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Etiology - Chapter Two: Agoraphobia

Wooo, I finally updated Etiology! Now that the pre-story stuff is over we can start getting into the Arkham storyline in the next chapter.

Read it on AO3

Jester sat with his head on the filthy table as Dr. Crane fiddled with the ‘super important’ vial of chemicals. As much as he and Eddie claimed that they were completely different, they had one thing in common. They weren’t very interesting to be around. Jonathan had told Jester they could talk in ‘one minute’, which was about fifteen minutes of silence ago. Jester glared at the old man pouring one vial into another with shaky hands. 

He slammed his hand down on the table loudly, causing Dr. Crane to jump. 

Jester snickered and covered his mouth with his hand while Jonathan simply rolled his eyes and put down the vials. “What?” he asked in a tired, raspy voice. 

Jester smiled and finally sat up. “I need advice.”

“Isn’t that Edward’s job?” Jonathan asked, getting up to wash his hands in the lab sink. 

“Well, yes. But he’s giving me bad advice!”

“Ah. So you want me to tell you what you want to hear?”

Jester shot the older man a frustrated look. “Eddie is forbidding me from talking to Red Hood. Honestly, I think it’s way uncool. It’s like he thinks I’m just gonna deliver all of our secrets on a silver platter right to Batman! And according to Red, they aren’t even that close.”

Jonathan shrugs and leans back in his desk chair. “Edward is afraid of losing what little influence in this city he has left. He’s lost his touch, you and I both know that.”

“But that’s my point. All Eddie cares about is his stupid reputation. He just HAS to be better than everyone else. When’s the last time he cared about ME?”

“He took you in, didn’t he? He’s given you his home, food and safety.”

“Eight years ago. I just… want him to pay more attention to me. Instead of his stupid toys.”

Jonathan sighed and pushed his glasses further up his crooked nose. Jester pretended like he didn’t notice him jotting down notes in his notebook under the desk. “You want him to be your father.”

Jester felt a pang in his chest. He and Eddie had known each other since he was a child. Eddie had taught him everything he knew. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Not a bad thing… just an unrealistic one. I can’t change Edward’s behavior or his… apathy towards others. However, if it’s freedom you want, perhaps it’s time to move out. You’re an adult now. Edward can’t look after you forever.”

Jester thought about Jonathan’s words while staring at the ceiling in bed that night. Being on his own again was a horrifying thought. He had no education, despite Eddie’s best efforts, no marketable skills, no money and no future planned. He’d be useless in the real world. Eddie couldn’t help him anymore… Maybe Red would have some ideas. 

The next morning, Jester rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he walked down the stairs. Jonathan always made bacon in the mornings he visited, but the smell hadn’t reached him yet. 

As soon as he reached the bottom stair, the sound of Eddie’s voice caused him to stop in his tracks. 

“You’re not exactly one to talk when it comes to emotional vulnerability, Jon.”

“I’m just telling you what he told me, Edward. You’ll never admit it, but you love that boy and if you don’t tell him you’re going to end up just like you and your-”

“Don’t.”

“-and your father.”

Jester’s breathing stopped. Eddie’s dad was a forbidden topic of discussion. Any talk about Eddie’s past at all was, actually. He could hear a glass bottle slam down against a table, and Eddie’s upset voice. “You’re not his psychiatrist, Jonathan and you’re sure as hell not mine! I never signed up for having a kid! I should’ve spent the last eight years working on what really matters! Not making mac and cheese and playing Mario Kart!”

Tears filled Jester’s eyes. He’d had his suspicions about how Eddie felt about him for years, but to hear it said directly was a knife to the heart. 

“And killing Batman… that’s what really matters to you? You don’t think that maybe you have a responsibility to that boy? He doesn’t remind you of you at all?”

“Fuck off, Jon. Don’t try to psychoanalyze me.” After a moment of silence, Eddie sighed. “I know I’m responsible for him. Which is why I’m so frustrated that he’s about to ruin everything I’ve worked for because he wants to fall for a vigilante that’s gonna send him to Arkham the second he screws something up. And knowing Jester, that’s inevitable.” 

Jester couldn’t hold back the sob that racked through his body. His fingernails dug into the meat of his arms, and both of the voices in the kitchen silenced. Jester quickly grabbed his bag and ran for the front door. Eddie and Jonathan quickly ran into the living room, Eddie with a guilty look on his face. “Riley, stop-”

“NO!” Jester screamed through his tears. The use of his real name only made him tense up more. His fists shook, and he held his teeth together so tightly it felt like they were going to crack. “I get it. Loud and fucking clear!”

Eddie stepped closer, only for Jester to pull the pistol out of the holster on his hip. His whole body shook, and the dark makeup around his eyes began to streak with his tears. Eddie stilled while Jonathan slowly reached his hand for the toxin grenade on his belt. “Jester, it’s alright.” he muttered softly. “You can leave. No one’s gonna stop you.”

Eddie’s shoulders sank and he looked the younger boy in the eye. “I’m sorry. Please, we… we can talk.”

Jester scoffed and used his free hand to turn the doorknob. “I don’t wanna talk to you anymore. I think you should just leave me alone!” He quickly left, slamming the door behind him and running out of the Gotham suburbs and into the bustling city. Jester knew he couldn’t go back home, but being on the Gotham streets on a rainy night was always a losing battle. He did the only thing he could… he texted Red. 

JES: I need help. 

RH: You okay?

JES: No. I got in some trouble. JES: Don’t tell anyone. Meet me at the docks. 

RH: What kind of trouble?

RH: Anyone hurt?

JES: Just meet me there. NOW!!

____________________

Jester shivered as the rain poured down on his smaller frame, seeping into his clothes and hair and smearing his makeup. He wished he could’ve picked a few things up from Eddie’s. His guitar, some clothes, his makeup. 

The sound of boots wading through the puddles made Jester jump and turn to see Red walking towards him fast, the rain beading off of the shiny helmet. Jester sighed in relief and ran up to meet his friend, wrapping his arms around him quickly. Red held him for a moment before pulling back and holding him still. “What happened?”

Jester sniffled and blinked back his tears. “I… got in a fight with Eddie. I can’t go back. Red, I don’t have anywhere else to go I… I need help.”

Red sighed and shook his head. “Jesus Christ, Jes, you gave me a fucking heart attack. I thought you…”

Jester narrowed his eyes. “Thought I what?”

“Nevermind. I… you don’t have any other friends or family? No one who will take you in?”

