Oswald
A few weeks had gone by since, I had stayed over at Nygma's place. Gotham was continuing its slow decline, rotting from the inside out. People were getting offed and the one doing the offing would have a brief rise to power before getting offed by someone else. The cycle continued.
The only ones that seem untouchable were Carmine Falcone, Don Maroni, and Fish Mooney. Though Fish had fallen a few pegs with Gordon capturing a few of her men. I smiled at the fact that I had played a hand in that.
I could easily off her and take her place in Gotham, but that would not be satisfying, to beat someone while they are down. Plus, she is small fry compared to my ultimate goal.
If I wanted to rule Gotham, I had to take it from Falcone. I knew that was was not going to be an easy task. I was one of his trusted men, and used to feed information from Maroni's camp to him.
How to cleanly take care of both of them, would be to feed them information that would spark an even greater distrust between the crime families.
I began slowly by killing off underlings of each family and staging them as killing styles of a particular family. Then worked my way up the line. The most recent person I had killed was Maroni's trusted man, Frankie, under the pretense of a run in with Nickolai from Falcone's crime family.
I smiled thinking about that one.
I was needed at a meeting with Maroni, so I headed out to go see him. Thinking, as I walked, how much easier this take over would be if Nygma decided to join me.
Nygma
I was working hard to re-establish my reputation in the GCPD among the fellow officers. It was going over well, I kept the bottle of pills on me to publicly show I was taking them though they were only vitamins.
I was still trying to decipher the card I had gotten at work. I ended up staying super late one evening to run the prints off the envelope. I snuck into the lab and ran the prints through the GCPD database and was soon given an answer.
Kristen Kringle.
Ugh, why was she leaving me cards?
I threw it away after that, tables were turning it seemed. What was her motive? Why?
When the string of killings started, I knew exactly who it was of course. I just needed to keep the officers on cold trails, keep them from putting any attention on Oswald.
I admired his style, they were like works of art that were routinely delivered to me. I was helping him from behind the scenes, and I was also developing something. I had set up a temporary lab at his clinic since it was too dangerous to keep in my apartment or work on at the department.
I was developing a poison.
The poison was originally Oswald's idea. It was during some of our pillow talk one night and he wanted something to take down Gotham's leaders easily.
I got the idea from that and from there brainstormed until I came up with the perfect plan. This poison would allow Oswald to be many miles away as it takes its effect.
I was keeping it a secret from him. I wanted to impress him with my intellect, and show him that I supported him. It was almost ready, I just had to test it out. I brought a couple rats in from the sewers and let them drink the poison. Within 24 hours they were dead, I wanted it to be long lasting. So that the person would suffer from what seemed a common illness before ceasing. It was a brilliant plan.
Ever since I found out who the card was from, she would come bother me at work.
"Eddie," she smiled walking into my office.
I immediately turned around from what I was doing, my eyes sharp as I heard that name. I hated that name.
"Eddie dear, I brought some files for you from record keeping for your current case."
She never brought me files, I always had to go find them in her unorganized records room. What was with THAT name?
"Thank you," I responded quietly going to take them from her. "Do not call me Eddie...please" I murmured.
"Oh it's okay Eddie, it can be a little pet name between us, hm?" she smiled before slipping out of my office.
I twitched when she said the name again.
STOP! ...ceasing to exist…
Oswald
I walked into Maroni's family restaurant where all of the family business meetings. As one of his right hand men, I was expected at this meeting.
I tend to zone out in most of these meeting only paying attention to the few important parts that concerned me, nodding in response to show I understood this particular plan.
All of these plans were childish and beneath me. "Go teach that guy a lesson" or "Collect payment from that guy."
Most didn't even account for my brilliance. I preferred most of my plans to be like a well fought chess match, but also didn't used a lot of brute strength to carry out. These crime bosses were so rough. Feeling like you have to intimidate someone to be respected which was true, but there are other ways to intimidate someone aside from flashing ones muscles.
I left the gears in my head starting to turn. Just how will I off all of Gotham's most important men of the underground and make it look like an accident or the result of an escalating feud between the two families?
