"Oh, er, Alfred?" Clark removed his hood, smoothing out his hair a bit.
"Would you boys care to explain what the hell all this is?" Alfred descended the steps towards his two surrogate sons. "The costumes? The gadgets? The underground lair straight out of a spy movie? You know, I should've known something was up the moment I caught Lucius Fox inspecting our old grandfather clock, followed by the multitude of WayneTech purchases popping up on your card, and then the reports of a mysterious 'bat man' appearing on the news. Now, what would your parents say if they caught you squandering your inheritance on this nonsense?"
"It's a crusade," Bruce remarked coldly, not bothering to remove his mask.
"Gotham's crime hasn't let up in the roughly twenty years since our parents died, and the cops won't do jack about it," Clark explained. "Meanwhile, every day another child has to suffer a loss much like we did."
"This city needs justice, and it starts with taking down its criminal element at its source. We've already got Falcone behind bars, now only two of the head honchos remain."
"Yes, I suppose that's something of a good bit of news…" Alfred's voice trailed off. "Though that still doesn't change the fact that I cannot in good conscience allow you two to take part in this frivolous vigilantism."
"Well, what other choice do we have?" Clark shrugged. "We were able to take down a villain that the GCPD's failed to catch for years in just one night. And there's no telling how much tougher the others might be. Clearly, we're better equipped to do this, preserving more innocent lives in the process."
"You may be, but-"
"Spare us the safety talk. We're not your little boys anymore, and we've made our decision," Bruce interjected.
"Bruce put it a little more bluntly than I would've, but… yeah." Clark rubbed the back of his head.
"I'm not worried about your safety so much as I am about escalation on the other side," Alfred explained. "It's not every day someone with unusual abilities arrives in Gotham, and I fear that the longer you continue this crusade, the threats will become deadlier in hopes of counteracting you. It is a slippery slope, yes?"
"We can worry about that later. Right now, we have only two kingpins left: Black Mask and the Penguin." Bruce typed away at the Batcomputer's keyboard, pulling images and descriptions of the two crooks up on-screen, although only Black Mask had a picture available.
"With those punks locked up, the rest of the criminal underworld will fall into chaos and become more easily picked off." Clark nodded.
"The problem lies in a few other notable crooks who are reported to be working for them as bodyguards of sorts. They make Bronze Tiger look like your average Joe, and are definitely too dangerous for the cops."
"Confound it. I fear my prediction's already come true." Alfred sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, look. I suppose you two can go take care of this mess. I can even help if I must, for I have been trained in medicine and computer science. But once you're back, can we please think this whole thing over?"
"Sure thing, Alfred." Clark smirked as he donned his hood again. "C'mon, Robin."
"Right behind you. Literally," Robin deadpanned, climbing onto his back before he flew out of the Batcave.
If only the two could see the disheartened look on their butler's face as they left.
With that, the hunt was on for the remaining crime lords, and given how notoriously hard to track down they both were, it ended up lasting several weeks, with breaks taken in between to get some rest and keep up appearances by day as the Wayne brothers. While on patrol, in addition to hunting down any evidence they could of Penguin and Black Mask's whereabouts, Batman insisted that he and Robin also help thwart smaller crimes along the way; whether it be stopping bank heists, breaking up gang fights, or even minor acts such as retrieving stolen purses or getting cats out of trees.
It didn't take long for the dynamic duo to garner some goodwill from the public. Kids drew pictures of them in class, teens and adults made homemade T-shirts with the heroes' logos on them, and even the press began to question their initial harshness towards them. Sadly, it did little to change the cops' attitude regarding their vigilantism. Repeatedly, the two would stop a crime and be ambushed by members of the GCPD, including detectives Renée Montoya and Harvey Bullock, but thanks to Batman's speed and incredible self-defense, those cops didn't stand a chance.
Speaking of Bullock and Montoya, the two were in their shared office trying to formulate a new battle plan. A bulletin board increasingly covered in photos, thumbtacks, sticky notes, and multicolored tape rested behind them.
"Ugh, that tears it! We haven't even come close to catching those loons and I'm already fresh out of ideas!" Bullock pounded his fist on the table, his mouth full of a maple bacon donut.
