What happened to fact checking? [Vale]

[Deleted]

A crossword had been delivered the day before to the Gotham Gazette. The answer to each clue was the word fact or a synonym of the word. In any other city, a crossword like that would be tossed to the waste bin, but in Gotham, they knew better. It usually was a threat or a code or something that could warn the Batman of potential disaster. Unfortunately, instead of the crossword reaching the editor, it had gotten lost in the mail room scuffle of the office, so they stayed blissfully unaware of what could possibly hidden in the sleeves of one of the notorious Gotham rogues.

The elevator door opened to the lobby of the pristine newspaper office, obviously modern with the new lobby chairs and glass doors. Edward stormed out of the elevator, his cane clicking against the high price wood, and his grey hat tilted towards his forehead, shading his face. He wore a navy blue suit with his usual green tie, but nothing that would call for attention right away. A newspaper was stuffed underneath his arm, and he strutted past the receptionist desk.

“Sir! Sir! You can’t just go back there!” she shouted after him.

He ignored her, knowing his exact direction after the floor plans he had already seen. He walked straight back to a large office with the door tag labeled Vicki Vale. He threw open the door, slamming it shut behind him.

He walked over to the desk and slapped the newspaper from two days ago to her desk, his eyes narrowing at the blonde woman sitting behind it.

He pushed up his hat on his head with his cane before he gave an annoyed growl sound as if searching for words. “Now, Miss Vale, I’m not certain if you’re purposefully left out the fact or if you lack the intellectual skill to track them down, but this horrid piece of trash could hardly be considered news,” he bit out in anger. He then let out a frustrated sigh and threw his hands in the air. “It is absolutely ridiculous! That woman makes me off like I’m the horrible person! Question, why is she blabbing personal business to anyone who will listen? She is an attention whore! She always has been! Playing victim to get…” He turned and hit the paper on the table, “this! This nonsense!”

He took a deep breath and straightened himself out, fixing his tie. “You are going to write a new piece. A factual piece,” he stated calmly, pulling out his phone. He glanced at it, pressing a button. The moment he pressed it, the fire alarm went off through the entire building. People could be heard shuffling outside the door, heading to the exits.

“Since I have no interest in seeing the police today, we are going to have this interview in a different location. I hope you are fine with that Miss Vale,” he commented, not caring either way about the alarm. He stated it so causally, but they both knew he wasn’t giving her a choice.

[Deleted]

Vicki Vale smiled to herself as she e-mailed her latest story to her editor. It was front-page material, and it felt good ending the workweek on a positive high. Throughout the day, her mind had wandered to thoughts of her friend, Ethan Young. She was still enjoying the memory of the Saturday they’d spent together two weeks ago. Since then, they had shared phone calls and gotten together a couple of times to see a movie and play miniature golf. She thought it strange that he had called her out of the blue that morning, asking her what time she’d be coming home. Something was up, and Vicki was on to him. Ethan should’ve known better than to try and hide something from an investigative reporter.

As she began packing up for the day, Vicki heard the receptionist’s voice echoing outside the door and through the hallway. “Sir! Sir! You can’t just go back there!” the woman was shouting. Vicki decided to investigate, but before she could rise from her leather high-back chair, her door swung open and Edward Nigma swiftly entered. The door closed as quickly as it opened, and the sound of the lock clicking indicated to Vicki that this was a private meeting.

It was no surprise to Vicki that Edward was there. She had been expecting him. Instead of greeting him, Vicki remained seated and watched as the man strutted like a peacock over to her desk and plopped the two-day-old newspaper in front of her. She had to admit that he looked quite dashing in his attire, the fashionable men’s suit showcasing his fit, trim, masculine form. He was eye-candy for sure, and she could see why females desired him at first glance. But when he raised his hat and opened his big mouth, the sexy illusion quickly faded.

Vicki kept her composure as she listened to Edward’s critique of her writing and of Dr. Stenet. “I’m glad you read my article,” she replied after he had finished barking his complaints at her. “By the way, I think your smoldering eyes are very sexy. Are those colored lenses you’re wearing?” she asked, trying to diffuse him with flattery.

