4012/A Prize That Everyone Wins, But No One Wants

A Prize That Everyone Wins, But No One Wants
Date of Scene:	03 November 2020
Location:	Niffleheim - Asgard
Synopsis:	Edward Nygma aka The Riddler realizes that he's dying, so goes to the Asgardian Embassy to switch pantheons and challenge Hela to a literal Game of Death. She gives him a series of challenging puzzles in Niffleheim, but eventually he succeeds, and she returns his soul to him and cures him of his illness.
Cast of Characters:	Edward Nygma, Hela

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Edward Nygma has posed:
Humans do many things when they learn that they're dying.

Disbelief, denial, anger...

But Edward Nygma, aka The Riddler, decides to immediately enter the bargaining stage, and researches his options.

The most logical option is the abundance of gods on Earth. Narrowing that down, there is a literel Asgardian embassy. And even furthering narrowing that, there is Hela, the Asgardian Goddess of Death.

His next move is quite obvious.

Edward Nygma casually strolls into the Asgardian Embassy in his full Riddler gear, derby hat and cane and all. Even though he isn't currently a wanted man, guards point guns at him anyway. It's kind of a reflex when one of Gotham's Rogues walk into an embassy.

"Calm down boys, I'm here on a diplomatic mission."

He removes one of his gloves, then slices his palm on a sharp edge of his cane, before he begins to spill the blood in the middle of the floor.

"I pledge my soul to the Pantheon of Asgard. Really, kind of the one pantheon there's real proof of anyway, kind of an easy choice to do unironically." This is a blood oath, something he read about. Seems official enough, he's not exactly a wizard.

But gods love rituals, don't they?

"Second, I'm dying." he announces. "Inoperable brain tumor. So I challenge the Goddess of Death, Hela, the death goddess of //my// chosen pantheon. I will participate in a series of challenges. If I win, I'm cured and get to live, if I die, she gets my soul."

He taps his cane on the floor twice, then just waits.

Hela has posed:
Hela sees now why Amora hates Midgard so much. She's only talked to its denizens (at least while they are alive) a couple of times now, and each time she's had the death goddess version of a headache. Such cynics, just no respect whatsoever.

She's actually mostly (for she has a kingdom to run) IN the embassy while this is going on, so Edward's little ritual certainly gets her attention. She smooths her black diplomat hair back into the 'antlers' of on duty again - and appears in front of Edward Nygma. At least she quietens all the staff here, who do at least know her now.

Putting her hands on her hips, she looks down at him. "You Midgardians are all alike in this age. Such arrogance. A weak slip of a soul like yours is barely worth my attention, let alone accepting your challenge.". She narrows her eyes at him. "Now, if I know Midgardians, you will renounce your oath not one minute after swearing it.". Hela has already learned that much about this realm. And to think Niffleheim is somehow considered below even here.

Edward Nygma has posed:
"Is that so?" Edward asks, staring up at the much taller woman. "Nice color, by the way."

"I'm a prize that everyone wins, but no one wants, what am I?" he suddenly asks, spinning his cane in one hand before slamming the tip down against the floor again. "Hela. Ms. Hela? Queen Hela? Not sure of the proper form of address. I've grown up with the doom and gloom stories of the Christian afterlife, I can't say that I have much interest. But the Asgardian Gods! Thor drinking his mead, Hela striking men down left and right!" He pulls his glove back on, and tosses a little punch at the air to emphasize his words.

"I respect your perspective, but I'm making the sincere choice to pledge myself to your pantheon, which is very easy because you're a flesh and blood god that I can see with my own two eyes. Do you know how important that is for a human? Oh, sure, many are trapped in dogma, they can't make the leap even when they see you with their own two eyes. But me?" He taps the side of his head. "I am a man of deduction and research."

"Arrogance, perhaps..." He makes a single spin, and then points his cane at her. "But if I truly am an arrogant mortal, then surely I can't possibly pass the challenge of a goddess. I should be punished and lose my soul to such arrogance. That's how it works in the old stories, doesn't it? Or perhaps the old gods just don't have that classic bluster like they used to."

