Summary: (BM/WW Wedding-fic) When Batman finally gathers the courage to ask Wonder Woman to marry him, the Dark Knight gets more than he bargained for when the entire League decided to pitch in and help plan their impending nuptials – contains fluff, random humour, a temperamental Amazon princess, drunken bachelor-party escapades, and various attempts on Superman's life!
A/N: Hi! I'll save my long winding spiel for the end notes, for now, enjoy! This one's a-dozy!
Disclaimer: The Justice League is the property of DC Comics.
Bridezillas & Kryptonite
~Chapter Fourteen~
Trails, Visions & Small Shows of Acceptances
When Bruce drifted back to the land of the conscious early that next morning, he was vaguely aware of something somewhat damp on his face. Still half-asleep, he disregarded the odd, almost wet feeling on his chin until, more oddly still he heard a low-pitched whine and something cold being pressed against his cheek.
Caught by surprise, when he opened his eyes, he froze when he opened his eyes only to be met with a pair of large brown ones and a shiny black nose as, mysteriously, he had a brown Labrador puppy perched on his chest.
At his side, he stirred Diana from her sleep with a gentle nudge to her side.
Groaning a little, the Amazon reluctantly opened her eyes. "Mmm…?"
"Diana," he began carefully. "When did we get a dog?"
Blinking at him uncomprehendingly for a few moments, when she saw the odd sight, a laugh escaped her.
"I almost forgot about him." She admitted, smiling a little sheepishly.
Bruce meanwhile was having a mild stare-down with the pup – it met his gaze, languidly wagging its tail but was otherwise undaunted.
"Exactly who is 'he' to begin with?" he asked, turning his head slightly before the pup nosed him in the cheek again.
Diana sat up and scooped the small animal into her arms as Bruce sat up himself and wiped his face with the back of his hand.
"Shayera gave him to me."
"And where did she get a Labrador retriever?" Bruce asked, arching an eyebrow.
"She won him in a poker game with a dog-breeder from South Gotham last night." She said while stroking the pup's soft head.
Bruce groaned as he sank back again. "Of course she did…"
Diana burst out laughing when the pup escaped her arms and leapt onto Bruce's chest again with a small thump. He glared at it only to be rewarded with a lick in the face.
"It seems you've made a new friend." She teased.
Bruce gave her a pointed look. "It's far too early for this." He said. "What time is it?"
"Dawn… though if you are wondering, I doubt my mother or any of my sisters will be up before noon."
"Cold comfort, Princess," Bruce said grimly. "I'm still going to have to fight something before the day ends, aren't I?
Diana bit her lip. "I'm not sure…" she admitted quietly. "Mother didn't exactly elaborate her decision yesterday, so this challenge she spoke of could be anything."
"Alright…" Bruce said before picking the pup up and deposited it onto the floor next to the bed. "That settles it then."
"Bru-?"
The next moment, Diana found herself pinned to the mattress with Bruce's mouth pressed firmly against hers.
Diana's eyes fluttered closed and for a moment, she swore they had rolled to the back of her skull when he started laying a trail of kisses down her neck.
She let out a sigh before she could help it, and when he kissed her lips again, she laced her fingers in his hair, arching her back so that she could press her body closer to his.
Several toe-curling, butterfly-inducing moments later, having been thoroughly kissed to the point of breathlessness, Bruce pulled back, looking straight into her eyes and in utter seriousness stated, "We're eloping."
Still breathless, when he said this, Diana blinked at him uncomprehendingly. "What…?"
"We could go anywhere you want," he said in a voice that did strange, wonderful things to her insides. "I could call for my private plane, and we can leave in an hour."
"What about the wed…ding…" she asked, her words dying on her lips when she felt his hand trailing from her side down and his lips skimming her jaw.
"We'd still be getting married… just somewhere else," he said smoothly, tracing patterns with thumb on her hip, sending electric pulses across her skin.
He was playing dirty… very dirty – trying to manipulate the situation, no doubt, even if it took Diana several glorious moments to fully realize this (and several more to really care about it).
It took a fair amount of reluctant effort before Diana lightly pushed Bruce away, "You can't be serious," she said, her voice coming out just a little too breathless to sound wholly serious herself.
He looked her straight in the eyes. "I'm perfectly serious, Princess. Hell, I'd settle for Las Vegas if you wanted to go there." He said, nose cringing a little in distaste at the prospect.
She gave him a sharp look, despite the amused twitch on her lips. "What about the others?"
"What about the others?"
"Bruce, it wouldn't be fair," she said almost sternly, "What about Dick and Tim and Jason, or my sister, or any of our friends? You know Kal and Shayera would be heartbroken if we did that. Oh, and I'm not even going to mention how Alfred would react…" she trailed-off.
Bruce narrowed his eyes. "You're playing dirty." He accused.
"Good, in that case we're even." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck, twirling a lock of his hair around her finger absentmindedly. "I never imagined you would run away from a challenge."
"I'm not, but I'd like to be married to you at least before your mother kills me."
Diana rolled her eyes, the fluttering butterflies in her stomach ignored for the moment. "She is not going to kill you."
"She looked willing enough a few hours ago." He said dryly.
"She was in shock," Diana said.
"And you were upset." He reminded her.
"Bruce, I'm a fully-grown woman,"
"You're also carrying my child,"
Diana sighed. "This is going nowhere."
"We could be…" he muttered, receiving a sharp look from Diana. "Nobody would notice, you know… for another five to six hours at least."
Diana cut him off by pulling him to her for another kiss, and when they pulled apart several moments later, she stroked his cheek.
"We're not eloping." She said before smiling slyly. "Besides, I can think of a much better way the both of us can spend at least two or three of those five to six hours…"
A knowing smirk tugged at Bruce's lips, but before anything could happen, the both of them heard a faint whining and scratching.
When he looked, Bruce groaned when he saw the pup sitting next to the bed, looking utterly sorry for itself, staring up at him with large brown eyes.
"Hold that thought, Princess." He said, getting out of bed and picked the pup up.
Diana sat up and watched in amusement as he promptly walked over to the door and put it down, looking at it sternly.
