Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Wayne Legacy: Rise

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 17:

Themyscira

John Diggle had faced many dangerous things in his life. He had been in firefights, surrounded by men who wanted him dead, killed suicide bombers before they had the chance to kill others, and driven a Humvee through streets with wounded members of his unit while under heavy fire. These were but a few of the life-threatening and serious situations the man had experienced as a special forces soldier.

Eventually though, he had grown tired of war. He had begun to ask himself what kind of man he was.

The self-reflection started when he had killed a young boy while protecting a human trafficker who was in their protective custody.

That was the first time John had asked himself if he was still a good man.

He had undertaken many missions for General Samuel Lane and respected him greatly. Sam Lane had a mutual respect for John and kept a close eye on him, thinking he might move up the ranks soon.

It was Lane who ultimately recognized the look of a soldier who was questioning his humanity. Sam had seen it before and approached John. The general became a confidante and eventually encouraged him to get out before he lost his soul.

John had planned to go into the personal protection business like his brother, at least for a while, and mentioned these plans to the general.

Upon hearing this, General Lane had smiled, obviously pleased. He suggested Diggle interview for a position with Wayne Enterprises, working directly with the Wayne sisters. Lane told him they were about to become extremely important to the U.S. Government and would have a big target on their backs, especially the youngest, Kara.

Wayne Enterprises security was no longer enough, and Diana Wayne wanted the best for her sister. She wanted someone Sam Lane trusted and that was John Diggle.

He had never dreamed he would have become attached to the girl so quickly. He never believed he would come to feel a part of the family, not a servant or employee, but someone respected by everyone in the house where he now lived.

Every member of the security personnel that worked for Wayne Enterprises would fall on a grenade for Kara Wayne. She was adored by everyone who knew her.

If he needed to, John could have had an army together in seconds that would storm the gates of hell for her.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t gather an army. He couldn’t let the Waynes’ biggest secret out… that Diana Wayne was her own army, some sort of goddess warrior princess.

When he took this job, he never would have believed he would be standing on Monster Island, next to the mysterious, and apparently very deadly, Bruce Wayne who was dressed in a bat costume.

And that wasn’t even in the top five weird things he had seen in the past twenty-four hours.

He had seen giant horned snakes; eagles with the bodies of lions; tall, savage, feral men with one eye; and a woman who could fly, move in a blur and had a golden rope that pulled him and Bruce to the top of a cliff with ease in seconds.

Now, he had witnessed Diana slam her gauntlets together and cause a concussion wave so strong, it knocked giant bird monsters from the sky, wiped out the forest in front of her for at least half a mile and killed all twenty or so of the cyclops that had been charging towards them.

He and Bruce had been instructed to kill the monsters before they could rise but it was obvious anything that had been in front of Diana was not getting up. Some had body parts missing, some had skin ripped off while others were clearly broken in ways that were hard to describe.

She turned back to them and Dig briefly remembered the first time he saw her.

Diana had been dressed every bit the professional CEO: a tall, intimidating businesswoman, obviously the top of the one percenters who ran the world. Everything about her was meticulous. From her hair to her nail polish, her smile was warm and welcoming, her eyes full of mischief, probably because she was about to test his mettle.

He would have never guessed the Diana looking at him now was the same woman if he hadn’t seen her perform such wonders with his own eyes.

Her leather and armor ensemble didn’t cover much, and it didn’t need to. What skin the boots didn’t cover was covered in dark scarlet, even her face was a dark crimson, covered in drying blood. Her hair was no longer wavy but slick, no doubt from gutting the gryphon as it swooped down on top of them. Her eyes were like pools of darkness, her mouth grim and determined.

The sword she had tossed into the ground before unleashing her power was now back in her hand, as she marched over to him and Bruce.

This was definitely the strangest thing Dig would ever take part in, and the biggest secret he would ever keep.

