After venting his rage at his subordinates inside the Iceberg Lounge in Gotham City, Penguin finally steadied his breathing.
His eyes narrowed as a new concern surfaced.
"Where is that Roman?"
He turned toward his assistant. "I heard he has been keeping a low profile lately. The gangs trying to seize his territory have been wiped out. Shouldn't he be stepping forward to reclaim control?"
"The Roman" referred to Carmine Falcone, one of Gotham's most powerful crime lords.
For years, Falcone had effectively ruled Gotham through corruption and influence, working closely with political and law enforcement figures such as the mayor, the city council, and Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb. His grip on the city only began to weaken after the rise of Batman.
The assistant answered cautiously, "Mr. Falcone has not been seen recently. Some believe he has returned to Chicago."
"Chicago?" Penguin repeated, leaning back into his chair and adjusting his coat.
He let out a slow breath before speaking again.
"At this point, that is the only option left for him. The Vitti family in Chicago would take him in. His sister, Carla Vitti, is connected to them. A man like Falcone would have no better place to hide than under family protection."
There was a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
"An old era gangster like him doesn't belong in this city anymore. Gotham has changed."
He leaned forward slightly, continuing his thoughts.
"He was already struggling against Harvey Dent when he was still a prosecutor, losing territory bit by bit. And then when he tried to move against Commissioner Gordon, Batman crushed him. Pathetic, really."
He gave a short, mocking laugh.
For a moment, the tension in his mind eased.
But it did not last.
Because Penguin himself was preparing to run.
The same fate, he realized, might be waiting for him.
After a long silence, he ordered his subordinates to bring the latest newspapers.
They arrived quickly, placing several copies on the table.
The first he picked up was the Daily Planet.
The headline detailed a shocking event involving Homelander, who had reportedly relocated an entire city into a desert landscape.
The article speculated that the city was the legendary Atlantis, and the glowing figure seen confronting him was the so called King of Atlantis, Aquaman.
According to the report, Atlantean forces had attacked the surface, and Homelander retaliated by dragging their underwater city onto land.
Penguin stared at the printed image of Aquaman kneeling in the sand before Homelander.
He slowly set the paper down.
His expression darkened.
His fears were no longer abstract.
Even someone like Homelander, whom he had once underestimated as just another dangerous figure, now operated on a scale beyond imagination.
The entire world seemed subdued beneath him.
Gotham's criminal underworld, once untouchable, had already been dismantled. Arrests, raids, and forced disappearances had wiped out most of the city's major figures. Those who remained were either imprisoned or hiding.
Penguin took a slow sip of coffee.
His hand trembled slightly.
He had already gone into hiding. The Iceberg Lounge was closed. His operations were halted. He barely left his residence.
And yet, he knew it would not be enough.
Not against someone like Homelander.
Even the most cautious criminals had been found.
He exhaled heavily and continued issuing instructions for his financial transfers, preparing multiple escape routes overseas.
His plan was simple.
Disappear.
If possible, return someday.
If not, stay gone forever.
After dismissing his men, he loosened his collar and leaned back, exhausted.
Before he could gather his thoughts, a voice cut through the silence.
"If Homelander has marked your method of escape, there is no way out."
Penguin's body stiffened.
"Who is there?"
He immediately stood, gripping his umbrella tightly.
The voice had come from outside the window.
He was on the third floor.
No ordinary person should have been able to reach it.
The window suddenly creaked open.
A figure stepped inside.
Penguin's eyes widened.
"You're Robin?"
Standing there was Nightwing.
The man corrected him immediately.
"I am no longer Robin. Call me Nightwing."
Penguin studied him for a moment, tension easing slightly as recognition set in.
"A new name," he said with a faint smirk. "So you've finally stepped out of Batman's shadow and decided to act on your own?"
"That is not your concern," Nightwing replied. Then he glanced at the window ledge. "Are you planning to leave me standing out here all night?"
Penguin chuckled darkly.
"If you step inside, my men will fill you with bullets."
"You won't do that," Nightwing said confidently.
"And why is that? We are enemies."
"Because the moment you start shooting, you will draw attention," Nightwing replied. "And that is the last thing you want right now. Especially with them watching."
Penguin's expression tightened.
He hated that Nightwing was right.
Still, he refused to show it.
"I am not a criminal," Penguin snapped. "Do not label me like one. In a city like this, you either adapt or get swallowed. There is no purity here, only survival."
"That is where we differ," Nightwing said as he stepped fully inside.
"The more corrupt a place becomes, the more valuable those who refuse to follow it."
Penguin let out a short laugh.
"You really came here to lecture me about morality?"
"No," Nightwing answered. "I came to talk about Homelander."
The room instantly shifted.
Penguin's expression hardened.
"I do not want to hear that name."
"Even if he is turning the world into a dictatorship?" Nightwing pressed.
Penguin stepped closer, his voice rising.
"You know nothing. People like you talk because you have not seen what he is capable of. Everything is under his control. Every movement, every whisper. He is not a man anymore. He is a god."
Nightwing remained steady.
"Even gods have weaknesses."
Penguin laughed, sharp and bitter.
"If Batman said that, I might listen. But you? You are out of your depth. That man lifted an entire city. He could crush Gotham without effort."
He leaned in slightly.
"If I were you, I would run. Like Batman did. Or perhaps he is already dead."
Nightwing ignored the provocation.
"I am not here to debate fear," he said. "I am here to offer cooperation."
Penguin paused.
"Cooperation?"
"Yes," Nightwing said. "A coalition. People who resist him. I have already made contact with others, including individuals from… other worlds of knowledge."
Penguin stared at him, stunned.
Then he shook his head slowly.
"You are insane."
Nightwing did not deny it.
"Maybe. But doing nothing guarantees destruction."
Penguin did not immediately reply.
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