Justice League 1. Shopping For Milk

"Wonder Woman! Wonder Woman!" yelled several paparazzi who flashed camera's at her as she tried to walk out of the local coffee shop. "Over here!"

Diana towered over the men but seemed lost amid the torrent of questions flowing past her. It was all so strange to her to be famous in man's world. She surely could understand it back in her own land where tales of her adventures garnered her fame and attention whenever she returned. But the men here asked such personal questions into her life that it made Diana feel unsettlingly exposed, as if several pairs of eyes had caught her as she was bathing. Soon a small crowd began to gather around her and follow her every move

"Excuse me. Excuse me." She said politely as she made her way through the pestering small group of cameras that hovered around her.

It took over an hour of questions and pictures before the pack of camera hounds finally left her in peace. During the commotion the temptation of flying off to escape did beckon to her but she did not want to offend anyone or seem rude. So she politely answered as many general questions as she could and pose for pictures with the occasional brave fan or sign an autograph. It left her feeling exhausted before she could reach the market to get some milk.

"They're out of 2%" said Batman's velvet rustled voice in her ear piece

"Truly a brave knight you are, leaving a comrade to the wolves of the media." She playfully remarked as the cool air conditioned breeze of the super market chilled her skin.

"Psychotic clowns and crocodile men I can handle. Paparazzi are another thing entirely. Besides, aren't you the one who can bend steel and fly?"

"There are crocodile men?" asked Diana quizzically. She was still getting used to all the things in man's world.

"Only for me." He responded dryly

"My you do keep strange company." Said Diana while grabbing a gallon of milk "What's the news?"

"Lantern's calling a meeting for tonight at the Watchtower. 7PM. Be ready." He said in his usual curt manner."

"Right. I'll be ready. Hopefully I won't draw another crowd."

"Don't be Wonder Woman then. Batman out."

A secret identity was an area where Diana was lacking. The world knowing that she was Wonder Woman did open certain doors in man's world to her, however she quickly also realized that being what most would consider a leggy supermodel with the ability to bend steel had the same effect. She often wondered about the others and how they managed to juggle the duality in their lives. She often had long discussions with Superman and his need to be Clark Kent and how it kept him from going crazy. The identity gave him a sense of a normal life where he could live without interruption, however to Diana, Clark and Superman didn't seem too different outside the fact that Clark Kent wouldn't be one to rush into danger. It also helped to protect those he cared about from harm from enemies. Wally's explanation however was more esoteric. In his words: "Chick's can't handle the Flash _and_ substance so that's why I wear a mask."

John and Shayera were on the other end of the spectrum where they embraced who they were without masks. Diana understood they were both soldiers and soldiers always wore their colors proudly, some at all times so the world knows to respect them and the enemy knows to fear them. They seemed to not nearly harbor as much attention as she does though on a regular basis. Her costume has been criticized as the culprit that draws attention but she wrote that off as preposterous ideas. This was her battle armor, created by Hephestus himself.

However the one person she never was able to speak to on the matter was a certain taciturn, brooding loner with pointy ears. The schism between Batman and Bruce Wayne seemed unreal. Being Bruce Wayne didn't bring any sense of normalcy or peace to his life and in fact, only brought him more turmoil. Superman had spoken of Bruce's encounters with meeting a compatible woman, only to have it end tragically or end with Batman taking Bruce Wayne's place during the night. To her, it seemed it would be easier to simply be Batman almost all the time (which he was anyway) and to even arrange a fake death for Bruce Wayne rather than continue being him. It was an enigma to Diana, one that kept her thinking of Batman often and what it would be like if she led a double life.

So she went to find out and indulged in one of her favorite pleasures she discovered in man's world: shopping.


	2. Her Other Half

Several days later a large package greeted Diana at her doorstep as she returned from the laundry room of her apartment. With an excited smile, she rushed over and opened her door and brought the box inside.

Immediately she sunk her fingers into the box and used her strength to rip it open. Inside she found the bounties of her internet order: a full assortment of wigs ranging from every color, length and style of hair. She moved the box to the bedroom as she took each of the wigs out and placed them on her mattress to admire each of them. Her orange tabby Helen strode into the room as it rubbed against her leg demanding attention. Smiling, Diana picked up the cat and held it as she felt overwhelmed at the choices that lay before her. Putting the cat down she chose a blonde long haired wig and awkwardly fit it onto her scalp and turned to see how it looked in the mirror.

"Hera." She said in shock.

In the excitement she forgot to pull her back to fit the wig properly. The image that greeted her was a tangled mess of her natural dark raven hair mixed in with the blonde locks of the wig. Blonde bangs sat awkwardly over her face at in unnatural angle leaving her looking like a disheveled mess. She began to laugh at the image in the mirror as the doorbell rang to her apartment.

She took the wig off of her and walked to her front door and opened it to find her guests, Wally and Lois standing in the doorway.

"Hey Princess." Said Lois as she gave the much taller Amazon a hug

"So did the package come yet?" asked Wally with a three pizza boxes in hand

"Yes. They did. Please come in." said Diana as she let her two guests in "Shayera said she would be coming late."

"Cool. But I can't promise any pizza left if she's too late." Said Wally as he laid out a table setting in the blink of an eye as Diana and Lois took a seat. "Welcome to Chez Flash. Our specials today are pizza with everything, meat lovers and our Thanagarian special, pizza with eels, olives and extra curry sauce."

"Ugh. Hand me a meat lovers streaky." Said Lois

"I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to order the wigs through your credit card." Said Diana

"No probs Diana. I can write it up as League business expense. I just hope that I can sneak it past bats or Jonn when the expense reports come out. You really need to get a credit card of your own one day."

After their meal with wine, Diana started to try on the various wigs as Lois and Wally critiqued her looks. Wally in the spirit of fun (as always) put on a wig of long curly pink hair much to Diana's chagrin and Lois's remarks. In the middle of

"So wait a moment. Diana, I just realized, have you thought of who your new persona's going to be?" asked Lois

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about?" Diana said with a short brown haired wig on.

"Well you know how Clark and Superman are so different? Well Smallville does that on purpose so that no one knows that they're the same person." informed Lois

"Yea! Kinda like me and Bats. When we're in costume, we're opposites from what we are normally." Remarked Wally

"Yes. No one would suspect that a hyper, fast talking jokester that eats and hits on everything would be the Flash. You two are so really night and day." Lois remarked in the most sarcastically dry voice she could muster. "But seriously Diana, if you're going to give this secret identity thing a whirl, you should make an identity that's different from whom you are so that no one would suspect that you could be Wonder Woman when you're not in cape."

"Hmm. Perhaps that is indeed wise although I don't have any idea who my other identity should be. Maybe it's best to just start with an alternate name." Said Diana

"Also names, don't forget what your secret identity name should be. I'll write em down." Said Wally as he had Lois's pen and pad in his hands

"HEY! That was in my jacket! How did you get…" asked Lois

"You blinked. And hello? Fastest man alive anyone? I figured you'd be used to this living with Supes."

The three of them brainstormed for an hour until they heard another knock at the front door. Diana rose and opened it to find the Shayera dressed not in her Hawkgirl outfit but rather a plain pair of jeans and a t-shirt along with a long coat covering her wings as to avoid attention. It was strange to see her out of costume. Tensions between still existed but had died down considerably after their adventure in Tartarus as the former Hawkgirl took off her coat, allowing her angelic wings to stretch out.

"Hello Shayera."

"Hello Diana. Wally leave any pizza?" she asked as Diana moved aside to let her in.

"Yes Wally left you some _pizza_. Sheesh." Mocked Wally

"Nice hair Wally. So have you decided on hair color Diana?" asked Shayera as she took several slices of the Thanagarian special.

"I do enjoy the blonde wig with long hair and the short haired red wig. It is fun to have another color." Said Diana as she grabbed each and tried them on.

Shayera and took a long look at her and chewed thoughtfully.

"Blondes more your color." Shayera said

Wally and Lois agreed as Wally pointed out that the blonde hair brought out her eyes more and framed her face better.

"You know it does. Huh. I never would've noticed that little detail." Said Lois as they watched a blonde haired Diana admiring her reflection in "You are really good at his Wally."

"What can I say? I got the eye. So what's your new name going to be? I personally like Wynona Honeysuckle."

Lois and Shayera rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

"No Wally. How about a name that's out of a James Bond movie or a porno?" Said Lois

"James who?" asked Diana

"It's a movie character Diana. Boy you really don't get out much do you?" remarked Shayera

Other names were tossed around to Diana but none that she particularly liked as an alternate identity name. Meanwhile, Diana began to think of what life would be like if she wasn't recognized everywhere she went and who she would be if she wasn't raised on Themyscira. She had always had some difficulty fitting into the modern world and as much as it intrigued her it also was equally confusing and frustrating at times. It seemed to be the common thread that bound the original seven as each of them really were essentially outsiders in some way and not due to their power or costumes, but rather who they were, especially J'onn thought Diana.

Once or twice Wally and John had to talk her out of going back to Themyscira due to the difficulty at times of dealing with men and women. On top of that, Diana wasn't even sure of her place outside of the role of an Amazon and if finding a suitable name would be this difficult, how was she to find the right job that would certainly suit her? How did Clark and Wally find their callings? The thoughts filled her with aa uncertainty and fear that she never expected or understood.

Diana looked over at her bookshelf to see two books on archeology sitting next to each other with the authors names on their spines.

"I got it!" she cried out "It's perfect!"

"What is it?" asked Lois

"I got the name and job." Said Diana excitedly

"Well?" asked the other three in unison

The 22nd annual Gotham Museum of History fundraiser was in full swing at the posh Wayne manor. It's brightly lit halls were filled to the brim with the elite of the city dressed in the finest suits and gorgeous dresses that spoke of their status and wealth without any of the uttering a word on that topic. A live band played soft background jazz music with the saxophone gently caressing the ears of anyone who listened while maitre d's hovered around with plates of food and drink. Among the beautifully dressed guests was Bruce Wayne as he casually sat back in a chair with a gorgeous, busty young freckled red head in a short gold dress and high heels with matching necklace.

"I always wanted to go cliff diving in South America if that answers your question. But I think I'd be too chicken to do it." Said the red head

"I know I'd be too scared to but I'd like to see you do it." Said Bruce as he rested his hand on her thigh "Besides, it'd be good for you to get over your fear."

"Why Mr. Wayne, you don't have any ulterior motives do you?" She mocked playfully

"Absolutely not! Do you think I'd be such a man that'd spend all that money to whisk you off this weekend to Rio just to see you in a bikini?" he said as he flashed an ironically innocent smile

"Well…" said Faye as she leaned in and pushed her freckled cleavage out"…you might not have to wait till this weekend."

Bruce leaned in for a kiss when the sound of a cough interrupted the moment. He looked up to see a tall blonde woman with rimmed glasses, smiling nervously. She had on light make up which seemed to accent little of her looks along with her hair, which was pulled back into a long ponytail that gave her a rounded face. Her black dress was elegant but modest as it covered up her legs and gave her a slim appearance that spoke little of wealth, especially with a lack of jewelry. Overall she looked more as if she did not get out to functions such as these very much.

"Excuse me Mr. Wayne, I just wanted to introduce myself. Quickly of course and say it's an honor to meet you. I'm so glad you were able to donate such a large am…amount…and uh…it's just so great." She stammered nervously

"It's always a pleasure to help where I can." He said "I'm sorry. Ahh…well I don't think I got you name."

"Cassandra. Cassandra Sandsmark."


	3. Double Jeopardy

Diana stayed as the party continued into the night with the old money of Gotham bidding goodbye and making way for the young money to celebrate more freely later into the night and the early morning, as it was always with a Bruce Wayne party. A female singer was brought in as the band changed tunes from soft jazz to a seductive throbbing Latin beat that pulsed through the dimmed lights of the mansion. Faye, the young red head from earlier was dancing on the piano with an equally busty brunette. Bruce sat and shared a drink with a short haired woman in the corner of the room as Diana watched him whisper into her ear and made her giggle while she slid her leg against his.

All this was somewhat new to see Bruce actually smile and joke. The majority of his facial expressions were restricted to scowling and brooding during their adventures together. He seemed so genuine and comfortable that it made Diana think that this that may not be an act, that he may actually be enjoying himself. He was usually so emotionally awkward when in costume that Diana could not believe her eyes as he flirted, conversed and laughed so easily with everyone around him. She almost believed herself that Bruce Wayne and Batman really were two separate people if not for the fact that he had exposed his identity to her and original seven.

The Amazon princess in disguise had to admit that she was having a good time at the party. Being Cassandra gave her a feeling of freedom she only knew these days back on Themyscria. She usually had to be careful who she spoke with since her identity was public knowledge and that not only did she represent the Justice League but also Themyscria. The League even dedicated a full seminar about being a public figure and the dangers of stalkers, attacks by other metahumans on themselves and their loved ones and how to deal with those situations. It all left Diana feeling a bit restrained in the modern world and added more pressure to her everyday.

But Cassandra Sandsmark was a simple museum research assistant free from threats and scrutiny. She loved her new job and friends and was happy it gave her a chance to explore one of her passions in history. As Cassandra, Diana decided not to be the complete polar opposite in personality such as Clark but to simply downplay her more dominant traits. Soon the song turned to a slower love song as only couples were left dancing on the dance floor as Diana found herself with a young real estate mogul with dark slicked backed hair named Alec.

"So Cassandra, please tell me more about those antiquities. What part are you an expert in again?" asked the slightly shorter man

"Greek antiquities and cultures. I'm an assistant right now at the Museum of History in Washington D.C." she answered

"What are you doing here then?"

"The Gotham Museum is our sister city museum and we often exchange artifacts and share events. It's so exciting to learn about the history of other nations and cultures, especially how each country has their own unique fighting system connected directly to their own legends. Even here in Gotham there's so much history." She said

"Uh-huh. Never heard someone so excited about _this_ city before but ok." Said the man with a confused look on his face. "I guess it's like me and those true crime stories on TV. So do you do anything else when you're not like in a museum?"

"Oh…well I just mostly read. I don't like things to get too exciting."

Diana did her best to bite her tongue. She did enjoy reading but wanted to talk about her love of travel, animals, sports, hunting and exploring. Then it dawned on her the complexities of having a double life. She cursed hiding her warrior's passion and felt a new restraint she wasn't aware of. She wondered how different did Cassandra really have to be from Wonder Woman?

"Cassandra? Helllooo?" said Alec

"Yes?" she answered with a smile

"I was talking about why do you love Gotham so much? Metropolis, Washington, hell even Bludhaven has better property and stories behind them."

"Maybe cause she knows where the action is" said Bruce Wayne as he came to them. "Nice to see you making new friends Alec."

"You know me. Hey, what happened to that one girl from your last fundraiser? The one with the legs. Rawr. I thought she was going to show here."

"Busy. And I think she's involved with someone. Mind if I cut in?" asked Bruce.

"Not at all. Anyway, nice to meet you Cassie. See me before you leave tonight." Said the man as he walked off into the crowd.

Bruce placed his hands gently on her waist and pulled her close to him as Diana was worried he might recognize her now. For several weeks she had worked at the museum without anyone noticing any resemblance to her as Wonder Woman. Her original plan was for "Cassandra" tonight was to mingle at the party. Earlier on a whim she decided to introduce herself to Bruce quickly as her new alter ego to see if he would recognize her. Much to her thrill he didn't and continued to party as if she was just another guest. Now she wondered if this was going to be a playful conversation with the billionaire or time to be chastised by the dark knight.

"Hi." He said as he flashed a prince charming smile

"Hello."

"So how are you enjoying the party so far?"

"Very much. I really haven't gotten a chance to get out before this." She responded

"You mean life inside the museum isn't as glamorous as I've read about?" he chided

"I don't know what books you've been reading Mr. Wayne but I can recommend some to you that are more accurate of museum life. They're not exactly James Bond movies but I think you might enjoy them." She said as she greeted his joke with a smile.

"I'm not much into reading outside of work. I usually like to go out into town. Speaking of which, you should really check out the sights while you're in Gotham. I'd be glad to show you around."

