Nygma

Oswald's hand was cold to the touch, but it slowly warmed as we entered the room which would be our destination. I pressed my lips together seeing the body on the table then around the room.

All qualms gone, I boldly approached the table. I was now in my own element, nothing could tamper with that now. My eyes laid on the effects for a moment, a cop badge?

"What the hell, Oswald?" I asked looking back to him. The name on the badge caught my eye and I glanced to it again. Then I looked closely at the body on the table.

My heart jumped into my throat, I immediately noticed the blonde hair and the irresistible blue eyes of my comrade. Detective Gordon was laying on the table before me, his breathing labored.

I swallowed, this was extremely hard to look at, him just lying there helpless. I shook my head and walked around the table to his head looking for wounds. I was kicking into gear as I pulled on gloves slowly looking over the cop.

Oswald

"Neg, you now understand why it had to be you who came with me tonight? Jim is in a bad place right now. He kept digging to uproot all of Gotham's corruption. When you start pulling on a small root, it can lead to a large tree that can eventually fall on you. Many want him dead. You are the only one I trust to help me save him. Please help me save him, Neg!"

I watched as the man I brought with me took in what I brought him here for. I could see that Gordon lying there on that table barely alive affected Nygma. Nygma just stood there motionless staring at Gordon. When Nygma did next move, he released all of the emotions he was feeling and grabbed Gordon holding Gordon's head to his chest. Tears were brimming in Nygma's eyes. Nygma turned his head away signalling that he wanted to he alone.

This sudden shutting me out annoyed me and I glared at him for a minute or two. I knew that we needed to start getting to work if we wanted to get done before dawn. "He's not dead, Neg, but as more time passes the odds of it happening is more likely!"

I can't even believe myself getting worked up over someone that will most likely become my enemy if we both continue our respective rises in Gotham. Right now, I need Gordon to help me achieve my rise, and with me by his side he will be kept safe as he continues his rise rooted in justice.

Nygma shot back up to his usual attentive self. He began babbling in a lot of medical terms I did not understand,"There is a light at the end of the tunnel here...Gordon did not suffer any head trauma throughout this ordeal. However, the reason that the is having trouble breathing is because he has several fractured ribs due to sustaining multiple blunt force traumas with an object that appears to be a baseball bat. I suspect that this bruising below the area is also the same pattern of edema with internal bleeding. Finally his abdomen area looks torn up by something sharp, possibly a knife." He finally pause for a breath. Then he turned and looked at me asking, "How on earth this this happen, Oswald?"

"I don't know all of the details fully myself, Neg. Jim called me out of the blue for my help. I thought it was a favor he needed for whatever case he was currently working on. However when I picked up, the phone, I could tell something was wrong. When I brought him back here, I laid him on this table here set up the clean room in preparation for bringing you here. When I was laying all of his effects on that table over there" I pointed toward the side table with my right thumb over my right shoulder," I found a note in his shirt pocket with five words on it: Fish Mooney sends her regards"

Nygma

"Yes, of course it would be Fish Mooney." I murmured pressing my lips together again. My eyes were burning from crying. I had heard the woman's name, from Gordon himself talking to Bullock.

At the precinct, people don't realize I hear them. They think that I don't listen but I do. I hear a lot more than people think I do. Then of course I hear Oswald talk of her now.

I worked on Gordon in silence for the next few hours. I moved around the table frequently leaned over the man's body starting to stitch him up. This was the one thing that I was good at, if nothing else. My hand movements were soft, tender, more delicate than I would use with anyone else. Of course the other ones were never actually alive...

Emotions still bubbled through me as I watched Gordon move his head from side to side. He was in a lot of pain, I was working as fast as I could. I wanted this to end for him.

The injuries to his abdomen were the worst, those I had worked on first as he was losing a significant amount of blood from those wounds alone.

When I finally rose from the chair I was sitting in covered in Gordon's blood. I was sweating, but I was proud of my work and Gordon would survive tonight.

"He will live." I told Oswald looking to him for a moment.

Oswald

I breathed a long sigh of relief. I didn't even realize that I had been holding my breath during the time I watch Nygma working on Jim.

