Chapter Eight
The door was locked when Yin arrived at the office. But she could see through the glass that the Riddler was there, lying on the couch with one arm draped over his masked eyes. His cane was held in his other hand.
Yin frowned. She didn't want to wake him if he actually was asleep. Her questions could wait until morning. She started to turn away.
The door suddenly opened. "Come in, Yinsey."
She jumped, turning back. He was still lying there, but he was looking at her, and he had pressed a button on his cane to remotely open the door.
She walked in, not surprised when the door shut and locked behind her. "You're sleeping here instead of your bed?" she commented.
"I'm just resting after a hard day's work. I was going to go to bed soon." He kept lying there, watching her. "What is it?"
She came closer. "How long have you known about Batman?"
If he knew what she meant, he pretended not to. "Oh, from the very first night I committed a puzzling crime," he purred. "Before that, actually. He inspired me in so many ways when we actually met. I knew from then on that he was the perfect foil, the ideal challenge to beat."
She rolled her eyes. "I mean, how long have you known his real identity?!"
His eyes, unseen by her, imperceptibly flickered. "What makes you think I do?"
"I figured it out. And he admitted it."
Silence. "What else did he admit?"
"He told me who he is." Yin folded her arms. "I'm waiting for an answer, Riddler."
"It wasn't that difficult to figure out, really, once I put my mind to it. And what else did I have but time to think while I was in that coma?" He smiled, looking pleased with himself. "I thought about the amount of money and resources he would have to have. I thought about what might have motivated him to take on such a bizarre and lofty task. I thought about what seemed to be his approximate age. And I narrowed it all the way down to the truth."
"A truth you kept to yourself."
"Would you have rather I blasted it from the housetops?"
"Of course not." Yin came to stand in front of the couch. "Maybe I'm surprised you didn't."
"Why should I want to render the greatest riddle in all of Gotham City worthless? It's much more satisfying to be the one who holds the winning cards, yet keeps them secret."
A bit of disgust flashed across Yin's face. "Is that the only reason you kept quiet with everyone? Your selfish riddles?" She clenched a fist. "I thought I meant more to you than that."
He sat up, much too quickly, and grimaced as he clapped a hand over his side. "That . . . isn't true. About my reasons, I mean. I even went to Batman tonight to try to convince him to tell you." He looked at her with what was clearly desperation. "Yin, believe me, I didn't want to keep it from you."
Yin was half-listening. She had dropped down at his side, alarmed by his obvious pain. "Riddler, what happened to you?!" she demanded. Inwardly she berated herself. She should have known something was wrong when he kept lying there.
"It's nothing," he tried to assure her. "I was fighting Scarecrow." He gave a shaky smirk. "You should see what he looks like now."
Yin didn't believe that for one minute. "Oh! Riddler!" She reached to inspect the injury. "How bad are you hurt? Have you even seen anyone about it?"
He flinched as she touched the bruise. "It's not bad, Yinsey. Really. And I did see someone—Alfred Pennyworth. You know, the Wayne butler?"
"He's qualified?" Yin shot back.
"Yes, he is," the Riddler insisted. "He was trained as a medic in the military."
"Why were you fighting Scarecrow anyway?!" Yin exclaimed.
The Riddler fell silent. "I guess I . . . I thought I could bring him down. I wanted to try, at least. I suppose you could say it was a matter of . . . honor?"
"He could have killed you!" Yin screamed at him.
He was half-tempted to make a smart remark on how he wouldn't have allowed it, but Yin's distraught feelings made him reconsider. "I realize that. And I'm sorry; I didn't want you to know I'd been hurt. I didn't want you to worry. Although . . . it feels nice to know that someone cares that much." He hesitated, then laid his hand over hers. "No one has for so long."
Yin was ready to yell at him again, but reconsidered at his last statement. Instead, she rested her other hand on his. "I'm sorry I caused you to sit up so abruptly like that. I should have had more faith in you." She peered at him. "You really went to ask Batman to tell me?"
