BATMAN: THE RIDDLER'S WITNESS
Featuring the return of one of BATMAN's most enigmatic enemy, THE RIDDLER!
CHAPTER 1: RIDDLE ME THIS
Batman read the letter carefully. It was clear who sent it. Riddler.
WHY IS A DEAD MAN LIKE A DOUBLE-HEADED COIN?
Batman paced back and forth. As far as he could tell, there was no similarity between a dead man and a double-headed coin. Of course, this was a riddle. Not a literal question. Alfred entered carrying a newspaper. The headline was telling.
DEAD MAN'S TALE MUSEUM OPENS IN GOTHAM CITY PARK DISTRICT. MISTER JOHN ALISON TO GIVE PERSONAL TOUR OF HIS FAMILY'S LEGACY WING.
"That's it, Alfred." Batman snapped his fingers. "Sir?" Alfred asked, looking away from the paper. "The Riddler's riddle. "Why is a dead man like a double headed coin?" They both tell no tails. Riddler is after someone. That's been established. Alfred, run the name John Alison through the computer." "Right away, sir." Alfred answered.
The name came up in police files. "Alison's testimony was the one that sent Edward Nigma AKA The Riddler back to Arkham Asylum. He was a business man whose company was part of the sting of Enigma law firm, which was a false legal firm that Riddler used to gain access to bank acounts, and private information to blackmail the clients. Alison had a case with him, and lost thousands of dollars when the police busted Nigma. Riddler attempted to grab a guard's gun, but was subdued, and locked away. While being taken away, Riddler swore revenge on Alison, but has remained in custody for a year." Alfred reported. "A year. That gives him the time to sit and plan." Batman calculated. "Riddler wants him dead. We need to get him out of Gotham."
"Alfred, contact Alison's office. Tell him that Bruce Wayne needs to talk." Batman ordered.
CHAPTER 2: THE BOARDROOM BONANZA
Bruce Wayne had a seat. "Mister Alison will be with you shortly." Alison's assistant said. He wore a pair of eye glasses, a green bow tie, a purple sweater vest, and green slacks. Bruce took a sip of his coffee, and Alison entered. "Good morning, Mister Wayne. How may I help you?" Alison greeted. "I want to give you something as a thanks for helping out my company." Bruce smiled, and handed Alison a ticket to visit Central City, all expense paid. "Better hurry and use that, John. It expires tomorrow morning. Consider it my way of insisting you relax for a while." Bruce and John shook hands. "Bruce, I-" Alison started. "Mister Alison, sorry to interrupt. Mister Wayne, you have a phone call." The assistant said. Bruce nodded, and walked out.
Alison glared at his assistant. "You don't work for me...Who are you? Where have I seen you before?" Alison asked. "You know me, Mister Alison." the assistant smiled. "My name is Edward Nigma. Hi, John. It's been forever. How are you?" Riddler smiled, and Alison screamed. Riddler winked at Bruce Wayne in the other room, and locked the door. Wayne's attempts to get in were futile. Riddler dropped a smoke bomb, and the sprinklers went off. Wayne kicked the door open, but lemon juice sprayed into his eyes. Riddler had replaced the water with lemon juice. No doubt to cover finger prints. When Bruce could see again, the Riddler and Alison were gone.
CHAPTER 3: SETTING A STAGE
The Batsignal flashed, and Batman grappled to respond.
"It's the Riddler again. He's got Alison, and I recieved word a bank robber passed a note to the teller, and then killed her. We got the robber, but it isn't the Riddler. I've got him in interrogation if you wanna take a crack." Gordon briefed. Batman was gone.
The lights in the interview room flickered, and suddenly the figure of the Batman appeared in front of a bank robber dressed in rags. "Riddler. Tell me everything you know." Batman demanded. "I ain't talking. Not to you, Bat. I just gotta do what he told me to, and give you a little message." The thug said. Batman grabbed the man's collar, and hoisted him up against a wall. "What's the message?" Batman asked.
"Why is a woman who changes her name from Stacy like a drug?" The thug asked Batman. "Don't choke me trying to get answers, Bat. I ain't got 'em." The thug growled. "I know you don't. Thanks anyway." Batman slammed the thug's head against the table, and left the room. Jim was waiting.
"Well, Batman? Why IS a woman who changes her name from Stacy like a drug?" He asked, scratching his head. "Because she's an Ex-Stacy, Jim. Ecstacy." Batman entered the name Stacy Dugs into a computer. "Got it. Stacy Dugs is the lead singer of the rock band called "Ecstacy Illusion". She was one of Riddler's hostages when he took over a music convention. After the incident, she testified against Nigma. Stacy's band is performing in Gotham tonight. That's where Riddler will strike. Have men surround the convention center." Batman commanded.
Batman arrived at the convention center, and watched the crowd from the rafters. "Do you see anything, Batman?" Jim asked. "Not yet. But he'll be here."
"Thank you, Gotham City! Now, we will perform for the first time, our newest song, Hallucinated Love! You all are the first to hear it. We hope you love it like we do." Stacy announced as the crowd applauded.
Play me for a fool, like you played my heart like a guitar.
I thought you made me happy, but it didn't go as far
as I had hoped.
