"You need to tell him where he is," Harri said to Lucius.
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Lucius replied as he watered a plant in his greenhouse. Harri had paid him a visit to convince him to tell Bruce where the Joker was.
"Why not? You do know where he is don't you?" Harri raised her voice slightly. "This is so simple, all we need is the location-"
"As I said, I cannot-"
"You're protecting a killer? You know that's illegal, right? Bruce can take care of this, and from what he told me, he's the one who originally detained the Joker so this is his responsibility not yours-"
"Your sister would not want me to tell him," Lucius said and turned to face her.
Harri was suddenly furious.
"Don't-" Harri said, trying to calm herself. "Don't you ever fucking mention her. Bruce told me you considered yourself to be her friend, yet here you are protecting the person that hurt her. Don't ever mention my sister again. Ever."
"Adriana," Lucius said, directly going against Harri's request. "Considered me a friend. A close friend."
"You-" Harri was prepared to go off on him but he interrupted her again.
"I know that you..and Bruce.." Lucius went on carefully. "Have been away in Wayne Manor, away from city...no one hearing from Bruce. He is unwilling to hear from anyone. He doesn't want to hear anything from me about the situation. He is very impatient-"
"Why wouldn't he be! You're betraying him! You-"
"You've heard only Bruce's side of the story, " Lucius said. "I've heard his side as well. And Adriana's. And the Joker's."
"What?" Harri asked angrily. "You talked to him?"
"Yes," Lucius said.
"No," Harri refused what she was hearing. "Bruce told me he locked to Joker away. And that he was locked up in isolation for over a year..and then he asked you to relocate him because Adriana found out about it and he was trying to be humane. He said..you were paid to send a team to retrieve him and relocate him more..suitable-"
"Yes," Lucius said. "That is what Bruce believes."
"You went with the team? To get him from where he was being held underground? And you talked to him," Harri was trying to make sure she got everything right to report back to Bruce. "And you believed what he said. Disgusting...I thought you were smart. You look smart-"
"The team that retrieved him included myself," Lucius said, knowing he would never get a chance to speak unless he interrupted her whenever she stopped to take a breath. "And Adriana."
"You two went with the-" Harri started.
"There was no team hired," Lucius cut in again. "It was only Adriana and myself. We went to retrieve him months before she let Bruce know that she knew he was down there. By the time Bruce found out she knew..and submitted the funds to me for his relocation..he was already long free."
"And.." Harri wasn't believing what she was hearing. "You..haven't told Bruce."
"As I said," Lucius said. "He had been away in Wayne Manor, and he had not given me the chance to tell him anything."
Harri swallowed.
"That was..really stupid and dangerous for you two to do that," Harri said.
"Your sister is strong," Lucius said. "A capable fighter."
"You know about her being Shade," Harri gathered.
"She came to me," Lucius said. "Asked me to make her a suit. I was the only one who knew for a long time."
Harri leaned against the table behind her.
"So..." Harri said, her voice much more quiet. "I guess you two were friends then."
"You must know," Lucius said to her. "Your sister was a smart woman. No one would have been able to manipulate or con her into anything without her knowing about it. She was strong..fearless..she did what she wanted."
Harri looked up into his eyes and crossed her arms.
"So you're saying..." she took a deep breath. "She and the Joker..they were.."
"They were together because they wanted to be," Lucius said. "The both of them."
Harri was nodding and trying not to cry. She now felt like there was so much about her sister that she didn't know. It hurt.
"Bruce..." Harri said. "Would never...ever believe this. I barely believe it...Have you seen that man? He's a monster...It just doesn't make sense-"
"I've seen him. I speal to him a lot," Lucius said. "I assure you...as far as I know, he never hurt your sister."
"So..." Harri said. "You still speak to him? You're in touch with him?"
"Yes," Lucius said simply.
"Why?" Harri asked. "Are you friends with him?"
"I suppose you could say so," Lucius said.
"You've relocated him..and so..what? You call him or something?" Harri wanted to know.
"He's being relocated in a few days," Lucius told her. "He is actually still in the city for the moment."
"Are you kidding?" Harri asked. "I...I'm guessing you don't want me to tell Bruce about this?"
"It's unlikely he will find him," Lucius said. "Based on the the fact that he's in the city alone."
"Why?" Harri asked.
"It's complex," Lucius said.
"I won't tell Bruce," Harri said. "If you're telling the truth. If you're...I mean if you're sure he never hurt my sister."
