Batman: Riddled With Fear

Chapter 9

"Jim." The Bat spoke as he and his young sidekick stepped into the room slowly as Jim quickly pulled them inside, shutting the door from behind him and the heroes.

"Great, you're here. Get in quickly." Jim spoke lightly as The Bat and his sidekick exchanged glances before turning towards Jim with curious expressions upon their faces.

"What's wrong?" Bruce had asked softly as Jim shook his head lightly in disbelief.

"It's this whole damn thing. How in the hell did we not see this coming? Why is Nygma even doing this?!" Jim questioned as he stormed across the room, picking up a tape recorder from on top of Ed's bed.

"You can't blame yourself, Jim. This isn't on you at all." Dick expressed lightly as Jim sighed lightly before pressing play on the tape recorder.

"High Diddle Diddle. I suppose this means I've been discovered. Outed. Exposed as the one and only Riddler. Well then, I knew this day was going to come eventually. What? Are you expecting a whole sob story as to why I'm doing this? How do you know this isn't just who I am like every other psychotic lunatic in the city that's starting to surface ever since THE BATMAN emerged from the shadows?" Ed spoke through the previously recorded message as Jim sat down still in disbelief over the entire thing. "Well, I'm not.. I'm nothing within or outside of the GCPD and you all know it. I hear what you all say about me behind my back, laughing at me in my face.. Nobody's ever looked out for me but myself my entire life, and joining the GCPD I expected a great future making things better but what have I ACTUALLY helped make better while working there? Nothing. No, being Edward Nygma got me nowhere. However, being THE RIDDLER is getting me places I never once dared imagined. To the only person within the corrupt police force I can imagine that pressed play on this tape, Jim. You weren't that terrible of a friend, I admit. But you also didn't help make things easier around me. I'm not blaming you at all, but I guess this is me thanking you.. For trying. However, your effort couldn't have had prevented this." The recording then quickly ended as Jim tossed it to the side before letting out another low sigh.

"We have to find him. He needs HELP, Batman." Jim spoke softly as he looked up to face the 2 heroes. "Please. Help me save him." Jim pleaded as The Bat nodded lightly in response.

"Well, we need to find him and this partner he's made if we're going to help him." The Bat reminded as Jim nodded lightly in response before standing up and looking around as Dick and Bruce both did the same thing. They surveyed and scanned the room, practically tearing it apart looking for just about anything that could lead them to Nygma. That's when Jim found a small box with a glowing green question mark imprinted on the side of it.

"Hey, look what I found." He expressed lightly revealing it to the 2 masked heroes as The Bat slowly took it from Jim eyeing it suspiciously.

"It says something." The Bat spoke lightly reading what was engraved alongside the strange box. "Hit me hard and I will crack, but you'll never stop me from staring back." The Bat recited as he then looked around the room curiously.

"That's it!" Dick exclaimed as both Jim and Bruce turned towards the young boy who was rushing over to the long mirror planted over Edward's wall. He then took his fist and roughly punched the mirror causing it to crack slightly.

"KID! WHAT THE HELL!" Jim exclaimed as Bruce slowly approached the mirror with curiosity filling within him.

"Hit me hard and I will crack.." The Bat muttered lightly as he then balled up his fist, striking the mirror hard as well as causing it to break apart entirely revealing an empty space hidden beneath it.