39 Mastermind #39

Auhtor's note: here's another bribe, so keep the power stones coming, will ya? 

...

"Level the playing field? Planning to tie one of your hands behind your back, Eddie?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Just so you're aware, I've been swinging and missing so far. It's like trying to catch smoke with oven mitts." I added a bitter chuckle for dramatic effect. 

The Riddler, in his ever-confident demeanor, gave an indifferent shrug.

"A playing field tilted to my advantage is a level playing field, don't you think?" he replied with a chuckle, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "But enough chit-chat; the time for words is long gone." 

His grin widened as he charged, one hand holding his signature cane, the other brandishing a gadget straight out of a sci-fi flick.

Taking on a bit of theatrics, I assumed a defensive stance, crouching low and squinting at him. The Riddler closed the distance swiftly, thrusting the cane toward my head. Ever the nimble acrobat, I tilted my head and swayed forward, practically dancing under the blow. 

Seizing the opportunity, I countered with a well-aimed hook aimed at the lever on his cane.

Much to my chagrin, the Riddler elegantly twirled away, spinning to my side with the grace of a ballroom dancer. "Nice try. But solving this puzzle won't be that simple," he quipped, his voice layered with amusement.

Our dance continued as he darted around me with uncanny agility. It was like trying to catch a shadow – every move I made, he anticipated. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't land a hit on him. He dodged, weaved, and danced with the elegance of a seasoned performer.

Frustration simmered beneath my carefree exterior. I activated the Storm Walker Shoes, boosting my speed, but even that proved futile. The Riddler anticipated my enhanced movements, staying one step ahead.

"I've already seen every trick you have in your sleeve," He said, then, with a sly grin, he approached me, the strange gadget in hand. After a series of quick movements, he stuck it to my shoulder in a swift motion. "Let's see how you unravel this mystery," he taunted.

The Riddler, ever the cunning strategist, jumped back the moment he slapped his gadget onto me. My reflexes kicked in, and I reached for it, activating my EMP power in a desperate attempt to short-circuit whatever he'd just attached. 

Electric arcs crackled around me. With a triumphant laugh, the Riddler watched as I grunted, falling to my knees just shy of the elusive device on my wrist.

He approached with a self-satisfied grin, twirling his cane like he was putting on a show. "Your power is indeed troublesome, but I've studied its limits and capabilities as I watched you navigate the asylum," he remarked, kneeling to meet my eye level. 

"It only activates when your body faces significant force, doesn't it?" he inquired, a wry smile playing on his lips. "But what if the impact itself caused no damage? What if I delicately attached a device that would gently discharge 80 volts of electricity directly into your body, bypassing the barrier?"

He lifted my chin with his cane, expecting shock or fear in my eyes. Instead, he found a defiant grin. "Then I'd nullify the device with an EMP," I retorted, lunging forward and landing a satisfying right hook squarely on the Riddler's face.

With a punch that packed a wallop, I left the Riddler stunned and disoriented as he struggled to regain his bearings. Flashing a confident grin, I sauntered over, ready to lay down some hard truths.

"I must admit, you really are clever. It's only natural to be confident in your intellect, but underestimating my intellect has been your undoing," I remarked, adding a dramatic knuckle crack for effect. "I've long since understood the weaknesses of my own power, knowing that people like you, being the intelligent sort, could easily see through it."

Without giving him a moment to recover, I landed another punch to his face as he attempted to rise. "From that point on, it was just a matter of crafting my countermeasure and putting on a little act, pretending to fall for your scheme," I continued, tossing the electric gadget away dismissively.

Leaning over him, I used my foot to gently coerce him back to the ground as he struggled to stand. "It's your loss, buddy. So spill it. Why did you set up the breakout? Did you have a grand plan, or were you just trying to get Batman's attention?" I demanded, a stern edge in my voice.

On the ground, the Riddler sported a smug grin, seemingly unfazed by my remarks. "Organizing a mass breakout in Arkham Asylum to grab Batman's attention? That's so last week," he quipped with a chuckle, dismissively shaking his head. 

