"This way, if you please," The Penguin henchman said as he led us inside the club, and I paused for a second to take in and appreciate the fancy interior design.
The place looked luxurious, almost exaggeratedly so, with waiters in elegant black suits running around while carrying trays of champagne and every expensive alcoholic beverage you could imagine.
The tables and seats were all mahogany wood, and their over-the-top posh appearance was only emphasized by the dim lighting, the countless sculptures, the giant golden chandelier hanging from the roof, and relaxing piano music playing in the background.
"Place is even fancier on the inside..." I casually remarked as I started moving after a second of looking around, quickly catching up to the henchman, Richard, and Benjamin.
"Looks like overcompensation if you ask me..." Benjamin said with a scoff as he shook his head at no one in particular, causing me to chuckle while Richard merely sent his friend an admonishing look.
The henchman heard Benjamin's words and likely understood the jab at The Penguin's appearance and froze, but quickly cleared his throat and kept walking as if the dark-skinned man didn't just insult his boss.
He'd probably be reporting the insult to The Penguin, and the situation might escalate, depending on how the mob boss would react, but there was no use worrying over it right now.
I honestly didn't dislike The Penguin. He was a breath of fresh air when it came to Batman's rogue gallery since he was probably the only one who wasn't bat-shit crazy.
While most of the caped crusader's villains would spend their entire lives brooding on how to get back at Batman, Penguin wanted nothing to do with the guy and always tried to fly under his radar.
He was just a mob boss, sometimes a sympathetic, fiercely intelligent, and cunning one with a comic appearance, but he was merely a mob boss in the end, nonetheless, and that was a good thing in this crazy city.
I'd prefer not to get into a conflict with him if possible, but I will stand by Ben if it comes to it. Hopefully, The Penguin isn't petty enough to call him out on it, and it won't be necessary.
"Hmm? Who's that...?" I remarked, halting my steps as I noticed a pale white woman with black makeup over her eyes, dressed in a very conspicuous outfit with a penguin henchman escorting her inside the club.
'Is that a gender-bent Lobo...?' I mused to myself as I noticed how much she resembled the intergalactic mercenary from the comics, causing me to frown under my helmet.
"That would be Crush," The Penguin henchman explained as he stopped and turned to where I was looking. "She had been fighting in underground rings all over America for a while now..." he went on as he resumed moving, and I followed along, listening intently.
"Her presence was an unexpected but welcome surprise to the boss," the henchman concluded, prompting me to hum while keeping my eyes on the girl.
She seemed to have sensed my stare and looked at me before turning a corner, giving me a challenging smirk before disappearing into a hallway, to which my frown only deepened.
'That can't be good...' I held back a sigh as I shook my head and resumed following the henchman, but my teacher seemed to have caught on that something was wrong.
"Something wrong with that girl...?" Richard asked as he turned to me, raising an eyebrow, to which Benjamin gave me a quizzical look of his own, seemingly curious.
"She looks like someone. Someone who's bad news," I replied with a sigh as I shrugged my shoulders. "And I mean Superman level of bad news," I added, waving my hand to the side, much to the two men's confusion.
"What do you mean?" Richard asked, his tone concerned as he frowned after hearing my words, and Benjamin looked just as confused and concerned as he was.
"She looks like a female version of Lobo, the alien mercenary who fought Superman and almost won more than once," I replied with a sigh, toning down my voice so that the henchman who was trying to eavesdrop wouldn't hear me.
Richard was about to reply, but the henchman interrupted him as he stopped in front of a room with a sign that had the word Wraith on its door after we climbed into the club's second floor.
"Looks like you were expected, after all, kid," Benjamin said, raising an eyebrow as he proceeded to ignore the henchman's presence and open the door to go inside.
Richard and I followed along into the room as impressively decorated as the rest of Iceberg Lounge, and the henchman waited for us to go inside before he started speaking.
"The tournament will start in two hours. We will send someone to find you when the time comes," The henchman said as he cleared his throat to get our attention.
"You are free to roam the Iceberg Lounge and enjoy its services, all of which are on the house, of course," he added as he took a step back and reached for the door.
"If you need anything, then feel free to approach any of the servers and ask them," the henchman remarked. "Now, if you will excuse me..." he concluded, pausing as he inspected our faces, and we nodded, prompting him to close the door and leave.
"That girl—" Richard said as soon as the henchman closed the door and left, and I quickly cut him off as I stood up and asked him to wait with a gesture.
I began checking the room for bugs, and after three minutes, I was standing in front of my teacher with a handful of microphones and listening devices that were hidden in almost every corner.
"Now it's safe to speak," I said with a shrug as I closed my palm, crushing the listening devices into countless pieces that fell on the floor as I relaxed my hand.
"The girl, do you think you can beat her...?" Richard asked, frowning as he watched me move to the couch and make myself comfortable by helping myself to the refreshments.
"If she's as strong as Lobo, then my chances are slim to none," I honestly replied with a sigh. Lobo was shown to have Superman-level strength on more than one occasion and was even capable of destroying planets.
"It's not a problem of winning or losing, though. I'd prefer not to fight the girl.." I added while shaking my head as I took off my helmet to take a sip from a soda can in my hand.
"It would be a lose-lose situation for me whether I win or lose. I'd have to go all out if I was to have any chance at winning," I explained as I drained the drink and threw the can into the trash.
"Even then, I'm not sure I would..." I concluded as I put my helmet back and leaned on the couch to contemplate my options. Richard understood my reluctance as I'd already explained I wanted to keep my super strength under wraps for now.
Still, I couldn't back out since Richard's pride was on the line, and he'd look like a chump in front of Lady Shiva if someone else disqualified me before I even got the chance to fight Cassandra.
"I wouldn't put it past Lady Shiva to have arranged for me to fight Crush before Cassandra to get me disqualified, considering what she did to get her daughter to get her here," I remarked as I turned to my teacher for confirmation as he knew her better than me.
"Sandra might go to surprising extremes to get what she wants, but even she has her honor," Richard replied, speaking matter-of-factly as he firmly shook his head in denial.
"She would not go this far," Richard concluded in an assured tone as if my worries were unfounded and I had to believe him since he knew the crazy bitch better than me.
