Professor Fear (the sequel) - Jonathan Crane

chapter 19

"Daria! How not-so expected," A slender finger indicated that the wooden chair across from him was vacant.

"Looks expected to me," Daria retorted; "You left the door open and poured a second cup of coffee."

"I have cameras in the neighbouring streets and I was brewing coffee moments before your entry,"

Then it dawned on Daria. "You have cameras outside Jonathan's house."
As that statement didn't make full sense she further realised. "You must have cameras in his house too if you know I'm here,"

"Gotta check on him somehow," Nygma confessed, completely unphased by Daria's building rage. "but no, not in his house. I'm still a gentleman and homelife privacy of my best friend is important to me. Anyways, I was honest when I said that I have cameras in the neighbourhood." The man stood up to show his towering height again. "But you won't be telling our mutual friend that little fact, now will you?"

"Intimidation by height?" Daria grinned, "I don't think so," She then took a seat where it had been offered before. The coffee on the table beckoned her. Easily given in, Daria cupped the warm mug in her hands and took a sip of professional tasting coffee.

"Are you hiding an elaborate coffee machine in your little kitchen?"

Edward grinned. "Oh Daria, don't be so gentle with your compliments; I know I'm amazing. I merely mix the right ratios of water to freshly ground coffee."

When it was clear that the two aimed to get along, The Riddler finally returned to his seat on the other side of the square table. He took off his glasses and ran a hand through his hair. It was a paired movement that Jonathan often did whilst in 'work mode'- looking through paperwork on the sofa in the Livingroom or at the small table in the kitchen.

"How did you find the event last eve?" Riddler asked, not managing the silence.

"I wasn't in a good mindset to go at the time,"

"It seems that your years of psychology have indeed taught you something; where an individual have a 'good' mindset when walking into a room of dangerous and unpredictable 'villains', – shall we say? - the general public consensus would declare that they are not clinically sane."

"Valid point." She punctuated her sentence by taking another sip from her mug. "why aren't you answering my first question?"

"The Joker has cameras in Arkham, he watched Scarecrow carry out his experiments on Adam Cleary."

"but he knows stuff about me from last month,"

"Then..." The words caught in his throat. When she realised what words they were, Daria's lips curved into a sardonic smirk.

"Oh my, The Riddler could never say 'I don't know' without destroying his essence of being," Her voice almost seemed like it was taunting. "Sounds like a puzzle that you ought to find out in order to still be the man who knows everything."

His sigh was both disappointed and angry at the same time. "Fine. I will uncover the identity of the snitch." His hand went through his hair again, aggressively combing it back with his fingertips. "Don't try to tell-"
"Relax Eddy, I'm a friend. I'm on your side. I won't talk crap about you. Besides, I am selective with who I converse with lately."

That made Daria's mind play an internal montage of the friend's she had gone silent on: April, Ethan, Eric and even her newest friend, Almasi. She should reach out to them. Suspicion would be dangerous. Especially since she was going down such a specific path. She wasn't entirely ready to truly lose so much of her old life.

The Riddler's voice cut through her thought train,
"Do you like chess?"