Bruce, for his part, pulled his cowl off his head, taking in the scene Diana left. Of all the things he had seen his sister do growing up, he had never seen something of this magnitude. The sheer power blew his mind, but his reaction was well hidden.

“You left nothing for us.” He pointed out when she approached him. “I am fairly certain we lost the element of surprise.”

“The bastard knew we were here the moment we stepped foot on this island.” Diana replied. “It is why Hecate ran so quickly. This isn’t a sneak attack, Bruce. This is a war.

“Cronus has escaped his prison, imprisoning the children who banished him and now sits on a throne with only his underlings to rule over. Think, Bruce… what is his motivation?”

“He is bored.” Bruce answered readily. “That means he will be keeping his prisoners close to him so he can gloat. Gloating is all he has left.”

“Exactly… gloating over them and now over us. I will fight him…” Diana began to say before her brother interrupted.

“And Dig and I will find and release the prisoners, take back this island. Once they are free, I will be with you.”

Diana shook her head. “You will stay away, Bruce. If I fall, the gods will be the only chance of stopping him. Once the gods have taken the underworld, find the three fates and use whatever means necessary to save Kara’s life. If they refuse, take their souls with that katana.”

Bruce snorted. “Assuming they have souls.”

Diana began walking toward the ruins she had seen, Bruce at her side. “They live, they breathe, they die. They are superhumans but no gods, no matter how they style themselves.”

“And this… underworld?” Bruce asked.

“Not my concern. I know where I will go when I die and who I will be with.” She replied with confidence. “I will do everything in my power to win, but if I fail for some reason, do not lose sight of our mission. Save Kara.”

“I swear to you, Diana, I will fight for her to my last breath.” Bruce promised.

Dig listened to the two as he brought up the rear. One day, he would get one of them or Alfred to tell him their stories. Kara barely spoke of Bruce, and he knew Diana was no longer close with her brother.

Where had Bruce gone that he felt the need to hurt his twin sister for six years and ruin his relationship with Kara? Where did Bruce learn to fight like he had? Bruce Wayne’s reflexes, his constant awareness of his surroundings, reminded Dig of a special forces soldier. Bruce wielded that katana as if he were a samurai. If he was the bat guy in the papers, and it was now obvious he was, he had taken down multiple Russian thugs armed with automatic rifles and not one shot had been fired.

Dig forced himself not to dwell on these thoughts, needing to focus as they made their way through the remainder of the forested area. Dig’s advanced helmet showed no lifeforms at all, unlike the journey here. Apparently, every life form that hadn’t died had been scared away by the sound of Diana’s compressed air explosion.

When they reached the first marble columns, Diana held up her hand and motioned for them to spread out.

Dig rushed to a column towards the left while Bruce took the right. Diana stayed in the middle.

He looked around and realized there were skeletons all over the place, remains that held weapons. Dig scanned the area, not picking up any warm lifeforms but detecting slight footsteps. If it weren’t for the enhanced hearing in his helmet, he never would have heard them.

Two midnight black, humanoid figures, leathery skin wrapped around their skeletons with a mouth full of fangs, crept into the village, searching among the debris and sniffing the air, obviously smelling the three hiding not far from them.

As Dig aimed at the closest one, two objects flew into the foreheads of the creatures piercing their brains and killing them instantly.

Another sound was heard to the right ahead, almost a football field length away.

Kara had designed his weapon so its sight had a link to his helmet, easily allowing Dig to zero in on the new threat. As he moved the gun, the targeting system showed him the exact moment to fire, basically turning an infantry man into a sniper.

The far ghoul, for that was the only way Dig could think to describe it, had seen its fellow monsters die and was running in their direction. He fired without hesitation and its skull evaporated.

“Nice shot, Dig.” Diana told him, turning to her brother. “Not bad yourself. I guess those metal bats are good for something besides breaking street lamps.”

