Chapter two
Research
Edward's POV:
I ducked out of the party early. It was honestly the worst job I had ever worked. Seeing the rich people of Gotham socialize while people like me struggled to stay afloat made me sick. I sat down at my desk, opening up my laptop. I immediately searched up Juno. I pushed my glasses up my nose and my eyes widened when I saw she worked at the orphanage. I saw pictures of her with her mother when she was younger. Her mother was a singer in the clubs. Velma Gordon. I should've known. She stood next to her mom, holding her hand as her mom smiled to the crowd. I read articles about her father. Lieutenant James Gordon. I immediately started reading about him. He wasn't corrupt. I sighed in relief. I was relieved I wouldn't have to kill her father or her mother. Neither of them were corrupt. James Gordon was an honest cop who fought for the people of Gotham as much as he could. His partner, the commissioner, was a different story. He was definitely on my list. I giggled and said "you'll get what's coming to you, commissioner. And it'll be soon." I clicked off the commissioner and went back to Juno. I went to her social media accounts. Her Twitter was bare, lots of memes and such. Her Instagram really piqued my interest. Lots of school stuff and accomplishments of her mother. Then there was the orphanage. A particular child there was all over her Instagram page. A girl named Dawn. Who looked sweet. Pictures of the two of them together or Dawn by herself. Then I found her research paper on Jack Napier. The Joker. She had been praised by her teacher and her school. She had finished up her last year of college. There were some pictures of Juno herself but nothing super revealing. Just cute pictures. My stomach churned when I saw her boyfriend. Harry Bingham. I looked over his Instagram page. Alot of the pictures were of Juno and him. Or just of Juno alone. There was the occasional picture of him with male friends, drops scattered in the back. "Drophead." I mumbled. My mind flashed back to the days when I'd buy drops to numb the pain of being in the orphanage. I had done it for a couple of years. I started when I was about twelve or thirteen and stopped when I reached fifteen. I knew I had needed to be sober so I could get out of there. I shook my head, the memory disappearing as I went back to Harry. I hacked into police records to see if he had been arrested for anything. He had. He had beaten up his last girlfriend and was arrested for dealing drops. I added him to my list of kills I'd commit as the Riddler. I quickly printed out any information I could get my hands on about Harry. I needed to save Juno. I needed to save her from him. Or she'd suffer the same fate as his last girlfriend. I also read he had drugged his last girlfriend multiple times. I wouldn't let that happen to Juno. I forbid it. I went back to Juno as I could feel the anger bubbling up inside my body. She had a degree in psychology. I wondered if I should go to the orphanage and do some volunteer work but quickly decided against it. I wanted to do it right. I didn't want to have to stalk Juno. I wanted to be able to find out everything about her because she told me. Not because I did a deep dive in the internet and figured it all out. I wanted her to tell me her interests and such.

You have to do this the right way, Edward. You have to talk to her. Quit being scared and just get to know her. I told myself.

Are you sure you can do that? What if she rejects you? She'll find out your plans for Gotham and leave you on the street. She'll hate you.

I shook my head, hating how my brain would tell me one thing and then tell me another. "I'll do it right. I will." I shut off my computer and decided I should attempt to get some sleep.

