Holding On

Bruce woke up to the smell of mildew and rust, his sight was blurry as he tried to figure out where he was. He tried to move his arms and legs but realized he was strapped to a chair. A static sound filled the room as a small TV lit the room. There on screen appeared The Riddler himself.

“Nice to see you awake, Dark Knight. I almost thought for a second that the gas had killed you. Now that wouldn't be fun at all.” says Riddler through the TV. Batman growled and tried tugging on the binds as Riddler tsked at him, “That's not going to work.”

“Where's the Joker?!”

“Oh no! That would be cheating!If you follow my challenges I set up for you, maybe, just maybe, I'll tell you what you need to know.” Riddler was in a large room on the other side of the city, filled with monitors in different parts of Gotham.”

“If I don't?” Bruce asked in his deep voice,

“Then I'll tell everyone who you really are!” He grinned evilly to the camera, “Bruce Wayne....”

Bruce's felt his blood run cold as he stopped struggling which made the Riddler grin widen.

“Oh yes, I know all about you, Bruce. I know all your deepest secrets. And it only takes a phone call to let the authorities know who the Batman is, and they'll come knocking at your door. Poor Melinda would be so upset if she found out her boyfriend is a criminal!”

“You leave her out of this!!”

“Ohhh. Touchy, are we? I mean, it's pretty amazing how you forgotten all about Rachel Dawes since Melinda showed up-” Bruce struggled with the restrains furiously, crying out as he used his strength to try and break free.“Alright, alright, don't hurt yourself. I'm sure you can figure out how to get out of that chair than just pulling and wiggling, oh worlds greatest detective. I really don't have time to chat for much longer, so I'll give you, your first riddle!”

I am not wide, and not a person. I am dangerous, but I'm not a thing.

“You get your riddles out of a children's book?”

“Ohh, so you figured it out already?

“The Narrows.”

“Very good. Well, it was a pretty easy one-”

“What's in the Narrows?”

“Always with the questions, Detective! It's not about you wanting answers—its me. Figure out my riddles and I'll tell you what you need to know. Which you wont. Cause you know; While you fail to solve my riddles, you will realize that I am better and smarter than you.” the TV shut off and all there was was static.

Bruce had to get out and get to the Narrows. He didn't know what Riddler was planning but, it definitely couldn't be good. Bruce uncomfortably turned his wrist to grab his batarang from his utility belt and used it to cut the ropes from his wrists, then his chest and ankles. Batman stood from the old seat and felt light headed. He stumbled across the room towards the window and leaned against it for support. His head was spinning and he almost emptied his stomach. No time for that- he needed to get to the Narrows and find out what the Riddler wants.

He remembered when Melinda called him from the phone booth across from the Glow nightclub and jumped out of the window and headed towards the location. Once there, he wasn't sure where to start. He turned on his night vision and investigated the alley where Melinda was nearby. He finds a green question mark on the wall with writing that said; It may be worn down and old. But it was someones home once.

An apartment building came to mind that was left abandoned a decade ago. They never bothered to tear it down and rebuild because of the location. Nobody wanted to build their business in the narrows. Batman headed for the rooftops and found the buildings rooftop and went through the door and headed down the stairs. The place smelt rotten and rats were everywhere, and of course, an apartment had many doors. It would take too long to go through every one of them. Unless...

Batman pulled out a light and pointed up on the walls. What he couldn't see before now could. Riddler had glow in the dark arrows pointing in the direction he needed to go. He followed down the stairs to the 5th floor, then down the hallways until he reached a door with a large question mark. He turned off the light and turned the knob. It was locked. No one lived here anymore,so, nobody would mind. He kicks the door down and found a living room that looked like it had been through a tornado. Everything had been flipped, broken, some of the wooden chairs had been broken down to make a fire. Most likely from the homeless trying to find warmth from the winter. Everything was covered in dust, all except a milk crate with a small TV on top. The TV turned on and there was the Riddler.

