MASTER OF DECEPTION AND RIDDLES

Peter looks at the tech he found on the bridge. He puts it down and rubs his face, unsure of how it works. He then looks over and sees Andrea's number next to him. Peter thinks about calling her, but hesitates actually doing it.

"Is something wrong, Master Parker?" Ben asks.

Peter quickly hides the number.

"Uh, no. Just trying to figure out how Mysteriddle's machine works. I've never seen anything like it."

Ben reaches over and grabs Andrea's number.

"Maybe you are distracted by this, sir." Ben says with a smirk.

Peter sighs.

"You know nothing can happen with us, Ben."

"Of course something can happen. You're just afraid to let it, sir."

Peter doesn't say anything.

"Peter, your life hasn't been the easiest. You've lost a lot of people that you care about. That has made you- closed off to everyone, except your old butler. Loosing people we care about is always a risk. But we don't let that stop us from living."

Peter thinks to himself for a moment, taking Ben's words to heart. He then gets an idea about what to do about the device.

"Hold that thought, Ben. There's someone I can go to about this thing." He says as he leaves the cave.

Later, Peter walks into the New York City Public Library. He looks around, finally seeing Jill organizing books.

"Hey Jill."

"Pete, hi. Have you finished that Stan Lee novel already?"

"No, I'm still reading it. I was actually hoping to get your opinion on some tech."

"Oh, tech advice, huh? It's been awhile since I've been asked that."

Peter chuckles.

"Well, I remember how good you were when comes to technology, and computers. I remember you used to hack into the NYPD systems just for fun."

The two laugh.

"Yeah uncle George was so proud. And a little mad. So what do you need?" Jill asks.

Peter slowly pulls out Mysteriddle's machine.

"Well I just wanted your opinion on this thing. Maybe tell me what it is?"

Jill puts on her glasses and studies the device.

"Well by itself, it's not much. But from what I can tell, it's fires off an electrical blast. It even has a serial number on it, where did you find this anyway?" Jill asks.

"Well I-"

Before Peter can answer, a news report about a bomb threat at the New York City Bank.

"Woah, seems like there's always something going on in this city, am I right?"

When Jill turns around, she sees that Peter is gone without a word.

Meanwhile, police cars pull up in front of the Bank while Spider-Bat watches from the rooftop. Both Commissioner Stacy and Detective Bullock hide behind a police car, waiting for an update.

"What's bomb squad doing in there? We can't have much time left." Bullock says.

In the building, Detective Yin is watching one of the members of the bomb squad analyzing the bomb, with an hour glass and a computer with words in green text on it.

"Well?" Montoya says.

"The wirings the real deal. They're definitely rigged to blow."

"And the word game?" Montoya asks.

"That kind of thing wasn't exactly covered in basic training."

At that moment, Montoya looks over and sees Spider-Bat hiding in the shadows, then hears Stacy's voice over the radio.

"Montoya, get everyone out of there now."

"Right away, chief. I'm right behind you, go." Montoya tells the bomb squad.

As everyone leaves, she turns to Spider-Bat he walks over to the bomb.

"Please tell me you have experience with this." Montoya says.

"If it makes you feel better. Yes." Peter replies.

He then reads the words on the computer screen.

"When you do not know what I am, then I am something. But when you know what I am, then I am nothing. What am I?" Peter reads.

Montoya sees that time is running out and starts to get nervous.

"We'll be nothing if we don't leave right now." She says.

"I am a riddle." Peter answers, quickly typing.

Before time full runs out he presses enter, disarming the bomb. Montoya breaths out in relief.

"Thank God."

"Bravo!" a voice says behind them.

The two turn around and sees Mysteriddle appearing out of green smoke. Montoya quickly pulls out her gun but Peter stops her from shooting. He walks over puts his hand straight through him.

"It's a hologram."

Montoya is surprised.

"It's so realistic." She says.

"Someone is very bright. You are definitely my worthy opponent. Spider-Bat."

Peter glares at the hologram.

"You have proven yourself qualified to play."

"Play? Play what?" Montoya asks.

"You might be asking yourself "play what?" right now. Well it's simple. A battle of wits. A duel of intellects. A night of Illusions and riddles, scattered throughout New York City for you to solve. And you alone, so I can prove that I am your superior in every way. If I hear anyone help with answers. or see police uniforms anywhere near Spider-Bat. New York loses."

"What the hell does that mean?" Montoya asks.

