Hi everyone, I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! This is quickly becoming my favorite! Just as a quick trigger warning, this chapter contains mild sexual assault. If anyone is triggered by this sort of content you can skip over that portion, it's shortly after Delilah's first full day with the rogues. Other than that, happy reading! :)

Chapter 6: New Friends

Delilah rested her head against the wall, taking in her situation. In a matter of two hours she went from having life progress as normal to having to hide out in the rogue gallery because Carmine Falcone put a hit out on her. It was a lot to take in.

"Hey, how ya feelin' doll? You're a good one, you don't deserve this." Harley spoke up, doing her best to try to look at Delilah.

"Thank you Harley, I appreciate that. I'll be fine, I just have to stay low and try my best to be safe." In reality she was scared shitless and wanted to cry every few minutes, but she'd be damned if she let them all see her as weak.

"I wouldn't think they'd care about what you do or don't know. I mean, what would you actually do with that information? You're not a mob snitch, you're not a cop and don't have affiliation with any cops, and even if that mattered half of the GCPD belongs to Falcone anyway. This is just them being bitter, and that's not okay." Joker growled, earning a shocked glance from Delilah.

"So you are capable of caring about other people!" She laughed, smiling for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Don't get too excited, toots. I do have some semblance of a moral code after all." He sat back down on his cot, crossing his arms.

"That's my puddin'! What a good man!" Harley exclaimed, flashing a grin in Joker's direction.

"Hush Harls, we don't want to taint my perfect bad boy image now do we?" Joker chuckled.

The other rogues chuckled, very used to hearing Joker and Harley flirt back and forth. Delilah watched curiously, always wondering how they actually interacted with each other. It was almost endearing, if you forget about all the crimes they've committed together and Joker's explosive temper.

"First you eat me, then you get eaten. What am I, Miss Davis?" Edward called out, approaching the bars of his cell.

"Excuse me?" Delilah questioned. Is he seriously asking me riddles right now?

"You heard me. First you eat me, then you get eaten. What am I?" Edward smirked, enjoying the look of confusion on Delilah's face.

"A fishhook? Why are you asking me riddles?"

"Well you know me, I am the Riddler after all. Besides, it's easier to just try to drown out the lovebirds over there, especially when it's late at night. It gets pretty lewd in that corner of the room."

"You know it Eddy! A man's gotta have some form of entertainment around here!" Joker cackled, wiggling his eyebrows.

Delilah couldn't help but laugh, slowly approaching the bars of her cell before sitting down, facing Edward.

"Fine, but we take turns. So I guess it's mine. What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?" Delilah said, thankful for the entertainment.

"The letter 'M'. Not bad Delilah! You always know how to keep me on my toes. Which word in the dictionary is always spelled incorrectly?"

"Incorrectly! Edward, I thought you knew I'm smarter than that!"

"Oh I do, just wanted to keep you on your toes as well. You're up."

They gave each other riddles, did crosswords, and had other intellectual discussions throughout the night. It actually did help drown out Joker and Harley's flirting, which was a blessing in disguise. Once they realized everyone else was asleep they stopped with the riddles.

"It must be late if they all fell asleep. I can just barely see the moon from outside your window, Edward."

Edward turned around and looked out his window, indeed seeing the moon shining brightly.

"You're right, Delilah. I have a secret to show you, will you keep it just between us?"

"Yes, but don't try anything funny."

"Of course not! I mean, unless you'd want to see that. But I'll leave that for when you ask nicely."

Delilah's face burned up as Edward chuckled. Her blushing is strangely endearing.

Edward's hand went underneath his cot, feeling around until he found what he was looking for. He noticed Delilah studying his movements and smirked. He soon found what he was looking for; a little metal box. Before Delilah could say anything, Edward spoke first. "Now, close your eyes, Delilah."

"Why do I have to close my eyes?"

"Just trust me. I can't fully show you my secret with you staring at me like that, it's a bit distracting."

Delilah blushed again as she complied, closing her eyes.

Edward moved almost silently towards the lock on his cell door, disarming it with ease. He crept out of his cell, careful not to wake the others or startle Delilah. He soon arrived at her cell, disarming the lock quickly before shutting the door and crouching down next to her.

"You can open your eyes, Delilah."

Delilah gasped at the closeness of his voice as she opened her eyes, then covered her mouth in shock.

"H-how did you-"

"This, my dear. It's a magnetic lock disabler, perfect for getting out to get some exercise." Edward smirked as he showed Delilah the device. She looked at it in awe, looking between it and Edward.

"Did you make this in here?"

