Chapter 18

"The Dopple Gang?" Helena said, incredulous. Diana almost laughed over the facial expression her daughter made. Helena appeared larger than life on the viewscreen of the Batcomputer. She looked perfectly regal in her Amazonian armor, all dressed up for Maril's wedding. Diana felt bad that Helena felt the need to tear herself away from the wedding for a moment to help her with the situation in Gotham. However, from what Helena had told her about what was happening on Tamaran, it seemed like she was happy for the respite from everything.

"I always saw them as a bunch of pathetic losers playing as super villains in an attempt to get in my pants. Sorry if my language bothers you, Mom."

"Noted," Diana replied, disapprovingly. "They are definitely in the center of what's happening, whatever that is. The information one of their members gave us on the gang's activity appears to be checking out."

"Someone's using them," Helena interjected. "They could never do this on their own."

"Your father believes the same thing. He thinks someone big is pulling all the strings here."

"It could be mind control," Helena added.

"The Dopple Gang Catwoman didn't seem to be under any mind control either by spell or machine."

"Are you sure Mom?"

"Yes, I've seen people under mind control a lot. I know what it looks like." Diana did not like having her experience questioned by her daughter.

"Okay, so how do you plan on finding where the gangs are and what they're about to do?"

Diana was actually afraid to answer her daughter on this one. She knew Helena wouldn't be happy he was out in the line of danger. "Your father is out on the streets as Matches Malone. He's trying to get information from whatever old contacts might still be around."

The look of anger on Helena's face was exactly what Diana had expected. "You let him go out?" she said in a raised voice. "He's almost sixty years old, and he has no super powers. He's a sitting duck for anyone who realizes he's not on their side."

"You need to relax, Helena. He's just talking to some people now. It's mostly just bartenders who might have overheard their customers say something. He's not really putting himself in the line of fire."

"He's not now, but he will be. I know him. You're supposed to know him. After he gets a taste of the old life he is not going to give it up so quickly, especially when he feels his city is going to need him so badly. You're going to have to knock him out and tie him to a chair to keep him in the cave, at least for a little while until he frees himself from the chair."

"Your father will be safe tonight," Diana tried to assure her daughter. Diana knew everything Helena said was true. She had no idea how she was going to keep Bruce out of the thick of the fight. She hoped her daughter would believe the lie she had everything under control.

"And how are you going to make sure of that?" she asked as she crossed her arms. Helena glared at her. It was the same glare her father had mastered for interrogating criminals. Even through a viewscreen Diana thought it still had a lot of power.

Diana heard a noise behind her and turned to see Superman walking up to her. When he saw her talking to Helena he seemed to stop dead in his tracks, unwilling to interfere with the conversation. "I've asked for some help," Diana told her daughter. "I think between the two of us we can convince your father we can handle whatever happens tonight."

Helena smirked. Bruce always said she laughed, giggled, and smirked just like her mother, but Diana never saw the similarities. Diana saw Helena's eyes move off her and could tell she was looking behind her and at Superman. "That's probably going to be harder than you think. You don't know what he says about the two of you when you're not around."

"You might be surprised to learn we've probably heard it all. He says a lot of stuff to our faces," Superman informed Helena. "You look beautiful by the way. Give Maril my congratulations on her marriage."

Helena appeared flattered and embarrassed by the compliment Superman paid her. She smiled lightly, but worked to suppress a broader one. For a while she avoided eye contact with either Superman or her mother. "Thanks," she finally muttered.

"You're going to have to trust us on this one," Superman added. Helena made eye contact with them again. She still appeared skeptical, but Diana could detect a level of acceptance out of her.

"Okay, but get a bed ready in the Watchtower's medical ward for him."

"Sure do," Superman replied.

"I need to see how Maril's doing. I'll try and call you later. And please, keep Dad safe. I have some big news I want to share with you and him when I get back."

"Is it about you and Connor?" Diana blurted out, wanting to know. "Not really, but I do have some news about the two of us," she said in a hurry right before she broke the connection.

Diana let out a loud sigh. "Getting anything personal out of that girl is like. . .well, like getting anything personal out of her father."

Superman laughed heartily over Diana's joke. "All children have trouble telling things to their parents. She's no different in that regard. She's not as much like her father as you might think."

