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Description
BATMAN: SOUTHERN KNIGHT
A GREATER EVIL, PART THREE: “POWER PLAY”
Based on the DC Comics Characters created by Bob Kane

Alfred appeared on the Batmobile’s monitor as Batman raced toward his next destination.
“I assume by the fact that you are now on the road you solved Mr. Nygma’s riddle,” said his faithful butler.
“Right again, Alfred,” smiled Batman.  “Something one must focus to see?  A pesky annoyance?  Gives and takes at the same time?  Answer’s a mosquito; a small, irritating creature who takes blood and gives diseases like Malaria in one attack.”
“And you know where to find this mosquito?”
“Mosquitoes, and there was something else that Nygma said that gave his plot away, about how games and riddles were his ‘glass’ cup of tea.  Dr. Harold Glass is a scientist hired by WayneLabs to study a captured swarm of disease-carrying mosquitoes that have recently found their way into the region.”
“Sir, do you believe that Mr. Nygma has stooped so low as to steal a jar of bugs?” chuckled Alfred.
“Some of the diseases they carry are potentially lethal, Alfred.  If Nygma had them in his possession, he could hold this entire town hostage.”
“In that case, I’ll stock up on repellent, sir.”
As Batman continued on towards WayneLabs in the Wayne Industrial Complex, he was unaware of the large, black van following him.
Dr. Glass was a bit shocked to say the least at his surprise visitors.  However, he could only stand and sweat helplessly as the Riddler’s henchmen had various deadly weapons in their grip.  The Riddler himself studied the room until he found what he came for; a small aquarium-sized container of the potentially deadly mosquitoes.
“Hope you don’t mind if we take your pets for a little walk, Doc,” he said.
“You mean, take them out into the open?” gasped Glass.  “Are you insane?”
“Insane?  Oh no, no, no.  You, like so many others, confuse genius for insanity.  You see, Doc, your little vampires here are merely a part, though an essential part, of an overall master plan.”
“Would you care to elaborate?” asked another voice in the room.  The Riddler turned and was momentarily startled by the sight of Batman.
“I take it you are never one to call before you come over?” he then said with a sarcastic smile.
“Why do you want those mosquitoes, Nygma?  What sick plan do you have in mind now?”
“As always, my masked friend, I must answer in the form of a question:  They say it will take four horsemen to turn the tide, but can the holy man name the fifth who rides?”  The Riddler kept his gleeful grin as Batman approached him, taking out four armed henchmen in the process.  “Sadly, you’ll have to ponder my riddle later, as you have other things to attend to now.”  Suddenly, Batman was tripped up by the Catwoman’s whip.  The villainess then used her heeled boot to keep him grounded.
“Grab the bugs, Riddler,” she purred.  “I’ll take care of tall, dark, and stubborn.”
“My gratitude, dear lady,” said the Riddler as he blew her a kiss and grabbed the container.  “You two play nice.  Ciao!”
Once they were gone, Catwoman removed her boot from Batman’s chest, allowing him to rise.
“I see you now have a partner in crime,” he said as he rubbed the spot where her heel was.
“Don’t be jealous.”  Catwoman gave him a mocking pout.  “I did ask you first.”
“I know you and Nygma think what you’re doing is right, but you’re putting numerous lives on the line if those mosquitoes are released.  I’ve looked in you eyes before, Catwoman.  I know you’re not a killer.”  His beautiful adversary was rendered speechless at this, and even if she did have a response, she would have been interrupted by the sudden destruction of one of the laboratory’s concrete walls.  Dr. Glass, who had already endured enough that evening, fainted at the arrival of Bane.
“Another friend of yours?” Batman asked Catwoman.
“Never saw him before,” she answered.
“Well, let’s see,” smiled Bane.  “The Bat and the Cat is here… but where is the funny little green man?”
“Looks like Maxwell’s found himself an enforcer,” whispered Batman.
“There’s your killer,” hissed Catwoman.
“Oh well, amigos,” said Bane.  “How does it go: ‘Two-out-of-three ain’t bad’?”  He then cracked his knuckles before charging the two.  They leapt out of the way, causing him to crash into a set of file cabinets.  Batman tried to drop-kick him, but the brute did not budge.  The Dark Knight then jabbed him twice in the gut and nailed him in the chin with an uppercut.  No effect.  However, Bane’s attack was very effective when he lifted Batman and sent him crashing into a table.  Catwoman lashed her whip out at him, but it was caught.  The feline then found herself pulled like a rag doll into an excruciating bear hug.  Not knowing what else to do, she used her artificial razor-sharp claws to tear into his arms.  Bane let out an inhuman scream as he dropped her.  She and Batman then both looked in amazement at the strange colors which bled out of him; blood mixed with a yellow and green liquid.  In a rage, Bane picked Catwoman up by the throat and tossed her into a set of shelves containing several beakers and other glass lab equipment.  Batman mustered up what strength he had left and managed to tackle the injured monster through another wall, but before Batman could get to his feet, Bane drove both fists into his upper-back.  He hit the floor head first, causing himself temporary unconsciousness.
Once he awoke, Bane was gone, but had left a trail of contaminated blood drops.  Batman removed a tissue from his utility belt and took a sample before looking over to see Dr. Glass checking on Catwoman.  He staggered over to see her moaning from the pain of having been penetrated by multiple shards from the broken lab equipment.
“I’ve done what I could,” said Dr. Glass.  “But I mainly deal with insects and arachnids, not humans.”
“I’ll take her,” groaned Batman reluctantly.

