What's my name?

Gotham was renowned for it's craziness, it was what you always expected to come up, everyday there would be a hint of crazy. Names were also a big thing in Gotham, if you didn't have a name you were out of the game.

Without a name you were nothing, nothing except fresh meat ready to be picked clean of all traces of you, same if you didn't look anything special, if you didn't leave a mark then you were a nobody.

Anonymous had this problem, in reality he was a nobody, oh sure he had the crimes he had a signature, but he didn't have a name, he was Anonymous, a John Doe, a nobody.

But as the saying goes, it's always the quiet ones.

Anonymous glared back at Edward who was smirking up at him, yes he was in a lot of trouble, being tied to a chair and having his life threatened it was hardly the best position to be in, but for Edward, he'd never felt so alive in his life.

All of the attention was directed on him and because he had nothing to loose, if he was going to die anyway, might as well have some fun, let his true self out for once in his miserable life, to let himself be himself.

"You're lying!" Anonymous growled as he glared down at him. "Your name is Edward!"

"It's the Riddler," Edward bit out as he let his smirk turn predatory, enjoying the fact that he had the psychological power over this killer. "I am the Riddler."

"Your name is Edward!" Anonymous screamed as he stomped his foot, glaring at Edward with all of hells fury before he calmed himself and smiled. "And if I think you're lying, which I know you are, then I can and I will visit your friend Jonathan," Anonymous smirked at Edward's harsh glare as he tilted his head to the side and fiddled with the paper in his hand, it crinkled again, adding more obscurity to the list of names that decorated it's face. "I haven't had Jonathan yet and now… I know… who is one… it shall be easy," he giggled and leaned into Edward's personal space. "Beat that, 'Riddler', for it seems I have out-riddled you."

"Wait, hang on what?! You want us to do what?!" Croc cried as he and Otis stared at Mist and Jonathan.

They were standing in the apartment building that they had met in, the sky outside was a deep burning orange making the sky look like it was on fire, but it was fading with the smoke that chocked the light and smothered the sky's colour.

Gar's fire was huge and it was so close to the building Otis and Waylon were settled in, it was a wonder the two boys hadn't seen Moth or Firefly, not that now they wanted to find them, from their point of view, they were not their friends anymore.

"Look," Mist sighed and took a step forward towards them. "I understand that this is a lot to take in-."

"That's one way of putting it, lady," Croc grunted.

"But Edward's in trouble and you two are the only people who know this city like it's the back of your hand," Mist sighed and looked up at them with pleading eyes. "You've seen this city, you know it inside and out, under and over it. You've lived here all your lives. Edward… he will be killed unless we save him, do you understand? Anonymous has him and he'll kill him."

Rat blinked before he shuffled uncomfortably. "We can't let Edward die, Waylon," he whispered as he looked up at the much bigger boy. "He was going to help us find Gar and Dury, we should help him, it's only fair."

"Life's not fair, Otis!" Croc growled as he glared down at him. "You and I are proof of that, just look at us. IF life was to suddenly become fair would it happen to us, of all people?"

"Please," Mist pleaded as she took another step towards them. "Look," she sighed and looked to the floor biting her lip as she closed her eyes. "I… you can not tell Edward this and even if you did I would openly deny it but, I love him. I love him more then I love anyone and…" she pulled a scythe out of her belt and glared at the two boys. "There is nothing I wouldn't do to protect the ones I love."

Croc and Rat exchanged nervous glances before nodding. "We might know where he's being kept," Croc muttered. "There's a slaughter house, near the docks. The mob don't use it, no one uses it but.. it's the best place to be if you wanted to get rid of a body."

"Show us," Mist urged and they nodded directing them out of the building, keeping to the shadows of the alleys as they wondered the streets, keeping out of the way of people as a general rule and never stepping into the light, taking the sewers when they needed to.

"Are we almost there?" Mist asked as they ran, she kept glancing back at Jonathan, the boy had been quiet, but Mist doubted it was Jonathan who was in control anymore.

He suddenly looked directly at her, directly into her soul with those cold piercing blue eyes, they seemed to reached the darkest corner of your mind and pull at it, daring you to come out and stand up to him. It was scary, truth be told, not that Mist would admit to being scared of the scarecrow like boy simply because behind that sewn up mask and gaping black eye sockets the blue eyes disturbed her.

