The next morning Nigma took her advice, he was now freshly showered thanks to the shower stall in her bathroom. He did find a disagreeable odor to his clothes that where now in her washer. Sid was still in bed as he walked around her kitchen in wearing the only clean thing he owned a pair of green boxers with black question marks on them. The kid was sitting on a stool reading the newspaper as Nigma raided her fridge.
"I don't think she offered the fridge," the kid commented as he read a story about Joker's latest plot that was foiled by Batman.
"I'm sure she meant to," Nigma replied as he pulled out a carton of eggs. "I'm going to use this deal to my advantage. Grocery shopping is a pain when you don't have henchmen to do it for you."
The kid just shook his head as Nigma prepared himself breakfast.
"Hey kid who's in the show…whoa oh my god," Sid gasped as she walked into the kitchen to see Nigma cooking at her stove, she was still wearing her clothes from last night. "I think I'm still high."
"No you're not," Kid snorted, as he looked over to the business section of the paper. "This is actually happening."
"Why are you in your boxers?" she gaped, still standing in the doorway. "Also seriously isn't that a cliché?"
"Everything else is in the wash, which you did offer. Also I should be flattered someone went to make these and sell them in a store," he told her, as he buttered his toast. "I offered the food to myself."
"Right, so Crane is the one in the shower then," she stated as she tried to sort this all out, rubbing her temples.
"Of course, he smells just as bad as I do, worst because of the chemicals he plays with," he said before taking his eggs out of the frying pan.
"It's too early to deal with this," she giggled, making Nigma think she finally cracked. "This is just too ridiculous."
"Speaking of dealing with things I'm canceling Netflix," the kid said as he was looking over the stocks. "Unless the stocks go up we are just going to be making all the bills no need to add others."
"What is he your financial adviser?" Nigma laughed as he ate his food.
"Kid is better with money than I am," she stated as she went over to the kid and looked over his shoulder at the paper. "Go ahead and cancel it I only had it cause I got a month free, hardly ever use it."
"Good, there are also some other services we may need to cancel if you are feeding two grown men," he said simply as he folded the paper. "Unless you can get a new gig, I'm sure Thorne won't hire you until you kill Falcone. Although you could make them chip in towards food if they are eating here."
"Don't worry about it, I have it under control," she replied, bopping him on the head with the paper.
"Sure you do," kid sighed as he yanked back the paper. "I just don't want to end up back on the streets."
"I can always call children and youth," she offered as he glared at her and stormed off.
"Isn't it the child who usually threatens to call children and youth?" Nigma asked as he put his dishes in the sink.
"Normally, but he's a convict's kid the system dumps those children in the worst foster homes," she replied as she walked over to the Keurig to make a cup of coffee. "I know been there done that, he doesn't want to go back there."
"So he's not your child," he asked as he sat down at the stool the kid had been sitting on.
"I told you he was a stray," she informed him as she pulled out the milk and Crane entered the room clothed in a white t-shirt and jeans. "His mom was a crack head who was a snitch for the mob. The money she made went right to crack, no sympathy for her when I ended her life. Found the kid to be useful so I kept him."
"Who's the father," he asked trying to find answers to the riddles around her home.
"That is not my business to discuss," she shot back at him, ending the discussion about the kid.
"What about your little 'guard' dog?" Crane inquired, changing topics, as she started to stir her coffee.
"Stole her from a cheating mob wife after I killed her, my little beagle is a trophy," she replied before sipping at her coffee. "A lot of things I fill my home with are just trophies from my kills."
"The rest of it is just being a mob girl?" Nigma asked as he leaned forward, and placed his chin on his hands as he analyzed her.
"Of course," she snorted, as she placed her cup down and hopped up to sit on the counter. "Mob mentality is you never know when you are going to die so live it up with the money you earn. It's also a show, flash your wealth and let others know how much you are worth to the mob, even though no one from the mob even knows where my home is. It's hard to break out of a mentality of the group you work with. So about this whole plot you are coming up with, it's at Wayne Manor?"
"Yes, there haven't been many attacks at the millionaire's home lately, can't let him think he is untouchable," Nigma stated as he heard the dryer beep signaling his clothes where done. "I'll be right back."
"Hopefully with more clothes on," she muttered into her cup, causing Crane to shake his head.
"You shouldn't have commented on his stench," he told her, as they stared at each other. "How bad was the gas?"
"It just slowed me down, and freaked the shit out of me when we were in the sewers," she replied as she placed her empty cup into the sink next to her. "Every corner I could swear I heard, smell, and saw Croc, but you didn't react so I knew it had to be the effects of the gas."
"Smell? You can smell Croc down there in that disgusting pit," Crane asked, as she absentmindedly swung her legs that dangled from the counter's edge.
"Yea, he smells more like a swamp then a sewer if that makes sense," she replied, looking down like she was embarrassed she couldn't explain what she was talking about exactly.
"Interesting," he replied, as Nigma reentered dressed in a pale green shirt and jeans. "What happening to intimidation of strangers?"
"She's already doing what I want plus my suit needs to air dry, I've already had it shrunk once buy a dimwitted female," he retorted, as he sat back down.
"That's what you get for letting fan girls hang around you," Crane laughed as he stood up.
"I'm telling you those fan girls are great stress relievers, you would know if you didn't always close yourself up in your lab," Nigma responded, as Crane shook his head and left.
"So back to business," she stated, as she hoped down from the counter. "When is this whole plot going down?"
"There will be a party at the manor on Christmas eve," he replied, as he picked up the sugar bowl and other things on her counter examine them. "I need you there waiting to take down the bat. I rob the wealthy while Crane makes them go mad with fear. Mostly Crane wants to watch Bruce Wayne wither in fear,"
"Obsession can lead to ruin," she stated as she headed towards the door. "I'll see you at the party."
"What does that mean?" Nigma asked as he followed her down the hall. "If you are implying I am not focused, you are severely wrong."
"Just a saying," she replied nonchalantly, as she entered the room that served as her office. "Now if you don't mind I have to figure out how I am going to show up to this shindig. I cannot enter like you rouges guns a blazing, would only harm my reputation further."
"I don't care how you show up, just be there," he retorted before she shut the door in his face.
Walking back down the hall, he let her insolence go as he had better things to do. He had plans to make, thugs to hire, and clothes to take back home. This whole scheme was coming together exquisitely.
Thank you again to my reviewer booklover1498!
