We arrive at the orphanage with minimal fuss. We avoided several tanks but luckily went mostly unnoticed. The building is huge, and I can see how it must have once been beautiful but has since fallen into disrepair. Overgrown plants cover the building's façade and vandals have smashed windows. Riddler and I exchange a look and head inside, pushing open the stiff front doors.
The foyer has a musty, abandoned smell to it, making me wrinkle my nose. It's like water that's been left to sit too long. We push through the second set of doors and find ourselves on a mezzanine level, looking out over a large, unfurnished room. Riddler looks around thoughtfully.
"This would be a good space for… something." I can almost see the gears turning in his mind.
"Hey," I click my fingers at him, drawing his attention. "Stop thinking like a villain for a minute. We're heroes right now. Be evil later." I hiss, feeling very on edge.
"Come on down." A thin voice echoes out in the large space. The hairs on my neck stand up. "I knew you would find me. Edward never could resist a good riddle."
We walk forward to see Zsasz standing on the lower floor, looking up at us, an eerie smile on his face. In front of him kneels a terrified looking woman with tears flowing down her face. Zsasz holds a knife to her throat, and even from this distance, I can see a trickle of blood where he's pushed the blade too hard.
Riddler and I jump down onto the lower level, due to a lack of stairs. I don't take my eyes off Zsasz for a second.
"Victor. Nice to see you again." Riddler says conversationally. "And who's your new friend?"
"She doesn't matter. She's only here to be a piece in our game." He says softly in his strange, lilting voice.
"We're not playing any games with you." I try to sound as authoritative as Batman. "Let her go and drop the knife."
"I don't think so." His gaze slowly moves from Riddler to me. "Look at you. So different. So brave." He pushes the knife a little closer to the woman's throat, and she whimpers. "She isn't brave. Can't you smell the fear?"
"Enough, Victor." Riddler snaps. "I got your messages. What do you want?"
"My messages. I'm glad you noticed. I'm not usually so focused on how they look. Only the mark they leave. But I had to get to you somehow."
"Why?" I demand. "What did you want?"
"This, of course. This meeting, this chance to add your marks. I have a place for both of them, would you like to see?"
"Definitely not," I say quickly. "What's the game? What do we have to do to get you to let this woman go?"
"A mark for a mark." He singsongs. "One of you for this one's life."
"There's two of us, Zsasz. We have better odds here. What's to stop us from just coming over there and making you let that woman go?" I ask. I get the feeling we're missing something.
"Not so fast. He said you would try that." Zsasz reaches into the pocket on his pants and pulls out a small needle. "So he gave me this."
"What is that?" Riddler asks as I say "Who are you talking about?"
"One of you stays, and one of you leaves with this soon to be very ill woman. He said this was a very potent toxin."
"Scarecrow put you up to this?" I shout. "And gave you toxin? How is he involved in this?"
"At the meeting," Zsasz says as if speaking to a two-year-old while waving the syringe around with each word. "We were all there. Such plans… plans to kill the Batman, and plans for revenge on The Riddler and The Girl."
"Why don't I get a cool nickname?" I mutter.
"Not the time!" Riddler hisses back.
"Crane is watching, you'll see him soon." Zsasz continues ."But first, you get to play with me. Which one stays, which one goes?" He moves quickly, stabbing the syringe into the woman's neck. "The antidote is waiting just outside." He holds the shoulders of the woman tightly as she squirms, the toxin taking effect. She starts to whimper, then moans, before devolving into full-on screams. "Hurry, hurry! You don't have long." Zsasz shouts over the sound.
I turn to Riddler. "Take the woman, get her the antidote. I can handle one scrawny psychopath." He opens his mouth but I don't let him speak. "No time, Edward! Take her, help her, then come back in and help me." He closes his mouth and nods.
"I'll stay. Let her go." I announce and walk across the short distance to Zsasz. He releases the woman and she falls to a heap, still shrieking. I help her to her feet and Riddler takes over, pulling her over to a ladder set up to climb to the upper level. As soon as they're up, I turn back to Zsasz. "Bring it on, skinny."
