Batman: Riddle Me That
Kairos, the Greek translation for defining moments, mine came when I was eight years old. My parents were murdered right in front of my eyes. Maybe for Richard Grayson, this would be his defining moment, his parents were also murdered. His family, a traveling circus act, had done something to someone, and somehow, they crossed Edward Nigma, and they did something to make him mad, to push him over the limit. Whatever they did, Nigma disposed of them, with one pull of a trigger, and they're dead, for some reason he spared Richard. Why? I have no idea, but then again, what is life but questions we don't know the answers to. He kidnapped Richard, and is holding him ransom, $25,000 by midnight, or the kid dies. Why would he hold the kid, who does he think will honestly will pay that much for a fifteen year old carny, unless it's a trap.
(As Batman arrives he sees multiple guards, there is a window on the roof which he can see Richard and Edward clearly.)
There are too many guards, too much planning went into this, too much thinking, and it's not his style. Edward may be a genius, but he's no mastermind, he just plays head games, which could be why he calls himself the Riddler. In the end, someone else has to be behind this.
(Batman plants a small bomb just big enough to distract the Riddler and his guards; he then opens the window to get Richard out.)
"You, you, you. You're Batman." Richard managed to stutter.
"Yes, now listen; we have about two minutes to get out of here, so I'm going to ask you to shut-up." Sure, it was rude, but I'm not here to make friends.
(Meanwhile Batman is exiting the building and is unaware that the Riddler is watching him via security monitor which was in the room next to the explosion.)
The kid is shaking, I can tell he's nervous, Clark could get him to smile, to calm down, he would tell the boy that everything is all-right, the old boy-scout thing, I was never good at that stuff, maybe it's because I don't like making promises that I might not be able to keep, but I'm not Clark, and this is in my city, so we do things my way.
"Boys, shoot'em up!" the Riddler yelled.
Great, just what I need.
"Stay here." I told Richard.
(Batman goes back to fight Riddler while leaving Richard safe on another rooftop.)
There he is the Riddler, Edward Nigma, a cancer patient with a serious compulsive disorder. But something's not right, there's no way that he's behind this, it's just not him.
"Boys!" the Riddler yelled. "Light 'em up!"
(Batman dodges the bullets and takes out the thugs, he then tackles Riddler and punches him in the face, after 3 or 4 punches Batman grabs Edwards's shirt collar and starts interrogating him.)
"Why take the boy?" I asked him.
"Why not?" he replied.
"He has nothing, and you killed the only people that cared about him. Why would anyone pay $25,000 dollars for him, no one cares about him, he's nobody!"
"Is he?" he asked.
(Batman repeatedly punches Edward in the face.)
"What do you mean?" I asked him.
"Oh, Batman, Batman, Batman, so stupid, so feeble."
(Batman again punches Riddler.)
"What is going on here?" I said.
"What's the magic words?"
(Batman punches him once more)
"Now!"
"Alright, fine. Don't you get it, the boy's dad was my partner years ago, and then he determined I had a "problem"."
"And he left the life of crime and moved on, you couldn't."
"Right-a-roony" he said.
"But why hold the boy ransom?"
"That was the boss's choice."
"Who's the boss?"
"I personally think it was Alyssa Milano, but then again, I never liked that show anyway."
(Batman punches Riddler again.)
"You know what I mean!"
"Riddle around, the boss is a clown! Ha Ha!" he said.
"Joker."
"Right again, you're getting good at this!"
(Batman punches Riddler one more time and then hand cuffs him to pole, he then call Commissioner Gordon to retrieve Riddler. He then goes back to Richard and brings back to the other roof where the police will be.)
"Listen." I told him. "The police will be here any minute. When they get here tell them what happened."
"But, where are you going, what will happen to me? Where will I go?" He asked.
"I'm going to stop the root of the problem, as for you tell him to take you to Bruce Wayne's house, I hear he's adopting."
(Batman then grapples off in the distance and calls Alfred.)
"Alfred."
"Yes, Master Bruce."
"Prepare one of the guest rooms, we have a visitor coming."
"Sure thing Master Bruce."