"Gorgon gave it to me," Adriana told Bruce as she took out her colored contact lenses. "He thinks there's something there. At Club Core."
"I've looked into it," Bruce said and looked at the card.
"Already? You were already suspicious?" Adriana asked with surprise since Bruce had not mentioned it.
"Yes," he said.
"And...what? There's nothing there?" she asked.
"A few people have been sent in," Bruce said. "The place has been surveilled. The drug may be sold there but it's difficult or impossible to acquire. It may be being sold selectively for some reason. Or only offered to certain people."
"Why would anyone do that? wouldn't they just want to make money off of their drug?" Adriana asked.
"They could be doing this to create some damage to the city," Bruce said. "It wouldn't be the first time."
"How about I give it a try?" Adriana asked. "I could go to the club and dig around...see what I find."
"And..you..." Bruce said, speaking like he was trying not to laugh. "Think they will sell this substance to...Mrs. Bruce Wayne."
"Look.." Adriana said and started to brush her wig which was situated on a mannequin head in front of her. "Wigs...makeup...it's a dimly lit place. No one would recognize me."
Bruce looked like he was not on board with the plan.
"Bruce...it's only a matter of time before one of these drugged college kids ends up killing again," she said. "We have to do something. We need a sample of this drug or some information to find out where it's being manufactured or sourced from."
Finally, Bruce looked like he was considering her idea.
"I don't want you to do this alone," he said, finally/. "It's risky."
"So are you going to wear a wig too?" Adriana laughed. "And makeup? You'll still be recognized. You're a household name. And being a drag queen would attract a lot of attention."
'No," Bruce told her.
"So who is going with me?" she asked him.
"Take Jack with you," Bruce said.
Adriana frowned. "What?"
"Who else?" Bruce asked.
"Bruce..." Adriana said. "That's an even bigger risk I mean...we got rid of all his images for facial recognition but we still haven't gotten to the physical evidence-"
"Then make sure you two aren't approached by any cops and ensure that he doesn't get arrested," Bruce said.
"As we go and buy drugs," Adriana said with a sigh.
"Yes," he said. "I'll ask him tonight. I invited him over to play pool."
Adriana rolled her eyes. "Of course you did."
"He's exceptional at it," Bruce said. "Haven't had such a challenge at a game of pool in years."
"Well," Adriana said and brushed her wig. "Glad you're enjoying yourself at least."
"Glad to hear that," Bruce said and kissed her cheek.
Adriana tilted her head and smiled at him.
"Gordon still believes in you," she said.
"Hm?" he asked.
"He thinks you can bring this...mystery drug to a halt," Adriana said. "Once I get the sample or some info, I know you will be able to."
"You spoke to Gordon about me?" Bruce asked.
Adriana pressed her lips together before speaking hesitantly.
"Okay...so when he gave me that card he asked if I could give it to you," Adriana said.
"Why would he think Shade and the Batman are associated?" Bruce asked, his tone already sounding disappointment.
"I...may have alluded to the fact that...we're together," Adriana said.
Bruce blinked hard and looked away.
"Adriana," Bruce said firmly. "Do you remember what happened a few months ago? Someone exposed Dent's death...all over the news. To destroy and to stop me. You cannot..be associated with me-"
"I know but," she said. "Gordon isn't going to tell anyone...I trust him-"
"So do I, but you could have been overheard," Bruce said.
"We weren't," she said. "I promise."
Bruce sighed. "Right. Okay."
"Please don't be angry," Adriana said, walking over to him and placing both hands on the sides of his face. "I'm sorry.."
"I just don't want you to be publicly humiliated or your image to be hurt because of me," Bruce said. "Remember...whoever these characters are that got Gotham to turn on the Batman knows my identity as Bruce Wayne."
"I know," she said. "Gordon isn't going to tell anyone."
Bruce kissed the inside of her wrist and lowered her hands. He nodded.
.
.
.
"I hope we get in," Adriana said to the Joker as they waited in line outside of the club. They could see many people ahead of them being turned away. "And if we don't...it's okay. I'll find another way.."
The Joker looked at her saying nothing.
"Sorry..." Adriana apologized to him. "That he asked you to come along for this."
"It's my pleasure," he said, his voice not very convincing.
