BATMAN: TALES OF GOTHAM
CHAPTER 1 - SHARK BAIT, Part 1
The cold air blew softly. The darkness covered the city. Screams could be heard in the distance. About an hour ago, all of the power in Gotham City had been shut off. The cititzens didn't know why. The police didn't know why. The Batman didn't even know why.
Batman stood on top of a gargoyle that rested at the top of the Gotham City Hall. No one was on the street. Most everybody was trying to stay indoors, afraid to come out. Afraid of the darkness. Afraid of what was in the darkness.
Arkham Asylum was the main housing for supervillains in Gotham. The entire facility had electronic locks and doors. If all the power in Gotham went out, then all the power in Arkham went out meaning . . . they could escape. And they did.
Though Batman wasn't sure as to which villains did escape, he was sure that a lot of the powerful ones did. Without the radio towers operating in Gotham, the police couldn't communicate with each other, nor Batman.
About a month ago, The Riddler conned his way out of Arkham, tricking the guards into letting him go on a walk. The idiots...
Riddler was gone. Stole a police car and drove away with all the car's lights off, to make him difficult to track. Though a dangerous move, it was a clever one. And that was his game.
Then, about two weeks ago, Ms. Harleen Quinzel, or Harley Quinn, the Joker's henchwoman, was finally freed from Arkham with parole. She was supposedly cured, which for the most part was true. Batman knew that Harley's troubles mostly came from getting mixed up in the wrong crowds... The Joker's crowd, for instance.
Then, the Ridder came back to Gotham. No one knows where he went. But, when he came back, he was looking for a certain little jester girl. That's where the story begins. About a week ago, when Edward Nigma came back to town.
Edward Nigma, or The Riddler, stepped out of his dark green limousine sporting his green jacket, black button-up shirt, black pants with green shoes and green fadora, sporting a black question mark on it. His outfit was of course not complete without the complimentary black tie with green question mark.
The limo had pulled up to a back alley brick building. Music muffled from inside. Neon lights sprayed from the doorway. Riddler reached into the limo and pulled out his five-foot long, formal cane, shaped like a question mark.
Riddler walked to the front of the limo and peered inside. In the driver's and passenger's seats were his two henchmen, the recently recruited for his own uses: Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
"I shouldn't be too long, gentlemen," the Riddler grinned. The oversized goons nodded in acknowledgement and Riddler headed to the door of the club. He knocked on it once with his cane.
A small, sliding eye piece slid open. The eyes of a muscular brute peered down on him. He growled, "What do you want, question-mark-man?"
"Question Mark Man is my cousin, thank you," the Riddler put both hands on his cane. "I am here to see the - how can I put this in words you would understand - I'm here to see the boss, I suppose."
"Are you calling me stupid?" the door opened, the brute revealing himself. He was nearly seven feet tall, towering over the Riddler.
The Riddler, being the clever man he was, said, "No, my friend, I am merely calling myself a bad conversationalist."
The brute eyed Nigma very carefully. He then looked back into the club, looking at someone that Riddler couldn't see. The brute looked back at Nigma and said, "Alright, but make it fast. He doesn't like visitors during this hour."
"I'll keep that in mind," the Riddler smirked walking past the guard.
It was an underground, illegal club. Loud music, bright lights, half-naked girls, drunken criminals. Hell, Riddler even recognized half the scum putting dollars in girls' panties, or demanding more drinks. Some of them were low-class bank robbers, but some others were the villains he once had respect for. Villains like Amygdala and Hugo Strange.
The Riddler walked over to a large booth at the back of the club, where the entire facility could be seen. Sitting in the booth was a strange man. His skin was as white as snow. He was bald, his eyes were red, his face was deformed. It was almost as if he had no lips with his sharp teeth visible at all times. He talked oddly, like he had trouble talking, almost. Several rough-looking men sat around him.
Riddler said, "And how are you, friend?"
The deformed-man looked up and immediately pulled a pistol on the Riddler, angered by his presence. He said, "What the hell do you want, Nigma?" At this moment, the four men with him stood up and surrounded Riddler, each with a pistol in their hand.
"You sure do treat your guests rudely, don't you?" The Riddler rolled his eyes, slipped past one of the gun-holding henchmen and sat down in the booth with him. "We go way back, Warren."
"Way back? Ha!" he laughed. "What have you ever done for me?"
"I'm about to do something big for you, Great White Shark," the Riddler crossed his legs, grinning mischievously.
Warren White, or the Great White Shark, cautiously lowered his pistol then ordered his men to do the same and sent them away. The guests in the club had never even noticed the guns drawn. They were too busy with the alcohol and women.
"What are you talking about, Riddler?" Great White asked, motioning a waitress over to the table. He ordered himself and the Riddler a drink. "You've been gone a long time, you know."
