Chapter 29

"Try Batman again," Superman instructed him, his usual good-humored expression one of grim concern now as he stood behind the Martian Manhunter seated at the computer.

J'onn shook his head with shared distress as he typed in the command for the twentieth time. "I am unable to track his position or get any response from him. He seems to have vanished."

"And still no word from Wonder Woman either?" The spoken question made Superman's stomach churn with trepidation.

"Dear Lord, not again," was all the Kryptonian could possibly think at that moment.

"Do not give up hope just yet, my friend," J'onn silently encouraged him. "They are both warriors and will find a way to return to us."

"Anything yet?" Superman questioned him out loud.

"Nothing," J'onn indicated as he pointed with his forefinger to the other screen he had devoted to finding the now missing Amazon. "This is her last known location before her commlink went offline and a safety alert was automatically sent to the Watchtower."

"Thank goodness Batman added that safety feature to the commlinks last week," Clark said with a drawn out sigh. It still didn't help explain what had happened to their friends.

"It has so far proven to be very helpful," the Martian agreed. "If I hadn't been alerted to Diana's commlink failing, we never would have known there was a potential situation."

"I have a terrible feeling that something has happened to them," Superman muttered with building panic. "How long has it been since Diana's commlink went offline?"

"One hour, twenty-four minutes," J'onn informed him as he continued to type. "I should have alerted you sooner, but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt in case she was taking care of some personal business. After everything they have recently been through, I did not want to invade her space if she had turned it off for some reason, but it's not coming back online and I am unable to locate her position either."

"Have you been able to create a telepathic link with either of them?"

"I am unable to establish a connection with Diana at all," J'onn revealed.

"Which means?"

"She is either incapacitated or dead."

"Diana is not dead," Superman heatedly snapped, his anger flaring and seeping into his voice, his tone sharper than he had intended. He drew a deep breath in order to compose himself once more before continuing. "What about Bruce? Can you make a connection with him?"

"I'm afraid it is far more complex when it comes to Batman," J'onn thoughtfully said with a frown. "His mind is even stronger than his will. He has set up so many barriers in his mind that I have great difficulty forming a complete connection with him.

"I can catch random glimpses of feelings or images here and there if his emotions are strong enough, but unless he wants me in, I have a difficult time establishing a link with him. When it comes to Batman, it is also a very painful process, one that I do not relish, but I will if it means finding our missing friends."

Superman placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "I understand, J'onn. Batman is a very difficult man to deal with at best let alone trying to get inside of that head of his."

"If they are in trouble, I will do everything I can to help find them," J'onn insisted.

"J'onn, the last time you opened your mind up to Metropolis, it overwhelmed you," Clark reminded him. "I'm not going to let you go down that horrible road again. I'm going to contact Nightwing to see if he knows what's happened with them."

"Do you think it could be Luthor again?" J'onn questioned him.

"It's either him or Joker," he replied as he turned away from the Martian Manhunter, his hand immediately tapping his commlink. "Superman to Nightwing."

Almost a full minute passed before he received a response, adding to his worry. "This is Nightwing. What can I do for you, Supes?"

Superman was somewhat taken aback by Nightwing's laidback ease, the lack of concern in his voice. Either he seriously didn't know that anything was wrong with Bruce and Diana or Dick was trying to hide something from him. "Do you know where Batman and Wonder Woman are?"

"No, I can't say that I do," he casually responded. "Have you tried contacting them?"

"Yes, and they're not answering our calls," Clark informed him.

"They're probably just busy catching up on lost time. You know how they can't keep their hands off each other. Do you need something?"

"We can't locate their position," Superman informed him, growing suspicious as well as irritated. Dick was far too casual about all of this. "Diana's commlink went offline an hour and a half ago. Do you know anything about it?"

There was a long pause, one that Clark didn't appreciate in the least and especially not a time like this. "Nightwing, if something has happened to them, you need to tell me. I know better than anyone how Batman feels about the League getting involved in his city, but if they're in trouble, we deserve to know."

Dick exhaled heavily in resignation before finally speaking again. "I think Luthor has them. Batman was secretly kidnapped last night during a charity event. Diana has been searching for him all day and now we can't reach her either."

