Divination (Joker x Batman x OC)

Chapter 49

"Wow," Aymara said to Adriana as they sat in the indoor back porch. "I mean..Momma is right though."

"I know," Adriana replied. 

They were taking about what Sidi had told Adriana about the new limits to her gift. She would be surprised and taken off guard if she let her focus slip for even a second. It was incredibly stressful. She had never been in a situation like the one with the senator. She needed to focus on the explosive device in his chest and her surroundings and for a moment her focus slipped. And the Batman was able to attack her. 

"I don't mean to be ungrateful it's just..." Adriana said.

"You're hiding something," Aymara said. 

"I am..." Adriana said after a pause. "But I can't talk about it. It's important though...I'm helping people. I want to be at my best. I've been trying to see if I can expand my gift..see if i can reach further or be more aware of thoughts without having to actively tune into them. I can't afford surprises...I just can't. There has to be a way.."

"Helping people?" Aymara said.

"What I'm doing..." Adriana said. "I'm saving lives."

"You're back with the police?" Aymara asked.

"Something...like that," Adriana said and picked up the glass of wine on the table in front of her. "Anyway, I can't slip up out there. It could cost someone their life."

"Well.." Aymara started to say cautiously.

"What?" Adriana perked up. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Aymara said. "Sorry-"

"No! Tell me, please," Adriana begged, but she could already see Aymara's thoughts. "I'm desperate here."

"Okay," Aymara finally spoke. "You can't tell mother that I told you this.."

"I swear I won't," Adriana said.

"Okay," she said after deep breath. "There is someone else who does work similar to what we do."

"And your mother doesn't approve of her methods," Adriana said. 

"So you've read my mind," Aymara said. "So technically I didn't tell you about her-"

"You're in the clear," Adriana said.

"She's irresponsible Adriana,"Aymara warned.

"Do, you think she'll help me?" Adriana asked without caring that the woman wasn't responsible.

"I think she will," Aymara said. "But like I said..again, she's not responsible."

"That's fine," Adriana said knowing that she didn't care, she just wanted her gift to improve. She never wanted anyone to be able to sneak up on her and attack again. "She lives a few blocks away, doesn't she?"

"She's about eight blocks away," Aymara said. "I'm sure you'd have figured that out."

"Her address is in your mind," Adriana said. "I'm going there."

"Now?" Aymara asked.

"Well, I have somewhere to go soon but...tomorrow," Adriana said. "At the latest. I need this woman's help."

.

.

.

"I've never seen you wearing a watch before but I hope that you enjoy it," Bruce said to Adriana as they had lunch at Wayne Tower. "But if not I can get you something else."

"It's so beautiful, I love it," Adriana said to Bruce as she admired the Piaget Limelight watch. The rose gold case was surrounded with stunning graduated diamonds. The screws were also diamond set. "It's...a lot Bruce."

"It suits you," he said with a smile.

"How was Geneva?" she asked him.

"It was fine," Bruce said. "I kept very busy, and came back early. Had a run in with Shade, which I am sure you already know if you are looking into what I am thinking of right now."

"She was in the news," Adriana said. "For saving the senator."

"Yes," Bruce said. "There was no mention of me in the news reports, just Shade. No one else knows I was there. She took him to the hospital after the...ordeal."

"Yup," Adriana said. "So...Shade.."

"Shade," Bruce sighed and began to look a bit distant has he thought about her. "Shade, indeed."

"She saved the Senator..with your help," Adriana said. "That's amazing."

"We fought," Bruce said.  "She was an incredible fighter.  Though rather...unstructured. When I came into the room it looked like she had taken out the Senators guards and was about to kill him. It was rather strange."

"But..she was trying to help him?" Adriana said observantly.

"Yes," Bruce said.

"So what's so strange about that?" Adriana wondered out loud.

"Well, when the fight started I struck her pretty hard. Since I thought she was about to kill the senator I fought her to the best of my ability," he said. "What's strange is it felt as though she was holding back. In the fight."

"Maybe that's because she knows you were one of the good guys," Adriana offered.

"Perhaps, but the with way that I came at her..it's suspicious. She had to have known that I was seconds away from possibly killing her. But I could tell she was restrained with her fighting,"   Bruce sighed. "Or perhaps she knew she wouldn't be able to handle the situation with the senator without my help. I certainly could have handled things without her."

"Did you know about the bomb?" Adriana asked as innocently as she could. "The news said there was an explosion."

"No," he answered. "But I would have figured it out."

"Oh," Adriana said even though she couldn't see how. He was confident and was not going to admit that he and Shade had worked well together. That she somehow had intel that he knew nothing about. "Okay."

"I need to find out who she is and where she came from. Who she is working for," he said. "They are reckless."

"Reckless?" she asked.

"We've all heard about the stories in the news by now," he said. "She has no vehicle. She's hailed cabbies to assist her. It's not safe. Not for the civilians."

"Maybe she..." Adriana said like she was guessing. "Makes sure whoever she is after doesn't know she's in the cab...somehow? Maybe she checks-"

"It's not safe," he said again. "I know you don't understand how it is out there in real time. I mean, you have seen my memories and experiences but it is different in the field as a vigilante. Anything could happen out there."