Blood runs thicker.
It was the smell of dirt and blood that woke the twins, first Romulus who shot up instantly, groaning and rubbing his head, before reaching for his twin Remus and shaking him slightly.
"Dude! Hey wake up!" He hissed shaking him and taking in his surroundings. There were grey stone walls, with metal beaming, a few tv screens showing a black background with 'Arkham City' flashing across it.
It was then that Romulus looked down at his clothing, as his twin came round also looking very confused, noting the orange jumpsuits they were now wearing.
"This cannot be a good thing."
"Gee you think?"
"Sarcasm will not help us in this situation."
Romulus glared at his twin for a moment. He sometimes hated how… different he was. How perfect in many ways he was compared to him.
They were born Romulus and Remus Dent, named after the two brothers who were responsible for building Rome. Well Romulus was, in the ancient myth he murdered his own brother. Something the Romulus Dent could understand from time to time.
Born as mirror twins, one left handed the other right, it was easy to work out which was which, they had been different the moment they were born. Opposites of each other.
Remus was well spoke, nice, kind, a good student, class president and always smartly dressed. His brother Romulus on the other hand was harsh, aggressive, a scruffy dresser, constantly smelling of smoke grease and gasoline, always getting into fights and arguments and mostly a school trouble maker in the principles office. A headache many would consider.
The twins often argued, but they were never separated from each other, not at school, not in the classes or at home.
But they were a bane to their mother, mostly because they reminded her so much of their father, former District Attorney Harvey Dent, now Two Face to many, a fallen white knight, now an enemy of the Dark One.
The twins opposite nature and personalities reminded their mother of her ex husbands own split and obsession with twos. So she never quite looked and behaved how a mother should with them.
The day they were born she cried, but not for joy.
"What should we do?"
Romulus shrugged at his brother. "You're the smart one with the grades."
"You're the fighter though."
"Well first off I'd like to know why we're here."
"On that we can agree."
"Then allow me to enlighten you."
The two boys span around to stare at the man in the white lab coat, looking every bit a psychotic sadist and mad scientist if ever they saw one. He looked like a bad horror film evil genius it was so cliche and the thick accent didn't help matters.
Standing either side of him were two armed guards dressed all in black, with body armor and automated weapons in their hands.
Remus frowned. "A bit much…. For two teenage boys?"
"On the contrary, I think this is the right amount to handle you two boys. I find the number two such a perfect even number, don't you?" He grinned knowingly at the twins.
Remus and Romulus glared at him. "Ya got some nerve pal."
"Forgive me, I did not introduce myself. My name is Professor Hugo Strange."
The twins blinked and looked at each other in confusion. They'd heard the name, they knew who he was and they knew what the flashing Arkham City sign meant what they didn't understand was why they were here.
"Follow me. I shall explain everything in due course, we just have one other to collect on our way," Strange said as if reading their thoughts, leaving the room as the twins got up to follow him, the two TYGER guards following behind them with their guns ready, making sure they heard the sounds of the safety's being clicked off.
They walked down a long corridor with many iron doors, screaming and yelling could be heard on the other side of them. It was so loud and echoed around the corridor they were walking down.
Eventually they came to a stop outside one of the doors and it opened up to show a teenage girl sitting in a cell, wearing an Arkham City jumpsuit too, a pair of glasses on her face. The orange jumpsuit clashed horribly with her slightly tanned skin, a beauty spot rested just on her cheek bone as she glared at Strange hatefully.
She was on her feet in and instant and storming up to the Professor. "You can't keep me here! You have no authority!"
"Actually Miss Terry, I have every authority," he smiled at her, showing sharp teeth that gleamed in the light. "Your mother should've known better to heed my warnings and not interfered with my work. But then, I found out something even more wonderful and do you know what that is, Enigma?"
The girl, Enigma, narrowed her eyes at him, as if daring him, but also challenging him at the same time.
"I know the identity of your father, Enigma."
Her eye twitched but she kept up a brave face. "Uh huh. Tell me is he the low life loser I expected him to be?"
