Here to Stay

A/N: You know what's better than one update? Two in one night baby!! Might be a little ooc, sorry! I'm still trying to figure out how to write for these characters. I'm also still figuring out how I want to format this. Kinda don't like how it looks right now but it'll just have to work.

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     Riddler: As disappointing as it was to see Edward being dragged back to Arkham, it wasn't too surprising. What was surprising, however, was that the two of you managed to stay in touch and even grow closer, quickly forming a strange friendship of sorts. You were his only visitor in Arkham and listened to him rant about the asylum or how unfair the Bat was being. Almost everyone in a five-mile radius of the man was long tired of his complaining, even the Joker covering his ears in a desperate attempt to shut Eddie out. But not you. You listened and gave genuine feedback or, in most situations, helped to distract his mind and calm his nerves one way or another. Usually this was by reminding him of his accomplishments or giving him some puzzles to focus his brain on if only for a few minutes (he completed each work search and Rubik cube in record time). Still, Edward was thankful for your limited company during these trying times and enjoyed the little games you brought. You kept him updated on anything he found interesting on the outside. Considering this secret superpower of yours to tame the Riddler, you find yourself getting longer visiting hours.

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A cough happened to draw your attention away from the game of cards you and Eddie were partaking in. Edward was quick to glare up at the guard who so rudely interrupted your game, you taking a moment follow his harsh gaze.

"Your time's almost up, Mx. (L/n)." The guard gently reminded, side eyeing the clearly upset prisoner next to him. Your eyes then drifted back to Edward, who had turned his gaze to give you a pleading look. He hated to see you go, seeing as it was oh so boring without your company, even if the two of you were to just sit in silence the whole hour.

"It's alright Eddie, he's right. It is getting pretty late. But I promise I'll be here tomorrow after work." You reassured him, only receiving a frustrated groan in response.

"I know you will, but that's just such a long time." Edward practically whined, throwing in his usual dramatic flair when you had to leave. You laughed slightly at his antics, noticing the smile that graced his features at the sound.

"Goodnight, Eddie." You finally said while being escorted out by the same guard from before. Edward stared at you with a soft smile before repeating the words, letting out a sigh when he realized he was once again alone until your next visit.


     Scarecrow: Your relationship with the Scarecrow for the most part was nonexistent as mentioned before. You both barely interacted outside of schemes, which you were fine with. You could easily get any job done without the need to converse with your boss. Still, you managed to develop a strong sense of loyalty towards the guy. It wasn't immediate and mostly grew due to your close nature with some of the other goons the Scarecrow kept around. That alongside the good pay and fearsome reputation that came with working under the Scarecrow were practically euphoric. Jonathan being the distant and distracted man that he is, only really knew you by name and your skills. That was until a particular show of bravery when you jumped in front of him to protect him from Batman, taking a few good punches in the process. The action had the Scarecrow stunned in place for a moment before one of his other goons yelled for everyone to flee the scene, which he promptly did, leaving you and a few others to be arrested. In your mind, the whole situation was rather frightening. This was your first time being captured and you didn't know what to expect. Meanwhile for Jonathan, he couldn't shake the rising guilt he felt over the whole situation, something that was very unexpected and frustrating for him. Why did he feel this way towards you in particular? You were just another goon, right? Eventually the feeling became too distracting for the professor who decided to simply break you out of jail the night before your trial, along with a few of his other goons that got captured under the guise of needing your skills in mechanics for his next scheme. This event set in motion a change in your relationship, kicking off more conversations between the two of you when you had the free time or were helping him move his fear toxins. It took time for Jonathan to even think about opening up to you in any way, even for him to agree for you to call him by his actual name, but eventually that day arrived. This change also led to you being "promoted" to Crane's personal assistant/bodyguard, a title you held with pride.

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You stared over Jonathan's shoulder with eyes filled with wonder, watching him work his magic in creating his newest batch of fear toxin, this one promised to be more intense than any before it.