"I might end up fighting Crush before Cassandra either way, so it doesn't really matter," I said as I got up. "Guess I'll have to deal with it when it comes," I concluded as I walked towards the door.
"I'll take a walk and scope out the competition. You need anything before I go?" I asked, my gaze alternating between Richard and Benjamin, who shook their heads.
"Well, call me if something comes up," I remarked as I reached for the door's handle but stopped as I heard knocking coming from the other side.
I opened the door and raised an eyebrow as I saw the same henchman who brought us here standing on the other side of the door frame with his hands behind his back.
"Mr. Cobblepot has asked me to invite you to his office," the henchman blankly said as he looked at me. "Please follow me if you are not preoccupied," he politely added to clarify he was merely asking.
...
Now, what could The Penguin want with me...?' I blankly mused as I turned to Richard, and he just shrugged to show I should do whatever I wanted.
The way the henchman put it made it seem he was merely asking and not demanding, which made me curious, to be honest. I'd never expected Oswald Cobblepot of all people to ask nicely.
My answer would have been an automatic no if the henchman tried to make demands, and I would have probably flipped him off or beat the shit out of him, but you get the idea.
"And what does Mr. Cobbepot to talk about exactly?" I asked as I turned back to the henchman, unconsciously crossing my arms in front of my chest, my paranoia coming to the surface.
"I wouldn't know, sir. The boss merely asked me to request you to see him in his office. That's all," The henchman replied, clearly knowing nothing about his boss' intentions.
"Well, I don't see why not. Lead the way," I said after pausing for a second to think, shrugging my shoulder as I exited the room and gestured for the henchman to start moving.
"I'll see you guys in a minute," I said as I turned to Richard and Benjamin before moving to follow the henchman, and they only nodded in response without saying anything.
The henchman remained quiet as he led me through the club's second floor, making several turns through the fancily decorated halls until we reached our destination.
"Mr. Cobblepot is inside. He's already been notified of your presence," the henchman remarked as he took a step back and turned to leave without saying another word.
I watched him leave and thoughtfully hummed as I reached for the door and opened it, promptly making my way inside, wondering why there were no guards at the door.
I immediately got an answer as I stepped inside, halting in surprise as I saw the Penguin in all his glory smoking a cigar while sitting behind his luxurious desk with a fucking giant humanoid Orca whale standing guard over him.
"Ah, there you are..." The Penguin said with a relaxed smile as he watched me enter the room, only to freeze at the sight of his bodyguard. He didn't bother to hide his amusement at my reaction either.
"No need to be alarmed. Allow me to introduce Orca. As you can see, she's my bodyguard," The Penguin said while gesturing at the humanoid whale, to which she crossed her muscular arms and tried to stare me down.
"And I'm sure she's as charming as she looks," I replied with a scoff as I made myself comfortable and sat on the nearest couch without waiting for The Penguin to offer me a seat.
"Judging books by their covers, are we?" The Penguin said, his tone amused as he raised an eyebrow, seemingly unoffended by my casual disregard.
"Not usually, but when the book is staring at me like it wants to eat me, then there's no other way to judge it," I added as I crossed my legs and carelessly leaned into the couch while Orca glared at me with rapidly increasing murder in her eyes.
"Fair enough, I suppose, but I didn't invite you here to discuss how to judge people properly, Mr..." The Penguin remarked with a nod, trailing at the end of his sentence as he gave me a quizzical look.
"Wraith will do," I replied, perking up as I expected The Penguin to get to the chase, but he seemed to have other plans in mind, much to my annoyance.
"Wraith, is it? I'd hear you found that moniker rather distasteful, so I was hesitant..." The Penguin said with a smile to showcase his knowledge, which might have successfully awed me if I wasn't an expert on bluffing with shit I had no business knowing.
"No more than you hate your own, and simply because I didn't choose it, but it's either that or my real name," I said, chuckling as I shrugged my shoulders, and The Penguin let out a slight laugh of his own.
Meanwhile, Orca scowled at my words, looking as if she was ready to lunge at me any minute now for insulting her boss, but I ignored her as I went on.
"I'm sure you understand why I'd prefer not to share that with a... businessman like yourself..." I concluded as I uncrossed my legs and lowered my posture to lean on my knees to make reacting to a sudden attack faster.
Judging by how furious Orca looked while standing next to the Penguin, stewing in rage, it was the smart thing to do. It probably won't happen with how relaxed the mob boss looked, but it never hurt to be careful.
"Wraith it is, then," The Penguin said, nodding in understanding without prying too deep into the matter. "As it were, Mr. Wraith, I've invited you to my office to discuss two matters," he mockingly added as he waved to the side, and I didn't rise to the obvious bait, merely gesturing for him to go on.
"You see, I have taken liberties with choosing your opponents in the tournament based on the request of one Lady Shiva..." The Penguin explained, trailing off at the end of his sentence as he observed me, waiting for a reaction.
'I fucking knew the bitch was up to something!' I mentally screamed while outwardly keeping my composure to keep myself from giving The Penguin the reaction he was fishing for so clearly.
"The tournament was supposed to be randomized, fair, but you don't say no to Lady Shiva, especially if she asks nicely," The Penguin explained as he flicked his cigar into the gold-plated ashtray.
And holy shit, I just realized this guy's ashtray was actually gold-plated, the revelation causing me to be distracted for a second before I mentally shook it off and focused back on the matter at hand.
"However, there's no need to worry. I'd say the changes were in your favor and were in no way meant to sabotage your progress in the fights. Quite the opposite, in fact," He intoned, prompting me to swallow the flood of curse words at the tip of my tongue.
"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning under my mask as I relaxed and leaned back on the couch after seeing Orca finally calm down, no longer looking as if she'd bite my head off at any second.
"Lady Shiva insisted that you fought the contestant Cassandra Cain, and neither you nor her run into anyone who might eliminate you before then," the mob boss replied, spreading his arms.
"So I made sure that this wouldn't happen and felt it necessary to inform you, as a courtesy, hence why you're here," He said, causally standing up and giving me his back as he turned to look down on the club's bar below from the window behind his desk.
"Then you have my thanks; I suppose," I said, raising an eyebrow at the show the mob boss was putting on and quickly figured he was preparing to ask something of me.
