Nina's Apartment

[Deleted]

He sat down on the couch, casually leaning his cane up against the coffee table. The apartment he sat in seemed to be in pristine perfect condition. There appeared to be nothing out of order. Every book was perfectly organized, every personal memento seemed to be placed there on purpose, and every dish was organized in its particular cupboard. He couldn’t say he was surprised by the appearance of the apartment. From what he gathered from his investigation, the woman had her schedule, and hers alone. However, the cleanliness could just be the cause of her never being at home. After watching her for a few days, he had determined that the majority of her time was spent at work. He was actually surprised he had even met her at the museum with how rarely she leaves Wayne Enterprises. He half expected her to have a mattress and toothbrush set up at work with all the late nights she spent there…even on the weekends.

So when he broke into her apartment, he was not taken aback by her presence missing. Instead he decided to make himself at home until she returned. It would either take hours or the entire night, but he had no problem waiting. It would give him time to think over everything he observed including her response to his riddle. He felt his jaw tighten for a moment in frustration. At first, he watched as she intentionally grabbed the newspaper in search of his riddle. He felt a sense of pride in knowing the only reason she was picking it up was because of him. He hadn’t seen her pick up a newspaper until his riddle was release, the change in pattern could only be a cause of something different: himself. I’m ruffling her feathers more then she let on, he had thought proudly. Before he released the riddle, her attitude still appeared unshaken which again had frustrated him to no end. It was what drove him to creating such a difficult riddle. He wanted to challenge her and remind her that their game wasn’t over. Her sudden interest to the news only proved that her calm exterior might only be an act. He had been looking forward to her glances over her shoulder, and her jumpiness of sudden noises. He had prepared to see uneasiness in her expression. He had been ready to see respect for him in her eyes.

Did he get respect?

No.

The next time he saw her she appeared as if nothing had changed. She went to work as normally. She had her causal but short chats as always.

Nothing! Nothing had happened.

He puzzled over her strange reactions. Had she solved the riddle? Did she realize the actual crossword was a distraction to the true riddle that was actually hidden within the clues? Had she counted in the number of letter based on the clue’s number then organized it appropriately? Did she realize finding each letter found within each clue you could make a sentence based on the number of the clue? It would then spell out: Where does a woman belong? Did she then figure out the purposeful taunt behind his riddle?

Where does a woman belong?

In the home.

It was supposed to be an insult to all of her success. Had she figured it out?

Did she realize he planned to kidnap her within her own home, and just planned on avoiding it?

He had scolded himself for making the riddle too easy, but then she returned home…unaffected. It was then he realized, she hadn't solved the riddle. She just wasn’t frightened of him. She didn’t even care about his riddle that had taken hours of his time. She didn’t care.

He felt his grip tighten on the cushion of the couch. This woman….this woman….who shouldn’t even be worth the time it took for him to dust off a piece of dirt from his jacket…had managed to lodge herself under his skin. Like a tapeworm that continues to suck the life from its inhabitant, she was slowly draining him of his senses. And similarly to those unfortunate to body the disgusting creature, he can’t help but continue to feed it out of mere curiosity. He let out a disgruntle sigh. He had to give her some credit, his mind had completely forgotten about the throbbing pain in his leg.

“Robby,” he stated almost bored to the boy that was fiddling in the kitchen. He heard something clash and some quick worried curses before the boy came out to the living room.

His blond hair shagged into his face making him look even younger then he actually was. “Y-yeah Boss,” he stuttered out.

The boy’s grey eyes always glanced downwards in fear, but also respect. At least some people knew how to treat the Riddler. “Can you grab me one of her books on microbiology. I’m certain she will have hundreds on it,” he commented. The boy nodded in a hurry and ran to the bookshelf.

Edward decided to get more comfortable since they could be waiting for a long period of time. Everything and everyone was in place, and he had back up plan after back up plan if one thing did not go the way he intended. He unbuttoned his pin stripe jacket revealing the large question mark as he molded more into the comfortable couch. A few moments later, Robby, shaking, handed him a large book. Edward didn’t even give the title a second glance. He opened up to the table of context and quickly found the section about his favorite human organ: the brain.

They stayed like that. The Riddler reading a book causally as if the home he had intruded was his while Robby paced back and forth nervously. The minutes ticked by into hours until eventually they both heard the doorknob moving.

