Sending a message

[Harvey Dent/Two-Face]

Harvey sat at the computer in the office which had formerly been Olivia's. Since Joker's takeover he had begun to use the room as his own office, neatly packing away what few items Olivia had left behind.

It was the smallest of the Arkham doctor's offices, but it was neat, and private, and it suited him well when he was trying to work. If Joker would stop sending him funny pictures of cats over instant messaging, that is.

Mr SmileySmile: KITTEH LUVS YOU HARVEE!!! U R HERO TO KITTEHS!

He was glad that he and Joker were back on good terms, but he must admit that when Joker wasn't talking to him, it was far easier to get his work done.

Harvey2Face: That's nice of the kittehs cats. But I'm trying to work, Joker. If you let me get on with this for the rest of the morning, I'll bring you back something nice from Olivia's bookshop. Deal?

MrSmileySmile: Deal. I can't talk in LolCat anymore, it's annoying. Once comedy has rules about grammar it stops being funny. Say hi to Tartlette for me. XXX

Harvey signed off from the IM service and started highlighting selections form the list in front of him, copying and pasting them into a Word Document.

~People actually eat fish dick? Oh, that's just disgusting. Make sure you order that.~
~She'll probably realise you mean it as an insult.~
~Probably. Your point is?~
~No point at all.~

He clicked on a new tab and searched for an upscale homeware shop in Gotham's city centre, clicking through to the Asian cookware and crockery section. He selected a beautifully decorated Bento box in black and silver lacquer, decorated with pictures of carp, then added a matching miso soup bowl and a pair of chopsticks along with a sake flask. He copied their details to the Word document and picked up the phone next to the desk while the document printed.

"Hey Benny, it's me. Can you send someone on an errand? I need them to come here and get a note from me, then pick up some stuff from a store in town. Once they've done that I need them to take it to a chef in the Gion restaurant on Avenue Cicero. They'll do their thing, then I need the whole package delivered to someone at the Banzai restaurant." he paused as Benny took don the details. "Yeah, that's right, Banzai's a Yakuza place now. I'm sending a gift to someone there. I'm sure she'll get the point. I'll email you the stuff I need. I want the whole thing delivered at 2:22 precisely, ok? "

Harvey sent the Word document through to his henchmen, then stood up and reached for his jacket. If he hurried he would have just enough time to catch Ollie at the shop before she finished her shift.

[Suzume]

Suzume had been sparring in the garage of the building that the Emerald Dragons were using as a home base when someone entered to tell her she had a package. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she walked over, planting a swift kick to the ribs of the beaten Chinese man in the corner.

She took the note from another yakuza and read it quickly. The note said: Tora-san, although I cannot hope to match your generosity in the gift of the beautiful sword you gave me, I hope you will at least enjoy this small token of my gratitude.

"I understand that the fugu fish is deadly poisonous when incorrectly prepared, but you seem like a young lady prepared to gamble if the rewards are right. The rewards of careful knifework in this town, I can assure you, are without equal. One must just be careful which fish to reel in. Be careful fishing in the waters of Gotham, Tora-san. There are sharks where the water is deepest.

I thank you again for your generosity, and I hope to meet you again as you settle into life in Gotham City. My warmest regards, Harvey Dent.

P.S. Apparently shira-ko is fugu dick. And I thought the food in Arkham was bad."

The P.S. must have been done by his alter ego, Suzume decided. The handwriting was much different.

Upon opening the box, Suzume gave orders in rapid Japanese to one of the other men and walked slowly to the Chinese man on the floor.

"You are going to do me a favor. I do hope you don't mind."

As she maneuvered him into a sitting position, he spit a mouthful of blood into her face. Suzume pulled out a handkerchief and wiped it off, looking annoyed. "Unnecessary, Jiang. You should learn more respect."

She took a few moments to set up the video on her iphone before starting her little plan. She was excited, this would be fun!

Suzume pressed record and waved merrily into the camera. "Hello, Dent-san! I just received your most generous gift and thought I would share my enjoyment of it with you. Now, you know as well as I do that fugu can be quite deadly when incorrectly prepared, so I will use my charming friend Jiang here to test! I think you may want to watch."

Suzume handed the phone to Kyo, one of the yakuza she was closest to and moved toward the bento box. Jiang watched her nervously, blood dripping down his face. "No, please!" He exclaimed once he realized what she was doing.

