icebergloungers | we're all mad here

There was a riot, which wasn't that unusual. But there was a riot while Ed was feeling restless, frustrated because he was out of shampoo and had no idea when he'd next get access and, well, that was as good a reason to break out as any. Of course, there might be a secondary motivation simply because of how he'd been feeling lately - more anxious, more on edge, hating the therapy sessions with the good Doctor Crane - but he preferred not to examine that too much.

Edward strolled through Arkham, easily avoiding the actual riot. He had an escape plan, of course he did, and he was fairly convinced it'd go without a hitch. Only then he came upon Harvey's cell and he changed gears. Time to play, wasn't it? Leaning against his cell-door, he looked inside. "Hey, good-lookin'. What's cooking?"

"Bored. This riot has been going on for hours." And Harvey was half asleep on his bed, clearly not with it. He had dozed off before and Edward's approach had woken him up. How he could sleep through the sirens was hard to say but then, he was on some heavy meds these days for pain management. He could sleep anywhere. With a yawn, he sat upright and realised that Edward was loose. Not in a cage or cuffs, no guards around, no nothing.

"Making a break for it?" Well, he figured as much. "I would be careful, I heard them on the talkie. They're allowed to use excessive force." And Edward wasn't the strongest.

Sue him, he was worried. He gave advise.

"Cute. Don't you worry, those morons will be out of a job before they even realise that I got out." Edward clearly wasn't concerned. "However, I could use some company. Gets a bit lonely on the road, doesn't it?"

He bent down and stared at the number pad. His lips moved as he considered, looking at it from different angles. Then, seconds later, he punched in the code and the door sprung open. "I keep telling them to institute and two-step verification system, just to make it more challenging."

Because this was getting too easy. "You ready for some fresh air? I'll get us a ride, so don't you worry your pretty little head. We'll be all set. I'm getting sick of this place. Always thought it was terrible for my mental health, ironically."

"Aer you serious?" Harvey wasn't going to say no, he made sure he had his coin and then walked out of the cell, stretching lazily as he listened to Edward. Of course Arkham never fixed shit, they probably wanted these guys to escape. An easier job for them. Besides, this place was full of crazies, even on the staff level, they probably loved the chaos. "I'm pretty fucking sick of this shithole so I ain't saying no. Let's get out of here."

He walked with Edward, ready to take on anyone who went after them, not willing to lose his out just as he got it. He didn't know what fresh air felt like any more. Last time he felt it on his face, it was so beautifully painful.

"I hope the loons here off the doc, I fucking hate my therapist." He was far too into his childhood traumas and fears. Harvey never shared but damn, it was creepy.

"You've Crane too, don't you?" He assumed as much. Harvey's issues were kind of obvious, but compulsion was a definite part of it too, rooted in trauma, so it stood to reason. Especially in combination with that look on Harvey's face as he talked about said therapist. "He's a creep. I've been finding his buttons, I always do, but he makes me regret I went looking."

Ed shuddered, turning around a corner, clearly having no issue keeping track of where they were going. "He's into fear, in all the non-ethical ways. Pretty sure if you whimper just right, he'd jizz in his pants." What a mental image. "Arkham attracts the creeps."

"I was with someone else but they transferred me to Crane, not sure why." He didn't want to know why either but he fucking hated it. The guy specialised in trauma, apparently, and he assumed his face these days just screamed 'I had a trauma'. "If I see him again and I can, I'm gonna choke the life out of the creep. I think I'll be doing us all a favour."

Especially if he was fucking coming all over his pants for Ed. The fuck was wrong with this place? Everyone was creepy, horny or a combination of both. "He thinks childhood trauma caused the schizo shit." The split, the coin, the head stuff. Harvey didn't get it, he didn't want to get it. He was Two-Face and that was that.