"Anything we can do for the pain, Neg?" I asked him noticing Jim's head still thrashing back and forth as if he was having a nightmare.

"I have given him a small sedative to help him sleep. Time is the greatest healer." the man covered in another man's blood replied.

I slumped into a chair placed by Jim's bed. My legs spread out with my trouble leg, my right one, out further to one side. I felt a hand on my right shoulder. I lifted my head to look up at the bespeckled gentleman covered in blood. "I told you that he would live, Penguin. I do not doubt my abilities. Many at GCPD do, but I was at the top of my class at the Police Academy." He said with proud smile.

His smile caught me a bit off guard even more that his comforting touch on my shoulder. I had never seen such an expression on his face before. I treasure learning the little things about people and for this man, Nygma, it was his smile. I made a personal vow to never let his smile fade into obscurity when he was around me.

At the present though, he looked much like a murder suspected. "Before he leaves this building he will have to burn those close and change into clean clothes. Too bad too, I very much liked that shade of green on him…"

"Neg, I am going to be staying here until Jim recovers. Would you mind keeping me company as long as you can without risking getting fired from GCPD and such?" I paused, "Neg, can you tell me a riddle?"

Nygma

I looked to Oswald quietly, I was extremely exhausted, but I would comply with the man's request. Plus I also wanted to make sure Gordon would be okay.

"I can stay for a little while," I responded patting Oswald shoulder again.

I glanced down to my blood stained shirt and began to unbutton it since Oswald was faced the other way in his chair. I had a white tank underneath it.

Riddles were my favorite and I smirked slightly.

"What weighs six ounces, sits in a tree, and is very dangerous?"

Oswald

I stroked my chin, racking my brain for the answer. After a few minutes, I gave up. "What is, Neg? I honestly cannot think of the an...swer…" I my sentence trailed off as I turned my head around to look at him as I knew that there would be the largest smile that I have seen yet on his face. When I turned around, what I saw was even better than I had even been expecting.

My mouth still hung open as I stared up at this man whose shirt was open, hanging loosely on his skinny form. He was looking down at me smirking slightly. I could tell that he was proud he had stumped me with his riddle. As I kept staring there mouth agape, a small fire began building in my lower half of my body. This was a very different fire than I was feeling earlier in my stomach; this fire was warm and comforting, not large and wrathful. I finally closed my mouth swallowing slightly. I now knew what I wanted and I didn't want to give it up to anyone else.

I stood up from the chair I was sitting in and turned around to face him. I pushed the chair aside with my right arm and slowly advanced toward this man. For every hobbled step I took towards him, he took two back. I could see in his face that he was uncertain as to what my motives for advancing toward him were.

Finally, he reached a wall halting his backward progress. I approached him, and began lightly brushing the fingers of my right hand along the contours of the left side of his face. I started from his left temple, my pointer finger tracing the shape around the back of his ear. With my left hand, I removed his glasses folding them neatly into my front suit jacket pocket. As the glasses came off, I was surprised to see such a handsome man staring back at me. "Is there a reason he hides his face behind these large rimmed glasses?"

"Neg, you are really quite handsome. You shouldn't hide it." I stood up on my toes and whispered in his left ear as my finger paused right behind his left earlobe.

In next instant, I felt consumed by that warm fire and let it wash over me. With all the force I could muster, (which is very small when compared with the average man) I shoved him against the wall, pushing my body into his. I grabbed him firmly by both sides of the top of his unbuttoned shirt and my lips collided with his. Not in a harsh way, but a gentle one.

Nygma

I really didn't understand what was happening, watching him advance on me and when my back hit the wall I swallowed hard.

Was he going to strangle me? Did my riddle go too far? Then he was speaking to me, softly not in anger. I was so terribly confused right now. My insides quivered, I was frozen.

He grabbed my unbuttoned shirt and I was still scared.

"Fuck," I cried inside.

I knew what he was doing, I just don't think I was ready to receive such attention.

I couldn't deny I had recent thoughts of Gordon doing this to me. Coming into my office and pushing me firmly against my desk his breath against my skin... "Stop!"

