Chapter Text
Whatever song was playing over the PA was hard to make out over the patrons’ constant chatter, the clanking of silverware, and the never ending stream of hushed whispers between the waiters. When Oswin closed her eyes and focused single words could be made out, but so could be the very, very distant clanking of pots from the kitchen downstairs.
The dining area had been stripped of its seating arrangements, and closed off for the night. It would serve as a stage for a light show later, using the penguin's dome as the centerpiece. The upstairs lounge and bar would grant a marvelous view of the spectacle.
Oswin felt as though she could even hear the mechanical whir of the cooling department tonight.
Maybe it was just her imagination playing tricks, making everything loud and overbearing, looking for an excuse to retreat to her office, shut the door and let Lina Cavaleri's voice lull her in fully and completely. Spending the rest of the night in blissful ignorance of the dealings that awaited her attention, and having a 'normal' new years eve. Maybe. Or maybe it was time to attend to that one dreaded, last meeting, and shove the neverending pleasantries aside.
Slowly peeling the Martini olive from its toothpick with her teeth, she let her eyes wander over the bartenders, one by one, taking some time to appreciate the new year's uniforms she had chosen for them. Skimpy as they might be, the staff had agreed that this was the easiest way to collect tips for the night.
The men were sporting naked torsos, stars plastered over their chests, with detached collars and golden bow ties around their necks, as well as shirt cuffs adorning their wrists; while the women were wearing bunny suits with much the same accessories. Trousers and skirts were left to the staff's discretion, as long as the color (blue) and the fabric (shiny) were in tune with the ensemble. The regular waiters serving the downstairs dining area were wearing their usual dark blue attire with golden accents, scurrying from table to table, only serving drinks and the occasional snack tonight.
The bouncers were working in higher numbers throughout the upper area of the lounge, just in case any customers mistook the personnel's get up as anything other than a professional work attire, or the enthusiasm of new resolutions got out of hand.
Personally she didn't mind being known for having eccentric tastes, the kind which some of the elites sneered at. Their offspring were lining her pockets regardless, and the reputation of being the place to walk the tightrope between clandestine and exclusive was something she was proud of holding.
So when she pushed herself off the bar and aligned herself for a short jump from the stool, she paid the scurrying flash of color in her peripheral no mind. The ending of the year brought in all kinds of clientele.
***
Edie ran one hand through their hair, trying to comb it down further, holding their bowler in the other. Nervously checking their reflection in the gilded bathroom mirrors, they felt awfully out of place. The suit was cut sharp, but somehow the feeling of being an impostor still clung to their hunched shoulders, wearing clothes that didn't belong to them, in a place they did not belong in.
Whatever the case, no turning back now. They slipped into a stall that had just emptied out and locked the door behind themselves. Running their fingers behind the tank, some of the tension eased right out of their body, when they were met with the cool metal outlines of the little device they had installed last night. One of many. As long as seven made it through sweeps and drunk patrons ripping them off, everything would work out just fine. Better than fine. Perfect.
A small giggle made its way through their body. Quickly trying to cover the noise they slapped a hand over their mouth. Then again, it wouldn't be that out of the ordinary in a night like this. Judging from the noise of the other stalls, fellow patrons had far more emotional outbursts in these secluded halls.
Far more invigorated than before, they sat the bowler back on their head, unlocked the door, gave themselves a one over and shot the next person stumbling through the door a wink.
***
“Yes, you did a nice job with the interior. Very… cute.”
Pressing her lips together, Oswin forced a sweet smile “Why, thank you. That means so much coming from you, Don Tonio.”
“So should we get the whole thing over with?” taking a swing from his bourbon glass, the Don shot her a look “You kiss the ring, and I’ll be on my way, and you can return to… whatever this is?”
Narrowing her eyes, and widening her smile, she held his gaze in return. “Actually -HEY”
Sh was interrupted by seeing one of Tonio’s bodyguards grabbing one of the waitress's wrists, Oswin jumped from her seat on the secluded couch.
Turning around to probe the spectacle, the Don only laughed in response.
“Relax. He’s just having a little fun. Besides - if you want this relationship to work out, you’ll have to learn to share.” Still chuckling, he took another swing of his drink.
Staring daggers, Oswin searched the waitress’s eyes and slightly nodded once she saw her return the look. “It’s fine, boss, really” she reassured with forced friendliness, wrenching her hand free.
“See? She likes it. So stop acting so -” Tonio made a vague hand gesture in Oswin’s general direction.
Sitting back down, forcing herself to ignore the smug grin blooming on the bodyguard’s face, she refocused her attention on her business partner.
“As I was saying, actually” she lifted her own glass “I have a toast to make first.”
Instead of taking a sip, she let her nails clang against the side of it.
“On prosperous business. And may the ring be worn by those best suited.”
With that the adjacent tables turned over in a flourish, and the seated patrons turned in unison, pointing weapons of various make at the mob boss and his entourage.
