Chapter 7

The car pulled up off the road, hidden beneath trees as more leaves shed and landed on its roof as the breeze picked up strength. Molly got out first, drawing her gun from her pocket as Kane followed. Victor was yet to draw his guns as he left the vehicle. He led the way into the woodland, then he heard his phone ring. The three of them stopped, and when he saw the caller's identity and said, It's Penguin! Molly turned back, staring at him in disbelief.

"It can't be. They would have taken his phone!"

Victor answered the call. The signal cut in and out and then came in clear again.

"Penguin?"

"No, my name is River Mooney. I'm the daughter of Fish and Oswald is my father."

"What?" Victor said in confusion.

"I'll explain later... I got my Dad's phone away from Jeremiah. I'm upstairs hiding with a ten year old child, she's in danger as much as I am... My father is downstairs, he's locked in a room. He has a head injury and I have medical experience so I was able to treat it, but he needs to get to a hospital. We are at the Von Glass estate just outside of Gotham."

"And we've just arrived, thank you, Miss Mooney," he replied, looking to Kane and Molly, "So he's alive?"

"Yes. He's got a head injury, cracked ribs, bruises... Velaska battered him. And he's had a grave dug outside the house. My Dad doesn't have long, you need to move fast!"

Victor thought quickly.

"Okay, I'm calling for back up... How many men does Velaska have?"

She paused for thought.

"Fifty, maybe sixty..."

"Okay, you stay downstairs with Penguin and take the kid with you. Try and get in that room and stay with him until we come and get you out. There's going to be a lot of bullets flying around. Stay together and stay low."

"Please hurry!" River added, then the call ended.

"The rumour was true!" Victor exclaimed.

"What rumour?" asked Kane.

"There was talk many years back that Fish got pregnant by one of her umbrella boys and she either terminated the pregnancy or left town to have the baby. I do know around the time Oswald was working for her, she once left town for a few months, said it was a business trip... that girl – River Mooney - she talks exactly like Penguin!"

Molly was already standing by the shadow of the tree line, ready to venture further into the woods.

"Wait!" Kane said sharply, "Let me call the lads first."

"I'll call my people too, it's another hour before they'll get over here with the road diverted, Miss Mooney said there are maybe sixty men protecting Velaska. We can easy take them out with back up," replied Victor.

Kane made his call as he stood by the car, then Victor walked a short distance into the empty road and called his men, telling them to get over to the old Von Glass estate, because Velaska was holding Penguin.

Molly stood there watching as she listened to the arrangements being made. Then Kane finished his call first, and looked to his daughter.

"One of us needs to wait here for the others to arrive," he said.

Molly shook her head.

"I'm going in!"

Victor stepped closer to the woodland and glanced back at Kane, and as he followed, Molly joined them and he saw a clear path through the trees to the house.

"We need to get a closer look," she said.

"You wait for back up," Victor told Kane, "No matter what happens, you need to meet the guys and lead them in."

"What about you?" Kane asked.

Victor looked to the tree line, where Molly was already making her way in closer.

"She won't wait," he replied, "We both know that."

Kane patted the shoulder of his leather jacket.

"Thanks for doing this."

"I may live to regret it, but she can't go in alone – and Penguin needs my help," Victor added, then he disappeared into the woodland as Kane waited behind on the road side, feeling a little more reassured to know that Molly wouldn't be alone as she ventured closer to the house.

"Be careful," Kane murmured, as his thoughts stayed with his daughter and with Victor, who had clearly made this decision to try and offer Molly some back up – if they were caught, she would certainly need it... As he watched the road, he gave a sigh and checked his watch, feeling sure the wait for the rest of the guys to arrive would pass by painfully slowly. This was starting to feel like the hardest wait of his life, with time crawling by as he worried for his daughter, wondering if she would be coming out of those woods alive...


Molly had seen the house close by. As soon as her sights were set on it, she turned to walk towards it, and as Victor put a hand on her shoulder she spun around sharply, glaring at him.

"Oswald's in there! We could easily find a way in!"

"There's too many of them!" Victor replied in a low voice, and as they both moved closer to a gap in the trees, he indicated to the trucks and the armed men.

"If we follow the woodland around the back of the house, I think we might find a way in – but we have to do it slowly."

"And if Velaska brings Oswald outside and over to that open grave?" she demanded, "What then, Victor?"

He didn't have to think about the answer.