"Partially. Before the last breakout I took some of the tech from the current locks, then assembled the rest at home. It was quite easy really." He boasted, enjoying both the admiration of his work and irritation in Delilah's face. "I figured I'd use it tonight to show you a bit of my skills. Our therapy sessions really are quite limited in how much I can show you." Edward said, continuing to look Delilah in the eye.

"You know, you could've just said you wanted to get into my bed. That probably wouldn't have been as elaborate or risky." Delilah took her turn smirking and relishing in Edward immediately getting flustered. She had to admit, their 'tit-for-tat' was very fun, and she enjoyed seeing Edward flustered about as much as he enjoyed frustrating her with his riddles.

"Touche my dear, touche."

Edward took the chance to sit right next to Delilah on her cot, deliberately pressing his leg against hers. Her heart raced as Edward towered over her, staring intently into her eyes.

"Now, can we talk about how you really feel about all this? I know you were holding back earlier, which is smart of you. But holding back such feelings isn't good."

"Oh, so now you're the therapist?" Delilah chuckled.

"No, I definitely don't want that job. I'm just someone who cares." Edward smiled.

"You care about me! How sweet!" Delilah giggled, grinning at Edward.

"Watch it, I could very easily leave."

"Okay okay, I'm just joking. It actually does mean a lot to me that you care, thank you."

Delilah sighed, breaking eye contact from Edward and looking down at the floor. She wanted to talk about what she was really feeling, but the idea of crying in front of Edward was humiliating.

Edward put an arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm, looking down towards her.

"You don't have to tell me anything, but I promise I won't judge whatever you say. Regardless of what people may say, I'm a very honest person. I abhor lying, and I wouldn't be in here talking to you like this if I didn't care." Edward hoped his words would calm her down a bit so she would feel comfortable talking to him. Yes they had their playful, sarcastic back and forths, but over the past few months he had developed a soft spot for the young woman. Her intelligence was captivating and he could see that she truly did want the best for all of them. Even if her ideas of 'curing' them all were a bit misguided, he had to admire her unending desire to help people. He also couldn't help but be continuously blown away by her beauty. She was truly one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen, and he'd seen, and slept with, a lot of beautiful women in his lifetime. What can he say, he's a charmer. But something made Delilah different than the others. For the first time he actually felt an emotional tie along with that sexual attraction, and that was a mystery he was dying to solve.

Delilah looked back up to see Edward looking back at her, a kind look in his eyes. She smiled as she began to speak.

"If I'm being totally honest, I'm fucking terrified. I'm just….trying to adjust to it all. I have a fucking hit out on me from someone I knew my whole life. I mean, I always knew what Falcone is, but I don't think I ever expected this. The mob says they care about their family, but they only care about themselves. I should've known I would've gotten tied up in this sort of mess somehow. Even if I had left Gotham it wouldn't have made a damn bit of difference. So I guess….that's how I'm feeling. Confused, pissed off, and honestly defeated. Sorry to dump that all out." Delilah's voice began to crack as she spoke, not truly letting the situation sink in until now.

"Have you ever spoken to your parents about how you've felt?" Edward asked, a mixture of sympathy and anger boiling within him. He felt so sorry for her, but also furious that her family would put her in this sort of situation.

"I can't even tell you how many times I've told them. But the answer was always the same; 'He's our family! He would never hurt us! He helps us, we help him, we help each other.' Then back to trying to set me up with his shithead son Antonio. They never fucking listened to me, and if they knew what was going on now, if they don't already, they'd probably rush to his defense. I'm wrong for not trusting Carmine, I shouldn't have been eavesdropping, I don't know what I'm talking about. They never fucking care about how I feel. I guess I should be okay with it or used to it by now, but I'm not. I hate it Edward, I really fucking do." Delilah's voice continued to crack until she could no longer hold her tears back. She began to cry, trying hard to keep herself quiet so the others wouldn't wake up and see them.

Edward pulled her into his chest, holding her tight and letting her cry against him.

"I'm so sorry, I really am. When I get out of here I'll make Falcone pay for the lifetime of stress and fear he's caused you. That I promise you."

He rubbed Delilah's back as she cried against him, occasionally letting out a silent sob. After a few minutes her crying seemed to slow down. Edward stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, causing her to look up at him in shock.

"You never cease to surprise me, Edward Nigma."

"I could say the same to you, Delilah Davis."

Edward wiped away Delilah's tears as they looked into each other's eyes, feeling almost like magnets being pulled together. Their foreheads touched, and their hearts raced.

Is this it?

They both thought, studying each other intently.