"Dissociative identity disorder. It's not schizo, or schizophrenia, that's a mistaken belief that just kind of lingers on. Jervis has schizophrenia." Edward explained without really considering that maybe he could just not explain something, as he was wont to do. "As far as I remember, childhood trauma is generally the cause, but who knows? Not as if anyone grows up here without the trauma."

Edward stopped in a hallway, looking around before he worked on a panel again, punching in the right numbers, disconnecting a wire with a little piece of metal he had with him. Just like that, the lift doors opened. "After you, my friend. One step closer to freedom."

"Yeah, Nygma? In the nicest way possible, I don't give a shit. I don't care. I'm a lawyer, I don't really care about mental health unless it's determining where they go after a crime." So he didn't care if he was schizo or -- whatever Ed said. Didn't matter. He was a freak and there was two of him, who cared? He stepped in after Ed gestured for him to and walked over to the panel, hitting the ground floor button and waiting for Ed to be inside before he braced himself.

If there was any security downstairs, he had a fight ahead but he was ready to hurt. He was the bad guy, after all. The villain. The monster. Time to smash some heads open. "I think the first thing I'm gonna do is go and get some good booze. Like a fancy Netherlands beers."

"Whatever you say. I studied up on it when I was in that phase of faking symptoms to confuse my therapists." Fun times, but that had been when he was a lot younger. Also when he'd been less aware of actually having issues, so it had been easy to pretend there was no value in being on the correct medication. He had had a few too many manic episodes and mental breakdowns to still pretend these days.

When the doors opened, there was no guard in sight. "This is the dead zone. We're in lockdown, so there's guards on either side of the gates right now, but not here exactly."

He stepped out into the hallway and looked at the ground, counting something as he approached a certain tile. Once there, he looked up at the ceiling, frowning. "Don't suppose you can give me a boost, could you? I'm getting us closer to that booze-filled evening."

Harvey watched Edward working, not sure what he was doing but he was here to help as best he could. He wanted beer, maybe a football game and a moment away from the insanity before he tried to forge a new path. Though first he had to find a place to live. He was considering just taking one from a gangster and calling dibs, seemed smart.

He came over to Edward and held his hands down so Edward could use him as a step. Once he was on there, Harvey pushed him upward with minimum effort. "You got it?"

"Oh my." He really did lift a lot. Edward decided to tell himself that he wasn't getting flustered over that, on account of not being a teenager, instead he focused on lifting up the ceiling plate and getting the phone he had hidden there. He put a hand on Harvey's shoulder to get down again, smiling sweetly. "Thank you ever so, sailor."

All right, focus, he had to do that. He was already turning on the phone, punching in a couple of codes to get through and then he dialled a number he'd memorised, waiting for one of the girls to pick up. "I pay a retainer to Echo and Query, whenever I'm stuck here. That way, they know to keep themselves available."

Why was he explaining this to Harvey? Well, he supposed this had a bit of a mentorship to it. Harvey was learning how this worked. Or at least trying to figure out how this could work for him. "I'll have them pick us up, they can bring clothes. What's your..." Looking Harvey over, he tried to estimate. "I guess you wear anything in Hunks'R'Us."

"... What?" Was Ed hitting on him? He looked at him and raised an eyebrow before someone picked up.

"Boss? We're en-route now, heading to the car. We got your clothes in the boot ready." Query answered very business like, never one for fun chatting or casual talk. The phone fumbled for a moment and then another voice answered.

"Hey, boss! Do you need anything else? Snacks? A drink? Weapons?"

Harvey was not shocked by the two girls. Well, this made sense. Gay guys loved like... girly bffs or whatever. He imagined Ed worked exclusively with chicks.

"I need clothes in a larger size." Wait. "I do not. I've lost weight, if anything. I'm in great shape. Anyway, I need them for a friend." Edward looked Harvey over again, then gave Echo the detailed measurements he imagined. "He'll need a handgun and some cash. We'll meet you outside in 43 minutes, don't keep me waiting."

