Crimson X

“Hello, Mister Nigma,” Shar smiled as her patient walked into her office. “How are you today?”
“Smarter than everyone else, as always,” Nigma smirked at her and was shoved into his seat by the guard that escorted him to Shar’s office. “No need to be so harsh. Then again that is how people with idiotic minds behave.”
“You can leave, thank you,” Channing spoke up before the guard could do anything to her patient. The guard grunted and left the room quickly after slamming the door shut.
“I have a riddle for you, simpleton,” Edward looked at Channing. “I made it up, so there’s no way you could be able to look up the answer online.”
“Very well, please go ahead,” Doctor Channing gestured her hand for him to continue.
“Riddle me this!” The famed Riddler began, “I am in two things necessary for your survival. In one of these things I may kill you if there’s too much. What three syllable thing am I in that may kill you?”
Doctor Channing chewed on her lip and leaned back in her chair, “Two things necessary for survival…That would include food, water and oxygen…Oxygen is in two of these things, water and itself.” She glanced over at Nigma and then at the ceiling. “If there’s too much water that could kill you…But that’s not three syllables.” She tapped her pencil on the desk as she thought.
“Do you give up?”
“No,” she answered quickly as she was thinking of another word for water. “Hydrogen two—H2O! The answer’s H2O!”
Nigma glared over at her, “That’s correct.” He spat at her. “I guess you’re not as dimwitted as I originally thought. Still, that was just elementary.”
“Thanks, I guess,” Doctor Channing sighed wondering if it was an insult or a complement. “Should we get started then, Mister Nigma? And in case you’re wondering, I didn’t read your file. I didn’t even search The Riddler.”
“I’m sure you didn’t,” he smirked. “If you did you’d be quivering out of fear.”
She gave an awkward smile towards him. Her thoughts leapt back to last night. He was out of his cell and was looking for a computer. Why? She couldn’t just ask him out of nowhere. That would give her identity away.
“How’s your stay here at Arkham? Do you have everything you need?”
“Hmm? No questions about why I do the things I do? That’s how these sessions usually start,” the man who is usually clothed in a green suit quirked an eyebrow.
“I told you my ways of treating my patients are unconventional,” She smiled a real one at him. “I just want to make sure you’re being treated correctly by the guards and other doctors. There’s no reason that they should do anything cruel to you, is there?”
“Not at all,” he crossed his arms, “They do get angry with me when I call them morons for not solving my riddles. They can use excessive force every once and a while.”
“I see…” Doctor Channing frowned. “That’s all they do though, correct?”
“All they do? You make it sound like it’s not that big of a deal, Doctor Simpleton.”
Doctor Channing ran a hand through her hair, “I’ve just heard of some worst things going on in other facilities. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything worst going on in this asylum. There’s still so much I don’t know.”
“You’re right, there is still so much you don’t know,” he muttered darkly. “Now, there is one thing I wouldn’t mind having.”
“What would that be?”
“A book of puzzles,” Nigma looked at her. “It gets so very boring writing riddle after riddle on my walls.”
Doctor Channing laughed, “I’ll buy you a puzzle book this evening and give it to you tomorrow. What sort of puzzles would you like?”
“Sudoku will do.”
“Alright, just a second,” Doctor Channing grabbed a lined piece of paper in her desk and wrote down Sudoku on it. “Just making sure I won’t forget. Is there anything else you need?”
“A way out of this hell hole?”
“I’m afraid that may have to wait,” Doctor Channing grinned at him. “I’ll have to so call cure you before you’re able to leave this institute.”
Nigma scratched his chin, “You’re not like the other psychologists.”
She frowned slightly, “How so?”
“You speak to me as if I were your equal. You don’t look down on me.”
“Of course not, you’re another human being, Mister Nigma,” Doctor Channing spoke in a serious tone. “No one should be spoken to as if they were lower than yourself.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he spoke harshly, “People who are smarter are above those who are morons. I myself being smarter than everyone else am greater than those who are not.”
“You are intelligent, Mister Nigma. That could be because of your genetics, though. It could also be because you’ve worked hard to accomplish that intelligence. Or it could be a combination of both.” She smiled at him.
He frowned, “It doesn’t change the fact that I’m the smartest person in all of Gotham.”
“I never denied that,” she observed his face for any signs of something bothering him. “You look tired, Mister Nigma. Did you sleep fine last night?”
“I was just up late is all.”
“I see,” Doctor Channing nodded already knowing he was. “Do you want to end this session early so you can get some rest? Your health is more important than this.”