"Stay." he commanded.
Much to her surprise, the pup obeyed and sat down. It tilted its head slightly but didn't move.
When Bruce closed the door and walked back to the bed, he paused when he saw the look on her face.
"What?"
Diana could only shake her head before reached up and grabbed a handful of his nightshirt and dragged him down.
Much Later…
It was a little before noon and the atmosphere within the kitchen was oddly both still drowsy and tense – Alfred could only watch as, sitting at the table, Dick, Jason, Tim and Donna were discussing current events in rather subdued voices.
"So…" Jason trailed off. "All that stuff about Bruce having a kid… that's true? And you guys knew about it?"
"Sorry, Jaybird," Dick said apologetically. "We would have told you, but we thought Bruce would have liked to tell you himself."
Jason waved this away. "Nah, that's fine, Grayson, I guess I should have picked up on it sooner… it just sort of sucks that I've been living here for two weeks and I'm the last guy to find out."
"I know how you feel, and I'm Diana's sister." Donna agreed. "But, if it's any conciliation, Bruce is about to go up against my mother."
Jason snorted lightly. "No offence, babe, but I'm pretty sure the old man's fought a few Amazons before."
"Perhaps, but he's never had to fight the women whose daughter he got pregnant... and don't call me 'babe'." She added crossly.
"…If you put it like that," Jason said before smirking. "And… no – c'mon, it's our thing."
She glared at him. "We have no 'thing' other than whatever is happening inside that twisted little mind of yours."
A faraway look entered Jason's eyes before Dick reached over and smacked him lightly in the back of his head.
Donna gave him a grateful look. "Thank you."
Jason rubbed his head and muttered an oath under his breath.
A little while later, when Bruce and Diana finally came down, it was just before noon – with pup in tow after them, they went into the kitchen.
"Master Bruce, Miss Diana, good afternoon," Alfred spoke up when they entered.
An awkward kind of silence fell over the table… that is, until the pup made itself known and barked.
Alfred blinked before smiling slightly. "Master Bruce… I'm not sure if you've noticed this, but it seems you have a new shadow following you about."
"Trust me, I noticed," Bruce said dryly, giving the pup a look as it sat by his feet. It looked up at him, tongue lolling out of the side of its mouth, its tail thumping, apparently just happy to be there.
Dick stood up from the table and ducked down and picked the small animal up. "Where'd this little guy come from?"
"Shayera supposedly gave him to me, but it seems like he's taken quite the liking to Bruce." Diana said, amused.
"We're not keeping him." Bruce said, deadpan.
"Why not?" Tim asked, getting out of his chair as well and went over to pat the dog.
"Bruce is just frustrated because he couldn't figure out how Harry got into the bedroom again." Diana said, making Bruce glare at her slightly. She squeezed his hand in return before going over and sat next to Donna.
"Harry?" Jason questioned. "As in…?"
"Houdini – it seems we have a little escape artist on our hands." She explained, smiling.
"Not for much longer…" Bruce muttered, and more firmly, "We're still not keeping him.
"Oh, c'mon, Bruce, it's not like this house isn't big enough." Dick reasoned, grinning broadly when the pup, Harry, nosed him affectionately in his cheek. "And look at him, he's adorable."
Bruce arched an eyebrow. "If you can housetrain him he can stay, until then, it's not happening."
"Coffee, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked offside, rather amused himself.
"Yes, please, Alfred." The billionaire said and took his seat next to Diana.
Dick seemed to consider this and nodded. "Okay, deal."
Conversation slowly started up again around the table, and as Dick started coming up with ideas how he was going to train Harry while Jason offered commentary and Tim and Alfred shake their heads and smile, Donna turned to Diana with a small, concerned frown.
(I'm surprised the two of you are still here,) Donna said in Greek in a low voice as to not draw attention to them.
Diana smiled wryly. (So am I – if Bruce had his way we would have probably been halfway to Las Vegas right now.)
Out of the corner of her eye, Diana noticed Bruce watching them discreetly as he drank his coffee. She gave his hand another reassuring squeeze before turning back to her sister.
Donna blinked, surprised, (Really…?)
(Or Italy… or Spain… or Hawaii,) she said and rolled her eyes and smiled affectionately. (Honestly, that man… though, I don't think I can truly blame him.)
Donna's eyebrows furrowed together. (I suppose not… how about you, sister? How are you feeling?)
Diana sighed softly. (These 'trails' Mother has planned… they worry me.)
(I doubt Mother intends to hurt Bruce…) she said before seeing the look on Diana's face, (…much…) she amended. (She said so herself, she merely wants to test him.)
(But to what extent…?)
Donna hesitated. (I'm afraid I don't know. But that's not what I meant when I asked how you were feeling.)
Diana perked up a little. (I feel well… all things considered – the nausea has now passed at least.)
(And… the baby?)
(She's well.)
Donna's eyes lit up, (She?)
Diana's expression turned tender as she nodded.
(Dear Hera… so it's true… I'm going to be an aunt.) Donna muttered in astonishment. (…Why didn't you tell me?)
(I wanted to surprise you later this week… but it seems the Fates had conspired against me.) Diana said with another sigh.
(It doesn't matter, sister… if this is what you want then I will stand with you… and my niece.)
Unable to help herself, Diana had to blink away the tears before they spilled over her cheek as she reached over and gripped her sister's hand in her free hand.
(Thank you.)
Dick must have noticed this and blinked at her. "Are you okay?" he asked, slightly alarmed.
Diana let out a laugh and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Oh, it's nothing – hormones. It seems I can't control my emotions now." She said lightly.
Alfred came over and offered her a white handkerchief.
"Thank you, Alfred."
"Hey, what were you guys talking about just now?" Tim asked curiously.
"Girl problems, regular stuff," Donna answered nonchalantly and Diana wiped her eyes, "Nothing special, Timmy." She said, smiling at him.
Bruce seemed to know better, and taking Diana's hand, lifting it to his lips, he kissed it.
(You worry too much, Princess.) He said, speaking flawlessly making Diana beam at him.
Donna stared at him in surprise. (He speaks Greek?) She then shook her head, (No, never mind, of course he does.
