As she lay curled up on the mattress, Adriana thought of where she had gone wrong. How she had ended up in this situation. Hours were passing and she had no idea if anyone even knew anything was wrong yet.
She remembered pulling over in her car, teary eyes, emotional and barely able to see. She blamed herself for not paying attention. She was a vigilante, she was strong and capable and somehow she had landed here. In hell. Her mouth felt dry, she was hungry, tired and sweaty.
As she replayed in her mind her abduction, over and over, she remembered the moment she was forced into their car. As soon as she sat down, she recalled, only for a second, thinking of the Joker. Maybe it was the masks, the guns, the crime, the city itself, but she thought of him. And she was thinking of him again now. She felt a sense of warmth and peace in this horrible moment while remembering his smile.
He never smiled for very long. A smile like a shooting star. His smiles were always there one second, and gone the next. But while they were there, they were absolutely brilliant.
"Shhh.." Adriana heard a voice say that startled her awake.
She began to twist and fight against the ropes binding her arms when she realized the man who had played the cop was in the bed laying behind her and was groping her chest.
"N-" she tried to say but he clasped a hand over her mouth.
"If you're quiet it will pass quicker," he said. "Or we can drag this out while I muffle you."
Adriana tried to breathe but she felt like she couldn't. It was a nightmare come true.
"Nod if you understand," he whispered into her ear.
She nodded and he lowered his hand from her mouth slowly. His whispering meant that he was sneaking, she realized. He wanted quiet. The man he was working for obviously didn't know he was doing this.
"Good," he said and grabbed the back of her neck.
He pressed down on her neck and for a moment she was worried he would break it. Her face went into the sheets and she felt herself being suffocated as he pulled on her pants. She decided that blacking out at this moment wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen.
She was not fighting him at all but he was pressing down on her neck as if she was. She had never felt like she was being treated like absolutely nothing. Not a human, not an animal, not a feeling being. He treated her like she was nothing more than an object. His fingernails dug into her backside once her pants were down a few inches and he leaned down and bit her hard on the back of her shoulder.
"Good girl," he said to her, seeing she was not making a sound in response to the pain he was inflicting on her.
His next motion surprised her but not as much as the pain. He got on top of her and put the full weight of his body onto his knee and pressed it into her mid back. She wasn't sure how it was possible, but she felt the pain predominantly in her lower abdomen. The pain was so strong she screamed.
"Shut-" he started to say angrily but in a few seconds the other masked man was in the doorway.
He looked at them for a second once the door was open. His partner still had his knee in her back and had her pants down a few inches.
The man over her released her neck and his whole voice changed.
"Just putting the fear in her," he explained to the masked man who said nothing. "She was just about talk, and tell us everything we wanted to know."
"Where is the Joker?" the masked man asked through the machine over his mouth.
Adriana felt like her insides were being shredded apart and she didn't know why. She had likely held her bladder contents for so long she was getting some kind of horrific infection, she guessed. The pain distracted her from the question.
"Answer him," the man over her said and then grabbed her hair.
Adriana heard a tapping noise at the doorway and saw the masked man tapping it with his gun. He tilted his head, signaling to the other man to come out of the room.
She was certain she was about to be killed for not answering, but instead the door slammed behind them. Once they were gone she tried to wiggle against the bed to pull her pants back up and it worked. After she was done, she looked around. She needed a way out now but she could see nothing to help her.
.
.
.
"Good afternoon, Jack," Lucius said over the phone to the Joker at 11 a.m.
"Lucius, hello," the Joker said.
"What can I do for you?" Lucius asked. "Hopefully the computer I gave you has the capabilities you needed. If not I will see what I can do."
The Joker let out a breath.
"The computer isn't the problem," the Joker said. "The problem is the entire scenario. Piecing it together. There are no leads, high tech computer or not. I've been searching this city high and low to try to get some idea of which enemy of mine wants to find me so badly and guess what? Zilch."
It was Lucius' turn to let out a breath.
"I wouldn't stress over it," Lucius said.
"Sounding like Adriana there," the Joker said.
"If we can't track them down there's not much else we can do. Stress won't be of much use, especially since there is no evidence to link her to you," Lucius said.
"Apart from Brake telling them the link," the Joker said. "Before he was gutted like a fish."