When Edward told her that she was going to write another article, Vicki’s eyebrows arched and her eyes widened. Obviously, he had used the element of surprise to his advantage, but Vicki refused to submit to him and give him control over her. She could see by the way he was ranting that there was no point in arguing with him about the demand. It would be a futile effort, a waste of words, time, and energy.

She was surprised when he retrieved his cell phone and caused the fire alarm to sound during his monologue. The blaring noise didn’t interrupt his thoughts or dialogue in any way.  When he told her they were going off-site for the interview, it didn’t sound like she had much of a choice in the matter.  The thought of being alone with him frightened her, but she didn’t let him know that.

“I’ll go with you,” she said indignantly. “I’ll drive.”

As she grabbed her purse, she locked eyes with him and without even blinking once added, “For the record, Mr. Nigma, I want you to know that I’m not afraid of you, and I don’t intimidate easily. Hmmm. I wonder if I should pat you down first before we go.  If you pull a knife on me like you did Dr. Stenet, I swear to God I’ll castrate you with it, you son-of-a-bitch.”

[Deleted]

He didn’t expect her to be scared or scream. Why would she? He was a gentleman, and he wasn’t pointing a gun on her. He merely was asking for the article to be rewritten in the correct format. Nina had a horrible talent of playing victim and convincing others that she held no blame for any of her actions. It was what he truly despised about the woman and why he would never ever consider any form of relationship with her again. Just thinking about her made him incredibly angry. He hated hypocrisy! His hand tightened on his cane.

But then his mind snapped forward to the woman in front of him at the mention of his eyes. Of course, they were sexy. Edward in general was an extremely attractive and sexy man, if he said so himself. He just hadn’t expected the comment to just slip from her lips. “You’re not bad looking yourself, dear,” he smirked.

The fire alarm blared though, and the loud sound was only causing a headache. He listened to her need to threaten him to settle her own insecurity in the situation. He couldn’t stop the full eye roll that occurred. The mere fact that she was mentioning the knife meant she had no facts at all of what had actually occurred between that woman and himself.

“I never said we are leaving the building,” he muttered, dismissing her idea. He walked up, and placed his hand on her smaller back, leading her out of the office. Everyone else had already vacated at the sign of the fire alarm, using the stairs to go down and leaving the office empty.

He went to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. He then lead her inside as soon as the metal doors shut, the obnoxious alarm dulled. He pressed buttons on his phone, hacking into the elevator and locking it in its place. They would have about thirty minutes before the fire department arrived and they searched the entire building for a nonexistent fire, at that point they would okay the building and restart the elevators. If they did happen to come across the elevator and open it, they would just assume they were two people that got trapped inside when the fire system started.

He placed his phone back into his pocket and then looked at her. “I hope you brought your recorder because this interview starts now. What are your questions for me? I promise I always have the answers,” he smirked.

[Deleted]

Vicki smirked at Riddler’s backhanded compliment about her beauty.  “I can see you’re used to turning ladies’ heads, Edward - - the OTHER way,” she quipped, noting his eye roll about the knife as she led them out of her office.  "Here's a free tip: arrogance is not appealing."

At his touch, Vicki turned sharply, knocking Edward's hand off her body.  "I admit that I am granting you a modicum of control in this situation.  You have the reputation of being able to tell sincerity from a game, and so I have no doubt that you know I am playing along with you because I want to hear what you have to say.  However, I have not - - and will not - - grant you permission to put your sleezy little paws on my body.  You want me to hear you out?  Fine.  It suits both of our interests, but no patty-fingers, if you please."

With that said, Vicki led the way to the elevator.  As they waited patiently for their ride, she squinted because the deafening bells seemed to ring louder.  The blaring noise literally shook her entire body.  She followed Riddler’s direction to step into the elevator and was thankful to get into it when she did; another few seconds, and she would’ve been driven mad.

Vicki was surprised when Riddler told her they weren’t leaving the building and that the interview would be conducted in the elevator itself.  She hadn’t seen that one coming.  Leave it to Edward Nigma to keep things interesting.  She was a little fearful when he locked the elevator in the shaft.  She was scared, but she’d be damned if she let him know that.

