The Mask whistled to himself as he skipped down the derelict road, extending his arm to knock the top off a bin, the round object hit the ground and rolled away noisily.
"Shut up!" he shouted loudly, the noise echoing along the road, "You'll wake the whole neighbourhood!"
He chuckled and continued on his walk, with no idea of where he was going, or where he was for that matter. He'd just woken up in a hotel room here, and had decided to go for a walk.
Why the hell not!?
This place did seem a little… what was the right word… shit…
Did they even have a garbage collector here…?
Did they even know what 'clean' was?
And there didn't seem to be any people out.
He pouted, "Oh darn, how's a guy supposed to have any fun around here if there's no one to have fun with?"
He sighed gently, and sat on the curb, looking up and down the road. No taxi's, no busses, and only one or two cars.
In a big city like this? That was odd.
Maybe he could hitch a lift with someone?
He hopped to his feet and strolled up to one of the cars that was stopped at the near by traffic lights.
He rapped on the passenger side window, and waited for it to roll down.
The black window fell, he peered through to the drivers seat, there was a man wearing a suit very much like his own, but it was green rather than yellow.
"…What…" The ginger haired man growled indignantly; he was not at all in the mood to be car-jacked.
He looked over at the man outside and frowned, he knew white-faced men, but green? And there was something eerily familiar about him, had they met before?
Surely he'd remember that face…
"Hello my fellow gentleman," the green faced man said, again Edward frowned; he sounded familiar too. "Mind if I hitch a ride…?"
He stepped through the window, making Riddler's heart jump in surprise, "Oi! You can't just-!"
"-Thank you! Any club near here would be fine," Mask slid his seat back and out and put his feet up on the dashboard.
Riddler frowned deeply, and turned his head to shout obscenities at the yellow suited man. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the gun in the man's pocket, and he swallowed hard, gripping the steering wheel tight. "Ok," he said through gritted teeth as he put his foot on the accelerator.
Which club was closest?
"So, what's you name?" Mask called loudly, his smile oddly wide.
…Edward should ask Joker if he had any brothers…
"Riddler," Edward said with a hesitant smile.
"I'm… Mask? I think that's what they call me," the green faced man held his hand out, and Riddler shook it hesitantly, "Nice to meet you Riddy."
Edward frowned, "Don't call me that," he remembered the gun, "…please."
He sped up slightly, wanting this man out of his car. He wasn't even sure why he had rolled down the window, he guessed his mind had been on other things.
"D'aww," Mask cooed, leaning across the seat, "You don't like your nickname?"
"N-No," Riddler stuttered, feeling his insides curl in on themselves in discomfort; the man was too close, Edward could almost smell what he'd had for lunch.
Mask hummed, holding his hand to his chin and tapping his finger against it, "How about 'Diddle'? 'Hey iddle Diddle would you answer my riddle?'"
Riddler frowned and he ground his teeth together, digging his nails into the wheel.
"So what do you do around here iddle Diddle?" Mask asked, still smiling widely.
Riddler glanced at the gun again, "I'm…" he sighed gently, "I make riddle and puzzle based games."
"I love games!" Mask shouted, clasping his hands together, "I do games too! And jokes! Do you like jokes?"
This guy had to be related to Joker.
"Uh, kind of, I guess, I'm more intellectual than… Not that I'm calling you stupid," Edward said tentatively, rounding the corner to the club, thanking god that he was almost there.
He stopped the car, "Here, best club on this side of Gotham."
Mask nodded, "Gotham, eh? That' where I am?" he threw a handful of monopoly money at the ginger haired man, and opened the car door.
He turned his head back to Edward, "Oh second thoughts; come in with me. Can't have you sitting out here bored while I'm in there having fun."
"What?" Did this man expect him to wait out here for him? Did this man expect him to go into the club with him?
"Come on!" Mask said with a growl, reaching into the car and wrapping his arms around Riddler's shoulders, pulling him across the seats and out onto the pavement.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Edward yelled as Mask clung to him, pulling him towards the door of the club.
The bouncer looked down at the pair, "ID please."
The Mask held out his hand, "Hi Reg, can I call you Reg? This is Riddler, fairly famous, I'm sure you've heard of him, I'm Mask, I'm Diddle's date for the night, I'm new here, be a lamb and open up for us?" in his hand were several hundred dollar bills.
The bouncer's eyes widened, and he began to stutter, "T-Thank you, sir. But, I can't let you in with that," he pointed to the gun in Mask's pocket, "It's against house rules."
"Oh this ol' thing?" Mask said with a mocking chuckle, pulling out the gun and waving it, the gun wobbling oddly in his hand, "It's rubber! A prop?"
The bouncer nodded and smiled, "G-Go right in, sir"
Mask had called Edward his date? Was that why Edward recognised him? Had they hooked up at some point before?
Edward hoped not; he couldn't imagine how drunk he must have been to have slept with that and not remember… Maybe the guy had drugged him?
Mask, still gripping onto Riddler's hand, pulled him through the door, Edward tried to resist, but the man was so strong.
Luckily Eddie knew the owner of the club, and knew him well.
True, he didn't really like Penguin, but they had a civil relationship, he was sure that if he said this Mask guy was causing him trouble then Penguin would kick him out, and let Edward stay there till the guy'd gone.
He looked around the club, or what he could see of it, and couldn't see Penguin anywhere. Maybe he was on the opposite side of the iceberg…?
"Oh barman!" Mask called, pulling Edward by the wrist to the bar, "Two of your strongest drinks!"
The barman nodded, and poured some clear liquid into two shot glasses.
Mask downed the drink, still not letting go of his companion's hand, Edward watched in amazement as steam, actual steam, came from the mans ears, "What? How did…?" Edward gasped, as did several people around him.
"Whooo!" Mask screeched, "Gawd! That is strong!"
Edward squinted in sheer confusion, "What are you? You can't be human, no human could do that, you've gotta be a meta or something? Oh god! You're part of the justice league aren't you!? Shit? I swear it wasn't me! It was…"
Mask ignored him, taking the second shot, more steam coming from him. "..But… If you were from the justice league you wouldn't have brought me into a bar…"
He watched the masked man order another shot, observing him, looking at his face; it looked like a merge of wood and flesh.
Weird, awesome, but still weird.
Another shot, more steam, a scream from someone in the crowd.
Riddler continued to watch, unable to break free from his grip.
He looked away when he heard someone let out a small cough behind him.
"Hello, Edward," Penguin sneered, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder, "Your friend?" he gestured at Mask.
"His name's Mask. He's not my friend," Edward said quietly.
At the mention of his name Mask turned his head, "You called..?" he slurred, wobbling on his seat slightly, jotting his jaw out, over acting his slight drunkenness.
"Mr Mask, sir, We received a complaint from one of our customers that you have been… doing something odd. I-"
"You can't tell me to leave!" Mask shouted, straightening himself and lifting an eyebrow, "You can't make me do nothin'!"
Penguin held up his hands as a sign of peace as Mask got to his feet and pulled out his gun.
"No! Sir! I was just going to-"
"You pigs'll never touch meh!" the man said, letting a stream of bullets loose across the room, people screaming and leaping under their tables.
When the gun was empty he dropped it to the floor with a hard metallic clunk.
Edward stared down at it, "B-but it was rubber," he gasped, before Mask tugged on his arm and pulled him away.
"Come along little dawggy! The fuzz is'a coming!" Mask said as he dragged Riddler behind him, the man's strength lifting him almost clear from the ground.
Mask flung him into the car, throwing him through the window into the backseat. Mask hopped into the car and sped off, calling back to Riddler, "I don't s'pose you have any place to go do you little one?"