[ He doesn't complain. In fact, Bruce doesn't say much of anything the drive over. The only real signs of life is the way his hands tense when they take a corner too fast.
But, he doesn't complain.
When they reach the diner, Bruce drops his sunglasses and gets out after Jason. He sees Jason's grin and it's funny how he's found the easiest way to get his heart to skip a beat or two.
Anyway.
He walks in ahead of Jason, leans on the hostess station and offers her a tired smile. ]
I really wanna sit in a booth. Tell me you got one of those.
[The hostess looks at Jason and is about to direct him to the closest table and get him his regular, but then she sees Bruce and she blushes. Jason laughs.]
I thought he looked like he needed a coffee. Jeanne, can you get us a booth? I don't think he's ever sat in one.
[Jeanne finds them a booth and Jason goes to sit, easing back.]
[ He follows, trudges like its a slog and slides in like he's never sat in a booth before. Orders an orange juice and a short stack of pancakes with a side of bacon and coffee. Black. The only thing he'll have is the coffee.
He leans in as Jason leans back. ]
Bad. Lowered inhibitions makes users susceptible to suggestion. It literally makes it a pleasure to obey.
[ Which explains the body in the harbor. He didn't die from the overdose. He drowned. ]
[Jason takes Bruce's breakfast to eat along with his own; Bruce might be a brat about food, but Jason is like a black hole.]
Mmm. It felt...
[He thinks about it.]
It felt like it was easy to tell you the truth, but not like I was compelled to do it. It didn't feel like a truth serum. It felt more like I could trust you.
[ that made sense. It explained why Jason called him instead of literally anyone else. He lets Jason have his food but he does help himself to some of the bacon. ]
Did anyone say anything to you? Try to get you to do something for them?
[ What a silly thing to be jealous of. Bruce decides to ignore it. ]
Gordon called me on a body they pulled from the harbor a few weeks ago. Toxicology reports put enough of this stuff in his system to kill him. But he drowned.
[ Makes the girls more amenable. Did it make Jason more amenable to what they'd done? It's a thought he doesn't allow himself to sit with.
His coffee's gone cold. When the waitress stops by to check on them, he smiles up at her and asks if she can leave them a fresh pot. Offers a 50 as a meager bribe. ]
Then we'll start with the pimps.
[ Yes, Bruce will casually butt into Jason's case. Thank you. ]
From a guy in the Bowery. Cheddar I think his name was.
[ He had to offload the car fast and Bruce needed something less flashy to drive while he's undercover. It was a win/win. Was it stolen? Probably! Bruce didn't ask. ]
I would have come for you regardless, Jason. I just wanted to make sure you weren't still under the influence.
[ He's cooperating because he wants to. That's new. Bruce kind of likes it. ]
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But, he doesn't complain.
When they reach the diner, Bruce drops his sunglasses and gets out after Jason. He sees Jason's grin and it's funny how he's found the easiest way to get his heart to skip a beat or two.
Anyway.
He walks in ahead of Jason, leans on the hostess station and offers her a tired smile. ]
I really wanna sit in a booth. Tell me you got one of those.
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I thought he looked like he needed a coffee. Jeanne, can you get us a booth? I don't think he's ever sat in one.
[Jeanne finds them a booth and Jason goes to sit, easing back.]
So how bad is that stuff from last night anyway?
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He leans in as Jason leans back. ]
Bad. Lowered inhibitions makes users susceptible to suggestion. It literally makes it a pleasure to obey.
[ Which explains the body in the harbor. He didn't die from the overdose. He drowned. ]
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Mmm. It felt...
[He thinks about it.]
It felt like it was easy to tell you the truth, but not like I was compelled to do it. It didn't feel like a truth serum. It felt more like I could trust you.
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Did anyone say anything to you? Try to get you to do something for them?
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[He shrugs.]
I wasn't high very long, before I called you. Some guy asked me to dance, the one you saw me with, and it felt good to agree.
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Gordon called me on a body they pulled from the harbor a few weeks ago. Toxicology reports put enough of this stuff in his system to kill him. But he drowned.
[ He'll let Jason work out that implication. ]
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It makes the girls more amenable. That's why I was looking into it. Pimps have been giving it to the girls.
[He doesn't like it. He takes another bite of his breakfast.]
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His coffee's gone cold. When the waitress stops by to check on them, he smiles up at her and asks if she can leave them a fresh pot. Offers a 50 as a meager bribe. ]
Then we'll start with the pimps.
[ Yes, Bruce will casually butt into Jason's case. Thank you. ]
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[He looks at him, his eyebrows up and confused.]
It's not your case.
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[ He pours himself a fresh cup of coffee without a second thought. ]
Like it or not, our cases are connected.
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[He says it with an emphasis.]
You don't get to take over my case. The girls don't trust Batman. They trust me.
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[ He finally takes a sip of coffee. Ugh, it's burnt. ]
I'm only looking for the supply chain. I doubt whoever is producing this is just using it to make the girls compliant. I'm going to put an end to it.
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[He says it without any real malice.]
Not the pimps, I don't care about them.
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[ Though he will gladly ruin the pimps lives. ]
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I'll give you a few of my leads.
[He has some that Bruce definitely doesn't.]
But you can't tell them you got their names from me.
[Jason is behaving, it's...weird.]
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I would appreciate that.
[ He sips his coffee. ]
I hope this new found cooperation isn't because of what happened last night.
[ Or this morning. He's not talking about that though. ]
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[He tips his head just a little, over his coffee cup, like he's trying to figure out a puzzle.]
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[ A pause and then ]
You laughed at my car.
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[He asks without any mercy.]
Even I couldn't sell those tires.
[A pause.]
Anyway, no, I don't owe you for the single decent act of picking me up when I was high.
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[ He had to offload the car fast and Bruce needed something less flashy to drive while he's undercover. It was a win/win. Was it stolen? Probably! Bruce didn't ask. ]
I would have come for you regardless, Jason. I just wanted to make sure you weren't still under the influence.
[ He's cooperating because he wants to. That's new. Bruce kind of likes it. ]
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[Because if not Jason will absolutely make fun of it forever.]
I'm not under the influence. It wears off in a couple of hours.
[So he can also stop thinking that it was the drug that made Jason want him so badly that morning.]
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And yeah that quietly kills any nagging doubts Bruce might have had about that morning. But he won't address is outright. ]
Good. I didn't think you were, but I also didn't have the chance to examine you this morning.
[ At least not like that. ]
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Okay, sure.
Now you give me something.
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You could have brought it up yourself.
[ Not that Bruce would have wanted to talk about it either way. ]
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