Bruce stayed quiet, making it quite easy for me to zone his figuring whodunit fantasy out. Why should I be scared of what a rich boy thought? It was not like Bruce could figure what I did on his own. He may be smart, but not that smart. Barbara Gordon stood by his side like a second in command. Her arms were crossed, watching as Alfred entered the room. Wow, she's really sucking up to Bruce. Selena must love that. I pause, shaking my head; Why did everyone care what happened to Pamela. Pamela fought with and manipulated everyone at Gotham High. Idid not understand why everyone suddenly became concerned.
Speaking of those who appeared greatly concern, my eyes fell over Harleen. Harleen paces, watching Alfred pick up Pamela's limp body. I will admit to being shocked at Harleen's reaction. She of all people had the right to hate Pamela, the way the cheerleader constantly abused her. I guess her heart is too pure, loving. The blonde carefully helped ensure that Pamela was still breathing while Alfred lead her to the door. Her blue eyes sparkled more with the red rings around them. I felt a tinge of guilt, remembering how Harleen broke down a couple seconds earlier. I knew that stupid clown did not know what to do with her. He did not care about Harleen, or Harley, or whatever name he yelled at her. If Jack did care, he wouldn't have shoved her aside when her faces was in tears. Jack did not deserve Harleen.
A whistling wind took my attention away as the door of Galavant Manor opened for a second time. The chilling air froze us all, shivering until it shut. The old door shut with a boom, breaking the thick silence that coated the room. Now we are alone. No victim, no adults, just a room full of suspects. Guilty or innocent, no one felt safe enough to speak up. None of which except Bruce Wayne. He lurked around the room, gathering information. Nothing phased me as I knew Pamela would turn out fine. The gas would be out of her system in an hour or two. Long before they could get a decent chemical test on her. Hush whispers spread around the room, carrying the virus of gossip around. Everyone had there own theory to who did it. Every student here had reason to be guilty. No one even came close to mentioning me. For once my invisibility amongst crowds, especially fellow students, became useful. I feel safe, not being a suspect to anyone...that is almost anyone.
Listening intently beside Bruce stood the one person who may know of my sins. His green eyes glance up at me, becoming focused. The glasses aid in the guilt as the eyes behind them stare at myself with intent, What have you done? They called out, incriminating me. I pretend not to notice, keeping my focus on someone else. A tap on my shoulder alerts me to his presence, now standing beside me. "Riddle me this Jon, What substance is incredible sticky, yet you use it to clean?" I pause, tilting my head with confusion. Ed rolls his eyes, having no patience for me at this time. "Water." He says firmly, as if ordering me to follow along to get a drink.
"You need to tell me what you've done now." He said, voice wavering with a little panic. I knew why he had reason for concern. He helped clean up my mess after my experiment went wrong, he stood by me. Along with that I was pretty sure he had a crush on the plant. His eyes lit up every now and then when she said something smart in biology. Her voice in that class always surprised Ed, for maybe that was a subject she was secretly better in. Nashton has always been better with technology after all.
"I thought you knew everything Ed." I taunt him and his ego. Ed motions to a door on the other side of the room. A closet? Like that's not going to look suspicious at all. I try my best not to groan as I moved across the room.
Ed went inside, expecting me to follow a second later.
The moment I closed the door his complaining started. "I would have covered my tracks better if I knew you were going to hurt Pamela. I mean the girl had it coming but how dare you not tell me." I forgot, Edward played a key part in all of this. After all, he was the one who sent out the invitations.
"Tell you?" I kept a blank expression, something I was good at. "What might I tell."
Ed glared, hating the fact I acted stupid. Out of all people, he grew most annoyed by that gesture for he thought it meant I questioned his intellect. "There is reason why you wanted to have this party Jon, and you can't say it's because you are a social person."
I pause, "Now listen, it's not what you think..."
"That you wanted to get back at Pamela, and used a version of the fear solution to do it..."
