"You too, Kal." Diana said as she followed Alfred towards the stairs that would lead out of the Batcave.
Superman looked over to Batgirl for a moment, but she didn't offer any form of escape for the Man of Steel to use. She just went back into her research over the man in the mask. Superman slumped his shoulders in defeat and turned to follow Alfred as he led Diana out of the cave. Diana waited and watched as Alfred entered the code to open the main entrance to the cave from the inside. The door slid open slowly and the elderly man walked through. When Diana followed, she quickly realized that they were walking out into the library, and that the door was actually hidden behind the grandfather clock that she had noticed one of the times when she was waiting for Bruce. Alfred continued to walk through the library, and out into the hallway. Diana began to wonder where the butler was taking her until he reached the kitchen area and pulled out a tea pot before filling it with water and setting it on the stove. She took a seat at the counter as she watched and waited while Alfred prepared some tea. He apparently was anticipating this was going to be a long conversation from the way he was preparing. Kal eventually walked into the room, and sat down in a chair next to Diana. She refused to look at him though and continued to stare at Alfred. The room was silent for some time until the tea pot began to whistle. It was then that Diana decided that she too would break the silence. "Why?" She asked turning to look into Superman's eyes. "Why did you hide this from me?"
"Its, its complicated Diana." Superman tried to explain. The disapproving look she was giving him told him that his response wasn't good enough. He sighed before continuing. "With Batman, he's very protective of his identity. More so than any other hero I've come across. Had he known at the time that I had x-ray vision, I'd never have known his identity either. In fact, because of me, now his cowl is lined with a layer of lead. I was only trying to respect his wishes, just as he does mine with my identity. He never calls me Clark or Kent unless it's secure and the people that are with us already know the secret."
"But you've shared your secret identity with me, with members of the League." Diana responded. "Hiding such things from teammates is cowardly."
"I think you are mistaken Miss Diana." Alfred said as he placed a cup of tea before her. "Master Bruce may be many things, but one of them is not cowardly."
Diana's eyes blazed with some anger that was growing again. "Then at the very least he is manipulative with others." She fired back. "Especially with me and my feelings. Surely he knew that I would find out eventually about his secret. Why did he reach out to me as Bruce Wayne and befriend me, only to hide the fact that he already knew me, and knew me well."
"If I may miss, I believe he was trying to get to know you." Alfred explained. "It is my belief that he had a desire to know who Wonder Woman really was, and that was something he simply couldn't accomplish as Batman. I assure you that he didn't intend to cause you harm."
"He betrayed my trust." Diana stated. "How could he have believed that he was doing anything to prove otherwise?"
"That my dear is a question which only Master Bruce can answer." Alfred answered.
"Hiding such information is hardly an act of friendship." Diana fired back again. "I don't know what his end goals were, but friendship couldn't have been what it was."
Alfred stiffened for a moment as he pondered how much he should share. "I believe if you look at it from Master Bruce's point of view, then perhaps you would see things differently."
"Then explain it to me Alfred." Diana requested as much as ordered. "I have a right to know after him taking advantage of my feelings of friendship towards him."
Alfred gave Superman a knowing look, and the Man of Steel got up and walked out of the room. Alfred waited for a few moments before reaching out and taking Diana by the hand. He led her back to the library and waited until the secret passage to the cave was shut behind Superman before he walked over in front of the portrait of Thomas and Martha Wayne. He looked up at it for a few moments, almost asking the two people from the painting how best to answer Diana's questions without saying something that would upset Bruce. He knew that after the initial meeting with Diana that Bruce had more than investigative feelings towards the Amazon princess. Alfred could plainly see it in the way that Bruce acted around Diana. Finally he turned towards Diana and took a deep breath. "I'm sure you're aware Miss Diana that Master Bruce is without any extra physical powers?" Diana's nod gave him all the confirmation he needed to continue. "A man in his position must be conscious of the possible consequences of one's actions. Master Bruce has worn some form of the cape and cowl ever since he'd chosen to walk this path. Not only does the mask protect his facial features, but it also offers protection for those he cares about. It offers resistance to any reprisals brought about by knowing Batman, and wishing to bring him down through his loved ones. I believe that Master Bruce cares for you and hid the truth from you as an effort to protect you as well, even though you surely don't need such a thing. It may seem silly to you, but when Master Bruce wishes to protect someone, he will do anything he can to succeed in that endeavor."