She picked up the short sword she had thrown as Bruce collected his weapon. Rather than stowing the blade away, she placed it back into the hand of the skeleton she had pulled it from.

Bruce looked at her strangely.

“It doesn’t feel right taking it from her.” Diana explained without him needing to ask the question. “She died with that blade in her hand. It belongs to her. I have what I need.”

The trio continued to cautiously make their way through the village. There were many skeletons on the ground, wearing similar armor, but gold or copper colored as opposed to Diana’s red, blue and gold. Marble columns were spread out resembling ancient ruins, but it was obvious these held up dwellings, perhaps markets, temples or bathhouses, considering the dried indentations in the ground.

“This was beautiful once.” Diana said quietly. “I couldn’t see much at night but the sky, the wilderness, the far mountains… I would guess this was a sort of paradise… one that turned into a nightmare very quickly.”

“I think we should head toward the building at the top of that rise.” Bruce said, pointing at a large structure roughly half a mile away, sitting on top of what looked like a mountain.

He knew the ocean was on the other side. The island was not a perfect circle but obviously had fjords and rivers running into and from it. It could have been massive, and he suspected villages, like the one they were in, were numerous, but the largest ruins they could see circled the distant golden building resembling a fortress.

Diana agreed, feeling an odd pull in its direction. “A place fit for a warrior queen… and a place supposedly secure enough to give birth to an Amazon goddess.”

Dig pointed to a tower east of the palace fortress. “Think that is some kind of prison? Maybe some of the good guys are held there.”

Diana shook her head. “It’s an armory. Don’t ask how I know, it just feels like it is.”

“Based on the five minutes you spent on the island as a newborn?” Bruce asked in obvious doubt. “Dig is right, maybe if we can free…”

“It’s a damned armory.” Diana snapped. “Let’s move.”

The two men knew better than to argue as they continued walking slowly, keeping to the ruined structures rather than open ground as much as possible.

As the noon sun hovered overhead, the trio moved out of the village into another open area just as two gryphons suddenly dive-bombed the group. Diana raised her sword as Dig raised his rifle opening fire, the two quickly dispatching the flying threat.

Bruce’s eyes widened and he threw a star at Dig, just missing his head and striking the arrow that had been on a collision course with Dig’s helmet. Dig turned quickly and saw a half man, half horse with a bow in hand and fired once, dropping the centaur.

“Thanks.” He told Bruce, reaching down to pick up the split arrow and tossing Bruce’s flying bat blade back to him.

He marveled at the man’s reflexes and aim, splitting an arrow that had already been fired in midair. Where the hell had Bruce Wayne been all these years that he learned to do that?

“It probably wouldn’t have broken your helmet but no point in taking chances.” Bruce replied. “Diana, you’ve got more blood on you. You are beginning to stink, dear sister.”

“And you are wearing a Halloween costume.” She responded.

“No fashion criticism from the armored stripper please.” Bruce retorted playfully, hoping to ease the tension.

Diana raised an eyebrow, a look almost lost on her blood-covered face. She opened her mouth to respond but then pulled her lasso, the end whipping past Bruce and striking an arrow flying towards his head.

As a volley of arrows rained down on the group, Diana used her lasso knocking each one to the ground.

Dig opened fire on the sudden stampede of centaurs charging them as Bruce threw three smoke bombs, surrounding the centaurs with smoke, obscuring the beasts’ vision. Diana drew her sword and rushed into the smoke cloud.

By the time the cloud dissipated, dozens of bodies were cut in pieces and Diana and her sword were soaked in yet more blood.

She made her way to her brother. “Thanks for the cover. Good idea.”

Bruce looked closely at her and saw what appeared to be a gash in her arm.

“You were cut.”

“Stray arrow got lucky. No big deal. I can feel it healing.” Diana confirmed what he suspected.

“Are you okay? You don’t have much experience dealing with… pain.”

