The Royal Welcome [Bruce, J. Gordon]

[Deleted]

“It’s almost time, Princess.”

The sound of those four whispered words startled Diana to consciousness in a split second. Dreaming that she was being roused to participate in a tournament of combat, she opened her eyes and expected to be in the ancient elliptical amphitheater on Paradise Island, home of the legendary Amazons. Instead, she found herself in a private jet, face-to-face with a female stranger who was staring her squarely in the eye!

At first, Diana’s warrior instincts kicked in, and her training prompted her to spring into action with tightly curled fists. But when she got her bearings and remembered where she was, she stopped herself short before she could inflict any bodily harm on the flight attendant who was invading her personal space at the moment.

The stewardess blinked her eyes, studying Diana’s awkward facial expression. “Are you all right?” she asked. “I didn’t mean to disturb your nap, but the captain wanted me to inform you that we’ll be landing at Gotham City Airport in about ten minutes.”

Diana shifted to a more comfortable position in her seat. “Thank you,” she managed to say while taking a deep breath to regain her composure. “That was very kind of you.”

With that, the flight attendant smiled and walked away, oblivious to the dangerous situation she had put herself in and had narrowly escaped without personal injury.

Gazing out the window, Diana swallowed hard when the plane turned and she caught a glimpse of Gotham City on the horizon. Like most things in Patriarch’s World, it was breathtaking to behold from a distance, but Diana had learned not to trust in first impressions. Besides, she was already aware of its reputation for housing some of the world’s vilest criminals, thus making it the most dangerous city in America.

As the plane flew closer, Diana could sense the spirit of oppression that loomed over the city. Yes, Ares’ influence was prevalent, but it didn’t have to stay that way. Yes, certain areas of the city had been declining for decades, but the deteriorating stone, brick, and mortar could always be painted, repaired, or replaced. What mattered most were the people. All Gotham needed were residents who cared enough to try and make a difference . . . like Batman and the other heroes of Gotham.

And that was the main reason she respected those heroes. They cared and did their best -- the best way they knew how – to clean up the dregs of society who plagued their dwelling.

Despite the fact that most viewed the city’s sealed fate as permanently doomed, Diana believed it still had hope and promise. She envisioned what Gotham City could be, and she wanted to do something to help make it a reality. That was why she was coming to aid Batman in his quest to clean up Gotham. He was just one person, and he needed more allies. She was planning to be a resource to him . . . as Wonder Woman.

[Deleted]

Bruce Wayne stepped out of the Bentley near the runway of Wayne Airport, a small airport used exclusively by Wayne Enterprises and their guests. He rarely went to personally meet visitors coming into his airport; Lucius was the man for that task for most visitors. This, however, was a very special occasion. Gotham was receiving a foreign dignitary that would likely be on an extended stay in Gotham City. Princess Diana of Themyscira, Ambassador to the world. As Bruce understood it, she was coming to Gotham because it was one of the country’s worst areas for criminal activity. Obviously, there were those in the city that didn’t want that kind of attention, including the Mayor’s Office and the cadre of corruption that choked the city’s government.

Alfred had driven the Bentley and had remained politely quiet through the drive. Bruce had spoken with Police Commissioner James Gordon earlier, and as Bruce intended to escort the Princess from the airport, he felt that giving James the opportunity to meet with the Princess would be appreciated, given that he was in charge of law enforcement. It could be a tricky meeting, but he knew the Princess well enough to know that she would not bring a condemning tone with her, even if she didn’t really know him in his at Bruce Wayne. Also, he was certain that his own reputation would get noticed. Bruce Wayne was hardly a saint, and public sentiment was often that his philanthropic work was a personal attempt to make up for his recklessness and womanizing. Then again, there were those who believed he didn’t give a damn what others thought, and the philanthropy was just a throwback to honor his parents.

Bruce leaned against the side of the car as the plane taxied nearer. “She’s a remarkable woman,” he said to the Commissioner. “Not just her beauty, though that is very remarkable. She believes in a better way. Sort of like you do, I guess. I think she believes the world can be a better place if she can just reach the hearts and minds of its people, and she’s probably right. That’s a very big ‘if’ though.”

