A/N: Thank you to those who read this. And a special thanks to animalfries12. Thank you. Enjoy.
Edward was taken down to decontamination where he was stripped of his Riddler suit, given a shower and the once over by a medical doctor and then issued a standard orange. It was only two weeks ago when he was last wearing this and he knew he was going to be wearing it for a long time to come.
Edward was then taken to Dr Arkham's office and walked through the 'Welcome back' procedure. Arkham was sitting at his desk, he yawned, he should have finished a few hours ago, but Edward changed that. But this was a common thing, just before he would clock off someone would be brought back.
"Welcome back Mr Nigma." Dr Arkham smiled from behind the desk. "Now, I'm going to ask you some questions to see how you feel and where you are at, ok."
"Its fine Doctor, just go ahead and ask the questions." Edward replied. He knew the questions off by heart.
"How do you feel?"
Edward sighed "Do you really have to ask how I feel Doctor?"
"That's not answering my question, that's asking me one. Just answer it Edward."
"Angry." Dr Arkham took down a few notes and ticked a few boxes.
"Now, Edward, can you tell me what you did to be brought here?"
Edward sighed inwardly. "I broke out of here two weeks ago and on the 21st June I robbed the bank at 10:37am and after hours of interrogation going nowhere, I was brought here, making today..."
"The 22nd, good, so you know the date. Good." Dr Arkham took down some more notes. It was obvious to him that Edward on of 'sound' mind for a lunatic.
Edward waited for the next question, but Dr Arkham just filled out the field himself and continued with the procedure. Dr Arkham flipped through a few more pages, signed the paper, and sat it down on his desk. He managed to hold back this yawn but he couldn't hide the fact he was tired.
"Now, you know the procedure Edward, you will spend the next month in isolation, and therapy sessions will begin on Saturday. Remember, how you behave in isolation is important. If you're well behaved the time may be shortened, if your behaviour isn't to satisfaction, time will be added. Is this clean?" He suppressed a yawn.
"Clear as crystal Dr Arkham."
Edward was escorted down to the isolation ward by three guards, who by luck would have it, had almost finished their shift and were planning on clocking off once they dropped Edward off into his new accommodation.
"Hey Riddler, what do you call a man beaten by the Batman?" One of the guards taunted. Hoping that Edward would rise to the bait and they'd be able to give him a free beating before the end of the shift, but thankfully Edward was off in his little world and didn't pay attention to the guards.
"The answer is 'A Riddler' right? Am I right?" William North said as he pushed Edward into the next vacant cell.
"Willie you're so smart, I bet you're smarter than this dumb ass." The first guard said, hoping for that fight.
"Welcome back Nigma. Enjoy your say." Said William North as he shut the steel door and dead locked it from the other side.
Edward watched as the door closed and the room was consumed with darkness. He didn't mind about being left in the dark, but he knew that if he had time added to his stay in 'isolation' it was going to make planning his revenge on Batman just that little bit harder.
He used his arms to feel around the room. There was nothing in the room. He could feel with his feet that there was a mattress on the ground that was supposed to be a bed and he kicked over a bucket, something that replaced toilet facilities. He pushed over the mattress and sat down. He was still angry that Batman had managed to catch him. He didn't even leave his signature riddle as the scene. There must have been a way that Batman cheated and followed him.
"But how could he?" He said to himself softly. He knew that the Joker was next door to him and the cells to the right were empty, but that didn't mean he could talk loudly. At this hour the patients are meant to be asleep. If they weren't they pretended they were.
There is no possible way that Batman could have known where my hideout was? Maybe he placed a tracker in my cane, but how? He wasn't even at the crime scene. Ah, this is making me so paranoid. Maybe he's been following me since I escaped and he was waiting to see what I did next? No, if he caught wind of what I was going to do before I did it; he would have caught me before then. But he didn't manage to.
Edward signed and decided to lie down on the lumpy mattress. If he was going to get any sleep before the morning shift and breakfast soon after, he needed to get it now.
Edward's sleep was broken by a loud shrieking sound from his neighbour. Joker was awake and wanted the entire block to know. But because Edward was the only other inmate it the same row, he was the only patient Joker was able to annoy.
"GOOD MORNING EDWARD. I know you got in late honey but I just needed a good old fashion girl talk. So how was Batman yesterday? Was it the best you've ever had?" Joker cooed through a hole in the wall. "Oh come on tell me, tell me. I'll be your best friend."
Edward sat up and rushed his fingers through his hair. He let out a huge yawn and asked "What time is it Joker?" He rested his head back down and closed his eyes. He hadn't managed to sleep very well or for very long.
"It's just gone past six my sweet. Breakfast will be around soon and then you can spend all day resting your head if you answer my question."
"What question Joker? 'How was Batman yesterday?' I think you already know the answer." Edward curled into a ball and attempted to fall back into his dream world, but just as he was about to nod off, Joker shrieked again. Almost making Edward jump out of his skin.
"EDDIE. THAT'S NOT A GOOD ANSWER. I WANT A REAL ONE. HOW WAS BATMAN? WAS HE SWEATY AND ROUGH OR SMOOTH AND GENTAL?"
Edward knew exactly what Joker was hinting at and didn't want to continue the conversation any more. So he lowered himself to Joker's level and said.
"Batman didn't do anything like that; he said to me 'I only save that kind of treatment to one kind of man.' So I guess it's only Batman who is man enough to fu..." Edward was cut off by Joker's laughter.
"Oh Edward, you really are such a marvel when it comes down to it." The Joker let out before he went back into his fit of laughter.
Edward took this as a signal to attempt to get more sleep. If breakfast came and he wasn't awake to receive it, he just has to wait until dinner. Not like two meals a day while in isolation is needed. Just one meal is enough to keep the patient going.
Edward woke up hours later. His dinner was sitting next to him and the light was on. He looked over at the meal. It had gone cold and clumpy. Still, after missing breakfast he really needed something to eat. He picked up the bowl of gruel and just before he took his first mouthful the food trap on his door opened.
"Oh, you're awake now. Ok, you've got five minutes to eat your dinner and place the trap by the door." The orderly said from the other side of the door.
Edward rubbed his eyes and then asked "What time is it?"
"It's after ten, so you slept through the day. The guards have been checking in on you ever hour or so, hoping you haven't committed suicide or something."
I the Prince of Puzzlers commit suicide? They must really think I'm retarded or something to think up that excuse.
"OK, hand over the tray now, Nigma." Edward past the tray through the slot, the orderly closed up the hole. He then walked off down the hall. He reached the end and flicked a switch. The light in Edward's cell was extinguished. Still tired from all the sleep he'd been having. Edward decided that the only way to get to Saturday faster was to sleep again.
He could hear Joker snoring on the other side of the wall. Sure Edward could wake him up and tell him a riddle, but he was sure if he woke the clown from his sleep, he wouldn't get to Saturday.
By the time Saturday came around he was happy to just be leaving his cell, it might only be for an hour, but that hour would be better than sitting in the dark for another week. He looked over to the door. Trickles of light were creeping in from under the door. It was barely enough to see anything, but it was better than being trapped in a completely dark room and blocked out all other noises.
The door opened and two guards stood at the door. Aaron Cash, head of security in Arkham Asylum and William North, head of the guards and orderly liaison. North held up a set of leg irons and handcuffs. It was obvious that they were not taking any chances.
"Come on Eddie, time for your scheduled therapy session."
Edward stood up and made his way to the door. He didn't need to be chained up like an animal, but after Joker's last escape and after Killer Croc ate Aaron Cash's left hand, things had changed for the worse at Arkham.
To be continued...