Chapter 9: Nero Dimitri

The moment I let her into my apartment she went to Enigma's side and look at her face. Tears starting coming out of her eyes as she smiled and said, "It's her, oh gosh it's her!" She notices the blood stains on her shirt. She looked at me and asked, "What happened to her?"

"Do you play Yugioh cards?"

"All the time with her but what does that have to with it?"

"She played a real life card game with someone named Derek. Thing is they were playing to the death. She won but she gotten hurt pretty bad."

"Will she be okay?"

"Yeah, I've made sure the wound was stitched up. Alex if you don't mind, can you tell me who exactly is Nero?"

"Why you want to know?"

"Well, all I know about her is that she calls herself Enigma, she plays the violin, and is quite the game nerd."

"She's playing the violin again?"

"Yeah, why she wasn't before?"

She sat next to Enigma; well Nero while taking her hand in hers. I sat on the other side to prepare myself a long story. She said, "She was a child prodigy for playing the violin. Her dream was to have a career in music. Well one day some punks from our school busted her violin to pieces. I don't know what made her stop but that day made her die inside. Instead of getting a new violin she took up photography. Because of that new found hobby she got revenge on those punks."

"She blackmailed them?"

"No she put them in Juvenile Detention. So doesn't care much about using someone to her advantage. As long she has evidence to ruin someone she'll bring anyone down without even hesitating. After high school that's when she disappeared off to Seattle for a photography scholarship program. Never even said goodbye to me just took off. The only person I've had to talk to in this dump was Hanna."

"Hanna Becker?"

"Yeah, how do you know her?"

"She went missing on the same day that Nero died. Well when Nero faked her death."

"You don't think there's a connection do you?"

"I'm not sure but it's a possibility. The very first time I've met Nero was when she saved me from Officer Dougherty. When he punched me I knew I was in for a real good beating. Out of no where she came running and stabbed him to death."

"...First time you ever met her and she killed a officer to save you? No that doesn't make sense. If I know Nero she would've record the guy punching you and use it against him before he could do more damage. Why would she just throw away her future like that?

"I don't know. Were Nero and Hanna friends?"

"No they never even knew each other."

"I doubt it. They probably knew each other but they weren't close. I've found out that they were both photography students of Alastor Harrison."

"That famous photography guy? I remember Hanna talking about him once. She idolized him greatly."

"Believe it or not Alastor visited me not long ago to help him with a side job in photography."

"Are you saying he has something to do with Hanna's disappearance?"

"Can't say for sure but it does seem he has something to do with it."

"When were you suppose to help him with this side job?"

"Tomorrow but I canceled so I can look after her."

"Call him that you changed your mind. I can look after her."

"Her stomach wound was pretty bad, Alex. I have to be here in case if she wakes up or accidently reopens her stitches."

"Then teach me how to aid her wounds. Please Edward it's important that we solve this mystery. Don't you want to know what's up with the connection between Alastor and my friends? Well in this case Nero is your friend too right? Wouldn't you want to repay her for saving you?"

"... You're right about that part. Alright I'll show you how to treat the wound she has, but please Alex pay close attention I hate it when people don't know how to stitch a simple wound and all of a sudden somehow or another they make it worse."

"Hey she's my best friend. Of course I'm going to pay attention."

She better. I can't risk losing Nero again. She is right about one thing, I do need to find out what's the connection to the girls and Alastor.

...

On the next day after telling Alastor that I can make it after all he headed his way over here. I said to Alex, "You do remember everything that I've shown and told you if anything happens right?"

"Yeah except one thing. What if something happens between you and Alastor?"

"Hmm, if I don't come back at all tonight. On Nero's phone is a contact number to the Penguin. See if he can help first. If not, here's Detective Gordon's number."

I wrote Gordon's number down on a piece of paper and give it to her. "Penguin?" She said, "Why would she have his number."

"They're friends."

I get a text from Alastor that he's here. I said to Alex, "He's outside waiting for me. I better get going. If something goes bad that you can't handle call me straight away okay? Unless you think it's a serious emergency call an ambulance."

"I will. You can count on me for sure."

I smiled at that then I took off. As I saw Alastor in his black car I climb into the passenger seat. He smiled at me as he said, "I'm glad that you changed your mind."

"Yes I'm happy I did too."

We didn't say much afterwards. He just drove straight to the dark room that's a little far from Gotham. "Why is your Dark Room so far out from Gotham?" I asked him.

"You'll see." He said.

He parked the car and we step out to go into a barn that has a large trap door in the middle of it. I had to help him open it which lead down to a set of stairs. I walk down there with him and he had to type in a code to open a door. Why all the security? This seems a bit much for just one Dark Room.

The moment we were inside was a bit gloomy down here. Half of the room was covered in darkness. The part that wasn't dark is the lighting studio he's gotten set up. Strangely though there's a black curtain that's covering part of the studio. "This place is the only way I can work in peace. Since this is your first side job. I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?"

"It's right behind that curtain."

He pointed at the black curtain. I walk on over and pull back the curtain only to see a young lady tied up and gagged who's past out. "What the hell?! Alastor what is-," I heard someone run fast towards me. Before I could rewind time I've felt a jab from a needle that went into my neck. I turned around to see who done it. To my shock it was Kristen.

"Kristen?" I managed to say. I tried to rewind time but the drug that's now in my system is preventing it. I plop down to the floor falling into a deep sleep.

... (Enigma's Narrative)

I woke up from my healing coma. Sitting next to me to my very surprise was my old friend, Alex. Immediately she asked me, "Are you okay Nero?"

"... Yeah I'm fine." I said.

"Good or else I wouldn't get to do this!"

She slapped me real hard that it could've been considered a punch! "WHAT THE HELL ALEX?!" I said as I sat up holding my painful cheek.

