Symmetry

30. Epilogues

Author: Batman_Wolverine (a.k.a. Bruce Logan)

Summary: You read it right…Epilogues i.e. more than one.

Epilogue - 1,

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“You are awake.” He easily and adeptly sidestepped her comment, leaning to check the sensors monitoring her vitals.

Her slender hand stilling his gloved one, Diana leveraged her elbows, her effort to get into a seated position stilling at his hand reaching to and gently pushing down on her shoulders. “Bruce. I am fine….perfectly fine.” She lifted her hand to caress his freshly shaved but currently unmasked face. “And you Mr. Wayne, where are you taking me? What was so important that you kicked even Clark out, not to mention instruct him to not allow the others…”

“I did not kick him out,” Bruce cut into her words, his handsome face sporting a childlike pout…..well, as close as it was possible for the Dark Knight to pout.
“You might as well have.” Realizing that he wasn’t going to let up anytime soon, Diana gave and rested back on the comfortable bed at the back of the ‘family’ Bat-wing. Compared to the smaller 2 and 2+2 seating steeds, this version of the ‘wing was downright luxurious, complete with miniature lab, emergency med-bay and either seats for eight adults or as was in case this four adults plus one full-size bed. A few years back, it had also served as the prototype for the league’s first Javelin, the one Diana’s had cut her aviating teeth on. Even the current smaller Javelins were based on the same general design, albeit with none of the Bat-motifs and quirks.

“Ahem.” The polite intrusion and a pair of gloved hands, a silver tray held in them announced the entrance of the Wayne’s butler and family elder, Alfred Pennyworth, his appearance causing Diana even more surprise. She did not know that Alfred was accompanying them. Come to think of it, how come she did not get up when Bruce transported her to the Bat-wing.

“Good morning Madam.” Ever since she had moved into Wayne Manor, Alfred had stopped addressing her as ‘Miss,’ instead adopting the more familial ‘Madam’. As hard as she tried, no matter how many times she corrected him, she wasn’t able to get him to address her only by her name. Then again, it wasn’t like she did not realize the futility of her efforts. After all, this was the same man who during his entire association with Bruce had dropped the ‘master’ prefix only a handful of times….if at all.

“Alfred?” She sat up, one hand on her swollen midsection, the other flat on the bed as Bruce raised the back of the bed and re-arranged her pillows for her. “What are you doing here?” After all, even though she was dressed in a simple, loose cotton gown, Bruce was dressed in his full Bat-glory….and they were in the Bat-wing. So, what was Alfred doing here? Bruce never took him in a mission. So, where were they going now?

“Breakfast.” The rather large sized tray’s bottom opened up to legs, with Alfred then set before Diana, tilting his head towards Batman. “Perhaps the Master would also deign to partake in something to eat now…..seeing that Madam is awake.”

Assaulted from both sides by withering stares, Bruce did the best he could to maintain his composure, cursing mentally at not having his mask on.

“Bruce.” The tone Diana used conveyed her surprise, confusion and worry. Turning to Alfred, she smiled. “Thank you Alfred. I’ll see that Master Bruce eats….even if I have to stuff his face myself.”

An bemused smile and a parting nod and the elderly butler stepped back and out of view.

“Stuff his face?” Bruce tilted his head towards his Amazonian Princess. “Should I be worried?” He hinted towards Diana’s recent ‘warrior’ mood, which thankfully for all of them hadn’t made an appearance in the last seventeen hours. That was how long it had been since his and Diana’s return to this earth…to their home.

“Only if you disobey my command,” Diana returned just as easily, as she lifted a buttered toast to Bruce’s lips. “Now bite, and tell me where are we going. What’s the big secret for which you had to use one of your nerve pinches?”

Following the royal command, Bruce bit into the toast, his own hand gripping the silver bracelet cover wrist to move the piece of bread towards Diana. He knew that sooner or later, Diana would catch onto him, putting two and two together to realize that even without any sedatives how come she had slept so deeply and for so long.

“Well?” Deep blue eyes gazed at him expectantly.

Even before Bruce could answer, another familiar voice sounded over the intercom.

“ETA ten minutes.”

“Richard?” Now Diana was even more interested. She had thought that maybe Bruce had come to her when she woke up and had put the jet on auto-pilot. But it wasn’t him at all, but Dick ‘Nightwing’ Grayson who had been at the helm.