Robby froze like a deer in headlights shooting his eyes straight to the door, but the Riddler continued to read as if he was deaf to the whole occurrence. The only thing that could have tipped anyone to him knowing the pawn’s entrance into the game would have been the smirk playing on his lips.

[Nina Stenet]

Since discarding the crossword, Nina gave the issue of The Riddler as little thought as possible. Which certainly isn't none - she'd felt the possible threat nagging at the back of her mind and knew it wouldn't quit until she knew for sure whether or not she was his next target. But she wouldn't let that come between herself and her work. No, the decision she'd made when she tossed out the crossword was a decision that she applied to the rest of her situation - there were some things that were much more important than The Riddler, and they got priority.

Of course, every decision has its consequences, and the consequence of tossing out the crossword is that Nina is caught quite off-guard by what she sees when she opens the door to her apartment. Surprise, dismay, anger, relief, frustration, and resignation seem to compete as the dominant expression on her face for a moment as she freezes in the doorway and takes in The Riddler sitting so casually on her couch and the boy looking in her direction. But with surprising quickness and a sharp exhale her expression becomes composed and she sounds just a little disappointed when she quietly asks, "Can't resist poking the dragon just to see what it does, can you?"

Oh, how she'd hoped that she'd seen the last of him at the museum! If Nina had known that it would instead come to this she probably would have chosen to do something more there, but though she had her suspicions she'd still had that hope. Given her luck lately, she should have known better. But she does know better than to assume that this situation is only what it appears to be - having observed him in action at the museum, she has to assume instead that he's very prepared for this. At the very least he thinks he has the situation under control, and that would take more than just himself and the boy unless he's excessively underestimating her even more than she dares hope.

Uncertain what she's just gotten herself into, Nina remains exactly where she is in the doorway; she'd rather not have to make any hasty decisions until she knows more about the situation, and in the meantime she might as well give The Riddler every opportunity to get the impression that he indeed is in control. Already she can see several gaping holes that she can exploit if she feels that she really has to, even without knowing what else he may have planned. But as long as those holes require too much of a show of her power and don't seem absolutely necessary, she'll note them but not act on them; already she fears what may happen if she meets him a third or fourth time if this doesn't go well.

[Deleted]

He calmly shut his book as he looked up at her with one arch eyebrow. It gave off a strange innocent expression, but the amusement on his face still couldn’t go unnoticed. Her words reminded him why he had such a curiosity with her to begin with. She had wit. Not a common aspect to be found in today’s society. He couldn’t even be bothered to be irritated with her assumption of power. However, that might be something to do with fact that he could tell his presence was unsettling to her. Her calm exterior was the appearance she chose to show, but his peripheral vision did not miss the emotions that flooded on her face at first sighting.

He smiled at her as he spoke sweetly, “Aw my dear, I can never step away from a puzzle before it has been solved even if there are dangers involved. The things we do for our passions.” He paused for a moment studying her stiff form in the doorway. He already had another plan if she made a run for it, but she appeared too confident in herself to actually leave. Another underestimate on your part. Still, he would try to lure her in with false words. “However, I don’t see how I am ‘poking,’ as you bluntly put it, when all I am doing is enjoying this book as I wait for the company of an intellectual counterpart,” he stated with the wave of his hand as if the situation could not be seen as odd at all.

His kid lackie, though, was still frozen stiff. The boy heard dragon, and immediately recognized the hint of danger. He was too much a coward for his own good, but Edward had to appreciate the fact that his fear would stop the boy from suggesting or saying stupid comments that tended to drive his leg to edge of pain. For now, he could be ignored until his plan came into way, but he did find it humorous that the boy automatically went for the gun in his holster, waiting to pull it out at any moment. Edward felt no need to use a weapon on the woman. He only brought his pistol for the comfort of it always being at his side…almost like the tootsie pops that were always in his pocket. He had already determined that she was immune to guns in some form or another. Why try something that you know would not work? It was why this kidnapping situation had to go a certain way instead of his usual gunpoint then drug. It was more of a challenge, and god did he love challenges.

[Nina Stenet]

"Indeed," Nina has to agree with regard to passions. If she weren't so passionate about her work, then she certainly wouldn't be in this situation. In a way she'd chosen this over taking any effort away from her own passion. There are things she could have done to avoid it, but the only ones likely to have been effective would have so hampered her work that even now she couldn't regret those choices.

