The wind was knocked out of Adriana's lungs as she hit the floor. She coughed a couple of times, feeling the straw on the ground tickling her face. She looked up and saw the man she had come to stop, looking down at her.
"Shade...looks like you picked the wrong one," he said, after knocking her down into the pit.
She felt a bit dizzy after the fall. Using her hands to push herself up onto her knees but her movements became very slow when she saw to round golden eyes looking at her. There was a small gate leading to another caged room which was she could barely see in the dark. The eyes got larger as the animal crept towards her, with fur dark and reflective almost blue-black. A panther.
She had no idea what to do in this situation. She scanned the man's mind because he knew how to deal with this type of animal. She knew that she now needed to stand on her feet and was to avoid crouching and bending down. She stood up straight and made eye contact with animal.
Suddenly, the animals owner started to bang on a smaller cage beside him that was empty. She watched the panther as its eyes darted around and its knees braced at the loud sound.
"Kill her!" The man began to shout.
He started banging on the cage even louder and the panther turned and darted towards her. Her body froze and she realized her life may be over. All of a sudden she could not see the panther anymore. An enormous black figure dropped in front of her. The Batman.
.
.
.
"Illegal animal trafficking," the Batman said to Shade that night after the police carted the man away. "Risky business."
They began to walk together and she could tell that no one was around to hear them or see them.
"That was horrifying," she said finally. "All I could think of was Arsenio and how I do not want to leave him without a mother. I think that was the worst moment of my life."
"It's okay," he assured her. "I'm here. You don't have to worry."
"I love you," she told him.
.
.
.
"Suction," Dr. Kapoor said to Adriana as they finished the Joker's dental implants.
They had been working for a little over two hours placing teeth in his mouth. Every so often she read that thoughts of the Joker. He was thinking that the entire process felt bizarre and that his jaw was aching. He was glad it was almost over.
"We've done a good job," Dr. Kapoor said to Adriana once they were finally done.
"Do you want to have a look?" she said to the Joker.
He nodded once and she handed him a handheld mirror. She watched as he looked into the mirror bearing his teeth. He made several biting motions and the teeth made sounds as they hit each other.
"How do they feel?" the doctor asked.
"Big," the Joker answered honestly.
His previous teeth had severe enamel decay which made them almost half the size they were originally. The size of implants felt massive in his mouth but already he could tell that he could speak much better.
"Yes," the doctor agreed. "But these are the correct size for your jaw and mouth. It may take some time but you will get used to them."
The Joker nodded again before looking over at Adriana. The full sized teeth changed is face a bit, making it look a bit more balanced but also made the scars in his cheeks look slightly stretched above his facial hair. It almost looked a but painful but he didn't seem to be in any pain.
"So," she said. "What would you like to eat? You can eat in about six hours..soft foods. I know you must be ready to eat after...everything and several days of a liquid diet."
"It doesn't matter to me," he said, speaking with ease with the new teeth. "Whatever you have."
"Okay," she said and stood up. For some reason him speaking in full sentences nail made her feel a bit flustered. "I'll see what there is and I'll bring it. It'll probably be after midnight when you can have a some food."
"Alright," he said and looked over at the doctor.
"Well," the doctor said and pulled over his walker and shut off the bright light over him. "You are good to go."
The Joker stood slowly after removing the medical sunglasses that blocked the light the doctor and Adriana needed to see to implant his teeth. His long almost waist length messy hair had gone flat against the back of his shirt. Adriana and the doctor walked with him back to his room in the dim hall way.
"It's dark," he said to them.
"Oh..we've been keeping the lights really low for you," she said. He was finally noticing how dark it was. "Do you think it's okay if we brighten them a little?"
"Yep," he said plainly and went into the room.
There was now a TV in the room for him though it did not have satellite and only played movies and TV shows that he could select from a list. Adriana and the doctor left the room.
.
.
.
