I'm SO sorry about this updating coming later than usual! Life got in the way and I honestly just forget about posting this chapter, but it is finally here now. This chapter is a little different than the ones prior to it, but it actually is one of my favorites so far! And we'll be meeting a new character that I absolutely love that was created by my best friend, TheGothamKnight here on FF - this character is one she and I have been developing together for a couple of years now, and hopefully one day you'll get to know her a little better in her own fic! We've been developing a whole series of Gotham stories together that will be about eight stories in total (which includes this fic!), so here's to hoping we'll get around to posting them all one day.

Now without further ado, enjoy!

It was a couple of days till CJ moved into her new apartment when the Penguin called Victor for yet another job. Though not necessarily his area of expertise, Victor had little choice but to take on the task of sniffing around for any clues to the location of Cobblepot's mother. The woman had been missing for weeks, which the crime lord revealed was one Theo Galavan's doing (and that whole situation was a completely different can of worms to be dealt with). The new city chairman had been manipulating all of Cobblepot's recent moves, which explained all the odd requests he'd been making of Victor recently.

This latest request was one that Victor didn't grudge to do, it obviously being one made by Cobblepot rather than through himㅡhis mother was missing, and he wanted her found. The assassin could certainly respect the significance of family, after all.

Victor didn't often have trouble finding peopleㅡbut then again, most people he went after weren't kidnapped by supposed experts. A rare occurrence like this called for a little extra help, and lucky for Victor he knew just the person for the task.

Charlie Spinks was a woman Victor met about three years back, though the person that brought them together was a less than desirable topic for them both. Charlie, like CJ, was still just a kid in Victor's eyes sometimesㅡthe young woman was just a few months shy of twenty-one, but despite her youth she'd been dealt enough hardships to last her a lifetime.

Amidst these hardships, however, Charlie was afforded the tools and opportunities to perfect her skillset. She was a dealer in information, a near expert on everyone and everything in Gotham City; if there was something one needed to know, Charlie was the woman for the task, though she kept that fact on the down low.

Despite seemingly knowing everything, the last thing Charlie wanted was for herself to be known. Few were even aware of the young genius' existence, which is how she intended to keep it. Victor considered himself fortunate to know her, and not just because of her usefulness. Though both of them would perhaps hesitate to utter the words, they were, in fact, close friends. Over the course of these three years, they'd, for better or for worse, dealt with a lot of shit together, and that undeniably bonded them well past their brief and undeniably odd stint as near roommates.

Victor had texted Charlie that morning, asking her to meet up at a grimy bar not far from her new place. He didn't receive a reply, though he expected as much; but nonetheless he made the trek to Charlie's neck of the woods, sure that she would still show her face. The bar was one of the few places where Charlie felt mildly comfortable, knowing that it's patrons were always too inebriated to notice her, let alone care about any conversations she may have.

Victor didn't arrive at the bar until nearly three pm, and as he expected, Charlie was nowhere to be found, though he knew that didn't necessarily mean she wasn't around. His eyes breezed over the few customers scattered about, never lingering too long on any one face as he walked toward the back of the room to an empty tableㅡhe and Charlie both liked a good vantage point, and this table near a window was one of their go to seats. Like clockwork, a few moments after Victor took his seat, someone appeared almost as if out of nowhere, sliding into the seat across from him.

Charlie.

She hunched over the table with her hood pulled up, right hand curled around a full shot glass. She slowly turned her head up to meet Victor's eyes, both of them expertly wearing their poker faces as they took one another in.

She looked like shit. Every time Victor saw Charlie, she always looked like shit. Her brunette hair was usually hidden under a hat or hood, but Victor could still see how unkempt it appeared. She was her usual shade of sickly pale, the bags under her eyes even darker than his, and the hollow in her cheeks told him she was just as gaunt as ever. Though there wasn't a cigarette to be found, the scent of tobacco lingered on her clothes, indicating she must have recently smoked. Briefly, Victor's eyes hovered over the dark liquor in her glass, knowing it was a moot point to tell her to reel back her alcoholic tendencies.

