"Hey, Victor—run a scan on this stuff for me."
Even though the coach's promised chili-cheese fries and slushie had been sitting in front of him for a while, Ben wasn't about to eat anything handed to him by strangers in Gotham. Not unless someone with a built-in lab verified it first.
The game had already started. The stadium roared like a living thing outside the glass of the VIP suite. When Cyborg returned from the locker room area, Ben immediately waved him over like he'd been waiting for a doctor's test results.
Cyborg's systems flickered as he sampled the food.
"No toxins. No sedatives. No radioactive surprises," he said, settling onto the couch. "You're being paranoid."
Ben didn't even look guilty. He looked satisfied.
"Your coach literally said someone important is coming to talk business with you," Ben replied, dipping another fry into the chili sauce like it was a scientific procedure. "And he told us to be 'good kids' and not cause trouble."
Across the room, Billy Batson—currently in his normal form—kept his eyes glued to the field. He was trying very hard to act like a regular kid in a luxury suite, but his bouncing leg betrayed him.
Still, he chimed in anyway, puffing his chest like he was ten feet tall.
"If it's bad stuff, I'll make him regret it."
Ben snorted. "You'll what, lecture him with the Wisdom of Solomon?"
Billy's expression tightened. "It's real wisdom."
Ben's grin widened. "Sure. Locked-door wisdom."
Billy groaned and turned back to the game, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, I hate him.
Cyborg didn't laugh. His face had gone slightly distant—like he was processing something heavier than numbers.
Ben noticed immediately.
Victor had been happy when the coach greeted him earlier. There had been warmth in it. History. The kind of connection you don't get in the Watchtower.
And now that warmth had been used as a hook.
"It could just be the coach got played," Billy said, softer this time, trying to patch the mood. "Maybe someone's using them."
Cyborg exhaled and nodded slowly.
"Maybe." He glanced at Ben. "Want me to find out who?"
Ben's eyes gleamed with a very Gotham-appropriate kind of interest.
"They invited us to Gotham," he said, licking chili sauce off his finger like it was the punchline to a joke. "That narrows the list to 'rich people with bad hobbies.'"
Cyborg connected to the stadium network. His body stayed still, but the faint shift in his eyes said everything: he was in the system now.
He also quietly compromised the suite's internal cameras—locking down audio and video routing to prevent anyone from recording their conversation.
"You're really doing it," Billy whispered, half amazed. "You're hacking a football stadium."
Cyborg didn't look up.
"It's Gotham," he said. "Assume everything is compromised until proven otherwise."
A few seconds later, Cyborg's gaze sharpened.
"Found it. A large sponsorship injection into the team's budget. Private donor. The match itself was funded off-record."
Ben leaned forward, already guessing.
"Name?"
Cyborg's voice was flat.
"Oswald Cobblepot."
Ben's mind immediately filled in the silhouette: short, heavy build, expensive suit, umbrella like a badge of office, smile like a knife that learned manners.
"The Penguin," Ben said, almost cheerfully. "Not exactly a small-time guy."
Billy finally looked away from the field. His eyes widened.
"Wait—Penguin like… that Penguin?"
Cyborg flicked a hand, projecting quick highlights—news articles, court documents, buried charges, sealed settlements. A neat little museum of crimes that never managed to stick.
"Powerful," Cyborg said. "Careful. He's cleaned most of his public record. Outside Gotham, he passes as a legitimate businessman."
Ben nodded as if he'd just confirmed the weather.
"In Gotham," he said, "that's practically a resume."
Cyborg's jaw tightened. The thought landed where it hurt: his old team, his coach, people he actually cared about—caught in someone else's game.
"We should tell Batman," Cyborg said, hesitation creeping into his voice. "If Cobblepot is involved, it might interfere with whatever Batman is doing tonight."
Ben didn't hesitate.
"He's already chasing Joker and that dirty bomb," Ben said. "But yeah—send the message. He needs to know."
Cyborg routed a secure ping through League channels—short, clean, and packed with the relevant details. He also set the suite's surveillance feed to forward to Batman's preferred secure endpoint, in case Batman wanted to observe in real time.
Ben's tone stayed casual, but his eyes weren't.
"Until Batman shows up," he said, "we figure out what Penguin wants."
Billy swallowed.
"And if it's something bad?"
Ben shrugged as if the worst-case scenario was a spilled soda.
"Then we're in Gotham," he said. "Which means 'bad' is basically the default setting."
A soft click sounded from the suite door.
The handle turned.
Cyborg's posture changed instantly—subtle, controlled, ready.
Billy's hands curled slightly on the couch cushions, like he was deciding whether he could transform without revealing himself to every camera in the building.
Ben sat back, strangely relaxed, like a kid watching the opening scene of a movie he'd already read spoilers for.
The door swung open.
A short, heavy man entered in an immaculate suit. He moved with the awkward confidence of someone who'd never had to apologize for taking up space. In one hand he carried a black umbrella with a bird-shaped handle—ornate, theatrical, and not even slightly subtle.
Oswald Cobblepot stepped into the VIP suite like he owned the stadium.
His smile spread wide across his face—warm, charitable, perfectly fake.
"Friends," Penguin said, voice dripping with practiced charm, "welcome to Gotham City."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 120)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 95)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 85)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter85)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter81)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter60)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter66)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 40
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 50
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