Hey everyone! Sooooo, things got pretty intense with Edward and Delilah! What did you all think? Hopefully that wasn't written all that badly. Writing those kinds of scenes is always interesting lol. I'm excited to keep moving with the plot and see how things continue for our little triangle! Favorite and follow, and leave a comment to let me know what you like or don't like! Happy reading! :)

I'll also be including a flashback scene in this chapter, and the entirety of that portion will be italicized.

Here's a link to the song "Love So Soft" that's mentioned in the chapter!

watch?v=YNokuDyknJ0

Chapter 9: Uncovering Secrets

Delilah's body felt stiff as she felt herself waking up. She tensed up then stretched, arching her back and head as she got comfortable. Suddenly she heard a low groan from behind her and felt a pair of hands grip her waist. She gasped and spun around, meeting the smirking face of Edward Nigma above her.

"You know, if you wanted to continue what we did last night you could've just asked, instead of practically grinding on me like that."

He continued to smirk at Delilah as an intense blush radiated across her face, a smile of her own appearing on her lips. She didn't realize he was right behind her when she stretched, but if he wanted to play games she could play them too. Delilah moved closer to him and wrapped one of her legs around his waist, biting her bottom lip softly.

"I don't think I know what you're talking about. I just woke up. I think you may be jumping to conclusions, Mr. Nigma." Her smile widened as she pressed herself against him, relishing in the sight of his eyes widening in surprise. It wasn't often that the Riddler was caught by surprise.

"Are you sure about that? Because the way I see it I've just been laying here, defenseless, while you've been pressing yourself against me and taunting me. All this happening in my bed nonetheless." Edward said, before quickly straddling Delilah and pinning her wrists under one of his hands. He grinned as she gasped loudly at the sudden change in power dynamics. He figured she was trying to trip him up, and she succeeded for a little. But he couldn't let her maintain control. Besides, taking that control back was a lot of fun.

"How should I respond to the game you're playing, hm?" He asked, leaning in closer to whisper in her ear, relishing the shudder she released. Before he could make his next move Delilah pulled his head back and crashed his lips to hers, biting his lip roughly. His breath hitched as she threw him off his mission. He was intending on having her beg him to make a move, but somehow her doing it herself signalled his loss in this little game.

This one is certainly more exciting than Miss Kringle! She has a bit of fire in her, and she's able to keep up with us. I like it! She was even able to get the best of you. That's a rare accomplishment.

I hate to admit it but you're right on that. Now stop, I need to focus.

Edward ground his hips into hers as the kiss deepended. He ran his hands up and down her body, grinning as she moaned into the kiss. Suddenly he separated, using his arms to prop himself up over her.

"Oh, Miss Davis. You snuck up on me, that isn't quite fair. How am I supposed to react to you doing this to me after I graciously allowed you into my home?" Edward said darkly.

"Well Mr. Nigma, I have some ideas. But I'm afraid my ideas aren't free." Delilah grinned back at him, loving the fact that she was pressing his buttons.

"Of course, that kind of information is valuable. I guess I'll just have to take it." Edward growled before kissing her roughly again.

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The sun shined brightly through the apartment as Delilah cooked a late breakfast for herself and Edward. A light blush crept across her cheeks as she thought about the past few weeks with him. It was so hard for her to believe that someone like the Riddler would be such a normal person underneath his supervillain persona. To the rest of the world he appeared to be a psychopath that was way too obsessed with riddles and tricks. When he was in his own home he liked sleeping in, played video games for hours (and threw mini-tantrums when he lost), constantly played classical music, and tried cooking gourmet meals for her. They had long conversations about psychology, science, philosophy, any subject they could think of. They cooked together, danced together, watched movies, and did other fun activities together. It seems hard to believe, but she was very rarely bored while staying with Edward, even though she was cooped up in the apartment. There were times when she was left alone when Edward had to get supplies or when he was acting as the Riddler. His escapades had slowed down, probably due to Delilah being under his protection. He'd been out a few times as the Riddler, like last weekend when he robbed the Gotham Museum of Art. Thankfully he'd upped the anty with the riddles he left for the GCPD and Batman, effectively keeping them off his trail. If he suddenly got apprehended and sent back to Arkham Delilah wasn't sure what she would do to remain safe. Even with his connections to Jonathan he wouldn't be able to get out as soon as he got back in and Jonathan couldn't take time off to stay with her.

