Riddle 032: Milked For All He's Worth

[questionauthority]

[Hey Mayfield. Guess who's been a busy little drone this evening? Well, now that he's gone and killed his first victim, the Riddler's going to be headed on home. But first?

A. ACTION - The Gas Station / Diner - Evening

The Riddler's at the gas station, whistling to himself and filling up the Riddler-Mobile. Which you've probably noticed is a little bit dented. And is missing a windshield. And appears to have something just barely jutting out of the trunk. It's small. Black. Almost looks like a piece of a certain someone's... cape. Not that any of this bothers the Riddler in the slightest.

B. ACTION - 726 Anderson Lane - Soon After

Now that his car's all filled up and everything's all hunky-dory, Edward Nigma's gonna head on home, parking his car in the garage. He doesn't bother taking the corpse out of the trunk, simply leaving it locked inside. Never mind the fact that his ordinarily stainless green suit is still covered in blood. His familiar cane, bent and bloodied, is in his hand.

When he enters the house, there's a big, cheery grin on his face.]

Daddy's home! [Laughing jovially, he'll mosey on over to the kitchen.] How's my happy, healthy family this evening?

Comments

[deaths-heritor.livejournal.com]

[The answer 'better before the door opened' dies on Susan's lips. AS one tends to do in these situations, Susan rises to her feet and moves towards a more open area. Mental check: Luke and Slugger were upstairs, Pinkie Pie was out, and Gummy was in her room. Not that she cared about Gummy, really.]

Edward.

Home early, I see.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[He takes a moment to hang up his hat over by the front door before turning to face Susan, an eerie, almost alien grin on his face.]

[deaths-heritor.livejournal.com]

About to go number-one if I were any less thick-skinned.

[This is murmured under Susan's breath, followed by a short cough.]

You've got something on your suit there, darling. Take that off so I can give it a wash.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[Edward glances down at the suit, then glances back up at Susan.]



[Unbuttoning his jacket now.]

[deaths-heritor.livejournal.com]

Nothing is too good for you, my dear.

[Susan will, as is natural, maneuver around smoothly to Edward's backside to take his jacket as he removes it.]

[tapshoetomove.livejournal.com]

[Oh no, Edward must be droned again. Luke hesitantly emerges to see Edward, except something seems very wrong in this case.

...Is that blood?]

M-Mr. Nigma?

[Luke doesn't move any closer to greet dear old dad.]

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[He extends his arms out invitingly, though he doesn't loosen the grip on his cane in the slightest.]

[tapshoetomove.livejournal.com]

[Luke doesn't move. What did he do why is there blood?]

You ought to go clean yourself up, Mr. Nigma.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[The smile on his face wavers very slightly.]

/switching accounts for icons \o/

[hintcoinplz.livejournal.com]

[He takes a step back.]

D-don't come any closer! Who's blood is that?!

B

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[Slugger enters the kitchen moments after Edward--he's decided he should find Susan and fess up about he and Pokey conspiring against and succeeding in killing a man. That's when he hears someone enter the front door followed by Edward's eerily cheerful voice. Was Edward droned again so soon?

As he enters the room to find Edward, whose clothing is stained in blood, all Slugger can do for the moment is stand there staring.]

...Hot date?

[He smirks at his own joke, oblivious to the fact that this is no ordinary droning.]

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[What a load. Looking him over with a curious eye, Slugger notes the warping of the cane. He figures Edward got into another fight with someone and was droned consequently.]

Whose blood is it?

[pointing to the obvious stains. It's already occurred to him that the drone probably won't give a truthful answer, but he's just so curious.]

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[He glances down at his jacket, flashing Slugger a grin.]

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

[He's beginning to notice that something is odd about this droned Edward. Smirk fading, he ventures into the next question with the hope that whatever it is will become clearer.]

And you killed them?

A

[freakinblur.livejournal.com]

Whoa, Eddie, what tha hell happened to yer car?

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[With a cheery wave.]

[freakinblur.livejournal.com]

That's more than a fender-bender. What--

[And now he's close enough to see all the blood.]

Jesus, Eddie, 'the hell happened to you?

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[He pats the trunk with a certain amount of pride.]

[freakinblur.livejournal.com]

[OK what is this. You sound droned, but you're dressed like Eddie, and you're covered in blood. What.

Conclusion made: the Milkman has screwed with your head somehow.]

Ooooooookay. I dunno what's gotten inta ya, pally, but I don't like it.

[He looks at the drunk.] Do I wanna even know what is in there? Or should I be sayin' "who".

A

[greatestmanll40.livejournal.com]

[Wouldn't you know it? Lex is filling up his car with gas as well. He's taking note of the damage to Eddie's car.]

Nigma.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[greatestmanll40.livejournal.com]

[Lex glares. Fantastic, Edward has been droned. Again.]

You seem to have been in a bit of an incident.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[greatestmanll40.livejournal.com]

[Just going to glance that over and step toward the vehicle... specifically the trunk.]

I suppose I could.

But what specifically?