While Batman and Catwoman took on Bane, and then made their respective exits (Bane on his own, and Catwoman in Batman’s arms), the Riddler made his strike at the Mall of Gotham.  Turning up the heat in the building allowed the mosquitoes he released to comfortably fly about and threaten the health and perhaps the very lives of the shoppers.  Thankfully, the police arrived and escorted the panicked crowd out of the mall.  Some did get bitten, but were able to received immediate medical attention.  But with all the positives, there was one very big negative, at least in Christopher Maxwell’s case.  His precious mall would have to be indefinitely closed down, and even when it did re-open, one wondered if business would thrive again.
Inside the mall, the Riddler had the air turned back down, cold enough to kill the mosquitoes instantly.  He then made his way to the mall’s center and raised his arms with a mournful look on his face.
“I’m sorry to have to dispose of you, my little friends,” he said.  “But we can’t have you making myself and my men ill while we move closer to triumph."  He then opened the top of his cane.  “And speaking of which, it’s time to give the opposition something new to ponder.”  He pressed a trio of buttons, which operated a projector that his goons set up on the roof of a building across the street.  Soon, Gordon, Maxwell, the police, and few thousand others who were either there live or watching on television saw another of Riddler’s puzzling messages displayed above the mall’s main entrance:  It’s a very long journey where you don’t plan or pack.  A trip tragic and tranquil where you can’t come back.

Alfred shook his head with doubt as he saw the slumbering Selina Kyle lying in the Wayne Plantation guest bed still in her Catwoman costume (sans the mask).  The drug Batman gave her not only helped her sleep, but sped up the healing process of her multiple wounds.  The butler then turned and stepped into the den, where Bruce was thinking over Riddler’s televised brain-teaser.
Figure it out yet, sir?” asked Alfred.
“The answer to the riddle is simple,” said Bruce.  “It’s death, a journey where there is no return.”
“How morbid.”
“But remember, Alfred, there’s always something more to Nygma’s riddles.  The part that stands out here is ‘a Trip Tragic and Tranquil’… T.T.T.”  Bruce thought for a second, and then rose.  “Timothy Theodore Thompson.”
“Who, sir?”
“Christopher Maxwell’s favorite nephew and sole heir to his company and fortune.”
“Oh dear, sir.  You don’t suppose Mr. Nygma is planning to kill him?”
“I don’t want to believe it, Alfred, but we both know by now that Nygma is a changed man; desperate and demented.  Whatever the case, I better find Thompson before he does.”
“Ahem…”  A simple clearing of Alfred’s throat stopped Bruce in his tracks.  “What about Ms. Kyle?”
“Oh… right,” sighed Bruce.
“I hope the revelation of her being Catwoman hasn’t jeopardized your focus on your work.”
“I knew long before I removed the mask, Alfred.  The burning of the developmental contract on the wildlife reserve told me everything.  But I couldn’t let Selina know that Batman knew.”
“Now you know why I don’t envy you having a duel identity.”  Bruce cracked a smile and nodded in agreement.  “But you will have some explaining to do when she does wake up.”
“I’ll worry about that when the times comes, Alfred.  Right now, I’ve got some souls to save… or condemn.”  Shortly after Bruce made his way to the Batcave, Alfred turned to check on Selina again.  However, he had just enough time to discover that she was awake and back on her feet before he fell victim to her Cat Nap perfume.

