A week later, the villains met at Jervis and Alice's lair for the girl's birthday.
A table had been moved in the main room for the occasion; the blonde had asked to have a tea party for her sixteenth birthday, which the Hatter had agreed to joyfully.
Alice, Becky and Jonathan were sitting on one side of the table, while Jervis and Edward opposite of them. They originally didn't plan to invite the Riddler, but the man had demanded to come. He had already been very disappointed when he learned that the girls had organized a break out without him; he just couldn't accept not being invited to the birthday.
After eating some cake and drinking a lot of tea came the time to open the gifts.
Jervis handed one to her; it was wrapped in purple paper.
"Harley sent a goon with this. She apologized for not being able to join, she said the Joker had planned a robbery today."
The blonde took the gift with a smile. She ripped the paper carefully, and opened the box.
"A gun!" she exclaimed excitedly. Like she had said a week ago, she had started to make a collection of them. "That's a M1911A1. It's a gun lots of people have in our country. My dad had one."
She started humming, examining the gun carefully. "I'll have to thank Harley. We should offer her to come when she can, Jervis !"
"We will." The Hatter smiled. "You should open your other gifts, dear."
"Yes !" The blonde agreed, putting the gun right next to her plate.
"Oh, open mine, open mine !" Edward said, shoving a green box in her hands.
"Sure, Eddie."
She took the lid of the box off. "The Bible of enigmas." She read on the cover of the very large book contained in the box.
"Yes ! I thought that if you read it and solved the riddles, you'd become smarter and I'll have a new person to ask riddles to. Isn't that great ?"
The blonde forced herself to smile. "Yeah, it is." Being told she would become smarter was a bit insulting; it implied she wasn't smart enough at the moment.
"Even when making someone a gift, he thinks about himself…"
"I knew you would like it." The red-haired man said with pride. "Who could dislike a gift I make ?"
"You would be surprised." Jonathan said, making the other villain frown.
"Next is the gift Jonathan and I bought you , Alice." Becky smiled, handing her friend a large, flat box.
The girl opened the box. She grinned as soon as she saw what was inside.
"We figured you would need other dresses." The blonde took out the three dresses; they were all rather close to Alice's dress in the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland. However, only one was blue; the two others were yellow and lavender. The aprons were different too, one was round, the others squarer… the yellow dress had short sleeves, whereas the two others had long sleeves. They were all about the same length as the green dress Harley had given her a week ago.
"I know three more dresses are not enough, but at least that's a good start." Becky said to the girl, squeezing her hand. Alice had not tried to take back any clothes from her parents' house; wearing totally different clothes compared to what she used to wear was a way for the teenager to change her identity, just like being called Alice instead of Rachel did.
"Thanks a lot ! Thank you, both of you." The blonde exclaimed.
"Well, I believe there's only my gift left now." The Hatter said, getting up. "I'll be back in a minute."
He walked towards another room.
"I wonder what the gift is going to be. Probably something creepy." Edward said, stretching.
"I'm sure it's going to be an awesome gift. Not like yours…" Becky said, grimacing.
"Damnit Jonathan, why did your girlfriend become so mean and hurtful ? Why did she become… like you ?" The Riddler said, feigning to be extremely hurt.
"She didn't become like me. She was like me since the beginning; it just took you some time to realize." The villain casually answered, cutting himself another slice of cake. "By the way, how is it going for you in the love department ?"
The younger villain frowned. "Oh, fuck you." He crossed his arms and started pouting.
They all laughed, while Jervis walked back in.
"Here is your gift, dear !" He was holding a small white rabbit, a very young one.
"Before you even arrived here, more than a month ago, I had found your cat Dinah. Sadly, she escaped the very day you came; I guess she was always a troublemaker. Our friend the White Rabbit, however, seems very glad to stay with us, if you accept him."
The blonde girl rose from her chair. "Oh, of course I accept ! He's so adorable ! Thank you, Jervis !" She carefully took the rabbit in her hands; he was so small he could fit in them easily. He did not fight back; he seemed rather eager to be held, actually. Seeing this, Jonathan suspected Jervis had put the rabbit under mind control, but he preferred to keep that for himself.