The smell of crispy toast, eggs and bacon wafted through the apartment as Delilah cooked. Her hips swayed as she hummed a random song, the light melody of birds chirping audible from the nearby windows. Suddenly she felt a pair of strong hands wrap around her waist. A grin broke out on her face as she turned around to face Edward. She stood on her tip-toes to peck him on the lips before returning to her cooking.

"I hope you slept well?" She asked, finishing up the meal. She felt Edward step away to set up the table.

"Yes I did! I have to say, having someone to sleep next to is much more comfortable than sleeping alone." Edward responded, getting the table set up for their meal.

Delilah blushed as she prepared the food and took a plate for herself. She sat down and started eating, Edward joining her soon after.

They ate in silence for a bit, just taking in the morning light and the good company. Delilah became lost in her thoughts as she reflected on her current situation. As safe as she felt, she knew she wouldn't be able to stay here forever. The fact that Edward, or rather, Riddler, was starting to come out of hiding was a bit troubling. They couldn't afford to have him get randomly caught by the GCPD or Batman. She had faith that his riddles would continue to outsmart them, but she knew there was a chance that he could still get caught. She had to start discussing a game plan with Jonathan of either having a second place to go, or trying to work things out with Falcone herself. She really hated this thought, but if she went in willingly and worked to separate her father from the business then maybe everything could work out. They may have to leave Gotham for their own safety but if that's what it took to keep her and her family safe from Falcone she'd do it.

The idea of leaving Gotham created a huge pit in her stomach. Everything she knew; her family, friends, job opportunities, and even the rogues she'd become friendly with were here. She didn't have a life outside of Gotham. Everything about her life would change if she left, especially her relationships with Edward and Jonathan. Each of those relationships changed dramatically in the past few weeks. She and Jonathan previously had an almost entirely professional relationship from their time together at Gotham U and Arkham. The only time anything ever crossed a sort of line was when Jonathan tried delving into her personal life, more specifically her fears. Those questions were easy to dodge though. She would reflect on the nature of fear with him, which would distract him pretty easily. But ever since this issue with Falcone popped up their relationship took a more dramatic turn. They hadn't taken things quite as far as she and Edward had, but they'd had a few discussions about their feelings towards each other, which, for Jonathan, was saying a lot. And she'd be lying if she didn't admit the other, more fun activities they'd done together. If things really went awry then she had the option of asking to stay with him temporarily, but she didn't want to risk his safety, or risk the stability of their friendship.

Edward noticed Delilah staring off into space, meekly picking at her food with a light frown. She didn't normally act in such a reserved manner. He figured she was upset about something, so he thought he should distract her.

"I consume your mind and am with you always. I put in no effort but I never take a break. I can be meaningless, inventive, or complex. What am I?" Edward asked, breaking Delilah from her thoughts.

"Wha-what?" She replied, looking up at him.

"I consume your mind and am with you always. I put in no effort but I never take a break. I can be meaningless, inventive, or complex. What am I?" He asked again, smirking at her. "Normally I don't repeat my riddles, so consider yourself special."

Delilah thought for a second before grinning back at him. "A thought."

"Very good! You're still as sharp as ever." Edward smiled before continuing. "Are you okay, Delilah? You looked upset before."

"I'm fine, just, thinking about some logistical things." Delilah replied softly.

"Well, do you need help thinking through those logistical things? I've been told I'm pretty good at solving puzzles."

"I-I'm fine."

"Delilah, that doesn't make me feel like you're okay. Please, just tell me what you're thinking about."

Delilah sighed deeply before responding. "Well, if you must know, I've been thinking about this whole….situation. I've had a wonderful time staying here and I wish I could just stay here long-term. But realistically speaking I can't just stay in place like a sitting duck. I need to find a way out of this and move on with my life. I know you and Jonathan probably have some ideas in mind, but I have some as well."

Edward shifted in his seat and put his fork down. His features twisted in a slight frown as he absorbed Delilah's words.

See? I knew it wouldn't last forever. She's realizing she's better off without you and is leaving, just like they all do.