"I know you might not notice," she said with another sigh as she leaned on the console and looked back at him. "She's always especially friendly with you."

"I'm not her parent. She can open up to me," Clark reminded her.

"She's right about Bruce, though. Physically restraining him is the only way we are going to keep him in tonight. I knew I shouldn't have let him out today."

"There's nothing you could have done to stop him. This is what he does best. I know we've both had to deal with his hubris over the idea he knows so much more about the criminal underworld then us, but there is a degree of truth to it. He's out there collecting intel about tonight. When he comes back we'll have to convince him whatever information he brings is more than enough contribution towards saving Gotham. We're also going to need a point man tonight at the computer; hopefully he'll stay in if he believes he would be more valuable here."

"I hope you're right," Diana replied. "We might want to have some pipes ready to tie around him as a last resort, though."

The Tamaranean Royal Guard assigned to Helena made sure she made it to the Tamaranean National Cathedral without incident. She was led directly to Maril's room when she arrived. She found Maril sitting in a chair, staring at herself in the mirror.

Maril was wearing an extremely elegant white, traditional Earth wedding dress. She had declined her handmaidens attempts to put her in a skimpier dress that would have been more traditional from a Tamaranean standpoint. Since she was a little girl she had the dress she wanted to wear picked out, and it wasn't Tamaranean. It was just one more thing she insisted on to make up for the fact she wasn't exactly marrying her dream man, or so she thought.

Maril remained unmoved as Helena approached her. She appeared transfixed by her own reflection, but not in a narcissistic way. Helena wrapped her arms around her and gave her a hug, careful not to mess up her elaborately crafted hair.

"How are you doing?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Trying to think as little as I can about what is happening," she replied.

Helena stood up straight and started fixing the loose hairs on Maril's head. "I think you should make an effort to enjoy this," she told her friend.

Maril looked at Helena's image in the mirror. "Why do you say that?" she asked.

"This will be the only wedding you ever have. At least, it should be. Because of that fact alone you should do your best to try to make it a happy day. You've been dreaming of your wedding ever since you were a little girl. I know you think there is a lot about this marriage not to like, but who knows, maybe things will turn out a lot better than you thought."

"With my marriage?" Maril asked, not quite believing what Helena was saying.

"Yes, with your-" Helena was interrupted by Shayera walking into the room. Both girls turned to look at her as they were a bit taken aback by her entrance. She sank down and seemed apologetic as she walked towards them.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you guys, I can leave if-"

"No, stay," Maril told her. Helena glanced at her face in the mirror and could tell Maril was happy she had come. She knew the two of them would not quite admit it, but they very much had developed a mother-daughter relationship over the years. They had trouble admitting it because to do so would have been a painful reminder of how they were supposed to be family through Maril's marriage to Rex, which hadn't occurred before they thought he had died. Helena tried to suppress a smile thinking about how everything they wanted was about to happen for them.

"I'm so glad you made it," Maril exclaimed.

"I couldn't miss your wedding," the older woman said as she gave Maril a big hug. She let go, stood back, and looked over Maril.

"You look beautiful," Shayera added. "Just like I always imagined you would."

It said a lot about how far the two of them had come in putting Rex's death behind them that neither one broke down crying thinking about how Shayera had spent years imagining what Maril would look like for her marriage to Rex. "I know this wedding isn't exactly everything you wanted, but you should try and enjoy it," Shayera told Maril.

The girl looked over at Helena before she looked back at Shayera. "Helena told me the same thing. It seems to be a popular view."

"She told me, I should try and enjoy this as well. She told me one day I would be glad I did. Is there something you know that we don't?" she asked Helena.

"No, I'm just trying to make sure everyone enjoys the day." Helena hoped after they found out Rex was alive they would be too overjoyed to remember or care she had been less than truthful with them. She now understood why Rex was so scared of finally revealing himself to everyone after they had spent years believing he was dead.

The two women seemed pleased by her answer and didn't press her any more about why she was giving them the advice she was. "Helena's right, this day should still be special for you," Shayera said to Maril. "I'm glad I could come out and enjoy it with you."

Helena could tell the two were having a moment and thought it would be best to leave them alone. "I should go and make sure everything is running on schedule," she said to the two. Neither of them protested as she left.

