TITLE: Mind's Eye
AUTHOR: LOTSlover
CHARACTERS: Batman / Wonder Woman
RATING: T
WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings
DISCLAIMER: I love Justice League, but especially Batman and Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, I do not own the characters and, if I did, things would be much different for them.
SUMMARY: Set after the JL ep The Savage Time, Batman is determined to find out what happened to Diana during her travel back in time.
Mind's Eye
Batman sat back in his chair at his work station on the Watchtower, staring at the computer screen before him. He had just finished reading everyone's mission report from their encounter with Vandal Savage…that was everyone save for Wonder Woman's.
His elbow came to rest on the arm of his chair as he thoughtfully rubbed his chin with his fore and long fingers, staring intently at the file that he was about to open up to read. He drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly through his nostrils. His thoughts were centered on her just as they had been for the last few days since his teammates had returned from their unexpected adventure.
She'd been acting differently since they had set things right in the timeline, a certain sadness pervading her that he hadn't been able to discover the source of yet. He had been watching her closely, noticing how quiet she had become…almost withdrawn. She had spoken little since returning, staying in her quarters. Her ever-ready smile had been absent, her bright sapphire eyes listless. Something was obviously consuming her mind and tugging at her heart.
Now, he suspected that he was beginning to understand the reason behind it.
Having read J'onn's report from the mission, he caught the name of an American spy by the name of Steve Trevor that Diana had rescued when his plane had been shot down. It was because of this Trevor that Wonder Woman and the Martian Manhunter had ended up parting ways, Diana going with Trevor while J'onn continued on to infiltrate the Germans' central command.
Bruce felt his annoyance begin to simmer, knowing that Diana had separated from her teammate in order to protect Steve Trevor on his mission. His mind worked overtime in an effort to figure out what it was about this military man that had captured the attention of an Amazon who had come from an island populated with women who loathed the entire male race.
And yet, here was their very own princess clearly smitten with a man…and an average one at that. He had no Meta powers, nothing exceptional save for the fact that he worked for the government and was on a mission for his country.
His lips thinned into a grim line of disapproval as he stared at the picture of Steve Trevor that he'd been able to pull up on his computer. Diana was too naïve at times, always wearing her heart on her sleeve and practically daring someone to break it.
She needed to be far more guarded and closed-off like him. She needed to learn to keep a very tight rein on her heart and her emotions instead of opening herself up to everyone she met. It would only lead to heartache…and it looked like it just had for her.
"What is so special about you?" Batman murmured, displeasure dripping from every word.
Clicking on her file, Bruce began to read through her mission report, noting the methodical nature and the well-written account of the events that had transpired. She had gone into detail about everything that had occurred with Steve Trevor, impressing him once again with the depths of her courage and strength. It also reflected her great intelligence, her willingness to sacrifice herself for the good of everyone around her without a second thought.
Unfortunately, he knew there was more to her encounter with the spy that she had put into her report. It was the reason why she was so disheartened and distant now and he didn't like it one bit. He feared it was going to start affecting her duties, make her a liability or, even worse, lead to her being injured on a mission.
It prickled his distaste for this man for leading her on, flirting with her while knowing that it could never go anywhere. It wasn't fair to do that to her. She wasn't accustomed to the ways of the world, the intricacies and complications of a relationship between a man and a woman.
While this man was a war hero, Steve Trevor had misled her, trifled with her emotions and toyed with her heart. That did not sit well with him in the least. It inflamed his anger, his protective instincts readily rising up inside of him. His hands clenched into fists, determined to find out exactly what had happened during her time with Trevor.
Closing out the files, Batman logged off before making his way to the Monitor Womb, knowing she would be on duty right now. He needed to talk to her, to know exactly what had happened. It was an overwhelming necessity that he just couldn't shake.
He had momentarily considered talking to Superman, but quickly thought better of it as his anger caused his ego to bristle. He wasn't blind. He had seen how incredibly close Clark and Diana had grown since the formation of the Justice League, their friendship indestructible. It was a bond that he didn't particularly care for.
The Monitor Womb doors swooshed open, his black cape fluttering behind him. His sights were set on the female heroine sitting at the monitor station. The chair swiveled around with the heavy sound of the determined footsteps approaching from behind.
"Batman," she evenly greeted him with a nod before turning back to the bank of computer monitors.
"I need some information," he told her in no uncertain terms as he came to stand beside her.
She looked up at him, somewhat taken aback by his abrupt manner, but she really shouldn't have expected anything less from him by now. She paused to take a drink of her coffee before turning her attention back to the enigma known as Batman.
