Tell me about it - Chap 21

It wasn't long before Bruce was all alone again.

"Come on Diana, he's here!"

A cry from Hawk Girl startled her, brought her back into the present. She hadn't slept the whole night, or the part of which was remaining after she came back to watch tower. She was sure he didn't sleep either, although it wouldn't make much difference to him. Ever since she came back, she hadn't been able to look at the others in the eye, especially Superman.  She had been involved in this plot for three months now, but the thought that she was doing something wrong sprang up only the last night. She did not imagine that breaking a person's heart would be so painful, especially when the person turns out to be someone who you….

"Diana! You in there?" Hawk girl knocked at her door. She realized that she had to open the door. She let go off the last string of thought and got to her feet. She was dressed casually, but the change of costume did not take long.

Batman was apprised of the situation already, by Superman as per the leaguers, but little did they know that he had heard that twice only last night. Batman seemed to be composed; his face grave as usual. They were in the meeting room, with a similar arrangement volunteered by the others before he arrived. He sat silently, his arms folded against his chest and his head bent, as though considering the whole situation. He raised his head as the door opened and Hawk Girl entered followed by Diana. Hawk Girl quickly took a chair between Lantern and Jonn and Diana had no choice but to take the one between Batman and Flash. She stirred uneasily, but Batman took no notice of it, or at least he pretended not to have taken notice. Superman was sitting directly opposite to him, his face graver than usual. He did not offer to begin the meeting.

"If your secret was maintained," Batman spoke in a carefully cultivated voice showing no undue concern, "how would you go about your plan?"

Diana gulped. She had trouble dismissing the fact that it was actually Bruce Wayne in cape and cowl asking that question. But she was not to arouse any suspicion. She collated her thoughts and spoke.

"I never told you the entire plan!" she paused and looked around at the puzzled leaguers. Can it be worse?

"Pray tell me then!" Batman said calmly.

"Mark doesn't know that Lisa is alive. All he knows is that someone is behind him. My attacks on y…" Batman lifted an eye brow and Diana bit her tongue. Fortunately, the others hadn't noticed the blooper.

"My attacks were orchestrated in such a way that they happened when Mark was on scene, in some sense. I had contacted him the day before the first attack. I did not reveal my identity nor used Lisa's. But I tried to imitate her tone as far as possible. He did take me for Lisa. When the blast occurred for the first time, I had mistaken Bruce's car for Mark's, as both of them had come in the same car. The blast was not intended to hurt anyone though; the bomb was detonated only when everyone was at a sufficiently large distance from the car, and the league was present too. Mark saw what happened…"

"Wait!" Superman stopped her. "If you had detonated the bomb manually, as I understand, why didn't react when Alfred was in danger. Why did you let Bruce take the shot?"

"It never came to my mind, Superman!" she said, "I was observing Mark all the time, and did not notice the impending danger. However when I realised that Bruce had been injured, I made no further delay."

"Fair enough!" Batman interjected without allowing any further questions. Diana continued.

"Thus the attack was not intended to be on Bruce Wayne, but it diverted everyone's attention to him, while only Mark knew it was meant for him."

"And the second time? There was a similar blast last night, I presume." Batman asked.

"Mark had followed Bruce to Lisa's apartment. The time the blast occurred, Mark had aimed a gun at Lisa from the roof of the apartments opposite to her own." She explained.

"And you saw that?" Batman frowned. He knew what she was doing when the blast actually occurred.

"I did." Diana replied confidently.

"How did you plant a bomb in Bruce's car? And how did you detonate it?" he asked again.

"I did when I went with him to the Christmas party. And detonation, well, my watch was the detonator."

Batman recollected her wearing a watch. He thought it was an odd time to have a watch on one's wrist, but he had better things to worry about. Also he realised how easily it could've been deduced that she planted the bomb during their drive, for the right door of the car was more damaged than the left one, although the difference was subtle. She had sat to his right that day, and must've planted it under her own seat.

Diana continued.

"Bruce was escorted away by Commissioner Gordon. After the crowd had dispersed, I hurried back to the apartment. I must say, I imagined Mark to be there, but he wasn't. I quickly changed to my costume and raided the opposite apartments. But he wasn't to be found. I thought it would be wise to follow Bruce, with a little hope I would run into Mark. But I didn't. I couldn't understand how he had escaped."

"And you went into the Wayne manor expecting what?" Batman enquired.

"Nothing! Actually he was getting his hopes up on me. He had even instructed Commissioner Gordon not to bother me with the investigation. And I knew he was innocent, my initial premise was wrong. I thought…I wanted to tell him everything, and…I did."

She sat with her palms folded in her lap, and her eyes fixed on them.

"You didn't tell what you would do if your secret wasn't out." Batman reminded her.

"I was going to call up to Mark and blackmail him again. And if he didn't yield…"

"The cycle would go on." Batman completed her line.

"But I'm sure it cannot be an infinite cycle." Diana said.

"I see that. But you see the flaw in your plan, don't you?" he pointed out. She nodded.

Superman couldn't believe that Batman did not raise the obvious point, which had been nagging him since last night.

"Ah! For God's sake, we're forgetting the obvious. What on earth do you want to blackmail him into? If he is associated with the scam and with the murder of your sister, then why don't you just file a case against him? You said you found a picture or something in your sister's hands and she had said you something. Wouldn't that suffice to put him behind the bars for the rest of his life? Why did you go through the rigmarole of unnecessary events, putting your own reputation at stake? How could you commit something which would be considered a sin, as per your customs and a breach of law against ours? Just what were you thinking, Diana? And where did you get the bombs from? Just what has come upon you! You could've become an assassin. You are no better off than a Super villain, Diana!"   Superman burst out, his eyes red and intense.

Diana drew in a deep breath. She couldn't face him, she had hurt him. She had hurt everyone, the trust they laid upon her. She knew she had her reasons. But would they understand? Batman hadn't questioned her of the fact. Did it not occur to him? Or did he know? It wasn't possible for him to know, and it wasn't likely that it had not occurred to him. Then why didn't he raise the point himself? Why did he empathize with her and point out the flaw in her current plan, but did not suggest an alternate one?

Whatever it was, she realized that there was no point in hiding now.