City Hall

Edward took stock of the man in front of him. So, this was Detective Schrader. This was Strange's inside man in GCPD. Edward's grip on his cane tightened. This was the man who had sicced Bane on Penny. This was the man who had tormented her. This was the last obstacle between him and saving her. Edward took a step forward, carefully analyzing the man who stood in front of him. Schrader was a tall man, taller than him by maybe an inch, and Edward had to assume that he was armed. The best way forward was to project himself. "I know who you are," he said. "Strange's inside man in GCPD. I know what you've done. I know you're involved in the events of this evening. Batman will want to have some words with you about that. I, however, have only one question for you, and how you answer will determine whether you live to answer Batman's questions." Edward's eyes narrowed as he took another step forward. "Where is Dr. Young?"

At the mention of Penny's name, Schrader seemed to recover from his shock. A cold, predatory smirk came across his face. "I should have known you'd come for that little bitch."

Edward's eye twitched. "I see I'll need to teach you some manners," he seethed. He took another step forward and Schrader took his eyes off of him long enough to reach into his coat for his gun. Edward swung his cane forward, the handle hitting Schrader's hand and knocking the gun out of his hands. Schrader grunted in pain and swore, then his eyes went wide as Edward advanced towards him. Edward grabbed Schrader by his collar and pulled him up, actually managing to lift him off the ground with one hand. "I'm only going to ask you one more time," Edward spoke in a low, dangerous tone. "Where is Dr. Young!?"

For a long moment, Schrader said nothing, surprise, shock, and a flicker of fear passing over his face. Then he smirked. "You want her, Nigma? Let go of me and drop your cane, and I'll tell you."

Edward scoffed. "You expect me to go along with that? Really? And here I thought you had to have some modicum of intelligence to be a detective."

Schrader just laughed, cold and cruel. "What time is it now? 6:30? About that?" Schrader's smile grew wider. "Right now, your little girlfriend's in one place. In about fifteen minutes, she'll be in several places."

Realization dawned on Edward. A bomb. Strange had a bomb somewhere, and Schrader had put Penny next to it. Edward threw Schrader to the ground with an angry cry and raised his cane above his head. "You son of a bitch, I'll kill you!" he shouted.

"Hold on a minute there, 'genius'," Schrader mocked, looking up at Edward with that damn smirk. "If I die, she dies. Or do you think you can find her before the bomb goes off? City Hall's a big place, after all. Or maybe I took her somewhere else. Who knows? If you kill me, you'll never find her." Edward's breathing became heavy, his cane was still high above his head, ready to bash the smug detective's teeth in, but damn it, the man was right. "Here's what's going to happen," Schrader continued. "You put down your cane. You put your hands up, nice and slow, and then I'll tell you where she is."

He's lying, a voice inside of Edward's mind said. As soon as you put your cane down, he'll get his gun and kill you. You and Penny will both die. Another voice spoke, one that sounded very familiar to Edward. Are you going to let this jumped-up thug get the better of you? You, the Prince of Puzzlers, the King of Conundrums? Edward nodded, then slowly lowered his cane.

"That's a good little Rogue," Schrader said. "Now, put it on the ground and get your hands up." Edward put his cane down on the concrete, not taking his eyes off of Schrader for a moment and then raised his hands. The detective laughed and walked over to where he'd dropped his gun, just as Edward knew he would. "Here's how the story ends. Edward Nigma, Private Investigator, was pulling a long con. He set up this attack on Gotham City, only to be killed by decorated Detective Curtis Schrader." Schrader laughed again. "Unfortunately, the detective was unable to save Nigma's hostage, Dr. Penelope Young. Poor girl, murdered by a man she swore was a better person." Edward saw red but resisted the urge to rush the man. Wait for it. Schrader crouched down. "How else did you think this was going to end? Did you really think you were going to rescue the girl and live happily ever after?" Finally, Schrader took his eyes off of Edward for one second to pick up his gun. One second was all Edward needed. He reached into his jacket and pulled out Penny's taser, thankful she owned a model that could fire more than once. Schrader was back on his feet now, gun in hand as Edward aimed. Before Schrader could turn around, Edward deployed it. The prongs hit Schrader dead-on in his lower back, causing him to scream out in pain. Edward relished in the sound, and the sight of the detective falling to the ground. Edward put the taser back into his coat pocket before he reached down to get his cane. He walked over to Schrader's twitching body in the alley, his rage building up with every step.

"What was that you were saying about how the story ends?" Edward asked as he approached the prone detective. He kicked the gun out of Schrader's hand before he pointed the tip of his cane at Schrader's throat. "Let me give you a different ending. The first mistake you made was daring to put your hands on her. Your second mistake was telling me that you had done so." Edward pressed the tip into Schrader's throat, enjoying the sight of the detective's cold grey eyes widen in unmistakable fear. "Your final mistake was forgetting precisely who you're dealing with. I reached the top of the criminal ranks with nothing more than my intelligence. I spent fifteen years trading blows with the Dark Knight, and I managed to land a few. I survived having my skull bashed in. When I lost everything, I reinvented myself. I survived Killer Croc. I brought down Bane. I've resisted every dirty trick that Strange has thrown at me." Edward leaned down to get a closer look at the detective. "Who are you, Detective Schrader, that you think you're any match for me?"

Schrader's pupils were blown wide. "Alright," he gasped out. "Alright. You win. She's in the basement. Go through the service door down the alley and take the stairs down. She's there. I swear it."

Edward laughed, an evil laugh that seemed to come from somewhere deep inside of him. "Now we see who you are. Unfortunately, that's not good enough. Not anymore." Edward stood back up, then flipped his cane over so that he was holding it from the bottom, the heavy question-marked shaped handle pointed downwards. "I told Ward after foiling your little scheme with Bane that any further attempts on Dr. Young's life would not be tolerated." Edward let out a smirk of his own. "And what good is a warning if I don't follow through?"

Schrader shook his head, some of his earlier bravado returning. "You won't kill me."

"Won't I?" Edward asked. "I want to. I'm angry enough. And you've done more than enough to deserve it." Edward's eyes darted towards Schrader's discarded gun. This was the man who had tormented the woman he loved, had taken her hostage, and strapped her to a bomb. He deserved to die for what he'd done to Penny, but if Edward killed him...there was no coming back from that. It wouldn't matter why he'd done it, Batman would have him arrested. He'd be separated from Ellen and Penny. Strange would get what he wanted. Edward shook his head. He wouldn't prove that bastard right. "I won't kill you," he said at last. Schrader smirked just a bit before he decided to dash the man's hopes. "But you'll wish that I had. Riddle me this: What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?" Edward laughed at the confused expression on Schrader's face. "The answer is a human being, moron. As a baby, it crawls on four legs, as a man, it walks on two. As an old man, it needs a cane, just like this one." Edward brought the handle of the cane down with all his might down onto Schrader's right knee cap. Edward heard the bone crack, and Schrader let out a high pitched scream of pain. Edward repeated the action on Schrader's left knee cap, effectively crippling the man. Then he rained a few blows on Schrader's torso for good measure, with a final blow on the man's face, breaking his nose and knocking out a few of his teeth. By the time he was done, Schrader was sprawled out on the ground, blood oozing from his face, whimpering like the coward he was. Edward leaned down long enough to root through the detective's pockets, pulling out keys to a missing pair of handcuffs. Edward's eyes narrowed when he realized where they must be. He gave Schrader one last dark look before he dashed down the alley and through the service door.

