Birds of a Feather (Oswald Cobblepot)

Bird of Prey

   The minute I enter the Gotham precinct, I spot Ed waiting by the entrance, wearing a leather policeman's jacket and a policeman's cap haphazardly tipped to the side of his head.

"Who's ready to patrol?" he smiles broadly, adjusting his jacket at the cost of his hat falling to the ground.

I smile, picking up his hat, “Don’t you have work to do? I’m starting to suspect that you don’t actually work in the morgue.”

“I’m criminally underused,” he states confidently, snatching back his hat and holding it to his chest, “and I need an activity to fill up my free time. Plus, I just like spending time with you.”

Two familiar female voices suddenly catch my attention, and I move past Ed to investigate. I look over into the desk area to find Renee and Barbara sitting down in two chairs, the both of them sipping a coffee.

“Barbara, I’m not the Trickstress, but if you think you’re being pursued by her, I can put you under police protection-”

She waves her hand abruptly, “No...no police protection. I have Jim after all, he’s protection enough.”

Renee leans back in her chair, “Alright, if you insist. Although, it must get lonely, what with James being in the office all the time. You have friends you can talk to?”

“Well, my artistry keeps me busy, and I still talk to V when I get the chance. You’ve met her before, right?”

Renee rolls her eyes, “Mhm.”

“Hey girls,” I interrupt, walking over to the little area they’ve set up for themselves.

“Morning Natalie. Did you see the new doormat we got in this morning?” Renee asks sarcastically.

I scrunch my eyebrows, not quite catching her drift, “...pardon?”

She and Barbara chuckle quietly amongst themselves, before Renee explains, “I’m talking about Ed. He’s been waiting for you by the door for at least fifteen...twenty minutes. I’m starting to wonder how he gets any work done.”

I don’t want to admit that I’ve been taking him out whenever I have to patrol a beat, since that is breaking the rules. I also don’t want to admit to Barbara that I’m the Trickstress, although why she suspects Renee, I’m not sure. We look nothing alike, although that may be hard to tell through a costume and mask.

“Natalie!” Ed calls in a shouted whisper, cupping his hands around his mouth and speaking in a shouted whisper. He impatiently gestures to the watch on his left hand with a slender finger, and I sigh.

“Well, mustn’t keep the doormat waiting,” I joke, “see you two later.”

I walk back over to Ed, who stares me down with a thoughtful expression, “More enigmas, I see.”

“It was just a conversation, Ed. What’s so mysterious about it?”

He grins, taking off the police jacket and handing it to me, “The way you approached those two women. Cautious, calculated, like how a predator stalks its prey. Waiting for just the right moment to make your move, you treat every casual conversation as if it were a complex game of chess.”

Wow, for Ed, that’s a rather insightful comment on social interaction, something he’s never specialized in. Perhaps he’s finally gaining a sense of social skills, or maybe I’m just that predictable.

“I treat everything with caution, but never like a game of chess. That would be terrifying, considering how bad I am at chess.”

Walking out into the space where I’ve parked the police cruiser, we get in, strapping in our seatbelts.