Chapter six: Laying the Groundwork. (Part two.)
Within a certain Clocktower, Barbara Gordon could be seen staring at a large computer screen that seemed filled to the brim with lines of code, security feeds, online news articles, social media feeds and more.
Barbara sighed as she turned away from the screens for a moment and rubbed her eyes, which appeared to be bloodshot with dark circles beneath them, signaling a lack of sleep. After being kidnapped by Waller and her agency, and Naruto going missing, she decided to skip school for a while, claiming that she needed to recuperate from the experience. It was easy for her to weasel out of school thanks to both Sympathetic teachers and her father who told her to take as much time as she needed.
An offer she was going to abuse to the fullest to focus on her work as Oracle. In fact, she had been working even later than usual to take full advantage of her extra time. So far, she had caught numerous glimpses of the League of Assassins prowling around Gotham, almost as if they were searching for their mark and it seemed like the entirety of the League was present as well, evidenced by the Demon's head himself spearheading the search.
Robin almost had a go at some of the League's Assassins, but they ignored him and retreated, suggesting that they weren't looking for any confrontation… for the time being at least. Oracle suggested to Batman that it would likely be a good idea to approach Talia and ask her directly what was going on. An idea he seemed to be considering for now, but it seemed that old Bruce was preoccupied with other things as well.
Try as he might, he couldn't do everything himself… and some days Barbara worried that he may crack under the pressure Bruce put on himself. Thank God he brought in some other heroes to help, like Black Canary.
For some reason, Bruce seemed heavily focused on this new 'Kingpin' that seemed to be making waves in Gotham. She suspected it was because that the Kingpin was something new, an unknown variable in the Batman's equation. For years he had fought against numerous Super Criminals from street level, to near godly, actual god, you name it. He studied their strengths, their weaknesses, their profiles, literally everything that could be used to forge a contingency plan against them.
Hell, Bruce even did the same for the JLA members in case any of them were manipulated, mind-controlled, or in (Barbara's opinion) the unlikely event that they may be turned. But the Kingpin? There was nothing on him.
No arrest records, no tax or birth records, nothing at all. No matches on facial, retinal, fingerprints, footprints, or any other means of identification. Not a single hit in the entire world. They had checked and quadruple checked in every database in the world with a fine-tooth comb… and nothing. The man was a ghost. It was almost as if he just… willed himself to exist and then stepped out of thin air.
All that aside… her main focus was finding Naruto. But even that was coming up empty since he hadn't shown his face since he vanished. She had even expanded her horizons and searched beyond and outside of Gotham… but still nothing. "DAMN IT!" She snapped angrily and slammed her fists against the armrests of her wheelchair. So much information at her fingertips that was but a few keystrokes away, and none of it could help her find one little boy that was an innocent victim of the court system.
She felt useless and powerless. If she were back to full or even near full strength, she'd don her mantle as Batgirl once again and run across the rooftops night and day until she found him. Unfortunately, her legs still disagreed with her… for now. Her musing was broken when something beeped on her Computer, it seemed she was receiving something from a listening device that had been given to Black Canary and was now active. Hopefully she could get something juicy.
For a while it was just idle chatter, or repeated requests for drinks. Sometimes she could hear Black Canary's voice every so often. Canary then got a little bold and asked about the Kingpin… and then heard some things from a voice that could only belong to Harley Quinn. Things that she couldn't unhear, the kinds of things that made her face feel scorching hot and a certain pressure to build inside her nose that she tried to hold back.
After a bit, she heard something that sounded like Canary might be in trouble, but then the situation seemed to diffuse somehow, and then a masculine voice began to speak whom she assumed to be the Kingpin himself "Ivy, how goes that project I asked you to do?" He asked, earning Oracle's interest. A project? With Poison Ivy involved?
"It's all coming together quite nicely. The first batches should be ready soon, due in no small part to my powers. You quite surprised me with this idea of yours." Spoke the voice of Ivy who seemed to be quite proud of herself. 'The first batches'? It sounded like this Kingpin had Ivy making something for him, undoubtedly plant based given Ivy's abilities… and that often spelled trouble since her plants could very well eat people. Some unlucky inmates in Arkham found that out the hard way during the Joker's riot.
"Indeed. A friend of mine once told me that you've gotta plan ten steps ahead of your opponent. I figured it was time to take some initiative." Spoke the masculine voice again. Opponent? Initiative? Was the Kingpin potentially referring to a gang war or something else entirely?
"Oh boy, oh boy! I can't wait for this! Mayor Hill is gonna crap himself when you pull out the big guns! I can't wait to see that bitch of a mayor get blown away!" Squealed the voice of Harley in a bubbly and excited manner. Wait… Mayor Hill? Big Guns? Blown away? What the hell was going on?! What did the Kingpin have against the mayor? This was extremely fishy to say the least. Barbara silently prayed that perhaps she was taking this conversation out of context, however there was only one thing she could do, she had to pass this along to Batman and see if this threat was real or not.