"We kill Velaska. Then his people kill us and Penguin! We really need to hold off on the rescue, Molly. Once we have back up, we can go in."

Molly checked her watch. The skies were clouding and with it, the world was darkening under its grey stormy shade, making the woods even darker despite the gaps where leaves had started to shed.

As they made their way around the woods the area suddenly got bigger, stretching out for miles away from the road. Victor headed deeper into the darkness, just about keeping the house in his line of vision, and when they had gone halfway, he stopped.

"This is what we are up against," he murmured, "Look..."

And Molly looked through the gap in the woodland, catching sight of the many armed men and the vehicles around the side of the house. There were more around the back.

"We should go back," Victor said in a low voice, "There's too many of them around here – when the guys show up, we can attack from the front, it's less guarded, plus the vehicles are all around the back."

"I counted seven men out the front," Molly replied, "But it won't take long for the rest to come running."

"We can't afford to wait for nightfall," Victor added, I saw that grave."

"So did I," Molly said in a hushed voice, and then she crept close to the shadows, making her way further around the woodland that surrounded the house.

"Molly, come back!" he whispered, "Molly -"

But she just glanced back at him and carried on walking, her sights set on the house, then to the shadows all around as she clutched her gun tightly, listening for unwanted company. Victor gave a sigh. There was no holding her back. She wanted to go all the way around these woods and she wouldn't stop until she found a way in. This was going to be a rough day...

"Fuck it!" he said under his breath, and quickly followed her.

Now the woods were dense and darker and every step sounded like crushed wet leaves or the snaps of old twigs, they kept stopping, listening, only to hear the trees rustle or the occasional sound of birds above. They had reached the place where the woodland overlooked that back of the vast house. As light rain began to fall and pattered on the tree tops and escaped though as tiny drips that rapidly grew bigger as the rain fell harder, Molly's sight was set on the back of the house.

"That could be a way in."

"It's too heavily guarded."

"Obstacles can be useful," Molly replied, "You're looking at armed guards. I'm seeing those trucks and thinking about cover."

She paused, looking to the windows of the old house.

"He's definitely downstairs?"

"That's what his daughter said," Victor replied.

"I can see a back way in."

She still had that burning focus in her eyes, thinking of nothing but saving Oswald. As he heard her make that statement, Victor shook his head, looking to the back door of the house, beyond the guards and the parked vehicles.

"Too risky. Maybe there's a window around the other side?"

"Let's find out."

She was walking on, oblivious to the rain and the chill and the slippery woodland floor as she crept around the treeline, keeping her sights set on that house. Victor stepped deeper into the shadows, both guns ready and looking left and right as he heard nothing but the rainfall and saw no hint of unexpected company. He wanted to call her back and say it was time to wait for the others, because he was getting a feeling that the deeper they went, the sooner they would run into trouble. But Molly had her own ideas, she didn't share his view on planning for the end result. She was feeling every second that ticked by as if it could be the last beat of Penguin's heart. She was going to do this her way, and he guessed he would wind up following her in, because the deeper they went, the further they travelled from the road and the much needed back up that was on the way...

As two armed men stepped into view, for a split second, it was a surprise to both parties. One man dropped a cigarette, then raised his gun as the other opened fire and Molly ran and Victor ducked a hail of bullets. As the rain fell harder, Victor rolled and slid down a small slope, firing back. As Molly leapt over a fallen tree branch and turned back, she fired off shots. One was a hit, it punched into the face of the first shooter as blood and bone exploded, as he fell the second man sent a spray of fire in her direction, she jumped from the slope, slipped and rolled, yelling as her jacket caught and ripped on the jagged end of a fallen tree, its bark was in half, part scorched by lightning and a shard of wood had slashed her jacket, coming to a stop as it stabbed into her shoulder. Molly gritted her teeth and slammed her hand against the bark, yelling as an inch of wood came away bloody, leaving a slash up her chest and a small hole in her shoulder where blood was mixing with falling rain.

"This way!" she hear Victor shout.

Molly turned her head to see him heading further through the woodland, back towards the road. In the rush of the pouring rain, she didn't hear the second gunman as he crept up behind her, landing a hand on her shoulder as she turned around faster than he expected, butting him with her head, then as he staggered back and she made a grab for the gun, she rammed it upwards against his bloodied face as he squeezed the trigger and shots rained into the air. Her boots were sliding in mud as she ducked a punch, then she slammed her gun beneath his chin and pulled the trigger. The single shot sent a burst of blood and brains and bone fragment scattering about the woodland as the body fell.