His comment on her analogy is so ridiculous that Nina can't help but give an amused exhale and point out the obvious, "You broke into my home." If that doesn't qualify as a poke, then she's not sure what does! "But I suppose that another dragon feels that he's safe to play that game," she continues, "But that doesn't mean it's a wise game to play even so." What that a small hint of respect? Perhaps - she does have to give them man credit for his intelligence and the dangerous uses he has for it. But in nearly the same breath she can't also help but disrespect pretty much everything else about him more than enough to counterbalance that.

And she's not about to be lured into a false sense of security by his attempt to sound more innocent than he is. If he wants to find out what she knows he wants to know about her, he's not going to be able to do so by simply talking to her. And she has to assume that he knows that, which means at best this is a precursor to something else. "If all you wanted was intelligent company, you could have called me," she remarks dryly, though there's an odd ring of truth to those words that Nina herself doesn't quite catch.

Despite how much of her attention is directed toward The Riddler, it's not undivided enough for her to not notice that the boy still looks afraid of her. She glances in his direction and comments, "I never hurt anyone who doesn't try to hurt me first." But though there's just a hint more of kindness in her expression and tone as she talks to the boy than she's directed at The Riddler, that it's a comment on his actions and not on his youth is a small hint that she does not consider him to be immune to retaliation if the situation calls for it. The only thing his youth changes is where she assigns blame.

[Deleted]

Edward watched as the boy’s shoulders naturally relaxed at the comment, but of course when the boy realized he had caught the attention of his boss he stiffened again. Edward wasn’t sure exactly the emotion that had decided to crawl in the back of his mind and sit there like a predator cat, but he felt distaste for his employee at the moment. While normally he could associate that irritation to the kid's stupidity, the boy had not uttered a word. Instead it was the woman across from him who had spoken…quite kindly. He couldn’t say he was surprise. She put up this wall of apathy, but she generally cared for others. He had caught it a few times in his investigation, and once again he saw it here.

If he were to be truly honest with himself he was irritated that her kindness had not ever been directed at him, but he would never admit that. Besides her smart and condescending remarks were what humored him in the first place. Kindness presented no mystery. Kindness was a mere factor of ethical code that was created through a flawed society. It had no use in the challenge of minds. He found himself smirking at her comment about telephoning her. He even caught her own smile for a fraction of a moment. She didn’t expect kindness from him, and in some ways, he liked to think that she enjoyed this banter as much as he did. “While I agree calling you would have been the logical step, unfortunately I forgot to ask for your number at our last meeting,” he stated unable to hide the humor in his voice as he reached into his pocket for his phone. He couldn’t get over the strangeness of this woman. If he hadn’t been here to kidnap her, he would have almost thought they were flirting…and well maybe he was. “It’s a problem easily solved,” he commented as his eyes locked with hers from across the room. He held it trying to see if he could get a better understanding into her mind. He wanted to dig pass the uncaring mask she put on. He hoped to see a glimpse of that small smile that rarely appeared….no. He wanted to see a glimpse of respect, he corrected himself.

“However, since I am already here,” he said finally breaking eye contact, “I have a proposition for you, and luckily this proposition is better presented in person.” He opened his hand out to the couch across from him to suggest to her to come inside. Her decision here would decide exactly which plan he would be forced to use. He did hope plan B would not have to be taken into action because it was more violent then his other plan, and he would feel sad if he knew he was the cause of damaging the pretty face. While he chewed over his own options his face only showed his default smug smirk.

[Nina Stenet]

In truth Nina has many kind thoughts even for The Riddler. She'd had them from the first moment she saw him and despite finding out who he was and the threat to herself, she still has them. But those thoughts have been shoved far into the background of her mind where they won't get in the way - empathizing too much with a threat makes fighting that threat more difficult. It is, perhaps, how she manages to be a nice person and a tough person at the same time; kindness has a time and a place, and she doesn't think that it's called for here and now aside from that one quick comment to the boy.

No, this is a time to set aside both that and the anger at this trespass of her home, and instead focus in on the situation at hand. Those feelings are not acute enough to not be set aside until a better time. "You mean to tell me you found my address before you found my phone number?" she asks with mock skepticism and a touch of amusement on her face. If she's honest with herself, she actually does partway enjoy talking to him - it's a challenge. Of course, the part that she doesn't like is that feeling that she has to be so very careful with every word and action. And that's what's most easily seen behind her passive expression - that blend of confidence and caution of someone doing something that's tricky but not so tricky that they're too worried.

