Chapter 39
'Irritated' did not even begin to describe Oswald's sentiments. Even his flight with Ruby as Cobblair had done little to put him in a good enough mood to bear the Sirens' nonsense.
The flight, though, had been every bit as exciting and wondrous as Ruby had described. Finding himself so high up, looking down even on the seagulls, had given him a euphoric sense of power. The icy, damp wind whipping his face and the smoky clouds had sent his nerves into a frenzy. The terror that came with the five-hundred-foot height had been miniscule compared to what must have been normal. From this bird's eye view, the sunset was breath-taking. Cobblair watched with wide eyes as the sky bled indigo as the sun dipped into the river. Blackness overtook the heavens seconds afterwards, anxious to take hold. In this darkness, Cobblair risked a few aerial tricks that had both their hearts pounding.
It had set his spirits high. But they had come crashing down the second Cobblair landed before the club and separated back into their founders. Butch shuddered as he lowered his arm. "That ain't never gonna get normal."
"Good." Ruby replied. "Normal is boring."
Butch frowned at her. "What did you do to your hair?" Ruby frowned before peering into the glass door. Her eyes bulged. At the tips, her hair had become jet-black. "Oh, great." Squeezing her eyes shut, she concentrated. The tips paled back to their natural color. She grinned at the result. "There. Now, all I have to do is focus continually on that spot for the next six hours."
"What happens after six hours?" Butch asked.
"My powers need a break." Ruby explained. "I can keep something going steadily for six hours, but after that, I run out of juice. Pushing myself harder..." She winced. "Bad idea. Hence, this." She held up her wrist, where her digital watch sat snugly.
"Yes, yes, yes, dear." Oswald said. "That's all fine and good, but I'd rather get down to business if you don't mind."
Ruby gave him a half-smile before giving him a 'go on' gesture. Thanking her with a nod, Oswald cracked his neck. "Now," he turned to his thug, "what, pray, is going on in there?"
Butch was quick to explain what had happened. Ruby rolled her eyes, drumming her fingers against her biceps, while Oswald simply grew jittery. As the last word left Butch's mouth, the kingpin huffed. "Fine! Let's get this over with!" Lurching through the yawning doors, he made a beeline for the elevator. Ruby gave Butch a look as she passed him. The thug winced as an old sense of guilt nipped at him. He, too, followed.
Ten minutes later, all five of them were occupying the club's main hall. Well, six if one counted the heavily-bandaged gangster with the thick accent. Barbara and Tabitha jabbered about what happened, while Ruby glanced at the bloody smears on the tiles. Hmm.
"I really do not have time for this." Oswald said tightly.
"He started it." Tabitha muttered.
"It's a lie!" The gangster piped up through the dense facial gauze. "The cwub is on our territory!"
"'Cwub'?" Barbara echoed humorously. "What's a 'cwub'?"
Oswald leaned his head back, his expression dangerously blank. Ruby shook her head as Barbara continued to laugh.
The gangster tried again. "Cwub."
"What's a cwub?" Barbara asked again, even more jokingly. Still holding her cherry drink, she turned to the small crowd. "I mean, can anyone understand him?" Reverting her gaze to the man once more, she asked, "Do you know what a 'cwub' is?"
"Cwub!" The gangster tried once more. Barbara had begun to laugh when Oswald thumped the bottom of his cane against the floor. "Enough." He gave the gangster a cordial look. "We will work something out." He glanced at the Sirens. "This is his territory. What're you willing to give him?"
Barbara thought for a moment, pounting her pink lip, before removing the cherry from her drink. Sticking it in her mouth, she bent over the gangster. Everyone watched, silent and surprised when she extracted the berry from her mouth and placed it on the gangster's leg. "Boop." She giggled.
Ruby snorted.
Oswald took a second to reel in his exasperation. "That is not helpful."
Barbara stared at him incredulously. "Are you telling me you don't see what's going on here? He," she pointed behind Oswald, "is behind this."
Ruby and Oswald turned their heads at the same time. Butch shifted from one foot to another. "What're you talking about?"
Barbara continued speaking to Oswald. "He sent this ding-dong to squeeze us, hoping it'll have us running back to you, so that he could lord over Tabby." Her blue eyes shifted to Butch. "Ain't that right?"