"We're at capacity," the bouncer said to three people in front of them.
Adriana remained quiet until they got up to the bouncer and it was their turn to be turned away, As soon as they were in the front of the line the bouncer stepped aside for them to go in. Adriana didn't question it at all and walked by him. The Joker followed behind her.
"That was easy," she said. "I can't believe we got in."
"I can," the Joker said and looked around at the packed club.
"Why?" she asked .
"Your headlights are on," he said and glanced down at her chest for less than a second before looking away again.
She looked down at the deep blue PVC top she was wearing.
"Oh," she said, suddenly a bit embarrassed. "Well...it's really cold out there."
"Him," the Joker said and nodded towards a man standing by an off limits set of stairs. "He'll know where to get it."
Adriana looked at the man in all black.
"Oh..okay," Adriana said, not asking how he knew. "So...we should just go over and ask?"
"No," the Joker said to her.
Adriana saw the lights of the club flashing around them, heard the loud music and felt the floor vibrating under her feet. But all her senses began to dull as she looked at him. The club went quiet, calm, and still. She felt peace.
"Okay?" the Joker said and Adriana heard him.
"What?" she asked, missing what he had said. "Sorry...I didn't hear you."
He moved closer, knowing that he could not shout what he needed to say as he repeated himself. He was close enough that she could feel his breath on her ear.
"He saw us come in," the Joker said, "We go straight over asking for it, we'll look suspect as hell."
"Oh..right," Adriana said. "Good point. Let's..hang out by the bar for a few.."
Adriana and the Joker pushed their way through the dancing crowd and stood by the bar to pass time. As they stood facing each other, the Joker tapped one of his fingers on the bar impatiently. Adriana had the feeling he didn't want to be here at all.
Three songs passed and Adriana began to feel like she and the Joker were trying not to look at each other. The situation became very awkward very quickly and they both couldn't wait for it to be over.
"Enough waiting," he said. "Let's go."
Adriana nodded and sat her drink down and followed the Joker over to the man he had pointed out earlier. He was an employee of the club.
"Burgeon," the Joker said to the man.
The man, who seemed to be the exact same height as the Joker, with a shaved head and blue eyes, stood up straighter. He seemed to be examining them.
"You two want burgeon?" he asked.
"Yes," Adriana said. "Do you know where we could get some?"
"Follow me," the man said and started to walk away.
Adriana took a step to follow him but the Joker stopped her. He looked incredibly suspicious.
"What is it?" she asked.
"You stay behind me," he said. "Something happens to you and your husband will wring my neck."
"Okay, Jack," she said and rolled her eyes. "I will."
The followed the man through the club and up another set of stairs and into an isolated room with a large fish tank and a few couches. Once they were in the room, the man shut the door and pulled out a gun. He held it at his side and didn't aim it at them.
"You cops?" he asked them, and the Joker moved in front of Adriana.
"Do I look like-" the Joker began to ask the man rudely, but then he considered how he looked now. Sometimes he forgot. Perhaps now, he did look like someone who could be a cop. "No. I am not."
"And what about you?" he asked Adriana. "Huh, Mother of Dragons?"
"No," Adriana asked as the man looked at her wavy platinum blonde hair. The wig she had decided to wear was dramatic.
"Yeah, we'll see," the man said. "Who told you to ask me for burgeon?"
Neither one of them answered and the man raised the gun and the door opened behind them.
"What's going on here?" Adriana heard a voice say behind them.
"Boss," the man said. "Sorry but these two may be cops. Looking for a drug bust."
The man behind them looked at them both. It was Mateo. He owned the club.
"You!" he exclaimed when he saw Adriana. "You!"
He then burst into laughter.
"I can assure you this woman is not a cop," Mateo said.
"What about him?" the man who led them to the room asked.
"Ehh, well I don't know him," Mateo said and walked over to Adriana. "Lower your gun, Nate."
The man lowered his gun.
"This woman here...you giver her what she wants," Mateo said and then looked at the Joker. "And you..well you will have to prove yourself."
"I'm surprised you recognize me," Adriana said.
"Yes well, your hair is no longer fire red but, such a beautiful face and rich brown eyes I will never forget," he said. "This woman is the one who took my finger."