"I'm guessing you have a request," Lucius could already tell by the tone of her voice where this was going.
"I want to see him," Harri said. "I want to talk to him. Please. I just need to know."
Lucius looked like he was thinking about it.
"Please," Harri asked again.
Lucius finally nodded.
.
.
.
"I will wait here," Lucius said to Harri. They were in a small garage that connected to the kitchen of a small house. The drive took about fifteen minutes, and Harri had to agree to wear a blindfold to keep the exact location a secret. Once they were in the garage she removed it.
"He's here?" Harri asked nervously.
"Yes, and he's expecting you," Lucius said.
"Why aren't you coming in too?" Harri asked. "I think-"
"It's perfectly safe, I assure you. I wouldn't send you in if it wasn't," Lucius said.
"Okay, okay," Harri breathed. "So he's detained? I mean..there's guards or..something?"
"Harri," Lucius put his hand on her shoulder. "I could go in with you if you like. But I promise you, it's fine. He isn't detained, and there are no guards here. But it is safe. I will be right here."
Harri glanced at the closed door and back at Lucius.
"So...you've been in there with him? Alone? No security or-"
"I was just here this morning," Lucius said. "We had a nice chat. As I said, I could go with you if you insist-"
"No, no," Harri held up her hand and took a deep breath. "I'll just...stand far away from him and close to the door. I'm a pretty fast runner..and I can scream pretty loud, so if you hear me-"
"I'll be right here," Lucius assured her again.
"Okay," Harri nodded. "Here goes nothing."
She turned to the door and opened it, and walked into the small but tidy kitchen. Sunlight peered through the simple white curtains onto the light blue tiles on the floor. Harri prepared herself...she expected a terrifying clown covered in blood to pop up at any moment. She felt like she was in a real-life horror film. She tried not to make any noise as she crossed the kitchen floor and went into the dining room. As soon as she came through the door she saw a man seated at the table. He was seated at the side of the table closest to the entry to the living room.
"I..." Harri wasn't sure what to say to this person in front of her. She frowned and looked around. "I'm sorry to interrupt you...Is..there someone else here?"
"No," he replied. His voice was extremely deep and Harri could feel just the one word that he said fill the room.
"I mean," Harri said, wondering how to ask. "Are you...watching someone here? You know..."
She was implying that perhaps he was guarding someone, but he didn't get it.
"No," he said again.
"Oh..." she said and glanced back at the closed door to the garage. "Okay..then there must have been some mistake."
Harri wondered how Lucius could have the wrong house, or maybe she needed a password or something to let this man know why she was there. She sighed and shrugged. The man was quiet, his hands on the table, fingers interlaced. He had a very serious look about him, but was somehow not intimidating. In the silence, Harri looked at him, noticing this guard..or whoever he was..was extremely attractive. The type of handsome that no one could deny, the kind of man who looked to be every woman's type. The type of attractiveness that wasn't often seen. Great skin, bone structure, eyes, masculine intensity. She could tell, even while he was seated that he was very tall and had a great build.
"So," Harri smiled, feeling herself blushing a bit, but she didn't care. She was married, not dead. There was no harm in flirting before she had to go back and tell Lucius that he had missed telling her something she needed to know to get access to the Joker.
The man's eyes were fixed on her, never leaving her face. He waited for her to say something.
"My..friend...is waiting in the garage," Harri said. "I just have to go and ask him something..but I'll be right back."
The man nodded.
"Don't go anywhere," Harri said to him, speaking more only because she wanted to hear him say something else. He didn't seem at all shy, based on his body language, but he was incredibly quiet. Mysterious. A guard focused on the job? It was overwhelmingly sexy in Harri's mind.
"I'll be here," he said.
"Great," Harri said, bouncing girlishly as she replied and pushing her hair behind her left hear. "I'm Harri by the way."
"Yes," he said and frowned momentarily. "I know."
"You do?" she asked.
"Yes," he told her. "Lucius told me."
Harri was shaking her head. "Lucius told you about me?"
"Yes," the man said. "He said you were coming."
"So...what...do I need a pass phrase or something?" she asked. "To see...you know..the prisoner?"
He gave just the hint of a smile and the dimple that formed in his cheek assured Harri that he was probably the most gorgeous and eye-catching man she had ever seen.
"Is that was Lucius said?" the man asked. "Prisoner?"
"Well.." Harri said. "No. But I mean...if you're guarding him, he's technically..a prisoner or whatever."