That said he hung up, then sent a heart to the same number to make up for the abrupt tone. Well, he was a boss, there was no need to be rude about it. Not when they'd clearly been behaving, being ready for him. "They're very reliable, have to give them that. Professionals. I met them in their other profession, but henching for me is apparently a lot more profitable than being a dominatrix. Go figure."

"Well, anything in the sex industry is usually underpaid because it's illegal. Gangsters take advantage of it, like they do with all things, so it's shit as a job. Though I think henchman is a step up from ... that shit." He waved his hand in dismissal, not sure how to engage with a dominatrix conversation. His stance on sex work for a long time was bad in all caps but these days, he was starting to think that the lines were very blurry and he could pick how he felt. And he mostly felt like girls were hot.

"You don't have to give me anything, Nygma. I don't want to be in debt to you." The gun and cash seemed kind of dodgy, he wasn't sure if he wanted to accept stuff from him. "I got some tentative plans."

Kill more gangsters, find a place, maybe check in on his wife and see if she's okay. He didn't want to meet her, just check. From afar.

"Then give me back the gun and the cash when you're settled. No debt." Edward tugged on his hair as he turned around, estimating how much time it would take them to get from here to a place the girls could get to them. He didn't want to miss the window for when they had to make a move. "You can call me Ed, you know? Ed, Eddie, Edward. Riddler. No need for the surname stuff, it's all very high school."

Besides, no one really did it. Even Batman usually just called him Eddie, which he was never quite sure how to feel about. "You've got plans? See, one step ahead of me there. All I want is to get to my place, have a bubble bath and catch up on some shows and movies."

"I got some gangsters to kill. Ed." There, see, he would call him Ed if he wanted to be called Ed, he didn't care, he just always called him Mr Nygma - it was just left over from their court days. "I didn't finish getting Maroni's men so I want to knock down as many as I can before I end up back here." Or maybe he would get more ambitious. He wanted to make this whole thing work so what did he need? Territory, weapons, money and lackeys. Couldn't be that hard.

"I'll get cash first though, seems like the place to start. Money then I offer the gangsters and pay out their low levels, see what I can do." Harvey rolled his neck and then looked at Edward, giving him a half smile. "But first-first - beer. Beer and probably sleep. Dunno where but I'll find somewhere."

Even if he had to sleep in the sewer again. Not like he could use a hotel with a face like that.

"If you want a safe house..." Edward trailed off, assuming that Harvey would catch his drift. He wasn't going to simply offer it if Harvey really didn't want to take the offer, he wasn't that desperate. For approval, for friendship, for whatever this was even supposed to be. He huffed, at himself more than anything, then put his hands into his pockets and headed down the hallway again, knowing that they ought to start making their way out. "You can probably take most of Maroni's assets easily. Doubt anyone else has managed to secure them yet. Well, the assassins, those will be with Zsasz."

That was probably a safe guess. "He's nice to work for, Zsasz, according to my girls. They freelance for him sometimes, when I'm busy."

"I don't know, he always gave me the creeps. I don't like him."

He put his hands in his pockets and followed after Edward, wondering why he offered so much. It was odd. Was he worth trusting? Was he nice or was it a long con? Did he trust him? Harvey pulled out his coin and flipped it. Silver side up. Trust. Place his faith in trust. "If you're offering me a safe house, I'll take it for now." He would pay Edward back and then they could call it even. No one would owe anyone. "What sort of stuff do you like, Ed? As payment. Cause I don't do favours but I can offer money, eventually. Or, you know, gifts."

Harvey looked him up and down before he smiled in a playful way, clearly teasing. "You want like a pearl necklace or tiara or something? Something real pretty, right? Bring out your eyes."

"Oh boy. I've always wanted a tiara." Was that a strange thing to admit to? Probably, but it wasn't as if he was going for the title of manly butch rogue here, he knew he'd be losing that one. Really ought to spend more time around Oswald again, maybe Jervis, because that might be better for that boost. However, they'd never offer him pretty things without a catch. "Gifts are a lot more thoughtful than cash, don't you think? Show you really care."