-

I woke up with a jolt. The nightmares. They never seemed to go away. I checked the time, 2:00am. I changed out of my sweaty sleepwear and decided I'd go to the diner. I rarely slept anyways. I changed into a pair of joggers with a t-shirt, pulling my blue windbreaker on over it. The rain had been going all night. It seemed like it never stopped. I decided to walk instead of drive, hoping the fresh air would clear my head. When I reached the diner, I saw her. Juno. I stopped in my tracks, my shoes making a squeaking sound on the tile floor. She didn't look up from her lap as she sat in a booth by herself. I sat down at the bar, glancing over my shoulder every few minutes. I ordered my usual. A pumpkin pie with a coffee. I pulled the newspaper out of my pocket along with a pen. My eyes scanned over the crossword puzzle. Puzzles and riddles put me at ease. They fascinated me. They were my distraction in the orphanage. I scribbled the answers in the boxes, finally feeling content. A finger tapped my shoulder and I jumped, turning around to see Juno. "Edward?" She asked. "Juno? What're you doing here?" I pretended I didn't know she had been here this whole time. I honestly had forgotten because I was so involved with my crossword puzzle. "Uhm, I hate to ask you this but could you sit with me? Keep me company? I've had a rough night." I looked down and didn't answer. My mind was screaming at me to accept her offer but I could barely move. Let alone open my mouth to answer. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't of bothered you. Why would you sit with me? You barely know me." Juno chuckled sadly as she went to go back to her seat. "Wait!" I said loudly. She jumped and my cheeks turned red as she looked me in shock. "Sorry. Uhm, I'll sit with you. I'm not used to people asking me things like that." Juno half smiled and gestured for me to follow her. I grabbed my stuff and sat down across from her. The waitress went to set my pie down on the bar and then rolled her eyes when she saw I was sitting with Juno. She set my pie down and then looked at Juno. "Would you like another slice?" "Yes, please." Juno said sweetly. Her voice was adorable. Juno looked at me and said "if you don't mind me asking, what're you doing out so late?" "Couldn't sleep." I said softly. Juno nodded and then frowned. "I'm sorry about that. My boyfriend and I got into a fight. I left him at my apartment. I'm hoping he'll be gone by the time I go back." I furrowed my eyebrows and said "you left him at your apartment?" "He was high. He's a drophead." My hands balled up into fists as they rested on my lap. "I'm sorry. That must be h-hard." Juno sighed and said "half of Gotham is addicted to drops. I've personally never had them." "Why's that? Never had the interest to or..." "My dad's a cop. So it's kinda hard to do drugs when you're dad's a police officer. I've also never had the interest." Juno chuckled softly. I half smiled and said "they're not that good. I was addicted when I was younger. I cleaned my act up though." "Oh, Edward, I'm sorry." I furrowed my eyebrows as she gave me sympathy. "It's ok. It was years ago. I was a teenager." "Still, that had to have been hard. Did you get addicted because you were doing them for fun or-" "I don't wanna talk about it." I snapped. Juno nodded and said "sorry. I didn't mean to.." "I shouldn't of snapped. It's a sensitive subject." I mumbled. Juno nodded and her apple pie was set on the table along with a cup of tea. She thanked the waitress and then took a bite of her pie. "What do you do?" I changed the subject. Juno sipped on tea and said "I work at the orphanage. That's what I'm doing currently. But, I also have a degree in psychology and haven't really pursued that yet. The orphanage makes me happy. I love working with the kids there. They're so sweet and deserve so much more than they have." I felt my heart swell slightly. I wish I had had someone like Juno looking out for me when I was in the orphanage. "They need you. You seem caring and loving. Kids in an orphanage need that." I said. Juno half smiled and said "that's all I want to give to them. I want them to have hope that their life will turn out good. Even though it's hard right now, it'll get better." A small smile appeared on my face and I started working on my pumpkin pie, sipping my coffee. Juno looked out to the street and watched the rain fall. "Will you walk me home?" I choked on my coffee and said "what?" "Will you walk me home?" She repeated. I wiped my mouth with a napkin and I watched her shrink into her seat. "Just in case he's still there. You're a big guy, Edward. You'd intimidate him." I was honored she thought I could take her boyfriend. I probably could but wasn't too good at fighting. I was always the one getting hit. Never doing the hitting. "My strength is up here." I pointed to my head. Juno chuckled softly and said "you're big enough, Edward. He'll be scared of you." The both of us ended up finishing our pies and I proceeded to walk her home. "You walked all this way?" I asked after a few minutes of silence. I knew exactly where she lived but I wouldn't let her know that. But, we'd been walking for some time now. "I had to get away. Harry's been acting erratic. Different. He's always been a certain way and it's like this side of him is coming out and I don't recognize it. It scares me. He scares me." Juno took a step closer to me as she finished speaking. Her eyes darted around the street and sidewalk. She was very