When he gestures to the other couch, Nina only hesitates for a half second or so before she moves toward it. She's fully aware that this might be her walking into a trap, but then again she may have already inadvertently walked into the trap, and she has her doubts about just how well The Riddler would design a trap for her in the first place. He still knows nearly nothing, she reminds herself as she closes the door behind her. She deposits her briefcase next to the couch before settling into it with a quiet sigh. She'd put in a long day at work, though she's more tired in body than in mind just now. "I'm listening," she says the moment she's seated, not bothering to hide the edge of suspicion in her voice. When a criminal breaks into your home to give you a proposition in person, odds are that it's not going to be fully pleasant.

[Deleted]

Oh goodie! Edward’s face at the moment probably looked like a fat kid who just entered a candy store with a gift certificate. He did love when people were mature about difficult situations. He caught the suspicion in her eyes, but the mere fact that she had sat down was a good sign. He still couldn’t determine whether the reason she chose to play along with him was out of irritation or her own curiosity. He hoped for the later, but the tired look on her face made it seem like she was only doing this to humor him. But he shouldn’t be too curious on her reasoning as long as it lead to the same end.

He felt himself lean off the back of the couch and towards her as a playful smirk danced his lips. He didn’t lean in too close to come off threatening, but close enough to make his words seem important. “You see I understand you have a problem,” he said with the causal wave of his hand, “The problem obviously being the fact that you have a well known criminal sitting in your living room. Now this present two issues immediately. First, the well known criminal is also known to be dangerous which could or could not lead to physical or mental harm to yourself.” He paused for a moment his eyes falling to his nails as if he had lost interest in the conversation before continuing, “Secondly, you have had past affairs with this very criminal that the police are somewhat aware of. This is only presents a problem if I leave here with both you and I completely unharmed. Why? Well I can only assume the police deductive reasoning will lead them to believe that you are not the victim in this situation, but rather an accomplice. Why else would I travel to your apartment so soon after the robbery, but to pay your cut? The video camera catching me entering the building with a wad of cash will only further that conclusion.” He stopped speaking as he looked back at her with a smirk. He always felt the entertainment of trapping a person with words. He savored it for a moment before continuing, “So basically you have yourself quite a riddle, but luckily I’m a genius and have a talent for solving such trivial things. I already actually have the solution if you are willing to hear it out.”

Yes, he had ranted just a bit. It was a horrible habit of his, but the excitement of all of it was tingling along his skin. Besides while his words were truthful, he meant them more playfully then threatening. How she actually took it did not bother him the slightest.

[Nina Stenet]

The fact that Nina chose to sit is really of little consequence to her. It's not like her physical positioning has any effect on what's really keeping her safe in this situation. And so long as what's asked of her is so trivial she might as well play along to keep everything as relaxed as possible - something she's not sure she can maintain this time, but no need to ruffle too many feathers too soon. Besides, it's definitely more comfortable to be sitting on the couch than standing in the doorway.

It should come as no surprise to anyone able to recognize patterns in situations that Nina's first reaction to The Riddler's explanation of the situation is an unaffected blink, and after that she has another moment to process it, she actually smiles just a little - does he really think that it's that easy to frighten her? His first point is already very much in mind, but as for the second... "Yes, that is only a problem if you leave here with both of us unharmed," she repeats almost verbatim. Does he assume that she either can't or won't act against him? Perhaps he does, given that she didn't put up any sort of a fight in the museum and hasn't yet here. But this is an entirely different situation, and she's not done figuring out the best course of action here yet. Every option is still on the table. "And that also assumes that I can't come up with several logical explanations for whatever happens here, and am unwilling or unable to tell them the entire truth, including proof, if need be and..." she cuts herself off before she can launch into a rant of her own.

She shrugs that off and adds, "Oh, but I'm being rude; what was your idea?" All of this ranting is actually just a little annoying to her. She'd rather he just cut to the chase and tell her what, exactly, his intentions for being here are. Because until then she won't know just how dire of a situation she is in and just how hard she'll have to fight to get herself out of it.

[Deleted]

He found himself smirking again at her condescending remarks. Yes, it had bothered him the same way it bothers someone when a fly tags along your food, but she had proven once again that her ego was just as large as his. Instead of bowing her head in respect that she lost, she had to prove to him that she could still find another solution. She had to be right. She had to be in control. He was starting to realize the reasons he found interest in her were the same reasons he liked looking in the mirror. Of course there were major differences between them, but that overwhelming confidence seemed on par with his.