“Very good, detective.”

“Why am I here?”

“On about that again, are we? Don't ask anymore. Just listen.” he says, “See those files right there?” he points to the Batman's left and there sat a brown folder with red stamp that said; CLOSED. He takes the file and reads through it. “By the way. Since you broke down the door and didn't even realize I had implanted a timer that would set off a bomb in 2 minutes, now only has 30 seconds, so I suggest...Leaving? BUT! Only if you want to, its your choice. Oh now you only have 10 seconds!! 7...6...5...”

Batman rushed towards the window just as he reached 1 and jumped out as an explosion burst through the windows. Batman landed on the sidewalk and from a distance he heard sirens. He used his grapple and went back to the roofs, away from the Narrows. Once he was safe from the public eye, he took the time to check the file for any clues. The file contained pictures of the apartment with a woman, Lucy Napier, whom was stabbed to death by her husband, Robert Napier. Robert Napier was the other dead body with a bullet hole through his head. The notes say that Robert had turned the gun on himself as their son witnessed the whole thing.

A sticky note was over a photo in green writing. Another riddle.

It's a boring get together by the bay. But men are all FORE it.

“A yacht club?” he muttered to himself.

He tucked the file in his suit (somewhere) and jumped down from the building and glided towards the bay to the yacht club. Unlike the last two places he was at-- he had to be more careful. He disabled the cameras and carefully unlocked the door and got in. He investigated the area and noticed the glass cabinet and noticed inside was a question mark trophy. It stood in front of a photo of a golfer shaking hands with another man in a suit. The label read,

”Gotham's Golf Tournament Champion
John Collins, 1984”.

He took note and finally went back to the manor into his office. He turned to his computer and looked up the man, John Collins. The name sounded familiar as a mugshot appeared of the man he remembered helping. John Collins is a convicted rapist and child molester. He was sent to Black Gate for 30 years. Another article Bruce found read that before he was caught, his 11 year old daughter went missing. Bruce had helped search for the missing girl til Gordon, regretfully, had to break the news that the commissioner at the time called off the search. ”I'm so sorry, Bruce.” he remember Gordon saying to him. The commissioner figured she was dead. After John Collins was found guilty, they figured that he killed her, but there were no evidence to charge him for murder.

Bruce didn't give a second thought on why Riddler was pushing him towards this cold case. He threw on his mask and headed to John Collins home. Inside, dust had piled over the white sheets that covered his expensive furniture, cobwebs on every corner. The house was waiting for John's return from Black Gate. Bruce took a look around and ended up in John's old office only to find it torn apart. Glass was shattered everywhere and papers were scattered all over the desk. A drawer was held open along with a secret compartment that held horrid pictures of the missing girl. Bruce thought he was certainly going to puke. He was disgusted, and furious what this man had done to his daughter. He check the broken glass cabinet (much like the one at the Yacht club) and found the picture of the girl's school picture.

He took the picture and left. He had enough of that place and returned to his manor and scattered all the information he collected. 2 different cases that had nothing to do with each other. What was the Riddler trying to make him see? He started to pin the files and photos on a board, separating the families and pining string the link both families. Mother, father, son. Father, daughter. He couldn't make the connection. He had to make one more stop before he can try and figure out himself...

…

Gordon sat at his desk when he felt a breeze and notice his window open. He could have sworn he had closed that. He got up to close it and turned around to face a black figure.

“Jesus!” he jumped, “Do you have any idea what would happen if someone caught you in here?!” Gordon half whispered, half yelled at the figure.

“Who says I'll get caught?” Batman asked,

Gordon scoffed, “Funny.”

“I'm here to ask you about something.” Batman says, placing the photo of the Napier boy. Gordon picked it up, examining it for a moment before answering.

“I remember this case. This is Jack Napier. His father murdered his mother, impaled her with a kitchen knife 7 times before killing himself. He went to live with his godmother, Sally.” He looks up at batman confused on what brought this up.