"Okay..." I pause, seeing that he was dead on. I run a hand threw my hair. "-maybe it's exactly what you think but I didn't do the blood. I didn't touch her."
"Then where the hell did the blood come from Jo-" He froze, ears picking up a noise from outside the room. Ed motions at me to be quiet, his eyes focused on the door behind me.
Barbara Gordon's voice called out from beyond the door, "I think the two went in here..."
My eyes widen, exchanging a look with Ed.
Knock, Knock, Knock
Edward notices the door handle budge. Unlike him, I did not fear getting caught, nor care what some kids at my high school though of me. Most already were scared to speak to me thanks to the science fair.
"Gentlemen might you come out here?" Bruce Wayne said with a hand on the door. He had seen the two boys sneak off into the closet, noticing the way Ed looked upset. He now has suspicion over the two.
"Take your shirt off..." Ed whispers from behind me.
"No." I look at him like he's insane. Ed could not be serious. They probably heard me confess, what would taking off my shirt do? I roll my eyes.
"Do it." He pushed, but a part of me did not mind getting caught. They should be thanking me for what I did to her.
"That's not going to help anything..." I whisper, taking a deep breath. "One minute." I reply, hearing a couple snickers from the other side of the door in response. Exhaling my hand reaches out to open the closet door. Yikes, everyone who came to the party seemed to be on the other side of the door. The thing I first notice is Harleen's face get a bright red. A couple people busted out laughing, turning around to hid it. Bruce just stared at me kind of disturbed, all of which left me confused.
"May I help you?" I say, wondering if they heard anything incriminating.
"I'm sorry to bother but we really need your-" Bruce coughs, trying his best to keep a straight face."-your boyfriends calculating skills." Harley had a smile on her face for the first time since Pamela's attack. She was trying so hard not to laugh.
I tilt my head. The last thing I expected opening the door was that to come about. "Boyfriend?" I repeat confused. Slowly, I turn around. My eyes widen at the sight of Eddie. Ed had his hair ruffled in a mess with his shirt unbuttoned just so. If that was not bad enough, to make matters worse his glasses were hanging off his face. WHAT WAS HE DOING? Why?! Why did he think that was even a good idea!? Had Ed lost it? He made it look like so many things, so many things that did not happen. I feel annoyance towards him, wishing they had rather found out I almost killed Pamela.
Edward did not appear to be fazed or humiliated as he slowly buttoned up his shirt. "What would you like me to calculate?" He stood up, fixing his glasses. As Ed moved to pass me a vague sent of liquor hit my nose. It smelt like Ed had been drinking. I stood shellshocked to how he put the whole thing together so quickly. His act made even me a bit concern that we did something.
Bruce went straight back to business, "The time between the lights going on and after. How they might be triggered-"
Ed's hand moved across the side of the wall, knocking along the way. "As for how the lights could have been triggered..." Ed paces, trying hard not to glance at me. He knew I did it, kept the lights off. He quizzed himself, trying to figure out where it was before pausing with a smile. "A polar opposite an I. One lift I become high. Around me glows until I fall. It all goes away as I let blackness crawl. What am I?"
Everyone around him was puzzled, making Edward smirk more.
"A light switch." Bruce said simply not playing his game.
Ed's smirk wavered, finding that Bruce was correct. He simply nodded. "Preciously."
"I don't see a light switch." Barbara points out.
"Well Miss Gordon, you do like good mystery books, don't you?" Ed gives another smirk, hitting the wall behind him with his electronic screwdriver. Tap Tap, A small panel came out with a single light switch.
Everyone gasped, including myself. To be quite honest, I had no clue that was even there.
The only one who did not look surprised is Bruce. "That's not connected to anything, it's a fake put in for show a long time ago..." He said, not getting lead off by Ed's tricks. "But that means the real wires are on the other side of this wire...in the other room." Bruce put it together, figuring Ed didn't know. Ed gave me an apologetic look, sorry that his attempts to try and lead them down the wrong path failed.
