Chapter 13

Present day

Ozzy escorts me back to my cell. I comply completely, not exactly in a rebellious mood.

"You stay here and relax. I need to find something for tonight." he tells me as we walk into his office.

"And what exactly are we doing tonight?" I inquire, my tone slightly suggestive so to not reveal my true motives.

He smirks, "That is for me to know-"

"And for me to find out?"

He kisses my cheek as I take a few steps into the cell, "For you to be pleasantly surprised by."

He closes the cell shut, and walks into his living quarters, shutting the door behind him.

I smile for a few seconds more after he'd left. He can be wonderful sometimes.

I fall to the ground and start doing push-ups, if I'm going to be in here all day, I might as well have something to do. Maybe I can also get Ozzy to bring me a couple of books from his collection. I do remember fondly of his booklet of Shakespearean sonnets.

I'm completing a set of stretches when Ozzy reenters the room, looking slightly more distraught than when he'd left.

"Can't find what you're looking for?" I ask, standing up and leaning against the cell bars.

"No, no, no, I know I had it there...someone must've stolen it. Did you steal it?!"

I raise an eyebrow, "How could I steal it if I don't even know what you're looking for?"

He grumbles and shuffles off in a hurried pace. I return to my workout, hooking my feet to the top cell bars and letting the rest of my body hang down. I then push my upper body up to the point where my head touches my knee. I spend my hours not only inventing increasingly more creative ways to exercise in my small confined space, but I also begin formulating a possible route of escape. The door entrances are the worst ideas ever, since Ozzy's shown to have armed guards around every corner. I could take my chances with the windows, but if I sprain or break anything, then I really won't be able to escape. And there's no way I can leave without both my weapons and the other doctors. Maybe that's what Ozzy's looking for, did he lose my weapons? Are they gone for good?

But as strange as it seems, there's always that part of me that doesn't want to escape. That part of me that truly loves him, however disgusting and repulsive he can be. Would it be that bad if I stayed?

But the doctors would never be free, and neither would I. What would I accomplish as his girlfriend? No, as happy as I might be with him, that's not my decision to make.

I hear the door open, and I get up and run to the front of the cell, but it's not Ozzy, it's Tracey and Candy,

"Well lookie here Candy, the boss's left little Trixie all by herself." Tracey taunts, taking out the key to my cell.

"Guess he got bored of you." she smirks, as Tracey hands her the key.

I cross my arms, "Are you two here to let me go?"

"Not yet." she sticks in the key and unlocks the door, "We're gonna give you a little departing present first."

She steps in and shuts the door behind her. Placing the key in the folds of her bra, she takes out a small pocketknife, flicking it up and letting it reflect against the light with her glasses.

I jump back as she slashes to the right, "Think you can waltz in here and steal my job? Penguin is mine!"

I use her moment of anger to grab her arm, kneeing her in the stomach, snatching her hair and throwing her against the cell bars, "I don't want to steal your job, I don't want to be here. If you let me go, I won't endanger your job anymore." I talk down to her as she slowly gets up from the floor.

"You ain't getting off that easy." Tracey pulls out a revolver and aims it right at me, "Get her Candy!"

She swipes at me with the knife, and I grab her arm, knocking the knife out of her hands, but right before my eyes flash the first bullet as it flies only inches away from my face,

"You're gonna take your beating right proper." she orders, pointing the gun.

I turn around to see Candy swinging, punching me in the chest. I stumble back, and she uses her shoulder to slam me into the cell bars. She grabs my forehead and knocks my head into the metal bars, blurring my vision and hearing. Candy winds up for a final blow, and my vision goes black.

Several years ago

Oswald and I return to his apartment, having fully formulated our plan. Oswald opens the door for me, but the first thing I see when the door opens is Mrs. Cobblepot sobbing in the living room. Oswald notices this too, and goes rushing to her,

"Mother! What's wrong? Did-"

"Yes son, they came again." she sniffles, pulling out a handkerchief to blow her nose.

He helps her up, "What did they take?"

I look around and realize that some things are missing. The china tea set that use to sit on the coffee table is gone, as well as some of the silverware in the display case.

"Who are these people?" I ask them.

"The landlords. We haven't been able to pay rent so, so they take things. They...they took my wedding ring. How could they?!" Mrs. Cobblepot cries, as Oswald leads her to her room.

"It'll be alright Mother, I'll find a job, I'll make us lots of money. You'll never have to worry about money again, I promise."

She nods, and enters her room, closing the door behind her. Oswald stands for a few seconds in front of her door, laying his head against it before getting up and sitting on the couch next to me,

"This is all my fault." he blames, collapsing his head into his hands, "I should be looking out for Mother, not the other way around. She deserves better than this, she deserves to be treated like a queen…"

I place my hand on his shoulder, "Hey, you're doing the best you can, if our plan goes accordingly, you'll have plenty of money to support yourself and your mother."

"I don't know. I just...I feel like I'm not good enough for Mother, she deserves a better son."

"And you can be that better son." I assure him, "Remember, it is not in the stars that hold our destiny, but ourselves."

Present day

I come to, the taste of blood in my mouth as I see Candy standing proudly over me,

"Where's Cobblepot now? Not going to come to the rescue this time, is he?" Tracey taunts, still outside the cage, "Say Candy, what's that thing old Cobblepot's looking for?"

Candy giggles, her head lowered and her tied up hair now disheveled and messy, "Oh...that cheap thing? Why he'd ever want to keep that thing around I'll never know." her painted nails scratch the metal bars of the cell as she grips one for support.

"Wha…" is all I can muster, my vision still wavering and my reflexes slowed considerably.

Candy reaches into her breast pocket and pulls out a small black box. She opens it facing her, "Huh, I mean, I'm not picky when it comes to diamonds, but this thing is peanuts." she slams the box shut and just as she's putting it away, I swing my leg out from under her, knocking her to the ground.

Tracey aims her gun, and I scramble over to Candy, grabbing her and getting behind her, using her as a human shield. Tracey freezes a

s soon as I hold Candy hostage, would she be willing to risk killing Candy to kill me?

"Go on...do it. Kill the bitch." Candy eggs her on, practically begging her.

I frown, holding Candy by her throat, "Let me out and I let her go."

Tracey pauses for a moment, before gesturing to Candy, who has the key. Still clutching her neck, I lead Candy over to the cell door. Fumbling slightly, she manages to unlock the door, and I push it open with my shoulder. I throw Candy to the ground,

"You have your wish, your boss, is all yours."

I turn my back and walk to the door, half expecting to feel a bullet rock through my chest, but I know they won't do it, after all, I am giving them what they want.

I open the door to see Ozzy standing right in front of me. I must have at least some bruises, because he gasps, "My dear...what happened?"

I point behind me to Tracey and Candy, "They happened."

He slams his umbrella on the ground, "Out. Now, both of you."

The two girls scamper out the door. I try to make an exit along with them, but Ozzy grabs my wrist and pulls me to him,

"I'm so sorry my love, come now, let's have you cleaned up."

Just then, one of his guards comes in carrying Candy, "Boss, Candy here has-"

"I should've known." he realizes, he strides over to her, and although his back is turned to me, I see him snatch the black box from her, "Considered yourself fired."

Tears well up in her eyes, her causing her mascara to run down her cheeks. Ozzy turns away from her coldly, "Get her out of here."

"You'll regret this Cobblepot, you'll come crawling back to me when she's up and left you again, you'll see!" Candy vows as the guards drags her out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Ozzy takes my hand, and smiles jovially, "Now, let's get you cleaned up, and then we can have some lunch. Tuna sandwiches maybe?"