Comfort and Joy
If there was one thing Wonder Woman didn't expect to hear in the Watchtower, it was the sound of children's laughter echoing down the metal halls. She had nearly completed her meditation when her concentration was broken by the noise. A mixture of surprise and irritation appeared on her face, though it was mostly the former. The Watchtower had been abandoned for a week, with the other heroes either spending the holidays by returning to their homes or exploring the galaxy. Wonder Woman offered to remain on the Watchtower alone for monitor duty, since she was tragically banished from her home of Themyscira. Although apparently not entirely alone.
The laughter was contagious, as the Princess rose from her lotus position to investigate she couldn't help but smile just a little bit. As confused as she was, she was fairly certain this was not a hostile intrusion.
Just before she pushed the button to open her door, the Princess heard another unlikely sound that made her freeze in place. Something only a few people had heard before. Something more scarce than kryptonite. Something the Flash had only dreamed of hearing in response to one of his silly jokes.
What she heard sounded like Batman. Only, he was laughing
Wonder Woman's eyes went wide as the vibration descended along her spine. It was a hearty laugh, with a deep timbre. It was completely foreign to all the members of the league and would take some getting used to, but Diana decided she rather liked the sound. She was determined to hear it again. A mischievous smirk found its way onto her face as she floated through her doorway.
Diana silently flew down the hallway, following the pathway that leads to the monitor room. Using her enhanced hearing to stay just out of sight, she flew at a cautious pace, though her mind was racing a mile a minute. "Could Batman possibly have sired offspring? There is absolutely no end to that man's secrets. Does he still not trust us? After dancing with Bruce in Paris I thought he would have opened up to me more, but Batman still refuses to admit it was him!"
She was seriously tempted to barge through the doorway and give Batman a piece of her mind. Fortunately however, her inquisitive nature won out over her irritation. Wonder Woman slipped through the door just as it was beginning to close and immediately floated to the ceiling. Hopefully the combination of electrical conduits plus ventilation systems would obscure her enough from the detective. She was also unknowingly aided by the child, who retained most of Batman's attention at the moment.
From her concealed perch, Diana was finally able to get a look at who the Batman was chasing. He was in fact a young teenage boy wearing a bright red and black leotard with a yellow "R" over his left pectoral. His identity was kept by the domino mask upon his face. His black and yellow cape waved behind him as he shot a grapple hook towards the walkway and swung himself upwards in an impressive display of agility.
"Coming Through!" he called out, forcing the two people who had been embracing on the deck to quickly separate as he gracefully dove in between them, smoothly landing behind them. Diana observed both the man with a "stylish" mullet and cowled woman with red hair as they released aggravated moans.
"Tim!" the woman groaned. Wonder Woman noted she wore a costume very similar to Batman's. The main difference was the yellow accenting her outfit, unlike Batman's dull gray. Diana always thought his suit was dull, but then again, not everyone can pull off wearing a tiara. Meanwhile the man wore a skintight black suit with a blue bird displayed across his chest. His eyes were concealed with a domino mask as well.
Pausing only to smirk, the boy, evidently named Tim, responded by answering one of Diana's original questions. "Sorry Babs, we're playing tag! Got to move fast or else you-know-who will–" The boy was cut off the moment he turned around and ran into the immovable wall that is Batman's chest. The shocked look on the boy's face was also shared by Diana. Even she hadn't seen Batman's arrival on the monitor deck.
As he placed his hand on Tim's shoulder, Batman grinned and said, "You're it," in that arrogant voice he generally reserves for when he proves people wrong. Diana had witnessed his smart assness firsthand, mostly with Superman, but had never been the target directly, other than maybe a semi-sarcastic "princess" every so often. "When he's not using it to inflate his own ego, that tone is actually somewhat endearing," Wonder Woman thought, which slightly surprised herself.
The disappointed look on Tim's face turned into an annoyed one once this "Babs" started laughing at him. Wonder Woman observed the amusing scene before her, hidden amongst the conduits and ventilation systems. She couldn't help but chuckle softly to herself as she watched Batman, of all people, engaged in a game of tag with a young boy named Tim. The sight of the Dark Knight, known for his stoicism and seriousness, participating in such a lighthearted activity was a fun juxtaposition from the norm.