(Well… I may have taught him one or two things…) Diana trailed-off, smiling.
(Some of which had nothing to do with the language…) Bruce whispered in her ear, smirking when Diana's face flushed slightly and she smacked his upper arm.
This earned him a few amused looks around the table… not that he cared much.
"Girl problems, Bruce…?" Jason asked innocently, making Tim and Dick snigger.
"No, what makes you say that?" Bruce asked dryly.
"Oh, I don't know, between a whole island of Amazons probably hating your guts right now and your future mother-in-law out for your blood… probably with a large sword, is getting on Wonder Woman's bad side really the smartest thing to do right now?"
Bruce shrugged. "I've faced worse."
Diana arched an eyebrow. "Oh really…?"
At this, Alfred disguised his laugh as a cough at the momentary flicker of alarm on Bruce's face.
Dick was openly laughing now. "Looks like we finally found out what you're afraid of, Bruce."
"Yeah, well from what I heard, after the whole cake incident, I guess Diana can be pretty scary if she wants to be." Tim allowed, sniggering again.
Bruce muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "You have no idea," before Diana leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"And don't you forget it," she teased, all apparently forgiven again.
However… before anything else could have been said or done, there was a soft knock, and when they looked, they saw a bleary-eyed, nervous looking Alexia standing at the door.
"I'm sorry for interrupting," she said in a voice that was softer than usual. She then looked at Bruce, "…but the Queen has requested your presence."
The conversation was effectively ruined after that.
Outside…
…As Diana had predicted, most of the Amazons had only risen from their alcohol-induced mini-comas barely an hour ago and looked a little greener than what was probably normal… and yet, as Bruce and the others, they still somehow managed to look somewhat intimidating as they stood with their backs straight (…ish) and their weapons in hand, forming a aisle that lead to the Queen's tent.
When they reached the largest tent, they were met with a rather pale Phillipus first.
"The Queen will be out momentarily," she said in a subdued kind of voice, looking solemn.
"Phillipus," Diana said quietly, "Has my mother… spoken to you, at all since last night…?"
"I'm afraid not, Princess," Phillipus admitted, before sheepishly adding, "Or, at least, not that I was aware of…"
Diana nodded, frowning.
She felt a squeeze on her hand, and when she turned her head, she saw Bruce give her a reassuring look which she returned weakly.
Shortly after that, Hippolyta stepped out of her tent, dressed in golden armour and coupled with a flowing, blood red cape, looking every bit the Queen of the Amazons… only, by the look of the sword attached to her belt and the steely look in her eyes, ready to do some serious damage. Out of all the Amazons, she seemed the least affected by the previous night's celebrations.
A hush fell over the small camp as Hippolyta's cool gaze fell on Bruce… who was feeling somewhat, okay, seriously underdressed as he wore only a buttoned-up shirt and slacks.
"You're here," the Queen stated in a calm yet cold voice. "Good. Follow me."
"Mother," Diana spoke up, "Shouldn't Bruce have time to prepare?" she asked, giving her mother a meaningful look at the last word.
"There will be no need for that, Diana," her mother said, barely acknowledging her. "He will not be tested without some aid to assist him."
"So are you going to tell me how I'm going to be tested?" Bruce asked in a deceptively calm voice of his own.
Hippolyta's eyes narrowed. "I will reveal that in private, but you will have to follow me."
Diana's grip on Bruce's hand tightened. "Bruce…"
Bruce turned to her. "I'll be fine, Princess." He said, looking at her straight in the eyes.
"I hope so."
Taking her by surprise, Bruce then pulled her body against his as he kissed her passionately. The corners of his mouth curled up when he peeked through his eyelashes and saw something within Hippolyta's eyes detonate – her mouth twitched in agitation as her hand clutched at the handle of her sword with barely restrained anger.
Meanwhile, standing on the sidelines, Tim turned to his older brothers.
"Is… Is he doing that on purpose?" he asked, astonished.
Dick nodded, watching the whole scene with amusement, "Probably."
"He does know he's just pissing her off even more, right?"
Jason sniggered, "Oh yeah…"
Tim blinked. "Okay… just so we're on the same page here."
Disregarding the fact that they had a rather large audience, Diana responded with a soft sigh and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
When they pulled away, Diana flushed pink before taking a reluctant stepped away, detangling herself from him in an attempt to regain some composure.
"Don't do anything too reckless." She said in a husky voice.
Bruce smirked. "No promises there, Princess…" He said and stepped away himself, turning around before walking up to a silently fuming Hippolyta.
The Queen regarded him icily for a moment before turning on her heels and marched off to the east side of the gardens with Bruce following after her.
She led him to the more secluded part of the gardens that was obscured by tall willow trees. Hippolyta then made them climb a small hill, but when Bruce looked up, he tensed when he saw a man standing there, obviously waiting for them.
But, just by looking at him, Bruce could tell he wasn't an ordinary man. He was slim and stood tall, he wore a white toga-like garb that seemed to shine on its own even in the shade, a slender staff coupled to his belt, and a winged-helmet – the golden sandals he wore had wings on them as well, and every once so often, it seemed like they twitched and furled on their own right.
When Hippolyta reached the man, she gave a respectful bow and lowered her head. "My Lord Hermes." She said in a gracious tone.
The god smiled down indulgently at the Amazon Queen before his swift eyes turned to Bruce.
"Is this the mortal you spoke about, Queen Hippolyta?"
Hippolyta nodded. "He is."
The Messenger grinned. "I see…" he said, looking at Bruce with open intrigue.
Bruce turned to Hippolyta.
"You called on your gods?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"You'll find that where my daughter is concerned, the gods will always take interest – I asked for their guidance on ways to test you, and they gave me an answer as to how."
Bruce narrowed his eyes. "I want him," he said, pointing at Hermes, "out of my city."
Hippolyta looked scandalized. "You arrogant mortal, do you even have the slightest idea who you are speaking about!?"
"I've read the Odyssey and the Iliad, I know exactly who he is and I don't care," Bruce said in a final sort of way, "I have my hands full enough dealing with regular psychopaths on a nightly basis, the last thing I need is your gods in Gotham."