No one will know it was me! They haven't been found out yet and I doubt that they will find out later. I can only imagine that I have dear Nygma to thank for that fact.
I smiled at the thought of him inspecting the body and all of the little clues that I left for only him to find. They were my secret riddles, and puzzles that I sent to him. Watch him work through the riddles in my mind's eye was exciting.
I headed for the man I was sent to rough up and take care of for Maroni. He was some underling that got too greedy and started taking money from the family. I was sent to retrieve that money only and threaten him a bit.
I walked up to Tony's apartment building, walked up the stairs, alone. I said I had my ways of intimidating someone and Tony wasn't that hard to figure out.
I rapped at his door and when he answered the door he stared at me horrified, knowing exactly why I was here. I tried shutting the door on me, but I had already wedged myself half way in the door and stopped it from closing.
"Now, now Tony...didn't your mother teach you any manners? You are supposed to welcome guest into your home with open arms."I smiled closing the door behind me slowly and quietly.
'"Tony, I only wanted to talk with you. Don Maroni is not very please to hear that you've been eating cookies out of the cookie jar again. He sent me to teach you a lesson so you will never do it again. However, I'll be needing those cookies back. Now be a good boy and fetch them for me." I smiled at him blocking the door, his only exit.
Tony went into his bedroom and gave me a medium sized black duffel bag filled halfway full with hundreds. He must have been stealing for a while before Maroni even started noticing. What an incompetent fool...
Tony was just staring at me to see if I was satisfied with the amount.
"So Tony, you're going to promise to never do this again right?"
He nodded at me.
"Good." I smiled my devilish smile as I raised my umbrella at him."Because I made sure you wouldn't do it again."
Tony fell to the floor, blood began pooling around his body on the kitchen floor. I drew a few symbols using Tony's blood for Nygma's kneen eyes only.
I left the apartment with the door ajar and walked out casually with the duffel bag of money, whistling as I went.
Nygma
"Come on Ed, there's been a body found," Gordon stated standing at my office door pulling on his jacket.
I nodded grabbing my jacket and bag and headed out with him. We drove out to this apartment building and headed upstairs where the body was found.
"Please get out of my way," I murmured to some of the officers who were near contaminating my crime scene.
I put down my bag and looked around the apartment. Nothing was out of place, seemed to be a typical mob killing. I knelt by the body taking out my notebook jotting down notes. I smiled seeing the small clues Oswald left me.
"Looks like it's the same M.O. of the last killing." I told Gordon who nodded.
He was able to pinpoint some of Falcone's men for the crime, and I helped him look in that direction.
"Hey Ed, you seeing anyone?" Gordon asked me quietly as I was cleaning up once the coroners had taken the body.
I looked at him raising my eyebrows. "Yes..." I trailed off. "Why?"
"Someone was asking is all." He noted. "Who is it?"
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
None of your god damned business
"No one you know." I simply responded pulling on my jacket and heading out into the snowy streets of Gotham.
My week was getting weirder and weirder. I called Oswald to ask him to meet me at his clinic. I felt I was finally ready to show him what I created.
Oswald
I was standing outside of the brick building that Nygma and I had come to refer to as "the clinic" as we had been treating so many patients here.
I was wondering why Nygma had called me out here on a cold snowy Gotham evening. I held my jacket close to my body scanning the area for him.
Nygma
I took the subway to the closest station and walked the rest of the way as I normally did. I was bundled up in a coat with a green scarf wrapped around my neck and most of my face.
I saw Oswald and waved him inside as I went in. It was too cold to unwrap my scarf until we were inside.
"I want to show you something," I smiled as I unraveled the scarf before he could ask why I brought him here since I could tell that was what he was going to ask.
Oswald
I perked up hearing what he wanted to show me.
"What dastardly things have you been using the clinic for, my sweet?" I winked at him and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Lead the way, Edward Nygma!" I gestured to the clinic, and we began walking arm in arm, Nygma right arm interlocked in my left.
Nygma
"Things" I responded shyly walking with him.
This was getting comfortable to me, I was grateful he had been so patient with me.
