December 1st, 2007

9:00 am

"Everything's all set on my end for tonight, Professor. Our 'volunteers' were outfitted with weapons and Kevlar vests last night. I gave the Narrows crew their bomb and instructions for how to handle it. I'll be setting up the other bomb in the basement of the new City Hall tonight. I set the detonation time for 7:00 pm, on the dot."

Strange smiled. "Excellent, Detective. Have you sent officers to Nigma's apartment and office?"

Schrader's voice was smug as he answered. "I sent two cars to keep watch on him over an hour ago. If the son of a bitch goes out for a walk, I'll know about it."

"Very good. Instruct your officers to pick him up at exactly 7:05. He cannot be seen to be in custody before the bombs go off."

"You got it. What about the Bats?"

Strange chuckled. "The coordinated attacks across Gotham will stretch them thin. Perhaps one or two them may find themselves wounded, or worse."

Schrader let out a low whistle. "You think of everything, don't you Professor? So I told the City Hall team to arrive at 6:15 after Mayor Sharp wraps up his remarks. Does that still fit the timeline?"

"Yes. Mayor Sharp knows that he must be off the podium by then. I will be in radio contact with the teams to ensure that the Mayor does not get in the crossfire. Did you instruct them about Young's group?"

"Spare Wayne, kill Leland, Bryant, and Thompkins."

Strange frowned at the glaring omission. "I also instructed you to spare Young herself. As tempting as it is to dispose of her now, the Mayor insists that she live a little while longer."

Schrader let out an irritated sigh. "Of course, Professor. I didn't tell them to kill her."

No doubt because Schrader himself wanted to be the one to put the meddlesome woman out of their misery. "Good. Arrive at the new City Hall tonight at 5:30 pm to make sure our preparations are complete. Do not intervene until you are instructed to. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor. Is there anything else?"

Strange leaned back in his chair. He genuinely meant what he was about to say to the detective. "I must commend you on your conduct over this past year. You have proved yourself a loyal, and capable ally, unlike others I could mention. There is a place for you in the new order we are to create."

Schrader chuckled again. "Thank you, Professor. That means a lot, coming from you. I won't let you down."

Strange smiled. "I am sure you won't. Goodbye, Detective." Strange hung up and put his phone down on his desk. He allowed himself to glance at the television posted in his office. That insipid Vicki Vale was droning on about the recapture of Joker and Harley Quinn, and about the dedication ceremony that evening. Strange looked at the time displayed on the television. 9:10 am. Something akin to joy began to bloom inside of him. In nine hours, Phase Two would be underway, and his grand vision would be one step closer to completion. Who or what could stop him now?

10:30 am

Time Remaining: 8.5 hours

Penelope finished jotting down her notes on her pad of paper, then paused to review them before she addressed the small group of people crowded around the table in a Wayne Enterprises conference room. "So we're agreed: after Mayor Sharp finishes his speech, Bruce will give remarks about the need for greater oversight at Arkham, a stronger social safety net, and the importance of coming together as a city overall."

The other members of the group nodded their agreement, though Bruce flashed her a grin. "Are you sure you don't want to say anything, Penelope? I seem to remember you gave quite a performance at the Mayor's Commission hearings back in February."

Penelope good-naturedly rolled her eyes. "Never again. And at any rate, that was for an entirely different audience." Penelope knew her limitations. Speaking in front of a group of professionals and outwitting cronies was one thing, but winning over the hearts and minds of the Gotham public was something else entirely. She knew she didn't possess the warmth or the charisma for that, not as Bruce did. "You're much better suited for public speaking than I am."

Bruce shrugged. "Just thought I'd offer. So we're all meeting at the front of the new City Hall building at 5:30, right?"

"That was the time Mayor Sharp gave me, yes," Penelope said. "Bruce, we can review your remarks together as a group and see if there's anything we need to add."

Joe huffed from his seat next to Joan. "I still can't believe that Mayor Sharp wants to do a big ceremony right after the Joker caused a panic. It's like he's just asking for something to happen, you know?"

Penelope noticed a dark shadow briefly come across Bruce's face before Dr. Thompkins spoke. "From what I've seen, Mayor Sharp's never been one to allow public safety to get in the way of his political ambitions. Look at what happened last May." Penelope knew from experience how true that was.

