"Hi!" Arsenio said clearly as Bruce came through the front door.
"He's learned a new word," Adriana smiled at Bruce. She and Arsenio were on a large soft rug on the living room floor.
"Wow!" Bruce said, generating enthusiasm. He had heard Arsenio say the word and countless others in the erased future. He was genuinely happy that Adriana was there to see it.
"Hi!" Arsenio said again.
"Hi, baby man," Bruce said and picked him up.
"Hi!" Arsenio said for the third time.
"Good job today," Bruce said. He had heard about Adriana's work in the city that day as Shade.
"Thanks," she smiled. "Where'd you go off to?"
"Oh, uh," Bruce said, realizing that he was about to lie to his wife for the first time since he had come back to save her from dying. "Just went by the office."
"Oh..." Adriana said, and then she knew that he was lying. She had just been at his office to speak to Lucius and hadn't seen Bruce there at all. "Did you speak to Lucius?"
"Ahh..no," Bruce said. "I didn't."
Bruce hadn't seen or spoken to Lucius since he had fired him in the erased past. He knew that he would have to see him soon to ask about the Joker's location. He wanted to do it as soon as possible.
"I'll invite him to dinner tonight," Bruce said.
"Well, it's already four," Adriana said. "Whatever I cook will have to be quick. Any ideas?"
"No, dear," Bruce said as Arsenio squealed while Bruce tickled his foot. "I'll let the staff know we'll need a meal prepared. You just relax and maybe you could just call Lucius to make sure he's available."
"Sure," Adriana nodded, trying to forget the fact that she knew Bruce had just lied about where he had been.
He couldn't tell her that he had given away the bulk of their cash assets to Madame Twyla.
"You know," Adriana said. "I could invite Sidi too..to thank her for everything."
"Okay," Bruce agreed. "Good idea."
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.
.
"That's interesting," Sidi said to Lucius over the dinner table.
"Yes," Lucius said to her. "We're projecting Guyana to have the fastest growing economy in the next few years.."
Adriana listened to everyone talk and watched a server pour more champagne into Aymara's glass. Lucius' wife and Aymara were having their own conversation and laughing intermittently.
Adriana couldn't help but sense a bit of coldness from Bruce around Lucius. He was polite and made small talk with him, but Adriana sensed that Bruce was upset with Lucius about something although she couldn't imagine what it was. She was also unsure if Lucius could sense it as well.
She heard Bruce sigh softly beside her as the guests drank and had their conversations. She glanced at him and saw him reaching for her hand on the table. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other.
"Love you," she whispered to him.
He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her.
"Awwwww lovebirds," Aymara said, with a slight tipsy sound in her voice.
Adriana and Bruce laughed and kissed again.
"Everything was lovely," Tanya Fox, Lucius's wife said to them.
"Champagne...top notch," Aymara said.
"Oh yes," Tanya agreed.
After they were finished eating they all went into the lounge for more drinks and conversation.
"Lucius," Bruce said to Lucius. "Do you have a moment?"
"Of course," Lucius and he and Bruce left the lounge and went to Bruce's office.
Bruce had not brought Lucius here to discuss business, he wanted to discuss the Joker. Bringing it up was difficult but it needed to be done.
"Lucius," Bruce said as neutrally and professionally as he could. "I just waned to check in and see how things are going with...our detainee."
"Oh, very well," Lucius said without missing a beat.
"The relocation was successful?" Bruce asked.
"It's in progress," Lucius said. "A multi-step process."
Bruce nodded calmly. "And the final location?"
"Everything is squared away," Lucius said vaguely, not mentioning the location at all even though he knew that was what Bruce was asking for. "Final location is set up as well as the team."
"And just where exactly are we sending him?" Bruce asked.
"Well, Bruce," Lucius said, his voice turning paternal. "I'm sure we know that the fewer people know about that, the better."
"That's true," Bruce said. "But being that I am the one paying for this all, I'd like to know where he's being relocated to."
Lucius paused. "May I ask why?"
Bruce needed to calm himself without making it obvious. He felt the betrayal all over again. He had confided in Lucius and told him where the Joker was held underground. He had given him the money and resources he needed to relocate him to somewhere more suitable. And now he was refusing to tell him where he was.
"Lucius, is there a problem?" Bruce asked, trying to sound unbothered.
"There's no problem," Lucius smiled. "I'm just wondering why you have the sudden interest in the matter. He's being moved and it's not anything you'd ever need to worry about again. I have everything under control."
Bruce was clenching the glass in his hand so tightly that he almost though it would shatter.
"You're right," Bruce said, forcing peace into his tone. "I have enough stress at the moment. Let's get back to the party."
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.
"Bruce," Sidi walked up to Bruce when he came back into the lounge area. "A moment."
"Oh," Bruce said.
"It's fine," Adriana said and kissed Bruce's cheek. "I need to talk to Lucius anyway."
"Okay," Bruce said, but in his mind he was becoming more angry. Lucius knew about what the Joker had done to Adriana. He knew that the Joker was Arsenio's father and had known so since she was pregnant. And now he was refusing to reveal the son of a bitch's location.
Adriana pulled Lucius over to a quiet corner.
"Did you send the video to my phone yet? I haven't gotten anything," she told him.
"I'll send it in a few hours," he said to her.
"Okay," she said.