He moves with more speed than I would have thought possible. I feel the sting of the knife slicing my jaw before I even see the blade. I spin away, trying to regain my footing and can feel blood, sticky and hot, on my face. He flies towards me again, so I duck and roll to the side like Batman taught me. I jump to my feet and pull out my escrima sticks.
Now it's a fair fight.
This time when Zsasz launches himself at me, I meet him halfway with a baton to the arm. He doesn't drop the knife, but it's enough to make him miss me. He doesn't pause though, coming straight back for another attack. He wraps his arms around my midsection, driving me into the ground and knocking the air out of my lungs. We grapple around on the ground, me trying desperately to avoid the knife and to get some air back. He manages to knock one of my batons away and pin me to the ground. I push back against his arm as the knife inches closer to my neck. I wriggle until my legs are on either side of his, and bring them up to wrap around his hips, using them to leverage myself over and swap our positions. Now I'm straddling him, and it throws him off balance just enough that he lowers the knife for a moment, giving me the opportunity to smack him over the head with my remaining escrima stick. He blinks at me dizzily, and I hit him again for good measure, sending him into unconsciousness.
I let out a huff and roll off him, lying on the ground beside him, panting.
"Nice work." I roll my head back and see Riddler standing on the upper level, looking down at me.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Only long enough to see you hit him over the head." He says, jumping down to my level and walking over. "Zsasz had a couple of thugs outside with the antidote who were less than willing to hand it over. Don't worry," He says, registering the look on my face. "I'm fine, and so is the hostage. She's outside, and she's had the antidote. She'll be okay." He smiles down at me and holds out a hand. "Ready to leave?"
"Yeah." I reach up and take the hand and he hauls me to my feet. "Give me a hand with this moron, will you?" I ask. With carrying his legs and Riddler supporting his upper half, we semi-drag Zsasz outside to Riddler's car and unceremoniously dump him in the trunk. The hostage is leaning against the side of the car, waiting.
"Th-thank you so much." She sobs. "I th-though he was going to kill me."
"No worries. Jump in; we'll take you back to GCPD. You'll be safe there." I tell her, and she climbs into the back seat gratefully. Riddler, however, looks at me in shock.
"Back to GCPD? She may be safe there, but I most certainly would not be."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you too," I tell him, wrapping my arms around him. His arms surround me in return. "We make a good team."
"We do. Always have. Even back in Arkham City, breaking into Wonder Tower." He reminisces. "Come on." He says and we break apart, but not before he kisses me quickly. "Someone can look at the cut on your face."
"It was a lucky shot," I grumble as we climb into the car.
Riddler expertly avoids the tanks on the road as we travel back to GCPD, though he complains the whole time about how slack Batman is for not getting rid of them yet.
When we pull up in the parking garage of GCPD I ask Riddler to wait in the car for a few moments. I get out alone and approach the two officers guarding the door.
"Evening." I greet.
"Who are you supposed to be?" The tall one on the right snickers. "It's not a good night for trick or treating, kid."
"This is the lady Cash told us about." The dark-haired one on the left retorts. "She's working with the Bat. Don't you ever listen?"
"That's me, working with Batman." I interrupt their bickering. "I need your help. I have one of Gotham's Most Wanted in the trunk of that car." I gesture over my shoulder. "And I have one in the front seat. The one in the trunk is for you, please lock him the hell up. The other one is mine and is helping me and Batman tonight. Is that cool?"
"Who ya got?" The tall guy asks, peering at the car.
"In the trunk, Zsasz," I say, and both officers look suitably impressed. Now for the hard sell. "And in the front, the Helpful Rogue, if you will… Edward Nygma."
"You expect us to believe The Riddler is helping Batman?" The shorter officer asks, eyebrows raised.
"Don't just take my word for it, ask Cash. Or Gordon."
"Gordon ain't here." The tall officer says and turns away to radio Cash. Gordon still isn't back? That is definitely isn't a good sign.
"Cash says it's insane, but to go on in. We'll take Zsasz." We all head back to the car and Riddler, sensing he won't be immediately arrested, gets out to open the trunk for us.