“No, I only know Eddie and Jon… and you. Red, I know it’s a lot to ask but I need to stay with you tonight. I can’t go back out on the street, I can’t!” Jester said through sobs, holding onto the dark camo print of Red’s jacket for dear life. 

Red stood still for a moment. “Jes… I can’t bring you back to my place.”

“What?”

“I live with… with everyone. If I brought you there… I’d be putting everyone in danger. You have to understand that you can’t know where I live.”

Jester furrowed his eyebrows and pushed Red away. “No. I don’t understand! I thought we were friends, I thought we were… I’ve let you crash at my place before without Eddie’s permission. I’ve patched up your scars and bought you food and I need your help!” 

A loud ‘whoosh’ was heard behind the pair, and Jester quickly reached for his gun, only to have Red grab his hand quickly, muttering “shit” under his breath as he walked in front of Jester. “It’s fine, he didn’t hurt anyone. I can handle this.”

Jester looked over Red’s shoulder, only to freeze in place as he looked into the white eyes of Batman. 

Jester kept his grip on Red’s jacket, his breathing beginning to quicken. “You called him?!”

Red’s helmet turned to look at him. “Your text was vague. I thought.. Something might have happened.”

“You thought… I hurt somebody?”

“Hood, I’m taking you off this mission. You’ve gotten too close. Go back to the cave while I handle this.” the older man’s deep voice boomed through the loud rain, causing both of the younger men to still. 

A million thoughts ran in Jester’s head. ‘You’ve gotten too close’ and the word ‘mission’ played over and over as Red tried to explain himself to his mentor. 

“It was a misunderstanding. He hasn’t done anything wrong. C’mon, B, he’s just a kid.”

Jester pushed Red away as everything began to catch up to him. “You… you set me up.”

Red turned to him, guilty. “We… We knew Riddler had a kid. He asked me to investigate, that’s it! I was never gonna turn you in-”

Jester began to hyperventilate, and for the second time today, he pulled out his pistol, shooting Red point blank in the chest. 

And in a flash, Batman was on him. 

A punch to his temple knocked Jester to the ground immediately, his head ringing. He felt sick. Still, he attempted to stand up and land a punch, only for it to be caught in the Bat’s gauntlet. His hands were quickly held behind his back, and he was forced to his knees. Red and blue lights flashed as the cars approached, though he couldn’t hear the sirens through the pain in his head. The last thing he saw before he passed out was Red Hood standing up, pulling the bullet from his chest plate as he ran towards Jester. 

[punch-aholic]

Double Jeopardy - Chapter Thirteen: First Degree

Shit has begun to go down...

Read it on AO3

It had been a month since Harvey had dropped Ariel off at her old apartment and a month since the two had spoken to each other. It turned out that without Harvey’s work to do, she would find herself incredibly bored. She poured over the Maroni case file for hours, attempting to find a legal loophole, or a possible weakness, to no avail. Ariel knew she wasn’t going to take down the mob all by herself, but she figured that learning a few legal terms and practices wouldn’t hurt. Harvey had taught her so much, she even considered pursuing law if he decided to leave her out to dry. 

On one particular rainy night in the West side of Gotham, Ariel sat in her apartment, flipping through the court records for Harvey’s infamous trial. Watching the trial live was one thing, but reading Harvey’s words and tricks to gaining a guilty verdict were fascinating. 

The sound of the mail being slid through the open slot on her door made her jump. She had been so paranoid ever since moving back, feeling that any moment now Batman or the GCPD would come banging down her door. She stood up to flip through the mail, tossing the bills and letters from old college friends onto the coffee table before looking at the final letter in her hand. The beautiful stationary seemed too fancy to be slipping through her mailbox. 

‘Ms. Lancaster, 

You’ve been cordially invited to the Iceberg Lounge Charity Gala!

The attire is black tie formal, please arrive at 7pm with your invitation.

Oswald Cobblepot

Ariel chuckled at the idea of anything at the Lounge being a ‘Charity’ event. She knew that the money was going right into Cobblepot’s pocket. Still, what was more surprising was that she was invited at all. Everyone had to know by now that she and Harvey had split. And while she still considered Oswald a close friend, she figured their alliance was thrown out with Harvey. 

Ariel considered the fact that she hadn’t left her apartment much recently. A night to dress up and socialize could be exactly what she needed to feel normal again. That’s how she ended up in the Iceberg Lounge on a Saturday evening, dressed in a short, white cocktail dress covered in lace and glitter. She decided to continue to sport the white and black trilby she was known for. 

She still felt a bit out of place among Gotham’s elites, and without Harvey’s protection the event became that much more dangerous. Ariel made her way through the crowd, towards the private booth to greet her host, when she stopped in her tracks. Oswald was sitting with Eddie and Harvey, with his arm around a woman, laughing about something with the two other crime bosses. Every possible scenario crossed her mind at once. Had Harvey invited her on purpose to humiliate her? Ariel swallowed the lump in her throat and stepped forward, her heels clicking on the staircase as she made her way up. The bodyguard’s parted the sheer curtain, and she cleared her throat to gain their attention. 

When Harvey’s familiar brown eyes flicked over to meet hers, she noticed a flicker of shock in his expression. He hadn’t known she was coming. It was then that Ariel noticed the woman he had his arm around. Julie, the assistant she had hired. Ariel pretended not to notice Eddie snickering in the corner at Harvey’s discomfort.

“Ah, Ariel! I was hoping you would’ve made it! Gonna grace us with a dance tonight?” Oswald said through the cigarette in his mouth. 

Ariel smiled a bit. “We’ll see. It’s still early. Um, I just wanted to thank you for inviting me… but if you don’t mind me asking, why did you? I don’t have much money to give to ‘charity’.”

Oswald laughed and shrugged slightly. “I invited you because we’re friends, aren’t we? Take a load off, enjoy yourself. And if you’re in the mood to discuss a possible job opportunity, just say the word.” 

Ariel nodded, taking one final look at Harvey, who looked uncomfortable as ever, before sitting at the bar. A drink was slid over in her direction, and she looked up to see the bartender smirking at her. 

The man was only a few years younger than Ariel, with a slender frame accentuated by his tight, revealing clothing. Ariel recognized him as one of Penguin’s dancers, but he stood out from the rest. Purple eye makeup lined his eyes meticulously, and his shoulders and thighs were tattooed in cheetah print. His light brown hair was slicked back with sweat. A silver wing earring dangled from his left ear, shining in the flashing lights of the nightclub. He was… intimidating, but kind looking.

“Hey I know you! You’re Harvey’s girl, aren’t ya?” he asked in a slight Australian accent. 

Ariel’s smile faded slightly. “Um, no. Not anymore.”