"You're going to have to narrow that down a bit," Shayera Hol told him. "What kind of information are you looking for?"
"Steve Trevor," he bluntly stated, turning his back to the computer bank as he folded his arms against his chest. He leaned his back against the desk, his legs stretched out before him.
Shayera stared at him for a long moment, trying to figure out what he was getting at. "What about him?" she asked with a frown as she sat back in her chair, her detective mind quickly kicking into high gear.
"What do you know about him and Diana?" he demanded to know, not beating around the bush.
Shayera forced her expression to remain impassive despite the surprised smile that was struggling to rise to the surface. She was now just as interested in getting some information as the vigilante was, but for very different reasons. Why was he so interested in Diana and Steve Trevor?
"What makes you think I know anything? I wasn't even with her," she pointed out. "I was on the battlefield with Lantern."
Batman clenched his jaw with mounting frustration, his patience already quickly running thin. "So Diana hasn't talked to you about the time she spent with Trevor?"
"Why are you so interested?" she questioned him, her eyes narrowing with obvious suspicion.
"Never mind," he growled as he began to straighten up to leave, realizing his mistake in coming here to talk to her.
Shayera's hand shot out, her fingers wrapping around his forearm to keep him there. "Yes, she did talk to me, but why do you want to know?"
Batman sank back against the computer desk again, forcing himself to stay in order to get the information that he needed. "I'm concerned about her behavior lately," he evenly confessed. "She hasn't been herself since she returned from that mission. Something happened and I need to know what it was."
Shayera's lips twitched with interest as she appraised him, seeing a side of the frigid Dark Knight that she had rarely seen before. "I don't know if I should divulge what was discussed between friends," she teased with mild amusement, knowing that she was goading him. "You know girl talk and all. It should stay between girls, Batman."
"I don't have time for this," he bit out with a snarl. "I'll find out myself with or without you."
Shayera drew a deep breath, her mind abruptly made up. "Diana said that she met a man that fascinated her," she admitted, feeling a little guilty about revealing something shared over lunch the other day. "Evidently, he had made quite an impression on her."
"In what way?" he snapped, not liking where this was going. He had been hoping his suspicions had been wrong.
"He called her 'angel' because he said it was like she had descended from the heavens to save him," she told him. "I think she liked that."
The muscles in Bruce's jaw tensed even further, his teeth grinding with anger. It had been just as he had suspected. "Anything else I should know about?"
"Trevor kissed her," Shayera revealed with a smile, clearly pleased with the development. "She told me it was her first kiss. It took her off guard, but she really seemed to enjoy it because she kissed him again before she left him."
Bruce's entire body bristled, his nostrils flaring with the new information. In his mind's eye, he began imaging their encounter, the way that Trevor had flirted with her. He probably cradled her face in his hands before he had kissed her, savoring the feel of her lips against his, touching her hair. Knowing it was her first kiss only seemed to kindle his anger and dislike for the American spy even further, making it burn even hotter.
Having gained the information that he had been looking for, he straightened up to leave only to be stopped once again, this time by another question…one that he hadn't anticipated. "Where is this concern for Diana coming from?" she inquired. "Is there something going on?"
Batman stood still as a marble statue, refusing to meet the Thanagarian's scrutinizing stare. He kept his gaze focused solely on the Monitor Womb doors, his only way of escape from the uncomfortable situation that he managed to get himself into.
"I assure you it is nothing more than platonic concern for a teammate. Diana's behavior has been off since she returned from the mission," he stated with unmistakable disapproval. "We cannot risk having a Justice League member not focused on her duties. Someone could get hurt if she's too busy daydreaming about Steve Trevor."
Shayera immediately grew angry with his response, fighting the urge to punch him right through a wall with her mace. "Give her a break, Batman," she irately snapped. "She met someone who had a profound effect on her life, a man who was her first kiss…someone that she grew to care about. She was forced to leave him behind for the good of the mission, knowing she might never see him again. Can't you even show her just a little compassion or maybe you don't even know what that is?"
Bruce felt his shoulders sag imperceptibly, understanding all too well the sacrifices that were required in this line of work. He knew what Diana was going through right now far better than anyone could even begin to imagine. Unfortunately, he couldn't reveal any of it for fear of his secret identity getting out. It was a risk that he couldn't afford to take, not even for her.
"Where is she now?" he asked, his voice holding a little less disdain than it had a moment ago.
"Diana went to Earth a few hours ago in her jet," she told him, folding her arms against her chest in a show of defiance, her head cocking to the side. "She actually found Steve Trevor. He's alive and living in a nursing home. She went to visit him."