“Of course I do.” Diana smirked. “I grew up with you, didn’t I? I felt a sharp pain in my ass every day named ‘Bruce’. He tried to be my conscience when we were children. I never listened to him.”

“Any chance you will… not listen to him again?” Bruce asked, a hint of sadness in his tone.

“He left me six years ago. Sometimes I feel him near me though, like now. I miss Bruce… he was always there for me growing up. Maybe he’ll show up before this is over.” She replied as she looked around. “We should move. Dig, you are doing alright?”

Dig raised a thumb. “Never better. What’s next? We’ve done cyclops, big vipers, gryphons, some sort of ghoul scouts, and now centaurs. Am I missing anything? Big spiders? I swear I wished I would have paid more attention to ‘Clash of the Titans’ .

“On the bright side, this suit Kara made is terrific and this has got to be the most comprehensive field test any product has ever received. When can I use the grenade launcher?”

“When we reach Tartarus unless the situation looks desperate sooner.” Diana answered.

Dig chuckled, wondering what accounted for desperate in this situation.

They approached a pond and Diana reached in and splashed water on her face and ran it through her hair. She then proceeded to wash off as much of the gunk from her arms and legs as she could.

“I can’t believe you did that.” Bruce muttered.

“Stop wearing your bat mask and tell me how you feel with guts in your hair and smelly blood coating your face. I had so much blood on my arms it was beginning to congeal, making it hard to swing my sword.” She replied sarcastically.

Bruce shook his head and pointed to the water. “It’s magic water! It could have done anything. There could have been a magical crocodile… it could have attacked you, wrapped you up and pulled you in the lake. There could have been a mermaid in there and not the Disney type. You can’t just throw magic water on your face!”

Diana looked at him for a moment then bent down. Cupping the water with both hands, she threw the water onto Bruce.

“You need a little magic in your life besides soul sucking katanas.” She told her annoyed brother. “Let’s move.”

Dig tried, and failed, not to laugh at the sputtering man bat.

They walked in silence, following a once used path that wound through the trees on its way to the palace. Old wagon wheel marks and hoofprints were impressed into the path.

“The last time Kara was sick, and Eliza had to put her under, she said she could keep her alive as long as her heart stayed strong.” Diana finally said. “This virus though, it could attack her heart. I don’t know how much time she has. I told Eliza it would be three days. We arrived last night at midnight…”

“Eleven-thirty.”

“I swear to God, Bruce… my point is, in probably six hours our first day will be over. Perhaps we should find cover for the two of you and I can scout ahead.”

“No.” Bruce disagreed. “You mean to leave us behind while you try to take on Cronus on your own. We have a plan… sorta, so let’s stick to it. Together we stand the best chance of succeeding.”

Bruce pointed to her arm where she had been wounded. “One arrow already cut you.”

“I healed.” Diana replied.

Her brother wouldn’t be deterred. “Normally an arrow wouldn’t get near you, lucky or otherwise. These creatures are strong and fast, and I have a feeling we haven’t faced the worst yet. We work as a team.”

“You don’t make the calls here, Bruce.” Diana retorted.

Dig walked up beside her before a sibling argument broke out. “Come on, Diana. You know how tough Kara is and we are making damn good time, right? She will hang on and we are gonna find these three fate ladies and they are going to bring her back to health or we bust heads until they do.

“Let’s just focus on what is next, right? I haven’t had a chance to test my new grenade launcher yet.”

Diana took a deep breath and nodded. The three walked into a large open meadow, more than halfway to the palace.

Suddenly, the ground shook and rocks exploded upwards. The three stood still, holding on to each other to maintain balance, as a rock dome formed above them, and walls rose in front of them.

“A maze.” Diana muttered once the earth stopped shaking. “I guess we know what is next. Let’s hope it’s only one. Dig, can you pick up anything with infrared or hearing?”

Dig stepped in front of the siblings and took point through the maze. After a few turns, he held up his hand and the trio stopped.

