WHAT TIME IS IT?

Unfortunately, the sun wasn't shining as bright in Gotham, which didn't come as a surprise. The clouds were thick and murky, the climate somewhat gloomy. Usually when Flash needed to have a chat with Batman, he would've just waited till the next JL meeting or caught him on the watch tower, but today was different. Today, they needed to fly under the radar of their league.

Flash zoomed into the GCPD, halting inside the Commissioner's cabin and making a stout old man wearing a hat shriek in surprise. He got up from the chair and swiftly held out his gun.

'Hey, it's alright. I help Central City Police Department, just like Batman helps you,' Flash said quickly, raising his hands a little.

The man stared at him for a second before lowering his gun. 'Jim!' he shouted out. 'Jim! Come here! There is some guy in a tight, red onesie talking about Batman!'

The door flung open and in trotted an old yet dashing looking detective with grey hair and an equally grey moustache. 'You are the Flash,' he said as soon as he spotted them. The other detective sighed and silently left the cabin as if he were fed up of superheroes.

'Commissioner Gordon,' Flash extended his hand. 'It's a pleasure to meet you.'

'Likewise,' Jim nodded. 'What brings you to Gotham?'

'I need to talk to Batman. Can you use the Bat-signal and call him?'

'Don't you all have some means to contact each other?' Jim frowned.

'Well, yeah,' Flash nodded. 'If I'd needed Superman, I would have just run till Smallville and his home. Same with most of the others. Or just given them a call knowing that they would pick up! But I can't do that with Batman because he has forbidden anyone dropping by, especially me; he's not very fond of my superspeed. Also, Batman screens my calls,' he finished in mild annoyance.

'That's too bad,' Jim said sympathetically. 'But I can't use the Bat-signal anytime I want. There is a protocol to follow.'

'This is very important!' Flash said. 'I must speak to him!'

Before Jim could answer, the cabin door once again flew open and in trotted a woman. 'Commissioner Gordon, there is a robbery in progress. Gotham Central Bank. There are three hostages!'

'Be right there, Harper,' Jim nodded. 'I am sorry. I cannot help you,' he added to Flash before briskly walking out of his cabin to give a mighty pep talk to his work force. Flash sighed and zoomed out of the GCPD to meet Cisco outside.

Inside Gotham Central Bank, the three hostages were cursing their own fate. Out of all the people in the bank, they'd been captured and were now being held at gunpoint.

'Tick tock, tick tock,' said the man pacing in front of them to all the other people. He was wearing a green suit with green pants and a green bowler hat. He had a long stick in his hand which he was twirling from time to time. 'It's not that difficult, really. Solve the riddle and I will release the hostages, but not the money, of course,' the Riddler laughed. The people kept blinking at him through watery eyes which he guessed was due to the severity of his riddle and not the Smith & Wesson handgun that could shoot them any minute. 'Oh, come on! It is the simplest riddle I could've given you! I thought that several brains working in the morning would be surely able to crack it! Ordinary people do most of their best thinking in the morning!' He spat. 'What is wrong with you people?' He tried to regain his calm and momentarily closed his eyes to heave a huge sigh filled with utter disappointment.

'I will repeat it one last time for you simpletons,' The Riddler said generously. 'I am curvy, popular and have a beauty spot. Some call it a point, other's merely a dot. I can stump the most brilliant of minds. Often, I am rude, but also kind. What am I?' he asked enthusiastically.

The people remained silent and whimpering, refusing to play along. 'Science,' came an answer from behind. Everyone gasped as The Riddler sharply turned around with his gun outstretched to stare at a black, bat-shaped outline in the shadows behind a pillar.

The Riddler cackled loudly. 'Science? How in the universe did you figure that out? Not every question can be answered by science, Batman!'

Batman came out of the shadows to glare at him. 'The 'S' in Science is curvy. Science is popular. The 'i' has a spot, or dot, call it whatever you like. Science can stump the most brilliant minds. It can be rude; nuclear weapons. It can be kind; medicine,' he finished.

Applause broke loose as people began cheering and clapping. A young gentleman even had the audacity to whistle in happiness. 'Enough!' The Riddler spat. 'Your answer is wrong! It's stupid! Just like you, Batman!'

'Are you really calling me stupid, Nygma?' Batman growled.

'Yes! I am! Because only a stupid person won't be able to answer something correctly, even when it is right in front of their face!' Riddler twirled his green stick around and grabbed its question-mark shaped hilt. 'The answer is a question mark!' he cackled. 'You lose, Batman!'

Before Batman could beat his ass to a pulp, a red streak came swooshing in and filled the room with lightening. All the people gasped and shrieked as the air buzzed with a humming sound. The next thing they knew; A confused Riddler was locked up in the GCPD, whose detectives had no idea how he got there. The bag of money was left solitary on the floor for the Bank to recover and Batman was nowhere to be seen…