Riddled.

Normal day for Edward Nigma, the young man was always walking with a quick spring to his step, especially now days.

Of course it wasn't always like this, there was a time when the boy would walk around hunched over with fear and a desire to not be seen.

Now however he paraded himself around the high school, desperately trying to get people to notice him, any kind of attention was something he would like and needed he didn't care what sort it was.

Unfortunately, Edward's smug responses and often cocky attitude got him into trouble with the wrong sort of people and he would often find himself getting the wrong sort of attention.

But oh how the tables were turning. They didn't know it of course. How could they?

His peers were rather stupid, except for Mist she was a very big exception, but for some of the others if not all of them… they were idiots.

Edward smirked and fiddled with his i-phone, quickly sending a text message with the special coding to it, making whoever he sent it to, their phone would switch off.

He heard a yell from down the corridor and a few curses about their phone making him chuckle and quickly put his phone away.

"Did you here?" one of the kids whispered to the others. "The Riddler struck again, this time he robbed about 1 million dollars over about 100 rich kids and business men. Can you believe it?"

"Donny thought he saw the Riddler."

"No one's seen the Riddler."

"Guys a mystery."

"A riddle more like it."

"Actually," Edward butted in as he passed them, walking backwards holding his phone as he pulled out his headphones. "I believe he's more like a enigma."

The other kids stared at him confused and glaring ever so slightly.

Edward shrugged as he put his headphones in. "But that's just my thought. Not that you'd pay any attention to it. See ya," he waved and walked out sorting through his music.

what was he in the mood to listen to today?

A question indeed.

Or a riddle.

A smirk played at his face as he continued on his way.

He couldn't believe no one had figured it out yet, how stupid could Gotham be?

"Hmmm… Rap god? Why not," he chuckled as he pressed play, putting his phone away as he pulled out a notebook and a pen, sorting through the pages to finally come to his page he was working on.

It was a complicated machinery. It would take a good lot of mechanics he knew that, but it looked amazing on paper so what would look like in real life.

He could picture it in his mind's eye, but in real life. Now that would be something.

He slipped the notebook away again and pulled out his phone again, sorting through the texts and other messages.

Nothing new, ah boring boring boring… hey what was that something about the news?

One more victim of the Fear Monger has been found dead.

Edward frowned.

He'd heard about that guy, he personally thought the man was crazy and sick in the head.

Apparently it looked like the victims had been scared to death.

Not a way he would like to go.

A black and white blur caught his attention and he span around and watched it quickly run around the corner before he frowned.

The song was almost at the end.

The end was his favourite bit.

It reminded him of himself.

"Be a king? Think not. Why be a king, when you can be a god," he chuckled to himself as the song finished.

He hadn't noticed the van he was walking past, highnsight he really should of done, but he hadn't and now he was going to pay for that fact.

He yelped as he was grabbed and dragged into the van, kicking and struggling against his attackers that were obviously stronger then him.

Had he been found out? Had someone figured out he was the one stealing money? Had they figured out he was the Riddler? No impossible! No one could have known. He was careful. Always so careful, it was impossible!

Edward's mind was working at ten thoughts a second, he hated it when it did that, it meant he couldn't spot danger right in front of him, like the very heavy boot coming down and colliding with his face before everything went black.

Coming to, it hurt a lot. His face stung like hell and he could smell copper.

Blood.

Great he was bleeding and this jacket was new! Blood never came out of clothes easily.

Edward shook his head. Really he was worried about his clothes, if he didn't get out of here he would probably wouldn't have enough green left to worry about the blood.

Slowly he lifted his head and looked around, noticing his bag and phone was sitting on a table, just in front of him.

He on the other hand was strapped to a table that was lying upright.

He struggled against the straps that were binding him to the table, growling in frustration when they didn't move.

"Ah. You're awake. I was beginning to think my men had killed you," Edward watched as a tall horrifying figure stepped into view, a mask like a scarecrow was pulled over his face. "Means I'll have to apologise for toxining them and I do hate doing that."

Edward simply stared in confusion, before something in his mind clicked. "You're the one the news has been talking about."

"Very good Edward," the man chuckled.

Edward bristled. "It's Mister Nigma to you!"

The man laughed and turned to the table beginning to fiddle with something Edward couldn't see. "Mister Nigma? You are hardly a man yet, still in high school."

"I don't care!" Edward seethed. "At least have the decency to treat me with some respect."

Another set of laughter filled the air and Edward seethed.

"Ya know, you're not as scary as the papers made you out to be."

"Quite the contary actually," the man chuckled. "I believe they haven't made me scary enough. Unlike yourself," he turned and smirked at him. "I would say the papers have covered your story very well, Riddler."

Edward froze. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do," the man smirked. "No need to ashamed you covered your tracks very well but you see, it's all in the name."

"The name…"

"Why yes, you see, you did a joke on your real name by becoming the Riddler, Edward Nigma."

This didn't make Edward feel any better. Not only did this man know who he was but he had him caught and unable to get away from him.

"I must say your work is… impressive, I would be a lier if I said it wasn't, it is impressive and I myself was impressed no matter how petty it may be."

"P- petty?" Edward spluttered.