Dig pointed to the wall in front of him and stepped aside for Diana to take his place.

Diana pulled her shield and positioned it in front of her, then took off, bursting through wall after wall, until she had traveled through fifty yards of maze in a straight line, ramming the ten-foot-tall minotaur into the wall behind it as she slid to a stop. It struck out with its muscular arm, but she twisted away, turning her back and stabbing it through the stomach with her sword.

Diana turned to the creature on the ground, a massive brute with the head of a bull, clutching its stomach. She raised the sword and swung down, intending to cut its head off when a huge hand shot out and caught the blade, stopping it cold.

Diana held tight as the minotaur rose up, her sword in its hand and tossed her and the sword back the way she had come.

She came to a stop at Bruce and Dig’s feet.

The woman flipped up from the ground, furious.

“Any ideas, besides rushing head first towards him?” Bruce asked.

Diana looked at him and shook her head, then rushed back toward the creature, the collision rocking the walls.

Bruce looked exasperatedly at Dig.

“You mentioned a grenade launcher?” Bruce reminded him. “Now might be a good time to think about using it.”

---

Wayne Manor

“I assure you, we are just being cautious, Sam.” Alfred assured General Lane. Thanks to Athena changing his voice, Lane believed he was talking to Diana. “She came down with a fever and it caught us by surprise. I panicked a bit and called for a lockdown of the manor. She is already feeling better, but I will be keeping her in isolation for a few days while she is closely monitored by Dr. Danvers. I’m not taking any chances.”

“I understand, Diana.” Lane replied. “I assume the manor will remain in lockdown?”

“Until I am sure she is fine, yes.” Alfred agreed. “Her fever is mostly down but I want to know why it happened. I am having teams search her office for possible foreign viruses that may have been there and for her safety, I do not wish for visitors of any kind. I realize this seems extreme…”

“I know how you get, Diana, no need to explain.” The general said kindly. “Per new lockdown procedures, the skies around the manor will be patrolled by army combat helicopters, six units can be there in under ten minutes if your security needs back up. This will be a good chance to perhaps run some drills, if that’s okay with you.”

“That’s probably a good idea. I’ll be in touch, Sam.”

Alfred ended the call and looked to Steve.

“You think he bought it?” the captain asked.

Alfred nodded. “I’ve known Sam for years and I have covered many conversations for Diana in the past if she wasn’t able. He is fine and it does provide an opportunity to run drills in the event an emergency happened here. You should go up top and contact the general, confirm what I said and perhaps coordinate emergency drills.”

Steve shook his head. “I’m not leaving her to watch security run drills all over the grounds.”

“She isn’t going anywhere.” Alfred pointed out, sorrow evident in his voice.

“Doesn’t matter. I promised her and Diana I wouldn’t go anywhere and I’m not. They can run their own damn drills. Besides, they would expect Diggle to be there, and we can’t exactly say he went off with Diana to find a magical cure for Kara who has been poisoned by a witch.”

Athena’s voice broke in. “Attention, Alfred. Tommy Merlyn has called Kara’s cellphone again. This is his fourth attempt in the past hour. He has likely deduced something is wrong, despite Diana’s low estimate of his intelligence. ”

Alfred looked at Steve. “Try to handle it first. If he won’t be put off, I will imitate Diana or Kara and reassure him. Tell him Kara has come down with a fever, is doing better, but must remain in isolation and is sleeping right now.”

Steve walked off to do so while Alfred watched his youngest charge laying helpless, Eliza working around her, trying to perfect some method for just keeping her alive as long as possible.

---

World Between Worlds

While Kara’s body lay dying, her mind was elsewhere.

She walked a familiar shore, her feet carrying her along the beach, through the waves as they gently lapped onto the sand. She could smell the ocean breeze, feel it blowing through her hair. The sun was warm, and seagulls were darting towards the water, chasing dinner.

As the sun began dropping below the horizon, Kara made her way back to the beach house.

