Riddle 045: Could you repeat the question?

[questionauthority]

[My, oh my. Where does the time go?

As it turns out, Mayfield had taken away more than Edward Nigma's life this time around. He had also lost a month. A month that could have been spent productively, actively searching for the answers that this town was oh-so-unwilling to yield. Still, he supposes it could have been worse. They could have left him for dead this time.

But they decided to bring Edward back. And Ema along with him.

So, question: What next?

Answer: Pick up the pieces.

ACTION - AROUND TOWN, LEADING UP TO 726 ANDERSON LANE

You may catch the Riddler wandering around Mayfield throughout the day as if trying to discover something, anything out of place. Though he'll spend most of his time investigating the town at large, he does have a final destination in mind: his old abode, 726 Anderson Lane. He's headed there for a few key reasons.

• If anything crucial has happened in the past month or so, there's a good chance that Susan, Luke, or Slugger will be able to get him up to speed.
• He'll be able to piece together his old notes once again, if they're still where he left them in the lair underground.
• All of his things are still there. At least, he hopes they are. For whatever odd reason, the town had decided not to bring any of Edward's suits, equipment, or question-mark-themed doodads over to his new home at 462 Stone. Meaning that, if they haven't disappeared altogether, they must still be at his old home.

Once he makes it to 726 Anderson, he'll try walking through the front door. ...Only to find that it's locked. He'd reach into his pocket and get out the key, only he doesn't have one to this house anymore.]

Oh, for the love of---

[Don't tell him he has to break into his old house.

...He's going to have to break into his old house. Terrific.

Well, he might as well see if the back door is unlocked, at least. He wanders around the side of the house but stops in his tracks as soon as he makes it into the backyard.

Someone appears to have stuck a familiar-looking cane into the ground... Who could have---?

Don't be stupid, Edward. Do you even need to ask?]

((OOC: Tags will likely be coming tomorrow! Thank you for your patience.))

Comments

[godcomplexed]

[WOW, YOU'RE GETTING TACKLED FROM BEHIND.

Not really well though because Eddie has decent height and weight on the person attacking him.]

[questionauthority]

What in---?!

[WOW, RUDE.

Edward lets out a startled yelp before falling flat on his face in the grass. Nice, Doctor.]

[godcomplexed]

[Lands on the ground beside him.]

Ow. Okay.

Definitely went better in my head.

[questionauthority]

Doctor...

[Pffft. Spitting out some of the grass that made it into his mouth before pushing himself up to glare.]

Was that really necessary?

[inthebones]

[The back door opens as Edward stares at the cane.]

I'm sorry; I believe trespassing is illegal in all fifty states of this country. Do remove yourself from the premises.

[The door slams shut again.]

[questionauthority]

Susan...? Wait! Don't close the---

[SLAM.]

---door.

[Well. Edward tears himself away from the cane for a moment and marches up to the back door, reaching to open it.]

[inthebones]

[A white hand emerges through the door (literally) and baps Edward on the wrist.]

Haven't you heard of knocking?

[riastrad_ridire]

You're lookin' a little distressed, if you ask me.

[In the streets of Mayfield, one grinning Lancer and one gray horse have happened upon you, Eddie ol' pal.]

What's goin' on?

[questionauthority]

[Oh, hey. You got a horse. That's neat.]

That, Lancer, is what I intend to find out. [A disgruntled sigh.] Has anything significant happened in this past month?

hi loser

[treefetish]

[Alright, so a strange man just tried to open a locked door, and now he's going around to the back.

Very suspicious. Audrey hasn't seen many thieves in her time, but from what she's heard, they look like this guy.

So, she'll just surreptitiously really obviously hide around the corner and make sure he's up to no mischief.]

Hey girl hey

[questionauthority]

[Good thing Edward's an exceptionally skilled B-List criminal mastermind or else breaking into this house might be a problem.

Of course, before he does anything further, he'll spare a glance over his shoulder to make sure he isn't being followed and---oh. Hey. He is.]

...Something I can help you with?