Suzume backhanded him roughly. "Quiet! Do not disgrace Dent-san with the sound of your disgusting voice!" She grabbed the chopsticks and pulled out a piece of fish. She then grabbed Jiang's jaw. "Eat it." She snarled, squeezing his jaw tightly. Jiang hesitated but finally opened his mouth and ate the fish. Suzume fed him a piece of every item in the box and waited several moments for his reaction.

Once she was satisfied that the fish was not poisoned, she turned back to the phone and grinned. "Dent-san, I thank you! Now, I have one more...gift for you." She pulled out a vial from the pocket of her jeans and shook it slightly in front of the lens. "Recognize this? You should. While it is not the same formula that was used on your honored self, it is very similar. I have not used it before, but I have high hopes. You see, sulfuric acid has an exothermic reaction with water. What is very common in the human body? Water!"

More shouts in Japanese as Suzume moved back towards the now pleading man. His mouth was forced open by a yakuza while another held his head still. Suzume made sure that the camera had plain view. With a devilish smile, Suzume poured the entire vial down Jiang's throat. She stood over him for a moment, watching with open glee as he thrashed on the floor as the acid ate him inside out.

Suzume then sank to her knees by the bento box and began eating as the man died next to her. "This is delicious, Dent-san! I especially like that there is just enough poison for the tingling in my lips and tongue. If you have never tried it, I highly suggest it. It is a unique and wonderful experience. Also, please tell Two-Face that I find the...what did he call it...'fish dick' especially delicious. It is truly a delight! Now, I have business to attend to. Ja mata!"

The video stopped recording and was sent to Harvey Dent's cell phone. Suzume quickly finished the bento box, raced upstairs to change and then hopped on her motorcycle, ripping into town.

[Olivia Hale]

Olivia was relaxing in one of the arm chairs in the small bookstore, flipping through an old X-Men comic. The day was almost over and, since there were no customers in the store, she'd decided to get off of her feet for a few since she'd be walking home. Soft instrumental music played over the speakers as she relaxed.

She hadn't seen Harvey since the other night at the Iceberg and was hoping to get to see him soon. She desperately wanted to have time with him when he wasn't 'working' or generally being an asshat.

When she heard the bell chime that a customer had walked in, Olivia glanced up. She grinned and hopped up, moving quickly over to Harvey. "Hello, handsome! To what do I owe this pleasure?"

[Harvey Dent/Two-Face]

Harvey unfastened his coat as he entered the warmth of the bookshop. He wrapped his arms around Olivia's waist and kissed her gently.

"Do I need an excuse, darling? I just wanted to see you. And do some shopping."

He glanced over to the armchair, drew up close to the open fire. He smiled. "Hard day at work, Ollie?"

A quiet beeping from his coat pocket told him he had an incoming message.

[Olivia Hale]

Olivia smiled up at him as she pulled him toward the armchairs. "Just cold. We had a rush earlier but it's been pretty dead for a while. Go sit and tell me what books you want. I'll grab them."

She was close enough to him to hear the beep from his pocket. She frowned slightly but hid it quickly. "Have you had a busy day?"

[Harvey Dent/Two-Face]

"Christmas shoppers, hmm? Luckily for you you have a very organised boyfriend, who bought his gifts for you last week." Harvey sank into the armchair she had recently vacated and glanced over at the comic.

"X-Men? Good choice. I always had a thing for Emma Frost. It's one thing Two-Face and I agree on completely."

He set it down again and turned to face her. "Not really - just been reading up on some of the local current affairs. That's actually related to the books I want; I'm after something on Japanese culture and on organised crime in the far East. Is there anything you can recommend?"

The phone beeped again, more insistently. As soon as Ollie left to get the books, he'd answer the message. He knew she didn't like it when his work cut into their time together.

[Olivia Hale]

Olivia smiled fondly at him. "Emma's pretty cool. I'm more of a Wolverine fan, though. He's pretty badass. Kind of like you, actually. You don't have spikes that come out of your hands, though. That's rather disappointing."

Olivia looked at him sharply. "I'm assuming this has something to do with that woman in the kimono from the Iceberg? Considering the fact she came in with an entourage, I figured she must either be a very strange celebrity or a criminal. No matter, answer your phone and I'll go get you your books."

She leaned down to kiss his good cheek before disappearing into the section on foreign cultures.

