Justice League 1. Chapter 1

"When I was young, my mother used to call me suns and stars," Diana sighed, "she said it meant I would always be in her world regardless of time," she finished. She looked over to Bruce who was studying her intently. He had his hands rested on each of his thighs, his black hair was pulled back neatly, and there were heavy bags under his blue eyes with a few scars being healed from his last showdown with the Joker.

"Diana," Bruce said quietly. His fingers twitched as if to reach out for her but he sighed looking down at his bruised fingers.

"I always thought she would be with me forever even though I was exiled to man's world," she continued and she wiped a tear from her eyes. She had not expected her mother to sacrifice her life for man's world. For so long Hippolyta talked about the destruction man always created and scorn the race. She saw the Amazons above the fighting and for so long Diana believed her mother. Themyscira was always peace. When she'd left for man's world, she'd seen how much her mother had been right. There wasn't a day where she didn't think about returning home, begging her mother for forgiveness because she did miss her sisters, but she saw the good in man's world. She'd found friendship, ice mochas, family, and love for mankind. She always wanted to prove her mother wrong. She wanted her to see that mankind wasn't as bad as she thought it to be.

And maybe Hippolyta finally had. Maybe she'd seen the good in mankind when it rallied against Hades and his legions of the undead. But it had been too late. Diana blew out a breath and tried to hold her cheek up high, but she could not keep the shaking from her limbs.

Hades had sought to destroy the world; he'd used Themyscria as the land for his plans and his weapon of choice. She'd been too late to sense something was wrong with her gods and her people. She'd been too focused on fixing man's world with the League; she'd stopped praying to Hera and Athena. She ran a trembling finger over her lips to keep from crying. Her gods were gone; Themyscria was nothing but a destroyed land. Groaning she got up off of Bruce's couch running her hand through her hair.

She shouldn't have listened to Kal. She should have gone straight to Themyscria and fought Hades herself. She should have charged Olympus with whatever army she could create and rescue her gods before Titans—released by Hades—destroyed them.

"Diana," Bruce said again and she shook her head no.

"This is my fault Bruce," she choked out turning to face him. "I was too late. I didn't feel it," she said pounding her chest.

"Princess, it's not your fault."

"I didn't sense it Bruce. Hera and Athena, they're gone. My mother is dead. The Amazonian race dies when I do. There's nothing left of us."

"Then go back and rebuild," Bruce told her rising to his feet and she shook her head at him. She couldn't return to Themyscria, not now. It was only three weeks since the battle, but she still heard her sister's cries in her ears. She still saw Hades plunging his sword through her mother's heart and tossing her aside like she was nothing every time she closed her eyes. Everything about her home hurt. If she were to return, she would break.

She was struggling, as it was, to remain conscious and sane. Luckily for her, Bruce had offered her his guest wing to stay in and avoid the eyes of the public. Alfred kept her company on most days, but she often hid from the man—she was sure he let her—to mediate and pray for forgiveness. She couldn't be on the Watchtower. She hated seeing the stares from everyone. She couldn't go to the embassy because she kept hearing "I'm sorry" and "thank you" when the words in truth, meant little to nothing to her. She did not want to be angry at man's world, but if she continued to show herself in public, she would, as Wally would say, go bonkers. What she needed was isolation.

"I can't. I can't Bruce," she breathed looking away from him. He nodded and walked over to her. He slowly pulled her into his arms and at his touch Diana crumpled because she knew Bruce would be the only person who would understand. He wouldn't try to tell her it was going to be okay, or sugarcoat the hurt and damn it, everything did hurt. She clutched onto him tightly he slowly stroked the back of her head as her sobs got louder and louder.

Quiet footsteps walked into the living room and Bruce looked up to see Alfred. The head of the household nodded and backed out the living room. It was about time the Princess started to let go of her emotions.

* * *

**Hello All. After some thought and asking (just a few and I'm flattered) I'm going to expand this one-shot. I cannot get the plot bunny out my head so I will indulge it. As of right now, I am currently outlining the _entire_ ****story, from start to finish, so I can finish it. I _will_ be writing mostly from Diana's point of view, as I find it difficult to get into Bruce's head and I do not want to make him OOC. However, I might slip into that chaotic mind of his a few times if I find it necessary to drive the plot forward. I hope you all like what you've read. Please leave a comment about improvements or so and let me know what you think. I'm excited about this journey.**

**-Ash**


	2. Chapter 2

Diana held onto a cup of coffee for Bruce and a cup of tea for herself after convincing Alfred to let her take Bruce's coffee to him. It was more than a year since she'd arrived at Wayne Manor and over eight months since she'd stopped appearing in the public as Wonder Woman. During her recovery, she'd made less and less appearances on the watchtower and before stopping. Clark, at first had agreed to her leave of absence; he'd known all too well what it meant to lose your entire world. But after it was clear she wasn't returning to the league as quickly as he'd thought, he showed up to convince her the world needed its Wonder Woman.

She listened as he went on about her mission to man's world, about the league not being the same without her, and he missing his best friend. He'd joked Diana's light helped overshadow Bruce's darkness and since her absence, the watchtower didn't have the same energy it did with her on it. Even Wally had changed a bit. He still made jokes, but they were...unpleasant to deal with and sometimes depressing. She'd told him she would give it some thought and she tried, but it was difficult. She didn't know who Wonder Woman was anymore. She'd traveled to man's world because her gods had willed it. Wonder Woman represented a culture many thought lost, and now it truly was. Fighting when she'd lost her way was difficult. There were no gods to pray to for guidance and no home to visit. She was the last of the Amazonian race and knowing that was hard to come to terms with.

When she'd told Clark, he said she didn't need to be an Amazon or Wonder Woman to save the world and his words inspired her. Instead of returning to the league, she did more work with philanthropy in Gotham and as ambassador. The former led to a large fight between her and Bruce, but she'd surprisingly won that battle with Alfred standing behind her. She wasn't being Wonder Woman in Gotham, she was being Diana Prince, and she couldn't stay cooped up in Bruce's home without doing something to help the world.

In her third month, she begun to think she'd overstayed her welcome and even tried to find a small apartment in Gotham. She was packing her things when Bruce walked into her room and asked her to stay. He'd _asked_. Her relationship with Bruce was…confusing. There were times she thought they could only be friends, but she'd caught him on more than a few occasions staring at her in ways she'd seen John looking at Shayera when he thought she couldn't see. Bruce was a complicated man with a complicated life, but despite it all, she cared about him and she had an inkling he cared about her. To what extent, she didn't know.

She'd agreed to stay, but only as long as she was able to do _something_ around the house. She'd found cooking and was making progress. In her early stages, she'd help Alfred make breakfast and made Bruce her guinea pig, without his knowledge of course. Suffice to say, he did _not_ appreciate her attempts in the kitchen and hadn't forgiven her since. Though he would drink some mochas of her, since he claimed she wasn't likely to mess up the instructions. That earned him the silent treatment for a few days until he'd apologized and only because Alfred pushed him.

"Princess," Bruce's voice called out bringing her out her thoughts.

"I bought you coffee," she said taking slow strides to him. He didn't move, but she could see the raise in his brows. "Alfred made it," she added with a laugh. She sat the up down in front of him and chuckled when he hesitantly reached out for the cup. Who knew Batman could be taken down with a cup of her coffee. She could almost see the headlines and laughed again.

"Something funny?" Bruce asked turning to face her and she shook her head putting down her own cup.

"Not at all. Alfred wanted me to tell you it's getting late, even for _your_ standards," she said turning to face his computer screen. She cocked her head looking at the mug shot of a man named Antony Zucco.

"Who is he?" Diana asked.

"Tony Zucco," Bruce answered.

"I'm aware. Why do _you_ care?" she asked and Bruce responded with silence. Frowning, she folded her arms over her chest patiently waiting for his response. A smirk twitched at her lips knowing how well Bruce loved playing the silent game with her. She was slowly catching up to him in the stoicism and Bruce, only a few times, conceded to her.

"Bruce," Diana said again knowing she wanted to go to bed and soon.

"He murdered Dick's parents," he finally spoke and Diana stiffened up. She looked back at the screen of the man. Her eyes drifted over to what she assumed was a recent photo of the man and frowned. He had _not_ aged with grace, as Wally would say. His cheekbones looked rather hollow, his eyes sunk a little bit into their socket, and there was a scar running from the left side of his temple to the right side of his chin. Everything about his presence left her with chills and she wondered who he ticked off to receive such a scar on his face.

"But he's in jail," Diana pointed out. She saw no reason for Bruce to be checking up on the man. He was not Joker, who she recently found out, was always on Bruce's watch. She shuddered inwardly thinking about the man and the horrors he'd done. She never did understand why Bruce insisted on playing the Joker's game of cat and mouse and she would never ask him why either.

"He escaped and I have to find him before Dick realizes," Bruce answered and Diana was surprised he'd even responded to her as quickly as he did. Suddenly Bruce's actions in the past few days made sense. He was extra moody, she'd barely seen him for meals, and he spent almost all of his time in the Batcave. She thought it had to do with Dick Grayson and Kory Anders plans to wed and their three-month-old daughter Mari Grayson. Bruce wasn't particularly fond of Kory and Diana wondered if it was because he was still upset Barbra and Dick were no longer together. Diana didn't see a problem with Kory; the woman had a strong habit of bringing smiles to Diana's face and Alfred was absolutely smitten with her. Diana hoped Bruce would attempt to put effort into knowing the woman even though it was clear he had a soft spot for his maternal granddaughter.

"Are you going to tell him?" Diana asked knowing if Bruce had the option, he would find Zucco, put him behind bars again, and all without Dick knowing.

"I can't. It's not his concern right now," Bruce answered.

"He deserves to know Bruce," she told him sternly. She picked up her cup of coffee and walked out the cave. She knew Bruce wouldn't listen to her, living with him for a year now had taught her that, but she believed Dick at least deserved to know. She didn't want to think about Zucco returning to harm Dick, or even attempt to hurt that innocent child. Letting go of the troubling thoughts, she walked into Bruce's living room and as always her eyes drifted to the portrait Martha and Thomas Wayne and a young Bruce. He looked so happy and Diana wondered if she would ever see a smile like that on his face.

* * *

When Diana woke up the next morning, she was immediately aware that she was not alone in her room. She quickly sat up on bed, eyes assessing all corners of the peach colored room. There was no one, but she couldn't ease the scratching feeling behind her ear. She groaned lying back on her bed. Looking at the clock on her dresser, it was only eight in the morning, meaning she'd missed another chance of sleeping in late. It was the fifth morning in a row she'd woken up feeling as if someone was watching her. The room was always empty, but the feeling stayed with her for a majority of the day.

She rolled over in her bed staring at the small alter across the room she'd built to honor the fallen Olympians. The light in her eyes faded a little as they did every morning. The pain she felt had subsided but it hadn't left. She still dreamt of Themyscira and saw the faces of Epione, Euboea, Melia, Artemis and so many more every time she laid down to sleep. Every dream felt real and it had taken her weeks to realize that's all they were. The truth hit her like a cold shower and left her mute.

