Just wanted to thank you guys for the support and the reviews! I love to hear what you guys think. Things are about to get even worse for our favorite duo so sit back and enjoy the ride! :)

Chapter 12

Hades' fingers curled tightly around the cauldron before him, watching as Batman methodically worked his way through the depths of Tartarus. He had banished him to the furthest reaches of the Underworld, as far away from Diana as was possible and yet the mortal had somehow managed to overcome several obstacles to find his way to the gates of Tartarus.

He growled low in his throat, a sneer twisting his lips as he watched the human move. He was very skilled, agile and quite intelligent in how he went about defeating the creatures that had been sent to stop him. Unfortunately, none of them had been the least bit successful; the only injury sustained so far an insignificant scratch on the Batman.

No matter, though. There were many more obstacles waiting for him in his path, more than prepared to cut him down and keep him from getting to Diana. He still had a very long journey ahead of him, one that he would not be able to successfully navigate. In the end, Batman's inner demons would destroy him even if Hades' minions couldn't.

Either mentally or physically, Bruce Wayne would be eliminated, proven unworthy and unfit for his daughter.

Hades momentarily considered Diana, a small measure of pride unexpectedly finding its way into his heart. He had watched her with great admiration as she had battled the deadly Hydra, her resourcefulness impressing him. Despite the fact that she was now mortally injured, he was certain Diana would not let it stop her from trying to get to her precious Batman.

He couldn't help smiling to himself when he had seen Persephone conversing with his daughter earlier. His beautiful wife had thought she was being so clever, trying to distract him into revealing what his plans were for Diana and her mortal. He couldn't help but love her for trying to discover what he was what up to. She could try to help them all she wanted, but it would not be enough to save them. Nothing could save them from what awaited them.

Thanatos entered Hades' throne room at that moment, a grim expression darkening his face. "My lord," he greeted him. "I have most unpleasant news."

"The Batman has already made it to the gates of Tartarus," Hades knowingly replied without looking up from his cauldron. "I also know my Persephone has been to see my daughter during her trials."

"You know all this, my lord?" Thanatos asked.

"Of course," Hades said with a dark glare. "Am I not the Underworld's ruler?"

"Yes, my lord," Thanatos responded with a humble bow of his head. "When do you want me to eliminate the Batman?"

"Just wait your turn, Thanatos," Hades cautioned him. "Right now, I want to see how he will handle his next test. I do not foresee him making it past this one, but if he does, I will make sure you eventually get your chance."

"Thank you, Hades," he stated. He was itching to teach that insolent man a lesson that he would never forget, one that he would be forced to live with for all eternity while he suffered in Tartarus. "And what of your daughter?"

"What about Diana?"

Thanatos drew nearer, coming to a stop on the other side of the large cauldron. "How much longer do you plan on making her suffer for her decision to give her virtue to the mortal?"

"She will have to face tests just as difficult as the Batman's," Hades revealed to him, watching as the Dark Knight paused to rest for a moment. "Just because she is my daughter does not mean that she should not suffer the same fate as her beloved mortal. Even though the Hydra's poison flows through her veins now, I will not interfere with its natural course. It is her punishment for mating with a pathetic mortal."

Hades words dripped with contempt, his hatred for the Batman more than evident. "When the Batman fails, who do you plan on giving your daughter to if she does survive this?" Thanatos questioned him.

"I have someone in particular in mind, someone who has already shown some interest in her," Hades ominously confessed. "It's just a matter of time before his wish is finally granted."

Thanatos smiled in response, something wicked and dark. "I'm sure Diana will have something to say about that as will the Batman…if he lives long enough to find out."

Hades' rolling laughter filled his throne room. "We won't have to worry about that, Thanatos. Batman won't survive and Diana will do as I say."

"You seem very confident about that," Thanatos observed, lifting his gaze to stare at the god of the Underworld. "Diana is a very obstinate woman. I'm not so sure that she'll go along with it willingly if she survives the Hydra's poison."

"She will if she wants to be able to leave the Underworld," Hades informed him.