Before Diana could answer, the crack of machine gun fire pierced the air and silenced the band. Guests who were once dancing screamed out in surprise and ran for cover while others simply froze in place as they stared at the group of six men, dressed in black military garb and masks charged into the room armed with guns. Among them stood a massive man standing over six feet tall dressed in a cutoff shirt that exposed his massive burly arms. A full mask covered his head with an eye piece over his left eye but the most eye catching detail was the massive gun that replaced the man's left hand. The gun was connected by a thick cable to the equally massive backpack he wore. Diana bent her legs as she readied to jump towards the gunmen when Bruce pulled her closer for an embrace.

"Stay close to me Cassandra. Once they get what they want I'm sure they'll leave peacefully." He whispered to her.

"You would do nothing as they rob us?" she whispered back fiercely

"Are you crazy? What can a research assistant do against a group of armed men?" as he looked in bewilderment at her

It took every ounce of restraint for her not to yank off her wig and fly at their robbers as Diana desperately wanted not to be Cassandra at this moment. Only a sigh of resignation came from her throat as clenched her jaw in frustration. She could only watch a one gunman brought out Alfred with the rest of the service staff as they joined the rest of the guests who were corralled against the wall.

"I'm…I'm sorry Bruce. I just thought…well I guess I wasn't thinking. All this excitement..." Diana whispered back as she readied herself to fight if she needed to.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen! We are not tonight's entertainment and we have one demand: your monies and valuables." Said the large man through a thick Russian accent. "If you co-operate, you will not be harmed. Think of your families and loved ones. Do not be hero. Now pleased to be tossing your monies, your jewelry, anything of value into bags!"

Two of the gun men began to walk around with large sacks along the edge of the crowd as the guests tossed in various valuables. The remaining gunmen menaced the crowd with their weapons like shark among a school of seals. One jammed the butt of his rifle into the stomach of a nearby man without provocation, leaving Diana only stare back as her fists clenched in impotent rage.

"Now I have one questions. Where is Bruce Wayne?" asked the large man

Bruce let go of Cassandra and raised his hand. Diana quickly pulled it back down as she held firmly onto his arms to keep him from identifying himself.

"Bruce." She said softly "You can't."

"YOU! Come forward!" ordered one of the gunmen as he reached through the crowd and pulled Bruce away. The large man descended down the stairs and pointed barrel of the large gun at his face.

"Hello Mr. Wayne. Please to be coming with us now."

At the edge of the crowd, Diana's mind raced furiously as she gave serious thought to jumping into action and exposing her identity to the world. She acknowledged the luxury she had in creating another identity but she had rather liked her life as Cassandra. At the same moment she tried to think of what any of the other League members with secret identities would do if they were here and not in uniform. The only conclusion she came to was that she could not stand by to allow any harm to come to Bruce or any of the guests. But despite her determination, she recognized that she didn't have the physical position to wage an effective strike and would have to wait until the proper timing.

"Wha…what do you want with me?" asked Bruce

"You have safe yes? You will take us to it and open it."

"Ok. Ok. I'll give you anything else Mr. Bane just please don't…"

"BANE! BANE!" the large man yelled "I am NOT BANE! I AM KGBeast! I am _more_ than a prison rat! I am MORE THEN HE WILL EVER BE!And now everyone in Gotham will know my name!"

Abruptly a batarang sailed into the gun of KGBeast and exploded into a strobe of white hot light with a loud bang that blinded and deafened the entire room. Diana herself stumbled and fell to the floor disoriented at the effect of the flash bang effects. After several seconds she blinked away any spots to see Robin, Nightwing and Batgirl tying up the prone forms of the defeated robbers.

"Yea. Everyone will know you as _Lame_, instead of Bane." Said Robin as he stood triumphantly atop of the unconscious KGBeast

"Are you alright Mr. Wayne?" asked Batgirl as she helped Bruce to her feet.

"I think so." Said Bruce as he looked around the room. "Is everyone else alright?"

The stunned crowd responded by signaling that they weren't harmed as Nightwing, Batgirl and Robin placed the tied up group of assailants and tossed them on top of a restrained KGBeast. Diana admired the training that Batman had put his protégé's thorough to execute such quick and efficient work in disposing the gang of thieves.

"Was this a plan all along? Did he expect a robbery to occur tonight?" she wondered

A scream came from a woman behind her as Diana turned to see a man slouched against a wall bleeding from his chest. She recognized him at once as Alec, the man she danced with earlier. His once crisp white shirt now stained with large wet growing red spot.

"Oh my god. Someone call for an ambulance!" shouted Batgirl as she and Bruce rushed over to the wounded man.

"Take it easy Alec. Everything's going to be alright. We're going to get you to the hospital." Said Bruce as he took off his tuxedo jacket and pressed it against the wound.

"Parents…Bruce…my parents…" said Alec as brow furrowed in pain

"Don't talk Alec. Save your strength." Responded Bruce

Once again Diana thought of exposing her true identity so that she could fly the man to help but realized that Gotham wasn't her city. She wasn't familiar with the area and that even then, the man may not survive the trip. Helplessly again, she could only watch as Alfred rushed over with a first aid kit.

It didn't take too long for the emergency crews to arrive as Alec was airlifted by helicopter to the nearest hospital. Batgirl, Nightwing and Robin had already left once the police loaded KGBeast and his gang into the paddy wagons. However the guests stayed for nearly an hour and a half as each of them were questioned about the incident.

"Thank you Miss Sandsmark. We'll be sure to contact you if we have any other questions." Said Detective Montoya

"Of course detective."

Diana was about to leave when she noticed that Bruce was nowhere to be found. She did manage to find Alfred as he brought out a tray of tea and sandwiches to the weary remaining guests who were waiting to be questioned

"Excuse me Alfred. Have you seen Bruce? I wanted to say good night but he's disappeared."

"Ahh. I believe I saw Master Bruce slip into the study after he was questioned although I would recommend against disturbing him." He said with his usual politeness

"Oh. Well then please tell him that I said good night." She said

"Of course Miss Cassandra. I'm terribly sorry the night ended in such a dreadful manner. Please do tell me if there is anything else you need or if you are too weary to travel back. I can make up a room for you here for the night."

"Of course I will. Thank you Alfred." She said as she watched the butler turn and walk away.

Diana however felt wrong to leave without at least seeing if Bruce was alright from his ordeal. She silently headed for the direction of the study and carefully cracked opened the door. Inside she was caught off guard by what she saw.

On the wall of the large room was the looming painted portrait of his parents as Bruce sat in a chair in front of them. He slouched back in the chair like a man defeated as he stared at the floor. The look on his face wasn't of dark brooding she was accustomed to but something she had never seen on him before: sadness. For a moment she didn't understand who she stared at. This was neither the intense Batman nor the playful Bruce Wayne from earlier but rather someone else entirely to her.

With deep disheartened eyes, he looked up at the portrait of his mother and father then uttered, "I'm sorry."

Diana silently closed the door and went home.


	4. Impressed

Aboard the ever busy futuristic Watchtower orbiting above the earth, Diana headed towards the cafeteria for breakfast as she saw a tired and worn looking Green Arrow limping towards her. His normally crisp and emerald colored costume was now worn and dirty as if he had been in a prolonged epic battle. Oliver looked no better than his costume as he limped his way towards Wonder Woman.

"Ollie, are you alright? I didn't hear any alerts going off." She asked as she readied herself to catch Green Arrow as he stopped and leaned against a wall

"No alerts Diana, just a certain bat that insisted on a three hour team practice in the training room doing freaking ridiculous rescue maneuvers. I mean when have we ever done a rescue off a moving truck while fighting ninjas backed up by Metallo? When I ask you? When?" Grumbled Green Arrow

"Hera. Do you need any help Oliver?"

"No. I'm just going to pass out in my room and then work on my anti-bat arrow. If you see Canary, send her my way would ya?"

"Of course Oliver I will."

Diana changed her course and headed towards the training room as she passed several more exhausted looking League members, each muttering about Batman and his extreme training session. It was widely recognized that Batman was one of the best teachers in the League but he was also the most unforgiving, at times even worse than Amazon standards. But she had never seen him push those around him _this_ hard before though, which worried Diana since she was one of the few that understood that as harsh as he was on those around him, he was even harsher on himself.

She soon entered the darkened control center to the holographic training room as hot stale air tickled her nostrils. Rows of large panels adorned the walls, each of them showing League members battling Dr. Polaris in a crowded ballroom from the earlier training session. In the middle of the room sat Batman, the glow of the monitor outlining the form of his cowl as he watched Green Arrow on screen firing a net arrow over a group of gunmen. Diana watched the footage play out and realized that the gunmen in the simulation were dressed in a similar fashion to the robbers that invaded Wayne Manor last night.

"Can I help you Diana?" he asked in his rough graveled voice without breaking his concentration on the screen

"I just wanted to see if you were alright. I read about what happened last night."

"I'm fine. What happened last night reinforced we all need more practice for those situations."

"It's always good to reinforce our vigilance but don't you think this level of practice is a bit extreme?"

"No."

The only sound was of clicking keyboards that echoed throughout the room between the two of them as Diana searched for any words she could say in order to coax him out of his obsessive focus. But she had known him long enough to know that once set on a course, he was near impossible to stop or reason with and that it would take nothing short of Zeus to stop him. Even then she had some doubts about Zeus's ability to get in the way of Batman.

"Well, try not to send half of our roster to the infirmary." Said Diana as she gave his caped shoulder a squeeze "And try to get some rest and relaxation. What happened wasn't your fault."

With that Diana turned and left him alone in the darkened room.

Later that night Diana returned to her Gotham hotel room as she finished with the day's errands. She stripped off her wig and placed it upon the brow of the faceless mannequin head before picking up Helen, who was rubbing against her leg for attention. While running her fingers over the cat's hair, she noticed her phone ringing inside of her purse. Much to Helen's dismay, she placed her back on the floor and looked at the caller ID, which flashed a number she vaguely recognized.

"Hello?" she said as she held the phone to her ear.

"Cassandra? This is Bruce."

Diana's heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice. Bruce Wayne and Batman had the telephone number of Wonder Woman, not Cassandra Sandsmark.

"Bruce! I'm…I'm really really sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye at your party because…well…of the gunfire." She said.

It took a while for Diana to separate her voice intonation from Cassandra, another tip that Shayera had told her to do, but she had garnered plenty of practice during her time working at the museum. Whereas Diana's intonation and cadence were strong and flowing, Cassandra's was a much softer tone with occasional short staccato bursts. She still had a habit of switching to her Wonder Woman voice when she became angry or impassioned. It was something that she reminded herself to be much more careful around Bruce since the man was like a blood hound in finding the details.

"No no. It's alright. I mean it was less awkward compared to the impromptu conga line led by Oswald Cobblepot last year. Now there was the true definition of terror I'm still working out with my therapist."

Diana laughed with him at the joke. It felt good, unusually good to be laughing with Batman.

"So listen, I know this might be a bit awkward and I assure you I'm usually smoother than this but I never got your answer on seeing the sights of Gotham with me."

"Well Mr. Wayne…" she answered

"Bruce. Please call me Bruce."

"Ok. Bruce. I have to say…uh…well I have to wonder a bit…first answer this: How did you get my number?"

"Well, I kinda called your office and got in touch with the receptionist Janice who got me in touch with your boss who gave me your number at the cost of a generous donation of course." He said in a tone like a shy school boy with a crush on his teacher

"Well…I…I suppose that since you paid all that money I should at least…give you coffee."

"Great, breakfast tomorrow morning then? I can pick you up sometime around eight thirty."

"Ok then. Eight thirty it shall be." She answered hoping that he could hear the smile on her face.

Diana was on a high as she was actually going on what was called a date in the modern world. She had some experience with dating growing up but it was nothing quite like this…or with a man for that matter. Excitement stirred in her stomach at the thought of meeting Bruce again. After a quick shower, she changed into more comfortable clothes and ordered a movie for the night. Patrolling Gotham may raise some suspicions as to why she was in Batman's city at the same moment as Cassandra and doing it unannounced with certainly raise Batman's ire.

"Is it strange to be excited?" asked Diana aloud as she grabbed Helen's food bowl and filled it. "Well Helen? I'm afraid I may need an answer."

Helen bent down to the bowl once it was on the floor and simply began to eat as if it was deaf to Diana's words, its tail waving back and forth with preoccupation in its task at hand. Diana bent down and ran her fingers through the rich, thick hair covering the nape of the cat's neck.

The Cityside Restaurant had a grand view of the skyline of Gotham that many of the richest inhabitants enjoyed daily. It slowly rotated so patrons could see Gotham amusement pier at one moment and Tyler Stadium an hour later. Among the bustling staff and patrons sat Bruce Wayne at the best table in the house with a full layout of breakfast sitting between him and the blonde who sat across from him.

"…so there's me and Tom stuck up in the tree, I ended up being The Grey Ghost and Tommy was Zorro. Unfortunately I made a terrible Grey Ghost since I was stuck up in the tree too afraid to try and swing down." Said Bruce in his friendly dulcet tone of voice

"Why didn't you swing?" asked Diana as Cassandra while taking another bite of toast while adjusting her glasses.

"I…was…I was just too scared. So here I am, ready to wet my pants with my Grey Ghost costume on, twenty feet in the tree as Tommy's calling me a chicken. And I don't want to admit it so I make up a story."

"Oh my…what story could you possibly make up there atop a tree?" she teased

Bruce took a moment to inhale a deep breath as if trying to keep in a secret. But a crack of a smile was all it took for him to finally admit the truth.

"Well…I said that rope had become loose and fell and I…untied the rope and let it fall to the ground."

The two laughed aloud until tears came to Diana's eyes and her cheeks ached from pulling her mouth upwards into a smile. Bits of toast nearly choked her as she grabbed a glass of orange juice.

"Why would you do that? How would you even get down?" she asked as she took a sip

"I was seven. I was surprised I even got up that high into the tree. Tommy said I was scared but I was too proud to admit it with Tommy. So I tried to say I was battling the evil professor…by hugging the tree in terror." He said as he covered his face with his hand

Diana laughed again as shook her head in disbelief.

"So did you ever climb that tree again?" she asked

"I did. When I was twenty and it didn't seem so tall that time though." Responded Bruce as he reached for a sip of his coffee.

"Hmm. It is amazing how children change and grow over the years."

"And that either of them is different from the other, and the same with itself?" he remarked

Diana's eyebrows arose in reaction to the statement as she pushed her glasses back up onto her face.

"And that both are two and each of them one? Socrates. I am impressed Bruce. I never thought for you as one to read since you prefer going out into town."

"Well I did do a little bit of homework since I was going to have breakfast with you to tell the truth. So am I impressing you or do I have throw more money your way?" He asked with a slight crooked grin

"So in regards to the law of identity, are you telling me you're still afraid of heights Bruce?" she playfully taunted back

"Well I don't know about that law but I can say it was fun to climb up that high. Getting down was the scary part."

"So how did you get down? Tell me and I'll let you know if…I'm impressed." She answered

"Well...to tell the truth…my father had to come get me."

A long beat of silence passed between them as Diana looked down onto her coffee and stirred it thoughtfully.

"I think you're going to have to throw more money around after that story." She said as she brought the coffee to her lips and looked into his eyes, all the while a slight smile painted upon her lovely face

Diana watched as Bruce smiled at her for a moment before picking up his chair and moving it adjacent to her. She felt his warm, strong hand resting atop of hers as the cadence of her heartbeat picked up speed. Bruce's heated lips finally embraced hers in a kiss that blocked out all other senses around them. Finally after a long moment he pulled away and matched the gaze in her blue eyes that made her feel as if she had known him all her life.

"Sorry. I couldn't wait till the end of the date." He said with an irrepressible smile

Later that day inside the conference table of the original seven on board the Watchtower…

"Diana, are you listening?" demanded Batman while he looked at her at sitting at the round conference table with the other founding members of the League.

"Uh…yes. I'm sorry I was just thinking of…"

"If you were thinking then you weren't listening." He said with the usual dark edge to his voice. "I was saying that magical artifacts need to be better guarded against during U.N. assembly speaking, especially if we're going to send one of our own down there."