Molly heard distant shouts, guessed the gunfire was audible even above the teeming downpour, and she clutched at her bleeding shoulder and ducked low, making a run through the trees, heading back for the road. As she cleared the treeline and headed for the car, Victor was limping towards it and she saw he was leaving a trail of blood behind him. He had taken a bullet to his leg, and as she ran to catch up with him, she put her arm around him and helped him quickly towards the car. As he saw them coming, Kane reversed back up the road and Molly wrenched open the passenger door as Victor got inside.

"What happened?" Kane demanded.

"We've got company." Victor replied, "We'll have to move the car, because they'll check the road... we can pull up around the corner... I'm also hit...But I've got a first aid kit, I can kill the pain and keep going, at least until we get Penguin back."

As the rain began to slow, they heard distant shouts – the bodies had been discovered.

"Get in, we have to move out!" Kane said urgently to Molly.

"You go!"

He stared at his daughter.

"Are you fucking crazy? They're coming for us, we have to get out of sight, get in the car, Molly, there's no time!"

All he saw in reply was that burning fury in her eyes as she slammed the car door shut and stood there in the rain as her wet hair clung to her face and soaked her muddy clothing.

"Molly!" he yelled again, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Go!" she shouted, and hammered hard on the closed window of the car, "Just go, Dad!"

Victor said something in the back and her father shot her one last desperate look of concern, then the car shot off with a screech of tires on road surface, heading for the other end of the road and a turning where they could park out of sight. The sounds of voices were getting louder as Velaska's men made their way through the woodland. Molly ran across the road and into the other side of the wooded area, where she hid, watching and waiting. As soon as the armed men were gone, she was going back, she was finding a way in – and now, she would be going alone...


At the house, Jeremiah had shut himself away from Nadine, in front of a warm fire with a drink in his hand, oblivious to the brewing trouble until he was informed shots had been heard in the woodland. Now he waited anxiously by the window, waiting for his men to come back and report their findings. Clearly the shots had been a small exchange of fire – perhaps the situation was contained, for now... He didn't doubt of one of Penguin's men had found his way here, but how? He saw no reason for anyone to make a link between him and a property belonging to Nadine Von Glass...

Thinking of her made him take another drink, as he thought about the possible risk to his plans if she walked away. He needed her money, at least, for now... Once he had control of Penguin's turf, she was disposable. But at this moment, especially after hearing shots, he saw a threat to his plans. As long as a threat existed, he needed to keep Nadine on his side... Then there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said, finishing his drink and throwing on his spare jacket.

The guard who entered the room looked pale and shaken.

"Two guards shot dead in the woodland...we've swept the area, there's no sign of anyone. It's deserted out there."

"Excuse me..."

On hearing Doc Mooney's voice, Jeremiah gave a heavy sigh.

"What?" he snapped.

"I need to check on the patient. You said you wanted him awake, I may be able to wake him for you... it could take some time but I can bring him back to consciousness if you wish."

"What ever, just get out of my sight!" he said sharply, and Doc Mooney quickly left the room.

Jeremiah looked back at the waiting guard.

"You're sure there's no one out there?"

He nodded.

"Positive, Jeremiah, sir. They either backed off because they were out numbered, or maybe they were hit and they're somewhere in a ditch bleeding out. There's no one in the woods now."

"Very well, but tell the men to be watchful. And start loading up the trucks. After I kill Penguin, we're moving out."

The guard left the room and Jeremiah poured another drink, planning to next go upstairs and speak with Nadine – it was time to move on, she needed to provide him with another property...


Oswald was pulled from deep sleep by the sound of the door closing. He remembered where he was as pain flickered through his body and a dull ache throbbed in his head. But the pain was bearable now, and as he saw River and April had entered the room, he breathed a relieved sigh: She had come back safe. That was all that mattered, Velaska had not killed her...

She knelt down beside him and smiled as victory shone in her eyes.

"I got your phone back," she said, "And I called Victor. He said they were already here, they'd just arrived. Apparently there were some shots fired in the woods a few moments ago. But I wouldn't worry too much – Victor will call for back up, and he said we have to stay here with you because soon the bullets will start flying."

Then she turned to April and the child handed her a folded blanket.