Hela has posed:
"Death.", Hela replies to his little riddle. And listens to his mortal bluster, which is far worse than anything she's ever said in her estimation. At least, if she said something, she probably backed it up a few seconds later.

"Gods do need mystery, at least for humans." she agrees. "And there is no need to lose a challenge to lose your soul.". But, she is trying to schmooze the mortals, and she's standing right here in the embassy, so that would look quite bad.

"Very well. But if you win, you must tell other mortals that the mercy of Hela is why you are still present in Midgard.". Truly, a benevolent goddess. All shall love me, and despair! Now, if it was Thor's soul then he wouldn't be getting that back easy, but this lil human? Not much of a cost, really, from her point of view.

And he has to win, of course.

"What are these challenges? And I should add. If you have read about the 'old gods'"... was he calling her old??? "... you will know about their anger too. So pick your challenges carefully.".

Edward Nygma has posed:
"Ah, but that's where the wisdom of the gods comes in. All I ask is that your challenges challenge my mind in some way. What that means for a god, I can't say, but I would say that if one of your wise gods would be up to the challenge, then I, too, wish to face that challenge." Because Edward Nygma can't resist, he can't simply have the easy way out, it's against his nature.

This is a mortal who wants a challenge, even on the verge of death itself. "I do accept your terms. I'll inform my fellow mortals that I live not but for the grace of Hela, the Goddess of Death."

Hela has posed:
Hela ponders. Well, that sounds like the sort of thing Loki would do. And she smirks, thinking of something.

"Very well, human. Your task will be to spirit a soul out of an ice troll cave in Niffelheim. Such a thing the trickster god Loki would be able to do. And you seek something similar.".

Naturally, it's going to be HIS soul, for the laughs, and that's the reason for the smirk. "I will provide the trip to Niffelheim. And back, potentially..." she says, a bit doubtful if there's going to be a back. "Do you accept?" she asks.

Edward Nygma has posed:
Edward looks to be considering Hela's offer for a long moment, never breaking his gaze with her. "That sounds adequate."

"I've read the stories of Loki, so the idea of getting to do an intellectual challenge that he would do, well... it's downright thrilling!" He lowers his cane, then offers his hand to her. "Well then, to the underworld next, I suppose? Don't worry, I've eaten."

Hela has posed:
Hela doesn't move - no dancing required for her - but the two of them are suddenly on the edge of a windswept, snowy mountain. Looking down the mountain, glaciers and the odd patch of tundra can be seen - but looking up, it's mostly mists, visibility a few tens of metres at most.

Hela points into the mists. "There is a cave up there, home to a frost troll.". And draugr, but why tell him everything? "A human is no match for even a single frost troll, so it won't be a test of brawn if you get past him. As for the soul, you will know roughly where it is, at least, so you don't get lost.". Hela is merciful.

She reaches out, and swipes her hand through him. There's an icy wrench, and for a moment Edward Nygma is about to drop into the snow stone dead - but he doesn't, somehow. A ghostly aura lingers about Hela's hand, fluttering in the cold wind, but her necromantic magic keeps him standing - and now mysteriously it doesn't feel very cold here any more, or he probably wouldn't get very far up the snowy mountain in those clothes. He can also feel a weird pull towards his soul, not truly dead as he is.

She holds it out to show him. "If you find it. You can keep it.". And she laughs, disappearing, to stash it somewhere in the cave as promised. Silly mortals.

Edward Nygma has posed:
Edward suddenly holds his arms together, rubbing his sleeves. "I don't suppose you have a warm Asgardian coat." he asks, before surveying the area, and even looks up at the sky to sort of get an idea of where they are in the universe.

His eyes widen, and then he feels chill ease up, but also... the rather strange and alien feeling of his soul being pulled a bit. "I'm a man who can appreciate whips and chains, but maybe I wouldn't pay for this."

But, when he realizes what she's actually done, and what she's doing now... "Oh."

He's quiet for a long moment. "Well then."

He starts walking up the mountain, considering many things, planning.

A frost troll, something Loki would do. Do these things know Loki, perhaps? Can they see through holograms? They have alien levels of perceptions, very likely. Not worth the risk.