“What?” yelled Christopher Maxwell shortly after he answered the phone inside his mansion study.  He was already in his pajamas and robe, and was not in the mood for any more bad news.  “What does Timothy have to do with all of this?”… “Who told you this, Gordon, that caped psychopath?”  Maxwell then calmed a bit.  “Okay, fine.  I don’t want to take any chances either.  Get your police out to Tim’s houseboat… fast!”  As he hung up the phone, Bane injected a large syringe of liquid into his right arm, the same yellow and green liquid that bled out of him when Catwoman clawed him.
“What in the hell is that stuff?” asked Maxwell.
“It’s called Venom, amigo,” said Bane.  “It’s what helps me… get the job done.  And speaking of which, should I go to your little nephew’s boat and look for trouble as well?”
“No way,” chuckled Maxwell.  “I don’t need Gordon connecting me with you… no offense.”
“You pay me too well to be offended, amigo.”
“What I need you to do is to go to the Mall of Gotham.  Nygma’s turned my creation into his own personal play place.  If he’s there, break his neck.  If he’s not there, wait until he returns and break his neck.”
“What if the Bat and the Cat show up?”
“You made the mistake of letting them live the first time, Bane.”  He then drew closer with a warped look in his eyes, as if he himself had finally been driven to the edge as well.  “Do not make that mistake again.”

Gordon and one of his officers sat in the Commissioner’s patrol car by the docks of Lake Kane, snacking on fries from the nearby grill and watching the drunken commotion on Timothy Theodore Thomson’s houseboat.  Thompson obviously didn’t worry about any impending danger, as he went about his usual business… partying with his college friends.
“I hope Batman’s right about this,” said Gordon.  “I really don’t want to spend the entire night watching a bunch of over-privileged brats run around naked until they vomit and pass out.”
“Well, look at it this way,” grinned the officer with him.  “Maybe some minors will get wasted and we can bust’em all.”
“Yeah, and then we’ll have to listen to more of Maxwell’s lip.  Don’t forget, Thompson’s his favorite nephew.  Besides, I’ve got a kid of my own in college.  They’re just relieving stress.”
Inside the houseboat, the spiky, bleach blonde Thompson had just chugged down another beer with two scantily-clad lady friends when Nygma, disguised in shades,  a Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap, approached him with a cold one.
“How are things hanging loose, my righteously awesome brother?” asked the Riddler, who obviously had not studied modern young adult lingo.
“Hey dude, are you that new foreign exchange student or somethin’?” slurred Tim as he grabbed the beer.
“Um… yes.  So Bon appetite la cervesa, mein heir.”  Tim laughed and drank down the next beer, which caused him to instantly pass out.
“Not to fear,” said Nygma as he caught him.  “He’s just over… partified.  I’ll take some place where he can sober up.”
With the police out of view and the party guests too pre-occupied to notice, the Riddler threw Tim into the lake and the awaiting clutches of two men in SCUBA gear.  One of them placed a mask and oxygen tank on him, and then the trio went under.  The Riddler then slipped out of the houseboat as easily as he had slipped in, but made sure to leave another quizzical calling card.

“Riddler?” echoed Catwoman inside the dim-lit and newly (and bizarrely) redecorated mall.  The place looked much like the Riddler’s hideout in Historic Gotham, only obviously bigger.
“Eddie?  I hope all your fun and games hasn’t made you forget about our little deal.  I want my animal friends to have a home and a future as well.”
“How nice,” said the deep voice of Bane, who stepped out from behind one of the colossal columns that helped hold up the second floor.  “A little kitty with a big heart.”
“You again?” smirked Catwoman.  “Have you forgotten?  This little kitty has big claws too.”
“Which I will be happy to clip… after I sever your spine.”  Catwoman bared her claws once again, showing little fear of the fact that this time, she would be facing the one-man wrecking crew alone.

