Bruce Wayne held up a glass of champagne as he smiled at the woman standing opposite of him. "A toast then to furthering technological advancements."

"To finding a cure," the woman smiled and blinked coyly at him as she took a sip from her glass.

Another man ran into the room. Someone Bruce didn't recognize.

Setting aside his glass he walked up to the narrow eyed intruder. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for my wife."

"Who might that be?"

He pointed to the woman he'd just been standing with. "Alyssa."

Bruce blinked and glanced in her direction. "Is this true?" He quirked a brow.

She sighed. "Unfortunately, yes." She placed her glass down and walked over to her husband. "Why do you always follow me Ed?"

"Because I narrow-eyedou're trying to do. And I'm tired of it." He reached into his jacket.

Bruce held up a hand, "Wait, wait. We can talk about this."

"I don't have a weapon!" The man grumbled and pulled out papers and handed them to Alyssa.

She took the papers and gasped. "What!? Ed you can't be serious."

"As serious as Isfet Khaba Joktar plunge into insanity when Ma'at Yarğanat Batlar was murdered."

Bruce stilled at the name Joktar, his heart racing. He shook his head to dispel the strange sensation that ran up the middle of his back causing goosebumps to form.

She shook the papers in his face. "Stop talking nonsense. That's just a tale, it's fiction. And I refuse to sign these papers."

Bruce stepped back and glanced around for Alfred. He did not want to get in the way of a lovers spat. Or divorce proceedings.

Now his evening was cleared. No way was he going to ask Alyssa to join him for an after party of two.

Alfred walked up to him, "Is there a problem, sir?"

"There's a couple arguing, but other than that, fine."

"Very well, sir. If that will be all?"

"Wait. Who are Isfet Khaba Joktar and Ma'at Yarğanat Batlar?"

"Characters of an ancient love story between two men that ended in tragedy."

"I see." Somehow the names felt more personal than that, but he couldn't put a finger on as to why.

Alfred gave a bow before going off and seeing to it that the guests were prepared to leave while Bruce himself slunk off to his quarters to shower and try and rest for the night as he could no longer keep his eyes open having not slept a wink in the span of nearly eighty hours.

That was when memories began to stir of long ago, long before the memory of his parents, before the name Bruce Wayne had ever past the lips of any living being.

His consciousness drifted back, so far back that he witnessed another era. A time when the world was different from what he knew.

He couldn't speak, either to ask question, or to direct the young man whose body he had come to inhabit.

"Uncle," the young man spoke, "where is Isfet Khaba Joktar?"

What a mouthful he thought. Then blinked. One of the names that had been mentioned at the fundraiser.

The man glared down his enormous nose at him. "That is no business of yours Prince Ma'at Yarğanat Batlar. You've not ascended to the crown yet. Now be off with you."

Ma'at's anger stirred, but he turned and stomped out of the room. He was eighteen! Not some helpless pup. If only he didn't need to wait three more cycles of the sun. Then he could take the throne and kick his uncle out. An uncle he certainly didn't trust the closer he got to being of age to take over the kingdom.

Not that he wanted to. But if it meant Isfet could be freed then he wasn't going to abdicate. Not to anyone.

Bruce wondered who this Isfet Khaba Joktar was to incite such feelings in the young man.

When he came to a pool of water, Bruce couldn't believe it. It looked just like him, but younger, and only half as muscular, but still couldn't detect an ounce of fat.

Such a bizarre dream. One he wished he'd wake from, because he did not like feeling as if he had no control whatsoever.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Ma'at turned and glanced up. "Isfet!"

The man frowned.

Bruce couldn't take his focus off the man. If he had green hair, pale skin, and ruby lips... he was a dead ringer for The Joker.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I appreciate any reviews, comments, suggestions, etc.