"Nowadays, it's as simple as kidnapping some self-important schmuck from the inner city or blowing up a building to get Bats on the scene," he added, his tone dripping with nonchalance. 

My frown deepened at his callous words."Why go to such extremes? Can you even grasp the gravity of the lives lost here?" I questioned, my annoyance evident. 

The Riddler's grin widened, savoring my discontent. "You seem to be misunderstanding something... I didn't plan or organize this breakout," he calmly asserted. "In fact, I'm nothing more than a chess piece on the board, or so the mastermind thinks," he added enigmatically.

"And who is this mastermind?" I pressed, but before the Riddler could respond, another voice echoed through the area.

"That would be me..." The voice resounded, and I spun around to find a man perched on an elevated platform. His face was obscured by white bandages, draped in a long brown coat, and gripping an RPG rocket launcher. 

Clearly not one for pleasantries, he immediately aimed the weapon at us and pulled the trigger. The rocket hurtled in my direction, prompting a wince as the Riddler swiftly rolled away, making a hasty escape.

"Fuck! What is it with this city and missiles?" I grumbled, activating my Storm Walker shoes and zipping over to Harley Quinn to usher her out of harm's way. The hyenas, unfortunately, were left exposed, but those resilient critters had faced worse in the comics – fingers crossed for their survival. 

Placing Harley behind cover, I turned to confront the bandaged man, who had now descended, revealing dual Uzi submachine guns hidden in his coat. He wasted no time, unleashing a barrage of bullets in my direction. Gritting my teeth, I leaped to another piece of cover.

"Hush... figures," I muttered under my breath, finally grasping the meaning behind the quest's name: 'Riddle me this, Wayne.'

"Hush, huh? So that's his name?" The Riddler's voice emerged beside me, and I swiveled around to find him somehow sharing my cover. "Working with this guy without knowing his identity? Smooth move," I sneered at the Riddler. "Should've given you a few extra punches when I had the chance," I added, irritation coloring my tone. 

The Riddler, however, seemed unfazed, sporting that annoying grin of his.

"Rather than complaining, you should be thanking me," he remarked with a chuckle, seemingly oblivious to the hail of bullets above us. "Without my involvement, neither you nor Batman would have uncovered Hush's role in this chaos. The man's a phantom," he explained casually, his words punctuated by the staccato rhythm of gunfire.

"How did you get tangled up with him?" I inquired, trying to make sense of the madness.

"He sought me out, claiming to have a grand plan to humiliate Batman and bring about his downfall," the Riddler elucidated. "He even supplied me with Mad Hatter's tech, asking me to keep Batman busy when he arrived. Little did he know, I aimed to lead Batman straight to his lair in the maximum security wing," he added with a chuckle. 

"Granted, you're no Batman, but it's the thought that counts," he concluded, still grinning like he had everything under control.

Now, it all started to click into place. Considering Hush already sported bandages all over his face, the only conceivable motive for his elaborate plan was clear: he aimed to eliminate Batman and assume the identity of Bruce Wayne, finally achieving his lifelong dream of becoming Gotham's wealthiest man. 

For those not well-versed in Hush's twisted tale, the explanation boils down to this: Thomas Elliot, aka Hush, belonged to Gotham's affluent echelons, and his singular life ambition was to claim the title of the city's wealthiest individual. Upon discovering Batman's true identity as Bruce Wayne, Hush became consumed by an obsessive desire. 

His fixation reached such extremes that he resorted to surgical alterations, manipulating his own visage to mirror that of Bruce Wayne, all in a bid to execute his macabre plan of murder and replacement.

[Congajulations, you have unraveled the mystery of the Arkham Asylum] 

[Your next actions will determine your rewards for the quest] 

[Foil Hush's plan: unlock the system's edit function, 500 points] 

[Ignore Hush and leave: unlock the system's edit function, 250 points] 

[Help Hush complete his plan: unlock the system's edit function, 1000 points] 

...

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