I approached the bar as Gordon was harassing Gabe at the bar. I could tell that something was up. Gordon never gave me the pleasure of a personal visit. I always had to visit him. What made me even more concerned was the fact that he had also brought his partner, Detective Bullock, with him.
"Jim, old friend, to what do I owe this rare visit?" I smiled warmly at him.
Gabe however was the one to speak,"Oswald, these men were just telling me that they have not seen Mr. Nygma for three days."
What?! I ran events back in my head as I tried to hide the shock as I absorbed this information. Three days ago was when Nygma had called to cancel our dinner date... I figured that some big case had come up at work, and I would hear from him again when he was next available. I then got busy with some family matters and couldn't call Nygma.
"So what are you suspecting Detectives? Why come to me?" I asked.
"Well since even against my wishes, Nymga and you have become...close." Jim Gordon paused thinking of the word he wanted to use.
"What are you insinuating, Detective? That we are fucking? That I convinced him to come here to my club and I have him locked away in my secret sex dungeon somewhere? Jim, old friend, you make me laugh!" I threw back my head and laughed to go with my act. "We are not as close as you it appears to you. Yes, we owe each other favors for saving the other's life, but nothing more. I also owe you one, Jim for the Crane incident. Are you cashing yours in now?"
Jim just glared at me, "Cobblepot, this is a serious matter! I have checked everywhere I can think of! It is not like Ed to disappear like this..."
But it's like Riddler... I thought stifling a shiver trying to go up my spine. My inside were all a mess of nerves, wondering what had happened to Nygma.
"I have not heard anything from Nygma in a quite a while. I will still help you find him since you have come to me. However, I will need information from you Detectives, understand?"
During this whole exchange, Detective Bullock stayed quiet, shocked at my sex dungeon comment I assume.
In response to my request for information, the detectives simply nodded.
"Good, now that I have a your cooperation. I smile at them,"Can you tell me what case Nygma was working on before he disappeared?"
Jim shook his head,"I don't know...that's why we came to you. I thought you may have heard something different."
"I am sorry I can't be more helpful, old friend." I frowned,"The last time I heard from him was three days ago. He left me a voicemail stating that he had to cancel our dinner plans because something had come up at work. Which is why I was asking you what he was working on!?" I said this bit louder than I was intending betraying my feelings about the situation.
It was then when Detective Bullock spoke up. "I just remembered something. Ed came to me about three days ago, asking about information on the Crane case. He seemed obsessed with it. I told him that we had traced the Crane victims to a fear support group that met three nights ago. Could that be helpful?"
I turned on my heels and approached Bullock. Rage was boiling inside of me. I grabbed Detective Bullock by his lapels pulling his face close to mine.
"Helpful, you say Detective?!' I spat at him, my spit hitting him square in the face. "How long were you going to wait before divulging this information?!"
I pushed him away from me slamming his back into the bar. I was just about to land a punch square in the jaw when I felt a resistance pulling at my arm.
I turned my head to see who had stopped me from wailing on Detective Bullock.
"Cobblepot, we don't need to be fighting amongst ourselves. Our priority is to find Ed." Jim said quietly trying to pacify my rage.
"Jim, you were there when I was taken by Crane. If Nygma was indeed taken there's no telling what condition he's in!" I could feel tears burning in my eyes, but I needed to keep them away right now.
"I suspect that Crane is a creature of habit, Cobblepot. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Jim asked trying to keep a hold of his own emotions.
"Yes, old friend. Let's head for the house that I was held in." I grabbed my jacket and trusty umbrella and followed Jim out of my club, ignoring Detective Bullock completely.
As I stared at the partially burned house, all of the memories flooded over me. I swallowed hard, looking to Jim who simply nodded at me. We both approached the house with Detective Bullock as our cover.
Upon entering the house, we were hit with an overwhelming stench. I knew something wasn't right. As we followed the stench to the same sitting room that I woke up in, I took in a deep breath and I could tell what exactly had happened. Riddler had warned me that Nygma was wanting to take a run at Crane to be able to synthesize and antidote for me.
Seeing Crane lying again the wall to my left as we entered the room, Jim rushed over to the body. He pulled out his cellphone. "Hello this is Detective James Gordon, I need a crime scene unit sent out to my current location,"he gave the address,"immediately. I have found one body, judging by the stench coming off of the body I'm saying he's been here for a few days." He slammed his phone shut.
"What the hell is this place?" Detective Bullock asked.
"Detective, this is Dr. Crane's little house of horrors courtesy of his fear serum. Let's just say the last time I was here...I saw visions of my mother being drowned in a tub, your partner hung up by his tie in a closet, and Nygma baked into a pie..."
"Wow, whatever, is in that fear serum seriously fucks with you.." Bullock responded.