"Here's your next riddle. Ready? To cross the water, I'm the way. For water, I'm above. I touch it not, and truth to say. I neither swim nor move."

At that moment, the hologram cuts off.

"Fill in Stacy on the situation. I'm doing this alone."

Peter shoots out a web and leaves the building through a window on the ceiling as Commissioner Stacy and the other cops go into the building.

Peter swings through the city, making to New York City Bridge. He soon sees a green van with a question mark on the back.

"If I were a betting man. I'd say that's Mysteriddle's next test."

Spider-Bat drops down and slowly walks up to the van. The back doors then open automatically to reveal a computer screen with Mysteriddle on it.

"Ah, you made it, hero. Good thing you didn't drive. Because the bridge is set to blow. And only you can prevent it. Good luck."

The video feed cuts off and a three minute timer appears on the screen. Peter quickly jumps in the van, but is confused when he doesn't see a riddle on the screen. He quickly realizes that it's a puzzle instead of a riddle. As Peter starts to solve the puzzle, the van starts up and starts to drive on its own.

"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" Mysteriddle's voice says.

As there's only thirty seconds on the clock, Peter quickly steadies himself and tries to solve the puzzle as quick as possible. With two seconds left the hero solves the puzzle, deactivating the bombs and frustrating Mysteriddle.

"Well done, Batsy. The bridge survives, but will you? And only you can answer that riddle."

At that moment, the van drives off the bridge. Peter quickly throws an exploding batarang that blows open the doors behind him. He then shoots out a web, sticking to the bridge, as the van crashes down below.

"I'm getting sick of this." Peter says.

As he pulls himself up, he takes a closer look at the bombs under the bridge, noticing something is off with them. He then gets a call from Jill.

"Hey Jill, sorry about dipping out like that but it's not really a good time."

"Hold on, I just wanted to tell you I looked up the serial number. It came from a special effects design place in New York. It's abandoned now, closed a long time ago."

Peter then realizes something.

"Send me the location of the building."

Jill is confused.

"Why?" She asks.

"I'll explain later, just send it to me."

Jill soon agrees and sends the location to him.

Meanwhile, at the abandoned special effects design building, Mysteriddle laughs to himself.

"Now that I have proven my superiority, it's time to continue with business." He says, referring to robbing banks.

"We're not done yet, riddle." A voice says behind him.

Mysteriddle quickly turns around and sees Spider-Bat standing behind him.

"But- how?"

Peter smirks.

"That's a riddle for you to figure out." Peter says.

Mysteriddle then throws down a smoke bomb. When smoke clears, there's multiple Mysteriddle's standing infront of him.

"Give it up, Mysteriddle. Your illusions won't work on me."

The many Mysteriddle's start to charge at Peter.

"Let's see if that's true." They all say.

Three of the Mysteriddle's throw strikes that Peter easily dodges. Another one throws a kick, but the hero grabs him by the leg and throws him into one of his copies, smashing them both to reveal that they are robots.

"Robots. Which means I don't have to hold back." Peter says with a smirk.

One of the robots swings at him, but Peter ducks and punches a hole through it's chest. Another charges at him, with Peter jumping into the air and landing a three sixty roundhouse kick that knocks its head off. One robot then grabs him from behind while another one charges in with an attack but Peter counters with a kick that knocks off his head. He then rips off the arm of the robot holding him, flips into the air and hits it with its own arm. He then sees a Mysteriddle running away.

Peter shoots out a web and swings at him, kicking him into the wall. He then walks over, grabs Riddle by the shirt and punches the crystal ball, shattering it.

"The games over." Peter says.

Later at the precinct, as Stacy fills out paperwork on Mysteriddle, real name: Quentin Nygma. Jill then walks in to the precinct.

"Hey Uncle George, you ready for dinner?" She asks.

"Yeah, I just need a few more minutes here." He replies.

Jill then notices a familiar machine on the table, one that looks exactly like the one Peter gave her.

"Hey, where did you uh- get this from?" Jill asks.

"Oh, we got it off of a criminal. Used those things to create Illusions and rob banks and armored trucks. Luckily Spider-Bat was there to stop him." Stacy says.

When George says this, Jill slowly puts it all together. Realizing Peter's big secret.

The next day Peter sits on the couch with Andrea's number in one hand and his phone in the other. As he takes a deep breath, he hears a knock on the door. He sighs, then walks over to the door and opens it to reveal Jill.

"Jill? Hey, I guess you're here for an explanation for to-"

"You're Spider-Bat!" She yells, surprising Peter.