Chapter 15

Bruce frowned as he stared at the little red blinking dot as it continued to move through Gotham, his eyes locked on the path it was taking. He would've thought it would've stopped hours ago, but it was still moving.

He had been monitoring the movement of the brain wave equipment, hoping it would eventually stop and reveal where Luthor and the Joker were hiding out. Unfortunately since flipping on the tracker, it had been moving almost constantly, stopping for short periods of time only to begin moving again.

Studying the route it was taking, Bruce felt his anger rise as his fist slammed down on his desk. Cursing, he checked his suspicions only to prove that he was right.

"I take it whatever you just figured out, it's not good."

"No, it isn't," Bruce snapped, not even bothering to turn around to acknowledge Dick's sudden presence.

"Did you find out where the Joker took the equipment he stole from Arkam?" Disk asked as he came to stand behind his mentor, peering over his shoulder at the tracking program.

"Unless he's hijacked a city bus and is using it as his hidden base of operations, then the answer would be no," he angrily spat.

"City bus?" Dick replied, amused. "That's a new one. So I take it he found the tracer and sent you a wild chase."

"That would be about right," Bruce ground out, his mind racing with possibilities of where the Joker could've taken it.

"Have you heard from Wally yet?" he asked. "Do you know if he found anything out about Luthor?"

"Just that Luthor's gone underground for the time being," he informed him. "He's off the grid for now."

"That can't be good," he frowned.

"Definitely not," he grimly agreed. "It just confirms that Luthor is involved somehow in all of this."

"Where's Diana?" he asked. "She wasn't upstairs in the sun room."

Dick had finally decided to ask the real question he'd come down here for. He and Tim had been wondering how things were going for Bruce with Diana now living here, deciding to keep quiet for the time being and watch things unfold between the two superheroes. Unfortunately, little had taken place so far that they had been able to observe.

"In the training room," he flatly said, his attention still focused on the computer screen, switching off the tracking program.

Stunned, Dick couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "You actually let her out of the manor?" he exclaimed in surprise. "By the way you've been protecting her since she arrived, I thought it'd be another six months before you'd even let her down in the batcave to begin her training."

Bruce paused to shoot his charge a heated glare. "I'm not being overprotective," he shot back, more than annoyed. "I just want to make sure that she's fully healed so she doesn't get hurt again. She's been through more than enough already without anything else happening to her.

"Things are radically different for her now that she's no longer a Meta. She doesn't have her super powers or special healing abilities to depend on anymore."

"I agree," he nodded. "She's going to have to train and learn just like Tim and I had to. I just hope you don't coddle her too much just because you're in love with her."

"Love has nothing to do with it," he growled, angered by the insinuation. Allowing his love for her to get in the way of her training could cost Diana her life. "She has to learn. She has no other way to defend herself otherwise."

Dick couldn't help but smirk at the way Bruce had tensed up, his voice growing heated when he spoke about Diana. He'd never seen him quite like this, so completely in love. He swore that Bruce had even mellowed slightly in the last few weeks since she had been here.

"Do I get to help in her training?" Dick ventured, already knowing the answer to his question, but enjoyed goading his father-figure nonetheless.

"No, I'm doing it," he flatly said, his gruff voice leaving no room for argument.

Dick couldn't suppress the grin that continuously tugged at his lips. "Somehow I had a feeling you would," he replied, leaning an arm on the back of the Batman's chair.

"I'm not about to let Diana out there until I know with absolute certainty that she can take care of herself," he coolly stated, his jaw muscles clenched tightly. "It was no different with you or Tim."

"Except that you aren't in love with us," Dick chuckled.

Bruce turned to face him, his steely glare leveled at the young man. "Showing favoritism will only get her killed," he told him. "She will get the same training that you two got regardless of my relationship with her."

"I just hope she knows what she's in for," Dick shook his head. "You just might find yourself sleeping on the couch all alone."

"Diana understands what it means to train as a warrior," he reminded him. "She's still an Amazon with a warrior's spirit. She'll be fine and so will we…not that it's any of your business."

Amused, Dick crossed his arms over his chest as Bruce turned his attention back to his computer. "I hope you're right," he told him. "It's been nice having her here. You haven't been near as miserable as you usually are. I'd hate to see you screw things up with her."

"I don't plan on screwing anything up with Diana," he sneered, his gaze narrowing as he worked. "Don't you have something you're supposed to be doing, Dick, like trying to help me find the Joker?"

"Already on it, Bruce," he smirked before turning to leave.

Dick was more than happy that Bruce was giving him and Tim more to do now especially with this case. He knew it was only because Diana needed more of Bruce's time, but he didn't care. She had made living with the melancholy bat that much more bearable. For that, he'd do whatever it took to help keep her here.

