Tales from Gotham

Finding Bruce

Edward, Oswald, and Alfred carefully lurk around the hallways to avoid being caught by any guards. Oswald said, "This place is too huge, how on earth are we going to find Bruce at this rate?"Edward said, "I believe we're just going to have to capture one of these members and force him to tell us.""Okay, sounds easy enough." said Alfred. While looking around they found a member walking about and quickly grabbed him. They dragged him into a room as he struggles and tries to scream. Edward took off his mask and quickly covers his mouth while Alfred pins him down. Oswald brought out a knife and pressed it against his neck to show that he will kill him if he doesn't stop struggling and screaming. The man calmed down as Oswald said, "Alright here's the deal. You will tell us what you know, and if you can do it without screaming we'll let you live. Nod if you understand." He nodded. Edward removed his hand as he asked him, "We're looking for Bruce Wayne. Do you know where he is?"The man said, "Yes, he's in lab 42 in L-Block.""Lab?" said Alfred, "Why is Bruce in a lab? What are you people doing to him?""Look, man, I'm just a guard. I don't have that kind of information to tell you what they're doing to Bruce." Edward smiles as he said, "Alright I believe he's telling the truth. Anyone has any more questions?"Oswald said, "No I think we're good.""Thank you for your time, mate." said Alfred as he knocked him out. Edward said, "Great, let's go to L-Block then.""You know it's a good thing these people put up a map on some of the walls of the hallways so we know where to go," said Oswald."Then let's get a move on, chaps," said Alfred.... While Bruce was on the table he had his right sleeve rolled up so Dennis could take a tissue sample from him. It hurt for a quick moment that felt like a piece of his skin was ripped off. Once Dennis put the tissue sample in a tube and in a safe container he said to Bruce, "See, that wasn't so bad now was it?" Bruce said nothing. Dennis just continues to smile as he said, "Don't feel so down, Bruce. I know you must be frightened and feel like you'll never go home, but I guarantee you. This place will start to feel like home after a while."Bruce said, "I doubt it." Suddenly Edward, Oswald, and Alfred enter the lab and once Bruce saw Alfred he immediately felt relieved and so happy to see him. When Bruce was about to jump off the table to run to him, suddenly Dennis injected a sedative into his neck to make him fall asleep. "BRUCE!!" Shouted Alfred as he runs to him but he was tackled by a guard. Edward and Oswald brought out their guns, but before they could even shoot they were grabbed by two other guards and they took their guns away. When Dennis set his eyes on Edward he was really surprised to see him here. Dennis said, "No way! Are you, Edward Nygma?!" Edward looked at him oddly and said, "Yes, how do you know me?""Oh, I've heard of you from the news. The psychotic man who killed his girlfriend's boyfriend then killed his girlfriend and framed Detective Gordon by killing another fellow officer. When I saw you, I've become absolutely fascinated by you. Not to mention I took a look at your Arkham file." Oswald rolled his eyes and shook his head as he said, "Oh great, you got a crazy fan, Edward. A fan who works for the Court of Owls no less." Even though Dennis was still smiling he was a little offended by Oswald's remark. Dennis said, "Ah, Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot. I most definitely have heard of you. You've been quite the celebrity in Gotham lately. But this definitely does beg the question. Why on earth are you and Edward, helping Alfred to save Bruce?""None of your beeswax," said Oswald coldly."Oh, I really don't like you. No, not at all. You know what I do to people of who I don't like?""Don't know, don't care.""Heh heh, not like I give a fuck if you care or not. Tommy, if you would be so kind to place Oswald on this operating table. Don't bother being gentle with him while you're strapping him down." While Oswald struggled to get free, the guard, Tommy, dragged him over to the vacant operating table and roughly place him on top of it as he straps him down. Edward struggles to get free from the guard who's holding him back as he shouts at