Bygones

Chapter 13

For kindhearted people, those who've turned their lives around, and honest people, the world isn't always a forgiving or gracious place. Sometimes, it's best to know what you're up against and match it. Although it's true if everyone fought fire with fire, the world would go up in smoke, there are those times when it's all a person's got.

That's why Harley turned to the one person who could outsmart anyone, especially Joker and Penguin, who seem to be in league together. At least the last Bat Report said so. Combined with the fact that Nygma loathes both villains, it made the perfect fuel for a great big fire of epic proportions. Anybody can win if they know what they want and focus on it. If they're willing to make sacrifices, and Harley is ready.

The two sat face-to-face with nothing but glass separating them, staring the other down. Nygma waiting for an answer, and Harley thinking about how to respond. It came to her in the form of a riddle, which would no doubt appeal to the quizzical man locked in the dirty cell. "What's a helpful term for when you need to start a fire or notice someone with the same shirt as you?"

The Riddler smirked and replied, "That's easy. A match, of course. Now, what do you need with a match?"

Knowing with whom she's dealing, Harley also chose to charm his intellect by using plenty of engaging and intelligent words in their conversation. "I require help, and I thought who better to assist me than a person whose brilliance is known Gotham-wide. You see, I need a match, literally and figuratively speaking. Quite frankly, I believe you to be the only one that can fit that profile. Besides, everyone knows genius is talent set on fire, which again matches you."

The brilliant man in question reclined in the chair, grinning and steepling his fingers over his abdomen. He only responded with one word, "Fascinating."

Harley took that as a good sign and continued her approach. Usually, if Nygma is bored or tired of the conversation, he'll ignore the person until they leave. The blonde then explained her quandary and pleaded her cause by saying, "You despise Joker and Penguin as much as anyone does, with good reason. If I remember correctly, the last time you escaped your humble abode, Penguin set you up for fraud. The bird is constantly double-crossing you. Not to mention all the many times Joker has trespassed on your intellectual property. For example, your Riddler's Brew was stolen and repackaged as the Joker's Honesty Potion. Remember how he injected all the city council members with it? That was a riot, but it was still yours, and he took all the credit."

Harley saw the wheels in Nygma's head turning and the look of disgust on his face. She upped the ante. "Then there were those VR goggles. Those were quite the catch, especially since they allowed you to track your enemies through the streets at night. True invention genius! It's sort of like the night vision ones the military uses, except yours can lock in on the target and deploy lasers that kill miles away. Joker stole those too and turned them into his Joke's on You eyewear. He made millions selling those to criminal and terrorist organizations worldwide."

Nygma, now dangerously angry at all the recalled humiliations, leaned forward and said in his breathy, fast voice, "What is something one person can't own but two people can share?"

The blonde smirked this time and responded, "A friendship."

Standing, the man began to pace. He stated, "Yes. Except ours is out of necessity. You need me, and I see your point. It's time those two fools were reminded who owns the brains in this city. But I thought you left the life of crime behind years ago?"

"I did," Harley noted. "I'm an honest woman, four years straight, with no desire to return to that lifestyle. You see, Nygma, the things that knock you down in life are trials. All those things force a person to choose between giving in and remaining on the ground, wiping the dirt off, or standing up even taller than before the crushing blow came."