I walked with him into one of the rooms that had served me as my lab. I let go of him to grab a couple pairs of safety goggles and pulled one pair over my face and then put his on for him.
I wasn't taking any chances with this stuff. I walked over to the counter and opened a small fridge with a key. I removed a tray that held several small vials of a red liquid. Taking out one of the vials and brought it over to him handling it gingerly and held it up to him.
"I've been spending the last few weeks developing this for you. I believe it is near ready."
"What is it?" he asked. He began grinning at the prospect of what that vial contained.
A smile crept on my face. "I have come to call it The Plague." I responded looking to the vial.
"This is your potential answer to Gotham's surrender to you. It's a poison, but something this world has never seen. I always had the fascination from the outbreak of Viper. I didn't want it to just kill someone immediately. It takes its sweet time. Makes the subject appear sickly with something like the flu and within 24 hours it will have done it's job."
I remember working on this through the late nights. The voice inside me guiding my hands and forming my concoction. I was letting the Riddler come out and play. If only for a little bit.
Oswald
Upon hearing Nygma's description of The Plague, I got physically giddy. I debated jumping up and down in the building, but kept my celebration internal to be released when I was on my own or if Nygma would be able to stay and celebrate with me.
I was now trying to plot how we can use this to off all of the major powers in Gotham and make it look like a bad illness struck. I bet if I couldn't come up with a plan Nygma could.
"So how were you thinking of using The Plague, Neg?" I asked.
Nygma
I looked to him and motioned him to follow me. I walked over to a couple of cages of rats and opened the vial dropping the liquid into the water dish. Even though the liquid was red, when it came into contact with other liquids it was colorless.
"I know who you plan to target for your reign of Gotham," I told him. "They aren't going to let you near enough to kill them, and you know that. This will make it easier. Send them a bottle of wine, or leave it in their cellar so they think they had the bottle all along. Add it to an existing bottle of wine or anything really. Let them do the deed themselves." I explained. "It really is so simple."
I watched the rats drink the water. Of course nothing would happen immediately. It would take it's time though.
"It's perfect. "
Oswald
"You're perfect!" I grabbed his face in my handed and began frantically kissing his face. "You have no idea the gift you have just given me, not wait you would...I thought I was smart, but you are far smarter!"
I twirled him around the lab careful not to knock over any glass jars or beakers, that were currently cooking more Plague.
I was not trying to see who to test it on first. Putting it in one's wine is a good idea, but if the wrong person drank it, then the whole plan could be in jeopardy.
I stopped twirling Nygma, and sat down in the nearest chair muttering to myself, plotting this final take over.
"I could go after Mooney first under the pretense of making up and trying to take down both Falcone and Maroni with her. No, no that won't work...She won't let me near her after shooting her, and bringing Gordon to her door. Then what about Don Maroni? He is very protected, but I close with him. I could easily pour him a glass at dinner and he wouldn't suspect a thing. Yes, Yes Don Maroni is the first to go! But then how to take care of the others..."
I continued rattling off plans in what seemed like gibberish to others listening in.
Nygma
I chuckled thrilled that he was excited about my new concoction. After he had stopped spinning me I watched him as he sat down and began to plot.
As he did that, I carefully returned my finished vials to the small fridge.
"I will let you know when it has finished." I told him. "Shouldn't be too long. Need to work out a couple issues I am running into."
I removed my goggles once the vials were put away. I glanced to the rats who had drank the Plague and they seemed lethargic, it was happening too fast for my liking. I walked over to Oswald and rubbed his shoulders for a moment before sitting down at my counter to jot down a few observations.
Oswald
I stood up from the chair I had been plotting my dirty deeds.
"Neg, let's go somewhere to celebrate! I have a few bottles of wine back at my apartment. You have to join me!" I grabbed Nygma's arms pulling him up from his work.
"Let's go!" and we rushed out of the warehouse.
Nygma
I laughed after him and just let him pull me up as I grabbed my coat on the way out.
I walked with him outside wrapping my scarf around my face and neck.
"I don't think I have ever seen you this happy." I chuckled as I walked with him.