"Oh, I know," the Riddler laughed as his drink was delivered and he took a sip.
"What have you been doing? Thinking up new riddles?" Great White made fun of him.
"No, just pondering on old ones," the Riddler knew how to take insults.
"Like which ones?"
"Like the ultimate riddle of all time, my Great White friend," the Riddler put his drink on the table. "Who is the Batman?"
"Oh, Lord," Great White rolled his eyes and rested his head on his fist. "Not this again."
"What, what is it?" the Riddler was surprised at Great White's reaction.
"I don't even worry about him anymore, Nigma," Great White said matter-of-factly, "There's not really anything illegal going on here at a continuous rate, so he doesn't bother me here, so I'm happy. I got my booze, I got my girls, I got my guns!" He laughed.
"Yes, yes," the Riddler nodded, "And of course you have your drugs."
Great White's giant smile instantly turned to hate. He eyed the Riddler and whispered, "H-How did you know about that?"
"I'm the Riddler!" he laughed. "You can't keep secrets from me! Ha, ha!" Great White Shark glared at him heavily until the Riddler stopped laughing. Nigma cleared his throat, took another sip from his drink, then said, "I know about more than that."
"What else?" Great White pulled the hammer back on his gun from under the table, ready to shoot Nigma if he said anything wrong.
"I know it all, White," Riddler shrugged, "Jonathon Crane's new hallucigenic drug, the girls it's brought you, the money it's brought you." Great White didn't say anything. Riddler kept going, "I know you bought Crane's drugs, you kidnapped and drugged the girls so they'd work for you and the one's who aren't currently dancing, you're selling into prostitution. Brings in a lot of income, I understand."
Great White snapped, "And what, you're gonna rat me out if I don't help you or something?"
"No, no, my friend, I'm no rat, I promise," the Riddler waved his hands in defense. "But, it's no surprise to you that Mr. Crane was arrested not too long ago, right?"
Great White took a breath. "Yes, I was aware."
"No Crane, no drugs." Riddler shrugged. "No drugs, no money. Did this not worry you?"
"I did take it into consideration, yes."
"Listen, White," the Riddler readjusted himself in his seat, "Harleen Quinzel went missing about three or four days ago. Know anything about it?"
"What are you, a cop now or something?" Great White hissed.
"Answer the question, White," Riddler was growing impatient. This was taking longer than he had hoped.
"I don't know any Harleen Quinzel."
"Know a Harley Quinn?"
Great White sighed and said, "Yes."
"This is what's going to happen," Riddler said. "You're going to get Harley Quinn off these drugs you have then - "
"Who said she's here? On the drugs?" Great White cocked his eyebrow.
"Don't play me the fool, White," Riddler shook his head. "I have a plan, White. But, I need Harley Quinn in order to do it."
"What is your plan?" Great White asked.
"Ha, ha!" Riddler laughed. "What's big and black and not coming back?"
"I don't have time for this," Great White Shark stood up from the booth and began to walk off.
Riddler shrugged and propped his feet up on the table and called to him, "It's only a matter of time before you'll need another shipment from Crane. Too bad he's locked up."
Great White stopped in his tracks and spun around. "Just tell me what I get out of all of this."
The Riddler stood up, face to face with Great White Shark, "You help me, and I promise that ol' Scarecrow will be out of Arkham just in time to whip you up some more goods." He grinned.
The music in the club changed. The lights dimmed. Great White and the Riddler both looked to the stage as a DJ yelled into his microphone, "Alright, folks, get ready to give it up for tonight's main attraction!"
Great White glanced back at the Riddler and said, "You're just in time."
The Riddler shot him a glare of impatience then walked closer to the stage, Great White Shark standing behind him.
The DJ said, "You love her, you hate her, you'd smoke her, the female joker! Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Ms. Harley Quinn!"
The crowd went wild. Out from behind the curtains, Harley Quinn stumbled out. She wore a revealing, skimpy red and black outfit. He blonde hair was in pigtails and she wore a black mask over her eyes, just like her old costume. She could barely stand up straight, due to the drugs. Harley made her way to a pole in the stage and began pole-dancing, much to the delight of the crowd.
The Riddler couldn't believe that the Great White Shark would kidnap someone that was respected as much as Harley Quinn and turn her into a stripper. He turned around to say something to him, but a strong blow to his head knocked him unconscious.
The Great White Shark and his henchmen stood over the unconscious body of the Riddler. Great White said to one of his goons that was holding a baseball bat, "Good work. This oughta teach him to go snooping around in other peoples' business."
"What should we do with him?" one of his henchmen asked.
Great White lit a cigar and stuck it in his mouth. He grinned, "Put him in the freezer."