Started With a Riddle (Under Some Major Construction)

Chapter 5: Elevator Chit Chat

TUESDAY 5:01 PM

"Alright, here's what I want you to do! Just barge inside and look for the elevator, if anyone asks you anything just ignore them." I nodded and got out of the car. I made my way inside, surprisingly there were no security guards just a woman sitting at the front desk.

"Miss." She was for sure talking to me since nobody else was around but Edward said to ignore. I just kept walking in search of the elevators. "Excuse me! Miss! You're not supposed to just walk in unannounced! If you're here to see Mr. Fox you have to have an appointment." I could hear her following behind me now, her footsteps louder than mine thanks to her heels. The clatter of Edward's cane echoed around the room.

"Don't mind my lovely accomplice she's just looking for the elevator. As for the whole thing about having an appointment...I'd like to make one." He twirled his cane as he walked over to the shocked woman. "Preferably today, I'm sure Mr. Fox's schedule could be adjusted." I stopped walking for a moment.

"Yo-you're the...the Riddler!", the woman squeaked. I continued off into an elevator holding the door so Edward could come along.

"But of course, I mean who else would I be? The Scarecrow?" He joked. "Now. We have business to discuss but first. L, be a dear and find a suitable station for a high explosive." Explosive? What is he trying to do!

"You mean like a bomb! You're planning on blowing up the building! Why?" I shouldn't have said anything, to be honest since I was in no position to be yelling at a former inmate from Blackgate. His entire demeanor changed for a moment, I could see it in his face. I could see his grip tighten on his cane as he scowled.

"I gave you an order.", he said harshly which made my legs go numb a bit. "I expect you to follow it...or else." It felt like I was sweating but I wasn't and my heart started racing. I couldn't risk my freedom by saying anything so I just nodded and allowed the door to close. But before they fully closed I was able to see the woman run off to the front desk and reach for something. I was a little shaky so I didn't have the chance to pick a floor yet. I spent a moment just standing there contemplating what I should do. It was faint but I could hear the woman yelling which only increased the pace my heart was going at. Why the hell did I even let my guard down around him, he may be a person but he's definitely not human.

"Knock knock." It has him, he knew I hadn't left yet. I tried to compose myself and pressed the lobbies button so that the door could open. He stepped in smiling like his usual self. From behind him, I could see the woman tied up to her desk chair. "Don't mind the secretary she's clearly a masochist, she was even begging to be bound."

That's pretty hard to believe when she was crying out for help. It's also strange for him to mention bondage so casually. Edward noticed my eyes never moved, I was still staring at the woman. He crept closer to me which only made me step back slowly until reaching the wall of the elevator. There was barely a gap between us as he only supported his weight by an arm against the wall, we were so close that I could feel his hot breath. I swiftly turned my head to unintentionally look into his green eyes. "You've been so calm up until this point...I can tell that you're nervous on the count that you're trembling. I truly don't want to resort to savagery especially since I've grown so fond of you in such a short amount of time. I suggest you go along with this for now and then I'll take you home. Would you like that?" He was good, good at talking to people. I was soothed by his voice and slightly excited at the same time. Every word that came out of his mouth seemed so believable. I nodded in agreement to his offer. "Excellent. Now pick a floor please. I want you to redeem yourself."

I slowly reached my hand over to the buttons and chose the tenth floor. Afterward, he gave me space and stood against the other wall. It was a long and awkward ride up each floor and even more because I could feel his eyes on me. Just to ease up the tension I tried to make conversation. "So...a bomb huh..."

As soon as I turned to look at him he looked away pretending as if he wasn't staring. "Technically not a bomb since it will be full of gas. Jonathan and I have been planning for a few months. This is mostly for him, its a mere distraction for my true plan. Besides, it'll preoccupy Batman."

"A distraction? What if Batman halts your plan before it even happens?"

"L I have this under control I know what I'm do-" Before he could finish what he was saying the lights cut off and the elevator stopped moving. "Well, my plan will have to wait, we're going to be stuck for a while." Stuck! I can't be stuck here with him! This is like a horror movie!

I started panicking and starting mashing all the buttons trying to see if the doors would open but nothing happened so I tried to pry them open. "We've got to get the hell out of here! What if we run out of oxygen? I don't want to die like this."

"Calm down. You're going to hurt yourself. That's just a myth we're not going to lose oxygen, elevators aren't airtight." Edward pulled me away from the door and sat me down on the floor of the elevator. I looked up at the ceiling and my eyes immediately stuck to the hatch.

"Look! A way out! Come on I just need you to lift me." I jumped up off the floor and started climbing onto Edward.

"That's a terrible plan. Those doors can't be opened from in here so save your strength. Besides if you somehow magically were to open that hatch there'd still be the possibility of our bodies being crushed from either the collapse of the elevator or the lift." He gently pushed me off of him. I gave quick glances to the hatch before sighing in irritation and sitting back on the floor.

"So are we just supposed to wait for someone to open the door now or something?", I asked. Edward joined me on the floor and sat beside me.

"Yes, we have two possibilities. One we could get lucky and be greeted by firemen who think of us as just normal civilians. And two we could be attacked by Batman, more specifically I'd be attacked by Batman and you'd be taken in for questioning. Plus now that I think of it we don't really look like civilians dressed like this...especially you." We both heavily sighed and tried to make ourselves look more normal. All I had to do was zip up my sweater and remove my mask. Edward, on the other hand, had to ditch the question mark pin, the fedora, the gloves, the cane, and his mask. After a few minutes, he managed to remove everything and look like an actual person. He even had his glasses with him. To be honest, he didn't look bad at all. He was pretty damn attractive!

"Well we look pretty much like normal people but the lady at the front desk is tied up and once they see her and ask who did that to her she'll say us.", I said as I put my mask in my pocket.

"Don't worry, everything will go smoothly. I'm sure of it.", he reassured me.

"And I thought you were the intelligent one of the bunch but I guess Jonathan was overlooked." He rolled his eyes and grabbed me by the wrist.

"Comparing me to him? I'm sorry but who saved your life?"

"You of course." I sighed. His hold on my wrist loosened and his hand made its way up my arm and neck to rest against my cheek. His hand was warm and softer then I expected, must've been because he wears gloves most of the time. I looked away as I could feel his eyes on me but the red hue which spread across my face was not concealable.

"And who's the one making your face redden by mere physical contact hmm?" I kept my eyes locked to the ground, I was a blushing mess and I knew that if I looked at him everything would just get a lot worse.

"You...", I uttered. I was looking down still but from the corner of my eye, I could see him inching in closer to me. The warm feeling started going hotter throughout my face while my heart raced extraordinarily. I closed my eyes waiting for it to be over but it never even began. The lights turned back on and the elevator started to move again.

"Come on, stand up. It's over.", he said pulling me back up onto my feet. I dusted myself off and stood in my corner away from him. As soon as we reached our destination he turned back to look at me before the doors opened.

"Hand over the girl Nygma!"