The Universe's Mixer

There had to be one stinking judge in this City that was as dirty and evil as Eddie was. Of course there was, and Eddie knew him well. What criminal didn't have a city councilman, a few policemen and a judge in their corner? Only the good villains did. Eddie had sworn to turn over a new leaf, and while the handkerchief with the embroidered roses sat folded and tucked into the front pocket of his jacket as a constant reminder of that, he couldn't...no, wouldn't let his baby girl rot in jail.

Especially when she had turned herself in.

Edward could get past that. Before the attack the old Riddler would've cursed the very ground Effie pranced upon but not now. Now he valued what little time they had together and she had just been to jail not too long ago. The slammer was not a place that Eddie was particularly fond of, and he knew the Gotham City prison like the back of his hand. If Commissioner Gordon had any brains in his head he would've joined up with Eddie and Jack a long time ago, and let the true rulers of the city blossom. But of course it had never been that easy. Bats was always making life so hard.

But not anymore.

Eddie finally had the ball in his court, and so he had managed to wheel himself into the courthouse without much help. The judge assigned to overhear Effie's case was the right man, because he could be bought and bartered with, which was a man Eddie liked to do business with.

Edward sat patiently in the judges chambers for almost an hour, using his wit and charm to schmooze his way into convincing the Judge not to convict Effie, his poor, crazy daughter, and even to let her go. Eddie would pay the ridiculously high bail, as well as give a little something to the Judge for his trouble. The process to negotiate had been a hard one, the Judge was greedy but Eddie could pay it. He could always come back later and...well, he would be good for now.

Stuffing his checkbook back into his pocket, Eddie smiled like the Cheshire Cat from Wonderland and wheeled himself out of the room. "Now to find my daughter and bring her home," Edward breathed, waiting for the police escort. This was the second time Eddie had sprung Effie out of jail and he wondered where her 'wonderful' idiot husband was. Bruce was the least of Eddie's concerns. Bruce and Effie were so deep in Eddie's pocket, and Stark knew it. Bruce probably did too. But Eddie wouldn't give him the benefit of the doubt. He didn't have to.

For now life could go back to normal until something else sprang up. If it did, Eddie would deal with it. If not then that was fine too.

"This way, Mr. Nashton," the officer said. Eddie only continued to smile and nod, wheeling after the uniformed man to the cells.

Maxine sat on a seat by herself on the bus, her forehead pressed against the window. It wasn't until the yellow school bus stopped in front of the hospital that the five year old perked up and made a run for the exit.

Wash had been in the hospital for three whole weeks. Though Maxine really liked Jo, who also agreed to look out for her, Jo felt more like a big foster sister or foster aunt. Her backpack bounded up and down behind her with each step as she ran through the hospital doors toward the front desk, staffed by nurses and candy stripers.

"I need to see my Wash!" she blurted, hands holding onto the desk. "His name is Wash. The bus took me here so I get to see him now, right?"

Maxine was directed to a seat and told to wait. She sighed. There was a lot of waiting involved. It felt like hours, though it had barely been fifteen minutes, before Maxine was guided by a nurse to Wash's room.

"Mr. Hoban? You have a very excited visitor to see you," said the nurse.

"Wash! Wash!" Maxine bolted for the room and instantly attached herself at the side of his bed. "When do you get to come home. Can you come home now?"