“Bruce. Where are we going?”

--

A few hundred miles away,

“Your Majesty.” Just about to kneel down for her morning prayer, Hippolyta, the Amazonian Queen stilled mid-action, one hand supporting her weight. It was a part of her morning routine that after visiting her daughter, she would trek to all the temples on the island and pray for peace for her spirit.

“What is it?” She asked, her weary blue eyes showing all the age of the three thousand plus years had lived. Even after Diana left for man’s world….even after she elected to stay there, even after the exile, there was at least the consolation that she was there, she was alive and later, once their relations improved and with the man she had chosen…even happy. Apart from their off-island meetings, there was always the option that if she wanted Hippolyta could always visit her daughter….if only she had done that, if only she had taken the time to see the life that her daughter had built for herself, meet the family. If only.

“There are reports of a Bat-shaped flying object appearing on the Horizon and heading towards the island.” The armor clad guard stepped up to her.

‘Bat-shaped…’ that was information enough to tell who it was. What was he coming here for?

Standing up, Hippolyta hurried towards the exit, her fellow Amazon close behind her. Heading towards the shore, the metallic Bat growing just a short distance away from the island, she arrived just in time to see it reach near the island, hovering in air, just a few hundred feet from the island landmass, directly above the small isle where she used to meet Diana.

As she watched, the hatch of the jet opened and the familiar black and grey clad shape stepped up to it. However, it wasn’t him that drew the Queen’s attention, her surprise drawing a gasp from her lips, her eyes not believing what they were seeing,

For nestled in arms of the Dark Knight was her one and only daughter, her ‘sun and stars’....her Diana.

----

Epilogue - 2,

It was a pitch dark night as she landed on the roof of their usual meeting place, her mask covered blue eyes searching for his familiar form.

“Yoo-hoo, Boyfriend Wonder….” she kept her hail to a low whisper. “Its me. You there?”

Getting no response, she hung her head, harrumphing that she’d chew him out a new one for making her wait. First instead of meeting her at or near her house as they usually did, he signals her to come here and now this. “Stand me up will he. Just let him….”

“Robin won’t be coming.”

“Eep.” Her head jerking up at the guttural growl, the purple and blue clad teenager stumbled back almost falling as she tripped over herself. In fact had it not been for a gloved hand reaching out to grab her, she surely would have landed on her behind. Looking up along the hand, the imposing dark form with the Bat on the chest confirmed her doubts. It was HE himself, the big man, the papa Bat to Robin’s…uh, Robin.

“I…uh,” flustered and incredibly nervous, she fumbled with her words, sputtering out whatever thoughts that her stupefied mind could come up with. “Robin asked me to come here, I mean….a case, yes, a case. I am helping with a case. It’s the Riddler. He….”

“Shut. Up.” Two cold as ice words and the outflow stopped.

“Sorry.”

“I called you here.”

“Wha-Oh.” A few seconds of silence and once again it began. “Look, I know you don’t like me as a person, let alone as Spoiler. I mean I know whose daughter I am. But I really like Robin and won’t harm him or ever hurt him. I know he is too good for the likes of me. But I lo…..vvv……”

A barely audible hiss and seconds later, even as she was continuing with her argument, the knock-out gas took effect and the slender form of Stephanie Brown a.k.a. the Spoiler slumped over, her knees giving way as she slipped into unconsciousness.

--

Sometime later,

“Uhnn-ugh,” the smelling salts talking effect, Stephanie, now unmasked, opened her eyes to find herself… ‘Where am I?’ “Ewww.” She cursed at the offensive smell, swatting away the hand at her nose.

“Awake.” She heard a familiar female voice. At least she thought

It took her a few seconds to realize that not only did she not know where she was, she also did not even have mask on. Shaking her head to clear away the haze clouding her thoughts, she cursed out aloud, her voice echoing slightly. “Stupid Bat-freak.”

“She’s certainly awake now.” Another voice, this one also female but older and more mature…more polished than the first caused her ears to perk up. Maybe it was the effects of whatever they had done to her...made her smell, but she could have sworn that she need at least a light laughter in this second voice.

“Get up.”

Ah, this she knew. It was him again. ‘Oh god,’ the color from her cheeks paled. ‘If he is here then he must have heard…oh god. You are so dead Steph.’

“Get. Up.” The repeat was harder, more definitive.

