DC IV
...
I wasn't actually expecting them to buy me dinner.
Did you know, Arkham Asylum had its own parole system? I didn't.
Riddler on seeing me leaving, through his own barred doors, had reminded me of our daily chess game.
The masochist's been on my heel ever since I answered his riddle practically.
"Be a good sport and wait outside," I remarked to the terse looking asylum officer driving the car. My words not earning me an expressive reaction of any sort.
"If you were meeting anyone else, I'd be holding your god's damn hand." The gruff man remarked. "I'll be outside. Try anything and I get to watch the Justice League put your ass back in your room."
"Duly noted," I remarked turning my head to take in the view outside the window.
He wasn't wrong, even now I could sense Superman's overhead flight keeping me in his trajectory. Flash's rapid jumps between buildings and, of course, Batman's tail.
It didn't take long before we reached the intended restaurant.
After the Lasso had failed to compel an answer out of me, barring beating me black and blue for 'withholding' information, the Justice League, or rather Wonder Woman had elected to take me up on my offer.
The threat of the 'Batman Routine' should I not actually give them any information had been made, but I chose to ignore that.
Admittedly, it was only Superman's sense of justice that actually forced them to go about it my way. And while I should've been happy about the fact- I wasn't.
For the simple reason that, evidently, my reaction to getting clocked in the face by the Batman had effectively told him Bruce Wayne simply didn't have enough physical strength to push me to talk. That it would likely fall to him to get an answer out of me.
Maybe I should've shown more of a reaction? Maybe not.
Regardless, it seems I was going to be getting a free meal.
Though a small part- I held in the huff as the Asylum parole officer promptly yanked me out of the car, an irritated expression on his face- of me was admittedly surprised with how much sway Batman had over the loony bin itself. It'd taken, at most, five minutes before I'd been granted temporary leave.
You know, to help see if I was 'ready' to get back into the world-
"Get your head out of the clouds and move!" Paroley, let's call him Paroley, stated as he pushed me towards the door.
I made a mental note not to get him any leftovers.
The restaurant, if one ignored the complete lack of customers- Seriously, did Wayne book the entire thing for this little stunt or what?- looked rather high class. The giant bullet-proof glass windows and multiple second-floor balcony's said as much.
I really have no idea what high-class even stands for, in truth.
Though the impeccably clean, as well as the average, richly-dressed, pedestrian certainly did paint a picture.
Mostly, it was the way most of them seemed to steer-clear from mine and Paroley's path. Which, really was just rude.
His breath wasn't that bad.
The officer in question, promptly taking out a cigarette, took his post beside the front glass-door.
My Observation idly noted Superman flying to the rooftop section of the restaurant, while I simply went inside like a normal human being.
It felt nice to pretend.
Flash seemed set on crisscrossing in and out of my observational range.
Fucker really was fast.
I still hadn't actually managed to get a word with him-
I raised an eyebrow the moment my eyes landed on my dinner partner for the evening.
"Someone dressed up," I deadpanned, walking towards the only table set out on the bottom floor. My mind ignoring the way the employee's expressions seemed to twist at my appearance.
Evidently, Batman was willing to finance the excursion, but a fresh set of clothes wasn't part of it.
Wonder Woman, or I suppose Diana, given she'd elected to drop the superhero costume and throw on a black evening dress idly took a sip out of her drink.
"Well, I was told this was a date,"
I blinked once.
"Funny, I thought this was still an interrogation." And took my seat.
"You're not dressed for either."
With a snap of a finger, one that had the woman momentarily narrow her eyes, she watched with mild trepidation as my clothing promptly changed to a simple black suit and tie.
"Better?" I questioned with a grin.
"If one ignored your hair."
"Sorry, no can do. Even the arcane arts couldn't fix this godawful cut."
"So, you practice magic?" Questioned after a moment.
"Practice it, mastered it. What's the difference?" I answered with a shrug, idly indicating one of the waiters to the table- Only to narrow my eyes at the already prepared meal. "I don't recall having ordered."
"I don't recall you paying for it," Diana stated without a missed beat.
"I thought Batman was paying for it,"
"The Justice League is paying for it."
"What's the difference?"
"...Fair enough." She stated, idly turning her gaze towards the plate put before her. The woman, rather easily, complimenting the chef on the food. The waiter meanwhile, questioned reality as he stared between the two of us.
Apparently, he didn't get the memo.
Without even glancing at my own plate, I stabbed the meat with a fork and put it into my mouth- And promptly spat it out to the side earning a very disapproving look from Wonder Woman.
"God's, who cooked this? Aquaman?"
"That was rude," Diana stated without a missed beat before offering her apology to the disgruntled waiter and turned back to me with a pointed look. "You won't be getting another."