“You’re the doctor,” he smirked. “Don’t forget my Sudoku book tomorrow.”
“I won’t! Cross my heart and hope to die,” she laughed and dialed on her phone. “Can someone come and escort Mister Nigma back to his cell?...No, he wasn’t a problem at all…He just appears to be tired, I don’t want him getting sick…Alright, thank you.” She hung up the phone and looked at him. “One of the guards will be here soon. Do you have any more riddles?”
“Of course I do,” he scoffed. “I am the Riddler! Here’s one that you won’t solve.” An evil smirk crept onto his face, “What walks on four legs, and then two legs, and then three legs?”
“A man?” Doctor Channing questioned.
“Usually you would be correct,” Nigma’s smirk grew. “The answer is a baby. It crawls on four of its limbs. If you cut off two of its limbs then it’ll hobble on two. Give it a crutch and then it’s three.”
Doctor Channing’s smile dropped and her eyes saddened, “Why would you do that to a baby…?”
“Simple, it’s not my baby.”
“I’m here for Nigma,” a guard interrupted the two and walked in.
“R-right,” Doctor Channing made her chair turn around so her back was to them. “We’re done for today…Have a good day, Mister Nigma.”
---Time Skip---
Shar walked up to an ATM in one of the more crowded streets of Gotham. She pulled the scarf she was wearing up to hide her face and shifted her hat so it shadowed her. Quickly, she shoved the cash she withdrew into her trench coat’s jacket. She glanced around; making sure no one was following her and walked into the nearest department store.
People gave her nervous looks as she entered and avoided her. They must have thought she was going to rob the store with her shady appearance. It must not be something that’s too rare in Gotham.
Shar walked over to the hair dye section and grabbed red hair coloring and blond hair coloring. Glancing around once more, she crept over to the fabric section. Quickly, she grabbed a black leather fabric and carried it to the cutting counter.
“How much?” Spoke the employee in a bored voice.
“All of it,” a southern drawl escaped her lips. “Please.”
The employee quirked an eyebrow and measured how much there was, “That’s twenty yards. You sure you want that much?”
“I’m the customer, ain’t I?” She spoke in an annoyed tone and was mentally apologizing to the employee.
The employee gave her a glare and slammed the fabric into her arms before stalking off elsewhere. Sighing, Channing continued throughout the store and grabbed a pair of combat boots before going to the book section. She glanced through the books and grabbed three different Sudoku ones, all of the highest difficulty level. She knew if she got anything lower than that Mister Nigma would be furious with her.
Knowing she had everything she needed, Shar quickly walked to the self-checkout counter and paid for her items in cash. She couldn’t risk using her credit card and having someone ID her. Once her items were paid for she quickly walked to a costume store and then to a weapons store.
Her eyes glanced at the various weapons assorted on the shelves. She avoided the guns and any other projectiles. That just wasn’t her style. Now blades and other close ranged weapons were a different story.
“I don’t want to kill, though,” she whispered to herself and immediately dismissed the idea of using a blade. If she stabbed or cut a person wrong then they may end up dying, because of her. “A fake blade would be suitable, though.”
“Can I help you?” Shar glanced up and looked at a male who was leaning on the counter.
Shar walked over to him, “Do you have a weapon that would go well with tai chi?”
“Hmm,” the male turned around. “One minute…” He walked into the back room and brought out a long staff and a sword. “I have these types of weapons. Would they work?”
“Do you have a wooden sword that won’t break upon a direct hit?” She questioned examining the weapons. A long staff would be too difficult to carry with her.
“Yeah, one second,” the man left again slightly irritated and came back with one. “Will this do?”
Shar nodded her covered face, “Do you have any paint for it? Black and red maybe?”
The man knelt down to the counter and brought out two things of paint, “That all?”
“Yeah,” she grinned to herself. “How much?”
“Need to see an ID before I sell you the sword,” the man looked at her. “Unless you have a little…bargaining money.”
Shar couldn’t tell if she should be happy or disturbed that this man was willing to give money to a minor if they had no money. Either way she’d get the weapon, but she couldn’t give her ID out to him.
“How’s fifty extra?” she questioned and saw him nod his head. She took out some cash out of her pocket and handed it to him. Grabbing the paint and sword she made it out of the store and walked home, happy with herself for getting everything she needed.
