Elizabeth answered a knock at her door, blurry eyed and not too happy. She was so tired that she didn't even look though the peephole.
"Gah!" Elizabeth said jumping back a bit in surprise, "Dr. Gullenrow what are you doing here?"
"Hello, Elizabeth, I was just dropping off the things from your cell, we've cataloged them so you can have them back." He held out the box.
"Oh…okay, thanks" she took the box and attempted to shut the door but the doctor stopped it with his foot.
"There is another reason I'm here actually, Arkham does check-ups on those people who have been released a month or so after to see how they've been adjusting. Might I?" He gestured implying that he wanted to come in.
"No, I've been going through my things in storage and there's little room to walk, sorry."
"Okay, okay, we can just talk right here then. So how have you been getting along? I see you've found a new place to live. Do you have a job?"
"Yeah, it took a while but I found one."
"Good, good, where?"
"Oh, at Das Mӓdchen, I'm waitressing there."
"Really? What about Wayne In—"
"They wouldn't even accept my application, besides I still wouldn't be a chemist or engineer there, just a janitor or mail-runner."
"Yes, yes…are you living comfortably then?"
"You could say that, not what I'm used to but it could be worse."
"Have you been visiting Dr. Grout?"
"Yes."
"Good, good…"
"Is everyone at Arkham okay after the breakout?"
"Yes, thank you for asking, just a few minor injuries. You have heard anything by chance have you?"
"No, I keep thinking Edward, or Jonathan, is going to end up on my doorstep though."
"Oh dear, isn't there any protection you can get?"
"Unfortunately no, I have no real reason to think they would, just being a bit paranoid."
"I see. If you hear anything go straight to the police."
"I know don't worry."
"Good…I think that's that then. Stay safe Elizabeth."
"Thanks, bye." Elizabeth continued to fake smile until the doctor was a good ten feet away then she shut the door quickly. She slid the lock shut and leaned against the door until she heard the doctor's footsteps disappear down the hall. 'What the hell did he want?' Elizabeth wondered, setting the box down on the table. 'Giving me this stuff just feels like a huge—'
"GAH!" Elizabeth's hands flew over her ears. A sudden high pitched electrical whine had issued from the box causing Elizabeth's sensitive ears to ring with pain. After a few seconds the pain of the whine had lessened allowing Elizabeth to uncover her ears. Quickly she rummaged through the box but she couldn't find where it was coming from. Finally she dumped the box out and several of the pens she had used fell from the box and one of them was making the whine. She picked up the offending pen and unscrewed the cap. A small chip and wire fell out and landed on her lap.
Elizabeth picked it up looking at it closely. It was a bug; the doctor must have activated it after he left. Judging from the wiring and the constant whining it was a live wire too. She grinned maliciously. So this is how they wanted to play.
"Good afternoon doctor or is this Mr. Cuvier? Doesn't matter either way but I thought you would like to know I found your bug. I was thinking of just letting it be for now and playing some hardcore porn for you to listen too but I didn't want you to have any pleasure from this invasion of my privacy. Now listen and listen well. You try anything like this again and I'll rip out your intestines out through your asshole and choke you with them. Understand? Good…have a nice day." Elizabeth crushed the bug in her fingers cutting off the irritating whine. She shivered slightly at what she had threatened. Though she would never do anything so horrid they certainly didn't know that.
Throwing the destroyed bug in the trash Elizabeth picked up the papers from the box and began sorting them into trash and keep piles. She threw most everything out keeping a few of the schematics but not the vortex cannon. Even though it was nearly complete there were several large calculating errors that would cause the machine to explode after a few shots due to the strain. If she ever felt like marketing it she would just make a new one.
"At least I have another box." She said to the empty room. Elizabeth hadn't been lying when she told Dr. Gullenrow that she had been going through her stuff in storage. Yesterday she had picked up several boxes before work and brought them home to work on. Last night (or this morning depending on how you look at it) she had started unpacking them but had gotten too tried to continue; so random things were strewn in haphazard piles all across her apartment floor. Her way of organizing was to take everything out and start from scratch.