"Well, Delilah, as much as I want to stay I know you've had a rough day and need some sleep. I assume the next few days will be pretty, different, and you should have your wits about you." Edward said, breaking the tension between the two as he pulled away. As much as he wanted to stay he knew she'd just been through hell, and staying would almost feel like he was taking advantage. That was certainly not in his nature.

"Thank you, Edward. I appreciate that. I really do."

Edward got up to leave and go back to his cell.

"Oh, Edward?"

"Yes, Delilah?" He turned back around to look at Delilah inquisitively, noticing the reddish hue on her cheeks and soft smile on her face.

"Feel free to visit any time."

"I - I absolutely will." He chuckled, trying not to make it obvious how much her comment shocked him as he walked out the door. This woman always keeps me on my toes. I like it.

፧

Jonathan made sure everything was ready before going out to his meeting. He had a large briefcase next to him with his signature mask on top. He figured he would need to don the mask in the beginning, but with this new development he would likely have to keep it on all the time when dealing with Falcone and his men. A minor setback, but no bother. The less people that saw his face the better anyway, as long as he wanted to keep his 'clean' jobs. He wasn't quite ready to lose them just yet. He drove through the streets of the Narrows, knowing them well. He decided to meet with Falcone's men, along with Delilah's father, out near the docks just to be safe. There were three men of his own with him, armed just in case. They were all given Delilah's father's picture and ordered not to harm him. Thankfully being threatened with fear toxin makes people listen to what you want them to do. After a tense ten minute drive he arrived at the docks. He quickly bent down to put on his mask before exiting the car, briefcase in hand. Falcone's men were already there, waiting patiently. He saw them trade glances as Scarecrow and his men approached them, obviously nervous about his mask.

Their fear is palpable. Good.

"So, gentlemen, I hope you found your way here safely." Delilah's father spoke first. Jonathan could definitely see where Delilah got her headstrong attitude from.

"Of course, we're glad you did as well. Thank you for meeting with me tonight, it's always a pleasure. Now let's get to business." Jonathan said in a gruff voice, aided by the gas filter sewn into his mask.

"Yes, the product. Is there a name for it?"

"Fear."

"Fear, huh? Is that really the best name for something we'd want people to come back to?"

"People like risks, don't they? Besides, if the name alone turns them off then they aren't ready for what it has in store." Jonathan answered, already becoming irritated with the man.

If he wasn't Delilah's father I'd punch that cocky look off his face before testing the toxin out on him.

"Understandable. Can I see it? I'm assuming that's it in your briefcase?"

"Yes it is. This is the liquid form, which is currently the most potent. There's also a gas form, but that has a bit less potency, which will be corrected." Jonathan opened up his briefcase before taking out a small vial of the fear toxin and handing it to Delilah's father. "Careful, don't drop it. If the liquid form is dropped the gas that comes from it could still have some potency."

He watched intently as Delilah's father examined the contents of the vial, swishing it around.

He's just showing off, he has no idea what this is. None of them do. I hate show-offs.

Once Delilah's fully involved we can persuade her to let us kill him, right? This human is really starting to irritate me, and I'd love to hear him scream.

Agreed.

Delilah's father handed the vial back to Jonathan, who quickly put it back in his briefcase.

"So, what are the effects?"

"Would you like a demonstration?"

"I think I'm okay, thank you. But it'll hook people, right?"

"Of course. I wouldn't be offering it if it didn't." Jonathan was really beginning to lose his patience with the man.

"And, just so we're clear, what's in it for us if we begin this partnership?"

Jonathan noticed Delilah's father shuffling where he stood, his growing fear unmistakeable to him. He reigned his anger in, tempted to inject him with his toxin for inflicting the pain he caused Delilah. If Delilah would ever be able to forgive him for it, he would, but he knew he couldn't risk that chance. He took a second to breathe before continuing.

"The deal is simple. You smuggle in the Fear and distribute it, and I'll use my connection at Arkham to have your men seen as 'insane' then given cushy sentences in Arkham instead of Blackgate if they geet caught. That goes for anyone arrested in connection with your activities, not just the Fear. That addendum is as a 'thank you' from me to Falcone for our business. So, do we have a deal?" Jonathan asked, staring down the man.

"Yes, I think we do."

Delilah's father reached a hand out to Jonathan. He responded by gripping Delilah's hand tight, almost painfully so, and glaring down at him.

"Good. Now let's discuss the transportation route."

፧

Delilah stretched as she woke up, the light of the morning sky shining in her face as she sat up. She almost began to panic when she saw the cell she was in, until she remembered why she was there.

