"You're asleep?" Damien came into Adriana's room and asked her.
"Wha..." she woke up, slightly upset. She was in the middle of a lovely dream. The sweet little boy she had so many dreams of...this dream was new. They were sitting outside in a field of grass, blowing bubbles. It was sunny and beautiful...nothing like daily life in Gotham.
The last 48 hours had been rough. Adriana thought of the plan she had given to the Batman and the nerves about the situation made it difficult to sleep. She had stayed up, downing tons of the blue solution, dashing all around Gotham city, working hard to keep everyone safe. She worked, fought and rescued until she was getting to exhausted to even disguise her voice anymore. Then she came home, showered, and crashed and had the best dream ever. She looked at the clock beside her bed and saw that had only slept about two hours. She hadn't heard from the Joker at all, and she was hoping that he had finally decided that she was more trouble than she was worth...at least for now. The first part of the plan was complete. He had easily confiscated the Joker's inventory. Now it was only a matter of time before he did the rest and she would be free.
"How did you get in?" she asked him.
"You changed the locks but you still keep the key outside hidden in the same spot," he said.
"Right..." she said and noticed he was dressed very nicely. "Where are you going?"
"I thought we were going to the masquerade ball tonight," he said.
"Oh, shit...that's tonight," she said and sat up. "Ugh..."
"Don't want to go?" he asked.
"Not really..." she said and rubbed her eyes.
"Well..we could stay in," he suggested.
"Actually..." she said, realizing what he was suggesting. "Let's just go. Free drinks right?"
"Do you even have a mask?" he laughed.
"Um..." she thought, not wanting to stay in with him at all. "Yeah. One from Mardi Gras...remember...we went to New Orleans-"
"That?" he laughed harder. "This is a fancy party, Adriana."
"Whatever," she said and pushed the blanket off.
"What dress are you wearing?" he chucked and walked over to her closet and pushed through the section with dresses. "You have only this black one..."
He pulled out the dress she remembered wearing on a date with Bruce.
"Sexy as hell," he said. "You should wear it."
"Nah..." she said. "Not that one."
"This white one is for the summer.." he pushed past another one. "This one would match the mask..colorful..but looks like it's for summer too. Damn, woman, don't you ever shop? This one's okay.."
"I'll wear it," she said, looking at the deep purple gown. "Kind of old though...looks like I got it in 2004."
The gown was very low cut and had an enormous sequin and bead embellishment, blue and gold, on the cleavage area. It went down to the floor.
"Would match that mask though, right?" he said. "Blue...gold...purple.."
"Yeah.." she said. "Can you pass my phone here. I told my sister I would call her today and I totally forgot."
"Yep," he said and handed it to her. "I'll wait in the living room. Hopefully we won't miss the whole event."
"I'll be quick," she said as he left the room.
"Hello?" Harri said as Adriana put the phone on speaker and sat it on the edge of her kitchen sink.
"Hey, sis."
"Hey," Harri said. "Guess what! We found a house."
"Huh?" Adriana said. "You're moving?"
"Yes," Harri said. "After the wedding. We'll need a bigger place of course, for the babies once they come."
"Oh...wow," Adriana said. "That's wonderful."
"Yes, and we got the venue we wanted for the wedding, everything is falling into place," Harri said. "Last thing is finding a dress."
"This is actually pretty..wow," Adriana said as she pulled on the dress. She remembered it being kind of unexciting to wear but it looked amazing now. She thought maybe it was because she was in much better shape and filled it out better.
"What is?"
"This old dress...remember the purple one?"
"No," Harri said. "Show me."
"Okay," Adriana said and switched to a video call.
"Ohhhh that!" Harri laughed. "That's a throwback. Wow it looks great though, sis. You're still going to the gym, I see. I could never keep up with that stuff."
"Yeah," Adriana said. "I'm glad I found something in my closet that works."
"For what?"
"Oh..I'm going to a masquerade ball. I'm really tired though so we'lll probably only stay for like ten minutes."
"We? Who are you going with?"
"Oh.." Adriana said, realizing she was too tired to even be discrete. "Um..Damien. We're just going as friends though-"
"What?" Harri sighed. "I see...you're just a stupid dumb kind of bitch, huh?"
"No.." Adriana said. "Trust me."
"Nope."
"Ok, Harri..whatever...we're just going for a few minutes."