"We still have to vote upon that." Said the Martian Manhunter in his usual deep monotone.

"Agreed. However it's going to outside of the original seven. Wonder Woman has got too much of a vested interest in Themyscria as well to be effective. I nominate Dove." Said Superman as he looked around at the others at the round table.

"What about Ray Palmer? Or Mr. Terrific?" asked Green Lantern

"Both would be good but I think we should adjourn for a ten minute break. I need to contact Alfred." Recommended Batman

All seven founding members arose with the exception of Diana who continued to hold her gaze upon the Dark Knight.

"What?" Batman asked as he looked down at in his usual stone faced manner.

"Nothing." She responded with a smile.


	5. Gotham Goodbyes

"One double half café latte with soy on ice." Said Flash as he suddenly appeared in front of Diana as she sat staring out the window of the conference room

"Mmm. Thank you Wally." She said before taking a long sip from her straw while Flash grabbed his sack lunch.

They both sat and stared out at the earth 22,300 miles below them through the clean clear glass of the window. The sight always instilled a sense of calm and quiet in Diana and reminded her of her duty to try to connect the lost world of man with the Amazons. It wasn't a secret that the Amazons distrusted men due to their sorted pasts which led to her sister's seclusion from the outside world. But long had she wondered about the great things both societies could accomplish if Amazons could connect to the world around them, even if the majority of her sisters felt that men were untrustworthy savages. She wished that they could meet some of the members of the League, especially one in particular for Diana.

Flash hummed an idle tune aloud as he grabbed a large brown bag from under the table.

"So how's the secret life of an Amazonian princess going?" asked Flash as he brought out a large sandwich from the bag

"I'm actually really enjoying it Wally. There's so much at the museum to explore, so much culture to be learned. And you were right. Having a life outside of the League to yourself really is quite relaxing. And the new friends I've met…"

"What'd I tell ya? Nothing like walking around in civies to relax you." He said as he ate the entire sandwich in a blink of an eye and pulled out another one.

"However…I may need your help Wally. There's an area in particular that may be challenging." Said Diana as she took another sip of her drink

"Shoot princess. I'm your guy." said Flash while cracking open a cold soda

"I've met someone."

The Fastest Man in the world froze in his tracks halfway into taking a drink of his soda. He looked over at her as she tried to repress the redness rising from her cheeks and neck. It only got hotter as a big broad smile ran across his face.

"Well look at you. Our little Diana's grown up so fast now. So who's the lucky guy? Some museum egghead?" asked Flash

"I…ummm…met him at a party. We met the next day and we hit it off as people say."

"Alright Diana! So what do you need to know? I mean…you do know like…how the stuff between girls and…I mean men and women….kinda like…you know….I got some books. I mean I can get some if you…oh boy…."

The heat died around Diana face as she enjoyed Flash tripping over his own words.

"My questions is when do you tell someone about who you are? Who you _really_ are."

Flash let out a sigh and took a long thoughtful drink of his soda as he squinted his eyes thoughtfully in contemplation. Diana prayed to Hera that he wouldn't want any more details of who the person was because she wasn't great at lying. Although she knew Flash had a good heart, it was offset by his big mouth on occasion. She could certainly trust him in battle but she had not spent as much time with him as Green Lantern has. She decided nonetheless to trust him.

"Well honestly Diana, I haven't dealt with that but I figure…hmmm….you just know when the time is right? I mean you spend enough time with someone and you….you just know….after time." He said

"I suppose you're right Wally. The fates will tell me when it's time enough. Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He said before finishing his soda. "But if you really want to know, ask Clark. He is Superman after all."

"Ask Clark what?" asked Superman as he walked back into the conference room

"Nothing." Said Diana and Wally at the same time.

Superman furrowed his brow for a moment and took his seat at the round table. Soon the other League members returned and the meeting began again.

After hours of delegating and discussion at the meeting, Diana found it a great thrill to finally work on a physical challenge as she slammed her fist into the leathery withered face of Granny Goodness. The fires of Apokolips raged all around her in a crimson sky as the smell of burnt ash and rotted flesh flooded her nose. Even from a height of 3 miles in the air, she still felt the heat of the fires below encasing her skin. Screams of parademons filled her ears and mixed with the distant barking of the massive hell hounds that roamed the blackened plains.

"When have we _ever _been to Apokolips huh? When are we ever gonna go huh?" asked half "B'wana Beast as he puffed out his bare chest in defiance "Can't we have normal training like everyone else?"

It never ceased to amaze Diana the wonders of technology could bring to life. The training room re-created the planet of Apokolips down to the detail of the drool the parademons salivated constantly. Although Diana had never been to Apokolips herself, she was told by Superman that it was so accurate that it gave him goose bumps. She never would have dreamed of such things back on Themyscria.

"Reddy! Watch my flank! I'm going after the incoming hellhounds!" shouted Supergirl

"Roger!" said the Red Tornado as he blew away several parademons who were moving to intercept her.

"This is Batman to all points. I need a sit rep." said the Dark Knight over the communicator

"It's going slower than we thought Batman but we got ninety percent of the prisoners moved. There was a lot of interference on the way here. B'wana Beast and Creeper are facing heavy resistance and Hawk is down! We should be done in two minutes though!" said the Atom

"Keep going! I'll be over to assist! Batman out!" said Batman as Diana moved into position to block a series of laser beams with her bracelets.

"Leave it to Bats to come up with another crazy scene." Said the Booster Gold over the comms as wrestled with a Lashina, the whip wielding Female Fury that was trained by Granny.

"Enough talk! We're almost finished! Keep going!" Batman ordered into the communicator as Diana watched from above while he carried an unconscious Hawk over his shoulder.

It didn't take long for the scenario to finish successfully much to the relief of Diana's teammates. The large screen that appeared above them listed all their statistics as a new record for the Apokolips rescue scenario. They had already beaten Green Lantern's team from earlier as the group of heroes cheered and congratulated each other on their teamwork. It was short lived though as Batman chastised them on their performance, especially Booster Gold, who had learned to keep quiet if it came to Batman.

"So who wants Hamburger Helper cause…I ain't cookin it!" exclaimed Creeper as he bounced around the room like an excited child on a sugar high.

"Ooooh! Food!" said Supergirl "Who's in? It'd be nice to eat as a group for a change."

"Count me out. I need to review the combat data." Said Batman solemnly as he walked out of the training room without another word

"_I need to review the combat data_." Mocked Booster Gold in a high pitched, whiney voice to the laughter of his teammates

"_You have to expect the unexpected_." Said B'wama Beast as he held his arm up to his face in a mock pose of Batman with his cape

"_Because I'm the Batman! I am the wetblanket in the night who comes to be the buzzkill that strikes from the shadows!"_ said Supergirl with a lower gravely tone to her voice.

"Oh do not worry mon cherie. You steel have me to keeesss you. Muah muah!" said Creeper while he grabbed Supergirls hand in a mock gesture of romance as Supergirl pulled her hand back.

The spectacle only served to enhance Diana's mood as she laughed with her comrades. As much as the League disliked Batman, Diana knew they all respected him and his methods at least. None of them could deny his contributions to their training. Diana remembered once that Batgirl let it slip to her that the training missions that Batman put the League through was nothing compared to the training session that she had to endure. She could only imagine how well trained his first protégé, Nightwing would be compared to the rest of the League.

Still she decided that Batman could benefit from a meal at the very least as she sent her friends ahead of her. Once reaching the control room she only found Superman sitting in the large chair loading up his own training program.

"Superman. Have you seen Batman? He said he would be here." She asked

Polite as ever, Superman turned in his chair and stood up to face her.

"It's probably not a good idea to talk to him right now Diana. Maybe I can help you out." Said Superman

"Why? Did something happen?"

"His friend who was shot during the robbery at his house didn't make it. He just got the news from Alfred. I tried talking to him about it but that's one brick wall even I can't punch through." said Superman with concern in his eyes.

"Hera." Whispered Diana as she lowered her head for a quick prayer.

Diana returned to Gotham to begin packing for her trip back to Washington D.C. Her flight would be tomorrow in the evening as she packed the rest of her things into her suitcase. Thoughts of Batman weren't far from her mind as she zipped up her carryon bag. She could only imagine the pain and guilt he felt for his friend's death inside of his own home and although Diana knew one of the rules of combat was that people die sometimes, it did nothing to ease the pain of a loss.

As she finished folding her pants, Diana's thoughts shifted to the thought of children. There were no children on Themyscria as there were no men to propagate with. Children were as much a legend to the Amazons lately as sea monsters or Minotaur's so it came as a shock when she saw children for the first time. She often loved to hear the stories from the other League as they grew up with their parents and never tired of hearing any of the details. However Batman was never one to share that with any of the League. The thought of losing her own mother was cold icy spear in her chest to Diana but she could never imagine her death occurring right in front of her as a child or having it done so senselessly. It made her wonder if she would be any different than Batman if it had happened to her instead.

Just then "Cassandra's" cell phone rang on the nearby table. She moved to pick it up and saw it was a familiar number.

"Hi Bruce." She said as she opened the cell phone to her ear

"Hey Cassie." He said in his usual up beat manner. "What are you doing right now?"

"I am packing. My flight's leaving tomorrow so…yea…packing." She said as she cursed herself for her awkwardness

"Well it's a traditional Gotham custom to give a big send off to a guest on their last night in the city." he said, lacing his voice with extra charm, which unsettled Diana.

Was this really Batman? Was Bruce really this callous to the death of a friend?

"Well then…I hate to break tradition. Where are we going tonight?"

"You'll see. Come on down. I'm in the lobby."

"Oh! Alright then. I'll be right down." Diana said as she hung up the phone and reached for her blonde wig.

The boardwalk of Gotham Amusement Pier creaked under her feet as Diana walked with Bruce through the maze of tents and people. All around them were bright lights of the carnival that was held this time of year when the weather was warm enough to coax people out of their homes. Sounds of laughter made Diana smile as some nearby children enjoyed the variety of games promising prizes to the winners. Every vendor sold food combinations Diana had never even heard of before as hot sweet smells tantalized her taste buds. Tied to her arm was a large red balloon that read: "I won this balloon at Gotham Pier!" that she had won when she had beaten Bruce in hoops game, a game similar she played as a child.

It still confused Diana that Bruce had not mentioned Alec's death at all to her. They enjoyed the pier all night as Bruce Wayne seemed as comfortable here as he was in the heights of high society. Not once did he show any of the usual emotions Batman was so well known for throughout his crime fighting career as they finally sat down upon an old rusty wooden bench next to the inky black ocean. Diana fought the urge to ask him about Alec outright. She was even afraid to ask out of fear of upsetting Bruce.

"You know I bet D.C. would be a lot more fun if they had something like the pier." Said Bruce as he directed Diana to the distorted wavy image of both her and Bruce

"It would but I think it may detract from the prestige of the land though."

A million scenarios ran in her head as to why he would withhold the information. He was turning out to be a very singular man among all the extraordinary men she had known during her time in man's world. Everything about him was a sheer mystery. Suddenly one reason stuck out and pricked her like a thorn from a rose. The most likely reason for all this came to her: he was using her to forget his feelings. To forget his friends death.

Diana felt a burning seed bubble up and boil in her chest as she looked away from him at hotdog cart nearby. His mouth was moving but the words were dead to her. She felt as if she was swallowing a rock as he kept talking about their odd warped reflections in a nearby funhouse mirror. Desperately she wanted to take action against him, to gain the truth to his behavior yet she was restrained by the blonde wig. She could understand taking solace in another but solace had a level of respect for her and the dead.

"Cassandra? Are you alright?" he asked

"Yes. Just…tired. Really tired." She responded with all the fake joy she could muster

"This place does that to you. You end up doing so much that you forget the time and you're worn out before you realize it. The only person that could go on all night was Alec. He used to drag me here along with several girls, all friends of mine of course." He said with a smile that faded quickly. "We'd all run around here till we shut it down and run off to another location Alec could get us into. Those were good times."

Diana felt a pang of shame release any anger as she realized why he had brought her out here as a warm mild wind picked up and blew past them.

"He didn't make it Cassandra. He died earlier today. I'm sorry." He said with a soft sadness

"Oh…oh my…." Said Diana hoping she sounded sincere.

"I'm sorry to tell you there were sudden complications from the bullet. He died this afternoon. Alec wouldn't want me to sit alone in the mansion. I know he would've brought us here eventually Cassandra. He always loved it here. I mean he…." Bruce said softly as a family of three walked by.

Diana watched with Bruce at the happy family now looking at their reflections in the funhouse mirror. The sound of their laughter filled the empty air around them as Diana reached over and squeezed Bruce's hand under the light of an incomplete crescent moon.


	6. Changes

The warm, bright Metropolis sunlight beamed down on the crowded patio of the La Fiesta Restaurant. Smells of sweet and spicy Mexican cuisine wafted with the sea air in between the bright yellow parasols as Diana, dressed as Cassandra, ate her burrito when Lois Lane sat down across from her while talking on her cell phone.

"I don't care if Perry wants me to leave Macy alone. I'm going to nail his ass for that securities scam he pulled…Well don't worry about the morons he keeps on payroll to protect him. You and I are going to…oh…well I'll see you there around 6 tonight. And make sure you go to the bathroom _before_ we get into the dumpster." Said Lois as she hung up her phone and put it in her purse. "Sorry Dia…Cassandra. This thing is going to take some getting used to."

"It's alright Lois. Although I'd have to say you should wear a second set of clothes to the dumpster tonight." Said Diana

"Oh trust me, I've got this thing down to a science…sadly." Said the reporter as she picked up a chip from the nearby basket and scooped it into the fresh salsa. "So…houg ew wit peeing…cuse me."

Diana tried to decipher what Lois said but instead waited for her to finish crunching on her chip.

"Sorry. Whew. So how're you with being…well not you?" asked Lois clearly while waving her hand to flag down a waitress

"It's going quite well. I'm really enjoying being able to be in public without anyone knowing. It's really given me some new perspective and I've learned more about history to fill the library back home."

"Don't forget, you owe me an exclusive for giving you Clark's "fashion tips" for your new look. EXCUSE ME!" she shouted. A waitress quickly scurried over. "Can I get the number 5 and a lot more chips? Thanks. God I love these chips."

Diana admired Lois and her and the job she did but more importantly to Diana, she admired how she and Clark made things work between them. She knew it wasn't easy but they were the model couple, _her_ model couple even if they were opposites. To Diana, it gave them a sense of balance and more importantly, it kept Superman honest. Not that the man of steel needed any humility but being in the League meant facing world ending situations and monsters that forced everyone to look at the big picture. But lately her thoughts were even more focused on Lois and Clark for another reason entirely.

"Anytime you want the exclusive Lois I'll be ready. So how is Clark doing?"

"Smallville's fine. We're going to ma's house for dinner tomorrow night." said Lois as she scooped up another chip into the salsa

"I hear his parents are very nice. J'onn says they made his first Christmas memorable. But I here it's always anxious to meet someone else's parents. We're you worried when you first met them though?"

"Well…alittle bit. They're definitely nicer than some of the _other_ parents I've met. So who's the guy?" asked Lois casually

"What do you mean?"

Lois simply looked at Diana and cocked her eyebrow.

"Was it that obvious?" asked Diana sheepishly

"Let's just say interrogation isn't your strong suit. So spill it already sister." Said Lois with a cocky smile.

Diana's mind raced furiously. If Lois was able to see through what she thought were casual questions, then it wouldn't be too hard for her to decipher who she was interested in. Although Lois was a friend, Diana didn't want too many people to know that it was Bruce she went out with. She didn't want to complicate things since Clark was involved and shared Bruce's thoughts that dating within the team was always a bad idea. But Lois was a friend and if she could keep Clark's secret, couldn't she keep hers?

Her thoughts wrestled with the situation when several missiles soared overhead and sent napkins, dishes and parasols sailing off in their wake.

"Sorry Lois. I have to get that." Said Diana as she flashed a smile and ran for a place to change.

