Penguin's Bird ~ A Gotham Fanfic

Chapter Nine: Two Words

Chapter Nine: Two Words

Dacey's POV:

Drinking my sorrows away in my mother's bar, I nurture a glass of tequila in my hand as I watch the many performers that had been signed up for the night.

"Dacey, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?" I hear a familiar voice ask. I turn my head to face my mother who is staring at me with confusion as I shrug my shoulders taking another two gulps of the poison in the glass.

"Seriously Dacey, not that I love you being here because I do, why are you not at work?" she questions as I look down at the bartop before picking up a straw and stirring the leftover mixture in my glass aimlessly.

"Well, I guess you could say that I quit," I deadpan, looking up at her to see her smiling. She shouldn't be smiling at the fact that I quit my job, does she not realise that the reason I am drinking is that I regret quitting?

She takes a seat beside me and orders another two drinks from the bartender as I shake my head and push away the drink in front of me.

"Crime is always going to be in our bloody, babygirl. It's time you realised that now instead of being the hero," my mother comments as she leans over and presses a light kiss against my forehead before taking her drink in her hand and leaving me to no doubt greet her guests.

"Riddle me this, why did I hear that one Detective Strike dramatically quit her job earlier this morning?" someone says as the seat beside me is filled once more.

"Because she was fed-up of everyone thinking they could walk all over me and tell me what to do," I explain turning my head to see Ed offering me a small smile.

"This isn't you, Dacey. Come on, tell me why you really quit," he urges as he orders a drink. I sigh closing my eyes and pull back the drink I pushed away and drain the rest of its contents. I moan in delight as the liquor burns the back of my throat as it travels down leaving a sweet taste.

"Because I need a new life," I begin to say turning back to Ed who raises his eyebrows.

"You're right Ed, I have changed. I can't be involved with the GCPD, I don't deserve the badge they gave me when I joined," I run my fingers through my hair anxiously and shake my head a little.

"The real reason I came back to Gotham was that I wanted answers..." I trail off absentmindedly.

"All I want is some goddamn answers!" I exclaim in frustration, slamming a closed fist on the bar counter as I close my eyes letting tears surface to my face.

"Mocking Bird..." Ed mutters under his breath and I freeze.

"What did you just say?" I ask in shock as Ed pushes the barstool and stands to his feet.

"Ed, where did you hear those words?!" I exclaim internally panicking.

Ignoring me, Ed walks away and out of my vision as I stand frozen in my spot. My mind must have just been deceiving me, he couldn't have possibly have said what I thought I just heard, it was impossible.

"The alcohol must have gone to my head..." I mumble in confusion and sit back in my seat.

For minutes I sit ignoring everything around me. My mind flashes back to those two words Ed said, those two words which haunt me to this day. The words that Brendan had warned me with his dying breath.

I am snapped out of my flashbacks as I hear a familiar voice singing on the main stage.

"Tyler..." I whisper as I lift my head to see him smirking at me. I offer him a small smile and listen to perform.