Chapter 10: Introduction To The Game
A few of Nygma's helpers were standing outside in front of the orphanage with orders to watch out for Batman and the rest. "Alright, riddle me this, fellas. What do you call a guy who takes down the Bat?", one thug asked the others. The other guys looked puzzled and stayed quiet until one of them spoke up. "Uh, I don't know.", said the guy. The guy who spoke first cheerfully chimed in by saying, "A hero! That's what!". The other guy then said, "I don't get it.". "You wanna break the Bat? Then forget Scarecrow, Two-Face, Penguin, and the rest of those punks. Nygma's the man with the plan!", the guy explained. "The riddle guy? Nah! I'm not buying it.", another guy said. "Trust me, this guy's IQ is through the roof! You wanna catch the Dark Knight, you need to be smart. And Nygma's smarter than all of you put together.", the first guy insisted. "If he's so smart, then why is the Bat still out there?", asked another guy. "Nygma's got a plan. You'll see. You don't believe me, go ask Catwoman. She's all tied up in there along with that one chick that helped put away Scarecrow. They're waiting for the Bat to go in there and save them. That's when the fun starts!", he said. "Oh, he's gonna regret pissing Catwoman off! That little minx clawed off half my face in Arkham City. And I'm sure he's gonna regret kidnapping that other girl too.", said one of the thugs. "Is that the one with the ice powers he kidnapped?", another thug asked. "No. It was the other girl. The ginger. Nygma does want the one with the ice powers to come too and also that one kid. That's why he kidnapped her too.", the first guy explained. "I personally think Nygma is nothing more than a joke! He thinks he's so damn smart, but yet he always gets his ass handed to him by the Bat. Like what happened to him back in Arkham City.", one of them said. "Not as much of a joke as this other guy I've heard of. You guys ever hear of Cluemaster?", asked another one of them. "No. Who's that?", asked another one. "That guy just leaves clues at his crimes, but not riddles.", he explained. "Nygma's told me about him. He's talked about planning on killing him because he thinks Cluemaster stole his gimmick.", the first goon said. "Riddler's not going to be killing anyone on our watch!", said Jacob as he and his friends appeared out of nowhere in front of the goons. The goons looked surprised and then the head one said, "It's them! Get them!". The goons started to attack them, but the combo of Batman and Jacob's combat, Elsa's magic, and Kristoff's, Sven's, and Olaf's charging on Sven took them out easy except the head guy who Batman wanted to interrogate. Batman went over to him and pressed his boot on his skull and began to interrogate him. "Riddler has Catwoman and Princess Anna. Tell me why!", Batman demanded. "I don't know anything. I swear! I was just told to keep watch until you got here.", the guy explained while being pinned down by Batman's boot on his skull. Batman got angry and then said, "Why?! What's Nygma's play?!". "I ain't gotta clue! I just kept watch out here and left some of his dumb trophies around. You gotta believe me!", the guy begged as he gave Batman something. Batman then took what the guy gave him, although the others didn't get a good look on what it was that he handed to him. "I do.", Batman said right before he knocked him out. "Well, come on! We gotta go inside and rescue Anna and that cat lady.", said Kristoff. They all entered the orphanage together while walking cautiously in case Nygma had a booby trap set. They kept going until they got to the center room where they saw both Catwoman and Anna tied to chairs and blindfolded. Both girls heard footsteps walking towards them while still not being able to see. "Batman? That had better be you! And you had better be see!", said Catwoman. "Are you there too, Elsa or Kristoff or somebody?", Anna asked. "Yeah. We're here, sis. Everything's alright.", said Elsa. Kristoff undid Anna's bonds and took the blindfold off of her head and Batman did the same for Catwoman. "Are you okay?", Batman asked his frequent lover. "Perfect. What kind of girl doesn't dream of being bait for her strapping Dark Knight?", Catwoman sarcastically said. "And I guess the same goes for my ice seller and deliverer boyfriend and magical sister.", said Anna. "What about us?", Sven and Olaf said unanimously. "And reindeer and snowman.", said Anna assuringly. "And I guess I'm not being mentioned?", Jacob asked to join in on the talk. "Don't get ahead of yourself, sweetie. This isn't something that's really fun to be a part of.", Catwoman said to Jacob. 