The man looked over at Harvey up in the booth and hissed slightly. “Ouch. Sorry, love. That must be recent.”

Ariel shrugged and took a few sips of the cocktail she was offered. “It’s alright. I can… handle myself.”

The man smiled and lifted a drink of his own, tapping the glass against Ariel’s. “To handling ourselves!” he said before downing the entire purple liquid. Ariel smiled as his face scrunched to handle the sting of the drink. He stuck out his gloved hand to shake Ariel’s. “Everyone here calls me ‘Birdie’. But you can call me Wren.”

Ariel shook his hand and chuckled at the nickname. It was unusually petite sounding for someone so intimidating. “I’m Ariel.”

“Ariel Lancaster?” Ariel turned to see a tall, handsome man standing behind her, smiling. Ariel’s heart sank as she immediately recognized the man as billionaire Bruce Wayne. The last time she had seen him was at the gala two years ago. He used to be good friends with Daniel. Wren smirked and gave Bruce a wink before walking off to serve other patrons. Ariel blushed and stuck out her hand, eagerly “M-Mr. Wayne… I’m surprised you recognized me!”

Bruce smirked and shook her hand. “I never forget a face. The last I heard you and Daniel were setting up the dance studio in the Diamond District. I was… disappointed to see that it didn’t work out.” Ariel felt her stomach flip at the mention of her old studio. Meeting Bruce Wayne was like facing her past head on. Working for Harvey was a way of distracting herself from the pain. “I was too. Danny… um, Daniel and I got into some financial trouble. Couldn’t shake it. He’s um… he moved away.” she lied. 

Bruce’s eyes narrowed for a moment before returning to his smile. “I’m sorry to hear that. But, hey, it looks like you’re doing well for yourself. Getting an invite to a gala is no easy task. Where are you working now?”

“Um, actually I just lost my job. I was an office manager for… uh,” She tried to think of the first thing that came to her head. “The Dixon hotel.” It was one of Harvey’s smaller properties. Not many people knew he owned it. Bruce nodded slowly, almost like he was taking a mental note of what she was saying. 

“Interesting. Who’s the owner of Dixon Hotel, again? It slipped my mind.”

Ariel swallowed and let her eyes glance over to Harvey, who was sending glares her way. Ariel put on her best smile and remembered to stay strong. She could lie to the most powerful man in Gotham, easy. “It’s actually a subsidiary of Gemini Industries. It’s a smaller company that’s-”

“Secretly owned by Harvey Dent?” 

Ariel looked up with wide eyes to see Bruce raise an eyebrow at her. She chewed on her lips as she quickly looked down. Mr. Wayne knew more about this city than he led on. 

Bruce sighed and pulled a small white card from his breast pocket. “If you’re looking for more reputable work, call my office sometime. We’ve been looking for an office manager for the marketing team. I’m sure we can fudge your resume a bit.”

Ariel looked up at Bruce in awe. He had given her a ticket out of the underground. A pathway back to her old life. “Mr. Wayne… I-”

BOOM!

A gunshot rang out through the crowd of people, sending everyone into a frenzy. Ariel quickly covered her ears and ducked down. She felt strong arms wrap around her, and she looked up to see Bruce Wayne carrying her behind the bar. He was stronger than he looked. “Stay here and don’t make a sound!” He shouted over the ringing in her ears before running off. Ariel felt her breathing become erratic and her fingers started to shake. It reminded her of the bank robbery when Harvey had gotten arrested. She turned to look outside the bar, watching people run from the booth Harvey was sitting in. 

When the crowd finally parted enough for her to see, she felt sick. Harvey was holding Julia in his arms… and blood was running down her forehead. Oswald was tugging on his arm, attempting to pull him away, but all Harvey could do was stare blankly at the girl in his arms. A crash was heard, and Ariel froze as Batman dove through the window. 

A figure pulled on her dress, dragging her out of the lounge through a secret door behind the bar. When they arrived outside, the cold air made Ariel realize she had been sobbing. Frozen tears and snot rushed down her face. The figure that had pulled her out grabbed her shoulders, bringing her back to reality. She locked eyes with Wren, who looked dead serious. 

“Can you hear me? Are you hurt?” he asked, attempting to get her to stop crying. 

“H-Harvey-”

“Harvey can take care of himself. We need to get you out of here, do you understand?”

Ariel shook her head and attempted to pull herself out of Wren’s grip, but Wren knew better. “Stop it! Don’t you understand? Harvey’s little girlfriend was a nobody. There must have been a mistake.”

Ariel sank to her knees in the snow, shaking as her mind caught up with the situation. Why would anyone hurt Julia? She was innocent… All she was guilty of was being Harvey’s girl.

Harvey’s girl. They weren’t going after Julia

“Whoever shot her was looking for you.”

[punch-aholic]

I love your art style, I was wondering what your inspirations were/your process for getting your art style to where it is now

Oh my gosh what an amazing question!! Thank you so much, I really appreciate this :) I'd love to talk about my style and how I've kind of honed in my style over the years. This will be a bit of a long one so I'll put in a cut!

I've been drawing DC art for a long, long time. Since I was really young back when I was playing Lego Batman lol. Before I was doing digital art I was really focused on designing my own versions of characters. I sort of learned how to draw one thing at a time. I learned how to draw hair, then eyes, then noses etc.

I wasn't very good lol. I think these are from like 2016? I took a lot of inspiration from DC Comics actually! I always describe my style as almost-realistic though, because I actually grew up as a life-drawing artist. I can't stress enough how important it is to take the time to really study the human body if you want to draw people. I went to college for Life Drawing and Anatomy studies and it really helped me figure out posing, how certain parts of the body move and stuff like that

I use myself as a reference a lot too. You're your own model! It leads to some pretty funny pics too haha (I ended up changing the pose a bit, but you get the vibe)

These are older and my handwriting is unintelligible but you get the picture. Learning how to translate emotions and character into a pose is really helpful and then of course figuring out how to draw clothes is helpful too. Before I was doing Superheroes I did a lot of fantasy art which helped me kind of perfect armor, cloth and those textures.

When I moved to digital drawing it really helped me learn how to render, which was kind of the final piece of the puzzle. Shading is so fucking difficult and I'm not perfect at it by any means (these drawings are two or three years old now and they still have a lot of issues). I mean, to show you how much my style has changed, this is the same character in 2016, 2020 and 2023

SO yeah! I get a lot of inspiration from older Disney, I really liked She-Ra's art style, and mimicked that a lot when it came out, and now I've kind of grown it into something all my own to the point where I can do full character scenes with my own designs. Anatomy, color theory and character design are big passions of mine and I try to show that in every drawing I do on here.