Dennis, "Let him go you bastard!""Now Edward," said Dennis as he smiles at Edward, "I can't do that." Once Oswald was fully strapped down on the table, Dennis walks over to him and picks up a big sharp blade. He uses it to start cutting the fabric of Oswald's tux off of him. Oswald panicked a little as he said, "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!""You know what I've just realized?" said Dennis, "This is going to hurt a lot, you might need something to bite down." He grabs a bar gag as he shoves it between Oswald's teeth. "Please do feel free to scream." "What the hell are you going to do to him?!" said Edward."Well have you ever heard of the Lingchi torture, Edward?" Edward's eyes went wide as he feared the worst for Oswald. "You wouldn't," said Edward, "Please don't hurt Oswald! He'll die from that kind of torture!""Hmmm, I don't know. He did kind of piss me off, and I really want to perform the Death By A Thousand Cuts torture on him. Oh wow." When Dennis exposed Oswald's body he was surprised how smooth his skin was. "There's barely any scars on your upper torso. Well besides the bullet wound in your shoulder and the busted leg. It's kind of almost ashamed that I have to ruin the rest of the skin.""DAMMIT STOP!!" Edward got free and run towards him but the guard tackled him down and handcuffed his wrists together. "LET GO OF ME YOU IDIOT!!"Dennis said to the guard holding Edward down, "Do not harm Edward, Jason. Just keep him restrained and don't let him get loose again.""You're a real looney you know that you Quack?" said Alfred as Dennis just gave him a look. Dennis said to Alfred, "I'll be dealing with you later." Dennis looks back at Oswald and smiles as he said, "Now where to start? I think I'll start with the right arm." He replaces the big sharp knife with a scalpel. Edward panicked as he shouted, "NO!! STOP!! PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU DON'T DO IT!!""Unless you have something to bargain me with, I'm not going to stop." Dennis begins slicing a small piece of skin off from Oswald's right arm as he screams in pain and struggles to get free from the straps. "That's one cut," said Dennis as he put the piece in a bowl. "OSWALD!!" Shouted Edward as he watches the horror he's witnessing. Dennis cuts another small piece from the other arm. "That's the 2nd cut," said Dennis as he continues to make more. At the 6th cut, that's when Oswald started to sob in agonizing pain. The blood flowed out of his cuts, and into the drainage that surrounds the operating table. Edward has been crying this whole time as he watches his lover in pain and bleeding out so slowly. "What exactly will it take to make you stop this?!" Shouted Edward. While Dennis was making his 20th cut on Oswald he said, "Well first let me ask you something, Edward. Do you love Oswald as a friend or a lover?""Why on earth does that matter to you?!""Just answer the question." He makes the 25th cut making Oswald scream even louder. "ALRIGHT DAMMIT YES I LOVE HIM AS MY LOVER!! NOW STOP CUTTING HIM!!""Come on, Edward. I told you before, I can't stop unless you have something to bargain me with. HA! Finally, we've made it to 30 cuts! How are you holding up so far, Oswald?" "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!!!" Shouted Edward desperately as Dennis looks at him. He smiles and walks over to him as he told the guard to move aside. He grabbed a fistful of Edward's hair to make him get on his knees. There was so much blood on Dennis's hands that the blood is soaking into Edward's hair from the hand that's gripping him. Dennis said to him, "It's really quite simple really. I'm very surprised that you haven't figured it out yet. What I want is you, Edward." Edward looked at him in shock and tries to pull away from him but Dennis's grip was tight. Edward said, "There's no way in hell I will ever let you have me! I belong to Oswald! NO ONE ELSE!!""Hmph, that's too bad then." He lets go of Edward's hair and walks back to Oswald to continue cutting off pieces of Oswald's skin. Oswald screams out in pain as he bleeds even more. Finally, Edward couldn't take it anymore as shouted, "ALRIGHT ENOUGH!!! I'LL BE YOURS!!! JUST PLEASE STOP!!! PLEASE JUST LET OSWALD LIVE!!!""Hmm," Dennis made the 40th cut. "I will after you say