Something warm and wet was touching Elizabeth's face moving like a dog's tongue, no it wasn't lapping it was rubbing, gentle rubbing. The something moved away and Elizabeth heard the splash of water and the something returned wetter and warmer than before. Slowly Elizabeth's mind was coming out of the fog, thoughts beginning to form. It was a towel a towel was wiping her face. The towel moved away again and Elizabeth opened her eyes. A college-aged boy was holding a bowl and ringing out a towel, the water coming out of it pink. The boy looked at her and dropped the bowl in shock. Elizabeth launched herself off the bed and slammed him to the ground.
"Who the hell are you? Where am I?" The boy looked up at her in fear.
"Boss!" He cried shaking, "Boss she's awake!" Elizabeth's eyes went wide. 'Boss?' She heard hurried footsteps coming towards her. Picking the boy up by the scruff of his shirt she dragged him up in front of her holding him in a headlock, if his boss was Cuvier she'd use him as a meat shield. However, it wasn't Cuvier that opened the door Elizabeth didn't recognize the man that stood before her. He was dressed in a fine black and navy pinstripe suit with a dark navy tie with an unlit cigarette sticking from between his lips. At the sight of Elizabeth holding the kid by the throat he raised an eyebrow.
"Miss Howard." He said curtly, "would you kindly release him?"
"Not until I know who you are and where I am."
"I'm not going to tell you while you hold one of my men captive but I mean you no harm, you are here as my guest." Elizabeth snarled and lifted her arm just enough so the boy let out rasp as he tried to breath. The man stared at her hard.
"Very well kill him, he can be replaced," he said taking out a lighter and lighting his cigarette. Elizabeth stared at him and he stared right back at her with a cocky glint in his eyes that rivaled Edward's. She tightened her hold on the boy but the man didn't give. Not breaking the stare Elizabeth released the boy. He scrambled away from her rubbing his throat. The man with the cigarette smirked.
"Good, now let's talk," he said taking the cigarette out of his mouth and stamped it out on the ground. "Right now you are in my home as for who I am; I am surprised you don't know. I am Salvatore Maroni." Elizabeth tensed but forced herself not to ball her hands into fists.
"I see, Mr. Maroni, a pleasure I'm sure. Can you tell me how I came to be in your home?"
"Yes, an interesting affair, I must say. You see after I fired Cuvier and I confiscated most of his formula; I realized, after a few tests, that the process of applying it is more complicated than I thought. He disappeared but a few days ago my men heard tell of where he was hiding and I sent them to go and get the process from Cuvier." Elizabeth's jaw clenched she could see where this was going. "But he's not there, what my men do find though is even better, you."
"I see, and going by the last thing I remember I was in the middle of a psychotic break."
"Exactly. You attacked my men. They subdued you and brought you back here. What a sight they told me, the entire room covered in blood, men lying in pieces on the floor. They do have a tendency to exaggerate but I am still impressed."
"Thank you, I could give you a demonstration if you would like."
Maroni let out a bark of laughter, "I like your spunk. No, first you shall wash and change then we will talk. I have plans for you Miss Howard." Maroni turned and left, within a few seconds the boy came in holding some clothes.
"The bathroom is through there," he said pointing to the other door in the room, "Mr. Maroni will be back in a half hour I suggest you be dressed by then."
"Why were you wiping my face?" Elizabeth asked genuinely curious.
"Some of the blood had crusted over your eyes; I didn't think you should wake up without being able to see."
"Well, thank you then, that was kind. What's your name?"
"Mike."
"Thank you, Mike." Elizabeth took the clothes and went into the bathroom but she didn't start to strip until she heard Mike leave. She had a bit of difficulty removing her clothes as the blood had dried them to her skin. While taking off her bra Elizabeth caught sight of herself in the mirror. Even with a lot of the blood wiped from her face Elizabeth looked a horror. Blood matted down her hair and ran down her back in dark streaks. Along her neck was a long thin cut. She reached up and touched the wound.