Thank you for asking by the way, I hope this is what you were looking for! Sorry for rambling lol

[punch-aholic]

I just got a massive bump in followers (thank you all for the love on the batfam post, I’m blown away by it) so I thought I’d remind all the new people that I do comms on ko-fi! I’m still in school so they may take a bit longer than posted but I’ll be sure to get to them asap! I live alone and pay for everything myself so these are always incredibly helpful <3

[punch-aholic]

More designs! This time for the good guys!

I'm so proud of these and hope you guys like them, these took me wayy longer than the rogues and have been months in the making

[punch-aholic]

Double Jeopardy - Chapter Twelve: Adverse Possession

THE DJ HIATUS IS OVER aka I finally figured out how to write a compelling narrative for Ariel. I think some of my best writing is in this chapter, some of the feelings I wrote about in this have been dancing through my mind lately. I hope you like it :)

Read it on AO3

Ariel woke to the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows and landing directly onto her eyes. She squinted and buried her face in the silk white pillows she had become familiar with over the past four months. ‘I don’t need to be at the office until dark.’ she thought, as she turned her body to the side, reaching for her phone. 

When her fingers brushed against a rough, unfamiliar texture, her hazel eyes jolted open to meet the bare, scarred, muscular back of her bedmate. Ariel gasped and quickly pulled her fingers back, sitting up and attempting to regain her position. She was in her bed, no, Harvey’s bed. She had been staying in his apartment while he was in prison. 

But now he was here. In her bed. Their bed. Naked. With her. 

Ariel pulled the pristine, white sheets over her bare chest and thunked the back of her head against the headboard. The entirety of last night had been a blur. She remembered Harvey driving her back to the penthouse, pouring them each a glass of wine, and then sitting together on the couch. The following events were hazy, but Ariel could remember the feeling of Harvey’s rough hands on her freckled skin, his mouth on her own and his deep groans in her ear. She hadn’t been with anyone since Daniel had abandoned her. 

She shut her eyes tight and sucked back tears, trying not to imagine Daniel’s body floating in the Gotham River somewhere. 

With light feet, she stood on pointed toes to quietly walk out of the bedroom, grabbing a random t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts on the way out to dress herself in. She ran her fingers through her messy hair and walked to the kitchen, deciding that a cup of coffee would help her think clearly before she spoke to Harvey. 

The morning radio was on, playing the classical music channel she had set it to. As she pressed the buttons on the coffee maker, she unconsciously felt her eyes close and her head sway to the rhythm of the piano. Ariel inhaled deeply and stood up on her toes, letting herself pirouette across the kitchen floor. Despite not dancing in years, her body and her feet held the memory of seventeen years of training. You’d never know she had worked so hard for it, from the way her arms and long legs moved with grace and beauty. Even just doing small turns and pointing her toes made Ariel emotional. She had such big plans when she was younger. Now when she danced, it felt like a rare moment of peace in the chaotic world she had inserted herself into. 

Ariel didn’t realize the song had ended until the overwhelming quiet of the room had reached her ears. She opened her eyes and gasped as she caught eyes with Harvey, leaned against the doorway of the kitchen smirking- no… smiling. 

Ariel swallowed and looked down at her state of undress, blushing. She had hoped to have more time to figure out what to say before facing him. He had pulled on a pair of pajama pants, and his bedhead was wild and untamed. “Are you gonna say something?” She asked impatiently. 

Harvey scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry, do we know each other, spice girl?”

Ariel raised an eyebrow before looking down at her old Spice Girls t-shirt. “Shut up. I didn’t feel like getting dressed this morning.” She grabbed her coffee mug from the machine and took a sip. “We need to talk.”

Harvey sighed and grabbed a bottle of bourbon and a glass from his cabinet. “Great.”

Ariel snatched the bottle from his hands, handing him the carton of orange juice instead. The two made their way to the leather couch, sitting far apart from each other as they sipped their drinks in awkward silence. Harvey’s brown eyes flickered up to watch Ariel chew on her lip, and he noted how beautiful her eyes looked without her glasses on. He sighed deeply and shook his head, feeling the anger rise up in his chest. “You can’t stay here.”

Ariel crossed her arms and brought her knees to her chest. “I know that. I didn’t mean to move in, but you kind of screwed me with the whole Nightwing thing. He saw my face, Harv. I could be on some… Batman watchlist right now. The cops probably have my whole place bugged.”

“You’re being paranoid. I highly doubt Nightwing thinks you’re a Two-Face level threat.” Ariel’s head shot up to glare at him, and Harvey rolled his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew a famous Ariel lecture was coming. 

“You still haven’t thanked me for running your entire operation while you were in jail. I made deals with Cobblepot, Nygma and Crane all by myself, hired my own people and actually pulled off heists without you.” she spoke defiantly. 

“And it seems like you’ve forgotten who the boss is. Haven’t you?”

“You think I’ve forgotten about that? Like I’m not mortified that I slept with my boss?”

Two-Face’s eye twitched, and he felt his chest tighten. “What the hell does that have to do with anything?”

“It means I’m no better than one of Cobblepot’s floozies.” Ariel muttered, sinking deeper into the leather couch. “You give me all these gifts, and take me to parties, but the second I want any real power you feel threatened!”

Two-Face slammed the glass onto the coffee table. “That’s bullshit and you know it! You’re not dumb, stop acting like it. You think I’d let some whore stay in my apartment for four months? You think I’d give her files that I’ve been working on since I was in college? If that’s what you think then… maybe you should find another job. I’m sure Crane would love a new science experiment.”

Ariel could look past Two-Face’s angry expression to see the genuine hurt in his eyes. She sighed and rubbed her temples. “Look I… I’m sorry. You’re right. But don’t pretend like you’ve been very forthcoming about your feelings for me.”

“We’re not having that conversation.”

“Right now?”

“Ever.” he spat back. “You’ve gotten too familiar. You think people haven’t noticed? You think people don’t call you ‘Harvey’s girl’ for a reason? I’ve got people in Arkham asking me if you’re ‘open for business’.”

Ariel felt sick. She wasn’t being careful lately. It slipped her mind too often the illegality of what she was doing. The types of people she was surrounding herself with. Nothing was stopping Crane from gassing her with toxin, or the mob from putting her in a body bag, or… she didn’t want to imagine all of the horrible things psycho’s like Pyg and Zsasz could do to her.  “It’s part of the job, Harvey. I know what I signed up for.”