"He's a fucking idiot. You know he'll find some other chick while he's there. That's how much of a dog he is. As soon as you turn your back-"
"Harri-"
"An you should do the same. Fuck Damien!"
"Bruce will be there.."
"Sis," Harri sounded exasperated. "Didn't he ghost you?"
"He apologized.."
"Why don't you think you deserve better?"
"Like what?" Adriana suddenly felt the blue potion, which had worn off for enhancing her gift, but still was working to make her bold, daring, and extremely impulsive.
"Adri-"
"No!" Adriana shouted. "No, Harri, listen to me! For once okay?"
"Oh...kay..." Harri said, not used to hearing Adriana this way.
"I'm never going to be happy, understand? I'm never going to be like you with Antonio, with someone. It's never going to fucking happen-"
"You don't know that-"
"Yes, the fuck, I do," Adriana said slowly and clearly. "And you know what, I don't even care. I don't care about love."
"Don't say that-"
"Shut up, Harri!" Adriana said again, hearing her voice shaking. "Okay!"
"Yes.." Harri said. "I'm quiet."
"I'm so fucking tired! I'm exhausted as shit! I do so much...every single fucking day. I put up with so much shit! I'm so fucking tense and stressed all the time...I don't want love. You know? I just want...I don't even know anymore. Just...something is fucking missing. I'm just.."
"Adri..." Harri said after Adriana went quiet. "Don't take this the wrong way-"
"Go ahead," Adriana said, harshly.
"But you sound like you're just horny," Harri said. "That's why you're so angry and wound up."
"That's always what you think, Harri," Adriana sighed. "Sex isn't going to fix anything. Not in this case. Things are really fucked up right now...I'm just stressed. I mean..things might be getting better soon though..I'm just waiting for someone to do something we planned and then it'll be okay."
"I have no clue what you're talking about but you need to get laid, sis," Harri said. "I can hear it in your voice."
"Right," Adriana said sarcastically. "Want to tell Damien that? So he can fuck me before we go out? Will that make things better?"
"No," Harri said. "Not Damien. Damien fucking you will make it worse. I mean how many orgasms have you had with him your entire relationship? Three and a half? You need someone that..you know...cares enough to make you happy, but also...can last longer than five minutes-"
"Bruce..." Adriana said, hearing the sudden change in her voice. Her voice got softer all of a sudden.
"Yeah, I don't know about that," Harri said. "I mean when you were with him, I could still hear the tension in your voice. I'm telling you, I'm like...a sex psychic. You need someone better at it."
"Fine, Harri," Adriana said. "Whatever you say. If you say I'm sexually frustrated and that's all this is, then so be it. But I'm telling you...it's more than that."
"Mmhm.." Harri said. "If you say so, sis. But I just want you to be happy. I mean, you deserve it. We all do...it just makes me sad sometimes. You haven't exactly had the easiest life...you've been struggling ever since we were kids..on medications..in psych hospitals...having breakdowns... I just want to see you happy for once. Truly happy. And sometimes...you know, the physical is just as important as the mental. I love you."
"Okay, Harri," Adriana said, calming her attitude. "Okay. I have to go...find some shoes..we have to leave soon."
"Okay," Harri replied. "Bye, sis."
.
.
"Were you arguing with you sister?" Damien asked. "Wow you look nice."
"Thanks," Adriana said, and put in an earring. "Yeah, kinda."
"I heard you yelling," he said. "What were you arguing about? Everything okay?"
"Everything's fine, Damien," she said and put in the other earring. "Let's just go."
"She thinks you need sex," Damien laughed. "I heard you. You've had more than three orgasms though with me. Come on."
"Well, no, not really," she said.
"In that case," he said and placed his hands on her hips. "Let's fix that right now."
"Are you kidding me?" she asked. "Let's just go."
"Come on...we don't need to go to this stupid thing.."
"I want to go," she said. "You said you wanted to start over. So maybe we should do things together? Like talk? Go to parties? Before you start trying to sleep with me."
"Fine, then," he said and stepped back. "So when then?"
"When what?"
"When will we have sex again?"
"Damien," Adriana laughed. "Never, most likely."
"What?" he said. "I thought we were starting over. To see if we can get back together."
"Right," Adriana shrugged. "Let's just go, please. Maybe in time you can prove to me you're worth a second chance. We've had sex a million times Damien, so trust me, that's not ever going to be the way you're ever going to prove it to me. I don't care about sex, honestly, but Harri would of course say-"
"Stop talking," he said, a bit offended. "Let's just go then. Fuck it."
