A/N:
reydelnorte685- OH MY GOD, is... guau... the baby the bruce and diana is dead?, and boy? guau, upgrade friend, is history is more interesenting
And dark. Don't forget dark.
Essiter1987-Thank you for that. I forgot Themis was Justice. Ancient Greece has so, so many deities. Also, I love that even Nyx would fear Lucifer. Makes sense, I forget if the Good Book says so, but I believe he was the first born of all the angels. That, or it was Michael.
You know, it's the biggest shame that we never got that Prometheus fight in the Arkham games. Perhaps we'll finally get it in this upcoming one? Fingers crossed.
Well, that was damned brutal, but kind of expected. Was wondering if Nyx and the others would realize when Diana got pregnant. The good news, if there can be any, is that Gotham has so, so many Lazarus Pits so The Child might still be saved. Unless Thanatos can prevent that from afar.
Also, once again, we learn what happens when Bruce stops holding back. It's amazing how many people would still try and tango with him when they know that he's beaten Superman before (Not nearly as much as Superman has beaten him but that doesn't really matter right now.) but then again the vast majority of his Rogues Gallery ARE crazy crazy. Then again so are some of his best allies.
Rough ending but we got to have some Lows with the Highs. Wonder who Batman would become the champion of? Maybe Themis herself? Honestly, an Empowered Themis should rival Nemesis since they are two sides of the same coin.
Doesn't it? I'd be surprised if someone ALREADY knew about Themis.
It was Lucifer. "The first and most beautiful and greatest of the angels."
Somehow, I doubt it, sadly. What a waste.
He did. Thanatos literally ate the unborn child's soul. That kiddo is gone-o.
It's a known fact in universe that not even Batman is unbeatable, and everyone wants to brag about beating the Bat.
Ooh.
-A compelling journey that blends heart, conflict, and creativity this story captures the spirit of its characters while delivering a fresh and engaging twist on the original universe.
Since you're just at Ch 1, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
eliza43e-Hey! Just wanted to ,say I love your writing great characters, emotional depth, and strong storytelling.
Your scenes have so much visual potential, and I'd love, to bring them to life as a comic or manga!
If you're ever interested, feel free to reach out on Discord: isabellajams33
Too broke to pay for this.
Bruce opened his eyes. His eyes had to adjust before he realized he was in his bedroom. He sat up and groaned, looking down to see how heavily bandaged he was. Before Prometheus murdered his child, the villain had dominated their fight. It was pure rage and adrenaline that had Bruce power through his beatdown on the criminal.
Bruce sat over the side of his bed, head hanging low at the memory of the fight. He looked up when he heard his door being opened.
In walked Alfred. "Master Bruce! You're finally awake."
"Finally?"
"I'm sorry, sir. It's been three days. Fortunately, we left enough evidence to convince the news outlets that you were caught in what the news dubbed Monster Storm that day."
Bruce's eyes widened. "That day! Alfred, where's Diana?!" Bruce then groaned in pain, holding his sides.
"Calm yourself, sir," Alfred said as he ran up and placed a comforting hand on Bruce.
"Diana," he groaned. "How is she?"
Alfred looked down sadly. "Ms. Prince is... I believe it may be better for you to see for yourself. I know I cannot stop you in any way."
Alfred helped Bruce walk, the hero limping a bit after his fight. Fortunately, Diana's room was just the next one over, and Alfred opened the door.
Bruce's eyes widened. He had never seen Diana look so... broken.
There she was, still so beautiful, yet filled with such emptiness in her eyes as she sat in her bed. She just kept sitting there, rubbing her stomach, looking like she had just finished crying.
Getting off of Alfred, Bruce limped over to Diana's bedside, Alfred giving the two their needed privacy.
At the sound of the closing door, Diana looked up, her blank eyes gaining a spark of light before they went out at the sight of Bruce's bandages. She then looked back at her stomach, rubbing it as Bruce grabbed a chair and sat next to her bed.
"Diana," he said softly.
". . . I failed, Bruce."
"What?"
"I knew. I knew I was pregnant. I KNEW I was with child. Yet... I did nothing to protect it."
"Diana-"
"She came to me."
"Nyx?"
"Aphrodite. I've never seen her look so... disappointed. There was no anger in her eyes. No resentment. No godly rage. Just... disappointment. She blessed our child."
"What?"
