Chapter 1

(Edward's POV)

Agony. That's the way I would describe the feeling my body was in. Cold rain splashed the wet concrete beneath my reddened feet. My dark hair stuck to forehead from water droplets and sweat. My heart rate was beyond elevated. My green suit was horribly ruined. I stumbled my way through the alleys of Gotham City. The thought of the idiotic baboons who managed to get one lucky timing on me filled my mind. I knew they cheated. Most people often don't have the intellect enough to beat anything of mine without cheating, just like the Batman.

I gasped as I fell to the ground. My vision was blurred. I stayed there for a long moment kneeling on the cold concrete floor of the alleyway. Sweat dripped down my face. I glared at my reflection from the puddle.

'Damn it.' I thought to myself as it all started to sink in. 'Today was defiantly not one of my best days.'

I chuckled slightly only to begin a coughing fit. A sharp pain to my rib cage reminded me that I was not in the best of shape. Still, the thought of revenge crossed my mind. How ironic it was, that the very thought of putting the unintelligent Sionis in one of my brilliant elaborate traps, one that anyone with an actual intellect worthy enough could escape, was the very reason I was kneeling on the ground in the downpour and grasping onto my life.

I had to test Sionis. He dared to even try to assume he was cleverer than me! Impossible! If he was as smart as he had claimed to be, then he would have escaped my genius contraptions I made specifically for him. Then, as usual, the damn dork-Knight had to come and cheat! Now, here I was with a bullet wound in my side and a bounty on my head.

I swear some people can't enjoy a simplistic game of matching wits. Even though I know I always would win. No one could even come close to my intellect, after all - not without breaking the rules.

I breathed in deeply as I forced myself off the ground. 'Come on Nigma. The brilliant Riddler is not going to die today. Still I must find a place I could hide out for a while to heal and then I'll be back for Sionis.'

With each agonizing second I managed to walk my way more and more into the alleyway. My vision was fuzzy and every part of me felt like it was giving out on me. Got to keep going I told myself.

When hope was starting to fade from me, I spotted an abandoned warehouse. I sighed in relief as I used what little strength I had left to get closer and closer. Once I managed to open the door, my body gave in on me. All I could remember before my vision went dark was a figure in the dark room, looking up at me.

(Jonathan pov)

Well, that was surprising. It's not every day that someone comes bursting through your door and falls unconscious to the ground. I was even more amused when curiosity made me check who the young dark haired man was and, much to my surprise, it was the man of riddles himself! I'll admit I had better things to do than treat Edward's wounds, but my curiosity got the better of me and besides I needed to know if I would have to be prepared for a specific bat infestation. I still had very important work to do on my fear toxin, after all.

I managed to move the man, barely taller than myself, to the couch. Upon investigation, I noticed his wounds were meant to be fatal. Either Batman was handling matters differently now or the man of riddles pissed off the wrong person. My guess leaned more to the second one.

I spent the next hour cleaning his wound and meticulously removing bullet fragments from his side. Lucky for him, there didn't appear to be any internal damage. Once finished, I sat across the room from him. My curiosity grew by the slow seconds that passed. Edward Nashton was defiantly a brilliant mind, his death traps being impossible for anyone with not as much intellect as himself to overcome. His mind was defiantly a very interesting one at that. His compulsive need for riddles and attention usually was his downfall, but that just made his mind even more interesting to not want to poke at. His narcissism was unlike anyone I have ever met. This evening would be a very interesting one, indeed.

(Edwards Pov)

I shifted uncomfortably as I started to regain my senses. It didn't take me long to realize I couldn't feel my shirt brushing against my skin. My eyes flew open and the blinding light made me shut them just as quick as they had opened. I slowly peeked, this time taking into account the time needed for eyes to adjust to light. I started to be able to make out the room I was in. It was spacious and the smell of strange chemicals filled my nostrils. Where was I? I tried to remember the events that had led me to my current location. It didn't take long before the last thing I remembered of that strange figure before I collapsed came rushing back to me. I shot my body up quickly only to bite my lip hard from the intense pain from my ribs. I darted my eyes to where I was shot and saw that it was bandaged up. Pretty well if I were to say so. Still, that doesn't answer the question of who.