"If you want to thank someone, then thank Lady Shiva. I'm not pleased with this arrangement, not at all," The Penguin calmly replied, putting his hands behind his back as he stared down through the big window overlooking his bar.
"Maybe I will... but what is the second matter you wanted to discuss?" I asked, keeping the part where I break my foot up Lady Shiva's ass rather than thank her to myself.
"Orca, would you excuse us, my dear?" The mob boss asked as he briefly turned to the humanoid whale, prompting her to grunt as she obliged and left without saying a word.
"A bit careless, sending away your bodyguard, don't you think?" I calmly asked as I stood up and made my way to stand next to the mob boss, enjoying the view.
Say what you will about The Penguin, but the man definitely knew how to enjoy his success.
"People still call me a vigilante, you know...?" I added as I looked at the mob boss, observing his expression and searching for a hint where he was going with this.
"I have no quarrel with you, nor you with me," The Penguin replied as he gave me a side glance. "We are both civilized men with nothing to gain by making enemies of each other," he added, and I didn't bother to reply, as he was speaking the truth.
"In fact, I think we'd have more to gain as friends..." the mob boss remarked as he turned back to the bar. "The second matter I called you here to discuss... that would be your machines, the ones you used in the theater to gun down Firefly and the other bottom feeders..." he added, with a smile, finally getting to the point.
"What do you call them, by the way?"
...
'Well... that was interesting...' I mused as I opened the door and exited The Penguin's office, ignoring the humanoid whale glaring at me as I made my way to the stairs.
'Luckily, it didn't take too long, and I could still get a better look at the place before the tournament starts...' I made my way downstairs into the bar area to see if I could find where the fight would take place and maybe even scope other fighters.
'No familiar faces...' I thought as I surveyed the area and didn't find recognizable faces other than some mobsters I read about while browsing the GCPD database out of boredom.
There were underbosses from the cartel, the mafia, and even some of Black Mask's lieutenants who were glaring murder at me whenever they thought I wasn't paying attention.
The toxic gamer inside me wanted to get into their faces, call them noobs, and tell them to cry me a river or something, but I pushed down the urge as I kept moving around the place.
'I wonder if Harley would show up...? The tournament sounds like her kind of event...' I hummed as the crazy blonde came to mind. It's been a while since I last saw her, and she's been flying under the radar, surprisingly enough.
I expected her to show up at the theater when I was fighting off the mob of angry thugs, considering her tendency to show up uninvited when one least expects it, but It was Selina that made an appearance instead.
Now that I think about it, Selina likely had a purpose in mind for being in the theatre, which I suspected at the time, but I wasn't free enough to keep an eye on her.
'Whatever... now is not the time to think about it...' I shook my head as I kept moving, finally stopping as I saw Cassandra sitting at a table by herself, hungrily stuffing her face with food from the open buffet.
I hesitated for a second before I continued walking when Cassandra raised her head and locked eyes with me, regarding me with a cautious look as she stopped eating.
Though I could tell her about her mother's schemes, it wouldn't change a thing, even if she believed me, which was doubtful at best. I honestly sympathized with and wanted to help her, as I had a good impression of her since she was helping Patrick and the others.
However, it was better for both of us not to interact with each other more than necessary. In the end, Barbara Gordon would hopefully find her, and things would go as they did in the comics.
She would find her family with Bruce Wayne. In time, she'd get over her guilt and death wish, and my interference might rob her of that, which isn't something I wanted.
I was more than willing to rob someone like Tommy Monaghan of his happy ending to assure myself because he wasn't exactly the best human being and he pissed me off, but Cassandra Cain was just a confused little girl, and I didn't want to risk ruining her life.
'Just gonna have to hang in there on your own for a while longer...' I mused to no one in particular as I looked away from Cassandra and kept moving, unaware of her lingering gaze on my back at the time.
...
"There you are... what took you so long...?" Richard asked as he opened his eyes and raised his head to look at me from his spot on the ground where he was meditating when he noticed me enter the room.
"I was looking around the place, trying to figure out where the fights would be held..." I replied with a shrug as I took off my riot gear and took a deep breath after closing the door.
"Couldn't find anything, and when I asked a henchman, he said it's supposed to be a secret..." I added as I opened the mini fridge, took a drink, and slumped into the couch next to Ben, who was leisurely watching a basketball game on TV.
"So what did The Penguin want from you...?" Ben impatiently asked as he turned off the TV and turned to me with a curious look as he raised an eyebrow.
"He told me that Lady Shiva asked him to manipulate the opponent's placement in the tournament..." I remarked, then proceeded to convey my conversation about the matter as the two men listened intently.
...
"If Sandra went so far as to stop you and her daughter from fighting someone, then it's likely that Crush girl..." Richard said, frowning after hearing me explain the situation as the Penguin described it to me.
"And she is most likely strong enough to be a threat, as you had expected..." He added with a sigh, rubbing his chin as he paused to contemplate.
"Either way, I won't have to fight Crush. I can withdraw from the tournament after beating Shiva's daughter," I casually said, snapping my teacher out of it as he nodded.
He probably wanted me to keep fighting and win the tournament, but I didn't feel the need to expose my abilities unless necessary, and he didn't say it outright, so I'll keep it that way.
"That's not all The Penguin wanted to talk about, though," I added as I slowly sipped at the beverage in my hand, causing Benjamin and Richard to put on curious expressions, urging me to explain.
"The Sentry Guns I used in the theatre..." I went on, gesturing to the side after a slight pause to finish my drink. "He said it would be a gold mine and wanted to act as a middleman and help me sell them off if I was interested," I added with a chuckle as I put the empty soda can on the table.
"For a share of the profit, course," I concluded as I leaned on the couch, changing my voice and doing air quotes in a terrible Penguin impression that caused Benjamin to chuckle while Richard looked like he wanted to facepalm.
"And...? What did you say...?" Richard asked, immediately putting on a blank expression. I knew my teacher well enough to understand he was assuming I accepted the offer, and I couldn't blame him, honestly.
"I refused," I replied, smiling at the slight change in Richard's expression as he tried to control his surprised expression. "I love money, but I don't love it enough to sell weapons to a mob boss," I added, chuckling as Richard couldn't resist any longer and sighed in relief.
