Batman Special

#1 (of 1)

"Broken Riddles"

By Ken Hintze

(Note: This takes place prior to DCI 's Justice League #1)

<><><><><><><><><><><><> GOTHAM CITY <><><><><><><><><><><><>

Riddle me this.

I have to admit, I am sick of that line. Call him Le Sphinx, Enigmista, El Acertijo, or even Charada..but in any language they all translate into the same basic name..the Riddler. A victim of an intense obsessive-compulsive disorder, Edward Nigma can't refrain from leaving complex riddles, puzzles, and word games as a forewarning to the authorities of his upcoming crimes.

He usually tries to challenge my abilities, but this time he made it much too simple. Edward sent me 3 riddles, but neither riddle required any real thought to figure out where he wanted me to be.

" My life is often a volume of grief,

your help is needed to turn a new leaf.

Stiff is my spine and my body is pale,

But I'm always ready to tell a tale.

What am I? "

This was the first riddle in the package addressed to me and delivered to Gotham Central this morning. The obvious answer here is "a book."

" With thieves I consort,

With the vilest, in short,

I'm quite at ease in depravity;

Yet all divines use me,

And savants can't lose me,

For I am the center of gravity. "

This was the second riddle in the package, which narrowed down the meaning of the first riddle. The obvious answer here is the letter "V." Combining the answers of the riddles easily places the location to be the "Version 2.5 Books" located on the outskirts of Gotham City . This is where I expect to find Edward..this is where I will end his freedom. But the third riddle, it doesn't make any sense.

" What belongs to you, but is used more by others? "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Batman swung across the street and landed on the roof of the Version 2.5 Book store, a new store opened with the promise of enticing young minds into believing that print was not dead. Batman reeled in his grapnel line, and then looked over the store's access points. Batman never entered any situation without having every possible exit strategy prepared and ready.

Batman picked the lock of the roof access door, and then allowed himself entry into the fire stairwell. He moved silently down the stairs, into a pitch black hallway, as he noticed a flickering light coming from under a closed door on the left. Batman opened the door to discover a small and dark room, with only one figure standing in the middle of the room. Batman set one foot into the room and said, " Edward, did you really think I wouldn't figure this out ? "

Nigma twirled his cane and then softly set it down onto a nearby table. He pulled out a chair and took a seat, then replied, " Now Bats..after all these years you would think that my best work would be obvious.and this ain't been it. The fact is that I knew you would find me, but I must admit that it did take you a lot longer than I expected. I mean.A LOT longer. Did the boy blunder's dog get run over? Or are you finally past your prime? Yeah.you're getting old and all of those encounters with the Joker must finally be getting to you. Look here Bats, we have a deal and. "

Nigma was interrupted as Batman grabbed him by the shirt collar and slapped him right across his face. Nigma spit out some blood, and then tried to speak as Batman slapped him again, harder. Batman then threw Nigma back down into the chair, as Batman took a seat across from Nigma at the table. Batman said, " Edward, you talk too much. You always have . "

Edward wiped his mouth, and then angrily yelled back, " What the hell was that all about? I ask you here to provide some information and you turn around and beat me like a rented mule? Where's the mystery in that? Where's the love? Where's the..wait a minute..you're.. DIFFERENT. "

Batman pushed the round table into Edward's chest, winding him in the process. Edward bent over, as Batman tipped the table to hit Edward hard in the back of the head. Edward rolled away from the table and screamed, " WILL YOU STOP IT? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...STOP THIS! "

Batman stared Edward into his eyes, and then pointed for Nigma to take a seat again. Nigma sat back down, and then tried to push the table back, but it didn't budge against Batman. Nigma then sat back in his chair and said, " What happened to you this past year? Seriously..what really happened to you? Our relationship seems to be in disorder. "

Batman leaned forward and said, " What relationship? You're scum.you're a loser..so tell me, superstar, what bird never sees the light of day ? "

Nigma scowled at Batman and replied, " That's a grade school level riddle and not worthy of my time. "

Batman cracked a smile and said, " A jailbird Edward..because you're going back to prison. But I have to ask, your riddles brought me here to you..they had no trace of any crime planned. What's your angle ? "

Nigma leaned forward to Batman and replied, " My angle? It's a Gotham without Batman. Look Bats, this place has way too many of you running around. We got Batman, Robin, Huntress, Oracle (oh yes, I know about her)..yadda, yadda, yadda...I have something I need to do, but I can't do it with you in town. So I had two choices..either I kill you. "

Batman interrupts with a short chuckle.