---Time Skip---
“Ouch!” Channing yelped and put her finger in her mouth as a small droplet of blood dripped. “Freaking needle…” She looked down at her creation. “Just a few more stitches and it’ll be done…”
She took her finger out of her mouth and quickly finished sewing. Her lips curved upwards as she ran to her bedroom with the garment in hand. Quickly, she threw her rags off and put the new outfit on. Spinning around in a circle, checking herself up, she jumped up and down in joy.
“It fits!” She laughed to herself. “And I have enough fabric to make more if I need it.” She grabbed a domino mask on her bed, the same she wore to the asylum and put it on. “Hello Crimson X.” She frowned. “Guess I do need to dye my hair red…”
--Time Skip—
“You dyed your hair?” Nigma noted as he walked into the room.
Doctor Channing smiled at him, “Yeah. I wanted some change, so I dyed it blond.”
Nigma chuckled, “You just moved to Gotham and you already want change?”
Doctor Channing nodded and opened a drawer in her desk, “I have something for you, Mister Nigma.”
Edward smirked already knowing what it was. Doctor Channing handed him three Sudoku books. He took them eagerly and flipped through them examining. He placed them in front of him and nodded to her approvingly.
“Riddle me this! If you hit me hard I’ll break, but I’ll never stop staring at you. What am I?”
“A mirror,” Doctor Channing smiled at him. “I’m assuming all of our sessions will start like this?”
“Yes,” The Riddler nodded.
“Now, how has your day been?”
“Boring, there’s no one to talk to in my cells and the guards avoid me,” He leaned back in his chair. “I suppose it’ll be better now that I have these to keep me company.”
“I’ll talk to Professor Strange about moving some patients near you or having you have some more socialization. I’m sure the isolation is making you a little stir--.” She paused. She didn’t want to say crazy, “A little antsy.”
“Smart choice in words, Doctor Simpleton.”
“Thank you,” she laughed. “Now I know you enjoy riddles and puzzles, so I’m assuming you enjoy using your brain.”
“Correct.”
“What else do you like to do?”
Edward grabbed a pencil on the desk and half-heartedly began working on one of his Sudoku books, “Testing the Dark Knight and other people. I put them through various tests. If they fail they’ll die.”
“Die?”
“Yes, die. Do I need to spell it out for you? D-I-E. Die.”
Channing laughed at his insult, “So it’s survival of the smartest?”
“Yes.”
“Is there anything else that you like to do?”
“I suppose I do like engineering,” He thought to himself.
“Perhaps when you get out of here you could engineer different things that require a person to use their mind, but it won’t hurt them,” Doctor Channing suggested.
“But where’s the fun in that?” He questioned while watching her, a slight malicious look in his eye.
Doctor Channing shifted slightly uncomfortably, “Let’s move on. Mister Jones mentioned to me that you were placed in here again? Why did your previous psychologist dismiss you from this institute?”
The Riddler laughed to himself, “I wasn’t dismissed. I escaped. Do you honestly think that these walls can contain a mind such as mine?”
“I would hope that they’d be able to, to be honest,” Doctor Channing sighed. “They should be designed so no one can escape. Then again, it does appear to be an old building, so some renovations are probably needed.” The Riddler scoffed at this. “Anyways, I want to talk about the riddles you place with your crime scenes.”
“Yes, what about them?”
“Why do you do it? Doesn’t it make it easier to catch you?”
“Giving advice to a criminal on how to commit crimes are we?” He smirked at Shar. “It’s not that I want to leave these riddles. I simply have to, just like you need to breathe in order to survive.”
“Ah, so it’s part of OCD,” Doctor Channing smiled. “Thank you for telling me, Mister Nigma. Now do you take any sort of medications?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Okay, I’m going to prescribe you to the anti-depressant, fluoxetine, and see how you do with it. I myself take it, and it’s helped with the mental illnesses that I have.”
“Oh, and what illnesses would they be? Maybe you should be a patient here,” The Riddler smirked at her.
“Ha, at a time I probably should have been,” Doctor Channing laughed. “I had, err, have depression which led me to being suicidal. I also had anxiety. Fluoxetine has treated me for both of these, which is why I’m going to place you on it.”
“I thought you were a psychologist,” Nigma frowned at her. “You’re not supposed to prescribe medications to your patients.”
Doctor Channing blinked, “Did I say that?...” She laughed slightly, “I always seem to do that. I’m a psychiatrist. There’s not that much of a difference, which is probably why I say psychologist sometimes. Now, I need to talk to you about the medicine. There may be some side effects. If there are you need to tell me right away, no exceptions. Some of these may include new or worst depression, thoughts of suicide, shaking of a part of your body, dry mouth, nervousness, weight loss, decrease in sex drive, weakness, nausea, and drowsiness. That being said you should take the medication at night, once a day.”