"That's true," Joan agreed to her left. "Given his approval rating, he may feel that holding the ceremony anyway will boost public support. He could spin it as him taking control back from the Joker."

Joe chuckled. "More like making sure Nigma doesn't embarrass him on tv again."

Penelope felt herself smile a bit before she willed it down. "Is there anything else we need to go over? I know we all have other obligations."

Bruce shook his head, then rose from the table. "I think I'm all set unless there was anything anyone else wanted to add?"

"No," Joan said, getting up from her seat at the same time as Joe and Dr. Thompkins. "I think that's it. I'll see you all later tonight downtown." The group, save Joan, vacated the room, Bruce accompanying Dr. Thompkins, while Penelope packed her notepad back into her purse. As soon as the conference room was empty, Joan addressed her friend. "Are you ready for tonight?"

Penelope slung her purse over her shoulder and exhaled. "As ready as I'll ever be, I think."

Joan nodded thoughtfully. "Do you think Sharp invited us on his own initiative, or did this come from Strange?"

"I'm not sure," Penelope admitted. It had occurred to her when Sharp had called her and invited her and her group, that it could be a ploy, but the fact that it was a public event had allayed her worries. More than likely, it was for show, and the group had decided the public exposure for their work was worth dealing with Sharp. "Are you having second thoughts?"

Joan shook her head. "No, but we need to remember who we're dealing with. Sharp may use Joker's escape as a weapon against our work."

"He can't without also attacking Strange's credibility as Warden of the asylum," Penelope answered, walking with her friend to the door. "And if he does, I can handle it."

A smile came across the older woman's face. "I know you can. I'm very proud of how far you've come over the last year."

This time, Penelope allowed herself to smile. "Thank you, Joan. That means a lot to me."

When the two doctors exited Wayne Enterprises and had walked half a block away from the crowd, Joan gave Penelope a quizzical look. "Edward's not going to be there tonight, is he?"

"No," Penelope said, shaking her head. "We agreed that his presence would be distracting, but...I asked him to come over tonight after we're done at City Hall." Penelope brushed her through her bangs. Being around Sharp and a large crowd of Gotham citizens would be unpleasant, but that wasn't what gave her butterflies in her chest. It was the thought of after, of having Edward in her home, of finally telling him. She heard Joan hum and glanced at her friend, who had a knowing look on her face.

"You're going to tell him, aren't you?"

Penelope nodded. "Yes. I've put it off too long. After what happened with Joker yesterday, I realized that I can't keep this from him anymore." Yesterday, she'd seen him display all the qualities that she found attractive in him and she'd realized that she didn't want to risk anything else happening before she could tell him. No more second-guessing, no more excuses. Tonight, she would tell Edward that she loved him.

3:00 pm

Time remaining: 3 hours

Edward lay flat on his back in his bed, the same exact position he had collapsed in almost twenty-four hours earlier, staring up at his ceiling, repeating the same questions in his mind over and over again. "How did this happen? When did I fall in love with her?" His back was sore from his impact with his bookshelf, and he was sure he was covered in bruises, but he didn't feel any physical pain. Instead, he thought back on everything that had happened since last May, seeing every encounter that he and Penelope had in a never-ending loop. That unpleasant first meeting. The fight in her office. Him saving her at the memorial. Her showing up at Tetch's hideout and saving him from Strange. Their partnership on the Barnes case. Goodman. Her showing up at his apartment with her yearbook after he'd gone after Croc. The Commission. Her keeping him calm and grounded during Ellen's escapade in April. Bane. Her walking out of his apartment. Her walking back into his office. The gala. Yesterday..."There must have been a moment, one singular moment, where I fell in love with her. When was it?" After Ivy had left, after he'd had his epiphany, he'd sat on his floor for what seemed like hours, too stunned to move. Afterward, he'd pulled himself up, dragged himself into his shower and scrubbed every last trace of Ivy off of him, then told himself that it was merely a side-effect of that witch's pheromones, nothing more. When he woke up, they would have worked themselves completely out of his system and Penelope would be nothing more than his friend, his dearest friend. Nothing more. He'd woken up bright and early, still in love with her. "When? How?"

