Chapter Text
There was an ache in the crook of her neck when she began to regain consciousness. Her arms felt heavy and were hung above her, her feet dangling, and everything around her was a dark emptiness. A void of nothing. There was something warm and wet trickling down the side of her face, and there was a rampant thumping against her skull.
With a groan she attempted to pull her arms apart in order to break free, but her body was completely drained of energy. She huffed her breaths out, her heartbeat increased as she swayed back and forth in the air.
As she swung gently, her eyes collapsed shut, her eyebrows trembling as her body began to shut down. And in her darkness, as the last breaths escaped her lips, she thought of him. She thought of the billionaire. The Bat.
Her Bruce.
And the thought that she held on the tip of her tongue, was for just one last moment with him.
It was ice that filled his body. It made him frozen as he stood on his feet, his hands gripping on the desk for dear life as his eyes scanned the message in front of him. There was a slight quiver in his lips as fear took over him.
Dear Bruce,
Do you really think it would be that simple?
Did you think a cell could contain me?
Your lesson isn’t over.
The pain has just begun.
I’m going to make sure you stay in the darkness.
Even if that means killing all your light.
There was an attached image. Bruce held his breath sharply as his mouse hovered over the file, and as his throat closed up, he clicked down.
His hand flew to his mouth as he collapsed on the seat before him, his eyes in a sharp pain as they laid upon Diana unconscious and strung up. There was a trail of deep crimson blood trickling down her face, bruises and cuts littered all throughout her body.
Bruce’s body grew tense as he eyed the image; and then without a second thought he pushed himself from his seat and grabbed his leather jacket.
“Alfred!” His voice, although booming, had an undertone of disparity that caused Alfred to drop what he was doing and rush to his son’s aid. The old man’s mind was ablaze with concern as he quickly walked down the old steps of the Manor and into the caves of the Batman. His hand went to his chest to steady his breathing as his eyes searched for his Master.
The old man spotted the young billionaire rush to one of his cars, his face hard and focused.
“Master Wayne!” Alfred called out, “You mustn’t go out.” He demanded as he caught up with the fleeting boy. His hand gripped Bruce’s shoulder, and as he turned him around to face the butler, his lips parted at what he saw.
For the first time since Bruce was 8 years-old, there were tears brimming his eyes. His face had gone red, his expression scrunched in anger as he looked at the man who raised him.
“Bruce?” He whispered, his grip softening as he held onto him.
“It’s Diana,” The boy choked out, “He has her.” Alfred’s eyes widened as his mouth closed, then as his eyes relaxed, he attempted to reason with the son.
“But your injuries, what happens if your stitches open up? Or if you hit your head and you’re unconscious? You can’t aid Miss Prince if you’re unconscious and bleeding out.”
“I’ll be safe.” Bruce argued,
“But Master Wayne, what if you die trying to save her?”
“I won’t!” Bruce exclaimed, Alfred sighed deeply.
“The doctors said-”
Bruce tore his shoulder away from Alfred, “I don’t care what the doctor’s say! This is Diana!” His voice boomed, his chest heaving as he breathed. “I need…” His voice trailed off as it grew weak, a tear slipping down his cheek. “I need her, Alfred.” He whispered, “This is all my fault.”
The old man relaxed his shoulders, his hands reaching out for his son’s. “This is not your fault.” He told him sternly,
“But if it weren’t for Bat-”
“All villains need is an excuse.” Bruce looked up and met the gaze of Alfred, “People will always try and ruin your happiness.” His grip tightened, “Don’t let them.”
Bruce nodded, and Alfred let go of his hands. “Bring extra bandages, I’ll do what I can from here.”
Bruce looked up at his surrogate father, a faint smile ghosted his lips as he did. “Thank you, Alfred.”
With a turn of his heel, Bruce rushed to his signature black car and slammed the door shut.
As Alfred watched his boy leave and head straight into danger, a sigh escaped his lips.
“I swear, if he doesn’t marry this girl…” He mumbled as he stalked over to the Batcomputer.
With a sigh, Alfred rested in the infamous black leather chair of the Batcomputer. He scanned the images that appeared on the screen, and read over the emails Bruce had been sent.
You don’t know what it’s like to lose.
To truly lose.
I will show you tonight, you’ll see.
Try your best to find me.
Alfred’s eyebrows furrowed together as he read the emails, his blood ran cold as he looked at the photo of the young princess.
“Bruce?” The man spoke into the computer which was connected to Bruce’s car. “How on earth did Mr. Elliot escape?”
“I’m not sure,” He responded, his hands gripping hard on the steering wheel. “I picked up on some explosion that happened in the vehicle that was responsible for delivering him to Arkham.” He explained, “I received the message the same time I received the email. He was planning this all.”
