Chapter 3

Ed paced back and forth before getting on his suit. He sighed as he heard a knock on his door, he knew it was Jonathan wanting the hacking program he had developed that afternoon but he couldn't bring himself to be alright with delivering it to the man.

"Edward, I know you are home. Will you please come and answer the door for your friend?" Jonathan's oily voice called through the door.

Ed rolled his eyes and came to the door, noting that Jonathan was alone, he let the man in. "You are not my friend," Ed countered, eyes shifting already.

"Ah, is that anyway to treat me?" Jonathan asked, he was wearing a strange brown tweed suit.

"Yes, you manipulative bastard. Now here's the program you wanted. Get out," Ed growled as he thrust the disc into the other man's hands. "I have to go meet the cackling idiot before he does anything too extreme. If you want this to go off without a hitch then you will let me finish getting ready."

"Very well," Jonathan replied and tipped an imaginary hat to Ed as he held up the disc. "Thanks again, and have … fun tonight with Joker."

Ed gave the man a nervous look but quickly schooled his expression before the other could read too much into it. He nodded and slammed the door shut. "Freak," Ed muttered to himself as he donned his sequined question-mark jacket and his similarly decorated top hat.

A few hours later …

Ed was grinning at the bank manager he had already tied up and gagged. "Now then, when the Boy Wonder get's here you are to act as though everything is normal." He paused and laughed darkly to himself. "Well, normal for a robbery. Do as he asks of you and don't scream under any circumstances, you wouldn't want my associate to come and investigate would you?"

The manager shook his head, eyes wide with terror.

"Good, if all goes well you'll merely be late for supper." With a flourish of his staff the Riddler leaped nimbly over the counter to check on the security guards that Joker was supposed to be taking care of without killing them. The maniac had already killed one of them, lucky for the rest of the guards Riddler had been able to stop him from killing the rest of them, though he knew the other villain was not pleased with the result.

As if on cue he hear one of the doors behind him click shut with a barely audible sound.

"Hang tight my good man, your rescuer has arrived," the Riddler said as he crouched over the man.

"Riddler," Robin called in a challenging tone as he landed on the edge counter.

Ed's head rose as he turned to look at his adversary, a slow smile spread across his face. "Birdie, how good of you to come. I was hoping I would get to see you."

Robin gripped the counter tightly, a slight shiver went through the slight frame. "What are you planning?"

The Riddler smirked again and drew himself back up to his full height and brushed his clothes off with a barely perceptible motion. "Care for a riddle, Little Birdie?"

"I'm not playing games with you, so-" Robin began but was interrupted by piercing, hysterical laughter. "Advisor, Batman … the Joker's here too."

Ed cringed as the laughter rang out and his eye twitched.

"Well if it isn't bird boy! Riddles, didn't I tell you to keep your boyfriend at home?" Joker taunted as he came into the light.

Robin opened his mouth to protest and the Riddler knew it would only fuel the fire. "Ah-ah, can't protest what I saw ..." Joker taunted again. "You want it like a little whore!" Joker sing-songed.

The Riddler bristled at the accusation, ready to beat the maniac and test the strength of his newly made staff. He took a breath and calmed himself as he turned to the other villain slowly. "That's enough, I did what you asked."

Joker ignored the green-eyed villain as though he weren't even in the room and ran at Robin. The young acrobat tried to leap out of the way but was a fraction of a second too late in his maneuver thanks to the unexpected nature of the Joker. "Oooh, a little slow today bird boy!"

Robin glared at the psychotic clown as he tried to regain his breath. The Riddler watched, hand tightening on his staff.

"So," Joker said as he leaned in close to emphasize his point with the quiet sound of a switchblade coming free from it's resting place. "Where's Batsy hiding anyways?"

"He's on the way," Robin replied with more confidence than most would have if they had a blade pressed to their face.

"On the way?" Joker parroted as he twirled away. "You hear that, Rubik cube, he's on the way."

The Riddler felt severe unease as his fellow villain made his way behind him but made no move to stop him.

"By the way, Riddles, I don't appreciate you telling your little boy toy my plan!" Joker snarled and moved in the blink of an eye. He wrapped what seemed to be a piano wire around the Riddler's neck, causing the green-clad villain to drop his staff and try to keep himself from being choked. The Riddler tried to fight back but only managed to piss of the crazy man, and received a kick to the spine as his height difference was removed.