Thoughts of her came into his mind unbidden. How she'd been when they'd first met, closed off, bitter, angry, almost broken. There had been some fight left in her still though, enough to face down Hugo Strange less than three months later, for no reason other than her gut feeling that it was the right thing to do. Despite everything that had happened to her, she wasn't the sort who just gave up. He loved that about her. Was that when he'd fallen for her? No, it was too early, he'd barely known her, he was still grappling with what had happened to Jonathan. He thought then about the Barnes case, how even though she was no detective, she was quick on her feet, she could keep up with him, she didn't let herself be bulldozed by him. He loved that about her too. He hadn't fallen for her then either, but he'd known she was something special, that she was worth the risk it was to trust someone, to let them into his world. Then Goodman...hadn't he felt angrier than he had in years when she'd been taken by that maniac? Hadn't he been ready to kill the bastard for daring to touch her? And afterward, when he'd been by to see her when she smiled at him for the first time...she was a serious person by nature, a scientist through and through, but when she smiled...hadn't it made his heart skip a beat to see it? Hadn't he spent considerable time and energy over the last few months on things that a year ago he hadn't given a damn about, just to see her smile again?

He thought of what happened with Croc after he found out the truth about Jonathan. Penelope wasn't a warm person, and she certainly wouldn't describe herself as overly compassionate, but hadn't she come by his apartment with that yearbook? Didn't she talk with him about Jonathan, even though the reminder of her former teacher was probably awkward for her? Hadn't she been there for him this past year, throughout his highs and lows, ready with a smile, a quip of her own when they were in a playful mood, an eye roll when he was being obnoxious, a hand on his when he needed it? He saw her again, her high at the Commission, sabotaging Strange's plans with nothing more than her observational skills and well-aimed words, stalling Bane, one of the most powerful people on the planet, her low in his apartment, crying into his chest, her ferocious temper, her icy disdain, her little smirks, the all-too-rare sound of her laughter, and above all her smile, her gentle smile that made her ice-blue eyes warm, that made him feel something that he never thought he could again, and he loved her for it. Above all, he saw her, that stubborn, arrogant, icy, strong, confident, gorgeous, smart woman who loved the stars, her books, putting puzzles together, who, whether out of her own unshakeable convictions or midwestern naivete, still believed there was something in this City, something in him, worth salvaging. He realized then, that there had been no singular moment. There had been many moments over the past year that had led to this. And when he put all the moments, all the pieces together...how could he not love her?

Edward sighed, and wiped his right hand down his face. "Well," he muttered. "That settles that question. I am in love with Penelope Young." He tried to ignore the fluttering in his chest, the warmth that seemed to spread upwards to his face. Focus, Edward. "Now the real riddle: what do I intend to do about it? The way I see it, there are two options: the first, and the easiest, is to do nothing." He ignored the part of himself that howled at that. "Proceed as I have been. There are many, many reasons why entering a romantic relationship would be a bad idea. Perhaps it's for the best if I forget about this, turn my attention to the case and not bring it up." He frowned. He'd been many things in his life, but he'd never been a good liar. How could he face her and pretend he didn't love her? He froze. Oh shit, he was supposed to see her tonight. He groaned. "The other option, and by far the riskiest, is to tell her how I feel about her." Perhaps it was best to just get it out in the open. "If I do though...then what?" It was one thing to be in love with her, but a relationship...was he ready for that? He snorted. "Getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren't you, Edward? If you tell her, there's at least a 50% chance that she'll turn you down, and you'll have broken your heart and your friendship with her over nothing." He sighed and shut his eyes. "Maybe I should just leave it alone. It's not as if romantic relationships have ever turned out well for me. Why would this be any different? She deserves better than that." Diane, Selina, Jonathan...

