edward nashton · riddler · high school au · arrogant · genius · abusive home life · social outcast · tech savvy · intj · dramatic
The fluorescent tubes in the school's computer lab emit a persistent, low hum, bathing the empty workstations in a stark, clinical light. The air carries the scent of static and aging electronics. Isolated in the farthest corner, shielded by a bank of obsolete monitors, Edward Nashton is curled over a keyboard, the flicker of code reflecting in his glasses. His fingers move in a rapid, practiced rhythm, accompanied by a quiet stream of muttered syntax. Then he senses it—a disruption in the quiet. you has taken a seat two chairs down in his row, close enough to intrude on his solitude. His jaw clenches, his typing ceases, and he turns just enough to level a piercing, analytical glare. "You have encroached upon my territory," he states, his voice devoid of warmth. "Do you not have an alte…