“Isn’t this is cozy - - just you and me?” she said sarcastically.  “Yes, I have my recorder with me.  And a can of mace.  And I know how to use both.”

Kicking off her 5-inch Stilettos, Vicki got comfortable against the back wall and made small talk as she fumbled in her purse to retrieve her handheld record.

“Oh, I have plenty of questions for you, Edward,” she ranted.  “Before we get started though, I want you to know that your girlfriend was more than cooperative in granting me an exclusive interview.  I took what she told me at face value.  She thinks you’re a cruel, cold-hearted bastard who knifed her for no reason.  She wanted me to believe she was an innocent victim in all this, but I have my suspicions.  I can’t prove anything, and so it’s pure speculation on my part.  I have reason to believe that you and that demented bitch were more than just acquaintances.”

Holding out the recorder to Riddler’s mouth, Vicki clicked it on.

“Care to enlighten me, Edward?  What kind of relationship did you have with Nina?  Get as graphic as you want with the sordid details.  I love a juicy story.”

[Deleted]

As the smart remarks continued to leave her mouth, he found his skin itching with irritation. He hated rude impolite and purely no justification snappy responses. It reminded him of dealing with a pre-teen middle school girl and telling them Justin Beiber was a talentless hack. The usual responded in childish insults to make up for the fact that they could not give any factual evidence to prove otherwise.

His hand fisting tightly on his cane kept his anger in check. What did she think she had planned for her? He wasn’t a rapist. And while the GCPD accused him of murder, he always gave his contestants a riddle before he took them to their test. He had not said anything remotely to her that he planned to tie her up in some extravagant riddle. For now, he just wanted to talk, but if the vomit that currently spewed from her lips continued, he would find someone else to write his article.

But as she spoke of Nina, he began to calm himself. At least someone else was seeing Nina for how she truly was, a crazy self-centered bitch. He actually found himself smiling.

The recorder clicked, and she asked the first question. He chuckled, if all the questions were this simple, this interview wouldn’t be as long as he thought it needed to be.

He pulled out one of his lollipops and started undoing the wrapper as he spoke, “Dr. Stenet was infatuated with the idea of me.” He glanced up at the ceiling as if his mind was thinking in the past. To be completely honest, Edward’s memories before the dip in the Lazurus Pits had certainly become blurred, but it didn’t mean they had disappeared altogether. He plopped the candy into his mouth as he continued, “A good example, is the Breakfast Club and Claire’s growing obsession with Bender. She has this idea of him and the person he wants him to be, which causes her to excuse his other behavior that she more certainly does not like. Or another example, a preteen’s obsession with their favorite actor and the fantasies they have about the actor.”

He ran his tongue along the lollipop, his eyes fell back down to Vicki’s, and he smirked. “She was infatuated with me, and I don’t blame her. Many women have fallen for my intelligence and handsome looks. I am a perfect 10. It’s understandable. And like most women who are obviously woe by my impressive charm, we had sex.”

[Deleted]

Vicki studied Riddler’s body language as she rattled on about the items in her purse.  When she noticed his grip tightening on his cane, she knew she was starting to get on his nerves.  The last thing she wanted to do was upset him in the confined space of the elevator.  If he got angry enough, there was the possibility of him ending the interview altogether and deciding to use that thing as a weapon against her.  Although he had been a perfect gentleman so far, Vicki couldn’t dismiss the fact that he was definitely a wild card - - a resourceful genius who was capable of doing whatever he set his mind to.  Kicking off her shoes, she stopped with her “tough talk” and retrieved the recorder from her handbag. Then she steered the topic of conversation to Dr. Nina Stenet.

As she enlightened Riddler about her encounter with Nina, Vicki noticed that he perked up at her negative comments.  In fact, his smile was a dead giveaway, and she took it as an indication that she was correct - - or, at least, in the ballpark - - with her assumptions.  (Later, Riddler’s confirmation that he and Nina had, indeed, been intimate gave Vicki a feeling of satisfaction . . . and relief.)