"J'onn has been able to triangulate Diana's last known position before her comm went offline," Superman replied. "It appears she's still in Gotham."

"That's what Oracle was able to determine," Nightwing agreed. "She was over Gotham Bay when her signal died. Robin and I are on our way there now to check it out."

"I'll be there as soon as possible," Superman firmly declared as he turned to leave the Monitor Womb.

"Superman, wait…please!" Nightwing pleaded with him. "Let me and Robin take care of this. If we can't find them by tomorrow night, I'll let you know."

"You don't know Luthor like I do, Nightwing. You can't give him that kind of time alone with them, especially Diana," Superman barked, anger permeating his voice as he looked up to see the Monitor Womb doors swish open to reveal Green Lantern entering. "I'm on my way now. I'll meet you two at the docks in Gotham in five minutes. Superman out."

"Come with me, John," Superman ordered with a dark look that told the stunned Green Lantern that wherever they were going, it wasn't going to be good at all. "J'onn, keep me informed of any changes in the situation."

"Where are we going?" GL asked, his face scrunching up in confusion.

"Gotham."

"Uh-oh," John groaned with sudden apprehension. He fully understood the ramifications of that single word as he abruptly turned on his heel to follow the dogged Man of Steel out of the Monitor Womb. This was definitely going to be ugly. "This can't be good."

"I'll fill you in on the way."

XXX

Diana felt as though she was floating, her body not her own and yet she couldn't deny the pins and needles that seemed to pierce every single muscle. She had a difficult time connecting her thoughts as she straddled that fine line between unconsciousness and awareness, drifting in and out, here and there, but never staying in one place.

Her mind was a swirling eddy of images and emotions, some from the past and the others not so very long ago, but unfortunately none of it brought her any closer to the truth of what was happening to her. It was all so confusing as she tried to make sense of something that made none.

She squeezed her eyes tighter as an unexpected noise assaulted her senses, nudging her brain to respond to it. It sounded vaguely familiar to her, making her wince. She wanted to escape from that heart-wrenching noise, to make it stop. It hurt her, searing her very soul like a branding iron and riddling her with a pain that couldn't begin to compare to any physical pain that she had ever experienced.

The sound was growing louder, the emotions it evoked overwhelming her and hurting her deeply. She searched desperately through the dense, drug-induced fog that had taken over her mind and paralyzed her body, trying to comprehend what was happening to her and around her.

She took a moment to take draw a couple of slow, steadying breaths in an effort to clear her mind, but it was no use. She could barely make her muscles work let alone connect her thoughts as the noise grew louder, raking across her heart in a familiar scrape that she didn't want to confront.

Sudden realization washed over her like a tidal wave threatening to drown her in its ferocity, bringing with it a sickening dread. Her eyes flew open in wild recognition as she drew a sharp, shuddering gasp of air.

It was Bruce.

Diana swiftly looked around her, her frantic gaze falling to the person lying on a medical table several feet away from her. Bruce was restrained to it same as her, but unlike her, he had countless wires attached to his head and chest.

His eyes were clenched shut, tears streaming down his pale face like a continuous waterfall. He cried out in pain again, fighting against the metal restraints that held him down only this time he wasn't shocked senseless by an electrical current. His hands were balled into tight fists, his body trembling as he fought against whatever was attacking him in his mind.

"Bruce," she softly cried, trying to get free only to be instantly reminded that she couldn't.

Unlike Bruce, powerful electrical currents seared through her, stealing her breath. Her whole body shook with the searing pain, tears unexpectedly blurring her vision as her back arched in an effort to escape. Her breathing was ragged as she made an effort to regain control of her body once more, her mind racing for a way to get free so she could help Bruce.

"What are you doing to him?" Diana managed to choke out, her voice hoarser than she had anticipated as she attempted to resist the drugs that were affecting her body and mind.

Hush looked up at her, his expression one of mild amusement as he studied her for a moment. "I'm forcing him to relive horrible experiences in his life starting with his parents' death," he told her in a matter-of-fact tone that was so incongruous with what he was actually doing.