“This isn’t what you signed up for, don’t pretend. I never wanted you running the show, not because I’m ‘threatened’. Because I know that the others out there aren’t nearly as nice as me.”

“You’re not nice.”

“Exactly.”

Ariel swallowed and stared at the empty coffee cup in her hands. “So if you don’t want to have that conversation… then what now?”

“Now… you go home.” Ariel looked up quickly, mouth agape. Harvey sighed and looked at the wall, not being able to bring himself to look at her. “You pack your things, go back to your apartment and take some time off. I’ll cover your rent and groceries as long as you stay out of trouble and stay out of the East side.”

Ariel couldn’t control the tears that freely flowed from her eyes. She wasn’t sure why it felt so much like a breakup. After all, she wasn’t being fired, just demoted. Grounded. Harvey couldn’t even look her in the eye while he sent her away. She stood up and quickly walked to the bedroom, ignoring her sniffles as she shoved her belongings into a messy suitcase. 

Harvey dropped her off at her apartment that afternoon, pulling up to the front entrance and sighing as he looked around at the old building. “You call me if you need anything, got it? Even if something feels slightly off.”

Ariel opened her mouth to respond before shutting it tightly and stepping out of the car, grabbing her things from the trunk. The last thing she wanted right now was Harvey’s charity. 

As she stepped into the sadly familiar, reasonably priced studio apartment, she dropped her keys to the ground and locked the three deadbolts on the door. She sunk to the ground, leaning her body against the door and looking up at the popcorn ceiling. The crippling loneliness began to set in. 

‘What now?’ she thought.

[punch-aholic]

Just some rough, self-indulgent Harvey doodles, don't mind me please...

[punch-aholic]

Etiology - Chapter One: Cognition

A new fic! I got so much love for Double Jeopardy I decided to write a little bit for my other oc Jester! This one will be updated less often than DJ but I'm super excited for y'all to read it. DJ will have an update this week too! Sorry for the hiatus :)

Read it on AO3

The hands gripping his upper arms were rough, large and calloused. Jester looked at the large guards on either side of him with dead eyes. He read the nametags carefully, remembering the names so that he could do his research when he got out of here. IF he got out of here. Ramirez and Beckham. Beckham. Why did that name seem so familiar?

He was led through the dirty old halls of Arkham Asylum into the cell block. Screaming, cackling and insane muttering filled the rooms, and Jester wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to the never ending noises. Eddie and Dr. Crane had told him stories of the Mad House, but nothing could compare to seeing the aging, vine-covered walls in person. As they walked by, plenty of insane patients came up to the glass to gawk and laugh at Jester. One man in particular slammed his fists against the glass repeatedly and grinned at the boy. Jester swallowed hard and shut his eyes tight as he continued walking. Ramirez, the tall guard to his left, was a handsome man in his late twenties, who looked like he had been working a triple shift based on the bags underneath his eyes. He looked down and sensed Jester’s unease, and he slightly nudged Jester. “You won’t be staying in this cell block. These people are extreme. You’ll be with people more like yourself.”

Jester wanted to ask what ‘more like himself’ meant, but was hindered by the bite-risk mask covering his mouth and holding it closed. Jester supposed this is what he got for attempting to spit at Batman and the commissioner the day prior. Still, Ramirez’ kind smile put his anxiety at ease. Eddie always said the guards at Arkham were like dogs. Maybe he was exaggerating. 

Finally, they arrived at his cell block. As they walked through the hallway, Jester didn’t recognize a single face in the hall. He knew Harvey and Harley were in Arkham right now, but they must have been considered more ‘extreme’ patients. He was hoping to see at least one familiar face. Instead, he was greeted with violent men and women who looked up at him with contempt as he was escorted into his own cell. Beckham, the large, angry-looking guard who held his arms tightly, shoved him inside, making sure the cuffs on his wrists were locked tight before reaching his hands for the mask. He glared down at Jester and squeezed the sides of his head so tight it felt like it’d pop. “If you spit at me, or try to bite me, I’ll knock you out, kid. Clear?”

Jester glared back at the man and nodded slowly. Beckham unlocked the mask and pulled it off, and Jester immediately spit on the man’s shirt. Beckham’s eyes widened as he reared back and punched Jester in the mouth with all the force he could muster. Jester immediately fell to the floor in a flash, handcuffed hands barely catching his fall as blood began to spill from his mouth. Bolton reached back for another punch only to have his hand held back by Ramirez. “Easy! He’s down, alright?!”

Jester licked the blood from his teeth and spit it onto the floor. He groaned as he stretched his jaw open, wincing in pain. He had already gained a good amount of bruises from his fight with Batman, and Jester was sure his jaw was crooked at this point. He stared at the floor for a few moments, holding back tears. He wasn’t going to cry. Beckham grumbled and lifted Jester by his messy hair. “You’re gonna learn a few rules while you’re here, pretty boy. This isn’t your daddy’s house. You’re gonna respect your superiors, you’re gonna keep your cell clean, and you’re gonna keep your head down and shut up. Otherwise we’ll have to give you extreme treatment. Got it?”

Jester sniffled and nodded slowly, his breathing ragged and quick. Beckham snickered and smeared the blood across his face. “Not so pretty now, huh?” He dropped the boy and laughed on his way out, locking the door and leaving Jester in the quiet cell. 

Jester sat against the concrete wall and attempted to catch his breath. The cell was small, with one bed on a rickety frame and one blanket. The toilet was in the open, matching a small sink with padded faucet handles. Jester pulled his knees to his chest and held his fist up to his bleeding mouth, attempting to put pressure on the wound. Every bone in his body felt like it was on fire. Batman hadn’t gone easy on him. Jester shut his eyes tight as the night had begun to come back to him. Jason attempting to hold Batman back, Jester’s feeble punches that made no connections and the shouting matches of the three men. And Eddie… small tears filled Jester’s eyes at the thought of Eddie’s face as he left Jester behind, but he quickly blinked them away. He wouldn’t let the people in here see him cry. 

~ One week earlier ~

Jester let his feet swing underneath the table he sat on in Eddie’s workshop, barely listening to Eddie ramble about something to do with thermodynamics. His eyes were trained on the analog clock above the desk. Only two minutes left. Jester sighed dramatically and flopped back onto the desk, staring up at the ceiling. Eddie looked up from his current project/death trap, goggles on, and glared at the boy. “I’m sorry, am I boring you?”

Jester snickered and sat up. “Kinda.” He jumped up from the desk and picked up the little device Eddie was working on, tossing it into the air and catching it. “I just asked ya to tell me what it’s supposed to do.”

