Chapter 23: The Mother of all Riddles
The elevator doors open and Batman enters a room full of green question mark lights…
Bruce examines it till Riddler steps out of the Shadows with his chain behind him…
Batman stares at him seriously…
"Nygma." Batman said.
"Welcome Batman. You made it this far and now you are ready to solve my final riddle." Riddler said.
"No more of your puzzle games, Nygma. Release Catwoman and Dr. Meridian and we'll settle this man to man." Batman said.
"To man." a voice came.
Batman turns around to see Two-Face come from behind him…
"To man." Two-Face said.
"Harvey…" Batman said.
"Don't call me that! He's DEAD!" Two-Face called.
"I don't believe that." Batman said.
"I wish I was dead. Remember when I told Gordon we should have arrested you. He put his faith in you after Grisom went out with a bang! You remember Grisom don't you? Ever since Johnny Gobs met you Grisom tightened his hold on Gotham. And then…the Joker fell…you promised Gotham…promised ME…that if the forces of evil would rise again to cast their shadow on the heart of the city…we would stop them together!" Harvey explained.
"YOU PROMISED WE SAVE GOTHAM TOGETHER!" Two-Face called.
"I'm sorry Harvey." Batman said.
"Spare me the Dynamic here. We're not here for pity. We're here to solve a riddle." Riddler said.
"Where are the hostages, Nygma?!" Batman called.
"We'll get to that but first I would like to show you the master plan I have cooked up for Gotham." Riddler said.
The Riddler presses a button on his cane turning on a flat screen computer showing images of what Riddler says.
"As you can see I have planted my bombs all over the city. Hospitals. Police Stations. Even Bruce Wayne's mansion." Riddler said.
Both Batman and Two-Face were intense of that…
"And all of Gotham can stop them themselves if they can solve the riddle I have planned for them. But by them… you'll either be dead or sulking in losses. Just the Riddle may be hard for you to absorb if you solve it." Riddler said.
Batman turns to Riddler seriously as Two-Face starts flipping his coin to kill time.
"You will face Justice for this Nygma!" Batman said.
"Justice? You talk pretty big. I'll give you that. But we'll see who will be facing what by the end of the night. Justice of death. So…let us begin shall we? Two-Face?" Riddler asked.
Two-Face grips his coin and he pulls up a switch turning on lights…
Revealing Chase, Catwoman…and Robin all in electric chairs and ducked up.
Batman's eyes widened in shock.
They must have grabbed Dick after he fell through the Trap Door.
And now he is a third hostage by Two-Face and Riddler.
"Our first contestant: Dr. Chase Meridian. My sweet caring Therapist and a love for helping others but would rather date a spoiled playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne instead of a genius like me! Hmph! And contestant number two: The Catwoman. AKA Selina Kyle. The Queen of cat burglars and with a murder record she's wanted in seven states and has a love for danger and thieving with no soft heart for anything or anyone who had one for her. Rumor has it she cheats death as well as an actual cat. And our third and FINAL contestant is the newly and only partner of Batman himself: The great Robin. Only thing we know about him is that he's a newly masked crime fighter and Batman's first sidekick but that will change after tonight." Riddler explained.
Batman and the three hostages make eye contact and Two-Face walks on by next to Riddler.
"So…here are the rules: Dark Knight, either chooses to save one either the beautiful Doctor, the Feisty Cat Burglar or your Bird Brain Sidekick! You can only save one…unless you can pass the bonus level. You can save all three of them…IF you can solve the greatest riddle of all…the MOTHER of all riddles!" Riddler explained again.
Chase and Catwoman both muffled at him with Two-Face behind them and Robin struggling with all his strength.
"What makes you think I won't choose the riddle to save them?" Batman asked.
"Because it could cost what you hide from the people of Gotham and the criminals you protect this city from!" Riddler said.
Batman realized the odds were against him. He looked at his friends and if he was to save all three of them…he had to choose the riddle.