"This is sure to make the Bat cower." You could hear Jonathan mutter to himself, catching a glimpse of the smirk plastered on his face. Watching Jonathan in his lab was fascinating to you, despite chemistry not being your strong suite. You loved to ask questions about the process and learn about how everything worked, something that Jon would never admit he enjoyed (he finally gets to teach someone about his true passion in instilling fear into others instead of the boring lectures he had to give as a professor). You opened your mouth to ask yet another question when Henrey, another henchman, burst through the door to the lab, earning a loud scolding from Jonathan.

"You halfwit! Are you trying to make me spill something?! Don't burst into a chemistry lab like that!"

"It- It's the cops!" Henrey explained while desperately trying to catch his breath, doubling over for a moment with his hands to his knees. Just then, you both realized the commotion coming from the entrance of the hideout. You had been found. Jonathan ordered Henrey to go help stall the officers and pulled you back when you moved to join him.

"No. You help me move this batch of toxins. I can't risk losing this one." You nodded and swiftly moved to safely (or as safely as you could under these types of circumstances) transport the toxins to a different hideout nearby.


     Mad Hatter: Considering Jervis's obsession with Alice alongside his busy schedule, you never got to form a proper friendship outside of the casual talks when he would stop by. That was until after his whole fall into Wonderland. You heard about the news of his arrest and couldn't believe your ears. That sweet guy you've been serving was now being locked in Arkham for hypnotizing a bunch of people. Gotham sure is a crazy city. You expected that to be the end of it, but Jervis had other plans. He never forgot about you, the only other significant person in his life outside of Alice who ever showed him true kindness (at least in his twisted mind). So, when he escaped Arkham, he knew exactly where to go for help. You nearly had a heart attack when you went to close up when you spotted a top-hatted figure looming outside the glass entrance. Jervis may have been mad, but he was no dummy. He knew you would be frightened by his sudden appearance and instantly went into comforting you, promising that he would never harm you or put you under hypnosis (unless he felt he needed to, but he bit his tongue on that part). For some reason, you decided to trust him. You weren't as freaked out by this as you knew you should be. This was still the Jervis you used to see every now and again, right? Jervis was elated to see that you had so quickly accepted this new him and gently asked if he could hide out here until Arkham had given up looking for him, which would be a few days since the Batman usually took care of runaway patients. You wearily agreed and led Jervis to your office in the back, a place he could stay without being caught by any of your employees. To say he was thankful would be an understatement as the man picked you up and twirled you around with pure glee. This was the start of a strange but endearing hidden friendship between you two as you now had more time to get to know each other, especially during late nights before you closed up.

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"I didn't quite like that fellow. Rather rude." Jervis grumbled, coming out of hiding after your last customer left, a businessman in a rush that made his frustrations with life very known, like it was your problem.

"I know but that's just what you have to put up with when you work with the general public." You replied in a drained voice, the long day taking its toll on you. Jervis picked up on this and frowned, his eyes moving about for something to help lighten the mood.

"How about a tea party my dear?" He suddenly asked, moving towards the clean mugs and cups you had just organized. You were about to retort that your shop didn't sell tea, until you remembered that Jervis had smuggled in a few boxes of the stuff a few days ago since he wasn't the biggest on coffee. Jervis turned to you with a smile that you just couldn't bring yourself to say no to. Jervis made the tea while you baked a few fresh cakes for the party. While the tea boiled over the stove, Jervis moved to helped with your baking, insisting on decorating some of the finished projects (guess what theme he chose). Overall, the evening changed from exhausting to rather peaceful thanks to Jervis's company.