So instead of frowning or muttering something unkind he smiled as he fell back into the couch cushions once again. “I don’t expect you to know the basics of etiquette, so I will graciously accept your apology.”

Okay so he couldn’t stop the snide remark. It was part of his charm.

“But as I was saying, I have a solution…a little game...if you win,” he points to her form that seemed focus and determined on deciphering him. He still couldn’t get over the look of control she managed to hold even though the situation was entirely in his hands. “you may call the police department and I will stay here until they come for my arrest. If I win all you have to do is answer a riddle. Now before you answer,” he held up one finger to stop her from speaking, “I will first inform you that the riddle I plan to give, if I win, will not be a direct question of your abilities. There’s no point in solving a puzzle if you look at the instructions. So my dear, do you want to play?”

His hand fell back down to his pants. He reached into his pocket for a lollipop as he awaited her answer.

[Nina Stenet]

It would be so easy for Nina to dismiss the idea outright. She may feel that she has this situation more or less under control, but she'd have to be an idiot to rely too much on the idea that she could beat The Riddler at what he does best. On the other hand, she's looking for a way out of this, and here might be something she can work with...

"I'm afraid that I can't agree to those terms," she says thoughtfully after taking a moment to ponder, "I don't care about that prize. There's only one thing I want from you, and that's not it; and I'm not even sure that you're able to give it to me. Though you may very well get what you want anyway if you are able to give me what I want - in fact, what you want is out of the question otherwise. So if those are your only terms, I'm going to have to decline." It's not that she's unwilling to play whatever his little game is if she can get something from him with it, it's that he's asked for one of the few things she's unwilling to risk and offering something she has no need for - the exact opposite of a good deal. Though hopefully this will prod him into offering something more acceptable.

And that she's willing to be so firm in the face of The Riddler speaks volumes about just how confident she feels right now. In fact, a small part of her finds it somewhat entertaining that he continues to sit there so smugly. If only he knew what she could do to him with nothing more than a thought... As she'd noted in the museum, that arrogance of his was a weakness. So much a weakness that she has to keep reminding herself to look at the big picture. Sure the man is in well over his head at the moment and doesn't know it, but if she's not careful that could easily change. And whatever else happens now, she'll have to face the consequences of it - a small victory now could result in a catastrophic defeat later. And thanks to her unwillingness to kill she's fairly certain that there will be a 'later' of some sort. It may prove better to accept a small defeat now that she can recover from. So while she can afford to be confident, she can't afford not to be just as careful.

[Deleted]

It takes all of his willpower not to yank the gun out of the waist ban of his pants and put a bullet straight between her eyes. If he hadn’t reminded himself that she was somehow immune to the object, he would have. The gull of this woman! He couldn’t remember the last time he had been treated with such little respect. Okay that wasn’t completely true…he remembered the blood bath after each incident. The last time it had happened, he had taken his cane and battered the man’s brains into the floor. He remembered the sickening thud of his metal cane connecting with hair, skin, and bone….until the thud sound turned softer. He remembered the smirk that danced on his face as his breathing slowed, and the riddle he offered to the disfigured face.

Riddle me this, why do your elders deserve respect?

There was a reason Robby was frightened of him like a whore to her pimp. The guy’s brains that had decorated their wood floorboards had been one of the boy's best friends. Did this woman truly not understand the danger he held to her? Obviously not. He had been too lenient on her to begin with. He would have gladly corrected the mistake if he knew the true extent of her abilities. Edward Nigma was no fool. What ever her power was she believed it to be a far superior to his threat. And while he was fairly certain it probably was, he also knew she wouldn’t use it out of harm.

He had watched her go out of her way a few times to help people. She had found a wallet once on the ground with no information, but a large sum of cash. She turned it in. How did he know? He had left it for her and watched as she quietly and calmly walked to the nearest vendor and offered it to them to find the owner. What had the vendor done with his money? He did what any self interest human being would do…put it in his pocket.

This woman’s kindness, good morals, or some sick of justice kept her chained from doing anything needed against him just as Edward's lack of information kept him from doing anything against her. They were in stalemate.

He hated it.

He almost wanted to skip his first plan and go straight to his second. Forget his attempts to challenge her with a respectful game he would just take her. She obviously held no respect for him why should he give her any. She was only a mere percentage of the dread unintelligent human race. His jaw locked as he thought over the decision. He would love to just move to plan B, but plan B was not nearly as efficient as his first one. He couldn’t just skip over his first plan without even attempting it.