The rest of the tea party went quite well, even though Edward sulked during most of it. When the sun began to set, the three guests departed.
The blonde girl got up from her chair, holding the sleeping rabbit in her arms. The Hatter had begun to take the dirty plates off the table.
"You know it's the perfect time to tell him. You're alone, just had a great time together… It's now or never !"
"You don't have to do that now." Alice said to him. "We can do it tomorrow."
"I really think I should do it right now…"
The girl bit her lip. "Please Jervis ! I want to tell you something. Something important."
The blonde criminal raised an eyebrow, and put the plates back on the table. "Okay. What is it ?"
Alice cleared her throat. "Stop looking at me. I can't say it if you're looking at me."
"Why ?" He laughed.
"I just can't." She walked to the couch, and sat down. It was usually not that hard to tell someone she liked them… She had done so a few times and was never so flustered. Then again, no one was like Jervis.
The Hatter quickly went to sit next to her. "What is it ? You know you can tell me anything."
He was starting to become nervous as well; what if she told him she didn't want to live here anymore ? What if she wanted to go back to her parents ?
Petting the rabbit and staring at the ground, the girl mumbled : "I want to tell you something but I'm afraid it might ruin everything."
"I assure you, it won't."
"Well, you can't know. You don't know what I want to say." She frowned.
"Nothing you can say could ruin what we have, dear Alice. You know I will always be your friend…" He put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner.
"That's the thing ! I don't want to be your friend."
"What…" The man's eyes opened wide.
"I like you. Here, I said it. I know I'm younger than you, I know we're in a really fucked up situation, but I have feelings for you. If it's only one-sided, don't worry about it. Forget what I just said."
A large smile appeared on the Hatter's face. To think he had feared, for a moment, that she might want to leave !
"It's not one-sided, my dear. And I will not forget what you just said."
"Really ?" Alice turned to him so quickly that it woke up the rabbit.
"Yes."
"Do you think… we could try to be together ?" She asked softly.
"We can try."

Jonathan and Becky got in the man's car.
"I wonder if Alice is going to confess her feelings to Jervis soon. It seems a bit stupid for them to live under the same roof and not even be aware of the other's feelings." The red-head wonder, looking through the window.
Crane laughed at the irony. "You seem to forget we were in the same situation for a few days."
"Like you said, it was for a few days. They've been like this for a month and a half." The girl sighed. "What do you plan on doing tonight ?"
"I don't know. I still want to keep low profile for a while; I'm probably going to work at home."
"Can I come ?"
"You don't even have to ask. Of course you can." Her lover smiled.
"Awesome." She thought for a few seconds, then asked : "Did you mean what you said to Eddie ?"
"What, that you were like me since the beginning ?"
The girl nodded.
"I've been saying this since we met ! How can you only pick it up now ?"
"I don't know. I guess I'm a little oblivious to that sort of thing. But you are too !"
"Yes." The criminal sighed. "We make a rather great pair, don't you think ? Two socially awkward freaks."
"I actually do think we make a great pair." Becky stated with a serious look on her face.
"You're right." The man laughed. "We do."

The policemen had put Becky in her van, at the back. Unfortunately for her, they were parked at the opposite of the cab Harley and Ivy were still in, meaning the girls didn't see her. No one could save her… She hadn't seen or talked to her mother in two years; the young woman had hoped to never see her again. She didn't even manage to face her in a hallucination… She didn't have time to prepare. She had no fear gas, no Jonathan, nothing !
The red-head was shaking on one of the benches of the van. One of the policemen seating across her noticed, and exclaimed : "Don't worry. The Scarecrow won't find you."
"What… What happened to him ? Is he in Arkham ?"
"Yeah, the Joker and him are locked up. Hopefully this time it'll be for good…"
"Did Batman beat him up ?" she asked, biting her nails nervously.
"Not much. A little less than usual. From what I heard, the freak only has a black eye and a busted lip… but stop worrying about that. That guy is out of your life now."
"No ! I don't want him to be out of my life ! I want to be with him , godamnit ! Why does everyone think they know what's in my best interest ? Why don't I have the right to choose ?"
Sighing, the young girl crossed her arms and closed her eyes. If she wanted to face her mother, she would have to rest…

"Dang, she's not coming back, Red."
"Do you think she ran away ? Maybe she doesn't want to save the Scarecrow after all." Pam said, looking at her long legs.
"I don't know… It would be weird. She really looks like she cares about him. And now it's too late to save my puddin'…" the blonde buried her face in her friend's dress, sobbing.
The Mother of plants sighed and ran her hand through the other girl's hair. "He's the Joker, Harls. He can take care of himself."
"That's not the problem… I know he doesn't need help… But I love him, ya know ? So I wanna save him, even if he can save himself. That's just what you do when you're in love."
"I wouldn't know." Ivy admitted, smiling softly.

Like usual, Jonathan was put in the same cell as Tetch. He was pushed inside by some guards, and Jervis' face brightened when he saw his old friend.
"Jonathan ! How are you ?"
"I could be better." He answered, pointing at his damaged face.
"The Batman caught you too." Jervis affirmed.
"Yes." The Scarecrow sat on the bottom bunk bed, still looking at his friend. Jervis was sitting on the floor, humming.
"How's Becky ?"
"She was going out with Harley and Ivy when Batman caught me. I think she's fine… I hope she is."
"Have you talked to Alice ?" The blonde man said, with hope in his voice.
"A little. She called us after you were put back in Arkham. She's at her parents' house; she's really worried about you."
"As I am about her." The Hatter sighed sadly. "I miss her."
"You'll find another Alice."
The Hatter frowned and clenched his fists. "Stop with that ! Do I tell you can find another Becky ? No ! Because there are no others !"
"I haven't lost Becky. I'll escape and get her back."
"Will she even want you back ? It'll take you at least a few months to escape. What memory of you will she be left with during that time ? You, yelling at her on the phone. What a precious memory… Remember what she did the last time you left ? She started to date another guy. That might be a habit…"
"It's different now. We weren't in love back then."
"She doesn't seem to know you love her."
"Of course she does ! I've told her countless times…"
"But you've never proven it to her. And actions mean much more than words…"
"I hope you will." The blonde man said, staring blankly at a wall.