Edward practically flew down the stairs, almost tripping over his feet in the dark. "Penny!" he called out. He reached the bottom of the steps and saw a closed door. The basement door. He launched himself at the door, throwing it open. "Penny!" His eyes took in the sight before him and his breath caught in his throat. Penny was there, in the back of the dingy basement, gagged, her hands cuffed to a pipe behind her, but very much alive. Her eyes were blown wide and she screamed something out to him that sounded like his name. Between him and her, however, was a large green square that reached as high as his waist. The bomb. Edward rushed to it, throwing his cane to the ground and crouching down to get a better look. He took his glasses off and put them into his pocket. He needed to see without the purple tint coloring everything. The bomb had squares drawn onto it, almost like a Rubix cube. The timer on the bomb read ten minutes. Ten minutes...he could get Penny free and get her far enough away to escape the blast radius...but everyone in City Hall, including Dr. Leland, Wayne, and possibly Batman too would die. She'd never forgive him. He heard her call out to him again. "It's going to be alright," he reassured her, pulling off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves. "I'm going to disarm the bomb."

He heard her cry out again, and he thought he could make out a few more words. 'No'. Or 'go'. Edward reluctantly tuned her out as he examined the bomb. There was no obvious switch, but something about the design felt familiar to him. He pressed his hands up against the sides and felt a few of the squares give in. Then it became clear as day. "It's a puzzle box," he murmured. "I know this..." He reached around to the other side of the box and pressed the corresponding squares in. He heard a distinctive unlocking sound and smirked. Now that the side panels were pushed in, Edward examined the top. Sure enough, there was a lid that could be screwed off. But which way? He spun the lid counter-clockwise and noticed that the timer went down from 9:30 to 9:00. Edward swore, then spun the lid clockwise. The lid fully came off. What was a puzzle box against the Prince of Puzzlers? When the lid was off, Edward took as good a look at the inner workings of the bomb as he could with the dim light. The wiring was all of one color, avoiding that old cliche. There were, however, a series of green lights that blinked. The one on the far right, then the one in the middle, then the one on the left. Then the one in the middle, then the one on the right, then the one on the left. Edward realized with a start that it was a pattern. He knew this. A flash came into his mind, of him at his table, drawing out schematics, bragging to Jonathan about how this was sure to stump the Dark Knight...then as quick as it came, the memory was gone. Edward looked at the timer. 7:00 minutes. He looked back to the lights. If this was what he thought it was, there were buttons underneath each light. The lights would repeat their pattern, then pause for thirty seconds for the player to input the next logical sequence. Get it right, the bomb would disarm. Get it wrong, and he and Penny were dead. Edward reached up to wipe the sweat off of his brow and watched the pattern repeat. Right, middle, left. Middle, right, left. Left...the lights paused. Time to input the pattern. Edward took a deep breath. Penny, I love you. Then he pressed the right button, then the middle one.

The lights all flashed green, and the timer went dead. Then all the lights in the box went off. The bomb was disarmed. Edward let out his breath, then began to laugh in relief and triumph. "My puzzle box!" he said through the giggles. "They used my puzzle box! And they didn't alter any of the designs! Really? Unimaginative morons!" He staggered to his feet and turned back to Penny. She looked at him with those eyes of hers and called out to him again. He made his way to her and pulled the gag from her mouth. "Are you alright?" he asked gently.

"What in the Hell are you doing here!?" she said. "You shouldn't have come here!"

Edward stood shocked for a moment, then rolled his eyes. "I shouldn't have come to save you from mortal peril? Really?" He looked behind her to see her hands cuffed tightly. "I'll be right back," he said before going back to where he'd discarded his coat. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to the handcuffs then walked back over to her.

"It was a setup," Penny continued. "Schrader told me that you were going to be framed for the gunmen, the bomb. You shouldn't have come, you could have been arrested, you could have been killed-"

"But I wasn't," Edward said, reaching around to unlock the handcuffs. Edward gently removed them, throwing them to the ground before he stepped back in front of Penny. As soon as her hands were free, Penny began to rub at her wrists before Edward took them in his hands. He drank in the sight of her, her hair loose, her mascara streaked down her cheeks, the right side of her face red from where the bastard had probably hit her, but alive. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He removed one hand from her wrists to cup her face, caressing it. "And there is nothing Strange or Schrader or anyone else can do that will ever stop me from coming to save you."

Penny's breath hitched, and fresh tears began to form in her eyes. "Eddie," she choked out. "Eddie!" She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. Edward had his arms around her in an instant. Now that she was safe, in his arms again, he felt his heart return to normal. He gently rocked her, much as he had in his apartment all those months ago, and nuzzled his face against the top of her head.

"I've got you," he soothed. "You're safe."

"How did you find me?"

Edward rubbed her back. "Detective Schrader was very cooperative." Penny looked up at him with wide eyes. "I didn't kill him," he clarified. "I thought you'd like to get your licks in. I did give him quite the beating though."

"Good," Penny hissed. "That bastard, he was the one who ordered Miguel Sanchez murdered. He helped Strange set up this attack-oh, my God!" The look on her face went from vindictive to fearful. "Joan, Bruce, the others!"

"Dr. Leland's safe," Edward said. "As are Bryant and Thompkins. They're in City Hall now. I didn't see Wayne," He frowned at the worried look on her face before shaking his head. "Batman's here though. If Wayne's alive and not already hiding somewhere, Batman will find him." Penny sighed in relief. Edward reluctantly let go of her long enough to go pick up his cane and jacket. He went to smooth back his hair only to realize that at some point during the mad dash to find Penny, he'd lost his hat. He shrugged, then made his way back to her side. "We need to go. We'll go up the stairs and make our way into City Hall from there." He put his jacket on, then pulled Penny's taser out from the right pocket and handed it back to her. "I found it in your purse," he offered as an explanation. "Are you ready?"

Penny nodded determinedly. "Yes."

"Alright. Stay behind me." He turned around and led her out of the basement, back up the stairs, one hand tightly gripped onto his cane, the other tightly gripped in hers.

It hurt. God, everything hurt. Schrader lay flat on his back in the alley, his breath coming in painful gasps. It hurt to breathe. He thought a few of his ribs might be broken, his chest hurt so much. Schrader let out another breath through his mangled mouth and felt a thick trickle of blood dribble down his chin. He whimpered. Jesus. Ward had warned him. Ward had warned them all just how dangerous Nigma was. He hadn't listened. He'd underestimated Nigma. Never again. He tried to move his legs, but the searing pain from his knees put a stop to that. His arms at least could move now. Schrader gingerly moved his hand down to his jacket pocket. He needed help, even if Nigma managed to disarm that damn bomb, he couldn't stay out on the street. Schrader winced in pain, the managed to pull out his cell phone with a shaky hand. In the darkness, he could just make out the time on the phone screen. 6:48. So, Nigma had managed to save that damn bitch. Schrader's grip on his phone tightened. When Strange got him, when he'd recovered...he'd get them back for this. He'd make the bitch watch him kill Nigma, then she'd die screaming. He flipped open the cell phone and saw that he had a missed call from Strange. He hit redial and hoped that the professor would answer.