When he reaches the entrance to the cave, he pulls out a small green robotic mouse on wheels. It's hardly anything realistic, it intentionally looks robotic. Then he sits it down and shakes his cane out into a remote control and a tiny little screen, sending the mouse inside.

He's trying to survey the area a bit. Not looking for his soul, he's sure he'll have to do that himself. No, he's trying to get an idea of where the troll is, what it is, what it's //like//.

Can he reason with it? Is it a mindless creature that will attack on sight? He's unsure, but at least he can get a small survey of what he might have to deal with before he enters.

Hela has posed:
As he approaches where Hela pointed, he comes across the half eaten corpses of various goblins. Clearly the thing in the cave has quite an appetite, and seems quite bestial, having nommed on it's unfortunate victims like a particularly savage, and hungry, bear or something.

The mouse is light enough to scurry along the surface of the icy snow, and makes it as far as the cave easily enough. The troll in question turns out to be 8' of vaguely simian white fur, with a huge mouth, currently nomming on a goblin by the cave. A still warm goblin, in fact. Trolls aren't exactly common in Niffelheim - nothing is really, it's not exactly hospitable - so this one manages to look emaciated despite being 8' tall. And it has tiny eyes, adapted to the white world in which it lives. The mouse barely gets a look, despite looking fake, but the troll has no problem spotting the recently slain goblin bits, lumbering through the mists to nom each in turn. Looks like a few unfortunates just recently came through here.

Behind the troll is an icy cave.

Edward Nygma has posed:
"Well, it looks like we have a plan." It's true, there //are// corpses everywhere, and if the troll is primarily seeing through body heat, there is a clear way pass the troll.

"I wonder if Hela is actually watching me... Well, just in case, I should probably do this with some flare." He grabs one of the corpses that still has some flesh and clothing, and starts to carefully drag it away from the cave while the troll is distracted.

The first thing he does is bury a small green proximity explosive into the snow. He doesn't activate it yet. And then he drags the goblin corpse over the explosive.

He's sure that he can't actually kill a //troll//, it's probably magic in some way. But with all of this snow, he's sure that he can at least slow it down or trap it for a little while.

The goblin corpse's clothes are set on fire, and of course the body fat helps to keep the fire going as well. But he clearly runs away from it, closer to the cave, and crawls into the snow to hide his own body heat.

The mouse is steered to the cave entrance, and explodes into a little poof, nothing damaging. This is just to get the troll to look in the direction of the corpse.

Hela has posed:
The ice troll also has ears. Hearing things actually sets it off more than the warm corpses around, as noise implies there's something moving out there - so when there's the poof of the robot, the troll is instantly looking that way, and bounds off in that direction, actually passing where Edward is buried in the snow.

The troll is disappointed when it finds bodies it already encountered. It's not dumb, it's actually quite crafty, so it looks around for a moment, to see what's happened. The footprints in the snow are fortunately missed.

But more importantly, it's REALLY hungry. Trolls are always hungry, this poor creature exceptionally so. The smell of burning fat at least requires a bit of nomming, so against its better judgment it starts eating what meat it left earlier in it chaotic eating.

Edward Nygma has posed:
Edward doesn't speak now, as this will require some very careful sneaking. He instead crawls out of the snow, taking advantage of his half-dead state in this area, and rushes into the cave. As he's running, he pulls out another mine, and places it with the troll's food in the cave. He doesn't activate that yet, that's for later.

But once the troll starts munching, The Riddler presses a button on his cane, setting off a large explosion equivalent to a stick of dynamite under the corpse it's currently munching.

He doesn't expect it to kill the troll, but instead to destroy enough of that icey area of the mountain to either bury the troll it send it stumbling back a bit. If nothing else, he just wants some time to go and come from the cave.

He pulls a pair of goggles from his blazer, figuring it'll definitely be dark in this cave, and just very carefully follows along the wall, uncertain of what else he might find back here.

Hela has posed:
Trolls are tough. The bomb does knock it down the mountain a little ways, but it's unharmed by the blast, and now it KNOWS someone is here, so it starts roaring. First of all it snuffles around to find footprints. It's weak eyes mean it has to be close, but it does find some eventually, and it starts scouring around to follow them.