The van finally stopped, after at least half an hour of driving. One of the policemen opened the door, smiling to the young woman.
"We're here. I'll escort you to the door."
"Hum, okay…" The red-head got up, feeling her legs shake. She got off the van, holding herself to its door to not fall.
The house was just as she remembered… It was old, made of stone. It looked rather European, and had wooden structures to hold the windows and doors. They were two stories, with a red roof above them. There was no frontyard, only a small backyard.
"Well, the door seems to be open. I'll be leaving…"
"Okay. Thanks." She said without looking at him, touching the wooden door with her left hand. There was light coming out of the window, meaning her mother was awake. Waiting for her, probably…
Her body was shaking violently. The young college student was so nervous she didn't hear the police van starting and driving away… She stood like this for five more minutes.
"Come on, girl. Open the damn door…"
"I can't. Mom is here…"
"Damnit, Becky ! Aren't you the Fear Monger ? Don't you face your fears ?"
"Seeing my mom in a hallucination is nothing compared to seeing her in the flesh. She could kill me."
"Yeah ? Well, you could kill her too. You killed some men, Becky. You're a criminal. You're friends with some Rogues ! That bitch is nothing compared to you !"
"She's my mom. She's the only person I fear."
"Then fight your fucking fear. You were weak, back then; you saw her as a demon. Now that you're strong, you'll see she's nothing. Spend a few days with her. Analyse her. Find out what she's afraid of… and throw it in her ugly face."
The young woman breathed in deeply, and opened the door, very slowly. She had so many flashes of her old life in this house… It was horrible.
The furniture was still placed exactly the same way… Dust had accumulated on them.
"Hum… Hi, mom !" She called. She wasn't even sure her mother would answer.
"Rebecca. I'm here." A voice resonated from the living-room.
The red-head walked into the room, looking around to spot her mother. She suddenly saw her, slouching on the couch. Her mother had gained weight; she had become… pudgy. Her hair, that used to be golden, was now merely yellow, with grey roots, as if she had been dying it. Her face looked like it had rashes all other it, and her eyes resembled those of a rat. Her whole body looked inflated, and had blue and purple stretch marks all over.
"She was so beautiful when you were a child… Now look at that fat bitch."
"Hi…"
"Yes, you've said that already." Mrs. Albright interrupted coldly. "Sit." She indicated a chair by pointing at it with her fat finger.
The young woman quickly did as asked. "Now, tell me. What have you done again ? Why is the police making you stay here ?"
"I haven't done anything." She shook her head brutally.
"Really ? Then why are you here ?"
She couldn't tell her mother the truth. She would have to play the victim's part, again…
"A man is after me. A criminal."
"Why ? Did you steal from him ? That wouldn't surprise me…" the woman snorted.
"No… He… he wants me to join him. He says he loves me."
"Loves you ?" Her mother cackled. "Who the heck would love an ugly, scrawny thing like you ? He must be the most retarded and desperate man on earth. What did you do to him ? Did you seduce him ? You whore…"
"No, mom. I didn't. He's just… insane."
"Well, birds of a feather flock together ! Why don't you join the damn criminal, instead of coming here ?" Her fat jiggled as she talked.
"I would if the police only let me, bitch."
"He's a criminal and a madman, mom." The young woman clenched her fists and her jaw. It hurt her to pretend to not care for him, but she couldn't possibly tell her mother the truth.
"Not very different from you, then. You're the one who made my Megan go away… That's your crime. As for the madness… Spending your life reading stupid books and studying makes you one hell of a weirdo."
Feeling tears rushing to her eyes, the young woman rose from the chair.
"I feel exhausted. I'm going to bed."
"Yeah, you do that." The woman said, looking at her nails.
The red-head ran up the stairs and to her old room. Nothing had been moved : it was still the same cramped, dark, sad room she had as a child. There were no toys, no drawings, no posters; only a bed with pink sheets, a large mirror right across it, a desk and a chair, and a small window. The bed was even smaller than the one she had in her apartment, and less comfortable. The window couldn't be opened; it was only there for decorative purposes. It gave a view to an empty and ugly street. The desk was extremely small, too small. And the mirror… how she remembered hating that mirror ! It covered an entire wall, and the young woman saw herself reflected in it whenever she sat on the bed. She had cried so many times because of it… Her mother had probably put it there on purpose; it was a way to make Becky constantly face her appearance, that she hated. She would always catch a glimpse of her twisted body and disgusting face at each time she moved around the room…
When one's bedroom is usually a safe heaven, Becky's room was a hell. There, she felt suffocated, like she was drowning. The air was rancid, there was nothing appealing to hold on to, nothing to comfort her. There was only her own reflection. Feeling faint, the young woman quickly opened the desk's drawers. Empty. Her books had been moved… If she got out of the room to search for them, she would have to face her mother. Better to stay in purgatory than to jump in hell…
With a sob, the girl threw herself on the bed, burying her face in the hideously pink sheets. She wasn't ready to face herself, to face her mother, to face anything. She felt like a child again… A weak, helpless child.

