For this revision in Nolans universe for the Riddler I've chosen, Michael Sheen, I saw (Cause of my Ex) New Moon, and saw his performance as the Vampire king Aro. He's mix of eccentricness, and Down right CREEPYNESS, and also convaying he had a big brain behind that pale head, made me think "Thats how i've imagined Riddler, the ultimate mix between LOSING it and compuser cause he's a perfectionist mastermind, going off on someone for being out of order of how things are supposed to play out, and actualy does view them like a game so he enjoys it along the way.
Words appear on the screen.
"The night is always darkest before the dawn. But I promise you, the dawn IS coming."
District Attorney Harvey Dent.
"Mr. Reece, are you still with us?" comes an eerie voice.
Coleman Reece was tied up, from his shoulders down in a fold out chair. His feet were touching the ground, which he could tell was some kind of metal. He was blind folded, so all he could see was the vague images of a few figures in front of him, because of the light behind them.
He finally got enough gumption to ask: "Where am I?"
"I'll be asking the questions Mr. Reece, at least for now." the same voice said from somewhere he couldn't place.
He was scared out of his wits, not only out of fear of his circumstance, but because he knew WHY he was there. Ever since he opened his big mouth about knowing who batman was, he'd been looking over his shoulder. He could see people rummaging through his garbage, watching him leave his house. His neighbors, fellow employee's, even his friends looked at him differently
now. Always asking, "Come on, between us, just give me a hint. Who is he?"
And the dreams, they never stopped, always either being about himself being chased by masses. Half wanting to know who Batman was, the other half wanting to shut him up for good.
Or a situation like this, he'd be tied up or in a jail cell, with them demanding they tell him who the Batman was, but Batman was always there in his dreams, waiting to break his neck if he told. "You'd betray me?" he'd say.
And everytime he'd wake up in a cold sweat.
This time it was for real, and it felt totally new. Likened to a speech someone has to make before an audience that they were so familiar with, but once they're actually there on stage, all since of familiarity is gone.
"Who are you?"He asked without thinking.
"WHAT, did I just say?" came the voice, much deeper.
Reece got the hint,
"What would you like to ask me?" he asked nervously.
"That’s the spirit." the voice said in the lighter tone it was before.
"WHO, are you?" the voice said.
Reece thought about this, he didn't ask about Batman at all. He didn't know what this man wanted in as an answer or what he'd do if answered wrongly.
"C-coleman Reece." he blurted out.
"Hmmm....." The voice mused to himself,
"Mr. Reece. Like...Mysteries."
Silence for a brief moment, Reece didn't know if he was supposed to say something else or...
"Do you know WHY your here?"
the voice asked suddenly.
The lump in his throat could've been the size of a tennis ball to him.
"What-” He stopped himself, he remembered his warning about ONLY answering questions. He was GOING to ask WHAT would happen if he give the wrong answers to the question. He swallowed and said what he thought could only be the logical reason. "..The Batman??" he said, voice quivering.
"Hmm hmmm, very good." the voice said, suddenly something clanged on the floor that sounded like the blunt end of a metal stick. Then footsteps were heard around the him. This person was pacing.
"Now, I want the truth MR. REECE."
He said, voice still slightly cuing, yet hissing.
"Here it comes..." Reece thought to himself.
"Do you know WHY, you know WHY your here?" he said again in serious tone.
Reece wanted to blurt out "BRUCE WAYNE! HE'S BRUCE WAYNE LET ME GO!!" But he held his tongue which felt huge in his mouth.
"I won't ask again." the voice said.
"Bec-cause..." Reece started out, "Because...everyone’s wants to know that?"
"To true Mr. Reece." The voice said in agreement, "But why come to YOU?"
What was this guy getting at?!? Reece thought, "Cause they think I know."
He ventured.
"Why is that?" The voice said, tone unchanging.
Reece's head was soaking wet, "Because, I told everyone I know." he said nervously.
"Do you know, WHO batman is?" the voice said, very seriously.