After ensuring the audio feed was saved in her logs for future use, she cut off the live feed and sent a message to the Batman. 'Kingpin is planning something. Might be targeting the mayor. Sending audio files now.' she typed out, and after a few more keystrokes, she sent the needed data to the Caped Crusader himself. Now, all she could do was wait and see what the Batman himself could dig up. In the meantime… she would continue her search for Naruto… and she would find him, she would keep him safe and take him home and would ensure that no one would ever hurt him again, least of all by those who abused and manipulated the law or disregard it entirely like Waller did.
The next morning, Gotham park.
Mayor Hill sat on a park bench, reading the morning newspaper to keep in the loop on current events. Elections were coming up soon and it was only a matter of time before someone decided that they'd challenge him, but Hill always won each and every time, and he was sure to win again this year. The loss of his secret Ally Rupert Thorne was a tremendous loss, but he was certain that a new arrangement could be made with another crime boss such as Falcone or Maroni.
Two old school mobsters that were still feared and respected to this day, and weren't psychotic like Black Mask, Two-Face, or the Ventriloquist. Speaking of famous Crime Bosses, it seemed a new name kept cropping up. The Kingpin. Quite the name, it almost seemed to command respect the moment you uttered it. Rumors upon rumors circulated, but no one could prove anything or separate fact from fiction.
All that was known about him was that he had spoken to Thorne sometime before he died, and that he had the backing of Super Criminals. Nothing else was really known. Hill took a sip of coffee from a thermos and nearly did a spit take upon seeing an article that described the GCPD conducting raids on numerous judges, legal representatives and politicians after an anonymous source provided hard evidence of their mob ties. If that were the case… how long would it be before the police came for him? Nah. If they were going to, they would have already done so. Hill's connection to Thorne was the mob boss' most closely guarded secret after all.
"Mayor 'Over-the-Hill'." Spoke a masculine voice as a blonde man sat on the other end of the bench, a strange looking woman with pink hair who was wearing a bowler hat standing next to him as she held her umbrella over his head, giving him some shade from the sun. Hill didn't bother hiding his annoyance at the nickname, something the people had started calling him during his longtime reign as Gotham's mayor.
"And who might you be?" The Mayor asked in a gruff manner, wondering why this man was bothering him. The blonde man in question smirked and replied "Minato Namikaze is my name. The papers refer to me as the Kingpin. Heck of a name, don't you think?"
Hill stiffened in his seat, scooching away a bit in fear as he glanced over his shoulder towards his nearby bodyguards, only to find that they were all on the ground beneath a tree… and one Poison Ivy was standing over them, her eyes peering from behind a set of sunglasses before she readjusted them and gave a small wave. "Seems your guards are sleeping on the job. Pretty lazy of them. You're probably gonna have to fire them when they wake up from their nap." 'Minato' spoke mockingly, which made the Mayor swallow a lump in his throat. He was alone now.
"You do anything to me, the GCPD will hunt you down." Hill bluffed, his voice wavering a bit as he tried to sound threatening… but his pale face and trembling body suggested otherwise as the Kingpin gave a snarky grin.
"I think Gordon and the cops are a bit preoccupied at the moment. Anyways, you can stop pissing yourself. I'm not gonna do anything to ya. We're just two men having a nice conversation on a nice day. What's there to be worried about?" The Blonde man asked casually, making the Mayor realize he was right. If he was planning to harm him, he would have done so. Though it probably would have been in a less public setting. Too many potential witnesses in a park after all.
"All right. What is it you want exactly? I'm a busy man." The aging mayor asked as he loosened his tie, even though he wasn't in any immediate danger… he still felt much like a mouse being cornered by a serpent. One venomous bite, and it'd be over.
'Minato' snorted a bit as he spoke "You don't seem that busy to me. And I just want to talk, nothing more. I checked in on you, did some research and all that. You've been mayor of Gotham for a long time. So long that people have a difficult time remembering when you weren't mayor. And for all that time, you don't seem to have done anything substantial or worthwhile.
The GCPD is understaffed and underfunded, violent crime is commonplace, healthcare is dwindling steadily, Arkham is slowly eroding away with doctors that care more about getting famous by 'curing' certain infamous inmates instead of giving care and rehabilitating inmates that can be potentially saved and… well… the list goes on. It seems you're not very good at your job Mr. Mayor.
And yet, for all of your failings, you have remained as mayor all the same. That leads me to suspect that all of the elections to date have been rigged in your favor, likely through the criminal element. In short, you're in bed with organized crime."
Once the Kingpin had finished speaking the mayor gave a nervous chuckle as he spoke "T-that is a nice story… but can you prove that to be fact?" In response to his question, Minato's eye became icy cold and sharp as a flint, a strange smile slowly stretching across his face that made Hill feel a pit form in his stomach and his breath to hitch inside of his throat.