He kept his smirk firmly in place out of force, but his eyes closed as he let out an annoyed sigh. The true issue was swallowing his own pride that had been shot then stabbed consecutively until finally kicked to death by this woman.

The smirk finally fell from his face forming a straight thin line. His eyes stayed closed as he spoke calmly, but quietly, “What is it that you want?”

“Je suis un génie trouver un sens à votre besoin trivial devrait être assez facile pour moi. Vous ennuyeux femme égoïste,” he added not even realizing he was speaking French…except for the last part that he meant for her not to understand.

It was becoming one of the many habits of the Riddler. Anger seemed to mold his languages together in his mind, and seemingly calm him at the same time. It was probably why sometimes he did it subconsciously. He opened his eyes with a wide smile feeling much better about the situation, but if she tested him one more time...well he didn’t need her alive did he?

English: I am a genius meaning finding your trivial needs should be quite easy for me, you annoying egotistical woman.

(OOC: decided I should add translations lol)

[Nina Stenet]

Anger again, Nina notes to herself when he sighs, as any change in his overall self-satisfaction seems to be a comparative rarity. Once again, she hadn't intended to get that reaction, though perhaps this time she deserved it. She does have a tendency to poke back, after all. You're supposed to stand up to bullies to get them to leave you alone, aren't you?

At the very least, she's certain that she's not going to be able to convince him to give her what she wants by being nice: "To be neither your toy nor your pawn; neither played with nor coerced. I'd have your sincere promise on that. That's all," she answers simply, her voice suddenly quiet because of her doubt that it will happen. But notably, the way she emphasizes that one word seems to indicate that there's some extra meaning to it for Nina. At least when she's paying attention, she's nearly impossible to lie to even if you know how she detects such things, and if such a promise were ever made she certainly would be paying attention.

And that's all she decides to do now, deciding perhaps that it might be a good idea to avoid upsetting him further if she can - even though unlike the Russian, Nina does have some understanding of French. It's a language that shares much with English and Latin, after all, and she knows both of those. But he may as well have said it in English for all the feelings it would hurt. So long as he has such a poor understanding of her as a person, his opinion of her will not matter to her.

And a poor understanding is certainly what he has if he thinks that those traits that make her a 'good person' will stay her hand. Most of her restraint with her gift at the moment is because a mystery with no clues is unsolvable - the only act forbidden to her by her personal moral code is killing a person, and only because she has alternatives. Everything else is only subject to whether or not she deems the action 'justified' which, being a very loose rule to follow, could mean anything. If it weren't for her other reason to not use her gift around The Riddler, she certainly would have done a number of things by now. Then again, even those things she would have done would have shown a marked level of restraint on her part.

[Deleted]

She knew French…or at least enough to understand him. He almost laughed at the slight agitation that would have gone unnoticed by anyone less than himself. Of course, the agitation could be more related to an eye roll than anger at his insult.

Her demand was interesting and he even felt his eyebrow crawl up his forehead in confusion yet understanding. She could have asked for anything, and he probably would have no time supplying it. Instead she asked for such a tedious request. He could easily not associate with her after this event.

But if he doesn’t solve the puzzle now…could he just let it go?

Did he ever let a puzzle go?

No, he solved every challenge set in front of him. He found himself smirking at her previous statement, I’m not sure you’re able to give it to me. Just as he had deduced her own personality, she seemed to be doing the same to him. She knew letting go of the riddle was not something the Riddler could easily do…it was not something the Riddler could ever do! His lips almost started to form the words, No, next idea, but he stopped himself.

He only had to give her that strange outlandish request if she won. Did he believe that she would actually win? A small laugh left his lips as he looked back at the woman who just appeared to be waiting patiently and uncaringly. If she did somehow miraculously win then he deserved never to figure out the riddle. It would be so pathetically beneath him to lose.

Hmm.

There was no risk in agreeing. He would win. And if by some miracle she manages to outsmart him (Ha!), and he loses he deserves to be locked up in a padded call at Arkham to wallow in his own misery.

He smirked. He would have to call off his second plan. He hated being unprepared, but the stress on sincerity did not go unnoticed. If there was one thing Edward Nigma was not, it was a liar.

He pulled out his phone in a quick sweep moment, and texted Allen who sat in the stairwell waiting patiently.

No Chloroform. Plan Canceled.