Of course with the goblins and the fight with them earlier, it's not an immediate bee-line for Edward, but it's clearly hunting, and it'll probably succeed fairly soon.

The cave is dark alright, and when past the snowy bit near the front, it's actually paved, forming a large - very large - room, with ancient stones beneath his feet and against the walls, with various alcoves and skeletons of beasts stashed in them, like in an ossuary. Some clumps of bones even hang from the ceiling from thin metal chains, forming odd patterns, and the far wall at the very back of the cave is covered with elaborate carvings, forming a multitude of shapes. The ceiling itself, a good 15' up, has the symbol of Hela carved upon it - a circle with three bars on either side.

The clusters of bones, formed into odd shapes, sit still and silent on the end of their chains, at roughly eye height.

Edward Nygma has posed:
Edward has to rub his chin. He's sure that his time is limited, and he certainly can't fight a troll. The mountain itself, he didn't consider that it might also be a bit tougher than what they've got on Earth.

The carving though, that seems to be the next destination. So he walks up to it, sticking his cane out to poke at it a few times, examining it a bit closer to see if there's perhaps some kind of mechanism, or some sign of movement on the surfaces around it...

All else fails, he might have to whip out the holograms in case the troll doesn't have magical senses, but that uncertain egg will have to wait.

He still doesn't say a single word. If Hela is watching, this would be much more entertaining if he could talk. But since he can't, he tries to convey his thoughts by having expressing body language. Lots of hand flourishes and such.

Hela has posed:
There are many carvings on the wall, circles, sworls... it all looks meaningless. Even to the Riddler. In fact it looks quite obviously so. If there's meaning here, it's not from the wall itself - and as the room is big, the wall is big too. There's a lot to grope.

The troll is snuffling around somewhere outside, meanwhile. And the bones hang in space silent and still around Edward. Some chains have a single bone dangling on the end, some have several bones carefully melded together, as if by magic, to form shapes. Pieces of a circle, or a jagged part of a zig-zag shape, like half a triangle, or part of a square, or whatever.

Edward Nygma has posed:
Edward carefully walks around, despite how little time he has to do this. He stares at the hanging bones, considering them, and Hela's symbol.

He finally decides on a sequence. He begins to gradually pull the bones, in the most mathematically logical order to form her symbol, assuming that his first pull doesn't set off a massive death trap.

Truly the thrill of a riddle is alive and well here.

Hela has posed:
Turns out that the bones are pretty much immobile when he pulls on them. In fact, magically immobile. They don't even swing, they just hang in space, as if fixed, and the chains are basically for show.

While fiddling with a quarter circle that looks like it might form part of the vaguely circular shape on the ceiling, he happens to notice that the next bone shape hanging down forms another part of that symbol, one of the lines off to the side. Howeer, he is amidst the bones, and no more seem to line up where he's currently standing.

Edward Nygma has posed:
Edward pauses, when he realizes what's happening, then suddenly smiles.

He gets it now."

He begins to walk beyond the narrow two dimensional perspective, and starts looking for other bones that appear to form the symbol, tugging those as well. The ones that he can't quite reach, he reaches up with his cane to pull.

Though the ever-present danger of the troll isn't forgotten, and he does stop for a moment to listen, before going back to his bone pulling.

Hela has posed:
There are certainly a few more, but they are scattered around, a quarter circle here, a jagged line there. More than one, anyway. They do all seem to line up when he's looking in the direction of the wall, but he's not seen an entire symbol yet, only part of one. Obviously the further from the wall he is, the more bones he can line up and thus the more symbol could potentially be made.

However, being the highly intelligent Riddler, he probably eventually gets to the point where he notices that when he looks back at the entrance, he sees half of the symbol - and when he looks at the wall, he sees the other half, without actually needing to see the whole thing lined up himself. He would have to be a lot nearer the troll to see it all, but that's probably it.

The circle of her symbol seems to line up with a circular carving on the wall, too.