I might have accepted the deal if I didn't have a stable source of income already, but if I'm going to sell weapons, then I might as well do it properly through a licensed company to people who would use them to do good.
And yes, I intend to open up a company sometime in the future. If I wanted to change this world, which I did, for my sake and no one else's, then I couldn't keep sneaking around in the shadows and would eventually have to go public.
Once I reach a high level in all my Mad Scientist archetype skills, I'd be able to change this world for the better, and since I live in this world, why the hell wouldn't I?
Imagine how this world would be if people like Lex Luthor weren't such petty assholes and if superheroes didn't hoard technology like they were Scrooge McDuck.
There would be no hunger, no sickness, no vagrancy, no conflict. Earth would be a utopia, and I can make that happen with time and effort. It won't be anytime soon, but it's definitely possible.
There are many things I don't like about this world, and instead of brooding about it and cursing my luck for transmigrating into this shitty reality, I realized it would be better to change it for the better and make it somewhere I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life in.
In the end, beating up villains, putting them in prison, or even killing them wouldn't do a damned thing to fix this world. Beat them and put them in prison? They escape and turn even crazier somehow. Kill them? Someone else equally, or even more crazy shows up and takes on their mantle. Heck, even a small fry like Firefly had at least three or four incarnations.
There was only one way to fix this world, and it was through money, power, and technology.
I plan on starting from Gotham, because if I can fix this shithole and make it livable then the rest of the world would be a fucking piece of cake in comparison.
"Just admit you're surprised I refused the offer. I never bothered to hide how much I loved money," I remarked, grinning as I observed Richard's expression, and he could only smile bitterly and shake his head in exasperation.
"In any case, you did well to refuse, Gray," Richard said as he gathered his bearings and cleared his throat. "The Penguin is a devious man, and his contacts will be similarly minded people," he added, gesturing to the side.
"Many lives would be lost if you sold your weapons to such people," he added, looking as if he had more to say. However, a knock on the door made him stop.
The door opened shortly, revealing the figure of the same Penguin Henchman who led us to this room after I put on my gear and shouted for him to enter.
"The tournament shall start shortly. Please allow me so I can show you to the combatants' waiting area, where you will be further advised on how to proceed..."
...
"This will be your room... you may wait here and spectate the fight through the television or join your companions in the VIP spectators area to watch the fights until it's your turn," The Penguin henchman explained as he opened the door that had nothing but a couch, a locker, and television.
He had taken me through the bar into the Iceberg Lounge's basement, which was way bigger than I imagined, big enough to fit a whole-ass fighting ring complete with a spectators' stand that could comfortably fit at least 1000 people.
There are also the contestant's rooms and other areas that were restricted, but you get the idea. The place was huge, with a high roof, and we had to take an elevator to get here, which got me wondering how deep The Penguin borrow goes.
Get it? Cause it's the penguin and not a rabbit. No? Well, fuck you then; I thought it was funny.
In any case, the henchman, who showed up in the upstairs waiting room, accompanied us to this floor, then left me with this guy to take Benjamin and Richard to the so-called VIP spectator's area as they weren't allowed here.
I looked around the room and quickly shook my head at the idea of staying here. It was probably intended for the contestants to get changed and ready for the fights, but I already had my gear on, and there wasn't much preparation I needed to do in the first place.
"I prefer to spectate the fights with my companions," I blankly said as I turned away from the room without stepping inside and looked at the henchman.
"As you wish. Please follow me, and I will take you here. However, please keep in mind that you must return here sometime before you are called to the ring," The henchman said, nodding as he began walking, politely gesturing for me to follow.
"Someone will come to notify you to return to your room when the time comes," the henchman added as he briefly turned to see if I was following before increasing his pace.
"Who gets to participate in the tournaments, by the way?" I asked as I walked behind the henchmen, keeping up with his pace and maintaining several steps between us. "Do you allow anyone to participate?" I added quickly.
"Many people came here to join the tournament, but not everyone was allowed to partake in it," the henchman immediately replied without halting his stride.
"Only people of particular renown such as yourself were allowed to join the fights," He added as he raised his hand to his mouth to clear his throat.
"There were some exceptions for people with exceptional martial prowess but little renown," The henchman went on and paused for a second, hesitating before he continued.
"And then there were those who were only allowed to fight, solely for their entertainment value..." The henchman concluded with a hard-to-read tone, causing me to raise an eyebrow.
"Entertainment value... you say...?" I remarked, my tone curious, as I halted my steps in surprise for a second before I resumed walking to catch up with the henchman.
"Indeed. You will understand once you see the first fight..." the henchman replied, trailing at the end of his sentence, and I understood he had no intention to elaborate further, promoting me to drop the subject and follow him in silence.
...
"Here we are. Please enjoy the show," the henchman said as he stopped and beckoned me into a relatively small rectangular room with fancy seats, cryptically smiling before he left.
I wordlessly watched him leave before I turned to survey the room. It had a big window at the end, overlooking the arena with comfortable-looking chairs and tables full of delicacies next to them.
I quickly found Richard and Benjamin sitting in the middle in front of the window, the latter enjoying the presented snacks. But I didn't stop looking around, trying to find other contestants.
However, all I saw (other than Richard and Benjamin) were suit and dress-wearing, likely filthy-rich assholes with masks covering their faces, whispering amongst each other as they noticed my presence.
I scoffed, ignoring their presence as I turned to make my way to Richard and Ben after finding no sign of other contestants around the VIP spectating room.
"Oh, look. The kid is here," Ben said as he stuffed his mouth full of chocolate cake, jabbing Richard in his side as he turned to me and smiled, ignoring the looks the rich assholes sent him.
Richard merely turned to me and smiled before reverting his focus on the arena as I arrived and found no empty seat next to them.
"You're in my seat," I said as I turned to the guy sitting next to Richard, with a table full of beverages and snacks separating them, and he merely stared at me in shock, seemingly not knowing what to do and how to reply.
"You deaf, bitch? Get lost," I added as I stepped in the guy's direction, but he still didn't get the hint, prompting me to sigh. I gripped the collar of his fancy suit and pushed him away, quickly taking a seat.
