Ok, fellow BMWW fans! Things are about to get real. Hope you enjoy where this about to go! :)
Chapter 8
The scowl on Bruce's face was firmly fixed and growing fiercer by the hour the more time he spent in the Batcave. He had unfortunately confirmed what his gut had already told him. The letter Diana had received definitely came from Lex Luthor. It was probably what he had been working on when Batman had paid him a visit in Arkham.
It only caused his dark paranoia to expand the longer he thought about it, consuming every part of him now. What in hell was Luthor up to now?
He didn't consider for one second that Lex was the least bit sincere in his lame apology. At the same time, he did believe that the criminal mastermind wanted to study Diana for more reasons than just the chip that he had implanted in her brain in an attempt to control the most powerful woman in the world.
Bruce sat back in his chair, rubbing his face with his hands before turning to look at the small chip J'onn had removed from Diana's brain. It was sitting to his left in a clear specimen container at his work station. He'd been studying it himself ever since it had been removed months ago, hoping to create a way to counteract it if this ever happened again.
He felt a shudder roll through him with the dreadful thought. He was not about to let Luthor experiment on Diana or anyone else for that matter ever again. He could rot in Arkham for all he cared, making all the plans that he wanted to make. He would be there to stop him every time.
Unfortunately, it looked like his little visit to Luthor the other day hadn't made a big enough of an impression on him. He was going to have to make another visit to Arkham to make sure that he got his point across.
Of course, if he went again, it would only confirm in Luthor's mind that he was in love with Diana. He might start suspecting he was Batman if he wasn't already considering it. As much as he hated having Metas in his city, it might be better to let Superman handle it this time. He just hoped Clark called him back soon before he changed his mind.
Diana suddenly flew through the cave at that moment, scattering the stack of papers that lay on his desk. She came to a brief stop beside him, her hand coming to rest affectionately on his back. "Emergency in T…Thailand," she told him as her fingers moved to play with the short black strands of hair that lay against his neck. "Don't know wwwhen I'll be back."
"Be safe," he told her as he attempted to coral the papers that lay strewn all over his desk now. He didn't want her to see Luthor's letter just yet, at least not until he knew more about what he was planning.
"Sorry," she sheepishly muttered after seeing the mess that she'd inadvertently created with her rapid entrance.
"Don't worry about it, Princess," he reassured her, trying to keep his dark mood from infiltrating his voice. "Just try to come home in one piece."
"Always," she said with a playful grin, kissing him on the cheek before taking off towards the transportation pad.
There was a slight upturn of his lips as he heard the transport fire up, taking his lover away from him. He swore he could still feel her light touch on the back of his neck, her fingers playing with his hair. No matter his mood or how dark things seemed, she always managed to make his heart feel as though it could fly with something as little as a smile or even a simple touch. She had undeniably brought a radiant warmth and levity that had been sorely lacking in his life.
"Master Bruce," Alfred called as he approached. "I thought you could use a hot cup of coffee."
"Thank you, Alfred," he absentmindedly responded as he returned to his work. He barely noticed the butler setting the cup down on his desk or the sound of the transport pad signaling an arrival.
Alfred frowned as he looked up in confusion. "I thought Miss Diana left for an emergency mission."
"She did," he absentmindedly stated.
"Then who is arriving now?"
A slight smirk pulled at the one corner of Bruce's lips. "Reinforcements."
"I got here as soon as I could, Bats," Flash announced as he came to a stop behind him. "Whew! This was heavy. I need to work on my publicity skills a little more. I never get this much fan mail."
"All of that came from the Watchtower?" Alfred stared in shock at the large box filled with envelopes of every size and color that now sat on the floor at the Speedster's feet.
"Yep," Wally said with a grin. "Wondy's always been the most popular of the Justice League especially with the entire male population what with all of the flowers, candy and marriage proposals they constantly send her." A low threatening growl emanating from the man sitting in the chair before him alerted the Scarlet Speedster that he had better move on for health reasons. "Now, she's got every single child adoring her too as if they didn't already."
"Might I ask why you invited Master West to join us?" Alfred asked in a low voice of concern mingled with annoyance.
