Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Wayne Legacy: Knightmare

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 19:

Downtown Gotham

“Have I done something wrong?” Tommy asked, shaken by Alfred’s words.

Alfred smiled gently at him and poured him another cup of tea.

“No. Indeed, you have done everything right.” Alfred assured him. “When I first met you, I thought you were elite trash, a trust fund baby not worthy to breathe the same air as Kara, much less be in the same room with her.

“You have surprised me. You turned your life around in days. You began proving yourself as someone of substance and drive, became your own man. Now tell me, Tommy, what inspired you to do so?”

“Kara.” He answered immediately. “Everything you just said about me was true. I wasn’t worthy of her. I’m not sure if I am now, but I want to be.”

Alfred nodded. “As I said, I have not come to speak to you on Kara or Diana’s behalf. I have only come with my own concerns for Kara and her feelings.

“Kara never confided in me much growing up. We played at times, and I supervised her until Diana made it home from school, but subjects regarding emotions and passing on life lessons were never my forte. I took a step to the side, something I wish I had not done, even to this moment.”

“Okay.” Tommy said, relaxing a bit now, realizing Alfred had not shown up to break up with him by proxy for Kara or send him out of town on Diana’s orders.

“You changed your life to be with Kara. That places an enormous amount of pressure on her.” Alfred pointed out.

“I don’t understand. Why should she feel any pressure?” Tommy asked.

Alfred raised an eyebrow and waited. When it became obvious Tommy wasn’t going to answer, the man carried on. “You changed your life for her. You love her. What would happen if she did not return your love? Would you go back to being the man you were before you met her?”

“Of course not!” Tommy said quickly, not liking the direction of this conversation.

“Does she know that?” Alfred asked. “If for some reason, she did not return your love or stop returning your love, would she know that you wouldn’t go back to the man you were?”

Tommy opened his mouth to assure the man Kara did know but suddenly realized Alfred was right.

Kara had no idea.

He had told her he wanted to be a better man for her, to prove himself to her… that he could be more. He told her he moved to Gotham for her. Tommy had never given any thought to what would happen if she left him. His whole focus since he moved to Gotham was on winning Kara and learning to run a business successfully to impress both Kara and Diana.

“I don’t suppose she does know that.” He admitted quietly.

Alfred smiled gently, pleased Tommy understood. “And you? What would be your plans? Would you stay in Gotham City? Would you leave and never look back, never speak to her again?

“I ask you to think about this because, as you know, Kara is a sensitive girl. I failed her as she grew, but I will not do so now.”

Tommy was quiet for a moment, sipping his tea and Alfred gave him the time to digest all of this.

“I don’t think I could stay. I could remain her friend, but I love her, Alfred. I don’t think I could ever be just a friend, stay in Gotham and watch her fall in love with someone else.” Tommy told him.

Alfred nodded. “Thank you for your honesty.”

“I’m working on it.” Tommy admitted. “Being honest with myself has never been something I’ve been good at in the past… Alfred, I know you said you don’t discuss her feelings with her, but you have known her, lived with Kara her whole life. Do you think… does she love me?”

Alfred was quiet for a moment, taking a drink then looking out the window, leaned back in his chair.

“It isn’t for me to say.” He finally said. “The inner workings of Kara’s heart are not my knowledge or business.”

Tommy nearly rolled his eyes but would not do so in front of the distinguished man. Alfred commanded respect in a different way than Diana. Alfred had seen war, seen the loss of his best friends, seen their children grow without them. Despite his opinion of failing them, Tommy knew he was a guiding light the Wayne children looked to when troubled. The man knew Kara. He knew her mannerisms, her quirks, her moods… he knew everything. Only Diana knew more about Kara than Alfred did.

“Please, I just want your opinion.”

Alfred sighed and faced the younger man, determined to be honest. “I am here, having this conversation with you… you already know the answer.”

Tommy closed his eyes, having hoped for a different answer.

“May I ask you a personal question, Tommy?” Alfred asked the shaken man.

Tommy nodded, his heart falling into his stomach as he fought off tears.

“What have you learned about yourself since you have been in Gotham? Taking Kara out of consideration…. what do you want out of life?” Alfred asked, gently probing.

Tommy thought for a moment, hoping to find some insight, something he had learned to improve himself. Alfred always commanded honesty just in his bearing.

“I’m not… I suppose I realized that everything I had before, the drinking, the drugs, the constant need for a string of women, never settling down or taking anything seriously… it was me trying to fill a hole in myself I didn’t realize I had.” He said.

Alfred nodded in understanding. “A hole left since your mother was murdered.”

Tommy was surprised, then realized he shouldn’t have been. If anyone could relate to his loss it would be the Wayne family.

“Yes.”

“As I said, take Kara out of the equation. Thinking back on what you have learned since you struck out on your own, what do you want in life?” Alfred prodded him.

“Marriage, kids… happiness. Real happiness. The kind I feel when I am with…. Kara.” Tommy answered.

