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"Love Is The Most Twisted Curse Of All."
- Satoru Gojo (Jujutsu Kaisen)
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<(Bruce Wayne POV)>
"You vile sorceress, you dared to steal my body! Return it this instant, or by Hera, I will unleash my wrath and consign your soul to the darkest depths of Tartarus, you deceitful witch!" Those were Diana's first words the moment her gaze fell upon the frail and weary Circe, who was kneeling helplessly on the floor of her prison cell. Her unfocused eyes carried only defeat after the immense physical and mental torment she had endured through my hour-long interrogation.
"I doubt she'll be responding to any threats today, Diana. Her mind is far too shattered from the shock and sound therapy I used to pry out your location from her. That's why I couldn't get the exact details of the magical ritual to reverse the exchange yet. Don't worry, though—once she recovers, restoring your soul to your rightful body will be the first demand I make of her." I assured, shrugging as I glanced at Diana, still trapped in Circe's form, her nostrils flaring with fury.
Normally, Diana, despite hailing from a warrior culture led by women, carried herself with grace, her manner refined even beneath the armor of an Amazon. But from the way she allowed her nose to flare like an enraged bull before everyone, it was clear she was seething… or perhaps she simply didn't care, given this wasn't her body. Still, I had to admit—Circe's physical beauty was charming in her own way. Not nearly as radiant, striking, or captivating as Diana, but it was a close second.
However, while I was busy weighing Circe's and Diana's respective physical attractiveness in my head, not everyone shared my good mood. Selina's eyes locked on Diana with an expression that was equal parts annoyed and relieved. "Relax, princess. What's done is done. You're safe here now. Besides, you're the one who lost to Circe in the first place. It should have been obvious that, as a villain, she'd try something like this once she had you beaten.
So maybe you should have prepared better—or at least had the common sense to ask one of us for help instead of just disappearing and leaving behind only a note. With that stunt, you didn't just endanger yourself—you put all of us at risk, including Bruce, who takes responsibility for your safety without ever asking for anything in return, even while you keep playing too innocent for your own good." She ranted, shutting up Diana as the Amazon princess just stared at her with a guilty look.
"... Alright, maybe that sounds a little too harsh the way she says it… But Diana, I have to agree with her on one point—you could have asked for help before leaving. I get that this mission felt personal to you, since Circe once hailed from Themyscira and all. But this could have gone wrong in countless ways if fortune hadn't favored us. You could have lost your life, Circe could have used what she learned from you to strike at us, or worse, she could have succeeded in using your body for vile purposes better left unspoken." I couldn't help but side with Selina. "Remember this, Diana—heroes have to win every time to keep the world safe. But a villain only needs to win once to accomplish what they want."
"Anyway, I think Diana's already paid enough for her mistakes. So why don't we just let this go and move forward?" I suggested, determined not to let things devolve into a catfight. "By the way, Selina, what about Dr. Harleen Quinzel? Did your interrogation get anywhere?" I asked, my eyes drifting to Harley's cage, now sealed off completely from the outside for some reason.
"It was… more successful than I expected. She told me everything I needed—and far too much I didn't. She even told me things like which finger she uses when she pleasures herself, or the kind of porn she prefers during those sessions. Sigh. She went into disturbing detail with all those graphic descriptions of her sexual tastes." Selina shook her head, her face twisted in disgust as though she was trying to scrub the images from her mind.
"Anyway, I logged everything in my report, just like you asked. But if I had to sum up the reason behind her… transformation in one sentence, it's this—she's a lunatic completely fixated on having a relationship with Batman. She believes that the Dark Knight is the missing piece that completes her. She's obsessed with you to the point of insanity. In fact, she even convinced herself that everything she did to change who she was... was necessary, just to get your attention. Put simply, she's what anime nerds call… a yandere." Selina explained with a straight face, as if she wasn't somewhat guilty of having her own yandere streak.
"... Wait, what!? A yandere for me? What are you talking about?" For the first time since becoming Batman, I found myself truly stunned. Wasn't it common knowledge that Harley Quinn was Joker's yandere, not Batman's? She was supposed to be like his twisted mirror—a female Joker in a toxic, obsessive relationship with him—only to reinvent herself later by leaving the clown prince of crime and living her own life. So why the hell would she be obsessed with me instead of the Joker? "Are you certain she didn't say all those things to mess with your mind? Despite being crazy, she is a genius psychiatrist, so she probably knows how to manipulate people."
"Unlikely. I may not hold a psychiatry degree, but after years of dealing with expert manipulators and assassins like Nyssa and Talia, I've learned enough to recognize when someone's trying to manipulate me. And I got the sense her feelings for you might actually be genuine. Also, considering you already have that same effect on at least five other women in your life, there's a good chance she ain't lying… am I right, tiger?" Selina said, fixing me with a sharp, accusing stare.
"... No comment," I muttered, clearing my throat. "Anyway, why is her cage sealed?"
"After I finished with her, she got restless and bored. So, eventually, she started... pleasuring herself after deciding this was Batman's private sex dungeon—where you rehabilitate female criminals by 'training' them and, well, pounding the evil out of them." Selina sighed. "Like I said, she's unpredictable with a very colorful imagination."
