night four; hunter kill

[gamehead]

[Around half an hour after the hunters have chosen their kill, a box will appear on the ground filled with an array of butcher's instruments. Kanaya Maryam also appears, unconscious, with her wrists bound behind her back. Critter giggles to itself.]

Remember, the cause of death is blood loss. No cheating, everybody!

Comments

[brainteaser]

...You think you know someone.

[Edward hasn't said a single word until just now, only watching silently as the Caped Crusader carries out the act and takes what the Riddler's sure is his first life.

In another day, another age, he might have found it amusing. Might have chortled and laughed, taunted the Dark Knight for stepping down off that decrepit old pedestal he always put himself so high upon and bringing himself down to their level. But the truth is, there's hardly anything to laugh about here. This isn't the Dark Knight standing before him.

All he sees is a poor old man that's been forced off that pedestal, forced to compromise, forced to break, no thanks to Critter and this little game of his.]

[terryplz]

[His eyes snap to Edward and for the first time tonight, Bruce is angry.]

Don't you dare act like you know me. You know nothing and not half as much as you think you do, Riddler.

[He's not an idiot. He knows Edward is aware of his identity. But so what? Edward Nigma is a figment of the past to him. Just like Damian is. Unlike Damian, who he cares for and dearly loves, he feels nothing but disgust and spite to Edward Nigma. He doesn't care for morals anymore. Too many people have died and he just added to the body count.

He has to win this game. There is no option in his mind anymore. When all is over he will make amends and atone for the rest of his days. But, that can only happen if the Hunters win this twisted thing called a game.]

[brainteaser]

[Riddler. That's the name Edward's been waiting to hear since he first learned the old man's name. His eyes narrow as well, and Eddie steps out of line, stalking towards him.]

Oh, so you do remember. Could've fooled me. [He snorts.] In that case, then... Question: Who are you supposed to be? Hmm? Because you seem to have forgotten.

[terryplz]

[...]

I'm Bruce Wayne. [It was the truth. As much as he didn't like it...that was who he was. Who he turned back into.] I'm not the person you knew. Not anymore. Things change and so do we. Don't ever forget that.

[He waits until Kanaya's body is with life no more before stepping away from her and walking to the rest. But, he stops by Edward's side and speaks again, softer.]

Have you changed, Edward? I wonder that as well...

[brainteaser]

Would you believe me if I said I had? [Probably not.

But that doesn't change the fact that Edward has a family now. Surely the old man's noticed that. And yet...

And yet that family of his wasn't enough to break him of his compulsions, just this once, as the game continued on. He's lied to them. Deceived them. Manipulating Ema now just as he had back when he was still a criminal. In that case, can he really say he's changed...? ] ...I doubt I would, either.

[terryplz]

If you can't even believe in yourself, then you don't have a right to judge me.

[He never asked to be put on a pedestal. He was just a man fighting a war all his life. Now, he's fighting a new war. One he will have to pay for at the end, but for the time being he'll fight it.

With that, he walks away from Edward.]

[speakveryclearly]

[WOW

WOW SHE WAS SO DISTRACTED BY SEEING BRUCE HERE AND HIM COMING UP TO MURDER HER THAT SHE FORGOT ABOUT THE OTHER GUY SHE SUSPECTED!!!

That's totally Mr. Nigma!! That's the guy whose son would die for him! And he's right here in the pack too! That is definitely his adult human male voice for which she scoured the tapes with Kirigiri! The guy whom Ciel and Joshua and Charles knew of and didn't exactly think innocent on that basis! Aw, man, and she missed her chance to say "Dying in the place of someone I love or rather like as much as possible given the circumstances" about her too! That was probably safer, though, a remark like that could have made these bastards want to target her next and she has to live. Dear sweet precious brilliant human detective girl. She has to succeed where Kanaya could not have.

Dammit, she should have tried harder today - she wasn't wrong about everything after all - maybe he would have been lynched instead of Wigglerpupa, if only she hadn't been weaker.

All that she actually does, though, given her generally helpless situation, is turn her head in Edward's general direction as best she can with Bruce's hand covering her eyes and give him a harsh nonvoiced attempt at a hiss with all four of her fangs bared.]