Robin quickly moved in and punched Joker in the face before he dropped to his knees to help keep him from being choked to death. He tried to get the wire off but only succeeded in getting his own fingers stuck under the wire. The Riddler tried to give the young man a grateful look as his fingers keep his major arteries safe for the moment.

Joker didn't even bat an eye or wipe the blood off before he moved to wrap more cord around the two. "Look Riddles, isn't that sweet ? Your little harlot is trying to keep me from killing your sorry ass," Joker taunted again. "You're pathetic! Weak! I thought you'd know better than to cross me in any way, I thought you were smarter."

Robin hissed in pain as the maniac tightened the wire. The Riddler tried to help protect his neck with the young hero's fingers, their blood was mixing together and he was in a lot of pain.

"Awwww are you going to cry, bird boy? Where's the Bat now?" Joker teased.

The Riddler placed his hands over the teen's and looking into his eyes. Trying to convey the sorrow at having gotten him hurt trying to defend the villain. The electric green of his eyes faded to the outer ring.

"Joker!" Batman called as a batarang flew through the air past Joker's face. Batman began beating the stuffing out of the clown while Robin carefully started helping to remove the wire from the two latest victims of Joker's rage.

"B-Birdie ..." Riddler began, his voice horse as he started sputtering and coughing. He gave a weak smile as Robin managed to get the wire off and threw it angrily over his shoulder.

With a gentle motion Robin took the cleanest part of his cape and dabbed at the injuries on Riddler. The Riddler noticed when the scent of his cologne caught the young man's attention, being so close he noticed the small flare of nostrils. He smiled to himself, glad that he smelled good at least, as he carefully ran his own fingers over his injures. One long cut all the way around, three deep at the back of his neck, and a nasty one at the hollow of his throat. He was immensely grateful for Batman's timing this time, since he knew without a doubt that Joker would have gone through Robin's hands to kill him.

The young man pulled him back from the villain so fast it caused him to sway a bit. "You need to keep pressure on your wounds; I'd keep doing that for you but ..."

The Riddler shook his head and looked down at himself, noting the bloody hand-prints all over his suit.

"Sorry," Robin muttered, sounding as though the word was almost an afterthought.

The Riddler can't help himself, as he tore part of his ruined jacket. "Riddle me this … Riddle me that .." he began as he gently started bandaging the wounded hands with the black silk from the inside of his jacket. "How fast does a little Robin's heart beat?"

"Let go of me, and stop that. I'm not playing your games anymore," Robin tried to protest.

"You, My Birdie," the Prince of Puzzles said with a charming; if unhinged, smile. "Are one of my most challenging riddles; my favorite conundrum, my test. My … enigma." He brought the now bandaged hands to his cheek, trying to make eye contact and let the young man know who he was truly dealing with at the moment. "Smart little thing, too brave for your own good though."

The Riddler placed a gentle kiss on the back of each hand and then released them with a laugh. "Unfortunately I must leave you now, what's your favorite flower? I'll find one for you."

Robin opened his mouth to protest and the master of riddles laughed. "Tiger Lilly then, a deep orange-red is most fitting." With that he grabbed his staff and took off back out the door, knowing Batman would be able to finish taking care of his young charge from there on.

The Riddler stumbled into his lair, ready to pass out from the steady loss of blood from the cuts on his neck. He tossed his bowler hat on top of the skeleton corner with a growl. He tossed his ruined jacket on the green skeleton in the corner with his hat.

Flopping into his computer chair he heaved an enormous sigh. He typed a few commands into the computer, with a long suffering look. He rolled his neck and there was a sickening crunching noise as he popped his vertebrate back into place. He nodded to himself as some of the stiffness was removed.

"Ah, my dear, sweet , Little Birdie," the Riddler sighed in contentment as he thought over the evening's events. "So brave and sweet to me."

He made his way to the bathroom, intent on taking a shower before taking care of his wounds which would need attention soon. 'Damn the Joker for pulling something like this and causing my Birdie pain,' he thought viciously as his hand tightened into an angry fist. Thoughts of skinning the pale faced moron and doing horrible things.