It isn't that! It's reasonable for her to want to leave at some point. Living a life cooped up in an apartment isn't fulfilling.

Sure, you're just saying that to deflect from the fact that she doesn't want you. You aren't good enough for her.

Shut up! I am! I….I think I am?

"Edward?" Delilah asked, breaking him out of his trance.

"Yes?"

"I was asking if you wanted to hear my ideas."

"Oh, oh yes! I definitely do." He replied sheepishly, slightly embarrassed that he got caught not fully listening to her.

"Well, okay. I don't particularly love my ideas but they're the best I have at the moment. My first is that I work with Falcone, willingly."

"Wait, what?! Handing yourself over to the person who put a hit out on you, that's your idea?"

"I didn't say it was an idea I liked! But just listen. I've known him my entire life, he saw me grow up. As much as I hate it, my family's life is intertwined with his family. Somewhere there must be some sort of familial attachment. If I can appeal to that he could call off the hit, and I can use that time to work on my parents to get them less involved in what he does. Hell, it isn't like I deliberately eavesdropped on him or told him I would do anything with the information I overheard. I just happened to be sitting there and heard them talking. I could convince him that I'm loyal while I talk to my parents."

Edward paused as he considered how he would defeat this risky idea. He knew it wouldn't work but he needed to convince Delilah of that before she got herself hurt.

"So, what if you do go to him and he doesn't believe you? What if he doesn't believe you and immediately kills you? Or, worse yet, what if he doesn't believe you but makes it appear as though he does and seemingly lets you in, while just waiting for the right moment to strike? If you go to him you can't guarantee that you'll stay safe and that's a huge problem for me."

"I get that, but if I don't go I'll just be twiddling my thumbs, living my life in fear that someday he'll find me. I need to be more proactive. Which brings me to another idea."

"And that is?"

"I could leave Gotham entirely."

Delilah looked down at her lap as her knee bounced rapidly, afraid to meet Edward's gaze. She didn't want to offend him or make him feel like she was ungrateful for the protection he gave her, and she especially didn't want him to feel like she wasn't interested in him.

"You….you'd really consider leaving? Do you think that'd be a good idea?" He stammered, taken aback.

"Wow, I actually caught the Riddler off guard. I'm almost impressed with myself." Delilah chuckled, hesitantly meeting his gaze. She saw the dark look in his eyes and knew she unintentionally stepped too far.

"Normally I love your jokes, but I'm not interested in hearing them right now. I'll repeat myself; do you really think leaving is a good idea?" He replied sternly, obviously upset.

"Honestly, maybe. I wouldn't be at the mercy of Falcone, I could disguise myself and change my name, go on with my life somewhere where he couldn't find me."

"So you'd be willing to leave everything behind? Your job, your family, Jonathan…." Edward trailed off, not wanting to be more vulnerable than he already had been. But Delilah already caught on to what he meant. She moved her chair closer to his and held his hand.

"I know that idea is hard. Do you think I want to be in this kind of situation Edward? I don't. I really, really don't. But I have very few options, and those two are the only ones I can think of at the moment that don't have me just sitting, waiting for him to find me. If you have anything better then please enlighten me, but as of now those are the two most viable options I have right now."

Edward paused, weighing what he should tell her. He'd been trying to keep her stalled so Jonathan could tell her his plan himself, so he'd have to talk to Jonathan about this new development. In the meantime he had to come up with an idea good enough to keep her put so she wouldn't do anything dangerous.

"What about this; you know that Oswald is well connected, right? I could try to call in a favor with him to call off the hit and have Falcone leave you alone."

"Hold on, didn't you and Jonathan tell me that Oswald is dangerous? Why would you suddenly trust him now?"

"That option sounds a lot better than leaving."

"What did he even do anyway? I don't think you ever told me."

Edward's face hardened as he recalled past events. Delilah noticed and opened her mouth to say something, but Edward beat her to it.