"You'd have to force it down my throat if it's cooked by the same chef."
Pretty sure said chef was currently spitting into my drink.
Jokes on him, I was swapping that drink with Wonder Woman.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" I stated, idly picking up one of the starters. Diana's gaze lingering on it for a moment before answering.
"Same question, what do you know about Shimura?" She questioned, a bit too... excitedly for that matter.
"Why don't we leave that for dessert?" I remarked, one eyebrow raised.
With a thin-lined mouth for a response, Wonder Woman nodded once.
"Then why don't you tell me what happened between you and Ra's Al Ghul."
I shrugged.
"What's there to tell? He kidnapped me, I burnt down his base, he let me go. The next day, he apologized on live television."
"...Why? Ra's Al Ghul is a very prideful man, he would've-"
"I told him who I was."
"...And who are you?"
"Before that," I stated, idly eating what I presumed was a shrimp. "Honesty, I believe, is a two-way street correct?"
Diana tilted her head the slightest at the question before warily nodding.
"So, if I ask you a question, would you answer honestly?"
"...I do believe I am supposed to be the one asking questions here,"
"Humor me."
"Then, I suppose it depends on the question."
I nodded, an amiable smile on my face.
"Great- Now be honest, does this suit make me look fat?"
Diana blinked once in response, a seemingly held back snort before she shrugged.
"Damn. Okay, okay one more."
"...I suppose I'll allow it."
"Cool. Is this table bugged? Can the rest hear what we're saying?"
"Yes it is, and they can," Diana answered without a missed beat.
"Great!"
"Great?"
"...Not great?"
"..." A strange expression seemed to filter across the woman's face, her hands idly lowering to the table before me as she locked eyes with me. "The first question then,"
I idly turned my gaze towards the two drinks on the table. A simple, willful spell washing over mine as it cleared the water of any extra, non-agreeable contents. Diana, though she noticed, chose not to say anything. "Shoot ahead," I stated.
"How did you know about Jason?"
"...That's a bit difficult...Hmm." I locked eyes with Diana, idly taking a sip. "You know what?" I added on, smiling the slightest. "Screw it. I'll tell you the truth."
"...I presumed that's what we were here for."
"No, no. I mean the real truth. The absolute one."
"What's the difference?"
"Well, look at it this way, on the one hand, I could preach about how I've seen the future- Maybe how I am even from it. I could tell you truths you would never believe,"
"Like? Time-travel and the powers of a seer are hardly ground-breaking-"
"Like Superman, following a very bad day in the future, deciding to go dictator on everybody's ass."
A very grave expression took over the woman's face at my words.
"...That wouldn't-"
"Careful. Those two words, got Jason killed."
"..."
"Why do you think I wanted to kill the Joker? Batman may have enough morales not to go over the edge, but I know the Man of Steel doesn't."
Slightly widened eyes were the woman's response as she connected the two dots.
"Lois."
"Bingo,"
"When?"
"You're looking at it the wrong way. But, maybe let's put that aside for now. Back to the real truth."
"...If not a seer, or you are from the future itself... How do you know?"
"Before that." The slightest crease in the woman's expression told me her patience was either running thin or... Yeah, I really didn't have a clue. Either way, I took a gulp of water. "You ought to be warned, what I am about to tell you, is the most impossible of things, the most outlandish of claims, and perhaps the least believable excuse you will ever likely hear."
"...Why?"
"Because I know you of all people will, despite the absurdity of it, undoubtedly believe me."
"..." Diana elected to say nothing, instead seemingly appraising my face.
I had another shrimp.
"Are you going to tell me why? I don't seem-"
"Because you know my former name. Well, half of it."
"Your nam-" Diana stiffened, abruptly standing up, her hands on the table as her head leaned in the slightest. Her eyes were wider than I'd ever seen them. "Impossible..."
"Don't you want to know?" I grinned. "What the other half is?"
I could practically hear her heart beat faster.
"Lost knowledge... There's no way to prove-" Her feeble excuse seemingly died on her lips as she stared right at my eyes.
"Danzo Shimura."
A strange, almost ominous wave of... something filled the atmosphere. I could feel the rapid way the timeline itself seemed to warp.
And I could tell by the way her hand seemed to shake, by the absolute delight she was forcing herself to hold back, that she believed me.
"History's impossible child..." I tilted my head, allowing a smile to grace my face. "I am the guy that defined a millennium,"
Diana tentatively sat back down, the woman edging her seat closer to the table. Her excitement and glee were barely hidden as she strained to keep the original topic in check.
"This shrimp is absolutely disgusting, I am definitely suing Aquaman," I added on, plopping another one into my mouth, this time eliciting a genuine chuckle out of the woman.
...
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