Doors

[A video file is emailed to Stephanie Brown. It’s remarkably short and the lighting is so dim it’s hard to make out the otherwise bright green splattered with dried blood on Riddler’s suit. The camera focuses and he’s strapped to a chair and wearing a bulky looking vest over his shoulders. He’s clearly been beaten, possibly even tortured, but the keenness in his eyes hasn’t gone out. There's the sharp noise of a safety being clicked off as a gun is pointed to his head by an unseen kidnapper and Eddie rolls his eyes up with a laugh.

“You don’t have to put a gun to my head to get me to tell a riddle.” His voice is worn and unwoven. Eddie sounds a lot older than he normally does; even a little older than he is physically. The gun’s barrel digs into his temple and his eyes go wide with sarcastic melodrama before he looks back at the camera. The dark anger in his gaze snaps away in little flickers and his voice softens. He has to make the riddle sound difficult, but keep it solvable with the power of the internet. “Riddle me this. What slough Karloff has a diurnal identity?” And then he grins brightly, mostly up to whoever is holding the gun before getting knocked out cold and the video ending abruptly.]

The video comes with a single message: You have 12 hours before I kill him.

[Email to Aiden at Arcadia Unbound]
Your copy of The Cenci is of questionable origin. I only felt you should know. I've a legitimate copy for sale, should you wish to purchase it.

Eloise,
@Playbill

[Locked to Adam W]
I'm to check on you.

[Locked to Connor B]
We've met I'm to check on you.

[locked to death & selina k.]

Eddie's in trouble. Big trouble, and I need help.

[locked to eddie n.]

Please be okay Why did you Why couldn't you just leave it [Nothing posted.]

It turns out time travelers, they are not so fond of pianos as I am.

[Wren H]

Are you upset? You were upset.

[Daniel W]

Was this time better than last time? Or worse?

[Later] [Sunny]

Thank you for the box. It was important, I think. I remember thinking, at the time, anyway. Are you all right, now we're all back?

[Edited to add]

[Jack]

Are you all right? Wren said she didn't know.

[text: Sam A]

done. start thursday. hope you like paperwork g.


[Ford C]

There's a word taken with the foreman, the one at the site Russ has been at since it got talked about on the last place. Ford's described, down to 'looks like a fucking starving weasel', Russ having considerably downgraded Ford in description from fox, based on sulky loathing at this point in time. It's a couple weeks' worth of work nothing more, and there's not a promise extracted or given about being kept on if the work is shit. But Russ wants to wash his hands of it, and this is it. He doesn't go back to the site except once to collect his check and he annoys the garage owner asking for a couple more shifts to tide him over til he's found somewhere else.]

Text to Cael:

DO YOU HAVE A CURRENT PASSPORT?