"See him?" Bruce asked the Joker who was holding the binoculars.
"He's far off," the Joker said.
"There's a water source over there," Bruce said. "That's where they will be."
"Hmm," the Joker said and handed the binoculars back. "They don't look that big."
"A wild hog is like a 700lb elk," Bruce told him. "Compressed into that 250lb animal."
The Joker watched Bruce pull out his phone for the fifteenth time on their hunt. Bruce sent a text and then put the phone back into his pocket.
"In her defense," Bruce said as the Joker watched him. "Adriana usually texts me about every half hour when while I am out hunting."
"Ahh," the Joker said. "So she's only contacting you about three times as much as usual."
"Well," Bruce said. "We're out here alone. With rifles."
"Arch enemies," the Joker said to Bruce.
Bruce and the Joker looked at each other for a few moments before laughing.
"Let's go," Bruce said. "He's gone over that ridge but we can still track him."
.
.
.
"Rewind it again," Adriana said to Bruce.
They were in his office watching surveillance footage of a woman who recently was killed by the police. She flipped an officer over her shoulder as he tried to cuff her and then seemed to run a few steps up on a flat brick wall before grabbing onto a fire escape.
"How is that even possible?" Adriana asked.
"I've heard from a few sources that," Bruce sighed. "This is the effect of some new street drug."
"A drug?" Adriana asked. "Giving the people the ability to run up a wall?"
"She only ran a couple paces...it's physically possible...with the right amount of adrenaline and simulant," Bruce told Adriana. "The drug is called Burgeon. Powdered substance."
"Did you get some?" Adriana asked and Bruce squinted at her. "Come on, I don't want to try it, I just really wonder what the hell is in it."
"Unfortunately not," Bruce told her. "It's hard to find. But this is the fourth college kid that the police have had to shoot. Two police are dead so far. Three others are in the hospital. One might be paralyzed. Getting a sample won't be easy. Finding out where it's made and shutting it down will be even more difficult."
"Sounds like..." Adriana said. "You want to participate in this."
"What?" Bruce asked. "Did you think I would just leave it up to you?"
"Well...the city won't be happy to see the Batman again," Adriana said. "Especially over a street drug that so far...is having less casualties than even heroin-"
"So you think that you can handle this alone?" Bruce asked.
"I've shut down drug operations before, if you'll remember-" Adriana said.
"Of course I remember my love," he said. "This is different. You could be seriously hurt. This...whatever this is...is giving these people who are completely average and untrained...almost superhuman capabilities."
"Well, maybe if we can just get a sample..." Adriana said. "And get it to a lab..if there's some rare component we could find the source and cut it off."
"I thought the same thing," Bruce told her.
"Great minds think alike," she smiled.
After a kiss, Bruce closed his laptop and sighed.
"There's always something brewing in Gotham," he said.
"Speaking of...brewing," Adriana said. "What's with you and Jack?"
"Hm?" Bruce asked.
"Is this some sort of...keep your friends close and your enemies closer thing?" Adriana asked. "You're hanging out with him all the time."
"A few times is not all the time, Adriana," Bruce said.
"You just told me you and Jack are going to do rocketry later and you just went out hunting with him yesterday," Adriana said.
"I just happened to mention a few model rockets that I had built recently that I wanted to test out," Bruce said and Adriana rolled her eyes. "Look, if it makes you uncomfortable I don't have to spend so much time with him."
"I didn't say it made me uncomfortable," Adriana said. "It's just...Bruce it's weird."
"I don't have to be friends with him if it's not what you want," Bruce said.
"I don't want to be controlling," Adriana said. "I can't tell you who you can and can't be friends with."
"You can," Bruce said and kissed her hand. "And I will do what you say."
"Now you're just making me feel bad..." Adriana said. "I'm...okay with you being friends with him it's just strange for me. I mean..I want you two to get along obviously. I just didn't think you'd get along so well."
"Perhaps..we have a lot in common," Bruce guessed.
"Like what?" Adriana asked.
"Well..." Bruce thought and then looked at Adriana. "Obviously we both have great taste in women."
Adriana shook her head. "Not funny."
"Come on," Bruce laughed and kissed her. "I'm joking."
