TITLE: Make up Your Mind
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 during the episode Kids Stuff, Batman struggles to come to terms with his feelings for the Amazon Princess and decides it's time to put some distance between them, but will it work?
A/N: Hey, gang! Just a little note. I make reference to Diana going on a mission with Hawk and Dove in this fic update, but it's not the Hawk and Dove ep that follows Kids Stuff. It's a different mission I'm referencing here.
Make up Your Mind
Batman stalked through the Watchtower with his usual petrifying deportment, a fierce sneer fixed firmly on his lips. His boots made a distinctive stomping sound as he stalked down the hallway, his hands balled tightly into fists hidden beneath his black cape.
There was a definite air of intense fury surrounding him that caused everyone to clear a very wide berth for him to pass by. He had just come from the commissary, his coffee completely forgotten about as he made his way to the Monitor Womb to review mission reports…specifically one from yesterday that involved a certain Amazon and a pair of brothers.
While heading towards the coffee maker to get a cup of much needed caffiene this morning, he had overheard a conversation that he wished now that he hadn't. He had passed by a table consisting of Plastic Man, Waverider, Thunderbolt, Booster Gold as well as Hawk, and Dove who were telling the others about the mission they had been on yesterday with Wonder Woman.
"It was the best moment of my life being paired with Wonder Woman for a mission," Hawk gushed, a dreamy expression on his face as he propped his head up with his hands.
"It was pretty awesome," Dove agreed with a silly grin. "She's totally amazing and so cool to be around."
"I can't believe you two got to go with the Wonder Babe on a mission," Booster whined. "I'd give anything to go on a mission with her. She's totally hot. She has a body to die for and a rack that—"
Batman crushed his coffee cup, coffee dripping from his gauntleted fist as he listened to Plastic Man and Booster Gold go on and on about Diana and her amazing assets. He reached for another cup as Hawk interrupted the two men in their less than respectful dialogue about the Amazon princess.
"Anyway, Diana said that she would love to be our training sponsor," Hawk continued, clearly uncomfortable with the way Plastic Man and Booster Gold were talking about Wonder Woman. Thunderbolt and Waverider wisely kept their mouths shut.
"She what?" Booster yelled, sitting straight up in his chair. "I asked her to be my training sponsor and she turned me down flat. Why would she be willing to help you two and not me?"
"I don't know," Dove replied with a shrug. "Maybe because you constantly ogle her and start drooling over her every time she's within a hundred yards of you."
"He's got you there, Boost," Plastic Man confirmed.
"And the fact that she has probably heard how you talk about her all the time like she's nothing but eye candy," Hawk added.
"Yah, but each Founder is only responsible for training so many rookies," Booster moaned. "I wanted her to be my sponsor so I could show her how awesome the Booster Gold really is."
"Do you honestly think you're going to make her fall for you?" Dove asked.
"She is so sweet and so beautiful and so out of your league, Booster," Hawk told him.
"Hawk and I are supposed to have lunch with her tomorrow so we can plan out our training sessions," Dove bragged.
"I'm going to talk to her again," Booster decided, straightening his shoulders with more confidence than actual sense. "I'm going to get her to be my training sponsor. If you guys hear the training room a-rockin' when we're in there, then don't come a-knockin'."
"Dude, you need some serious help," Thunderbolt said with a disgusted frown before getting up and leaving the conversation that he wanted no part of.
"All I know is that Diana is totally incredible," Hawk announced. "When she put her hand on my shoulder and told me I did a wonderful job, I could've melted into a puddle."
"Yah, me too," Dove dreamily agreed. "She told me I did great too and all I could think about was how beautiful she was. I was completely tongue-tied."
"You two are so smitten," Plastic Man said with a shake of his head.
"Are you kidding me?" Waverider exclaimed. "Every male in the League is totally in love with her and would are dreaming of a chance to be with her."
