Chapter Twenty:Broken Clocks

"I look in the mirror and see your face. If I look deep enough, so many things that are just like you are taking over."

-Evanescence, Taking Over Me

Adapt. Everyone is required to adjust, some do it better than others but the best people can do so easily. After all, what doesn't bend will break. The more malleable a person is to the changes in their life, the easier they can survive in it. Not that too much of it is a good thing. A balance must be struck. Being too adjustable is a weakness, because others around you sense it and walk on you, use you to bring themselves up. People constantly need to figure out the right balance, and it's never the same day to day or situation to situation be it physical danger or political maneuvering. Only those capable of swift adaptation survive, nature reflects itself even in the social world, even if people don't always see it.

The Monster –

Why was it women had to try things on multiple times? It wasn't as though it would fit differently the second time, like in some strange way putting it on again would magically alter it to their size. At least, while dealing with her trying on more common clothing, managed to get some work done on my phone. Offering nods most times or shakes of my head when the things she suggested were particularly atrocious. I was certain she'd tried that yellow and orange dress and suggested a similar suit just for the sake of seeing me eye it in disgust. She'd laughed after my expression and put them back before I'd had to speak on what I thought of them. A thing I was grateful for as none of the adjectives I would have used were complimentary.

"Here, you should try these." She announced after finishing with her latest run. She set down a pair of jeans and a t-shirt next to me. I did my best to keep most of the repulsion from my face but she seemed to sense it all the same. "Don't you want to dress a bit more like everyone else sometimes?"

"No, not in particular." I answered honestly. Was there ever a point where I'd given the idea I wanted to be like everyone else? Maybe volunteering to come to this pedestrian place of commerce to begin with had put the idea in her head that I'd want to wear almost anything in the complex of shops.

"Okay, not jeans…or a t-shirt I suppose." She remarked, not pressing the rags she'd suggested. "What would you rather get? A sweater vest and khaki's?"

"Is there a 'none of the above' option?" My sarcasm earned me a dirty look. "I am not one for these sorts of clothes but if you insist I will seek out a suitable substitute for my usual ensemble."

She had wanted a day out without dressing 'fancy' as she'd called it a few times now. I wasn't certain why it was important to her for me to join her in tatters but it wasn't worth the battle by insisting I remain in my suits. She asked the person working here to gather her things for purchase when we were done, apparently at least she was finished here. I begrudgingly walked with her to the 'men's section', tempted to turn around when she picked up a set of overalls. She laughed at my distaste.

"No, no." She stated as I turned. "I'm sorry, it's just a little funny. How attached you are to your clothes. They're just clothes."

"Many would say clothes make the man." I pointed out the common phrase, only walking forward again when she pulled at my arm. Why was I doing this exactly? The point of the day was for her to buy these second-rate laughable attempts at fashion, not me. I paused near the khakis with her, pursing my lips as she pulled off the tan. She rolled her eyes at me and put them back, pausing at a darker grey. I didn't volunteer information, watching curiously as she took them off the rack to set them around my waste. Was I like a doll she was dressing then? Is this what David was doing to her when he fitted her for new outfits? I needed to have a conversation with him…

"I could just give you my measurements." I pointed out before listing the numbers for her.

"Oh, thanks." She reached back to look for the size I'd given her. "You'll still have to try them on though."

Of course…

She found a blue top, it was lighter than I generally preferred but at least she hadn't gone immediately for the cheapest option. I glanced to her curiously as she held it to my chest. "Is this necessary? I could ask David to make me…"

"Yes," She interrupted, looking at my eyes and then back to the shirt before nodding. "Good…and a sweater vest."

Patience Oswald…

Eventually she finished picking out what she wanted me to wear, down to the socks and shoes. I obliged her by taking the items into the changing rooms. Frowning at the bits of paper in one corner, I doubted they cleaned the place very often. I changed, the downturn of my lips remaining as I looked in the mirror. I did look rather normal, other than my dark hair and the raised style I wore now. If I kept it down I could pass as just some member of society, particularly if I wore sunglasses or a hat. I knew how to blend in when I wanted to, I'd done it before…but that was a matter of need, now it was just…ugh. Why did I think I needed to be in a relationship again?

"You look nice." Kagome said when I finally exited the room. I was a bit dubious of that, but she was smiling at me so I managed to summon a hesitant one of my own. I could try to pretend this wasn't torment for her sake. She'd done a lot for me after all, and I had wanted to do something special for her. She walked up and adjusted the shoulders a little, picking a piece of lint off the vest and then stepping back to look at me.

