Copycat |Edward Nygma|

Chapter One; Hats

We arrived at a stone building, that barely looked like it was being held up. The stone looked like it had seen better days. Silhouettes lined the windows and looked down at me. I looked back at them. The driver pulled over to the curb to let me out.

"Be careful" the driver warned.

"Why...?" I asked.

"This the area in Gotham where you get shot, killed and no one blinks an eye," he said unlocking the door.

"I'll keep that in mind".

I climbed out of the car. I looked around, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to go into that building. My hair follicles rose into goosebumps. The door of the building swung open. I looked at it, unsurely, but decided to walk through it. The door slammed behind me, and I jumped.

"No one will hurt you here, Ms. Valeska", said a cooing voice, "Do you remember me?"

I looked at her, chestnut skin, emerald eyes, and baby freckles covered her face. I shook my head. Something seemed familiar about her voice but no memories attached. My eyes scanned the walls for any imagery that could be enlightening, but nothing seemed to help. She stuck out her hand, I stuck my hand out to shake it. My hand jolted as electricity coursed through it.

"Sorry, old habits die hard," she paused to stare at me, "You really don't remember anything do you?"

"Nothing before waking up".

A tall man to her left whispered in her ear something about 'The other one'. Which was she hissed at him 'Not yet'. I raised an eyebrow, and she realized I heard them. If she was trying to hide the anger in her face she was horrible at it. She turned and back handed him.

"Fine... Grab her!" She yelped.

Within seconds men jumped on me and held me down. I felt tape on my wrist, and a black bag went over my head, followed by my body being lead off of the ground. I started screaming, and a hand was brought to my mouth. Fear coursed through me. No one would hurt me? My body was slammed into a car seat and buckled in.

"It wont be long".

The music was turned up, probably in case I started screaming again. The car smelled like peppermint and cigarettes, my nose wrinkled at it. Disgusting.

"What about Falcone being dead?" Some one whispered.

"And his comatose daughter?" Another one said.

"In due time, the Queen of Gotham will have her throne" the woman hissed.

"Whatever you say Mrs. Riley".

"Take the back entrance, you know we can't afford anyone to see her."

I heard the loading of guns, then everything went dark.

I woke up in another room, with strange faces around me. Everyone but the people who brought me here were wearing mask of varying animals. My eyes widened as I saw a few people in front of me drop to their knees. I looked them with confusion. Who was I? Someone brought it a big television on a rolling black cart.

"If you think you're ready for the truth, click the on button", a lady in a bird mask told me as she handed me a clicker.

I looked it, then at the people down on there knees. I didn't have a choice, without thinking my thumb slammed down on the power switched. In a hurry, everyone fled the room leaving me alone. The CD begun to spin and the light came on as it twinkled against my skin. A man with dark curly hair and a big top hat came on.

"What has been said has been done, as gift from him to gift to you, here provide a message a message of how you died" he said.

Then the picture changed to a top of the building, a women with red curly hair with her back turned. She turned around to face the camera. My arms started shaking. My face.. my voice.

"If I'm seeing this, good luck," she smiled ear to ear, "come play when your ready," she laughed.

She stepped up to the lip of the building, faced the camera with a smile then took a step off the building. The camera rushed towards her to watch her descent down. Then it cut to another man, red hair, green eyes, same pale complexion.

"Welcome home sister dearest, to the land of madness."

The top hat guy came back on, and the screen turned green and a pocket watch appeared, "Listen to my voice, what is said and done, has been done. Make your way to answers before everything goes boom".

The room started to fill with gas, and my lungs felt like they were on fire. I started coughing, hacking, my lungs felt like they were threatening to explode. As soon as the gas stopped something snapped me too and my body straightened. I opened the door of where everyone left, empty. A knife was laid in the middle of the floor in the hall. They certainly didn't expect to come back in. I grabbed it and tucked it into my waist band. I looked up at the door frame because something caught my eye, The Cult of Madness, banner hung above the door.

Oddly the name, Jim Gordon felt like it was written across my tongue. Maybe he knew the answers or maybe he was going to be the death of me. Whatever the case, I felt the urge to find the guy with the top hat. I ducked out the door and into the foggy sun of Gotham, the smell of death coursed through my senses. It reminded me of home, whatever home was.

I started walking towards away from the building towards what looked like nicer buildings in the distance. Then I stepped into a puddle and clasped. Electricity sieged my body and I convulsed.

My mind was flood with an image of a circus, hiding up in the rafters with fresh popcorn in my hands as I watched the performers practiced. Two red heads who looked identical ran around in circles with snakes. A hand fell on my shoulder and I looked up at the face, dark hair and familiar eyes "Mom?" I croaked.