Memories Lost (The One They Know)

Chapter Two: Back To The End

So I've been working at Arkham for three weeks now. You know, the creepy, run-down and constantly-having-safety-breaches home for the mentally and criminally insane?
I've never had so much fun in my life.
The guards and doctors just make fun of me, but that's okay, the inmates always 'persuade' them to leave me alone. I think I'm friends with them which is great because I haven't ever really had friends before. I know it's dangerous but I gotta enjoy it while I last, right?
I like Bane the most, he's been super difficult in the therapy sessions but he never speaks to any of the other doctors. Eddie and I are pretty close... I'm not so sure about the others though.
I think they won't kill me as long as I feed them. Which is basically friendship anyway.
I got the entire weekend off for some reason so now I'm in the inmates social room. I was watching a really bad sitcom with Harvey Dent and Jonathan Crane.
"What is she so afraid of?" I muttered when the woman on the screen started screaming, flicking a spider off her hand.
Jonathan's eyes went dark. "Not afraid of spiders, ey?"
I kept my eyes fixed on the TV. "Nope."
"So which is it? Snakes? Falling? The Dark? Failure?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm afraid of how predictable you are."
He bristled. "Excuse me?" His voice was like nails going down a chalkboard.
I turned to him. "What are you afraid of?"
"Im not afraid of anything. I'm the King of Fear!"
I stared at him blankly for a moment. "Are you afraid of fear?"
Now Harvey was listening to our conversation.
"Of course not, fear is power."
"But not you're own fear. Your own fear is your own weakness, and you know it. The only way to overcome it is to embrace it. Like Batman."
"You think I'm afraid of my own fear?"
"I think you're afraid of your own weaknesses, especially if they're discovered. It's a good fear, Johnny. Almost as good as mine." I teased.
"So what's your fear?"
I smiled at him. "I have thaasophobia."
He looked irritated. "How am I supposed to work with the fear of boredom?"
"I guess in that way I'm pretty boring." I laughed. Then he turned to me.
"There has to be more. What would you see if I sprayed you with my toxin?"
I shrugged.
"You don't fear dying?" Harvey asked.
I almost laughed. "No but I suppose I may have the same as you do."
He frowned.
"My other half. My evil side. The possibility of it."
"Well at least that's something." Johnny murmured.
I gave him a sly grin. "What do you see when you're sprayed with your toxin?"
He went red. "Nothing. I master all fear."
TwoFace emerged to laugh at him. "That's not true, I heard him one night, when he tested a batch on himself."
"If you don't shut up now I'm going to makes your darkest nightmares come true." Scarecrow hissed. Harvey ignored him.
"You'll never believe it. He made me swear not to tell any of the guys but I guess it downtown include you."
TwoFace snorted.
"Why? What was it?" I asked, turning to Johnny. "If you don't tell me, TwoFace will."
"Hell yeah."
Johnny scowled. "Then you can't tell anyone either."
I grabbed his hand and enabled the eternal oath of a pinky swear. "Cross my heart."
"Don't laugh either... It was forever ago... It's not a real fear..."
"Just tell me!" I urged.
"It was.... A girl."
I couldn't help but laugh.
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(Present Day)
Jonathan smiled when he recounted the story to Eddie, or Riddler. He wasn't afraid to admit his embarrassing fear-dream to his best friend, especially when he was still sulky from Lily's Death.
"I'd never seen her laugh so hard in her life." He continued. "Well, until Bane started opening up."
Eddie smiled and twirled his question mark cane in his hands. "He must be taking this pretty hard."
Jonathan raised an eyebrow at his friend. "And I suppose you've hardly noticed." He said, referring to the large bottle of whiskey on the table in front of them.
Eddie glared at him and dropped the cane. "She understood my riddles. She was intelligent and the world needs more of that."
Jonathan crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. They were in Riddler's lair, so it wasn't very comfortable. "Just admit that you miss her. I have. You've barely acknowledged her death since it actually happened."
"What's there to acknowledge?"
"Her father maybe! You said you figured out who it was, so talk to him, tell him about her."
"What's the point?"
Jonathan stood up, scraping the chair back. "The point? The point is that she died for us. Her last message to the world-"
"She was dying anyway, she didn't even tell us."
"Her last message was for us. To help us!"
"We could've helped her, you and I. She didn't even trust us, how can we trust anything she did?"
Jonathan was outraged. "Are you blind or are you really stupid?" Eddie frowned. "Everything that happened-"
"But I-"
"-everything she did, even when it hurt your poor little feelings was to help us. She's the Aston we're not in Arkham right now. You bloody idiot! You are allowed to be upset, but at least admit why!"
Eddie was standing now. "That's not why I'm upset."
"Oh please, are you mad she outsmarted you, you little arse, that doesn't matter. She died protecting us."
"How dare you call me that-"
"Well you are! You're an arse for being angry. She's dead, Riddler. She cared about us- about you- and now she's dead!"
"But that's the thing!" Eddie shouted. "Is she really?"
Jonathan faultered. "What do you- of course she is."
"Think about it! She was clever, maybe she had a backup plan!"
"Are you even listening to yourself?"
"And if not that- then Bane must've done something. We never actually cremated her, I know ash! It wasn't hers. Then after the funeral he disappeared! He could've saved her somehow."
Jonathan shook his head. "You saw him, there's no way he could've done that."
"No but her old mentor could've. Didn't Rha have that Lazarus pit or something..."
"You told me the science wasn't proven yet."
"But there's still a-"
"Stop! Eddie, you were friends, I get that, but enough's enough. She's dead and you need to accept that."
He picked the bottle of whiskey from the table and took a swig before handing it to his friend. "To Lily?"
Eddie reluctantly took the bottle. "To Lily." He mumbled.
Suddenly the TV across the room switched on. "Emergency Broadcast" was written across the screen. The two men looked at each other, confused, before walking forward and awaiting the urgent news.
An image flashed onscreen and Eddie dropped the bottle. Alcohol poured out in great chugs and pooled around his feet.
Lily smiled at the camera. "Hello Gotham. Miss me?
Cruel laughter filled the air before the TV shut down, the signal probably being intercepted by the police.
Everything was quiet. A chill filled the air.
Eddie looked at Jonathan, a look of grim determination on his face.
"Told you so."