questionauthority | Riddle 026: Raining on Prom Night

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Riddle 026: Raining on Prom Night

[A: 726 Anderson Lane - BACKDATED TO THE DAY AFTER PROM.

Riddle me this: Who's as green as his suit and just woke up with the worst hangover ever? Answer: Edward Nigma, of course. Family members ~~and unexpected visitors~~ will find the Riddler downstairs at the breakfast table, dressed in a green bathrobe, half-heartedly fumbling with his daily crossword while he picks at a plate of eggs. He looks incredibly groggy, tired, and somewhat foul-tempered.]

[B: Mayfield High School - TODAY. It appears as though your favorite Ethics teacher is looking a little bit better after a long weekend and some time to recover. On the chalkboard, there appears to be a hastily drawn picture of a man with a long face and a garish smile.]

A dangerous criminal has been apprehended. Caught red-handed. He's responsible for the deaths of countless innocents. Question: How do you proceed? Do you take an eye for an eye and serve him a death penalty? It only makes sense, doesn't it? Especially if you consider the possibility that he may escape from his prison. And it's true. He could certainly escape and kill again. And again.

For the safety of these innocents, and for the good of the people, it may be worthwhile to consider a utilitarian approach. That is to say, you would subscribe to a system of ethics in which you would seek to increase the safety, happiness, and well-being of all mankind to maximum levels. But...

[He draws up another picture on the chalkboard of a cloaked figure, shrouded in a long, flowing cape.]

...there are those who might disagree with you. Those self-righteous radicals who feel as though they should follow the rules. Whose rules, exactly? Their rules. Their morals are absolute. They simply can't be compromised. Even if executing a murderer and a madman will maximize our well-being, murder is still murder to them. Nothing changes that. This is a deontological approach, class. And the ends never justify the means to them.

...so riddle me this. What would you do, if you had a say in this criminal's fate?

[Around Town:

There's a good chance that, after school, you'll find the Riddler on an investigation. He'll be found in one of three locations---

C: Sniffing around the Zemekis Corps Office Building, trying to get a grasp on what exactly it is that people do here.

D: In the Downtown area, glancing into windows and occasionally taking notes on a small notepad.

E: At the Mayfield Hospital, to answer some questions. A hospital in Mayfield seems rather arbitrary, doesn't it? Especially considering that death isn't even permanent. Why would one even be here, then, if that's the case?]

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[Walking past the doorway...oh. Stopping.]

Hello Edward.

[That's a deep and relatively tricky issue to consider, so Caesar's going to resort to a far less important question instead. There is no hand-raising before he asks it, he just does.]

And the self-righteous radicals are wearing weird capes because...?

[Edward will find his newspaper torn in two but the crossword puzzle is somehow still in tact. He will also find his not!son at the table as well, having recently returned from delivering the news. There's a Batman comic book on the table which he's busily thumbing through as he nibbles at his toast.

On the stove, a tea kettle starts wailing relentlessly. Slugger makes no move to get it...]

[On his way to work, dressed in his Waiter's outfit.]

Hello there...

[He blinks at him for a moment.]

What -are- you doing?

If there is a law which covers him, you should obey it.

Exterminating people simply for the sake of the greater good is lazy thinking. If the system is failing -improve the system-.

[Nina seems pretty out of it as she wanders the halls of the hospital. So much so that he actually bumps into Edward without realizing he's there. When she looks up to see who she bumped into, she gives him a cursory glance and then looks back down, murmuring.]

Sorry.

Murder is always wrong, it doesn't matter what the circumstances are. But I know most people would disagree with me on that. They would seek the death penalty.

De... Deon... Deonto...

[damn it man not everyone knows them fancy words of yours]

[ Warren works at the hospital, though he sure as hell doesn't want to. He can be found sitting behind a counter somewhere, lobbing pencils at the ceiling in hopes of getting them stuck up there.

Yeah. Not even attempting to look busy. ]

[All in all, Lancer was in a pretty good mood after the prom. He was right back to his usual habit of wandering around town doing investigation in his own way. Which looked remarkably like screwing around and doing nothing.]

[Though that was better than looking ridiculously suspicious with a notepad, in his opinion.]

...okay, I'll ask: what're you doing?

[Popping up behind you.]

Whatcha' doin?

[Lex walks up to Edward.]

Still trying to solve the riddle that is Mayfield?

You're taking notes, too? Tell me there's not some new clue hanging around that I've overlooked; Mayfield can't have dulled me this quickly.

Ah. The sight every woman wants to wake up to see.

A beautiful morning, Edward, isn't it?

[Susan will lightly sweep towards the windows and draw the curtains wide to let the lovely morning sunshine in.]

[Bruce is making his usual rounds, clipboard in hand. He's scrawling something with a fountain pen, when he just so happens to look up.

Oh. And now his eyebrow is trying to meet his hairline.]

Nigma?

. . . Is there something you need?

[Coolly, without batting an eyelash.] Kill that person without being seen.

[After Edward's last class has let out - after the students have left the room, but before Edward's had the chance to do the same - a certain telepath stalks into the room. And it's clear from a single look at his face that this is no social call.

He didn't even contact Edward after the man murdered him, but judging by his expression now, the man's having talked to Keane last night was enough to turn Schuldig borderline homicidal.

He crosses the room in a few strides, resting his hands on Edward's desk and leaning over it. If he feels any deja vu or trepidation, standing in the place where he died a week or so before, he's not showing it.] We need to talk. [The words will ring in Edward's ears and his brain simultaneously, presumably for emphasis - either that or Schuldig's so angry he's broadcasting without even realizing it, which is probably much worse.]

[Why look! It's Officer McCann. He walks up to Edward while he's peering into a window taking notes. He's twirling his nightstick around and does his best attempt at a Grady impersonation. It's better than you'd expect.]

Well well, what have we here, creepin' around?

[Bernkastel doesn't look old enough for this class, but she tends to show up to any class that's not drone-taught regardless of subject or age appropriateness at least occasionally.]

it might be more interesting to see what he does.

You kill them obviously! They're promoting violence, and violence is never okay.

Those that promote war or war related antics must be eliminated at all costs. At least they go out more peacefully than those that Nena has to kill!

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E /fashionably late to de party, of course *puts on sunglasses*

E /fashionably late to de party, of course puts on sunglasses