"Our child would have had the Blessing of Aphrodite. It would have been loved by those with even a small amount of good in their hearts. A small amount of love. Evil would never be able to manipulate it. And I wasted the Blessing. I KILLED our child!"
"Diana, don't say that," Bruce said as he reached for Diana's hand.
She yanked it away and looked at Bruce with tearful eyes. "THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY, BRUCE," she screamed as tears rushed down her face. "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN OUR ENEMIES WOULD AIM FOR MY WOMB! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THEY WOULD DO WHATEVER IT TOOK TO PREVENT ME FROM HAVING A CHILD! I SHOULD HAVE DONE EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO PROTECT OUR CHILD! I SHOULD HAVE. . . I SHOULD HAVE. . . I should have..." Diana covered her face with her hand. "I should have been a mother."
"Diana..."
"What if Nyx was right about me?"
"What did she say?"
"That some...THING like me could never be a mother."
"Thing?"
"I'm an Amazon, Bruce. I was raised to be a warrior. A soldier. A sister. A fighter. But I was never taught how to be a mother. I was never taught to even LOVE a man, yet we Amazons claimed to spread peace and love. Hypocrites," she sobbed. "I would have trained our daughter to be a warrior. A soldier. A fighter. But... would I have taught her to be human?"
"Maybe... you could teach her to be more human than the two of us," Bruce tried to console.
"Her. You didn't even correct me."
"Huh?"
"You assumed it would be a girl like I did." Diana looked at Bruce. "What if it was supposed to be a boy?"
"Diana."
"Nyx said I would have HATED our son. That I would have despised the child simply for being a boy. What if she was right? What if I hated our son?! What if all of my Amazonian heritage caused me to despise my own flesh and blood?! What if-"
"DIANA," Bruce yelled as he grabbed Diana's shoulders, making her look at him. "Look at me. Look me in the eyes."
"Bruce?"
"You wouldn't hate our son."
"How can you say that?"
"Because you're crying over him."
Diana's eyes widened. "Eh?"
"Would someone who hated men cry over the loss of her son?" Diana didn't respond. "Would someone who wasn't meant to be a mother cry over the loss of their unborn child? When you didn't even BEGIN to show signs of pregnancy?" She remained silent.
Bruce's gaze softened. "Would someone who was never taught to love men fall in love with me, and have me fall in love with her?" Diana gave a soft gasp. "I love you, Diana. You have no idea how grateful I am that you love me, and how thankful I am that you loved our child. I know you loved it, because of our much pain you're in. No one would be in so much pain or cry so heavily if they weren't meant to be a mother. You would have been an amazing mother, Diana. But you had your chance stolen from you. We had our chance to be parents stolen from us. . ." Bruce began to cry himself. "Our child was stolen from us. That pain will never go away, but I will forever be thankful, knowing I love a woman who can experience this pain of loss with me. That's how I know, Diana Prince, that you would have been an amazing mother."
Diana began to sob as she threw her arms around her beloved. "I love you, Bruce Wayne. I love you so much. Aphrodite be praised... for sending me to the man I love."
The two just hugged each other, both allowing themselves to break down and cry at the loss of their child, but the continuation of their love.
And all the while, Alfred was outside the door, wiping away his tears with a handkerchief with a pleased smile on his face. "God bless both of you, Master Bruce and Lady Diana," he said before walking away.
Omake:
Bruce and Diana were crying as they held each other, both hurting at the loss of their child. But as they cried, a fist smashed the screen.
The New League looked at their leader, Hunter, the strong-willed man, crying.
"Hunter," Nora began nervously as she reached out toward her boyfriend.
He then looked up at the screen, a look of rage in his eyes. "I'm going to make them pay."
"What do you mean, man," Cube asked.
"Prometheus, Nemesis, THANATOS, NYX! THEY'RE ALL HERE! I'M GOING TO MAKE THEM PAY!"
"Hunter, this is a different timeline," Jenny pointed out. "And you tried to fight Thanatos and lost."
"LOOK AT THEM, JENNY," Hunter roared. "THOSE ARE MY PARENTS! THAT'S MY FAMILY! LOOK AT HOW THEY'RE HURTING, AND FOR WHAT?! SOME FUCKING PROPHECY?! BECAUSE NYX WANTED MY DAD TO GET ONE OF HER FOLLOWERS PREGNANT?! MY DAD IN THIS TIMELINE IS A FUCKING MASS OF DARKNESS, WHILE THERE, I COULD HAVE HAD AN ACTUAL FAMILY! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT'S LIKE?! IT'S AS IF DESTINY ITSELF IS SCREWING WITH ME! WHAT'S NEXT?! IS NORA GOING TO BE TAKEN FROM ME?! ARE YOU?! AM I NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE A FAMILY?!"
