"No, I don't need them gift-wrapped," Adriana spoke on the phone to the Swiss watch company. They called her after she placed an online order for four of the same watch and assumed they were gifts or party favors. "In fact if you could send me dupes, that would be great."

"Dupes?" the woman on the other end of the phone replied in a light accent.

"Nothing," Adriana sighed, annoyed with Madame Twyla. "No gift wrapping needed."

After she finished on the phone she pulled a pack of frozen salmon filet's out of the freezer. When they were almost done cooking her phone rang again.

"Hey sis," she said as soon as she picked up.

"Hey girl," Harri said. "How are you? What are you cooking that I hear sizzling?"

"I'm alright," Adriana responded. "It's salmon. Making rice and broccoli too."

"Oh, that sounds great. I'm starving to death," Harri said.

"Why? You didn't eat yet?"

"I ate a cinnamon roll but that was hours ago," Harri explained. "I want some rice."

"You're a true carb addict," Adriana laughed.

"I was thinking I would come and visit you again next week," Harri said, sounding excited. "Since I'm not working or anything right now."

"Oh..." Adriana said pensively. She was Shade..there was no way she could come and go freely in the middle of the night with Harri there. Harri was a light sleeper. Also she would have to keep her suit well hidden. The entire idea sounded incredibly stressful.

"You don't sound too excited," Harri said.

"It's just...things are kind of hectic, I'm really busy-"

"With what? You don't have a job, honey," Harri started laughing. "If you don't want me to come I'm not offended."

"It's not that-" Adriana started, truly wanting her sister to visit. Was this the life of a vigilante? Distancing from family and not being able to explain why? It was easier for Bruce-he had no immediate family. She wanted to talk to someone about everything...only Lucius knew and he was easy to talk to but extremely busy. What if she told Harri? Harri was not the best at keeping secrets but this...maybe? As she thought about it, she realized that Harri would not understand how Adriana had become such a skilled fighter, able to handle herself in the rough and often times deadly streets of Gotham. She would be worried sick, Adriana was certain.

"Ahhhhh I see," Harri sounded like she was smiling.

"See what?" Adriana asked.

"You and Bruce need your privacy, I get it," Harri answered.

"Oh..." Adriana said, thankful that Harri had come up with her own reason. "Right. Totally."

"Soooo..." Harri hinted. "Tell me everything. Is billionaire sex as great as they say?"

"Who says anything about that?" Adriana couldn't help laughing as she took the lid off of the rice cooker.

"I don't know, but tell me," Harri went on.

"It's..." Adriana contemplated briefly on the fact that she was lying to her sister...making things up. "Great."

"Umm...you have to give me more than that, come on," Harri said. "He can't be another dud."

"A dud?" Adriana sat the hot lid onto the counter.

"I think every guy you have been with is a dud. You're never excited about them. Ugh. You need someone to gush to me about, seriously."

"He's not a dud," Adriana said. "It's just weird talking about these things...He's wonderful..the best."

"Mmmmhm," Harri said, not sounding convinced. "Well he has money so that makes up for it."

"You're really annoying you know that?"

"Of course."

.

.

.

"He'll give the Joker the details about the shipping container after he's paid him," Shade told the Batman.

"And they are meeting on Cedar Street," the Batman said.

"Correct," she told him.

"How on earth do you know about this?" he asked.

"Like I said...can't give away my sources," she said plainly.

"Fifteen minutes," he said, not doing a good job at hiding his disgruntlement. "I can be over there in ten."

"Okay," she said. "Let's go."

"No," he said. "I should go. It could get dangerous."

"Yeah I know," she said to him. "That's why we should both go. The Joker, plus two of his men, plus..who knows how many black market arms dealers-"

"No, I need you to go to the shipping yard," the Batman sounded like he was ordering her.

"What on earth for?" she placed both hands on her hips, fighting to disguise her voice as she raised it.

"To locate the weapons that he is buying. He could already have someone there, ready to get to the container once he knows which one."

"So, why don't you do that, and I go after the Joker?"

"Because that's where you're needed," he said, and Adriana couldn't help but feel that his tone was a bit condescending. She almost wanted to hit him but resisted. The blue potion made her so impulsive and angry.

"You're saying you don't need my help," she tried to remain calm sounding.

"I need your help in locating the shipment."

"But the police can do that. Whatever he's buying could be anywhere. It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. A complete waste of time," she said, even though she knew exactly which container the imported machine guns were in.

"That's where you're needed," he said more firmly and dismissively before walking away.

.

.

.

Adriana huffed as she lifted the lid off of the large wooden box after entering the shipping container. It was full of straw. She moved a bit of it to the side and saw one of the machine guns and lifted it. She aimed it and wondered what it would feel like to fire it. After the novelty wore off she tossed in back down into the container. She opened another one full of ammunition, another full of explosives and another one containing what looked like a missile. A smaller box in the corner contained numerous grenades. She picked one up and stared at it.

Her mission was entirely useless. She didn't even need to physically come here. She could have just anonymously called the police and told them how to find the container so that they could seize the illegal contents. She had taken out two of the arms dealer's men who were nearby, monitoring the container. They would both be arrested when the police arrived, but it didn't feel like enough.

She shut her eyes and let her mind expand across the city. She dodged thoughts of the citizens of Gotham, realizing she was getting much better at targeting thoughts from far distances. The Batman was struggling...the Joker was getting away.

Adriana swallowed as she came back into her own mind, realizing that her frustration made her want to toss the grenade and watch it blow. She should have been the one there, not the Batman. He had fought well, but once again, the Joker was always unpredictable and a few steps ahead. She heard one the unconscious men's phone ringing outside the container. It was their boss telling them the transaction had tanked. They were to leave the shipping yard immediately. Unfortunately for them, they would never get the call and would be spending years in prison. That alone made Adriana feel a bit better

She wondered how much she would remember the next day. Part of her hoped that she would not forget her anger and disappointment. Maybe she should have ignored the Batman's orders...he wasn't exactly the boss of her. But he was domineering and quite stubborn, so she just followed what he told her to do. Never again.

The next time, she wanted to go after the Joker herself.