His eyes snapped open as another epiphany came to him. "Now wait just one second. I was a stupid twenty-year-old when I was with Diane. Selina and I were never in a proper relationship, and what happened to Jonathan-" he felt the guilt come again when Penelope's words from February came back to him. "I'm only responsible for my own actions. Croc killed Jonathan, not me. At any rate, I'm not the man I was when I was with Diane, with Selina, with Jonathan even. I'm better now, I won't make the same mistakes again. Have I been saying that relationships don't end well for me because I genuinely believe that, or have I just been using that as an excuse, sour grapes as you will?" He folded his hands across his chest and looked back up at the ceiling. "Contrary to what Strange, Sharp and who knows how many other people think, I'm not delusional. I know that I'm a very flawed human being. I've got enough baggage to fill a train car. I'm not completely terrible though, am I? If I was, she wouldn't be my friend in the first place. I'd never lay a hand on her, I'd never intentionally hurt her, I'd treat her well, I'd take care of her, I'd give her the stars if I could..." He sighed again. Being the lover of the man who was the Riddler was dangerous. It would paint a target on her back, "But she already has one! Schrader and Ward sicced Bane on her because of her work opposing Strange, not because of her association with me!" It was just like with Ellen, his association with her may bring risks, but walking away from her wasn't an option either. She was safer with him than without him, and he'd go back to being the Riddler before he let anyone harm her. "There you go again, Edward. I, I, me, me. You're only half of the equation here. It's Penny's choice to make if being with you is worth the trouble. Not yours." And she couldn't make an informed choice unless she had all the facts. He needed to tell her. She deserved the truth if nothing else. He needed to tell her. He wanted to tell her, he wanted nothing more than to go to her now and tell her that he loved her. So what was holding him back?

Edward pushed himself up, winced at the soreness in his lower back, and looked to his right, to his nightstand. The picture of Jonathan stared back at him, glaring in what Edward imagined was disapproval. Edward reached over and took the framed picture in his hands. "It would be a student of yours to win my heart, wouldn't it Dearest? I don't believe in fate, but sometimes I have to wonder if she and I were meant to find each other. I can't imagine where I'd be without her, and I'd like to think she feels the same way about me." His grip tightened around the frame, and he wet his lower lip. "I never meant for this to happen," Edward said to Jonathan's picture. "But you're gone, and I'm still here. Don't I deserve to be happy?" Jonathan stared back, silent and glaring. "There's a part of me that will always love you...but I love her too, and I don't want to be alone anymore." No, he didn't. He deserved better than that. Perhaps Penny would turn him down, but he had to try. He couldn't remain a hostage of the ghosts of his past for the rest of his life. With a final, decisive nod, he put Jonathan's picture back down on the nightstand and got up from his bed. "I'll do it," he said. "Tonight. I'll tell her. I'll tell her I'm in love with her!" The happiness that he'd kept at bay now threatened to bubble over and he began to laugh. "I am, aren't I?" He laughed harder, giddy, lighter than air. "I am! I love her!" He whooped for joy, then his eyes happened to glance toward his clock. It was now 4:00 pm.

Edward did a double-take. "Have I seriously been lying in bed processing this for eight hours!?" He made a disgusted noise and shook his head. "Unbelievable. Ellen and the girls would never let me live it down." If he hurried, washed up, changed into some nicer clothes and violated traffic laws, he could make it to her office and talk to her before the dedication ceremony-no. He rubbed his chin. No, he couldn't dump this on her before she was due to go on stage with her group. That wouldn't be fair to her. He'd have to wait until afterward when she asked to meet with him-

He snapped his fingers. No. He wouldn't meet at her apartment. He'd meet her at the new City Hall, after the dedication ceremony. He'd take her to dinner, or there was a park only a block or two away from the site, he'd take her there for some privacy, it was supposed to be a clear night, maybe there'd be a star or two visible through all the lights and smog. He'd bring her flowers, more carnations-no, roses, red roses, at least a dozen, he'd sweep her off her feet, then he'd tell her and then...who knows? Who knows? With a happy squeal, Edward rushed to his bathroom to wash his face, smooth back his hair, and, just to be safe, gargle mouthwash. He stood in front of his mirror and inspected his appearance for a good fifteen minutes, making sure not a strand of hair was out of place, then he ran back to his room, and pulled on a dark green dress shirt, and black dress pants. He grabbed his glasses from his nightstand, then paused to look at Jonathan's picture. Without another word, he turned away and went to his drawer for a pair of black socks before running out to the hall for his dress shoes, wallet, keys, hat, winter coat, and cane. He was so excited he almost forgot to lock his door behind him before he rushed down the stairs, almost running over an irritated neighbor in his haste. "Tonight, tonight," he sang out. "It all began tonight! I saw you, and the world went away..."