No way in hell.

But wait wasn't that where they were? Hell?

Gotham certainly was like hell, acted like hell, smelled like hell could only smell, death, fear and corruption.

There were no saints and angels, by all accounts some of the so called saints were not saints.

The Balloon man proved that much.

"We're almost there, just another block," Croc grunted before he turned and glared slightly. "Why the hell couldn't we of taken the damn car?"

"Too recognisable, have to be discrete," Mist explained as they ran.

Croc rolled his eyes and gave them a look up and down as they ran. "Oh yeah, 'cause you guys look discrete!"

Above them, the rain was pouring and running into the sewers, their heavy and splashing footsteps preventing them from hearing the accompanying footsteps above, ones that were running in the opposite direction and it wasn't even a full run.

One was dragging the other almost.

Dury was trying so hard, so very hard, but he failed so very often and this felt like one of those times.

He looked down at his friend, the older boy was screaming in pain and agony as the rain hit his burnt skin, some of the melted clothes was falling off and bringing his skin with them.

"You idiot, Garfield!" Dury screamed as he dragged his friend with him as best he could towards the furnaces, the only safe place they had. "Why did you do that?!"

"Hurts," Gar moaned as he closed his eyes. "Hurts so bad… Dury… make it stop… please, it burns!"

"You've been burnt!" Dury snarled at him as he slid the door open and brought him inside, setting him down on one of the tables as Gar screamed and cried, feeling his skin tear and peel underneath the melted clothes. "I'm going to have to call a Doctor," Dury hissed as he ran to go and get help.

"No!" Gar chocked as he tried to sit up. "No… no Doctors.. they'll know I-."

"Maybe that's a good thing," Dury growled as he glared at hie friends battered and broken body, the fire. Why had Gar insisted on running into that heat? Dury had only just been able to get him out, but not without a cost. He looked down at his bunt hand.

Stupid Gar, stupid, fires, stupid Firefly!

"I'm getting a Doctor!" Dury snarled at him before he ran towards the door. "And you can't do anything to stop me!"

With that he was gone running as fast as he could, his sense of direction was rubbish, he didn't know where the hospital was and… he had no change how could he call an ambulance?

It seemed impossible, the chips were not in his favour but then again they never were and he managed to get this far, he could get help… he'd just have to- wait what was that?

He looked through the rain and sure enough, near the docks he spotted Waylon and Otis with two other people he didn't recognise running towards the slaughter house.

Maybe they knew were there was a Doctor.

Dury's pace picked up and he ran towards them, a car horn sounded his head snapped towards the sound, eyes widening as the bright lights blinded him before everything went black.

This was it, this was how he was going to die wasn't it?

Edward gulped and stared as Anonymous began to sort the knifes out, placing them in order of size.

He was going to die while being butchered by a madman… would he even be missed? Would his fellow cops at the GCPD even miss him? Would they even care?

So many questions… too many questions… all had no answers to them.

He looked up and watched as he came towards him, spinning the knife in his hand, playing with it.

"Are you ready Edward?"

"If I said 'no' would it make a difference?"

"No, of course not."

"I didn't think it would," Edward growled as he looked to the floor. "Leave Jonathan alone, Anonymous!"

"But why?" Anonymous moaned. "It's such a wonderful name and I have to add to my collection."

Edward narrowed his eyes. "You're sick," he snarled. "Sick in a way… no one could ever understand."

"Oh and you'r so healthy minded," Anonymous snarled back as he stalked over to him. "Have you not noticed something? No one goes around calling themselves the Riddler and expects to be classed as a sane person."

"I could say the same thing about you," Edward bit out. "Anonymous."

The man smiled and gestured to his face. "I'm not exactly a memorable person am I?" he chuckled slightly. "But I do have a daughter," he smiled. "She… unfortunately has the same curse as me, a face that no one will remember. My poor Jane."

Edward tilted his head to the side. "What about her mother?"

"Dead," Anonymous sighed and looked at the ground. "Her face was so disfigured you couldn't recognise her anymore, she became anonymous, a nobody, a nameless face. No one deserves to die like that, no one deserves to have no name," he smiled and turned to Edward. "Which is why I'm going to get my list all checked off and then, I can have which ever name I choose, better then what I have at the moment."