Alfred understood. “You want the dream, someone to share everything with, someone to have children with… someone you can shower with the love that was stolen from you so early in your life.”

Tommy reflected on what Alfred was saying, easily accepting the truth of his words. “I guess I do want the dream. A few months ago, I would have gone pale at the idea of having kids. I was an overgrown kid myself.

“Now… I guess my eyes have been opened to what is important.”

“Yes they have, and I have been privileged to watch you grow.” Alfred replied, smiling in approval. “Remember, what you have learned you want is not centered on Kara. She should not feel the pressure of being the only one you can attain your dreams with.

“I shall allow you to return to your business. Thank you for speaking with me, Tommy. Please, make sure Kara understands that your growth is not reliant on her love. No one should have that much pressure on themselves.”

Tommy nodded. “I will… Alfred, it’s not going to work, is it? She is not in the same place I am in life, and it will be years before she is there, if ever… if it is even me she sees herself with.”

Alfred smiled sadly at the man. “That is for the two of you to determine. Whatever happens, now or in the future, whether you stay together for life or depart from each other, know that I consider you a friend, Tommy.”

Tommy watched Alfred go and stayed behind his mind thinking over everything that was said. He knew why Alfred wanted to speak to him. The man was right. Tommy needed to make it clear to Kara that he would remain on his path, regardless of their relationship. Not doing so would be tantamount to those who tell their lovers they will kill themselves or return to substance abuse if left. It would be toxic and wrong.

What would he do if she told him it was over then?

His heart would break, but he would do what he told Alfred. He would maintain the course. It would hurt and he doubted he could stay in Gotham, but he would not return to the man he once was.

---

Wayne Tower, one week later

Diana entered the top floor at six a.m., well before any others reported to work.

Today was an important day for Kara.

Diana, her little sister and fiancé would take a chopper to Norfolk, Virginia and then another helicopter to the U.S.S. Stennis, still in U.S. waters running drills. They would spend the night on the ship and enter a submarine at six a.m. the next morning, dive under for a few hours then be taken back to the carrier where they would be taken by helicopter back to Norfolk that evening. Should everything go well, the group would be back in Gotham tomorrow night around midnight.

Diana was not happy about many things involved in this trip. She wasn’t crazy that Kara would get next to no sleep, the time away from the office or about sleeping in a Navy bunk.

The excitement on Kara’s face last night made it difficult to be upset though. Kara had been on a carrier once in dock but never on any type of Navy ship on open water. Though the group would be close to American shores, the vessels would be out at sea and Kara would have the chance to watch aircraft she designed take-off and land on a carrier deck.

Diana stepped toward her office but noticed Kara’s door was open.

Kara loved little things and since Diana usually got to the office before her little sister, she would leave sticky notes with a heart or a smiley face, stuck to Kara’s chair. It was something Diana and Kara had done often over the course of their lives. They had made a deal when Kara was small that, if they ever saw a note from the other, no matter how small, they had to smile.

As she stepped inside her little sister’s office to leave a note for whenever Kara was there next, something new caught the corner of her eye. She turned fully and stiffened.

A blue police call box was against the wall.

Anyone else would have assumed it was a replica. Kara had always been a huge fan of Doctor Who so having a T.A.R.D.I.S. replica in her office shouldn’t have surprised Diana.

But surprise wasn’t what Diana would say she was feeling. It was more like a bit of terror.

She ran her hand over the wood, picked up the false phone and reached for the door.

She closed her eyes as she opened the door then dared to look.

Diana relaxed and placed a hand over her heart when she saw it was simply the dark space of four wooden walls.

“Are you okay?”

Diana jumped and turned quickly… almost too quickly.

“Sam!” The normally regal woman practically squeaked.

Sam looked a bit sheepish. “Sorry. I just walked in and saw you… why did you look so nervous? Security gave it a thorough scanning before it was brought up here. I’ve always wanted to get Ruby something like this… she is a huge Doctor Who fan. I think every kid into science is a Whovian. She and Kara were geeking out over it last week.”

“So… this is for Ruby?” Diana asked to be sure.

She knew Ruby’s birthday was Sunday, July fifth.

July was a busy month for the Wayne’s.

Saturday, a small party of those closest to the Wayne family, would be watching fireworks over Gotham Harbor from the top of Wayne Tower. The next day would be Ruby’s party at the manor. The third weekend of July would be the twins birthday which was usually a small affair as Diana preferred and then came Kara’s birthday in August, definitely not a small affair. A week in Paris was in the works and Diana planned to make it Kara’s best birthday ever. The last week of August would be the end of the summer trip to Dolphin Cay while the last weekend of September was Kara’s SCID Foundation race they were both looking forward to.

After that, all would be calm until Thanksgiving then the wedding, the honeymoon, Christmas and ringing in the New Year.

Diana basically had from the first week of October to Thanksgiving to relax, though her definition of relaxation meant being able to work without big interruptions.