“No Thompson,” said Gordon after Batman made another of his surprise visits to Lake Kane.  “Just two more riddles.”
“What are they?” asked the Dark Knight.
“Easy ones.  We’ve already figured them out:  What runs all day and night, and never gets anywhere?”
“A fountain.”
“Yep, and the second riddle goes, ‘What building can have many stories but only two floors’?”
“A library.”
“Now the trouble is trying to figure out what the Riddler would want with that tiny fountain in front of the public library.”
“Nygma’s trying to throw us off again, Commissioner.  The first clue is ‘fountain’, but the second is in the riddle itself… the two-story high fountain at the Mall of Gotham.”
“Makes sense,” nodded Gordon.  “We’ve suspected that the Riddler’s been using that as his home base.”
“And I fear he’s planning to use that fountain for Thompson’s potential execution.”
“Unless we get down there.”  Batman’s eyes narrows in thought.
“Or unless Christopher Maxwell gets there,” he concluded.
“Maxwell?”  The Commissioner didn’t get his answer as Batman made his usual exit.  “Why do I even bother trying to make small talk with that man?”

“Rise and shine, lil’ Timmy,” whispered the Riddler as he nudged Thompson with his cane.  The kidnapped golden boy woke up to find himself bound, gagged, and sitting in the cold water of the Mall of Gotham’s fountain.  Despite how inebriated he was before, he was now as sober as a Sunday morning minister.  His eyes widened at the sight of the Riddler and his men, and they widened even more when he spotted all the wires connected to the fountain.
“Oh dear boy, don’t worry about those…” smiled Nygma.  “Not just yet anyway.  We’re still awaiting another special guest.”
“Nygma!” shouted the stunned voice of Maxwell.  “What are you doing to my mall?  What are you doing to my nephew?”
“Ah, and here he is!”  The Riddler then turned to Maxwell and gave his arrogant bow.  “Mr. Maxwell, I am so glad you accepted my humble invitation.  And better yet, you solved a riddle for me.”
“Riddle?”
“Yes indeed.  You see, my dear fellow, I pondered and pondered if there was anything… or anyone a cold, inhuman demon like you actually cared about.  And just as I suspected, it was your adorable nephew, Timmy… a snobby little scoundrel after your own heart.”
“Please Nygma,” said Maxwell, who now produced a little fear in his voice.  “Don’t hurt him.  What do you want?  Money?  Your store back?”
“Oh, Mr. Maxwell, the only way you can pay me back for taking everything away from me… if for me to take everything away from you!”  The Riddler then pulled out a piece of paper and handed Maxwell a pen.  “This contract says that you will immediately turn all your fortune and corporate properties over to me.  In essence, your sweet little life becomes my life.”
“This is preposterous, Nygma!” gasped Maxwell.
“You have two minutes to make your decision or I electrify that fountain.  Two minutes!”  The Riddler then looked over to see that Thompson had been freed, and was now standing outside the fountain!  However, the green fiend then chuckled as Batman walked up behind him.
“It’s over, Nygma,” he said.  “Give it up now while you still have a chance to start a new life some day.”
“I don’t think so, oh valiant protector,” argued the Riddler.  “Besides, this life suits me quite well.  And if you think my current escapade is over, you obviously forgot about the Fifth Horseman.”
Suddenly, the glass portion of the ceiling high above them shattered as Bane sent Catwoman through it.  Their battle had made its to the roof top, and now seemed to be coming to a deadly end.  Batman ran to catch her, but the distraction allowed the Riddler to strike him in the head with his cane, sending Batman into the fountain.  The Riddler then opened the top of his cane once again and placed his finger on a button.
“I didn’t want it to come to this, my winged comrade in justice,” he sighed.  “But I did promise that someone would die tonight.”

