The Riddler (Completed)

RIDDLE XV: TRUE COLORS

"What did you just say, huh Dane?" I wasn't sure if I heard it right or if I was just hearing things. She's just staring at me. "I said, what did you just say?" I can sense that we caught other customer's attention and now they're looking at us. "Haist." I sat back on my chair and I tried to composed myself up. "Hoo, okay Dane. I know that what I heard was right, now tell me.." I paused and looked directly to her eyes. "What do you know about The Riddler?"

"I know nothing about The Riddler." Wait, what? I wasn't expecting her answer.

"Then tell me where'd you hear that name? Do you know all along that I was dealing with someone or something I don't know?" She just nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?" I need a hand, I always do.

"I wanted to but you turned me away. Remember the day I visited you? That was the time I decided to tell you and also to help you." Woah, I can't believe this. I rested my head on my arms for my head's starting to hurt. A warm hand, I can feel Dane's hand on my arm. "I will help you Kessler, I'm here for you, okay?"

"I wanna end this Dane, I wanna end all of this. I don't want to see people dying because of me." I lifted my head and held her hand. "Help me."

"Hush now, don't cry." I'm crying? And now, she's wiping the tears off my cheeks. "I will." She gave me a smile and that smile gave me hope.

Hope that I can use to surpass all of this.

* * *

On the other hand, peace and happiness surrounds the people near Kessler. But for how long? No one knows, sooner or later their fate might change and it won't be long 'til it happen.

* * *

"Hey guys, got plans tonight?" Toby asked as they fixed their things.

"Hm?" Court Louise sat on the table and touched his chin. "Well, today's friday and we ain't got no class tomorrow so I think I'll chill down a little, wanna come?" He asked back.

"Yeah sure, that'd be great. How 'bout you Z?" He looked at Zelo who's currently taking his uniform off.

"Count me in."

"Yosh!" Court Louise shouted and after they finished up everything, they decided to chill downtown.

° ° °

Indistinct chattering, party music & disco lights. Common things that you can hear and see in this kind of place. All three went straight to the bar stool to start fueling up their tanks.

"What's your order sir?" The bartender asked.

"Vodka for me, on the rocks. Tequila for this guy, and whiskey for this one." Court Louise answered as he pointed out his friends' orders. The bartender then served their drinks.

Hours passed and all three of them were already drunk. They can't even speak and stand properly, they're now just resting their heads.

"Sir? Are you alright?" The bartender asked when he saw the three.

"Hmm." As if on cue, they all answered the same. The bartender left them alone, he's got customers waiting.

Not knowing that someone's approaching their group as they rest theirselves and it's now standing close to them.

"Hmm? Who're you?" Toby asked when he noticed that someone's helping him walk. He can't recognize the face, his vision's all blurry. "Where are you taking me?" It's not answering any of his questions until he fell asleep.

° ° °

"Ugh-- shoot, my head hurts." Toby exclaimed when he woke up "Wait, where am I? What is this place? So dim in here." He stood up and was about to walked out of the room he's in when he suddenly fell hard on the floor. "Agh! Shit! What the fuck?!" He was shocked and at the same time furious when he saw that his left leg was chained to the thick wooden wall. "What the fuck?! Why am I fucking chained to a fucking wall?!" He's starting to panic. "Help! Somebody help me!" He shouted but it seems like no one's hearing his call.

"Toby?! Is that you dude?!" He heard a very familiar voice.

"Court Louise?! It's me, where are you?! You gotta help me man! I'm fucking chained in here!" Sweat's now flowing all over his body. "Help me man!"

"I can't dude! I'm also chained in here! Agh! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" He's trying his best to remove it but he can't. "Is Zelo with you Toby?!"

"No! Fuck! Who the fuck did this to--

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGGHHHH!"

"Wa-- was that Ze-- Zelo?" Both of them are now panicking big time. "Zelo! Zelo!" But Zelo's responds were just screams-- screams cause by great pain dealt by someone or something they don't know.

Silence ... They can't hear anything from Zelo anymore.

"Hey man, talk to me. How did we get ourselves into this?"

"I don't know Toby, I don't know." Neither him nor Toby knows, even Zelo. "Let's keep our strength man, we don't know what's gonna happen next."

"Yeah."

"We'll get out of here dude, we'll--- aghhhhh! hmmmmppp! hmmmmpp!" CL didn't noticed that someone was with him inside the room.

"CL!? CL?! Talk to me dude! What's happening to you?! CL!" He kept on shouting but he received no response from the other side. "Shit, shit! SHIT!!"

Hunger, thirst, physical and mental exhaustion. Toby has it all, he doesn't have any idea what happened to his friends and on what's going to happen to him. It's been hours, he's all alone in that room waiting for his fate.

EENNGGKK!

The wooden door's slowly opening as it gives a very creepy sound that made Toby moved closer to one of the corner in the room. His attention's nailed on what or who's going to enter the room he's in. A shadow, he can see a shadow on the floor. Not that clear, seems like the lights outside's also dim. Footsteps, light footsteps, he can hear light footsteps.

TAK, TAK, TAK.

"Who-- who's there?!" No response.

TAK, TAK, TAK.

"Stay back, stay away from me!" It's now inside and's walking slowly towards his direction. "Stop right there!" But it's not listening to him. It's now close to him, he can't see its face and not far from him, it stopped.

"Yihihihi!" And that creepy laugh sent down chills to his spines.

"Show yourself you fucking coward!" It stopped laughing and the next thing that happened scared the shit out of him.

A face with a creepy smile appeared close to his face, a familiar face to him. A face he've seen many times in his life.

"Her-- hernhea?"

* * *