Sam was coming along at a pace that surpassed Diana’s lofty expectations and was always eager for more, meaning Diana was constantly imparting knowledge.

As all these thoughts raced through Diana’s mind, Sam confirmed the time traveling replica was indeed for Ruby. “Yes, Kara said she would keep it locked away in here for a few days. I had asked her if we could put it in a storage room somewhere in the Tower, but Kara wanted to keep a close eye on it. I think she secretly wants her own if you are looking for Christmas ideas.”

Diana laughed quietly. “I had enough of her Doctor Who phase when she was eight. That was a year… she had a bad year. Eliza’s treatments got more aggressive because her immune system stopped reacting to the normal gene therapy, so she was sicker more often, not just from illness but the increased medication she had to take and stronger therapy. She had a difficult time maintaining her weight. She had to be hooked up to IVs several times and given nutrients because everything she tried to eat came up.”

Despite her dire words, Diana smiled fondly. “To take her mind off her situation, she made her own version of a sonic screwdriver. Have you watched the show?”

Sam nodded, smiling. “I’m sure I watched as much for Ruby as you did for Kara. So Kara made a replica of a sonic screw driver. Did she run around pointing it at everything with great flourish?”

Diana shook her head. “She didn’t make a replica. She made a sonic screwdriver. I’m not sure how she did it or how it worked but that thing could turn on microwave ovens, open and close electronic locks, bypass someone’s password to get onto their computer accounts and turn security systems off and on… like the laser grid that covers the entire grounds of Wayne Manor at night.”

Sam was silent for a moment, her eyes wide.

“Whoa.” She finally whispered.

Diana agreed. “I had to have a firm talk with her about not using it. She was playing havoc with our security systems and kept hacking into Alfred’s email. As a joke, she placed an order for four hundred pounds of coffee to be delivered to him using his bankcard and email. He despises coffee.”

“So a sick and restless Kara is a bored Kara who causes mischievous havoc.” Sam said and began laughing. “Good to know. Does she still have it?”

Diana shrugged. “There are probably one or two lying around but we sold two thousand units to the military for special forces use. They come in very handy. We didn’t charge as much as we could have. It was one of our early forays into weapons and we wanted to give the military a taste of what she could develop. It opened eyes. Kara calls it the ‘Key to the City’.

“After that, they paid attention when she approached them with a new fighter jet model, followed up by her drones, then the Navy became interested in her new developments in stealth technology. Now we are the military and it all started because Kara wanted her own sonic screwdriver to keep herself entertained when she was eight-years-old.”

Sam wondered if anything would ever be declassified enough to write a book about Kara Wayne’s life. She would certainly read it.

“It’s a good thing she had the Doctor to keep her entertained. Why were you looking so strangely at it? You looked nervous to touch it.” Sam pointed out.

Diana chuckled. “I was afraid she had actually built it. She spends a few hours a week in sublevel six, her own private playground. I have no idea what she works on in there. It’s kind of like her secret diary I’m not allowed to read. She promises to make no explosives or guns and I don’t ask. Neither Dig or I go inside. Dig stays outside the door.”

Sam raised an eyebrow, confused. “There are only five sublevels of Wayne Tower.”

“Exactly.” Diana said with a mischievous wink. “At home, she has the basement, the garage and her new workspace attached to her room. Here in the Tower, she shares lab space with everyone except for sublevel six. That is her personal space. No one else goes in there, not even me.”

“You were afraid Kara made it? Is she into woodworking?” Sam was still perplexed as to why Diana had looked so worried.

Diana raised an eyebrow.

“No. That’s not possible.” Sam argued, finally getting Diana’s meaning and concern. What Diana was suggesting shouldn’t have been possible, even for Kara.

Diana smiled, continuing to stay silent, and Sam could see the seriousness in her boss’s eyes.

“Really?” Sam asked incredulously.

“I’m not sure,” Diana admitted, “but if something like that were possible, it would take the greatest physicist and engineer the world has ever known with a great imagination and unlimited money to complete a project like that. Do you know anyone who fits that description?

“While I don’t think it is possible… I never put anything past my sister.”

Sam was silent for a moment, utterly stunned.

“Holy shit.” She finally whispered, her comprehension of Kara’s intellect growing once again.

Diana sighed. “If you only knew the number of times Kara has made me say that in my life. It would blow your mind knowing everything she can do and build but doesn’t because of possible dangers. Kara can seem carefree, but she always errs on the side of caution rather than causing any potential harm to others. She is very disciplined and shows great self-restraint. I am so proud of her.”

Diana smiled fondly, one that Sam was quickly associating with her whenever she spoke of Kara or when the younger Wayne entered the room.

“So, another six a.m. start? Getting earlier and earlier for you, Sam.” Diana remarked.

“Lots to do. My boss is joining the Navy and I have to look after this ship while she is away.”

