Chapter 14: I Will You

Edward drove me up to Theo's apartment building. He said, "I'll be waiting out here for you okay? Please be careful."

"I'll try." I said.

"No don't try just do it. I don't want to lose you."

"You'll won't then. I'll be back before you know it."

I hugged him and I got out of the car to go inside the building. I took the elevator to get up there to his apartment. When the door open suddenly two men pointed their guns at me. Theo must've known I was coming. One of them grab me by the coat but I stop that by freezing time. I took both of their guns, walk past them and shot them both in the legs. When I let time go they were screaming in pain on the floor.

I said, "I don't like being grabbed."

"You sure don't seem to have a problem shooting people now." said the other Edward, "You're dying for a taste to kill aren't you?"

Shut up they just pissed me off that's all.

I walked away leaving them there. I then entered into a new room which seemed to be a spacious office. Theo Galavan, at least I assume, is sitting at his desk. He looked up and smiled at me surprisingly. He stand up from his desk to walk towards me. He said, "Nero Dimitri. How lovely to see you at last."

"Step back." I said as he stop walking towards me.

"Put the guns down." he said, "Let's just talk. Would you like to sit down?"

My hands are itching to pull the triggers. Why am I having this want to kill?

"Let's play his game for a little bit," said the Other Edward who took hold of both of my hands. Calming them down to stop shaking. Edward led me to sit down on one of the couches. Theo sat in a couch chair.

"So," said Galavan, "What compelled you to come here?"

"I need answers." I said, "I want to know why you needed Hanna Becker."

"Oh yes, lovely Hanna. Well it was simple. I needed her to will her power to me. She simply refused because she willed it to someone else."

"...You mean her power to control time?"

"Yes."

No way, she had this power? Why me though?

"Now that you're here you've saved me the trouble to find you." He said, "From what my sister says is that you have the very box Hanna buried. Well I have the key to that box." He took out the key to show me.

I took my chance to freeze time and took it to open the box here. When it was open it was a necklace of the same symbol from Necropolis. It was flowing with time energy. It was quite soothing to the touch too. I put it around my neck and hide it underneath my shirt.

Inside the box there was also a letter. I open it to read it.

If you're reading this Nero, then that means I've past away. You must be wondering why you have this time controlling ability. Well it's because I willed it to you. When I met you I knew you had a heart of gold. Always finding ways to turn a sad day upside down. I didn't know much about you until Alex. She praise how much of a great person you are. I've put my utmost trust that you can make the right choices with time. But if disaster comes upon Gotham. It's because you let someone live who was supposed to die. Now if these kind of choices are necessary. There is one other option to stop the disaster. You have to sacrifice yourself to Gotham's Necropolis. I know you can make the right decision. Good luck to you, Nero Dimitri.

P.S. Tell Alex I love her.

"Well now we know," said Edward. I put the box and letter away. I put the key back in Theo's hand and let time flow again.

"There's just one thing I don't get," I said, "Why were you ransoming her?"

"To put the fear into Falcone." he said, "The money didn't matter as long he knows who had the upper hand. But now that he's not in power anymore. A man called the Penguin is in charge. Luckily I already figured out his weakness."

"His weakness?"

"It's his mother. Soon he'll won't be able to see her anymore."

"All that intelligence and you still want this ability?"

"Of course, just everything is done my way."

"Then there's no further reason to talk about it. I'm not going to give you this power."

"Oh you will. If you care much about you friend."

All of a sudden a woman brought in Edward all tied up and gagged. Once she got him on his knees she pointed a gun at the back of his head. "You know if you just will your power to me, I can let you two go. It's really simple."

"Idiot." said other Edward and I.

I froze time again and walk over to the lady to get the gun from her. I shot her in the right leg and pull Edward away from her. "Why just injure her?" said other Edward, "Why not kill them?"

"I can't," I said, "I'm not like that."

"But you're aching for a taste!"

"But it's not a necessity. So shut the fuck up about it."

I let time go again and the woman was shouting in pain. "Tabitha!" shouted Galavan who rush to her aid.

"You don't seem to understand Theo," I said, "I'm pretty much a fucking TimeLord. You don't think I can freeze time and not do all this? Hell instead of shooting that woman in the leg I've would've put a bullet in her head. In other words I'm the kind of person you don't want to fuck with. You got that Theo?"

I called Gordon on my cell to tell him to finally come up.

"Except you made a mistake in time didn't you?" he said, "You don't think I've haven't noticed the weather changes lately? It's because you messed up didn't you?"

"... Yes I did."

"I wouldn't make a mistake that would risk everyone. You're not fit for that ability."

"Neither are you."

I helped Edward get untied. I asked him, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What does he mean that you made a mistake?"

"We'll talk about this later."

Suddenly I've felt a stab in the side of my lower back. I was stabbed by Theo! "NERO!" Edward tried pulling me away from him but Theo hold onto to me and we fell. We fell into some kind of different dimension.

What is this? What's happening?!

I saw the other Edward appeared above us as we fall. He took my hand and pulled me into his arms. We fallen upon a platform with the symbol carved into it that's from Necropolis. This dimension is swirling with colors but they're a darker shade. "Are you okay?" Edward asked me.

"I think the knife is still in my back man." I said. He took it out real quick as I screamed for a second. He helped me up and we've faced Galavan. Galavan looked very surprised but he said, "You can't use your time power here Nero. For this is a fight between the two of us. But I must ask why is Nygma here?"

"You can see him?" I said.

"Hello Mr. Galavan." said Edward, "It's been a long time I've haven't seen you."

"You know him?" I asked him.

"Of course, I was the one who killed him. Before I was a threat to Gotham of course."

"What do you mean?"