"It's okay to be shocked, doll. It's a bit shocking when you first wake up in here, no matter how many times you come in." Oswald said sympathetically, the only one of the rogues that was awake.

"Oh thank you Oswald. It did throw me a bit off my guard. How do you get used to it?"

"Truthfully my dear you never really do. You just embrace the charade and hope you're convincing until you can get back out into the real world."

Oswald's words shocked her. Although she never could pinpoint why exactly he was in Arkham, Oswald spoke as though he'd been here many times before. She assumed he was in the rogue gallery purely due to his association with the other rogues, and the fact that he frequently challenged Batman.

"Oswald, may I ask you something?"

"Of course Delilah, anything."

"Why are you in Arkham? Yes I know you've gone against Batman, and I know you've worked with the Maroni crime family, but neither of those things suggest to me that you should be somewhere like this."

"Your assessment is indeed correct, I don't deserve to be shackled in here. Or anywhere for that matter. Let's just say that appearances can be deceiving."

"How's that?"

"I appear to the others as weak and spineless. And I'm able to put on that show for them. But I'm not weak. Not at all. I know how to act and what I need to do to get what I want. The people of Gotham just aren't ready for someone like me, but they will be. They aren't afraid, but they should be. Does that answer your question?"

Oswald spoke in a low tone that she had never heard before. A chill ran down her spine as he spoke, understanding the hidden meaning in his words.

"Yes, I think I do. Thank you."

"No, thank you! It's refreshing to have a worthy conversation partner that truly sees me for who I am. Like I previously stated, you have an open invitation to the Iceberg Lounge once it's up and running."

"Thank you, I greatly appreciate that, Oswald."

Delilah heard shuffling around the room as the other rogues started to wake up.

"Good morning, everyone!" She called out as they all crawled out of their cots.

"So, what's usually on the agenda for you while you're here?"

"As of now things will be proceeding as normal. We get our meals in here for the most part, other than occasional nights when we can go to the cafeteria for dinner. A few days a week we get free time in the rec room, but other than that and therapy sessions we're mostly up to our own devices. It's riveting, I know." Joker explained, stretching his arms as he stood up.

"That sounds incredibly boring. No matter you all try to break out so much. I'd do the same if I were you." Delilah said, feeling sympathetic towards the rogues.

"Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea."

The day went by without much issue. Today was not one of the days the rogues were allowed to leave their cells, and it was too dangerous for Delilah to leave either. Their meals were brought to them by the same guard, but other than that they had no other contact with anyone. She hadn't even heard from Jonathan, which was initially strange. She figured he was probably busy trying to make preparations to eventually move her out of the rogue gallery so she didn't take it personally. Besides, she liked having this uncensored look into the lives of the rogues. By just talking to them you'd never know they were all supervillains that had committed more crimes than you could imagine. They all seemed so normal, and perhaps that was the most frightening part to Delilah. Thankfully she brought her laptop with her, and she was able to slip it slightly out of her cell. Her cell was against the wall so she could put on some TV and movies for everyone to help pass the time. Before she knew it it was already nighttime, and she was exhausted. She used the privacy curtain to change into pajamas before falling asleep. The others soon followed.

፧

Delilah groaned as she felt a light pinch on her neck and an immense weight on top of her. She groggily opened her eyes, barely able to see in front of her. She could see the darkened outline of a very large man. He was straddling her hips and had an empty sedative vial in his hands.

She opened her mouth to scream but the man quickly put his hands over her mouth. She squirmed and tried to kick the man, but her movements gradually slowed as the sedative kicked in.

"Shhh, shh, it's alright. Just lay still and you'll be okay." The man bent down and whispered in her ear, gently nibbling on her ear lobe. Delilah recognized the voice and felt her blood run cold.

Lyle?! What the fuck is he doing here?

"One of my guys found out you were stuck down here in this shit hole and my heart broke for you, Delilah. I had to come down and make sure you were okay. But then I looked at you, so beautiful while you were sleeping, and knew you'd appreciate some company."

Delilah glared at him and bit his hand as hard as she could, drawing a little bit of blood. Lyle cursed and glared back at her before slapping her hard across the face and grabbing her neck tightly. Delilah gasped as the pain from his slap radiated throughout her face.

"Listen here you little bitch, I could've easily thrown you outside or brought you to my place, but I didn't. You're welcome for that. Now it'd be a lot easier for you to just lay here and enjoy yourself like a good little girl, but I can be rough if I need to be."