"And what will you do if they both survive their trials?" Thanatos asked. "Do you plan on allowing them to leave the Underworld with your blessing?"

Hades straightened up, glaring at Thanatos before turning to make his way to his throne. "I'm not completely unreasonable, Thanatos," he bit out. "If Diana and Batman are able to truly prove themselves to me, I will let them leave, but they must pay a price for the decision they have made."

"And what about Persephone?" he pressed, concerned. "How do you plan on keeping her from interfering in their trials?"

"It is of little consequence whether my wife attempts to help either of them or not," Hades said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Her assistance will not be enough to tip the balance in their favor so I will let her have her fun, allow her to think that she is helping them."

Thanatos shook his head in amazement. The ruler of the Underworld was truly under Persephone's spell. "I will keep watch and inform you of any changes."

"Keep a close eye on him," Hades ordered him. "He is going to fail no matter what. He will not be able to find my daughter in time and if he does, it will be far too late."

XXX

Batman cautiously slowed his pace as he drew near to what appeared to be the gates of the Pits of Tartarus. Getting here had taken considerable time and energy, but he knew he was that much closer to getting to Diana.

While it had been a treacherous climb, it hadn't been quite as difficult as he had first expected to be. If truth be told, he would've thought that Hades would've thrown his absolute worst at him by now, but he had a feeling the worst was still yet to come, waiting for him on the other side.

Hades wanted him to relax, to lower his guard by thinking that the most horrible was over now that he was at the gate of Tartarus, but Bruce was far more intelligent than the god gave him credit for. He was going to use that underestimation to his advantage and find his future bride.

He tried his commlink again, hoping to reach Diana, but all he got was silence. His heart sank. He longed to hear her voice. Even if he couldn't see her or touch her right now, just being able to hear her and know that she was alright would help ease a small measure of the heartache that had settled in his chest since Thanatos brought them here.

She didn't deserve to be punished like this for falling in love with him. He suddenly paused with the thought. Diana loved him. Loved him. The concept alone always caused a warm flutter in the pit of his stomach. It was still inconceivable to him even now, unfathomable and still beyond all logic. Something that pure and amazing should never be drawn to such utter darkness and misery.

You don't deserve her…you never will.

The thought continually swarmed in his mind, continually resurfacing and trying to force him to give up. Now was definitely not the time for his inner demons to awaken, to threaten his sanity. He needed to stay focused on finding Diana.

Forcing his thoughts away from her, Batman channeled his desire for her into his anger, allowing it to fuel his frustration and push him onward. Thinking about how much he missed her or how unworthy he was to have her wasn't going to help him find her any sooner.

Before actually attempting to exit Tartarus, Batman paused to check his utility belt to see just how much ammunition he had left. He needed to conserve as much as possible in case there was a final battle with his soon to be father-in-law.

Hades.

He still remembered his conversation with Diana and Hawkgirl when they had returned from the Underworld. Diana had been tight-lipped about the whole encounter, refusing to divulge much of anything. There had been something about the way she had dismissed the whole mission that had told him that something more had happened that she didn't want to talk about.

Cornering Shayera later, he had found out that Hades had told Diana that he was her father. Shayera had informed him that Diana had brushed it off, stating that she knew who her mother was and who had raised her. Despite that, he couldn't help but feeling as though Diana was refusing to accept it at the time or deal with the fact that it could be true.

A couple of days later, Diana had come by the Batcave, confessing what she had learned from Hades and that her mother had confirmed it was true. He remembered how she had been more than furious about it, angry with her mother for not telling her. He had been there for her, allowing her to vent her rage and holding her afterwards, but it hadn't been easy for her to accept that someone as vile as the ruler of the Underworld was her father.

Batman couldn't help but hope there would be a showdown with Hades waiting for him at the end of all this. He'd love to humiliate Diana's father, to keep him from interfering in their lives ever again. He internally shuddered to think of what his future father-in-law would do if he and Diana ever had a child together.

A baby…with his princess.

