Scaring The Crows

Chapter Six

Whereas the Scarecrow would taunt me until I cried, Jonathan would be there to comfort me afterwards. Well, at least in the safety (or terror) of my dreams. I felt myself tic, the insane type, and figured it was a side affect to the toxin. I tapped the end of my pen on the desk and hummed, waiting for my patient to arrive in the therapy room. At least now I had some decent clothes to work in, instead of that horrible nurse uniform that would only fit someone who was the height of a teenager. "Eugh, I hope he turns up soon. I have to get out of here. I mean, I want to actually go out and get a decent lunch for a change, instead of what they think is edible here"

Edward rushed into the room in a flash of green and orange and sat down in the chair opposite me, furiously playing with a Rubix cube. "Sorry I'm late, I just found this and I'm determined to finish it. Crane bet me $5 I couldn't complete it within five minutes" he explained. I looked at him and quickly made a note. He looked pretty casual today: his ginger hair was messy, he wore a simple green shirt with a question mark on it and some blue denim jeans, teamed with a pair of green trainers. At the top of his file it said, in big letters, 'OBSESSIVE COMPULSIONS AND NEUROSIS'. Seeing as I'm no Dr, that meant nothing to me. I'd heard about OCD, so it must be something similar. "Ya see, me and Scarecrow here have this tendency to bet each other things to see who's smarter"

"And what are these bets about?" I asked, biting the lid of my pen. It was a habit I'd had since about middle school, and I'd sit through lessons which I found boring just chewing my pen lids. They'd usually break.

"Usually puzzle-related if I set them, because I know I'll win. Crane'll set ones about human behaviour, or psychology. I usually win though because he's always busy" he smiled, setting the now finished cube onto the desk. "Two minutes thirty five seconds" he beamed.

The Riddler: obsessed with puzzles, riddles and word games. He was different to other criminals in the fact he wasn't a psychopathic murder, but instead just a narcissist with a big ego. In high school, to get by, I would spend days in the local toy shop and complete jigsaws for window displays. I understood what drew him to puzzles, they're interesting and there is a great sense of gratification when you complete one. I shook myself from my thoughts. "That's a very good time. Anyway, I have a few questions. Just like..."

"...a check up of some sorts" he finished my sentence. "All the nurses have always said the same thing, to stop the inmates from kicking off. Now most of the main criminals in this town are cooped up in here. I used to be a somebody in this town. Now everybody has a gimmick. I was going to show them all. And I did. At least I was unique"

"How long has it been since your last crime, Mr Nigma?" I asked, writing down what he had said.

"287 days, 3 hours and 27 minutes" he answered. "Sorry, eidetic memory and all. I remember it all very clearly"

"You don't have to apologize, Mr Nigma" I smiled, writing down his very precise answer. "I'm happy you haven't been committing crimes since then, but I guess that means you're either waiting for the right time or you're planning a big one"

"I like you, you're smarter than the other nurses. I can tell you've been spending a lot of time with Jonathan because you're starting to act like a proper therapist" he smiled.

"I'll take that as I compliment? It sounds like one...for a criminal at least" I smiled. "Next questions, how have you been feeling over the course of the week?"

"Good I guess. I've been taken off some of my medications, which can be seen as a good thing. I'm hoping to get out of here, even though the city isn't the best of places right now" he answered. "Anywhere is better than the confines of this place. It's not exactly up to my sanitary expectations" he chuckled, flicking some of his hair away from his eyes.

"How are you getting on? With the other inmates?" I asked, smiling.

"Fine. I don't really talk to them that much. The Joker and Harley are always too caught up in their own business to talk to me, Crane is ridiculously busy with running this place and filing reports, Poison Ivy has a general distaste for me and the others just keep to themselves. This is the first conversation I've had that had some meaning in quite a while, Kristie" he smiled, looking at my name in the top box of my recording sheet.

"I've noticed that as well. Final question. Why do you think you're in here?" I asked, leaning the clipboard on my knees.

"Simple really. Because they think I'm insane. I'm the goddamn Riddler! I'm not crazy! I'm just...a little more observant than others. I like it when things challenge your mind. Outsmarting people is one of the perks of life" he grinned. He didn't scare me like the Scarecrow did, he seemed quite normal actually. All he was, was a very intelligent person who was a bit full of themself, who liked to test other's mental ability.

"Thanks for your time, Mr Nigma. You can go now" I nodded, finishing with my notes. "And don't forget to take this" I smiled, handing him the Rubix cube.