TITLE: Right 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 and after Destroyer, the Justice League faces its biggest challenge yet with the arrival of Darkseid and his army of Parademons. How will Bruce and Diana deal with the aftermath?
Right Mind
"We have a little problem…"
XXX
Lex Luthor's words continued to roll through her mind even now even though the invasion had ended hours ago. A "little problem" had turned out to be the greatest understatement of all time. Luthor's maniacal brain had gotten all of them into trouble once more.
She was still furious with Luthor's complete audacity in coming to them for help after creating a catastrophic event that nearly heralded the end of the entire world. She would have choked the life out of him if they hadn't been forced into action so quickly to save life as they knew it.
XXX
"Let's say, just for the sake of argument, that I believe a single word of your story," Superman said as they entered the Metro Tower with Lex and his Injustice Gang. "How did you survive the explosion?"
"By the skin of my teeth," Lex replied. "Stranded more than a power ring's charge from home, we found ourselves dependent on the kindness of strangers. A resident of the nearby planet New Genesis, drawn by our ship's explosion, offered his help. We accepted of course."
"You've got some nerve coming to us for help," Superman ground out.
"Darkseid took Brainiac away from me," Lex told him, nearly frantic. "I can't hear his voice in my head anymore."
"Enough of the crazy talk, Lex," Giganta interrupted them. "Darkseid said he was coming to Earth to destroy it. You guys are supposed to keep that from happening."
"We'll do just that, lady," Green Lantern confidently assured her. "Thanks for the heads up."
"And what about us?" Atomic Skull demanded to know with a razor-sharp edge to his voice.
"You're all going into holding cells," Wonder Woman revealed with a scowl on her face.
"You think so?" he angrily spat out at her. "There's no way we're giving up without a—"
An incoming message from Mister Terrific quickly interrupted the argument. "Watchtower to Metro Tower," he said. "We've got a situation."
"What's going on up there?" Superman asked.
"Multiple hyperspatial incursions, but they're planetside," he replied. "I'm sending telemetry."
"Boom tubes," Batman rasped darkly, moving to stand beside Superman as he stared at the monitor.
"He's right," the Man of Steel agreed. "Can you hear it…like thunder?"
"Attention all Justice League members," Mister Terrific's voice carried through the entire Watchtower as alarms began to blare loudly. "This is an Omega Level threat."
"Okay, let's get these people locked up," Superman stated as he turned to the others. "Sounds like we've got a fight on our hands."
"If you think you're locking us up while the whole world's under attack, you've got two fights on your hands," Giganta told him.
Heroes and villains began to take sides, ready to do battle right there on the Metro Tower when Batman stepped in. "She's got a point," Batman said. "We're going to need all the bodies we can throw at this."
"Oh, come on!" Superman angrily yelled. "It's Lex flipping Luthor. Why should we trust him?"
"Hey! It's our world too," Atom Skull reminded them.
"Let's be clear about this," Lex added, approaching Superman. "We're not here to help you save the world. You're here to help me get revenge on Darkseid. When this is over, it's back to business as usual."
"Wouldn't have it any other way," Superman bit out, eyes narrowed in hatred.
"You get all that?" Diana asked Mister Terrific.
"Yeah, you guys sure about this?" he questioned them.
"Trust by verify," Diana instructed him. "Put the bad guys on teams with regular Leaguers."
"Search through the telemetry on the attack groups," Batman added. "Find the best-protected Mother Ship. That's where Darkseid will be."
"That's where I want to go," Superman announced.
"I imagine so," Mister Terrific responded. "It's in Metropolis hovering over the Daily Planet. Standby."
XXX
Dabbing at the wound on the back of Bruce's head with antiseptic, Diana couldn't help but shudder as she remembered the endless hours of fighting, trying to focus on saving the world when her mind kept returning to Bruce and how he was fairing.
Not only was he fighting Darkseid and his Parademons, but he was also partnered with Lex Luthor, someone that could not be trusted for a single second. Lex Luthor was not in his right mind on a good day let alone a day when the world was being invaded by Darkseid.
Hours of not knowing whether he was dead or alive had frayed her nerves to nearly snapping altogether. It had only added to the exhaustion of the fight and then rounding up the group of villains that they had given a five-minute head start.
She couldn't help smiling to herself as she picked up a pair of tweezers to begin the arduous task of picking debris out of her fiancé's head. Bruce giving the villains a head start was so unlike him and yet they had also risked their lives in the fight to stop Darkseid and his army. She guessed they had deserved a minor consideration for their efforts.
Diana paused to stretch out her neck, winching with the muscle tightness that had settled there. The fight with Giganta had taken longer than it should have, but the villain had gotten a lucky shot in, stopping on her neck with her gigantic foot.