.
.
.
"Navarro," the woman at the door said to Adriana after checking the guest list. "Welcome."
"Ricard," one of Damien's colleagues who was working security said to him when he saw them come in. "Hi, Navarro. You look lovely."
"Thanks," Adriana said with a smile. She wanted to get a few drinks and leave.
"Best five star hotel in Gotham," Damien said as he picked up a glass of champagne.
"That's what they say," Adriana said unimpressed as she picked up a glass as well.
She could sense that Damien was still a bit mad at her, but didn't want to show it. He just wanted to enjoy the party and she could see, even though the thought was not in the forefront of his mind, he was on the prowl. He knew that she was tired of him and had little chance of getting back with her. She wanted him to fight for her...to be patient, faithful...and maybe things could work out. But he had given up so easily. So had Bruce. Maybe it was her. She was the problem. So many times she made the the mistake of bringing up to Bruce what she knew.
Bruce was the epitome of a cassanova. Having a woman know every women he had been with, even women that he had forgotten, was almost too much. When he came to apologize to her for disappearing, all she could see in his thoughts was him wondering how much she knew about the woman in the fur coat that he had been with in the meantime. A woman who knew so much would require a full and unwavering commitment. Maybe that was why she was so miserable. Perhaps, no man could ever give such a thing.
She was meant to be alone. Alone, strong, fierce. A fighting vigilante..every night. Alone..every night.
"Oh...I see Robert," he said and pointed across the room. "I'm going to go and say hi."
"Yeah," Adriana said. "I'm going to the restroom. Give him my regards."
"Sure thing," Damien said and walked away.
Adriana looked into the mirror in the restroom, and she could see the tension in her face even with the mask on. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to go home, sleep a few more hours, and then wake up to a bit more of her solution. The blue potion that had the power to enhance her gift to make her, what she knew, was the best vigilante in Gotham. The potion actually gave her life meaning, she realized. Being Shade, and being at her best, was the only thing that made her happy right now.
But it was undeniable that even though she was helping people..something was missing. She needed release. Was Harri right?
She pressed her lips onto a paper towel to get rid of a bit of her lips gloss before stepping out back into the main hall of the party. She was so tempted wo sneak out..out into the hotel's lobby area and into a cab, on her way home. Anything could be going on in Gotham right now. When it came to crime in Gotham...stormy weather was always in the forecast.
"Could I have a cosmopolitan," Adriana asked the bartender after she walked over.
He nodded and began preparing the drink. Her mask was itching her face. She looked around at the people dancing...a group of men playing violins in white seventeenth century styled wigs, made music happily.
"There you are, ma'am," he said and sat the glass beside her.
"Thank you," she smiled and took a sip.
Sounds of chatting and laughter filled the room. Adriana looked up at the paintings on the high ceiling and slowly looked down at the other side of the room. Bruce.
He was one of the few people not wearing a mask. She smiled and thought about the irony of it, as he was surrounded by a crowd of masked people He looked absolutely gorgeous. She took another sip and watched as a woman in a long red dress and feathered red mask kissed him on his cheek and then on his lips. He smiled and kissed her deeply in front of everyone. But this was the upper crust of society. They were used to Bruce Wayne and his women.
But Adriana was not. She watched Bruce and he turned to a server who handed him a drink. Bruce's eyes scanned the room...twice, he looked straight at her. He didn't recognize her, he wasn't looking for her, he looked right over her. And then she thought of the promise she had made him.
She would reveal herself once he had killed the Joker.
From where she was standing she could hear Bruce's thoughts. He placed his hand on the woman's waist..but he was thinking about Shade. He was so taken with her. Shade was an unpredictable roller coaster. And even though he generally hated drama and volatility...he loved it with her. He never knew what to expect with Shade, and she gave him excitement like he had never known. All he could think about was how he could kill the Joker as soon as possible so that Shade could reveal herself to him. He wanted her more than anything right now. And all Adriana could think was...would he be disappointed to see that Shade...was just her?
Then she looked over to Damien. He was flirting with a woman who was very petite over by the violinists. Adriana took another bitter sip of her drink as Bruce's eye's passed over her once again. His mind was too stuck on Shade for him to even see her. Time to leave.