"It is amusing to watch you try and hide your emotions and deflect your anger. I won't tell you or answer your questions, I think it will be more fun watching you figure it out on your own."
The twins had been watching this little chat unfold, when Remus leaned over to his brother and quietly whispered to him. "Riddler's daughter. It has to be."
"Really what gave it away?"
"You know, there is a time and a place for sarcasm, now is neither."
Strange was walking away from them now, the TYGER Guards pushing Enigma out of the room and shoving the twins along to walk with her and follow the mad Professor.
Eventually they came to an open area, with inmates standing or sitting around staring at them, making cat calls and threats as they were lead to a line which also had a few other teens standing in line and waiting.
"What exactly are you doing Strange?" Enigma snapped. "Arkham daycare?!"
"I consider this a social experiment, Enigma. You, Remus and Romulus are just a few of many. As you can see behind you in this line, there are others who are related or have some strong connection to super criminals. I wish to see what they do, how they react, if that is, the right super criminal finds you to begin with," he chuckled and turned on his heel walking away as the two TYGER Guards shoved them into the line a bit more, the twins first followed by Enigma who pushed her glasses back up her nose.
"Heads up," a teenage girl with pure white skin and black and white hair chirped to the scarlet haired boy in front of her. "We got newbies."
"I don't remember seeing them on the news."
"I'm surprised you know what the news is," a girl with long black hair and a slight birdlike expression and appearance sparked as they stood at the front of the line, not even bothering to turn around.
"I'm surprised you can watch the news with that big bird beak in ya way," the black and white haired girl snarled back with a grin, causing the red head to laugh slightly.
Romulus and Remus turned to Enigma who was cleaning her glasses as best she could on the sleeve of her jumpsuit.
"You want to stick with us?"
"Hmm let me think?" She mocked. "Do I stick with the duality minded offspring of Harvey Dent or do I go on my own? Difficult choice. What's my chance of survival with you? 50/50?"
The black and white haired girl giggled. "Eddie's kid if ever I heard one," she poked her head around the twins to look at Enigma. "Names Jester. How's Eddie? Haven't seen him in a while."
"I'm not the Riddler's daughter."
"With a personality like that I wouldn't expect you to be any one else's." the girl at the front commented again.
"Ah just ignore bird nose. She tries to ruffles everyone's feathers and only ever succeeds in ruffling her own."
"Keep your trap shut clown, it would do us all a favor."
"I ain't the one flapping my beak."
The red head looked nervous. "Ladies, ladies. I enjoy a good cat fight as much as the next guy, but can you do it when I'm not in the middle of you?"
"Shut up, Target."
"If you want to see a cat fight find Catwoman."
"Hell no, she scares me!"
"According to your track record, every woman scares you."
"Only the crazy ones."
Jester laughed. "Too bad that's the only type of woman you're ever gonna meet."
Romulus and Remus shuffled in their spot, looking at each other with worry, before looking back at the clearly deranged and insane kids in front of them.
"We stick together?"
"Yeah sounds good to me."
"Good, because I can't think of an alternative."
Target frowned slightly at the twins before turning to the girl in front. "Do you think they do that weird twin thing?"
"Why don't you so Jester? I'm sure she knows more about twins then me."
Jester gave her a really big sarcastic smile. "And screw you too ya bird nosed female dog."
"What?"
"Mama told me never to say the bad words."
"Mama couldn't of taught you much since she's napping in the ground."
"You know I wonder if you could still be such a harpy if I gave you oral surgery with a screw driver and a brick?" The psycho clown grinned at her manically, before turning around to face Enigma. "Just stick with me kid, I'll protect ya."
Enigma rose a skeptical eyebrow. "I'm a genius and a hacker, what are you?"
"A crazy psycho clown who blows stuff up!"
"We are not compatible."
The guard at the front of the line suddenly pointed their gun at them all. "Move up prisoners. It's your turn for incarceration."
Slowly they moved forward, soon joined by two other girls, a small bubbly blonde and a very tall thin girl with grey skin and an unamused look on her face.