"That seems completely unnecessary." Diana stated before walking back into the kitchen and setting her now empty tea cup down and walking out of the kitchen. Alfred sighed as he followed before taking the tea cup and placed it into the dishwasher. He hoped that his descriptions would offer enough information so that Diana would calm enough to give Bruce a chance to perhaps apologize, or at least give his own reasoning in a manner that Diana would find acceptable. Alfred had almost given up on his charge finding happiness until he saw the change in Bruce's body language, even as subtle as it was, he'd seen the lifted weight carried in his surrogate son's steps after spending time with Diana. Alfred knew that she was special, and someone as special as her had the best chance of breaking through the protective walls that Bruce had built around his heart. All the other women that had attempted to reach Bruce's heart had one glaring thing missing. They weren't able to deal with both personas that Bruce took on. They were either wanting the Bat like Selina did, or they were only interested in Bruce Wayne and wanted nothing to do with the Bat side. Talia al Ghul had come closest to accepting both sides, in fact she did accept them both, but she had a poor family tree situation. She was too loyal to her father, and simply wouldn't go against that man's wishes, even if it would be in her best interest to do so. Perhaps this time with Diana would be different. He only hoped that this bridge hadn't already been burnt before anything had come of it at all.
After walking out of the kitchen, Diana didn't want to return to the cave yet so she walked around the Manor for a while looking at all the decorations. When she reached the study, she could see the far wall had a balcony door that was calling for her to step outside. There was still lightning streaking through the night sky as she opened the doors and stepped out onto the balcony. There was a chilling breeze blowing which whipped her hair back and forth as it changed directions, seemingly not being able to decide where it wanted to blow the storm clouds that were circulating in the night sky. The tumultuous weather conditions matched up well with how Diana felt inside. She was still angry with Bruce over his deception. She wouldn't have had an issue with him hiding his secret identity, as he was certainly not the only hero that had held such a standard, but the fact that he'd sought her out as Bruce Wayne was what still troubled her. Bruce was truly her first and for the moment the only friend that she had which was outside the League. And now to find out that he was actually a part of the League the whole time angered her. She didn't like being manipulated like that, and such a manipulation made her wonder what selfish desires that mortal man had for her. It appeared that he was proving her mother's opinion of men to still be accurate.
Rain drops began to fall slowly as Diana looked out to the city lights that illuminated the sky above Gotham City. She wondered for a moment if Bruce spent much time on this balcony just looking out over his city. As Batman he was always so serious and never seemed to rest. She could see why he would stand out here before heading out to protect the civilians within Gotham. It was quite the lovely view, even with the increasing rainfall that was quickly becoming a downpour. She stood out in the rain for a few more moments before finally retreating back indoors. She took a few calming breaths before heading back out and down to the library. She found that Alfred was there waiting for her to head back down to the cave. He gave her the slightest of smiles as she approached, as he was glad that Diana had chosen to stay. She watched as Alfred moved the clock arms to a specific time before pulling down on a small lever off to the left that was reasonably well hidden from view. The grandfather clock slid off to the left, and a steel door behind it repeated that movement before he gestured for her to enter the doorway ahead of him.
Diana felt a chill from the cave air hitting her still rain soaked skin. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she could see that Batgirl was still working feverishly at the super computer while Superman was discussing something with Dr. Tompkins off to the side from where Bruce remained. Diana walked back over to Bruce and looked him over with a less angered mind. She didn't particularly like seeing him in this fashion. His arms and legs were strapped to the table, and she could tell that he was heavily bandaged on his backside. There were bruises everywhere on his body and face. The man looked like he'd been through a war by himself. Then Diana noticed some old scars on his body and began to look him over a little more closely and curiously. She could make out numerous scars all over from stab wounds, gun shots, animal bites, and other jagged scars that were likely from shrapnel. She began to wonder just how much pain this one man had taken over the years, and why he felt compelled to put himself through so much. She noticed how well sculpted his body was. There didn't appear to be an ounce of fat on him. He'd obviously worked very hard to maintain such a wonderful physique. She reached her hand out and traced a jagged scar that started on one shoulder and ran down to his chest when Alfred approached her from behind. "Ah yes, that was a particularly nasty cut that Master Bruce endured." Alfred said as he noticed the scar that Diana was tracing.
"How did he get it?" Diana asked.