"Yes. He'd already been thinking of it, but Mr. Pennyworth and I convinced him to go ahead."
"Thank you," Yin said in moved surprise.
The Riddler hesitated again, looking at her. "Tell me. Are you angry I didn't tell you who Batman is?"
"No," Yin replied. "Not if your motives went deeper than keeping a riddle alive. Actually, I respect you a lot more for not telling anyone, even me."
He relaxed and smiled. "I can promise you, those were not my only motives."
"Good," Yin declared. "But I should let you get some sleep. Do you need help getting to the back room?"
"I can manage," he tried to assure her. Using his cane for leverage, he eased himself up and stumbled and limped to the panel.
Cringing, Yin went with him. "You're hurt worse than you're trying to make me think," she accused.
"Sometimes even perfectly unblemished people stumble when getting up," the Riddler replied, opening the panel via his cane.
"You should know I won't buy that after knowing you were in a bad fight," Yin said.
"Of course you won't," he said. He went inside, crossing the room to collapse on the bed.
Yin followed him. "Is anyone here in case you need anything?"
"Yes." He leaned the cane against the wall and sank into the mattress, closing his eyes.
"There might be a raid on Arkham tomorrow," Yin said, "if the commissioner and the district attorney agree. Riddler, whatever you do, don't you dare go after Scarecrow or Crane or anyone by yourself again."
"I wasn't alone; I took two Riddlemen." But he gave a tired smirk before she could retort. "I doubt I'll be up for any more confrontations for a few hours, anyway."
"I probably shouldn't, but I'll let you know if there's going to be a raid," Yin told him. "That is, if you'll just let the police handle it."
"Do you think Batman will stay away?" the Riddler replied.
"I doubt it," Yin sighed. "But at least he isn't hurt!"
"I won't physically involve myself again," the Riddler said. "I promise."
"But you'll probably do something like hack into Arkham's computer mainframe and manipulate things like the security cameras and the gates," Yin deduced.
"You might be grateful for that help, Yinsey," he said. "Just like when I helped you and Batman get away from Rojas and his men."
"Yeah, only that time your motives were a lot less noble," Yin remarked dryly.
"Granted." He sighed and laid back, his hand returning to his side.
Yin straightened, sensing that the conversation was wearying him. "I won't keep you talking. Try to get some good sleep." She rested her hand briefly on the shoulder she thought was uninjured before turning to go.
"Goodnight," he mumbled.
Yin paused at the doorway, finally smiling a bit. "Goodnight."
xxxx
The digital recorder clicked off as it came to the end of Batman's conversation with Penguin. For a moment, silence reigned in the office.
The sound of a coin flipping into the air broke it. "So that's what's going down at Arkham this time." Assistant district attorney Harvey Dent frowned, deeply displeased as he perched on the edge of the desk.
"You can see why I felt it necessary to get you both up in the middle of the night," Batman said.
Commissioner Gordon's eyebrows knitted in his concern. "This is outrageous. Experimenting on the inmates instead of trying to help them?! Locking them up and exposing them to fear-inducing gas for hours at a time?" He shook his head. "There's no way they can try to justify that as a new method of rehabilitation."
"So what do you think, Commissioner? Mr. Dent?" Batman looked back and forth between the two men. "Is there enough to raid Arkham Asylum?"
Commissioner Gordon would agree with him, he was sure. And Gordon had assured him that Harvey Dent was a good man. Batman was admittedly impressed with Dent's track record in court, and he was relieved that Dent didn't show any serious inclination to stop Batman from fighting crime, but he wasn't sure that the young and promising assistant district attorney would be sold.
Indeed, Dent still looked unconvinced. "Is Mr. Cobblepot willing to go into court and testify against these people?"
Batman sighed. "He is, but only in return for protection and immunity."
"Well, we'd know his price would be something like that." Gordon sighed as well, crossing his arms. "I for one would be willing to pay it to get these nutcases brought to justice."