As the playful banter continued between Batman, Tim, the woman called Babs, and the man with the mullet, Wonder Woman decided it was time to make her presence known. With a confident smile, she gracefully descended from her concealed perch, landing silently behind them, making her introduction with a polite cough. Genuinely startled, Batman turned to face her, his surprise evident in the slight twitch of his brow.
"Enjoying your time off I see" Wonder Woman quipped, a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "And here I was, thinking that the Dark Knight never smiled."
Batman's attempt to regain his composure was evident, but he couldn't hide a faint smirk. "It's called a 'dynamic training scenario'," he retorted, clearly not willing to admit just how enjoyable he found the whole situation. To which Batgirl playfully rolled her eyes and Diana slowly nodded along with a knowing smile.
Nightwing, still annoyed that his moment with Barbara was interrupted, muttered, "It's getting a little crowded in here don't you think?"
Batgirl quickly brushed off his comment and moved to welcome and fawn over Diana. "It's such an honor to meet you! I mean you're the Wonder Woman!"
"Yeah aren't you like a god? How come you work with grumpy ol' bats here" Tim quickly added, which caused Batman's face to return to the near permanent scowl.
"My apologies, we didn't show you the reverence you deserve," Dick said semi-sarcastically, as he dramatically fell to his knees. Barabara only rolled her eyes and lightly smacked his head.
'Bruce keeps surprisingly animated company for someone who is supposedly a gloomy loner,' Diana thought to herself as she observed the scene. With a beaming smile on her face, Diana clasped her hands behind her back and replied, "Only a demigod. Actually, I thoroughly enjoy working with Batman. He represents nearly every redeeming factor of Man's World. His intelligence, bravery, determination; he is a true warrior." Then, Diana locked eyes with Bruce as the rest of the party looked on in disbelief as Wonder Woman approached the Dark Knight, "But most of all, his kindness."
Wonder Woman put her hand on his shoulder and he allowed her to turn him to face the others. Batman's hesitation was evident, but he couldn't resist the gleam of mischief in Wonder Woman's eyes. Diana continued, "I am in no way surprised that there are people willing to follow in his footsteps. Although I am a little shocked at how young you all are," while slightly eyeing Tim with a raised eyebrow.
"Wow, learn something new everyday," Dick said as he rose to his feet.
"Yeah, you need to give more uplifting speeches Batman. Now can we get back to our game? I had almost worn out the big man."
"I'll have you know, young man, Amazons are quite skilled at war games," Wonder Woman replied, her tone playfully challenging. "Perhaps I should join in?"
Before anyone could object, Wonder Woman poked Batman in the shoulder. "Tag, you're it," Wonder Woman smoothly announced with a grin, her eyes dancing with mirth for a moment before flying directly upwards. A surprised chuckle escaped his lips, and for a moment, his stern facade slipped away.
Batman's gaze locked onto her for a moment longer than necessary, a mixture of astonishment and something else flickering in his eyes before he turned to Tim. "Looks like you've got competition, Robin," he said, his voice holding a rare note of amusement.
With that, the game continued, with Wonder Woman now an active participant. Laughter filled the Watchtower as the game progressed. The tension and seriousness that often hung over the Watchtower seemed to dissipate, replaced by a sense of comfort and joy. Even Batman's occasional scowl couldn't diminish the joy of the moment.
And so, with laughter echoing throughout its halls, the Watchtower felt a little less like a fortress and more like a place where friendships could flourish. Wonder Woman had entered a part of Bruce's life that no one else had been introduced to, his family. Diana couldn't imagine a better way to spend her first Christmas in Man's world.
Wow, so this is my first fic that I wrote for myself and I'm going to be entirely honest, the ending is really rushed. I definitely need to work on my writing stamina but I have to post this now because tis the season! Ever since I saw that Justice League episode of the same name, 'Comfort and Joy', I always wondered how Batman and Wonder Woman spent their Holiday season since they were the only members of the JL that didn't appear in the story. I've had this idea in my head for a long time and I FINALLY managed to overcome ADHD and put this on paper. Please leave a review for what you thought! And Happy Holidays!