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When he teamed up with Oswald Cobblepot only for opportunity, he wasn’t expecting to be put into this situation. A child? A child Oswald cared for? Last time he heard, Oswald despised touring schools and talking to children. How did Oswald go from that to risking his own life to save a kid? Risking something again from what Ed has heard.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this!” Ed exclaims, trying to pick a lock as quickly as possible. “A child, Oswald? Really?”
“You don’t have to help me if it upsets you so damn much! I’m fully capable on my own,” Oswald snaps, not needing this complaining today.
“No, I have to help you. It’s a child. I’m not going to be responsible for pain against a child.” He hisses when the lock clicks, letting him know it was cracked. He hastily opens the door, letting them continue their way through.
“I didn’t know The Riddler cared so much about children,” Oswald mocks him, following Ed through.
“Any adult who thinks it’s okay to hurt a child is a whole different type of monster, Oswald.”
No matter how much Oswald wants to despise him, he can’t bring himself to push further. There’s something about the tone of Ed’s voice, how bitter it is. Has Ed had experience with that sort of pain? If so, it could explain a lot of Ed’s behavior in general.
The whole building is a maze for an abandoned warehouse. It’s been renovated by how secure it is. Clearly to hide her victims. Ed walks through as if knowing the building like the back of his hand. He’s never been here before so there must be some way Ed knows this. Maybe the architecture? Oswald has no clue.
Suddenly Ed stops a few feet away from a darken area. Not even the sunlight hits the area. There’s a soft grinding noise, metal rubbing against metal. Ed’s hand is outstretched to his side, stopping Oswald from moving.
“Did you bring a source of light?” Ed asks, whispering.
“What do you think I am? Inspector gadget?” Oswald replies.
“Now is not the time for snark.” Ed obtains his gun from the back of his pants, uncocking it.
They slowly walk forward, Oswald staying close and behind Ed. He regrets trusting him so deeply, even with a gun in his hand. Walking forward gives them a better look of how the setting looks, making it brighter.
A boy with tousled, brown hair looks up at them, stopping the scraping of his handcuffs against the pole. At first he looks worried, but then his eyes rest of Oswald’s figure. He tries to pull his hands away, to reach for him. His eyes are pleading him. Martin.
“Martin!” Oswald sighs with relief, pushing Ed’s gun to the ground.
Ed hurries over, taking out his lockpick to get the handcuffs off of the boy. He doesn’t look at Ed as he releases him, all his attention placed on Oswald. It doesn’t take long to pick the handcuffs, them being a fairly easy lock to destroy. Right after the handcuffs slip down his small wrists, he runs over to Oswald and envelops him in a hug.
Oswald pets his hair, his other arm snaking around the small boy’s back. He gazes at Ed, letting out a sigh of relief. Ed looks pleased as well, putting his gun away. However, he seems to be on edge. He’s probably thinking the same thing he is. They need to leave.
“We need to leave as quickly as possible,” Ed states, walking over to them, “If Sofia is as cunning as people say, she already knows we’re here.”
“Correct, like usual.”
“We can’t move swiftly with a child, Oswald. You’re quick on your leg, but only barely. I’ll carry him and we’ll run out of here.”
Oswald thinks about this. Overall, he doesn’t trust Ed enough with a child. Definitely Martin. However, Ed seems genuine when it came to his safety. He has to rely on him to get the three out of here alive.
“Drop him and I’ll break this truce with a snap of my fingers,” Oswald threatens.
Ed smirks. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Oswald knows Ed isn’t strong, anything but. Martin is small and light, and he hopes Ed will be able to do it. He watches Ed scoop him up with ease and he begins to move when he nods his head. Part of his heart is warmed at Ed carrying the child with such a hold that represents care and protection as they flee the area. Martin is clutching at his green suit jacket, obviously feeling safe in the tall murderer’s arms.
They end up in a safehouse. A safehouse that only Oswald knows about. He needs one of those in case of any betrayals. Like Sofia for example. As long as she didn’t go snooping in his secret financial records.
Ed and Oswald stand in the kitchen. The house is nothing special, but it’s the only area that can be trusted. Ed has set up food items onto the counters, planning on putting them away. When they ran into a convenient store to pack up on food it was a huge sight for every customer. The Riddler and the Penguin scrambling together in a store like worried parents? It would have puzzled anyone.