Refusing to think any longer on a lost past, she threw her covers off her and stretched to begin a new day. Grabbing her robe, she threw it on and headed for the small closet of clothes Bruce provided her. She wrinkled her nose at the thought; she seemed too dependable on the man. Of course, she knew it wasn't true, she had her own personal account, Kal set that up for her, and even though her income was very small from her work, she still managed to provide necessities for herself. Bruce of course thought otherwise and contacted Barbra to take Diana shopping in the very early stages of her stay at the manor. Diana shuddered remembering the day; it was one she never wanted to relive for as long as she lived. Now it seemed like her closet was more of Bruce Wayne's taste than her own.

Not that she would complain about Bruce's taste, it was nice. He knew she loved wearing jeans and long sleeves shirt, even sneakers, and provided a vast amount of each. But behind her everyday clothing were extravagant dresses, he said she would need for her charity galas. She'd only wore one so far and had mixed feelings about the long red dress. It didn't reveal too much, just a lit on the left leg, and the square of her back. She'd been the talk of the gala that night instead of the women who were being abused by their spouse, and the eyes of men raked over her like she was a piece of meat. It also did not help that Bruce's date, she could not remember the vile woman's name, had attempted to embarrass her because the playboy chose to spend most of his night with Diana. She would never forgive Bruce for the night.

"Princess Diana," a child's voice called from behind her. It was not one she recognized and immediately her body tensed up ready for an attack if it was coming. Slowly she turned around and came face to face with a girl dressed in Amazonian armor and wearing the features of the goddess Artemis and someone else she did not recognize. She stood tall and proud, hands resting by the long sword on her hips near Diana's nearly bare vanity. Her brown hair was pulled into back into a long braid and her blue eyes looked surprised as if she had not expected Diana to turn around and see her.

"Who are you?" Diana asked staring at the girl. Her eyes glanced over to her closed door and window. How did she enter her room? The girl took a step forward and Diana held her ground watching her movements carefully. Her hands drifted from her sword, eyes scanning the room before landing on the small alter. A smile twitched at her lips and Diana continued staring at the girl curiously. She could not be more than seventeen-years-old and though it was faint, she glowed with the immortality of the gods.

"You still pray to them though they cannot hear you," she said quietly stepping towards the altar and Diana moved with her.

"I will not ask you again. Who are you?" she spoke harsh and clear. The girl stopped as if she'd forgotten something. The smile dropped from her face and she turned to look at Diana with eyes that reminded the former Amazonian Princess of the goddess of hunt.

"My name is Mythe and I come from Olympus with a message from the gods. They are in dire need of saving and so is this world. They call upon you, Champion, to return to a paradise lost and free them to prevent the Iron Ages from ending," the girl spoke. Her voice fell deep and Diana's eyes watered hearing Hera, Athena, and Artemis speak to her.

Her gods were alive.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Hi All! I'm back and with a new chapter! I want to get these out to you guys as quickly as I can but without reducing the quality of the writing. I'm trying to stick to Diana's characteristics as much as I can. This chapter is much more of background on what's been going the past year in Diana's life, rather than action; next chapter the ball starts rolling. To give you a timeline to hold onto, this story is set a couple of months after Paradise Lost and before the Thanagarian Invasion**** I'm working with the animated Justice League world here. (Again, all this is for driving the plot). Yes, I also have Dick (Nightwing) and Kory (Starfire) in this fic. They aren't here for style, they help push along the plot. To those who love Barbra, she won't be in here (sorry). That's all I have for you.**

**Read, Review. See you soon**

**-Ash!**


	3. Chapter 3

"They're alive," Diana spoke slowly but the words did not make sense to her and she wasn't even sure if she'd uttered them. She'd sat in silence for the past five minutes replaying the last hour of the battle. She'd personally seen Zeus fall at the hands of Hades. Poseidon was beheaded before the domino effect kicked in of gods and goddesses falling after each other. But If her gods were alive, why would they not answer her prayers? Why would they let her home be the broken place it was?

None of it made sense.

Every day she held onto a glimmer of hope that Hades and his gigantic Titan brutes hadn't won the battle completely and now she was hearing they had not. Her bed sunk under her weight and she shook her head; it had to be a trick. Her gods would not ignore her pleas for help. They would not let her wander aimlessly for the past year without a word. They weren't that cruel. They _couldn't_ be that cruel. They knew when she suffered; she knew they heard her prayers when she called out their names. Why would they not answer her back?

What did they have to gain? Did they think she was no longer the champion she'd set out to be because she'd failed them? She would have gladly given her life to serve and protect them.

She almost had.

"How do you know this?" she asked looking up at the girl.

"My mother, Artemis, and the others are alive-"

"Artemis does not have a child," Diana cut the girl off.

"She does when she was raped repeatedly by Prometheus," the girl replied quickly. There was a flash of anger on her face and Diana lowered her head. Raped? The word left a thick and bitter taste in her mouth and it only got worse and worse as the second ticked by and the truth sunk in. _Raped._ She slowly looked up at the girl and there it was: the same fire that burned in the chest of Artemis burned in the girl's blue eyes. Diana buried her face in her hands lighting tapping her left foot on the carpet.

"Diana, I know this is difficult, but you must believe me when I say the gods are not in a position to answer your calls."

"Then where are they?" Diana asked impatiently.

"Trapped in prison below Olympus. It is why I am where," the girl answered and Diana tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and motioned for the girl to continue. "The Olympians did not die-"

"I saw Zeus and Poseidon be killed-"

"Yes you did, and they are dead, but the rest were driven in an underground prison created by Hades. Cronus wanted to keep the remaining Olympians close to eliminate any threat of rebellion." Diana nodded even though the girl's words did not make sense. If Cronus believed the Olympians a threat, why would he not kill them? Unless he believed without Zeus and Poseidon they were weak. She massaged her temples slowly.

"Have you heard of the Hesiod's Works and Days," the girl spoke up and Diana's brows furrowed in confusion. She could not see Hesiod's place in the girl's story. "Diana," Mythe called out again and Diana nodded yes. Every mortal and Amazonian knew of Hesiod. Because of him, the world knew of the Greek religion. On Themyscira, she spent days and nights learning from Timandra, the Amazonian historian, about the man. The mortal world called him one of the greatest poets of the ancient world, but to his people and gods, he was an oracle.

"Of course. I've read it as a child."

"Humor me then," the girl urged and Diana smiled.

"Hesiod wrote about Five Ages of Man. The first age was the Golden Age under Cronus' rule and the only age. They were humans who lived among the gods but were destroyed. Then came the Silver Age under Zeus' rule. Zeus destroyed the race because they refused to worship the gods and their lives were short lived. The Bronze Age followed and they thrived on war. The flood of Deucalion destroyed them. There was always the Heroic Age, or the ages of warriors like Brave Odysseus, Hercules, Achilles, Ajax, and Hector. They died in the Elysium field. Finally the Iron Age. Hesiod believed he lived in the era and many believe we still do, as it is the worse age of all," Diana answered. The girl nodded proudly at Diana and the Amazonian blushed.

"You did pay attention in your schooling."

"I was the only one," Diana smirked. She wished her mother could hear her speak. Hippolyta always scolded Diana for paying too much to her training than her learning. She said a queen was strong on the battlefield, but she was also educated in the history of her culture and world. Diana never did tell her mother that she knew more about the Greek and Amazonian culture than she'd let on. "What does Hesiod's work have to do with Cronus?" Diana asked unsure of where the lines met.

"Like all the other ages, the Iron Age must end and make way for a new one, one that is untold by the Fates. It must end on its own accord but Cronus means to see it end as quickly as possible. He yearns to recreate an age of man that is of the Heroic and Golden Age."

"He cannot do that," Diana stood up defiantly. There was a knock outside her door and the girl's eyes shot to the door fearfully. Diana held up her hand to calm the girl.

"Diana?" Bruce's voice called from outside the door. Smiling, Diana headed for her bedroom door. Bruce would know what to do. If Cronus meant to see the end of the world, then they needed to fight and Bruce always had a plan for everything. She opened the door and bit back a laugh seeing the puzzled look on his face.

"Are you alright? It sounds like you're talking to someone," he said raising his brows. Diana nodded and stepped aside for him to enter. He hesitantly did so and froze realizing she as not alone. Diana closed the door behind him and went to stand beside Mythe.

"Diana," Bruce growled in the voice that let her know Bruce had left the building and his masked alter ego was standing in her presence.

"Bruce this is Mythe. The daughter of Artemis and Prometheus. She brings news of trouble," Diana told him and she hoped he heard the seriousness in her voice. Bruce's eyes scanned the two women in front of him and Diana took a step in front of the girl. She could practically see the gears turning in his head, even though his face was cool. He thought Mythe was a danger and Diana would readily prove him wrong. She hadn't felt connected to her gods since the battle and Mythe's presence allowed her to feel the comfort she'd lost once again. Hera and the others were alive, and if Cronus meant to see the end of the world, then she had to fight. They'd lost the first battle, but she would not lose the second or the war.

"I thought Artemis died," he spoke slowly and carefully.

"You dare question me mortal," Mythe spat stepping out from Behind Diana and the woman grabbed her hand.

"Bruce listen to me," Diana pleaded. She forced his eyes back to her and let out a breath seeing the guard around his eyes. "She tells no lie. I can feel it-"

"You haven't felt anything in a year Diana," Bruce got her off and she glared heavily at him. She pushed away the stinging hurt she felt because she knew Bruce's suspicion was speaking and not his reasoning. Though she sometimes felt both were one in the same.

"But I know what I feel now. There is danger coming. Cronus means to see this age destroyed so he can create his perfect race. One that will surely bow and worship him," she told him firmly.

"And he will be successful if we do not release the Olympians from their prison. If Hades and the Titans succeed in creating their army and leaving Olympus, not even your heroes can save the world from their immortal hands," Mythe spoke up. Silence fell between the three and Diana looked between the girl and Bruce. She felt as if she was back on the watchtower again. She could not count how many times J'onn often stepped in between Bruce and Kal because of their different views.

"I tell no lies," Mythe pulled Diana out her thoughts. "I am risking my life by being here and if they were to find out, there's no telling what will happen. Diana, I beg you on the lives of the gods, believe me," Mythe addressed her. Diana closed her eyes ignoring the way Bruce's hard look pierced her chest. If Mythe was right, and Diana in her heart believed she was, she could not stand by and watch Cronus and his siblings destroy the world she loved. She could not let her gods remain trapped in their prison. Something had to be done. She _had_ to do something.

"I do and I will help you." The girl breathed out a sigh of relief and Diana turned her gaze to Bruce. "Bruce, you know me," she said quietly to him.

"A word downstairs, now," he said gritted out and stalked out the room. Diana shook her head and turned to look at the girl.

"I must go now. This half of my mission is complete," she told Diana softly.

"This half?" Diana asked curiously and Mythe nodded.

"I am not allowed to tell you the rest, but I will be here for you to call upon whenever I can sneak away. You will not fight this battle alone Princess Diana." Diana nodded and in the blink of an eye she was gone. Biting down on her jaw, Diana frowned knowing she would miss her morning shower. She particularly did not want to deal with Bruce's wrath.

* * *

"I did not let her into the manor Bruce. She _appeared_ in my room," Diana shouted exasperatedly at Bruce. She opened her mouth to say she believed Mythe was appearing in her room for the past two days but closed her mouth. She didn't want to rile Bruce up even further with her suspicions.

