A/N: Thanks for reading. Reviews, comments and critics are most welcome. Apologies are in order for any spelling or grammar issues.

Small references to the Vegas Chapter from the JLU cartoons (not need to see it to understand the story). Minor OC.

Chapter 8 - The Plan

Diana and Bruce walked in silence to the safe location avoiding as much as they could the main streets, both physical and emotional drained from what happened at the warehouse. Once they arrived there he pressed a hidden button on his arm, ending the one piece grey suit illusion and exposing his Kevlar armour stained with blood and dust. As he tried to regain his stoic posture, he felt light-headed, and looking down the floor he could see how small red drops were drawing a strange patron on the floor, he was surprise to find out he was the source of the dripping blood, as usual he disregard the incident but then when he wanted to walk his vision started to blur. The last thing he saw was Diana's face and her azure eyes, she caught him before he hit the floor, at the same time Nightwing appeared from the shadows running to her aid.

- Get off me, I'm fine - He said recovering fast and blaming himself for the display of weakness.

- No, we need to get you to the infirmary - Diana said in a non-sense tone that admitted no reply. However he tried to disengage his arm from her, but was not use, he was weak, and she was really strong - Batman, don't be stubborn, we need you at your best, and now you are wounded - She said trying to convey his practical sense but it was her tender look that made him hesitate.

- Only if you get your wounds treated too, princess - He said and reluctantly walk to the infirmary.

Nightwing was surprise at the exchange " Wow, no major struggle to get him to the infirmary!... well maybe is because he has a beautiful woman nursing at him but since when he has been so affected by a woman looks? " They went to the infirmary and Nightwing attended their wounds with the help of Robin but he couldn't help to notice that Batman was following Diana's healing process very attentive. As soon as she was ready, he got off the medical bay, outside Flash and J'onn were already waiting.

- Let's see what you found – He said briskly to them and kept walking firmly in spite of the pain of his wounds to the centre of operations.

Once in there he analyzed the two jaded crystals of impeccable design that J'onn and Flash have found along with Nightwing and Robin. They were light yet very strong, the material was nothing like he had ever come across. However, the most amazing was that the crystals were a shell for a sophisticated mini computer, they were a part of some sort of mechanism, and went they looked as if they belong together but there is third piece that should give them energy. " Perhaps the Exobyte is that source, since these crystals have all the traits of fabrication of the positron lords".

- Do you recognize them? - Asked J'onn.

- No, but I have an idea of how they work. They deliver a series of instructions and are a powerful source when connected together. With a reversed mechanism you can either stop or control the weapons.

- How long will it take to reverse the mechanism?- Asked J'onn.

- At least another 14 hours.

- Is there anyway we can reduce time? The dimensional portal that connects our reality with this one is going to open again for 20 minutes in less than 8 hours, in the same location– Said J'onn again, in his dead pan voice but Batman could feel his worry.

- I can help, with my super speed I can cut the time –Said Flash with confidence.

- I don't think so. This is a precision job – Said Batman scolding him, really unsure of the abilities of the eager young man in red.

- C'mon Bats, you can give me some pointers, like that time in Vegas when we dismantled the bomb… -Flash's voice fade out at the end.

Diana looked at Wally with frustration for his recent remark, and although J'onn hadn't said a word and his face remained calm, he made a mental note of apprehension towards Flash.

- You are confusing me with someone else – Said Batman coldly, but his eyes behind the cowl shrink, Wally and Diana's reaction were obvious to him, they were distress and that could only mean they were hiding something .

Diana interjected trying to ease the odd situation, and deflected Bruce's attention from Wally's verbal slip.

- Batman perhaps it's better if we all help, I'm sure that under your direction we all can work as a team and find a way to speed up things.

Maybe because it was Diana's suggestion, Batman was more willing to accept, after a few moments in silence, he address them all.

- Ok, all will do exactly as I say.

Both Nightwing and Robin exchanged looks of surprise "Batman accepting help, from people he hardly know? I bet if I were to suggest the same he didn't even consider my proposal" Thought Dick, he knew something had change in Bruce, it was not obvious, nobody could see the difference but he could read between the lines in Batman's behaviour. Flash's voice got him out of his musings.

- All right, let's do this! –Said an over enthusiastic Wally clapping his hands, relief that his comments about Las Vegas went unnoticed.

J'onn could sense Diana was disturb and trying not to prey into her mind, he asked her:

- Diana, you have not told us... what did you find out in the third signal?

