Chapter 185: Intergang
Iceberg Lounge.
This was a new casino that had only recently started to make a name for itself in Gotham City. Its owner was Oswald Cobblepot, the infamous The Penguin.
The Penguin's rise to power had been anything but easy. He had spent the better part of his life as a Henchman, toiling away at the bottom of the Organization and clawing his way up.
In Gotham City, where power was already consolidated and carved up by the Godfathers and Emperors, it was nearly impossible for a newcomer with no background to start from scratch and rise to the top. But he was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time—the era of Batman. In the past few months, one top-tier Big Shot after another had been taken down by Batman, leading to a reshuffling of power in Gotham. The Penguin seized the opportunity to ride the wave, and now he was poised to become the new Emperor of Gotham.
Recently, Cobblepot had just swallowed up two large, leaderless gangs, his power growing ever stronger. Cobblepot was overjoyed. In the private room of his casino, he had a woman on each arm—a brunette and a blonde—playing games with the two scantily clad young ladies.
Melodious music filled the room as an entire troupe of lightly-dressed young women danced sensuously before him. With a woman on each arm, Cobblepot sipped his liquor, his eyes glued to the dance, his hands roaming freely. He looked utterly content.
"I am Gotham!"
Cobblepot declared, puffing out his chest.
"You are truly lucky, beautiful ladies. In this city today, there isn't a problem I can't solve, and no one dares to confront me face-to-face.
"In fact, if I wanted to, even the appointment and dismissal of the Mayor would be a simple matter of my say-so."
Cobblepot carried himself like a king, but as his round body waddled towards the bar to pour a whiskey, his silhouette still looked just like a penguin.
"That's so amazing, sweetie~"
The two women giggled, each taking one of his arms.
"But I heard there's still Batman?"
"Ha, just a contemptible clown," Cobblepot said smugly. "Batman, and all those other weirdo lunatics popping up in various cities recently... I've never taken any of them seriously—"
Just as he said that, the office door was slammed open from the outside with a bang. Two bodyguards flew in, their faces bruised and swollen. One of them, lying miserably on the floor, said, "Sorry, Mr. Penguin, but he insisted on coming in... we couldn't stop him."
"Who is it!?"
Cobblepot roared.
"No one dares to cause trouble on the Penguin's turf! Not even Batman would..."
Before he could finish, an azure radiance shone through the dust from outside the door. A red and silver armor, accompanied by mechanical sounds and a distinct, heavy presence, slowly strode in.
Cobblepot swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Instead, he put on a smile at light speed.
"Eh, a rare guest! What wind blew you here? My humble casino is truly flattered, hahaha—"
There were a few key secrets to how Cobblepot had climbed from an obscure, low-level gofer to his current position.
Know when to be bold and when to be a coward. Know who to suck up to, and be quick to change your tune.
At the same time, Cobblepot quickly turned to the two chattering girls who had already skillfully shrunk to the side.
"Come on, hurry up and pour our guest a drink?" He waved his short, fat hands. "Keep the music playing, keep dancing!"
"Mr. Cobblepot, you're too kind. I only have two questions," Orin Vale said with a wave of his hand. "It's about Kirkete Aerospace. Earlier, their Chairman was arrested."
"Ah, that incident. I heard about it... To think, such a sanctimonious scumbag," Cobblepot cursed. "I've always despised lechers like him the most!"
Orin Vale glanced expressionlessly at the room full of chattering women behind him. It was doubtful whether the scraps of fabric on the entire troupe of girls could be pieced together to make a single complete outfit.
"Uh—" Cobblepot choked, his eyes darting around. "They... they're all from different countries and regions. I had them come here to tutor me in foreign languages."
"I'm not interested in your affairs for now. But the victim in that case, Miss Virgil... I hear she was one of your casino's people? As the boss, I imagine you must know something?"
"I don't know, I don't know anything at all." Cobblepot shook his head like a rattle-drum. "We're a very liberal establishment. I never meddle in what my subordinates do in their spare time."
Without a word, Orin Vale raised his right hand to the sky and fired a Light Energy Cannon.
A specially calibrated Light Energy Impact, its sound and light effects particularly astonishing. As it was released, a magnificent, lotus-like ripple of light burst from his palm. The impact beam, carrying a terrifying, soul-shaking aura, tore through the dome and shot into the heavens with unstoppable momentum.
Straight into the clouds!
The casino's rooftop was pierced through. Through the transparent, ice-crystal-like dome, one could even see that the clouds high in the sky seemed to have been blasted straight through.
Witnessing that superhuman power from near point-blank range, Cobblepot was momentarily stunned. He opened his mouth, but only a muffled mumble came out.
"This is very important. Please, think about it again carefully," Orin Vale said, his tone still polite. "I must insist."
Cobblepot looked at the hole in the ceiling, then at the clouds outside that had been blasted apart by the beam, and gulped.
"I think I remember now. There was something... a friend from Metropolis... some very powerful friends, said they needed to take care of some business here in Gotham and asked to borrow someone pretty and capable from me.
"You know, my casino just opened, and making friends is very important in this business. I couldn't refuse, so... so I lent them Virgil. But I swear, I have no idea what they arranged or what they did afterward!
"I'm a legitimate businessman—"
"Friends from Metropolis? Who?"
"...Metropolis International."
Orin Vale thought back for a moment.
Metropolis International...
The Intergang from the Superman series?
At this very moment, in Metropolis, at Intergang headquarters.
A man sat before a floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the brightly lit Metropolis, lost in thought.
He was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, his thick black hair neatly and ruthlessly styled. His face was expressionless. His custom-tailored black suit was impeccably cut, he wore a pair of shiny black leather shoes, and the expensive watch on his wrist reflected the incandescent light.
Bruno Mannheim, the leader of Intergang, the crime Emperor of Metropolis.
"The situation with Kirkete Aerospace is not as expected," he said in a low voice. "Their operation is dragging, and their ability is limited. What's worse, they've attracted some unwanted attention."
Bruno swiveled around in his chair to face a visitor in the shadows of the office.
"That one they call 'Ultraman' on social media, and that glowing green guy... they're extraterrestrial visitors, aren't they? Just like you.
"You promised you would help us deal with these things."
"A correction. We only promised technology and weapons. And don't push your luck, human. The only reason you have these things is due to the generosity of our great Lord.
"The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away."
A hoarse, strange voice, its pronunciation somewhat unpracticed, sounded from the darkness.
He paused, then chuckled grimly a few times.
"Heh, but you're in luck. That Ultraman has indeed piqued our interest a little."
Bruno asked, "Does that mean you're willing to act on our behalf?"
"That depends. We still need to observe. But we will grant you further assistance. You should feel honored." The grim voice sneered. "You are becoming the foundation stone of the great blueprint of Apokolips."
(end of chapter)