The thought both excited and terrified him at the same time, bringing with it elation as well as overwhelming panic. Family was something that he had fought so hard to preserve in Gotham, not wanting another child to endure what he had been forced to go through.

He'd never really stopped to consider having one himself. After Andrea had left him, the idea of having a family of his own had left with her. And the more committed he became to his mission; the more he believed that it was meant for everyone but him. His world was far too dark and grisly to be able to have a family.

Now, though, Diana had made that long forgotten dream come to life for him all over again, a family becoming a reality. But he had to find her first and get her out of here if they were ever going to have that chance at having a family together.

Checking one last compartment on his utility belt, Bruce started to pass through the gates of Tartarus, realizing this was a little too easy, more so than he had anticipated it being. He had to admit that if there had been anything that he could call remotely good that had come out of this whole thing so far, it was the fact that he had come up with some new ideas for improvements he wanted to make to the Bat suit.

His gauntleted hand suddenly slipped to his batarang as the barely audible sound of a low growl emanated from behind him. The air held a sudden chill to it causing the fine hairs prickle on the back of his neck. He didn't have to look to know what was there waiting for him in the shadows of the rocks. He had been anticipating this encounter since the moment he first found himself in Tartarus.

Cerberus.

He could feel all six eyes of the three headed dog boring straight through him like beams of pure fire, all three sets of knife-like teeth more than eager to tear into him and feast on his bones. Unfortunately, Cerberus was in for an encounter that was not going to end well for him.

He had neither the time nor the patience to deal with this right now, not when Diana needed him, when she was going through only God knew what at that moment just to try to get to him as well. She had to be there waiting for him when he got to the end of this lengthy test. If she wasn't…he couldn't think about it right now.

Batman could feel the enormous animal lurking there in the dark shadows of the rocks that surrounded him, watching him as it waited to make its move. He knew if he made any sudden movements, the dog would pounce on him and rip him to shreds in less than a heartbeat. He needed to proceed with caution, to not reveal the fact that he knew that the creature was there. It would help give him the element of surprise as well as the upper hand.

His gauntleted fingers firmly wrapped around the explosive batarang as he pretended to check his surroundings. He could feel Cerberus carefully creeping closer, the slow steady scrape of its claws against the rocky ground. It was crouching low as it shifted its large paws forward, its breathing growing heavier as it prepared to pounce on him.

Batman mentally prepared himself for the fight that was about to come, controlling his heart rate as well as his breathing. He didn't want anything to give away the fact that he knew the beast was there, slowly inching its way closer to him.

Seconds felt like hours as he patiently waited, needing the dog creature to draw closer to him in order to make his attack count, creating the greatest amount of damage without killing the beast. He knew that Cerberus was Hades' favorite pet. If he injured the dog too much, Hades would never let him out of here alive and Diana would be a widow before even being married.

Batman slowly pulled the batarang free, gripping it firmly beneath his cape. The low rumbling growl in the beast's chest was definitely growing louder and closer than it had been a moment ago. It was time to make his move before he was forced to hold his intestines in while he stitched himself back together again.

In one fluid motion, he pivoted on his heel, whipping the explosive batarang in the direction Cerberus was no doubt coming from. He quickly crouched low to the ground, his right leg straight out to the side and the palm of his hand touching the barren rock beneath him.

He watched his handiwork as the explosive blew up in the face of the third dog's head. He was already reaching for a bola as the dog beast threw its other two heads back, howling in rage. Batman flung his arm out again, releasing the weapon just as the beast was about to pounce on him. The bola swiftly wrapped around the muzzle of the first head, leaving the middle one yet to eliminate.

Unfortunately, Cerberus lunged for him as Batman went for his second bola, knocking him down and pinning him to the ground. He landed hard on his back several feet from where he had just been crouching, Cerberus's enormous body resting on top of him.

Its long razor-like claws dug deep into his uniform, the Kevlar providing protection, but for how long he couldn't begin to guess. He'd fought against a Meta gorilla, a crocodile and a cheetah, but never against massive mythical three-headed dogs before.