"Everything went extremely well," the doctor said to Adriana when they were alone in another room. The doctor was looking over paperwork. "I appreciated your assistance."
"Of course," she said.
"Now he will be able to eat and speak, which is excellent."
"Yes, it is," she said.
"It's great to finally be able to use some of this medical equipment and some of my expertise," the doctor said.
"I'll bet," Adriana told him.
"So," the doctor said. "All of his blood work came back. He is healthy, considering everything. No illness or diseases.. Apart from arthritis. I believe he is young enough for his hip joint to heal and possibly even make a full recovery. It will be a long road ahead though. Excellent lipid and hormone panels. Thyroid is healthy. I would like to get his iron and B vitamins up though. Let's see..."
The doctor continued looking over the chart.
"I would also like to give him stem cell therapy for his joints," the doctor said. "That way he will be able to move around a bit more easily. "
"Great," Adriana said, looking at the x-rays of his hip joints.
"Also.." the doctor said. "I would like to start his...psychological therapy tomorrow."
"Oh.." she said. "You're ready to do that?"
"Yes," the doctor confirmed. "After spending more time with him...I would say, I am not particularly afraid of him. I would like to converse with him about his..various issues."
"Do you want me to tell him?" she asked.
"If you don't mind..and please let him know, that it is entirely optional."
.
.
.
"Water for now," Adriana told the Joker as she handed him a drink.
He reached for it while holding eye contact with her.
"So, the doctor wants to give you a psych eval and possible therapy, starting tomorrow," she said as he lifted the bottle to his lips. "But only if you're okay with it. Totally up to you."
"Hm," he said, with a half smile as if he was holding in a laugh. "Well, that's new. Psych without a court order."
"Yes," she said. "So...do you think you'll be okay with that?"
"Yep," he said. "What else have I got to do all day?" He smiled broadly revealing the new teeth.
"Right," she responded.
She read his thoughts again. He knew that the good doctor didn't realize how much the two of them knew each other and why she was so comfortable around him. He assumed she wanted him to keep quiet. He had no intentions of revealing anything about their past to the doctor, and for that she was relieved.
"Well..I must be going," she told him. "I'll be back later with some food for you."
"It can wait," he said without enthusiasm. "Tomorrow."
"Oh...right okay. Tomorrow then."
.
.
.
"Ayaaaaa," Arsenio said as soon as he saw Aymara. She insisted on babysitting him just because she missed him so much. Adriana agreed.
"Little babyyyyyyy," Aymara beamed and took him from Adriana. Sidi held open the front door as Aymara came back into their house and Adriana followed. "We're going to have so much fun!"
"Yaya, Aya!" he said and grabbed some of her hair.
"Don't pull, sweetheart," Adriana said and loosened the grip of his tiny fist.
"Aww, it's okay," Aymara said and kissed Arsenio's cheek.
Aymara took the baby into another room and Sidi looked Adriana up and down suspiciously.
"How is your health?" she asked immediately.
"I'm great," Adriana said. "How are you?"
"Perfect," Sidi said. "Any more dreaming of fires and burning? Waking burning?"
"Sidi," Adriana said, unable to answer. It had happened again that morning. Through the flames she had to crawl out of bed and across the floor quietly into the bathroom to fun her face under cold water. She had to do all of this without waking Bruce who she knew would be worried sick.
"Yes! I knew!" Sidi said. "It is time! Your gift is harming you-"
"It's fine," Adriana said. He r gift was helping her more than ever with her vigilantism. She was not at all ready to just give it up.
"It isn't," Sidi said. "It will only get worse."
"If it gets worse then okay.." Adriana said. "But it's tolerable."
"Foolish fool of a girl."
"Well, I have to get going," Adriana said and left quickly. "He already ate before we left the house but he'll probably want a snack soon or something to chew, he's cutting another tooth. Bye Sidi!"
.
.
.
"Everything we discuss will be confidential," the doctor said to the Joker. "This is just a discussion to help me to understand you better so that I can help you as best I can."
