The Right Side of Wrong

All the Best Inmates Have Daddy Issues: Part 2

Veronica's POV:

No wonder his other shrinks got annoyed. He's already 10 minutes late to our appointment. Finally, he walks through the door to sit in the chair across from mine.

Riddler: "Sorry I'm late."

I don a polite smile.

Me: "Late? You're right on time."

Riddler: "Beg your pardon?"

Me: "Our sessions begin whenever you start talking, which is five seconds ago. After all, you're running things here. I'm just the one who gets paid to sit here while you ramble on about how your former employers 'never saw your potential', 'never gave you a chance to dream', yada yada yada."

Riddler: "TThey gave me a chance, just never at the right time. They only ever wanted my ideas when they were too lazy to develop their own, which was often.

Me: "And after too many times of having the credit stolen from you, being called a 'weirdo', and getting the raw end of the stick, you decided to put question marks on all your clothes and call yourself 'The Riddler'. Tell me I'm wrong."

Riddler: "You've done your research."

Me: "Only because I've been told my telepathy won't work on you."

Riddler: "You're a telepath?"

Me: "Among other things. I was born with limitless power, literally. Name any unique gift you can imagine. Chances are, I've got it."

Riddler: "Teleportation?"

Me: "Done."

Riddler: "Elemental control?"

Me: "Done, and then some. But we're getting off-topic. How does it feel to be treated like a second-class citizen, even after becoming the kind of villain that belongs in Arkham?"

Riddler: "Couldn't tell you."

Me: "Couldn't or won't?"

Riddler: "Couldn't. Ever since the Bat & I crossed paths, I haven't been called a 'second-class' anything."

Me: "I'm confident otherwise, given my most recent conversation with Harvey Dent. I'd also advise you not to lie. But if you insist, let me remind you that as long as I'm in this room, I get paid no matter what tales you tell. The least you could do is elaborate on what makes you tick."

Riddler: "There is no trying, Doctor. If you genuinely want to succeed, you either do whatever it takes or walk away with your tail between your legs and lose the game. I took the former, and look where it got me."

Me: "Surrounded by psychos, plant people, killer reptiles, and sociopathic murderers? You must be so proud."

Riddler: *laughs* "You have no idea."

Me: "On the contrary, given the stunts I pulled for and against my father, I can understand how thrilling it is to take control of your life for once. No matter what they said, you always knew you were born to live a life better than the ones they tried to force you into."

Riddler: "It sounds like you should be the one in this chair. With an attitude like that, you'd make quite the little sorceress. Let's make a deal. You tell your bosses I'm perfectly sane, and I'll show you everything I know. No one would dare disrespect, doubt, or scoff at you again. Join me, and we could make all the people who've wronged us in life bow down to us with one simple question. What's the point of living if you've ended up where you are now?"