"That's not true, Hunter," Eldoris yelled. "It's true that much has been taken from you, both in this time and another, but we won't be leaving you."
"Yeah, man," Jason said. "We're family, aren't we? We're not going anywhere."
Hunter began to calm down, still crying at the sight of his "parents".
"But I think I get it," Jenny began. "We just helped the old Justice League beat Darkness, but what if Nyx really is out there?"
"And what if this world has its own 'Prophecy'," Cube asked.
"We might need to take on the gods ourselves," Jenny said. "And we'd be pretty outmatched."
Hunter looked down. "No. We'd be ready."
"What makes you say that," Nora asked.
Hunter looked down, held up his hand, and clenched his fist. "Because we're the children of the greatest heroes in existence. I may not be blood here, but I'm still a part of the Bat Family," he said as he pointed at the symbol holding his cape.
"And you're part of THIS family," Cube said as he held out his hand, everyone already beginning to huddle, with Hunter's hand going at the top.
"And I swear, I'll NEVER let my family experience the same pain my parents did," Hunter vowed.
Meanwhile, in her dark domain, the Nyx of this timeline was watching the team, giggling. "How cute," she said before waving her hand, holding an orb full of darkness. "He thinks he can stop me when he can't even control the power YOU gave him."
For indeed, Nyx was holding in her hand The Darkness, Hunter's "Father".
"And yet, the boy still has his uses," Nyx said as she crushed the orb before walking over to an area. "After all, he may be able to finally release you, my dear husband."
It then pans out to see Nyx staring at a sleeping man surrounded by darkness.
"My beloved Erebus."
A few days have passed since Bruce and Diana opened up about their shared trauma, and in that time, they started the Anti-Mythical Beast Unit Project. Of course, this news was shared across Gotham, and other industries such as ST.A.R.S. Labs and Goth Corp decided to aid in the project.
Of course, Bruce knew that Goth Corp just wanted to have the minimal amount of control Project AMBU would give them, but he decided to deal with that problem when it arose... and have Nightwing and Red Hood stake out the company to make sure they don't add anything "extra".
But another company had decided to help fund the project: Empire Enterprise.
In a penthouse office, Veronica was looking over the data Wayne Industries had sent her, honestly impressed. "Yup. This will definitely hurt a Nemean Lion."
"Indeed. My Champion is quite impressive," Nyx said as she leaned in next to Veronica to look at the computer screen.
Veronica sighed. "I hate that I'm used to you doing that. It doesn't even matter that I AM used to it. You've got to stop it."
"Ooh," Nyx teased as she sat on Veronica's desk. "So, my Champion is holding a ballroom celebration at his estate to congratulate all those who participated in this ANBU Project, correct?"
"I'm not going to ask how you know about that. Still, why is that important?"
"It's the perfect chance, my dear."
Veronica scoffed. "You know as well as I do that he figured out I'm working for you. Plus, Prometheus aborting his kid in Diana isn't going to make things easier for me."
"Actually, it might. Even my Champion has mental limits." Veronica stopped typing before looking up at Nyx. "Though Love is the domain of Aphrodite, and Lust belongs to her son, Eros, they are not the only gods capable of seduction. Capable of control. Capable of... manipulation," Nyx said as she gestured at a portal opening.
Out of the darkness stepped a handsome man with a mischievous smirk.
"Mm. And who's the pretty boy," Veronica asked.
"That, my dear, is my son. His name is Dolus, the God of Trickery. Although most would consider him a daimon, an evil spirit personified."
"And let me guess... he's going to make sure Bruce gets me pregnant with your previous Child, whether he likes it or not."
Nyx gently cupped Veronica's face, smiling darkly at the human. "I just LOVE how smart you are, my dear. You make things so easy."
"You do realize Diana is going to be there, right?"
"And I know for a fact that she hasn't slept with my Champion since they lost their child. When the strong are brought to their knees, they take the longest to stand back up. Trust me."
". . . Screw it. Let's get Gotham's Prince to put a baby in me."
Nyx giggled. "That's my girl."
