After he entered the visitation room, James Gordon halted for a moment when he saw Annabelle Mikaelson chained to not only her chair but also the table.
Then there was the fact that she had handcuffs keeping her close to the table and her ankles were strapped to the chair.
As he slowly walked towards the chair that was across from her, he noticed how tense she was and how much she was shaking.
Not to mention the fact that her veins were on display once more.
It wasn't until he sat down across from her that she asked him, "What do you want, Gordon? I thought that after you had me sent back here a week ago, I'd never have to see your bloody face ever again."
He replied, "Neither did I, and yet here I am."
She plastered a grin on her face as she said to him, "And here you are." After her grin fell from her face, she asked him, "What do you want from me?"
He told her, "I want you to tell me everything you did the moment you left the church with Zsasz the day you were sent here."
She became even more tense and her jaw had clenched before she said to him, "Don't mention that cursed name to me."
James frowned before he sighed and waved his hand to her.
After narrowing her eyes and slowly eyeing him, she said, "Fine. I suppose I'll tell you what I did the moment I left the church with that traitorous bastard." After seeing James tilt his head and raise an eyebrow at her, she asked him, "What? Am I wrong? Wasn't it Zsasz that got one of his assassins to shoot me twice with those damn bullets before congratulating the bastard that shot me?"
James sighed as he said to her, "Just get on with it, Annabelle, please."
She slowly clenched her hands into fists as she told him, "The moment I left the church, I went on a killing spree. A killing spree that was far worse than the ones I had in both 1011 and 1718. It was fair that it was bad, since my dearest human friend had been killed and I was feeling overwhelmed by my grief and anger. It appears that I was so overwhelmed by my emotions that I wasn't aware that someone had called you and given my location away until I heard your demands of me surrendering myself." After being silent for a couple of seconds, she said to him, "I think you can fill in the blank of what happened from that point onward."
He asked her, "And what about the claim that Sofia Falcone made? Did you actually try and kill her after she left the church?"
She blinked before she replied, "No, I didn't. I might have wanted to kill her over a dozen times during her time in Gotham, but I never would have taken the easy way out and killed her with a bullet to the head. Instead, I would have taken her with me and found out just what torturing tactic I'd use that could drive her mad before killing her after hearing her beg for that smell mercy of death. Even then, I wouldn't automatically kill her. I'd slowly pull off her fingernails, her toenails, her fingers, her toes and every other thing I could think of before tearing her limbs from her body. The same would be done with her ears, her nose, her eyes, her tongue, her teeth. It would only be after she became a bleeding mess that I'd tear her bloody head off and leave all of her forcibly removed remains on the floor and be done with her." When James only closed his eyes in response, she asked him, "I mean, what would be the point in taking the easy way out of killing her? That would just take the fun out of it."
When he still didn't respond, she gasped before she asked him, "Oh, does this mean you weren't aware of my capability for being a master in the art of torture?" When he still didn't respond, she feigned a pout before she said to him, "And here I thought that someone would at least have told you about that bit. After all, I've had over eight-hundred years to perfect my techniques in torturing others. I see no harm in inflicting my rage on those that chose to piss me off, which is just what Sofia Falcone did because believe it or not, Gordon, the moment I'm out of this damn asylum, I'm going to do every single thing I just told you and maybe even more. After all, she deserves that much when she managed to turn him against me, the one person I never thought would betray me."
James's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he said to her, "You mean Victor Zsasz." When she only tilted her head in response, he told her, "Annabelle, after Penguin's arrest, I talked to Sofia. She admitted to me that she had one of Strange's monstrosities look like Zsasz to make you think he betrayed you and that she framed you for trying to kill her. None of it was real. He didn't betray you."
She scoffed as she asked him, "Do you really think that I'll believe you, the one person that repeatedly said just how much you wanted to have me sent back to this damn asylum?"
He replied, "Annabelle, I'm not lying to you. Zsasz didn't betray you." When she only scoffed in response, he said to her, "Listen to my heartbeat, if you don't believe me. He's still loyal to you."
She retorted, "If that's the case, then why don't you have him come here himself and tell me that? That way, I could tear into his bloody throat the moment I see that insufferable face of his."
James sighed before he patted the table twice and then stood up to leave the room and left an enraged Annabelle Mikaelson by herself at the table, while she waited for the guards and orderlies to come and take her out of the room.