'So, this is your newest sidekick, huh?", Catwoman asked Batman. "Yes. This is Jacob. I have been training him as well.", Batman said. Catwoman then turned to Jacob again and said, "Nice job with helping the big guy here kick Harv's ass the other week. That bastard deserved that after trying to kill me in Arkham City." she told him. "It was nothing.", Jacob told her. "I must say, you're kinda cute.", Catwoman said to him. Jacob was blushing and this was clearly seen. Elsa then cut in and said, "I happen to be his girlfriend.". Catwoman then looked at Elsa and said, "Sorry. I was just giving him a compliment. I didn't mean anything by it. So, you're this queen with ice powers that has all of Gotham talking?". "Yes. And this is my sister that Riddler kidnapped along with you.", Elsa said. "Nice to meet you all, but let's all just get the hell outta here!", Catwoman said. Then Riddler came on the wall of the room and began to talk. "Ah, all of our contestants are here! Tonight, folks, we've got riddles galore! But first, let me introduce my beautiful assistants.", he said as he directed their attention to the center of the room. Then Riddler's robots began to jump out of the floor in front of the heroes. "I'm growing tired of my dependence upon the least useless dregs I can scrape from Gotham's utterly uninspired underbelly. Why rely on others for help when you can design, program, engineer, and manufacture it yourself?", Riddler said. Anna then hid behind Kristoff and said, "Those are the things that kidnapped me! Don't let those things touch me again!". "Don't worry, Anna! I won't let them!", Kristoff told her. "Yeah! We won't let those tin cans lay a hand on you, Anna!", Sven agreed with Kristoff. The robots then crawled towards them and began to attack them. The heroes then began to take down the robots. Jacob, Anna, and Kristoff just used baseball bats from the nearby toy bin and pick axes to destroy them. Sven charged at them with his antlers with Olaf riding on Sven's back. Elsa just froze the robots to solid ice and then they would crumble. Batman and Catwoman brutally beat them and broke them piece by piece. They kept going until there were no robots left in the room. Riddler then began to speak again after the room was clear of his creations. "No doubt you enjoyed that, detective. It's the most fun you'll have all night.", he said. "You see, Dark Knight, both this feisty feline and feisty princess have been fitted with a couple of shiny new collars. With each challenge you complete, you'll get one little key. Collect every key and the girls go free. Remove it too soon and the girls go boom.", he said as then laughed mockingly. Elsa then took a look at the collars around the necks of both her sister and Catwoman and then screamed at Riddler. "You put a bomb around my sister's neck?! Why?!", Elsa demanded angrily. "Because I could! And because it's all part of my brilliant plan! And if you refuse to play my game, Queen Elsa, I will just simply press this detonator that will spew both your sister's brains and the kitty's brains all over this once cheerful place full of orphaned children!", Riddler threatened. "Alright, Nygma! We'll play! And we're going to win!", Jacob insisted. "We'll see about that, my young foolish friend.", Riddler said. "Well, let's begin. Take that rocket-fueled roadster of yours and make your way down to the Cauldron Trainyard. My first test is waiting. But the two lovely ladies with the bombs remain until all tests are completed. No questions asked!", Nygma said before he went off of the screen. Batman then looked at both girls and said, "We'll be back soon.". "You'll be back right away. Guys like Eddie let me be until I started playing nice with the Bat.", said Catwoman. "Don't worry, Anna. We'll get you out of this mess!", Olaf told Anna. "Thanks, Olaf. I sure hope so.", Anna said. "He's right. We will get you out, Anna. I promise!", Elsa told her sister. Batman then looked at Catwoman and asked her, "It's unlike you to be caught. Was it an ambush? Blackmail? A trap?". "He invited me.", Catwoman answered. "What?", Batman asked sounding confused. "He said he had a job.", she told him. "A job?", he asked still sounding confused. "Of the Cat burgling variety. I'm good at it, remember? Not all of us scamper around on rooftops at night because we want to help people, you big brooding boy scout. But I had no idea it would end up being a set up. Now just go get me nd the ginger's key!", she said. Anna really looked offended and asked, "What is this city's problem with gingers?". "We'll be back after we're done at the trainyard.", Kristoff told her just before they kissed each other. Batman, Elsa, Jacob, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf then left the orphanage to go to Nygma's first test. It was then just Anna and Selina left alone and remained silent until Selina asked, "What do you see in that scruffy looking guy?". Anna then just looked at Selina and said, "It's true love.". Selina just rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever. Let's just wait for them to get back.".