She walked around the perimeter of the dance floor, feeling a very slight buzz. She looked at the older, happy couples, holding each other, laughing. The city of Gotham dominated the view behind the large glass windows. Concrete jungle with harsh lights, a thick coating of fog, and bitter cold winds. She walked around passing by where Damien was and then walked a bit further until someone stepped in front of her.
"Excuse me," she said quickly and then walked around..then froze and turned around slowly.
A tall man, in a black shirt and suit. Wearing a black and gold mask. The full faced mask of a court jester...extremely elaborate and complete with small, dangling golden bells.
"Leaving so soon?" she heard his distinctive voice. The Joker. He had recognized her, even with the mask.
"Whatever it is you're doing..." she said, immediately diving into his thoughts. "I'm not a part of this. I'm leaving."
"Oh...I don't plan anything...unsavory..at least not here," he said and looked in the direction of the governor. "Tonight is about observation of his security detail."
"I don't really care," she said, dryly. "Goodbye."
"Without a dance?" he said and extended a hand to her.
"Without a dance," she replied, declining.
"Will you make me ask?" he said.
She looked around. She had agreed to do anything he asked. Really all she wanted to do was tear off his mask and reveal him to all of the police officers and security that were in the room. She placed her hand in his and went onto the dance floor. Quickly, he placed a hand on her waist and lifted her right hand with his. She rested a hand on his shoulders and watched him mimic the people dancing around them.
It didn't take her long to realize what he was doing. He gradually made his way across the dance area and over to where the governor was standing with his wife, talking to a small group of people. He needed a closer look. He saw where the governor's security team was positioned. Four guards around him..he looked up to a balcony area and saw another with his arms crossed at the wrists, looking down at them.
"Interesting..." the Joker said and looked over to the other balcony on the opposite side of the room, seeing another guard.
"And I bet they're all armed," she said. "You're never getting to the governor. They're all loyal too."
"Boy, you seem to be a know-it-all," the Joker said, from behind his jester's mask. "Maybe you know a bit about something else."
She was quiet, knowing what he was referring to before he said it.
"It seems my inventory of a certain substance has been compromised," he said, knowing he had trapped her. "Stolen. As well as some necessary materials. Wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"
"I didn't take your shit," she said.
"That's not what I asked," he said, his voice dark against the cheery violins. "I know you didn't take it. I have footage of a black flash of a flying rat man."
"The Batman," she said.
"I asked if you know anything about it," he said.
"Nope," she lied.
"You know...lying to me comes with great consequences," he said.
"I don't know anything about it," she repeated.
"Hmm...maybe it was Brake?" the Joker said, playing mind games. He knew it wasn't Brake. "Perhaps I should pay him a visit-"
"No," Adriana said. "It wasn't him."
"Then it was you," the Joker said and laughed quietly. "I knew it wasn't Brake. He's quite loyal. I've convinced him to stay for a few more jobs with a hefty bonus. But you on the other hand..."
"I won't let you kill any children."
"Have I?" he asked. "I'm a man of my word."
"I don't care," she said. "I'm fed up with you, and working for you. It stops now."
"You'll be at the Kensington Warehouse tomorrow night," he said. "We have a trade to make."
"Fuck you and your criminal trade," she said. "Your time has run out."
"Oh?" he said with great amusement as he spun her. "Are you saying that because your Batman has stolen my laughing gas? You think he will use it to kill me?"
She was quiet.
"He won't kill me," the Joker said. "He can't do it. He's come very close though. But he just can't let me go. Just like I can't let him go. In a way, I'm happy that he stole the gas. We'll have a great fight when I get it back. He's a great fighter. You know, this city would be so dull without him. The police are a joke. He's my only real opposition. He's a source of inspiration and motivation to destroy this city, our dear Bat."
"Wow," Adriana said in a taunting voice. "I mean I know you wear a purple suit and makeup...so I guess I shouldn't be surprised you have such a crush on him."
"If you're trying to offend me, you're going to have to do better than that," he said.
"Never," she said innocently. "I'm not homophobic at all."
She knew he could tell that she was messing with him, trying to get a rise out of him. But he didn't care about her assumptions about him at all, he had heard far worse.
"How nice. Neither am I," he said. "As far as I am concerned, all humans are the same. Exactly the same as me...but they won't let it show, out of some sense of decency. That's why it's my job to inspire them. Inspire them to let the chaos free."