"Looking good, Charlie." His tone was false and unconvincing to them both as he relaxed a little in his seat. Charlie gave him the slightest of mocking smirks as her eyes crinkled.

"Zsasz," she acknowledged flatly, "Still raiding Marilyn Manson's closet, I see." she muttered in her worn tone. Victor grinned fondly at her remark before swiping the shot glass from Charlie's unsuspecting grip, knocking back its content as he felt the piercing dagger of her glare.

He pulled a slight face at the burn of the bourbon, "Relax, we'll get another round."

"Top shelf." She spoke simply, but her eyes elaborated with a look that said 'you can afford it,' to which Victor's lower lip pursed in agreement, "Which pays better, I wonderㅡbeing Falcone's 'bodyguard' or Penguin's 'security consultant?'"

It was rhetorical, of course, Charlie having no desire or care to know about her friend's income. Victor stared for a brief moment as he considered his words.

"Well, the King of Gotham is why we're here." His tone nearly mocked Penguin's aggressively self imposed title.

"Not interested." Victor smiled fondly again, and he noticed that small glimmer of amusement that Charlie tried so hard to keep hidden behind her mask of apathy.

Victor made no further retorts, getting down to business, "You've been following all the news on Cobblepot recently?"

Charlie gave a small gruntㅡif this was about the Penguin, she definitely needed a few more drinks, and so she let her eyes drift toward the bar, a silent indicator for Zsasz to wave down the bartender, which he did quickly.

"It's hard not to, what with the media circus." Her expression and tone were both of disinterest in regards to the ridiculous affairs of the city.

With a sure look, Victor spoke in a lower tone, "And you know what's really going on?"

As the bartender swung by to drop four shot glasses between them, Victor and Charlie stared at each other soberly, waiting for privacy. Charlie's sharp eyes swung up to spy the bartender's retreat before she continued.

"Would I be here if you thought I didn't?" As Victor briefly smirked at her question, she reached for one of her shot glasses before leaning back in the seat and cocking a brow, "Question is, what do you wanna know?"

Victor knew for sure now that he didn't have to explain the ins and outs of the long winded situation, and so he got straight to it, "This Galavan guy's been manipulating Penguin for weeksㅡhe really knows what he's doing."

Charlie's eyes flicked up, curious to get further information than what she already knew, "That so?"

In reply, Victor gave a sure nod, "That's where you come in."

Charlie scoffed as she looked away to stare out the window, her fingers drumming against the shot glass she held, "I'm gonna need more than that if you expect me to be of any use." She knocked back her drink unblinking, meeting Victor's stare as she set the glass down heavy handedly, "I deal in information, Zsaszㅡgive and you'll get." Sliding the glass aside, she folded her hands on the table, "Galavan's controlling Penguinㅡhow?"

Victor dipped his head down slightly, but kept his gaze thoughtfully on Charlie, his brow slightly raisedㅡreally, he knew Cobblepot wouldn't want this information getting out. If the wrong person caught wind, it could spell even more trouble for the kingpin. But this was Charlieㅡthe two would never go behind each other's backs like that, and admittedly, Victor was running out of options at this point. With that in mind, he sighed before continuing.

"… Cobblepot's mom's been missing for weeks, and he's getting antsy. Galavan's using her as leverage; Penguin's guys can't find any leads… and he won't shut up about it." Victor lifted his head again, eyes becoming a little less dark, "So, that's where you come in."

By this point, Charlie began itching for a cigarette, and so she started fishing around inside her well-worn military jacket. Her expression was thoughtful as she considered the request, a slightly far off look in her eyes that no one else but Victor would ever know the reason for (though even still Victor only knew half the story regarding that topic).