"I took this off my bed," River added, unfolding it and then draping it over him up to his shoulders, "I know the floor is very cold and uncomfortable, but at least you'll be warmer now. How are you feeling?"

"I ache all over, I'm still rather weak. But I feel a little better. What did you do to me while I was unconscious, my head feels so much clearer, I can actually think again!"

"I just treated your injury," River replied, deciding it was best not to tell him the details at this moment. Later when they were out of here, she could explain everything. What mattered now was keeping her father safe and calm until help arrived.

"Can you see okay?" she asked him.

He looked up at her and smiled.

"I can see perfectly well with my good eye," he said, "but I don't think there's much hope for the other one!"

As he indicated the empty eye socket and laughed, he realised this was the first time he had ever managed to laugh at himself in this way, and strangely, it felt rather good.

"I want you to know something," he said, taking hold of her hand, "If I don't make it out of here, I shall die a happy man, knowing my daughter is alive and well. And you must stay that way, River! No matter what happens to me, take April and get out of here!"

She gave his hand a squeeze.

"I'm not going anywhere without you, Dad," she promised, "All we have to do is wait, help is on the way now. And I managed to stall Velaska. I caused a fight between him and Nadine. I'm hoping he's got too much on his mind to think about hurting you again. Your people will be here soon, and then we'll all get out alive."

Oswald smiled again as he looked up at his daughter.

"You're smart like me, you have an instinct for survival," he said.

April joined them, sitting the other side of Oswald.

"She is smart, and she's my friend, too," she told him.

Oswald looked fondly from April to his daughter.

"I hope I make it out of here. I want you to meet Molly, she's my girlfriend. I love her so very much..." suddenly emotion choked his voice, "She must be so worried about me! I have to get through this, I must to see her again!"

A look of panic had reflected in his eye as he looked up at River.

"It's okay, Dad," she said softly, "Stay calm, you will get out of here."

Oswald took a deep breath, breathing out slowly as he tried to focus on the fact that rescue was possible.

"You will see Molly again," River assured him, and she kept a firm grip on his hand as they sat together, waiting for rescue.


The rain had stopped. The men who searched the woodland had gone now. Molly was kneeling in mud as she hid on the other side of the road, in the dark of the dense treeline, and she checked her watch. Not long to go, help would be here soon... But maybe not soon enough for Oswald. That thought was all she needed to breathe through the pain and strip off her wet jacket an cast it aside. Beneath it, her sweater was torn and as she pressed against the wound to her shoulder, blood leaked out and she felt the unmistakeable sharpness of a very large splinter embedded there. Some of the wood must have snapped off when she had got impaled and she guessed it was large and pretty deep because movement was painful. She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths and pushed her fingertips hard against the wound, grasping at the end of the splintered wood. As she gripped it, she pulled and it felt like a razor slicing through flesh as it came out, long and bloody. She fell forward, her palms sinking into mud as she held back on yelling out and the pain throbbed and blood dripped from the hole, splashing into a muddy puddle below her. Then she recovered her breath, got up and wiped her hands on her torn sweater. Realising it was soaked, she took that off too, then turned it inside out and pressed the clean side to the shoulder wound, and as she took it away the bleeding slowed.

She was sure she ought to be feeling the cold now, but adrenaline was kicking in and she cast the sweater aside, now she only wore a black vest on her upper body, but at least it wasn't damaged. There was a red slash that ran from her upper chest to the hole in her shoulder, but for now, the pain was bearable. She ignored the aches in her arms and the tight, raw skin on her knuckles as she reached around, took her gun from her back pocket and checked her weapon, then she put it back in her pocket and ran across the road, returning to the woods that led to the house. This time she headed straight for the dense, dark area, going deep into the woods, away from armed patrols as she made her way carefully across a woodland floor covered with wet leaves and mud beneath it.