"She posed a danger to everyone in the house, including Mar'i, Diana. Did you not think it was wise to call-"

"I was too busy wondering how I could save the world from Cronus' attack and take in information like my gods being alive Bruce. Do you really believe I would willingly put everyone who lives here in danger? Do you think so little of me," she cut him off hurt that he would even suggest such an awful idea. She may be a lot of things, but she was not a bad judge of character. Unlike Bruce, she did not automatically write off every person she came in contact with as dangerous and treat them with unjust suspicion. She believed _everyone_ deserved to have their voices heard. And maybe that was the problem with man's world. People reacted first violently and then they asked questions. Men were too quick to write off someone they believed to be a threat and that state of mind what was led to almost all of the world's troubles. How could man progress toward peace if they did not extend a hand out in friendship first.

"Diana, I…"

"It's fine Bruce. I should have taken her to the watchtower. I won't make the mistake again," she said tiredly rising from her seat.

"Princess, I did not mean to offend you," Bruce said standing with her.

"It did not appear that way to me." Bruce nodded, his lips still in a thin line and Diana folded her arms over her chest. She would not wait for an apology that would not come.

"I understand. And if you trust this…Mythe, then I will trust your judgment," he told her honestly and Diana's smirk almost rivaled Bruce's.

"You're still going to research her aren't you," she asked smiling. He turned away from her and took a seat at his computer. Diana shook her head and followed him. If there was anything she was grateful for in her friendship with the man, was how easily things could pass between them. Sometimes Bruce and Kal would take hours to even admit their wrongs. Well Bruce at least.

"If what she says is correct, then all the latest activities across the globe would suddenly make sense," he said typing away at his keyboard.

"Activities?" Diana asked leaning over his shoulder. He briefly looked back but didn't say anything. She smiled; he was getting use to it and he should.

"There have been breakouts of fighting all over the Middle East, earthquakes in Australia, famine in Africa," he answered pulling up screenshots from the watchtower's satellite.

"And protest all over the United States," she added in and Bruce nodded. She wasn't oblivious to the troubles of the world despite what Bruce thought.

"The league's been trying to calm down the areas with the most trouble, but its proving to be difficult. Superman had a missile launched at him last week," Bruce continued and Diana nodded. She stood up straight and sensing her distress Bruce turned to face her.

"Princess," he said quietly.

"I'm fine Bruce," she told him resting her fist between her chin and her neck. "I need to figure things out before we take this to the league. I need to rescue the gods but as of right now, I'm walking with a blindfold on."

"Then take it off," Bruce suggested.

"I don't know where to start. Getting to Olympus is going to be difficult. I can't even imagine stepping foot on Themyscira and I need details before the league gets involved." Bruce nodded and she leaned against his desk. "What would you do?" she asked.

"Me?" Diana nodded and Bruce fell silent. His eyes went back to the screen and Diana chewed the inside of her gums. "I would let the league handle what's happening in the world for now and I would summon this Mythe figure back and devise a plan to rescue your gods." Diana nodded unsure if she even liked Bruce's words. Even though she didn't want to risk the lives of her friends, she did not like going behind their backs. Wally and Shayera had almost died for her and she hadn't found a way to make it up to them. An apology didn't seem to be enough. But she knew she couldn't fight the Titans on her own and she couldn't rescue her gods on her own.

"You're over thinking it," Diana told her.

"Says you," Diana muttered. Bruce smirked at her and leaned back in his chair.

"I might have a plan," he told her quietly and Diana stood up straight and alert. She liked Bruce's plan, as long as they didn't kill her or him.

* * *

**A/N: Back again! Finally the ball is rolling. Quick things: Mythe is an original character. She does not appear in the Greek religion as far as I know. Every Amazonian mentioned in here are from post Crisis DC and Pre 52 DC. I choose to ignore all 52 bits. The Five Ages of Man appears in Hesiod's work of _Works and Days_. All credit of the story goes to that wonderful man and I'm only using it to drive this plot and twisting it a little bit. I suggest reading it, it's very wonderful to read. Confusing but wonderful. **

**If Diana seems OOC, I apologize, but she isn't the same Diana after Paradise Lost. She has been banished from her home and now it's gone including her mother. She has a lot of _issues_ to work through but she'll get there. **

**There's a special character arriving in the next chapter and some fun (I think) between Bruce and Diana. It'll be a while before the league makes an appearance but keep reading.**

**Anyone who gets to he Hercules reference, bonus points!**

**One last thing: I start my internship tomorrow, I'll be in a school, so I might not update as frequently as I'd like. There will be at least two more updates before the week is over I hope.**

**Read, leave a comment and let me know what you think. Helpful Critiques are welcome!**

**Ash**


	4. Chapter 4

"Morning Ms. Prince," Alfred said when Diana walked into the kitchen. Diana beamed at the man, or rather at the breakfast filled table. Since Dick and his vibrant red headed fiancé moved back to Gotham and stopped by regularly during the morning, Alfred was finding any reason to cook large meals.

"Morning Alfred," Diana kissed the man's cheek. She smiled when he blushed and took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Sleep well Ms. Prince?" Alfred asked and Diana nodded reaching across the table for toast.

"I had a wonderful dream. Did you sleep alright?" she asked looking up at the man.

"After I heard Master Bruce closed his door of course," Alfred answered and Diana chuckled. She wasn't surprised. Gathering her favorite things to eat on her plate, strawberries, crepes, bacon, and sausages, she tried not to think about Bruce and the plan he would not explain to her. He'd simply stiffened up, ignored her (she hadn't taken offense to it) and gave his full attention to his computer. She'd left to shower and get ready to begin her day.

"Have any plans for today Ms. Prince?" Alfred asked her. He sat a cup of coffee in front of her and she thanked the man.

"There's the grand opening of Lucila's Home For The Youth at four and the auction gala tonight," she answered. And speaking of the Youth House, she was surprised Ansley, her personal assistant, hadn't phoned her as yet seeing as she had a habit of contact her at the most obscene time of the day. Alana, her secretary at the Themysciran Embassy insisted she would need one since she would not pack up her things to move to Gotham.

It had taken quite a while to get use to the girl's flamboyant nature, and once she'd calm down, Diana was able to appreciate her even more. The girl made for a nice friend in all of the chaos and succeeded more than she knew in getting Diana out her funk. She took a bite of her crepe and smiled at the melted chocolate in the middle.

"I read about it in the paper this morning. From what I've read everyone is excited. You're doing wonderful things in Gotham Ms. Prince," Alfred spoke calling back her attention.

"I just want to help anyway I can Alfred," she replied bringing her coffee to her lips. She inhaled the rich hazelnut aroma closing her eyes. She loved Ferdinand's coffee at the Embassy but Alfred's were slowly becoming her favorite. She took a long sip unable to keep the smile away from her face.

"And you are. Wouldn't you agree Master Bruce?" Diana looked up to see Bruce. He was in a suit fixing the sleeves of his white shirt.

"What Alfred?" Bruce asked stopping just by the fridge, his eyes focused on fixing his shook her head at him and continued eating her breakfast.

"I was saying Ms. Prince is doing wonderful things for Gotham in the past months," Alfred told him somewhat irritable at the lack of attention. Diana smiled into her coffee taking another sip. She could never understand how Bruce's presence could easily turn Alfred into the sweet man he was with her to one ready to give his ward a hot scolding. Then again, she'd seen him do with Dick on more than a few occasion and guessed it was Wayne thing.

When Bruce finally looked up, his brows rose at the spectacle in front of him. "What's all this Alfred?" he asked confusedly.

"Master Dick and Ms. Kory is arriving shortly as they do every morning Master Bruce," Alfred answered pointedly. He handed Bruce his usual morning cup of tea, no cream or sugar. Bruce nodded and Diana knew for a fact he would not stick around to greet either of them. Bruce nodded accepting the answer and grabbed the lone sandwich on the table.

"Princess, I'll see you this evening at the Youth House," he said and Diana nodded before he could walk out without waiting for a response. Alfred muttered something Diana couldn't figure out below his breath after Bruce's departure and Diana returned to eating her breakfast. Looking at the clock it was nearing ten. She needed to get to the office as soon as she could.

"I'll take this upstairs with me Alfred. Please let me know when Dick and Kory comes. I really want to see Mar'i," Diana said to him. Alfred nodded and Diana thanked the man for breakfast before leaving.

* * *

It was a little after twelve when Diana finally walked into her office. It was a small one-floor office space with three rooms and a bathroom. The first was her office, not a very large space. She had her brown desk, a large bookshelves stacked with books from ancient texts to young adult novels and everything in between. There was a cabinet with a small coffee machine on top and some small figurines she'd taken from Themysciran Embassy. In the corner behind her desk, she had a small table with a printer and fax machine. The second room was a small meeting room she had for clients, and the third was quaint kitchen area.

If she wasn't at the office, she spent her time in the Themysciran Embassy in New York as a way to still maintain appearances and making sure the partners and business she worked with still knew she cared about improving man's world.

"Diana," Ansley said jumping from her seat as soon as Diana stepped off the elevator. The brown skill girl looked excited to see her, even more so than usual. She was dressed in her usual button down shirt and black slacks, her hair worn up in a ponytail.

"Hello Ansley," Diana smiled. She stopped by the woman's desk to pick up her mail.

"There's someone in your office for you," Ansley told her and Diana's brows furrowed. She didn't have any meetings for the day. She'd specifically requested a free day to prepare for the Youth House opening and the auction gala.

"Ansley, I said-"

"He showed up and I couldn't say no," Ansley cut her off quickly. Diana nodded and headed for her closed office door. Ansley sat back down in her seat and Diana pushed open her door. Sitting with their back towards was a Clark. She could recognize his frame and hair any time of the day. Closing her door, she cleared her throat and Clark turned around to face her.

"Diana," he smiled rising from his seat. Diana walked over to her best friend and hugged him.

"What are you doing here Clark?" she asked pulling away. She peeled off her jacket and hung it on the coatrack. She unwrapped her scarf from her neck and inwardly groaned at the cold. She could never get use to it no matter how hard she tried.

"Pulling some strings to get an interview," he answered sheepishly.

"Interview?" she asked walking behind her desk and taking a seat.

"Yeah. The Daily Planet has caught wind about your charity work in Gotham and Lois wants to know if she can get an interview with Wonder Woman about her-"

"I haven't been Wonder Woman in a year Clark," Diana said softly looking down at her hands and she couldn't help but feel guilty. She knew the world was shocked when she'd announce that she was taking some time away from the league to focus more on her humanitarian work. And up until this morning, she had no problem with not being Wonder Woman. She'd done so much good without her costume, and now, she wasn't so sure if she really had. Seeing Mythe made remember why she became Wonder Woman, why she not only sought for peace through her humanitarian work but also through being a part of the Justice League.

"You'll always be Wonder Woman, Diana," Clark reminded her. She looked up at him and smiled gratefully.

"What can I help you with Clark?" she asked leaning back in her chair.

"I need some quotes for my article about your charity work, the new Youth House you're opening-"

"Helping," Diana corrected him.

Clark laughed. He reached into his bag and pulled out a tape recorder. Diana watched him be comfortable in the role. She also had Clark to thank for her identity as Diana Prince, though she could have done without the glasses. It took a few minutes for Clark to have everything set up and Diana's eyes flickered over to the painting of Themyscira directly behind her friend. Even though she knew she had important events to attend for the day, she couldn't stop feeling as if she wasn't doing enough. She needed to get to Olympus and rescue her gods, or attempt a rescue. There was no telling if she was going to be successful or not. And she didn't like waiting on Bruce. He already had enough on his plate with Gotham and Tony Zucco's escape.

