Batgirl didn’t have time to think as the various brainwashed beauties pelted spherical objects with sharp and jagged spikes in her direction. She quickly dogged and ran, kicking a few of the women down and finding an exit to run down through. As much she Batgirl didn’t want to kick helpless, hypnotized women that were secretly being mind controlled by The Riddler, she had no other choice.
For now, she had to find the source that was behind the chaos. She had to find The Riddler.
“How can you run home from first base when you haven’t hit a home run, Batgirl?” Riddler’s voice taunted from the intercom before laughing hysterically.
Trying to shut out the mocking laughter, Batgirl ran faster, trying to find another hallway to escape down. Before she knew it, she was surrounded by cells holding the likes of The Joker, Two-Face, Clock King, and every other baddie Gotham had ever seen.
All except for the female prisoners, Batgirl reminded herself, seeing some of the cell doors opened and hearing the ballplayers in pursuit of her, still ball shaped throwing weapons in her direction. Riddler’s freed the female prisoners physically, just to entrap their minds under his control.
His control. The Riddler traded their physical prison for a mental one. Now, they were all on his ball team, all wearing his softball uniforms with their names on the back and his question marks. How long had Riddler planned this, to have the names of not only the captured athletes, but the female prisoners, guards, nurse and staff as well?
He’s diabolical. A diabolical genius.
Batgirl darted to the left, and then the right. A fly ball missed her head barely and was now embedded in the wall by razor blades extending from it’s contoured surface. Batgirl was reaching the end of one of the hallways, and it was hard to find another exit.
“Looks like plates are loaded and you have nowhere to go, Batgirl!” Riddler shouted from the intercom.
“I admit things are hazy, Riddler,” Batgirl shouted back.
Reaching into her utility belt, Batgirl turned around and threw gas bomb balls at the oncoming ballplayers. Hazy indeed! The hallways filled with smoke as the girls started to cough, dropping their balls and falling to the floor. Batgirl used the opportunity to run past them and try a different door- a door she knew led into the heart of Arkham.
Though the gas balls slowed a lot of the women down, there were still others in hot pursuit. They were further away, but if Batgirl didn’t rush to find the Riddler, and fast, she would be in terrible danger.
Going up a winding flight of stairs, Batgirl searched frantically for the control room of Arkham. Where else would an egomaniac like The Riddler be but in the heart of the Arkham Asylum, screaming and laughing like a lunatic over the intercom. He has said many strange, cryptic things in her sprint, but soon, he would be eating his words, for with a strong kick, her mighty boot knocked the door of the control room open and-
There was the woman standing there. Puzzelina was her name. Beautiful, penetrating blue eyes, spiky red hair, brilliant. No wonder The Riddler fell in love with her... or merely just fancied her with all the adoration a narcissist could offer outside of himself. She held the gun up fiercely, her expression just as angry and tense as her hands on the weapon.
“Stop, Puzzelina!” Batgirl shouted. “It’s over. You’re done.”
“Nothing’s done, Batgirl! Me and the Riddler were having a gas before you showed up, and now, you will too!”
A gas gun. It shout a heavy cloud in Batgirl’s direction, but the bat beauty was ready. She had her gas mask raised to her nose as she sidestepped through the heavy cloud, kicking Puzzelina in her stomach. The malicious moll fell on her butt with a loud PLOP! The gas gun sailed from her hand and skidded to the floor. Some of the approaching ballplayers instantly smelled the gas and went to sleep before Batgirl closed the door, barring access to anyone else that may have wished to come in.
“Okay, Puzzelina... let’s settle this like gentlewomen. Where’s The Riddler?”
But Puzzelina couldn’t offer any answers. Apparently, when she went down, her hand didn’t move fast enough to protect her nose again. She was knocked out with her own gas.
Police arrived at Arkham Asylum as fast as they could. All of the women were gone.
“The Riddler’s plotting something with them,” Batgirl explained to the police. “They’re still in his mental control, and still in trouble.”
“This is horrid,” one of the officers stated.
“Don’t worry... I’m hot on his trail. He won’t be getting his kicks for long.”
“There’s no kicking in softball, Batgirl! You played dirty.”
