Gotham City’s vigilante Batman pays a visit to Iceberg Lounge owner and crime boss the Penguin.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark meets with SHIELD Director Nick Fury.
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The door to Cobblepot’s office burst open.
Two men from his security entourage raced in, handguns at the ready. A third man stood at the door, covering all angles with his handgun. After a quick search of the dark room, all three men reconvened at the door.
“Seems clear, Mr. Cobblepot,” one of them said.
Out in the hall, Cobblepot looked up to Leon.
“He said in the office?”
Leon nodded in the affirmative.
Cobblepot turned back to his men. “Turn on the lights and check again!”
The men did as they ordered. The room was clean. Cobblepot grudgingly accepted this. Again, he used his umbrella to press aside the two men in the hall with him.
The other three men in the room took up strategic positions within. Leon chose to remain outside.
From the doorway, Cobblepot looked into the office. As his team said, everything seemed to be on the up and —
“The window!” Cobblepot asked.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than three small balls flew in through the open window. They exploded upon impact, releasing a voluminous black smoke that quickly engulfed the room.
Though the smoke obscured his vision, Cobblepot heard the muffled sounds of his man closest to the window. It sounded as if he’d just taken a punch or two and fell to the floor. Cobblepot saw movement within the smoke —
The flourish of a black cape.
Cobblepot turned to the two men behind him. “Get in there!” he shouted while shuffling behind them.
Leon had seen all he needed to see. He dashed for an exit. Cobblepot saw him go. He’d deal with him later.
Turning back to his office, Cobblepot heard another man go down, then another. This one was closer. Peering into the smoke, he’d lost sight of Batman.
Then black gloved hands grabbed the two security men standing in front of Cobblepot, then dragged them into the smoke. Muffled sounds of a fight —
Then silence.
Cobblepot held up his umbrella. A blade slid from its point.
“I’m a businessman under assault by a masked vigilante, Batman!” he shouted. “When I kill you, it will be —”
Black gloves snatched Cobblepot’s umbrella from his hand.
A second after the Penguin registered his sudden defenselessness, two gloved hands grabbed him by his collar and dragged him into the room. Enveloped in smoke, he merely heard the door shut behind him.
“Do you have any idea what you just pulled me away from?” Stark asked.
“Liver failure?” Fury deadpanned.
Stark shook his head. Then he fought for balance. Fury walked over to Stark and pushed his shoulder. Stark’s arms flailed before he stumbled onto his butt on the rooftop.
“Thanks for the help,” Stark said. He started to get up but wobbled some more. He opted to stay down. “So what do I owe this destruction of my social life?”
Fury circled the fallen Stark. “I hear you’ve got a new product to sell to Gotham law enforcement.”
“Yeah, big presentation tomorrow. Probably did me a favor cutting me off so I can prepare.”
“You’re supposed to provide SHIELD with first look deals, Stark.”
Stark looked at his hands, checking to see if they were okay after his fall. “I did. You have your Mandroids.”
“That’s old tech. And to be honest,” Fury began, “I never thought it a good idea for civilian forces to have any of your tech.”
“If not from me, they’d get it from Queen, maybe Wayne. Better that than Luthor or Roxxon. Cuz the Stane thing went so well. You remember? Their boss, Obadiah Stane, becoming the Iron Monger and wrecking parts of Manhattan. Who stopped that again? SHIELD? No? That was me.”
“Point is,” Fury said, “as the premier law enforcement division, we need the top-of-the-line tech. Not municipal governments.”
“You wouldn’t have any fun with the Mark II stuff. Rubber bullets.”
Fury glared at Stark.
To be continued…
While writing this fanfiction, I used Green Ronin’s Mutants and Masterminds, 3rd Edition RPG, to leave some things to chance. Check it out!
Like this fanfiction? Check out Mark’s original “Shadowdance” saga books!
Copyright Info
DC Adventures, Copyright 2011, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Steve Kenson. Now it’s Mutants and Masterminds, 3rd Edition
Advanced Player’s Manual, Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Publishing: Author Skip Williams.
The characters Iron Man, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Vanko, Black Widow and Nick Fury are Copyright Marvel Comics
The characters Batman/ Bruce Wayne, Batgirl/ Barbara Gordon, Black Mask, the Penguin/ Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, Renee Montoya, Commissioner Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, Robin/ Dick Grayson, KGBeast and Bane are Copyright DC Comics
The character Juri Han is Copyright Capcom
None of the characters belong to me as this is fanfiction, done for fun, and as a creative exercise.