After a long pause the blonde man finally answered with a simple "No." Which caused Mayor Hill to feel a strong sense of relief wash over him as he sighed happily at that. 'Minato then smiled all the wider as he said "Thanks for your time Mr. Mayor. I look forward to running against you in the elections." Wait… come again?
"You can't be serious. You? For mayor? The people of Gotham will never accept a crook as their mayor." The aging mayor spoke with a chortle, but was silenced when the blonde man wagged a lone finger from side to side.
"Indeed they won't. Your days are numbered Hill. Enjoy that posh office while it's still yours." The blonde man spoke as he got up from his seat, his ever present bodyguard tipping her hat to the mayor and then following close behind her boss, keeping her umbrella over his head as they walked towards a nearby limo where Poison Ivy was now waiting, leaving behind a nervous and perplexed mayor behind.
Both the Kingpin and Ivy entered the passenger area of the limo with Neo heading to the driver's seat. After a few moments the engine started and the limo slowly drove away. Off to the side, a short distance away from Mayor Hill, a woman with dark skin had been observing and listening to the exchange.
"Seems that Batman's hunch was on the money. The Kingpin did approach the mayor." Vixen spoke to herself as she quietly left the park area to report everything that she had seen and heard. All the while muttering a silent thanks to her amulet for giving her enhanced hearing to listen in.
It didn't seem like the Kingpin was intending physical harm against Mayor Hill… he was aiming to take his position. It wasn't the first time someone of the criminal element had attempted to take a position of power and authority, pretending to be some champion of the people or whatnot. The Penguin had once famously attempted this trick, but it fell flat upon his exposure as a criminal.
But the Kingpin? Nothing has been proven yet, which still gives him an advantage. For the moment, they would have to continue investigating. On another note, if he was running for Mayor, she could take an opportunity to try and get closer to him by using her connections in the fashion world, an endorsement or something to plant herself closer and giving herself a chance to see if she could sniff out anything.
She would tail him for a while to see if he did anything suspicious before reporting in. Best to be thorough after all.
Meanwhile, with the Kingpin.
"Kami almighty. That guy was a wimp." Spoke the form of Naruto as he dropped his Henge for the time being, with the form of Poison Ivy giggling a bit. Even at a distance it seemed like Mayor Hill was ready to lose control of his bowels as he and the Kingpin conversed.
While she could have given the Mayor's guards a little smooch and watch them writhe and suffocate from her toxins, the boss didn't want to give the police or the mayor himself any reason to investigate him seriously. So she just threw a little sleep dust in their faces to let them sleep off their worries. Public image and all that.
"Indeed. Though I'm curious… why did you lie about not being able to expose him? You do have the evidence to put Hill behind bars, just like all those others you exposed to Gordon after looking through Thorne's records." Ivy asked with a raised eyebrow, running a hand through her silky crimson locks.
Naruto waved a lone finger and answered "I could have put him in jail. But then I figured that an already unpopular mayor would be a much easier opponent than whatever vulture would have come to swoop in and try to take the empty mayor's seat. Too many unknowns for my tastes and Harvey recommended that I withhold the evidence for the time being, to which I agreed. But if Hill tries anything funny… well I have a veritable political 'atom bomb' with his name on it."
Naruto spoke, the metaphor having come to mind after having spent some time to study and better familiarize himself with world history and other subjects to better blend in. The world was much bigger than the Shinobi Nations after all, and now he was part of the bigger world. Ivy gave a slow nod of understanding, knowing it would be a pleasure to see everything taken away from Mayor Hill. And her own project was the lynchpin to both his downfall, and her boss' rise to power.
All the arrangements are being made now, both Penguin and the Ventriloquist were in the middle of their preparations while Two-Face was organizing the Kingpin's campaign. Everything was coming together now. So long as they kept their noses clean, not even the Batman could intervene with their plans.
"I'm curious, do you intend to bring the other Families into the fold? Falcone? Maroni? Black Mask?" She asked as she loosely laced her fingers under her chin, with the Uzumaki giving a small wink.
"I'll extend an invitation, whether or not they decide to join up is up to them. Naturally if they refuse, I'm content to live and let live, but if they start something… I'll sure as hell finish it." He promised at the end, while he didn't believe in starting fights without just cause… that didn't mean he wasn't going to be prepared in the event one started.
Ivy gave a sultry smile as they drove in comfortable silence as the limo began to enter the outskirts of Gotham, instead of cold stone buildings and skyscrapers, grassy fields and trees became visible which caused the green skinned woman to gaze upon the lush landscape and wonder how long it would be until Gotham continued to expand and continue to snuff out the greenery. Speaking of which… she knew something that no one else did about the City, something she had never told anyone since she doubted that anyone would believe her.
From what she understood, the very essence of evil seemed to permeate the soil that Gotham city was built upon. The plants that she attempted to raise and cultivate within Gotham whispered to her of an ancient and nameless evil. It was almost as if a sickness or a tumour existed in Gotham. Unseen but still their and causing the place to rot away. Not that she really cared since it wasn't her concern.