"..." - me.
"..." - Diana
"..." - Selina.
"... I see. Then it's best we leave her in there for now, especially since the sensors inside the cage show she's asleep. You did well. Thanks, kitty. I'll speak with you later about that private talk you wanted to have with me. But I won't hold you up any longer—you've got that charity event tonight. Best of luck with it." I gave her a thumbs up, knowing how much she enjoyed donating and attending charitable events. It was her second favorite pastime, right after robbing Gotham's corrupt elite.
"Yeah, don't mention it. And you're right, I do have a few special plans for tonight. Did you know Van Be Deers, a big international diamond company, is auctioning a pink diamond in Gotham tomorrow? Rumor has it, they caused dozens of deaths in Africa just to get it. Imagine their faces when the diamond's gone tonight, leaving nothing for tomorrow's auction." Selina's lips curled into a wicked grin, ignoring the withering look Diana shot her.
"Well, I just hope their CEO has solid insurance. He's going to need it after the heart attack he'll have when he opens that empty safe tomorrow," I quipped, straight-faced, waving Selina off.
"I still don't understand why you never stop her from stealing? My mother always taught me stealing was wrong, no matter who you steal from." Diana asked hesitantly, her sense of justice showing.
"Your mother is right from an idealistic point of view. However, unfortunately for us, this world doesn't operate on idealistic standards. In the real world, stealing is sometimes born of necessity. Selina knows right from wrong. She doesn't steal from good or innocent people. And it's not like she hates the rich because if she did, she wouldn't be in love with me in the first place. Hell, she is a wealthy woman herself. So, what she hates are parasites who bleed the city dry.
She only targets the worst kind of people—the sort who'd kill for a profit. Those people deserve to be punished. In fact, you can say she is helping them earn some good karma by using the money she steals from them to do some much-needed charity. So, as long as nobody gets seriously hurt, she can do as she pleases. After all, everyone needs a hobby. And those rich assholes? They can afford to get robbed a few times." I shrugged.
"You truly despise Gotham's elite, don't you?" Diana asked, one brow arched.
"If you knew even half of what I know about them, you'd have already cut them down with your sword," I replied without hesitation. "But it's not just about me hating them. I also want to keep my girls happy. If they're willing to sacrifice so much—sharing me, of all things—the least I can do is make sure they live their lives to the fullest. That's why I support them however I can: Vicki with her media career, Talia with her command of the High Table, even Selina with her late-night escapades." I gave a small chuckle, after mentally commanding the nanites to pull back, my helmet dissolving smoothly into the rest of the armor until my face was bare before her.
"It's my way of showing that I'll stand by them, no matter what… even if it means setting aside my own ideals and principles. I suppose that's what love really is. So, as long as they love me back, I will even fight the presence... god himself if I need to." I admitted, glancing over at the Circe-possessed Diana, who was drooling from her mouth as she slumped in exhaustion.
Diana was quiet for a long moment, her sharp eyes watching me with an intensity that felt heavier than the cave's comfortable silence. Finally, she let out a breath, her voice softer than I'd ever heard it.
"... Bruce, I need to tell you something... something that I have been keeping to myself for some time now. Ever since the first time I met you back at Themiscyra, I have carried something in me that I didn't dare to admit, even to myself. I… I think I love you." Her words wavered, as though the admission itself felt foreign on her tongue. "This is the first time I've ever felt this way about a man... about anyone really, and it confuses me more than any battle I've ever fought. But no matter how much I question it, the only thing I know for certain is that I want to be near you. To hug you as tightly as I can and not let go. To stay at your side, always."
Her gaze flicked away briefly, as if ashamed of the weight of her confession, but then locked back onto mine with a newfound resolve. "Even if it means standing against my family or my people… even if it means defying the gods themselves, I want to be with you. And if that means being part of your harem, so be it. I don't care how it sounds. All I care about is being with you."
Honestly, there were plenty of questions I wanted to ask her—like what were the chances her mother would declare war on the world of men once she learned Diana had joined my so-called harem, or if Zeus himself might hurl a bolt of lightning to defend his daughter's honor the next time I flew in the sky. But all that slipped past my lips was, "Are you sure?"
"More certain than I have ever been about anything in my life," she replied, before suddenly pressing her lips against my unmasked face. For a moment, I let myself enjoy it, even kissing her back. Then the reality of whose body she was in pulled me back.
"Wait, Diana. You're still in Circe's body. I don't think you want our first kiss tainted by Circe's taste buds, do you?" I asked with a dry smirk after pulling back from the kiss, even though Circe herself easily ranked among the top 0.01% of the most beautiful women on Earth.
"I don't care. I've waited too long already, and see where that patience has gotten me. I won't wait any longer, Bruce," Diana breathed, her annoyance at me clear for breaking the kiss. "Besides, Circe tried to use my body to take what she wanted. It's only fitting I return the favor. People even have a name for that, don't they? Poetic justice."
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(A/N:A very, very Merry Christmas to you all, my dear readers. Hope you guys have a fabulous time with all your friends and families.
Also, just to clear things up, no, Circe is not in the harem.)
GIVE me POWAH-STONES💎💎💎.
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