He watched the plane as it slowed to a stop. The ladder was pushed to the door, though there would be all the necessary checks before they would open the plane, not the least of which was security. Granted, she could have carried the plane here on her shoulder, but protocol was protocol.

“I do what I can to help the orphans and homeless women, but it’s not enough. The more I give, the less the city does. In a way, I’m fine with that. Half of what had been earmarked for the charities was going into the hands of corrupt politicians anyway. Some of it still is, but that's getting tightened up as well. The more privately funded they become, the greater say the people that truly care will have, and the less will go to graft. They’ll find other sources though. And yes, I know, you’re doing what you can.”

Bruce looked around the airport, as though he could see the city beyond the open fields and high fences that helped to make his airport secure. “Honestly, I have to wonder if it’s the graft, corruption, and organized crime that’s bringing her, or if it’s all of the unconventional citizens. People like the Riddler, Poison Ivy, the Scarecrow, Catwoman, and even the Huntress. And werewolves and ghosts in Gotham City? Really? I’m waiting for Captain Jack Sparrow to step off the docks.”

He paused as his attention went back to the plane. They’d be opening the door any minute now, and the red carpet was in place. “They all came after the Batman arrived on the scene. I’ve heard people say that he’s the reason all the nutcases have come to Gotham. Then again, he isn’t exactly the picture of sanity himself, is he?”

[Deleted]

The ride to Wayne Airport had been interesting to say the least. James Gordon had often spoken and dealt with the likes of the enigmatic Bruce Wayne. In his line of work he often found himself involved helping the young billionaire or found himself in his presence. Gordon suspected the reasons were many and beyond the fact that partnering with one of the “good” cops was always a positive stunt for publicity in Gotham. What always made being around Wayne interesting was that there was something about Mr. Wayne that had Gordon subtly curious. Bruce always surprised him. In word and action he could seem quite aloof, but Gordon had lived long enough to see beyond that façade. The man’s philanthropic work was more than a simple throwback to his parents or a way to make up for his personal flaws. Gordon suspected that reckless man was more an act. The real Bruce Wayne was much more than the face he showed to the tabloid pages. Gordon wanted to come to know that man, but he didn’t pry blatantly. Mr. Wayne deserved his privacy even if Jim disapproved of the man’s play-boy persona.

That did not mean he felt comfortable as the Bentley came to stop in the private airport, however. Here he was being brought in like he was the mayor. It felt formal and important. The latter situation Jim could deal with, the first he was about as used to as a fish out of the ocean. Jim was simple, direct. He always felt fancy black-tie suits stuffy and always felt out of place whenever he went to one of Wayne’s lavish fundraisers. He grew up in a gritty part of Chicago. His father had been blue-collar worker, there had been no rubbing elbows with the rich for him until he’d earned the title of Commissioner. Even after serving as long as he had he was still was nervous when meeting dignitaries, though of course police and military training had taught him to be able to hide it. Still he could feel himself wanting to smoke his pipe just to relax. But again, he probably shouldn’t. Not the right company and it would be impolite. He needed to give his best in greeting Princess Diana. He knew her name vaguely, also knew just how much the Mayor didn’t want her inference. He found himself amused by that, at least. He thought she could do some good, which was why he’d taken the offer of Mr. Wayne with little argument. He thought it would be appropriate for him to greet her—he did think differently than a majority of law enforcement when it came to the costumed and super-powered heroes that had been popping up in recent years.

He stood straight, choosing to not to slump against the car. He adjusted his glasses and when Bruce spoke to him, “I’ve heard she’s quite the something on both those accounts and I trust you to know,” he said. “But I do agree with her, if you can affect the hearts and minds of people then you have a powerful tool and if what I’ve heard about her is right, I’m not afraid of her abusing that power. I look forward to meeting her.”