"Something on your mind Ivy?" Naruto asked her, causing her to shake her head and reply back "Nothing important." She then smirked a bit when she noticed that the whiskered teen was checking the time, likely in anticipation for his upcoming date.
"Nervous? Don't be. If you can stare down the Batman, you can certainly handle a date." She spoke with a small giggle, though felt a mild bit of jealousy that she wasn't his date… she may need to rectify that later. While she wasn't usually into the younger ones… Naruto was something else. A rare breed of a human being. He even promised to find rare and endangered plants and flowers for her to cultivate and restore in her own private plant sanctuary as a small thanks for her services. Something that no one had ever done for her before.
Now she just needed to find a nice location to place it, preferably someplace far from the stink and pollution of the big city. "Of course I'm nervous! I've never been on a date before." The Uzumaki spoke, shocking the crimson haired woman at this statement. Seriously?
"You've got to be joking. A handsome young boy like you has never had a girlfriend? Never been on a date?" She asked in an astonished voice, she certainly wasn't expecting that. Plus he acted so charming and gentlemanly as well, what girl wouldn't want a kind hearted and respectful young man like him?
"I've had friends that are girls. I have hung out with said friends that are girls. But an actual girlfriend and an official date? Nope. Never. Not a one. At one time there was a girl I liked, or thought I liked at least, but every time I asked her out, her first response was either to scream in my face or clock me on the head." He confessed as he nervously scratched a spot behind his ear with a frown. His words made Ivy frown a bit… if she ever found this girl that beat him… well, it would involve lots of plant tentacles and it would not be for pleasurable purposes.
Largely because it reminded her of how the Joker treated Harley. Poor girl, though on the upside she hasn't once mentioned anything about her 'Puddin' since their release. In fact she seems genuinely happy for some reason these days. But now she was digressing and then spoke to the Jinchuuriki "I think you'll do fine. Just continue being your usual sweet and endearing self and she'll be all over you." Preferably not on that last part. She wasn't gonna let some random hussie paw over her young boss.
Her words made him crack a smile since she showed genuine confidence in him. He supposed she was right, he had been exceptionally more successful with the fairer sex of late, but he couldn't help but wonder how much of that could be attributed to those pheromones he puts out. Still, it's not like he could control it and the ladies minds were still their own. "Thanks Ivy. You're a kind person." He spoke with a smile, causing her to blush a bit in embarrassment.
"I'm not kind." She murmured ruefully given her past crimes. Their conversation came to a close as the limo slowed down before coming to a full stop in front of an empty plot of land where a crew of contractors seemed to be putting down the foundation for a large mansion. After a moment, Neo opened the door for them, allowing the two passengers to exit the limo.
Naruto donned his favored Henge, resuming his 'Minato' persona and exited the vehicle while taking Ivy's hand and assisting her out like a gentleman. The Kingpin smiled as he and his companions walked towards the construction area where the foreman appeared to be waiting for them, expecting their arrival.
Since the Kingpin would be taking permanent residence in Gotham, he may as well have a home built for himself and his precious people. Someplace to kick his feet up and call home, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Someplace private with clean air, open skies and no noisy or nosy neighbors. The land had been purchased just a short while ago, and most fortunately, this particular area didn't need to have any trees cut down and cleared away, much to Ivy's relief.
"Ah! Good day to you sir! My apologies, but do you prefer Mr. Kingpin or Mr. Namikaze?" The foreman asked in a respectful tone, clearly not wanting to offend the man. He was told by Mr. Cobblepot to treat the Kingpin with the highest respect and the best services money could buy after all.
"I don't really care." Was the Blonde man's dismissive response as he breathed in the fresh air, the Foreman simply nodded as he pulled out a ledger full of blueprints and designs for what would be 'Minato's' home and offered it to the Kingpin while speaking. "Very good Mr. Kingpin. We have plenty of designs for your home, just pick the one you like and we'll get to building it up."
The blonde man accepted the ledger and flipped through the pages, he ignored most of the western designs and then smiled when he came to the section full of eastern designs which gave him a sense of nostalgia. A number of them reminding him of the Clan compounds back in Konoha. Finally, he found one to his liking and pointed to it saying "This is the one I want."
The Foreman glanced at the chosen blueprint and nodded his head as he spoke "An excellent choice Mr. King in! That's a classy choice. If you want we can add in other things like an indoor pool and spa, home theater room and whatnot, whatever you like."
"Sure. Add those in, if I'm gonna live big, may as well have a home to match it." The Blonde man spoke as the Foreman began to list off some other options to choose from and add to the soon-to-be-built home, starting off with security systems.
Meanwhile, Hidden a short distance away, Vixen was observing everything while camouflaged in order to avoid attention. "Huh. Seems like he's having a home built. Close enough to Gotham where he can easily go to and from it, but far enough away to ensure privacy." She muttered quietly to herself.