Nate looked confused. His boss looked at the woman as though he admired her, yet she had apparently mutilated him.
"And she saved my life," Mateo said. "From a sniveling hideous repulsive freak."
Adriana looked down and then at the Joker. He did not look bothered but appeared aware. Aware that Mateo was talking about him.
"They're asking for burgeon," Nate said.
"Ah...you have that?" Mateo asked, not knowing if the drug was available. Clearly Mateo was not involved with any sale of it.
"I.." Nate said. "Barely. Hard to come by."
"Well then," Mateo said. "There you have it. How much?"
"Three grand. That's how much I'll sell it for," Nate said and pulled out a small plastic bag with barely a dusting of a white powder in the bottom.
"Three grand for that?" Mateo laughed.
"We'll take it," the Joker said and both Mateo and Nate looked at him.
"That's barely enough for one line," Mateo said.
"We'll take it," the Joker repeated again and Mateo turned to him.
"We met?" Mateo asked and squinted while looking at the Joker.
Adriana was amazed that Mateo had recognized her at all. She had done her best with her hair and makeup. She was lucky that he did not recognize her as Mrs. Bruce Wayne, but the dark eye color alone had made him recognize her as the woman who used to work for the Joker who was tasked to amputate his finger and kill him. They had faked his death. It soddenly didn't seem far fetched that he would recognize Jack as the Joker.
"No. We have not," the Joker said.
"Eh, well. I'm suspicious of you," Mateo said bluntly. "Forgive me," he then said to Adriana. "But I do not trust your friend."
"How about this," Nate said, only thinking of his money. "I'll sell you this. You do the line in front of us."
Adriana and the Joker looked at each other.
"That's why you're here right?" Nate said and then looked at Adriana. "Unless you want it? One of you is going to do the line. You're not leaving here with this. Don't trust either one of you,"
"Alright then," the Joker agreed before Adriana could even consider what Nate was saying.
"Cash," Nate said and the Joker pulled out his wallet. He counted out thirty hundred dollar bills and handed them over.
Adriana wanted to stop this but she couldn't. She didn't want him to take in this drug. But there was no way out now.
Nate took the money and carefully made a tiny line with the powder on the table in the room. Once it was there, Adriana could see it was slightly colorful. Iridescent. As the looked at it, she realized the mission had been a fail. They would have nothing to take back for analyisis and the Joker would be drugged.
The Joker pulled out another bill and rolled it tightly. Very quickly he leaned down and used it to inhale the line.
"Guess you're not a cop then," Nate said and counted his money again.
"This woman," Mateo said about Adriana. "Is always welcome here. And gets whatever she wants. Understood?"
"Of course, boss," Nate said and shoved his bills into his pocket.
"Well...we have to go," Adriana said nervously. The Joker didn't seem to be having any reaction yet.
"Come back any time," Mateo said and took her hand and kissed it.
Once they were back out of the room and in the crowded club again Adriana stopped Jack from walking.
"Are you okay? Oh Jack..I'm so so sorry you had to do that! Are you-" Adriana began to ask but he grabbed her hand and was putting something into it.
She looked down at the tightly rolled bill he had used to inhale.
"Don't let it open," he said.
"What?" she asked and looked inside. the bill was pinched and folded shut on the bottom side. She could see white powder inside. It looked like the powder that had been in the bag Nate had was contained in the bill.
"There ya go," he said.
Adriana was confused as to how such a thing was even possible.
"How the hell.." Adriana said.
"It's not all there," he said. "Should be most of it though. A good bit went up my nose."
"I don't even understand how you got so much in there..." Adriana asked, thinking about the impossible physics of it.
"Perhaps I'm a magician," he said.
"Obviously.." Adriana said and the Joker began to walk backwards for no reason. He bumped into a woman who spilled her drink on the front of her mini dress. She turned around quickly and angrily to see who had bumped into her.
She looked at the Joker angrily for less than a second but then seemed like she was in a trance and began to smile. Her instant attraction was obvious.
"Look what you did," she said seductively.
"I apologize," the Joker said to her. "Are you alright?"
"Hm..." the woman said as though she was thinking about it. "I don't know. Maybe."