"He's going to help us go through all of the fan mail Diana received," Bruce informed him as he continued to type on his keyboard. "One of those letters that she received was from Lex Luthor. I want to make sure there isn't anything else in one of those envelopes that she doesn't need to read right now. She's already struggling enough trying to come to terms with all of this without getting any more letters from the likes of Luthor."
"I'll have those letters opened and read in no time," Wally reassured him. "Just set me up with a few dozen sandwiches and a case of Red Bull and I'll be good to go for the rest of the afternoon."
Alfred looked to the ceiling of the Batcave as if searching for salvation, trying to remind himself this was for the princess. He would tolerate anything for her, even Wally West. "If you'll come with me, Master West, I'll show you to the kitchen where the rest of the mail is waiting."
"I already know where it is, Alf, but lead on," Wally cheerfully replied as he picked up the large box, hefting it up onto his shoulder.
Bruce smirked as the two left, thankful that he would have some peace and quiet for a while so he could continue his work. He had a bad feeling, though, that Alfred was going to make him pay one way or another for forcing him to babysit the Flash all afternoon. He would gladly endure a little too much starch in his Bat boxers if it meant that Diana was safe from anymore threats.
Pulling up a couple of files, Bruce switched gears from Lex Luthor to continue his research in Greek mythology. It was not lost on him that Typhon had suddenly escaped from Tartarus after all this time this close to his wedding to the Amazon Princess. Although she didn't want to talk about it, he knew that it weighed heavily on Diana's mind too.
He had to figure out who could possibly be behind this before another message was sent their way. He didn't like surprises and he definitely didn't like anything that threatened Diana, his friends, or innocent bystanders. If someone had a bone to pick with him, they needed to show their miserable face, not hide in the shadows like a coward.
He agreed with Diana that this was not the work of Circe. The purple-haired sorceress was more theatrical than this had been, preferring to be an active participant. She would want Diana to know it had been her that had released Typhon from the pits of Tartarus.
No, this was definitely someone else. Regrettably, the list of possible suspects was at least a mile long, any one of Diana's relatives having a hand in this. What worried him the most was what could be coming next…or who.
A sudden blinking light at the corner of his computer screen alerted him to the fact that he had an incoming message from Superman. He pressed the button to receive the transmission from the Watchtower, wishing that the Man of Steel would've just returned his call through the commlink instead of face-to-face. He wasn't exactly in the mood for friendly chatter right now especially when it interrupted his brooding time.
"Hey, Batman," Clark greeted him, emphasizing his title to make sure Bruce noticed that he didn't say his given name this time. "I got your message. What can I do for you?"
"What have you got planned for later tonight?" Batman brusquely asked.
A grin suddenly split the Kryptonian's face. "Why? Are you asking me out on a date?"
"No," Bruce hissed with a patented bat glare, his lips twisting into a sneer. "We need to pay Luthor a visit in Arkham."
"Why?" Clark asked with a sudden frown. "What's he up to now?"
"He sent Diana a letter apologizing for his actions," he informed him, his tone full of loathing. "He wants to study her, to see if there's something he can do to help her speech problem."
Clark snorted his displeasure, the tense expression on his face revealing his true feelings about Luthor. "You already know what I think of Lex Luthor. He can't be trusted for any reason. What do you think he's really up to?"
"I don't know, but it can't be anything good," he spat out. "I already paid him a visit a couple of days ago warning him that I was watching him, but it obviously didn't sink in through that thick bald head of his."
"Did you actually leave him in one piece this time?" Clark asked, remembering how he'd had to practically pull Batman off of Luthor when they'd found him. He had honestly been afraid that Bruce was going to cross the line that night for what he had done to Diana. A small part of him wouldn't have blamed him.
"Yes, I left him in one piece though now I wish that I hadn't," Bruce growled.
"Maybe you're losing your touch, Dark Knight," Clark teased. "Could be your glare isn't as fierce as it used to be."
Bruce ground his teeth in annoyance as he leveled his teammate with a glower intimidating enough to incite instantaneous incontinence. "I'm still as intimidating as always so don't worry about me. Luthor is just too deluded by his hunger for power to listen."
"So I get to be the one to deliver another message?"