At Wayne Manor, a party was being held. Some of the most influential people in Gotham had gathered. Many were a tad nervous since the sun was beginning to set, but there was a reason they were all out late in the newly minted monster capital of the world.
When everyone was still chattering, a clanging was heard, and everyone looked up at the stadium to see Bruce Wayne standing at the podium with Diana Prince standing next to him.
"Everyone, I would like to thank you all for attending. Not only for that, but also for donating and assisting in the AMBU Project. In most circumstances, projects this lofty would take years to accomplish, but we all came together to protect our city and our home. To the engineers who designed the equipment!"
The people cheered.
"To the scientists who made the designs a reality!"
They cheered.
"And to the entrepreneurs who made this a reality with their funding!"
They cheered.
"I'll admit, many of you in this room would consider me to be the wealthiest man in Gotham. True as that statement might be, I would never be able to fund this project on my own. That is why I am grateful to the generous men and women in this room who saw the good in this project and wished to protect their homes from the monsters that lurk in the night."
The socialites chuckled among themselves, patting themselves on the back.
"Wayne Enterprises is considered one of the world's foremost innovators, with the greatest and brightest minds in the world, many of whom are in this room with us, too, which I am grateful," Bruce said as he looked around, finding Lucius in the crowd. He nodded at his old friend, who raised a glass at him. "But even Wayne Tech has limitations, which is why this is also a chance to honor the Scientists of S.T.A.R. Labs."
The members cheered.
"Goth Corp."
They cheered.
"And a company we can't thank enough. Despite having no ties to Gotham, with their own CEO being dragged into this nightmare, we owe a grand show of gratitude to Empire Enterprise, led by Veronica Cale herself," Bruce said as he gestured toward the woman herself as she held a glass of champagne.
The people around her applauded her. Veronica just smiled as she bowed and shook hands with her fellow guests before stealing a glance at Diana. She smirked at the hero before winking at her.
It took a lot of willpower for Diana to force her smile. It was almost surprising she never became a Green Lantern.
"And now, I give the podium to someone who helped make this project a reality. The inspiration and leader of Project AMBU, for without her and her extensive knowledge, we would never even DREAM of this. Ladies and gentlemen, Diana Prince."
Applause roared as Diana took the podium. "Thank you, brave men and women of Gotham. And I do mean that truthfully. You have shown your bravery and faith in this project by appearing here in Wayne Manor. The sun has set and the night has risen, but I see no fear in anyone's eyes here. Concern, maybe, but not fear. Because you have faith in Project AMBU. You have faith that the money, work, and time you spent were well worth it. And I say to you that this faith is well placed. You, leaders of Gotham, have given the city you love a mighty sword to push back the beasts of the night. And I give you the fruits of your labor. Presenting the AMBU, led by a trusted friend whom I would trust my life to, Captain Renee Montoya!"
The socialites were surprised when figures jumped over them and landed on the stage in front of the Podium. Before the people were a team of heavily armored individuals, their suits glowing with energy, a visible sidearm on the right thigh, what looked like a nightstick on the left thigh, a belt with what looked like grenades, and the acronym AMBU on their chests. Their helmets almost looked similar to the Bat Family cowl, save for the lack of bat ears.
The armored officers then saluted:
"TO FIGHT THE MONSTERS THAT LURK IN THE DARK."
"TO PROTECT THOSE WHO FEAR THE SHADOWS."
"TO SHOW THE MONSTERS THAT THIS IS NOT THEIR DEN."
"AND TO SHOW THAT MYTHS SHOULD NOT BE FEARED."
"WE ARE AMBU."
After AMBU recited their pledge, they all pressed the side of their helmets, the gear retracting into their suits, revealing regular men and women, all famous officers known for their work in GCPD, with Renee up front as their leader.
The people cheered at the sight of AMBU. Everyone was amazed that mere humans were able to move so easily in that heavy-looking armor.
After the presentation, the AMBU officers were mingling among the party-goers, pretty much having mini-interviews with the odd reporter or explaining to the socialites how they plan to protect the city. Others were even thanking the scientists for the armor and the chance to better protect their city.
Renee, on the other hand, was filling a plate of food.
"You look stressed, old friend."
Renee looked behind her to see Diana with Bruce walking up beside her. She sighed. "How can I not be, Diana? You pretty much made me a celebrity overnight. I'm a detective. I never thought I'd ever gain the rank of Captain. Never wanted it, to be honest."
