Riddle 023: When in Drone

[puzzlerprince]

[A: Action - Mayfield High School

Well, class, have you been enjoying your sessions with your droned Ethics teacher, Mr. Nigma? Because it looks as though he's in the middle of yet another of his cheerful drone-y lectures.]

You see, kids? Life sure is grand here in Mayfield. Even if you're down or discouraged about schoolwork, or girls, or

Comments

D

[strike_you_out]

[While Edward is busily pacing the room, the desk chair swivels to face him and in it is Slugger who has appeared quite literally out of nowhere. This may come as a bit of a surprise but he doesn't look nearly as amused as he should.

Also, he may have gotten a hold of your cane, Edward, and is liable to start examining it quite closely.]

[strike_you_out]

[Not turning around, he slips the photos into the envelope once more.]

The one we destroyed was fake. But somewhere a real one exists.

[Of this, he is confident but disapproving. All that suffering he'd felt pouring from that tank... it couldn't have been faked. Anyway, there is something else on his mind. He remains facing away from you.]

I want to know how Susan died.

[puzzlerprince]

[The Riddler would say something to object to all this generator nonsense, but Slugger's second statement is a tad more disconcerting.]

...Susan hasn't spoken about it with you?

[He's relieved at that---relieved that Susan hadn't said that even though the Major had been the one to kill her, Edward had technically been the one to pull the trigger. All the same, that hardly makes the idea of telling Slugger himself any more comfortable.]

[strike_you_out]

She said it's not important. I disagree.

[He turns partially in the seat to reveal his profile, but his eyes are still obscured under the cap.]

What happened?

[puzzlerprince]

[Edward's eyes narrow. He knows just how protective Slugger can get of Susan.]

You remember the Major? From that first meeting I had held in our basement? He ended up betraying our Legion and siding with Grady during the conflict.

That day, at the dairy, Susan and I had run into him. She had tried to send him away, and he ended up shooting at me. I fired back, but he... Grady had given him an ability, you see. The power to transfer whatever injury anyone had dealt to him to another person within several feet away. I hadn't realized that until after I'd pulled the trigger and Susan...

[He pauses.]

Needless to say, Susan was still able to neutralize him. Once we were a safe distance away from him, I shot him once more. And I killed the bastard.

[strike_you_out]

[Slugger listens quietly. As the story unfolds, he becomes visibly tense but this is the only outward response he shows. It seems Susan was responsible for her own death, with her idiotic penchant for rescuing others and getting herself killed in their place... Stupid woman.]

...I see.

[After a moment of thought, Slugger rises to his feet with the envelope. He isn't pleased but he's relieved that you chose to cooperate rather than treat him like a child and try to deny him the truth---he didn't want to resort to using intimidation against you.]

Is there something you want to know? Do you know about the other town? Do you know about Lucy?

[puzzlerprince]

{Edward's just relieved that you aren't blaming him for Susan's death.]

I assume you're referring to Deadman's Gulch? I've only heard minor details. I'd be eager to hear anything more about it. Did you and the others travel there?

...what about Lucy?

[strike_you_out]

[Since you've heard a bit about the town already, he'll tell you about Lucy.]

She died.

...But it was part of a joke. Before that, she was speaking with residents at the park.

[puzzlerprince]

Did you speak to her?

Forgot this was here; feel free to ignore

[strike_you_out]

[He nods.]

She said Mayfield was an accident. And the people in Westport are gone because she 'put them down'.

[puzzlerprince]

An accident...?

[Edward begins to ponder over this new bit of information.]

And she said nothing else?