[Harvey Dent/Two-Face]

Harvey laughed quietly. "You like your bad boys, don't you?"

He looked at her impassively. "It does, yes. I want to read up on the Yakuza. It seems they're making a play for power in Gotham and I want to get to know their history." he shrugged.

Harvey took his phone from out of his pocket and glanced at the screen; not recognising the number. His gaze sharpened as Suzume came into view and waved. Swiftly, he paused the video and plugged in a set of earphonea so he could hear her message without Olivia being disturbed.

His expression did not change as he watched the captive being forced to test each fugu dish, though he noted the glee in her eyes as the man pleased for mercy. It reminded him of Joker.

He started when Suzume held up the vial of acid. It brought back memories he would rather forget. Hesitantly and seemingly of its own volition, his hand moved to his face as the Yakuza poured hte acid down the man's throat and he gurgled and screamed in agony as the acid ate away at the flesh of his jaw and throat. Harvey knew the pain the man was suffering. He knew it better than anyone.

Harvey did not realise he was holding his breath until the video ended, when he released all the air in his lungs. Takenaka Suzume was insane. That much was clear.

[Olivia Hale]

Olivia had returned with an armful of books when she noticed Harvey touching his face. She stood silently, watching him exhale. She quietly set the books on the table next to him and touched his shoulder gently.

"Harv, you okay? You look...bothered."

[Harvey Dent/Two-Face]

Harvey did not reply for a moment. He blinked. "I'm fine. I just found out I might have seriously underestimated somebody. But it's no problem." His chin raised slightly as he gazed into the depths of the fire. "I can handle them. I'll just have to be more creative than I was intentionally planning. "

[Suzume]

Suzume smile as she looked at the small bookstore could not be considered friendly. There was a hint of malice in it and her eyes gleamed with excitement. She had decided to change into something that would play up her innocence and youth. Dressed in a schoolgirl outfit with braided pigtails, Suzume entered the bookstore.

She spotted Harvey immediately and frowned slightly at the sight of a young woman with her hand on his shoulder. Suzume moved over to them and bowed to Harvey, ignoring the woman completely.

"Dent-san! What a coincidence. I was not expecting to see you here." Her eyes drifted to the pile of books and smiled. "Doing some research?"

[Harvey Dent/Two-Face]

Harvey looked round sharply at the sound of the piping voice. He was silent for a moment before standing up. "Tora-san." he held out his hand in greeting. "Yes. A coincidence indeed." He wouldn't be at all surprised if she'd had him followed, and cursed her silently for coming to Olivia's workplace. The last thing he wanted was for her to get involved in his life as a gangster any more than she already was.

He followed her gaze to the books. There was no point denying her question. "I am. I like to keep informed about my new business associates."

[Olivia Hale]

Olivia hadn't had a chance to respond before an accented voice spoke up. She blinked in surprise at the sight of a young Japanese girl in a schoolgirl uniform. Though she couldn't be certain, she had a sneaking suspicion that this was the same young woman Harvey had met at the Iceberg Lounge.

She glanced between the pair before stepping up beside Harvey, resting her hand lightly on his elbow. She couldn't explain why, but there was just something about this woman that put her on edge. She blamed (or thanked) her psychologist's instincts.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I have some hot chocolate in the break room if you'd like me to make some. You must be frozen."

[Suzume]

Suzume hesitated before shaking Harvey's hand. She much preferred Japanese customs but couldn't insult him. Chances were that he was already irritated at her for showing up. It was no matter, she wanted to talk to him.

She turned cold blue eyes to the woman when she was addressed. After taking in her appearance, Suzume bowed slightly. "Oh, forgive me, Dent-san. I was unaware that your daughter worked here. Thank you for the offer, oneesan. I believe I will pass though."

She moved past them to sit in the other arm chair and began flipping through the books. Without looking up, she asked Harvey, "Did you enjoy my little video? I certainly hope you got as much pleasure out of it as I did from your present."

[Harvey Dent/Two-Face]

Harvey continued to gaze at her impassively, but his eyebrows drew together a little. "Evidently life in Arkham has aged me prematurely. Olivia is my girlfriend. I don't have any children." He placed a light hand at the small of Olivia's back. "Ollie, meet Takenake Suzume. She's recently arrived in Gotham."

His hands went to his pockets, fingers lightly closing around the coin. "The video was certainly very enlightening, thank you. I was never aware of the science behind chemical burns, jsut the effects."