"What is your name?" Edward asked as he stared up at him.

Anonymous smiled. "I told you, I'm a no one, but for sake of argument, I guess you could say my name, my real name, also means someone unknown, it's John by the way, if you were wondering."

He went around the back of him and placed the knife to his throat. "Edward do not worry, I shall take good care of you and your friend," he moved to his ear and grinned whispering harshly into it. "That I promise you."

Suddenly a pound crash sounded and in came Jonathan and Mist, running as fast as they could, Mist jumped over Edward and tackled Anonymous to the floor, while Jonathan ran to Edward and began to cut his bounds.

"Jonathan? You found me, but how?"

"No, not Jonathan," the boy's masked face looked up at him and tilted his head to the side. "You should know this by now."

"Scarecrow," Edward whispered as he stared wide eyed.

"Hello again, Riddler. Did you miss me?"

"Actually, I did."

"Hate to brake up this reunion but," they turned to see Anonymous with a scalpel to Mist's throat. "Did you forget about me?"

Mist rolled her eyes before she swung her head back and smacked Anonymous square in the face, causing some of his teeth to fall out and his nose to brake with a sickening crack of mild satisfaction from Mist's part.

"It's over Anonymous," Mist hissed as she glared at him. "You're going to die and there is nothing you can do about it," she spin kicked him into the wall and then she grabbed him and threw him into some crates. "So I hope you've picked a name," she hissed as she kicked him again. "So we can forget it and forget you all over again."

"Shut up!" he slashed at her and grabbed her throat pinning her to the floor, before Jonathan came and kicked him in the face, before he continued at his ribs never stopping as Edward came to Mist's side and helped her to her feet.

"Jonathan, Jonathan enough!" Mist snarled. "Let someone who already has blood on their hands do this."

Jonathan stopped and stared up at them, before Anonymous kicked him into the couple and then belted for the door.

"He's getting away!" Edward shouted as he scrabbled to his feet.

"He won't get far," Scarecrow assured. "Croc and Rat will stop him, exactly like we told them to. Come on!"

Indeed Croc and Rat were waiting patiently in the back alley, the only place Anonymous could go without being seen.

Rat was waiting patiently before he was knocked to the floor and there standing above him was Anonymous, who was glaring down at him.

"Waylon!" he screamed as Anonymous tried to stab him but a rat bit him on his hand and he cried out, dropping the knife in the process before he grabbed the rat and threw it across the alley.

"No!" Otis screamed as he tried to get up and run over to his furry little friend but Anonymous grabbed him and began to beat him, before he pulled out another knife and grinned at the boy.

"Tell me, boy. What's your name?"

"O- Otis," he whispered as he stared at the knife in fear.

"Otis," Anonymous laughed slightly a highly unhinged smile plastered across his face. "I've already got an Otis, but maybe I could start a new collection," the knife drew closer and Otis was frozen in fear. "See which names the most popular!"

Just then, Croc slammed into him, tackling him to the ground before he began to beat him, use sing his claws, his ever so slightly pointed teeth to tear Anonymous to shreds, his fists smashed his face into nothing, except an unrecognisable body.

Otis was frozen in fear as he heard the inhuman screams and growls of pain and anger coming from the attacked and the victim.

Mist, Edward and Jonathan were at Otis's side, making sure he was alight but all Otis could do was stare as Croc tore Anonymous to shreds.

The others followed where his eyes were focused on and very soon their own eyes widened in shock and horror, as Croc destroyed Anonymous, making him a nobody, a faceless nobody.

"Croc! Croc, Waylon stop!" Mist got to her feet and pulled the boy as best she could. "Waylon stop, you're not an animal!"

Waylon's eyes snapped out of their death glare, they turned to Mist, blood covered his entire body and his eyes's pupils had turned into reptilian styled pupils as he stared at her, before he stared at his blood covered hands and then they drifted to what remained of Anonymous.

"I…" he whispered and stared at them a look of fear on his face. "I didn't mean to.. I.."

"It's okay," Mist whispered as she pulled him into a hug. "It's okay."

