CHAPTER 5

ONE FINAL RIDDLE

Nightwing leaned way back as one of the Riddler’s henchmen swung a heavy chain at him. The steel links passed harmlessly overhead as the crime fighter back-flipped and landed on his feet. Without stopping, Nightwing used his batons to block attacks from two other pipe-wielding criminals.

Nightwing grinned up at the Riddler. “Funny, I remember your henchmen being tougher.”

Still standing atop the large shipping container, the Riddler snarled and pointed down at the young crime fighter. “Get him!”

Four more henchmen rushed Nightwing at once. He jumped up, kicked off the chest of one of the men, and leaped toward another. He grabbed one crook’s arm in midair and flipped him over his shoulder. The criminal flew into the remaining two henchmen.

SKREEEEE!

The sound of squealing tires echoed throughout the warehouse. Nightwing braced himself as a forklift drove out of the shadows. It raised its two sharp tines and aimed them at the crime fighter. It sped closer.

Nightwing easily dodged the approaching machine, and it whipped past him. But then two more forklifts raced toward him.

Nightwing got clear of one forklift but not the other. The machine’s fork caught him under his arms and lifted him off his feet.

Before Nightwing could escape, the henchman drove the forklift toward the huge shipping container. The forklift crashed into the container, stabbing its fork deep into the thin steel. Nightwing was pinned between the forklift and the side of the container.

“You should’ve listened to Batman,” the Riddler taunted from above. “Don’t go up against the heavy hitters alone.”

Nightwing couldn’t escape. The forklift pushed forward, squeezing him between the machine and the steel container. However, the young hero simply laughed.

“Okay, a lot to unpack there,” Nightwing said. “First of all, don’t flatter yourself. You’re not what I’d call a heavy hitter.”

The Riddler snarled in reply.

“Second, as you can see, I’m not a kid anymore,” Nightwing continued. “I don’t have that rule.”

“Well, maybe you should,” the Riddler said with a laugh. “You didn’t do too well coming here alone.”

Nightwing raised a finger. “Ah! You see, that’s my third point … I’m not really alone.” The crime fighter looked up into the rafters.

The Riddler followed his gaze and saw Batman, Robin, and Batgirl perched on a long ceiling beam.

“A little help here,” Nightwing said.

Batman’s hand was a blur as it sent a Batarang flying toward the forklift.

SWISH!

The weapon struck the control lever, causing the machine to back up. The fork pulled out of the steel container and Nightwing was free. The crime fighter jumped clear of the forklift before the driver could trap him again.

Batman, Robin, and Batgirl split up as they dove from the warehouse ceiling. They each took on a group of henchmen, while Nightwing went after the forklift driver. He leaped for the forklift and grabbed the top of its cage. He swung around in a wide circle, kicking the driver out of his seat.

As Batgirl rocketed down, she smashed into one of the henchmen. Riding him like a human skateboard, she jumped off his back and sent him tumbling across the floor. He slammed into two more henchmen, knocking them down like bowling pins.

Robin landed in the middle of three crooks. He ducked and dodged as all of them swung long pipes at him. The criminals were so focused on the Boy Wonder, they didn’t pay attention as he easily dodged their attacks. The henchmen ended up hitting each other instead.

Batman touched down on the warehouse floor and remained motionless. Then, as four crooks charged him, he threw down a single smoke pellet. The henchmen ran into a cloud of smoke where the Dark Knight had been standing. A few grunts, shouts, and yells later, the smoke cleared and all the crooks were tied in a bundle on the floor.

“Enough!” shouted the Riddler.

The four heroes stood together, surrounded by the remaining henchmen. They paused their battle at the sound of Riddler’s voice.

“I had a feeling you would try something like this,” Nygma explained. “So I have one final riddle: What’s black and has eight hairy legs?”

“Let me guess,” Robin said, crossing his arms. “A spider?”

“Nope.” The Riddler shook his head and grinned. “Not even close.”

The villain tapped his cane on the roof of the shipping container. Two henchmen ran to the end of the container and swung its doors open. The ground shook as four giant gorillas charged out. They each wore green vests and hats like the Riddler’s.

“Or … four gorillas.” Robin shrugged. “That was my second guess.”

Nightwing raised an eyebrow. “Wow. You don’t see that every day.”

Batgirl rubbed the back of her neck and glanced up at Batman. “Uh, did we mention that the Riddler caught us in a zoo?”

“Capture the gorillas,” Batman ordered. “But don’t hurt them.”

“Easier said than done,” Nightwing said as he dodged the first gorilla attack. He somersaulted over the beast’s massive fists.

Batman threw his bolas at one of the apes. The heavy balls at the end of the ropes encircled the animal, wrapping it tightly. The gorilla roared and flexed its arms, snapping the ropes as if they were thread.

“Maybe this will work,” Batgirl said as she leaped high into the air, away from two grabbing gorillas. She flipped backward, her arms spread wide. She opened her hands to release two nets. The webbing expanded and ensnared each of the gorillas.

The beasts growled and snarled as they struggled against their bonds. Then, one by one, they broke free.

“They’re too strong,” Nightwing said. “We have to think of something else.”

Robin shook his head. “This is all my fault,” he said as he ran for the nearest gorilla. “I’ll take care of it.”

“No, Robin,” Batman scolded.

Robin didn’t listen. Instead, he hopped onto one gorilla’s back and grabbed his oversized hat. He pulled it down over the ape’s eyes.

Robin leaped to the next gorilla and did the same to his hat. Then he grabbed the third gorilla’s vest collar and pulled it down over the beast’s shoulders. The Boy Wonder then did the hat trick on the fourth gorilla.

“What is he doing?” asked Batgirl.

Nightwing shrugged. “Really annoying them?”

The four apes roared with rage as they tried to untangle themselves from their clothes. When they were finally free, they only had eyes for Robin. They ignored the other heroes as they chased the young crime fighter back toward the shipping container. He ran through the open doors, and the gorillas followed.

“Think he can pull this off?” Nightwing asked as he and Batgirl ran toward the container.

“He’d better,” Batgirl said. “Or he’s going to be a gorilla punching bag in there.”

“Now!” Robin shouted as he dove out of the shipping container.

Batgirl and Nightwing slammed the doors and threw the latches just as the gorillas reached them. The entire container rocked back and forth as the apes crashed into the locked doors.

Meanwhile, the Riddler huffed as he sprinted across the top of the container. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure none of the crime fighters were following him as he escaped. That’s when he ran into a brick wall. Actually, it only felt like a brick wall. Nygma fell to the ground after smashing into Batman himself.

The Riddler scrambled to his feet and swung his cane at the Dark Knight. Batman caught it under one arm and wrenched it from the criminal’s grasp. He snapped it over his knee like a twig.

Nygma stumbled back and fell down again. He raised his hands. “I surrender! I surrender!”

“Now where have I heard that before?” Batman said with a smirk. He cuffed the criminal’s outstretched hands.

Batgirl appeared and added her own pair of cuffs to the crook’s wrists. “He’s not escaping this time.”

Robin added his own cuffs and smiled up at Batman. “And we did it together.”

The Riddler looked up at them with half a smile. “At least that means I’m a heavy hitter, right?”

“Eh, not really,” Nightwing said with a shrug. “And you’ll have plenty of time to figure out why in prison.”