- We find the laboratory where the Phobos virus was created – She said with sadness, remembering the cryogenic creature that died trying to save her from the virus.

J'onn sensed it was painful memory for her, he wanted to comfort his friend but he couldn't elaborate more because Batman interjected.

- We found a cure for the virus - Batman said . All of them were taken aback, but as usual Wally was the one who voiced the main concerned.

- Whoa, that is incredible! Where is it?.

- Is in my blood –Batman said while Diana was looking at him, her eyes questioning him - I'm immune to the virus.

- OK, that's great I guess... but how are going to get a cure from your blood? – Said Flash, he knew it will take too much time to develop a vaccine and he couldn't understand why Batman was immune to the virus, after all it was very lethal and in his time the most brilliant scientist were unable to find a cure, even the Batman in his time, haven't found it.

- We have an advanced laboratory here, it will be enough to develop at least a beta for the vaccine, now let's get to work -

- Ok, follow me - Said Nightwing, they were running against time and he hated that.

As they all headed to the lab, Batman lingered behind so that Diana and him were the last ones to leave the room, once they are alone, he closed the door and stept in front of her just a few inches away from her face, he grabbed her wrist so determined to find out what she was hiding that he forgot she could easily break his arm if she wanted to .

- You have been hiding things from me, princess. There is another Batman in your time right? - He said in a menacing voice, she didn't even flitch yet Diana was shock by the revelation "How did he know?, of course always the detective, he makes his business to know" she sighed, she couldn't lie and didn't want to.

- Yes. There is another Batman in my world.

- And you did not believe it was necessary to bring this to my attention because...? - He drop his meaning voice, but he was hissing trying to content the cold anger that was boiling inside him.

- Because it could be dangerous, and it will pollute… –

He interrupted her, completing her sentence -…The continuation of time in this universe. I guess, the other Batman told you that? -

- Yes - The Batman in her time said that like it was a very important thing, but as usual he was cryptic and didn't elaborate more on it.

Batman felt betray by this woman he so illogical trusted, part of him wanted to leave her there and just walk away, but his legs didn't obey him, he was root to the ground and his hands were unwilling to let her go, she was so close to him he could smell her scent and he could see her sapphire eyes locked on him, it was hard for him to keep looking at her, he was experiencing so many emotions at once, anger; desire and "Love? No, It cannot be, I have just meet her" but deep down he knew that as irrational as it may seem, he was in love, a feeling he tried to avoid so hard for many years, and now as a destiny cruel joke, it was happening to him at the worst time ever, because in a few hours she will leave forever, maybe into the arms of another man, maybe even to the Batman in her time... a wave of jealousy hit him hard, so he asked:

- Is that Batman close to you? –

- Batman is an esteemed college, a valued friend -

- Does he really? or What else are you hiding from me princess? – There was venom in his voice, and he was holding her wrist so tidily that if it were not for her super strength he may actually have hurt her. She didn't answer immediately and that infuriated him further. His all world was upside down, his self-control was dangerously slipping out, when he heard her said his name:

- Bruce ...

That was all he needed, he didn't want to know, because the moment she said it, his unrequested love will be an awful reality, so he kissed her with anger just to silence her.

- Does he make you feel like this?- He said parting from her, while holding her strongly in his arms, so close that his leg inadvertently had brushed her lasso of truth all the time - I bet he don't, because...I.. love you – He said the last words with sadness, closing his eyes under the cowl.

Diana's heart was pounding hard, she wanted to tell him about her own feelings, about how she cared deeply for him both as Batman and Bruce, the undeniable truth that she loved him in this incarnation as well as in the other because for her his essence was the same, but no words came from her mouth, she merely managed to whisper:

- I love you too Bruce – As soon as she said those words, she felt lighter, as if a heavy weight had just lift from her chest, and she smiled.

This time when he heard her call his name, he felt so different; he wanted to see her with his own eyes, so he touched his Kevlar armour and retracted his cowl; and as he saw her blue eyes so tender and clam, his earlier anger washed away. Almost trembling he cupped her face on his hands and slowly kissed her again with a love, sweetness and passion he didn't know he had on him and for a moment nothing else matter, he was in a pure state of bliss. Carefully he pull away from her and leaned his forehead to hers smiling. He couldn't let her go, not even when the faint noise of footsteps approaching was near. At that moment, he made a mental promise "I'm going make the most of our time". He held Diana's hand and gentle kissed her palm, before letting her go, he pushed the buttons of his Kevlar armour and his cowl was on again.

