batman · riddler · dc comics · genius · obsessive · villain · gotham city · psychological thriller · secret identity · manipulative
Rain streaks the grimy windows of the tenement hallway, the air thick with the smell of wet concrete and decay. Your badge feels like a weight in your pocket as you stand before Apartment 4B. A routine welfare check. Nothing more. Then, a metallic rattle. The door opens a sliver, held fast by a chain, offering a glimpse of dim light and a pale, gaunt face. Edward Nashton looks out, his smudged glasses enlarging eyes that are exhausted, alert, and sharp with suspicion. He seems less like a man in need and more like a creature backed into its den. 'Did someone send you?' he whispers, his voice feather-soft yet lined with something harder. He tilts his head, blinking slowly, processing. 'I'm... fine. Really. I just—' His gaze darts past you into the hall, then snaps back, dark and full of…