The Doc paces, trying to explain to Ed what's going on in her head at that very moment. "Look Ed, Lee really wants to go on this little mission with The Riddler to explore the main house tonight and I don't think I can stop her. She'll just follow him if he leaves without her."

"Then stop her. You're The Doc. Keep control of the body. Don't let her go."

"Yeah, well, apparently being more powerful when I'm out doesn't necessarily translate into being more powerful in my own head. Or having more power over this body."

Abruptly Ed says, "The Riddler says it's a no go, then."

The Doc puts her hand on her hip and demands. "Why? What for?"

"He says that he only wants you or else he goes alone - which he would prefer anyway - Lee's too soft. And frankly, Doc, in my opinion, neither of you should be tagging along tonight." Ed looks back at the mirror over the bar. "Right. You're right. I just told her."

"Well, if he shows up while I'm still inhabiting this body - that pervert - we'll likely spend the entire night fucking. I think he has ulterior motives." She gives a warning glance to the mirror.

Ed snorts, and stops himself from laughing. She looks pretty fierce - and she's so beautiful like this. He wonders when he'll get his chance with her . . . if she'll let him . . . and if he even still wants her. Despite the kiss he had shared with Lee, he's not sure he does. After all, the darkest manifestation of her chose the darker one within himself, even though he was the one that loved her first and he was the one who had helped her rise to power - not the other one.

Also, how can he forget the pesky fact that after lying in wait, she had sprung forth and stabbed him? To death.

"Er, me," The Riddler corrects him.

"Same difference."

"No, it's not. Her beef was with me."

Ed frowns. "Yes, but she killed both of us. She knew I was in there."

"Ed, you had no idea who she had become."

"Yes, I -"

"No, you really didn't," The Riddler says firmly. "That's why you still can't comprehend what she did to us. The darkness that murdering Sofia unleashed in her was delicious. But you can't even begin to appreciate it. Only I can."

"You don't have a monopoly on her."

"Oh yes," The Riddler taunts. "I do."

"Hey!" Lee grabs his face. He hadn't even noticed her switch. "Neither of you have a monopoly on me. No one does. Understand?"

"Yeah," Ed says roughly, pulling away. He wonders if any part of Lee actually cares about him - not just the dark one that had emerged within him in the belly of The Narrows and fascinated her endlessly since their first kiss.

"You ready for him?" Ed asks. The Riddler's chomping at the bit to take over - he doesn't want to waste any more time.

"I'll take care of Lee," The Riddler says to Ed. "Don't worry."

Lee takes a deep breath and rolls her shoulders a bit in preparation. "Yeah."

"Are you nervous?" Ed asks, surprised. "For him to come through?"

"No, I'm fine."

He knows she's lying.

So what exactly did their earlier kiss even mean if thinking of The Riddler could get to her this way?

Ed sighs, resigned to his fate. It doesn't matter if he wants her or not, he'll never have her. But that doesn't mean he won't be watching the entire time. Enjoying what he can of her. He can do that so easily now - The Riddler can't banish him from his own mind so readily anymore.

"Just do it, Ed."

"Hi there," she says almost shyly as he just stands there, arms crossed confidently, penetrating her with his gaze.

"Hi."

"I'm not her, you know."

"I know."

"But I'm still attracted to the danger. . . "

"I know." He smiles softly.

"The danger that is you."

"I know." He closes the distance between them and takes her face into his hands.

"I'm scared," she says, yet he can see the excitement building within her.

"I know." He leans down to kiss her.

She puts a hand on his chest to stop him before he succeeds. Looking down, she blushes and blinks furiously. "But I'm the soft one. You said so yourself."

"I know."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"No." Then his lips are upon hers as he says between kisses, "Not in the least. I love you, Lee. All of you. Including this part."

She whimper-moans beneath his touch.

"So now I know," she says with a touch of sass and a happy grin - so different from the other one's all too frequent smirk. He groans and pulls her down onto the sofa with him. Time to make love. That's what he wants to do with this one. Make love, not sex. But come to think of it, he doesn't just fuck The Doc either, no matter how kinky they may get. In his heart, all he wants is to make love to her as well, regardless of what they do. And that's what this is. Love.

"Can you be honest with me?" he asks Lee, breaking away from her for a second.

"Sure."

"Do you love me?"

"Ed -"

"You really need to stop calling me Ed." He sits up, beyond disappointed, and says, "I should just go."

"Riddler." She places a hand on his forearm, preventing him from rising.

He just looks at her, waiting anxiously through her pregnant pause. Just what does she have to say to him?

"I'm sorry. I know you're not Ed. That you're The Riddler. It's just a habit."

He waits for more, but there is no more. He enmeshes his fingers tightly, then steeples them under his chin. "That's all you have to say to me?"

Her brows furrow and she shakes her head in confusion.

She's not that dumb, she's stalling. Now he's pissed. "Look, Lee. I think we need to talk about it - about what happened. Because you told me you were offering me something real and now when I ask if you love me you can't even give me an answer."

"Rid-"

"No." He yanks his arm from her grasp. "I'm leaving. Without you. There's some things I need to figure out on my own."

Then he grabs her from behind to put her in a sleeper hold and lays her down gently once she's passed out.

"Well, that's one way to do it," he hears Ed say as he runs out into the night, determined to confirm his suspicions in regards to exactly what is floating in that Nygma/Thompkins tank.