He gritted his teeth against the pain that lanced through his body, struggling to catch his breath. His ribs screamed in protest not only because of the weight sitting on his chest but also because of the bruises that he's already sustained during the fierce battle with Typhon.

Bruce immediately grabbed hold of the middle head, using all of his strength to keep its steel-like jaws from taking his head off. He grunted as it snapped it teeth at him, drool dripping onto his face as Cerberus struggled to break free. It pressed its claws in deeper for better leverage, causing the Dark Knight to hiss in pain as it began to puncture the protective layers of his uniform and dig into his flesh.

It growled and snarled at him as the first dog whipped its head around furiously in an effort to get the bola off its muzzle. The third head was fighting to come around. It made a low whining growl in its throat as it struggled to open its eyes and lift its head.

Batman knew that he was going to have to work fast or he'd have two dogs trying to go for his jugular. Lifting his leg, he began kicking at Cerberus' underbelly, trying to knock the massive beast off him, but his effort was barely having any effect on it.

He gasped for the air that was being denied him, his muscles beginning to burn as he wrestled against the middle dog's massive head. Its breath was like hot rancid blasts against his face, its glowing yellow eyes full of hatred and deadly intent. It wasn't going to be satisfied until Batman's blood soaked the ground.

Bruce knew that he needed to get to his utility belt if he was going to get out of this, but he couldn't risk releasing his hands or he was also as good as dead. He couldn't give up now, though, not when Diana needed him the most.

The first head started butting its head against the middle dog in a futile effort to rid itself of the bola still wrapped firmly around its muzzle while the third one shook its head in an attempt to shake the cobwebs free from its brain…or whatever it was inside of its skull.

The momentarily distraction of the first dog gave him the opening he needed as Bruce released one hand to reach into his utility belt. The middle head pressed its advantage, its huge jaw coming dangerously close to his face. Its fangs were a breath away now as Batman's fingers dug into its jaw, slobber dripping onto his chin and slowly sliding down his neck.

He gasped for a breath that was far too shallow as he continued to kick into the beast's underbelly, his fingers finally wrapping around the object of his search. He quickly pulled the gas pellet free, breaking it in the middle dog's face.

It didn't take long for the dog to succumb to the affects of the gas pellet, allowing Bruce to take on the third dog that was just now fully coming around. He swiftly threw a punch, hitting it square in the jaw. It growled ferociously in response, its bark nearly deafening as it snapped its teeth at him.

"Got one for you too, big fella," he grunted as he smashed a second pellet in the dog's face.

With two dog's unconscious and the first one still incapacitated with the bola, Bruce forced the beast off of him, sucking in deep ragged breaths as he quickly rolled over onto his hands and knees. He could feel blood beginning to ooze from the puncture wounds in his upper chest from Cerberus' claws. He didn't have time to tend to them right now and, since they weren't life-threatening, they were of little consequence to him at that moment.

Getting up onto his feet, Batman turned towards Cerberus. He slowly walked over to it, lifting his boot and kicking the only conscious dog directly in the face. "Bad dog," he growled, satisfied when it finally collapsed.

"You aren't going to win, Hades," Batman yelled into the air with fists clenched tightly in rage, knowing the god of the Underworld was watching his every move. He could feel his eyes on him similar to that night in Gotham when he had been out on patrol. "Whatever you're up to, I will beat you and Diana will be mine."

He knew that Hades was up to more than just these damn trials and tests. There was some hidden agenda behind all of this, some unknown purpose that he wasn't seeing yet, but he would eventually get to the bottom of all of this. Even if he and Diana both survived these tests, Hades wasn't going to just allow them to waltz out of here with an approving pat on the back and a welcome to the family.

Turning away from Cerberus, Batman began to make his way towards the River Phlegethon. He knew it was the river that flowed into Tartarus and hopefully would help lead him to Diana. He couldn't help thinking about her no matter how hard he tried not to. She was never far from his thoughts especially now. He wondered where she was and what sort of nightmare she was being forced to endure at that moment all because she fell in love with him.