She tilted her head and bit her bottom lip while looking at him. Her wavy dark brown hair falling over her shoulder.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm..." the Joker said, trying to remember the false names they had come up with before they left. "Ian."
"I'm Selena," she said. "Nice to meet you."
The Joker nodded once and took a step forward and placed a hand on each of her shoulders. Adriana could see by the way that he was moving that the tiny amount of whatever was in that drug was beginning to take effect. The woman didn't look afraid at all as he held her arms, squinted and looked at her face.
"I'll pay for the drink," the Joker said. "Spilled one. We'll get you a new one."
"Okay," she said, excitedly.
He pulled out a few bills, Adriana could see at least $300 in his hand as he gave her the money.
"Wow," she said and took the money and folded it in her hand. "Gorgeous and generous. This must be my lucky night."
Adriana watched, still holding the rolled bill carefully as the woman stared into his eyes. Adriana looked at the Joker's back, wondering what he was thinking.
"Lucky...night..." the Joker repeated her words slowly. "Yes."
Adriana saw Selena smile.
"I am...lucky tonight," the Joker said and turned to Adriana. "Look at her."
Selena blinked a couple times and looked at Adriana.
"Oh," she said.
"Isn't she..." the Joker said to Selena. "Very...lovely."
Adriana looked down and away.
"I'm sorry I didn't know you were here with your girlfriend," Selena said.
"She's...not," the Joker said. His words coming out slower and slower. Selena didn't seem to notice.
"Oh," Selena said, perking up again.
"We are friends," the Joker said slowly. "But she's wonderful eh? "
Adriana was suddenly feeling embarrassed for the both of them.
"She's beautiful," Selena finally laughed and agreed. "So..what is this? You give me money and ask me what I think of her.."
"You're...insinuating," the Joker said, noticing her tone but feeling clueless about what she was getting at. "Something.."
"You two are looking for a threesome," Selena said and looked at them both.
"No..no..." the Joker said. "I...cannot. I can't. She is...off limits..to me..everyone.."
"Oh..." Selena said and walked over to Adriana and wrapped an arm around her waist. "So you just want to watch? That why you keep asking me if she's beautiful?"
"No-" Adriana started to say but her words were cut short as Selena began to kiss her.
Adriana was shocked at the kiss but was amazed at her focus on not spilling the contents of the rolled bill. She found a way to gradually ease out of the kiss while concealing the bill in her palm.
"We're...actually just leaving, sorry...we're not looking for anything," Adriana said.
"That's a shame," Selena said and traced a finger along Adriana's cheek.
"Well we should go now.." Adriana said and looked at the Joker. "Right..Ian?"
He was staring at both of them, his mouth gaping slightly.
"Come on," she said and began to pull his arm.
.
.
.
"You doing alright over there?" Adriana asked the Joker as she drove. He was staring out the passenger side window quietly.
"Mm.." the Joker said and looked at the city flying by.
He was quiet again and then looked up at the sky. No stars could be seen in downtown Gotham.
"She kissed you," the Joker said.
"Yep.." Adriana said. "You can stop thinking about it now."
"No I can't," he said, still looking out the window. "She put her tongue in your mouth."
"Yeah well.." Adriana said. "I had to focus on not spilling our whole reason for being there."
"She said she was lucky," the Joker said. "Her lucky night."
Adriana turned at glanced at the back of his head as he looked outside.
"She was right," the Joker then said.
"Look..." Adriana said. "I guess it's the drug talking, but you can't keep saying stuff like that."
He leaned back in his seat and looked at her.
"Like what?" he asked as though he didn't understand.
"Jack-" Adriana said. "Look...ugh...nevermind. You'll be home soon and you can sleep it off."
"Sleep?" he laughed. "I can't sleep yet."
"Why not?" she asked, wondering if the drug was making him restless.
"Because of what I saw," he said.
"Right.." Adriana said. "The stupid kiss."
"Nah..not that," he said, speaking slowly again nearly slurring, and pointed both index fingers at the road ahead. "Headlights...were staring at me...because you don't have on a bra."
Adriana looked away from him and back at the road uncomfortably.
"So...can't sleep yet," he said. "I'll have to clean the pipes a few times first-"
"Okay," Adriana said, stopping him. "I think a quiet drive would be better...maybe we should just stop talking."