"I'm glad to have you here. With my mother no longer around-" Maril became choked up as she thought about her recent loss. Shayera hugged her and stroked her back to try and comfort the girl.

"With all we've lost it's good we still have each other," Shayera said to Maril.

"I hope you'll still think of me as family," Maril said Shayera. "I know I'm going to need the support of a mother as I go through life. And I don't want my future children to be without a grandmother."

Shayera moved back and looked Maril in the eye. "I'll always be here for you," she told the girl as she wiped tears off her cheek.

"Thank you," Maril said as she looked at the clock on the wall. She took a deep breath. "Well, it's time."

Maril stood up and in silence the two of them walked out to the staging lobby of the cathedral. They found Helena talking to Dick about how her father was likely to put on the Batman suit once again for something major that was happening in Gotham.

"I should find a seat," Shayera said as she went through the open doors and into the Cathedral.

"Here you go," Helena said as she handed Maril her bouquet. She looked over at the ushers who were signaling the musicians. "It looks like I'm up." She kissed Maril on the cheek and whispered in her ear, "You're going to be fine."

Helena walked to the door, paused, and then started walking down the aisle. She proceeded slowly, looking around at all the people in attendance. She saw the League members clustered together in one of the middle aisles. Richie and Olivia were sitting in the front of course.

Rex was standing at the altar with the Head Bishop of Tamaran. He was once again wearing the full body armor she had seen him in when he first arrived on Tamaran. He was lucky Tamaranean tradition called for the wearing of military dress at weddings. Otherwise, he would have seemed out of place wearing all that armor.

Helena bowed to him as she had been instructed to do. She then took her place at the side of the altar. The music changed as Maril started walking down the aisle with her father. The robotic cameras that were broadcasting the wedding to the rest of Tamaran buzzed around the two of them.

As Maril approached, Helena got a good look at her face. She was smiling broadly for the cameras. To Helena, it didn't seem forced. Her father had a look of pride on his face. Helena wondered what the two of them said to each other before they came out.

While Rex looked at Maril as she walked up to the altar, she kept her gaze forward and at the Bishop. The two of them stood side by side while the Bishop began the ceremony. The two of them appeared emotionless to Helena as they faced each other and put their rings on each other. As requested by the two of them, the Bishop skipped the part where he was to tell Rex he could kiss the bride. He merely presented them as a wedded couple to the people gathered, who all cheered as the cameras buzzed around them capturing everything for their respective citizens to see.

Maril and Warhawk walked out of the Cathedral together. A spinner was waiting to take them to the Palace for their reception. Warhawk helped Maril in and then took a seat himself. He signaled to the driver and they lifted off and headed for the Palace.

The two of them were silent the entire trip. Despite the armor coverine her face, Maril could feel her husband staring at her bosom. She guessed that he wasn't staring at her bosom as much as he was staring at the ring that was hanging from her neck.

She grabbed the ring and she noticed him flinch, an indication her hunch was right. "I guess you're wondering what this is?" she said to him.

Warhawk was motionless. Maril assumed she was right. "This is an engagement ring that was given to me by the love of my life, who was murdered by your people five years ago. You might have heard about the death of Rex Stewart, the son of the hated traitor Shayera Hol." Warhawk made no move or sound. Maril continued, "I wear this in remembrance of him. I will never take it off. It is something you are going to have to accept." Warhawk nodded, indicating he understood everything.

Bruce had taken out one of his classic PT cruisers for his stint as Matches Malone. When he returned instead of driving it to the garage he brought it in the Batmobile's entrance and parked it next to the old car.

He walked to the Batcomputer without taking any notice of Superman. He sat down and started working things out on the computer. He was going through maps of city streets at lightning speed. He was showing the same type of obsessive behavior he had as Batman.

"How did your scout mission go?" Diana asked him after he worked for a couple minutes without filling them in on what he was doing.

"Somehow I got almost the entire battle plan for every gang tonight. As always, a lot of thugs have trouble keeping their mouths shut when they're drunk or high."

Neither Diana nor Clark were surprised Bruce was able to get so much information out of people. They were always astounded by the way Bruce was able to find out so much. Of course, to Bruce, what made him so successful was not the nuggets of information he got, but the way he was able to put the nuggets together. He always told them there was always information about crimes being planned out there; it just took the right person to put everything together.

