Divination (Joker x Batman x OC)

Chapter 170

"Shades," Lucius said jokingly as Adriana came into his office wearing sunglasses. She shut the door behind her and then took them off.

"Drug dealer swung a pipe at my head," she told Lucius and he noticed the small cut on her eyebrow and the swelling beneath it. "Being the only vigilante in town right now has it's perks."

"The only vigilante right now?" Lucius asked. "So you think there may be a chance the city will accept the Batman again?"

"Well, they're going to have to," Adriana asked. "I can't do all of this by myself."

Lucius nodded. "You look tired."

"I am," she said and sat down. "Have you gotten to chat with Bruce today?" Adriana asked.

"I haven't chatted with Bruce in weeks," Lucius said. "Other than in passing and only when it's necessary, business related."

Adriana sighed. "He has to get over this...You two are friends."

"What Bruce knows is that, his worst enemy is under monitoring and supervision of my choosing," Lucius explained. "And now all he knows is that I have evaded his questions about where the Joker is and what is going on with him...which by the way, everything is set up in the Dominican Republic. I should be able to schedule the flight in about 7 days."

Adriana nodded, hiding the sadness...only 7 more days. 

"He hates the Joker for forcing you to work for him. But I'm beginning to suspect he hates him even more for another reason," Lucius said. "His...distance from me indicates more is going on."

"What reason is that?" Adriana asked.

"Have you considered..." Lucius began to ask carefully. "That somehow Bruce has found out that..well...that the Joker is Arsenio's father?"

Adriana sat up quickly in her chair.

"What?" she asked, hearing panic in her voice. "No! Now way...there's no way he could know about that at all. Why would you think he knows?"

"Something's changed in him," Lucius said. "I can't think of anything else that would have affected him in this way. He's never been this way towards me."

"But how would he even find out?" Adriana asked, feeling afraid. "No one knows! Neither of us told him. Dr. Kapoor...he knows but...oh no-"

"I don't think Dr. Kapoor would do such a thing," Lucius said. "It would expose the fact that he is basically the main one harboring the Joker in the medical facility. He genuinely wants to help the Joker and telling Bruce anything about him would be useless."

"So, who then?" Adriana asked.

"Who else knows?" Lucius asked.

"Well...Damien," Adriana sighed. "Maybe he and Bruce crossed paths...maybe Damien mentioned it."

Adriana held her stomach, feeling nervous and sick. 

"Maybe this is why Bruce has been acting so weird lately..." Adriana said. "He looks at me like he feels bad for me..and he almost never initiates sex anymore. I mean we have sex but it's like...I don't know...something's changed, you're right. I can't....I can't take this, Lucius. The thought of Bruce knowing and saying nothing. Maybe that's why he looks so sick..and skinny...he's lost his appetite because-"

"We don't know for sure that he knows anything," Lucius said. "I'm only suspicious."

"I have to ask Damien," Adriana said. 

"Yes, you could do that," Lucius said.

"I will," Adriana told him. "Right now. I'll go and find him."