"And you just walked away?" Nigma gaped after hearing Crane's story; he could believe Crane helped her instead of gassing her. "You saved her life she owes you. We can use this to our advantage; hold it above her head so she will work with us."
"She did lead me back here without getting caught," he replied, as he watched Nigma pace as the wheels in his mind turned. Crane knew he wouldn't let this go. "We don't need her."
"I know we don't need her, I just want her as a backup," he informed him as he snapped his fingers, thinking about how he could blackmail her. "Let's go over there and demand she repay the debt she owes you by doing this job. Then I won't have to pay her and I get to see her in action."
"I've seen her in action, she's like the stab happy clown without the laughter," Crane said as he leaned back on the couch the sun setting on another day in Gotham. He crashed from all the excitement last night and awoke midafternoon to Nigma showing him a paper article about him and S.D.'s escape in the Gotham Times.
"You saw her take out a goon, how did she fare against the bat?" he asked, as he looked over to her darken window, she hadn't entered the apartment area they could see in since they broke into her place. Nigma was curious what room the girl was in and what other secrets her apartment held. Crane's description of the place left a lot to desire.
"I was dealing with the bat she had the girl and the boy," he replied, trying to think of how she was defeated, he was a little busy to watch what she was doing. "I gassed Batgirl during their fight, and then she had to deal with Robin, not sure how the fight went. Except the boy put her in the van, but not before she kicked him in the shin."
"So you have no idea how the boy beat her, just that he did," Nigma stated as he stared at her building, thinking. "Let's go ask her!"
"She pulled a knife on you last time you visit," he reminded him, as he looked over to the window.
"So we just won't meet her in the kitchen," he answered, turning from the window, and looked down at his street clothes outfit. "I'm going to go get change and we shall visit our little friend."
They walked in to find Deka behind the front desk, drinking a bottle of Red Stag. She stared at them, and Crane prepared himself for her drunken onslaught of German and perhaps waving a gun in his face. Instead she surprised both of them, taking a swing of her whiskey she pointed to the stairwell.
"She is expecting sie," she said in her thick German accent, then pushed a button under the desk before taking another swig. "Sie know die way."
"Seriously?" Crane gaped as Nigma in his Riddler outfit shrugged his shoulders and started walking up the stairs.
They swiftly walked up the stairs and Crane unlocked the door with the key Nigma had giving him. The stood outside the door to the apartment in the dimly lit hallway.
"Do we knock?" Crane asked before the door opened and the kid popped his head out.
"I was expecting you guys much earlier," the kid said before he opened the door for them to enter. "Sid is in the shower but you can wait in the living room for her."
"What do you mean you were expecting us?" Crane asked as the followed him down the hallway, Nigma was looking at all the weapons decorating the hallway walls.
"To be honest I figured Riddler would use you rescuing Sid from dirty cops to be a part of your scheme and you two would be back to blackmail her," the kid stated before opening the living room door. "I'll let her know you are here."
"Smart kid," Nigma noted as the entered the living room. "This is nice, what is that a 40inch LED flat screen. She sure does know how to live like a mob girl."
"Indeed," Crane replied, as he sat on the couch next to the beagle that lifted her head to stare at him before rolling over and going back to sleep. "I'm sure she will be pleased with you poking around."
"So you weren't joking about the dog. Also I still haven't fully solved this mystery," he replied as he went through her cabinets in the dark stained cherry wood TV stand. "Look at this full of Xbox games, PlayStation, Wii; you think she was a teenager. Ha you should see her DVD collection, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, every single Friday the thirteenth, some random comedies, Monty Python's Flying Circus, really."
"Really, you are going through my stuff," Sid huffed as she entered the room. She was dressed in purple plaid sleep pants and a pink tank top. Her wet strawberry blond hair was pulled back so he could see the angry purple bruise where the bullet had hit her; the rest of her right shoulder looked red and swollen
"Just curious," Nigma replied as he closed her cabinet and walked towards her a smirk on his face. "How's the shoulder?"
"It's been worst," she replied cautiously, her eyes darted to Crane quickly before returning to Nigma's form. "So what is it you want?"
"Your help in killing that bat, but I don't know if you are worth it," he replied as he analyzed her form, waiting for her to do something.
"Well since I'm not worth it you know where the door is," she replied nonchalantly and walked to the oversized recliner in the room, and sat down.
"Tell me how did the bat brat beat you?" he asked her, as Crane rolled his eyes before going back to glaring at Nigma. Crane just wanted to leave and forget she ever existed.
"It's hard to fight someone under the influence of fear gas," she answered simply, and Crane turned to look at her.
"So its Crane's fault you lost the fight?" he laughed, and Crane found his hands clenching into fist wanting to pummel Nigma.
"Of course not, it's my fault for not seeing the gas can before it was too late," she retorted as she crossed her arms. "Luckily I only inhaled a small dose, but it was enough to still be having hallucinations this morning."
"How did you counter the effects?" Crane asked interested in how she offset the effects of his new gas as she seemed to be fine now.
"Smoked a joint," she said as she shrugged her shoulders, wincing slightly in pain. "Figured it would work since it helped calm me down before when I was slipped bad PCP once, and of course I was right. Though I admit I'm still slightly high."
"Batman would never think of using marijuana to counter your gas," Nigma laughed, as Crane watched the girl stifle a yawn.
"It has a calming effect, not sure if it would work if I inhaled more gas than what I did," she stated as she rubbed her shoulder. "What is it exactly you want me to do?"
"Easy," Nigma stated as he walked over to the chair and stood next to her. Crane stared at the scene; the oversized chair she was sitting in made her look like a child. "We are going to crash Bruce Wayne's holiday party. Crane is going to gas up the joint, while I take precious valuables, and you wait in the shadows and kill the bat once you see him. I'll be sure you have a gas mask on so you don't accidently inhale any gas."
"This sounds like a ridiculous plan that's going to end up with us locked back up in the nut house," she snorted, and held up her hands in defeat when Nigma gave her a murderous look. "But what do I know; I just get targets and kill em. Also not to sound rude, but when was the last time you showered."
"We are living in an abandon building with no water," he informed her, sounding offended; none of his goons would dare mention if he had a foul odor.
"Right," she sighed as the beagle trudged over to her feet and plopped down. "Guess Tetch didn't tell you he usually came over to use the showers downstairs. Deka and he are good friends. I'm sure you know there is a shower stall in the bathroom near the kitchen and there is a washer and dryer in there. While we work together I advise you use them to your advantage."
"Do I really smell that horrible?" Nigma asked as he sniffed his shirt.
"Pretty sure my nasal passages have been burned to all hell from you aroma," she replied, and Nigma dropped his jaw in shock as Crane started to laugh. "Well this was a lovely chat but I'm going to go to bed now. I'm sure you know the way out."
"Why are you being so easy about this?" Nigma asked suspiciously as she walked over to an oil painting of sail boats, and moved it aside. There the kid from earlier was looking out a hole in the wall.
"Go do your homework," she told him before replacing the painting. "Because if I do this than you will leave me alone. Good night."
"I did do it," the kid said as he moved the painting to the side the quickly retreated back behind it.
"This is a really odd household," Crane laughed as he watched her leave, the dog following her.
"She said I reeked!" Nigma hissed, as he clenched his fists.
"You do," Crane notified him, and laughed as Nigma stormed out. Getting up he was about to follow Nigma out when the painting moved once more.
"You guys are coming back," the kid asked, peering out if his hole in the wall.
"Sure kid," he replied before he left the room to return to his own apartment.
Thank you for the review Booklove1498 and Ripplemist it makes me happy to know you are enjoying my story!