"I like it. What do you think?" She asked.

"It will do." I could only lie so well…

"Are you sure, we can try something else." She said, looking a bit sad.

"This is all right." I replied. "I will go change and we can check out."

"Okay." She nodded. I know it wasn't the excitement she was hoping for, but it was the best I could do. I was relieved to put my own suit back on, the fabric much more welcome on my skin. I put the tie back on, frowning at where some of my hair was coming out of the style now that I'd been putting clothes over my head. I didn't have anything on hand so I'd have to fix it in the car. She wasn't there when I came out, hopefully she hadn't run off to find more fuel for eventual fires. "The woman, where did she go?"

"She wanted to look at the Tupperware." The girl helping us answered. "Should I ring up the extra clothes?"

"Yes, yes, put it all on the same card." I gestured her away then paused. "Wait, where is this section?"

After getting directions, I walked the way the woman suggested, ignoring much of the décor as I went. A bit of panic set in when I didn't immediately see her, she shouldn't go wandering off alone, what if someone wanted to get her? Before I could act on that fear I came around a corner to see her looking at small boxes nearby other designs that were probably of her native style. My first inclination was to chid her for running off without me but it was hard to do that since I'd stopped to watch her looking at the boxes. There wasn't much of a selection, not that it was very surprising here.

"If you're looking for something specific we could go to china town. I know there are a few shops that are Japanese." I suggested. Breathing an internal sigh of relief that she was fine, and nothing dangerous was happening. I was tempted to chide her for running off but she offered me a smile that made short work of my temper. I thought the way she was dressed now was lovely…her hair too had been disheveled slightly from her many changes but the clothes were exquisite. David did his job well, he made her look like a living work of art. Though, she did that well enough without his help, I still admired a well-wrapped beauty.

"Maybe." She nodded, setting down the piece she'd been looking at. "I didn't think there would be anything like that here. Could we?"

"We still have time." I nodded, offering a hand. It was always a little surprising when she accepted, when she entwined her fingers with mine and took on my pace when we walked through the aisles. That simple gesture made this afternoon worth it. Of course, it was less pleasant when we went outside to several flashes and calls.

"There they are!" Pop, flash, click.

"Mister Cobblepot, is it true you ordered your girlfriend online?" I didn't see who asked the question, which was best for them. What the hell were they on about?

The Maiden –

So, maybe I'd pushed Oswald toward day to day clothes a bit more than I should have, he seemed fairly exasperated by the time we were on our way out…but he'd seen me shopping for bento boxes and still suggested we try China town. It was nice of him, putting up with my teasing and still being thoughtful. I think I also sometimes just wanted to draw this out. I liked walking with him when we were looking around, holding his hand as we moved. I guess it's sort of cheesy but sometimes you need a little bit of cheesy in your life.

Of course, our nice afternoon couldn't last…reporters ambushed us the moment we walked out the doors toward the car, where we'd been told our things would be waiting for us. I turned my face town from the flashes and clicks. The calls of questions from the crowd of reporters.

"Mister Cobblepot, is it true you ordered your girlfriend online?"

Ordered me online? Rude.

"Miss, are you being held against your will? Can you even speak English?" Another pressed forward to ask, shoving a microphone near me. He stumbled back a moment later when he took the end of Oswald's umbrella cane in his nose. I blinked, surprised at Oswald's aggressive reaction, but none of the rest pressed closer. Though that inspired a whole new flurry of snap shots.

"Of course, I can speak English." I snapped at that repeated question. "I am not a mail order bride."

Stupid foreigners…

"Come on." Oswald pressed me forward toward the car, turning his glare on any that scurried too close.

"Do you have anything to say Mister Cobblepot?" They were a bit like a small pack of wolves, barking for any scrap of meat they could get their teeth on. Oswald paused as he opened the door for me to let me in.

"I don't know what you've been told, but Miss Higurashi is a…"

"Escort." One called out. "A source said you two have spent the night together. How much does he pay you?"

How dare they…I started to step toward them but Oswald caught my hand, shaking his head lightly at me when I glanced to him. How could they just say things like this? It wasn't fair, I expected a little of it but he didn't deserve the presumption that he had to pay someone to care about him. He set his other hand at the small of my back, guiding me toward the car. I didn't like just backing down but I let him

"Is she just one of the escapees from Arkham? Rumor is she has powers? How come she has almost no records anywhere?"

He got in after me and closed the door. "Normally I employ more discreet staff, it seems I'll have to remind them the dangers of loose lips."