Diana seethed with a white-hot rage that was all of the sudden pulsating deep in her core like a living breathing thing seeking release. "Why…why are you doing this to him?"

"I'm causing him this pain so I can study his brain wave patterns," Hush revealed as if he was teaching a class full of students. "I'm absolutely fascinated by him. I have to know what makes the great Bruce Wayne tick, what drives him to do what he does."

She watched in shock as he drew up a syringe full of medicine before injecting it in Bruce's arm. She cringed as Bruce began to grow even more agitated, whatever drug he had been given intensifying his emotions and the horror he was being forced to relive. Hush wasn't just studying him, he was torturing him.

"You're hurting him!" Diana cried, trying to fight against the drugs still being pumped through her own veins as well as the electrically charged restraints. She had to get to him and put an end to this before they killed him. He was suffering again all because of her. "Stop this now!"

Hush turned away from the computer he was using to track Bruce's responses to focus his attention on the Amazon. "You have no idea what I've been able to do. I have managed to tap into Bruce's most painful experiences, forcing him to relive the things that eventually made him into the man that he is today. There is a wealth of information in his mind and I am going to learn all of it no matter what it takes."

"No…no, don't!" Bruce mournfully wailed, his head thrashing from side to side. "Mom…Dad! No!"

"You're going to kill him," Diana screamed, tears slowly leaking from her eyes as she watched the man that she loved with all her heart relive every single horror that he'd ever had to live through.

"I know who Bruce Wayne really is," Hush revealed in a quiet voice that was almost reverential, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I know what he does every night, the mission that he has taken on in order to redeem himself…to purge himself of the guilt and the pain that he always carries within in him because of what happened to his parents."

Diana's eyes shifted from Bruce to the madman at the computer, shock veiling her face. "How do you know?" she whispered in stunned disbelief, the truth of his words shining in his eyes.

"I've known for a long time, but, of course, it's not my secret to share," he told her in all sincerity. "Let's just say that it's an arcanum that I'm very proud to be a part of, one that I covet because I'm the only one in the criminal world who knows it."

"No! Diana!" Bruce suddenly screamed, alarms beginning to blare loudly as he wrestled against nightmares sooner left forgotten than relived. "Don't leave me, Princess! Please…I love you!"

Hush jumped to his feet to check Bruce's vitals that were now erratic, ultimately deciding on giving him another dose of medicine. Bruce's body twisted with rage or agony—Diana didn't know which. All she knew was that she had to put a stop to this nightmare before his heart or his mind gave out on him.

"Stop it!" she demanded it with an unexpected ferocity and lucidity that caused Hush's head to snap up in surprise. "You can do whatever you want to me…just don't hurt him!"

Lex Luthor entered at that moment, a furious scowl plastered on his face as he spotted Hush with Bruce. "I thought you were starting on Diana's reconditioning therapy. Why are you wasting your time with this pathetic fool?"

Hush glowered at his bald-headed partner, his eyes flashing dangerously in obvious forewarning. "If you truly understood who this man was, you would not think so little of him, Luthor."

Lex's gaze narrowed in suspicion as his attention shifted from Hush to Bruce and back again to his partner in crime. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Seeing Lex, Diana knew that he would be her saving grace despite how much she loathed him. "Luthor!" Diana yelled, her breathing labored as she fought to make her mind work. "Let Batm…Bruce go. You…you have me now. You don't need…you don't need him any longer."

Luthor's glare slowly morphed into a smug grin as he stared at his pair of captives. "Bruce Wayne is Batman?" he nearly shouted as all of the pieces abruptly came together.

"No…no, I didn't say that!" Diana insisted as her head rolled back and forth, guilt swelling and threatening to choke her. "Bruce is not…he's not Batman!"

"I knew there was something wrong about how protective Batman was of you," Luthor told her. "I thought he was just in love with you too, but it all makes perfect sense now."

Greek curses filled her mind, furious with herself for revealing Bruce's secret identity like that. The drugs that were flowing through her veins were affecting her mind, making it next to impossible to form coherent thoughts.

"Let him go and I'll stay…I'll stay with you," she promised him. "I won't fight you. Just please…don't hurt him."