"You were the best candidate we could think of. Jim himself recommended you," Bruce said.
"Why not the Commish himself?"
"In Jim's defense, his hair is getting some white streaks," Bruce chuckled.
"Like that would stop you, Bruce," Renee retorted, getting a giggle from Diana. She then sighed. "Seriously, I feel more stressed about being the AMBU Captain than I ever did when I was The Question."
"You're still a member of the Justice League, Renee," Diana said.
"Mhm. Yeah, I'll take a page and stick to being a part-timer. Neither of you could reach the League, right?"
Bruce shook his head. "Nyx is too powerful. Not even all of the League's magic users combined could break through her spell. What's more is that she has others who have strengthened the spell to unknown levels."
"Including the Goddess of Magic, Hecate herself," Diana added.
"Not much even Zee can do against an actual magic god." Renee sighed. "Gotham has plenty of heroes, but we're up against gods. Might be a bit easier if we had Kara on our side, eh?"
"This is absolutely a League-level threat. It's basically Scenario Apokolips," Diana said.
"Great. Think this armor will even things out, Bruce," Renee asked.
"It will make the situation a bit better. However, in the end, we still need a way to defeat Nyx herself. Once she's been dealt with, this nightmare can end."
"Either of you have any way of beating this chick? She has to have some kind of weakness." Renee then noticed the sad looks Bruce and Diana had. "Was it something I said?"
"No, it's... It's nothing," Diana said sadly. And as if on reflex, Diana... rubbed her stomach.
Since that day, Bruce and Diana couldn't bring themselves to share a bed again. It would feel too much... like they were trying to replace the child they lost.
During the Wayne Celebration, Bruce and Diana decided to mingle and speak with the guests. Both were able to put on the charm quite well. It was a bit surprising for Diana to be able to do it. She remembered her first-ever party in Man's World. She was so flustered. But then again, everyone knew her as Wonder Woman.
Now, she was Diana Prince, wearing an even more exquisite dress than the one she wore at her first party, her hair tied up in an aristocratic fashion that made her resemble a duchess, an elegant pair of glasses that complemented her blue eyes, and blood-red lipstick that captivated men and women alike. She looked bewitchingly beautiful.
"I must say, Bruce, you are breaking many a young lady's heart this day," an older gentleman said.
"Oh?"
"Yes," a hefty woman said. "To think that such a lovely young lady would ensnare Gotham's most elusive bachelor. As lovely as a rose, she is, my boy."
Bruce chuckled. "And her thorns are just as dangerous."
"Bruce, please. In front of the guests," Diana chuckled.
"Oh, no denial from either party! What news," a man went.
"I propose a toast," a younger man began. "To Bruce Wayne, who, after all these years, found the woman who can make him into a better man, for behind every great man is the amazing woman who will keep his head on straight for him."
"Here, here," a lovely woman said.
"Agreed. You men seem to be lost without a good woman," an elderly woman said.
"And that's the problem with this generation, my dear. Good women are so difficult to find," an old man said.
"Oh, I know! So uncouth these days. I shudder at the thought of my daughter even RESEMBLING the girls of today," the hefty woman said.
"They lack discipline. Conviction! I fear that this horrid point in time might actually IMPROVE today's Gotham youth, for only adversity can forge fine young men and women," a decorated man said.
A middle-aged woman sighed. "Such a shame that horror is needed to properly raise today's youth. I suggest you raise your children properly, Ms. Prince."
Diana and Bruce jolted a bit.
She then looked down, false memories flashing through her mind.
She thought of how she would react, holding her and Bruce's child in her arms, imagining she would be crying tears of joy.
Then, she thought of spending time with her baby, carrying it around the Manor's Garden, flying through the sun-kissed sky with her baby in her arms, and even laughing at the mess her baby made.
Then, she imagined how she walked hand-in-hand with her child. Teaching her child how to properly defend itself, how to properly wield a sword, and how to use a lasso.
She even saw Bruce reading to the child, educating it, and singing it to sleep.
All the while, the child's face was shadowed, because Diana didn't know if it was a boy or a girl.
And because of that... she was proud of herself. She was proud that she didn't immediately believe she thought her child was a girl.
And because of that, she smiled. "Yes. I plan to raise my children properly. It would be my child, after all. I have to prove that I love them, no matter what," she said with tears welling in her eyes.
