Chapter Six: Putting Down an Old Dog

"Black black heart, why would you offer more? Why would you make it easier on me, to satisfy? I'm on fire, I'm rotting to the core. I'm eating all your kings and queens, all your sex and your diamonds."

-David Usher, Black Black Heart

Acceptance. A word so many fail to achieve it may as well be a fairy tale. A unicorn in the realm of emotions so rarely even glimpsed. For others, for themselves, for the world around them and their place in it. Even those that fit 'normal' standards often fret over if that is truth, if they're really where they belong. To look at oneself in the mirror and take oneself as they are is a difficult thing. To look at someone else and take them as they are, that is nearly impossible. Few people truly accept themselves, even fewer can completely adopt and let go of flaws they see in others – even if they keep opinions to themselves the mind always has something to say. How much better a world would we have, if people could stop judgments, even in silence, and simply let others be? A utopian ideal…acceptance as a concept is a holy grail - never to be found, only sought…

The Maiden –

I didn't know what he was planning, but since I didn't see miasma on him and he'd told me to trust him…as well as how much I didn't trust the police force, I didn't have much option but to follow Penguin to the car and get into the back seat with him and the man that had made my life so horrible…

"Mister Naraku was it?" Penguin asked, leaning down to the fridge. "Would you like a drink?"

This was probably horrible, never just trust a crime lord because he tells you to Kagome…he had to have been controlled somehow. I was trying to think about what to do when Penguin sat back up but it wasn't a drink in his hand. The bullet went through Naraku's skull before he fully registered what had happened. Just above and almost squarely between the eyes. When the bullet hit black smoke rose from his skin. I felt the spray of blood again, the sickly warmth making me nauseous. It wasn't the first time I'd seen Naraku die, he'd possessed so many incarnations that we'd watched it several times…but this was different.

When the bullet hit miasma poured out of the wound and I had to concentrate to keep it from enveloping us both. I'd already been focused on protecting Penguin, but it washed across my chest and front before I'd been able to push it back. I coughed and felt it burning away inside my chest. But a dark laugh echoed in my mind, I had the feeling some sort of damage had already been done. The miasma stopped, and what had leaked out faded away…it wasn't like the other times I'd seen Naraku die…when he'd somehow retreated with a piece of himself. He didn't start regenerating or moving after the blow was struck, he hadn't formed any other sort of bodies to fall back to here.

"Is Henry fine?" Penguin asked, ignoring the splatter on his face, reloading the firearm as though it was natural to share a cab with a body. He hadn't been able to see the miasma that had flowed out after the shot…not as I had. I looked at the front, nodding slowly…I didn't see anything left around the driver…in fact everything on a spiritual level seemed fine. Physically I stared at the body of the man that had haunted me for so long…was this really it? What had he just done to me…

"Henry." Penguin had gotten on the intercom. "Call Dr. Morrison, have him meet us at my manor. Also, inform Anita I'd like a late dinner along with my guest."

"Sure boss…" The man sounded confused. I didn't blame him, people didn't always remember what happened under control of others…it was a good sign. "I'll get on that. Home yes?"

"Yes." Penguin replied, pulling his phone from a pocket. "Kagome…it'd be easier if you didn't stare."

Would it be?

He dialed, waiting a moment before speaking. "Get a cleaner…I'll need two bodies picked up and my car washed out. Yes, fine, fine."

It was this easy for him? Just shoot someone in the head and have it 'cleaned up', like you were calling someone to mow the lawn or pick up some trash. I still hadn't looked away, there was a macabre fascination in watching those red eyes glaze over. I didn't glance from the body until fingers touched my chin and pressured me to the side. I winced, remembering I'd taken the blow to the face earlier.

"You said he was dangerous." Oswald commented, gently wiping the blood from my chin and cheek. He was surprisingly gentle for a man that had just murdered the corpse we were sharing the cab with.

"He was…he deserved it." I answered. I wouldn't spare pity for Naraku, if there was ever an undeserving creature, it was he. "He was evil…thank you."

"I take it you are planning to accept my offer then?" Oswald asked, smirking at my appreciation. He didn't seem as though he'd expected it. That broke into a grin when I nodded, it might have been nice to see him offer a genuine smile…if his face wasn't covered in flecks of gore…

The Monster –

There was a strange warmth when the man looked at me. Kagome had said he was dangerous and I believed her. My body felt like it was itching everywhere and her hand felt hot but I held it all the same. From what I understood, it was what was keeping me from falling prey to this man. I instead played the part of a philanthropist, it wouldn't be the last time. I'd gotten rather good at pretending, and he didn't seem to catch on that I was playing along. He even sent Kagome a winning smile. I knew that smug expression as well, I'd worn it often enough after tricking my enemies.

