A/N: I know, I know, it's been too long, I've been on the road, I'm sorry. Hope this makes up for it.
Riddle Me, Riddle Me, Ree
Mary climbed the rooftops of Arkham City, ready to make her usual delivery of food to the political prisoners. She'd been doing this for almost a month now without incident, which was good for her because she did not want to think of the repercussions her actions might bring if the Professor ever discovered them. The Professor was gone again, not due back until late tomorrow, which meant she could make a few trips this time without having to worry about him. Clambering over the metal hatch covered in question marks, Mary let out a cry of surprise when the hatch opened from under her feet. Mary fell into the hole below and, landing roughly at the bottom, she faded into darkness.
Mary slowly opened her eyes, blinking as she adjusted to the light. She was in a wooden room, strapped to a metal table that was leveled vertically and everything in the room was tinged green due to the odd lighting. Monitors cover the wall, labeled Test 1 through Test 5 and viewing rooms filled with what looked like electric flooring, rotating blades, and glowing green question marks. Mary's pondering over what purpose those items could possibly serve was interrupted by a voice.
"So, you're Strange's little pet. Miss Noble, I believe?" Mary jumped and turned to see a man clad in a green suit covered in question marks emerge from the shadows. His posture, voice, and overall dress sense gave Mary a feeling of intelligence, sophistication, and absolute arrogance. Mary took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her hammering heart. She was used to encountering psychopaths by now, (heck, she was being kept prisoner by one) but this situation was very different. For one, the Professor and his TYGER guards were not there to keep him from harming her in the event of her saying something the person present did not like what she had to say.
"How do you know about me?" she questioned.
"I am the Riddler, I make it my business to know everything I can about my fellow inmates, as well as the staff who work here."
"So what do you want from me?"
"The few rumors I've heard about your existence have stated that you are a… psychic of sorts, and because of your abilities you can look into other people's minds," the Riddler stated. He dragged a chair over and sat down in front of her. "So, what do you see in me?" Mary sighed internally, knowing that, as always, she didn't have a choice and slowly looked into his eyes. His mind was almost buzzing with plans and equations, almost like the Joker's in some ways, though the clown's thoughts were far more chaotic and more centered around the enjoyment of the game he played continuously with Batman, while the Riddler was more focused on besting the Bat. Searching through his memories, Mary saw a young boy being beaten by his father (Mary winced slightly while she remembered her own faded bruises), winning a school competition, and then being accused of cheating by his father. The rest of his life was entirely centered around his attempts to destroy the Batman.
"Riddle me, riddle me, ree,
A hawk sat upon a tree;
And he says to himself, says he,
La! what a fine bird I be!
But the Bat flies above in the air
And looks at the hawk down there
And though the hawk may try
He may never fly as high," Mary muttered and the Riddler's eyes narrowed.
"So the rumors are true." Mary didn't reply but looked around the room she was currently captive in.
"So you have brought me here because–"
"Someone with your talents who spends so much time with the man 'in charge' of this facility is liable to know a few secrets about him and the inner workings of the system," the Riddler cut her off. Mary fully realized what he wanted from her, and what the repercussions would be for her if the Professor ever found out. She lowered her head.
"I am sorry but I cannot tell you those things," she murmured and the Riddler sighed.
"Well if you won't do it willingly then I have other methods," he said. The Riddler got up from his chair took two cables, attached them to the metal table, and took a remote from his pocket. But before he could push the button Mary cried "Wait!" He paused and she gulped. "If I beat you in a game of solving riddles, you let me go. If I lose, then I will tell you anything and everything you wish to know." The Riddler grinned and put away the remote.
"Very well." Straightening his suit, the Riddler sat down again. "You can see nothing else, when you look in my face, I will look you in the eye, and I will never lie."
"Your reflection," Mary answered and the Riddler nodded.
"What English word retains the same pronunciation, even–"
"Queue." The Riddler narrowed his eyes but nodded.
"This old one runs foreve–"
"A Waterfall." He was fuming at this point.
"What word–"
"Short." He slammed his cane on the ground in frustration.
"Ok, that's just cheating!" he shouted, reminding Mary so vividly of an elementary school boy she almost laughed.
"I prefer to think of it as using my abilities to my advantage."
"An unfair advantage, which equates to cheating, for which you forfeit," the Riddler said, taking the remote from his pocket.
"That's not fair," Mary cried.
"That's life child, and the sooner you learn that the better off you'll be. Now, tell me everything you know about Professor Strange," the green clad man ordered, pacing around Mary who twisted and struggled in an attempt to keep him in her sights.
"I cannot do that," Mary maintained. The Riddler clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"Wrong answer." He pressed the button.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!" Mary screamed as electricity coursed up and through her body. She had never, ever, been in such pain before. Maybe this is what it feels like to die, Mary thought and then suddenly, the energy stopped and her body collapsed on itself. She panted heavily.
"Tell me about Strange!"
"I cannot!"
Another shock. Another scream.
"Tell me about him!"
"I cannot!"
Another zap, another scream.
"TELL ME!" the Riddler screamed.
"He will kill me if I do," Mary sobbed.
"Well in that case maybe I should go down to the political prisoners' camp and see if one of them could help me get you to talk?" the Riddler threatened.