Grabbing a random box Elizabeth opened the lid and dumped the contents around her. Something soft yet still oddly scratchy brushed against her leg. She looked down to find her wolf's skin blanket. The fur was nearly the same colour as her hair which made sense seeing how it was made of the wolves that had attacked her four years ago. Since the animals were dead the police had given her the options of having them taken to a taxidermist for a keepsake. Though it might have seemed like gruesome reminder of what happened to her Elizabeth had happily accepted. After all it wasn't every day that somebody offered you a wolf's skin.
Elizabeth picked up the skin and held it against her face sniffing deeply. It smelt of tanning chemicals and dust. The skin was extremely soft to the touch almost silky while the fur was rough. It was a pleasing contrast. The high winds in August tended to make Gotham very chilly during the fall, and with no central heating in her new apartment, Elizabeth decided to keep the fur in her bedroom for extra warmth on cold nights. She threw it on her bed and before she could start going through the other boxes the phone rang. Elizabeth glanced at the caller ID: unknown name, unknown number.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"How are you, Child? Feeling threatened, scared. I do hope you are scared."
"Professor Crane!?" Elizabeth shouted into the phone feeling a rush of relief and dread all at the same time.
"The one and only," he let out a cackling laugh.
"What the hell do you want?"
"Come now Elizabeth that is no way to speak to me, you no longer have the safety of Arkham's walls to protect you. I still have many things I want to test on you and now that I have my formula…maybe later. This is supposed to be a business call. I would like to offer you a job."
"What?"
"You heard me. I want to give you job. Edward told me all about that shithole apartment you are living in and working as Das Mӓdchen. I thought you had higher standards than that."
"And I thought all the smart Rogues were in hiding."
"Hehe, do not worry I will not be here long."
"Pro—"
"My offer. My last escapade with Batman destroyed all of my dispersal devices, I need new ones. Usually I would do it myself but I am afraid I do not have the time and I want them improved…"
"I see," a blank look had come across Elizabeth's face. "And why me?"
"Because you interest me and you're desperate enough that you'll accept. I know you are. I'll pay you five-thousand to start and another one hundred for every device made. Enough to get out of that dump and even out of Gotham if you want. What do you say, Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth mind was racing. Could she trust him? Would this entail anything else? Could it be traced to her? The one question that hadn't seemed to cross her mind was what most people would think of first. Should I do this?
"I am waiting Elizabeth. Tick-tock."
"Okay I'll do it," she said sounding a bit defeated.
"Good, I will drop off your money and my specifications later." He hung up. Elizabeth held the phone for a minute then slowly set it back on the hook. What did she just agree to?
"Hey sweetie, get me another, would ya'?" Elizabeth gently pulled her arm out of the man's grasp so she didn't pull him out of his seat—even though he was half falling out already.
"Are you sure, Herr Costumer? You've already had two in the past hour and five since you've gotten here?" 'Fucking idiot, drinking himself to death.'
"Course, now get me another frӓulein." Elizabeth turned to leave but the drunken man decided to smack her ass. She froze and the man chuckled stupidly; his laughter faded away as pivoted slowly, a cold glint in her eyes. He shrunk back in his seat his red face paling. Elizabeth smirked and walked to the bar pouring the man another lager from the tap. She left the drink sit there for a moment while she cleaned a spill on the bar but when Elizabeth returned to the man's table with his drink he was gone, money on the table and more than enough tip.
"Oh dear, what should I do with this?" She asked aloud. The men around her all perked up and began preening themselves hoping to get one on the house. "Who wants it!?" Shouts of "Me, me!" made the glasses on the tables shake. Through the big, hairy, fat men littering the bar she saw a young man around her age glancing over at them nervously.
"Gute Nacht, this is on the house." She handed him the drink. The other men groaned in disappointment and went back to drinking their own tasteless beer.
"Thanks," the man mumbled. Elizabeth leaned against the table looking him up and down.
"We don't usually get your types in here. What's your name?"
"Jacob, this is my first time here…I'm waiting for someone."