Batman growled under his breath, his jealous anger flowing mightily through his veins now as he stalked out of the commissary sans coffee. He wanted to know exactly what happened on that mission yesterday with Diana, Hawk, and Dove. He was also going to personally see to it that he made Booster Gold's life miserable from now on.
Storming towards the Monitor Womb to pull up the mission report, he was unexpectedly forced to change directions. "Batman to Transport One," J'onn said. "Cheetah, Copperhead, Blockbuster and KGBeast are trying to rob a vault full of gold."
"On my way," Batman confirmed as he raced towards Transport One.
Entering the transporter room, he found Superman waiting for him. "Just in time," he told him. "Diana and John are already down there. Let's go."
The walls of the Watchtower faded away, the fight taking place inside the vault surrounding them and drawing them right into the middle of it. Diana was going head to head with Cheetah, using her bracers to deflect her deadly claws while Green Lantern engaged Copperhead. That left KGBeast and Blockbuster.
Batman and Superman raced to join the fray, anxious to help their teammates stop the villains from stealing the gold. Instead of shoving aside the anger that had been thrumming through his veins just moments ago, Batman channeled it into the fight and using it to aid him in taking down his opponent.
He was still going to look into this mission that Diana had gone on with Hawk and Dove yesterday as well as ways to make Booster Gold's life absolutely miserable. He definitely did not like the way that he leered at Diana nor how he talked about her to the other Leaguers. Unfortunately, it was all going to have to wait for now.
He cast a fleeting glance at the Amazon princess, finding her handling Cheetah with her typical grace and superior skill. She summarily finished off Cheetah, leaving them to finish off the other three. It didn't take long to subdue the rest of the villains, Diana wrapping her lasso around the defeated criminals.
"Guess that's a wrap," GL said as he came to stand with his teammates, his smile fading. "Sorry, been hanging out with Flash too much."
An unexpected burst of violet light suddenly began to sweep across the room, racing towards them at a rapid pace. Using his ring, Green Lantern quickly created a shield around them to protect them from the unusual light. Unfortunately, his shield couldn't keep them from being transported to a strange dimension.
"It was judgement day and we got sent to the bad place," Copperhead lamented, grabbing his head as hysteria gripped him. "The bad place!"
"Snap out of it, Copper," Cheetah growled, slapping him hard across the face.
"Yah, calm down," GL told him. "We're probably just in another dimension."
"I don't see any children," Batman stoically took note of the situation.
"That is because a child is responsible," Morgaine informed them as she floated towards them.
"Morgaine Le Fay," Batman icily stated.
"I mean you no harm," she told him. "My son Mordred has wrought this treachery, banishing all adults to this shadow realm….even me, his own mother and after I spent a millennia feeding him, bathing him, preparing him to be king. Where did I go wrong?"
"You're a sorceress," Diana pointed out. "Can't you just undo his spell?"
"No," she replied, turning back around to face them. "He's got the Amulet of First Magic. He's too powerful, but if we all work together…"
"You want us to defeat your own son," Batman spat out, incredulous.
"So don't trust me," she snapped. "Let him rule the world and all your children. Here we will stay forever."
"But what can we do?" Diana asked. "We're stuck here, aren't we?"
"Not exactly," Morgaine revealed. "The spell only banishes adults."
"I don't like where this is going," John groused, shaking his head as a sinking feeling washed over him.
"It's the only way," she told them.
"We have to do it," Superman said.
John released a long, low breath as he stared at Superman, dread filling his eyes. He kept his mouth shut, though. Not posing any argument against the plan that was taking shape.
"Excellent," Morgaine said, her eyes shining brightly with power.
She began to utter the magical spell necessary to transform the Justice Leaguers into children, a green stream of magic swirling up and around them. It wrapped them, blinding them from view only for them to be transported back to Earth.
"This better be temporary," Batman stated, glancing down at himself to find a boy standing where a man once had been.
"You sound weird," Superman said, flinching with the sound of his own voice. "Whoa! So do I."
"I kind of like this," Diana decided, placing her fists on her hips as she looked down at her slightly shorter friends. She couldn't help noticing how adorable Bruce looked.