"Luna! Alice! I've missed you guys so much!" Jester cried as they were all shoved into a room with two huge metal doors, on ceiling the way into Arkham City, the other closing behind them.
"We were so very late, Little Queen of Clubs. So very very late," Alice, the small blonde, shook her head, looking nervous. "I just hope I get to find my Hatter."
"Jervis is most likely in here," Luna mumbled, standing tall and straight, easily one of the tallest in the room, since Target wasn't that tall, only the twins beat her. She looked down her nails idly. "I can't imagine him being anywhere else."
"Nice bling," Jester commented, pointing to the cuffs and collar around Luna's neck and wrists.
"Not really my taste."
"Heh, ya don't say."
"I'm surprised to see you, Fright," the black haired girl commented as she leaned on the door to Arkham City staring at the other. "Since Crane's dead, I thought you would've left Gotham."
"Jonathan may be gone, but there is still his research to continue and I would not abandon my brother to rot in this hell hole alone. Ironic that you ask me such a question, Penelope, considering that I though Penguin ordered you to handle business outside of Arkham City while he ran things in here."
"Plans change."
"Is he planning an attack?"
"Even if he was, why would I tell you that? Especially with the enemy in the room," Penelope narrowed her eyes at Jester who gave a little grin and a wave.
"I don't see why you'd bother to even try hiding it. My brother will find out soon enough as it is."
"As yes, Lucifer Fright, the mind reader. Tell me, how is he after Strange's little experiments?"
Luna's facial expression didn't change on bit, even though it was clear the other was trying to get under her skin. "He's better, though I appreciate your concern. I shall pass your comments on to Lui. I'm sure he'd love to thank you for your thoughtfulness first hand."
Penelope snapped her mouth shut as Jester chuckled lowly at the back of her throat, watching the bird like woman turn her back on them all, folding her arms.
Enigma was stood at the back, mostly hiding and looking terrified as a loud siren echoed around the room and blearing red lights started to go off and slowly the door opened showing the inside of Arkham City with two wire fences and a lot or men standing either side yelling and shouting as the group of teens stared at the sign in front of them. Jester was grinning madly as she jumped and cartwheeled down the narrow pathway, coming to a stop when she was almost nose to break like nose with Cobblepot.
"Well, would you look who it is."
"Hiya, Os. Ya not gonna kill me yet are ya?" The clown grinned, standing up straight, watching out of the corner of her eye as Penelope came over to join her Uncle and his men.
"Well.. it hardly seem fair," Penguin smirked taking a drag of his cigar, "then again… I'm never a man to play fair."
A loud car horn sounded, catching everyone's attention to see an ice cream truck of all things with a group of men wearing clown makeup and a blonde in black and red standing and staring. Some of the men had their guns cocked at penguin while the blonde merely grinned.
"That's my ride," Jester pointed and began walking over to the group of insane individuals.
Target shook his head walking into the city, pushing past Cobblepots men.
No one bothered him. He had a reputation and so did his mentor. It would be increasingly foolish for anyone to raise their hand against the boy.
As he came walked towards an alley way, a voice from the shadows caught his attention making him stop.
"Bang," the figure in the dark smirked and Target grinned back at him, as the man tossed him a sports bag before wandering off, Target close behind him.
Romulus and Remus looked around confused as to where and what they should do, noticing Alice and Luna walking out with them, as soon as they stepped over the threshold, Luna's collar and bracelets fell to the floor and the girl flexed her fingers before testing if she could use her powers, finding the shadows answering to her beck and call. A grin fell across her face showing sharp pointed teeth before she turned to Alice.
"Come on, Alice," she called making a pathway with the shadows, the blonde following close behind her as they disappeared.
"You don't say," Penguin grinned as Penelope leaned back after whispering to him, he turned to the twins and bekhoned them over. "Come here boys, I recognize respectable members of society when I see them. You're Dent's kids ain't ya?"
"Yes, Mister Cobblepot."
"Why don't you come with me, I can keep you safe in my iceberg lounge."
