Ch 6- Driving Miss Diana
The sky above Paris was a slate-gray canvas, a soft drizzle misting the roads. The city's usual bustle seemed distant from the sleek, classic curves of an Aston Martin DB5 that glided down the quiet backstreets.
Behind the wheel, for once, wasn't Bruce Wayne, the world-renowned actor currently playing James Bond—but rather Diana of Themyschira better known to the world as Wonder Woman.
Bruce sat in the passenger seat, leaning back with casual ease. He wore a leather jacket over a simple white shirt, a far cry from the tailored suits he was known for as both Bruce Wayne and 007. His demeanor was relaxed—at least outwardly.
Diana, however, was focused on the task at hand. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she handled the car, the classic engine purring beneath her touch.
"I see now why you enjoy these cars so much," she said with a grin, her hands firm on the steering wheel.
"They have... personality."
"That they do," Bruce replied, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "The Aston's a classic. Reliable, stylish, and just the right amount of danger under the hood."
She chuckled, her tone playful.
"Danger? Coming from you, that seems oddly appropriate."
The car hummed as it cruised through the damp streets. Bruce hated how much he enjoyed her smile so all he could do was be silent and grin at her.
"How am I doing so far?" she asked, sparing him a glance.
Bruce smirked, crossing his arms. "Not bad for a first-timer. You're handling the gears well enough. Just remember to ease into the clutch, or you'll grind the transmission."
Diana gave him a side-eyed look, one of those expressions that carried centuries of experience and a touch of mischief. "I'm easing into it," she said lightly. "I wouldn't want to destroy one of your favorite toys."
He chuckled at her remark, but there was something in her tone that made Bruce pause. There had been an underlying hint of something more—almost like she was probing, testing him.
The car rolled to a stop at a traffic light, the engine idling smoothly. Diana turned to face him, her expression more thoughtful now.
"You know, Bruce," she began slowly, "you've always struck me as a man who enjoys a challenge. Whether it's playing the world's most famous secret agent or navigating high society as Gotham's most eligible bachelor."
Bruce raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "It does keep things interesting."
"I imagine," she continued, her voice calm, almost casual, "that living such a... double life must get exhausting. The pressure, the secrets. Always being on, always playing a role."
Her words hung in the air like the soft drizzle against the windshield.
Bruce's eyes flicked toward her, the playful glint in them dimming slightly. That confirmed it he knew that tone—Diana was circling around something. Gently probing, as she often did. He kept his expression neutral, but his mind was already calculating. Diana was no stranger to secrets, and it was possible she suspected more than she was letting on.
But he wasn't Batman right now. He was Bruce Wayne, the charming actor. He could play this game.
"Double life? I wouldn't call it that," he said smoothly. "Acting's just another way to escape. To pretend for a little while. When you've got the resources, why not have a little fun?"
She hummed softly, her fingers drumming lightly against the steering wheel. "Fun, yes. But not everything can be an escape, Bruce. Sometimes the role isn't pretending."
There it was again—that subtle edge in her voice, as though she was testing the boundaries of his mask. He wondered just how much she suspected.
Diana continued, the light turning green as she eased the car forward. "You handle yourself quite well in the midst of danger, even outside the film set. That robbery you stopped while filming? Most people would have panicked but you didn't."
Bruce's smirk returned, though it was slightly more guarded.
"Comes with the territory. When you play James Bond, you pick up a few tricks. Stunt work, fight choreography—it's not so different from the real thing. You've been in the thick of it enough to know that."
"Perhaps," she mused, eyes still on the road. "But real danger requires real instincts, doesn't it? Not just choreography. I've been around enough warriors to recognize that."
Another meaningfull glance from her.
Bruce's gaze sharpened, but he kept his tone light.
"You think I'm a warrior now? Diana I'm pretty sure I'd be spoils of war rather than fighting on the front lines"
Diana didn't answer immediately. Instead, she smiled—a slow, knowing smile.
"I think you're more than what you let people see. You always seem to be in the right place at the right prepared, always calm under pressure. It's almost as if you've trained for it."
Bruce couldn't help the flicker of admiration that passed through him. Diana wasn't just testing him; she was reading him. She was as sharp as ever—maybe too sharp.
"You think I'm hiding something?" he asked, leaning back in his seat, adopting a more casual posture to deflect.
Diana shrugged, her hands steady on the wheel as she turned a corner. "I think you're a man full of secrets. But we all have our secrets, don't we?"
Bruce's eyes narrowed slightly, though his expression remained carefully controlled. "And what secrets are you hiding, Diana?"
She gave him a sidelong glance, her smile widening just a fraction. "Want to get to know me better do we?"
Touché. He smiled, appreciating the verbal sparring.
The road stretched out before them, quiet and slick with rain. Diana handled the car like a natural now, her earlier hesitation gone. But the tension between them remained, simmering beneath the surface.
Bruce cleared his throat, changing the subject—at least on the surface. "You're doing great with the car. I think you're ready for something faster."
Diana smirked. "Faster? You do know I can fly, right?"
"Flying's one thing," Bruce replied, his grin returning, "but nothing beats the roar of an engine, the control, the precision."
Diana nodded, though the teasing light in her eyes never fully dimmed. "Control and precision... I suppose those are things you're quite familiar with."
Bruce chuckled, appreciating the irony. "You could say that."
As they drove in companionable silence for a moment Diana's gaze remained fixed on the road ahead, but her mind seemed elsewhere.
When she spoke again, her voice was soft but pointed.
"One day, Bruce, I'll figure out all of your secrets."
He didn't miss a beat. "You'd be the first."
Diana's smile returned, full of warmth and quiet amusement. "We'll see."
The Aston Martin hummed beneath them, its engine a quiet, powerful purr, much like the dynamic between the two of them—layered with tension, mystery, and an unspoken understanding that they were both far more than they seemed.
For now, the secret of the Batman remained safe. But how long that would last, Bruce couldn't say but he did move to grip the door handle as they where up to 90 now as Diana took his teasing as a challenge.
It only took passing the first bilboard to set the patrol after them but when they saw that they pulled over James Bond in an Aston Martin with a gorgeous woman the troopers lost it.
Half an hour latter Bruce was surrounded by dozens of copcars who came to meet, talk and take pictures with him.
Bruce sat down in the co-pilot seat to take a break whej he heard the roar of the engines.
He glanced and saw that Diana had climbed in and with the gusto of many a street racers she was talked in the universal language of wanna race?
Before he could say anything the cop cars replied with a roare of the engines and grins of schoolchildren as Diana turned and gave him a wicked grin.
Bruce had only time to massage his forehead once and fasten his seatbelt, before Wonder Woman floared the Gass pedal and started a street race with half of Pari's police officers chasing them and he was certain none of them wanted to catch the Aston Martin
The it happened. A grinning Diana gave him another impish glance before she turned on the stereo and he heard the familiar battle theme of Dr No as she raised the volume for all of France to see James Bond in his Aston Martin being chased by police all to the tune of the movies.
"Why do you hate me woman?" He deadpanned and that made her laugh hard.
Damn her smile! Damn it!
He wanted to see it again so bad!