… To Be Continued

Description
BATMAN: SOUTHERN KNIGHT
A GREATER EVIL, PART THREE: “POWER PLAY”
Based on the DC Comics Characters created by Bob Kane

Alfred appeared on the Batmobile’s monitor as Batman raced toward his next destination.
“I assume by the fact that you are now on the road you solved Mr. Nygma’s riddle,” said his faithful butler.
“Right again, Alfred,” smiled Batman.  “Something one must focus to see?  A pesky annoyance?  Gives and takes at the same time?  Answer’s a mosquito; a small, irritating creature who takes blood and gives diseases like Malaria in one attack.”
“And you know where to find this mosquito?”
“Mosquitoes, and there was something else that Nygma said that gave his plot away, about how games and riddles were his ‘glass’ cup of tea.  Dr. Harold Glass is a scientist hired by WayneLabs to study a captured swarm of disease-carrying mosquitoes that have recently found their way into the region.”
“Sir, do you believe that Mr. Nygma has stooped so low as to steal a jar of bugs?” chuckled Alfred.
“Some of the diseases they carry are potentially lethal, Alfred.  If Nygma had them in his possession, he could hold this entire town hostage.”
“In that case, I’ll stock up on repellent, sir.”
As Batman continued on towards WayneLabs in the Wayne Industrial Complex, he was unaware of the large, black van following him.
Dr. Glass was a bit shocked to say the least at his surprise visitors.  However, he could only stand and sweat helplessly as the Riddler’s henchmen had various deadly weapons in their grip.  The Riddler himself studied the room until he found what he came for; a small aquarium-sized container of the potentially deadly mosquitoes.
“Hope you don’t mind if we take your pets for a little walk, Doc,” he said.
“You mean, take them out into the open?” gasped Glass.  “Are you insane?”
“Insane?  Oh no, no, no.  You, like so many others, confuse genius for insanity.  You see, Doc, your little vampires here are merely a part, though an essential part, of an overall master plan.”
“Would you care to elaborate?” asked another voice in the room.  The Riddler turned and was momentarily startled by the sight of Batman.
“I take it you are never one to call before you come over?” he then said with a sarcastic smile.
“Why do you want those mosquitoes, Nygma?  What sick plan do you have in mind now?”
“As always, my masked friend, I must answer in the form of a question:  They say it will take four horsemen to turn the tide, but can the holy man name the fifth who rides?”  The Riddler kept his gleeful grin as Batman approached him, taking out four armed henchmen in the process.  “Sadly, you’ll have to ponder my riddle later, as you have other things to attend to now.”  Suddenly, Batman was tripped up by the Catwoman’s whip.  The villainess then used her heeled boot to keep him grounded.
“Grab the bugs, Riddler,” she purred.  “I’ll take care of tall, dark, and stubborn.”
“My gratitude, dear lady,” said the Riddler as he blew her a kiss and grabbed the container.  “You two play nice.  Ciao!”
Once they were gone, Catwoman removed her boot from Batman’s chest, allowing him to rise.
“I see you now have a partner in crime,” he said as he rubbed the spot where her heel was.
“Don’t be jealous.”  Catwoman gave him a mocking pout.  “I did ask you first.”
“I know you and Nygma think what you’re doing is right, but you’re putting numerous lives on the line if those mosquitoes are released.  I’ve looked in you eyes before, Catwoman.  I know you’re not a killer.”  His beautiful adversary was rendered speechless at this, and even if she did have a response, she would have been interrupted by the sudden destruction of one of the laboratory’s concrete walls.  Dr. Glass, who had already endured enough that evening, fainted at the arrival of Bane.
“Another friend of yours?” Batman asked Catwoman.
“Never saw him before,” she answered.
“Well, let’s see,” smiled Bane.  “The Bat and the Cat is here… but where is the funny little green man?”
“Looks like Maxwell’s found himself an enforcer,” whispered Batman.
“There’s your killer,” hissed Catwoman.
“Oh well, amigos,” said Bane.  “How does it go: ‘Two-out-of-three ain’t bad’?”  He then cracked his knuckles before charging the two.  They leapt out of the way, causing him to crash into a set of file cabinets.  Batman tried to drop-kick him, but the brute did not budge.  The Dark Knight then jabbed him twice in the gut and nailed him in the chin with an uppercut.  No effect.  However, Bane’s attack was very effective when he lifted Batman and sent him crashing into a table.  Catwoman lashed her whip out at him, but it was caught.  The feline then found herself pulled like a rag doll into an excruciating bear hug.  Not knowing what else to do, she used her artificial razor-sharp claws to tear into his arms.  Bane let out an inhuman scream as he dropped her.  She and Batman then both looked in amazement at the strange colors which bled out of him; blood mixed with a yellow and green liquid.  In a rage, Bane picked Catwoman up by the throat and tossed her into a set of shelves containing several beakers and other glass lab equipment.  Batman mustered up what strength he had left and managed to tackle the injured monster through another wall, but before Batman could get to his feet, Bane drove both fists into his upper-back.  He hit the floor head first, causing himself temporary unconsciousness.
Once he awoke, Bane was gone, but had left a trail of contaminated blood drops.  Batman removed a tissue from his utility belt and took a sample before looking over to see Dr. Glass checking on Catwoman.  He staggered over to see her moaning from the pain of having been penetrated by multiple shards from the broken lab equipment.
“I’ve done what I could,” said Dr. Glass.  “But I mainly deal with insects and arachnids, not humans.”
“I’ll take her,” groaned Batman reluctantly.