* * *
While sitting at a table, Oswald Cobblepot silently pushed around the food on his tray as he listened to all the yells coming from the inmates that were scattered throughout the room.
It had been two weeks since he returned to Arkham and during those two weeks, he could hardly get much sleep.
If it wasn't the other inmates that were keeping him awake, it was Annabelle screaming threats at Jerome every time he started to laugh rather maniacally.
He knew that she held a rather long grudge against Jerome, but he didn't see the point in her screaming threats at the deranged ginger everyday.
It didn't matter where they were.
If Jerome was in the same room or vicinity as Annabelle, she would start to scream threats at him.
No matter how many times she saw Jerome, it seemed that his mere presence would piss her off more and more.
He couldn't help but wonder if she ever came across Jervis Tetch, the same man that put a trance on both her and Victor Zsasz the year prior.
Even though she seemed to have it out for Victor, since he apparently betrayed her, he couldn't help but wonder if she would still be angry for what Jervis had attempted to have Victor do to himself.
However, he couldn't think much more about it, because he heard a loud thud before he heard Annabelle yell, "Damn it, Valeska! How many times do I need to tell you to piss off?!"
Oswald quickly looked up from his tray to see Jerome pinned against a wall with one of Annabelle's hands wrapped tightly around his neck.
In response to her words, Jerome simply laughed before he replied, "As many times as I need you to, Anna."
It was then that Annabelle became even angrier.
Due to the fact that Jerome was starting to choke from the sheer pressure she was now putting on his neck, it was evident that Annabelle had tightened her grip on his neck.
While she started to shake, she put her other hand on his chest, which got Oswald to frown as she said to the ginger, "If you so much as mention his name or anything he ever said to me one more time, I'll make sure that you find a way to teach yourself how to talk without a tongue."
Jerome only grinned in response, which got her to toss him away from her before she sped towards the farthest corner in the room and didn't pay Jerome another glance.
Oswald looked back at Jerome and saw that he was still laughing, while he stood from the floor and pointed at Annabelle.
Then Oswald looked between the enraged Original and the amused ginger before he frowned to himself.
He didn't know how much longer he could handle Annabelle's fights with Jerome and Jerome's need for instigating all of the fights she had with him and not be driven mad because of it.
* * *
With food dumped onto his tray, Oswald limped out of the line and over towards where the tables were, only to stop when one of the other inmates hit his shoulder against Oswald's.
Oswald stood in place for a couple of seconds before he started to limp over towards where the tables were once more.
The moment he was out in the eating area, he could see Annabelle sitting by herself at a table with her eyes closed and her hands folded behind her head, while she used one of the chairs as a footrest.
Since she was the only he wanted to be around during his stay in Arkham, he didn't think twice before he limped over towards her table and sat down in one of the chairs that were semi-across from her.
Without even bothering to open her eyes, she said to him, "Hello, Oswald."
Despite knowing that she couldn't even see him, he slightly nodded his head before he said to her, "Annabelle."
Before either of them could say another word to each other, Jerome Valeska, who was standing nearby with one leg up on a chair, slightly turned as he tossed a Joker card over to Oswald, which got the card to hit his chest before it landed on the table.
Oswald looked down at the card before he looked over at Jerome, who slowly turned around to look at Oswald.
Without even needing to open her eyes to know that Jerome was about to walk over to the table they were sitting at, Annabelle muttered to herself, "Bloody hell."
Then she started to stand up so that she could leave the table and not be bothered by the ginger maniac, only to stop when Jerome quickly grabbed her shoulders and forced her back into the chair.
Then she quickly opened her eyes and glared ahead of herself as her body became tense when she heard Jerome ask Oswald, "Is this seat taken?"
Oswald glanced over at Annabelle and saw that she was starting to already shake from the anger that came whenever Jerome was anywhere near her before he asked as he stared ahead of himself, "If I say 'yes', will it make a difference?"
Jerome ignored his question and quickly sat beside Annabelle as he said to Oswald, "You know, I've always been a fan. When you got locked up in this loony bin, I expected great things. A murder or two, maybe a prison break? But all you've done is mope for the last six weeks."
Instead of responding, Oswald started to stand from his seat, only for him to be forced back into his seat by an inmate that was standing behind him, much like what Jerome had done to Annabelle not that long ago.
It was then that Oswald said to Jerome, "You must know I cannot escape."
