So these are my first musings of my next Riddler story after I am finished with 'Puzzle Box Hearts' so a ways to go. But I just wanted to test the waters with this one-shot first of a possible first meeting and everything. Tell me what you think, or don't.

The cold air nipped at Edward's cheeks as he bounced up and down on his heels. He had been one of the first in line waiting for the store to open. His family was virtually non-existent so being skipping Thanksgiving was no big deal for him. For today was Black Friday. Well technically it was still Thanksgiving, the store opened at 6pm Thanksgiving day and here Edward stood in the brisk Gotham air since 3pm that day.

"What is," he spoke to the person behind him, "alive without breath, as cold as death, never thirsty ever drinking, wrapped in mail never clicking?" It was so nice to have a captive audience even if they were as dull as a doornail.

"I don't know," the exhausted 40-year old housewife sighed.

"A fish, you see it doesn't breath but is alive because the oxygen passes through the gills. Fish are cold and they're constantly swallowing water to breath so they're never thirsty. The scales of a fish are mail like chainmail but since they're not metal they don't click together." Edward explained with a smile. He had always enjoyed educating others with his explanations. Usually people were so uncritical, walking around like sheep from place to place unthinkingly, riddles sharpened the mind and even if it was for just a second Edward was glad he had made someone think.

"Shut it, freak, go back to playing your stupid game."

Edward rolled his eyes. Everyone was always so ungrateful when he tried to help them. However, Edward did turn his attention to back to the handle gaming system in his hand. The Professor Layton game was one of his favorites but he was here waiting out in the cold to get less educational games. That's right he was here for the great deals on video games. First he was going to pick up the new Xbox system as the store had a special deal on it console. Personally Edward enjoyed computers more for gaming but there were a few titles he wanted to try on the newer system that were not coming out for PCs. Of course, there were several deals on PC games he wanted to take advantage of as well. His job often didn't allow him the time to buy the games when they first came out but now was the perfect time to buy them.

Up ahead of Edward the crowd rustled and a few store workers slid out of the doors careful not to let anyone in. They were shouting something but Edward didn't really pay attention to what they were saying. It was the same as every year. Soon the doors opened and the crowd began to rush through. Edward spotted one of the pre-filled carts with his desired gaming system and snatched it up right before the woman who had been behind him in line did. With a smug smirk Edward rolled the cart away hurrying to his destination.

The electronics section was full of hurried people clamoring to find the movies, cameras, and games they wanted but Edward had scoped out the store beforehand and knew exactly where the products he wanted were. Pushing past a mother on her cellphone double checking which console her child had Edward stopped in front of open glass cases. Cracking his knuckles he flew down the aisle snatching up games and placing them into the cart. At the end of the aisle he gracefully turned the cart down the second aisle of games and repeated the actions. Once he was done with that he made a quick stop over in the accessories aisle and grabbed a new microphone headset for live play. He was tempted to buy the latest gaming chair as well but as it wasn't on sale he decided against it, his old leather recliner would have to do for now.

Now finished collecting his items he made his way to the cash registers, already with long lines, swerving around other shopper as he went. One of the sales floor workers directed him to the shortest line at register 12. While in line Edward once again began to ask the harried shoppers riddles.

"When can an elephant jump higher than a house?"

The woman in front of him flared her nostrils and seemed determined to ignore him. It was not matter as Edward was happy to answer the riddle for her. "Always, houses can't jump."

Edward laughed at the joke but the people around him just scowled. The line moved forward and Edward with it. He was now the next person in line with the woman in front of him having her toys scanned, the total quickly reaching over six hundred dollars. He was partially disgusted that a woman would buy so much for her children but on the other hand he knew his total far above her figure. Games were not cheap to buy.

In front of him the woman had decide to sign up of the store's rewards card so to kill some time Edward turned to the person behind him with a smile and a riddle. This person was yet another irritable housewife who refused to look at him instead choosing to look repeatedly over her list of stores she had to make it to tonight.

"Hello!" A too perky voice said and Edward turned back around to the cashier. Her smile was obviously forced and when her eyes landed on his many games, in their hard plastic security cases, it faltered just a bit. Grabbing the tool to relieve them of the cases the cashier began the task of undoing them all.

"So something tells me you like videogames." She said after three cases were undone.

"Quite I have always found each one like a puzzle that has to be solved."

"Ah, puzzle games are my favorites too though I won't say no to a good RPG." She held up the latest Elderscrolls game as an example.

"When I am young I am tall. When I am old I am short. What am I?" Edward suddenly said.

"What? Sorry."

"You said you liked puzzles. When I am young I am tall. When I am old I am short. What am I?"

"Oh, um…sorry not used to actually thinking while working…a candle? It burns down right?"

Edward's mouth dropped open slightly. She was correct. Hardly anyone got his riddles correct. None ever really tried. Yet someone in such a menial job was able to understand a riddle that the detectives couldn't fathom. "Yes, yes, you right."

The cashier smiled genuinely this time then glanced at her screen. "Sorry the computer needs your ID some of these games are rated 'M'."

"Oh I've never had that happen before," Edward said taking out his driver's license and handing it to her.

"Yeah, it's some new thing they're doing now. Apparently some parents were complaining that there kids were buying mature games without their knowledge and there was this big stink about it. So now it's programed into the computer to ask." She explained running his card through the machine. "Alright your total is…wow…sorry eight-fifty-three-sixty-two, and I see you already have our rewards card. Excellent. Oh! Do you need a gift receipt for any of these?"

"No, no, no, just for me." Edward felt a light blush cross his cheeks. He didn't want to appear selfish and greedy.

"Hey, that's cool, if I made more than minimum wage I'd indulge to."

Edward frowned. "What makes you think I do not make minimum wage as well?"

"You're the guy from the papers right? Variety section. You won that forensics award or something, I just read about it before my shift started. You work for the GCPD."

"Oh yes that would be me." Edward smiled. It felt good to be recognized.

"Get a move on!" A sudden shout ripped through the air cutting across whatever the cashier was about to say. Edward and the cashier both jumped at the reprimand.

"Sorry," the cashier said quickly to the housewife who had shouted. Her fake smile was back in place when she spoke to him. "Will that be cash, credit, or check?"

"Ah, check." Edward fumbled for the checkbook in his pocket. Hurriedly he wrote out the check and handed it to the cashier along with his rewards card.

"Thank you." She scanned the card and handed back then there was a moment's pause as the register read the check. "There you go, have a great night!"

Edward took the receipt from her and picked up his bags. "Thank you too," he bent slightly to better read her nametag, "Gwen. Hope you survive tonight."

Gwen's smiled briefly transformed into a real one again. Smirking proudly Edward left ready to play his new games. He'd have to come back to this store sometime.

So just kind of continuing with what would happen. Edward would start showing up at the store to talk to Gwen and what not. Eventually he learns that she is a grad student studying to be a lawyer (or something haven't quite worked that out, but somewhere in the legal system realm). The story would rather depend on where the show goes so I don't know much about it yet. As I said, this will be after PBH so about another year or so before I start working on it hard core.