"I'm not guarding anyone," the man said. "I'm who you're here to see."
"Hm?" Harri asked and the man squinted as soon as she said it.
"You...sound like her," he said. "Your voice."
"Like who.." Harri wasn't even sure what was going on but it was as if the man was handsome enough to make her forget how the conversation had turned.
"Adriana," he said.
"You knew my sister?" Harri asked.
The man looked down at his hands. He turned to the wall as if thinking of what to say next.
"Did you?" Harri asked when they made eye contact again.
"Yes," he said, looking at her very directly. "Listen...Look...Lucius said that you wanted to talk to me about your sister. So..I am here. I knew her. I assumed he told you this."
"Wha..." Harri looked at the man in front of her. Was this some type of a hoax?
"He said that you and her husband," he said. "Are uh...A bit displeased with me to say the least. I would speak to her husband too, but of course, I believe he's more likely ..and cable of killing me than you are. Lucius likes civility so I suppose that's why he sent you."
"Who are you?" Harri demanded.
"I think you know who I am," he said to her. "I'm aware I look different. I've had...a few procedures."
Harri looked a bit horrified. And she felt she was less horrified that is man was the Joker and more mortified at the fact that she had just been trying to flirt with him.
"You're...the Joker then," Harri said finally.
"Yes," he said. "Well, I'm called Jack now. Your sister told me that was my name."
"But you're..." Harri said, shocked that she believed him, but still wasn't afraid.
"I'm what?" he asked.
"You're..." Harri thought. He wasn't frightening. He was appealing, visually. He was extremely handsome but also carried a certain..cuteness. The type of man you would see walking down the street and know immediately that he must have been prom king. Someone who must have been a heartthrob since puberty hit.
Harri was shaking her head.
"So you...were romantically involved with my sister? Adriana?" Harri asked.
"Yes," He said simply.
"Adriana Wayne?" she went on. Looking at the man in front of her she could see how it was possible that her sister was attracted. Did this man really think he was the Joker? It made no sense.
"Yes," he said again.
"Adriana Navarro?" Harri had to clarity as much as she could. "Adriana Navarro Wayne-"
"Yes," he said. "5' 5''? Blue eyes? Dark blonde hair?"
"Yeah..that's..my sister," Harri said. "But you think you're the Joker-"
"I am," he said. "Or was. As I said, I had a few procedures done. Your sister assisted. New teeth. Laser on the scars..."
"Okay," Harri said, still somehow not able to grasp that the man in front of her had killed countless people. She was in the room with a killer. She still didn't accept it as she sat at the table across from him.
"You don't seem to believe me," he said.
"Well, could you prove yourself?" she asked and crossed her arms. "I mean..come on..is this some trick Lucius had up his sleeve?"
"Lucius isn't a trickster," the man said and smiled even brighter and then Harri finally saw it. He looked exactly like Arsenio.
"You...look like my nephew," Harri said.
"Lucius tells me that too," the man said. "Or rather, he looks like me."
"So you're his father," Harri said.
"That's what I'm told," the man replied.
"Look," Harri said. "I don't know what you and Lucius have going on here. I believe you're Arsenio's dad..I mean, he looks just like you. And I could totally see why my sister would go for you but...did you two really expect me to fall for this?"
"What do you mean?" he asked. "You see why your sister would go for me?"
"What?" Harri frowned, surely this man knew how he looked. "Look at you."
"Look at me," he repeated her words slowly. "Well, I would but..I didn't exactly look like this when we met."
"Oh?" Harri asked. "Were you fat or something? You started working out?"
"No," the man spoke even slower. "I told you. I looked different. I had scarring here-"
He used his fingers to trace a smile on his cheeks.
"I was loosing teeth, a couple back molars. Wasn't exactly the most hygienic person ever. I had long nails. I wore a lot of face paint."
Harri rolled her eyes.
"Okay then," Harri said.
"If you don't believe me, then leave," he said, somewhat harshly, abruptly and dismissively, as if he was tired of explaining himself.
"I will," Harri said and stood quickly. She was also annoyed with the discussion. She turned away but as soon as she did she heard his voice.
"Is he..." the man said to her back. "Well..it's probably too soon to tell. Forget it."
Harri looked at him.
"Who?" Harri asked. "Too soon to tell what?"
"The uh..." the man scratched his head. "The kid."
"Arsenio?" Harri asked.
"Yeah," he said. He knew the child's name but didn't feel like he was allowed to speak it.
"What about him?"