Instead of looking offended, Hermes chuckled. "I don't know why you dislike him so, Hippolyta," he said lightly, "This one has spirit – I can see why Diana would choose him, he seems… interesting."
Hermes shrugged and changed the subject. "However, we are wasting time – Hippolyta, if you are ready?"
The Queen nodded stiffly.
Hermes then took his staff and with a lazy flick of his wrist, they simply vanished into thin air.
When Bruce looked again, they weren't in the gardens of the Manor anymore. Instead, they were standing at the edge of a very large, empty arena of sorts – looking up, instead of seeing the bright blue midday sky a million stars were dotted against a midnight sky like they were painted there.
…And when he looked down and at himself, he found that he was in his Batsuit, everything down to his cape, cowl and belt just as he had left it in its locked, reinforced chamber down in the Batcave.
He opened his mouth, but thought better of it before looking at Hippolyta, raising an eyebrow.
The Queen stared back unfazed while Hermes, standing slightly apart from the two of them, chuckled again softly.
"Where are we?" Bruce asked finally.
"This is a realm of trails – it has no real name and has no true shape as it changes when those who are being challenged enter." She said.
"So what am I supposed to do?"
"It's simple enough; you will be given three trials." She said. "I have heard of your stealth abilities, Dark Knight, and for this first challenge, I suggest you to rely on those abilities to make it to the other side of this arena.
"The area will change as soon as you step across that line," Hippolyta continued, gesturing at a line drawn just a few feet from where Bruce was standing. "One more thing, if you choose to disregard my advice and decide to stomp your way through your challenge like a brute, so be it, but know that you will not be alone."
Bruce snorted lightly. "Thanks." He said, squaring his shoulders before walking over to the line. He paused for a moment, but shook off the nagging feeling that Hippolyta was not telling him everything and stepped over it.
Gradually, as he walked on, grass grew underneath his boots and exotic looking trees sprouted and grew to enormous sizes with every step he took.
Not even two minutes later, Bruce was standing in the middle of a tropical jungle.
He stopped walking and looked over his shoulder – Hippolyta and Hermes were no longer there, but as he stood there, he felt the unnerving sensation that he was being watched. What also struck him as odd was how quiet it was, unnaturally so… that is, until he heard the sound of a bird singing.
Looking up, he saw a large bird with usually bright silver-grey feathers sitting on a branch just above him.
But, as Bruce stared at the bird for a few moments, just as he was about to go on his way again, there was a sharp whoosh that suddenly flew past his head, and when he looked, he saw an arrow sticking in the tree.
Slowly, he turned his head and saw a savage-looking woman who seemed to be made purely out of silver – her hair was as white as pure moonlight, she was barefoot, her clothes were made out of different animal skins and she had a single blood red feather braided into her hair and fell at the side of her face.
She had a silver bow and arrow in her hands and had it trained on Bruce.
"You missed." He said, deadpan.
"That was just a warning shot, mortal," she said smoothly. "The only one you will get from me."
"You're Artemis, I presume?" Bruce asked slowly, his hand inclining towards his belt as a precaution.
The goddess of the moon and hunt smiled a toothy, predatory kind of smile. "What gave it away?"
"A lucky guess?"
Her laugh sounded like birdsong. "Oh, and he's amusing too. I do hope your talents were not exaggerated, or else hunting you will be significantly less entertaining."
"If you're hunting me, why are we talking right now?"
Artemis shrugged. "As of this moment, I'm giving you a five minute head start." She said matter-of-factly, straightening up, lowering her bow – she towered over Bruce and had to look down at him. "So, if I were you, I would start running, little bat – fly away if you can."
"Is that going to help?"
Artemis's smile grew broader. "Perhaps not, but it does seem like the sporting thing to do, doesn't it?"
Bruce was no fool – taking the goddess's advice, he turned and ran.
At that point, as he waited within the shade of the trees, Bruce was seriously reconsidering his whole 'no killing' policy, passing the time he was waiting for Artemis to pass underneath the trees imagining strapping Hippolyta onto a very large firecracker, lighting the match before taking Diana in his arms, dipping her like they did in the movies and kissed her senseless as the sky burst into a euphoria of colours…
…And since, coincidentally enough, Bruce was in charge of overseeing the entertainment at the wedding, he was already mentally arguing the pros and cons of fireworks.
Surely Diana would forgive him eventually if he acted out on his fantasy… she was a reasonable woman after all…
He heard footsteps, and pushing aside thoughts of his mother-in-law's Disney-esque death by firework for the moment, Bruce focused on the challenge in front of him.
He used the five minutes Artemis had given him to put some distance between himself and the goddess – he need to be smart and there was no doubt that he was the best at being stealthy, but Artemis's senses were, like most of the gods, on par with that of Superman's… or better.
He spotted the moon goddess and kept as still as if he were frozen.
She didn't look up, good, he thought, watching as she moved through the underbrush like some exotic wild cat. As long as he kept perfectly still…
Then he heard it again – the bird, the same bird as before.
As if understanding the bird's song as some sort of alert (which she most likely did), Artemis looked straight at him.
Damn.
Bruce cursed under his breath, launching himself out of the tree and onto the next, barely avoiding getting skewered.
Catching hold of a large branch as he fell, he stuck his landing and ran, ducking behind trees in avoidance as arrow after arrow missing him by inches, tearing holes in his cape and actually scraping his armor.
"You are only halfway to your goal, little bat," the goddess of the moon practically sang. "But can you keep this up?"
Deciding to take the offensive, as Artemis took time to reach for another arrow he came out from behind the tree and three batarangs in each hand, throwing them at her.
Admittedly, throwing a couple of metal disks at a goddess was as useful as, say, poking Killer Croc with a pointy stick and probably just as smart, but, as Artemis was temporarily distracted, he threw a handful of smoke pellets on the ground and disappeared into the trees as the whole area was effectively blanketed in a thick smoke.
Again, he waited as the goddess coughed and spluttered and coughed nearby – she actually growled under her breath when some of the smoke finally cleared before stalking off in the opposite direction.