"The distance is too far." Barbara pointed out, as Bruce lead the group of teenagers out of the room. "There's no way to get to the panel in time..."
"That's because this panel has been tampered with. Updated to be controlled by phone, or trigger."
My heart rate picked up, worrying he came to close.
"They must have put it in while renovating." Selena added, "then they downloaded it."
"Or you convinced someone to do it for you." Rachel said under her breath. Selena was ten seconds away from fighting her.
Bruce paused, "Barbara, how easily can you track a signal?" Ed looked insulted that Bruce did not ask him, crossing his arms.
"It depends, what frequency?"
"Here take a look at this panel.."
An expressionless face hide the void of turmoil my stomach developed as Barbara approached the panel. All I can think is, Not in front of Harleen, as the ginger starts to work on her phone. Only one person could work better then Barbara, and luckily he is my best friend. I may not know what Barbara is doing, but Eddie can stop it. He has to, or else he will be incriminated as well. The phone would point out my part in this. I had to text Ed to divert the connection or some of his technological magic. My hand moves to my side, searching for my phone. Wait, Where is my phone? A short breath escapes me as I find both pockets of my costume empty. My wallet and phone missing in action. Where would it have gone? The other room! No! I freeze. I try to give Ed a look, but his back is toward me. Barbara would find my room at the scene of the crime. Who knows what evidence I left back there. I did not have much time to clean up my work. Hell, I did not look back from the moment I started to pump the fear gas in the room.
"Got it!" Her voice pauses as she hits a button on her phone. "It's coming from this way..."The door opened slowly, leading the group of us into a dark hallway. Barbara may have the location, but Bruce lead us down the corridors. Ed and Barbara were next, almost right behind him. Barbara because she had the location, and Ed because I am sure he wanted to be the first to see what we found. He had to be dying from not knowing what I planned. It was better Ed went first, his lies were much more unexpected and believable because he backed his with logic. Rachel and Selena constantly exchanged looks of hatred as they followed along. Harleen tried to stay attached to Jack, who looked unamused by all of this. I see how scared she is. I want to help, but did not want to be the only one to speak. The last two people were Oswald and myself, tagging along out of curiosity, or thats what I made it seem like.
"It's coming from behind this door..." Barbara said, slipping her phone back into her pocket. I knew she would bring us back to this room. I could not have lost my phone any other place. The room was the one I followed Pamela to, gassed her in, where all of it happened. Soon they would find my phone, incriminating me, and Harleen will never look at me the same way again. I did not want to see the look in her eyes when she found out I am a monster.
Bruce's hand reached for the door handle. He paused briefly, as if taking note of something. Rachel looked away from him, running a hand through her hair. The door opened cautiously, revealing a sight that put us all in shock. Harleen gasped loudly, hiding her face in Jack's shoulder. Behind the door laid a blood soaked Harvey Dent in the center of the room, half naked.
Rachel hurried down by him, flustered and scared to see her boyfriend in such a state. "Harv? Wake up..." She checked his pulse with a nod. "He is okay, breathing..." I knew this wasn't my work, but who was it? Harvey groaned, dazed and confused. He had nail marks in the side of his face, three distant scratches as if someone clawed at his face.
Very few of us had a reaction to this. Bad things happened in Gotham often, most learned to turn a blind eye to it. A handful of kids only paid attention to this investigation, others went off bored. Harleen was not one of them. Her innocent soul was new to Gotham, which made me feel bad. I hope the city never corrupts her like it did us. She paces the room as Bruce stands above Rachel and Harvey. He seems to be taking everything in. Harleen breaks the silence, "Can someone tell a girl, what the hell happened tonight!" Her voice cracking an old brooklyn accent in distress.
Bruce nodded as Harvey's eyes started to open, "I can." Those two simple words brought worry to many people's face.