Edward Nygma has posed:
Edward takes a bit to pull the various bones, taking in various angles, trying to make sure that he's gotten to them all. When he sees the carving on the wall again, now that he's pulled the bones, he decides to reach out and touch it, examining it, trying to see if perhaps this is some sort of activation trigger for what exactly he's trying to solve.

Hela has posed:
That carving clicks when he pushes it, and a door slides open in the wall.

Just in time too, as the troll is snuffling around at the cave entrance. There's no tracks within the cave itself, but on the other hand, Edward has melted the snow up a bit in here, as it's not so cold as outside.

Edward Nygma has posed:
Edward doesn't set off his second bomb just yet, he may need that later. He's still not entirely sure how he's getting out of this place.

He does, however, set another bomb, this time against the wall. Rather than proximity, this one is a remote detonation bomb.

There's a desire to sigh, but he doesn't, he keeps his breathing very light as he heads through the door, looking for his next challenge.

She said or at least imploed //an// ice troll, so that's a load off at least. Only one horrifying creature to worry about as he descends deeper into the cave.

Hela has posed:
No more open room now, it's a narrow staircase, going down. Paving stones beneath his feet, moss and ice on the walls. The going is treacherous, but it's probably too small to even fit a troll in here, even an emaciated runt like the last one, which is probably something of a relief for anyone who doesn't want to be eaten.

Eventually the staircase ends, and the corridor opens up into room, lit by a torch in a sconce on the wall. There's an archway about half way, which seems to be a mirror of some form - no obvious glass, but in the archway can be seen a copy of this room, complete with torch, and when Edward approaches, complete with Riddler.

Edward Nygma has posed:
Edward looks around, time to think now, and speak. "You know, in a place like this, a world of the gods, a civilized area within a cave doesn't make me //more// confident."

He removes his night vision goggles and slips them back into his blazer.

Staring at himself in the not-mirror, he considers various legends. "What can look but can't see, can be both seen and never seen, and can be everything and nothing at the same time."

"A doppelganger is a harbringer of bad luck, breaking a mirror also brings seven years bad luck." he says while walking over to the torch to try and take it, and walk back over to the archway, seeing if his doppelganger copies him.

Hela has posed:
His copy does indeed copy him as he moves around. In fact, he can even hear his own voice coming from the archway, slightly echoed due to its different location, but it's as if there really is an Edward Nygma standing over there.

The archway itself doesn't actually have any glass in it, now he's a bit closer. Obviously. Magic is clearly afoot here.

Edward Nygma has posed:
"If you're a creature, how committed are you to the bit? Does this make you an actor?" Edward Nygma is no stranger to bits and acting.

Nor is he a stranger to slight of hand.

He pulls his left glove off with his teeth, the hand that he cut back on Earth. Though right now there is no cut, he's assuming a doppelganger wouldn't be aware of such a thing.

But what does the Riddler know about magic?

Still, he tries anyway, he holds his hand over the fire and keeps a straight face.

The hand is starting to burn, but he simply contiunues to stare at himself in the archway, to see what his double will do.

Hela has posed:
Unfortunately for Edward, the double copies him in all respects, including the fake hand. Including even the speech, without any apparent delay.

However, when he holds his hand over the torch, the shadows momentarily deepen in the room as he's blocking out much of the light of the torch with his own body and fake hand, and for a brief second, the Nygma on the other side of the arch disappears entirely. Though it's only for an instant.

Edward Nygma has posed:
There are a few ways Edward could approach this. In a world like this one, it seems like there's a high potential for many of the things he could try to get him killed.

Edward is a mere man, a genius man, but a mere man nonetheless. There is an underlying fear, this is all a thrill, but there is some clear fear in what he has to do next.

He doesn't put his goggles back on, not yet. There's something about his code, about the spirit of a puzzle, that he can't be sure wouldn't break this entire world and bring it down on his head if he tried to cheat it.

So he tosses his fake hand to the ground, and then tries to smother the torch with the cloth of his blazer, being very quick about it, mostly using his experience with mundane illusionist magic.

He keeps track of where he was standing, and then begins to walk forward, assuming that he's successfully put the fire out.