"Saved by the bell." Said Lois as she cut off a piece of Diana's burrito with her fork

Once outside of the restaurant, Diana ran towards the closest ally to change into Wonder Woman but once there, she found a homeless vagrant looking sleeping on a pile of newspapers. Although Diana had the speed of Hermes at her side, she decided against the chance that she might give the man an impromptu strip show. She also decided against it due to the fact she'd also have to leave her disguise at the scene which may raise suspicion to any careful observer. Quickly she ran into the next ally over that was luckily deserted but reeking of raw wet garbage. Holding her breath, she took one last look around and changed into Wonder Woman as she started flying. Dropping her glasses, clothes and wig atop of a nearby roof, she charged full speed towards the missiles.

It didn't take the Amazon princess long to reach the first missile. With her lasso out, she looped one end around the body of a missile and pulled it with enough force to impact a missile nearby, detonating both over the ocean. With the blast echoing through her bones, she was too far back to reach the last missile and could only watch futilely as it met its target: the wall of Stryker's Island maximum security prison. Soon several inmates were running out from the gigantic hole in the wall like rats from a sinking ship.

"Surrender now or face the consequences!" she yelled as she arrived on the scene.

She was only greeted with a slew of catcalls and whistles, which only angered her further.

"Hey Wonder babe, been awhile but come down and I'll show you some good damn consequences!" shouted one grotesquely ugly large inmate in orange prison jumpsuit. His bald head shined in the afternoon light as he grinned at Diana.

"I don't know Nails. This is Wonder Woman here. I wouldn't do that" Said another frightened inmate as he backed away.

"I know how to handle dumb bit…"

Before he could finish his sentence a tiara ricochets off his head, knocking him on unconscious. The other inmates looked at his prone form and back up in fear as Diana placed the tiara back over her brow. Just as Diana was about to command the inmates back inside, she was hit with a neon green blast of energy that knocked her back in an arch back into the cold water. The chill of the water took away most of the pain as she breached out of the water to find her attacker, Atomic Skull standing just inside the prison walls, staring at her with through the gigantic hole.

Atomic Skull's head was surrounded by a green radioactive flame that burnt away all of the skin on his face, exposing his skull and giving him a constantly ghoulish grin on a massive burly frame. Diana recognized him from the League files as one of Superman's regular rogues. She knew he wasn't to be taken lightly not only from the energy blasts he could generate but also that his strength level was near her own. She watched as riot squads came to subdue him only to be pushed back by his trademark green energy blast he blew out from his mouth like a dragon.

"That the _best _you got?" he taunted the guards as Wonder Woman looped her lasso around him.

"No. Just getting warmed up." Said Diana as flew into him with a right cross and sent him flying into the wall.

Atomic Skull got up from the rubble with his arms tied as he fired another blast but Diana dogged and flew towards him for another punch when a painful lightening shock went through her, causing her body to go rigid and crash into the ground and tearing a line in the concrete in her wake like a crashing plane. Diana flipped her hair back as she received a vicious kick in the chin from Atomic Skull that sent her flying into the air to be hit with another lightning bolt before impacting hard into the ground once more face down. With her body racked with pain, Diana looked behind her as she saw a bearded man inside of a nearby helicopter dressed in a Greek costume wielding a sharp metal lightning bolt.

"Lo lovely Leda! Why doth my former love oppose me as such? This is the will of the gods! So says mighty Zeus!" said the man in the helicopter.

She thought it a strange reaction but Diana barely managed to contain her laughter at the man who thought saw himself as the king of all gods. The humor faded quickly as she realized that the odds were against her as she was now facing foes from both sides.

"Hey grandpa! Just stay out of my way!" shouted Atomic Skull.

"Hephaestus, dear friend!" yelled Zeus as the chopper landed.

"Hephaestus?" said Diana

"Heffertus? asked Atomic Skull

"How can the weaponer of the gods stay shackled among mere mortals! Doth comes Zeus to set right to the wrongs of man in his eyes! Come! Let us purge your desecration by fire on those that dared to trifle with the power of the GODS!"

"Uhh. Whatever pal. As long as you get my ass out of here." Said Atomic Skull as he pushed the lasso off his frame.

"Will you not join us lovely Leda as so I may keep you from such an atrocious fate!"

"Why does he keep calling you Leda?" asked Atomic Skull

"Google it." said Wonder Woman as she rose up and stood defiantly to between the two.

"So be it." Said Zeus as he fired another bolt of lightning

Diana deftly dodged the barrage of attacks as the contained inmates cheered for the two attacking villains.

"Wonder Woman to all points. I'm under heavy fire and need backup." She said as a hot green flame flew over her shoulder.

Silence was the only response she got as Diana realized quickly the electricity shorted out the tiny communicator in her right ear. Giving a quick curse, she realized she was going to be on her own. Superman was the guardian of Metropolis but Diana guessed this was a coordinated attack and that he was being kept occupied somewhere else.

Being handicapped was one of the scenarios she of course had trained for many times with the League and the Amazons. Although difficult, Diana kept her composure as her mind worked to formulate a quick battle plan. After evading several more shots, she flew into the air and positioned herself between the helicopter and Atomic Skull. When she saw another green burst barreling towards her, she moved out of the way as Atomic Skull's fire hit the blades of the helicopter. The chopper wobbled and coughed into a tail spin and crashed into the ground with an ear screeching crunch of metal.

"Aw crap. I can't catch a break." Said Atomic Skull before he fired off another blast.

Diana knew he was keeping her at a distance as flew down and grabbed her lasso. While evading more green fire, she prepared the loop to toss it restrain Atomic Skull when she was hit from behind by again by a bolt of lightning that sent her spiraling towards the ground and bounced off of the hard concrete it with a dull thud.

"LEDA! THOU SHALL BE STRICKEN UPON BY NEITHER SWAN …BUT WRATH! Screamed Maxie Zeus while climbing out of the wrecked helicopter. His once clean white robe was now splashed with his own blood that sputtered from his cut forehead.

"GETUP GETUP GETUP GETUP GETUP…" she repeated to herself inside of her head as her muscles screamed at her to stop moving.

Slowly Diana rose to her feet as she felt an impact against her kidneys that took the breath out of her lungs and sent flying into the unforgiving prison wall. Her stomach threatened to vomit from and her head throbbed and spun. She took slow and careful breathes in an effort to focus back on the present. Her limbs felt shaky and unsure as she heard gunfire erupt from behind her. Diana turned and saw several of the prison guards attempting to defend her as they made another rush at the two men in riot gear and guns.

"Cover Wonder Woman!" shouted one of the lead guards

Unfortunately her cavalry was pushed back by the combined firepower of her opponents. Seeing their courage gave Diana a second wind as she felt strength return to her body as Maxie Zeus stood over her.

"You shall now feel the full wrath of Zeus pitiful Leda!" said Zeus as Atomic Skull kept the guards at bay.

"Go. To. Tartarus." Said Diana as she stared back with all the ferocity the amazons are known for.

Suddenly a speeding object knocked the lightning bolt away from Zeus's hand as Diana sprang to her feet and picked him up by his neck. With his feet dangling off the ground, she refrained from punching a hole through Zeus and instead hit him in the stomach with enough force instead to knock the wind out of him. After dropping him to the floor, Diana then flew towards Atomic Skull, who turned in time to see the fist that broke his jaw and sent him flying upwards into the nest of the guard's tower.

Every guard cheered as Wonder Woman stood triumphantly and basked in the moment like a gladiator. She looked a disheveled mess while breathing heavily from exertion. Her once pristine skin now covered in sweat, bruises, scratches and dirt, each mark she wore proudly with grace and honor. All the pains of battle came rushing back as the adrenaline wore off, each point of impact upon her body sending out sharp jolts of pain. Already there was an unsightly discolored bruise connecting her hip and rib as she turned her back carefully.

Her thoughts were now on what knocked the lightning bolt out of Zeus's hand and who helped her in the fight. With great care, she winced as she walked back towards the unconscious "god" and soon found the object lying nearby. Wincing with pain she bent down and picked up a lone batarang off the grey concrete of the prison floor.

The weary frame of Wonder Woman flew onto her balcony and walked inside her apartment to the awaiting meow of her cat. Diana wasn't fond of flying in from her balcony but was too tired to dress again as Cassandra and spend the time fiddling with keys, locks and elevators. She found a new appreciation for what Clark, Wally and all other League members go through when the change into their costumes. Diana made a mental note to ask Wally about how he gets his costume in a ring.

Superman arrived after the fight was over and helped to seal the prison wall. Her hunch was right that he was being kept busy by bombing at a chemical plant on the far side of Metropolis. They later found out that Zeus was a rich delusional man who saw Atomic Skull on the news and thought he was Hephaestus and arranged for his escape. It was funny to Diana especially since Maxie Zeus bore little resemblance to the actual god. Clark offered to have the League teleport her home but Diana insisted she was fine to fly home since she wanted to grab her outfit without Clark knowing.

Once inside the sanctity of her bathroom, Diana tossed "Cassandra" into the laundry hamper she turned on the hot water and drew herself a bath. While waiting for the water the rise, she stripped off her armor and examined her bruises and scratches in the mirror. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she saw the massive purple spot on the right side of her body. Normally those were things that Amazons wore with pride but they'd be much harder to explain to Bruce as to why Cassandra was hurt the same time as Wonder Woman. She said a quick thanks to Hera that she didn't have any bruises or marks on her face. Turning back towards the bath, she shut off the hot water and let the steam massage her skin.

Carefully she slid into the hot water as she let her worries melt away. An hour at least passed as Diana luxuriated in her much deserved bath before getting up and drying off. After attending to her bruises, she lay in bed and allowed her thoughts to drift back to Batman. Helen jumped on the bed and sat next to her owner.

"Does he know? Was he following me? What was he doing in the day? " Diana asked herself inside her head as the last of the daylight faded.

During the fight she was told that some of the inmates dove into the water to try to swim for the mainland but before an APB could be issued, they found them all in a giant net on a nearby dock. When asked who had caught them, they could only reply that they say a black boat pop out of the water and fire a net over them when they were close to the shore.

Clark mentioned earlier that Maxie Zeus was a minor member in Batman's rogue's gallery so it shouldn't come as a big surprise that he was there. But Diana kept wondering why he didn't show himself, even if it was daylight.

All her thoughts evaporated as Cassandra's cell phone rang with the name BRUCE flashing on the caller ID.

"Hi Bruce." She greeted as all her pains evaporated.

"Hey Cass. How are you?"

"I'm good Bruce. I just came back from a late lunch with a friend."

"A female friend I hope." He said.

"Maybe. After all museums assistant researchers are quite sought after."

"Well I better get a stick to beat them off with. Hey listen, I just called because I wanted to say hi and hear your voice but right now I'm on my way out.

Diana smiled as she was practically floating.

"I also wanted to let you know that night on the boardwalk a couple of days ago was…" said Bruce

"Was what?" Diana asked with a smile on her face

"It was nice. Thanks for being there with me. It meant a lot. I gotta now. I'll call you"

"My pleasure. Bye Bruce."

All the pain in her body was dulled and covered over by a sense of elation. Never was there a better feeling in the world to her as she replayed his last words in her mind.

"I wanted to hear your voice. Thanks for being there with me." She said to Helen.

The cat looked at her blankly before laying its head back down on the soft sheets and closing her eyes.

Diana couldn't sleep now as she felt like dancing. She thought to herself that Solomon Grundy could bust in on her wearing a mish mash Booster Gold's and Shinning Knight's costume and she still would feel as if she could take on the whole world. Hunger pains gnawed at her stomach as Diana got out of the bed and went into the kitchen.

She flipped on the TV to the local news as she opened her refrigerator and brought out some leftover Chinese food. As she heated it in the microwave, she heard a report concerning Bruce Wayne and she quickly grabbed the remote to turn up the volume.

"…known as Gotham's billionaire playboy and she's known as one of the hottest models in the country. We connected the couple as they spent a very cozy time on his yacht among other such party guest such as Lex Luthor…"

The words "couple" from the television hit Diana harder then Atomic Skull could ever hit. As she rushed over to the TV, she hoped that she had heard wrong, that it was due to some damage she had recieved from the fight, that it wasn't true. But she was proven right as her heart sank at the sight of Bruce kissing Faye who was dressed in an orange bikini on the deck of his yacht.


	7. Third Watch

"Hey Cassie. It's Bruce. Call me." BEEP

"Hey Cassandra. It's me. I haven't heard back from you yet. Call me." BEEP

"Hi. It's me again. Did you get my flow…" BEEP

"It's Bruce. It was just thinking of you and…" BEEP

It took Diana five minutes to delete all the messages from Bruce during her monitor duty shift, a shift that was dragging unbearably long for her today since Batman was on board the Watchtower at the same time. Even in a sprawling tower with a full staff and three other heroes with her and Batman held up in lab five floors below her, Diana felt trapped.

Weeks had gone by since the wide spread report of Bruce Wayne's love connection to supermodel Faye had been broadcasted to the world, leaving Wonder Woman hurt and bewildered but still largely unchanged when it came to her duties. Her upbringing had circulated around the warrior mentality and taught her to stone herself against all emotions when necessary. To most of the League she was still at her best at all times, if a bit sore from her injuries, meetings, training sessions and to actual missions but life outside of her costume was a different story.

When the news first broke of Bruce, Diana was saddened but not defeated. There were no tears shed at the revelation though she thought of exposing her identity to everyone and savoring the look of surprise on Batman's face especially, then question him on Bruce Wayne's behavior. She refrained from doing so since she recognized she might be naive to modern dating rituals. Diana felt a connection but they were not promised to each other and even Diana recognized that two dates, even good dates, weren't enough to build a promise upon. This led to a maddening search on the internet of modern dating rules that gave Diana information but answered little.

The following weeks after the announcement became easier, especially since Batman abused his part time member status to stay in Gotham so much that she never saw him. Even her life as Cassandra offered her an unexpected solace, apart from the delivery of flowers and phone messages, as she put herself into her work and other life. Her body recovered fully, bearing no evidence of any abuse with the exception of a minor ache from time to time. But a flood of questions still occupied her mind. She felt awkward and lost without any answers for guidance.

All other aspects of her life had a code. There were rules of engagement for battle, laws and jurisdictions for criminals, media etiquette; there was even a list of bi-laws for the League. But there was no training for what she was going through and her usual method of a sharp sword would yield no answers.

But the one question on her mind overshadowed the others: who was Bruce Wayne?

Diana marveled at how aloof one man could be in _and_ out of costume. She knew Batman or at least had a better idea than most of the League of who he was, with the exception of Clark, but she had only begun to know Bruce Wayne. Surely Bruce couldn't be Batman _all_ the time. Even the most driven figures in history had to unwind or else risk turning into a fanatic. In all his time as Bruce Wayne, at least one activity must have brought some pleasure to him, even if he was acting the part. She hoped casual dating wasn't the activity but the thought only served to create a question about his cavalier treatment of her feelings and if he would've acted differently if she knew who Cassandra really was? Then Diana wondered if he had seen through her disguise all along and if he had, had this been one of his mind games to discourage her from being Cassandra? Also, why didn't he intervene during the fight with Atomic Skull and Zeus?

"Watchtower this is Vigilante. Come on in now Watchtower." twanged Vigilante's voice over the speakers.

Diana perked up at the thought of some action as she hit the video button. After some static, a face covered with a red mask and a white cowboy hat came on screen.

"This is Wonder Woman. Go ahead Vigilante."

"Well you're a sight for sore eyes princess, as always. Caught me here a horse thief here in Mesa but 'fore ya'll jump to ideas, this pony he tried to steal here is a gin-u-wine sonic phase enhancer do hickey." Said the cowboy in his thick accent

Diana thought that the League often held its share of colorful characters and Vigilante was among one of the most colorful. Originally gaining some fame as a county singer, he abandoned that life when his father, a sheriff in this hometown, was gunned down trying to stop a robbery. Returning home and donning his outfit, he relied on the skills with his pistols he had learned from his late father and avenged his death by capturing the men responsible. After that Vigilante opted to keep up his costumed career rather than return to his music, although he still performs an impromptu concert in the Watchtower from time to time.