Batman glanced at his teammates, immediately noticing how cute Diana was as a young girl. He forced himself to take his eyes off her, finding it more than difficult, but he knew they needed to focus on the reason for being here. Looking past her, he noticed John making a strange face.
"What's the matter?" Batman asked John.
"I wore glasses as a kid," John revealed, squinting as he looked around. "Guess I need them again."
A pair of green glasses unexpectedly appeared on his face, startling the Green Lantern. "Wow! I didn't even try to make these!"
"I hope not," Batman commented with a frown as Clark began to laugh, holding his stomach at the sight of the nerdy looking glasses on John's face.
Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, John used his powers to transform his glasses into something far more stylish, grinning at his teammates with what he was able to accomplish. "Cool!" Superman exclaimed, impressed.
"Will you stop messing around," Diana said, smacking Clark on the back of the head. "We've got to find Mordred."
"Bet the little punk's in there," Batman announced, taking off in a dead run towards the palace. Everyone followed him, flying past him as Diana hovered close beside him with a grin on her face. "It's not a race!"
Entering the castle, they found the person they'd been looking for. Mordred looked up, stunned by what he saw. "The Justice babies!" Mordred said, breaking into fits of laughter as the superheroes stood before his throne.
"What are you laughing at, precious?" Batman snarkily asked.
"You," Mordred stated as he stood to his feet. "Mother sent you, huh? She shouldn't send a boy to do a man's job."
Using the magic of the amulet, Mordred transformed a boy's toys into warriors. Batman immediately raced towards Mordred as John and Superman began taking on the warriors. One of the beasts stepped in his way and blocking his path, slashing its long claws at Batman. Ducking, he climbed up and over the creature, throwing his batarang at Mordred.
Mordred ducked, laughing in response at the failed attempt to capture him. Batman pulled hard on the wire attached to the batarang, causing the throne to topple over on Mordred and pinning him to the ground. With the use of magic, Mordred lifted the throne off him, rising up into the air and directing his powerful magic directly at Batman.
Batman swiftly leapt out of the way at the last minute, Mordred's magic taking out one of his own beasts. He risked a glance at Diana who was fighting against another creature firing hundreds of crystals at her, using her bracers and fists to block the attack.
"I'll make a laser cannon…no, no a missile launcher…oh, oh! I know…" Green Lantern said, thinking through the extensive possibilities as a creature with an ax chased after him.
"Just pick something," Batman yelled at him as John came to stand beside him, desperate to stop these creatures before Diana got hurt.
Using his power ring, John created a giant boxing glove, hitting the creature and throwing him back into a wall. Superman used his heat vision to take care of his attacker. Meanwhile, Diana crossed her arms, using her bracers to block a spear coming straight down on her.
Seeing her in trouble, Batman quickly launched himself on the creature, wrapping his arms around the creature's neck and using his batarang to try to stop the beast from hurting Diana. The creature reached behind him in annoyance, picking Batman up by his cape and holding him out and away from him as if he was nothing but a pesky insect.
Batman continued to fight, furiously kicking his legs and swinging his fists in an effort to take down the beast that had tried to hurt her. The creature brought the spear in its left hand around, pointing it straight at Batman.
Seeing Bruce in trouble, Diana raced towards them, slamming her fist into the leg of the creature, causing it to crack and crumble into thousands of pieces. Free from the creature's hold on his cape, Batman immediately began to plummet to the ground, Diana stepping in beneath him and catching him in her arms.
A tender expression graced her face as she gazed him, touched that he had risked his life to try to save her. "You okay, tough guy?" she asked, her bright blue eyes revealing what beat in her heart for him.
Finding himself being held in the princess's arms, Batman swiftly pushed his way out of her embrace to stand on his own two feet, humiliation thrumming through him. "Let go…I'm fine," he spat out, thoroughly embarrassed by the fact that Diana had saved him. It was supposed to have been the other way around.