They looked at each other, before glancing over at the sound of a scream as Enigma was being tugged along by Jester and practically shoved into the back of the ice cream van.
"What about Enigma?"
Penguin frowned and glanced over at the scuffle. "Enigma?"
"Riddler's daughter I believe, despite her denying it," Penelope filled in as she watched the ice cream truck start to drive off.
"You don't say? Gotta be honest, I didn't think Nigma had the equipment to make a child," Oswald laughed. "Especially not where it counted."
The men around Cobblepot laughed, weather because they found his comment funny or because they didn't want to end up with a bullet between the eyes was up to debate. The little man, turned and began to walk towards his territory, with his niece following him and the twins reluctantly.
"Let me go you psychotic one brain cell imbecile!"
"Ya see what I mean!"
"Oh yeah, that's Eddie's kid for sure. You okay sweetie? Mista J just loves meeting new people! I'm sure he's gonna love you too."
Enigma stared at Jester before looking at Harley, considering her options. She had none.
"I'm not the Riddler's daughter! Why does everyone keep saying that?!"
"Well your name for start," Jester grinned, leaning back against the wall of the truck, before they slowly came to a stop and the doors opened, the men getting out first, followed by Harley and then Enigma sprinted out, pushing Jester over and making a break for the slowly closing front door.
"Enigma!"
"You idiots stop her from leaving!" Harley yelled as she watched the girl run as fast as she could towards the door, making a jump for it and diving through, landing hard on her stomach and knees.
She groaned, before scrambling to her feet and making a run for it, there was a just a huge wall to climb up and she'd be safe.
She managed to reach the edge of it, holding on tight but unable to pull herself up. "Man this is the one time I wish I didn't sneak out of gym class," she groaned as she tried to pull herself up, before a hand reached down and grabbed her, pulling her up and onto the platform she'd been trying to climbed up.
She looked up to fined a tanned individual standing in front of her, wearing Ancient Greek armour and clearly an athletes or physical fighter of impressive stature. Black tattoos of dragons ran around his arms and a single scar went over his eye to the corner of his mouth.
A few shots went off, Enigma yelled and hid her head as the other stood in front of her, shield raised to protect them both from the gun fire.
"I think you should get out of here," her savior spoke, with a thick accent layering his words.
She didn't have to be told twice and was up in her feet running to the other end of the platform, before skidding to a stop at the height.
"What are you waiting for?" He called as he ducked a few more bullets. "Jump!"
She gulped, before jumping off the edge, letting out a cry as she landed funny. Enigma grasped her ankle and winced.
"Ow… oh that's sprained, that's deffinately a sprain…"
She got back to her feet at the sound of more gun shots and began to hobble her way towards the church, remembering from the news that was where the medical staff were as well as guards.
There was another part she had to jump down and a scream tore through her mouth as she landed funny on her leg again, grabbing her ankle and hissing in pain, squeezing the tears back, before she was back on her feet and hobbling away again, she was almost at the church just a few more steps.
A fist came out of no where and hit her right in the jaw, causing her to fall to the ground, her glasses falling off her face.
"So you're Riddler's little brat huh? Yeah I can see it. Not much of a fighter are you?" The man above her jeered as she reached for her glasses and holding them up to the light to see one of the lenses was cracked.
"Great…" she mumbled as she slipped them back on her face, glancing up at the thug was smirking at her, no clown make up or any gang related imagery decorated him. He was just a normal run of the mill thug then.
"Gonna have some fun with you. Got a puzzle only the Riddler's brat can solve…" he snarled as he reached for his belt.
Enigma gulped slightly and felt herself start to shake. Oh great no, don't have a panic attack now… when you panic you can't think and thinking is what you need to do right now…
Slowly she got to her feet, rolling her shoulders back and holding an annoyed expression she looked him dead in the eye. "Yes I am the Riddler's daughter. Now I have a rather simple question for you. What do you think my… father would do to you if he found out about this? That is to say he doesn't already know."
"The hell you talking about."
