thearena | (no subject)

WHO | Diana and Open!
WHAT | Diana's alone and also will likely be dying.
WHERE | Adventureland
WHEN | Evening, sometime after the projection of the dead.
WARNINGS | Death, if all goes as planned.

Diana had made a promise, to keep Blaine safe, to keep those he loved safe, keep them from suffering. She has failed on all counts. Being separated from Blaine while he's still clearly having difficulty with Kurt's death was bad enough, but to see his face in the sky before she can find him again--it's just another blow.

She knew precious few of those who were still in the Arena, since so many of the other faces she'd seen projected were those she would call friends or allies. Tim she knew was somewhere, and Barbara, but for now she was alone and feeling lost and, quite literally, powerless. Not knowing what else to do, since she couldn't sleep and it was too dark to continue moving, she did the only thing she could think of while sitting next to her fire. She prayed.

The gods may not have even been able to hear her, wherever she was, but it was a comfort if nothing else.

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Diana gave her a regretful smile. "I'm afraid there's not much likelihood of that just yet. The force field around here just bounces off what you throw at it, my 'lady punch' won't be much help." She gestured at the fire. "I can offer you a moment of rest, at least. I heard Tim was here, do you know how he is now? If there's anyone else we both might know?"

Resting was good. Resting with a relative ally was even better. Steph only barely managed to not fall straight to the ground. "He broke an arm, but we found this girl with magic hair to fix it." That really should sound funny, but it's not out of the realm of possibilities in their world so why not here as well? "He said Bruce is here and Babs, but they're both young and have no idea who we are. Well, they probably know you since I'm sure every universe has a Diana."

"A girl with magic hair," Diana repeated, a little bemused but not exactly surprised or disbelieving. "That was a lucky find. I've met Bruce and spoken with Barbara over the network, actually. Apparently there is a Diana, or at least someone who goes by the title of Wonder Woman in her world, but Bruce had never even heard of Themysicra." She shrugged expressively.
"As far as I can tell, he only knows of the Batman and Superman. Themyscira may not have revealed themselves to Man's World yet, but I wouldn't say my existence is mandatory for every universe."

Stephanie sighed tiredly. "Yeah Tim said something about alternate dimensions or something. Guess it doesn't matter much to me since on a good day Bruce barely acknowledges I exist." She'd long since stopped trying to win some sort of approval from Bruce, but it still stung to be looked down on. She tried to slap on a grin in order to change the mood a bit. "Seeing a young Babs is going to be crazy. I can't imagine her any other way than my professor."

"I think he notices you more than you realize," said Diana, but refrained from saying more, still not sure how they were handling the secret identity situation. Instead she smiled back, gentle. "And I know Babs is very proud of you, the one we remember at least. The Barbara that's here with us is certainly...spirited. I'm not sure she considers herself the professor type just yet."

Not because he's proud of what she's doing. She keeps this thought to herself as she softly grins at Diana's words. "I'm trying to wrap my head around her. If I end up being older than her I might freak out a bit." Steph laughed and leaned back, soaking up the heat from the fire.

"I'm so tired. A bag full of junk and not one pillow. I know I should be used to this but usually I'm running on actual food." Speaking of, she reached into her bag and pulled out a canister of water having figured out that the drops were for. "Thirsty?"

"Really? I think as a student I would have welcomed the opportunity to be the older, more experienced one for once. It would have been a nice change of pace." Growing up as she did, there were times when she yearned for someone younger than herself even more than someone her own age. It was difficult to be taken seriously as any sort of authority when everyone else was several thousand years older than you.

"Oh, no, thank you, you should save that for yourself. I'll be returning to the area where I have access to my powers in the morning and with those restored I can last for much longer without supplies." An exaggeration, but not entirely, and she was more experienced in wilderness survival anyway.

Stephanie shrugged and took a drink of her water. "Oh, don't think I won't find a way to lord it over her, but in all honesty I'd rather have my Babs here." She was fairly certain being stuck in a wheelchair would make Babs a quick target for everyone, but Stephanie knew Babs could hold her own and still offer all the advice and words of wisdom Steph could use.

There was no holding back a yawn causing Steph to apologize. "I hate to overstay my welcome, but would you mind if I caught some shut eye for a bit? I haven't slept since Tim hurt himself."

Diana laughed. "If we're speaking in hypotheticals, I say let's have both Barbaras--I don't the Capitol could stand against two at once." And it may have sounded joking to the cameras, an inside joke about a mutual friend, but there was a genuine part of her that yearned for Babs and her technical expertise, especially back in the Capitol. If anyone could manage to get them some privacy, at the very least.

"No, not all, I'll keep watch," she said, then blinked. "Tim hurt himself?"

Steph positioned her bag so that it would act as a really uncomfortable pillow while she took a quick nap. "Yeah, broke his arm, but magic girl fixed it up." She paused as she though of why Tim broke his arm. "Bruce, um, Bruce isn't in the Arena anymore." There, that said enough didn't it?

"Right. A good chance meeting for him then," said Diana, though she didn't look too happy about it. She'd known Bruce was gone, out, but it was still sobering to hear it spoken. "Well, I'm sure Bruce is watching us right now from the comfort of the Capitol. A televised death match, not really his area." Not when he was expected to kill, not even if it was only temporary.

And it was temporary, for Bruce, he was certainly back to life in the Capitol, she refused to think otherwise. They'd just gotten him back, after all.

"Tim mentioned the death thing, but...I'm not sure he believes Bruce." The man had fought hard to save Tim. In Tim's eyes probably too hard. Stephanie wasn't good at guessing what was running through Tim's head especially when it came to Bruce.

Sleepily she pulled the cloak over herself. "Just give me thirty minutes and I'll be right as rain." She needed more than that, but she wasn't going to ask Diana for anything more than a little of her time.

Diana's stomach sank even more thinking of Tim, of Tim losing Bruce again. She kept her dismal thoughts quiet, however, while Steph made herself comfortable. "Just sleep, Stephanie. I'll wake you when you need woken." After a great deal longer than thirty minutes, if she could manage it.