"I think it's very likely that at least one current Arkham inmate would also be willing to help us," Batman said. "I've been in touch with Detective Ellen Yin. She says that Ethan Bennett has been behaving oddly and likely knows something about the experimentation, but has been threatened against speaking out about it."
Dent perked up. "Another witness would definitely help tip things in our favor."
"I agree," Gordon said. "And I don't think we should let those people run Arkham for another hour. I'm going to authorize the raid." He reached for the telephone.
"The majority of the staff might need to be replaced," Batman pointed out. "This is so widespread, according to Penguin's testimony and Bennett's behavior, that I can't believe Portman and Crane and a few guards are the only ones who know about it."
"There will be a thorough investigation on everyone," Gordon assured him.
"Did you ever hear back from your undercover agent?" Batman wondered.
"No," Gordon admitted. "Detective Yin tried to watch for her when she was there, but without any luck. We don't even know if our agent is still alive."
"She could even be an inmate now herself, if she was found out," Dent said.
"I know," Batman said.
xxxx
Gordon and Dent were good on their word. Within an hour, the raid was set up and scheduled. Yin would be part of the team set to go in. Batman, despite not being given an official role in the drama, had no intention of staying behind. So, while the police charged over the bridge and burst onto Arkham property, Batman quietly glided to the back of the gothic old building and slipped in through a window.
The brick halls all looked similar and it took Batman a moment to properly orient himself. He had appointed himself a special task, that of getting Ethan out of there before Crane or Portman could decide that he was too much of a liability and try to kill him before he could be rescued by the police for testifying.
As he ran down the hall, however, a groan from a room on his right brought his attention in that direction. Quickly he went over, peering through the small, barred window. "Joker?" he said in disbelief.
His archenemy was lying in the cell on his side, seeming pained. When he saw Batman, he knelt up with a start. "Batsy?!"
Batman frowned. "What happened to you?" he demanded.
"Oh, it was terrible! Terrible!" Joker overdramatically held the back of his hand to his forehead. Then, snapping to, he looked at Batman with urgency. "I was . . . I was . . . sane!" He spit the word out as though it tasted rotten.
Batman just stared. That was Joker's worst fear?
Well, it fit, he supposed.
"I'm not, am I?" Joker looked around the room, his long hair flying with the motion, and then turned back to Batman.
"No," Batman said flatly.
Joker gave a happy sigh and spread his arms wide. "What a relief! How would I spread mirth and mayhem all over Gotham if I wasn't crazy?!"
Batman ignored that. "Why did you think you were sane?"
"It's what I saw when Crane put me in that room!" Joker replied. "Oh, it didn't start in at first. Actually, it was hilarious how he kept trying to get me afraid of something. But then . . . then I saw it!" He shuddered.
"Was Dr. Portman involved too?" Batman asked.
"Probably, but I didn't see her. Just Crane." Joker started when the alarm suddenly rang out through the building. "Hey, what's happening?!"
"Police raid," Batman said, turning away. He fled down the hall, praying he wasn't too late to rescue Ethan.
xxxx
The Riddler had been in deep thought ever since hanging up the phone. True to her word, Yin had told him the raid was on, and going down tonight instead of tomorrow. She had also made him reaffirm his promise not to go there.
Well, he had no intention of that. But at the same time, he didn't want the police to just rush in and grab Crane. If Crane was Scarecrow, and it seemed almost certain that he was, then the Riddler was still bitter and angry and wanted to take him down himself. And he had been plotting the perfect way to do it.
Anyway, Crane would probably have a few tricks to use on the police. The Riddler wouldn't be surprised if they wouldn't be able to get the doctor at all. But perhaps . . . perhaps the Riddler could catch him off-guard.
With his plan now forming, he took up the phone and dialed Dr. Crane's extension.
It took nearly eight rings before there was a pick-up. "Hello?!"