When she was some way away, he dropped down onto the ground again and surveyed the still smoky area with narrowed eyes before moving on.
He was close – the trees were starting to thin out ahead of him and in the distance, he could have sworn he saw the golden glint of Hippolyta's armor.
But, just as he was out of the woods (literally), he heard another sharp whoosh followed by a blinding pain shooting through his shoulder.
The grunt of pain slipped from his lips before he could stop himself, and the next thing he knew, he was on one knee, an arrow somehow having pierced his cape and armor and was stuck deep into his shoulder.
He didn't hear Artemis even approach him, and when he eventually did notice the goddess's presence, she grabbed him around his neck and lifted him off of the ground.
"Silly little bat," she said smugly. "Did you really think you could get away from me using a little smoke?"
"It… was… worth a… shot," Bruce managed to say through his windpipe getting crushed slowly.
"Oh? But do tell me, was that really all you have to offer? I have to say, I'm rather disappointed."
"Don't be…" he said before grabbing her by the shoulders and head-butted her.
While this didn't exactly harm Artemis, while he simultaneously gave himself a rather large headache, his unexpected move surprised the goddess long enough for her to let go of his neck and for him to get away.
Bruce doubted he had ever run so fast in his life, and when Artemis recovered she took to shooting more arrows at him meaning he had to avoid those too, but, when the trees got fewer and fewer until there was none at all, he could see Hippolyta clearly.
Reaching the Queen, he then noticed the arrows had stopped, and when he looked over his shoulder, he saw Artemis standing at the edge of the forest, the silver bird from before on her shoulder, looking oddly satisfied as she smiled at him toothily.
With a single, approving nod from the goddess, she then stepped back into the shade of the trees and seemed to vanish from sight.
Slightly bewildered, Bruce then turned his attention to the arrow sticking out of his shoulder – gritting his teeth, he yanked it out, the pained noise getting stuck in the back of his throat.
All the while as he did this, Hippolyta watched him with an unreadable expression.
Bruce clutched at his shoulder, but straightened up as he looked back at the Queen.
"What's next?"
Hippolyta could only stare at the mortal man in front of her, and though she was still furious with him, she couldn't help but be impressed all the same – the goddess of hunt had, in a simple gesture, shown her approval, something the Queen had not seen only a handful before.
Bruce stared back, and while the whites of his cowl betrayed nothing, his mouth was set in a firm, determined line.
"In your next test, I want you to fight," she said evenly, and as she did, the area slowly transformed – the forest behind them faded away completely as the arena seemed to shrink on itself, becoming smaller and smaller.
Lines were magically drawn in the sand in a circle as a wooden weapons rack then appeared on the outskirts and Hippolyta walked over to it, taking a sword.
"Who?" Bruce asked.
Hippolyta smiled somewhat dryly before throwing Bruce the sword, which he caught in one hand.
The Queen removed the crimson cape around her shoulders and let it drop on the ground, rolling her shoulders casually and turned to face him before unsheathing the sword at her side and lowering in a distinctively aggressive stance.
"Me."
She wasn't kidding, Bruce realized after the surprise had abated somewhat.
"I'm not going to fight you," he said firmly.
Hippolyta cocked an eyebrow. "Oh and why is that?" she asked dauntingly. "Is it because I am a woman? Is it because I am Diana's mother? What part of 3000-year-old Warrior Queen of the Amazons is it that you do not understand?"
"It's none of that," well… partly, anyway.
"Then what excuse could you have? I have issued my challenge, either you accept or your impending wedding is no more." She said matter-of-factly. "The decision is yours, Dark Knight."
That was it… Screw it – he was going for it.
Faced with little other choice, Bruce mimicked Hippolyta, throwing the sword in the sand before taking off his cape as well.
He then took off his belt and tossed it aside on top of the heap his cape made, and after a moment of hesitation, decided to pull back his cowl before taking up the sword again.
"What are the rules?" he asked quietly.
"Since I doubt Diana would forgive me if I killed you, we will not be fighting to hurt each other… much," she said and paused for a moment, "No… the rules are fairly simple, we will fight until one of us has disarmed the other. Because we are both wearing armor, these swords shouldn't do any lasting damages to us… Now, I trust you are adept at swordplay?"
Bruce narrowed his eyes and nodded. He was suspicious – it couldn't have been that simple.
His body tensed as he noticed the Queen's grip on her sword tighten.
Hippolyta nodded once herself. "Good."
Just as he anticipated, Hippolyta came at him, and while he was prepared for her swing, he for a split second, the strength that went into it left him nearly breathless, staggering slightly as he'd just barely managed to block the blow as it came down over his head.
But he didn't have time to dwell on it. He parried the blow and struck one of his own.
CLANG!
Hippolyta blocked it easily. "Not bad," the Queen commented.
CLANG!
She struck again, this time attempting to catch him on his side.
"I've seen better though," she admitted nonchalantly.
Bruce rolled his eyes. "Don't hold back now," he said sarcastically.
CLANG!
CLANG!
Their swords met halfway, their faces a foot apart from each other.
"I don't intend to." She said and unexpectedly, when she deflected another strike, brought her knee up and slammed it into his stomach, making him stagger back once more.
She'd winded him and would probably have done worse if it wasn't for his armor as it was obvious she had used a fair amount of her strength. Bruce didn't have a chance to linger on it, and just as Hippolyta took another swing at him, he cut her off as he caught the blade between the hooks of his gauntlet.
For exactly ten minutes, the two of them sparred and fought without end, and between the continuous clangs that echoed across the eerily empty arena, multiple jabs and hits were exchanged while there was no lack in verbal barbs on the Queen's side either.
But, while Hippolyta had years (and years) of experience using her sword, Bruce proved to be more than a match for her when it came to skill… still, skill or not, that didn't prevent the Queen from attempting to beat the ever living crap out of him.
Several bruised ribs and several cheap shots to his injured shoulder later, Bruce had managed to land a hit as he parried yet another of her blows, nicking the Queen on her cheek as they disengaged.
Backing away, Hippolyta reached up and touched her bleeding cheek, blinking when she saw the blood on her fingers.
