"The belt is amazing, Lucius," Adriana told Lucius after trying on her new suit. "This suit is incredible. You're the best."
"You may want to familiarize yourself with some of the new equipment," Lucius said and handed her a book.
"You put together and instruction manual for me?" she asked.
"You may find it surprisingly useful," Lucius told her.
"Thanks so much," Adriana said and gave him a hug.
"You are very welcome," he said to her.
"You've done so much for me," Adriana said. "I feel bad asking for a favor now.."
"Well, after the bourbon cake you made for my wife's birthday last week, I owe you," Lucius said with a laugh.
"It was just a cake," Adriana laughed.
"The best cake she ever had," Lucius said. "What can I do for you?"
"It's kind of a big favor," she said.
"Name it," Lucius said.
"Okay," Adriana said. "So Jack and I were talking about Harri and her incessant questions...and we decided she should know the truth. About everything."
Lucius nodded. "She left me a few messages. She is very inquisitive."
"Yeah...a pain in the butt really," Adriana said.
"So, how can I help?" Lucius said.
"Could you be the one to tell her?" Adriana asked.
Lucius nodded once.
"Really?" she asked and he nodded again. "Thank you and I...one more thing...I can't be there when you tell her. I just...I think she needs to process it without-"
"I know," Lucius said. "I have a couple hours free tomorrow afternoon."
"Tomorrow," Adriana said.
"Is that too soon?" Lucius asked.
"No...not it's fine. Better to just get it over with," Adriana said.
"You're aware that I may need to tell her about your vigilantism," Lucius clarified. "As well as Bruce's."
Adriana nodded. "We're both okay with it."
"Then tomorrow it is," Lucius said.
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The suit made Shade feel protected but stronger than ever before. It was lightweight, breathable but also sturdy. It looked exactly like her previous suit, aside from the utility belt. She felt that perhaps it needed breaking in and waited for something to happen in the city. It was a quiet night as she stood atop an apartment building in downtown Gotham.
"Nice suit," she heard a voice behind her say.
Shade turned quickly. It was the Catwoman. Shade had not seen her in months.
"I must know," the Catwoman went on. "Who your designer is."
The Catwoman's ivory skin glowed under the moonlight, her eyes were rich, brown and intense.
"What do you want?" Shade asked her.
The Catwoman looked straight into Shade's eye, unblinking as she walked closer very slowly. Shade pulled out a weapon from her belt.
"This slices through thick metal. Could cut through a car door," Shade warned her. "And you, if you come any closer."
The Catwoman pursed her lips and continue to come forward unafraid. Close enough to touch Shade's face. She touched Shade's cheek with her fingertips.
"You poor thing," the Catwoman said.
"Don't touch me," Shade said, finally slapping the Catwoman's hand away.
"I'm here to warn you," the Catwoman said.
"Is that so?" Shade asked. "Are you threatening me?"
"I don't want to see any children hurt," the Catwoman said.
The Catwoman's voice had no cadence with the statement. Shade was not sure how to take it.
"What children?" Shade asked.
"Yours," the Catwoman said. "Your child."
"What?" Shade asked. "I don't have any-"
"I don't have all night," the Catwoman said. "If the people I work for find out we spoke, then I am in danger too. Right along with your son."
"I don't have-" Shade began to lie again.
"Arsenio," the Catwoman said. "Thomas...Wayne."
"You think I'm married to Bruce Wayne?" Shade laughed.
"I know that you are," the Catwoman said. "And if you want to save your child you'll cut the act. I already know who you are Adriana. And you already know that the people I work for have known your husband's identity for a long time."
Shade said nothing. She was willing to admit to nothing, It could have been a trap.
"They will hurt his child if it comes down to it," the Catwoman said. "I'm sure you don't want that to happen."
"I don't want any children to be hurt either," Shade said, still confessing nothing.
"They don't know who you are yet," the Catwoman said. "They have no idea that Mrs. Bruce Wayne..is Shade. And I won't be telling them."