One of the women noticed. "Ms. Prince, may I speak with you in private?"
"Hm? I suppose."
The two women walked away from the group.
"I'm sorry, this will be incredibly insensitive of me. Quite rude, in fact."
"Pardon?"
The woman looked at Diana with an understanding smile. "How long ago was it?"
"How long ago was what?"
"When you lost your child."
Diana's eyes widened. "H-How did you..."
The woman looked down sadly... before rubbing her own stomach. "Because... I lost mine, too." Diana covered her mouth. "I fell victim to one of the monsters' attacks. A car was thrown at me. It's a miracle I'm even able to stand here today. Even the doctors said I should have been in a coma, or at the very least crippled. It was almost as if... my own child protected me," she said as her voice began to break.
"But a child should never have to protect their mother from death. It should have been the mother's duty to protect their child from the world's evils. I was five months in, already able to feel the baby kicking, and was advised by my own workaholic husband to not work. But I was the CEO, I told myself. I needed to lead my company. . . And I lost my son because of that."
The woman began to cry, Diana hugging her in comfort, crying herself.
"I know EXACTLY how you feel," Wonder Woman said as she allowed her own tears to flow.
Bruce was still talking to the guests when a certain one walked up to him. "Hello, Bruce."
"Hm? Ah, Dr. Cale. I'm honored to have you here," Bruce said as he held Veronica's extended hand and kissed it.
"Quite the charmer as always. You'd better be careful, or your girlfriend will be jealous."
"Oh, as much as I want to call her that, Ms. Prince isn't really my girlfriend, even though I do want a deeper relationship."
Veronica knew Bruce said that to her on purpose. After all, they both knew who the other was. They're both just putting on facades for the public.
"I must apologize to you, Dr. Cale."
"For what, Mr. Wayne?"
"Dragging you into this. Empire Enterprise Headquarters was in Boston, correct? Yet here you are, trapped in Gotham, unable to leave because of some monsters. You're one of the donors I should be most grateful to."
"Oh, think nothing of it, Bruce. I only hope my small contribution helps keep Gotham safe from everything bumping in the night out there."
"We can only hope."
"Maybe we could see a demonstration?"
"Oh, that sounds interesting," a nearby guest chimed in.
"Yes, it would be quite interesting to see what the AMBU is capable of," another guest said.
"Personally, I hope we don't have to see the AMBU Squad take action. Imagine how terrifying it would be for monsters to attack the manor now," Bruce said.
"Ooh, that is a very good point."
"Yes, I'd rather be far from danger."
"Well, we rarely get what we want, I suppose," Veronica said as she finished her drink. She then made a quick glance in a direction and smiled.
The reason she did was because she saw HIM.
Dolus had possessed an unsuspecting waiter, who was carrying enchanted glasses of champagne. When he reached the group, Veronica placed her empty glass on the tray to take another one. "Shall we at least toast to the completion of AMBU?"
Bruce looked at Veronica before he was about to toast her.
Veronica giggled. "Toasting with an empty glass, Mr. Wayne?"
Bruce looked at his glass to see that it was empty. He was about to wonder when he drank his drink, only for Dolus to wave his hand by the hero's head, tricking him with a false memory.
"Ah. My mistake. I was too engrossed in conversation, it seems," he said as he placed the empty glass on the tray and took a "fresh" glass.
"To Gotham," Bruce said as he held out his glass.
"To the AMBU Squad," Veronica said as she toasted her glass against Bruce's. The two then drank.
When they finished their sips, Bruce's eyes met Veronica's. Without knowing it, the spell had begun to take effect.
Veronica moaned softly as she gently placed a hand on her forehead.
"Is something wrong, Dr. Cale?"
"How shameful of me. I think I'm becoming tipsy. This is embarrassing," Veronica giggled.
"There are rooms you can rest in if you so wish," Bruce offered.
"Would you be so kind as to take me to a room," Veronica asked.
Bruce would have offered to have Alfred or one of the temporary servers take her... under normal circumstances.
However, Dolus's spell was taking effect.
"Of course. Shall we," Bruce said as he held out an arm.
Veronica giggled as she hugged his arm. "Such a gentleman. Where's this so-called playboy I heard so much about?"
"Where indeed," Bruce asked as he led Veronica away.
"Oh, dear," one of the guests said.
"Maybe he was not in a relationship with Ms. Prince after all."
"Still, Dr. Cale is quite the catch."
