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Chapter 25: Gotham Can Only Have One Riddler!
Wee-woo-wee-woo—
GCPD cruisers screeched into Arkham Asylum. Gordon led the charge.
At a glance, the situation was stable. No fires, no riots. Riddler had escaped alone.
Kenneth, the Captain of the Guard, led Gordon to the empty cell. On the wall, scrawled in green paint, was a message:
[GOTHAM WILL ALWAYS HAVE ONLY ONE RIDDLER]
"The cell is intact. How did he get out?" Gordon demanded.
"He... he bribed a guard. Somehow. The guard let him out. We have the traitor in custody," Kenneth admitted, looking ashamed.
"I ordered patrols of no less than three men! No gaps longer than fifteen minutes! No talking to the inmates!" Gordon roared.
"The asylum has been quiet for a year... people got complacent," Kenneth murmured.
"Complacent?" Gordon's eyes were cold. "Kenneth, your predecessor had his throat bitten out the day after he declared the killer 'reformed.' You have no idea what monsters you are living with."
Gordon stormed out to issue the warrant. Unlike Kid, the Riddler was a threat to public safety. He was ready to light the Bat-Signal if necessary.
In the car, Gordon pondered the message. One Riddler.
When did Gotham get a second one?
He remembered Zach, the museum curator, mistaking Kid's first heist note for a riddle. He remembered visiting Nygma, who was furious at the comparison.
Is he out to kill Kid?
But how would Nygma find him?
The answer arrived the next day. A courier delivered a trophy shaped like a green question mark to Gordon's desk.
Gordon called the Bomb Squad and Hazmat. They cleared the trophy in the training yard. No explosives, no gas. Just a USB drive in a hidden compartment.
Gordon plugged it into a laptop. A video played.
The Riddler's face filled the screen.
"Greetings, Gotham. And the GCPD. It's been a while."
"I am the Riddler. The only Riddler." Nygma beamed with arrogance.
"But I hear there is a new thief in town who likes to leave puzzles. A thief using riddles to announce his crimes? It lacks logic. It lacks class."
"He is a copycat. A crass imitation!" Riddler spat. "I cannot tolerate this infringement on my intellectual property. So I have returned to show you all what a true riddle looks like."
He stepped aside to reveal a chair behind him.
A young girl was tied to it.
And hanging around her neck was the missing Vanaver Emerald Necklace.
"You're watching, aren't you, Kid? I don't know why you threw this bauble into the river for this poor girl to find, but she is here because of you."
Riddler leaned into the camera.
"Her fate is your fault, Kid. Don't you think you should make amends?"
"I will give you a riddle. You, the police, even the Bat. Solve it, and you find her."
"But you only have three days. After that... boom."
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