Chapter 25 : A Lesson in the Moonlight

As the sun was beginning to set across the horizon Hippolyta queen of the Amazons was practicing with her sharp sword on balcony of her bed chambers . It had been a long since since she held the sword that won her many battles in her right hand. As she waved the sword around , she recalled the time before the great war of the gods took place, a time where the peace among the heavens and the seven realms . She was free from the fate guarding the gates of underworld. To her that was ancient history and deep down she could never forgive herself for loving that monster.

A gentle breeze crept from behind her. She turned around and saw the goddess of wisdom standing before dressed in armor.

"Athena," Hippolyta said bowing her head. "How many I serve you?"

"Rise queen of the Amazon's." Athena commanded. "I am here to speak with you about the fate of her daughter."

Hippoltya sighed as she settled the sword on the stone ledge. "What is it that you wish to tell me ?"

Athena walked to the ledge and looked out at the sunset.

"Is my only daughter going to prevail in this battle, Athena," Hippolyta said. " You and I both know that she is not ready to endure this battle. I was not ready when I had to join the army to fight your brother Ares. I have trained Diana with everything I know , Athena but I sense that it was won't be enough. My daughter will not win this battle , she will fail." She looked at the goddess. "That is what you are trying to tell me?"

"Understand , Hippoltya ," Athena said with a gentle tone. "Your daughter Diana is one of the strongest warriors that was ever created. Yes she has a lot to learn but she is young and I believe she will prevail."

"All her life she has been preparing for the war that is arising. I tried to keep her from her fate but I couldn't . Diana deserved to have the freedom that was given to her. When she left for man's world and helped the heroes of the Justice League stop that alien invasion I knew right then and there that my daughter and I would be parted because of that choice. Yes it right for me to feel guilty upon letting her go Athena?"

The goddess placed her hand on Hippolyta's shoulder. "You are her mother that will never change."

"Yes," Hippolyta replied. "Only time will change ."

"I also sense that you are worried for the mortal named Bruce Wayne?"

"You are very wise , Athena," She said. "I need to know how well he endured his first transformation?'

" Quite well actually," Athena answered. "He is a human right now ."

"Human?"

"Bruce Wayne only becomes Pegasus when the moonlight touches his flesh. He becomes moral when there is no moon."

Athena snapped her fingers and an hourglass appeared on the ledge. "Midnight is when the winged horse comes out , daylight brings out the man."

"How much do does my daughter and Bruce have for this evil rises?"

"Not long."

"Then I pray the Hera will watch for both of them."

On a roof top near the Lower Fifth overpass Wonder Woman was standing looking impatient as her eyes looked downward at the street blow. Wonder Woman let out a loud sigh, which Batman heard. He decided to break the silence that was between them.

"Patience princess." Batman said in an assuring tone. " Crime doesn't sleep at night. Not in this city."

"Tell me about it. Not an hour goes by without the sound of a wailing siren. How can you possibly get used to living in a city like this?" Wonder Woman asked in a confused , impatient tone. " I mean is there ever a night when you can have break for the brawls and drug busts?"

Batman was silent. His mind was preoccupied with the thought of transforming back into the winged horse.

"Bruce," Wonder Woman asked. "Bruce I'm talking to you? Are you brooding again?"

Batman broke out of his mindless staring at the light light down below. "No," He said is rough voice.

"You're thinking about the spell aren't you?"

She noticed the Batman looked sad at her remark; like he was hiding away his own feelings under a shroud of silence.

Batman turned towards and no longer looked depressed, but now stern, he looked like he was acting like a Roman solider guarding his post showing no emotion.

"I'm not worried about the transformation right now," He replied. "We've got work to do princess."

Wonder Woman looked down the sidewalks below.

"There seems to be nothing going on at the moment ."

"We have to say focused."

"Focused for what ?" She asked. "There is nothing down there Bruce."

Batman shifted his soulless gaze to the dark alley way.

"Evil comes when you at least suspect it , princess," He said. " We need to keep a sharp eye on the shadows, that's where evil likes to lurk and wait for the moment to strike."

Wonder Woman rolled her eyes as she lifted her head and looked at a gleam of light coming from behind the passing clouds above.

"Bruce," She said. "I think we're going to have to cancel tonight?"

"Why?" Batman growled with a displeased tone in his voice.

Wonder Woman pointed up at the sky. "The moon is hiding behind the clouds.

He lifted his head upward. His dark hazel green eyes looked at the shaft of light in the clouds.

"We still have time."