"I'll have Jimmy take some pictures of you this evening at the Youth House. I also heard Bruce Wayne would be in attendance," Clark said and drawing her out her thoughts and Diana nodded.

"Wayne Enterprises acquired the land and provided the construction team," she explained.

"It's my understanding you also worked closely with Mr. Wayne in the creation of the Youth House and on many other projects together since your arrival in Gotham," Clark said and Diana couldn't help the giggle at Clark's formality. He looked up at her confused but soon realized what she was laughing at. "It's formality," he murmured.

"I understand," she laughed and Clark nodded. "Wayne Enterprises was one of the few companies who accepted my proposal when I approached them two months ago," she answered. She was working with a total of five companies to open the Youth House and Diana wasn't surprised at all when Bruce agreed instantly telling her price wasn't an issue. Once Wayne Enterprises accepted, three more organizations jumped in on the project. She was quite surprise at how quickly people worked around the clock to get the Youth House running, the publicity the project was receiving, the local business who donated toys, books, clothes, furniture, and all the things she never expected to happen.

It made her hope again.

"I'm not surprised. What made you decide to start up this project and with Mr. Wayne as your leading partner," Clark asked looking down at the sheet of paper in front of him. Diana's brows and lips turned down sadly. In truth, she felt alone and she was an orphan like a lot of the children she'd seen. Except, she was an adult. But knowing she had no mother to return to, no Amazons to speak with, left a whole in her chest. She was grateful for the home at the manor, but it still wasn't _home_. Visiting different orphanages around the city, she'd seen how unhappy most of the children were and not only because they were orphans, but where they lived didn't feel like a place they could call home. It felt like prison and she didn't want that for children. She wanted children who didn't have a family to be in a place that made them happy, that would give them a sense of purpose.

"Diana," Clark said to her and she sat up straight in her chair.

"I didn't want the children I saw in the orphanages to be alone or in a place that made them feel alone," she answered truthfully and she sighed in relief seeing the understanding in Clark's eyes.

* * *

"That's all," Clark said an hour later. Diana's eyes snapped up to look at him. She was barely aware of any of questions Clark had asked or even her own answers. She opened her mouth to apologize for the lack of attention she'd given him, but closed it.

"Diana, are you okay?" Clark asked concernedly putting away his material.

"Yeah," she answered. She knew he didn't didn't believe her. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed. "I was visited this morning by someone and was told the Olympians were alive," she confessed to him.

"Diana that's amazing," he responded Diana shook her head no.

"They're imprisoned under Olympus and I have to rescue them Kal," Diana fully explained. She got up from her seat and stood by the window. She looked down at the busy street and sighed. People were rushing about in the cold, most of them with shopping bags in their hands. She'd almost forgotten it was nearing that time of the year again when everyone would be preparing for Thanksgiving and then Christmas. If she didn't rescue her gods and help stop the Titans, there was no telling if the world would even make it to the end of the year. She looked away from the street and attempted to bury her anxiety.

She wished she could pray to Athena for guidance. She'd never felt so lost over what she needed to do in her life, or where she was even going in her life. She wasn't Bruce, she didn't always have a plan or even back up plans. And she was Kal who had faith that everything would turn out correctly. She'd foolishly believed that in her first months out in the world, but that hope and optimism quickly deteriorated and left her struggling to find a purpose in her life. She'd been in man's world for almost three years now and she'd yet to truly figure where she belonged and who she was. One moment, she was fine just being Diana Prince, and the next, she felt as if there was nothing left for her to do. Maybe her mother was right, she shouldn't have left Themyscira.

"How do you know this Diana?" Clark asked her and long gone was the reporter. She scratched the itch on her eyebrow wondering if she'd made the right decision in telling him.

"A long story. I don't even know how I'm going to do it," she answered tiredly.

"You have to take this to the league Diana," Clark advised her and Diana furiously shook her head no. She'd meant what she told Bruce, the league could not get involve until she thought they were needed.

"I can't-"

"If you need help-"

"I have Bruce," she cut him off and Clark glared at her. She looked away from him and let out a long breath. She knew Clark didn't approve of whatever was going on between her and Bruce. Even though she lived with the man, the habits of his persona hadn't stopped and that included being caught in the newspapers with a different woman at every event he attended and taking trips to exotic places with women. (She'd come to realize all the women on his trips were covers for the missions that took him outside of the United States). Clark had outright warned her when he realized she was developing feels for Bruce that his friend wouldn't return those same feelings. And Diana wouldn't deny it, she sometimes did worry that Bruce's habit would end up hurting her, even though she knew the truth behind them, and wondered if even cared for her.

He still kept her at a distance, reminding her that his life as Batman kept him from even considering being with someone. He mentioned in one heat of the moment how he once thought he could live a normal life as Bruce Wayne and still be Batman, only to realize how foolishly he'd bee. Diana respect his honesty but there were times when she thought his views could change and wondered if he still believed such a thing anymore.

"He's one man Diana. He is already-"

"Kal," Diana cut him off reaching out to grasp something in her frustration. "Right now, I don't need the league on this. Please. I'm telling you because you're my best friend. Please," she pleaded. She silently waited for him to say something and sat down in her chair.

"Fine. I'll give you time. I won't tell them, but if it's bigger than a rescue mission, Diana we _deserve_ to know, especially if the world is in danger." Diana nodded and attempted to murmur a small thank you. She didn't like lying to Clark, or anyone else for that matter, but until the gods were off Olympus, she would not jeopardize their lives.

"I have to go," Clark said when he realized she wasn't going to say anything else. Diana nodded and watched him leave her office.

* * *

"You're late," Bruce said gruffly when Diana stepped out of the taxi. She hadn't intended to be, but after her impromptu interview with Kal, she'd felt dejected from her work. She loved Kal, but he had a way of making her second guess herself and doubting any decisions she made. Of course he never did it on purpose, but Kal held her to a high standard. He expected her to always be Wonder Woman, be the protector of man's world and she'd forgotten that. The past three hours were her pondering her decision on the leaving the league out of her affair. She was so lost in her thoughts, she barely heard Ansley banging on her door to tell her she was late and there was a cab ordered by Mr. Bruce Wayne for her. She bit down on her lip hoping her assistant would be able to make it. Ansley stayed behind to lock up everything and it was nearing that time of the day when Gotham traffic would be heavy.

She murmured a small apology to Bruce not looking up at him. She wasn't surprised to find the festivities underway. In the crowd, she could make out the mayor David Hull, the different news channel covering the opening, her partners, owners of local business and even a few socialites. A cold November wind blew and Diana tugged on her scarf.

Assessing the area, she turned her attention to the large house in front of her. Her hands shot to her mouth in surprise and shock and one by one, everyone and her anxiety disappeared and all she could see was cream painted three-story home and its sierra-gray shingled roof. The place was beautiful. She wanted nothing more than to take to the sky to get a bird's eye view of the place. Everywhere her eyes looked, she nodded in approval, especially at the white round top windows on the first floor. She was insistent there be a total of eight windows on the first floor for the front of the house so the house would feel large and airy to everyone, especially the children. A large red bow was plastered on the large double doors of the home. Dina smiled.

"Bruce, this is wonderful," she said quietly.

"Ms. Prince! Mr. Wayne, can we get a picture," a photographer ran up to them. As if they smelled blood, a swarm of reporters and their flashes were upon them and Diana plastered a grin across her face for the cameras. Bruce's hand found their way around her waist and she tried not to look up at him.

"How excited are you for the grand opening?" someone shouted out at them.

"Very. I'm more excited to see the reactions of the children. They should be here soon," Diana answered. Bruce laughed in her ears and she looked up at him to see him looking quite amused.

"What?" she asked.

"I've been standing in this spot for an hour now and not one person knew I was here. You came and this happen," he gestured out at the crowd. Diana laughed knowing it was mostly for show.

"You aren't exactly in a suit and tie Bruce," she gestured towards his ensemble. She'd noticed his choice of jeans and sneakers as soon as the cab pulled up. Bruce's hand went from her waist to her back and he guided her through the swarm of reporters. Diana opened her mouth to tell him she knew how to deal with reporter mobs, but decided against it.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, two school buses filled with children ranging from four to thirteen arrived. Diana stood beside Bruce and Mayor Hull watching with a thumping heart as the kids poured out from the yellow buses. As if possible, her smile and eyes got wider in happiness seeing the excitement on the children's face. Around a loud applause rang out and she wasn't even aware Bruce had started it.

_This_ was what she'd come to man's world for. She wanted to see people become happy and work to make others happy like the kids in front of her. She knew some wouldn't find a home for years and many would still struggle with their own personal demons, but seeing their faces lit up was enough to please her. It made her remember that she hadn't stopped being Wonder Woman. She was still a hero with and without her costume. Maybe Kal was right a year ago; you didn't stop being a hero when the costume came off. You stopped, when you stopped believing what you were doing mattered. She looked over to Bruce and wondered if he felt the same way. To the public and media he was a spoilt rich kid, but yet here was, and at so many other places, working to make Gotham a better place. Maybe he'd realized a Batman wasn't the only who could help Gotham be a better place.

Bruce looked down at her, a puzzle look on his face and she looked away with a smile on her face. Was this what she needed to learn all along? She laughed quietly to herself.

* * *

**A/N: ****Back with another update. This one took longer because I forgot how much work it takes being in a classroom. Luckily, the weather forced a school cancelation so I've been working on this all day.**

**Clark is _not_ the surprise character I had coming in. It was someone completely different and I realized continuity wasn't working out quite alright. In the comics, there's no set location of the Embassy, so I decided to have be in NY as I remember reading somewhere about it's location being there.**

** If Diana seems selfish in that scene with Clark and rejecting his offer for help, it should be that way, and it'll be explained even more in further chapters as she comes to accept the battle that happened over a year ago. I really wanted to get Diana being as human as I could. In JL(U) we see some bits and pieces of that and I wanted to flush that out a little bit, which is why I think I love writing her so much. There's different ways she can go in reacting to man's world and I like this version better. She's still a kid who really doesn't know what she likes or what, so if she frustrates you, good.**

**I'm currently working on the next one and should have it ready for Saturday morning the latest.**

**Ash.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Bruce?" Diana asked surprised walking into the living room. She was certain Bruce would have already left with his escort to the auction by the time she was finished dressing. She'd actually gotten use to his early departures with a car left behind. But walking into the living room, she found the black hair man sitting on the couch channel surfing.

She laughed to herself because she didn't know what seemed more ridiculous, Bruce still in the manor or Bruce channel surfing. She didn't think he knew where the remote was in the house. She'd never seen him even attempt to watch the television, much less spend more than five minutes in the living room. But that was where she found him, dressed in his tux and apparently patiently waiting for her.

If she'd known he'd planned for them to attend the gala together, she wouldn't have taken so long getting ready. But a majority of the time, she dreaded attending galas and having to mingle with the Gotham elites who cared about more showing off their wealth and keeping up appearances rather than the event themselves. Of course not everyone attended events to simply keep face; she'd had a few good conversations throughout the nights, but by the time the second hour was over, Diana either retreated to her personal hotel suite for the night or left for the manor.

