Annabelle was silently standing in the far corner of Theo's office and watching as Oswald limped into the room with Tabitha close behind him.
Just as he started to look around the room, Oswald suddenly stopped when he saw Annabelle standing closest to him.
He turned to her and said, "Annabelle, I heard that you returned to Gotham, but I thought it was nothing more than a rumor."
Annabelle looked past him and at Tabitha, who moved a finger across the front of her neck, before she looked back at Oswald and replied, "Well, you thought wrong."
Oswald sighed as he said to her, "I imagine Victor will be quite relieved when I tell him that the rumors we heard on the streets were not just rumors, after all."
Annabelle slowly nodded her head as she said, "Yes, I imagine he will be."
Just when Oswald was about to respond, Theo turned off the television and said to Oswald as he walked towards him, "Mr. Cobblepot, finally, we meet."
As he grabbed Theo's hand, Oswald said, "Call me Penguin."
While he eyed Oswald, Theo said, "I thought I heard you hated that name."
Oswald told him, "It grew on me."
As he gestured towards the seat in front of his desk, Theo said, "Penguin it is. Please sit."
Before he sat into the chair, Oswald asked, "How's your head?"
With a chuckle, Theo replied, "Oh, healing, thank you. Gave me quite a scare."
Oswald said to him, "You were lucky to get out of there with your life."
As he sat down across from Oswald, Theo replied, "Wasn't I just?"
Oswald chuckled before he asked, "Was it luck?"
Theo said to him, "You are a clever man." Then he looked over at Barbara, who was walking towards them, before he said to her, "Perfect timing, dear. Do you two know each other?"
Oswald turned his head to see Barbara walking towards them with a glass in hand, while Barbara told Theo, "We've met."
Then Barbara walked over to Tabitha, who brushed her lips against Barbara's, while Oswald's eyes widened before he said, "Oh, my. The Arkham breakout, Annabelle's return, the GCPD massacre, Jerome and the Maniax. All you. Of course."
Theo raised his hands with a chuckle as he said, "Guilty. It was foolish of me to think I could trick the King of Gotham."
While she offered her glass to Oswald, Barbara said, "Here. You need this more than me." After Oswald grabbed the glass, she said, "I'll make another."
While Barbara walked away, Theo told Oswald, "My sister tells me you're doing a stellar job of organizing your new empire."
As he put the glass down on the desk, Oswald replied, "I try."
Tabitha scoffed as she said to Oswald, "You're not the King of Gotham, you're the King of Garbage."
Oswald told Tabitha, "A year ago, I held Fish Mooney's umbrella. Now she's dead by my hand. Along with Maroni. Falcone is in hiding and all of their businesses are mine. They all underestimated me. I suggest you not make the same mistake."
Tabitha looked over at Annabelle, who only raised her eyebrows in response, while Theo said to Oswald, "My sister is too blunt. But she is honest. The foundations of this great city were laid two-hundred years ago by some very dedicated people. Now, it's an old, crumbling pigsty, full of human waste. It's time to move into the future. A cleaner, brighter future."
Then he removed a large, gray cloth and revealed a miniature version of Gotham with a blue hologram that stood in the middle of it.
After limping over to the table, Oswald said as he pointed at the small buildings, "Uh, those are all residential areas. So, thousands of homes would have to be destroyed, wouldn't they?"
Tabitha replied, "Yeah, so?"
Annabelle sighed and sped towards Oswald before she placed a hand on his shoulder and said to him, "Calm down, Oswald. She's nothing more than a petty little bitch who thinks she's better than everyone else."
Tabitha narrowed her eyes at Annabelle as she drank from the glass Barbara had brought into the room, while Theo told Oswald, "Here's the rub. In order to rebuild, I need first to destroy. But I can't do that. I mean, watch the news, I'm a hero. But you have a certain flair for such a task. You, Penguin. You will be my destroyer."