“Three different kinds of cereal. A gallon of milk. A loaf of bread, maybe we should have grabbed two,” Ed lists the food, adding comments along the way, “A pack of American cheese. The real stuff, we don’t have to feed him chemicals. Ham and turkey. Two gallons of water. I think we’re missing things and I’m going to lose it once we leave.”
“He’s going to be fine.”
“Are you sure it’s okay to leave a nine year old all by himself in a safehouse?”
“I taught him how to properly stab anyone. He’s a smart kid too. Just because he doesn’t talk, doesn’t mean he’s stupid.”
Ed points an accusing finger. “I never said that.”
“If I was aware that he wouldn’t be able to do this, I wouldn’t be leaving him here in the first place.”
He drops his finger and nods. He runs a hand through his hair, clearly stressing. “He’s not severely injured. Some cuts from the tight handcuffs, but I’ve cleaned and bandaged them. Honestly, all he really needs is sleep at the moment.”
“That’s good. Really good, Ed. Thank you.” He feels relieved. He also feels comfortable around Ed, like everything was the way it was before everything went to hell. “I’m sorry for bringing you into this. I sent him away to protect him, but I guess Zsasz gave up his placement to her.”
“You really love him, don’t you, Oswald? To send him away like that?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
The silence between them is incredibly awkward. Possibly because Oswald would have done the same for the man in front of him. He would have given up everything to keep him safe. He likes to believe that ridding Ed’s world of that emotionally manipulative bitch was a sign of sacrifice. Risking their friendship and Ed’s happiness to protect him. Part of it might have been for that, but he knows. He knows it was mostly for him in the end. It makes him sick just thinking about it.
“I suggest we check on him before we leave. This place is rather cozy, but it’ll have to be saved for later.” He winks at Oswald playfully, grabbing his hat and green suit jacket.
He hates this. He hates looking back at the past and only feeling regret. He hates standing here with Ed and feeling those feelings reamerage. He tried so hard to bury them, however talking to his frozen love for five months didn’t really help. God, he’s a terrible person. How could he have done that?
“Oswald, are you there?”
“Yes, yes, and stop doing that.”
He leans back, startled by his demand. “Stop doing what?”
“Acting as if everything is back to normal between us. It’s making me feel sick.”
What he sends next isn’t hurtful like Oswald expected. Instead, it’s really a statement. “Sick with regret?”
Oswald simply glares and walks out of the room, going to check on Martin. He refuses to do this now.
Ed and Martin in the library of the Van Dahl Mansion months later. The first thing that brought Ed to enjoy the child so much was his love for learning and math. Two out of the several intelligent things Ed loves. It was hard at first to gain the young boy’s trust due to his lack of talking, and the sure knowledge that Oswald only told his half of the story to Martin.
“How about this one?” Ed asks, holding up a book.
He turns to see the boy shaking his head from the enormous chair. Ed sighs, scanning the shelf again. They came in here to look for a book, but Ed’s having his doubts. It seems to him that Martin has other ideas. He hopes murder is not involved because he wouldn’t be able to even lay a hand on the kid.
Ed huffs. “What is this about, Martin? I’m not stupid.”
The boy climbs out of the chair and walks over, scribbling words down as he approaches. He makes sure to hide the words as he writes, but Ed still tries to see what he’s writing, or drawing. Depends on the message he’s trying to deliver.
Oswald and you need to fix things.
Ed shakes his head with bemusement. No, they don’t. They’re fine. “You’re wrong. Everything is okay. I mean, could it be better? Yes. However, that won’t be happening. You know how stubborn Oswald can be.”
Martin shakes his head fiercely writing own a response. Oh boy, Ed’s in for it. He isn’t going to leave this room until the child has his way. Hmm… like Oswald.
I like you, Ed. He does too even though he won’t admit it. We can’t be a true family if you don’t talk.
For a child, he sure does seem to know how to handle the situation. Family, though? Is that how Martin sees the both of them? If so, that only complicates things. It was never supposed to get this far. Oswald and him were supposed to go their separate ways, yet he fell for that kid just by carrying him out of that warehouse. He wasn’t going to abandon him.
“I know what you mean, however, like I said, that won’t be happening. How do I even approach the topic? Haven’t you see how hard he tries to avoid me while I’m here?” He looks back at the door, the only thing between him and Oswald, “Obviously, we talk occasionally. I wish to talk to him more deeply, intimately, but he always finds a way to get away before it gets too far.”
