As always all characters are fictional. Wyvern, Deus, & Reaver are my characters. All other characters/locations are copyright of DC Comics & their respective creators.

Of Choice & Consequences: The Wyvern Arrives Part IV

'Thisavros' The word repeated itself in his mind at increasing intervals over the past month, usually when Wyvern's mind was unoccupied. A small voice that he'd thought extinguished along with his previous home spoke after a prolonged absence.

'Mom used to call me that. The Greek lineage helped her with her model cover, but, I used to enjoy hearing her call me that.' The word was often associated with his many successes growing up & her pride in her son. He'd been surprised that his mind had wandered to such a degree, & he was having a hard time finding ways to take his mind off his eidetic memory recalling scenes from what felt like a previous life.

"CJ, are you down here?"

'Why is it that she always appears at such an inopportune moment.' His gaze fell onto the ruined training dummy he'd been practicing on.

"Miss Diana, are you quite certain I can't offer you some refreshments?" Alfred seemed to be trying to allow him to avoid what was coming, but, for some reason his body refused his orders.

"Oh sweetheart, another one? You're father's going to start making you pay for those soon." Alfred, apparently thinking Wyvern would be using the caves shower, was surprised to see him practicing hand-to-hand combat.

"I wasn't aware master Bruce had allowed you to use another dummy."

"I purchased this simulate on my own." Wyvern stated flatly.

"How'd you do that? Bruce would've told me if you'd gotten a job." Diana moved to hug him, but, Wyvern held up a hand to preclude her.

"My previous employment resulted in a substantial amount of financial reserves. I have brought those records along & was able to use them to transfer a necessary amount under an assumed identity to allow me to live independently." Wyvern tossed the now ruined training dummy onto the pile of the previous dozen he'd managed to destroy. As he settled under the bench press machine Diana spoke up.

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about." Diana sat in a portable chair that Alfred provided, the latter leaving to prepare lunch for them. "I know your father made his wishes know to you." Bruce had spoken with her earlier telling her about his talk with their son regarding his housing arrangements. "You know, if you want to get your own place we can."

"That is not required, I do not wish to be a burden to you, or to Batman."

"You're not a burden, you're our son. Yes, the circumstances are… awkward at best, but, we're glad to have you in our lives."

"In this world Batman & Wonder Woman have no offspring." Wyvern was starting with the same argument he always used, Bruce had told her to expect him to try & push them away. (She had a sneaking suspicion that Bruce had used this type of argument before.) Rather than say anything Diana reached out & pushed the locking button, freezing the pneumatically powered weightlifting machine in place. Though she knew he could break the lock, Diana was pleased when Wyvern simply sat up & grabbed a previously placed towel.

"Funny you should mention that, I know Bruce is stronger than most mortal men, but, only my child could pull that off." She smiled as she pointed at the digital readout of the weight being pressed down: one point five tons. Diana knew she could curl that one handed as a warm-up. "You've inherited my strength."

"No," Wyvern spoke up as he walked towards the cooler section of the cave that housed the computer servers. "The strength of which you speak would have been bestowed upon your daughter, who would be seen as your rightful heir. That I was not."

"What do you mean?"

"I am no Amazon, I was not even acknowledged as an individual until I was sixteen."

"What happened?" "The details are not important. If you will excuse me." As he turned to leave Diana grabbed his trailing arm, despite being slick with sweat she held on, careful not to squeeze too hard. "Why are you doing this? You spend nearly a month down here on that computer, then you want to leave all of a sudden." As he pulled his arm from her grip she stood in front of him barring his departure. "Thisavros, please."

"Do not call me that!" Diana was surprised that his words left his mouth in a low growl. "My mother called me that when I was young, however, she is dead. I do not need this interfering with my mission!" Rather than be angered she gently placed her hand on his cheek.

"Do you feel that?" He couldn't even look her in he eyes, giving Diana all the answer she needed. "I'm not dead, I know my own flesh & blood, a part of my very soul, when I touch it. You ARE my son."

"Lunch is prepared, though it's my strongest suggestion, young master Christian, that you take a shower before eating. Your mother wishes to join you for lunch & etiquette would call for you not to smell like a cheap gymnasium." Luckily Alfred's arrival had spared Wyvern from having to continue the conversation.

As she waited in the kitchen Alfred noticed her mood. "I must say it's rather nice to see you around the manor more often miss Diana."

"I just wish CJ wasn't so Hades bent on leaving."

"Yes, though he wont mention it, I believe master Bruce sees a great deal of himself in his son."

"Well, in Bruce's defense I can be pretty stubborn too, CJ comes by that honestly."

"Yes, I heard his speaking with miss Kara about how, aside from very few cosmetic differences, this is almost exactly like his old world."

"What differences?"

"Only a few names from the Justice League databases that he was unfamiliar with. According to miss Kara only about a week & a half was used to catch him up on our current world goings on."

"How long did it take for Bruce to find out?"

"He knew the lad has a good memory, he used a few subtle tests to find out that young master Christian has an eidetic memory. That surely comes in handy with his chosen line of work." At that comment Diana's mood seemed to darken.

"Miss Diana, are you alright?"

"I told Bruce about his original mission."

"Ah yes, returning 'from whence he came' I think it was?"

"Yes, I tried to tell him that he could start again here, but, he said the only reason he'd stay is because he can't reopen the portal that brought him here."

"At this point I think that would be impossible miss Diana. I rather doubt that universe is still there."

"It worries me Alfred."

"What does?"

"When he first told me about that all those weeks ago I did the only thing I could think of. I just hugged him." Alfred smiled as the light that seemed to shine in Diana's eyes as she spoke. "I just held my son & for the first time in a long time, I think, he finally let go of his anger & self loathing."

"Then what have you to fear?"

"Lately every time I try to comfort him when he get angry, he stops me. He wont even let me hug him any more. It's like he doesn't want to let go of his hatred for Reaver, that scares me."

"Have you spoken with?"

"Yes, Bruce is worried too. He says CJ has inherited that obsessive part of his personality, the one that always puts 'The Mission' first, but, Bruce seems to be becoming less narrow minded about his pursuit of it. CJ is so intent on Reaver it's honestly scaring me. He's got Amazon blood in him Alfred, I'm afraid of what he'll do if he catches Reaver."

"I don't think that will become an issue miss Diana." As she turned to face him Alfred smiled. "He'll soon realize that his parents will ever be there to help him." Diana had heard much the same thing from Bruce, & she took no small amount of solace in that fact.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes until Diana rose & stretched.

"I must say master Christian is taking his time with that shower."

"I'm going to make sure everything's all right." Diana felt the need to make sure her son was still there, something felt wrong about CJ's prolonged absence. As she made her way to his chambers she was already thinking of having a brief talk with him before lunch, then continuing with it afterwards. As she thought of how she would broach the planned talks she noticed something was amiss. As she approached the door she didn't hear the shower running.

"CJ, is everything okay?" She hoped he'd just fallen asleep by accident, the silence was disconcerting.

"CJ, I'm coming in." As she opened the door the first thing that drew her attention was the open window.

"Hera, no." The bed was made & the door to the closet was open. she checked the adjoining rooms, there wasn't even a note.

"No, no… AFLRED!" The commotion of her searching the rooms had alerted him even before he heard Diana's cry.

"Miss Diana, what ever is."

"He's gone!" she cut him off tears welling up in her eyes, "CJ left the manor!"