"What's wrong with you Bruce?" Wonder Woman asked with anger. "Can't you see that the moon is coming out , that means that once it's light touches your flesh you will turn back into Pegasus. For once in your life try not to be stubborn . What would people think if all of sudden they noticed that the dark protector of Gotham City suddenly transform into a black winged horse before their eyes? What if Gordon saw you transform?"

Batman gave her a scowling look with his lips curve. He removed his grapnel gun from the hostler of his belt and fired the wire to the roof top across. The wire latched onto a balcony and he flew over.

"Men!" Wonder Woman growled she wanted to knock some sense into after all he was her responsibility.

She flew down to follow, and they both were on a balcony of a apartment .

"Princess I'm not in the mood." Batman snarled. " I just want to be left alone."

"Bruce," Wonder Woman said looking at his stricken face as she noticed his eyes were looking at the sky. "I'm here to make sure nothing happens to you."

Batman turned his back to her.

"Hey , don't you turn your back on me!" She said as her grasped his armor plated shoulder.

"Princess, leave me alone!"

Batman had enough. He wanted to be left alone in the shadows. Without giving Diana a warning he jumped down to the bottom, feet landing on the sidewalk and melted into the shadows.

Wonder Woman shook her head.

"You will never learn."

One hour later , two black SUVs entered the through the garage doors ramp. They stopped near the only forklift on the floor. Several men, all of them bulky, all of them European dressed in ill- fitting suits, emerged from the SUV's. The bulkiest of them looked pointed his chin to the skylight and suggested that there might by a cop on the premise.

The Russian shrugged, and said in Russian, "That's why we bring firepower."

He snapped his fingers and one of his men opened the back door of the nearest SUV , and a steel case housing automatic rifles. "These will even the odds to my favor. If the Bat does decide to show his pointy ears, we'll pop his gut full of lead."He opened the back door of the second SUV and dragged out a small girl dressing in tailor made clothing.

"No!" She squealed. "No, please let go of me."

The Russian dragged his captive to the center of the floor in front of an enclosed office. The doors opened and two men dressed in black clothing with guns strapped to their backs emerged.

In heavily English, the Russian said. "Look, I have the brat that you have requested now where is my money."

From inside the office,

"Patience."

A tall, slender figure wearing a black stealth combat outfit and a black mask with a red dove in the center emerged from the office. "I told you I wanted her dead. I never said alive. Do I have to do everything myself you fool."

"My business is not to kill children for you." The Russian said. "I am just the delivery man."

"If you don't like your job than I suggest you take your business and your untamed thugs somewhere else."

The man in the mask said. "I don't have time for discussing the child's welfare. So do you want to say on my terms, get paid with blood money or to you want to live an unsatisfying short life. It's all up to you." He threw a vial at the Russian.

"Do what I have paid you to do. Kill her!"

The Russian said. "As you wish and lifted up the top of the vial. "Sorry sweetheart but when it's your time it's your time."

Batman smashed through the skylight, glass shattered everywhere flying to the bodyguards faces as he landed on the crate.

"Batman!" The Russian snarled. "OK boys clip the bats wings. Shoot him down."

Batman removed smoke bombs from his utility belt and threw them onto the floor. He pressed a button on his cowl and white lens covered his eyes. He threw a sharp throwing star and the ceiling lights and waited for the smoke to cover the room.

"Shoot him!" The Russian coughed. "Kill him!"

One of the bodyguards pointed his gun through the smoke, sweat was pouring out of him as his heart was racing rapidly.

"Where are you?" He shouted, "You son of a bitch."

A black gloved hand emerged from the grey smoke grabbed the nose of barrel of the gun and bent the metal upwards. The bodyguard's eyes went wide as he looked into the face of the Batman. He stumbled backwards as Batman opened his hand to reveal a bullet.

He bore down the other thugs jabbing his elbows into the collar bones and jaw bones the effective way to knock out someone at close combat. Batman lifted his grappling gun. A monofilament shot out and wrapped around the thug's ankle, Batman pulled him closer and rammed his elbow into the thugs head, knocking him out cold.

An armed bodyguard was already behind him, leaping a Batman's throat with choker chain. Batman moved his head back, the hard cowl smacked the man's skull and he fell backwards into a cement pole.

While Batman had been busy with the thugs, he saw the Russian climb into one of the parked SUV's with the girl. He dropped the thug and jumped aside of the vehicle as it sped towards him, he passed his fist through the driver's window. His armored knuckles grazed the Russians face. Startled, the Russian leaned away, twisting the wheel, smashed into the wall, and the vehicle skidded onto the pavement.