Diana had bought this island and built this house for her. She wanted a remote place where Kara did not need to fear viruses from tourists who usually inhabited a beach.

This was her island… her own private paradise.

Kara didn’t think she had ever seen a more beautiful place. The last time they were here was for her birthday, almost ten months ago now, when they had stayed for two weeks, both needing the vacation. The recent interval between visits was the longest break they had ever taken. Their absence was down to the increased work load for both sisters in getting, then meeting the new government contracts.

That trip had left Kara with fond memories. She and Diana had explored every inch of this island. They went scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking and swimming. They saw every animal, watched every sun rise and saw every sun set. Diana had been so relaxed. The sisters had a blast, enjoying each other’s company, dancing and singing the nights away, playing ball on the beach and watching movies late into the night. Diana told her stories about their parents; things Kara was too young to remember or that happened before she was born.

This time, as she sat on the patio, her Mom and Dad were seated beside her. It seemed only moments ago that she was a little girl. Now, she was the young woman her parents never got to know.

“Still thinking about it?” Thomas asked. “I recognized that look in your eye when you watched the sun go down.”

“The Heart of Helios.” Kara said. It was a pet name for a project she had dreamed of since she was ten.

She has always been fascinated by the power of the sun. She also recognized the danger inherent to nuclear fusion. To her, the answer was a simple one: mimic the fusions inside the sun while eliminating heat and radiation. If the energy could be contained, it would change the world.

For most, it was simply an idea, the possibility of technology available to make this happen perhaps a century or more away.

Kara was much closer than that… closer than anyone in the world knew.

“If I can make it work, if I can solve the equation, solar panels and nuclear energy will be obsolete. One hundred percent collection, stable, no heat residue… power in the palm of your hand. It can change the world, Daddy.”

“But you can’t use it right away, even if you did create it. Giving something like that to the world could do as much harm as good if not handled correctly.” Thomas reminded her.

Kara nodded, knowing he was right.

“That’s not the only reason you want that device to work.” He told her, knowing her truth. “It could power your greatest desire with ease.”

Martha laughed beside her. “What was that name you gave it, Kara? ‘Project Tin Miss’? You come up with the cutest names.”

“The girl wants to fly… she will one day.” Thomas assured them both.

Kara shook her head. “It’s too late.”

Martha placed a hand on Kara’s leg. “Why do you say that, little one?”

Kara let out a breath. “Look at how beautiful it is here… I bet I could fly here if I really tried. I can be anywhere I want.

“But more than that, I’m here… with you. Why would I leave?”

“You asked yourself if you should return the last time you were here.” Thomas told her.

Kara sat quietly, sifting rapidly through her memories. “I don’t remember.”

“You aren’t meant to.” He replied. “This is a place for reflection, a place to learn what it important and what is not.”

Kara didn’t understand. “How can I learn anything if I don’t remember once I leave?”

Martha chuckled, taking her hand. “How many times did I tell you, no running in the house? You never seemed to pay any mind but occasionally, you would stop running and remember my words. It was in the back of your mind, it influenced you without you even realizing it.”

Her dad put his arm around her, pulling her close. “The last time you were here, you were missing someone. You were so angry and wouldn’t forgive them. It has carried on I see.”

“Bruce.” Kara said. “He left us. It’s him, right? He has lost his mind and now he’s jumping around Gotham in a Halloween costume.”

Hearing nothing from her parents, she leaned back and closed her eyes. “I know. I’ve always known. What happened to you… it’s my fault.”

“Don’t Kara.” Thomas warned her.

Kara shook her head, tears forming. “I was seven when I finalized realized it.

“I remember that night so clearly. Diana said she wasn’t feeling well and asked me to stay home with her to keep her company. I was so excited to be able to take care of her for once.

“I was so damn stupid.”