And that moment seemed closer than ever as the plane fully landed and now all he and Bruce were waiting on was the final checks before the princess would appear and descend to the ground. “I wasn’t going to say that, Mr. Wayne. I’m aware you know that I’m doing all I can. Perhaps the city gives less right now, but that’s because they knew where the money goes, into the greedy little hands, once it gets even more private, the city will begin to give again. All this city needs is more trust in itself. It’s getting there, slow and steady, but I’ve seen the greatness that lies in these people just waiting to get out. We need to encourage it is all.”

Then he gave a gruff laugh, “In my opinion, I’d say it’s all of the above. It started with the graft, corruption, and organized crime and that environment made Gotham suitable for our unconventional citizens, what the papers call our Rogue’s Gallery, or rather…Batman’s. This city is something.” He nodded. “I’m waiting for the pirates too.” He half joked, but on the other hand he wouldn’t be surprised.

He slid his hands into his pockets, following Bruce’s gaze, mentally preparing himself. Again Jim smiled. “Desperate times, desperate measures. Those ‘nutcases’ existed long before Batman, they would have made themselves known eventually. Even if you could argue for Batman being at fault in anyway…he does more good than bad, least I think so. He inspires people. Gotham needs inspiration. Not to put on a costume, but to tell us that our city doesn’t belong to the criminals. It’s ours.”

[Deleted]

When the doors of the jet opened, two plain-clothes bodyguards dressed in black suits and dark sunglasses came into view. Both men were using ear pieces, obviously communicating with airport security to make sure everything was safe before the Princess exited the aircraft as well.

Minutes seemed to pass like hours, but eventually Diana made her anticipated appearance. Her natural beauty radiated like the sun as she descended the plane stairs with regal elegance and grace. Although her face didn’t show it, she was very surprised -- and thankful -- that the paparazzi wasn’t present, blinding her with their flashing cameras and shouting obscene questions she wasn’t comfortable answering. Smiling to herself, she made a mental note to thank Mr. Wayne personally for arranging the use of his private airport to avoid those complications.

Instead of her familiar red, white, and blue costume, Diana was wearing ordinary clothes -- a long-sleeved satin blue blouse with white slacks and gray low-heeled ankle boots. No one would’ve ever recognized her as Wonder Woman, if not for the red-starred tiara displayed on her forehead, accented by her long, flowing, ebony tresses, and the golden belt around her petite waist. Her lasso of truth glowed softly as it hung from the right side of the belt, and her silver bracelets shimmered when she stopped on the red carpet, raised her arms overhead, and saluted Bruce and Commissioner Gordon from a distance.

Everyone knew the Princess could take care of herself with her Amazon powers. Even she saw no real need for bodyguards, but since they were provided by the United Nations, Diana felt it necessary to follow protocol. Ironically, if danger threatened, she’d be the one protecting them, most likely. Observing the quiet surroundings though, she didn’t see that happening today.

As Diana approached Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon, she admired their physical forms. Masculinity captivated her. She recognized Bruce Wayne from photos she had seen, but she had no idea who the other dignified gentleman was, although he definitely held her attention.

“Hola, Mr. Wayne,” she said, offering her hand to him. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

[Deleted]

“Please, Commissioner, I hear ‘Mr. Wayne’ more than enough. ‘Bruce’ will do quite nicely, thank you.”

He nodded at the Commissioner’s assessment of the Diana. She would certainly use her influence in any way she could to promote peace and harmony, but not for personal gain. That kind of thinking was just foreign to the Princess of the Amazons. Diana was far from perfect, and she could be quite vicious if provoked, but he was willing to bet that she wouldn’t sell her dream for personal gain. Bruce was more cautious about the aims of those governing the city than the Commissioner seemed to be, but perhaps the billionaire had a more cynical point of view.

“If it’s encouragement that the city needs, the Princess is the right person for the job. She’ll definitely get their attention.”

He focused more fully to Gordon as he began to address his views of Batman. He knew the Commissioner supported Batman, but it was interesting to hear him speak of the Dark Knight without having an audience that would be dissecting his words. Bruce tended to be dismissive toward his other half, though he stopped short of condemning him outright.

