章 25: Red Hood Gang out, Riddler in?

(3rd Person POV)

"Where are you going?", the deep and dreadful voice of Batman asks Red Hood One.

"You!! You ruined it! You ruined everything. But that is not the last you have seen from me, I sw- *ack!*"

Batman strikes his throat to stop the man from talking. Batman knows the man well and he knows that he loves to hear himself talk all the time. So the worst thing for him, is if that is taken from him. Imagine that.

Red Hood One staggers back, grabs the metal pole and holds his throat. He coughs a few times and tries to say something but can't. Batman can see that he is angry. There is no longer a smile underneath that metal helmet he wears. He sees as Red Hood One takes a detonator out of his pocket and presses the button.

Batman doesn't do anything and simply watches as the explosives Red Hood One has placed go off. The chemical facility begins to burn and the different structures start to crumble and get destroyed.

Red Hood One has an evil grin on his face, but he can't laugh or taunt Batman. It doesn't matter anyway. Batman and Red Hood One are standing facing each other on a small bridge, but Batman doesn't do anything. He just watches the man eerily. Red Hood One stops to smile ... he looks at Batman confused.

But just as Batman planned ... he gets some of his voice back and in a weak tone, he asks him ...

"... why are you ... just standing ... there? It's all ... *cough* ... over."

"Pathetic. I am disappointed at this display.", the deep voice of Batman is heard. He doesn't even answer the man's question and just shakes his head slowly. And then ... to add salt to this burn, he turns around and walks away!

This action enrages Red Hood One and he grabs a steel pipe and swings it at Batman. But that does nothing. Batman blocks it with one hand and holds the pipe in his hands. He pulls it out of Red Hood One's hands and then lets it fall to the ground. Red Hood One clenches his jaw and pulls out a gun. He points it at Batman but a small Batarang hits the muzzle. As Red Hood One pulls the trigger, the bullet hits the Bataran and causes the gun to explode in Red Hood One's hand.

"Ack!", he screams and holds his hand. His anger reaches new heights and he runs towards Batman. He tries to kick him.

Batman steps one step back, grabs the foot, holds the leg in a straight position and then brings his own leg down on Red Hood One's, breaking it in the process.

"AAAHHHH!", Red Hood screams.

But Batman isn't finished. Red Hood One wanted to tussle, so they'll duke it out. Red Hood One grabs onto the railing of the bridge as the facility is burning all around them and falling apart.

Batman arrives in front of Red Hood in an instant and punches him in the face. A right hook lands on Red Hood's temple, which is followed by an uppercut. Batman grabs his head and brings it down to his knee.

More punches follow as well as the occasional taps which go unnoticed by Red Hood One. Then Batman stops and takes a small needle out of his utility belt. He stabs the small needle into Red Hood One and then stands back up. His work here is done.

Red Hood One has blood running down his face and an angry expression. He looks at Batman as the latter does two steps backwards. And just as he finishes these steps, one of the vats, which is located right beneath the bridge launches its top off and breaks the bridge in half.

Red Hood One slides off slowly and has no chance to hold himself as his arms are broken. But that doesn't bother him much.

"This is only the beginning ... Batman. Only the beginning.", Red Hood One says as he falls down into the vat and gets swallowed by the acid.

Batman stands there for a second looking down. Then ... he turns around and walks away.

(Bruce POV)

"Is it over Master Bruce?", Sebas asks me as I am going over some information on the Batcomputer.

"It is not. He is still alive. Look.", I say and point at a signal that beeps on one part of the big screen. The tracker that I injected into him is still active and wasn't destroyed by the acid. I mean obviously, it wasn't, I made it after all.

"So will you go after him then?", Sebas asks me.

"Not right now. We still have some time before our next 'meeting' takes place and the plan is already in place. We wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

"I understand Master Bruce."

Before Sebas can say anything else, ALFRED interrupts us with an important announcement.

[Sir an announcement of Edward Nygma, aka the Riddler is on every electronic device in Gotham right now.]

"Good, show us please."

[Affirmative.]

The screen begins to show us the face of Edward Nygma. He is in his full Riddler costume this time and no longer the 'normal' worker of Wayne Enterprises.

{Ahem Ahem ... ~Hellllooooo Gothaaaam~ Hello you and you down there. My name in case you were wondering is Nygma, Edward Nygma. But you can call me the Riddler. And I'm here to make you smarter. It's my mission, my calling, my duty ...

Riddle me this Gotham: There are two sisters, each gives birth to the other. Who are they? No? I'll give you a hint. One sister says I am the day and the other says I am the dark dark night..."

*BOOOOM*

"... let the games begin Gotham."}

An explosion is heard as the entire power of Gotham goes out and everything turns dark.

"Hmmm, ALFRED."

[Affirmative sir. Edward Nygma aka the Riddler has destroyed the Gotham power supply and plunged the city into darkness.]