Oswald chuckled as he said, "Truly, I'm flattered. Thank you so much for thinking of me. But, my dear sir, you have me all wrong. I have no flair for destruction. I'm a builder, a problem solver. Besides, such a huge project would need the support of hundreds of city officials."
Theo replied, "Yes. Only the highest authority could see it through correctly. Say, a mayor with a landslide mandate."
Oswald said to him, "But you're not a candidate."
Theo replied, "Oh, I will be. By popular demand. Alas, some of my fellow candidates actually stand a chance of winning, so they'll have to go."
While Tabitha held a file out to Oswald, he said with a chuckle, "Go?"
Theo told him, "And I'm gonna need you to take a crack at me, also. And miss, of course. Don't want anyone to think that I had anything to do with my fellow candidates' demise."
Oswald opened the file and saw the names of the two others that were just on Theo's television before he looked up at Theo and said, "That's smart thinking. However, with all due respect, Mr. Galavan, I'm not your man." Then he threw the file down onto the table before he said, "You need an assassin. This is Gotham, you can find them in the phone book."
Annabelle chuckled to herself.
While she started to realize just how much she missed Oswald's ways of words with others, Oswald said, "Under 'A'."
Then Oswald winked at Theo before he limped away from the three of them.
Theo was silent for a moment before he said, "One moment, Mr. Penguin." After Oswald swiftly turned around to look back at Theo, Theo said, "I'm sorry. I took you for a man of vision."
Then he turned to Tabitha and asked her, "Taba, do you wanna get the remote, dear?"
Tabitha grinned before she went to get the remote as she said, "Yay."
While Tabitha walked towards Theo's desk, Theo told Oswald, "Before you leave, my sister would love to show you her favorite reality show. She's addicted!"
Annabelle looked over at Theo with furrowed eyebrows before her eyes narrowed at Tabitha once she saw Gertrud Kapelput on the screen of their television.
Oswald only stared at Tabitha, while she said, "She's being kind of dull right now, but sometimes, she cries and bangs on the door."
Annabelle slowly walked towards the television, while she heard Gertrud say, "Free me."
Oswald yelled, "Mother!"
Gertrud said, "I swear. I swear, I don't know about—"
As he turned to face the two Galavan siblings, Oswald yelled, "You'll pay for this!"
Then he looked over at Annabelle, who simply looked shocked, before he looked over at Tabitha as she said, "That's the spirit."
Theo held the file out to Oswald again as he told him, "They die, your mother lives. Simple."
As Oswald snatched the file out of Theo's hand, Annabelle stared at the television screen, while Gertrud continued to plead to be let out.
Gertrud said, "I swear. I swear, I don't know nothing."
While she listened to the sound of Theo laughing, Annabelle couldn't help but wish for his death to happen even more.
Not only was he threatening Victor Zsasz's life, but now he was doing the same to Gertrud Kapelput, a woman that did nothing but be a mother to Oswald.
If anything else were to happen to Gertrud, no matter what Oswald did himself, Annabelle would not rest until Theo Galavan and his sister were both dead.
* * *
Annabelle was walking through the GCPD precinct when she heard a voice yell from behind her, "Hey, you! Stop!"
She slowly stopped walking and turned her head to see a bald man wearing a gray suit quickly walking towards her with his hand hovering over his gun.
It was only when the man stopped in front of her that she asked him, "Do I know you?"
The man plastered a grin on his face and shook his head, while he said, "No, but I know you. You're Annabelle Mikaelson, one of the people responsible for the massacre here. A massacre that killed Commissioner Sarah Essen."
Annabelle asked him, "Okay, what's your point?"
He replied, "My point is that you're a criminal and I'm going to have to have you arrested."
Annabelle chuckled before she said with a sigh, "Yeah, I wouldn't do that, if I were you."
As he tilted his head, he asked her, "Oh, yeah? And why's that?"