"Schrader?" he heard Strange's deep voice. "Where have you been? Nigma is at City Hall-"

"I know," Schrader wheezed, wincing at how painful it was to speak. His words came out with a lisp, due to his missing teeth. "Nigma...got me. He fucking kneecapped me."

There was a pause before Strange spoke again. "What happened?" he demanded. "Why did Nigma attack you?" Schrader was about to make up an excuse when Strange's voice cut in. "You attempted to kill Dr. Young, didn't you?" Schrader felt a chill go down his spine at the tone in Strange's voice. "I gave you a clear order to spare her. You did not listen. And now because your officers failed in their jobs, Nigma has been filmed rescuing Young's group."

Schrader couldn't speak. Nigma was filmed...Nigma was supposed to take the fall for this whole scheme. Now he was going to be celebrated as a hero. "He attacked me!" he said, ignoring the pain in his lower jaw. "Can't you use that against him?"

"Tell me: what exactly did you do to Dr. Young? Did you kill her?"

Schrader shut his eyes. He really should have just shot that bitch. "No," he whispered. "I locked her in the basement with the bomb."

He could hear Strange take in a deep breath. "I see. The bomb that we pulled from Nigma's file. The bomb that he now has every reason to disarm. And Dr. Young is no doubt alive, ready, and willing to denounce you to Gordon. After what the people of Gotham have seen him do, they will not believe that Nigma was involved." Schrader's stomach dropped. There was no way back to GCPD for him. "I am," Strange spoke in a heavy voice, "Most disappointed in you, Detective."

Schrader's breath was coming in deep gasps, not just out of pain, but of fear. "I know," he said. "'M sorry, professor. I won't fail you again."

"No," Strange said. "No, you will not." Schrader heard a deep sigh come from the man. "I truly regret that it has come to this, Curtis. You had served me well, until tonight."

Schrader almost forgot the physical pain he was in as the meaning of Strange's words dawned on him. "You can't," he said. "You can't leave me here for Batman!"

"And I will not," Strange reassured him. "There are additional gunmen on their way from the East End. They will make it as quick and painless as possible."

No. No! "Professor Strange," Schrader pleaded. "Hugo, please! I won't say a word, I'll leave town, please, I'll do whatever you want, please, just get me out of Gotham-"

"That is not possible," Strange's voice cut in, cold and final. "At this stage, I cannot allow anything or anyone to threaten my great plan. If Nigma cannot be my scapegoat, it will have to be you. Your sacrifice will not be vain. Goodbye, Detective Schrader." Strange hung up before Schrader could utter another word.

Schrader threw his cell phone away with a wild cry. No, no this wasn't happening, he couldn't die here, not like this, not because of Edward fucking Nigma! Schrader flipped himself onto his stomach, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs, and pulled himself forward. Maybe if he could find Batman...he could tell him what he knew about Strange. He could cut himself a deal, get himself into witness protection...Young's words to him before he'd left her in the basement came back to him. She wouldn't get the last laugh.

He didn't get more than a foot before he heard a car pull up behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw an unmarked car. An unmarked car that the East End team was using. He saw two gunmen get out of the car, two of the volunteers that he had armed himself last night. Schrader lay frozen on the ground, staring directly at one of the gunmen as he approached.

"Master says to make it quick," the man said, pointing his weapon directly at Schrader's head. Schrader screamed in horror but in vain.

Bruce finally finished tying the second gunman's hands and feet, then paused to catch his breath. He scanned the scene before him and his heart sank when he saw just how many bodies were lying in the street in front of City Hall. He saw a few people hiding behind parked cars, Vicki Vale included. Gordon should have mobilized GCPD by now. He pressed the communicator in his cowl. "Oracle. I've disarmed the gunmen in City Hall."

"Good. My father's on his way with SWAT."

"And the others?"

Dick's voice came through on the communicator. "Hey, Bruce. Damian and I are okay. We took care of the gunmen, but we've got a problem. The gunmen both said that Eddie was the one who ordered them to attack."

"This is Steph," Stephanie cut in. "My guys said that too, after Cass and I took them down."

"Same in the Bowery," Cassandra added.

Bruce's eyes widened, then narrowed. So that was Strange's way of dealing with Edward. "I take it we're going to bring Nigma in, father?" he heard Damian ask.

"No, we're not," Bruce said. "It isn't possible for him to be involved. He's here at City Hall, trying to find Dr. Young. He attacked one of the gunmen to protect Dr. Leland."

There was a silence from the group until Barbara spoke. "If Nigma's not behind this, then I think we all know who wants us to think he is."

"Strange," Dick agreed. "God. He'd go this far just to get rid of Eddie?"

"No," Bruce said. "I think getting rid of Edward is just a bonus. Strange has been planning this all along, from the moment Sharp was elected." Bruce would bring them to justice for this, both of them, as well as anyone else who was involved. "Make sure the gunmen are safely taken into custody, then head back to the Manor. We need to have an emergency meeting." Bruce almost cut off communication when he realized someone was missing. "Wait. Has anyone checked in with Red Robin?"

"I'm here, Bruce," Tim spoke, much to Bruce's relief. "I've got a problem. I went to where the gunfire was reported and found a few dead cops, but no gunmen. There have been no reported shootings in the East End either."

If the gunmen weren't in the East End...where in the city could they have gone? Bruce was about to give a new set of orders when the sound of gunfire erupted from the alley adjacent to City Hall. Bruce turned sharply towards the sound. "The gunmen are at City Hall," he said. "I'll handle it. Batman out!" He pressed off his communicator and moved to run towards the alley when he heard a voice from above him.

"Hey, handsome. You come here often?" Bruce looked up to a streetlamp and saw Selina perched. She gracefully jumped down and landed beside him. "I saw the shooting on TV. What happened to the rest of your group?"

"Leslie, Dr. Leland, and Joe Bryant got into City Hall. Dr. Young went missing after she went looking for me."

Selina sucked in a quick breath. "Jesus. Eddie's going to go out of his mind."

Bruce hesitated. "Selina, Edward's here. He was the one who helped the group get into City Hall. He went after Dr. Young. There's more: Strange is behind this attack and others in Gotham. He tried to frame Edward for them."

In a flash, Selina's face went from shocked, to stricken, to finally, angry. "I don't know whose ass I want to kick more, Strange's, or Eddie's," she growled. Two gunmen emerged from the alley and began to advance towards the pair. Selina unfurled her whip. "I think I need to vent my frustrations."

Bruce gave a quick nod, then pulled out a Batarang from his belt. "When we've taken them down, get into City Hall and check on Leslie and the others, then find Edward and Dr. Young. I'll talk to Gordon when he gets here and explain the situation, but Edward needs to get out before the police can see him."