Nothing of true suspicion going on here, it was only natural that someone would wish for privacy and a home of their own to rest their head. Vixen decided it would be best to leave for now since it seemed like the man would be here for a while, and besides it would soon be Dinah's turn to get some dirt on him since she was scheduled for one-on-one time with him.
Even if she didn't learn anything of his operations, she could still attempt to get a read on his character and personality. As she quietly walked away, she activated a communicator on her person, connecting her directly to the Batman. "Vixen here, the Kingpin made contact with the mayor as you predicted." She spoke, beginning her report on everything she had witnessed.
"How did that go? Any hostilities?" The caped crusader asked her in a professional manner.
"Didn't seem that way. It looked more like our Kingpin was taunting Mayor Hill. More importantly, this Minato character seems like he's going to be running for mayor. How are things on your end? Have you investigated Thorne's former turf?" She asked at the end, wondering if the Batman had made any progress thus far.
The Dark Knight assumed that evidence of the Kingpin's own crimes might be found in Thorne's old territory which the Kingpin quickly claimed for himself. "Not good. Thorne's turf and fronts have been cleaned out and are being 'repurposed' for reasons unknown. I questioned a few grunts, but they claimed ignorance, except that the Kingpin ceased and dismantled the sale and production of illegal drugs. Something about 'going legit'." Batman replied as he thought over what little findings there was.
By all appearances it seemed like this Minato was cleaning house, but he could simply be doing this to scrub away all evidence of his crimes and to set up a good public image. And if he was aiming for the Mayor's office, he couldn't afford to get careless. But even so… it didn't seem to deter him from keeping questionable company.
"Let's hope that Canary and squeeze something out of him." Mari muttered as she rubbed her temples and then hanged up. It was all up to Dinah for now, because so far… they were hitting a lot of dead ends.
Later.
Black Canary sighed to herself as she waited outside of her 'apartment', a small part of herself wishing that she was anywhere else in the world but here. She felt stiff and rigid, her blood churning inside of her as she felt a powerful desire to walk down a dark alleyway and start knocking the teeth out of any creeps that tried to jump her.
God she hated undercover work where she had to pretend to be something she wasn't. She much preferred a straight-up fistfight and beatdown over having to play and act out a role. "Part of the job. Part of the job." She spoke to herself as if it were her mantra.
She checked inside her purse which contained certain items including a button sized listening device, a pocket mirror, makeup kit that had a set of lockpicks, gas bombs disguised in the form of a pearl necklace, her earrings had trackers in them, and of course a cell-phone that had a direct line to her allies. All provided by the Batman. And if anything went wrong, help was but a button push away.
She sighed and then reminded herself that she was being counted on to find something, anything about the Kingpin. Even the smallest detail could finally reveal the kinks and flaws in the walls he had built around himself. If they could find one, then they could finally start chipping away at him until he was exposed for the whole world to see.
Her musing came to a close as a black limo rolled up and came to a stop in front of her. The driver's door opened as a young looking woman with pink hair emerged who tipped her hat to the blonde woman and opened the door for her in the passenger area, gesturing for her to get in "..."
"Evening." Dinah greeted curtly as she approached the open door, her eyes carefully scanning the girl who seemed to have a rather unique fashion sense. Neo smirked and gave a playful wink "..."
"She says you look lovely in your dress. The blue compliments your eyes." Spoke a masculine voice from inside the passenger area as Dinah ducked her head inside and found 'Minato' casually sitting inside wearing a crimson dinner jacket. It seemed like he enjoyed wearing the color red for some reason, but who was she to judge? Numerous heroes and villains alike often had a color scheme, either to fit a certain motif, personal preference, or both. And wait… when did that girl speak?
"She says?" Dinah questioned glancing over at the pink haired chauffeur with a raised eyebrow. Neo just continued smiling at her in a friendly manner… a little too friendly for the Canary's liking, there was something a little off about this girl. The pinkette gestured for her to enter once again "..."
"She says that she doesn't wish to be rude, but we shouldn't dilly-dally." The blonde man spoke as he translated for his personal bodyguard and driver. He didn't really understand why, but for some reason he could perfectly understand Neo without words needing to be spoken. Dinah nodded her head and stepped inside, allowing the silent girl to shut the door behind her as she took a seat across from her target, mentally steeling herself since she refused to be flummoxed like last time.
"So, where to?" The blonde woman asked as she smoothed out her dress, she couldn't help but wonder where he planned to take her for dinner. Her host gave a smirk as he replied "Sorry, but I don't want to spoil anything. For now, call it a test of faith. I'm quite sure you'll enjoy the place I have chosen." Dinah pursed her lips for a moment and then smiled, she may as well try to at least pretend to enjoy herself as she played along.
"Once again, I apologize about what happened at the Iceberg Lounge. I hope that I can make it up to you tonight." He spoke apologetically as the limo began to drive down the street, the undercover heroine brushed him off and replied to him "Don't worry. I'm not going to hold a grudge over it or anything."