Like clockwork I heard a voice come from the room.

"Good. You're awake."

I glanced at the brown haired man. His deep, penetrating, blue eyes stayed focused on me. His stare managed to send a shiver down my spine.

"I assume you know where you are, Mr. Nashton?" His voice had an eerie calm about it.

"What belongs to you, but others use it more than you do?" I responded the annoyance in my voice.

Jonathan blinked for a moment and then calmly smiled. "Your name. It seems you would prefer if I used the name you have chosen for yourself. Very well then, Mister Nigma." I simply nodded and glanced around the room once more noticing on the table in front of me a white buttoned up shirt. Figures - no style.

"Your other shirt was stained with blood, so this will have to do." His voice was distant and calm. I could still feel his glance on me - study me. It wasn't everyday he would be graced with a chance of being in the presence such as mine. I smirked as I carefully put the shirt on, doing my best not to hurt my wounds.

Once I was done, it took several minutes for either one of us to speak.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, who is it that got the better of you?"

Better of me! How dare he! No one can get the better of the Riddler!

"Sionis didn't seem to like being challenged against a mind as magnificent as my own! He sent some of his shaved monkeys after me." I shrugged.

He leaned in closer a slight smirk on his face.

"I noticed."

I waved my hand dismissively. "It's not your concern. I am plenty smart enough to outwit apes."

"So, if there's no problems, and since you can quite obviously handle yourself now, you can be on your way."

With that I froze for a moment. Was he seriously going to just ignore me? Was he just going to send me on my way?

(Jonathan pov.)

Now that reaction was more than interesting. I could have sworn I just seen some fear. What would have caused such a reaction like that? I needed to know. I thought back to what I said before I noticed the fear in his body language. His body had tensed up for that split moment. Was he afraid of Sionis, or his men? It was possible, but Nigma always went against the likes of Batman. He's put himself in danger countless times, so why would this instance be any different? Could it just be self-preservation? No. No, it was defiantly something else entirely. But what?

"Well, aren't you going to be leaving? I have work to do." I pressed on more.

The man of riddles blue eyes looked down for a moment.

"I'm staying." He spoke with anger in his voice.

"I thought you made it clear that you can handle yourself?" I spoke condescendingly.

If looks could kill, I'd be dead.

"Of course I can. Don't be idiotic! They are unintelligent monkeys who cheated once. They won't be able to cheat again! I always learn and I always adapt." Edward's voice was just as condescending as mine had been to him.

It angered me for a second, but curiosity about his fear took it away my rage very quickly.

If he wasn't afraid of them, why would he be afraid of leaving? Not that I wanted him to leave with all the new questions I had on my mind. What if?

"Then why stay here, Mister Nigma? I don't have time to babysit you as you heal." I turned from him and took all my visible attention off of him.

I heard a winded gasp as he shot off the couch. "Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" He was angry, but also scared. That's it! It all became clear to me. He was afraid of being ignored. Even just the mere thought of even myself ignoring him seemed to put him into a panic. But why? That's when the idea came to me.

I turned to him and smiled. "All right, Edward, you can stay here, but on one condition" He seemed to calm down once I analyzed him. "What?" His own curiosity getting the better of him.

"You will be my new experiment."

If it had been anyone else they would have walked away or been frightened, but Edward Nigma seemed relived in a particular way. It seemed to have pleased him. I watched as all the fear left him. I sighed to myself. It was a fear I defiantly wished to see again. One I wanted to make come out of him.

"You can test your petty experiments on me if you wish, Jonathon Crane. Though don't be surprised if your lack of intellect doesn't even reach the same caliber as my own."

This will be a very interesting experiment, indeed.