The Riddler began to smirk. He could hear the alarm and the shouting and the commotion over the sound of Crane's occupied voice. The raid was already taking place.
"My, Doctor," he purred. "It sounds like I picked a bad time to call."
"I wouldn't have answered if I hadn't seen it was you, Edward." There was a scuffling noise and Crane clearly moving across the floor with the phone.
"I'm honored. I'm wondering if it would be possible to hear more about that offer you made to me yesterday."
"You can't come here," Crane exclaimed.
"I don't want to. Actually, I thought perhaps we could meet at my office?"
"I know where it is. I'm coming." With that the phone abruptly went dead.
The Riddler frowned as he set the phone aside. Crane was many things, but he wasn't stupid. If he were Scarecrow, he already knew the Riddler believed they were one and the same. Surely he would know that the Riddler wouldn't ask him here for any legitimate reason.
Still, if Arkham was under police attack, he would probably take any out he could get, even a probable trap. Maybe he hoped to overpower the Riddler while he was still weakened from their fight.
On that, he would be disappointed.
Grabbing his cane, the Riddler pushed himself off the bed and moved slowly across the room to settle at the console. It would just take a few minor adjustments. By the time Crane arrived, the Riddler would be ready for him.
"No one crosses me and gets away with it," he said darkly as he typed. "This time, I will have the last laugh."
xxxx
Arkham Asylum was in utter pandemonium. The staff ran to and fro, trying to escape the police assault, and any patients who could get away were trying to. The police had anticipated that, and while they were rounding up the staff members, they had to keep hold of the inmates as well.
Dr. Portman's lip curled as she pressed a button and vanished through a secret panel in her office. This was a twist she had admittedly not planned on.
"Hello, Doctor."
She started at the sound of Crane's voice. "So," she sneered, "you know of this place as well."
"I know that it's probably your fault we're being forced to escape," Crane retorted. "Penguin must have talked. Why else would the police be here?"
"If Penguin started to talk, he would be dead," Portman countered. "If anything, it's most likely your fault for rampaging through Gotham. Maybe The Batman followed you back here and then had the commissioner arrange this little raid."
"No one followed me!" Crane whipped a vial out from under his suit coat. "And I'm sorry, Doctor, but I can't have you coming with me. This little partnership is at an end."
Portman took a step back. "You're mad! We'd have a better chance of escape if we go together."
"I have some unfinished business to take care of first. Alone." Crane sprayed Portman with the contents of the vial. Holding a hand to his face, he turned and pulled on his Scarecrow mask. Then, applying the other parts of the costume piece by piece, while Portman stumbled in the dark and screamed, he fled down another corridor of the secret passage.
"So your worst fear is not having anyone left to experiment on," he sneered to himself, hearing the woman's raucous cries. "Once you're a patient in Arkham instead of a doctor, that fear will come true."
Within moments, a majestic black horse was galloping through an underground tunnel, the Scarecrow's silhouette eerily contrasted against the torch-lit walls.
xxxx
Ethan was tense and worried at the commotion all around him. Poison Ivy was taking advantage of the madness to try to break free from her cell, but it had been reinforced and she was not having much luck.
And then Batman appeared on the scene. "Bennett!" He relaxed, seeing that Ethan was still safe. Quickly he went about unlocking the door, using keys he had procured from a corrupt guard.
"Bats!" Ethan said in surprise. "What's going on?"
"I'm getting you out of here while it's still safe," Batman replied.
"Well, that's cool and all, but I don't think it'll help my track record any," Ethan frowned.
"I'll make sure they know you didn't escape on your own. You're needed as a witness against some of the Arkham staff." Batman took hold of Ethan's arm as he stepped out, ignoring the angry calls from the other prisoners on the block who also wanted to be free.
Ethan suddenly regarded Batman in suspicion. "Whoa. What makes you think I know anything about the staff?"
"Everyone here knows something, I'm betting," Batman said. "But you're more likely to talk than most of the rest of them."