"Well, I sort of promised him to Hush to do with as he pleases," Luthor informed her as he came to stand beside her, his leering gaze hungrily admiring his prize. Seeing her restrained like this only fed into his fantasies. "I'm afraid that Bruce, or should I just go ahead and call him Batman, is going to be with us for a while…or as long as he survives whatever Hush has planned for him. Now, though, I believe it is your turn, my beautiful princess."

"I will get to her when I'm good and ready," Hush insisted from his position near Bruce where he was still trying to get his patient stabilized. "I need to finish with Bruce first. He's unstable right now. His vital signs are all over the map, his heart rate too fast. I can't risk losing him now that I have him right where I want him."

Luthor abruptly pulled a gun, pointing it directly at Hush and Bruce. "I am more than prepared to force you to comply with my demands."

Hush snorted in amusement, unaffected by Luthor's threat. "You shoot me and I won't be able to do anything about your precious Amazon so put your gun away."

"I'm not talking about eliminating you," Lex revealed with a smirk, pointing the barrel of the gun at Bruce who was still fully locked in the throes of the chaotic storm Hush had forced him into.

"Don't you dare," Hush bit out with surprising calm.

"I did not come this far to have you ruin my plans," Luthor hissed with steely resolve. "Batman or not—I will end him."

"No," Diana murmured as she stared at Luthor in wide-eyed horror, her pulse racing with fear that she was going to lose Bruce. This was too close to her nightmare. "Hera, not again."

Clenching her jaw, Diana steeled herself against the painful onslaught that was about to wrack her body as she gathered every bit of strength that she could muster. The thick metal straps began to bend against the force that she was exerting against it, the screws ripping out of the steel table.

She gritted her teeth nearly to the point of cracking as she pushed past the shockwaves of pain that continually rocked her. It felt as though she was repeatedly being struck by powerful bolts of lightning. It felt like every inch of her was on fire, but she ignored it in a desperate attempt to save Bruce.

"Do something!" Luthor shrieked as he slowly began to back away from the enraged Amazon breaking free from her bonds. "She's getting free!"

Before Hush could respond, Diana had broken through the seemingly unbreakable restraints on her arms and legs, her hands already tearing at the steel bands that covered her neck and waist. She yanked the IV free from her arm as she lunged forward, her blue eyes like twin thunderstorms of pure venom.

Luthor immediately began shooting at her, hoping to slow her down enough to regain some sort of control over her again, but she easily blocked each bullet with her bracers. She flew straight at Luthor, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off his feet.

He clawed at her hand in a futile attempt to break her hold on him, fearful of what she would do to him. She glowered darkly at him, something deadly and fierce that made Lex want to shrink back in fear if she hadn't been holding him firmly by the throat.

"I have had enough…of your interference," she stated, her chest heaving beneath her eagle breastplate. It took every ounce of strength she had to stay upright at that moment, whatever Hush had given her making it more than difficult to think straight. "You will not be allowed…to hurt anyone ever again."

"I know now that Bruce Wayne is Batman," Luthor shot back with a sudden surge of courage. "I'm going to make sure that the whole world knows it and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

Diana tilted her head in mild amusement despite her desperation to free Bruce, a smirk tugging at the corner of her red lips. "Oh, really?"

"The Justice League doesn't condone killing no matter the reason, Diana," he arrogantly retorted in spite of the fact that he was still dangling a couple of inches off the ground, held by the most powerful woman in the world. "You might have it in you to do it, but would Batman or Superman say? The rest of the League? What would the world think of the amazing Wonder Woman and her mission for peace?"

"If I can't kill you, then I guess I'll just have to make sure you are unable to speak ever again," she ground out with a wicked smile that caused an icy chill to crawl up Luthor's spine.

Lex blanched even though he still felt as though he had the upper hand with the new knowledge that he now possessed. "If you let me go, I promise not to tell anyone who Bruce Wayne really is. It will be our little secret…just the two of us."

Diana cast a brief glance at her lover who was still struggling to catch his breath as Hush continued to work on saving him. She knew she couldn't trust Luthor one iota. Besides that, he was trying to buy himself some time, time that Bruce didn't have. She needed to get him help before she lost him forever.