The interruption came from Puzzelina. She was in handcuffs now, being escorted by other police officers. Now, exiting the building and approaching Batgirl on the lawn as she was surrounded by Gotham’s finest, Puzzelina didn’t seem so tough. She still had those striking features, but she was weak in bondage, ushered by those police as her arms were restrained. The fire that seemed to accompany those icy blue eyes were gone.
A smirk came onto Puzzelina’s face. “But I like it when they play dirty.” She was just close enough to kiss Batgirl on the cheek.
Though repulsed, Batgirl maintained a cool and serious face looking back at Puzzelina. “Sorry, Puzzelina... but I don’t bat for that side of the team.”
“That’s what they all say,” Puzzelina said with a grin. “Well, I guess I’m going to jail, Batgirl. If I’m lucky, I’ll be deemed insane and get to wait on my future husband, The Riddler, here in Arkham.”
Batgirl nodded. “I wish you luck. I doubt a man like The Riddler would ever want to get married when he drops his molls like flies.”
“I’m nothing like them, you hear me!” Puzzelina shouted with insane fury. “I’m a royal puzzle, babe... the real enigma. The Riddler will never get enough of me.”
‘So they all say.”
“Okay, lady, let’s go,” one of Puzzelina’s restraining officers ordered as they walked her to the car.
“Just you wait, Batgirl! You haven’t heard the last of Puzzelina! I’ll make you bow down and kiss your heels when I’m back on the streets!”
Batgirl sighed before she looked back at the officers. “I’ve wasted enough time. I need to find The Riddler.”
“Puzzelina did a good job of using my patented Rid Lipstick on that poor sap of a football player... but now the game must be taken to different heights.”
Alexis leaned into Riddler’s face and stared with those zombified eyes of hers. “What do you mean, Master Riddler, Supreme Riddlemeister of Riddle City?”
Riddler nodded, pleased that the brainwashing equipment he used had linked the ladies so perfectly to his brain. They were so on cue. “Well, Alexis... now that I’ve ditched Puzzelina at the Arkham Asylum to take the fall, there’s no doubt that she’ll be apprehended by Batgirl and in police custody now. Oh well. It’s not like I don’t have some of the craziest women in Gotham under my control, thanks to you and your athletic pals.”
“No sweat, Riddler, my amazing king of Riddle City. Everything we do is for you.”
“Precisely. And now what we are going to do is have our first ball game in Gotham. Show them what female softball players can do and why they should be taken more seriously in the world of sports.”
All around the ballfield, the women chanted in agreement, “Yes, Lord Riddler.”
Riddler grinned. “Good. Now grab some bats and go wild in the streets, ladies.”
It didn’t take long for Batgirl to wonder where the chaos was going to strike next. It was everywhere. Catwoman was swinging bats at cars and smashing windows. Marsha, Queen of Diamonds was smashing out jewelry store windows and stealing diamonds. Some Arkham nurses were seen snatching purses from women and threatening them with sluggers. Luckily, no one had been hurt.
Yet, Batgirl reasoned. Just think if any of those held up victims says no to those brainwashed ladies... then a murder rap could be on their hands.
Batgirl couldn’t get lost in the chaos. The person to find was The Riddler. But where could he be? Where could he have gone?
He’s abandoned the woman that’s supported him this whole time... and he’s taken on a softball team in their place. A whole army. What could be the headquarters for a softball team?
Batgirl had another idea. Although she was taking another shot in the park, her idea to go to Arkham earlier had proven to be right. Maybe this idea would as well.
The Riddler hummed to himself as he pressed strapped a few more bombs to a hot air balloon in the middle of a baseball field.
“What are you doing now, Riddler, my love?”
Riddler turned to Alexis and offered her his award winning, devious smile. “Why, it’s quite simple, Alexis. This is the rocket I’m going to send your father on for his last bon voyage.”
Suddenly, the muffled sounds of a man were making their way closer to Alexis and The Riddler. The Riddler looked away from the hot air balloon to see Mr. Johnson held by a three strong members of his ball team, former Arkham guards. He knew they would be perfect for this task.
“Why, if it isn’t my friend, Mr. Johnson!” Riddler shouted as he approached. “And you’re just in time for the big ceremony. I knew my teamsters would find you in the Hap Cat. It’s the one place you can always go to when things get a little overwhelming.”
“No matter how many times he gets thrown out, he keeps going back,” Alexis said mindlessly.