Edward's gaze drifted back towards the warehouse before he paled slightly. "We need to leave, the police will be here and no doubt they'll be wanting me to help on this crime scene."

"Okay," Mist whispered as she let Otis lead Waylon away to get him cleaned up. "But first," Mist continued before she pulled a sickle from her belt. "There's just one more thing we need to do."

They left soon after, Mist cleaning her blade of blood before they took the sewers to get somewhere safe, Edward was grateful that Mist had left his car somewhere safe and he quickly drove to the GCPD, while the others got cleaned up at Croc and Rat's apartment, saying that they'd all be at Jonathan's house and for Edward to come there too.

It was odd to walking onto a crime scene he helped create Bullock and Gordon were already there and they look over to him and sighed.

"It's a mess," Bullock grunted. "I've worked cases, some pretty gory ones too and I ain't never seen anything like this in my life."

"I hope you're ready for this, Ed," Gordon muttered as he led him towards the body.

Of course Edward had to act surprised, as he stared down at the mess that was left, it was hard to even recognise that what was lying at his feet had been a person.

Note to self, never get on the wrong side of Croc, ever.

His eyes drifted over the killer's body before they landed and stayed on the little momento, a classic case or irony left by Mist on the killer's chest, or what ever was left of it. For there, sitting in jagged lettering was 'Anonymous' in big capital letters.

He took a breath before he shook his head and set to work, cataloguing what he found, bagging and tagging it as he went, making sure to get rid of any of his fingerprints, not that there was many left, they'd managed to scrape a little bit of time to gather most of the things, like the rope and the cloth of chloroform Edward had come into contact with.

He was soon back at the GCPD, getting DNA results of who Anonymous was, so he got that his first name was John but that was it.

What he got as his name… was… surprising.

Edward stood in front of his friends back at Jonathan's house, Croc and Otis had been welcomed into the extended family as well as Alice.

They all stared in shock as Edward placed the DNA results of Anonymous down on the table, but he wasn't quite as 'anonymous' as he was before or maybe he was. It depends how you look at it.

"Well," Mist whispered. "That's… ironic and he has a daughter you say?"

"Yes," Edward whispered. "Her name is Jane."

"Wow," Mist murmured as she hugged Enigma closer. "I'm kinda glad I named Enigma, Enigma."

"I.. that can't be his or their real name surly?" Jonathan whispered as he stared.

"But it is," Edward whispered as he stared before he closed his eyes. "So.. what's next on the agenda?"

"We need to find Firefly and Moth," Croc growled as he sat the kids and Otis on his shoulders.

He looked like a bird feeder and kids were the birds all perched on his shoulder.

Mist smiled and nodded her head. "Okay then, lets go into the other room, there's more seating in there, am I correct Jonathan?"

"Yes," Jonathan answered as he grabbed his drink and wondered through into the other room, the rest of them following after him, all with their drinks.

Edward left the file on the table, the wind occasionly picked the pages up and flapped them gently before it settled again.

It made the file almost look forgotten, like the people were being forgotten, but that wasn't hard, especially when they were anonymous to begin with.

The crows outside cawed their eairy cry and fluttered around outside, one tried to get into the house but failed and ended up sitting on a branch over looking the house.

It peered in through the window were the file lay, simply left to be forgotten about and never looked at again.

It tried to get in again before it fluttered off as Luna came into to grab her forgotten drink, but she knocked it over instead and fell across the file, causing some of the ink to run.

"Oh no!" she yelped as she stared at it, before Edward and Jonathan came through and Edward shook his head with a smile.

"It's fine Luna, I can reprint it," he assured and the child's look of fear subsided and she smiled taking Jonathan's hand as Edward got her another glass of water, before he walked after them, only casting a quick glance back at the file as he watched the water run over the names of the father and daughter.

He turned his back and walked leaving the file as the water washed away the names of the Anonymous and his daughter.

The ink ran, dripping off the table as it flowed, erasing the name John Doe and his alias Anonymous and then Edward was there drying it off, wiping the water away before he quickly rejoined the others leaving only the daughter's name in place, leaving only Jane Doe who would also just be another face in the crowd.

T.B.C:

Note: Tell me, where you expecting that twist? :D Bet you weren't and I am loving them reviews keep them coming you know I love to hear from you wonderful people! :D