“And how do you suppose we-” Alfred was caught off when all the screens went black, except the one in the middle. A message appeared,
“Alfred?”
CLICK ME!
It read obnoxiously, and Alfred’s hand hovered over the mouse.
“Did you receive a message?” Bruce asked calmly,
“I did sir,” The man responded, “It seems to be a link to something.” Alfred leaned in as he studied the message.
“What does it say?”
“It reads, ‘click me’, sir.”
After a beat, Bruce responded. “Click it.”
Alfred deeply inhaled, then grabbed the mouse and clicked on the message. He sharply exhaled, his hand hovering over his mouth as his eyes widened at the screen.
“Alfred, what is it?” Bruce asked impatiently, his hands beginning to sweat.
“It’s…” He exhaled and lowered his hand, “It’s Diana, sir.”
Bruce’s lip quivered at his tone, his heart felt like iron. “Is she dead?”
“No,” Bruce exhaled and shut his eyes for a moment. “It’s a live feed.” Bruce’s eyes flicked open, his expression growing hard. “It’s of Miss Prince, she’s still…suspended.” Alfred attempted to put it delicately.
“Alfred, I need you to track his location using the live feed.”
“Will do, sir.”
Bruce heard the muffled clicks and clacks of his butler setting up a tracker, his impatience grewing with each second.
“Alfred.” He irritably demanded.
“Sir, he seems to be in…oh my…” Alfred’s voice spoke softly as he read the coordinates.
“Where is she?” Bruce barked,
“Master Wayne, he’s at Wayne Enterprises.”
Bruce slammed his hand against the steering wheel before abruptly yanking it to the side to turn his car around. His foot smashed against the gas as he sped down the highway and towards his family’s business.
“Put me through to Wayne Enterprises.” He demanded, and Alfred obliged.
“Hello?”
“Who did you let in?” Bruce was aware he came off as impatient and rude, startling his receptionist, but he didn’t have time to worry about this.
“U-Uh, Mister Wayne? I-I thought I let you in?” Her voice was shaking, her mind spinning as she pulled up the surveillance. “He looks exactly like you, I thought maybe something was off. You - uh, he - had a woman with him. Dark hair, and was fast asleep. You said she wasn’t feeling well and she was staying with you for a bit. I thought nothing of it-”
“Where did he go?” He cut off her rambling, and she cleared her throat as shame washed over her.
“He stayed in your office for a bit, and then took the private elevator down to the basement in the restricted area.”
Bruce grew tense, the restricted area was where him and Mr. Fox would meet and discuss new weaponry and suits for Batman. How did Thomas know this? How long had he been watching Bruce?
“Shut down the building. Get out of there right now.” He quickly hung up the phone and switched back to Alfred.
“Sir.”
“He took Diana to the restricted area in Wayne Enterprises’ basement. That’s where he has her strung up.” The words left a sour taste in his mouth, his forehead began to perspire.
“What do you think he’ll do?” Alfred’s voice had changed now, it was weaker and emptier.
“I don’t know.” He mumbled, “But I’m not going to sit around and find out.”
The sound of his tires screeching against the pavement, the whipping of trees and light posts were nothing but a blur to him. His heart raced faster than any car, his mind fighting off every negative scenario it dared to contemplate. His lips curved into a snarl as his car refused to go faster than was physically possible. Nothing could make Bruce get to her on time, even the blink of an eye was aeons too slow.
“Do you know why you’re here?”
The sickly familiar voice caused Bruce’s eyes to shoot wide open.
He heard a jingle of chains and a gruff.
“Wonder Woman,” his voice was hoarse and tired, but held an eerie tone to it. “Do you know why you’re here?”
Another gruff followed by a quiet groan. Bruce’s eyebrows dipped, his body tending as he listened in on the live feed.
“Are you the coward threatening Bruce?”
Her voice was strong given her circumstances, but she would never be one to quiver under a madman.
He heard a low chuckle, “You call me a coward? Then what does that make a man who dresses up as a bat at night?”
There was a beat before an answer, “Someone who chooses to make his weakness his biggest strength.”
Bruce’s eyes shut,
Diana, you shouldn’t defend me.
It’s my fault you’re locked up like this.
“How sweet of you.” His voice was flat now. “Now answer my question. Do you know why you’re here?”
There was another jangle of chains before a response.
“I’m here because you want to kill me.” She let out a groan,
“I don’t like simple answers, Wonder Woman.” He snarled, “Try again. Dig deep.”
It was silent for a moment.
She sighed quietly, “I’m here because of Bruce.”
“Yes…”
“Because you want to prove to him that he’ll always be alone.”
Bruce heard the sound of Thomas humming happily.
“Excellent answer.”