"I was seen this morning by one person going to my room." She said apologetically and I leaned forward to touch her chin, pulling her face to look at me.

"What they say doesn't matter." I told her seriously. "As usual, they couldn't be more wrong. I've never met a more virtuous creature than you."

"It's not me I'm mad about." I replied, rolling my eyes at the flashes still happening as the driver loaded the car and moved around to his seat. "Doesn't it bother you that they don't think we could be in a real relationship?"

"If I let myself become stressed over the opinions of mouth breathers I'd have died of ulcers years ago." I shook my head. "The media in Gotham is right even less often than a broken watch. If they managed twice in a day it would probably be a record."

I relaxed a bit at his insult to them, I guess he was right. Some people didn't change no matter what world or time you were in, they just wanted to try and get ahead by putting others down, even if what they said were lies. This place wasn't immune to thrill-seeking, entertainment writing as opposed to journalistic reporting. I'd seen that so far. I shouldn't be that surprised someone would try to turn our relationship in that way.

"So, who was it that saw you?" Oswald asked. I swallowed, a bit nervous that telling him would result in her death. Sure, she'd never been that nice…probably the least of the maids at the manor…but I didn't want her to die for me either. "Should I start guessing?"

"Vivion…" I said quietly. "Can't you just fire her?"

"No." He didn't even pause to consider my question.

"All she did…"

"Was betray the trust of the Penguin. How do you think it'll look if I just let her wander off as if she'd gotten written up one too many times?" He interrupted, far less accommodating of me when it came to his position and how his position interpreted, how it was disrespected. "Particularly after that show out there? No, it can't be simple."

"Maybe she just mentioned it." I pointed out.

"It just happened to come up in conversation with who? The gazette? No, she was already being paid to watch you, or she was talking to someone that was. We're gonna find out just who the rat was and how they were being paid." His tone didn't broker argument. He was stating facts of future action, not suggestions. He was already dialing on his phone while he made the statement, pulling it up to his ear.

"Zsasz, I have someone you need to torture." The matter-of-fact calm tone of his voice made it sound like something he was practiced at saying. "We'll discuss details soon, meet me at the house."

"You don't have to hurt her." I said, as much as I liked Oswald, I wasn't totally on board with this whole torture thing. "I'm sure if you threaten her she'll tell you."

"She probably would." Oswald shrugged at the remark, as if it didn't matter. "Information isn't the only purpose behind the action. I am getting quite tired of people that cannot keep their mouths shut…"

He smirked as he drifted off while saying it. I didn't like the wild glint his eyes had, he was planning something I probably wouldn't want to know about. He reached over to take my hand then. "Kagome, I'm sorry another of our days was interrupted like this. You obviously don't want to be there when it happens. I can take Vivion out of the house."

"No..." I answered, squeezing his hand. "I want to see what she knows. I have to know if it was her or not."

"Will it make you feel any better if it is?" He asked, seeming to honestly be curious as to my feelings on the matter.

"I don't know." I said. "This is a bit…new for me. It's part of your life though, as you said…I can't just ignore the parts of you that aren't perfect. Or pretend they aren't there."

He was watching me carefully, as if deliberating if he should let me attend this little torment session with him. "It'll be harder since you know her better."

He spoke like he knew from experience. I nodded, swallowing a bit nervously. I knew this was a part of him when I signed up. I've seen him shoot a man in the head in cold blood, partly for me at that time, but still. He'd just done it. No matter how normal he could look if he wanted to, Oswald wasn't ordinary and he was far from a hero. I couldn't give him a fair chance if I didn't try to accept that. I refused to try and trick myself now, he'd never once mis-advertised himself to me.

"It's all right. I still would rather be there."

The Monster –

My allowance of Kagome in the basement area was tentative in the first place, I saw the uneasy glances she gave to the equipment we had installed there. Thankfully Anita was an avid cleaner or she likely would have been even more terrified. Perhaps she was starting to realize that she was in more loathsome company than she first believed. I had tried not to lie to her, but then I'd also kept her away from most of the dirty work when I could outside of conversations. Hearing what was going on, and seeing it, were entirely different spectrums. She was a soft-hearted creature, hopefully she knew what she was doing. I couldn't keep her away without an argument and her possibly forcing her way into something more dangerous later. At least this was in my own home, where I knew the territory was safe.

Vivion was already strapped to the rotatable gurney, hanging slightly with moisture on her cheeks even though she hadn't even been hit yet. Zsazs had taken off his jacket to work but was still clean of bloodstains. Kagome glanced around at more of the equipment before her eyes paused on Vivion. I'd have to try and make this swift. At least Zsasz had placed the little turncoat on one of less nightmarish pieces.

