CHAPTER 3
Danielle took the elevator down to the bottom level. As the elevator came to a halt, she raised up the metal door, leaving the outer wooden crate door in front of her. She went to knock on the door, but Gibson was already standing there, ready to lift the door open. "When I heard the elevator, I already figured it was you," Gibson said as he opened up the gate.
Danielle walked into his arms and the two of them kissed. "So, what's happening? It's only nine O'clock. Shouldn't you be upstairs working the bar?"
"I had the bar open for no longer than an hour, and Helena had snuck in to pay me a visit, but a villain decided to also pay a visit. I had to close the bar down and help Helena and Dinah."
"Well, remind me never to get on your bad side," Gibson smiled. "How bad is the damage?"
"Very little this time, thank heavens. I am tired of constantly replacing the window and fixing the bar. It's hard to make a profit when all my profits are going towards fixing the joint up."
"That's where I can help. I will show you how to minimize your spending towards repairs. I am a professional at saving money." Gibson replied.
"Gibson, I need to tell you something that you should know before we go to deep into our relationship." Danielle said, taking a deep breath.
"I don't know if I like the sound of this," Gibson said, with a deep look of concern on his face.
Danielle tried to think of the best way of putting what she was about to say to words. "My father has come to town."
"What's so bad about that?"
Danielle sighed. "How much do you know about the legend of Batman?"
"From what I've been told, He's Helena's father, and was a hero who had saved Gotham countless of times."
"Well one of his arch enemies was the Penguin."
"Yes, Helena had mentioned his name as part of that list. Ten years ago, I heard on the news that he was released from Arkham and had never been seen since."
"Well, that was until now," Danielle replied.
"Is he the villain you were helping them defeat? What does all this have to do with your father?"
"No, that was not the villain we fought. The Penguin, Oswald Cobblepot, is my father."
"You don't say," Gibson replied.
From what Danielle could tell, Gibson seemed unfazed by this startling announcement. "Aren't you mad at me or something? My father was a dangerous criminal master mind."
"But are you a criminal master mind yourself?" Gibson replied simply.
"Of course not!"
"Then why should I be mad at you? You've done nothing wrong, and it's not your father that I am dating, it's his beautiful young daughter who is following her own path."
Danielle blushed at his beautiful words. He had just made her the happiest woman in New Gotham. She leaned forward and kissed him, loosing herself in the heat of passion.
* * * *
When Danielle arrived to the café, she found her father waiting for her at a booth. His being early was a good start in trying to prove his sincerity about turning a new leaf; but by far, certainly, not the deciding factor. Danielle sat down across the table from her father. His scalp was bald, and the little hair he did have on the sides and the back of his head was purely white. Instead of the monocle that was his trademark, he wore tiny wired-framed glasses.
Danielle didn't greet her father, as she sat down across from him. Oswald cleared his throat, knowing that he was going to have to start the conversation. "So, how have you been here in New Gotham?"
"I've been fine," Danielle answered. She didn't know what else to say to the man she had not seen in over ten years, and that last time was when he was behind bars, and not the most pleasant of conversations.
"So, what do you do?"
"I'm a bartender, Dad," Danielle replied.
"Interesting," Oswald replied. He knew that this was pointless chat. They had so much to talk about, but he had no idea where to start. "Listen, Danielle, I know I have been the worst father imaginable, but I would really like another chance."
"Dad, you have said that countless of times, and every time you just return back to you life of crime."
It was true. He had tried countless of times to go straight. One time, he even got married and his wife gave birth to Danielle, but shortly afterwards, he had gotten sucked back into the life of crime and was thrown into Arkham Asylum. While he was in prison, Danielle's mother divorced him, taking Danielle away from him. It was when she was high school, when she had paid him an unexpected visit in prison, which ended in her cursing him out and virtually disowning him. It was those harsh words that Danielle had spoken that haunted him to this day. "I know, honey. I've been a very lousy father. Will you ever be able to find it in your heart to forgive me?"
Danielle eyed him suspicious for a second, but she felt the beating of his heart echo from his body to the floor. He was sincere about wanting to set things right between them. "I forgive you, Dad, but trust is something you will have to earn, and that will take time. However, you knowing about me aiding Huntress, you have to know that even after you have earned my trust, I will never share any of their secrets. They are out of your league from this point on."
"I understand, honey," Oswald replied with a gentle smile.
Danielle nodded. Danielle snuck out the bug that Barbara had handed her as she stood up. "Let's talk more tomorrow afternoon. I need to get going," She said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. The bug was in place, as she had promised. Now, only time will tell if she would be able to trust him again.