"I got it," Selina said. She pulled her goggles down over her eyes. "Now let's go kick the crap out of these assholes."

The Narrows

Fifteen minutes earlier

Ellen wasn't sure how long she stood at the back of the van, staring at the bomb. She heard a burst of gunfire from inside the Bodega, as well as a sharp scream, and it served as a wake-up call. Ellen scrambled into the back of the van to take a closer look at the bomb. It looked like a giant green Rubix cube, almost. Just the kind of thing Dad would make. Ellen shook her head. No, Dad wasn't behind this. He wouldn't do this. Even if he decided one day to say fuck everything and go back to being the Riddler, he'd never do anything to hurt her or Doc. She flinched when she heard another long burst of gunfire, followed by Red Hood's pistols. Hood was in the middle of a firefight, he wouldn't be able to help her with this. She looked at the timer. 20:00 minutes. She looked over her shoulder towards the gunman on the street. "Hey, asswipe! How do I disarm this thing!?"

The man made no response other than a wheezing noise. Ellen made a frustrated noise and turned her attention back to the bomb. What was she going to do? She didn't know how to disarm a bomb! She couldn't even work a Rubix cube, as much as her Dad had tried to teach her. Ellen's heart clenched. Dad would know what to do, but he was probably at City Hall. What was she going to do? She couldn't disarm a bomb! Ellen took a deep breath. She had to try. She put her hands on the sides of the bomb and began to feel around for a switch. There had to be one somewhere on this stupid thing! She felt a few squares give way on the right side of the box, as she pushed on them. Ellen paused, then chewed the bottom of her lip. They pushed in...maybe she had to push them in to open the box? It sounded like something Dad would think of. Ok, she could work with that. Ellen pushed the squares on the right side of the box in, then tried to pull off the top. Nothing. Maybe she had to push in squares on the left side too? Ellen pushed the left side of the box. The box made a strange clicking sound, then the lid of the box popped open. Ellen let out a shaky laugh. "Riddler's daughter alright," she muttered. "Ok. Let's open this mother." Ellen tried to pull the lip open, only to realize that it was a spin-top. "Really, Old Man?" she whined. "I don't have time for this!" She gave the lid a sharp spin counter-clockwise. That should get the thing open. She looked at the timer and watched the time go from 19:00 minutes to 10:00 minutes. "Oh, fuck me!" she shrieked. She grabbed the ends of her pigtails and almost started to hyperventilate. What did she do? What could she do?

Gunshots from outside the van caught Ellen's attention. Red Hood was in a gunfight, Dad was at City Hall, and she was in a van with a bomb inside, surrounded by apartment buildings and the people who lived in them. If she didn't do something, right now, she, Hood, and anyone near the van would die. Was she going to let that happen? But what could she do? Ellen took a deep breath and summoned what little composure she had left, then jumped out of the back of the van. A few people were looking out their windows at the scene, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see two men by the bodies outside the Bodega, dragging them to safety. Someone may have shouted out to her, but she ignored it as she ran around the van to the driver's side. Red Hood had taught her how to hotwire a car a few weeks ago. If she couldn't disarm the bomb, she could get rid of it. She clambered into the front seat, ready to start pulling wires when she realized that the keys to the van were still in the ignition. "Holy shit," she breathed. "Either there is a God or these guys are the biggest fucking morons that ever lived." Ellen shut the driver's door, then turned the keys into the ignition. Fuck, she didn't even have her permit yet "Ok," she said, putting her hands on the steering wheel. "Just like Gramma showed you. Ten and two, ten, and two." Then she put her foot on the gas pedal.

Inside the Bodega, Jason was standing over the body of the second gunman. He stood for a long moment, catching his breath. Jesus, he'd had to empty both of his clips into the man to bring him down, as well as beat him with anything he could get his hands on. He surveyed the now almost entirely trashed store, the floor littered with broken glass, destroyed bags of chips and bottles of soda, and blood. He turned to the three living people huddling behind the counter and gave them a sharp nod. "Get out of here!" he shouted. The bystanders had gotten to their feet when all in the store heard the sound of a car starting. Jason sharply turned to the destroyed window and saw the white van the gunmen had arrived in was moving. "What the Hell?" he muttered. Then he swore. Oh, Jesus. The Kiddo! Jason barreled out the door and watched as the van made s sharp right turn and sped down the street away from the Bodega. Sure enough, Jason could spot the Kiddo in the driver's seat. "Jesus fucking Christ!" Jason shouted. What the Hell was that damn kid doing!? He ran to the alley where he'd parked his motorcycle. As he started it, he wondered if this was how Bruce had felt when he was Robin.

Ellen, meanwhile, had her grip tight on the steering wheel as she flew down Marshall st. She was going over sixty miles an hour, yet somehow, she hadn't managed to hit anyone or get a cop's attention. Guess there was a benefit to being in the Narrows. Although her heart felt like it was going as fast as the van, Ellen knew exactly where she was going. Marshall led west, towards the river. She wasn't too far from the West Side Bridge. She wondered what Marisol would say if her friend could see her now. Ellen pressed her foot on the gas pedal a little harder. In about three blocks, she'd be at the river. The traffic was starting to get heavier now, and she had to swerve to avoid rear-ending a car stopped at an intersection. "Fuck you, it's an emergency!" she shouted a driver in the left lane blared his horn at her. She heard the sound of a motorcycle revving, looked in the rearview mirror, and saw that Red Hood was gaining on her, honking his own horn. Ellen stuck her left hand out the window to wave at him before she got ready. A block ahead, she could see where Marshall st became a dead end. She took her foot off the gas pedal. The van went offroad, down the embankment, and Ellen hoped that she wasn't hitting a homeless camp on the way down. The van was going maybe twenty miles an hour now and had now reached the bottom of the embankment. The water's edge was about ten feet away. At the last possible second, Ellen opened the driver's side door and jumped out of the van, curling herself into a ball and rolling on the ground before she picked herself up and ran as fast as she could up the embankment. The van impacted the water with a loud splash and when Ellen was fully up the hill, she watched as it began to sink, the front first, the bottom sticking out at an angle.

Red Hood was parked up on the street and Ellen didn't need to see his face to know that he was pissed. Before he could say a word, Ellen shouted, "There's a bomb in the back of the van!"

Red Hood swore, then revved his engine. "Get on! Now!" Ellen scrambled onto the back of the motorcycle and held on tight to Hood's waist as he hit the gas. They'd driven one hundred feet down the street when a loud explosion rocked the night. The motorcycle shook a bit from the vibration but remained steady. Ellen's ears were ringing from the noise and she looked behind her to see smoke rising over the embankment from the burning van. She realized that her breath was coming in deep gasps, but she was alive.

"Holy shit," she gasped. Then she started to laugh. She'd driven a bomb into a river and she'd survived! "Holy shit!" Enigma one, bad guys zero.

About five blocks from the river, Red Hood pulled into an alley and parked by a dumpster. "Jesus Christ," he said as soon as the engine was off. "What the Hell happened, Kiddo?"