Oswald slowly turned back to Butch. His mouth was a thin, cut line. His eyes were cold and bottomless, like frozen wells. Butch shifted underneath that gaze like a bug under a microscope. "Well - heh - that's...that's crazy. She's crazy." Even as he spoke, he was sounding less confident by the minute. "She was in Arkham, hello?"
"Hello, so was I!" Oswald replied tersely.
Ruby pinched the bridge of her nose. "Man overboard." She muttered. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence followed by Tabitha's quiet question. "Is that true, Butch?"
Butch didn't say 'yes'. He didn't need to.
Oswald laughed humorlessly. "Unbelievable." He took a few steps towards his thug, until they were mere noses apart. His glare spoke more than words ever could. Then, he spun around and lumbered towards the gangster. Without the slightest hesitation, he extracted his gun and held it out. With a brief bang and a thump, the gangster was no more.
"Fine!" Oswald huffed. "Run your club. Come, Ruby. We've had enough excitement for one night." Ruby nodded and headed for the windows. Butch stood there, looking more like an awkward little schoolboy than a professional gangster. Oswald paused before reverting to the Sirens. Specifically, the one he hated the most. "Just so we're clear: the only reason you are alive is Butch. The moment he gives me the word, you're mine."
Tabitha's jaw tightened. She stared down at Oswald as though he were a bug on her windshield. Oswald glared back for all he was worth. Electricity rippled between them. Putting them both into a trance of hatred. A clashing of grudges honoring dead loved ones.
Two gentle hands landed on Oswald's biceps. Blinking, he turned around. Ruby's sympathetic visage was there. Snapping him out of it. Suddenly much more tired than he'd been before, he let himself be guided away. Tabitha gave a small smile. Ruby cast one wayward glance at the two women. Her indigo eyes were cold and flat.
Oswald looked at her. Understanding what she'd done, he thanked her with a nod. With a faint smile, she nodded back. They leaned into each other.
Barbara, Tabitha, and Butch all looked away as a blinding light flooded the room. When it cleared, a single figure stood where two once had. Tabitha and Barbara both gasped, stumbling back in shock. Tabitha reached for her whip when Butch found his voice, "Wait!"
Tabitha's head spun towards him.
"It's - it's them! Look!" Butch pointed at the figure.
Confused, Barbara reverted her gaze to the person. She realized with a jolt that the large man was right. It resembled, in different ways, Penguin and the former maid. It was taller than the former but shorter than the latter. Black curly hair danced in the draft provided by the window. Its upper body resembled the Penguin's, while the lower half was much more feminine and robust. The clothes, too, had fused. The figure wore Ruby's acquamarine necklace and agate bracelets, as well as her jeans jacket. But the silk trousers, button-down shirt, and vest could only belong to the Penguin.
The face looking at them was the most chilling sight either Siren would see for a while.
Without a second thought, Cobblair walked backwards until their back reached the window's ledge. They toppled backward like a domino. Vanished into the night air.
Not a second later, what looked like a very large bat flew off into the distance.
Days passed in a silent, steady rhythm. Oswald and Ruby went about their activities as usual, pumping coals into the roaring furnace that was Gotham's underworld. Deals that were respected bled rewards. Those that were betrayed bled nothing but liquid rubies. During every spare moment the duo scoured the city for Fish Mooney. Oswald strung up gang members like hams, threatening them with death if they attempted to fool him. When it became clear that they simply didn't know, Oswald made due with hacking their toes off with a cleaver. Ruby used gentler methods, contacting every fellow freak she could find. Both those who'd heeded her warning and those who hadn't. She presented herself to each one, holding an old photo of Fish Mooney, to no avail.
Being forced to return home each night empty-handed was almost more than Ruby could bear. Especially when she looked into Oswald's eyes. Saw the light in them wink out, bit by bit.
Which was what spurred her to search even in the wee hours of the morning.
Yawning, Ruby chugged down another Red Bull. The so-called energy drink ran down her throat in a sugary burn. Shuddering, Ruby stared at the can. "No way is this thing helping." Belching, she crushed the can against her skull before tossing it over the ledge. She watched it plummet into the crowded streets below. Barely got a glance. Summoning her binoculars once more, she held them to her face. Yawned again as she scanned the area.