"Hey ! I took all the money they had !" Becky announced proudly to the Scarecrow, showing all the green bills she was shoving under her corset.
"Let's go." Jonathan said coldly, barely looking at the girl.
"What did you do with him ? I don't hear him screaming." She pointed to the kitchen the Master of Fear had just exited.
"That's because he's dead. We have to leave."
"Um, okay…"
"Oh god, what did you do ? Why does he look angry ?"
"I don't know ! I did what he asked ! I took all the money, I did great ! Maybe Mike did something to him ?"
"Like that idiot could do anything to Jonathan. Why did he kill him anyway ? He didn't have to…"
"Well, umh, thanks for the money everyone !" She waved at them, and they ran out.
"Hurry. They're going to call the police."
They rushed in the car, and quickly drove off. Needless to say, Crane drove very fast, to be as far from the house as possible when the police arrive.
After five minutes of silence and of very fast driving, Becky said : "I think you can slow down now…  It'll be more suspicious than anything we keep up like this."
"Don't tell me what to do. I have more experience than you. I am a great criminal, okay ?"
"… Sure…" She looked out the window. She didn't like him when he was angry…
"I think it's time you realize who is in charge, Becky. I am the Master of Fear. I'm the one who decides what we do."  He stepped on the pedal harder, accelerating.
She remained silent. She had no idea what was happening…
"Too afraid to talk, Becky ? Not as brave as you'd like to think, are you ?"
"Okay, Scarecrow. What the fuck are you doing ?" the red-head exclaimed, turning towards him violently.
"Oh, I see you're back to calling me Scarecrow. I guess that's how you call someone who's crazy and hates himself, isn't it ?"
"What ?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Surprised, Becky ? Did you think Mike would keep his mouth shut ? As soon as he understood it was you behind the mask, he went on telling about the hatred you feel towards me. You told him a great deal of things about me; that's weird, considering the fact you said you didn't like him ! Or perhaps you did ? How does it feel to know he's dead ?"
"Are you stupid ? I told you I didn't like him ! I love you !"
"I doubt that. Is that your way to get revenge for how I treated you, a month ago ? Was that just a plan ? I must admit, it was pretty clever… I actually believed you loved me… That was foolish, though. Of course you don't love me. You wanted to hurt me like I hurt you, right ? Well done ! You managed to hurt the Master of Fear ! Do you feel proud, Becky ?"
The woman ripped her mask off her face in rage, damaging its stitches and fabric. "Stop thinking everyone is against you ! I told you I loved you, even after you left me; are you so cold and hateful you'd actually believe I lied ?"
Crane made a quick turn, almost crashing the car into a building. "You wouldn't have said all that to Mike if you loved me. He knew about my great-grand mother, and about the crows. You told him that ! He also said you had studied me. Do you honestly think you can fucking analyse a psychiatrist, fool ?"
"Fucking hell, stop the car at least ! You're going to get us killed !" she shrieked.
"No. You might die, but I won't."
"Goddamnit Crane, pull over or I'll spray enough fear gas in your face to make you die on the spot !" the young woman screamed, holding a canister to the side of his face.
"And you dare to threaten me with my own creations…" he violently turned the wheel, entering a parking lot. Thankfully, they were in a nice neighbourhood, meaning it was unlikely for someone to bother them.
"Okay. Now, you'll have to listen to me." Becky stated.
"Don't play tough. I can see you're shaking."
She ignored the comment. "I may have shared some things with Mike. And I may have gone overboard. But I was only venting out, I guess. I was so angry at you for leaving me, I had to say mean things about you, even though I didn't mean them. Don't tell me you haven't done that too…"
"Dude, you totally insulted her when she refused to become your Mistress of Fear. You tried to kill her. You insulted her when she was about to testify against you. You insulted her right before she gassed you. And you kinda insulted right now…."
"SHUT UP !"
"You said I was ugly, disgusting, and tried to hide that with my costume."
"No, I didn't. I said you felt unattractive, and felt the need to have an ugly costume because it represents the image you have of yourself."
"That's not what Mike said. Also, you said I was a sad bookworm that escaped his life by creating a new identity for himself, that I feared people, and hated myself…"
The young woman sighed. "That idiot twisted everything. I said you greatly loved books as a child because they gave you another world to live in, when yours was shattered. And yes, you did create a new identity for yourself. You also can't deny you feared people in the past; you feared the bullies. And you still do, a little. You also hate yourself; I've seen it. I've noticed how uneasy you are without your mask. You hate being Jonathan Crane; you only want to be the Scarecrow."
"Why would I believe you now ? Sure, it seems less insulting phrased like this; though I don't like how you dare to think you got me all figured out."
She looked at him, with tears in her eyes.
"Would you rather believe a stupid kid you don't even know, or me ? Don't you trust me ?" her voice was shaking, and so was she.
"I… I don't usually trust people. You should know that. I trusted Sherry Squires, and she humiliated me." He started to feel guilty for yelling at her…
"I'm not like her ! I'm not a brainless bitch that will play a disgusting prank on you ! I shouldn't have told Mike all those things, I know. I just needed to talk to someone. I was all alone when you left me; no one to comfort me. And all I could think about was you. I had to talk about you to someone, I wanted to get you out of my head !"
"Did it work ?"
"No."
He grabbed her hand, and took off his mask slowly. "I'm sorry. I know I get angry too easily."
"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have said those things to Mike."
"It doesn't matter. Mike's dead. None of this matters. Let's go home, okay ? Let's drive back to your apartment."
Becky sighed. "I don't like it when we fight. It feels like my world is falling apart when we do."
"Then let's avoid fighting. Considering the fact that when we do, you gas me or I almost crash the car and kill us both, it would be for the best."
"Or we should have normal fights, like normal people." The young woman smiled softly. "Like about the bills, or you looking at another woman or coming home drunk…"
"We don't have to worry about anything that concerns money. I don't look at other women. And I don't get drunk." He remarked. "Anyway, those fights will at least give you something to talk about with Ivy and Harley tomorrow…"
"Oh, I forgot about that !" She complained. "I don't want to go. I'd rather rob a bank with you and the Joker…"
"You know you have to go. I'm sure it will be fun…" he stated, starting the car.
"I hope so."