Bruce averted his gaze, his eyes momentarily haunted with dark fear. "He already believes that Batman is in love with Diana. If I show up telling him to leave her alone again, he might connect me to Batman. I can't risk it, but at the same time I'll do whatever it takes to make sure he never touches her again."
Clark felt a shiver race through him with the cold hardness that had filled Bruce's voice, the raw rage that laced it. There was no mistaking the steel resolve burning in his eyes, the angular cut of his jaw filled with tension. He was going to have to keep a close eye on his friend, make sure he didn't take that steep slide into the dark abyss that still lived inside of his soul.
"I want it delivered loud and clear," Bruce coldly stated. "I also need you to use your x-ray vision to scan his cell to make sure that he doesn't have anything in there that could tell us what he is planning next."
"And I'm sure you'll be there watching the whole time."
"Of course," he tightly replied. "As soon as you're done, you can leave Gotham."
Clark chuckled as he shook his head in amazement. "Right," he said. "No Metas in your city."
"Exactly," he confirmed. "See you tonight."
Clark opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Bruce ended the transmission. Sitting back in his chair, he released a long slow breath. He didn't like any of this at all, but there was little he could do about it now. He knew that he needed to leave it in Clark's hands now, hoping that he didn't screw it up.
He hated having to rely on someone else, preferring to handle things himself in his own way, but he had no choice in this. He had to protect Diana though he knew that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. He couldn't help it the deep-seated need to shield her from harm.
Luthor was one of the most dangerous criminal minds that he'd ever met, resourceful and ruthless in every way. There was nothing that he wouldn't do to keep Lex from harming her ever again.
XXX
"You're late…again."
Superman just shook his head in disbelief as he walked beside the Dark Knight of Gotham, scanning the area to make sure they wouldn't get caught. Of course, knowing Batman as well as he did, he probably already had the entire security system rerouted to conceal their presence as well as sound dampeners to help mask their voices.
"Never going to let me forget are you?"
"Never," Batman confirmed without missing a beat. "Just don't be late to the wedding or I'll personally skin you alive."
"Hey, I got sidetracked on my way here tonight," Clark countered. "It couldn't be helped."
"Right," Batman drawled. "I wouldn't call Lois a small mission. She's like a deadly hurricane and, before you deny it, even I can smell her on you and I'm not a Meta."
Batman glanced down a side corridor, checking the area before proceeding down the next hall. He could practically fell the embarrassment creeping up the Kryptonian's face as they continued to make their way even deeper into Arkham.
"She…needed me…for something," Clark weakly refuted his friend's assumption.
"I'm sure she did," Batman stated, unconvinced. "I'll be sure to show up late for your tux fitting whenever you finally decide to pull your head out of your ass and ask Lois to marry you."
"Hey, I've been considering it," Clark attempted to defend himself. "I just want to find the right moment. Besides, who said I'm even going to ask you to be my best man?"
"Fine by me," he answered with a disinterested shrug. "One less thing I need to do."
Clark frowned, his forehead creasing with thought. "I mean you are my best friend so it would only make sense for you to be my best man."
"I thought Diana was your best friend," he rasped with a hint of jealousy.
"Well, you both are, but Diana can't be my best man," Clark pointed out still lost in thought. "Not to mention Lois would be beyond furious. Even though she and Diana are friends and Diana is in love with you, Lois still somehow gets jealous of her at times. I have no idea why though. Di's like my sister and kissing her would just be…really weird."
"Can we try not talking for a while?" Batman ground out through gritted teeth.
Clark smirked at his friend, casting a sidelong glance at him. "Jealous?"
"Keep talking about kissing my fiancé and you'll find out the painful way."
"Your sunny personality never ceases to warm my soul, Batman," Clark teased.
"Up head…last cell on the right," Batman told him, ignoring the friendly jab. "Do you know what you're going to say?"
"I don't need a script," Clark replied with an exasperated sigh, coming to an abrupt stop at the sight of a badly beaten Rampage sitting in her cell. He could barely believe what he was seeing. "Did Diana do that to her?"
Bruce internally groaned, his eyes momentarily falling closed with regret. He cursed under his breath, mad at himself for forgetting about Rampage being locked up in here. He should have led him inside Arkham by a different route.
"Believe me…she had it coming."