"Is he..." the man spoke to her but was looking at the wall beside her. "Is he normal? Like her?"
"Normal?" Harri didn't get it.
"His mind," the man elaborated. "She's...she was a good person. Not at all like me. She wouldn't..wouldn't kill...terrorize. She ah...Just...Hopefully the kid ended up more like her than me, is all."
Harri felt a small tremble within her. The vulnerability in his words told her the truth. This man was the Joker. She didn't know how to respond. She tried to remain collected.
"He's umm," Harri said. "He's wonderful...he's smart and...he seems to understand everything we say..so we have to be careful what we say around him. Very perceptive baby. He's very affectionate and loving.."
The man was nodding.
"He loved his mother...so much," Harri said. "He still asks for her sometimes.."
"That's..." the man said. "Quite sad."
"Yes," Harri said. "But I think he's starting to understand..she's gone."
He nodded again.
"He loves his father," Harri said. "Bruce. He's very attached to him. Bruce loves him more than anything."
"Oh," the man said with a bit of relief which surprised Harri. "Well, that's good. He has someone that loves him."
"Yes," Harri said and slowly sat again. "And I wouldn't worry about him ever...hurting anyone. I mean just the other day he was making a lot of noise with this toy he was playing with and I casually mentioned to my husband over that phone that I was getting a bit of a headache and he stopped. I mean..what baby does that?"
"So..." the Joker raised his eyebrows. "He must be some kind of a genius baby."
"No, no," Harri laughed. "I think he't just got a bit of his mother's gift in him..I'm not sure it will translate into adulthood since now it seems like he just understands all spoken words."
"Right," the Joker said. "Her mind reading."
"Yes," Harri said. "So..she told you."
"Well," the Joker said. "Yes. The last time I saw her."
"When was that?" Harri asked.
"The day before she died," he answered.
Harri looked down.
"So..the two of you were really together...when you were-"
"Yes," he said.
"Wow," Harri said.
"You must know this," he said seriously. "I was not a good person but I never laid a hand on her."
Harri nodded. "Oh."
"I forced her to work for me," he said. "I thought she could be useful but she turned out to be bad luck..which turned out to be her intentionally sabotaging me because she knew all of my thoughts which I didn't know at the time."
"Okay."
They were quiet for a few moments.
"Bruce," Harri said. "wants to kill you."
The Joker nodded.
"Are you afraid of him finding you?" Harri asked.
The Joker looked into her eyes. "Should I be?"
"I..don't know," Harri said. "I mean..he's just.. a businessman, I'm sure that's not the most intimidating thing ever..and it looks like you're probably stronger than him so.."
The man was laughing and shaking his head. "There's more to that man than meets the eyes."
"What do you mean?" Harri asked.
"I shouldn't say. So I won't."
"Say what?"
They were looking at each other but neither one of them wanted to say it. Bruce was the Batman, and they weren't sure if the other knew. Harri for sure wanted to protect Bruce's secret but she could see no reason at all that the Joker would. Harri knew that Bruce had been blackmailed for a while and footage of him killing Harvey Dent, by someone who knew his true identity, had been released to the public. It occurred to Harri, that this man could be behind it.
"Forget it," he said.
"You said you saw my sister the day before she died?" Harri asked.
"Yep," he said. "The night before. She was...sick or something. Had a fever."
"Yeah," Harri said, willing herself not to get too emotional. Bruce told her that he had Adriana working with him on trying to find who was blackmailing him... which turned out to be detrimental to her health. Her gift was destroying her and she was spending hours a day searching memories to find out who had delivered threatening evidence to their penthouse regarding the Batman killing dent. If this man, the Joker. was the one who was blackmailing Bruce, she would have known as soon as she was around him and she would have told Bruce. He wasn't the one who had blackmailed Bruce.
"She said she was fine though..but I guess she wasn't."
"Mhm," Harri nodded and wiped a tear away before it could fall.
"So, I assume you'll tell Mr. Wayne you met me," he said, remarkably composed.
"Yeah...I think I have to," Harri said. "No matter what I say though...he hates you. He believes you raped my sister."
Harri was quiet expecting him to say something.
"Did you?" she finally asked after the man did not deny the accusation or try to defend himself.
"You know..." he said, making a face letting her know the answer was complicated.
"You..you did?" Harri's voice broke.
"Let me explain," he went on.
"No, that's.." Harri's voice darkened. "That's a simple yes or no..yes or no?"
"I would say no," he said.
He could see in her face that this was not the answer she wanted to hear.