4:00 pm

Time remaining: 2 hours

"There's been no sign of the freak all day. What do you think he's been doing in there?"

Officer Dietrich shrugged at his partner's question. "I don't think we want to know, Jacobs. Who knows what kind of shit he's into." They had been sitting in their unmarked car across the street from Nigma's apartment building all day, looking for any sign of life from the Rogue. None. Looked like they'd be stuck here for the next three hours until Schrader said it was time to bring him in. Neither officer knew why exactly he needed to be brought in, but Schrader had been insistent, and neither Dietrich nor Jacobs cared enough to question the senior detective. And so, they sat, food wrappers and empty cups littering their car. Dietrich yawned in boredom, then stretched his arms as far above his head as he could. "I hate stakeouts. I need to get out and stretch my legs."

Jacobs nodded, then sat straight up. "Wait: here he comes!"

Dietrich looked towards the front of the rundown looking apartment building and saw, sure enough, Nigma walking out. Well, not walking exactly. He seemed to be twirling about, dancing with an invisible partner until he got to his car.

"What the fuck is he doing?" Jacobs asked. "What a weirdo."

Dietrich turned the key in the ignition and started the car just as Nigma began to pull out of his parking lot. He waited until Nigma had driven about halfway down the block before he began to follow him. Couldn't tip the Rogue off that he was being followed, after all.

"He's headin' East," Jacobs muttered to his right. "You think he's going to his office?"

Dietrich kept a careful eye on the green convertible as it made a right turn. "No, his office is a straight shot down this street. He's going somewhere else." Dietrich turned to follow, keeping his eyes focused on the car as it continued on towards downtown.

"Iceberg Lounge? He's friends with Cobblepot, isn't he?"

Dietrich was about to snap at Jacobs when a delivery truck suddenly cut in front of them. "Shit!" He'd lost sight of the green convertible! He blared his horn at the delivery truck driver before he veered into the left lane to cut him off. When he got around the truck however, there was no sign of Nigma's car. Dietrich slapped the steering wheel and swore. They'd lost him.

"Do you want to call Schrader, or should I?"

"Shut the Hell up, Jacobs," Dietrich muttered. "There's only so many places he could have gone. We'll take a few circles around, see if we can find him that way." Dietrich hit the gas and kept driving North, while Edward blissfully continued on towards a florist he knew in the East End, unaware that he had been tailed in the first place.

5:00 pm

Time Remaining: One Hour

Gramma was working another late shift, which meant Ellen was free to have another lesson with Red Hood. She bounced on the heels of her feet, her hands jammed in her sweatshirt pocket as she waited on the street corner down the block from her apartment. It had been a bright, chilly day, and now the shadows were long as the sun began to set. Ellen was about to pull her cell phone out of her backpack to check the time when she saw the familiar motorcycle pull up to her. "Hey, Kiddo," Red Hood said to her. "You got your stuff?"

Ellen nodded. Three days ago, when she'd trained last, he'd told her to bring her costume and backpack. Ellen was wearing the sweatshirt and tights but had her mask in her backpack's front pocket. "Yeah. You finally taking me out on patrol tonight?"

"We're going on a test run. I'm going to take you out with me tonight for lookout duty, then maybe I'll let you help me break up a mugging. If you're good."

Ellen stuck out her tongue. "Lookout duty again? I should've known. I hate lookout duty." She pulled her bike helmet out of her backpack, put it on and climbed onto the back of the motorcycle anyway. "By the way, what were you doing hanging out by my school yesterday?"

Red Hood shrugged. "Just wanted to make sure you were okay. I don't want to have to deal with your Dad again."

So Red Hood did have a heart underneath that leather. Who knew? Ellen wasn't sure what to say at first, so she decided on a joke. "Aww, you scared of my Old Man?"

Red Hood scoffed. "Please. I just don't want to go deaf from him screeching in my ear."

Ellen laughed. "Jerk."