His gauntleted fingers curled into his palms as his lips twisted into a sneer. He swiftly exited the Monitor Womb without another word or a look back at her, leaving a somewhat confused Thanagarian alone once more. Turning her attention back to the computer screens, she mulled over the conversation she'd just had with the Dark Knight.
He was clearly angered about what had happened between Diana and Steve Trevor, but she suspected that it was more than just mere concern for a colleague that fueled that emotion. He seemed to be far edgier than normal even for him, his Bat nose bent out of shape over something that didn't even affect him in any way.
Diana was not one to allow her personal life or problems to get in the way of her duties. She was just as focused and absolutely dedicated to the job as Batman was, passionate about making sure that justice was dispensed.
Shaking her head in disbelief, Shayera sat forward as an alarm sounded, clicking a few keys to assess the urgent situation. She'd have to sort through it all later as she put together a rescue team to handle the rising trouble in Haiti. She just hoped that she hadn't made a mistake by revealing what Diana had told her.
XXX
Batman made a beeline for his workstation again, more than determined to find out everything he could about Steve Trevor. If Diana was going to be spending time with him at this nursing home, he wanted to be prepared for every eventuality.
Granted, the man was probably in his late eighties by now, but still he couldn't let that be a reason to let his guard down. This was Diana. It could be a potential threat to the League if anyone connected Wonder Woman to a former intelligence agent for the United States government. It was potential explosive situation that he wanted to avoid at all cost.
He spent over an hour researching the American spy, reading everything he could possibly find on him and growing more agitated by the moment. His endless list of accomplishments and esteemed awards was rather impressive, but it did little to settle his dislike for the man. He had led Diana on and caused her pain. That wasn't something he could so easily forgive.
Releasing a frustrated sigh, he glanced at the clock, noticing it was getting late. He needed to return to Gotham in order to prepare for patrol tonight. He'd have to find out more about how the princess's visit with Steve Trevor had gone tomorrow.
Batman made his way to the Javelin bay, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that he didn't have time to deal with right now. Passing by one of an observation room, he caught a glimpse of a shadow of someone inside. His brow furrowed as he entered the darkened room, finding Diana standing with her back to him. She was gazing out the window, her arms folded against her chest and clearly lost in her thoughts.
He felt his anger rear its ugly head again with the sight of her looking so sad and alone. Everything inside of him told him to just turn around and return to Gotham…to begin preparations for patrol, but he always felt an unexpected pull when it came to her, one that he didn't want to consider the reasons behind.
He found his legs moving of their own volition as he silently closed the distance, his gaze never leaving her. After several moments of silence, he finally spoke. "Princess?" he finally uttered her name.
She turned to look at him, obviously startled by his appearance. Sadness permeated her blue eyes that sparkled like diamonds. "Batman," she murmured. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear you come in."
"Are you all right?" he asked. The words were out of his mouth before he'd even realized he'd opened it.
She drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly as she turned her gaze back to the breathtaking view of the Earth. "I'm fine," she said, squaring her shoulders as if trying to convince not only him but herself as well.
Batman smiled to himself with her response. It was one that he typically gave, not her. "You don't seem fine. What's wrong?"
He didn't know why he was asking her. It was something that went far beyond his comfort zone, but she had a way of pushing him past the numerous boundaries that he had meticulously built up for himself. It was something that he was still trying to figure out. No one else had been able to do that to him. He hated it.
"I went to visit someone this afternoon," she admitted, Bruce tensing in anticipation of what she would say next. "It was…much harder than I had anticipated."
"A close friend?"
"Not exactly," she revealed, pursing her lips and shaking her head as she struggled to find the words to describe what Steve was to her. "I only knew him for a short time, but I believe we could've become very close."
"I'm sorry, Princess," he softly replied, feeling the heaviness of her heart. Seeing her hurting like this only served to fuel his resentment of Steve Trevor for leading her on and breaking her heart. Why couldn't he have just stayed away from her and left her alone?
She turned and gave him a small smile that never reached her eyes. "Thank you," she replied. "I met a man during our mission to stop Savage. He was an American spy by the name of Steve Trevor. When we returned, I did some research and discovered that he was still alive and living in a nursing home so I went to see him."
Bruce didn't really want to discuss Trevor or what her feelings towards this man consisted of, but he found himself unexpectedly interested in what she saw in this ordinary man that had so fully captured her attention.