Clark grew rigid with Bruce's curt response and obvious air of indifference, his hands curling into fists of indignation. "We will be talking about this later."
"Whatever," Bruce muttered, unruffled by the threatening tone in the Boy Scout's voice.
"I'm serious, Batman," Clark angrily stated. "Diana can't be beating criminals within an inch of their lives even if they are a Meta just because she's upset."
The Dark Knight suddenly stopped, whirling on the Man of Steel like a furious black tornado. "You weren't there," he hissed at him, his anger punctuating every single heated word spewed from his mouth. "You have no idea what happened or how hard she's been struggling with all of this so don't act all high and mighty about it."
Batman's furious glower held Superman's stunned stare for a second longer before abruptly turning and resuming his way down the hall. Clark hated seeing what this was doing not only to Diana, but to Bruce as well. Hopefully some time away alone together on their honeymoon would do them both some good.
The Caped Crusader moved even further back into the shadows, allowing the darkness to swallow him and conceal his presence so that Clark could have a semi-private meeting with the bald-headed lunatic. He just hoped this worked, forcing Luthor to back off and stay away from Diana.
Superman came to a stop before Lex's cell to find his nemesis lying on his bed with his hands clasped behind his head as he silently stared up at the ceiling. He was almost the picture of pure innocence…almost. Clark knew better.
Luthor suddenly turned his head to the side to find the Man of Steel staring directly at him, his features set like a stone statue. "Well, well," Luthor greeted his unexpected visitor with a smirk as he slowly sat up. "If this isn't a pleasant surprise. Two superhero visits in one week. I'm flattered. I'm beginning to think you guys secretly like me."
"What are you up to, Luthor?" Superman spat out the question like acid.
A smug smile spread across Luthor's face as he came to stand before the special plexi-glass that divided them. "What makes you think that I'm up to something?"
"Cut the bull, Lex," Superman stated. "I know you sent a letter to Wonder Woman. I want to know what you're planning now."
"Am I not allowed to write a letter apologizing for my mistakes?" he innocently asked. His voice portrayed nothing but sincerity and humility, but the dark storm in his eyes told a completely different story.
Superman chuckled with his question, amused by his lowly act. "Somehow I doubt that you would ever feel the need to truly apologize for anything."
"You wound me, Superman," Luthor said with feigned hurt, his hand coming to rest over his heart. "You see before you now a reformed man; one who would like to atone for his numerous mistakes. I think that you of all people would be pleased by my efforts to change."
"I think you're full of…"
"Now, now, Superman," Luthor interrupted him, raising his hand to stop him. "I have to admit that I am surprised to see you here. I wasn't the least bit surprised by Batman's visit the other day. He's in love with Wonder Woman. Don't tell me you are too?"
"Wonder Woman is my friend and teammate," Superman bit out. "I will not sit back and allow you to hurt her or anyone else ever again."
Luthor smiled, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I don't want to hurt Diana. She's too beautiful and powerful to destroy. I want her for myself."
Superman bristled with Luthor's confession, but not as much as he could feel Bruce behind him. He heard a low barely perceptible growl coming from behind him. Thankfully, Luthor didn't have super hearing or he definitely would have heard it as well.
"Wonder Woman is marrying Bruce Wayne in a week," he pointed out, silently praying that Bruce would remain in the shadows. "I highly doubt that you even stand a chance with Diana especially after everything you did to her."
"That's why the letter of apology," Luthor stated. "I felt it was a start to hopefully something better between us. I want a chance to make it up to her, maybe find a way to help her with her speech problem. I feel terrible how this has all turned out for her. If I had known that she would have this sort of a side effect from the brain chip, I never would have tried it on her."
"You really expect me to believe all of your lies?" Superman demanded, his blue-eyed gaze narrowing suspiciously. "There is nothing that you could possibly say that would convince me that you want to change or that you have Diana's best interests at heart."
"Believe what you want, but I intend to do everything in my power to win not only her forgiveness but her affections as well," Luthor claimed. "Bruce Wayne does not deserve someone as beautiful and amazing as Diana."
"Leave her and Bruce Wayne alone," Superman ordered him, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.
"Is that a threat?"
"I mean it, Luthor," Clark stated. "If you do anything to hurt her or ruin her happiness, I will break you. Stay away from Wonder Woman and the Justice League."