"Brilliant deduction, Detective! If that is how the serum affected me, how do you think it's going to affect Nygma?" I looked over my shoulder at Detective Bullock.
I could tell exactly what happened, but I couldn't exactly spill all of the beans to the detectives. I hoped that Jim was not as smart as he seemed and steer clear of the conclusion I came to.
Looking around the room, I could tell that Nygma had allowed himself to be bait for Crane, and then Nygma allowed Riddler to take over once Crane felt comfortable. Riddler took his chance to kill Crane. I didn't really care how Riddler did it. I just wanted to know that Nygma was safe.
I had one idea of where Nygma would go to safely hide. I am not sure Riddler would choose the same place, but it was worth a shot.
"Jim do you mind if I excuse myself? This place is bringing back all of those horrific visions."
Jim simply nodded as his reply.
"Oh and Jim, if you find anything more on Nygma's whereabouts let me know, and I'll do the same."
I left the house of horrors and headed straight for the "clinic." I inhaled and exhaled deeply before opening the door to the warehouse. I couldn't believe my eyes as I stepped into the room containing the clean room.
NygmaThe clean room, well once was clean, now it was littered with tools and pieces of scrap metal. There was a chair built out of the counter from the room.
It had all these wires going up the back and tied around the arms and legs. A half completed helmet was sitting on it.
Ed was in the corner of the room leaning against the wall. His shirt had been torn off, he looked like he had passed out from exhaustion. He was taking deep heavy breaths and his head seemed to be moving.
"No, stop" I whispered drifting in and out of the dream state. "Mother they are my friends, they won't hurt me."
I then jerked my head to the side then shook it vigorously. "It was one question I got wrong mommy. Just one...No...No I understand if it's not 100% it's not worth anything to you."
My head dropped to my chest and I inhaled sharply jerking my face like I had just been hit. "I'm sorry momma" I screamed out. "Don't hurt me again please," I began to sob.
Abruptly it stopped.
"I made the Dean's list, Valedictorian, top of my school and you still won't say you're proud." I whispered angrily. "I did this all for you."
Another head jerk.
"Mother he's dying. No I can't save him! There's nothing I can do, it's cancer mom, there's no cure." I choked out tears running down my face. "Of course I love him, I love my Dad. I would save him if I could. Please mom...don't walk away from me."
My head leaned back against the wall and my chest was heaving. "I'll never forgive you mother. I'll never forgive you for not letting me be there. He's my fucking father!"
I fell back against the wall limp after the small episodes just breathing heavily.
Then it started up again, I grabbed my shirt that was laying next to me and started to tear at it.
"Please Oswald," I whimpered. "Don't leave me. Please I love you." I choked. "I'll do anything, I beg of you I can't be alone anymore."
My head jerked hard that time knocking myself into the concrete wall as I wailed out. "You don't even like him, he just treats you so badly." I choked out.
"JAMES GORDON DOES NOT LOVE YOU LIKE I DO" I yelled at that point but then I went silent again as I crumbled back against the wall.
I was weak from having absolutely no fluids or food in the past few days. On top of the fear serum that still lingered in my system I was in rough shape.
OswaldOswald, don't leave me? Those words hung in the air a few moments after they left Nygma's mouth. I pulled his shaking body close to me. One hand was stroking his head.
"Shhhh...Shhh. I'm right here, Nygma. I'm not going anywhere. I promise you that much. I love you too, Edward Nygma. You will never be alone on my watch." I whispered in Nygma's ear. I continued to stroke his head until he jerk away from me suddenly.
Did he just say Jim Gordon? Me and Jim?! That's absurd! I may have had a small crush on Jim when I first met him, but it faded away with each consecutive meeting. I always thought Jim Gordon was his crush. I was a bit comforting to hear that Nygma loved me and not Gordon.
Under any other circumstances, I would have laughed off all all of these crazy accusations. But these were not normal circumstances.
Was this how I was under the effects of the fear serum? I shook off any of those memories now, as I needed to get Nygma better.
He was still in my embrace but not hearing anything I was saying. Feeling him in my arms, I could feel that he had lost some weight. This already lanky man was even thinner. I could feel a few of his ribs beginning to poke through his skin.
I needed to get him help, but leaving him was an equally bad idea. I flipped my phone open.
"Gabe, it's me. I found Nygma at the 'clinic.' He is in really bad shape. Can you get one of our doctors and tell him to bring some food that can be administered by IV. Nygma is too weak to eat for himself right now. Thanks, Gabe."
I closed my phone, and went to Nygma's side. He was out for good now. His breathing was easing. I rushed around looking for any liquid I could get into his system. I found a partially drank bottle of water on a work bench. It was better than nothing.
I grabbed it returned to Nygma. Nygma was still passed out which I took to be a good sign. I racked my brain for a few moments as to the best way to get this water into him. I decided to go with the first thought that seemed like it could work.