I felt your hallucinated love as you wrapped your arms around me.
Your hallucinated love made me see what you wanted me to see.
I felt the hallucinated love as I felt your gentle kiss.
Your hallucinated love kept me blind and sure to miss.
I felt my dream plunged into darkness, and I felt like a woman on death row.
I saw your hallucinated love, and it put on quite the show.
I wish I had been able to see,
but your hallucinated love masked all the things you did to me.
Hallucinated love tortures the mind,
yours and mine,
but now I fly free from you like a dove.
I shook the shape of your hallucinated love.
The crowd roared with a thunderous applause as Ecstacy Illusion began to close out. Suddenly, the lights in the convention center started to spark, and they blew out. The lights on the stage were still on though.
The crowd was under attack.
Batman saw a substance pour from the blown lights.
Ecstacy.
The crowd screamed, and suddenly the people were tearing each other apart. Hurting. Crippling. Killing. Stacy Dugs was suddenly being dragged along by a man in a green business suit, glasses, bowler hat, and question marks all over. Riddler was making his move.
So too would Batman.
Batman grappled down in front of Riddler.
"Batman! Old friend! So you did manage to solve my riddle. I never intended for it to be very taxing. But now comes a difficult decision. Will you waste time trying to interrogate me to find Alison, or will you be Gotham's hero and stop this crowd from dying? Riddle me that, Batman." Riddler greeted. "You're insane, Riddler." Batman said defiantly. "Really, Batman? You would believe that? Would someone who suffered from mental illness have the mental capacity to devise the clever conundrums that I have?" Riddler argued.
Batman didn't answer. He turned and looked to the crowd. Suddenly, he heard Riddler taking off, and began to run after him. He had dropped Stacy. Batman began to give chase, but Riddler whirled around with a gun and shot Stacy in the head.
Stacy Dugs was dead, and the Riddler was gone.
CHAPTER 4: RIDDLER'S TRAIL
"Jim! I need you in here for crowd control! I'm going after the Riddler." Batman ordered. With that, Jim Gordon and a large team of officers dashed into the building, and Batman glided after Nigma. A smokescreen blinded Batman, and Riddler was missing once again.
Jim caught up with Batman, and found him knelt down. "Batman! Are you okay?" He asked. "Tell me, Commissioner, why is a haunted house like a pair of shoes?" Batman asked. "You know I'm not any good at these, Batman." Jim sighed. "Answer: They both have souls. Riddler gave me a trail to follow. This time though, he didn't mean to. Riddler got a bit of ecstacy residue on his shoe. If I follow it, it should lead me back to him, and likely Mr. Alison." Batman reasoned. Jim nodded, and returned to supervise crowd control.
Batman waited 30 minutes to give Riddler time to complete his trail, and to make sure Riddler wouldn't be onto him. Playing with his paranoia was key. Riddler had to feel safe.
Batman turned on his detective scanner, and followed Riddler's trail of powdered poison to an abandoned library. He crawled through the ducts. He could here Riddler gloating down below.
"Riddle me this, Mr. Alison. Mice and men and lovers, alike, of the same sort. You'll find us all near King Arthur's court! What are we?" Nigma asked the screaming man. "Forget this. A riddle isn't any fun if I have to give you the answer before you'll even be bothered to put your brain to the test. But I'll tell you anyway. Answer! Historic books. Perhaps you might remember a little tale called for Whom The Bell Tolls." Riddler referenced. "It talks a lot about some of the uglier things in life. Human nature and all that. But beside the point, remember one of the laws of physics? For every action there is a reaction? Your action a while ago, was putting me back in the Asylum. Now, here's the REACTION..." Riddler raised a gun, but a batarang knocked it from his hand. "Batman!" Riddler gasped.
"It's over, Nigma." Batman growled. "Riddle me this, Batman, why are you like swiss cheese?" Riddler asked, stepping back. Batman didn't answer. He pushed a small button on his belt, and the emblem on his chest made a subtle glow. Riddler smiled as he pushed a button on his cane. "Answer! You're both FULL OF HOLES!" He screamed as two guns opened fire on Batman.
Batman was hit, but he wasn't affected by the bullets.
Batman tossed two plastiques at the guns behind Riddler, and detonated. The guns went up in flames, and a piece of debris struck Riddler's head, knocking him forward. Batman punched upwards, elbowed him in the throat, dragged him over his head, and knocked him out on the floor. Riddler has been neautralised.
CHAPTER 5: A DIVIDED JURY
Once more, Edward Nigma was being dragged into the courtroom, a crack in his glasses. "Edward Nigma, you are under investigation for a long list of charges. District Attorney James Van Dorn, are you ready?" The judge asked.
"As anyone can be. Let's see what justice has in store for The Riddler. What are the chances he can get off?" The attorney flipped a coin he pulled from his jacket, and turned to face the judge. But it wasn't James Van Dorn at all. The courtroom gasped and screamed.
It was TWO-FACE.
HOW IS TWO-FACE IN GOTHAM COURTROOM?
WHERE IS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY?
WHAT DOES HIS COIN HAVE IN STORE FOR GOTHAM?
FIND OUT NEXT TIME IN
BATMAN: FATE'S TRIALS.