Chapter Text
After making sure the line was clean and checking again for double measure, Ed called up some of his people to let them know he was around again, and thinking of an amazing and devious plot to announce his rise again. They were excited to hear it, a few congrats went round, and they were gonna have a meeting in a few days. He was excited, it'd seemed like things were going well for him.
After he hung up, he said to himself, Good. I just need to come up with a plan. Of course thinking is what I do, so this should be no problem.
And he didn't think about who wasn't here. Nope. He had to focus.
Ed, had some money now. He had picked up a little job. It wasn't a lot, but he could put in the down payment for his apartment. Though he had to be careful when it came to spending. Okay, he sat at table, arm propping his head up as he thought.
I'll be able to think clearly, without Oswald always breathing down my neck and being just a distraction.
It was hard to get out of there though. Oswald really didn't want him to go did he? What was that about anyways? Oswald sure acted strange. Well that just shows it's a good thing he's not here now. Who knows how much in the way he'd be. I'm a solo act, well except when I need a little help here and there. But mostly. Like 90%.
Why couldn't he think of anything? He must be feeling a little block is all.
He decided he'd go for a walk to clear his head. He wore his 'low profile,' outfit (AKA not a fully saturated all bright green suit featuring bold black question marks, He wasn't currently considered a wanted man, but.. well, didn't mean he needed to take chances.) A nice suit to be sure, but maybe tonight wasn't the time. So instead he put on a suit that suggested green. Luke green. A disappointing color, but at least there was a vague hint of the beautiful color. But didn't quite shout it.
And then he put on a coat and stepped out. He saw there were a few clouds. He thought about grabbing an umbrella in case it might rain, and then he felt a sadness and didn't know why but he quickly walked away from the coat rack and out the door.
It rained a little. But nothing he couldn't handle. It was kind of nice in a way. It had a sweet clean smell.
He walked down the corner, still feeling nervous someone would spot him and start chasing him down or soemthing. But no, nothing. People walked by all too self concerned in their own world to take any note, or any hint of recognition. It was a tiny bit of a let down actually. He'd hoped someone would recognize him, or something. Sigh.. Oh well. He was excited and trotted gleefully. As he walked, ideas did start to come. Visions of mayhem danced in his head.
He had picked up a map of the city at the corner store and back in his room he'd circled places and wrote little notes about them, places that would be interesting targets for one reason or other and thought on those places now.
What would send a message? He'd watch the pier to see what was going in and out of there these days and that would give some much needed information.
Then he wondered what ever happened to Dr Strange's experiments now? Were they hiding in wait for a perfect moment or just moving on with their lives as best as they could. Even remembering the rooms he saw in that building still haunted him to this day, maybe for the rest of his life, and he was sure at one point something was going to come of that. Maybe he would be ready when it did and then could find a way to make use of this new feature of Gotham? And even better, if he could just figure out where they were staying? Fish was the leader, he knew that. Am I on to something here, or??? Just as he was starting to finish that thought-
The Riddler stood before him. "Hey what are you doing?" said The Riddler.
"Um What do you mean?" said Ed, completely perplexed. Riddler sighed. "I am working on being a super villain, like I thought you wanted?"
"Yes, I know that. I can obviously see that you are working on that." replied The Riddler.
"Then what do you mean? Am I not doing a good job for your standards?"
"Of course you're not. Look at you! This is all super boring amateurish stuff. But no that's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?"
"You you already said that three times? Did you know that? Do you have a vocabulary?"
"Oh I see something. It's annoying when people correct you for the tiniest things. I will keep that in mind." said Ed.
"What do you think I'm talking about?" said The Riddler. Ed was silent for a moment in thought, and noticed that the night was beautifully quiet now, especially for this city, which usually never was. But after that, Ed still didn't know what the Riddler meant. Then he thought of something, no, that can't be what he means?
"You don't mean about Oswald do you?" Ed said, wrinkling his nose.
"Yes. I do."
"But- Why?"
"Ugh, you're so impossible." said the Riddler putting his hands in the air.
"You're the one who constantly makes me do things I don't want to do! And I know you are the one who killed Kris."
"I told you, you did that."
"I don't believe you."
"Well, fine, but you did."
"Why Oswald?"
"Put your hand in your pocket." Ed groaned with frustration. "Not another game." People passing by were stopping to look before going on.
"Fine." he slipped his hand in his pocket. A cherry blossom, is this from Oswald's tree?
"Yeah. Oswald had been checking on that tree constantly. He wanted to show us it's bloom, but we left before it did. But I slipped and grabbed this one. It was the first."
"Maybe he'd feel upset that you took it then?"
"I bet he'd be happy that we saw it after all." Ed looked at the flower in his hand, confused.
"Are you saying you have feelings for Oswald?" Ed blurted.
"Do you?" Riddler countered just as fast.
It had started to rain harder now.
"No of course not! But I also am not slipping flowers into my pocket." Ed looked down at the flower and twirled it a bit. It was pale pink and so small, but still so vivid. Then he looked back up but the Riddler was gone. He slipped it carefully back in his pocket. The thought of Oswald flashed in his mind. But then the sound of rain drowned the thought out As he trodded back home, and rain poured. As he walked up the steps and opened the door finally, he didn't have the upbeat mood he'd had when he left. By the time he got to his room his head was and coat were drenched.