For the past five nights, Ruby had covered five different parts of the city. The Narrows. Half of Otisburg on one night and the second half another. Old Gotham. Burnley. All to no avail. Tonight was Ace Chemicals' turn. The place had a grim reputation for hosting all sorts of unsavory characters, especially at night and especially fugitives. As good a place as any to look.
Ruby yawned yet again. Slapped herself a couple of times. Out of curiosity, she glimpsed at her watch and groaned. Three a.m. Brilliant. She'd wake up tomorrow at noon, if she was lucky. Thank goodness she could fly.
"Okay," she muttered to herself, "just look at this trash-heap one more time, and if nothing's there..."
Something in the shadows cut her off. Ruby frowned. Zeroed in on the rippling shapes. Two figures. Both female. An adult, seizing the arm of a young girl. Dragging her inside. As Ruby lowered the binoculars, she concentrated on her shape. Rather, she concentrated on breaking it apart. Atom by atom. Within seconds she was dust in the wind, blowing towards the factory.
The particles trickled in from a crack in a window. Rejoined into Ruby, who stood on one of the wall's snake-like pipes. She had to cover her mouth to avoid gasping.
The inside of this desolate place was even gloomier than she'd pictured it. Ancient, forgotten crates were scattered about. Candles had been recently implanted, burning softly like distant stars. A group of people stood in the center, looking impatient and nervous. An odd bunch, it seemed. Some were tall enough to be professional basketball players, while others were short and squat. One had a shock of white hair. And another...
She turned her face towards Ruby, clearly not seeing her. But Ruby saw. And she almost yelped when she did.
Just to be sure, Ruby brought the binoculars to her face again. Her blood turned to ice.
"Fish Mooney." She whispered. One hand dropped from the binoculars. The fingers began to stretch. Sharpening at the ends.
A door slamming distracted her attack. Ruby turned to see the same figures she'd seen outside. In this slightly improved lighting, she could make out a few distinct features. One was a full-grown woman with a tight black ponytail and a mask covering the lower half of her face. And the other...dear God, she couldn't have been older than thirteen or fourteen. She had beautiful red hair flowing behind her. Her sweater was green. Her face was terrified.
The woman brought the girl to Fish's posse. They exchanged words. Ruby was too far away to hear anything, and she didn't want to risk this golden oppurtunity by moving. Swallowing hard, she leaned forward as much as she dared. Sprouting additional arms to hold onto the pipe.
Through the binoculars she saw Fish's expression grow dangerous. Her heart-shaped lips formed a single word, then she took a step aside. An old man with glasses approached the girl, removing one of his gloves in the process. The red-haired girl broke free and made a run for it. The masked woman raced after her. So did the curly-haired girl...Selina? Ruby tsked. She would have to berate Bruce one day on his choices in females. Quickly putting down her binoculars, she transformed into sludge. It slithered across the walls, chasing the distant stops across the twisted corridors. Down the stairs.
The red-haired girl broke through a back door. Ran as quickly as her thin legs could carry her. Ruby resumed her shape atop a drainage pipe on the roof, her eyes wide. At the girl's feet was a fast-moving current of water. She was about to call to the girl when Selina screamed, "IVY!"
Ruby and Ivy turned their heads at the same time. The masked woman barred Selina's entrance. A slender arm made it through the leathery barrier. "Look out!"
The old man grabbed Ivy's hand. She fought and struggled, but he refused to let go. "Help!" She yelled.
The man let go of her. She lost her balance.
There was a yelp, and then a splash. Ruby gasped. She stared down the hole, biting her lip, before turning back to the factory. Where her prize sat, just waiting to be collected. Then, she reverted her gaze to the rush of water. She closed her eyes with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Oswald." Her form dissolved once more, carried off by the wind.
It did not take long to reach the river. Indeed, Ruby saw the small body almost the instant she arrived. Her heart fluttering, she summoned her cartilage wings once more. Rising above the churning waves, she kept her eyes on the bobbing figure. Two additional arms grew along her ribs. Reaching into the gelid, filthy waters, she grabbed a handful of hair and wool. With a grunt Ruby pushed herself higher into the sky, along her hands' find. Ruby peered down and sighed with relief. The girl was hanging from her grasp, limp as a rag doll.