Reece couldn't take this anymore, "I'll tell you who he is! He's-"
In an instant Reece heard 2 great strides towards him, and then felt the back of a leather gloved hand go across his face, making his head spin.
Someone grabbed the arms of his chair and leaned into his face, he could feel the breath of the man on his eyes.
"I DONT WANT TO KNOW "WHO" HE IS!!!!"
The man belted out,
"What POSESSED you to think I wanted to know WHO HE IS!!"
The man’s spit was on Reece's trembling face.
He felt his hands get off of the arms of his chair and heard two steps going back.
"Now....Mr. Reece." the man said again, back in his calm, yet menacing tone.
Reece's lips were quivering as he said, "Please, don't hurt me, tell me what you want, please don't-"
"I'm going to ask you again." he said, ignoring him,
"Do you know WHO the Batman IS?"
Coleman Reece gulped, "Y-yes?"
"This is the truth now, I really want it." He said.
Reece yelled, "YES, it’s true! I know who he-"
"THANK YOU MR. REECE!!" The voice said loudly and triumphantly.
He didn't know what to do, quite stunned by the loud outburst. Did he say something else? Was he done?
"Did you tell anyone ELSE who Batman is! Anyone, who didn't KNOW before?"
the voice asked, getting back on track.
Reece thought, VERY hard. Mr. Fox? No he knew already...Anyone at the bar? Any of his friends, was he drunk at the time?
"Take your time, please." The voice said
"NO." Reece finally said shaking his head violently. "NO. That’s the truth, no."
"Exemplary Mr. Reece." The voice said with approval, he could hear two gloved hands clapping as he said this.
"Did you wish to ask a Question?" He said, quite frankly.
Reece was taken aback, what kind of game was this? Was this one of those wacko's like the clown that wanted him dead?
"Are...are you working for the Joker??"
He asked quivering.
"No." came the reply, firm, concise, yet disgustedly.
"Are you going to kill me?" He asked, knowing the answer already.
"Why do you think that?" The voice asked.
"Because, I'm the only one who knows the identity of Batman." Reece said, awaiting another blow, a gunshot, anything.
"That would be a good reason, but no. I shant kill you. Neither I nor my men will harm you." The voice said frankly.
"Why is this city on a witch hunt for the Batman?" The man asked again suddenly.
They were back to questions again. Reece responded immediately this time, "Because he killed cops?"
"Riddle me THIS, Reece!" he suddenly outburst, "Why would the Batman, after doing SOOOO much to stop the crime in Gotham, and not resorting to the killing of ANYONE, kill of all people...Cops?"
"Bec-cause..." Reece started, mulling it over.
"THE ANSWER IS HE DIDN'T!!!"The man suddenly said, not waiting for Reece to answer. "I mean really, the Clown maybe...but COPS! HE'S BATMAN HE WOULDN'T STOOP TO THAT!!"
Reece didn't know what to say.
"Riddle me THIS! Reece!!" He said again, his voice getting louder by the sentence. "Why WOULD Batman willingly take the blame for the deaths of 2 police officers and allow himself to be chased like a rat in a kitchen?"
What did this guy WANT? Reece was thinking, then he thought:"Maybe he wants me to ask."
"Why?" Reece said quietly
"BECAUSE HE'S A GENIUS!!!" The man bellowed in a voice which reverberated off the walls that were apparently ALSO metal,
"A COMPLETE AND STARK, GENIUS!!" The man went on. "OOOOOOOHH! How I've waited for someone of HIS class of intellect! Of HIS IQ! To challenge mine. He's answer to prayer!! Someone who can stretch out my psychological joints that have long fallen asleep! To scratch the itch in my mind I CANT REACH!!!!"
He bellowed this out as if he yelling it to an unseen audience. There was passion in his voice, passion as if his whole life was about to take hold on THIS moment.
"Oh you have NO idea how fearful I was, that I would have to play this game with that FREAK of a man!! THAT DISPICABLE EXCUSE FOR MENTAL PRODOGY! I mean think of it! Playing the game with HIM?!? That Jester of a fool who thinks life is some kind of joke- ITS NOT A JOKE!!!!