While Batman and Catwoman took on Bane, and then made their respective exits (Bane on his own, and Catwoman in Batman’s arms), the Riddler made his strike at the Mall of Gotham.  Turning up the heat in the building allowed the mosquitoes he released to comfortably fly about and threaten the health and perhaps the very lives of the shoppers.  Thankfully, the police arrived and escorted the panicked crowd out of the mall.  Some did get bitten, but were able to received immediate medical attention.  But with all the positives, there was one very big negative, at least in Christopher Maxwell’s case.  His precious mall would have to be indefinitely closed down, and even when it did re-open, one wondered if business would thrive again.
Inside the mall, the Riddler had the air turned back down, cold enough to kill the mosquitoes instantly.  He then made his way to the mall’s center and raised his arms with a mournful look on his face.
“I’m sorry to have to dispose of you, my little friends,” he said.  “But we can’t have you making myself and my men ill while we move closer to triumph."  He then opened the top of his cane.  “And speaking of which, it’s time to give the opposition something new to ponder.”  He pressed a trio of buttons, which operated a projector that his goons set up on the roof of a building across the street.  Soon, Gordon, Maxwell, the police, and few thousand others who were either there live or watching on television saw another of Riddler’s puzzling messages displayed above the mall’s main entrance:  It’s a very long journey where you don’t plan or pack.  A trip tragic and tranquil where you can’t come back.

Alfred shook his head with doubt as he saw the slumbering Selina Kyle lying in the Wayne Plantation guest bed still in her Catwoman costume (sans the mask).  The drug Batman gave her not only helped her sleep, but sped up the healing process of her multiple wounds.  The butler then turned and stepped into the den, where Bruce was thinking over Riddler’s televised brain-teaser.
Figure it out yet, sir?” asked Alfred.
“The answer to the riddle is simple,” said Bruce.  “It’s death, a journey where there is no return.”
“How morbid.”
“But remember, Alfred, there’s always something more to Nygma’s riddles.  The part that stands out here is ‘a Trip Tragic and Tranquil’… T.T.T.”  Bruce thought for a second, and then rose.  “Timothy Theodore Thompson.”
“Who, sir?”
“Christopher Maxwell’s favorite nephew and sole heir to his company and fortune.”
“Oh dear, sir.  You don’t suppose Mr. Nygma is planning to kill him?”
“I don’t want to believe it, Alfred, but we both know by now that Nygma is a changed man; desperate and demented.  Whatever the case, I better find Thompson before he does.”
“Ahem…”  A simple clearing of Alfred’s throat stopped Bruce in his tracks.  “What about Ms. Kyle?”
“Oh… right,” sighed Bruce.
“I hope the revelation of her being Catwoman hasn’t jeopardized your focus on your work.”
“I knew long before I removed the mask, Alfred.  The burning of the developmental contract on the wildlife reserve told me everything.  But I couldn’t let Selina know that Batman knew.”
“Now you know why I don’t envy you having a duel identity.”  Bruce cracked a smile and nodded in agreement.  “But you will have some explaining to do when she does wake up.”
“I’ll worry about that when the times comes, Alfred.  Right now, I’ve got some souls to save… or condemn.”  Shortly after Bruce made his way to the Batcave, Alfred turned to check on Selina again.  However, he had just enough time to discover that she was awake and back on her feet before he fell victim to her Cat Nap perfume.