Martha placed her hands on Kara’s cheeks. “Listen to me…”

Kara continued as if she hadn’t heard her mother. “Diana doesn’t get sick. She never gets sick. I was the one who was sick. If I hadn’t been there, if you had never adopted me, never saved my life, Diana would have been with you. You wouldn’t have died, Diana and Bruce wouldn’t have lost you… you killed yourselves when you decided to save me. You deserved better… Bruce and Diana deserved better.”

“Kara!” Martha snapped.

“You should have left me to die.” Kara told them, finally breaking down, sobbing uncontrollably. Her parents wrapped her in their arms, whispering reassuring words but Kara heard none of it.

As she cried, the rain began to fall as thunder rolled across the sky and lightning flashed in the distance. The world felt her pain and responded in kind.

The parents held onto their youngest daughter for a long while before Thomas let her go and stood up. He stepped in front of her.

“How can you be so smart and yet so stupid?” he asked, his voice authoritative. Kara had not heard it often, at least that she could remember, but it caught her attention. “Our children were our life, Kara, and that included you. You were a big part of what made our lives special, worth living. Without you, we would have never been complete. You are smart enough to know life doesn’t work like what you laid out now does it?”

Kara wiped her eyes, not answering him.

“Tell me about time travel, Kara. Make it simple for your old man. If we had never adopted you, would we have wound up in that alley with Diana and Bruce that night for certain?”

Kara shook her head.

“Can you guarantee if Diana were there she wouldn’t have done something that caused the shot to kill Bruce instead? That’s assuming we were even there. Tell me Kara, can you guarantee, if we had left you alone to die in that hospital that we would still be alive? That nothing else would have harmed us? That we wouldn’t have been killed in a car wreck or a plane crash?”

Kara sighed, looking through tear-filled eyes as she leaned comfortingly on her mother. “You are right. Time travel doesn’t work like that. Change the slightest thing and you create many diverging timelines. You may not have been in that alleyway. Maybe you would have, and Diana would have stayed home anyway, or Bruce would… I don’t know. It’s impossible to tell.”

“Exactly!” Thomas exclaimed, smiling. “Kara, you have got to get rid of this guilt that’s eating you up inside. Bruce has got to get rid of his. Neither of you were at fault. What happened was terrible and we wish we could have been there for all three of you but more than that, we want you to stop punishing yourselves. You did nothing wrong.”

“Your guilt has always led to fear.” Martha told her, rubbing her back comfortingly. “You are so scared to make the wrong decision that you let Diana make the decisions for you. You live your life in fear, Bunny. You are going to have to be brave. You are so close sometimes, but then you will fall back.”

“You can’t let Diana be brave for you all the time.” Thomas pointed out. “You think you need a gadget to fly but all you need to do is to let yourself.

“Let go of the guilt, let go of the fear, Kara. You are only holding yourself back. For the record, I will die a thousand deaths if it means you live.”

Kara wiped her eyes and laid her head on her mother’s shoulder. “I really miss you.”

Martha kissed the top of her head. “We are always watching you, Kara.”

Thomas knelt in front of her. “Kara?”

“Yes, Daddy?”

“I know it’s hard, I know you’re angry. Bruce left you both and I know that hurt you a lot. But your brother is hurting too… he is going to lose himself.” Her father told her. “You give Diana a light to hold on to, a reason to fight past her rage, a reason to hope. If Bruce doesn’t have that light, he will fall to the darkness and there will be no coming back for him.

“It’s time Diana and Bruce left that damn alley, Kara. You are going to have to pull them out. Diana can’t do it. She has too much anger and Bruce has too much guilt. It has to be you. You have to live, Kara… only you can save them. It’s always been you, but before you can save them, you have to save yourself. I am tired of watching all of my children suffer.”

Kara shook her head sadly. “I don’t know how.”

“We can help you with that. I want to take you somewhere special.” Thomas told her, smiling gently, and Kara’s eyes closed. When she opened them, she found she was in the place it had all started for her.