“He’s does have an impact. There’s a rumor out there that you’ve worked with him, despite the official directives concerning vigilantism. I don’t have an agenda either way as far as law enforcement goes, so long as it works, but the stories about him . . . They say he isn’t human, that he flies, drinks the blood of his victims, and feeds on their fear. It makes me wonder if he’s a monster or if he just has a really good publicist.”

Bruce smiled when the Commission agreed that pirates may not be too far away. Sadly, the more modern kind was already operating in the city. He’d been keeping an eye on trafficking in and out of the harbor and would have to take action there before too long, but that wasn’t a concern he could address immediately. He watched the Princess disembark from the plane. She was radiant, though the mixture of ceremonial attire and current fashion stood out to him. She was reaching across cultural barriers, or at least making herself available to do so.

Stepping forward, Bruce took her hand in his and lifted it to his mouth, kissing the back of her fingers while his eyes never left hers.

“The pleasure is most definitely mine, Princess Diana,” he said, oozing charm as he straightened up. He hadn’t let go of her hand. “And, please, unless this has to do with a merger or a funeral, call me Bruce.”

He turned, her hand still in his, leading her to gracefully face Gordon as though she were his dance partner.

“Please let me introduce you to Commission James Gordon, the man responsible for bringing a level of control back to Gotham City. Regardless of what you may read in the papers, he is the man most responsible for leading Gotham back from the precipice. He’s also an advocate of your ideals concerning reform.”

He offered the Commissioner Diana’s hand and continued with the introductions.

“Commissioner, I give you Ambassador Diana of Themyscira, Princess of the Amazons, Defender and Protector of peace, harmony, and hope. Don’t let the titles intimidate you, though. She is reported as being very approachable.”

As the conversations continued, Alfred rose out of the driver’s seat and stood at the ready to usher them into the car, when it became appropriate for him to do so.

[Deleted]

Bruce. Jim Gordon gave a nod at the request and rubbed his hands together, “Well, if I’m to call you Bruce, I honestly get tired of being called Commissioner all the time. It’s nice having a title, but you can call me Jim. After all it’s your doing that brought me here to meet the princess.”

He also felt that they’d bumped into each other enough to warrant it, and Mr. Wayne did have this air of familiarity for the commissioner. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was there. He choose not to examine it much in light of the impending appearance of the Amazonian Princess. It was true he’d heard much, and at least enough to realize the woman wasn’t one that did much for personal gain, but he knew she had a passion and if anyone tried to stop her…Well Jim could grin imagining that. She was a woman he could respect, not the air-headed vipers and gold diggers that he knew were rumored to be Bruce’s usual company and whose faces always appeared with his on the tabloids. Such trash for his cadets to read; he felt the same way about those god awful articles as Bruce did their government and Gordon was apt to agree with him. He was actually quite cynical himself, but he usually kept that in his head. He was a realist and despite the notions he could get Gotham had surprised him enough in both directions that he knew to keep any pessimism to himself often.

As for Bruce’s optimism about the Princess, he was in agreement. It wasn’t that Batman wasn’t good, but the people needed more and more to believe in. Every hero that came up to bat was just another to encourage the people. He offered him a wry smile as Bruce picked up on his commentary about Batman. “Well, I imagine he’s got more honor than a lot of cops, and he’s certainly saved my life more times than I can count. I figured I could give him a bit of doubt you know? I’ve found myself in the same place at the same time, but that’s all I’m going to say,” he chuckled and set his eyes on the plane again. “I’m betting the really good publicist. Batman’s a man under all that armor and cowl, but the criminals can call him a beast all they like, might make my job easier. He’s done the city more good while he’s been here than I’d seen in my years on the force since. I can thank him for my appointment to Commissioner…so maybe I don’t think bad about him like I should. Sometimes…you just have to let things fall as they will.”