Martin frowns, disappointed. He writes something quickly, showing it to Ed right away. I’ll run upstairs to get a book. I’ll take a long time to give you some time to talk to him. Make sure he doesn’t find an excuse.
“Martin, it really wouldn’t be the best idea.” He groans, getting a glimpse of his begging eyes. “Ugh! Fine! What will it hurt?”
He doesn’t know how he let this happen, but here he is months later after Sofia sitting in his living room with Martin… and Ed. His relationship with Ed is confusing, due to Ed’s actions. He’ll try to grab Oswald’s hand only to be rejected. Yet, sometimes he finds themselves staring each other like the used to. Sometimes, Ed ends up his bed as a spoon. They’ve kissed once, and he regrets it. Not because it was gross or unwanted. It was because it wasn’t helping Oswald stop his return of the undying love for the man. He’s aware that Ed has tried again to get something out of him, but he can’t allow it.
Ed’s relationship with Martin isn’t confusing, though. They like each other. Ed wasn’t sure what to do at first, but he grew more accustomed to how to behave. Once he got the hang of it, he was a master.
When Martin suddenly runs up stairs to get something, Oswald immediately starts to find an excuse to leave the room. The room where Ed and him are now alone without a child to witness Ed’s attempts.
“You don’t like this, do you?” Ed asks.
“I have no idea what you mean.”
“I make you uncomfortable, sitting here with him and having a good time. Acting like a second dad when I wasn’t even invited to have the title.”
“He’s going to be back any second, Ed. I don’t want to do this now.”
Ed slams his thighs, letting out an aggravated sigh. “You’re always going to say that, aren’t you? Why won’t you talk to me? Don’t you think it’s time for that, Oswald?”
“Please stop.”
“Obviously, I’m open for moving on, Oswald. I’m sitting here on the couch with you, asking for you to talk to me!”
“Ed-”
“I said you could never change, but you did! You love that kid, Oswald! You love him, like you loved me! You made a mistake, a mistake I will never be able to fully forgive, but I can move on. I miss my best friend. The only friend that truly cared about me. The first person, actually.”
Oswald inhales, trying to obtain some sort of emotion. “I would be lying if I said that I don’t miss you too, Ed. I want you to be there for him, I know you do.”
“Oswald, I think I’m falling in love with you and it’s one of the scariest things I’ve ever been through. You know, I would have left her for you Oswald within a second, but you killed her and that wouldn’t do. When I thought you were dead, I missed you so much. I took drugs to see you, Oswald! Trust me, I saw some pretty revealing things about myself during that period. And then you returned, and the truth hurt. I didn’t want to kill you again Oswald, my brain just told me too. Don’t ask me why, I don’t either. I’m messed up.” Ed shakes his head, laughing at himself. “It’s messed up of me to love you, Oswald. To be here. To be caring for that child like a son. To be trying to hold you hand, sleeping in your bed some nights, and to have kissed you that one time. It’s wrong-”
“I let you,” Oswald whispers pathetically. “Doesn’t that show anything?”
“You’re an idiot for still loving me.”
He finally gets Oswald to laugh. “Aren’t you an idiot for giving in?”
Ed scoots closer, bringing his hand to hold Oswald’s head. “Please let me be a father to him, Oswald. Please let me be your friend again in the least.”
“You know after this conversation, we can never be just friends.”
“It’ll be hard, I know. There’ll be fights and me sleeping on the couch every now and then, but we can make this work.”
“You’re impossible to say no to when you talk like that.”
“Okay good!”
Ed moves forward, pressing his lips against Oswald’s. Oswald lets him, lets himself return the affection. Their kiss is passionate, tender, loving, their lips moving together like they’re supposed to. Their past kiss was all lust, this one is much more satisfying.
Oswald pushes him away when he hears a slow clap from the stairs. Ed smiles at the noise, not even turning around to see Martin from the stairs. Oswald looks horrified, glancing between Ed and Martin. They planned this. Damn it, they were meant to be a family.
“I hate the both of you sometimes,” Oswald states. He pauses and cocks his head while staring at Martin. “I take that back. I’ll never be mad at you, Martin.”
He watches the boy smile while Ed doesn’t look fazed, moving to kiss Oswald’s forehead playfully. Oswald holds Ed’s arm, keeping Ed’s lips on his head. Martin comes down the stairs, hugging Oswald. They’re going to be okay. This weird, mildly dysfunctional family.