As he started to grin at Oswald, Jerome asked him, "Why?"
Oswald slowly raised his head to look over at Jerome before he replied, "None of your business."
Jerome simply looked up at the inmate whose hands were on Oswald's shoulders, which got the man to push down on Oswald's shoulders.
After letting out a groan, Oswald told Jerome, "Because Sofia Falcone is holding someone important to me captive. And if I escape, she will kill him."
While Annabelle suddenly became tense by the mere mention of the woman she was most anxious to kill, Jerome feigned a yawn before he said, "Wow. What a boring story. I mean, compared to Anna's, it is really boring." As he moved to wrap an arm around Annabelle's shoulders, he said, "Hers is more entertaining. Her mentor got killed, she went on one of her killing sprees, got betrayed by her boyfriend—"
Then Jerome looked over at Annabelle and asked her, "Or is he your ex-boyfriend now?"
Her veins came onto display and she ripped his arm away from her as she said to him, "I'm fairly certain that I told you not to ever mention him to me again."
Jerome laughed as he yelled, "Ex-boyfriend, it is!" Then he looked back at Oswald and said to him, "And now she's here, killing— or at least trying to kill— anyone that pisses her off every time dear, old Zsaszy is mentioned and still has those angry moments that I just love so much. You, however, you're-you're just boring. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's someone boring. The last person who bored me was Dietrich."
After Oswald slowly looked over at Dietrich and watched as the other inmates mocked him, Jerome said, "I had to sneak into his shock therapy session and goose the juice. Now, he pees himself ten times a day, and sometimes, uh... poos himself."
After Jerome chuckled, Oswald glanced over at Dietrich before he looked back at Jerome and said, "Well, that's very sad."
Jerome silently sat there and frowned when Oswald simply looked down at his tray before he quickly picked up a spork and held it out in front of himself as he said to Oswald, "I'm gonna cure you of this attitude, Oswald." Then he picked up Oswald's cup of jello and took a bite out of it before he said, "I'm gonna find that entertaining guy I know inside of you. And when I do, ooh, we are gonna have so much fun together."
Before he walked away, Jerome mockingly saluted Annabelle as he said to her, "I'll see you later, Anna. We're not done talking about it."
Annabelle scoffed before she replied, "I'd rather you die a second time than have to talk to you about that traitorous bastard again."
Jerome only laughed in response before he walked away the inmates he had with him when he was talking to Oswald.
It was only when Jerome and the inmates were far enough away that Oswald sighed and said to her, "I don't even know how you managed to keep yourself under control when you worked with him in the Maniax."
Annabelle slowly looked over at Jerome before she replied, "I didn't."
Before he could say anything more to her, she was gone.
* * *
After he was grabbed and dragged into a room with a bag put over his head, Oswald quickly took the bag off of himself after he stood up.
He looked around himself and he started to wonder where he was, only to stop and suddenly became tense and his eyes widened when he saw Jerome Valeska sitting in a chair with the other inmates sitting around him.
While Oswald started to gasp, Jerome merely grinned at him.
Jerome's grin only became even wider when Oswald asked him, "Now what do you want?"
Jerome replied, "I told you, Pengy. I'm gonna cure you of this sad sack mopey act. And the best cure is the laughing cure." The other inmates started to chuckle, only to stop when Jerome said to Oswald, "Make me laugh."
The other inmates started to chant 'make him laugh' repeatedly, which got Oswald to quickly look around the room, only to stop when he saw Annabelle being held in place by two guards and chains doused in vervain were wrapped around her.
He saw just how annoyed she was, along with the fact that she had dark circles under her eyes.
His eyebrows furrowed as he started to wonder just how many times Jerome had disturbed her sleep and kept her awake with his unnecessary questions about whatever he thought up, only to stop and quickly look back at Jerome when he asked, "So, what'll you be performing? Uh... Contortionism, juggling act, a tight five? Oh."
Then Jerome placed a finger behind his ear as he asked, "What's that? You want to do a clown dance?" While the inmates started to excitedly talk to themselves, he said, "Wonderful."
After he stared at Jerome with wide eyes, Oswald looked over at one of the inmates that was holding a clown outfit before he looked back at Jerome and yelled, "I will not!"
Jerome didn't respond and only started to eat from his bowl of popcorn, while the inmate started to walk towards Oswald, which got Oswald to say 'no'.