"You really think everyone is like you," she said. "That's why you need to be stopped. And I'm going to stop you."
He laughed.
"You think I'm kidding," she said. "You think the Batman is your only opposition but you've never fought me. He may not be able to kill you but I could."
"Hmm.." he said and reached into his jacket.
He pulled out the tiny vial of poison that she had stolen from Club Core ages ago.
"You were at my house again," she said. "Going through my things."
"What's taken you so long to use this?" he asked and tucked it away. "You're wasting perfectly good product there."
"Maybe I'd rather kick you off a building."
"And what about this one.." he said, pulling out another bottle.
It was the red potion that she had shoplifted from Madame Twyla. She let her arm hand down as they continued to move slowly through the dance floor. She looked down at the small bottle he was holding.
"Another poison," he said. "I'm curious. What does it do?"
"It's not poison," she said, and placed her free hand on his other shoulder.
"Sure it's not," he said. "You're collecting an arsenal, trying to decide which to use on me."
"Look," she said and pulled the cork out the the bottle and drank about a quarter of the solution.
What surprised her was that the potion was hot as if it had just come off of the stove, even though the bottle felt room temperature. It tasted like very strong sweetened hot chocolate.
"See," she said and handed the bottle back and pointed at the sticker on the bottom. "See that. Display only. Who displays poison?"
He lifted the bottom of his mask, exposing his scars. She felt her body go cold, there were so many police officers around. Surely one of them would see him. He shrugged and swallowed the rest and she looked at him in surprise. Perhaps at such a high dose, it would poison him? How lucky would that be? He covered his face again with the mask.
"Not bad," he said.
"That was a gamble," she said. "There are cops everywhere."
"Sure," he said, carelessly, and glanced at the governor. "Well, it looks like I have all the intel I need."
"I won't let you hurt him," she said.
"You think he's wonderful, don't you," he said. "Just like everyone else. But did you know this-"
He paused and surprised her by dipping her. She gripped his shoulders.
"The lovely judge accepted a bribe from him. A bribe to dismiss the plea for insanity. A bribe to ensure I am found guilty and receive the death penalty."
"Well," she said as he lifted her. "Did you ever think that maybe you deserve it?"
"Hmm...perhaps," he said. "But why doesn't he? Is he any better? Justice should be served."
"Yes," she said. "It will be served when I bash your brains in."
"Hahaha," he laughed. "So you would like to fight me."
"Yes. Scared?"
"Of course not," he said.
"Hah."
"See.." he said. "We're the same, you and I. You love a good fight."
"I hate fighting," she said. "But I have a lot anger built up and you know what...taking it out on you? I think it might actually be fun. I can't wait to make you pay."
"Hahaha," he was laughing, not taking her seriously. "Sure. I will let you take the first hit."
"One good hit is all I'll need," she told him.
The Joker stopped dancing and was looking behind her. She turned to see what he was looking at, hoping that he hadn't somehow noticed Bruce or recognized him as being the Batman. But he never even noticed Bruce, or any of the other young rich people in the room. They made him sick. He was instead looking at one of his men that had accompanied him, in case anything happened and he needed back up. One of the police officers had asked the man to remove his mask...He had a record, the recognized him..His prints were in the system
Adriana could see the officer's thoughts. The man's prints matched a set found weeks earlier at the church explosion. Adriana remembered seeing him from the balcony, fighting with the Batman. Everyone knew that the Joker was involved...they figured it out pretty quickly that the man was working for the Joker. The police were on high alert immediately, but did not want to frighten the crowd of wealthy party guests.
"Time to go," he said and grabbed her upper arm.
"What?" she asked as he pulled her along.
"Getting out of here will be much easier with a hostage," he huffed and pulled her over to the exit into one of the main areas of the hotel.
She wanted to fight back but she felt a surge of heat take over her body. Like someone had just turned on a furnace, close her her stomach. It actually was making it hard for her to breathe, let alone fight back. The potion..she knew absolutely nothing about it. Maybe it was actually poisonous at high doses? She knew she had to have had at least ten times the recommended dose..and the Joker three times more. Wouldn't this be a terrible way to die..but at least it wouldn't be in vain. Poisoning herself to also convince the Joker to drink a toxic solution.
"Sir, would you mind removing your mask, please?" Adriana heard a voice say and could see the police had already set up a checkpoint at one of the exits to outside. The officer was talking to a man attempting to leave the building and they overheard him.
