The Games We Play

Innerconflict

~Riddler (Present Day) ~

I think we pushed her too far. We? We! The final riddle about her last name was all your idea.

I argue with myself as I notice how quiet Perplexity has been.

You're the one who wanted to enlighten her to the fact that you knew her deepest darkest secret. Will you just go away, you've done enough damage for now. Of course, your idiotic lovestruck mind would blame me for your mistakes.

I stare at her, knowing that she took forever to fall asleep last night. I didn't have the heart to wake her just yet. Yesterday, her mind a mile away, hardly saying a word. Are we really going to pretend we don't know why that is?

I know, you messed up. My hand softly runs through her curls, noticing how deep she is in her sleep. I wonder what she is dreaming about.

I notice her body shake, beginning to toss and turn slightly. What are you dreaming about Perplexity?  I rub her back lightly hoping she would calm down, this stress wasn't good for her.

My guess her dreams brought her back to a place she longed to forget, recalling the past I had cruelly brought to light. For once I feel like a fool. I forgot to calculate that the same clue that lead me to her identity was also her greatest fear. Like a King's fool, I became caught up in the moment. So desperate to prove an alpha male status that I didn't realize I was shoving her fear back in her face. Just like if I was Jonathan. My stomach turns with guilt.

I need to make this right, but how? Escaping from Arkham with her was a risky decision. I doubt I can take her anywhere nice. The Bat and his tight wearing friend would most certainly be out looking for Kate, and I didn't want to lose her to them. They don't deserve my Perplexity. I must keep her away from them. I am certain if they found her she would not send her back to Arkham.

Perplexity. After all I've learned about her she still remained one. There were still so many questions I had about her.

Why did Batman so brutally bring her into Arkham that one night? Did he discover her true identity, did he mean to keep her from Grayson? Certainly, she couldn't have kept her lack of frosty powers from them that long? What was her incentive upon changing her name to Kate?

My brain spun with how many unanswered questions I wished to ask her about. I saw her somber tone last night. In the mood to play my riddling game. Yeah only took you half a day, you really should let I, the superior half, take over. No. You know I would have noticed that sooner.

It wasn't me who had to win! I wouldn't blame her if she said nothing to us all day today.

Her body starts to tremble and shake, causing me to look down. "Perplexity?" My voice tries to wake her, grabbing her arm. Her body starts to go into a chaotic state as she was kicking, shaking like she was going through a seizure. "Wake up! Wake up!" I frown, having seen her panic in dreams before but nothing like this.

How do we wake her! We have to wake her up! She's not waking up. "Kate!" I scream, her eyes open with pure terror. I have no doubt she was reliving what memories I forced to light. "Kate, it's me....it's me Edward. Are you alright."

I reach for the water on the end table, dumping on her head in an effort to wake her up.

Her crystal blue eyes open wide with pure fear in them as the water ran down the side of her face. She stares at me as if I was a monster.

"Are you going to kill me?" A quiet voice falls from her lips, her teal eyes meeting mine with tears in them. "you've solved my riddle. That's the only reason I have stayed alive this long, right?" Her voice says quietly, I can tell its not a question she wanted to ask.