125 Vines And Riddles #125

"Fucking hell..." I cursed to no one in particular, plopping down on my new anti-Soot couch, feeling utterly mentally drained of energy after suffering several hours' worth of malicious questions.

I'd rather have another go at fighting King Shark than be publicly questioned by Lois Lane again. The woman was as vicious as they came and did her homework.

Though she steered clear from asking about my teacher, it didn't stop her from coming after me, and she had a surprising amount of knowledge that gave me pause on more than one occasion.

Not only did she know about my tussle with KGbeast, but she also knew Harley Quinn was involved in the incident and of the rumors that I might have 'disappeared' the beast.

She kept pushing me into one corner after the other that I even considered dropping a few hints I knew about her husband's alter ego to get her to back off but ultimately decided against it.

It took every cell in my brain and every bit of my newly discovered acting talent to make her drop the subject without making myself look guilty, but it was still my word against whoever was going to say otherwise.

Still, the occasional fanboying over Superman seemed to do the trick in making her back off and get the ten-foot pole out of her ass, and that's when the other reporters showed their fangs.

Some tried to blame me for the destruction caused by the mercenaries who came to Gotham to claim Black Mask's bounty. Others insinuated that I was just a reckless teenager, but they were nowhere near Lois Lane's level of viciousness.

In the end, I had to embarrass at least a dozen of them for the others to back off, and it was all smooth sailings from there, but I'll definitely be avoiding Lois Lane like the plague from now.

'With a mouth like that, it's no wonder she gets kidnapped more than Princess Peach... poor Superman...' I mused, bitterly smiling as the idea of sharing a roof with Lois Lane sent shivers down my spine.

"Try all you want, you little demon," I said, chuckling as I heard a noise beside me and turned to see Little Soot trying to turn my new couch into ribbons.

"This is a custom-made, scratch-proof couch. Your demonic little claws can't do anything about it," I added, my smile widening as I picked up the little feline and put him in my lab.

He still reached for the couch and tried to scratch but ultimately meowed in resignation and deflated in my lab, closing his eyes to get some well-deserved shut eye after a full day of doing whatever a cat does.

"You sure are carefree..." I muttered, scratching Little soot's cheek as I leaned into the couch and relaxed my body to get some rest before I got back to work on the Waller situation.

...

Old Gotham

As he casually strolled through a dark, empty alley, The Riddled smiled, halting his steps as he heard a squelch from behind, and slowly turned around, only for his grin to deepen at what he saw.

"Hello, Bats. It's been a while. Are you here to greet your old pal, Nigma?" The Riddler said, welcomingly spreading his arms as if he expected Batman to give him a hug.

"I don't have time for your nonsense, Riddler. You will answer my questions and quietly go back to Arkham," Batman said, ignoring the green-dressed villain's shenanigans.

"I don't see why not. But first..." The Riddler said, his grip tightening on his staff. "First, riddle me this, Batman," he added, grinning as he slammed his cane into the puddle before him, causing electricity to course through it.

Batman immediately understood The Riddler's intentions and grappled away from the water to avoid getting electrocuted, giving the latter the head-start he needed.

"Hard as stone, as clear as diamond. Seek it out while the sun is on the horizon," The Riddler said, madly cackling as he started sprinting away with Batman hot on his trail.

"Though you can walk on water with its power, try to keep it, and it will disappear in an hour," he added, quickly running into the crowded streets to prevent Batman from throwing his Batarangs and other assorted gadgets.

"Ice," Batman calmly replied in a heartbeat without stopping his pursuit as he chased after Nigma, who was pushing people left and right to clear the way.

"Ding ding ding. But we're not done yet," The Riddler said, briefly turning to look at his wristwatch before slipping into another empty alley and preparing to ambush Batman.

"White fat and fluffy, May even look like a puppy," The Riddler said, swinging his staff at Batman's head as soon as the latter turned to enter the alley.

"Seems heavy but is light, floats about without a worry, but if it turns dark, you have to hurry!" The Riddler continued as Batman ducked under his attack and quickly pushed him away.

"Cloud," Batman replied, still humoring his foes' suspiciously easy riddles, but it was like this with the Riddler as the latter can be just as predictable as the joker sometimes, if not more.

Still, humoring the supervillain didn't stop Batman from taking the fight to the Riddler, as the latter brandished his staff and charged the dark crusader.

However, before the two could start swinging at each other, The Riddler turned the head of his staff, causing a slew of micro explosives he'd pre-planted in the alley to explode, pushing Batman away.

Batman was able to react in time and adjust his body, recovering and stopping his momentum sooner than The Riddler hoped. He threw a pair of Bolas that breached the smoke and hit Nigma, binding his arms and legs.

"Stop wasting my time, and tell me what I want to know, Nigma. I'm running out of patience," Batman said, menacingly walking towards The Riddler as he brandished his cape, using it to dispel the smoke from the explosion.

"What's your end game? Why are you trying to make the gangs lie low at this specific time?" He asked as he stood over The Riddler, looking down on him.

"There is no "end game," Batsy. Only games and more games. The winner of this round is the loser next round, and around, and around..." The Riddler said with a chuckle.

"But you've won, and I will honor the tradition with one last puzzle. Answer it, and you will have your answer..." The Riddler added with a chuckle, content to look up into Batman's eyes from his position on the ground without resistance.

"The answer is in front of you. It always was, always will be, yet no matter how hard you look, you'll never be able to see it," The Riddler concluded, going quiet as he waited for Batman to process his words.

"The future..." Batman mockingly replied after a second of silence. "What future, whose future? Stop wasting my time," he asked, clearly at the end of his patience as he stepped towards The Riddler, intent on beating an answer out of him.

"It's funny you should say that, Batsy. That's the beauty of time and the future," The Riddler said as green vines emerged from the ground, shielding him from the angry vigilante.

"The future is a puzzle no man can solve, that only time holds the answer to..." he added, casually standing up while dangling the bolas that bound his limbs in front of Batman after freeing himself from their confines.

"To solve it, you must wait, but it will be too late by the time you realize the answer," The Riddler concluded with a loud laugh as another vine emerged from the ground, sprouting a giant flower.

"Looks like it's my win this round, Bats. But you can look forward to the next one..." The Riddler concluded as he sat on the giant flower, crossing his legs as the petals took him in their embrace, and the vine returned to the earth.

Batman lingered for a moment, contemplating The Riddler's words, trying and failing to figure out their meaning. He allowed himself to let out a tired sigh before turning to leave.

It wasn't the first time The Riddler outsmarted him, and it wouldn't be the last. However, Nigma would be back for another round. He wouldn't be able to help it.

And when he does, Batman will be ready for him.