Charlie quickly lit up her cigarette, speaking around it with a deride tone, "Sure, let me just call the fucker up and tell him I'm coming to visit." The assassin smirked, eyeing his companion as he waited for a decision from her. Victor could hear Charlie muttering to herself under her breath as her thin fingers drummed on the tabletop, and when she finally spoke up again, her voice was so rough and low that Victor almost couldn't make it out, "… Even Cobblepot's got a mother…"

In Charlie's own roundabout way, that was her agreeing to help him.

"Keep your ear to the groundㅡI work for Penguin, and I'm getting real tired of doing Galavan's bidding instead."

Charlie gave a nearly dismissive nod, "Christ. Never thought I'd miss the old crime families. Things were a lot simpler when Falcone was in charge, hm?" Charlie once more spoke in both a question and a statement, her tone caustic, "Back when all we had to worry about was the occasional pissing contest courtesy of Maroni."

To her surprise, Charlie spotted a tick in Victor's expression. It was a nearly unnoticeable, small twitch in his left eye, a tick that no one else could have taken notice of, but nonetheless it was enough to get Charlie's attention. And Victor knew immediately that he had been caught, spotting the curious narrow in his companion's green eyes. Sometimes, both of them forgot how much higher their guards had to be around one another.

Victor and Charlie were careful when they spoke to each otherㅡit was an undeclared rule that neither ventured too deeply into personal topics. Carmine Falcone had always been one of those topics for Victor. Sure, there was quite a bit he'd willingly shared with Charlie in the past, but he always kept Falcone's mob business close to the chest.

The fact that Victor didn't have any clever remarks to make about the late Don Maroni was also out of character, further cueing to Charlie that there was something going onㅡVictor always had something smart to say about the other man, whether it be about his business, his attitude, or his ridiculous temper. So, what did Victor know about the deceased mobster that perhaps Charlie didn't?

"What, Maroni's ugly mug still haunting you from beyond the grave?" Charlie questioned, leaning back in her seat again with crossed arms. Victor's thin lips seemed to clench just slightly, a physical indicator that he wouldn't talk so easily. To that, Charlie's eyes narrowed, "Why's a dead man on your nerves?"

Admittedly, a part of Victor wanted someone to talk toㅡeverything regarding CJ and her brothers had to be kept well under wraps, and usually he had no trouble keeping secrets, but this one still managed to weigh on him in an unexpected way. He was emotionally invested in the situation, that was plain as day. And it, too, was the thing that was quite out of the ordinary, enough so for Charlie to take notice.

Victor maintained his silence, firm gaze locked with Charlie's, whose eyes were just as acute. Her stare wasn't necessarily intended as a challenge, knowing it wouldn't have the desired effect on the assassin. What could work, however, was Charlie rising to her feet, finally turning her gaze away from Victor's.

"I'll start looking into this Galavan shit," she started, beginning to walk away, knowing that, if there was something Victor wanted to talk about, he'd mention it now before it was too late.

"… It's his kids." Victor spoke before Charlie could get very far, causing her to cock her head in both victory and curiosity. She turned her eyes back to look at Victor, but his stare remained forward where she had just been sitting. So, the young woman returned to the seat, meeting her companion's eyes with a request that he continue, "Let's just say losing dear old dad has stirred up some family drama."

Charlie's brow rose, a silent insistence that he elaborate.

"Pino's turning into his dad, and Umberto's a damn coward." It was clear to Charlie that there was an unspoken frustration Victor had with the younger brother, something perhaps more personal than his usual dislike for Pino, "And Camila… isn't doing great."

Despite how careful Victor was to make sure he didn't say 'CJ,' there was something to the way he said the youngest Maroni's name that caught Charlie's attention; it was incredibly subtle, but it was almost as if the name seemed awkward and foreign coming out of his mouth. Her head dipped ever so slightly as she studied the man briefly, guessing that the only Maroni daughter was, in fact, the root of Victor's trouble.