"Still not funny," Adriana said.
Bruce looked at his phone and picked it up.
"That's Jack," Bruce said. "So...am I allowed to go?"
"Fine.." Adriana said. "Go and have fun with your friend."
.
.
.
"When you said model rocketry," the Joker said to Bruce as they walked through enormous building. "I assumed you meant the hobby with the small rockets that shoot up 500 feet. This is like NASA."
"Impressed?" Bruce asked as they went into the cafeteria.
"Quite," the Joker said. "Especially with the last one."
The cafeteria was largely empty as the Joker and Bruce went to a table. A young woman came over and handed them menus.
"Let me guess..." the Joker said. "You own this place."
"Had it built almost fifteen years ago," Bruce said.
After they made their orders and their food was served Bruce began to discuss the future of the company and his goals. The Joker could tell that Bruce was passionate about what he did. The Joker began to wish that he had something to be so passionate about.
"How do you find it?" the Joker asked Bruce.
"Find what?" Bruce asked.
"Drive...passion," the Joker said. "To do all of this."
"I guess it just comes natural," Bruce said. "We all have passion. It's just a matter of focusing and execution."
The Joker nodded even though he didn't fully understand.
"I'm sure you have passions," Bruce said to him.
"Nah," the Joker said. "All of the things I was passionate about..."
Bruce knew what he meant before he finished his sentence. Terrorism, anarchy, upsetting the established order.
"You will find new passions," Bruce said. "Speaking of which, you are an excellent artist."
The Joker didn't know what Bruce was talking about.
"Hm?" the Joker asked.
"You're skilled with painting," Bruce said. "You've done amazing work."
"Ah...that," the Joker said. "I haven't painted in a while."
"Any particular reason why not?" Bruce asked.
"Suppose not," the Joker said.
"They perhaps you should pick it up again," Bruce said. "Did it make you happy?"
The Joker though about it for a moment. The answer was yes.
"More than happy," the Joker said.
"Then there you have it," Bruce said. "A passion. You likely have more you haven't discovered yet."
"Mhm," the Joker agreed and then Bruce pulled out his phone. "Adriana?"
"Of course," Bruce smiled as he texted. When he was done he put his phone away again.
"Surprised she was alright with you bringing me here today," the Joker said.
"Well, she wasn't," Bruce said. "She thinks it's bizarre that we are spending any time together."
"Well she is right isn't she?" the Joker asked.
Bruce began to laugh. "You're honesty is always appreciated."
"Good to know," the Joker said an took a drink of ice water.
"Can I be honest as well?" Bruce asked.
"Go on," the Joker said.
"Well, Jack," Bruce said. "I don't have many friends. Alfred, Lucius, Sidi, Aymara.."
"Mm.." the Joker listened.
"And of course Adriana, I would consider her to be my best friend," Bruce said.
"Mhm," the Joker said.
"I don't have friends to share any hobbies with on a regular basis," Bruce said. "The hunt yesterday was the most enjoyable hunt I've been on if I'm honest."
"May I ask why you don't have more friends?" the Joker asked. It didn't make sense to him that Bruce wouldn't have lots of them.
"Perhaps it was my choice of friends or the people I was around," Bruce said. "I have one college friend who I tent to avoid spending too much time with when he's in town. He was here a couple weeks ago."
"What's wrong with him?" the Joker asked.
"He's a womanizer," Bruce said. "Which I understand, I've had my phase of it as well. However the last time he was here he flirted with Adriana a lot. He stops if I ask but..eh. He's still immature and is inappropriate a times. Whenever I hear from him his intro must always be about Adriana. I never minded when I had girlfriends as he'd say things. But now it's bothersome. Perhaps reminds me of a time when I didn't take my relationships very seriously. That's how he knows me."
"So he tells you that he is attracted to your wife," the Joker said. "I've told you the same thing."
Bruce laughed again.
"Surely there's no one more direct and honest than you, Jack," Bruce said. "However you told me that after I asked. You're not going on and on about her being hot. That is why my college friend does. Calling her a MILF amongst other things."
"Right..." the Joker said, swirling the remaining water in his cup. "I would never just...come right out and say that."
Bruce looked at the the Joker for another second and began to laugh again.