Besides, he was just relieved to see Bruce actually letting someone into his heart and life. He had long feared that his mentor would end up old, bitter and alone with no one to love him or even care about him. He deserved so much more than a bleak future such as that especially with all the sacrifices that he'd made for the safety of everyone else over the years.

Sitting back in his chair, Bruce ground his teeth as he stared at the computer screen. He needed to get to the bottom of what the Joker and Luthor were up to and soon. They were amassing more and more technology while their purpose still remained a mystery...as well as their hide-out.

Checking his watch, he decided he better check on Diana. He had gotten her started on the treadmill, wanting to slowly rebuild her strength. It would be some time before they could truly engage in an actual training session like they used to spar on the Watchtower.

Making his way to the training room, Bruce couldn't help but think about what Dick had said. He was going to have to be very careful when it came to Diana's training. He couldn't let his feelings get in the way of what needed to be done. If he wasn't hard on her, she could wind up dead.

He'd never be able to live with himself if that happened…for more than just one reason.

Standing outside of the training room door, Bruce peered through the window, watching Diana as she slammed her taped fists into the large punching bag that hung from the ceiling. She winced at the impact, but gritted her teeth and attacked the bag again, not about to back down.

He was annoyed that she was doing more than he had told her to begin doing, wanting her to start out slow and take her time to work up to more complex exercises. At the same time, he felt his insides grow warm with desire for her, her stubbornness and fierce determination turning him on.

Her expression grew hard, her blue eyes flashing with a fire that burned from deep within her. It was that same spirit, that raw fierceness that had first caught his attention, captivating and mesmerizing him like only she could ever do.

Combined with her supreme beauty and grace, she was a deadly force to be reckoned with.

He watched as sweat began to form on her brow, trickling down her chest and disappearing into her tank top. He felt his pulse begin to race as she suddenly stopped to remove her top, leaving her dressed in nothing but her sports bra and shorts.

She again attacked the bag with a ferocity that never ceased to amaze him, jabbing and punching at it as if it was Cheetah she was taking on. He heard her gasp sharply as she paused to rub her newly healed wrist. He knew she was pushing herself too hard and would pay for it later, but he could hardly blame her after what she had already been through.

Besides, he really wasn't one to admonish her. He would no doubt be the exact same way. How many times had Alfred fixed him up only for him to turn right around and put his body through hell all over again?

Bruce's entire body immediately tensed as Diana raised her right leg to kick the bag, her left leg suddenly giving out on her. He fought against the overwhelming urge to go to her as she landed hard on the ground, shoving his hands into his pants pockets and forcing his feet to stay planted where he was.

He knew he couldn't run to her rescue every time now that she was back on her feet no matter how badly he wanted to. She'd only end up resenting him in the end if he did and he couldn't allow that to happen.

Besides, he didn't want to find out what it was like being on the bad side of a furious Amazon. He'd come too close to it over the years as it was. He wasn't about to push his luck now that he was finally sleeping in the same bed as her.

"Come on, Diana," he murmured, silently willing her to stand to her feet and try again, knowing deep down she would. It was just the kind of woman that she was, a fierce warrior who had managed to win his heart.

He watched as she slowly sat up, a Themyscirian curse on her lips that put a smirk on his. She got up on her feet, testing her weight on her left leg before trying the kick again only to have her leg give out on her once more.

Bruce clenched his fists even tighter, fighting the urge to go in there to help her, hating to see her in such obvious pain. He watched as Diana angrily slammed her fist into the mat before sitting up. She sat there for several long minutes, catching her breath and gathering her resolve. Picking up her tank top, Diana wiped the sweat from her face before slowly getting up onto her feet.

"That's my Princess," he proudly murmured.

Leaning forward, Diana closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against the punching bag as she fought back tears of anger and frustration. She was beyond furious with herself for not being able to do more and yet she knew she was expecting too much too soon.

She couldn't help it though. She had too much to lose now if she didn't.

The sudden feel of hands sliding around her waist pulled her from her thoughts, the feel of lips against her shoulder and warm breath against her skin causing her to internally shiver. She swallowed hard, biting her bottom lip, not wanting him to see her like this. She not only wanted to be strong for herself, but for him too.

"I thought I said to start on the treadmill," he gently scolded.

"I did, but I wanted to do more," she softly admitted.

"It's going to take time, Princess," he reminded her, his lips ghosting along her shoulder. "You're going to have to be patient."

"Amazons are not patient," she bit out before finally turning around to face him. "We were born to be warriors."

"You still are a warrior, Diana," he told her as he took her hand in his and carefully began to remove the tape she'd managed to apply by herself. "You just need to give yourself some time."