"Remember when Oswald was mayor? Around that time I'd met a woman, Isabella. She was….I don't know what happened but I fell in love with her almost overnight. We went on a few dates and it was just wonderful. I confided in Oswald and he immediately suggested that I break up with her. I should've figured something was off, but I pushed it away. With what happened with Miss Kringle, I knew I had to be careful. I didn't want to hurt Isabella the way I hurt Kristen. The thought of hurting another innocent woman terrified me, so I went along with breaking up with her. But I also knew I didn't have it in me to do it so I asked Oswald to convey the message for me. In hindsight that was a very bad move, but I couldn't face her in person. He told me he did it so I started proceeding with life as usual. Soon after I started getting a lot of calls and texts from her, so I went to her house to see her. She….she dyed her hair and dressed like Kristen. It was some sort of test. She knew what I'd done to Kristen and she wanted to convince me that I wouldn't hurt her. She helped me realize that what had happened with Kristen truly was an accident, and that I didn't have to hurt her. I could control myself. Feeling like I was out of control was terrifying, so realizing that I could actually control myself, and the fact that she helped me discover I could do that was amazing. I told Oswald and things seemed fine, he appeared to be supportive. The next night Isabella left to go to a work conference and ran a red light at a train intersection. Her car got slammed by a train and she was….gone."

Edward paused, tensing up as his breath hitched. Delilah held his hand tight and gave him a soft glance. He met her gaze and released his breath before continuing.

"I was a wreck for days. I couldn't help myself and started investigating further. They said she fell asleep at the wheel, but there's no way she did. The accident happened a few blocks from her house, there's no way she fell asleep that quickly. I went to the place where it happened and this homeless man said he heard a woman screaming before the accident, which, again, tells me that she wasn't asleep. I did my own digging and found out that her break lines were cut. In haste, I immediately suspected Butch Gilzean. We'd already had issues, due to me kind of masterminding the re-emergence of the Red Hood gang, having them seem as if they were trying to hurt Oswald, and linking them with Butch. Anyway, I captured Butch and his ex, Tabitha, to try to get them to confess to killing Isabella. At the very last second Butch 'confessed', quote unquote, but he said he shot her. I knew she wasn't shot, so I immediately knew he didn't actually do it. I racked my brain trying to figure out who else could've done it but I was stumped. That doesn't happen often. I was trying to solve that puzzle when Barbara Kean broke into the residence I shared with Oswald. She found out that Oswald, he, he was in love with me, and told me so."

Edward shuddered before continuing.

"I knew him, I didn't think he'd….I didn't think he'd be capable of something like that. I confronted him about killing Isabella and he actually told the truth. I was shocked, I just couldn't believe it. We fought about it and he didn't double down, insisting he did the right thing. I set up an elaborate trap to kill him which, unfortunately, didn't work. When I saw that he was still alive he tried to ask for forgiveness but I just couldn't do it. I shot him and thought I killed him again, but obviously I didn't. At that point I figured it wasn't worth trying again. Too much hassle. But I haven't been able to look at him quite the same way since. He's done other terrible things, too many to name. Yes we're all criminals, but I think there are certain lines you shouldn't cross."

Delilah looked at Edward in shock as he recounted the story. She was shocked that Oswald could do something like that to someone he allegedly loved. If he could hurt Edward like that there was no telling what he would do to her if it benefitted him in any way.

"Wow, Edward, I'm so sorry. Now I completely understand why you wanted me to stay away from him." Delilah held his hand tighter and moved her seat closer to his.

"It's fine, I've gotten over it. I just feel terrible that an innocent woman got hurt because of me. Honestly remembering all of that makes me doubt this decision a bit, but I think if I did a big enough favor for Oswald he would keep you safe. If I hacked into Sal Maroni's personal files and dug up some dirt on him, maybe get a piece of art Oswald really likes, something. I'd do any sort of favor for him to keep you here."

Edward paused, looking into Delilah's eyes before continuing.

"Please, Delilah, please let me and Jonathan work something out to keep you here. I don't want you getting hurt, and I certainly don't want you to leave. I….this is hard for me to say, but I need you to stay. You make me feel feelings that I haven't felt in a very long time, and if you left I'm not sure what I would do. There's a way to figure this out and keep you here, just please, give us more time."

Delilah's eyes widened as Edward spoke. Her heart raced as she absorbed what he was saying. She knew they both had feelings for each other, but she didn't realize how much she seemed to mean to him. It was all a lot for her to handle, with him being the Riddler and all, but over time she didn't really care about that. The person beneath the persona meant a lot more to her than any of the crimes he'd committed, even if he could get a bit carried away at times. He'd shown her that she could trust him in a way that she could trust very few people, not even her parents.