Normally, I wouldn't be quick to act, but even when we were still pulling out of the GCPD parking lot I leaned down to offer him the drink. I'd set up the gambit shortly after getting my first car, and it hadn't been a disappointment yet. That strange feeling like ants were crawling over me didn't stop until the bullet went into his brain. Whoever the man was, he was better off dead if he had that sort of power.

"Is Henry fine?" I asked the girl, finally releasing her hand to pull out bullets to replace my little trap. She nodded slowly, glancing between the front and the body. Whatever did she think I was planning to do? Go have tea with the man?

I pressed the button on the intercom. "Henry. Call Dr. Morrison, have him meet us at my manor. Also, inform Anita I'd like a late dinner along with my guest."

"Sure boss…" The man sounded confused. I rolled my eyes at his next question. "I'll get on that. Home yes?"

"Yes." I answered, dropping the button to pull out my phone. She was still staring, I'd seen it before, some people weren't cut out for this sort of work. "Kagome…it'd be easier if you didn't stare."

I called for a cleaner. I'd get this taken care of tonight. It didn't take long but she was still staring. I rolled my eyes and pulled my handkerchief from my pocket, touching her face to pull her eyes away from the sight. The last thing I needed was to deal with a hysterical girl with nightmares.

"You said he was dangerous." I pointed out, starting to clean the blood from her face carefully. That bruise was horrible, all purple and blue. She must have really been running away from the man.

"He was…he deserved it." Her eyes were steel when she said it. She might be shocked, but she didn't feel remorse for the man I'd just shot. "He was evil…thank you."

He was evil? What does that make me?

"I take it you are planning to accept my offer then?" I asked, amused at not being in her definition of evil. Then broke into a grin when she nodded. At least the night wasn't a total loss. "You think you can handle it?"

"I am handling this." She replied, though she was looking at me now and not the body. I could point out that she wasn't doing so well but it seemed fair to give her this one. There was no question that I did illegal things, but she was sitting here agreeing to work with me all the same. It was always nice to earn a prize for one's efforts. I hoped this one would pay off. "But what about the cops…won't they notice when he just disappears?"

"A lot of people just disappear in Gotham." I answered, looking over her face and nodding at my handiwork, it was passable. Then wiping my own as I leaned back. I really did need to keep a larger stock of handkerchief's. "The police won't be a problem. Gordon will be kept busy tonight and by tomorrow everything will be as if nothing happened last night."

"What about me? He said in the office that people would attack me to get to you. I didn't think about it much…I knew with Naraku that wasn't true…but then you grabbed my hand…" She pointed out, glancing away uncomfortably and back to me. "I mean they all were looking at us. They think there's more than a employee/employer relationship going on."

Did she have to use that specific wording?

"It is an unfortunate change, but one that can be utilized. My staff all appears to think I need a companion. As you are aware, I am not interested in such a pursuit, but allowing others to believe that was what was taking place would make my life easier. They could stop attempting in vein to set me up." I answered. It would certainly make my life easier if people would stop assuming I wanted anyone after the debacle with Ed. I knew better.

"Uh, I'd rather not give off that impression." She answered, and I paused my cleaning to look at her.

"Earlier you were ready to…"

"I know!" She interrupted in such a high pitch that I paused, grimacing slightly. "Sorry…I know what I said. That was a mistake…I was scared, and sad…and I couldn't do that…I'm not like that."

"Others will already see it that way, this arrangement simply makes it easier on both of us." I replied when she finished her small rant. "I'm not asking you to do anything."

The Maiden –

I hadn't really meant to yell at him, but it was still a sore subject. I didn't want to bring it up now. He had a reasonable point when I paused and thought about it. I was going to be embarrassed either way, and if people already thought I was his girl people would continue to do so no matter how we denied it. If I was to be around to help him I'd need to be nearby often…and I couldn't exactly explain it was my powers that he was using. I hated to admit it, but he was right. It would be easier to just pretend this was a thing…and right again that nothing would be happening…

"Okay." I nodded. "I guess it makes the most sense."

"That was a fast turnaround," he observed.

"You are right…we can't really state what I'm actually around for, and I'm hardly bodyguard material, I lack the know how to pretend to do what you do. If people are already thinking it anyway, if we don't act like it's true or not true then people will just assume that's why I'm here. It's better than them knowing about or even suspecting what I can do." I rambled for a bit but he nodded at my answer.

