Darkness loomed heavily over the city this moonless night. Clouds blocked starlight from reaching the earth this day while the lights that normally shone brightly from the building were blackened. All of Gotham was suffering from a power outage, even Arkham Asylum. This night would prove that quite truly does come before the storm. For accompanying the darkness was a silence unlike any Gotham had ever had experienced before. So used to hearing the blaring of alarms to sound another sociopaths bid for freedom the citizens were uneasy.
Yet in the asylum it self life went on as normal. Generators hummed along as they kept power to the doors of the cells with the occasional light. Yet for the most part darkness kept most of those there company. After all no use in spreading what power they had thin. Guards walked the halls with weapons drawn at the ready. There were taking no chances this night.
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A lone figure sat perched on the roof of a nearby building. He had come to know the patients of Arkham Asylum almost fervently over the years. Something told him at least one of them would attempt an escape this night. It would surprise him if more then one did not. So he kept his perch watching and waiting for any signs of commotion.
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It had taken three weeks of planning. Three careful weeks of making sure everything went as he had planed. Everything had to be perfect, which was very difficult given his situation at the moment. Lady luck was on his side of that he was sure of. For once his plan was working perfectly.
Tunneling was not something he liked and the triteness of it was almost beneath him. Yet the promise of freedom outweighed even the perch he placed himself on. He felt scorned, ridiculed, mocked that they would dare place him with such filth as they had. He wasn't crazy for he knew exactly what he was doing. He had even chosen to do what he had done yet they treated him like a mad man.
Oh he was mad alright. Mad at a world that allowed a man dressed in a Halloween costume to play vigilantly. At a city that turned a blind eye as the police let a truly twisted individual that dressed like a bat brake civil liberties. But there was no time to think of that, time was of the essence. Any minute he was sure the power company would find the sabotage and fix it. Which when the power came back on he planed to be far away from this horrid place.
In his cot lay a perfect manikin replica of himself which the guards would not discover tell they checked the cells once power was restored. Notes had been sent out with the laundry each day and new parts brought back. It had taken all three weeks to build it. That was what he had to do while his men worked from the outside tunneling in. It had even gone as far as placing one of his own people on the inside as a janitor. He let out a squawk of approval.
There in front of him was the end of the tunnel where his men would be awaiting him. Oswald Cobblepot was free once again. As instructed a change of clothes had been brought for him. Quickly he undressed from the blue prison clothes and downed his tuxedo. Once again he felt like the proud proper man born of high society. Umbrella clasped in is pudgy little hand he raised it up and let out a few shots. His men just looked blankly at him.
"It is time that this Penguin learned to fly my boys," he quipped as he lit a cigarette, "We have much to do but such a short time. Come now and let us be off."
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"Have you seen the paper today sir?" Alfred Pennyworth asked as he carried the serving tray into the study where Bruce Wayne sat. His back to the butler with head down it was clear he had not heard the question posed to him. "Sir if I may have a moment?" Alfred spoke up again. This time Bruce looked up with a look of puzzlement on his face.
"I'm sorry Alfred. It's just this new project that Lucius has proposed. It has me at a loss on what course to pursue." He reached up and rubbed his temples. Bags where under his eyes while his hair was not as kept as normal, from the look of him Alfred could see that the young master had not gotten any sleep since his return the night before. "What was it you were saying?"
"I was just curious if you had seen the paper this morning Master Bruce." The gentle tone in his voice was reassuring to Bruce's ears. Something by the tone in which he had been asked this time told him he would not like what it said. Yet never the less he had to know of that he was certain.
"No, I haven't. I take it that it's more then a reprinting of what caused the power outage?" Turning his head to look over his shoulder he looked at the old man who now stood beside him. How many times he had seen that face with that look on it. A look that showed caring and a since of protection, "Be straight with me Alfred. You asked I answered."
"Oh very well then," was all he uttered as he set the tray down on the desk and offered Bruce the paper.
There in black and white the title, Penguin Escapes Arkham Again. "Just what I didn't need." Shaking his head he begins to rise from his chair the tray with his breakfast all but forgotten. Between the board meeting he had this day and the night that promised to lay before him he had much to do. Then thinking better he grabbed the muffin that sat on the corner of the tray. As he made for the door he questioned, "You are driving me to work today are you not Alfred."
Sighing ever so softly he replied, "Of course Master Bruce it is just I thought you might get some rest before we left. That is all"
"There's no time for that. To much is going on today for me to be late to the office. I may be a millionaire playboy but I do have a business to run." A hint of sarcasm was almost detectable in his voice if only briefly before it vanished. He was through the door and halfway to the car by the time Alfred caught up with him.