Diana waved it off. “You will do fine. Cathy is going to help you out and if you have any questions, I am a video call away.”

Diana hugged Sam and began walking to her office then stopped.

“By the way, since Ruby is such a Whovian, would you like one of the Doctors to be at her party? I paid Tennant and Smith fifty thousand each to be flown in, given a quick medical examination and to hang out at the party with Kara all day when she turned twelve. A good time was had by all.” Diana explained, pushing down the memory of how she almost lost Kara when she got so sick after that party. “Actors are strange people but the ones that aren’t monsters are usually great and have the best stories.”

“Are you serious?” Sam asked, imagining Ruby’s joyful face.

“Of course. Which one is her favorite?”

“Matt Smith and David Tennant are tied I believe.”

Diana nodded. “I’ll ask Terry to handle it. He adores speaking to celebrities. Now, have some coffee and relax. You are going to be great the next couple days. I, however, will probably be hot bunking it. That sounds sexy but it isn’t.”

---

Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean

A few hours later, after landing at Norfolk Naval Base, Diana, Steve and an overexcited Kara began an hour long flight in a SA-330J Puma helicopter. They were accompanied by Dig and twenty security guards he had handpicked.

At two p.m., as the chopper approached their destination. Kara saw the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. John C. Stennis, on the open ocean for the first time in her life. It was surrounded by a strike group including a Guided Missile Cruiser, two Destroyers, two Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System, or LAMPS capable warships. She also knew there was one or two Seawolf attack subs under the surface, most likely one in front and one behind the group.

On the flight deck, she saw several of the F/A 44 fighters that she had designed, built and sold to the Navy when she was eighteen. She had worked years on the plans, and it was her first project at Wayne Enterprises when she officially began working there. It was also the aircraft that brought Steve and Diana together.

“Beautiful.” Kara said, a large smile on her face as the helicopter began to descend.

Diana smiled thinking the same. The smile on Kara’s face at that moment was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. She had seen that look several times in Iceland and planned to see that smile many more times in their lives.

“Try not to run off the sides or get hit by a jet when we land.” Steve told her jokingly, but Kara was so transfixed, she did not pay any mind to his good natured jibe.

The chopper touched down and Dig placed a hand on her shoulder to remind her not to rush out. Instead, Wayne security personnel in black BDUs stepped out first. They only wore holstered sidearms, but should they see something they didn’t like, would not hesitate to act.

Dig followed next and helped Kara down, with Steve and Diana exiting last. The group had not dressed in their finest. Steve wore his Air Force BDU, while Diana wore jeans and a white t-shirt with an Air Force logo in support of her love. Kara played to the crowd with jeans and a dark blue Navy t‑shirt.

Kara took a moment to gain her bearings, not having been on a ship at sea since their last yacht trip to the island.

When she looked up, she saw a sight she had not noticed from the air.

Hundreds of sailors were on the deck, and all began clapping and cheering. The other ships in the group began blowing horns and sailors stood next to the rails applauding them as well.

Steve leaned over and spoke in Kara’s ear so she could hear him over the noise. “They know you take care of them, Kara. You and Diana both take care of them. That earns respect from the people serving our country.”

Kara blushed and shyly waved to all the sailors, enlisted and officers on the deck. Diana waved with much more flourish, not intimidated by the showing at all.

The crowd quieted when Admiral Ingersol approached the group along with the carrier’s captain and who Kara suspected was the executive officer.

The captain and executive officer held jackets in their hands.

The admiral shook their hands and was given a microphone by the captain then addressed the assembled men and women and Kara suspected the other ships in the group.

“Sailors, it is an honor today to welcome our guests. You should all know who they are, but this is a momentous occasion, and I won’t be robbed of the pleasure of introducing them.

“First, we welcome Miss Diana Wayne, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Enterprises.”

A cheer went up in the air once more. The admiral raised his hand after ten seconds.

“And to my right, is Kara Wayne, co-owner, President and head of Research and Development for Wayne Enterprises. The planes we support and fly, the advancement of our reactors and engines, the missiles and guns on our warships were all designed and built by Miss Wayne. Our future warships will also be designed and built by this young woman. Show her your appreciation for the work she does, not only to help protect this country, but to keep all of us safer as we do.”

The cheers erupted once again, much louder this time to Kara’s surprise. She stood still, taking in the sounds around her, the chills she felt and the pride, as well as embarrassment at being the center of attention.

“Smile and wave, kid.” Steve whispered to her. “You are a big deal to the military. They know what you do for them.”

Kara planted a large smile on her face and waved to more cheers.

Finally, the admiral called for silence.

“We welcome you aboard the finest carrier in the U.S. Naval fleet and present you both with these jackets. Consider yourself honorary members of our crew.” The admiral told the sisters with a big smile.

The captain and the executive officer approached the two and handed them brown leather jackets with U.S.S. John C. Stennis monogrammed on the back.