"Good. Glad it's settled. You should go to your room and wash up. I'll join you for dinner and we can discuss details once I've finished with what I need to do here." He replied. It was so matter of fact…but his politeness somehow made it less disarming than it should be. I only nodded and headed away. I did my best not to look in the mirror at the small streaks of blood, or to watch the drain in the shower as I washed it off. I'd been covered in gore before, I'd fought occasional armies of demons with Inuyasha, but this felt different.

Naraku…was he really dead? Was it another one of his tricks? I swore the laugh that I heard was him…but I couldn't know for certain. I suppose I didn't feel as nervous given Oswald had killed him so swiftly…had he just taken me at my word? That didn't seem like what I knew, had he met other people with powers as well? A frightening thought but if I was here and Naraku had been here I couldn't discount it. What would the result of being in the miasma be? I'd neutralized it but not before I'd gotten a lungful. I finished getting clean and then got dressed again, I didn't know what they planned for the last dress but I expected I wouldn't be wearing it again.

I put on slacks and a top this time, not wanting to put another dress on and walked back downstairs. Penguin wasn't finished yet…I'd heard the shower on in his room when I'd wandered downstairs. I sat at the table, folding my hands in front of me. It had been…a day, but it had helped I suppose. In a frightening way it had pulled me a little away from the depression, this morning I felt like I was going to drown in it and now at least it seemed like I could tread the water. If I stayed busy I could survive…I could not think about everything I'd lost if I was too busy trying to remain alive.

"Mister Penguin will be down soon…you want the food now or would you rather wait?" Anita asked. I'd seen her before, she often cooked, cleaned, and seemed to do a lot of general household upkeep. I shook my head once.

"No, I can wait." I assured, ignoring the growling my stomach set off and smiling back at the knowing smirk she offered.

"I'll get a small appetizer, I'm sure the boss won't mind." She answered, vanishing into the kitchen before I could protest. Well, I guess I couldn't complain, now that I wasn't falling apart so completely I did feel hungry. It was still painful, but I just didn't have tears to cry after the days of doing just that. It had numbed slightly and I could push the thoughts away if I focused on my new position here.

I wasn't disrespecting myself like I'd thought about agreeing to that morning…

Though everyone else would believe so, I believed Oswald when he said he wasn't interested in a relationship. It didn't matter why really, it saved me a lot of trouble, and if I could do the same for him just by pretending…then should I care what other people think? It wasn't like people here could ever truly know or understand me, not even my new ally.

"Here you go." The woman said, setting a few crackers with meat and cheese in front of me. It wasn't as fancy as I was used to here but I smiled at her. The simplicity was nice, I picked one up after murmuring thanks. "No need, it's my job dear, I'm glad to see you seem to be feeling a little better."

I offered a minor smile, unsure of what to say but thankfully a beeping from the kitchen saved me from that need as Anita dashed away again. I rubbed my face as I chewed my cheese and crackers…they were still very good, I expected likely very expensive.

I had finished half the plate when I realized I'd just continued to eat. She hadn't brought out a lot but it was a clear indication I should stop skipping so many meals. It wouldn't do anyone any good if I starved to death.

"Glad to see you eating." Oswald remarked. He on yet another dark suit, the fabric slightly different again, the vest and tie totally new compared to before. Did he just have a room converted to a closet full of these things? It was the third I'd seen him in today and I hadn't even seen him that much…

"Glad to eat." I answered after taking a swallow of water. He moved over to his end of the table, clearly no master of grace thanks to the pronounced limp but he had a presence that made up for it. Still, he wasn't intimidating in appearance alone, even with his hair worn up for extra height he didn't come close to six feet. He wore make up that made his face darker but his eyes were gentle now. They could change to anything but, I'd seen that, but just passing him on the street I wouldn't have realized what malevolence he was capable of. I was usually a great judge of people, but with him I couldn't get a sense like I did with most…

The Monster –

Kagome was staring, again.

She usually watched me when she didn't think I was paying attention. She had a habit of hyper-focusing from what I'd noticed. In this case she'd followed my movement across the room to my seat. I was accustomed to people eyeing me with fear or even disgust, but she just watched me as though if she stared long enough then she'd get an answer – like I was a puzzle and if she just watched long enough she could decipher an answer. She didn't look nervous or afraid, despite my having shot a man in the head in front of her less than an hour ago. Then, it was a man she clearly didn't like. I set my elbows in front of me and folding my hands together to put my chin on them, smirking behind them when she had the moment of realization that she was gaping at me.