"What happened with CJ?" Charlie asked all too casually, eyes dropping down idly to stare at the cigarette pack in her hand. But that casual way she said 'CJ' was an emphasis in itselfㅡVictor realized that somehow Charlie had figured him out. Somehow Charlie knew the youngest Maroni's nickname, and somehow she knew that Victor's troubles were specifically tied to the girl in question.

He sighed through his nose, eyes dropping to stare at the table as his jaw clenched, "Pino nearly killed her two months ago… he beat her within an inch of her life and left her to bleed out on Falcone's lawn just yards away from a party… Yards away from me and Falcone, and we were completely oblivious."

Another subtly odd thingㅡVictor saying more than necessary. Though he often had a knack for saying a lot of random, unnecessary things, he never did so regarding a serious topic; he kept things as straight to the point as possible, and even just his additional commentary regarding the how and where of the situation was enough words to make Charlie more curious.

Charlie's thoughtful hum pulled Victor's intense gaze back to her. Once more, the pair stared each other down silently, each waiting for the other to speak first, and it made Victor nearly impatient.

"Whatever you're thinking, just say it." In reply, Charlie's brow quirked, "If you don't ask now, you'll just ask later, so may as well say it."

Charlie leaned forward, bony elbows propped on the table as the corner of her eyes wrinkled, "… How are you involved in all of this?"

Charlie's head was swimming with more questions, none of which she yet verbalizedㅡshe had to pick her inquiries carefully with Victor. This was obviously treading on personal territory, and a misstep wasn't going to get her anywhere.

Victor nearly laughed through his nose as his gaze drifted away, considering the questionㅡhe too wondered how he managed to get so involved in something that was never truly his to become involved with in the first place. It was very unlike him to let someone else's personal matters weigh in his life, and yet here he was willingly helping CJ time and time again.

"Right place, right timeㅡor, at least, it started that way." He began, "Since Maroni's funeral, I started running into CJ… and when her brother attacked her, she probably could've died if I didn't find her… she's been at Falcone's since."

"So that's why he's still in town." Charlie cocked her head while studying the man; she and nearly everyone else of intelligence in Gotham's underbelly had been suspicious of the mobster's continued presence in the city.

"Till Thursday."

Charlie wanted to ask furtherㅡwhat would happen with CJ once Falcone was gone? Or was the young woman lucky enough to be escaping this hell hole with the mobster?

Charlie allowed herself to withdraw into memories briefly, back to a time she'd like to forget. But coincidentally enough, it was a time in her life that involved CJ Maroni, even if only briefly.

"You know… CJ used to run a gambling ring at her prep school." Victor gave a quizzical look, certainly not expecting those words to come out of Charlie's mouth. His eyes narrowed before realization dawned on him.

"Your prep school." He emphasized, leaning back in his chair curiously as he recalled some of the brief mentions of her past Charlie had made through the years. Charlie's brows rose in unwilling agreement, wishing she could forget that damned academy.

"Mind of a mobster, even at fifteen." She added, "It was all riggedㅡhow she managed to fucking control all the high school sports teams is still damn impressive." Charlie huffed a slight laugh, "Until she was caughtㅡsuspended for a week. Can't begin to imagine how Maroni reacted to that one."

For a moment, Victor let his guard down, a bright, genuine look in his eyes as he smiled at Charlie's recollection of a former CJ. A smirk also dared to tug at the corner of Charlie's mouth as she met her friend's eyes before her gaze drifted out the window.

Charlie then suddenly remembered a night from two years ago, the night she tried to… well, it was something she'd rather forget as well. But sometime during the weeks after that, Victor attempted to raise her spirits, and one of those attempts was the retelling of how he ran into CJ weeks prior at a club she shouldn't have been in at the age of seventeen. Of course, at the time she was just "Maroni's kid" to Victor, but it appeared their habit of crossing paths wasn't a new occurrence.

Victor could see the far off look in Charlie's eyes, but decided not to interrupt her train of thought quite yet.

Finally, after a stretched out silence, Charlie spoke again.

"You're taking care of her now, aren't you?"

