I had no idea how much time I waited in that small room. Part of me was worried that I would be forgotten about and that death would claim me through starvation. My last meal was so long ago that I could feel my head becoming foggy and I would be surprised if they couldn't hear my stomach from outside. When I heard the door open again, terror gripped my heart and caused me to forget my discomfort. Whoever was coming had my fate in their hands. The silhouette in the doorframe was instantly recognizable. Butch... "Hey Ms. J," the large man whispered with urgency, "we don't have a lot of time..." He walked around me and placed a small key in my hand and whispered, "Nygma's going to take you somewhere. Look for an opening, use this, and get the hell out." He then slipped out of the room as quickly and silently as he arrived. I grasped the little key with renewed hope. It was obvious that the longer I waited, the more likely I would drop the key. So, I struggled for a little bit, but was able to unlock one of the cuffs by the time that I heard the door unlock again. I knew it would be foolish to try to run at this moment, so I maintained the façade that I was still in bondage.
The new silhouette was tall and thin, but also instantly recognizable. "Ms. James..." Edward said with a sly tone, "sorry to keep you waiting." His devious look made me want to hide in a hole, but I was exposed and helpless. Edward approached slowly, seeming like he wanted to relish this moment of complete power over me. I wanted to appeal to him, plead with him to spare my child. But obviously this wasn't possible with the gag in my mouth. Finally, he bent down so his face filled my vision, so close that I could smell his aftershave. "Time to go..." he whispered as he reached beneath my arm to pull me to my feet. Just then, I felt the handcuff that I had just undone lock back in place. "Nice try..." He then dangled the key in front of my eyes, "Butch thinks he can outwit me?" This thought obviously was hilarious to him as he laughed with calculated abandon. I cursed myself for not trying to escape while I had the chance. Despite his wiry physique, his strength was enough to keep me from prying free, despite my efforts. We left through a back exit, leaving little opportunity for us to encounter anyone else.
Daylight caused me to wince once we exited the building, I calculated that it must have been at least 8 hours since I had first arrived at the Sirens club. No wonder I'm famished... Before long, Edward was forcing me into the back seat of a car; assuming the driver's seat soon after. As he drove, I had plenty of time to consider my situation. If what had transpired at the GCPD still held true, I was in mortal danger; without knowing his plans, I was at the mercy of Edward Nygma. As much as I wanted to move my arms, my bonds held fast. The car stopped outside a large, abandoned building. As we entered, I observed that it must have been a hotel. I came to this conclusion due to height of the curved ceiling and large chandeliers, some covered by opaque plastic. The enormous room was cluttered with random items; desks with green desk lamps on them, paintings of different sizes and subjects were standing on easels on display for no one. There were also golden luggage carts that held piles of cash instead of suitcases. But instead of a warm, steady glow from the chandeliers lighting the room; there was a large disco ball spinning and allowing the room to be in constant movement from the rotating beams of light. He pulled me across the long rug that spanned the long lobby till he found a chair to force me into.
"Well, well, well...Here we are..." Edward said with a taunting voice as he pulled another chair in front of me and assumed it. "Ms. Felicity James, back in Gotham. I must say, you certainly did surprise me at the GCPD...very brave, and very foolish." Of course, I couldn't respond with the gag still in my mouth, it had long caused my jaw to cramp and to be incredibly dry. He must have sensed my discomfort, because he removed the gag from my mouth. "It's unbearably dull to have a one-sided conversation," he reasoned, "And besides, you must know that I will kill you if you decide to try anything." The last half of that sentence came out as a growl. I nodded to satisfy his statement and to allow my jaw to recover. Suddenly my stomach protested its long vacancy, causing my captor to chuckle heartily. He stood up and reached into one of the desks, pulling out an old box of granola bars. He unwrapped one and offered it to me. Obviously, I was not eager to partake due to our history. "No, thank you..." I said with a scratchy voice. At first he seemed confused, but then realization flowed over his expression, causing him to roll his eyes. "Here..." he said in annoyance, breaking off a piece of the bar and eating it himself. After a moment, I was satisfied and accepted the sustenance. It was terrible and obviously far past the expiration date, but it helped despite my struggles to chew.
"When last we met," he said as he put the bar on the desk and resumed his seat, "I believed Oswald to be dead. But, unfortunately, he has proven to be more cockroach than penguin; quite irksome as you can imagine. However, it does provide quite an opportunity; the chance to deliver an eye-for-an-eye..." My first instinct was to plead for my child's life, but then I remembered what he said at the GCPD. "Will you tell me about her?" I said softly, causing him to look at me with confusion. "What?" he asked. "You said that he killed the one that loved you the most, will you please tell me about her?" He squinted his eyes in suspicion, "Is this some kind of trick?" "No, sir..." I responded, "I would like to know about her. She was important to you..." Much to my surprise, Edward's face softened. "Yes..." he whispered with sadness, "She was my whole world. Even though we didn't know each other long, she accepted me...all of me..." I nodded and asked for her name. "Isabella...she had the most beautiful pale blonde hair, laughter that rivaled song birds, and a spirit as lovely as the dawn..." His earlier smug attitude melted more the longer that he reminisced. He looked down and rubbed his eyes.
"Mr. Nygma?" I asked him, "I'm so sorry..." He looked up in astonishment and bewilderment, "Why are you apologizing?" "Because..." I said, fighting back my emotion, "I know what it's like to lose someone you love..." "What? How can you possibly know what I've suffered?!" I could see the pain in his eyes, the anger tensing the muscles in his jaw. Remembering the sight of my family lying in three caskets caused anguish to reenter my heart. But in this moment, I couldn't let myself succumb to despair. "In an instant..." he continued with a graveled tone, "she was gone, thanks to your precious Ozzie. After everything that I did for him!" he picked up the closest lamp and threw it against the wall, causing it to shatter and a painting to fall to the ground. He took a moment to catch his breath, allowing me a chance to think of what I can do to get out of this situation. "But..." he said as he straightened his tie, "he will soon taste the bitter sting that is my revenge."
"Mr. Nygma...Edward...please..." "Don't call me that!" he suddenly snapped; his eyes intense with anger, causing me to tense in fear. Again, he brought his face within an inch of mine, whispering deeply, "I am... the Riddler. And you, my dear, will be my entertainment for the evening." A strong chill flew up my spine, causing me to shiver. He gave a throaty chuckle and moved his lips to my ear, whispering, "This will be so much fun..."