We Were Born Sick • Gotham Fanfiction •

II: Running Wild

"If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were to be annihilated, the universe would turn into a mighty stranger." – Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights.

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Bird pulled open the door and walked into Fish Mooney's club, she glanced around and saw Butch off to the side of the room talking with one of Fish's new goons whom she hadn't bothered to learn the name of. They tended to not last long in the mob world, brute strength with no brains to back it up.

With a small sigh she walked behind the bar and picked a clipboard up from near the large display of bottles with colorful liquid inside them. They were just for show of course. The real stuff was hidden down underneath the bar and the last time she'd looked they were starting to run low.

Sitting down on the floor, she dropped her purse beside her and started to take stock of what they were running low on. Maroni controlled all of the liquor imports and exports so they'd have to let him know what they needed –which he usually complied with to keep the peace. Plus, it didn't hurt that Fish's place was a strong business –a real money maker.

"What's going to happen to the cop?"

"We're taking him to Frankie."

"Who's Frankie?"

"Trust me, you don't ever want to find out."

Bird's pen lifted from the paper she'd been writing on as she raised her head in response the approaching footsteps and conversation she'd over heard. She wasn't sure what cop they were talking about or what they'd done to make Fish so mad that she'd send him off to be disposed of in some of the worst possible ways.

"What about the little, skinny one... the one who held her umbrella?" The voice she didn't recognize asked.

"Penguin? Already sent off to Falcone, my guess is the yellow belly rat is already dead." Butch replied, stopping next to the bar stools and his sentence cut off in a laugh as he thought out loud, "Or wishing he is."

The clipboard fell from Bird's hands and landed with a soft rattling clank against the floor and the pen rolled under the bar.

Somehow finding the strength to pull herself to her feet, she gripped onto the edge of the wooden bar as she faced the two men.

"What happened to Oswald?" Her voice came out muffled from behind her teeth that were bared together so tight, her gums were aching.

Butch avoided her gaze as he glanced around and plastered on a smile, "Hiya, Bird. I didn't know you were coming in tonight. Haven't seen much of you lately."

Her now lethal gaze was locked on him, shooting hundreds of invisible daggers with each passing second he held his silence.

"Butch!" She growled.

"Major Crimes is onto what went down with Pepper. Apparently Penguin turned snitch." He finally answered her before admitting, "Couldn't even take what he had coming to him like a man –tried to say I was the one who snitched."

"H-how long ago was this?" Her words came out in a stammer as sweat beaded at her temples. Maybe there was something she could do to save him, make a trade with someone for information she knew or a lifetime of favors.

"Let it go." Butch sighed as he shook his head, he'd seen that slightly crazed look in her eyes before and he knew the two had been close. But Oswald had betrayed Fish –he'd snitched and for that he had to pay the ultimate price. Those were the rules and if she was smart she wouldn't let emotion cloud her judgement. She may be one of Fish's favorites but that didn't mean she was safe.