"The riddle." Batman said.
"So you're really gonna give it up for them? Saving just one will protect it." Riddler said.
"The Riddle NOW!" Batman said.
"Very well. Riddle me this: I see without seeing. To me darkness is as clear as daylight. What am I?" Riddler asked.
The three nod to him pleading not to do this.
"Bats." Batman said.
"And what kind of a man…has bats on his brain?" Riddler asked.
"Batman." Batman said.
"And who is…Batman?" Riddler asked.
Bruce looked at them, they continued to nod at him. Two-Face had his gun behind the two women then…
…Batman was forced…to pull off his mask.
Bruce Wayne's face revealed under the mask of Batman…
Riddler laughed hysterically but Two-Face was more shocked than anyone…
"Bruce?" Harvey asked.
"Billionaire Bruce Wayne! Who would have guessed that it was Gotham's favorite son sulking the rooftops of Gotham?" Riddler asked.
"There's your answer Nigma! Now let them go." Bruce said.
"Oh, of course. You up held your end, now I will up hold mine." Riddler said.
Nigma presses the center of his cane releasing the hostages.
Robin charges at Two-Face with Fury.
But Riddler knocks him down with his cane.
Chase tends to him.
As Selina tends to Bruce.
Two-Face didn't take his eyes off Bruce for both his personalities were set in motion.
"Bruce…tell me this isn't true." Harvey said.
"You saw it with your own eyes, you idiot!" Two-Face said.
"This can't be! Batman set me up! To sabotage me!" Harvey said.
"He stabbed you in the back!" Two-Face said.
"Harvey snapped out of it! The Riddler is playing both of us against each other. Let me help you." Bruce said.
"I want to Bruce. Believe me I do." Harvey said.
"But it's not up to me!" Two-Face said.
He flips the coin resulting in dark heads.
"It's up to fate!" Two-Face called.
Harvey points his gun at his unmasked former friend but Catwoman gets in the way, taking the shot for him.
"SELINA!" Bruce yelled.
"Oh! How many lives does that make it now." Riddler said.
"I told you… I daved one for next Christmas…" Catwoman said.
Bruce throws a battering at Harvey's gun knocking it out of his hand.
Another at Riddler but he deflects it with his cane and swings but Bruce grabs it and lunges it up his chin.
Robin recovers and kicks Two-Face down and Chase tends to the injured Catwoman.
"Easy, I'm a doctor." Chase said.
"And I thought you were his therapist." Catwoman said.
"I'm both." Chase said.
She applied pressure while the Dynamic Duo fight off the criminals.
Bruce chases Nygma down the hall Two-Face retreats up stairs.
"GET BACK HERE YOU MURDERER!" Robin called.
Robin gives chase himself charging at his parents' murderer.
Bruce followed Riddler in a maze of glowing green question marks all over the place with Riddler's laugh echoing in the halls.
"Come and get me Bruce! You wouldn't want me escaping now that I know your secret." Riddler V.O. said.
"Your games are over, Nygma! You'll face Justice for everything." Bruce said.
"Justice! You know that's funny. You remind me of my father. And I hated my father! He was an attorney. A MOB attorney! In fact he ran for DA while Dent was learning to walk! My father thought I was an idiot! He was jealous that his own son was smarter than him. I had to prove to him I was so I entered a contest. I won but he said I cheated. Called me a moron!" Riddler V.O. explained.
"That doesn't excuse your crimes, Edward. I am sorry for what your father did." Bruce said.
"Don't be. He was right." Riddler V.O. said.
Distracted, he steps on a button that triggers an automatic machine gun…
Bruce grapples up avoiding the firing bullets.
"Be careful, Dark Knight. This hall is filled with the deadliest traps in America. But you can disarm all at once if you can solve one more riddle." Riddler V.O. said.
"Again with your riddles. You need a new hobby!" Bruce said.
To Be Continued…