"My father is a genius," Enigma snapped, doing her best to hold her composure. "Do you really think he doesn't know everything that's going on in arhkham city? Or for that matter, do you really think he doesn't know where everyone is? If you hurt me, if you so much as look at me wrong, he'll find you and make you regret it." She hissed glaring at him. "If that's a risk you're willing to take…"
He glared at her and turned on his heel. "Daddy won't be able to protect you for ever, brat."
"Yeah, yeah, tell the story walking pal," she waved him off, watching until he was out of sight and collapsing against the wall, taking deep calming breaths.
"Oh my god I can't believe that worked…" she mumbled, pushing herself against the wall and walking towards the church, opening the gate and slipping in, before hobbling her way up to the front doors.
Once she was inside she began to hammer on the doors to the main area of the church.
"Let me in! Please! I'm not one of the crazy people… please let me in! I'm hurt!"
The door was opened and she stared up at a familure face.
"Aaron?"
"Enigma? What the hell are you doing here?!" He cried as he let her in and helped her walk over to a bed to sit on, one of the medical staff already coming over to take a look at her.
"I don't know… it's Strange… he said something about my mother and knowing who my father is… I… it's just all so confusing and it's not just me."
"It's not just you?"
She shook her head and winced as the doctor touched her ankle. "No… Romulus and Remus Dent were brought in with me and… and there were some others too."
"Where are Romulus and Remus?"
"They were taken in by Penguin."
"Taken in or taken hostage?"
Enigma frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Two Face and Penguin are in a gang war with each other. No doubt Cobblepot got the twins to try and get one up on Dent," Aaron explained as he shouldered his rifle.
"That does make sense…" she nodded slightly, hissing in pain as he ankle was seen to and slowly bandaged up.
"You said there were others?"
"Yeah um, Penguin's niece I think…?"
"Penelope Cobblepot? Great, that's just what we need, Black Dove in Arkham City." Cash rubbed his eyes. "Who else?"
"Jester… she she took me at first but I got away."
"Good. I'd hate to think what Joker would've done with you."
"Umm a guy with bright red hair?"
"That's Conner Slater. Target, protege to Floyd Lawton or Deadshot as he's known by his hirers. Kids dangerous. More dangerous then what I think people give him credit for."
"Umm, a really tall girl with grey skin and a really small one with blonde hair. But I think the blonde was older despite not acting it. Truth be told I don't think she was fully there… mentally wise."
"Luna Fright and Alice Carrol aka Midfright and… well… Alice. Surprised Fright is here especially after what happened to Scarecrow at the Asylum. But I think I've heard rumors of her brother being somewhere in Arkham City. That's probably why she's here. Alice will be looking for Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter."
"Yes, she did say something about finding her Hatter…" the girl trailed off and frowned for a second. "Do you know who a guy wearing Greek armor with a scar across the left hand side of his face… sorta like a sword cut?" She asked.
Aaron looked confused and shook his head. "No. don't know anyone like that. Why?"
"I met him when I was escaping Jester and Joker's place… he saved me."
"Sorry, Enigma, I don't know who that is, but you're safe now," he assured with a smile.
Enigma smiled back and nodded. "Yeah… I'm safe now…"
Unbeknownst to her and anyone else in the church, they were being watched on screens with a slight green tint to them, images of Enigma at various points during her treck through Arkham City held one screen, while another held general information about the girl as well as her online presence and a final screen was playing a play back of her confrontation with the thug. But it was the center computer screen, that the man dressed in head to toe green, leaning on his knuckles on his desk and watching, studying, he was most interested in.
"I'm safe now," the words echoed in the room as she spoke them and the man smirked.
"But not safe enough," Edward Nigma chuckled as he began to put his plan in motion.
T.B.C:
NOTE: Okay so After Arkham is having to take a bit of a break at the moment, I've recently had a death in the family of someone I was quite close to so writing humour at the moment isn't my strong point. But I was able to start this which I'm happy about. Basically loads of you were asking for Origins about my characters, or more information, this is going to be a story concerning them, based in Arkham City. Enjoy!