Chapter 19

Understanding

The island of Thermisycria was massive and beautiful in so many ways. Amazon warriors were guarding their posts with shields in their hands and spears. They were helmets and eyes were focused on the position they took.

Artemus was in the battling ring that was surrounded by stone steps with Donna Troy practicing hand to hand combat with their swords.

"Now little one," The tall red haired warrior said pointing her sword. "Do you want to go down easy or hard?"

Donna smirked.

"Hard."

Both blades of the swords chimed as they faced each other. "You're good kid."

"I should be I was trained by the best, dear sister."

Queen Hippolyta was sitting on the steps watching the two warriors she raised as her own battle out their frustration. She knew that Donna when one day leave the island just like Diana and set out on a quest to man's world for that is where she was born. Sitting in front of her was the child that Diana rescued in Gotham City from the fire. Hippolyta was busy braiding her long blonde hair, trying to make her feel welcome.

"What are they doing my queen?" The child asked.

"Combat training. Every Amazon must two three hours of combat training. You are too young for that right not Cassie but soon you will train with your sisters."

"Will Diana come back?" Cassie asked.

"I can't speak of that right now Cassie. Knowing the princess of the Amazons she will return when it is time."

"Diana spoke to you of a man?"

Hippolyta nodded.

"On this island Cassie men are not welcomed here for that is our important law. Although some men came to aide us during a great battle that if we lost the world would be destroyed, they were true warriors both in body and in spirit, and one of men is Diana's good friend."

"She seemed to be worried about him."

"You are very observant."

"Diana and the man are in love Cassie but the gods are displeased for that action. They of have cursed the man into being a servant for their cause. At first I thought they were going to take Diana way but it was just trick. They're real plan was to use the man named Bruce Wayne."

"Why would the gods want to use this man?"

Hippolyta looked up at the cloudless sky.

"An evil is arising Cassie. Diana is the key of winning this war that is to come onto the shores of man's world. We must be ready for battle." She looked at Donna Troy and called out her name. "Donna, a word with you."

Donna placed the sword on the ground and ran up the steps to the queen. She smiled at Cassie.

"My queen,"

"I need to watch over Cassie."

"Of course my queen,"

"I have an important engagement elsewhere; I shall be back tomorrow night. I leave this cold in your care."

"I will guard her with my life my queen."

Hippoltya arose from the stones and started to descend. Cassie raced down after her and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Don't go."

"Cassie, when I am called by the gods I must answer them. Go back to Donna I shall with you soon enough."

Cassie nodded.

The queen walked to where Artemus was sharpening her sword. "Commander, I need to keep a close eye on Donna and our newest Amazon sister make sure they say away from the shores."

Artemis nodded.

"By your command," She lowered her head. "My queen I heard that Diana is free from the goddess's wrath but Bruce is not."

"No, he's got the curse of Pegasus running through his veins. I feared that this would not happen to any more mortals but it is his fate."

"Bruce doesn't even suite the look of Pegasus. I always pictured him as a dragon of Hades."

Hippolyta gave the commander a small smirk.

"The curse of Pegasus commander is different to most mortals. Bruce Wayne will be the ultimate one because of his spirit and wisdom."

"How much time to we have before the war?"

"I don't know. The fates are restless."

"That doesn't sound good."

"No, it doesn't commander."

Diana Prince was leaning against the railing of Bruce's penthouse trying to figure out how she will deal with his new form. Bruce walked through the glass French doors with an apple in his hand.

"That's the first sign," Diana thought as she looked at the red glossy apple. "Pegasus is a horse and those creatures' love apples."

Bruce moved closer. He stood next to her.

"Princess, is everything alright?" He asked.

"No, Bruce everything is not alright. I can't believe that the gods would do a thing like this to a moral. I mean Pegasus of all creatures is not a good look for you handsome. Sorry but it's not."