Diana sighed heavily as she watched him remove the tape from her wrists. She knew that he was right, but accepting it was something altogether different. She just wanted to get her life back, to finally begin to explore her relationship with Bruce.

She'd wanted this for so very long and now that he had finally admitted that he loved her, she feared he might take it all back at any given moment, suddenly grow tired of waiting for her to fully recover. How often over the years had they grown close only to have him suddenly pull away her?

Bruce finished removing the tape before lifting her chin and forcing her to look at him. "Why are you pushing yourself so hard?" he asked her, suspecting there was more to all this then just being a stubborn Amazon.

"I have to," she said, averting her eyes. "I don't know any other way."

"I know that, but I also know you, Diana," he patiently told her. "There's more driving you than just being determined. Something else is bothering you. I can see it in your eyes."

"It's nothing," she murmured as she attempted to walk past him only to be stopped by a firm hand on her arm.

"Diana, you can talk to me," he gently reminded her.

Diana looked down at his hand gripping her arm, her anger beginning to subside some. Her shoulders slumped a little as she finally lifted her eyes to meet his penetrating gaze, to stare into the eyes that seemed to know her inside and out, made her insides tremble with shameless desire.

"I know," she softly smiled. "I'm just trying to figure out how to deal with everything right now that's all."

"You're not alone," he told her, brushing back a stray lock of hair that had come loose from her ponytail. "I'll be here to help you every step of the way no matter what happens, whether you get your powers back or not."

"Will you?" she whispered.

Stunned, Bruce's brow furrowed with her question. "Will I what?"

"Never mind," she smiled with sad eyes before leaning in and kissing him softly. "I'm going to go take a shower."

Bruce watched her as she left the training room, his lips still tingling from her kiss. He frowned to himself, knowing that she was holding something more back, some inner fear or worry. He wanted to help her, to make her happy. He just wished she'd talk to him about whatever was upsetting her.

XXX

"I hope this works."

"Of course it'll work," the Joker snapped with a mischeivious grin and a glint of madness that always resided there in his eyes. "Your plan is brilliant. Are you having doubts now?"

"No," Luthor frowned, his arms folded against his chest. "We finally have the perfect weapon to take down the trinity. I just don't want anything to go wrong now."

"You worry too much, Lexie boy," Joker cackled. "Relax and enjoy the ride."

Luthor appraised him for a long moment, wishing he hadn't had to bring the unstable fool into his plans, but unfortunately, it had been necessary in order to obtain everything that he needed for his plan to work.

Not many knew Gotham the way that the Joker did. Besides, going in there and stealing what he needed would've only drawn the psychotic villain's attention anyway, causing more headaches in the end.

He was going to have to find a way to get rid of him sooner or later.

"I'll relax when the trinity is finally under our control," Luthor scowled.

"And how do you plan on getting all three here?" Joker asked. "Wonder Woman has been MIA for weeks. No one seems to know where she is."

"The official report is that she's off world on some plant on a diplomatic mission of peace," he informed him. "Rumor has it, though; she was severely injured in that alien attack that took place weeks ago."

"That can't be true," Joker shot back with a roll of his eyes. "She should've been back by now if she was injured. She heals like Supes does."

"Something else must have happened to her," Luthor replied, stroking his chin deep in thought. "We'll need to track her down if our plan is going to work."

"How soon before we can begin the process?"

"Not for a few more weeks," Luthor said. "I'm still waiting on some shipments to come in from Africa. We'll need more of the plant extracts to combine with the drug you stole from Wayne Pharmaceuticals."

"Well then let's just go there and get it ourselves," Joker huffed.

"Patience, Joker," Luthor cautioned him, surveying the room being built for their special guests. "We need to take our time and do this right. I'm not about to let a golden opportunity like this to slip through our fingers.

"Besides, I'm still waiting on a couple other things to arrive that we'll need before we can begin."

"Well, it can't happen soon enough," the Joker grinned. "Once the Bat is out of my hair, Gotham will be all mine."

"And the Justice League will be no more," Luthor reminded him, his dark eyes gleaming with the thought. "Once we remove the head, the rest will crumble. You can have much more than just Gotham, my jovial friend."

Joker cackled hysterically with the thought making the fine hairs on the back of Luthor's neck to stand on end as the clown rubbed his hands together in eager anticipation. "And we'll be famous for having brought down the trinity as well as the Justice League," he pointed out. "We'll go down in history."

Luthor drew a deep exasperated breath as he turned to leave. The Joker was already getting on his nerves and there was still so much that had to be done before their plan could be set into motion. They would have to find Wonder Woman if their plan was going to work.

She was the key to his plans of bringing down the other two superheroes. And if things went well, maybe he'd just keep the Amazon for himself.