Sulking, he turned his back to her, his shoulders hunched. He allowed his cape to drape around him like a protective cocoon that shielded him against outside hurts and mortifying situations that he didn't want to deal with or just couldn't.
Diana sighed as she watched him stalk away, wishing more than anything that he wouldn't close himself off to her. She had believed that they were growing closer over the last several months. Every time she thought that she was getting through his countless defensive layers, he would throw another wall up in her face.
"That's not fair!" Mordred raged as the Justice Leaguers came to stand before his throne once more.
"Get him!" Batman yelled, all four of them racing towards the boy king.
Mordred held up his hand, encasing all four of them in blocks of ice. "Play time is over," he ground out with a furious sneer on his face. "You'll share the fate of all my enemies…execution."
The amulet began to shine brightly with the powerful magic contained within it as he touched it. The stone tiles of the floor glowed beneath them, disappearing altogether and depositing them in the dungeon below. Hitting the ground hard, the ice that encased them shattered into a million pieces, releasing the heroes from their prison.
Superman immediately flew towards the large hole in the floor only for Mordred to create a lattice work of magic, keeping them trapped in the dungeon. Hitting it, Superman cried out as an electrical charge shot through him, sending him plummeting back down to the dungeon floor with a groan.
At that moment, a large wrought iron door inside the dungeon began to rise, causing all four heroes to watch with bated breath as to what was about to enter through the opening. "What did he do to the demon?" Green Lantern asked, stunned by Etrigen's childlike appearance.
"Etrigen?" Batman said, stunned as he made his way towards him.
A stream of fire shot from Etrigen's mouth, forcing Diana to grab Batman under his arms. She flew him out of danger at the last possible second, feeling the heat of Etrigen's flames on the bottom of his boots. John threw up a green shield to block the flames as Superman wrapped an arm around Etrigen's waist and pulled him away.
Landing on the ground, Diana released her hold on smaller version of the Dark Knight. "Don't hurt him!" Batman told him, raising his hand towards them.
Wanting his freedom, Etrigen used his razor-sharp teeth to bite down on Clark's arm. "Ow!" Clark yelled, tossing the little demon aside to stop him from hurting him.
"Don't hurt him!"
"Tell him that!"
Getting to his feet, Etrigen shot a ball of flames right at Superman's face, causing him to stumble and fall backwards. John instantly stepped in, using his ring to encase the demon in a playpen which he promptly crawled out the top of, slamming himself head-first into GL and knocking him backwards onto the ground.
John created a shield to protect himself just as Etrigen leapt on top of the shield, jumping up and down on it in an attempt to break through. Removing his cape, Batman snuck up behind him, wrapping his cape around the demon's head.
"Etrigen, cut it out!" Batman ordered him.
Using the cape, Etrigen flipped Batman over his head, causing Bruce to land hard on his back. The little demon slowly closed the distance between them, ready to attack Bruce when Diana finally stepped in, clearly having had enough of the demon's antics.
"Etrigen!" she yelled, mustering every single bit of her princess authority and channeling it into her voice. "You stop right there! I mean it, you naughty monster! Bad…bad, Etrigen!"
To everyone's shock, Etrigen suddenly burst into tears. "Hey, little guy…it's okay," she reassured him as she knelt down in front of him, taking him into her arms to hold him. "I won't hurt you."
"You've got to be kidding," Bruce grumbled as he rolled onto his stomach, staring up at Diana with Etrigen in her arms.
He couldn't help wondering how in the world the Amazon princess had just accomplished something that John, Clark, and he hadn't been able to do. It was one more facet of the princess's personality that completely amazed him.
"He's just a baby," she informed him as she patted Etrigen's back, the demon belching fire. "That's all he needed."
John wrinkled up his nose in overt disgust. "Aw, man…that ain't all he needs," he muttered, waving his hand in front of his nose.
"Now that is a job for Superman," Batman readily decided, backing up.
"I'm going to go punch our way out of here," John announced, making a quick escape from the nasty situation.