[treefetish]

[FUCK SHE'S BEEN SPOTTED

ACT COOL]

Um... Is this your house? [cool as fuck]

1/2

[hintcoinplz]

[After hearing someone try to open the door, Luke peeks out the window to see a figure standing by his memorial. Within minutes, Luke is opening the door and rushing outside.]

Hey! Stay away from that you-

Re: 1/2

[hintcoinplz]

[And he stops dead in his tracks when he sees who it is.]

[questionauthority]

[Edward really doesn't blame him for looking so pale. Given the circumstances of their last interaction... Luke had been practically inconsolable by the time Edward had finally passed on.

The way Luke had so adamantly sprung into action as soon as Edward had approached the cane confirms his suspicions. The Riddler doesn't move away from the cane as he speaks, offering Luke something familiar. A riddle.]

Until I am measured, I am not known.
Yet how you miss me when I have flown.

oh hi

[hawkeward]

[Hawke just so happens to be doing the walk of shame leaving the house across the street, and. Well. Eddie you look kind of suspicious. Cupcake the mabari seems to think so as well, because he immediately breaks into a run and follows the burglar into the backyard, barking angrily.

She follows after the dog wearily. Sigh.]

I wasn't aware we were crimefighters now, too.

[crazyclownwoman]

[Harley notices Eddie at the door of the house. Hmph. Stupid drone. Time to go bother him.]

Gee Eddie that's just sad. I didn't think drones could get locked out.

Along the way

[bread_goes_bip]

[Oh, there's drone Eddie... drone Eddie isn't making drone faces]

Eddie?

[burnbabyburn19]

[Passing by on the street, you may see this crazy looking lady setting her own lawn on fire.

With her mind.

Jeanne D'Arc shoots a streak of flame from her hands and on a lawn gnome. She looks pretty entranced though, you might be able to sneak past her...]

[action]

[buildstherobots]

Edward?

[Oh, a familiar face after an irritatingly familiar voice. Dist grins, floating down in front of the man.]

I feel like I should welcome you, but instead I'll ask if you remember.

[little_thief]

[Eddie will probably run into Kay at some point, tapping away at the various buttons and things on Little Thief as she updates her maps of the Mayfield streets. There have been a lot of additions to the town since the last time she was here. She's concentrating so hard on the task at hand, in fact, that she's not really looking where she's going.]

[truffulacide]

[if Once-ler didn't know any better, he'd say this is a prime example of a bad break-in. then again, he doesn't know any better. maybe it's a thief with burglaring on his mind; or some sort of homeless freeloader looking to mooch off of and/or murder and rob the inhabitants of this particular house. either way, watching him slink through the backyard is suspicious as anything and it piques Once-ler's attention greatly.

following him, Once-ler peeks over the fence, eyes narrowed. taking his Thneed off, he starts stretching and pulling it out, making it longer and wider...]

[ 726 Anderson ]

[strike_you_out]

[Once Edward finally enters the house and begins collecting his misplaced belongings, he'll find that something may be missing from his wardrobe. Perhaps it's his hat or his cane or his supervillain mask. Whatever it is the wardrobe isn't complete without it.

As Edward goes about his business, Slugger offers nothing in the way of help. In fact he hasn't looked up or spoken a single word since Edward's arrival. Instead he sits at the kitchen table quietly destroying a newspaper and ignoring everything else.]

[questionauthority]

[Slugger's sure to hear the warbling sound of Edward muttering under his breath as he marches back and forth along the hallways. Something about his very best hat.]

Where is it. Where---

[Ah, wait. There's someone who might know all too well where his hat's gone.

Edward pokes his head into the kitchen.]

Slugger.

[strike_you_out]

[For the first time, he looks up from the paper and turns to Edward. His face - or what's visible of it beneath the low ball cap - is entirely devoid of expression aside from simply being alerted to his ex-father's presence.

He, of course, knows what Edward is looking for, but he isn't going to offer a single clue. Slugger says nothing and waits for the presumed "what did you do with it" line of questioning.]