As she slowly leaned in towards him, Annabelle told him, "Because any cop who's tried to arrest me in the past has ended up dead and quite frankly, I'm not in the mood to have to kill another. I'm only in the mood for someone to aid me in ensuring someone I care about isn't killed by the very people that forced me to return to this damn city. That's all. So unless you'd like to be nothing more than a headless body in one of my alleyways, then I suggest you move along and let me go do my thing."
The man forced a chuckle before he shook his head and said to her, "Yeah, I don't think so."
Then he quickly wrapped the handcuffs around her wrists and smirked when he saw her glance down at her wrists.
His smirk, however, fell when she quickly ripped her hands away from one another and the handcuffs broke.
She slowly tilted her head as she said, "Oh, I'm sorry, was that supposed to do something?"
His eyebrows furrowed as he asked her, "How the hell did you do that?"
Annabelle stared at him with a blank look on her face before she quickly grabbed him by the front of his neck with a tight grip.
He started to try and break free of her grip, only to stop when he saw that her veins were on display.
Annabelle told him, "I'm the last person you would want to make angry so if I were you, I'd think twice before you try and arrest me when I've done nothing but wish that the few people I care about in this city don't die because of the bastard that had me forcefully brought here."
The man narrowed his eyes at her, which got her to slowly tighten her grip even more on his neck, only to stop when she heard a voice say from behind her, "Annabelle, stop."
Annabelle slowly turned around as she said, "James Gordon, my least favorite detective in all of Gotham. How might I help you on this rather splendid day?"
James replied, "You can help me by releasing Captain Nathaniel Barnes."
Annabelle's eyebrows furrowed as she said, "Who?"
James gestured towards the man she was holding, which got her to release Nathaniel after she said, "Oh."
Then James said to her, "Now I don't know why you're here, but Captain Barnes is right. You should be arrested for being an accomplice in the murders of Commissioner Essen and the officers that got killed, which includes the two that became headless because of you."
Annabelle scoffed as she quickly walked towards him and pointed at him, while she said, "You damn well know why I'm here, Gordon. You said you would look into the two bastards that threatened the life of the one man I care for in this city, but you didn't. And why should I be surprised? No matter the person, you're supposed to help protect someone, but you haven't even bothered to look into it. You told me yourself when you tried to arrest me the day that Galavan murdered Valeska."
James told her, "I haven't done it because any person you affiliate yourself with is a criminal, so it should come to no surprise that the person you want to protect is also a criminal."
Annabelle replied, "You owe me, Gordon. Instead of killing Leslie Thompkins, Edward Nygma and Kristen Kringle, I spared them! I went against my urge to kill them, despite the blood I smelled and hearing the rapid heartbeat of your dearest belle. The least you could do is look into this for me! Those cursed people are behind the Arkham breakout and are the reason why we even attacked the GCPD! If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have even bothered. I mean, what reason could I possibly have for attacking the GCPD? I had no interest in doing so, but you don't think of that. You think of that fact that I simply aided in it and not bother to think about why I did that. I might be an apparent psychopathic bitch, but I do care for others, just as you care for your Leslie."
James only looked away from her, which got Annabelle to scoff before she said, "I don't know why I even went to you to begin with. You don't care for anyone, unless they're innocent people. People who've never even murdered someone before."
When he still didn't respond, she scoffed once more before she disappeared.
After watching Annabelle disappear right in front of him, Nathaniel Barnes said, "What the hell?"
James sighed as he told Nathaniel, "She has a thing for doing that."
Nathaniel started ordering people to issue an arrest warrant for Annabelle Mikaelson.
He wanted her to be brought in immediately for assault and battery, aiding and abetting, and mass murder.
James knew that it wouldn't be long until Annabelle heard the news about her warrant, which would either make her go on another killing spree, or have her go into hiding.
Whichever it was, he wasn't sure.
What he was sure of, though, was that Annabelle wouldn't be happy one bit.
