Chapter Text
Bruce jerks awake, not sure what woke him. Eyes snapping open.
He can hear Diana, based on her breathing, she came-to at the same moment he did.
He quickly checks himself for injuries and finds none, and no missing equipment. Diana is calming too, her lasso and sword right where they should be.
"Great Hera!" Diana exclaims.
Their surroundings have changed drastically.
They seem to be in some canyon. A long one that stretches as far as he can see either way. The gray stone of the walls is wild with imperfections, rough textures and ridges, while the floor made of the same rock, is much more smooth. The passage isn't very wide, two cars would have to be very careful driving through it beside each other.
That is, except for the doors. Doors of wood, stone, metal, glass, anything that can be thought of. A few are the size of a finger or smaller, others are just the right size or way too tall.
All of the doors are facing the passage, their frames to the gray stone walls. While a few are on the ground, most seem to hang from nothing, going up and up and out of sight.
One thing they all have in common, they all seem to lead nowhere. At least, if the two heroes didn't know this was quite the magical place, that's what they might think.
"Hm," Batman says. Approaching a door on the ground. He inspects it, taking his time.
"Batman, I don't think we should open these," Wonder Woman says, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Agreed. Whatever's behind these, we probably aren't meant to open them. This seems like a test. To see if we have the control to not give in to temptation."
Wonder Woman let's out a breath, "Glad we're in agreement then. Because I can no longer fly."
"What?" He whips around to face her. "What about your other abilities?"
She hums, thinking. "I think everything else is still working. But, what should we do now without Zatanna's advisement?"
Batman takes one more look down both ways of the canyon. Neither seems very different, or more importantly, not any more likely to lead them the right way.
"If we were meant to go one direction or the other, there would be some clue to guide us. Let's pick one and start walking. We should end up somewhere eventually."
Wonder Woman nods, and the two begin their walk.
The journey is relatively quiet, the sounds of boots hitting the ground and occasional swish of a cape the only things to break it up.
They must have passed hundreds of doors at this point.
Batman makes an effort to keep track of the time, though in a place like this, he can't be sure time is moving as it should. All the same, when they pass the one hour mark (again, only if it's accurate) they hear a new sound.
Wonder Woman hears it first, putting out a hand to stop Batman. It's so quiet and so faint, they can't guess what it could be.
Wonder Woman draws her blade, Batman preps several batarangs, both as silent as they can.
Now careful with their steps, they continue.
It soon becomes apparent that the sound echoing off the walls is muffled crying. They share a glance, and continue forward.
Someone is here.
It takes a few more minutes of moving forward when Batman spots the figure, giving a hand signal to Wonder Woman.
The person is small, with short messy black hair. Sitting, back pressed against the stone wall. Legs tucked up to his chest, worn sneakers curled into each other, face hidden behind crossed arms resting on his knees. His oversized red hoodie is worn and Batman can see dried tears and snot on the sleeves.
Most importantly, he seems to be a child.
Even if this turns out to be a trick, Batman decides not to take that chance. He signals Wonder Woman to be ready for a fight and stay hidden. She nods, taking up position behind a beautiful door made of white crystal with blue gems embedded in it.
Batman takes a breath and scuffs his boot against the ground, the sound echoing.
The boy gasps, head shooting up and frantically looking around, "Who's there?"
Batman takes a step into the boy's sightline, having put his batarangs away, holding his hands out in surrender.
"Hello-," Batman starts, but is interrupted.
"Ah! Please don't hurt me!" The boy says, blue eyes wide, cheeks wet and red. He's staring at Batman like he's seeing a ghost... or a demon.
Batman removes all gruffness from his voice, using his 'dad tone'. "Hey, hey, I won't hurt you. I'm Batman, have you heard of me?"
"Bat...man?" The boy says, trying to process.
"Yes," he says, staying put so the kid has room to breathe. "I help people, and I wanted to ask if you're okay."
