Fatal Errors and Miscalculations

Chapter 1

The plan was perfect.

Get in at midnight. Out by one. Easy target, just some cop linked to one-too-many coverups. Leave a card, and slip away before anyone noticed.

Completely perfect.

Under the alias of 'Riddler', Edward was far above God. His killing spree was unbroken, and he was doing something for Gotham that was unmatchable by any corrupt politician or police force. He felt he was freeing the people, abandoned as he once was, and the best part? No one could stop him. No, not yet. Not until he wanted them to.

The Gotham night was harsh, pale moonlight almost always blocked out by thick layers of dark cloud, descending from the heavens like an unwanted blessing and settling on the dull streets in a choking fog. For most people, it was ugly and undesirable, forcing those not brave enough to stay out into their homes well before the evening took over. But for Edward, the unforgiving night was the perfect cover for his plan in all its perfect might.

He stalked across dull concrete like a predator following unseen prey, trailing up a partially-unhinged ladder leading into a shitty apartment, but still all too expensive for his forcefully-conditioned taste. Years of mistreatment in the orphanage left Edward desiring nothing without guilt, and knowing that this police scum was living better than him was gutwrenching. His blood seemed to boil as it pumped anger through his veins, adrenaline shooting down to his fingertips as he climbed through the window to the apartment. He landed on the floor softly, eyes darting around excitedly as he scanned desperately for his target. The familiar sound of quiet, slightly laboured breathing seemed to fill the air as the dark scene began to appear before Edward. Every visual and auditory cue formed a riddle just waiting to be solved in his mind's eye, helping him to piece together when to move, where to hide, how to strike. The sounds indicated sleep, or perhaps a state of relaxation. Not in this room, but one connected to it. Edward crept slowly towards the sound, following it into a dark doorway where a singular figure was laying down, presumably under the covers on a fairly large bed. He froze in place, watching and calculating silently. The figure didn't stir, and as his eyes slowly adjusted more and more to the dark, he could clearly see the figure's face was restful, and its eyes were closed. Asleep. Perfect.

Ten minutes exactly passed before Edward decided it was safe to move again. He had counted. He stepped slowly into the room and beside the bed, running his hand across the bedside table and placing a singular object there before kneeling down to look over the figure, finally getting a good glimpse of its face. A man. A cop. Scum. The same anger from before sat deep in his bones, driving him forward like Edward himself was a prophet of God, fixing what no other man could. With one swift, calculated movement, the dip in Edward's arm was pressed snugly into the officer's throat, cutting off his airway perfectly as he awoke immediately, struggling into the weight behind him on instinct. With a slight giggle, Edward shushed him, his hand pressed firmly into the side of the officer's head as he shook violently. The pressure around his neck only worsened as choked pleads for help got caught in his throat, but the Riddler didn't care. His eyes were set firmly on the card he had placed on the table beside them as he came in, heart racing as he wondered if the Batman was already nearby. There wasn't a second of consideration for the life in his hands anywhere in his being.

When the officer finally fell lifeless, fear still plastered on his open mouth as Edward removed his arm, the shadows around the room seemed to crawl. It was beautiful what he could do on his own, and when the Batman found this clue, it would be even better. The bigger picture would grow and bloom into something beyond everyone else, only for the two of them to share. Edward shook his hands lightly at the thought, ecstatic that he could work with someone as prestigious as Batman. He couldn't wait for them to meet when he found the next victim.