* * *
After getting back to his apartment and quickly entering it, Victor took out his phone and dialed the number of the very person he did nothing but piss off since her first arrival to Gotham City eleven years ago.
Annabelle Mikaelson.
He didn't particularly know why he chose to call her of all people, especially with how she abruptly left Gotham and had been doing everything in her power to avoid him since her return, but he did it anyway and could only hope that she would answer his call.
His hope was actually granted because not even halfway through the first ring, he heard Annabelle say into the phone, "Whoever this is, you better have a damn good reason for calling me right now."
As he took off his jacket and listened to her sigh, he said, "So, I heard that you got yourself an arrest warrant."
While he took off his shirt and grabbed himself a tweezer, she chuckled and said to him, "Hello, Victor."
Victor didn't respond.
Instead, he let out a groan as he started to pull the bullet out of his shoulder.
He almost dropped the tweezer when he heard her ask, "What happened? Is everything alright with you?"
He didn't reply.
Instead, he occasionally groaned as he continued to try and pull the bullet out of his shoulder.
After successfully pulling out the bullet and placing it in a small, metal try, he told her, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just got hit while out on a job."
Annabelle asked him, "You got hit? From what I can remember, you've never gotten hit. What changed?"
While he walked towards his bathroom and grabbed his own first aid kit, he told her, "That Barnes apparently got some new people in the GCPD. One of the new people hit me."
Annabelle was silent for a couple of moments before she asked him, "Where are you?"
Victor stopped what he was doing and hesitantly told her, "My apartment. Why?"
His question was soon enough answered when he heard rapid knocking at his door, which got him to ask her, "Are you here already?"
Annabelle replied, "Yes, now invite me in."
He chuckled as he walked towards the front door and, after opening it, he leaned against the doorway with his good shoulder, while he said, "If I'd have known that getting hurt would bring you here, I would have done it a while ago."
Annabelle narrowed her eyes at him before she said, "Just invite me in, Victor."
He chuckled as he watched her start to get worked up before he waved his hand, while he walked back towards the bathroom and said to her, "Fine, fine, come in. Do what you will."
Annabelle quickly entered his apartment and closed the door behind herself.
While she walked through his apartment, she asked him, "What kind of job were you even doing that got you hurt, anyways?"
With a first aid kit in hand, he walked towards the kitchen as he told her, "Penguin wanted me to kill Randall Hobbs, some guy that was apparently running for Mayor."
Annabelle's eyes widened before she sped towards him and asked him, "Did he say why he wanted you to kill him?"
Victor shook his head as he said, "No, of course not. He just said he wanted Hobbs killed." When he saw her quickly move away from and start to pace inside of his kitchen, he said, "But you know why, don't you?"
Annabelle shook her head and her pacing had quickened, while she said, "No, I don't. What gave you that idea?"
Victor replied, "Nothing really. Well, aside from the fact that you're now pacing and won't look at me, which are two things that I've never seen you do before."
Annabelle immediately stopped pacing and grabbed Victor's arms, while she said, "I don't care how much Oswald wants you to do it again. I don't want you going after Hobbs or anyone else for that matter, until the next mayor is announced. Do you understand me?"
Victor eyed her before he asked, "Annabelle, what's going on?"
While she released him and backed away from him, Annabelle told him, "The person who's behind my return is very dangerous and I can't risk the chance of Oswald angering him and get him to retaliate by going after those closest to Oswald in his new empire."
Victor eyed her before he asked, "Him? Who's 'him'?"
Annabelle yelled, "It doesn't matter who he is! All that matters is that he's also responsible for the Arkham breakout and the GCPD massacre! Not to mention the seven men we threw off of the roof of the Gotham Gazette! You don't know what he's willing to do, if it means I stay in line. Now he's done the same to Oswald. He's holding Gertrud hostage and I can't do anything about it, or the person I care for most will die as a result of my actions."
Victor asked her, "The person you care for most? Do you mean the man that lives in this city that you say I know?"