Diana quickly handed the baby demon over to a bewildered Clark. "I'll help," she said, racing away to leave her friend to deal with the smelly demon.
Clark sniffed, the stench from the baby causing him to hold Etrigen out away from him in disgust. He couldn't believe that he had gotten stuck with the task of cleaning and changing him. Diana was the best one to take care of the baby. She had gotten him to settle down after all.
XXX
Racing into the town square, Superman discovered children playing everywhere, noticing two boys playing with wooden swords. "You two! Knock it off!"
"What are you going to do?" one of the boys mockingly asked. "You're just a kid."
"I'm the kid with laser beams coming out of his eyes," Clark shot back, using his heat vision to prove his point.
"That's enough!" Diana yelled at the top of her lungs, capturing everyone's attention.
"You can't tell us what to do," one little girl said, pointing her finger at the Amazon princess. "You're not our mom."
"No, but I promise you we will find all your moms and I'm going to tell," Diana stated, glaring haughtily at the children as she took control of the chaotic situation.
"Well, what do we do?" the little girl asked.
"Go outside and wait for your parents," Diana ordered them, her hand on her hip. "Now!"
Diana stepped down to join Green Lantern and Batman who were staring at her in stunned disbelief. She flashed them a cocky grin before turning and walking away. Batman was completely smitten by her, impressed with how she had handled the situation and took full control. He found himself falling a little harder for her despite his best efforts not to.
"Wow, your girlfriend sure is bossy," Green Lantern told Batman.
"Shut up," Batman told him, his expression morphing from adoration into agitation. He shouldn't be feeling this way or thinking about her romantically. First, they were children and second, they had to stop Mordred. They had a mission to complete.
Hiding behind some rocks, they watched Mordred as he rested on a chaise lounge. "He's almost asleep," Diana whispered to the others. "We can take him."
"I can make a lawnmower and chew him up," Green Lantern suggested.
Everyone paused to look at him, clearly disagreeing with his ludicrous idea. "I say we get that amulet away from him first," Batman said, drawing out his plan in the dirt with his forefinger. "We'll split up and sneak behind him then Lantern can do his thing…but no mowers."
"Why?" John asked, clearly disappointed.
"Because it's stupid," Clark told him.
"I guess I'll go with Clark," Diana announced, wanting to go with her best friend. She tapped her chin with her forefinger, her blue eyes shining with adoration as she looked at Bruce. She had hoped that he'd be jealous of the fact she had suggested she go with Clark, stepping in and telling her that he wanted her to go with him. Unfortunately, he refused to say anything about it. "Unless I should go with you."
"Whatever," Batman murmured.
"I'm fine to go with Diana," Clark commented with a genuine smile.
"So Bruce and I are good to go?" John asked.
Diana was not happy with Bruce's lack of disapproval over the fact she had chosen to go with Clark. He had yet to talk about the kiss they had shared on the way back from the Fortress of Solitude after battling Mongul and the Black Mercy. Panic began to set in, forcing her to make the decision that Bruce was stubbornly refusing to make.
"I changed my mind," she abruptly decided, clasping her hands before her as she gazed lovingly at the miniature version of her Dark Knight. "I'll go with Bruce and John can go with Clark."
"Whatever," Bruce spat out as if he'd been chewing on gravel, silently wishing she would make up her mind."
Bruce was completely mortified that Diana was behaving like this in front of John and Clark, making her crush on him so obvious. He would no doubt be on the receiving end of infinite questions and tormented teasing by John because of this.
Diana quickly reached out and grabbed Bruce by the hand, dragging him with her. "What's with them?" Clark asked, confused as he watched them leave together.
"Man, for someone with like fifty different kinds of vision, you are so blind," John said as he lifted up into the air, wondering how Clark could miss the obvious attraction between the two.
As adults, the sparks that Bruce and Diana generated every time they were anywhere near each other was always electric. Now as children, it was still plainly obvious. How Clark managed to continually miss it was beyond him.