“Alright,” Nigma frowned. He didn’t like the idea of having something that could very well change his brilliant mind.
“Now, if you have any of these symptoms you’re having an allergic reaction. They include, rash, hives, fever, joint pain, swelling, you can’t breathe, fever, irregular heartbeat, seizures, or hallucinates.”
“Well, if I have a hallucination that may be because of Jonathan,” Edward laughed to himself. “How will I know?”
Channing blinked as she tried to recall who Jonathan was, “Doctor Crane? Either way you need to notify a guard and tell them to get a doctor right away. I’ll let them know that you’re starting a new medication, that way they’ll actually listen.” She shook her head in disgust at some of the things in the asylum. How could they not know about patient X?
“You seem as if you know something about this asylum that disturbs you.”
Doctor Channing gulped. Did he know? How could he? It’s not like he got that great of a look of her face when she broke in to the asylum. She disguised her voice as well.
“Now what would there be here that’s disturbing in this place?” She tilted her head. “I’m perfectly fine with all of the patients; they don’t disturb me in the slightest. I know what it’s like to have a mental illness, so I just want to help them all.”
“Doctor Channing?” She looked up seeing a man of darker skin. “I’m Aaron Cash. I’m here to take Riddler back to his cell. His session’s up.”
“Alright,” Doctor Channing nodded. “He has some puzzle books with him.” She hesitated wondering if they’d be allowed to have something like that. “It’s for his therapy. I believe having something to distract him will help. It’s better than writing on the walls, now isn’t it? Also, I’m having him put on an anti-depressant to help with his OCD, so I’ll need some guards to monitor his behavior closely. Can never be too safe can we?” She smiled at him and then looked at Edward. “Have a good day, Mister Nigma. Thank you for answering my questions.”
“Thank you for the puzzles,” he stood up as Cash handcuffed him to escort him back to his cell. As he began to walk out he paused. “There’s still so much you need to learn about this place, Doctor Simpleton.”
“Move it, Riddler!”
“Be nice to him, Mister Cash!” Doctor Channing stood up yelling, but was ignored as the two walked away. “Tch, jackass.”
--Time Skip—
With the click of a lock, Doctor Channing walked away from her office. Her heels clicked on the cold, tiled floor. She scratched her head uncomfortably mentioning something about when she got home. As she waked out she glanced into some of the cells, to see who these patients were.
“Alice! Alice is that you?” A voice shouted out.
Shar stopped in her tracks and turned around. She walked over to a cell to see a patient watching her closely. She gave him a small smile, which he returned…Though, not in as innocent as a way.
“Alice, I’m so glad you came here! I could just cheer! Let’s have tea. But getting out you’ll have to help me!”
She pitied the shorter fellow, “I’m sorry.” She glanced at the name plate by the cell, “Mister Tetch, but I’m not Alice. I’m Doctor Shar Channing.”
“No, you’re Alice!” He shouted. “You’re the flawless Alice!”
“Leave her alone, Hatter!” A familiar voice shouted. “I wouldn’t stay around these crazies for that long, Doctor Channing.”
“Oh, sorry, Mister Jones. I was just leaving,” she looked back at the famed Mad Hatter. “It was nice meeting you. Have a good evening.” She waved slightly and made her way towards the exit, of which she was reluctant to remember the way.
“Doctor Young,” the voice of Hugo Strange sounded from a nearby room that was near Shar. She paused in her footsteps. “There’s a project I want you to work with.”
“What would that be, Professor Strange?” A slightly raspy voice questioned.
“Project X. You need to drain patient X of the product that’s in his system. Mister White is expecting there to be some results. Here’s the information on it.” A rustling of papers sounded. “I’ll be expecting progress. Good evening.”
Shar looked around quickly and dashed into the woman’s bathroom, before Strange could see she was eavesdropping. She held her breath as she heard the man walk by and until his footsteps were gone. Thinking she was safe, she flushed the toilet and ran the faucet water, making it seem like she was in there for what a restroom is supposed to be used for. After turning the water off, she walked out.
“Ah!” Another doctor yelled in surprise, only causing Shar to jump. “I-I’m so sorry about that, I just wasn’t expecting to see anyone.”
“It’s alright,” Channing dismissed her with a wave of the hand. “Sorry to scare you.” She walked past her, though not noting the name on her name tag. Young. She glanced behind her once she was a distance and narrowed her eyes. Another human experiment, how despicable.