"And what?" Harri's voice was now angry. "She got pregnant and decided to forgive you and start helping you-"
"No."
"What then?!" Harri screamed, knowing that Lucius probably heard her angry words from the garage.
"I told you..it requires explanation. I won't lie to you. It just requires context-"
"Why?" her voice firm and still raised.
"Well," he said. "She was...unconscious..at the start of the first time..and I'm sure most people would consider-"
"You had sex with my sister while she was unconscious," Harri asked in disbelief.
"We were...poisoned. In a manner of speaking."
"What?" Harri asked.
"Madame Twyla," he remembered the name aloud.
"She..." Harri said. "My sis told me about her..that she made..potions..concoctions-"
"Well, we both overdosed on one," he explained. "Weren't aware that it was some kind of aphrodisiac. We called the woman, Twyla. She said we needed to...well, she said that sex was required. Otherwise the potion was lethal. We were both suffering cardiac abnormalities..you sister passed out."
"So you just decided to..." Harri waved her hand quickly, still angry.
"I did not want to," he said, in such a firm and honest way that Harri actually immediately believed him. "She told me she didn't want to die..made a joke about me being gay before she fainted."
"Oh.." Harri said, and the sincerity in his tone and look in his eyes as he recalled the memory let her know he was telling the truth. "So..you didn't want to?"
"I didn't want to die, and nor did she," he said. "I did what was necessary..that was my intention. Only what was necessary. It was survival. But then.."
"What?" she asked, almost on the edge of her seat.
"Well she woke up in the middle of it," he said. "She was...looking at me and I couldn't go through with it anymore. It's not that it wasn't enjoyable...It was, just, not something that I could do..not with her..looking at me, while I-"
He sounded a bit uncomfortable and took a pause before going on.
"She...encouraged me to continue," he said. "So...yes, I started this with her while she was unconscious but she didn't exactly stop me. Quite...quite the opposite. She woke up and became... well very demanding and specific about things she wanted from me. I am not complaining. I'm just giving you the context."
"Wow.." Harri said. "Have you told anyone else about this?"
"No," he said.
"Well," Harri's voice softened into almost a laugh. "Just so you have a second opinion other than the one in your head...I don't think anyone would consider that rape. I mean..you sound like she told you to beforehand..basically."
"Yes..I guess she alluded to it," he said feeling some relief. "I guess it wasn't as explicit and forward as everything else she was saying that night."
Harri laughed. "Well..um..." she said. "I'm glad to know she was okay with it."
"I wouldn't have done that," he said firmly. "I wouldn't just, jump on a woman like that. Yes I am a criminal and felon and a fugitive, my list of crimes is quite comprehensive, but that was never my area. That type of physical interaction. I had no desire to whatsoever. Simple as that. I never wanted to do that."
"What does that mean," Harri asked. "You never wanted to do that? You never wanted to violate someone or you never wanted to have sex?"
"Ah..well," he said and thought about it. "Both."
Harri frowned.
"So...? Adriana was the only one you-" Harri said, and realized it might have been inappropriate for her to be now be asking him such a personal question.
"I don't know," he answered plainly, not seeming offended that she was asking at all.
"You don't know if you were a virgin or not?" she asked somewhat boldly, but again he didn't seem bothered.
"No," he said. "I don't remember a lot. Before...ehh...four or five years ago. Actually. I don't remember anything."
"Oh..." Harri said. "So..that's why Adriana had to tell you your name..you didn't know it?"
"Yep," he told her.
"Okay," Harri understood.
"I loved her," he said.
Harri looked at him, not sure of what to say.
"I never told her though," he said.
"I believe you," Harri said.
"You do?" he asked.
"Yes," Harri said. "Bruce...I don't think this is something he could ever accept though."
"He's been wanting me dead for a years now, can't expect that to just change," he said.
"Years?" Harri asked. In her mind it was confirmed. He knew that Bruce was his enemy..the Batman.
"Eh...Months..weeks..whatever," he corrected himself. He was actually protecting Bruce's identity as the Batman from her. Harri knew it then..this man was actually a decent person. "Lucius tells me, he works for Wayne..somehow Wayne found out that he and Adriana were helping me out and that I'm the kid's biological...contributor."
"Right.." Harri nodded at the vague truth, so vague it was almost a lie. "That's what's happened."
"I'll be out of everyone's hair soon," he said. "Lucius has set me up very nicely. Leaving in a few days."
Harri nodded.