She really hoped tonight wouldn't be one of those nights. She'd let Kory play dress up on her hair and outfit, and Diana would hate for the woman's hard work to go to waste. Kory dressed her in a long black sleeveless gown, the back of the dress a sheer silver boucle fabric along with its shoulder and a pair of silver heels. She styled her hair in a bun with a few messy tendril curls at the back of her neck and ear. Even though Diana wanted nothing more to opt out of jewelry, Kory convinced her into wearing a pair of large diamond studs and a cuffed diamond bracelet on her wrist. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she realized she didn't look as over the top as she thought she did.

"See you soon Zatanna," Bruce said aloud and Diana realized he was on the phone. The small smile from her face faded when she realized he was only in the manor because his date was running late. He did have a habit of having his dates meet him at the manor rather than having a driver take him to them. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat and Bruce turned to look at her. Surprise washed over his face briefly before he collected himself, but Diana didn't miss the way his eyes traveled from her head to toes. She smiled inwardly to herself because she'd never seen Bruce look so speechless before and he certainly never looked at her in such an intense way that wasn't him being Batman or his usual stoic self. She felt thrilled.

"Doesn't she look beautiful Bruce?" Kory asked appearing beside her and Diana jumped slightly from the surprise. Bruce cracked a half smile at her fright and Diana would have glared at him if she weren't so busy trying to hide her blush.

"Splendid," he answered curtly.

"A man of many words. Diana you forgot your purse," Kory informed her. She handed the woman her black clutch and looked at her in confusion at how heavy it felt. She opened the purse and found a small makeup kit in it.

"Kory I don't wear-"

"You never know when it'll come in handy," Kory winked before walking out the room. Diana sighed and closed the small purse. She looked up at Bruce who was still looking at her, though his expression had returned to its neutral position, with his hands in his pockets. She glanced over to clock on the wall and she had a full half hour to sit and wait for her driver.

"Is Zatanna your date?" Diana asked softly.

"She's a magician I've worked on some cases with in the past and I think she can help with reducing the Olympians," he answered making his way for her. Diana looked at him confused and it took a while for his words to sunk in. He was helping her. His plan. She loudly released a breath and smiled.

"But I thought you didn't trust magic-"

"Limo is here," Dick called out and Bruce frowned at his loudness.

"I don't," he answered leading her towards the foyer, "but if we're doing this outside of the league and we want your gods back Zatanna can help us."

Diana nodded and couldn't help but smile at his use of "we." She'd never once doubted Bruce's investment in the work he did and helping though who needed help despite how reserved he was from the league, but hearing his affirmation helped alleviated her stress in ways she could not explain. When they entered the foyer, Diana wasn't surprised to find Alfred waiting at the door for them along with Dick.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"Don't thank me yet. We still have to get through tonight." Diana chuckled knowing exactly what he meant and felt gratification in knowing he disliked the social events as much as she did, if not more.

"Do you think she'll be able to assist us?" she asked.

"Of course," Bruce answered smugly and Diana nudged him in the ribs at his arrogance.

"Here are your coats Master Wayne, Ms. Prince. Please do button up, it's quite chilly outside this evening."

"Of course Alfred," Diana smiled taking her coat. Bruce nodded to the two men as they put on their coat. Dick opened the door for them and Bruce led her out into the cold night. Diana inhaled the cold hair with a content smile determined to have her night go smoothly.

* * *

"It's looking to be a very promising end of the year indeed," Diana spoke.

A waiter passed by and she stopped him to sit her empty champagne glass down on his tray. She thanked the man softly before returning to her conversation with Lady Housewell. The woman kept seeking her out to take up work at her auction house and even though she was a wonderful woman to speak with and Diana valued their acquaintanceship, she could not bring herself to take up the small part time job. She wanted to focus as much as she could on her charity work, but hearing the woman speak so passionately about the pieces they were finding and how much she needed an historian with a keen eye, Diana couldn't help but think that maybe working for the auction house wouldn't be such a bad idea. She did love history like no other and the arts held a special place in her heart. She also knew Jodie did a lot of community work, and maybe ought to give the woman a chance.

"The entire city of Gotham knows that very well Diana," the woman smiled touching her arm. "You would be a wonderful asset to the crew, please give it some thought," the woman told her. Diana nodded with a small word that she would think the opportunity over and Jodie thanked her and walked away. Unable to help herself, Diana looked around the large room for any sign of Bruce. They were separated as soon as they'd walked into the hotel and that had taken some time seeing how the crowd and paparazzi were buzzing in excitement at their arrival together. She could only imagine the headlines in the morning.

Frowning, she tapped the auction card list impatiently on her thigh when she didn't spot him. It was nearing the second hour, she'd conversed with more people than she'd cared too (her thoughts were focused mostly on their meeting with Zatanna) and she was itching to leave. She'd walked around the gallery room a few times to admire the art collection, even though she'd seen it more than enough times, and Diana couldn't be more proud to see the diversity of works on the wall. There was a mixture of famous artists from around the globe, but also rising artists in Gotham and even a few students at Gotham High School. If all went well as she expected it would, she knew the art program in Gotham would soon be flourishing.

"Princess, you look lost," Bruce appeared beside her. His arms wrapped around her waist and Diana smiled up at him.

"When's the auction beginning?" she asked softly patting his chest with the auction list.

"Right after the show," he answered. Diana turned to face him, brows raised.

"Show?" she asked and sure enough the MC for the night called the room's attention to the stage. Instead of answering her, Bruce led her to his personal table, the table she had not sat at earlier in the night, and Diana didn't miss the looks most women sent her way. She'd already heard whispers from different women around the room about her arrival with the infamous Bruce Wayne and Bruce hadn't helped the situation. He'd enveloped himself in his playboy persona fully and if Diana didn't know better, she would have been offended by his flirtatious act. He pulled out her chair for her and Diana smiled with a small thanks. Bruce winked at her for the benefit of their tablemates and Diana turned her attention towards the stage.

"Tonight, I want to thank all of our guests for attending this gala to support the arts in Gotham and the men and women who worked hard to see this event happen." Around her, the crowd applauded around her and Diana quietly smiled to herself. "Before we begin the auction, I would like to entertain you with a splendid show of magic. I present to you, the Mistress of Magic, Zatanna Zatara." The man on the stage gestured for their performer to appear and beside her, Bruce sat up alert in his chair.

Diana didn't look at him, but she leaned forward slightly in her chair. On the stage, a slender woman entered wearing a black leotard with fishnets, a white button down shirt with a large white bow on the color of the shirt and a blue blazer. Her black curls were pulled back from her face with a black top hat on her head. Big blue eyes smiled out at the crowd as she bowed before them. She dipped her hat towards the crowd, reached into it and pulled out a black wand.

"Are you sure she's truly a being of magic?" Diana whispered skeptically to Bruce and he nodded.

"Thank you everyone," the woman beamed out at the crowd and Diana couldn't take her eyes off her as her heart rate slowly picked up in excitement. The lights dimmed in the room, the crowd fell silent and the stage's spotlight rested solely on the entertainer. Diana listened closely with open ears as the magician shouted words into the air, waving of her wand above her head. The former hero didn't take long to recognize the words were being said backwards. Behind them, a loud roar erupted and the fabric shifted against chairs to look at the spectacle behind them. Diana's eyes widened to see an oasis in the back of the room with a white tiger lounging lazily in a tree. The crowd automatically erupted in applause Diana nodded impressed by the trick.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Diana asked as Bruce led her out the auction room. Zatanna's show was thrilling and she'd almost forgotten where she was as the room through some form of illusion often found itself in what appeared to be a different place. Men and women willingly volunteered to be the assistant to the Mistress of Magic and Diana in every moment, was left feeling thrilled. She'd seen powerful magic be performed by Faust and even by the gods, but Zatanna's magic was...different and Diana wanted to know how and why. The show wasn't near its end when Bruce motioned for her to leave with him and even Diana couldn't help but be a bit upset that she was missing the woman's finale.

"To meet her," he answered fixing his bowtie. Allowing her mild annoyance to dissipate, serious took over, and Diana nodded allowing Bruce to lead her through the door marked backstage. A majority of the show workers ignored the two, but Diana didn't miss the way some of the men and women eyed them suspiciously. After a few turns around corners, the two came to the dressing room marked Zatanna and without hesitation Bruce opened the door and walked in. Diana rolled her eyes at his arrogance but followed him.

The room was quite smaller than she'd expected with a vanity, rack for change of clothing, a bathroom door, brown couch in the middle of the room and a glass coffee table on a hideous green rug. Diana closed the door behind her lingering in a corner of the room.

"So...how exactly do you know this Zatanna?" Diana asked curiously.

"We were childhood friends. When her father went missing, I helped her find him," he answered briefly and Diana knowing that was all she was going to get from him. She didn't know much about Bruce's past outside of his adopted son and his parents' death, and she didn't think it was her place to ask since he never shared unless it was truly dire. Even then, she was sure he'd spent hours battling with his thoughts before coming to a final decision.

"…no disturbance for the next hour or so," Diana heard a female voice outside the door. She quickly moved over to Bruce and the door shortly opened revealing the magician. "Why am I not surprised to find you here before me Bruce," she smiled closing the door behind her.

"Habit," the shrugged with a smile. Diana was a bit taken back because she'd never actually seen Bruce smile a smile that wasn't walking the line of a smug or superiority. Zatanna grinned at him and walked over to hug him. "It's good to see you Zee," Bruce hugged her back. Diana looked away from the door and tried to ignore the muffled words between the two and the small jealousy she felt.

"You must be Wonder Woman," Zatanna turn towards her. Diana's brows rose looking past the woman to look at Bruce. She wasn't aware he'd already divulged _that_ particular information. She didn't know whether to be annoyed with the man or not. Suppressing her irritation and she hoped it didn't show on her face, she smiled with a nod.

"I really enjoyed your show," Diana outstretched her hand. Zatanna took it with a firm grip and Diana didn't know whether the woman was sizing her up or not. Letting go of the woman's hand, Diana dropped her hands to the side and looked over to Bruce. He looked quite amused with himself. She inwardly scowled; she would make him pay for it later.

"Thank you. Now Bruce here says you are in need of help and since you haven't gone to league, I'm taking you don't want this getting out," Zatanna told her taking a seat on the couch. The woman sat her hat down on the table, outstretched her legs in front of her and splayed her arms across the back of the couch. She looked up at the with a smile on her face. Diana was beginning to like her more and more.

"He's right. I'm sure you're aware of the Olympic War," Diana confirmed.

"Yes, the entire magical world knows how the Titans and Hades slaughtered the Olympians and Amazons. I'm truly sorry," Zatanna replied softly. Diana nodded accepting the woman's compassion. She took a seat on the coffee table ready to plead her case, although she was more than sure Bruce had already informed the woman on what they both knew.

"Thank you. As it turns out, the Olympians, with the exception of Zeus and Poseidon, are alive. They are trapped in a prison under Mount Olympus and need to be rescued," Diana explained. Zatanna nodded and waited silently for Diana to continue. "The portal between Themyscira and Olympus is closed and if I'm going to successfully rescue my gods, I need help from someone who has magic," she finished.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Zatanna questioned,

"It is," Diana agreed looking the woman in the eye, "but it is a risk I am willing and have to take. If the Olympians aren't rescued, the Titans and Hades will see to the destruction of this world and I cannot allow that to happen. I cannot fail man's world again." She looked down at the ground in front of her trying to lift the weight of guilt she felt on her chest.

"Sounds serious," Zatanna murmured and Bruce took a step forward towards the two women.