"This way," the Joker said and pulled her in the opposite direction, towards another exit. There were two officers already there.
There was nowhere to go but the elevators and the lobby. He pulled her into the lobby which was mostly empty.
"There's no way out," she said, breathlessly, feeling her lungs constrict from the burning heat building up in her body. "Just turn yourself in."
"Boring," he said and reached into his pocket to hand her a few stacks of bills.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Check in," he said. "They'll be searching the hotel. The richest won't be bothered, that's how society works. Get the penthouse."
She looked down at the money and walked over the counter, glancing back. If anything happened she could tell the police he forced her to get his hiding place. He had forced everything
"I...want to check in.." she told the woman behind the counter.
"Wonderful," she smiled. "Are you a guest at the ball?" the woman asked, even though it was obvious.
"Yes," Adriana answered. "Is the penthouse suite available?"
"In fact," the woman said. "We had a cancellation so yes. May I have your name?"
"Adriana Navarro."
"Yes, I have your name listed here. Party guests are receiving a generous 35% discount tonight."
"Great," Adriana said and looked around nervously.
"How many nights?"
"Just one, I guess."
"Alright, Miss Navarro, how many guests?"
"Two."
"Great," the woman said. "Your total will be $22,500. "
"Okay..." Adriana looked down at the three stacks, each containing a $10000 marked wrapping strip. She handed the woman two and then counted out 23 hundred dollar bills.
"Is it alright if we use a previous card we have on file for you for incidentals?"
"Yeah.."
"Just a moment," the woman said, stood, and disappeared with the money. She came back with a manager and Adriana's heart pounded. The man smiled at her and went to the computer to type in a few things.
"Enjoy your stay, Miss Navarro," he said and handed her a room key. "Do you need any assistance with bags?"
"No..no bags," she stammered and walked over to where the Joker was standing, forgetting to thank them.
The mask was drawing attention and he knew it.
"Let's go," he said and walked over the elevators. And older couple, looking like they had come from the party, walked into the opened elevator doors with them. Before the doors shut, a cop stuck his hand in and got inside.
"No..." Adriana said under her breath.
"Is everything alright tonight officer?" the older gentleman asked the cop.
"Nothing to worry about," the officer said to them with a smile.
Adriana felt her heart rate going up again as she stood in the back corner. The officer looked over to the Joker..suspiciously. The Joker noticed it and knew the gig was up. Adriana saw the Joker reaching down for his gun and all she could think about was the innocent civilians standing right there. If there was as shootout in the elevator...they would likely be hurt or worse.
"Press 22, hun," Adriana said to the Joker after grabbing his arm and she watched as the officer relaxed a bit, seeing this suspicious man was accompanied made him much less suspicious.
The older couple left the elevator at 16 and officer at 20.
"Have a good evening folks," he said to them as he left.
The penthouse was enormous and had five bedrooms. As soon as they were inside the Joker threw his mask and jacket down and went over to the enormous windows. He could see down to he street on the north and east side of the building. The parking structure would most likely have to be his exit, based on where he could see the police officers posted. He looked over by the door and saw Adriana glaring at him.
"What?" he asked. "Trust me, this is as luxury of a hostage experience as it gets."
The way he looked right now somehow made her tense...and gave her a shudder of anxiety. He didn't look like himself. His hair wasn't green, his face wasn't painted, he was wearing all black and not a purple suit.
"Fuck you," she said and picked up a crystal glass and threw it at him. He stepped aside and watched it hit the floor.
"Remember," he laughed, feeling a sudden, surprising heart palpitation but ignoring it. "The room is in your name, so you pay for damages."
Another glass flew by his head.
"Come on," she walked over to him. "Let's settle this now."
"Hm..." he squinted and leaned forward a bit. "Maybe you want to wait for combat, until you can blink both eyes at the same time..at least."
"I hate you-" she said and grabbed her chest, feeling her heart racing and fluttering. "What the fuck.."
"Heart troubles?" he asked.
"Yes...you too?" she replied.
"Mhm," he said as if he didn't care.
"It's too hot.." she said and walked around looking for a bathroom. She found one but as soon as she took a step in, she felt her legs give out and she fell onto the floor. She could feel her pulse going faster and faster, to the point that she felt her heart would stop if it didn't slow down. She felt like all she needed was to lay under an icy cold flow of water. All of the muscles in her body constricted, tightening intensely. Even her heart muscle, and she could tell. Pressure on her chest like the was having a heart attack, began to build quickly.