"I see, well Jacob if any of these guys give you a rough time just call for me and I'll set them straight." Elizabeth patted him on the back and went back to doing her waitressing rounds. An hour or so later Jacob was lying across his table drooling slightly. Apparently whomever he was going to meet hadn't showed up. It was one o'clock the bar was closing. Elizabeth poked Jacob trying to wake him.
"Oi, bar's closing. Get up…get up." Elizabeth rolled her eyes, he wasn't budging. She reached around him grabbing his wallet from the pants pocket. Flipping it open she read the address. He lived smack dab in the middle of the narrows. 'Great.' Wrapping her arms around his waist she lifted with ease from his seat and carried him into the back room in a fireman's hold.
After she had finished cleaning the counters and sweeping the floor Elizabeth went back to Jacob. He was still passed out Elizabeth hefted him over her shoulder again. She grabbed her bag and keys and locked the front door. The night was warm but there was a chill on the wind that hinted that autumn was on the way. It was two a.m. in the morning just at the tail end of the "crime hours" so Elizabeth wasn't concerned about walking back to her apartment or in this case taking care of Jacob. Once she had reached a main street Elizabeth hailed a cab.
"Hey take him this address," she handed him a slip of paper, "and this should be enough." Elizabeth took the money from Jacob's wallet and gave it to the driver.
"Right-o ma'am." The driver's eyes were lingering on her bosom.
"Thanks." They drove off and Elizabeth glanced down at her chest, carrying Jacob had stretched out the front of her dress revealing more than usual. Maybe she should change…
Jacob groaned, what did he have to drink last night? He rubbed his face with his hand and shook his head trying to rid himself of his grogginess; he'd only had that one beer while sitting at the bar he shouldn't be this messed up. How'd he get here anyways? In fact, where the hell was he? Jacob finally opened his eyes. The room was dark so he could see any detail but the light from the windows revealed enough that he knew he wasn't in his hovel in the Narrows.
He squinted trying to see as much as he could. There were boxes all around, no not boxes large crates. He was in some sort of warehouse. Cautiously he stood and moved forward a few steps. From behind him he heard the shuffling of feet.
"Who's there!?" There was no answer but the moving stopped. His breath and heart rate increased exponentially. Panicked he tried to run but tripped over a pipe on the floor. He attempted to stand but a foot was suddenly pressed against his back.
"Tsk. Tsk. Taking a drink right before a meeting. A snitch like you should be smarter than that."
"What!? I'm no snitch! Who are you what do you want!?"
"I saw you laying there and decided not to disturb you. I afforded you the courtesy you did not give me."
"You're Lupus? I'm sorry I didn't mean to I think someone slipped something in the drink!"
"That's alright, little snitch, it's time we got down to business though."
"I'm not a snitch." Jacob cried again. A dark laugh came from Lupus.
"We'll see about that." The pressure from Jacob's back lifted and he scrambled to his feet. "Don't turn around."
"Okay, okay, now what do you want?"
"I want you to tell me about Cuvier?"
"What!? You want to know about that nut!?"
"Nut?"
"Yeah, last I heard he's obsessing over this one girl, the one from the papers a few months ago. Mr. Maroni fired him a few weeks ago, so he's gone independent. He still has some men but after Batman almost caught him, and he lost the support of the mob…"
"Good, do you know where he is now?"
"No, he's gone underground. Last I heard he was determined to finish his work."
"What about the mob, are they still interested in his work?"
"Deeply, they're trying to continue his work, stole his serum and everything."
"Have they gotten anywhere?"
"No they guy they got now is even more incompetent than Cuvier."
"What about the girl? Is the mob interested in her?"
"Of course, Cuvier said she was key to finishing the serum. They've been following her for the past two weeks."
"I see…well thank you Mr. Snitch I'll contact you again if I need any more information."
"I'm not a s—gah!" Jacob fell to the ground, Lupus had hit him on the head. His vision waivered and he was just able to make out a form crouch down and place some money into his hand. Darkness was over taking him but right before he passed out he could've sworn he the eyes of a vengeful wolf staring out of the darkness at him.