The guilt of it was overwhelming.

XXX

Dick couldn't help staring at his surroundings, completely awestruck by what he saw. He had never seen anything like it and was fairly positive that he never would again. He had no idea that his mouth was hanging open as they finally entered the throne room of the palace until Donna silently reached over with her forefinger to lift his chin up.

He glanced sheepishly at her to find her grinning at him. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. He had always thought that Wayne Manor was enormous and extravagant, but the royal palace on Themyscira almost made it look shabby.

"So no man has ever stepped foot in here before me?" Dick leaned over to whisper in Donna's ear.

"Well, I don't know about that, but you're definitely one of the very few," she just as softly corrected him.

"If Bruce and Diana weren't in so much trouble, I'd stop to take some pictures to show Tim, but I guess that will have to wait until after we rescue them."

Donna shot him an annoyed glare that told him she agreed with that decision. She couldn't help but smile to herself, though, as she watched him out of the corner of her eye. He was just so handsome and adorable. She couldn't deny that what she felt for him was far more than just friendship. She just hoped that her mother woulnd't pick up on her feelings yet or at least until she'd had a chance to talk to Dick about it.

Hippolyta quickly turned to face her daughter and the man that she had brought along with her. It was obvious that he and Donna were close, but just how close remained to be seen. The fact that a man was standing in her throne room right now did not sit well with her, but she had bigger problems than this.

"Alright," Hippolyta began, clasping her hands in front of her. "Start from the beginning and tell me every that happened. Don't leave anything out."

"Eris showed up in Gotham," Donna told her. "She caused a huge break out at Arkham Asylum. Several criminals escaped so the League came in to help find them."

"But before that a huge creature from the Underworld showed up in New York City the other day," Dick excitedly interjected.

"Are you going to tell her or are you going to let me finish?" Donna snapped as she glared at Nightwing, her hands on her hips.

"You forgot a major part of the story," Dick shot back with a scowl.

"I was going to get there, but you interrupted me!"

"Well, if you would've just started from the very beginning like she wanted then I wouldn't have had to interrupt," Dick just as heatedly pointed out.

"Enough!" Hippolyta yelled to get their attention. "What showed up in New York City?"

"Typhon," Donna informed her. "Someone released him from Tartarus."

"Probably Eris if she was the one responsible for this outbreak at Arkham," the queen thoughtfully replied, her forehead creased with worry for what Diana and Bruce were possibly going through at that moment. "Eris loves to create chaos just as much as Hades does if not more."

Hippolyta knew from Diana that Bruce was fully capable of taking care of himself, but he was still human and now he was in Hades' world being forced to play by Hades' rules which she had no doubt were anything but fair and probably changing by the hour.

"Superman, Batman, and Diana were together when Thanatos suddenly showed up," Donna continued. "Thanatos said that Hades sent him to bring Bruce to the Underworld. Of course, Diana insisted she go in his place so Thanatos decided to take them both."

"Evidently Hades is none too thrilled with the fact that Diana chose to marry a mortal man," Dick added, wanting to make sure Donna didn't forget to tell her everything.

Hippolyta released a weary sigh, her eyes falling closed with the overwhelming sorrow that had flooded her heart with the news. She turned her back to them, her chin falling to her chest. "I must admit that there was a small part of me was worried that something like this was going to happen."

"What?" Dick exclaimed, taking an angry step closer as his hands balled into fists. "You had a feeling something like this could happen and you never said anything? My father and Diana are trapped in hell right now fighting for their lives because you didn't warn them."

"Dick!" Donna hissed, her arm instinctively shooting out to keep him from getting any closer to her mother.

"No…it's alright, Donna," the queen said, raising her hand to wave her off. "I blame myself for this. I should've warned Diana that not all of the gods would be so accepting of this union, but I never dreamed it would be her father. He's never taken an interest in her before now."

"Why didn't you ever tell me that Hades was Diana's father?" Donna asked, hurt swimming in her eyes. "I had to find out from Diana, mother."