They slept at Becky's house that night, in her bed. They talked a lot, trying to forget about the earlier fight; they knew there would surely be more to come, but tried to ignore it. They needed to rest fully to be efficient the following day…

Becky woke up around nine a.m., hearing her cellphone vibrating  next to her.
"Shit…" she moaned. She quickly grabbed the cellphone and looked at the number calling her; she didn't know it. Weird.
"Hello ? If you're calling me to advertise a product, let me tell you it's too damn early for that…"
"Becky ? Becky, it's Alice !" She sounded like she was whispering, and her voice was shaking.
"Alice, is everything fine ? Where are you calling me from ?"
"Batman found us, Becky. He came into the lair last night. He took away Jervis and sent him back to Arkham ! He made me go back home. My parents are downstairs right now, I don't want them to hear me…"
"Oh fuck ! How did he know where to find you ?"
"I don't know. He didn't say anything." The girl started crying.
"Calm down, darling. Are you hurt ?"
"No. But I miss Jervis… My parents won't let me go out of the house. They say it's too dangerous. I hate them, Becky ! I know they didn't care I had disappeared ! They barely searched for me. They had given up on me. I want to be with Jervis…"
"Listen, Alice. I'm seeing Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy tonight; you'll come with me. We can find a way to make Jervis escape together."
"I can't ! I can't get out of the house. Everything's locked !"
Becky bit her lip. This was too much for her… Jonathan, who had just woken up, took her phone from her.
"Alice, it's Jonathan. You have to calm down. You cannot contact us; Batman might be watching you. If he gets us, he'll get Becky far away and he'll send me to Arkham. I won't be able to help you trapped in there. Since you can't leave the house anyway, I suggest you just stay there. We'll find something, okay ? We'll help you. We'll ask Harley and Ivy for help. We'll contact you when we have news. Is that clear ?"
"Y-yes…" the young girl sobbed.
"Okay. I'll hang up now. I promise we'll do something."
When he hung up, Becky looked at him in despair. "I can't believe he caught Jervis… What are we going to do ?"
"For now, nothing."
"What ? But…"
"Becky, I know he's after us. Jervis was only the beginning. You'll see Harley and Ivy tonight, and you won't mention Jervis, okay ? I'll do the same with the Joker. We can't do anything yet. It could be a trap…"
She frowned. "But it's Alice ! She wouldn't lie to us !"
"That's not what I said. I think Batman expects me to do something about Alice or Jervis and catch me; that's why we have to wait."
The red-head looked down, in tears. "I hate Batman."
"So do I, love."

"Tell me, Jervis. Is Rebecca Albright working with the Scarecrow ?" the Caped Crusader asked, standing in Jervis' cell in the asylum.
The Hatter was sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth. They had taken his hat away from him, and traded his blue costume for the orange clothes the inmates all wore. "I want to see Alice."
"Her name isn't Alice. It's Rachel." Batman hissed.
"Lies ! Off with your head !"
"Tetch, I need to save Rebecca from Crane. She needs my help. And I need yours. Tell me where to find Crane, alone. I have to catch him without endangering Rebecca. I fear she has some kind of Stockholm Syndrome…"
"Twinkle twinkle little bat, like a tea tray in the sky…" The blonde man sang.
"Tetch ! Where is Crane ?" Batman grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up in the air.
"Why, in Wonderland, of course !"
"Tell me where to find him or you'll never see your Rachel again." The Dark Knight threatened.
"Her name is Alice !" The Mad Hatter yelled with anger. His blue eyes stared at the Bat like they could pierce him.
"Tell me, Tetch !"
"How would I know ? Ask the Cheshire Cat. He's the one who gives directions."
As Jervis grinned, Batman threw him on the ground. "I won't get anything out of you, will I ? You psycho."
He turned around and left, leaving the blonde man all alone.
"I'll see Alice soon… She won't leave me like this."