Ellen stopped laughing and wiped the sweat off of her brow. "I was looking in the van like you said, and when I checked the back, I saw a big green bomb! I tried to disarm it, but I did it wrong and the timer got cut down to ten minutes!"

"And you didn't come get me why!?"

Ellen rolled her eyes. "You were in a gunfight, jackass, what was I supposed to do, wait for you to be done and let the street get blown up!?"

Red Hood let out a sigh. "No, you couldn't." He shook his head. "Jesus fucking Christ, how many years have you taken off your Dad's life?"

Ellen smirked. "More years than he's been alive." At the mention of her father, Ellen's blood ran cold. "Dad. We need to get to City Hall! Dad needs help!"

Red Hood raised a hand. "Hold up, Kiddo. First, we don't know that your Dad's at City Hall for sure. Second, Batman's probably on his way there. He can handle it. We're going to go back to the Bodega and you can try calling your Dad again while I give our friend an enhanced interrogation."

Ellen bit her lower lip and then nodded. "Ok."

Red Hood nodded. "Ok. Also, if you ever do anything that stupid again, I'm going to string you from a street lamp and leave you for your Dad. Got it?"

Ellen stuck her tongue out. "Freakin' jerk."

City Hall

Edward slowly opened the door at the top of the stairs that led from the basement into City Hall proper. He winced at the bright light, slipped his hand out of Penny's and into his pocket to put his glasses back on. "Well, we made it," he said in a low whisper. "Stay behind me." He stepped into the brightly lit hallway and took a quick look. All clear. From what he could tell, they were at the end of a hallway on the ground floor. His memory of the layout of City Hall was shaky. When he was satisfied they were alone, he moved into the hallway and gestured for Penny to follow him. She took a few cautious steps forward, her taser at the ready. "You've been to City Hall more recently than I have," Edward said. "Where are we roughly?"

Penny took a moment to get her bearings. "We're at the far end of the ground floor where the staffers' offices are," she said. "The City Council Chamber should be about a hundred feet up on our left, past the main elevators."

Edward considered this. More than likely, that would be where the people outside had holed up. "That's where we're headed," he said decisively. He stepped forward and slowly led Penny down the hallway, keeping his cane up and ready. "Hopefully Sharp won't be there too."

"He won't," Penny said. "Schrader told me that his security team took him out the back."

Edward made a disgusted noise. "Typical. Cowardly, but typical." They'd made it to an intersection when a noise from the hall opposite of them stopped him dead in his tracks. He held his arm to hold Penny back. "Wait." He listened closely. He could hear heavy footsteps echoing on the marble floor. His eyes darted to a corner just to their left. "Get behind there," he told Penny.

Penny shook her head. "I'm not leaving you," she whispered.

Edward clenched his fist to keep from yelling in frustration. "Penny, I didn't charge through a panicking crowd, fight a gunman, and diffuse a bomb just to lose you here," he hissed. Her eyes widened as she processed what he'd said and she opened her mouth to say something before he cut her off. "Now go!"

Penny hesitated, then did as he asked, ducking around the corner. The footsteps had almost reached them now. Edward stood in the center of the hallway and took a breath. If there was another gunman in here...he'd buy Penny as much time as he could. His eyes went to where she was tucked just out of sight of any oncoming people, and she met his gaze. Her face was cold, but her breath was coming in deep, the hand holding her taser shaking. He gave her a small smirk, then turned his attention back to the oncoming footsteps. A tall figure finally came into sight and Edward recognized him immediately. His shoulders slumped in relief. "It's alright," he called out to Penny. "It's Bryant."

Penny came around from behind the corner as Bryant jogged up to them. "Nigma? That you?"

"Do you know any other men who carry a question-marked shaped cane?" Edward answered drolly. "What are you doing?"

When Bryant stopped in front of him, Edward noticed he was carrying the handgun that the gunman had. "I decided to go out and make sure there weren't any surprises waitin' for us in here. Old security guard habits die hard." Bryant's eyes lit up when he saw Penny. "Doc! Thank God! Doc Leland was worried sick! What happened? Did you find Bruce?"

"It's a long story," Penny said, slipping her taser into her coat pocket. "I didn't find Bruce, but Batman's here. Where are the others?"

"In the City Council Chamber up ahead." Bryant gestured for the two of them to follow him. "Let's head back there." The City Council chamber was about twenty feet in front of them and the doors were tightly shut. Bryant knocked on them twice and shouted "It's me! Nigma and Doc Young are with me!" The doors opened and the three walked in. There were over twenty people scattered about the wooden benches, some helping injured people, some crying, others, including Councilwoman Greene and Councilman Roberts, just sitting in silence. Edward heard a cry from a few feet next to him and saw Dr. Leland running towards them, followed closely by Dr. Thompkins.

"Edward! Penelope!" Penny's breath hitched and she met the woman halfway, throwing her arms around her. "Thank God," Dr. Leland said. "I thought you were dead!"

"We're alright, Joan," Penny said, her voice thick with emotion. Penny pulled away from the older woman to look around the room. "This is almost everyone who was outside. How did you manage to get in?"

Edward was about to open his mouth when Bryant gave him a friendly, if hard, slap on the back. "This man, right here!" Bryant shouted, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. "We were stuck outside with a gunman about to kill us, and who swooped in to save the day? Edward Nigma. He got the door open for us too! Shot it with your taser actually, Doc Young."

Penny looked at Edward, her eyes wide and her jaw dropped. "You did that?" she asked softly. "Really?"

Despite the situation they were in, Edward couldn't help but puff his chest out a bit. "Well, I don't want to brag at a time like this, but yes."

Penelope's mouth opened, then closed again. Then, for the first time since he'd found her, she smiled. She was practically beaming at him, her eyes shining with pride. She opened her mouth to say something when another, painfully familiar voice cut her off.

"Hey, there's our man of the hour!"

Edward turned to see Jack Ryder approach him from the far left corner of the chamber and reflexively scowled. "Oh, God Almighty. The proverbial cockroach."

Ryder laughed, then cozied up close to him. "Clever. Thanks for that rescue outside. No hard feelings about all those times I called you a narcissistic showboat, right?"

Edward could feel his right eye begin to twitch. "No, none at all." If there was anything more obnoxious than an antagonistic Ryder, it was a sycophantic Ryder. He was happy to see Penny looked as disgusted as he was at Ryder's attempt at schmoozing him.

"Great, great. Look, I'm not on the air now obviously, but I was wondering if I could get your comments on the events of this evening."

Dr. Leland spoke Edward's thoughts. "I don't think that's appropriate, given what's happening right now."

Ryder shrugged. "Got to get the story. So anyway Eddie, mind if I call you Eddie? Any idea who the perpetrators of these attacks are?"

Oh, he had a few ideas. Then realized that Ryder said attacks, plural. "Attacks?"

