Chapter 23

I'm walking in the upstairs area to check up on one of the other girls who's entertaining one of Falcone's men. Approaching the door, I politely knock,

"Maria, the show starts in twenty minutes, best wrap things up in there, alright?"

"Okay!" a female voice replies.

I smile and make my way back to the stairs when I hear a couple in another one of the rooms. I check and find that the room next door is empty. Entering the room, I cross to the mirror connecting the two rooms. Removing the adhesive layer, I look through and see that the couple is Fish and another man I don't recognize. He definitely isn't Lazlo, he looks considerably older and taller.

"Find something interesting?" I whip around and see it's Oswald, standing in the doorway.

I nod, "Fish's got another lover."

He crosses the room and peers with me, "Hang on...that's Nikolai, one of Falcone's men...but, they hate each other-"

"Shh! They're talking." I hush him, pressing my index finger against his lips.

"The old man doesn't suspect anything, right?" Fish asks as she and Nikolai cuddle in bed.

"Of course not," he replies in a thick Russian accent, "he will not suspect a thing when I wrestle him out. And you will be there, by my side."

She chuckles, stroking his cheek, "That's right," she smirks, blushing, "you devil."

I turn around and see Oswald gazing at them, mesmerized. I raise an eyebrow, "You can look all you want, but I've got a show to do."

I playfully mess with his hair as I make my way to the door, but I stop halfway through. Looking back, I see Oswald still staring at the couple in the other room. I sigh, my expression worried, I feel terrible right now, hopefully I'm not conveying that to him.

I walk back, and brush his shoulder, leaning in and whispering into his ear, "Don't forget about me, okay?" before I kiss him on the cheek.

He takes my hand, and kisses it, his mouth practically sucking on my palm. He releases it, and lets my hand slide from his, "How could I ever?"

I smile, before walking out of the room. A wave of guilt washes over me, how could I say such things to a dead man?

I prepare for the final number of the night in the dressing room. I adjust my costume, a pseudo-magician's outfit comprised of a white button up shirt with a black bowtie, cropped jacket with coattails, black shorts with fishnet stockings, and stiletto heels. To finish it off, a black top hat, white gloves, and a magician's cane. I check the rim of the hat and the tag reads: Mistress of Magic Tricks and Props.

I line up as the introduction music begins to play. Ann, dressed in a simpler black leotard and fishnets, taps me on the shoulder,

"Hey, do you know why Fish is closing up early tonight?"

I shrug, "Probably has some business to attend to. Maybe she's entertaining guests."

"I heard she's holding auditions for a new comedy act she's trying to put together," one of the other dancers suggests, "one of the other girls got caught sleeping with one of Maroni's men, so there's an open slot."

There's applause from the audience as we enter the stage, I myself taking front and center while the four other girls line up in spots to the side of me. Spreading my legs apart, I place my cane downward, with one end on the ground, pressing it down with my hands as I start to sing,

"You have to understand the way I am Mein Herr," I flip my head to the right, "a tiger is a tiger, not a lamb Mein Herr," my head then flips to the left, "you'll never turn the vinegar to jam Mein Herr," I turn and face front, "so I do," I take a step forward, "what I do," and I take another step, lifting my cane off the ground and resting it on my shoulder, "when I'm through," another step, "then I'm through," one more step, "and I'm through," I place my cane down, shifting myself sideways and leaning on it before waving to the audience and smirking, "Toodle-oo!"

In place, I start bouncing, mainly moving my hips and shoulders, "Bye, bye Mein Lieber Herr. Farewell Mein Lieber Herr. It was a fine affair but now it's over," I straighten my back and tip my top hat. I turn around and start walking across the stage, "and though I use to care, I need the open air, you're better off without me Mein Herr."

I slam my cane down, striking a pose. I then start bouncing in place, shifting my weight from leg to leg, "Don't dab your eye, Mein Herr, or wonder why Mein Herr," I spin, and stop to face the audience, holding my cane in both hands and pushing it in front of me, as I prance around the stage, "I've always said that I was a rover," I kick my leg into the air before I continue walking, "you mustn't knit your brow, you should have known by now, you'd every cause to doubt me Mein Herr."

I stop in place, holding my cane off to the side, I daintily take off my top hat and hold it to my chest, "Bye...bye Mein Lieber Herr, farewell Mein Lieber Herr. It was a fine affair but now it's over," I begin walking back as the other girls start moving, bringing on black chairs. I toss my hat backstage before sitting down in the centerstage chair, "and though I use to care, I need the open air, you're better off without me Mein Herr."

The four other girls join me in the song, one sitting in a chair and the other standing behind them. We all start continually crossing our legs from one leg to the other, "Don't dab your eye Mein Herr, or wonder why Mein Herr," the girls in the chairs turn to the side and lean back, kicking our legs while still remaining in the chairs, "I've always said I was a rover, you mustn't knit your brow, you should have known by now, you've every cause to doubt me Mein Herr."

The girls in the chairs switch with the standing girls, while I get out of my chair, walk around the chair, and lift my leg over the chair so my heel hits the seat, "Bye-bye Mein Lieber Herr," I climb over the chair and stand with both feet on it, "auf wiedersehen, Mein Herr," I step down as the girls and I walk in a circle around the chairs. I twirl my cane in front of me as we sing,"es war sehr gut, Mein Herr, und vorbei.Du kennst mich wohl, Mein Herr. Ach lebe wohl, Mein Herr! Du sollst mich nicht mehr sehen, Mein Herr."

