Chapter Text
Six months earlier…
After Jim became Commissioner life had all the reason to become more difficult for Oswald and Edward, it certainly had for the other rogues, but unlike them, the Penguin knew Gotham's golden hero and he had a plan. He was going to regain control over the city, no, have more than before and all legally. He was going to have the entire city eating on the palm of his hand, and it all started with the factory.
During the 2 years that no man's land happened, most buildings and businesses were completely destroyed, so those that managed to stay strong became monopolies. His factory was one of them. His was the only armament factory still active and armaments from outside were too expensive for people that had no money left to get, including the GCPD, so in a matter of weeks he went from being a wanted man to being one of the richest, most powerful people in the city. Everyone wanted Iceberg Armaments bullets, gangsters, the police, even the common people that were looking to defend themselves. All of them were his clients and subjects as he sat there on top of the world. He could even expand to other cities too, it was a perfect plan.
Edward, however, was more interested in getting the city under his boots. He had been using the resources Oswald gave him to create intricate traps and puzzles to bring fear to even the bravest of soldiers. Gotham was theirs and they would remember it. In truth, since their paths and ways of doing things were so different they hardly ever worked together anymore, but to them that was fine. They hadn't grown any less close because of it. They would spend hours at a time talking to each other either through phone or in person and one visited the other in their respective bases. Sometimes they just sat in silence next to each other and that was fine. They were content with their relationship and that is all that mattered.
That is, until the day of the attack.
As per usual, Oswald was in his factory working while calling Riddler about nothing at all when he suddenly heard the sound of gunshots coming from outside. Was someone invading him? What fool would dare to attack the most armed man in all of Gotham? He asked Edward for a moment and then left to find the source of the gunshots. How strange, none of his employees were anywhere around and there wasn't any blood anywhere or bodies. What was even going on? He heard a noise going down to the basement where he kept merchandise. Oh, if they thought they could steal from him, they would see! He made his way down there.
That was where everything turned dark.
That was where light returned to his mind once again.
Of course, Jim didn't choose to save him out of just the goodness of his heart, they needed weapons and he had those. After a brief explanation of what had transpired, Oswald realized the past 10 or so years of his life were not real, just a dream or rather a nightmare. There wasn't a man dressed as a bat that they had to deal with and he hadn't been sent to Blackgate! He should be happy that was the case, but it was a melancholic victory for that meant that he wouldn't be waking up every night to see Edward casually cooking up breakfast in a mansion they shared, or that he would give him the type of massage only he knew. In those six months Batman had terrified Gotham, they had grown even closer than they were now and now that was all lost. Huh. Maybe he wasn't fine with just the talks after all. Maybe his heart would always crave more. Maybe he would always be in love with Edward Nygma.
"Ok, that day I got some very weird reports coming from Gotham Park about some sort of giant tree that just appeared there one morning. I thought it was just Ivy being Ivy so I didn't pay much attention, but apparently the situation was much worse." Jim said.
Typical Jim.
"Ok, so you think this tree is the one causing all of this trouble?" The black haired girl- huntress was it?- asked.
"It seems like too much of a coincidence. Plus, the park is located right in the middle of Gotham, some call it its lungs."
"In that case," Oswald smiled, "we will need something a little hotter than a gun." He turned to one of his men that had also just been awakened, "Francis, get me my flamethrower. The golden one."
Francis nodded, "you got it, boss!"
"Get me one too!" Blondie- no, black canary,- said and the huntress shot her a look. "What? You have flammable bolts, I have bullets and my voice, neither of which seemed that effective.
"Plus," Oswald added, "flamethrowers are always more fun."
"See, H? Please?"
Huntress sighed, "fine, but if you burn us I will get very mad at you."
Oswald couldn't help chuckling.
"What?" Huntress asked.
"Oh, nothing. You two just remind me of myself and a friend." He shook his head. Edward would be fine, "anyways, let's get a car and get going before more plant zombies get here."
Jim nodded, "I'm bringing ten men with us and leaving the rest to take care of the GCPD."
"I will do the same with the factory."
"Sounds like a deal, let's go."
…
Hell. That was the word to describe life without Oswald. It had been 24 hours now and he still couldn't believe it. How could that have happened?! It was all his fault, the doctors said he likely got a heart attack due to stress and bad eating friends. If only he'd been a better friend and taken care of him. If only he had been more. Now he would never be able to tell him how he truly felt.
…
It was horrible.
As expected the entire park was buzzing with the zombie creeps, luckily the flamethrowers really seemed to scare them away and even burn the parasitic plants, so one may say finding the gigantic tree was a walk in the park.