Eddie pulled his goggles off, snatching the device from Jester’s hands and continuing his work. “It’s a signal jammer that directly taps into Batman’s communication system, keep your hands off!”

Jester rolled his eyes and looked up at the clock again, smiling. “Gotta go!” he shouted, grabbing his bag and running for the door, only for it to be shut in his face. He turned to see Eddie in his chair with the remote in hand, glaring at him. Jester’s shoulders sank. “C’mon, Eddie!”

“Wanna tell me where you’re going?” he said with a stern tone. Eddie could be such a helicopter guardian. 

Jester sighed and leaned back onto the door. “I’m just… gonna visit Uncle Jon.”

“Liar.” Eddie stated plainly. “I know who you’re going to see, and I’m putting my foot down this time. You’re staying home.”

Jester crossed his arms and glared at the older man. “Red is my friend, Eddie. Nothing’s gonna happen to me, I can take care of myself. Besides, I’m nineteen now. You can’t keep me locked up in here forever.”

“I’m not worried about you hurting yourself. I’ve known Red Hood a lot longer than you have. Just because he uses a gun doesn’t mean he doesn’t work for Batman. And when the Bat finds out about you, where will that lead him? Right back here. My ONLY good safehouse left! I’m not gonna let you ruin it because you’ve got a little crush.” Eddie pulled his goggles back on and continued to work on his project. 

Jester’s chest tightened at Eddie’s words. Of course Eddie only cared about the safehouse. Jester walked forward and snatched the remote from Eddie’s desk, opening the door. “I don’t have a crush, and I’m smarter than you think. I’d never tell Red where I live. Give me a little credit!”

As he began to walk back to the door, Eddie stood up. “Jester. Do not walk out that door-” “You’re not my dad, Eddie!”

Eddie stilled, glaring at the boy in front of him. He was right. Their relationship was complicated. Eddie had done all he could for the kid, but he just wasn’t good enough at being there for him emotionally. Sure, he could joke with him, patch up his knees when he scraped them but at the end of the day they wouldn’t be posing for Christmas card photos or going to baseball games. Hell, Eddie hadn’t even taught the kid how to drive. 

“Fine. Do what you want.”

Jester was never anything less than grateful for Eddie taking him in, but deep down he always felt like he wasn’t smart enough to really be Eddie’s kid. Eddie’s dismissals and cold words always stung. Sure, Dr. Crane could be mean and bitter, but it was Eddie’s approval he wanted more than anything. Just one time where he would say ‘You did good’. 

Jester sighed and turned around, walking out of the safehouse and into the rainy Gotham City streets, leaving a tired and frustrated Eddie behind.

Jester stood on the rooftop of the bank, looking at his phone clock and tapping his foot. Any time away from the safehouse was exciting for Jester, but the opportunity to get his hands dirty was even more exciting. 

“Excited to see me?”

Jester grabbed his gun and quickly turned to point it at the voice, only to be met with nothing. Suddenly, his feet were tripped underneath him, and he fell to the ground with a thud. He looked up to see the familiar red mask and brown leather jacket of his friend. Red Hood chuckled and held out his hand. “Will you ever not fall for that?” he joked in a deep, but still youthful voice. 

Jester glared up at him and smacked his hand away, standing up on his own. “Shut up.”

Red shrugged and pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet. “I’ve got a drug deal to bust a few blocks away. You in?”

Jester smirked and punched Red’s shoulder playfully. “Hell yeah, I’m in!”

Later that night, the two sat on the fire escape of an abandoned hotel, Jester quickly putting away a greasy slice of pizza and Red watching the stars as he leaned his helmet against the pole of the escape. These moments were the only times he got to relax during late night patrols like this, and the only moments Jester got non-frozen food to eat. 

Jester licked the grease off his thumb and nudged Red with his elbow. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while. You missed our last two meetings.”

Red shrugged and cracked his knuckles, a bad habit. “Got into a fight with the big guy. Had to lay low for a bit.” “You two aren’t close?”

Red chuckled sadly. “It’s complicated.”

Jester smiled and looked up at the stars with him. “I know a thing or two about complicated.”

Red smirked behind his mask. Sure, Jester’s relationship with Eddie was complex, but he had a feeling that his own relationship with Batman was complicated enough to fill an entire encyclopedia. Not that Jester needed to know anything about that. “We were close but… stuff happened. We don’t exactly see eye to eye anymore.”

Jester smiled and leaned closer, batting his eyes dramatically. Red laughed and pushed his face away. “I’m not telling you my super secret, traumatic origin story. Not until you tell me yours.”

“Pfft, yeah right. Trust goes both ways, Red. I’m a closed book-”

A beep went off on Red’s gauntlet, and the older man quickly covered Jester’s mouth with his gloved hand, before pressing a button on his mask. “Talk to me.” Jester could hear the muffled sounds of a voice coming over Red’s communicator. After a moment, Red sighed and shook his head. “Shit. Alright, yeah, I can get there in five minutes. Try and get B to calm down.” He pressed the button on his  mask again and stood up. “I was supposed to meet the big guy twenty minutes ago. Two-Face is lighting up the Diamond District bank.”

Jester smiled and stood up with him. “Can I come?”

“Fuck no. Batman will have you in Arkham before you could even say ‘hello’.” He gave Jester a little salute. “I’ll see you next week, I promise.” At that, he jumped off the edge of the fire escape, leaving Jester with nothing but a box of half eaten pizza and an orange soda. Jester sighed and banged his head against the pole of the fire escape. The last thing he wanted to do was go back to Eddie after their fight. So he went to the only other person he knew. 

He picked up his phone and texted ‘Uncle Jon’. 

JES: “I’m spending the night”. 

A moment later, a text back. 

UNCLE JON: Bring food. 

[punch-aholic]

✨Killer Quest✨

They’re gonna piggyback (or satyrback) to the Underworld

I drew this a bit ago but it got lost in my drafts lol

[punch-aholic]

“Maybe try NOT dying next time!”

[punch-aholic]

hi, love your art so so so much! I love the punchverse designs, but why is it called punchverse and what is the lore??

Hi!! Thank you for the love!

I named it Punch!verse after my username 'Punch-Aholic'! It doesn't really mean anything special, just something to signify that it's my version of the characters.

