Hello!

Welcome to the long-awaited sequel to It Started on Themyscira! (not sure if anyone was waiting for it though :)

It's been a while since I last wrote a fanfiction chapter. I took a bit of a hiatus while I focused on other projects, but I'm back now, with I hope will be a regular upload schedule (some things just never change).

TO THE READERS OF MY OBI-WAN FANFIC, I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU! I am working towards continuing and finishing that story. Do not worry.

Anyway, I'm always bad at the intro parts so I'll just leave you with the story. Hope you enjoy!

Please favorite, follow and review. it's always appreciated!

Bruce's dreams were strange, but dreaming about bats every night had him worried. He wasn't dreaming ABOUT bats per say, more like he dreamt he WAS a bat.

Before the events on Themyscira a couple of weeks ago, having bats appears in his dreams was a regular occurrence. Alfred often joked that if Bruce could dream about getting enough rest and maintaining a decent social life, then he would truly be doing his job well.

Now it was like he was looking through the eyes of a bat. He flew over Gotham, through all its sordid back alleys and hidden dens. He was free to explore it all. This unbridled mobility was exhilarating.

He sores up into the sky, higher and higher; trying to see how far he could push this dream. He kept rising; Gotham became a small mass of lights… maybe he could reach the upper atmosphere …

"Bruce! Wake up!"

Bruce's eyes shot open. He was back in his human body, and standing beside him was his beautiful wife: Diana Wayne. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was shooting him a bewildered and frustrated look. Their bedroom was dark but small rays of sun were peeking through the drawn curtains.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Diana scolded as she walked over to the large silk curtains.

Bruce slowly sat up in his bed. For some reason, despite the room being almost completely dark, he could see everything as clearly as if it were bright day. He could make out his wife's beautiful azure eyes and tightly pressed lips, and could just make out the slight bump in her abdomen which was growing day by day.

Bruce did not answer Diana's question since he was too busy staring at her, which only annoyed her more. In one quick motion, she yanked open the curtains, letting in the rays of sunlight.

"It's one in the afternoon!" she exclaimed.

As soon as the light hit Bruce's face, he was immediately blinded. His entire vision went white, like he'd been hit by a flashbang. He instinctively closed his eyes and covered them with his hands. Despite this he felt a searing pain on his eyeballs; like an itch, that he obviously could not scratch.

Bruce fumbled his way out of bed, keeping his eyes shielded from the light.

"Diana… come hold my hand," he asked, blindly holding out his hand.

When he felt his wife's small, soft hand slip into his larger, more calloused mitt, he quickly pulled her into their large walk-in closet, making sure to keep the lights off.

"Bruce, we don't have time for this," Diana said patiently. "We're going to be late for the Founders meeting."

"Just wait Diana," Bruce said, his mind slowly trying to process what exactly was happening to him. "It felt like my eyes were burning when you let that light in. I think there's something wrong with them."

"What?" Diana's voice was now laced with concern. "Isn't it just your eyes adjusting to the light?"

"It could be," Bruce replied slowly, as he reopened his eyes in the safety of the dark closet. "But then it wouldn't explain why I can see everything in here like the lights are on."

Bruce turned towards Diana and could see her skeptical gaze, unsure if he was trying to spin some elaborate joke.

"That suit over there, fourth from the left," Bruce said, pointing to the end of the closet. "It's dark blue. The one next to it is black with gold accents on the cuff. If you move two down, that one is red with green stripes on the sleeve, and the one at the very end has a red and black zebra pattern. Turn on the lights, see if I'm right."

Bruce covered his eyes and listened as Diana switched on the lights and walked over to examine the rack of suits he'd named. She then returned by his side and switched the light back off.

"What do you think this is?" she asked cautiously.

Bruce knew that was the million-dollar question. As if he didn't have enough unsolved cases involving Gotham's criminals, now he needed to add himself to the list.

"I don't know," he muttered, clearly hating having to say those words. "But until I find out, nobody else has to know about this."

"All right," Diana nodded, caressing her husband's cheek distractedly. "Let's see if there's something in here that could help you."