Turning her attention back to Luthor, she pulled him dangerously close, their noses nearly touching. "No deal," she spat out with disdain before tossing him across the large room.

She briefly watched with a small measure of satisfaction as he slammed into some crates before dropping to the ground like a rock. She immediately turned her attention to Hush and Bruce. "Stay away, Wonder Woman," Hush warned her, holding up a hand. "Don't make me hurt your Bat boyfriend here."

"You already have," she yelled, her hands balled up at her sides as she closed the distance between them. "And now, I'm going to hurt you."

Before Diana could take another step, a large man grabbed her from behind. "Don't let her escape!" she heard Luthor shout from across the room.

Someone grabbed her arm; another had her leg while whoever had seized her from behind tightened his vice-like hold on her. His arms felt like steel bands wrapping her up and pressing her firmly against his chest. Men seemed to be pouring out of the woodwork, piling on top of her. They pushed her to her knees in an effort to take her down, but they obviously had no clue just who they were dealing with or were too stupid to care.

Even though the drugs she'd been given had created chaos in her mind and the shockwaves had drained her, she wasn't about to let them get the upper hand nor was she going to let Bruce down. He needed her. She already feared it was too late, Hush's drugs breaking his mind or destroying his heart, but she would never give up on him no matter what.

With a warrior's battle cry, Diana fought her way to her feet, taking the pile with her before throwing off the dozen or so men who had tried to contain her. Crates splintered and equipment sparked like fireworks as henchmen were thrown around the room like ragdolls.

Breathing hard, she turned in circles, looking for the next attack only to find Luthor coming at her with a large crowbar. She launched herself at him with a smile that spoke volumes about her intent. She relished moments like this, had been trained for situations such as these.

She forced thoughts of Bruce to the back of her mind as she wrenched the crowbar out of Lex's hand, causing him to cry out just before her fist connected with his face, sending him flying back into some steel shelving that instantly collapsed on top of him.

"Silly, pathetic man," she muttered before whirling around to find no sign of Hush anywhere.

Diana immediately flew to Bruce's side, her heart thundering. She had no idea if it was out of fear of losing Bruce or from the drugs that Hush has been given her in an attempt to destroy her mind, but little else mattered to her except for saving him.

"Bruce," she softly called to him, her hand tentatively coming to rest against his cheek.

His body twitched, his head jerked as he remained an unwilling prisoner to the nightmares that held him hostage. She carefully began removing some of the electrodes from his chest and head, fearful that she would only cause him more harm.

"Bruce, please…don't do this," she pleaded with him as she held his face in her hands. His heart was pounding, his breathing labored. "Don't leave me."

He continued to mumble, his face wet with tears. "No…don't take my princess from me…not again…"

"Bruce, open your eyes," Diana told him as she gently stroked his jaw. The fine stubble lining it was rough against her fingertips as she attempted to soothe him, to bring him back to her where he belonged. "I'm right here, Bruce. You're safe now."

It was as if he couldn't hear her as he continued to murmur, his body trembling uncontrollably. She brushed her lips against his, pressing her forehead against his as tears of her own threatened to fall. She had to get him to J'onn on the Watchtower right away.

Straightening up, Diana felt something whiz past her head. Spinning around, she found Hush standing several yards away, pointing what looked like a smaller, modified version of a harpoon gun at her. It inflamed her anger all over again as she positioned herself in front of Bruce in order to protect him from the man who had caused him so much pain.

"Give up, Wonder Woman," Hush ordered her. "I have no quarrel with you. It was all Luthor's obsession with you that led to this. I only want Bruce."

"Sorry, but I'm not very good at sharing what belongs to me," she replied with a sneer that Batman would've been proud of.

"I wasn't asking you to share," Hush clarified as he slowly began to close the distance between them, his gun trained directly on her. "I was ordering you."

"I also don't take well to being ordered around either, especially by a man," she retorted.

It was all she could do to keep her legs from giving out on her. Her body was on the very of betraying her as the adrenaline rush of the previous battle began to fade. Her head was spinning as she took a threatening step closer to her opponent, determined to end this so she could get Bruce the help he so desperately needed.

