"Excellent," Madame Twyla said to Bruce over the phone as her wire transfer was received. "And when can I expect the next payment?"
Her greed was overwhelming. Bruce had sold off so much, and he was running out of things to liquidate that Adriana wouldn't notice. He actually wasn't sure where Twyla's next payment would come from.
"Soon," he answered, vaguely.
"That does not sound promising," she said.
"I have a few things in the works but it will be soon," he said. "I need to go."
Twyla hung up the phone quickly and Bruce looked around his office at Wayne Enterprises. He had many valuables around him. His wedding band, cigars, even the clock was antique. But selling off individual personal belongings would be obvious. He was getting nervous.
He left the office and decided to visit Sidi, cancelling two afternoon meetings.
.
.
.
"Another Wayne," Sidi said as she opened the door and stepped aside.
"Another?" Bruce said and walked into the foyer.
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Bruce heard Arsenio saying aloud over half a dozen times.
Bruce laughed and walked over to where Aymara was holding Arsenio. He was so surprised to see his son he couldn't stop smiling.
"Heyy, little man what are you doing here?" Bruce said and picked up the baby.
"Your wife was just here," Sidi said. "Looked at her phone and had to run off and disappear. You know, she does that a lot."
"Oh," Bruce said, knowing her vigilantism often took her away at the drop of a hat. "Yes, she does."
"So you are here to pick up your little one?" Aymara asked. "I wish he could stay."
"Actually," Bruce said as Arsenio began to talk over him.
"Say! Say!" Arsenio said.
"You want to stay?" Bruce asked.
"Yaaa!" the baby said loudly. "Ayaa! Ama!"
"Aymara?" Bruce laughed at how Arsenio was saying her name almost backwards. "Okay. You can stay until Mommy comes back."
Bruce put Arsenio back into Aymara's arms and then Sidi gestured for him to follow her. They went into the kitchen and she shut the door and pulled an apple pie out of the oven.
"Sit," she said to Bruce and he sat at the round table by the kitchen window.
Sidi placed the pie on a cooling rack and took off the deep orange colored apron that had blended in with the golden orange color of the dress she was wearing.
"You didn't know your son was here," Sidi said and sat at the table.
"Actually, I didn't," Bruce confessed. "Adriana didn't tell me she would be dropping by here today."
"Then what brings you by? Checking on the TV you gave us?" she asked.
Bruce had gifted them a large flat screen among many other things after Sidi had saved Adriana's life by removing her mind reading abilities.
"I wanted to ask you about Twyla," Bruce asked and watched Sidi roll her eyes.
"What about her?" Sidi asked.
"I have been paying her an enormous sum of money," Bruce told Sidi. "I don't know how much more I can give her. I believe I overestimated how many personal liquid assets I could turn over to her without it being obvious to Adriana."
"Ahh," Sidi said. "And how much have you paid her now?"
"Over two billion doll-" Bruce began to speak but Sidi was laughing.
"That woman," Sidi laughed. "Sure knows how to take all the advantage she can."
"So you're saying she's overcharged me?" Bruce asked.
"Oh yes," Sidi said. "Well, I suppose you cannot put a price on having your wife back."
"You're right, I can't," Bruce said. "I don't care about the money, I just don't need Adriana to find out it's missing and how much our net worth has plummeted."
"Mhm," Sidi said. "I think you have paid Twyla enough."
"I agreed to a little over 4 billion," Bruce said.
"Ahh," Sidi said. "That's unfortunate."
"I would quit paying her. You must know, I also agree I've given her enough money to last her the rest of her life," Bruce said. "However, she's threatened me."
"With?" Sidi asked curiously.
"She's threatened to undo everything," Bruce said. "If I don't pay her the full amount."
"Undo what you've done?" Sidi said. "Going back to the past?"
"Yes."
"Well, that my dear is just not possible," Sidi laughed at the threat.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Bruce asked.
"Oh yes," Sidi said. "The only way would be for her to go back into time herself before you could find out about changing the past and not intervene..since she's the one who gave you the stone to access the machine."
"Then it's possible," Bruce said.
"Nope," Sidi said. "One cannot go back into the past using that machine more than once. It's the only time travel machine that exists."
"So you're saying she's gone back before?" Bruce asked.
"Oh yes," Sidi said. "I'm sure of that."
Bruce let out a sigh of relief.
"So," Bruce said. "It was an empty threat. There's nothing she can do to me."
"Well, I didn't say that," Sidi said.
"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.
"That woman is evil," Sidi said. "She may do something to you. But taking your wife away, she cannot do."
"I'm not afraid of her otherwise," Bruce told Sidi. "I'm through paying her."
"I think you should pay her," Sidi said.
"I don't," Bruce said. "That's my final decision. Two billion is plenty."
"I've warned you," Sidi shrugged.
"Read my palms," Bruce suggested. "Tell me how she will retaliate."
Sidi took the request immediately and reached for his hands, closing her eyes.
"So hazy," Sidi said with her eyes closed. "You and your wife will never be easy for me to read."
Bruce sat patiently and watched Sidi's eyes moving under her closed eyelids.
"Pay her," Sidi said and opened her eyes.
"What will she do?" Bruce asked.
"I sense a death..very soon..days away," Sidi said, seeming to change the subject. "The same one I saw before. It is a man...with a heavy karmic debt. I'm not sure if it's connected...but I see your rage leading up to his death. Its very hazy. Of course your wife's death must be replaced."
"I know," Bruce nodded. It was confirmation..he would kill the Joker.
"Twyla will affect your marriage," Sidi said.
"How?" Bruce asked.
Sidi looked away.
"Tell me," Bruce said.
"I sense she will expose some things about your wife that will change the way you feel about her," Sidi said.
"Nothing could change the way I feel about my wife," Bruce said firmly.
"You see your wife one way," Sidi said. "And what you see it not the entire truth."
"What does that mean? What has my wife done? Has she done something wrong?" Bruce asked.
"I'm not sensing a tremendous wrongdoing of any kind," Sidi said. "She has not betrayed you in any wayAll I can sense is for you...completion and understanding of you wife in her entirety. And it will affect your feeling about her-"
"I refuse to believe that," Bruce said.
"It's what I see," Sidi shrugged. "You will be deeply affected. You will seek comfort in another woman."
"This is absurd!" Bruce laughed.
"You enemies..." Sidi said. "The ones who have exposed you and made Gotham turn it's back on you. They have disappeared for the time being, but they will return in a few years. One in particular, he will inflict unimaginable suffering on you. You will save our city. I still sense financial ruin."
"Sidi," Bruce said, not caring about his stalkers. "I'm in control over myself and I love my wife. I'm never going to cheat on her."
Sidi nodded. "I'm sure that's how you feel."
"Trust me," Bruce said. "I will kill an enemy, love my wife, and deal with the enemies in years to come. Nothing can change how I feel about my wife."