"You wouldn't need to travel with us to Olympus Zatanna, we only need you to open a portal," he explained and Diana's eyes shot up at him. He didn't mention anything about going to Olympus with her. As quickly as the thought came, she chastised herself because she knew Bruce would never let her carry out the mission alone.

"That's magic I've never tampered with, but if you say the world is in danger, then I can't sit back and do nothing," the woman looked towards the two.

"You'll help us?" Diana asked hopefully and Zatanna nodded.

"With one stipulation only. Bruce has to follow through on that favor he owes me," she smirked and Diana's brows piqued in interest. Bruce's face remained neutral but Diana could see the scowl in his eyes.

"What favor?" she asked curiously.

"He knows," Zatanna answered dismissing the question playfully, "so what's the plan for this rescue anyway and when do we leave?" she asked sitting up in her chair.

"We're working on it. I've only found out about this news this morning," Diana answered honestly.

"Then I guess I'm sticking around in Gotham for a while then," Zatanna smirked looking back at Bruce. He shrugged and there was a knock on the door. Zatanna looked at the watch on her hand and swore. "The hour is over already? I have a next show to attend. Bruce you know my number. Wonder Woman, it was a pleasure to meet you," Zatanna spoke standing up. Diana rose with the woman and surprised the woman by pulling her into a quick hug.

"What's this for?" Zatanna asked pushing her away gently.

"Just a thank you. You do not know but yet-"

"You're Wonder Woman. The entire world knows about your loss. You have a chance to restore your people, what kind of person would I be if I didn't assist you on your mission." Diana smiled gratefully at the woman and Zatanna dipped in a bow towards her. She turned to look at Bruce with a slight nod and made for the door. Diana's smiled widened seeing the woman's clothes changed from her performance outfit to simple jeans and t-shirt and sat down on the couch.

"Thank you," she said to Bruce once the woman was out the room.

"Only doing my part. We should head back, we've been gone long enough and there's no need to add fuel to already burning flame." Diana's face lit up with surprised at Bruce's words but she didn't dwell too much on his words. She took his outstretched hand and Bruce held her close to him.

"We will get them back," he told her determinedly.

"I know," she replied firmly and the two headed out the small dressing room. Behind them, the door clicked and for the first time in a long time, Diana felt hopeful that there was a chance things were going to get better.

* * *

**A/N: Hi Everyone! I know I said I was going to update by Saturday morning, but I left my charger at work on Friday and my laptop was dead so there was no way to update.**

**To the guest who asked about Mar'i: on Earth-22 during Kingdom Come (which is fantastic for those who haven't read it) Nightwing and Starfire had a daughter (Nightstar) who they named Mar'i Grayson, which is also Mary for the Dick's deceased mother. She fought on the side of Batman while her father fought on Superman's side during the war between the two. That's who I'm referencing when I say Mar'i Grayson.**

**Fun headcanon: I've always had this idea that if Diana wasn't doing Embassy and hero work and was a regular human like us folk, she would be doing work with auction houses finding ancient art and things and would be really amazing at it since she loves art and history so much so I decided to put that in here.**

**I really don't have much to say about this chapter, except that I'm really sorry it took me so long to get this out to you.**

**-Ash**


	6. Chapter 6

"Do I even want to know how you managed to pull up satellite images of an island unknown to man for centuries?" Diana asked amused leaning over Bruce's shoulder. She was more intrigued and curious than annoyed he'd breached Themyscira's security shield.

"Since the seemingly destruction of the Olympians," Bruce begun, "whatever was protecting the island from the eyes of man has disappeared." There was no smugness in his voice and Diana attempted to bury the growing anxiety plaguing her since she'd woken up. She'd hope a cup of coffee would have helped ease her nerves, but she'd yet to have it. Richard was attempting to make breakfast for Kory and Diana didn't have the heart to interrupt their moment together in the kitchen, especially seeing how much convincing it took to get Alfred to trust the man to make breakfast.

She tapped her foot on the ground, much to Bruce's annoyance, biting on her lip. Everything was becoming _real._ She would have to devise a plan to infiltrate Olympus without Cronus knowing and rescue nine Olympians. The feat was daunting, even though she knew she'd face worse and would face worse before it was all over.

"There," Bruce said pointing to the screen and the island of the Amazons took over the wide screen. Diana involuntarily sucked in her breath gripping the back of Bruce's chair too tightly and he shifted slightly. With a small apology, she stepped away from the chair but her nerves and anticipation made her lean forward again. A whimper lodged itself in her throat as she looked away from the screen. She always believed that thinking Themyscira had no chance of recovery was of her own exaggeration to avoid returning to the island, but seeing the island before her sent reality crashing down on her completely. There truly was _no_ chance for Themyscira to be rebuilt.

The island looked like a barren wasteland and Diana couldn't recognize the home she'd grown up in. Thick trees no longer shielded an aerial view of the island being all burnt to the ground—a last punishment by the Titans she was sure. Abandoned shields and armor decorated a now ashen beach; even the once aquamarine waters appeared stained with blood. Whatever Bruce was using to view the island got closer and closer and Diana couldn't keep back the small cry seeing the remains of her fallen sisters, their swords and shields still in their death grip. She stepped back from her spot and Bruce turned to look at her with sympathetic eyes but she paid attention to him.

Everywhere she looked, destruction, worse and worse, appeared and she desperately searched for any signs of hope that things could be fixed. Her faith weakened every time the camera swept by destroyed buildings she knew like the back of her hands and parts of the island razed to the ground. She bit back a cry seeing the marble head of Hera attached from from its body lying in front of what was the palace.

Diana blinked back her tears and silently shook her head. She did not want to see more; the camera was inching its way towards the major battle site on the island, the place she'd turned and run from. The last bit of hope faded from her eyes and her empty stomach lurched threatening to purge itself when she saw bodies of Amazons piled up like mountains. She couldn't stop the memories of her wading through their blood, seeing the faces of women she'd called sisters and comrades staring up at her, the Amazonian battle cry silent on their frozen faces.

_"Amazons, we fight. We will not let these monsters throw us from our home," Diana shouted thrusting her sword in the air. Roars of women erupted around her and her fragile heart attempted to soar at the comradeship but failed when she saw the king of gods head fall from his body. Cronus reached down and yanked the head of his dead son in the air, a nasty smirk on his bloodstained face._

Diana shook the memory from her thoughts and the feeling of failure. She was so devoted in listening to Athena's last minute order for her to leave that her faith to her gods blinded her to her role as a sister. She'd run when instructed to. She did what an Amazon wasn't supposed to do: she abandoned her family.

_"Diana there's nothing we can do," Clark somberly rested his hand on her shoulder. Diana paid no attention to his words as she knelt down in front of her altar to pray. She'd made a mistake. She shouldn't have listened to Athena's commands. She should have remained on Themyscira and fought with her sisters, damn the will of the gods. _

_"Diana," Clark said again, his voice dropping below a whisper._

_"I failed," she breathed out quietly wiping the tears from her eyes. "I should have stayed. But I ran like a coward." She pushed herself to her feet and turned to face Clark. His face was clean of any signs of battle, the scars gone from his face, but she still wore her Amazonian armor. Her skin was still caked in blood, her nail beds blacked with a mixture of dirt and blood from allies and enemies._

_"There was nothing you could do; Poseidon and Zeus were-"_

_"I should have stayed and fight Kal," she raised her voice angrily. She had a responsibility to her sisters, to her mother. When Hippolyta died, she became queen of the Amazons. She was their leader and she ran. She abandoned them when they needed her and she would never forgive herself for her treachery and Athena's will. _

_"I left my sisters behind and now they're gone," she shook with tears upset that he could not understand what she knew. What Batman and Shayera knew. In her world, prisoners weren't kept alive, they were killed, especially knowing the ancient history of bloodshed between the Amazons and Hades. The god not only sought to destroy the Olympian power, but he'd finally achieved his revenge on the Amazons. She knew Hades would not let her sisters live. He would tease them with bits of mercy, but he would ultimately give into his thirst for power and see them dead. _

_"I'm the last of the Amazons," she hung her head and a tear slipped out her eye.__ Her lips quivered and Clark took a cautious step towards her before wrapping his arms around her and Diana remained still in the embrace._

"Princess." Diana's eyes snapped open to find Bruce standing in front of her. In his eyes, she could see a reflection of the pain on her face.

"I didn't think it would be this hard," she told him.

"You don't have to do this," he reminded her but she shook her head no. She was grateful for his protection, but this was her mission and she had to complete it. In order to do that, she had face her demons as John would say. She just hadn't expected her memories to attack her so…brutally. Maybe she had suppressed the past for too long.

"You won't know what you're looking for if I don't help you," she reminded him and Bruce looked at her judgingly. She could practically hear him smugly declaring, "I'm Batman" in his head. She didn't doubt that he would be able to find the highest point of magic on the island, but if they were going to plan the dreaded trip, he would need her. He could not navigate the island's traps by himself and there were extremely sacred parts of the island no one could step forth on. Not even she.

"Diana. If this is too difficult for you-"

"Bruce, I'm not a fragile doll-"

"I know that," he agreed, "but you need to prepare yourself to see things you don't want to, and you will need to be prepared for _physically_ being on the island," he reminded her and Diana nodded.

"I'll be fine," she told him firmly and Bruce's gaze lingered on her crossed between doubt and agreement for a while before he turned and walked back to his computer. Diana allowed her chest to drop.

"Hera, give me strength," she murmured below her breath and followed Bruce. It was going to be a very long day.

* * *

"The Olympian Temple has the strongest magical connection to the gods," Diana smiled pointing the large space the temple stood. Hera and Athena's statue were rubble on the ground, the roof of the granite structure barely there, and there were more than a dozen cracks in the all around the columns. Diana knew for a fact the temple was going to fall apart soon.

"This is where Zatanna will need to do her spell then?" Bruce asked looking up at her and Diana nodded. Diana smiled to herself because she'd missed working with Bruce on cases. They weren't frequent when she was fully part of the league, but they were enough for her to get glimpses into who he was as Batman and Bruce Wayne. They were always small moments, like their trip to Alaska to retrieve Deadshot after his escape from prison and his second attempted assassination since they'd came across the villain, but she cherished them for all they were worth.

"Inside the temple, there is a gate to take us to Olympus. I believe Zatanna's magic and my prayers should be enough to open the gate," Diana explained.

"What about Olympus?" Bruce questioned.

"What? You don't have a satellite at Wayne Enterprises to find it," Diana teased and even though Bruce didn't look at her, she saw a quirk in his lips.

"Funny."

"Olympus is a different story," she told him seriously. "I've only been to Olympus twice in my lifetime. And I'm sure since the Titans have taken over everything has changed." She leaned back against his table folding her arms over her chest. Bruce scratched something down on the paper in front of her and she raised her brows in interest.

"You'll need to call your goddess and have her-"

"You don't demand the gods come to you Bruce," Diana corrected him.

"We need her. We are _not_ travelling to a foreign place without knowledge of it," he informed her and Diana rolled her eyes. His tone reminded her of Felix Faust's apartment two years ago. Pushing herself off the desk, she knew she didn't to say much to him, so she made for the stairs of the cave to go pray.

* * *

Diana felt the presence of the immortal before her name was even spoken. Kneeling to pray, an hour ago, she wasn't sure praying to a goddess who had no connection to or idol for would even hear her prayers. But she'd felt the shift in the air and prickling behind her ear when Mythe's invisible form entered the room. Feeling the presence of the gods' immortality was a sensation she'd missed.