Danielle took the elevator down to the bottom level. As the elevator came to a halt, she raised up the metal door, leaving the outer wooden crate door in front of her. She went to knock on the door, but Gibson was already standing there, ready to lift the door open. "When I heard the elevator, I already figured it was you," Gibson said as he opened up the gate.
Danielle walked into his arms and the two of them kissed. "So, what's happening? It's only nine O'clock. Shouldn't you be upstairs working the bar?"
"I had the bar open for no longer than an hour, and Helena had snuck in to pay me a visit, but a villain decided to also pay a visit. I had to close the bar down and help Helena and Dinah."
"Well, remind me never to get on your bad side," Gibson smiled. "How bad is the damage?"
"Very little this time, thank heavens. I am tired of constantly replacing the window and fixing the bar. It's hard to make a profit when all my profits are going towards fixing the joint up."
"That's where I can help. I will show you how to minimize your spending towards repairs. I am a professional at saving money." Gibson replied.
"Gibson, I need to tell you something that you should know before we go to deep into our relationship." Danielle said, taking a deep breath.
"I don't know if I like the sound of this," Gibson said, with a deep look of concern on his face.
Danielle tried to think of the best way of putting what she was about to say to words. "My father has come to town."
"What's so bad about that?"
Danielle sighed. "How much do you know about the legend of Batman?"
"From what I've been told, He's Helena's father, and was a hero who had saved Gotham countless of times."
"Well one of his arch enemies was the Penguin."
"Yes, Helena had mentioned his name as part of that list. Ten years ago, I heard on the news that he was released from Arkham and had never been seen since."
"Well, that was until now," Danielle replied.
"Is he the villain you were helping them defeat? What does all this have to do with your father?"
"No, that was not the villain we fought. The Penguin, Oswald Cobblepot, is my father."
"You don't say," Gibson replied.
From what Danielle could tell, Gibson seemed unfazed by this startling announcement. "Aren't you mad at me or something? My father was a dangerous criminal master mind."
"But are you a criminal master mind yourself?" Gibson replied simply.
"Of course not!"
"Then why should I be mad at you? You've done nothing wrong, and it's not your father that I am dating, it's his beautiful young daughter who is following her own path."
Danielle blushed at his beautiful words. He had just made her the happiest woman in New Gotham. She leaned forward and kissed him, loosing herself in the heat of passion.
* * * *
When Danielle arrived to the café, she found her father waiting for her at a booth. His being early was a good start in trying to prove his sincerity about turning a new leaf; but by far, certainly, not the deciding factor. Danielle sat down across the table from her father. His scalp was bald, and the little hair he did have on the sides and the back of his head was purely white. Instead of the monocle that was his trademark, he wore tiny wired-framed glasses.
Danielle didn't greet her father, as she sat down across from him. Oswald cleared his throat, knowing that he was going to have to start the conversation. "So, how have you been here in New Gotham?"
"I've been fine," Danielle answered. She didn't know what else to say to the man she had not seen in over ten years, and that last time was when he was behind bars, and not the most pleasant of conversations.
"So, what do you do?"
"I'm a bartender, Dad," Danielle replied.
"Interesting," Oswald replied. He knew that this was pointless chat. They had so much to talk about, but he had no idea where to start. "Listen, Danielle, I know I have been the worst father imaginable, but I would really like another chance."
"Dad, you have said that countless of times, and every time you just return back to you life of crime."
It was true. He had tried countless of times to go straight. One time, he even got married and his wife gave birth to Danielle, but shortly afterwards, he had gotten sucked back into the life of crime and was thrown into Arkham Asylum. While he was in prison, Danielle's mother divorced him, taking Danielle away from him. It was when she was high school, when she had paid him an unexpected visit in prison, which ended in her cursing him out and virtually disowning him. It was those harsh words that Danielle had spoken that haunted him to this day. "I know, honey. I've been a very lousy father. Will you ever be able to find it in your heart to forgive me?"
Danielle eyed him suspicious for a second, but she felt the beating of his heart echo from his body to the floor. He was sincere about wanting to set things right between them. "I forgive you, Dad, but trust is something you will have to earn, and that will take time. However, you knowing about me aiding Huntress, you have to know that even after you have earned my trust, I will never share any of their secrets. They are out of your league from this point on."
"I understand, honey," Oswald replied with a gentle smile.
Danielle nodded. Danielle snuck out the bug that Barbara had handed her as she stood up. "Let's talk more tomorrow afternoon. I need to get going," She said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. The bug was in place, as she had promised. Now, only time will tell if she would be able to trust him again.