"What makes you think I'm Bruce Wayne's wife?" Shade asked.
"Like I said, I don't have all night," the Catwoman said. "You've done an exceptional job of keeping your son's face out of the public eye. The people I work for have not idea what your child even looks like. But The League wants to break Bruce Wayne and wants to destroy Gotham-"
"The League?" Shade asked.
"And the first step is to take what he loves the most," the Catwoman went on, not answering Shade's question. "His child. I've convinced them to stay away from you and that you are not worth it. Seeing that you and your husband are separated now. But the child, I can't protect-"
"And now you think Bruce Wayne and his wife are separated-" Shade said.
"A billionaire moves out, his wife stays at the home," the Catwoman said. "Doesn't take much to determine what happened. Now that he's been away for some time... they want to approach. They want to abduct your child."
Shade was quiet again.
"But you are capable," the Catwoman said. "I have no doubt you'll be able to protect him. But you can't protect him here. You need to be with him or have him somewhere he is safe around the clock. Wayne Manor is a fortress but they are watching you closely. Waiting for the right moment to strike."
Shade lunged at the Catwoman, pinning her against the brick wall leading to other stories of the building that were higher than the landing they were on. The thick blade Shade was holding, thick enough to cut through steel, was against the Catwoman's neck.
"Who are they?" Shade demanded. "I will only ask once."
"People that aren't afraid to kill you, or Bruce Wayne's son," the Catwoman said, not at all afraid of the blade. "Just to make him suffer."
"Oh, and you're here to tell me to stay home," Shade said. "How convenient."
"So you've finally admitted it," the Catwoman said. "You are Adriana Wayne."
Shade said nothing.
"The only reason you're still alive is because I convinced them you weren't worth it and to wait for the right target. Your son. That only buys you more time because they haven't figured out the approach yet," the Catwoman said. "How to get to Bruce Wayne's flesh and blood-"
"He's not Bruce's," Shade said. As soon as the words were out, she wished she hadn't said them. She didn't trust this Catwoman at all, but somehow, at the same time, she believed her.
"Does Bruce Wayne know that?" the Catwoman asked.
"Yes," Shade said.
The Catwoman looked at her suspiciously. "I said I'm here to warn you, not judge you."
Shade lowered the blade against the Catwoman's neck.
"It's true," Shade said. "His name isn't on our son's birth certificate for a reason."
The Catwoman gave and empty but quick blink.
"His certificate is not in the Division of Vital Records," the Catwoman said. "You'll need to make it public."
Shade swallowed. "I can't."
"It's the only way," the Catwoman said. "I can let them know that Wayne doesn't seem to care much for either of you, and since his name isn't on you're son's birth record...they will understand why. They won't see the abduction of your son from Wayne Manor worth the effort. After all, your husband hasn't even been to see his son in weeks."
Shade said nothing at all.
"Is there someone else listed as the father?" the Catwoman asked.
"No," Shade replied. "Only my name."
"Make the record public," the Catwoman said. "People will ask questions but it's better than having your son sacrificed."
"They're never going to get to my son either way," Shade said.
The Catwoman looked at her. "You don't know the people I work for."
Shade waited a moment to respond. "The record will be public tomorrow."
"I knew you'd make the right choice," the Catwoman said. "I can convince them he's just putting up with your child. They need to believe that Bruce Wayne is alone. That your marriage is ending. That way, you and your child won't be worth it."
"My marriage is fine," Shade said.
The Catwoman squinted and tilted her head.
"The best thing for you to do is divorce," the Catwoman said. "If whatever he did was bad enough for you to kick him out to go and live at the Four Seasons, then it's not worth fighting for. Not worth risking your life or your son's safety. My time is up. Goodnight, Shade."
"What-" Shade began to ask but the Catwoman lept over to the fire escape.
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"Jack," Adriana said over the communication device on the sleeve of her new suit.