Then the other inmates started to grab Oswald, which got him to slap their hands away, while he said, "Get your hands off. No!"
Then he fell onto his knees, which allowed the inmates to crowd around him and start to force the outfit on him.
While the inmates started to chant 'make him laugh' once more, Jerome turned one of the inmates and wiped his gloved hand on the inmate's shirt before he looked over at Annabelle, who was now starting to shake in anger, and asked her, "Aw, what's the matter, Anna? Are you not liking the show? I could spice it up a bit, you know."
Annabelle didn't bother to respond and only glared over at Jerome, which got Jerome to chuckle when he saw her veins that had already come onto display.
Jerome only looked back over at Oswald when he heard squeaking to see Oswald standing on top of the table before he said to Oswald, "In your own time."
Oswald said to Jerome, "You have no idea how I've suffered. The betrayals I've endured. Just leave me alone." While Annabelle started to try and fight against the grip the guards had on her, along with the chains that were tightly wrapped around her, Oswald let out a sob as he yelled, "Leave me alone!"
Jerome sighed before he yelled, "Cut!" Then he turned around and put the bowl of popcorn onto the table behind him before he slowly walked over to Oswald with his hands folded behind his back as he said, "Oswald, Oswald, Oswald."
After Jerome stepped up onto the table, he told Oswald, "You are trapped in a prison in here. And I'm offering you the key. So... Dance."
Then the inmates started to chant 'make him laugh' once more, while some of the inmates started to repeatedly hit and poke Oswald with sticks.
While Oswald tried to hit the sticks away from himself, Jerome backed away from the table and back over to his chair.
While Oswald started to fight against them even more, Jerome said, "Now we're talking. I can feel the funny coming, here it comes!" While Oswald quickly tried to take off the outfit they forced on him, Jerome said, "Here comes the funny, again."
Then Oswald let out a yell as he ran forward and threw himself towards an open-armed Jerome, only for one of the inmates to hit Oswald in the face with the side of his arm, which got Oswald to fall down and land on his back.
Jerome slowly walked around until he was looking down at Oswald before he leaned down towards Oswald and said to him, "Fred Astaire you are not." Then he kicked Oswald in the face, which got him to move to the side, while Jerome started to walk out of the room as he said, "I'll try again tomorrow."
Then the inmates started to kick at Oswald, which got Annabelle to yell, "Damn it, Valeska! If you don't have them quit doing that, the moment I'm free from these chains, I'm going to kill every single person that happens to be inside of this asylum and gladly watch as you die! Again!"
Jerome stopped moving for a moment and turned to look at Annabelle and saw that she was trying to break free of her chains and get over to Oswald before he slowly walked over towards her.
The inmates that weren't kicking Oswald were watching as Jerome slowly walked over towards her and how much more she was fighting against the chains and the grip that the two guards had on her.
It was only when he stopped just in front of her that he sighed and asked her, "Oh, Anna, Anna, Anna, you just really can't stop, can you?" When she didn't respond, he said to her, "You're always giving me another person that's a weak spot for you that I can use at my disposal. I thought you would've learned not to do that, after what almost happened to Zsaszy before you got sent back here."
Then Annabelle hit her forehead against his, which got his nose to start to bleed.
He let out a laugh as he groaned and said to her, "Clearly not."
Then he patted the side of her face before he turned his back on her and walked towards the doorway to leave the room.
While he walked down the halls to do whatever else he had planned, he could hear the sound of Oswald's groans, the cheers of the inmates that were kicking Oswald and Annabelle screaming threats at him again.
* * *
While he was tightening the knot on the noose he made, Jerome said as a couple of inmates brought Oswald up towards the table with a bag on his head, "Alright, Oswald, old buddy, old pal. Tonight, we're gonna cure you. Make me laugh or else. Let's call this the sudden death round."
After putting the noose around Oswald's neck, he grinned before he frowned and sniffed Oswald.
Then he ripped the bag off of his head to reveal Dietrich standing on the table instead of it being Oswald before he said, "Dietrich?"
Then he looked down at the table to see that Dietrich was peeing himself, just as Oswald quickly limped towards the table and threw the lamp at the table and managed to only electrocute and kill Dietrich, since Jerome had already jumped off of the table before Oswald broke the lit lamp.
They all watched as Dietrich fell down onto the table before Jerome slowly turned his head to look over at Oswald and said to him, "Okay, that was clever-ish."