The captain shook their hands then turned back to Diana. “If I knew you needed clothes, I would have been more prepared. I’ll have one of the sailors find you a Navy t‑shirt immediately, Miss Wayne.”

Diana chuckled. “Please, call me Diana. Though I have the upmost respect for all branches, I am partial to the Air Force for personal reasons. I’m sure you can understand, Captain.”

The man grinned and nodded to Trevor. “Lucky man. Welcome aboard, all of you. What would you like to see first?”

Kara’s eyes lit up, her excitement evident. “The bridge, the engine room, then I would like to see the hangar deck and the engine repair and maintenance area, speak to the Chief Mechanic and observe our fighters take off and land. After that, I would like to see the ordinance room. When can we start?”

The admiral was speechless for a moment then chuckled. “The bridge is a good place to start, Miss Wayne.”

Diana followed behind, content to watch her fiancé and sister walk with the captain and XO surrounded by Dig and his security forces, while she held back with the admiral. On the bridge, the captain attempted to give Kara a rundown of how the ship operated -the engines, the communications and radar- only for Kara to cut him off and start explaining the process to him, pointing out how things work and how they could be improved.

“I believe your sister knows more about this ship than the captain.” Ingersol whispered to Diana.

“You would be correct in that observation. You should stop by the Tower sometime. She has completed her designs for the next aircraft carrier and assault ships. You believe the Navy has super carriers now, but they have nothing over the next carrier that will be designed completely by her. Tell me, what it is the top speed of the Stennis ?”

“Thirty knots.”

Diana chuckled. “No wonder she is so excited. The next generation of ships including carriers and submarines will have a top speed of fifty-eight knots.”

The admiral’s eyes widened. “Surely not. That sort of speed, in water… the submarines especially would…”

“Will be quieter than they are now.” Diana replied. “The entire group will be invisible to radar. What you have now is impressive. Impressive doesn’t begin to cover what is coming. In five years, the new class of carriers will be larger, faster, nearly silent and invisible to radar and sonar.

“A new age is coming, admiral. The world fears the United States Military superiority now. They haven’t seen anything yet. There will be no need for the Navy to worry about cost cutting from Congressional oversight. We can make the Navy over forty percent more effective with twenty percent less equipment.”

“Wouldn’t that cut into your profit?” The admiral asked, surprised.

“Satisfied customers are worth more than few extra dollars, Admiral.” Diana explained. “Until the end of the Cold War, the Navy was a broad sword. Now it needs to be a katana. Slimmer, faster and just as deadly as a larger broadsword. We are going to make that happen.”

The admiral could barely contain his excitement. What Diana Wayne just described was a dream come true. Large ships that could move that fast were unheard of and many marine engineers didn’t think it would ever be possible. Yet he could tell Diana was not lying. She meant every word and the little blonde explaining the controls to an impressed captain was making the impossible a reality.

Diana followed Kara the rest of the afternoon, both shaking many hands. Kara had never been around this many people and Diana was so grateful for her immune system or this would not be possible. Thousands of people lived on the ship in close contact, and she was certain there were many germs and viruses running amuck. This would be the ultimate test of her immune system, but Diana was confident.

Kara was surrounded by people who recognized what a hero she is and who, while excited to meet Diana, looked at Kara with awe.

They visited the hangar deck where Kara crawled all over the top of a fighter, then under it, studying the tire wear and landing hooks. She looked over the engine repair room, examined basic maintenance procedures that occurred after every flight and talked to the Chief Mechanic about improvements that could be made, then raced to the ordinance area. Dig barely jumped onto a deck elevator after Kara who had no consideration for her own safety in her excitement. The elevator was taking ordinance to the runway above.

By this point, Kara had grease smudges on her face from when she inspected engines and climbed under planes. She had also ripped a hole in the knee of her jeans. Diana couldn’t be annoyed. This was the Kara she came home to from school every day, the one who had spent most of her time in the garage or her workshop in the basement.

Kara looked happier than she had seen her in a very long time. She was like a child in a candy store.

In the afternoon, flight operations began.

The sisters and their entourage placed helmets and ear protection on and stood safely on the deck, watching fighter jets take off from the runway. Kara eventually talked her way into a complete safety suit and convinced Diana to join her, both wearing yellow jerseys to stand next to the catapult officers. Kara practically squealed into the headset every time a jet landed.

Diana was a bit impressed. She had seen Steve take off numerous times when she visited him at bases but had never seen a jet take off and land from a carrier.

After the fourteenth cycle, Diana was ready to go back to Gotham.

It was nine at night when Kara met with a group of pilots in the flight room and explained her new wingman drone program, involving two seaters like the old F-14s but with the reel in the backseat controlling a drone.

It was technical and needed much training but as a pilot program, she felt it worth testing out and the other pilots agreed. Diana wasn’t sure if this was because they actually saw the benefit in the program or didn’t want to disagree with her. Regardless, Diana was happy to see Kara happy.