- Are you coming? – Said Nightwing, from the frame of the door. He tried to hide an amused grin when they pass him " Oh, Bruce, you are so busted, yeah totally smitten by her, ja,ja". Then he realised "If this works, she will be gone" and then his heart sunk a little.

When they returned along with Nightwing, J'onn could sense something had changed. Now Diana and Batman shared stolen glances, secret smiles and touches when they thought nobody was watching, and indeed, for the non-telepaths nothing was going on, but for J'onn it was crystal clear: They were in love, and as happy as he was for his friend, he couldn't stop thinking this was a cruel illusion. He was about to shut his telepathic abilities when he pick up a loud thought from Diana that shocked him.

"Maybe there is a way for me to carry out this mission and stay…"

"My friend...You are planning to leave us?" Asked J'onn without caring for the polite rules he had set up for himself when contacting by telepathy to his friends.

Even though she was surprise for J'onn sudden interruption and question, she welcomed the intrusion since she could use his advice, "J'onn I was thinking I can do a lot of good here, you don't know how cruel this positron lords are, I can help the resistance and that will be a way to fulfill my mission of peace too".

"The resistance or Bruce?"

She didn't answer that, she didn't need to, after all J'onn could read her thoughts.

- "... Diana I'm not going to judge you, it's your decision my friend, but I must ask: What about your mother and your sisters?; What about the League?; Have you consider all? If you stay you may compromise our mission and even change this world's future and not for the best. Please remember that this Bruce is not the one you know, he may look like him, but he is a different person"- concluded J'onn.

- "J'onn, for me his essence it's the same and... I'm in love with him" – That was plain and simple the truth she had held for so long.

- "And he loves you too. I sensed that...My dear friend, I just want you to be happy, If this is what you want I will not interfiere...but I have to put all the questions on the table...If you still decide to stay... Just know that we are going to miss you dearly, all of us and you know that someone specially will not take this news well".

- "I know J'onn, but you have to understand...".

- "In this time you can be with him; here you are even his wife"

- "How did you know that? "

- "He changed, he was so guarded I couldn't read his mind, but now his emotions for you are very strong, and just a moment ago he thought of you as that"

- "I don't know what to do J'onn, it's difficult for me because I want to follow my heart"

- "I understand my friend. I'll be for you whatever you decide".

He severed their telepathic contact, somethings were better left unspoken.

Under Batman directions Flash, J'onn, Robin, Nightwing and Diana were engross in the works of ensemble the Canamera key. However he decided against any of them help him to develop the beta vaccine. He couldn't understand why he was immune to the Phobos virus, he had to think of the possibility that maybe the virus affected him in a different way, "was that the reason behind my love confession?". It hurt him to think about that, specially now when he could see her beautiful face through the window of the lab, he wished they had more time, but he had to make the must with the few minutes he could steal her away.

He was about to go to her, when the sound of a beep from the lab machine caught his attention, the result made him take a few steps back: It show a mutation on his genes, a very specific one, so specific that it couldn't be random, he curled his fist "the positron lords tampered with me, but when? I was already a child when I got in here, this mutation by design must be made during the gestation". It was difficult for him to breathe, just the idea that those machines could experiment with her mother made him mad. The only positive outcome of this discovery was that now he knew how the virus affected the humans, and how to develop a vaccine. He wrote down the protocols, and synthesize the beta vaccine, he was just finishing when Nightwing entered the lab.

- Batman, we are ready.

As he joined the others he heard Flash's voice.

- You have just finished the vaccine?. Wow, that's just perfect, we even have time to spare – Said Wally.

- Just one hour left. We are barely going to make it; we need to get to the same research centre where I found you, but now we will face a reinforced security - Said Batman.

- What is the plan? - Asked Diana.

- I'll ask Oracle to put a loop in the cameras for 40 seconds, that will be enough for Flash to go and open the second entrance of the research centre. Once we are inside, J'onn will secure the Canamera key while Diana will carry the vaccine. Flash will jam all rest of the cameras. I will create a diversion to make sure you can get on time into the transdimensional portal. Nightwing and Robin will be back as reinforcements.

- What kind of distraction are you planning to have?- Asked Diana.

- Something the positron lords are not expecting.

E/N: We are nearly at the end of this story. Love to read all your comments on this chapter.