Riddle 011: Emphasis on CROSS in "Crossword"

[questionauthority]

[Edward's busily attending to a crossword puzzle in the kitchen. He muses over it before groaning in frustration and grabbing the phone.]

Has anyone else found the Daily Crosswords in Mayfield far too simple? Literally, for the last three days in a row, I've been finding them incredibly underwhelming. Come on now, Mayfield. Yesterday was Saturday, and what did we get? Tuesday quality. Garbage. Even the Gotham Gazette's Mondays could be considered more of a challenge than this!

Does anyone happen to know who even runs the paper? [He groans.]

[Filter to Joker, Harley, and Pam:]

I'm still in need of some assistance, old friends. Joker? Pam? Have you changed your minds?

[Also, action, to Susan:]

Susan! Might I have a word with you?

Comments

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

Thank you! You'd think if this place were smart enough to pull the lot of us from countless locations, they'd be able to print a paper that wouldn't give us such simple crosswords. It's almost insulting!

[plantenough.livejournal.com]

Someone takes their games rather seriously, I see.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

Clearly. When I read a paper, I don't expect "Baby's First Crossword." I expect a challenge.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

You could say that.

[getsciencedone.livejournal.com]

Are you only interested in crossword puzzles or puzzles in general?

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[The tapping ceases.]

Who?

[filtered]

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[He laughs.]

Absolutely.

Now then, any further questions?

[filtered]

[crazyclownwoman.livejournal.com]

Not really.

Oh, how's your house doing? You said you got some weird people right?

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[He takes a long breath.]

I suppose I've never told you this before, but the town I come from is full of monsters.

[He thinks back to all the men and women he knows from Gotham. From his countless sentences in Arkham Asylum.]

For example, a man named Waylon Jones. Cursed with a horrible condition that made him a monster. His skin was almost reptilian. His teeth sharp like razors. By all means, the man was a freak of nature. Soon enough, he began to call himself "Killer Croc." Do you know what he does now?

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

Madam, I've been a lover of puzzles for as long as I can remember. Crosswords. Logic. Sudoku. Brainteasers. Any puzzle, really, from riddles to the Rubiks' cube.

[filtered]

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

It's fine enough. Aside from the Thanksgiving fiasco.

And yes, they just keep getting stranger.

[bluecapboy.livejournal.com]

It really is! I could solve these in my sleep.

[getsciencedone.livejournal.com]

[Added to her list.]

Fascinating. I run a testing facility where I create puzzles for our subjects to solve with our technology.

[filtered]

[crazyclownwoman.livejournal.com]

Really? How'd they get stranger?

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

I could solve these in a coma.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

Do you, now? I assume you provide these subjects with just the right level of challenge?

[filtered]

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

It's not the wife that bothers me so much as the son. He seems to do nothing but... antagonize me. As though he derives some kind of sick pleasure from it.

[bluecapboy.livejournal.com]

Haha, I could too I think! I never thought I'd call a puzzle "boring" before, but these really take the cake.

Maybe we should make our own puzzles!

[getsciencedone.livejournal.com]

Oh yes.

After all, what sort of data would I get if I didn't make it fair challenge?

[filtered]

[crazyclownwoman.livejournal.com]

.....

Are you sure he isn't Crane as a kid? They do weird stuff with time here.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[He laughs heartily.]

I think I like your attitude. What sorts of puzzles do you offer them?

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

...now that's probably the smartest thing I've heard all day.

[He scowls back at his paper.]

Certainly smarter than anything I've read today.

[filtered]

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

In all honesty, he might as well be. Though he's certainly more... forceful than Crane. And he definitely doesn't even need any toxins to prove a point.

[bluecapboy.livejournal.com]

You think so? I'm sure there's enough people who enjoy puzzles enough to pull it off!

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

If anything, the people of Mayfield---drone or not---need some kind of mental stimulation and exercise.