Nigma continued, " .. yeah, I know. Either I kill you..or I get you out of town on something bigger, something worthy of your time. So I started asking questions and using up some favors.and I came up with something, something definitely worthy of your time. This information puts me in debt to Cobblepot, which I don't appreciate, but it's worth it. Look, maybe this is something that Superman should deal with, so maybe with you acting all weird and such, I should move on to Metropolis. "

Batman shoved the table into Nigma's chest again, as Nigma spit out some more blood. Nigma stood up, but Batman grabbed him by his suit and sat him back down. Batman said, " Yeah Edward, maybe I seem a little different to you..but do you really know me that well? Maybe you could say that I seem different..maybe it's because I want to break your legs right here, right now.but I seem to be holding back. So yeah, maybe I changed this past year..maybe I finally decided that I've had enough of your games. What do you really know about me anyways ? "

Nigma looked deep into Batman's eyes, then said, " You are different..there's something off about you..for some reason, I really don't think you're likable any more. In fact, you remind me of. " Batman interrupted Nigma by slamming his head into the table. Batman pulled Nigma's head up, then slammed it down again. Batman smiled, and then said, " I remind you of whom? "

 

Nigma looked up in fear then replied, " Okay, okay, okay...just stop hurting me! I got you here to do you a favor..to give you something..something big. I guess it doesn't matter who you remind me of..you're wearing that suit and you've convinced me enough to tell you that something big is coming. Something that probably only a handful of people could stop and you're hopefully one of them. Look, I know that I probably can't kill you, and to be honest, killing was never my style anyways. I mean, look at what's happened with all of us the past few years..all of the villains are killing people left and right, and that's insane to me. Hell, the Joker went past the edge a long time ago! But you see I'm much more of an intellectual. I prefer to see the big picture and yes, there is something I need to do in the next little while. But it's not a big deal, really..its just something that I need to do..and I can't have you in my face messing things up. So hear me out.because I want to make a deal. "

Batman sat in the chair, saying, " I don't make deals. "

Nigma wiped the fresh blood from his mouth, then said, " This is where we're at big guy..either we make a deal or I say nothing about what's going down. When the world is torn into pieces, then feel free to visit me and I'll give you that coy little smile that I know you'll love so much. But if you take me in right now, there's no way I'm telling you anything about what I uncovered..and believe me, time is of the essence. "

Batman looked to Nigma and said, " What makes you think I don't already know ? "

Nigma replied, " Because if you knew what I know, then you wouldn't be wasting your time with me right now. You would have sent a second stringer like the Boy Blunder or the Huntress to see me..you wouldn't be in Gotham right now if you knew the truth. Let me tease you Bats..a war is coming . "

Batman sat up straighter, then said, " War? Okay Edward..what exactly are you looking for? "

Nigma leaned on the table and replied, " I want the personal Batman guarantee that you will be out of the city for the next week. That's it.plain and simple. You leave Gotham City for 7 days, during which time you can investigate the details of what I am about to tell you. If what I am going to say turns out to be false information, then I will turn myself in. I am trying to be a gentleman about this...and what I have planned will result in no one being harmed in any way and no one losing anything of any value. It's just something I need to do. "

Batman rubbed his chin for a few seconds, then said, " Okay Edward..but if what you tell me doesn't make me feel its worth my time, then I won't be going anywhere. Don't forget that just because I may leave, Gotham isn't exactly unprotected. So go ahead Edward..if what you say matters to me, then we have a deal. "

Nigma straightened his jacket, then smiled at Batman and replied, "Remember a year ago when the Society broke open every jail on Earth and marched together on Metropolis? Remember that..yeah, you would remember that. Well, this war coming makes that little fight seem like nothing. On one hand we have all of the villains that you know how to beat..on the other hand; we have an army of almost 8,000 meta-humans that you have no idea how to beat. Killer Frost, Bane, Mirror Master, Zoom, Mammoth..these guys have well-documented weaknesses. But almost 8,000 new meta-humans who have never been fought by heroes before, all being raised into an army with field generals and battle strategies..all being formed into divisions based on the best way to complement each other's powers into waves of attack..well Bats, this is the BIG one here. Interested?"

Batman looked deep into Nigma's eyes for a few seconds, and then replied, "First, I don't trust you. Second, all of this sounds much too far fetched. Third, I have no interest in leaving Gotham to go chasing some invisible enemy. Fourth, you just lost the use of your left leg."

Batman stood up, flipped the table aside, and then stomped on Nigma's left leg to snap the bone into a compound fracture just above the kneecap. Nigma screamed in pain, as he grasped his left leg just above where the bone penetrated through his skin. Nigma continued to scream, as two thugs came running into the room. Batman kicked both thugs in their jaws hard enough to crush them. The thugs both fell to the ground and held their mouths, as Batman knocked them both out.

