Chapter 5
He managed to get only four days off and was back before any real damage could happen to his department.
One of his senior staff members, Amanda, couldn't hold off her maternity leave any longer and needed to get her vacation days started because she couldn't work anymore without worrying from the stress.
Solly's intern days has ended. Fortunately for everyone, he's returning a month later as a full member of the staff.
Donna was still doing her absolute best staking out online criminal activities, and with her excellent reporting skills, they should have at least gotten a leg up over the rising crime rate since some criminals though they're clever enough to hide their plans online but were far too inferior to them. If only Loeb could take their reports seriously.
Alejandro was now taking Edward's place for any field related work since his leg is still injured.
James was fired.
He needed to find a new employee, fast. He couldn't wait for Gordon to come back later this month, only then will he release all the blackmail he'd gathered on Loeb and get his sweet, sweet, revenge on him. They were all working overtime and were receiving some help from the forensic scientist downstairs from time to time. Their department was also hit, but not as hard as they were, seeing as their head was a sworn CSI agent, instead of a civilian director.
Oh, he could taste that sweet revenge.
"Detective Bullock says there's a package for you, it's been checked out." Someone comes in and pointedly says to Edward. Sighing, he pushed himself off the desk and waves at his fellow workers before going down the stairs.
"Really? Nygma? Rerouting your mail deliveries to the station now?" Bullock tells him in a lecturing tone, the image only dispelled by his grinning face.
"Hey, basically everyone's doing it, and I literally live in the station now."
"You should ease up, should have taken the week off. You're entitled to it."
"What? Because I was attacked? Bullock, we were both at the Scarecrow stakeout, and that was more dangerous." He said as he takes the package and shakes it. Frowning, he looks down again at the innocent looking box.
"I haven't ordered anything."
"There was a letter with it," Bullock said, producing it out from under his desk. "Had to keep it safe from prying arms. Those jerks, I swear. They'll do anything to snoop around someone's love life."
"Love life? What are you talk- Oh. That."
"Is everything alright with your partner?"
"We aren't partners. I don't think we'll be able to become partners after what had happened."
"I get it," Bullock said, leaning back on his chair. "He didn't look like the caring type."
"It isn't about- You know what, never mind." He huffs in dismay before guessing what's in the box. From the weight and sound of it, it felt more like a watch than anything. When he tore the parcel open, he was not surprised to find that his guess was correct.
What he never anticipated was the brand of the watch itself.
Bullock whistled.
"Your guy's desperate." He said, laughing at him. Edward couldn't help but twitch a bit for a smile as he took out the watch and wore it over his wrist, above his already worn and old watch. He was content with wearing them both. One for sentimentality, the other also for sentimentality, but also practicality.
"My, oh my. Jonathan must be remorseful if this is bought to redeem himself." He mumbled to himself as he stared at the expensive watch. He swore he could have seen it before, maybe on a television channel, in an advert, or something of the like. He opens the letter and couldn't help but turn his smirk into a genuine smile.
It might have been written professionally, but underneath the lines and in between the words, one could tell that Jonothan Crane is one big sap.
Now, if only Edward could make the man loosen up a bit.
"Hey, Eddie, I know Loeb isn't letting you in on some stuff," Bullock starts, voice low and eying everyone else in the office making sure that they weren't heard. Edward's attention honed on the man and he slightly leaned down to listen. "The hatter case, about Batman. We recently found out that the guy isn't working alone."
"Who's he working with?"
"Joker. And a chunk of the rogue gallery."
"Well …" Edward swallowed. "Fuck."
0o0o0
The dispatchers that worked in Gotham's station are a different branch than that of the ones working for non-emergency calls. In the past, about a few decades or so, they were working in one building, all of them reconnecting emergency calls to either the police, ambulance, and firemen.
With the rise of crime, it had gotten to a point where two different branches needed to work, one for emergencies, and one for non-emergencies, as if they were normal phone operators.
Edward found himself bringing a big box of donuts and a few specialized drinks.
"Eddie's here!" Someone calls from the front and waves at him in a greeting. Edward couldn't help but smile at the old secretary as he gives her the box of tiny bits of round donuts that she liked. He'd already delivered food to his team, and they liked sandwiches more than snacks since they have a more stable area to work with a steady flow.
The operators, especially here in Gotham, are far too busy to have that sort of blessing. They usually sent someone out to buy the lunch or dinners, but no one ever thought of snacks.
"What a sweetie." She tells him as she reaches his cheeks and pinched it. Edward grimaced but hid it with a smile immediately. "Why don't you go to Ronda! She's been in a tizzy ever since your call a week ago. Everyone's been worried."
"Really? I forgot, sorry, must have been one heck of a call for you guys to receive."
"Not different from the ones we get from Gordon when he loses his radio. Honestly, I'm glad that they have their own station to check on sometimes, the things they get themselves into. Now, don't be following the Commissioner's way, we don't need another one always giving us a heart attack."
"I'll try." He said as he goes to the main disk where the food was put and placed the box of donuts on it. He takes one sweeping glance to the hectic workplace, every person on a desk receiving a call or such. One even seemed to be having a less than stellar time probably talking to someone misusing the emergency lines before finding the person he needs to be thanking.
"Ronda, hello, I wanted-" He stopped when the woman turns and throws her arms around him while crying.