Superman looked up at John and back at Bruce and Diana who were sneaking into position, completely perplexed by what had just taken place. "What?" he said, a little hurt that Diana had chosen Bruce over him.
Bruce and Diana snuck into position, Batman nodding to John who was in position on the other side with Clark. John kissed his power ring for good luck before forming a giant set of pinchers to retrieve the amulet, grasping hold of it and nearly dropping it in the process.
"Easy," Batman muttered under his breath.
Diana leaned forward, holding her breath and placing her hands on Bruce's shoulder as she watched John work to retrieve the amulet. Bruce did his best to ignore the feel of her pressing up against his back, the warmth that her body radiated as he focused on Mordred, but it was more than difficult. Even as a boy, he found that he still wanted to kiss her.
A little girl unexpectedly wandered up behind John, stuffed rabbit clutched in her hand. "Whatcha doing?" she asked, causing John to release the amulet.
"Mother," Mordred sleepily muttered.
"Get the amulet!" Bruce yelled, Diana taking off after Mordred with him close behind her.
Mordred sat straight up, Superman flying like a missile directly into him and knocking him to the ground. All four Leaguers pinned him down on the ground, straining to hold him down. "He's just a little kid," Bruce reminded them as Mordred's eyes began to glow.
"Man, I hate magic," John grumbled as Mordred's fingers wrapped around Batman's throat, his other hand snaking around Diana's throat as well.
He tossed Batman and Wonder Woman like they were nothing more than rag dolls, causing them to roll and skid across the ground. As they pushed themselves up, Mordred grew in size right before their very eyes. "Now, who is little?" Mordred demanded to know, Superman clutched tightly in his fist.
He threw Superman down, causing him to bounce off the hard ground. He struggled to get up on all fours as the little girl drew near once again. Mordred's foot began to come straight down on Superman and the little girl, Clark's eyes blazing red as he used his heat vision on the bottom of Mordred's foot.
Mordred cried out, hopping as he held his burned foot. Afraid, the little girl backed up, falling over the cliff, but Clark was there to catch her, flying her to safety. John quickly fashioned a surfboard, pausing by Batman. "Come on!" he yelled, taking off as soon as Bruce was on board.
Mordred swiped at them, narrowly missing grabbing them. Using his magic, he caused two stone dragons to come to life, one of them capturing Diana in it's claws. She struggled to escape, resorting to using her lasso to get free. The lasso wrapped around the snout of the dragon, allowing her to swing the beast around. Her fist connected with its head, causing it to crumble into dust.
The second dragon flew after Green Lantern and Batman, chasing them through the town until GL flew them under a viaduct. The beast slammed hard into the construction, his stony head snapping off. John gave Bruce the thumbs up, but it was premature as Mordred tried to grab them.
The four Leaguers ran into the safety of the castle, barring the large doors closed. "Come out of my castle," Mordred yelled, slamming his fists against the barricaded door. "Your king commands it!"
"I got a plan," John announced. "I can make some giant handcuffs and…"
"Forget it," Batman growled in frustration, his analytical mind working through the situation at a high rate of speed. "We've got to focus on…never mind what I just said. We'll take care of everything else. Lantern, you go crazy."
Mordred burst through the doors at that moment, landing hard on the ground. "Hey, junior!" John hollered to him.
Mordred turned around to find Green Lantern in a giant super robot suit. "How about picking on someone your own size?" John taunted.
"You're so dead," Mordred threatened as he cracked his knuckles with delight.
Lantern began firing at Mordred with all the weaponry that he had constructed, none of it causing any damage. The smoke began to clear, revealing Mordred in a medieval construct of his own, a large ax in his hand. He immediately charged at John, slamming him into the ground with his ax.
Unable to keep the robot construct together, Lantern looked up from beneath Mordred's weapon. "Thought you could beat me in that piece of junk?"
"Wasn't really trying," John replied with a grin as Superman swooped in behind Mordred and began pulling on the amulet around the boy's neck.
"Treachery!" Mordred cried as Superman pulled the amulet free.