Images flashed her mind. Blood squirting. Men screaming. The taste of iron in her mouth. Elizabeth ran over to the toilet and vomited. What came out was lumpy red mixture. Bits of skin, chunks of flesh, strands of hair, and blood. Her stomach heaved again and again until the rest of the contents of her stomach came out. Elizabeth groaned her head spinning. She turned on the shower her legs shaking still feeling sick. After letting the water run for a minute, and making sure she wasn't going to vomit anymore, Elizabeth stepped into the shower.
The water pounded against her skin. Pink water ran down Elizabeth's skin and down the drain. She soaked for several minutes waiting for most of the pink to disappear, when she was satisfied that most of the blood was off her she looked at the shampoo and body-wash that was in the holder. Both were obviously for men as they were Sandalwood scented, a scent far too strong for Elizabeth to use without feeling constantly nauseous, and seeing how see had already vomited…
Elizabeth ran her fingers threw her hair working out the knots and trying to rid herself of the remaining blood. She grabbed the face towel from the sink, it would scrub better than the luffa without soap and she wanted to be as clean as possible for her "talk" with Maroni. She doubted that they were actually going to talk and more have him talk persuasively at her. Perhaps with a gun. Elizabeth shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. The thick navy towels dried her off quickly and her short hair dried just as quick.
Then she turned her attention to the clothes Mike had given her. A plain white blouse and black dress pants. She picked up the bra and underwear somehow Maroni had known her size…scratch that these were hers. Elizabeth recognized the bra and panties as the ones given to her by Alyssa two years ago for a Christmas present. That meant the clothes must have been hers too; and they were there was the spot where she had fixed the cuff. Maroni's men had gotten these in her apartment. Her bugged apartment.
Elizabeth smiled. If Batman had been listening he would know that her apartment had been broken into and that something was wrong. Even though she didn't like the invasion of her privacy she really hoped Batman was listening and that the thugs had given him hits to where she was. She glanced at the clock, it was 5:50, though am or pm she didn't know, and she had ten minutes until Maroni came for her.
Elizabeth was just pulling on the provided dress shoes when there was a single knock on the door and it opened. It wasn't Maroni that opened the door it was Mike with two large men with guns visible under their suit jackets.
"Good, you're ready. Follow me." Elizabeth followed the Mike with the two guards close behind her. As they walked through the halls Elizabeth tried to figure out where she was and how she might escape. They must have been on an upper floor because they went down a flight of stairs. Elizabeth was just started to wonder when they were going to get there when something caught her attention. A voice. A female voice. A female voice that she knew. A female voice that she knew, that shouldn't be in the house of a Mobster. A female voice that she knew, that shouldn't be in the house of a Mobster, screaming.
"Victoria!" She roared pushing past Mike and through the door that her sister's voice was coming through. The door slammed open cracking the wall as it hit. Her sister was being restrained by a large man, half-undressed, and she was struggling to break free. Elizabeth roared again and launched herself at the man who let go of her sibling just in time to throw up his hands in defense. She wasn't able to bring the attacker to the ground in her initial attack so Elizabeth struck the man in the gut causing him to double over, breath-knocked out of him. Elizabeth wheeled around and grabbed Victoria's arm dragging her towards the door but the two guards had already caught with her and were blocking the way.
"Stay behind me Victoria," Elizabeth said pulling her sister behind her.
"Let go," Victoria said wrenching her arm from Elizabeth's grasp. Elizabeth turned around confused and at that moment the two guards tackled her to the ground. From underneath the bulk of the men she saw Victoria helping her attacker to his feet.
"Are you alright?"
"What!?" Elizabeth struggled against her capturers to no avail, they had her arms and legs pinned down tight. "He was attacking you! Why are you coddling him!?"
"Attacking?" Victoria said surprised. "Elizabeth, this is Antonio. I don't know why you thought he was attacking me."