Diana and Steve were offered, and accepted, the admiral’s quarter as he planned to spend the night observing the night shift, but Kara insisted she and Dig hot bunk. Security were given bunks near her by kind sailors and at eleven, a still overexcited Kara took her pill and fell asleep.

Diana settled in on the narrow bed, practically on top of Steve, not that they minded. It was a common sleeping position for the two.

She listened to his heartbeat then concentrated on the living, breathing ship. Thousands of sailors, working together to make a dangerous, floating city and airbase work twenty-four hours a day.

The smell was offensive to her heightened senses, even in the admiral’s quarters. It reminded her of a locker room, a place she was never fond of. Every time Steve had visited in the past, she could tell he came straight from barracks and had his clothes washed discreetly when he was paying no mind. She would even do it herself while he was sleeping, if the servants were gone for the day.

Still restless, Diana focused and easily found Kara’s heartbeat, could feel her near and quickly relaxed, finally drifting off to sleep.

She slept surprisingly well, despite her reservations. Once she had become used to the humming of the engine, the sounds of the ship cutting through water and drowned out the hundreds of voices, sleep came quickly. Diana was more tired than she suspected.

The trip to the submarine was more stressful than she would like, and she hovered near her sister, constantly worried Kara would trip on the slippery surface or bang her head when entering the enormous vehicle.

While Kara had been unstoppable on the carrier, she was much quieter in the submarine. She greeted every sailor and inspected everything, but she maintained silence for the most part, only speaking in whispers. Diana noted that everything on the sub was quieter, despite being much smaller than the carrier.

When she asked Steve about why it was so silent even if no enemy ships were nearby, Steve told her it was a habit ingrained in submariners.

Diana wasn’t crazy about Kara going anywhere near the nuclear reactors and made her wear a radiation suit even in areas that weren’t radioactive if they had a chance of being even remotely breached. Not wanting to walk everywhere in a radiation suit changed Kara’s enthusiasm for seeing the reactor up close.

It bothered Diana to be here, no matter how fascinating this vessel was. This situation was one where Diana would have difficulty rescuing Kara if something went wrong. They were very deep, an explosion or implosion would crush her instantly and even if they could escape, Diana would have to carry her to the surface. If they could not get to a scuba tank and mask, Kara would have to hold her breath and she would never make it to the top if Diana stopped to decompress her. That meant if she made it to the top quickly before she ran out of breath, she could die from decompression sickness.

So Diana quietly suggested to the sub’s captain that he rise closer to the surface, and he did so, falsely believing Diana felt uncomfortable. As long as it got her into rescuing range for Kara if something went wrong, he could think what he wanted.

She suspected Kara had finally gotten tired or perhaps uncomfortable in the cramped area. After she had a lengthy discussion with the sonar technicians, her little sister announced that she had seen what she needed to see and thanked the captain profusely for allowing her to be aboard his submarine.

The three eventually stood on the deck of the carrier that evening, along with their security entourage, waiting on their helicopter. Diana was relieved to be going home. Steve was relieved to be out of the sub, calling it unnatural, and Kara was speaking animatedly to the admiral about her next visit and the cruisers she wanted to study in action.

When the chopper was in the air, Kara took her last look at the group.

“Amazing to think one of these battlegroups could have won the entire Pacific theater in one week during World War Two.” Kara said to Steve, knowing Diana would hear her.

“It is amazing. I could imagine how quick the war would have been over if you were alive then.

“So spill. How many numbers were slipped to you?” Steve asked knowingly, having seen sailors acting not as discreetly as they had thought.

The blush on Kara’s cheeks told him he was right.

“A few.” She admitted.

“How many is a few?”

“Twenty seven males and three females.” Kara told him, a grin on her face. “They were very slick passing me the small sheets of paper as they passed by. If Diana hadn’t told security to give me some space, it never would have happened. It was kind of funny.”

“Plan any call backs? I have it on good authority that those in the military make great dates.”

Kara shook her head. “Not interested.”

“Only ex-marines, huh?”

Kara had been looking out the window and nodded in agreement, then turned back to face Steve with wide eyes.

“What?” She asked, her voice cracking.

Steve looked at Diana, a questioning look in his eyes. She nodded back and stood up, informing Kara that she wanted to speak to Dig.

“Please don’t say things like that.” Kara asked Steve when Diana had moved up front.

“Why not? It’s true. I thought it was funny at first. You got so worked up around a guy you thought was hot. Now you two argue constantly but I’ve seen more. Everyone has, Kara.”

Kara shook her head. “I have Tommy.”

Steve nodded. “A good guy. You like Tommy.”

“Yes, I like Tommy.” Kara stressed.

“But you don’t love him.” He told her frankly.

Kara winced. “I want to.”

“But you don’t… and he should know. It isn’t fair to keep him hoping for something that is never going to happen.” Steve was direct, but his tone wasn’t confrontational.