We split into two parts, with me singing a solo and the other girls having their own part,

"Bye-bye Mein Lieber Herr…" I stand up on one of the side chairs as the girls encircle me, singing the previous verse, I get down and run to the next side chair, "und vorbei," I join in with the girls for a second before jumping off of the other chair, "Du kennst mich wohl Mein Herr…" I stand center stage, my cane tucked under my arm, I hold both arms out to the audience as the girls sit down in the chairs, two sharing the center chair, "and bye-bye." I wave goodbye to the audience before walking back and sitting in the center chair with the two other girls.

In the chair, I stand, the song now faster than ever, "Bye-bye Mein Lieber Herr, farwell Mein Lieber Herr," the two girls beside me flip backwards and land on the seat before standing along with me, "it was a fine affair, but now it's over," I sit back down and rest my head on the arm of the chair, throwing my legs up and backpedalling, "and though I-" we stop and face the audience, "use to care-" we all get off of the chairs and collapse onto our knees on the ground, "I need the-" we slide on our knees to the edge of the stage, "open air," I return to singing alone as we stand up and the other girls run back to the chairs, "you're better off without me, you'll get on without me," I run back to the center chair as the girls sing their separate part, "Mein Herr!" I hold the final note as I stand on top of the chair, both arms in the air. Still singing, I fall back over the chair, and Ann, standing behind the chair, catches me, and throws me under the chair. I slide from under the chair all the way to center stage, and strike a finishing pose.

There's wild applause from the audience, as we all take a bow and walk offstage. Lazlo gets up onstage with a mic, thanking the audience for attending and that we'll be closing early tonight. I collect my hat and cane and walk to the prop room to return them. I'm halfway down the hall when a young man in a black dress shirt, tie, and leather jacket,

"Excuse me, but...could you tell me where I can find the comedy auditions?"

I look over this guy, he barely looks eighteen, but maybe he just has one of those faces.

"Oh, yeah, you're kind of early, we still need to clear the stage...maybe you could wait backstage for now."

He smiles, "Aww, great, thanks," he shuffles around awkwardly, before offering his hand, "I'm Jack."

I shake his hand, "Nice to meet you Jack, I'm Trixie."

"Was that you singing back there? You're pretty good."

I chuckle, "Thanks."

"Oh, is this the fresh meat?" Fish asks, making her entrance with Oswald tailing behind her. She smiles, "I kid of course. Come, I'll see you now."

Jack follows Fish out to the front, Oswald looking back at me, a suspicious look on his face, before continuing with them.

I return my objects to the prop room when Morgan approaches me, an eye patch covering his left eye,

"What the hell is wrong with your boyfriend?!"

I toy with my cane, "I...I don't know. You're the one who got caught stealing money."

"But that's the thing, I didn't! I didn't steal any money. I was in Mooney's office to get the list of hers for Oswald, but when I showed it to him, but he just laughed."

I whip around, "Let me see that list."

"Th-the list? Why would you want to see it? This is between Oswald and me."

I flip out my dagger, pointing the blade to his throat, "Show me, the list."

Morgan looks down at the crescent blue daggers, "Those...are...Amanda's weapons. You're the agent." he realizes aloud.

"Maybe I am, maybe Oswald just gave these to me."

"No...no, it all makes sense now. Oswald...is your front. You're just using him in case Fish finds out there's a mole."

There's a crashing sound coming from outside, and Morgan and I run to the restaurant area, peeking our heads out the window just enough to what's going on. Oswald screams as Fish beats him down with a chair.

"Guess she found out." Morgan mutters under his breath.

There's a pain in my heart as I watch her take a silver knife, "Don't be so sure."

With the knife, she stabs Oswald in his left ankle, his screech filling the room. I want to help him...but no, no, this is a step forward for me. With Oswald out of the picture, I'll be able to work undisturbed. Two of Fish's men walk in and collect the nearly unconscious Oswald. Morgan and I get out of the way as they pass us. Oswald's eyes meet mine as he's dragged out into the alleyway and I see...tears. Genuine tears. He lowers his head and scrunches his fists as the two men pull him out of sight.

"Thank you for telling me." Fish coos, placing her hand on my shoulder.

Morgan gives me a look of disgust as she leaves us, "...why? You could've used him as a front for longer. Why were you so quick to get rid of him?"

"Why?" I repeat, "Because, I could handle his blackmail, his violence, his psychopathic tendencies...that's just business. We work with people like that all the time, am I right?"

He nods as I continue, "But the second it becomes personal, when it becomes about something other than the mission, that's when they have to go. No exceptions."

"Wha-what was it about? If I may ask?"

I cross my arms, my voice cold and calculating, "To be honest, I'm not sure what he was trying to achieve...love...dominance...or something in between. But what I do know is what I've achieved-"

"Revenge?" he guesses.

I twist my lips, "Business."

Author's Note: please note that, as of writing this chapter, I have not seen the latest episode of Gotham (episode 10)

Song Natalie/Trixie sings: "Mein Herr" from "Cabaret"

Fuchsia Grasshopper: Thanks, I love writing for Ed, and we'll be seeing more of him while Oswald's "out of the picture".

GibbyCentral: Lol, I was considering that, but I have a feeling they'll meet on the show itself, so I'll wait for that.

Thanks! :)