Luthor just chuckled softly as he sized up the Man of Steel. "So many threats so close together. Don't touch her, stay away from her, don't hurt her, don't ruin her happiness. Makes me wonder what is so special about the Amazon Princess besides the obvious. Is she fabulous in bed? I can only imagine the incredible pleasure that a magically blessed woman like that can provide. I mean I've imagined, but…"
"Stop it!" Clark growled, knowing he needed to end this conversation before Bruce lost control of his dark rage. He could practically feel his hot breath beating against the back of his neck, his every muscle twitching to pound Luthor into dust. "You've been warned, Lex. Now stay away and don't ever contact her again."
Luthor drew a deep breath as he contemplated the threat by the Kryptonian, knowing that he would never cross that fine line. He was too good-hearted for that, his conscious keeping him from doing the unthinkable.
"Thank you for stopping by, Superman," Luthor finally said. "Give my best to Wonder Woman."
Superman wanted nothing more than to just reach inside and rip that smug expression right off of Luthor's face, but he couldn't. He had made it clear to Luthor that any further action taken against Diana or the Justice League would not be tolerated. All they could do now was keep a close eye on him.
"Whatever you're planning, Luthor, I will make you live to regret it," Superman informed him. "I swear on my life."
Before Luthor could respond, the Man of Steel walked away, leaving him standing there all alone…or so he thought.
Batman watched him from the dark shadows, the white slits of his cowl narrowed into thin barely detectable lines as he glowered at the man who wanted Diana for his own. There was a loathsome darkness that had lived inside of him since the day his parents died, a bitter furious thing that he could begin to feel creeping up from deep within even now.
It felt as if his demons were stirring in his core, threatening to rise up and swallow him whole. He couldn't allow that to happen, wouldn't let them take hold of him again. Diana had been the one to finally contain that dark ugly monster that always lurked deep in the recess, ready and waiting to take over if he ever truly lost control.
He couldn't let that happen. Not now…not ever.
Superman could feel Batman silently moving through the shadows behind him, more than thankful that Batman had left willingly without any altercations. He had feared that he was going to be forced to pull Bruce off of Lex, dragging him out of here.
He couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't something else he could've said or done to force Luthor to give up his obsession with Diana. He glanced back over his shoulder to make sure Batman was still following him. He could tell by the way he held himself – the stone like set of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders, and the rigidity in his spine that was barely containing the rage storming within.
He could hardly blame him, though. After years of bitter misery and heartache, loneliness and pain, he'd finally found real love and happiness. Now, Luthor was threatening to steal that away from him all over again.
Clark internally shuddered at the thought of anything happening to Diana, but even more so what it would do to Bruce. There would be no way to draw him back from that bottomless chasm ever again. He would be devastated, destroyed and nothing in this world could ever put him back together again.
They walked in tense silence until they had made their way to the rooftop of Arkham, Clark uncertain of the right words to say that could even come close to making things alright again. The only one would come provide him a respite from the dark storm consuming his soul was Diana.
"Were you able to pick up anything with your x-ray vision?" Batman finally asked, his voice rasping and grating like nails on a chalkboard. There was an embittered sneer on his lips, one that only hinted at the war being waged within.
"Not much," Clark replied with a grim frown. "He had numerous pages of notes on a notepad, but he wrote it all in a code that only he could understand. He's definitely up to something and I'm afraid Diana's at the heart of it again."
Before Batman could even form a response, the building began to shake, a deafening explosion rocking Arkham Asylum. Brick and mortar flew through the air as if hit by a cannon, a cloud of dust and dirt billowing into the air like a thunderhead.
Both superheroes raced to the edge of the building in time to see inmates exiting out of an enormous hole in one of the walls, many of them escaping into the darkness of night. "Dammit," Batman cursed under his breath.
Superman peered over the edge, trying to make sense of what had just happened. "What was that?"
"One of my worst nightmares," Batman growled as inmates continued to pour out of the asylum like hundreds of ants.
XXX
Crouching in the grass just outside of Arkham Asylum, Batman continued his investigation of the gaping hole in the wall of the old building that Green Lantern and Flash were working feverishly to put back together again. There had been no trace of a detonation device, no incendiary residue, and no one claiming responsibility for the breakout.
