This is a little something that had been on my mind for a while. It started with this idea: how would Bruce Wayne react if he found an amnesiac Diana in his garden? Here, Diana never joined the JL in episode one, but the JL was formed nonetheless. Hope you enjoy :)

Unbeta-ed work, so all mistakes are mine. And I don't own JL, or WonderBat would be uncontested.

The Amazon and the Knight

1.

The air stunk of smoke and blood. The burnt grounds still felt hot from the heat of the magic fires. Bodies of fallen warriors had been buried in rows with honor while the corpses of monsters and foes thrown into pits for later cremation.

Artemis snarled in anger as she saw one of their enemies still twisting. A deadly injured Minotaur was crushing the freshly finished grave of her sisters, his hand extended for something beyond his reach. She grabbed her sword and plunged it into the creature's neck. Blood oozed from the wound and the monster groaned one last time before falling limp.

"That was gross."

The redhead Amazon stared at the speaker in disbelief.

"We've been slaughtering Ares' beasts all day long and you find this gross?"

The brunette she was addressing merely shrugged. Her forearms and legs had been bandaged and her pupils seemed a little dilated, most likely from a drug delivered from Egeria to soothe the pain. Artemis sighed heavily and kicked the creature's body away. Her heart tightened at the sight before her: the monster had nearly destroyed the tombs of Pallas and Io. It was hard to believe those two had been bickering these days ago over the kill of a bear and had now joined the Elysium Fields.

"Oh no…"

Artemis cast a glance at her companion. Her eyes were filling with tears. The redhead looked away. Alexa would have hugged the girl in comfort. Niobe would have found the right words to sooth her soul. Diana would…she didn't want to think of Diana right now.

"They were Amazons, Donna. They lived and died the Amazon way. Don't feel sorry for their fate."

Donna crouched next to the tombs. She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer to Hades. Artemis watched her do with a hint of pride. She hand been one of those who had vetoed against the little orphan's presence on the isle –after Aresia's folly, it hadn't seemed wise to welcome another human girl amongst them. But Diana had defended her and Hippolyta had caved; and ten years later, Donna had shown as much bravery and skills as any Amazon sister in battle.

"You fought well," she said eventually. "Do not feel guilty; you deserve your survival."

Donna lifted her teary eyes to meet her.

"Diana was the bravest of us all," she whispered. "And yet she still died."

Diana. Their proud princess. Their savior. Their greatest loss. Artemis tightened her grip on the handle of her sword and closed her eyes. She could still picture their princess wearing proudly the armor of the Champion, the bright glare on her face and the grief weighing down her shoulders.

I'm the only one who can do this, she had said determinedly, shouldering the Godkiller, the legendary sword forged and blessed by the gods. I will slay Ares, and put an end to the war.

The battle between the god of War and the Amazonian Champion had been as beautiful as it had been deadly: two warriors of superior strength fighting for victory, one for the sake of destroying, and the other for the sake of protecting. The lands of Themyscria would suffer for decades from their blows…and what for in the end?

She still saw Diana's blade slicing Ares' neck, still remembered the howls of pain from his right hand, the sorceress Circe. And she still pictured vividly the purple light surrounding their princess, her wide eyes, her mouth opened in a silent shout. Both Champion and Circe had vanished in a flash of light and then…nothing. Absolutely nothing was left of her. Not even a hair. Artemis was no fool; if Circe had wanted Diana dead, she would be dead. The witch had her vanished…which meant she had been transported to another place. Outside of Themyscria. For a brief moment, Artemis was glad Hippolyta had passed away early in battle; the loss of her daughter would have finished her off.

"She died," Donna repeated mechanically, returning her focus on the silent tombs. "And there is nothing we can do to help."

Artemis didn't correct the younger woman in her assumption. Not many had been present to witness Diana's disappearance, but those were there knew this was but another of Circe's tricks to make them hope, make them yearn for Diana's return. A perfect revenge against the Amazon, for killing Ares. She would not allow Donna to fall into that trap.

"You can honor her memory by remembering her victories," Artemis concluded grimly. Donna was on her feet in seconds, glaring in full rage.

"How can you speak so coldly?" She growled angrily. "Does her death mean so little to you? She was my sister, my mentor! She saved my life!"

"Don't you dare speak of what you don't know!" Artemis snapped in return. "She was my sister far before you were born!"

And so much more, she thought privately. But she wouldn't let the younger woman know that.

"You should apologize, Donna," a third, softer voice came to interrupt their argument. "Artemis has known Diana from the day she came to life; all of us did. She too grieves, even if she shows it differently."

Donna and Artemis turned around. Alexa had joined them, limping slightly. Her balance was off as her left eye was bandaged from a stray blade given by the traitorous Persephone. Her beautiful red hair had to be shortened in order to tend what was left of her right ear. Artemis had always seen Alexa bearing a soft smile, even as they argued and bickered. Today, the smile was gone and the usual glint in her eyes seemed dimmer. Donna swallowed heavily. Artemis looked away; this display of distress yet reminded her that for all the Amazonian traditions her most recent sister had adopted, shielding her feelings was not one of them.

"The sun is getting low," Alexa went on. "The others are preparing a feast to celebrate our victory and mourn our dead. Most of our supplies have been destroyed by the fires but then," she paused, attempting to master her emotions. "We aren't as many anymore."