"Mmm… interesting." She mused before putting both hands on her sword again and came at him once more.
Bruce, however, was ready for her.
CLANG!
As their swords met again, Bruce saw his opening, and with a careful twist of his wrist and a sharp forward jab, he loosened Hippolyta's grip on her sword and it flew out of her hands and stuck into the sand a few meters away.
The Queen looked at him carefully.
Bruce took a step back, lowering his sword.
"I win."
Much to his astonishment, Hippolyta smiled slightly.
"It would seem so." She said, walking up to him and offered him her hand.
Not exactly sure what to make of the gesture, just as Bruce took it in what he thought was the Queen's way of congratulating him, she tightened her grip, pulling him slightly and swept his legs out from under him, pushing him down forcefully.
Obviously not having expected that, the next thing Bruce knew he was on his back, and when he looked up, he saw Hippolyta take his sword that had stuck into the ground next to him and held it to his throat.
"That," she stated, "was for impregnating my daughter."
She then tossed the sword aside and offered him her hand for real. Bruce accepted it again and this time and she helped him up.
"You fought well," she said, almost diplomatically.
"You too." He said, if not a little awkwardly.
She smiled wryly. "If I'm not able to defend myself, I'm not doing my job right."
Bruce almost laughed. Almost, "Fair point."
There were several moments of strangely amicable albeit awkward silence before Bruce looked at Hippolyta carefully.
"What do I have to do now?"
"Originally I had planned to let you climb a tall mountain or slay some terrible beast… but, since all that has been done already, I had another, slightly more difficult challenge in mind."
"And what would that be?"
"So far, I have tested your capability as a warrior, as I have intended, but now, Dark Knight, I want to see the man."
"Meaning…?" Bruce asked cautiously.
"I'm sure you know of Apollo?" she asked, and just as she said this, a man appeared next to her – the aura surrounding him was so bright, Bruce had to squint a little to make out any discerning features, and besides the fact that he seemed to radiate light, he had shining blond hair and wore a blinding white toga.
"The god of the sun and music," Bruce answered.
"And prophecy," Hippolyta added. "Lord Apollo has the ability to peer into the future, but in some cases, the past as well."
Bruce had a bad feeling about it.
"What the Queen says is true," the shining man, Apollo said sincerely.
Hippolyta looked straight into Bruce's eyes.
"For your final test, allow me to look into your past."
It was obvious by the look on Bruce's face that his first instinct was to fervently refuse the Queen her challenge – the very idea must not have sat well with him, Hippolyta reasoned.
"Exactly what do you intend to see?" Bruce asked grimly.
"Not everything, just enough to get a better idea of who you are," Hippolyta said simply.
He seemed suspicious, and after another few moments of silence, he sighed.
"You have five minutes," he said finally, "after that I want you out of my head."
Hippolyta nodded. "Very well." She then looked at Apollo. "Lord Apollo?"
The god nodded, and with a slight waving gesture with his hand, the scenery changed and both he and Bruce faded away…
Hippolyta was aware she was standing in the middle of one of the gardens at Wayne Manor again – the sun was shining for once and by the look of the various flowers in bloom, it seemed to be the middle of spring.
She then heard childish laughter, and when she turned her head, she saw a small boy, no older than six, running towards her but obviously not aware of her presence.
"Bruce, slow down!" a man's voice called.
When Hippolyta looked again, she saw a handsome couple just a little behind the boy, and slightly behind them, a much younger Alfred Pennyworth watching the proceeding with twinkling eyes.
The man was an almost identical to the grown up Bruce - tall, dark and admittedly very handsome, but unlike the grown up Bruce, he sported a neat moustache and laugh lines were obvious on his face. His blue eyes also held a gentleness that Hippolyta hadn't seen often in a man before.
The woman at the man's side, however, was completely different – slim and fair-skinned, she had dark blond hair which she kept in an elegant knot and piercing green eyes that betrayed her laughter.
"Oh let Bruce have his fun, Tom, he's been stuck inside all day thanks to all the rain we've had recently." she said, amused.
The man, Tom, let out an exaggerated sigh before taking her hand and kissed it, "As you command, Martha, my love."
The woman, Martha blushed prettily.
The scene changed with the younger Bruce laughter…
She was standing in a dank, dirty alleyway. It was dark and would surely rain soon.
Hippolyta started when two gunshots rang and when she turned her head, she saw a shadowy figure retreat back into the darkness, away from two would-be familiar shapes lying on the ground and a slightly older Bruce standing there, looking down at his parents' bodies in horror.
The filthy ground was covered in pearls and blood.
Next she was standing next to the young Bruce as he stood at the edge of a newly covered double grave – again they were outside Wayne Manor.
Hippolyta stared at the boy's face, and at the sight of his blank blue eyes and wet cheeks she was overcome with the desire to comfort him.
A hand rested on Bruce's shoulder, and smiling down at the boy compassionately, the younger Alfred then walked over to the graves and laid a scarlet rose at the base of the tombstone.