     Penguin: You returned to the Iceberg Lounge many times after that night, the second time being to thank the Penguin properly after your friends explained to you what had transpired. Oswald, being the gentleman he is, said it was no big deal but told you to simply call him or one of his goons if anything similar occurred. You were supposed to be here to have fun, not be made uncomfortable. After that, you made it a note to at least greet the Penguin every time you went out to the Lounge, even searching him out. Oswald was taken aback by your gestures to get to know him, believing you would forget about your initial encounter entirely, but nonetheless happy to have some pleasant company for once. You managed to build a thin layer of trust with the crime boss, pulling him from his work or hiding to dance with you or simply giving him a confidence boost when he needed it the most. You were unfazed by his criminal record and Oswald for the life of him couldn't seem to find even the smallest hint of malicious intent within you, something he feared momentarily when you first tried to push friendship onto him. Your friends assumed you were trying to get yourself killed at first, pushing the Penguin's buttons in such a way, but somehow you managed to remain on Oswald's good side.

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"Ey, boss. You got a visitor." Carl's voice interrupted Oswald's train of thought, earning a scowl from him before you waltz into sight with your usual cheery smile. Oswald's mood flipped as he walked over to greet you.

"Hello Oswald. Lovely night for a dance, don't you think?" You ask while grabbing Oswald's hands within your own. Oswald gave a soft smile in return before answering in a more solemn voice.

"I don't know about that, (Y/n). I've got my hands full at the moment-"

"All the more reason to come dance with me! C'mon, it's just one song then I'll let you be. It'll be worth your while, I promise!" You playfully argued before dragging Oswald out into the open where he overheard your favorite song playing. Ah, so that's why you were so keen on getting him to agree. Well, he supposes he could indulge you for a few minutes.

"Alright, alright! I'm following you as quickly as I can!" Oswald joked back as you slowed your pace with a laugh and an apology.


     Two-Face: It was hard not to notice your craftsmanship every time you spotted Harvey, or Two Face as the media calls him, on the news or in the papers. Sadly, that wasn't the last time you would be seeing him. Every time that suit of his got damaged in any significant way, you found yourself being visited at the worst hours of the night or (in the worst-case scenarios) taken to some random hide out to fix it. Apparently Two Face took a particular liking to your style and demanded you be the one to fix his suit and eventually make him some more. On the bright side, you were getting paid well, even if the money was stolen, and Two Face never treated you that harshly. It was mostly just his tone and occasional pushy attitude. Nothing compared to what you expected. Of course, you were threatened with your life if you ever went to the cops over the whole ordeal, but the situation could be a lot worse. You decided to think of it more as a slightly more dangerous, private commission. This mindset aided you in slowly growing more and more casual about the whole thing, which opened you up to being more talkative. This triggered Two Face to do the same, opening up just enough to form a friendship of sorts, but nothing to personal that could be used against him. You were both beyond pleased with this change since it made your "visits" more bearable on both sides. If anything, you both found yourselves looking forward to such events.

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"Y'know, sometimes I think you damage these on purpose." You announced while finishing up the sewing on yet another tear in the otherwise perfect black and white suit. Two Face huffed from somewhere behind you. You dared not to drift your eyes away from the task at hand.

"Maybe I do. It does mean I get to see you." Two Face replied, clearly meant as a joke as he followed it up with a growl.

"Honestly, I didn't expect that runt to pull a knife on me like that." You heard Two Face's voice shift more into Harv. For once you broke your silly little rule about keeping your eyes on your work to glance his way, seeing him turned away from you while reading over a newspaper.

"Foul play at its finest. You should really be more careful though. I may know how to stitch up clothes, but I can't promise any medical assistance if something serious were to happen." You retort, glancing back and forth from your work and Two Face. Because of this, you were able to see Two Face's stunned expression as he moved to stare at you. You both locked eyes and you gave a genuine smile, trying to show that your concerns were real and not just courtesy. A smirk made its way onto his face before he returned his eyes to the paper in his hands.


