Twenty minutes later, Shayera found herself standing on the balcony of an extravagant hotel suite. "I thought you were taking me to the Watchtower," she said to Batman.

"They're not expecting you for another 23 hours," he said walking past her into the room. She followed silently. Bruce pulled off his cowl before walking to a closet. He pulled out a white, plush robe and handed it to Shayera. She stared at it blankly. "What's this for?" she asked.

"You need a shower. You look awful."

"Why does it matter what I look like?"

"And you smell," Bruce finished. Shayera rolled her eyes still not taking the robe from Bruce's outstretched hand. "My wings will tear through that," she said. Bruce silently agreed. He dropped his hand to his side and said, "There is an extra towel and washcloth in the bathroom. I'll see about finding you some clothes." Shayera said nothing as she walked into the bathroom. Once Bruce heard the shower running, he called Superman. "Bruce," Superman answered.

"I have her."

"Good. I'll tell J'ohnn to- "

"The Thanagarians gave us 24 hours," Bruce interrupted as he began to undress, "I'll bring her to the Watchtower then."

"Why not now?"

"Are you sure you want to hand her over? When it comes to betrayal, Thanagarians aren't too forgiving. And Shayera was a lieutenant. You know what they'll do to her."

"I don't feel any better about this than you do, but if it means Earth's protection…" Bruce heard the shower turn off. He went to the dresser and pulled out sweatpants and wife beater. They would hang off her small frame, but it was better than nothing.

"I'll figure something out," Bruce said before ending the call, not giving Superman a chance to respond. He knocked on the bathroom door. "Shayera," he said, "I have clothes for you." The door cracked open, and a white arm speckled with bruises here and there popped out. He placed the garments in her hand before sitting on the bed, waiting for her.

Moments later, Shayera stepped out of the bathroom looking cleaner than before. Her hair which once had been dirty and matted was now back to its original vibrant red color, and it fell in soft waves to her waist. The dirt smudges on her face were no longer there, and her wings were back to their white color, albeit, still flimsy and weak in appearance. "Sorry," Shayera apologized, "I had to tear the back of your shirt to accommodate my wings." Bruce blinked in acknowledgment. "What now?" she asked.

"Now," he said rising from the bed, "we get some sleep. You can sleep in here; I'll sleep in the other room."

"What are you doing?" she asked before he could leave her alone. "Why don't you just hand me over?"

"You're eager to reconnect with your old comrades?" he questioned with a raised brow.

"No," she said emphatically. "I know exactly what awaits me on Thanagar. I am in no hurry to get there."

"What exactly awaits you?" he asked crossing his arms.

"I am a traitor."

"So, you'll get a traitor's death?"

"No," Shayera said with a mocking smile. "They'll take my wings," she said, tears coming to her eyes. "And then they'll dump me on some planet. They'll have my name stricken from birth records, school records, military records. Every photo of me will be destroyed. Every mention of my name will be erased. It will be as if I never existed."

"What about your family?"

"What about them?" she answered back with a shrug. "They won't care. In their eyes, I am already dead." Bruce felt something tug in his chest at her words. An unfamiliar feeling. "The price of betrayal to one's people is very high on my home world. It is one that I must pay. It is one I deserve," she said looking down at her bare feet.

"Do you?" Bruce asked. Her eyes snapped up to meet his. "Sure, what you did to Earth was messed up; but, from my understanding, you were tricked into betraying us. When you uncovered your people's true motives, that's when you betrayed them."

"Not everyone sees it that way," Shayera stated softly.

"True, but not everyone is me." Shayera nodded in agreement. "I'll still don't know your name," she said. "But you don't have to tell me."

"Bruce."

"Bruce?"

"Wayne. Bruce Wayne."

"Ahh. The infamous billionaire playboy."

"I'm surprised you didn't recognize me."

"I didn't have access to internet in my self-imposed exile. And while I was here on Earth, I spent most of my time at the Watchtower." A moment of silence overtook them. Shayera began to chew nervously on her bottom lip. "You're worried," Bruce said.

"I'm just thinking about how much it will hurt when they take my wings…and everything else. Though, one could argue, I already have nothing."

"How can they take your wings?" Bruce asked. "They're attached to your body."

"They will saw them off, and, if I am lucky, I will be drugged so I don't feel any pain."

"And if you're unlucky?"

"They will hold me down and have someone yank and pull at them until they are separated from my back." Bruce tried, but he couldn't hide the disgust from his face at such a practice. He sat next to Shayera who had taken a seat on the bed. "We won't let them do that to you," he said.

"You won't have a choice."

"It's barbaric."

"It is justice in their eyes."

"They pride themselves with being more evolved than humans, but- "

"Why do you care?" Shayera asked in a clipped tone. "Aren't you the least bit happy that I may be getting what I deserve?" she questioned him. Bruce stared at the beautiful woman sitting less than two feet from him. "When you first betrayed us, I was furious," he said slowly. "When you saved us, I was again furious. But after a week, I realized I was not upset with you. I was mad at myself."

"Why?"

"Because you made a fool out of me. I pride myself with being able to judge people based on their micro-expressions."

"I wore a mask that covered most of my face."

"And body language. Judging people by their actions, by the words that come out of your mouth. Nothing about you said traitor. Then it hit me, maybe you weren't. I went over everything that happened during the invasion. Everything I heard. I concluded that you were just another victim, like Earth." The whole time Bruce talked, Shayera's gaze never left his face. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. "I also remember when you appeared to us that day the fleet left our atmosphere. It was the first time I had seen you without your mask," he whispered as he gently leaned closer to her, dragging his finger slowly down the side of her face. "I decided that I had never seen anything as beautiful as you in my entire life."