He did worry about Batman, though. What would become of him if the city finally did clean its act. And what if it didn’t? Neither of them could fight crime forever. But those thoughts were made moot for the moment when Diana finally walked down the platform from the plane. He straightened immediately and kept his gaze polite. She was quite the sight, though. He could see she was strong and the mixture of the modern clothing as well as her braces, whip, and tiara was quirky, but it felt natural to see her like that.

Gotham would be proud to welcome her, and Gordon made certain to show that by offering her a smile that was warm and crinkled the creases at the corners of his eyes. But he politely allowed Bruce the first move, but once he was introduced he took Diana’s hand with a humbled smile.

“Princess Diana,” he bowed his head to her and squeezed her hand, “if your smile and greeting were of any sign, I must agree with Bruce. Welcome to Gotham City, I see Bruce has given me a lot of compliments, but I simply do what I can with what I have. We can and should only do our best.”

He politely dropped her hand and waited for the sign from Bruce. The conversation was just beginning, but it could continue in the more private and less noisy vehicle of the billionaire.

[Deleted]

Diana smiled at Bruce, feeling a great rush of affection for him as he kissed her hand. Being a man of tremendous wealth, prestige, and influence in Gotham City, she had expected the multi-billionaire socialite to be more conceited and condescending in his actions and speech. But greeting her in this manner was totally unexpected . . . and quite chivalric to the Princess. This first impression had an impact on her and revealed much about Bruce’s character. The second impression, in the near future, would tell the tale though -- if Bruce Wayne was just putting his best foot forward at their initial meeting, or if he was being genuinely real. Either way, his charm and charisma had her mesmerized at the moment.

Diana loved the way Bruce kept her hand in his as he turned gracefully and introduced her to Commissioner Gordon. She prayed to Athena that the serene expression on her face made her seem “very approachable” like Bruce had said. She thought it was an appropriate gesture when the Commissioner bowed his head while taking her hand from his colleague. Both men recognized her as royalty and as a diplomat, and it made her feel very special and welcomed.

When her bright, piercing eyes met the Commissioner’s, Diana stared past them and into his soul. Although he was years older than Bruce, evidenced by his wrinkled skin, she knew that wisdom accompanied age. Instantly, she felt a connection with the Commissioner; there was no doubt in her mind that what Bruce was telling her about him wasn’t true.

“I’m sure you are a highly respected official who is firmly in control of his department, James Gordon,” she said after he dismissed Bruce’s accolades. “I admire your humility, sir. I’m looking forward to working with a man who is held in such high regard by his peers.”

Seeing Alfred standing in the distance, Diana waited patiently for Bruce’s cue to walk to the Bentley and allowed him to help her get in. The kid leather upholstery was luxurious, and she didn’t mind sitting between Bruce and James. Although her bodyguards had already received the itinerary from Bruce prior to landing, she knew the men would keep their distance, as she had requested.

[Deleted]

Bruce enjoyed the small talk with Jim and hearing the man’s point of view on Batman from a different source. In the end, he wasn’t worried about whether he had the approval of anyone else in his quest, but Jim had been a steadfast ally from the beginning, even before Jim starting climbing the political ladder. That he was now the head policeman in the city made his support that much more welcome, though at times it put Jim in an awkward position.

Bruce grew silent when Gordon mentioned that sometimes you just had to let things lie. It was something that Bruce had not been able to do, and that had become the focus of his life. The mission was everything. Bruce might seem to be easy-going and even lackadaisical at times, but that was largely a mask. He let things go that weren’t important, and most things that had to be followed up on were done covertly through suggestion, innuendo, or through his trusted aids. Letting things lie, though, just didn’t work for him.

He looked on as Jim and Diana greeted one another and gave a nod to Alfred as he moved to the opposite side of the car.

Alfred nodded in return and offered a smile. “Princess Diana, it is my distinct pleasure to meet a lady of your refinement and beauty. Welcome to Gotham City. Your chariot awaits.”

Alfred stepped to the back door and opened it for Diana, subtly motioning for Commissioner Gordon to follow her in. On the other side of the car, Bruce opened the door and settled himself on the far side, positioning Diana between the two men.