"Same here, but we can't give up! Gotham's violent crime rate is already sky-high, and we don't need a couple of tricked-out thugs adding to it," Montoya replied. "Even if… they have gotten us out of the odd tight bind…"
"Hey now, I'm glad someone destroyed the Falcone empire, but the law's the law… speaking of which, I don't suppose we could get special permission to use armor-piercing bullets against ol' batty."
"That won't be necessary." In came Commissioner Gordon, sipping his black coffee.
"What are you talking about, Commish?" Montoya asked.
"Look, I know I was stringent about how we do things earlier, but I'm afraid I've been a little rash. Ever since Falcone was put away, his remaining goons have gone rogue, spreading their madness all throughout our streets and overwhelming my men. On top of this, two members of Gotham's criminal trifecta are still at large."
"So… what are you saying then?"
"I'm saying… that we might have to skirt the law a little."
"As in use some AP rounds against the bat?" Bullock suggested before his boss turned on his heel, walking away without a word. "I'll take that as a yes?"
"In your dreams, donut boy." Montoya nudged her partner in the ribs.
Up on the roof of the GCPD, the trio reconvened right next to what looked like a large stage light pointed right at the evening sky. A black scrap of metal shaped like a bat was spread across the glass on top. With his underlings looking on in stunned silence, Commissioner Gordon gave an epic grunt as he flipped the lever on the side, turning the light on and projecting the bat symbol into the air like a beacon of sorts.
"And now, we wait." he folded his arms, looking about as sure of his actions as the others.
Another nightfall meant another patrol session as the dynamic duo returned to the Batcave. Combing some gel into his hair to prevent recognition of his haircut, Robin nodded stoically in the mirror before donning his mask and meeting Batman by the tunnel exit.
"Boys, it appears some mysterious symbol has appeared above the city," Alfred said, sitting in front of the Batcomputer. "It's rather obvious who it's for, but do you think it's wise to take the bait?"
"It looks like it's coming from the cops. Most likely a trap," Robin answered.
"Maybe so, but a good hero always tries to hear people out," Batman said with his hands proudly on his hips. "Besides… I'm Batman."
"Maybe so, but please… do be careful out there," Alfred begged.
"As always."
Out in downtown Gotham City, a small crowd had gathered around the GCPD headquarters at ground level, collectively confused by the spotlight that had just been raised on its roof. Some had even gathered atop the lower rooftops of the surrounding buildings. A news chopper hovered overhead, occupied by a camera crew and a young woman with an ash-blonde asymmetrical bob and visible roots, dressed in a trench coat and holding a mic.
"Good evening, Gothamites. This is Vicky Vale, reporting live from the Gotham City Police Department," the woman explained. "I am here at the scene of an unprecedented display, in the form of a mysterious aerial signal being sent out by our very own police force. It appears the commissioner is looking to reach out to the mysterious vigilante Batman, but the question is… why- oop, there he is!"
Right on cue, Batman flew onto the rooftop, stooping over a bit after landing so Robin could climb down next to him. The two calmly strutted into the light from the Bat-Signal, ignoring the gasping and muttering from the audience as they both stared Commissioner Gordon right in the eye, Batman looking a little more optimistic than Robin.
"So you wanted to see us?" he broke the ice.
"Unfortunately, yes. Look Batman, I'm not big on partnering with those who work outside the law, but desperate times call for desperate measures," Gordon answered. "Ever since you two took out Falcone, organized crime's gone down twenty percent, with street-level stuff raising by thirty. And considering the force is stretched thin trying to take care of all the collateral—not helped by the fact that I've had to fire a bunch of officers on corruption charges—I'm afraid we have no choice but to work together, at least for now."
"So what's your plan, Gordon?" Robin asked.
"While we clean up shop on the streets, you two are gonna take out the remaining two kingpins: Penguin and Black Mask." Gordon took out two manila folders, handing one to each hero. "Now, those two are notoriously hard to find, but fortunately for you, my men have found some evidence that might prove useful. This way, you two won't be blindly tearing up my city during your hunt for them."
"Hmm, this could be just what we need to crack this case," Batman remarked with a small smile, examining the contents.
