Birds of a Feather (Oswald Cobblepot)

Things You Can't Outrun

    I'm concentrating on the paperwork at my desk when two fingers lightly tap onto my desk. I look up, and am surprised at who stands before me.

"Harrison Wells? What brings you to Gotham?" I ask, standing up.

The tall man with black hair pulls at his fingers and smiles, "I was just passing through. Heard Gotham's nice this time of year."

Leaning against my desk, I shake my head, "It's mostly just cold. On the other hand, I hear Central City hardly ever gets any snow."

He smiles, and glances around the police precinct, "Actually, to tell you the truth, there is some business I'm here to attend to. You see, I've recently become employed by STAR Labs back in Central City, and they caught word of someone here at the precinct who claims to be building an 'transdimensional portal'."

"You must be talking about Ed," I realize aloud, "yeah, he was hoping someone would notice that article he published. Also, I didn't know you worked for STAR Labs."

"Like I said: recently employed. STAR Labs sent me to possibly offer him a deal on the patent, maybe even a position at STAR Labs," he explains, flexing his fingers together.

Ed at STAR Labs? That would be a great step forward for him, even if it means not being able to see him as often. And I'm sure he'd be thrilled to be working in an actual laboratory.

"Sure, I'll go get him. Just wait here," I tell Harrison, before walking off to find Ed.

As I head in the direction of Ed's workshop, I turn back around and notice that Harrison's completely disappeared. Where did he go? Didn't I just tell him to stay there?

My eyes narrow. Is he really here to check out Ed's invention for STAR Labs? He's worked his way around me to get what he wants before, maybe I should have been more cautious when I'd first greeted him.

Before heading to Ed's lab, I call Amanda on my communicator. No one picks up on the other end, so I'm forced to leave a message.

"Amanda? It's me, Natalie. That man you were looking for, Harrison Wells? He's here, in Gotham. Get back to me when you can."

I hurry down the stairs to Ed's lab when a flash of yellow light passes me, followed by a strong gust of wind. What was that?

I make it down to the lab to find the door open. Someone too quick to make out clearly is messing with Ed's portal. He flashes from place to place, occasionally leaving a flash of yellow light trailing behind him. Is that Harrison?

"What the hell?" I whisper, while witnessing the spectacle before me.

With a zip of the yellow light, Harrison appears in front of me.

"Hello Natalie," he greets me once again, hands behind his back, still just as casual as ever.

There's another split second of light as I'm pushed back. It appears to me as if Harrison hasn't moved, but as I check my person, I realize that my gun is missing from my holster.

Removing his hands from behind his back, Harrison holds up my gun, "I'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest with you."

"No kidding. Why don't you start?" I ask.

He chuckles, "I suppose so, I owe you at least that. You were never suppose to become the Trickstress, at least not this early. My interference in time caused you to meet the Trickster, and now it's had a butterfly effect in my favor. In his article, Nygma mentioned that you helped him finish the portal, I'll bet that you used your Trickstress identity to get ahold of some...obscure car engine part?"

I raise an eyebrow, "Your interference in time? I chose to become the Trickstress, you had no say-"

"You would have anyway. When the Trickster visits Gotham and decides to go on a spree-...well, who's to say that even happens now? You did get him locked away," Harrison ponders, pacing back and forth.

Reaching into the pocket of this thin winter coat, Harrison takes out a screwdriver, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a portal to fix."

At the speed of light, Harrison speeds off, his trail of yellow light encircling Ed's portal.

"That-...that's Ed's portal! What could you possibly want with it?" I shout, over the loud whisks of Harrison's movements.

Without slowing down, Harrison's voice comes through, seemingly from everywhere he is at once, "With some reworking, I can reroute this rudimentary technology to not cross dimensions, but to bridge time itself. And I'll use this to return to my own time."

Just then, Ed's portal blasts to life, the empty middle space now filled with a swirling blue light.

"Nearly finished," Harrison revels, holding still for a moment to admire his work.

As he starts moving again at a breakneck pace, I grab one of the cords connected to the portal and give it a slight tug.

Harrison trips on the wire, losing his speed and falling to the ground. I run over to the portal's control panel, trying to shut it down.

Getting back up, Harrison snarls, "No!"

With his superspeed, he pushes me back with immense force. I'm knocked against the wall, but stammer up, not quite knocked out yet. I go running back toward the portal, but Harrison is prepared. He sends a number of quick jabs, throwing me off before I can even prepare to punch back.

He leads me away from the control panel, pushing me up to the front of the portal. With one final push, he throws me to the ground. As I hit the floor, my floundering arm catches the pull of the portal, and is sucked in. Looking up, the portal starts to malfunction, with sparks flying from every side. I try to pull out my arm, but it appears to have disappeared on the other side, as the portal continues to slowly pull me in.

Harrison stops, looking in horror as the portal starts to go haywire, "No! The portal's only powerful enough for a one-way trip!"

As he stands before me, he looks down at me, and his gripping anger turns to a sinister smile, "Well, I guess if I can't get home...then neither can you."

Pressing his foot to my face, Harrison kicks the rest of my body into the portal, its pulling force yanking me all the way in, the world I know disappearing before me.