Riddler was quite impressed with the brainwashing software that he was using. They were zombified enough to follow his orders, but cognizant enough to offer information and interact with some independence... but not too much. “Yes, Alexis. Your father can’t stay away from the bottle. The same way he can’t stay away from gambling. Which is exactly why he’s sent you upstream for his own benefit.”
The Riddler ripped away Mr. Johnson’s gag, a bandana that had held his mouth shut.
“Damn you, Riddler, give me back my daughter!”
Riddler laughed crazily as he hugged Alexis to his side. The girl stared with empty eyes at her father as her new master gloated. “Foolish Johnson! Alexis is old and wise enough now to make her own decisions!”
“And I’ve made them, daddy,” Alexis added. “I’m done with the row team. Done with college, and done with you. I’m a Riddle City Punster now.”
“No,” the father murmered with pain in his eyes. “No, Alexis, you don’t mean it.. this man, he’s filled your head with lies-”
“You filled your pockets with money at the expense of our family,” Alexis retorted with soulless eyes.
The father shook his head. “You don’t even sound like yourself... it’s like you're reciting a script, like your some kind of a robot-”
“I told that riddle before,” The Riddler said with a sigh. “On our first date, on the lake. Your cramping my style. Just... get him on that rocket!”
The ladies listened immediately. They placed the man on the rocket and strapped him down. The Riddler grinned and chuckled as he pressed a few more buttons, activating the bombs for merely a few minutes.
“What are you doing, Riddler?”
“Preparing you for a flight. Alexis and I have a wedding to plan, and we can’t have an embarrassing drunk like yourself ruining the occassion.”
“No...”
“So we’ll pick up your wife and have her mentally readjusted as well. I’m sure she’ll have some wonderful wedding plans.”
“Riddler, please! This is crazy!”
“I know.” The Riddler laughed hysterically, kicking on the ground with manic glee before standing up and giving a final salute. “Hope you know like fireworks, Johnson, cause you’re getting a first class seat!”
Riddler raised a finger to the launch button, ready to press it-
“Stop right there, Riddler!”
“Batgirl!” Riddler whipped his head around and looked at the purple menace. “Bah! Always interrupting my plans. Well, not this time!” Riddler’s hand went for the button-
SMASH! A baterang landed in the control panel of the rocket and short circuited it.
“You fool!” Riddler shouted. “Those bombs are going to explode in less than three minutes and we’ll go with them. Ladies, get her!”
Batgirl was already cursing herself. Why didn’t she think there were bombs on that thing? Either way, she would have to act fast, because the ball players were going after her.
Except for Alexis. Alexis was snatched by Riddler quickly. “Not you, my darling. We need to make haste.” Riddler ran the girl quickly out of the ball park, letting Batgirl deal with the brainwashed nurses.
BAM! POW! BAP! Batgirl didn’t want to hurt the brainwashed women, but they were coming, and so her fists and kicks had to do a lot of maneuvering. In the mayhem, she was able to throw more baterangs at the visible bombs and short circuit them without hurting Mr. Johnson, but she had to move closer. The closer she got, the more she could see the bombs. Mr. Johnson kicked and screamed for help as those bombs were short circuited by flying batarangs. All the while, Batgirl kept knocking the women away from them, trying to get them off of her. It was chaotic.
Two fists to the foreheads of two of the women finally knocked them out. One was still active, but by then, Batgirl was free enough to throw a batarang in the final bomb. Another fist to the back of the final nurse finally got her passed out. With relief, Batgirl ran up to Mr. Johnson and freed him.
Johnson rubbed his wrists after being released from the rocket. “Please hurry. Please find my daughter!”
Batgirl nodded before running off in The Riddler’s direction.
The Riddler was running down a big underground, dragging Alexis behind him.
“Where are we going, Riddler, King of-”
“Take a while and can it, Alexis. Your husband is thinking.”
Alexis immediately obeyed orders as The Riddler looked further into the whole. His frantic nature was making it harder to keep a firm control on the ladies. I better keep this mental gear in tack or-
“Freeze, Riddler!”
Riddler growled as he turned around and saw Batgirl standing many feet behind him and his future bride.
“You really are troublesome,” The Riddler acknowledged. With that, The Riddler put his figners to his lips to whistled loudly.
Suddenly, emerging from the opposite direction of the tunnel was Porshia and Lisa, the other two brainwashed sports beauties. Two steel bats was in Lisa’s hands, one in Porshia’s.