She heard a sound somewhere back at the road, the car had returned. Kane and Victor would be waiting for their men to arrive, her Dad's men and Oswald's would make a strong enough army...but they were not here yet and the clock was ticking. She picked up her pace, heading for the place where back of the house was visible. What she saw was worrying:

Many of Velaska's men were busy loading up trucks. It looked like they were planning to move out... If he was making a run for it, he would most likely kill Oswald first... She ducked back out of sight as two guards walked away from the shade of the woodland, then she ran around to the side of the house. There she saw an open window on the ground floor, and waited for some men loading a truck to turn their backs to lift a crate of guns, then she ran for the window, ducked down and looked in, seeing an old kitchen with a tiled floor and wooden cupboards. The room was empty. She climbed up and quietly slipped inside, then as blood ran down her shoulder, she swiped it away with her palm and wiped her hand on her jeans. Her shoulder still throbbed. She made it to the door and looked down a long, narrow hallway, saw it was empty and made her way up the hall, here several doors were open, and these rooms were clearly empty too. Then the hallway took a turn and she glanced around the corner, saw no one about, and passed a dusty old dining room where chairs were stacked on a large table, then she passed a library where paper was peeling from damp walls. Then she heard the sound of footsteps approaching the front door.

"I want everything packed up and ready to leave in fifteen minutes, I want all the men assembled at the front of the house to witness the execution. I'm not wasting more time when his people could show up and start shooting. I'm not delaying this any longer, I'm going to kill Penguin."

As Jeremiah's shadow became visible through the antique glass set in the front door, she raced up the stairs, waiting at the top out of sight, watching as he entered the house. Two guards accompanied him.

"Fetch Penguin," he said, "Take him outside. I want him to kneel at his open grave before I put a bullet in his head," then he lingered at the bottom of the stairs and called up, "Hurry, Nadine! We are leaving very soon!"

"Yes, I know!"

The sharp reply had come from behind a door close by...This was Nadine? The woman who had slammed a hammer into Oswald's head? Molly's eyes blazed as she glanced towards the closed door. But then as Jeremiah left the house again, the guards walked down the hallway, and opened up a door.

"No, you can't take him anywhere, Jeremiah knows he needs more time to regain consciousness -"

Molly listened. That had to be Oswald's daughter. Her voice was so like her father... she was still talking, trying to stall for time as a child spoke up, saying No, you can't take him, he has to rest...

Then the bedroom door opened. Nadine came face to face with a bruised and bloodied woman, there was a gash to her upper chest and an open wound to her shoulder, her wet hair hung to her shoulders, part shading eyes that blazed with rage. Nadine dropped her suitcase as Molly lunged at her, then she stumbled, falling over the case as she took Molly down with her.

"What did you do to Oswald?" Molly said darkly, aiming a punch that missed as Nadine struggled and dodged a blow from her raw knuckles.

The next blow hit her jaw with a crack, and Nadine kicked out, then as she reached under the bed and grasped something, she glared back at the woman raining blows on her. For a moment Molly saw victory in her eyes, then she saw a flash of steel and gave a gasp as a knife sliced into her side. The pain made her buckle, she sagged as Nadine pushed her off, and rolled on to her back, then Nadine stumbled towards the door blocked by the dropped case. Molly sucked in a breath and grasped the handle, pulling out the blade as she scrambled to her feet. She plunged it into Nadine's shoulder, then dragged it out, slamming her head against the door as she tried to cry out. She stabbed her again, then a third time, and as she pulled out the blade, Nadine hit the floor and rolled on to her back, dead eyes staring lifeless at the ceiling.

Molly dropped the blade and pressed a hand to her side. Blood ran through her fingers and pain throbbed. She stepped over the suitcase and made her way to the top of the stairs, for a moment she felt dizzy as pain made her head light, then with a hand pressed to the wound, she staggered down the stairs, seeing the front door was open now. She heard a child crying and as she reached the bottom of the stairs, April blinked away tears as the woman who stood beside her looked at her with panic in her eyes – those eyes were the same shade as Oswald. Her hair was black and spiked, her nose was just like his, she even had the same slender build her father had in his youth. River Mooney looked so much like her father it was incredible.

"I'm Molly," she said quickly, taking her hand away from the stab wound as she reached for her gun, "Where's Oswald?"

River blinked. She was still staring at the sight of the bruised and wounded woman who kept pressing a hand to her side as another injury leaked blood.

"They just took him outside, you must hurry, Jeremiah wants to kill him!"

"You stay here with the kid," she told her, then her voice darkened, "Jeremiah is my problem now."


Oswald had struggled, but that had taken precious energy and as his legs gave way and he begged for mercy, his cries were not answered as the armed men forced him to kneel at the edge of the open grave. Oswald looked down into it and tears streaked his face, all he could think was this was not how he wanted his life to end, not after all the struggle and the years of fighting and pain and loss and sacrifice... And he didn't want to die now, not when he had finally found happiness in every way, life had been perfect, Molly had been the missing piece of his heart, and now he would never see her again... He gave a sob as Jeremiah stood over him.