Diana rapidly flew straight at him with surprising speed, tackling him to the ground as he fired another dart at her, this one containing a different drug. With a furious cry, she pulled the dart from her shoulder, crushing it in her hand as she glowered darkly at her prey.

XXX

Superman and Green Lantern stood on the docks with Nightwing and Robin, rain continuing to fall. "Bruce is so going to kill us," Robin whispered nervously to Nightwing.

Nightwing's head snapped to the side to stare at his younger brother in obvious disbelief. "You're the one who was mad at me because I didn't call them in."

"Well, now that they're here, I'm thinking this was a terrible idea," Robin said with a scowl.

"There!" Superman yelled as he pointed out into Gotham Harbor.

"I don't see anything," Robin complained as he tried to see what Superman had spotted.

"Hang on, kid," Green Lantern warned him as he wrapped Robin and Nightwing up in a green bubble before taking off after Superman who was already racing towards the cargo ship where he had heard fighting coming from.

Superman flew straight towards the ship, his simmering anger mingling with fear for his friends. If Luthor had done anything to hurt them…he silently shook the worrisome thought from his mind. He needed to stay focused if he was going to be able to get them out of there. He would have to deal with Luthor later.

He landed on the bow of the ship a few seconds ahead of Lantern, his hearing trained on finding Bruce and Diana. Hearing gun fire, he immediately flew down into the hold of the ship. Crashing straight through a thick steel door, he was stunned to find bodies lying everywhere, some completely unconscious, others groaning in obvious pain. It looked like a war zone.

To his right, he spotted Bruce lying on a table, completely still. He didn't seem to be fairing too well, his face pale and covered in sweat. Diana was on her hands and knees on the floor in the middle of the room, struggling to get to her feet. To his left, Lex Luthor laid on the ground, blood seeping from a couple of bullet holes to his chest.

Superman raced to Diana's side as Nightwing and Robin ran towards their father, Green Lantern going to check on Luthor. "Diana, are you alright?" Clark asked, helping her stand to her feet.

"Yes…please, we have to…we have to help Bruce," she weakly replied, pulling out of his hold on her only to stumble and nearly fall.

Superman's fingers gently yet firmly gripped her upper arm, keeping her upright. "Diana, you're not alright. We need to get the two of you to the med bay right away so J'onn can take care of you."

"No, I…I have to save…Bruce," she angrily growled, delirious and gasping for the next breath.

Superman glanced over his shoulder at Green Lantern who was crouching on the floor next to a lifeless Lex Luthor. John silently shook his head, a grim expression on his face. Clark could only stare in shock at the dead body of the man whose life goal had always been to bring down not only him but the Justice League as well.

Superman turned his attention back to Diana who had managed to stumble over to Bruce was lying so still it was unnerving. Removing some wires from Bruce's chest, Nightwing wrapped a protective arm around Diana, lending her the strength she no longer possessed as Robin hacked into the computer to find out what they had been doing to Bruce.

Making his way to her, he couldn't help the sudden fear that was building within him. "Diana, what happened here?" he asked, fearing the worst.

"We need to get Bruce…to the 'Tower," she replied, her eyelids almost too heavy to hold open now. "Hush was giving him drugs…he was hurting him."

"Hush is still here?" Nightwing asked her, quickly looking around the large room.

The Amazon princess could only nod her head as she gently stroked Bruce's hair, unable to make her voice work in that moment. She didn't know what Hush had given her, but it was making her head swim and her stomach churn. It was all she could do not to just drop to the ground.

"We'll look for him and take care of all of this," Nightwing reassured her. "You and Bruce need to get to the med bay on the 'Tower. You're not looking too good, Di, and neither is Bruce."

"I'll take them," Green Lantern volunteered. "Call me if you three need help."

"Will do," the Man of Steel replied with a slight nod of his head.

His gaze wandered over the destruction and bodies lying everywhere, amazed by what Diana had been able to do all alone. He was still reeling from the shocking turn of events, his mind trying to comprehend the fact that Lex Luthor was truly gone.

The man who had dedicated himself to making Clark's life a living hell was dead and he had no idea who had actually done it.