"Miss Vivion." I smiled when her whole body went rigid at my voice. That was the sort of fear I loved to inspire, it made it easier to slip into the mindset I needed. "I hear you've been quite the bad maid, gossiping about your clients…why, that is just not acceptable behavior."

I lifted her chin with my umbrella to look at her face, there was a bruise near one of her eyes. I glanced to Szasz since I'd given orders not to begin before we were ready.

"She tried to get out." He shrugged it off and I nodded once, fair enough.

"Mister Penguin, I didn't mean to get anyone hurt, I swear." She started, a bit of an accent from the lower side of town showing through the fear. "I didn't think there would be any harm…"

I cut her off by pressing the end of the umbrella into her throat slowly until she stopped speaking.

"You didn't think…" I repeated, still pressing until she started to gasp and her eyes went wide. Letting go so she could gasp and throwing my hands in the air, glancing at Szasz. "Well, that's a pretty common bad habit with you, isn't it? Who did you report too? Who did you tell you thought Miss Higurashi and I were sleeping together?"

"You were, I saw her come out of…" She cut off but it was my hand around her throat this time. Closing the distance between us swiftly, watching her wince and then stare at me. I closed my eyes and turned my head slightly to the side, halting my desire to choke her further, at least for now I needed her windpipe intact. "I don't like repeating myself Vivion, they told you that when you started working here didn't they?"

"Yes, Mister Penguin. I only told David. I didn't tell anyone else, I swear." She spoke swiftly when I let her breath again, her chest and heart rapid after my aggression. I didn't let go of her neck, just let up the pressure.

"David…and who is he reporting to then?" I pressed.

"I don't know, honest. I thought we were just friends. I didn't…" She paused as I tightened my grip again. Trying to gasp for air that wouldn't move down her lungs. Normally I'd of taken care of it myself but Victor enjoyed these games more than I. And I didn't want to subject Kagome to more than I had to, she was likely going to try and run first chance she got after this interaction already.

"You still want me to work her up?" Szasz asked as I took a step back up.

"Hmm, I suppose it was an innocent enough mistake. Still, take her tongue. You can deliver it to David when you find him. Bring him in, today." I said after a moment of thought, turning back toward Kagome to gesture at the stairs. "Shall we?"

"…right." Kagome said quietly but didn't hesitate to move up ahead of me. She didn't look quite as terrified as I expected, but her silence was telling on its own. Vivion was calling out for mercy and repeating 'no' as we went up the stairs. Thankfully her protests were drown out before the screams began. Once I closed the basement door the sound didn't reach us, I'd soundproofed the basement a long time ago. "Are you all right?"

"I think so." She nodded. "It's not like you were unfair."

I was surprised at her observation, leading her by the small of her back to the small sitting room. "You still seem disturbed; would you like a drink?"

"Yes." She usually didn't accept if I asked first, a sign that this sort of thing did weight on her. She was quiet on the couch while I gathered the cup and ice and poured her a drink, adding a touch more alcohol than usual. "Oswald, how do you do that? Just order pain on people?"

"It's a part of the business." I answered, no point in lying to her now. I sat next to her, handing her the drink. "One grows accustomed to making the calls they must to keep order, if it wasn't for me Gotham would be in a state of anarchy. I have to constantly fight against the chaos everyone else would welcome in. If you'd rather not be there for David, I understand…you shouldn't subject yourself to the messy parts of my job."

"No, it's okay. I want to be there." Kagome continued to surprise me, taking a long draw of the drink, I'd handed her. Her voice wasn't exactly cold, I wasn't sure it was ever that, but it was certainly cooler than usual and it brought a smile to my face. "He betrayed me, betrayed you, I want to know why. I want to know who put him up to it. I want to hear it myself, not just wait for you to tell me secondhand."

The Maiden –

There was more blood this time.

The basement torture areas were ominous enough the first time we came down, but at least they'd mostly been clean. I wasn't sure where Vivion was, but the amount of blood on the gurney and around the floor where she'd been when we were here a few hours ago was worrisome. Did she really live if she bled that much? I'd thought perhaps I could be tough enough to do this after the earlier exchange with Vivion but that was when it was clean. When I'd been convinced at least she would live…that she had somehow deserved her fate. Now I wasn't so certain. I must have looked as unsettled as I felt because Szasz, who also had a lot of blood on his suit, was looking at me critically.