It was as if something or someone magical had done this. It left him feeling more than a little unnerved as he brooded over who could have been behind this, if it was connected to Typhon's appearance in New York City. It was definitely something that needed to be considered.
He had searched Gotham through the night, even allowing some of his teammates to help in order to contain the outbreak that seemed to spread like a wild virus through his city. They had so far managed to recover over thirty inmates, but at least ten were still on the loose running around Gotham doing only God knew what at that moment…and one of them was Lex Luthor.
Someone had orchestrated all of this, causing one of his worst fears to come to life right before his very eyes. It had rattled him to see so many criminals set free like that, knowing the dangerous threat that they posed to his city and the people that he had sworn on his parents' grave to protect.
"Nightwing to Batman."
"Go ahead, Nightwing," he rasped something dark and furious.
"Just tracked down Poison Ivy," he informed him. "I'm bringing her in now."
"Good," Batman responded. "We're still missing nine others including Luthor."
"I'll keep looking," Nightwing promised him, pausing before continuing. "We'll get Luthor, Batman."
It was Nightwing's way of reassuring him that everything would be alright, but he knew it would provide little comfort to his surrogate father. Bruce wouldn't rest until Lex Luthor was safely locked away again where they could keep close tabs on his every move.
"Batman out," he curtly ended the transmission, standing to his feet as Superman landed on the ground beside him.
"I can't find Luthor anywhere," Clark stated as he scanned the devastation that surrounded them. "I managed to find Grodd, Clayface, and Killer Croc. Any idea what or who caused it?"
"No, but I have my suspicions," he cryptically stated.
"Care to expand on that?"
"Not really," he brusquely replied.
"Batman!"
Both Bruce and Clark turned to find Diana flying towards them, landing gracefully in the grass next to them. "What happened? Is ev…everyone alright?"
Both men knew that the last question mostly pertained to Bruce, her concern evident in her blue eyes bright with worry. "Someone blew a hole in Arkham," Batman informed her. "We've managed to recover quite a few of the inmates who escaped, but there are at least six more still out there now."
"What dddo you need d…done?" she asked without a second thought, knowing how much this was going to affect Bruce.
"Don't worry about it, Princess," Bruce responded with a firm shake of his head. "You just got back from a long mission. You're probably exhausted. Go home and get some rest."
Diana folded her arms defiantly over her golden breastplate, her gaze narrowing. "What dddo you need d…done?" she firmly repeated.
"All done here," Flash suddenly announced as he tried to brush the dirt and dust off of his red uniform.
"Good," Batman said with a nod. "You can head back to the Watchtower."
"If you're sure," John stated. "We can help you look for the rest of the escapees if you want."
"No, Robin and Nightwing can help me find the rest," Batman dismissed them.
"Alright, but call us if need help," Flash offered as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Superman watched as Green Lantern formed a green bubble around Flash before taking off towards the Watchtower, knowing that Bruce wanted all of them out of his city sooner than later. "Don't even think about trying to throw me out of your city. I'm not leaving."
Batman sneered at him, his gauntleted hand twitching to reach for the piece of kryptonite that he kept in his utility belt, but he knew Diana wouldn't let him. "Fine," he ground out. "Make yourself useful then. Use your x-ray vision to see if you can find any residue or clues that could lead me to whoever did this."
"What's going on, Batman?" Diana demanded to know, sensing that something more was brewing deep inside of him.
"I think I'll leave you two to talk while I see if I can find any evidence for you," Superman interjected as he began to back away.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed in front of them, nearly blinding them. Superman immediately stepped in front of Batman and Wonder Woman as a tall man appeared before them. Diana's gasp cut through the air thick with confusion and tension as recognition suddenly washed over her.
"Diana, what is it?" Batman asked, grabbing her by the elbow and forcing her to look at him. "Who is that?"
"I am Thanatos," the god spoke, his deep booming voice nearly vibrating in their chests.
Batman's head snapped towards the being in front of them. "What are you doing here? Did you cause this trouble?"
Thanatos chuckled with the mortal man's accusations. "No, I'm afraid that pleasure belongs to Eris," he responded with a smirk. "I am here to deliver you to the Underworld."
