Anna sat in her apartment staring at her walls. Four corners of a beige color staring back. She just sat there staring, dead to the world, and unsure whether her ordeal with the Riddler was truly over with. She sat at her kitchen table, categorizing the events in no particular order, and with a coldness that surprised her.
The Riddler had tried to kill Myra. The Riddler had bruised and bloodied the doctor in a game of words. Anna had kissed him. And then it was over.
She looked over each thought in a detached spectrum of flashes. The Riddler let her escape the maze only to flip out on her for cheating him. It didn't make sense. Why help her if he would later try and make her pay for it? He had been livid. But she didn't think his rage had to do with a genuine love for the rules. No, his response was too raw for that; had it been a game penalty he would have been cold, business-like almost. He took her victory personally, like she had done some supremely evil deed. Almost like he knew she had tricked him into aiding her.
Anna paused in her thoughts. Even if he knew she had tricked him it did not explain his emblazoned response. The only time she had seen the Riddler passionate enough to turn violent had been when she insulted him, or mentioned Steve. The episodes tended to correspond with moods of hurt, like any small slight was an assault that had to be met with twelve nuclear warheads and an army of question-mark soldiers. Had he been hurt by her actions? She couldn't believe he would be that sensitive to being fooled-Was his ego that fragile?
Anna hoped his ego was; she hoped he felt hurt. No, she wished him true pain and suffering for what he put her through. He made her watch while he shot her friend in some grotesque game to pay her back for hurting the madman's feelings. She had watched him make Myra writhe on the ground as each bullet entered her skin, seen Edward's handiwork with Steve (She had visited the site of Steve's burial and paid her respects), and been treated herself for the bullet wound in her shoulder. Edward Nigma had made her life a living hell, inflicting her mind with guilt and suffering. When they removed the tracking bracelet around her leg she felt as if an era of torment had ended.
Anna sat back in her chair recalling much to her chagrin and distaste the days of her captivity that had not been so wretched, the days when Nigma's eyes smoldered with such a friendly warmth that she forgot her captivity. When he was not trying to abuse her, Nigma was a goofy man with a more than mild obsession for puzzles. A regular comedian without knowing it. He made her laugh with his antics, his determination to impress her with showmanship of his "peerless genius", and past exploits involving Batman. On those days she hated him all the more because he seemed almost normal. On those days, she would almost forget Edward Nigma was more monster than man. Almost. Until he reminded her.
Then there had been the forced kisses and that "sharing the bed" nonsense. She did not believe he loved her, no he had been more obsessed than in love. But even obsession was too strong a word to use. No, what he felt was more or less curiosity. He was curious, and his curiosity was not child-like in nature, but unique. His was a dark fascination that seemed half the time confused and exasperated when she interacted with the man.
Anna rubbed her temples, frustrated that such a strange man was still giving her a headache well after her rescue. It was high time she forgot Edward Nigma, The Riddler. After all, it was unlikely she would ever see his ugly mug again. Nope, he was gone for good. A distant memory. Forgotten.
The doorbell to her apartment rang; permanently ending her train of thought. Anna rose from her chair and walked towards the noise in mechanical motions. She was half way tempted to ignore the sound in favor of allowing some sleep to come to her exhausted mind, but forced herself to un-lock the clasp on her doorway.
Before Anna had even gotten the lock halfway undone the wooden frame of the door was kicked in. The door caved in on its self leaving shards wood to clatter to ground. Anna flattened to the ground from the shock of having her door so abruptly vandalized, allowing her to look up at two muscly thugs covered head to toe in tattoos. One was a stout man with what looked to be a tobacco chew cradled in his lower lip, the other was a bit taller and a bit fatter with odd splotches of facial hair sticking out in un-groomed patches. The two intruders looked down at Anna in appraising glances.
"Oi is this the girl?" The taller of the two asked his stouter companion.
"Looks like her." The stout man spat out the the dripping brown wad of tobacco onto the ground in vague confirmation. Anna briefly considered how rude such a gesture was before the gravity of her situation hit.