When Vicki turned on the recorder and asked her question, she was a little surprised that the first sound to escape Riddler’s lips was laughter.  Then her eyes widened as he pulled out a lollipop and started unwrapping it.  Was he not taking this interview seriously?  She tried not to feel slighted, and she hoped he wasn’t underestimating her as a reporter.

As Riddler compared Nina’s infatuation with him to Claire’s obsession to Bender in The Breakfast Club, Vicki watched him suck on his candy stick and became mesmerized by the very act itself.  She found herself starting to rationalize - - blurring the fine line between Riddler’s arrogance and self-confidence.  Riddler was so charming, good looking, and intellectually stimulating, and his voice inflection was extremely pleasant, expressive, and entertaining.  In other words, he was easy on the eyes AND the ears - - the total package - - which caused Vicki’s mind to wander a bit.  Instead of his tongue running along the lollipop, she imagined it running over her.  Everywhere.  And those sexy, kissable lips of his got her all hot and bothered.  Even his smirk melted her heart.  She was falling in love with him the same way she fell asleep: slowly, and then all at once.

Vicki rolled her eyes and scolded herself.  Had Nina fallen into this same trap?  Had Nina fallen in love with the idea of what she had imagined Riddler to be?  Having met and spoken to Nina, what Riddler was saying made perfect sense to Vicki.  Dr. Stenet’s perception of Edward Nigma hadn’t been reality.  The woman had excused his criminal behavior, experienced a brush with death, and was now in total denial.

As Riddler continued to brag about himself, Vicki turned her thoughts to her friend, Ethan Young.  Ethan was “Mr. Right” compared to Riddler, who was “Mr. Right Now."  She could see herself being friends with both men, but she assumed a romance with Riddler wouldn’t last.  In the long run, she feared she wouldn’t be able to rise to the challenge of keeping Riddler intellectually stimulated enough.  Still, entertaining thoughts of her and Riddler together made her tremble . . . in a good way.

When she heard Riddler say the word “sex”, Vicki awakened from her daydreaming.  “Is it hot in here to you?” she asked.  Then she remembered what she had been doing and blushed.  “I’m sorry, Edward,” she sincerely apologized, fanning herself with her hand as she tried to refocus.  She smiled because he was being so patient with her.

Once she had regained her composure, Vicki looked Riddler squarely in the eyes.  “Being a man of your superior caliber, why did you do it?  What was your motive for maliciously wounding Dr. Stenet?  Was it intentional?  And did you achieve your objective, or did you fall short of it?”

At this point, Vicki was intrigued with Edward Nigma and, like a puzzle, wanted to figure him out.

[Deleted]

He rolled the lollipop into his cheek, letting the sweetness settle in his mouth as he refocused on the reporter in front of him, and not the memories of the past, that of course, had in some ways been blurred after his incident. In a way, looking into the past was like looking through wrong prescription of glasses for him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t remember it at all.

His eyes fell to her, and he immediately noted her new demeanor. She seemed flushed and a bit flustered in her appearance. It was a strange one eighty to how annoying and certain she had been moments ago. While it took him off guard, he knew that look. He had seen it in many women that had come across his path, and it was only confirmed when she commented on the temperature. He smirked and chuckled softly.

He had to admit Miss Vale was certainly attractive. He preferred brunettes, but their always was something delicate about a blond and fleeting. He hadn’t considered this interview other than professional, but he also was not one to say no to an attractive woman. “We are in a confined space with a limited supply of air,” he commented.

The questions came, and he had expected them, but he could hold the visible flinch at the last one. Fall short? Edward Nigma never fell short.

“My actions taken against Dr. Stenet were not personal, even though I know she believes they are, but they were purely strategic.” He took a step towards her, as he rolled his candy in his mouth to his other cheek. “You see, she had spent quite a bit of time with me before I ended things. Her eyes had seen occurrences and locations that few had seen before, and I had not considered it problem when it first ended. No, why would I? The girl was pathetically in love with me,” he smirked and then pulled out his candy. “She would never open her…” he slowly tilted the candy and touched it for a brief second to her lips, “lips.” He then pulled the candy back and placed it into his mouth, turning back around and starting to pace around the small area. “However, as weeks turned into months, I began to notice that my fellow comrades had made connections to her to me. A few had stated it my face and others had gone behind my back and met with her. My actions were a message, a message that everyone has now understood.”

