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Riddle 001: Where am I?

[Edward groans blearily and rubs his eyes, having fallen asleep in a squashy armchair in the corner of his new bedroom. He looks around, briefly. His eyes slowly go wide as he's bombarded with thoughts. This isn't my office. He looks down at himself. These aren't my clothes. He glances up at his desk, which feature pictures of a group of young children, a young woman, and... himself?! That can't be me. He pushes himself up, heading over towards the window. One peek outside and his eyes go wider. This certainly isn't Gotham!

He darts out of his bedroom and starts searching the house for a computer, a phone, an exit, something. He moves quickly, unsure if he's been abducted by anyone. Finally, he comes across an old rotary phone. Compulsively, he reaches for the phone, dials a number, and speaks into it with an urgent, hushed whisper.]

Gotham City Police Department? This is Edward Nigma, get Commissioner Gordon on the line! This is incredibly urgent.

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[He saw about three children in the photos, if he recalled correctly. Still hard to believe that whoever abducted him suddenly expected him to be father to three children.]

I saw them in the photos, but I haven't met them yet, no. You're the first I've met face-to-face.

[He follows after her, deciding to explore his new house.]

What are they like?

Well, Massimo is a robot. He's pretty sweet and looks after the younger kids around here.

Wriggle is...well, she says she's a bug, but I'm not really sure how that works. She's very shy so you better not freak her out.

Aisling is the newest. She was a forest spirit in her home. She's very smart and like learning about everything here.

A robot, a bug, and a forest spirit.

[Bizarre. Then again, Eddie's spent plenty of time running through the city with a man who dresses like a bat. Edward shrugs.]

And what about you, Alice? Tell me a bit about yourself.

Nothing really special about me. I came from New York where I taught karate, and now I'm here.

[Of course that isn't including her trip to Wonderland.]

How long have you been here?

[Questions, questions, questions.]

A few months now. Since January.

Mm.

[He moves to the refrigerator and peeks inside for something to drink. A quick realization and he pokes his head back out.]

Someone told me on the phone not to drink the milk...

Ah.

Yeah...sometimes it's poisoned. The milkman doesn't like us very much.

[Several questions pop into his head. Who is the milkman? Does he have any relation to the mayor or this Officer Grady? But he figures the most important question is...]

I can assume the rest of this is safe, though, yes?

For now.

It's really better not to assume anything here. They change the rules all the time.

[He nods, taking a bottle of orange juice from the refrigerator and closing the door. He glances around the kitchen, quickly finding himself a glass and pouring himself a drink.]

The woman on the phone said something along those lines, too.

I'm sure anyone else stuck here would tell you the same.

[He takes a swig of OJ.]

Tell me something. You said something about a mayor, yes? And an Officer?

[Sipping at her water.]

Yeah. We don't see them around very often, and when we do it usually means trouble.

I see. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for them, then.

Be careful though. If you break any rules or go snooping too much they brainwash you.

[He almost chokes on his orange juice but manages not to. Raising a curious eyebrow.]

How do you mean?

There are people around here who weren't kidnapped. We call them drones. They act like everything around here is perfect. When they think you need some punishment they make you act just like them.

...permanently?

Not usually. Sometimes it happens to people permanently, but our theory is that it isn't them anymore. Just a drone in their place.

...I see.

[He tries to pass himself off as nonchalantly as possible, but Alice might still be able to spot a bit of a twitch as he pulls his hand up to take another sip of his drink.]

[She does notice, but is polite enough not to draw attention to it.]

We hope the permanent cases have actually gone home.

[He nods, sucking a bit on his teeth before speaking up, the detective in him taking over.]

So, allow me to sum up the facts. All the residents of this town have been taken from different places. Nobody knows for sure exactly how they got here or how to get out.

The town is run by a suspicious mayor, along with questionable law enforcement. Their leadership is inconsistent, and they often change up the laws of this town. Generally, though, they expect the townspeople to group together as nuclear families and act as though nothing is amiss in this so-called "utopia."

If anyone acts out of line, they are punished, be it via poisoned milk or brainwashing. Although it's possible that those who have succumbed to permanent brainwashing may have ended up getting back home via unknown means.

...is there anything important I've missed?

No, I think that covers all of the important bits.

Good. I've found myself investigating some strange circumstances before. Maybe not this strange, but... As I've said before, there's bound to be an answer. And I intend to find a way out of here. There's no riddle I can't solve.

[Is that a bit of a mad gleam in his eyes? Might be.]

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not-oflegend.livejournal.com - 2010-08-12 03:52 (UTC) - Expand

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