aware of her surroundings. I'm glad I never tried to follow her back to her apartment. She definitely would've called her father. "You should break up with him." I suggested. Juno clicked her tongue and said "I've been thinking about it. But, it's also not so easy. He's addicted to drops. What if I break up with him and he overdoses?" "Juno..." I was trying to think of the right words to say. I wanted to tell her that Harry was scum bag. That he beat his last girlfriend so bad she was in the hospital. That he constantly dealt drops and was getting in deep with Carmine Falcone and the Penguin. She looked up at me, awaiting my answer. "Juno, if he does that, it's not your fault. You said it yourself, he's a drophead. You can't really stop him if he wants to do drugs." I said. She nodded and when we reached her apartment building I saw that she got even more tense than before. "If he's here will you make him leave?" I gave her a quizzical look, going to say something. "Please, Edward." She pleaded. How could I say no to her? She was clutching my arm so tight and staring up at me with this hopefulness in her eyes. "Yes. I'll throw him out for you." She nodded again and we got into the elevator. She still held my arm, watching the numbers on the screen change. The seventh floor. "Lucky number seven." I said, trying to lighten up her mood. She half smiled and we stepped out of the elevator. She grabbed her keys and looked up at me before sticking them in the keyhole. I gave her a curt nod and she unlocked the apartment door. She walked in first. "Harry? Are you here?" She called. My eyes went around her apartment, looking at everything she owned. Her walls were kind of bare except for a few posters. Science fiction movies. The Thing and Alien were on the wall in her living room. I noticed a bouquet of tulips on her desk and saw papers and such scattered around. My eyes went to her bedroom. The door wasn't closed but cracked. I couldn't really see inside as she looked around for her boyfriend. "He's gone." She said with a relieved breath. She came back into the living room and I said "that's good. You're safe." "Yeah. Thank you for walking me home. I usually don't go places alone but I had to get away. And my dad was at work and I didn't want to call my mother so thank you. I really appreciate it." Juno set her bag on the couch and I said "it's no problem. I didn't spend tonight alone like I usually would." She frowned and said "I know how that feels, being alone all the time. I'm always here by myself. I wish I could bring the kids from the orphanage here. The ones I work with." "I'm sure they'd love that." I put my hands in my pockets, looking down at my feet. "Did you want a glass of water or anything?" Juno asked. My eyes flickered up to look at her. She fiddled with her sweater sleeve and I said "I should get going. I have to work in the morning. I've already been out so long." "Oh. Right." Juno said dejectedly. I watched her shoulders slump and it was like she deflated like a balloon. "Why should you not iron a four leaf clover?" I quipped. Juno furrowed her eyebrows and said "is this a riddle?" I nodded eagerly and she chuckled softly. "Ok. Uhm, I'm not too good at these. You'll have to forgive me, Edward." I watched her make a face as if she was thinking. She shrugged and said "I don't know. I'm horrible at riddles." "Because you would be pressing your luck!" I said giddily. Juno shook her head and said "I would've never gotten that." A giggle left her lips and I smiled while looking down. "I hope this isn't too forward but could I give you my number? Just in case you wanted to go for coffee and pie at the diner. Or wanted some company or whatever." I opened my mouth to speak but said nothing. I was in shock. She was offering me her number. "Uhm, sure?" Juno chuckled and said "could I have your phone?" I immediately reached into my pocket and pulled it out, unlocking it for her. Juno took my phone and put her number in it. "Here you go. You can text me or give me a call. Whenever." I nodded and said "ok." "I'll see you around, Edward." "See you." I said softly. Juno walked me to the door and then closed it behind me as I stepped outside her apartment. I felt like a little boy who had gotten his number one item on his Christmas list. I was actually happy. Once I got home I was trying to decide if I should text her. It was late. Maybe she had went to bed. My fingers hovered over my screen. I chewed on my bottom lip and mentally cursed at myself cause I couldn't make a decision. "Fuck it." I said aloud. I shot her a text and let her know that I had gotten home safe and that it was me texting her. I quickly shut off my phone and awaited a text back. It was almost immediate. My eyes were wide and I covered my mouth in shock. I picked up my phone and read over the text.

Glad you made it home safe, Edward. Maybe we can see each other this week if we have time

I stared at the words on the screen, replying and telling her that was ok. I smiled to myself, proud of myself for actually making this beautiful woman want to spend time with me. For now I just wanted to be her friend. I thought she was absolutely beautiful but my feelings for her weren't super deep yet. And hopefully I'd be able to protect her from the corrupt people of Gotham.

Ok so here's a whole chapter written from Edwards's pov. I hope this isn't bad. I'm trying to write how I'd feel he'd be in certain situations and in general. I hope this is good.
~skylar🫧🖤🫧🖤