Delilah inwardly struggled against him, but the sedative had taken its effect and she could barely move. When she did weakly move her hips she could feel Lyle harden and squeezed her eyes shut in disgust. Once he knew she could no longer move Lyle ran his grubby hands all over her body, squeezing her breasts and kissing her neck. She kept her eyes shut, tears rolling down her face as she felt him groping her.

All of a sudden she heard Lyle shout and felt his weight being thrown off of her. Her eyes snapped open as she saw both Edward and the Joker in her cell fighting with Lyle.

"How the fuck did you two freaks get in here?" Lyle shouted as he threw a punch at Edward. He easily dodged it, crouching down and punching Lyle in the gut.

"That's a secret for me to know and for you to not find out." Edward snarled, punching Lyle again. Lyle dodged the punch and Edward's fist landed on the wall, causing him to hiss in pain.

"Edward!" Delilah gasped, feeling more powerless than ever before as the men fought next to her.

The fight continued until she saw the Joker throw Lyle out of her cell. Edward exited and shut the door behind her, giving her a sympathetic look before going back to Lyle.

"Ya know, Lyle, rape isn't a good look for someone like you. Maybe it just goes to show that no woman would actually want a pathetic sack of shit like you." Joker growled, his voice dripping in venom.

"Oh yea, clown? At least I don't just have a chick like me because she's fucking crazy." Lyle spat back.

"Hey who're ya callin' crazy, shithead?!" Harley screamed, shaking the bars of her cell. Soon the other rogues got up to observe the fight. As the fight continued Edward grabbed Lyle's handcuffs from his waistband and slapped one of them harshly on his wrist, giving the other to Joker. Joker tackled the man and smashed his face into the concrete floor as he handcuffed his other wrist.

"Fuck you, you fuckin' freaks! Who do you think you are? I'll make sure you never get out of here!" Lyle shouted, struggling against the Joker as he pulled Lyle into a standing position.

"Oh no, Lyle, I'm sure it's you who'll never get out of here." Edward chuckled darkly as the Joker pulled Lyle's struggling body towards the door, out of Delilah's sight.

"Hey, Lyle, have you ever wondered how I got my scars?" Joker said menacingly as he dragged Lyle out the door and into the hallway.

Delilah could hear Lyle's screams as Joker presumably slashed his face. She shook in fear and tears streamed down her face, the events happening all too much for her to handle. Soon the door opened again and Joker walked back into his cell, willingly shutting himself back in.

"I wanna say I'm sorry about that sick fuck, but I figure you'd rather hear me than see me right now. He got what he deserved for touching you like that." Joker shouted, hoping to ease some of Delilah's fears.

Lyle's dead? Delilah thought, feeling sick to her stomach. But then again, he did almost rape me, so he definitely deserved it. The sick fuck.

"T-thank you, Joker. I appreciate it." Delilah called out softly, still feeling the effects of the sedative.

She looked up as she saw Edward enter her cell cautiously, not wanting to scare her but also needing to make sure she was okay.

"Are you okay? God, Delilah, I'm so sorry I didn't hear him sooner." Edward said, unable to stop himself from hugging her.

Delilah mustered all the strength she could and hugged Edward back, pulling him close.

"I'm, I'm…" She muttered before crying again, this time not being ashamed to let her cries be heard. She gripped his shirt as she cried against him.

He held her against him and rubbed her back as she cried against him, just rocking her back and forth. They stayed like that for at least fifteen minutes before she was able to calm down and stop shaking. As she got quieter Edward moved to lay her back down and go back to his own cell. Once he laid Delilah back down her eyes shot open and she grabbed his shirt again.

"Please don't leave me alone Edward, please! Please stay." She begged, another tear sliding down her face. Edward's heart broke as he looked at her tear-stained face.

"Of course, of course I'll stay."

He moved her gently so there would be enough room for both of them on the cot, allowing her to lay her head on his chest as her breathing began to slow. In only a few minutes she was asleep.

He looked back down at her, his heart racing. He definitely couldn't stay in here all night; they already had enough to explain to Jonathan with Lyle being carved up somewhere in the asylum. The last thing he'd want to hear about or see is Delilah laying in his arms. Edward slowly moved Delilah's body away from his own, then crawled off the cot, careful not to wake her up. He got a pencil and piece of paper out of Delilah's bag and left her a quick note, explaining that he would keep an eye on her, before slipping out of her cell. He stretched as he returned to his cell, ready to stay up for the remainder of the night to make sure she was safe. He also used this time to figure out how they would explain the situation to Jonathan tomorrow.

The sooner we can all get out of here the safer we'll all be.