"He's just woken up," Riddler warns. "And I doubt he's very happy." He pops the trunk and steps back. Zsasz leaps out, disorientated, and is quickly subdued and handcuffed by the officers.
"He's still waiting for you!" Zsasz shouts at us, and I instinctively step closer to Riddler, who puts a protective arm around my waist. "The night isn't over yet."
"This," The tall officer gestures from Riddler to me, looking pointedly at the arm on my waist, "Is weird. But good job getting Zsasz. This creep should never be free." They walk him inside and we follow, watching them lock him in the large cell in the middle of the main office area. Cash comes over and joins us.
"Didn't even know this psycho was in town. Well done, kid." He nods to me.
"Still no word from Gordon?" I ask, concerned.
"Not yet. But Scarecrow has his daughter. Can you blame the man for trying to get her back?"
"I guess not." I sigh. "I'm going to check in with Batman. Anything you need me to pass on?"
"Nothing to report yet. Hope he's gettin' close to taking down Scarecrow." Cash says, returning to his desk.
I connect to Batman's comms channel. "Hey, it's me. What's happening?"
"Still trying to track down Barbara. I'm meeting with Nightwing now. He has information on an arms smuggling ring involving Penguin that may help."
"Penguin is involved now? Jeez, tonight is getting busy." That comment sparks my memory. "Oh! Zsasz said that Scarecrow held a meeting with all the Rogues about tonight and his evil plans." I inform Batman.
"Zsasz?" Batman repeats, confused.
"Oh, right. Edward found Zsasz out and about, so we returned him to GCPD. That's where we are now." I look over to Riddler, who looks very uncomfortable to be idly standing in a police precinct. "But he said Scarecrow held a meeting. Batman, everyone is in on this plan."
"I know. Ivy said something similar when I bought her in."
"Okay, how about this then, Mr Know-It-All. Scarecrow had a smaller, second meeting. Specifically, with everyone who wants revenge on Edward and yours truly."
"That is news," Batman says.
"Zsasz said he's waiting for us. That he has plans." I say, and my voice sounds pathetically afraid to my own ears. I can't even say Crane's name.
"I'll catch him. And the Arkham Knight. Let me know if you find out anything more." He signs off and I turn back to Riddler.
"Penguin may now be involved in tonight. It's getting confusing." I shake my head.
"It's about to get a lot more confusing." Cash says, approaching us. "You'll never guess who just handed himself in." He shakes his head.
"I suppose it's too much to hope its Scarecrow?" Riddler asks.
"This guy is smaller and speaks in rhyme."
"Ugh. Tetch?" I groan. "What the hell could he possibly want tonight?"
"He says he has hostages." Cash explains. "And that he'll only speak to uh… The Red Queen and her Jabberwock." He raises an eyebrow. "And I'm guessin' that's you two."
"Great. He's given us cute nicknames. That can only be a good thing." I say, heavy on the sarcasm.
"I don't know about the nicknames," Cash says. "But he's talkin' about hostages and I've lost contact with three patrol cars. I don't think that's a coincidence."
I sigh. "Feel like being a hero again?" I ask Riddler.
"Lead the way, Red Queen." His mouth turns up in a smirk. I retaliate by smacking him in the arm.
Cash points out the interview room Tetch is being held in and Riddler and I walk in.
"Oh, frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! My friends are here, it's time to play." Tetch bursts into rhyme as we enter, sitting behind a table in the middle of the room.
"Can it, Tetch." I retort. "I'm not really in the mood to listen to your crappy slam poetry. Where are the cops?"
"So harsh, so mean! Causing such a scene! But what else would you expect from the wicked Red Queen?" He peers up at me from where he's seated.
"Alright, that's all the rhyming I can take." I clap Riddler on the shoulder. "You're up, pal."
"What's this about, Jervis?" Edward takes a seat on the other side of the table. "Why are you doing this?"
"And here he comes, the angry Jabberwock. If you want to save them, you'll have to beat the clock!" He singsongs.
"What clock?" Riddler questions.
"Just listen for the siren's song. You'll save them all before too long."