Memories came more quickly than that – gradually, Hippolyta saw Bruce grow from a boy to an adolescent, and from a very angry adolescent to a young man who grew to hate the city his parents helped build…
She saw loneliness, an ever-present sadness and a helpless anger as Bruce went through his school career in Gotham, trying to make sense of his life…
She saw suffering and triumph as he left his city and travelled the world, a goal now in mind as he trained physically and mentally for many years, perfecting every technique he could…
She saw determination as he stood in an empty cave, a plan forming in his mind as he watched the bats stir in the dark crevices above his head…
She saw the look of fear in criminals' eyes as they were confronted by an entity more living shadow than man…
She saw freedom as he stood at the very edge of the tallest building, expanding his cape so that they resembled wings and jumped off, a rush not none other flowing through his veins…
She saw compassion as he stood next to a young boy outside of a large, brightly coloured tent, watching as they took away two limp shapes underneath a pair of sheets on a pair of stretchers – his hand was on the boy's shoulder, he understood…
She saw pride as he watched Dick, the boy from the circus, his son trapeze from building to building with ease, his young partner laughing as he found his niche as Robin…
She saw him find companionship in others very different from him but who wanted the same things he did – together, he hoped, they would do more good than harm…
She saw respect as he faced Superman, the Kryptonian smiling before holding out his hand towards him – he was hesitant at first, but he took it firmly in his and the two shook hands…
She saw sadness as he watched Dick pack his things – the boy had grown into a man and was on his way to forge his own destiny in a different city under a new name…
She saw attraction as he traded blows with Diana in the Watchtower's training room – the Amazon princess's blue eyes lighting up and a smile tugging at her lips knowingly as their bodies brushed 'accidentally' several times during the encounter…
She watched as another young boy busies himself taking the wheels off of the Batmobile, unaware of the shadowy figure watching him with interest…
She saw frustration as he attempted to talk his new partner and son, Jason down after another mission was ruined – the boy was simply too angry…
She saw his world being shattered as he stood amongst the burning ruin of what was once must have been a warehouse, holding the limp, bloodied body of his son in his arms…
She saw fury unlike anything else as he confronted a pale white man with green hair and madness in his eyes – even through the pain of his broken body, it didn't keep the twisted, terrible laugh from escaping him…
She saw as yet another boy, Tim, stood in front of him, undaunted by the Bat – the boy admired him, it was obvious, and from the effort he'd done finding out who he was, he showed potential to be a decent detective… but could he really take a chance training another partner…?
She saw the loneliness ebb a little as he sat in front of the large computer in his Cave, trying and failing somewhat to ignore the woman who was sitting at the edge of the console – Diana watched him with amused blue eyes, not saying a word as he worked…
She saw bewilderment and shock hidden behind his cowl as he stood across on a rooftop from a younger man with a red helmet in his hand – he had his back half turned on him and looked at him over his shoulder with an all too-familiar anger in his eyes…
She saw the concern in his friends' eyes as they tried to understand what was going through his head, one in particular took it on herself to go over to him as he stood at a window onboard the Watchtower, looking out at the stars without seeing anything – standing next to him, Diana discreetly took his hand in hers, grasping it tight, smiling a little when she felt him squeeze it back…
She saw genuine affection as he sat at the kitchen table, watching how Dick made a show of it telling Tim about his time as Robin, the young teenager clearly in awe…
She saw hesitation as he approached an expectant looking Diana – he reached up slowly with his gloved hand and cupped her cheek, when he went no further than that, Diana rolled her eyes before she reached for his belt and yanked him closer to her, wrapping her arms around his neck when she kissed him…
She saw the amusement on his sons faces as he busied himself picking out an appropriate suit, the slight nervous edge to his actions unnoticeable if you didn't know him any better – he had something important to do that night…
She saw love when he walked in and saw her talking to an excited Hawkgirl – when she saw him, a smile that could have lit up the Gotham skyline, his ring glinting on her finger…
She saw friendship as he and a bespectacled man sat in a diner, the man chatting away casually as the two of them ate hamburgers – he rolled his eyes, but there was no mistaking the small smile on his face…
She saw hope as he watched the image on the screen move with his utmost attention – Diana held his hand as the white-haired woman standing there holding a strange contraption to Diana's stomach smiled at them both, "It's a girl…!"
She saw happiness as he was yet again in the kitchen of his home, his family surrounding him…
Hippolyta blinked as the scene changed once more, and once again she found herself standing in the flowery gardens of Wayne Manor… only, this time, it was different.
Yet again there was the sound of a child's laughter, only when she turned, instead of a little dark haired boy, a little girl with her own golden blond hair and her, Martha's, green eyes.
She was running until a slightly older Dick Grayson scooped her into his arms.
"Caught you, baby girl," he teased.
"Aw, no fair!" she pouted despite the giggles bubbling out of her mouth. "You only won 'cuz your legs are longer."
"She's right, Grayson, it isn't fair." Jason Todd piped in as he and an older Tim Drake walked up behind them.
"Well, tell you what," Dick bargained with the little girl when he put her down, "How 'bout we race again, only this time you chase me?"
The girl thought about it for a moment before nodding, "Deal."
She then turned to Jason and tugged at his hand, smiling up at him sweetly.
"You'll help me, won't you?" she asked.
Something thawed in the young man's icy blue eyes and he nodded. "Sure thing, squirt," he said before suddenly hoisting her up and put her on his back making her squeal in delight.
Dick was already ahead of them and as they took off after him, the girl looked over her shoulder and called out to her remaining brother. "C'mon, Timmy!"
Tim shook his head but chased after them. When he caught up, Jason had a struggling Dick in a headlock in one arm while the girl clung to his neck like a spider monkey.
Tim managed to extract the little girl before both Jason and Dick fell onto the grass and started wrestling.
The girl giggled as the two of them rolled around while Tim rolled his eyes and sat down together a safe distance away.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, Hippolyta caught sight of another couple, only this time she recognized them as being her daughter and Bruce, walking hand-in-hand.
For some reason, when Bruce saw the whole scene, he paused for a moment and blinked.
Diana saw this and looked at him curiously. "What's the matter?"
He stared a little before shaking his head. "Nothing really," he reassured, lifting her hand to his lips and kissed it, "it feels like déjà-vu…"
When both of them snapped out of it, they were no longer standing in the middle of an arena but instead in the Parlor in Wayne Manor, Apollo nowhere in sight.
Bruce clutched at his head and grimaced, feeling like someone had just poked at his mind with an ice pick.
Hippolyta on the other hand was quiet, reflecting on everything she had seen.
"That was more than five minutes…" he grumbled, noticing that he was no longer in his armor and wearing the clothes he had before.
"What… what was that?" he asked finally after a brief pause. "That last part?"
The Queen looked up at him. "It would seem that Apollo has granted us both a glimpse into your future…" she said thoughtfully. "That girl… is she…?"
Bruce nodded. "It looks like it."
"I don't understand it… she looks so much like…"
"My mother, yes," Bruce said quietly. "It's genetics, certain traits have a tendency to skip a generation – it would probably explain the green eyes and blond hair."
"I see…" Hippolyta said, nodding slightly. "…Other than that, she looks exactly like Diana when she was that age."
