Something Else
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Gotham, or any of the Batman franchise. I only own my OC.
Chapter 1
Oswald Cobblepot turned to see a knock at the window of Fish's club. It had been raining for hours on end and he saw a figure outside. The person was small, just a few inches smaller than him; face covered by a hood with lace ties at the end of it and lace pockets on the front. They wore denim shorts with leggings on under and black boots with faded sparkles on the heel and top. He went over to the door and opened it to see the figure walking towards him warily. He held the door open for them and said, "Didn't you see the door?"
The figure shook their head and replied in a small voice, "The sign light was out and I couldn't tell if it was open."
He nodded and they both went into the club. The figure pulled the hood off and Oswald could see the person's face. It was a young girl, about 16 or 17, with hair a few shades lighter than his own, and dark blue eyes. She was pale to say the least and had a few dark circles under her eyes. No makeup was seen on her face as she turned to him, "Is Fish Mooney here?"
"May I ask why," he asked as he looked her up and down. She was far too young to be at a place like this. Most children her age would be cramming for the next test at this hour. But something told him that she knew what she was doing, that she knew a bit of the hardships of the city of Gotham. Not everyone in this city was innocent, not even a child like her. She glanced at the stage then back to him, blue connecting to ice as they looked at each other, "I heard there were auditions for a singer. Is she here, because I can come back later."
"She is here. Miss Mooney just went to take a call. May I ask, who are you exactly?"
She turned to him, narrowed her eyes, and hesitantly said, "Kylie Johnson. My name is Kylie Johnson. I called earlier and asked if there were auditions. She said yes and that I could come by later."
He nodded just as he heard the heels of Fish Mooney herself clicking down the hallway as she made her way towards the two. She smiled as she sat down in front of them in the chairs that were set up. She looked at Kylie up and down, "Kylie Johnson, I presume?"
The teen nodded and Oswald sat down a little away from them. He was curious about this girl. She had an air about her that screamed friendly, but was wary of people like him or Fish. He watched as Fish gestured to the stage, "You have the floor, hun."
Kylie walked up to it and jumped up onto the stage and pulled over a microphone. She set it to her height. She cleared her throat as she gestured to the two in the audience, "Good evening. My name is Kylie Johnson and I will be singing "Last Midnight" from Into the Woods."
She quickly got out her mp3 player and loaded up the song. Fish waited patiently and the bird-like man in the back watched with interest. Kylie turned the music on full volume and the instrumental began to play.
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!
It's the last midnight.
It's the last wish.
It's the last midnight,
Soon it will be boom-
Squish!
Told a little lie,
Stole a little gold,
Broke a little vow,
Did you?
Had to get your Prince,
Has to get your cow,
Have to get your wish,
Doesn't matter how-
Anyway, it doesn't matter now.
It's the last midnight,
It's the boom-
Splat!"
Fish and Oswald's eyes widened at the surprising volume and power that came out of such a small body. She sounded beautiful and just like the witch from the play. Kylie channeled Bernadette Peters as she sang the melody with vibrato that impressed both mobsters.
"Nothing but a vast midnight.
Everybody smashed flat!
Nothing we can do.
Not exactly true:
We can always give her the boy...
No, of course what really matters
Is the blame,
Somebody to blame.
Fine, if that's the thing you enjoy,
Placing the blame,
If that's the aim,
Give me the blame-
Just give me the boy.
No?
You're so nice.
You're not good,
You're not bad,
You're just nice.
I'm not good,
I'm not nice,
I'm just right.
I'm the Witch.
You're the world.
I'm the hitch.
I'm what no one believes,
I'm the Witch.
You're all liars and thieves,
Like their father,
Like your sons will be, too-
Oh, why bother?
You'll just do what you do.
It's the last midnight,
So, goodbye all.
Coming at you fast, midnight-
Soon you'll see the sky fall.
Here, you want a bean?
Have another bean.
Beans were made for making you rich!
Plant them and they soar-
Here, you want some more?
Listen to the roar...
Giants by the score-!
Oh well, you can blame another witch.
It's the last midnight.
It's the last verse.
Now, before it's past midnight,
I'm leaving you my last curse:
I'm leaving you alone.
You can tend the garden, it's yours.
Separate and alone,
Everybody down on all fours.
All right, mother, when?
Lost the beans again!
Punish me the way you tried to do then!
Give me claws and a hunch
Just away from this bunch
And the gloom
And the doom
And the boom…..
She slowly walks towards the edge of the stage as she holds out the note and then lowers her face and grin wickedly at the both of them, "Crunch…"
Fish clapped and stood up as Oswald sat there dumbstruck as to how a girl as young as Miss Johnson was could sound like that and have that look in her eyes. A look that someone had only when they knew that they were at their best and brightest. A grin that he had when he saw Butch Gilzean beating traitors of Falcone and Fish. Kylie broke out into a friendly grin as she turned her player off and walked off the stage. Fish stood up and grinned at the young girl, "Didn't know you had that much power in you. Well, I think we might have a place for you here a couple of nights a week, Kylie. I will have to check the schedule and will call you later, but I would love to have you here."
Kylie grinned at the older woman and could see the man she met at the front getting a small pad of paper and handing it to Fish. The woman nodded, "Thank you, Oswald. Now, Kylie, I want you to put your name and number on this, please?"
The teen nodded and quickly wrote down what the woman asked, "Miss Mooney, just in case you can't find me, I go to Gotham High. Just ask for me at the office and they'll call me down. It's no big deal."
The woman nodded and continued to grin down at the girl. She could be useful given her age and friendly demeanor. Oswald, on the other hand, saw something else in the girl. A child that was happy and friendly, but knew what the worst of Gotham could hold. A kindred spirit, he thought. He was exactly like that as a child, though the only difference between the two of them was that she could actually have friends. She could have all she wanted in the world with her talent. She could make boys fall to their knees just with her smile and girls happy just to be her friends. This child had potential that he could use in the future.
Kylie nodded to him after saying goodbye to Fish with a bright smile on her face. She walked out of the club not knowing that just one encounter with the so-called "penguin" would change the course of her life forever.