As for the lore, I don't go too far outside of a typical Batman canon, but I consider my versions of the characters to have the perfect mix of camp and grit. I think that most modern interpretations of the Rogues are missing the campiness that they were created with. I wouldn't say that my characterizations are 'silly' but they're just not so serious all the time and have bright, bold designs. I'm a big fan of using color. Even when I have a character (like Jon and Harvey) who don't wear a ton of color, I still try to incorporate a bit of color into their aesthetic (for example: Jonathan's fear gas emits a yellow glow to contrast the brown and gray tones, and Harvey wears very small purple accents to offset the black and white)

Maybe if anyone's interested I could go more in depth into each of the Rogues and what they're Punch!verse story is and why I chose certain design choices!

Also my OC's Jester and Ariel are canon in punch!verse as well, so it lets me play with them a bit more

[punch-aholic]

AND LIKE ANY DEALER HE WAS SEARCHING FOR THE CARD THAT IS SO HIGH AND WILD, HE'LL NEVER HAVE TO DEAL ANOTHER

[punch-aholic]

Double Jeopardy - Chapter Eleven: Bail Bond

AHEM... they kiss :) Fair warning, this story gets spicier from here on out. Nothing too explicit but act two is the romantic part of this story. I really enjoy the last half of this chapter!

Read it on AO3

Ariel tapped her foot anxiously as she rifled through the files on her desk… Harv’s desk. She kept having to remind herself that this was only temporary.

It had been four months since Harvey was incarcerated, and despite things mostly staying the same, to Ariel it felt completely different without him. She had taken over the office completely, along with the fifteen men left over from the heist. Things were slow starting out, and every day she feared for her safety and security. However, as time went on she built up her confidence. From hiring new men, to even beginning to train and gain strength to defend herself. Living in Harvey’s apartment, sitting at his desk and ordering around his men gave her a sense of power that she wasn’t aware she needed until now. It was nice to be more than the ‘secretary’ for once.

Still, it was lonely. 

She missed the playful back and forth and the strange ways of flirting. She even missed Harvey’s mood swings a small bit.

“Miss Lancaster?” a timid voice called from the door of the office. Ariel’s head perked up to match eyes with the new girl she had hired to handle a bit of the paperwork here and there. Julie, her name was. She was younger than Ariel, in her early twenties, with curly blonde hair she always kept in a messy ponytail and big glasses that magnified her green eyes. She was a bit awkward, always stumbling over her words and saying odd things. She reminded Ariel too much of herself, maybe that’s why she took her on as a secretary. 

Ariel put on a smile despite how lost in thought she seemed to be today. “Something wrong, Julie?”

Julie swallowed and turned around, muttering something to another person. Ariel heard a deep voice starting to get frustrated with her, and the door was pushed open to reveal none other than Harvey Dent himself, standing in a brand new suit and tie. He looked… surprisingly calm. 

More calm than Ariel, at least, whose eyes went wide as she quickly stood from her chair. Harvey turned up his chin and smirked. “Get out of my chair, doll.”

Ariel inhaled quickly. The way that word affected her needed to be studied. She cleared her throat and stepped back. “Julie, could you give me a moment, please?” Julie nodded quickly and shut the door, scurrying back off to her own office. 

Harvey poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue and chuckled. “You’ve certainly made yourself comfortable.” He muttered, walking closer to her. “Your hair is longer.”

Ariel blushed and crossed her arms. “It’s been four months.”

Harvey raised an eyebrow and leaned against the desk, only a few steps away from her now. “Oh? You angry with me, doll?”

Ariel glared up at him and punched his arm, taking a bit of pride in the very small grimace on his face. “Of course I am! You put me in danger because you were petty and upset that you might actually care about me!”

“Is that right?”

“Don’t be a smartass right now, Harvey. I’ve been drowning in work trying to figure out how to keep this place running. You’re welcome, by the way.” Two-Face laughed darkly and fondled the expensive necklace resting on her chest. “Don’t act like it’s been all hard times. I know you’ve been in my apartment. I know you used my credit card. And I know that there’s a part of you that likes being in charge.” 

Ariel glared at the older man and pushed his hand away. “I didn’t use your credit card for anything but food and necessities, Harv.” She turned and smirked to herself. “Oz bought the necklace for me.”

Two-Face’s smirk left his face immediately and he grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her close. “Don’t get cute! Or do you need me to remind you who you work for? You’ve gotten awfully familiar lately. I’m still ‘Mr. Dent’.”

Ariel attempted to wrestle her arm from his grasp, to no avail. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re partners now. There are at least 50 men out there that follow me, not you. If you want their loyalty, you’re gonna have to be nice to me.”

Harvey squinted down at her and took a note that her boldness was starting to get on his nerves. “I think you need to remember who you belong to, Miss Lancaster.”

“Who I-?”

Ariel was cut off by Harvey’s rough lips pressing against hers. He had one hand still gripping her arm, while the other went straight to her hips. Ariel’s heart was racing with conflicting feelings. Anger at his last statement, frustration at being ‘demoted’, but the one that took over was how much she’d missed Harvey in the last four months. Even more so, she had been thinking about their kiss every night since it happened. 

Ariel wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as if she didn’t want him to escape again. He pulled her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged softly, eliciting a soft whine from her. Harvey groaned deep into her ear and roughly pushed her against the desk, tugging her jacket off and leaving her in her corset and pants. Ariel huffed and jumped up onto the desk, pulling Harvey down with her as he left kisses and bite marks along her neck. Small, choked-out moans came from her, and she reached up for small handfuls of Harvey’s brown and white hair to grab onto. Harvey groaned and grabbed a fistfull of her auburn hair, forcing her to lock eyes with him. And for once, Ariel wasn’t sure if she was looking at Harvey or Two-Face. “Who do you belong to, doll?”

Ariel felt that feeling of anger well up inside of her again, and for a moment it fueled her. She groaned and used her hips to flip the pair over. The pair audibly groaned as they fell onto the floor, Harvey’s back taking the brunt of the fall. Ariel looked down at the man with determined eyes. “Nobody.”

Harvey raised an eyebrow and grabbed her hips tightly. It was hard to believe the girl looking down at him was the same girl who had walked into his office six months ago. But he knew she was right. He didn’t own her, and he never could. Still, he felt a bit of pride at what she had become. She was still Ariel, just without the strings that held her back from being her true, confident, powerful self. Harvey wasn’t one to enjoy sharing power, and he never would. He preferred the duality in Harvey and Two-Face running the show, and adding a third party into their mix was… terrifying. But Ariel was the one thing that the pair could agree on. They needed her. Needed to protect her, teach her and keep her. But they could never be vulnerable enough to tell her that he ‘loved’ her. One thought plagued his mind in the asylum; she could never have a normal life with him. Not the one she deserved, at least. 

Still, it would be fun to indulge in. For a while, at least. 

