Chapter 26

Diana lifted her head up as she felt the jet stop and hover for a moment. As it descended she looked out the cockpit window and saw the manor get larger as they descended towards it. The jet came down in the nearest clearing in the back yard. Diana had a short walk to the manor, but was unsure how she was going to make even that.

She lowered the ramp and was able to float out. Once she got out she collapsed on the ground. She looked up and saw the manor was dark. She had no idea if that indicated if someone wasn't home. She figured if Bruce or Helena was in there they would be hunkered down in the Batcave.

She thought better of the fact they would be hunkered down in the Batcave. Knowing the two of them they would likely be out in the city doing whatever they could if they weren't already captured. She collapsed to the ground as she thought about her family. The invasion was going so badly for Earth she had to face the fact she may never see them again.

Diana knew she had to make it inside. She could treat herself in the Batcave if she had to. As Diana tried to float off the ground she heard something coming towards her. She was shocked when Troy came up and started nudging her face. "How did you get out?" she asked it as she rubbed its head.

She cared little about how the horse actually got out of its stall and barn. She was just amazed he was there. "Can you give me a ride to the manor?" she asked it. The horse acted as if it understood her and presented its back for her. She climbed on top of it and held onto the horse's mane as it trotted to the manor.

It stopped on the deck and Diana climbed off it. She leaned against the horse as she tried to stay upright on her injured legs. She punched the door open before she collapsed on the floor inside. She knew breaking the door would set off the alarm and send a warning message to the Batcave. If anyone was there they would know about her. She laid on the hardwood floor and waited for someone to come, even though she thought it would be unlikely.

It wasn't long before she heard footsteps coming towards her. Her heart leaped in her throat when she heard them. "Diana!" she heard her husband yell. She noticed the surprise in his voice. He was likely expecting someone else, and she knew who it was.

"Where's our daughter?" she shouted to him as she felt him kneel down beside her.

"She's out there, but I know she hasn't been captured," he told her. "She took out all the bridges into the city and stopped the forces from entering. Their ships are flying overhead, but they're leaving the city alone."

Bruce helped Diana to her feet. For one of the few times in her life she was mad that Bruce was not out there. She wished he was out there trying to find their daughter. As he struggled to help her walk she was reminded that he was not as strong as he used to be and was in no condition to be out there. Their daughter was going to have to find her own way back.

"Did you come in the invisible jet?" Bruce asked her as he walked her to the Batcave entrance.

"Yes," Diana answered. "Are you thinking about taking it out?"

"I can apply the clay to your body, but then I need to fly out in the jet. Dick tried to take the Batboat to Bludhaven and the clock tower. I need to see if he made it and what happened to Barbara and the twins at the tower."

"I understand," Diana said as they reached the stairs that led the way down.

Bruce flew the invisible jet past the defensive perimeter of battleships the forces of Apokolips had set up. The ships paid him no attention as they couldn't detect him. He didn't have to fly far until he saw the wreckage of the Batboat. He feared the worst as he descended to the water. His emotions changed instantly when the jet's scanners found signs of life. He rushed to the deck below and opened the landing ramp. He saw Dick hanging over a piece of wreckage and just barely keeping his head above water. Bruce walked to the edge of the ramp and pulled Dick out of the water. He was unresponsive, but Bruce could feel signs of life. He wrapped in up in blankets and then headed back up to the cockpit.

Bruce flew over to Bludhaven and headed straight for the clock tower. He once again feared the worst looking at the damage it had sustained. It was not completely destroyed, but one side of it had been blown away. Bruce slowly flew the jet into the tower and had it hover. He opened the cockpit roof and climbed out.

"Barbara," he called. He prayed there were parademons around to hear him. His heart beat like crazy as he waited to see if he would get a reply.

"Bruce," he finally heard from above. He activated the rockets on his suit and flew up to the level above. He found Barbara Gordon sitting in her wheelchair with the twins clutched to her.

"How did you get here?" she asked him.

"I came in Diana's jet. I can get you out of here." He didn't say anything about Dick as she didn't want the twins to hear about their father just yet.

"Take the twins first," she commanded. They both turned their heads to look at Bruce. The fear was apparent in their eyes, but they knew Bruce and trusted him. They were not hesitant to let go of their mother as Bruce grabbed the. He jumped down to the jet with them and then fell through to the cockpit. He put them down and told them he would be back immediately with their mother.

He flew back up and hurried over to Barbara. "I have Dick in the lower deck," he told her as he lifted her up in her wheelchair. She was heavy to him and he had difficulty carrying her. "He tried to come over here in the Batboat, but it was destroyed on his journey. I found him and he's out cold now, but I think he'll make it."

Bruce jumped back down to the jet and then through the opening into the cockpit. Barbara stayed stoic as she knew she needed to be strong for her young children. The twins ran to her as Bruce went back to the controls. He flew back to the manor.