Annabelle nodded her head as she said, "Yes, him. I can't risk anything happening to him."
While he watched her start pacing again, Victor asked, "If you're worried about this man that you care about, then why are you here with me? Shouldn't you be out making sure he doesn't get killed?"
Annabelle stopped moving for a moment as she started to debate on whether or not she should tell Victor that it was he that she cared about most before she shook her head to herself and told him, "I was worried. I didn't know how bad your injury was."
Victor scoffed as he said, "It's just a bullet wound, Annabelle. It'll heal."
Annabelle sighed as she said to him, "Yes, I know, but it didn't stop me from worrying over you." Then she stopped pacing again and turned to him, while she said, "Just promise me that no matter how much you may want to, you don't do any other job of killing someone until a new mayor is picked, okay? I don't want this to get out of hand."
Victor replied, "I can't just not work, Annabelle. It's part of my job, killing people."
Annabelle was about to insist that he sideline himself, only to stop after she accepted a phone call and yelled once she brought the phone to her ear, "What?!"
Her veins came onto display when she heard Tabitha say to her, "Hey, Annabelle, I heard about your arrest warrant."
Annabelle asked her, "What do you want from me?"
Tabitha replied, "Hey, easy, now. I just want to check in on you. From what I heard, you're not really fond of arrest warrants, so I just want to see what you're up to."
Annabelle scoffed as she said, "Piss off."
Tabitha feigned a gasp as she replied, "Oh, that's not very friendly."
Annabelle retorted, "Bite me."
Tabitha chuckled as she said, "Here's a better idea. Why don't I go after Victor Zsasz and bring him back for me to play with?"
Annabelle glanced over at Victor, who was watching her as he played with the bullet in his hand, before she said, "I told you to keep him out of it, you bitch."
Tabitha replied, "And I will, if you lose the attitude."
Annabelle said through grit teeth, "I swear if you harm him in any way, I will take you and your brother and drive the both of you mad with my torturous actions. Do you understand me?"
Tabitha replied, "Yeah, yeah, just hurry up and get back here, will you?"
Just before Annabelle was about to take the phone away from her ear and hang up on Tabitha, she suddenly became incredibly tense when she heard Tabitha say, "And do be sure to give Victor my best regards."
Annabelle's eyes widened, which got Tabitha to chuckle as she asked, "Have you forgotten, Annabelle? I watch your every move and so far, you haven't gone against my brother's rules. As long as you abide by that, nothing will happen to Victor. Now, hurry along and get back to your new home. My brother is waiting for you."
As soon as the call had ended, Annabelle started to shake in anger, which got Victor to quickly move towards her and ask, "Annabelle, what's going on?"
Annabelle didn't respond.
Her shaking only grew more intense.
The only thing that stopped her shaking was when she saw a picture of her and her twin brother, Kol, being held out in front of her.
Annabelle started to lose her tension the moment she saw Kol, her brother whom she hadn't seen for two-hundred and ninety-seven years, before she asked Victor, "You've kept my photographs with you?"
Victor replied, "Of course I did. It appears that when you left, you forgot to take them with you. I figured that if you ever came back, you'd want them back. I kept them safe."
Annabelle slowly looked up at Victor as a single tear rolled down the side of her face before she said to him, "Thank you, Victor."
Victor smirked as he said, "Any time, Annabelle."
Then for the first time in almost three-hundred years, Annabelle wrapped her arms around someone that wasn't family.
After silently standing there in complete shock, Victor slowly wrapped his own arms around her waist.
It was only when Victor wrapped his arms around Annabelle's waist that she broke down and started to sob, which got him to soothingly rub her back as he whispered comforting words in her ears.
And so, for the rest of the night until she would get that call from Theo Galavan demanding that she return to the penthouse unless she would rather have Victor Zsasz killed, she remained in Victor's company as he did everything he could to calm down the overly emotional Original.