"I damn well hope so. Now I dunno how, but you two are clearly the only ones capable of snuffing those goons out, so if you can take care of that for us, you're both off the hook. And who knows? We just might need your help with cleanup in the aftermath."
"Well, you can count on us." Batman stepped forward to shake the commissioner's hand before they both heard a sweeping of a cape as Robin disappeared without a trace. "Er, you'll have to excuse my partner. He's not as much of a people person."
"Heh, neither am I, to be honest," Gordon chuckled.
And just like that, the hunt was on, but this time with a lot more direction. Thanks to the inside knowledge gained from their new, fragile alliance, Batman and Robin's first stop was on a rooftop overlooking the Iceberg Lounge, a popular bar with an Arctic-themed aesthetic that often featured live entertainment. It even featured a cold exhibit with live, captive penguins. The two vigilantes perched on the gargoyles near the side of the building, looking for any signs of suspicious activity.
"How on the nose," Robin remarked without cracking a smile.
"No kidding. Penguin's notoriously hard to locate, so it makes me question why he'd hide out somewhere this obvious," Batman replied. "At any rate, everyone knows the Iceberg Lounge is Cobblepot property. Something doesn't add up."
"Cobbepot, you say? Good heavens, I haven't heard that name since you two were young… well, young-er, that is," Alfred chimed in over the duo's comms. "They really were such an upstanding family. I do hope they're made aware of the crime going on right under their noses… before it's too late."
"Somehow, I doubt that," Robin replied.
The two made their way down towards the back entrance to the club, where a tall, burly thug with Lichtenburg scars covering half his face stepped out for a smoke break. He was dressed in all black, save for the red stripes across his shirt and the silver name tag on his chest that read "Lester," with some mechanized gloves covering his hands. Bringing the cigar up to his mouth, the thug shot a spark out of his index finger to light it, before taking a long drag.
"Hmm, that guy looks a little too suspicious to be your everyday bouncer," Batman muttered.
While his eyes were shut, the thug exhaled the smoke, only to open them and find the back alley flooded with it, courtesy of the pellet that Robin tossed at the ground.
"Huh? Pretty sure I didn't exhale that much," he remarked in a Polish accent.
Without warning, he was subjected to a devastating punch to the side of the head from Batman, sending him crashing into the nearby trash cans. Looking up woozily in front of him, he spotted an eerie, bat-like silhouette through the remaining smoke, adopting a cocky smirk as he stood up.
"Ah, the Batman. You are just the man I wanted to see," Lester chuckled.
"You flatter me, but I'm afraid we're looking for the Penguin," Batman replied.
"Yes, and he hired me to protect him from people exactly like you. Bad enough some of the pigs managed to locate his operation."
"Care to tell us about it? Or will we have to beat the answers out of you?" Robin glowered, crackling his green-armored knuckles.
"Oh no, bird brain. It is you who will be beaten. By none other than…" Looking around, Lester spotted several puddles scattered about, thanks to some rainfall from earlier in the day. He turned on one of his gloves and hovered his hand over one, sending a current of electricity towards the heroes. "The Electrocutioner! Hahaha!"
Batman dodged the electricity by hovering off the ground slightly, but Robin was a tad too slow and got zapped, stunning him long enough to make him keel over. Electrocutioner attempted to dash over to capitalize on the opportunity, but Batman zipped into his path and tried to punch him again. He managed to dodge this time and fought back with some electrified body blows, which did a little more damage than they both anticipated. Batman threw his opponent off guard by swinging his cape around, leaving him open to a dropkick. While he was still airborne, he used his ice breath to freeze over the puddles, taking away his advantage.
Electrocutioner slid backward on the ground a little, before he sat back up, startled again when some more ice breath was shot at his hands, trapping him on the ground. Batman then thawed the ice with his heat vision, short-circuiting his gloves and causing him to cry out in pain as he flailed about, sparks flying off his hands. This left him completely open to a jumping two-handed punch to the head from a recovered Robin, knocking him unconscious.
"Gordon, send in a car to pick up a thug. Worry not, he's harmless now," Batman spoke into his wrist communicator.
After hanging up, he coolly strutted over to the locked door and used his X-ray vision to trace the wires from the keypad to some metal rods underneath. He disabled the keypad via the same method used on Electrocutioner's gloves, heading inside with Robin close behind.
