Birds of a Feather (Oswald Cobblepot)

Dynamic Duo

   I walk out of the locker room in a blue police officer uniform, blue shirt, black pants, and a black leather jacket. Captain Essen already has a badge ready for me in her office.

“Normally I’d only give these out at police training graduation, but with our current numbers, I think I can make an exception,” she concludes, pinning the badge to my shirt, “sorry there’s no official ceremony for you.”

Ed starts clapping loudly, beaming at me, the sound echoing through the otherwise silent room.

Captain Essen clears her throat, gesturing for Ed to stop.

“There’s been a recent media leak concerning missing street kids. The public is panicking, so I’m having all officers on duty to focus on locating these kids,” she explains, “I want you to cover the south side of the warehouse district, it’s school time so any kids you see out there are automatically considered delinquents.”

I nod as she rolls up the map, “Ed has your keys to your police car.”

I turn around and see him hold up a small ring with a key and a remote attached. I smile, before thanking Captain Essen and leaving her office. I reach out to take the key from Ed, but he snatches it away from me, lifting it up so I can’t reach.

“Na, ah, ah, I am going with you,” he declares.

I raise an eyebrow, “What? Ed, you don’t even have police training, and besides, don’t you have your own work to do?”

“I pushed for you to have this job so that we could be a team once more, not so you could run off on your own and do wonderful things without me,” he explains, “besides, they never give me anything I couldn’t easily clear in twenty minutes top.”

I roll my eyes, if only I could be as efficient as Ed, “Alright, but if anyone finds out, you snuck in the back and I had no idea you were here.”

Ed pumps his fists, “Yes!”

We walk down to the main floor when we pass by two male cops. I glance over at the younger, cleanshaven one. He was the detective that interrupted Morgan’s beating. But it’s not him that notices her, it’s the other one, heavier, wearing a hat.

“Hey Nygma, you got a girlfriend?” he chuckles jokingly.

Ed stops in his tracks, “No...not yet...that is to say, that it couldn’t be a possibility in the future, or it has to be specifically with her...this is Natalie by the way,” he steps aside, presenting me with both hands, “Natalie, these men are Detectives Gordon and Bullock.”

“Hold on...aren’t you one of the dancers at Fish Mooney’s?” Gordon asks.

I shrug, trying to keep my cool, “No idea what you’re talking about.”

Bullock nudges Gordon on the shoulder, “C’mon, man, those girls all look the same. It’s probably nothing.”

I turn around and begin walking away, but Gordon points an accusing finger toward me, “I’ve got my eye on you kid.”

   I sigh as I sit in the driver’s seat of the police cruiser. Ed sits in the passenger’s seat, making sure to buckle his seatbelt, and reminding me with a gesture to buckle mine.

“You never told me you were a dancer,” he mumbles, staring straight ahead.

Of course of all people Ed would catch my bluff, “Hey, a girl’s gotta make a living somehow.”

“Well you could’ve told me before I pushed to have you become an officer!” he exclaims, turning to her and placing his arm on the chair.

I start up the car and pull out of the police parking lot, driving down towards the warehouse district.