Edward Nigma (eddie_nigma) wrote in modernage, @ 2010-05-15 17:43:00 |
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Who: The Riddler; Harley Quinn; NPC Diedre Vance (Query) and Nina Damfino (Echo); NPC Opera performers; NPC Audience
Where: Gotham Opera House
When: Wednesday, April 21, not long after this is first spotted.
Summary: The Riddler pulls off another elaborate plot
The opera, Turandot practically begged to be the target of the Riddler's attention! The heart of the opera's plot is how the princess, Turandot, poses three riddles to any potential suitors... if they are not correctly answered, they are slain. The moment Eddie had learned the Gotham Opera House was putting on this production, he'd been scheming, planning, and tonight would be the fruition of his endeavor.
The climatic scene came in the second act - with the entire assembly onstage, dressed in elaborate costumes, the audience listened with rapt attention as the soprano who held the title role, sang with such breathtaking talent, it was easy to understand why she was ranked as one of the best opera divas. Rosa Raisa was famous around the world, and had drawn a huge crowd, even on a Wednesday evening.
Nobody suspected a thing.
In the opera, Turandot swears never to let any man possess her and warned the Prince not to tempt fortune. There are three riddles, there is one death. The Prince is persistent in his reply, No, there are three riddles, there is one life! The music swelled, but before Turandot could continue by posing the first riddle, something highly unusual and completely unexpected happened. Set in the stage was a trap door with an elevator below, usually used for dramatic entrances in operas, but not in this particular one. So, when the trap door opened and the Riddler, dressed in his green suit and hat, emerged with a wide flourish of his arms, everybody was stunned, and many gasped.
"RIDDLE ME THIS!" he declared, his voice picked up by the stage microphones. "When does a solid have fun?" A pause. "When it's A GAS!"
That was the cue: a button was pressed on his question mark cane, which cased the hidden tanks, which he and his henchwomen had set up the other night, to release their contents. A thick cloud of knockout gas that the Riddler had gotten from Cheshire, filled the stage and audience from all sides. Acting fast, the Riddler covered his nose and mouth with a mini gas-mask to keep him from being affected. Screams of fear and confusion were quickly stifled as people begun to drop like flies. Motioning to the wings, where Query, Echo and Harley were waiting, the Riddler went immediately to where the star soprano, Rosa Raisa, had fallen.
If Batman, or any of the others, had seen the riddle he left, they might've already figured out that What is like ice, but burns like fire? was the third riddle that is posed to the Prince in the opera, who answers correctly, Turandot! Knowing this, it wouldn't take that much to figure out where the Riddler would strike, so the Riddler wanted to hurry, before some hero showed up. In a way, it was a good thing that the Joker has escaped the night before... even though Eddie was envious as hell, the police and possibly the Bat family, were probably all out searching for him, which meant less spotlight for Eddie, but a better chance to escape.