Edward Nygma was very bored. Sitting at his desk in his brand new office, his arms crossed and his hat hiding his eyes, the man was waiting for someone, something, to interrupt the heavy silence. The red-haired man had put aside his criminal activities. He had thought about it for a very long time; being a villain had been fun, but it often made him end up with broken ribs and bruises. The man hated having bruises; especially on his face. He was extremely proud of his good looks, and needed to feel handsome in order to be happy; thus, having a black-eye or a busted lip made him most unhappy.
The fact two other villains he knew had started to become slightly more normal also made him want to change; the Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter were still criminals, and rather great ones, but Becky and Alice's presence made their lives a little brighter. Though he didn't want to admit it, Edward was quite jealous; he hadn't had a girlfriend in a relatively long time, and did not understand why two freaks could get one. After all, Nygma was smarter, nicer, and much more handsome ! He wasn't a murderous maniac like the two others, and was way more charismatic. Then again, maybe the two young women that had fallen for them had peculiar tastes. They had both met him before being in a relationship with the men; if they were normal, they would have fallen for him and abandoned the two criminals, of course ! Not that the man would have liked either of them; Becky was smart, but too weird and not pretty enough; Alice was beautiful, but way too young and wasn't good at solving riddles.
Nygma sighed. He hadn't seen them in six months. In the last month, he had started renting this office, situated in the center of Gotham, and he had paid for publicity… Though he was supposed to keep low profile, as he was currently hiding from Batman and the police, he had paid for rather large posters to be put everywhere in town; he had printed at least a thousand of them, all of which had his face on it, and this slogan : "When you have no clue, we find some." Under this sentence, the name E. Nygma was printed in green. His number was written on the right, along with his office's address and the title : "Private investigator".
Yes, that's what he was now. A private investigator. It was a great opportunity; instead of having to submit riddles to Batman to feel smart, he would have people bring him riddles ! He would get paid to solve them ! And once the Dark Knight would realize the Riddler was reformed, he would let him be ! It might take time; the Caped Crusader wasn't known for letting the Rogues do whatever they please. After all, he had tried to catch Jervis on Alice's birthday, at night. He didn't manage; but he had tried. And he had gone to Becky's apartment the following day, looking for her; fortunately, the girl had already left it, taking all of her belongings to the Scarecrow's lair. She knew he had visited the apartment, because she saw pictures of him rushing out of it in the Gotham Tribune. At least that was what she had told to Edward on the phone, a few days ago.
Nygma took off his hat, biting his lower lip. He was honestly surprised Batman hadn't visited him already. Perhaps he was waiting for him to commit an actual crime… Nygma had been caught and put back in  Arkham right after Alice's birthday party, and had escaped after five months. He was far from the asylum before Batman or the police were even aware of his disappearance. Apart from escaping, he didn't commit any crime in the last month. They were probably thinking he was planning something big, and were waiting to catch him red-handed… Until then, Batman and other vigilantes ignored him. It wasn't so hard to do so : he had stopped wearing his mask, and wore casual clothes. Well, as casual as he could… he wore a lavender silk shirt, and green pants. His shoes were rather expensive looking, shiny, and of a dark shade of purple. His bowler hat was the only thing he had kept from his costume; his orange hair, that was now long enough to cover his ears, looked simply marvelous when coming out from under the emerald hat. The man had discarded his old cane, preferring one that didn't have a question-mark on it. He now looked almost normal.
"If I'm so normal looking, why the hell don't I have any clients ? The only people who visited me are old ladies who knocked at the wrong door, and a bunch of kids who wanted to pull a prank on me. Did people forget how smart I am ?"
"Damnit." The Riddler whispered. "I'm going to have to steal things if it keeps on going like this." He still had much money left from his previous crimes, but he wouldn't be able to live with that for such a long time… Especially since he had such a taste for expensive things. How could people not come to him, with all the posters he had paid for ? They knew where to find him. They had his phone number. With all the thefts, murders and aggressions committed in Gotham each day, people should need his help… Batman didn't have time to help everyone, and the police wasn't very efficient. He was another alternative; surely people could appreciate that.
"Well Eddie, if people don't come to you, you should come to them. Why not go out and distribute business cards ? Sure, you could get henchmen to do that; but a pretty face sells better. And you have an extremely pretty face."
Satisfied with the compliments he gave himself, the red-head got out of his chair and took off his hat, running a hand through his shiny hair. He checked his reflection in a pocket mirror before exiting the room; his foundation was still in place, even with the extreme heat that made him sweat a little. Yes, the man sometimes wore foundation; he felt makeup shouldn't be worn only by women. After all, a man could also want to have a nice skin ! Nygma had very expensive foundations and concealers made by brands like Dior back at home; he had to put some on in order to feel good enough to get out. He used a lot of skin products to prevent having rashes or zits, but he sometimes had some, and couldn't bear to go out and be seen without burying them under makeup. He did the same with the occasional black-eyes he could get from his encounters from Batman. He didn't feel like using makeup was very strange; after all, male models wore foundation. Why couldn't he ?
He put some foundation on the makeup sponge and applied some on his cheekbones and chin, then grabbed his cane and opened the door. Sitting at her desk, his secretary looked up from her computer screen when she heard the man walk past her.
"Going out, Mr. Nygma ?"
"Yes, Marion. I'll be back in an hour or so. Call me on my cellphone if needed." He said with a smile. "Oh, and please call me Edward. I may be your boss, but I think that being called Mr. Nygma makes me look like a fifty years old man."
"Sure, Mr… Edward !" The brunette said, blushing slightly.
Grinning, the man walked to the elevator. Marion only had her looks to make up for her lack of intelligence. The girl was slim, tall, with big blue eyes and a fair skin; Eddie pretended to be interested in her only so that she would accept working extra hours when it would be needed, when there would be tons of clients rushing to Nygma's office. He felt that time would come soon.