"I appreciate that. Most people aren't that forgiving." He muttered the last part out making her raise an eyebrow, but she paid no mind to it. She would have to be careful about how she handled this. If she pushes too hard, she might make him suspicious. She'd have to pick any questions with care. For now, it may be best to try and engage in idle conversation to get him talking, he'd have to slip up somewhere or other. But what to talk about first?
"Do you train a lot?" Her host asked, making her snap to attention as she raised an eyebrow. That seemed a little out of left field. "Pardon my asking, but I couldn't help but notice your hands. Seems like you've done a lot of training." The Kingpin spoke as he gestured to her hands, pointing out the callouses on her knuckles.
"Oh, yeah. I do. I learned boxing and self-defence techniques. It's a great way to stay in shape and learn how to defend myself." She replied back, earning a nod from her fellow blonde as he smiled.
"I respect that. I like ladies that can handle themselves." He spoke in a complimentary tone and then gestured to a nearby mini fridge as he continued to speak "Can I offer you anything to drink? Wine? Champagne?"
"No thanks. Can I ask you a personal question or two?" She asked, hoping to keep things moving along. Her host laced his fingers together and leaned forward a bit as he answered her "Of course you can. But in exchange, I get to ask you something in return. Fair trade and all that."
She nodded her head since that seemed reasonable, and it wasn't like she was going to tell him anything that could expose her. "Do you have any family?" She asked him, and then she noticed a saddened expression on his face as he scratched his nose. A touchy subject?
"Nah. No family." He spoke as he shook his head sadly. Of course he wouldn't have any family, that probably would have been too easy a source of information. An orphan then? Someone that fell through the cracks?
"My turn. Do you have any hobbies?" He asked casually, clearly trying to shift the subject to something more positive. The blonde crime fighter smirked a little as she answered him "I like to sing."
"Really? That sounds awesome. I hope I can hear you sing sometime, you have a nice voice." He complimented her, causing her to blush at the praise. Was it getting warmer in here now? It felt a bit stuffy for some reason.
She decided to shrug it off for now and asked him "What's your biggest fear?" At her question 'Minato' rubbed the back of his neck for a moment and then replied "Being alone." Huh. That was an interesting response.
Many people feared different things, often stemming from some kind of trauma. Some people feared dogs, some people feared fires, or drowning, or heights. But being alone? That sounded as though there was a story behind it.
"Can you… elaborate on that please?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, hoping to get some more insight into his character. The blonde man thought for a moment and then nodded, deciding to oblige her.
"Have you ever been alone? Or rather, have you ever FELT truly alone? The funny thing about loneliness is, is that you don't need to be alone in order to feel alone. Growing up, I had no family whatsoever. Most everyone ignored my existence, preferring to keep me out of sight and mind as if I were a ghost. It was a terrible feeling.
Some days it became almost unbearable. That is, until I met people that acknowledged my existence and became my friends. Since you asked me two questions, I get to ask two questions." He spoke at the end, giving a cheeky grin, though it seemed a little forced as though he were trying to hide his pain. Not that she could blame him.
"That's fair. Hit me." She replied, giving him the go ahead to ask her what he wanted. The Kingpin then asked her "First, what's your opinion on the state of Gotham? Second, when is your birthday."
Huh. A political and personal question. Seemed like he was trying to get a view on her beliefs and opinion on the city, guess that made sense since he was planning to run for Mayor. "Honestly speaking? Gotham is in need of a major overhaul. I could spend all night and day listing off everything wrong here, and I wouldn't even scratch the surface. Anyone will tell you the same thing. And as for my birthday… it's April 10th." She spoke at the end, a small smile on her face since her birthday was coming up soon.
"Not too far off then. I'll have to get you something nice. Whoever you are." The blonde man spoke as his eyes became as sharp and cold as ice.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. What was going on? What did he mean by that? Did… did he figure out her identity. How? Where did she go wrong?
"I checked your employee file after your little run-in with Crush. I wanted to learn a bit about you before our dinner since I didn't want to go in totally blind. In your file your birthday is marked as August 3rd." He replied as he scratched his nose, making Dinah mutter a quiet 'shit'. She'd forgotten that detail and she hadn't expected him to look through her file either. What a stupid slipup.
"How did you know? What made you suspect me?" She asked, and instead of answering directly, the blonde man pulled out something from his pocket and tossed it to the floor… it was the listening device she had planted on the table of his subordinates.
"Found that little number under the table. I guess you left it behind in your flustered state. And since you were the only waitress serving my people… it was easy guesswork. To be honest, I got a bit lucky when I dropped my fork and found it under there. And of course I didn't want to jump to conclusions so I chose to probe you a bit before accusing you. Bad luck for you." He explained with a shrug, prompting Black Canary to stiffen up, if he made a move she would beat the crap out of him.
"I'm guessing you're one of those Hero types. The Batman sent you to spy on me? Try and dig for info?" He asked knowingly, causing Dinah to slowly mod her head in confirmation. No point in hiding behind false pretenses now. He had already caught on.