"NO!" He raised an eyebrow expectantly.
"Well then?" Mary took a deep breath and before she could stop herself, the secrets of Professor Strange began slipping from her lips; His experiments on the "most forgettable inmates," his special medication he sent to Mayor Sharp, the ex warden of Arkham Asylum, every week… his secret suit he kept hidden away. Halfway through she'd started sobbing but the Riddle took no notice. The only response she received was the widening of his eyes at the information he was absorbing. By the time she was done, she had spilled every secret, except about his funding from the man called "the Demon" and the fact he knew the Batman's identity, and she was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.
"Thank you for your cooperation Miss Noble. This conversation has been most enlightening," the Riddler smiled, before he got up and began to walk away.
"Wait, you said you would let me go!" Mary shouted.
"If you beat me at the riddles. You cheated and therefore lost. Cheaters never prosper," he replied over his shoulder.
"Ironic coming from you." She received another shock for her comment.
The Riddler was asleep. That much Mary was sure of. No man, genius or moron, could fake snoring that well, especially that loud. Mary began twisting her wrists in the leather straps, loosening them. They were very well made, but obviously made for adults, and not skinny twelve-year-old girls. Sure enough, after what seemed like hours of work, the combination of her slim wrists and her anxious sweat allowed her to free one wrist. Sighing in relief, Mary quickly undid the other bindings and freed herself from the table. Sliding to the floor quietly, Mary quickly got her bag from by the Riddler's desk and sneaked away through the halls of the Riddler's hideout and out the door. She looked around, breathing heavily after holding her breath for so long. She was boxed in on all sides by two walls, a fence that fully blocked the way out, and an electric fence that was shorter than the other. There's got to be a way out, she told herself. She spotted some boxes lying around and suddenly and idea sparked in her mind. Carefully, so as to not wake the Riddler, she started piling the boxes, making a stairway to climb over the electric fence. Mary then climbed up and looked down on the fence. Here goes nothing, she thought to herself and jumped across, somersaulting to the ground below. Body bruised, battered, and still sore from her session with the electroshock torture, she smiled nonetheless, happy to be free of that particular psychopath. Using her grappling gun, Mary pulled herself up the buildings on the surface above and back to the TYGER facilities. However, her smile faded when she realized the gravity of the situation. The fact that the Riddler had captured her while attempting to help the political prisoners meant that she would have to stop going out to help them… at least for a while. And if she did go back out, she'd have to be quicker, and use a new route. That is, if the Professor didn't kill her for spilling his secrets. At this point, Mary considered just fending for herself in the city, rather than facing an angry Professor Strange. Mary started pacing. She could always say the Riddler hacked the TYGER facility cameras or something. He was smart enough to do that. But her conscious protested.
Whatever happened to not lying? her brain asked. After all these years, after seeing all the terrible liars in the world, you would stoop to their level?
Mary sighed. It would be a new low for her. Other than occasionally biting or scratching people (or hitting them on the head with a brick in order to avoid getting killed), she'd always strived to be good and honest. Suddenly, images of all that she'd seen in other since Professor Strange had discovered her: Zsasz's 'zombies', the Joker's murders, Penguin's tortures. Compared to those crimes, telling a lie to save her life, and possibly the lives of the political prisoners, was hardly a sin at all. So, her decision made, Mary reluctantly opened the door and walked back into her gilded cage.
"Mary, a strange thing occurred yesterday," the Professor informed her. It was a week after Mary's encounter with the Riddler, and she was currently eating dinner with Professor Strange. Mary took a gulp of water in an attempt to hide her anxiety.
"What happened Professor?" she inquired, dreading the answer.
"Mister Edward Nigma hacked his way into the intercom system in my office."
"He did?" Mary muttered, feigning surprise. Of course he would. He couldn't resist showing off his knowledge.
"Yes. And he revealed that he knew a good number of secrets about me. Secrets that only you would know." Mary swallowed. The Professor stood, walked over to her, and looked down, peering at her over his round reflective glasses. "Care to explain?"
"I – I – I don't know how he acquired his information." The Professor narrowed his eyes at her and she looked down. "Perhaps it would be best if I go to bed early tonight." Mary moved to get up and walk past Strange but he grabbed her arm.
"You will leave when I allow you to do so Miss Noble," he reminded her squeezing her arm.
"Professor, you are hurting me," Mary whimpered.
"What did you tell him?"
"Nothing. I have never even seen him!" The pressure on her arm increased and Mary hissed and tried in vain to pull her arm free from his grasp.
"That will soon be your neck unless you tell me what I want to know," he stated.
"How do you know he didn't hack your security cameras?" Mary shouted. "They're all over the place and the Riddler is a computer genius. He could have easily found the information he needed from them." Professor Strange's grip on Mary's arm loosened and she used the opportunity to pull her arm from his grasp and put as much space between the two of them as possible. Strange looked her over for a moment, face stoic, before turning on his heel and leaving her. Mary let out a breath of relief, rubbed her wrist, and winced. That could've gone better.
A/N: I hope Mary's escape wasn't too easy, but truthfully getting into and out of the Riddler's lair isn't that difficult, it's the 'not blowing up the hostages' that's the hard part.