"Well is she or isn't she?" The tall man was now irritated with his compatriot. To get the wrong girl was like announcing to the Riddler you were incompetent. If you were incompetent you were dead in this type of business.
"Yeah it's her alright I recognize the picture. Pretty little thing ain't she." He grinned vulgarly at Anna flashing rows of black stained teeth with several gaps. Anna did not like this man.
"Don't get too attached. The boss said if anything happened or we messed up he'd have our asses." That was not all the Riddler had said. He had told them that one mistake would cost them a game of Russian roulette with all the chambers loaded.
"Too bad. She sure is purty." That was the last thing Anna heard before she was hit over the head and knocked out cold. Anna Riddel was kidnapped once again.
Batman had used his ties with the Arkham doctors on several occasions to gain access to his rogues gallery. He hated having to use such privileges now. Anna Riddel had been kidnapped three hours ago, and time was of the essence. The Riddler was his only lead now, there were no clues left at the apartment.
Batman loomed through the halls of Arkham, a beacon of shadowy justice. He was fast approaching the observation room where patients received their therapy. The Riddler was sitting at a desk shackled in chains from head to toe, bound to the leg of a desk, rendering him immobile. Batman's eyes narrowed imperceptibly, and his features became more grave the longer he stared at Nigma's relaxed position. He was at ease, Batman would have to change that.
"You know we really must stop meeting like this." The Riddler smiled condescendingly at his one true equal: The Batman. A hero who always seemed to thwart the most ingenious of his traps with little to no effort. He had a sneaking suspicion the vigilante used outside help to best his conundrums, so he did not count the hero on level ground when considering brain power. Or looks for that matter. There was a reason the bat wore a mask after all. "The silent treatment I see. What are you, four?"
Batman merely stared down at the Riddler causing the temperature to drop several degrees as Edward began to feel nervous under the Bat's dark gaze. "No riddles, no ransoms, no clues. It's not your usual M.O." the words flowing out of Bruce's mouth were factual and frigid. "Why?" That word came out as a deep guttural sound making Nigma flinch.
"What is the reason too bamboozling for you detective?" Edward tried to hide the momentary flinch with a snide remark, hoping the words would return some of his lost pride. Batman quickly realized that he was getting nowhere with his direct approach. He had to push the Riddler into a corner, force him to reveal his true motives.
"You are putting an innocent girl's life in danger without giving her a chance. Are you afraid that I might best you again if you leave me a clue?" It was a bold approach, but Bruce had to hit him somewhere, and a blow to his ego, usually was the most effective.
"Hardly," the Riddler spat. How dare Batman question his ability to win against a subpar intelligence? "I just prefer not to mix my business with pleasure." Edward wanted to rub the Dark Knight's face into the fact that Anna was no doubt a willing hostage after their last impassioned lip lock. But he knew one gloat would cost him dearly. His tongue had a nasty habit for revealing the truth, and he could not allow that just yet.
Batman had Edward on the defensive; meaning he was close to the real answer. He had to push harder, he needed to save the girl. "Are you sure the kidnapping has nothing to do with her sending you back to Arkham?"
The Riddler scowled, of course he would go there. "As I recall the scenario, Anna was far more interested in kissing than being rescued." Shit. He needed to stop talking now he was giving too much away.
So it was worse than he had thought. Batman frowned, now recognizing the behavior Nigma was displaying. He was infatuated with the girl, it explained the lack of his usual signature. Nigma didn't want her to be found, the girl was personal to him. This was bad, very bad.