He hollered at him, with anger in his voice.
Reece could hear his slow footsteps coming closer, "LIFE, is not a joke Mr. Reece." He said in a much lower tone then before.
"Life has NEVER been a Joke, but a Game. THE GAME, for those who can appreciate it. And the game is VERY serious."
He was right in front of Reece now, "DEADLY, serious Mr. Reece." he said.
"Deadly serious." Mr. Reece echoed out of confusion.
"Think on this Reece," He said now, "What do you have that makes you so...VALUBLE? Important?"
"...I know-" Reece started.
"YES, because you KNOW. YOU sir, have KNOWLEGE." The man interrupted, "And knowledge, is POWER! SO, by that reckoning, IF knowledge indeed be POWER,
and power corrupts what does that make YOU?"
"Oh no...." Reece thought, "Corrupt?" he squeaked out.
"Hmmmmhmmmhhmmm" THe man laughed to himself, it was low and soft and menacing.
"You’re very a very smart man Mr. Reece. Now the world will never know." He said in an almost sad voice.
Suddenly he heard footsteps all around him, "No! Please NO!" Reece said trying to feeblely struggle in his chair.
But the footsteps only passed him by as they either walked away from him, or AROUND him and away from him. As all the footsteps went to the back part of the metal room, the light went out, everything was completely black.
Before he could call out for help, there was a metal creaking noise and a door opened head of him. Light poured in, hitting him in the face, he squinted despite his blindfold, but the added light helped him make out the figures of 3 men exiting the door into the light outside.
Lastly, he heard the *clang, step, clang, step, clang, step, clang* of the leader who was asking the questions, leave with some sort of cane. He turned his head, though his face was indistinct, even with the light pouring in.
"Riddle me this Reece." the man said again, "Why do we hide the secrets to Riddles?"
Reece thought then decided to answer, "Why?" Suddenly he heard the door creak,
"Because, sometimes the best riddles. Are better left unanswered." The last bit of light began to disappear, "Good bye Mr. Reece." he said. Then the door slammed SHUT, and a bolting noise was heard outside.
Reece was left in total darkness now.
"Hello?!" Mr. Reece said finally, "Is anyone there?" Suddenly the room jolted, "Hey..." he said.
The room violently jolted, "HEY!" he yelled. The room didn't stop, it rocked until his chair tipped over on its side.
*Oof!* he grunted, "HEY SOMEBODY LET ME OUT OF HERE!"
SUDDENLY THE ROOM SHOOK VIOLENTLY THEN STOPPED BREIFLY, THEN ROCKED LIKE IT HAD HIT A WALL. He bounced from the momentum, up and down again on the floor. His cheeks were on fire from hitting the hard metal floor. The room was still now, but yet... no, it was moving slightly from side to side, like it was on strings, or floating on....
*SPIT* He spit out some water that rushed into his mouth, more brushed against his face and side that was on the ground. The room was filling up with water, "HEEEEEEEEEY!!!!!" He yelled with all his worth, "SOMEBODY LET ME OUT OF HEERE!!!PLEASE!!!!!" He gulped in another mouthful of water.
Meanwhile on the docks, a group of men watched as the huge metal crate sank, slowly into the deep.
The one in a trench coat, so dark green it was nearly black, picked a card out of his hat band.
"Dead men, tell no tales..." He said, and threw the card out on the sea, right were the last of the crate sunk beneath the tide.
It twirled and then fell finally on the water with a plop. On it was an intricately designed question mark.
"At least...not the RIGHT ones, Mr. Reece." he said smiling, and tipped his hat to the bubbling water.
He turned around and strode back towards the warehouses by the docks. A Hyundai pulled up, and the passenger door opened. He got inside and waited for his men to do the same. Once inside it drove off, away from the scene.
The long haired, bleached faced man called Riddler gave one final look at the peir. "Pawn to Bishop 3." he said, "Now for the KNIGHT...” he produced a picture of the batman on a roof top.
TITLE: The Batman Oppugn.