"And this is how it ends for you," he said, putting the gun to the back of Oswald's head as he looked up to his men, who stood assembled, bearing witness to the execution, and as he smiled, he addressed them, keeping the gun to the back of Oswald's head as he spoke:

"Today marks the beginning of a new era for Gotham!" he announced, "With the death of Penguin, a new ruler of the underworld shall emerge victorious!"

There were shouts of Jeremiah, and he looked up to the skies as his smile got bigger, then suddenly, the crowd fell silent. He blinked. They were no longer looking at him, but behind him...

He lowered the gun and stepped away from Oswald, who slumped to the ground as he sobbed, as pain and weakness took over again. As Jeremiah turned around, he stared in genuine surprise to see Molly MacQueen standing a short distant behind him, she was covered in cuts and bruises and her hair hung damp in her face, and murderous rage blazed in her eyes. As she raised her gun, so did Jeremiah.

"I'm here for Oswald," she stated "Hand him over and I'll be on my way."

Jeremiah smiled as his gaze reflected ice.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. But at least you can share the same grave. I don't have time to have my men dig another one."

"I'll kill you if you don't step aside," she said, "I just came here for Oswald. Hand him over, this is your last chance."

Despite his weakness, as he lay there slumped in a heap on the damp ground, Oswald had heard her voice...Molly was here? Molly was threatening Jeremiah? Then he recalled what Kane had told him about how she had avenged Liam's death. He could hear it in her voice, raw strength and fearlessness, a resignation to succeed or die trying.

"Please help me, Molly..." he whispered, but no one heard him.

Jeremiah was standing there, weapon raised as Molly faced him, her gun aiming back. Jeremiah's men were still standing there, assembled like a small army, weapons packed away, ready to move out as soon as Jeremiah carried out the execution. There was silence as no sound passed through the woodland but the rustle of dry leaves. All who stood there watching had eyes on Jeremiah and the woman who faced him as their weapons stayed trained on each other.

"I can assure you I have no fear of you, Molly," Jeremiah told her as he laughed, "You're Penguin's woman! I fear no one, especially not the woman who would dedicate her life to that limping, pathetic bird man! Put the gun down, before I lose my temper."

Her aim stayed firm.

"Hand him over," she repeated, "Or I'll kill you."

"No, you won't," Jeremiah replied, fixing her with a cold glare, "I will kill you and then him and thenI'll be on my way."

She glared back at him through damp hair that half shaded her face as rage burned bright in her eyes.

"Then you'd better give it your best shot," she warned him darkly, "You'll only get one chance!"

And he stared at her, his aim steady as she aimed back, and then she thought of that dream... and Liam had said... Trust your instinct. She did, as his gaze hardened and his finger twitched to squeeze the trigger, she fired first, and the shot punched into his shoulder, knocking him off his feet as he fell hard, the gun slipping from his grasp and as he grabbed at his shoulder and sat up, he was gasping for breath. That gun had a powerful kick, it had shattered bone. As she took a step closer, Molly saw movement, and she watched as armed men came out from the shadows, led by her father and Victor.

"They're mostly unarmed," Victor remarked.

"But an army of fanatics," Kane replied as his eyes darkened, "Let's finish 'em!"

Victor nodded and gave the signal, and as the few of Velaska's men who had hand guns drew them, the surrounded army of Jeremiah were downed in hail of bullets as their bodies jerked on impact and bullets punched bloody holes into flesh and bone. The roar of gunfire echoed about the clearing in front of the house for less than a minute, then the guns fell silent and Victor turned to a colleague, instructing him to arrange disposal of the bodies as he handed him a number, saying he knew a guy with a crematorium who would be in for a busy night. Then he turned back to Kane.

"Let's get Penguin out of here."

The two men left the others to clear out the trucks and pile up the bodies, and they hurried towards Oswald, who was slumped on the ground.

Molly had not finished with Velaska.

"YOU. FUCKING. DID. THIS. TO. MY. OSWALD! YOU. PIECE. OF. FUCKING. SHITE!" she raged, and every word shouted was punctuated by a kick to Velaska as he yelled out in pain. She was kicking his ribs, his face, his guts, and finally, she kicked him so hard he rolled over the edge of the open grave, yelling out in pain and panic as he landed at the bottom with a splash in the muddy earth below.