"So.." she turned, hearing a voice above her, echoing against the tile walls of the bathroom. "It was a poison. I assume, something to induce cardiac arrest?"
"I...didn't..." she murmured weakly. "I didn't know...I swear."
"Mhm..." he said. She could see his thoughts..he was feeling all of the same symptoms she was but was still somehow able to make himself keep standing.
"Give me your phone," she said.
"Hmm..so you can call those cops downstairs?" he said. "I prefer dying without them around. Thank you."
"No...I need to curse out..this stupid bitch...that made that shit."
"You'll call an ambulance, naturally" he said. "Cops will come. Same thing."
"It...to late...for an ambulance. You don't believe me.." she said back. "You call her then..Madame Twyla...I stole from her...stupid fucking greedy bitch.."
The Joker leaned against the door frame of the bathroom and slowly slid down the floor as his leg muscles constricted. He pulled out his phone and searched the name online.
"5-1-7.." he murmured.
"Yeah.." Adriana said as her vision began to feel like she was in a tunnel. "Put her on speaker."
"Madame Twyla," the voice on the other end of the line said and the Joker could immediately tell this was a greedy woman. They just had a certain sound.
"Fucking...greedy...fuck...fucking bitch.." Adriana said, after hearing her voice on the phone while it was on speaker.
"And who is this?" the woman said, as if she was used to such greetings. "Hello?"
"Her name is Adriana Navarro," the Joker said, no luster in his voice. He felt his body failing too. "She stole...a bottle of red liquid from you. We drank it...and are presumably dying of cardiac arrest..or failure. Well done. Quite a nice solution you've created. Good taste...quick...effective."
"I knew it was her when I found a bottle missing," Madame Twyla. "Stupid, stupid girl. Stealing and drinking something she doesn't even know what it is. Stupid, foolish one!"
"Indeed," the Joker said. "She is."
"How much did you drink?"
"The bottle," he said.
"She had all of it?" Madame Twyla said.
"No," the Joker said. "She had a bit. I had most of it. And you...will be infamous."
"Listen," Madame Twyla said as if she was eating and didn't care much. "If you're still talking,maybe you will live. You just have to dissipate some of the energy the solution gives."
"How?" the Joker said.
"Are you two related?"
"Negatory."
"Okay, good," she went on. "Well, what you had was a very potent aphrodisiac. The only thing you can do now is try to relieve yourselves. The man needs the woman and vice versa. You may still die though, but luckily Miss Navarro has signed a document releasing me of all legal liability-"
"Relieve...Vice versa..." the Joker said, repeating her words.
"Yes," the woman said. "You two merge and it will help dissolve these effects. Simple, intercourse. It is the only way. Energy exchange with another will help with clearing it from the body. Should work fairly quickly. This is very survivable if you act in time."
"Merge..." the Joker said and looked at Adriana who wasn't moving at all. "I'm sure the female party would prefer the cardiac arrest. But thanks for taking our call."
"Wha-" Madame Twyla started to say but the Joker ended the call.
"Are you still living?" the Joker asked as he felt his pulse stalling and starting erratically.
"Mhm..." Adriana groaned as her voice broke. "I...I want to live..."
"Did you hear her?" the Joker asked, now sitting in the doorway and feeling himself sinking down to the floor.
"Ya..."
"If we are having heart failure, that is not going to help. Now..we die."
"Haha," Adriana gave the last bit of humor she could muster before she felt herself blacking out and fainting. "I knew you were gay."
.
.
.
The sound of her own voice woke her as she became conscious again. Quiet humming in her throat. Her eyes were closed but she could feel everything. Immense fullness in her body, her muscles relaxing, her heart pounding.
She could hear thoughts..his thoughts. He thought that her body was not accommodating him very well, perhaps he was hurting her, but her breathing seemed to be regulating. The artery on the side of her neck wasn't pulsating so rapidly that it looked like a vibration. Her heart rate was slowing, and she was alive. He was inside but unmoving.
She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He looked away immediately. His back, chest and arm ached tremendously. He was in too much pain to lift himself off of her.
"Go," she said, her voice weak. "Go..keep going."