Mordred immediately grabbed Superman, causing him to drop the amulet. Batman quickly swung in, grabbing the amulet only to be snatched out of the air by Mordred's other free hand. Batman quickly flung the amulet like a frisbee right at Diana who caught it in mid-air.
She took off running only for Mordred to capture her with his magic and draw her up in front of his face. Diana flung the amulet to Etrigen who bit into it, destroying it and causing it to blow up. All four Leaguers looked down on the baby demon, hoping he was all right. Diana knelt down and placed a hand on his back to help him sit up, worry gracing her face.
"Nice try, but I already absorbed too much of the amulet's power," Mordred taunted them, using his magic to pick the five of them up in the air and turn them upside down. "Now, I'll take care of my kingly duty myself."
The little girl wandered up to Mordred, distracting him. "What?" he barked.
"I'm scared," she told him, tears welling in her eyes. "I want my mommy."
"You don't need a mommy," he spat out with disdain. "You're better off without one. Trust me."
The little girl began to cry, further enraging Mordred. "Stop it!" he yelled. "Stop it!"
"Some king," Clark muttered.
"I'm not impressed," Diana agreed.
"What'd you expect?" Bruce asked. "He's a boy doing a man's job."
"You don't know what it's like being stuck as a kid," Mordred stated, pointing an accusing finger at Batman.
"Since you've got all that power, you could've been a man any time you wanted," Batman pointed out. "I think you're too chicken to grow up."
"Yep," John agreed. "Big chicken is what you are."
"Face it, precious, you like being a little mama's boy," Batman taunted him with a smirk on his face.
"I'll show you!" Mordred yelled. "I'll show you all!"
Using his magic, Mordred transformed himself into an adult, the Justice League falling from the air. Turning, Mordred revealed his older self to them. "I'm older than you now," he told them.
"You sure are," Batman agreed with a smug grin as Mordred began to vanish right before their eyes.
A bright glow of blue and violet light spread over the world, returning all the adults to their rightful places. Morgaine Le Fay appeared before the Justice League, floating towards them. "A bargain is a bargain," she said, using her magic to transform them all back into adults.
"Mommy," Etrigen said with a grin at Diana who was holding him in her arms. She summarily dropped him onto the ground in utter disgust.
Morgaine turned away from them, opening a portal. "Wait," Batman stated. "What happened to Mordred?"
"My spell gave him eternal youth, but now that he's broken it, all he has is eternal life," she hauntingly revealed before disappearing through the portal.
They watched as children were reunited with their parents, a sharp pain blossom in Bruce's chest knowing that he would never be reunited with his parents. It threatened to break the ironlike control he held on his emotions in that moment, his heart hammering a little harder.
"Circumstances aside…it was kind of enjoyable to be a kid again," Diana told him with a soft smile.
"I haven't been a kid since I was eight years old," Bruce darkly replied, his focus on a father and mother hugging their child.
Diana felt overwhelming sadness well in her chest for him, wishing more than anything that he would open up to her. She ached to pull him into her arms and hold him close…to kiss and comfort him, but she knew that he would be furious with any physical display of compassion. He would push her away and bury himself even further behind his emotionless mask. He felt it was a sign of weakness on his part to show vulnerability or emotion, but it wasn't.
Turning, she walked away from him, her mind and heart heavy with the anguish that she felt for him. It was only a matter of time before he would transport back to the Watchtower only to escape to the safe confines of his Batcave. It would be days or weeks till she saw him again.
She could hear Clark and John talking about the experience of being a kid again, but it was a distant murmur. One way or another, she was going to get through to him…was going to make Bruce see that he deserved and could have love in his life without sacrificing his mission.
Bruce could tell by the way that Diana was walking that she was thinking of ways to make him feel better, but there was nothing that she could do…nothing that he wanted her to do. He wanted to be left alone with his pain. It was his alone to endure, not hers.