"Brat," Red Hood fired back without any venom. "Hang on." He started up his bike and the pair drove off towards the Narrows, unaware of what was about to unfold.

5:30 pm

Time Remaining: 30 minutes

The new City Hall was the crowning achievement of Mayor Sharp's beautification campaign over the past year. City Hall, much like many of the older buildings in Downtown Gotham, was a gothic, almost foreboding structure, complete with gargoyles. The building had been grand in its time, but the natural passage of time, neglect, and repeated attacks by the Rogues had made the old, drab, gray building a shell of itself. Sharp had allocated money to almost completely overhaul the exterior of the building, removing the Gargoyles, replacing the old Gothic style with a sleek, modern facade, and, of course, beefing up the building's security. City Hall had remained open while construction was underway, but tonight, the new City Hall would be revealed to the public in an hour ceremony. A small stage had been set up in front of the main entrance, with a podium set up in the middle of it, surrounded by chairs. Mayor Sharp would make a speech to dedicate the remodeled building to the citizens of Gotham City, in front of Gotham's press corp, of course. Ryder and Vale were getting set up with their camera crews, Ryder preening, Vale pointedly ignoring him. The streets surrounding City Hall had been shut down to accommodate the crowd that was beginning to form.

Inside City Hall, in the City Council chamber, the invited speakers had congregated, including Penelope and her group. They were standing in a far-right corner, reviewing the remarks Bruce had written. Penelope held the sheets of paper in her hands as she looked them over. Bruce's language was more than a little flowery and simplistic, but she wasn't the main audience for them. They were meant for the Gotham public, who needed to be convinced to care about the denizens of Arkham Asylum. "It looks good, Bruce," she said, handing the sheets back to him. "I can't think of anything I'd add."

Bruce grinned and passed the papers to Joe Bryant on his left. "Thanks. I didn't even need Alfred to polish it."

Joe and Joan laughed while Leslie smiled fondly. Before Penelope could speak, the sound of a throat clearing caught her attention. The group turned as one and saw Mayor Sharp himself standing before them, accompanied by his security team. He looked at Bruce and Joe with disdain, ignored Joan and Leslie, and looked expectantly at Penelope. "Good evening. Dr. Young, may I have a word?"

Bruce narrowed his eyes and was about to step forward when Penelope did herself. "Of course, Mayor. I can spare a few minutes." She shot a reassuring look to Bruce and Joan, neither of whom looked happy.

Sharp gave her a satisfied nod before he waved his security team away. "We'll just be out in the hallway." He then gestured for her to follow him out of the room. The pair walked out into the brightly lit hallway, avoiding the odd staffer and guest speaker as they walked about fifteen feet from the City Council chamber. Outwardly, Penelope appeared cool, calm and collected, but inwardly, she felt revulsion at being alone with the man. What did he want to say to her that he couldn't say in front of the rest of the group? Finally, he stopped and turned to face her. He had a fond, paternalistic expression on his face that made Penelope's skin crawl. She would almost prefer it if he hated her. "I remember when I first met you in Arkham Asylum," he spoke. "You were such a bright, promising young thing. So full of potential. You were the only one in that group of doctors that had any vision."

What exactly did you see in me? She wondered to herself. A pawn? An accomplice? "That's kind of you," she forced herself to say. "But I'm not that young intern anymore."

Sharp's face fell at that. "No, you're not, are you?" He looked down at his feet, almost like a child. "I can't help but feel that we've become at odds with each other, Penelope. I don't understand why. We shared the same goals at Arkham Asylum. We both wanted scum like the Joker and Nigma cured or if they couldn't be, locked up."

So he was trying to get her back on his side. Not a chance in Hell. "We did," Penelope acknowledged, "But the way we went about things was wrong. We were cruel, we treated the patients as if they were sub-human at times. There's a better way to run Arkham."

Sharp's face darkened. "They are sick," he seethed. "They need a firm hand and they need to be kept in line, not coddled. You've seen what they do because of their affliction!"

Projection. Sharp hated himself for being mentally ill, and by extension, he hated all of the patients as well. "Mental illness in and of itself does not make a person a criminal, or a monster. Most of the patients in Arkham Asylum never had any kind of criminal record. No matter what Strange tells you, you will never make this city safer by locking people away like they're animals."