The last rogue that had decided to express his feelings had been Jervis Tech, the Mad Hatter. He had kidnapped a blond receptionist out of a dental office after an appointment, and forced her to join him in Wonderland. The girl tried to escape and in Tech's delusional state, he implanted a mind control chip into her head. She spent four months in captivity roleplaying as Alice in the Mad Hatter's sick fantasy. When she was finally rescued, she had been unable to speak in any other words but Lewis Carroll, and was covered in lacerations. During her final week of captivity Jervis had been attempting to ween the girl off from mind control, in a perverse effort to get her to like him. When the girl pushed him away after his attempts at wooing her, the Mad Hatter went truly mad. He nearly killed the girl. When Batman questioned the rogue on why he had nearly beaten the girl to death his only coherent response was "I don't think she's an Alice. No she's more of a Mary than an Alice. I should have let her be my Mary Alice from the start." before he started rhyming again.
Batman vowed never to let another rogue destroy an innocent life after the incident. He had to stop this before it got out of hand. "She distracted you to save her friend and filed a restraining order against you." He needed Nigma to return to reality for this to work.
Ouch. A restraint order was harsh. The Riddler knew Anna had been scared but to file a restraining order was over kill. "She filed a restraining order?" Oh God, he was getting sucked in. Batman was doing it again; besting him.
"It will be in your mail tomorrow. She does not care about you, Riddler." Good, he was waking up. Now all Batman had to do was drive home his point. Edward was going to get angry with that last sentence; his narcissism would not allow him to feel rejection.
"Shut up! She wouldn't have kissed me like that if she didn't have some feelings for me." He was lying, trying to use his doubts against him. Batman was trying to make him question Anna's love.
Did she love him? Damn that blasted Bat.
"She saw me on the ceiling beams; she kissed you to distract you." The Riddler was devolving fast, the doubts were resurfacing and the anger was glossing the surface. He was far enough along in his emotional stance to be pushed over the edge and give the Bat the answers he desperately needed.
"Your lying! She loves me, stop it. Not another word!" How dare that idiotic dolt suggest Anna's love for him was false? He vowed to insure that his next scheme involved Catwoman. Let's see how he likes his love life put under a microscope and deathtrap.
"Nigma. You have to let her go. You don't really care for her. It's impossible." The Batman knew Nigma's predilection for true romance was limited to his reflection in the mirror. He loved only himself but if Batman could force him to realize the fact he might let the girl go.
"I love her!" Batman's face for once in his life depicted surprise. If the Riddler was able to admit love for another, it wasn't just serious, it was an honest emotion. The Riddler truly was in love. Great.
"If you really did, you would have let her go." Maybe he could work Edward's feelings into a beneficial angle. Force him to release the girl.
"I can't Batman. I just can't." Edward could not. To lose Anna was to give up on a riddle before it was solved. It was impossible, he was too selfish.
"Think Nigma. I know you didn't hire Echo and Query. They are still in Blackgate, meaning you hired one of your usual thugs. Think. Right now they are alone with a pretty girl. They each have at the very least one count of molestation to their name's." Batman knew the girl was in danger because if the Riddler was in love he no doubt rushed his kidnapping of the girl. In the rush he most likely forwent the usually background check and preliminary plots. He rushed it and was jeopardizing the girls life.
The Riddler hushed.
"If you don't let me save her. If you don't let her go. You will be endangering her life." Please Riddler. Batman felt like begging, this girl could be killed and raped without the supervision of Nigma. His men, without supervision ware a pack of wild dogs. Without their master barking orders the thugs would fall into old habits.
"I can't let her go. I'm selfish. I'm sorry." He was not sorry for the Bat, but for Anna he deeply regretted any harm that may come to her. I'm sorry Anna. He didn't do a background check, in his eagerness he made a mistake. How could he forget something so basic? It was a rookie mistake, any rogue worth his salt knew that when the kidnappee was of the female species you almost always kept a close and punishing eye on your henchmen, unless of course you were fortunate to be working with persons without previous records of molestation. In that case they did the babysitting, while you negotiated prices. Even criminals such as the Riddler had reputations to protect. It was simply bad for business if your guest was raped, the buyer usually expressed extreme displeasure in such cases.