"What happens now?" She asked stiffly, her hands balling into fists as she watched him carefully. He seemed way too relaxed for her liking… this could only spell 'trap.'
"That depends on what you want. We can either pretend this didn't happen and can have a nice dinner together. Or if you want, we can drop you off somewhere and part ways peacefully." He responded in a casual voice, causing her to raise an eyebrow. Was this guy serious?
"You aren't angry that I lied to you or anything? You're not gonna try to capture me or kill me for spying on you?" She asked incredulously, was this guy playing games with her? But then… why didn't she sense any immediate danger?
Her questions seemed to confuse him as he answered "Why would I do that? You're just doing your job as a Hero. Nothing worth being upset over in that. And I have no reason to hurt you. I hate seeing ladies get hurt." He spoke the last part out since a number of his closest friends back home were of the fairer sex and had always treated him in a kindly manner.
Silence filled the passenger area, save for the sounds of cars passing by as the atmosphere was tense and heavy. "It would seem best to postpone dinner, it would be awkward at this point of time. Would you like to be dropped off anywhere?" He offered in a patient tone, a warm grin on his face.
Dinah was silent for a few moments, before finally replying "Just drop me off here." At that, the Kingpin nodded his head and instructed Neo to stop the limo. She instantly complied and the vehicle slowed to a full stop allowing Black Canary the chance to leave.
She slowly reached for the door, her eyes locked squarely on the Kingpin since she didn't want to leave her back exposed to him. She stopped when 'Minato' snapped his fingers and reached into his back pocket, making Canary tense up. One wrong move and she'd blast him with her signature Cry. She believed he may have been reaching for a weapon… but instead he pulled out a wallet and fished out some cash from inside. "Here, some taxi fare if you need it. Feel free to keep the change." He offered as he presented a thick wad of bills to her.
"Where'd you get that money? Shakedowns?" She asked with a small sneer, not wanting to accept blood money. The Kingpin chuckled a bit and replied in a cheerful voice "Nah. Poker winnings actually. Go ahead and help yourself."
Dinah was surprised and found that she couldn't sense any deceit from him, sighing to herself she reluctantly and spoke "I don't get it. You seem like a nice person, so why is it you're associating with criminals?"
"Let's just say that I'm somewhat familiar with the criminal element. I used to live in a slum myself, had to do some questionable things to make it through the daily grind. But that's a story for another day. Before you go… do you mind telling me your hero name?" The Kingpin asked out of innocent curiosity.
Dinah didn't see the harm in telling him that and replied "I'm called Black Canary. You seem like a decent guy, so let me give you some friendly advice… you should be mindful of the company you keep. The more involved you get in the criminal underground, the deeper they'll drag you in until you're swallowed by the abyss and you may end up in a deep and dark place where you won't be able to crawl out of."
At her words, her fellow blonde gave a slow nod of understanding as he replied "Appreciate that. And believe me… I learned that lesson the hard way when someone I thought was my friend tried to kill me. Now let me share something with you; you and your friends most likely know about my bid for the mayor's seat. I don't really care if you do. You hero types take it upon yourselves to fight crime, protect the innocent and all that good stuff.
But chew on this… are you the cure that eliminates the crime at the root? Or are you just a painkiller to suppress the symptoms? Just a little food for thought. At any rate, it was still nice meeting you Ms. Canary. I do hope we can have that dinner sometime. I'm sorry for any inconvenience."
Dinah said nothing further as she exited the vehicle, when she shut the door behind her, the limo slowly drove away, leaving her behind on the street to think on the Kingpin's parting words. Cure? Painkiller? Was he implying that the methods employed by almost every hero wasn't working in the long run of things? Well… he's not entirely wrong.
For years heroes everywhere have clashed with the forces of evil, from iconic villains to common street punks. And it often seemed an endless battle. But even so, that didn't mean that they could take the law into their own hands. Just what was the Kingpin's game? What was he planning? And… why did a man like him have to be on the wrong side of the law? He seemed like a genuinely good person. She could only hope that he hadn't gone too far down THAT road just yet… she would really hate to have to arrest him. But even so, if it came down to it… she may need to cuff him to save him from himself.
The Black Canary decided to head back and report on what transpired, she had a lot to process for tonight.
Later. Iceberg Lounge VIP Room.
"The Black Canary? Well I'll be… it would seem that my lounge's employee screening will have to be much more thorough in the event the Heroes try planting another mole." Spoke the form of the Penguin after Naruto informed their newly formed council of what had transpired.
"Don't trouble yourself too much Mr. Cobblepot. I doubt they'll try that trick again anytime soon, they'll know we'd be expecting it." Naruto spoke as he leaned back in his seat, as he practiced flipping around a butterfly knife, his words putting the Penguin at ease as he nodded his head since that was true… nevertheless he'd still make sure to avoid making the same mistakes twice.