"Bruce just questioned me about the Joker's relocation," Lucius told her.
Adriana felt herself panic. She looked around, but Bruce had already gone off somewhere with Sidi.
"What did you tell him?!" Adriana whispered. "And why is he asking now?"
"Relax, Adriana," Lucius said. "I didn't tell him anything. Although I must say, the way that he asked...he seems incredibly stressed. He appeared close to blowing a fuse."
"Oh my gosh.." Adriana said.
"He needs to relax," Lucius said. "We will figure this whole thing out. He won't end up in prison for Dent."
"It's okay," Adriana said. "I'll relax him."
Lucius raised his eyebrows.
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"Sidi," Bruce said as he and Sidi walked onto the indoor observation balcony in the penthouse.
She glanced at the city below before speaking.
"I'm fully away of what you did," she said.
"What did I do?" he asked.
Sidi tilted her head. "You took back what you lost."
Bruce swallowed air and then lifted his scotch glass to his lips.
"No need to be nervous," Sidi said. "It was meant to be done."
Bruce looked at her, hoping they were talking about the same thing.
"Meaning what?" Bruce asked.
"Meaning," Sidi said. "Do you remember when your wife became pregnant?"
"Of course," Bruce said.
"She told me that she told you about her gift being distorted before she became pregnant," Sidi said.
"She did," Bruce said.
"She told you that she...for a brief while..had seen the future," Sidi said. "She saw her son..he was a young boy. Perhaps six or seven years old. She told me she had considered aborting the child until she remembered..she had already seen him. The visions she was having were of her son and of course she could not abort him."
"I...I do remember that," Bruce admitted.
"She was meant to see him grow up, from the beginning," Sidi said.
Bruce exhaled. "So...you know I went back to the past to save her life."
"Of yes," Sidi said.
"Do you remember what happened?" Bruce asked. "The.."
"The future you altered? Oh yes," Sidi said. "I remember holding your hands after her wake. You sat there like a statue. Staring off into space. Her death had traumatized you. I'm sure you have no recollection of this."
Bruce vaguely remembered several people coming over, bringing him food and gifts after the wake. But the details escaped him. He was in a sad daze that entire day.
"I don't remember," Bruce said.
"I saw your future," Sidi said.
"What..." Bruce asked.
"Oh, yes," Sidi said. "I held onto your hands for nearly half an hour. There was much to see."
Bruce wasn't sure why but he grabbed her arm.
"I need your help," he said. "I need you to tell me what happens..tell me that I kill him. Surely you must know who I'm talking about because I will kill him and that is something you would see."
"Someone must die because Adriana lived," Sidi said plainly.
"Yes?" Bruce said. "Tell me..when will I kill him."
Sidi was quiet.
"Tell me you know who I am referring to," Bruce said, pleading.
"A man will die," Sidi told him.
"And I will kill him," Bruce said, knowing that it was a fact.
Sidi smiled and touched Bruce's cheek.
"You have much bigger issues in your future to worry about than the death of a man who you despise," Sidi said and touched Bruce's cheek. "Trust me, his death will be forgotten once your greater troubles begin."
"Sidi," Bruce said. "Tell me what you know about me."
"Well," Sidi smiled. "You are a man with many secrets."
Sidi looked down at the city again and took Bruce's right hand without looking.
"You will go out into this city tonight," Sidi said. "You will wear the suit you haven't felt on your body in months. You will save two lives. You will remember how passionately you love...being the Batman. You will feel alive again."
Bruce blinked.
"And then you will come home to your wife," Sidi said and reached for Bruce's other hand. "The past that you wiped away will haunt you."
"Tell me about when I kill him," Bruce said, as if it was all he cared about.
"You will suffer financial ruin," Sidi said, not answering Bruce's question. "You are a stubborn man, Bruce. The city will turn on the Batman, as they have in the future you changed. I sense torture and agony in your future."
"Great," Bruce said, unenthusiastically. He wanted to ask again about the death of his enemy.
"And I know you are very concerned with the life exchange," Sidi said. "The man who will die in your wife's place. But unfortunately that is not something I can see very clearly. Perhaps because it is overshadowed by the troubles and trials you face. Or perhaps it is because traces of your wife's gift runs through your veins."
"Can you tell me how he dies?" Bruce asked. "Is it soon?"
Sidi closed her eyes shut tightly.
"You hate him for what has happened...something between him and your wife," Sidi said.
"Yes," Bruce exclaimed.
"I can't see him clearly," Sidi said. "But I see a connection to your wife."
"Yes, that's correct," Bruce said and Sidi squeezed her eyes shut tighter and gripped his hands.
"You will not grieve his death," Sidi said. "You do not respect him."
"That's putting it lightly," Bruce told her.
"I sense your wealth and finances have changed his life..." Sidi said. "I'm sensing this man...well...let's just say his karmic debt is heavy. I sense darkness...harm to others.."
"That's correct..." Bruce said. He was paying for the Joker's comfortable relocation to a prison facility constructed just for him. That was what he had given Lucius money for.
"He will die in less than two months time," Sidi said.
"How?' Bruce asked. "I kill him, correct?"
"I cannot tell," Sidi answered casually. "I cannot tell where he is..I cannot tell who kills him. All I sense is the in the future your awareness of his death. You could be the cause, it is entirely possible. But your wife is safe, her death is replaced by his."