Edward knew better then to give all of his information away. After all, he had determined that Jonathan had planned to use Nina to prove some strange experiment with Edward. He knew that Jonathan’s plan would certainly hurt Edward in some way, so he had decided to take out a key part of his plan. He had to get rid of Nina. Did it go exactly as he had hoped? No, but at least Jonathan had less use for her.

“I also must remind you, that I am not a murderer, and nor do I hurt people. She could have stopped me at any moment. She choose not to, that is not my fault.”

[Deleted]

Vicki frowned as Riddler smirked and chuckled while checking her out.  His roaming eyes seemed to sparkle and dance all over her body, conveying that he knew all about her true feelings for him.  As their gazes clashed for two heavy heartbeats, she couldn’t tell if he was amused and laughing at her, or if he was flattered by her arousal.  She hoped it was the latter, but her faux pas still embarrassed her, to the point where her cheeks burned with the same intense heat that was radiating throughout her entire body.  She had to agree with Riddler: the air supply was limited, the space they were in was too small . . . and, she added, the temptation for her to kiss him right then and there was too great.  With a deep inhalation, she braced herself for more inevitable awkwardness.

Vicki knew she had struck a nerve with Riddler when he tensed at her question about not achieving his objective of killing Dr. Stenet.  Knowing he was an egotistical overachiever, she surmised he had taken offense, but she didn’t apologize for the indiscretion.  She had baited him with the inquiry on purpose, to get him talking.

Vicki didn’t like hearing Riddler admit that his actions were not personal, but strategic.  He portrayed himself as being in control from the very beginning, allowing Dr. Stenet into his life until he invited her to leave it by ending their relationship.  Dr. Stenet knew too much about him, though - - acquaintances, associates, places he frequented - - and became his Delilah.  He never saw her as a potential threat because she was "pathetically" in love with him and “would never open up her lips” to tell anyone.

Obviously, over time, his view about that had changed.

As Riddler moved closer and placed the lollipop on Vicki's lips for illustration, her gaze bored into his.  Breath strangled in her throat, and she swallowed hard.  She was relieved when Riddler put the candy back into his mouth and began pacing.  She needed some distance, but she still watched and listened intently.  Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.  The more Riddler talked, the more he revealed, and so she remained silent and let him ramble for as long as he desired.

When Riddler said the action he took against Dr. Stenet was a message to everyone, Vicki just stared at him, her blue eyes big and soft.  She couldn’t believe someone so handsome could be so vindictive.  She waited for him to finish completely before she rebutted him.

“Your statement is contradictory, Mr. Nigma.  You’re telling me one thing, but your actions prove the opposite.  You say you’re not a murderer and that you don’t hurt people, and yet you planned and intentionally pulled a knife on Dr. Stenet and stabbed her through the back in an attempt to take her life.  How do you define the word ‘hurt’ in your statement?  And what do you mean she could have stopped you?  How?  What did you want her to say or do to you?  Did you believe she owed you some kind of apology for her apparent betrayal of you?  And, most of all, if offered, would you have accepted it? 

"Whether you care to admit it or not, it was your fault, Mr. Nigma.  You had a choice in all this, too, and we both know the choice you made.”

Vicki hated that Riddler had viewed Dr. Stenet as nothing more than an expendable pawn in this drama that had played out.  He had used Nina to teach a “valuable” lesson to his criminal cohorts and minions.  But what about Nina’s love and devotion toward him?  Did Riddler’s feeling of hurt overpower his feeling of love?  Or did he never really feel for Nina at all?  Vicki began to think that Dr. Stenet had been telling her the truth after all.

Before Vicki could stop herself, she blurted out: “Did Nina’s love and loyalty mean nothing to you, Edward . . . or did they mean everything?”

