Assistants
Author's Note: See how this washes. Enjoy.
Malory Richards is recovering well. She's awake and lucid enough to speak. Rather than wait for Gordon to interview her, obtain the numerical code and then inform him at a later date, Bruce has decided on a different direction; he's sent in Dick. Dick, posing as a police officer, is to question her and get the code as soon as possible, and then radio it straight to the big man in the cave so he can start work on deciphering it immediately. Since I don't attend mainstream school, and apparently have nothing better to do with my time, he sends me to help Dick. I don't know how exactly a sixteen-year-old teenage boy is supposed to help in a delicate and frankly illegal scenario like the one I described, but whatever, it's a trip out.
I'm hanging around for maybe ten minutes in the car Bruce arranged for us before Dick wanders out of the hospital and gives me the nod. He suits a bull's uniform, really complements his smug disposition. He opens the driver door and gets in without saying a word. I stare at him expectantly whilst waving the transceiver radio I'm holding in his face. He nods whilst pushing it back towards me.
"Five-Seven-Six-Three-Five-Twelve-Seven-Eight-Two." He says with a grin. I consider trying to tell Bruce that for maybe a minute before tossing the radio to Dick.
"You tell him." He flashes me a smug smile of satisfaction before relaying the information to the big man while I sit back and feel obsolete. When he's done taking the spotlight, he looks back at me.
"Come on, Jay-bird; you're not sore at me for playing the errand boy for once, are you? I thought you'd appreciate the assist; he must be pushing you hard with all this Riddler crap going on." He is pushing me hard, Golden Boy, but that's part and package of being Robin. If you can't take the heat, get your hand off the fucking stove and go play somewhere you don't risk getting burnt every day. I'm pissed he thought he needed you here to assist in OUR investigation. Doesn't he trust me? I mean, how many shots do I have to take and how many times do I have to save the day for him to keep things between just the two of us? Didn't I handle things last night with Eddie and his death-trap? Aren't we making headway? Just fuck off, Dick.
"Just fuck off, Dick." I reply, not feeling the need for any rewrites to the script in my head. He's not shocked by that kind of blatant dislike. If anything I hope he's used to me resenting him and the reputation he left behind as Robin. It's nothing personal, I just hate him.
"Well, you sound like you've fully recovered from that bad beating you had a few months back." He offers in a cheery voice. I know how to counter that.
"Yeah, nice of you to visit." I fire back sarcastically. Dick rolls his eyes.
"Hey, I was busy, okay? I'm sorry I couldn't come see you but I had to prioritise." You want to go there, Golden Boy? We'll go there…
"Yeah, I can see how fucking anything with a pulse would be really important." He scoffs at this pretty offensive remark and dismisses it with a laugh.
"Ever the charmer. My personal life is none of your business just so you know, little one, and I'm only here because Bruce asked me to help out. Once he's done with me, I'll leave." As promising a scenario as that sounds, I still don't believe he'll leave when the big man says to. I shake my head and shrug my shoulders.
"Whatever, just drive the car."
By the time we get back to the manor, Bruce already has our next assignment. He quickly informs us he's solved the numerical code and deduced it to be a numbering system for buildings used in city blueprints from the 1900s. Overlapping current city blueprints with the earlier versions shows a correlation on a structure located deep in the condemned area of the Bowery. He's quick; you have to give him that.
"I believe the building houses a similar design to the previous one, a self-contained room with a single hostage and elaborate trap." Bruce tells us in that wonderfully cold and detached manner of his. He looks awful by the way, well beyond the living off fumes stage of exhaustion and into depths I don't think I've ever seen. And still his mind works faster than ninety-five per cent of the population. His body on the other hand…
"Are you going to be leading this rescue mission, Bossman?" I ask in a way that tries to be tactful instead of plain unimpressed. I think both Golden Boy and I are stunned when he shakes his head.
"No. Recent activities and exertions have told me I need to rest or face irreparable damage to my body. You two will therefore lead the rescue mission with Alfred co-ordinating matters from here. He has been fully briefed on the current investigation and has all gathered intelligence on the intended victim and building schematics available for use. Nightwing will lead the operation with Robin as support. This matter is not open for debate, but seeing as you are fully versed in the investigation, Jason, I expect you to adequately back brief Dick prior to going out on the ground. Is that understood?" I am livid and ready to self-destruct in an avalanche of abuse. Golden Boy is going to LEAD this rescue? He's going to fucking LEAD this rescue, mine and Bruce's case? I am tempted to tee off on Dick's face if he so much as flashes me a smile. When I reply I barely manage to stop the bile from pouring out my mouth.
"Can I have a private word with you?" The big man gestures to a secluded corner of the cave and we both leave Ponytail Boy hanging. Once we're out of earshot, I vent a little more than I should. "I'm fucking Robin, Bruce. Are you really saying I can't handle this on my own, that I need a chaperone? Are you on crack?" Bruce surprisingly takes it in good humour and shakes his head.