"Diana, I did not expect to hear from you so soon," Mythe's voice said behind her. Diana rose from her spot in front of the altar to face the immortal girl.

"My friend and I need your guidance," Diana bowed her head.

"Of course. What is it?" Mythe replied.

"We need to get to the prison below Olympus, but we do not know how," Diana answered moving away from the altar. She took a seat on her bed and a dark shadow fell on Mythe's face. She seen the look once on her mother's face when Hippolyta realized her daughter bought men onto the island. Diana attempted to bury the sound of her mother's voice banishing her and the isolation she'd felt after the ordeal, but failed. Thinking about her mother and everything that went wrong after leaving Themyscira reminded her of her self imposed isolation on the watchtower after reality hit that she was banished from her home.

"Olympus is a dangerous place for a mortal Diana," Mythe advised sensing her distress.

"I believe Olympus is dangerous for anyone," Diana replied lightly and waited for the goddess to tell her other wise.

"You do have a point," Mythe chuckled and Diana smiled triumphantly.

"Where are the Olympians being kept in the prison," Diana asked and Mythe smirked reaching in the bag Diana didn't even know she had with her. The girl pulled out a scroll and extended it out to Diana.

"What's this?" the Amazonian asked taking the scroll.

"I believe mortals call it a blue print of some sort, though it does not appear blue," she answered. Diana opened the scroll and her eyes widened seeing the complicated structure in her hands. "Hephaestus built the prison," she added quietly and Diana's eyes shot up to meet the girl's. She told no lies. Her eyes glanced over to the trunk where her armor was stored. Unconsciously, her hands rubbed her wrists and she sighed. She didn't believe Hephaestus would turn his back on his brothers and sisters. Unlike Ares, she knew he would never join Cronus' side.

"He had no choice Diana," Mythe comforted her, "he is a prisoner. They keep him locked up in a cell and only drag him from his place of sleep when they require something of him."

"Will I…" Diana's voice trailed off and Mythe shook her head no at the unfinished question.

"It is not written by the fates. You are to save those in the prisons. Hephaestus knows of his status in war." Diana blinked in an attempt to acknowledge the words. She sat the scroll down on the bed burying her hand in her face. The bed shifted as Mythe sat beside her. The goddess rested her hands on Diana's shoulder and Diana could feel her unease dissipating.

"Why was I given this mission, if I cannot-"

"Because it is the will of the universe. You are our champion Diana. This is merely another test of your strength and perseverance." Diana snorted at the words because the world was in danger. If she failed, the world would be destroyed. Her Amazons were already gone from existence and she would always mourn her loss and what she would never get back, if she failed man's world, she _knew_ there would be no recovery.

"This is no small fight."

"Correct," Myth nodded in agreement. She rose from her spot on the bed and Diana looked up at the tall girl. "I have faith in you Diana of Themyscira, have some in yourself." Diana let out a breath promising to remember the words and Mythe smiled before disappearing.

* * *

"Thank you," Diana said quietly watching as Bruce stripped in front of her. With his back was towards her, she could see the scars, fresh and told, marring his skin. Her eyes were always focused on the scar directly below his neck, one he said he'd gotten from Ra's Al Ghul before he'd even met Superman. The scar ran horizontally below his neck and Diana could easily spot the places the red decoration had festered because Bruce either refused Alfred's treatment or he hadn't gotten to healing the scar in time. There was a scar on left shoulder blade, from a gunshot wound, and many that looked like whip marks across the center and lower portion of his back. She never did ask him where he got _those_ from and in truth, was terrified to know the answer. She'd seen the entiretity of Bruce's form, and despite how well kept himself in shape, there was no point in attempting to ignore the dozen of scars, big and small, that marred his chest and stomach.

The first she'd seen them, they were in training together in the watchtower—she always did think he was the only one (aside from Shayera of course) who knew not to hold back when fighting her—she'd gasped in horror at what she'd seen and he made her pay for it. Bruce had a way of getting under her skin when they sparred; he always found ways to turn her strength against her. She'd seethed red the first few days of their sparring cursing his names to the gods, but she'd gone back; a man never challenged her in physical and mental strength the way Bruce did and she respected him for it.

Now, she stared at his scarred form understanding that his scars made him the warrior he was. They reminded him of what he was fighting for when he could not look at the photo of his parents, or when he seemed to believe there was nothing he could do to stop the madness in Gotham. She often fantasied stories that came with each scar. Some she knew of because she'd seen him in battle, seen where he was injured, but he always kept fighting his way through the pain. That determination amazed her. She often forgot Bruce didn't have superpowers like the rest of the league. He was a mere mortal amongst gods (as she'd heard the media call the league once) but the way he carried himself made her believe he was better than they—she—could ever hope to be.

Then she remembered the darkness that tainted his soul, the one that made him ignore the scars on his skin, the one that often left him alone—or at least made him feel that being alone was penance for all the people he couldn't save—and the one that made him do things no one else would dare. They'd fought so many times about him needing to let someone in his life. She knew he had Richard, but it wasn't the _same_. Richard knew he needed to let someone in his life to keep from falling down that dark hole, Kory, and Diana wished Bruce understood that concept. He was painfully treading a lonely path and Diana was scared he would never get off it, and that he would be so far gone that no one could pull him off it.

Remembering both his faults and his heroism made for complications in how she saw Bruce Wayne. Complications that often left her wondering if there was truly any room in Bruce's life for happiness. She knew he deserved happiness more than anyone else. He'd lost so much in his life, sacrifice so much for Gotham, for the world, and she was scared he forgot that he was human and lose his humanity. The sound of his cape bought her out her thoughts and he was full dressed and ready to leave. His exposed lips were thin with worry and Diana averted his eyes.

"We will rescue your gods Diana," Bruce said stopping in front of her and she smiled warmly at him. For once, her thoughts weren't on her mission, but she was touched by his concern.

"I know," she nodded. She pushed herself off the table and stood up straight with her head and confidence held high. _Batman_ had a way of doing that to her. Simply seeing him standing in front of her made her remember who she was despite not wearing her costume. She guessed that's why he was one of the most valuable members in the league. Without words, he had a way of injecting confidence and hope into people (though she was sure he would rather it be fear) and she would always be grateful for it.

"Don't be too long out. Alfred has been up all day and he won't sleep until you return," she said softly. Behind the cowl, Bruce looked surprise and Diana recognized it, the way his lips upturned in shock. Shaking her head, she headed for the stairs of the Batcave and Bruce moved towards the Batmobile on its platform. Diana waited until she heard the car engine disappearing out the cave before she walked up the stairs. She wasn't surprised to find Alfred waiting at the top.

"Goodnight Alfred," she said softly to the man.

"Good night Ms. Prince," Alfred nodded and Diana held back a yawn. She would sleep in all day tomorrow if she could, but she had meetings for most of the day and she needed to start looking at the plans of the prison Mythe handed over to her. She'd gotten sidetrack with Kory and Richard (in secret) who wanted to gossip about the auction gala and of course mock the media for its headlines about romanticism about Gotham's Princess and its Playboy. Diana spent a good ten minutes laughing at the titles; they were probably the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard since speculations of an affair between her and Bruce.

By the time she'd returned to the cave, Bruce had put pause on their research to look for Tony Zucco (still missing) and Scarecrow who escaped from Arkham. She'd joined him in his search, force him to eat the dinner Alfred created, and took a sparred with him. That was four hours ago, and now she was tired. Her day had started early and she did not want it to end late.

When she got to her room, it took her less than twenty-minutes to fall asleep when her head hit the pillow and for the first time in a long time, she didn't have a nightmare about the battle, or anything along the lines.

* * *

**A/N: I'm back! I want to thank _everyone_ who commented, favorite, and or followed the story. Every time I get notification in my email, it really makes me happy so thank you so much! I love you all!**

**mbembet: I completely agree with you about that aspect of Kingdom Come. I really dislike whenever Clark and Diana are canon in comics (I don't even acknowledge 52). In Injustice, Bruce and Diana are married (whoop whoop) in one of the comics (can't remember which).**

**I really enjoyed writing Diana's thoughts about Bruce and her respect and worry for him. Her adoration as a friend and more for him is what makes me ship them so deeply and of course his protection, love, and worry for her. Why aren't they canon already?**

**We all know Diana isn't a runner from battle, we've seen this many times, but I think that if she's broken severely and has her gods telling her to leave, I think she would obey them, not without a fight of course. But like I said, I really want her to be more human than warrior and so I had to have that in there. If it seems OOC, sorry.**

**Hopefully, I can get a chapter out to you guys soon! Again, thank you so much for taking the time out to read this story. **

**-Ash**


	7. Chapter 7

Diana woke to a loud crash outside her window. Glancing to the window, the heavy downpour blocked her view from the grounds of Wayne Manor. It was pouring nonstop for the past week in Gotham and the rain didn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. If she wasn't at the office with Ansley, or working with Bruce, she was trapped in the manor, watching as the heavy downpour attempted to flood the yard. With a relax sigh, she sunk back into her warm sheets closing her eyes.

"Master Bruce!" Alfred's voice pierced through her cracked door. Diana's eyes shot open as she threw her covers off her. Scrambling off her bed, her feet got caught in the sheet and she swore yanking her feet free from the cotton material. Racing towards the door, she swung it open and found Bruce lying on the floor in black pants only and sweating furiously.

"Alfred, what happened?" she asked dropping beside him. Her eyes scanned Bruce's body for any signs of trauma or wounds. There were none.

"I don't know Miss Prince," Alfred answered alarming Diana with the panic in his voice. She looked up at Alfred briefly and the man's lips were trembling. She reached out and touched him to let him know everything was going to be alright. He didn't seem to notice her touch and Diana looked back down at Bruce.

"Crow…" Bruce whimpered out and Diana's brows furrowed in confusion at the word. She looked to Alfred for clarity but his face mirrored her own.

"I'll get him to his bed Alfred. Is there anything you have that can help him?" she asked sliding one arm under Bruce's heated knees and the other behind his head. Alfred rose with her as she got to her feet and the heat from Bruce's skin against her own was uncomfortable.

"No…him…stop…" he moaned out as she took quick steps towards his room. Behind her, Alfred heading down the stairs, no doubt for the Batcave. Diana gently pushed the door to Bruce's open and hurried towards to the bed.

"Bruce, I'm going to put you on your feet okay," she said as she lowered him to the ground hoping he would hear her through the state he was in. Holding him by the waist with one hand, she used the other to pull away his three layers of bedding. She ignored them as they fell to the floor and swept some of his pillows off the bed. With a slight groan, she lowered Bruce down on his bed.

"Are…jec…crow." Diana's eyes looked away from him and back to the open door. Where was Alfred? She should have taken Bruce to his room and went to Cave instead. She was much quicker than the man. She couldn't wait for Alfred to return; Bruce was burning up and she had to do something. Hurrying towards his private bathroom, she turned on his sink pipes to the coldest temperature she could get them and searched through his cupboards for a washcloth. Finding one, she dumped it under the cold water, tapping her feet impatiently on the cold tiles.

"Miss Prince!" Alfred shouted out her name and Diana turn of the pipes grabbing the cloth. Hurrying out the bathroom, she found Alfred leaning over a shaking Bruce.

"No," she breathed racing over to the man. "Bruce, it's okay," she said quietly pressing the cloth against his forehead.