Diana walked over to one of the dressers and started rummaging through it. She eventually found what she was looking for and placed them on Bruce's face.

"There," she said with an approving smile. "Handsome and functional."

"I'm already hating where this is going," Bruce grumbled as they both exited the walk-in closet to get ready for the day.

Alfred was busying himself cooking two sunny-side-up eggs when he heard the discreet creaking of the main staircase. After years spent taking care of Wayne Manor, the old butler was familiar with every sound the old house made. This particular one meant that someone was descending the main staircase and would enter the kitchen in less than fifteen seconds.

Alfred quickly transferred the eggs onto a plate, garnished it with bacon and a toasted English muffin, and placed it on the island countertop. He poured a cup of strong black coffee into a large pink mug with a picture of Bruce and Diana on their wedding day, surrounded by a heart under an inscription that read: Proof that Bruce Wayne has a heart.

Just as he placed the mug beside the plate, the two people he was expecting entered the kitchen. However, what he saw nearly made him break the first rule of butler etiquette by laughing at his employer.

Bruce was wearing sunglasses for breakfast at one o'clock in the afternoon. That image was aberrant enough, but it was heightened by the fact that they weren't any ordinary sunglasses: they were side-shielded sunglasses.

Alfred discreetly coughed and turned away to keep his creeping smile at bay. He knew there had to be a rational explanation for Bruce's style choice, but until he heard it, his mind couldn't help but come up with the most absurd and outlandish possibilities. It was a good thing they were the only ones in the manor at this time of day or there would truly have been a disaster.

Once he'd regained his composure, Alfred turned back towards his employer.

"Forgive me, Master Bruce, Mistress Diana, afraid I have a bit of a cough today," he said, slowly getting used to seeing those nonsensical spectacles. "I have eggs, bacon, and a muffin for you, sir. Ma'am, I know you've already eaten, but would you like anything else?"

"No, thank you, Alfred, I'm fine," Diana said with a smile. She had long ago stopped trying to get Alfred to drop the honorary titles.

Bruce wordlessly sat behind his plate and began forking the food into his mouth, all while sporting a spectacled look of annoyance and reflection.

"Bruce's felt a soreness in his eyes when he woke up so he decided to keep them out of the light for a while," Diana explained as she watched Bruce eat his breakfast with her own creeping smile. "I think it achieves a certain style, don't you think, Alfred?"

"Oh certainly, ma'am," Alfred concurred. "Quite fashionable. Would you like me to call a doctor to examine your eyes, sir?"

"That won't be necessary Alfred. It should disappear on its own," Bruce replied evenly. "If not, I'll look into it myself."

"Very good, sir," Alfred acknowledged with a nod. "If you do not require anything else, I will see to the rest of my duties."

"We can manage from here, thank you, Alfred," Diana said while trying to keep a straight face.

Bruce continued to sulkily eat his food, while Diana lovingly watched him with rapt attention. This was such a rare sight, she wanted to take in every detail since she might never see Bruce like this ever again.

"I think they look good on you," Diana stated innocently.

Bruce emphatically cocked his head towards her, delivering a menacing glare that failed to have the intended effect because of the sunglasses.

"I'll need to give Lucius a call and have him manufacture some UV blocking contacts that don't change my eye color," Bruce said, half to himself, as he finished his food. "The batsuit has UV blocking lenses already integrated so it should be fine."

"See. Everything turns out alright," Diana spoke lightly with a smirk. "No need to be grumpy. Let's hurry up and get ready. We wouldn't want to be late for the meeting."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Bruce grumbled as he and Diana left the kitchen and headed for the Batcave.

Thankfully the Founders meeting went off without much incident. As usual, Superman was the one doing most of the talking, while everyone else interjected useful notes or comments whenever appropriate, except for Wally, who usually interrupted for the sake of "comic relief".

Batman's silence was not seen as strange by the other Founders. That was his default setting most of the time. The times Bruce did speak up during a Founder's meeting was almost always a cause for surprise, if not concern, so it was somewhat of a relief for everyone in the room when he did not say a word for the entire meeting.