"What does that mean?" I interject, frustrated. Tetch takes his eyes off Riddler and looks to me. "What are you doing?"
"I hear you ask, 'why are you here?' I had a talk to the master of fear. He's coming for you very soon; you'll both be dancing to his tune." Tetch giggles and the sound gives me goosebumps.
"Great," I say to Riddler. "Another creepy present from Crane."
"So it seems. Come on," He grabs my hand and pulls me out of the interview room, closing the door firmly behind us. "Siren's song. That's the clue."
"What, we should be looking out for murderous singing mermaids?" I give him a look. "Don't be ridiculous."
He gives me a traditional are-you-stupid look. "Not mermaids, Belle. Cash said he's lost contact with three patrol cars. What is on all patrol cars?"
I frown at him for a moment before I realise. "A siren!"
"Exactly. That's how we'll find them. Come on, I think I have something at the apartment that could help."
¿?
"What was that Tetch was calling us?" I ask when we arrive back at our apartment.
"The Red Queen and the Jabberwock," Riddler replies, heading straight for his computer and typing in commands.
"Uh-huh. I haven't watched Alice in Wonderland since I was a kid. And I mostly only remember the Cheshire Cat, because he gave me nightmares. Refresh my memory?" I sit on the desk next to the keyboard as he types away.
"The Red Queen comes from Through the Looking Glass, I believe. Nasty tyrant, though not as bad as the Queen of Hearts. The Jabberwock is often portrayed as her loyal beast. An attack dog, of sorts." Riddler explains.
"It is ridiculous that you know all that." I tease. "I'm starting to believe you might actually know everything."
"Never doubt it." He looks up to grin at me, then back to the computer. "Smartphones are a wonderful invention." He comments. "Relatively easy to hack on a large scale, and have good microphones."
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"How we can find the siren's song. I've turned every smartphone in Gotham into a microphone to listen for the missing police. Watch," He hits one last button and the computer starts flashing code across the screen. "That is scanning the city for any noises that fall in the rough area of a police sirens Hertz level." At my blank look, he tries again. "Anything that sounds kind of like a siren." He amends, and I nod.
The computer starts beeping. "There they are." Riddler looks triumphant at his success. "Listen to this," He presses a few keys and a noise fills the room.
"It sounds like a siren," I begin, frowning. "But it's all distorted and wrong."
"That noise is playing in three locations around Gotham." He says, inspecting the information on the screen. "One is near the old Panessa Studios, one is near the lighthouse, and one is at the Lady of Gotham." He looks up to me. "Let's go to the lighthouse. It would be safe to assume that Jervis's game isn't going to be as easy as it seems so far. There's probably something preventing us from just taking the missing cops."
"Good thinking." I stand and take his hand, heading back downstairs to the car. "You know, you make a pretty good hero."
"It's all in the name of self-preservation, I assure you." He retorts, sounding offended. But I could swear I see him almost smile.
¿?
"Explosives?" I exclaim, standing with my hands on my hips beside a police car at the lighthouse. "You're telling me there is a cop in the trunk and the car is wired to blow?"
"That is what I'm saying," Riddler says calmly, inspecting the wires protruding from the underside of the car.
"Great. Fantastic. I don't know how to disarm a bomb. Do you?" I ask, and he looks to me with an eyebrow raised. "Of course you do."
"This one seems to be fairly simple. If I can block the frequency of the ignition device, we should be fine."
"Should be?" I repeat, latching onto that phrase.
"He is called The Mad Hatter for a reason. But this is our best shot. We need something that can hack that signal." He says, standing up straight and brushing the dirt off his pants.
"You don't have something?"
"Well not with me, no." He shakes his head. Lucky I know someone who does have a frequency jammer.
"Hey, Batman," I call, switching on the comms device. "I need something that can hack a bomb frequency. We're at the lighthouse."
"You've found a bomb?" He asks, sounding slightly out of breath.
"Three, actually."
"I'll be there soon." He signs off quickly. I'm guessing he's busy tracking the Knight.
"I suppose the Dark Knight has something that will work?" Riddler asks.