a few words to me.""Anything!" He made the 46th cut, "Tell me you love me.""I love you!" He made the 47th cut, "Nah ah ah, say it again, but with a smile." Edward clenched his fists tightly as he felt angered. He looked at Dennis with a forced smile as he said, "I love you." Dennis shook his head as he made the 48th cut, and purposely made it deep. Oswald scream as blood flowed much faster from the 48th cut. Edward stood up to stop him but the guard pinned him against the floor again. "STOP IT!!! I SAID WHAT YOU WANTED ME TO SAY!! NOW STOP!!""Not yet. Say it again, but mean it." He makes the 49th cut. As Edward's blood boiled with rage he felt like saying something else to Dennis, but all he's thinking about is Oswald's safety. He looked at Dennis again, smiles, and put as much emotion he could into his words, "I love you, Dennis." After the 50th cut, Dennis stopped, and Oswald suddenly grew quiet. If Edward wasn't worried before he's worried now. "Oswald?!" said Edward, "Oswald are you still with us?! OSWALD?!!""Don't worry about him anymore," said Dennis as he walks over to Edward while still holding the scalpel in his hand. "He's just tired. Jason, the key please." Jason handed him the key and Dennis used it to unlock the handcuffs. "Your Oswald will be just fine. Right after you give me a kiss, though." Edward saw Oswald turn his head to look at him. From Oswald's eyes, he could tell that he's slowly slipping away. Edward looked at Dennis and smiles as he said, "If I kiss you, will you stop torturing Oswald?""Yes, I give you my word. I'll even patch him up for you.""Then what else can I say, but... Pucker up." Edward kisses Dennis, as he kept him distracted. Edward grabbed the scalpel from his hand and quickly stabbed him right in the throat. Edward said to him right before he dies, "Just to let you know. I belong to Oswald you crazy psychopath. I LOVE HIM, NOT YOU!!!" He cut his throat so deep he nearly beheaded him. The blood spurts out violently that it got on most of Edward's face. The guard, Jason, runs towards him but Edward quickly gets up and stabs him in the gut. Alfred took the chance to get the guard who's pinning him down off of him. While the two wrestle, Edward finished Jason off by cutting his throat open with one quick slice. Edward took back his gun and shouted, "Alfred, here!" He tosses the gun over to Alfred as he catches it and shoots the guard in the head. Edward runs over to Oswald as he took the bar gag out of his mouth and unstrapped him. "Oswald I'm so sorry," said Edward as he starts crying."It's alright it's fine." said Oswald weakly as he smiles, "Come on let's get out of here.""Not yet I have to take care of your cuts first." Edward looked at Oswald's condition and saw how deep the cuts were. A few of them were way to close to the arteries. "Alfred! Help me bandaged them up! He needs a hospital right now!" Alfred rushes over to help Edward aid Oswald's wounds. "Edward," said Oswald, "Listen I want you to know. If I don't make it out of here.""Don't talk like that! You're going to make it dammit! You're not going to die on me!""I just want you to know that I love you no matter what, okay? Thank you for saving me so many times." Edward looked at him as he was on the verge of breaking down. "Dammit, I should be thanking you for saving me. Thank you for saving me from my miserable life. Now come on, hang in there!" After the cuts were bandaged up and Edward gave him a lab uniform to put on. Edward said, "Alfred you're going to have to get Bruce and Oswald out of here.""Wait you're coming with us aren't you?" said Alfred."I have to stay behind and blow this place up. If we just leave these people are not going to stop looking for us. And you need to leave now so Oswald can get to a hospital in time. Now please go. I'll find a way back." Oswald grabbed Edward's jacket as he said to him, "You better make it out of here, Edward. Or else I'll fucking kill you myself."Edward smiles and said, "Noted. Now please all of you go." Alfred grabbed the other gun and picked up Bruce in his arms. Oswald grabbed Alfred's arm for support as they leave the lab. Edward started grabbing the right parts to make a bomb as he said to himself, "Please make it out of here alive, Oswald. Even if I don't at least you'll be alive."