Chapter 15

Several years ago

Oswald and I dash into the apartment, slamming the door behind us,

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe we did it! We got the diamond!" Oswald practically squeals.

Holding a small bag, I press my index finger against his lips, "Don't broadcast it to the world, who knows, someone could've followed us here."

Oswald nods, "But...if they did, couldn't you do what you did back there? You'd...you'd take care of them, right?"

I hesitate, "...yes, of course I would." that's a dangerous promise, but in this moment, it's something I know I have to make.

We sit down on the couch, and I unwrap the bag to reveal the large diamond, shining brightly even without a sufficient light source to reflect off of.

"We should get this on the black market, sell it to the highest bidder." he suggests.

I nod, "I know a guy we can go to, haven't seen him in a while though, hopefully he's still in the business."

"A dealer of some sort?" he asks.

I nod, he nods as well, "Probably." we say simultaneously. We both start cracking up, neither of us having anticipated we'd second guess each other. As our laughter slows, we wind up facing each other, our faces close enough so that his nose is nearly touching mine. He leans in...and I lean in, and we kiss, his nose awkwardly grinding against my right cheek.

"Oh...I'm...I'm sorry." he apologizes meekly, shying back.

I carefully set the diamond down on the coffee table, I shouldn't be doing this, I could get into so much trouble with Amanda, consorting with the enemy. But then again, technically I'm not working for the government anymore, and when have I ever had a shot at something like this? I'd never thought it was possible.

Tilting my head to the left to avoid his nose, I lean in, instigating another kiss. He responds immediately, wrapping his arms around my waist as I wrap mine around his shoulders. We pull each other closer, enjoying the comforting warmth of each other's embrace.

Finally, I pull away, wiping his saliva off of my lips. Oswald stares at me in disbelief, but also with a naive sense of joy, "I've...I've, never kissed anyone before. Well, except for Mother of course but...never like that. Does this mean..?"

"I don't know…" I admit.

"Well, I mean, don't you like me? Because...I like you." he confesses, leaning into me as I stare out the window, pondering.

"Yeah, I do, but it's not about that. I...I don't know if a relationship between us would work."

He turns me towards him, taking my hands into his, "Well, how will you know for certain if you don't try?"

How could I even begin to answer that question?

Present day

I'm unable to make it back to the Iceberg Lounge before Ozzy and his men do. Why exactly, am I going back to the exact same place where I'd just be held captive? Well, it's because Dr. Leland and Whistler are still trapped in there, because of me no less, and I need to get them out, one way or another.

I peer through the back window of the lounge, at an angle where I can see Ozzy's high up balcony view. He's by himself at the table, devouring what appears to be an entire pile of raw fish, and a bottle of wine. So he's problem eating again,

"Need some help there?" a young male voice asks from behind.

I whip around, wielding my knives, ready to attack, but I see the person approaching me is. "Robin? What're you doing here?"

"Well, Bru-...I mean Batman sent me here to help you rescue those doctors from the Penguin. He said he'd come himself, but something came up. Something about Joker trying to blow up the city-"

"Again." we both groan simultaneously.

"Well, so far, I haven't been making any progress. All the doors are secured with guards everywhere, I haven't even been able to get a good scope of the place since I'm always on my toes." I explain.

He reaches into his utility belt and pulls out a grappling gun, "Who needs doors? C'mon, I'll get us in there." he extends a hand to me.

I cautiously take his hand before he shoots the grappling gun up, waiting for it to latch onto a roof fixture above before retracting the hook, sending us up.

"So...which Robin are you?" I ask him.

He gives me a funny look, "Wha...what do you mean?"

I roll my eyes, "C'mon, everybody knows there's more than one Robin. Batman always stays the same age while every now and then you become a kid again, or a girl, or disappear altogether."

"True." he realizes, "I'm...uhm...the current one."

"Fair enough."

We reach the top and Robin runs over to the skylight and looks down. We're directly under the restaurant, with Ozzy's balcony being only a couple more feet away.

"We can't risk detection. If they know we're here, Ozz-I mean the Penguin, can give the order to assassinate the hostages." I tell him as he carves a hole in the glass.