Bruce felt his heart in his throat as he continued to listen.
“Tell me, what did you first think of your Dark Knight?”
She let out a huff of air, “Quiet. Stubborn,” she groaned as the sound of chains clinking was heard once more. “But deep down, he was sweet.”
Thomas hummed, “And you fell for him?”
“Wasn’t that your plan?”
Thomas chuckled, “Now how did you feel when you read the emails? When you saw the pictures? When you found out the truth?”
Bruce swallowed harshly, his eyes scanning the area for the street he needed.
A quiet groan left Diana’s lips, then Bruce heard something hit against the chains, causing Diana to let out a grunt of pain. Bruce’s hands were numb by how hard they were gripping onto the steering wheel.
I swear to God if he lays a finger on her…
“Answer me!”
Bruce waited for her response.
“Empty.” She whispered, “I felt empty.”
The billionaire could’ve driven himself into an ocean by the sound of her voice, knowing he was the cause of her pain.
“Do you wish him pain?” Thomas’ voice was deeper, more sinister.
Bruce held his breath, he assumed Diana didn’t know she was being recorded, much less that he was listening in.
“No.” She whispered, Bruce’s eyes slightly widened at her confession, his gaze flicking down to the speakers where he could overhear the live feed.
“You don’t wish him pain? After all he’s done to you?”
It was relief he felt, but a terrible guilt as well.
She should wish me nothing but pain, it’s what I deserve.
“He had a city to protect.” She stated, “He was doing what he had to.”
“Diana…” Bruce whispered,
“You defend the man who used you like a rag doll? The man who took things from you, things you’ll never get back?”
Thomas was trying to provoke her, trying to get her to confess something she clearly wasn’t going to confess.
“Maybe I’m a fool,” She whispered, and Bruce released a sigh of relief as he turned onto the street where his business was.
I’m almost there, Princess…
“But I’ll never regret giving the man I love all that I have. Even if I’m left empty.”
Bruce almost lost control of the car at the sound of Diana’s confession. The words pumped adrenaline through his body as it settled into his body.
“She loves me?” He whispered to himself.
Through the live feed, there was loud clanging, like the sound of multiple items being thrown over and crashing against each other.
“Master Wayne?” Alfred stated hesitantly, “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
“I’m almost there Alfred.” As he spoke, the great big Wayne Enterprises logo came into sight.
The sound of Thomas Elliot screaming was the last Bruce heard as he hurriedly whipped open his car door and began sprinting down the street towards the entrance.
I’m almost there Diana, please be there. Please be okay.
Bruce took one step on the entrance door before a loud explosion could be heard from the side of the building. The man’s blood ran cold, his body frozen in shock as he slowly moved his eyes towards the fire and smoke.
Oh, my God… he began to tremble, that’s where…
Cold sweats began to soak his body as he sprinted towards the fire. He felt nothing but the fear and adrenaline coursing through his veins.
“Diana!” He shouted, his eyes desperately scanning for her.
The side of the building was a bundle of falling debris and smoke. The smoke immediately infiltrated his lungs as he approached; he wheezed and coughed as he stepped over the rocks. The man fell to his knees as he crawled towards the source of the explosion.
“Diana!” His voice was desperate as his eyes filled up with tears, his throat clamping up on him as he struggled to breathe.
As he crawled, he spotted something silver deep in the grounds of the explosion. He dropped down a level, a groan escaping his lips as he fell on his side; the smoke was thicker here, the fire quickly began to spread.
He hobbled over to where he saw the silver, a tiny sliver of hope left in his body as he approached.
The flames were violent and hungry as it hunted down every spot on this floor, but Bruce didn’t care. He was ready to die here with her if that’s what this called for.
His vision began to blur, and he could see black dots begin to cloud his eyesight. But he fought his way to that silver, his body nearly collapsing with each step.
“Di,” his voice was drained.
He approached the silver, and saw a dainty hand appear out of it. As he came up in front of the hand, he fell to his knees. Bruce reached out to the hand, and held it firmly.
After a moment of collecting his breath, he sat up and filtered the debris off of her. There were very few rocks between him and the princess, and he could start to make out her scratched face and star-spangled outfit.
His cut up and bruised hand went to the side of her face. His thumb gently brushed across her cheekbone, a tear sliding down his face.
“Please, come back to me.” He struggled to whisper. “I don’t deserve you,” he began, “but I need you.” His voice broke as he confessed, “I’m so in love with you, princess.” Another tear escaped his eyes, his lips trembling. “Wake up.”
The black dots appeared again in his vision; his eyelids felt heavy as he blinked tirelessly. As his eyes closed, he saw a twitch in Diana’s eyelids. His body collapsed, but his hand remained on hers.