He smirked, ignoring a voice that sounded suspiciously like Crane's mocking him for getting attached quickly, for caring when no one cared about him. Screw that, if he got a tiara out of it that made it worth the hassle. "You get me a tiara and we'll be even. Real stones though. I ain't cheap."

"You know, Ed, you can't miss a Narrows boy. We all know each other, there's a vibe, you just know. And yet, I don't think for a second that you have ever been cheap in your life." Harvey thought that a guy like Edward, he was probably either always classy or yearning to be. He had big ideas, he wanted lots cash and luxury houses. It all made sense to him.

"I'll get you a tiara. Green stones, matches your outfit. Gotta keep with the whole aesthetic, right?"

Harvey was having fun, it was joking around with a friend and he missed that dose of normalcy. Usually he was just trying to stop rogues from picking fights. "Keep being sweet on me and maybe I'll get you something pretty to match it. A nice necklace or something. Then you'll be ready for the ball."

"Keep being sweet on me and I'll be trying to take you to that ball." This was dangerous for one simple reason, in Edward's mind, because Harvey was joking with him, was playing along, and he was doing it just because. Was being sweet. Very, very different from someone looking to get laid, that was a game he found a lot easier to play, easy to distance himself from. Here was hoping Harvey's straightness had some give, or this was going to get difficult for him very quickly. "You're right though, I never took to poverty the way I've taken to luxury. You should see my place one day. Hashtag aesthetic."

He smirked and opened up one last door for them, so they could make their way out into the open. A back exit, but that was just as well. A lot less likely to be watched, especially right now. "I got into computers, I was rich within months after finishing high school. A lot less tedious than college."

"I never understood computers. I can type okay but I like paper stuff, I always print everything." Harvey admitted with a shrug as he walked out of the door and stood outside, taking a deep breath. Oh yeah, there was that gross Gotham air. A little polluted, something a bit off that smelled of sewer and yet, kind of like wet moss too. He liked it. It smelled like home.

"I'm outside. Jesus. Fucking hell, Eddie, I didn't think I'd ever be outside again. You beautiful bastard."

Harvey laughed and then he wrapped an arm around Edward and half hugged him, grinning because he was free. He could do shit again, he could start actually making his tragedy into an asset. And Edward didn't have to break him out, he just did. He kissed the top of Edward's head, like he was some lucky trinket. "I don't do favours but I do fucking owe you one."

"...well, that clears that up." Did not. Not anything. Did he owe him a favour that he wasn't going to be doing? Did he want to make out at any point? Did he actually think he was beautiful and, if so, was it in a platonic way or was there any give? Edward looked at Harvey from the side, struck momentarily by that picture of masculine beauty. He could appreciate it more now, in the light of the dim Gotham sun, with the stark contrast his face was. Kind of breath-taking, really, made Ed wish he was more of an artist. Certainly inspired something in him. "If you want to do me a favour, get your face looked at. I can forward you to a good doctor. I'm never getting that tiara if you're just out there battling infections."

"Tell you what, you send me a doctor you trust and I'll go, get it looked at and get that tiara. And then we're even." He let go of Edward and then nodded in approval of him before he started to wander off ahead. "Trust me, Ed, I ain't gonna let this thing kill me. I'm gonna be fine."

He had luck on his side. He wasn't made to wallow in Arkham, he was going to rule the streets and show the Bat how Gotham's future truly looked.

"Oh, fuck me." Edward muttered the words to himself quietly, watching Harvey strut with all that swagger and confidence. There was a high school quarterback if ever he'd seen one. What was a boy to do? He sighed and pushed the hair back from his face, desperate to put some decent product into it. Then he sped up to catch up with Harvey, relieved when he saw a car come up to them. It'd be easier to focus around the girls. "Tone down those sexy vibes around them, they are a lot more aggressive than I am."

In their flirting and in general.

we're all mad here

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