The roomful of heroes broke down, some sobbing some resorted to breaking things, Batman however stood in shock, finally rage took over and he screamed savagely
"How dare you TOUCH MY SON!" the room froze and so did the Riddler, the sickly insane man jumped up and came closer to the screen, leaning in as if being told a secret
"Your son, eh?" he taunted "hmmm. NOW THAT IS SOME GOOD STUFF!" he said gleefully dancing again and swirling the cane. "Well…" he said sitting by Robin again and pulling out a napkin, gently wiping blood off the boy's face where he had been punched earlier "I may just have to use that information to my advantage now, shan't I?"
It was just then Robin moved, the man's eyes gleamed evilly
"Wakey, wakey my little bird" Robin's eyes opened slowly and he looked around, he gasped as he notice the cold steel blade almost touching his exposed neck "bother you does it?" the man said almost soothingly "here I'll move it for you then" and the blade was raised away.
"Where I am?" Robin asked weakly
"Nuh uh" the Riddler said "Your daddy is listening; I wouldn't want him to find us just yet would I?" Robin looked at him quizzically,
"Riddler guess what?" the boy said "I have a riddle for you but I'm not going to tell you what it is" the Riddler backed up appalled, as the boy wonder turned his head away from the man,
"Oh-ho-ho! Boy Blunder! I know what game you're playing! But you life means nothing to me, and therefore-" the Riddler leaned close "Robin you know something…" The man leaned closer his lips brushed the boy's ear, Batman shouted in anger at the sexual motion "I like you" the man pulled away quickly and jumped on the table "Hell! I love you!"
The man's face grew dark and he slid off the table, "Therefore you have to die" his hand wrapped around the handle. 1 minute went by, terror all over Robin's face as he stared at the blade above him, 2 minutes ticked by, with deathly silence, the League and Young Justice stood eyes riveted to the screen.
3 minutes.
4 minutes.
5 minutes.
Finally the Riddler turned to the screen, a pure evil look on his face. "I just realized something Batman" The man cocked his head "you never found the answer to my riddle"
"What-what riddle?" Batman said terror seizing his voice
"How many ways can a robin die?"
"I-I don't know"
"Lets find out! HAHAHAHEHEHEHOHOHOHA!" The Riddler's hand slipped off the handle and a collective sigh of relief flooded the debriefing room, by now the Young Justice team was a wreak, and the Justice League wasn't faring much better although the try to calm the teen and seem strong, inside they were in agony, fear, anger, worry, sadness all swirled up. Batman looked like he was about to vomit, the tough-guy brooding demeanor was gone leaving a scared father who would do anything to keep Robin safe.
"Come here Riddler!" Robin called to the man "I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU!" he struggled against his bonds trashing like a fish out of water; the Riddler bounced over and leaned close
"Yes, yes?" he said giddily "What is it, what is it?"
Robin puckered his lips and spit.
The Mountain grew quite as did the two people on the screen as Riddler's face switched from shock to anger, to rage, to horror, to sadness, to fear then to amusement. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed, and laughed wiping the spittle off his cheek.
"That was THRILLING!" the crazed man said with a hoot of hysterical laughter,
"You know you are becoming more and more like the Joker each day?"
Time froze as these words left Dick's mouth, the Riddler rose from his perch and grabbed his cane, the man sneered rage etched in his features,
"Eh? The Joker you say? How so?"
"Simple" Robin said with a grin "You're .A. Joke"
TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK
Was the only noise that was heard, the heroes stared at the man with wide eyes scared to see the reaction that Robin's insult would bring,
"Huh-" The Riddler went "Huh huh huh huh-" his laugh hallow "HUH HUH HUH HUH HUH HA HA HUH HUH HUH HUH HUH!" the man doubled over "YOU LITTLE BRAT!"
And the cane was brought down on Robin's face.