Maybe it was because underneath the fearsome cape and cowl, the black Kevlar and all the fancy gadgets, he was just an ordinary man as well…mortal and finite, so undeserving of the princess's notice.
"Didn't it go well?"
"It was as if no time had passed at all since I had last seen him and yet he'd lived an entire lifetime since then, one that I wasn't a part of," she thoughtfully explained.
"It's understandable, Diana. You cared about him," he responded, the words so very bitter on his tongue.
"It was something that was so unexpected," she continued as if not even hearing him, her mind trying to process everything that she had experienced and felt in such a short time. "I had been taught to despise men my entire life, but I've learned time and again that there are truly remarkable men in the world since coming here, many with very noble qualities."
"Is that was Trevor was? Noble?" Batman asked without pausing to consider his question. It was one rooted in pure curiosity about what she had seen in this man, what had drawn her to him, not in anger for the hurt Trevor had caused her.
"He was an ordinary man…one without special powers who was willing to risk his life for so many people in order to stop a senseless war," she told him as she thought back on it. "I even questioned him about why he did it, why he put his life in danger like that. He told me that some things are worth dying for."
"He sounds like a very brave man," Batman grudgingly admitted. The man was an American war hero regardless of how poorly he'd handled things with Diana.
"He reminds me very much of you," she mused, giving him a smile that very nearly lit up her blue eyes.
Batman was completely taken aback by her words, his mind spinning with the unexpected comparison. "How so?"
"You both are selfless…willing to sacrifice everything in order to accomplish the mission," she explained, her expression warming the more she talked about the similarities, her expression growing animated with obvious admiration. "You would both give your life to save a million lives or just a single life and yet neither of you have any special powers. You never let perceived limitations stop you from risking your life every single day for what you believe so strongly in. You have a lion's heart, but you keep it tucked safely away and out of reach in order to protect it."
Batman didn't know what to say, a sense of guilt rising within him. Was she still talking about Trevor as well or him? She seemed to have figured him out without even knowing his true identity. It startled, leaving him feeling so off-balanced.
He realized in that moment that the reason she had been so drawn to Trevor was because of the similarities between him and the government agent. It was something that made his head spin as he tried to process it all. He found himself wanting to flee to the safe sanctuary of his cave where he didn't have to face these feelings that she always managed to stir and awaken with him. It was emotions that he had long believed he'd buried like a coffin, never to be resurrected or exhumed again.
Several moments filled with pensive silence passed before he was finally able to regain his stoic composure once more. "That's an admirable comparison, Princess," he decided as he turned to stare at the Earth, considering her response as he stood in a mirror image of the Amazon warrior.
"For which one of you?" she lightly teased him, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
"For me," he softly admitted, understanding a little more what it was that had interested her in this man.
"Are you getting ready to return to Gotham?" she asked him, feeling a little better than she had before Batman's appearance. For some reason, talking to him about Steve had helped her.
"Yes," he evenly stated. "I need to get ready for patrol. I have an open case that I've been working on."
"I'd ask you if you needed any help, but I believe we both already know what your response to that offer would be," she replied. "You know you should just have it printed on a business card. Then you wouldn't have to speak at all."
The corner of his lips twitched at the amusement that laced her voice. He couldn't help but notice the understanding that permeated her eyes despite the silent pleading that his response would be different this time, but they both knew better. It had to be this way.
"Thanks, but I can handle it, Princess," he reassured her, his tone far gentler than even he had anticipated.
"The offer will always stand," she replied, staring intently at him now as if trying to peel away the cowl and all the complicated layers in order to see the real man beneath it. For a split second, he almost wanted to remove it all just for her.
"I'll see you at the Founders' meeting tomorrow," he told her as he turned to leave.
"Thank you, Batman," she sincerely said. "I'm glad you're back safe and sound. Things wouldn't be the same around here without you."
Batman paused to give her a small smile as he nodded his head in acknowledgment before turning and leaving her alone once more. He felt his anger with Trevor seeping from his body with every step he took, relieved that Diana seemed to be doing a little better. The world wasn't such a dark place when she smiled.
He was somewhat taken aback that he had been able to do that for her. He was not known for his communication skills or his ability to comfort a friend. He was raw and brutal…razor-sharp pieces and icy demeanor, not a consoling shoulder to cry on like Superman, but seeing Diana hurting had made him want to try for some inexplicable reason.
Now that he knew she was going to be all right, he could finally turn his focus back to Gotham where it belonged. As he headed for his plane in the Javelin bay, he unexpectedly found himself looking forward to the Founders' meeting tomorrow, his steps a little lighter as well as his heart.