Batman then grabbed Nigma by the throat and screamed, " DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME? DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH OF MY TIME YOU'VE WASTED TONIGHT? "

Nigma continued to squirm, but kept speaking, "But Bats..there's more and it's not too late to make a..ahh...a..deal.with me here. Look, this army has been raised and it's being trained as we speak! Cobblepot was contacted to provide some weapons and technology for them..Calculator was contacted to provide on-line concealment..an Amazo android was bought from Professor Ivo..the General is training the meta-humans..and the person financing everything is..Claire Montgomery! You remember her..she's Maxwell Lord's ex-wife! This all connects to the Hero Hotline, which she also is the head of. I am telling you Bats..there is even more to this! The Hero Hotline has been training this army and preparing them for this day! The Hero Hotline.it's a perfect cover! But this isn't it...this isn't even the most important thing that I have uncovered! Come on Bats..THIS HAS TO BE WORTH YOUR TIME! IF YOU DO NOTHING...THEN WE'RE ALL DEAD!"

Batman dragged Nigma out into the hallway and up the stairwell. He dragged Nigma out the door and over to the ledge of the roof. Batman swung Nigma's right leg over the edge of the parapet and then looked into Nigma's eyes one more time saying, "This is your last chance Edward...tell me something worth my time! Tell me something that needs Superman or Wonder Woman or the Martian Manhunter.. TELL ME SOMETHING THAT PIQUES MY CURIOUSITY! "

Nigma squirmed and kicked his good right leg in the air, as he screamed, " This isn't right! You aren't supposed to do things like this! You're supposed to understand me and do what's right for the world! You're not supposed to go around and break people's legs! You're supposed to be the protector..not the executioner! You're supposed to want to see the best in people and want to stop madness like what we're about to see! I EVEN KNOW WHO'S BEHIND THIS!!!! I EVEN KNOW WHAT HE'S DONE TO YOUR FRIEND'S FAMILY!!!! I KNOW..I KNOW..I..."

Edward's words are stopped by the sound of his right knee snapping in a direction it shouldn't, as Edward then passes out in pain. Batman tosses Nigma over his shoulder and loosens a bat line, as he lowers himself and Nigma down to the street level, meeting a police cruiser and an ambulance in the process. The medic jumps out of the ambulance and calls for a stretcher, as Batman says, "What took you guys so long? I called you over 20 minutes ago. He fell down the stairwell trying to run away from me. Officer, he has two incapacitated goons on the second floor with broken jaws..the rest of the building is clear . " The two officers from the cruiser run into the building to arrest the goons, as the medic wakes up Nigma with some smelling salts.

Edward wakes up in pain, as the medic administers some painkillers to ease Nigma's screaming. Nigma looks to Batman and asks, " Why Bats...why? "

Batman smiles at Nigma and replies, "Because I can. But I do have one thing still bothering me..the third riddle. It wasn't needed to get me to you..so why bother with it? And what was it supposed to mean ? "

Edward closes his eyes and turns his head away from Batman, as Batman shrugs his shoulders and walks away from the ambulance. The medic then asks, "Hey! Aren't you the Riddler? WOW! You got messed up something fierce man..I hope this painkiller kicks in fast! That must have been some fall down those stairs.you've got compound fractures of the right tibia and the left tibia and fibula! You'll be rehabbing for at least 5 months before you can lose the cane. Do you need more painkillers ? "

Nigma opened his eyes and looked to the medic, as he said, "Riddle me this..What belongs to you, but is used more by others ? " The medic stopped what he was doing and thought for a minute. He shrugged his shoulders and then kept on with his work. Nigma turned his head away again and said, "The answer is your name. That was the third riddle..his name. The NAME I know and no one else knows. But he didn't get it..he didn't catch on that the third riddle was to confirm that I was still dealing with the right one...not HIM. Forget him..." the Riddler turned his head back to the medic and said loudly, "WAR IS COMING BOY! IF YOU HAVE TIME OFF COMING UP, I SUGGEST YOU TAKE IT. WAR IS COMING..WAR Is coming...war...is... "

The Riddler fell into a deep sleep, as the drugs kicked in. The medic slammed shut the back doors of the ambulance, as the emergency vehicle drove off for the hospital. The officers stood there, as the two goons were already in the back of the cruiser. The one officer rubbed the back of his neck as he asked, "War is coming? Hell man..every day is a war in this city. Nigma needs his head checked ! " The officer got into his cruiser and sped off, sirens sounding in the distance.

THE END..FOR NOW.