DISORGANIZED NOTES ON THE FALL (AND OTHER CATASTROPHES)
Chapter 1: An angel and a demon walk into Gotham
It all began with an apple and the fall of angels into hell, but maybe that isn’t the right way to start this story. The best way, truly, is with a riddle.
An angel and a demon walk into Gotham, one seeks truth and the other chaos, one guided by riddles and the other by instinct, one falls and the other ascends, but in the end, who truly rules the city?
That’s how this story begins, with both an angel and a demon being sent to the same condemned city. One tasked with saving it, and the other with condemning it even further.
Our angel, Mister Edward E. Nygma, a confused yet brilliant mind, with a love for riddles and for the city he was sent to save. A tall man with a slender build, hair slicked neatly back, and glasses that framed his face just right.
Our demon, Oswald Cobblepot (who refused to give himself a middle name), a shorter, fuller figure with black, oily-looking hair and piercing blue eyes. He was a creature of vanity and madness, who cared only for himself.
It was a rainy day, and the filthy streets of the city were covered in puddles. People came and went without the slightest idea of what was about to unfold. They passed by without paying any attention to the two distinguished gentlemen approaching a nearby café—two men who could decide the fate of the entire city.
The café wasn’t particularly full that day, with only a few customers and the heavy scent of coffee lingering in the air. That’s when the bell above the front door rang, and Mister Edward stepped inside, scanning the room as if searching for something—or someone… until he found him. He walked slowly toward the table where the other man sat, taking a seat across from him.
—“Mister Cobblepot, it’s a pleasure to find you here,” the angel said with a smile on his face, as if the man before him wasn’t supposed to be his mortal enemy.
—“I’ve already told you, no need for formalities, angel,” Oswald replied, avoiding the other man’s gaze.
One thing about Mister Cobblepot and Mister Nygma: they had known each other for a long time. A very long time—centuries of a friendship that should have been forbidden. But neither seemed to care what might happen if others ever discovered their conversations and all the years they had reunited and helped one another.
But, back to the café…
—“Ah! Sorry, Ozzie. I always forget…”
—“It’s fine, it doesn’t matter,” Oswald said, finally meeting Edward’s eyes. “Now… why did you call me here?”
Edward averted his gaze, as though afraid to say something aloud, the nervousness now plain on his face. That reaction made Cobblepot raise an eyebrow, already suspicious of what this conversation might be about.
—“Come on, angel, spit it out! Or do you want me to guess why we’re here?”
—“N-no, no!” Edward quickly looked back at him. “I’ll say it…”
—“Well then, go on, speak.”
—“I know you’re here to make things worse in Gotham, and I’m here to try to save the city from damnation… I thought maybe we could work together and… keep things stable, perhaps?” Nygma said, nearly stammering over his own words.
That drew a laugh out of Oswald, which didn’t make Edward happy at all.
—“My dear… a demon and an angel? Working together? You must have hit your head while flying around, haven’t you?” Ozzie said between laughs, barely able to stop himself from laughing harder.
—“I’m serious, Oswald! We’ve helped each other before, why would now be any different?”
—“Because now it’s our necks on the line. Imagine if some archangel or another demon found out about this… I wouldn’t want anything bad happening—”
—“To me?” Edward cut him off. Just the thought made his heart beat a little faster.
—“What?” Ozzie’s eyes widened, and his pale skin flushed slightly warmer. “No! I worry about myself!”
That instantly crushed the brief joy Edward had felt. Of course, how stupid of him—demons only care about themselves!
Sometimes Mister Nygma had these feelings for his demon friend, something hard to explain but clearly there. And sometimes he wondered if Oswald ever felt the same…
—“I understand… But what if no one finds out? We’ll be super discreet!”
—“And what do I get if I accept this crazy idea of yours?”
—“You can rule your part of Gotham however you want, and I’ll never ask you for anything again!”
That piqued Oswald’s interest—he would love to have dominion over the city.
—“Ah… so we’ll divide the city between us? Why didn’t you say so earlier, my angel?” Ozzie said, now with a wide, mischievous smile on his lips.
—“Of course, that way everything will stay balanced,” Ed said with a small smile, feeling victorious for having managed to convince the demon.
Edward extended his hand toward Oswald, waiting for him to shake it and seal their deal.
Ozzie, still a little reluctant, shook Mister Nygma’s hand.
And so, in that café, on that rainy day in Gotham, an angel and a demon sealed their pact to defy the tasks they had been given and keep the city in balance.