"No! Diana!" he screamed jerking from the bed and Diana's eyes closed sadly hearing his voice shatter around her name. She'd never heard Bruce call her name so…so heart wrenching before and she never wanted to hear it again for as long as she lived.

"Scarecrow," the man whimpered out and Diana looked down on at him. His eyes very dilated eyes were glued to her foggily. The words took a few moments to sink in and she immediately realized the problem. Bruce was hunting The Scarecrow since he discovered the madman had escaped from Arkham. There were rumors he and Tony Zucco were working with each other.

"He's been exposed to Fear Toxin," Alfred pulled her from her thoughts. He cracked up the kit he'd bought with him and Diana watched as he rummaged through it.

"Fear Toxin?" she asked as he pulled out a needle.

"Yes," the man nodded. Diana looked away from him as she dabbed the cloth around his face.

"How?" she asked Alfred quietly. He shook his head against the question and closed the kit. Grabbing Bruce's shaking arm, Diana held it still watching Alfred search for a vein.

"Master Bruce has been exposed to the toxin before," he finally spoke as he cleaned the spot he'd found a vein in. "I should have known earlier, though I don't know how he managed to make it up the stairs in his condition," he finished and Diana removed the hot cloth from Bruce's face. Alfred injected Bruce with the antidote as Diana forced him still on the bed. She would hate if the needed were to break in Bruce's arm.

"Will you stay with him Alfred; I would like to get some ice water to bring down his temperature," she asked.

"I'll get it Miss Prince," Alfred offered rising from his seat on the bed and Diana thanked the man quietly. He quietly made his way out the room pulling the door closed behind him and Diana covered Bruce's hand in her own. She sighed contently seeing the erratic rise of his chest slow. Resting her head against his chest, she closed her eyes and listened the rain outside his window and his heartbeat.

* * *

Diana woke an hour after she fell asleep to Bruce's groaning. On the ground was a second needle she'd used on him after he started thrashing on the bed and the bowl of water. After she urged Alfred to bed, she'd sat beside Bruce running the cold cloth over him. Light peeked through the dark curtains and the rain was still pouring heavily against the window and roof. Opening her eyes, she found Bruce awake and staring at her. His skin was still warm and he still looked pale, but at least he looked better than a few hours ago. She smiled moving her hair from her face.

"How you feeling?" she asked quietly.

"I've felt better," he answered sitting up in the bed. His eyes looked around the room in confusion and chuckled seeing the pile of pillows and sheets in a corner of the room.

"You were-"

"Sprayed with Fear Toxin. Apparently the antidote I took before finding Crane wasn't able to fight off the new toxin he created. His new form-"

"Bruce, breathe," Diana cut him off pressing her hand against his chest. She didn't expect him to fall silent but was thankful he did. She allowed the silence to settle comfortably around them trying to ignore the echoes of him whimpering out her name as his body combatted the toxin. She wanted to burn each and every frightening syllable from her thoughts even though she was curious to know what his fears about her were.

"Diana, thank you."

"You should thank Alfred, he was the one who-"

"Thank you," he said again with such finality she could only nod in acceptance of his gratitude.

"We have to contact Zatanna," he said attempting to push himself off the bed and Diana shook her head no. She pushed him back down ignoring the glare he sent her. If he thought they were still traveling to Olympus while he was injured, he was sadly mistaken. Bruce was not invincible no matter how much he thought he was, and he was in no condition to travel, much less sneak through an immortal infested world. It would be suicide and she did not want to explain to Alfred or Richard why she'd ignored Bruce's health and allowed him to join her on the mission. She would wait until he was healed and then they would leave.

"Bruce it's only been seven hours since you were infected, you are not going anywhere today," she told him sternly.

"And we made a decision that today would be-"

"We'll do it tomorrow-"

"Princess, the longer-"

"and your health-"

"-the less of a chance-"

"-longer. My gods can-"

"-rescuing your gods-"

"-stop being stubborn. This is my decision, my mission," she shouted to stop the argument. She was standing on her feet, hands planted on her hips. She would not risk Bruce's health. Yes they'd finally set a date for their rescue mission, but it would be moved. Mythe would understand, her gods would understand, and if they couldn't, then she would make them.

"We are leaving today-"

"Hera forgive me, but damn it Bruce," she yelled and was satisfied in seeing him flinch. "You are injured; I am not going to risk your life even more than I already am for this." She closed her eyes, blew out a breath, and took another step back from his bed. If something were to happen to him on Olympus she would never forgive herself. She had to convince herself Bruce joining her was a good choice to make. Them travelling to Olympus when he was ill was not. She could not look after him while avoiding the Titans. They did not know if he was clear of the toxin or if there was a chance for him to relapse. His health was important and she hated that he was risking it even more than he already was.

"Diana." She opened her eyes to look at him and frowned at the stubbornness she saw. He would make her fight for the decision and she was not ready for a verbal showdown with him. She was tired and she wanted rest. She wanted _him _to rest.

"Bruce don't," she warned. Her voice dropped low and her eyes narrowed closely watching him stand on his two feet.

"I've faced worse Princess. This is nothing-"

"Your life is everything."

"And so are the Olympians to you." Diana shook her head no running her hands over her mouths. For a long time the Olympians were the center of her world. She did everything in her power she could to please them. And to this day, she still valued their importance in her life, still loved them, but things had changed.

_She_ had changed.

A year ago or earlier she would have agreed with Bruce to leave. She would have been blinded in her devotion to them, her own health and desires would have been second, that nothing would have stopped her. Hera strike her down, but it was her devotion to the gods that placed in her in the position she was now in. But she saw things clearer, or was beginning to. She'd meant her words when she told Kal she would not risk the lives of her friends, and right now, she would not risk Bruce's life when he was obviously in no form to be on a mission.

"Your condition has change Bruce," she angrily hissed out.

"I see no difference between yesterday and today," he fired back and she scowled at him.

"You are hurt. Is that not enough?"

"We can't put this off Diana," Bruce limped over to her. "I know you're scared of being back on that island, of facing your gods again after everything that has happened-"

"Of course I am, but please do not ask me to risk your life even more by-"

"We're going in circles," her growled stepping back from her and confusion washed over her face. He walked over to his drawer and pulled out a t-shirt. Diana looked away from him as he changed and sighed.

"Meet me in the gym an hour from now," he said plainly before walking out the room. The door slammed behind him and Diana jumped.

* * *

When Diana walked into the gym exactly an hour later, she found Bruce shirtless and wrapping his wrists. She raised her brows at him in curiosity. After he'd marched out his room, she'd cleaned up the mess she made and retreated to her room for a long shower. She never despised Bruce's stubbornness until this morning. Even though he never said it aloud, she knew he was inches away from pointing out the hypocrisy of her entire argument.

Bruce was doing what she refused the Kal's help on: risking his life for her. But she'd somehow convinced herself it was different. Bruce understood more than league or Kal would. He saw the metamorphosis she was going through and the struggle in fixing her life's priorities. He didn't ask questions beyond his usual self when she told him her original intentions was her going to Themyscira and Olympus alone.

He understood the mission was highly sensitive and agreed it would be more successful if there were fewer mortals on Olympus, but she was foolish if she thought he would let her do it on her own. He also understood what Kal could not three days ago when he showed up asking to let the league join her; her mission was more than rescuing the Olympians and saving the world.

It was her personal redemption and the word hung in the air thickly around them ever since she'd explained to Bruce why she didn't want to get the league involved just yet. She knew she was being selfish, she knew the league would have her back, but she'd abandoned her sisters when they needed her most. She hadn't given her mother the proper burial of an Amazon, and she'd suppressed her past for far too long. Returning to Themyscira would be difficult for her. Physically being home, she was sure, would see the last nail in the coffin she was trapped in. She could not have her attention be distracted by members of the Justice League or even an ill Bruce for the matter. Everything she was—

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Bruce's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Depends, are you going to tell me what I'm doing here?" she replied just as sharply. She suppressed the last of her thoughts to give Bruce her full attention.

"We're going to spar-"

"Bruce you're hardly-"

"And if I win, we leave for Olympus. If you win, we go another day," he continued and Diana laughed. Bruce was a skilled fighter, but he was weak and she would not fight him.

"Bruce this-"

"The quicker we get this over with, the faster we can leave."

"You seem to think you will win," she said catching the tape he threw her way.

"I've won seventy-five percent of our fights Princess, and most of those with your strength working against me."

"And you weren't sick either," she added and he shrugged his shoulders at her.

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, Bruce was never the aggressor when they fought each other. Diana was always the first to attack and somehow always the first to land on her back. It was a habit and pattern they'd long established since they first trained together and one neither seemed rush to break out of. Every move after, at least on Bruce's part, was always fresh for them to be bruised with. Diana always used her hands for attack and defense while Bruce had no problem putting his body in awkward positions to get her to admit defeat.

She'd only given up twice so far since sparring with the man. The first time she was not prepare for Bruce to use her own fighting techniques against her and it took less than twenty minutes for her to be pinned under him, her feet awkwardly pressed against her back. The second: well, every time she remembered _that_ late night spar her cheeks heated up with blush.

Slamming her elbow down on his trapped leg, Diana smirked. She took him down twice on his back, her knees pressing painfully into his back when he'd surprised her by wrapping his legs around her neck from behind and threw her off him. She was more impressed than she was angry with him for nearly breaking her neck with his weight. He took almost every attack she threw his way with too much ease and _that_ irritated her more than his attacks themselves.

Bruce dropped down to the ground, catching her off guard, and slammed his elbow into her thigh before sweeping her legs out from her. She gasped at the pain that shot up her leg with a mild swear. Falling to her knees, she butted heads with him and the two fell back from impact. Rolling out of his reach before he could grab her again, she groaned at the slight ache in her side. She was barely on her feet when Bruce swung at her cheek and she cursed his quickness when she narrowly avoided his second left hook. Throwing her hands up to block his attack, she backed away from him hating the defense he was forcing her to play.

Jumping back to avoid the leg he swung at her, she waited until he was close enough to her to land her fist on his jaw. His head swung left and Diana connected her elbow with his shoulder before finishing the attack with another punch. Bruce grabbed her fists midway in their second attack forcing her to attempt to twist out of his hold as he bent both arms behind her back. She bit back on a cry at the pain ricocheting back and forth between her fingers and shoulder. His knee pressing into her lower back, Diana cried out arching her back against him.

Bruce chuckled in her ear when she attempted to move and she would have cursed him if she weren't so damn angry with herself. Tossing her the ground, he buried his other knee into her spine as her face pressed into the mat.

"Princess," he breathed heavily in her ear and her already beating heart jumped at his voice. Behind them the door to the gym opened and Diana gasped for breath as soon as he jumped off her. Turning onto her back, she peeled her head off the ground rubbing her sore cheek. She was going to make him pay for that one too. Peeping through his legs, she saw Zatanna standing in the doorway smirking. She blushed as the woman's eyes looked between her and Bruce suspiciously before dropping her head back onto the mat.

"We're going," Bruce turned looking down at her. She looked up at ready to argue but the look on his face said there was no room for a third fight.

"Fine," she scowled and took the hand he extended out to her.

* * *

**A/N: I really wanted to get this out earlier in the week but I had trouble thinking of the scene until last night and I've been working on my non-fanfiction book, which took up my entire week. I'm sorry.** **The next chapter is well underway and they will be heading for Themyscira and Olympus.**

**Thanks for reading and being patient with me.**

**-Ash**


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