Yet even as she held her still form...it wasn't still. Ruby could feel, even through the icy numbness, bones thickening and skin rippling. Some things elongating while others were shrinking. Ruby's memory presented the man from earlier. His gloves. His touch. She shuddered. Had she done nothing but fish out a dead body? No, that couldn't be it. Dead bodies do not grow. They erode.
Fighting off the thoughts, Ruby looked about. She couldn't bring Ivy to a hospital. Word might spread, and Fish would be tempted to finish what her henchman started. But if she just dumped her anywhere, she'd be signing Ivy's death warrant. It had to be someone with people, but not too many.
Another gander brought forth a blessing. A gas station filled with trucks, on the other side of the river. Brilliant. It was far enough from Fish's entourage to be serviceable, yet open to the public. Hopefully, someone would find her.
With a grunt, Ruby adjusted her grip on the changing Ivy so as not to risk dropping her. Then, with a titanic effort she flapped her wings towards the briny shore. The musky, cold wind whipped at them both like an angry slaver, seeming determined to bring them down. They almost did go down once, thanks to the slippery material of Ivy's sweater. Ruby sweated rivers as she fought to both keep her balance and hold onto the unconscious girl. No matter how hard she flapped her makeshift wings, the blasted station never seemed to get any closer.
Until it did. Ruby lowered herself about a foot from the ground. Then, she let go of Ivy. The girl hit the cement like a sack of olives. Ruby landed on her soaked feet. Retracting her wings and extra arms. Shuddering from the effort, she looked about. The lights were still on. Through the window, she could see some Middle-European employee sitting at his desk, bobbing his head to some music and munching on a doughnut.
Ah, good enough.
Ruby turned back to Ivy. Hoping that nothing was broken or bruised, she raked some red hair out of the girl's face. Her breath trickled out of her lungs.
She hadn't gotten a good look at Ivy, but she'd been close enough to see how young she was. This girl...woman...was not so young anymore. Indeed, she seemed to be Ruby's age! Ruby rubbed her eyes hard, then looked again. Her vision remained the same. She was looking at a woman in her early to mid twenties, with a heart-shaped face and long, dark lashes. Her expression was almost serene beneath all of the grime. Lowering her gaze, Ruby saw a woman's body beneath the oversized striped sweater and short skirt. A deep gash ran across her outer thigh. Her skin was tinged blue from the cold.
Ruby leaned her head back with a sigh. "Goddamn it." She adjusted Ivy's limp form into a more comfortable position. Then, she shedded her coat and draped it over the young woman. Biting her lip, she pulled back the cloth again to view the cut. If it was left alone all night, especially given the exposure to the river...
Ruby held her hand over the cut. She willed her limb to soften. Loosen. Drips of peach-colored clay splatted upon the gash. Ivy moaned softly in her sleep. Twitched, then stilled. Ruby continued, creating a firm crust over the cut. When at last all red had vanished, she solidified her hand and pulled away. Waited. Counted up to three Mississippi. Then, she watched the clay break away like dry soil. Where the open laceration had been was now a shiny white scar.
Ruby wiped her brow with a sigh. Checked her watch. Almost five-thirty a.m. She glanced back at Ivy. "Sorry about them. We're not all that blood-thirsty, I assure you." She was about to rise when Ivy's eyelashes fluttered. Slowly, her eyes opened. Lovely blue eyes shone in the moonlight like sapphires. Wow. She was going to break some hearts.
Those eyes frowned when they met Ruby's. Pink lips tried to form words, but nothing came out. Ruby recognized the words. 'Who...are...you?'
Ruby placed a hand on her chest. "Ruby Sinclair. Or Clayface Point Two, to some." She dropped her hand. "I, uh, kind of plucked you out of the river."
Ivy began to rise, but Ruby gently pushed her back down. "Rest. You're gonna need it." The young woman was too exhausted to argue. Ruby waited until her breath steadied once more. Then, with one last wayward glance at the factory, she took off once more.
She'd let Fish get away, and that thought would keep her awake. But deep within herself, Ruby knew that if she'd let the girl die, she never would have forgiven herself.