The Queen then turned around and happened to spot a portrait over the fireplace. She recognized the couple in the picture immediately.
"Your parents…" she said somewhat hesitantly, "They were very much in love."
Bruce grunted a little, now gripping at his aching ribs which were now catching up with him. "It's how I remember them."
Hippolyta nodded as just then, the doors opened and Alfred and Diana came in.
When Diana saw him, she flung herself right at Bruce in relief – Bruce bit back a slight grunt in pain but hugged her back.
"Master Bruce," the butler said after they broke apart, "We thought we heard your voices and-" when he saw the blood starting to seep through by his shoulder, his eyes widened in alarm. "My word, what happened to you?"
Diana gasped when she saw the blood and took a step back.
"Mr. Pennyworth," Hippolyta suggested calmly, "Maybe it would be best if you took a look at his injuries?"
Alfred nodded. "Right away, your Highness." He said, before turning to a disgruntled Bruce.
"Diana," the Queen said in a softer voice, "May I have a word with you?"
Diana looked at her mother hesitantly but nodded.
Without saying anything further, Hippolyta lead Diana outside to the camp – the Amazons all looked to their Queen questioningly but were waved away for the time being.
When they stepped into Hippolyta's private tent, the Queen wordlessly walked over to a large chest which stood at the foot of her temporary bed.
"Mother…?" Diana said softly.
"Your mortal," Hippolyta began, "He's a remarkable man."
"He is…" she said, "Mother, what happened?"
"I think, my little sun and stars, that I understand why you chose him… even if just a little." Hippolyta admitted before kneeling in front of the chest and opened it.
Diana looked on in confusion. "What are you doing?"
Hippolyta then took out something white and silk and flowing.
When she stood up again, she walked up to Diana and presented it to her.
"I had heard from Donna that you were having some difficulty finding a dress," she said. "…I hope this helps you somewhat in that regard."
Curiously, when Diana saw the dress for herself, her breath caught in awe.
Without another word, Diana embraced her mother.
"Thank you…" she whispered.
Hippolyta chuckled and hugged her back tight.
Later that night…
Bruce muttered a curse underneath his breath as he stepped away from the half painted wooden crib in front of him, clutching his shoulder as it ached uncomfortably.
Then, "You know, you're probably gonna have to watch the way you talk when the kid arrives," a voice commented from the door.
Turning his head slightly, Bruce saw Jason standing in the doorway, observing the room cautiously.
"You're not the first one to tell me that," Bruce said dryly.
Jason smirked. "Alfred?"
He nodded affirming. "Alfred."
Jason sniggered before stepping inside, hands in the pockets of his jeans.
"So… this is what you've been doing in here… I've been wondering about that."
The younger man then hesitated for a moment before he spotted the paint can at Bruce's feet.
"…Need any help?"
Bruce smiled slightly. "There's an extra brush on the table," he said, indicating to a table covered with newspapers and several opened and unopened cans.
Jason nodded, and together, they not only managed to finish the crib, but the changing table, high chair and the rocking chair.
"I went from resenting my mother-in-law to accepting her, finally to appreciating her. What appeared to be her diffidence when I was first married, I now value as serenity."
- Ayelet Waldman
"Come and turn it up,
You're gonna get that gold,
I can see it in your eyes –
More than your hands can hold…"
"There's something that you know,
Don't matter where you go,
If you give it all away it's gonna come around.
Don't get it all switched up –
Baby just do your thing…"
- The Fray, 'Give it Away' lyrics.
A/N: Sweet balls of fire! How is it that I managed to write all of this (approximately 22 pages on MS Word) in 2 weeks between a test and an assignment for my university, but I took nearly 2 months writing the others? I'm not questioning this though as it means I'm on a role! This is the longest chapter I've written thus far and I'm pretty proud of it… I'll look at the typos later… (grr, how I hate those things…).
Anyway! Originally I had planned on letting Hippolyta and Bruce just duke it out… but since I doubt that alone would be very exciting… I got my Greek Geek on, made a pot of tea (I'm trying to kick my caffeine addiction), and just had at it.
…It might have gotten a little weird, and I preferred to keep it brief so I didn't slow down the flow of things… also, I might have stolen one or two things from the Hunger Games and all of the Batman Arkham-whatever video games (and I've been playing Kingdom Heart lately so I might have gotten a few things there too…), but nevertheless, I'll be damned if I didn't give it my best! …Just don't ask too many questions…
Oh, and I do not apologize for the sheer amount of WonderBat fluff in this! I wanted, nay, needed it!
…And I really do love Jason… my dearest ambition (if it were possible of course) is to give that man a hug… a big one…
In Response with the previous chapter's reviews:
Mr. Oliver Queen: I hope I met your expectations!
The Goddamn Dark Knight: For some reason, when I read this review I burst out laughing… thank you for reviewing, my friend of few words :)
yob3: Lol… well, considering Hippolyta was pissed (in both ways) you can't really blame her, can you? And I hope you enjoyed!
Wonderwomanbatmanfan: Ah… cliffhangers… gotta love 'em – luckily this didn't take so long, did it?
Lloyd RPGFan: Hehe… that's happened to all of us, man… some more than others, but that's beside the point ;) Oh, and I love the idea of Jason and Wally pitching in… I may have something in mind.
Maculedes: Thank you!
StraightedgeWingZero: When one is drunk, one has tendencies to do silly things… I for one cannot stop laughing… at everything… *ahem*
Delta808th: Thank you, and I will work on the one-shot… eventually, I really want to give attention to my other stories on here too.
Originalmartus: Oh, but she did…
PhinalPhantasy: Typos and all…? I thank thee kindly, and I really hope you liked this :)
Yellowstar128: And I thank you for doing that, as long as you enjoyed it, I am a happy, happy author.
LOTSlover: I hope this big-ass chapter made up for the cliffy… please say yes…
Skillgannon The Damned: I'm glad you liked it!
Okay… I'm this close to having 300 reviews for this story… can any of you kind dames and gents help a gal out? Leave a review or PM and I'll get back to you if I can!
Until next time,
GoddessofDawn out