"Then I hope for your sake she makes it. If she dies there will be blood on your hands, Nigma. The stains will be so red, you will never wash them away. And as much as you pretend not to care, I think this time it will haunt you." Batman disappeared, leaving Nigma in a distraught state. It was the first time in all of Bruce's dealings with the Riddler that he believed the rogue felt remorse. He also knew Nigma would be escaping soon. He would need Robin to keep tabs on Edward, in order to locate the girl as quickly as possible. Hopefully, he would find Anna first.
Edward sat petrified in his chains as thousands of scenarios raced through his overly precise imagination. Anna was no doubt in danger if Batman was willing to say more than three words. The more Batman spoke the more dire the situation was. It was the hero's only tell, and it scared the Riddler more than any threat ever could.
He needed to escape as soon as possible, no doubt the Bat predicted such actions and would follow after such a heated conversation. He could easily exit Arkham at any time, the benefit of having insiders was a facilitated route, shuttling a rogue into Gotham on a whim's notice. However, to escape under the radar of the Batman was a skill few besides the Joker were capable of mastering. But he didn't have time to wait, Anna was alone with recently released convicts, who hadn't seen the fleshy thighs of a woman in years. She was probably being rap- He would not dignify that sentence the privilege of completion. She was fine.
He would escape quickly just to spite the Bat, not because he feared that the hero was correct about the thugs he hired. In fact he needed to see Anna again purely to reassure the girl he had not lost interest, she was probably distraught with insecurity. She was not being raped.
The orderlies retrieved the Riddler from observation, shoving him angrily into the hall. As the Riddler began walking towards the high level security section of the Asylum, passing rows upon rows of screeching madmen. The more violent of inmates pressed their faces against the glass licking the windows of their cells or making vulgar gestures at the passing guards. Home sweet home.
"Move it Nigma. No dilly dallying." The guard shoved Nigma roughly to assert authority and quell some of his lingering nervousness at being so close to the infamous Riddler. He genuinely feared the rogues, especially after hearing word of how the Riddler attacked one of his doctors. He hated this part of his job, it payed well enough, but sometimes he wondered if it was all really worth it.
The Riddler tripped forward, falling to the ground. The guard stared down at the fallen criminal unsure of how to respond. "Would you help be up you bug-eyed buffoon?"
The guard remained immobile, sweat trickled down his brow. He did not know what the protocol was in such instances. "As you can see I am shackled head to toe, and am incapable of getting up without aid. So would you mongoloid of an underling, help me up?" The guard considered the man briefly; he was in chains. He moved reluctantly helping the Riddler to stand, Nigma briefly wrapped one arm onto the guard's shoulder and another onto the guard's waist pulling himself into an upright stance.
Nigma continued towards his cell with an unreadable expression. His face was blank except for a small imperceptible upward tilt of the lips, he walked with this expression into the rogue's gallery. Scarecrow sat in his cell reading, as usual, with the only movement being a mean glance at the guard, the Mad Hatter waved excitedly, welcoming Edward back with the traditional "Why is a raven like a writing desk?", the Joker laughed and hurtled several unkind remarks that Nigma greatly resented and feared, The Ventriloquist stared shyly through his window, and Two-Face grumbled about how now the doctors were endangering his life with a suicide risk if they forced him to listen to Nigma's "stupid" riddles. In the Riddler's opinion, the true stupidity was reflected in the answerer; Two-Face had not answered a single riddle correctly in two years. The Penguin was no longer in Arkham due to his recent "reform" and business venture: "The Iceberg Lounge". Oswald's cell, however; was kept open upon the Batman's insistence, and stood as a reminder to all the rogue's that Batman could not be fooled with "reform".
When Nigma finally reached his cell he decided to have one last little half-game with the guard. Just a quick little quiz of harmless wit. "You want to hear a riddle, James." The Riddler used the orderlies name just to make the poor man sweat; a usual intimidation tactic. "What's dimwitted, and about to make a fool of itself screaming?" The man would not get the hint in the riddle. It was obvious, but the guard was oblivious. Nigma felt a small grain of sympathy for what was about to happen to the guard. Had he been smarter he might have avoided his fate.