I had never been to his place, honestly I just figured he lived in his club or at my place.
Oswald
We grabbed a cab and I gave them my address, speeding off into the night. When the cab pulled up out in front of my high rise building, I walked around the cab to open the door for Nygma and pulled him out of the cab.
We took the elevator up to the top floor. My apartment was the penthouse suite of the building. I opened the door and let Nygma walk in first.
I didn't have much in the way of decor. My color scheme was black furniture in a white space with red to accent. Mostly it was stolen from the club when we remodeled. A round table set complete with four chairs. A decently large kitchen complete with an island. From the entry the living room could be seen with a large suede black couch on white carpet with a red accent rug and a large wide screen TV mounted to the wall. A little bit further the way, was the door to my bedroom and bathroom. My bedroom contained a large king bed with black bedding of the finest Egyptian cotton. My bathroom was contained the usual things toilet, shower, and sink, with the addition of an old fashioned claw-foot tub as to the right as one entered it.
I went straight to the wine chiller and grabbed us some Pinot Noir and two glasses. Grabbing that bottle brought back so many wonderful memories of this past Valentine's Day. I smiled at the memory.
I returned to the table and poured Nygma's glass and then one for myself setting the wine bottle off to the side for a bit.
"So Neg welcome to my humble abode." I smiled, "What do you think of it?"
Nygma
I looked around his apartment as I carefully untangled myself out of my scarf and coat. I unbuttoned and removed my suit jacket as well. I was impressed actually.
"...Wow." I murmured smiling as I looked around his place.
The color was dark for my liking, I preferred dull tones with pops of color but it still was impressive.
"I like it very much," I nodded. "I'm not sure why you stay at my apartment when yours is this immaculate."
I looked to the glass of wine he was holding and swallowed. I knew how he got when he drank, I wasn't sure what part of him would come out.
Oh Edward. that voice mused inside of me. You're plotting to help this man kill the elite part of Gotham and you're worried about having a little fun? This is why you've been alone your entire life, take the glass.
I took the glass and smiled to him, I didn't want to be alone my entire life. I liked his company very much.
Drink the wine, it's your favorite.
I brought the glass to my lips and took a sip.
Stop being a girl, DRINK IT!
I let out a breath and tilted my head back finishing the glass. I inhaled sharply as I finished the glass and sat it back down on the table.
Good boy.
Oswald
"Haha thanks! It really isn't that special." I blushed.
"It usually isn't this clean but I wasn't sure when I might bring you up here, so I wanted to keep is especially clean just for you. The only other person that I have brought up here his my mother." I laughed.
I looked over at him and reached across the table grabbing his right hand in mine. "Only those that I trust are allowed here. You are special to me, Edward Nygma. Don't you ever forget that."
I glanced over and noticed his glass was empty, so I poured him another.
We sat for a while around that table just talking and drinking wine until the bottle was gone.
Nygma
It was comforting to hear his words, it felt nice to be trusted and special. It was a new feeling but the drunkenness began to replace any other feeling as we finished the bottle.
I have to admit, I never have drank this much before. I felt warmer and not as uptight as I usually was.
I smiled to Oswald as I walked around his apartment. I felt extremely warm. I had already rolled up the sleeves of my shirt but I was overheating. So I started to unbutton it. I had my normal white shirt underneath and I just leaned against the couch putting my head on his shoulder from behind. I yawned.
Oswald
I felt Nygma's head resting on my shoulder and I started ruffling his hair.
I was feeling a great warmth building deep inside me. I couldn't separate if the warmth was due to the wine or something else entirely. My head was spinning and I was beyond caring as to where it came from.
I flopped down on my couch my suit jacket and vest were hanging loosely on my frame. I loosened my necktie leaving it open still hanging around my neck. Seeing that Nygma had undone his shirt, I undid mine from the top button down to the bottom one. I was feeling too lazy at this point to pull off any of my layers, so I just let them hang.
I reached back behind me and turned Nygma's face towards mine. My lips fluttered on his at first and then grew into more fierce passionate as Nygma mirrored my own.