He faces the fear, and attempts to walk through the archway, hoping that there is no creature.

Hela has posed:
The torch can be smothered, it's not magical per se, just an ordinary torch and within his powers to smother quickly. It must have been prepared and placed here recently, given that. And without it this room is absolutely pitch dark, being deep underground.

He more senses the archway than sees it, given the darkness - it's not all that wide, about four feet maybe, like a normal doorway sort of size. So he feels it as he slips past. But slip past he does, with nothing in front of him bar the empty space of the room beyond.

Edward Nygma has posed:
Once safely on the other side, he takes a deep breath. Edward can feel an intense sort of anxiety, the strange doppelganger having given him a real sense for the magical nature of this place. It just gives him a creeping feeling down his spine.

When he puts his night vision goggles back on, he suddenly circles around with the fear that there's some horrible creature in the room with him. "What can only be seen without sight?!" he suddenly asks of no one as he tries to survey his new room.

Hela has posed:
When he puts on his goggles again and looks back, the archway is there behind him once more - and there's a Nygma there, staring at him, goggles on, as if it's always been there. Lookin just as solid as before.

The corridor beyond seems to be the only way to proceeed, so that way the Riddler goes. Eventually it leads into another long rectangular room - and it must surely be the end finally. Alcoves in the wall contain bones, yet another ossuary style room, and a cold light seems to filter down from a hole in the rocky ceiling, either some sort of tube connecting to the outside world, or magic, one or the other. At the far end is a throne of icy stone upon which Hela awaits, a patch of darkness against the light, as in this place especially she seemingly gathers the shadows into herself.

"Well, human. You seem to have survived. But one test remains.". She beckons him towards her, as the room is quite large.

Edward Nygma has posed:
Edward steps forward, twirling his cane around as his goggles are removed and put away again. "Perhaps I shouldn't have put all of those bombs down." he considers, carefully walking toward her throne.

"First, I have to thank you. This was a terrifying and challenging experience. I couldn't have asked for more. And I got to see a little bit of the afterlife, if that is what this is."

"I don't know if you realize the gift that you've already given me." He politely takes a deep bow. "What can be given but not taken, shown but not seen, earned but not bought?"

Hela has posed:
"It's good to see that you are the first Midgardian who seems to express gratitude, in his own way." Hela replies to him, slightly amused. Respect for her, and brains, all in one. "Maybe your soul won't be as worthless as I had anticipated.".

She leans forward a bit on her throne as he's nearer. "This is not the afterlife. This is Niffleheim, but it is not Hel. The living are not allowed into Hel." she clarifies. "I am the Queen of a few living things as well, as you can see.".

She tilts her head slightly, a movement accentuated by her elaborate antler headddress. to business. "I am the Asgardian goddess of death. So tell me, 'Riddler'. How do you choose to die?".

Edward Nygma has posed:
"An interesting riddle with many possible traps, as expected of a Goddess of Death." Edward steps forward, like the gentleman that he is, and offers her his hand. "Old age, my dear, so that I can see you and participate in your amazing puzzles for all eternity one day."

Hela has posed:
Hela gets up from the throne as he approaches, and takes a few steps towards him to meet him at the foot of the steps. She holds out her own hand, now glowing with the white glow of his soul, looked after by her while he ran through the puzzles. She doesn't take his though, instead she holds her hand over his head, the soul returning to him.

And, at the same time, cleansing him of any illnesses. "Now you are returned to full vitality, you should not wish to touch Death once more." she notes, given him holding out his hand. In fact, she puts her own hands behind her back. "You will come to me in your own time, and your deeds will be remembered.". Like the one he did today, that's quite a deed after all.

Edward Nygma has posed:
"Good game." Edward takes his hand back, pretty quickly understanding that bit about touching Death, and then claps his hands. "Well, if you need anything, I'll be in Gotham. Forever in your debt."

Hela has posed:
Hela smiles at her latest acquisition, as she sends him on his way back to Midgard to where she found him, more or less - outside the Asgardian embassy.

Such a shame she can't give each soul the personal touch like she does with Thor and the like, but there are just too many Midgardians for that to be practical.