The tree was at least 60 meters tall with a sickly grey log and pinkish-purple leaves that didn't look like this world. How the hell Ivy got her hands on something like this? Even her power wasn't this strong. In the middle of the tree was this giant eye with what looked like a person inside and hanging from the twisted roots were dozens of Gotham's most intelligent individuals, including one man in an all green attire.
"Edward!" Oswald shouted and ran in as fast as his legs would carry.
"Oswald! Shit!" Jim cursed as a group of plant zombies created a wall between them. He had one of those flower fruit helmets in his head. Oswald went to pull his gun out to shoot it when vine pulled him by the ankle.
…
Edward looked up at the pill between his fingers. It had been a long time since he had last taken one of them. He wondered if there were any problems taking too many. All he wanted was to go to sleep forever. He went to place the small blue pill in his mouth when he suddenly heard… something.
Edward.
Edward rose his head. He had been laying on Oswald's bed in his robes when he heard that voice. Was he hearing things? It had been a while since he last hallucinated too.
Edward!
No, he was sure he was hearing it. Maybe he was insane, but again, where is the news? He got up and began walking to the balcony, the same one where it happened. He opened the glass doors and it was empty. He looked around, no one was there in the darkness of the night, but he was sure of it now. That sound just like-
EDWARD!
He looked down. There, on the rails was one single red pill. He couldn't remember if he hadn't seen that before. He didn't know what it did, there were so many questions, there was a time when he would have chosen to know the answer before swallowing something so potentially dangerous, but that was not who he was anymore. Heart over mind, that was who he wished to be and his heart told him that that pill would take him to Oswald, so he followed it.
Edward gasped as he woke up. He was all sticky and covered in goo. It was cold and loud and it smelled terrible, but none of that mattered because he was there, Oswald was cupping his cheeks and tearing up with a smile on his face, much younger than before and lacking his glass eye. He felt like crying too. "Oswald?!"
"Edward, you're ok! You're ok now, I won't let anything happen to you." He promised and hugged Edward tightly.
Ed tried to relax into the moment, but it was hard with a plant monster lunging towards them. "Oswald!" He shouted.
Without an ounce of hesitance, Oswald turned on his heels and charred the creature that yelled in pain. "Jim, what the hell are you doing?! I'm trying to have a moment here!"
"Well, maybe you could help us here first?!" He said, struggling against some of the zombies around him, "it's hard to reach that high!"
"You don't need to reach that eye!" Edward added, "cut its food source and it will starve and die."
Jim blinked and looked at the soldiers, "don't aim for the giant arm! Aim for the fruits! Free people!" As predicted, the more fruit heads were freed, the more zombies were too.
A small group was created to help the ones who were freed. It took over 2 hours to get all of them. As Oswald stabbed into the last one, the tree began shuddering and pulsating before its giant eye exploded the same pink goo covering the fruit heads fell everywhere. It was gross, but oddly satisfying, similar to bursting a pimple, Oswald thought.
Jim had joined Lee who was currently being examined by Lucius, both of which had been fruit heads. Oswald sighed, well, dream or not, some things never changed. He tried not to get too bothered by Edward being around her too, looking all worried.
"Boss!" He heard one of his men call and immediately turned, "I found something!" He began limping towards Francis, it better be good. His leg was killing him and he really needed a bath. He smelled like weed. Not even quality weed.
"Look! This was in the goo." Francis pointed at the body covered in pink more so than most. It was a girl, somewhere around 14 years old with freckles and red hair. Her long dress was now too long for her. It was difficult to imagine this was what had become of the cheery girl that saved his life. He leaned down and checked her pulse. Still alive.
"Bring her back to my mansion." He couldn't abandon her. Not again.
"But boss-"
"Just do as I say! And don't let any cops see you."
Francis sighed, but nodded and took her away.
"Are you sure that is a good idea?" It looked like Ed had finally finished pining over the hero's wife and joined him.
"She saved me when no one else would have. I can't help thinking I'm responsible for this and for her. I will be a better friend this time." He promised himself and Ivy. He went to take a step forward when he felt fingers around his wrist.
"Oswald, wait." He turned to look at Ed with a questioning look, was it the light or was he blushing? "I just, uhm," he rubbed the back of his neck."
"Spit it out, Ed, I really want to take a bath."
"Oh." The man looked to the side, seeming disappointed. "I guess I was just going to say that I'm glad that you're alive and ask if you'd be ok with me staying in the mansion with you for a while."
Oswald immediately softened and smiled a little before hugging him. His clothes were already ruined anyway. "You're welcome to stay for as long as you want. I love your company."
Edward seemed to light up a little at that. "I love yours too."