"I should have, but to tell you the truth Diana didn't even know until Zeus ordered her to reinstate Hades as ruler of the Underworld after Faust had tried to take it over," she confessed. "She had asked me about it after, not believing what Hades had told her. She was quite furious with me after I confirmed that it was true."

"I can imagine," Dick spat out, angered by Hippolyta's actions. "I don't think I'd be very happy either if I suddenly found the ruler of hell was my father."

Donna swatted Dick's shoulder in frustration. "I'm sure you had your reasons, mother."

"At the time they seemed very good, but not when you are forced to look into the heartbroken face of your daughter who feels betrayed by you," Hippolyta softly said. "It took some time, but Diana eventually forgave me…praise be to Hera for that."

"Yah, I remember Diana stopping by the Batcave a few days after returning to talk to Bruce about it," Dick revealed. "She was pretty upset, but Bruce had reassured her that you were probably doing what you had thought was best by not telling her."

"She had every right to be upset with me," she agreed. "I just seem to keep hurting my little sun and stars and now she's suffering at the hands of Hades because of me."

"We have to find a way to get them out of there," Dick said, shaking his head. "Would any of your gods be able to help us?"

Hippolyta quickly shook her head in response, her blonde curls falling about her face. "No, they don't want to have anything to do with Hades or the Underworld. I'm afraid we're on our own on this one."

"So let's go to hell and get them out," Dick stated, growing more exasperated with every minute that slipped by. "The longer they're trapped done there, the greater the chance we won't be able to get them out."

"It's not that easy, Dick," Hippolyta replied with a sad frown. "There will be many obstacles in our way. Besides, Hades isn't going to just allow us to enter his domain nor will he willingly permit us to take Diana and Bruce with us. Knowing Hades, he has an ulterior motive that I'm sure not even Bruce or Diana are aware of. He's like a deadly viper that will turn on you when you least expect it."

"Mother, would it hurt to at least petition Athena for some wisdom about how to proceed with this?" Donna questioned her. "Maybe there is something that she could reveal to us or give us some guidance that would aid us in our search."

"It's worth a try," Hippolyta admitted with a slow nod of her head. "I will go at once to petition Athena for help and wisdom. In the meantime, you both should eat and rest. We have a long arduous journey ahead of us."

"Mother, you keep saying 'we'," Donna pointed out with a frown of disapproval. "You can't seriously be considering going with us?"

"I am and I will," Hippolyta firmly stated, holding her head high. "I will not allow Hades to do this to my daughter or Bruce. It's my fault for not warning Diana that this was a possibility. I must go after her."

"You can't go, mother," Donna objected, her eyes widening with fear. "You are the Queen of the Amazons. If something happens to you, there would be no one to rule in your place."

"Not if I can save Diana," she reminded her. "I will do whatever it takes to save her and the man that she loves even if it means sacrificing my life for theirs."

"Mother!"

"My mind is made up, Donna, and as your queen, you must abide by my decision," Hippolyta retorted, her voice the commanding tone of the queen. "Now, I must go to the Temple of Athena at once. You and Dick must rest while I'm gone. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Donna's shoulders sank as she watched her mother leave, her white dress fluttering elegantly behind her. She fought against the thick tightness that had suddenly filled her throat, knowing that her mother was going with them. If Diana knew, she'd never let their mother go through with it.

She felt a sudden hand on her shoulder, pulling her away from her tormented thoughts. She turned to find Dick standing right beside her. He'd taken his mask off, revealing the blue eyes she loved. He silently wrapped his arms around her, no words being spoken as he held her close.

Nothing needed to be said in that moment. They both knew that this wasn't going to be easy, the possibility of losing someone on this journey to the Underworld all too real.

Donna buried herself in Dick's embrace, fighting back the tears that were working their way to the surface. She knew she needed to tell him how she really felt about him before they entered the Underworld in case they didn't make it out of there, but she couldn't seem to make her voice work at that moment as she thought about losing him, her mother or Diana and Bruce.