"You want to know why you're having a taste to kill?" he turn to me, "It's because there must be a Riddler. You stopped Edward from embracing his destiny. His villainy was suppose to start with Tom Dougherty and you stopped it. Gotham isn't in peril just because Tom is alive. It's because you stop the birth of The Riddler. Now I'm inside your head because you have to make a choice. Either let time run its course from what it should have been. Let Gotham be destroyed, Take his place as The Riddler, or sacrifice yourself on the alter of Necropolis. Either way you have to decide."

"So that's why you're so different." said Theo, "Well there is one other option. You can will your power to me and I'll put everything back in it's place."

"Not a chance!" I said.

"Then one of us has to die. Why else are we here?"

"Oh please," said Edward, "We're only here because the necklace of Necropolis felt her life in danger. This place is a healing ground for the host of time. You on the other hand are only here because her time intertwined with yours. I know it's confusing but what did the Doctor said, Nero?" He asked me, "Wasn't it wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff?"

"...Yeah."

...What am I suppose to do now? How can I make a choice like this? "What am I doing now?" I asked Riddler, "Am I in some kind of Time Coma?"

"Something like that, and you'll be stuck her unless you kill him."

"What?! We were something to take him to GCPD not fucking kill him!"

"Then we can stay here if you like. Oh I got an idea. Galavan you stay here."

Suddenly the snake came to life and wrap around Galavan. "Let me show you who I really am." said Riddler as suddenly everything changed.

We were in what look like an asylum. Passing by us was a tall man wearing a... Bat like suit? "Holy shit!" I said, "Who's that guy?"

"That my dear is the yet to be famous, Batman." said Riddler, "He's the Dark Knight of Gotham City."

He took my hand as we followed him. down the hallway of cells containing patients.

"Oh don't call them that." said Riddler.

"Wait did you just read my thoughts?"

"Of course. I am now a part of you after all."

"Yeah that's still creepy."

"Well you are creepy."

... No.

Batman stop in front of a cell where Edward is held in. Edward is wearing one of those red uniforms of this place. He's laying on his bed reading a book. "Nygma." said Batman. Edward noticed him standing outside his cell as he sat up. He said, "Well well well. What pleasure do I owe this visit from the Dark Knight?"

"You're the only one who knows what Joker is up to. Then me what he's planning."

"Joker?" I asked Riddler.

"Another big villain of Gotham." He answered.

This Riddler in the cell said, "Oh Batman I can't just tell you about it."

"No more riddles Nygma. Just tell me."

"Hmmm, I think not. Either you'll have to pay the price, or you can just come in here and break me until I give out the answer. After all isn't that what you always do?"

The scenery changed and we're now inside some kind of tech room that's green and there's all these question marks. In the middle of the room there was a man in a cage. Another man came in and he was dressed in a green and purple suit with question marks. Wears a bowler hat with a green mask over his eyes, and he has a question mark cane. "Well then?" he said, "Are we ready to begin?"

That voice, is that Edward?

"Yup, that's me." said Riddler, "That's Edward Nygma who would riddle this city with fear."

"...No." I said.

The Riddler before us said, "Riddle me this. There is a story that a man and not a man. Saw and did not see a bird and not a bird. Perched on a branch and not a branch, and hit him and did not hit him with a rock and not a rock. How is this possible?"

"I don't know man please let me go!"

"(Sigh), Wrong answer I'm afraid."

Suddenly the cage gave the man an electric shock. What the? Edward what are you doing?

"The answer was that a eunuch who did not see well saw a bat perched on a reed and threw a pumice stone at him which missed. Next riddle. When my first is a task to a young girl of spirit, and my second confines her to finish the piece. How hard is her fate! But how great is her merit. If by taking my whole she effects her release! What am I?"

"Please I'm begging you. Let me go."

"Wrong answer!"

The cage shock him again. "Edward stop!" I shouted.

"He can't hear you." said Riddler, "This was supposed to be my fate but you stopped it. But because of your action you doomed Gotham. This life isn't supposed to be bad, Nero. This is who Edward is supposed to be."

"The answer was Hem-Lock you idiot. You better answer right or else this next shock will kill you. I'm teary-eyed but never cry. Silver-tongued, but never lie. Double winged but never fly. Air-cooled, but never dry. What am I?"

"... I can't.."

"Edward no!"

I took my hand away from Riddler and run towards the other one.

"How disappointing."

"STOP!" When I reached out for him he disappeared like smoke... The scene changed all the way back when I've first met Edward. Except I watched him stab Tom Dougherty over and over and over AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER! Blood flowed on the street from just one man. I was scared to see what Edward had become.

Time seemed to just fast forward and show me Edward dating Kristen Kringle. At first it seemed their relationship was going good for a while. Until he revealed that he killed Dougherty to her and she panicked. He killed her... That's when he came back... The spirit of Riddler. Edward's darkness. He taunted and tortured him.

I collapse onto my knees finally feeling the mental torture. "Why can't you just accept this?" asked the other Edward, "Even after all that I have done I'm still the Edward you know and love... You love me don't you?"

I looked at him while crying these tears of... Blood? "What's happening to me? Why is everything so wrong? All I wanted was to save you. I wanted to save you from this path. WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE A VILLAIN?!"

He kneeled down in front of me and hugged me tight to him. "Please don't cry. If you go back and fix this. Maybe we can still be friends. Be there to help me get through the rough path I'm heading to... But if you can't do that. Would you rather want to take my place?"

Take his place?... Can I really do that? Can I really become a villain and leave the good behind?

"Whatever your choice may be." He looked at me in the eyes, "I will you my name." He kissed me and we were back... I look back at Theo Galavan who was still trap within the snake's hold... I know what I have to do... I have to do it... For Edward... For Riddler.