

He shook his head, still looking down. "No."

He stood up and slowly walked away. Diana just stared back at him.

As he neared the entranceway, Diana had tears pouring down her face. "Batman… please…"

He stopped at the doorway for a second… then continued and left the room.

Diana stood up, but immediately, weakly fell to her knees. "Please…" she whispered. "I love you… I need you…"

She buried her face in her hands and cried uncontrollably.

"I love you…"

TO BE CONTINUED