"I'm sure the authorities in Mesa City can handle it. Why bring it to the League?" she asked

"Cause the feller that I caught here felt a might fishy so when I interrogated 'im, he said there was another robbery which was to occur tonight at Star Labs in Tokyo.

"Then I don't have much time. Thank you Vigilante." Said Diana

"Yer welcome princess. Oh and one more thing, Imma need some help to corral this varmint. He's a mighty powerfully ugly one. Strong too."

"Who is the thief?" asked Wonder Woman.

"Don't know. Just some white albino gerrilla."

"That's gorilla! And I am more than some simple simian you loutish southern oaf! And albino MEANS WHITE! You're just being redundant you troglodyte!"

Shock bolted through Diana as she recognized the voice.

"Did you catch Ultra-Humanite? On your own?"

The feat was impressive considering Ultra-Humanite was one of the League's most dangerous enemies. Humanite possessed the intellect of a genius combined with the raw power of an enhanced gorilla and although Vigilante was not to be taken lightly as a fighter, he was just a man with no powers at all and not nearly half of the training as Batman or his gadgets. The only items she ever saw him with were his two trademark revolvers and a rope.

"Sure did little lady." he said pushing the brow of his hat up with one finger.

Even with his face covered, Diana could see the corners of his eyes wrinkle into a smile.

"I swear when I get out of here I'm going to tear you in two!" threatened Humanite

"Hey! Put a cork in it mojo jojo or I'll start singin again!" he turned and shouted. "I still got my git-tar here and feeling alittle bit country now!"

"Alright alright! I acquiesce." Relented Humanite

"Well you better not aqua ass! Whatever that is." Said Vigilante as he turned back to the screen

"I'll send some members over at once. Thanks cowboy. Wonder Woman out."

"Vaya con dios." Said the Vigilante as his image flickered from the screen.

The promise of action held a blessing and a curse. Diana would hopefully work out her frustrations on catching a thief but she didn't speak Japanese. Wonder Woman's fame would be rendered useless if she couldn't communicate with any local authorities and at the moment, the only available League member is Batman.

The white light from the teleporter faded from her eyes to the orange dusk of a mountain skyline five miles outside of Tokyo.

The smell of fresh wood and tree sap replaced the sterile recycled air of the Watchtower while Diana wasted no time as her legs turned her around and pumped hard towards into the woods, all the while she swept her eyes left to right and back again, just as she'd done during so many drills and practice sessions, and as always she felt the flow of invigorating focus come over her.

A clearing opened up to her revealing the empty rear loading dock of a large, flat unassuming three story building lined with windows. Aside from the location in the midst of the forest it appeared to be like any other office building apart from what lay inside laid some of the most expensive equipment on earth. The Tokyo branch of S.T.A.R. labs was the leading facility in bio engineering focusing on splicing genes of human and animal DNA. Diana melted into the surrounding foliage and kept her watch on her post.

"I already set silent proximity alarms at the most likely entrances." Batman's voice from behind her

"What are you doing here?" whispered Diana as she kept her gaze upon the rear. Her flow vanished instantly. "The front entrance…"

"…is covered with guards already. I don't want to be dodging ensuing crossfire. Besides, I already have an inside man."

"Let me guess. Plastic man as a vase? Very stealthy." Said Wonder Woman

"Elongated man. He's probably not a vase though."

Diana furrowed her brow in an effort to maintain her focus upon the building. She struggled with the idea of moving to another location but chased away that idea. Amazons always stood their ground. No matter how vexing Batman's silent presence became, Diana tried to regain her focus by continuing to scan the building, ignoring the need to turn to face him when speaking and look him in the eyes.

"You should patrol the perimeter." She said

"It's already secured. The loading dock is the most vulnerable entrance."

"Your alarms maybe compromised or improperly mounted considering your recent philandering."

The instant the words escaped out of her mouth she regretted it.

"My other life has _never_ had any bearing on my work." He growled quietly through clenched teeth. She felt the breath of his words on her bare shoulder.

"I was just _concerned_. It seemed your new love life keeps you busy." She said trying to hide the malice in her tone.

"That's my business."

"No. It's League business. Your words I recall when you've gone digging through others lives.

"What I…."

"If you're going to be in the field with me I need to know that I can trust you in battle." She interrupted while she turned to face him. "I need to know if you have the right mindset and not daydreaming of women. This is life or death and a mistake _can_ get someone hurt or worse so it's in the League's best interest, _my_ best interest, to know if you're committed."

Batman remained silent. Diana turned back to her post and hoped that the last comment had driven him off to leave her in her victory. For a moment she believed he had left without a sound, which he is so famously known for. But she knew he was staring at her as a numb and warm feeling settled at the back of her head, the one secret super power that he had.

Feelings of quiet rage turned to discomfort as the dusk gave way to complete darkness around them and the air turned into a brisk chill when the sound of gunfire pierced the area, a bright flash erupting from one of the upper story windows. Wonder Woman and Batman sprang from their hiding spots into the open.

"E.M. sit rep." said Batman as Diana launched herself into the air and crashed through the window of the third floor.

Batman wasn't far behind as Diana looked over the room and surveyed the darkened lab where Elongated Man laid unconscious, his limbs laid stretched out limply across the room like an unrolled carpet. Standing on top of his flattened prone form was a tall figure, taller than Diana standing at six and a half feet tall, dressed in an all black body suit. By the build Diana could tell he was a man and a strong one with his broad shoulders and chest as he turned his head, which was covered in a full mask to stare at them through the black lenses of his goggles. Moonlight reflected off his suit like a fine sheen revealing the detailed tiny connected hexagon patterns that made the skin tight suit.

"Tomero, ugokuna!" shouted Batman

The thief pushed a buckle on his belt and disappeared in front of them.

"Hera." Said Diana

"Tell me about it." Said Batman

Carefully both heroes watched for any area disturbances in the surrounding areas, a typical visual signature for stealth technology. Diana caught a rush of movement from the corner of her eye near Batman before being thrown backwards by the impact of an unseen attack. Wonder Woman had no choice but to throw a blind fist to where she guessed the thief could be but was only met with a pair of invisible hands grasping onto her arm, flipping her over on top of Batman.

Both she and Batman recovered as they saw the outline of the thief run out the door.

"Stay here and check on Elongated Man." Ordered Batman as he chased after the invisible thief, leaving Wonder Woman unable to argue against his order

She hated being ordered to stay behind but would not be able to forgive herself if Elongated Man needed serious medical help. Without stepping on his flattened form, Diana stepped over him and checked his pulse.

Two hours of searching and dealing with the local police had left Diana frustrated and fatigued before returning to her quarters in the Watchtower. She turned the heat up inside her quarters to replace the chill of the Japanese night air while sipping a cup of passion fruit hot tea. Elongated Man wasn't seriously hurt but was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head from the thief. When questioned by Batman on breaking protocol and not calling for backup, Elongated Man said he couldn't due to the fact the thief appeared suddenly in the room with his stealth suit, leaving him to try to take the attacker on his own.

On her computer Diana reviewed the vials of genetic material and research data that had been stolen leaving the League, Batman especially, worried about who was behind the theft and the damage they could do. She took another sip of tea as she brought up another window containing the list of dictators, villains and rogue states were a mile long that could benefit from the theft. What made things harder was the list of potential mercenaries and thieves for hire that fit the physical profile of their attacker.

Her core felt pleasantly warm as she finished the last of her tea cascading down her throat but it did little ease her mind from the outcome earlier. She wondered what may have happened if her mind was on the task at hand rather than on Bruce's presence. Elongated Man could have been a casualty due to her distraction and even worse, Batman could have been killed or injured and that would be one weight she would not be able to carry. With that, her mind was set to tell him the truth and weigh the possibility of ending things with him.


	8. Social Animals

The cool air conditioned wind blew through the tall shaft of the foyer of Washington's Museum of History, carrying with the scents from the various exhibits with it. In the center was a recreation of a giant prehistoric bear roaring defiantly on a patch of land as footsteps of the bustling maintenance staff and security bounced off marble floors and off high stone walls and arches, among them was Diana's boots which were headed for the office of Geoff Blankly, the museum curator.

Geoff Blankly oversaw everything from finances to the staff and was known to be more interested in prestige and money than actually the museum itself. Whenever in a bad mood, he would take his frustrations out on the staff, demanding impromptu meetings and making employee reviews based on who would kiss up to him the most. Although he rarely came over to the research department, it took Diana every ounce of restraint for her not to pick up the man by his collar and leave him hanging upside down on the flagpole outside. If there was anything she hated more it was bullies.

But today would challenge her patience since she had an appointment with Blankly to pitch her a new Justice League exhibit. Diana thought it would be an excellent way for the public to be better acquainted with the League, especially lately since she's had a feeling of disconnect from the general public due to the League's sudden expansion. If the exhibit was a success, she would even be able to consider if they could host an Amazon exhibit. The idea of sharing her home with people left her excited at the chance to fulfill her dream of connecting the outside world with Themyscira.

Riding on the high of possibility, Diana rapped on the large wooden door with the name BLANKLY etched into the door in gold letters. Dressed in a business outfit of a blouse and skirt, she waited a beat with a folder of graphs and documents she had spent all of last night on after developing the idea when she returned from the Watchtower. The project was born out of the restless night from the anxiety of her unpleasant task of telling Batman the truth of Cassandra Sandsmark. In truth it served as a welcome distraction even if she was feeling the effects from a lack of sleep.

"Come in." said a muffled voice.

Diana opened the door to the richly decorated room that reminded Diana of the study inside Wayne Manor but this office was filled with pretense. Scattered along the wood paneled walls were pictures of Blankly with various celebrities and public figures from black tie mixers and charity fundraising events. Behind the large carved wooden desk in the center of the room was a large bookshelf stood with a large collection of first edition of classic literature intermingled with pandering celebrity biographies. In front of the desk stood Blankly focusing intensely on a golf ball that lay on a strip of putting green, his hands clutched around a putter.

"Good morning Mr. Blankly." She said in her most pleasant voice.

Blankly's tall thin frame stood motionless as a mannequin. He was unusually young for a curator and looked even younger, only looking a day over thirty years old. No one really knew how old he really was since it was a well kept secret. Blankly was as tall as Diana with short cut hair pulled up into and styled into a messy look as if he had gotten out of bed. His brow furrowed as his close knit brown eyes held its focus on the golf ball at his obnoxiously polished Italian shoes.

"Good morning Ms. Sandsmark." He said before taking giving a gentle swing with his club against the golf ball, watching the dimpled sphere roll smoothly into an overturned coffee mug. "Whatever it is, make this quick. Unlike you researchers, _my_ time is pretty valuable."

Keeping her smile and her mouth shut, Diana was sure that all the man did was practice his putting game all day when not on the occasional phone call with a girl he was courting.

"Well Mr. Blankly I have a new idea for an exhibit here at…"

"That's not your call. Take this through the proper channels." Said Blankly as he fished out his golf ball from the cup.

"I know. I just thought this idea would get some great media coverage…a…and…would pull in a large amount of money because..."

"What's the exhibit?"

"A Justic…Justice League exhibit. I have a friend in Metropolis that has a contact…" said Diana

"Pass. Thank you." Blankly answered without even looking at Diana as he lined his body up for another practice putt.

"But Mr. Blankly this is a great, great chance to…"

"Cassandra, that's about as ridiculous as that museum they're building to that idiot in Central City. This is a place of sacred history. Not some hyper colorful celebrities who rescue kittens from trees and dress like show girls. Let's try to keep our credibility here. We're the Museum of History. Not the Haley Circus, but it's not a bad idea coming from a research assistant." Scowled Blankly.

Her jaw clenched tightly to fight the urge to take his golf club away from him and show him a new way of using it. The thought of exposing her identity had become more appealing again just to see the look on Blankly's smug face at the realization who he had insulted. Again she marveled at how much restraint Superman held whenever he was bullied as Clark.

"Well…thank you for your time." Said Diana as she left the office.

The tone of metal hitting a golf ball was the only sound that she received on her way out.

Several hours later she felt refreshed as she waved goodbye to the last of the school children on their trip to the museum. Diana had not expected to enjoy being a tour guide for the day to the local elementary school but the experience left her considering coming into the museum on her off days to do it. Their questions had been so enthusiastic, reactions so pure that it took away the bad after taste from her encounter with Blankly.

But once again the feeling of crashing overtook her as she saw Bruce Wayne standing at the foot of the steps looking up at her. A cold lump grew in her stomach under the warm D.C. sun as she saw him walking up towards her dressed in a dark blue suit and a crisp, bright white button up shirt. She wished she did find him last night on the Watchtower before he had returned to Gotham but was too late to catch him. The information was too important for a phone call and she didn't want to catch him on patrol for fear of distracting Batman from his duties however this was not the way she envisioned telling him either.

"Hi. Am I too late for the noon tour?" he asked with his charming smile and shining jet black hair.

Seeing Bruce instead of Batman created an unexpected conflict within Diana instincts. Never more in her life had Diana wished for an attack from the Joker or Metallo or one of the various Captain's from the Flash's rogues gallery.

"I'm off…to lunch Mr. Wayne." She said as Diana tried to mask the churning feelings at the base of her stomach.

"Well great. I can pay for lunch then. There's this great place near Georgetown if you like Italian food." He said as he picked up his pace to match hers.

"I…brought a bag lunch…Bruce. I mean…Mr. Wayne."

This wasn't the way she wanted to reveal her true identity to him as he followed her inside of the museum like some happy puppy.

"Well I hear eating alone is bad for you. There's one of those over priced hot dogs vendors outdoors so in the interest of public health I should join you inside.'"

"When faced with an overwhelming army, the best tactic is to exploit the advantage by any means possible, whether it is terrain, training or equipment, so as to divide the attacking force, even if it means to fall back to a more advantageous point. Doing so properly would reduce the numbers of the opposing force thus making combat occur in your advantage." Diana recited to herself inside of her mind.

It was a lesson taught to her from a young age about fighting wars, a lesson from the battle of Thermopylae. In this instance the opposing force was her emotions around Bruce, leaving her at the frustrating disadvantage. She needed to confront him on her terms as Wonder Woman, instead of Cassandra.

"Cassie. Please stop." Said Bruce while grabbing her arm giving Diana the opening to turn around and face him.

"I'm sorry Bru…Mr. Wayne."

"Five minutes Cassandra. Please." He said with a shamed look of a school boy who was caught for being late to class.

"I'm sorry. I have to go." She said and turned abruptly and away as fast as she could without running.

Back inside of her research lab peppered among relics were tables with her fellow research assistants and researchers in the process of painstakingly cleaning a recent excavation from a local dig. The musty scent of dirt and dust among the relics was her haven from the outside world.

"Hey Cassandra." Greeted Allison.

Allison often was the first one to greet Diana whenever she returned to the lab. As always she was dressed with a crisp white lab coat over her jeans and t-shirt with a pen or a pencil tucked always over her ear. She was Diana's first friend when she arrived at the lab and they often spent time getting talking about each other's families, although most of the talking was done by Allison. Diana didn't mind and often enjoyed hearing about her children and her husband, which was a welcome change from the day to day activities of the League.

"What are you doing back so early? I thought you were supposed to go to lunch?" asked Allison

"I…just wanted to finish. With the clay carvings." Responded Diana as she sat down in front of a pair of dirty table filled with various clay objects.

"Well hope you don't mind if we traded then. I really want to try that Greek food place, also look out. Blankly is on the warpath about…whatever because that news crew is coming."

"Thanks Allison."

At the table Diana inhaled a deep cleansing breath to push away contradicting emotions that smeared her mind and grabbed the closest brush, joining the others around her in cleaning, cataloging and storing the various artifacts in front of them. She looked across the adjoining tables to see a new tour group approaching the window to watch the researchers work. The tour groups had the chance to ask the researchers questions provided through the speakers stationed above the window. Most of the researchers hated being bothered but interacting and informing tour groups were something Diana enjoyed that she was considered an unofficial liaison between the public and the research lab.

"So who has a question for our researchers? Anyone?" rang the tour guides voice

"I have one." Rang Bruce's voice.

Diana nearly dropped the priceless clay artifact in her hand. She ducked her head lower in an effort to shrink as much from view as possible.