Kara was quiet for a moment and looked around the chopper, satisfied that no one was paying them any mind. “Tommy changed his life for me, Steve. He moved to Gotham, bought a grocery store to impress me. He…”

Steve held up a hand, cutting her off. “Tommy made those decisions. You never asked him to, Kara.

“You’ve got a whole new life in front of you. A few months ago, you would have never been able to do what you did today. You have the whole world and don’t deserve to be held back by anything or anyone you don’t want.

“The most important thing is you know what you want. Now what are you going to do about who you really want?”

“Nothing.” Kara stressed. “I told Bruce I was afraid to let him in my life because I would be constantly worried about him. I didn’t want someone in my life who could be gone in a second. Why would I voluntarily allow someone in my life that constantly places himself in danger? He’s already been shot twice in his life. He was shot in the military and shot his first night on the job. It’s like he is a magnet for bullets!

“He ran into Arkham after Bruce not knowing what was in there! Right into some underground lab that had a bomb inside and a madman with a knife, giant tanks of toxic gas… he has no regard for his own life. Why would I want to be involved with someone like that? Haven’t I lost enough?”

Steve could sympathize. He knew Diana had to work past her issues of these same fears, stemming from their parents’ death, so it made sense Kara would struggle as well.

“You think Diana never felt that every time I wrapped a jet around myself and broke the speed of sound high above the Earth?” He asked. “Diana likes control, she needs control. It’s her way of making sure the people she loves are safe. But even she knows she can’t control everything, and we worked it out. I didn’t make any promises. She knew I could die crossing the street or in a fireball high in the sky.”

“It’s asking for heartache.” Kara countered.

“No, it’s putting your heart in someone else’s hands and hoping they won’t break it. Your sister taught me that.” Steve told her. “Kara, Tommy loves you. He deserves to know if you don’t love him and you deserve to go after who your heart wants, whether it’s a bullet magnet or some guy you haven’t met yet.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret. You might feel some heartache, and you might lose someone. That’s life kid. It is scary and messy and takes turns you never saw coming but it is meant to be lived.

“You are in more danger than most because of who you are. You have to be safer than others, watched by guards, all the joy that comes with it. Don’t be so safe with your heart that you are afraid to follow it.

“I know Tommy feels safe to you but that is no way to live. In the long run, you won’t be happy, and neither will he.”

Kara was silent and stared outside the window, tears running down her cheeks.

She finally turned back to Steve. “Tommy is sweet and loving and patient. John Blake is a mess who supports everything I hate my brother doing, who runs headfirst into trouble with no regard for his life, who probably doesn’t even like me as much as I yell at him. Why do I want him?”

“Probably because you are a Wayne. Waynes run headfirst into danger without thinking and like attracts like. Whether you give Blake a chance or not, whether he wants a chance or not, let Tommy go, Kara. It isn’t fair to him. He is such a good guy and no matter how much you want to force yourself to be, you aren’t in love with him.”

Diana rejoined them and sat next to Kara, holding her hand. She had listened to the conversation and thought of joining but quickly decided against it. Kara needed Steve’s thoughts. Diana would run the danger of Kara simply doing what Diana thought best, but Steve could give her a different perspective.

Instead of adding to the conversation, she held her troubled sister’s hand and changed the subject, asking her questions about what all they had seen and if she would ever take off the leather jacket or if it would replace the bunny costume.

Before they landed, Diana received a call from Alfred. Neither Steve or Kara could hear what Alfred was saying and Diana only listened. She then said she would take care of it when she arrived home and ended the call.

Kara glanced at Steve who shrugged. After a long moment, Kara worked up the courage to ask her sister what was going on.

“Is it Bruce? Did something happen?” The blonde’s tone was one of concern.

Diana met her eyes and blinked as if just becoming aware Kara was there. She had obviously been in deep thought.

“No, Bunny. We just have a visitor… one I’ve been waiting for, nothing to worry about. I’m surprised she took so long to come.” Diana told her.

When the group arrived home, Diana asked the others to stay back so she could enter first.

The woman stepped outside the SUV and listened, ensuring her visitor hadn’t brought an entourage that remained near the manor. Satisfied, she walked to the front door which Alfred opened, obviously waiting on her.

“I suggested a hotel for the night.” Alfred reported. “She declined and pointed out that we have more than enough rooms to accommodate her.”

Diana grinned, shaking her head in amusement. “How did she get past security?”

Alfred showed his hands. “I didn’t hear a thunderclap, so I have no ideas. I imagine she has her way. She is in the parlor.”

Diana patted Alfred on the shoulder and left him to pass instructions to Steve, Kara and Dig that she needed some time alone.

She walked into the parlor and noted the regal woman standing with her back to her, examining a painting of Thomas Wayne and his family, commissioned when Kara was three.

“Hello, Hippolyta.” Diana said quietly.

The woman, dressed in the royal garb of an ancient Greek queen, turned towards her and smiled.

“Hello, Diana.” The woman’s voice was calm as was her bearing.

