The Gods have Fallen

Our Darkest Dreams

Chapter 11

As Bruce slumped in his bed still trying to fight against the high dosage of morphine Diane had given him so he wouldn't have the strength to fight her, he was taken to the darkest corners of his mind where his hopes and fears were revealed as well as his most darkest secrets as he entered into an almost deep sleep as the pain he had suffered both mentally and physically in his past came flooding back into a state of near paralyzation were he saw his most hidden and fragile hopes of becoming a father and being married to someone he would be willing to die for was laid before his very eyes. As flashes of images passed him he knew he was undoubtedly dreaming but couldn't seem to escape the clutches of being forced to face the reality of his life and his own demons.

In the first of many images, he saw himself lying on a cool, sandy beach where the sun pierced the clouds and a cool breeze would pass every so often as he watched himself wrapping his arms around a woman holding her closer than he had ever seen himself do before to anyone. Bruce grew confused as this was not a memory of his but rather a hope he had concealed away very carefully from the outside world. He couldn't see the woman's face only her beautiful tanned body in a silky, white bikini. "Who was this woman? " The question began to irritate Bruce who vowed to know. The woman as she swung her arms around him evoked a few emotions of sadness as he started to notice how very long it had been since he had seen himself smile the way he did with this woman.

For a second Bruce blinked to retain a small teardrop departing his eyes when suddenly 'it had changed!!', the image had changed so quickly showing another of Batman's concealed hopes. He was now in a beautiful bedroom filled with rose petals and gold ribbons scattered across a large solid oak wood white bed. There also lay a small trail of Lily's  across the bedroom leading to the out side balcony of this beautiful room. The woman stood facing the wall with her back to Bruce fixing what looked like her wedding dress which consisted of a beautiful corset infused lace back done in simply but tasteful lace and embellished jewels with a long trailing back design almost Greek goddess inspired. The woman was stunning and Bruce could not disagree, he watched carefully as his what he believed his dream self came in through the large, oversized chamber doors and grabbed the woman lovingly from behind sweeping her off her feet and picking her up with both arms in his beautiful Italian black suit. He always did like the colour black he thought to himself. Bruce followed this illusion of the happy couple out onto the balcony as his curiosity of who this woman was baffled him even more.

Bruce looked at the woman's face which was covered in the white lace vale. He reached hesitantly out and pulled the vale from the woman's smiling face. All of a sudden it changed, the image changed again, he was now in his black armoured suit while the woman lay screaming in pain. She lay scrawled across the bed clutching on to Bruce's arm her legs spread apart to each side of the bed. 
" one push, just one more you can do it"
The woman let one more loud scream " Bruce I need you.... I don't think I can do this without you"
Bruce grabbed the woman's hand tightly.
"I'm here and I'll always be here" he looked up at the woman, "DIANA!!!!" Diana lay on the pain clenching her stomach as she gave birth to their child. The woman on the beach, in the wedding dress, all Diana!! and for a reason unknown deep down Bruce knew that the beautiful woman was Diana. She was a big part of his life and showed his new view on his relationship with Diana and how it had blossomed over the years.

"It's a boy Mr Wayne, you have a son"
A nurse gleaming and overjoyed passed the healthy baby boy over to him as Diana let a small sigh of relief and happiness escape her lips. The child looked so innocent, a child so innocent and he was mine Bruce thought to himself almost forgetting his longing to be a father. Diana placed her hand still recovering from childbirth on Bruce's cheek, " you will be an amazing father" she whispered giving him a small kiss on the cheek as both of them dreamily stared into the child's loving eyes. Bruce held the small but beautiful child to his chest and vowed their and then to never let anything happen to him almost forgetting this was all just a dream and was immediately reminded of this as he cuddled into his son he began to disappear with Diana and everything he could see. It became dark again for a second then a small glowing red light appeared. Bruce analysed his surrounding as this new image appeared before him where he found himself tied to a rusting fence unable to move only hearing screams of pain and fear coming from a small house in front of him then he saw him,the man who had destroyed everything he had ever loved, Joker. Standing dressed in his creased cobalt purple suit and greased sea green hair smiling intently
" how can you stand their bats and watch me kill you family hahahaha shame on you, I expected more of a fight from the dark knight, the man who had it all but instead chose to hide from it.
Tears began to roll down his eyes " no please god no Diana !! Diana"
Bruce stared at the crackling flames which ripped the house apart like an animal rips it's prey limb from limb under the blackened sky. Bruce screamed again for her hope in and preying this was all a mistake, then Diana appeared holding their baby son at the window screaming for them to save them. " please help us!!! Please help us" Bruce again pulled at his chains unable to move. Diana screamed again for the last time "I love you !!!!" Before she disappeared into the darkness with his only son. He felt the chains around his neck tighten as joker drew closer. His cracked red lips came closer to batman's ear
" we are not so different you and I "

Bruce angrily still holding back his tears of pain replied back "as long as My heart beats I will never be you joker never!!" Joker slowly pulled away from batman , unnervingly Bruce looked at his face in horror to see no longer joker but himself in his armour holding his hands out which rippled of blood mumbling " haha you either die a hero or live long enough and become the villain". Not able to take much more Bruce closed shut his eyes trying to block out the sounds of everything around about him begging the sounds of and suffering to stop. Then it stopped, the sounds, the pain, it was gone. He opened his eyes but to his horror he hadn't woke up from this nightmare but his reflection stood calm and unnerving holding his mask in his hand. Bruce hesitantly looked at the face there was nothing, no face just ahead. It then pulled out a gun from behind its back before dropping his bloodied mask on the cold, damp grass beneath them. The phantom like creature then pressed the gun facing it's own chest and without hesitation pulled the trigger. The phantom of this wild nightmare failed to move or show any sign of injury but instead Bruce toppled over in pain as blood gushed from his chest at the exact place the phantom has been shot. The faceless phantom then raised the gun to his head staring at batman who lay on the ground curled up in excruciating pain. Words began to repeat in the wind becoming louder and louder as the phantom got ready to fire
" you die a hero or live long enough and become the villain "
The trigger was pulled. 1,2,3......

Batman awoke horrified as Superman ran into the infirmary. " Bruce...Bruce!!!!! are you ok I heard you yelling for someone but I couldn't make you out?" Superman stood almost terrified at the sight of Bruce who sat panting for breath in the infirmary bed crushing the infirmary lamp into scrap metal, Bruce replied once he had realised the whole thing was a dream. " I'm fine .... Just a bad dream...a very bad dream"
Bruce looked around analyzing his surrounding "where's Diana Clark ?" He looked around again as Arrow and Alfred came running in too.
" where is she ?" Clark stood puzzled and worried as Bruce's tone of voice became louder and angrier" she was sitting right ne...." Clark walked over to the infirmary door, he used his remaining energy and swung it open until it could go no further and gazed at the last place Diana and him lay sleeping " Clark gazed in slight shock and quickly returned his gaze back to Bruce "Bruce she gone...she was right next to m..." superman looked bewildered unlike Bruce who lay in the bed angered he had let her go without putting up a fight but he knew himself not even him nor Superman had the power to stop her. Clark, Oliver and Alfred surrounded Bruce's bed. All waiting for a plan of action, only Arrow seemed to say anything " what's the plan Bruce ?" Bruce steadily sat himself up and let out a small smirk " its time to to face our demons !!"