The boy stands but stays pressed close the the wall, shoulders hunched away from Batman. He brings up a sleeve to wipe his nose, scowling at the ground. "I'm fine." He turns his glare to Batman, though with how tiny he is and the tear stained eyes and baby fat cheeks, it isn't very intimidating. "What are you doing here?"
"My friends and I came here because we need help. A lot of people are going to get hurt, and there's someone here we came to talk to."
The boy crosses his arms with a huff. "And where are your friends now?"
"We got separated. I can't speak for them, but I know I'm totally lost," he huffs a small laugh at his predicament. The boy lets out a shy giggle followed by a sniffle. "You wouldn't happen to know if we're going the right way. Would you?"
The boy presses his lips together, looking away. "Well, you see... I don't... if... I can't-...," he struggles.
When Batman sees his little lip wobble he takes over, taking a few steps closer. "It's alright. You're safe now. How long have you been here?"
The kid jerks his shoulders in a shrug. "Long enough I don't remember what it was like before."
And that answer just about breaks Batman's heart. "Well you don't have to be alone anymore, chum. Why don't you walk with us?"
"Us?" The boy's big blue eyes look up at the white lenses of Batman's cowl.
"Yes. You see, I got lost with one of my friends. I'm sure she'd love to meet you. Then we can all walk together," Batman holds out a hand for the boy to take.
He looks between Batman's face and guantlet a few times before he takes the offered hand. Batman notices how tiny it is, even smaller than Damian's when they first met.
Wonder Woman steps into sight, sword sheathed at her hip. "Hello, young one. I'm Wonder Woman, what is your name?"
The boy uses his free hand to smush his nose in a feeble attempt to wipe away snot, "Billy."
"Well, Billy, let's charge into the unknown together!" Wonder Woman says with a smile.
Billy laughs, "Um, okay!"
The trio continue, now with the added noise of a child skipping, bunny hopping, running ahead and stopping, and occasionally grazing a shoulder or toe on a doorframe. Each time getting a "Slow down" or "Please, be careful" from one of the heroes.
The boy always states his agreement. And then continues what he was doing anyway.
"Have you guys opened any of these doors?" Billy asks from ahead.
"No, it seemed like a trap or a test of some sort," Wonder Woman answers.
"Test?"
"Yes. I was raised on an island called Themyscira. I was told many legends as a child about heroes who endured many trials to save what was precious to them. This seemed a similar scenario."
"Huh... cool."
Another length of time passes in relative silence.
"Do you even know what you're looking for?" Billy asks as he starts zigzagging around the doors.
"No," Batman answers.
"Than how will you know if you find it?"
"Hn."
Billy groans with a dramatic eye roll, holding onto a doorframe and leaning out to look back at the adults that are moving too slow for him. "What are you hoping to find then? Specifically."
"We are hoping the being we seek will have that answer for us."
Billy scoffs narrowing his eyes at the pair with mock suspicion. "Lame."
He pulls himself up to standing again when they pass, and starts walking alongside.
Maybe it's something about this place, maybe the boy did something himself, but somehow, neither adult notices when the child drifts behind them. Or when exactly they cease to notice his footsteps.
Until Wonder Woman stops abruptly. Turning around, "Billy?" She calls, into an eternal cavern.
Batman's attention immediately snaps back in the direction they came. How could he not notice? "Billy!" He shouts, and gets no reply.
They both start scouring the doors they've just passed, trying to find the child.
But when they turn back to the direction they were going, they find that an endless canyon is no longer their path ahead. Instead, it has been replaced with stone wall turning a corner, and no more doors. The new way forward is dark, but on the far wall straight ahead, is two torches. Made of sticks and suspended in metal holders, orange flames cast dancing shadows into the dark.
"Huh," Wonder Woman smiles. She approaches a torch sliding it up and out of it's holder. "It seems if that was a trial, we might have passed."
Batman follows suit, "It would seem so."