"Fine, I'll give you guys more time. Thank you again for everything you've both done for me, I really can't thank you enough. I just….I couldn't help but start worrying about the future, or what would happen if Batman or the GCPD caught up with you and…." She stopped when she noticed Edward's jaw clench slightly. His body got tense as she figured out how to phrase her next thought.

"This isn't me worrying about your criminal prowess or capabilities. I just know plans have backfired before, obviously, since you've been in Arkham before. Even with your connection to Jonathan you wouldn't be able to get out the same day you get thrown in and I couldn't stay here by myself."

Edward took a deep breath, exhaling loudly.

"That's a fair point. I highly doubt those imbeciles will catch me again, but you're right in worrying about it. I'll be sure to talk to Jonathan soon to formulate a better plan. But, speaking of criminal escapades, I'm going on another job with my assistants tonight. I'm not sure when I'll be home, but if anything happens I will contact Jonathan immediately and arrangements can be made to get you somewhere safe. Is that okay with you?"

Edward asked tentatively, suddenly realizing how his nightly excursions must've been affecting her.

"Of course! You're one of Gotham's most infamous criminal masterminds, you don't need to ask for my permission to go work." Delilah smiled as Edward grinned back at her, his ego sufficiently stroked.

"Ah, a criminal mastermind you say? I think you overestimate me, Miss Davis." Edward smirked.

"Hm, maybe you're right. After all, most people could take little pieces of art from museums, or hack into computers. Heck, if I learned how to hack maybe I could compete with you!" Delilah replied as Edward suddenly moved almost impossibly close to her to whisper in her ear.

"There's a lot more involved in being a criminal. Maybe I'll have to teach you." He whispered, biting her earlobe. He smirked against her neck when she gasped at the soft bite.

"You're right! I'll have to brush up on my riddles so I could keep up with you. Or maybe I'll invest in some Victoria era clothes and brush up on my Lewis Carroll to help out Jervis. Maybe I should reread my neuropsychopharmacology textbooks then give that Scarecrow guy a call!" Delilah laughed as Edward pulled away from her, a slightly shocked look appearing on his face. He didn't say anything, just looking into her eyes, almost as if he was trying to solve her.

"What, did I say something wrong?" Delilah questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh no, not at all dear. I'm just thrilled that you'd so easily consider a life of crime. I think villainy would suit you." Edward smirked, pulling her in for a kiss.

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Several hours had passed since her discussion with Edward and Delilah felt more secure than she had in days. Whenever he usually left to go on his latest job he'd have some sort of loose plan to ensure her safety, and he would never tell her where he was going. Tonight, however, he made sure to tell her where he was going and assured her that he'd contact Jonathan if something happened to him. That made her feel a lot better about being in the apartment alone.

He left about an hour or so ago and she was just cleaning up, trying to make the apartment nice for when he returned. She knew she was contributing next to nothing besides cooking meals while she was staying with him and knowing that made her feel bad. Cleaning while he was gone and cooking whenever she could was her small way of giving back to him for all of his generosity. He'd even given her some jewelry he'd stolen from various jewelry stores, even at her insistence that he keep them. The type of dynamic they had was strange but she enjoyed it nonetheless. If things didn't work out at Arkham maybe she would take him up more seriously on his offer.

The speakers played "Love So Soft" by Kelly Clarkson as she wiped down the countertops and put various objects away. She swayed her hips and danced, singing along with the song.

Every kiss is a door

Can I knock on yours?

Can we knock a little more?

If your touch is a key

Keep on twistin', keep unlockin', keep on turnin' me

Let me in

I wanna be closer to you, let you under my skin

If I let you in

You gotta be careful with it

Let me tell you again

She paused to continue singing when she heard what sounded like a footstep coming from the bedroom. Her body tensed as she quietly tiptoed to the speakers and turned off the music before grabbing two knives from the knife block. She gripped them tightly as she slowly stepped towards the bedroom. Her back pressed against the wall once she got to the door, taking a deep breath before quickly stepping into the room, wielding the knife in front of her.