Benjamin couldn't help but laugh, while Richard just shook his head and sighed as the guy I yeeted off the seat kept staring at me in shock and confusion.
"Is there a problem?" I asked as I reached into my pocket and retrieved Ebony out of my inventory, placing it on the table, and the guy finally got the hint.
He stood up, dusted himself, and left to find another seat, but not before giving me a nasty glare. And yes, I knew what it was despite the guy wearing a mask, thanks to my empathy.
"Oh! Now you've gone done pissed off Mr. tweed-pants," Benjamin said without bothering to hide his amusement as he loudly laughed, causing the rich guy to hasten his steps and quickly leave in embarrassment.
"Who cares? What gives?" I said, shrugging as I chuckled and turned to look at the empty arena, to which the other rich, masked assholes finally got over their shock at my actions and resumed murmuring.
"Touche. One of The Penguin's henchmen said the first fight would start in a couple of minutes before you showed up," Benjamin said as he retrieved a golden coated cupcake and started munching.
"Say what you will about The Penguin, but the guy definitely knows how to eat," he added as he finished the cupcake with a second bite and turned to the table to fetch his next snack.
"Dude... you know I'm wearing a mask, right...? Have some fucking sympathy, will you?" I said, my eyes twitching under my riot gear as I watched stuffing treat after treat into his mouth.
"Fuck it..." I murmured as I turned to the table next to me and proceeded to store everything in my inventory, much to Ben's amusement, as he loudly cackled, getting Richard's attention.
"Will you two grow up already...?" Richard said, rubbing his forehead in frustration as he sighed, but it did little to stop Benjamin as he kept laughing and stuffing his mouth.
Benjamin and I spent the next couple of minutes just like that, bickering and annoying Richard until some guy in a mask and a pianist suit walked into the middle of the arena.
"Ladies and gentlemen. The moment you've been waiting for has come, the fights will soon begin, and I will be acting as your announcer on this fine evening," the man said, as he dramatically spread his arms and spun in place as the spectators clapped in excitement.
"And so, without further ado, allow me to introduce the combatants of the first round," the announcer said as he relaxed his arms, allowing them to fall to his sides.
"In the right gate, we have a face you are all familiar with, someone you will all surely recognize," the announcer exclaimed as he turned to a tunnel-like entrance at the right side of the arena.
"The man responsible for the design of the most hideous vehicle to ever grace the streets of Gotham, the Joker-mobile," the announcer added, causing me to frown as I detected the mockery in his tone.
"A master thief, mechanic, and aviationist. Give it up for the one and only Kite Man!" The announcer concluded as a man dressed in a full-body bright green suit with a literal kite hanging over his shoulder stepped into the arena from the right.
Kite Man's lips were stretched from ear to ear as he walked into the center of the arena next to the announcer, basking in the applause of the spectators. However, something was wrong.
Everyone was clapping, including the people in the VIP room, but instead of cheers, the rich assholes were openly mocking Kite Man and laughing their asses off.
'So that's what the henchman meant by entertainment values...' I realized as I looked around me and noticed the mocking grins the rich assholes had while looking at Kite Man.
'Poor dude... looks like the comic readers weren't the only ones to view him as mere comic relief...'
...
"In the left gate, we have the equally awesome and infamous criminal mastermind," the announcer stated as he turned to the left of the arena with equal theatrical zeal.
"A true menace to the citizens of Gotham, the spicy outlaw, the one and only king of flavor..." the announcer added, trailing at the end of his sentence to rile the spectators.
"Bring those hands together for The Condiment King!" the announcer concluded as a man dressed in a patched black suit with a crown simple on the chest confidently strode into the arena.
'Not gonna lie... that is pretty entertaining...' I mused, my eyes twitching under my riot gear as I watched one of DC comics' goofiest villains stride into the ring like he owned the place.
"Anyone order some extra flavor?!" the condiment said as he stood beside the announcer, pointing his three-barreled sauce gun that was strapped to a container on his back into the air, firing a squirt of mayonnaise.
"Damn... I can't even feel bad for that guy..." I remarked, chuckling and shaking my head as I heard the rich assholes begin mocking the condiment king.
"I guess the green guy should have brought a napkin instead of a kite," Benjamin said, and I almost choked while trying to hold my laughter. Meanwhile, even Richard broke his stoic mask and chuckled.
I honestly would have felt bad for the guy if he didn't look like he was trying his best to be a laughing stoke. Sure he was mentally ill, but come on, man, that's just asking for it.
"Are you sure this goofy-ass tournament is the right place, Richard?" Benjamin asked with a scoff as he turned to Richard, who had an exasperated expression.
"Very. But I get what you mean; this is a bit too much..." Richard replied, his tone confused and amused as he shook his head at the two goofy villains squaring up in the middle of the arena.
"Let's just see where it goes. It should be funny at least..." I said, turning my attention to the arena as the announcer began instructing Kite Man and The Condiment King on the rules of engagement.
"Alright, gentleman, I want a nice clean fight. You are entitled to use your gadgets, but I don't want anything over the top," The announcer said as he beckoned for the two villains to come closer.
"I don't want powerful explosives or anything that might damage the club's foundation. We are underground after all..." the announcer added as he put his hands on the comic relief duo's shoulders when they came close.
"Other than that, everything is allowed. Biting, below the belt strikes, eye gouging, everything is on the table, do I make myself clear?" The announcer concluded, and the two villains nodded their heads in acknowledgment.
"Good, now get to your sides and get ready to fight," the announcer said after noticing the lack of objections from the two contestants, and they obliged.
"And so the time has finally come. The Iceberg tournament sponsored by Mr. Cobblepot will now commence," The announcer stated as he slowly walked back away from the center of the arena.
"Are the contestants ready?" The announcer asked as he turned to the two fighters, and they quickly vocalized their readiness as one would expect.
"Hell yeah!" Kite man said, slapping his chest as he lowered his posture, seemingly ready to charge at a moment's notice.
"It's about to get spicy," the condiment king said, striking a pose with his sauce gun, and I couldn't help chuckling at his ridiculous posture. I wasn't the only one either.
"Then what the fuck are we waiting for exactly? Ring the bell already!" The announcer said, wildly gesturing, and as if on cue, a loud ringing noise reverberated through the arena, indicating the start of the fight.