Victor's head tipped slightly to the side as he pulled a face, "Not exactly."

"But you're keeping an eye." The assassin nodded in confirmation, and Charlie's gaze drifted from his, realizing the conversation on the topic was reaching its end. She couldn't deny that she was now more curious about the Maronis than ever before (and certainly more curious about Victor and CJ's relationship), but she didn't want to keep throwing questions at her friend. No, she dealt in information, if she really wanted to know anything else, she'd find it all out on her own.

"Alright." She spoke in a concluding tone, placing her palms on the tabletop to rise to her feet again, "I'll find Penguin's mom; keep me posted if more information sprouts up." She stepped out from her seat, pausing alongside the table to swiftly knock back her last shot.

"Charlie," Victor started, his eyes meeting the woman's with a subtle friendliness that anyone else would certainly miss, "thanks."

She knew he meant more than just a simple thank you for taking the jobㅡdespite him saying very little, he felt a sense of relief to talk to someone, even briefly, about CJ. Neither of them were particularly fond of getting too deep into personal matters, however, they knew they could trust one another with any of the information they ever shared.

She stared for a moment longer before simply nodding, which was a silent means of her saying she was always willing to assist him should he askㅡthey would, and have, done nearly anything to help each other. In a city like Gotham, reliable friends and accomplices were hard to come by, and the two wouldn't dare risk losing one another; they'd been to hell and back together, and if they had to, they'd do it all over again.

Victor gave his friend a genuine smile and watched as she left the bar. He took another minute with his thoughts before throwing down some cash and walking out as well.

~four years ago~

"Pst, hey…" One of Charlie's classmates whispered from somewhere beside her as she fussed with her computer program, no longer following the lecture their teacher was givingㅡthis class was too slow for Charlie, and she was already strides ahead of the things most of the other students were still struggling with. The whisper, Charlie assumed, was for someone else, as she was sure no one here even knew she existed, and she continued her work, "… Hey, its, um… Charlotte, right?"

Upon hearing her name, Charlie's brow knit in genuine surprise, turning her gaze to the girl beside herㅡCamila Maroni. Despite being only a sophomore, everyone knew her nameㅡfirstly, of course, because of her father's reputation in Gotham, and secondly because of her brothers' reputations in the academy. Pino was a dick, so Charlie had overheard from older students, and Umberto was the intelligent but forgettable valedictorian of his class. Needless to say, Camila had a lot to live up to, though she never once seemed phased by the prospect.

Charlie finally caved and spoke in a hushed, questioning tone, already disinterested in whatever this girl had to say, "Yeah…?"

The other girl smiled with what appeared to be genuine friendliness (which was all too suspicious to Charlie, seeing as high school hadn't been a friendly place to her so far), "I'mㅡ"

"I know who you are." Charlie cut her off, and Camila's jaw briefly set in annoyance at the interruption, "Camila Maroni."

"CJ." the other girl said firmly, but quickly tried to put on her kind voice again, "'Camila' sounds like my dad talking."

Charlie gave a subtle curious look, noting in CJ's tone that something about her father put her off, and that feeling was a familiar one, "Charlie." The younger girl raised a delicate brow at that chosen name, "I don't like my name either."

For a split second, Charlie was sure CJ was reading deeper into the explanation than anyone ever did, as a peculiar look shone in her eyes. But just as quickly as it was there, the shine was gone as CJ put on her face again, carefully pulling her chair closer so its legs didn't squeal on the floor, and the new proximity made Charlie tense uncomfortably.

"Can I ask you something?"

A favor. Charlie just knew it would be. Why else would a popular kid be giving her the time of day? It should have been obvious from the moment CJ started talking to her, and Charlie couldn't help her annoyance and disappointment at how predictable it was.

"You just did." Charlie spoke plainly, her tone evident of the irritation she felt. To that, CJ's jaw clenched again and her brow furrowed some, erasing away the kind look she'd been wearing rather well since the start of this conversation. And inside, Charlie was undeniably amused watching the facade slowly dwindle away.