     Harley Quinn: You quickly became Harley's comfort person when things between her and Joker spiraled, which was often. When she needed a place to stay or lay low, you were her solution. She was pretty quick to open up which spurred you to do the same, causing your friendship to blossom in a matter of days more or less. While you eventually tried to convince her that the Joker was bad news and that she should ditch him, you also gave ideas for schemes to get his attention since Harley is the embodiment of stubborn when she wants to be. You were always there to catch her when things went wrong, however. At some point you two became unofficial roommates, a fact that was solidified when she decided to bring her hyenas over one visit. You were beyond terrified of them at first, a fact not helped by how much they seemed to love you, pouncing the second Harley introduced you to them. You did, of course, warm up to them and even managed to train them to not destroy your small apartment during play time. Harley in turn did her best to keep you out of the Joker's way, not wanting another Poison Ivy situation; at least Poison Ivy could stand her ground to the Joker but a normie like yourself? The very idea made her shudder. Harley would always warn you about where the Joker planned to strike so you could avoid them and kept your mere existence under lock and key. No matter how much she loves her puddin', she would always make up some excuse as to where she had gone instead of bringing your name into anything. She felt guilty about the lying to Mr. J about your friendship, but it was for the best in the end.

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You felt someone shake your shoulder, pulling you out of your deep slumber. Your eyes fluttered open to see a familiar blonde hovering over you with an ear-to-ear grin.

"Morning Harley." You groaned out, choosing to not question how or when she got into your apartment or why she was practically straddling you.

"Rise and shine (Y/n)! Made ya breakfast!" Harley said before jumping off and running off to the kitchen. You grimaced a little, knowing Harley wasn't the best cook but being too nice to deny such a sweet gesture. You sluggishly fixed your pajamas and followed after your hyper friend, seeing your old wooden table filled different types of pancakes. Harley gazed at you with hopeful eyes, waiting for your reaction.

"Wow, Harls. You really outdid yourself, but you didn't have to-"

"I wanted to! As a thanks for all the help you've given me in the past month. It's the least I could do." Harley interjects before pushing you to your seat and fixing you with a plate of your favorite pancakes. You felt a smile tug at your tired lips at the action, a certain warmth in your heart that just brightened your morning.


     Poison Ivy: You could be fired for this, jailed even. You knew this. Pamela knew this. It was something you two often joked about, forming a certain trust and bond over the course of her robberies of your company. Sometimes she would even appear at late hours just to observe you, trying to figure out why you were so open to aiding the likes of her. You clearly knew who she was, and yet you held no fear in your eyes. Your distaste for management was no real secret, but that couldn't be it, could it? There had to be more. Maybe you believed in her cause? The thought brought a smile to Pam's face. You would make a swell partner in crime. Focused, committed, smart, and with a grudge against those of higher power. She honestly liked your style. It wouldn't take her long to bring up the prospect of becoming a rogue yourself. While the idea appealed to you, you didn't feel prepared for that first step, something Pamela respected. Too bad you were forced to take that step after being found out by one of your colleagues. With nowhere else to turn to and in a pure state of panic, you ran to the only person you felt you could trust in the moment.

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Who in their right mind would be knocking at Pam's door at this hour? Actually, scratch that. Who would be crazy enough to run into the middle of a toxic dump in general? Pamala cursed to herself while moving to peek out the windows of her small home, making sure it wasn't the cops, the Joker, or worse yet the Batman. The only sight she got was one she never wanted to see. You stood outside her door looking absolutely disheveled and on the verge of a panic attack. Pam never imagined she could move as quick as she did, swinging the door open and instantly asking how you were, being cut of when you jumped into her arms and clung to her for dear life. You muttered on and on about how they "found out" and that you were ruined. What were you to do?

"Sh, sh. Hush little bud. Calm it." Ivy said in a smooth whisper, petting your hair in an attempt to ease your nerves, which worked a bit. The two of you stayed like that for a moment, swaying back and forth in each other's embrace, until you heard her speak once more.

"You helped me, now it's my turn to repay the favor. You can hide here and figure out what to do." She then pulled back and gave your appearance another good look over.

"But let's save that for later. For now, let's get you cleaned up. Hope you're not afraid of needles."

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