Helena gained strength as she neared the safehouse in the sewer. She continued to lean against the sewer wall as she picked up her pace. She finally reached the door of the safehouse and reached up to activate it.

Despite her limited mobility she still made it behind the concrete block before it closed. She limped to the safe door and found the knob for entering the combination. She tried to push the pain she was feeling out of her mind so she could concentrate on opening the door. She listened for the clicks and pushed the door open when the combination had been entered.

She limped over to the computer console and paused for a moment. The computer had a closed circuit connection to the Batcave, so she could contact it without having to worry about giving away her position. She paused at the console afraid to try and contact the Batcave. All the while she had been walking back she had dreams of her mother and father being safe in the Batcave. While her father had headed back there, there was no way to know whether or not he had left again. She had thoughts of her mother being back at the Batcave even though it was unlikely she would have made it back from Kansas.

As long as she waited to call, she could hold on to her fantasies that her entire family was safe. She actually did hold off for a minute, but soon she started thinking of ways they might be in danger. She had to know for sure what had happened to them.

Diana put on a new costume. She could feel the clay starting to work and knew she would only get better as time went by. She felt well enough to go out and look for Helena.

Diana walked out of the medical tent to find the Batcave empty. It felt weird being alone in the place. She tried not to think about what might be happening to Bruce out there. She knew she had to concentrate on finding her daughter. She was about to fly out when she heard Helena's voice coming from the Batcomputer's speakers.

"Dad, Dad, this is Helena. I am in the safehouse under Wayne Tower."

Diana almost broke down crying. The relief she felt over knowing her daughter was alive and free was intense. For a moment, she didn't know what to do. When her brain started working again she hurried over to the computer.

"I'm here Helena," Diana yelled into the microphone. They could hear a cry of joy come over the speaker.

"Mom?" was all Helena could say in reply.

"Are you injured, Helena?"

"Yeah, I'm hurt bad," she answered. Diana knew her daughter would almost never admit to being hurt. She couldn't imagine how badly hurt she was if she was actually admitting it.

"I'll come to get you in the rail car," Diana replied.

"Wait," Helena said. "Where's Dad.

Just Helena asked her question she noticed Bruce coming into the back door of the Manor. Barbara and the twins were following him. She could see him carrying a body and guessed it was Dick's. She prayed he was alive.

"Bruce is here. He just got back from picking up Dick and his family. Hold tight, I'm coming to get you." Diana got on the intercom and spoke to Bruce. "I'm taking the rail car to pick up Helena in the safe house. She's hurt, but alive and free. How's Dick."

Bruce gave the thumbs up sign to the camera and Diana knew what he meant. She flew over to the rail car and headed on her way.

Helena collapsed to the ground and leaned up against the console. She closed her eyes and took the moment to rest. She could feel the sweat pouring down all over her body, at least the portions of her body where the nerve endings hadn't been singed.

Helena was overjoyed to find her parents were okay and safe in the Batcave. She tried to put the pain she was feeling out of her mind by telling her body she would be back in the cave soon and could be healed by the Themysciran clay.

She heard the rail car pull into the safehouse. She didn't get up as she felt too weak to do so.

Diana jumped out of the rail car and flew in the direction of the computer. She was hovering over her daughter in a second, but had trouble believing the young woman she was looking at was her daughter. Her skin was so blackened she looked unrecognizable. Diana thought about the attacks she must have taken to sustain those injuries and didn't understand how her daughter could have lived.

Helena made no movements and Diana worried she might really be dying. "Helena!" she yelled as she lowered herself to the floor in front of her daughter.

"Yeah Mom," Helena replied. Her voice wasn't strong, but there was no indication she was close to death.

"You must be exhausted, dear," she said as she kneeled down beside her.

"Kind of," she replied as she tried to lift her head to look at her mother. Diana removed her daughter's mask for her. Her hair was drenched with sweat. She pushed it out of her face so her eyes were free.

"How many of us haven't been caught?" she asked as she looked at her mother.

"Don't worry about that?" Diana replied.

"Just the three of us then," she said as she rested her head back up against the console and closed her eyes.

Diana knew her daughter was not going to be able to reach the rail car under her own power. While her daughter was prideful, Diana didn't think she would mind being carried just this once. She bent over her daughter, but was hesitant to pick her up. Her blackened skin looked like it would break apart upon the slightest touch. Diana said a short prayer and stuck her arms under Helena's body and lifted her off the ground. She was relieved to see no more harm was done to her daughter.

She flew her over to the rail car and gently laid her down in the passenger seat. She propped her up as best she could as she closed the cockpit.

"Mom, I think I kept them out of the city," Helena said.

"You did, dear, you did." On the ride to the Batcave she told Helena about Dick and his family making it back to the manor.