"Right," the Joker said, twirling a pencil on the small table beside him. "I can save you some time though, doc."
"Oh?" the doctor said.
"I have already been clinically diagnosed as a psychopath," the Joker said boredly.
"Okay," the doctor said. "And you are aware of what a psychopath is? What that means?"
"But of course," the Joker's voice danced. "That means...well, I have no emotion. I am a loner. No anxiety or empathy."
"Yes," the doctor was impressed. "Those are all characteristics of a psychopath."
"Bingo," the Joker replied.
"You sound bored," the doctor noticed. "Are you typically bored with things?"
"Yes."
The doctor nodded. "I see. Is there anything in life that excites you? Anything you look forward to?"
"Hmmm...chaos excited me."
"Chaos," the doctor said and appeared to write a note. "Chaos in others as well as yourself?"
"Yes."
"Okay," the doctor replied. The Joker obviously incited chaos from what he could see on the news in the past. "I noticed you said that it 'excited' you."
"Yeah?" the Joker asked.
"Past tense?" the doctor observed. "Would you say you find chaotic events no longer exciting?"
The Joker sat pensively for a few moments.
"What would you say you find exciting now?" the doctor tried to find another way to ask the question.
The new question made the Joker feel suddenly vulnerable. In a way they he had never felt before.
"Exciting.." the Joker said with deep vocal fry, looking over at his hand twirling the pencil. He remembered killing a man with a pencil. In the moment, it had been thrilling. Now it did not interest or excite him at all.
"Yes," the doctor said. "Is there anything you look forward to?"
The Joker already knew the answer. He looked forward to seeing Adriana every time that she was there.
"Well," the Joker said. "I look forward to seeing...people."
"Oh," the doctor said. "Society? Where things can be...chaotic again?"
"No," the Joker answered. "Not society...Individuals."
"Ah," the doctor said, raising his eyebrows. "For what reason?"
"Reason?"
"Do the individuals you look forward to seeing have any use for you? Do you have intentions for them?"
"Use...intention..." the Joker thought of Adriana again. He had no use for her. She was a married woman with a new life that she was keeping very secret from him. A kind woman with enough compassion in her heart to help a monster. She probably couldn't wait for him to be well enough to walk normally and get back on his feet so that she would never have to see him again, he thought. He had no intentions, no plan, no goal with her. He wanted her forgiveness for how barbaric he had been but he would never know how to ask for it. No intentions. He simply felt fortunate for each time that she decided to come and help this doctor with him. Even if she never returned he would be happy that he at least got to see her again and that she was not dead.
"Yes," the doctor said.
"No," the Joker sighed. "No use for them."
"So..if I am understanding," the doctor said. "There are people in your life that you want to see or be around..for no other reason than to be in their presence. Just to see them?"
"Sure, doc," the Joker answered.
"Would you say you have a feeling of bonding with these people?"
"Well...used to," the Joker went on.
"Not anymore?"
"No," the Joker answered. "That has been... Changed."
"Do you feel you have done things to ruin your bonds with others?"
"Yep."
"And..do you wish that those bonds hadn't been ruined?"
"Sure...would be nice. But there's no changing the past."
"The past," the doctor said. "You've been...well, for lack of a better word..a murderous criminal."
The Joker made a motion that looked like he was pushing a button in the air right in front of him. He agreed.
"Is this..something that has affected your bonds with others?"
"I'd say so."
"Would you also say..that you regret those actions? Everything that makes you..the Joker?"
"Well," the Joker stretched his feet while sitting. "If I stopped doing those things, at a certain point... I wouldn't be here. I would be..."
"With them...the people you felt bonded to."
" Possibly."
"I see..."
"See what?" the Joker said.
"It just...sounds like regret."
"Well," the Joker shrugged. "What else is new?"
"Regret...bonding...missing someone," the doctor said. "These aren't characteristics of a psychopath."