Gotham Imagines and One Shots

A voice on the line - Part 2 - Riddler x Reader

"Hey (Y/n)! There's a guy on the phone asking for Candy." Anita called out. (Y/n) nodding as she pressed the button on the phone.

She had done all this for some time now. To begin with, it had all seemed........well, seemed very wrong. Lurid and cheap. (Y/n) finding the things that she had to say. The things that she had to listen to the men say, more intimate, suggestive, and sometimes downright obscener than she had ever really expected. But now, well now she was sort of used to it. Able to just go into a sort of autopilot. Her mind knowing what to say, and when to say it, when it picked up the right ques. She sometimes had to laugh to herself. If the men that called the line could really see the women that they were talking to, they would have quite a shock. Most of them being far from the way that they described themselves over the phone. Take for instance a girl that called herself, Diamond. Diamond always described herself as twenty six, tall, slender with long dark hair and the perfect hourglass figure. Where I truth, Diamond was in fact call Nancy. And Nancy was a fifty five year old grandma, that was slightly short, slightly dumpy, and always answered the phone while knitting booties for her new grandchild. Or Crystal, who described herself as thirty, blonde, with a rather ample chest, and sparkling blue eyes. But was in fact,  Mary Beth who was forty, auburn, flat chested with often bloodshot eyes, and a cigarette hanging out of her mouth.

All the women were there for one reason or another. Most, like (Y/n), had to do what they could to make ends meet. (Y/n) taking the job so that she could put herself through night school. The money she earned, going to keeping her little apartment, and buying books. (Y/n) hoping that her schooling would mean that she didn't have to do this for the rest of her life. And that sooner or later she could walk away from the job and forget that it ever happened. Yet there was one thing that she could never forget. One thing, or should that be one caller, she never wanted to forget. And that was Ed.

He had begun as just another caller. Just another voice on the end of the line, that probably had a box of tissues next to him on the chair, as she cooed softly down the line. But as they had spoken, it had become obvious that there was something different about Ed. He was so sweet. So clever. So, well.......he sounded so strangely innocent. (Y/n) finding that their conversations hadn't stuck to the usual script, and had taken a direction that she had never expected. After he had called about three or four times, spending at least an hour on the line. She had found herself telling him her real name. She had found herself telling him all about her life, all about her reasons for doing what she was doing. And he in return had told her about himself. (Y/n) finding out that he worked as a forensic scientist with the GCPD. That he lived not far from her and had had a love for riddles. The pair often laughing and joking, as they spoke about their days. About the funny things that they had heard, seen and done since Ed had last called. Their conversations finally culminating in (Y/n) agreeing to meeting him in person. The young woman finding that she was actually looking forward to meeting her caller.

But then it had all happened. Everything had seemed to go wrong. Her heart pounding uncontrollably, as she had seen the reports of all his other crimes. Of all the terrible things that he had done. (Y/n) hiding away, as she had tried to reconcile the man that she had spoken too so often, with green suit wearing man that terrorised Gotham. The two seeming like completely different entities. Yet she knew, that in truth, and unfortunately, they were one and the same. And that she could do nothing but cry, as she had wondered what could have pushed, what on the face of it had appeared to be the most pleasant of men, to do what he had done. But now she had had to come back to work. And even if the streets were still full of criminals with their licenses from Cobblepot, that didn't mean that the bills stopped. So, here she was, back to talking on the phone.

"Hi honey. This is Candy. What you in the mood for?" (Y/n) asked as she picked up the call. Momentarily hearing nothing, before a familiar voice said her real name.

"(Y-Y-Y/n)?! Is that you?" The man said. (Y/n) taking a sharp intake of breath as she heard the recognisable sweet voice that he had always had.

"E-E-Ed?" (Y/n) stammered, before reaching out and muting the call. The other women looking at her as the colour drained from her face.

Of all the people out there. Of all the man that could have called, why did it have to be him? Why was the Riddler on the end of the line?

"(Y/n). You, ok?" Anita asked, as she came up behind her. Placing her hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder.

"If its that weirdo that you had the other day, just transfer him back to me, and I'll deal with him." Anita added. Her hand reaching down to take (Y/n)'s, as she felt the young woman tremble.

(Y/n) couldn't help but look at the phone, as the light flashed at her. He was still on the line. The Riddler was still on the line and waiting to talk to her. Her mind flooding with fear and horror, but also strangely the need to hear him again. To hear about his day. To have him tell her what he had been doing since they last spoke. To listen to one of the riddles that he had just come up with. She had so loved to talk to him. So looked forward to the possibility of meeting him, and she was finding that she still wanted to hear him. Still wanted to talk to him. To tell him all that she had been up to. And even though the thought of what he had done was forefront in her mind. She knew that she could do nothing but answer.

"No, no, its alright. Everything's fine. Sorry." (Y/n) replied. Trying to sound as normal as possible.

"I'll answer it." (Y/n) added. Smiling nervously as she watched Anita make her way back to her seat. The others turning their attention back to their own callers, as (Y/n) pressed the button to pick up the call.

"(Y/n)! (Y/n)! Please!" She heard the man that was now the Riddler, exclaim.

"I.......I'm here. I'm sorry. I.........I accidentally lost your call for a moment. Ed, what.........I mean........why are you calling me? Couldn't the police trace you or something? I don't want you to get hurt, E-E........I don't want you to get caught. A-a-are you alright?" (Y/n) asked quietly. Hoping that none of the others could hear her. Hating the thought of what could happen, if they knew that the professional criminal was on the other end of the line.

"I had to call, (Y/n). I had to hear your voice. I had to try and explain what happened. What I've done. And hope that somehow, someway, I could persuade you to come and meet me, like we planned." Riddler replied. The once, often awkward man, finding that he felt calmer, more at peace by just hearing (Y/n)'s voice again.

Meet him? Meet the Riddler. Meet the man that more than half the city feared. A man that had killed. How could she agree to meet him? But his voice still sounded so sweet. Still so oddly innocent. Still so needy and lonely. He still sounded like her Ed. Her lovely man. And no matter how insane it might be. How dangerous. She knew that she had to meet him in person. To get the explanation from his own lips.

"Ed........Riddler. I.........yes.......I'll come and meet you."