In the back hallways of the Iceberg Lounge, the dynamic duo progressed as deep as they could, stealthily taking out any guards they came across. One particular guard, they found, was already unconscious, slumped in a plastic chair. Being the trained detective of the duo, Robin stepped forward to check out the body, finding him dead but with little evidence of foul play save for a slight scratch on the side of his neck, alongside some mysterious black smudges that he couldn't identify.
"Hmm, looks like he's been poisoned," he remarked.
"I don't suppose someone else is looking to take out Penguin too?" Batman inquired.
"Maybe. Or there's something much more sinister going on."
Right on cue, a couple of muffled screams and thuds could be heard through the next set of double doors. The heroes charged through, ready to fight, but the assailant had already vanished, leaving behind more fresh, minimally bleeding corpses. All they could do was stick close to each other, scanning the room as they slowly progressed to the next, only to be caught off guard upon opening the next door when a pair of female legs swung through and kicked Batman right in the face.
As he and Robin cautiously backed away, a curvaceous, unnaturally flexible woman covered in serpentine tattoos flipped into the room, hissing as she flicked her tongue, which had been surgically altered to resemble that of a snake. Her dark brown hair had been styled into a short, spiky undercut with moss green highlights, while her chiseled body was clothed in golden snake-print leggings with a matching crop top. Cat-like, bright yellow contacts adorned her eyes, while each hand was adorned with long, pointed black nails.
"Huh, nice to know I'm not the only animal lover in this city. Now, what should I call you?" Batman taunted.
"You may call me Copperhead," the woman hissed in a whispery southern dialect, her stance low to the ground as she flashed her claws and unaltered teeth. "After you so easily took out Falcone, Penguin hired me to protect him and take out any insubordinates, so it looks like I'm in for a bonus tonight once I off you two quickly and painlessly!"
Before another word could be said, Copperhead hissed again and leaped onto the wall to kick off of it, parkouring around the room in an attempt to disorient the vigilantes, though Batman had a much easier time dodging her attacks thanks to his super speed. After one swipe of her claws barely missed his neck, Robin caught a glimpse of the villainess' fresh, shiny nail polish as his eyes widened in realization.
"Batman, look out for those nails. There's venom in the polish," he ordered.
"Quite the detective, aren't you?" Copperhead sneered.
"Loud and clear, Robin!" Without missing a beat, Batman flew over another diving lunge from Copperhead, seizing her by the ankles as he spun around in circles at an ever-increasing speed.
Copperhead soon caught on and tried to slash his wrists, only managing to harmlessly scratch his gauntlets before she was suplexed into the floor hard enough to form a dent and then tossed through a nearby wall. She got up surprisingly quickly, resuming her assault, but this time Batman shot some gusts of ice at the floor as well as the walls and ceiling, the extra friction tripping her up. While she was barely able to stand up, Robin abruptly and stealthily leaped onto her back from behind, wrapping his armored limbs around her as she flailed her claws around in hopes of driving him off. Unfortunately, she was too disoriented and accidentally scratched herself on the arm, freezing in shock as her assailant leaped off, standing next to Batman.
"Wh-What did you… do to me…?" Copperhead asked in an increasingly hoarse voice, stumbling and gasping as she fell to her knees.
"Gave you a taste of your own medicine," Robin coldly replied. "You'll probably live. If the bodies of your victims are any indication, then your venom takes about twenty minutes to take effect. The authorities should be here within that time."
"But in the meantime…" Batman then burned Copperhead's hands with his heat vision, whittling down her nails in the process as she screamed. "There, now you're as harmless as a corn snake."
With their latest foe subdued and left to be taken in, the dynamic duo finally made it to the deepest recesses of the Iceberg Lounge, happening upon a door with a "Manager's Office" sign on it, which surprisingly was unlocked. Inside was a sprawling room resembling a greenhouse, various captured bird species walking and flying about among the foliage, and some running water audible in the background. The inhabitants included some exceedingly rare specimens; one of which was a bald eagle, an illegal prisoner, who screeched upon spotting the heroes and dive-bombed them, before flying off as it continued to vocalize. Looking at each other, Batman and Robin gave chase before they wound up at a dead end.
