Re: Main Street
Stephanie listened to his rant patiently, or at least as attentively as she could muster, all the while mulling over what had gone wrong with it all. With him. She could tell that this Riddler ached for someone to talk to. Not the psychiatrists and nurses that feigned concern or understanding or even interest. No, he was lacking someone like, well, her. He hadn’t recognized her when she walked in, had he? And, then she remember what It’s a Wonderful Life was all about, and what the invitation that popped up on her tablet’s screen proclaimed: A chance to see what the world would be like without you. Was this Eddie’s version of life without her? A shamble of a man that he once was, a Riddler fallen completely off the rocker and into absolute insanity?
She wanted to ask him about the Batfamily, about whether or not there was a Batgirl running around Gotham. About what changed. Was it the Halloween party? Where was the tipping point where she, Stephanie Brown, had tugged the Riddler back from the brink seen before her right now? And, what could she do to prevent this from ever happening to them in their real Gotham?
But, before she could harp on it any longer, the fake Riddler launched away from the table and careened towards the real one tucked away in the corner stifling his laughter. Steph hesitated for a second as if her reaction would definitely give them both up, but blending or not, this was not going to turn out well for any of them. She slid across the metal table and towards the two men and managed to grab the imposter Nigma before he reached the other. In one swift movement, she pinned his arms behind his back and pulled him away from the corner. “I’m tougher than you think, Nigma,” she said quietly, though her Eddie could hear her if he wanted. The fingers of her free hand brushed against the pendant around her neck. “You can’t scare me away that easily. As much as you doubt me or you try to push me away, I’m not giving up. So, let’s try this again, hmm?” And maybe, just maybe, those words were meant for someone else, too. No, neither of them would get rid of her with a snap. It wasn’t that simple anymore.