Batman fell hard landing on his back, he got up fired his grappling hook to the crate of which the SUV would pass, swung into air, jumped on the crate, waited for the moment to strike and then pounced on the roof of the SUV's removed spikes from his belt, threw them to the ground and held on as the wheels popped. He smashed his fists through the windshield and grabbed the wheel turned it and jumped off before the impact.

Batman pulled the Russian dazed to the ground and grabbed the child, who was unharmed but scared. He swung her over his shoulder.

A minute later, he dumped the Russian next to his injured accomplices and two of the unknown stranger men with marks on their faces. The man in the black masked had disappeared.

"Don't let me find you with another child again."

"Why do you care freak, children are nothing in this society." The Russian blared.

Batman silenced him with his boot. "Children are everything." He growled.

"That's what you think freak!"

After handing the child to one of Gordon's detectives Batman moved into a dark alley way. He could see the reflection of the moon in a puddle of water on the pavement. There wasn't enough time.

"No," Batman growled holding his mid section as his body leaned against the brick wall. "Not now."

Wonder Woman flew down and stood behind him.

"Bruce," Diana said placing her hand on his armor plated shoulder. "What's happening?" She asked.

Batman pointing his chin upwards and looked at the crescent moon peering through the clouds. He fell onto the wet pavement and closed his eyes.

"I warn you about this Bruce." Wonder Woman said. "But did you listen? No."

"I don't have enough time to go back to the penthouse." He said wincing. "I need to find someplace that is not inhabited ."

Wonder Woman looked around and noticed a board up building across the street. "There ," She said pointing.

Batman looked at the building. "Good girl,"

He bolted out of the alley and moved across the street keeping aware of the traffic that was going on around him , he ran down the dark alley way and kicked down the boarded up door. Wonder Woman followed him inside the dark place. He was breathing heavy.

"Diana , I need to you to keep on eye on the Russian . He's hiding something."

"Understood."

Batman pulled off his cowl and threw it onto the floor. He started to strip off his armor from his drench body.

Wonder Woman watched the transformation.

Bruce fell to the ground on all fours and did a few deep breaths. Within minutes what was once a handsome daring man was a jet black horse with wings.

"There that wasn't so bad?" Wonder Woman.

The winged horse sighed.

"How long is this going to last?" He asked.

"Until the mission is over."

"Great."

"Now how are we going to go back to the penthouse unseen."

Bruce turned his long thick neck and looked at the wall. "There's a alley way not far about a few blocks away it's a secret entrance I use for the underground bunker."

Wonder Woman placed his cape over his back to hide the wings.

"There now you look like a mere normal horse ."

"I am anything about mere , princess."

She nodded as she bent her knees and picked up the armor and the cowl.

"OK," Bruce said. "Let's go."

"Even when you're a horse you're demanding."

"I may look like a horse , princess, but I am still the same tortured soul on the inside."

He used one of his hoofed feet and kicked down the back door of the small complex and stepped outside.

"You coming?"

A few minutes later both Wonder Woman and Bruce the winged horse were walking in stealth hoping to be unseen. His hoofs echoed on the pavement giving off their position as they passed a few homeless men sitting on a curb sipping a bottle of whiskey .

The two men looked at the princess and the black horse and both looked at the bottle.

"This city gets weirder and weirder each night."

Wonder Woman and the winged horse made it to the cross walk.

"Great," She said looking at the cars coming . " How are we supposed to blend in now?"

"It's not unusual to a see a horse in Gotham, princess." Bruce replied. "Just keep calm we're almost there."

"Keep calm," Wonder Woman said as the light changed green and they began to walk the crosswalk. Cars stopped and she could see the drivers looking at the horse through their windshields. She couldn't help but smile and wave at them.

"What are you doing?" Bruce asked annoying.

"Acting normal."

"You call smiling and waving at complete strangers normal?"

"You should talk."

The winged horse shook his head as they made to the other side of the street.

"There now that wasn't so tough was it Vuxta ?"

"Don't call me that. I told you before I am not a pet ."

" Whatever you say?"

"I think you like the idea that I'm the one that is under a spell instead of you."

Wonder Woman shook her head. "No , of course not."

"Admit it , princess," Bruce said. "You can't lie to me."

"Well maybe just a little bit." Wonder Woman said. "I want you back into a human. I can't love a man that spends his nights galloping on the roof tops of Gotham."

The winged horse growled at her comment she made.