“You girls join me after Batgirl is dead.”
“What about me, my king?” Alexis asked The Riddler with concern.
“You worry about that after you finish The Batgirl,” Riddler demanded.
Lisa handed a steel bat to Alexis as The Riddler ran deeper into the tunnel. The three girls looked at Batgirl.
“Look, ladies,” Batgirl started, “you don’t want to do this. You’re under the control of-”
The women started rushing in Batgirl’s direction. Batgirl ducked and dodged as bats swung at her. The Riddler had disappeared in the tunnel.
“I’m not going to fight you, ladies,” Batgirl shouted. “You have promising careers and a college life to fini-”
SMASH! Batgirl narrowly escaped a steel bat crashing to the ground. Her boot kicked Porshia’s hand, removing the bat from her grasp with a clang.
Alexis and Lisa both aimed for Batgirl. Batgirl did a double kick, knocking both of the ladies down as their bats skidded on the tunnel’s surface. Reaching into her utility belt, Batgirl pulled out her gas mask and strapped it on.
The ladies reached for their bats and ran to Batgirl for another go.
Batgirl dropped more pellets at the ladies. Sleeping gas sputtered in a thick pink smoke. They coughed for a moment before collapsing.
Batgirl ran off.
Further into the darkness of the tunnel she went. Riddler was fast, but she didn’t doubt she could gain on him, especially in the dark underworld of Gotham’s sewer system, a place that was easy to navigate. She had been down here with Batman when times called for drastic measures, and even by foot, she could handle it.
She saw The Riddler preparing an inflatable boat with a green exterior and black question marks. Batgirl acted quickly. Her batarang was thrown at the floating device, and it quickly sputtered air, deflating fast.
“Trying to make a getaway, Riddler?”
“Why must you punch holes in my plans, Batgirl?” Riddler shouted as he pulled a gun from his belt.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Batgirl ran and dodged the shots as quickly as she could.
“Drastic measure, Batgirl!” Riddler shouted before laughing maniacally.
“Why don’t you take a plunge, Riddler, if you’re so desperate to get away?”
Riddler made a sick face. “Are you kidding? In that filthy water?”
“What’s the matter, Riddler? Afraid you’ll short circuit your device?”
Before Riddler could respond, he felt a strong thud knock his head back. A batarang had landed in his secretly metallic face mask. Scared, The Riddler pulled the domino mask off as quick as possible. He pulled it off at the right time, for at that moment, his mask let off sparks and electric fuses, dancing on the ground in fury before short circuiting and going dead. Smoke rose from the ruined mask.
“You... you ruined it!”
“And I freed those poor girls,” Batgirl said as she started to walk closer to Riddler. “I had thought about it when you put me in that suit, Riddler. Just how were you brainwashing those ladies? It was a riddle that confounded me... until I solved that trap of a riddle you caught me in. Seeing how the mask responded to my mental control of the trap allowed me to see exactly how you controlled those ladies- through psychologically manipulating and digitally linked algorithms operated by your face mask!”
“A lucky guess!” Riddler said with a scowl, afraid he would fall into the sewage water at any moment. Batgirl had him cornered on the edge. “I surely make things far too easy for you, Batgirl.”
“And now you’ve released a lot of dangerous prisoners into Gotham, and ruined the lives of innocent people!” Batgirl’s batcuffs wrapped around The Riddler’s wrists.
“Blast it,” Riddler cursed with rage. “So now, you have humiliated me and ruined my plans to remake Gotham in my image.”
“It’s not that bad, Riddler,” Batgirl suggested. “Think about it. If you’re lucky, Puzzelina may be deemed insane and reside in Arkham with you. You may even have neighboring cells.”
Riddler scowled.
Things were as close to normal as they could get in Gotham once again. Three kidnapped college athletes were now freed and back in action on campus, Arkham staff members went back to their jobs, and the following week, Gotham college football fans got to enjoy watching a game against Metropolis, dedicated to the honor of deceased quarterback Duke Patterson.
Still, many female inmates had escaped from Arkham. Though most were found, a few of the most notorious, Catwoman, The Siren, and many others, remained missing.
Barbara Gordon sighed as she put a few more library books back on the shelf. The library was about to close, and Batgirl would be ready to fight crime yet again.
Batgirl’s work was never done.
End