Sharp's face reddened and Penelope feared she may have gone too far. Then he sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "You truly believe that, don't you?"

Penelope squared her shoulders. "Yes, I do."

Sharp nodded again. He looked at her, his face etched with sorrow. "One day, you'll understand why I have done the things I've done." He pointed back towards the City Council chamber. "We should return."

Penelope nodded. "Of course." As the walked back in silence, Penelope analyzed their interaction, his demeanor. It was clear that his words were genuine, that he wasn't reciting some script Strange had given him. He seemed sorrowful, almost regretful. Was it a confession of sorts? Was it possible to turn him from Strange, or was he doubling down? They walked back into the chamber and Sharp went straight into his politician persona, shaking hands with a few of his other guests. Penelope went back to her waiting group.

"What was that about?" Joe asked.

"I'm not sure," Penelope answered. "I think he was trying to win me back over to his way of thinking."

Joan's face darkened. "Unbelievable." Bruce seemed deep in thought when Sharp spoke loudly.

"Everyone," he addressed the room. "It's time. We should begin to head out to the podium." He turned to head out himself when he caught Penelope's eye. He looked at her with unmistakeable regret before his handlers ushered him out. Penelope and her group followed close behind, Penelope growing more and more uneasy. Was Sharp trying to convince her? Or was he trying to warn her?

Schrader stood in the alleyway on the right side of the building. He'd arrived at City Hall a half-hour earlier to get the bomb set up in the basement. Once the 'volunteers' arrived, he'd arm it, but for now, he indulged in a cigarette break. He watched as the crowd in front of city hall grew larger, not as large as the Mayor or Professor would have liked, but large enough to make a slaughterhouse. He smirked. After what would happen tonight, Nigma was toast. His attention was caught by activity at the front entrance. The Mayor and his entourage were coming out and taking their places on the podium. Close behind them, Schrader saw the Bitch and her group following, the Bitch at the head, Wayne leading the rear. Schrader smirked again. Showtime. He took one last drag of his cigarette, then dropped it to the ground and stomped on it. He gave the assembled crowd one last look before he turned around and went further down the alley, towards the service entrance that led to the basement.

What Schrader had forgotten, or at least didn't think about, was that if he could see Penelope's group, that they could potentially see him. Most of them didn't notice him skulking about, but Bruce had. Bruce paused at the steps leading up the stage, then took a walk to the side. "Excuse me," he called up to the waiting group. "I'm getting a call." He ignored the irritated look on Sharp's face and ducked back into City Hall, making sure no one could hear him. He pressed the communicator he kept on him at all times. "Alfred. Engage Autopilot for the Batwing and load a suit."

"Is something wrong, Sir?"

Bruce furrowed his brow. Mayor Sharp pulling Dr. Young aside. Schrader being in the shadows when he had no reason to be here in the first place. Something was going on. "I'm not sure yet. Call Barbara and tell her to get everyone on standby."

"Of course, Master Bruce."

Bruce hung up, then turned to go back outside, hoping that he was wrong, but knowing he wasn't.

6:00 pm

For the fifth time since he'd managed to find parking in an alleyway three blocks from City Hall, Edward stared at himself in his rearview mirror and rehearsed his remarks. "Penelope. Penny. I know this isn't what you had in mind but I had to see you. I..." he wet his lip. "After careful consideration, I realized that I'm hopelessly in love with you-no. That's too formal. I know I said I wasn't ready for a relationship, but I changed my mind-no, that won't do at all. Riddle me this: what is mine but only you can have? No, Edward if there was ever a time not to speak in riddles, this is it." He groaned, almost banging his head against his steering wheel. "I don't ever remember it being this hard before. Maybe I should just let it come naturally." He took a deep breath. "Well. Here I go." He opened his car door and reached over to the passenger seat where the rose bouquet he'd purchased was. "Wait a minute. The press corp will be there too. Can't risk being photographed giving her roses." He left them in the car and got out. Roses could wait until he got her alone. He opened his rear door to pull out his cane, shut it, then locked the car up before he walked down the street towards City Hall. The sun had completely set now, leaving a clear, moonless night. Even from his distance, Edward could make out the decently-sized crowd and the bright lights. He could also hear Sharp's pompous words said over a microphone. He reflexively sneered. Hopefully, he'd missed most of Sharp's speech.