Ryder raised an eyebrow. "We got word that there were multiple shootings in Gotham City. Downtown, the Bowery, The West Side-"

Edward's heart stopped when he heard the words 'West Side' leave Ryder's mouth. "Oh God," he murmured. He'd been so preoccupied with what was happening at City Hall, it never stopped to occur to him that Strange wouldn't be content with just one attack. Of course, there'd be multiple attacks, to spread GCPD and the vigilantes thin. It never occurred to him that while he was busy saving Penny, Ellen could be in danger. He reached into his coat pocket for his cell phone and saw that he had three missed calls, one from Lina, one from Oswald, and one from Ellen, about twenty-five minutes ago. His stomach dropped. "Oh, my God!" He turned on his heel and dashed out of the room, ignoring Penny's cries after him.

When he was outside, he hit the redial button and held the phone up to his ear. Please, pick up. Please, be at home. Please, be safe. After only one ring, he heard his daughter's voice, loud and clear. "Dad? Is that you?"

The relief hit Edward so hard he almost collapsed against the wall. "It's me, sweetheart."

Ellen began talking a mile a minute. "Oh my God! Are you ok? Gramma texted me about an attack at City Hall, and I remembered Doc was there! Is she ok? Are you there?"

"Ellen, breathe," Edward lightly scolded. "Now to answer your questions: yes, I'm at City Hall. Penny and I are both alright. When it's safe for us to leave, we'll come by. You are home, aren't you?"

"Yeah Dad, I'm home. I've got the door locked and everything. Just be careful, ok?"

Edward's heart clenched at how worried his normally brash daughter sounded. It was a sobering reminder of how young she was. "I will be. I'll call you when we're on our way. I love you, Ellen."

"Love you too, Dad."

Edward ended the call and shut his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. He opened his eyes when he heard soft footsteps approach him. Penny was in front of him, her face worried. "Is Ellen alright?"

Edward nodded and put his phone back into his pocket. "She's at home." He watched her as she visibly softened in relief and smiled. Then he sighed. "Well. Nothing for us to do but sit back and wait for Batman to finish up."

The Narrows

Ellen hung up her phone and wiped her eyes. When they'd arrived back at the Bodega, Hood had broken up the crowd forming around the fallen gunman and ordered her to the roof. She hadn't put up a fight, being more concerned with getting ahold of Dad. Knowing he was alive and safe as he could be was a load off her mind, though the fact that he was being set up for this shit still worried her. With everything that had happened, there was only one person who'd want him to take the fall for this. Strange. Ellen clenched her fists. That asshole had better hope that Dad was the one to take him down. She was brought out of her dark thoughts by the sound of Hood joining her on the roof. "You ready to go home, Kiddo?"

Ellen furrowed her brow. "What about the gunman? Did he say who did it?"

Hood slowly shook his head. "No. He was dead before I could talk to him."

Ellen felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. "Wait. How did he-"

"I don't know," Hood said sharply. Then he inclined his head towards the fire escape he'd climbed up. "Come on. I think you've had enough for one night."

Ellen bit her lower lip, then picked up her backpack, tucked her phone into her pocket, and followed Hood down the fire escape.

City Hall

As soon as the final gunman had been subdued, Selina had taken off towards City Hall to find Edward and Dr. Young. Bruce could hear police sirens approaching. Before he let Gordon take control of the scene however, he'd get answers. "Alright you scum," he growled, leaning over the bound gunman. "Who ordered you to commit these attacks?"

"Edward Nigma," the gunman croaked out. "Edward Nigma."

Bruce picked the man up by his collar and brought him in close. "Do not lie to me," he said. "I know Edward Nigma had nothing to do with this. Did Hugo Strange tell you to say it was Nigma? Is Strange behind this?"

"Edward Nigma," the man repeated, like a mantra. "Edward Nigma, Edward Nig-" The man's pupils went wide and he began to spasm. Bruce gently laid him back down on the ground as blood began to ooze out from his ears, eyes, and nose. The man stopped speaking as he went into full convulsions. Bruce did what he could to stabilize him, but within less than a minute, life left the man's eyes. Bruce felt for a pulse. The man was dead. He rushed to where the Selina had left the third gunman, to find that he was in the same condition. Bruce narrowed his eyes. No doubt this was Strange's failsafe. No doubt the other gunmen were all dead. Out of the corner of his eye, Bruce saw a SWAT van pull up across the street from City Hall. He pulled his grappling hook out from his belt and fired upward at the fire escape he'd climbed when this all began.

"Oracle," he spoke into his communicator. "The gunmen are neutralized. Tell the others to head back to Wayne Manor. I'll be there shortly."

Arkham Asylum

"It's done then?"

"Yes, Master," Strange said. "I have activated the kill switch for the volunteers. The work is over. Hundreds lie dead or wounded and by tomorrow, the citizens of Gotham will be demanding answers, demanding justice." Strange smirked. "And I will be the one to give them both."

"And what about Nigma?" His master asked in a flinty tone. "Your plan to have him take the fall has backfired completely. By tomorrow he'll be lauded as a hero. What do you intend to do about that?"

Strange's left hand balled into a fist before he willed himself to calm down. "Nigma won't take the fall, but Detective Schrader will. I can use him to undermine the credibility of GCPD even further. With Gordon bruised, that will clear the way for the implementation of TYGER. As for Nigma, he may have escaped my trap, but he has revealed his weakness." Strange could admit to being wrong about one thing. It seemed that Edward Nigma was capable of love if he was willing to run headfirst into danger for that insipid Dr. Young. Strange smiled. He still had one card left to play. "And it will be his downfall."

"So you say," His Master answered. "Mind that you keep your focus on your goal. You've allowed Nigma to distract you too much. Remember, the Detective is now and remains our greatest threat."

Strange bit back a retort. "Of course, Master. I will keep you informed of our progress as we progress through Phase Two." His Master hung up without another word. Strange put down his phone and turned on his laptop computer. The plan did not go smoothly. The death toll was not a high as it should have been. A destroyed City Hall would have been a perfect symbol to exploit. Schrader had been a valuable ally before he let pettiness get in the way. These were minor details, however. Gotham's streets were still littered with the dead. GCPD and Arkham Asylum were delivered body blows they could not recover from. And who better to replace them both than him? Despite Wayne's best efforts, Phase Two was well underway. He typed a few words into his laptop.

Countdown until Arkham City: 6 months.

City Hall

Bruce had called Penelope out of the blue about five minutes after Edward had gotten ahold of Ellen. He said that he'd been hiding in a dumpster in the alley, but that GCPD had arrived. Penelope had been too relieved to hear that he was safe to yell at him for running off, though Edward had let out a few choice words. Joan, Leslie, Joe, and the others had left the chamber and went towards the safety of the officers. Edward and Penelope were by the front door, watching as GCPD and emergency personnel swept the scene. Now that the danger was past, Penelope allowed the full situation to sink in. She watched as EMT's carried wounded people to ambulances, or covered the dead with white sheets. She could see bodies still littering the stage, blood pooled around them. She couldn't count how many bodies, just like at the Asylum-she shut her eyes. This was supposed to be the night where her group offered an alternative to the world Sharp and Strange wanted to create. Instead, it was a night of death.

She felt more than heard Edward come closer to her. "Are you alright?"

Penelope shook her head. "No. I'm furious." She opened her eyes. She'd shed enough tears that evening. "Strange planned this all along, didn't he?"