Inspite of herself, Stephanie mumbled a, ‘Yes sir’ and pushed herself to sit up and then stand up, her eyes still not accustomed to the dark. “Where am I? What did….”

“Quiet.”

“Hmph.”

“You are not to speak until you are told to.” That was the first thing he got out of the way. “If you have a question, you will keep quiet and ask it only when you are allowed to speak. Do you understand that? Answer in yes or no.”

“Yes.” Even though she knew that the Batman did not kill, right now Stephanie wasn’t sure if he had changed his rules. “I mean….”

“You are here…” his starting again, silenced her words. “…for one specific reason. You have repeated disregarded my advice by continuing with Spoiler’s existence. This world….this work is not a game. Your actions affect not only you and those around you, but also those who you try to…want to help. One mistake and someone can…will get hurt or even worse.”

Able to make out the dark outlines in the dim light, Stephanie had so far been able to recognize two forms, both Bat-garbed. ‘Batman and Batgirl,’ she guessed. Where they were and if there were any others, she still did not know, although from the voices she had heard, she guessed that there would be at least one other person….one other woman. It wasn’t the Huntress. Her voice she knew. It wasn’t the Oracle Robin talked to. This was someone else. Maybe a new member of the Bat-family. ‘Someone he allows to operate in his city.’ She frowned at her self-pity.

“I have known about your….” Batman stopped and looked over his shoulder, his night vision goggles clearly seeing the red, yellow and black teenager standing a few feet away from him. “…your meetings with Robin. The only reason Spoiler has existed for as long as now is only because of him.” He turned back to face Stephanie, feeling amused at seeing the same look of surprise on her face as he had just seen on Tim’s. “However, this arrangement ended tonight. Robin cannot perform with always having to look over his shoulder, his attention split while keeping an eye on you.”

“I didn’t tell him to.” Stephanie was quick to defend herself, her pride stinging at the blunt comment. Okay, even if Robin had helped her out a couple of times, it wasn’t as if she was some damsel in distress. Agreed she wasn’t as good as that freaky scary Batgirl… ‘Or, even Robin.’ But she could learn. Given enough time and training, she could be as good as anyone else. ‘Alright not as good as Batman or Bat-Ghoul.’

“The only reason you are here is because someone put forth a case…as a favor.” From the way his said the word favor made Stephanie think that it wasn’t Robin who had put in a word for her. ‘Who else?’

“You will be given only one chance. You are being given the opportunity to learn the skills...the training needed for them. If you succeed, then you will be tested for the next level.” ‘What next level?’ Stephanie wondered. “But fail even once, and the Spoiler….” That warning remained unsaid.

“Make a choice.”

‘Make a choice,’ parroting his words, Stephanie mused over her options. Either she could do things his way and try not to fail and put an end to her career as the Spoiler…or, she could say thanks but no thanks to him and put an end to her career as the Spoiler. ‘So, its either try to jump across the fiery pit and cross it and stay alive or drop in and burn, or….just set fire to yourself now. Ooh, what great options.’

Standing there, in the near pitch black surroundings, she took a deep breath and answered.

“Yes. I’ll do it.”

“Remember. You fail at this and not only will you not operate as the Spoiler, you will also not take up a different identity.” The warning came again, more clearly stated than the first time.

A quick nod and Stephanie repeated her confirmatory answer again.


Seconds later, she felt her slender hand grab and lift her hand. A small, six inch by six inch box was placed on it.

“Open this box when you get home.” Batman’s voice sounded again, closer this time and that was the last thing Stephanie remembered, feeling a slight pressure against her neck….and just like that she was out like a light.

--

Much later,

“Thank you.” Her sleep husked voice murmured against his arm as she lay on her side, her back towards him. “I know it isn’t something you will would have done.”
“I wouldn’t have…” his voice rumbled through their connection. “….once…when it was just me.”

“And now?” she ran her hand along his, their fingers tangling with each others.
“Now I don’t have to,” he brought his free hand to the round of her abdomen. “Maybe because….now I am not alone.”

“Yes.” Slowly turning, she lay on her back, her shaded eyes twinkling at him. “Nor am I.”

“Neither of us are.”

Note: Well, this is the end of this fic. I almost included another epilogue….but decided to keep it out. Will get to it if and when I get to writing a sequel.

Thanks for keeping me company on this journey. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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