They ran down the hall, Batman heading for the nearest window.
"You're right there," Ethan admitted. "I could tell some horror stories. But only if I'm sure they're not gonna be able to hurt anyone else."
"The police are rounding them up now," Batman said. Reaching the window, he shot out the Bathook and waited for it to catch before grabbing Ethan around the waist and leaping into the windowsill. "Hold onto me," he instructed.
Ethan yelped in shock as they swung out of the window and over to a tree on the grounds. Then they were flying again, into another tree and then over the wall. But as they climbed down, he grinned. "That was kind of cool."
Batman deadpanned. "I'll get you off the grounds and to a place where you'll be safe until everything settles down here. But you'll have to share the space with Penguin."
"Penguin?" Ethan blinked. "So he's okay?"
"As okay as he can be." Batman pressed a button and the Batmobile rushed to their location.
Ethan stared at it with goggle-eyed fascination. "We're really gonna take this?"
"Fastest way there." Batman waited for Ethan to get in and then went around to the driver's side.
Ethan leaned back, admiring the machinery of a car he had been intrigued about from the first day he had seen it. "Sweet ride."
In spite of the tense situation, Batman had to smile to himself. He would have trusted Ethan with so many things, if the Joker hadn't interfered and melted Ethan's mind. Maybe now, Batman would finally be able to extend that overdue trust to his friend.
"Hey, Bats." Ethan was serious now. "I want you to know I'm real sorry for all the times I came after you. You know, as Clayface." He frowned. "I was all mixed up. I . . ." He trailed off. "I can still hardly believe some of the things I said and did back then."
"You don't have to apologize," Batman said. "It's the Joker who's to blame."
"Oh, speaking of Joker . . ." Ethan looked worried. "Crane went after him tonight."
"I know. He'll be safe now."
"I hope so. But man, I just don't get what Crane's kick is. Why is he experimenting on everyone?"
"He's a sick man," Batman said.
"He probably needs to be locked up in Arkham, just like Hugo Strange," Ethan commented.
"He will be," Batman said. "Or locked up somewhere else."
"Speaking of that, is everyone in Arkham going to need to be relocated until they figure out who's fit to be on the staff and who ain't?"
"I don't know. That's possible." Batman frowned. There weren't any other mental institutions close by. And transporting so many dangerous inmates a long distance was just asking for trouble. He hoped there would be another solution.
"I sure hope they'll figure something else out," Ethan said, voicing Batman's concerns.
"So many mistakes have already been made in how Arkham Asylum is run," Batman said. "Sometimes I wonder if I've contributed to those mistakes by helping send people there."
"Hey, Bats, you're just doing the best thing you know to do," Ethan said. "Those people sure can't be out on the streets. And most of them don't belong in a real prison, you know? Arkham is the only other place for them."
"I know. I just wish it could be a place where better treatment options are available," Batman said.
"I bet Bruce would be willing to help finance the money for better treatment," Ethan said. "And better doctors. I could talk to him about it when this is over."
Batman smiled a bit. "You do that."
xxxx
The Riddler leaned back in his chair, smirking a bit to himself as he drank from a glass of water at the side of the desk. In one way this was déjà vu; he couldn't help but remember when he had sat waiting for Gorman to come home to force him into an obstacle course. Now he was doing the same thing, waiting for Jonathan Crane to arrive and anticipating it almost as much.
A Riddleman and his Riddlewoman stood by on either side of the chair, waiting and watching with him. They were quiet as usual, withholding speech unless he spoke or unless they had burning questions that they wanted answered right away. But they were interested even when silent.
"What are you planning to do with him, Sir?" the Riddlewoman asked at last.
"Oh . . . play around with him for a while, until he's fully aware of my displeasure and has begun to truly pay for causing it." The Riddler smiled. "Naturally I'll turn him over to The Batman and Yinsey after a while. They'll want him in custody."