[Deleted]

His jaw locked, and he paused in his pacing as she started to speak. Was this woman an idiot? He had read a few of her pieces, and they seemed somewhat researched and prepared. Scratch that, he had read her piece on Nina, and it had been absolutely horrid. He shouldn’t find her disgusting conclusion she was reaching shocking. He obviously would have to hold her hand through this.

His lips pursed in annoyance before he finally turned to look at her. “I have a question for you. When a teacher puts an F on a student’s test, is it the teacher who made the student fail because the teacher gave him an F or is it the student who failed the test because he could not answer the questions correctly?” he asked, similar to how a mentor educates their mentee or a father teaches his daughter. His finger tapped on his cane, letting the question hang there in the air before he continued.

“She knew what I was going to do. It wasn’t a surprise. I didn’t fight or struggle with her. If you look at the police report, there are no signs of blood being splattered all over the place in some disgusting brutal manner, no signs of break in, no signs that I was even there, except for Dr. Stenet’s testimony. If I were to use my fifth amendment in court, I highly doubt that I would be convicted in trial. But I digress. She could have stopped me. How? That is quite a riddle that only few have determined, one being myself, but I will give you a hint. It is the same answer to the riddle of ‘How did she survive?’” He smirked, but it faltered to a more serious expression. It was also the same reason he was avoiding that woman like the plague because he expected if he ran into her, it would be quite difficult to talk himself out of whatever harm she wanted to put on him.

“So,” he stated almost softly, obviously attempting to avoid that thought, “It wasn’t my fault. Whether she stopped me or didn’t stop me, I would have gotten the results I needed. My choice was to give her the riddle. In the end, her fate was her choice, and she foolishly chose to be incorrect.”

His lips pursed annoyance as she continued to banter and focus on Nina. He shook his head, and walked over to her. He plucked the notepad and pen from her hands. “I’m going to give you a tip, dear,” he said, taking the pen and started to write on the pad. He then held it up to her, and on it was a circle with Dr. Stenet written in the center of it.

“Your focus is here,” he tapped the pen on the circle with Nina’s name on it. “You focus so much here, that you fail to see what is going on outside the circle.” He then laughed, “You can’t actually believe that all of my decisions revolving this have to do with one thing?” He paused, her voice became sterner, “If you do, that’s just insulting.”

He gave the pad back to her, and then hooked the pen on her blouse right between her cleavage, smirking.

“The riddle you keep failing to answer is why? Why did I, Edward Nigma, the Riddler, take an action against Dr. Stenet? You stupidly assume this all has to do about some silly relationship I had with her. I hold some grudge against her, or I was hurt, or I thought she would spoil all of my secrets! No, you’re wrong,” he said very clearly, eyes locking with her to make certain she understood. “The action I took was to prevent a fellow colleague of mine from using her to hurt me, and by using her, I do not mean, for her secrets or any of that nonsense. This colleague of mine knows more of my business then she does so as far as information goes she held no value. I also highly doubt she would willingly share my secrets anyways. She was key point in my colleagues plan against me, and the best way to foil your opponent is to take out their Queen. I did just that. She didn’t need to die. She didn’t even need to be wounded, but my action needed to take place to make it clear that she was no longer valuable. I once again state, it was not personal, merely strategic.”

Her outburst caught him by surprised, and his brows furrowed in confusion. To be honest, he had never really thought about Nina’s love and loyalty since the closure of their sexual relationship. He didn’t particularly care if she loved him or not, but it certainly had been a wonderful tool to use as it always is. He really had to think about the question, and he found himself tapping his chin in thought. “It’s hard to say because I don’t think she was ever truly in love with me, but no, it was not priority. Should it have been? You have to remember I did cease relations with her for a reason. I don’t really care about her at all. She’s quite boring and obnoxiously has to play the victim when she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. It took me a time to realize, but as a person, she absolutely disgusts me. She is a perfect example of the fools happy to complain and never see their own ignorance,” his statement was said casually as if discussing why the grass was green and the sky was blue. It showed his indifference towards her. The only reason she continued to pop up in his life was because of Jonathan.

He blamed Jonathan for all of this.

He would have easily never spoken or dealt with the woman ever again, but he had to go on this plot to determine what love was. Absolutely ridiculous! And now, Edward was caught in this annoying spiral, trying to reign in control again.