"And you're calling from a number of all zeroes," the Joker said after picking up the phone.
"Where are you?" she asked.
"Just left your place," he said. "On the road now."
"Listen," she said. "I need to you to go back to Wayne Manor, right now. I'm in the city it will take me half an hour-"
"Something wrong?" he asked.
Adriana pressed her lips together.
"Someone needs to be there," she said. "To protect Arsenio. I can't explain right now-"
"On my way back then," the Joker said before she could finish.
"Thank you, "Adriana said before hanging up.
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"It's them, isn't it?" the Joker said to Adriana when she came home.
Arsenio was with Alfred in the drawing room and they were standing outside in the hall.
"The one's that threatened Bruce last year," the Joker said. "The ones who know his identity. They have finally threatened his son."
Adriana had said nothing to the Joker since she came into the house. She had not even explained what had been going on. But somehow he knew.
"How did you know?" she asked.
The Joker gave her a look. "Well it was only a matter of time. They are skilled. Determined. And there is no way they would just disappear. They are playing the long game."
"She called them..The League," Adriana said.
"She," the Joker said.
"The Catwoman," Adriana said. "She warned me."
"Ah...so her league now wants to try to take on both Shade and the Batman," the Joker said.
"Well, according to her..if she's to be believed," Adriana said. "They somehow still don't know that I'm Shade."
"You've been very careful," the Joker said. "Wearing a wig and contacts without fail every single time, the entire time you have been a vigilante."
Adriana nodded, but the Joker could see she was nervous.
"Relax," the Joker said. "I will not let anything happen to your kid."
"As reassuring as that is," Adriana said. "The people she works for sound terrifying."
"Well," the Joker said. "So am I."
Adriana blinked. He sounded determined.
"I...told her that Bruce wasn't Arsenio's biological father," Adriana said. "I have to make his birth records public."
"That will only give you a few inches," the Joker said. "Whether Bruce's name is on the certificate or not, it is well known that he loves his kid. And that is a weakness they will exploit."
"Except...they think Bruce and I are having problems," Adriana said. "Because he's away and I guess they have this Catwoman watching us. She knows we haven't seen each other in weeks."
"Ahh," the Joker said. "Thank the heavens for rehab. But he will be back soon."
Adriana nodded.
"She said something else, something weird," Adriana said.
"And what was that?" he asked.
"Something about Bruce being at the Four Seasons," Adriana said. "Which is impossible."
"Could be a trap," the Joker said.
"That's what I thought," Adriana said. "Something to trap me. But why would she warn me though?"
"I do not know," the Joker said.
"I trust her but she...I mean she's mistaken, or lying," Adriana said.
The Joker nodded a few times.
"I'm going," Adriana said. "You...you have to-"
"I will protect your kid with my life Adriana," the Joker said. "Trust me. No one will get within a mile of him. Go ahead."
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Adriana was wearing a short red wig and black lipstick. A dark scarf around her neck, lifted on the sides to conceal most of her face. Large dark sunglasses, even though it was late at night No one recognized her in the lobby. She went over to the elevator.
"Excuse me," she asked a custodian.
"Yes ma'am?" the older gentleman said to her.
"Which floor is the penthouse?" she asked.
"Ehh, 38th and 39th," he replied.
"Are they all booked up right now?" she asked him.
"No..no,"he said. "I think only the last one on the 39th is right now. "You can ask at the front desk to be sure though if you want a room-"
"No," she said and got into the elevator. "You've been very helpful."
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Adriana didn't know what she was looking for or why she was there. But her gut told her to go the penthouse. She was ready for anything. She had two guns on her.
She knocked on the door. After a moment it opened.
"Bruce..." she said, her voice broke into a whisper.
"Can I ...help you?" Bruce asked her. He could barely see her face with the glasses, wig with bangs and the scarf.
She took off the sunglasses.
Bruce was entirely silent.
"Adriana," he said.