“What?” yelled Christopher Maxwell shortly after he answered the phone inside his mansion study.  He was already in his pajamas and robe, and was not in the mood for any more bad news.  “What does Timothy have to do with all of this?”… “Who told you this, Gordon, that caped psychopath?”  Maxwell then calmed a bit.  “Okay, fine.  I don’t want to take any chances either.  Get your police out to Tim’s houseboat… fast!”  As he hung up the phone, Bane injected a large syringe of liquid into his right arm, the same yellow and green liquid that bled out of him when Catwoman clawed him.
“What in the hell is that stuff?” asked Maxwell.
“It’s called Venom, amigo,” said Bane.  “It’s what helps me… get the job done.  And speaking of which, should I go to your little nephew’s boat and look for trouble as well?”
“No way,” chuckled Maxwell.  “I don’t need Gordon connecting me with you… no offense.”
“You pay me too well to be offended, amigo.”
“What I need you to do is to go to the Mall of Gotham.  Nygma’s turned my creation into his own personal play place.  If he’s there, break his neck.  If he’s not there, wait until he returns and break his neck.”
“What if the Bat and the Cat show up?”
“You made the mistake of letting them live the first time, Bane.”  He then drew closer with a warped look in his eyes, as if he himself had finally been driven to the edge as well.  “Do not make that mistake again.”

Gordon and one of his officers sat in the Commissioner’s patrol car by the docks of Lake Kane, snacking on fries from the nearby grill and watching the drunken commotion on Timothy Theodore Thomson’s houseboat.  Thompson obviously didn’t worry about any impending danger, as he went about his usual business… partying with his college friends.
“I hope Batman’s right about this,” said Gordon.  “I really don’t want to spend the entire night watching a bunch of over-privileged brats run around naked until they vomit and pass out.”
“Well, look at it this way,” grinned the officer with him.  “Maybe some minors will get wasted and we can bust’em all.”
“Yeah, and then we’ll have to listen to more of Maxwell’s lip.  Don’t forget, Thompson’s his favorite nephew.  Besides, I’ve got a kid of my own in college.  They’re just relieving stress.”
Inside the houseboat, the spiky, bleach blonde Thompson had just chugged down another beer with two scantily-clad lady friends when Nygma, disguised in shades,  a Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap, approached him with a cold one.
“How are things hanging loose, my righteously awesome brother?” asked the Riddler, who obviously had not studied modern young adult lingo.
“Hey dude, are you that new foreign exchange student or somethin’?” slurred Tim as he grabbed the beer.
“Um… yes.  So Bon appetite la cervesa, mein heir.”  Tim laughed and drank down the next beer, which caused him to instantly pass out.
“Not to fear,” said Nygma as he caught him.  “He’s just over… partified.  I’ll take some place where he can sober up.”
With the police out of view and the party guests too pre-occupied to notice, the Riddler threw Tim into the lake and the awaiting clutches of two men in SCUBA gear.  One of them placed a mask and oxygen tank on him, and then the trio went under.  The Riddler then slipped out of the houseboat as easily as he had slipped in, but made sure to leave another quizzical calling card.

“Riddler?” echoed Catwoman inside the dim-lit and newly (and bizarrely) redecorated mall.  The place looked much like the Riddler’s hideout in Historic Gotham, only obviously bigger.
“Eddie?  I hope all your fun and games hasn’t made you forget about our little deal.  I want my animal friends to have a home and a future as well.”
“How nice,” said the deep voice of Bane, who stepped out from behind one of the colossal columns that helped hold up the second floor.  “A little kitty with a big heart.”
“You again?” smirked Catwoman.  “Have you forgotten?  This little kitty has big claws too.”
“Which I will be happy to clip… after I sever your spine.”  Catwoman bared her claws once again, showing little fear of the fact that this time, she would be facing the one-man wrecking crew alone.