The man was riding the train to go in a rather bad part of the town, hoping to get clients there. He never really enjoyed using the subway, as it implied bearing with other people's loud stupid conversations, disturbing body odors and weird looks. He used it nonetheless, thinking that if he wanted to get clients in this part of town, he would have to act like they do, or at least pretend to. Sure, he would have adored having rich men and women as clients; but he had to start at the bottom. He planned to quickly climb the ladder; his extreme intelligence and charm would allow him to do so.
The Riddler brushed invisible dirt off his shirt, and got out of the train, along with a dozen other passengers. He climbed the stairs to the exit, frowning when an old woman stopped in front of him to get a better hold of her multiple, large bags. She seemed to have a hard time carrying them; Nygma glanced at her and quickly moved to her left to walk past her.
"Those annoying old ladies. They shouldn't be allowed to go out when they can barely walk and are just an annoyance to everybody."
Edward wasn't exactly the nicest guy, and was aware of it; he had tried to be nice when he was a child, and that didn't turn out so well. "Don't be such a fucking pussy !" His father used to yell at him. "Stop asking questions about everything and do something manly, like soccer !"
His father considered generosity was a woman's quality, and wasn't something a man should be proud of. A man should be, in his opinion, a brainless, handsome jock capable of breaking a wall with a single punch. Every other types of men were "queers". Nygma had managed to fulfill his father's desires on the handsome part; but he lacked physical strength, liked books too much and was too soft in general. In order to avoid more beatings from his father and more humiliations, he had decided to simply not care about anyone but himself. His own needs were a priority, he had to win everything, and he had to show everyone he was the smartest. Knowledge was the only thing that made him better than others, the only thing in which he dominated his peers. As a man, he simply had to dominate. He was smarter than his father; he thought that would make the man proud, but it made him beat the child even more. But having parents who are proud of you is overrated anyway, isn't it ? Eddie was extremely proud of himself; that was more than enough.
The man sighed when he was finally out. The wind blowing in his face was pleasant, after the half hour he had spent in the hot, suffocating underground. He looked around, and he saw a few buildings, a super-market, a pub… He checked his right pocket, and felt a few coins and some bills.
"Nice. Let's go to that pub and see if we can find clients there…"
With a smug smile, the red-head walked to the door and pushed it. Most people had preferred to go inside rather than on the tables set in front of the small building, to be wonderfully refreshed by the air-conditioning. Nygma went to the bar, sitting gracefully. A woman sitting at his left glanced at him, and he smiled at her. The woman wore a black dress, which contrasted with her blonde, bleached hair. She had a lot of black eye shadow on her eyes, and bright red lipstick. She looked gorgeous, but cheap; almost vulgar.
"Could I have a coke ?" he asked to the bartender. The man nodded, grabbing a bottle from the freezer.
"A coke ? Don't ya drink ?" The woman asked.
"Never on the job. Besides, it's a little too early for that."
"On the job ? Are ya a cop or somethin' ? Ya don't look like one."
"That would be because I'm not one. I'm much better than that. I'm a private investigator !" He said cheerfully.
"No kiddin' ? Like in the movies ?"
"Exactly." He grinned, after taking a sip of the soda. "What about you ?" He didn't really care about the woman's life, but he had to pretend to be interested if he hoped to have her give him a job, or talk about him to other people.
"I'm a singer."
"Really ?"
"Yeah. I sing in some bars at night."
"Hmm. That's an admirable career. Have a stage name yet ?"
"It's Cherry. But my real name's Marie. Yours ?"
"Edward." He chuckled. Marie didn't even frown at the name; she had not recognized him. It was amazing how a new haircut could fool most people. The mask he wore when committing crimes didn't hide his whole face after all; he should be easily recognizable. Maybe the woman was already too intoxicated to realize who he was… She did seem to have drunk quite a lot already.
"So, Edward, whatcha you doin' these days ? Are you chasin' anyone, or takin' pictures of wives that cheat on their husbands ?"
"I wouldn't be there if I did. I just opened my office, and business has been slow. Why ? Do you need me to chase anyone ?" He took another sip.
"Nah. But if ya have so much free time, we could hang out… ya seem pretty cute." She put a hand on his left thigh. The man almost jumped at her touch; he had the urge to push her hand off, but he couldn't be that rude in public.
"Oh god, please don't touch me. Please, you're repulsive…. Oh god. She has horrible fake nails. How can she grab stuff with those things ? They look like Freddy Krueger's knives !"
"Wanna come back to my place ?" Marie asked, with a look she thought to be seductive.
"Um, let's talk some more before that. Tell me more about your job !"
The fake blonde frowned, but did as asked. "Well, I sing every night of the week in bars… I don't get paid much, but it's better than nothin'…"
Suddenly, the red-head felt his cellphone vibrate in one of his pockets. He quickly took it out and answered it.
"Edward, it's Marion. There's a man waiting for you in your office… he says he has to see you now. I think… I think it may be Harvey Dent." She finished with a whisper.
"Well, if it's so urgent, I better get going ! Tell him I'll be there in half an hour. Offer him some coffee while he waits. Thank you for calling me, Marion."
He hung up and rose, taking his half empty soda bottle in his hand. "I'm sorry, but my secretary just called. I have to go to my office."
"Um, 'kay… Can I have your phone number ?" The woman asked, disappointed.
Edward took a business card out of his pocket, and handed it to her. No way he was going to give her his personal number.
"I don't know what you want, Harvey, but I'll have to thank you for saving me from that dimwitted girl."
He threw some bills on the counter, and left with a grin, eager to get out.