His lips pressed against mine and I melted back into the wall I was against. I closed my eyes briefly, and under no control of my own I kissed him in return but abruptly pulled back.

"No no no," I muttered pushing him off me.

My breathing was labored, I hardly knew this man. I wanted it, but I was confused.

I closed my eyes and ducked my head for any abuse that would come from angering him.

Oswald

I stumbled backward a few steps upon being pushed back. I was surprised that a man with so little muscle mass could generate so much strength. I paused continuing to gaze at the man leaning against the wall. He labored breathing matching mine.

I bent over the chair I had pushed aside to catch my breath. I could see that he was visibly conflicted my recent actions. I will admit to this was greatly out of my usual character, to want something so passionately as I did then. I knew that my conviction was unwavering, but his, I would have to earn. I smiled as the gears in my mind started turning. This conquest would be an even greater achievement for me than ruling over Gotham.

I knew who I would have to steal him, Nygma, from. I saw the way he looked at Jim, and it quite rather annoyed me looking back remembering how he held Jim in his arms sobbing. I sneered upon seeing the image in my head again. I briefly thought about killing Jim, but then shook off the idea as a stupid one. I still needed Jim. No I am one who fights fair and uses my knowledge outfox everyone else. Slowly I will get Nygma to see things in my light.

I turned back around still large smile on face. I saw that his face was again downcast, believing I was going to punish him. "Nygma, my dear friend, why do you look so sad? Did you not just enjoy yourself?"

Nygma

My eyes lifted, relieved he did not strike me. I watched him silently, studying him. I let out a breath and my eyes flitted to Gordon laying on the table.

I looked back at him when he questioned me. My mind was still reeling and emotions were running through my veins. I couldn't even pick them apart.

"I...I..." I stuttered. "Sparrow, sparrow with a machine gun." Was the words that fell from my mouth.

Another breath and I straightened myself fumbling to button my shirt back up. I didn't care if it was bloody, I just wanted to go home. I wanted to run away.

I stared back at Cobblepot's questioning look at my comment.

I managed a smirk. "What weighs six ounces, is very dangerous, and sits in a tree? A sparrow with a machine gun."

Then I nodded. Satisfied with my riddle. I moved quickly back to the table with Jim. I picked up my tools and shoved them into my bag and held it tightly to my chest. My eyes rested on Gordon once more before moving past Oswald for the door.

"I really must go. GCPD will need me soon. Work soon." I nodded frantically.

Oswald

I pulled a watch on a chain out of the bottom left pocket of my suit jacket, hit to button released the latch and read the time on it's face. "It's already that time again, I imagine."

I watched him pack up his tools and start to put himself back together. I smile and shook my head partly reacting to his riddle but a bigger part reacting to the fact that he was going to be wearing a bloody shirt in broad daylight.

"Neg, you are seriously not wearing that shirt out of this building, are you? Especially not to the police station?" I chuckled,"Look at yourself! You look like a goddamn murder suspect!"

He stood there saying nothing but looked down sheepishly. I unbuttoned my jacket and hung it over the chair. I then undid my vest and loosened my tie, discarding them on top of my suit jacket. With all of the exterior layers removed, unbuttoned my shirt.

He started backing away looking at me with wide eyes. I could tell that he was questioning as to whether I was going to assault him again.

"Neg, here" I said holding out my shirt to him,"Trade shirts with me. The police know I am into shady business, so a bloody shirt will not be strange to see on me." I then shook it at him a few times.

He lowered his hands from his face and opened his eye from scrunched shut. Upon seeing the shirt waved in front of his face. he blinked a few times, and took the shirt from me. He turned around to face the wall as he unbuttoned his shirt to put mine on. I hobbled back over to my pile of clothes and retrieved his glasses from my suit jacket pocket.

"Here..." he said in a low voice as he thrust his shirt at me. I held out his glasses in my open right palm. He grabbed them up quickly placing them back on his face with both hands. He smoothed down his shirt and reached for his jacket slipped it on.

I walked him back to the entrance. I watched him as his pushed the open the door. breathing in his musk still remaining on the shirt I now wore. A smile growing on my face as I turned around to head back to check on Jim's condition.