As he got closer, he could feel his heart pounding harder with every step he took. What if she wasn't happy to see him? What if she turned him down? What if he saw her in a passionate embrace with Bruce Wayne? What if he was over-thinking this? "Focus, Edward," he scolded himself. "You're a grown man. If it doesn't go the way you want, you'll deal with it. You'll just go to the Iceberg Lounge, drink all of Oswald's whiskey and cry yourself to sleep for the rest of your life, but you'll deal with it." He'd reached the crowd at last, and frowned at just how densely packed it was. Which, on the one hand, meant it was less likely for Sharp or anyone of his entourage to spot him, but on the other hand, didn't leave him at a good vantage point. He settled towards the back of the crowd, hoping none of the onlookers would pay him much attention. From where he was standing, he could just make out the stage and his heart lept up when he saw her, sitting in a chair on the far right. Penny. He'd know that dark blue coat of hers anywhere. He couldn't make out her exact facial expression, but he knew she couldn't be too happy being on stage like this, in front of all these people. "My poor doctor," he cooed to himself. "I'll take you somewhere quiet. If you'll let me." God, he hoped she'd let him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd wanted something like he wanted her, now that he was allowing himself to want her. He tuned out Sharp's pompous posturing, focusing solely on her, a dreamy smile coming to his face. God, he really was in love with her, wasn't he?

Sharp's speech seemed to be coming to an end, after what felt like a hundred years. "And so, people of Gotham, with the dedication of our new City Hall, let us close the chapter on our past, and look forward to a new, safer future!" The crowd applauded with muted enthusiasm. "Now, to speak more about our future, here is Bruce Wayne!" Penny, Wayne, Dr. Leland, and the rest of their group got up from the chairs and walked towards the podium, Wayne in the middle, the others flanking him.

"Thank you, Mayor Sharp," Wayne said. "People of Gotham, I come to you with..." Edward tuned out Wayne's speech much as he had Sharp's choosing to focus on Penny as she stood at Wayne's side. He swallowed his jealousy at that. Of course, she'd stand at his side. Where else was she supposed to go? Just behind where she was standing, Edward saw something else that caught his attention. Sharp was leaving the stage. Edward raised an eyebrow. Making his dislike of the group a bit blatant, wasn't he? What's more, members of Sharp's security were escorting him off and hurrying him towards the entrance of City Hall. Wait. Where was he going? Why the rush? Sharp seemed to hesitate, looking back towards Penny, then he seemed to start arguing with a member of his security. He pointed back at Penny, only to be all put pulled into the building.

Edward's blood ran cold. Something was about to happen, and Sharp's team knew. They were getting him out of the line of fire. Edward's head snapped back to Penny and her group, all standing lined up on stage. Lined up in front of a firing squad. Edward began to push his way through the crowd. "Let me through," he snapped. "Let me through!" No one in the crowd nor anyone on stage seemed all the wiser, and of course, they wouldn't be. Who better to see an evil plot unfold than someone who used to make them? The crowd was dense, and Edward began to push himself with more force. "Let me through!" He had to get to the stage, he had to get to her, Penny, Penny-

A loud noise like a firecracker rang out, and Edward froze. Gunfire. He was too late. Another shot rang out, and Edward saw a body fall less than ten feet in front of him, missing the back of its head. The crowd began to scream at that point, and more gunfire rang out. Someone pushed into Edward, knocking him to the ground.

"Gun!" he heard someone scream. "They've got guns!" A full-blown panic ensued, and Edward had to roll himself out of the way of a stampede. He pulled himself up to his feet and looked in front of him. He could make out two men firing automatic weapons into the crowd. They were about halfway between him and the stage. Halfway between him and Penny-Penny!

Edward looked desperately at the stage, and he couldn't see her. She was gone, gone, just like Jonathan-Something dark roared in the back of Edward's mind. Something alien, but also painfully familiar. No. No. Never again. He would not lose her like he'd lost Jonathan. He clutched onto his cane tightly and charged forward.