"It's for the blonde woman with the glasses, the one who's brushing away some dirt, the one near the back." Bruce said. "So what are you working on?"

Diana continued to brush her clay figure without answer.

"Hey Cassandra, that guy's asking you a question." Said one of the researchers working across from her.

With resignation she looked up and pushed her glasses closer to her face. Rising from her seat she walked over to the microphone installed into the wall next to the glass.

"What is that piece you're working on?"Bruce asked.

"A Native American artifact, which was made as a totem to the god of the earth." Answered Diana

"Really? That is cool. I know this one girl who's really into those things."

"Well are there any more questions?" asked the tour guide to the group.

Diana took the moment to turn around and try to escape when Bruce's voice rang out over the speaker once again.

"I have another question. As the god of the earth was a woman because we all we're birthed from her correct?"

"Yes." Diana said turning to face him.

"If that's true, then would you like to have dinner tonight?" Bruce asked with a hopeful look on his face.

"Any other questions?" asked the museum tour guide.

"Yea. If you need a character witness, my friend here will testify to my character." Bruce said as he put his hands on the shoulder of a young twenty year old man.

"What?" the man exclaimed

"That's not a question sir." Corrected the tour guide.

The man felt Bruce's hand shoving something into his. As he looked down, he saw a twenty dollar bill folded neatly in a perfect square on the palm of his hand.

"Uhh…yea. Why not?" said the man half heartedly

"But if you think he's lying, if this guy's bothering you, I can take him away. I won't even ask for a reward, except for dinner, which I'll be paying for." Bruce answered to the chuckles of the crowd.

A smile threatened to crack Diana's stoic face.

"Just go out with him already and we can go on with the tour." Said a woman from the crowd.

Bruce seemed surprised by the crowd's sudden interest in their love life but Diana suspected he knew what he was doing all along. But he always had that talent for manipulating others to achieve a goal, a trait she was finding to be bothersome at this particular moment. Half the crowd seemed adamant on Diana accepting to have dinner with him as they joined in on the conversation, some yelling towards the microphone, wrestling playfully over each other's voices as others patted Bruce on the back. And as always, he had that smile.

"I'm sorry everyone but the tour has to keep moving!" said the tour guide much to Diana's relief.

Even though the crowd expressed their displeasure at the turn of events, the tour guide still managed to corral the group and keep everyone moving allowing Diana to turn around quickly to avoid making any further eye contact with Bruce.

An hour later the only thought on Diana's mind was of succulent lamb meat tucked with vegetables into a pita with a side of hot French fries. A dozen museum guests were peppered throughout the main hall along with a local news crew interviewing Blankly about an upcoming event at the museum. She scanned the crowd looking for Bruce, hoping that he was already gone from the museum, praying she could avoid him to get an hour to herself and to try not to fall asleep at her table before her food arrived.

Halfway to the exit a rumbling shook the marble floor that froze her in her in place. She furrowed her brow in confusion as she and the rest of the crowd searched for an explanation for the unusual quake when the fire alarm began to scream with a wall of smoke bleeding out from one of the upper floors. The crowd headed towards the exit without prompting the chance for Diana to slip away into the restroom. An instant later she emerged as Wonder Woman and flew up towards the billowing smoke.

"HELP!"

"Fire!"

"I can't see! HELP!"

Sprinklers poured water over head on the entire museum except the wing of Aztec history, which was consumed as intense heat pressed against her. Fire cracked a warning for her to stay away as Diana tied one end of her lasso onto a handrail and the other around her wrist and entered. She tried to stay beneath the smoke as much as she could.

"HELLO!" she screamed over the fire.

"It's Wonder Woman!" yelled a little girl when Diana found her and her mother.

"Follow the lasso out. It will guide you out little sister." Diana said.

She found a handful of people and carried two unconscious security guards to safety before plunging back into the fire, this time with a

"Hello! Come towards my voice!" yelled Diana into the black smoke and roaring fire.

"DIANA!" a familiar voice shouted. "OVER HERE!"

Diana coughed and headed towards the voice as the heat bit down harder on her skin when she found Bruce with an unconscious security guard draped over one of his shoulders. His jacket was gone and the once white shirt was a shade darker covered in soot. Smoke now filled the entire room, burning her lungs and eyes when she grabbed Bruce's arm with one hand and pulled the lasso tied around her wrist taut to follow the trail it left out.

Soon the chill of water against her skin signaled to Diana that they were safe as opened her eyes and rose to her feet, pushing the matted wet hair from her face. After untying the lasso from the handrail Diana helped Bruce to his feet when several firemen came running towards them. She took the moment to slip away to change back into Cassandra.

Outside cloaked in a heavy blanket sat Diana on a stone bench at the foot of the museum steps, dressed as a sopping wet Cassandra as Blankly, looking what she could only describe as neatly disheveled, holding an improvised conference in front of several news crew. Diana pictured him being one of the first ones out of the exit holding onto his precious putter.

"This seat taken?" asked Bruce as he sat next to Diana, covered in the same heavy blanket that covered Diana and handed her a hot dog.

A thousand excuses, exit strategies and battle lessons gave way to her hunger as she devoured her meal.

"You sure you don't want some ketchup or mustard?" asked Bruce as he pulled out several packet of condiments and two soda cans from his pockets.

"Mmfff!" said Diana as she reached for a mustard packet and pulled it open.

"Well while I got your attention here Cassandra, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you don't want to talk to me because of those reports of me and Faye." Bruce admitted as he smoothed out his disheveled hair.

"Mm." Grunted Diana as she concentrated spreading mustard over her hot dog.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it up front but…"

"No…it's ok Bruce." Diana said as she swallowed her meal. "You don't have to say apologize. I overreacted to the news."

"Cassandra, I'm not seeing her anymore. Faye's nice but…but…I guess I can only say that I wasn't impressed."

Diana looked away for a moment and smiled briefly before turning back to Bruce.

"I'm sorry. I had something caught in my throat." She said as she turned her body towards face him.

"I hope it's my heart." Bruce joked as he opened the soda cans.

"If that's the best line you used to win over Faye, then I might be forced to lower my standards if I wanted to keep seeing you." Chided Diana.

Bruce gave a hearty laugh that nearly infected Diana. She secured the memory of it away since she wasn't sure if she'd ever see it again when she would expose her true identity to him. But for now it could wait.

"Bruce, I'd like to talk more but…you see…I've…can we talk later? I mean we have…a lot…to talk about. Plus with my boss shooting down my idea for a Justice League exhibit…"

"Justice League exhibit?" Bruce asked quizzically

"I...I know it sounds..."

"No. Please tell me. I'm intersted."

It felt strange for Diana to tell her idea to Bruce and made her feel much more nervous compared to pitching the idea to Blankly. She half expected Bruce to put on his cape and cowl to lecture her in front of eveyone that the Justice League was a global and galactic resource, not a media side show for profit and that the idea was one of the most idiotic ideas he had ever heard (next to Flash and Booster Gold wanting to sew corporate logos into their uniforms)

"Well...I...the...Justice League is so interesting. They are a part of our history, _world_ history even and with so many people intersted, I thought it might...be a good way to have people connect with them. But Mr. Blankly doesn't agree with me."

"That guy?" Bruce asked as he motioned to Blankly as he charmed the media.

"Yes." Diana said coldly

"I think I can help you persuade him."

"Are you sure? Blankly can be...pretty mean."

"Men like him are always mean. They're only nice to money and I happen to have some." Bruce said as he took a bite of his hot dog while eyeing Blankly turning away from the cameras.

"I'd love to talk about it more Bruce...but...I really...and...the firemen found me in a bathroom."

"I understand Cassie. I was nearly burnt up if it wasn't for Wonder Woman."

"Already another woman Mr. Wayne?" Diana joked.

"Well…I can say I was impressed. But not as impressed as she was." Said Bruce as he pointed to the little girl that Diana had saved earlier, bouncing up and down excitedly as she gave an interview about her experience being rescued by Wonder Woman.

The giant smile on cute face her face made it the perfect end of the day for Diana.


	9. In The Details

"Cassandra! Why didn't you tell me your friend's contact was Mister Bruce Wayne?" said Blankly as Diana walked into the office. "I nearly had a heart attack when he walked in this afternoon."

Diana's face nearly turned white with shock.

Bruce sat upon Blankly's expensive red wood lacquered desk with a putter in his hand. Next to him was a larger man with a buzz cut that Diana had never seen before.

After the fire she and Bruce parted without a promise to call each other when time allowed for both of them. He had mentioned that he would speak with Blankly about her Justice League exhibit but she never expected him to appear without calling. She had spent most of the night rehearsing her speech and trying to anticipate his reaction. Her plan was again knocked to the side as she was forced to improvise. Something she was beginning to dislike when it came to Bruce.

"Well…I…was just trying to…get to that when…the fire alarm came." She said

"It's really my fault Geoff. I was supposed to come in the morning but I got caught under par and there wasn't any _way_ I was going to lose to Queen." Said Bruce "Oh Cassie, this is Sam Blankly."

"Ol…Oliver Queen." Said the larger man with a stutter while staring off at a distant wall. "Queen Industries. Survived on an island like Castaway. Tom Hanks..."

"Yea. He's an ok guy in small doses. A bit too rowdy for guys like us though." Bruce responded casually as he nudged Sam.

"Speak for yourself." Sam said with a chuckle

"In case you're wondering Cassandra, Sam is autistic." Whispered Geoff into Diana's ear.

"So this whole Justice League idea thing that Cassandra told me about is a _great_ idea. You know I half nearly stole it myself." Bruce said.

"About that Bruce, I'm not too sure about the idea of hosting a Justice League exhibit." Said Blankly.

"I understand that but….Cassie, what's the ballpark figure you and I talked about again? Fifty five thousand?" asked Bruce as he lined up his body for a putt against an imaginary ball

"Bruce that's…" said Diana

"Too small. I remember now. Seventy five thousand. Those sound good Geoff?" Cut off Bruce as he swung the putter.

"Uhhh…" Diana and Blankly said in unison.

Bruce looked up at them.

"That _was_ the figure right Cassie?"

"I uh….don't have my papers and….the…the figure…"

"Great. We'll have Geoff draft it up and good timing too. After that fire in the Aztec wing I think this Hall of Justice Leaguers idea should be a nice fit."

"Absolutely Bruce. Absolutely." Blankly agreed vehemently as he reached into his desk and produced several golf balls. "As a matter of fact, I think Cassandra should drop by the papers first chance she can get."

"Sure. I think we're going to have lunch with Lex Luthor in a couple of days. You should come join us on the golf course." Bruce smiled as he patted blankly on the back.

Once out of the office, Blankly gave Diana the day off to spend time showing Bruce the sights of the city since he had Bruce lied and said it was his first time in Washington D.C. much to Diana's restrained fury.

"I think a nice celebration would be in order. Luigi's is this nice place where…"

"Celebration? I didn't need you to come down to do my presentation for me Bruce." Said Diana with all the restraint she could muster. "I'm not one of your little tarts that need a man's help at the first sign of trouble. You made me look like an idiot who couldn't..." said Diana

"Look…"

"No, _you_ look. I worked hard on my proposal and for you to not even call me to set something was selfish. Then I'm loaned out like a pony to you as if I'm your prize for an idea you didn't even create!"

Diana's tirade gained attention of passerby's but she didn't care. Even if Blankly came out at this moment and it cost her the Justice League exhibit and her job, she wasn't going to let this stand.

"Are we even in the same meeting? You act as if I stole the idea from you and if you were paying attention, I said I was going to speak to him _yesterday._ I told _you_ I was going to do that." Bruce responded with a matched intensity and the growl of Batman lacing his words.

The argument faded as quickly as it escalated once both realized that the outburst had been too public.

"Well…I think Mr. Wayne that the…uh…offer was generous and that lunch would be bad…now. I'll see you later." Said Diana as she smoothed out her dress and turned left Bruce standing on the steps.

The aroma of cooked red meat mixed with the sickly sweet scent of alcohol filled the darkened room of the upscale Captains Bar and Grill. Diana traditionally only frequented Captain's with co-workers for after hours office get together to celebrate but she had one craving right now that the bar and grill provided:

"Avocado bacon deluxe burger coming up." Said the waiter

It was one of the first things that she had tasted in man's world when Clark and Wally took her out. Normally she was not in the habit of indulging in comfort food when stressed out, prefering to take out her aggressions in a training session but she was more hungry right now than anything else, especially after her long walk to try to clear her mind.

She sat back in her darkened booth and closed her eyes, allowing the white noise of the crowd wash over, soothing her cluttered mind. Diana allowed her mind to drift aimlessly around the restaurant and put up her feet on the seat across from her. .

A couple discussed their child's performance in school. A man was talking on his about the virtues of medical insurance. The waitress recited the soup of the day was Broccoli and cheese as a woman with an old, raspy sounding voice complained to the bartender about the quality of her martini. Slowly her breath eased and unknotted her muscles, causing her to sink lower into the padded cushions of her booth. A song she didn't recognize began to play on the upright piano, which signaled the arrival of Clint, the owner of Captain's who played every day to greet the evening crowd.

After an hour later, Diana still sat alone in her darkened booth watching a soccer game on the big screen above the bar with the only crumbs of her meal to keep her company.

The variety of games she experienced outside of Themyscria astounded her. There were so many that would test her skills she couldn't wait to play them all whenever she had time, when her life as Wonder Woman would stop getting in the way. Just as the game ended, Diana managed to catch her waiter as he was passing by.

"Excuse me. I'd like my check now." She said.

"You're already paid up." He said with a smile.

"There might be some mistake. I didn't pay."

"Nope, you didn't. But he did." Said the waiter as he pointed at a familiar figure at the bar. His back was turned as his gaze was fixated on the TV. "I think he's interested. He seems really nice."

"How much did he tip you?"

"Enough for me to say that."

"I'll be sure to thank him." Said Diana as she rose up from her table toward the bar

She breathed deeply as she approached, carefully choosing her words in her mind. A part of her was still furious with his undermining, even though she understood it was with the best intentions but she wanted to win the exhibit on her own merits of skill as Cassandra.

Yet she kept her emotions in balance. Her anger also carried her frustration since she his sudden appearance made telling him the truth of her identity much more difficult. She decided if there was a time to reveal the truth, it was now as she approached from behind.

"Um…the meal was nice…and…thank you for picking up my bill." She said as she looked at the dark hair on the back of his head as if looking for the right word. "But…uhh…Bruce…I really…we need to talk. Bruce?"

Unsure why he was remaining silent, Diana reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder, only to see that the man at the bar wasn't Bruce at all.

"Oh…I'm sorry…

"Don't be." Bruce's voice came from behind her.

Diana turned around flustered and came face to face with Bruce, a sly smile he had on his face just like the one he had after he kissed while on the run from the Thanagarians. The man she mistook for Bruce chuckled and turned back towards the bar as Bruce took her arm and lead her to a quiet booth. All her carefully crafted words and façade were whipped away as she found herself sitting across from him.

"Cassandra before you say anything let me go first." Said Bruce, his features uncommonly soft as she watched his eyes scrutinize her features for the right words. "I'm sorry, you were right. I should've contacted you instead of rushing in on my own. I'm not usually someone who does that, regardless of the media picture. Really, I…I'm not good at this and…when I mean "this" is…damn it…. Just let me know how I can make it right."

An uncomfortable silence loomed for a moment, sandwiched between the sounds of the bar around them. Diana felt as if she might bubble over. Now was the time to open up to him as she began to recollect her lost words she had prepared so carefully when a sudden unexpected reaction arose out of her: she began to laugh. It began as a chuckle in her throat she tried to suppress. She watched Bruce's brow furrow in confusion, which only gave more fuel to her laughter.

In front of her was _the_ Batman, one of the world's most feared figures. And she as a princess of a mythical warrior nation, both sitting in a bar. To Diana it seemed as if it were one of Flash's bad jokes, one that she would chuckle politely. She wasn't if it was the pressure of telling him the truth, the lack of sleep or the strange nature of their lives but right now she couldn't stop laughing.

"What?" he asked as he himself began to chuckle.