The gasps of the further away onlookers quickly shushed into a nervous murmur, and finally died down completely. Oswin breathed a sigh of relief. Quiet at long last.
“You think you can threaten me , ON MY OWN TURF?” Don Tonio basically spat the words, slamming his glass on the table.
“Oh Tony, sweetness.” she replied, words dripping with honey “The Diamond district is my turf. Has been for weeks.” she looked at her helpful staff intermixed with her paid and glamorous help. “Nobody has told you I guess, hmmm. Pity.” Her eyes trailed from her former partner to his fellow men. “You are in my home. We can talk my terms, or you so much as twitch...” she trailed off. “What will it be?”
“You think you will get away with this? You? The slut everyone knows can do nothing but steal and bribe and f-” a shot rang out, cutting his speech short, and turned his voice into nothing but a howl. He fell to his knees, clutching his destroyed tendons.
“Wrong answer. Lienette, if you may?” her eyes locked onto the waitress who gleefully unholstered a gun from under her skirt, and snarled at the bodyguards, frozen in mid-motion, as she made her way toward the doubled over Don. She leant down teasingly and grabbed his not-at-all-concealed weapon, throwing it Oswin’s way, before running her hands down his form, looking for further concealed ones. She stopped shortly before reaching the flesh wound, only to dig her fingers in with vigor moments later.
***
Edie had heard the commotion and quickly pressed towards the stairs. Most onlookers were frozen, and the staff waving guns in everyone's faces certainly presented very good arguments for staying exactly where they were.
They’d have liked to see the whole scene play out themselves, but, ducking in the shadows, checking their illuminated wrist watch, they couldn’t deny that time was of the essence.
If anything Ed was incredibly grateful to the small business owner for choosing today to unthrone the Don. Nobody would have any mind to check for them under the st-
A gun pressed to Edie’s back made them drop the thought.
"Well, what do you call a baby riffle?" they thought darkly to themselves.
Running through various excuses and inconspicuous ways to defuse the situation AND get away, all they could come up with was “I’m sorry, is this the way to the kitchen?”
Instead of an engaging reply, that could have spurred them on to do a bit better with their creative improv next time, all Edie got was a grunted “Hands up and don’t move.”
“But you see, Sir, I am just a bit hungry I don’t know why that’s such an off-”
“Quiet. The Madame will sort things out and then you can go.”
“That isn’t very good customer s-”
“QUIET!”
Closing their eyes and taking a deep breath in Ed tried to sort their thoughts. Once that timer ran out they wanted to be anywhere but at the open end of that gun. To be fair, they wanted to be anywhere but on this floor when that happened.
“Listen, I really, really need to eat something or my blood sugar will drop and I will faint and then I will fall down the stairs and hit my head open and it will be such a mess to clean up and I will require permanent aid and I will sue this establishment to the ground and-” they rattled this information down in one breath.
The waiter, who had been straining to hear the exchange upstairs, cursed under his breath and shoved a hand into his apron pocket “Here’s a lolly. Now. Shut. Up.”
A hoarse scream drew both their attention back to where the commotion had started.
Well. Crud.
***
Three more shots rang out and the thud of three bodies hitting the floor followed shortly after.
The howling had turned into hate filled babbling. Oswin took a few tentative steps, then stopped and let her eyes sweep over the crowd. Nobody moved, except for Linette who had respectfully stepped back. No noise, save for the stream of cursing, the mechanical whir from downstairs, the music doodling from the PA, and the occasional firework exploding outside - everything was blissfully quiet.
She closed the distance, and squatted down next to Tonio. Hate contorted his features, and a saintlike smile bloomed across Oswins face in response. He swiped for her, but like a naughty child, she simply slapped his hand down mid motion.
“Na. Don’t make this worse on yourself. Dignity never hurt anyone.”
The only response she got was a growl that suspiciously sounded a lot like “you bitsssh”, followed by a ball of spit landing in front of her feet.
She let out a long sigh.
What followed happened so fast it felt more like muscle memory than premeditation.
Oswin grabbed Tonio by the hair, pulled up his head to expose his throat and leaned in close as she produced a small knife.
“I gave you so many chances. Now it’s time you start behaving or we have to shortcut this. Do you understand? Give me a little nod if you do.”
Shooting her a hate filled look, straining, Tonio tried to move his head downwards only to stop when he felt the cold metal of the blade.
Oswin chuckled. “No, no. I need you to show me you mean it.”
A horrified gasp from the crowd momentarily snapped Oswin back to the place they were in.
Leaning in, leaving the knife pressed against his adam’s apple, she whispered into Tonio’s ear “Maybe we should move this to a more private place, hm?”
Turning to the shocked onlookers she smiled sweetly. “Next round is on the house, and I think we can all agree that tricks of the light can be so distressing in combination with the fireworks outside, can’t they.”
Looking back at her staff she sighed “Ugh. Shame such a mess for no-”
A rumbling from downstairs interrupted her.