Birds of a Feather (Oswald Cobblepot)

Forensic Examination and 100th Chapter Bloopers

  Gabe drives the sleek black car as Oswald sits shotgun. Eel sits in the back, quietly bouncing a paddle ball. They'd just picked Oswald up from Don Falcone's mansion, and were now driving back to Bamonte's.

"I don't get it," Gabe admits, his focus still on the road.

"You Gabe not get it?" Oswald chuckles, "Quelle surprise. What pray, don't you get?"

From the back, Eel raises an eyebrow at Oswald's choice of words. Gabe glances over at his boss as well, "Why not just tell Falcone the truth? It was that Liza girl that betrayed him."

"Timing Gabriel. Timing is everything," Oswald smirks, "and Liza...is a time bomb."

Oswald splays his hands in front of him, closing his eyes, "Just...wait a while. Then watch and learn."

He twists his lips into a satisfactory smile, his fowl teeth poking out from behind his jaw. Gabe's attention turns back to the road as Eel perks up.

"Say boss, what do you need all this stuff for?" he asks, gesturing to the crates loaded in the back of the car.

Oswald grits his teeth together, "That, my boys is for tonight's jewelry exposition at the Gotham Museum."

"...we're stealing jewelry?" Gabe assumes, "That's a bit low brow for you, boss."

Oswald shakes his head, "No, no Gabriel, the diamonds and jewels will merely be the bait for a certain Queen of Diamonds."

"But if one or two diamonds were to go missing in the process, you wouldn't mind, right boss?" Eel suggests.

"No...ugh, this is not about the money or the jewels. This is about exacting revenge on Marsha," he grumbles, his unclean nails grasping the top of the glove compartment.

Gabe's expression shrinks, "Marsha, Queen of Diamonds? What did she do to you?"

"She humiliated me in front of Don Maroni is what she did!" he snaps, pounding his fist down, "And I will not stand for that."

"So she took a couple of jabs at you. So what?" Eel shrugs.

Oswald buries his head in his hands, "This is why you two are the muscle...and I am the brain. You don't grasp the subtleties of this business. Image, and intimidation, is everything. And if even one person stands a chance of taking you down a peg, you get rid of them. End of story."

Gabe and Eel silently make gestures to each other, expressing their discomfort. Oswald puts his hand on Gabe's wrist.

"Gabriel, please watch the road. And Eel, don't encourage him."

Gabe gasps as he realizes he's about to swerve into a motorcyclist, and veers out of the way.

Oswald snaps his fingers to Eel without turning around, "Do you have the basket?"

Nodding, Eel turns around to the back and brings out a large woven basket with a cloth wrapped around it, and tied together with a bow, "Uhm...gotta ask boss-"

"Then ask it!" he demands.

"I-I don't see how all the stuff in here is gonna help us get rid of Marsha-"

"Give that here," Oswald leans out from the front seat to grab the basket, pulling it to him.

"That's not for Marsha," Oswald explains as he returns to his seat, placing the basket at his lap, "it's for Trixie."

    Thirty minutes into my workday I realize that Ed has not approached me yet. Strange, there shouldn't be a reason for him to be upset with me. Did he discover something? Did he...find out about Oswald? About what he does, or worst yet, what he does to me?