He pouted as he imagined strangling the Scarecrow.

[Deleted]

Vicki could tell by Riddler’s pursed lips that he was annoyed with her, and, quite honestly, she was beginning to feel the same way about him.  She had put in a full day at work, and she was exhausted.  The last thing she needed was to be looked down the nose by Riddler and talked to like some uneducated peon.  Her back stiffened when he asked her the question about the “F” on the student’s paper.  What if the teacher hadn’t taught the material correctly or in a way that the student could understand it?  The teacher would be at fault.  But then again, what if the student hadn’t paid attention, refused to learn, didn’t apply the information by doing homework, or didn’t study?  Then the student earned the failing grade.  Truth be known, maybe they both needed to take the responsibility for it.

From what Riddler was telling her, Vicki surmised that Nina knew the dangerous situation she was getting into by involving herself with Riddler and simply ignored the warning signs.  What Riddler was saying about the police reports were true.  She had, in fact, read them herself.  There were no signs of a brutal attack, no indication of breaking and entering, and no evidence that Riddler had even committed the heinous act, except for Dr. Stenet’s sworn statement that she had given to the police.  Vicki could see Riddler winning his case in court, but pleading the fifth amendment would be a herculean task for him.  The way he seemed to enjoy hearing himself talk, she doubted he could ever stay completely silent for very long.

Vicki thought it strange that Riddler was confessing his actions to her now.  Was he just venting, or was he clearing his conscious as well?  She couldn’t figure out the answer to Riddler’s second question.   Nina could’ve stopped him the same way she survived?  Vicki let out an exasperated sigh.  She hated riddles.  Plus, she was also too tired to think.

Vicki replayed the interview with Dr. Stenet in her mind and tried to remember the riddle Nina had failed to answer correctly.  “What quacks like a duck and waddles like a duck, but isn’t a duck?”  The first answer that came to Vicki’s mind was Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. the Penguin, but she didn’t know if she was correct or not, and she wasn’t about to bring the riddle to Riddler’s attention for fear of being ridiculed for not knowing the answer.

So, Vicki recalled Nina saying she wasn’t at fault in all this.  And now Riddler was saying he wasn’t at fault.  Well, one thing Vicki did know: Both Riddler and Nina were nutcases and deserved each other.

Vicki’s eyes widened when Riddler snatched the notepad and pen from her hands and began giving her a lecture about her misguided focus.  His visual really pissed her off, especially when he started tapping the drawn circle with the pen to keep her attention.  And, yes, he confirmed in that moment that he was insulted by her “stupid” assumption that this had been a crime of passion, the consequence of a lover scorned.

Her eyes widened when he placed the pad back into her hand, and then brazenly hooked the pen on her blouse between her breasts.  His smirk afterward frosted her.

When his eyes locked on hers, she was shocked to hear that Dr. Nina Stenet meant absolutely nothing to him.  He had made her an example to prove her worthlessness - - to his collegue and to Nina.  It may have been strategic and not personal, but it was also very cold, calculated, and cruel.

Vicki couldn’t believe all the mean things Riddler said about Dr. Stenet after that.  Again, he re-emphasized that he didn’t have any feelings for Nina whatsoever.  He considered Nina a disgusting, obnoxious bore that played people for the fool.  His strong language made Vicki uncomfortable and angry.

With a stern look in her eye, Vicki handed Riddler her notepad and pen again.  “Here.  Why don’t you just write the article yourself?  I’ve heard enough.  I’m done.”

[Deleted]

His eyes widened for a brief moment as the notepad was handed back to him. It quickly turned to a displeased frown. He did not like being mocked, but as he noted the exhaustion in her voice, he became slightly confused. What reporter would dismiss this golden opportunity for a one on one interview with the Riddler? He was by far the most entertaining and intelligent man in Gotham City. Thousands of people would want to read about him, but this girl was just dismissing his story, as if it….dare he say…bored her…
Edward was not boring.

“I most certainly could write it myself, and it would be the most accurate well written piece of journalism ever to come out of the B ranked newspaper, but if I wrote it myself, people would believe there would be bias. It would defeat the point,” he stated with the flick of the wrist.