"No to both questions. I have no doubt of your capabilities, but I am not willing to risk you being compromised by Nigma for the sake of your ego. Dick goes because it is what I feel is best to ensure success. He goes because it is not only the best way of keeping you safe, but him as well and I will rest better knowing you are looking out for one another. He is leading this operation because he has the most experience and is a highly efficient commander."
"And I'm not?" I counter only for Bruce to brutally cut me down with cold precision.
"No. You are not. In time you will be, but not at present. We do not have time to waste. So Dick leads the mission. Now, is that understood, soldier?" The big man is the best tactician and commander I have ever met. He may be a poor excuse for a human being and father, but he is the ultimate soldier and I have to get in line now or probably get killed later. So I give him the correct reply.
"Yes, Sir. I understand."
We head out at dusk, fully tooled up and ready to kick Eddie's ass. Dick decides the best way to reach our destination is to take the car. I think it's a stupid idea and we should transit there using the rooftops, but Golden Boy's in charge so I keep it buttoned. Daniel Brewster, physics buff and genius, was abducted on his way to work near Gotham U earlier this morning. According to Bruce's analysis, he's Riddler's most likely next target and so we work based on that assumption. Local witnesses to the kidnapping said Brewster was cycling near to the campus when an unmarked and unregistered black van pulled alongside him and two heavily disguised men jumped out. The men then proceeded to overpower the physics professor and hurl him in the back of the van, with his bike, and flee the scene. All GCPD's attempts to trace the van or identify the men have failed. Even if they could, it makes no difference; they were only acting as couriers for Nigma and, once paid, would never be heard from again. We both know where Brewster is now and are only minutes away from hopefully freeing him. Al made us aware that the man is sixty-two and has a heart condition, one that requires meds he's not had access to in almost twelve hours. We shift our asses into high gear and arrive there only minutes later.
The building's another derelict-looking shell, the same as every other condemned structure in the area, but I know from the previous model that it's probably housing some very nasty surprises inside. Between us we conduct a sweep of the perimeter and find no sign of surveillance or security equipment on the exterior brickwork. This time it's not lead-lined or hiding the entryway like its predecessor; it must be a budget model or Eddie's just run out of funds. All the windows and doors are boarded up, but one covering a doorway is a different colour to the others; it's fucking green for God's sake. Do we need a bigger indicator or what? Eddie really thinks we're retards who need to be hand-led to the entrance or we'll totally fuck it up and get lost. I can't wait to knock his teeth out, can't wait another minute…
Dick leads the way by booting down the wood with a pretty sick side-kick, one even I have to admit is impressive. It's déjà vu as we enter a narrow corridor with a heavy looking door at the end. Yet again, the green moron has unleashed his paintbrush and paint pot on the door's veneer and yet again, he's gone with a green question mark motif. I nudge Dick.
"As soon as we walk through that door, all our electronics are going to go man down." I tell him. He sighs lethargically.
"Typical bad-guy move, huh?"
"It is for our criminals anyway."
"Eddie only respects intellect in any case; our mobile hardware store isn't going to impress him here." He turns to me and grins, "Shall we go dazzle him with our smarts, Little Bird?"
"After you Big Bird."
We go in without any further coaxing.
The room is similar to the other one with our would-be victim in the middle of the room in a device that resembles Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell whilst the floor around it is covered by dozens of squares. A glance at the man suspended upside down by his ankles behind glass confirms it is Daniel Brewster and he is seemingly still alive but passed out. The walls are again covered in some very lethal-looking blades although this time they also seem to be electrified for variety's sake, yawn…
This time, the door doesn't lock shut behind us as I cleverly wedge it open with a flash grenade before it has the chance. The familiar projector screen above the death-trap below hums into life and soon enough Eddie's ugly mug is right in our faces.
"Oh dear; it would appear our caped crusader has let both me and you down with his absence. I highly doubt either of you two are up to the challenge. It's a pity really…"
"Come on, Eddie, give us a chance here." Dick begins with an amicable smile and bashful shrug, "We do go way back after all." I roll my eyes and resist the urge to vomit at his attempts to play coy with a maniac. Golden Boy is charismatic, but he's no actor and I'll bet Eddie can see right through him. But Riddler smiles instead.
"Very well said, 'Nightwing'. After our colourful history with one another, I suppose I could see if you have learned anything in the intervening years. However," Eddie pauses to look in my immediate direction, "Your caveman-like successor is not to participate in this little challenge of mine; knowing him I'd wager he would simply cheat to achieve the goal whereas I know you would really make an effort to play fair." Oh God! You guys want a hotel room or something? It almost seems like Golden Boy's entrenched himself in the villains' asses as well as Bruce's and it's sickening to say the least. I grin at him.
"Go ahead, dumbass and show us what stupid intellectual puzzle you've spent the last day coming up with." The green goon ignores me and my comment outright, focusing what he says next entirely on Dick.