“What about her?” Batman handed carefully the picture of the missing girl. He could see Gordon's eyes soften and fill with sorrow. Bruce remembered how devastated when the commissioner called off the search, and how angry he was when he arrested John Collins.

Gordon shakes off his emotions and places the photo on his desk, “I think...I have something...” he reaches in his files and pulls out the news paper and turns it towards Batman. Bruce places the picture of the girl and brings it closer to the newspaper. “I-I could be wrong. Maybe wishful thinking...For 13 years I've searched for that little girl and found nothing. No eye witnesses on where she went. Absolutely no leads...Then all of a sudden, Melinda shows up and...She just looks so much like her. I mean, the age is right. Anna Collins would have been 24 years old—it could be! Or maybe it's just a coincide--” Gordon turned around to find Batman gone, along with the photo and newspaper. Leaving him talking to himself.

“I hate it when he does that...”

…

It made sense! It made perfect sense!!

“Ah! Master Wayne, I was wondering where you have been-”

“Not now, Alfred!” Bruce snapped, fiddling with the board before pointing at the picture of Anna, “Look!”

Alfred sighs, “Not this again, Bruce. I know you felt bad for the girl, but the police have found no sign of her!”

“Just look!” he snaps again.

Alfred shakes his head, but checks anyway. He always helped Bruce with his investigating ever since he was a child. Bruce leads him to his laptop as Alfred puts his glasses on and watches at Anna's picture slowly morphs into Melinda. Bruce studies Alfred's expression as it goes from pity to shock. “Miss Anderson-”

“Is Anna. Yes.”

Alfred takes his glasses off, now more interested in Bruce's finds. “But how?”

“Gordon helped with that You know he has been on that case for the past decade now!”

“I-I'm blown away, Master Bruce.”

“I am too.”

“What has bought this up all of a sudden? What about the Joker and the Riddler?”

“I came across the Riddler...Sort of...I woke up in this warehouse and he gave me these riddles that lead me to these. But...I don't understand how this family,” he points to the Napier side of the board, “has to do with this.”

Alfred took a closer look, taking one of the papers from the board and read what wasn't faded. “Have you tried looking up Sally Wilson?”

Bruce heads back to his laptop, with Alfred over his shoulder as he enters her name only to find out that she had been raped and murdered in an alley in the Narrows 3 years after the Napier's incident. The same alley he picked up Melinda at. The one across the street from the Glow. She had been shot in the head.

“Well...That is unfortunate.” says Alfred.

“So where's Jack?”

“Do you have her old address?” Bruce checked and entered the address on the globe map, showing the exact location of Sally's house. “I know where that is.”

“You do?”

“Yes...That road leads to the house.” he points to long dirt road, “I left Melinda at the end of it.”

“Do you think...That Jack and Anna have been living in that house the whole time?”

“Not for 13 years...Melinda lived in New York with her guardian when she was 15 before moving in with Ally.”

“What about Jack?”

Bruce sighs, running his hand through his hair. He needed a shower, it was filled with grease and dirt. He could tell Alfred was trying to keep his distance from his odor. It would have to wait though. “I have to find out.”

He says then hurries towards the door to get his Batsuit. “You are not leaving already?!”

Bruce stops half way and turns back to him. “I got to find out, Alfred! Riddler knows who I am! I have to find out!”

“Well at least eat something! You haven't eaten in over a week!”

Bruce paused for a moment, turning back to Alfred once more dumbfounded. He knew he ate before heading to the church. How long has he been out? “What's the day today?”

“Pardon?”

“What. Is. Today's. Date.” he demanded.

“June 6th...” Bruce froze. Last he checked, it was May 24th. He had been out for almost 2 weeks!

Just then, both Bruce and Alfred heard the printer turn on as a fax printed itself. It only had one line written...

Just admit that I'm smarter than the average Bat.