His eyes focusing back on her, taking in the subtle changes in her body language, trying to answer the riddle. “What I fine more curious, is what has suddenly changed your mind? A few seconds ago, you were devouring my body with your eyes. Yes, I noticed. And now, you appear like someone has decided to shove a stick up your ass, and that’s what is causing your pursed expression. You’re heart going on to Dr. Stenet? Or…” he smirked, “are you taking my little critiques too personally?”

He rolled his candy in his mouth as he smiled. “You must realize that too me, a genius, no one can compare to my intellectual skill. However, it’s nice to know that a beautiful woman cares about what I think.”

[Deleted]

In the moment, Vicki had no idea how Riddler was going to respond to her comment about ending the interview.  She knew it was an unexpected disappointment for him, revealed by his wide-eyed expression and then the frown on his face as he took the pad and pen from her.  She expected the lecture that followed, but she was determined not to react in any way.  Bracing herself, she took the scolding like the professional she was.

Labeling The Gotham Gazette a “B-ranked newspaper” got under Vicki’s fingernails a little.  It was the most popular periodical in town, outselling even The Daily Planet on a daily basis.  She wasn’t blinded by Riddler’s stunning good looks any longer.  She saw the truth - - she knew the truth, just like Riddler did.  It was a no-brainer.  Without her writing his story, no one would read it.  "Vicki Vale” was a household name; she definitely had a fan-following.

She blinked when he flicked his wrist.  Then she felt a moment of awkwardness as his eyes settled on her.  He seemed perplexed, like she was his latest puzzle and he was trying to figure her out.  His blunt comment about her checking him out earlier was spot-on, and, in a way, she was pleased that he had been flattered by the attention.  She tensed when he asked her about her having sympathy for Dr. Stenet.  The rolling of the candy in his mouth got her attention, which brought her eyes back to his face, his lips, and his gorgeous smile.

“Yes,” she agreed, “believe it or not, I do care what you think, Edward.  I may not agree with your perspective, but it’s your story, not mine.  In all fairness, you have a right to tell that story, just like Dr. Stenet had her opportunity.   Just keep in mind that Nina will probably contact me about another interview after this hits the stands.  Something tells me she’s not the number-one fan or the president of your fan club anymore.   Not that she ever was.”

With that, Vicki carefully eased the notepad and pen from Riddler’s hand.  “Okay, let’s do this,” she sighed, getting her second wind.  “Let’s take it from the top, shall we?  Cut to the chase.  What do you want my readers to know, Edward?  What was so grossly exaggerated, misleading, untrue, or omitted by Dr. Stenet?  How would you have worded things?”

As she paused to hear the answers to her questions, she couldn’t help but stare at Edward’s kissable lips with anticipation for them to part and open.

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The lollipop rolled on his tongue as the smile grew wider on his lips with her agreement to write the article. He had little doubt she ever wouldn’t. He was giving her a first person interview with the Riddler, that in itself was a story, that any person could write hours and hours about. Edward was certainly a muse to any journalists or author with literary skills that recognize his pure rare and godly attributes.

“If the good Doctor wishes to argue her point, she may, and I will not stand in her way, as long as the people know the correct version of the tale, my version. I merely want people to not see her as a victim in this situation. I did not force her to do anything. I did force her to come live in my penthouse apartment. I did not force her to wear the clothing I bought for her. I did not force her to take my private jet to travel the world with me. I did not force her into any of it. She chose the life because she wanted to. I merely do not want to be held responsible for the consequences that come with living in my lifestyle. That is the truth. She made her bed, and I hope the rest of the world allows her to sleep in it,” he stated with a shrug.

“That is my side. If you have any more questions, I am more than willing to take them, dear, but I must leave before the firefighters break open the elevator,” he took a step closer to her, merely humoring himself in her reactions. He had to admit that she was certainly an attractive woman.

“I do have one question for you before I go,” he pulled out his lollipop, as his voice dropped below a whisper and his lips moved closer to hers, “Have you ever wanted something that you know is far too dangerous for you?”