capeandcowl | [ the forty-first ] / [ video ]

Entry tags:

edward nygma | riddler

[ the forty-first ] / [ video ]

[Edward Nygma is in the mayor’s office, sitting in the mayor’s chair. Mitchell’s usual desk tag is conspicuously missing from the view of the camera. He broadcasts this breaking news to the Network first, and so far there has not been any media coverage coming from City Hall.

Eddie leans forward towards the camera just a touch.]

Mitchell Hundred is missing. Contact was initially attempted sixty-eight minutes ago and has been consistent ever since. He has yet to respond to any attempt of communication. I don’t need to tell you, Network, how highly unorthodox such behavior is for Mayor Hundred, and logically we are treating this as an emergency. We’ve yet to acquire substantial, palpable evidence indicating a port-out or a kidnapping, but the fact that any effort to contact him has thus failed rather suggests harrowing possibilities. We must now resort to more dramatic maneuvers.

The available details are as follows: at four-twenty this afternoon, Mitchell had suffered from a minor concussion while overseeing reconstruction in Times Square. He was briefly hospitalized and then returned to Gracie Manor shortly after his release. His last contact was made at Gracie Manor. He is now physically missing from Gracie Manor.

[Eddie inclines his head slightly, his eyes never leaving the camera view. He draws back his shoulders.]

With a heavy heart, I must now resume the responsibility of acting Mayor until our efforts to retrieve Mitchell Hundred are fulfilled.

[And then he smirks.]

Mayor Nygma, signing off.

ooc || in reference to this plot.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Spoken aggressively, way too aggressively for a politician.]

I'm not crazy. Your insinuation is nothing short of highly offensive!

You're going crazy, crazier even. What with the riddles? And where's your pity, Edward? Don't you feel any remorse for the fatass mayor?

I'm recording this.

[He isn't but it sounds convincing enough... he's having too much fun fucking with Edward now. CALL IT REVENGE.]

Who are you, to speak to me?

[He exhales, trying to resume composure.]

You're not, you're doing no such thing. [And there goes his falsehood detection, which HURTS SO MUCH MORE because it never pinged him when Quentin called him crazy.

Hurts so much, Quen.]

Who are you to try to get in my head?

[Oh, if only you could see him smirk Ed.] How do you know? You got cameras? [He's going to worm this information out of you, Ed, if it's the last thing he does tonight.] Are you spying on me?

I don't need to spy on you, Quentin Quire. I only need you to speak with me.

If you're going to be mysterious with me, maybe I'll get inside your head.

I'm sure my friend Eridan will overlook this one minor situation.

Are you? Are you sure that Eridan would forgive such a violation of his moirail? Because that seems rather erroneously presumptuous.

[But more importantly, that threat terrifies Eddie.]

If I don't do any say... permanent damage, I'm sure he'll forgive me.

Do you know what I'm able to do, Edward? You could always ask Bullseye.

[A longer beat, and he drops his voice.]

You know I disagree with Bullseye on many levels, most of them intellectual. Why don't we save me the agony and I'll listen to you, instead?

Do tell, Quentin.

Oh, you know. I showed him the thoughts of the anti-ImPort thinkers. I showed him a very specific thought. A vivid one of a man with fantasies of bashing in someone's brain into a brick wall. In response, Bullseye started picturing himself killing said man.

But then he decided to be a smartass and re-think it over. Replacing me with that racist.

So, I drowned him mentally. But, he started screaming. Making a fool of himself and shouting.

I muted him. Not permanently, I muted him mentally. Locked away his ability to speak through various defense mechanisms that would degrade based on his heart rate.

In the end, I got Bullseye to say please leave.

And as absolutely amusing as that is -- don't get me wrong, I find it lovely -- the same punishment is not applicable to me. If you value Eridan's esteem, I mean.

You dominating Bullseye is one thing. This is entirely different.

Admittedly? I haven't been able to do much here. Yet. And Bullseye is an idiot but, I think it's fair to say that if you can get an idiot to shut up and obey. The door's open to many possibilities. The essential thing is obedience and compliance.

I value Eridan's esteem. You on the other hand... I think I can deal with my new best friend hating me for a while.

But who's to say I haven't wormed my way into other people's minds? If you don't have a good resistance, you're fair game.

I have good resistance.

[It's snarled, a bit. And he weighs his options -- if not sated, then Quentin will pry deeper. The information is there, either externally or within Eddie's mind, and at the very least if he exposes it then he can control the information to some level.

He considers this.]

I have excellent resistance. You have to, when you're thrown into a mental asylum for thinking beyond society's limitations.

...want to know a little secret?

I'm sure you know I do.

If you think resistance means being in a mental asylum... you'll be torn to pieces.

I made every world leader at the Switzerland convention, sans the Utopian leaders, to confess to their darkest secrets on live international television.

No, no, you misunderstand me. It isn't the fact that I've been in a mental asylum.

It's the fact that I am Arkham Asylum. We all, all of us, we are everything society cannot comprehend.

And you, Quentin, in all your fear-mongering and hatred of the masses and victim complex, you are society.

No wonder you've gone mental.

Calling me a society, when I am just a boy. A boy with too much free time and thought on his hands. And that isn't a crime. But saying I can't comprehend something... what are you? My professor?

I could be, if you were to aspire beyond your current resources. But I have very little in common with Charles Xavier, at least when it comes to philosophy, he and I will not align there.

You are, as you said, a boy and inevitably you have much to learn. But the reason, the very important reason that I'm even discussing this with you is because you are capable of learning. Much like Eridan is, you are capable of being so much more than a mere reaction to societal restraints.

I cannot say that about everyone, sad as it is.

Same nagginess. Next you'll go bald.

And, I don't like it when people try to super impose their personal agendas onto me. I live my own life and for my own beliefs. Still doesn't mean I'm not going to get into your head. You have a secret. I know it.

Perish the thought.

You know it. You would know it, you have abilities that other do not. I can do very little for you if I'm in fear of that, Quentin.

And, let's face it, as I stand I can do quite a lot for you.

[He stops to consider.]

Go on, baldy.

I have considerable power, here. You have considerable potential.

[A beat.]

Surely you know, Quentin, the most effective way to encourage change is to change it from within?

All the more reason to read into your mind, baldy.

Perhaps. But that comes with consequence, now doesn't it? If I have optimistic stake in you, I won't be so easily trying to screw you over, now will I?

[ the forty-first ] / [ video ]

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