"Uh, thank you." She said, not touching the small plate Anita had offered her while she waited for me again. "For Naraku, again…"

"Perks of working for the Penguin." I answered, putting my arms down when Anita came in with small cups of soup. I hadn't meant for her to do multiple courses but it was just as well, it seemed I hadn't been giving this woman enough credit until now. If she'd been able to see that man had abilities, could she see it with other people as well? I planned to introduce her to Ivy and the Firebug tomorrow to see if she could see anything. That would be an incredibly useful skill if it were the case.

"Still, it was a service to the world." She said, still not sparing a moment of regret for the man on his way to be dumped into a vat of acid. "Some people don't deserve prison."

"I do what I can." I answered, amused at the words. I hadn't had so much appreciation for a murder before, it was a novelty. She must have suffered at the man's hands quite a bit given her reaction. She wasn't as moral as I'd first taken her for, at least not from a legal standpoint, and that I could work with. It was something I could use. "So, do you have enough clothes? I know it's only been a few days but I'd like to take you to meet some people tomorrow if you have something suitable to wear."

"Yes, I've been given a lot of dresses like the one today. Thank you." She answered with a nod, she was eating her soup when she wasn't talking. It seemed her appetite had finally returned; the staff had told me how little she'd been eating.

"No need to continue thanking me." I remarked, considering her. "It is a part of our agreement is it not? If you are staying here in return for helping me, it is natural I provide such things. If you don't mind me asking, can you explain your abilities more? We haven't really had much of a chance to chat and I can hardly know where to best utilize you if I don't know what you can do."

She nodded slowly, not seeming surprised that I asked. Likely she expected that this question and answer session was coming once she'd agreed to sign on. "Well, I mean…I don't fully understand them myself if I'm being honest. I know I can heal people, like what I did for you…it's what I tend to have the easiest time controlling."

I nodded, eating slower than she was. She'd finished her soup by the time I'd asked the question. It gave her time to continue though. "I have never had an easy time focusing anything aggressive. I know you saw me knock that man back, but…it was more fear, I didn't really do it on purpose."

"So, a subconscious sort of protection." I commented thoughtfully. It was logical enough, the girl had moments when she was tough but for the most part she seemed quite soft. Perhaps they reflected on her emotions and personality, certainly I had noticed a similar theme with other 'freaks' at my command.

"Maybe." She agreed. She got quiet when Anita came in to switch out the courses to a small salad. She poked at it with her fork, a bit less excited than she'd been for the soup. "Then, as you know I can sometimes stop or cleanse dark influences…like today. But I guess that is harder to just see."

"I believe you." I remarked. I remembered the feeling of something crawling over my skin, as if it were trying to get inside me. I wasn't a fan. She seemed surprised at my accepting her words at face value. "I cannot claim to be familiar with these, supernatural skills, but I certainly felt something trying to attack me earlier."

"Oh, I'm glad I helped." She looked a bit surprised. She hadn't seen him try then?

"You said you saw something around him, could you not see him trying to affect me?" I asked, needing to understand what I could about her limitations.

"I looked but I didn't see any miasma around you no…" She answered. Miasma? Was that her word for it? "Of course, I was trying to concentrate on protection so I wasn't very focused on it. I might have seen more if I'd have been trying harder."

"I'll be bringing you to meet some others I work with that have skills of their own. Nothing as dire as the gentleman this afternoon, but perhaps you'll be able to see something on them as well." I explained, no point in surprising her with it.

"You know other people with skills like mine?" She asked, surprised.

"Not exactly like yours no. I know a girl that loves fire and can't be hurt by it…and a man that's much the same with cold. I have a few other friends with some small skills but none of them can heal like you." I answered. She'd come across most of them sooner or later. Would she see the same sort of darkness around Ivy? That girl had a power that let her control others after all.

"I see." She nodded, she didn't look scared at the notion as many would. If anything she seemed interested or even excited. I suppose if she hadn't met others with skills like she had, other than the one she obviously hated, then perhaps there was good reason for it. "Good, it'll be good to get out."

I was hardly going to be an emotional rock, and since she seemed to be working through whatever had happened to her on her own. While I'd hoped for more conversation, I didn't press for further details just yet. We ate mostly in silence after that and I let my mind drift to other needs I had this week. So much to do, I had to talk to the press, the mayor…it was going to be quite the busy week for us both.

End Chapter

I love that so often Penguin's answer to a problem is shooting someone in the head. I'm pretty sure I'd never thought even a month ago I'd ever be writing Penguin and Naraku in a car together. This fiction remains so amusing to me even just as a concept. Maybe I'm just easily amused?

-Aura

To my readers:

As usual thanks for the support! The little alerts I get make me happy, as do the reviews obviously! I'm spending some time just writing while I have a break from college for a short while. Writing this also helps tide me over for the next episode of Gotham, so close!