"Unfortunately," Lucius said.
"Speaking of Adriana," the Joker said. "She said she would call this morning to check in. To see if I had learned anything new."
"Hasn't called yet?" Lucius asked. "One minute please, Jack."
"Sure," the Joker said and heard Lucius giving someone instructions on a budget report. He was calling Lucius in the middle of the work day.
"I'm sure she will call when she gets a chance," Lucius said.
"She said 10 a.m. and it's 11," the Joker told him.
"Well you could always try calling her," Lucius suggested.
"Wouldn't want to bother her if she's busy," the Joker said. "You know last night she said I should stay here. Bruce Wayne may be on to where you all have been hiding me all this time."
"She texted me something similar yesterday, and I let her know you can stay put in that apartment," Lucius said. "Bruce won't be able to find you there."
"Yeah," the Joker said, sounding like he was barely listening. "Not like her to say she will call then then not do it."
The Joker walked over the window and looked out across the street at three children playing rope in the street.
"I'll give her a ring and have her call you," Lucius then offered.
"Ah..no...no," the Joker said, not wanting to be clingy. "Just give her a call, make sure she's good. No need to tell her to call me."
"Alright," Lucius said. "I will text you shortly."
After ending the call Lucius tried to call Adriana's phone and didn't get an answer. It went straight to voicemail. Then he tried to call Bruce. The phone rang and rang with no response. Afterwards he finally decided to call Alfred and finally got an answer.
Lucius heard Arsenio's cheerful squealing before Alfred could even say hello.
"Mr. Fox, Hello," Alfred said.
"Hello, Alfred," Lucius said. "How are you today?"
"Wonderful, thank you," Alfred replied. "And yourself?"
"Excellent," Lucius replied.
"Have you by any chance heard from Mrs. Wayne?" Alfred asked before Lucius could ask him.
"No, I was actually calling you to ask the same," Lucius said. "I can't get in touch with Bruce or Adriana ."
"Ah...perhaps they are working through their woes.." Alfred guessed.
"What do you mean?" Lucius said.
"Did your dear friend call you? I assumed you would be first to get a call about what has happened," Alfred said.
"Tell me what?" Lucius asked. "I haven't heard from her today."
"That Bruce is aware of what has been happening for the last couple of months," Alfred said. "Bruce told me so himself."
"Alfred," Lucius said, knowing that Alfred had to be careful with his words around Arsenio since the child was gifted and understood everything. "You mean to say that Bruce knows the Joker was in the building this entire time?"
"Yes..and.." Alfred said, thinking of how to phrase what was saying. "Knows that the other Master Wayne visited."
Lucius froze for a second. "He knows that Arsenio visited with the Joker."
"Correct," Alfred said. "Presumably there was...an interaction.."
Lucius realized he was saying that Adriana and Bruce had a fight.
"Master Bruce gave me the task of looking after Arsenio," Alfred said. "And requested me stay with him. For safety reasons he thought it best I keep the location to myself but I did not."
"You let Adriana know where you are," Lucius gathered.
"Oh yes," Alfred said. "And she said-"
"Mommy?" Arsenio said after hearing Alfred use the word 'she'.
"I'm speaking with Lucius, Master Arsenio," Alfred said politely to Arsenio.
"Hi!" Arsenio said in the background.
"Lucius says hi," Alfred said for him.
"When did she leave?" Lucius asked Alfred.
"Never arrived," Alfred assumed. "I assumed a return home to discuss things sensibly was what has happened. Bruce has not returned my calls either."
Lucius went quiet.
"That could be what has happened," Lucius said. "I'll track them down."
It was easy for Lucius to track down the location of Bruce's cell phone since it was still on. He found it inside of Bruce's parked car on a residential street. Lucius looked around, wondering what Bruce could be doing here. As far as he knew, Bruce didn't know anyone in the area.
It was also strange that Bruce left his phone in the car. Even though the windows were tinted, Lucius could see a very faint light, Bruce's phone lighting up on the passenger seat.
.
.
.
Bruce opened his eyes and sat up on the bed. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was. His head was pounding from the hangover. He hadn't been hungover in years. Even though the sickness from drinking too much had set in heavily, his mind felt clear. The potion's effects had worn off and as he though about the last few days, he felt like he was remembering the activities of a stranger.