Elizabeth stopped struggling. "What," she said hoarsely, "that's Antonio?"
"Of course, I don't know what you are doing here though, I thought I told you to be here at 6:30 not 6 o'clock."
"What's all this commotion?" A voice said before Elizabeth had a chance to respond. Maroni walked into the room, his eyes immediately landed on Elizabeth pinned to the ground, then shifted to Victoria and Antonio. "What happened, Tony?"
"I don't know she just burst in here and jumped me."
"I thought he was attacking my sister."
"Your sister…oh Victoria Howard, I see. You don't look anything alike."
"We know," Elizabeth and Victoria said automatically.
"Let her up boys." Maroni said. The two men dragged Elizabeth to her feet. She pulled her arms from their meaty hands and brushed her clothes free of wrinkles. "Victoria, dear, why don't you finish getting dressed? Your sister will meet you in the dining hall at 6:30. Come along Miss Howard."
Elizabeth gave her sister a warning stare before she followed Maroni out of the room. She heard Victoria talking to Antonio as she left.
"Why would she think you were attacking me?"
"You don't know a lot about Gotham do you, sweetheart?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'll tell you later…"
"This way Miss Howard," Maroni said opening a side door. Elizabeth stepped through into an expensively furnished office. Maroni gestured to a seat in front of the large desk and Elizabeth sat. The Mobster went behind the desk but he did not sit. Elizabeth looked up at him trying to keep her face as neutral as possible.
"What would you do to protect your sister?"
"Is that a threat?"
"No, just a question you seemed very protective of her."
Elizabeth regarded him for a second before answering, "I would kill to keep her safe."
"It seems we have something in common then, I too would kill to keep my family safe." Elizabeth stared at him unblinkingly having no idea what he was implying. "But Batman," he continued, "Batman and his vigilante gang continues to harm my family. I need to protect them. This is why I need the formula; why I need to know how to create creatures like you. I must protect my family, like Mike and Tony."
Elizabeth bristled at being called a "creature". She was human, she wasn't a creature, she was human. "Did you not say Mike was replaceable?"
"I merely said that to make you release him but that's not the point. The point is that, my men need to be stronger to stand up to Batman and you can provide that."
"How?"
"Cuvier wants you back for whatever reason and I intend to provide."
"You plan to trade me for the process."
"Exactly."
"Sorry to burst your bubble but Cuvier doesn't even know how it happened." Maroni's cocky expression fell slightly and Elizabeth chuckled. "Don't you know? Bodies have been turning up in Narrows, Cuvier's failed experiments."
"How would you know this?"
"Batman told me." Elizabeth watched amused as Maroni's face tightened. "And Cuvier told me himself when he kidnapped me a month ago, that he can't get it to work on anyone else." Maroni's upper lip twitched, his pencil mustache accentuating the movement. Elizabeth was watching him carefully tying to gage his reaction, she was going to take a risk but she needed to know if he'd be open to it or not.
"If I cannot trade you for the process that means you are useless to me."
"No." Maroni scoffed. "I know what Cuvier doesn't."
"You're telling me that you know the process."
"Yes, and I will tell you, for a trade."
"A trade?"
"Yes. You see before I blamed your mob for what happened to me in the warehouse but after Cuvier revealed it was he who made the formula, my thirst to throw your men behind bars greatly decreased to the point where I will let it go completely if you give me the man who owned the wolves, Henry Giuseppe, I believe. I will give you the key to the process if you give him to me."
"To throw behind bars?"
"Does it matter?"
Maroni smirked. "That man is one of my officers…I will contemplate your offer over dinner." He motioned with his hand and the guards opened the door. "Your sister is waiting."