He nods, taking out the detached glass, "No sweat, Batman and I've done this kind of thing a million times over. He's probably keeping them in the catacombs under the Iceberg Lounge."

There're catacombs under the restaurant? That...that actually sounds about right. It's probably where Ozzy practices his singing.

Robin shoots a wire that connects from one end of the restaurant to the other. Jumping down through the hole in the glass, he grabs the wire and balances on top of it. I follow suit, dropping down. My feet miss the wire, and it hits my side, and I bounce off of it. I grab the wire with my hands at the last second, hanging on for dear life. Looking down, I see Ozzy stuffing his face with his fish. I climb back onto the wire, my feet balancing on it.

"Close call." Robin whispers as we make our way toward the side of the wire further into the restaurant.

As we reach the end of the wire, we both stop dead in our tracks when Ozzy starts yelling, "Garson, more wine!" he gets up and throws his current bottle off of the balcony, letting it smash to the ground below. He plops down back into the chair, "As you may know boy, I'm not in a very good mood tonight, so you better make it quick."

Out of the balcony entrance, two mobsters in suits appear, "Boss, she was just some broad, you can get a new one, rehire Candy even, you know she'll take back the job even if you pay her peanuts, what with her mother and all-"

'Fools! What would you know, you've never known love, look at the work you're in." he criticizes, as the waiter brings him another bottle of wine. Forgoing a glass, he pops open the bottle and chugs down half the bottle in one fell swoop, knocking it back onto the table as he finishes. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out the small black box and opens it, brushing the edge, "One day Trixie...you'll see, see how happy we could be...together."

Robin suddenly taps on my shoulder, "Ohm...Ms. Trickstress, ma'am? We need to get going,"

I can't believe I was watching him all that time. I wipe away a single tear before nodding, continuing to walk across the tightrope line. We reach the end and drop down right under Ozzy's balcony, just out of his sight. However, Ozzy sees two shadows pass through the bright lights of the empty lounge, and he gestures for his two men, "She's here, have a couple of extra men guarding the doctors, will you?"

He walks up to the front of the balcony as Garson gets him a mike usually used for restaurant announcements, "Trixie love, I know you're out there. You can't hide from me. If you're here to accept my proposal, just step out now and no one gets hurt."

I seriously consider coming out of the safety of our hiding place as we slowly shimmy around Ozzy's balcony, making for a side door. I look behind me and I see Robin is shaking his head profusely. Clearly he doesn't agree.

"TRIXIE, I KNOW YOU''RE OUT THERE, SAY SOMETHING NOW OR THE HOSTAGES DIE!"

"I'm here." I state clearly, hoping my voice will bounce off of the walls and not give away our location.

He chuckles maliciously, "Come out my dear, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"I disagree."

"If only that silly old Batman didn't interfere, you'd of had to say yes, wouldn't you? Well, Batsy ain't here right now, is he? I sent out a fake bomb threat, you can frame the Joker for anything. So, while he's occupied, how about you and I get to our unfinished business?"

"I'm just here for the doctors Ozzy, you know you and I would never work." I tell him as Robin and I reach the door.

"You lie! It was so wonderful, these past few days. We were together, just as we should...why can't the rest of our lives be that wonderful?"

Robin rolls his eyes, "Holy Romeo, give it a rest Penguin."

He snarls, "Of course, the Boy Wonder, Trixie, honestly, I wouldn't think you'd stoop this low as to date someone so young and immature."

I practically gag at the thought as we slip through the door. Now unable to hear or speak to him, we pick up the pace, making our way to an elevator. Robin presses the button, and we wait for it to arrive,

"I uh...don't want to pry but...you dated the Penguin?"

I sigh, it's really none of this guy's business, but, he is helping me to rescue the doctors, and there isn't really much else I can offer him, "A long time ago, he was very different back then, a lot thinner for starters."

"Oh…" he mumbles as the elevator door bells chimes.

The door opens to reveal Ozzy and several of his men, all armed with guns. Ozzy points his umbrella forward, "Waste 'im boys."