Kite man was the first to make a move as he turned to the wall behind him and ran towards it. He jumped and bounced off it, boosting himself into the air, assisted by a small grappling hook.
He unfurled the kite on his back and took to the air, slowly gaining height as he reached the center of the ring, then began diving towards The Condiment King, who was holding his ground.
"Get a taste of this!" The Condiment King remarked, grinning as he aimed his sauce gun at the bomb-diving Kite Man and squeezed the trigger, unleashing a jet of mayonnaise.
"Too much, my dude... you're trying too hard..." I remarked, sighing as the Condiment King's act stopped being funny at this point while Kite Man skilfully maneuvered himself in the air to avoid the squirting jet of mayonnaise.
However, The Condiment King was unphased by the aero display of agility. He kept his finger on the trigger and adjusted his aim, continuously shooting a stream of mayonnaise that chased behind Kite Man.
It was still to no avail as Kite Man kept gliding in the air, smoothly evading the flying condiment chasing behind him, and I should say, it was almost impressive how quickly and easily the man seemed to fly around the arena.
"Try my condiment packets! They're to die for!" The Condiment King said with a lame-sounding evil laugh as he retrieved several small bags from his utility belt with his free hand.
He threw the mini packets in Kite Man's general direction, and I was cringing so hard that I didn't even feel like making any comments, verbally, mentally, or otherwise.
In any case, the packets missed and flew right past Kite Man from every angle. However, they soon exploded, releasing differently colored powders that spread in the air, creating a pseudo smoke screen.
I could only see Kite Man's shadow flying in the smoke screen, and I heard him cough as he began losing control, causing him to fly towards the ground with tears and snot running through his eyes and nose.
Impressively enough, Kite Man managed to steer himself to crash land right into Condiment King head first. He rammed the latter's stomach with his forehead, and they both collapsed instantly, unmoving and seemingly unconscious.
"Oh! And it looks like we have a tie here!" The announcer said as he moved closed to the two unmoving contestants to take a closer look at their condition.
"Truly a fitting end to a conflict between two such legendary characters, wouldn't you agree, ladies and gentlemen...?" the announcer remarked. Unable to hold it any longer, he slightly laughed, breaking character for the first time.
"However, as a perfect ending as this is, we must do things the right way and settle the fight with a countdown..." the announcer helplessly intoned, sighing as he got back in character.
"One... two... three..." He began his countdown, slowly and deliberately announcing every number as he looked down on the two goofy villains, and the spectators joined on the count of four.
Kite Man and The Condiment King continued to lie on the floor without twitching a muscle. The announcer reached seven, and there was movement, causing him to pause momentarily before continuing.
"Eight... Nine..." the announcer kept counting as he watched Kite Man's body twitch as the latter tried to get to his feet while the former dragged on, deliberately delaying the countdown's conclusion.
"This isn't the end of the line for me!" Kite Man said, grunting in pain as he struggled, and finally got to his feet a fraction of a second before the announcer finished the countdown, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers and applause.
Again I didn't say anything. However, I refrained from making a mocking comment this time because I was kind of, sort of, somewhat impressed by the guy's tenacity.
I might have even clapped or cheered if it wasn't the corny kite pun at the end, but you get the idea. Kite Man might be comic relief and generally a joke character, but at least he had grit.
"And it looks like we have a winner!" the announcer gleefully said as he smacked Kite Man's shoulder, causing the latter's knees to buckle and almost fall, but he balanced himself and grinned.
"Someone come and help our victor back to his room!" the announcer said, and several henchmen quickly stepped into the ring from the right and left entrance.
The Penguin henchmen from The Condiment King's side quickly put him on a stretcher and took him away. Meanwhile, the others tried to help Kite Man, but he refused and slowly walked to his side without relying on anyone.
"And there you have it, folks. An impressive display by two remarkable fighters, but only one may claim the triumph, and the goddess of victory favors Kite Man today!" the announcer remarked, spreading his arms to calm the spectators, who were still cheering.
"However, the fun is just getting started, so make sure to blink now while you have the chance!" The announcer excitedly exclaimed.
"The second fight will start shortly!"
...
"Well, this got boring quicker than expected..." I remarked, sighing as I watched two gang enforcers with some martial arts knowledge beating the shit out of each other.
"Yeah... the first fight was ridiculous, but at least it was entertaining," Benjamin said, frowning as he shook his head and retrieved his phone to pass the time, having already finished a table-worth of delicacies.
We've spectated three fights already, and it was just some high-leveled mobsters from different gangs fighting each other in laughable displays of martial arts.
"Oh... it's finally over. Hopefully, the next one would be a bit more interesting..." Benjamin added, raising his head from the phone as Maxie Zeus' enforcer knocked out his opponent from the cartel.
The announcer approached to check the knocked contestant's condition and declared the result of the fight after making sure he was out cold, then began announcing the next fight contestants.
"On the right side, we have a man who'd terrorized the good citizens of Gotham for years..." The announcer stated, spreading his arms apart, theatrical as ever.
"He was the right-hand man of the city's most infamous crime lords before the latter bit off more than he could chew..." he cryptically added, trying to rile up the spectators.
I'd say it worked, too, since I could see many people in the VIP spectators' area gripping the edges of their seats in anticipation, murmuring as they tried to guess the contestant's identity.
"Welcome one of the most violent criminals to walk the grimy roads of Gotham, Tattoo!" The announcer concluded while gesturing to the entrance, prompting a bald, middle-aged man covered in tattoos to enter the arena.
The man was tall, wearing a tank top that empathized his muscular body. He had a fierce visage that would put any baby to sleep, made all the more menacing thanks to the tribal tattoos across his face.
Tattoo said nothing and merely walked to the center of the stage while keeping an eye on the left entrance, uncaring for the spectators' cheers as he strode forward.
"And to the right, we have an established underground fighting legend. She fought in and won many tournaments," the announcer exclaimed as he began introducing the other fighter.
"Said to be a half alien from an extinct extraterrestrial race in space, gifted with incredible natural strength..." he added as he turned to the right side of the ring.
"Bring those hands together for Crush!" The announcer concluded as a pale woman with black mascara, lipstick, and spikey long black hair walked into the stage with a leisurely grin splitting her face.