"I see. As expected then. Good, activate contingency protocol α-01-00031 and turn the power back on. But give me 5 minutes so that I can first hop into the Batmobile and go there. We wouldn't want to spook our local melodramatic high school teacher before I can see his face when he falls into despair."

[Undersood.]

(Batman POV)

I am inside the Batmobile and driving through the portal right now. I know what the man in green has planned long before he knew. Not because I knew the plot, but because I was watching him since the moment when he lost his shit the first time I met him. He thinks that he is so smart and tries to make everyone smarter. But that's just a pathetic lie. He didn't get enough attention and has a superiority complex.

I drive through the portal and arrive near the Gotham Museum. This place seems to hold some sort of meaning to the Riddler. Too bad for him. I jump out of the Batmobile and order BOB to get to work on what I told him just moments prior.

I disappear into the darkness and make my way to the museum. I make out various traps and sensors as well as cameras that the Riddler uses to look for me. He has gotten more paranoid. Good, that will make this a challenge for me.

It doesn't take long and only two minutes after I left the Batgarage, I'm in the Gotham Museum. There are motion sensors all around and I use my phenomenal agility and strength, as well as my mask to weave around them. I am truly one with the darkness right now. I see the Sphinx standing there and activate infrared vision and see a figure beneath the Sphinx in a secret room.

That should be Nygma. I can see him talking with someone on the phone right now. If I had to guess, I'd say that's Doctor Karl Helfern aka Doctor Death. Doctor Karl Helfern was a scientist working for Wayne Enterprises before he was fired. Hired by Lucius Fox, along with fellow doctors Bill Kelver and Del Paji, he was known as the smartest among the group, working with nano-medicine to try and create a serum to make human bones harden upon impact to prevent breakage. The experiments were a failure and, presumably, led to his decreasing mental stability.

Nygma has been in contact with Helfern for some time now. I had ALFRED record Nygma's phone calls and could deduce his plans lightyears before he did. I also had a drone follow him after our initial meeting.

I activate my perverted tech. It's the name I gave all of the technology that I use to spy on everyone. This way I could listen to their talk.

(Riddler POV)

"I already sent you the money Doctor. You can go through with your revenge any time now and make sure that your fellow doctors Bill Kelver and Del Paji pay the price. How else will everyone see that you were right all along?"

"I will do that. I will prove to everyone that my research was meaningful and that I'm not crazy."

"Yes yes, do that. Alright then send me those things and I'll tell you where to be and when."

"I will send them to you by tomorrow and then we can start building the ballons."

"Perfect. Goodbye, Doctor.", I say and then hang up the phone.

"What a gullible little man he is.", I say to myself. I sit down in my chair and then look out of the room and into the darkness. I quickly check all systems to see that everything is going according to plan. I'll show the bat that I am the one in control here and he made a mistake of letting me go. I still don't know why he did that. And that makes me so angry.

I can't---

"What?!"

Suddenly all over the city, the lights go back on and right in front of me ... stands the Batman. What kind of creature is he?

"Wha- ... How? How did you...?", I can't form a full sentence. He just stands there and doesn't say anything. How are the lights back on? This has to be his doing, how could he find out? That would only be possible if ...

"Was this your doing?! TELL ME!!!"

"Edward Nygma, we meet again.", he says with his stupid deep voice that always makes me shiver.

"Don't Edward Nygma me you stupid carnival dressed freak! Tell me NOW! Was this your doing?", I scream at him and seemingly forget who I'm talking to.

"Is that a riddle?"

"What? What are you talking about? I asked you a question! Tell me now or I will blow up the entirety of Gotham."

"..."

"Well?", I say and breathe heavily. I can see that he is cautious. He wouldn't put the people at risk.

"Go ahead."

"What?!"

"Go ahead. Do it!"

"What is wrong with you? When I press this button thousands of people will die and everyone will know that it was because of you. Oh, don't believe me? Look there, that's a camera. I am broadcasting this to everyone and they will all see that you were the reason that they died. You will become a criminal, hunted by the police and maybe the army. They won't stop until you're dead and-"

"Shut up!"

"Wha-"

"Just shut up. It's pathetic."

"What is pathetic?"

"Your embarrassing show of being angry and trying to frame me. You're buying time. There are no bombs in Gotham. You're a fraud."

"A frau- How DARE YOU!!", I scream. Now I'm angry. He made me very angry right now and this will not end well for him. I press the button and activate a series of lights and trip lasers.

"The real game is now beginning! These lasers are connected to a bomb, which is located underneath us at this moment. Oh, and you can believe that. Should you touch one of them, we will both die!"

I look at him for any sort of reaction, but he shows nothing. I get even more angry, but I don't show it. Because we are indeed live right now and Gotham should see how the Batman fails.

"Tsk. I will ask you a series of 12 questions. If you answer them all, I will admit defeat and you may arrest me. But if you don't, well I'll press the button and you will die. Because right at this moment I have an ally getting started at placing bombs in the city. You either play or everyone loses."

"Hm."

"Haha, Riddle me this ..."