Amazonian Awakening

Found

"The quiet sense of something lost"

― Tennyson

Kara pulled the black car slowly onto the street, her hands rested carefully on the steering wheel as she listened to Diana's soft voice as they headed towards the highway. As they merged onto I-70, Diana tapped play on her phone and music filled the vehicle as her fingers rested on Kara's thigh, giving it a gentle press, causing the woman's foot to fall closer to the floor and the Mercedes to shoot forward.

>>>

Maxwell Lord entered the cabin's kitchen, finding Bruce, Victor and Alfred gathered around the bar, sipping on coffee. "How are you this morning, Master Lord?" Alfred asked in a soft and pleasant voice, a slight English accent highlighting his politeness.

"Does Wayne Technologies have a cure for jet lag?" Max asked with a half-smile.

Victor held up his cup in a mock salute, "yeah, in Gotham, we call it coffee. Want a cup?"

"Please," the man almost begged.

Bruce watched the interaction carefully, studying the man, and his reaction to Victor. Maxwell seemed relaxed, a little off balance, but that was understandable, based on his situation. "So Mr. Lord, I've read your business plan and we had your equipment moved from Gotham last night into a more secure location a few blocks from Wayne Tower."

The smaller man choked on his coffee, "th--that fast?"

Bruce smiled, waving his hands around the room, "as you can see, we have the means to accomplish a great deal. I do have two questions for you though."

"Of course, as I told Diana, anything you need," Max answered, without looking up from his cup.

"First, do you have any--abilities left from your time as the Wishstone?" Bruce asked calmly, already certain of the answer.

"No, none," Max answered quickly, looking up. "Barbara and I have tested multiple hypotheses, and each one has failed spectacularly."

"Good, now that we have covered that, what are you doing with those portal plans from Lex Corp?" Bruce stood up straight, his imposing figure seemingly filling the entire room in one smooth motion.

"That's easy to answer, Bruce," Barbara's soft voice sounded from behind them, as she entered from the living room. "I stole them, shortly after Amanda Waller showed so much interest in them."

Bruce turned towards the small blonde, his eyes narrowing, "Does Diana know?"

"No, and if she must be told, I will tell her," Barbara hissed. "Waller wanted me to steal them for her, I don't trust that woman at all and that made those plans dangerous."

Victor eyed the small woman and whistled, "damn, you have a lot of nerve, Dr. Minerva."

Smirking, Barbara purred, "thank you, you are too kind and much, much too young."

Victor blushed and dropped his head, Max snorted into his coffee and Bruce eyed the woman appreciatively.

Barbara smiled at him, blue eyes soft as she sensed the pain behind those intelligent hazel eyes.

Bruce glanced away first, feeling the sadness that had consumed him since Selina's death, forgotten for a moment by the look in the untamed blue eyes of Barbara Minerva.

"You may have the plans, Mr. Wayne," Max smiled, interrupting the moment. "Consider it a down payment for my business operations."

Bruce chuckled, pouring a cup of coffee and sliding it, along with cream and sugar, towards Barbara, "that's not necessary, consider me an investor." Bruce reached across and shook the man's hand, "Victor will take you to your new building later today, it's already been fitted with the technology he created for blocking whatever signal the creatures are using to track you. He will also fit you for a personal version, so that you can have a life outside Lord Technologies."