Chapter 22

"Tabby, if you want to save the club you need to ditch Barbara, you know that. We can't take any part of a deal involving Ed Nygma," Butch Gilzean told Tabitha in the privacy of the filing room at the back of the Sirens Club.

Her eyes were shifty, nervous. He knew she'd ordinarily never think to betray her own partner, but it was quite another thing to be disrespected repeatedly, and still be expected to follow orders like a good slave. "This is the Penguin we're talking about. How can you believe anything that he says?"

"Yeah I know, he's a bit of a jackass, and he betrayed his own mentor. But I know how the guy works - as long as you keep a somewhat low profile, don't threaten his climb to the top, he'll generally leave you alone. That's how people like us survive. That's how I've survived," he explained, but he could see that Tabitha was still not convinced. "Look, I know you have some history with Babs, but I really think that we stand better chances with Oswald. He's even drawn us up a proper contract, one that we can sign in front of his lawyers. Once we do that, we'll get management of the club - which, of course, will be under a new name."

"Then we won't really be owning it, won't we?"

Butch shrugged, "You really think you own it now? Why don't you ask Babs if you do?"

Tabby glared at him, but at the same time she was beginning to relent. "Fair point."

Just then, the door to the filing room swung open, and there stood Barbara with a semi-auto pistol pointed in the direction of Butch and Tabby, a grinning Nygma beside her. Tabby gasped and Butch turned around, his hands raised in a defensive stance.

"Well well well..." said Nygma. "I can sneak up on you, or be right in front of you without you even knowing. But when I reveal myself, you will never be the same. What am I?"

Tabby looked for mercy from Barbara, but if she knew one thing about that woman, was that look she'd get when she's primed for a kill. "Ed thought the two of you might conspire against me. I told him it wasn't possible."

"It isn't what it looks..." Tabitha began, but wasn't able to finish.

"Shut up! It's exactly what it looks like," yelled Barbara. "You were going to run over to Penguin and snatch the club from right under me. You've always had your eye on having this all to yourself, haven't you?"

"That's nonsense and you know it!" Tabitha yelled back. "Not to mention, 'snatch the club from right under me'? What about us? I thought we were supposed to have equal partnership."

Barbara turned the gun to Butch. "You corrupted her! We were doing just fine and you had to plant little thoughts in her head."

"Well you ask yourself how you've been treating her lately," argued Butch. "You've been so stuck up your own ass that you couldn't -"

There was a sudden burst of fire. Butch fell to the ground with a thud, blood trailing out from a hole in the middle of his forehead. A scream got caught on Tabitha's throat as she watched him laying there, his eyes opened wide in surprise. She knew Barbara was ruthless, but this was a new low, even for her. That scream climbed up into her mouth, and it turned into a growl as she lashed out at Barbara, only to get copped on the back of her head by Nygma before she managed to do any damage.

"I'm surprised you didn't shoot her too," Nygma stated as he dumped the bloodied accounting journal on the only desk in the room.

Barbara's eyes were glassy, conflicted. "I once loved her. May this be my final act of mercy towards what we once had. The moment she leaves here, she'll be absolutely nothing more to me."

"What do you want to do with her then?"

Barbara turned away in disappointment, and threw the gun on the floor. "We are going to win, aren't we? Is this all for nothing?"

Nygma walked up to her and put an assuring hand on her shoulder. "I already have a plan in motion that should take Oswald off the table. Maybe it's better for Tabitha and Butch to have shown their true colors at this time. You need loyal friends surrounding you through this final phase, Barbara."

"Someone like you?" she asked a little coldly.

He only smiled. "You look tired. Go have a rest. I'll clean up here."