Authors Note: I forgot to mention that this is my account of the events leading up to Eddie's involvement in the Hush story arc. Anyways, enjoy and please review!
Disclaimer: I still do not own The Riddler or anything else besides Doctor Capuano, sadly.
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Part II
Waking up in an unfamiliar place is almost never a good thing. The uncertainty of how you got there, along with what is going to happen to you, always makes it a terrifying situation. Whether it is after a night of a drunken casual "encounter", or being the victim of a random kidnapping, it almost always means trouble.
That's why when Allison woke, finding her wrists and ankles bound, lying on the ice cold floor of some warehouse, her instant reaction was to scream. However, her desperate plea was muted by the gag in her mouth. Oh my god. She tried to calm herself, closing her eyes and opening them again. This is a dream. I'm overworked. She continued opening and closing her eyes, hoping each time that she would find herself somewhere else. The lights flickered in the room, and a door slammed shut somewhere in the distance. Trying to fight the tears welling up in her eyes, she attempted making another noise, the product being a high pitched garbled sound.
"Boss, she's awake." A deep voice said behind her. No I'm not. She pleaded. Just leave me alone.
"Good, now get out. I wish to have a chat with the good doctor alone." Another voice said. Allison was frozen at the sound of heavy footsteps coming nearer.
A man entered her field of vision; he was tall, slender, a purple mask rested over his eyes, a deep green bowler hat perched on his head, and a matching green suit. He was leaning up against a golden cane, topped with a glistening, glittering question mark. If she could have screamed, she would have, as she had been kidnapped by the Riddler.
Smirking at her apparent fear, he helped her into a sitting position. She looked down, letting more tears fall into her lap. Please… She sniffled. "Oh no, no, no…" He shook his head, resting the question marked end of his cane under her chin, and lifting her head up. "There will be no tears here…" If I cooperate, he'll have no reason to harm me, right? He paused, waiting for her to stop. After a few moment of stifling her muted sobs, Allison was able to calm herself. "Excellent… now, do you know what a doctor, like yourself, and a rogue like me have in common?" He sneered.
Allison shook her head, honestly not knowing what he was looking for.
"No answer?" He asked mockingly. "We both work best when our 'patients' are unconscious." The Riddler laughed at his own joke, making her wince, wondering what was to come. Seeing her reaction he frowned. "Not funny?" He gave her a look of mock sympathy. She didn't move a muscle.
"Here is the 'deal'." He began, waving his gloved hand in the air. "If you refrain yourself from screaming, I will remove the gag." She nodded. "But If I do, and you cause a scene anyway, you will not be in such good shape. Understand?" She nodded again. "Good," He smiled, and moved towards her. She flinched when his hand made contact with her cheek, removing the offending material. "There, that's much better." She whimpered softly. "Now you may be wondering why I've brought you here…" He fixed the glove on his left hand.
Allison mumbled her response. "What was that?" The Riddler replied. He brought a hand to his ear.
"I said 'That would be nice to know.'" Allison returned her gaze to the ground, unable to look at her kidnapper any longer.
"Tsk, tsk… It's impolite to stare at the ground when talking to someone." He said with a certain amount of force. She struggled to lift her head again. "Much better." He couldn't help but look at her eyes. Big, almond shaped, blue eyes, speckled with flecks of what appeared to be lavender. "Your eyes are very… familiar." She raised an eyebrow. "Beautiful, yes, but as if I've seen them before." The Riddler drifted off, still staring intently at her. After a moment or so, he continued. "Well, back to the original topic. I need your help Doctor Capuano." He rubbed his chin, apparently embarrassed. "It appears that there is a type of puzzle I cannot solve." What? Allison thought to herself. How does he figure that I can solve a puzzle that he can't? He made various eccentric hand motions, struggling for words. "It appears that I am sick…" He paused, shifting uncomfortably. "And I need you to diagnose and hopefully cure me."
"I can't! I don't have any-" She began to protest. He waved a finger in the air no.
"I have acquired a vast amount of medical supplies in order for this to happen. Anything I lack, I'm sure I could… find." He grinned, twirling his cane, walking away. As he opened the door, he called back to her.
"Think it over Allison." Her name on his lips made Allison sick to her stomach. "I'll be back in a couple of hours, so please consider it… Not that you really have a choice." He laughed softly, slamming the heavy door closed behind him.