As she stepped into the room her eyes widened, the tip of her knife pointing directly at the neck of Victor Zsaz. He stood there grinning at her with a cocky look on his face, his right hand on one of his pistols. He was dressed in black dress shoes, black slacks, a black button down shirt and black tie, as usual. Even just standing there with a knife pointed at him he held an air of arrogance, knowing fully well he could quickly gain the upper hand. Delilah paled as she stared at Victor.

"What, no hello Delilah? After all we've been through I'm kind of offended." His voice boomed as he addressed her, causing her to jump. Within seconds she regained her composure and kept the knife pointed in his direction, adjusting her footing so she was standing directly in front of him. She did her best to regulate her breathing as she spoke.

"How did you get in here?" She demanded coldly.

"And no small talk either? If I knew any better I'd say you're not happy to see me." He taunted her, stepping forward. His grin widened as he allowed the tip of her knife to lightly pierce his neck, not hard enough to draw blood but hard enough for her to notice the knife cut him, showing her that he was not intimidated.

"I'll only ask one more time. How'd you get in here Victor?"

"Tut tut, I don't think that'll do. I like you Delilah, so let's not make this harder than it has to be by asking silly questions that you should already know the answers to."

Victor continued to step towards her, forcing her to back up towards the dining room.

"Now, Don Falcone was adamant that you're alive when you come with me. Alive is a very….subjective term in my opinion. You could be alive and unscathed, alive with a bullet wound or two, alive but missing a limb. I think we'd all prefer for you to arrive to Don Falcone alive and unscathed, but other arrangements can be made if you choose to not cooperate."

A chill ran down Delilah's spine as she stared at Victor. She knew very well that it was best to remain on his good side. In what almost felt like another lifetime, she'd done self-defense training with Victor on her father and Falcone's insistence. You could never be too safe, they'd tell her, and who better to learn self-defense from than one of Falcone's top assassins? The memories felt almost foreign to her as she analyzed his movements.

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Delilah's foot tapped incessantly as she waited for Victor to arrive at her father's gym. He was coming to give her a self-defense lesson and, to be quite honest, she was dreading it. She insisted that she didn't need self-defense training, but her father knew that the areas surrounding Gotham U tended to be pretty sketchy and wouldn't take no for an answer. Falcone eagerly agreed to the arrangement, always careful to consider her safety. Another part of the issue was having extended contact with Victor Zsaz. Victor seemed amicable enough but there was something about him that creeped her out. He had a certain unsettling presence about him. Part of it was his appearance; his unchanging wide grin, lack of eyebrows, and incredibly pale skin spooked most people who met him. His mannerisms were also peculiar and semi-frightening. He seemed to be just as joyful as he was menacing, which was a dangerous combination when someone was trying to predict his next move. If you happened to see underneath his sleeves you'd see the various cuts he inflicted on himself, tallies for each person he killed. That was probably the most terrifying part of him.

As Delilah was lost in her thoughts she suddenly heard the click of a trigger and felt the cold metal of a gun against the back of her head. She jumped and spun around, meeting Victor's intense gaze.

"Oh God, Victor, please don't ever do that again!" She exclaimed, almost shaking as she worked to regulate her breathing.

"But Delilah my dear, how are you ever going to learn self-defense if you can't even track your enemy's movements? If you leave yourself vulnerable expect that to be taken advantage of. Lesson one." He grinned, handing his gun to her.

"Does this lesson entail using guns? Because I didn't sign up for gunshot wounds." Delilah questioned, looking at the gun quizzically.

Victor began to laugh, clutching his sides as he laughed louder and louder. Suddenly he stopped, maintaining his grin and pulling out another gun.

"Oh no, but that's a great idea! These are BB guns. They'll still hurt but they aren't deadly. I'll also give you a knife to use, should you need it. Now, let's begin."

Before Delilah could react Victor jumped away and fired a shot at her, hitting her in the calf. She cried out in pain as Victor chuckled.

"Lesson number two, analyze your surroundings and find good cover." He called out as she scrambled to find a place to hide. She soon found a dividing wall to hide behind, peeking out to see where Victor was. She briefly saw one of his arms and aimed her gun to shoot him. Before she could pull the trigger his arm was gone. She frantically scanned the area to find where he went when she heard a single footstep behind her. She immediately went to the other side of the dividing wall and, sure enough, saw him walking towards where she just was.