Diana approached her carefully. “I expected to see you sooner, asking me to visit.”

Hippolyta shook her head. “I knew you wouldn’t, at least not yet. I hope that one day you will, and you will bring your sister with you. I am sorry it took so long but even the ancient gods have trouble making their way in this world. It took a while to get me what I needed to belong here.”

“Belong?” Diana asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You would call it an identity.” Hippolyta explained. “I am Lyta Prince. A pleasure to meet you, Diana Wayne.”

Diana raised an eyebrow. “You had the gods of Olympus create an identity for you in this world? Do you plan to visit often?”

Hippolyta reached out and touched Diana’s cheek and Diana allowed her, not flinching.

“Visit? No. I waited three thousand years to meet my greatest love and she was taken from me within minutes. I waited nearly three decades to see her once again and I will wait no longer.

“I have abdicated the throne to Antiope and given up my immortality. This world is my home now and I plan to spend the rest of my time in this mortal coil with you.

“So, shall I just pick a room until one can be decorated for my personal use, or do you have a specific room prepared for important guests?”

---

Upstate New York

Fifty miles from the smoldering remains of Jonathan Crane’s former home, a doctor from the small town Crane grew up in, walked anxiously toward a poorly lit cabin deep in the wood. There were no other cabins for miles and the wildlife was eerily silent as if the crickets and howling coyotes knew a monster was among them and tried to hide.

They were right, there was a monster among them.

He didn’t knock on the door, it was open, and he knew the man would be waiting for him.

He was right.

Crane was sitting in a wooden chair, a smile on his face that sent shivers down his spine.

“Hello, Doctor Taylor.”

“I did what you wanted.” The doctor replied. “The dental records were switched, and the world thinks you are dead. Now give me my daughter back. You promised.”

Crane nodded. “I promise… you and your daughter will be alive… together, perfectly healthy. Everything went smashingly except for a small snafu.

“Instead of taking out numerous FBI agents, I found out Diana Wayne has personal mercenaries wearing high tech suits resembling a bat. I knew the rich were strange, but she takes it to a higher level. A suit that can survive an explosion at nearly point blank range. Only one woman, more like a girl, could make something like that. Wayne Enterprises has a personal army of bats. I wonder how many there are?”

“I don’t care.” Taylor told the man.

“Not even about the man in the mask with a camera and microphone that died for me?” Crane asked.

“Did you take his daughter too?”

Crane shook his head. “An old patient I released a year ago. He begged me to keep treating him. I provided medication for him, and he was so appreciative. I promised him if he did me one favor the voices would stop forever. I didn’t lie. I never lie. The voices did stop.”

Taylor felt sick and terrified. His daughter had been in the hands of this maniac for over a week. He said she was healthy but what had he done to her mind?

“If you never lie, take me to my daughter.”

Crane stood up and motioned to a back bedroom. Dr. Taylor rushed down the hallway and opened the door. At the far end of the room, he found his thirty-two-year-old daughter huddled in the far corner.

“Sarah? What has he done to you?”

“Dad, don’t come in!”

It was too late though. Crane pushed the man and he stumbled across the room, striking the wall and sliding down next to his daughter.

“I told you the two of you would be together in perfect health.”

“Let us go.” Taylor whispered and tried to stand up.

Crane shook his head, a wide smile on his face and pulled his mask on. “I’ll give you both a little time to visit. I wonder who will kill the other before succumbing to the gas? Sarah is in better shape, so my bet is her. There are baseball bats in the corner if either of you are interested.”

Crane reached his arm out, spraying the father and daughter in the face. He then walked out and closed the door behind him, locking it as they began to scream.

Ten minutes later, there was only one set of screams and Crane believed they belonged to Sarah. She continued to scream for another ten minutes before her heart gave out.

The man sat in the chair he had been resting on when the good doctor arrived and pondered his next move.

He would be prepared. He strongly suspected Wayne Tower and the Executive Suites across from it were protected from all terror attacks, including gas. He would never get close enough to Kara Wayne to use his toxin. He suspected it would take a special forces team to breach Wayne Manor.

He had no desire to be hunted by her vigilante, who was obviously very strong if he could survive that blast.

The doctor was retired and had changed Crane’s dental records using subterfuge. The daughter was from Pennsylvania, and it took a long drive to retrieve her. He could leave nothing obvious to make Diana Wayne suspect he was still alive. He had one chance at hurting her. If he couldn’t hurt her sister or her company and employees, he would go after her next loves.

He would burn down Gotham City itself. No one would be safe. When he was ready to strike, her security forces, her police department nor any bat-like hitmen would be able to stop him. The police department, the hospitals, the courthouses and shopping centers, all would know fear on a scale they had never felt before.

If he couldn’t bring down the most powerful woman alive, he could bring down the home she was so proud of. She would know it was coming when she couldn’t stop it. She would watch the city destroy itself and finally, the god would know fear.