"Nothing…I don't know…" she choked out.

Diana thought to an outside observer she must look quite mad as she laughed even harder at Bruce's question until both of them were shaking with laughter and wiping away their own tears. Gradually the laughter died down to smiles and that's when Diana gave into her own impulse. Reaching out she grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him in for a deep kiss.

If her sisters back on Themyscria knew if all men could kiss this way they would not be so wary of them. She relished that feeling of his soft lips pressing against hers, hands wrapping and holding her tightly and sending that delicious hot, excited shiver running up her spine and spreading out into her bones and muscles. She hoped that the kiss would bridge her emotions to his so that when she told him the truth, that her feelings for him were real and if this was the end of it, she wanted to remember those lips as the last memory of their time together.

She exhaled deeply as she broke first and straightened out her hair and clothes, licking her lips to savor that last taste of him.

"Bruce. What I have to tell you…"

"…can wait. It can wait for later." He said as he got up and sat down next to her snugly in the booth.

"But…"

"Shhhh. Let it wait." He said as he silenced her with another kiss.

She wasn't sure how many hours had passed at the bar or how many drinks they shared. Right now she didn't care as she felt his strong arms holding her as they swayed to the soft song that wafted from the piano in the near empty bar.

"Sorry folks. We have to close up in a few." Informed Clint.

She felt his body break from hers as they gazed at each other for a moment. He then gave her a quick kiss on the lips as he walked over to Clint. They exchanged some muffled words Diana couldn't quite make out. Clint then grabbed his jacket and quickly walked out of room into the kitchen. Bruce took his seat in front of the piano and began to play a soft, quiet classical song.

"I never knew you played." said Diana as she grabbed her glass of half empty ale from a nearby table and sat next to him with her back to the piano.

She leaned against him and closed her eyes. The smell of his cologne was a pleasant comfort and enhanced the relaxing hum that sang through her muscles.

"My mother taught me. She'd make me play for her all the time. Alfred made sure to remind me whenever I tried to weasel out of it." He said continuing to play.

"Hmm. So how much longer do we have?"

"Considering I just bought the bar, whenever we want."

"Are you serious?" Diana asked as she turned to look at him.

He simply smiled and kept playing the lovely melody.

"I swear sometimes I can never tell when you're joking." Diana said while she lazily ran her finger around the rim of her glass before raising it to her lips.

"I am alittle hard to read at times. But you would know better than anyone else wouldn't you _Diana._" Said Bruce as he stopped the song and turned to look at her not with the eyes she had been staring into all night but rather with the eyes of the Batman.


	10. The Unexpected

He knew. Of course he knew. He is the Batman. She felt below her intelligence assuming that she was fooling him all along with her disguise. This was a man that could rival any conspiracy theorist save for the Question. There was even a rumor in that he not only had a full dossier on each member of his rogue's gallery but also fellow members of the League as well as strategies on how to defeat each member. Not even Robin, Nightwing or Batgirl knew if those files existed and she'd doubt if even Alfred knew about the existence of such files. What chance did she really have of fooling him?

Diana was about to take off her wig when Bruce stopped her and unfolded a small black device from his pocket and pressed several buttons on its cool black surface. The screen flickered to life as and the words: CLEAR flashed briefly before he put the device away. Diana was surprised it wasn't in the shape of a bat.

"We're good." He said as put the device away.

"How long have you known." Said Diana as she stripped off her wig and shook her dark locks free, appreciating the fact her scalp could finally breathe.

"Since the party right when we met. I wasn't sure at first but you confirmed my suspicions when we had our first dance." He responded as she felt his gaze stay on her as she removed her glasses.

Diana smiled as she realized at the fact he managed to fool him for at least half of the night.

"So what gave me away great detective?" She asked playfully

"You had a stray black hair showing through your wig, which was sloppy. You still walk and breathe with the same gait. You're at least almost a half a foot taller than most men. You've done nothing to hide your athletic figure. The stuttering was ridiculous and the glasses, I'm guessing Kent gave you the tips on disguises." He criticized as if he was reading her mind.

"Actually Lois..."

"Figures." He said curtly as he turned back towards the piano

"…and Wally."

Bruce straightened up abruptly.

"He's actually very good with colors." Diana blurted out.

Once again she felt below her intelligence the moment she uttered those words.

"When we get back to the Watchtower you're going to get a _proper_ lesson on disguises." He grumbled sternly in a way that Diana thought endearing. Something she'd never admit to him.

"If you knew all this time then why did you allow me to keep up this charade? Was the master teaching a lesson?" she said with a hint of resentment in her voice.

"No." he said as he stared down at the piano

"Then for what reason?"

Bruce remained silent and intensely scrutinized the black and white keys in front of him. She fought the urge to probe him too deeply for the answer.

"I don't know. I really don't know." he responded as he continued to look ahead of him. "I know I should have stopped myself, especially after Alec's death. I still don't understand why. Sometimes I don't even know why I even do this. Dressing up, running across rooftops at night, fighting monsters. I know it's not what my parents would've wanted for me."

"What would they have wanted?" she asked almost in a whisper.

Bruce looked as if he was about to answer when he reached into his jacket suddenly. Diana didn't hear any ringing nor heard the familiar buzzing of any vibration that would come from a cell phone but she knew she was distracted herself.

Diana let out a silent breath of disappointment as she fiddled idly with her wig as he reviewed a recent text on his device.

"I have to go." He said as he rose from his seat. "Alfred can drive you home."

As if on cue, the tall thin butler walked through the doors carrying a metal briefcase.

"It would be my pleasure to escort Princess Diana." Alfred said warmly as he gave a slight gracious bow of his head.

"That's not needed since I'm coming with you. And I can more than see myself home if need be."

"That wasn't a request." He said as he took the briefcase from the butler and pressed his thumb against a scanner on the side of the case. The briefcase hissed and opened and revealed inside the black and grey outfit she was more accustomed to seeing him in.

"And I'm not taking orders." She said as she began to unbutton her shirt. Her costume was hidden underneath her clothes.

"This is one of mine, one of my rogues who I know inside and out."

"And you think to question my worth in battle?" she said as she slipped out of her shirt revealing the red bustier of her costume.

Bruce sighed as stripped off his jacket and handed it to Alfred.

"I don't suppose I could bribe you could I?" he said as he began to unbutton his shirt.

"You couldn't afford me."

"Try me." He responded with that crooked smile he flahsed when he was feeling playful.

She watched as he unbuttoned his shirt revealing a white tank top underneath when Diana suddenly became conscious of the fact that she had never seen him change _into_ Batman. He was the only member she had never seen change into his costumed identity. All the others she had seen change to and from their alter egos but Batman was someone who always seemed to just appear like the moon in the night sky. She remembered him unmasking himself during the Thanagarian invasion but it wasn't quite the same. Even Bruce Wayne seemed more of a myth to her until recently due to his celebrity status. Diana knew he existed but he was the only League member she never spent time with outside of costumes or crisis.

But to her disappointment, she watched as he moved to a darker area of the bar and disappeared behind a pillar. The only evidence marking his existence was Alfred as he collected the clothes, which were handed to him. She quickly stripped out of the rest of her civilian dress and reached into her bag for her tiara, bracelets and lasso.

"We're going after Firefly." His voice rang out from the darkness.

"The arsonist?"

"Yes. He's was hired for a torch and burn job. Rumor has it he's recently had his equipment upgraded by whoever was hiring him."

Diana watched as his hand reached out and grabbed the heavy looking shirt of his outfit and disappeared. She slid her tiara into place against her forehead before locking her bracelets to her wrists.

"Then we'll have to be twice as careful." She said as looped her lasso and attached it to her hip.

She looked up to see Alfred folding his pants neatly into a perfect square and placing it inside of the now empty briefcase that once held his outfit. Diana waited patiently and silently for a response from behind the pillar as the butler went about his task.

"Bruce?" she asked as she moved towards the pillar expecting to catch of glimpse of him pulling on his pointed cowl.

Instead she found nothing but darkness. She spun around quickly and scanned the empty bar and grill expecting to see his figure standing in front of her. Diana at least expected to see a flutter of a cape to signal which direction she should chase him if he had run off but there wasn't a single sign of his existence. Quickly she checked behind every pillar and booth but found absolutely no evidence of him. If not for the presence of Alfred she would have questioned the events that just took place.

"I'm sorry princess. In all my years of service, even _I_ am not able to know when he disappears or which direction he goes to when he does it." Alfred responded as he finished folding Bruce's clothes.

Diana didn't question the honesty of his answer.

"Doesn't it grow tiresome?" she asked

"You have no idea." He said as he closed the briefcase and turned to face her with a pleasant smile.

She gripped her lasso tightly as her frustration curled off her like smoke. For the first time, she felt foolish in her own armor.

"Cheer up your highness. If not for Master Bruce's disappearance, I wouldn't have the pleasure of escorting you wherever you wish to go." Said Alfred

"Thank you but I'm afraid I'd be terrible company, especially since I don't intend to leave here as Cassandra." She said as began to march towards the exit.

"Does this mean that your highness would give pursuit to Master Bruce?"

"Like no other that would give chase before."

"Then I suppose such a task would be very difficult given your target's ability to blend into the surroundings. Of course one would benefit greatly from a tool, a tool that was so carelessly dropped by one as old as I am." Said Alfred

Diana turned to see the older man holding out a small black device in his hand. It was much smaller than the one Batman had used earlier to clear the room.

"I do believe I am becoming forgetful in my old age. Perhaps it's time I retired." He said as Diana took the device from his hand.

"Thank you Alfred."

"No thanks necessary your highness. But please, do watch over him." He said with a father's worry in his voice.

"Always. And Alfred, please call me Diana."

The device wasn't difficult to use as Diana brought up the GPS system that marked Batman's position on the map. It didn't take long to catch up to him. Although Batman could easily outrun an average man, he wasn't a match for her speed when she was flying.

Diana landed several blocks away stealthily followed the direction the GPS had led her. She had hoped that Alfred's assistance wasn't part of Batman's plan to allow him to escape but the familiar flowing cape and pointed ears of his cowl assured her he was telling the truth.

Batman turned around suddenly with a raised batarang in his hand, which took her by surprise as Diana gauged she was at least ten feet back and approaching with all the stealth of a field mouse sneaking around a house cat.

"Let me guess, Alfred?" he said as the batarang disappeared under his cape.

"He dropped this device I used to track you." She covered as best she could while walking up to him.

They both knew it was a lie as he turned his attention back to the building across the street.

"Keep a look out for any suspicious signs." Said Batman as he produced a pair of binoculars and handed them to her.

Before Diana could even take the binoculars, the building across the street exploded and an intense wall of heat washed over her skin and pushed her hair back like a flag.

"Like that." said Batman as he put away the binoculars and produced his grapple gun.

Diana couldn't believe the raw power and size of the flames that spewed from the building in large arcs like tentacles reaching out to her. The heat from the flames seemed to be trying to lick at her skin even from the distance she kept as she frantically scanned for survivors.

"Diana!" yelled Batman from the ground below her.

As she looked down, she saw Batman reaching into his belt and throwing a small belt of grenades up to her. Diana easily caught the small belt of armaments knowing that had already formulated a plan.

"Toss them into the fire! It'll extinguish the flames!" he yelled.

Without pause she pulled the first grenade from its siblings and tossed it through the window. Immediately it exploded turning a portion of the flames into hot harmless steam. She continued to fly to each part of the burning building and threw the metal cylinders until she was left with an empty belt. By then than the fire was reduced to damp, hot air.

Diana then scanned the ground but didn't find Batman anywhere near. For a moment she believed that he had disappeared once again but felt a sense of relief when she saw him pushing forward a handcuffed figure in a frumpy red hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

"Looks like Firefly had an accomplice." Said Diana as she landed softly in front of the two

"It wasn't Firefly." he replied

"Then who did you catch?" she asked

Batman pulled back the hood of the red Todd University sweatshirt revealing the face of a young, spunky looking blonde woman with pigtails that Diana didn't recognize.

"Hello Harley." Said Batman before turning her around to face him

"I ain't saying another word to you bats. Na-uh. Not until I hear from my lawyer. You ain't got nothing on me. I was just here minding my own business and seeing the pretties the fire lit up. Na-uh, no nothing no…whooooaaaa mama those things are bigger in person" said Harley as she gazed upon Diana's chest.

"What are you doing out of Gotham? Isn't the Joker in Arkham right now?" Diana asked unfazed at Harley's attention to her anatomy. She was always perplexed at the obsession over body parts in man's world.

"He still is." Said Batman

"How do you….never mind." Replied Diana remembering how obsessive he could be.

"I'm a tourist see? Seein the sights! Check my pockets!" she insisted.

"Don't." said Batman as Diana reached to search Harley's pockets.

She decided not to question him as he pulled out the same small black device from the bar and began to fiddle with the buttons on the side.

"So I gotta ask ya legs, don't your back hurt from at all from carrying all that extra weight or is that like part of your powers?" asked Harley.

Diana thought she was being mocked when she realized that Harley was asking a genuine question, which made her feel more awkward.

Luckily Batman pressed his device into Harley's hand.

"HEY! Hands off the merchandise creepo!" she yelled as pulled back from him. "That's plantin evidence!"

The device beeped as Batman read the information displayed on the screen.

"Anateracidic gel." Said Batman

"Gezuntite." Responded Harley

"It's a fast burning compound developed by Firefly. Traces of it are on your hands along with plastic explosives and gasoline."

"Poop." Said Harley "Well I ain't talkin see? You'll never get me to squeal Mr. Smarty bat."

"You're not in Gotham Harley. You'll be locked up here far, far away from the Joker for a long, long time so you might as well talk while you still have a chance. Where's Firefly?" Batman growled.

"Well the jokes on you batsy pants. You think they want a Gotham nut…I mean _former_ nut stuck here? Besides my puddin will come and get me as soon as he hears where I am." Replied Harley with a smug grin on her face.

Harley was another oddity to Diana. The more abuse, betrayal and torture that the Joker would put her through, it only added more to her affection for the twisted clown. It was the opposite of everything that Diana had come to understand what courtship in the modern world was about. The only explanation she ever got was that women loved "the badboys." She couldn't quite understand what it meant no matter who explained it to her. It almost made Diana want to help Harley mend her ways as she watched the two figures in front of her continue to argue.

"Last chance Quinn! Where is Firefly?" Batman threatened

"PPPBBBBTTTT!" retorted Harley

Diana could see the familiar jawline clenching on Batman's face.

"Harley, do you ever think to become an Amazon?" asked Diana suddenly

"Nice try a playin the good cop Wonder Boobs but if I ain't crackin for bats then I ain't crackin for no one." Harley responded.

"I wasn't playing a game Harley. I see great potential in you, sister."

Both Batman and Harley took a moment to carefully scrutinize Diana.

"_Diana…"_ warned Batman

"You really mean that?" she asked

"Of course. You've already established yourself in as a great figure dominated in the world of men. They speak of many tales of your adventures by yourself. As an Amazon, think of what more you could do if gained powers just like mine. And once on Themyscria, the island I come from, you're sure to excel in Amazon training."

"Yeah. Yeah! I can see that!" squealed Harley excitedly. "I always wanted to fly! Plus I always wanted to upgrade my size if you know what I mean. And then I can show Mista J that I can make it on my own and my puddin will be so proud of me!"

"You can't be seri…." Said Bruce before his mouth was covered by Diana's hand.

"I'm pleased you've accepted. We'll leave for Themyscria But in order to begin your training, you must first complete your time for what you have committed here in honesty. A trait among all Amazons. Do you understand sister?" asked Diana

"Right a rooney! Ol Firefarts over near the docks where I left em. Don't worry, I didn't' snuff him. Mista J would consider that rude if I killed him to take his gig. See I figured if I take the gig from fire boy and get paid by the guy who was sapossed to pay him, then I could use the money to break Mista J out of Arkham!"

"Who's paying you to burn down this building?" asked Batman

Harley just shrugged.

"I don't know. I just talk to him through fire butts computer just like everyone else."

"Everyone else?" both Batman and Diana asked in unison this time

They both looked at each other at the odd synchronicity that occurred.