"He does, and he's on his way. So no squabbling." I say, trying to sound stern but the smile on my face ruins it. "Help is coming!" I shout at the trunk of the car, hoping the cop inside can hear me. "Just stay calm."
"Would you be able to stay calm locked in a trunk and surrounded by bombs?" Riddler's tone is amused.
"Not really, and I'd probably be even less calm if I could hear a notorious super criminal waiting outside, so hush." Riddler pouts but stays quiet while I continue to console the officer in the trunk.
Finally, I hear the rustle of a cape and Batman glides down behind me. He takes in Riddler sitting on the hood scowling and the rest of the scene.
"What is this?" He asks finally.
"Jervis Tetch took 3 GCPD officers hostage to play this ridiculous game," I say, gesturing at the police car. "The officer is in the trunk and it's wired to explode. Can you help?"
"I can." He pulls out a small device and starts pressing buttons.
"So, how's your night been?" I ask. He doesn't answer for a moment, and I can feel the tension radiating off him.
"I just found Scarecrow." He finally says.
I keep my tone level. "What happened?"
"He got away." I wait for him to say more, but he doesn't.
"You'll get him. What about the Knight?"
"He got away too." Batman's voice sounds on edge.
"Nightwing, Robin and I are all here to help. Remember?" I offer gently.
"Nightwing is tracking Penguin. Robin is… working on something important. And it looks like you have your hands full here." He says and looks up from the hacking device. "The bomb is disarmed." He pops open the trunk and we help the officer out.
Tetch's voice rings out from a speaker in the trunk. "The Queen of Hearts and roses red. Oh, be careful now, or she'll have your head!"
"What happened to me?" The officer asks, rubbing her temples.
"Jervis Tetch happened." I supply helpfully. "But you're safe now. We'll take you back to GCPD."
"How's he involved?" She asks, looking at Riddler suspiciously.
"In the rescue. You're welcome." Riddler replies with a flourish. The officer keeps a suspicious eye on him as she climbs into the back seat of our car.
I leave Riddler and the cop in the car for a moment while I talk to Batman. "Thanks. There are hostages at Panessa Studios and at the Lady of Gotham too, and I'm guessing their both stuck in their cars, surrounded by bombs."
"I'll help. Just let me know when you get there." He opens his mouth to say something else when his comms unit starts beeping, alerting us to an incoming call.
"Sir," Alfred's face flashes up on the projected screen. "Scarecrow is broadcasting across Gotham. You need to see this."
Scarecrow's voice rings out as a different image fills the screen. A woman slumped in a chair in a cell. Barbara! "How does it feel to see your city on the brink of ruin, your friends in the clutches of death?" Crane's eerie voice croons. "You stretched yourself too far this time, Batman, and now your failure is all but complete. As that final dying breath escapes her body, she will know you are the one who failed her." The image disappears as the broadcast ends. I look up to Batman's face, his mouth set in a grim line.
"Oh god." I can't find any other words.
"That's the safe house in Chinatown. I'm going to get her."
"I can help. I'll come-"
"No. She's in this because she helped me. I need to do this." He interrupts. Before I can argue back, he's already grappling up and away, towards Chinatown.
There's not much else I can do but stomp back to the car. I slam the door closed in frustration and turn to Riddler in the driver's seat.
"Back to GCPD I guess," I say, and we pull away. There are definitely fewer tanks on the road, so Batman must be putting some kind of dent in the militia's forces.
"That conversation looked… tense." Riddler begins, keeping his tone casual.
"We know where Crane has Barbara Gordon. I offered to help, but he went all 'stoic loner' on me." I complain, trying to keep my voice low enough that the cop in the back seat doesn't hear me. "I'm sick of being on the bench, you know? Scarecrow is threatening people I care about too! I have just as much right to hunt him down and kick his teeth in."
"True." Riddler agrees as we pull into the garage at GCPD. "But…"
I turn and look at him sharply. "But what?"
"This is extreme, even for Scarecrow. His plans seem more complex than his usual 'dump toxin on people and run' schemes. I don't think we've seen half of what he's up to tonight. Maybe Batman taking the lead on this is not a bad idea."