He then looked up at Nina with a glint of deviousness in his eyes. He was going to win. He was going to win this game, and solve the riddle. He held out his hand and said confidently, “Deal. If I win I get to present you with a riddle. If you win you will never hear or see Edward Nigma again.”

[Nina Stenet]

Too easy, Nina's common sense instantly informs her. She doesn't even bother checking his brain for the tell-tale signs of truth or falsehood. 'If' promises are so flimsy after all, especially when the one making it is certain that they won't have to keep it. Because if they find themselves mistaken, they are too prone to changing their mind; it's all too easy for someone to make such an agreement and mean it at that moment and not hold themselves to it afterward - she's seen it happen before.

No, she needs that promise to be made under conditions that will hold. And it also needs to be a promise that she believes he'll be able to keep, which is why his rewording of her request prompts a raised brow of her own as she points out, "I didn't say anything about not seeing or hearing you again - I just don't enjoy playing as dangerously as you seem to." Which may seem to be an odd point to correct, but having him aware that it's the manner and not the fact of him contacting her that she finds problematic could prove very important later. In fact her whole reason for even explaining what she wants at all was just so that he'd be aware of just how simple it is to put an end to all of this if he wants to, because whether now or later she fully intends to bring him to that point if she possibly can.

And does she think he'd really give up trying to figure her out after how much trouble he went through to get to this point (and how much he seems to be enjoying this)? Well, maybe, but it would probably take more than winning some game, and quite possibly include her doing things that she'd rather not do. More likely she'll have to find a way for him to satisfy his curiosity in a way that isn't harmful to her - but that's not a deal she can make with someone who feels he can treat her with so much disregard. Quite the conundrum really: how does she prove that she's powerful enough to for someone as arrogant as The Riddler to truly take seriously without revealing her power?

Which brings her to this game he's proposing. There's definitely something more to this deal he's trying to get her to commit to than meets the eye, but she has no idea what it could be. And the only easy way of finding out seems to be to agree to it and see what happens. And debating every point isn't going to help either, she notes to herself. She gives a small exhale of frustration as she leans back in the couch, and folds her arms as she allows herself a moment to consider this problem. But though she doesn't bother to hide much of the suspicion in her expression and voice, she says, "But I'll agree to that."

But that almost feels like a lie, given how sure she is that it's a terrible thing to be agreeing to. It's no doubt all a part of the larger scheme, something he's surely put a great deal of thought in, and surely counts as a step backward. Whether the game he's proposing is something too difficult for her to win or if he doesn't hold to the deal, she's certain that she's not getting what she wants out of it. But though she doesn't enjoy playing dangerously it doesn't mean that she'll shake in fear just because she has to, and perhaps playing dangerously is exactly what she'll have to do in order to get what she wants. And taking a step backward isn't a bad idea if you think you're going the wrong way.

[Deleted]

Edward frowned at her first comment. He promises to follow her ridiculous terms, and she still critiques him. Is there no pleasing this woman? To think woman wonder why men treat them poorly…woman were fickle annoying creatures.

He made sure to take note to her expressions. She seemed to be debating his offer. She obviously didn’t believe he planned to stay true to his end of the bargain, not that he would ever have too. He knew he came off manipulative, but he still had decency of a gentleman meaning he never uttered a lie.

Her eyes glanced warily at him with a trace of exhaustion. It reminded him of how an older sister looks at their younger brother. The sister doesn’t want to give her spoil brother what he wants, but she’s tired of hearing the cries and whines. The image caused his frown to deepen for a moment. He was not some annoying child.

However, when the words of agreement finally left her mouth the anger, irritation, and annoyance washed away from him. He smirked. Finally. “While you’re enthusiasm over joys me,” he remarked sarcastically, “I’m glad we can finally move on from the childish banter.” He glanced over at Robby who was fiddling with his hands near the wall.

“Robby get us two glasses,” he stated to the boy. The small blond stiffened and quickly pushed himself off the wall towards the kitchen.

Edward turned back to face Nina who again seemed disinterested in his entire existence (well pretending to be). Edward wasn’t oblivious to the thoughtful looks. “As I said before, my game of chess with you will only end if you decide to play and win. If you choose not to play…well the King can easily be placed in check,” he stated calmly as the shaggy hair kid ran over with two glasses placing it on the coffee table.

“What would you like to drink?” Edward ended pointing to the glass, “And no I am not asking if you are thirsty.”