Bruce went through everything with Clark and Diana. He had information on where each gang was making its home base. He knew who was attacking who and where, but didn't know much about what time or with how many forces these attacks were being waged. To the best of his ability, he tried to estimate the things he didn't know.

Bruce made up a battle plan for the three of them. Diana and Clark were quite impressed as he had to be making it up on the fly. He didn't know Diana had called in Clark, after all, yet he was including him in his plans.

Neither of them said anything about Bruce including himself in their plans. They knew they could speak up and tell him they would call in reinforcements from the League. They could tell him it wouldn't be necessary for him to put himself in harm's way. Neither of them did as they knew his knowledge of Gotham would be invaluable and it was better utilized having him out there in the fight instead of sitting in the cave at the computer.

None of them suggested calling in reinforcements from the rest of the League. The three of them had fought together for over two decades and had developed a rapport that additional heroes would only disrupt. There was a feeling among them this was a fight that was theirs and theirs alone. When Bruce was done filling them in on all the details, he headed for the Batboat dock to grab the new suit he had been constructing.

"Bruce," Diana called after him. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her.

"You can't do this for Hera's sake. You're too old. We have a daughter to think about. A daughter who would be furious at you for putting yourself in danger like this."

"I still have my parents to think about," he informed Diana. "I made a promise to them to protect Gotham. This city needs me now more than ever. Unless you plan on breaking my legs, you're not going to stop me." He walked to the cliff that overlooked the Batboat dock and descended on the elevator.

"Is that really all you are going to do to try and stop him?" Clark asked Diana.

"What can I say, this city does need him. I just needed to make a token attempt so I can tell Helena in good faith I tried to stop him."

Clark gave Diana a look that indicated he thought her half-hearted attempt wouldn't exactly please her daughter. "You'll back me up I made a real attempt to stop him?"

Clark held up his hands. "You're not dragging me into this if Helena blows a gasket. I'm not taking her on for your sake. There are limits to our friendship." He barely got out that last sentence through his giggles.

The wedding feast held in Maril and Rex's honor was a grand affair. The planet of Tamaran had been unified through political marriages, and over the years numerous traditions had been created. Those traditions were being upheld for the uniting of Thanagar and Tamaran by the marriage of Rex and Maril.

Maril and Rex were to remain separated during the feast. They each ate with their own people. The tradition had started as a way for two tribes to celebrate one last time as separate nations before they were joined together as one with the rise of the sun the next day.

Helena sat beside Maril at a table with the Tamarenian Council of Elders. Rex had a similar seating arrangement with the Thanagarian Elders that had made the trek to witness the wedding ceremony. Helena could tell Maril was disappointed more of her friends and family were unable to sit with her. She had been told numerous times this was not a social ceremony but a political ceremony, and because of that certain egos had to be appeased by the seating arrangement. Maril actually had to fight to get Helena next to her.

Keeping with the political theme of the event, all the toasts were given by dignitaries and government officials. Helena had initially been glad she wouldn't have to give a toast. She wouldn't have known what to say when she thought Maril was marrying a complete stranger. Now that she knew Maril had married Rex, she wished she could have said a few words. She couldn't have told everyone who Rex was, but she could have made a few statements with double meanings that her friends might have remembered later.

Most of the toasts and speeches didn't deal with the marriage; they dealt with the new nation that was formed. It was just as well, as everyone believed there wasn't any personal relationship between the bride and groom to speak about. Helena found herself bored quickly as all the speeches were the same; welcoming the union with new people and wishing for a stronger nation together than either planet could be alone.

As the sun set Maril took her leave to prepare for the "wedding night." Helena asked her friend if she wanted accompaniment, but was told this was something she would rather prepare for alone. At least, she didn't want anyone who knew her too well around. Helena was surprised Maril was able to leave without any pomp and circumstance. There was no acknowledgement of any kind she had left the feast.

Helena spent the rest of the evening being ignored by the Tamaranian Elders at her table. She kept watch on Rex, wondering when he would leave. He finally took off with a group of his delegation near the end of the feast. Helena wished he would have left alone so she could have had a little talk with him about the best way for him to reveal himself to Maril. However, as she tried to imagine the conversation she realized she had no idea what Rex should say. She understood a little more why he saw it so difficult to tell the truth to the people he loved.