3:22pm, March 7; GCPD Central, Parking Garage; Edward Nygma
"So you see," he concluded, keeping his voice down so it wouldn't echo in the garage and draw undue attention, "I won't be able to go out with everyone for a couple weeks. But once I'm settled, I'll be back on the tab rotation, no problem."
Flass nodded along, leaning against Ed's car, "I get where you're coming from. That's a big expense. And we'll be sad to not have you there and all..." he hissed his breath in, looking up a shaking his head, "But the problem is, you can't miss the payments."
Ed opened his mouth, frowned, shut it, then held up a finger, "But the agreement was that if I can't make it for a week, I didn't need to-"
"Yeah," Flass interrupted, straightening up, his arm laying out across the top of the car where he tapped his fingers on the roof, "That was the agreement. But the guys and me, we're getting a little concerned about how much time you've been spending over at Penguin's place. We get it, you're dating that one bird, so you wanna see her a lot."
He held up his hand to keep Ed from interrupting in turn, "And yeah, everyone likes to take a day or two here and there to hit the Lounge. But... you've been there way more than that. Almost like you're one of Penguin's men. And the guys and me, we know that's not true. But the rest of the precinct don't and they talk and you know... it takes a lot of effort from the rest of us to put those rumors to bed. Don't you think we deserve something for that?"
"Yes, but-"
"No buts, Nygma," Flass stepped in close, his hand coming down heavy on Ed's shoulder. "You pay up, or we start letting people talk. And if that talk gets back to Captain Barnes, you're gonna be out of a job. You don't wanna be out of a job, do you?"
"Well, no, but-"
"What did I just say about buts?" He let out a disappointed sigh and yanked Ed forward, his free hand balling into a fist that connected soundly with Ed's gut.
All the air was pushed out of him so he had nothing with which to make noise when the next punch landed. He grasped blindly for purchase and had his feet kicked out of him so he fell to the ground, one arm wrapped around his gut, the other keeping him from landing on his face. He heard, distantly, the sound of a car door opening, not really registering it. At least not until Flass grabbed him by the back of the coat and held him in place while he slammed the door into his side, connecting with his shoulder and head.
His ears were ringing when Flass let the door fall shut and then hauled him to his feet and pushed him against the car so he was forced to face the man, "Payment's already late. Have it by tomorrow or next time it'll be your arm in the door when I close it. Got that?"
He coughed and nodded, body sliding heavily to the ground when he was released with a disgusted "Good." and a distant "Clean yourself up. You look pathetic."
He curled into himself, allowing his body to fall to the side so he was as small as possible against the cold concrete. Nothing felt broken, but he ached all over and breathing would be painful for a while. He stayed where he was, just trying to be still, until the ringing in his ear faded to a soft hiss that he could deal with. It would take longer to go away. His shoulder when he rotated it seemed to be fine, if sore.
He eventually stood up. There was still technically time in the day for him to return to work, but he didn't feel like it anymore. Instead, he slid into his car and drove out of the garage. He needed to get away from Central. Needed to get away, period.
He only had so much money left. And while losing his apartment opened up a fair chunk of it to be used elsewhere, he had been hoping to free up more for much needed expenses. That... that wouldn't be possible now. Flass had made that more than clear.
The only way to end that would be to eliminate Flass. Or-
No.
"Dammit," he hissed to himself, then louder as he slammed a hand on his steering wheel: "Dammit!" A shuttered breath was sucked in.
If he didn't pay Flass and the others, they'd get him fired. Make it seem like he was one of Oswald's moles. He wasn't, and Oswald had, so far, never come close to broaching such an arrangement during their conversations. But Barnes wouldn't care. Any sign whatsoever, any that could be corroborated, that someone was dirty, and they were out on their asses. He'd made that very clear on his first day. And with Oswald being his top priority to take down...
Ed groaned out a long sigh. This wasn't going to be as easy as getting Guerra fired. Flass, above and beyond his own threats, was well known for having the protection of Commissioner Leob. One of the only reasons Barnes hadn't been able to get enough on him for anything to stick and remove the Narcotics Detective from his position.
It wasn't like Ed had been blind to that. He'd known, but it wasn't an unusual thing for most of the officers and detectives to have dirt under their nails. Even Gordon's partner, Bullock, had been in bed with Fish Mooney before her fall from grace. Figuratively, if not literally. Rumors were never clear on the latter. Not that it mattered.
It just... it hadn't mattered before. Especially after Flass had called him a friend. Had treated him like one. Had... had...
Had lied to him. Used him. Laughed at him behind his back.
Poor, stupid Ed. Can't make friends without paying for them.
Which wasn't true. He had made friends. Gordon was his friend, right? And Wren. And... and Oswald? Maybe?
God, he didn't know anymore.
9:46pm, March 7; Robinson Park; Wren
The call from Ed had surprised her. She'd expected him to come to the lounge - he'd been in pretty much everyday for the last few weeks - order a drink, talk about work or his friends or ask after Penguin. The usual. But instead, he hadn't shown up at all. He called the lounge about twenty minutes ago and asked Arnold to ask her to come meet him at the conservatory at Robinson Park.
It was all very suspicious and she figured something had to be wrong. She had a gun on her, but she'd asked Rockhopper to come as back up. If there was trouble, she trusted no one but her girlfriend to back her up. And even if she was being paranoid, Robinson Park after dark was not a good place to be. A lot of bad elements hung out there.