"Here is the challenge. You must rescue the hostage in the cell before the time limit expires. The problem of freeing them stems from the fact that in order to reach them you can only step on a single square at a time and on each square you must solve a riddle to move on to the next. The most direct route requires six correct answers. Failure on any riddle means that square cannot be used to negotiate a path and you must plot an alternative route to the centre. Once at the cell, you must solve the numerical puzzle to unlock the container and release the hostage. For this entire challenge, you have only five minutes to reach and free the hostage. Do you trust your intelligence can win out against the challenge, former Boy Wonder?" Golden Boy just grins at the proposal and drops a sly wink in my direction before answering.
"Piece of cake. Can we start?"
"By all means…" A colossal digital timer begins counting down on the outside of the cell, "Begin."
Dick steps on the first square. It lights up briefly before Eddie poses his first conundrum.
"The man who invented it doesn't want it. The man who bought it doesn't need it. The man who needs it doesn't know it. What is it?"
He's starting off easy. The answer's obvious to anyone who's heard the start of it before; it's a coffin. Alfred told me that a few years back when I was training to become Robin. He had to tell me the answer. I suck at riddles, I may have told you already. Dick's heard it before too judging by his smug expression.
"It's a coffin." This time the square Dick's standing on lights up and stays that way. Riddler looks satisfied.
"Good start, step forward brave knight." Dick advances to the next square and the puzzle starts again. "What English word retains the same pronunciation even if you take away four of its five letters?"
I'm racking my brains trying to add and subtract letters to words and getting zip. Golden Boy doesn't even consider before answering confidently.
"The word is queue."
"Excellent. Advance again."
Never would have got that one, not today anyway. Let's see what's next…
Dick answers the following three riddles in less than two minutes:
It cannot be seen, it weighs nothing, but when put into a barrel, it makes it lighter. What is it?
A hole.
Kings and queens may cling to power
and the jester's got his call
But, as you may all discover,
the common one outranks them all. What is it?
An ace in a deck of cards.
Every dawn begins with me
At dusk I'll be the first you see
And daybreak couldn't come without
What midday centres all about
Daises grow from me, I'm told
And when I come, I end all cold
But in the sun I won't be found
Yet still, each day I'll be around. Answer?
The letter 'd'.
The final one has him stumped for maybe twenty seconds before he answers.
"It's a clock, Eddie."
"Magnificent answers, my boy! He taught you far better than I had ever realized. You thoroughly deserve to stand only one puzzle away from freeing your hostage. Are you ready for the numerical component of this challenge?" Nigma sounds like a kid at Christmas right now. He's so excited about the prospect of someone other than the usual suspect matching wits with him that he genuinely sounds happy to continue. I feel sick.
"With only ninety seconds left on the clock, I guess I'll have to be, huh?" Please don't trade quips with him, Ponytail. I couldn't stand that right now. Let's just save the damn hostage and get out of here. And Eddie's still not done gushing about Golden Boy's supposed talent.
"Oh, you are a breath of fresh air, Nightwing! Your mentor is too dour for humour and your successor is too dense for intelligent conversation. You have no idea how pleased I am you showed up today! Let's get cracking…" Eddie clears his throat to kill more time. "If Susan is 10, Arabella is 20, and Jim and Neal are both 5, but Richard is 10, how much is Jennifer by the same system?" That's when it hits me, right there. I get what's going on now; Riddler wants him to succeed. He wants Dick to solve the puzzles; I can see the expectation and longing in his eyes. I just haven't figured out why yet. It's starting to worry me I don't know, especially at crunch time. Meanwhile, my illustrious leader has cleared the final hurdle and responded to the puzzle.
"Jennifer is fifteen. Five years are awarded for each syllable in her name."
"Congratulations, genius! You've earned your prize. Simply enter that number into the keypad and press enter. The rest will do itself." As Dick begins to push the buttons, I get why this is all so straightforward and Eddie is so pleased. I'm an idiot for not spotting it earlier and so is Dick; he's going to incapacitate Ponytail and take him out of the equation now he's confirmed how well the acrobat's mind works under stress and with logical puzzles. He's going to trap me in here with two casualties and fuck me over for last night's distraction. I can't even communicate this to Dick because fifty thousand volts is raging through his body and shocking him into unconsciousness. Damn I'm slow to piece it together. I give no visible reaction to this last-minute rule change except to emit a tired sigh even though I'm bricking it right now. I gaze up to find the maniac leering down at me with a wicked grin.
"He still alive, Eddie?"
"For the moment, Cave Boy. Mr Brewster will also stay breathing until our business is concluded. Our business will conclude when either you answer a riddle incorrectly or I exhaust my back catalogue of brain teasers. So, the challenge now is to keep them alive without any outside assistance. "
"Just you and me, huh, Crazy Man?"
"Yes. So let's begin afresh…"