"Why did you left?! Why did you fake your death?! Why didn't you come to me?!"

"Why why why! I'm starting to hate that fucking word!"

I jump out of bed and look around for Edward but he's no where to be seen. "Where's Edward?"

"Don't ignore my questions!"

"WHERE IS HE?!"

I slam my hands on the table scaring her. She finally said, "He went with Alastor." I couldn't help but smirk as I said, "So I see. Go home Alex, I got it from here."

"Oh no you're not leaving me again! I've lost Hanna I'm not going to lose you too! Do you have any idea what pain you've put me through when I've thought you were dead?! If I hadn't met Edward at GCPD I would have never found out! You owe me an explanation!"

"... You want me to tell you why I threw away my life? You want me to tell you why I've went into hiding?"

I slowly walked up to her and said, "I threw it away for him. For Edward Nygma. Because I don't want him to be a villain."

"What are you talking about, Nero?"

"NERO IS DEAD!" I shouted as I scared her again, "I'm no longer that weak and pathetic person. I am Enigma and I am the Riddler!"

"... I don't believe what I'm hearing. How could you do this?! I thought you were my friend?!"

"I had to leave everyone I knew behind because if Galavan ever found out that I was still alive he would've killed you all to get to me. I didn't just threw it away for Edward I did it for everybody I cared about."

"What about Hanna then? She disappeared the same night you died! What about her huh?!"

"She's dead, Alex. Killed by Galavan. I'm sorry but that's the truth. Both of your friends are dead."

She run towards me and punches me in the face. "You idiot!" she punches me again, "You're not dead, Nero! Wake up and take everything back you said! You're not Riddler, you're not Enigma, you're Nero Dimitri my best friend!"

"...Heh."

Everything went quiet. She didn't know what to say when I laughed so lowly. I looked at her in the eyes and said, "I'm no longer Nero... But I am your friend. Trust me when I say I died to protect all of you. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you but I had to go into hiding. I had to become the Riddler."

"... Start from the beginning. Leave nothing out or else I swear I'll punch you until you have no teeth."

"... Heh heh, yes ma'am."

... (Edward's Narrative)

I woke up to the sound of a camera going off. In front of me is Alastor taking pictures of that tied up girl. I tried getting up to stop him but I'm tied down to a chair. My wrists are duct taped to the arms of the chair and my ankles are taped to the legs. When Alastor heard me struggling he smiled and said, "Good you're awake."

I have to get out of this chair so I can get that girl out of here! I rewind time expecting to take me back before Kristen drugged me, it only rewind ten minutes and I'm still tied to the chair! I tried to go farther but it hurt my head so much it caused me a nose bleed. Alastor again said, "Good you're awake. Oh hey, your nose is bleeding!"

He immediately stop taking pictures of that girl and went over to me with a towel. I move my head away to not let him touch me. I said to him sounding threatening as possible, "Get away from me! Don't touch me!"

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. Sorry about that nosebleed. Kristen must have given you too much of a dose."

"How the hell did you even convince Kristen to do this?"

"Don't feel betrayed by her. She drugged you so you would be calm. She does care about you Edward, so much that she wants you to work by her side."

"Kidnapping girls, take their pictures, and kill them? Is that what you did to Hanna Becker? Is that what you did to Nero Dimitri?!"

His smile disappeared as he went silent. He said, "Hanna was one of my best subjects. I never kill my beautiful girls. As for Nero I've never gotten a chance to capture her innocence... Galavan killed them both."

So he really has a connection with Galavan? "But Edward you're not just here to help me take pictures. Galavan crossed the line when he killed my Nero. You have the smarts to know how to kill someone and get rid of their bodies. I want him to suffer for what he's done to Hanna and Nero."

"Then what? Go back to kidnapping girls and take their pictures?"

"I only capture their innocence I do nothing else to them. By the time they wake up they're back in their beds remembering nothing about the Dark Room."

"What do you mean capture their innocence? You make it sound like they have something that you want."

"Some people have that aura still surrounding them. A innocent glow that hasn't been corrupted. My job is to capture it before it get's corrupted. I take one look at you and I see a intelligent man but who has also made a few mistakes. Yet somehow you carry that glow. It's barely even tainted."

He wiped the blood away from my nose with the towel. "But I can tell you've been damaged."

"Don't talk like you know me! You know nothing about me!"

"From what Kristen tells me you've been not so appreciated enough from work. Barely anybody says thank you for your hard work."

"Gordon shows his appreciation. I can't believe Kristen was helping you do this sick job!"

He laughed, "You know you're a lot like Nero. Same glow but a damaged past." Suddenly he drew in closer to me that it was unsettling. "As a matter of fact you could've been her equal. Almost like if my Nero was reincarnated into you."

"What are you trying to say?"

"... I'm giving you time to decide. You can either help me, or I'll put you in my collection. Except you'll won't be going home."

I don't like the sound of being a part of his collection. If I say no that would mean he will take pictures of me like these girls? After he's done I could only assume that he will kill me. If so maybe I could stall him long enough for Penguin or Gordon to find me. Wait a second though they'll won't even know where I'm kept! Dammit I don't want to help him! I'm just going to have to say yes for now.

I said to him, "Fine I'll help you."

He smiled and said, "Good." He went over to a cart that holds a tray with syringes. He took one up and extract a drug with it. "What are you doing?" I said, "I said I'll help you!"

"Oh I heard you. I'm just going to let you rest a little while. I like to do my work in silence."

"Please don't I can be quiet."

"Maybe but I can tell you're a little squeamish. You may be use to dead bodies, but not seeing girls so helpless."

He pull my head to the side to expose my neck as he injected the sedative into my system. Once he pull the needle out I fallen fast asleep.