"Feb. Spineless worm. If it were me I would have popped her off." Spoke the form of Scarface who was sitting on Peyton's lap, the Ventriloquist in question having a frown on her face since he had earlier said he'd behave himself… it seemed like he lied so he could be able to move about.
"Then let's all be grateful that I'm not as stupid as you are. Not every problem can be solved with a bullet. In fact, most often it can only create more problems. The heroes are looking for even the slightest excuse now to make a move on us. We just need to be patient. That aside… harming women puts a bad taste in my mouth." Naruto spoke as he glared at the Muppet.
"Stupid?! Me?! Why I ought to…" Scarface half-shouted until Peyton yanked her hand free of his backside, letting the dummy slump forward lifeless. It was time for him to go on yet another timeout… a very long one. Maybe even permanent if he didn't mind his manners. The Ventriloquist stuffed the dummy into a nearby duffel bag, much to everyone's gratitude as Harvey decided to take this chance to speak.
"What's done is done and we're still in the green. Your campaign is all coming together, and we'll be good to go by the end of the week." The Former DA spoke, prompting the whiskered teen to give his thanks.
"Thanks Harvey. So then, we're all in agreement with our current roles. I shall handle the political realm from the Mayor's office upon my election. Harvey shall handle our legal and PR teams due to his experience as a Former DA. Mr. Cobblepot shall handle our black market and underground connections and imports/exports. And Ms. Riley will handle the management of our business fronts with the exclusion of personal establishments, like Penguin's Iceberg lounge. Are we agreed?" The Jinchuuriki asked, earning a series of nods from the newly formed council.
"Excellent. No objections then. Mr. Penguin, how goes that project that I asked you to take care of?" The Uzumaki asked with a hint of anticipation, his question making the Penguin give off an almost sinister chuckle.
"All the paperwork is in order and everything will be ready on the morrow. Ms. Poison Ivy just needs to deliver on her end and everything will be right as rain. All that is needed is a name for your company." Oswald spoke prompting the blonde to scratch his cheek for a moment, it didn't take long for him to decide on a name.
"Inari Pharmaceuticals. That'll do. And don't worry, Ivy is almost ready. It'll all come together shortly. Let me close this meeting by saying thank you all for your contributions and cooperation. Let's continue to keep our heads and avoid making any impromptu mistakes. As for the soon-to-come unveiling ceremony, I'll leave the preparation to you Mr. Penguin." Naruto spoke, prompting Oswald to tip his hat in acknowledgement.
With all of that said and done, the meeting was now adjourned as they all left their seats, Peyton sent a flirty wink towards the young Uzumaki, to which he replied in kind and then mimed a kiss, causing the Ventriloquist to giggle a bit and mouth 'tease'. The Uzumaki then approached the form of Harley who seemed to be doing some stretches. At the moment she was performing a handstand with her legs performing a split, giving an almost perfect view of her crotch.
"Heya puddin'! All done with the jaw wagging? If ya want, how about you take a nice long ride on your Harley?" She asked, her face flushed red, possibly from both arousal and the blood rushing to her head since she seemed to have been holding that pose for a while.
Naruto smirked a bit as he answered "I might take you up on that soon. We've been busy for some time now. And it wouldn't reflect well of me if I didn't give my girls some attention. Though I must ask that we wait a bit longer, I want our current business squared away before we get into any naughty bedroom stuff. If you want, I could use a cuddle buddy."
Harley giggled with a fiendish grin, this boy was just so sweet and caring. He never belittled her, never beat her or anything like that. Even if they hadn't known each other for very long… she felt a strong connection to him, and he filled an empty space in her heart that the Joker never could. She wanted Naruto. To be needed by Naruto. To make Naruto happy. That was what she wanted.
"Puddin' you can do whatever you want to your Harley. You can take me for a ride, yank on my pigtails, smack my bubble butt red and raw, or you can stuff up my holes full of your boy meat and dick cream. Anytime, anywhere. Just say the word and I'm all ready for ya." She cooed as she performed a small flip, landing in front of him and thrust her crotch forward in a vulgar manner.
"Quinn. You know I care for you. But if you keep getting my hormones and blood flowing, you might find yourself biting off way more than you can chew." The whiskered teen promised as he gave one of Harley's breasts a firm smack, making her let out a small yelp followed by a giggle. She was so looking forward to violating this boy… and being violated by him. When she was done with him, he won't be able to live without some fresh and hot white meat in his daily diet.
"Now, all flirting aside Quinn. Call up Crush. I got a job for her." Naruto spoke as he walked out with Harley following close behind him.
"You gonna tell the rocker babe about your real self? The pale skinned clown girl asked with a raised eyebrow, prompting Naruto to hum in thought.
"Been thinking about it. I'll tell her soon, though I don't think she'd care either way. Anyways, be sure to behave and not cause unnecessary trouble. We still have a ways to go yet." Naruto spoke with a grin, with his Harley giggling almost sadistically. Knowing full well that the fun was only just beginning.