She wore a green shirt and pinks pants, a black leather jacket, boots, and a spikey bracelet on her wrists.
"Well, this will be over quickly..." I remarked, shaking my head and chuckling as I noticed Tattoo's expression turn sour as he realized who he'd have to fight.
I couldn't blame the guy. I wouldn't want to fight her either, and luckily I won't have to due to lady Shiva's meddling, not that I'd ever thanked her for it since I was in this situation because of her.
"You both know the rules, so get in position and ready to fight!" The announcer said, snapping me back into focus as I stopped thinking and resumed spectating.
Crush nodded at the announcer's words and started walking without saying anything while Tattoo stood rooted, staring at her, only to sigh and do the same.
Gotham's thugs sure are something. I expected Tattoo to call it quits and leave as soon as he saw his opponent, which he might still do once the fight officially began. I guess I'll have to wait and see.
"Now then, are the contestants ready to fight?" The announcer asked, alternating his gaze between Crush and Tattoo, to which they both nodded, the latter doing so somewhat reluctantly at that.
"Then let the fight begin!" The announcer concluded, and the loud clang that indicated the official beginning of the fight reverberated through the arena, much to the spectator's glee as they cheered in anticipation.
Surprisingly enough, Tattoo still didn't forfeit and raised his arms in front of his chest in a boxing stance, keeping a watchful eye on Crush as he slowly approached her while the latter did the same.
The two fighters met at the center of the arena. Tattoo's body was tense, and he seemed on guard, prepared to strike at any second, while Crush merely looked bored with her relaxed posture and her hands lazily dangling to her sides.
Tattoo was the first to strike as he stepped forward and delivered a powerful straight punch to Crush's chin. It was strong enough to make a loud thudding noise that echoed in the ring.
Alas, it did nothing, and it seemed to have hurt Tattoo more than it harmed the alien girl as he winced and withdrew his hand, taking a step back.
Tattoo was ready to attack again, despite being in pain, but he didn't get the chance this time as Crush's hand snaked its way into his neck faster than the regular human's eye could see.
Crush had the same bored look on her face as she raised Tattoo off the ground, causing him to desperately clutch at her hands while making choking noises due to the lack of oxygen circulation.
"Go to sleep," Crush briefly remarked before lowering her posture and slamming Tattoo headfirst into the ground, immediately knocking him out cold and ending the fight.
Crush then turned around and walked back into the left entrance without even waiting for the announcer to check Tattoo's condition and declare her victory.
The announcer seemingly didn't dare object to her behavior and was content to watch her leave before approaching Tattoo and declaring the alien girl's victory after seeing the former was unconscious.
"Anticlimactic, but kind of expected..." I remarked as I watched several henchmen hurry into the ring to carry away the unconscious Tattoo on a stretcher.
"You can say that again..." Benjamin said as he buried his head back into his, clearly having no intention of spectating the fights anymore, which proved to be the wise thing to do.
I ended up watching three more fights that were just as boring until one of The Penguin's henchmen stepped into the room and made his way toward me.
"You will be up next, sir. Please follow me to your designated waiting room," the henchman said, and I nodded as I got up while the announcer was introducing the fighters.
"Put on a show, kid. I'm dying of boredom here," Benjamin said as he gave me a brief glance before focusing on his phone game, furiously tapping the screen as he played.
"I'm not making any promises," I replied with a shrug as I turned to Richard, who merely nodded at me and smiled, to which I returned the gesture before following the henchman.
It was a brief walk back to my waiting room, and the fight was already halfway through when I got there. I could see the two fighters already heavily bloodied and bruised while kicking and punching at each other.
The fight ended several minutes later, and the same henchman that brought me here came knocking. I opened the door, and he asked me to follow as my fight would soon begin while the defeated contestant was taken away to get medical attention.
"Let's get going then," I said, nodding after I listened to the henchman's words, and he quickly started walking with me following behind him as we made several turns before reaching the arena's entrance.
I leaned on the wall as I watched the henchman leave, waiting for the announcer to call me into the ring. Part of me wanted to walk in there to get it over with, but I was genuinely curious about what the guy had to say about me.
"On the right side, we have an emerging star vigilante in the city of Gotham, who left not but traumatized criminals in his wake," the announcer declared after the henchmen cleared the ring and left.
"A one-man army who took down Black Mask and hundreds of bounty hunters and assassins in one go..." The announcer added as he turned and gestured toward me.
"Give it up for the stuff of criminals' nightmares, the one and only Wraith," the announcer theatrically concluded, and I took the cheering as my cue to walk into the ring towards him.
He waited for me to stand beside him before nodding at me and turning to the left to introduce my opponent.
"On the left side, we have not one but two contestants..." the announcer exclaimed, causing me to frown, but he couldn't see it, so he went on.
"Usually confused as twins but are, in fact, cousins. They have gone on several crime sprees in our city and needed The Batman himself and his boy wonder to stop them personally," the announcer continued, grinning madly.
"Say hello to..."
...
Say hello to the infamous duo, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee!" the announcer concluded the introduction, gesturing to the left entrance as two short, round men entered the arena.
The one walking on the left was wearing an old-fashioned blue suit with a split tail at the back and a top hat, with a golden cane hanging off his left arm as he walked to the center of the ring with arms crossed in front of his chest.
The tweedle on the right wore blue pants, similar in color to his cousin, a striped, black and blue shirt, and yellow, oversized shoes, which wasn't the most ludicrous part about his appearance.
That honor went the helicopter hat, slowly spinning over his head as he and his cousin stopped before me, striking a pose with their backs against each other.
I felt my eyes twitch at the side view of their bulging stomachs they gave me, which they proudly displayed by thrusting them forward as if they were a national treasure of sorts, worthy of the louver museum.
'What the actual fuck...!?' I mused, resisting the urge to scream my thoughts at the sight of the two Tweedles, who were arguably even more goofy looking than the condiment king himself.
I was more amused and confused by this turn of events than anything else. The fact I'd have to fight two opponents didn't really bother me, but facing two Alice In Wonderland rip-offs was off-putting, to say the least.
"As you all know, one simply cannot have Tweedle Dee without Tweedle Dum, so an exception was made..." the announcer explained as if the reasons he gave made all the sense in the world.
