Re: Main Street
[OOC: because of IJ's bitchassness, kelly and i doc'd this entire thing and now we're shoving as many tags as we can in each comment. ♥]
Steph knew that she was a good influence on Eddie, and she didn’t need a strange mindgame to tell her so. A calming spirit, that was what she was for him, just like he was a guiding compass for her right now. They needed each other, that much was obvious, and while she shoved the other Riddler back into his chair, she frowned deeply. Could this happen to them now? If things crumbled and all went back to the way they were, would Eddie just collapse into this raving madman of riddles and unfathomable rage? She bit her lip so hard it almost bled, and all she wanted to do was leave this place right then and there. It made her nauseous to see him like this, but not because of his ranting lunacy or threats. Not because of the reason Eddie had expected, though, but because she knew this Riddler was in pain.
She kept a tight hand on the Riddler’s shoulder as she ignored his poking and prodding for a second. Instead, she turned to her Eddie. “Don’t apologize,” she said forcefully, and she finally saw him slumped against the wall. “Are you okay?” The concern bled into her voice, and she couldn’t stop herself from letting go of the other man to stoop in front of hers. She reached out and brushed her fingers across his cheek. “Breathe, okay? Just breathe.” Turning over her shoulder, she gritted her teeth at the crazed man who caused it all. “I’m Batgirl, you son of a bitch, and I know you don’t know who the hell I am, but you should. You wouldn’t be here if you did.”
Eddie opened his eyes to look at her and smiled at her touch as he leaned the side of his face into her hand. “I can’t breathe, but I can still beat you at chess.” He whispered, stifling a cough that made his shoulders shake before he inhaled deeply and kept his gaze on her. He had always been attracted to her strength, that boldness that wasn’t a byproduct of the bat family or her own blood. It was the kind of strength that came from years of being screwed over by people that should have been protecting her. Maybe Freud was right, they were just two lost kids with daddy issues who needed each other because no one else got it like they did.
But, the Riddler didn’t like being ignored and when Batgirl snapped at him he gave her a look of arrogant disbelief. “If you think you’re Batgirl, then it’s a good thing you’re in Arkham.” Riddler spat, but it was clear that he didn’t like the thought of one of the bat kids getting the jump on him. “You and I can get a cell right next to each other. I’ll even let your boyfriend visit if he promises to behave himself next time.” The crazed question mark man staggered to his feet and raised his voice loudly like an alarm. “GAAAUURDSSS YOU’VE SENT ME A DEFECTIVE ONE!”
“I think that’s our cue to run.” Eddie said to Stephanie, grabbing her hand as he tried to plan an escape route for them. But, the door slammed open and guards started to tumble out at them like they were escaping a clown car. The room flickered to darkness and the ground below became soft and cold with snow. Suddenly, the voices of Arkham, the screaming of The Riddler, turned distant and quiet. Eddie wrapped Stephanie in his arms defensively as Arkham vanished in the dark forest they had wandered into. He looked up to the snow covered branches and then down at her, his expression brightening a little “That wasn’t so bad, right?” He smirked like he was just asking to get slapped.