"Edward, is that you saying Batman is a competent hero?"
"No, I'm saying I'd rather the Dark Knight get a fatal shot of fear toxin than you." He shoots back. He parks the car on the bottom level of the garage and all three of us climb out.
"Thanks, I guess." The officer says as we walk inside, still watching Riddler closely. "I'm gonna check into the infirmary. Find out what exactly Tetch did to me."
"It's all in a day's work for a hero," Riddler says, and I resist the urge to kick him in the shin. As we walk through the holding cells, I notice they aren't as bare as they were earlier. Batman has been busy.
"One down, two to go," I announce to Cash as we approach his desk.
"I just got the call from the Infirmary that Officer McQueen has returned. Good work you two." He nods approvingly.
"Officer McQueen?" Riddler asks in disbelief. "I can see why Jervis was calling her the Queen of Hearts."
"That is so not a good enough reason to kidnap her!" I protest.
"Not to you or I maybe, but to Jervis-"
"I hate to interrupt your old married couple argument, but I still have two officers missing." Cash says loudly. "Officers Katz and Hutch."
"No prizes for guessing who Jervis thinks they are." Riddler comments. I nod in agreement.
"We're on it, boss." I salute Cash, and he gives me a look which I take to mean 'you're ridiculous'.
Riddler and I march off, and I'm heading back to the car when Riddler grabs my hand and hurries me out the back door. As soon as we're outside I'm hit with the salty smell of ocean water. The GCPD backs up almost right onto the water.
"What are we doing out here?" I ask, shivering in the sea spray.
"The next hostage is at the Lady of Gotham. How exactly were you planning on getting there?"
"I… hadn't actually thought that far ahead." I grudgingly admit.
"Well, I have. Of course." He gestures grandly at a GCPD boat tied to the dock.
"Edward," I begin slowly. "Why are you pointing at that boat like it's involved in your plans?"
"Because it is."
"Please tell me you aren't stealing a police boat."
"I'm not."
My shoulders sag in relief. "Oh thank god."
A huge grin splits his face. "We're stealing a police boat."
"Damn it Edward!" I groan. "We are not committing grand theft… boat!"
He gives me a look. "Fine. How are we going to get over there?" He asks, pointing to the island in the middle of the water. I hate it when he's right.
"Oh man," I sigh. "We're stealing a boat."
Edward looks delighted.
¿?
The warped sound of the police siren fills my ears as Riddler ties the boat to the dock.
"Did he try and make the siren sound as dreadful as he could?" I grumble, looking over at the police car.
"Knowing Jervis, possibly." Riddler shrugs and leads the way to the car. "Time to call the Detective." His tone almost sounds petulant.
I speak into the comms unit, "Batman. We're at the Lady of Gotham with hostage number two. I know you're dealing with Scarecrow and Barbara, so whenever you can get here, that would be great." It takes him a while to respond.
"I'll be there soon." He says eventually, but his tone sounds… off. I frown but don't reply. Riddler is sitting on the trunk of the car, typing away on his cell phone.
"Dude, there's someone in there! You can't sit on them like that." I hiss, waving him off.
"I don't think they mind. The bombs are probably the bigger concern." He mumbles but gets off the trunk anyway. We wait around for a short while before Batman arrives. As soon as he lands I can see something is wrong. His face is drawn and his shoulders are so tense he's almost shaking. I open my mouth to say something but he speaks before I can.
"I'll defuse the bombs. You can take the hostage back to GCPD. I'll see you back there." He says, pressing buttons on his hacking device.
"What do you have to do at the police department?"
"I need to talk to Ivy," Batman replies. His tone doesn't invite any more questions. I let him work in peace until the bombs are disabled. "I'll see you at the station." He says and begins to walk away.
"Batman!" I leave a disgruntled Riddler to help the hostage out of the trunk and chase after Batman. He stops up ahead and lets me catch up. I look up at him and when he meets my eyes, I can see sadness, anger and grief flash through them. "Batman, what's happened?"