"No!" Diana cried out in rage, moving to step in front of Batman and Superman, her hands balled into fists. "Who sent you?"
"Come now, Amazon," Thanatos said with great amusement. "Don't tell me that you actually thought you could join yourself with a frail human male and get away with it? You are blessed by Athena herself, but I suppose love has caused you to become a fool."
"I am nnno fool!" she growled, taking a step forward only to feel a sudden gauntleted hand on her shoulder attempting to hold her back.
"Ah, the speech difficulties," Thanatos observed. "I had heard of your struggles as of late. What a pity that the perfect creation of Hades and Hippolyta would become damaged so, but nonetheless your father continues to show great interest in you. That is why he has sent me to bring him the mortal known as Batman."
"You will take hhhim over mmmy dead body," she seethed, her cobalt eyes flashing dangerously.
"Princess," Bruce hissed as he stepped beside her, pulling her back. "You are not going to die because of me."
"It is mmmy d…decision to mmmake," she coldly stated, turning her attention back to Thanatos. "Take me in his place."
Thanatos's expression morphed from one of amusement to absolute glee with her sacrificial offering. "You make a very tempting offer, Diana of the Amazons, but I'm afraid Hades wants this man to prove himself worthy of having you. He will be tried and tested before Hades deems him worthy of your hand in marriage."
"I will go," Batman agreed without hesitation as he moved to stand in front of Diana.
"Bruce," she hissed, grabbing him by the arm. "You don't know what you're agreeing to. Hades cannot be trusted. It's a trap. He will kill you."
"I will do whatever I have to in order to marry you," he told her. "Let's get this over with."
"No!" Diana yelled, her body nearly trembling with the rage pounding through her veins. "Take mmme instead!"
Batman turned his attention to the Man of Steel, his glare hard and threatening. "Superman, if you are truly my friend, you won't let go of her."
Superman nodded in reluctant agreement, suddenly grabbing hold of Diana from behind and wrapping his powerful arms around her. He picked her up off of her feet, holding her firmly against his chest with every bit of strength he could muster as Batman began to walk away from them to stand with Thanatos.
"No!" she screamed as tears blurred her eyes, enraged as she struggled to break free from Clark's vice-like hold on her. "Don't dddo this, Bruce! Ta…Take me! Please ta…take mmme…not him!"
The pleading sound of her voice so broken and filled with such fear nearly crushed Bruce's heart, but he would do whatever it took to win her. Even this. "I'll be back, Princess," he gently told her, the corner of his lips quirking softly into a crooked smile of reassurance. "You're not going to get out of marrying me that easily."
His attempt at lightening the mood fell flat as Diana kicked and screamed, tears trickling down her face. "Let mmme go, Kal!" she roared, kicking her legs out. "If you cccare about mmme at all…let mmme go!"
"I'm so sorry, Diana," Clark choked out, pressing his forehead against the back of her head and silently praying she would come to forgive him for this one day.
"I love you, Princess," Batman told her, wishing he could taste her lips just one more time before leaving her.
"No! I love him!" she yelled, tears dripping from her chin and jaw. "Thanatos ta…take mmme instead or I will hunt you dddown and kkkill you with my bbbare hands!"
Unable to bear watching what this was doing to Diana, Batman turned to Thanatos, steeling himself for what was about to come. "Let's just go and get this over with so I can come back and marry her."
Superman gritted his teeth as he tried to hold onto the enraged Amazon as best as he could, but she matched him in strength, making it more than difficult to rein her in. He didn't know how much longer he could hold onto her.
"This is interesting," Thanatos thoughtfully muttered as he watched the Amazon's reaction. "Fine, you may go with us as well."
"No!" Batman growled, suddenly grabbing hold of the god's robes and nearly lifting him off of his feet. "Diana stays here. I said I would go with you so let's leave…now!"
"Oh, I don't think so," Thanatos uttered with delight. "This is going to be far more fun. Besides, I think Diana is long overdue for a father-daughter reunion, don't you agree my dear?"
With a flick of his wrist, a bright light washed over the area again, temporarily blinding them. When Superman finally opened his eyes, he found himself standing there all alone, Bruce and Diana gone.