I honestly didn't care enough to object, and the spectators were too busy shitting their pants in excitement as they cheered and whistled to give a fuck, so the announcer went on, uninterrupted.
"And considering their first opponent, it's only fair they get to tag-team him. Wouldn't you all agree?" the announcer concluded as he turned to the crowd, to which they erupted in even louder cheers.
'Peer pressure much...?' I felt the urge to slap the announcer, immediately realizing what he was doing. The son of a bitch was trying to pressure me into not objecting by using the crowd.
Not that I had any objections, mind you, since I could end the fight in a second if I wished, which I might do now out of petty to make the match as dull to watch as possible.
"I trust there are no objections, yes?" the announcer said as he turned to me, giving me a neutral smile he used to hide the intense aura of smugness he radiated like a fucking lighthouse.
'You're gonna get it now bitch...' I frowned, now fully intent on making the match as boring as possible, and who knows? The announcer just might suffer an accident or two before it ends.
"None from me..." I replied, keeping my tone neutral as I nodded and turned to the two tweedles who were maintaining the same ridiculous posture as if waiting for something.
"Very well, then. With that out of the way, may the contestants please take their positions at their respective sides...?" the announcer politely asked, prompting the two cousins to break their pose and walk into position.
Meanwhile, I wordlessly did the same and calmly walked to my side, contemplating who to orchestrate the announcer's accident without making it too obvious.
I wanted him to know it was intentional because he tried to fuck with me. But at the same time, I wanted him to be unable to utter a single word of protest by making the situation look like an accident.
'Looks like I'll have to prolong the fight a bit then...' I stopped as I reached my spot and turned to the two Tweedles, already in theirs, sending me glares, which I ignored.
I'm not going to humor two middle-aged dudes dressed as Alice In Wonderland characters, and that's final. God knows my life is crazy as it is right now without two Humpty-Dumpty looking-ass motherfuckers thinking they're my arch nemesis or something.
"Are the contestants ready?" the announcer said, to which both I and two round villains nodded. "Then let the match begin!" the announcer concluded, waving a hand to which the bell rang, officially starting the match.
"Now look-a here, Tweedle Dee," Said Tweedle Dum with a grin as he stared at me and pointed with his golden cane. "Looks like we got ourselves a vigilante without his toys..." he added with a chuckle.
"Doesn't like soo scary without his guns all over the place, does he, Tweedle dum?" said Tweedle Dee with a grin of his own, standing akimbo next to his cousin in an attempt to look intimidating.
However, as I looked at him, intimidated was the last thing I felt since I couldn't remove my eyes from the silly helicopter hat spinning over his head.
A meme song from my past life started playing in my head, and it will probably be stuck there for a while since it was catchy as it was hilariously stupid.
"Let's get this over with..." I remarked as I started walking to the center of the ring, approaching the spherical duo while ignoring their snide remarks, to which they seemed genuinely offended.
"It looks like Mr. Wraith here doesn't think much of us, Tweedle Dee," Said Tweedle Dum, frowning as he gripped his cane tighter, obviously pissed at my disregard.
"Then let's show him why he's wrong, Tweedle Dum," Said Tweedle Dee, to which his cousin nodded, and they too started moving to meet me halfway.
We reached the center of the ring, and the comically shaped villains were the first to make a move as tweedle dum pointed his cane at me, releasing a stream of green acid.
I saw it coming and stepped aside, letting the attack fly right past me, as Tweedle Dee reached for the helicopter blades on his hat and pried them off before throwing them at me.
I dodged again, and the two took it as their cue to close the distance. Tweedle Dum was the first to reach me, and he lunged, trying to catch my torso to keep me in place.
I placed my hand on his bald head and kept him in place, but he grinned as he retrieved a spherical object from his pockets and threw it into the ground, releasing a smoke screen.
'Now's my chance...' I smiled as I caught Tweedle Dee before he could retreat and threw him outside the smoke screen to where I knew the announcer would be.
Considering the two grunts of pain and the low thud indicating flesh colliding into flesh, I'd say I hit my mark. I put my hands into my pocket and retrieved a small, black spherical pellet, which I threw on the ground.
It exploded, releasing the compressed air inside, which dissipated the smoke screen, revealing my figure, Sentient Steel Wire in hand. I didn't want people (well, more people anyway) to know about my super strength, so if anyone asks, it was the steel wire that yeeted Tweedle Dee into the other side of the ring.
Now with my petty grudge finally satiated, I can end the fight, which I did, by tripping Tweedle Dum with the wire as he charged and knocking him out with a kick to his shiny bald head.
One Penguin Henchman hurriedly came into the arena to check the conditions of the two tweedles and the announcer before declaring my victory, prompting several more to show up with their stretchers.
Listening to the henchman concluding the fight, I had no more reasons to stay in the ring and took my leave as the henchman hurriedly started hauling the announcer and the two unconscious tweeds away on stretchers.
I found the same henchman who escorted me into the arena, waiting for me at the right entrance, to which he smiled and nodded at me while congratulating me for my win.
"Was that entertaining enough?" I blankly asked as I followed the henchman after he started moving to escort me back to the VIP spectators' lounge.
"Very. But I don't imagine our dear announcer is feeling very entertained right now," the henchman replied with a relaxed chuckle, shaking his head without stopping.
"Tragic accident that. I hope the guy will be okay..." I remarked, barely holding back a scoff at my words that couldn't be any more hypocritical even if I tried.
"A terrible accident indeed..." the henchman replied, trailing off at the end of his sentence. "However, you know what they say; the show must go on..." he went on, tone amused.
"There's no need to fret. A replacement will be ready before the next match begins. We can't have our dear guests growing bored," he added, stopping as we finally reached the VIP area.
"We are here, and my duty as your guide is over for the day..." the henchman blankly said, taking a step back and gesturing for me to go inside.
"I will see you tomorrow, sir."
...
Want more chapters? Then consider subscribing to my patrēon. You can read ahead for as little as $1 and it helps me a lot!
- (patrēon com / wicked132)
You can also always come and say hi on my discord server
- (discord gg / sEtqmRs5y7)- or hit me up at - Wicked132#5511 - and I'll add you myself)