XXX
Bruce grimaced in frustration as Diana began to pull out bits of rock and debris. He loathed admitting just how sore he was, his body covered in bruises no thanks to Darkseid. It was times like this that he wished had Diana's gifts. She looked perfect as always, not a mark on her—thankfully.
He didn't want to think about how afraid he'd been for her safety during that endless stretch of time when they had no contact with each other. He knew that the feeling had been mutual with the way she had just held him for a long time after reuniting in the Batcave an hour ago.
They had stood there for several minutes just holding onto one another, relieved that they'd survived another catastrophic event. Tim, Barbara, and Damian had quickly volunteered to cover patrol tonight, allowing him to recover from the events of the day.
He'd wanted to argue that he could still go out on patrol, but he'd been too exhausted. Besides, he could tell by the look on Diana's face that she'd needed some alone time with him after all that they'd gone through today, reassurance that he was truly all right.
To say that the battle had been tenuous was putting it mildly. There had been a moment when he'd actually thought they were going to lose the fight, but he never once considered giving up.
XXX
"I hope you appreciate, Kal-El, that everything that happens from this point is on your head," Darkseid told him. "The skies will rain fire, the oceans will boil, the streets will run red with the blood of billions. Only then, after your pitiful hope is extinguished, will I then end your life. Let's go."
Lex Luthor ran straight for Darkseid only for the alien being to raise his hand and release an energy shield. "You destroyed Brainiac!" Luthor yelled, suspended in midair. "I'm going to make you pay!"
"Unlikely," Darkseid calmly replied, shoving Luthor over the edge of the building.
Batman immediately leaped into action, racing to the edge of the roof and jumping off. He caught Luthor in mid-fall, wrapping his arm around his waist at the same time that he turned and fired his grappling gun. They swung through the air, crashing through the window of a building.
The Daily Planet began to crumble as Darkseid and Superman faced off against one another, everyone running for safety. The ceiling began to fall, Batman shoving Luthor out of the way and saving his life before the floor gave way beneath them.
XXX
Falling through the floor of the Daily Planet had only added insult to injury, rubble, and debris crashing down with him and Luthor. He'd been momentarily knocked unconscious, but they had somehow managed to claw their way out of it only to find Darkseid holding Superman by the throat, his legs dangling above the ground.
He knew that he had to act no matter the risk to his own life.
XXX
"Don't leave us yet, Kal-El," Darkseid said, grabbing Superman by the throat. "I want you to see your adoptive homeworld bowing down before me. Only then will I allow you death's sweet release."
Suddenly, a Batarang landed directly in Darkseid's forearm, exploding in his face and forcing him to release his hold on Superman. Luthor began firing his weapons as Darkseid called for his Parademons to dispose of the annoyance.
"Excuse me," Superman said, tapping Darkseid on the shoulder.
He turned around only to be greeted by a Kryptonian fist to the face, a powerful blow that sent him reeling back into a pile of rubble that used to be the Daily Planet.
XXX
As she began sewing up the small wound in the back of his head, Diana had to admit there was some good that had come out of this dreadful day. She'd been reunited with her dear friend. She had missed him greatly since he'd taken a leave from the League, but she knew that it was just what he had needed.
XXX
"Get away from here!" Diana yelled to a civilian who was approaching from below.
"Don't worry!" he told her. "I'm here to help."
The man slammed his fist into a Parademon, sending it flying through the air much to Diana's surprise. "I appreciate your intentions, but…Hera."
She watched in awe as the man took out a few more Parademons before turning into a red dragon. He wiped out the rest of the Parademons before transforming into the Martian Manhunter. "J'onn!" Diana cried, throwing herself into his arms and embracing him tightly.
"It's good to see you, Diana," he replied. "I have a lot to tell you about."
"We'll catch up later," she assured him.
"Wouldn't miss it," he said. "First things first."
XXX
The things that J'onn had told her had warmed her heart, knowing that he was doing so well. He had found love again in a woman who had helped bring happiness and peace to his troubled heart. She was more than thrilled that he'd gotten a second chance at love.
She had filled J'onn in on all that had happened between her and Bruce since he'd left. He'd been happy to find that she and Bruce were still making their relationship work. He'd confessed that he'd had no doubt they would stay together, knowing how deeply their love for each other truly ran.
It helped to know their friends were in their corner. So many people thought they didn't belong together, but Diana knew in her heart that Bruce was the only one for her.
Bruce rotated his shoulder as he attempted to work out a muscle spasm only for Diana to gently place her hands on his shoulder to massage the offending muscles. He released a sigh of relief as she worked out the kinks that plagued him. Little did she know she'd have to do it all over his entire body.
He was certain he was one giant bruise. He was going to have a spend some time in the hot tub to help loosen his muscles. The fight with Darkseid had been brutal in many ways, but he wouldn't have done a single thing differently. He may be a mere mortal man, but he would fight to the end with everything he had.