He never wanted her to be exposed to the loathsome darkness that lived inside of him, the sheer fury that always simmered in the bleakest depths of his soul. As badly as he wanted her, he couldn't have her. Friendship was all that could ever be between them. Her light was far too bright, her heart far too pure. She deserved so much more than he could ever begin to hope to offer her.
"Watchtower," Batman hailed as he stopped beside Diana. "Four for transport."
"Transporting now," Steel informed him.
Appearing on the Watchtower, all four heroes stepped off the transport pad, Clark and John still talking about their childhoods. Batman was more than intent on making a quick escape before Diana could corner him into a conversation that he didn't want to have about his childhood or the things that had taken place today.
Exiting the transport room, Batman was all set to disappear around the corner and head towards the Javelin bay. Unfortunately, Diana had other ideas on her mind. "Batman, a moment please," she firmly requested.
He sighed heavily as he stopped dead in his tracks. He knew that tone of voice of hers. While there was an underlying gentleness, there was a definite authoritative edge that was a nod to her royal upbringing. He was going to have to navigate these treacherous waters very carefully or risk finding himself floating in outer space beside the Watchtower.
"Yes, princess," he rasped, forcing himself to turn around to face her when all he wanted to do was run away.
Diana could tell by his rigid stance and fierce scowl that he was trying his very best to intimidate her, to make her believe that he was perfectly fine. She knew that he was far from it. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him into an empty conference room.
"I don't have time for this," Batman growled with a threatening tone, mentally reinforcing himself against the argument that was about to take place.
He was more than prepared to end all discussion about a relationship despite the fact that he knew he was going to hurt her when he did it. It was far better to put an end to this now than to destroy her later by allowing her to get close to him. Breaking her spirit would kill him.
Diana drew a deep breath as she turned to face him, her eyes swimming with such intense emotion it caused his breath to catch in his throat and taking him off guard. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm here for you," she began, more than determined to get out what she wanted to say before he could begin to throw up objections or shut her down and storm out of here. "I know you, Bruce. I know that you won't talk to me about what you're going through or how deeply today affected you. You're going to return to your gloomy cave and lock yourself away in that darkness…burying yourself in your cases in Gotham in an effort to avoid having to face your hurt.
"I won't see you for several days or weeks as you try to deal or not deal with it. You won't answer my calls and you'll probably miss our sparring session scheduled for this Friday. It'll be fine if you do because I know that's the only way you know how to handle your pain, but I am going to make damn sure that you know there is someone who cares about you whether you like or not…whether you accept my help or not."
Folding his arms against his chest, Batman's eyebrows shot up behind his cowl as he listened to Diana's lecture, her cursing somewhat taking him by surprise. He felt a measure of stunned amusement begin to slowly push aside the hurt and fury that had been storming inside of him just moments ago.
He froze as Diana slowly closed the distance between them, coming to stand right before him. His heart stuttered in his chest as she leaned in and softly kissed him on the lips. You need to make up your mind and decide how you're going to deal with today," she told him. "Because despite being completely infuriating and obstinate to a fault, I care about you, Bruce Wayne."
Before he could utter a single word in response, Diana turned and walked out of the conference room leaving him standing there slack-jawed and stunned senseless. His lips tingled from the kiss that had been all too short for his liking. He finally drew a deep breath, forcing his legs to work.
As he stalked towards the Javelin bay, he clenched his hands into tight fists, determination set in his jaw. Despite the overwhelming feeling that told him that he needed to run away from her and not look back, he found himself feeling a little better. He was actually looking forward to their sparring match on Friday.
Right now, though, he had to look into that mission Diana went on with Hawk and Dove yesterday. He wasn't certain he liked the idea of her being paired with the brothers, but they were hardly a threat. He also had some plans in mind to make Booster Gold's life a living hell. He felt the corner of his lips quirk slightly with the thought as he entered the Javelin bay.
Yes, he was definitely feeling better already.
A/N: Well, there's Kids Stuff. I really hope you enjoyed it. It's difficult to know if I should write the episode and fill in the gaps or write something that takes place right after the episode. Hopefully, it did the episode justice.
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