"You might wanna get her a chair boss, she looks like she's gonna pass out." The bald man remarked, wiping his hands on a rag. David was now in Vivion's place, but he wasn't completely clean either, his face was bruised and one of his eyes was very swollen. I tried not to look at his hands when I first noticed one of the nails had been peeled off. This was several steps further than I was expecting.

"Kagome?" Oswald asked, and I looked to him instead of the horror movie taking place in his basement. "Do you want to leave?"

"No. I'm fine." I reassured. My voice more composed than I felt. It was just so shocking to view in person, it seemed more like I was viewing it from a distance, the way I sometimes saw things with my abilities.

Okay Kagome, you can do this.

Despite my reassurance, Oswald brought over a fold out chair. "Not exactly comfortable, but it will do, here."

I accepted the middle ground, a bit glad we hadn't eaten lunch yet given the way David kept looking at me piteously. He had figured out quick I was probably his only shot here, but I wasn't going to step in on his behalf. He put us all at risk working for someone else or reporting back to them.

"Victor?" Oswald asked after he seemed content enough with how I'd settled into the chair. I watched David, not because I really wanted to look at him, but because I wanted to try and see if I could sense what he was feeling, if he was being honest.

"He should be ready to tell you." Victor answered, moving a bit to the side, starting to clean off some wicked looking tools.

"I'm quite cross with you, you've been up to a little too much chitchat." Penguin spoke, pausing near Victor's tools to pick up a scalpel. "It is quite heartbreaking, it's so hard to find a good tailor in this town."

"Mister Penguin, I'm sorry, I just wanted a little extra money. I didn't think it would hurt." David said swiftly, glancing between Oswald and the blade in his hand. Oswald, didn't look at all distressed, he was as serene as ever as he looked at the beaten tailor.

"Well, words do hurt." Oswald nodded, his expression a bit disappointed. "Who were you selling out to?"

"I don't know their name, they didn't give it and I didn't ask." He said, wincing when Penguin leaned the scalpel closer to his face. "I just wanted a little extra cash on the side. I didn't think that it would hurt anyone."

"He's lying." I pointed out, I felt deception in his words. "He knows more than he's saying."

"She's lovely, isn't she?" Penguin asked, smiling toward me at my contribution. "Certainly, sounds like her English is rather clear, doesn't it?"

"Yes, yes sir." The man almost stuttered but barely kept it under control, still staring at the scalpel that had gotten very close to his left eye. "I. I heard a name once, but it was just on accident, it was distant. It might not have been what I actually heard."

"Hmm, what name was that?" Penguin raised the scalpel higher, cutting into the hairs on the man's eyebrow, as if planning to shave them off. "Be still now, wouldn't want to slip. I'm not really practiced at this kind of thing."

"Falcone." The man hissed immediately. "The girl I talked to had mentioned the name Falcone."

"Did they?" Penguin continued to shave off the man's eyebrow. "Now then, the person you did speak with. Man, woman, old, young…details are important David, you should know that in your line of work."

The man didn't lie again after that, nervously answering while Penguin very slowly shaved his eyebrows, occasionally missing and taking some skin or causing a bleed. It was messier than I would have liked but I had the feeling he was going easier than usual for my sake. I could hardly not appreciate it, given how frightening the interaction was. Eventually David told us he was normally contacted by a woman, not very old or very young but otherwise difficult to tell age. He gave a general body type, height, build as best he could, she was always wearing lots of clothes and had her face and head covered. Eventually Penguin seemed satisfied and I left when he did, I didn't need to be there when Victor 'finished up'.

"You all right?" He asked, touching my chin and looking at my face critically. "You're paler than usual."

"Yes, yes." I answered, nodding. "Was that helpful?"

"Yes, I have a feeling I know who was behind it. I'm not convinced it was Sofia, but I expect it was." Oswald answered thoughtfully as we settled at the table for dinner. "I just am not sure exactly why, what the end goal is. She knew she was already high on my list of people to remove from the city."

He had his hands in front of him, steepled, obviously in thought so I left him to it. I let out a small breath, it wasn't pleasant really…but I could do this.

I could deal with the fact that my boyfriend tortured and killed people.

At least they weren't good people…

End Chapter

Oh Kagome. LOL. At least she's trying. I'm not sure if that's very IC for her, but I'm trying to make it something she's not totally on board with yet. She's a good person at heart after all, she doesn't like to see people suffer.

-Aura

To my reviewers:

Thanks for the kind words as usual. College is killing me this semester, took me so long to write this and it was mostly in pieces here and there when I found a free hour or two. I still have 4 weeks – RIP me – I just want to write pretend fun things not more papers. X.X