"Yeah, well at least I'm not locked in a cell," the guard snidely returned. On second thought, Edward was going to enjoy watching the mook make a fool of himself.
"You can't say I didn't warn you." The Riddler sat calmly in his cell awaiting what was to unfold. The guard walked across the cement floor of the cell-ways, passing each rogue until the action really kicked off. Crane put away his book, and walked fearsomely to the edge of his cell. This is going to be good.
"Guard, I am requesting that you open my cell. I have an important meeting with a dear friend of mine and would loathe to keep them waiting." Crane crossed both of his arms together to rest on his chest, tapping his foot impatiently on the ground.
"Why on Earth would I do that?" The guard laughed at Crane causing the villain to frown.
"Because currently I am the only resident in Arkham with the existing knowledge of the whereabouts of your wife. Martha wasn't it? Did you know she is terrified of the dark?" So, that's how Crane planned to leave Arkham. He no doubt had more to his plans then one simple threat, but still his methods were admirable.
"You bastard! When I get in there I'll-" Jason banged a fist against the glass. If Crane touched one hair on his wife's head; he'd kill the psychopath.
"Yes, I believe that too will work in my advantage. Please, come in and make yourself at home. Martha certainly would." Crane was goading the guard early on. Whoever Crane wanted to see must have been important. Later Edward would find out his answers, but for now he needed Crane to escape.
The guard wasted no time inputing the pass code to open up Jonny's cell, the moron. In his defense, he was enraged, and focused only on Crane. Crane had a spacial way of getting inside everyone's heads and finding their worst fear. He exploited it, picked apart your brain until you were a quivering sac of jelly, and that was without the toxin. Later he would use the toxin to further destroy his "subject". He had no mercy, even Nigma in his schemes tried to avoid making too much of a mess in his work. Still Crane was sensible and by far no where near the Joker's level of cruelty. Then again, no one was.
It happened so fast that had Edward blinked he would have missed the entire event. Crane threw a handful of an unknown (no doubt fear-toxin) substance into Jason's face. Blood curtleing screams exited Jason's mouth instantaneously, God he hated when Crane did that. "Normally, Jason I would explore your fragile psyche and have grand old time experimenting, but I'm late for that meeting I mentioned earlier. But don't you fret I haven't touched Martha, at least not in the ways that her supervisor has been. Anyways. She isn't missing. She's having an affair." Crane pulled the guards face in close to increase the man's screaming. Nigma swore that the Scarecrow got off on the fear from others. That thought alone scared the Riddler.
Crane reached for the Arkham employee's belt seemingly frustrated. "Blast it all. I know he had it on him earlier where is it!" Crane began to yell at his victim frustrated with the items disappearance. Edward decided after watching Crane holler at the injustice of his plan's outcome, that now was as good a time as any to reveal the location of Crane's missing item.
"You-hoo. I believe I have what you are looking for." The Riddler held up to the glass of his cell a key card that would allow the rogues to exit the asylum's high security blocks and eventually the prison itself. Edward knew he had leverage over Crane. When Edward had "fallen" he had carefully borrowed the guard's key card the second he saw the look Jonathan flash the Arkham employee. He knew a free ride when he saw one.
The Scarecrow and the Riddler had never been on friendly terms with one another. Each of the men were unable to stand the others obsessions. Nigma hated listening to the to the doctor ramble on about the power of fear. And Crane could not accept that the power of riddles were superior to a shabby burlap mask.
Crane stopped his highly un-adult behavior of screaming at the now tearful and soon-to-be madman, to focus in on Nigma. Edward shivered. He needed Crane's help, and needed to get it without ending up as another one of the doctor's lab rats. This would require the full ability of Edward's persuasive genius. "Care to let me out of my cell? The pass code is 18944125."
Crane looked his nose down upon the Riddler, both in irritation, and condensation. "Why do you think I just won't open up your cell, gas you, and leave you to your screams while I escape?"