XXX
Batman backed up towards Luthor as the Parademons circled around them. "Problem?" Luthor asked.
"I'm out."
"Take my extra," Luthor offered him his weapon.
"Not my style," Batman replied.
"Suit yourself," Luthor bit out. "I'm planning to live through this."
A Parademon flew at them with his spear only for Batman to grab hold of the weapon and flip the alien into a heap of rubble. He kept the spear as he raced towards the place where Superman and Darkseid were fighting. Stabbing the spear into the ground, he used it to vault himself into the air, slamming both boots squarely into Darkseid and forcing him away from Superman who was lying on the ground.
"Flea," Darkseid ground out, beams coming directly out of his red eyes.
Batman did a backflip, barely escaping being hit by Darkseid's deadly Omega beam. He jumped over the pile of rubble before landing on the back of a Parademon only to be thrown into more rubble, everything going black.
XXX
"I thought you two could use some herbal tea," Alfred announced as he approached the medical bay of the Batcave with a tray in hand. "I also brought the bottle of aspirin."
"Thanks, Alfred," Bruce murmured, taking the aspirin from the tray.
He immediately took the top off the bottle before popping three aspirin into his mouth and swallowing them. Alfred merely shook his head in amazement though he'd seen his surrogate son do it many times over the last several years.
"Dinner is almost ready," Alfred informed them. "I will bring it down as soon as it's finished if you'd like."
"We'll come up to get it," Bruce told him. "We're almost done down here."
"As you wish," he replied before turning to leave.
Bruce hoped that the aspirin would kick in quickly. His head was hammering mercilessly. He'd been thrown into massive piles of rubble too many times today, lost consciousness at least twice, and nearly blacked out a few other times. A concussion was a definite possibility.
XXX
Coming to, Batman raced after Darkseid who was beating Superman ruthlessly. Batman jumped on Darkseid's back, wrapping his arms around his thick neck. "You still want to fight?"
Darkseid reached behind him, throwing Batman across the ground. "Can't you see that it's hopeless?" the alien asked.
Superman flew in with a powerful punch that sent Darkseid flying across the ground. He punched him again, grabbing Darkseid by the throat and pinning him against a still-standing wall. "That man won't quit as long as he's still drawing breath," Superman stated. "None of my teammates will. Me? I've got a different problem.
Superman delivered one punishing blow after another, sending him flying backward through a brick wall. "I feel like I live a world made of cardboard, always taking constant care not to break something…someone. Never allowing myself to lose control even for a moment or someone could die. But you can take it, can't you, big man?
"What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose and to show you just how powerful I really am."
Superman flew straight at his arch-enemy, fist primed to deliver the finishing blow. Meeting him on the other side of several buildings, Superman used both fists to slam him into the ground, creating a large crater.
"Had enough?" Superman spat out.
"Not quite yet," Darkseid ground out as he turned towards the Man of Steel, unleashing a powerful wave of energy. "It's called the Agony Matrix. Direct neurostimulation of pain receptors…all of them. Imagine the worse pain you've ever felt in your life times a thousand. Imagine that pain continuing forever. Oh, that's right. You don't have to imagine."
"Still alive? You impress me, Kryptonian," he said as he pulled out a knife. "Your valor has touched my heart. Oh yes, there is still some small part of me that knows mercy. I will end your pain. Something special I've been saving just for this occasion. I'm going to carve out your heart and put it on a pike in my throne room."
"As much as I'd love seeing that, you've got some business with me," Luthor announced. "Sorry, it took me so long. I had to go get my power suit."
"You would dare challenge me?" Darkseid demanded to know. "Insanity."
"Oh, I'm not here to challenge you, Darkseid," he countered, holding his hand out. "Quite the contrary. I've got something you want…the only thing you want."
"The Anti-Life Equation," Darkseid said in amazement as he approached him.
"My gift to you."
Batman ran to the edge of the crater, watching in horror as Darkseid reached out to take the sparkling array of matter from Luthor's hand. Darkseid placed his hand on top of Luthor's, Lex's other hand coming to rest on top of Darkseid's. A whirlwind behind to form around them as Superman struggled to get to his feet, the Agony Matrix finally broken.
"Lex! Don't!" Superman yelled.
Batman ran to Superman, holding him back and keeping him from getting close to them. "It's too late."
"It's beautiful," Darkseid said, awe and wonder in his voice. "Isn't it?"
"Yes…yes, it is," Lex fully agreed.
Batman helped Superman climb out of the crater as the whirlwind of energy surrounding Luthor and Darkseid grew more powerful. They turned to look back into the hole to find both Darkseid and Luthor gone.