Only Diana was concerned by Bruce's silence. She could tell his mind was distracted and she knew by what. She tried to catch his gaze several times to silently ask if he was feeling alright, but his gaze was firmly rivetted downwards.

"So let's just make sure we keep an eye on Luthor as he begins his presidential campaign," Superman concluded, flipping through the final pages of this week's report. "Can never hurt to be too careful. I'm sure Batman would agree with that?"

The question was rhetorical, but everyone around the table was surprised not to hear a response from Bruce. Even a dismissive grunt would have been understandable, but complete silence felt very out of character.

"You do agree, right?" Clark repeated hesitantly. "Bruce?"

That snapped Batman out of his thoughts. He leveled a glare at Superman for using their real names while on the Watchtower, something he had firmly prohibited for everyone's safety.

"Do I need to start issuing hourly reminders on the loudspeaker?" Batman asked sourly. "No names, and as for whatever you were talking about: if it actually needs my approval, I'll give it to you once I've reviewed the relevant information, and if you're asking for my approval out of politeness, please be impolite and allow us to all get on with our days. Meeting adjourned, yes?"

Before anyone could reply to Batman's own rhetorical question, he was already pushing away his chair to leave. But rather than pushing his chair away from the table, Bruce pushed the entire table away from the chair. Flash and Hawkgirl, who were seated opposite from him, were knocked to the ground by the solid iron table that he rammed into them.

Everyone was stunned into silence for several seconds, though none more than Bruce. He stared at his hands, the ones that had just done something he should be incapable of doing by any stretch of the imagination.

Without a word, Batman got up and quickly exited the room before anyone could stop him. Once the initial surprise had worn off, all eyes spontaneously went towards Diana.

"Mind telling him to lay off the steroids, Wondy?" Flash said sarcastically as he got back on his feet, exaggeratedly brushing off his uniform.

" Steroids are not Batman's style," Martian Manhunter observed calmly. "Has he equipped his suit with some new strength enhancer?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Diana replied as she picked up the heavy round table and put it back into place. "It seemed like an accident rather than him doing it intentionally."

"I sure hope so," Hawkgirl said with a brutish grin.

"Is it anything we should be concerned about?" Clark asked seriously, turning to the Amazon with clear worry in his eyes.

"I don't think so," Diana finally replied after thinking carefully about what had happened earlier that morning. "I'll keep an eye on him and let you know if anything comes up."

"All right," Superman nodded with relief. "In that case, as the man himself said, 'let's get on with our days'. Meeting adjourned. Same time next week, everyone."

As the rest of the Founders began to disperse, Green Lantern couldn't help but mutter loud enough for everyone to hear:

"An immortal Batman with THAT kind of strength… is anyone else just a little bit worried about that?"

"Hmmm… Hmm. Mhm…"

Diana anxiously observed Dr. Lesley's expression as she observed the ultrasound screen. The caring old woman slowly moved the probe over Diana's stomach, humming to herself when she came across something she liked (at least Diana hoped that's what it was).

As agreed upon by her and Bruce, Diana could not see what was on the ultrasound screen, despite her gnawing curiosity. It had been decided that the baby's gender would remain a surprise, despite Hippolyta's profuse protestations.

"Diana, I don't think that bed can take much more."

The Amazon glanced up in surprise at Lesley, who was staring humorously at her patient's hand. Diana had crushed the edges of the bed she was lying on, leaving it with two conspicuous hand-sized imprints.

"Oh gods," Diana muttered, trying to disguise her embarrassment. "Lesley, I'm so sorry."

"That's alright, dear. I've seen far more extreme reactions, I assure you."

"Would you say I'm overacting?" Diana asked with a small smile, trying to ease the butterflies in her stomach. "I'm trying to borrow Bruce's supremely rational mind, but it just doesn't seem to be working."

"Well of course," Leslie said, as she glided the probe over her navel. "Giving birth is not a rational act, it's a primal, instinctual one. The machines and nurses and protocols give it a veneer of rationality, but beneath it all is a well-worn act that dates back to our cave-dwelling days."