Instead of responding, Oswald quickly reached over to a nearby table and picked up a spork before he held it out in front of himself.
With a nod of his head as he grabbed the straps to his outfit, Jerome said, "Yeah, that's a spoon."
Oswald replied, "It is also a fork!"
Jerome sighed as he said, "Looks like you got some fight in you still. But I think it's just too little, too late, too... Boring. Lobotomize the little bird."
While Jerome turned his back on Oswald and started to walk away, which got Annabelle to start to fight against her restraints again, Oswald said to Jerome, "Wait, wait. You said this person was all in my mind." While Jerome slowly turned to face Oswald, Oswald said to him, "Maybe I'm in a prison right now. A prison where you can't get to me."
Annabelle's eyebrows furrowed, while she started to wonder where Oswald was going with this, only for her to stop and chuckle to herself when Oswald suddenly raised his hands and started to move them about, as if he was trapped.
And while he continued to do that, Jerome started to grin as Oswald continued his act.
Jerome also chuckled, while Oswald raised a hand and started to wave at him.
It was then that an inmate handed Jerome a makeshift spear as he said to Oswald, "Okay. You really are nuts."
Oswald only quickly nodded his head in response before Jerome moved the spear forward, only for it to come to an abrupt halt several inches away from Oswald.
Then he tried again, only for it to come to an abrupt halt once again.
Jerome held up the spear and looked it over before he looked back at Oswald, who only shrugged in response.
Then he raised the spear and hit just above Oswald's head, but it still came to an abrupt halt.
It was then that Annabelle sighed as she stared at them with a blank look on her face.
She couldn't believe that they were actually doing this in front of her.
After letting out another sigh, she merely blinked when Jerome held his hands high above Oswald and tried to jump over the apparent invisible wall that was keeping him from getting to Oswald, but to no avail.
Oswald raised a finger before he pointed towards his own left.
In turn, Jerome said, "Ah."
Then he went to do as Oswald wanted and hooked around, while he searched for Oswald, who had now ducked down.
When Oswald motioned him to come closer, Jerome did, only to stop and hold his nose, acting as if he bumped into something.
It was at that moment that Annabelle considered just breaking free of the chains and snapping her own neck, so that she wouldn't have to deal with watching this continue to unfold in front of her.
However, things changed when Oswald grabbed Jerome's shoulder and quickly brought his knee up to Jerome's chin, which got Jerome to let out a groan as he fell onto the floor.
As a grin made its way onto her face, Oswald moved to stand over Jerome and punched him in the face before he started to kick Jerome repeatedly.
While Oswald started to laugh rather maniacally as he stood over Jerome, Annabelle's grin only became wider.
Then Oswald yelled, "Try laughing now, you ginger sap!" Then Oswald turned his back on Jerome and quickly raised his arms as he yelled, "Yes! Ha!"
Then Oswald looked over at Annabelle and saw the familiar sight of the very grin she would have on her face when she was seeing violence take place in front of her, only to quickly look back at Jerome when he heard Jerome start to cackle.
As he pointed at Oswald, Jerome said, "See? I told you I'd cure you."
Oswald yelled, "Don't flatter yourself!"
As he pointed at his own face, Jerome said, "One more."
Oswald kicked the side of Jerome's face, which got Jerome to fall back down onto the floor and laugh some more as he held out his arms.
While Oswald let out a sigh as he turned away from Jerome, Annabelle said to Oswald, "Don't mind him, Oswald. He's just a bloody lunatic that laughs any time someone so much as hurts him." When Oswald stared at her with furrowed eyebrows, she said to him, "Believe me, Oswald. I would know. Before he first got sent to Arkham, I hurt him as well in his trailer and all he did was laugh."
Oswald muttered under his breath, "Right." Then he limped over to Annabelle and asked her, "How are you feeling, Annabelle? I know it mustn't be easy, being restrained and unable to do what you want."
She sighed as she told him, "Honestly, I've dealt with far worse than this. The only issue I have is the fact that I'm unable to try and protect you from Valeska and his practical followers here. That's all."
Oswald only nodded his head before he started to do what he could to get her out of the chains.
If he couldn't get the Riddler persona of Edward back out and into the open at this moment, he was going to do what he could to at least try and make sure that Annabelle's time in Arkham was much better than it was the last time she was there.