Chapter 5

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"We need to get out of here," Ed says. "They're going to be right on top of us any minute now. Just let me..."

Trailing off, Ed gently reaches out towards Oswald's face and nudges the hand holding the cloth he's got held tight to his eye. Oswald flinches and a pained sound escapes his mouth, causing Ed to frown.

"I know, I know it hurts, baby, but I just need to look at it. I'm so sorry, Oswald, I'll be as quick as I can, I promise." A gentle hand closes around Oswald's wrist and slowly pries it away from his face. Oswald bites his lip until he tastes blood.

"Does it look bad?"

Ed swallows thickly, eyes wide and scared. "No, it's just a scr-" he cuts himself off with a gag and drops Oswald's hand, which immediately goes back to putting pressure on his eye. They'll worry about that later. Right now, they both need to move.

Grabbing Ed's hand and ignoring the pain that has reduced to a not-so dull throb, Oswald looks up at his Riddler and swallows. They will survive this. He won't accept any other option. They will not become a lone page of Gotham's history books, not a forgotten case file in a drawer, not today. They will make it out alive, with Gotham intact, and they will forge their own future. They will succeed, no matter the cost.

"Riddler?" Ed looks down at him and smiles that oh-so wonderfully mad smile of his, despite the fear Oswald knows still courses through his veins.

"Yes, Mr. Penguin?"

"Shall we finish what we started?"

Ed holds up their adjoined hands and kisses the back of Oswald's, eyes never leaving his face. "With you by my side? I've got all I need. Nothing can stop us."

Oswald grins, despite the pain, and the threat of their immediate and probable death.

Maybe after all of this is over he'll finally dust off that ring box that's been sitting in the back of his desk for nine months and put it to good use.

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