Leslie's words always managed to calm Diana's nerves. She had a way of putting things into perspective that reminded Diana of her mother at times. It was no wonder Bruce had recommended her to supervise the birth of their child.

"And as far as overreacting goes," Leslie continued, flipping nobs on the echograph. "I don't think anyone could beat Bruce in that department. If he were here right now we'd both be dizzy from how much he'd be pacing around the room."

Diana laughed at the entirely believable image. Bruce had been present during her first echograph around a month ago and had been a nervous wreck, so much so that Leslie had politely requested that he no longer attend these routine checkups, "for her own sanity" as she'd put it.

"He just can't help but worry," Diana said fondly as she caressed the wedding ring on her middle finger. "No matter how much we object, he still insists on carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. We all worry for him, but at the end of the day that's what's so inspiring about him: a human that stands side by side with gods and still feels he can do better."

"That actually sums him up quite nicely, I think. I should put that on a mug," Lesley said slyly. She removed the probe from Diana's abdomen and handed her a paper towel to wipe off the lubricating jelly. "The baby looks great. Nothing bad to report."

"Excellent! That should take Bruce's mind off things. He's been acting a bit strange since this morning."

Diana got up and opened the window, ready to fly out. Leslie was holding these consultations secretly to avoid any risk of "Wonder Woman's pregnant!" headlines finding their way into Gotham's tabloids.

"Oh, I think it'll put a smile on his face," Lesley said with a knowing wink.

Bruce was annoyed. He was romping around the Batcave, tossing equipment on the floor as he desperately searched for something. He didn't hear his faithful butler enter and heave a low sigh upon seeing his careful organizing and labeling be rendered useless by his irate boss.

"Have you lost something, sir?" Alfred asked curtly.

Bruce let out a growl of anger as he emerged from where he was searching. He was shirtless and his entire body was dripping with sweat. Alfred looked up to the celling of the cave where he swore he could hear the bats getting restless, which he found strange. Those bats had seen far more exciting things happen in this cave and never once had they been this affected.

"I can't find the damn weights for the machines," Bruce growled. "Where did you put them, Alfred? Is this one of your practical jokes or something?"

The old butler twitched his nose at Bruce's tone before simply walking into the exercise room and examining the cabinet where all the different plates were kept.

"I have not moved them from where they always are, Master Bruce," Alfred said suspiciously. This entire interaction felt surreal to him. "What appears to be the problem?"

"The machine barely has any weight on it," Bruce complained, pointing to the bench press. "It feels like I'm lifting a feather."

Alfred approached the machine skeptically and paused when he noticed that the bar was loaded with the maximum amount of plates it could hold. He observed the values on each one and took a step back to ponder.

"Would you please lift it for me, sir?" Alfred said.

With a grunt, Bruce stepped up to the bunch, laid one hand on the bar, and lifted it off its stand. He did a couple of curls before setting it down on the floor.

"How do you explain that, Alfred?" Bruce asked in disbelief. "A one-armed curl with a bench press bar?"

"Sir, that was 500kg worth of plates you just lifted," Alfred revealed calmly.

Bruce paused for a second, eying Alfred as if expecting him to admit this was all a joke.

"I assure you I am being completely serious," Alfred said. "If you wish I can call Master Tim down to confirm."

Bruce stayed silent. He kept his eyes locked to the floor as he paced around the gym. After several seconds, he looked slowly to Alfred.

"When does Diana get home from Lesley's?" he asked.

"About a thirty minutes from now I'd wager, sir," Alfred replied after examining his pocket watch.

"As soon as she arrives, please ask her to come down here. We need to pay a visit to her mother," Bruce said slowly. "I'm going to stay down here and run a few more tests."

"Any clue what could be happening, sir?" Alfred questioned.

"It's possible, Alfred…" Bruce spoke at a measured pace. "That I've become a meta."

Et voila!

I'll try to make the chapter updates weekly, fingers crossed since I now have two fanfictions to manage.

Let me know what you thought! Hated it? Loved it? Let me know why in a review, I'm always looking to improve.

Until next week... hopefully.