She stood over the grave glaring down, then to his horror, she grabbed the shovel and began to shovel earth back in.

"NO! Stop, Please, no..." Valeska screamed.

As more dirt hit his face he coughed and choked and panicked. Then Molly heard Victor had just said Oswald's name, and as he gave a weak response, she briefly watched as Victor put an arm around his shoulders and carefully raised him from the ground. It was then she saw something on the edge of the grave. It was Velaska's phone. She had kicked him so hard it had come out of his pocket. And clearly, she had fucked up the phone as well as its owner because now it stated it only took emergency calls... She looked down into the grave. Valeska was a bloody, mud covered sobbing mess at the bottom, and he had seen to it that grave was so deep there was no way anyone could climb out without a ladder...

She held up the phone as she called to Victor and her father.

"Emergency calls only. If he wants a way out of here, he'll have to call the cops!"

Victor called one of his men over.

"Before you leave," he said, "Give Valeska a choice – the cops or a bullet," and Molly tossed the phone to him and he caught it and passed it over.

Molly looked down into the open grave, glaring at Velaska.

"And don't even think about grassing on any of us for this!" she yelled, "If you do, I'll personally rip off your fucking head and mount it on a spike outside Arkham!"

Molly leaned over the grave and spat at Valeska, then turned her back and walked away. Now the threat was removed, her focus was on getting Oswald out of there, and as she hurried over, April had run from the house with a blanket and Victor had wrapped him in it. As Kane joined them, he looked to the young woman who was anxiously watching Oswald.

"I'm his daughter, I'm River Mooney," she said as her eyes filled with worry and she rattled off her words anxiously, "He needs urgent treatment to stop internal bleeding. Possible swelling or pressure to the brain also... he had a bleed close to the point of impact and I removed it surgically. The skull fracture is not depressed. I'm not a qualified doctor but I did my best for him. He's had a shot of morphine and a dose of anti anticonvulsant medication. He needs expert treatment and quickly, he was okay while he was resting but he's losing consciousness again."

Victor put a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay, I hear you," he said, hoping his tone would keep her calm, and then he glanced to Kane, "I'm taking him to Strange. He's got stuff that stops bleeding and speeds up healing. The hospital won't be able to help him as well as Strange can."

"I want to come with you, he's my father!" said River.

Victor called to one of his men, telling him River needed a ride to visit Strange.

"You wait for your ride, we'll see you there," he told her, and then he lifted Oswald into his arms and began to carry him away from the house, towards the place where the woods were less dense and beyond, the car was parked. The bullet to his leg was sharply painful with every step - but it was a flesh wound and he was in much better shape than Penguin, he thought silently, as he led the way towards the road and Molly and Kane joined him.


They cleared the woodland quickly, then Kane got in the front and Molly sat in the back, as Victor laid Oswald on the back seat, she carefully cradled his head in her lap. Then Victor started the engine and they drove away quickly, the rainy woodland either side of the road becoming as a blur as they headed towards a route that would take them to the treatment centre owned by Professor Hugo Strange.

As they drove, Molly took hold of Oswald's hand.

"Stay with me," she said, "I'm right here, Oswald."

He gave her hand a weak squeeze and for a brief moment his eye opened and as he saw her, he breathed a relieved sigh.

"You got me out."

"Yes I did."

"Thank you, my dear..." he was starting to drift back into unconsciousness.

"Oswald," she said, "Stay awake, stay with me. I'm not asking, I'mtelling you!"

"I'm trying," he murmured, and he knew at once that being dragged from that room and forced to kneel by the grave had caused his weakness to surge back. He was still trying to stay awake. Molly was here, and she looked like she'd been in a hell of a fight. Then he began to think :

She went through all that for me, because she loves me -I must be far more special than I realised, for her to risk so much to save me...I must really matter... For all that her love had done to heal his self doubts and low esteem, knowing what she had done for him today had healed something that he had never realised needed fixing – he mattered, he was all the things Molly said he was, and when this was over, when he was recovered, the world was going to see a new, confident Penguin... That was his last thought before he lost consciousness again.

Molly said his name twice, then she ran her hand over his hair as he breathed slow and even but gave no response. Molly looked to the front of the car, addressing Victor with that same tone she had used since her fight to save Oswald had begun.

"Drive faster," she demanded, "He can't hold on much longer..."