"Imagine if their companies formed a partnership."
"Wayne Empire Enterprises. It sounds quite powerful by name alone."
Alfred was too busy making sure everything at the party was going accordingly and Diana was still enjoying her conversation with the woman, so neither one was able to notice Bruce walking away with Veronica. It didn't help that Dolus was making sure the two were unnoticeable in the crowd, vanishing in the sea of people.
Because of this, it was a simple matter for Bruce and Veronica to climb the stairs to the upper floor toward Bruce's bedroom.
One of the rooms they passed, however, held Harley and Lucy.
Ever since Joker and Eris, Harley had been in a practically vegetative state, never releasing her equally unresponsive daughter. She just sat in bed, never releasing her daughter, being taken care of by Alfred or Diana, barely even blinking.
Yet, for some reason, when Veronica and Bruce passed the closed door of her room, her finger twitched.
As the two entered Bruce's room, Veronica giggled drunkenly. "My, oh, my. Taking me into your room?" Veronica wrapped her arms around Bruce's neck, her eyes glowing. "What ARE you planning to do with me?"
"What, indeed," Bruce answered, his own eyes glowing. "Why don't we find out?"
When he said that, he and Veronica proceeded to share a kiss, the two moaning passionately as they both began to undress. All the while, outside of the window onto the balcony, Nyx herself watched as the two were preparing to create The Child, the dark goddess smirking as she giggled at the sight of her arriving victory.
Diana returned to the previous group, looking for Bruce. "Pardon, but where's our host?"
The guests looked among themselves awkwardly.
"I am truly sorry, Ms. Prince," one answered.
"You weren't in a relationship with Mr. Wayne, were you?"
"I'm sorry," Diana said with a raised eyebrow.
"It seems he wishes to pursue a relationship with Dr. Cale."
Diana's eyes widened. 'Oh, no. I'm such a fool! I even KNEW she was here!'
"Excuse me," Diana said as she walked away.
"Poor woman."
"Well, Bruce Wayne is a playboy."
Diana ignored the words of the guests as she tried to maneuver her way through the crowd, only to find herself nearing the previous group. 'What in the- How? I know this mansion. I've lived here more than long enough,' she thought. She then looked around and noticed something off about one of the waiters.
The waiter noticed her... and smirked. Somehow, that was more than enough for Diana to recognize him.
'Dolus!'
In the bedroom, Bruce and Veronica were fully nude, still kissing each other as they got onto Bruce's bed. Staring into the other's enchanted eyes, Bruce finally penetrated Veronica.
She let out a surprised gasp of pleasure that temporarily gave her back some of her consciousness. 'Oh, my god! I had that bitch's kid hypnotize me to make this easier, but damn! He's so deep! It's kissing the entrance! Any deeper, and he'd be IN my womb! I haven't slept with any man in years, sure as hell not with my husband.'
'This feels amazing! Nyx, you'd better let me keep this after I give birth to that damned Child you want so much,' Veronica thought as she wrapped her legs around Bruce.
'As great as this feels, I need you to release it, Wayne! Come on! Just one quick shot!'
As the two were grunting in pleasure, neither one could hear the door open. As such, neither noticed anyone approaching them.
'It's swelling! Come on! I can already tell that the burst is going to be more than enough to get me pregnant! Go on, Bruce! Put a baby in my already!' Veronica then looked up and saw a shadow looming over them, lifting a bat, her eyes widening at the sight. 'That's not Nyx!'
The being swung, only for Bruce's reflexes to kick in and catch the bat. He looked up, only to get punched with enough force to send him flying off the bed, but more importantly, out of Veronica.
And he never released inside of her.
"NO," Veronica yelled.
Bruce groaned as he sat up, shaking his head as the blow weakened the spell enough to break out of it with his own willpower. "What?" Bruce noticed he was naked. "WHAT?!" He then snapped his fingers, the lights in the room turning on.
"YOU?! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE," Veronica yelled.
Bruce then looked up to see that the one who stopped him from impregnating Veronica... was Harley.
Harley looked down at Veronica with burning, bitter hatred as she pointed her bat at the woman. "Where is she?"
"What?"
"DON'T FUCK WITH ME, GOLDEN GOOSE! I KNOW SHE'S HERE?! WHERE'S YOUR BOSS, NIGHT MOMMY?!"
Bruce knew who Harley was talking about, his eyes narrowing. "Nyx. She's here."