I tilted Nygma's head back, opened his mouth slightly. With my other hand, I grabbed the water bottle too a small swig from it and pressed my lips to Nygma's watching to see that he swallowed it. When he did, I repeated the same process until the water bottle was empty.
The doctor arrived about and hour later. He helped me get Nygma set up as comfortably as we could. He the set up the IV in Nygma's right arm.
Once Nygma was taken care of, I paid the doctor, and had Gabe take him back to his practice.
I went back to watch over Nygma. I brushed his hair away from his forehead and bent down to kiss his forehead. I then bent down and whispered, "Sleep well, my love. I will be right here when you wake up."
I pulled up a chair and watched Nygma's breathing. Exhaustion began to set in. I laid my head next to Nygma's body and let sleep take me.
NygmaI stayed asleep for the most part over the next few days. The fear serum was finally starting to leave my system thank you to the fluids now entering my body.
I slowly regained my strength, the whole ordeal had taken a lot out of me. I coughed heavily as I woke up a few days after Oswald had found me. I was thankful for that, I'm not sure how long I could have kept going on.
The fear serum made me re-live my life around my mother for the most part. She was the one woman who I feared and loathed more than anything in this world. Because of her the Riddler manifested.
I also had to live in the nightmare of watching Oswald with James Gordon. My lover with an old flame, talk about terrible.
I wheezed rolling to my side and pushed myself up looking around. I was in the clinic and it was a mess. I looked over to the chair and wondered where the hell that came from.
It's my baby, don't touch
Oh right. The Riddler was running around Gotham for god knows how long. I looked down to my bare torso, I seemed paler and skinnier than usual.
I looked to the side of the table I was laying on to see Oswald sitting there. I smiled softly as I laid eyes on him.
"You're a sight for sore eyes" I whispered my throat still unbelievably scratchy.
I was still exhausted, but at least I was functioning at this point.
"I'm just glad to see you awake." Oswald smiled at me handing me a large bottle of water.
"How are you feeling?"
I took the bottle from him once I fully sat up. I took a large drink from it and looked back to him. "I feel like I was forced into a wood chipper," I murmured weakly.
"That was hell...I don't even remember much."
Oswald responded,"I am not sure exactly happened to you myself. I found you three days ago, in pretty bad shape. Before I thought to come here to look for you, we checked the house that you had found me in. By 'we' I am meaning, Detective's Gordon, Bullock, and myself, and we found Crane dead in that sitting room. I am hoping that Jim Gordon is not as smart as he appears. When you return to work, you will have to have your story straight."
'What can you remember, Nygma?"
"I figured he was dead," I murmured faintly. "Riddler takes no prisoners."
I sighed rubbing my temple for a moment.
"I remember going to the support group to research more of the case. I followed Crane into the hallway not knowing who he was, and he grabbed me there. I don't remember anything after a rag being shoved against my mouth, until waking up here and having to see my mother.." I trailed off shaking my head. "Dealing with her tormenting me."
Oswald"I am sorry that you had to deal with that, Nygma dear." I thought about bringing up the other outbursts he made about Gordon and I being an item in that mental state he was in, but I brushed it off.
Nygma was right her with me and that was all that mattered.
I came up and kissed him above his right temple,"I'm just glad you are here with me now. I want you to take your time getting your strength back, ok?"
I smiled warmly at him.
"Of course," I whispered quietly.
I'm sure he would want to talk more when I was back to my strength about the ordeal. I knew Gordon would be coming for me especially if I was the last one to see Crane alive.
I stayed at the clinic, when I was able to get around I would get off the table and pick up the place. Being in the mess was really aggravating me, another shred of proof that the Riddler was the opposite of me. He liked to make a mess of things.
Once I had everything in order, I began to work on the antidote once I realized the Riddler had gotten me the serum.
Told you I would Ed
The voice in my head also explained to me how it went down that night, which I found interesting. He was of course bragging about it. Then he told me the point of the chair he made.
I entertained myself with the antidote just waiting any time now for Gordon to come get me, I would confess to the murder. It was the only way to get away with it, it was self defense. He tried to kill me, what was I supposed to do?
Joke's on him cackled the voice in my head.
When the antidote was finished I wrapped it nicely in a box for Oswald to find when he came back by the clinic to check on me. I then dressed in some clean clothes Gabe brought me.
I left the note for Oswald that I was going to deal with work now, because that was something I could not avoid forever.
I walked into the GCPD building and everyone was looking to me. I noticed James Gordon and Bullock at their desks who got to their feet slowly looking at me, like I was a ghost.
"Well, I'm back." I smiled brightly to everyone.
I noticed Jim removing his handcuffs from his belt and swallowed.
Here we go again.