The eagle swooped into a corner tucked away behind some bamboo, flapping its wings like mad before landing on the shoulder of the man who stepped out into the open. He was a rather short and rotund black man with a beak-like nose and smooth, bald head, dressed in a black and white silk robe. As he slowly strutted toward the two intruders, he also snacked on a platter of sushi, feeding one piece to his pet and stroking its chest. Batman and Robin froze upon getting a good look at the guy, not wanting to give themselves away by reacting too strongly.
"Good heavens!" Alfred stumbled backward upon seeing the feed from the Batcomputer. "Oswald Cobblepot is the Penguin?! …I suppose that explains why the family hasn't lifted a finger trying to stop this."
"I see we have some company," Penguin remarked in a calm, Kenyan accent as he popped the last bite of sushi into his mouth. "I'm always honored to take in more pets, even those who fly in without my permission… but I'm afraid bats are not birds."
He let out a squawk-like laugh upon saying that, stepping closer to the dynamic duo.
"Well luckily for you, bats rarely eat birds," Batman quipped.
"But more importantly, why are you besmirching your family name, Cobblepot?" Robin asked, cracking his knuckles.
"Ah, Cobblepot… a name I have not heard in forever…" Penguin explained wistfully. "Twas the name of my loving parents who owned a safari tour ground in Kenya… until a handful of American elites bought it out to hunt the endangered, exotic wildlife. It's just my luck that the one leading the charge lived right here in Gotham—in fact, his two boys were among my classmates growing up."
Batman and Robin remained frozen at what they heard, a little stunned at how that strange yet innocent little boy from school could turn down this path.
"Upon inheriting the Iceberg Lounge—the new family business—I vowed to regain what was stolen from me by any means necessary, and swear revenge on those no-count Waynes. Soon enough, I will have an exotic collection envied by the world… and any species that dares to threaten the peace of my garden must answer to me!"
Stepping into the center of the stone slab room, surrounded by shallow streams, Penguin stripped off his robe and tossed it to the side, his obese frame clad in nothing but gi trunks that were torn at the ankles. Most peculiar was his skin, which was white on his front torso and along the undersides of his arms, courtesy of vitiligo. Adopting a sumo stance, he shot a fierce glare at the heroes, contradicting his formerly subdued temperament.
"As if there was one remaining shred of doubt," Alfred muttered from the Batcave.
"Birds, dispose of the man who mocks you. It's the Bat I want," Penguin ordered, cueing a few ostriches and cranes to run in and restrain Robin by his limbs, unwilling to harm the wild animals by fighting his way out.
"Ask and you shall receive, Ozzie," Batman taunted back, cracking his neck and balling his fists.
Letting loose a war cry, Penguin charged toward his opponent with his arms out like a grappler. Feeling a little sure of himself, Batman didn't bother trying to dodge or counter, even deciding not to use his powers, wanting to see if this diminutive crime boss offered more of a challenge than it appeared he would… and it turned out that he didn't. All Penguin could do was grab onto Batman's legs in an attempt to shove him out of the ring, only to not move him an inch. And when he attempted to throw him, he only succeeded in throwing out his own back, letting out a squawk-like scream.
Seizing the opportunity, Batman tossed Penguin up towards the skylight above him with little effort, the full moon shining down on the two of them, and just before he could hit the ground, he knocked him through the wall with a mere flick. Penguin ended up crashing through the bottom floor dining area, where customers feasted on alcoholic drinks and an all-pescatarian menu. Sliding across the bar and taking out several glass drinks in the process, he fell off the end, only to find himself surrounded by angry patrons upon looking up. Unable to recognize the Iceberg Lounge's owner, they began to beat him up, with one man even shoving the bottom of a broken beer bottle into his face, drawing some blood and forming a makeshift monocle around his left eye.
In a panic, the bird army scattered, freeing Robin, who immediately began to tap away at his tablet, smirking slightly to himself as the audio evidence of Penguin's crimes and identity were sent to the GCPD. Soon as that happened, Batman flew over to regroup.
"I think I'll save myself the trouble and let those drunks handle him. The cops will pull up as soon as they see the commotion," he said.
"Works for me, now there's just one goon left," Robin replied.
To Be Continued...