"Whatever,"

" I didn't mean for all this to happen but the gods like to play tricks on us . All that stuff about me going to the gates of Tartus was just to mess with my mind so I wouldn't focus on what was really going on around us."

Bruce looked at the dark clouds that were hovering over Gotham Bay, there something different about hat formation. Lightning was flashing but only inside the clouds. "Diana what do you think of that?" He asked pointing at the incoming storm. "I have never seen those storms clouds before."

Diana looked at the dark clouds.

"The sky is going restless. There is a storm arising Bruce. It is something that we have never faced before."

A white feather touched down on the balcony's cement. Bruce bent down and scooped it up. "What's this?"

"A feather of what you will become moral."

Diana turned and saw Athena standing behind them with her pet owl on her shoulder.

"Athena, "She bowed.

"Rise princess of the Amazons." Athena commanded her piercing ice blue eyes gazed at the billionaire. "So you are the moral that will be the new Pegasus of this generation, you know that the reason why the Aphrodite and Eris chose you to endure this curse. There is evil coming to your world. We thought we could contain it but it was too powerful. The souls of your city will be lost in time."

"Athena what evil is coming?" Diana asked.

"I can't say Diana. All I can do it warn you."

She walked over and handed Diana a shield that appeared in her hands. "This is the shield of the Golden Angel, a mighty warrior that you will become Diana. Your armor has many secrets. I can only tell you one." She pressed red star on Diana's tiara. "You will know when the time comes to use this power." The goddess handed Diana a helmet that was in the shape of an eagles head. "This is your battle armor once you put on the helmet your body will become protected by the gold that was formed the gates of Olympus."

Diana nodded and then looked at Bruce.

"What about Bruce?"

Athena stood in front of the dark haired billionaire.

"Together you must become one to win this battle."

She placed her hand on Bruce's chest.

"The spirit of Pegasus lives within you Bruce Wayne but also the spirit of the bat. You must let them work together within your soul. Become the ultimate fighter for justice. The gods chose you to be the mighty horse Pegasus not because of a punishment but because of your heart and wisdom." She grabbed the feather from his hand and placed it onto his chest. Bruce watch in amazement as the feather disappeared within his flesh.

"Now you are ready."

Bruce nodded.

"How much time do I have before I become Pegasus?"

"Only the fates know that answer. Know this tonight you will endure pain and suffer an illness for that is Pegasus coming out of you."

Athena raised her hands to the sky and a golden saddle appeared.

"Diana, this is yours."

Diana looked at the beautiful jewel incrusted saddle .

"You will need it to ride Pegasus."

Bruce gave her a glare almost like he was saying 'I don't think so.'

Diana grabbed the saddle.

"Both of you were chosen to save this world."

Athena placed her hand on Diana's shoulder.

"I know that you will not fail princess of the Amazons." She looked at Bruce. "And Dark Knight of Gotham City will be strong and mighty just like the heroes before your time."

"Will Bruce have this curse lifted off him?" Diana asked .

"Indeed he will . Once the battle is over Bruce Wayne will be free from the spirit of Pegasus and become the Dark Knight again."

Bruce looked at his Rolex . It was almost time for him to start his patrol through the city.

"Thanks for the good news." He said. "Now if you excuse me I have work to do."

"Three in the morning is when the sickness will start Bruce Wayne."

Bruce was showing no interest in the goddess words. He went inside the penthouse.

"Is he always this stubborn ?" Athena asked.

"Yes."

"No wonder they chose him to be Pegasus."

The air was cool as Batman was crouched down on a fire escape at the Narrows, the place filled with cheap public housing and crime. He removed a viewing lens from his belt and zoomed it to one of the apartments. Inside he saw a body lying on the floor . Quickly he reacted and fired his grappling hook to the balcony across. Swung in the air and caught the rung of the latter underneath. He pushed himself up and crawled to the window. Using a sharp throwing star he made a circle in the glass and slipped his gloved hand inside to unlock the latch.