"It's just a simple question." CJ defended.

"And I gave a simple answer."

CJ was more than a little put off by Charlie's unwillingness to cooperate, though she was anything but surprised by it. She really didn't know much of anything about Charlie Spinksㅡshe knew the girl was apparently the adopted daughter of their school's Headmaster, and she knew the girl could be a right wild bitch. Back in the beginning of the school year, CJ, and who knows how many other students, were witness to Charlie knocking the lights out of Nina Vance, barely being held back by who appeared to be her only friend (or perhaps just acquaintance) in the academy, Harvey Dent. CJ didn't know much about Nina despite the two running in similar social circles, but she did know Nina had a superiority complex that rivaled even that of her oldest brother's, so she probably had that punch coming to her eventually.

CJ couldn't deny that something about Charlie Spinks impressed herㅡthe girl was brilliant as well as savage, and that was a combination CJ could appreciate.

However, now that she was the one on the returning end of Charlie's disdain, she was beginning to lose her patience. It was always so easy to get anyone else in the school to talk to her, to get them to agree to whatever she asked forㅡshe was gifted with the ingenuity to figure out how to pretend to be anyone friends, but also gifted with the ability to try to find likeable qualities in everyone she met. But Charlie somehow was already testing her.

"Look, you're obviously way smarter than everyone else in this damn school." CJ started again undeterred, her tone mimicking that of a mobster about to make a business deal as she pointed to Charlie's computer screen, "I've seen you messing around with this programㅡlooked to me like you were making some kind of ID for yourself the other day."

Charlie's eyes immediately glared daggers as another flare of annoyance coursed through herㅡshe didn't need anyone knowing a single lick of what she was up to, but this damn Maroni kid had taken notice and now had something up her sleeve.

Despite the expression on Charlie's face being anything but agreeable, CJ persisted, "Can you make an ID for me?"

Charlie would have laughed if she wasn't so put off by this kid. She studied CJ's face brieflyㅡthe girl was pretty in a cherub kind of way, that much was obvious. Her eyes were large and innocent, her cheeks round and rosyㅡshe may have been fifteen, but she had the face of a child. It was most certainly laughable that she even entertained the idea of a fake ID.

"I doubt anyone would be convinced that you're any older than thirteen." CJ narrowed her eyes, nearly insulted despite knowing that she had always looked younger than her age.

Indomitable and persistent, she tried again, "Then you don't know the power of make-up." She gave a mischievous grin, "You need to look older, younger, hide bruises, hickeys, whatever; make-up is your friend."

For a split second, Charlie focused on CJ specifically naming bruisesㅡthat was a bit of information for her to store away for later.

"So, can you make an ID for me?"

Charlie scoffed, having enough of this bullshit and turned her attention back to her computer, "No."

CJ glared for a long moment, but then her brow quirked with a sudden thought, "I'm sure the Headmaster wouldn't be so happy if he found out you were making a fake ID for yourself."

Charlie froze for a single moment, being more shaken by the loose threat than she'd let on, but she didn't let that through as she bit back quickly and sharply, "And I'm sure daddy wouldn't be so happy if he found out about your gambling ring."

She allowed herself to face CJ again, whose expression could kill, looking as if she was on the verge of losing her temper. But she took a deep breath, the murderous look in her eyes slowly fading away as she continued to eye Charlie. For a minute, the two girls stared one another down, the rest of the class remaining completely oblivious to the baleful confrontation happening at the back of the room.

"… I'll pay you." CJ finally said once she managed to reel herself in.

Though her expression remained as passive-aggressive as possible, Charlie silently and briefly considered the offer.

"… Okay."

CJ's triumphant smile would have been striking to anyone else that cared about that sort of thing, but Charlie certainly didn't care. The mobster-in-the-making held out a small hand for Charlie to shake, which the older girl simply spared an annoyed glance at before turning back to her work, feeling CJ's eyes glaring at her once more.