She could see Edward nod. "I'd bet good money on that, yes."

Penelope nodded, then clenched her fists. "Sharp knew too. He as good as admitted it to me before the event. He said that 'one day, I would understand why he's done the things he's done'. He was asking for my forgiveness. He'll never get it. As long as I live, I will never stop opposing him and Strange."

She felt Edward's hands on her shoulders. "That's my partner," she heard him say with approval. "We'll get them both."

Penelope turned to face him. When she'd heard him run down those basement stairs, she'd thought it was a hallucination. When he'd burst in, she hadn't known whether to be relieved to see him, or frightened for him. Now that the danger had passed, she took him in, his hair mussed, his face flushed from exertion. She'd never been prouder of him, or more in love with him, and they could have died. She let out a small, broken laugh. "God," she whispered. "I can't believe I almost died and I never told you that I..." she trailed off when she realized what she was saying.

Edward's brow furrowed. "Tell me what?" Penny's face flushed and then the proverbial lightbulb went off. In this context, with her reaction, what else could she possibly mean? His heart began to pound. "Penny," he whispered excitedly. "Are you telling me that you-"

"Eddie!"

Edward's head whipped around at the voice and his eyes widened when he saw a familiar woman running towards him. "Lina!? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Selina quipped. She looked at Penny and gave her a relieved nod. "Glad to see you're still with us, Doc."

Edward awkwardly twiddled his thumbs. "So, no hard feelings about yesterday, I hope?"

Selina gave him a look of disbelief before she rolled her eyes. "Come here, you idiot," she said before she wrapped him in a tight hug. Edward returned it wholeheartedly, though he never took his eyes off of Penny. Selina pulled away then gave him an apologetic look. "I hate to ruin your moment, Eddie, but we need to go. Batman said that the gunmen told him that you ordered this attack."

"He didn't," Penny began to argue. "He saved me and the others, he's being framed!"

"I know that you know that and before you say anything, Eddie, Batman knows that too, but Gordon and the rest of the cops here don't know that. All it takes is one trigger happy boy in blue to jump to the wrong conclusion."

Eddie knew Selina was right, of course, but he didn't want to leave Penny. Not when she'd been about to tell him that she...He watched as Penny's face became its usual collected mask. "You're right," she said. "I'll find Gordon and explain what happened. Edward, you and Selina should go."

"Penny," Edward began to argue, but her hands on his face stopped him.

"It's alright," she said. "You should go to Ellen. I'll call you tomorrow."

Edward looked into her eyes for a long moment, then gently took her hands in his. "Alright." He let go of her, then picked up his cane where he'd lined it against the wall. He and Selina moved into the alley. Edward took a look back to see Penny staring after him, an unreadable look on her face. As Edward and Selina made their way back to where his car was parked, he thought he could hear Selina talking to him, but he tuned her out. All he could hear was what Penny had been about to say, and what he hadn't had the time to tell her. Then he remembered that the roses he had for her were still in his car.

"Tonight, Gotham City was the scene of one of the worst shootings in American history. Over one hundred people have been reported killed, though the death toll is expected to rise. Twelve gunmen have been confirmed to have committed six separate attacks in Gotham City. The identity of the gunmen is still unknown, though Commissioner Gordon as assured that the GCPD will conduct a thorough investigation. In the chaos, however, a new hero has seemed to emerge. Former supervillain Edward Nigma was filmed fighting one of the gunmen involved in the attack at City Hall, saving the lives of at least twenty people. With the situation evolving, one thing seems clear. After tonight, Gotham City will never be the same."

Across Gotham, three very different men had different reactions to the night's events. From his home in the East End, Ward watched Sharp's expression as the news unfolded change from vindictive delight, to rage as Nigma appeared. Sharp had been so angry, Ward had had to hold him back from destroying the furniture in his home. Sharp had stormed off to his bathroom. Ward was left alone on his sofa, sipping his brandy, contemplating just what in the Hell they'd done.

Oswald Cobblepot was also drinking, though he preferred Merlot. He watched the news unfold from his office in the Iceberg Lounge, having locked the restaurant down when reports of gunfire were first broadcasted. He'd spat out his drink when he saw the footage of Edward fighting the gunman. He'd tried to call Edward, only to get no response. Now Oswald's phone was ringing off the hook. No doubt Harvey and the others had also seen Edward's heroics. Oswald took a long sip of wine. "Edward, you fool," he muttered. "What in God's name have you done?"

Bruce and the rest of the Batfamily had watched the news in silence. Bruce took stock of his children's faces. Stephanie and Tim looked shaken, Cass looked determined, Damian looked angry, and Dick was all three. "Strange is behind this," Damian hissed. "We all know he is. We should drag him out of Arkham and make him suffer!"

"We don't have any proof he did it," Bruce said. "Not yet at least. From now on though, he's our top priority. Dick, I understand that you have obligations in Bludhaven, but we appreciate any help you can give us. Strange, Sharp, and everyone else who was behind this will be brought to justice." The rest of the group nodded in agreement. Dick, however, looked like he had more he wanted to say. "What is it?" Bruce asked.

"You remember that vote we had about Eddie a few months back?" Dick said. "Well, Bruce, now you have to make your decision. We have to bring Eddie in now."

"I agree," Stephanie said softly. "Look, I don't like the man, and I never will, but how many more people would have died at City Hall if he wasn't there? We can't let it get personal anymore. We have to work with him."

Tim and Cass verbally agreed while Damian huffed. Bruce mulled over her words. Gordon had told him about the bomb in City Hall that Edward had disarmed. He may have only been there to save Dr. Young, but he'd saved dozens more. Bruce narrowed his eyes and nodded. Whatever Strange was working towards was bigger than their old rivalry. He only hoped Edward would listen to him.

Ellen had been glued to Edward's side from the moment he'd entered her apartment. They were sitting together on her grandmother's disgusting chintzy sofa, watching the news together for the past two hours. She'd listened to his account of the night with wide eyes and hugged him when he was done. "Strange did this, didn't he?" Ellen asked.

Edward nodded. "Yes. He tried to frame me for it too, but he wasn't expecting me to be filmed protecting people, I'm sure." Edward scoffed at the newscaster's description of him. "'Hero' indeed. How times change."

Ellen cackled. "Edward Nigma one, Strange zero." Then she gave him a curious look. "What were you doing at City Hall anyway? You never said."

Edward blushed. "Oh, well..." he sighed. Ellen was bound to find out sooner or later. "I was there to tell Penelope that I'm in love with her."

Ellen's eyes widened, then she smirked. "I knew it!" she crowed. "So, did you?"

Edward huffed and shook his head. "No, I was a bit preoccupied."

Ellen crossed her arms and gave him a look. "Then what are you still doing here?"

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Ellen-"

Ellen held a hand up. "Dad, no offense, but sometimes you're kind of a moron." Edward made a noise in protest but Ellen cut him off. "Dad, you and Doc both almost died tonight. Strange is gonna come after you again and we all know it. You might never get another chance." Ellen checked her phone. "Gramma's gonna be back in about twenty minutes, and we know how she feels about you being in the apartment." Ellen gave him a lopsided smile. "Go get her, Old Man."

