No One Can Know || Victor Zsasz

sixty

Novella was blank-faced staring at a box on the kitchen table when Victor walked inside from doing a check of their borders. She was still blank-faced when he made his way to her and peered inside of that box. He had seen a lot of things in his time and had done a lot of things. The sight before him wouldn't have bothered him if not for the pregnant woman beside him and the words carved into the severed head.

She is next.

The words shouldn't have fit on the forehead of Caspian Oliverian, but whatever tool had been used made it possible.

Novella had a tear falling from her eye as she closed the lid of the box and wrapped herself into Victor. Caspian had been her friend. Had been something between a son and a ward to her and she couldn't protect him and now Potter was coming for her too.

Yes, she knew it was Potter. They may have been sisters once, but that was before everything went to shit and before Victor had nearly killed Jeremiah. Novella knew better than anyone that only blood - her blood - would satisfy Potter.

She wasn't scared for herself. No. She was scared for the baby that was almost ready to be born and for the man that would destroy what was left of Gotham if she wasn't there for him.

It was safe to say that Novella Gordon didn't know what to do with the horrible thing coming her way. Thankfully, Victor already had a plan.

"You'll stay in the basement of the apartment until she is dead and the baby is born. One of my girls will be outside the door and outside the building at all times. If I'm not here then I'm out hunting for them," Victor said as he held her head and pulled his fingers through her hair that was starting to grow out to show the natural dirty-blonde color. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and looked her in the eyes. "Nothing is going to happen to you, baby."

She was only able to nod even though she knew his words were false. As powerful as they both were, Potter was a threat and the only one that knew enough about Novella to know how to take her down.

And yet, she let Victor's words ease her fear.

---

It took less than a day for the worst to happen. Novella had been trying and failing to sleep on the uncomfortable bed in the basement when an explosion went off at the door. She watched from the dark as she saw the Zsaszette - Mako - fall with half her face burned off.

She clutched the gun to her chest as she stared at the dead girl and the high heels that stepped through the jet black hair splayed around the destroyed face.

"Novie, Novie, Novie," Potter's sickening voice screeched through the room. "My dear Supernova, you can't hide forever. Come on out for play time."

Novella felt shivers go down her spine at the sickening voice, but she pushed that feeling of fear down. She needed to keep calm in order to shoot straight. She stood up from her crouched position and peered around the corner of a wall. She braced her body in the way she had always been taught and took aim at the psychopathic woman.

The sound that usually accompanies a trigger pull never came. The deafening boom never came. A click rang out through the room signaling Novella's position as the gun jammed.

No no no, she thought to herself. She banged the bottom of the gun and attempted to rack it again. The gun still wouldn't work.

"Hahaha." That laugh. Novella knew that laugh. "You would think a hitman would have better equipment."

The voice of Jerome Valeska was right behind her, but she didn't dare turn around. Her gun didn't work and now she was cornered.

"Gotcha." His hot breath fanned the back of her neck. "Potty tot, I got the bitch!"