“No Thompson,” said Gordon after Batman made another of his surprise visits to Lake Kane.  “Just two more riddles.”
“What are they?” asked the Dark Knight.
“Easy ones.  We’ve already figured them out:  What runs all day and night, and never gets anywhere?”
“A fountain.”
“Yep, and the second riddle goes, ‘What building can have many stories but only two floors’?”
“A library.”
“Now the trouble is trying to figure out what the Riddler would want with that tiny fountain in front of the public library.”
“Nygma’s trying to throw us off again, Commissioner.  The first clue is ‘fountain’, but the second is in the riddle itself… the two-story high fountain at the Mall of Gotham.”
“Makes sense,” nodded Gordon.  “We’ve suspected that the Riddler’s been using that as his home base.”
“And I fear he’s planning to use that fountain for Thompson’s potential execution.”
“Unless we get down there.”  Batman’s eyes narrows in thought.
“Or unless Christopher Maxwell gets there,” he concluded.
“Maxwell?”  The Commissioner didn’t get his answer as Batman made his usual exit.  “Why do I even bother trying to make small talk with that man?”

“Rise and shine, lil’ Timmy,” whispered the Riddler as he nudged Thompson with his cane.  The kidnapped golden boy woke up to find himself bound, gagged, and sitting in the cold water of the Mall of Gotham’s fountain.  Despite how inebriated he was before, he was now as sober as a Sunday morning minister.  His eyes widened at the sight of the Riddler and his men, and they widened even more when he spotted all the wires connected to the fountain.
“Oh dear boy, don’t worry about those…” smiled Nygma.  “Not just yet anyway.  We’re still awaiting another special guest.”
“Nygma!” shouted the stunned voice of Maxwell.  “What are you doing to my mall?  What are you doing to my nephew?”
“Ah, and here he is!”  The Riddler then turned to Maxwell and gave his arrogant bow.  “Mr. Maxwell, I am so glad you accepted my humble invitation.  And better yet, you solved a riddle for me.”
“Riddle?”
“Yes indeed.  You see, my dear fellow, I pondered and pondered if there was anything… or anyone a cold, inhuman demon like you actually cared about.  And just as I suspected, it was your adorable nephew, Timmy… a snobby little scoundrel after your own heart.”
“Please Nygma,” said Maxwell, who now produced a little fear in his voice.  “Don’t hurt him.  What do you want?  Money?  Your store back?”
“Oh, Mr. Maxwell, the only way you can pay me back for taking everything away from me… if for me to take everything away from you!”  The Riddler then pulled out a piece of paper and handed Maxwell a pen.  “This contract says that you will immediately turn all your fortune and corporate properties over to me.  In essence, your sweet little life becomes my life.”
“This is preposterous, Nygma!” gasped Maxwell.
“You have two minutes to make your decision or I electrify that fountain.  Two minutes!”  The Riddler then looked over to see that Thompson had been freed, and was now standing outside the fountain!  However, the green fiend then chuckled as Batman walked up behind him.
“It’s over, Nygma,” he said.  “Give it up now while you still have a chance to start a new life some day.”
“I don’t think so, oh valiant protector,” argued the Riddler.  “Besides, this life suits me quite well.  And if you think my current escapade is over, you obviously forgot about the Fifth Horseman.”
Suddenly, the glass portion of the ceiling high above them shattered as Bane sent Catwoman through it.  Their battle had made its to the roof top, and now seemed to be coming to a deadly end.  Batman ran to catch her, but the distraction allowed the Riddler to strike him in the head with his cane, sending Batman into the fountain.  The Riddler then opened the top of his cane once again and placed his finger on a button.
“I didn’t want it to come to this, my winged comrade in justice,” he sighed.  “But I did promise that someone would die tonight.”

… To Be Continued