XXX
Bruce couldn't begin to wrap his mind around the fact that Darkseid and Luthor were gone. He had a dreadful feeling that they would be seeing both of them someday. When that day would come, he had no idea, but he did know that it would be coming…and they would have to be ready.
XXX
"Thanks to Luthor of all people," Superman said, staring at the news feed on the screen that informed the world that the invasion was finally over.
"In many ways, Luthor represents the worse that man has to offer," J'onn thoughtfully said from behind him.
"But he died saving us all," Superman pointed out.
"I doubt that either of them died," Batman said.
"We saw it this time," he countered.
"We saw it last time too," Flash reminded him.
"What's the old saying?" GL said. "Believe half of what you see…"
"…and none of what you hear," Shayera finished for him, gazing into his eyes for a long moment and feeling that familiar spark deep down inside of her. "They'll be back."
"And we'll be ready for them," J'onn added.
"Meanwhile, it's past time that Luthor's partners in crime were locked up," Diana decided, fists clenched at her sides as she approached the Injustice gang. She was ready to single-handedly lock up each one of them if necessary.
"Wait a minute," Atomic Skull said. "We helped you guys save the world and we don't get any consideration?"
Superman and Batman shared a look before Batman responded. "You're right. Five-minute head start."
"Five minutes? Are you kidding?" Atomic Skull cried.
"Four minutes, fifty seconds," Diana told him.
The villains all took off running for the door while Giganta ran towards Flash, taking him by surprise when she grabbed him by his uniform and kissed him senseless.
"I should be back in time for dinner," J'onn told his wife on his cell phone. "I love you too."
"These are the end times," Flash grumbled as he walked down the steps of the Metro Tower.
"A head start?" Superman questioned Batman, Diana following behind them. "You're getting soft in your old age."
"Don't you have a tall building to go leap?" Batman quipped with a small smirk.
"And the adventure continues…" Diana said with an amused grin.
XXX
"You're awfully quiet," Bruce said. "You haven't said a word since we returned to the cave."
"Just thinking," she absentmindedly murmured.
"About what?" he tentatively ventured, worried about what was upsetting her.
"About what Superman told me about your fight with Darkseid," she revealed as she bandaged up a wound on his upper arm.
"He told you?"
"He said you fought bravely today," she softly replied, her voice cracking with emotion. "You didn't let anything keep you from trying to stop Darkseid…even when you ran out of ammunition you kept coming at him with all that you had."
"I couldn't let him win, Diana," he attempted to explain himself, turning his head to look at the sad expression on her face as she focused on his wounded arm. "I had to do whatever it took to keep him from taking over the world and killing Superman."
"I know," she confessed, drawing a deep breath. "I'm very proud of you, Bruce. Your bravery and courage are what attracted me to you in the first place…what caused me to fall in love with you."
"But?"
"I can't help wondering how I would raise our baby without you," she told him.
"Diana, we can't worry about—" he began only to abruptly stop, shock infiltrating his senses. "Wait…a baby?"
Diana looked up at him with tears reflecting in her eyes as she nodded her head, her lips curling into a tender smile as her hand found his. She laced her fingers with his, placing their joined hands on her abdomen.
"You're pregnant?" he whispered, almost afraid to say it out loud.
"Yes," she confirmed.
Bruce looked down at their joined hands on her abdomen, his mind whirling with so many thoughts and emotions that it made it difficult to find his voice or make his mouth work. "How…how do you know?"
"J'onn told me," she revealed. "He sensed another life inside of me."
"Diana, you fought Parademons pregnant," he angrily growled, jerking his hand away as he got off the medical table. "You never should've been out there!"
"Bruce, I didn't know I was pregnant," she told him. "J'onn said I'm only a couple of weeks along."
Bruce began to pace, raking his fingers back through his hair as he tried to reconcile what he'd just learned with the horror that they had gone through today. He not only could have lost Diana, but he could've lost their unborn baby. It was too much to bear.
"Bruce," Diana purred, coming to stand before him. She took his face in her hands, attempting to calm the tempest that was brewing inside of him and visible in his eyes. "It's okay. I'm fine…the baby is fine."
"But…you could have…we could have…"
"But it didn't happen," she assured him, her lips softly claiming his in a tender kiss. "I'm right here…we're right here with you. We'll always be here with you."
He wrapped his arms around her, roughly pulling her against him. "I can't lose you," he whispered into her hair.
"You won't," she promised him.
"I love you," he murmured against her lips, kissing her deeply.
"I love you too," she replied, her forehead resting against his. "Our own adventure is just beginning."
"I can't wait," he reassured her with a kiss that conveyed his love for her.
*This is the end of the JLU series, but it won't be the end of this fic series. We need to continue to experience the adventures that the JLU would've had if they hadn't canceled the series!