Her footfalls were nearly silent as she tracked him, keeping her finger on the trigger of her BB gun. She willed herself to breathe silently as she tiptoed behind him, surprising herself with the fact that he appeared to not notice her. He paused and tilted his head to the side, wondering where she had gone. Before he could move again she raised the gun to his back and clicked the trigger, letting him know she was behind him. He spun around quickly and smacked the gun out of her hand just as she fired.

"Lesson number three, never give away your location. Also, lesson number four, strike when you get the chance."

He instructed as he pulled out his own gun. She acted quickly, kicking her leg up high to kick the gun out of his hand. He grabbed her leg and brought it closer to him, smirking down at her. As he brought her leg closer to him she grabbed his shoulder with one hand and grabbed her knife in the other, pressing it against his neck.

She panted as he looked at her, his grin expanding. She winced as he leaned down to speak to her, allowing her knife to press lightly into his neck, cutting him just enough to allow a thin line of blood to form.

"You'll be more fun to work with than I previously thought."

፧

"Go to hell, Victor." She growled, taking the opportunity to press her knife against his throat again.

"There's that fire I always liked in you! This is certainly going to be fun." His grin widened as he raised his gun. As he shot at her leg she jumped away, barrel-rolling towards the couch. He fired two shots at the couch, and she quickly rose up to throw one of her knives at him. He easily dodged it, letting it pierce the wall behind him. She ducked behind the couch again, glancing over to the door. If she could get out the door she could potentially get out of the building before he'd catch up to her.

Her thoughts were broken as he fired again, this time one of the bullets grazing her arm. She hissed in pain, willing herself to stay quiet.

"Come on out Delilah! Don't you want to make this easier on yourself?" Victor purred, stepping towards the couch.

Delilah looked around for a hard object to throw at him when her eyes found a large paperweight Edward kept on the coffee table. She quickly reached over and grabbed it, peeking to see how close he got. He continued walking towards the couch, his grin still impossibly wide. It sickened her knowing how much he got off on the violence he inflicted every day.

"Well, as much fun as this is, I have a job I need to do. So, if you wouldn't mind-"

Before he could continue Delilah hurled the paperweight at him, successfully hitting him in the head. In the brief moment he was disoriented Delilah rushed him, throwing his pistol out of his hand before slashing him in the chest with her knife. She lunged forward to stab him when he grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her painfully. She cried out in pain as he pulled her against him, continuing to twist her arm until it felt like it would rip off.

She willed herself to keep fighting as she remembered the knife. With her free arm she plunged the knife into his side and twisted, then raked the knife down. He hissed, dropping her on the ground. She ripped the knife out of him and scrambled to her feet. Before she left she knew she had to grab the burner phone on the kitchen counter so she could contact Edward and Jonathan. She ran to the counter and grabbed the phone, shoving it into her pocket. As she did so Victor roughly grabbed her hair, pulling her towards him. She elbowed him in the face, causing him to let go of her hair. He laughed wildly as he punched her in the stomach, continuing to laugh as she doubled over in pain.

Delilah's vision got blurry as she absorbed the blow, willing herself to continue fighting. Victor cackled as he prepared to strike her again. Delilah jumped back, missing his next punch as she threw her last knife at him. This momentarily distracted him enough for her to bolt towards the door. She hastily threw the door open and ran as fast as she could down the stairs, hearing Victor's calm footsteps following her.

"Come on Delilah, we've had our fun but let's go!"

She continued running down the stairs, arriving at the bottom floor quickly. She turned around and saw Victor aiming his gun at her. She shrieked as he shot at her, hitting her in the calf.

The pain was nearly paralyzing, but she couldn't stop herself from running. She gritted her teeth as she forced herself to run out the door and sprint as far away from the apartment as she could. She ran nearly fifteen blocks before she felt confident that Victor was not trailing her. She ducked behind an alley, looking all around her to make sure Victor was not there. When she finally knew she was no longer in danger she inhaled sharply before crying out from the pain of her wounds. She sank to the ground as the pain overtook her. The tears leaked from her before she even realized she'd started crying.

Blood gushed from her calf, that wound being significantly worse than the one on her arm.