Elizabeth stood and left following one of the guards and trailed by the other and Maroni. It was only a short walk to the dining room and when she entered she saw Victoria and Antonio already seated. At the table along with them were Mike and two women, one middle aged and very severe looking and the other young with an expression of complete idiocy. The two guards led her to an empty seat besides Victoria and Maroni took the seat at the head of the table next to the young woman and on Elizabeth's right. Next to her sat Mike and next to him the older woman.
After sizing up the two women, Elizabeth glanced over at her sister. She was smiling that daft smile she always wore after a fight with their Father and Elizabeth assumed Antonio had let her know what Elizabeth was doing there early. All were quiet while the first course was brought out and the first attempt at conversation was made by Antonio half way through.
"Elizabeth, we were never formally introduced, I'm Antonio Costa. This is my mother, Alessandra Costa, my little brother Michael and of course, you know my Uncle Sal."
"A pleasure, as you know I'm Elizabeth Howard."
"You forgot about me," the young woman said her voice very whiney, "I'm Rachel May."
"A pleasure, Miss May, and might I say that is a very lovely dress." It wasn't. The dress was cut far too low and was a bright white with horrid black beading. To Elizabeth it was obvious that she was Maroni's whore with big breasts, plump lips, and barely any brain cells to rub together.
"Thank you," she giggled obnoxiously, "I didn't know if the beading was too much or not, you really like it?"
"Yes, it looks lovely doesn't it Victoria."
"Absolutely," her sister agreed still smiling daftly. The conversation faltered. During the silence Elizabeth took inventory of the room. The wall across from her was completely made of windows that seemed to lead out to a balcony she could see guards patrolling outside. Inside there were three doors, one was the one she had come through, one to the kitchen, and the last she didn't know though it probably led into the main hall.
"Elizabeth, you are very well mannered for a Rogue." Elizabeth's hand tightened on her fork at Mrs. Costa's question, she wasn't a Rogue.
"I see you've never met Jervis Tetch or Mr. Cobblepot, both are perfect gentlemen, but thank you Madame I was raised with Victoria after all, our Mother was very strict when it came to table manners."
"You spend a lot of time with the other Rogues then?"
"In Arkham there is little to do but talk when you're not lost inside your own head."
"What do crazies have to talk about?" Mike asked and Elizabeth frowned internally, whatever good feelings she had towards the boy were now gone.
"Lots of things, Nietzsche, Lewis Carroll, current events, the power of fear, the stupidity of humanity, etc."
"You make them seem smart."
"They are."
"Then why do they keep getting caught?"
"Batman of course, as smart and as intellectual the Rogues are, their trademarks make them predictable and Batman is very good at surveillance he has lots of places bugged…" Elizabeth pricked up her ears. "Like my apartment and this room for example."
"What!?" Maroni yelled slamming his fists down on the table causing his wine to spill.
"Yeah, and seeing how the guards outside are late in passing by I'd say he's here already." As though that was the cue Batman crashed through one of the windows sending glass flying and causing Mike, Mrs. Costa, and Rachel to duck under the table to avoid it. Batman disabled the guards before they had a chance to raise their guns. Maroni and Elizabeth's side of the table remained in their seats, though it looked like Victoria might faint at any second.
"You're going away for this kidnapping Maroni," Batman growled stalking over to the table.
"I wasn't kidnapped." Elizabeth said calmly taking a sip of wine. Batman glowered at her. "I was invited to dinner by my sister so I could meet her boyfriend and his family, though I won't say I'm not shocked to see who his family is."
"I know they were in your apartment."
"Oh, you're talking about that bit, well yes I suppose that was kidnapping, but I don't think I'm going to press charges." She looked up at Batman who was towering over her.
"You're coming with me, Miss Howard."
"Fine," Elizabeth stood up, "the meal was lovely thank you, Mr. Maroni. Victoria, I'll see you later." Elizabeth followed Batman past the shattered glass and out onto the balcony. Batman grabbed her and pulled against him telling her to hold on tight. She did and she shut her eyes as well knowing what was coming next. There was the hiss of shooting line and they swung off into the night.