Author's Note: Yeah, I promised some shenanigans in the last chapter. Yeah, I failed to deliver. I'll try to do better.
Bruce sat on Diana's bed, gingerly rubbing his jaw. He'd sensed that Hippolyta had been holding back some of her strength in the name of fairness... But still, her shield had left quite a mark; the left side of his face had been bruised pretty badly, and was beginning to swell. Diana returned with a jar of some kind of powder. Bruce winced slightly as she began to rub it in.
"Hold still. I warned you about this."
Bruce tried to speak, but found that his jaw was held firmly in place by the swelling. He settled for a scowl instead.
"But what do I know? I've only known my mother for a five hundred years, after all. What do I know? All I can say is that you're lucky that she was holding her strength back, or you would have been a bloody pulp after the first blow."
Finally, he managed to speak. "I won, didn't I?" It sounded slightly comical, with his entire face bruised, and his jaw locked shut.
"If that's all that's important to you." She finished rubbing the powder across his face. "Alright, that should bring the swelling down a bit... But keep in mind, I'm no miracle worker."
Bruce could already feel the powder working; the throbbing pain began to dull, and he could feel the swelling going down around his jaw. With some difficulty, he opened his left eye, and ran his tongue around his mouth to check for any missing teeth. Fortunately, they were all still there. Finally, he continued to speak.
"As a matter of fact... Winning isn't all that's important to me. I needed to gain your mother's trust and respect. I think that she might have some answers for me."
Diana rolled her eyes. "Do you always have to have an ulterior motive for everything that you do?"
"Yes." He responded bluntly.
"Fine. But what 'answers' do you think that she has?"
"You said that she's thousands of years old, right?"
"Yes, just don't tell her I told you."
"I think that she might have some information about the threat that Ra's al Ghul warned about. I think that it may be connected to the monster from Paris."
"Not this again..."
"There's too much there for it to be a coincidence. During the autopsy, I found that that monster's anatomy was nearly identical to a standard Earthling reptile's. And Ra's al Ghul mentioned that the aliens that were arriving had been here before. There just has to be a connection."
"Of course! Would you like me to call up the Question so you guys can trade ideas?" Diana responded sarcastically.
Bruce shrugged. I just want to ask her a few questions. If anybody would have information about aliens visiting Earth in the past, it would be her."
"Bruce, I've known you for far too long to try and stop you... Just remember... She is my mother. Try not to come off as too crazy, alright? She gave him a kiss on his right cheek.
Bruce winked at her with his functioning eye. "You know me, Diana."
"I do. And that's why I'm worried."
The festivities that night were immense. The Amazons had prepared a huge fire pit. Once the sun set, they began to sing tribal songs and dance around it. The sight startled Bruce a little; he hadn't expected such a spectacle. Diana, however, immediately jumped in to join her sisters. Bruce shook his head, and moved on to find Hippolyta. He found her in the center of another circle of Amazons, seated behind a large harp. She stood to greet him when she saw him approach.
"Bruce, I'm glad to see that you're well." She said, examining the impressive bruise. "Most men wouldn't have had the courage to stand up after a blow of that caliber, even if they somehow managed to retain consciousness. But tell me... Why have you not joined in the festivities? Diana tells me that you enjoy nothing more than a fun time..."
"That's half true." He conceded. "But I put business first."
"Of course. But what business do you have right now?"
"I have some questions for you. Could we speak in private?"
"I would be delighted." She led him to the outskirts of the crowd of wildly dancing Amazons and looked at him expectantly. "So... How can I help you?"
"Diana tells me that you've been alive on Earth for centuries."
"If you want to be blunt about it."
"I was hoping that you could tell me if you've seen something like this before?" Batman produced a picture of the monster that he'd taken prior to the autopsy. Hippolyta took the picture, and examined it for a moment. She looked back at the crowd to make sure that Diana was still dancing with her sisters, and urgently pulled Bruce away.
"Follow me, and stay silent."
Batman did as he was instructed; she led him to a huge building not far from the Colosseum that he'd battled in earlier.
"This is our hall of records. It contains thousands of years worth of history. The content is limited, as I do not allow content from man's world to reach our shores, but I believe that you may find what you are looking for here." She led him inside; the walls were lined with books, scrolls, and even some pottery. She began to walk over to the left side of the room. She retrieved a relatively fresh looking scroll from it's place. She brought it back, and handed it to Bruce. He unfurled it with some apprehension.
The first thing he noticed was the picture that adorned it. It was just an etching, but it was clear enough. He could make out that it was some kind of horned lizard, and that it bore an incredible likeness to his own monster.
"The text reads-"
"I can read it." Batman interrupted.
Hippolyta raised an eye, intrigued. "You can read Greek texts? You truly are an enigma, Bruce Wayne. But... The matter at hand is most pressing. Creatures of that likeness have not been seen in centuries."
"Of course... You're saying that it was some kind of dragon?"
"Yes. Although... They seem to have changed slightly since I last saw them..."
"You saw them firsthand?"
"Indeed... A small group of them somehow made their way to our shores. However, the Gods were kind, and we managed to defeat them. But... They managed to wreak a considerable amount of damage on man's world. In the end, they were brought to extinction... Or so it seemed."
"Wait... You're saying that the monster that attacked me was a dragon?"
"Well what did you think it was?"
Bruce was caught a bit off guard; as a matter of fact, he hadn't even thought about what it really was; he'd just assumed that the concept would be completely unfamiliar to him. "Right... I've seen stranger things?"
"Yes... I'm sure that you have..." She said, looking over his costume. "But now is no time to worry. We have prepared a feast in order to properly welcome you into our family. And I'm sure that you'll find that there are other benefits... Come to think of it, you are the first prince of the Amazons... I never could have imagined it before."
Bruce smirked a bit to himself, thinking about how jealous the Flash would be if he'd heard that title.
"We shall begin the ritual after the festivities; you will be endowed with the strength of the Amazon warriors, and a greatly expanded lifespan."
Batman's eyes narrowed. "This sounds to good to be true."
"Rest assured, there will be no price to pay... At least for you."
"I don't like the sound of that."
"You see... By embracing man's world, Diana will have no choice but to surrender her immortality. A balance must be struck; she will lose a small portion of her strength, and you will gain some. She will lose a piece of her life, and yours will be extended."
Batman's eyes widened. "Does she know?"
"Yes. And she has chosen a life with you. I may not like it, but I must let her go her own way... But you are a good man. One of few. I only wish to see that she is happy, and with you, I can rest knowing that she will be. So please... Watch over my little sun and stars."
Batman nodded, a little stunned.
"Good... I just hope that you aren't as crazy as you look."
Batman shrugged. Personally, he wouldn't say that he was crazy, but sometimes he wondered. Hippolyta continued.
"So... What's this 'Baby' business that Diana's been telling me about?"
Bruce's face paled a little under his cowl. "It... It's complicated."
"I'm sure that you can explain it."
"...I'm not sure that that's a good idea..."
Author's Note: This one was a breeze. I would have had it up hours earlier, but it ended up being pretty long, and I had to work. But it happens. Now we're getting a taste of the new challenges that await the Justice League; but just a taste. I've got big things in store for you guys. Stay tuned for another chapter tonight (hopefully).