A subtle reminder that Diana had not been the only one to pay the price of peace with her life, just as Io and Pallas and so many others buried at their feet. Now, all they could do was drink to their memory and honor their sacrifice the Amazonian way. The three women spared a last prayer for their fallen sisters and hauled the Minotaur's corpse away before heading back in silence.

The feast in itself was a quiet one. The battle against Ares had lasted no more than a few days, but those had been bloody and tiring. None were too inclined to toast loudly. More importantly, the worries of the aftermath began to rise. They had no more Queen. They had no more Princess. No tangible leader to take over and the gods…the gods were silent. Offerings had been made and prayers sent. A sentinel had been left by the temple of the gods –or what was left of it anyway –in case an answer was heard. But after decapitating Ares, they didn't expect to earn Zeus' sympathy in their distress.

Artemis nursed her drink and stared at her sisters. They had been hundreds of Amazons before, now only remained little over a hundred and fifty. One third of those warriors would be incapacitated for the remaining of their lives. Never in Amazonian memory had her people found themselves in such precarious situation. She clenched her jaw, wondering how long it would take to rebuild. How long would they last with no leader. How long until internal disputes would destroy what remained of their people. She was a warrior, not a commander, just like many others. They needed someone they could unite under, someone they trusted. Most leading figures had been killed already. Diana had been caught by Circe who would not release her easily. They needed to organize….they needed hope. Something to cling onto.

A small whimper came from her left. Donna had curled by her side and succumbed to exhaustion like many others. Artemis couldn't blame her; they had been fighting a war and then burning and burying bodies. She would probably fall asleep herself if she decided to lie down. But the younger woman was caught in the depths of a nightmare; her body shivering even though the air was warm and her face twisted in distress. Artemis decided not to allow demons further plague her dreams and reached out to wake her.

She had barely brushed her shoulder that Donna jumped, eyes wide, gasping for air. Artemis pulled back her hand and watched her with a raised eyebrow.

"That bad?" she inquired dryly, though not unkindly. Donna had never been pulled into such deadly battle, the nightmares were expected. The sudden emergence of hope in her eyes and the tentative smile growing on her face was definitively not.

"Diana is alive," she whispered, gaining the immediate attention of nearby Amazons. "I saw her. She's alive."

Artemis quickly quelled the urge to hope her words brought her.

"You were dreaming Donna," she told her, even though it broke her heart. The young woman shook her head.

"No, you don't understand. When Diana saved me, she gave me a piece of her soul. We shared dreams before. We can reach for each other, if our minds are willing." Pause. She inhaled deeply. "We connected. It was brief, but long enough for me to see through her eyes." Her smile widened. "She's out there Artemis, and I know where to start looking."

The women around her had turned deadly quiet.

"Where is she?"

Donna's smile dimmed lightly. Artemis braced herself for the worse.

"She's in-"

The Amazon and the Knight

Of all the things to wake up to, Bruce had never expected it to be a crash in his garden at four in the morning. But there it came, soon after his return from an uneventful patrol. He had just finished his shower and put on his PJ's when the earth trembled under the shock of a something hitting the ground very close by. Cursing his luck, he put on a robe and, flashlight and batrangs in hand, ran outside. Dick –who had returned for the weekend –followed, hot on his heels, prepared for an impending attack.

Dust had risen around the crash area and bits of dirt splattered all over the garden. Otherwise, everything was silent. Bruce approached cautiously the center of the impact. The object had hit the ground with such force it had dug a small crater, one that was possibly going to be hard to explain to the gardeners. Waving at Dick to stand at respectable distance, he peeked over the border and waited for the sights to clear.

He halfway expected a small rock, like a meteorite, or even some debris from outer-space. Perhaps a bomb or some weapon even. A human shape curled upon itself was only tenth on his list.

God help us if this is a Kryptonian, he thought sarcastically. He'd shove this one to Clark in a heartbeat. Sensing no immediate danger, he jumped into the hole and landed next to the body. Human at first sight, female too. Long dark hair, red bustier and blue –were those shorts? underwear? –and metallic boots. Iron bracelets on her forearms. Iron gladiator-like helmet covering her face. He reached out and brushed her skin. Paused. He hadn't noticed it first because of the darkness, but the faint light of his torch revealed something that made him uneasy: the woman's skin was covered in burns and angry lashes. Bleeding lashes.

"Prepare the infirmary and call Leslie," Bruce ordered. "She's badly injured."

He wedged the lamp between his teeth, crouched to slip an arm under her knees and the other behind her shoulder. She weighed more than he expected, which was a good sign; if she had been healthy before crashing on his lawn, then she'd have a better chance at survival. He climbed out of the hole and carried her inside under Dick's inquisitive gaze. Alfred, good man, had already prepared the hospital bed. Bruce laid her and took a second look in the more decent light. Whatever battle she had gone through must have been rough; the bleeding gashes and burns were worse than he thought. Hopefully, her head hadn't sustained any major damage…

He reached out for the helmet, felt for an opening. He found a series of small lashes on the side and unfastened each of them. Once opened, he carefully pulled it off. Dick gasped. He nearly did the same. The mask had uncovered the most beautiful face he had ever seen: soft features, long black lashes, pouty red lips and more importantly, unmarked skin. The protection had done its job in shielding her face. Now, he had to work on healing the rest.

"Dick, bring me the hot water and some clothes. Alfred, bring me the salve."

They were in for a long sleepless night.