Edward stared at his daughter for a long moment. She was more perceptive than he gave her credit for, sometimes. Then he thought about Penny, and about what she'd been about to tell him. She said she'd call him tomorrow, but he didn't want to wait anymore. He got up from the sofa and went to get his jacket.

Thomas Elliot watched the news with some amusement. "Oh, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie," he said, shaking his head. "You've done it this time." He heard a noise behind him, turned his head slightly, and saw the Professor was out of his 'lab', watching the television with contempt. "And you said having a TV down here was distracting. I'd say it was worth it." The Professor said nothing, his piercing blue eye fixed on the television. Elliot turned his attention back to the screen and saw the footage of Eddie was being replayed. "I know this is going to push the time table back more. The cops are going to be on high alert. It's too risky. Then there's this thing with Eddie-"

"That is not Edward," the Professor cut in, his tone raspy and ice cold. He pointed a gnarled finger towards the screen. "I do not know who that impostor is, but that is not my Edward." Then he took a sharp breath and collected himself. "But if his Edward is still in that shell, somewhere," he said. "Scarecrow will bring him out." Then he turned and left Elliot's room without another word.

Edward stood outside Penny's door, holding the rose bouquet in his right hand, and didn't have a single clue what to say to her. What could he say to her after everything that had happened tonight? The truth, he decided. That's what he could say to her. He steeled his nerves, raised his left hand, and briskly knocked on her door. For a moment, he thought perhaps she wasn't home, then he heard footsteps. "Who's there?" he heard her call out.

Edward took a breath. "It's me."

The door unlocked and opened. Penny stood in the doorway, wearing a white bathrobe over black pajamas, her long hair down, still damp from a shower. Her blue eyes took him and the bouquet in with surprise. "Edward? What on Earth?"

Edward's felt his mouth go dry. This was difficult enough without her being so damn beautiful. He swallowed and put on a brave face. "Well," he said. "You said you wanted me to come by this evening, so here I am." He handed her the bouquet. "For you." She took it without a word, her eyes still wide. "May I come in?" he asked. Penny nodded, then stepped back, allowing him into her apartment. He shut the door behind him The living room light was on, and the tv blaring, but all Edward could see was her as she moved to the kitchen to get a vase. She came back into her living room and out the roses in the vase, all without saying a word. Edward wet his lower lip. "You asked me what I was doing at City Hall tonight," he said. "And I owe you an explanation, I suppose. Poison Ivy attacked me in my apartment last night." Penny turned sharply, concern etched on her features. "I'm fine," he said. "She didn't hurt me too badly." He'd forgotten all about his bruised back. "But...she forced me to acknowledge something I've been in denial about for some time." Edward felt his heart pounding. "Do you remember that evening we had at Wayne's gala?" Penny nodded, and Edward continued. "I meant it when I said I couldn't imagine a future without you in it, but the truth is, I can't imagine any part of my life without you. The truth is that I..." Edward took a breath. Keep it together, Edward. "Penny, I love you."

Penny's mouth dropped open and a bright flush came over her face. "You," she whispered. "You love me?"

Edward nodded. "I came to City Hall because I wanted to tell you." He wet his lower lip. "And while I'm not as good at reading people as some, I think you were about to tell me at City Hall that you love me too." Penny's mouth shut and she turned around. Edward felt his confidence slip but pressed on. "If I'm wrong," he said. "I'll leave. We'll never have to speak about this again, but Penny, I couldn't go one more day without telling you how I feel about you." She still said nothing and Edward felt his heart drop. "I can leave if you want me to."

She didn't. Penelope felt overwhelmed by what Edward had told her, but she didn't want him to leave her. Not now, not ever. "Back in July, after what happened with Bane," she said. "I realized that I would have gone with him to keep you safe." She turned to face him and saw him standing rigid, shock on his face. "I realized that my feelings for you went deeper than friendship. I didn't know how to process my feelings, I needed time, and then Strange had you taken into custody, and then I knew," she took a breath to steady her nerves. There was nothing to be nervous about. Not anymore. "I knew that I love you."

It was Edward's turn for his mouth to drop. "You've been...all this time, you-" he shook his head and let out a rueful sigh. "Some genius detective I am," he muttered.

"I wanted to tell you for so long," Penelope continued, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "But I kept telling myself that you weren't ready, or that it wasn't the right time." She shook her head. "I was just too much of a coward, I guess."

"No," Edward assured her. "You're no coward. You're one of the bravest people I've ever met. I was the one too stuck in my head to see what was happening right in front of me." Ellen would be laughing herself sick if she could see the pair of them. "You were going to tell me tonight, weren't you? After the event? That's why you asked me to come over."

"Yes," Penelope admitted. "After what happened with Joker, I realized that I didn't want to go on as we were without telling you. That hasn't changed." She took a step closer to him. "I know what's coming ahead will be dangerous, that there will be risks, but I want to face them with you. If you're ready to go down that road with me, I want to be with you."

Edward's heart was full to bursting at that point. He laughed, then held his arms out wide. "I'm yours." Penny's face broke out into a smile and she rushed towards him, embracing him. Edward wrapped his arms tightly around her, resisting the urge to pick her up and spin her around. He felt whole again, for the first time since...he couldn't remember. He looked down at Penny to see that she was looking up at him expectantly. His face flushed when he realized what she was expecting. "Riddle me this-"

Penny scoffed. "Really?"

"Let me finish," Edward scolded. "Riddle me this: Shared between two; most often to woo; sometimes hot and sometimes cold; the beginning of us all, young and old. What am I?"

It took Penelope only a moment to figure out both the riddle and the fact that this was his way of asking her permission. She leaned up, gently cupped his face, and answered him by pressing her lips against his.

Edward was frozen for only a second before he returned the kiss fervently, reaching a hand to cup the back of her head and pressing her even closer to him. Now that he had her, he never wanted to let go, he never would let her go. They broke apart briefly, only for Edward to lean in again, claiming her with another kiss. The broke away again and Edward rested his forehead against hers, never breaking eye contact with her. Her eyes were softer than he'd ever seen them, her face flushed, a smile across her lips, and Edward loved her so much. "Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked him.

Edward smiled. "My dear doctor, I'm at your disposal." She took him by the hand and led him back to her sofa. She sat down and he immediately joined her, placing an arm around her and pressing her close to his side. The television was on the news, City Hall specifically. Penny's face became serious again and she clung onto his hand tight.

"What happens now?" she asked him softly. "I told Gordon everything that happened, but we know Strange won't stop. What happens next?"

Edward pressed a kiss against her forehead. "We'll figure it out together. Right, Partner?"

A ghost of a smile came across her face. "Right." The pair sat in silence after that, watching the news unfold and taking comfort in each other.

No matter what came next, they would face it together.

Author's Note: And that's a wrap for Part Five! I want to thank everyone who has read this, with special shout outs to Scholarly-Cimmerian, Super Sister, LoftCat27, BlueVassilissa, AraelDranoth, and all my guests. I've really enjoyed reading your comments and I deeply appreciate all the support you've given me. Until next time!