One: The Boy

A look into the childhood of the boy who would be the Riddler, from the perspective of someone who never wanted to be there in the first place.

Edie Nashton looked up from the dishes when she heard the front door open. She checked the clock. 2:45. Too early to be William, especially on nights when he went to the bar before coming home. The boy then. She began drying the plate with a little more force than necessary.

"Mom, I'm home!" She could hear him shutting the door behind him, then the sound of his feet padding down the hall towards the kitchen. Just once, she thought, couldn't he just go up to his room and stay there and not bother her?

"Mom!" he shouted, rushing in. "Look! I got a perfect score!"

"That's nice," she said, not looking up.

She couldn't see him, but she could just tell the little brat was pouting. "You're not even looking."

It took all of her willpower to not take the dish and chuck it at him. Gritting her teeth, she looked at him. His eyes lit up then, and he held up whatever it was that had gotten a "perfect" score. It was a diorama he'd made out of a shoebox. Inside were some of his old dinosaur figurines that he'd received from his grandparents, when they still cared enough to visit. Edie's eyes strayed to the A+ written in red marker along the side. Her eyes narrowed. If that had gotten an A+, how hideous were the other kids' projects?

The boy had been prattling on about what it was, and what each dinosaur represented as if he was the adult and she was the stupid child. At some point, she tuned him out, as she usually did and went back to the dishes. They had been clean for some time now, but maybe if she looked busy, he'd take the hint and leave her alone.

She wasn't supposed to live like this, Edie thought. She was meant for more than to be a house wife, chained to a drunkard, chained to a child she could barely look at because he reminded her of all she might have been and what she'd lost. She'd been a bright girl in high school, she could have gotten a scholarship anywhere she wanted, until she met William, until one late summer night when they'd made a mistake, until the following April when that mistake was born and made her life the mess it was now.

Edie began to scrub harder. It wasn't her fault. She'd tried to love him, she really had, but he'd always been a demanding child, William had no interest in actually caring for him after he'd been born, her parents were no help, even though they were the ones who told her to keep him or they'd never speak to her again, and she never wanted him, she never wanted to be tied down so young, she was meant for more than this and he just wouldn't shut up and leave her alone-

"...Mom? You're not listening! Mom? Mom!"

Edie whipped around and without a word of warning took the dish in her hands and threw it at the space just above his head. The boy stood still, shock and fear showing on his face.

Edie felt a fresh wave of anger overcome her. How dare he look at her like she was the monster? "Get out!"she hissed.

The boy fled, taking his stupid diorama with him. Edie returned to her dishes grateful for the peace and quiet, until William came home at least.

Later that night, after they'd had another tense family dinner, Edie remembered the diorama.

"Eddie?" she said in a soft voice.

The boy tensed as he looked at her. No doubt remembering her lashing out at him earlier that day. For a moment, Edie reconsidered what she was about to do. Just as soon as the thought came to her though, she pushed it down. The boy had to learn his place sooner or later.

"Why don't you show your father your project?"

The boy's eyes lit up and he ran back up to his room. William had moved to the couch, a bottle of beer in hand, completely unaware of anything around him. That soon changed as the boy dashed up to him, grinning wildly as he held up his prized diorama. He still thought he had a chance to impress his father. He really was a little moron.

William looked at his son with his usual disdain. "What the Hell is that thing?"

The boy continued on, undeterred. "It's my diorama! I got a perfect-" Before he could finish his sentence, William had slapped it out of his hands, crumpling the shoebox and sending little dinosaurs scattering across the floor.

"Pick it up you little shit. I'm trying to watch the game!"

The boy stood still, tears springing to his eyes. "My diorama..."

William backhanded the boy then. With a cry, he fell to the floor. Like always, Edie didn't make a move to help him. "Did you hear me you moron? Pick it up!"

The boy did as he was told, trying desperately not to cry. Edie sat at the table, watching all the while with a blank expression on her face. Maybe next time, she thought, he'd take the hint and leave me alone for once.

"Hey Edie!" William shouted. "Get off your ass and grab me another beer!"

"Get it yourself!" Edie shouted back.

Another violent argument ensued. This was the only way Edie felt anything anymore. Like always, the boy managed to get himself out of the line of fire and made his way to the stairs, the remains of his diorama in his hands. This time however, he didn't immediately run back into his room. While she was trading insults with William, Edie happened to look up at the stairs and made eye contact with the boy. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. The boy didn't have his usual expression of fear on his face. He wasn't crying anymore either. Instead, he looked down at her and William with pure hatred. William turned to see what she was looking at, but the boy had quickly finished running up the stairs. All they heard at that point was his door slamming.

Edie packed her bags and left later that night. For a brief moment, she considered taking the boy with her, but she remembered the look in his eyes. She'd never wanted to be a mother less. Besides, she thought as she took the last bus out of Waterbury. If he's as smart as he thinks he is, he can figure his own way out.

The next time she saw the boy was on a television screen, twenty years later. He's not a boy anymore, he's a man. His name is Nigma now, not Nashton. He's not a cowering child, desperate to impress people who couldn't care less about him. He's one of the most notorious criminals not just in Gotham, but in the entire world. And he was right now on the run again, having broken out of Arkham as if he was simply leaving for work.

In contrast, Edie hadn't changed much. In the twenty years she'd spent alone in Keystone, she'd been as stagnant as she was when she was with William and the boy-Edward. She had at long last acknowledged that it wasn't and had never been Edward's fault she'd never made anything of herself. She almost wished she had gone to him when he'd first been arrested, but she remembered the look in his eyes the night she'd left and thought that he'd sooner kill her than speak to her. Besides, she'd never been a mother before. Why start now?

Edie wondered if he even remembered her, as she moved from her chair to bring in her mail. She sorted it on the table as the TV announcer droned on in the background. "He is considered armed and extremely dangerous. If sighted, please alert your local law enforcement.."

There wasn't much of note in the mail today. Just bills, an invitation from apartment management..and a large black envelope, with no return address and a green question mark on the front.

Edie's blood ran cold. With shaking hands, she opened the envelope and pulled out a card. There was a message written inside in green ink. Happy Mother's Day. I'll see you soon.

The next morning, Edie Nashton was halfway across the country.

(Edward later admitted that he'd had no intention of actually seeing his mother, but there was no point letting her know that, was there?)