Batman had played the hard nosed vigilante for so long, that he didn’t know what to do about his feelings for Wonder Woman. 

He had seen the troubles in the relationship between John Stewart the Green Lantern and Shayera the Hawkgirl.

Diana had super powers which put her almost on even ground with Superman. Batman had fought criminals for years, mainly Gotham City’s criminals with no super powers either. There had been Ras Al Gul, who could rejuvenate his body well after a normal human being’s lifespan. There had been Clayface and Mr Freeze and Killer Croc and one or two others, but most of his rogues gallery were non-super powered human beings like himself.

Until he joined the Justice League. Since then he had thrown fewer punches, and counted on his gadgetry and scientific expertise more and more in order to hold his own against a variety of super villains. His keen mind had enabled him to be the key instrument in saving the rest of the League on a number of occasions. Now he had just recently saved Wonder Woman too, rather than the other way around. Yet she had lived for much longer than him, and looked no older.

So Bruce walked away. He left Wonder Woman in the corridor of the Justice League satellite, known as the Watchtower. He took the teleporter back to Earth, and called upon Alfred, to see what was happening in Gotham City.

Nothing significant happened in Gotham for a while. Before long, Batman found himself involved with the Justice League again, on a number of cases, the most startling of which was the matter of the Dark Heart: an alien opponent with the ability to reproduce itself. The Atom had been the key to defeating it, having gone inside to shut it down, while the rest of the team fought it outside.

Then Batman again returned to Gotham. It had been like that, ever since the League started. He would alternate his time not just between Batman’s Gotham Patrols and Bruce Wayne’s corporate life; but now also fit the League into his schedule. He had set himself up as a part-time Leaguer in the first place, having donated the Watchtower as part of his contribution to the founding of the team. Of late the original seven members had welcomed countless new recruits onto the team.

He went to bed in Wayne Manor and caught up on some much needed sleep. When he finally awoke and enjoyed a good meal, he was ready for action.

He didn’t have long to wait. He turned on the television to watch an old movie, and was soon met with an interruption: a news break.

“This is Summer Gleason with a special news update. Bane has recruited several of Gotham’s most notorious outlaws and laid siege to police headquarters…”
Bruce was out of the room, before she started the next sentence. He had little chance of surprising them in the Batmobile. He took the Batwing and headed for the police building. When he drew near, he engaged the autopilot, and ejected with his hang-glider, and landed on top of the police building.

He was just removing his hang-glider, when a hulking man stepped out from behind the Batsignal: Bane.

“I knew you’d attempt to land on this roof, if I stayed out of sight. Don’t expect any help from Gotham’s finest. They’re all otherwise occupied with gas bombs and every other weapon used against them by my underlings,” said Bane, “So now it’s just between us.”

Bane lunged at him.
Batman jumped to the side, and landed on one foot, spun and launched a side kick with his other foot. Bane hardly even felt it.

“You seem distracted,” said Bane, after several blows had been exchanged.

Bruce winced behind his mask. He knew that his opponent was right. His timing and concentration had been all off in this fight. He was thinking about Wonder Woman; Diana. She had been going around and around in his head.