He waits a long moment before replying. "It's Barbara." He says, finally. "I… I didn't make it in time." His voice is raw.
It takes me a moment to realise what he's saying. "Oh, no." My hands come up to cover my mouth. I can see his jaw clench, trying to stifle any emotion. "Bruce," I whisper. I step forward and wrap my arms around him instinctively, trying to comfort him and am surprised when his arms surround me without a second's hesitation. I bury my face in the chest plate of his suit, trying to hold back tears. Oh God, Barbara. I feel his face press into my hair. One tear slips down my cheek and a screw my eyes closed tight to prevent any more.
We stay like that for what feels like a long time before he releases me and I step away.
"I'll see you at GCPD, okay?" I check, and he nods, already back to looking like his usual unemotional self. He grapples up and I take a moment to get my emotions in check before turning back to Riddler.
Riddler's face is blank. He's looking directly at me and I can't help but find his gaze cold.
"Hey. Where's the hostage?" I ask as I approach.
"Officer Katz is on the boat." He says coolly. He scans my face, almost like he's looking for something.
"Are we ready to go?" I ask, unsure. Something about Riddler's demeanour has me off balance.
"Of course." He turns and walks away, boarding the boat. I follow a few steps behind. Officer Katz is sitting on a bench inside the undercover steering area of the boat. We sail back to the GCPD dock in silence. I assist the officer off the swaying boat while Riddler ties it back where we found it originally.
Officer Katz leads the way to the back door of GCPD and lets himself in. I reach out to hold the door but stop when Riddler grabs my hand. I spin around to face him, letting the door close and leaving us outside alone.
"What were you and Batman talking about?" He asks, looking me in the eye.
I can't help the huff of laughter that escapes my lips. "Is that what the weird attitude was about?" I ask. "Because I had a quiet conversation with Batman?" He doesn't answer, just stands there, waiting. "Look, if you must know…" I take a bracing breath. "Barbara Gordon didn't make it." I clench my jaw, trying to hide any emotion. Riddler takes in that information, thinking for a moment. He still doesn't look sold. I have a sudden light bulb moment.
"Wait. Is this because I went and hugged him?" I ask, and the twitch of his eye tells me I've hit a nerve. "Edward, you can't really be upset by that."
"Don't tell me what I can and cannot be." He replies. His eyes haven't left mine yet. "Batman is my enemy. Of course this bothers me." He rubs his eyes with his hand. "You've stated your adoration of the man several times. What am I meant to think?" He looks almost pained as he continues. "Just tell me… tell me that you don't feel that way about the Detective." He says, sounding very unlike his usual self.
I chew on my lower lip uneasily. This may be an uncomfortable conversation. Riddler notices my hesitation and his face goes cold.
"No, Edward, it's not what you're thinking," I say quickly. "But in the spirit of complete honesty, there was… there was a kiss. Weeks ago. You and I had fought, I was living with Batman, and we had a moment. It was a mistake, we both knew it, and it never happened again." I reach out and take one of his hands in mine, finding it promising when he doesn't pull away. "Okay, Edward. I need you to talk now. React, please." My stomach is churning.
He looks at me, his eyes searching mine. Between one blink and the next, I'm pushed up against the door. Riddler's body is moulded into mine and I can't breathe, my adrenaline is pumping, and I'm ready for either fight or flight. He looks down at me with dark eyes before his mouth is on mine. The kiss is intense, all tongues and teeth. He kisses and bites down my throat before latching onto the pulse point there, definitely leaving a mark on my skin.
I grab at his coat, pulling him closer, tilting my head to give him better access to my neck. I'm panting, dizzy and I don't want this to end. Riddler makes a noise low in his throat as I hitch my leg around his hip. He reaches down and lifts me up, balancing me between him and the wall as my legs wrap around his waist. We kiss furiously, teeth clashing in the frenzy.
He ends the kiss, leaning his forehead against mine, panting. My head spins as I come back down to earth.
"I don't care what Batman thinks." He says, kissing me lightly. "You're mine." He says in a low voice. I don't trust myself to talk, so I just nod.
It's what I've been trying to tell him, after all.