"Oh, director Nygma! I was so worried, you didn't even say anything and we thought we lost you and-"
"It's okay, breath." He calms her down as she sits down.
"What were you even doing there of all places! Everyone knows that the place is crowded with crooks." She admonished, even with her tears trailing down despite her rubbing them away.
"I'll be honest, I didn't expect to end up there. I was out with a friend and he took me there instead. I did tell him that I might not survive if we spend the night. Must have jinxed myself."
"Well, don't go there again! And your nose is broken! Alejandro, come help your boss."
"Wait- Al is here?"
"Oh yeah, we asked for someone to come fix a router line and- Alejandro that was mean." She said as the man jumps at him, scaring the life out of Edward, only for his employee to get smacked in the elbows by Ronda. "He only just got attacked a week ago."
"The Boss is hardcore, he can take my scare. What is it that you need? Another wire busted?"
"No, your director's nose is busted."
"What? You want me to …" Al looked disturbed for a moment before turning at him, looking pretty sympathetic as he focused on his nose. "This is going to be painful if you want me to straighten it."
"Just do it." Edward said blandly.
A few minutes later, he screamed. Some of the operators stopped and were around him making sure he was fine. Al, the rat, was laughing so hard that he started getting breathing trouble. Ronda did not look pleased with the man's reaction but haven't said anything as she checks on him and the now taken off nose sling. After Al had his last laugh, he glances around and hums as he looks at everyone's reaction.
"You sure are popular here, Boss."
"I used to work here before I transferred." He simpered as a reply, still holding his nose and calmed down another operator from thinking he might need an ambulance that they could call. It was the first place he worked in, actually. As a volunteer during his college years, and then as an intern, before working completely as an operator himself.
He loathed the days he spent here. No clue on who helped him, no time to search for the man's name, no time to find out what exactly happened to him without offending anyone who worked here. This job was a high-stress job, higher stress than working in digital forensics, and that's saying something since he usually wasted hours trying to explain to his detective co-workers that "No. I can't hack into an iPhone like that, I need at least three devices hooked up and we don't have the funds to buy them."
When in reality, he could, especially with his decoder program that he personally made, he just didn't want to go into the legal jargon later on whether it's even allowed for them to hack a phone or not.
When the head of the department went through everyone's profile for some kind of survey, he came down screaming at him for wasting his time in this place instead of using his certificate and get something easier on him. So, he changed his job.
Sometimes, he thinks about the fact that anyone can find his weaknesses just by going through his work file, especially since it had his medical history attached, and vehemently cursed his father.
Alejandro turns to look at Ronda for a confirmation, but she shrugged before saying "He left before I even joined. But they said he was good."
"Of course I'm good, I'm good at everything I put my mind into." He said, sniffing in haughtiness. Really, if people only applied themselves.
A commotion started on the back end of the department. The three turn around and watched, others joining as the man had tried to talk whoever was on the phone. A second later, a shot was heard, and the man slumps down on his chair before requesting for a patrol to go and check a dead body.
Suicide.
It calls like these made Edward ... a bit glad he had left this job.
0o0o0
Leaving the department for today, he felt his skin slowly raking up, as if eyes followed him. He couldn't handle that, not today. Not when everything's finally coming back together to how it was before, not when Gordon finally came back and started to fix up all the problems Loeb caused.
He even rehired James, the man looked irritated, he was halfway into suing the acting commissioner and was going to say that the motive into firing him was a hate crime.
Which was simultaneously both accurate and inaccurate at the same time. Not in the way people tend to think when they hear hate crime.
Edward had reassured the man that Loeb is already under investigation because of an anonymous tip and a data pack.
James gave him a knowing look.
After helping him redecorate his desk and making space for the new hires, he finally decides on leaving the precinct for the night. Yet, here he was, still on edge. The feeling resembled that night in the lounge many weeks ago, when vines crawled everywhere, and he tried to stay silent with Jonathan by his side.
It was when he was getting closer to his apartment, on the bad side of the city, close to the Bowery and actually bordering the infamous crime district that he gave up and turns around, making it obvious that he was agitated and ready to fight off whoever was following him. He even checks above, not trusting anyone in this accursed city and knowing how assassinations work most of the time.
Instead, his voice was caught in his throat when someone just plainly appears from the corner instead, one with a metallic-like helmet covering his whole face in an unmistakable and eye-catching red.
"Redhood?" He peeps, backing a bit. Which was ridiculous, he hadn't done anything at all to warrant any scrutiny from the most blood lusting member of the bat family. "I'm not corrupt!" He says, only to shut up when Redhood's hand clamps on his shoulders.
"I know. But we need your help. Red Robin said you'll be useful."
"The way you said it does not leave me feeling safe and assured, but yes, I can help."
"Then I need to knock you out first."
"What?"
He was hit in the head.
Riddle: The walls are green, the roads and buildings are red, the adults are black, and the children are white. What am I?
Answer: A watermelon.
Conclusion: He wished that Redhood's head was watermelon hood instead, so he could have the chance to squish it to oblivion! The nerve of that man!
AN: -
I got sick a while ago, and no one should ever listen to me when I'm sick. I'm just very horrible. My brain to mouth filter is broken.
Good news, I have this written till chapter 13 (which still needs revising, really).
Bad news, I'm very busy. Like, hella busy. Four tests, some quizzes, graduation project.