Inside the smell of dried blood and decaying flesh was heavy. As he switched on his heat vision lens and peered at the lifeless body. He scanned the victim with the lens. Th results showed no signs of life and gave him the temperature of the body.

"Victim has been dead for 48 hours from the time of death." He said into a recorder that he removed from his belt. He bent his knees and looked at the victims neck. "The victim suffered from a surgical operation of tracheotomy . The incision was created from the airway. Inflammation is around the wound of the neck to the head."

"Very good Dark Knight."

A voice came from the shadows. "You are always the good detective when it comes to murder . I knew that you would come and take the bait."

Batman gave a scowling look .

"Who are you?" He growled.

"Someone of the past that will become you enemy of the future. I know everything about you. Who you really here?"

"Come in to the light and face me coward."

"In time but not right now. I can see that you're busy with other problems ."

"Show yourself."

A man stepped from the shadows. His face was covering with bandages and he was wearing a long brown overcoat.

"What the heck are you?" Batman asked.

"To you I'm a silent whisper in the corridors of your mind Dark Knight . A little secret that you will want to know."

Batman looked at the body.

"Why did you kill this man? He didn't deserve to die."

"Everyone deserves to taste death. He had something that I needed."

"What?"

"Hush."

Like a puff of smoke the man disappeared leaving Batman with a question that raced within the depths of his mind.

"Who was that?"

Batman returned to the underground bunker. He entered through the hidden tunnel and parked his massive bike on the platform. He got off and pulled the cowl off . His hair was messy , bangs were covering his eyes as the black makeup was beginning to smear down to his cheeks. Bruce walked to the desk and wiped off the makeup with a towel.

"You conceal your eyes with makeup Bruce Wayne."

Bruce turned around with his defenses up. His eyes looked at Hippolyta who was standing near the lift.

'How did you know where to find me?" He asked crossing his arms.

"Diana told me about this place." Hippolyta said walking up to him. "I heard about your curse."

The sweaty billionaire strode to his steel case and unclipped his belt .

"Diana told you?"

"No, I already knew. I didn't want my daughter to think that I was lying to her so I told her yesterday."

"What are you doing here?"

"I have come to give you this ?"

She handed him a scroll.

"What's this?"

"Read it. I knew that you can read Greek."

Bruce unraveled the scroll and looked at the picture of the wing horse Pegasus that had a description underneath.

"Sire Poseidon and dam Medusa ." He said scanning through the scroll. "It states that Pegasus has a brother Chrysaor who took the form of a man until he was cursed to share the same form of his brother. Chrysaor was born from Medusa's neck while Pegasus was born from her blood."

"Chrysaor is in imprisoned in Tartus. He was a gift of the god of war to Hades after the war was finished." She looked at Bruce. "What you must now that they have been many mortal men that was been cursed to be Pegasus some prevail while others failed their victory."

"The curse of Pegasus is only for men?"

"Warriors of different generations. You are the warrior of this time Bruce Wayne."

Bruce was silent.

"My daughter loves Bruce . I can't deny that truth but you must know that you can't be together for that is what the fates proclaimed."

"I don't believe in fate."

He pulled off his armor showing her his battle scars.

"I never did say thank you personally for saving my daughter my the hands of Circe."

"You don't have to thank me."

"I have misjudged you Bruce . You truly are a great warrior. But you never want to be rewarded for your victories why?"

Bruce sighed.

"I don't want to be your highness . That is not the life I chose to endure . I do this because no one else can. I am a hero that wished he never existed but because of corruption and vice I have to protect this city."

Right there Hippolyta grew great respect for him. She peered into his eyes and saw all the pain , guilt and anger that was imbedded deep inside.

"You and Diana are so much alike ." He said to her. "You both are strong women that care for the weak."

"Diana has much to learn."

"We all do your highness."

Hippolyta looked at his armor.

"Keep my daughter safe ."

"I will."