"An arsonist had been setting fires to apartment complexes, and Master Bruce went in to save a family that had become trapped inside. A beam struck him on the shoulder and pinned him underneath it. He was unable to lift it off from the weight, but was able to slide it off of him. He had only saved the children by that time, and the mother was still inside. Master Bruce believed the cut was worth the risk of saving the children's mother from a dire situation."
"Why does he put himself through this Alfred?" Diana asked again as she turned to the butler standing next to her. "He's just a normal man."
Alfred turned and gave Diana a glance that seemed to be disappointed. "Master Bruce may be many things Miss Diana, but normal is not a word that I believe would come to mind." Alfred responded. "Yes, Master Bruce doesn't have any form of super powers, but he has many attributes that other heroes simply do not possess."
"Such as?" Diana coaxed.
"Such as his indomitable will." Alfred answered. "I've never seen any man, woman, or child that possesses a will to match Master Bruce's, super powered Meta human or not. I wouldn't be surprised if we will have to keep him chained to a bed in order to prevent Master Bruce from heading out in search of the man responsible for his current condition, simply because of what that man did to his son."
"Nightwing?" Diana asked. Alfred merely nodded his head in response. "Bruce fought the same man that beat Nightwing so severely?"
"Never underestimate the abilities of one whose family are harmed." Alfred explained. "Especially someone such as Master Bruce."
Diana turned her gaze back onto the man resting in front of her and began to think back to what she believed she knew about the man before this latest discovery. She searched her memories trying to find comparisons between Bruce as the man, and Bruce as Batman. There were some similarities to be found even though the man did make an effort of hiding common ground between the two personas from public eye. It now made sense to her as to why the tabloids all thought Bruce to be a playboy. The Batman seemed to hold no interest in romance whatsoever. The more that she thought things through, the more her anger towards him lessened. She was now willing to listen to Bruce explain what he planned to do with attempting to gain her friendship. She stopped tracing scars of Bruce's chest and walked around the medical bed to a chair where she took a seat next to him. She would respect his wishes and stay there with him until he woke up.
After a couple hours, Dr. Leslie retreated up to the Manor for some much needed rest. She wouldn't go any farther than that away from Bruce though as she wanted to check on him as soon as he was awake so that she would know the extent of his injuries. Her only order for those that remained was to make certain that the cold therapy was continued. She didn't want any swelling to cause further harm if it was avoidable. Batgirl was the next to give in to the need for slumber as she worked and worked until she had nothing left to give. When her head dropped to the keyboard for the third time, she'd finally given in and headed up to check on Nightwing before calling it a night. Superman left to return to Metropolis as he had to head in to the Daily Planet so that he could keep a better eye on the news releases about Batman's condition. Even though the man was thought to be a myth, still, stories about him falling would run like wildfire if anything got loose. That left Alfred and Diana with Bruce. Alfred held the same concerned face as he watched over Bruce. Diana took in the look on Alfred's face and quickly realized that he wasn't just Bruce's butler, but more of a concerned parent. Diana meanwhile wanted to keep to Bruce's wish, so she fought off her tired state by occasionally standing and walking around the Batcave. She reviewed a different trophy from Batman's many battles, and found the training area as well as the locker area which housed older versions of the Batsuit. She was amazed by the amount of improvements that Bruce had made as he progressed through time with added technology and safety equipment. The first iteration of the Batsuit was not much more than a nomex and Kevlar weave with reinforced Kevlar plating underneath. His latest version seemed much more like armor on the outside, and looked a little more sleek in design. Even the cowl seemed to have been upgraded throughout time.
When Diana finished looking through the Batsuit history she returned to her seat next to Bruce. Her return was enough to cause Alfred to jump as he was also beginning to lose his fight with exhaustion. "I can watch him for a while Alfred if you'd like to get some rest." Diana offered.
Alfred stood to work out some of the kinks his body needed worked out from sitting in an uncomfortable position for so long. "I appreciate the offer Miss Diana, but perhaps I'll just return to the Manor in order to brew some coffee." He responded. "Would you care for a cup Miss?"
