Disclaimer: don't own, yada, yada, yada
Note: I love it when Dick makes cheesy puns (as he did in the Golden Age/Silver Age comics), so there will be some in this chapter!
Kid Flash barged through the front door, not stopping until they were in the Espada living room, where they came face to face with a bound-and-gagged elderly man.
Robin jumped down before Kid Flash could drop him and started to move towards Mr. Espada. Kid Flash quickly stepped in front of him.
"I'll get him. You go after Riddler," Kid Flash instructed, picking a letter opener up from the pile of mail next to the bound man.
Robin nodded and went running off. He could easily follow Riddler and his goons, given that they had left a path of destruction consisting of fallen books and trinkets as they moved through the house.
Kid Flash cut Mr. Espada loose and untied his gag. "Are you okay, sir? You need anything? Some water? An aspirin?"
Mr. Espada shook his head. "I think I'll just sit here and relax." He looked dazed.
Kid Flash nodded. "Don't relax too much. The police will want to talk to you." And with that, he walked over to the phone and dialed 911.
Robin had found the Riddler and his goons in the Espada library. It was a magnificent room, with built-in bookcases, stained glass lamps, and a special cabinet that held old maps. The Riddler was apparently interested in the maps, as he had made quite a mess of them. Several had fallen onto the floor, while others were spilling out of the drawers.
"I don't believe you'll need a map to find your way back to Arkham, Riddler," Robin announced.
"I also don't believe I'll need a map to knock you into the state of oblivion. At him boys!" And the Riddler gestured at Robin, after which his goons all rushed at the vigilante.
Robin socked the first one in the face, sending him crashing to the ground. "Careful, the power of my fist is not to scale."
An aerial kick brought another mook down. "Hopefully, when you go up the river, they can show you the road away from crime."
As the Riddler continued to rifle through the map chest, two other goons began taking books off the library shelves and throwing them at Robin. Robin did a back flip over the reading table (placed in the center of the room) and grabbed a Dickens novel off the shelf. Weighing the tome carefully, he lobbed it at one of the mooks, expertly hitting him upside the head and sending him to the floor. "I had Great Expectations for that one."
The second book-throwing henchman now rushed at Robin, who flipped over the table again and out of the way. Like a charging bull, the man was unable to stop and ran headfirst into a bookshelf. At that moment, Kid Flash entered the library. "Dude, I bet he wasn't at the head of his class," he quipped.
Robin tossed Kid Flash a grin before chucking a Robin-rang at Riddler, who had apparently found what he was looking for and was endeavoring to escape. Riddler, however, saw the object coming and deflected it with his cane.
"Shame, shame, Robin. Now you've made me angry," Riddler drawled. He aimed his cane. "What's black and red and trussed up like a fish?" Before anyone could answer, he responded with, "You! In a net."
Robin had seen the net coming, but was only able to get partially out of the way. The net fell over the lower half of his body, tangling up his feet and causing him to trip. "Kid Flash," he shouted, "Get Riddler!"
Riddler and Kid Flash were at opposite ends of the reading table, staring each other down, trying to anticipate the other's move. Sensing he was caught if he didn't provide for a distraction, Riddler dove onto the table, purposely knocking over a stained-glass lamp.
"Nooooo," Kid Flash cried, lunging for the lamp. He skidded across the floor, just managing to grab the lamp before it hit the ground and shattered. Needless to say, the Riddler skipped over Kid Flash, grabbed up his two mooks who were still conscious, and left.
"Kid Flash, you let Riddler get away!" Robin hissed, a tad peeved. He stood up, the net dangling from his hand.
"Look, sorry, but I couldn't let him destroy this lamp." He gestured towards the stained-glass lamp he had saved from certain destruction. "It's a Depression-era Tiffany stained-glass lamp. Gotta be worth upwards of ten grand." When Robin failed to look convinced, he added, "An asterous piece of art that we should save for posterity."
"I'm more worried about saving posterity from the Riddler," Robin snapped as he tied up the two henchmen for the police.