“Fuck, I missed you” he muttered as he pulled her down again, kissing her a bit softer this time.

[punch-aholic]

Emergency Commissions!

I hate to promote my Ko-Fi all the time like this but unfortunately I have come up on some extremely hard times and my full time job is not enough to cover my rent.

Fortunately, however, I am finally out of school! This means I have ample time to work on commissions for you all! Everything is laid out on my Ko-Fi and even a little bit would help me right now :)

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/punchaholic

Here are some pieces I've done already!

[punch-aholic]

Back with the same trope again, you might ask? YES. ALWAYS

This might be my handsomest Eddie yet..

[punch-aholic]

The product of writing three chapters of double jeopardy while listening to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack..

[punch-aholic]

Double Jeopardy: Chapter Ten - Appellant

ACT ONE IS OVERRRR!

Read it on AO3

Ariel waited a week before making any sort of move. There was a small hope that Harvey would break out immediately and help her, but nothing came. She stayed in his apartment in fear of going back to her own. Nightwing had seen her face, and she knew going back home would only increase her chances of getting caught. She tossed her options around as she attempted to make herself a good houseguest. Not that it mattered, really. While the living room and kitchen areas were kept incredibly neat and tidy, Harvey’s bedroom was a real mess. Dirty clothes everywhere, newspaper clippings pinned to the wall, old campaign merchandise scattered around. Ariel even found a photo of Harvey and a beautiful woman, who she assumed was his ex wife, sitting on the bedside table. It was almost… sad. A memorial to his old life. 

By the next Monday after the heist, it was time to move on and find a new plan. With Harvey, Jones and even Dr. Crane gone, she needed someone new to trust. Her options were extremely limited. She only knew two other people who could help her, and Eddie was absolutely a last resort. 

That’s how Ariel found herself in the Iceberg Lounge on a Monday evening, dressed in one of Harvey’s white button-ups and a pair of black dress pants that were tightly held up by a belt around her waist. It was more masculine than her usual attire, but wearing Harvey’s clothes gave her a sense of authority. 

She fumbled through the crowd before making it to Oswald’s office, stopped by two large guards glaring down at her. She swallowed and lifted her chin up with a stern expression. “I’d like to speak to Mr. Cobblepot. I’m an associate of Mr. Dent.”

One of the men raised an eyebrow before smirking. “Turn out your pockets, love.” he said in a thick accent. Ariel held back the urge to roll her eyes as she turned out her pockets and lifted the leg of her pants to prove she wasn’t attempting anything stupid. They let her into a long dark red hallway before she arrived at the office. A woman sat at the desk chewing gum loudly as she typed something away at the computer. She was tall, taller than Ariel with curly blonde hair that had been tied up in a bun. She wore practically nothing, but it had the illusion of being dressy-casual. The outfit showed off her chest in a way that Ariel knew she wouldn’t be able to fill out if she tried. The woman looked up at her through her glasses and raised one heavily manicured finger. “Do you have an appointment, ma’am?” She spoke in a thick cockney accent, as well. Ariel noticed the tag on her desk read ‘Kitty Scott’. In another world, this would be Ariel’s life behind Penguin’s desk. 

“No, but I’m a friend of Harvey Dent’s. I need to speak with him about something important.”

Kitty scowled at her, and a light went off in Ariel’s head. She recognized this woman as one of Harvey’s dates from the first party he went to. “No appointment, no visit. Buh-Bye.”

Ariel’s eyebrows furrowed. She leaned forward and put both hands on the desk. “See, this is my job too, Ms. Scott. I know damn well he’s sitting behind that door not doing a thing right now. Let me in!”

Kitty glared back at the girl and scoffed. “It’s your funeral, darling.” She pressed a button on the intercom. “Mr. Cobblepott, Harvey’s little side piece is here to see you”

Before Ariel could respond to being called a ‘little side piece’, Oswald’s voice came over the intercom. “Figured she’d be here eventually! Send her in, Kit!”. Kitty rolled her eyes and pressed a button to open the door. Ariel smirked and flipped her middle finger at the woman before walking inside. She had no time for attitude today.

Oswald, just as expected, sat on his couch with a cigarette in hand, chuckling as Ariel walked in. “Got yourself in a bit of a pickle, have we? Come looking for a job?”

“More like I’ve come for advice. You and Harvey are friends, can I expect that applies to me as well?” She said, sitting on the edge of the couch as well. 

Oswald clicked his tongue and leaned back. “Not quite, dear. You’ve gotta earn my friendship.”

“And how exactly do I do that?”

Oswald smirked and spread his legs a bit. “I could think of a few ways”. His obnoxious laughter rang out through the office, but Ariel kept a straight face. 

“Funny. But you know Harvey would kill you. Plus, your blonde bimbo out there would get jealous.”

Oswald laughed again and slapped his knee. “You’re lucky I like you, darling.” He leaned forward with a grunt and put out his cigarette. “You’re wondering what to do now.”

Ariel sighed and looked down at her feet. “There’s only fifteen men left at the office. Without Harvey they’re bound to work somewhere else. I… He could be in there for months. We… had a fight before he got taken away. I feel like an idiot.”

Oswald raises an eyebrow and chuckles. “Sounds like you only have one option. Run the damn thing yourself.”

“What?”

“Look, from what Harv tells me, you’ve been running it anyway. The only thing Harvey does that you don’t is recruit, fight and steal. Now, you don’t need to fight or steal, you recruit men to do it for you. Harvey’s men are loyal, and from what I hear they’re loyal to you too. Are you gonna keep being a secretary or are you gonna be Two-Face?”

Ariel felt a sense of pride well up in her chest. She was running the office. Harvey only showed up to help with paperwork and prepare before a robbery. The men that worked for him had protected her when she needed it… would they follow her? “I don’t know the first thing about being ‘Two-Face’.”

Oswald stood up and grabbed his umbrella cane, walking over to his desk and pulling out a file before handing it to her. “First rule of being a crime lord, make the right friends and don’t make the wrong enemies. In there is a contact list of people you can talk with. Nygma, Quinn, Freeze, even the mob.” Ariel’s heart stopped. “You don’t know how long Harvey’s gonna be gone. So you need to start making your own connections. Figure out what it is that you want, not what Harv wants.”

Ariel swallowed and held the file tightly. This was the last step. If she took this file, she was a crime boss. She could go to jail. She was no different from Oswald or Harvey. Still, Daniel had told her so many times that he was the boss and she was the secretary. She had a rare opportunity to prove him wrong, and to prove her father wrong. She looked up at Oz with a determined expression. 

“I want to take down Maroni.”