He needed so desperately to find the Joker, that it has almost entirely made him lose his mind. He felt horrible. He had committed adultery. He had threatened to take his son away from his wife.
Somehow his guilt began to fade the moment he though of what she had done. That anger was genuine. He didn't mean what he said about taking Arsenio away, but the fact that she had brought him around a man who put bombs into the bellies of mentally ill people to use them as a human sacrifice for his agenda was unforgivable. He felt angry all over again.
He was suddenly glad that he did what he did. If he hadn't his son could be dead now. There was still an unaccounted for death that needed to happen and that could happen at any time. And a baby in the presence of the Joker, his offspring or not, was a recipe for disaster.
Bruce flung the blanket off of himself and pulled on his clothes. He went downstairs and found his checkbook still sitting on the coffee table. He tore off a check, writing quickly and wanting to leave unnoticed. He signed it and left it before walking to the front door.
After opening it he heard her.
"Leaving so soon?" Twyla asked. "Without even saying goodbye?"
"Twyla," Bruce stammered and then straightened his posture. "There's a check on the table. The amount is blank so..whatever you think is fair."
"I have the check," she said and pulled it out of the top of her satin gown.
He wasn't sure how she moved through the house so quickly and quietly behind him.
"You keep it," she said and pressed the paper against his chest. "Last night was payment enough."
Bruce took the check and folded it in half. He left without saying anything more to her.
As he went down the steps he struggled to remember where he parked. As he looked down the street, he saw Lucius. Bruce held his head high and walked up to him.
"Good morning, Lucius," Bruce said. "What brings you here?"
"Good afternoon," Lucius corrected him. "I could ask you the same."
Bruce pulled out his keys and Lucius could tell he was angry. Lucius was also aware that Arsenio was around the Joker and did nothing to stop it and did not tell Bruce.
"The woman in the negligee," Lucius said as Bruce opened his door. "Is that why you're here?"
"You could tell me why you never protected my son," Bruce said.
"I believed he was safe and he was," Lucius told him.
"It's as though I'm the only sane one left," Bruce said. "And the rest of the world has gone mad."
"Or perhaps..." Lucius said. "We've seen the good in a man perceived as a madman."
Bruce huffed and got into his car.
"I'm looking for your wife," Lucius said before Bruce could close the door. "I expected her to be with you."
"Well she isn't here," Bruce said.
"Where is she?" Lucius asked.
"I'm not aware of where she is," Bruce told him. "Call her."
"Her phone is going to voicemail," Lucius said. "I'm not able to track the phone because it is off."
"Perhaps she's run off to seek out a lawyer," Bruce said.
"Lawyer?" Lucius asked.
"I may have threatened to seek full custody," Bruce said. "She may have taken me seriously. I just need her to see the magnitude of what she's done. She will be back soon enough...and we can work through this shitstorm she has created."
"You think she's the one who has created the..storm in question?" Lucius asked.
"Good day, Lucius," Bruce said. "Give her a day or so to cool off."
"Bruce," Lucius said, stopping the door with his hand. "Alfred alerted your wife to where they were. He was not going to comply with your request to keep Arsenio hidden."
Bruce blinked hard. He wasn't very surprised.
"Then she will be with them," Bruce said.
"She's not," Lucius said. "She told Alfred she was on her way last night and never showed up."
"Well," Bruce said, thinking. "She doesn't want to upset me by going behind my back anymore. Again, I wasn't serious about taking full custody but she saw it that way. She doesn't want to upset me further so she's likely waiting for me contact her before going to see Arsenio. I will give her some more time to calm down and then I will call her."
"How much time?" Lucius asked. "I am concerned."
"I will call her tonight," Bruce said and moved to close the door again.
"Why are you waiting?" Lucius demanded. "You're ashamed, I can see it. That's no reason to neglect this. Your ego is not more important than your wife."
Bruce looked though the front window away from Lucius.
"If either of us should be ashamed it's you," Bruce said. "Harboring a fugitive. Bringing in a defenseless child. What you did was criminal."
"Once upon a time, so was adultery," Lucius said to Bruce.
Bruce grabbed the door and slammed it before speeding off.