I broke away from his lips, pressing mine to the to side of his left jaw and gently brushing my lips down the whole length of his neck.
During most this whole time, my eyes had been closed. As my lips stopped on where his neck started to flow into his shoulder. I briefly looked up at Nygma's face. His eyes were shut and breathing a bit heavy.
I turned around from where I sat on the couch and looked right at Nygma. The warmth that was small like a candle earlier was now like a calm fire burning on a cold snowy day. This warmth was too much for the amount of clothes that I was wearing, so I threw off all of the clothes that were hang loosely on me. I kicked of my shoes, leaving me bare chested in just my suit pants and socks.
Now this may have been the wine talking, but seeing Nygma here in my apartment of all places, I didn't want to just end here with some kisses like we usually did. I wanted all of him fully and completely. Not just in the physical sense but also his heart, mind, and soul.
I walked around the couch to where Nygma was. I took his hand and lead him to my bedroom. Upon entering, I couldn't keep my lips off of his any longer, so they came fierce and fast. Nygma matched my timing perfectly.
I pulled his loose shirt off and dropped it on the floor. I next went for his white t-shirt, only breaking our passionate lip lock to pull his shirt over his head depositing that on the floor as well.
I turned toward my large plush bed breaking our kiss and gently shoved Nygma on to it. I began tracing the left side of face with my index finger while staring down at his bare chest with an inquisitive smile.
My lips again fell on his exchanging our passions with each breath. I broke contact with his lips to begin tracing the contours of his torso with a combination of my lips and tongue. With each contact I made to his skin, his breathing hitched. I continued to give special attention to places that got the most reaction out of Nygma.
We continued in that fashion for a while only with periodically removing more clothes and intensifying the physicality of our passion.
"I love you, Edward Nygma." I whispered to him as I finished falling on to my bed next to Nygma. I smiled at him brushing my nose against his. I wrapped him up in my arms as we snuggled warm under the covers.
Nygma
The entire time I was quiet and curious, except for the soft moans that escaped my lips. The fire was raging inside of me, worse than I had ever felt it. To the point it was cold. Normally I would have stopped Oswald from going so far, but I didn't want to this time. I don't know if it was because I was drunk or I just finally had the courage to let him take me.
A layer of sweat encased my entire body as I felt him fall next to me. The words however; when they fell from his mouth I froze up. I inhaled sharply and looked to him as he lay there, his arms around me.
Why would I be scared of simple words?
"And I love you, Oswald Cobblepot." I whispered before closing my eyes.
It was like a sigh of relief to admit the words that had been just beneath the surface for a while now.
Morning dawned, it didn't even feel like much longer after our escapades. I yawned and stretched my arms over my head tracing the designs of the headboard looking to the window where the sun was trying to break through the clouded umbrella of Gotham. It would never succeed though.
I sat up slowly looking around the room, and my eyes fell to Oswald as he was peacefully sleeping next to me. My head was pounding, but I still remembered everything that had happened the night before.
I rubbed the side of my head where it was pounding and slipped from the soft sheets. My whole body seemed sore. I walked into the bathroom once finding most of my clothing. I looked to myself in the mirror before taking a shower.
No longer the virgin Ed. the voice whispered. Well done. The little boy has finally grown up into a man.
I guess I couldn't deny that. Once showering and dressing myself, I grabbed my coat from the living room and wrapped my scarf around me before heading out. I had to run to my apartment, change clothes and hurry to work or I would be late. Walking out of the apartment building looking back at it. I smiled softly tightening my scarf and headed down the road to get a cab.
"Eddie!" Called a familiarly irritating voice.
I turned and looked to Kristen running towards me. I grunted under my breath.
"Who lives there?" She asked gesturing back at the building. "Your girl?"
"No," I responded.
"Then why are you here?"
"That's really none of your business." I retorted shoving my hands in my pockets.
Bitch!
"Oh. Well do you want to get a ride to work together?"
"No, I have to go home."
"Walk of shame, eh then?" She asked raising an eyebrow.
I just shot her a glare and walked away from her.
This bitch is up to something...