This is the 10 commandments of gaming. Every gamer should follow these very basic laws of gaming.


1. Thou shalt treat thy gaming platform like family.

2. Thine controller shalt not be desecrated nor destroyed.

3. Thou shalt not blame the internet lag unless it falls to the lowest level.

4. Thou shalt never cheat unless thine game has been beaten before (walkthroughs do not count.)

5. Thou shalt not pick on the n00bs (no matter how entertaining it is.)

6. Thou shalt not grief or spam.

7. Thou shalt take great care of thine discs/cartridges.

8. Games are to be shared with  thine friends (unless thou friends are proven to be untrustworthy or careless.)

9. Games are precious and unique, no matter what platform or company they are produced under.

10. These commandments shalt be unalterable, so long as gaming remains within humanity and beyond.

with arms open wide,
you are always by my side.
from beginning to the end,
you can always be my friend.

love may be a word to 'strong'
as others may say.
but in the end,
who of them, has stayed?

the feelings i  feel for you,
are too much to ignore,
you, my dearest love, my only treasure,
are the one, the only one, who i shall ever adore.

January—
I am forced to grow up
Before my time
Confusion

February—
I get a little worse
Start to cry every night
Sadness

March—
I cling to old things
Try to turn back time
Failure

April—
I start to write
An outlet for built-up emotion
Expression

May—
I fall apart for real this time
Do things I now wish I hadn’t
Mistake

June—
I staple up the gap in my chest
And begin hiding behind fake smiles
Illusion

July—
I retreat further behind my wall
Forgetting how to cry, laugh, or scream
Isolation

August—
I am caged
Trapped by my uselessness
Insignificant

September—
I don’t know what to do
Nothing seems to matter anymore
Apathy

October—
I’ve snapped, it seems
Worse than before and oh so impossible to fix
Broken

November—
I stumble upon something unexpected
A reunion, a confession, a promise
Hope

December—
I start planning
Realizing that all is not lost
Though I am choking everyday
I am choking on rainbows
I swallow the beautiful things
As I find them
They are the product of all these months
Of these years that once seemed wasted
Light, the light of hope
Filters through every tear
And casts rainbows at my feet
I pick them up, collect them
And save them, one by one,
Save them for all the days I need saving
For all the days I need to feed this emptiness
Save them so that I can return them
Someday
I fill myself with seasons and seasons of rainbows
I can see it now
The color after the storm
I see
Possibilities, dripping with
Clean water.

With a title of "Horror," you would expect me to write something of sterotypical horror; the gore and violence, or even zombies or ghosts, that the population's  mind is predominantly set to when they hear "horror."

No, its none of those, I'm sorry to say; but I shall speak of the horror of loneliness surrounding you, while the world around you binds together.

How would that be, for horror in life? How often do we come along loneliness and take it with much disdain? More than we encounter zombies I should think.

Some are taken by this horror much more than others; and I for one start to wonder what happens later on down the road if they let it affect them. I always wonder what happens: do they continue to live by themselves in this world, or do they eventually grow out of it, and move on from the past?

It scares me sometimes, to realize that some of the people close to me, are haunted by this everyday of their lives, having to live in their own world, alone.

Two roads stood in front of me, both signifying either good or bad. On Memory Lane, the road divides, the dark side tempting me with its dark character, leading me into the terrible memories of my past; the brighter side, the one with the fonder memories pulls me away before I can walk into the deep abyss of my past.

"Heart for Sale," the ad shouted. "Complete with baggage. In need of serious repair," it screamed.

I'm sure with that type of advertising, his heart would never be wanted. I mean, who would want to love a heart in such dire disrepair?

Evidently me because, for some reason, this is one advertisment I'm going for.