The two of them walked arm in arm, keeping their pace casual, as they wound their way along a main path. It was one of the only ones well lit. It would go right past the conservatory before winding it's way toward the lake and then out the other side of the park.
When they got to the large, imposing building, they found Ed sitting on a bench facing the fountain. He was slumped over, head down, looking like he'd just found out someone he loved had died. Wren exchanged a look with her girlfriend, then hurried over to sit on one side of him. Rockhopper crossing in front to sit on the other.
"Eddie?" she hesitated, unsure if he'd be okay with the nickname. She usually called him 'Mr. Nygma', but they weren't at the Lounge and this was, perhaps, a little too outside her assigned duties. Even if Arnold has authorized her extended break.
She rested a hand on his shoulder while her girlfriend took a chance and started running her fingers through his hair. He didn't react at first, but he didn't pull away or object. It was almost like he didn't even realize they were there. Which, with how his head came up slowly a couple minutes later and he blinked a few times before his eyes came into focus, was probably the case.
"Eddie, honey, you okay?" she tried again, fingers laying softly on his cheek.
"You're making us worried," Rockhopper added softly from her side, drawing his attention to her presence.
He adjusted his glasses and forced a smile for a moment, "Sorry. Was just thinking. Hi. You're... You're Wren's girlfriend, right? I've seen you at the lounge."
"Mmmhmmm," she answered in the affirmative. "You can call me Nina, if you want. We aren't really on the clock right now, so you don't gotta use Rockhopper."
Wren shared a brief glance with Nina, silently thanking her for being so kind without asking a lot of questions. Then she brushed some stray hair from Ed's face, "I never did tell you my real name, did I? It's Diedre."
9:46pm, March 7; Robinson Park; Edward Nygma
When he'd called the Lounge and asked for Wren, it had been in a fit of panic. He'd found himself parked outside the club not long after he'd left the precinct with no memory of having driven there. It was almost an automatic response, as if autopilot had kicked in while he analysed every interaction he'd ever had with any of the people claiming to be his friends and somehow his subconscious had determined the Lounge to be the best destination. Something his active brain disagreed with entirely.
He'd pulled away and headed, instead, for the post office. Choosing to take care of a few necessary things he could easily see to. Get a sense of accomplishment out of it. The first stop had been the post office to purchase a P.O. Box and put in a change of address request for it. He used GCPD Central's address as the 'back up' rather than his apartment. Just in case something happened. He then pre-paid six months on the box. He hoped he wouldn't need it that long, but it might take some time to figure out how to deal with Flass and he didn't want his mail service interrupted.
He then went to the library with a stack of mail that had come in across the last month and a half and wrote out change of address requests for the bills he needed to pay and cancellation requests for others. His utilities were going to be shut off in a few days so any final bills would have to come to his 'new' address. After that, he wouldn't have to worry about them at all.
After that, he stopped by an auto parts shop and purchased a few parts he'd noticed where wearing down when he'd had a look under his hood. Usually he didn't bother doing his own maintenance, but part of cost cutting meant he'd need to. Especially as that was where he'd have to be sleeping for a little while. He wasn't sure how long yet and hoped it would only be a couple weeks at most, but until he could find a place in his budget, he would have to put up with the backseat for a bed.
Fortunately the storage issue for everything that wasn't the clothes he'd need in the immediate future was solved. Even if Oswald wasn't the friend he seemed to be so far, he was still providing a place to put his things. He'd gotten the address and unit number from Penguin on Tuesday, when he'd brought over a few records as requested. He'd gone to visit it the day after and paid for two months. Just in case the only place he could find in the immediate future was too small for all his things.
All that had taken enough time for the sun to start setting and then he was left with little to do and no place to go except back to an apartment that wouldn't be his for much longer, the dubious safety of work, the false security of the Lounge, or somewhere else. He'd chosen the last. Picked Robinson Park because he could hang out in the Conservatory until it shut down at nine.
Once it was closed, he found himself still reluctant to go anywhere, but also in need of something. He wanted to talk to someone. He wasn't close enough with Gordon to call him, though he had considered it briefly. All five of the guys were now off his list of confidants. He had entertained asking for Oswald to join him, but that was stretching things even allowing for what time he'd been given. Wren was the only one left.
So he'd called. And Mr. Wesker had said he'd relay the message. And eventually she was there.
He hadn't really expected her to come. Definitely hadn't expected her to bring her girlfriend. Or for both of them to seem so concerned.
He smiled at them both, then leaned into Wren- Diedre's shoulder, shutting his eyes, "That's a nice name. And thank you. Both of you. For coming. I think I just..." He laughed, blinking back tears he didn't want to worry them further with. "I just needed a friend right now. That's all. Nothing important."
"Oh Eddie," Diedre pouted as Nina leaned in to lay herself across his other side, letting her weight settle like a blanket. "Of course it's important. You're my friend."
"And what's important to Diedre," Nina purred into his ear, her arms coiling around his stomach to hug him, "Is important to me. Do you want to stay here, or go somewhere?"
"Stay here," he murmured. The situation felt so surreal and he didn't want it to end, broken by him coming across as more awkward or creepy or odd that so many people in his life had told him he was. "If that's okay?"
"Sure." No more questions came and they got comfortable, shifting around so they could both hold him.
It felt nice. Having a real friend. Maybe two.