Partners in Crime (Oswald Cobblepot x reader)

1

"Miss Mooney, if I may, a brief word," Oswald pleaded.

Did he really think he was going to make it out alive? He was tied up alongside Falcone, Gordon, and Bullock and literally surrounded by mobsters with guns. Granted, I'd seen him survive plenty of tough situations when we worked together under Fish Mooney, but I had no idea how he would even begin to talk his way out of this one. It was such a shame he was about to die, I'd always kind of liked the little bastard.

Suddenly overcome with a rush of sadness, I looked away from him and instead glanced at Fish. She was my employer for quite some time, although I had begun seeking other opportunities as she had been getting on my nerves lately. She seemed to have changed after she escaped from the clutches of the Dollmaker.

She smirked at Oswald. I hated that smirk; I honestly wanted to shoot it right off of her smug face. I clenched my teeth and turned back toward Oswald, who continued with his plea, "I know my life is forfeit, I speak not for my sake, but yours. Because, after all, I still love and respect you. Kill me if you must, but keep Falcone alive. As soon as he's dead Maroni has no use for you. You are simply a threat, he will kill you."

"No!" Maroni interjected.

A moment passed in silence before Fish, looking slightly unsettled, asked, "You think?"

"Why would he need another boss in town, another rival?" Oswald challenged.

"That's where you're wrong, smart guy," Maroni said, agitated now, "She's not a rival, because she's not a boss. She's an underboss." I was beginning to feel the tension build.

Fish looked at him quizzically and replied, "An underboss takes orders. I don't take orders."

"I know that," Maroni said, "We're cool. Relax."

"I'm relaxed," Fish insisted.

"I don't think you are, babes," Maroni followed up.

"Please," Fish said, "don't call me babes." If the tension was palpable before, it was stifling now.

"You see?" Maroni asked, taking a step towards her, "Not relaxed. Babes? Really? It's a term of endearment. Means I like you." He placed his hand on her shoulder and she looked down at it as if it were a parasite. He took note and moved back, adding, "Fine, I misspoke. You're not an underboss, and you're not a babe. You tell me what you are."

"What we are, Sal," Fish began, closing the distance between them again, "are partners."

"Whatever you want. Partners. I'm partner number one, and you're partner number two," Maroni offered. The slight change in her expression indicated that was indeed not at all what she wanted. "That's the deal, right? I'm number one, and you are?" He pointed at her, silently calling for a response.

A long, uneasy silence followed before she warily replied, "Number two."

"There you go," Maroni concluded, "Simple math. One, two babes- oops, sorry. That's the last time, I swear." Fish clenched her teeth but Maroni failed to notice as he had already looked away from her to continue his speech. "Guys, can you feel the buzz in the air? That's victory, redemption, power. When this old man dies, a new day begins. We will rule Gotham, we are building a dynasty. We will whip this town like a rented mule. Right babes?" Fish's face suddenly became eerily devoid of all emotion. She and Maroni seemed to stare each other down before he chuckled and added, "Oh, relax. I'm kidding you. Guys, no, seriously, don't call her babes. Or toots or what have you. It's a woman's lib thing."

A gunshot echoed through the warehouse. Maroni fell limply to the floor.

"I am relaxed," said Fish, lowering the gun.

What seemed like an eternity passed in stunned silence before chaos erupted. Guns were blazing on both sides and people were retreating in every direction. Gordon had cut the ropes binding himself, his partner, and Falcone and they ran off to a nearby car, leaving Oswald struggling. Now was my chance. I rushed over and used my pocket knife to cut the rope around his wrists. "What are you doing?" he asked, startled.

"Shut up. Just follow me," I replied, heading in the direction of a pile of wooden crates. He followed close behind, his running slightly impeded by his limp. We got behind our makeshift shield and before either of us had time to say anything, one of Maroni's henchmen appeared, brandishing a machine gun. Reacting completely on instinct, I went for his eyes first, then slammed his head against the side of one of the crates. He dropped to the floor, out cold. Oswald and I both let out the breaths that neither of us realized we had been holding in.

"What now?" I asked, only then beginning to freak out.

"Just stay right here," he said, snatching up the gun and swiftly shooting the unconscious man between the eyes, "Wait for me to come back." I was too stunned to ask where he was going before he dashed back into the pandemonium. I heard the unmistakable rapid fire of the machine gun and desperately hoped Oswald would be safe. The shooting stopped after a few seconds, replaced by his feral cry, "Fish! Where are you?" His footsteps seemed to be moving further and further away and before long, all that was left was silence.