His eyes darted back to hers. She could see the thoughts in his head. He was willing himself not to think. All his thoughts were supressed.
"Go," she said again, but he was frozen.
She lifted her hand slowly, and cautiously. Her palm rested on the side of his face. Her touch was warm and unfamiliar, he thought. It was not unpleasant. She was not unpleasant.
"We can do this," she encouraged him as his eyes drifted away from hers again.
She swallowed and felt pressure building in her chest again, her pulse creating a rapid swishing sound in her ears.
"Okay..." she negotiated. "I'll move..you stay still. Okay?"
He said nothing. She didn't know what needed to happen but it seemed like he was in enough control of himself to resist doing something that he wanted to do so badly. She did not have the same level of restraint.
He was such a horrible man. She knew this. The worst. Maybe it was the potion. It had to be the potion. In spite of how utterly deplorable he was, he felt incredible. It had to be the potion. Slowly she began to rock her hips and almost immediately her heart rate began to slow down. Her chest still ached, her heart still felt like it could give out at any second. He didn't appear to be reacting at all to her movements and she couldn't enter into his mind once she started to move her pelvis. The fullness and pleasure she was feeling seemed to take up all of the space in her mind.
She could not help it or hold it in. A moan eventually escaped her lips. His eyes went back to hers and his brow furrowed. The sound was undeniably from pleasure. It seemed to awaken something within him and he could no longer hold back.
He did not care what happened. He did not care about control. He felt himself plunge into her entirely even though it felt like there was not enough space within her for him. It felt like he would split her in half, but it did not matter. He lowered himself so much that all he could see was the floor two inches from his face. He thrusted into her, for a moment only focusing on what he could feel. What he wanted to feel. He wanted it faster. And so he went faster. It was as though his body moved on its own and something animalistic had taken over.
And again, the sound of her voice broke him out of his trance. She cried out and began to tremble beneath him.
It aches!
He heard the words. It was her voice. But he was entirely certain she had not said it out loud. Was she thinking this?
It was what she was thinking. He heard it. He assumed he must have been imagining things, or it was the poisonous substance they had ingested. Hearing thoughts? He didn't want her thoughts. He didn't want anyone's thoughts but his own. He found a way to control himself, to retreat from her mind. He also was not interested in hurting her in this way, if she was aching or in pain.
"Don't stop!" she said to him after he stopped moving.
And he continued, keeping his mind his own. He kept going until she began to thrash beneath him, her limbs moved on their own independently, and her nails began digging into his shoulders, gripping him tightly. After a minute her body went limp, apart from occasional twitches.
She placed a hand on her forehead and took deep breaths, looking straight into his eyes for a moment. He noticed his own heart rate had slowed significantly. The gaze she was giving him was icy, and predatory.
Then suddenly she grabbed the front of his shirt and began to kiss him. He felt her tongue slip past his lips.
"Take..." she said. "Take me in there.. to the bed."
She was giving him an order.
He thought to himself, why should he care? He had never cared what anyone else needed or wanted. Why should he carry her to the bed...while helicopter search lights beamed through the glass ceilings above them? He lifted her and did as she asked.
And she asked for more from him for many hours. She needed his tongue, lips, fingers, and she was not hesitant in telling him exactly what to do. It seemed like she could not get enough of the part of him that made him a man. The hotel blankets had started out as fluffy and soft. Eventually they became limp, saturated and twisted beneath them. And as the hours went on, he began to feel differently.
Eventually it became clear, they had done what was needed to get out of harm's way. The effect of what they had to drink was long gone. But they continued. He could not deny that he was enjoying her. His body released, erupting into her, and it was beyond his control.
He enjoyed her reactions to his touch. She had moments of pandemonium, surprise, darkness, glee, fervor, tranquility, reflection and more. He could see it all in every reaction. Savoring the tiny reactions...the microexpressions that she made...it brought him an amount of gratitude he was not expecting. The little emotions, he had never seen such a variety. One moment she looked cautious, then supercilious, the next moment her gaze was distant, the next she was beaming, the next she was clearly and overtly sensual, and the next she looked near tears. There was nothing like it. He became transfixed on getting more out of her, and the show seemed to be never ending.
After a final release she collapsed back onto the slackened sheets. She fell asleep almost immediately. He watched her for a moment before looking up through the glass in the ceiling. The sky had begun to brighten as the sun rose. He escaped from the hotel.