"Fuck, fuck fuck fuck!" She cursed, taking off her shirt and ripping it in half. Thankfully she had a tank top underneath so she could use her other shirt as a makeshift tourniquet. She quickly wrapped the shirt tightly around her calf to help stop the bleeding, then did the same to her arm. Once she was able to gather herself she pulled out the burner phone, quickly dialing Edward's number.

As the phone rang she prayed he wouldn't be too upset about his safe house being broken into, and for interrupting his activities. About a minute passed before she heard a voice.

"I bring with me all levels of news, important or meaningless, happy or sad. I come in many forms, but am always a pact between two people. What am I?" Edward's voice growled through the phone before a beep snapped her back into reality.

"Ah, hey, Edward! I'm assuming the answer to that riddle is a message? I'm really not sure." She chuckled, bracing herself to not let her pain trickle into her voice.

"So ah, listen, I'm really sorry but I had to leave the apartment. Long story short, somehow Victor Zsaz found me. I got out, he shot me twice, and I'm just kinda wandering aimlessly until I can get a hold of you or Jonathan. Please just, just call me back!" She said shakily, quickly hanging up the phone.

She cursed as she dialed Jonathan's number next. Another minute passed before she heard his voicemail as well.

"Hello, this is Dr. Jonathan Crane. If this is a medical emergency please call 911, but otherwise please stay on the line and leave me a detailed message. I'll return your call as soon as possible."

Delilah mumbled a curse under her breath as she hung up.

She stood up shakily as she did her best to maintain her balance and assess her surroundings. She noticed that she was relatively close to Gotham U, which was only five minutes from where Jonathan lived. If she could find Jonathan's house she knew she'd at least be safe for the moment. She felt bad possibly putting him in danger, but that was the best option she had.

She roamed the streets as she searched for familiar buildings. After a few minutes of walking she saw that she was on Suffolk Avenue.

This is it! Jonathan lives on this street!

She walked as quickly as she could, scanning all of the houses before finding Jonathan's.

Oh thank God!

She walked up to the door, knocking softly. No answer greeted her, so she knocked harder. As she did so the door got pushed open. She tilted her head quizzically, wondering why his door was slightly ajar in the first place.

At that moment she took it as a good sign, cautiously walking into his home. Entering his house without his permission made her feel dirty, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

There were no lights on in the house as she carefully walked through the doorway. She hoped he wasn't asleep. That would be a very awkward situation to explain her way out of.

"Dr. Crane! Jonathan!" She called out, but heard no reply.

"Jonathan! Something happened at Edward's, I had to get out, I need you!" Again, no answer.

She continued walking through the house hoping to find Jonathan when she suddenly heard an ear-shattering scream. She gasped as a second scream quickly followed the first. Her eyes darted around the room, wondering where the scream came from. A third scream erupted and she realized it was coming from the basement.

Oh no, did Victor come find Jonathan after leaving Edward's?! Is he getting hurt because of me?!

Without another thought she raced down the hallway and ripped open the basement door, noticing that the lights in the basement were on. She carefully walked down the stairs, hoping to not attract too much attention. Another scream echoed through the house, causing Delilah to gasp and nearly fall down the stairs.

"Please, I can't take it! They're everywhere, they're biting me, it hurts so much! Please make them go away!" She heard a voice say. She couldn't recognize who it was, and was momentarily relieved when she realized it was not Jonathan's voice.

If that's not him then where is he?

She got down the stairs and saw another door closed, illuminated by a bright white light around the edges. Whoever was screaming was in that room. She paused, terrified of what she might discover in that room. Her curiosity and worry about Jonathan got the best of her as she walked over to the door, hesitating before throwing it open. Her heart stopped as she saw a man strapped down to a large chair, similar to a chair in a dentist's office. He was writhing in his seat and panting, taking no notice of her. But the other figure in the room did, turning to face her. The tall, lanky figure had an empty syringe in their hand, and an eerie burlap mask over their face. There were two eye holes that were partially covered by black mesh, and a mouth area that was sewn shut. Fear overtook Delilah as she recognized the figure in front of her. Her eyes widened and she took a panicked step back as the figure walked towards her, almost stalking her as if she were their prey. After what felt like an eternity she gathered the courage to speak, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You're….you're the Scarecrow."