"Well, boy, you see compared to my work," he turned around brandishing a needle with impressive skill, a Doctor maybe? Or maybe he's just done this so much he's gotten used to holding them. "You're work falls very much below the level of scary."

Edward stiffened as he came closer to him, twirling the needle in-between his fingers as he came closer.

"Now be a good boy and take your shot," he roughly grabbed his chin and moved it out of the way as he began to shake. "If you struggle I won't give you a lollipop."

Edward growled slightly under his throat making the man chuckle once more.

"Are you trying to be brave in front of me? It will not work."

He was done for, this was it. This was how the Riddler died. No big fight no grand chase from the cops, no grand fanale for an amazing game.

Just a simple snatch and grab followed up by an appointment with Doctor Horrible here.

"Please," Edward whispered as he felt his hoody moved out of the way. "Please don't."

"Ah now you're pleading. What happened to all that bravado a few minutes ago hmm? Gone as the fear sets in, tell me are you scared?"

Edward didn't give him the satisfaction of answering that question making the man chuckle slightly and stab the needle in making Edward yelp.

He moved away from him and Edward hung there for a few minutes before voices began to fill his head.

He roughly shook his head to try and get them out and make them shut up , but it didn't work.

"Who are you?!" Edward spluttered as his vision began to warp and change, splicing the man's image who stood in front of him.

"My name dear boy, is not important," he watched him move closer as sweat poured down his face and his breathing came out in short quick bursts or breath as he stared at the mask that began to change, "But if you'd like a name to know me by," the man continued as he grabbed a fistful of hair forcing Edward to look him in the eye. Ocean blue eyes meeting icy blue eyes. "It's Scarecrow."

"His blood pressure's rising we need to-"

"Where did they find him-?"

"Another fear victim how did he-?"

"His vitals they're stabilising-"

"He's going to live-."

"What's his blood pressure like-.?"

"Stablising, returning to normal-."

"Who is he?"

"Edward Nigma, high schooler apparently."

"And the girl?"

"Best friend or something like that."

"I think her name's Mist Te-."

"Move we gotta move."

"How did he survive?"

"He's speaking."

"What is he-?"

"Who is Scarecrow?"

Mist stood watching as the Doctors left the room, allowing her to go in.

Edward was still in semi consciousness as he moved his head sluggishly side to side, muttering one word that seemed to scare everyone who heard it.

"Scarecrow," Edward whispered as he twitched and shook his head, images flashing briefly in his mind making him wince. "Scarecrow."

Gordon was watching from the hallway. He turned to the Doctor that was standing next to him and frowned. "Why is he talking about scarecrows? Does he have a fear of them or something?"

"Acording to his friend he doesn't," the Doctor turned to him and filed some paper, a deep frown settled on her face. "We believe 'Scarecrow' may have been the name the attacker chose to identify himself," they both looked back into the room as Edward struggled with the images that haunted his mind.

"Scarecrow," he whimpered as he shifted before going still as Mist lay a hand on top of his.

"The boy is lucky to be alive," the Doctor muttered before she nodded to the Detective and left, shortly followed by Gordon.

Mist however stayed and it wasn't till about midnight when Edward snapped out of his daze.

He panicked at first before Mist calmed him down and held his hand.

She told Edward everything, how they found him actually a block away from the hospital and then they brought him here and found him a bed.

How his own body stabilised itself and they hadn't had to do anything.

"The Doctors say you were lucky to be alive," she whispered as she held his hand and rubbed circles with her thumb. "They said that all his other victims were found dead and far away from the hospital. Do you think he made a mistake?"

Edward shook his head slowly. "I get the feeling he isn't the type of person to make mistakes."

"Then why didn't he kill you?"

"I don't know," Edward shrugged slightly. "My charming personality?"

Mist gave him a look.

"What?"

"Edward you are many things but charming is not one of them."

"I can be charming, but I am only charming when I need to be," he countered with a smile.

"And I take it you don't need to be charming very often then."

"Then you'd be correct."

Mist shook her head and got to her feet. "I was going to a vending machine to get a drink, you want something?"

"Umm cola will be fine," he muttered as he fiddled with his hands.

Mist nodded and went to leave before she snapped her fingers and pulled out a card from her pocket handing it to him.

"What's this?"

"Well the Doctors believed that you would need some psychiatric help after your ordeal. To suffer with traumatic experiences. Apparently this guy is the best."

Edward blinked and watched as she left to find a vending machine, leaving him to sit there and stare at the small business card in his hand.

He frowned slightly. He didn't need help.

Edward rolled over and yelped in shock before shaking his head and frowning at his own reflection.

He glanced back at the card.

Maybe he did need help.

That's when he noticed his things were still with him. His phone and his bag.

Scarecrow had let him keep them, but why?

Edward frowned looked back at the business card he'd been spinning in his fingers before he frowned and bit his lip.

It wouldn't hurt to have a bit of councling would it?

He looked back at the card and read the inscription

Doctor Jonathan Crane. Specialist in trauma, anxiety, fears and phobia.

He bit his lip and thought.

Well… it was worth a shot.

T.B.C:

Note: So... this is like gonna be my own take on the Batman villains :) With my OCs frown in there too :) So I hope you guys like this :D