Goodbye Sanity, Hello Headlines

Chapter 23

The monitors flashed as Jerome entered the building. My heart skipped a beat before realizing he wasn't alone, Selina, Bruce, and Alfred trailed behind him. They were all equipped with a copious amount of weapons that wouldn't help them in the disastrous situations we were going to subject them to. Edward's grin widened at the sight as he sat at a desk chair, leaving me to stand beside him but sore legs were the least of my worries.

"C'mon riddle freak! Fight me yourself you coward!" Jerome bellowed through the empty halls of Arkham, the patients had been put in lockdown and most of the guards were locked in with them. Jerome twirled his gun and shot the ceiling. "Give her back!" He was losing patience, the conflict would be one to mark down in history. Edward obnoxiously tapped the microphone and gave me a smug smile.

"Look who finally came! I knew you couldn't deny Kitty Kat's charm." He taunted and I could see Jerome's face contacting in anger through the screen.

"Don't you dare call her that, you have no right." Selina chimed in, her own face showing her anger.

"Oh I do apologize, do you prefer that nickname for yourself? You do seem to lack originality." Edward seemed to be enjoying teasing them immensely.

"Edward-" Alfred tried to speak but he got cut off.

"It's The Riddler." Edward corrects him, looking slightly frustrated.

"Right, my apologies. Riddler, all we're asking for is that let Katerina go, the poor girl has been through enough." Alfred tried to reason with him but I knew it wouldn't work.

"And I suppose you would like me to hand my brightest protege over to the boy that tried to ruin her mind? Her intelligence will prosper if she stays with me and will go to waste if she returns to you." Edward chuckled darkly before activating the first trap. They all jumped in surprise as the room came to life around them and Ed explained the rules.

"Riddler I will slice of your face if you touch her-" The walls moved closer to them and Edward explained that they needed to complete three riddles before leaving the room and if they got three wrong the wall would cave in on them.

"First riddle!" Edward exclaims, completely ignoring Jerome's threats. "I have cities but no houses, forests but no trees and water but no fish. What am I?" The answer popped into my head without a second thought but as he held his hand up it was enough to stop me from blurting the answer.

"No one wants to hear your stupid riddles-" The walls crept towards them.

"A map." Bruce was the first to call out and I was impressed and by the looks of it so was Edward.

"Ding, ding, ding!" The walls stayed in place. "Second riddle!" He announces and I feel myself fidgeting with my fingernails. Edward swats my hands away from each other because I was being too distracting before turning the microphone back on. "I have a heart but I don't have any other organs, what am I?" He questions and it only takes me a second to figure it out yet again. But it seems I wasn't the only person with a quick mind as Bruce answers again.

"A deck of cards." He calls out and I could feel the surprise radiate from Edward. He wasn't happy.

"Well looks like boy billionaire has a brain after all." The walls stay where they are and Edward prepares the third riddle. "I'm always in front but never behind, what am I?" The riddle was exceptionally easy compared to the ones I'd been tested on and it made me think he was definitely up to something.

"Tomorrow!" This time it was Jerome that called out and I felt a smirk twitch at my lips.

"Incorrect." My eyes widen in disbelief.