"What makes you think that when I wake up I won't find out who this person that you are meeting is."
"What's to stop me from killing you?"
"Look Crane, the second I'm out of my cell we can both go our own ways. Please, for once this has nothing to do with my selfish whims I- I also have a meeting of sorts."Edward tried in his next breath to sound more courageous. "I pinky swear I will help you with whatever you want after. Cross my heart." He held his hand to his heart in a comical manner causing Crane to release an irritated snort.
"Don't follow me. Don't try to find me after. And do not mention a word of my meeting to the Bat. Not in riddle form, not in code, not even in a puzzle. Understand?" Crane listed off his conditions one after the other. Especially highlighting the importance of the no squealing clause.
"Crystal." Edward gave an energetic salute
"I can't believe I'm doing this." Crane inputted the code to Nigma's cell with his long fingers mumbling under his breath how bad of an idea this was.
"You know you aren't so bad for a guy who has the likability of a vat of acid." Edward gave what he thought was a very generous complement. It apparently was not.
"I suggest you do not open your mouth while in my company, Edward. I have yet to master self control, and am about one minute away from gassing you. So if you can kindly shut-up, do so."
Edward shut his mouth as both of the rogues met the locked gate. Once the doors parted Edward opened his mouth one last time before running down the halls, away from the possible reactions of his dear friend Jonny. "You and I should do lunch sometime later. We simply must catch up. I'd love to hear all about this person you are meeting. Toodles." Edward knew his mentioning about the secret meeting were uncalled for, but he loved messing with the Scarecrow's head. It was only a fair response after all; Crane had threatened to gas him.
Edward sped down the hall looking for one particular door. The only door in fact that led to a supply closet filled with rows upon rows of delightful arrays of sentry uniforms. They most likely would not fit his lean and perfectly sculpted body decently but they would do well enough to fool an idiotic Arkham worker for a few moments. Just enough time to escape and make his way safely to his hideout.
Once he arrived at his hideout he would deal with his newfound distrust of his henchmen, that as the bat had snottily pointed out, each of the men had a record sheet that could wrap around the globe twice. He would find Anna seated comfortably on a chair, not on the ground crying. He would rub the fact that Anna loved him more then dearly departed Steven, into the soon-to-be departed Dark Knight's face. His henchmen would be far away from Anna, possibly three buildings from the girl. And if they were not, if the Bat-bastard was right; he'd kill his lackeys in the most familiar and intimate of ways.
The Riddler exited the supply closet, prepared for yet another daring escape, as only his brilliant mind could concoct, running into another guard. The guard taking immediate notice of what he supposed was a skinny Claude yelled out, "Hey Claude, did ya lose weight ya dumb bastard or is Clarice starving you on her new healthy kick?" Nigma took note that the name plate on his uniform spelled out Claude Dunbar, and decided from a distance he could easily be confused with Claude and hopefully confused without arousing alarm.
"Ya know Clarice, always something healthy, ya gullible sap. I still sneak past the radar with a steak." God he loved the guard-speak, so accurate with descriptive language and so easy to imitate.
"Yeah yeah, sure ya are. What ya up to now?" The question surprised Edward. He rechecked the distance between he and the guard, confirming that he was still far enough away to be incapable of distinguishing facial features. Edward was in the clear.
"Oh, I couldn't say. But I'm in a rush so I'll catch ya later ya primitive overpaidgorilla." The second jail-guard stared suspiciously at the retreating form of Edward Nigma, surprised by his friend's sudden bitchy attitude. He shrugged his shoulders before returning to watch the table T.V in front of him. Diets always make people cranky; God forbid Clarice make him go on one.
Anna sat bound and blind-folded in an extremely uncomfortable chair. Why couldn't they ever have cushions, this wasn't the era of the inquisition. Anna had a strange feeling these new kidnappers worked for the Riddler. Consider it a hunch.
The answer to the last Riddle was: the death of Batman. Congrats to those who lived through the maze!