The Riddlewoman nodded, not surprised. "They might not like you doing any of this with him," she pointed out.
"Probably not, but maybe they'll at least be grateful that I'm keeping him from running away," the Riddler smirked.
He came to attention as the front door slowly opened. The large console screen, currently serving as a security camera feed, showed a strange figure coming into the office. A strange and all too familiar figure.
"The Scarecrow," the Riddler mused under his breath. "The final proof that he is Crane." He narrowed his eyes. "After inviting Crane here, I most certainly don't believe that the Scarecrow appearing is sheer coincidence."
He pressed a button, causing the floor underneath Scarecrow to open up. With a surprised yelp, the character fell down a slanted tunnel and landed in a darkened room in the basement.
"Good evening, Dr. Crane," the Riddler purred, his voice echoing on the loudspeakers installed downstairs. "Let's forget all these silly pretenses, shall we? You are Dr. Crane and I am the one you have repeatedly betrayed, in spite of your attempts to convince me that you care about me. This time, you're not going to get away with it."
Scarecrow knelt up in the tunnel, not seeming especially bothered by his predicament. Instead, to the Riddlewoman's dismay, he seemed intrigued and entertained. "What are you going to do to me, Edward?" he asked.
"I'm going to try a little experiment. You see, I remember that there was always one thing that Jonathan Crane seemed to be afraid of. No matter what fears he weaned himself off of, he could never quite stop fearing certain small, winged rodents." The Riddler typed a command into the console. Downstairs, a panel opened and several mechanical, yet extremely realistic, bats flew out.
Scarecrow yelped, covering his face as they came at him. For a moment he cowered there, trembling, flinching every time a bat smacked his arm or nearly became tangled in his blond wig.
"How does it feel, Doctor?" the Riddler sneered. "Your worst fear is all around you, inescapable. No matter where you go down there, the bats will follow you. You despise them, but they can't get enough of you."
Slowly Scarecrow got to his feet, shaking as he tried to disengage a bat from his wig. But as he threw it aside at last, he faced the camera and laughed. "You're right, Edward! I do still fear bats. What you don't realize is that I can't get enough of being afraid."
"What?" The Riddler leaned forward, staring at his captive. "You enjoy being afraid?!"
"Many people do, to some extent. Why do you think horror films are perennially popular?"
"Somehow this seems different than that," the Riddler said dryly.
"It's just a more extreme version of the same principle." Scarecrow's red eyes gleamed. "Everyone else is afraid of many things, and I can bring them all out with a simple whiff of my fear gas. I can revel in their horror. But meanwhile, I only fear this one thing. It makes it very difficult to fully have my fill of personal terror. Thank you, Edward! Now you're helping give it to me."
The Riddler's eyes widened. He fell back in disbelief, staring at the screen. "What have I done?" he gasped. "What madness have I unleashed now?"
Quickly snapping to, he typed another series of commands. The bats flew up and vanished the way they had come.
"Alright, Doctor," he said. "Obviously I don't want to give you something you actually want. There won't be any more bats. But I won't let you escape. You'll be forced to wander through my basement until such time that I see fit to let you go."
"Which would be when the police arrive," Scarecrow deduced. He grinned. "I know about your booby traps and the riddles that they control. Let's play your game, Edward. Let's see if I can beat your course before the police and The Batman come."
The Riddler glowered. "Very well," he said coldly. "But you should know, this is an anti-burglar system. It's very long and winding and isn't easy to beat."
"A challenge, then." Scarecrow unwound his chain, snapping it on the wall near the camera. "Let's go."
The Riddler typed a command that released the first trap. "Try to contact Detective Yin," he said quietly to the Riddlewoman. "She's probably still at Arkham."
She nodded and hurried off.
"Meanwhile . . ." He started to smirk. "I'll just have some fun with this."
Even if Crane managed to play through the entire course—and he very well might—the Riddler would see to it that he would not get away so easily. He would not be outsmarted again.