"That sounds wonderful Alfred, thank you." Diana answered. She watched as Alfred maintained his perfect posture while exiting the cave before she once again turned to look at Bruce. She leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees as she watched the man's chest rise and fall. She wondered for a moment how long it would be before Bruce came to, and what condition he would be in when he did wake. Wanting to focus her mind elsewhere, she again looked around the cave, and thought about going to the training area for a workout once Alfred returned with some caffeine. Her thoughts were interrupted though from a soft moan that came from the man laying before her. Diana stood immediately and moved closer to where she was looking directly at his face. She wanted to be prepared to move in case he was able to move his limbs and tried to get up, which could potentially make things much worse for him. She watched as Bruce's eyelids began to flutter and shake as though they were struggling to open up. Another soft moan escaped his mouth, and Diana wanted to make sure that he was calm, but she wasn't sure if she should just let him come to naturally or try to coax him into opening his eyes. Another moan caused her to make her choice. "It's alright Bruce." She said softly. "You're safe."
Bruce finally began to open his eyes as he looked over at the face just above him. His vision was blurry and he couldn't make out who it was standing before him, but he heard her voice as she spoke to him. It was a sweet voice that he knew right away, and though he wouldn't admit it, a voice that he enjoyed hearing first over anyone else's. Bruce opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He blinked his eyes a few times as he tried to focus his vision on her face and clear the blurriness. Diana saw all of this happening and she took her right hand to cup it around Bruce's left cheek. "Stay still Bruce." She said. "You are home and safe. No one here will harm you."
Bruce went to reach his left hand up to place it on Diana's right hand that still was holding Bruce's cheek. When his hand never reached that destination, he quickly snapped wide awake. "What…What's going on?" He asked worriedly.
"You were beaten in battle and received some serious injuries Bruce." Diana answered.
"Why can't I…" He began to ask when he suddenly stopped. Then it registered. He'd been involved in a battle, and Diana just called him Bruce. In fact, her hand was touching higher on his face than it should have been able to if the cowl was still on his face. "You know?" He asked the silly question that required no answer because the answer was obvious.
"Yes Bruce, I know." She answered anyways. "I know that you're Batman."
"I didn't mean for you to find out like this." Bruce said as he closed his eyes tightly. He tried to move his legs and arms, but he could tell that nothing was happening. He sighed in frustration before opening them back up to look back into Diana's face. He didn't want to tell her what he realized.
"There will be a time to discuss that later." Diana said. "Right now we need to know about the man that did this to you."
Bruce closed his eyes trying to think. As things came back to him, he shared them with her. "It….it was the same man that attacked Nightwing." He started. After a couple of deep breaths his eyes shot open. "His name is Bane. He was hired by Ra's al Ghul to keep me out of the way. Ra's has to have something planned."
"Perhaps it was this Ra's al Ghul that discovered a means of forcing tectonic plates to move. We think that was the cause of all the volcanic activity." Diana suggested.
"If you stopped it in one night, then that can't be the sum of his plans." Bruce stated as an expression of anger began to form on his face. "If he wanted me out of the way for a long period of time, then he has to have something more up his sleeve. I'll need to…." Bruce trailed off and went silent.
"You'll need to what?" Diana asked. She could see the facial expression change from anger to an almost resignation.
"The League will need to investigate further." Bruce said quietly. "I can't help with this anymore."
"Why Bruce?" Diana asked. "You're still an important piece of the League."
"Because…." Bruce started before once again closing his eyes and taking some deep breaths.
"Because why Bruce?" Diana asked again.
"Because I can't feel my arms and legs!" Bruce shouted. "I'm paralyzed Diana. I'm no good for the League or Gotham anymore."
"Bruce, you don't know if this is permanent." Diana said as she tried to calm him down. "Kal said that your spinal cord wasn't severed so there's still hope that you can recover from this."
"I just…..need some time Diana." Bruce choked out. "Please. I need some time to think."
Diana wasn't sure what to say. She knew that Bruce was upset, but she didn't want to leave him like that. "I'll be just outside for a few minutes." She said as she chose to give him some space for a few minutes. He was lucid and aware of his situation, and since he couldn't use his arms and legs, there was no need to worry much about causing further harm to himself by trying to stand on his own. She walked slowly up the stairs and couldn't help but hear him as he sobbed slightly before choking out in a very quiet voice. "I tried. I'm sorry." Diana paused at hearing that, wondering who he was apologizing to before she entered the same codes that she'd seen Alfred enter earlier when he showed her up to the Manor before. She took a deep breath and wiped away the single tear that built up and managed to escape her eyes before stepping through the door to give Bruce his time that he'd asked for.