"How many others Harley?" questioned Diana

"I think just four other names. I think that's Heat Wave now…." Answered Harley as she glanced over at a tall office building with the majority of its floors aflame back in the distance. "Nice guy. Kinda cute. Hey you know you two kinda make a cute couple if Wondy was ever into men. Not that I'm not interes…"

"Uhh…Thank you Harley. I shall come to recover you for Amazon training as soon as your sentencing is complete." Said Diana as Batman re-handcuffed Harley to a nearby street light

"I'll be waitin sis!"

In a few short moments several other buildings ruptured into fire all around town and released thick black smoke into the warm night air. Diana couldn't believe what was occurring around her adopted city as she rechecked her equipment to ready herself to assist emergency crews.

"You radio the Watchtow…."

"Already have. But similar incidences have occurred at Metropolis and Central City and a prison break at Blackgate Penitentiary. And with half the League already dealing with the Rann crisis in space, we're short staffed." Said Batman as he consulted a computer small computer in his gauntlet. "This is a diversion. Just like the one in Metropolis to break out Atomic Skull."

"What's the target then?" asked Diana as she remembered the incident. She made a note to ask Batman later why he didn't show himself during that fight.

"A U.N. assembly from five nations is staying at Raymond Plaza while they continue talks over the use of monetary funds between Kaznia and the Uzbekistan."

"Then we should go at once. I can fly you…"

"No need." Said Batman as the Batwing soared in and hovered over them. "I'll meet you there."

Diana nodded and took to the sky.

"And Diana?" Asked Batman through League communicator in her ear. "You can't be serious about taking Harley to Themyscria."

"Of course I am. But she won't last a week once she finds out that there are no men allowed on Themyscria."


	11. Assault

Streams of stinging black smoke raked Diana's lungs, causing her to stir awake coughing. She felt a great weight pressing on top of her that was driving her into the ground, painfully pressing hard bits of broken pavement into her back. A moment later her eyes began to focus and by instinct she pushed the heavy object off of her chest. Lighting shot up through her shoulder that made Diana open her mouth in a silent scream. She took a moment to gather her focus and pushed off the unknown weight off her as it groaned and screeched with metallic protest..

Diana felt worn and sore but nothing felt broken as she moved out of range of the acrid smoke surrounding her. Once in the clear, bits and pieces of her memory began to return. She recalled an alarm going off in the Batplane. Then an explosion followed by the feeling of a hard impact.

"We found her!" yelled a man's voice.

Wonder Woman turned to see large soldier dressed in all black military garb and brandishing an assault rifle. Behind him quickly came a shorter man dressed in the same manner. In his hands was an empty rocket launcher, causing the memory of the past several minutes to come flooding back.

Ten minutes ago:

Diana took point in flying as the wind whipped past her face and tossed her hair wildly about behind her. She could hear of the Bat plane's engines distinctive roar behind her as she surveyed the chaos of that enveloped her adopted city, turning it to fire and cinder below her. Her heart ached as she watched a gang of men running out of an electronics store with bundles of stolen goods in their arms. Another group sought to add to the destruction as they threw Molotov's into an apartment building as its residents ran out in terror. She wondered if this was what her mother felt when Ares betrayed her and ravaged Themyscria eons ago.

She clenched her hands into fists as Batman's voice rang out in her ear.

"Diana, we have to stay focused. D.C.P.D. is coming out in force and the National Guard has mobilized."

She didn't respond as she forced her eyes away from the terrible morality play on the nature of man below her. Diana steeled her resolve as she took in deep controlled breaths and readied herself to take her fury upon those who had orchestrated the riot as the tall pale building of Raymond Plaza came into view.

"Everything's quiet inside. I've tried radioing ahead to the security detail but still no answer." Buzzed Batman's voice through the communicator in Diana's ear.

"What about the local authorities?" asked Diana as she pressed the communicator closer to her ear.

"I'm trying right now but it seems that they're spread too thin dealing with the fire and riots. ETA on backup is about twenty minutes."

"Give or take any unforeseen disasters. Radio our situation to the Watchtower. I'm going in."

"Diana wait!" yelled Batman. "We don't even know what we're dealing with!"

"We don't have time for stealth or reconnaissance! Lives are at stake here and…" she responded angrily without looking back.

"…getting yourself killed in the process isn't doing the situation any good! Stop being so bull headed and…"

Before Batman could finish the sentence, Diana could hear an alarm go off in her ear from the Bat planes onboard systems.

"Batma…?" asked Diana as she looked back over her shoulder

Her sentence was cut short by a powerful explosion of fire and metal. Diana unconsciously slowed down only to feel the Bat plane slam into her and send her tumbling back in midair. When she regained control of her momentum, she could see the Bat plane was now a fireball as it hurtled towards a tall high rise apartment building.

"Batman, are you alirght!?" asked Diana as she flew to catch up

"Stabilizers are shot!"

Diana darted to the front of the plane and pushed up against its nose in hopes to change the planes direction. A thousand hot swords pierced her shoulder from where the Bat plane slammed against it as she let out a yelp.

"Hera. Give me strength." She muttered through gritted teeth and closed eyes of concentration.

She felt the vibrating impact shake through her bones and the high shrieking of metal scraping against concrete. For a moment she thought she had failed in her task but the moment passed as she felt nothing but rushing wind against her back. Diana knew that they had barely missed the building but the threat of crashing into the civilian population below still loomed.

"BATMAN! EJECT!" she yelled through the wind sheer

"Negative! I still have some control left!"

Diana cursed him as she could feel the Bat plane slow its descent but it wasn't nearly enough to guarantee a safe landing below. She knew she was close to the ground as she heard the screams of the bystanders below and braced herself for the impact

Ten minutes later.

"Get your camera ready." said one of the soldiers as he leveled his weapon. I wanna post this on my facequote!

By the second nature of repetition, Diana's muscles relaxed as her mind entered an enhanced state of focus. To many outside observers it seemed that Wonder Woman was in a state of fierce concentration when she deflected bullets off her bracelets. The opposite was true. Diana could only compare it the state of Zen or what Flash called "speed mode," where his reactions are so fast that everything else moves in slow motion. Diana's focused reactions weren't quite as fast as Wally's but it functioned on the same principles.

Her breathing was calm and steady as she felt the familiar calmness drape over practiced muscles. Clearing her mind, she remembered that her attackers were trained soldiers and like any trained solider their aim was for the largest target area, the center mass. The assault rifles were a series of letters and numbers that she could not remember but through experience she knew assault rifles would empty themselves within four seconds.

"One Mississippi" she counted to herself while narrowing her eyes in an effort to see the faint line of bullets as they shot towards. She waved her arms smoothly and quickly into position feeling the familiar impact against her forearms. "Two Mississippi."

The smaller man dropped the rocket launcher and reached for his pistol. Diana pivoted her body slightly and sent several of the bullets right into the bulky Kevlar vest he wore and sent him careening backwards to the ground. His partner didn't notice, lost in the thrill of gunfire as he yelled an obscenity that she couldn't quite make out over the bursts of his rifle.

"Four Mississippi." She said to herself as the rifle cut itself into silence. She smiled and rushed forward as the soldier tried to reach for his sidearm. The look of panic gave Diana a minor rush while she dispatched her assailant with ease.

Now she could concentrate on the matter at hand.

"Bruce" she thought to herself as she rushed to the cockpit that was once pinning her to the ground. The Bat planes canopy was already removed but the seat still sat inside of the cockpit, showing that he hadn't ejected to safety as she had hoped. But if he didn't eject, where was he? Batman wouldn't leave her trapped under the rubble of his own plane and would've certainly made short work of the two soldiers that she just subdued. Without any clues to the matter, she turned her attention to the smaller soldier with the rocket launcher who was trying to make a getaway.

She had caught up to him easily enough, knocking the radio out of his hand and raising him several feet off the ground by his neck. Diana knew holding anyone by their neck this way was a dangerous maneuver due to the fragile nature of that particular part of human anatomy. A wrong move or a slip in grip, even the struggle of the victim could potentially cause permanent injury or worse. Remembering all the tips that Superman had given her about using a deadly action, she began her interrogation.

"Inside. They took Batman inside." Wheezed the soldier

"How many of men do you have?"

The soldier coughed out the word thirty.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"We…are…Kung. We are excellence. You cannot…."

Diana dropped the man to the ground as he landed unceremoniously onto his butt. She wasn't in the mood to hear the ranting of another fanatic, which had become an occupational annoyance. After leaving both men hanging by their web duty belts on one of the high flagpoles, she quickly entered inside through the darkened front of the plaza.

The inside of Raymond Plaza was a monument between the fusion of modern art and politics. It was a strange marriage but resulted in one of the most beautiful places of peace and diplomacy the world had laid eyes upon. The four story building became the site of many historic treaties and peace declarations throughout its inception. World leaders and architects marveled at the mix of Gothic and ancient Greek styles with some even claiming that the interior was designed with the brilliant intent on creating soothing and a sense of relaxation to anyone who was graced with a visit within.

Diana hated it. Raymond Plaza seemed too familiar and alien all at once. Parts of it reminded her native home, yet seemed vaguely and unsettlingly alien as if she were visiting Themscriya through a distorted and colored lenses. The aesthetics only served to add to her already heightened sense of vigilance as she made her way through the darkened front lobby. The only light was the faint pale glow of the security monitors behind the front desk that matched the glow of the moonlight that shone from the large front windows. She was surprised to see that there were no soldiers to greet her with a volley of gunfire upon entering but she chalked it up to the attacker's confidence that she had perished upon landing.

There were however several bodies of the buildings security officers as they lay prone on the ground. She already knew the fate of the guards as the first line of defense that was breached but Diana had to check in the off chance of any survivors.

It always took her by surprise how warm dead bodies were. She had sadly been privy to many corpses in her adventures. It almost seemed like some sort of cruel joke that was being played on her, that the men would simply stand up and return to their lives and loved ones as if waking from a restful sleep.

Frustration saddled heavy on her with each confirmed dead, giving way to an unnatural panic that the corpse of Bruce would be the next one she would find. She closed her eyes and forced herself to focus, push out all the imaginings of Bruce's fate, of his scent at dinner.

"As a rock on the seashore he standeth firm, and the dashing of the waves disturbeth him not. As a rock on the seashore he standeth firm…." She whispered to herself as she made her way down deeper into the plaza.

Diana leaned against a wall with her eyes closed and ears intensely concentrating for the trotting of combat boots. The hallway she had come through was now littered with shell casings, bullet holes and the unconscious bodies of three soldiers she had dispatched with ease despite her injured shoulder that now throbbed with each passing heartbeat.

Restraint was becoming more and more difficult as her impatience grew with each squad she disabled. As much as she desired to crash through the walls of the building to bring a quick end to the situation, she knew the distinct disadvantages of doing so would lead to her death or worse, the death of an innocent or Batman. Although far from powerless, she had her limitations. It was a frustration of Diana's that she could endure going toe to toe with Superman, yet be disabled by piercing weapons. Her skin could take more punishment then the average human but was far from bulletproof and in order to deflect bullets she had to see them coming and lacked x-ray vision to do so. In short, she wasn't Supergirl.

But she is an Amazon. She is Wonder Woman.

Earlier she had allowed one of the guards to radio for backup before knocking him unconscious. Warfare was always a topic of study for Diana. It was essential for the dangers she encountered and the study of modern warfare had saved Diana countless times.

The familiar trotting of boots echoed faintly through the thick plaster and came to a stop near her. She already Diana knew the incoming soldiers would be stacked in a tight line, "nut to butt" as it was called, against a wall. It was standard breaching protocol among soldiers and soldiers no matter what era were predictable. The sound of their footsteps told Diana that they were leaning against the same wall at opposite sides. Turning to face the wall, Diana marked a mental "X" on the wall in front of her and punched through it.

Her fist felt a rush of open air on the other side. She turned her arm inwards and felt the thickness of military cloth and Kevlar against her forearm as she pulled one of the soldiers through the wall to her. A smile crossed her face as she tossed the unconscious black clad gunmen aside and crashed through the wall and used the ensuing chaos of her entrance to subdue the rest of squad.

The tactic was repeated again that allowed her to quickly move up several floors of soldiers. She managed to save the representatives of Kazakhstan and Georgia along with any surviving members of their staff. But she wasn't fast enough to save the diplomats from Armenia and only able to see their mangled and mauled bodies. They didn't look as if they had been shot so much as torn apart by a bear. She had seen other corpses of bodyguards turn apart in an equally fearsome manner. Some were missing chunks out of their torsos, leaving only bloody holes where there should be flesh. The truly unlucky ones were the ones were torn in half, their legs separated from their torso like and laid like broken dolls. That alone raised more questions for her but she didn't have much time to indulge them.

Most confoundedly was the lack of any sign of Batman yet. An image of his torn up corpse, like those of the Armenians, flashed inside her mind and gave speed and anxiety to her actions.

""As a rock on the seashore…" she whispered to herself like a prayer.

She couldn't afford to the luxury of her anxieties running wild. If left unchecked, they would make her fast, sloppy and distracted. If left unchecked, they could mean her bloody death at whatever tore the men and women apart.

Making her way up to the third floor, Diana heard the distant shots of gunfire and the sharp barking of orders between soldiers and bodyguards and personnel. Allowing the sounds to guide her, she rushed towards the source of the action and nearly ran into Queen Audrey of Kaznia.

"Diana! Thank God! Thank God!" she exclaimed as she embraced Diana with tears running down her cheeks

"It's going to be alright Audrey."

Diana first met Audrey when she was a bratty party girl princess during her early days with the League. From their first meeting, Diana proudly watched her grow quickly into a respected leader of her country after the death of her father and helped to turn her country from a poor war torn nation to an upcoming and unified democratic country.

She pulled her quickly into the nearest office out of any potential attackers. Audrey was dressed some of the finest business attire Diana had lay eyes upon. Even as a mature world leader, Audrey still had expensive yet very good tastes. However crisp lines and cool colors were now mired with splatters of blood and sweat. Diana checked the smaller woman for any injuries but was relieved that none of the blood was Audrey's.

"You have to call the League. Call the police. The…the army. Please Diana!" yelled Audrey frantically.

"Calm down. It's going to be ok now. I can handle some men with guns and I've handled meta-humans before."

"Not like this Diana. Not like this. He was so fast…and…strong. My guards were ripped apart like tissues. He was just…you have to call Superman and Flash."

Diana pushed back the urge to ask if she saw Batman among the men.

"Let's just get you to safety Audrey. The police…"

Diana stopped when she witnessed the blood drain suddenly from Audrey's face. At once she felt the presence of someone behind her.

She turned just in time to see a black blur of motion and was sent flying through several walls before crashing to a stop unceremoniously against something hard and unforgiving. It took several second for her senses to return. Her lower right jaw began to throb fiercely as the wet metallic taste of blood began to fill her mouth. Several beats passed as her eyes went in and out of focus. Diana knew she was slumped against a heavy wooden desk. With effort she picked her head up and looked at the holes in the walls that her flying body tore through, leaving almost a comical looking series of maws.

Never had she been hit so hard in her life, only Superman had hit her as hard and Superman was nowhere on earth. Fear coursed through her as she drew in ragged breathes furrowed her brow in a concentrated effort to focus her eyes on the broken pieces of plaster and wood on the floor around her.

"Audrey." She said softly as she rose to her feet.

"Don't worry about the Queen." Said the voice in a calm, male voice that held an almost strangely peaceful tone

A sense of shock drove through Diana's spine. Diana estimated that she was at least knocked almost twenty feet away from where she and Audrey stood.

She wondered how fast this man could be.

The figure was of the black clad thief from the robbery in Japan standing before her. Diana could now make out the details of the faint, honeycombed pattern that covered the suit that gave him an other worldly reptilian look. Her assailant looked even taller now somehow. His shoulders were broad, almost as broad as Superman's but he had the same presence of calm superiority that powerful being carried when they held the upper hand (although could detect no emotions under the his mask or through the black goggles he wore).

"Who are you?"

"My name is sergeant James Morita." He said as he took off his mask. "But I am now known as Kung. And I'd like you to join me."


End file.