"There'll be a next time," Kid Flash replied. He wasn't going to offer abject apologies. He knew he was right to save that lamp. It was a work of art, man! Aunt Iris would kill for a lamp like that.
"You called the police?"
"Of course, I'm not incompetent... all the time."
Robin grinned, his good humor returning. "Took the words right out of my mouth."
"So what did Riddler take?" Kid Flash asked as he began to pick up books off the floor.
"Hey! You're messing with the crime scene!"
"I'm just trying to be helpful here. Mr. Espada looks like he has a bad back."
"Fine." Robin didn't think it would matter too much anyway. The cops could figure it out, especially since Kid Flash was just putting the books on the table.
Robin examined the map case and noticed that one drawer had been completely removed and then badly, and hastily, replaced. The drawer contained old maps of cities in the United Kingdom. He began to comb through the maps, which were in alphabetical order, until he came to two riddles.
"Hey KF, what's between Nottingham and Plymouth? Alphabetically."
"Uhh, Oakland," Kid Flash attempted lamely.
Robin frowned. "That's in California."
"You didn't say it had to be in England!"
Robin rolled his eyes. "I'm tonished by your knowledge of geography."
"Hey, a guy can't be good at everything!"
"And the answer is Oxford. Riddler stole a map of Oxford."
"Why did you even ask if you already knew the answer," Kid Flash muttered under his breath. His complaint was drowned out by a strange voice, crying,
"Oh no, not my Oxford!"
"Oh Mr. Espada, I thought I told you to wait in the other room for the police," Kid Flash soothed.
"I wanted to see what the damage was. Thank God they didn't break my lamp."
Kid Flash shot Robin a look.
"Tell me what's special about the map, sir," Kid Flash requested as he guided Mr. Espada back into the other room. Robin picked up a few books in his absence.
A moment later, Kid Flash returned. "He says it's on old, detailed map. Has mini maps of all the colleges and even the museums with it. Apparently, it even identifies secret passages."
Robin was intrigued. "I didn't know Oxford had secret passages."
"Apparently, the UK is full of amazing surprises."
"You sound like Alfred. Anyway," Dick waved the riddles, "we need to move out."
"My turn to read them," Kid Flash said, grabbing the paper. "Let's see what we have.
'Two feathered flappers came together,
Panting and pushing in the open air.
The bright-haired girl, flushed and proud,
Grew big in the belly if the work was good.
Now scholars may need these letters to know
What I'm talking about: O and C,
N and E, K and H, and another C.
The tumblers twist to the letters' key
As the treasure-door swings open
So that solvers can see in the heart
Of the riddle, craft and play. Carousing men
May know the names of the low-down lovers! '"
"Oh I know this one!" Robin exclaimed. "Cock and hen! The letters totally gave it away."
Kid Flash fisted bumped him. "Dippity damp."
Robin sighed. "Diggity dank!"
"Sorry."
"Moving on. Read the second riddle," Robin pleaded, eyes gleaming.
"'On earth this warrior is strangely born
Of two dumb creatures, drawn gleaming
Into the world, bright and useful to men.
It is tended, kept, covered by women-
Strong and savage, it serves well,
A gentle slave to firm masters
Who mind its measure and feed it fairly
With a careful hand. To these it brings
Warm blessings; to those who let it run
Wild it brings a grim reward.'
Any ideas?"
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking."
Kid Flash waited only a few seconds more before saying, "It's fire."
"I was going to say that!"
"Yeah, right. I know you just can't stand my riddle prowess. So, any fires on chicken farms lately? Know a guy named Ignatius Cox or something?"
Robin snapped his fingers. "Ignatius Cox! Of course. He's this crazy old British dude who lives out on Firestone Drive."
"Seriously? I was being facetious."
"Well, I am being cetious. Let's get going!"
And with that, they were off.
In the Flash + Nightwing comic, Flash does get the phrase "diggity dank" wrong and says something with damp in it, I think. I don't have the exact quote.